April 28-May 1, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 35 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
PH gov’t releases P448-M for displaced Boracay workers Six-month closure of world-famous island begins by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE Philippine government has allotted P448 million in assistance for workers affected by the temporary closure of Boracay island. In a statement on Friday, April 27, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the funds will be used for “emergency employment, livelihood, and training programs for the 6month shutdown and rehabilitation of the resort island.” The financial aid will cover about 17,700 formal sector workers in Malay, Aklan, who were affected by the world-famous BORACAY CLOSURE. A vendor, offering his wares to tourists, will be among those island’s six-month shutdown. According to Budget Secretary affected by the closure of Boracay, which started on Thursday, April 26. The Benjamin Diokno, the funds came Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said half of the 5,000 affected workers
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DATELINE
would start working in Boracay on Friday, April 27, a day after the start of the six-month closure of the island to give way to its rehabilitation. PNA photo by Joey Razon
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
Federal judge ruling: US must continue DACA Judge John D. Bates joins other federal judges in support of the Obama-era program that provides benefits to undocumented youth THE Trump administration has been dealt with yet another blow in its mission to terminate a program which grants work authorization and protection from deportation to undocumented youth. Judge John D. Bates of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on Tuesday, April 24 that the federal government must keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in place and continue accepting new applications. Like previous federal judges’ rulings, Bates
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Third version of Trump’s travel ban reaches Supreme Court with intense arguments AFTER months of lower court battles, the third and current version of President Donald Trump’s travel ban reached the Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 25 where heated arguments revolved around the president’s power to issue the ban, and whether or not the ban was to be seen as motivated by animus. Much like in the two previous versions, the ban’s third iteration bars travelers from five predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. The ban is also extended to certain government officials from Venezuela, and travelers from North Korea. Chad was originally on the ban list, but was
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Duterte admin backs order for Australian missionary to leave PH by AJPRESS MALACAÑANG has defended the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) order on Australian Catholic nun Patricia Fox to leave the Philippines after it canceled her missionary visa. “We stand by the Bureau of Immigration’s order to forfeit Sister Patricia Fox‘s privilege of holding a missionary visa and to leave the Philippines,” Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement released on Wednesday, April 25. Asserting that the BI went through the proper procedure, Roque noted that an investigation has been conducted and determined that Fox “violated the terms and conditions of her visa.” The BI on Monday, April 23 released an order directing Fox to leave the country after it forfeited her missionary visa for engaging in “partisan political activities.” “She was found to have engaged in activities that are not allowed under the terms and conditions of her visa,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said. Morente explained that Fox’s missionary visa, which is supposed to expire on September 5 of this year, only grants her the “privilege to engage in missionary work and
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President Rodrigo Duterte and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Phuc engage in a discussion during the bilateral meeting at Ritz-Carlton Millenia Hotel in Singapore on Friday, April 27. Duterte discussed the international arbitral ruling on the Philippines’ dispute with China in the South China Sea with Vietnam’s head of state, who was all praises for the way the Philippine president handled the maritime row, a Palace official said. Malacañang photo by Karl Norman Alonzo
Palace downplays PH’s drop in World Press Freedom Index ranking by AJPRESS THE recently released 2018 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiéres, RSF) has ranked the Philippines 133 out of 180 countries on the list, citing a “growing animosity” towards journalists in the country. But Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. downplayed the report, saying that the media watchdog also expressed alarm
over the developments in the United States, China, and Russia—not just the Philippines “Hindi lang po Pilipinas ang sinabihan nila; ganundin ang sinabi nila sa Amerika, kay [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump (It’s not just the Philippines; they said the same about America, about President Trump),” Roque said. “So hindi lang po iyan (It’s not The dynamism of the Philippine press has been challenged by only) directed to the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly hurled threats directed also to the U.S. and in against journalists, Reporters Without Borders noted.
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Philstar.com photo by Kriz John Rosales
The City of Cerritos’ first Fil-Am mayor to serve position once again by RAE
City of Cerritos Mayor Mark E. Pulido Photo courtesy of Gloria Pulido
ANN VARONA AJPress
THE City of Cerritos, California swore in Mark E. Pulido as its mayor on Wednesday, April 25 — four years after he became the city’s first-ever Filipino American to serve the position. “What I love most about serving Cerritos is the opportunity presented each and every day to give back to my hometown for the many blessings that I have received,” Pulido told the Asian Journal. Pulido, who has called Cerritos home since 1972, considers the city’s residents his extended family, often helping the
parents, grandparents, or even children of those he grew up with. He also isn’t a new face in City Hall. In 2011, he was elected to the city council where he drew the most votes recorded in the city’s history of elections. In 2013, he served as Mayor Pro Tem before becoming the city’s first Fil-Am mayor in 2014. A year after, he was re-elected to the city council, and became mayor pro tem again in 2017. Outside City Hall, Pulido has an extensive history of service in both the local community, local state, and federal government. With a passion for education, he served on
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Malacañang ‘grateful’ for continued trust in Duterte despite a drop in ratings by AJPRESS
Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.
Malacañang photo
MALACAÑANG on Friday, April 27, thanked Filipinos for their confidence in President Rodrigo Duterte’s leadership. This comes after the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing a majority of Filipinos continue to trust the president despite the “unending criticisms and attacks” against him.
Based on the poll, three in every four — or 76 percent of Filipinos — have “much trust” in the president; 10 percent have little trust in him, while the remaining 14 percent are undecided. Results showed that Duterte earned a net trust rating of “very good” +65 for the first quarter of 2018. This, however, is a 10point decline from his previous “excellent” + 75 rating in the fourth quarter of 2017. Commenting on the survey,
Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the Duterte administration is “grateful for our people’s vote of confidence with significant trust in the President, amid being subject to unending criticisms and attacks.” “Rest assured that the president will continue to steer the ship of state until we reach a drug-free destination where the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals would be strong and
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From the Front Page
PH gov’t releases P448-M for... PAGE A1 t from the P13 billion Contingent Fund included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act. This assistance is also separate from the P2 billion calamity fund, which is allocated for both registered and informal workers in Boracay. President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Boracay under a state of
calamity on Thursday, April 26, the same day when the island’s six-month closure began. Duterte has signed Proclamation No. 475, declaring barangays Balabag, Manoc-Manoc, and Yapak in the town of Malay under a state of calamity “until lifted by the president, notwithstanding the lapse of the sixmonth closure period.”
Boracay will be closed until October 25 as part of the government’s efforts to address the top-ranked island’s environmental woes. Earlier this week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it will deploy 400 of its officers to monitor the island amid its closing. PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday, April 23, said that Chief Superintendent Cesar Binag, regional director for the Western Visayas, will be “in full control and supervision” and will have the “responsibility on how to deal with the misdeeds” in Boracay. “We will monitor that (Boracay situation) 24 hours a day. We will be implementing it on the 26th,” Albayalde said. While the PNP is expecting less resistance, Albayalde assured the public that the police force will implement maximum tolerance against possible protesters. With the six-month closure in effect, the island is now off-limits to both local and foreign tourists, while individuals who wish to visit Boracay for business purposes, as well as visitors of the local residents, need to secure a permit from authorities first. The proclamation cited several violations that led to Boracay’s
ALGAE NETS. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) personnel use nets to trap green algae during the first day of the six-month rehabilitation period of Boracay Island on Thursday, April 26 in Malay, Aklan. Environmental experts say the presence of thick, slimy algae in Boracay’s shoreline is an indicator of worsening pollution in the world-renowned island. PNA photo by Cindy Ferrer
shut down, such as the high concentration of fecal coliform due to insufficient sewer lines and illegal discharge of untreated wastewater into the beach. Aside from waste management violations, it also mentioned the illegal construction on forestland and wetlands.
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Palace downplays PH’s drop... PAGE A1 t any case, it’s a private organization,” he added. In its report released Wednesday, April 25, RSF tagged the Philippines as “one of the continent’s deadliest countries.” RSF said the “growing animosity” towards journalists in Philippines is “openly encouraged” by political leaders, noting that President Rodrigo Duterte himself “not only constantly insults reporters but has also warned them that they ‘are not exempt from assassination.’” “There have been countless examples of Philippine government harassment of media that voice any kind of criticism of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs.’ Here, again, verbal violence and physical violence are closely linked,” the report said. It also noted that the “line separating verbal violence from physical violence is dissolving.” Malacañang, however, maintained that the Duterte administration continues to address the threats of press freedom in the country, including the reported killing of journalists. Roque cited the establishment of the Task Force on Media Security, which monitors cases of
media violence and provides legal assistance to the victims and their family members. “Earlier this month, its special agents went to the provinces to investigate and/or initiate reinvestigation of cases of media workers’ killings. The mission resulted in discovery of five more convictions in addition to three that had been previously reported, bringing up to eight the total number of convictions from 2012 to 2016,” Roque said. “This shows our very strong resolve to genuinely and concretely address violence against members of the media and/or journalism profession,” he added. The World Press Freedom Index, which is published annually by RSF, “measures the level of media freedom in 180 countries, including the level of pluralism, media independence, and respect for the safety and freedom of journalists.” The Philippines’ current rank on the list is lower than last year’s, which is at 127th. Meanwhile, Norway remains as the top country in the world for press freedom; North Korea is still ranked last. n
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Federal judge ruling: US must... PAGE A1 t found that the phasing out of DACA was “arbitrary and capricious” because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lacked an adequate explanation for “its conclusion that the program was unlawful.” He also said that the administration provided “meager legal reasoning” in its justification of ending the program. Given that hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients (nearly 650,000 by some estimates) came to the U.S. as children, Bates has called the move to end DACA “particularly egregious.” Bates’ ruling will take place in 90 days to give enough time “to allow the agency an opportunity to better explain its rescission.” DACA was first put into effect via an executive order by former President Barack Obama in 2012. Since then, hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth have been
able to work (through renewable two-year permits) and have reported better career and education opportunities because of DACA. In addition to work opportunities and protection from deportation, DACA recipients are granted other benefits that vary from state to state. In California, for example, DACA recipients may apply for a driver’s license. Bates’ decision adds to a string of the Trump administration’s legal defeats in their multiple attempts to terminate the program. Although the administration maintains its view that the passing of DACA violated the Constitution, no federal court so far has found it to be unconstitutional. In response to the ruling, the Justice Department (on behalf of the Trump administration) released a statement standing by the administration’s initial reasoning, reiterating its view that DACA is an “unlawful circum-
Duterte admin backs order... PAGE A1 t not in political activities.” While Fox’s missionary visa was forfeited, BI spokesperson Antonette Mangrobang clarified that the Australian nun “may still enter and leave the country as a tourist.” Mangrobang also noted that the deportation case against Fox is still pending as she has yet to submit her counter-affidavit on the case. “It is only after the parties have been heard, will the case be submitted to the Board of Commissioners for their deliberation on whether or not she will be deported and barred from entering the country in the future,” Mangrobang said. Fox — who has been living in
the Philippines for 27 years as a missionary and as an advocate of farmers’ rights — was arrested by BI officers on April 16 for engaging in “illegal political activities” in the country. She was released on April 17 after validating her missionary visa. In a statement, Fox said she was “surprised” when she heard the news about the BI’s order directing her to leave the country after her missionary visa was forfeited. “I was surprised, as I had thought the process was that I would have 10 days to put in a counter-affidavit to answer the charges. It was through the media that I heard of the decision, as I, or my legal counsel, don’t yet have a copy. I am very sad
Australian nun Patricia Fox during her release from detention at the Bureau of Immigration. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
FROM THE FRONT PAGE
vention of Congress” and that it will continue to make its case to the court. “The Department of Homeland Security therefore acted within its lawful authority in deciding to wind down DACA in an orderly manner,” DHS spokesman Devin O’Malley said in a statement. “Promoting and enforcing the rule of law is vital to protecting a nation, its borders, and its citizens. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously defend this position, and looks forward to vindicating its position in further litigation.” For the last eight months, DACA recipients and their families have been scrambling to secure their benefits after Trump announced the termination on September 5, 2017. As previously reported in the Asian Journal, after many federal judges’ rulings, DACA has already been allowed to resume after its March 5, 2018 deadline administered by the president. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) that the decision at present is that I leave the Philippines,” she said. She then added, “I may lose my right to be in the Philippines but I can never lose the learnings and beautiful memories.” Fox also expressed hope “for a chance to explain how I see my mission as a religious sister and maybe the decision can be reconsidered.” In a television interview, Jobert Pahilga, Fox’s lawyer, slammed the BI’s directive, claiming it violated the nun’s right to due process. “What we received yesterday was the supplemental report of the intelligence division. We were given 10 days to supposedly file our counter affidavit. That’s why we were surprised there was an order by the BI to forfeit her visa,” Pahilga told ANC. Pahilga said their camp will file a motion for reconsideration. He also insisted that Fox has only engaged in missionary work and not in political activities during her stay in the Philippines. The BI, however, clarified that forfeiting Fox’s visa and her possible deportation were different cases. “The issuance and grant of a visa is a privilege, not a right, hence a hearing is not necessary in visa forfeiture proceedings,” Mangrobang said, noting that it is the bureau’s discretion whether or not it would cancel a foreigner’s visa. ■
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PH NAVY DEPARTS FOR INDONESIA. The Philippine Navy (PN) contingent of 300 officers and enlisted personnel board the BRP Gregorio del Pilar to depart for the Multilateral Naval Exercise KOMODO in Lombok, Indonesia during the send-off ceremony held at Pier 13, South Harbor, Manila City on Friday, April 27. The exercise, which will be held from May 4-9, aims to enhance the relationship and cooperation among participating regional and non-regional navies in building common understanding about humanitarian assistance and disaster risk response operations. PNA photo by Joey Razon
Third version of Trump’s travel ban...
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removed by the Trump administration earlier this month. Central to Wednesday’s contentions were whether the president’s action was actually motivated by concern for national security, or by his personal beliefs. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who represented the Trump administration, made a number of assertions centered on the argument that the ban was “not a so-called Muslim ban.” “If it were, it would be the most ineffective Muslim ban that one could possibly imagine,” said Francisco sometime during the oral argument. Among Francisco’s arguments was that a significant amount of people from Muslim countries would still be able to enter the U.S. “It excludes the vast majority of the Muslim world,” argued Francisco. He also said that Trump “made crystal clear that Muslims in this country are great Americans and there are many, many Muslim countries who love this country.” Justice Stephen Breyer, an opposer of the ban, challenged Francisco’s claims and at one point, asked for numbers. Roughly 400 people would still be able to enter, said Francisco. Breyer responded, “That’s 400 out of 150 million.”
Justice Samuel Alito joined in support, saying that the ban “doesn’t at all look like a Muslim ban.” “Five predominantly Muslim countries are on this list. The population of the predominantly Muslim countries on this list make up about 8 percent of the world’s Muslim population,” Alito said. “If you looked at the 10 countries with the most Muslims, exactly one, Iran, would be on that list of the top 10.” Refuting Alito’s analysis, Neal Katyal — an attorney representing challengers — said, “The fact that the order only encompasses some Muslim countries, I don’t think means it’s not religious discrimination.” Katyal continued, “For example, if I’m an employer and I have 10 African-Americans working for me and I only fire two of them, I don’t think anyone can say that’s not discrimination.” Challengers to the latest ban cited Trump’s Twitter posts and campaign speeches about Muslims as being indicative that his personal opinions of Muslims played role in the ban. Trump’s tweets have hurt his arguments in court before. In a 9-4 ruling in February in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, the federal appeals court concluded that the third version of the ban was “unconstitution-
ally tainted with animus toward Islam.” Challengers referenced the “words of the President” as “undisputed evidence” of anti-Muslim bias, with the 4th Circuit Chief Judge Roger Gregory citing the president’s “disparaging comments and tweets regarding Muslims.” The second version of the ban was blocked by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in June of last year with judges citing a tweet by Trump from the same month that pointed to “dangerous countries” in justifying the ban. Trump’s tweet weakened the government’s argument, the court argued. On Wednesday, Justice Elena Kagan — an Obama appointee — presented for the court a hypothetical in which a “vehement anti-Semite” presidential candidate “says all kinds of denigrating comments about Jews and provokes a lot of resentment and hatred over the course of a campaign and in his presidency”, and later issues a proclamation that says “no one shall enter from Israel.” Francisco called Kagan’s hypothetical “extreme”, but boldly said that if the president’s Cabinet were to inform him of a national risk, he could issue such a proc-
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California’s Paid Family Leave program provides millions of families with financial security at the most crucial of times Two Filipino-American families share their experiences with PFL and how the program has benefitted them by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
NEW LAWYERS. Newly-minted lawyers are emotional, while checking the result of the 2017 Bar examinations at the Supreme Court (SC) in Ermita, Manila on Thursday, April 26. Mark John Simondo from the University of St. La Salle Bacolod, who studied for 8-9 hours a day, topped the examination with a grade of 91.05 percent. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
‘A persistent puzzle’: Californians embrace Medicaid — but food stamps? Not so much by anna
GorMan and Harriet rowan Kaiser Health News
MILLIONS of low-income Californians eligible for food stamps are not receiving the benefit, earning the state one of the lowest rankings in the nation for its participation in the program. Just three states — all much more conservative than the Golden State — have lower rates of participation, according to the latest available federal data. The poor performance stands in sharp contrast to California’s leadership on enrollment in Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid, which also serves people living in low-income households. The reasons for California’s low rate of participation in the food assistance program, known as CalFresh, remain a “persistent puzzle,” said Kim McCoy Wade, chief of the CalFresh branch of the state’s Department of Social Services. But she and others suggest it may be due to the less-than-optimal quality of
customer service and a bulky bureaucracy. About 4.1 million Californians, or 70 percent of those eligible, are enrolled in CalFresh. That leaves about 2 million who could be getting the benefit but aren’t, according to a January report citing the 2015 federal data. The national average is 83 percent. Several states — including Illinois, New Mexico and Oregon — report 100 percent enrollment of those who qualify for the food stamp program, known at the federal level as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Medi-Cal now serves more than 13.5 million people, or about one-third of California’s population, a number significantly boosted by Medicaid’s expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Only about 322,000 people who qualify for MediCal aren’t signed up, according
to a 2016 report by University of California-Berkeley researchers. They estimate that more than 90 percent of those eligible for Medi-Cal who don’t have another source of insurance are enrolled. But California has begun leveraging its vast pool of new Medi-Cal beneficiaries to boost enrollment in CalFresh. Officials are building upon relationships between county welfare departments and new Medi-Cal enrollees, using electronic records on Medicaid recipients to identify food stamp candidates and then guiding them through the enrollment process. “We are taking the successes from the Affordable Care Act and are turning to our next-biggest program and trying to apply those lessons,” said McCoy Wade. “The Medi-Cal-CalFresh connection is something where we think there is a lot of room to grow.” The push comes as both programs are under threat from Washington, D.C. Just this month, republicans in Congress unveiled a farm bill that would mandate stricter work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries. Several times over the past few years, President Donald Trump and congressional republicans have proposed overhauling the Medicaid program to rein in costs. The food stamp program is administered at the county level — and there are 58 counties. Only 10 states run their programs that way. “Because we are decentralized … it takes us longer to move the whole ship,” McCoy Wade said.
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Artwork by Malte Mueller/Getty Images
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Malacañang ‘grateful’ for continued...
resilient so Filipinos could lead comfortable lives,” he added. The poll result, which was released on Thursday, April 26, showed that Duterte’s net trust rating eroded in all areas. In both Visayas and Mindanao, the president’s net trust rating remained “excellent” but was down by six points (from +76 in December 2017 to +70 in March 2018) and five points (from +98
to +89) respectively. Duterte’s trust rating suffered the most in Metro Manila, where it fell one grade from “excellent” +73 to “very good” +62. In Balance Luzon, his trust rating dropped by three points (from +56 to +53) but remained “very good.” “We welcome the latest [SWS] survey showing a +65 net trust rating for President rodrigo roa Duterte, which the polling firm
classified as “very good” and described as similar to the “very good” +60 in September 2017,” roque said. The SWS survey was conducted last month using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide. It has sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. n
There are four countries that don’t mandate federal paid family leave: Swaziland, Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and the United States of America. U.S. lawmakers in Washington have received backlash for their inability to have established a federal paid family leave law, which would require all employers to grant paid time off work to care for a newborn baby or a seriously sick family member. Although it’s the only core country without it, some states have taken up the issue on their own. In 2002, California became the first state to put into law the Paid Family Leave (PFL) insurance program, which extended unemployment disability compensation to include people who take time off to care for a very ill family member or a newly born child. California’s PFL program grants up to six weeks of partial income replacement benefits to families looking to bond with a new child, whether that be by birth, adoption or foster care placement. The program also provides benefits to individuals who need to care for a seriously ill child, parent, parentin-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling spouse or registered domestic partner. The program is funded through California State Disability Insurance (CASDI) tax withholdings, and its benefits cover 60 to 70 percent of the applicant’s salary. Weekly benefits depend on the applicant’s salary, and can range from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $1,216. More than 18 million California workers so far have benefited from California’s PFL program, according to the state’s employment Development Department (eDD). Filipino-American financial analyst eric Angeles found that without the PFL program, he and his husband would have been in a financial rut in 2016 after Angeles’ mother, Gloria, got seriously injured in the couple’s San Jose home. his mother, 76, lives with the couple and fractured her knee, leaving her seriously injured and in need of long-term care and assistance. When figuring out the next steps, a friend notified Angeles of the PFL program. “We didn’t even know anything about it,” Angeles shared with the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview. “But once we applied and were approved, we both breathed a sigh of relief because, before that, we didn’t know what we were going to do. It was stressing us both out.” Angeles was able to get five weeks paid leave, which was “really, really helpful,” he said, adding that they didn’t think that the family would “be able to keep afloat if I hadn’t gotten that paid leave.”
