February 17-20, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 14 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
Palace: US presence in disputed waters must be ‘peaceful’ by RALPH
VILLANUEVA ManilaTimes.net
MALACAÑANG wants no “untoward” incidents in disputed waters with presence of United States military vessels in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after U.S. Navy Rear Admiral John Fuller told reporters on board the USS Carl Vinson that “U.S. presence matters” in the disputed waters. “We hope there will be no un- The Arleigh Burke-Class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG toward incident on the occasion of 112) breaks away from the Fleet Replenishment Oiler USNS John Ericsson (T-AO the visit of USS Carl Vinson in our 194). The Carl Vinson Strike Group is currently operating in the Western Pacific
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DATELINE
as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
SPECIAL MEETING. President Rodrigo R. Duterte presides over a meeting with the members of the Consultative Committee at the Malacañang Palace. The Consultative Committee is headed by retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno and counts among its members retired Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura, retired Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., Professor Edmund Soriano Tayao, and Dean Julio Cabral Teehankee. The president formed the consultative committee to study, conduct consultations and review the provisions of the constitution in line with Duterte’s desire to change the country’s form of government from the current unitary type to federal system. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez
U.S. Navy photo byJasen Morenogarcia/
Duterte-Trump ‘romance’ boosts PH-US ties
USA
by JOSE
KATIGBAK Philstar.com
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Bipartisan immigration proposals on DREAMers, border security fail in Senate Time is running out as the Senate scrambles to put together a compromise with the White House on immigration as advocates call for a clean DREAM Act AS tensions mount in Washington on the immigration front, the closely-watched immigration talks in Washington hit yet another impasse in the effort to protect undocumented youth. Each of the four bipartisan proposals introduced in the Senate this week failed to garner the 60 votes on Thursday, February 15 needed to advance the legislation. “I think it’s safe to say this has been a disappointing week,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on the Senate floor following failed series of votes.
PH President Rodrigo Duterte and U.S. President Donald Trump Philstar.com file photo
by EDITH
REGALADO Philstar.com
KINGDOM of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy maintained that he did not commit any crime in the United States. Lawyer Israelito Torreon, spokesman and legal counsel of the international evangelist, said Quiboloy wanted to convey this message to his followers, which the group places at six million worldwide. Torreon also said Quiboloy,
Over 200 in Los Angeles detained by ICE in recent immigration sweep
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At one point Duterte called Barack Obama a “son of bitch” and threatened to abandon the Philippines’ alliance with the United States for one with China. “Strategic patience has helped recalibrate the alliance relationship,” Harris said. He said the attack on Marawi by Islamic State-inspired fighters posed a significant challenge to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and served as a reminder of the value of our alliance to Philippine security and stability. “U.S. support, primarily in the form of providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), tactical advice, and the use
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Apollo Quiboloy: I did not commit any crime Trillanes, Loida Nicolas-Lewis
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THE U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Friday, February 16 that its agents have detained a total of 212 people around the Los Angeles area during a five-day worksite enforcement operation conducted Sunday through Thursday, February 15. The targets were suspected of being in violation of U.S. immigration laws. On Thursday, immigrant rights advocates blocked a Homeland Security van when it tried to access the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. The ICE agency said Friday that 88 percent of those arrested in the sweep were convicted criminals, some of who will be prosecuted for entering or re-entering the U.S. illegally. Others face deportation proceedings, or immediate deportation. “The remaining individuals are in ICE cus-
WASHINGTON – Relations between the Philippines and the United States are on the upswing under the Duterte-Trump administrations, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command said. “The tenor of our bilateral relationship has improved over the past year, due in part to the relationship-reset in President Duterte’s personal interactions with President Trump,” Admiral Harry Harris Jr. said. As a result of frank and frequent talks between Filipino and U.S. officials, Harris said “we continue to maintain a robust defense relationship,” slowly expanding the
parameters of military-to-military cooperation. “In particular we have obtained a Philippine commitment to resuming live-fire exercises and close air support training,” he said in a statement at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on U.S. military posture and security challenges in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Before Trump came to office ties between both countries were at their lowest level because of human rights concerns. The Obama administration repeatedly condemned Duterte’s war on drugs and the resulting deaths of countless Filipinos and Duterte retaliated with personal insults.
Apollo Quiboloy
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Philstar.com photo
Arum close to making Pacquiao vs Alvarado fight by DINO
MARAGAY Philstar.com
TOP Rank Inc. chief Bob Arum is expecting to soon finalize a deal that would pit Manny Pacquiao against American slugger Mike Alvarado. Arum plans to hold PacquiaoAlvarado as part of a doubleheader card in Las Vegas that would also showcase Terence Crawford clashing with Pacquiao conqueror Jeff Horn. Manny Pacquiao
Mike Alvarado
Philstar.com photos
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‘persona non grata’ in Davao City by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
Tuesday, February 13, the city council deemed Trillanes and OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Lewis as undesirable and unTrillanes IV and Filipino-Ameri- welcome in Davao City for their can businesswoman and phi- continuous criticisms against lanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis the Duterte administration. According to Davao City Vice were declared as “persona non grata” (unwelcome person) in Mayor Bernard Al-ag, local ofDavao City, the hometown of ficials took into account the Philippine President Rodrigo senator’s claim that Davao City is allegedly the most dangerous Duterte. During a regular session on city in the country. “Declaring the city as the most dangerous city in the Philippines is not acceptable! This is an insult to the 1.6 million Dabawenyos who are working hard every day to make our city safe,” Al-ag said. During a forum on February 9 with the Filipino community in Chicago, Trillanes stated that “Davao City was Number One for murder and Number Two for rape in the Philippines” when Duterte was its mayor, citing data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) as his source. He also claimed that “Davao residents were so brainwashed Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV Inquirer.net photo
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From the Front Page
Palace: US presence in...
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region,” Roque said. Roque said any country was free to navigate the West Philippine Sea. “All vessels, including aircraft carriers, are entitled to freedom of navigation in the [West Philippine Sea],” he said.
One of the United States Navy’s longest-serving active carriers, USS Carl Vinson is conducting a “routine mission” in the area, where years of island reclamation and military construction by Beijing has rattled regional nerves. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and guided-missile de-
stroyer USS Michael Murphy arrived at the Manila port on Friday, February 16, with more than 5,500 sailors from both vessels set to visit local attractions and participate in community service projects while in the Philippine capital. “We are just very thankful for the support we have from the Philippine government and the Philippine people,” said Fuller in a statement on Friday. “We have a longstanding relationship and we want to continue to build on that.” The USS Carl Vinson hosted top Philippine government and military officials February 14 before arriving. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar and others flew aboard the carrier with U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim. The delegation ate lunch with strike group leadership, toured the hangar bay, and observed flight operations on the flight deck prior
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BACK HOME. Some Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) exit the aerobridge of Philippine Airlines (PR) 669 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay on Friday, February 16. A total of 113 OFWs, who were repatriated, arrived from Kuwait at 9:35 a.m., Friday. They were repatriated after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an employment ban to Kuwait due to the murder of Joanna Demafelis and other reports of abuse. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Duterte-Trump ‘romance’ boosts... PAGE A1 t
ammunition, proved crucial in the to addressing AFP needs helped of our Mutual Logistics Support AFP’s defeat of ISIS-P in Marawi,” bolster the bilateral relationship, he said. Agreement (MLSA) to assist in the he said The Pentagon’s quick response Referring to the South China timely delivery of weapons and Sea, Harris said overlapping and competing territorial and maritime claims remained a source of friction in the region. “I am most concerned about China’s ongoing actions in the South China Sea,” he said. “Across the South China Sea, China’s air force, navy, coast guard and maritime militia all maintain a robust presence. Routine patrols and exercises ensure Chinese forces are in and around all the features, not just the ones they occupy,” Harris added. Aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea, Rear Admiral John Fuller told reporters “US presence matters” in the disputed sea-lane. “I think it’s very clear that we are in the South China Sea. We are operating.” The Carl Vinson, one of the U.S. Navy’s longest-serving active carriers, is currently conducting what officials say is a routine mission through the hotly contested waters where years of island reclamation and military construction by Beijing have rattled regional nerves. Following criticism that the Trump administration’s commitment to the Asian region has been distracted by North Korea, reporters were flown onto the ship Wednesday as it sailed through
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FROM THE FRONT PAGE
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 17-20, 2018
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Bipartisan immigration proposals... PAGE A1 t
With the failure of all the proposed bills, the Senate is forced to go back to the drawing board. What followed was a series of partisan finger-pointing with Republicans blaming Democrats for the stalemates in the immigration debate. “Remember, Democrats wanted this debate. They shut the federal government for 300 million Americans — unnecessarily — to guarantee we could have this debate at this time,” McConnell said, referencing the January 19 shutdown following the failure to compromise on a federal spending package. McConnell’s counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who has been a key Democrat in the immigration talks, attributed the roadblocks to Trump, who he said has been vocal about his conditions on the immigration bill. “This vote is proof that President Trump’s plan will never become law,” Schumer asserted on Twitter on Thursday after the vote. “If he would stop torpedoing bipartisan efforts, a good bill would pass.” What was being voted on? The first bill — introduced by Sens. Chris Coons (D-D.E.) and John McCain (R-AZ) — would have granted legal status to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) but did not provide funding for the controversial border wall. The narrowly-tailored CoonsMcCain bill failed 52-47 with largely Democratic support and Republican opposition. The second proposal came from
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) didn’t address DACA or border security at all. Instead, it called for the penalization of self-designated sanctuary cities (jurisdictions that have pledged not to aid and abet federal immigration operations) who refuse to enforce federal immigration policy by suppressing federal funds to these cities. Toomey’s bill failed 54-45 had significant Republican backing while Democrats mostly opposed it. The third bill encompassed the broadest bipartisan deal and allotted $25 billion for border security, restricted family-reunification and “permanently deals with DACA recipients,” according to a statement from the senators, who call themselves the Common Sense Coalition. This bill also garnered 54-45 with an almost unanimous favorable vote from Democrats. The fourth and final bill that was proposed came from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) aligns closest to the demands of the Trump administration. Grassley’s bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for DREAmers, fund the border wall and significantly cut legal immigration, including family-based immigration and eliminate the diversity visa lottery. Grassley’s bill received the least favor, garnering a 39-60 vote, suggesting that Trump’s preferred immigration plan, as it is, would not pass Congress. The Senate’s failure to come up with an agreement has not only angered those in Congress but immigrant rights groups who, since DACA was first ter-
Duterte-Trump ‘romance’ boosts... PAGE A2 t
the sea. In a rapid series of takeoffs and landings, F18 fighter jets roared off the deck, accelerating from zero to 290 kilometers per hour in a dizzying two seconds. “The nations in the Pacific are maritime nations,” he said. “They value stability... That’s exactly what we are here for. This is a very visible and tangible presence. The United States is here again.” But the location of the strike group – which includes a carrier air wing and a guided-missile cruiser – is also a very direct message to China, whether U.S. officials admit it or not. Its voyage comes just a month after the Pentagon’s national defense strategy labeled China a
“strategic competitor” that bullies its neighbors while militarizing features in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea – believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits and through which $5 trillion in trade passes annually – and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. The Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei also have claims in the sea. Compared to the 11 active aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy, China currently boasts just one carrier. But the rising Asian superpower has made no secret of its desire to build up its naval forces and become much more regionally assertive.
minated in September, has called on Washington lawmakers to promptly find a solution for DREAMers. In less than three weeks, on March 5, DACA is set to expire. Two federal judges have called for a temporary halt on the deadline, but immigrant rights activists and organizations are pushing for a solution before the deadline. Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA has been calling for a clean DREAM Act bill that would grant nearly 1.8 million undocumented youth with a pathway to citizenship. “After 163 days of living in limbo, Congress is forcing immigrant youth to wait longer still while politicians take a week-long holiday instead of staying in town to find a solution,” Advancing Justice-LA said in a statement. “Asian Americans Advancing Justice urges the President to make good on his promise to undocumented youth and support a clean DREAM Act. The clear rejection of the administration’s proposal should demonstrate that the administration’s attempt to give ultimatums is a failing proposition.” The DREAM Act, which was first introduced by a bipartisan group of senators in 2001, has a long history of proposals but not one form of the bill has passed both chambers of Congress. According to a Politico/Morning Consult Poll conducted last year, 76 percent of Americans support providing eligible DREAMers with citizenship. (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)
QUAKE DRILL. Students of Baclaran Elementary School run out during an earthquake drill on Thursday, February 15. Several cities in Metro Manila held simultaneous earthquake drills to improve the public’s readiness in case a big quake occurs. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma
Over 200 in Los Angeles detained... PAGE A1 t
tody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future,” said the Friday statement. The ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) also served 122 notices of inspection (NOI) to business in the Los Angeles area, alerting business owners that their hiring records will be audited by the ICE to determine if they are in compliance with the law or not. Businesses found to be not in compliance will face civil fines and potential criminal prosecution, said the agency in the statement. ICE Deputy Director Thomas D. Homan said such raids were needed because of local policies set by sanctuary cities like Los Angeles. “Because sanctuary jurisdicLast month Beijing said it had tions like Los Angeles prevent ICE dispatched a warship to drive away from arresting criminal aliens in a U.S. missile destroyer, which the secure confines of a jail, our had “violated” its sovereignty by officers are forced to conduct atsailing close to a shoal in the South large arrests in the community, China Sea. putting officers, the general pubMajor naval nations like the US, Britain and Australia are determined not to let China dictate who can enter the strategic waters. They have pushed “freedom of navigation” operations in which PAGE A2 t naval vessels sail close to Chinese- to boarding a C-2A Greyhound for claimed militarized islets in the the return to Manila. Following criticism that the South China Sea. “We will follow what interna- Trump administration’s committional rule says and we will respect ment to the Asian region has been (it), even if there are disputes distracted by North Korea, reporters were also flown onto the USS there,” Fuller said. The nuclear-powered USS Carl Carl Vinson hosted top Philippine Vinson – the ship that took Osama government and military officials bin Laden’s body for burial at sea February 14 before arriving on – began a regular deployment in Wednesday as it sailed through the Western Pacific last month. ■ the sea.
lic and the aliens at greater risk and increasing the incidents of collateral arrests,” said Homan. He added, “Fewer jail arrests mean more arrests on the street, and that also requires more resources, which is why we are forced to send additional resources to those areas to meet operational needs and officer safety.” The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has a policy that prevents police from inquiring about people’s immigration status in hopes of encouraging all to freely cooperate with police investigations without worry. Police chief Charlie Beck said last December that the LAPD “is neither authorized nor responsible for the enforcement of civil immigration laws or regulations.” On Los Angeles being sanctuary city, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told NPR, “we absolutely are a city that not only does provide sanctuary to immigrants, but we defend them.” In October, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to make California a “sanctuary
Palace: US presence in...
state”, prompting cooperation limitations between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities — the bill went into effect January of this year. U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions called the “unconscionable” and said it “risks the safety of good law enforcement officers and the safety of the neighborhoods that need their protection the most.” The recent Los Angeles sweep follows raids in Northern California where ICE agents demanded proof from 77 business that their employees were legally allowed to work in the country. In January, federal immigration enforcement agents made sweeps across nearly 100 7-Eleven stores across the U.S. The agency said that a total of 1,360 I-9 audits were conducted, 139 criminal arrests made, and 172 administrative arrests in the 2017 fiscal year. Government statistics last year showed that of the 3.5 million Filipinos in the U.S., approximately 300,000 were undocumented. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)
value stability … That’s exactly what we are here for. This is a very visible and tangible presEarlier this month, pictures ence. The United States is here showed that China was nearly again.” done with the construction of miliBeijing claims most of the tary facilities in islands claimed by South China Sea – believed to neighboring countries, including hold vast oil and gas deposits the Philippines. and through which $5 trillion in Fuller, commander of the Carl trade passes annually – and has Vinson Strike Group, said on rapidly built reefs into artificial Wednesday the 333-meter-long islands capable of hosting miliship’s presence was a way to reas- tary planes. sure allies. The Philippines, Vietnam, Tai“The nations in the Pacific are wan, Malaysia and Brunei also maritime nations,” he said. “They have claims in the sea. ■
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Garcetti partners with Loyola Law School to offer free legal services for formerly incarcerated Angelenos LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday, February 14 joined partners at Loyola Law School to recognize the Collateral Consequences of Conviction Justice Project (CCCJP), a legal clinic that helps clients move on with their lives after incarceration. “People should be met with forgiving hearts, open doors, and real opportunities when trying to rebuild their lives,” said Garcetti. “Helping men and women get the housing, employment, and education they need after incarceration is not just the right thing to do for them and their families — it’s absolutely critical to keeping our communities safe.” First launched last year, the clinic is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Reentry and Loyola Law School. It is staffed by student advocates who represent clients needing legal assistance in such areas as employment, immigration, child support and professional licensing. The CCCJP has already handled more than 220 matters, and is supported by the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and the California Community Foundation. Tom Rothman, Chairman of Sony Pictures,
has committed to underwriting the clinic after the first year of funding is exhausted. Angelenos interested in the free legal services offered by CCCJP can learn more at www. lls.edu/LSJLC. “Our clinic students work under the supervision of our faculty to represent a variety of people in our community with important, unmet legal needs,” said Michael Waterstone, Fritz B. Burns Dean, Loyola Law School. “The Loyola clinical model is exciting because it brings several clinics together under one roof on our campus, forming our own social justice law firm.” About one in four adults in California has an arrest or conviction record, which creates significant barriers to employment. According to the National Institute of Corrections, up to 89 percent of exoffenders who are re-arrested are unemployed. In California, the average recidivism rate is 65 percent — but it drops to as low as 3 percent for individuals who secure jobs shortly after release. Garcetti has put a special focus on creating new opportunities for underserved populations in Los Angeles, including Angelenos who have served
time in jail or prison and need help getting a new start. The Mayor started an Office of Reentry in 2015, and quickly secured a three-year, $8.9 million contract with the California Department of Transportation for his New Roads to Second Chances Transitional Work Program — which has already enrolled nearly 400 participants with a recidivism rate of only 1.4 percent. The Mayor also formed a Blue Ribbon Commission on Employment Equity — an alliance of private and public sector employers committed to providing opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. Last summer, Los Angeles won a $6 million state Prop. 47 grant — the full amount requested by the Mayor’s Office of Reentry — to launch Project imPACT, which will offer counseling and legal support to formerly incarcerated Angelenos when it launches this spring. Mayor Garcetti has also partnered with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Division of Adult Parole Operations, the Los Angeles County Probation Department, Los Angeles Trade Tech, and others to host Fair Chance Hiring Fairs. ■
Trillanes, Loida Nicolas-Lewis ‘persona... PAGE A1 t into believing Davao City is the most safe city not only in the Philippines but in the world.” “Mr. Trillanes, Dabawenyos are furious and angry with your words and with your action... we do not need you here in Davao City. You are unwelcome and unwanted in our city of Davao. You have not done anything good at all to our city,” Al-ag said. Al-ag also urged Filipinos who attended the forum in Chicago to visit Davao City and personally see the real situation of the city. “And if you will feel even an iota of danger, if you feel and think that Davao is a city of murderers and rapists as what Mr. Trillanes declared, I will refund all your travel expenses plus pocket money going back to Chicago,” he added. On the other hand, philanthropist and businesswoman Lewis has been linked to alleged plots to oust Duterte. Duterte himself also accused Lewis of influencing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to make a move on the complaint filed against him in relation to his bloody war on drugs. Lewis denied the claim, saying in a statement, “President Duterte is spreading fake news once again. Whatever transcript of [a] telephone conversation he claims to be from me is bogus and made-up.” Of Lewis, Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said, “She is also one of the plotters against the republic by instigating an inves-
ilipino-American businesswoman and philanthropist Loida Nicolas-Lewis Inquirer.net photo
tigation to International Criminal Court, the point here is, instead of destroying the republic outside of the country why would they just help our republic and wait for the election. All of these are political in nature. Dayanghirang added, “As far as Davao City where we came from where the president came from, these people [do] not deserve any accolades or respect because they are destroying the institution.”
