June 6-8, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 46 • 3 Sections - 26 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
‘PH not capable of defending territories’ — defense chief by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra holds a roundtable with members of Asian media in Los Angeles wherein he discussed issues in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, like immigration and fraudulent activity. AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel
California Attorney General sounds off on immigration, other issues relevant to AAPI community
THE Philippines is not yet capable of defending its territory in the disputed South China Sea amid China’s continuing aggressiveness in the disputed area, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday, June 4. In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, the defense chief said it may take some time for the Philippines to acquire the ships, weapons and equipment needed to defend claimed areas in the South China Sea. “At present, we don’t have capabilities to even just demonstrate to others that we
are capable, because we are not capable,” Lorenzana said. According to him, Manila is looking at upgrading the runway on Pag-asa Island, which is part of the Palawan province. “Our sole airstrip in Pag-asa is still very short, and it’s still unpaved. We’re trying to pave that so that we can bring in our aircraft anytime,” he said, adding that it will take the runway five days of sunny weather to be hard enough for aircraft to land on. ‘Nothing we can do’ The Philippines cannot do anything about China’s claims in the South China Sea, acDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday, June 1, met with his American and Southeast cording to Lorenzana. Asian counterpart at the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The Shangri“I think all we can do now is (file a) dip- La Dialogue, hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, is Asia’s premier
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defense summit.
Philstar.com photo
Former President Aquino: I can’t stop thinking I’ll be jailed too
SINCE President Donald Trump took office last year, California has been leading the fight against many of the actions coming from his administration.
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
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Study: Some early stage breast cancer patients may forego chemotherapy
A new study shows that many people in the early stages of breast cancer with lower likelihoods of recurrence may safely abstain from chemotherapy
A MAJORITY of early-stage breast cancer patients may opt to skip chemotherapy which could result in a sharp decline for the treatment option, according to a massive, highly-anticipated new study on the disease published on Sunday, June 3. The study — conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine — found that pa-
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BILATERAL MEET. President Rodrigo Duterte and Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in witness the signing of the agreement between Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and The Export-Import Bank of Korea Chairman and President Eun Sung-Soo following the successful bilateral meeting at the Blue House in Seoul Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano on Monday, June 4. The agreement is on the loan on the New Cebu International Container Port Project.
FORMER President Benigno Aquino III on Monday, June 4, urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to junk the criminal complaint brought against him by President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters over the P3.5-billion Dengvaxia controversy. After attending the preliminary investigation at the DOJ, Aquino said in a press briefing that “the only weapon we have is the truth” and that “with the help of God, we will overcome these challenges.” Aquino, assisted by lawyers, appeared before the DOJ panel of prosecutors along with former Health Secretary Janette Garin and former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad to submit their counter-affidavits personally. Aquino maintained in a 27-page counteraffidavit, that the complaint should be tossed out for the supposed failure of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc.
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Canada ‘stupid’ for raising human rights Sister Fox insists she did not violate conditions of her stay concerns in helicopter deal – Duterte by TETCH
TORRES-TUPAS Inquirer.net
AUSTRALIAN Missionary Patricia Fox on Tuesday, June 5, maintained that she has not violated the conditions of her stay in the Philippines. “The allegation that she violated the terms and conditions [of her visa] is misplaced and unfounded,” Fox said in her reu PAGE A2 sponse to the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) comment. “She was merely accused of participating in a ‘political activity’ which ‘political activity’ did not in any way endanger public order and safety or disturbed the peace of the community or the country and which activity is protected by the Constituby ANTHONY Q. ESGUERRA companies, I would expect that tional guarantee on freedom of Inquirer.net you would struggle to find com- expression and assembly,” Fox panies that are paying only the said through her lawyers from EUROPEAN Union (EU) Am- minimum wage, most of them the National Union of People’s bassador to the Philippines Franz would be paying more,” Jessen Lawyers (NUPL). Jessen on Tuesday, June 5, said told reporters at the sidelines of Fox took her case to the Deforeign investors are more con- the Labor Standards and Trade partment of Justice (DOJ) after cerned about “red tape” in the Forum in Makati City. the BI downgraded her miscountry rather than increasing “Exactly because what they are sionary visa and ordered her to the daily minimum wage. after here is not a low cost labor leave the country. EUROPEAN Union (EU) Ambassador to the “If we look at the European Fox, a member of the Sisters u PAGE A2 by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
in South Korea on Sunday, June 3, Duterte said in a speech how “stupid” Canada was for raising conPRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte cerns that the helicopters would is still angry at Canada over the be used against rebels. botched $233-million helicopter “We ordered Bell helicopters deal, months after a Canadian from Canada. They said they will company cancelled on him. deliver the Bell helicopters but Before the Filipino community you cannot use [them] against
your own citizen[s],” Duterte said. Sixteen Bell 412EPI utility helicopters were supposed to be purchased by the Philippines from Canada, but Duterte scrapped the deal in February after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered a review over fears of hu-
EU envoy: Red tape, not bigger minimum wage, turns off PH foreign investors
Philippines Franz Jessen
Philstar.com photo
The Immigration bureau said that Fox’s missionary visa should be cancelled over her alleged engagement in political activities in the country. Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales
of our Lady of Sion, is one of the missionaries who arrived in the country in 1990 to work as a missionary. Their work was endorsed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Part of her work includes immersing with farmers and indigenous peoples and providing them with social services, and teaching about peace, social justice, and human rights.
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From the Front Page
‘PH not capable of defending... PAGE A1 lomatic protest, and talk to them. There is nothing we can do,” he said, citing China’s refusal to honor the ruling of the arbitral tribunal invalidating Beijing’s nine-dash line claim in the disputed sea. “But since China won’t accept
it, what can we do? And China, in fact, during the pendency of the arbitral ruling, they double timed the reclaiming of the reefs,” he said. Lorenzana met with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis during the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 17th Asia
Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The pair discussed measures to boost information sharing and maritime domain awareness cooperation. According to Mattis’ spokesman Captain Jeff Davis, the two defense chiefs also reviewed the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy and its implications for the alliance. “Both leaders emphasized the need to keep the Indo-Pacific free and open and highlighted the central importance of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in upholding the rulesbased order,” Davis said. n
EU envoy: Red tape, not bigger... PAGE A1 but is actually a labor that has a certain quality that perform quite complex task,” he added. Labor groups have called for a P750 nationwide daily minimum wage to help the workers cope with rising prices of fuel and basic goods. According to Jessen, foreign investors are more worried about red tape and the complex system of business licensing in the country. “In the context of the European Chamber, they don’t talk about the minimum wage.” he said. “It is other issues that they focus on such as red tape, complex system of licensing.” He added that investors have also repeatedly complained about 60-40 percent foreign ownership rule stipulated in the Philippine Constitution. Trade and labor experts stressed the importance of attaining quality labor standards and decent work at the forum organized by the EU delegation in the Philippines and the International Labour Organization (ILO). “Promoting international labor standards is about respecting labor rights and human rights,” ILO country director Khalid Hassan. “Inequality not only affects productivity and competitiveness, but also brings instability.” n
DRESSING UP BARBIE. Antipolo City first lady Andrea Bautista Ynares looks at the display showcasing Barbie dolls dressed in different gowns representing the 13 towns and 1 city of Rizal. The display at the bridgeway of SM City Taytay showcases the creativity of each participating municipality and is part of the Passion for Filipiniana Fashion held from June 5-17, in celebration of the 117th Araw ng Lalawigan ng Rizal. PNA photo by Joey Razon
Former President Aquino... PAGE A1 (VPCI) to present “sufficient bases in fact and law” to prove their allegations. According to him, his and his cabinet’s decision to launch the dengue immunization program was “in accordance with law and the pertinent rules and regulations, and animated solely by good faith.” “At the outset, I categorically deny all of the complaint’s factual allegations, particularly regarding my purported illicit involvement and participation in the commission of the offenses charged,”
Aquino said. In addition, he argued that the criminal complaint against them should be dismissed outright due to forum-shopping, noting that similar complaints were filed by the same groups in the Commission on Elections and the Office of the Ombudsman. They were accused of graft, malversation of public funds and multiple homicide and physical injuries through negligence for the supposed Dengvaxia-related deaths of children by the VACC and the VPCI. Defending his cabinet officials
who approved and carried out the dengue immunization program, Aquino denied that it was designed to bolster the candidacies of his colleagues in the Liberal Party in the May 2016 elections. “We should ask the question, ‘Is it all right to disregard the dangers posed by dengue to the people because we’re having an election?’ Was it rushed? I don’t know how anyone could claim it was rushed because we have had antidengue programs even before we came in,” he said. When asked if he was concerned that he might end up in jail like De Lima, Aquino answered: “I cannot avoid thinking about that.” n
Canada ‘stupid’ for raising rights...
