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FEBRUARY 21-27, 2020 Volume 13 - No. 16 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858
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VFA termination will not affect PH military DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Private service held for Fil-Am basketball coach Christina Mauser FILIPINA AMERICAN basketball coach Christina Mauser — who was among the nine victims in the helicopter crash that also killed NBA icon Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna last month — was honored during a private funeral service on Sunday, February 16. Mauser, 38, was memorialized by family and friends at her alma mater, Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California, three weeks after the fatal crash in Calabasas on January 26. She had been inducted into the high school’s athletic hall of fame for her accomplishments in both varsity basketball and volleyball, according to local television station KTLA5. Mauser previously worked as a basketball coach at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, where Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna attended, and was an assistant coach at Mamba Sports Academy. The younger Bryant was also among the victims of the crash on Sunday, January 26 as they made their way to the academy in Thousand Oaks for a game. Mauser is survived by her husband Matt
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
“I would like everybody to know this is the decision of the president and I want everybody THE termination of the Visiting Forces to know how it will affect us, it will not affect Agreement (VFA) with the United States will us, instead it will make us self-reliant,” Armed not affect the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. according to the chief of the country’s armed Felimon Santos Jr. told officers and soldiers during his first visit to Zamboanga City as a forces.
military chief. Santos admitted that once the VFA is officially terminated, there will be anticipated gaps in the training of personnel and supply of equipment. However, he said that the Philippines’ other allies like Australia can fill them through the
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Cayetano on best time to tackle ABS-CBN franchise: After SONA by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
HOUSE Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday, February 20, explained that the best time to hold deliberations on the franchise renewal bid of media giant ABS-CBN is when there’s no overlap with other urgent priorities. “What is the best timing? First, lahat ng pro at anti makapagsalita. Pangalawa, lahat ng gustong magsalita, magbigay ng comment, pabor man o hindi, marinig natin. Third, hindi matapakan yung ibang priorities natin na mas urgent (First, every pro and anti are given the chance to speak. Second, everyone who wants to speak, give comment, whether they are in favor or not, are heard. Third, priorities that are more urgent are not neglected),” he said in an interview in Iba,
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EMBATTLED ONCE MORE. Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday, February 19, from the United States to post bail in his latest sedition case related to the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos, which linked President Duterte’s family and allies to the illegal drug trade at the height of the 2019 midterm elections campaign period. At least two countries in Europe have offered former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV political asylum, but the Duterte administration critic said he declined the offers to be able to face the numerous charges filed against him by current and previous administrations. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande
Former VP Biden makes pitch to Vegas AAPI voters once more Trump ‘deserves to be reelected’ –Duterte by CHRISTINA
M. ORIEL
AJPress
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to a predominantly Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) crowd on Tuesday night, February 18. He touted the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and record of appointing AAPI officials. AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal
LAS VEGAS — Bearing inlanguage campaign signs and chanting “Let’s Go Joe,” some 300 supporters flocked to a campaign event on Tuesday, February 18 for former Vice President and 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden as he made another appeal to Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters in the city. Ahead of the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, Tuesday night’s event was organized by the Biden for President Nevada AAPI Leadership Council and AAPI Victory Fund at Har-
bor Palace Seafood Restaurant where the vice president spoke for roughly 13 minutes. Biden previously held an event at this restaurant last summer. Despite the former vice president’s performance in the Iowa and New Hampshire contests, the campaign is confident that Nevada’s results will be more in Biden’s favor as it has focused outreach to voters of color in the state, particularly in Clark County. “The idea that we’ve decided the nomination before we’ve heard from all those folks, all of you, is absolutely ridiculous,” Biden said, noting
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by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte believes United States President Donald Trump “deserves to be reelected” for understanding and respecting the Philippines’ decision to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), Malacañang said. “PRRD (President Duterte) welcomes President Trump’s remarks and he is glad that the American President understands and respects his deci-
sion to end the Visiting Forces Agreement,” said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement on Saturday, February 15. “It is President Trump’s circumspect and judicious reaction to the termination of the VFA that made PRRD give the following remarks: ‘President Trump is a good President and he deserves to be re-elected,’” he added. Trump on February 12 said he was “fine” with Duterte’s order to terminate the VFA
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From the Front Page
VFA termination will not affect... PAGE 1 Status of the Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA). Santos also called for the approval of the SOVFA as it would allow Australian forces to hold joint exercises with Filipino soldiers. “We need that. Interoperability with our Asian countries like South Korea which we have already an agreement and we will further the agreement with the SOVFA for exercises,” he said. Santos said that the country could sustain itself without the VFA and will continue its long-
standing relationship with the U.S military. “And with our new equipment, I think we could defend our country. We could live without it (VFA). The modernization will push through together with other programs and enhancing our organization,” he said. A military official, who asked not to be named, shared Santos’ sentiments. “Well, we could not deny that they have been helping us in our various security efforts, particularly in our campaign against the local terror-
ist groups, like the Abu Sayyaf and the Bangasamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). They complement our ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and technical capabilities,” the official told the Philippine Star. “They (U.S.) have been supporting us. The more the merrier, so they say. But it does not mean we cannot survive with their pullout. We can continue to survive, despite the reduction on technical capabilities and other support systems to include medical evacuation,” he added. n
Trump ‘deserves to be reelected’... PAGE 1 with the country. “But I — I really don’t mind. If they would like to do that, that’s fine. We’ll save a lot of money. You know, my views are different than other people. I view it as, ‘Thank you very much. We save a lot of money,’” the U.S. president said.
Panelo pointed out Duterte would have reacted the same way if he was in Trump’s shoes while musing that Trump would have also ordered to end the agreement if he was the Philippines’ leader. “The president said that if President Trump were a Filipino and the Philippine president, given his character and
principled stand on a matter of national interest, he would have done exactly the same thing he had done, and if he (PRRD) were the U.S. president, he would have given the same reaction,” Panelo said. The spokesman also reiterated that Duterte is firm on the country being self-reliant
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As the Democratic field narrows, AAPIs get behind Warren presidential campaign Warren’s campaign manager Roger Lau on the need for diverse presidential campaigns and why he thinks Warren is the candidate for AAPIs by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
AS early primary and caucus states begin to set the tone for the historic 2020 presidential election, an issue of great enormity lies in the ways in which the narrowing field of Democratic hopefuls plan to utilize inclusion and diversity within their campaigns and broad agendas. For the first time in American electoral history, campaigns are beginning to hold these conversations within complex demographic intersections: the lack of linguistic diversity within bureaucratic processes, oversimplified data that shuts out individual cultures and their specific needs and the objective importance of an ethnically and racially diverse workplace. Elizabeth Warren, the senior senator representing Massachusetts who’s positioned herself at the fore of progressive politics, made history last year by hiring the first Asian American campaign manager for a major presidential campaign. Chinese American Roger Lau (who holds the distinction of first AAPI campaign manager along with Pakistani American Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders’ campaign manager) has worked with Warren since her senatorial campaign. His career as a political strategist and consultant began in 2004 with the presidential campaign and 2008 senatorial campaign of John Kerry. As a respected consultant within the Democratic Party — who also provided Massachusetts-related policy help for Hillary Clinton — Lau has been an influential piece into ensuring that the AAPI community (the fastest-growing electorate in the nation) is included in the political conversation; and, the most basic way to get that conversation started is through representation. “I think the cultural and linguistic barriers continue to be an issue for our communities here writ large and people aren’t always lucky to have a social support system when they get here and having that kind of representation in government is really important,” Lau shared with the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren attended an AAPI meet and greet at Café de Manila in Las Vegas last July 2, 2019. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
