April 17-19, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 29 • 2 Sections - 20 Pages
Duterte to journalists: You attack to get paid by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, April 13, claimed some journalists are being paid to produce “false reports” to serve their “clients” while he dismissed reports about the increase of his wealth while in public service. “They accept (payment) from clients to (write) political attacks. AC/DC (attack and collect, defend and collect). You attack to get paid. So don’t believe that they are clean,” he said during a
campaign rally in Bukidnon. “You protect the rich and hide their secrets, but attack us politicians who genuinely want reform. That’s the truth. You are just being paid,” Duterte added. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) released a report saying the incomes of Duterte, his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio and son former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte have increased over the years despite getting modest salaries from the government and “negli-
gible” retained earnings from the companies they own or co-own. The PCIJ had published reports on the wealth of past presidents before. The report it released on the Dutertes’ incomes was based on public records that the family filed themselves. According to PCIJ, the president’s net worth jumped by 195 percent from P9.69 million in 2007 to P28.54 million in 2017. Meanwhile, Paolo’s net worth rose by 233 percent from P8.34 million to P27.74 million two HOLY WEEK BEGINS. Church-goers wave their palm branches at Candelaria Church in Silang, Cavite on Sunday, April 14. This day marks Jesus’
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entrance into Jerusalem. Churchgoers take woven palm fronds (palaspás) to church for a priest’s blessing; this represents the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus. ManilaTimes.net photo by Boy Josue
US to fly, sail, operate anywhere int’l laws allow despite China warning
USA
DATELINE PH doubts US list of high kidnap risk countries FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
THE Philippines’ Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) questioned the United States State Department list of countries with high kidnapping list as it included the country among the 35 countries in the travel advisory. DILG Secretary Eduardo Año doubted the accuracy of the list as he emphasized that the kidnapping cases decreased significantly in recent years. He noted that he would seek the explanation of the U.S. embassy as to how they arrived with the said list. “A list is just a list. What we have are factual data pointing to the decreasing number of kidnapping cases in the Philippines. That’s what we are banking on,” Año said in a statement as reported by The Philippine Star.
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
Philippine Exercise Director for Balikatan 2019, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay (left), shakes hands with U.S. Commanding General III Marine Expeditionary Force, Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, during the closing ceremony of this year’s PH-U.S. Balikatan Exercises, held in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Friday, April 12. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
by ADOR
VINCENT Inquirer.net
MAYOL
CEBU CITY – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma is asking Catholic faithful to reflect and attend religious activities during the Holy Week instead of going to the beach for a vacation. He said the Holy Week, which starts with Palm Sunday, is the best time to renew one’s relationship with God and reflect on the sacrifice and love of the Lord. “There are 52 weeks in a year, and only one week when we are called to commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord,” said Palma in an Unlike in the past, the signing of Republic Act 11260 was done without ceremony, and without interview. The Holy Week is supposed to be the most somber the presence of any member of either chamber of Congress, who had bickered over their Philstar.com file photo period of the liturgical calendar leading up to the joy entitlements in the annual appropriation. of Easter Sunday.
Comelec warns overseas voters: Beware of fake news
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Palma to Catholics: Reflect this Lent than going to the beach, please
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AS the overseas absentee voting (OAV) program commenced on Saturday, April 13, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) eyed the possibility of fake news proliferation as observed in the previous elections. COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez assured the public that the commission is on the alert for those who plan to spread false information as a propaganda move to get their candidates elected. “The biggest reaction we are preparing for is the possible deluge of fake news accounts. We are on the lookout for efforts like that. That is what we are watching out for,” Jimenez said as reported by The Manila Bulletin. The poll body spokesman urged the public to report any questionable information to their office so they could easily clarify or deny any claims so as not to compromise the citizen’s right to suffrage. “We call on the public to forward to us any such news or information that they would encounter to the Comelec so that we can quickly find the truth and correct such claims,” the spokesman said as reported by The Philippine Star. Jimenez recalled an incident in 2016 wherein he received a complaint that the names on the voter receipt were not the candidates that the complainant voted for. “The person who complained used a ballpen
THE United States on Friday, April 12, maintained it will continue its operations in the South China Sea (SCS) despite China’s protest about American forces stirring trouble in the waters. “The U.S. will fly, sail and operate everywhere international law allows. That’s it. Wish we had a longer statement for you, but that’s the simple truth,” said Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the Japan-based U.S. 3rd Marine Expeditionary Forces, during a post-Balikatan
media interview at Camp Aguinaldo along with Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command and the Balikatan director for the Philippines. The statement was made after Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Wednesday noted that the presence of “nonregional forces” could stir tension in the South China Sea. “I can tell you that the principled position of the Chinese side is that we hope non-regional forces will refrain from stirring up troubles in the calm South China Sea,” Lu said.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma Inquirer.net photo
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Palace: Gov’t on top of power situation in Luzon MALACAÑANG has assured the public that the government was on top of the power situation in Luzon where several plants in the region either shut down or were performing below their capacity over the past weeks. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo gave the assurance even as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Monday, April 15, placed the Luzon grid under red and yellow alerts for the fourth time this month. Speaking to reporters, Panelo said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi told him that the Department of Energy (DoE) re- Technicians segregate burnt wires from undamaged ones in Caloocan City.
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Inquirer.net photo by Wilson Seckler Tiu
Duterte signs 2019 budget P95-B House realignments vetoed by EDITH
REGALADO Philstar.com
FOUR months into the fiscal year, President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed Monday, April 15, the P3.7-trillion national budget for 2019, without the P95.3-billion realignments made by the House of Representatives. Unlike in the past, the signing of Republic Act 11260 was done without ceremony, and without the presence of any member of either chamber of Congress, who had bickered over their entitlements in the annual appropriation. Sources told The Star that Duterte decided to forgo a pub-
lic ceremony, in what was seen as a manifestation of presidential pique at Congress. Instead, only Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea was present during the signing at the Study Room of Malacañang, the sources said. Medialdea and Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed last night that the budget was signed without the House realignments. Sotto, who is in Bangkok, said Medialdea informed him by phone that the President vetoed some portions of the budget based on the recommendation of the Senate. “Hindi lang P75 billion kung
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US to fly, sail, operate anywhere... PAGE A1 Gapay, for his part, said the presence of U.S. forces in the West Philippine Sea, as well as its allies like the Australian troops, as part of the Balikatan exercises had long been planned. He added that it was not intended to agitate neighboring forces, particularly China. “The presence is not really to agitate or anything else, but purely for training, so nobody should
be alarmed of the presence of all those forces during the Balikatan,� Gapay said. This year, amphibious and assault helicopter carrier USS Wasp and F35B Lightning II fighter jets were deployed in the South China Sea for the joint Philippine-U.S. Balikatan exercises. According to Smith, the deployment of USS Wasp was a great opportunity for participants to train “and they don’t want to waste the
From the Front Page
training opportunities.� “I think the seal of the (USS) Wasp says it best: nothing says I love you better than bringing a ship with 10 F35s on it because that’s all I have on us. We brought everything we could bring because our partnership with the Philippines is so good. This is a great partnership and mutually respectful, beneficial partnership,� he added. Strong bond between PH and US Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Benjamin Madrigal noted that the importance of mutual cooperation and collaboration between two allied states and their partners was highlighted in this year’s joint drill — which focused on territorial defense and counterterrorism operations and urban missions from the previous Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). “This has also bolstered the strong bonds between our countries, as we plan, work and operate side-by-side and shoulder-toshoulder in our joint undertakings to continuously capacitate and empower the Armed Forces as we fulfill our respective responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability in the region,� said Madrigal in his speech at the closing ceremony of this year’s combined military drills at Camp Aguinaldo. He also praised the defense and military observers from Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Thailand and Singapore for participating in this year’s joint military drills. Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna, for his part, said Balikatan is “a demonstration of our nation’s commitment to contribute the peace and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region in the face of evolving regional security challenges.� He added that he is certain the Filipino and U.S. troops who participated in this year’s joint drills are now imbued with strong resolve to counter terrorism as well as respond to the need for a stronger HADR. “As we move forward, it is our hope that the Philippines and the U.S., together with our friends and allies in the region, will continue to work towards mutual peace and stability,� Luna said. “Shoulder-to-shoulder, we will continue to stand together to defend our values, for our prosperity and for the generations to come,� he added. n
HOLY WEEK EXODUS. Hundreds of province-bound passengers await their turn to board buses at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal in Cubao, Quezon City as they head back to their home towns this Holy Week on Monday, April 15. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon
Duterte to journalists: You attack...
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years ago and Sara’s increased by 518 percent from P7.25 million to P44.83 million. Duterte, for his part, urged the public to carefully analyze the accusations against him while he gave his explanation about some of the items mentioned in reports about his wealth — which includes a law firm that he allegedly failed to declare in his SALN. “They said that I have a law
office that was unregistered. What is it to them if I don’t have it registered? They didn’t discover that my partner died the week after‌having a law office was my backup plan in the past years in case I lose in the elections. At least if I lose, I would have a sanctuary and a source of income which is my law office,� he explained. The president also maintained he did not profit from selling mo-
torcycles. “But that’s the only issue that they attacked me with apart from selling motorcycles. If you are a motorcycle rider, you immediately become a businessman because if your motorcycle model grows old, you will want to replace it with a new one. If not, you trade it for a new model and just add money. But those transactions weren’t for profit,� he said. n
Palma to Catholics: Reflect this Lent...
PAGE A1 “If you intend to go on vacation, please do it after the Holy Week. I invite you to instead take part in various Church activities to further appreciate God’s love,� Palma said. But he discouraged extreme penitential practices like an actual crucifixion with nails or flagellation. In lieu of nails, he said, people should undergo spiritual renewal by going to confession and praying. On Maundy Thursday, Palma will lead the Mass of the Lord’s last supper at 4 p.m. at the Cebu Cathedral. During this day, priests reenact the washing of the feet of the apostles as Jesus’ symbol of humble service and love for each other, and celebrate the institution of priesthood and the Holy
Eucharist. “Maundy� Thursday comes from the Latin “mandatum,� which means “commandment.� As recorded in John’s gospel, on his last night before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them. To conclude the Maundy Thursday liturgy, The Blessed Sacrament will be transferred to an altar of repose, usually decorated with flowers. By tradition, Catholics visit various churches to pray before these altars as part of the Visita Iglesia. On Good Friday, priests and selected lay persons will give their meditations on the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ or Siete Palabras from noon till 3
p.m. at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. The Good Friday liturgy and veneration of the holy cross will be held in all churches at 3 p.m. On the eve of Black Saturday, an Easter Vigil and Mass—the grandest liturgical celebration in the entire Church year—will be held in all churches. Rituals include the blessing of water and fire to commemorate Christ’s passing from death to life. Adult baptism is also conducted in parishes for candidates who finished catechetical instructions in previous months. At dawn of Easter Sunday, religious processions will reenact the meeting of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ in the “Sugat� which means “meeting� in Cebuano. n
(Medjugorje, Zagreb, Poland, Budapest, Hungary, Prague CZ) Medjugorje, Black Madonna, Croatia, Budapest, Hungary, Kalwaria, Krakow, Divine Mercy, Czestochowa, Auschwitz, Wadowice, Legnica, Prague, CZ