PAGE A1 man rights abuses. “How stupid can you... Why would you say that I cannot use it against my own citizens when there are citizens in my country who are trying to overthrow my government?” Duterte demanded. According to Duterte, Filipinos are joining the New People’s Army and terrorist groups. “They are fighting the government and killing my soldiers, my policemen and civilians. It’s a dirty
war and the people are dying... My Moro brothers, on the other hand, joined terrorist forces and went to Marawi,” Duterte said. The government is considering purchasing helicopters from South Korea, according to the president. Duterte’s first instance of calling Canada “stupid” over the helicopter deal was in March. “Look at how stupid the Canadians are, very stupid. They agreed to sell the helicopters. But when
they were due to be delivered, they said, ‘Ah but you cannot use these for military or punitive actions by the police,’” he said during the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines. According to Canada’s International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, the deal was done in 2012 on the understanding that the helicopters would be used for search and rescue. n
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US ship arrives in PH to boost security cooperation amid sea row
INFLATION DISCUSSION. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno discusses the TRAIN, Inflation, and Poverty during the press briefing on the May 2018 Inflation Report at the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) office in Manila on Tuesday, June 5. Also in the photo are (left) National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon and Department of Finance (DOF) Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino. PNA photo by Jess Escaros Jr.
Study: Some early stage breast cancer... PAGE A1 tients who in the early stages of invasive breast cancer may skip chemotherapy if they score in the mid to low range for risk as measured by a widely-used genomic test. According to the decade-long study, patients who fall within the “intermediate risk zone” are likely to do as well with hormone therapy alone as they would with both chemotherapy and hormone therapy post-surgery. This was the most extensive breast cancer treatment trial conducted thus far and demonstrated that low-risk patients, through a genomic test of their tumors, can skip chemotherapy and avoid its immobilizing side effects. “This information really addresses a major unmet medical need to have a very high level of evidence to make potentially life-saving decisions,” oncologist and lead author of the study Dr. Joseph Sparano said. “This has very important public health implications. It helps direct patients to the right therapy, so that we’re treating the right people with the right therapy at the right time.” The genomic test used for this type of breast cancer, Oncotype DX, which was first introduced in 2004, measures gene expression in 21 genes in tumor tissue removed during surgery and determines the risk of recurrence on a scale of 0 to 100. According to early research of the test, patients with a high-risk of recurrence would score 26 to 100 and would most benefit from chemotherapy, and patients on the
lower end of the spectrum, 0 to 25, would not. But that left many patients in the “intermediate risk zone”, about 65,000 patients annually in the United States, unsure if they should or should not opt for chemotherapy. The new study, called TAILORx, used a randomized trial of thousands of patients and found that patients who fit in the middle, who scored between 11 to 25, had a similar rate of cancerfree survival as those who had chemotherapy in tandem with hormone therapy, which deems chemotherapy unnecessary for these patients. This ground-breaking discovery means that 70 percent of patients can save themselves from the worry over whether or not to get chemotherapy, according to hematologist and oncologist Dr. Kathy Albain, who co-authored the study. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S. and the world, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International. Breast cancer diagnoses account for 12 percent of all new cancer cases and a quarter of all cancers in women. Breast cancer rates in AAPI community Asian Americans, in particular, have been experiencing a steady increase in breast cancer rates over the last 15 years, according to a 2017 study from the Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC). Although they don’t have nearly the highest frequency of the cancer, Filipino women are more likely to die from breast cancer
than “their major Asian American counterparts,” according to a 2010 study from the Hawaii Medical Journal. In general, the later a diagnosis is determined, the higher the mortality rate for every cancer patient. The Hawaii Tumor Registry found that 35 percent of Filipinas (compared to 29 percent and 22 percent of Chinese and Japanese women, respectively) were diagnosed at a late stage, which increases their mortality rate. The escalated mortality rate can be attributed to biological and genetic, socio-economic and cultural factors, the study said. The CPIC study mirrored the Hawaii Medical Journal’s study in that its researchers found an increase in late-stage diagnoses among Filipinos as well as Koreans and South Asians, which suggests “a need for higher rates of mammography screening in these populations.” “These patterns warrant additional attention to public health prioritization to target disparities in access to care, as well as further research in identifying relevant breast cancer risk factors for specific breast cancer subtypes,” lead researcher of the CPIC study Scarlett Lin Gomez said in a statement. “In particular, studies should investigate risk factors, perhaps early-life exposures, underlying the higher rates of breast cancer among young Filipino and Japanese women, with attention to possible genetic susceptibility.” Individuals at risk for breast cancer are advised to consult their primary care physician and undergo a screening. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
THE U.S. Navy’s Millinocket (T-EPF 3) has arrived in the Philippines for its 7th Fleet’s theater security cooperation (TSC) patrol, amid the ongoing dispute in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). First Class Chris Krucke, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs chief, said on Tuesday, June 5, that the Millinocket has arrived in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Monday. The 7th Fleet team consists of more than 40 service members, including the fleet’s band and its Anti-Terrorism Security Team Pacific (Fastpac) Marines, which left for Singapore and Malaysia, said Krucke. The fleet visit was intended for flag-level talks, community relations projects and a number of band engagements and receptions aimed at enhancing relationships and partnerships
throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Krucke said the 7th Fleet team planned bilateral training with Fastpac and members of the Philippine Marine Corps in Palawan. Rear Admiral Dodgen, deputy commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, will be meeting with several government and military officials, Krucke said. “Our discussions with the Republic of the Philippines continue to focus on strengthening our alliance through increased interoperability and capabilities,” Dodgen said in a statement. “I hope my brief interactions with a variety of community and military leaders…in Puerto Princesa will be the beginnings of fruitful relationships,” he added. Capt. Bernie Wang, the fleet’s
plans and theater security cooperation director, said that its port visits in the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia have been “positive.” The TCS is the “document” of a geographic combatant commander, which plans, prioritizes and proposes allocation of the U.S. Department of Defense resources across the full spectrum of military engagement within an area of operations. The TCS visit in the Philippines was held amid the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea because of the militarization of China in several Philippineowned reefs. Palawan is more than 300 kilometers from the disputed reefs of Mischief (Panganiban), Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) and Subi (Zamora). (Dempsey Reyes/ManilaTimes.net)
US, Mexican drug syndicates dumping supplies in PH; airports alerted DRUG syndicates from the U.S. and Mexico are trying to dump their supplies in the country, according to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday, June 5. “We have been coordinating with the [U.S. Food and Drugs Administration] regarding the groups supplying drugs here. There is an information that
there are Mexicans involved here,” PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said in a mix of Filipino and English at a press conference. Aquino disclosed this after his operatives seized P78.8 million of shabu from Cavite and Parañaque City. Aquino said that the confiscated drugs came from California.
He said he has been coordinating with various airports in the country to prevent the spread of illegal drugs. “We will be coordinating with other airports in the country. Maybe it is not only in NAIA where the drugs are entering. We are also going to look out for airports in Davao and Cebu,” Aquino said. (ManilaTImes.net)
California Attorney General sounds off... PAGE A1 At the forefront is the state’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has filed 32 lawsuits against the Trump administration in the past 16 months, including one challenging the travel ban and most recently, blocking the federal government from reducing access to family planning programs. During a recent roundtable with Asian media outlets in Los Angeles, Becerra fielded questions about issues relevant to the various Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities throughout California. Last month, a coalition of 19 states led by California filed an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit filed by several Planned Parenthood branches in an effort to stop the federal government from changing the requirements for Title X. The program, which provides family planning and preventative health services, covers around 4 million individuals — 1 million of whom live in California, Becerra said. “[That] announcement was for that purpose to make it clear that we don’t believe that medical providers should be forced to withhold information that could be crucial for women in making health care decisions,” the attorney general said. “These types of gag orders only hurt, not help people who are seeking good medical care and so we’re going to do whatever we can to fight to support the family planning programs that have worked so well for so many people throughout the country.” Other issues covered during the conversation include immigration, human and drug trafficking, and urging communities to know what resources and authorities are available if needed. With regard to immigration, California’s lawsuits against the administration have included: one over its plans to withhold federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions that do not cooperate with federal immigration agents; for its move to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program; and challenging the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. While immigrant communi-
ties wait for legislation to come out of Washington, Becerra said his office will continue “watching what the federal government does with regards to immigrants and immigrant families.” “Any changes in immigration law are exclusively done by the federal government because the states don’t have control under our Constitution of immigration law and so we would have to see what the Congress does and the president does when it comes to the issue of immigration law,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t do anything. We have already taken action as you’re aware of immigration matters that pertain to the people of California.” Trump held a roundtable with state and local officials from California about the state’s sanctuary laws, during which he defended his use of “animals” when referring to MS-13 gang members. Becerra said while some parts of California do not agree with the laws — at least 14 Southern California cities and two counties have passed ordinances against these protections — the state is “prepared to defend the state laws in court.” “[We’re] prepared to make sure that everyone obeys the law so we feel that the place to debate, the legitimacy of any law is in the court and that’s why we’ve taken the Trump administration to court 32 times and we believe that if someone has a concern with regard to any state law that, they understand that the best place to have that debate about that law is in the court,” he noted. Among the criticisms of Becerra include that he has been focused on challenging the actions coming out of Washington, to which he responded that those individuals “obviously don’t know what the attorney general’s office does.” Besides the lawsuits, however, the attorney general asserted strides his department has made in terms of seizing firearms, catching sex traffickers, and taking down those who engage in fraudulent activity. Earlier this year, his department reportedly took down a sex trafficking operation in Sacramento that involved young
women from Asian countries, many of whom were from the Philippines. “For [critics] to think that the only work that we’re doing in the [California] Department of Justice is in pushing back the overreach of the federal government is to not understand what we do, is to not understand that day to day, we’re protecting consumers from fraudulent activity by merchants and companies, that we’re going after sex traffickers and drug traffickers and criminal gangs, that we’re removing weapons from the hands of people who lost them,” he said. He added, “All those things had nothing to do with Donald Trump. So for someone to charge that the men and women who are special agents in the Department of Justice or the men and women who are the attorneys who protect our state are doing nothing but worrying about Donald Trump, it’s to say that these folks are out of touch with what the Department of Justice does.” For many immigrant communities, language barriers and unfamiliarity with the U.S. government system make them more prone to being taken advantage of. “The most important thing is to give people a sense of confidence that there’s someone they could reach out to and that they can trust because often times, especially for example, if you were undocumented, you may want to go to the authorities but you can’t trust that they won’t send you to the immigration authorities and then you’ll be deported,” Becerra said. “If you knew that they would not send you to immigration, you’d probably report the crime and so we have to develop the confidence and the trust. Once you develop the confidence and the trust, we have to make sure that you understand the law, the system, so this way you know what’s going to happen so you’re never blind to what the next step is.” Becerra, a former congressman who was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown as attorney general after Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate, faced re-election on June 5. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)
Sister Fox insists she did not...