Lau’s alignment with the Democratic Party likely began in his youth in the 80s and 90s in Woodside, Queens in New York City. The son of immigrants from Guangzhou, China, he saw the resilience of the Asian immigrant through his parents, who both worked two jobs to support the family of five. But contrary to the “model minority myth” that purports all Asian Americans as academically excellent, Lau “got into a lot of trouble” as a teen, dropping out of Bronx High School of Science at 13 years old. But Lau credits the youth guidance counselors, social workers and mentors who helped him get on the right track. Eventually, he got his GED and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in political science and a desire to ensure that all kids have access to the kind of social support he received as a truant 13-year-old. “I wasn’t your typical Asian kid that was on track, and I think that it’s a lot harder for people now to get themselves out of these positions. Usually, when you get into trouble, the infrastructure of support is not there and going into college, I wanted to be able to help kids like me, kids who’ve messed up and gotten into trouble, and give them a chance for redemption,” Lau said. Warren and Lau first began talking about the importance of AAPI representation in government back when the political consultant was tapped for Warren’s senatorial campaign in 2011. According to Lau, Warren’s presidential campaign has more than 100 AAPI staffers,
including Mary Lou AkaiFerguson, the national AAPI community engagement and organizing director for Warren for President who has led the campaign’s grassroots outreach efforts. “As Elizabeth often likes to say, personnel is policy,” Akai-Ferguson said in a statement sent to the Asian Journal. “That’s why our team has been so intentional about representation by bringing key AAPI voices into our movement. Having an Asian American campaign manager like Roger, along with AAPI staff members at every level of our campaign — from senior leadership to organizers on the ground — makes a real difference when it comes to making policy that reflects the diversity and unique needs of our community.” The inclusion of an AAPI force within Warren’s campaign manifested itself into a new proposal part of her broader call for “big structural change.” Last week, Warren released the White House Task Force on Data Equity in an effort to “collect disaggregated data” from all government agencies and departments. The issue of disaggregated data, the practice of separating figures and statistics and taking a granular approach to examine the specific needs of various communities, has been a main talking point among AAPIs but one that rarely gets a mention from mainstream politicians, much less a major presidential contender. Warren’s sweeping AAPI agenda comprises insight and research from activists, organizers, community leaders
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARY 21-27, 2020
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US leaders of Quiboloy church charged with human trafficking, immigration fraud a bogus charity. The one-count indictment returned by the grand jury on THREE FILIPINO church Wednesday, February 12 alleaders working in the United leged that Guia Cabactulan, States on behalf of the King- 59; Marissa Duenas, 41; and dom of Jesus Christ, the Name Amanda Estopare, 48 conAbove Every Name (or KOJC), spired to commit a series of were charged this week by a offenses, which includes traffederal grand jury in California ficking, forced labor, docuwith overseeing a long-run- ment servitude, immigration ning scheme that forced fol- fraud and marriage fraud. The three KOJC administralowers to solicit donations for by Ritchel
Mendiola AJPress
Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name (or KOJC) founder, Apollo Quiboloy Inquirer.net photo
tors were arrested last month by FBI agents after KOJC’s offices were raided in Van Nuys, Glendale and Los Angeles. Estopare was arrested in Virginia, where the church has a branch in Virginia Beach. The three reportedly used a children’s foundation as a front to bring in its members from the Philippines and forced them to work as “volunteers” to raise money to aid Filipino children. However, the money went to church operations instead, as well as to fund KOJC founder Apollo Quiboloy Quiboloy’s lavish lifestyle. “Other KOJC workers were unaware of the actual purpose until they were forced to solicit on the streets nearly every day, year-round, working very long hours, and often sleeping in cars overnight, without normal access to over-the-counter medicine or even clothes,” the 17-page indictment said. About $20 million was sent back to the church in the Philippines from 2014 to midPAGE 7
Dateline USa
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Photo shows Christina Mauser (far left), an assistant coach for Mamba Sports Academy, with Gianna (2nd from right) and Kobe Bryant during a team practice last year. Photo from Kobe Bryant/Instagram
The late Christina Mauser and Gianna Bryant on the court Photo courtesy of Mamba Sports Academy
Private service held for Fil-Am basketball coach...
PAGE 1 and their three young children ages 11, 9 and 3. Her husband Matt previously shared in an interview with the “TODAY” show that Bryant had hand-selected her to be assistant coach for Mamba Academy. “Kobe brought her on (to the Mambas) to teach the kids defense,” Matt Mauser said. “He didn’t really understand zone defense because he never played it in high school or college. They called her the Mother of Defense. MOD.” He added, “[Kobe] didn’t choose Christina for just any ordinary reason — she was extraordinary. She was incredibly witty, funny like nobody you’ve ever met.” In addition to the Bryants and Mauser, the victims aboard the Sikorsky S-76B aircraft were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa; Sarah Chester and her daughter, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano Payton; and Ara Zobayan, Philstar.com photo who was Bryant’s private pireaches our office here at the Senate, I will decide. I’ve already said it: vote according to your conscience,” he said on PAGE 2 Wednesday, February 19. Go added that he would par- when it comes to defense and ticipate in the hearing by the security. Senate Committee on Public “The time to strengthen our Services happening on Febru- defense capabilities has come. ary 24. Reliance on another country to “Maybe, that’s the proper defend our motherland from forum to hear both sides. We whoever desires to threaten will listen to whomever wants our territorial integrity as well to speak, whomever wants to as to assault our sovereignty complain... I might also ask will only further weaken and some questions,” he said. stagnate our already limited Go also urged the lower resources,” he said. chamber to tackle the franchise “As the president says in renewal bill already. rationalizing why we have to “The longer we prolong the stand alone and depending on application, the hotter the is- our own resources in fighting sue becomes. Talk it among the enemies of the state: ‘If yourselves. That’s the process, not now, when ?’” he added. anyway, and then send it here PH support for Trump to the Senate and the president Aside from Duterte, Filiwill decide, and let him approve pinos largely also expressed it or exercise his veto power,” support for Trump, according he said. n to a Pew Research Center sur-
Cayetano on best time to tackle ABS-CBN... PAGE 1 Zambales. According to Cayetano, the best time would be in May or August. “There are two options. It’ that in May, depende kung anong matapos namin in the next three weeks (depending on what we finish in the next three weeks). The longer option is right after SONA (State of the Nation Address),” he said. With the lower chamber taking a break on March 15, Cayetano said he would rather have the hearings on the ABSCBN franchise bills during a time when there won’t be any breaks. “Hindi ito teleserye na magandang bitin. Kung maghi-hearing tayo ng dalawang linggo at kulang yang oras tapos magrerecess tayo o kahit hindi mag-recess o during recess mag-hearing, hindi mo naman maidadala sa plenaryo, walang mangyayari (This isn’t a soap opera where it’s better with a cliffhanger. If we’re going to have a hearing for two weeks and there isn’t enough time before the recess, or we don’t take a recess, or we have the hearing during the recess, you can’t take that to the plenary, nothing will happen),” he noted. “Dito sa Kongeso, in my experience, mas mabuti na inumpisanahan natin tapusin na natin (Here in Congress, in my
experience, it’s better that when we start something, we finish it),” Cayetano added. Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian believed that ABSCBN’s franchise renewal bills should be prioritized. “Well, they should set that as a priority because its expiration is nearing, and it isn’t fair to say that it is not a priority because they know that the franchise has an expiration,” he said Thursday. Currently, there are at least 11 bills that seek to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN, but the House Committee on Legislative Franchises has yet to tackle any of them. “The fairest [move] here is to have a hearing. If there are lapses, then let’s talk about it. If there is a need to revoke, then let’s talk about it. If there is a need for renewal, then let’s talk about it,” Gatchalian said. “But if we won’t talk about it, no one’s moving, it’s just pending, then that’s not fair. Because ABS-CBN has owners and employees too, ABS-CBN also brings entertainment value,” he added. ‘Vote according to conscience’ Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, for his part, urged fellow lawmakers to vote on ABSCBN’s franchise renewal according to their conscience. “Once (the franchise renewal)
Mauser is survived by her husband Matt and their three young children. Photo courtesy of the Mauser family
lot. Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester both played for Mamba Academy as well. Mauser was also honored by the California State Assembly on January 30 and at a public vigil at Huntington Beach Pier on Feb. 1. A GoFundMe page with a $300,000 goal has been start-
ed for the Mauser family. As of this writing, the campaign has raised over $290,000. A public memorial will be held for Bryant and Gianna on Feb. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. All proceeds will go to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. (AJPress)
Trump ‘deserves to be reelected’...
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and U.S. President Donald Trump share a light moment during the gala dinner for leaders at the ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Manila in 2017. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma
vey released last month. Results from the nonpartisan fact tank’s survey found that 77% of Filipinos said they are confident that Trump would do the “right thing” concerning world affairs, while 19% believed otherwise. The Philippines showed
the most positive review for the U.S. president among 32 other countries surveyed. The Pew survey released in January was conducted across 33 countries from May 18 to October 2, 2019 using face-to-face interviews among 36,923 respondents. n
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OPINION
FEATURES
More fun in the Philippines AFTER the disruptions caused by Taal Volcano’s phreatic explosion last month, the country’s travel industry was hit by a second and worse whammy: the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19. Players in the travel and tourism industry estimate their losses to reach P20 billion if the disruptions last until March. At this point, however, it looks like the contagion is bound to persist way beyond the first quarter of the year. COVID-19 continues to spread in other countries and the World Health Organization is advising governments to brace for local transmission of the virus that has killed 1,380 people mainly in China as of Friday, February 14, and infected nearly 50,000 others. With international travel plans on hold in many countries, tourism-related businesses and downstream enterprises in the Philippines are struggling. Industry players warn that if the crisis persists past midyear, smaller enterprises may be forced to close shop, putting people out of jobs.