6HSW Ĺ&#x; ĹĄ Spiritual Director: REV CHIN VAN DANG Sep 14 (Sat) Day 1 Our Pilgrimage begins with a transatlantic journey from Los Angeles International Koscielna Street where the future Vicar of Christ was born and raised. The Place has been turned to a museum and the exhibits comprises of Wojtyla Airport to Split, Croatia Family’s former possessions such as an oven, a shelf, a table, tableware, a Sep 15(Sun) Day 2: Split ,Croatia/ Medjugorje, B.H laundry basket, family pictures as well as personal belongings of Father We go through Immigration protocol, Collect our luggage ,meet our guide .Coach is waiting for us , With :RMW\OD D UXFNVDFN D FDSH D SUD\HU ERRN HWF <RX ZLOO ˉ QG SKRWRV IURP WKUHH our guide, to take us to Medjugorje for Dinner/overnight (3) visits to Wadowice as the Pope, in an exhibit. The building is situated in the town, near the baroque Church of the Presentation of the Blesed Virgin Mary at the Central Square. Sep 16 & 17 (Mon & Tues) Day 3 & 4: Medjugorje, B H We will have daily breakfast and dinner at our hotel. every morning at 10:00 am. We Possibly even more important is the nearby church itself as the future John Paul II grew up in its shadow, will assemble at St. James Church to attend Holy Eucharist celebrated in English. ZDV EDSWL]HG D &DWKROLF DQG ODWHU FRQˉ UPHG LQ LW VHUYHG DV DQ DOWDU ER\ DQG SUD\HG GDLO\ KHUH EHIRUH LWV miraculous picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The church’s Gothic chancel dates from 15th century After Mass will meet with our local guide ,to discuss our daily activities. will climb the Apparition Hill (Mt Podbrdo) to see the places marked by the crosses ZKLOH WKH ODWH %DURTXH QDYH DQG DLVOHV ZHUH EXLOW LQ WKH Č V 7KH OHIW DLVOH FRQWDLQV D EDSWLVPDO font where the baby Karol Wojtyla was baptized. Also, the high school where young Karol Wojtyla was ZKHUH LQ -XQH 2XU /DG\ ZDV ˉ UVW UHSRUWHG WR DSSHDU WR WKH FKLOGUHQ The next morning we will climb the steep Holy Cross Mountain (Mt Krizevac) for devotions and take in educated has remained in place. Next, we will continue to see the infamous former Nazi concentration the Panorama of Medjugorje below. Free Time to join the nightly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. camp in AUSCHWITZ BIRKENAU, as well as its on-site museum. The site remains a chilling reminder of the Confession with multiple Priest during the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please avail yourself to receive holocaust. Transfer to Czestochowa. Dinner and overnight Czestochowa. this Sacrament . Sep 24 (Tues) Day 11: Czestochowa/ Legnica/ Prague,CZ After Breakfast, we attend the Holy Eucharist at JASNA GORA, a monastery in Czestochowa which Sep 18 (Wed) Day 5: Zagreb/ Budapest , Hungary Early morning, we leave for Zagreb , will have early lunchbreak continue visit Marija withstood the repeated onslaught of overwhelming Swedish Forces, during the religious wars of the Bistrica, it is a town in central Croatia, located in the slopes of the Medvednica WK &HQWXU\ 6LQFH WKHQ LWV BLACK MADONNA has been venerated as the “Queen of Polandâ€?. We Celebrate Mountain. There is an Old Marian Shrine of Black Madonna visited by hundreds of Holy Eucharist in the Black Madonna Chapel, Fully Escorted visit of the treasury Museum and other thousands of Pilgrims. We will celebrate Mass and after the Mass we will continue part of the Monastery .Then, we drive to Legnica, city in the southwestern Poland. The Bishop of Legnica, =ELJQLHZ .LHUQLNRZVNL DQQRXQFHG RQ $SULO WKDW D UHSRUWHG ȢEOHHGLQJ +RVWČŁ WKDW ȢKDV WKH KDOOPDUNV to Budapest. of a Eucharistic miracleâ€? was approved for veneration in Poland. According to his announcement “On 25th of December, 2013 during the distribution of the Holy Sep 19 (Thurs) Day 6: Budapest, Hungary &RPPXQLRQ D FRQVHFUDWHG +RVW IHOO WR WKH ËŠ RRU DQG WKHQ ZDV SLFNHG XS DQG SODFHG Spend the day with a local expert, who will explain the history and sights of LQ D ZDWHU ˉ OOHG FRQWDLQHU YDVFXOXP 6RRQ DIWHU VWDLQV RI WKH UHG FRORU DSSHDUHGČŁ the liveliest and the most cosmopolitan cities of this part of Europe. Start in The former Bishop od Legnica created a commission to study the occurrence. In ideal location, Castle Hill, in the heart of Buda (the portion of Budapest on the February 2014, a tiny red fragment of the Host was seperated and put on a corporal. Danube’s western bank). From the lacy lookout towers of Fishermen’s Bastion, The commission ordered to take samples in order to conduct the thorough tests ZH FDQ HQMR\ D SDQRUDPLF YLHZ RI WKH VSUDZOLQJ FLW\ KRPH WR PRUH WKDQ RQH ˉ IWK RI WKH +XQJDULDQ E\ WKH UHOHYDQW UHVHDUFK LQVWLWXWHV 7KH ˉ QDO PHGLFDO VWDWHPHQW E\ WKH 'HSDUWPHQW population. Visit the 13th- Century ST. MATHIAS CORONATION CHURCH, the Citadel on Mount Gellert, and of Forensic Medicine found: “In the histopathological image, the fragments were HEROES’ SQUARE are also on the agenda. We’ll celebrate Holy Eucharist in St. Matthias Church. In the found containing the fragment parts of the cross striated muscle.â€? The test also evening, take a dinner/cruise at the Danube River. Overnight in Budapest.(BB,D) found that the sample “is most simlilar to heart muscle with alterations that often appear during agony. The genetic research indicated the human origin of the tissue.â€? Sep 20 (Fri) Day 7: Budapest/ Kalwaria, Poland Saying the Host “has the hallmarks of a Eucharistic miracle,â€? Bishop Kiernikowksi explained that in January After breakfast,leave Budapest for Kalwaria Poland, is a long drive, relax and enjoy the 2016 he presented the matter to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In April, in beautiful sceneries on our way to Kalwaria. accordance with the Holy See’s recommendations, he asked parish priest Andrzej Ziombrze “ to prepare 'URSV RI EORRG ËŠ RZLQJ IURP WKH H\HV RI 2XU /DG\ 2I &DOYDU\ ZHUH QRWLFHG RQ WKH SDLQWLQJ a suitable place for the Relics so that the faithful could venerate it. Celebrate Holy Eucharist, then after, to the Bernardine Fathers in 1641. The veneration of the WeepingMadonna quickly spend sometime praying and venerating the new Eucharistic Miracle. We continue to Prague. Dinner/ became widespread. After the Partitions, the sanctuary at Kalwaria Zebrzydowska united Overnight Prague the Polish nation whose country had been divided before. We will continue to Kalwaria and will celebrate Mass at the chapel of the weeping Madonna. Transfer to Sep 25 (Wed) Day 12: Prague, Infant Jesus of Prague Krakow. Dinner and Overnight. We will celebrate Holy Eucharist at Our Lady Victorious Church, home of the Infant Jesus of Prague then after venerate the Icon. We will do some sightseeing tours that reveals why Prague is considered one of Sept 21 (Sat) Day 8: Krakow/ Divine Mercy We start the day with a visit in the SANCTUARY OF LORD’S MERCY and the congregation Europe’s most attractive capitals. On our tour, we will visit 1,000 – year-old HRADCANY CASTLE, ST. VITUS of Our Lady of Mercy. Holy Mass at the Sactuary of Lord’s Mercy in the city’s Lagiewniki CATHEDRAL, the Old Town, the Jewish ghetto, and the city’s famous Astronomical Clock, which was once District. Built upon the convent where St. Faustina received the messages and image of WKH HQY\ RI DOO (XURSH $IWHUZDUGV ZH ZLOO VHH DQG ZDON LQ &KDUOHV %ULGJH ,WV FRQVWUXFWLRQ VWDUWHG LQ XQGHU DXVSLFHV RI .LQJ &KDUOHV ,9 DQG ˉ QLVKHG LQ WKH EHJLQQLQJ RI the Divine Mercy. The 19th century convent of the sisters of Our Lady of Mercy has now the 15th century. Charles Bridge was the most important connection become a part of the vast sanctuary. Pope John Paul II consecrated the new Basilica in between Prague Castle and the city’s Old Town and adjacent areas. 2002. The original image of the Divine Mercy and St. Faustina’s relics are now housed at The “solid-landâ€? connection made Prague important as a trade route the altar of the new basilica. There are frequent Masses held daily in both the convent between Eastern and Western Europe. The bridge is 621 m long and church and new Basilica along with the chaplet of Divine mercy which is prayed daily at 3 pm in both nearly 10 m wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by the bridge locations. (BB,D)Overnight Krakow towers, two of them on the lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side. Overnight in Prague (BB, D). Sep 22(Sun) Day 9: Krakow, Poland We will have a sightseeing tour of Krakow (for centuries, the residence of Polish Kings). We will vist the Market Square, the 14th Century Jagiellonian Univeristy, ST. MARY’S CHURCH, and also visit WAWEL ROYAL Sep 26 (Thurs) Day 13: Prague/ USA Transfer to the airport in Prague and departure to the USA. CASTLE. In the afternoon. We will visit the Wieliczka Salt Mines, one of the largest tourist attraction in End of our Wonderful Pilgrimage!! Poland, registered on the UNESCO list and visited by over a million of tourist every year (BB,D).Overnight Krakow
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Sep 23 (Mon) Day 10: Wadowice/ Auschwitz After breakfast we will go to Wadowice the birthplace of Saint John Paul II. We will visit the new museum RI 6W -RKQ ,, :DGRZLFH VLWH LV FRQQHFWHG WR 6W -RKQ 3DXO ,, 7KH ˉ UVW REYLRXV FKRLFH LV WKH KRXVH RI
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World Health Organization: ‘Fair medicine prices a global rights issue’ by Pia Lee
Brago Philstar.com
BALLOON FESTIVAL. Tourists of all ages enjoy the colorful hot air balloons at the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Clark Global City, Mabalacat, Pampanga. The festival will be held there until Sunday, April 14. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
Duterte signs 2019... PAGE A1 hindi P95.3 billion ‘yung sinabing na-veto (Not only P75 billion but P95.3 billion was vetoed),” Sotto told The Star. Medialdea confirmed that the President vetoed more than P95 billion in public works projects because these are not included in the administration’s priorities. “the president, among others, vetoed P95.3 billion items of appropriations in the details of DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) programs/ projects, which are not within the programmed priorities,” Medialdea said in a text message. earlier, there were invitations sent to lawmakers to attend the signing of the budget slated at 4 p.m. Monday, but those invited had to await final word if the event would push through. the media advisory for the signing was scrapped from the supposed schedule of reporters covering Malacañang. Several high-ranking officials were mum about the budget when asked by The Star for update. even Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said there was no advance information as to developments on the budget. the president earlier said he was ready to veto the proposed budget if he finds it anomalous. “Kapag tagilid talaga (If it’s really indefensible), I will not hesitate to veto the entire budget, eh di pasensya tayong lahat (noth-
ing we can do about it),” the president earlier said in a speech in Bacolod City. House insertions Sotto said there were indications Duterte would exercise his line-item veto power over the General appropriations Bill (GaB). Sotto said he based his assessment on his previous conversations with Medialdea and Nograles, who were working closely with Duterte. the Senate president signed and transmitted the proposed budget with a letter of reservations after some House members allegedly manipulated the bicameral conference report ratified by the upper and lower chambers. Sotto said he was informed by Medialdea that the president “has been carefully reading” the letter he sent. He also expressed belief that there would be no ceremonial signing of the budget to avoid an awkward moment in announcing the president had to cut some portions of pork barrel in the GaB. the government has been operating on a reenacted budget since January after Congress failed to transmit the GaB to the Office of the President. Some senators claimed several congressmen made realignments involving P75 billion in the House version of GaB.
Sotto joked a ceremonial signing might lead to a “boxing” bout once the provisions removed from the budget were announced. Sotto said Medialdea told him the president was still studying the recommendation of the Department of Budget and Management on the appropriations measure. the senator said the budget bill would lapse into law on april 26 or 30 days after the Senate transmitted the final copy. House senior Deputy Majority Leader rodante Marcoleta also expressed confidence that Duterte would sign the budget with some vetoed provisions. “I don’t think the president will veto the 2019 budget in its entirety. He knows only too well the downside of a reenacted budget,” Marcoleta said. Marcoleta, of party-list 1-Sagip, noted the current disagreements between senators, who refused to itemize their billions in lump-sum pork barrel fund allocations, and congressmen will not hold hostage the entire spending measure. “the posturing of a few senators cannot compromise his (Duterte’s) duty to decide for the greater good,” Marcoleta, a lawyer like Duterte, said. Liberal Party senatorial bet Mar roxas said it was important to have a budget and the delay in PAGE A4
Greater transparency and fair pricing for medicine are a “global human rights issue,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday, april 15. the WHO, a health agency of the UN, said the price of out-of-pocket medicine each year has pushed 100 million people into poverty. It said today’s cost of medicine is a worldwide challenge and a key topic of concern at the global medicine forum in South africa. Developing countries have long been struggling with the price of medicine. “this is a global human rights issue,” said WHO assistant director general for medicine and health products Mariângela Simão. “everyone has a right to access quality healthcare.” the forum on fair pricing and access to medicine provided a discussion platform for governments, civil society organizations and the pharmaceutical industry to identify strategies to reduce prices and expand access for all. the WHO forum on medicine in Johannesburg called for greater transparency around the cost of research, development and pro-
The WHO, a health agency of the UN, said the price of out-of-pocket medicine each year has pushed 100 million people into poverty. Philstar.com file photo
duction of medicine to allow buyers to negotiate more affordable prices. Health authorities in high-income countries are increasingly rationing medicine for cancer, hepatitis C and rare diseases. the problem extends to older medicine, which patents have expired such as insulin for diabetes. “Medical innovation has little social value if most people cannot access its benefits,” Simão said. a 2017 WHO report showed the cost of producing most medicine on its essential Medicine List was a small fraction of the final price. Forum delegates said the lack
of transparency on the prices paid by governments translates to many low- and middle-income countries paying more for certain medicine than wealthier countries do. One of the successful examples of countries’ collaboration toward affordable medicine prices is the information-sharing among Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and austria or the Beneluxa network. the network was cited for yielding promising results such as a bulk-rate discount when several regional countries purchased medicine as a bloc. n
Comelec warns overseas voters: Beware of...
PAGE A1 in voting for a particular position and then used (a) marker for the other. When the voter receipt came out, the vote marked with ballpen obviously was not read by the vote counting machine,” Jimenez stated. “that video was uploaded within the first day. that basically set the tone for the attack on the integrity of the election system,” he added. the spokesperson noted another dissemination of false information to which somebody claimed that the voting was already done and counted. He added that they also announced that this and that candidate already won. a group for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Migrante International expressed their concern on the elections in Japan and europe. the group noted that the OFWs were required to shoulder the postal stamp costs in order to send their votes to the Philippine embassies. “the right to vote should be free,” Migrante International stat-
Philstar.com file photo
ed. according to Migrante, many registered OaV voters don’t have stable addresses. as such, the voters cannot guarantee that they will receive their ballots. Similarly, they won’t know for certain if the returned ballots will be received by the embassies or consulates. “We are appealing to the Comelec to give OFWs the option to get their ballots from the embassies,” Migrante said.
Migrante International emphasized that only a few Filipino workers would exercise their right to suffrage if those issues were not addressed as soon as possible. the migrant group noted that the election commission must focus on OFWs in this month-long OaV. the Overseas absentee Voting (OaV) will run until election day in the Philippines, May 13. (Nathalie Robles/AJPress)
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Palace reaches out to foreign media; launches ‘The Virtual Presser’ Media Affairs (OGMA), aims to “engage with the international media and foreign audiences.” MALACAñANG is reaching out “This will be another opportuto members of the foreign media nity for us to connect to internawho have been critical of the tional audiences to respond to Duterte administration through pressing issues and enable forthe “The Virtual Presser,” an in- eign journalists to ask questions teractive online video platform without leaving their desks,” launched on Monday, April 15. Communication Secretary MarThe Presidential Communica- tin Andanar said in a statement. tions Operations Office (PCOO), Duterte has received criticism through the Office of the Global from the global community for by Nestor
Corrales Inquirer.net
his brutal war on drugs and anticriminality campaign. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was the guest during its pilot episode at the press briefing room of the New Executive Building in Malacañang. During the briefing, most of the questions asked were about the Philippines’ position in the South China Sea amid Beijing’s aggression in the disputed waters. n
Watchdogs cite lax medical and mental health treatment of ice detainees by sarah
VarNey Kaiser Health News
VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM FOR THE 30TH SEA GAMES. Senatorial candidate Pia S. Cayetano, volleyball players Fille Cainglet-Cayetano, and Alyssa Valdez pose “as one” during the launching of the Volunteers Program for the 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games held at Lakeshores Hall, Taguig City. Cayetano is a known advocate of sports and the youth sector in Congress, having passed laws that give benefits to young Filipino athletes, such as the Student-Athletes Protection Act (Republic Act 10676). PNA photo courtesy of PSC SEA Games
PH doubts US list of high kidnap...