How to apply for PFL IN order to file a claim for PFL, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements, which are available on the eDD website, listed below. You must: • Be currently employed or actively looking for employment • Be unable to effectively work due to the need to provide care to a family member or bond with a new child • have lost wages from caring for a family member or bonding with a new child • have earned at least $300 from CASDI withholdings • Complete and submit claim no earlier than the first day your family leave period begins but no later than 41 days after your leave period begins • Provide professionally verified proof of care (medical certificate, birth certificate, etc.) employers will be notified of the submitted PFL claim, but the medical information will remain confidential and not be shared with employers. After the claim has been filed and you have submitted all the required documentation, the eDD will process the claim, which generally takes around 14 days; claims filed through SDI online (http:// www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/SDI_Online.htm). Claims filed online generally take less time process than those filed by mail. If you are found eligible for benefits, a payment notification will be sent as well as a California eDD Debit Card, to which authorized benefit payments will be deposited. To learn more about California’s PFL program, visit http://www. edd.ca.gov/Disability/Paid_Family_Leave.htm. n Calling the program “a blessing,” Angeles remarked that PFL should “definitely” be available in more states; currently, California, New Jersey, rhode Island and New York are the only states that have their own paid family leave laws. “I felt like we were so lucky that we live in a state that has it, but I can’t imagine what it’s like for people like us who live in places where that’s not available. We were really lucky, but some people may not be so lucky,” Angeles asserted. “You should be able to take time off for a sick relative, to take care of a newborn baby or something like that and not be worried about money. These things happen and it’s not our fault, so we shouldn’t have to carry the burden of not having enough money just because you needed to take time off to, really, be a supportive, caring relative.” Although PFL has a broad definition, most associate the issue with paid parental leave, which is paid leave to mothers and/or fathers of new children. Culver City resident Angela Steel, who is half-Filipina, gave birth to a daughter, ronan, in November 2017. It was the “greatest day” of both her and her husband, Greg’s, lives, but the celebration was cut short after they realized they both wanted to take time off of work to bond with their daughter. “We didn’t think we could do that because we didn’t think we could afford to both take unpaid time off,” the 32-year-old new mother shared with the Asian Journal. “It was important to us because we both really value family bonding, in general, and thought it was essential for [the both of us] to be present.”
Angela Steel shared that in 1985 when she was born, paid parental leave wasn’t available so her mother didn’t get the chance to bond with her. Instead, her mother took a few unpaid days off and went back to work less than a week after she gave birth. “My mom had to work right away because she couldn’t afford to take a month off or anything like that,” she said. “Struggling to make money was already an existing stressor for my mom, so she ultimately chose to go back to work right away and leave me with my lola (grandmother).” Fast forward to 2017, the Steels applied for the program shortly after their daughter was born; Angela Steel was given five weeks of paid leave while her husband was given four. Greg Steel said that the PFL program was “immensely helpful” to the family. Mirroring Angeles’ sentiments on the program, the Steels believe that PFL should be available to all families and that they felt extremely lucky to live in a state that offers it. “I think if more people knew about this program and knew of what kind of benefits it can bring them, 100 percent of those people would take advantage of that,” Greg Steel said. “I can only speak from our experience, but I like to think it’s the same for a lot of new parents: it gave us the opportunity to for us to meet a really important goal and responsibility for us as a family while not having to worry about money.” his wife echoed his thoughts, adding, “I don’t know what we would’ve been able to do if we lived somewhere else that didn’t have this program. It really did give us peace of mind during this important stage in our lives.” n
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The City of Cerritos’ first Fil-Am mayor... PAGE A1 t the ABC Unified School District Board for several years and served as board president in 2007-2008 before concluding his service in 2011. He also served as the board liaison for the ABC Federal Head State and State Preschool programs for seven years. He was awarded by the Los Angeles County Office of Education its “Board Member of the Year” award in 2009. In 2017, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Pulido to the Participants in the Ecumenical conference show their solidary and support for Filipino human rights activist Jerome Aba. California Science Center Board Inquirer.net photos by Jon Melegrito of Directors and to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. But Pulido’s leadership and community involvement started way back as a student of Cerritos’ Whitney High School, by Jon Melegrito which has been ranked the Inquirer.net number one school in California for several years. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly Among his most favorite a thousand Christian clergy, lay memories of growing up in Cerleaders, and human rights adritos, Pulido said it was starting vocates from across the country the high school’s Club Kaibigan discussed and condemned the in 1984 — a club dedicated to Trump administration’s hostile enriching students with Filipino policies toward Dreamers, immiheritage. The club still exists grants, refugees, newcomers and today. displaced peoples, and his sup“That was my very first leadport of authoritarian leaders like ership position,” said Pulido, Rodrigo Duterte. laughing. Held at the Doubletree Hotel “The purpose was to one, right across the Pentagon, the learn about the culture ourannual conference devoted five selves because we were born days of prayer and plenaries, and raised in America. And workshops and worship, legislatwo, it was to share it with our tive advocacy, and Capitol Hill friends who were from different visits. At a press conference, Rev. Michael Neuroth, United Church of Christ Policy Advocate, decries backgrounds, thus the name But even before the 2018 the “pattern of intimidation and harassment” of human rights activists which is “reminiscent Kaibigan,” he added. Ecumenical Advocacy Days for of the McCarthy era.” He is joined by Susan Henry-Crowe, General Secretary of the General Not much focus was being Global Peace and Justice opened Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church (left) and Lumad activist Fritzi put on the Fil-Am youth duron April 20, participants were Junance Magbanua. shocked by an incident that was technical glitch. What kind of collusion is happening between the totally unexpected. One of the guests from the Duterte and Trump regimes?” Aba was eventually deported Philippines, who was invited to speak on human rights, became back to the Philippines. Abhorrent and shocking treata victim of human rights abuse himself and prevented from at- ment At a press conference on April tending the conference. Jerome Succor Aba, a 25-year- 24 held at the Methodist Buildold Filipino human rights activist, ing, church leaders again rewas part of the People’s Cara- peated their call for justice and van for Peace and Justice in the accountability in Aba’s case. “I am horrified,” said Susan Philippines. But upon arrival at the San Francisco International Henry-Crowe, General Secretary Airport on April 18, he was im- of the General Board of Church mediately arrested and detained and Society of the United Methodand interrogated for 28 hours by ist Church (UMC). “What would already be considered shocking Homeland Security officers. According to his own account, treatment is especially abhorrent he was handcuffed, questioned considering Mr. Aba has a valid about his “terrorist” and “com- visa to visit the U.S. and he was munist” connections and subject- coming to speak about peaceed to physical and psychological building.” Rev. Michael Neuroth, Policy torture. News of Aba’s detention Advocate for International Issues prompted protest actions at the of the United Church of Christ, SFO airport. A crowd of several decried the “pattern of intimihundred community support- dation and harassment which ers demonstrated in front of the is reminiscent of the McCarthy Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) era. The U.S. must denounce offices at the airport to express this practice of violating human outrage and shock. A barrage of rights.” The Sisters of Mercy, UMC, the phone calls by church leaders to CBP and Homeland Security of- United Church of Christ and the ficials followed. Social media also U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were among the major relierupted with outrage. In a Facebook post, Dawn Bo- gious groups that invited Aba to hulano Mabalon, associate pro- the ecumenical gathering. Their fessor of History at San Francisco representatives, along with memState University, said, “I am dis- bers of the Philippine delegation, spent two days visiting the offices gusted and enraged. I can’t even find the words to of 17 Senators and Representafully express how angry I am tives. They also met with Senior about how Jerome Aba, noted Desk officers of the State DepartPhilippine human rights activ- ment Philippine Desk. In their ist, was treated at the hands of meetings, the advocates called Customs and Border Patrol right for “accountability” on the part of here in our own backyard at SFO President Trump and President this past week. Stripped naked, Duterte in Aba’s torture, illegal put into a cold room (as is Border arrest and detention. The legislative visits were arPatrol’s M.O.), tortured, antagonized, given PORK to eat (though ranged by the International Cohe told them he is a Muslim!) and alition of Human Rights in the more, and all we have is some Philippines (ICHRP). The global silly excuse that his visa had a u PAGE A6
US church leaders slam Homeland Security’s ‘abhorrent’ treatment of Filipino activist
PH gov’t releases P448-M for... PAGE A2 t In February, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sent around 207 notices of violation to various establishments. The DENR said about 579 structures “along the main road” are also facing demolition in Boracay. Other violations cited in Duterte’s proclamation include the degradation of the coral reefs and the coral cover of Boracay island; and the damage and destruction of the natural habitats
of Puka shells, nesting grounds of marine turtles, and roosting grounds of flying foxes or fruit bats. “It is necessary to implement urgent measures to address the abovementioned human-induced hazards, to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of its residents, workers and tourists, and to rehabilitate the island in order to ensure the sustainability of the area and prevent further degradation of its rich ecosystem,” the proclamation read. n
Third version of Trump’s travel ban... PAGE A3 t lamation, “even if in his private heart of hearts he also harbored animus” — essentially saying that private citizen Trump and public President Trump should not be received the same. Justice Anthony Kennedy — who some see as a possible tie-breaker for the ideologically divided court — also posed a hypothetical on Wednesday. “Suppose you have a local mayor and, as a candidate, he makes vituperative hateful statements, and he’s elected, and on day two, he takes acts that are consistent with those hateful statements… Whatever he said in the campaign is irrelevant?”
asked Kennedy. Maintaining the argument to distance private citizen Trump and President Trump, Francisco said yes. “We do think that oath marks a fundamental transformation, but I would also say here it doesn’t matter, because, here, the statements that they principally rely on don’t actually address the meaning of the proclamation itself,” said Francisco. Chief Justice John Roberts questioned the statute of limitations on whether Trump’s campaign statements on immigration would hold him unable to address immigration indefinitely. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)
ing the 1980s and 1990s when gang violence, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse were among the social issues and challenges faced, he said. “I’m so proud of what we did collectively as young people,” he added. Around 200 students were involved with the club, including his wife Gloria. For Pulido, starting the club sent him on a path of purpose and leadership, and taught him what it meant to be grounded in his community. After high school, Pulido went on to study at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received his bachelor’s degree in history and Asian American studies and again honed his leadership skills by becoming the first FilAm to serve as UCLA student body president. He then went on to receive his Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago as a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow, during which he also served as a graduate fellow of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Institute at the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau for Justice Assistance in Washington, D.C. But Pulido eventually found himself coming back home to Cerritos with his wife Gloria — a Fil-Am who grew up in Cerritos herself — and who also attended UCLA where the couple was involved with the university’s Filipino club, Samahang Pilipino. for Cerritos are very much reflective of his strong connection to the community.
Among tackling mayoral duties of preparing budgets, upgrading aging infrastructure, and ensuring public safety, Pulido’s long-term goals are focused on making sure the city’s plans are aligned with the needs and wants of its community members. “I’m always interested in engaging with residents to find out what are their continuing priorities, and their hopes and dreams for new ideas and new programs to be established in the City of Cerritos,” said Pulido. Before turning out of office in 2020, Pulido has his goals set to make sure its members are on the path of seeing their vision for their city fulfilled. More specifically, Pulido wants to empower the city’s youth and provide them the best opportunities to become leaders of the future. “I want to make sure we are doing things as a city, to assist families, our school districts, our communities, and the development of leaders of our future,” said Pulido. “It’s so important that our civic leaders come together consciously to stress and implement programs and services that will fully empower our youth.” Similarly, Pulido hopes to empower the community’s large senior population as well by ensuring them a continued quality of life in their golden years. “We’re a community where people move to because of the safe neighborhoods and qual-
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A6 APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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Lucas Matthysse taking big risk in 1st defense MANILA — World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse really can’t count Manny Pacquiao out. Not even when he and his promoter have publicly declared that Pacquiao’s “time is over.” “Look, he’s still a very good fighter,” said Matthysse of the 39-year-old Pacquiao. “You can’t underestimate him,” added Matthysse during his brief stay in the Philippines. Matthysse has vowed to score a knockout over Pacquiao, and send the Filipino into retirement. But it’s easier said than done when Pacquiao knows that if he loses this fight, he’s done. NIYOGYUGAN DANCERS. Members of Quezon province’s Niyogyugan Festival team prepare for the rehearsal in the street dance competition of the National ‘Aliwan Fiesta’ held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex in Pasay City on Thursday, April 26 Twenty participants nationwide will vie for the grand prize of the three-day festivities, including the selection of the ‘Reyna ng Aliwan’ and her coronation. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
‘A persistent puzzle’: Californians embrace... PAGE A4 t
However, that explanation does not fully address the issue in California, since Medicaid, too, is run by counties. About 74 million Americans are on Medicaid and about 42 million people are in the food program. “Doing things to help integrate the programs can be mutually beneficial, both for saving on administrative costs and being able to enroll more families,” said Michael Katz, a research associate at the Urban Institute. SNAP and Medicaid have different eligibility rules, but they serve similar populations. “It’s not a perfect overlap, but it is a pretty close Venn diagram,” said Jared Call, managing nutrition policy advocate at California Food Policy Advocates. Several California counties have tried to be proactive in enrolling food stamp candidates. San Francisco County placed a CalFresh eligibility worker at a public hospital and a community clinic. Los Angeles County mailed over 1 million flyers to Medi-Cal recipients who potentially qualified for food stamps. San Bernardino County has self-service kiosks and staff members at the entrances of county offices, who help people enroll in CalFresh if they are interested. “It’s a one-stop shop,” said Nancy Hillsdale, who manages an office in Colton, Calif. But residents can be reluctant
to apply. Some immigrants living in the country legally fear that if they receive food stamps it may affect their chances of becoming citizens later. (Undocumented immigrants don’t qualify, but any family members who are citizens do.) Others feel the “stigma around food stamps,” said Gladys Deloney, Sacramento County’s deputy director of human services. That sentiment is not as prevalent in seeking help with medical expenses, she said. The percentage of Medi-Cal beneficiaries enrolled in CalFresh varies widely by county. In 2016, for example, San Francisco County enrolled 31 percent of its Medi-Cal recipients in the food stamp program compared with nearly double that rate in Fresno County. A coalition of food advocates recommended last year that the state set a target for counties, and that the counties launch campaigns to raise awareness about food assistance. In San Diego County, officials printed CalFresh materials for health fairs and sent texts to everyone who applied for Medi-Cal with a link to apply for the food benefits, said Rick Wanne, director of eligibility operations for the county. But Wanne said enrolling people in CalFresh is a lot more difficult than in Medicaid. “There is a laundry list of longstanding … rules and regulations that make it difficult to get on the program,” he said.
For example, applicants for CalFresh must be re-interviewed every year and update their information every six months. Medicaid, by contrast, does annual renewals without requiring interviews. McCoy Wade said CalFresh eliminated some of the most burdensome requirements, including providing fingerprints, and it’s starting to make a difference. The state increased its participation rate from 66 percent to 70 percent in the most recent report. That occurred as the economy improved and fewer needed the help. “We are closing the gap,” though there is still work to be done, McCoy Wade said. Lack of transportation, long lines at county offices and lack of flexibility in setting appointment times may also contribute to low participation, county officials said. And paperwork often gets mailed to residences, making it harder for homeless people or those who move frequently to stay enrolled. That’s what happened to 25-year-old Crystle Conant, who lives only part time at her father’s house in San Bernardino County. “When I swipe my card at the store and it gets declined, then I know,” she said. “I haven’t renewed in time.” This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. ■
“For me, it’s a risk also. My first defense, I’m fighting a very tough fight,” said Matthysse. The two fighters drummed up their July 15 clash during a quick two-city press tour in Manila and Kuala Lumpur. It was the first time they came face to face. Matthysse said that when he thinks of Pacquiao, he’d like to think of the Filipino superstar in his best form, in his younger days. It took him a few seconds to answer the question on which of the previous Pacquiao fights he remembers most. “Morales,” he said, referring to Mexican legend Erik
Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times. He said it’s the Pacquiao fight that really sticks to his mind. “They were really good fights,” said Matthysse, looking back at the trilogy that took place in March 2005 and until November 2006. Matthysse was on his first year as a pro when Pacquiao and Morales fought for the first time, with the Mexican winning on points. “But for the most part, I’ve watched pretty much every one of his fights, when he was defending his titles,” Matthysse said. (Abac Cordero/Philstar. com)
The City of Cerritos’ first Fil-Am mayor... PAGE A5 t ity schools which are factors that people look for when they want to raise families,” shared Pulido. “But now, we have this dynamic called Aging in Place,” he added. “Once people raise their kids and send them to college and enter retirement, people are choosing consciously to stay because they love their community.” On Cerritos’ strong Filipino-
American community, Pulido said he was proud of what it has become. Filipinos make up a large percentage of the city’s majority Asian community, with a population of 7,223. “I’m so proud of our FilipinoAmerican community in Cerritos for being a dynamic model of what can happen when Filipino Americans come together to support each other socially, economically, and politically,”
said Pulido. “The Filipino-American community of Cerritos is more than 50 years old and we have fully realized the promise of political empowerment, civic engagement in our community, and in doing so, we are equal partners with all communities in moving our city forward. That is why I am so humbled to have the opportunity to lead as a mayor of Cerritos at this important time,” he added. ■
US church leaders slam Homeland...
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network of 40 organizations is also organizing a national tour of The People’s Caravan for Peace & Justice in the Philippines. It will take place from April 20-May 11 in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and New York. “We want to draw attention to the human rights situation in the Philippines, so U.S. taxpayers will know how their tax dollars are supporting the Duterte administration,” said Pam Tau Lee, Chairperson of the U.S. chapter of ICHRP. Mobilize for advocacy This year’s Ecumenical Advocacy Days focused on “the uprootedness of our world,” where participants analyzed current policy and “envisioned ways to more fully and justly respond to the global and local needs of displaced communities.” Among the dozen workshops on this subject, one addressed the “Widening Waves of Killings and Escalating Repression and Displacement in the Philippines.”