PAGE A1 However, Intelligence Officer Melody Penelope Gonzales from BI Davao Intelligence Field Unit pointed out that based on an online dictionary and Wikipedia, the term “missionary” is a “teacher of religion or someone who spreads the faith in foreign lands while “apostolate work” is “an organization directed to serving and evangelizing the world.” Her report said the definition does not include giving support or involvement in assemblies and fact-finding missions. Gonzales stressed that foreigners are prohibited from engaging in political activities. She cited Fox’s participation in the fact-finding mission on land distribution in Hacienda Luisita; solidarity fasting for the release of political prisoners; condemnation of the killing of eight Lumads in South
Cotabato, and participating in a press conference to call for an end to the killing farmers, among others. Gonzales insisted that the missionary visa given to Fox was only for missionary work limited to Quezon City. The BI thus downgraded her visa and Fox filed a motion for reconsideration but this was also denied. In its comment, the BI pointed out that Fox’s visa is given as a privilege and can be forfeited at any time. Meanwhile, Fox’s lawyers said that while it is true that visa is a privilege, “once it is granted by the State, it cannot be revoked except on valid and lawful ground and upon observance of due process of law, both substantive and procedural.” “Be that as it may, the petitioner submits the view that
while a visa given to a foreigner is a privilege that is subject to the discretion of the granting authority—an exercise of the plenary power granted to the State as regards to exclusion of foreigners—this does not come without limitations,” the lawyers said. “These limitations apply not only to its power to deport foreigners but to all the other powers that the BI may exercise such as visa forfeiture or visa cancellation,” they added. For her part, Fox said she is hoping for consideration. “All I can say im hopeful this will be given due consideration in the case. Still I’m hopeful,” Fox told reporters. Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the DOJ “reserves the right to call such clarificatory hearings, as may be necessary, to arrive at a just resolution of this appeal.” n
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In health care arena, the prize for Calif. Duterte tells UN special rapporteur insurance commissioner is a bullhorn to ‘go to hell’ over PH judiciary claim by Pauline
Bartolone Kaiser Health News
The person who wins the fourway race to become California’s next insurance commissioner will inherit a job with broad authority over policies that cover homes, businesses, cars and even airplanes. But medical insurance? Not so much. The commissioner’s direct control over health insurers is limited, because the California Department of Insurance — headed by the commissioner — regulates only a small slice of the market. Still, the job carries the power of the bully pulpit, amplifying the commissioner’s voice on matters of regional, statewide and national importance. The incumbent, Dave Jones, has used that bullhorn frequently to chastise health insurers, blast the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back the Affordable Care Act and interject his voice on subjects ranging from prescription drug prices to climate change to women’s reproductive rights. The four candidates vying in the June 5 primary to replace Jones — who is running for attorney general — will no doubt follow his lead in making use of the soapbox the commissioner’s office provides. Three of the four are ardent supporters of a statewide single-payer system and would use the office to promote it. One of them, Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara, said one of his biggest priorities is “to ensure that everyone gets health care.” he is a strong proponent of government-run health care for all Californians and author of the now-dormant legislation, SB 562, which would create such a system. Nathalie hrizi, a San Francisco teacher-librarian who is the Peace and Freedom Party’s candidate, said she’s running because the commissioner’s office is “part of the political movement … for single-payer health care and socialism.” She added: “Insurance doesn’t serve a productive role in society.” Asif Mahmood, a Los Angeles pulmonologist and a Democrat, said that as a medical practitioner, he regularly sees the financial challenges people face with the high cost of care. As a result,
he said, he is best placed to find a “real solution which includes health care for all, not health care for most.” Steve Poizner, a Silicon Valley businessman, strongly opposes the idea of governmentrun health care and said the candidates who are advocating it “probably should be running for a different post.” he said he would push to eliminate fraud and wasteful health spending and create a system that rewards doctors and hospitals for the quality of their care rather than the volume of their services. Poizner, who served as insurance commissioner from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican and is running now under no party banner, leads the field with 20.7 percent of voter preferences, according to a recent poll by Probolsky Research. Lara is in second place with 13.7 percent, followed by Mahmood with 6.3 percent, and hrizi with 5.9 percent, the poll found. however, more than half of respondents were undecided or declined to state their preference. The candidates who finish first and second in the primary will face off in the general election Nov. 6. The commissioner’s authority over the health insurance industry has been eroded significantly in recent years, largely because of California’s bifurcated system of regulation. Regulatory discretion has increasingly shifted to the Department of Managed health Care (DMhC), which now oversees not only hMOs but also some PPOs, which were previously the domain of the commissioner. This dual system often has allowed insurers to drive a wedge between the two agencies and essentially choose their regulators. Blue Shield of California, for example, one of the state’s biggest insurers, voted with its feet and is now mostly regulated by the DMhC. The insurance commissioner has primary regulatory authority over health plans that cover just under 10 percent of Californians enrolled in commercial health plans, according to the California health Care Foundation. (California healthline is an editorially independent publication of the California health Care Foundation.) Throw in the state’s nearly 13 million managed-care Medi-Cal
plans, and the commissioner’s share drops to around 5 percent. Despite this limitation, the Department of Insurance has statutory powers it can — and does — exercise. It pursues fraud, fines insurers that break the law and investigates consumer complaints about coverage. It also oversees the state’s 360,000 licensed insurance agents, with the power to investigate them, arrest them and turn them over for prosecution. The department can also require health plans to comply with certain coverage requirements. Jones, for example, has issued rules to ensure plans have a robust network of providers, cover autism treatment and provide equal access to care for the transgender population. The commissioner also plays a role in examining merger proposals. One power the insurance commissioner does not have, which Jones has often lamented, is the authority to prevent insurers from imposing large premium hikes — a matter of significant public concern as rates have soared in recent years. The DMhC doesn’t have that power, either. The commissioner does examine proposed rate increases, and on occasion Jones has persuaded insurers to reduce the size of them. Lara proposes rolling the two regulators into one, under the insurance commissioner, and granting the newly combined agency the power to reject what it deems to be unreasonable rate hikes by insurers. That would help “bring prices down on behalf of consumers,” Lara said. A ballot measure to allow the insurance commissioner to reject health insurance rate increases failed in 2014, as did a state bill in 2012. In previous years, candidates talked a lot more about keeping premiums down, but this year much of the campaign rhetoric has focused on the idea of universal health care, said Stephen Shivinsky, a former Blue Shield executive who is now consulting for health insurers. “Trump’s election changed everything,” Shivinsky said. Federal attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act reignited questions about how health care is delivered, and “that really brought about the debate on single-pay-
er,” he said. Garry South, a longtime California campaign strategist, said he’s not surprised the Democratic candidates are talking up their support for universal health care, especially single-payer. “If you’re going to run as a Democrat, you have to be for single-payer,” South said. Not doing so “would be like running for governor of California and opposing gun control.” Poizner, the apparent frontrunner, not only opposes government-run health care but also thinks it is way beyond the purview of the job he’s seeking. his goals for health care are relatively modest, including a study of how the money in California’s $400 billion health care system is spent, with an eye toward trimming the fat. “As insurance commissioner, I want to focus on what I can get done,” he said. This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n
ANOTheR UN special rapporteur was on the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s verbal attack against critics of his administration as he told the official to “go to hell” for saying that the Philippines’ judicial independence was “under threat.” In a press conference late Saturday night before leaving for South Korea for an official visit, Duterte was asked to comment on Diego Garcia-Sayan’s statement. Duterte said Sayan was “not a special person.” “And I do not recognize his rapporteur title. Tell him not to interfere with the affairs of my country. he can go to hell,” said the president. “Son of a b—h, he is meddling. That’s an internal problem of the country. You should not meddle with it. You know why I exploded,” Duterte said. Duterte also admitted that he was angered by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s accusation that he was behind her ouster. In his statement on Friday, June 1, Sayan said the numerous derogatory tirades of Duterte against