PAGE A1 “We don’t know yet how they came up with the list but with the strong stance of President Duterte against criminality in general, we see no basis for including us in this list. We will request from the U.S. embassy (for) the parameters used since even Malaysia and Russia were included,” he added. As per the data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Interior secretary explained that the latest figures showed only 68 kidnapping cases in 2018 as compared to 79 cases in 2017. The said 19.29 percent decline of 11 cases reduced the risk of visiting the Philippines. Only 10 kidnapping cases were documented in 2019. Año attributed the decline in kidnapping cases to the implementation of martial law in Mindanao. He noted that the military rule
made the southern part of the country safer. “While personal precaution is necessary, martial law has allowed the Philippine government to deploy more security forces to Mindanao to ensure the safety of the people and foreign guests,” Año explained. The other countries included in the list were Afghanistan; Mexico; Colombia; Lebanon; Mali; Burkina Faso; Libya; Haiti; Central African Republic; Iraq; Iran; Nigeria; Niger; Pakistan — particularly in the areas of Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The list also included Turkey — with areas near the Syria and Iraq borders; South Sudan; Democratic Republic of the Congo including North Kivu
and Ituri provinces; Sudan; Syria; Cameroon — specifically in the North, Far North, Northwest and Southwest regions, and parts of East and Adamawa regions. Somalia; Venezuela; Papua New Guinea; Kenya; Ukraine — specifically in the Eastern parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts; Uganda; Ethiopia — Somali Regional State; Trinidad and Tobago; Bangladesh specifically Southeast Bangladesh and including the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Russia specifically the north Caucasus including Chechnya and Mount Elbrus; Yemen; Algeria with areas near the Eastern and Southern borders and areas in the Sahara Desert; Malaysia specifically on the Eastern area of Sabah State and Angola on its urban areas. (Nathalie Robles/AJPress)
Palace: Gov’t on top of power situation...
PAGE A1
mained on top of the situation. “We’re just talking to Secretary Al, sabi niya (he said), ‘We’re on top of it,’” Panelo said during a press conference. In its advisory, the NGCP on Monday said the grid was placed on red alert — the highest warn-
ing — from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A red alert means there is insufficient power supply and authorities may implement rotational brownouts in some areas. A yellow alert was raised from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This means power reserves have dropped below the
minimum 647 megawatts, but does not necessarily mean there will be power outages. NGCP said the alerts were raised because of insufficient operating reserves caused by forced outage of multiple power plants. (Catherine Valente/ManilaTimes.net)
IT’S Saturday morning and the women of the Contreras family are busy in Montclair, Calif., making pupusas, tamales and tacos. They’re working to replace the income of José Contreras, who has been held since last June at Southern California’s Adelanto ICE Processing Center, a privately run immigration detention center. José’s daughter, Giselle, drives around in an aging minivan collecting food orders. First a hospital, then a car wash, then a local bank. Giselle’s father crossed illegally from Guatemala more than two decades ago. He worked in construction until agents picked him up and brought him to Adelanto. José languished there for three months without his diabetes medication, Giselle said. Now, she said, the guards give it to him at odd times during the day and night. And ICE agents took his eyeglasses so he can’t read legal documents or write letters, she said. “My aunt tried to take in glasses for him, but they don’t allow for us to give them anything,” Giselle said, steering the minivan. “They tell us that they give them everything they need.” But as to reclaiming his glasses, “No. … He doesn’t have glasses.” Giselle said that her 60-yearold father is terrified of being deported, and that the regimented world inside Adelanto is driving him into a deep depression. “His conversations now have become shorter,” she said. “He doesn’t talk to us and ask, ‘How’s your day? How you been?’ He’s always looking down at the ground; he doesn’t want to make eye contact for the same reason that he’s so depressed.” Jose’s sister, Maria Contreras, visits her brother every Saturday. She has urged him to see a psychologist at Adelanto, but he tells her that even though he filled out a medical request, he doesn’t get any help. “No response, or anything,” Maria said. Adelanto sits on a desolate stretch of road in the high desert about an hour north of the city of Riverside. Nearly 2,000 men and women are held here. Some arrived recently during the surge in border crossings. Others lived in the U.S. — undocumented and undetected — for years. In the visiting room, where detainees are brought in wearing blue, orange or red baggy pants and tops, a sign on the wall reads, “Don’t give up hope.” The facility — run by a federal contractor, the GEO Group, a for-profit company based in Boca Raton, Fla., that runs private prisons — has a troubled past. During an unannounced
visit last year, federal inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General found “nooses” made out of bed sheets in 15 out of 20 cells. The inspectors found guards overlooked the nooses even though a detainee had committed suicide using a bedsheet in 2017 and several others had attempted suicide using a similar method. The government audit concluded GEO Group guards improperly handcuffed and shackled detainees, unnecessarily placed detainees in solitary confinement and failed to provide adequate medical care. A separate investigation of Adelanto and other immigration detention facilities in California released in February by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra found similar health and safety problems and concluded that detainees were treated like prisoners, some kept in their cells for 22 hours a day, even though they have not been charged with a crime. A state law passed in 2017 directs the state to inspect and report on the treatment of immigrant detainees held in California. The alleged cases documented in the most recent report by Disability Rights California, a watchdog group with legal oversight to protect people with disabilities in the Golden State, are grim: detainees slitting their wrists; discontinued medication for depression; and ignored requests for wheelchairs and walkers. At least one detainee claimed that guards pepper-sprayed him when he did not stand up, and a second time while he tried to hang himself. In a written statement, the GEO Group said it “strongly disputes the claims” in the report, and that the remedies recommended by Disability Rights California “were already in place.” “We are deeply committed,” the company said, “to delivering high-quality, culturally responsive services in safe and humane environments.” An ICE spokesperson said, in an emailed statement, that the GEO Group’s Adelanto facility is in “full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.” But Mario, who was inside Adelanto for six months in 2018, said the report describes his own experiences there. “What’s happening is all those claims that have been made against GEO and the staff in the medical department are finally being backed up by reports,” Mario said. He requested his last name be withheld because he’s out on bond and still fighting deportation. Mario is now 32; he crossed the border illegally with his parents when he was 5. In 2017, he was convicted of
a misdemeanor and ICE agents picked him up at his home in Ontario, Calif. At the time, Mario was seeing a therapist for depression and taking medication. It took three weeks to get back on antidepressants, he said, and the sessions with the psychologists at Adelanto were only cursory. “They keep their actual sessions to five to 10 minutes,” he said. “It’s basically like a quick check-in. They just ask you, ‘How are you? Do you have any suicidal thoughts? When is your next court date?’ It’s one of those things that I feel is basically done just to say, ‘All right, we did it.’” Mario is gay and lived in a room with three other men, including a gay man from Mexico who was seeking asylum. The two became close friends. “He was persecuted in Mexico because of being gay,” Mario said. Months of detention “and not getting any mental health care really took a toll on him. And that’s when he cut himself. He cut his wrist with a razor blade that we get to shave. And after that he was placed in solitary confinement for about a week.” Mario said when his friend came back to their room, he was taking some sort of medication. “After that, all he did was sleep,” Mario said. “When the food was ready I’d go call him: ‘OK, it’s time to eat.’” Other detainees and immigration lawyers described a similar pattern, of GEO psychiatrists prescribing antipsychotic medications that make people sleep much of the time. It’s one of the reasons people were reluctant to seek help, Mario said. But also, like other detainees, he was worried about being labeled as depressed. “I couldn’t express whenever I was feeling extremely sad or depressed or anxious because I was afraid that would be used against me in court,” he explained. Judges cannot use mental health conditions to deny legal status to a detainee, according to immigration attorneys. Although the GEO Group said any problems detailed in the Disability Rights California report had long been addressed, last month detainees in Adelanto staged a hunger strike. The detainees gave an attorney a handwritten note, which was released by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, an advocacy group. Chief among their demands was speedier access to good medical care. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n
Maria Contreras makes pupusas for her family’s business of selling food. The goal is to help replace the income of her brother, a construction worker, who has been held in Southern California’s Adelanto ICE Processing Center since last June. Photo by Sarah Varney/Kaiser Health News
Duterte signs 2019... PAGE A3 its signing was unfortunate due to “continued bickering” over the pork barrel. In an interview in Tarlac City, Roxas, who is running under Otso Diretso, said there are more important issues than pork barrel that lawmakers should tackle.
“There’s no debate on how can we help the agriculture sector which has been suffering from El Niño. Why are they not discussing the automatic inclusion of farmers as beneficiaries of (conditional cash transfer). These are the things they should be debating on,” the former sen-
ator said. Roxas was referring to the government’s CCT program popularly known as Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, which started during the Arroyo administration. (With Alexis Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Delon Porcalla, Helen Flores)
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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 17-19, 2019
Dateline PhiliPPines
A
Angara, Inang Mahal Party-list join DOH records 1,400 new measles cases forces to champion Filipino moms by Catherine
Modesto ManilaTimes.net
MANILA — Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara and Inang Mahal Party-list are joining forces to advance the interests and welfare of all Filipino mothers in Congress. Angara is currently seeking another full six-year term in the Senate, while Inang Mahal Partylist is vying for seats in the House of Representatives in the May 13 midterm elections. The group’s first nominee is former Pangasinan Rep. Gina De Venecia. If they both win, Angara and De Venecia would jointly pursue legislation focused on ensuring the protection of mothers, especially those working abroad to support their families in the Philippines. De Venecia said the Inang Mahal Party-list plans to bring “meaningful reforms in the lives of Filipino mothers” through the legislative measures they would push if elected. To do this, she said the partylist group would need an ally in the Senate to ensure the passage of pro-women and pro-mother bills they would espouse. “Senator Sonny Angara, who is a known champion of women’s rights and the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), is our ideal partner in the Senate,” De Venecia said. For his part, Angara said he would be willing to sponsor and facilitate the passage in the Senate of all meaningful bills to be
Senator Sonny Angara is welcomed by a supporter during a sortie. Angara is seeking reelection in the midterm elections in May. Inquirer.net photo
filed by De Venecia’s party-list group. De Venecia said Inang Mahal would focus on the well-being of OFW mothers, who belong to more than 50 percent of the 2.5 million OFWs worldwide. Once elected, De Venecia said her group would push for a Magna Carta for Mothers, an expansive law that will look after the interests of mothers. These would include the establishment of a Communication and Guidance Center in all municipal and city offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, where OFW mothers can communicate with their family, through phone or Internet, to discuss their problems, in the presence of a guid-
ance counselor. De Venecia said they would also push for the establishment of women centers nationwide, to be funded by local government units, for abused mothers. During the 15 years he has been a lawmaker—nine years as representative of the lone district of Aurora province and six years as senator—Angara pushed for a number of legislation aimed at improving the lives of Filipinas, which is the reason why Davao City’s District III Women Federation Inc. described him as a “true ally and defender of Filipino women.” Angara is one of the authors of Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women, a comprehenPAGE A7
Locsin: Not the right time to disagree over South China Sea tion “never shelved” the arbitral award that invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim over the MANILA — Amid the Duterte South China Sea, part of which is government’s apparent change the West Philippine Sea. in tune over the South China “This is actually not the right Sea, the Foreign Affairs Secre- time to bring up disagreements tary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said it over the South China/West Philipis not the right time to bring up pine Sea with both sides hot undisagreements over the maritime der the collar while a pissing condispute. test is in full flower,” Locsin said Former Foreign Affairs Sec- in a tweet on Monday, April 15. retary Albert del Rosario earlier Hundreds of Chinese fishing called on the government to “un- vessels, believed to be part of its shelve” Manila’s 2016 arbitration maritime militia, have been loiwin. tering in the vicinity of Pag-asa Malacañang, however, insistIsland, one the largest features in Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. PAGE A7 Philstar.com photo ed that the Duterte administraby PatriCia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
THe Department of Health (DOH) has yet to lift the measles outbreak status of five regions, as it validated 1,406 new measles cases in these areas from March 31 to April 5, 2019. Health Undersecretary Rolando Domingo previously said the department must record no new cases for about six consecutive weeks in Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Western Visayas to say that the epidemic was completely under control. The recent figure brings the total number of the avoidable and vaccine-preventable illness to 28,362 cases, with 389 deaths since January 1 of this year. This number is 78 percent higher than the 6,053, with 53 deaths reported in the same period in 2018.
Of the total number of cases, 58 percent or 16,534 were unvaccinated. Of the total fatalities, 79 percent or 306 were unvaccinated. Metro Manila had the highest number with 5,749 cases, with 104 deaths, while Calabarzon recorded the most number of deaths, with 107 in its 5,450 cases. In Luzon, Central Luzon had 4,633 cases and 64 deaths, followed by Ilocos Region, with 1,225 cases and 12 deaths; Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), with 1,197 cases with 10 deaths; Bicol Region, with 838 cases and seven deaths; Cordillera Administrative Region, with 456 cases and one death; and Cagayan Valley, with 415 cases and two deaths. Meanwhile, Western Visayas had 1,696 cases, with seven deaths, followed by Central Visayas with 1,395 cases and
10 deaths, and eastern Visayas, with 1,133 cases and 25 deaths. In Mindanao, Northern Mindanao recorded 1,396 cases and 10 deaths, followed by Caraga Region, with 737 cases and eight deaths; Davao Region, with 625 cases and 11 deaths; Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), with 565 and four deaths; Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, with 500 cases and six deaths; and Zamboanga Peninsula, with 343 cases and one death. The age group that remains to be the most affected is 1 to 4 years old. Bataan is still the only measles-free province in the country, according to the data. The DOH has immunized 3,783,985 children aged six to 59 months after it intensified efforts to contain the outbreak in five regions. n
A6 APRIL 17-19, 2019 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
Poverty down?