‘Truth hurts’ Reacting to the Davao City Council’s move, Trillanes said, “The truth, definitely, hurts.” Trillanes also noted that his statement during the forum in Chicago was based on the December 2015 statistics of the Philippine National Police that “Davao City has the highest incidence of murder and second highest in rape.” “The people of Davao either know it but tolerate it out of fear or they’ve actually believed the lie that was fed to them that Davao City is the safest city in the world,” the senator added. Based on the PNP’s Crime Situation for calendar years 2010 to 2015, the Davao City recorded the most murders at 1,032, followed by Quezon City (961), Cebu City (806), and Manila City (712). As for rape cases, Quezon City posted the highest number at 1,122, followed by Davao City (843), Manila City (746), and Zamboanga City (574). It was Quezon City, however, that recorded the highest number of index crimes, having 65,514 cases in the past five years. Davao City ranked fourth with 37,684 cases. Malacañang, on the other hand, congratulated Davao City officials for the persona non grata declaration. “I do not know how you want me to react because this has nothing to do with the President and I speak for the president. Other than that, congratulations Davao City,” said Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque at a press briefing. ■
FREE LEILA. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV joins members of women’s groups as they call for the release of Senator Leila de Lima, 10 days before she marks her first year in detention. “What happened to Senator De Lima is injustice. She is not a criminal. When we were jailed, at least we knew we did something wrong. In her case, she has not done anything,” Trillanes said during the event, which also launched “Buwan ni Leila,” a month-long series of activities marking the senator’s detention,” at the Sen. Laurel room of the Philippine Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, February 14. Senate photo by Romy Bugante
Peace-loving WWII veteran gets his Congressional Gold Medal by JUN
NUCUM Inquirer.net
SAN FRANCISCO — To be an 11-year-old a runner/spotter/ messenger for the guerillas during the World War II was something very unusual. But to veteran Jorge Villamarin, now 87, the call of duty was so important that it was just natural to obey orders against a hated enemy, even for someone as young as he was. It was also fateful that young Jorge also lived in a house that became the intelligence base of the Hunters ROTC, a Filipino guerilla group, in Angono Rizal. It did not matter that he had no experience or needed to be taught for the assigned jobs, he was just too willing to do his share in the war against the Japanese. “Our house was the secret intelligence base of Hunters ROTC so we, in the family [father Simplicio who became Angono officer-in-charge, brothers Felix and Teofilo, and sister Salome V. Calderon] became part of the movement. Col. Frisco San Juan, Teddy Adevoso and other military officials met in our house. Intelligence officer Major Antonio Liban and my brother Felix Villamarin who was in charge of Angono guerrillas liked the place for its strategic location facing the river where the enemy would be sighted from far away even before the couls cross the river to attack the intelligence base,” Jorge recounted. “They gathered here to get information. I had to get supplies for them so they could eat during their stay in our Angono house.” As a messenger/runner, Jorge primarily had to make sure that the coast is clear before guerrillas moved from one place to another in Angono. “I didn’t feel any fear when our house was the intelligence base because I was too young to realize the real danger. I was simply obeying what I was asked to do,” intimated Jorge. “Now at 87 years old, every time I see or watch kids in the news or any video material involved running
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The family of Gold Medal awardee Jorge Villamarin (in wheelchair) gathers for a souvenir photo after U.S. Army Major General (ret.) Antonio Taguba (extreme right) gave him the medal. In picture are Jorge’s son, Dean (fourth from right), granddaughter Jackie (to Dean’s left) and Jorge’s wife, Nenita Bautista-Villamarin, (to Jackie’s left).
Jorge Villamarin (left) returns the salute given by Gen. Antonio Taguba (right), a show of respect from one military officer and a gentleman to another. In the middle is Jorge wife, Inquirer.net photos by Jun Nucum Nenita.
around the streets in war-torn countries like in Afghanistan and Iraq, I identify with and feel sorry for them.” The scariest moment for Jorge was when he got lost crossing Laguna Lake, which was filled with water lilies, from Taytay to Angono after guiding a doctor to check on a downed Navy pilot who could not be moved because of the head injuries he sustained. “Since the area was restricted, I wasn’t sent home by myself, but I lost my way since it was getting dark. So in the middle of Laguna Lake filled with water lilies I was crying because I could not find my way. With persistent pushing away the lilies, shouting for help and with tears in my eyes, I finally found my way back to the shore. From there I was able to make it home,” Jorge recounted. His saddest experience was when he spotted two Japanese officers who were playing softball in an Angono schoolyard and were unarmed at the time. “I went back to the forest mountain to report what I saw and led the guerillas to the schoolyard. Upon seeing the Japanese, the guerillas fired at the officers who also saw them. One was killed on the spot and the other was killed at Laguna Lake. What was sad was that I am pretty sure that Japanese were not armed at all. I saw them as officers and gentlemen far from being just ordinary Japanese soldiers. The Hunters should have just captured them and not have them killed because once you killed a Japanese, ten civilians would be killed in exchange,” explained Jorge. Jorge was told that the parents of the Japanese killed in Angono turned out to be owners of a big camera lenses company back
in Japan. To him it was such a waste of officers’ lives that usually happens during a war. It was also during that time that Jorge witnessed Japanese getting their ears cut off and being hanged upside down. The Japanese, for their part, usually gathered and killed Filipino civilians inside a church, not showing any respect for the sacredness of the place. This making him sadly realize that there was cruelty on both sides. Jorge was a Hunter only until the age of 14 and was discharged after that. In 1955, he became the first member of the U.S. Navy from Angono Rizal when he then joined the Navy in Subic. He was in service until 1974, retiring as a chief petty officer. After retirement he continued serving the public by working with NGOs California Technical Care and Angono Community Technical Center, providing refurbished computers to public schools and establishing computer learning centers in the Philippines and other third world countries from August 2000 to December 2010. On November 2016, the United States Congress passed the bill that President Obama later signed into law, conferring the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) to Filipino World War II veterans like Jorge Villamarin, probably the youngest to be given one. “I feel very vindicated with this Congressional Gold Medal. I used to disregard the honors being accorded to us veterans but now I realize that challenges, sufferings, efforts and the pain that I have been through. So finally, a they recognized what I have been hiding all these years, since I don’t talk about my experiences in World War II because
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Arum close to making Pacquiao... PAGE A1 t The event is planned for April 14 and would be televised on ESPN pay-per-view. But first, Arum is hoping to get Pacquiao and Alvarado on the same side in terms of the fight contract as soon as possible. “We’re making progress on it [the deal],” Arum said in a boxingscene.com report by Keith Idec. “I’m gonna talk to [Pacquiao adviser] Michael [Koncz] tonight and hopefully wrap it all up,” added the veteran promoter. Known for his come-forward style, the 37-year-old Alvarado (38-4, with 26 KOs) is the perfect opponent for Pacquiao, who is seeking to bounce back from a loss to Horn last year and get his career back on track. Among the names that ring a bell on Alvarado’s resume are former Pacquiao opponents
Brandon Rios and Juan Manuel Marquez. Alvarado lost to Marquez once, while he went 1-2 in his trilogy with Rios, his two setbacks coming by way of knockout. He loves to slug it out in the ring, something Pacquiao loves. But on Wednesday, Pacquiao sang a different tune when he told reporters during a Senate break that he prefers to fight Argentina’s Lucas Matthysse, who was recently crowned the WBA welterweight champion. Matthysse (39-4, with 36 KOs), who is fresh from a knockout victory over Tewa Kiram to win the title last month, likewise wants Pacquiao and has repeatedly called the Filipino icon out. Pacquiao will have to clear things up with Arum, who appears to be more keen on Alvarado. ■
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Filipino family in Colorado to get $330K in forced labor lawsuit DENVER, Colorado — A Filipino family in Southern Colorado should get $330,000 because a businessman and his wife forced the family to work for little or no pay for three years, a jury ruled on Wednesday, February 14. The family had accused William and Leonida Sackett, operators of Sackett Farm Market, a farm and rental properties in Rocky Ford, of forcing them to work by holding them in debt bondage. The jurors determined the Sacketts owe the Filipino family $330,000 for unpaid wages and damages. Esmeraldo Echon Jr., his wife, Maribel, and their son, Justin, alleged in a 2014 lawsuit that the Sacketts threatened to have them deported if they didn’t work, reported the Pueblo Chieftain. Esmeraldo Echon Jr. is the brother of Leonida Sackett. The trial began Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver, apparently the first trial in Colorado of a civil case of human trafficking, under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Attorneys of the nonprofit Migrant Farm Worker Division of Colorado Legal Services represented the Echons. The Sacketts
U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado.
acted as their own attorneys. The Echons came to United States in 2011 after Leonida Sackett sponsored them for resident status. Soon after her brother arrived Leonida allegedly told her him that “he owed her a large amount of money for the support she had given him in the Philippines” and for (immigration) expenses,” court documents stated. Leonida allegedly told him to work off their debt with free labor. The Sacketts denied the accusations, saying they supported
Inquirer.net photo
the Echons with a five-bedroom house, “all utilities paid,” sent two Echon children to school and supported the parentsLe. They denied not providing the Echons food, saying that Maribel Echon gained 40 pounds since arriving in the U.S. The lawsuit stated the Echons sought legal help in 2014, stopped working for the Sacketts and were relocated by social service providers “so that they could safely escape from (the Sackett’s) control.” (Inquirer. net)
DFA: No Filipino casualty in US high school shooting NO Filipino was reported among the casualties in the deadly shooting at a high school in the U.S. where 17 students were killed and several others were wounded, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Citing an initial report from Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, the DFA said Nikolas Cruz, an expelled student armed with a high-powered rifle, entered the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, located northwest of Miami, Florida, and opened fire on teachers and students. The suspect, who was caught by police after the incident, also wounded 16 others. Meanwhile, the Philippines
DFA Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
expressed its sympathy to the the Filipino Community in ParkU.S. following what was now land. (Jeff Antiporda/ManilaTconsidered as one of the worst imes.net) mass shooting incidents in U.S. history. “We are deeply saddened over the loss of so many young lives in this shooting incident in Parkland, Florida,” Cayetano said. “Our hearts reach out to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy.” Romualdez said the Embassy was in touch with Honorary Consul Henry Howard in Miami who has been coordinating with members of the Filipino Community in Broward County where the shooting took place. Ambassador Romualdez said there were 2,800 members of
Inquirer.net photo
Apollo Quiboloy: I did not... PAGE A1 t whose private jet has been impounded in Hawaii after $350,000 in cash and rifle components were found by U.S. authorities who boarded the aircraft, was not “detained.” “I have to clarify everything. Detention implies that he committed a crime and that he violated U.S. law. He was not detained, he did not violate any U.S. law and as a matter of fact, he is back in the Philippines,” Torreon said. Malacañang kept its distance from Quiboloy, saying the known supporter of President Duterte was a private individual who could deal with the issue himself. Torreon said Quiboloy arrived in Manila at 6:30 p.m. last Thursday, February 15 on a commercial flight since his private plane was sequestered in Honolulu. Quiboloy was preparing for a prayer-concert at the Ynares Center in Antipolo, the lawyer said, adding that the minister will continue with the series in Baguio, Cebu and Iloilo on the following weekends. Torreon also said Quiboloy would appear in ABS-CBN Davao to clarify the matter of his reported detention. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that Quiboloy arrived last Thursday night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. BI spokesperson Ma. Antonette Mangrobang said Quiboloy arrived on board a Philippine Airlines flight. However, Mangrobang denied reports that BI personnel “escorted” the 67-year-old pastor out of the airport. “Quiboloy underwent immigration arrival formalities. In light of the expected deluge of media upon his arrival, BI deemed it best to process his arrival in our office to avoid any commotion in the immigration area and affect other arriving passengers,” Mangrobang said. Quiboloy is said to be close to President Duterte and supported his 2016 electoral cam-
paign by lending his plane, among others. But Malacañang distanced itself from the controversy surrounding Quiboloy. “We do not have a comment on that. The pastor is a private individual. He is capable of defending himself,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a chance interview in Manila. Duterte and Quiboloy have not spoken to each other since the pastor arrived from the U.S., Roque added. Duterte, who has claimed that he believes in God but not in organized religion, and Quiboloy have been friends for about 30 years. They met when Duterte was still a city prosecutor and Quiboloy was still forming his congregation with 15 members in barrio Agdao in Davao. Before the President assumed office in 2016, there were reports that Quiboloy felt slighted because he was not involved in picking Duterte’s Cabinet members. The religious leader denied this, saying he did not use his friendship with Duterte to gain favors. He also claimed to be “squarely behind” the President and his effort to protect public interest. Last Feb. 13, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents boarded Quiboloy’s Cessna Citation Sovereign jet and reportedly found $350,000 in cash and some components of a rifle. Felina Salinas, said to be a leader of Quiboloy’s group in Hawaii, claimed ownership of the cash consisting of $100 bills wrapped in socks inside a suitcase, according to the website HawaiiNewsNow.com report. Salinas was charged with attempted bulk cash smuggling for under-declaring the amount of cash she was carrying. She was released on a $25,000 bond, the report added. Quiboloy was about to leave for Manila following the last leg of his “King is Coming” tour in the U.S. when his plane was searched. n
TREE OF LUCK. A father hoists his daughter to allow her to touch and make a wish on a tree that will supposedly bring good luck and prosperity. The Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year on Friday, February 16. This year, according to Chinese Zodiac, is the year of the dog. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
China warns vs Trump trade threats
BEIJING — U.S. trade sanctions will hit the world economy, Beijing warned Wednesday, February 14 after President Donald Trump threatened to impose fresh tariffs on imports from China. Trump said he was “considering all options,” including tariffs and quotas, after he accused China of decimating the American steel and aluminium industries. Washington has already imposed a range of tariffs on Chinese-made goods, sparking fears of a tit-for-tat trade war between the world’s top two
economies as China also threatens to take action. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that “any sign of unilateralism or protectionism will… worsen global trade issues and will hurt the recovering momentum of the world economy”. He added that with the sheer volume of trade and integration between the U.S. and Chinese economies, some friction was natural. However, “China always regards the U.S. as an important cooperation partner in trade and economy, and we hope we will
continue to open our respective markets wider,” Geng said. The Trump administration has two months to decide whether to take action on Chinese aluminium, steel and intellectual property practices. China produces around half of the world’s steel but stands accused of “dumping” cheap steel on global markets to gain market share. The two countries have already begun trading sanctions in what China’s commerce ministry warned could become a “vicious circle”. (ManilaTimes. net)
A february 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
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US provides P5.2-M aid for Mayon relief THe United States government has provided P5.2 million in emergency aid for communities affected by the eruption of Mayon Volcano in Albay. Last month, Albay province was placed under a state of calamity in anticipation of a hazardous eruption within the next few weeks. Through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), vouchers will be distributed to families for them to buy household items and hygiene kits, the U.S. embassy said. “The U.S. government’s support is a testament to our unwavering partnership with the Philippines,” U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said in a statement. Latrines, bathing cubicles and handwashing stations will also be constructed to promote safe water and hygiene practices. Around 4,000 people are seen to benefit from this assistance. “In the last 10 years, the United States has provided nearly $277 million in disaster assistance to the Philippines. This assistance has saved lives, alleviated human suffering, and
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Fil-Am architect wins Rieger Graham prize, Rome fellowship by Rosette
Adel
Philstar.com
FILIPINO-American architect Stephanie Jazmines was recently chosen as the winner of this year’s Rieger Graham prize. The prize is given to recent graduates or practitioners of architecture to advance their career and professional skills. To bag the award, applicants must demonstrate interest and training in the classical design tradition Jazmines, also an artist from Los Angeles, California, has a Bachelor’s in Architecture with a Concentration in Furniture Design at the University of Last month, Albay province was placed under a state of calamity in anticipation of a hazardous Notre Dame. She also pursued a eruption of the Mayon Volcano within the next few weeks. Philstar.com photo Master’s in Architecture at Yale reduced the economic and so- eruption. University and attended the the Australia’s assistance in- Wood Program at Aalto Univercial impact of disasters,” Kim cludes provision of tarpau- sity in Finland as a Fulbright said. A few weeks ago, the Austra- lins, sleeping mats, blankets, grantee. lian government had pledged mosquito nets, jerry cans and Prior to pursuing her studies P31.6 million worth of humani- hygiene supplies to 30,000 at Yale, she worked for Rober tarian support to those who persons. (Patricia Lourdes Vi- A.M. Stern Architects in New were affected by the Mayon ray/Philstar.com) York. She is currently working as an architectural designer at Walt Disney Imagineering. Jazmines told non-profit membership organization Institute of Classical Architecture & Art that SERVING MY FELLOW KABABAYANS FOR OVER 17 YEARS she is interested in pursuing architecture as a whole lineage and CIVIL AND PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION history. She is looking forward to • Breach of Contract and Fraud engaging in community and urban environment, with focus on • Auto and Other Injury accidents materials, construction, and lastIMMIGRATION ing effect.
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Jazmines was also awarded a three-month Classical Design fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. Photo from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art website
The Fil-Am professional previously rendered for the New Haven Capitol, based on Léon Krier’s conceived 2038 masterplan for New Haven. Among her notable works is her self-designed and constructed tentacle writing desk. With her victory, Jazmines was also awarded a three-month Classical Design fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. The Rieger Graham prize is awarded once every two years by a jury appointed by The ICAA. Jazmines told the ICAA that she is “honored and privileged to have been awarded the Rieger Graham Prize.”
“It is a daunting undertaking, to be sure, but one that will be filled with opportunities to rediscover the buildings I love while continuing to uncover the layers of depth that have made a lasting impression on me over the years,” Jazmines was quoted by the ICAA as saying. “I am grateful to have another chance to live, work, and breathe in Rome, hopeful that I can contribute a small bit of scholarship to a city that keeps on giving,” she added. The Rieger Graham prize announced Jazmines’ victory early February. n
Irish foe wary of Donaire’s power by dino
MARAgAy Philstar.com
Darrick V. Tan, Esq. Licensed in California for over 17 years Licensed in Nevada for over 12 years* UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Cum Laude honors Southwestern University Law School, Juris Doctor Admitted to U.S. District Court, Central District of California Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association Member, Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles Former Member, Board of Governors, Philippine American Bar Association *Inactive
NONITO Donaire Jr.’s upcoming opponent believes the Filipino-American fighter can still pack a punch. That’s why former champion Carl Frampton vowed to keep his guard up when he locks horns with Donaire on April 21 at the SSe Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. “He’s still dangerous. He’s definitely a big puncher and it’s something I need to be cautious about,” Frampton recently told BoxNation. Donaire and Frampton will engage each other in a 12-round featherweight tussle, with the winner possibly lined up for a title shot. It will be the 35-yearold Donaire’s second bout in the 126-pound division since returning to the weight class late last year. While moving up in weight generally affects a boxer’s punching power, Frampton said he remains wary of Donaire. “I always say the last thing to go from a fighter is his punching power. But he’s been as low down as super flyweight. I feel I’m the bigger man. I believe he’s a puncher but I believe I can
Carl Frampton and Nonito Donaire Jr. will face off on April 21 at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Philstar.com photo
punch equally as hard,” Frampton continued. Donaire (38-4, with 24 KOs) seeks to follow up on his comeback victory over Ruben Hernandez in September last year for the WBC silver featherweight title. It was his return bout to the featherweight division, and came right after he lost the WBO super bantamweight diadem to Jessie Magdaleno. Now, Donaire is in for a tough assignment against Frampton (24-1, with 14 KOs), who once held the IBF and WBA versions
of the super bantamweight championship. “I don’t think there’s a better fight out there in the division. Any other day this would be a world title fight,” said Frampton. The Irishman is confident of coming out on top. “It’s a must win for both of us. He’s in a similar position to me. The winner of this fight certainly goes on to fight for a world title, no doubt in my mind about it. I want to make sure that’s me,” Frampton said. n
Peace-loving WWII veteran... PAGE A4 t those were truly sad days and years. It is not easy reliving what happened then. But with this recognition, I come to fully realize the importance of what I did. I am still so sad, though, that the war with all the wasted lives and cruelties that came with it happened,” Jorge lamented. All the time while Jorge was recounting his war exploits, granddaughter Jackie Villamarin was amazed at what she heard. “Initially I was like, “Wow. What? That’s crazy. Grandpa you were that young? I thought you were already a teenager when you did the tasks asked of you to do. I did not even know that he would be given a Congressional Gold Medal in coming here thinking that we came here from Sacramento just to visit him and Grandma,” Jackie said. Jorge’s son and Jackie’s father, Dean, also shared that Jorge had told them the stories and experiences that he went through. “My first reaction was, I can’t believe that was my dad who did that. It was because I only knew about WWII through watching movies, reading about it in books, in school. But to think that my dad was involved, the war suddenly had a face with my dad. Looking back about it, I feel proud and honored of what he did,” Dean beamed. Dean was also happy that U.S. Army Major General (ret.) Antonio Taguba himself would be awarding him the medal. “Thank you to General Taguba and his staff for making this happen and for recognizing the efforts and the sacrifices of people like my dad did during WWII.” In accordance with Public Law 114265, Taguba came from Virginia to the Bay Area for the awarding of CGMs to veterans in San Francisco, particularly to Jorge in Hayward. Taguba reiterated though that the CGM has nothing to do with
Granddaughter Jackie (left) listens intently to Grandpa World War II hero Jorge Villamarin (right) as he shows her his collection of memorabilia including the list of Angono Rizal Hunters ROTC. Inquirer.net photo by Jun Nucum
The former Angono Hunters ROTC intelligence base is now a community computer-learning center. Contributed photo
war veterans benefits. “I want to thank your father, uncle because what he is getting is 75 years old almost as young as he is,” Taguba, whose own father was a veteran, said. “There were about 260,000 of them who were supposed to be U.S. citizens. But Congress, because they could not pay them, took away their U.S. citizenship
and denied them their benefits. That is why they were always fighting for their benefits. They had to fight for this country, they had to fight to come here to the U.S. and that they had to fight to prove that they fought in WWII. So, this is the bill passed by Congress that says that they did,” Taguba remarked as he awarded the medal to Jorge. n
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D ateline PhiliPPines Taiwan offers P2.8-M aid to family DFA summons Kuwait envoy; DOLE officer recalled of Filipina who died in earthquake
TAIWAN offered P2.8 million (NTD 1.79 million) in financial aid to the family of a Filipina who died in an earthquake that hit one of its cities on Saturday, February 10. In a statement on Thursday, February 15 Taiwan also said that a Taiwanese community in the Philippines donated P250,000 to the family of Melody Albano Castro and which would
be given to them in due time. Castro’s body arrived in Manila on Wednesday, February 14, and would be brought to Tuguegarao. Gary Song-Huann Lin, Taiwan representative to the Philippines, along with Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) and Overseas Workers Welfare (OWWA) officials, were at the airport to condole with Castro’s family.