5
People can help prevent such a disaster by boosting domestic tourism. Even as large tourism-related gatherings have been canceled, people can still explore domestic travel destinations, enjoy the sights, eat in restaurants and buy local products. There are interesting places to explore right in Metro Manila. Contributing to domestic tourism does not mean ignoring the threat posed by COVID-19. Proper hygiene such as regular hand washing as well as cough etiquette must be observed. Health officials have stressed that airborne transmission of the virus has not been reported. As protection against droplet transmission, ordinary face masks, tissue paper, handkerchiefs and alcohol must be on hand in case a mild irritation induces sneezing or coughing. People who are immunocompromised should take extra precautions. The COVID-19 scare is likely to affect tourism during the country’s peak travel season – summer particularly Holy Week. Those who stead plan trips within the country. It will help normally spend the season overseas can in- an ailing industry, and it could show how it’s
Editorial
Balance of power in the Philippines tested: Will democracy thrive as intended by the Constitution in Duterte’s vow to shut down ABS-CBN? The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS GAG ORDER. This is what the Office of the Solicitor General has asked the Supreme Court the Philippines to issue against ABS-CBN Corp. after Sol. Gen Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition to forfeit the legislative franchises of the corporation and its
subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence, Inc. The gag order is intended to silence ABS-CBN and to infringe upon the freedom of speech and expression of its people, asking the highest court in a very urgent motion, “to prohibit “parties and persons acting on their [network’s] behalf” from releasing statements surrounding the quo warranto petition filed by OSG to invalidate its license. The quo warrants were filed by Calida despite having 11
bills yet to be heard in Congress, deemed not a priority by House Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano, a staunch supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte. This would have been the venue to hear all arguments for and against the issuance of ABS-CBN’s franchise to continue operating after the expiration date of March 30, 2020. This is pursuant to the due process as required by law. But alas! Calida needed to PAGE 10
Philstar.com photo
truly more fun in the Philippines. (Philstar. com)
Stand on VFA, ICC must be consistent
Postscript
FEDERICO D. PASCUAL JR. WITH Duterte loyalists in the Senate now distancing themselves from a move to question at the Supreme Court the termination of the Phl-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement, the petition could arrive at the SC with Senate President Vicente Sotto and opposition solons as its pallbearers. President Duterte has to tough it out with his terminating the VFA without Senate concurrence ‚ even if he has to be consistently wrong — to protect his earlier unilateral
withdrawal from the International Criminal Court probing into his brutal war on illegal drugs. The legal challenge on his VFA action started out last week as a bipartisan reaction of Sotto and other lawmakers to Duterte’s serving on Feb. 11 a notice of termination on the 20year-old VFA without the advice and consent of the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he would join Sotto and others in questioning before the high court the President’s move that they said violates the Constitution and undermines national security. “This will be a bipartisan move to assert the Senate’s
role in foreign affairs,” Drilon said. “While the President is the chief architect of foreign policy, the Constitution is clear that such a very critical role is shared with Congress, particularly the Senate.” He said Sotto has told him that he was preparing the petition which revolves around the Senate’s role in concurring in the President’s entering into treaties and international agreements and in abrogating them. Drilon said: “The Supreme Court should rule on this issue once and for all. We cannot continue putting the fate of critical treaties such as the VFA, whose termination has PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARY 21-27, 2020
Dateline PhiliPPines
Sandigan upholds dismissal of Former VP Biden makes pitch to Vegas... P102 billion Marcos wealth case PAGE 1
grant of excessive loans to by ElizabEth MarcElo several firms, particularly the Philstar.com shipping companies owned by MANILA — The anti-graft the late ambassador to Japan court Sandiganbayan has af- Roberto Benedicto, during the firmed the dismissal of the martial law regime. The Second Division had P102-billion civil forfeiture case against the Marcos fam- earlier dropped Benedicto’s ily and their alleged cronies, estate from the case, citing the citing the failure of the Presi- finality of the Supreme Court’s dential Commission on Good judgement on the validity of a Government (PCGG) to raise compromise agreement that any new argument in its ap- the PCGG entered with Benedicto on Nov. 3, 1990. peal. The PCGG withdrew its “Considering therefore that no new and compelling cases against Benedicto in exgrounds were presented, the change for the government’s present motion (for reconsid- takeover of his California eration) bears no weight in Overseas Bank account and calling for a reversal much less his shares in Oriental Petromodification of the assailed leum. Benedicto also agreed to decision,” the court’s Second Division said in its ruling pro- the government’s takeover of his rights over state broadmulgated on Feb. 13. In its Aug. 5, 2019 decision, cast network International the Second Division said the Broadcasting Corp. (IBC-13) PCGG, represented in court and several provincial radio by the Office of the Solicitor stations amounting to P3.074 General (OSG), failed to pres- billion, as well as his three ent any relevant documentary parcels of land in Bataan in evidence and witness to hold the name of Piedras Petroleum former first lady Imelda Mar- Corp. with a combined value cos and her husband, the late of P70.016 million. The Marcos couple, as well dictator Ferdinand Marcos, liable for moral and exemplary as several officials of the Development Bank of the Philipdamages. Aside from the Marcos pines (DBP) and the Benespouses, also cleared in the dicto-owned shipping comforfeiture case were 11 of their panies, Molave Bulk Carriers supposed cronies: Jose Tengco Inc., Aklan Bulk Carriers Inc., Jr., Placido Mapa Jr., Rafael Fuga Bulk Carriers Inc., Coron Sison, Don Ferry, Ramon Mon- Bulk Carriers Inc. and Ecija zon, Generosa Olazo, Cynthia Bulk Carriers Inc., remained Cheong, Ma. Luisa Nograles, as defendants in the case.?In Leopoldo Vergara, Jose Africa its new ruling, the Second Division maintained that the and Rodolfo Arambulo. Filed by the PCGG on July PCGG failed to establish collu31, 1987, the forfeiture case sion among the Marcos couple stemmed from the alleged and the remaining defendants
that the two first two contests did not reflect voters in the AAPI, Latino and Black communities. Biden continued his remarks by touting the Obama administration’s strides in appointing the most number of AAPI judges and women in government positions, re-establishing the White House Initiative on AAPIs, and signing the Affordable Care Act into law. “And we finally provided compensation for Filipino World War II veterans, which was long, long overdue,” he said to roaring applause. Before leaving office, President Barack Obama signed a measure in December 2016 that honors Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal. With immigration one of the hottest topics and AAPIs largely left out of the national conversation, Biden reminded the audience that the Latino community didn’t only benefit from Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. He briefly touched on his plan that would “legalize DREAMers and put a roadmap to citizenship for undocumented people” and also expand the number of visas allotted each year. “We should be able to increase to 3 million people who come for family reunification…It makes no sense. This is a big, strong, vibrant country. The idea we can’t reunite more families is absolutely bizarre,” he said. Though Biden did not spend too much time attacking President Donald Trump, he painted that his presidency would restore “decency” to the office. “I’m going to make sure we show that we choose hope bers who fled the church. over fear. We choose science The three leaders, who over fiction…We choose comwere arrested on January 29, passion over cruelty and most remain in federal custody. importantly, we choose truth They are scheduled to be ar- over lies,” he said in closing. raigned on the indictment on “We are going to take back February 20 in the U.S. Dis- this country, lead the world trict Court in Los Angeles. again and become the envy of The FBI has established a the world once again.” toll-free phone number for After his speech, the vice potential victims or anyone president shook hands and with information about KOJC took photos with supporters as activities to provide informa- they exited and were remindtion. The information line is ed by campaign volunteers to 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225- vote in the caucus. Next door, 5324), and it will be staffed by the Chinatown Plaza Mall was English- and Tagalog-speak- a site for early voting, which ing personnel. ended on Tuesday night. (With reports from the AsSuper PAC AAPI Victory sociated Press) Fund, which endorsed Biden in enriching themselves by plundering government coffers. “The mere fact that the remaining defendants had held key positions in the government during the term of then President F. Marcos does not lead to the conclusion that defendants took advantage of their positions and embarked upon devices, schemes and strategies to unjustly enrich themselves,” the Second Division’s resolution read. “Simply put, mere allegation and presentation of proof of the positions and/or affiliations of the remaining defendants do not suffice. It is equally important for the plaintiff to adduce preponderant evidence which would establish that the remaining defendants collaborated with their co-defendants in unlawfully accumulating wealth to the prejudice of the government,” it added. The court also maintained that the PCGG’s pieces of documentary evidence, the majority of which were photocopies, failed to prove the allegations against the defendants. “Despite the considerable length of time for the plaintiff to gather and collate all relevant documentary evidence to prove its causes of action against the defendants, it miserably failed to produce the originals of the documents during trial,” the Second Division said. In its complaint, the PCGG alleged that Benedicto’s companies and dummies secured PAGE 10