Sereno was evidence of a threatened judicial independence. “The derogatory statements and threats by President Duterte, which have been televised, broadcast on radio, and carried by newspapers, constitute a vicious attack on the independence of the judiciary,” Sayán said. “Not only do they constitute direct intimidation of the Chief Justice; they also appear to have had have a ‘chilling effect’ on other Supreme Court justices, who may have been deterred from asserting their judicial independence and exercising their freedom of expression,” Sayan said. In a press conference in Davao City in April, Duterte called Sereno his “enemy” and “bad for the Philippines” after she insisted that he was behind the ouster plot. Duterte also called on the house of Representatives, which at that time was conducting impeachment proceedings against the Chief Magistrate, to fast track the process. On May 11, Sereno was ousted from her post. (Ralph Edwin Villanueva/ManilaTimes.net)
A6 JUNE 6-8, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
FEATURES
New school year, same problems THE public has been warned to brace for the usual traffic “carmageddon” in Metro Manila as schools opened on Monday, June 4. The congestion is not just on the roads, however, but even in schools. While education officials say the government is all set for the school opening, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers says the country continues to face shortages of classrooms and teachers. Holding classes in the shade of a tree may now be a thing of the past as both the government and private donors construct more classrooms and school buildings. The additional facilities, however, still cannot keep pace with the continuing growth of the student population. Teachers’ salaries have also been raised in recent years, but the increases are rarely enough, and higher pay in other countries continues to lure educators away from the Philippines. The shortage is most acute in conflict zones, where teachers are specifically targeted for kidnapping and execution by bandits such as the Abu Sayyaf. Education officials say the textbook shortage has been addressed and there are continuing efforts to boost school facilities for information and communication technology. Even the government, however, acknowledges that more can be done to improve school facilities. In underdeveloped areas,
there are schools that lack even access to water and electricity. Apart from facilities, the overall quality of Philippine education suffers in comparison with some of the country’s neighbors. The Philippines used to be a regional center for quality education. With the exception of a handful of higher learning institutions, the Philippines has lost that edge. This has contributed to the country’s slide in international competitiveness rankings. This school year marks the start of free tertiary education in certain local colleges and universities. Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 provides free tuition and other fees in the participating schools. Free, however, should not mean substandard education. The operative word in RA 10931 must be “quality” – whether in terms of facilities or the teaching. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
Duterte’s controversial ‘presidential’ kiss: Different perspectives a crowd.” ReFILIPINOS all uters’ headline over the world The Fil-Am read: “Philipare talking about pines’ Duterte the controversial Perspective stirs controvideo that shows versy by kissPhilippine Presiing woman on dent Rodrigo lips” and there Duterte playfully are many kissing the lips GEL SANTOS-RELOS more… of an overseas Presidential Spokesperson Filipina worker, who is reportedly married, in front of a cheering Harry Roque defended the presicrowd of kababayans when he de- dent’s controversial kiss, saying it livered a speech on stage in Seoul, was an endearment kiss without malice and that the president was South Korea. Even legitimate international just entertaining the big crowd. Responding to critics who lamedia organization reported on this. CNN ’s headline read: “Philip- bel the kiss as a disrespectful and pines President Duterte sparks out- misogynous act not befitting of rage with ‘misogynist’ kiss.” Fox the honorable position he holds News wrote: “Philippine President as president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte slammed for kiss- Roque said “The lady who was ing married woman before huge kissed has clearly expressed that audience.” The New York Times she was honored with the kiss,” published: “Critics Slam Rodrigo Roque said in an interview with Duterte for Asking a Woman to CNN Philippines on Monday, Kiss Him Onstage.” The Indepen- June 4. Roque also quoted an interview dent’s headline stated: “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pres- with the OFW, identified as Bea sures overseas worker into kissing Kim, who said she believed “there was no malice” in Duterte’s kiss. him on lips at public event.” In another press conference, Britain’s BBC banner read: “Philippine President Duterte con- Roque said, ”I don’t think there demned for kissing overseas work- is anything immoral. After all, er.” The Washington Post head- the president has reiterated he is line stated: “Philippine President single (Reporter heard off-cam: Rodrigo Duterte kissed a random But the woman is married.) But woman on the mouth in front of the woman volunteered and the
woman said she was very proud of that experience,” as quoted by Rappler, branded by Duterte’s allies as their nemesis. ON THE OTHER HAND, not everybody was happy and proud of this. This is the Facebook post of Filipina Cili Borlaza, who is pursuing her doctorate degree in South Korea: “I think I just had the worst experience of my year yesterday. I don’t usually post politically-related stuff on social media but this was borderline traumatic for me. I need to do something, anything really, about it. There’s no one else to blame in this situation but me. I’ve miscalculated my threshold and I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt. For anyone who’s reading, I’m currently an expat in South Korea. I’m in my final year of Ph.D. under a Korean Government Scholarship. I was also a DOST scholar in the Philippines. Having said that, it has always been in my heart to give back service to my country in any way I can. Yesterday, I was a student volunteer in an event for the Philippine president’s visit in Seoul. It was my way of engaging into volunteerism for my country, even if I’m not exactly a fan of the current administration. In his speech, our president... used foul words so many times
that I’ve lost count. He pulled perverted jokes several times (even used the word “libog”). He made remarks about pretty ladies who performed and [were] in the crowd as if bragging about his womanizing skills. He even kissed someone [on] the lips. This was extremely difficult to watch. But, it was heartbreaking to see my fellow countrymen cheering for it. Every curse, every perverted joke, every “papatayin ko talaga sila” remark was received with applause and cheering. Mga kababayan, this is how far we’ve gone. This is how terrible our judgments have become. I’m utterly disappointed and disgusted, really. It’s painful to be represented by him. I wish Filipinos would have some amount of self-worth. This is not the kind of representation we deserve! For those who find this rant distasteful, please feel free to exercise your right to unfollow, unfriend, and/or block me. #disgustedbyPRRD” *** 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.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
FOR FALLEN SOLDIERS. President Rodrigo Duterte lights incense at the National Cemetery in Seoul, South Korea. The lighting of incense is part of the wreath-laying ceremony for fallen soldiers. Malacañang photo
Should we join America in facing off with China?
Opinion
RICARDO SALUDO SHOULD the Philippines join the United States in its campaign to counter China’s actions in the South China Sea? Washington’s posse against Beijing’s reclamation and military deployment in disputed waters just got bigger, with Britain and France set to sail with the United States and its Quadrilateral allies, Japan, Australia and India, against what critics call Chinese militarization on the high seas. U.S. Defense Secretary John Mattis escalated the rhetoric at the Shangri-la Dialogue security forum in Singapore last week, accusing China of coercing and intimidating its neighbors, and weaponizing man-made islands. Washington is considering more “freedom of navigation operations” (fonops) to challenge Beijing’s claim over nearly all the South China Sea, including territorial waters reaching 12 nautical miles around the three Chinese-reclaimed islands in the Spratlys. In these fonops, the U.S. Navy sails close to the 12-nm line,
which is not valid under international law, since reclaimed land around shoals cannot have territorial waters. In response, Chinese ships and planes confronted the Americans. The PLA has also installed anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles on the reclaimed island at Fiery Cross Reef. Separately, long-range bombers made trial landing and takeoffs at Woody Island in the Paracels, taken by Chinese troops from the Vietnamese decades ago. Further stoking the word war was the remark by Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, director of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff office, that “the United States military has had a lot of experience in the Western Pacific taking down small islands.” Beijing let loose its own verbal volley against claims of Chinese militarization. “The United States military presence in the South China Sea is greater than that of China and other countries that surround the seas combined,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. And defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang retorted that the U.S. was “turning a blind eye to the facts and hyping up” militarization.