Lin also offered medical assistance to Castro’s husband who was injured in a motorcycle accident. Castro was a caretaker in Hualien. She was found underneath rubble in the building where she worked following the 6.4-magnitude quake that struck the city. (Catherine Modesto/ManilaTimes.net)
Duterte defends Manalo appointment by Alexis
RomeRo Philstar.com
MANILA — The appointment of Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) executive minister Eduardo Manalo as special envoy for overseas Filipino workers’ concerns is not a political payback for supporting the candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Manalo was appointed because of his networks in other countries and not because of the INC’s endorsement of Duterte’s presidential bid in 2016. “Mr. Eduardo Manalo was appointed because he has networks in different countries. They (INC) have six million congregations and have been working with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for a long time,” Roque said in a press briefing. Roque said the INC has proven that it has the capability to care for Filipinos in other countries, including those who do not belong to the church. “This is not a political payback. Perhaps the recent abuses experienced by our OFWs may have prompted the appointment of Mr. Manalo,” the spokesman said. Roque said the appointment did not violate the constitutional provision on the separation of church and state. “The separation of church and state involves two things: freedom to belong to a religion and the guarantee that the state will not endorse a religion,” he added. Roque claimed that Manalo would not receive compensation as a special envoy. Manalo’s tenure started last Jan. 30 and will end on Jan. 29,
Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo Inquirer.net photo
2019. INC, which is known for bloc voting, supported Duterte and vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the 2016 elections. The group has more than two million members and has presence in more than 70 countries. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III welcomed the appointment of Manalo as special envoy for OFW concerns. “Considering his stature, religious leader, worldwide known advocate of human rights, he is very much welcome in the bureaucracy,” Bello said. Two senior administration lawmakers commended President Duterte for designating Manalo as special envoy for Filipino migrants. House Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu of Batangas and Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City said it was a step in the right direction on the part of the administration to tap the expertise of someone like Manalo. “He is an excellent choice. He will add stability to the plight of Filipino migrants. The wide expe-
rience of Ka Eduardo and his influence around the world will help the Duterte administration fix the concerns of Filipinos abroad,” Abu said. Castelo cited the moral and spiritual integrity of Manalo, aside from his inputs to help solve the problems of Filipino migrants. Manalo is the grandson of the late INC founder Felix Manalo and the eldest son of the late INC executive minister Eraño Manalo. Ka Eduardo was ordained minister in 1980 and led the local INC congregation in Cubao, Quezon City after graduating from the Evangelical College, now the New Era University’s College of Evangelical Ministry. n
by Alexis
RomeRo Philstar.com
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned on Thursday, February 15, Kuwaiti Ambassador Musaed Saleh Althwaikh to discuss the plight of Filipino migrant workers following the gruesome murder of a Filipina domestic helper in Kuwait. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has recalled to Manila the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) welfare officer assigned in Kuwait for allegedly failing to provide assistance to the family of murdered domestic helper Joanna Daniella Demafelis. President Duterte has ordered Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano to secure a commitment from the Kuwaiti government that it would protect Filipinos working in the Gulf state. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said under international law, each country is bound to give to foreigners in its territory the same protection it gives its own citizens. “I have restated the obligation of the Kuwaiti government and that is to treat Filipino nationals in the same manner as it treats its own nationals. And of course, in terms of when there will be a breach of its international obligation, it must amount to an outrage, bad faith or willful neglect of duty,” he added.
Cayetano was scheduled to meet with the Kuwait envoy. The labor department has banned the deployment of workers to Kuwait following the deaths of eight Filipinos believed to have been maltreated by their employers. Duterte has expressed outrage over the deaths, even warning Ku-
wait that it may experience bad karma because of the abuses experienced by Filipino workers. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah has condemned Duterte’s statements banning the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but is reaching out to the Philip-
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O piniOn Coming home
Features
Joanna Daniella Demafelis, just 29 years old, came home on Friday, February 16, from working in Kuwait — in a crate. Grieving relatives met the remains of Demafelis at the ninoy aquino International airport (naIa), from where the body will be flown to her home in Iloilo. Demafelis’ body was stuffed in a freezer in a Kuwait apartment that was abandoned by her Lebanese and Syrian employers in 2016. The body bore stab wounds and torture marks. Her relatives said Demafelis had not told them about her suffering at the hands of her employers, but her fellow Filipinas in Kuwait said she had complained about the abuse. Demafelis’ relatives looked for her when she stopped getting in touch with them, and sought help from Philippine authorities in Kuwait. The relatives said they received no help from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. The Department of Labor and Employment has recalled its welfare officer and labor attaché in Kuwait. Some reports said OWWA and POEA personnel were overwhelmed by the number of cases involving overseas Filipino workers in the Gulf state, which hosts an estimated 250,000 OFWs. Approxi-
mately 70 percent of the Filipinos are domestic helpers, like Demafelis. Her tragic fate should lead to a reassessment of the nation’s capability to assist its massive army of migrant workers. At least 10 million Filipinos are working overseas, with their earnings accounting for a hefty 10 percent of gross domestic product and 8.3 percent of gross national income. Last year, OFWs remitted a record high $31.29 billion – a 5.3 percent increase from the $29.71 billion in 2016. With that massive contribution to the nation’s economic growth, the OFWs deserve better assistance and protection from various forms of abuse. As the case of Demafelis has shown, however, the government’s capability to perform those tasks can be sorely wanting, especially in countries where there are large numbers of OFWs. Demafelis’ death should lead to measures that will address this weakness. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
‘THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS’ WON’T SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF GUN VIOLENCE
Work on gun control laws, Pres. Trump and Republican lawmakers PICTURE your self even just for a while, The Fil-Am and imagine how you would feel if you are Perspective among the grieving family members of a football coach, an athletic director and 14 young students Gel sAntos-relos who were killed by a lone deranged young gunman at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday, February 14. Nikolas Cruz, 19 years old and reportedly a member of a local white supremacist group in Florida, carried a black duffel bag and backpack, where he hid loaded magazines, looking like an ordinary student. He arrived at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland via Uber at 2:19 p.m. on Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, and pulled out a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle, then began shooting students that he saw in the hallways and on school grounds. After executing one of the deadliest mass shooting in modern history, Cruz left the school, walked to a Walmart, and bought a drink at a Subway. He also stopped at a McDonald’s, sat there for
an hour, until he was arrested by the police without incident as he walked down a residential street at 3:41 p.m. Cruz now faces 17 counts of pre-meditated murder and is being held without bond at the main Broward County jail. That horrific moment changed the lives of the affected family forever, traumatized the students who witnessed the shooting and those whose lives were threatened as well. President Donald Trump made a public address to the nation, talking directly to students, and reaffirmed his commitment to work with the nation’s governors “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health.” The president, however, did not mention anything about guns nor gun laws. This Florida mass shooting is but yet another tragedy in a string of massacres that has happened in the United States in just this year alone, with the last one happening just early November 2017, when at least 26 people were killed in a
mass shooting during a church service in Sutherland Springs, Texas. On October 1, 2017, Stephen Paddock opened fire on concert-goers at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 others. There were many other mass shootings that happened in previous years. Immediately, people expressed their grief, fear, anger and frustration via social media, and television interviews, bluntly cursing President Trump and Republican lawmakers for not doing anything about the problem. They say they are sick and tired of the same cycle of tragedy, public officials pausing for a moment of silence, sending their thoughts and prayers to the victims and the bereaved family, and yet do nothing to end these senseless killings. On the contrary, President Trump even took pride in repealing an Obama era initiative that would have made it harder for people with mental illness to buy a gun. The New York Times (NYT) reported on the emotional plea of the victims’ families. One is from Lori Alhadeff, who just lost her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa
in Florida. “President Trump, we need action, we need change,” she said, the urgency rising in her voice. “Get these guns out of the hands of these young kids and get these guns off the streets.” “If we’re constantly having our children worried about getting shot at, what are we telling our future?” the NYT quoted David Hogg, 17, a senior high school student, who said two of his 14-year-old sister’s friends were also killed. “And that’s what these people are killing, our future.” Meanwhile, Superintendent Runcie just said what needs to be done: “Now is the time for the country to have a real conversation on sensible gun controls in this country.” Many Americans ask: Why did did an 18-year old student (Cruz was only 18 when he bought the assault riffle) need a war weapon and how easily could one purchase such deadly rifle? What does this have to do with protection? With the “right to bear arms’ to protect one’s self and his family? Why isn’t Trump and the Republican lawmakers addressing this fatal problem? One of the answers may be because
Trump and the Republican lawmakers are in bed with the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA). According to the public data published by fortune. com, “In the 2016 election, the NRA spent $11,438,118 to support Donald Trump—and another $19,756,346 to oppose Hillary Clinton. That’s over $31 million spent on one presidential race.” Top 5 senators with the most contributions from the NRA John McCain (R, AZ) - $7.74 million Richard Burr (R, NC) - $6.99 million Roy Blunt (R, MO) - $4.55 million Thom Tillis (R, NC) - $4.42 million Cory Gardner (R, CO) - $3.88 million Top 5 representatives with the most contributions from the NRA French Hill (R, AR) - $1.09 million Ken Buck (R, CO) - $800,544 David Young (R, IA) - $707,662 Mike Simpson, (R, ID) - $385,731 Greg Gianforte (R, MT)- $344,630 *** 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
Cascading waterfalls of American volunteers’ depths of US Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino WWII veterans humanity: Dr. Peter Bretan’s surgeries into long-term Street mentoring experiences of medical professionals and students Talk Part II of II Series
Rhizomes
GreG b. MAcAbentA
Prosy AbArquezDelAcruz, J.D. “Betterment is perpetual labor. The world is chaotic, disorganized, and vexing, and medicine is nowhere spared that reality. To complicate matters, we in medicine are also only human ourselves. We are distractible, weak, and given to our own concerns. Yet still, to live as a doctor is to live so that one’s life is bound up in others’ and in science and in the messy, complicated connection between the two. It is to live a life of responsibility. The question then, is not whether one accepts the responsibility. Just by doing this work, one has. The question is, having accepted the responsibility, how one does such work well.” - Atul Gawande, “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance” HAVE you seen the 129-foot tall, fern-draped cascading waterfalls of McArthur-Burney Falls 60 miles northeast of Redding, California? These waterfalls may not be the largest nor the highest in the world, but to me, the most beautiful that I have seen, as it drapes the granite with a continuous stream of waterfalls, being fed from the river. It reminded me of being enveloped
Dr. Peter Bretan (left) and Dr. Alice Crane (right) doing the hernia surgery. AJPress photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz
with great feelings of awe, from selfless volunteers, embodied by Dr. Peter Bretan, Dr. Alice Crane, Nurse Marisal Ante, Dr. Marlene Cordero, and the hundreds of medical, dental, ophthalmological professionals, psychiatrists, educators and students who joined this 2018 medical mission. Bretan, a urologist and a kidney transplant specialist in Northern California, gave his consent to shadow him on January 23, 2018, while he performed two surgeries (on a hernia and undescended testicles) as part of the Philippine Medical Society Northern California (PMSNC)’s medical mission at the Western Visayas Sanitarium Hospital in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, Philippines. In my last week’s column, Feb.
10, 2018, I wrote extensively about Bretan’s transcendent desire to save lives and help others reach their potentials. He scrubbed and donned the sterile gowns. He took off from his private practice to give pro bono surgical services: “This is my marathon. This is my boot camp. This is my reality check. It is when you leave your comfort zone that you learn much more effectively– once you see this, you snag students to volunteer when they are young as the effect becomes lifelong for them. Be the highest potential you can be an d then be a volunteer, and be the best you can be!” He emphasized with conviction — much like the river that feeds to become the spectacular
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ON April 7, at the historic Presidio in San Francisco, surviving Filipino World War II veterans or their next of kin living in Northern California, will receive bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award conferred by the United States. The original gold medal (not to be confused with the Congressional Medal of Honor) will be permanently displayed at the Smithsonian, alongside those of other recipients, such as George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, St. Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, the Navajo Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the fatalities in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, to mention a few. Suffice it to say that our old soldiers will be in heroic company. Last Oct. 25, 2017, at the Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Congress, the first batch of Filipino veterans, as well as the immediate relatives of those who had died, received their medals. Doing the honors were House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrats. The ceremony in Washing-
ton D.C. came 76 years after the call to arms issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941, a few months before the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. It also came 71 years after the passage of the Rescission Act of 1946 that singled out Filipinos as being ineligible for veterans’ benefits — a colossal injustice inflicted by the US Congress and signed into law by then President Harry S. Truman, despite knowing that it was discriminatory. The Congressional Gold Medal officially rectifies the discrimination and acknowledges the gallantry and heroism of the 260,000 young Filipinos who answered Roosevelt’s call to arms. The road to this formal acknowledgement has been long and arduous — a struggle that I characterized in one column as The Second Death March. In 1997, in connection with the 1st Filipino American National Empowerment Conference in Washington DC (that resulted in the formation of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations), several aging veterans marched in front of the White House and some chained themselves to the fence to attract media attention to the injustice. The old soldiers were arrested and fined $50 each but the media exposure made the civil disobedience worthwhile. The intensive lobbying conducted by veterans’ advocates, NaFFAA, and Fil-Am community leaders subsequently resulted in some grudging concessions by Congress, including health benefits and eligibility for citizenship. But it was not until 2009 that an
appropriation of $198 million was provided for surviving veterans (estimated at only 18,000 at that point). Ironically, the appropriation was just a rider in an economic stimulus package that Congress badly needed to pass to jumpstart the flagging U.S. economy. And it happened only through the dogged sponsorship of Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. At any rate, the amount translated into one-time payments of $15,000 for those who had become US citizens and $9,000 for non-citizens, mainly residing in the Philippines. Concerning this appropriation, a CNN news story could not have stated it more sardonically: “More than 60 years after reneging on a promise to the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who fought for the United States during World War II, the U.S. government will soon be sending out checks — to the few who are still alive.” But the Fil-Am community did not think that the one-time payment was enough rectification of the injustice. Thus, was formed the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetsREP), headed by retired Major General Antonio Taguba. Taguba came into national prominence when he led the inquiry into the abuses committed by members of the U.S. military in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. At the time, he was the secondhighest ranking officer of Filipino descent in the U.S. Army. My NaFFAA co-workers, Jon Melegrito, Bing Cardenas Brani-
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OpiniOn & Features
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 17-20, 2018
Cascading waterfalls of American volunteers’ depths... DFA summons Kuwait envoy... PAGE A7 t
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cascading Burney waterfalls. I wondered what it would be like in a third-world setting of cramped rooms (where one equipment was removed while with snaking cords and with precise synchrony, another equipment is disconnected for another operating room’s use), limited access to surgical tools, scrubbing to the utmost, and gowning with best practices, to minimize bacterial contamination, yet with doors that swing open to a common hallway and with no negative air pressure? It made me recall a television show, “M.A.S.H.” where doctors set up ambulatory tents to operate on the wounded soldiers in Vietnam. This was not quite the war zone, but you implore the Almighty, say your prayers and miraculously, the antibiotic-resistant organisms do not find this environment hospitable enough to thrive and give the collective feeling of “Relief!!” when the surgeries are done. On Monday, January 22, 2018, it was 8:30 a.m., when we got to the gymnasium. It was humid and hot. Around 4,495 needy folks were triaged for five days for all kinds of symptoms, including dental cavities. The medical mission was coordinated by Dr. Marlene Cordero of Atascadero, CA with Dr. Dennis Superficial, a surgeon, who is also the current three-term mayor of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. He welcomed the mission volunteers on their first night in Iloilo and the first batch of five surgical patients into the West Visayas Sanitarium Hospital. Marisal Ante, a nurse, described it as: “There’s a common goal and understanding when you do medical missions. You want to treat as many patients as you can in the most efficient and safe way possible. It’s understood that we may or may not have everything that we would normally have in order to complete our tasks. Our team did a great job with utilizing what
Thousands of patients seeking medical help
pine government to explain the conditions of Filipino workers in his country. Roque said he was leaving it to Cayetano to react to the Kuwaiti foreign minister’s remark. Reacting on the condemnation of the Kuwaiti government against the ban, Bello said Duterte is merely protecting the welfare of Filipino workers. Bello maintained that the Philippine government as ordered by the President will impose the ban until the Kuwaiti government can Dr. Peter Bretan (left) with Dr. Scott Benninghoven and a surgical nurse ensure the safety and protection of Filipino workers. According to Bello, he already met and informed the Kuwaiti ambassador of the need for their government to forge a memorandum of agreement providing additional protection for OFWs. He said the ambassador agreed, prompting him to create a technical working group tasked to come out with a draft agreement. Bello said he has ordered the immediate recall of DOLE welfare officer Sarah Concepcion from KuDr. Alice Crane (red cap) with the surgical nurses AJPress photos by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz wait. He previously issued a memowe had in order to get our jobs to schedule hundreds of surgeries randum directing labor attaché done. When we didn’t have some- with the highest level of care, effithing, we worked together to find ciency and safety, in a span of five alternative solutions. Everyone’s days? With skilled volunteer nurses, creativity and resourcefulness reanesthesiologists and two bioally helped.” Two-hundred eighteen folks got medical engineers doing their part major, minor and surgeries to cor- in devising medical equipment — for example, combining a CO2 rect cataracts. I witnessed two surgeries re- tank, nuts and bolts to facilitate a moving goiters, one of which was laparoscopic surgery — and you as big as a grapefruit. I wondered simply are in awe of the collective how goiter can persist in a nation sacrifices these medical profeswith 7,107 islands surrounded by sionals are doing, along with 150+ oceans, replete with oysters that volunteers. Equally, one wonders how thouare rich in iodine? What food do the Visayan folks prefer over the sands of patients had tolerated catch of the seas? Might that be their pain, over a long period of why Japanese fishermen helped time, until this medical mission? by showing fishermen how to or- Or is the need just so great that ganize oyster farming in the Vi- it overwhelms the entire delivery system of medical care? The local sayas after Typhoon Haiyan? Meanwhile, how do you manage counterparts were scrambling to help in any way they can. Transport vehicles, one slated for an emergency, had springs coming out of its broken-down front passenger seat. Why do these medical professionals travel out of their comfort zones, more than 10,000 miles, to help others? Bretan calmly introduced the UC Berkeley’s team of students to the volunteer nurses and to Dr. Alice Crane, a urology resident on her 4th out of 6th years of medical residency, at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He calmly set the tone Photo by by Enrique Delacruz
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Alejandro Padaen and Concepcion to explain their alleged inaction on the case of Demafelis. “The explanation of Ms. Concepion, I could not accept so I immediately ordered her recall,” Bello said, while noting that he is still awaiting the explanation of Padaen. Bello though said that Padaen claimed that he was newly assigned as labor attaché when the case of Demafelis was presented to him. If Padaen’s explanation would not be reasonable, Bello said, he would also order his recall. Demafelis was murdered and found inside a freezer at an abandoned apartment in Kuwait. Bello also defended President Duterte’s order to ban the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait. Asked if the Philippines is considering any legal action against Kuwait, Roque said: “I think the president’s message is very clear: he will not tolerate abuses to be committed against Filipino nationals.” Roque said Philippine officials in Kuwait who were accused of not doing anything after the disap-
A
pearance of Demafelis would be accorded due process. Bello has asked Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) officials to explain their alleged failure to act on her family’s appeal for help to locate her. Roque said the Philippines cannot seek the extradition of the employers of Demafelis and could only hope that the Kuwaiti government would prosecute the people behind her death. Duterte had ordered a deployment ban for OFWs heading for Kuwait following the discovery of the murder of Demafelis. The 29-year-old domestic worker from Iloilo was found dead last week inside a freezer at an apartment in Kuwait that had been abandoned for more than a year. Villa said Kuwaiti authorities are shocked and angered by the murder and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. The third batch of 925 workers from Kuwait arrived on Wednesday from Kuwait. The DFA said the 925 mostly household service workers are expected to resettle in the Philippines or pursue employment in other countries following the total ban on OFW deployment to Kuwait. n
A10 February 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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Tribunal gags Marcos, Robredo in poll protest case House to pass divorce bill in March – Alvarez servance of the “sub judice rule” wherein parties are prohibited from discussing the merits of the The Supreme Court on Tues- case while it is pending in court. The justices reached the agreeday, February 13, issued a gag order to former senator Ferdinand ment in an en banc session ahead “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice of next month’s vote recount. “Since the revision process in President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo as well as their lawyers, the Marcos vs Robredo case is while the vice presidential election about to commence, parties or counsel or representatives are protest is being resolved. Court sources told The Manila ordered to observe the sub judice Times the magistrates, sitting as rule,” the source told The Times. All justices participated in Tuesthe Presidential electoral Tribunal (PeT), ordered the strict ob- day’s en banc session except the by JomaR
Canlas ManilaTimes.net
ponente or magistrate in charge of the case, Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, and Justices Marvic Leonen, Samuel Martires and Alexander Gesmundo. Both camps have been holding warring news conferences to discuss the electoral protest filed by Marcos, who claims Robredo benefited from massive electronic cheating during the May 2016 vice-presidential election. Marcos claims to have “solid and incontrovertible evidence of cheating,” uncovered while going through the printed ballot images from the decrypted secure digital (SD) cards of vote-counting machines supplied by Venezuela’s Smartmatic. Some ballot images from two of his pilot recount provinces, Camarines Sur and Negros Oriental, showed that votes for him were not counted and considered “undervotes.” Marcos also questions why squares appeared instead of ovals in the ballot images from the PeT. The former senator lost to Robredo, a former Camarines Sur representative, by only 263,473 votes. In his protest, Marcos is assailing the results in 39,221 clustered precincts. he paid for a recount in 36,465 precincts and wants the votes in the remaining 2,756 nullified. A mandatory psychological testing and examination has been ordered for all applicants for head revisors in the recount of the vicepresidential results. The Manila Times was able to obtain a two-page internal memorandum of Caguioa dated January 29, 2018, which also contained the whole timeline or schedule of the court in connection with the revision of ballots. The psychological exam for head revisors has delayed the revision of ballots, to March 19 instead of February. Preparations for the psychological examinations started last week. ‘Deception’ The Marcos camp on Tuesday decried what it described as “another vain attempt” of Robredo to deceive the public about the presence of mysterious squares that appeared on the printed copy of ballot images from the PeT. Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of Marcos, was referring to the recent statement of Robredo’s legal counsel Romulo Macalintal, who claimed the squares in the ballot images were part of the se-
by Reina
TolenTino ManilaTimes.net
The house of Representatives will pass a measure that allows the dissolution of marriage before congress takes a break in March, house Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Wednesday, February 14. “Ang commitment ko diyan, magbi-break kami nitong March, ano, so kailangang maipasa iyan on third reading bago kami mag-break (My commitment there is we will take a break in March so we have to pass it on third reading before we take a break),” he said in a news briefing. The house of Representatives will adjourn on March 24 and will resume session on May 14. “Sabi ko kay Senate President, tatapusin namin yung DOM (dissolution of marriage), ibibigay ko sa inyo, ngayon, kayo na ang bahala (I told Senate President, we will finish the DOM, then I will give it to you, now, it is up to you).” “Dito sa akin, tapusin ko na iyan, tapusin ko na yung civil
union [bill], tapusin ko na rin yung BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) para bago naman kami mag-break, may maireport tayo sa taong bayan na iyan ha, ang dami naming ginawa (on my part, I will finish it, finish the civil union [bill], I will also finish the BBL so that before we take a break, we can report to the public that here, we did a lot),” Alvarez said. Meanwhile, a technical working group which was formed to craft a substitute bill to four proposed measures on divorce, annulment, and the dissolution of marriage met on Tuesday. “The technical working group has already met this morning, consolidating the four bills pertinent to the grant of absolute divorce. The grounds are expanded and includes the grounds for legal separation, annulment of marriage… psychological incapacity, irreconcilable differences, and where one of the spouses has undergone transgender surgery,” Albay Rep. edcel Lagman said. “So hopefully, before March 8, the International Day for
Women, this bill will be already taken up” in the plenary, Lagman, who was earlier named as the head of the technical working group, said. “I assure you this bill is easier to enact than the Reproductive health Bill,” he said. Lagman, author of house Bill 116 or the proposed “Act Instituting Absolute Divorce In The Philippines and For Other Purposes,” was one of the principal authors of the Reproductive health Law, which was signed into law by then-President Benigno Aquino 3rd in 2012. hB 1062, filed by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, aims to prescribe additional grounds for annulment. Under the measure, a marriage may be annulled if the parties have been separated for at least five years. hB 2380, authored by Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. emerenciana de Jesus and Arlene Brosas, aims to introduce divorce in the country. hB 6027 meanwhile proposes grounds for the dissolution of a marriage. n
Cascading waterfalls of American volunteers’ depths...