US leaders of Quiboloy church charged... PAGE 4 2019, according to the FBI. “Most of these funds appear to derive from streetlevel solicitation,” the January affidavit read, adding “little to no money solicited appears to benefit impoverished or inneed children.” Cabactulan was believed to be the top KOJC official in the U.S. who maintained direct communication with church leaders in the Philippines, while Duenas allegedly handled the forged immigration documents for the workers and Estopare managed the finances and oversaw fundraising quotas for workers, the
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California said. They also employed several illicit mechanisms like sham marriages and phony enrollments in schools to keep the members in the country. According to the indictment, around 72 Philippine passports, seven U.S. passports and one Ukrainian passport, as well as wedding rings, were found by authorities when they raided the KOJC compound in Van Nuys. The search also revealed that Duenas possessed a file titled “Traitor” that contained information on KOJC mem-
Filipina American businesswoman and philanthropist introduces former Vice President Joe Biden at a campaign stop at a Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas on Tuesday, February 18. AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
last month, said it is planning to spend $2 million for voter outreach during this election cycle. Filipina American businesswoman and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis shared her immigrant story and expressed disappointment in Trump’s threat to “make America white again,” she said. “That’s why we are all campaigning for Joe Biden to replace the 45h president,” she said. “Together with Joe Biden, we will make America, America again.” Biden’s campaign announced its Nevada AAPI Leadership Council in late January, which has been tasked with mobilizing voters in the community ahead of the caucus on Saturday. One of the campaign’s council members is Fil-Am Kate Torres-Recto, a 28-year resident of Las Vegas and local community leader. “We’ve been phone banking for the last two weeks to make sure people get out and vote in the caucus,” TorresRecto told the Asian Journal. “We’ve seen how the AAPI vote is strong and has helped turn Nevada blue.” Torres-Recto said they had about three days to organize Tuesday’s event and invited over 400 guests. “Biden has the most experience out of any of the Democratic candidates,” she said. “He may not be the youngest, but he can deliver and has a proven track record during his time as vice president. We can’t put a new person who is just learning the laws and how things are done.” The 21-member AAPI council also includes Fil-Ams Doris
Bauer and Loni Andal, who are active in local community organizations. Andal, who was a long-time Republican until Trump took office, said she changed her affiliation to a “proud Democrat” after “being so embarrassed by Trump’s actions.” “The man’s got passion in that he cares about people,” Andal said of Biden in an interview. “He couldn’t work side-by-side with Obama without having that family feeling and empathy for minorities and knowing that they count. As Biden said in his speech, this election is very important — not just for the Asian community, but for all minorities.” Biden supporters who also gave remarks at the event included former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke and Rep. Dina Titus — who represents Nevada’s 1st District that includes key AAPI areas like Chinatown and Maryland Parkway which is home to several Filipino businesses. With attention placed on Las Vegas this week, Democratic contenders have been courting the growing AAPI community. In addition to Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren toured businesses in Chinatown on Sunday, while California Tom Steyer had a roundtable discussion at a dim sum restaurant on Tuesday afternoon. “Especially being from the Philippines, we never had the right to vote freely so that’s why I tell other Filipinos to vote. It’s the right we’ve been fighting for. We came here to have those rights. You can’t sit back and say ‘We’ve got a terrible president’ and not take any action. That’s not the American way,” Andal said. n
february 21-27, 2020 • NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARY 21-27, 2020
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As the Democratic field narrows, AAPIs... Balance of power in the Philippines tested...
PAGE 2 and policy experts on broad issues ranging from affordable housing, immigration, income inequality, health care and affordable public education. “Data equity is a civil rights issue. And from the wage gap to the 2020 Census, communities that have been perpetually erased are calling to be counted and have their experiences made visible,” Warren wrote in the agenda released on February 13. “I believe that you measure what you care about — and I care about building a government that works for everyone in the diverse AAPI community,” she added. The senator’s inclusive approach in her short but eventful career as a policymaker has made her a standard-bearer for a particular brand of accessible
progressive politics that appeals to a wide range of liberal/leftist-leaning Americans. Since announcing her campaign in early 2019, Warren has enjoyed a huge jump in her political profile and more attention paid to her approach to policy. Initially, Warren was a clear favorite among Democratic voters, but as the primaries began, she dipped in the polls. RealClearPolitics has her in 4th place, as of Wednesday, February 19, and she earned third and fourth place in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, respectively. Nevertheless, Warren boasts a strong list of endorsers from the AAPI community that includes mayors councilmembers, state assemblymembers and senators and public figures like actress Constance Wu and award-winning writers Celeste
Ng and Jenny Han. The official AAPI engagement group for Warren’s campaign, AAPIs with Warren, comprises of more than 150 AAPI leaders who banded together to endorse Warren for president, including prominent Filipino Americans like singer AJ Rafael, author Gina Apostol, documentary filmmaker Ramona Diaz, and psychology professor Kevin Nadal. “This is why we passionately support Senator Elizabeth Warren for President: because she recognizes the gravity of the threats we face today to our democracy and security — and the major structural changes that are required to confront these issues. And we hope that you will join us in supporting her campaign,” the group wrote in a Medium post in January. n
Stand on VFA, ICC must be...
PAGE 5 far-reaching consequences, in the hands of one man. “If treaties and international agreements that the President entered into cannot be valid without the approval of the Senate, the termination of, or withdrawal from, the same should only be effective with the concurrence of the Senate.” These are relevant sections of the Constitution on foreign policy, particularly treaty-making: • Article VII (Executive Department): Section 21. No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate. • Article XVIII (Transitory Provisions): Section 4. All existing treaties or international agreements which have not been ratified shall not be renewed or extended without the concurrence of at least twothirds of all the Members of the Senate. • Section 25. After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning military bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate… and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.” Drilon said that once concurred in by the Senate, a treaty or an international agreement becomes part of the law of the land. Hence, he added, a treaty may not be undone without that shared power that had put it into effect.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, committee chair on national defense and security, noted that something is amiss when the Constitution requires a twothirds Senate vote to ratify a treaty yet its abrogation is just left to the President. The VFA, although an executive agreement, was concurred in by the Senate. The same issue of Senate concurrence was raised in 2018 when Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court as it prepared to look into alleged crimes against humanity in the country during the Duterte regime. Senators Sotto, Drilon and Lacson authored Senate Resolution 312 adopted on Feb. 10 urging Duterte to reconsider his VFA termination notice while the chamber studies the options and opportunities open to the government. The resolution was carried with only Sen. Ronald dela Rosa abstaining. The cancellation of the US visa of the senator, former chief of the national police leading the administration’s war on drugs, had been cited as the reason for Duterte’s terminating the VFA. But when the resolution emerged as a possible problem for Malacañang, some senators earlier marked as having voted for it stood to change their Yes vote: Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino and Cynthia Villar. We take that as a hint that Duterte would stick to the VFA’s termination even after he was embarrassed by President Trump’s nonchalantly
remarking that its abrogation was “fine” and might even save millions for American taxpayers. The President’s abrogating international agreements that were adopted with Senate concurrence was also an issue in 2018, that time over Duterte’s withdrawing the country from the ICC. Drilon and senators Francis Pangilinan, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, and then senators Bam Aquino and Sonny Trillanes asked the SC to invalidate the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC for having been done without Senate concurrence. No ruling has been handed down. The SC’s invalidating Duterte’s unilateral VFA termination must be consistent with its action on the earlier ICC case where Duterte is the central figure, the accused. This could be another reason why he has to insist that his abrogating VFA was valid. Drilon said that once the SC recognizes the Senate as a necessary partner of the President in entering into and exiting from international agreements, it follows that Duterte’s withdrawal from the ICC without Senate concurrence was invalid. That could potentially open Duterte to further investigation by the international body – an unacceptable conclusion of his turbulent six-year term ending in 2022. * * * NOTA BENE: All Postscripts can be accessed at manilamail.com. Follow author on Twitter as @FDPascual. Email feedback to dikpascual@gmail.com.