Among the panelists is Fritzi Junance Magbanua, a 29-yearold Lumad teacher and a member of the Tiruray and Maranao tribes of Mindanao. She talked about how the Lumad tribes in Mindanao have faced a multitude of struggles, among them protecting their ancestral lands from the vested interests of mining firms. The imposition of martial law in Mindanao has worsened their situation. “As a teacher, I fear for my students who have been forced out of schools because of the bombings by government forces,” she said. “But the children themselves are angry and they are on the frontlines facing the soldiers, telling their teachers not to lose hope but to continue to fight for our rights. We just want to be able to go back to our communities and build a future for ourselves.” The extended martial law throughout Mindanao has resulted in more military bombings of communities and has created a
grave humanitarian crisis with more than 325,000 evacuees. About 4,000 Lumads have been displaced. Magbanua admits that she fears for her own life as an activist. “But your support and encouragement mean a lot, because it means we are not alone in our struggle,” she said. Also speaking at the workshop are Columban Missionary John Din and Jill Carino of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance. Carino talked about the “terrorist tagging of activists,” forcing them to leave their homes and making them feel uprooted. She compared Duterte’s silencing of the opposition to Marcos’ own repression in the 1970s and 1980s. “The rule of law is being replaced by the rule of force,” she said. At the end of the workshop, ICHRP member Paul Bloom criticized the recent State Department Report on Human Rights in the Philippines as “soft, and watered down,” with no mention of the bombings and the casualties on martial law in Mindanao. ■
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DAteline PPHhiliPPines gov’t to use ‘every opportunity to uphold, protect’ OFWs’ rights by AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that the government will seize all opportunities to uphold and protect the rights of overseas Filipino workers (oFWs). “Rest assured that your government will take every opportunity [and] use every available venue to uphold and protect the rights of our countrymen working abroad,” Duterte said on Thursday, April 26. Duterte made the statement prior his departure to Singapore for the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. “What would interest me really there is articulate the plight of migrant workers. We are among the Bar passers celebrate in front of the Supreme Court building in Manila. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina (countries) with many (workers in foreign lands),” the president remarked. He added that the Philippines will “promote the further implementation [and operationalization] of outcome documents, particularly the ASEAN Consensus by Dana SioSon on the Protection and Promotion because the future of so many aminees out of 7,227 law graduAJPress ates who were allowed to take – the rights of so many – are of the Rights of Migrant Workers FoLLoWING the release of the bar exams last November. being held in the hands of the and the ASEAN Declaration [on] the 2017 Bar Examinations, Topping the bar is Mark John solicitor general and his boss… the Role of the Civil Service as Malacañang on Thursday, April Simondo of the University of St our democratic way of life is in Catalyst to Realize Asean Vision 26, congratulated law graduates La Salle Bacolod, with a grade danger. We will fall into one- 2025.” Duterte said he will also meet who passed one of the country’s of 91.05 percent. man rule,” she warned in an aphardest licensure exams. In an earlier message to law parent reference to Duterte and with the oFWs in Singapore to check on their situations during Malacañang also encouraged students, Chief Justice Maria his officials. new lawyers to pursue a career Lourdes Sereno encouraged Sereno then told law stu- his stay there. “Upon my return, as usual, in the government, as their “ide- them to oppose moves that will dents: “Do you want a future alism, integrity and competence undermine judicial indepen- where millions of government I shall report what we have are most welcome” under the dence and stifle dissent. [employees] are [worried] about achieved as we continue to stay administration of President RoDuring a forum on Wednes- their security of tenure? If you true to our mandate of serving drigo Duterte. day, April 25, at the Ateneo Law don’t want that, then … protest. the best interests of our nation “We’d like to congratulate in School, Sereno warned that the Tell them that’s wrong, that we and people,” the president added. advance and wish everyone, all country’s democracy and con- are facing a bleak future.” As for his meeting with fellow the barristers good luck on this stitutional form of government She also encouraged them year’s bar exam,” said Presiden- are in “danger.” to carefully observe how the ASEAN leaders during the sumtial spokesperson Harry Roque, Sereno, who is currently on government is exercising its mit, Duterte said he would discuss “regional and global threats who is also a lawyer himself. leave, is facing impeachment power. “We hope that many of our before Congress. She is also fac“Inaabuso po ba (Is there an on peace, security, especially tercountry’s new lawyers would ing a quo warranto petition filed abuse)? Ginigiit ang human will rorism in our area.” In addition, ASEAN nations are pursue a career in government Solicitor General Jose Calida. (Is human will being forced on so that they may take part in She described Calida’s peti- the people)? Ang Constitution at also expected to enhance regionhelping us with our shared goal tion, which seeks to nullify her ang mga batas (and our laws), al interconnectivity and “address of creating genuine reforms for appointment, as a “sword of they are there para may (so traditional and emerging threats” the nation,” he added. Damocles that hangs over the there would be a) limit with the with the technology and innovaThe Supreme Court (SC) re- heads of all government em- exercise of the human will. The tion. The summit, Duterte noted, leased the results on Thursday ployees.” She further claimed exercise of will by one man or afternoon. The 2017 bar exam that the case against her was his government is not the law, would become a venue for ASEAN posed a passing rate of 25.5 “effectively a dictatorship.” is not the Constitution,” Sereno leaders to “continue working closely to further strengthen compercent, with a total of 1,724 ex“It is effectively dictatorship said. n
Palace: New law passers ‘most welcome’ to join gov’t
munity-building and advance greater peace, security and stability in the region.” Duterte then reiterated that the Philippines “remains committed to engage our partners to achieve the change that we want and need.”
“We will continue to work towards the realization of ASEAN Vision 2025 by identifying and prioritizing initiatives that will move forward [action] lines in the ASEAN’s political-security, economic, and socio-cultural communities,” he added. n
A8 APRIL 28-MAY 1, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
Shutdown
FEATURES
FOR the first time in the country’s history, an entire island is being closed to tourism starting today. Unless the Supreme Court issues a restraining order in response to a petition filed by affected workers, Boracay will be closed for up to six months for a massive cleanup and installation of a modern sewerage system. Boracay is not the first island in the world to face this fate. The growth of global tourism has put a strain on other travel destinations in Asia, forcing the months-long shutdown of beaches and other sites. The closure of Boracay, however, comes with little warning to everyone affected, from employees to establishment owners and travelers, many of whom booked months in advance their vacations in the Philippines’ top travel destination during the peak season. From all indications, the cleanup is being carried out in an ad hoc manner. So far there is no master plan, whether for the cleanup and rehabilitation or for a long-term, sustainable development of the island. At least the island is expected to get a modern sewage treatment facility, with all establishments and households connected to it, once Boracay is reopened. The unplanned development, which has seen commercial establishments being constructed even on no-build zones, is also expected to stop. The shutdown, however, opens many opportunities for abuse and corruption. President Duterte, who triggered the shutdown after describing the island
as a “cesspool” last February, must make it clear to those in charge of the cleanup that he will not tolerate even a whiff of corruption and abuse tainting this campaign. Stakeholders should also document any such cases, for presentation to the public and possible indictments once the shutdown is over. There are many other beaches all over the country that are far more polluted than Boracay. Perhaps the shutdown will bring urgency to cleaning up these destinations. People are also waiting for charges to be filed against officials who allowed the construction of establishments on no-build zones in Boracay. The unprecedented move has created high expectations about the outcome. Thousands will be losing their livelihoods and earnings during the peak travel season and thousands more have been seriously inconvenienced by the sudden cancellation of their travel plans. The government will be losing at least P2 billion in earnings during the closure. When Boracay reopens, the government must make sure that this extreme measure will be worth all the pain. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Fil-Am lawyer’s advice to young undocumented immigrants after new federal judge’s ruling reinstates DACA
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS GOOD NEWS for qualified young undocumented immigrants: On Tuesday, April 24, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates called the Trump administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program “virtually unexplained” and therefore “unlawful.” This will effectively resume the DACA program after President Donald Trump tried to shut down the Obama-era initiative that temporarily protects qualified young undocumented immigrants brought into the United States as children from
deportation. Even better news: Bates’ ruling not only gives a green light for DACA recipients to apply for renewal, but also orders the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to accept new applications from qualified “Dreamers.” However, Bates stayed his ruling for 90 days in order to give the DHS a chance to provide more solid reasoning for ending the program. The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” had Fil-Am lawyer and immigrant rights advocate in the studio on Wednesday, April 25, and she gave the following advice to DACA-qualified young
undocumented immigrants on what to do during the 90-day period. Here’s the gist of the interview: Gel: While waiting for the 90-day stay, what can new applicants do to prepare for this? Atty. Lou Tancinco: This recent ruling by the federal judge favors those who now meet the DACA requirements and are filing for the first time. It also applies to those who are qualified before, did not apply and are filing for the first time. While waiting for the 90 days, the potential new DACA applicants may prepare their documents to meet the DACA requirements. Among the docu-
ments to prepare are their birth certificates to show that they turned 15 years old at the time of filing, proof of their entry prior to turning 16 years old, their proof of physical presence and their school records. Those who are in removal proceedings, with removal orders or [especially] those who have criminal history must consult with a professional legal counsel before filing for DACA. Gel: If the DHS fails to make its case within 90 days and this ruling stands, does this mean DACA will be kept in place for good? Or are there still threats to it? Atty. Tancinco: Even with these decisions
and after 90 days, the DACA remains a temporary relief only and will not be kept for good. The process of rescinding it was unlawful for not following the proper procedure under the APA. There is no guarantee now that the government will attempt to terminate it in due time. Gel: DACA does NOT provide a pathway to citizenship for these young undocumented immigrants. Where are we now in terms of passing legislation in Congress that would provide them permanent help? Atty. Tancinco: During the congressional hearing on the budget, no DREAM Act or leg-
islation benefiting the DACA was passed into law. Right now there are several bills pending awaiting approval by Congress. The most appropriate will be the DREAM Act (H.R. 3440 and S.1615) which will provide a path to naturalization to dreamers after five years in conditional permanent resident status. I urge viewers of BA to contact their legislators to pass the DREAM Act. *** 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
Have you found your voice? Unshackling hostile work environments
Rhizomes
PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. Disclosure: In my prior work life, I had the unfortunate experience of working for a decade+ in a hostile environment in Sacramento, and where I pervasively felt all the disparagement and negativity all the way to Los Angeles, where I was based, via emails, phone calls and surreptitious visits after working hours by my immediate boss. I detested reading my emails as it would scrutinize or minimize our regional practices. It took very caring colleagues who reported to me and protected me. In the process, I experienced involuntary hemorrhaging for three months. I was fortunate to have my spousal support and the community support of trained mediator/friends and EEOC mediator from LA County, and psychologist wives of staffers, who made me aware of the hyper-scrutiny in a negative toxic environment. I had to enlist the intervention of the EEOC at the federal level, Fair Housing and Employment at the state level, including a letter from a very experienced labor attorney through the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. How was it resolved? I went through mediation to make my all-male coworkers (predominantly white and one Latino) conscious of their harassment and sexist behaviors. As a condition of mediation settlement and non-filing of a lawsuit, all supervisors and managers in the department underwent a half-day training in hate and prejudice reduction training, conducted by a law firm in Sacramento, who was well versed in workplace
harassment. After the department-wide training, the hostile work environment changed. In my last year of working, given the oversight of the department’s civil rights section, I was able to work, experiencing a professional, non-toxic environment, as a manager and second-level supervisor, while training all my regional staff to be promotable. At every public event I went to, I highlighted what was right in my public agency and no one was privy to what I was internally experiencing. Community friends cared for me and referred me to attend employment discrimination seminars, workshops, and training sessions. How did I manage to work daily? I created a culture of care and mentoring, “We are all students, learners, and teachers” to ensure all are included and all have a chance to be promoted and are promotable. Every day as I prayed and practiced forgiveness, “Tabula Rasa,” the slate is clean. I retired after 27 years with 12 years as a manager, who worked in a toxic hostile environment, and one in which after I left had promoted more folks of color and white women in leadership positions. Though I bled physically, I found the succeeding staffers of mine did not have to. Have you found your voice? Fourteen years later, I am healed to fully discuss this experience, prompted by the changing culture of the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke and amplified by working women in Hollywood (like Angelina Jolie and many others), who were preyed upon by Hollywood’s power bigwigs, the likes of Harvey Weinstein and Kevin
Spacey. No longer feeling like a victim, I am able to reclaim my voice and mentor others who face similar situations. I consider my working life at present, a great privilege that I am most grateful for, that I can stand in parity and equal to anyone, even to my female employer, a very good friend, and even very privileged men, socially dominant in any situation in America. With my found voice, I get to share what I think, not speaking brutally, but with honesty and respect to the other person, be they CEOs, community leaders, parking lot attendants, store owners, entrepreneurs, and even men and women of faith. I am most grateful to have this weekly column, where I find my connections in a just world, and wherein I can share what I believe we must all do to improve our current situations where disparities exist and that includes me, of course. What are the features of a hostile environment? The 1980 EEOC Guidelines interpreted Title VII and defined hostile environment harassment as “has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.” It is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations Section 1604.11 (a). Barbara Lindemann and Paul Grossman, authors of Employment Discrimination Law, described it further, “whereas Vinson (a court case) spoke of altering conditions of employment and creating an abusive environment.” Can you, AJ readers, think of abusive environment’s features? I am sure you can, as our
current 45th president, ranting, raving and screaming at his underlings, as reported on national broadcasts and the New York Times and the Washington Post. I often wonder why a single staffer has not filed a complaint with the EEOC? Shouting indiscriminately as visible displays of anger directed at someone in the workplace, where that person feels belittled, are features of a hostile workplace. In my prior workplace at this public agency, the top-ranking Caucasian scientist used to belittle me as unable to hang with the white guys. For one, I did not drink beer, alcohol nor play golf (as they did) and my boss was perturbed that I would be reduced to tears, when he struck the table with his fists, in anger. The mediator pointed out to him that women cannot be made into men and that women resort to tears when they are offended. I cried because my heart was broken and my spirit was crushed. To recover my center, I spontaneously cried and after, I found my voice. I recovered from being traumatized to articulate what I observed. Because I cried, my male boss invalidated me and dismissed my perspective, yet when another white male articulated my ideas, using his own words, my boss would immediately say, “Good ideas, Jim.” It was patently unfair to its face and he kept repeating his behavior until it became a pattern of disparity and it rose to become offensive. He sent other colleagues to out-of-state training sessions but not me, another disparate treatment feature. My boss criticized our regional enforcement work and questioned what and why we did,
professional and vetted work that was complimented by local district attorneys and their cadres of law enforcement officials that we worked with. It made for an unhealthy environment that our meritorious work was considered substandard, yet our region became the nurturing spots for problematic employees “to be rehabilitated.” In collaborative meetings with the federal government, my colleagues in Sacramento shunned me, as if I had the plague. But since I had close collaboration and working relationships with the federal folks, they invited me to join them at dinner. I found it amusing that the federal government leaders were inclusive towards me, while my own in-house Sacramento colleagues shunned me, clearly showing me the contrast in professionalism. My superiors made up false written reprimands that I had to seek the intervention of the department’s civil rights section. I befriended a staffer who advised me how to respond allegation per allegation. When they alleged I was insubordinate and unable to do my assignments, I was under the care of a physician, who had diagnosed my internal bleeding and what she called “stress-induced hemorrhage.” Imagine bleeding for three months and the anemia which resulted from it, and even imagine that this was happening as my eldest daughter was growing up to be a teenager. How does one maintain functionality as a professional, a working mom and spouse and even a community volunteer? Thanks to the professional associations I belong to and headed as the chair in the field of
quality and women’s groups in the Asian American community, I was fully supported by healthy behaviors and good character. I knew what the features of a healthier work environment by serving the community and the professional quality community and not to normalize hostile environments. The #Metoo Movement #Metoo Movement founder Tarana Burke has used her voice quite prominently as to say, “You have to use your privilege to serve other people.” Hollywood actor Reese Witherspoon is one of those using her privilege, amplifying the collective women voices to clean up their working environment, including fundraising for legal fees for others who may need legal services. At a community gathering for the organization Look What She Did, Felicity Huffman shared that she attended a gathering of women and collectively, they have now raised $21 million. The fund has oversight by a national group of women lawyers to determine who will need legal representation, which Witherspoon shared on a national television platform with Oprah Winfrey. Last Thursday, April 26, I attended Cal State University Northridge’s Department of Asian American Studies Awards Night where students visibly advocated for CSUN’s D.A.T.E, “a peer education, date or acquaintance rape prevention program,” as described on CSUN’s website. One student spoke of being a survivor and how she used her own past to rise to become a student leader on campus. It was also so inspiring to see Dr. Shirley Hune, Dr. Edith
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 28-MAy 1, 2018
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Duterte vows to pass BBL before May ends by Dana
SioSon AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, April 25, has reiterated his promise to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) this year. During a speech in Buluan, Maguindanao, Duterte assured the Moro people anew of his commitment to pass the BBL, hopefully by the end of May. “So let us fast-track the BBL. I promised that before end of May, it will be passed. If not, I might resign as president. It’s now up to you, I cannot do it anymore,” the president said. “Give me time, this year. I don’t want next year, next election. This
year I will finish it, let’s finish first the BBL,” he added. The BBL aims to end decades of conflict in Mindanao by granting a fiscal autonomy to a new Bangsamoro Region that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In a briefing, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said that the Senate will “try” to pass the BBL this year, adding that the timeline follows the “game plan” of Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the Senate subcommittee on the BBL. Pimentel also said that the measure’s counterpart in the House of Representatives was also being tackled. Last month, Malacañang an-
nounced that House and Senate leaders made a commitment to pass the BBL by May. Congress is currently on break and set to resume session on May 15. Aside from the passage of the BBL, Duterte on Wednesday also vowed to declare the whole of Mindanao a land reform area and distribute the government lands to the people “I’ll give it all to you. You find a public land, including those where military camps are situated, that’s yours,” Duterte said. “I will give it all, you plant rubber, you plant palm oil.” The president also promised to “do everything” to achieve peace in the area. n
Have you found your voice? Unshackling... PAGE A8 t Chen, Dr. Eunai Shrai, Dr. Tracy Buenavista, along with Allan Aquino and Glenn Omatsu speak coherently, with ease, with confidence, but with care and consideration for their “community family” at CSUN. One speaker, a founder of the Department of Asian American Studies, Dr. Kenyon Chan, said, “I am home.” That same night, Aquino recalled this is the week of the Armenian genocide, where an estimated 1,500,000 Armenians were killed by the Ottoman government and the 1992 LA Riots, the same anniversary day for my promotion to a regional administrator at that state agency. Imagine working at CSUN’s Department of Asian American Studies and to feel your second home is your workplace?Students, though trembling as they approached the lectern, found their sheepish voices realized and shared their dreams and what they have learned as graduating seniors, including their mission on how to develop other leaders in their midst. Do you find this environment quite healthy? That as their professors guiding them towards finding their voices, they are encouraged to be integrated into CSUN, to discover their own pathways in higher education and no longer lost, able to graduate on time, and as they succeed, they lift others as well. What if America was one community family? I am quite fortunate today that my employer, the Asian Jour-
nal, values my strengths. Just a few days ago, I was given an assignment to attend Parent Community Education night at St. Genevieve’s School in Panorama City. I was intrigued to experience being welcomed with vibrant and energetic voices, led by their principal, Dan Horn, as with 500 other students and their working parents. He introduced Craig Scott and Beth Nimmo, the brother and mother of Rachel Scott, respectively, the first victim killed by hate-filled student/shooters at Columbine High School in 1999. That evening, the parents listened for two hours and learned about the faith convictions of Rachel Scott, and how she befriended her classmates by writing in a journal which she passed on discreetly to others. Her journal became a space for an honest exchange of their interior feelings, and how they developed friendships, while sharing Rachel’s love of God and love for them. It was a tear-jerking moment, but also inspiring for parents and students, whose social awareness was being raised that these Columbine shooters were angry, isolated and felt diminished. So, it was incumbent on all these St. Genevieve students, their teachers, their support staffers to create a ‘community family.’ In America today, unresolved anger at home or in school turns to hatred. To deranged minds filled with hatred, it can take on planning multiple deaths, as in Columbine, where the two student shooters wanted the de-
struction of the school’s more than 500 population and planted bombs in critical areas. Nimmo shared that the planned massive deaths of hundreds did not happen, as the bombs did not FIREARMS TURNOVER. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino (right) turns over the high-powered detonate but 14 students and a firearms to PDEA Regional Office Director VI Warley Getalla (left) at the PDEA Headquarters in Quezon City. The equipment, worth P202.86 teacher died, including her own million, is expected to boost the agency’s capability in fighting illegal drugs. PNA photo by Joey Razon daughter, Rachel. The following week, I returned to interview the principal, Dan Horn, and to my good fortune, as others in the Valley, St. Genevieve has undergone their own transformation to become a ‘community family’ and self-identify as a National School of Character with three values: to know God, to live with honor, and to change the world. I considered this assignment my own spiritual gift from God using my enlightened employers, for I can see clearly by these two examples, one at St. Gen and another at CSUN’s Department of Asian American Studies, what an inclusive community family is.
*** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 years. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.
A10 april 28-May 1, 2018 • la WEEKEND aSiaN JOUrNal
Dateline PhiliPPines
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ConCom seeks ‘equalization’ fund for poor provinces by Bernadette
tamayo ManilaTimes.net
FORMER senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. wants a provision in the draft Constitution creating an “equalization fund” to be run by a loan commission to help poor federated regions to develop their respective states. Pimentel, a member of the Consultative Commission (ConCom) tasked to review the 1987 Charter, on Wednesday said the equalization fund will be created through “forced contribution”
from all federated units under the proposed federal form of government. The former Senate president made his proposal during ConCom’s consultation with the government’s economic and fiscal experts concerning the creation of federated regions. The ConCom wants their opinion on the “best way to configure the federated regions.” The body wants their view on the criteria and formula that it is developing to come up with the “ideal
and economically viable regional configuration.” Representatives from the Departments of Finance, Budget, Interior and Local Government, National Economic Development Authority, Office of the Cabinet Secretary, and PIDS (Philippine Institute for Development Studies) were present to assess ConCom’s formula in creating the proposed federated regions. Pimentel asked the fiscal and economic experts to come up with a written comment on his proposal to create a loan commission to administer the equalization fund “where less endowed regions can access in times of need so that they can survive on their own.” In an interview at the sidelines of the consultation, Pimentel said his proposal was based on the fact that not all the federal states have equal resources for development. “There are some federal states, for example Samar and Leyte which do not have the resources to meet the demands of their own development,” Pimentel said. “If you compare Samar and Leyte to Cebu, (and) Bohol, they are lagging in terms of capacity to develop. And therefore, to make sure that they have somewhere to go to ask for support (we’re proposing to create the equalization fund),” he said. Pimentel added, “In the same manner that we, in the Philippines, used to go to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) or the WB (World Bank) which are foreign agencies.” “I want to suggest that since we are revising the Constitution, let’s put a provision which will create an equalization fund to be administered by a loan commission and to be supported by all the federal states and the national government and all other international bodies that might want to help in the development (of the federated regions),” he said. The ConCom told the fiscal and economic experts that there is “a serious imbalance in economic development among the regions” and “overconcentration of economic resources and power in the central government.” The body said to address the problem, there is a need to “spread out economic development” by enhancing just and equitable share in the economic resources and benefits” as well as “devolve the power to the regions.” n
NEW CLARK CITY STADIUM. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Secretary General and Philippine Sea Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) Director General Patrick Gregorio leads the concrete pouring ceremony for the athletics stadium located at the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City, Tarlac on Wednesday, April 25. The first phase of the project, which sits on a 60-hectare lot, will cost PhP 13.16 billion. PNA photo by Jess Escaros Jr.