FEATURES
INCREDULITY has greeted the release of a report showing that poverty incidence is down, as measured by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Critics consider the timing of the release suspect and in aid of election for administration candidates, while organized workers see it as an attempt to discourage wage increases. PSA officials say they are prepared to explain the methodology used. The PSA assessment covers the first six months of 2018 when rice prices spiked. This has added to the doubts about the report, considering that food accounts for nearly 70 percent of the components in the PSA’s poverty assessment. The figures could be altered once the assessment for the entire year is completed and the full impact of the fuel excise tax is factored in, although PSA officials say such figures usually improve in the second semester. The PSA placed the number of poor Filipino individuals at 21 percent in the first six months of 2018 – down from the 27.6 percent during the same period in 2015. The figure was lower for families, at 16.1 percent, from the 22.2 percent in 2015. In the first half of 2018, a family of five needed at least P7,337 a month to meet basic food needs, or P48.91 daily per person, the PSA reported. If basic non-food requirements were added, the amount would be P10,481 a month – which is the poverty threshold. Whether or not the amounts mentioned are
unrealistic, the statistics indicate that over 21 million people, or about a fifth of the country’s population, live below the poverty line. That’s still too many people needing liberation from poverty. Other studies in the recent past have indicated that up to 30 percent of Filipinos were classified as extremely poor, and remained so despite direct aid programs such as the conditional cash transfer. The PSA comes up with the periodic assessment to assist policy makers in crafting development and poverty alleviation programs. Even without bickering over the poverty figures, merely driving around Metro Manila and other congested urban centers around the country would indicate that the country has a serious poverty problem. Too many people lack meaningful jobs and livelihoods to sustain themselves and their families. Too many people lack the education and skills to earn a decent living. Even if the PSA figures might be correct, poverty alleviation remains a formidable challenge. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Holy Week reflections: If Good Friday is here, have faith that Easter is coming! The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS HOLY WEEK is a good time for us to slow down a little and introspect on the meaning of this season in our life. This is particularly important these days when our day-to-day existence has been saddled with challenges, noise, hatred, doubts and fear because of the complexity and toxicity of today’s life. Most of us only aspire to exist, when we should be truly living, thriving and flourishing. I found a collection of amazing thoughts to help us slow down and discern what really matters in our life. I found them on Facebook via “Power of Positivity”. If you haven’t read these, I hope they will bless you as much as they they have been blessing me every-
day. Where ever you are in your life right now, stay in faith. Always remember that if Good Friday is here, Easter is coming. God bless us all. “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” “Care about what other people think and you will always bet their prisoner.” “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” “Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle softness overcoming hardness.” “Health ins the greatest possession.” “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing your self is true wisdom. Mastering oth-
ers is strength; mastering your self is true power.” “If you don not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” “Being still does not mean don’t move. It means move in peace.” “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” “Silence is a source of great strength.” “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” “Before healing others, heal your self.” “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” “Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment.” “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
HOLY WEEK DESTINATION. Pilgrims visit the Stations of the Cross at the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan on Sunday, April 14. Philstar.com photo by Andy Zapata Jr.
From US-Sino talks to next trade wars
Commentary
DAN STEINBOCK RECENTLY, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund trimmed the Philippine 2019 growth forecast. As U.S.Sino trade talks will give way to the next trade wars, Malacañang needs to monitor closely the eroding global prospects. EVER since the U.S.-Sino trade talks began almost four months ago, the United States has pushed for a broad commitment focusing on China’s economic practices, including participation of U.S. firms in certain industries and protection of U.S. intellectual property rights (IPRs). In a recent CNBC interview, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin claimed that the countries had “pretty much agreed” on an enforcement mechanism for a trade deal. After his meeting with the Chinese delegation last week, President Trump stated that negotiators may need four more weeks to package the deal. But the enthusiasm may prove premature. State of US-Sino trade talks
As the last globalist in the Trump administration, Mnuchin’s views carry some weight, but he lacks clout to enforce those views. That’s been the case since Gary Cohn, Mnuchin’s former Goldman Sachs colleague, resigned from the White House ahead of the tariff wars. In turn, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has proven too weak, reluctant and old (81 years) to press for compromise. That’s why trade talks are led by Peter Navarro, Director of National Trade Council, and Robert Lighthizer, U.S. Trade Representative. The former is an advocate of trade mercantilism, who has a dark track record in China-bashing; the latter’s trade wars began against Japan in the Reagan administration. In addition to enforcement mechanisms, the two are pressing for a pact that would allow U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods to snap back in case of violations – but without permitting China to retaliate in response. Understandably, Chinese negotiators consider such conditions unacceptable. Such conditionality has surprised even Craig Allen, president of U.S.-China Business Council, who believes that Mnuchin may
have been too optimistic about the deal, if it is burdened by a conditionality clause. Indeed, U.S. business groups tend to focus on commitments, including the proposed “enforcement offices.” They dislike negotiating tactics that needlessly prolong the talks and may undermine the progress achieved. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He has expressed greater caution by stressing that by the end the proposed four weeks, the two countries may learn whether a trade deal could be reached. And even if a final deal is achieved, it will take another year or two to verify the structural changes associated with the pact. Trade wars’ next targets However, a U.S.-China deal will not resolve U.S. trade deficits, which have increased for half a century. The imbalances began in the postwar era after the recovery of the key EU economies—the UK, Germany, France and Italy—and the subsequent rise of Japan. Toward the late 20th century, the deficits reflected the emergence of the four dragons, i.e., Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore. China’s role in these deficits became prominent in
the 2000s. Today, the largest deficits prevail with China, U.S. Nafta partners (Mexico, Canada), key EU countries (Germany, Ireland, Italy), Asean (Vietnam, Malaysia) and India. China has been targeted first, but others will follow. Last year, Mexico and Canada were pressured into a revised “U.S. first” regional pact. Friction has been steadily rising with Japan and Germany. And Trump has pledged to extend the trade war to Asean – where the deficits are likely to climb if U.S. companies begin to relocate. Despite half a century of promises to bring an end to deficits, U.S. dependence on trade deficits has only deepened as Washington has become increasingly dependent on foreign financing and sovereign debt (which now exceeds $22.2 trillion, or 106 percent of U.S. GDP). The net effect is a falling trend line (see figure). Why tariff wars won’t resolve US deficits Do the U.S. tariff wars make economic sense? No. Here are some reasons why: The U.S. deficit issue is multilateral and regional, not bilateral and national. Trying to re-
solve it by forcing the bilateral trade deficit down is a bit like mimicking the fictional story of the little Dutch boy who discovered a leak in the dike and stuck his finger in it to save his country. That’s Trump’s strategy. Unfortunately, it ignores the dike’s many other leaks and may thus make the flood more likely. Second, Trump’s trade hawks presume that international trade is a competition between companies representing different countries. They ignore the fact that for decades — and particularly since the 1980s — national industry leaders have built multinational value activities around the world. Consequently — as even the OECD has concluded — conventional data on bilateral trade deficits can be misleading, due to multinationals’ global supply chains. Third, it is the overall size of the trade balance that matters, and that is largely a function of macroeconomic forces, such as domestic savings and investment. If the U.S. domestic investment continues to exceed savings, it will have to continue to import capital and will have a large trade deficit. Since late 2017, the Trump administration has made this
challenge much worse, thanks to large tax cuts, which have caused U.S. fiscal deficits to soar. That is likely to cause the trade deficit to increase, irrespective of the outcome of the trade war. Of course, one way to avoid this is that the White House will lead the U.S. into a recession, with incomes declining adequately for investment and imports to plummet – as with the aftermath of the 2008 crisis (see figure). Why tariff wars will weaken global prospects Unfortunately, that path would further penalize the American middle-class and working people, but it would also have even more severe implications internationally. It has potential to further derail global economic prospects (which would harm the very same U.S. multinationals Trump claims to support). As U.S. tariff wars undermined the global recovery momentum in early 2018, the IMF now predicts that global economic activity is notably slowing. Global growth is projected to slow to 3.3 percent in 2019. In the absence of more positive signals, the international environment is faltering toward a darker path. (ManilaTimes. net)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Tagle: ‘Do not follow arrogant kings’ by catherine
Modesto ManilaTimes.net
In this April 8, 2019 photo, Otso Diretso senatorial bets Florin Hilbay, Chel Diokno, Gary Alejano and Samira Gutoc goes to Masinloc, Zambales to reiterate their firm resolve to stand for the right of Filipino fishers to Scarborough Shoal, which is also called Bajo de Masinloc. Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban
MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle told the Christian faithful not to follow “arrogant, revengeful” kings, as he ushered in Holy Week rites with Palm Sunday Mass on April 14 at the Manila Cathedral. Tagle lamented that people seek arrogant leaders as they were “easier” to follow and were more “attractive” than Jesus Christ. “It is not easy to emulate and embrace the traits of Jesus,” who according to Tagle, “is humble and in full solidarity” with sinful humanity. “But, through God’s mercy, we could love and follow him,” he
Alejano asks Coast Guard for clearance to visit Scarborough by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA – Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo Party-list), a candidate for senator under the Liberal Party-led opposition coalition, asked the Philippine Coast Guard to allow him to visit Scarborough or Panatag Shoal, a traditional fishing ground off the coast of Zambales. In a letter addressed to Adm. Elson Hermogino, PCG commandant, Alejano requested for clearance to visit the shoal, which the Chinese Coast Guard had reportedly been blocking. The senatorial candidate said in his request that the clearance is required for any individual or group before visiting the shoal. “The clearance, likewise, is necessary for the records and monitoring of the Philippine
Coast Guard in ensuring the safety of participants to the said trip if any unfortunate incident arises,” Alejano said in his letter. Alejano also said the clearance from the PCG would absolve fishermen should they assist his group in visiting the traditional fishing ground in the West Philippine Sea. Last week, Alejano and his Otso Diretso slatemates human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay visited Masinloc, Zambales, which has jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal. The opposition candidates were supposed to visit the shoal itself but were not issued a permit. According to a statement released by Otso Diretso, the coast
guard refused to issue a permit to boat owners if there would be recording equipment in the boat that would carry the visitors. Alejano, Diokno, Gutoc and Hilbay resorted to waving the Philippine flag, along with local fishermen, on the shores of Masinloc, the jump-off point to Scarborough Shoal. The PCG, however, denied the claim of the opposition bets that they were barred from sailing to the fishing ground. According to a report from CNN Philippines, Capt. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesman, said there was no policy preventing anyone from accessing Scarborough Shoal. He clarified that the Coast Guard should only be advised earlier for monitoring purposes. The Palace played down the attempt as a publicity stunt. n
Angara, Inang Mahal Party-list join forces... PAGE A5 sive women’s rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination through recognition, protection, fulfilment and promotion of rights of women. He also co-authored and sponsor of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RA 10354), and the recently enacted Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act (RA 11148) and the Expanded Maternity Leave Act (RA 11210). Angara is also an advocate for OFWs having co-authored and sponsored a three-yearold law that institutionalized
and strengthened the Overseas Workers Welfare Act (OWWA), in his capacity as then chair of the Senate Committee on Labor. RA 10801 or the OWWA Act of 2016 provides a wide range of services and benefits to OFWs funded by their $25 membership fee collected from them every two years. Under the law, OWWA is mandated to provide benefits and services to its members, which include gender-responsive reintegration programs, repatriation assistance, loan and credit assistance, on-site worker assistance,
death and disability benefits, health care benefits, education and skills training, social services, and family welfare assistance. Other pro-OFW legislation that Angara co-authored are RA 10928 which extended the validity of passports from 5 years to 10 years, RA 10863 which raised to P150,000 from P10,000 the tax-exempt value of “balikbayan” boxes sent by Filipinos overseas, and RA 10706 or the Seafarers Protection Act that guards seafarers against ambulance chasing and excessive fees. (Inquirer.net)
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle delivers his homily at Manila Cathedral in Intramuros. ManilaTimes.net photo by Enrique Agcaoili
said in his homily. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, during which Christians commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Before the Mass, Tagle blessed palm branches brought for the occasion to commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem two millennia ago. Tagle challenged the faithful to practice humility and endure sacrifices. “Imposible sa ating hubarin ang sarili, magpakababa, `yung igalang ang umaalipusta sa’yo. `Yung hilumin ang sumusugat sa`yo. ‘Di `yan ang kalakaran ng mundo. Pero para sa Diyos `di `yan imposible (It is impossible for us to practice humility, to respect those who abuse us. To heal others who inflict pain on you, that is not how the world works. But these things are not impossible to God),” Tagle said. He cited how the apostle Paul urged Philemon, an early Christian leader, to reconcile with and embrace as brother Onesimus, who had wronged him. This, he said, was the way of Christ, “not like other kings in the world who hold on to their dignity so others may hold them in high esteem and exalt them.” No revenge The prelate also said Jesus never approved of the use of weapons for revenge.