PAGE 5 go to the Supreme Court, with its justices mostly appointed by Duterte to get ahead of the decision of Congress to either renew the franchise or shutdown the 65-year-old broadcasting company. The president himself openly said many times he would do everything to deny ABS-CBN the license to continue operating as a broadcasting company. He had been accusing the network of being biased against him for reporting news and airing documentaries and commentaries critical of him, his policies and programs. Citing the need for due process as provided for by the law, ABS-CBN said, “The Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Executive Branch have assured the public that our franchise will be allowed to go through the proper renewal process in a fair manner. To that end, the filing of the quo warranto case is ill-timed given that Congress has already resumed its session.” Senators asserted on Tuesday, February 18, “the authority of Congress to grant or revoke legislative franchises as the government’s top lawyer asked the Supreme Court to silence ABS-CBN and other parties concerned in the quo warranto petition it filed against the broadcasting firm,” as cited the Philippine Daily Inquirer. As Rappler reported. Calida accused ABS-CBN of: • Violating foreign ownership restrictions of the constitution through the use of Philippine Deposit Receipts or PDRs “like Rappler.” • Engaging in “highly abusive practices benefitting a greedy few at the expense of millions of its loyal subscribers” • Launching products ABSCBN TV Plus, KBO Channel, allegedly without the necessary permits ABS-CBN responded through a statement: These allegations cited by the Office of the Solicitor
General in his press statement are without merit. ABS-CBN complies with all pertinent laws governing its franchise and has secured all necessary government and regulatory approvals for its business operations. (1) All our broadcast offerings, including KBO, have received the necessary government and regulatory approvals and are not prohibited by our franchise. (2) ABS-CBN Holdings’ Philippine Deposit Receipts or PDRs were evaluated and approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange prior to its public offering. These are the same instruments used by other broadcast companies to raise capital for the improvement of services. (3) The ownership of ABSCBN in ABS-CBN Convergence was undertaken under the same law and structures that have been utilized by other telecommunications companies. These are transfers that are approved under the Public Telecommunications Policy Act and are fully compliant with law. We reiterate that everything we do is in accordance with the law. We did not violate the law. This case appears to be an attempt to deprive Filipinos of the services of ABS-CBN. ABS-CBN further explained in a report by Rappler: “These are the same instruments used by other broadcast companies to raise capital for the improvement of services,” ABS-CBN said. “The capital we have raised from the PDRs has enabled us to provide services to nearly 90% of the Philippines and to our OFW’s all over the world.” The network also insisted that its broadcast offerings like KBO received necessary government and regulatory approvals and are not prohibited by the franchise. ABS-CBN also defended its ownership of ABS-CBN Convergence, saying that it
was undertaken under the same law and structures that have been utilized by other telecommunications companies. Business entities, coalitions of journalists in the Philippines and around the world, human rights advocates, media employees and personalities from other networks and media organizations, the regulatory body the Kapisanan ng mag Broadcaster sa Pilipinas, and ordinary citizens have thrown their support for ABS-CBN to protect press freedom. And how will the offer of Duterte to ABS-CBN factor in looking at the big picture, especially in light of the need for a free and independent press in a democracy as protected by the Constitution, the fourth estate and watchdog of the government? “Kung magtulong kayo diyan sa federal system campaign at gawain ninyong slogan also for the unity and to preserve the republic, makipag-areglo ako (If you can help with the federal system campaign and you make a slogan also for unity and to preserve the republic, I’ll make amends with you),” Duterte was quoted by a Rappler report during the PDP-Laban Christmas Benefit Dinner on Wednesday night, December 13, 2019. As the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines states, “Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” FIGHT FOR DUE PROCESS. Protect press freedom! *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
Sandigan upholds dismissal of...
PAGE 7 unlawful deals from the state, such as disadvantageous loans from DBP, exemption from paying taxes and condonation of his multimillion-peso corporate debts. The civil complaint further stated that Benedicto unjustly enriched himself and
the Marcoses with funds meant for the improvement of the facilities of state broadcast networks IBC-13, Radio Philippine Network Inc. (RPN-9) and Banahaw Broadcasting Corp. (BBC2). Benedicto died on May 15, 2000. The PCGG did not specify in
its complaint the total amount of public funds it sought to recover or to be forfeited from Benedicto and the Marcoses but asked for at least P102 billion in moral and exemplary damages as well as actual, temperate and nominal damages in sums left at the discretion of the court. n
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COMMUNITY Journal
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
March 2020 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY: First Preference
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning in October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
May 01, 2010
September 01, 2009
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below January 01, 21 years old) of green 2020 card holders
Current
(2b) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 June 01, 2010 years old or older) of green card holders
October 01, 2009
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens
June 01, 2000
October 01, 1999
Fourth Preference
brothers and sisters of US Citizens
July 01, 2000
December 01, 1999
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
January 01, 2019
January 01, 2017
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
January 01, 2019
January 01, 2017
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a 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. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/ GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @ GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
PH Consulate in New York Convenes 6th Fil-Am Community General Assembly 18 FEBRUARY 2020, New York - The Philippine Consulate General in New York convened the 6th Filipino-American Community General Assembly in the US Northeastern seaboard on 8 February 2020 at the Philippine Center in New York to discuss important matters affecting Filipino-Americans in the 10 states under the jurisdiction of the Consulate. PAGE 12
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(L-R) Mr. Brendan Flores, Ms. Venessa Manzano, Ms. Jennifer Coliflores and Mr. Noah Benipayo discuss their topic during the 1st Panel of the General Assembly. Photo by NYPCG
A CREWMAN TRIED TO FOLLOW THE LAW TO GAIN LEGAL STATUS, BUT FELL INTO A ‘FRAUD TRAP’ AT THE US EMBASSY WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE PHILIPPINES ON A PROVISIONAL WAIVER. Albert (left) entered the U.S. and jumped ship in 2007. His U.S. citizen wife, Cherrie (center), petitioned him. Although the petition was approved, Albert was not eligible to adjust status in the U.S. because he did not have 245(i). However, he qualified for a provisional waiver, which was approved, thereby “forgiving” him for overstaying, waiving the 10-year bar. He went back to the Philippines, thinking that he would be able to obtain his immigrant visa from the Embassy, only to be shocked when he was charged with fraud based on violating their new 90-Day Rule for deciding to overstay back in 2007. His provisional waiver was considered void, and he was required to file a fraud waiver and a 10-year bar waiver while he waited in the Philippines. Watch how leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel helped Albert – on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – this Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
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February 21-27, 2020 • NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA LIFE is, indeed, “a moveable feast” to borrow verbiage from Hemingway. Travel makes it so. Do it while you can. I ask friends at random what is on the top tier of their personal bucket list. A consistent response is that they want to travel — to see the world —whether the world as their oyster, is local or global: just their town, city, or state, the length and breadth of their native land, or, if personal circumstances permit it, the world at large. One friend said that she and her family have been to 22 of the states in the US and would very much like to go visit all 50 states. This is at the top of her bucket list. Another said that she would like to travel to Europe except she could not find the time while she is still working. There are those who list the Via Dolorosa in the Holy
Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS VEGGIES: Stomach saver Those taking NSAID drugs like ibuprofen, and other antiarthritis pain medications regularly can be victims of stomach irritation which could result in ulcers and bleeding complications. To prevent stomach ulceration, ingesting 8 to 10 ounces of vegetables a day can work wonders by protecting the stomach wall lining, according to a researcher at Sweden’s Uppsala university. Protective Brain Food If you want a healthy snack, one that keeps your brain sharp and reduces your risk for the development of Alzheimer’s, nothing beats crunchy celery, cucumber, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, olives, bell peppers, and other veggies. Eating them uncooked preserves all the phyto-chemicals in them, like luteolin, which prevents brain inflammation, a common condition linked to ageing, chronic brain syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and others. So, to stay young, and have a sharper mind, stay away from the high carbo snacks, including soft drinks, and savor the
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Bucket List #6
The world is your oyster - go travel “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust Land and would like to take the time to travel to pilgrimage sites: Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Medjugorje in Bosnia and other sites where the Blessed Mother has appeared to children. The Grand Canyon is a sight to behold. The Great Wall of China is a must-see. Hong Kong rocks and Palawan beckons. Bali says hi. What’s up with Cambodia’s Angkor Wat? Among the Japanese where the love of nature is deep, one of the more popular trips among the very hip,
is to experience, at least once in their lifetimes, braving the freezing temperatures in the Arctic regions to witness first hand the dancing, mesmerizing Northern lights, the Aurora Borealis. To them, it is a sort of spiritual experience. I’m a warmblooded creature so I’ll take their word for it and experience the Northern lights vicariously. Then there are those who have been permanently bitten by the travel bug and have accumulated travel mileage to circle the moon PAGE 13
Medical tip capsules
benefits from these crunchy veggies. Even your looks and your complexion will shine, with your favorite moisturizer, and without the use of glutathione or other expensive herbal products, which may even be dangerous after chronic use. Veggies are in, especially among teenagers. We, adults, should learn from the younger generation. Menu for health and longevity Omega 3 fish oil (Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA) is a popular supplement to eating fish for its cardio-protective benefit. It can lower blood pressure, help new brain cells regenerate and reduce the risk of the development of Alzheimer’s, minimize inflammation, and is a great aid in the management of cholesterol and arthritis. It also boosts the immune system. When digested, fish oil breaks down to hormone-like ingredients called prostaglandins, which reduce inflammation, like in arthritis (inflammation of the joints). This leads to lesser need for pain medications as it also lubricates the joints. Fish oil is also good for auto-immune diseases. Indeed, a versatile supplement. Daily exercises, eating fish, minimal carbohydrates, and a
lot of vegetables, some nuts and fruits at least three times a week, and abstaining from red meat and egg yolk (and tobacco, alcohol and dangerous drugs) is the healthy way to thrive happily, for children and adults alike. Viagra, Cialis, Levitra There are so many sex aids which come in herbal potions, pills, lotions, gels, and juices, including ginseng and similar herbs, but studies have shown that the best results for those with erectile dysfunction (ED) among men, young or old, were obtained by taking Viagra, Cialis or Levitra. These drugs should be taken only after consultation with a physician. Data today show that these pills are effective and safe for ED in men, [and must be] used under medical supervision. Sex could be fatal Sex is wonderful and healthy, but sleeping around indiscriminately or having multiple sex partners, can be hazardous to health and deadly. A perfectly healthylooking person could be walking around with HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), including Syphilis. And no matter how normal looking the sexual organs of PAGE 13
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez (front, center) and Consul General Claro S. Cristobal (3rd from the left) with Fil-Am Community leaders under the jurisdiction of PCG New York during the General Assembly. Photo by Mr. Michael Azucena
PH consulate in New York convenes...