‘No better ally’ than America While mobilizing allies against Chinese actions, Secretary Mattis claimed that Washington was not asking Asian nations to choose sides in the tiff with Beijing. But many may ask, Who’s he kidding? At the Rim of the Pacific in Hawaii last month, the U.S. disinvited China and added Quad ally India to the 26 nations in the world’s largest military exercises. And the new Pacific Command chief, Admiral Phil Davidson, declared: “To our allies here in the Indo-Pacific, you will have no better ally.” In fact, advocates of toughness toward China have pushed for joining U.S. patrols, and boosting America’s military presence and use of Philippine bases under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). This despite Washington’s longstanding non-involvement in territorial disputes, as Mattis himself reiterated. Asked if America would stand by the Philippines in an armed conflict over disputed waters, the defense chief said: ““We stand by our treaty allies but this is a discussion between the current administrations in Manila and in Washington. It’s
not one that can be answered as simply as your question would indicate,” Yet certain quarters continue to urge the government to partner with the U.S. in challenging China. And at the Singapore security forum, Secretary Mattis underscored the Philippines’ key role in security. “Without the cooperation of the Philippines, the U.S. will find it difficult to achieve the goal of its regional strategy,” wrote Dr Rommel Banlaoi, the president of the Center for Intelligence and National Security Studies. Plainly, if the Duterte administration continues to stall full EDCA implementation, the U.S. Pivot-to-Asia plan to move 60 percent of its naval assets to Asia cannot happen. To side or not to side So, going back to the opening question, should the Philippines join America in confronting China, as Japan, Australia, India, Britain, and France have done? Well, let’s look at the pros and cons. Many Filipinos may feel safer as the Seventh Fleet escalate rotations in our islands and move their grunts and gear into bases next to Cebu, Puerto Princesa,
and Cagayan de Oro, and in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. As long as China and North Korea target American forces and base facilities with ballistic and cruise missiles. Certain quarters would call on the U.S. to help enforce the July 2016 ruling recognizing the Philippines’ sovereign rights over our 200-nm exclusive economic zone and 320-nm extended continental shelf under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Except that the U.S. has not ratified UNCLOS. And while pro-American circles may feel thankful for U.S. military protection, their sense of security may just dwindle once they realize that hosting American forces comes with the danger of getting dragged into their conflicts in Asia, including flashpoints in Taiwan, North Korea, and the Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands held by Tokyo, but also claimed by Beijing. And the cons of joining America’s posse against China? Well, look at Cuba, which allied with Russia against the U.S., nearly hosting Moscow’s nukes. Washington punished the island with a half-century economic embargo, and blocked its access to development assistance.
If the Philippines harbors nuclear-capable American warships, submarines, aircraft, missiles and drones, threatening vital sea lanes and China itself, would the Philippines be more kindly treated than Cuba? But the biggest negative of rolling out the EDCA is not the debacle for the Philippines, but then devastation that could come to Asia and the world. If Washington is able to move its massive forces into Asia to confront Beijing, the PLA would surely build up even more fearsome armaments to defeat the escalating American threat. And getting other nations to join forces against China would further steel its resolve. Indeed, the current U.S.-led group of seven nations is sure to recall the ugly history of Western domination in China, when Western nations and Japan extracted embarrassing concessions and took bits of territory from imperial China. No leader and no government in Beijing can survive if it ever capitulated to foreign powers. If the Philippines ever became Uncle Sam’s military platform in Asia, we may well pave the way for global war. (ManilaTimes.net)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Supreme Court orders Calida to comment on Sereno appeal of quo warranto ruling by KRiSTine Joy
Philstar.com
PaTag
MANILA — The high tribunal has ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida to comment on the appeal of Maria Lourdes Sereno on the ruling on the quo warranto petition that invalidated her appointment as chief justice. The SC, sitting as full court on Tuesday, gave Calida a non-extendible period of five days to file his comment on Sereno’s motion for reconsideration. On May 11, the SC voted 8-6 to grant Calida’s petition that sought the nullification of Sereno’s appointment to the high court. “Respondent [Sereno] is found disqualified from and is hereby adjudged guilty of unlawfully holding and exercising the Office of the Chief Justice. Accordingly, Sereno is ousted and excluded therefrom,” the SC historic ruling, penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, reads. Sereno sought the reversal of
Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman
the ruling on May 30. She filed a 205-page motion for reconsideration, where she also stressed on the “far-reaching consequences” of decision. She also insisted that the high court has no authority to remove her since the 1987 Constitution holds that impeachment is the way to remove impeachable officials like the chief justice. Sens. Leila De Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV echoed Sereno’s argument and filed their own motion for reconsideration
on the case onJune 1. De Lima and Trillanes earlier filed an Opposition-in-Intervention, with a prayer to dismiss Calida’s quo warranto petition. But the SC denied their appeal. The camp of Sereno, meanwhile, said that they are “encouraged” by the court’s action on their motion for reconsideration. In a statement, lawyer Jojo Lacanilao, spokesperson of Sereno, urged the justice to “set aside personal animosity and rule only according to what is right.” He stressed: “Unless reconsidered, that decision will wreak havoc on the basic premise of judicial decisions, which is fair play in an impartial tribunal, consistency with judicial precedents and as important, the preserva- RAINY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN. Students arrive in school with umbrellas to protect them from rainshowers on the first day of class at tion of the constitutional checks Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan City on Monday, June 4. PNA photo by Joey Razon and balance.” Lacanilao also reminded the court that the constitution demands respect for the Senate’s power to remove impeachable and from Tagbilaran and Manila the PhilHealth workers’ union officials. n by CaTheRine S. VaLenTe ManilaTimes.net since she assumed the post as has also reportedly complained PhilHealth officer in charge on of illegal termination and deduction of agency fees from the PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte April 10, 2017. De la Serna said PhilHealth did collective negotiation agreement has removed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) in- not have an apartment for its of- incentive of rank-and-file emterim chief Celestina Ma. de la ficers in Manila, so she had to be ployees. De la Serna‘s travel expenses lina Panganiban, Norman Flores, Serna amid investigation into her billeted in a hotel. Aside from de la Serna’s trips, PAGE A8 Giovanni Condes, Manolito Uy- alleged costly trips and accomaco, Ralph Liberato, Rodel Nay- modations. Duterte named PhilHealth ve, Carmelita Morales, Febronia Ambrosio, Rowena Carpio, Nelia board member Roy Ferrer as de Barlis, Leonila Querijero, Cecilio la Serna’s replacement, according Lim 3rd, Raydes Pestano, Vis- to the appointment paper dated sia Marie Aldon, Eleno Mendoza June 1 but released by MalacaJr., Line dela Peña, Rosemarie ñang only on Monday, June 4. Ferrer, a member of the PhilYumul, Arnel Cadangan, Patrick Carullo, Jane Caño, Alden Al- Health board of directors repbano, Emerito Magat, Elueterio resenting the employers sector, Tamayo, Ronaldo Garcia, Connie said he would do his “best to be Consulta, Abraham Pastor, Rone- an effective public servant and to lio Tan, Mario Badillo, then-Pres- carry out the mandate (of Philident Efren Canlas of Hilmarc’s Health and President Duterte).” A Davao City native, Ferrer is Construction Corporation, and a the president of the Davao chapdeceased person. “The disbursements of the ter of the Philippine Society of MCHPB2 construction amount- Medical Specialists in Governing to P2,280,089,780.94, which ment Service, an affiliate socishowed irregularities from bud- ety of the Philippine Medical geting to procurement to execu- Association. He had also served tion, including P1,301,520,330.05 as board member of the Stroke total discrepancies between the Society of the Philippines-Davao actual accomplishments and the Chapter. Duterte appointed Ferrer a reported accomplishments, were disallowed in audit for the follow- month after the Commission on ing reasons,” state auditors said Audit questioned de la Serna’s in the Notice of Disallowance. n P627,000 travel expenses to
Binays should return P2.3-B spent on Makati parking building project, says govt audit agency by Ma.