“Ang tugon ni Hesus sa magmamaltrato sa kanya ay paghihilom. Siya susugatan pero `di siya gaganti, mangsusugat sa iba (His response to those who persecute him is healing. Others would cause him pain, but he would not seek revenge or hurt them back),” Tagle said, referring to Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees for 30 pieces of silver. Tagle called anew on the faithful not to “avoid Jesus’ words and deeds” this week, but instead get to know Jesus so they could follow him. He said: “Holy Week is not just a chance for us to take a break and go on a vacation. This is also a time of getting to know Jesus Christ. ‘Who is Jesus? Why did he take the path for us?’” In Naga City, Archbishop Rolando Tria Tirona, head of the Archdiocese of Caceres, said in his homily: “As we value this moment of being with our loved ones, let us not forget the very reason why we are gathered together during this Holy Week. It is to remember in prayer and in conversion, the loving and total sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation.” He added: “This Holy Week, especially the Solemn Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday are days of intense prayer and remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross.” n
Locsin: Not the right time to disagree over... PAGE A5 the Spratly Islands. “But ‘swarming in unison’ is definitely not traditional fishing under any definition,” Locsin added. Responding to a netizen who questioned the “sudden pivot” of the administration on he South China Sea dispute, the Philippines’ top diplomat said “they wanted to make the best of a situation that was legally right but militarily weak.” Locsin also noted that the Philippines failed to arm itself like Vietnam on international disagreements. “What is important... is that those in power to do something — even if not much until the Americans come in full force which they will not because they are looking for a trade deal — to correct for a change in circumstances,” Locsin told the netizen. Del Rosario: Time to bring up
arbitral ruling Over the weekend, Del Rosario said now is the right time for the Duterte government to bring up the arbitration ruling with China. Del Rosario, who led the Philippines in its arbitration against China, earlier filed a communication before the International Criminal Court to conduct a preliminary examination for Beijing’s “near permanent and devastating destruction” of features in the contested waterway. “Beijing is now clearly revisiting its excessive and unlawful claims in the South China Sea that has been ruled upon by the arbitral tribunal which ruling is ow an integral part of international law,” Del Rosario told radio dzMM last Saturday. Presidential spoksperson Salvador Panelo, on the other hand, claimed that the administration never changed its position on
the arbitral ruling. “We reiterate our unchanged stance — the arbitral ruling is irreversible, the same being based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and international law accepted by most, if not by all, nations. It has the stamp of permanence,” Panelo said in a statement released Sunday. Panelo called on the Chinese government to respect the arbitral ruling “that has the stamp of permanence.” “It only remains unenforceable because no foreign force seems persuaded to help us enforce it, and neither do we have the capability of enforcing it alone by force, not to mention the fact that performing armed acts of enforcement could only trigger a bloody war that could cost the lives of our countrymen and destruction of properties in our land,” Panelo said. n
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UK assures continued GSP + to Philippines post Brexit by LoueLLa
DesiDerio Philstar.com
THE Philippines has secured the commitment of the British government to allow exporters to continue enjoying similar trade preferences under the European Union Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (EU GSP+) even after the UK leaves the trade bloc. In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the British government assured the Philippines of continued preferential market access postBrexit, including a scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal reached with other members of the trade bloc. At present, the Philippines is a beneficiary country of the EU GSP+ which allows duty-free entry of 6,274 products to the trade bloc. Last February, British trade envoy Richard Graham said with or without a Brexit deal, the UK would continue implementing
GSP+. In case the UK leaves the EU without a deal, he said the British government would replicate the GSP+ with the same rules and conditions. “We might call it something slightly different. I think it is going to be called EA or something like an economic agreement, but it will be exactly the same from Day 1 when we leave the EU. So for all the exporters, it’s really business as usual,” he said. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said any post-Brexit scenario would not have a significant effect on the Philippines. This, even as a study from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said the Philippines would be the 12th trading partner to be most affected in a post-Brexit scenario. “Philippines has taken a more proactive stance in its promotion as an investment destination for UK companies during the London Investor’s Roadshow in September 2018.
These series of high-level exchanges and visits signal Philippines’ close engagement with UK on improving bilateral economic relations as UK exits the EU,” he said. Of the Philippines’ total exports to the EU, the UK accounted for less than 10 percent in 2017. In terms of Philippine exports to the EU enjoying benefits under the GSP+ in the same year, almost 11 percent went to the UK. “The retention of the Philippines’ GSP+ level preferential market access to the UK is a huge assurance for Philippine exporters. For products that are not covered by the GSP+, Most Favored Nation (MFN) rates will apply; on this front, Philippines is also actively engaged in negotiations in the WTO (World Trade Organization) for the final MFN bound rates that UK will apply after Brexit to ensure that products of interest for the Philippines will not be prejudiced by any changes,” Lopez said. n
In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the British government assured the Philippines of continued preferential market access post-Brexit, including a scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal reached with other members of the trade bloc. Photo from DTI Facebook page
Pernia: Infra spending plan to create 660,000 jobs
National Economic and Development Authority chief Ernesto M. Pernia by Ben
o. De Vera
Inquirer.net
THE government’s plan to ramp up infrastructure spending will create 660,000 more jobs and add 4.6 percent to the gross domestic product in the medium term, according to the country’s chief economist. This estimated impact of the Duterte administration’s higher infrastructure spending program for 2017 to 2022 was disclosed by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority chief Ernesto M. Pernia when he briefed the Filipino community in New York City earlier. Citing the latest updated 20172022 Public Investment Program, Pernia said the bulk of the P10.9trillion total investment requirement during the period would be for infrastructure development. Infrastructure will corner 67 percent of the total investment requirement, equivalent to P7.4 trillion, to be spent on building roads and highways, bridges,
railways, airports, sea ports, and other big-ticket projects. The infrastructure development program will involve 171 projects that were nationwide in scope; 83 interregional projects; and 7,553 region-specific projects, the most number of which will be in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 1,857. As for the Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program, Pernia said 46 flagship projects worth a combined P1.6 trillion were already being implemented as of February. The “Build, Build, Build” pipeline included a total of 75 “gamechanging” projects aimed at ushering in “the golden age of infrastructure.” Pernia said nine “Build, Build, Build” projects worth P38.6 billion were under construction, 14 projects worth P531.9 billion were in the procurement stage, while 21 worth P992.2 billion were undergoing the budgeting/ financing stage of implementa-
Philstar.com file photo
tion. Twenty-four infrastructure projects worth P527.9 billion were in the development, specifically, preinvestment study stage; five other projects worth P84.3 billion were for review. The projects under “Build, Build, Build” had high economic internal rates of return (EIRRs), Pernia said. For instance, the Panguil Bay Bridge Project in Northern Mindanao had an EIRR of 21.4 percent; the New Cebu International Container Port in Central Visayas had a 20.1-percent EIRR; while the EIRR of the Ambal-Simuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River flood control projects in Soccsksargen was 14.2 percent. The massive North-South Commuter Railway that will encompass Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Calabarzon through a 145.1-kilometer rail system between Clark International Airport and Calamba, Laguna, meanwhile, had an EIRR of 10.5 percent. n
Telecommuting favored by many employers – ECOP by Tyrone Jasper
Manilatimes.net
piaD
MAJORITY of companies in the country considered telecommuting or work-from-home for their managerial employees given the significant improvement of internet service in the country, a survey by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) indicated. Some 87 percent of the firms surveyed expressed “openness” to adopt telecommuting if appropriate equipment with improved internet service are available and softwares for monitoring work hours and output are in place. Other condition cited for allowing work-from-home are that firms should be informed of the best industry practices and benchmarking tools from their industry. Further, they should also define roles and responsibilities in case of organizational restructuring; and that guidelines
and policies relating to telecommuting should be provided. Signed in December last year, Republic Act 11165 or the Telecommuting Act defines telecommuting as a “a work arrangement that allows an employee in the private sector to work from an alternative workplace with the use of telecommunication and/or computer technologies.” Out of nearly 100 respondents, 28 firms or 29 percent, most of which are from the information technology-business process outsourcing management sector, are already adopting the scheme, ECOP said. “The telecommuting arrangement of most companies covers only managerial employees. Consultants and project staff are also allowed to telecommute,” ECOP added. Said companies are allowing telecommuting to deal with the heavy traffic going to and from work, achieve the “promotion of
work-life balance and flexibility,” and “enhance employee engagement and retention.” the survey said. Another reason it said was “business need” as there are multinational companies with operations in different time zones. Meanwhile, the survey held from Feb. 11 to March 4 this year said around 86 percent claimed telecommuting and non-telecommuting employees are getting the same benefits. But work-from-home employees from some firms said they are no longer receiving transportation and meal allowances, overtime pay and additional renumeration for more working days. They raised concerns on the “filing and payment of overtime; the need to stay connected and reachable during work hours; determination of work and rest hours; and the requirement to define company liability for employees practicing telecommuting.” n
“Weak export demand is likely to be offset by stronger domestic demand. One factor that should support growth is falling inflation,” the firm said. “Lower price pressures will not only boost consumer’s purchasing power, but should give the central bank room to unwind some of last year’s tightening.” As exports remain weak, Capital Economics expects growth to continue being supported by an increase in government infrastructure spending. The government has so far been running on a re-enacted budget. Malacanang initially announced last Wednesday, April 10, that President Duterte is expected to sign this year’s General Appropriations Act on April 15 but later on backtracked on its statement. “But once the budget is approved, spending is expected to accelerate sharply. The 2019 budget envisages a sharp rise in infrastructure spending from an estimated 4.9 percent of GDP in 2018, to 6.4 percent of GDP in 2021,” said Capital Economics. “Meanwhile, reconstruction in the Mindanao region should also add to growth,” it added. Despite this optimistic outlook in the short term, Capital Economics said the country’s “worsening political climate” is becoming as risk to long-term growth. “Improvements to the business environment has stalled under President Duterte, who has continued to unnerve investors with
his attacks on opposition politicians and journalists,” it said. Another risk to long-term growth is the widening current account deficit which is putting further pressure on the peso. As of February, the country’s trade deficit— the largest component of the current account deficit— widened year-on-year to $2.79 billion from $2.54 billion in February 2018. This trade gap, however, was significantly narrower than the $3.76 billion deficit recorded in January 2019 when imports reached $9.03 billion and exports reached $5.28 billion. “Weak export growth and rising imports of capital goods and raw materials to supply the country’s infrastructure drive has led to a sharp deterioration in the current account,” Capital Economics said. “We expect the deficit to widen further over the next couple of years, reaching around 3.5 percent of GDP in 2020,” it added. As a larger deficit puts downward pressure on the currency, Capital Economics sees the peso falling to 55 versus the dollar this year. A weaker peso makes imports more expensive, hurting local manufacturers as they bring in raw materials and capital goods. To protect profit margins, they may raise the prices of finished goods. This may also make government projects more expensive. n
Strong domestic demand to sustain growth by Czeriza
VaLenCia Philstar.com
AMID a weak growth outlook for emerging Asia this year, London-based think tank Capital Economics expects the Philippines to sustain strong growth momentum of six percent this year and next as strong domestic demand is seen offsetting weak export performance. In its latest Emerging Asia Economic Outlook, the research firm said growth in developing Asian countries is threatened by weak global demand particularly in the electronics sector. Philippine exports continued to decline in February due to lower sales in five of the country’s top export products: metal components, gold, machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods and ignition wiring sets. Exports declined by 0.9 percent to $5.18 billion in February 2019 from $5.23 billion in the same period last year. This, however, was the slowest decline in four months following a slowdown of one percent in November 2018 and contractions of 12.2 percent and 6.7 percent in December 2018 and January 2019, respectively. Capital Economics said while the growth expectation of six percent this year and next is slow by recent standards, it would still make the Philippines one of the fastest growing economies in the region.
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Family, community, and God’s calling: Getting to know Bishop Aclan By Rae ann VaRona / AJPress ON March 5, the Vatican named Monsignor Alejandro “Alex” Aclan the newest auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, making him the second Filipino to ever be presented as bishop in the United States. “I really see that as an acknowledgement of the church and the Vatican, of the contribution of the Filipino American Catholics in the United States,” said Aclan, whose nomination to bishop comes 15 years after Fil-Am Bishop Oscar Solis was named in 2004. In a statement announcing the nomination, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez described Aclan as a “proud son of our vibrant community.” “Bishop-elect Aclan is a man of prayer and he has a true heart for Jesus — and a deep concern for the people he is called to serve,” said Gomez, further describing Aclan as voice for Filipino Catholics who he said were a “beautiful sign of growth and renewal” in Los Angeles and throughout the U.S. For 25 years, Aclan served as a priest in Southern California, getting to know the Filipino American community while serving in several parishes around the Los Angeles Archdiocese. But Aclan’s journey to priesthood wasn’t a linear one as many who have gotten to know him may have learned. In fact, it wasn’t until after he paved himself out an already secure career that he decided to switch paths. But looking closer at his whole story, one may say that
his calling to priesthood was just a matter of coming full circle back to his early years growing up in the Philippines where he witnessed first hand the presence of God. “I grew up in a relatively religious household,” said Aclan who was born in Pasay City, Philippines to Emerenciana and Geronimo Aclan as the third among a total of eight siblings.