PAGE 11 Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez delivered the keynote address in the annual event which was attended this year by almost 200 community leaders representing 93 organizations. The Ambassador said that he was very grateful to see so many community leaders participate in the event. “The dream of any Philippine Ambassador to the US is to unify the Filipino community because you are a potent force in country,” he said. “Sometimes we have discussions and misunderstandings on some issues, but at the end of the day, Filipino ka pa rin and you should be proud of that,” Ambassador Romualdez added. Ambassador Romualdez likewise talked about the strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and the United States, and discussed the vibrant democracy and fully functioning legal processes in the Philippines. He emphasized the importance of sovereignty and of the need for the Philippines to be a strong, self-sufficient country. Consul General Claro S. Cristobal presented to the community a report on the highlights of the accomplishments of the Consulate in 2019, including the new programs that were initiated like the Post Arrival Orientation Seminar (PAOS) for newlyarrived school children and their family and entrepreneurship training for Filipino women. The Consul General said that last year, the Filipino Restaurant Week, one of the major projects of the Consulate, expanded to Massachusetts, Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland with
(R-L) Ambassador Romualdez and Consul General Cristobal entertain questions from the community leaders. Photos by NYPCG
(L-R) Mr. Steven Raga, Ms. Deirdre Marie Levy, Ms. Ayesha Vera-Yu, and Mr. Rolando Lavarro, Jr. discussing their involvement in community building and socio-political processes.
the participation of the Philippine Embassy. Consul General Cristobal likewise presented the Consulate’s calendar of programs and activities for 2020 including the consular outreach and Consulate Saturday schedules. He underscored the importance of participating in the census, both in the US and in the Philippines, and encouraged the leaders to be involved in complete-count efforts of the community. He also provided the latest update on the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines and in New York. Representatives of attached agencies took part in the General Assembly to share their programs and priorities for 2020: Mr. Francisco Lardizabal of Philippine Department of Tourism in
New York, Mr. Nicanor Bautista of Philippine Trade and Investment Center, Ms. Celenia Dimaano of SSS, Atty. Angela Trinidad of Philippine Overseas Labor Office, Ms. Josephine Sanchez-Tobia of OWWA, and Mr. Michael Azucena of Pagibig. In the afternoon of the full-day General Assembly, two panel discussions highlighted issues important for the Fil-Am community. The first panel tackled the topic “Inspiring Involvement of Young Filipino-Americans” and explored the issues facing young Fil-Am leaders and how they can be more involved in community matters. The panelists were Mr. Noah Benipayo, Chairperson of Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue (FIND) PAGE 13
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PH Consulate in...
PAGE 12 District 3, Ms. Jennifer Coliflores, President of Philippine-American Mainstream Advocacy of Non-Partisan Associations (PAMANA), and Ms. Venessa Manzano, Founder of The Filipino School of New York and New Jersey. The panel was moderated by Mr. Brendan Flores, National Chair of National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA). The 2nd panel discussed
the topic “Broadening Involvement in Local Community Building and Socio-Political Processes” which was moderated by Mr. Steven Raga, Chief of Staff-New York State Assembly. The members of the panel were Mr. Rolando Lavarro, Jr., Councilman At Large in Jersey City; Ms. Ayesha Vera-Yu, CEO and Co-founder of Advancement for Rural Kids (ARK); and Ms. Deirdre Marie Levy, Founder of NYC Filipinos.
Bucket list #6...
PAGE 12 and back. A married couple I know has made it a point to travel extensively and have visited more than 50 countries thus far, making it a point to spend the Christmas holiday season in a different country every year. They travel light (perhaps the first rule of travel) and have become savvy on the art and science of world travel: planning in advance, budgeting, dealing with foreign currency, being aware of the local culture, booking planes and trains and arranging transport, choosing hotels and navigating their way in strange countries. Their experiences over the years can fill a travelogue but they go for the sheer love of adventurous travel, having gone to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas in Peru and other exotic destinations. There are 3 things required for travel. These include health, time and money. You need to be in relatively good health to have the stamina for the rigors posed by walking, hefting luggage, prepping and being on your toes for activities and the stresses that come with travel. Particularly post 9/11, travel has become so tiresome because of tight security measures to counter terrorism. The second factor, especially for those who are still working for a living, is finding the time to squeeze travel in the limited amount of vacation days. The third factor is, of course, probably easier than the first two — finding the money required to fund travel. If still employed, then you can still make the money to fund the trip. Depending on the destination and the duration chosen, travel can require very little money or a lot of it.
The most basic of travel gear is a good pair of broken-in walking shoes. Your feet will love you for it. While you can travel alone, it is certainly much more fun and safer, if you go with a traveling companion who shares your spirit of fun. If you are straddling the issue of whether to travel or not and you have at least 2 of the 3 basic requirements, I say, GO FOR IT, while you can still walk on two feet and have good eyesight and in relatively good health. If this is important to you, don’t hesitate. You can perhaps wangle the time, save the money or charge it to your credit card and pay it down later. But if one has serious health challenges that require being close to a medical facility, it can be a bit tricky to pull this off as part of your bucket list. It is still possible to travel even if wheelchair-bound or if one uses a walker or a cane, but the level of difficulty for yourself and your companions will be a tad higher. Still, it may be worth a try. As in any circumstance, the mind can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven. A lot of people wait for retirement age to do this because there is available time and more often than not, there is expendable money for travel. The problem in many cases, is that when the time comes, there may be health challenges to contend with. But who says one has to travel far in order to check this off from our bucket list? You can certainly explore the wonders in your own backyard or in your own neck of the woods. If you live in California, the possibilities for day trips and short trips are endless. Become a tourist in your own backyard and explore
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • fEbRUARY 21-27, 2020 Mr. Jose Aguiling of the New York Regional Census Center discussed the 2020 US Census including the timelines and how to accomplish the forms. His team distributed flyers and information materials to the participants of the General Assembly. During the General Assembly, Consulate officials gave a briefing on what to do in cases of emergency and security-related events in their respective areas. Updates and reminders on consular requirements and processes were also provided. places like there is no tomorrow. There are mountains, deserts, coastlines, forests and campgrounds to explore. There are observatories, museums, restaurants parks and trails to discover. The truth is, we are only limited by our own sense of adventure. There are so many places that can be explored everywhere around the world but it is probably wise to start where we are right now. Or we can experience things vicariously as we read about travel adventures or watch travel shows or even surf virtually through the internet. But if life gives you the chance to physically travel and the spirit of adventure is in you, just do it. Getting there is half the fun; being there with all your senses engaged in the moment is the other half. The best thing about any kind of travel, local, domestic or international, is that it opens our eyes to the richness of our life here on earth. Yup, there is an embarrassment of riches right where we are. We just need to open our eyes and see and take it all in. Travel widens our horizons and broadens our understanding of human nature. We become aware of people of every stripe, color and persuasion. Above all, we learn to take nothing for granted. We come home appreciating our awfully tiny place in the universe and realize how blessed and fortunate we are to be part of all these. Don’t do it for show to post on social media. If done in the right spirit, there is something about travel that makes us more deeply thankful of just about everything in a quiet way. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc. com.