Reina Leanne ToLenTino ManilaTimes.net
THE Commission on Audit (COA) issued Notices of Disallowance involving the disbursements totaling P2.29 billion in connection with the construction of, as well as the architectural and engineering services for the Makati City Hall Parking Building II (MCHPB2). Fifty-seven individuals, including former Makati Mayors Jejomar Binay and Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Sr. were named as persons liable in a Notice of Disallowance dated March 15and issued by COA’s Fraud Audit Office. A Notice of Disallowance means the money the Binays allegedly spent on the project would have to be returned to the government. “It must be emphasized that these projects were previously subjected to COA audit and there were no adverse findings. The COA only started singing a different tune — in effect questioning
the competence of its own people — when the previous administration began its political demolition work on former VP [vice president]Binay and his family,” said Joey Salgado, Binay’s former spokesperson, in a text message when sought for comment. “Former VP Binay and former mayor Junjun intend to appeal COA’s findings, even if belated but not surprising,” Salgado said. The others named as persons liable were: former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, Marjorie de Veyra, Mario Hechanova, Ulysses Orienza, Gerardo San Gabriel, Pio Kenneth Dasal, Lorenza Amores, Ernesto Aspillaga, Maria Theresa de Lara, Virgilio Hilario, Angelito Gatchalian, Henry Jacome, Arnold Magpantay, Luis Javier Jr., Salvador Pangilinan, Armando Padilla, Tosca Camille Puno, Vincent Sese, Elias Tolentino Jr., Constancia Lichauco, Christine Mercado, Israel Cruzado, Erlinda Gonzales, Romulo Pena Jr., Monique Lagdameo, Mer-
Duterte sacks Philhealth chief
A june 6-8, 2018 • SoCal ASIAn jOuRnAL
Dateline PhiliPPines
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Supreme Court to tackle petition challenging Philippines withdrawal from ICC on July 24 by Kristine Joy
Philstar.com
Patag
MANILA — The Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 5, ordered the government to answer a petition filed by minority senators challenging the country’s withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court. The executive branch has 10 days to file its comment on the petition for certiorari and mandamus filed by minority senators led by Sen. Francis Pangilinan. An oral argument of the case is also set on July 24 at 2 p.m. The SC en banc acted on the petition for certiorari and mandamus filed by opposition senators that challenged the country’s withdrawal from its ICC membership due to lack of necessary
concurrence from the Senate. In the 17-page petition filed last month, they cited Article VII Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution which states that “entering into treaty or international agreement requires participation of Congress, that is, through concurrence of at least two-thirds of all the members of the Senate.” The petitioners said that the Office of the President and the Department of Foreign Affairs committed grave abuse of discretion when it decided to withdraw the Philippines’ membership from the ICC without the concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate. Named as respondents in the petition are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Philippine Ambassador
to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. The Philippines announced it would be withdrawing from the ICC last March, a month after the international tribunal opened a preliminary examination into the alleged crimes against humanity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. An examination is not an investigation, a point that the Palace stressed before finally announcing the withdrawal. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, for his part, said that the Photo shows a mock-up of New Clark City, a green municipality located 75 miles outside of Manila that is slated to be larger than Manhattan. petition would not gain ground. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Bases Conversion and Development Authority “I do not think there is any legal basis. The president remains the chief architect of foreign policy and this is not a matter that can be cured by certiorari,” Roque added. n
ILO: PH must hold more dialogues to address contractualization MANILA — The Philippine government and stakeholders must hold more dialogues to address labor challenges generated by contractualization, an official of the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Tuesday, June 5. “You must have observed (that) there are a lot of discussions with the employers’ organizations. (But) it takes time, it needs social dialogue,” ILO Philippines Director Khalid Hassan said in a press conference. While a lot has to be done,
Hassan noted that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is showing commitment to address the issue, admitting that a solution cannot be conceived in a short period of time. “Some of our constituents may still be not happy with the actions taken by them (the government), but this is the first way towards going in that direction,” he said. “First, they took time to understand the issue, what is the issue, what can be done, what are the legal implication of those
things, and then they are coming up with a strategy,” he added. The latest development on the government’s actions regarding the subject was on May 1, when President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order that puts an end to illegal contractualization. Several groups, however, have spurned the document, saying it lacked “teeth.” At present, the ILO is supporting DOLE through engagement and discussions of non-standard form of employment (NSE). n
Philippines’ $14 billion ‘pollution-free’ city will be larger than Manhattan The sustainability-driven New Clark City will be the answer to Metro Manila’s escalating pollution problem
the economy through constructing developments and building projects, has a solution: building ANYONE who has been to the a new city that promotes sustainPhilippines has experienced the ability in all areas of city life. country’s crowded population The green municipality, called and its overwhelming pollution. New Clark City (NCC), is funded Like many other global coun- through private and public entitries battling low air quality and ties and is slated to be located intense population density, the 75 miles from Manila. The new Philippines is becoming increas- 23,350-acre city will be larger ingly at risk for both natural and than Manhattan (22.82 square man-made disasters. miles) and is described as “a But the Bases Conversion and destination where nature, lifeDevelopment Authority (BCDA), style, business, education and the Philippines’ government industry converge” and will feaagency responsible for driving ture driverless cars, sophisticated public transportation, drones, natural green spaces, low consumption commercial buildings and housing and massive athletic complexes. NCC will also be designed to resist climate catastrophes; the central green spaces will give space for flooding and the buildings will be made to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters. This merging of nature and urban metropolis in what developers call the “city of the future” is estimated to cost $14 billion and is aimed to counter the traffic jams and poor air quality of Manila. At 13 million people, Manila has the highest population density of all the major cities in the world with about 107,000 people per square miles, according to statistics from the United Kingdom Statistics Authority. (New York City has a population density of 27,000 per square mile.) The concept of the green city was a direct result of the growing global concern over the by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
human impact on the overall increase in the Earth’s temperature, a.k.a. global warming. For decades, scientists have tracked the increased release of greenhouse gases through vehicle emissions, factory pollution and a whole host of human activity that contributes to the warming of the planet. Establishing green initiatives city by city is a growing trend. “More than two-thirds of total investment in infrastructure in the next 15 years will be made in cities,” former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote in an op-ed for CNN. More people are flocking to cities like Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, California, and Stockholm, Sweden for utilizing renewable resources, improving public transportation (which lessens traffic congestion) and establishing “green space” such as public parks and nature reserves. The BCDA is trying to complete NCC by the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, planning to modify and update the urban plans as technology advances and new green initiatives are introduced. The goal of NCC in a country that has one of the world’s worst environmental records is to exemplify how Manila can transform itself into a sustainable city with stronger infrastructure, less deadlock traffic and improved air and water quality. If built as promised, NCC is poised to set an example for the rest of the Philippines to make environmentally-conscious construction the standard. n
Duterte sacks Philhealth... PAGE A7 were exposed as PhilHealth incurred a net loss of P8.92 million in 2017. Despite reports that she was removed from her post on Monday, de la Serna denied that she was given walking papers by the president. “None, sorry,” de la Serna told The Manila Times in a text message when asked to confirm the order. PhilHealth acting vice president Israel Pargas confirmed to The Times that the agency had received the announcement. “We will send an official statement as soon as possible,” Pargas said. De la Serna is under investigation for her excessive trips and allowances worth P627,000 amid the agency losses in 2017. She earlier defended such expenditures, saying these went through the required approvals. Cases should be fired Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito on Monday insisted that aside from being fired, de la Serna should face charges for mismanaging the state fund. Ejercito, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, at the same time welcomed the decision of the President to fire de la Serna as he expressed hope that her replacement would be someone that has financial expertise. Cases should also be pursued against former Philhealth chief Alexander Padilla and former health secretary Janette Garin for their failure to handle the corpo-
ration funds properly, he said. “Not only de la Serna, but all the past PhilHealth officials like Garin and Padilla, responsible for mismanaging the funds resulting in its current sorry financial state right now,” said Ejercito in a text message when asked if cases should be pursued against the sacked Philhealth official. Garin and Padilla were accused of diverting some P10.6 billion intended for the insurance health premiums of senior citizens to fund the construction of village health stations nationwide in 2015. The Senate health committee chair at the same time said he was hoping that the President would appoint a financial expert with actuarial knowledge since PhilHeatlh needed a good manager of funds. It was during the Senate committee hearing on Philhealth when it was revealed that the reserve fund of the state-run health insurance corporation has dwindled to precarious levels. It was learned that the reserve or backup fund of Philhealth, which was supposed to last for two years or 24 months, was down to only 10 months. “I am very much concerned with PhilHealth’s financial standing at the moment. I am hoping that the Office of the President and the office of the executive secretary continue to search for a permanent PhilHealth President and Chief Operating Officer with financial and actuarial expertise,” he added. n
35TH SAF ANNIVERSARY. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde (center) is escorted by Special Action Force (SAF) Director Noli Taliño (right) during the 35th anniversary of the SAF with the theme “35 years of Committed Service for the Filipino, a Culture of Heroism and Gallantry” held at the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) Parade Grounds in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City on Tuesday, June 5. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
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Tax plan seen hurting small firms by roy
stephen c. canIvel Inquirer.net
THE Duterte administration’s second tax package will hurt smaller firms if it gives tax perks based on performance as this will favor only those that are “already successful to grow even bigger.” This was the stand of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport), which had opposed some provisions of House Bill 7458, including those that it claimed would be discriminatory against micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The group said it sent a position paper to Congress voicing its opposition, although it noted that exporters supported the bill’s move to lower the corporate income tax. “The proposal of having any track record/performance is antidevelopment and anti-MSME as it rewards those which are already successful to grow even
Inquirer file photo
bigger, exacerbating the growing gap between rich and poor sectors of the economy,” the paper said. The bill is the House of Representatives’ version of the government’s second tax package, which seeks to lower corporate income tax while rationalizing the tax incentives the government offers investors. There are a number of conditions that must be met before a company can be eligible for the new set of tax perks under the second tax package. According to the bill, the project must qualify under the list of the government’s preferred business activities, which will be detailed under the so-called
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Consumer companies may raise prices by IrIs
Gonzales Philstar.com
LISTED consumer companies hinted of more price hikes for their food and beverage products as they are getting increasingly worried over rising inflation, high oil prices and the weakening of the peso against the dollar. Some of the listed consumer firms have already reported lower-than-expected first quarter results because of inflation and the weakening of the peso which has raised the cost of imported raw materials. Gokongwei-owned JG Summit Holdings Corp., for instance, saw its first quarter income drop 35.8 percent to P4.8
More companies leaning toward flexible working hours, says study The IWG Flexible Working Survey found that in the Philippines, businesses recognized that offering flexible working strategies to their employees provided them with significant benefits such as productivity enhancement, staff retention and job satisfaction, alongside other financial and strategic advantages. Philstar file photo by rIchmond
mercurIo Philstar.com
COMPANIES in the Philippines are recognizing that moving away from the traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. office schedule is better for their businesses, a new global study showed. The IWG Flexible Working Survey found that in the Philippines, businesses recognized that offering flexible working strategies to their employees provided them with significant benefits such as productivity enhancement, staff retention and job satisfac-
tion, alongside other financial and strategic advantages. The study covered 18,000 business people from a range of different industries across 96 countries, including the Philippines. “People from Seattle to Singapore, Philippines to Vietnam no longer need to spend so much time in a particular office,” said Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of IWG, the parent group of leading workspace companies including Regus and Spaces. “We are entering the era of the mobile workforce and it is hugely exciting. Not
just for individual employees, but for businesses too. This is a huge shift in the workspace landscape globally, and businesses are now looking closely at what this means for their corporate real estate portfolios,” Dixon added. In the Philippines, 93 percent said flexible working helps their business grow. In addition, 93 percent said that flexible workspace enables employees in their company to be more productive while on the move, while 94 percent believe flexible working helps their business stay competitive.