DOLE: PH, Kuwait ties not yet severed MANILA — The Philippines and Kuwait are expected to proceed with the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on greater protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) despite the diplomatic spat between the two countries, a ranking labor official said on Friday, April 27. “They (Kuwaiti government) could have also stated specifically the talks on the MOA are off but there is no such thing. Or there’s no such thing to that effect,” Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras said at a press briefing. As this developed, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said President Duterte was to make an announcement in Singapore on the “course of action” his administration would like to take on the issue. Kuwait expelled Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa and recalled its own envoy in Manila over the clandestine rescue of abused OFWs in the Arab state. For Paras, this development is “normal” and that it usually happens in an “international stage where an ambassador or an officer of the diplomatic corps of a country will be considered persona non grata.” “But that does not amount to the severance of relationship between two countries. So I’m positive that Kuwait and Philippines’ relationship will continue,” he pointed out. Paras also emphasized that the rescue of the abused OFWs was necessary because the amnesty extended by the Kuwaiti government to foreign workers had already expired. “There will be police crackdown upon the expiration of the amnesty. The police will start apprehending our workers with expired visa and those who have gotten away from their employers because of maltreatment,” he said. The Philippine government, he added, just wanted to make sure
the OFWs were taken to shelters and not rounded up by police. “Our officers in Kuwait are duty bound to help our workers who have gone astray. Why would we allow them to be put in jail if we can help them?” Paras explained many of the over 830 OFWs housed in two shelters are facing “trumped up charges” usually for resisting their employers’ sexual advances. He said the Philippine government is always ready to defend OFWs facing cases in court but will turn over those covered by warrants of arrest. In Singapore, Bello said President Duterte was to make an announcement last night on a “course of action” the country would take to resolve the issue with Kuwait. “He (the President) was surprised with the turn of events,” Bello told reporters on the sidelines of the 32nd ASEAN summit. He did not say what or give a hint of the course of action the President would want to take. “Let us give that to the President to announce it,” Bello said. “The President will talk about it later. But we already have a course of action,” he added. Upon his arrival in Singapore, the President immediately met with Bello, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and special assistant Christopher Go to discuss the Kuwait issue and the coming Labor Day activities on May 1. Bello also said the Philippines can count on several “friendly countries” for help in case its diplomatic spat with Kuwait worsens and displaces 250,000 Filipino workers in the tiny Arab state. “We are getting overtures from several countries like Russia and of course, China. With China the bilateral agreement I recently signed was initially for 2,000 Filipino English teachers but they will need more than
that,” Bello said, He said the Czech Republic, Israel, Japan and Germany, among others, are in need of more caregivers and nurses. But he said he is optimistic that relations between Kuwait and the Philippines would soon be back to normal. Cayetano, for his part, said a contingency plan is in place to ensure the safety of OFWs in Kuwait. “With over 200,000 Filipinos, it is very difficult to come up with a contingency plan that is perfect. But it is there and Kuwait has assured us that it is as important to them to keep the Filipinos there as it is important to us,” he said in a separate press briefing. He said the President “has already given directions” on matters like where to get the money or how many OFWs would be repatriated or sent to other countries. “That is why I said as much as possible and if you were going to ask me if there are 10,000 or 20,000 Filipinos there, I tell you, pulido yong plano (the plan is smooth) and it is complete like the local government units and private sector will adopt and other countries but with 200,000 Filipinos, it is very difficult but it is there,” Cayetano added. He admitted it would not be easy to just transfer the OFWs to other countries as there are procedures to follow. He declined to identify the “friendly countries” that have offered to help the Philippines absorb the impact of the Kuwait problem. Cayetano likewise said a charge d’affaires is likely to take the place of Villa who had been ordered to leave Kuwait. He stressed there had been no reports of harassment of Philippine embassy personnel in Kuwait. He said the repatriation of over 1,000 OFWs would continue in the next few days. The foreign affairs chief insisted the rescue operations were
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Most Filipinos ‘strongly affected’ by price increases MAJORITY of Filipinos were “strongly affected” by an increase in prices of basic commodities since January this year, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released on Friday, April 27. The poll, conducted from March 23 to 27 among 1,200 adults nationwide, showed that an “overwhelming” 86 percent reported that they were strongly affected by the price hikes. Thirteen percent said they were somewhat affected by the price increase, while only 1 percent said they were not affected
at all. The survey also found that 98 percent of Filipinos noticed that the commodities that they usually bought have become more expensive since January this year. Most of the respondents said food items (92 percent) became more expensive in the last quarter, topped by rice (81 percent) and non-rice items (67 percent). Others were sugar-sweetened beverages such as softdrinks (56 percent), electricity (30 percent) and transportation-related items (22 percent). Respondents also cited price
hikes in gas or diesel (16 percent), liquefied petroleum gas or LPG (12 percent), transport fares (7 percent), medicine and health-related needs (9 percent), cigarettes (5 percent), alcoholic drinks (4 percent), cellphone load (3 percent), water (2 percent) and recreation-related expenses (1 percent). The nationwide survey, conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 representative adults, has a ±3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. (Catherine S. Valente/ManilaTimes.net)
Duterte advised to stop attacking UN Rights Commissioner by alexis
romero Philstar.com
MANILA — National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has advised President Duterte to stop attacking United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein because his cousin, Jordan King Abdullah was willing to donate helicopters to the Philippines. Zeid said last month that Duterte needs to see a psychiatrist after the Philippine leader assailed human rights experts who lambasted his crackdown on narcotics. Duterte retaliated by ordering security forces to ignore UN rapporteurs who would visit the country to conduct an investigation and by describing Zeid as “empty-headed.” Duterte, who has been hurling tirades at critics of his controversial war on illegal drugs, revealed last Thursday, April 26 that Esperon had asked him to “keep calm”
and to refrain from insulting the UN human rights chief. “The high commissioner of the human rights said about me needing a psychiatrist, I wanted to criticize the gray matter between his ears. But general Esperon, my national security adviser, said ‘Please stop, just keep calm.’ ‘Why should I allow this?’ ‘Because the king of Jordan is very kind to us.’ ‘We’re friends. We have the best of relations.’ That’s why, he said, he promised us two Cobra helicopters,” the President said during a gathering of Masons in Davao City. “We can never buy one even but he is willing to give us two. So you just suffer in humiliation and shut up,” he added. Despite the criticisms, Duterte said he was bent on continuing his anti-drug war, which has left more than 4,000 suspected drug offenders dead. He reiterated that he is ready to kill drug personalities to defend the citizens
from the drug menace. “Is it wrong for a president to kill to save his people?” he said. Duterte also assailed the European Union for its “misplaced” criticism against his campaign and for allegedly turning a blind eye on victims of drug users. “I would just like to remind the western countries stop intervening...these idiots especially the European Parliament, they keep on harping on the Philippines about the deaths without a single one complaining about the death of innocents dying and drug lords living in houses in Australia and America at the expense of their fellow men,” the President said. “Stop this business of intervening in the affairs of other countries. I assure you, who in the world would like or relish the killing of his own countrymen?” Duterte also warned local executives who are into illicit drugs trade. “I will eat you alive,” he said. n
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Supreme Court to vote on Sereno case May 11 by JOMAR
CANLAS ManilaTimes.net
PLATE MAKING. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade (2nd left) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante (left) inspect a new plate during the 106th LTO anniversary that coincides with the launch of the LTO plate making plant (2nd from left) held at the LTO Head Office in East Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday, April 24. The plant houses seven machines that can produce a total of 11,200 plates per shift and a total of 22,400 on a two-shift daily operations. PNA photo by Rico Borja
Excessive force? Roque, PNP review drug ops by ALEXIS
ROMERO Philstar.com
MANILA — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque revealed he is working with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to collect information about drug-related killings and determine if there were irregularities, including the use of excessive force. Roque, who is also presidential adviser on human rights, said he would recommend the filing of charges against policemen involved in extrajudicial killings. “I’ve actually coordinated with the police to document each of the killings that they have reported and actually make sure that there is no basis to prosecute our men in uniform in connection with any of these killings. We’re halfway done,” Roque said at a press briefing in Malacañang. “So in a few months, I will have a file for every killing reported by the PNP, indicating that there was no excessive use of force; and if there is a reason to file charges against the killers, then I will encourage the filing of charges to put an end to criticisms that nothing is being done,” he added. Roque said he and former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa had agreed to work together to collect data on the killings. He said he was optimistic that PNP chief Director Oscar Albayalde would also cooperate with him. “I think General Albayalde will even be more cooperative in this regard because he really wants to promote discipline among the ranks of the PNP. He will hasten the process. So I foresee that in the next two or three months, we should be finished and we should come up with the report on how many should be charged if any,” Roque said. “So the next time that they
complain (about the drug war), I will now be able to confidently say, ‘That’s not true. We went through each and every case, and we can convincingly say that there was no excessive use of force in these instances’,” he added. Albayalde, for his part, said he will keep the name “tokhang” in police anti-illegal drug operations. Tokhang was initiated and popularized by Dela Rosa as he waged the intensified war against illegal drugs for 21 months from July 1, 2016 until he retired on April 19. Albayalde said there is no guarantee the war on drugs will be less bloody when he takes over leadership of the 190,000strong PNP and there are going to be casualties so long as drug suspects put up a fight in police operations. Albayalde had promised to cooperate in the investigations of their police operations with other government agencies, including the Commission on Human Rights, to ensure transparency. Roque’s statements came four days after 13 people were killed in simultaneous drug raids in Bulacan and almost a week after Albayalde assumed as PNP chief. More than 4,000 people, most of them small-time drug pushers, have died since President Duterte launched his war on illegal drugs two years ago. Critics claim the government crackdown on drugs is encouraging extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses but officials deny this, insisting that most of the slain drug offenders fought with arresting officers. Duterte has been assailing human rights advocates critical of his anti-narcotics campaign, accusing them of ignoring the plight of victims of drug pushers and syndicates.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque revealed he is working with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to collect information about drug-related killings and determine if there were irregularities, including the use of excessive force. Inquirer.net photo
DOLE: PH, Kuwait ties not... PAGE A10 t coordinated with Kuwait authorities. Lessons learned Senators, meanwhile, said the Philippines should take lessons from the diplomatic row with Kuwait, particularly from the expulsion of the ambassador. Sen. Cynthia Villar said that while the expulsion of the country’s top diplomat in Kuwait was unfortunate, Manila should continue to exert all efforts to protect the Filipino workers. “Whether or not Kuwait will get angry is out of the question. Our concern is we will always take care of our OFWs,” Villar told reporters. “We’ve apologized already (to Kuwait), so it’s up to them. “Our concerns were not unfounded. Our OFW was placed in a freezer for one year – what’s that? Is that acceptable? I don’t think it’s acceptable. So whatev-
er pain we have to suffer, we really have to protect our OFWs,” she added. The senator was referring to the case of 29-year-old Joanna Demafelis, a Filipino domestic helper who went missing for over a year before her body was found last February in a freezer. Her employers – a Lebanese and a Syrian – are reportedly under police custody. The same sentiment was raised by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who urged the Philippine government to press for the forging of an agreement on greater protection for OFWs. Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, meanwhile, is pushing for high level visits to Kuwait. He said sending such delegations will show the country puts importance to its relations with the oil-rich Arab state. (Sheila Crisostomo and Edith Regalado/ Philstar.com)
Roque disputed claims the Duterte administration is not doing enough to prevent drug-related killings. “We are taking this seriously but we do not need to announce all the things that we are doing,” he said. “Don’t worry. We will reach the point when we will confidently say, ‘We have the data. We have the facts’ and we are confidently able to say, ‘All the killings were done in a legal manner.’” ■
THE Supreme Court has set a new date for voting on the quo warranto petition against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, supposedly to prevent information leaks. The ponente of the case or the writer of the decision, Associate Justice Noel is supposed to circulate the final draft ponencia on the case on Thursday. Unimpeachable court sources told The Manila Times the high court moved the vote ahead by one week, to May 11, simultaneous with the submission of separate opinions from the justices. The original date of the vote was May 17. The source said that if the submission of the separate opinions would be on May 11 and the vote happened on May 17, Sereno would have a forewarning of one week during which she could file her resignation. “It will leak on May 11 when all opinions are in. The vote is on May 17. Sereno will learn about it,” the source said. Another source agreed, saying Sereno should quit instead of waiting for the voting. On May 11, the vote of each justice must be attached to their separate opinions. If necessary, Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio may call for voting at 2 p.m. on the said date. Originally, the magistrates agreed that voting should be held on May 17, through a special en banc session. The quo warranto petition filed
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno Philstar.com photo
by the Office of the Solicitor General is based on Sereno’s failure to submit her wealth declarations, or statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) that screens court appointees. Sereno is facing a separate impeachment complaint in Congress based on her alleged failure to declare her true wealth, aside from accusations she manipulated the process of screening court nominees and spent government money on expensive travels and a new official vehicle. Sereno on Wednesday, April 25, reiterated her call to the House of Representatives to transmit the impeachment case against her for trial in the Senate, saying she was willing to step down if convicted. At the same time, she questioned the quo warranto plea questioning her qualifications before the high court, saying it was tantamount to a “dictator-
ship” and a threat to the security of tenure of all government employees, not just Supreme Court justices. “Let me fall at the mercy of God and the people. I am ready,” Sereno told lawyers and law students in a forum at the Ateneo Law School in Makati City. She challenged the House of Representatives not to prolong the transmission of the case to the Senate, and “put a stop to the nightmare” that has been dragging on since August. “Let my Senate trial begin,” Sereno said. “If I am convicted by the Senate, I will leave. It’s the defense of the very principles that make us a democratic nation.” Sereno received a warm welcome and standing ovation from Ateneo law students. “What I can assure you is that I will not abandon this fight. I will be with you ‘til the end,” she said. Sereno said she had been preparing to defend her case before the Senate since she took a leave of absence from the Supreme Court in March. “They concluded that the complaint was strong and sufficient in substance. My preparation is already for the Senate trial,” the chief justice said. If convicted by the Senate, Sereno said that she would leave her post as chief magistrate because she “understands that is the process.” “It is not the matter of hanging on to a position, or defense of a person. It is in defense of democratic institutions,” she said. ■
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Sunshine Dizon explains why ex Timothy Tan is Gandapulis pageant ‘beautifies’ still part of her life, takes jab at alleged mistress the image of the National Police by Katrina
Hallare Inquirer.net
by ricKy lo
EvEn though their marriage crumbled, Sunshine Dizon showed that she and ex-husband, Timothy Tan, are good as they are first and foremost, parents. The two reunited for the birthday party of their daughter, Doreen. As seen in her photos on Instagram yesterday, the two have managed to be on amicable terms for the sake of their two children. Despite what they have gone through, Dizon set the record straight by saying Tan “is and will always be the father of my children.” She added: “It is his right, duty and obligation to be there for his children no matter what the circumstances may be.” “I cannot put a label on our status but what i’m sure of is that by law and more importantly God’s law i am still his wife,” the actress said on her and Tan’s union. “Only time Sunshine Dizon and her former husband, Timothy Tan have agreed to remain cordial for the sake of their two children. Photo from Instagram/@m_sunshinedizon PAGE B4
Mocha Uson to host public service talk show by
GeorGe Vail Kabristante ManilaTimes.net
COnTrOvErSIAl showbiz personality-turned government official Mocha Uson is hosting a Tv talk show along with comedian-stage and movie actor, Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) director general leo Martinez. Mocha’s haters and bashers must be gnashing their teeth with this development but to the delight of her almost six million followers on Facebook. Directed by William Mayo, head of the Philippine Motion Picture Directors Association (PMPDA) or Kapisanan ng mga Direktor ng Pelikulang Pilipino (KDPP), the program called “Unlad Bayan” is touted to be the m Most informative talk show on local Tv and antidote to fake news and disinformation machinated by those against President rodrigo Duterte.
Mocha Uson
According to Mayo, the aim of the show is to provide the viewing public accurate and updated information on the progress and development of the projects undertaken by the present administration. Mocha has been given a go signal by her boss, Presidential
Inquirer.net photo
Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, to go ahead with her first public service hosting job on Tv. And leo, famous for his funny Congressman Manhik-Manaog character will provide the comic PAGE B4
Philstar.com
ThIS time last year, PO1 Arla ray Pacencia, a nurse from Tacloban City whose family was hit hard by Supertyphoon Yolanda, won the first Miss PnP pageant, also known as Gandapulis. Just like last year, the 2018 search also produced a batch of six Gandapulis beauties from the field of 28 aspirants, topped by PO1 Madonna Gay Cajocon of PrO 9 Zamboanga Peninsula, and completing her court were PO2 May Shell Oro of PrO 10 PO1 Madonna Gay Cajocon of PRO 9 Zamboanga Peninsula bested 27 other aspirants for the 2018 northern Mindanao, first runner- Miss PNP crown. A B.S. Criminology graduate, sheplans to take up law...or compete in a national beauty contest. Photo courtesy of PNP-PIO PAGE B3
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New Banc of California Stadium features some of LA’s food favorites by Christina
M. oriel
AJPress
SOCCeR fans rejoice — Banc of California Stadium in downtown los Angeles opens this weekend with the lA Football Club (lAFC)’s match against the Seattle Sounders on Sunday, April 29. The sport itself isn’t the only reason to flock to the stadium, as the food vendors are something to savor in. You’ll want to head to the stadium early to have enough time to check out all the options, instead of stopping elsewhere for a meal before a game. The options aren’t like what you’d find at a typical sports venue — think hot dogs with Korean-
style sausages topped with kimchi or noshing on duck fat fries. Chris mcConnaughey, general manager of legends Hospitality which oversees the stadium, told the Asian Journal that along with executive chef matt eland, they brought in partners that reflect some of the city’s best culinary offerings. “We tried to build an offering for the ultimate fan experience,” he said during a culinary media preview on Wednesday, April 25. “We’ve got mediterranean, Korean, mexican, Texas BBQ and stadium fare.” The lA favorites that will have a presence inside the stadium include
Bludso’s Bar & Que (particularly the brisket sandwich with mac n’ Cheese), Chica’s tacos (barbacoa tacos), Seoul Sausage Company (kalbi pork sausage with kimchi relish, garlic jalapeño aioli & fried onions), and Beer Belly (duck fat fries with raspberry mustard). There are also in-house concepts like rotisserie fares lA Rotisserie, French bread-style pizza at The Crest, mediterranean cuisine at The Roost (check out the middle eastern nachos), and hot sandwiches at The Press. Of course, patrons who want hamburgers and hot dogs without the frills can opt for the Rally Stand. Since it is lA, the stadium offers healthier options, like vegetarian and gluten-free, mcConnaughey noted. Refreshments throughout the stadium include non-dairy coffee creations by Califia Farms, craft cocktails, local craft beers, and more. “if you’re not a soccer fan, but you come to this stadium for the first time, i’ll tell you that you’ll become a soccer fan. maybe it’s not the sport, but what we’ve built here as a team — lAFC and Banc of California — this stadium is more of an experience,” mcConnaughey added. “it’s based on hospitality. it’s based on premium. it’s just more than soccer.” The new stadium holds 22,000
Rendering of Banc of California stadium exterior
Photo courtesy of Legends Hospital
Rendering of Sunset Club, a part of the stadium that has indoor and Founders Club, an open-air club that offers great views at center pitch outdoor seating options Photos courtesy of Legends Hospital
seats and will be used for special events like concerts in addition to soccer matches. Also worth noting are the premium spaces inside the stadium — Field level Club (located less
than 15 feet from the pitch), Founders Club, Sunset Deck (beach-style area with indoor and outdoor seating), Figueroa Club, Directors lounge, and suites that can hold up to 30. The areas can be booked
for meetings or private events on non-game days. Banc of California Stadium is located at 3939 S. Figueroa St. los Angeles, CA next to the lA memorial Coliseum.