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that we are all a team here. Crane is a young Caucasian female, with her Ph.D. and an M.D. from Buffalo, New York and on her 4th out of 6th-year residency in Cleveland, Ohio. She joined the 150+ volunteers from different parts of the U.S.: Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atascadero, who all paid their own way to be part of the 2018’s Philippine Medical Society Northern California’s Medical Mission (PMSNC). expecting to do a kidney transplant in Iloilo, Crane said: “I was disappointed to not see what I had come to see and for the recipients expecting the kidneys. I was also nervous that I would not find a way to contribute and be useful to the mission and did not know what to expect.” But, the medical mission offered a new dimension: “I believe that I got to have an altogether different experience and be more a part of the overall mission by not being at separate hospitals doing separate surgeries (ie the kidney transplants). I had the opportunity to see and learn from those in the outpatient setting as well as Dr. Bretan and the general surgeons. I felt satisfied with what I had to conu PAGE A11 tribute both in assisting Dr.Bretan with urologic surgeries and independently in minor surgery. I had more interaction with my fellow volunteers than I would have otherwise which made me feel more a part of the team. I would not have traded this experience.” equally adept is Ante, a young petite Filipina clinical nurse who came from the Alameda health Systems, in California. She is now on her second medical mission (first was in Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala). She recalls her patients travelling, hours long and who referred to them as “their angels from the north.” She is quick on her feet, and fluidly moved from station to station to fill in the gaps to assist. She is alert in getting the surgical tools, handing them to the surgical nurse, as needed. She generously explained what was going on, as surgeons kept their focus on the surgeries. “I helped with the tonsillectomies, hernia repairs, and hemorrhoidectomies. These are surgeries that I normally see at home [California], however, the biggest difference is the severity in the patients from Iloilo. Due to the fact that they don’t have regular access to medical care, their conditions had progressed further than a patient I would see at home. It amazes me that they were able to live with their conditions as long as they had,” she said. The first surgery I witnessed have you been in a room with a colicky baby who is unconsolable? It was the same crying we heard from a 1-year-old infant with a hernia (a protruded body part that is not properly placed). It persisted for some time, until the anesthesiologist got the baby sedated. Imagine this baby without milk since 4 a.m., since the operation requires an empty stomach? Yet, the nurturing mother only had smiles for us. And the doctors were just calm, with serenity and focus. Bretan smoothly demarcates where to cut the skin, and feels the swollen groin of the infant. he adeptly makes the incision. It made for a calm scenario, with all eyes on the infant and the monitoring screen displaying the vitals. As Bretan locates the loose body part, he gently lays out the organ, and Crane cauterizes to ensure no further bleeding. Bretan adeptly puts the organ back in place. he then calmly motions with his hands what Crane needs to do. She gets ready for the sutures, calling out for what she needed, and then, with the needle, threads underneath the skin and across to the open section. At this particular moment,
Marisal Ante with writer and another volunteer
Bretan makes way for the students to watch the suturing process. Crane explains that the needle must go underneath the skin and proceeds to suture. When she finishes the suturing, she asked for the dermabond and applies it to the newly sutured incision. This new technique allows the sutures to simply disintegrate and the skin heals. After the wound is completely sutured, Bretan examines the work and I witnessed their collective sighs of relief – all smiles now. The work of recovery is now taken over by post-surgical nurses who monitor the vitals every 15 minutes until the anesthesia wears off and the baby wakes up. The cry of the infant is now music to the ears of the mother but also for the surgical staff. even the students collectively felt relief, as this writer. We now could relax, until the next surgery. The mentees and observers experience life-changing moments “This wasn’t my first time doing multiple surgeries in one operating room and it wasn’t that surprising. When you participate in medical missions there are always surprises along the way and instead of dwelling on them or complaining about them you find ways to make them work. Being fluid and flexible is key! every time I volunteer it reminds me that there’s so much more I should be doing. I live such a privileged life and have had so many opportunities that most people haven’t had, and that inspires me to give back whenever I can. It’s an important reminder to focus on the blessings you have, and not on what you don’t have,” Ante shared. Crane felt very gratified and said, “we were able to help children with limited access to care. It was a truly eye-opening experience to perform operations that we take for granted and do routinely in the US. I also was surprised at how smoothly everything went, given the wildly different resources of the hospital than what I am used to and working with anesthesia, nursing and surgical teams that do not normally work together. I thought it would take some time to get used to each other and work as a team but since we were all devoted to the same goal and focused on the patient, that was not the case.” What does it feel like when mentored by Bretan, I asked her? She replied, “As alluded to above, there is always some trepidation stepping into an OR with an unfamiliar lead surgeon in terms of their expectations of the trainee (myself) and possible different surgical approaches. however, Dr. Bretan made everything go very smoothly and I thought we worked well together. I had not met him in person before the mission and had known of him through alumni connections. It was a pleasure to be able to assist Dr. Bretan and learn from him. “I rarely have the opportunity to work with college-aged students and it was my pleasure to teach them some basic surgical skills. Being able to interact with those new to surgery and see their energy and interest allows me to remember just what a privilege it is to operate and prevents me from forgetting that even routine surgeries are not routine. I hope
AJPress photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz
that they took away [with] an enthusiasm for patient care.” I asked her if she was changed by this medical mission? What will you bring back to the U.S., in terms of lessons learned and intangibles as a human being? Overall, what is your assessment of this Iloilo medical mission — what went right for you? “I believe that I was changed by the mission. I rarely have a week packed full of so many ‘firsts’ — The first travel to Asia, my first interaction with Filipino culture, my first medical mission, my first time joining a group of people I had never before met in a foreign country...and of course, my first time at Dinagyang! I am an introvert by nature and was essentially a stranger with only second-hand connections to PMSNC... I was warmed and surprised by how welcoming everyone was and very touched by everyone’s compassion. I hope to bring back some of that compassion towards wellintentioned strangers in my own life. I also plan to encourage my colleagues to step outside of their comfort zones and participate in a medical mission. That the only connection needed is a desire to help others. “The most important thing that went right was the warmth and hospitality of both PMSNC and the local Filipinos as well as the support and mentorship of Dr. Bretan as well as all of the general surgery team - particularly Dr. Cordero. everyone had a quiet implicit confidence in their colleagues which I found inspiring. I think the mission helped many thousands of patients and I am grateful that I was able to help some of the surgical patients. I also appreciated the confidence the patients had in our care and I just hope to take back to the US that positive attitude and assuming the best of one another.” Dr. Atul Gawande is so right, that surgeons make the world a much better place by their superior performance, but to me, they also light up the different parts of the world with their humility and depths of caring for others. I am bathed in this wonderful cascading waterfalls of humanity and I am forever changed by this 2018 medical mission, my very first! I am still crying recalling all these experiences. Thank you, Dr. Peter Bretan for your implicit trust and Dr. Marlene Cordero for accepting me as a journalist volunteer, to enrique Delacruz (my husband) who encouraged and supported me in this trip, and to Cora Oriel for her trust to do this, on behalf of the Asian Journal. happy hearts Day to all! *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 years. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 17-20, 2018
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US Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino... PAGE A8 t
gin, and Ben de Guzman, are just three of many selfless FilVetsREP volunteers keeping the flame alive for the old soldiers whose ranks are being fast depleted by the Grim Reaper. The main objective of FilVetsREP: full honors for more than 260,000 Filipino World War II veterans, living and dead, through conferment of the Congressional Gold Medal. It seemed like a long shot, but the advocates found allies in Sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, both Democrats from Hawaii. The Filipino Veterans of World War II bill sailed through the Senate and the House of Representatives and was signed into law by Obama as one of his last presidential acts in December of 2016. On april 7, my wife, Gigi, and her sister, Lourdes Uy, will receive a replica of the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of my late father-in-law, Jose S. Nobleza, who fought the Japanese as a guerrilla captain of the Bagong Katipunan unit in albay. Each recipient is entitled to only one bronze replica. I suppose replicas of the replica can be made for other family members. There are excellent craftsmen in the Philippines who can do a perfect copy of anything. My father-in-law did not live
long enough to enjoy the benefits that the veterans’ advocates managed to wangle from the U.S. Congress, but his wartime service did result in a small pension for him and a college scholarship for my wife. The honor that the Congressional Gold Medal will give to him and his comrades-in-arms, living and dead, might well be the high point of The Second Death March. But the journey continues. Veterans advocates in California, led by Rudy asercion, have succeeded in including in the official school curriculum the role played by Filipino Veterans in World War II. The Veterans Equity Center, administered by Luisa antonio and youth volunteers, and chaired by lawyer Lourdes Tancinco, has been providing services for the aging veterans and their families in the San Francisco Bay area. They were among those who tirelessly lobbied Washington D.C. for “veterans equity.” They are also the ones organizing the april 7 awarding ceremony, aside from vetting prospective recipients. But that is only part of their work. They and the regional chapters of FilVetsREP across the US have to raise funds to cover the cost of the bronze replicas, which will be bestowed for free to the veterans or their next
of kin. It costs $52 each. The U.S. government will only answer for the original gold medal. FilVetsREP is trying to raise $150,000 to cover the cost of the awards presentations. approximately $1 million will be required to fund the bronze replicas for all the recipients. For the april 7 event, the Veterans Equity Center is trying to raise $10,000. It has managed to generate $2,000 so far in donations. My contribution of $100 was a drop in the bucket. For this reason, I have offered to help in the fundraising effort by appealing to patriotic individuals and corporations in the Philippines. This is the least we can do for those who laid their lives on the line for our freedom. It is a noble cause and, to be pragmatic about, it also translates into good corporate PR. Those who would like to help can visit the FilVetsREP Web site for instructions. On the matter of full “equity” for the Filipino veterans, this may never be realized in their lifetime nor in ours. But as long as there are those will keep the memory of the heroism of our old soldiers alive, the plaintive lyrics of that marching song will continue to resonate. “Old soldiers never die… and they won’t fade away. gregmacabenta@hotmail.com
Tribunal gags Marcos, Robredo in poll...
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curity features of the ballots. “Let me remind him (Macalintal) that when Senator Marcos first came out and presented the squares in the ballot images, he discredited it and claimed that those were fraudulent, tampered [with]and manipulated pieces of evidence,” Rodriguez pointed out. Marcos in January presented to the media photocopies of what he described as “shocking” and “highly questionable” ballot images from Camarines Sur and Negros Oriental, two of the three pilot provinces in his election protest. In some of the ballot images, even though two or more candidates were shaded in the vice presidential position, the votes still went to Robredo. Macalintal however said Marcos’ claims were “highly ridiculous if not outright frivolous,” adding that the evidence might have been fabricated or manufactured. Robredo’s lawyer suddenly changed his statement and
Vice President Leni Robredo Former senator Bongbong Marcos Philstar.om photo Inquirer.net photo
claimed the square markings were a “special feature” of the 2016 election. “Schooled in the art of deception, this is nothing but another vain attempt of Mrs. Robredo to explain the presence of boxes on the ballot images instead of the circles,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez also challenged Macalintal to produce any briefing material made by the Commission on Elections that would support his claim that the political parties or candidates were informed about the presence of the squares
in the ballots. Rodriguez questioned why Macalintal moved for the nullification of the proclamation of winning candidates in Nueva Ecija, Leyte and Bulacan because of questionable transmission and defective voting machines. “They are continuing their web of lies even in the face of direct and solid evidence of rampant cheating. This is the grandest and longest deception ever committed against the Filipino people,” Marcos’ spokesman said referring to Robredo’s camp. n
Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman
Photo courtesy of Department of National Defense
Transgender lawmaker joins PH military by Frances
Mangosing Inquirer.net
BaTaaN Representative Geraldine Roman, the country’s first transgender congresswoman, took her oath as a reservist officer of armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday, February 14. Roman is also the first transgender officer commissioned by the armed forces. Her oath-tak-
ing as a reservist of the Philippine army was administered by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at the Department of National Defense (DND) headquarters at Camp aguinaldo, the DND said in a statement. The solon applied to the reserve force in February last year. “War and disaster do not recognize gender, it affects everybody, and everyone must defend
and serve our communities, and our country, that is why I am joining the aFP Reserve Force,” Roman was quoted as saying. Northern Samar Rep. Edwin Marino Ongchuan and Zamboanga del Sur 1st District Rep. Divina Grace Yu also took their oaths as Lieutenant Colonel in the army’s reserve force. Other politicians in the aFP reserve include Manny Pacquiao and Loren Legarda. n
A12 February 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 17-20, 2018
SHOWBIZ&STYLE
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Journal Rachelle’s leisurely weekend in London How Toni found peace in Baby Seve’s world by Ricky Lo
WHEN Toni Gonzaga arrived for her interview, she was all dolled up in a turquoise pantsuit and high-heeled gladiator sandals. Clutched in her arms was her adorable one-year-old son, Seve; behind them a small army of assistants. She’s every inch a superstar mom, walking regally and beaming with pride as she coached Seve to say hi and hello to press people and bloggers eagerly waiting for them. Toni and Seve were to grace the Grand Baby Fair at the Megamall. It won’t be long before the first-time mother would shed her sophisticated image. Like any ordinary mom, she started running The Soriano family: Paul, Toni and Seve at the Grand Baby Fair at SM Megamall. Philstar.com photo PAGE B2
Philstar.com
EvEry time I fly Philippine Airlines (“The Heart of the Filipinoâ€?), the first thing I do as soon as I fasten my seat belt is check the latest issue of Mabuhay, the airline’s monthly magazine. I don’t just browse through it but read it, according to The Star’s blurb, “from cover to cover.â€? My favorite feature is how a celebrity spends her weekend. It is written in a leisurely style that fits how the subject enjoys (to the hilt!) her Saturdays and Sundays -— unhurried, uncluttered and unplanned. On a recent flight to the U.S., I was pleasantly surprised to find rachelle Ann Go as the topic of the month. So you think that since she’s busy performing as the lead role in “Hamiltonâ€? (after her extended stint as Gigi in “Miss Saigon,â€? which won her accolades and awards, and as Eponine in “Les MisĂŠrablesâ€? which was staged in Manila two years ago), rachelle hardly has time for herself, right? Wrong! In the story by Arwen Joyce, rachelle gives us a tour around London which, Arwen quotes rachelle, “may be one of the most bustling metropolises in the world, but it doesn’t feel as hectic and crowded as other cities — there’s plenty of space to breathe.â€? That’s exactly what rachelle shows us. On Saturdays, rachelle wakes up at 9 a.m. and makes her breakfast from her week-long stock of blackberry honey, apricot, almond loaf and buttery croissants, and a carton of free-range eggs purchased from the neighborhood market and bakery. Her schedule includes: meeting friends in Central London for brunch after which they check out the bargain shops (“for second-hand and pre-loved treasuresâ€?); dropping by Daunt Books, said to be one of the city’s most beloved independent bookstores, located on Marylebone High Street; killing time at
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The latest issue of Mabuhay, Philippine Airlines’ monthly magazine, chronicles how Rachelle Ann Go spends her Saturdays and Sundays (including early dinner at Romulo CafÊ in London where she’s currently performing as lead actress in Hamilton. Photos by Alex Ingram reprinted from PAL’s Mabuhay magazine
the Wallace Collection, “one of Europe’s finest treasure troves of art and furniture;� meeting another friend at Clarette, “a chic wine bar in a mock Tudor-style townhouse;� and by 7 p.m. having dinner at The Hardcourt, “a modern Scandinavian restaurant in another Grade ll-listed Georgian townhouse.� Says rachelle, “It’s the perfect, delicious end to a busy and funfilled day.� Her Sundays usually start at 9 a.m. “in a comfy armchair at No. 11 Pimlico road� located near her home, “with a pot of loosed-leaf Earl Grey tea.� Like other Londoners, rachelle takes the tube. She’s meeting a friend in Notting Hill which is immortalized in a romance-drama movie starring
Julia roberts and Hugh Grant, apparently inspired by the Audrey Hepburn-Gregory Peck classic film roman Holiday, followed by brunch at 11 a.m. at Kyoto Garden in Holland Park. Then, they try to burn calories by strolling in the park before stopping at the Design Museum and, if time permits, at the victoria and Albert Museum. Until I read it in Mabuhay magazine, I didn’t know that there’s a romulo CafÊ in London (the romulo CafÊ in Quezon City is among the favorite venues for movie press conferences). Missing home, rachelle minimizes her homesickness by gorging on comfort dishes like barbecued pork belly skewers, and beef and oxtail kare-kare. PAGE B2
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B February 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
Rachelle’s leisurely weekend... PAGE B1 “At work,” confesses Rachelle, “I’m totally a Filipino food ambassador; I love sharing dishes from home with many castmates and have gotten them addicted to chicken adobo.” Between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., Rachelle shops at Liberty department store and, according to her Christian faith, attends a musiccentered worship at Hillsong Church. “We should share our Godgiven gifts,” adds Rachelle, “and for me, performing is an opportunity to communicate to others that anything is possible and dreams
do come true. My goal on stage is not to please or impress but to move and inspire.” At around 10 p.m., she’s home... refreshed and re-energized, ready for more daily performances in Hamilton...after dinner at Ham Yard Hotel and a quick stop at a bowling alley nearby. There’s no mention in Arwen’s story how Rachelle spends time with Martin Spies, the New Yorkbased businessman to whom she is engaged. The question is: Will Rachelle (and Martin) beat her ex-boyfriend Christian Bautista (and girlfriend Kat Ramnani) to the altar?