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PH’s economic competitiveness: Is slow internet a factor? Some of the listed consumer firms have already reported lower-than-expected first quarter results because of inflation and the weakening of the peso which has raised the cost of imported raw materials. Philstar file photo
billion from P7.5 billion a year ago, dragged by “higher input costs and weaker peso.” “Core net income fell on margin pressure from higher input costs and fuel prices and weaker peso at Universal Robi-
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IT seems that slow Internet service affected the steep drop in the country’s economic competitiveness, this according to a member of congress, Rep. Luis Campos Jr. “There’s no question our overall economic efficiency has been weighed down by inadequate yet costly Internet connectivity,” Campos said, citing the country’s lackluster Internet connectivity, which has been rated the slowest in Asia. The Makati city representative was reacting to the Philippines’ nine-notch drop to the 50th spot out of 63 economies in the 2018 World Competitiveness Yearbook rankings of the International Institute for Management Development. “If our average Internet connection speed is slower compared to other countries, and
yet we have to pay a higher price for it, then that makes our economy somewhat less competitive,” Campos, a deputy minority leader, said. Poor connectivity adversely affects businesses, consumers and government agencies that have become increasingly reliant on the Internet to perform daily transactions, the lawmaker said. Campos is counting on the entry of new players to drive real competition in the supply of faster Internet connection speeds at lower prices. Malacañang has hinted that President Rodrigo Duterte is likely to declare the liberalization of the telecommunications sector and announce the entry of new players when he delivers his State of the Nation Ad-
Manilatimes file photo
dress (SONA) on July 23. Campos has been batting for the reclassification of Internet access as a “basic telecommunications service” so that regulators may compel suppliers to provide rising connection speeds under pain of stiff punitive fines.
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Business news
Confectionery producers seek government OK to import sugar by Richmond
meRcuRio Philstar.com
LOCAL manufacturers of confectionery products are seeking the government’s approval to import sugar due to the prevailing high cost of domestic sugar. In a letter sent to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Confectionery Biscuits and Snack Association (PCBSA), a group of 18 producers of confectionery items, lamented the cost of domestic sugar which now costs 200 percent more than the sugar produced outside the Philippines. “Price distortion is very significant to PCBSA members as sugar is the main ingredient of a confectionery item. On average, sugar constitutes about 60 percent of each confectionery item,” PCBSA president Kissinger Sy said. According to Sy, the price of domestic sugar has recently skyrocketed to as high as P2,790 per 50-kilogram bag as against the landed price of imported sugar at about P1,300 per 50-kilogram bag. He said that even at this price, availability of supply is still not assured. With “the survival of local confectionery producers now at stake,” Sy said PCBSA members are worried with the present situ-
What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA U.S. citizens are generally taxed on their worldwide income regardless of where the income is earned or received. A U.S. citizen who earns income in a foreign country may also be taxed on that income by a foreign host country thereby leading to double taxation. Below are the three tax provisions alleviating potential inequity: • Foreign-earned income exclusion • Housing cost exclusion or deduction • Foreign tax credit or deduction Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. U.S. citizens who work in
In a letter sent to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Philippine Confectionery Biscuits and Snack Association (PCBSA), a group of 18 producers of confectionery items, lamented the cost of domestic sugar which now costs 200 percent more than the sugar produced outside the Philippines. Philstar file photo
ation because the market share of importers of confectionery products had significantly increased from a mere five percent in 2010 to 30 percent in 2017. For last year, the group estimated the sales of confectionery items in the country, excluding chocolates, reached P30 billion. To make local confectionery items competitive, Sy said the government should in the interim allow PCBSA members to import sugar, with the long term solution of allowing everyone to bring in sugar to assure stable supply, enhance free competition, and ensure a level playing field. Sy said with the government recently allowing all traders to import rice following the order
from President Duterte, such policy should also be applied with respect to sugar since the commodity is essentially an ingredient for various end-products. To address the fears of local sugar millers with its proposal, Sy said the importation by PCBSA members may be allowed only under certain conditions, such as the importation should meet only their manufacturing requirements, members will not be allowed to sell or trade imported sugar to the domestic market, and the importation should be only on a one-time basis for a calendar year. PCBSA said despite the recent moves and assurances of the Sugar Regulatory Administration to address the issue of adequate supply of sugar in the domestic market, the price of sugar is not expected to substantially go down and will still be prohibitive. “PCBSA is not seeking the same magnitude of support that the government is giving to the sugar industry. But given the local confectionery industry’s contribution to the economy, this industry likewise deserves support from the government,” Sy said. The group has requested a dialogue with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez to discuss the problem at the soonest possible time. n
Reporting requirements for US citizens abroad
a foreign country are allowed to exclude up to $104,100 of gross income earned in that country for 2018 ($102,100 for 2017). To qualify for the foreign-earned income exclusion, you must satisfy both requirements: • have a tax home in a foreign country for instance Philippines. Your regular place of business is the Philippines. Philippines is your tax home. • meet either the bona fide residence test, you must be a bona fide resident of a foreign country for an uninterrupted period which includes an entire tax year or the physical presence test, you must be physically present in the foreign country during at least 330 full days during 12 consecutive months. If you stay in the Philippines for an uninterrupted period which includes an entire
tax year or if you are physically present in the Philippines during at least 330 full days during 12 consecutive months, you qualify for this requirement. A determination of whether you qualify is based on all the facts and circumstances including your intention, length of stay in the Philippines, nature and duration of employment, establishment of a home in the Philippines, and nature, extent and reasons for temporary absences from the foreign home. If you choose to exclude your foreign earned income, you cannot take a foreign tax credit or deduction for taxes on excluded income, an additional child tax credit and/or earned income credit. The foreign earned income exclusion is filed by completing
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DOE moves to accelerate shift to e-trikes by Ronnel
W. domingo
Inquirer.net
THE Department of Energy is revving up its campaign to promote the use of electric tricycles with the donation of 900 units of e-trikes to the local governments of Pateros town and the cities of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and Valenzuela. Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi signed with the respective mayors of the four LGUs separate memorandums of agreement (MOA) on the receipt of the e-trikes last Friday, June 1. “The DOE E-Trike project encourages the transition from oil
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA [Select a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, this means before your life’s energy goes into ‘low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.] YOU gaze at the photos on the walls, dig up the albums in storage boxes – memories of days gone by, milestones — the springtime of one’s life: birthdays, anniversaries, graduations — so many happy, wonderful memories frozen in print. Now you have them too in digital form, thousands of images and videos, trapped in computer hard drives and smart phones or spread far and wide via social media for all to see. Then there are also the awful ones encrusted in your memory, the things you would rather forget. These are your raw materials to get this project going. So here’s one suggestion to sum it all up while you still can — something you may want to include in the top tier of your bucket list. WRITE YOUR STORY. So many stories to tell… So little time… Though you may think that your life is generic like plain vanilla, if you are honest and dig enough, there are so many tiny montages, vignettes of a past life. Uniquely yours, these may be sweet, sour and even bitter moments of one’s life. Imperfect as it is, you have lived through it all. Somehow, by God’s grace, you made it through. That is victory enough. A bit of caution! You don’t have to write a tedious, biographical tome, so boring you may induce flat lining even yourself to early death. I would recommend choosing a typical day, a significant year or seasons which reflect the peaks and valleys of your life. You can paint your story in broad brush strokes at first and fill in the details later, like a painter would, with the precision of a palette knife. Write in your own style. If they block the creative flow, forget grammatical rules, syntax, and the rigid rules for writing, for the time being. It is like recording streams of memories. There is no grading system here. Be honest. One rule I recommend that should apply at all times — REFRAIN from causing even more hurt, if
communities, in terms of livelihood and the services that it can provide to the people,” Cusi said. The donation includes 100 e-trickes for Las Piñas, 150 for Muntinlupa, 400 for Pateros, and 250 for Valenzuela. The LGUs, based on the MOA, were obliged to comply with the documentary requirements, among other prerequisites, such Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso as the crafting of their proposal Cusi Photo by John Paul R. Autor/Inquirer for the use of the e-trikes. to cleaner sources of energy,” The donation to the Metro MaCusi said during the signing cer- nila LGUs followed the grant of emony held in Taguig City. 200 units of e-trikes to Marawi “The 900 units to be given to City as rehabilitation efforts gaththe four cities will benefit many ered pace. n
The bucket list Write your story (Second of a series)