AJPress photos by Christina M. Oriel
Sriracha beast hamburger and duck fat fries from Beer Belly
Downtown LA-based Chica’s Tacos
French bread-style pizza from The Crest
Brisket sandwich and Mac n’ Cheese from Bludso’s Bar & Que
Seoul Sausage Company’s kalbi pork sausage with kimchi Banc of California stadium, a 22,000-seat soccer venue, officially opens on Sunday, April 29. relish, garlic jalapeño aioli & fried onions
THE JENNIFER LAUDE STORY MADE INTO DOCUMENTARY FILM
‘Call Her Ganda’ makes its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival By MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
Fil-Am director PJ Raval was invited to the Philippines in December 2014 to screen the two documentaries he has done – Trinidad and Before You Know it – for the QC Pink lGBTQ+ Film Festival. little did he know, he’d find there – his parents’ homeland the idea and inspiration for what would be his third documentary feature. “When i arrived, i discovered a country struck with grief, outraged over the death of Jennifer laude, a transwoman from Olongapo who was found murdered in a motel room,” Raval shared. “A U.S. marine was the leading suspect, but police authorities were unable to detain him, as he was protected by a Visiting Forces Agreement that gives the U.S. enormous latitude with cases concerning military personnel.” A little more than four years later, Raval and his team are at the Tribeca Film Festival attending the world premiere of Call Her Ganda, the film that was born out of that festival in the Philippines. Ganda in Filipino is beauty, and that is what Jennifer laude’s Naomi Fontanos
Director PJ Raval
Julita “Nanay” Laude being photographed by journalist and trans-activist Meredit Talusan
Atty. Virgie Suarez
‘Jennifer’s altar’
mother used to call her. While doing a panel on lGBT rights at the festival in manila, Raval met Attorney Virginia Suarez who was representing the laude family. She told us about the case and shared a clip of Jennifer’s mother, “Nanay” (tagalog PAGE B3
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Kathryn Bernardo shares photos of Daniel Padilla’s ‘Great Gatsby’ birthday party by JAN
MILO SEVERO Philstar.com
“TEEN Queen” Kathryn Bernardo shared through her Instagram story what has happened on “Teen King” Daniel Padilla’s Great Gatsby-themed 23rd birthday party on Thursday, April 26. On her first story, Kathryn was showing her outfit for the celebration and she captioned the post with “DJP-inspired outfit.” On the next stories, a band was seen playing The Beatles song “I Wanna Hold You Hand” while Daniel is singing in their table, next to Kathryn, who was taking the video. The next stories showed Daniel blowing his cake, while attendees of his birthday were singing him the birthday song. The birthday boy also jammed with the band and sang The Beatles’ classic “Something.” Robin Padilla’s wife, Mariel Rodriguez, also shared on her Instagram story Daniel’s celebration. Mariel captured a video of Daniel together with his parents Karla Estrada and Rommel Padilla. Karla said in the video how grateful she is for the visitors of her son’s birthday.
Singer-actor Daniel Padilla celebrated his birthday on April 26 (left); his lady love Kathryn Bernardo wearing a Daniel-inspired outfit. Photos from Instagram/@bernardokath
In a mall tour last week for their endorsement, Vivo V9 smartphone, KathNiel celebrated Daniel’s birthday in advance. Kathryn has a birthday wish for her love team partner and rumored boyfriend. “Magawa niya sana lahat ng gusto niyang gawin kasi ang dami niyang plano. I’m sure maeexcite ang lahat ‘pag nalaman nila ‘yun, so sana magawa niya ‘yun lahat. And of course ‘yung health niya parati lang okay, ayon ang impor-
tante,” Kathryn said. Since KathNiel celebrate their birthdays one month apart, Daniel also has a wish for his partner, which celebrated her birthday last March 26. “Sana magawa mo lahat ang gusto mo gawin. Lahat naman tayo seeking for happiness, so sana maging masaya ka. Nandito naman ako kaya okay ka na,” Daniel said, creating loud cheers and “kilig feels” from the crowd.
‘Call Her Ganda’ makes its world premiere...
PAGE B2 for “mother”), who spoke with raw passion, demanding justice for the death of her child. During that panel, someone suggested that a documentary about Jennifer needed to be made, and all eyes turned to Raval, an award-winning director and cinematographer whose previous work explored the overlooked subcultures and identities within the already marginalized LGBTQ+ communities. “I’ve always wanted to make a film set in the Philippines, and having the opportunity to tell the story of Jennifer Laude and those who worked tirelessly to seek justice for her death not only spoke to me as a queer person of color, but also as a Filipino-American,” he said. “This film integrates all aspects of my identity and I’m extremely thankful for being given this opportunity to tell an important story for so many people, including myself.” At the second screening of the documentary film at Cinepolis in Chelsea, we were able to chat and mingle with some of the film’s key players, including Raval, Suarez and Naomi Fontanos. “I hope this movie will move people to act. It is not enough that we are good people, it is not enough that we just get inspired. We need to rally and enlighten people and retell this story hoping that this will help in our struggle for freedom, democracy and national identity,” Suarez told us. Attorney Suarez is a labor rights lawyer and co-counsel of the Laude family in the Jennifer Laude murder trial, along with Attorney Harry Roque, who now serves as the spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte. Suarez is also the head of the Filipino women’s rights group Kaisa Ka and Secretary General of the political organization Kilusan, whose mission is to create “genuine freedom and democracy” for the Filipino people. As an organization, Kilusan has been campaigning actively in support of abolishing the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). VFA allows U.S. Military personally stationed in the Philippines to be under U.S. jurisdiction. It has come under international scrutiny due to local Philippines authorities’ inability to detain the accused suspect, Joseph Scott Pemberton, in the murder trial of Jennifer Laude. “We’re just awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court. I hope that the decision will immediately come out because that will end somehow the agony, the pain of the Laude family. Waiting for this case, it’s painful,” Suarez shared. Shooting in the Philippines Raval shared that one of the most challenging parts in making this film was trying to make it in the Philippines, especially since the events were still unfolding when they began shooting. “This is my third feature documentary and to be honest, I don’t know if I could have made this as my first. I needed to make a couple of films before I got to this one. I don’t know if a couple of years ago, I would have felt capable of making something like this. The project came at a right time and I felt this was a story that very much resonated with me, and one that I could tell from a perspective of a FilipinoAmerican,” he said. The story was clear to the team and it was just a matter of figuring out the form that it would take shape. They wanted to be able to contextualize the history of the United States and
the Philippines, colonialism and its effects. Enter Meredith Talusan, a transgender writer, photographer, and scholar who has been covering the murder of Jennifer Laude for several news outlets such as VICE, The Guardian, and Buzzfeed. Instantly, Raval saw that Talusan would be the perfect narrator of the film because of some certain parallels that Talusan and Laude shared. Meredith told us that she travelled to the Philippines a total of six times to cover the case. Her article for VICE, entitled “How the Killing of a Trans Filipina Woman Ignited an International Incident” was the first major article on Jennifer that took an investigative look into her backstory and community. Meredith has since written multiple articles covering the Jennifer Laude murder case and is now the executive editor of Conde Nast’s new LGBTQ publication Them. When Raval first heard about the crime, one of the first things that struck him was the reaction of so many different people and so many different communities. It’s not only the trans activist communities, LGBT rights groups, women’s rights groups, anti-US imperialist groups in the Philippines, among others. “It really made me recognize that if it weren’t for the combined efforts of all these communities pushing for justice and visibility of this issue, nothing would have happened,” he said. “Premiering our film here at Tribeca is amazing because Tribeca has a reputation of amazing, smart, artistic and important films so it is an honor to
be part of that lineup. I cannot thank them enough for giving us the opportunity to premiere the film here,” he added. As the Tribeca Film Festival comes to an end this week, Call Her Ganda would have played in six screenings. The team behind it is looking forward to the next festivals so they can get the story out there. “I am hoping that people will watch this and understand that now is the time to be civically engaged. It is no longer just about being aware of the issue, are you willing to go out on the frontlines and actually demand change,” Raval said, echoing what Attorney Suarez told us earlier. “For this to happen in the time of Trump, who is so anti-trans; in the time of Duterte, who is so anti-America and for the US Embassy in Manila to grant me a 10-year multiple entry visa to the US to be able to attend Tribeca is so full of irony to me. It is so ironic and unbelievable to me,” Fontanos, one of the players in the film, told us. “In my head and in my heart, I knew I wouldn’t get it. I knew so many friends who are Filipinos who applied for US visas multiple times and they all got denied. I think it’s all Jennifer’s work,” she shared. “Jennifer has opened so many doors for me.” After the world premiere, Fontanos, a transgender rights activist and executive director of Gender and Development Advocates (GANDA) Filipinas, gave a shout out to Laude in one of her social media posts and honored her memory. “Salamat Ganda, ang pelikulang ‘to ay para sa iyong alaala.”
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Caregiver petition allows Isaac to be reunited with his children in the U.S. as green card holders. Driven by the desire to improve his life for his children’s sake, Isaac (left) jumped ship when his ship docked at Los Angeles in 2007. Fortunately, he found an employer who was willing to petition him as a caregiver. The employer’s petition was approved, but Isaac still had to wait several more years before his priority date was current and he was eligible for a green card. All that time, Isaac could not return to the Philippines due to his immigration status. But he still made that sacrifice, knowing it was the right way to do. For him, it was better to wait, if everything was done properly and legally. Isaac knew he was in capable hands under the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel, who helped obtain green cards for Isaac and his two young sons. Watch this happy family reunion on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.
Gandapulis pageant ‘beautifies’... PAGE B1 up (Miss Makadiyos); PO1 Elymor Chrysma Caberto of PROCOR Cordillera Region, second (Miss Makabayan); PO1 Cris Pastores of PRO ARMM, third (Miss Makatao); and PO1 Anne Jerica Buenafe of PRO Central Luzon, fourth (Miss Makakalikasan). What makes the pageant different from all the rest is that, as the three hosts announced, there wasn’t a swimsuit competition. Instead, the candidates paraded in flaming-red “resort wear” that exposed nothing more than part of their smooth arms and legs. Also, they expounded on their advocacies (against terrorism, drugs, etc.) in video clips. They were all articulate, very convincing in their explanation and very clear in their vision of a better society. They then wowed the SRO crowd at the Camp Crame Multi-Purpose Center by parading in ethnic gowns, prompting Phillip Salvador, one of the judges, to exclaim “Amazing!” when one candidate ruled the stage with a costume that must have weighed tons. As the Top 10 semi-finalists competed in the Evening Gown segment, Bacoor, Cavite, Mayor Lani Mercado (another judge), commented, “Ang gaganda
nila! This pageant surely softens the image of the police.” I agreed 100 percent. “It also ‘beautifies’ the image of the police,” I told Lani, and mentioned that not only policewomen but also policemen have been doing the same by winning
in male “beauty pageants,” including Neil Perez, 2014 Mister International; Don McGyver Cochico, 2015 Mister Manhunt International Philippines, and 2016 Gwapulis winner Willy Quinto. All of them PAGE B4
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Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS Restaurant menus Following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule introduced in 2012, restaurant menus today in about two-thirds of the largest restaurant chains have eliminated the highest caloric food items on their menus. In these 66 chains, higher calorie sandwiches, which have 52 to 71 more calories than their average items, were dropped. This is a healthy trend, but desserts, which are in carbohydrates, and soft drinks, which are toxic to the body, have remained unchanged. Low-carbs, low-fat, more vegetables and nuts are in. Indeed, long overdue. COPD among non-smokers? Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which chronic tobacco smokers inevitably acquire after years of exposure (firsthand or secondhand) to the countless toxic agents in cigarettes, could also result from other causes, like environmental chemical pollution, and rarely, from a genetic disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a hereditary condition. Unbeknownst to many, COPD could also be caused by GERD (Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease), where the valve between the stomach and the esophagus (food pipe) is incompetent (loose), allowing stomach hydrochloric acid (which normally helps in food digestion) to backup to the esophagus and higher up. The acid could also flow into the windpipe, frequently causing small coughs, and over the years, leading to inflammation in the respiratory track, leading to COPD, with lung congestion, bronchial spasm, some shortness of breath and wheezing, similar to asthmatic attacks. For this, metered dose inhalers (MDI) with bronchodilators, some with steroids, is part of the treatment, besides the use of Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) to reduce acid formation, abstention from spicy foods/alcohol, and sleeping with the head of the bed elevated. Oral-cardiac health link There is an intimate relationship between oral health and cardiac health. Any infection in the mouth, dental/oral, causes bacterial invasion and inflammatory processes that increase the risk for the development of heart attack and stroke. In the U.S., greater than 80 percent of Americans have undiagnosed periodontal or gum disease. This is the reason why it is vital to have maximal oral health by maintaining good oral hygiene and having dental checkup at least two times a year. As we have alluded to in this column in past articles, inflammation in oral cavity or any part of the body, evidenced by elevated C-reactive protein, is the cause of most major illnesses known to man. Shotgun approach versus
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Health info capsules Anna Luna bags new foreign cancer In view of the deadly nature of cancer in general, medical science and technology are unceasingly finding new and more effective ways to target cancer with this multi-pronged approach: pre-emptive recognition of genetic risks, prevention (lifestyle, vaccines), discovery of markers, early diagnosis, more precise targeted treatment, immunotherapy, and more accurate prognostication. This evidencebased approach is aimed at conquering this killer disease to allow victims to live longer or even attain total cure. Genetics, genomics, mapping The new frontier in screening tests for cancer are in the area of genetics and genomics. On such test searches for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which predispose women to develop breasts and ovarian cancers, like in the case of renowned actress Angelina Jolie, who had her breasts and ovaries surgically removed as a prophylactic measure. Today, there is also a home test that detects changes in feces that identify colon cancer. A great advance in cancer care is the mapping of the genetic blueprints of 33 cancer types. The DNA similarities would allow more precise target treatments of cancers, because greater success in the fight against cancer can be achieved if we can first classify them according to their genomic and molecular makeup. This would identify their vulnerabilities. Biomarkers and liquid biopsy Biomarkers are substances in urine, blood, and other body fluids that reveals cancer. These tests are: Liver cancer: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); Prostate cancer: prostate-specific antigen (PSA); Thyroid cancer: Thyroglobulin (TG); and non-small cell lung cancer: ALK gene. Biomarker proteins for pancreatic cancer for its early diagnosis are still being investigated. Standard biopsy is done on solid tissues or tumors. Liquid biopsy, newly approved by the FDA in 2016, is a blood test that could detect cancer DNA circulating in the blood stream. Besides revealing changes to the EGFR gene in the serum of patients with non-small cell cancer of the lungs, liquid biopsy for other forms of cancers are underway. Anti-cancer vaccines Like vaccination for the prevention of chickenpox, measles, etc., vaccines, which works with our immune system to prevent, or even treat, cancer are a welcome regimen in our fight against these killer diseases. Gardasil, the very effective vaccine against cervical cancer we reported in this column in 2006, has dramatically reduced Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection by 64 percent and correspondingly cervical cancer. The other two are the hepatitis B vaccine, which significantly prevent deadly hepatoma (liver cancer), and sipuleucel-T (Provenge) vaccine,
which treats prostate cancer. Investigations worldwide are going on for vaccines against other types of cancers, like melanoma (skin cancer) and colon cancer. Screening tests for cancers Since most of our screening tests for cancer have potential side-effects, like radiation from mammogram or CT scans, false positive results from biopsies from gastroscopy/colonoscopy, more precise indications are needed to find out which individuals are more at risk and really need to be screened. If prevention does not succeed, finding cancers in their early stage before they spread is the next best strategy to get a possible cure, so screening tests are important. Pills in your home against cancer You may not realize it but, most likely, you have pills in your medicine cabinet at home today which could help in the prevention of colon cancer and heart attack. Some of you may have been taking it already. I am referring to aspirin (acetylsalycilic acid), first introduced in 1899, which, when taken in its 81 mg low-dose regimen once daily for at least 4 years could reduce deaths from heart attack by 25 percent and from colon cancer by 44 percent, if taken for ten years. The US Preventive Services Task Force states those 50 to 59 could benefit from this mini-dose aspirin therapy. There is also a group of medication that blocks estrogen receptors and lowers the risk for breast cancer. Drugs called aromatase inhibitors may also prevent breast cancer. Consultation with your physician is advised before taking any medication. when it comes to warding off diseases, including heart attack and stroke, and especially cancer, a healthy lifestyle is at the top of the list of preventive measures at our disposal. The ball is in our court, our future largely in our hands. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)
Best Actress nomination AwARD-wINNING independent actress and 2018 Star Magic Circle Anna Luna has earned another validation of her stellar performance in the movie “Maestra” with a Best Actress nomination at the 2018 Philadelphia Independent Film Awards (Pifa). In an interview shortly after receiving the news, Luna said she was happily shocked that her portrayal of Iah Seraspi, a teacher’s licensure exam topnotcher in the Lem Lorca-independent film, impressed foreign movie critics. “Tina-try talaga nilang iikot ang movie kung saan may mga festivals. Hindi ko naman siya iniisip na sobra pero siyempre masaya po ako dahi napansin ulit ang mga Pinoy,” she explained. ManilaTimes.net photo The said nomination is Luna’s
Anna Luna
second nod for the said film, which debuted in 2017 at the Cinemalaya Film Festival. Her first recognition came last year at the 2017 Five Continents International Film Festival in Venezuela, where she brought pride to the country by bringing home the Best Lead Actress trophy. Maestra is a heavy drama, which follows the story of three struggling teachers whose dedication to their profession pushes them to educate young people despite their personal difficulties. Luna has been nominated alongside actresses Keniesha Robinson, Margherita Mannino and Catalina Lavalle for the Best Actress trophy at Pifa. (ManilaTimes.net)
New Kapuso Jasmine Curtis Smith says network wars are ‘stupid’ by Deni
Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com
BEFORE she signed up as a new GMA contract star on April 17, actress Jasmine Curtis Smith told Philstar.com that she was happy being a freelancer and that she finds network wars “stupid.” “It was one thing that I told my manager na ayaw kong maipit sa mga network war. Parang for me, that’s stupid,” she told Philstar. com in an interview during her launch as Pantene endorser in 2017. “Let’s be open to be working with everyone. Be collaborative. Just be more, I guess, willing to be creative? Because that’s what we lack now because gusto ko d’yan lang s’ya. You know, nasasayangan ‘yung opportunity ‘pag ganun eh. Parang ‘pag if you restrict na dapat ang ica-cast lang namin ‘yung nasa network lang namin, if you deem someone else from that network or someone who’s not signed to not play that role.” At that time, Jasmine was willing to work with actors from different networks. “For me, it’s just normal. They’re actors from a network na exclusive, but that doesn’t give them one more over me. Nasa talent ‘yan eh. If jive kayo ng vibe, ‘yun!” when Jasmine signed with GMA, it came as a surprise to many since GMA is the archrival of ABS-CBN, where her older sister Anne Curtis is. In an interview with Philstar.
Jasmine Curtis Smith
Photo from Istagram/@jascurtissmith
com on April 19 during another Pantene event, Jasmine admitted that the Kapamilya network also offered to get her. “Actually, hindi po ako lumipat ng GMA for about two years. Wala na po ako sa TV5. Two years na pong wala na ‘yung kontrata ko sa TV5, nag-expire na po s’ya. And it just so happens matagal na pong nanliligaw si GMA and ever since natapos na po ‘yung previous contract natin kay TV5,
nagpaparamdam na po sila ng other network and it just so happens na GMA ang napili,” she explained. She assured that though she chose GMA, she has no bad blood with ABS-CBN. Her sister Anne also understands her decision. “Very happy naman, wala namang hurt feelings. work is work and I’m so happy to be welcomed so warmly and so lovingly by GMA,” Jasmine enthused.
“That Thing Called Tadhana.” Meanwhile, the actress teased a new love team with JC Santos through an Instagram post. She
joked Aquino and De Guzman should just love each other because their fans love them so much.