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Kaju Soft Tofu in Buena Park offers fresh, authentic Korean comfort food perfect for the winter
WITHIN the last few years, Korean food has become a hit in the United States, and it’s not very surprising to see why. It’s just so good. There is no other way to put it! Given the rise of Korean food in the U.S., the options have exponentially expanded, giving food lovers their choices of restaurants serving bulgogi (grilled beef), galbi (marinated short ribs) and bibimbap (mixed rice with meat and sauteed vegetables) to name a few Korean food staples. So the question remains: where can I get the best, most added. “But you know what, it’s authentic Korean food? Well, if you’re in Northern better to look at and enjoy your baby and count your many bless- Orange County, look no further ings rather than read the negative than Kaju Soft Tofu in Buena Park, which serves up one of the comments.” Seve, according to Toni, also tastiest and diverse menus of all gave her a whole new perspective Korean food establishments in the area. of the world. Owned by the Park family, “I used to be a worrier when I was pregnant,” she revealed. “I Kaju Soft Tofu reigns supreme worried about how I was gonna when it comes to consistent flaraise my kid, how he’s gonna live vors. The owners make it a point in this world with so much nega- to serve up the freshest ingretivity, or what the world is gonna dients and have never deviated from their soft tofu soup recipe, be like when Seve grows up.” “But when Seve came out, I just which has been a staple in the realized that everything’s gonna business since first opening up be okay for as long as I know I their Garden Grove location two have God who will take care of decades ago. The tofu soup — which is a us,” she said. She continued: “The world will wonderful option to fight the keep on changing and evolving chilly weather — is offered in and that’s something beyond our seven spicy levels (white, mild, control. I just wish my son will medium, spicy, very spicy, very grow up with fear of the Lord, with very spicy and triple spicy), enrespect, with humility and full of suring that your soup is tailored to your preference. love for others.” Kaju also offers a wide range During the Grand Baby Fair, Toni, like an engaging TV host of tofu soups, including classics that she is, talked enthusiastically to all the moms and even dads about Pampers technology and shared her remarkable experience with the brand that provides her son more comfort and freedom to move around. “Not all diapers are built equal,” she told an enamored crowd, while Seve ran around the stage with his dad and a nanny watching him closely. “The new Pampers Baby Dry, with its magic gel channels, is able to absorb wetness evenly and distribute it throughout the whole diaper. The technology makes the diaper thinner and drier, putting an end to sagging or lawlaw, so babies are ready to go galaw as soon as they wake up in the morn- Mushroom Tofu Soup and Spicy Pork Bulgogi ing.” (Philstar.com)
How Toni found peace in Baby... PAGE B1 after her hyper boy, picking him up and even getting down on her knees to make sure he won’t hurt himself. Toni’s husband, the newlyminted Metro Manila Film Festival Best Director (for Siargao), Paul Soriano, arrived shortly and began his daddy duties, as Toni gave oneon-one interviews. “Every day, I’m surprised at how you can learn a lot from a baby,” Toni told The Star. “I learn a lot about love, patience, motherhood. My whole world now has a new meaning because of Seve. He is the greatest teacher that I’ve ever dealt with in my life.” Since Seve’s birth, “The Last Night” and “You’re The Boss” star said she also has learned to let go of the petty things that used to ruin her mood. Gone are the days, she said, when she would easily get upset or overreact with netizens criticizing her at every turn. “You just let go of the small things and you don’t give them much attention anymore,” she said. “Wala na talaga. I couldn’t care less. It’s like you don’t care anymore what the world thinks about me for as long as my baby thinks that I’m a good mom. I’d rather get validation from Seve.” Surprisingly, noted Toni, the number of her bashers has dwindled significantly since Seve came into her life. “Many of them have begun respecting my space ever since I became a mom,” she disclosed. “And I’m thankful.” “Of course, there are still those who would go out of their way to make you feel bad,” the “Home Sweetie Home” lead star and “Pilipinas Got Talent” co-host
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like galbi tofu soup, assorted tofu soup (clam, oyster, shrimp and beef) and seafood tofu soup (clam, oyster and shrimp). Vegetarians may also indulge in Kaju’s flavorful tofu soups with the mushroom tofu soup (shiitake and enoki mushrooms), wild sesame seed tofu soup (mushrooms and ground perilla seed) and the vegetable tofu soup (carrots, corn, peas, green beans and enoki mushroom). Each tofu dish is topped with green onions and served with fresh rice (or multigrain rice) and a perfect ratio of soup to tofu. One of the standouts from Kaju, though, isn’t the delicious tofu soups. The beef short rib soup is a rich, full-bodied broth with glass noodles, vegetables and, of course, beef short ribs. Filipino customers familiar with sinigang will feel at home with Kaju’s beef short rib soup. Per the Korean restaurant tradition, a variety of side dishes are served fresh, including cucumbers, bean sprouts, potatoes, anchovies and, of course, kimchi. Kaju Soft Tofu doesn’t just specialize in terrific food, but also great customer service. The staff — many of which are members of the Park family! — are friendly, eager to help and ready to give suggestions. One thing is certain of your visit to Kaju Soft Tofu: you will be treated wonderfully. Kaju Soft Tofu’s Buena Park location is available via delivery through GrubHub. Bring in this issue of the Asian
Galbi - BBQ Beef Short Ribs
Seafood Tofu Soup and Beef Bulgogi
Kaju Bibimbap
Seafood Tofu Soup
Journal for a sweet discount on your next meal at Kaju! Kaju Soft Tofu is located at 7232 Orangethorpe Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621 and they’re open 7 days a week from 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m. The Garden Grove location is located at 8895 Garden Grove Blvd., Garden Grove, CA 92844 and it is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Advertising Supplement)
Mushroom Bibimbap
Direk Joyce & Piolo all set for Marawi film by
Nathalie tomada Philstar.com
IT’S all systems go for the film on Marawi. Film director and producer Joyce Bernal confirmed it’s the new big-screen project that Spring Films (her film production outfit with actor Piolo Pascual) has taken on after Meet Me in St. Gallen, which rolled into cinemas last week, and the 2017 “Kita Kita,” the highest-grossing indie film to date. Obviously, it’s a departure from the romantic dramedy themes of their last two releases. But the film on Marawi City, which suffered unimaginable loss and damage after a five-month-long siege by IS-linked militants last year, is the story that direk Joyce and company “needed to tell.” In a previous interview, Robin Padilla revealed that seed money to make the film came from a donor, who offered to donate to Tindig Marawi, a “movement” the actor started to consolidate aid from friends and colleagues for the rehabilitation and recovery of the capital of Lanao del Sur and its people. He suggested to the benefactor to invest the amount in a film so that more people will be aware about the situation of Marawi. At the same time, it will create earnings for Tindig Marawi projects. The action star, who has become a Mindanao peace advocate, approached Joyce and Piolo for the film not only because they were among the first in showbiz to support his Tindig Marawi efforts, but also because he was impressed by their derring-do and success as independent producers. The lowbudget Kita Kita, for one, struck box-office gold by grossing over P300M. Direk Joyce, on the other hand,
Director Joyce Bernal (right) and her Spring Films co-producer Piolo Pascual visit the ground zero of the Marawi siege. Philstar.com photos
talent from Mindanao for the movie, including its writers and researchers. She explained, “Wala kaming alam honestly. Gusto namin tagaMindanao talaga ang mag-present ng kanilang kwento.” When told that their film comes across as difficult if not ambitious to undertake, Joyce said, “Actually ang pinaka-pressure namin is siguro yung for the people of Marawi and for Mindanao. Hopefully, we won’t disappoint them... We want to make a film about them so we hope it will be appreciated by them and make them say, ‘That’s our story.’” To know more about the Marawi story, she and Piolo, plus other friends from the industry, traveled to the Islamic City last month. Robin had been prodding them to go to Marawi but “we weren’t able to have the opportunity (right away) because of security (concerns).” Their first-ever trip was hastily arranged and unplanned and when they went there, she said they were educated by Robin about his fellow Muslims and about Mindanao. According to Joyce, they went to the war-torn city’s ground zero. She recalled that even their Mindanaoan researchers still couldn’t believe what they saw and were moved to tears upon seeing the devastation. “When we went there, we were shocked. Durog yung Marawi eh, durog na durog. Alam mo yung bahay mo na dinurog ng bala, so parang paano yun? I can just imagine the feelings of the families living in these homes,” she related. They then looked for those who used to live in ground zero in the evacuation areas. “Gusto namin sabihin sa kanila na we’re doing something for you. We want to tell them, ‘We are with you, we are thinking of you and we are doing Direk Joyce on Marawi film: We hope it will be appreciated by the people of Marawi and make something for you.’ We really have to do this film for them.” them say, ‘That’s our story.’ said that they’re done with the treatment, with the making of the full script happening this week to be followed by auditions. “May mga gusto kami na artista so ibibigay na siguro namin yung script and character. Ilalako namin sa mga artista pero i-open pa rin namin for auditions,” said direk Joyce on the sidelines of the FDCP Film Ambassadors Night last Feb. 9, wherein Kita Kita was given the Camera Obscura artistic excellence award. For the lead roles though, she said that they are eyeing young stars Daniel Padilla, Carlo Aquino and JM de Guzman. Piolo and Robin will not appear as leads but essay important parts just the same because “there are no small roles in the film,” added Joyce. They also got Mindanaoan filmmaker Sheron Dayoc to direct the film. Sheron megged Women of the Weeping River (2016) which won Best Film at Qcinema IFF, Young Critics and the 2017 Gawad Urian; and debuted via Halaw (Ways of the Sea) which won Best Film and Director, among others, at the 2010 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. Direk Joyce said it was a conscious decision to tap creative
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARy 17-20, 2018
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Xian drops wholesome image in ‘Sin Island’ by Bot
Glorioso Philstar.com
Fraud Waiver Denial turned around to Approval with No Fraud Waiver Required, on this Sunday’s CITIZEN PINOY! Wilma entered the U.S. on a C-1 “transit” visa, on her way to work in Guantanamo, Cuba. She remained in the U.S., married a U.S. citizen, and filed for adjustment of status. A “consultant” gave her hope and said he would take care of Wilma’s papers. Unfortunately, the consultant altered Wilma’s documents and put down false information (that she entered on a visitor’s visa), to cover up that she actually entered on a C-1 transit visa. Her case ended up being denied because of fraud! Wilma then consulted with the Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel, who took over the case, and filed an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) in Washington, DC. Atty Gurfinkel convinced them that Wilma committed no fraud, and was eligible for a green card, despite her entry on a transit visa. Watch how Atty. Gurfinkel’s determination won the day for Wilma, when her name was cleared, and she got her green card with no fraud waiver required, on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.
Kris Aquino shares tips on how to be successful
THREE out of five Filipinos would rather succeed on their careers than on love life, a recent Social Weather Stations survey reveals. Whatever you choose, multimedia personality Kris Aquino shares the lessons she learned from life, love and career as she turned 47 years old on Valentine’s Day. “If you look at the Philippines’ billionaires’ list, I represent 60 percent of that Forbes’ list, one or another of their companies,” shared Kris, who is among the country’s top celebrity endorsers. According to her, most of what she knows about life came from her mom, former Philippine President Corazon Aquino. Here are some of them. 1. ‘Wag umutang’ “Everything I own are hardearned because my career is based on the goodwill of people – one wrong move and you’re gone,” she said. “My sisters keep on telling me I don’t need to work because I can live on my income but I feel like I still have to prove something.” 2. Everything is temporary. May it be in love life or career, Kris said everything is influx, so she advised to always keep one’s feet on the ground.
so I never stop praying,” Aquino enthused. 6. Choose your battles wisely. 7. Share your blessings and thank God all the time. Birthday wish What could a person like her, who seems to have everything, ever wish for? “Sobrang kapal na ng mukha ko kung may hihingin pa ko kay God,” she enthused. Thus, her birthday wish is for her sons, who surprised her on her birthday. “As a parent, your dream is for your child to exceed you,” the new Kris Aquino Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino Ever Bilena endorser said. “I want my children to grow 3. Your children should always up respectful, prayerful, stable, come first. healthy,” she added. “It’s really hard to balance if According to her, she has been you’re a big success and you’re a praying to God for a good exit single parent,” Kris admitted. from showbiz but instead, God has 4. Be good to the people who blessed her more. work with you and for you. “He opened a much bigger “Treat your people well so there door...It’s a lot of responsibility but will be loyalty,” advised Kris. “Give it’s also so exciting,” she shared. respect because it’s a relationship “Thank you God, binalik sakin built on trust.” ‘yung excitement!” 5. Prayer power How about love life, is it also “My mom taught me the power her birthday wish? of prayer. There are times na gusto “Who wouldn’t want love, ko na talaga sumuko, but I feel like right? But I said, forget it!” (PhilI still have to prove something, star.com)
Intrigue brewing between Uge and Ai-Ai WHo says Eugene Domingo is insecure of fellow comedienne AiAi delas Alas? There’s talk that Uge (Eugene’s pet name) seems to be and has every reason to feel that way. opines a colleague who’s a pro-Ai-Ai (as though there exists a rivalry between the two actresses), “Halata namang insecure si Uge, look at where Ai-Ai is now compared to her. not is Uge half-accomplished in her career, even in her personal life she’s no match to Ai-Ai [now married to Gerald Sibayan].” Vignettes strongly believes such an assertion is unfair to both Ai-Ai and Uge who, in real life, have forged genuine friendship which is a rarity in showbiz. Uge’s presence at Ai Ai’s December 12 wedding last year where
she stood as one of the bridesmaids only reaffirmed their sisterly closeness which began many years ago. Time and again, Uge acknowledges Ai Ai’s noteworthy feats as an actress whose humble beginnings have inspired other comedians—male and female—to tread the same career path. Besides the fact their the personal lives should be no one’s business, let it be known that Uge has a romantic relationship going for her. Committed to her Italian boyfriend, she may have yet to announce their wedding plans but who knows, Uge might just come out with a pleasant surprise very soon. When it comes to projects, having two regular weekend shows on GMA – “Celebrity Bluff” every Saturday and “Dear Uge” every Sunday – isn’t that bad at all. In fact, that’s the same number of TV shows that Ai Ai has too.
Health@Heart
The tragedy of Valentine
by ronnie
CarrasCo ManilaTimes.net
iii
PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS LoVE is still thick in after Valentine’s Day, and as powerful and triumphant as ever, inspiring people around the globe, as different societies celebrated it according to their own tradition during that special day. Indeed, there is no greater force on earth than love, one making death sweeter than life without it, giving up a king’s crown in a heartbeat, embracing love in poverty than riches with no love, and the sentiment that makes sacrificing life to save loved ones as heaven on earth, choosing to face the risk of death, to defend one’s own country, the truth, freedom, and democracy, or principle. History is replete with many other glorious moments where love had endured and flourished over monumental adversity. Knowing how I feel towards my friends, neighbors, and even towards strangers on the street, and having witnessed countless varieties of love, compassion, and caring among people of all types around the world, I often wondered why we could not achieve world peace. I might be very naïve to even entertain this question, but it really puzzles me. In spite of the fact that I know the situation is extremely complex, I can’t understand why we, with our differences, can’t all love, or at
least respect, each other enough to be tolerant and break bread, around a global table, instead of trying to destroy or kill each other. Perhaps, I am a simpleton, I guess. But what gave birth to this wonderful February day of love? Legends of different versions have been around for centuries tracing the origin of Valentine’s Day. Invariably, they all go back to ancient Roman history. The most widely popular one relates the story of a priest named Valentine during the early days of Christianity. It was said that during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius II (A.D. 214-270), he decreed that young men should not marry to minimize their reluctance to fight in his wars. In spite of this, however, Father Valentine continued to perform marriages secretly. For this, he was arrested and jailed. While in prison, Valentine fell in love with the blind daughter of the jailer. His great faith and prayers miraculously “restored her sight.” Unfortunately, their love did not last. The emperor had the priest put to death by beating, stoning and eventual decapitation. Before he died, Valentine wrote a farewell letter to his love, signing it “From Your Valentine.” This salutation of endearment has endured over the centuries and used by generation after generation, now still a custom in the new millennium. For centuries before and after the execution of Valentine, the Romans celebrated the contro-
Eugene Domingo and Ai Ai delas Alas GMA photo
Truth betold, Ai Ai and Uge have more in common. Both trace their roots to theater back in college (Ai Ai finished MassCom at FEU, and Uge a Theatre Arts degree at UP). now as to who’s the better comedienne should not even be a subject of a raging debate. Both are A listers. End of argument.
versial fertility festival on the 15th of February, called Lupercalia, in honor of Juno, goddess of women and marriage. This pagan practice (young men’ rights of passage, using teenage girls) was banished by Pope Gelasius in A. D. 496. To celebrate the death anniversary of Father Valentine’s death, the Church replaced the pagan ritual with a Holy Day (February 14) honoring St. Valentine. And yearly since, people around the world honor their loved ones by celebrating in their own individual and special way. A few years ago, on Valentine’s Day, I received a text from my wife, Farida, which said, “Just to siomai love for you, I am sending you a box of heart-shaped tikoy with langka. Hopia like it.” To all of our readers, an advance Happy Valentine’s Day! “SAD” on Valentine’s Day? Did you know that Valentine’s Day, the lover’s holiday, is within the prime SAD season of the year? SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder inflicts pain on some people and is said to be prevalent in countries where the daylight hours get shorter. obviously more in the west like the United States, where winter lingers for at least 3 months, SAD is also known as the winter blues. Somehow it also affects some people in Asia, including the Philippines. Victims are usually a bit depressed. They eat much more and gain weight during the period, PAGE B4
XIAn Lim knows he need not be forever tied up with roles that project nothing but wholesomeness. At his age — he is turning 29 on July 12 — he can do whatever he deems benefical to his career and that includes getting cast in a movie like “Sin Island” that tackles marriage and the conflicts that come with it. Directed by Gino Santos for Star Cinema, “Sin Island” is a sexy romance that seeks to find out if a marriage could truly survive two infidelities. In the movie, Xian plays David, the husband of Kanika (Coleen Garcia) whose marriage will be marred with betrayal when Kanika enters into an illicit affair just as David’s career begins to fall apart. His discovery of Kanika’s transgressions leads him to pack his bags and fly to Sinilaban Island where he meets Tasha (nathalie Hart). Eventually, both David and Tasha are tempted to give in to their sexual desires. Despite their mistakes, David and Kanika patch things up to save their marriage but Tasha refuses to let go of David. According to Xian, one of the reasons he took on the role of David is the goal of pushing his capabilities as an actor. That’s why, he has to temporarily shed off his wholesome image to show his willingness to explore characters that reflect maturity, and for others, bare his sexy side. “It’s a sexy adult love story and definitely there are scenes that people haven’t seen yet, especially with me as the male character,” said Xian when asked how daring “Sin Island” is. “I guess ‘yung bigat ng story that we have, ‘yung pagdadaanan ng mga characters ni David, Kanika and Tasha all the more make it a different type of story.” Since it is his first time to do a role that requires him to go sexy, Xian admitted to asking direk Gino and the rest of the creative team too many questions about making his portrayal as convincing and as effective as can be. “It’s very new for me coming from a whole different genre that is rom-com or love story so I felt nervous at first because there were scenes I’m not used to doing. But later on, knowing that everyone involved on the set is hands on, everything turned out easy, especially with the guidance of direk Gino.” Direk Gino, on the other hand, said they had a series of workshops prior to the start of the movie shoot to feel at ease with one another. “It’s
Xian Lim
Photo from Instagram/@xianlimm
my first time to work with Xian so I really have to know how he is as an actor and all of them as persons to find out their personalities for me to handle them well. I can say we had a very chill (working relationship) on the set, especially with the love scenes. I will just play some music and (have) a closed set to feel comfortable with each other. Lahat ng ginagawa nila tinatanong ko kung komportable silang gawin.” Asked if Xian had a hard time explaining to his fans about his new role, the Viva talent said that they support his desire to tackle as many roles as possible “and I know that they are very understanding with what I’ve been wanting to achieve as an actor. In terms of how people see me, like having a good boy image, I mean it’s always gonna change kasi iba’t-ibang characters naman yung nagagawa ko and in the future hopefully, so I think
there is no misunderstanding; they’re very supportive.” Equally supportive is his perennial onscreen partner Kim Chiu who remains by his side even after his transfer to Viva Artist Agency. Xian shared they don’t meddle in each other’s work. “In every project that we do, we’re hands off when it comes to deciding which ones to accept or not. We are happy when we get to express ourselves every time we have work to do. I think it adds fuel to our passion each time we’re doing something different. or how else can we reinvent ourselves when handling a new role.” Although “Sin Island” is said to be peppered with passionate scenes and confrontational moments, writer Jancy nicolas stressed that no matter how daring the story Star Cinema creates, it never fails to echo some core values to live by. He is certain that the importance of saving the marriage and keeping the family intact are well reflected in the movie. “The trailer itself shows how one fights for love. It really talks about redeeming love, redeeming a marriage,” said Jancy. With Xian’s convincing portrayal of David, is he ready to do more mature roles? “For me, if it’s gonna make me grow as an actor or if it’s gonna open more opportunities and make me a better person then I’ll go for it. I am an actor and I want to be able to do as many roles as possible.”