father, a Philippine Army Air Corps lieutenant, would often lead the family in praying the Rosary and how his parents made it a point to encourage him and his siblings to be active members of their church. As he and his siblings grew older, his parents continued to make sure they all were able to receive a high quality education while remaining close to the Church. For Aclan, there was the prestigious University of Santo
“We need to remember that Christ did not remain dead,” said Aclan.“He did rise again and we must remind ourselves that our Lord Christ rose again and we can rise again too.” Growing up in the Philippines — the only majority Christian nation in all of Asia where over 80% are Roman Catholic — Aclan grew up feeling experiencing the tight-knit Catholic community that makes the country so unique. He also recalled how priests would often visit their home which was located next door to their parish church in Makati which is now the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart. “I’m sure that a few bags of cement used in building the church were donated by my father,” said Aclan laughingly reminiscing. He recalled how his
Photos from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Office of Media Relations
Tomas (UST) — the oldwest university in the Philippines. For his brother, there was the also the esteemed Colegio de San Juan de Letran where his father also attended. For his sisters, there were the all girl schools, St. Scholastica’s College and St. Mary’s Catholic School for Girls. “My home was a place where I saw and experienced Christianity — not just where I heard about or was told about what being a Christian was. My mom and dad really lived out a good Christian life, especially in the way that they helped others,” said Aclan. “All of those influences, without a doubt, definitely formed my spirituality and the work that I was eventually going to do for the church,” said Aclan. An unexpected calling Despite having grown up in a strong Catholic home, Aclan, like many other young Filipinos was set on taking on the traditional career trajectory of getting a degree and entering the professional workforce. Initially choosing a medical path, Aclan graduated from UST with a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology. Upon graduating, his career path then moved towards electronic data processing, which then led him to working as a programmer and systems analyst for numerous companies in the Philippines including Citibank and San Miguel Corporation — the last company he worked for before immigrating to the U.S. Upon moving to the Southern California in 1982 with his family, Aclan began working for Union Bank in Los Angeles as a project manager, all the while continuing to attend church every Sunday with his family, like he always did in the Philippines. Coincidentally, the church he first came to be a part of when he moved to the U.S. had the same Sacred Heart name as the church he grew up in while in the Philippines. It was there, at the Sacred
Heart Church in Covina that he suddenly felt a calling to enter the seminary. This became more apparent as fellow parishioners began encouraging him to follow the calling. For four years, Aclan discerned his vocation before finally taking the plunge and leaving the career he built and start on a new path. Over the next five years in the St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, his calling grew even stronger. “I become more convinced that this is where God wanted me to be, primarily because I started to really enjoy formation,” said Aclan of his early years in the seminary. “I saw myself grow spiritually, and I was growing intellectually. I was growing as a human being. I was growing in my will to serve others,” added Aclan. During his journey to priesthood, Aclan further found a new meaning to the importance of community as he experienced an overwhelming amount of support in the trying years. “During the entire time, one of the realizations I made was the importance of community during that time. A community that will provide support,” said Aclan. “You have no idea how people people were praying for me during that time. It was so moving,” he added. Still remembering one event in particular, Aclan shared of a time when he unknowingly walked in a group of praying women who were members of the Legion of Mary in his parish who offered one decade of the Rosary for him. “That was so important and essential. They actually offered one decade of that Rosary for me. Can you imagine that?,” said Aclan, still amazed. Of the other total of 13 men and women who were a part of his discernment group, Aclan said they became not only his primary support group, but true friends. “They were not only an emotional support group, they were friends who provided the social support that I needed when I was there,” added Aclan. “It’s hard to do this by yourself.” Filipinos and the gift of faith “Filipinos have this gift of faith and it really is a true gift,” shared Aclan, who most recently spent two months of his sabbatical in the Philippines at the end of last year. While there, he was able to again fully immerse himself in the Catholic community he grew up being so close to. “The deep faith that the people have is the same,” said Aclan. “It is a true gift from God.” Having witnessed the devotion and religiosity during the two months he was there, Aclan said he left encouraged by how dedicated people of all ages were. Visiting groups of senior citizens, he was amazed at how faithfully strong many of
them were despite having experienced obvious hardships throughout their life. “It’s just so encouraging and heartwarming to see how the people pray,” Aclan gave as an example. He shared how every mass he attended in those two months contained a full complement of ministers and parishioners even in the early 6:30 a.m. masses. “I was absolutely mesmerized at the fact that every came all awake and ready early morning,” said Aclan, adding that everyone from senior citizens to the young children were always wearing their best. “And kind of like the cherry on top was the music. The music was just so wonderful,” added Aclan, emphasizing the full participation of the youth in the choir and as altar servers. “Early in the morning, you have all these young kids participating. The participation by the youth in the Philippines is strong,” said Aclan. “It’s just absolutely amazing.” While Aclan’s position as new bishop does not officially begin until May, he is ready to take on the new role and continue doing what he loves best — helping the community that encouraged him, shaped him, and set an ex-
ample of what it means to to be a true follower of Christ. “My favorite thing is being able to alleviate people’s burdens, big and small, spiritual and otherwise,” said Aclan. He said that as priests, they have the opportunity to dedicate time to making a difference in people’s lives every moment of the day. “That’s what we’re all about. Bringing more people to Christ and letting people experience what Christ is like, with the hopes of course that we’ll have a more peaceful and more loving and more progressive society. To heal hurt and division among parishioners and to unify our church,” said Aclan. He added, “We’ve allowed our differences to separate us. We should focus on what is common among us, because there are much more things that we share in common than the difference that divide us.” In light of Holy Week and Easter, Aclan encouraged people to reflect on the passion and death of Christ. “We need to remember that Christ did not remain dead,” said Aclan. “He did rise again and we must remind ourselves that our Lord Christ rose again and we can rise again too.”
Bianca on being morena: ‘We are not pitiful’ by Casey
eRidio Inquirer.net
TELEVISION host Bianca Gonzalez aired her sentiments on being a morena, advocating for loving brown skin in light of whitening brands allegedly making brown-skinned women look “kaawa-awa” (pitiful). Gonzalez took to Twitter Saturday, April 13, to let out her thoughts about being a Filipina with brown skin. “There is no problem at all sa mga gustong magpa-
puti. The problem is when whitening brands make us look [‘kaawa-awa’] dahil lang maitim kami. Kasi, hindi po kami kawawa, maganda ang kulay namin (There is no problem at all to those who want to lighten their skins. The problem is when whitening brands make us look ‘pitiful’ just because we are brownskinned, because we are not pitiful, our color is beautiful),” Gonzalez said. The model also said that she loves her brown skin as she grew up looking up to
actresses Angel Aquino and Tweetie de Leon who “proudly flaunt their brown skin.” “I did not need to compare myself to fair-skinned girls. It need not be a ‘battle’ of maitim (dark-skinned) versus maputi (fair-skinned),” she added. The “Pinoy Big Brother” host also said that while it is up to her daughters, who are both brown-skinned, whether to lighten their skin color or not, she will teach them to not be ashamed of their color. “What I will teach them
is that being brown is not something ‘shameful’, and being brown is not something that makes them less beautiful than others,” she stated. Gonzalez has been outspoken about her opinion on skin whitening. In 2017, the host also put out a series of tweets explaining that she “feels sad” when a morena celebrity endorses a skin-whitening brand. However, she added that whitening is still a choice, but she advocates for celebrating natural skin colors.
Bianca Gonzales
Photo from Instagram/@iamsuperbianca
entertainment
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Michelle marries American boyfriend in Texas by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
VPeepz
FORMER actress Michelle Madrigal has tied the knot with her American boyfriend Troy Woolfolk in an outdoor ceremony held in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, April 13. In her Instagram account, Michelle posted photos of her and Troy in the ceremony, Photo from Instagram/@vpeepzofficial including Michelle and Troy kissing their daughter Anika. “‘What GOD has joined together, let no one separate.’ Mark 10:6-9 — Thank you so much to everyone who made our day extra special,� Michelle wrote. beat, any moment unturned. The ceremony, which was It was so beautiful. Well done, held in Vintage Villas, was VPeepz! You guys nailed it,� attended by her their families Hough added. and close friends, including VPeepz made up of dancMichelle’s sister Ehra, mom ers aged 11 to 16, advanced Kaye and talent manager Pia to the Division Finals of the Campos. dance competition. In his Instagram account, The third season of “World of Dance� premiered last Feb- Troy said he still feels on “cloud nine� after their wedruary 26, 2019. ding. The grand winner of the “Still on cloud 9. Solidifycompetition will receive one ing my relationship, meeting million dollars.
No flips, no tricks, Filipino group VPeepz scores 98.7 on ‘World of Dance’ by KriSSy
aguilar Inquirer.net
YOUNG Filipino dance group VPeepz was at their best when they received an almost perfect score during “The Cut� of American dance competition “World of Dance.� VPeepz earned an average score of 98.7 points from their dance routine of Billie Eilish’s “&Burn.� “Without a flip, without a
trick, without anything. Nobody risked their life and you got the three of us up out of our seats,� Judge Ne-Yo said after the performance. “The clarity, the choreography, the thoughtfulness. There was space in the music that allowed us to appreciate those hard moments, those intricate moments with the footwork,� Judge Derek Hough said. “You didn’t leave any
new friends and reuniting with old ones. I love my family and can’t wait to embark on this new journey as being not only a father but now officially a HUSBAND!� Troy said.
Photo from Instagram/@mitch_madrigal
Reports said that Michelle met Troy after she went to Texas to study Culinary Arts in 2016. She and Troy got engaged on July 2017, while she delivered Anika last October 2017.
Echo, Yam, Yen and Sam soon to kiss primetime goodbye by TeSSa
Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net
THE hottest foursome on primetime television — Jericho Rosales, Yam Concepcion, Yen Santos and Sam Milby� — are down to their last two weeks on air as more intense confrontations amp up the excitement in the highly-rated series, “Halik.� Undeniably one of the most-talked about series since it first premiered in August 2018, “Halik� has built a strong fan base that consistently make the show a top-trending topic on social media almost every night. A story about infidelity, which is almost always a hit subject whether in soaps or the movies, Halik has been a favorite subject across Facebook and
Instagram complete with memes with its “#nakakagigil� scenes. “We’ll miss all the bashing,� the actors laughingly admitted at a media conference announcing the series’ upcoming conclusion. They said every hit their fictional characters took was a confirmation of their convincing acting skills. Halik’s story has followed the lives of childhood sweethearts Jacky and Lino who years later find themselves attracted to one another every if both are already married. The fast-paced soap has since seen them torn between fighting for their love or to be true to their vows. “I’m so grateful to be part of a show like “Halik� that really had an impact on the audience and more so in our
Sam Milby, Yam Concepcion, Yen Santos and Jericho Rosales
careers as actors,� added Rosales who plays the role of Lino in the series. “The last time something like this happened to me was 20 years
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ago with ‘Pangako Sa’Yo’ and to land such a project na tumatatak twice is really a blessing.� Indeed, the series has
tude at the leap their careers took with “Halik�. The numbers are proof of their success via consistent national TV ratings, which hit an all-time high of 29.3 percent, which is a feat for its late night timeslot. The series also broke records on ABS-CBN’s streaming service iWant TV and remains the most-watched show on the website. Moreover, the show’s producers proudly announced at the mediacon that “Halik� has also conquered the African territory, airing to positive reception in Tanzania since ManilaTimes.net photo February. With all the success of this made stars out of popular original series, stay tuned to the actors Rosales and Milby’s leading ladies Concepcion and very end to find out to whom these four seductive characters Santos, and both actresses will give their last kiss. were teary-eyed with grati-
Enrique, Liza enjoy Coachella
entertainment
by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Jennifer Lopez wears Filipino designer’s creation in new music video One in her latest music video, “Medicine.� In the Instagram page of INTERNATIONAL pop star Furne One’s Amato Couture, the fashion brand posted a Jennifer Lopez wears a creation by Filipino designer Furne photo of what JLo was wearby Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
ing in the video of her latest single. “JENNIFER LOPEZ ‘MEDICINE’ MV x AMATO COUTURE The beautiful, sexy and multitalented Award winning Diva Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) features pieces from Amato Couture’s iconic ‘Amor Vincit Omnia’ Collection for her latest music video ‘Medicine,’� the Instagram page wrote. Furne One, the designer behind the Amato Couture, designed the dress accented with pearls and crystals. The dress was from his 2018/19 couture collection. Amato Couture is a Dubaibased fashion brand started in 2002. It can be regularly seen on fashion week circuits in Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and London. Apart from JLo, celebrities who also wore Amato Couture in the past included Beyonce, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Heidi Klum, Shakira, Toni Braxton, Ariana Grande and Jessie J. In February, “Popstar Royalty� Sarah Geronimo also wore an Amato Couture dress during her performance after the mass of Pope Francis in Dubai.
Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil
Is Catriona Gray willing to do ‘Darna’? by Deni roSe M. afiniDaD-BernarDo Philstar.com
AFTER Liza Soberano withdrew from doing Star Cinema’s revival of Mars Ravelo’s “Darna� due to an injured finger incurred while filming “Bagani,� the job is now open to anyone, including beauty queens like Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. During her press launch as official Jolly Twirl endorser last Saturday, April 13, Catriona answered fans’ clamor for her to don the Filipina superhero’s costume, which is also red like the lava gown she wore during her coronation. “Am I open to acting po? Yes, I’m open to any opportunity that comes my way,� Catriona asserted. “Acting is a field that I International pop star Jennifer Lopez wearing a don’t have any experience in, creation by Filipino designer Furne One in her but I’m an eager learner and if latest music video. an opportunity came to audi Photo from Instagram/@amatoofficial tion for a certain role, I would
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ON- and off-screen partner Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano attended the Coachella Music & Arts Festival 2019 to witness the historic debut of Korean pop sensation Black Pink in the music festival. In her Instagram account, Liza posted photos of the festival and a video of the Korean girl group’s performance in the festival held at the Coachella dessert valley in Southern California. “I only went to coachella for @blackpinkofficial period,� Liza captioned the video. Black Pink is the first-ever K-pop group to perform in the annual music and arts festival. Liza and Enrique’s close friend documented their experience through his Instagram story. Enrique’s younger sister Andi and Liza’s younger brother Justin also joined them in the music festival. Coachella Music & Arts Festival features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music, as well as art installaPhoto from Instagram/@lizasoberano Continued on Page 6
Catriona Gray
very much be open to it.� Like Darna, Catriona is
Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray
currently busy doing charity work.