Angelica Panganiban, Carlo Aquino to star in new movie by alfReD Bayle Inquirer.net
ANGELICA Panganiban and Carlo Aquino are reuniting to star in a new movie by director Dan Villegas. Aquino hinted at the upcoming movie by uploading a photo of himself hugging Panganiban on Instagram with the caption, “Pagkakakitaan @ iamangelicap #Looktest #Happening #walangbayad by @ joshenvahnlee.” Director Dan Villegas, whom Panganiban worked with in “That
Thing Called Tadahana,” also shared a snapshot of a monitor used during looktest session. He did not mention anything else about the movie on the caption aside from “#comingsoon.” Early in March, Panganiban and Aquino flew to Australia with friends for vacation. Prior to the trip, the two celebrities had been visible to the public. Aquino even surprised Panganiban during a book signing last Feb. 24 at Trinoma mall. Panganiban and co-star JM de Guzman also hinted at a sequel to
Photos courtesy of Dan Villegas
Sunshine Dizon explains why ex Timothy Tan... PAGE B1 can tell and ultimately God if we are still meant to be together.” Hearing different opinions from other people, she then had this to say to those who think marriage is nothing: “You are probably not married and do not value family.” She continued: “[L]et me just remind you that you are not the mother of two beautiful kids still hoping and praying for our family to be complete and stay that way.” Dizon explained that she still lets him see their kids because “Tim is
still a good father in their eyes.” The actress went on, ” He is a hands on father. He drives them to school, helps them with school work, their playmate etc.” She described him as “far from perfect but at least he tries, unlike some.” She maintained that Tan would always be “the love of my life” although he broke her heart. Dizon furthered: “Pain is a good teacher. Pain will help you discover your inner strength if you allow it to empower you and not wallow in your despair.”
Hoping to serve as inspiration to fellow mothers who go through a similar situation, she said this was the reason why she aired her thoughts and shared her photos of them as a happy family. And while her post was about the importance of having a strong union, Dizon had some words for the alleged mistress who broke up their marriage. “And lastly to show you, yes YOU!(and the likes of you) the family you chose to ruin, innocent beautiful kids you deliberately in-
Mocha Uson in public service...
PAGE B1 relief in an otherwise serious and boring production on what’s up with government service and all. The show will be aired on the government station PTV with replays on Eagle Broadcasting System Net25.
Direk william likewise revealed that the weekly program is an updated version of his past concept from almost the same format which he himself used to direct during the time of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, also aired on the government station.
As film director, he is often associated with action films he helmed for Regal, Viva and some independent production outfits. He has helped groom the relatively unknown Jeric Raval from Pampanga into becoming a bankable action star in his own right
flicted pain upon,” she shot without directly naming her. “YOU who was fully aware of your actions and could’ve said NO to a married man. YOU better take a good hard look because this is the family you never had and will never ever have.” Dizon and Tan married in 2010, but separated in 2016 when she found out about her husband’s alleged dalliance with a certain Clarissa Sison. She previously said that she would not seek an annulment from him, and has faced Tan and Sison in court for concubinage and violation of the Anti-Violence Aagainst women and Their Children Act of 2004. alongside famous names in the mainstream movie industry. william is remembered for the epic “Lapu-Lapu” with Lito Lapid in the title role, hailed by his peers and FAP members, who unanimously bestowed it the Best Director, Best Actor and Best Picture honors in the Luna Awards that year.
Gandapulis pageant... PAGE B3 were present, along with 2017 Man of the world Mustafa Galal Elezali of Egypt, an accountant. Like P/SInsp Sofia Lauren Deliu (Junior Presidential Security Aidede-Camp) who finished among the Top 15 semi-finalists in the 2015 Miss Philippines Earth contest, PO1 Madonna said that, given a chance, she would like to compete in a national beauty pageant. In the meantime, her concern is her anti-terrorism advocacy. A B.S. Criminology graduate from Jose Rizal Memorial State
University in Dipolog City. (Sofia and her boyfriend, P/Insp Abdul Bassar Abdurajak, were married last March with Pres. DU30 as principal sponsor.) Incidentally, was she named after Madonna? “No,” smiled Madonna, 24, who has been with the PNP for three years. “I don’t think so. Baka nga hindi kilala ng mother ko si Madonna. But when people ask me, I just smile.” Her boyfriend, also a cop, was not at the event to cheer her right on. “He is detailed in Zamboanga.”
Madonna and her court from left: PO1 Anne Jerica Buenafe of PRO 3 Central Luzon, Miss Makakalikasan (fourth runner-up); PO2 May Shell Oro of PRO 10 Northern Mindanao, Miss Makadiyos (first runner-up); PO1 Elymor Chrysma Caberto of PROCOR Cordillera Region, Miss Makabayan (second runner-up); and PO1 Cris Pastores of PRO ARMM, Miss Makatao (third runner-up).
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 28 - MAY 1, 2018
COMMUNITY $3&%*5 $"3% Journal
Supreme Court strikes down “crime of violence” definition, sparing many from deportation THE Supreme Court issued a decision recently that will potentially spare thousands of immigrants from deportation, and allow many others to seek relief that they were previously told was not available. In Sessions v. Dimaya, the Court held that part of the definition of a “crime of violence” is unconstitutionally vague. The decision should immediately benefit any immigrant who is charged with removability as an alien convicted of a “crime of violence,” and will open doors that were previously closed to immigrants with certain criminal convictions. The case concerns the application of the aggravated felony ground of deportability, and provides important limits on the lengths that immigration judges can go to in finding that a person should be removed from the U.S. or barred from relief. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), an alien convicted of an aggravated felony is deportable from the United States, and ineligible for certain forms of relief including cancellation of removal. If an alien is out of status and convicted of an aggravated felony, Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) can order deportation without ever appearing before a judge. Aggravated felonies can render an alien ineligible for waivers, discretionary relief, and even asylum. In short, the consequences of a conviction for an aggravated felony are severe. The INA sets forth twenty-one different classes of crimes that constitute aggravated felonies. One of those classes is a “crime of violence” for which the term of imprisonment is at least 1 year. The term “crime of violence” is defined in the federal criminal code (in part) as “any offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.” Applying this definition, an
Your Immigration Solution Atty. Eric WElsh & NANcy MillEr immigration judge determined that a conviction for California first-degree burglary constituted a crime of violence, and ordered James Dimaya, a lawful permanent resident, to be deported. The Supreme Court accepted the case for review in order to resolve a conflict amongst the circuit courts regarding the constitutionality of the definition. Writing for the Court, Justice
not specify “what threshold level of risk made any given crime a ‘violent felony.’” Combined, these two features result in “grave uncertainty” and a lack of predictable application. As such, the definition is void-for-vagueness, and unconstitutional. The decision in Dimaya will considerably limit the Government’s ability to remove certain aliens with criminal convictions. Any alien who has been found deportable for a “crime of violence” conviction or deemed ineligible for relief on that basis may be able to challenge that conclusion and avoid deportation or apply for relief. The Dimaya decision is a reminder that the immigration laws have constitutional limits, and an immigration judge cannot deport a person simply because that judge believes that a particular crime seems “violent.” To trigger the draconian consequences that attend to an aggravated felony, the alien must be convicted of a crime that leaves no doubt as to the risk of violence involved in its commission. Gut instinct alone is not sufficient. Any alien with a criminal record should consult an experienced immigration attorney to determine the consequences of a conviction, and the options for relief. The laws are constantly evolving, and doors once closed can be opened again.
“Gut instinct alone is not sufficient.” Elena Kagen began by affirming that the prohibition of vagueness in criminal statutes is essential to due process, “required by both ‘ordinary notions of fair play and the settled rules of law.’” Justice Kagen rejected the Government’s argument that a less exacting form of void-for-vagueness should apply to immigration proceedings, noting that under binding precedent, the most exacting standard for vagueness should apply in immigration proceedings “in view of the grave nature of deportation—a drastic measure often amounting to lifelong banishment or exile.” Applying this exacting standard, the Court concluded that the definition of “crime of violence” is unconstitutionally vague. Justice Kagen noted that the definition required a fact-finder to “imagine” a hypothetical “idealized ordinary case of the crime,” an invitation to speculate from “whole-cloth” based on nothing more than gut instinct. Moreover, according to Justice Kagen, the definition did
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*** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Pasadena, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com website: www.rreeves.com *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Petra, Aqaba, Jordan
(Tiberias, Ceasarea, Haifa, Meggido,Magdala, Nazareth, Cana, Mt Carmel, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitude, Jericho, Bethany, Mt.Tabor, Mount Zion, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Qumran, Masada Dead Sea, Allen by Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)
OCTOBER 18 to NOVEMBER 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct. 18, 2018( Thursday) Day 1 – MNL HKG, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL Oct. 25, 2018 (Thursday) Day 8 - Jerusalem Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:14) Israel. (Meals served in-flight) We will walk to view the Dome of the Rock from the outside, and visit the Oct. 18, 2018 (Friday) Day 1 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Western Wall, ( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still Tiberias standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. Then, we will Arrival from Manila still Oct. 18,2018 late in the evening. After we clear drive to Mt. Zion, to visit the Upper Room, revered as the site of the Last Immigration and Customs, will be met by our driver for transfer to tiberias . Supper, then survey the Dormition Abbey, and the Church of St. Peter in enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean. We will spend our first night Gallicantu, the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. After the day’s in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Gai Beach Hotel (Oct. 19, 2018) Holy tour, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Eucharist Notre Dame Vatican Hotel Oct. 20, 2018 (Saturday) Day 3 - Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana / Oct. 26, 2018 (Friday) Day 9 - Mount of Olives/Gethsemane/Bethlehem/ Mt Tabor Jerusalem (New City)/Ein Karem We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Mass at the Church of Nativity Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon. In the New “O mountain of God, receive me, a mother, with my child.” (Protoevangelium Testament book of Revelation, it is referred as the sites of the “final battle”. of James 22:3) From there, we will continue our drive into Nazareth, where we will have Mass We will arrive at the Mount of Olives, to enjoy another view of Jerusalem, in the Church of the Annunciation, the Cave of the Annunciation and visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus visit Joseph’s Workshop and Then we will move on to Cana of Galilee, where Flevit (“God wept”) sanctuary. Next, we’ll walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Our Lord performed His first miracle: changing water into wine at the wedding Garden of Gethsemane, and visit the Rock of Agony and the Church of feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows, Continue to Mount all Nations. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name is Tabor, site of Jesus Transfiguration Afterward, we will head to Tiberias. Dinner recognized around the world. After celebrating Mass at the Church of Nativity, and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).Gai Beach Hotel. we will see the Manger; visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Oct. 21, 2018 (Sunday) Day 4 - Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Early AM departures to Mt. Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. Eucharistic Celebration. Enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Then to the Church Primacy of St Peters. Overnight Magdala ( BB, D)
Jerome and the Shepherds’ Fields. Then we will return to Jerusalem (New City), to view the Temple Model to see how it looked during the time of Jesus. Here, we will gain a better understanding between the old and new cities of Jerusalem. Up next is a trip to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church, where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat”. We will end our day by returning to our Hotel. (B/D).
Oct. 23, 2018 (Tuesday) DAY 6 - Jordan Valley/Jericho/Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church of St. Lazarus MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one discovered in the Galilee.
famous mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence.
Oct. 27, 2018 (Saturday) Day 10 - Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations After breakfast, we will celebrate mass at the Church of all Nations and then we will drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the Oct. 22, 2018 (Monday) Day 5 - Magdala Full day retreat , Focus will Include programs based on the historical caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to and Religious value of the Magdala sites Jerusalem for dinner and Overnight (B, D) More info coming up as we get closer to the dates MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are Oct. 28, 2018 (Sunday) Day11 - Jerusalem/Allenby Bridge/Madaba/ creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is Jordan/Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She Mass at Mount Nebo lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We will go to that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue the Baptismal Site at Bethany, which Pope John Paul II visited in 2000. dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one Then, it’s on to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Our discovered in the Galilee. next stop will be the Church of St. George in Madaba, which hosts the
Oct. 24, 2018 ( Wednesday) Day 7 - Jerusalem (Old City)/Via Dolorosa/ Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17) We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord. After mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we will enter the Old City, sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda. Then we will visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostratos (where the soldiers played the Game of Kings) and the Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Dinner/Overnight Notre Dame Vatican hotel
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Oct 29, 2018 (Monday) Day 12 - Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba After breakfast, we will journey through the Siq, until we get our first glimpse of the Khazneh (Treasury). Then will we walk down to visit the Temple and view the many caves all around the Theater. At the end of the tour, we will drive back to Aqaba for overnight and dinner (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence Oct. 30, 2018 (Tuesday) Day 13 - Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/Overnight Oct. 31, 2018 (Wednesday) Day 14 - Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX After breakfast, we will visit the Yad Vashem Museum,is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future. After the Western Wall, Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site. Return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation in preparation for our return flight back to the USA after early dinner will be transferred to the airport for flight Oct 31, 2018 8:45 PM departure from TLV End of Our Memorable Pilgrimage to Jesus Home Land!!!
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Marian Pilgrimage France, Spain & Portugal September 8 to September 21, 2018 Spiritual Director: rev. John Duy nguyen Still one of the great pilgrimages shrines in the world, visited by thousands of pilgrim’s. Arrive in Lourdes in the late afternoon, orientation to the shrines and spends some time in the sanctuary. Dinner & overnight. Sept. 9, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 2 - Paris (CDG) Arrived Paris CDG, Then after we clear immigration and collect our (BB, D) Luggage,. you will proceed to your hotel and have mass and dinner. Sept. 15, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 8 - Lourdes Overnight in Paris. (D) You will have early morning bath at the healing water of Lourdes. Then return to the hotel for breakfast. There after attend Holy Mass Sept. 10, 2018 - (Monday) Day 3 - Paris Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, also at the Grotto. continue the day with a walking tour of the shrines and known as the City of Light. Full day touring with local guide, including places associated with the life of St. Bernadette. Spend some time visit of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Basilica of Sacre meditating on the passion of our Lord through more than life size Coeur, The chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Rue de Bac is the site exotic way of the sacrament and prayers. Afternoon will be free time of Marian Apparitions and contain the reliquaries of St. Catherine for private devotion. Dinner/overnight (BB, D) Laboure and St. Louise De Marillac. The shrine of St. Vincent the Paul is within walking distance, a few blocks from Rue De Bac, visit Sept. 16, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 9 - Lourdes / Zaragoza the chapel which houses the relic of St. Vincent the Paul. Overnight After Breakfast, you’ll continue your drive towards Zaragoza, Spain. Visit the shrines of Our Lady of Pillar, the 2nd most popular in Paris (BB/D) pilgrimages sites in Spain. See the Magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the apostles Sept. 11, 2018 - (Tuesday) Day 4 - Paris/Lisieux After breakfast, Full day in Lisieux, home of St Therese, who at age St. James, before her assumption into heaven. Dinner/overnight 15, entered the convent and became Carmelite nun, she took the Zaragoza (BB, D) religious name of St Therese of the child Jesus and the Holy face. The spirituality of her little ways was not about extraordinary things, but Sept. 17, 2018 - (Monday) Day 10 - Zaragoza / Salamanca rather about doing simple things of life well and with extraordinary After breakfast you will embark on a trip to Salamanca. You will have love. She believed and taught that “Everything is Grace”, God’s face a short stop and panoramic tour of Avila. Upon arrival in Salamanca, and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of you will visit the Old Cathedral and tour the city. Dinner /overnight our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy. She died at the Salamanca (BB, D) age of 24 believing that her life was really the beginning for God, promising to spend her heaven doing good on earth, her promised” Sept. 18, 2019 - (Tuesday) Day 11 - Salamanca / Fatima shower of Roses” began and have become a torrent in the church After Breakfast, you will spend the first half of the day touring ever since. Return to Paris, Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. Salamanca. You will visit the new cathedral with a short stop at Plaza Mayor for lunch. After lunch you will continue to Fatima, the Overnight in Lisieux (BB, D) famous Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Upon arrival you will have a Sept. 12, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 5 - Lisieux / Nevers / Paray- short orientation tour of the Sanctuary. Attend the nightly Candlelight procession at the Shrine. Dinner and Overnight Fatima (BB, D) Le-Monial After Breakfast, Continue your drive to the picturesque Loire valley to Nevers, visit the convent of St. Gillard, where St. Bernadette’s Sept. 19, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 12 - Fatima incorrupt body miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. Breakfast, then Visit the Museum dedicated to the Blessed Virgin At the conclusion of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary Mary followed by Mass at the Apparitions chapel, Full day Guided in Lourdes, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the tours includes the Shrines ground, visit of the tombs of Francisco congregation of the sisters of charity of Nevers. St Gildard convent and Jacinta in the Basilica, In Aljustrel and Valinhos, you see the is her final resting place. After she was blessed with the apparitions two homes of the shepherds, site of Our Lady’s fourth apparitions. of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette retired in Nevers. She Stop at the Parish church where the seers were baptized, and the received her religious habit in 1866. Continue to Paray-Le-Monial for cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once buried. You will do the station of the Cross. We encourage everyone to spend some time Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) in the Blessed Sacrament, which is open every day. Dinner/overnight Fátima. (BB, D) Sept. 13, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 6 - Paray-Le-Monial After Breakfast, you will tour Paray-Le-Monial. Your first stop is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and here you will celebrate Holy Sept. 20, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 13 - Fatima / Lisbon Eucharist. Then you will tour and admire the Romanesque basilica After breakfast ,you will proceed to Lisbon with stops at Santarem and see the Chapel of Apparitions. After the Basilica, you will proceed to visit the church of the Holy Miracle containing the Glorious to the Monastere e la Visitation. Visit the reliquary of Saint Margaret 13th century Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem .Then you will do a Mary of Alocoque at the Chapel of Visitation. Still to see and visit after panoramic city tour of Lisbon, with a visit to the Basilica of St Anthony lunch is the Park of the Chaplain and the Chapel of St. Colombiere. de Padua, St Jeronimo’s Monastery and the famous Belem Tower. Dinner/Overnight Lisbon (BB, D) Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) Sept. 8, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 1 USA/PARIS Transatlantic flight from USA to Paris (CDG )Meals serve on board.
Sept. 14, 2018 - (Friday) Day 7 - Paray-Le-Monial / Lourdes Sept. 21, 2018 - (Friday) - Early AM transfer to Lisbon After breakfast you will continue your pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lourdes, Airport for flight home to USA celebrating 160 Years of apparitions of Blessed Virgin to Bernadette. Full of wonderful memories of Our Pilgrimage
C APRIL 28 - MAY 1, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Community Journal
To people who are considering bankruptcy to get out of debt ARE you seriously in debt and thinking of filing bankruptcy as a last resort? Individuals who have accumulated excessive debt are often left to ponder whether they should file bankruptcy in order to get out of debt. Sometimes, these people feel that somehow, they’ve lost, failed, or that they will never have a chance to rebuild their credit again. Not true. Because we are living in a society where having a lot of credit cards has become the norm, they can’t imagine themselves without credit cards. Of course, the truth is that credit cards only give us a sense of false security. Why? Because these plastic cards create the illusion of having money that you really don’t have in your bank account, that’s why. That is exactly how most people end up spending their money before they even earn it. And they wonder why they are broke every pay day no matter how hard they work. If you find yourself over-ex-
Minding Your Finances Atty. rAyMond BulAon tended and have tried living on a budget, doing financial counseling, etc. and still have not made great progress in repaying your debts, I applaud you at least for your efforts. However, your plan must be a realistic one or you will simply end up getting frustrated. When you have incurred more debt that you can possibly repay, perhaps filing bankruptcy may be the only way to get debt relief. And in most cases, it’s not as complicated and as bad as what your creditors would like you to believe. As a matter of fact, most people who file for bankruptcy do just fine. They rebuild their credit after a few years and a lot of them are able buy homes just
like everyone else. Filing bankruptcy doesn’t have to be the end of the world. It is only a new beginning for those who really need it. Suppose you have attempted to negotiate with your creditors to work out an affordable repayment plan but they simply would not work with you? Although you’ve told them repeatedly that you cannot afford to pay the entire amount, they refuse to cooperate and continue to threaten you with filing a lawsuit, obtaining a judgment and perhaps even garnishing your wages (which you know you cannot afford). What else can you do? This may leave you no other option but to seek debt relief through our federal bankruptcy laws. If you are drowning in debt, don’t wait until things get worse or you may regret not having acted sooner. Waiting until the last minute also doesn’t give you enough time that you need to find a good attorney who can protect your interests. Remem-
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Frequently asked questions on FBAR bank accounts
Tax Tips Victor Sy, cPA, MBA
Q. AM I required to report bank accounts in a foreign country? A. Yes, if you have more than $10,000 at any time outside the U.S. Q. Am I exempted if my accounts are in Euros, Chinese Yuan, Philippines pesos, or Mexican pesos? A. No, you are not exempt from reporting foreign accounts just because they are not in U.S. dollars. Convert international denominations to U.S. dollars and report FBAR if the amount is more than $10,000. Q. What is FBAR? A. FBAR is a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts on FinCEN Form 114. Q. Who must file an FBAR? A. Any United States person who has a financial interest in or signature authority over any financial account in a foreign country, if the aggregate value exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. Q. Who is a United States person?
A. “United States person” includes a citizen or resident of the United States, a domestic partnership, a domestic corporation, or a domestic estate or trust (the term “domestic” means formed in the U.S.) Q. What is a foreign country? A. “Foreign country” includes all geographical areas outside the United States, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands. Q. What constitutes signature or other authority over an account? A. A person has signature authority over an account if such person can control the disposition of money. Q. When is FBAR due? A. The new annual due date for filing Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) for foreign financial accounts is April 15. This date change was mandated to coincide with the federal income tax filing season. Q. Can I extend the filing due date? A. Yes. You may get a six-month automatic extension to October 15 each year. Q. Should I file FBAR with my income tax return?