B February 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
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Be fair to your hair
The tragedy of Valentine PAGE B3 besides being more fatigued and sleeping longer than usual. These individuals develop a craving for sweets and starches – carbs – which seems to provide a temporary boost in their energy level. As a result, they tilt the scale up fast. SAD, as the name implies, is seasonal, and, therefore, transient. With a good attitude and positive personal reinforcement, one can minimize, if not, ward
off, the symptoms by controlling the mood with social activities, exercises, and other personal endeavors that interest the person. Broken-Heart Syndrome A lover’s broken heart could well be what it says and means. This condition is real and not uncommon. I have known persons, whose lovers abandoned them, and the extreme emotional pain and stress, led to actual insanity. The violent chemical secretions of the various hormones in the body
in response to the trauma could cause the brain to “short circuit,” if you will, and go deranged. If you think about it, this could well be termed the broken brain syndrome. And obviously, there is no heart surgery that could fix this condition. This needs special psychiatric evaluation and care. And so with those people who experience a sudden shock by hearing news of a death in the family, or by being jolted by a surprise, or any event that suddenly jacks up the catecholamine (hormones like adrenalin that are produced following stress) level in the body to 30 times higher than normal. Folklore has always asserted that traumatic events could cause a heart “attack,” suggesting a close link between emotion and the heart. It is now appears there is a scientific basis for it. According to Johns Hopkins cardiologist Ilan Wittstein, any sudden shock, extreme sadness, or fright, “can trigger BrokenHeart Syndrome or Stress Cardiomyopathy, which mimics a heart attack, except that the victim suffers no lasting or irreversible damage.” In the Broken-Heart Syndrome, first described by Japanese physicians in the 1990s and only a few weeks ago by U.S. cardiologists in a published article in The New England Journal of Medicine, the heart is temporarily stunned. The rise in the stress hormone levels as a result of the sudden shock causes some spasm in the coronary arteries that momentarily reduces the blood flow to the heart muscles. This leads to the classic symptoms and signs of a heart attack. But the heart function in this syndrome returns back to normal in 10 days or so. In a major heart attack, recovery takes weeks, if not months, and the heart power may not return to normal at all. More studies are needed to answer a multitude of questions and unravel the mystery behind the Broken-Heart Syndrome. *** 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
WE ARE
HIRING
By Monet
Lu
IN my previous articles, I have featured entertainment, personality, fashion, style, love story and other happenings in showbiz and community events. This week I want to answer some queries from our readers, who emailed me about their hair concerns. With my experience in the hair and beauty industry, I was able to gather information and answers about this topic. Some of these concerns are common. I’ve encountered most of them personally in my salon. I am frequently asked if hair color causes major damage to hair. Hair coloring products today are not enough to weaken hair. In fact, some contain extra ingredients that may leave hair shinier than before. It can’t hurt to consult a professional stylist the first time you do anything permanent to your hair or scalp, for the right tone and shades. Scientifically hair grows a halfinch per month. Whether you cut it or not, it will grow slightly faster during summer, but that has nothing to do with cutting it often. Doctors say that it is because of hormones, which affects hair growth. The only thing a trim will do is to take out and eliminate split ends, to make hair look better. Comb your wet hair from roots to ends. A comb is easier on fragile wet hair than a brush is. Stretching it from scalp to tips can cause damage. First, smooth out knots with a leave-in detangler. Then start to comb at the ends, working up in sections. Hair looks its best when the natural oils from the scalp are allowed to reach tends. That’s why I suggest it for a person with dry hair or scalp to shampoo every other day and let the natural oil add shine to your hair. If you feel you need a freshener, simply spritz roots with water and restyle with a blow dryer. Some say that it’s healthier to switch shampoo from time to time, but hair can’t tell the difference between brands or build up the tolerance to any product. Your favorite shampoo will work the same every time you lather up, week after week, month after month. If you have very oily hair or favor a particularly sticky styling product that contains wax, it does pay to use a clarifying shampoo once a week to wash away residue and product build-up. I was also asked if stress can make your hair fall out. Although
My client Saleen shows off her new hairdo.
your hair is falling out all the time, approximately 50 to 120 strands per day. It’s possible that you may lose a few more strands when you’re “catastrophically” stressed, meaning you have experienced a major life change such as a divorce, lost job, or surgery, says Gerome Litt, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. “Other culprits are pregnancy or antibiotics. After a few weeks, it will almost certainly grow back.” I totally agree with him. The road to healthy hair is paved with products, potions, protein, and deep conditioners. If your hair is fried or suffering from split ends, sun damage, tangles, and broken brittle pieces, it’s time to take charge of your hair’s health. It’s easy to forget that our hair can be very fragile. Exposure to the sun, hair dryers, flat irons, and even daily brushing can take its toll and really mess up your mane. It’s important to remember that repairing damaged hair won’t happen overnight, but over time. Developing these habits will aim you down the road to recovery Entrust the care and welfare of your hair to a trusted hairstylist. Turn to them when you feel your hair is under the weather, for a review of how you should properly take care of your hair. Brittle damage and breakage due to too much chemical process, after the summer or do-ityourself-color went bad, needs a professional salon visit. We can trim away damaged hair and fix the bad color. Avoid split ends and enjoy shiny healthy hair
by trimming every eight to 12 weeks. Do not overuse heat-styling products. They damage hair from root to sorry splitends. Fortunately, hair now has a lot of new innovations, with new solutions like keratin treatment, hair spa and products designed to repair the damage. For extremely dry hair use an extra moisturizing shampoo and conditioner. When choosing your heat styling tool, look for the new hair care words and descriptions: tourmaline, ionic, and ceramic. They are better than your everyday tools. Unlike traditional dryers and flat irons that stripped hair of moisture as they dry, the new generation of tools helps hair stay hydrated and conditioned, as moisture, natural oils, and even your styling product enter the hair shaft which gives you shine a healthier hair. For overprocessed dry damaged hair, the hair reborn spa treatment is definitely a must! I hope that these beauty tips will help you. I hope I was able to share you my knowledge on how to take care of your hair, your one and only crowning glory. If you need more info please call us at (213) 216-4923 or www. monetsalon.com. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
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The Americana at Brand hosts Lunar New Year celebration THE Americana at Brand to kicked-off the Year of the Dog on Sunday, February 11, as it hosted its annual Lunar New Year celebration. The festivities included performances from the Kim Eung Hwa Korean Dance Academy, who has
been teaching over 30 years in the Korean American community, along with the Shin Dance Academy, who has been active in the community and has previously performed at many high-profile events. Other performances also included a talented 9-year old
drummer, Korean fan dancers and Chinese dancers who will perform with a fusion of martial arts and classical dance technique while using different props such as a sword, fan and umbrella. AJPress photos by Ding Carreon
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 17-20, 2018
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Why do you need a lawyer in immigration court?
Your Immigration Solution NaNcy Miller ONE of the worst moments in an immigrant’s life is when he receives a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court. All his hopes and dreams for a life in this country flash before his eyes. As they begin to fade away he asks himself “Is this the end of my life in America?” and “What do I do now?” The answer to the first question may very well depend on how he answers the second. An alien receives a Notice to Appear because Immigration & Customs Enforcement (the prosecutorial arm of the Department of Homeland Security) has decided that the person should be removed from the United States. There are many reasons for such action. Maybe the alien has stayed longer than his non-immigrant visa allowed. Maybe he has entered the United States without any visa at all. Maybe he misrepresented some material fact in order to obtain either a non-immigrant visa or a green card. Maybe he is a green card holder who has committed a crime. These and other reasons can result in a person being placed in removal proceedings. At that point, it can feel like the full force of the United States government is directed toward seeing to it that the person is forced to leave the U.S. An alien who feels that way is not far from wrong. The full prosecutorial arm of the Department of Homeland Security (in the form of an assistant chief counsel) is focused on removing that person. The immigration judge, who answers to the Attorney General and the Chief Immigration Judge in the Department of Justice, is there to judge the evidence placed before him. He cannot find evidence. He cannot prepare or present a case. A well-presented case by an assistant chief counsel of ICE must be
a knowledgeable attorney also knows the most effective way to present that evidence. She knows the most persuasive evidence to prove extreme or exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. She knows how to present evidence of rehabilitation or good moral character. She is familiar with what is necessary to show that the alien will be persecuted in his home country. She knows how to present negative as well as positive facts. And if negative facts are out there, they must be dealt with. They must be presented by the alien in the least harmful manner before the government presents them in the way likely to cause the greatest damage. All of these hurdles must be met if an immigrant is going to be able to remain in the United States. At first thought, it may be tempting to try to save money and represent oneself in immigration son meets all the elements for court. However, the price of the relief he wants. Once he losing the case is much higher has presented all the evidence than a reasonable attorney’s fee. to support statutory eligibility, Don’t place your life and future he must convince the judge that in the hands of inexperience. she should exercise her discre- Place those precious assets in tion to grant the relief. In other the hands of an experienced and words, he must present more knowledgeable immigration lawevidence to show the judge why, yer. Your future depends on it. despite having overstayed or lied *** or committed a crime, he should be given the benefit of the doubt Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the and a second chance at a life in oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States America. Statistics show quite clearly with offices in Pasadena, San Francisco, that the majority of cases in im- Las Vegas, Manila and China. migration court are denied. The Telephone: (800) 795-8009 statistics also clearly showed that E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com aliens who were represented by website: www.rreeves.com competent counsel fared far bet*** ter than those who attempted to represent themselves. In fact, the The analysis and suggestions offered article said that aliens who were in this column do not create a represented by lawyers were five lawyer-client relationship and are times more likely to be granted not a substitute for the personalized relief. representation that is essential to The reasons for this are ob- every case. vious. In addition to knowing what elements have to be met, (Advertising Supplement)
met by an equally-well or better prepared case by the alien or his representative. It takes someone knowledgeable in immigration law to determine if the alien is eligible for any relief that will stop deportation from happening. However, that is just the beginning. Just because a person may be eligible for relief does not mean he will get it. It is necessary to present sufficient documentary evidence and oral testimony to convince the immigration judge that the immigrant is eligible for that relief. That evidence must clearly convince the judge that the per-
“ Statistics show quite clearly that the majority of cases in immigration court are denied.”
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C FEBRUARY 17-20, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Minding Your Finances atty. Raymond BUlaon A LOT of people who don’t have a clue about how bankruptcy works are sometimes too quick to judge others who find bankruptcy as their only option to get out of debt. These people think that filing bankruptcy is something they will never do because it is ‘wrong to run away from your responsibilities’. This idea that all people who file bankruptcy are financially irresponsible is very wrong. Yes, in life we are responsible for the consequences of our actions but we all make mistakes. Sometimes all it takes is one big financial mistake to mess up everything that we have worked so hard for. Take the case of a client who ended up filing bankruptcy after an investment property he bought turned out to be a money pit and a financial nightmare. After having saved some money to start investing in real estate, he made the mistake of buying property in bad part of town where it is difficult to keep good, paying tenants. After taking out a second mortgage for $80,000 to fix up the property, he couldn’t keep good tenants and for all the time that the property was vacant, he had to continue paying the mortgage without any rental income.
Tax Tips victoR sy, cPa, mBa
THE Tax Cuts and Jobs Act saves the student loan interest deduction and keeps tuition waivers for graduate students tax-free. It also expands 529 savings accounts to include private K-12 education. Let’s discuss further. 1. American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits remain the same: Both American Opportunity Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit remain the same. The American Opportunity Credit provides tax benefits up to $2,500 per student for each of the first four years of college and
Community Journal
What really causes people to file bankruptcy? As what he thought was a temporary fix, he started getting cash advances from credit cards to make the mortgage payments. Eventually, he ended up losing the property in foreclosure after he could no longer keep up with the payments. He tried selling it with no luck. The second mortgage holder sued him for the $75,000 and credit card bills were piling up. After realizing he had no other way out, he filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Was he ‘financially irresponsible’ under the circumstances? I don’t believe so. He started out with good intentions. The two banks were happy to give him a loan because he had excellent credit. Unfortunately, things did not work out as everyone expected. His goal was to save for retirement by investing the money he had saved up his whole life but his dreams went up in smoke. Had his investment become a success, all parties involved would have been happy. The banks would have made their money and he would have achieved his dream to own rental property. But life often doesn’t go as planned and we are hardly ready for the unexpected. Yes, there are situations where a financial disaster could have been avoided with proper financial planning- but that is not always the case. In my 20 years of
practice as a bankruptcy lawyer, what I’ve seen is that bankruptcy is more often than not caused by circumstances beyond one’s control. Life offers no guarantee that we will never face a financial struggle even though we are doing our best to honor our financial obligations. You can get sick, go on disability, lose your job, have your business fail or face an unexpected divorce. This is what our bankruptcy laws are for. They are here to help the honest debtor who just needs a fresh financial start to rebuild again after financial ruin. They are NOT for people who are only interested in taking advantage of the system. Bankruptcy is not always your fault. If you are currently in a big financial mess and don’t know where to turn for help, I would like to help you. Call us for a free consultation at Toll-Free 1-866477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
Education provisions
is gradually reduced once your modified adjusted gross income reaches $80,000 for singles ($160,000 for couples) and completely phased out for singles who earn more than $90,000 ($180,000 for couples). The Lifetime Learning Credit of $2,000 is available to people under a lower income cap, but can be claimed for each year you stay enrolled in college. 2. Student loan interest deduction survives: You will still be allowed to claim a deduction of up to $2,500 for interest paid on your student loans each year. It can be claimed without itemizing your taxes. The benefit is reduced when your modified adjusted gross income reaches $65,000 for singles ($135,000 for couples) and completely phased out for singles who earn more than $80,000 ($165,000 for cou-
ples). 3. Graduate student tuition waiver tax saved: The bill spares graduate students from having to pay income tax on tuition waivers for teaching and research assistants. 4. Employer tuition reimbursement remains tax-free: Employers can give workers up to $5,250 tax-free to help pay for tuition. This award remains tax-free. 5. 529 savings accounts expanded to cover K-12: Under old law, money invested in a 529 account that grows tax-free can only be used for college expenses. New law expands the use of 529 savings accounts to include elementary and high school education. The Act allows $10,000 to be distributed annually for public, private or religious elementary or second-
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Lent as Kairos
The Prophetic Voice
dangerous. The mass shooting that happened in a high school in Florida last week is another indication of the society’s dire need ReveRend for change. It’s a sign for all of Rodel G. BalaGtas us to put faith in our homes and our schools. Indeed, it’s a sign to live out our Christian faith more MANY of us are familiar with seriously. the sign that God set on the sky The Gospel of Mark this Sunin the story of Noah, which we day summons us to a change of hear on this First Sunday of Lent. heart, a reorientation It’s the rainbow that of life. After Jesus spoke of God’s covspent forty days in enant with Noah, his the desert, he came commitment to resto Galilee proclaimcue his people and ing: “This is the time the earth from the of fulfillment. The destruction of the Kingdom of God is Great Flood. It’s the at hand. Repent, and same covenant that believe in the GosGod would make pel.” over and over again This vision of fulfillwith the people of ment demands a reIsrael in all their trisponse of steadfast als and tribulations faith from all of us. until the coming Indeed, it is a kaiof the reign of God ros moment, which through his Son, Jemeans an opporsus Christ. tune time as well as On this beginning of Lent, we reflect on of heightened grace—kairos--a a time of crisis. God invites us God’s continuing covenant with time when we can grow, renew, to take this vision of fulfillment us, his promise to give us life and strengthen our faith through seriously, a transformation of through our renewed faith in the disciplines of prayer, fasting, our lives and the world. But this kairos demands sacrifices, disciJesus Christ. The ashes that we and almsgiving. put on our foreheads last Ash We all are in dire need of renew- plines, work, and most of all faith Wednesday were not mere signs al of faith, especially in this soci- from all of us. It asks us to trust of our pledges of prayer, fasting, ety that has become violent and u PAGE C4 and almsgiving. They were also signs of God’s offer of abundant graces for us who will take this journey of 40 days of Lent more seriously. I told a seminarian of this promise of God last week when he asked me for advice on how he would speak about Lent to people in his apostate. I told him to relate to them that Lent is a period
“This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you: I set a bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:12-13)
Barrister’s Corner atty. Kenneth URsUa Reyes IN previous editions of this article, the process of obtaining permanent residence through marriage was explored. Discussion of that procedure began with the supposition that the couple was married, and continued with the various steps to ultimately gain permanent residence. In many cases, however, a problem exists in even getting to the point at which a couple is married. Often, a foreign national is in his/her home country and, for one reason or another, the U.S. citizen cannot travel to that country to marry him/her. A solution in such a scenario can be found with the K-1 Fiance(e) Visa. A K-1 visa allows a foreign national to come to the United States to marry a United States citizen. The K-1 visa is valid for ninety (90) days after entry to the
K-1 visa: Fiance visa to marry US citizen United States, during which time the marriage must take place. Once the foreign national is issued a K-1 visa, any of his/her unmarried children under the age of 21 may be issued K-1 visas. Upon arrival in the United States, the foreign national may immediately apply for permission to work. A two-step process is involved to obtain a K-1 visa. First, the United States citizen (the petitioner) must file Petition for Alien Fiance(e) along with supporting documents with the USCIS. Through the filed petition and documents, the petitioner must demonstrate three things. To begin, it must be shown that the foreign national has a bona fide intent to marry within ninety (90) days after arrival. This is often accomplished by producing evidence that a marriage is going to take place—i.e. wedding announcements, catering contracts, etc. In addition, it must be shown that both parties are unmarried
and of legal age. Birth certificates, and if one has been previously married, evidence that the prior marriage has been legally terminated are usually satisfactory to accomplish this. Finally, evidence must be provided to show that the parties have physically met each other within the past two (2) years. The petitioner may submit photos of the couple, plane tickets, hotel receipts, etc. as proof that the couple has met. Exceptions to this third requirement apply in certain circumstances that cannot be explored here due to space limitations of this article. The USCIS may also schedule an interview of the petitioner wherein inquiry will be made on the foregoing issues. Once approved, notice is sent to the petitioner and the file is forwarded to the appropriate consulate abroad. Second, after the petition is approved, the foreign national
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Community Journal
Clarifying California’s rules on breaks Q: I have just entered the work force and I work in the service industry on 12-hour shifts. My supervisor says I am entitled to one 30-minute lunch break and two rest breaks of 10 minutes each. A co-worker said it should actually be two lunch breaks and three rest breaks because we work 12 hours. Is this right? A: Your co-worker is right. Under California law, employers must provide a 30-minute uninterrupted meal period to employees for every 5 hours of work. Thus, if you work 12 hours in a shift, you are entitled to two 30-minute meal breaks. “Providing” a meal period means the employer must provide an off-duty meal period. “Off-duty” means employees are 1) relieved of all duty for an uninterrupted period of 30 minutes; 2) free to leave the workplace; and 3) not controlled by the employer as to their activities during the break. Aside from meal breaks, employers must also authorize and allow employees a “net 10-minute” paid rest break for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. The rest break should be in the middle of the work period. The rest period is defined as a “net” ten minutes, which means that the rest period begins when the employee reaches an area away from the work area that is appropriate for rest. Employers are required to provide suitable resting facilities that shall be available for employees during working hours in an area separate from the toilet rooms. California’s Labor Commissioner issued more updated information on key issues regarding rest breaks. Below are some
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. of the highlights: Can the employer require employees to stay on the work premises during the rest break? No, the employer cannot impose any restraints not inherent in the rest period requirement itself. The California Supreme Court has held that the rest period requirement “obligates employers to permit and authorize employees to take-off-duty rest periods. That is, during rest periods employers must relieve employees of all duties and relinquish control over how employees spend their time.” As a practical matter, however, if an employee is provided a ten minute rest period, the employee can only travel five minutes from a work post before heading back to return in time. Can the employer require that employees keep in communications during a rest break? No, on-call rest breaks are prohibited. Requiring employees to be “on-call” while on their rest breaks is contrary to the requirement that employees be relieved of all work duties during their rest breaks. Is the use of toilet facilities during work counted as part of the ten minute rest break? No, the 10-minute rest period is not designed to be exclusively for use of toilet facilities. The rest period is not to be confused with or limited to breaks taken by employees to use toilet facilities. Al-
lowing employees to use toilet facilities during working hours does not meet the employer’s obligation to provide rest periods required by law. Also, the law requires that “Suitable resting facilities shall be provided in an area separate from the toilet rooms and shall be available to employees during work hours.” Can rest breaks be combined with meal breaks? Meal and rest breaks are to be taken separately. These two breaks should not be combined to form one long break time. The employer cannot give the employee a 1-hour break and count this as the employee’s meal and rest breaks. If an employer does not authorize or allow a meal or rest break, the employer must pay the employee one hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of pay for each workday that a meal period is not provided, and an additional one hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of pay if a rest period is not provided. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)
Client files Chapter 13 while hoping for a loan modification of mortgage A CLIENT has had an ongoing “battle” with Wells Fargo for justice on her mortgage since 2007. It’s been nine years since she made the mistake of refinancing her fully paid house with World Savings Bank. Yes, the client was already a senior nine years ago when she decided to borrow $250,000 against her house, which had no more mortgage! Apparently, a relative had asked her for some money to finance a business, and being the doting aunt that she was, she gladly, but mistakenly, obliged. The question then was where should she get the refinance loan? She spoke to an agent of a very popular mortgage loan broker who offered her a fixed 30-year mortgage at 2 percent per annum. The broker told her that the interest rate was so low, it would make her cry, that the mortgage payment would be fixed for 30 years, and that she could even choose from several amounts of mortgage payments, depending on which one she would be most comfortable with. She signed all the loan documents without reading them as most seniors would do. After paying for two years, she noticed that the loan balance, instead of decreasing, was increasing!
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrenCe yAng
Eventually, she got a letter from Wells Fargo informing her that the bank had taken over the loan. In addition, Wells Fargo said that she had a default of $20,000 and that if this amount was not paid in full immediately, foreclosure of her residence would ensue. When she called the famous loan broker to ask what was going on, she was told that the loan broker was being criminally indicted for a massive loan mortgage fraud scheme. It was only then that the client realized that she had been duped. She did some research and found out that Wells Fargo had taken over the loans of World Savings, including hers, and that Wells Fargo was actually trying to make things right for the victims of this “massive” fraud as part of the settlement with the Attorney General’s office as well as part of the federal “bailout” funds. She called Wells Fargo and was given the runaround. Wells Fargo wrote her many letters
saying that they were going to look into the matter and would get back to her within 30 days. The 30 days dragged into seven years without any resolution. Wells Fargo started foreclosure proceedings and the client paid off the entire default of $57,000. It was back to square one for a while then the problem resurfaced. The client hired a succession of lawyers who all went against a brick wall because the client did not want to sue; all she wanted was to have the matter amicably resolved by negotiation. Now there is a default of $40,000, and Wells Fargo wants to foreclose yet again. She now retains me for a Chapter 13 to stop the foreclosure and to negotiate a settlement with the bank without a lawsuit. Fortunately, I was able to get some positive response from the bank saying that they are now having their legal department look into it, and that they would propose a settlement by next week. It remains to be seen whether the bank is now serious in resolving this matter, or if they are bluffing again. Client seeks Chapter 7 relief for $78K credit card debt The second client is 74. Her husband left her 20 years ago.