The Mega and the Heneral join forces for ‘Kwaresma’ by Ricky
caldeRon ManilaTimes.net
HOW would you like to see Megastar Sharon Cuneta and award-winning actor John Arcilla in a horror movie to scare the living daylights out of you? That’s just what they plan to do as husband and wife in “Kuwaresma,” top director Erik Matti’s next thriller after the award-winning 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Seklusyon.” Sharon and John play the roles of Rebecca and Arturo whose daughter Manuela just died. Their son Luis comes home to pay his last respects but his sister’s ghost haunts him when he begins asking his parents why she died. Both tight lipped, Luis is forced to consult with a psychic to uncover the mystery of Manuela’s death and comes face-to face with the family home’s dark history. “Kuwaresma” marks Sharon’s return to the hor-
entertainment Zsa Zsa bemoans second annulment from fake marriage with stranger The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
by Ricky
caldeRon ManilaTimes.net
Sharon Cuneta and John Arcilla
ror genre since first doing “Biktima” in 1990. It is also her first movie with John, and first acting job under Direk Erik. Since the upload of the
SINGER and actress Zsa Zsa Padilla has gone through an annulment the second time after reportedly being married to a Japanese man without her knowledge. The said fake marriage had hindered Padilla from getting married to her fiancé Conrad Onglao. The “Wildflower” actress lamented about her experience going through a second annulment case, which lasted Photo from Instagram/@johnarcilla for a year, in a series of tweets last Friday, April 12. movie’s trailer on YouTube, “Can you believe I had to it’s been gaining numerous annul this ‘marriage’ I didn’t views online because of its intriguing premise and dramatic even know about? Sadly, all this fake marriage needed highlights that come with were details of my birth cerevery Erik Matti movie. tificate! My second annulment case went on for a year and I am finally annulled… again!” she said. According to the actress, the marriage certificate stated that she and a Japanese stranger supposedly got married in 1992. The dates, however, did not match up as she was in the United States with late comedian Dolphy, whom she was in a relationship with at the time. She also stated that the Japanese man had only been in Manila once in 1993. While some speculated that the sham marriage was created by her ex-husband Modesto Tatlonghari, the Divine Diva defended Tatlonghari, saying that it is “unfair” to accuse him of the crime. “After years of being estranged from my [ex-husband], I made a vow to my daughter [Karylle] that I will bury all hurts of the past. Since the day she got married in March 2014, my [ex-husband] and I have been friends again,” she added. While the singer spent a lot of time and money on the case, she said she had already Photo from Instagram/@noromeworldwide forgiven the person who cre-
Filipino artist No Rome performs in Coachella with The 1975 by casey
eRidio Inquirer.net
LONDON-based Filipino artist Rome Gomez, known as “No Rome”, set foot on the Coachella main stage with British band The 1975, performing their synth-pop single “Narcissist”. The “Seventeen” singer took Filipino pride to Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the United States, last Friday, April 12. A video clip of the performance was posted by fan account @The1975official on Twitter. “Narcissist” is No Rome’s single featuring The 1975 in his EP “RIP Indo Hisashi”, which was also co-produced by the band’s frontman Matt Healy and drummer George Daniel. In May 2018, Healy reContinued on Page 6 Rome Gomez (No Rome)
Zsa Zsa Padilla
ated the false marriage. “I just want you all to know that before deciding to go on with the case, I’ve already forgiven whoever did this to me. It has given me so much heartache and tears and I felt I had to start proceedings with no bitterness or anger in my heart,” she stated. Padilla also lamented other people who were vic-
ABS-CBN photo
tims of fake marriages. She explained that a big amount of money was needed for her to proceed with the case and that some people do not have the resources to file an annulment case. As of writing, Padilla has not yet announced the date and the details of her marriage with her fiancé Conrad Onglao.
entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Matteo Guidicelli now an Army reservist by Krissy
AguilAr Inquirer.net
FILIPINO Italian actor and model Matteo Guidicelli has joined the Philippine Army. Guidicelli, alongside Ivan Carapeit and Luis Ruiz took their oath Monday, April 15, as reservists of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the Army Reserve Command (Arescom) headquarters in Tanza, Cavite. “I officially joined the Philippine ARMY today because I love my country,” Guidicelli said in an Instagram post. “I would like to thank the people that have been very supportive. Exciting times ahead,” he added. Arescom said in a statement the three will soon be undergoing training in order to prepare them in the event of natural disasters and national emergencies. Prior to taking his oath as an Army reservist, Guidicelli took his oath as a member of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary alongside Erwan Heussaff and Nico Bolzico.
JM de Guzman and Arci Muñoz
Photo from Instagram/@1migueldeguzman
Why Arci Muñoz never considered JM de Guzman boyfriend material by MArinel
Cruz
Inquirer.net
Matteo Guidicelli
“I THOUGHT he was gay,” said actress Arci Muñoz of her “Last Fool Show” costar JM de Guzman, whom she has known Photo from Instagram/@matteog since they were in college taking
up theater arts at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. “Kasi walang pumapasok sa teatro na ’di bading,” she reasoned out. “I told myself, ‘mag-a-out rin ’yan!’ It turned out that there were only two of them from our batch who are
straight men. This was also why I never considered him ‘boyfriend material’ back then.” Arci added: “Besides, I was too focused on school work … [and] my parents were very strict about matters of the heart.”
Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano
Enrique, Liza...
From Page 4 tions and sculptures. For the festival’s Day 3 on Sunday, April 14, Filipino American Grammy winner H. E. R. performed, followed by international pop star Ariana
Grande, who surprised fans with her guests, rapper and “Side To Side” collaborator Nicki Minaj and ‘90s boy band NSYNC, minus Justin Timberlake, who was unable to come reportedly due to an injury.
Photo from Instagram/@noromeworldwide
Filipino artist No Rome...
From Page 5 vealed that he and No Rome had been living together in London, as per an interview with radio station Beats 1. Healy also called the Filipino artist his “muse”, inspiring him for the band’s third studio album. “This kid is amazing, man,” Healy said in the interview. “I just fell in love with him completely. I have never seen him and I did not know who he was or anything, but I just flew him over to the [United
Kingdom].” No Rome has been involved with the band ever since he moved to London, making cameos in the band’s music videos. He will also be the opening act for The 1975’s concert in Manila on September 11. Before moving to London and getting signed under Dirty Hit Records, No Rome had collaborated with local indie artists B.P. Valenzuela and August Wahh in an electronic pop track, “Bbgirl”.
Minding Your Finances ATTY. RAYMOND BULAON SLEEPLESS nights… Stressed out… Worried about the future.. Always broke no matter how hard they work…Feeling hopeless about their situation. This is what most people are going through when they are considering bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. The word “bankruptcy” often produces negative feelings because some people equate it with failure. They think that filing bankruptcy means they have failed and that they are admitting defeat. But nothing can be further from the truth. Listen to me! Bankruptcy is not about failing; it’s about starting again and putting the past behind you so that you can move on to bigger and better things. A lot of creditors will lie to you when you’re in debt and tell you that bankruptcy is the ‘worst mistake’ you can ever make because your credit will be ‘ruined forever’ and that you will never be able to buy a car or house again. Wrong again. The truth is that bankruptcy is a fact of life. At one time or another, everyone experiences financial difficulties. When you’re in a situation where you have done everything you can to pay your creditors but nothing has
Debt Relief
ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG CLIENT no. 1 is 50 years old and is the manager of a big retail store. He’s been working there for 30 years. His spouse got into an accident and is now on disability. He owns a house with $200,000 of equity. He has, believe it or not, 11 children from age 2 to 18. Just imagine his food expense every month! He owes $60,000 of credit card debt. Since his wife became disabled, he applied for a loan modification of his first mortgage. His first mortgage payment is $2,800. His gross income is $80,000. With wife’s disability pay, they gross $100,000 a year. But with 11 kids and $60,000 of credit card debt, something has to give. He can’t pay the minimum credit card payments of $1,800 anymore. So he wants Chapter 7 to get rid of the $60,000 credit cards. But does he qualify for Chapter 7 discharge? Well, in terms of the means test, there certainly is no presumption of abuse because he has 11 kids. But in Chapter 7, there is going to be a problem with the residence. The homestead exemption for the client is $100,000 but his equity is $130,000. So, there is $30,000 of nonexempt equity. Theoretically, Chapter 7 could work for the client because there is almost no viable nonexempt equity to speak of if you factor in the cost of sale of 6%. The house is currently valued at $500,000. Six percent of $500,000 is $30,000, which is the amount of nonexempt equity. A Chapter 7 trustee
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA WE live in the Age of Information. You could say it is both a blessing and a curse to live during what could very well be “the best of times, the worst of times” as Dickens would probably describe it, to have so much information available at our fingertips. We have terabytes of available information on our smartphones and computers. It is amazing wizardry indeed! All we need is the correct phrase and spelling to look up something and VOILA, there it is. What is the downside? We think we know everything there is to know about practically everything. Secondly, we feel lost without our mental crutch, our smart phones. Third, we are susceptible to groupthink — to think like the herd does, as trends and memes proliferate in the internet. There is a serious need to dig for the truth. Raw knowledge is not the same as wisdom as it applies to how we live our lives. We still need our thinking caps to process and filter information and cull out only those golden nuggets of wisdom we could use to live our lives the best way we can. We junk the rest. Our minds and the collection of life experiences in our memory banks function as the kidneys to filter out the lies and all useless information.
Bankruptcy: Are you living without a financial plan? worked, bankruptcy may be your only option so you can start a new life. And this is exactly what Congress intended when they passed bankruptcy laws. So with bankruptcy, you get another chance. You wipe the slate clean and move on with your life, free from the burdens of debt. Can you just imagine what would happen if we had no bankruptcy laws that can help people get out of debt when they can no longer help themselves? Filing for bankruptcy means that you are filing a petition for relief from the bankruptcy court. The court reviews your application and determines whether on not you are entitled to the relief you are seeking. It is not for dishonest people who are trying to cheat the system. Contrary to what others think, most people who file for bankruptcy are honest, hardworking people who have gotten themselves in a big financial mess. In some cases it is caused by factors beyond their control. In other cases, it is a result of making bad financial decisions. But who hasn’t made a bad decision in their life at least once? Life is not perfect. Neither are you. Filing bankruptcy can help you regain your footing if you have lost control of your finances. If you are living your life without a financial plan for the future, you
will never achieve financial security. So you can say that bankruptcy is a tool that allows you to reorganize your finances so you can plan a better future for yourself and your family. It is neither good nor bad in and of itself. You can use a tool for the wrong or right reasons. Using it for the wrong reasons is NOT the intent of our bankruptcy laws. Is it for you? Maybe yes. Maybe no. It certainly is not for everyone. But when appropriate for your situation, it could be the best thing that ever happened to you- and it could be a big turning point in your life if you are drowning in debt. This is what you need, isn’t it? If you need some straight talk about bankruptcy and get all your questions answered, I will give you a free initial consultation so we can talk about your situation. Just call 866-477-7772 and schedule an appointment. I have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
Store manager needs bankruptcy relief would have nothing to administer and theoretically, the client should be able to keep his house in Chapter 7. The problem is that real estate prices in Los Angeles are still going up. An aggressive Chapter 7 trustee can file an adversary proceeding to have the house sold because of the $30,000 nonexempt equity. The adversary case may take 18 months to reach trial. By that time, the house value could have increased by another $50,000. The increase in value is justification in favor of the trustee’s argument that there is viable equity for him to administer. Nobody wants this kind of problem in bankruptcy but it happens. I have this exact situation with another client whose case was filed two years ago. The trustee filed an adversary complaint to get his house because the nonexempt portion, according to the trustee was $100,000. Our defense was that there was no viable equity for the trustee to administer because there was a judgment lien for $97,000. This adversary was due for trial on April 26, 2017. But a week before trial, the trustee offered a settlement to enable the client to keep his house. The trustee argued that the value of the house had increased “substantially” in the last 18 months resulting in viable nonexempt equity. So this kind of problem does happen in Chapter 7 although not often. To avoid this situation, it is the better part of caution to file for Chapter 13. Why? The Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee, does not have the power to
sell debtor’s house. So, in Chapter 13, there is no risk of losing debtor’s house. But in Chapter 13, the client must pay at least $30,000 over 60 months, or $500 a month. After five years, the client would have paid the trustee $30,000. Upon completion of the last payment, the court will discharge the other $30,000. So, in five years, the debtor will not owe any more credit cards as the entire $60,000 will be gone. Separated debtor needs Chapter 7 relief Client no. 2 is 64 years old. He is married but separated. He does not have his own children but he helps his nephews and nieces who live abroad with money for the monthly expenses, which include college tuition abroad. He makes a gross of $90,000 a year as a scientist. He does not own a house. He owes $50,000 of credit card debt, which is using up $1,500 a month of his net income. The client also likes to gamble, which he seems to be good at because he had $40,000 of gambling winnings last year. The client wants a Chapter 7 discharge of his $50,000 of credit cards. Will he qualify for a Chapter 7 discharge given the fact that he is practically single with $90,000 of gross income a year? That’s a good question. After doing the means test analysis, it appears that there is no presumption of abuse with Chapter 7. On the other hand, if some deductions we claim are disputed by the trustee, there could be some disposable income that will PAGE B8
The bucket list Ask for help 15th of a series
“Don’t be shy about asking for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it only means you’re wise.” — Anonymous The Pareto 80/20 rule applies: 20% of stuff matters and the remaining 80% is chaff and should be trashed if we want our mental faculties to remain healthy and functioning for a long time yet. With all these ever evolving gadgets and gizmos, most people these days think that they have the smarts to handle practically every life situation. This may be true — but only up to a point. Life, as we know it, is not so cut and dried. Self-confidence is good but not when it makes you arrogant and cocky believing that you are better than anyone else. Life has a way of knocking you down off your high horse. A bruised and battered ego is a good starting point to learn humility and gratitude. This is when the soul begins to grow. The downside of the Age of Information? Because we have become self –reliant, we feel we don’t need anyone else. We don’t want to ask for help when we are stumped with a problem or a situation that is beyond our abilities to deal with. Society expects us to find our way with the
wherewithal and smart tools we have. Before the advent of GPS (Global Positioning System), most men (yes, men) wandered aimlessly about trying to find an address, refusing to admit to themselves that they are lost. Ask for directions? Bah, humbug! Why was this so? The short answer: EGO. Most do not want to be perceived as weak or inept or lacking in common sense. Most women seem to be just fine asking strangers or people at gas stations for directions and the men who give the directions seem just happy to oblige. GPS technology is a blessing. However, there is a caveat about complete reliance on it. No technology, at this time, no matter how sophisticated can replace good old common sense. You still need to process the information provided to find the best route for yourself. GPS is a great tool when the freeways are clogged and you need alternate routes to your destination. That said, never relinquish your chief navigator position. PAGE B8
community 7 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Calendar of Events across
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS A P R I L 22
West Ranch Music Masters Tournament in Valencia, CA West Ranch High School’s Instrumental Music Program is excited to announce their inaugural Golf Tournament fundraiser to be held on Monday, April 22 at The Oaks Club at Valencia, CA. Check-in and breakfast starts at 10 a.m. with a 12 p.m. shotgun start. The $125 per player fee includes: 18 holes of golf, use of golf cart, practice facilities, lunch and dinner. There will be an optional Mulligan and Magic Putt package for purchase. Additionally, a wide array of silent auction and raffle baskets will be available. The awards dinner will be served starting at 5pm and will feature students performing live jazz music. For those who wish to attend only the dinner and award festivities, the cost is $50. All proceeds go directly to support the West Ranch High School Music Program. To register for the tournament or for more information contact Jean Conway at westranchband@gmail.com or visit westranchmusic.com. Deadline to register is on April 11.