Medical tip capsules...
PAGE 12 the women or men are, they could be harboring bacteria, fungi, viruses, and sometimes even parasites not obvious to the naked eye. Only a medical check-up and laboratory tests can confirm their presence or absence. STD infections in general, affecting the sexual organs, and of the eyes and mouth, are common. Be smart. You do not want a 15-minute of pleasure to risk your health and life for weeks, if not years of agony and shame. An internet message says, “unlike love, herpes is forever.” Sex is a major and serious responsibility, not only to our body and health but to our family and friends, and to all our loved ones. Laughter: A true healer Living a healthy lifestyle includes laughter. The more we laugh in life, the healthier we are. Indeed, laughter is “the best medicine.” Laughing increases our T-cells in the body which boost our immunity. Laughing also lowers the cortisol (stress hormone) level allowing us to minimize stress and its adverse effects on our system. It also blocks out bad emotions within us, giving us
a better outlook and perspective in life. Even when nothing is funny, laugh anyway, because the act of laughing in itself brings out all those benefits. And don’t worry if people think you are crazy and laugh at you. You are doing them a favor, anyway, by helping them get healthier. The present and the future Instead of the cumbersome, uncomfortable diagnostic procedures now available for detecting lung cancer, the University of Texas researchers are developing a new lung cancer test that allows the use of “a simple mouth tissue sample, which compares the changes that takes place 95% of the time in both mouth and lung cells” among those individuals with lung cancer. This would be a fantastic progress in our fight against lung cancer and cancers in general. A non-invasive “virtual biopsy” technology (using harmless electrical current to better detect skin and cervical cancer (and eliminate need for surgical biopsy) has been developed by an Australian scientist. A new ultrasound, “which
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can catch tiny tumors earlier,” is being evaluated for clinical use in Norway. Second to prevention, catching any cancer in its early stage can lead to a complete cure, among most cancers. Telemedicine, telesurgery, and robotic surgery are all here. Someday, all that patients have to do is to enter a diagnostic medical cubicle, attach sensors and leads following video instructions, answer some verbal questions from a RobotMD and converse with it in a natural fashion, and a few minutes later, whatever tests needed – blood tests, X-rays, CT, MRI, etc. versions 2120 (a hundred years from now) – would be completed in minutes, with diagnoses instantly reported to you by RobotMD and treatment done or medications dispensed right there and there. By then, cancers and killer tuberculosis, syphilis and other diseases of the past, will be treated and cured with pills. Physicians and nurses would be obsolete. Perhaps after another few centuries, all patients have to do is to enter a Healing Kiosk and exit PAGE 15
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FEBRUARY 21-27, 2020 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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PH tourism notches wins in 2019, sustainability remains as target
M
FULL FORCE. Tourism officers and industry stalwarts joined the New York Times Travel Show at the Javits Convention Center to promote various Philippine destinations. From left: Tourism Officer Luz Alquisola, Orientours’ Joebert Opulencia, Consul General Claro S. Cristobal, Tourism Attache Francisco Lardizabal, Rajah Tours’ Alejandra Clemente, Caterina Collodel and Guenevere Domdom of Shangri-la Hotels and DOTNY’s Joey Chanco. AJPress Photos by Momar G. Visaya
Tourism Attache Francisco Lardizabal (extreme right) explains how the Philippines is focusing on sustainable tourism, beginning with the massive cleanup of Boracay last year. Lardizabal spoke at a panel that featured travel to Asia at the annual New York Times Travel Show held in New York City a few weeks ago.
Mr. Lardizabal is flanked by Charisse Arboleda of Philippine Airlines (left) and Rajah Tours Philippines founder Alejandra Clemente at the launching of the 2020 Very Important Pinoy Tour held at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.
Tour operators and guests joined the officers of the Department of Tourism, Rajah Tours Philippines and Philippine Airlines at the launching of the 2020 VIP Tour.
by
MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPress
ORE people around the world travelled in 2019 with overseas trips hitting 1.5 billion, up four percent from 2018, according to the latest statistics from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
France remained the most-visited country with more than 90 million visitors, followed by Spain’s 83.8 million. Despite the outbreak of COVID-19 setting 2020 off to a rocky start, countries like the Philippines are optimistic that this hiccup does not affect the numbers for this year. To mitigate the impact on inbound tourism, DOT and the tourism sector are rolling out a tactical program that will offer more value-added tour packages, discounted accommodation rates and marked-down prices for domestic flights. The guidelines in handling guests in tourism enterprises during this global emergency are being implemented in hotels and resorts around the country and facilities are equipped with infrared thermometers and more hand sanitizers. Preventive and precautionary measures have been put in place by the national government to contain the spread of the COVID-19. Philippine tourism grew in 2019 as international visitors reached 8.26 million, exceeding the 8.2 million annual target set in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2016-2022. The country’s tourism prospects are buoyed by glowing reviews from international media and savvy travelers on social media, including the continued recognition of the country’s islands as among the world’s best. “This heralds a new mile-
stone in the country’s tourism history, breaching the eight millionth mark,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. “Without doubt, our convergence programs with other government agencies, particularly in improving access as well as product development and marketing initiatives with local government and private sector have greatly paid off. These gains we hope to sustain even as we face global challenges.” The DOT year-end visitor arrival report cited a 15.24 percent growth over 2018’s year-end figure of 7.16 million. Almost all months, except January, registered double-digit growth rates, the largest of which was August at 27.54 percent while December recorded the highest volume at 776,798. This growth was enough for the Philippines to make it in eighth place among the countries that saw the highest jump in visitor numbers year-on-year increase in visitors. Myanmar with 40.2% topped the list of the countries, followed by Puerto Rico (31.2%) and Iran (27.9%). This year, the DOT is targeting to attract 9.2 million international visitor arrivals. VIP Tour Among the programs that the DOT is continuing is the VIP (Very Important Pinoy) Tour, which was launched at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate General in New York a few weeks ago. The tour is now on its
14th year. Formerly called the Ambassadors’ Tour, the VIP Tour is a collaboration between the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism and Rajah Tours Philippines. This year, the tour from July 19 to 26 will bring the guests to Manila, Iloilo and Boracay. Francisco Lardizabal, the new Tourism Attaché, also promoted the project at the New York Times Travel Show and the General Assembly of Filipino community organizations. “We encourage you to visit the Philippines this year and see what we have been doing in order to promote more sustainable tourism,” Lardizabal said. He also showed a video on the successful reopening of Boracay after being off limits for six months to undergo a massive and extensive cleanup and rehabilitation. Sustainable Tourism The DOT launched its refreshed branding campaign last year, continuing the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” slogan but repurposing it to advocate for sustainable tourism. The local launch was held in the National Museum of Natural History while the international event was in Berlin during the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB). To complement the new direction towards sustainable tourism, the DOT launched a movement called “Save Our Spots” to call for each individual to be a responsible tourist and encouraging the same behavior towards
others to preserve the country’s natural and man-made wonders. Aside from Boracay, Lardizabal also mentioned government efforts to clean up Manila Bay and plans to do the same in Baguio and Palawan. The Philippine tourism industry also received a number of international awards and recognitions in 2019 such as the World’s Leading Dive Destination at the 2019 World Travel Awards, Asia’s Leading Tourism Board at the 2019 World Travel Awards and Excellent Partner Award (for Sustainable Efforts in Boracay, among others. “This is a high point for Philippine tourism as it depicts our solidarity and commitment to make tourism work and prove its full potential as a sustainable and inclusive economic activity. The record-breaking numbers solidify the effectiveness of the Tourism Act of 2009, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2019.” Secretary Puyat remarked. Travel Statistics According to UNWTO data, the Middle East was the fastest-growing region, followed by Asia and the Pacific, up by 8% and 5%, respectively. Myanmar topped the list of the countries that saw the highest jump in visitor numbers year-on-year. The Philippines is in eighth place, trailing Uzbekistan, Montenegro, Egypt and Vietnam. Maldives and Bahamas PAGE 15
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Fil-Am student Francisco Martin wows ‘American Idol’ judges despite nerves, makes it to Hollywood By Cha Lino Inquirer.net
AFTER proving that he is a real contender in the popular singing contest “American Idol”, an aspiring Filipino musician is going to Hollywood for the next level of the competition. The 18-year-old Francisco Martin overcame his nerves to serenade the show’s highcaliber judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan with a cover of Maggie Rogers’s track “Alaska”. The college student from San Francisco, California, shared that he has a problem with self-confidence during his personal interview for the show, uploaded on American Idol’s official YouTube channel last Sunday, Feb. 16. The young musician was accompanied by his parents, Fatima and Jon. During his audition, Martin initially appeared to be drenched in sweat and was struggling to talk to the judges. To calm his nerves, Richie came to Martin’s side to give him a hug. Bryan also stood beside the contestant to check his pulse. “148 is his heartrate,” Bryan announced after counting his heartbeat. Bryan compared Martin’s pulse to his own heart rate when doing cardio. “When I’m cycling, I’m 148,” Bryan commented. Martin said he was excited to be in the audition then thanked the judges for calming him down. After introducing himself,
Francisco Martin
Photo screengrabbed from Youtube-American Idol
Martin began playing his guitar while belting a portion of Maggie Rogers’ song. Katy Perry immediately raised her thumb up when she heard Martin’s voice. Bryan gestured that he was getting “chills” from the performance. After his song, the judges immediately teased Martin for his “sneaky” nervous “act” as they were blown away by his voice. “I just checked the pulse of a future superstar,” Bryan announced. Richie said, “I love the way you set us up. I’m a little afraid, I’m a little timid. I’m not quite sure [then] — POW!” Meanwhile, Perry complimented Martin for his “incredible voice” and then requested if he could sing an original composition. The Filipino musician played a song that he said was inspired by an Australian friend. While performing his second song, Perry joked, “She doesn’t sound like a friend.” It caught Martin off guard and he began laughing, promising that the girl was just a friend.