A. No, the FBAR is a separate report and should not be filed with your Federal tax return. Q. What happens if an account holder fails to file a required FBAR report? A. Failure to file an FBAR may result in civil penalties, criminal penalties or both. Q. Can cumulative FBAR penalties exceed the amount in a taxpayer’s foreign account? A. Yes, penalties can be assessed every year. Repeated penalties can even exceed your bank balance. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com. (Advertising Supplement)
To be intimately connected to God JESUS’ image on the intimate connection between the vine and the branches speaks of his earnest desire to be in union with us. It’s the same message that we heard in the Gospel last Sunday when he spoke about himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for all his sheep and seeks for the lost ones. Just as He and the Father are one, he wants us to be one with him all the time. This is not easy for us to do because of many distractions we have in the world and within ourselves, especially today in the era of social media. It’s hard for us to maintain a disciple of prayer when we constantly get tempted to browse the internet or check on Facebook. Even at times of worship in the church, we find people’s head bowed down not in prayer but in constantly being wired or connected to the digital world. And so, if we want to keep connected to our Lord, Jesus, we need to be disciplined and in-
The Prophetic Voice reVerend rodel G. BAlAGtAS tentional about it. Here are four suggestions that I’d like to make: First, choose the best time to pray during the day when you
your mind and relax your body. Do this exercise for fifteen minutes or more. Then read something spiritual, do your favorite devotion, or continue meditating. Doing this exercise without first reaching out to your phone would grant you a more prayerful spirit throughout the day. Second, keep in mind the vision of Jesus for the Kingdom throughout the day—his vision of love, peace, and justice. Stay close to it and do whatever you can in your personal life to live it concretely. It can be simple as putting a smile on your face as you meet people at work or school. It can be big and noble as organizing a fundraiser for needy children. And it can merely be being more present to your children and participating in their activities so they can feel your love and support. Third, keep being anchored to your faith in God at all times, especially in periods of hardships
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-8 are less distracted and stick with it. It can be in the early morning when everyone in the household is still asleep. Don’t let your mind wired up right away to the digital world with your cell phone. Sit quietly to feel the Spirit of Jesus. Allow His Spirit to appease
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Community Journal
Problems surrounding employees paid by commission MICHELLE McGrath and Veronica O’Boy worked for Wyndham Resort Development Corporation and its affiliates as Salespersons in California. Wyndham employed them to sell its goods and services such as interests in timeshare properties. After a two-month training period, Salespersons are compensated only by commission and advances on commissions based on sales of Wyndham’s products and services. The advances are “recoverable” by the employer if the sale is not completed. The employees are not paid for time spent in nonsales activities, such as waiting at work to make sales presentations to clients, and time spent on rest periods. The employer did not monitor and record the time and tasks showing when the salespersons engaged in non-sales activities. The employees also claimed that the employer did not reimburse them for all necessary and reasonable business expenses that the employees incurred. The employees sued Wyndham for failure to pay for all hours worked. They also sought reimbursement for business expenses. Employees may be paid on various compensation plans, such as hourly, by piece-rate, by commission, etc. However, such plans must ensure that employees are paid no less than the minimum wage for all hours worked. If an employee spends time doing other workrelated activities not covered by the plan (such as pick-up or clean-up activities, or attending compulsory work meetings), the time spent doing this are considered hours worked, and must be paid at least the mini-
Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. c. Joe SAyAS, Jr. mum wage (or an agreed hourly rate, if any). Under California law, employees who are paid by commissions are entitled to at least minimum wages for each hour worked, and overtime pay when necessary. Basing the employee’s pay merely on an employee’s job description or an employer’s estimate regarding the number of hours an employee should be working in sales-related activities (without regard to the employee’s actual hours worked) is not acceptable. A commission plan may provide payment of a fixed “advance,” or “draw” on a periodic basis. Commission advances typically will require certain conditions that must be satisfied before commissions are earned. Thus, even though a commission advance may have already been paid, an employee will not have yet earned the commission if certain conditions are not yet satisfied. The employee’s sale must be commissionable for the employee to earn the commission. If advances are paid for anticipated sales that do not materialize, the commission may be “recovered” or “clawed back” as a deduction from future pay. However, if the system of payment results in employees not being paid for nonproductive (or non-selling) time, that pay practice may be illegal. Are employees paid on commission entitled to separate pay for rest breaks if the commission plan has a “claw back” provi-
sion? Courts said yes, particularly where the plan does not address how employees are to be paid for rest breaks (which is time spent not earning commissions). Where the commission computation did not account for rest breaks, the employee should be separately paid for rest breaks. Lastly, commissioned employees are still employees, and under California law, an employer must reimburse an employee for all necessary expenditures incurred in direct consequence of the discharge of the employee’s duties. These include costs spent complying with the employer’s instructions. Examples of reimbursable expenses include travel expenses; costs of uniforms or special clothing required by the employer; and costs of supplies, tools, materials, or equipment. In the case against Wyndham, the parties agreed to settlement and not to proceed trial. The employees will recover $7.3 million in damages from the employer. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)
Will a business bankruptcy affect its owners? THE client and her husband are the only stockholders of an S corporation that has been doing well for the last 15 years. In fact, it’s still doing well and had a great year last year. What is the difference between an S corporation and a C corporation? In an S corporation, the business income is declared in the 1040 of the owners, while the C corporation files its own tax returns. But both corporations are legally separate entities from their owners. The corporation is a ‘person’ created by legal fiction. It can do whatever a real person does, legally. For instance, a corporation can buy and sell land, transact business in its own name, file a lawsuit and be sued in its own name, without affecting the owners of the corporation. In the client’s case, the problem is that her husband is ill and can no longer run the business. So the wife now will run the business. Her concern is that the corporation owes $1.5M to banks and suppliers, and that she has equity in her residence of $1.0M? So what is the connection between the two? The client is worried that if something happens to the business and it cannot pay the $1.5M, can the bank sue her and get her house? Let’s analyze the problem. The first thing that has to be determined is whether or not the husband, and/or client signed any personal guarantees that made them personally liable for the debts of the corporation. If neither one of them gave any written personal guaranty to any creditor for the debt of the business, then the answer is that the creditors of the business will not be able to
Barrister’s Corner Atty. kenneth UrSUA reyeS ONE of the most emotional aspect of a marital dissolution case is dealing with Child custody issues. Sadly enough, this is an area where most parents play games with each other trying their best to deprive the other parents of their right to maintain relationship with their child. Child custody comes in two parts, 1) physical custody and 2) legal custody. Physical custody may be awarded solely to one parent or jointly. Sole physical custody means that the child will reside primarily and under the supervision of one parent subject to visitation from the other parent upon order of the court. Family Code §3007. Joint physical custody on the other hand means that the child gets to spend frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Family Code §3004. The court would state specifically the periods of time the child will be under the supervision of each
Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrence yAng
get her house to satisfy the debts of the business. But certainly, the creditors will attempt to penetrate the veil of corporate fiction to get to client’s house. The creditors will sue the corporation and the client and allege that the corporate fiction should be invalidated or ‘pierced.’ Of course, the creditors will attempt to do this, but can they be successful in proving the allegation, and end up with a court order setting aside the corporate that shields the personal assets of the owners of the corporation? To pierce the corporate veil to get to the house of the client, the creditors will have to prove that the corporation was simply the ‘alter ego’ of the owners, that it was not operated by owners like a real corporation. The easiest way to prove the ‘alter ego’ attack on the corporation is proven by a preponderance of the evidence that personal funds of the owners were being intermingled with the funds of the corporation. In other words, the owners were using the corporation as a ‘piggy bank.’ So, in the client’s case, if there was no intermingling of personal and corporate funds, the client’s house is secure because the creditors will not be able to pierce the corporate veil to get her house to pay for the debts of the corporation. Salary payments to the owners — because they are officers of the cor-
poration — is not intermingling of funds. Money lent by owners to the corporation is considered to be a debt owed by the corporation to the owner-lender, just like any other debt. This is not intermingling of funds. However, if the owners use the corporate account to pay personal bills, this is an intermingling of funds. Another reason to pierce the corporate veil is that corporate formalities were not followed such as recording board resolutions for decisions made by the company. Yet another reason is that the owners perpetrated a financial fraud on the creditors. What is financial fraud? If the owners acted recklessly in their business transactions resulting in major debt that they knew the business had no chance in paying back, this could be viewed as financial fraud and could be used to pierce the corporate veil. Let’s say owners borrowed $5.0M from creditors based on projected sales of $50M per year but in reality, sales came in at $1.0M a year, a case can be argued by the creditors saying that the owners were reckless in their decision to borrow $5.0M. But certainly, the owners may still prevail in proving that they were justified in their $50M sales projections but something happened that was totally unexpected. It’s really a matter of proof at trial. So what is the lesson here? If you own a business, do not ever personally guarantee the debts of the business. If the creditor requires your personal guaranty, go to another bank or supplier who will extend credit to your business without tying you in. If the business fails, at least you
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How courts determine child custody in california parent. Legal custody on the other hand deals with the right and responsibility of a parent to make decisions regarding the health, education, and welfare of the child. Family Code §3006. Examples would be decisions such as where the child shall attend school, whether the child can travel to another jurisdiction or state, legal decisions involving the child. In cases where joint legal custody is ordered by the court, either parent alone can make decisions concerning the health, education, and welfare of the child unless otherwise specified in the order. In making its determination on child custody issues, the court considers various factors depending on the specific facts of the case. The court usually follows the public policy of ensuring and encouraging the child’s frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the divorce unless it would not be in the best interest of the child. Fam. Code §3011. If the court is inclined to order sole
custody to one parent, the consideration boils down to which parent is more likely to allow the child frequent and continuing contact with the noncustodial parent. Family Code §3040(a)(1). A major factor that would tilt the courts decision are incidents or history of child abuse and domestic violence. This can be from the part of a parent, a parent’s co-habitant, or other person to whom a parent has a relationship with. The childs amount and nature of contact with the parents is also another factor considered. Fam. Code §3011(c). Other factors that can be considered are the parent’s use of controlled substance, prior criminal convictions and registration as a sex offender, and existence of restraining order against a parent. The family code requires that the parties go to mediation and attempt to agree on the custody issue prior to the court hearing the contested case. Family Code §3170(a). If the case is not settled in mediation, it gets decid-
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Preventing abondonment of your green card due to travel abroad A GREEN card holder can travel outside the U.S. and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the U.S. for an extended period of time, he may be considered to have abandoned his permanent resident status. Brief travel (such as for a vacation) normally will not affect permanent resident status. However, abandonment of permanent resident status is a potential issue for green card holders who have to leave the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year) for one reason or another, such as to finish studies or work abroad. In such situations, how can a person be prevented from losing his green card? If a person plans to be outside the U.S. for an extended period of time (over 1 year), an application for a reentry permit must be filed. A reentry permit establishes that one did not intend to abandon his green card, and it allows one to apply for admission to the US after being outside the US for up to 2 years without having to obtain a returning resident visa. Reentry permits are normally valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. A permanent resident can re-apply for subsequent reentry permits for 2 year increments As aforementioned, if one is outside the U.S. for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, he may be considered to have abandoned his green card. If a person who
Legal Advice Atty. DArrick tAn has been outside the US for more than 1 year attempts to re-enter the U.S., he may be referred to an Immigration Judge to determine whether he has abandoned his permanent resident status. An application for reentry permit should be filed at least 60 days prior to the contemplated extended trip outside the U.S. While a person does not have to be present in the U.S. at the time his reentry permit application is approved, it is important to file it with sufficient time prior to the trip to allow time to receive the biometrics notice after the application is filed, and have biometrics taken. An applicant must provide his biometrics while in the U.S. If an applicant leaves the U.S. before biometrics are taken, the USCIS may deny the application. What if a permanent resident has already left the U.S. and either has 1) been outside the U.S. for over 1 year or 2) been outside the U.S. for over 2 years with an expired reentry permit? The Department of State on its website advises to apply for a Returning Resident Visa. To qualify for a Returning Resident Visa, you must show a valid reason why your stay abroad was extended,
and that the reason for the extended stay was beyond your control or for which you were not responsible. Another (perhaps better) option would be to re-enter the U.S. –if U.S. customs denies admission due to abandonment of your green card, you will have an opportunity to argue that you did not abandon permanent resident status, here in the US before an Immigration Judge. Obtaining a green card often is a difficult process. For some, it takes many years. It is accordingly important to take all steps necessary to maintain permanent resident status once attained. If you plan to be away from the US for an extended period of time, or have been away from the U.S. for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, or a reentry permit that has expired, it is recommended that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association. *** LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 6390277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
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and sorrows. Don’t be discouraged or impatient with yourself. Stay close to God even if you don’t seem to feel his presence. Endure those moments of desolation. Think of them as opportunities to grow in prayer, faith, and union with God. Do not lose hope but remain in Jesus. Believe that he will help you overcome all your trials and challenges. Let go of your fears and surrender your life and all your preoccupations to God. Fourth, believe that God has given you the resources to live an abundant life. You just have to look for them. To do this you
need a great deal of “pruning”— your laziness, self-doubt, fears, lack of self-discipline, pride, all your negative perceptions about yourself and others. You need to clear your mind from all the cobwebs of self-pity, pessimism, resentments, and anger. Trust in the human capacities that God has endowed you. Our Lord, Jesus, has promises for us who remain in him. He says: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will do for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” May we never doubt his pres-
ence and love! May we be close to him every moment and every single day of our lives! Amen. *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
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Batangas Investment and Tourism Forum in Glendale, CA Learn about the investment and tourism opportunities of the province of Batangas, Philippines on Saturday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel (100 West Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale, CA 91202). For more information, please call: Trini Foliente at (818) 4552132, Errol Santos at (818) 621-2912 or Amor Palisoc at (323) 810-7908.
A P R I L 29
Pilita Corrales concert in New York Pilita Corrales, “Asia’s Queen of Songs,” will headline a dinner and show entitled “A Million Thanks to You” on Sunday, April 29. The dinner will be buffet and comes with a ticket. Show begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel (135-20 39th Ave, Flushing, NY 11354). For tickets, please contact: Baby Lantin at (917) 916-6770 / (718) 608-7771, Ching (917) 294-6783, Nel (347) 738-3025, Joji (908) 783-2680, Tessa (732) 492-4170, or Bong (646) 289-0917.
APRIL 30
East West Players’ 52nd Visionary Awards & Silent Auction in Los Angeles East West Players celebrates its 52nd Anniversary at the Annual Visionary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction. The Visionary Awards laud the achievements of individuals who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft. Proceeds from the gala will benefit East West Players’ educational and artistic programs. It will be held at the Hilton Universal City (555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608) on Monday, April 30. At 5:30 p.m., VIP Reception*, silent auction, and registration begin. Dinner and awards show begin at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit: http://www. eastwestplayers.org/news/east-west-players-52nd-anniversary-visionary-awards-dinner-andsilent-auction/.
M AY 3 -1 2
34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival The 34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will be presented May 3 - May 12, 2018 at select cinemas in the Los Angeles area. A key highlight of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities, the Festival is produced by Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, and enjoys broad support from cinema artists and audiences alike. Since 1983, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has presented over 4,000 films, videos, and digital mediaworks by Asian international and Asian Pacific American artists, and additionally features seminars and panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards. The Film Festival continues to be the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and is the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema. To learn about Visual Communications, visit www. vconline.org.
M AY 1 2
Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosts Santacruzan-May Crowning Everyone is invited to the 14th Annual Santacruzan-May Crowning sponsored by the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 2:45 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012). Msgr. Alex D. Aclan, Vicar for Clergy of Archdiocese of LA, will be the principal celebrant. Highlights include presentation of “Sagalas” who are young girls and women comprising the Court of Honor for the Procession of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Celebration, Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Flower Offering, and a “Banda Musiko”accompanied Procession. It will be participated by different civic, religious, devotional, and ethnic organizations including the Philippine Consulate General in LA. The theme of the celebration: “Immaculate Mary, Caring Mother of Missionary Disciples.” The celebration is capped by a Dinner-Dance at Casa Italiana (1051 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 6:30 p.m.) For more information, please contact: Chairperson Arnel Bailon at (818) 310-3663 / nyarface2@yahoo.com or Co-chair Fe Amit at (323) 376-8448 / fe.amit@gmail.com.
Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown hosts “Rotary Pride” in LA Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown cordially invites you to its “Rotary Pride” event on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. With a FUN evening of Dinner, live band entertainment, dancing & door prizes with a surprise presentation. It will be held at Filipino Cultural Center (FCC) — 1740 Temple St., Los Angeles, CA. It is $50 per person ($65 per person after May 3). Proceeds to benefit a rotary project in the community and internationally.
M AY 1 8
The Asian American Group to celebrate first annual Asian Culture Day in Las Vegas On Friday, May 18, the Asian American Group (AAG) will celebrate the first annual Asian Culture Day. The event will be held at the Conference Center of Las Vegas (6590 Bermuda Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119), and will start at 6 p.m. There will be a variety of Asian dishes and cultural performances at the celebration. The primary goal of the Asian Culture Day celebration is to invite and unite the Asian nations of the world, and to educate and share their respective cultures in order to achieve greater understanding and fellowship between nations. The annual Asian Culture Day was established by Senate Bill 175, which proclaims every 18th of May as Asian Culture Day in the state of Nevada. The bill was introduced and authored by State Senator Scott Hammond, and was signed into law by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval last year. The bill gives recognition to the Asians and Asian-Americans who were instrumental in the settlement and early development of the State of Nevada; the culture and traditions shared by Asians and AsianAmericans; and the Asian and Asian-American communities that continue to make important contributions to the cultural, religious, political, and business environment. To purchase tickets visit https://www.asianamericangroup.org/saac-2/.
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Complexities of criminal issues in immigration
AMERICAN DREAM ALLISON AQUINO-SILVA, ESQ THE Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that one of their greatest priorities is to arrest and deport individuals with criminal convictions. Since the start of the Trump administration, the rate of arrests to seek the removal of individuals with criminal violations has risen significantly. With this heightened possibility of deportation, it is important for individuals to recognize the significant complexities of handling criminal violations under the immigration laws. As an example, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a court ruling on April 20, 2018, that an offense of stalking under California Penal Code §646.9 is not a “crime of stalking” under the immigration laws. Matter of Sanchez-Lopez, 27 I&N Dec. 256 (BIA 2018). To a nonattorney or even an attorney who does not regularly practice immigration law, the thought that a criminal violation specifically for “stalking” is not a “stalking” violation under the immigration laws seems entirely illogical. However, under the analysis set forth in the court decision, a criminal violation may or may not actually be considered an immigration violation even when the very same words are used to describe the offense. The reason for this complexity is because the immigration laws require a very detailed analysis of the specific elements of the crime committed. There are many instances where the elements under the criminal laws are different than the elements required under the immigration laws. A thorough assessment under both sets of laws are re-
quired to fully determine the effects that a criminal violation may have on an individual’s immigration status. In the recent court case Matter of Sanchez-Lopez, the court’s ruling that his conviction for stalking was not a crime of stalking under the immigration laws was a tremendous victory. It resulted in removal proceedings being terminated against Mr. SanchezLopez without him even needing to apply for a waiver, thereby allowing him to continue being a lawful permanent resident and potentially proceed with seeking US citizenship. In those instances where the criminal conviction does render an individual removable from the United States, then understanding the various criminal waivers is key to determining whether removal can be prevented. One such waiver is the waiver under section 212(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under INA §212(h), an individual applying for permanent residency or seeking to prevent removal from the US may be granted a waiver for certain criminal convictions if one of the following is satisfied: (1) the crime is more than 15 years old from the date of applying for the waiver and the person has been rehabilitated; or (2) the individual can prove that a spouse, parent, or child would suffer “extreme hardship” if the individual is not allowed to obtain permanent residency or remain a permanent resident. The 212 waiver is not available to those who have been convicted of a drug crime unless it is for simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana. The waiver is also not available to individuals who are already permanent residents if their conviction is an
aggravated felony or if they fail to fulfill certain residency requirements in the US prior to initiation of removal proceedings. Another such waiver is an application known as Cancellation of Removal. The requirements are different based on whether an individual is unlawfully residing in the United States or already a lawful permanent resident. Both have requirements as to length of residency in the United States and limitations on the type of criminal offense committed. Those who are unlawfully residing in the United States must also show hardship to a qualifying relative. Given these complexities, any individual with a criminal conviction should ensure that they have an attorney that specializes in immigration law when applying for an immigration benefit, traveling abroad or seeking US citizenship, as these are the most common instances of when the DHS will discover an individual’s criminal background. Furthermore, it is always wise to consult with an immigration attorney before pleading to any criminal offense to determine whether a lesser criminal offense should be fought for so as to avoid possibly harsh immigration consequences. *** For further information, please schedule an appointment with an attorney at Aquino & Loew, Certified Immigration Law Specialists; (888) 797-1140 or (626) 799-3089; info@aquinoloew. com. Please also visit Aquino & Loew at www.aquinoloew.com, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and read about us on Yelp. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters. Providing Personalized Service Nationwide & Abroad Since 1996. (Advertising Supplement)
How courts determine child custody...