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Drugging in Nursing Homes ONE of the greatest fears about nursing homes is that your loved one will be drugged into a stupor. And you would not be wrong to have this fear. About 25,000 Californian nursing home residents (almost one of every four) are given antipsychotic drugs each day. What can antipsychotic drugs do? They have mind-altering properties that represent themselves in agitation, anxiety, disorientation, and confusion in a person. They dull a person’s memories, personalities, and may result in misery and possible death. Further, antipsychotic drugs are especially dangerous for those persons who do not even need them. Specifically, persons with dementia were warned, more than 10 years ago by the FDA, that they were at a greater risk of death and other serious harm when taking antipsychotic medications. Again, in November 2015, the American Geriatrics Society gave an evidence-based update for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. They found that unequivocally, antipsychotic medications should be avoided for elder people, except for the few with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or for short- term use in cases of antiemetic during chemotherapy. With this very limited category of persons who medically need antipsychotic drugs, nursing home residents are still given these drugs on a regular basis. In the beginning of 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported
Your Neighborhood Estate Planning Attorney Atty. grACe gAiL CArA 20.77% of 1,300,222 residents in a nursing home took antipsychotic drugs. What was shocking was that in the majority of these cases, the residents had not been diagnosed with some form of psychosis that warranted administering antipsychotic drugs. In an article by NPR, they write about Kathi Levine, whose mom, Patricia Thomas, had Alzheimer’s. In 2010, Patricia was living near Santa Barbara in a memory care facility. She was walking, talking, and able to feed and dress herself. Daughter Kathi even recalled a party where Patricia would dance with her friends at the facility, constantly encouraging her daughter to join her. Kathi remembered her mother as loving life. Shortly after that hula dancing party, Patricia fractured her pelvis from a fall. She briefly stayed at a hospital and was transferred to a nursing home for rehabilitation. Kathi recalled that within a week, Patricia was, “in a wheelchair, slumped over, sucking on her hand, mumbling to herself, completely out of it, not even aware that I was there.” Due to Patricia’s inability to complete the rehab due to her constantly befuddled/out of it state of mind, the nursing home discharged her.
Only then did Kathi see the list of medications her mother had. The list was extensive and included Risperdal and Haldo, which are powerful antipsychotics. Although Kathi attempted to wean Patricia off the drugs, she remained in a wheelchair. Patricia never had another conversation. In two months, Patricia was dead. Elder abuse, as defined by the administration on aging, has a subcategory: “physical abuse.” It is “inflicting physical pain or injury on a senior, e.g. by chemical means.” And as shown in the above example, elder abuse via chemical means is a prominent issue. Half of CA nursing home residents with dementia are still given antipsychotic drugs without regard to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “black box” warning that death may result. But if the use of antipsychotic drugs on persons that do not have psychosis is still prominent, why are they still widely used in CA nursing homes? The Center for Medicare Staffing found that there are two reasons for this: inadequate nurse staffing and nonenforcement of federal standards of care. O.ften there is not enough nursing staff to give hands-on care to residents. As such, nursing facilities resort to antipsychotic drugs to help control the residents. Over 15 years ago, there was a Congressional-mandated national study documenting whether nursing facilities could meet residents’ needs us-
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Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries of an I-130 petition filed by a deceased relative DEAR Attorney Tan, MY U.S. Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the US in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the US and have been out of status. Since I was petitioned as an unmarried adult daughter, I was advised that I had to wait several years to get a green card. Recently, my mother passed away. Can I still get a green card through my mother’s petition? - H.P. Dear H.P., When your mother passed away, the I-130 that was approved on your behalf was revoked by operation of law pursuant to 8 CFR Section 205.1. However, depending on the facts of a particular case, all is not lost. You may be eligible to get a green card pursuant to INA Section 204(L). Under INA Section 204(L), relief from an automatic revocation of an I-130 petition is available to certain surviving relatives. Surviving relatives who are eligible to seek 204(L) relief include a 1) principal or derivative beneficiary of an I130 petition that was filed by a deceased permanent resident or U.S. Citizen, and 2) derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen where the principal beneficiary has died. Section 204(L) relief is also available to derivative
Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn beneficiaries in I-140 employment-based petitions where the principal beneficiary has died. Another requirement for Section 204(L) relief is that the person seeking relief must have “residence” in the U.S. What is meant by “residence?” It is your primary home or principal actual dwelling place. At least one beneficiary must have resided in the U.S. when the petitioning relative died, and must continue to reside in the U.S. when seeking Section 204(L) relief. It is worth noting that all beneficiaries of a petition can benefit from Section 204(L) relief as long as at least one of the beneficiaries meets the residence requirement. Further, although “residence” is required, Section 204(L) does not require actual physical presence in the U.S. when the relative died. In your case, it appears that you are eligible to obtain a green card. You are a principal beneficiary of an I-130 petition filed by your US Citizen mother. Further, you appear to meet the residence requirement in that you have been in the US since your arrival in 1999—you resided in the U.S. when your mother passed away, and currently reside in the U.S. A check of the USCIS visa bulletin indicates the priority date
for the I-130 petition filed by your mother on your behalf is current, so you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application, requesting reinstatement of the I-130 petition filed by your mother pursuant to Section 204(L). As a sidenote, Section 204(L) relief is also available if one’s relative died while the I-130 was pending, not only after the I-130 petition was approved. Section 204(L) relief therefore is broader than Humanitarian Reinstatement of a petition under 8 CFR Section 205.1, which can only be requested by the principal beneficiary when the petitioner him/herself has died, and after approval of an I-130. Relief under Section 204(L) is discretionary, and can be denied if factors in support of relief are not presented properly. It is accordingly recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association. *** LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 6390277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
K-1 visa: Fiance visa to marry... PAGE C2 t
can apply for a K-1 visa in his/ her home country. An interview is scheduled where the foreign national must provide certain documents for issuance of the visa. An affidavit of support from the petitioner, proving that the foreign national will not be relying on public assistance upon arrival, in addition to originals of documents mentioned hereinabove, must be presented. Other documents may also be requested by a particular consulate. If all requirements are met, visa issuance will follow. After arrival
in the United States and mar- Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is riage, the foreign national may not a solicitation. thereafter begin the process to *** obtain permanent residence. Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was *** Please note that this article is not legal President of the Philippine American Bar advice and is not intended as legal ad- Association. He is a member of both vice. The article is intended to provide the Family law section and Immigration only general, non-specific legal infor- law section of the Los Angeles County mation. This article is not intended Bar Association. He has extensive CPA to cover all the issues related to the experience prior to law practice. LAW topic discussed. The specific facts OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is that apply to your matter may make located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, the outcome different than would be Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388anticipated by you. This article does 1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or create any attorney client relationship visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement) between you and the Law Offices of
C4 FEBRUARY 17-20, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Calendar of Events across
COMMUNITY JOURNAL
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS F E B R UA RY 1 7
The Blue Eagle Circle Gathering at Loyola Marymount University Fellow Ateneans! The Blue Eagle Circle (TBEC) is inviting you to join us on Saturday, February 17, 2 p.m. PST at the Loyola Marymount University for a simple gathering with fellow Blue Eagles. The gathering will be held at 1 LMU Drive, Suite 210, Room 107, Los Angeles, CA 90045. The venue is The CAVE, below the Sacred Heart Chapel. There will be an anticipated mass at 4:30 p.m. PST. Feel free to bring your family and friends. For more information, contact The Blue Eagle Circle at admin@blueeaglecircle.com. You may also call Benkie Natividad, TBEC President at (818) 484-0948.
F E B R UA RY 2 0
“Usapang Pagkain”: A monthly series exploring wellness with Filipino cuisine in Chicago, IL Community-based organization AFIRE (Alliance of Filipinos For Immigrants Rights & Empowerment) and food media and events group Filipino Kitchen will explore wellness and health with Filipino Cuisine in a monthly series, Usapang Pagkain. The event series is free and open to the community. Each event will highlight a Filipino dish or dishes, including recipes. During the weekday evening events, a light dinner of the highlighted dishes will be provided. Made possible with a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the purpose of the series is to explore how Filipino food can best serve our community. On Tuesday, February 20 from 6 to 8 p.m., the focus is “Healthy & Happy Hearts.” The event will take place at the Hana Center (4300 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL). Schedule and venues are subject to change, please check http://afirechicago.org and http://filipino.kitchen for the most up-to-date information.
F E B R UA RY 22
Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be an immigration forum on Thursday, February 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. The immigration forum is about employment-based immigration information regarding FAST TRACK Work Visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by marriage, family-based immigration employment sponsorship for green card and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for a FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. As you have already seen there are many changes happening in the field of immigration with regards to the new executive administration and their agenda. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families.
Fil-Am artist Lynda A. N. Reyes presents at the Women’s Caucus for Art exhibit in Santa Monica, CA Los Angeles-based artist Lynda A. N. Reyes will be showing her transparent watercolor painting “My Companion” at the Women’s Caucus for Art 2018 national conference exhibition at Arena One Gallery in Santa Monica, California from Feb. 21 to March 10. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, February 22 during the start of the 2018 national conference in Los Angeles with a closing reception on March 10 in observance of International Women’s Day. The Arena One Gallery, Santa Monica Art Studio is located at 3026 Airport Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90405. For more information, please call (310) 397-7449 or visit www. arena1gallery.com/exhibitions. To see more of Reyes’ work, please visit www.lyndaanreyes. com or contact her at lyndaanreyes@gmail.com.
F E B R UA RY 24
Filipino well-being training summit in Los Angeles Kataas-taasang pagsasanay para sa kalusugan ng mga Pilipino” — Understanding Obstacles; Charting New Paths. This training summit aims to honor and recognize indigenous understanding of wellness and healing; reduce stigma associated with emotional and mental illness; and promote community dialogue and connectivity. It is organized by the Filipino Well Being Training Summit Committee led by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. It’ll be held on Saturday, February 24 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 at 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info and to register, please visit: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/filipino-well-being-training-summit-registration-41880032304. NOTE: This event is free of charge to all attendees. Breakfast and lunch will be served on a limited capacity and may not be available to all attendees. Space is limited - please cancel on Eventbrite if you are unable to attend so others on the waiting list can be notified and accommodated.
City of Carson Gala Ball The City of Carson, California is marking its 50th anniversary of incorporation on Saturday, February 24 with a gala ball. It will be held at Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at Carson (801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745) at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 / person and $400 / table (seats 8). For more information, please call the Community Center at (310) 835-0212 or visit ci.carson.ca.us.
Free workout with Assemblymember Philip Chen in Walnut, CA California state Assemblymember Philip Chen will host a free workout event in Walnut, CA on Saturday, February 24 to promote wellness and fitness. The event will be held at Walnut Crossfit Insurgent located at 351 Paseo Sonrisa, Walnut, CA from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable workout clothing and shoes. Light refreshments will be provided.
F E B R UA RY 27
Workshop on how to brand your small business online in Los Angeles Tara na! Kita tayo sa SIPA! Come and join Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) in Historic Filipinotown on Tuesday, February 27 and start branding your small business effectively! Branding is not just for big corporations. A small business would benefit greatly from effective branding. This will make people want to do business with you. Establish your own business identity and learn how to convey your brand to your customers. It’s a FREE event! It will be held at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (3200 W Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026) from 6 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. There is free parking at 2 SIPA parking lots located on the corner of Temple and Robinson St. and the corner of Temple and Dillon St. Don’t forget to bring business cards for networking! Registration is REQUIRED at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-brand-your-small-business-online-tickets-42550341216 or you may contact Fidji Victoriano for any questions at fvictoriano@esipa.org or (424) 235-5011.
MARCH 11
Fil-Am Association of SCV’s fundraising event and inaugural ball in Valencia, CA The Fil-Am Association of Santa Clarita Valley (SCV), Inc. invites the community to a fundraising event and inaugural ball of the board of officers and trustees on Sunday, March 11 at 5 p.m. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Valencia — 24500 Town Center Dr., Valencia, CA 91355. The Fil-Am Association of SCV, Inc. is a non-profit that engages in cultural, social, outreach and community service to approximately 8,000 Fil-Ams living in Santa Clarita Valley. This 2018 marks the associations 35th year in serving the community through its outreach and Fil-Am academic and cultural enhancement programs which include scholarship achievement awards, programs for the seniors, youth and single programs, as well as cultural events. For tickets, please contact Josie Maglalang at (661) 607-5665, Zeny Justiniano at (661) 645-0948, Emie Carrillo at (661) 877-2699, and Zony Gordon (661) 312-3422.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
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Drugging in Nursing...
ing an empirical analysis and a time-motion study. In the empirical analysis, it evaluated actual practices of nursing homes in 10 states and found that in 97% of nursing facilities, they failed to meet one or more basic nursing staff standards and in 52%, they failed to meet all standards. In the time-motion study, there was an insufficiency of nurse aides in 91% of facilities to meet needs in 5 care processes: 1) dressing/ grooming, 2) feeding, 3) changing wet clothes and repositioning, 4) exercise, and 5) toilet assistance. Despite this mandated study made 15 years ago, there has not been a staffing increase to appropriately meet the needs of the residents. Secondly, there is a failure of agencies, both federal and state, to effectively enforce the regulations that prohibit and limit the use of antipsychotic drugs to residents. The Federal Nursing home reform law sets out the standards of care nursing facilities must follow to be eligible for Medicare or Medicaid reim-
bursement, or both. With this enforcement system, it imposes sanctions for noncompliance only if the incident is classified as “occurring at a harm” or “immediate jeopardy” level. Thus, if there is a deficiency that is classified as “no harm,” it leads to no sanctions and no penalties. In 2010 and 2011, a study conducted by Center for Medicare Advocacy and Lerner Consulting of seven states found that 95% of deficiencies were “no harm.” In 3 states, 15 “harm” level deficiencies were found, and 4 states had not a single “harm” level for antipsychotic drug abuse. The misuse of antipsychotic drugs to residents who have no need for it should be recognized for what it is: elder abuse. And if you are asked for consent by doctors and nursing homes to use psychoactive drugs for your loved ones, ask questions. You are not required to accept a doctor’s recommendation for psychoactive drugs. Don’t give consent if the doctor never directly examined the resident. As antipsychotic drugs are deadly, do not consent where you are
uncertain that there are other viable treatment options. Insist that both the doctor and nursing home give you a written list of information on all the adverse consequences of taking a proposed drug, which include those “black box” warnings. Review and consider such information before making an informed decision. Consider seeking another opinion if you are having doubts about consenting. Overall, make sure that you and your loved one are fully informed and aware of all the consequences and if you are unsure of what to do, seek the advice of a legal professional trained to deal with this type of situation. *** Grace Gail Cara, Esq. is an Estate Planning attorney at Elder Law Services of California. She can be contacted at (310) 348-2995 or grace@ elderlawcalifornia.com. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Asian Journal. The information presented does not constitute legal advice and should not be treated as such.
Client files Chapter 13 while hoping... PAGE C3t
She was able to sell the family home a couple of years ago with a net profit of $200,000. Then, disaster struck. Her only son got sick, lost his job because of his illness and became her dependent. She had to take care of her 40-year old son, who moved in with her. Medical insurance would not pay for a lot of the expenses. So, the $200,000 evaporated after three years. After that, she relied on credit cards to pay for her son’s medical bills. Fortunately, her son got well and will soon be joining the
workforce again. The problem is she now owes $78,000 of credit cards. The minimum payment is $3,000 a month. She only gets social security of $1,800 and a pension of $500. She is able to pay her rent of $800. But there is just no way she can pay the $78,000 of credit cards. So at 74, the client decides to wipe out all her credit card debt and obtain a fresh start! *** Disclaimer: The foregoing is an expression of opinion and is not meant to be legal advice to any reader. There is no attorney-client relation-
ship established by this article with the reader. If you want to discuss your situation, you have to set an appointment to consult with the attorney. The first general consultation is free. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.
Lent as Kairos...
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and hope that God cares for us and guides our lives. It involves the conviction that God wants to save us from the destructions of sin, death, and evil forces even in the here and now, as much as he wants us to share eternal life with the risen Christ in the fullness of God’s kingdom. It entails hope and dreams for a much peaceful and safer world, especially for our children.
Let’s seriously spend this time of Lent. Let’s look at our homes and see how our families can live a more faith-filled life. Let’s take the tragedies and crises of this world as challenges to wake up from our lackluster faith to one that is active and engaged in bringing peace and order in our lives and the world! *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to
the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
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The Army ROTC program provides ambitious students with lasting personal and career benefits Fil-Am UCLA students describe a supportive community and constant inspiration as cadets in the ROTC program by Klarize
Medenilla AJ Press
GOING to college is an exciting part of every young person’s life. It’s a rite of passage for all young adults that signals the entrance into adulthood and teaches you responsibility. For many students, it can be a struggle trying to balance all the aspects of school life, but various organizations on campus make it easier to acclimate oneself into the complex, often lonely life of a first-time college student. Students looking to develop and grow as an individual should consider the honorable Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), a program for undergraduate and graduate students that provides leadership and community-building training. ROTC is designed for all students regardless of their career aspirations. The rigorous, but fulfilling program teaches the necessary leadership skills that all hiring directors look for in prospective employees. In addition to laying the brickwork for a successful postcollege career, ROTC provides a host of other benefits and encourages all its cadets to be the best they can be in all areas of their lives. Filipina-American cadet Annie Guilyard was inspired by her father, an Army veteran, and her sister, an Army captain, to join ROTC. Following in her sister’s footsteps, Guilyard --- a senior studying political science --- enlisted in the Army and completed basic training between her junior and senior years. She was awarded an Army ROTC scholarship which she applied to her education at UCLA and expressed gratitude for the supportive community of the program. “I think our programs’ bonding is very strong,” Guilyard shared with the Asian Journal at Army ROTC Night at UCLA on Friday, February 2. “Every person here knows each other, top to bottom and bottom to top. We are a really close family. I don’t think I could’ve gone through college and have the same meaningful experience without this program.” An added benefit to being around such a supportive group of peers is the endless inspiration and motivation from other cadets and mentors, she noted. You’re never alone and will always have someone to rely on in ROTC. “You’re surrounded by people who are driven, and they say you are who your friends are. I think here at UCLA, everyone in our program is really close and it’s good to be around people who inspire you. We have a lot of positive influences and I really appreciate that.” Filipino-American cadet Nor-
UCLA hosted its Army ROTC night at the Women’s Basketball Game on Friday, February 2 to honor the school’s ROTC program and commend those that choose a life in service. Before the game, ROTC cadets gathered at a special celebration at the Pauley Pavilion. AJPress file photos
Romeo Miguel, Recruiting Operations Officer at UCLA’s Army ROTC program
man dela Fuente, a senior geography student with career aspirations in geographic information systems, mirrored Guilyard’s sentiments regarding the bonding that happens in ROTC. The 22-year-old dela Fuente --- who hails from Quezon City, Philippines and moved to California in 2010 --- joined the ROTC program at UCLA during his second year of college. He shared that the possibility of free tuition was a big incentive. ROTC offers a wide range of scholarships and forms of financial assistance only offered to ROTC cadets, including But despite being initially attracted to the financial benefits, dela Fuente ended up staying in ROTC for the friendships he’s cultivated and the supportive, communal environment. “We’re all in this together and sometimes we complain about having to wake up at 5 in the morning to work out, but you look forward to seeing your friends, you know?” Dela Fuente said. “Ultimately, you just feel happy to be there with all these people; it becomes like a family.” In addition to building a support system of like-minded individuals, ROTC teaches young students the importance of time management and responsibility. “When I came in as a freshman, I didn’t expect to be waking up at 5 a.m., but I had to change my schedule because of ROTC,” said Alexandra Laforteza, a sophomore Fil-Am cadet studying human biology and society. “Time management was one of the most challeng-
ing things I had to adapt to, but it’s definitely a huge benefit because it means I’ve adapted to the real world, which, of course, involves following a schedule and just being responsible with my time.” Laforteza was inspired by her father, an Army officer, to become an Army officer herself. Once she got to UCLA, her dream school, she knew ROTC was going to have a positive impact in her personal life as well as her career aspirations. “I’ve never been so mature as a college student, and I think ROTC is making me a lot more
mature, especially in regards to time management; and, also the fact that I have a job coming out of college is pretty great. Because ROTC makes you plan out your future, I feel pretty set and it feels good to have a plan. ROTC definitely played a big role in that.” In addition to UCLA, the Army ROTC program is open to students of Cal State Northridge, Cal State LA, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University and Cal Lutheran. The program is open to students currently attending these universities as well as
)ROORZ XV RQ
Fil-Am cadets of UCLA’s Army ROTC program, (L-R) Norman dela Fuente, Annie Guilyard and Alexandra Laforteza
Education provisions...
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ary school. The funds could also be used for home schooling. The changes applies to distributions made starting January 2018. 6. Death and disability loan forgiveness tax repealed: The bill excludes student debt forgiveness from taxable income for the borrower who become permanently disabled. It also excludes forgiveness in the event of death if there is a co-signer on the loan. It will apply to federal and state student loans discharged starting January 2018.
*** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com. (Advertising Supplement)
those planning to transfer from local community colleges. After ROTC, cadets have a couple options: a full-time military career in active duty or join the reserves. Regardless of career path, ROTC has something to offer every student who is looking to go above and beyond during and after college. For more information about the ROTC program, including eligibility and obligations, visit www.goarmy.com/rotc. For more information about the ROTC program at UCLA, visit www.milsci.ucla.edu/academics/prospective-students. n
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MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM The March 2018 Priority Dates
&
Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows:
EACH month, the Visa Office of Application Visa Issuance the State Department publishes, FAMILY CATEGORY: Filing Date Date in the Visa Bulletin, the priority Unmarried sons dates for that particular month, and daughters of October 1, October 15, for the various family and employ- First Preference US citizens (over 2007 2005 ment based categories. A priority 21 years of age) date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant (2A) Spouse and visas (or green cards) would be March 22, Second Preference minor children (below May 1, 2017 available for persons whose prior21 years old) of green 2016 card holder ity date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority (2B) Unmarried sons date was “current,” but later retand daughters (21 rogressed (or “moved backwards” September 1, September 8, years old or older) and became unavailable) before 2006 of green card holder 2007 your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in Married sons and the U.S.), you would have to wait June 15, 1995 March 22, daughters of US Third Preference until it becomes current again. 1995 Citizens. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column Brothers and March 1, 1995 November 22, was added, called the “Applica- Fourth Preference sisters of US 1994 Citizens. tion Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Visa Issuance Application Filing Date, they LABOR CERTIFICATION: Filing Date Date can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization Advanced Degree Current Current (provided they are otherwise eli- Second Preference (Masters) gible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Professional/ May 1, 2016 October 1, Filing Date for that month). This Third Preference Skilled Workers 2016 could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than Non-Skilled May 1, 2016 October 1, before, where they had to wait for Other Workers Workers 2016 the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment different. The information contained herein WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com and be eligible for a green card. including testimonials, “Success Stories,” Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw *** endorsements and re-enactments) is of a and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is
general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.
Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL
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Business Quote of the Week “Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both these things. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to what you can do with your business and your life.” – Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
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Economy buttressed by 5% remittance hike in 2017, says Bangko Sentral by Daxim
L. Lucas
Inquirer.net
EVA Bringing Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand Jet Back to LA
Specially painted plane scheduled Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays TAIPEI, TAIWAN – EVA Air is bringing its popular Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand Jet back to Los Angeles, starting March 27, 2018. It will fly the specially painted plane between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, three of the 21 weekly nonstop flights it operates on the route. Travelers can learn more about EVA’s Hello Kitty and Sanrio Family jets at http://www. evakitty.com/en/index.html and book flights on the cheerful aircraft through travel agents, the airline’s reservations hotlines (800-695-1188/North America) and online at www.evaair.com. The colorful Boeing 777300ER is configured with three cabins, Royal Laurel Class business, Premium Economy and Economy. EVA BR005 will leave LAX at 11:55 am (11:55) and get into TPE at 5:05 pm (17:05) the next day. Return flight BR006 is scheduled to depart TPE at 10:10 am (10:10) and arrive in LAX at 6:50 am (6:50). Flight time from LAX to TPE is 14 hrs. and 10 mins. From TPE to LAX, it’s 11 hrs. and 40 mins. EVA created its Hello Kitty and Sanrio Family Jets to make flying fun. It embellished the Hand-in-Hand Jet inside and out with Hello Kitty and her Sanrio friends and launched it on the Los Angeles - Taipei route in
September 2013. It rerouted the festive aircraft to the Taipei - Paris route in October 2014. EVA and Sanrio worked together to design livery and in-flight service items for the Hand-in-Hand Jet that bridge cultural barriers and invite global exchanges among passengers and people they meet during their travels. The always charming Hello Kitty gives travelers a warm welcome as she joins hands with Sanrio family and friends of different shapes and sizes, standing together from nose to tail of the aircraft on both sides. Along with Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel, characters on the plane include My Melody, Kuromi, Little Twin Stars, Cinnamoroll, Pompom Purin and Bad Badtz-Maru. The EVA Handin-Hand Jet features 19 Sanrio characters. The Hello Kitty Jet experience begins at airport check-in with Hello Kitty boarding passes and baggage stickers. Onboard, the cabin crew wears lightgreen Hello Kitty Jet aprons and passengers use service items decorated with the irresistible characters. Service items include Hello Kitty headrest covers, pillows, tissue, hand cream, hand-washing liquid, napkins, paper cups, utensils and snacks. EVA refreshes these inflight service item designs frequently. It also offers Hello Kitty and Sanrio Family duty-free items that fans
can buy through the EVA Sky Shop online or inflight. EVA flies seven of the specially painted aircraft on routes within Asia, and, long-haul, to Chicago and, soon, to Los Angeles. Its other Hello Kitty planes are the Shining Star, Joyful Dream, Celebration Flight and Friendship Bows. Its Sanrio-family aircraft are the gudetama Comfort Flight and Bad Badtz-Maru Travel Fun planes. EVA Air, a Star Alliance member, was established in 1989 as Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline. It is part of the respected Evergreen Group and a sister company to global container-shipping leader Evergreen Line. It flies a fleet of more than 70 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to more than 60 international destinations throughout Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America where gateways are Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. With just one easy stop in Taipei, travelers can connect onward to every major city in Asia, including 17 destinations in China. Travelers can learn more about EVA’s Hello Kitty and Sanrio Family Jets, along with routes they serve, at http://www.evakitty.com/en/ index.html and book, buy and reserve seats on all flights at www.evaair.com. (Advertising Supplement)
PERSONAL remittances from expatriate Filipinos posted a new record high of $3 billion in December 2017, representing an expansion of 7.9 percent relative to the level recorded in the same month in the previous year. This brings the cumulative personal remittances level for January to December 2017 to $31.3 billion, 5.3 percent higher than the $29.7 billion recorded in the previous year and exceeded the BSP’s projection of 4 percent for 2017, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said on Thursday, February 15. The sustained growth in personal remittances during the year was steered by the increase in remittances from land-based workers with work contracts of one year or more (by 4.1 percent) and from sea-based and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year (by 5.3 percent). The growth in overseas Filipino
remittances continued to provide support to the country’s economy as a major driver of domestic demand. The 2017 level of personal remittances accounted for 10 percent of gross domestic product and 8.3 percent of gross national income. Similarly, cash remittances from overseas Filipinos coursed through banks registered an all-time high of $2.7 billion, rising by 7.1 percent year-on-year in December 2017. The countries that contributed to the increase in cash remittances during the month were the United States, United Arab Emirates and Singapore. Full-year cash remittances totaled $28.1 billion, 4.3 percent higher than the $26.9 billion recorded in 2016. The higher cash remittances in 2017 was supported by the increase in transfers from both land-based and sea-based workers, by 4 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively. Notwithstanding pockets of political uncertainties across the
globe, cash remittances in 2017 remained resilient. Remittances from the Middle East increased by 3.4 percent, driven by growth in remittances from the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain. Overseas Filipino remittances from Asia rose by 7.3 percent, boosted by transfers originating from Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. For the Americas, which increased by 5.8 percent, the major contributor was the 5.5 percent growth in remittances from the U.S. Despite the decrease in remittances from the United Kingdom (partly due to the depreciation of the pound sterling vis-à-vis the U.S dollar), remittances from Europe went up by 1.5 percent. By country source, the bulk of cash remittances for the year came from the U.S., UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, United Kingdom, Qatar, Kuwait, Germany, and Hong Kong. The combined remittances from these countries accounted for 80.1 percent of total cash remittances.
PH seen as auto manufacturing hub within 10 years by RichaRD
meRcuRio Philstar.com
MANILA — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) sees the Philippines emerging as a regional automotive manufacturing hub capable of exporting vehicles in less than a decade as local production is expected to rise to one million units annually. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said a new study by JICA suggests that Philippine vehicle production would hit one million units per year by 2027. “This one million-unit project can turn the Philippines into a major player in the region’s auto industry,” Lopez said. To attain this volume, Lopez said local industry demand would have to expand continuously to encourage more manufacturers to put up factories and make it as their production base. “As the car companies continue to invest here, our local capacity gets stronger. So hopefully we reach that one million capacity in the future,” he said. Lopez said the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) is one of many efforts to revitalize the Philippine automotive industry
PH Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez Philstar.com photo
and develop the country as a regional automotive manufacturing hub. “The CARS program will help us attract new investments, stimulate demand and effectively implement industry regulations in the country,” he said. Lopez said Mitsubishi Philippines’ newly inaugurated stamping plant in Laguna, the largest in the country, also leads the Philippines closer to “generating capacities that will prepare us for the future plans to make Philippines the hub of car manufacturing of one million a year by 2027 for local and export demand.” “By signaling our commitment to this (one-million unit) project,
we expect that Japan and other global auto players will have more reasons to invest with us,” he said. Vehicle production in the country continues to expand annually, even outgrowing most markets in the region last year, but remained lagging behind its peers in terms of volume. Data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed motor vehicle production in the Philippines accelerated 21 percent in 2017 to 116,868 units from 141,252 units in the previous year. The 21 percent growth was second fastest behind Myanmar’s triple-digit expansion, but production in both countries finished at the bottom of the region volume-wise. Thailand remained the region’s top production hub in 2017 with 1.99 million units, up two percent from 2016’s 1.94 million units. This was followed by Indonesia which saw production rising three percent year-on-year to 1.22 million units in 2017. Despite seeing a year-on-year decline, production in Malaysia and Vietnam remained larger than that of the Philippines at 499,639 units and 195,937 units, respectively.
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Philippine Airlines to get 15 new planes this year by LoueLLa
D. DesiDerio Philstar.com
MANILA — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is taking delivery of 15 new aircraft valued at $2 billion this year to expand operations by serving new destinations. In a press conference Tuesday, February 13, PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said the carrier would take delivery of 15 new aircraft this year. “The value, based on lease price for all aircraft is almost $2 billion,” he said. He said PAL would take delivery of six Airbus A321neos, four Airbus A350-900s and five Bombardier Q400s this year. The first new 168-seater A321neo is slated for delivery starting March and would be used for the Manila to Brisbane non-stop route by May. Aside from Brisbane, Bautista
said PAL may use the A321neos to operate flights to new destinations such as Sapporo in Japan, and New Delhi and Mumbai in India from Manila in the third quarter. As for the A350s, the first is expected to arrive in June, while the second would be delivered in August, the third in September and the last one in December. The A350-900s — equipped with business class, premium economy and economy class seats, would allow PAL to operate flights to the U.S. East Coast through the polar region, as well as more routes to Europe. First would be the non-stop service from Manila to New York by October, to be followed by services to Seattle, Chicago and a point in Western Europe in the pipeline afterwards. Apart from long-haul flights, PAL is also looking to expand operations in Clark, Cebu and Davao
as part of its multi-hub network strategy. By next month, PAL will start flights on the Davao to Siargao route. In April, PAL will add services on the Cebu to Bangkok route by offering daily flights from the current thrice per week. PAL will also continue to offer the only direct airline services between the Philippines and Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the U.S. East and West Coasts, Hawaii, Brisbane and Melbourne, as well as the only flights between Bohol and Korea, and between Cebu and the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Nagoya. Bautista said the delivery of new aircraft would not just allow PAL to expand operations, but also to retire old aircraft such as the A340s and older Q400s. “We will end the year with 98 to 100 aircraft,” he said.
Jollibee takes bigger bite of US hamburger market by Doris
DumLao-abaDiLLa Inquirer.net
HOMEgrOWN fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) has taken a bigger bite of the mainstream American hamburger market with a $100-million deal to jack up its stake in the Smashburger chain to 85 percent. JFC, through wholly-owned subsidiary Bee good! Inc., currently owns 40 percent of Denver-based Smashburger, which operates 365 stores. JFC has exercised its long-planned option to buy an additional 45 percent of Smashburger in a transaction that is expected to be consummated in a month or two. This consolidation will increase Jollibee’s worldwide store network by 9.6 percent to 4,162 and widen its footprint from 16 to 21 countries. Aside from the U.S., Smashburger operates in Costa rica, Egypt, El Salvador, United Kingdom (England and Scotland) and Panama. “With this acquisition of more shares, JFC will have a more significant business in the United States. The U.S. will increase its contribution to our worldwide sales from 5 percent to 15 percent,” JFC chair Tony Tan Caktiong said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, February 13. “We believe that we will be able to profitably provide the mainstream American consumer
with superior-tasting products with excellent services at very good value for money as we have demonstrated in the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei and the Middle East,” Tan Caktiong said. This will boost JFC’s overseas business to 30 percent of global sales from 20 percent at present, he said. “We will eventually achieve our goal of 50/50 (percent) revenue split between the Philippines and foreign businesses even as our Philippine business continues to expand strongly since our foreign
business is growing even faster. It will only be a matter of time,” he added. Smashburger has been described by Jollibee as a “leading fast casual ‘better burger’ restaurant known for its fresh, never frozen 100-percent certified Angus beef burgers that are smashed on the grill to sear in the juices, creating an upscale quality burger packed with flavor and served at a great value.” The additional stake will be bought from Smashburger Master LLC, which will keep a 15-percent stake in the business.
Study: PH’s GDP can increase by $8 billion in 4 years through digital transformation by Niña
V. GuNo
Inquirer.net
IN the next four years, digital transformation is estimated to contribute $8 billion (P416.9 billion) to the Philippines’ gDP, with an increase in growth rate by 0.4 percent annually, according to an IDC study. Microsoft, in partnership with IDC Asia/Pacific conducted the study “Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific” among 15 countries in Asia, to examine the impact of digital transformation on traditional business models. Digital transformation refers to the change that occurs when digital technology is applied to human society. It includes the use of digital products and services like mobility, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). Three percent of the country’s gDP came from digital products and services in 2017. By 2021, 48 percent of Southeast Asia’s gDP is expected to be derived from digital products and services “with growth in every industry,” said Daniel-Zoe Jimenez, research director of Digital Transformation Practice Lead, IDC Asia/Pacific. Of the 1,560 respondents which included business and IT leaders, 100 hailed from the Philippines. Effect on labor, organizations The benefits of digital trans-
According to the study “Unlocking the Economic Impact of Digital Transformation in Asia Pacific,” $8 billion (P416.9 billion) is estimated to be contributed to the country’s GPD in the next fourt years through digital transformation. Inquirer.net photo
formation were mainly linked to improving employment. The leaders identified three key benefits to society, namely increasing personal income through freelance and digital work, higher value jobs and more training opportunities. In the country, the most indemand skills are big data, cloud computing and mobile development. According to the country’s respondents, 92 percent of jobs in the Philippines will be transformed in the next three years while 65 percent of jobs will require higher value roles. At least 84 percent of respondents claimed that their employees
were equipped with the skills for the new roles. For organizations, the top benefits included higher profit margins, greater productivity and cost reductions. “Leaders” benefited twice as much as “Followers” when it came to strategizing and investing in digital transformation. Leaders were defined as companies with “full or progressing digital strategies.” However, of the 93 percent of organizations undergoing digital transformation in the Philippines, only 7 percent of these could be counted as Leaders. PAGE D5
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Super consortium submits P350-B proposal for NAIA uplift by LoueLLa
DesiDerio
Philstar.com
MANILA — A super consortium of seven conglomerates formally submitted a P350-billion proposal to transform the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) into a regional airport hub. The P350-billion project will improve and expand the current NAIA terminals under the first phase, while the second phase will involve the construction of a second runway, which will raise the airport’s capacity to 100 million passengers per year, the consortium said in a statement. Aboitiz Infra Capital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., AEDC, Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investment Corp., the seven partners that have a combined capitalization of over P2.2 trillion, also signed a memorandum of agreement formalizing the consortium. The consortium has tapped Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd. to provide technical support in the areas of master planning, operations optimization and commercial development. Jose Emmanuel Reverente, NAIA Consortium spokesperson and vice president at Aboitiz InfraCapital said in a press conference the proposal would be over a 35-
year concession period. The first phase involves improvements and expansion of terminals in the current NAIA land area which would cost P100 billion and be completed within 48 months. Upon completion of Phase 1, Reverente said the NAIA would have a capacity of 65 million passengers per year, double the current capacity of 30 million. Phase 2, meanwhile, will involve the development of an additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals and associated support infrastructure. Reverente said the timeline for Phase 2 is still under discussion as the consortium would have to work with government on how to go about the additional runway for the NAIA. He added the proposal includes a people mover that would link the terminals and connect NAIA to the existing mass transport system in Metro Manila, as well as an option for a third runway. Construction of the additional runway will ensure the ability of NAIA to serve as Manila’s gateway for years to come and to handle up to 100 million passengers per year. “Through this proposal, we envision a new NAIA: a fullyintegrated premier gateway that we Filipinos can truly be proud of, backed by the know-how of
an experienced technical partner and the strong synergy of seven homegrown teams. The message is clear: we need this, and we can get this done,” Reverente said. When the upgrades are completed, the NAIA is expected to be on the same footing as major regional airports such as Changi in Singapore and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok in Thailand, and serve as a viable transit hub for Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Megawide Construction Corp., the listed construction and engineering firm, is unfazed by the P350-billion proposal of the super consortium. The company and its Bangalore-based partner GMR still plans to submit its own proposal to redevelop NAIA, Louie Ferrer, president of the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. said in a text message. He said the government and the people now have the choice between a number of airport proposals and which ones offer the best value. Megawide once defeated some of the members of the super consortium when it won the bid to develop the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in 2014. “This kind of competition is healthy for the infrastructure sector,” Ferrer said. In a separate statement, he
Diokno sees unemployment decline amid TRAIN by Mary
Grace Philstar.com
PaDin
MANILA — The country’s unemployment rate is expected to decline following the implementation of the newly enacted tax reform law this year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Wednesday, February 14. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno assured the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act would not cause massive displacement of Filipinos, particularly in affected industries. On the contrary, Diokno said the TRAIN would create a multiplier effect in the economy, which, in turn, would reduce unemployment rate in the country. For one, the budget chief said additional government revenue to be generated under the first tax reform law is intended to
EMPLOYMENT
bankroll its massive infrastructure program. He said the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure program would present more job opportunities to Filipinos. Diokno also cited the alleviation measures the government would implement under the TRAIN, such as the Jeepney Modernization Program. According to the preliminary results of the 2017 Annual Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, the country’s unemployment rate slightly rose to 5.7 percent last year from the estimated 5.5 percent in 2016. Based on available data as of October 2017, unemployment also went up to five percent from the 4.7 percent recorded in the same month the previous year. Republic Act 10963 or the TRAIN Act, which contains Pack-
age 1A of the administration’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP), aims to simplify the country’s tax system by lowering personal income tax rates. It also seeks to adjust excise taxes of fuel, automobile, coal and sugar-sweetened beverages, and expand the tax base by removing the value-added tax exemptions. Earlier, the Department of Finance (DOF), citing estimates from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the CTRP is expected to create about half a million jobs over the next six years and could lift about 250,000 Filipinos out of poverty. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez had said about 70 percent of the incremental revenue from the TRAIN would be earmarked for the government’s Build Build Build program.
FOR RENT
NAIA super consortium holds briefing: A consortium of seven business groups submits proposal to transform NAIA into a regional hub. Present during the media briefing are (from left) AC Infrastructure Holdings business development and strategy head Janet Bautista, Alliance Global Group vice president Carla Uykim, Lorna Pangilinan of Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. project development, consortium spokesperson and Aboitiz InfraCapital vice president Jose Emmanuel Reverente, Filinvest Development Corp. consultant Terry Coronel, JG Summit Holdings senior manager of corporate strategy Melody Yapson, and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. business development vice president Karim Garcia. Philstar.com photo
offered his compliments to the super consortium for submitting a knowledgeable proposal. “I believe the willingness of its members to invest in Philippine airports gives a lot of confidence to investors and the international community. We have a lot of respect for the track record of these companies and their commitment to uplifting the lives of Filipinos,” he said. Ferrer said the MegawideGMR consortium already has the experience in running an airport as it has done in transforming the once small Mactan-Cebu airport into one of the best in the Asia Pacific in the category of less than
10 million passengers. “Our understanding of passenger behavior and stakeholder capabilities has allowed us to increase connections and passenger numbers. Not only that, we have a solid engineering background through the construction of Terminal 2, and a partner whose airports are consistently named among the world’s best,” Ferrer said. “I have to say, this really is an exciting time for Philippine airports. As a Filipino I’m happy to see this level of participation from the business sector. It’s about time our airports have this kind of support and attention. The Philip-
pines really has the best potential operators for NAIA,” he added. NAIA, which traces its history to as early as 1948, was built to handle 30 million passengers but is currently handling nearly 40 million passengers. Experts have noted the need to enhance the runway and terminal capacities at NAIA to provide much needed additional capacity until a new airport is ready. The Duterte administration has vowed to usher in the so-called golden age of infrastructure in the country with the development of new roads, bridges and airports with the help of the private sector.
Coca-Cola PH workers: ‘Union busting’ real reason for layoffs MANILA — Workers of CocaCola Femsa Philippines Inc. on Friday, February 16, condemned the massive layoffs of about 600 employees starting March supposedly due to the sting felt from taxes on sugar sweetened beverages slapped by the Duterte administration’s new tax law. In press conference with leaders of Federation and Cooperation of Cola, Beverage, and Allied Industry Unions (FCCU), Faustino Aguillon of labor group IBM-KMU said Coca-Cola “will
be laying off 606 of its workers by the 2nd of March 2018.” Aguilon stressed that the company behind the popular carbonated soft drink cited the new tax law “as a facade for their union busting despite having no evidence yet of the decline in sales due to the excise tax on sugary and sweet beverages.” Last December, President Rodrigo Duterte inked the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, which
Study: PH’s GDP can increase... PAGE D3 How organizations can lead in digital transformation Top organizational traits were identified on how companies became leaders, which can serve as a guide to other organizations who aim to follow suit. These include a culture which is less risk-averse, collaboration among departments and a dedicated business unit focused on digital transformation initiatives. Allocating a budget for such
initiatives and organizational alignment were also important to stepping up as a Leader. It was found that Leaders focus on developing a “culture of agility and innovation” while Followers center on productivity and profitability. Microsoft advised that the digital transformation journey “does not start with widespread change” but with “small, quick projects” that can become larger initiatives. Companies must also look into
imposes excise levies on sugary drinks as a “health measure” and to generate more revenue. The TRAIN law slaps a tax of P6 per liter for beverages using caloric and non-caloric sweeteners and P12 per liter for beverages using high fructose corn syrup. Coca-Cola early this month reportedly said it is undergoing an “organizational structure assessment” amid recent developments within the beverage industry. (Philstar.com) creating a data strategy such that data should be shared within and outside the company “in an open yet trusted manner” which could even lead to AI initiatives. Leaders, for instance, are “investing in big data analytics” to discover insights such as market trends or patterns that aren’t easily identifiable to make business decisions. Equipping employees is also paramount with “future ready skill sets” identified as complex problem solving, critical thinking and creativity.
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D february 17-20, 2018 • La WeeKeND aSIaN JOurNaL
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