“I’m so happy to see you, sweat, hypertension and everything. I don’t know what you got,” Richie declared after Martin’s audition pieces. The judges also convinced Martin that he had a real shot at pursuing a career in music. Bryan asked: “Are you in college?” When Martin confirmed that he was, Bryan advised, “Drop out.” Perry told Martin that he could make it to the Top 10 of the competition, while Richie and Bryan were more optimistic, stating that he had a shot at the Top 5. Bryan also showed a paper where he wrote the word “WINNER”. When the judges were deciding whether they should vote on passing Martin through the next round, Perry declared, “No vote.” They unanimously shouted, “You’re going to Hollywood!” They handed Martin the golden ticket and wished him luck. The female popstar then advised Martin to work on calming his nerves for what is about to happen in the competition.
PH tourism notches wins in 2019... PAGE 14 round up the Top 10. Among the other trends: Central Asia increasing in popularity, with Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan all in the top 20 fastest growing destinations; Caribbean destinations like Anguilla, St Maarten, Dominica and the US Virgin Islands making a comeback, recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Middle East destinations like Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia all gaining tourist arrivals. On the other end of the spectrum, Hong Kong, Sri
Lanka and the United States all saw a dip in their tourist arrivals due to political turmoil, terrorism, protests and social unrest. In the Philippines, Korea maintains its position as the top source market for ten years now with a total of 1.98 million arrivals in 2019, for a 22.48 percent increase. China follows closely on second with 1.74 million, boasting of a 38.58 percent growth. The United States of America is third, bringing 1.06 million visitors for a 2.90 percent increase. Japan is fourth at 682,788 arrivals, with an 8.07 percent
growth followed by Taiwan reporting an equally impressive double-digit increase of 35.01 percent for its 327,273 arrivals. Rounding up the top 12 visitor markets with their volumes and respective growth rates are: Australia with 286,170 (2.27 percent), Canada with 238,850 ((5.48 percent), the United Kingdom with 209,206 (4.06 percent), Singapore with 158,595 arrivals (-7.68 percent), Malaysia with 139,882 (-3.69 percent), India with 134,963 (11.43 percent) and Germany with 103,756 (12.66 percent).
Bituin enjoys being a mother
By Leah
C. SaLterio Philstar.com
WHEN one talks about powerhouse singers, the name Bituin Escalante readily comes to mind. With her stratospheric vocal prowess, she can easily belt out a powerful ballad or impress the audience in front of her with her amazing vocal calisthenics. No wonder, Bituin was the unanimous choice to sing the showstopper in Trumpets’ forthcoming production, Joseph the Dreamer, the reimagined version 31 years after the musical was first staged (in 1989). Appearing in a dream sequence as Rachel, the mother of Joseph, Bituin gets to render He Opens the Window, the powerful piece that is one of the most awaited numbers in the musical. The song is a showstopper and Bituin can simply be thrilled that she gets to join the new cast. The role of Rachel was originally not in the first two productions of Joseph the Dreamer — first in 1989 with Audie Gemora in the lead and second in 1999, with Gary Valenciano in the title role. In the latest version, Audie will play Jacob, the father of Joseph. Bituin was part of the ensemble in the second Joseph the Dreamer, with Gary V. “That was a monster chorus, even with Sweet Plantado,” Bituin beams. When she found out the musical would be restaged, she really wanted to audition. “It’s like a homecoming to me,” she allows. “I remember, every show then felt like praise and worship. Every time we were onstage, we were like in the church.” Although Rachel is a new character added to the latest production, Bituin never assumed the role was created for her. “Rachel is a new part,” she grants. “The role wasn’t in the first or in the second Joseph the Dreamer. Originally, He Opens the Window was rendered by the warden’s mother. They re-thought the whole thing this time.”
Bituin Escalante
Philstar.com photo
Still, Bituin refuses to think the role of Rachel was made specifically for her. “I don’t want to claim that,” Bituin says. “The role had morphed. That role was actually gone. I wanted to audition for it. I read the auditions, so I knew that song. I wanted to sing that song. But they said the part had been taken out. That’s gone.” However, during callbacks, the production asked Bituin to come in. “They said there’s no way we can take out that song,” she offers. “We want you to come back. This time, it won’t be the warden’s mother anymore. They created the role of Rachel. I don’t know if they had decided to put it back for me or for the story. But I will claim that song because I love that song.” As Rachel, Bituin emphasizes she merely comes out in a dream sequence in the musical. “Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. So she’s a living memory in the play. She gets to spend more time with the baby Joseph.” Previously directed by Freddie Santos, Joseph the Dreamer has been passed on to young concert director, Paolo Valenciano, who works at the helm of the musical production. “Direk Freddie practically put that thing together,” Bituin asserts. “He wrote it. He knew it like the back of his hand. It was very theatrical. That was the version of Tito Freddie. I love that. “It was so nice to see Paolo revisit Joseph the Dreamer. It was so nice to watch him. You actually see the ideas occur
Medical tip...
PAGE 13 a few minutes later, healed of whatever illnesses they have. Impossible? No! I have no doubt this will come to pass. Man’s ingenuity, as shown by the achievements of the past 100 years alone, is an amazing grace and full of wonders. Progress in science, in every sphere of human en-
deavor, benefits mankind as a whole. We are indeed lucky to be living in this world of today, in spite of all its imperfections and problems, most of which are man-made. For world peace and prosperity, where there is no war, poverty, nor hunger, all humankind really needs is love, tolerance, compassion, and respect for each
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to him. In rehearsals, he had instantaneous reaction to certain scenes. He knew what’s needed to be done. He gave the musical such a modern tone. It’s a relationship between fathers and sons. You see it. You feel it. It felt so real. The memory recurs.” Bituin worked with Paolo as her concert director for The Big Big Show, with Frenchie Dy and Radha Cuadrado at Solaire in 2016. “Paolo is a visual director. He will let you do the show the way you want it, but you’ll just be amazed with the industrial light and magic in his head. He has a different touch for concerts. And I want to see how he will make Joseph the Dreamer different onstage.” She notes about the young cast, led by Sam Concepcion, who plays the title role. “The ensemble is so young. If you’re going with the young Sam, there’s no way I can keep up with the production. I really live for the ensemble songs. So I have to do choreography. But the first four steps, when I saw that, I backed out. I accept my limitations. I need to do a plant-based diet to cope with the young cast. I’m just amazed. I watched them highly energized. I don’t know how they can sing and dance at the same time. “Sumayaw din naman kami dati. Joseph the Dreamer had songs and dances before. Iba ang choreography today. When we warm up, I know I can move, but I don’t think my brain can process all the steps in the choreography today. To me, it’s an information overload. Even when we warm up, I know I can move, but I don’t think my brain can process all the steps. Iba na ang programming nila. They’re so used to information coming at such a fast pace.” Although she has quite a number of offers to work on this year, the “most prevalent thing” in Bituin’s life at the moment is motherhood. She has two kids — Tala and Luna. “I so enjoy being a mom. And I know my limitations now.” other. And the best place to start is at our own home and community. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Visit our websites: philipSchua.com and FUN8888.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.
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February 21-27, 2020 • NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL
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