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ed in court through a contested hearing. At times, the court will order a child custody evaluation if it determines that it would be in the best interest of the child. The court may also appoint a minor’s counsel if it feels it would be in the best interest of the child. Family Code §3150(a). The court retains continuous jurisdiction over issues of child custody and support until the child reaches 18. This means the order may be modified all throughout this period if there has been a change in
circumstances.
*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.
*** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He 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 kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Will a business bankruptcy affect... PAGE C3 t
don’t lose any of your personal assets. You will still have a house to live in. There is no reason to ‘go for broke’ and put your family’s security at risk, is there? The other lesson is that do not intermingle personal funds with business funds, and make sure the corporation follows legal formalities and procedures. If you do this, then your corporation will do business by assuming its own debts and shield your personal
assets from business debts. Now if the client wishes to not continue doing business, the S corporation itself can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy to handle the $1.5M of corporate debt. The corporate bankruptcy will not affect the personal assets of the client because as I said earlier, a corporation is a separate “person” created by legal fiction; therefore, it can file for bankruptcy without affecting the personal assets of the owners of the corporation.
*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789. (Advertising Supplement)
To people who are considering... PAGE C2 t
ber that like doctors, not all lawyers are the same. You need a competent legal representative who understands the debt collection and bankruptcy laws and has had the experience of handling a lot of cases like yours. Hiring the
wrong attorney can only make your situation worse. For a free office consultation, please call Toll-Free 1-866-4777772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is in-
tended 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)
People and Events
M AY 26
FACCGLA’s bowling tournament The Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA) will host a bowling tournament on Saturday, May 26 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Winnetka Bowling Lanes (20122 Vanowen St, Winnetka, CA 91306). Open to both members and non-members, in teams of four or we can assign you a team. Slots are limited. To register your team, please call FACC-GLA Secretary Ms. Connie Mapue (323) 337-7714 or FACC-GLA boardmember Ms. Doreen Remo (310) 428-7200. For more information and online payment, please visit www. faccgla.org.
JUNE 9
Kalayaan Incorporated presents Philippine Independence gala in Los Angeles Kalayaan Incorporated, Southern California’s foremost celebrant of Philippine Independence will host the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 9, at the Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, California. For more information, contact Erlinda Granada-Sabah at (562) 682-9576; or Malou Perez at mperez0813@ aol.com.
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
Los Angeles Board of Public Works Commissioner Joel Jacinto met and informed Filipino-American community leaders on how to seek assistance and navigate the services of the city. Jacinto welcomes and seeks the talent and skills of the community to join the workforce of City of LA. The venue was arranged by realtor Errol Santos. Attendees of the dinner included (from left to right): Ms. M, Grace Bayan, John Goodman, Dr. Valencia, Ingrid Goodman, Trini Foliente, Joel Jacinto, Dr. Dante Banta, Rowen Valarao, Darron Bennet, Cora Soriano, Errol Santos, and Andy Tecson.
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MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM Consider finding a US employer for your spouse back home if you can’t get legal status
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Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ DEAR Attorney Gurfinkel: I came to the U.S. many years ago, and am out of status. I have now been away from my spouse and children for many years, and have been desperately looking for ways I can bring them to the U.S. because we miss each other so much. I have an employer willing to petition me, but I’ve been told my case is hopeless because I am out of status. Do you think there is any hope for me to bring my spouse and children to the U.S.? Very truly yours, AH Dear AH: Ordinarily, in order for a person to adjust status (be interviewed for a green card in the U.S.), the person must be in status or be “grandfathered” under section 245(i), which is a law that allowed TNT’s to adjust status in the U.S. if they had been petitioned before April 30, 2001. If a person is out of status and is not grandfathered under section 245(i), they ordinarily cannot adjust status in the U.S., except through a bona fide (“love”) marriage to a U.S. citizen.
I’ve had many people consult with me who are in a similar situation as you: desperately trying to bring their family to the U.S., but they are out of status. In such a situation, another possible option is to consider finding a U.S. employer who could petition your spouse from the Philippines. Remember, your problem is you are out of status. Your spouse back home is not. Your spouse would not need to have the benefit of section 245(i). You may have been so distracted into thinking that the only way your family can come to the U.S. is through YOU. That is not always the case. You can help them immigrate to the U.S. on their own. While this may not necessarily help you get legalized, at least you could be united with your family in the U.S. and they could have green cards. The basic requirements are: • A financially stable employer, with a real job position. • The person being petitioned is qualified for that job through education or experience. • It does not need to be a college-level job or a Fortune 500 company. Even caregivers are eligible for green cards, and small employers are qualified to petition people if the employer is earning enough to afford the alien’s salary. • Right now, it is taking about 2 ½ or three years to process an employment-based green
card. But isn’t that a lot better than “never,” if you cannot legalize your status? If you are out of status with a spouse and children, you may want to consult with an immigration attorney who can evaluate your situation along with your spouse, to see if there could be hope. Also you might be eligible for provisional waiver if you have parents who are citizens or immigrants and you have a way to get a green card now. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES
(Advertising Supplement)
Business Quote of the Week “I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better. I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.” - Elon Reeve Musk, founder, CEO and lead designer of SpaceX
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 28 - MAY 1, 2018
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Government rolls out over P1-trillion infra projects SMC’s Bulacan airport tops list
by Lawrence
agcaoiLi
Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The government is set to roll out over P1 trillion worth of projects as part of the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure thrust under the Build Build Build program. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said 20 projects were confirmed during the 6th Board Meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on April 25. Heading the list is the planned P735.63 billion international airport project of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. in Bulacan. The project confirmation of the proposed international gateway is still subject to final review of the concession agreement. The second biggest project to be undertaken by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is the proposed P50.3 billion SubicClark railway project. Likewise, Dominguez said four infrastructure projects worth P84.11 billion lined up by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also got the green light from the NEDA Board. These include the AmbalSimuay River and Rio Grande de Mindanao River flood control projects worth P39.22 billion, the Pasig-Marikina River and Manggahan floodway bridges construction project worth P27.37 billion, the Bridge Construction Acceleration Project for Socio-Economic Development worth P11.37 billion, and the proposed change in scope, cost and loan validity extension of the Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change adaptation measures in low-lying areas of Pampanga Bay
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said 20 projects were confirmed during the 6th Board Meeting of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on April 25. Photo by Michael Varcas
worth P6.15 billion. Other projects approved include the P12.55 billion Clark International Airport expansion project- operations and maintenance public private partnership (PPP concession) under the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), the Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and growth (RAPID Growth) project worth P4.78 billion as well as the Davao Food Complex (DFC) project worth P1.02 billion of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Dominguez said the NEDA Board also confirmed the proposed increase in the cost of the New Centennial Water SourceKaliwa Dam project worth P14.32 billion of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS). Other projects include proposed restructuring for the Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management Project (INREMP) worth P7.24 billion or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the proposed change in scope and cost for P1.68 billion Integrated Marine Environment Moni-
toring System Phase 2 project of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. The NEDA Board also approved the change in financing from local funding to official development assistance (ODA) of the Arterial Bypass Project Phase III, Contract Packages I, II, and IV; the P25.26 billion improving Growth Corridors in Mindanao Road sector project; the proposed change in design and cost of the P4.37 billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Project; the P1.27 billion Conflict-Sensitive Resource and Asset Management Program – Financial Cooperation, and the P20.3 billion Safe Philippines Project Phase 1. The NEDA also approved the changes to the New Bohol Airport Construction and Sustainable Environment Protection Project, the P1.03 billion Samar Pacific coastal road project, and the P11.21 billion Jalaur River multi-purpose project, Stage II. The Duterte administration has earmarked P8.4 trillion under the Build Build Build program to usher in a “golden age of infrastructure.”
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Gov’t might not name 3rd telco before Duterte SONA
by ian
nicoLas cigaraL Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The government might not be able to name the new telecommunications player before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his next State of the Nation Address as officials are still working on the draft criteria for selecting the third major service provider. The Department of Information and Communications Technology, or DICT, earlier said it had a “self-imposed timeline” of choosing the industry’s new entrant ahead of the president’s SONA in late July. But in an interview on Thursday, April 26 DICT officer-incharge Eliseo Rio, Jr. said the July target is now “very tight.” According to Rio, the department’s deadline depends on the release of the second and final draft of the Terms of Reference, which spells out the rules and regulations in selecting the third telecom player. The DICT has yet to issue the revised TOR, although Rio said the document will come out in the next few weeks. Officials were supposed to present the latest draft of the TOR to stakeholders last March, but the event was postponed. Seeing a possible delay in the announcement of the new telecom carrier, Rio said his agency now hopes to start the bidding process three weeks before Duterte’s SONA on July 23. Competing bidders will be given as much as two months to come up with their offers, a timeline that goes beyond July. “We’re trying to avoid having to make major changes to the revised TOR once it’s out because we don’t want to confuse the stakeholders,” Rio explained in
The Department of Information and Communications Technology, or DICT, earlier said it had a “self-imposed timeline” of choosing the industry’s new entrant ahead of the president’s SONA in late July. Photo courtesy of Pixabay
Filipino, adding that authorities are making sure that the selection process will be “transparent and objective.” ‘Another challenge’ To break a longstanding duopoly and boost service, Duterte invited foreign firms, backed by a consortium of Filipino businesses, to take a role in the country’s wireless communications market. The company with the highest committed investment and level of service for the next five years will be selected as the new telecom provider. Meanwhile, major players PLDT and Globe say they welcome the competition. For 2018, Globe has set aside a capital expenditure budget of P42.37 billion, unchanged from a year earlier. For its part, PLDT earmarked a record high capex
program of at least P50 billion this year in anticipation of the arrival of the third telecom player. In the same interview on Thursday, Rio said competing with the incumbents, which have been ramping up investments to improve service, is “another challenge” for the potential entrant. Last week, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the new challenger in the country’s telecom industry should prepare a P200-billion war chest to “effectively” compete. “The magnitude of the investment requires that all elements, including the necessary access to available telecommunications infrastructure, are in place for the new player. Until such time, the bidding for its entry cannot be rushed,” Dominguez said.
PH cities to become economic hubs – official sentative Arnel Casanova identified these cities as Cebu, Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, SOME of the Philippines’ big- Baguio, and Vigan, saying these gest cities will become future are on the rise because of several economic hubs and help relieve developments there. the pressure on Metro Manila, a According to him, the govtop official of engineering design ernment’s “Build Build Build” firm Aecom said on Tuesday. infrastructure program will help At the Asia Real Estate Summit develop the potential of other areas in Manila, Aecom Country Repre- in the country. by anna Leah
e. gonzaLes ManilaTimes.net
“With the ‘Build Build Build’ projects of the government, opportunities will be created in different regions,” said Casanova, a former Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) CEO. “We are now moving toward connecting secondary cities and providing opportunities there as Metro Manila becomes denser,” he added.
Touted at the Duterte administration’s flagship program, the P9-trillion Build Build Build aims to improve the country’s transport systems, roads and bridges, airports, and seaports. It also seeks to improve flood control, communication and information systems, and job creation. “The way forward for the Philippine cities is the infrastructure
development that would increase the mobility of people and goods,” Casanova said. “This connectivity could be through seaports [and]bridges that our government [is]planning to [build]. Airports are happening: [the one in]Clark is being developed, [and Cebu’s]is about to be completed,” he added. New seaports are about to be
finished, too, the Aecom official said. He reminded the government, however, that when “we do infrastructure, we not only think of connecting one business district to another.” “We should connect the community to the central business district, and eventually to airports and seaports,” he said.
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Government to tighten rules Volvo, Saab lead Sweden firms eyeing Philippines infra prospects vs dirty money, terror funding by Lawrence
agcaoiLi Philstar.com
by Lawrence
agcaoiLi Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Swedish companies led by Volvo and Saab are taking a look at the Philippines to provide sustainable solutions to the ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s infrastructure, particularly in setting up a bus rapid system and beefing up security in the country’s airports. In a recent meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Harald Fries said Sweden-based companies like the Volvo Group and Saab are eager to lend their expertise to the government and take part in the Build Build Build program. “The Build Build Build program generates a lot of interest among Swedish businesses,” Fries told Dominguez during the meeting. The Volvo Group manufactures trucks, buses, construction equipment, and industrial engines, while the Saab Group specializes in defense and security systems. “For infrastructure, we sell sustainable solutions. We have many decades of successful work in this area in Sweden. The Swedish infrastructure minister has invited Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to Sweden to study how we do it,” he said. Swedish furniture retailer IKEA is set to open soon in the Philippines. “I know that the first store of IKEA is much anticipated by many Filipinos. It will be great for the Filipino consumer — and hundreds of jobs will be created,” Fries said.
by ian
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Harald Fries said Sweden-based companies like the Volvo Group and Saab are eager to lend their expertise to the government and take part in the Build Build Build program. Photo by Aaron Favila
Ulf Wennblom, country manager for the Philippines of Business Sweden, was also present during the meeting. He said Sweden has been “in close contact” with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to come up with efficient alternative solutions, such as the provision of passenger buses on EDSA, to help ease the woes of commuters riding the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system. “Sweden has also provided financial and engineering support to the DOTr to help implement these alternative solutions, “and we also want to take that forward and build an efficient line on EDSA by integrating rail, buses, and other means of transport to have a complete transport system throughout Metro Manila,” he said. Dominguez told the delegates from Sweden the Duterte administration wants a holistic approach in implementing its infra moderni-
zation program, in which Sweden can help by providing engineering solutions. Dominguez cited, for instance, proposals to improve the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) or construct a new one near Metro Manila aside from the Clark airport, which requires not only completing these projects, but also extensive planning on the road and rail networks that need to be built to ensure seamless travel to and from the airport site. “We need to know how much rail we need to go there, how long will be the highways we have to connect, and I think your engineering support can help us,” Dominguez said. Dominguez also mentioned the plan to relocate the current airport in Zamboanga City in Mindanao to a better location. “We have so many opportunities in the Philippines to improve the situation,” he said.
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is laying down a national policy strategy to ensure compliance with international standards and effectively combat money laundering and terrorist financing, a top official of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said. Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the AMLC Secretariat, said in a letter there is a need for the Philippines to adopt a National Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Policy Strategy to comply with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Malacañang has designated the AMLC as the lead agency in the mutual evaluation (ME) which will be conducted by the Asia Pacific Group of Money Laundering (APG) to review the compliance of the Philippines in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Racela said the AMLC Secretariat has issued the operational guidelines in the conduct of the mutual evaluation. The process requires high level support and active participation of various government agencies, including supervisory authorities, law enforcement agencies, other government agencies, and private stakeholders. “In this regard, the AMLC and member-agencies of the national mutual evaluation working group shall actively participate in the
Malacañang has designated the AMLC as the lead agency in the mutual evaluation (ME) which will be conducted by the Asia Pacific Group of Money Laundering (APG) to review the compliance of the Philippines in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Photo courtesy of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
drafting of a National AML/CFT Policy Strategy for the purpose of strengthening mechanisms to ensure compliance with international standards and effectively combat money laundering and terrorist financing,” he said. Various government agencies would identify and provide inputs and achievable objectives during the drafting of the national strategy and at the same time participate in workshops, discussion forums and consultations.
Likewise, agencies would provide the necessary support and endorse the national strategy to ensure its adoption and effective implementation, as well as integrate objectives into the action plans and strategic objectives. The progress of implementation of the national policy strategy would be reviewed and monitored regularly. Pool of experts from APG member–jurisdictions is set to evaluate the country’s compliance in combating money laundering and terrorist financing through a two-year evaluation set to start this year. The country underwent mutual evaluations in 2003 and 2008. The Philippines got relatively poor rating due to major shortcomings in the country’s AML/ CFT legal framework during the second mutual evaluation last 2008 and was placed in the FATF’s “grey list” and considered as a “high risk” jurisdiction subject to countermeasures. In 2013, the Philippines was Pho 24, which serves rice noodles soup called “pho” and other traditional Vietnamese dishes, is owned and operated by the SuperFoods removed from the “grey list” Group, JFC and Viet Thai International’s 60-40 joint venture. Philstar.com photo with the passage of Republic Act. 10365, introducing sigcompany was operating 2,895 Aside from Pho 24, the Su- brand, as well as franchises Hard nificant reforms in the Antirestaurant outlets in the coun- perFoods Group also owns and Rock Cafe in Vietnam, Macau, Money Laundering Act (AMLA) try. operates the Highlands Coffee and Hong Kong. of 2001.
Jollibee to bring home Vietnam’s Pho 24 nicoLas cigaraL Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — Homegrown fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corp. ($JFC) announced on Wednesday, April 25 it will bring Vietnamese noodle house Pho 24 to the Philippines. Pho 24 will be introduced to the country through JFC’s whollyowned subsidiary Fresh N’ Famous Foods Inc., which also runs fast-food chain Chowking. Pho 24, which serves rice noodles soup called “pho” and other traditional Vietnamese dishes,
is owned and operated by the SuperFoods Group, JFC and Viet Thai International’s 60-40 joint venture. “... JFC disclosed that the SuperFoods Group aims to serve consumers in Asia and key cities in the world high quality and healthy Vietnamese food at affordable prices through the Pho 24 brand,” the listed company told the stock exchange. JFC, which has a market capitalization of more than P300 billion, operates the largest food service network in the Philippines. As of end-March, the
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IKEA PH to open in ‘less than 3 yrs’ by AnnA LeAh
e. GonzALes Manilatimes.net
FILIPINOS looking for the IKEA experience will have to continue waiting before the Swedish furniture and home accessories retailer opens its first store in the Philippines. “We are [still]looking for sites and partners,” IKEA Southeast Asia Market Development Manager Georg Platzer told reporters at the sidelines of Monday’s launch of the Philippines-Sweden Business Council, April 23. “We have gotten from Inter IKEA Systems B.V. the franchise rights to open a store here in the Philippines,” he noted, with the first store — to be located in Metro Manila — expected to open in “less than 3 years”. “The Philippines is a big country and has many people, and we are expecting a lot of visitations so the store would [have to]be big,” Platzer said. “First of all, we’d like to be 100 percent sure that we find the right locations because we need things like a well-developed infrastructure, roads, public transport, electricity supply and everything
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you need to operate such a big retail store,” he added. Logistics will be crucial since products will have to be imported and stored in warehouses before being sold and shipped to customers. “Good logistics planning is needed and that also takes time,” Platzer said. “We’re barely constructing here in the Philippines so we need to find the right partners who are able to build such a building according to our standards and our books — basically following all European standards,” he added. Platzer said IKEA’s first store in the Philippines could be bigger than one established in South Korea. “The store’s size [in Seoul]is 60,000 square meters including the warehouse. We plan for a very big store [in the Philippines],” he said. “The thing is the plan’s architecture drawings are not yet ready so it would be speculation to talk about the size. The biggest so far is in Seoul and we want it (the Philippine store) to be bigger,” he added.
“It’s a big project so the whole supply chian of IKEA has to be prepared for this opening as well, so it’s not like it will just open. It usually takes two to three years from the moment of final decision to the opening so the rest of the supply chain also gets prepared.” Asked to comment on reports that IKEA would be locating at the SM Mall of Asia, Platzer replied that “nothing is signed yet”. “We are negotiating with all major players in the Philippines. We are talking it out but it’s not yet signed and not yet finally decided. I wouldn’t say that [the talks with SM]is most advanced,” he said. Platzer noted that “SM is holding probably the biggest, best commercial areas in the Philippines and Southeast Asia … SM has the ability to bring a lot of people to certain spots but that’s also valid for Ayala Malls and that’s also valid for Robinsons.” Aside from Metro Manila, IKEA could also put up stores in key cities like Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Baguio. “In the next five to 10 years, maybe four to six locations but
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in different formats. We’re also looking into smaller store formats. We’d like to be as close as possible to places where the people are,” Platzer said, “The bigger-growing provincial capitals … like Cebu, I would say, is definitely in our map on
the long run. In Mindanao, Davao maybe and Cagayan de Oro in the long run … we see cities like Baguio, San Fernando, there are provincial cities that have already good potential for some smaller store format,” he said “We have actually established
Photo courtesy of IKEA
a legal entity in the Philippines which is called Ikano Philippines … We just need a local partner in the Philippines for land acquisition but not for retailing, not for the retail operations because that is 100 percent owned by Ikano.”
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