A P R I L 25 -28
Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.
M AY 4
Kulintang festival in Oakland, CA As part of the as part of the celebrations of Asian American Heritage Month, Gongster’s Paradise — a kulintang party — will be held on Saturday, May 4 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center where the father of Filipino-American Kulintang music, Danongan ‘Danny’ Kalanduyan was once an artists in residence. This year’s line up will feature a new generation of Maguindanaon Master Artists from Cotabato City, Traditional groups from all over the United States and Contemporary groups from all over the world including Toronto, Philippines, Seattle, Virginia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Alongside non-stop kulintangan, Gongster’s Paradise will feature visual artists, vendors, and dancers to showcase movements related to kulintang music rooted from all over Mindanao. A feast will be served throughout the evening to be prepared and served by Chef Eric Pascual, rising star and owner of Eats By E and will be joined by collaborator and sponsor, Ramar Foods. It will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (388 9th St., Oakland, CA 94607).
M AY 1 7-1 9
Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii The Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Global Association (SMISGA) and the Santa Marians of Hawaii are sponsoring the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 17-19, 2019. The festivities will start with a meet and greet on May 17 at 5 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom to be followed by a gala night on May 18 at 5 p.m. at the Dole Cannery Pomaikai Ballroom. A picnic is also scheduled at Ala Moana Beach Park’s Magic Island on Sunday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. The ticket to attend all the events is $130.00 per person. Due to limited space, reservations must be made not later than March 31, 2019. Hats and tshirts will also be on sale for $20. For further information, call Nena Empleo at (808) 384-0394, Carlito Soria at (808) 487-3370, Alex Pena at (702) 373-9522 or Orlino Baldonado at (865) 7898324. Leave a message if there’s no answer. Additional information is also on SMISGA.com and Facebook @ SMISGA19FB. Proceeds from the events will be for various projects in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur and in Hawaii. Donations are tax deductible since SMISGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
M AY 25
Marist School Marikina to celebrate 55th anniversary in Buena Park, CA Marist Alumni Abroad, coordinated by Arthur ‘Jojo’ P. Armada ‘77, invites alumni, family and friends, and the public who are interested, to the 55th anniversary grand reunion of the Marist School Marikina, to be held on Saturday, May 25, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620). The event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Marist Life...The Legacy Continues,” hosted by Marist Alumni Abroad. Dinner and dance: 6 pm to 11 pm; donation: $55/pax (per person). Contact person is overall chair Jojo P. Armada at (626) 216-3529 or email: armadaarthur@yahoo.com.
M AY 25 -26
Bulacan high schools reunite in Rosemead, CA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, Bulacan will be held on May 25-26, 2019 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rosemead, CA. For further information, please contact any of the following: Lourdes Ople-Smith at lourdesosmith@gmail. com / (310) 662-1948; Charito Aldaba-Gabriel at chato_gabriel1019@yahoo.com / (818) 6536047; Leni Flor Cruz-Florentino at lenflorcruz529@yahoo.com / (818) 282-0928; Tristan Zafra at tristan@trisoftco.com / (714) 686-3345; Gerry Torres, Jr. at gerrytorres50@gmail.com / (213) 249-1633; and Perfecto T. Martin at perfecto.martin@gmail.com.
JUNE 1
7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival in LA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, BulacThe 7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival Committee (7KPFC) announced that it will holding the 7th Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 1, 2019 in commemoration of the 121st PH Independence Day on June 12, 1898. This will be the 7th Kalayaan Parade and Festival in Historic Filipinotown, as the first was held in 2013 in cooperation with the PH Consulate General in Los Angeles. This is the only Independence Day parade and Festival in Los Angeles and is held every year in Historic Filipinotown. For more information, please call Freddie at (818) 220-2075 or email at jfavusa8@gmail.com.
Kalayaan Incorporated’s annual Philippine Independence Day gala in LA Kalayaan Incorporated invites the community to its celebration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel (5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA). Kalayaan is extremely proud to have Honorable Risa Hontiveros, an incumbent senator who assumed office on June 30, 2016, as the grand gala’s guest of honor and speaker. For tickets to the Gala Night, please contact Annie Cuevas-Lim, Kalayaan President at (213) 447-7078. For more information, contact KI PROs Violet Mislang at vmislang@gmail.com or Lady Hope Robillos at lhopepr@yahoo.com.
J U LY 2 0
The Ibaan Association USA-Canada gala dinner in LA The Ibaan Association USA-Canada will hold its 32nd Annual Gala Dinner & Dance July 20, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles / Universal City - Ballroom A at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, California 91608. For reservations call Monica Benitez at (323) 697-3731 / email: monica_benitez03@yahoo.com or Irene May Villafranca at (323) 4232299 / email: imay02@yahoo.com. Tickets are $85 for Adults and $40 for Children (3 to 10 years old). Please make checks payable to: Ibaan Association USA-Canada and mail to: Merly Pagunsan at 5025 Heintz St. Baldwin Park, CA 91706. For sponsorship information on our 2019 Souvenir Program please contact President Noli Reyes at homesbynoli@gmail.com or call (818) 458-7888. Please RSVP by April 12, 2019.
J U LY 24 -28
40th annual Philippine Nurses Association of America National Convention in Atlanta, GA The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) will have its 40th annual national convention from July 24 to 28 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA, hosted by the PNA-GA chapter. More information and details TBA. To learn about the PNA-GA, please visit: https://pnaga.wildapricot.org/.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THE Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was recently enacted into law, impact various issues in a divorce case. These changes are effective beginning 2018 through 2025. Spousal Support. Spousal Support will no longer be deductible by the paying spouse and will not be taxable income to the supported spouse for post 2017 divorce judgments and support orders. This will benefit the supported spouse in that the spousal support will be tax free income to the supported spouse. This does not affect existing orders and judgments for support entered prior to 2018. Prior to 2018, spousal support was tax deductible to the payor and taxable income to supported spouse. Dependency Exemptions. The new law suspends personal and dependency tax exemptions effective 2018. This is not favorable to the parent who has sole or primary physical custody of the child because under the law prior to 2018, that parent can claim the dependency exemption for the child in a divorce case. However, this loss may be offset by the higher standard deduction available for 2018 which is $24,000 for joint filers and $18,000 for heads of households. Child and Family Tax Credit. Child tax credit is increased to $2,000 from $1,000 per qualify-
2018 Tax changes that affect divorcing couples ing child beginning 2018. This would benefit parents with sole or primary physical custody of the child. Further, up to $1,400 of the child tax credit can be refundable if it exceeds the parents’ tax liability. Prior to 2018, this credit was not refundable. However, the child tax credit begins to be phased out once the parents’ adjusted gross income reaches $200,000 or $400,000 for joint filers. Mortgage Interest deduction. It is common among divorcing couple to buy the other party’s interest out of a community property home through refinancing. Beginning 2018, mortgage interest on loans used to acquire principal residence and a second home is only deductible up to $750,000 (down from $1 million prior to 2018) beginning with loans taken out in 2018. Further, interest on home equity loans are no longer tax deductible regardless of when the debt was taken out. This would be a disadvantage to the party keeping the community property home who typically would buy out the other spouse through a refinancing or home equity loan. Estate and Gift Tax Exemption. The estate tax exemption was raised to $11.2 million per individual beginning 2018. Prior to 2018, the estate tax exemption was $5.49 million per individual. This is a major win for divorcing couples with significant assets. Couples with assets over $5.49 million would typically need to use both spouses’ estate tax credit totaling $10.98
in order to avoid paying estate taxes upon their death. The problem arises after a divorce when each spouse will be limited to $5.49 million. With the estate tax exemption raised at $11.2 million per individual, this would exempt 99% of divorcing couple from having to pay estate taxes in case of death. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.
The bucket list
Navigating our own life’s journey is not that simple however. There are twists and turns in life that throw us out of our smug self-sufficiency. We find ourselves needing help, either from our fellow men or more than likely, from God, when everything we have tried, has failed spectacularly. Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Sometimes, we go through seasons of darkness when it seems the universe is conspiring against us and everything that is happening weighs us down. We
feel helpless as though a Category 5 hurricane is tossing us about like a rag doll and there is no end in sight. These are the seasons when going down on our knees and doubling down on prayers begging for help from above are the best of any one’s lifetime. This is a time of building a deeper, more personal relationship with the loving God of our beings, who the psalmist described as the one “who knit us in our mother’s womb,” so that we are each “fearfully and won-
*** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com” kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)
Store manager needs bankruptcy... PAGE B7 t
indicate that client has the ability to pay off a portion of his $50,000 credit card debt. But note that this case is significantly different from the first case because in this case, the client does not own a house. So, even if it’s a borderline case, i.e. client can file Chapter 7 or 13, the client can file for Chapter 7 relief as long as the IRS deductions are kosher. Kosher means in this case that he can justify the money
EMPLOYMENT
that he sends to his nephews and nieces abroad. If he can justify that expense, it can be argued that the nephews and nieces are his dependents even though they do not live with him. Under the worse case, he can convert his case to Chapter 13. However, he has very good chances of getting a Chapter 7 discharge. This is a no brainer for a gambler like the client, so he opts for Chapter 7. If you need bankruptcy relief, please call my office for an ap-
pointment and I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)
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FOR RENT
Performance Strong. Results Delivered.
derfully made.” All we need to do when lost and helpless, is to ASK for HELP. After all, PRAYERS, heartfelt and unceasing, are the most powerful force in the universe. To borrow from the slogan that a sportswear company who seems to have lost its way at the moment: JUST DO IT. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
Spring Eggstravaganza in Alhambra
people & events 9 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019
Thomasian USA’s 32nd anniversary focuses on Filipino American empowerment
JOIN the City of Alhambra for the Annual Spring Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at Almansor Park, located at 800 South Almansor Street, from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. This fun-filled family event will feature an egg hunt, carnival games, arts and
crafts, photos with the bunny and more. The Egg-Hunt times are as follows: 9:30 am: Ages 0-2 years and 34 years. 10:30 am: Ages 5-7 years and 8-12 years and Adaptive. Registration is required to par-
ticipate in the egg hunt. Registration will be done on the day of the event at the park, so please arrive early to sign up. For questions or more information about the event, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at (626) 5703242. n
THOMASIANS USA is gearing up to celebrate its 32nd anniversary by focusing on its “Filipino American Educational Empowerment Program” as the centerpiece of its celebration. The alumni organization of the University of Santo Tomas will honor the late Alice Bulos, Thomasians USA’s president for three decades, by giving her a posthumous award. Also to be honored is Esther Lee, an outstanding alumni, for her distinguished service to the FilipinoAmerican community. The winners of the Essay Competition will be awarded cash prizes during the program. Thomasians USA 32nd Anniversary will be held Saturday, May 18, 2019, 5:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza, 1177 Airport Bou-
Thomasians USA officers and board members recently feted the new Advisory Board at a “Meet and Greet” luncheon held at Isla Restaurant in San Bruno. Photo above L-R (front row): Eris Rodriguez, Recording Secretary; Atty. Angelica Galang, Advisory Board; Joseph Palafox, President; Commissioner Marico Enriquez, Advisory Board; Fe Enriquez, Board Member; Rose Pavone, Board Member; Elisa Orlina, Board Member. L-R (back row): Mely Fernandez, Board Member; Lota Torres-Clemente, Auditor; Nora David, Board Member; Princess Baylosis, Corresponding Secretary; Estelle Oloresisimo, Vice President; Atty. Rodel Rodis, Advisory Board; Sylvia Omuro, Treasurer. Missing from the photo are the new members of the Advisory Board: Fr. Eugene Tungol, Fr. Ray Reyes and Fr. Arnold Zamora.
levard, Burlingame. For details, groups/1860862970893654/anvisit https://www.facebook.com/ nouncements/ Thomasians. n
Artesia Community Garden Cleanup sees large turnout
ON Saturday, March 30, the City welcomed community members to the Community Garden at AJ Padelford Park in North Artesia for an Earth Day Community Cleanup. Over 60 volunteers joined the City in improving and beautifying this valuable community asset. Volunteers from the local community, Ross Middle School, Gahr High School, Holy Family Catholic Church, Calvary Chapel Artesia, and the AJ Padelford Park Teen Center joined for the event. Technical assistance and safety instructions were provided by Eric Basher, Vice President of the Van Nuys Airport Community Garden. Throughout the four-hour cleanup, volunteers pulled weeds that filled half of a 40-yard rolloff dumpster and placed 3 cubic yards of mulch at the garden. Six tomato and six pepper plants were planted in the garden, as well as cucumber, cantaloupe, and corn seeds. Volunteers also collected trash and beverage containers for recycling in the garden and in AJ
Shown above are the Officers and Board Members of Thomasians USA with Fr. Arnold Zamora, who inducted the new set of officers at last year’s anniversary celebration. Also in the photo is Juslyn Manalo, past Mayor of Daly City.
Adult Day Dare Food Program public service announcement
Padelford Park. The City thanks all volunteers and partners who made this event a great success and helped renew this resource for the community to use and enjoy. Located in southeast Los Angeles County, Artesia is a diverse, vibrant city with nearly 18,000 residents and a dynamic business community. The City of Artesia, a leader in sustainability practices and winner of two 2018 Bea-
con Spotlight awards, is focused on serving the community with sound governance, 21st century infrastructure, and a commitment to public safety. To request services or share a question, visit our Service Request page. To stay updated on our projects and events, visit us at CityofArtesia.us, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @OfficialCityofArtesia, and subscribe to our YouTube channel @CityofArtesia. n
(Adult day care component non pricing program media release) THE 2nd Century Adult Day Health Care Facility announces the sponsorship of the Adult Day Care Food Program. Meals will be available at no separate charge to persons enrolled at the center. The United States department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,
color, national origin, gender, religion, age disability, or political beliefs. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc. ) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD0. To file a discrimination complaint,
write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Contact person:_ Aleksan Gaiyan n
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - April 17, 2019