“Healing begins with forginess. It can make us whole again. And when we are whole and bathed in God’s light, darkness no longer holds power over us.” somehow, someone else reads your story when you’re gone. Believe it or not, the written word is precise and like a laser sword, it can slice a heart or like a soothing miraculous balm, heal brokenness. Choose wisely. How you choose reflects the beauty or ugliness of your soul. Kindness is a car that can get you to heaven. The Good Samaritan is a case in point. Is it a Pollyana view of life on earth? It sure is. But life can be brutal and in some cases, so cruel we need all the kindness we can get from one another. Or if you live a relatively charmed life and have a generous spirit, dispense acts of kindness to strangers without fanfare. Someone wise once said to choose those who can never repay you back. No one has to know. If you do it for applause and recognition, then you have cashed in your reward prematurely. Don’t post on social media for all to know. But if you do, remain anonymous. Your act of kindness can go viral and inspire others to do likewise. Focus on the act to squeeze the max out of it. Memories can be faulty. The way each of us sees things is uniquely processed through a set of largely emotional filters that may not align with how others in our immediate orbit remember them. In story writing, it is called POV or Point of View. Remember that in the eternal scheme of things, only God’s POV knows the pure, unvarnished, unadulterated truth. Your stories are all there buried deep within you. The early sunset years when you still have a sound mind in a sound body are probably the best time to write your story. Those neurons firing in our noggin are still sharp but we know, these have a definite shelf life. Don’t do it as an ego trip listing your accomplishments but put pen to paper or chase a cursor like mad on your laptop as an exercise in validating your life, putting into words, those memories that sparkle like diamonds, like the joys that you have caused to make others glad and appreciate life and how others made you
a better person. Accolades are fine but those you leave behind who feel eternally grateful to God for the life you lived as it left a mark on their own lives even when you’re gone are probably the highest tribute to your time on earth. I guess these are the things that make God smile. You’ll be one of those good and faithful servants. The act of recording your life story reveals to us God’s presence in every minutiae, facet and seasons of our lives. You realize that even in your darkest moments when all seemed lost, God is always there for us all. You begin to see clearly your purpose in life. Of course, as in any story, there are parts you want to share because they are happy and inspiring. There are parts that must remain secret by choice, known only to you, the God of your being and the characters of those tragic, dark vignettes you would rather forget, locked away forever or better yet, erased for all eternity. Let go of these, if you can. Healing begins with forgiveness. It can make us whole again. And when we are whole and bathed in God’s light, darkness no longer holds power over us. Life is a mural of many colors and infinite designs. Savor yours during these precious sunset years. There are so many twists and turns and variations and, if taken in one go, can seem like a blur on a whitewater tube ride. Scoop up a few golden snippets and record them. This could be well worth your while. Become the writer/editor of your life story. Dare to write it. Edit it. Even critique it, if you wish. Don’t worry about other people’s criticism. You are your own target audience for the time being. Someday when you’re gone, your story might have the power to inspire someone else. Next week: An idea for The Bucket List… *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
More companies leaning toward... PAGE B1 t About 90 percent believe flexible working helps their business maximize profits and 86 percent stated that enabling their company’s employees to work from anywhere helped them attract and retain top talent. The report said that while the world has understood office-
based work to involve a fixed location and a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule for generations, an unprecedented number of businesses are now adopting a very different working model, which produces benefits for them and their workers. “New technologies mean many of us can now work anytime, any-
where. The challenge for businesses is how to optimize this new landscape. Companies are realizing the benefits of flexible working and its ability to increase productivity, job satisfaction and business performance,” said Lars Wittig, IWG country manager for Regus and Spaces in the Philippines. n
Consumer companies may raise...
PAGE B1 t
bina Corp., Petrochem and Cebu Air,” JG Summit president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei said in a recent presentation. URC said its first quarter net income declined 12 percent to P3 billion from P3.4 billion a year ago because of lower coffee sales volume, higher inflation, and weaker peso. The company may have to jack up prices soon to cope with the challenging business environment. “If oil price is $80 (per barrel) and everybody is affected, we might have to do some adjustments in pricing,” URC president and chief executive officer Irwin Lee said on the sidelines of the company’s recent annual stockholders meeting. Another conglomerate, Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) said inflation also caused gross profit margins to decline in the first quarter, albeit just slightly. “Gross profit margins in the Philippines were only slightly below year-ago level despite rising inflation rate and cost increases brought by the tax reform and
the peso depreciation,” JFC said in its first quarter report. It expects Philippine gross profit margins to equal year ago level by the fourth quarter of 2018, even as it noted that the peso depreciation has raised costs in the Philippines. JFC already started raising prices in 2017 to support profit margins. The conglomerate’s net income in the first quarter grew by 17.3 percent to P1.799 billion from P1.533 billion. LT Group Inc., the listed conglomerate of taipan Lucio Tan, also acknowledged that because of rising inflation, it would be a challenge to keep costs down. “Higher inflation is expected for 2018, which together with the depreciation of the peso and higher fuel costs will translate to higher production costs. Freight and transportation costs are also expected to go up, so it will be a challenge for manufacturers, including LTG’s subsidiaries, to keep costs down,” LTG president Michael Tan said during the company’s annual stockholders meeting last month. Asia Brewery, its beverage
business, already sees volumes of its top-selling Cobra drinks to be affected by an increase in prices due to tax on sugary drinks under the Tax Reform For Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the inflation rate for May likely accelerated to a fresh five-year high at 4.6 to 5.4 percent due to elevated rice and domestic petroleum prices. Inflation already leapt to a fiveyear high of 4.5 percent in April from 4.3 percent in March due to rising global oil prices as well as the impact of the new tax reform law. The peso, meanwhile, closed at 52.554 against the dollar on Friday. Analysts said inflation would continue to affect margins for consumer companies.“Oil prices are going to continue to raise inflation and affect margins for consumer companies. We may see a five percent to 10 percent increase in prices of consumer goods, but I dont think we will see a substantial drop in their sales,” said Chris Mangun, president of Eagle Equities Inc. n
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BUSINESS NEWS
4 ways filing for divorce can benefit your immigration case
Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. Four situations in which filing for divorce can be beneficial to your immigration case are as follows: Married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens If you were petitioned for legal permanent residence by your US Citizen parent as a married son or daughter 21 years old or over, you are classified in immigration law under family sponsored third preference (F3) which usually carries a long wait time. The wait time for Filipinos for example is currently 22 years. The priority date is normally the date the petition was initially filed by your US Citizen parents. If you get divorced, you revert back to single status and your category automatically becomes reclassified to first preference (F1) where the waiting time is substantially shorter. For example, for Filipinos the wait time under F1 category is 10 years shorter than F3 category. This means if your parents filed your immigration petition 12 years ago, then you can adjust to a green card now instead of waiting another 10 years. Married sons and daughters of legal permanent residents If your parents are legal permanent residents, getting divorced will convert you back single status making you eligible to be petitioned by your legal permanent resident parents under the family based second preference (F2b) category if you are 21 years old or older or under the family based second preference A (F2a) if you are under 21 years of age. For those who married after they were petitioned by their LPR parents (F2A and F2B), the petition is automatically revoked under operation of law the moment you get married and cannot be reclaimed by a divorce. In theory, it can be argued that filing a subsequent petition after your divorce under the same category inherits the previous petition’s priority date under 9 FAM 42.43
N10 and 8 CFR 204.2(h), Part 205. However, success of such argument is not clear since the old petition was automatically revoked the moment you married. The best thing that can be done in this situation is to have your LPR parent repetition you as an F2A or F2b even if you are unable to reclaim the previous petition’s priority date. Conditional legal permanent residents in failed marriages For those who obtained their legal permanent residence status through marriage based petition by their US Citizen spouse of less than 2 years marriage, the legal permanent residence status conferred is usually a “conditional legal permanent residence” valid only for 2 years. The couple would need to sign and file a joint petition to remove this condition prior to the expiration of the 2 years or the conditional legal permanent resident spouse would fall out of status. The problem arises when the marriage is in trouble. Often it becomes difficult to obtain the cooperation of the US Citizen spouse specially when the couple has separated. US Citizen spouse often refuse to sign the I-751 for or appear at the I-751 interview if one is set by the USCIS. Filing for divorce would terminate the marriage and allow you to file a “waiver” of the joint petition to remove the conditional LPR status based on entering into the marriage in good faith. Terminating the marriage by filing a divorce is a requirement in order to file the “waiver.” It is important to time this correctly as soon as the marriage starts falling apart because by terminating the marriage early on, you might be able to file the waiver before the expiration of your 2 year conditional LPR thus allowing you to extend your LPR status in 1 year increments until a final decision is made in your case. Married aliens in non-imm grant visas and those without status For those who enter the US as a non-immigrant and are separated from their spouse but still married, filing a divorce would open up opportunities in case they meet a new significant other who is a US Citizen and who can petition them as an immediate relative. This is usually the fastest of process in obtaining legal permanent residence. In countries such as the Philippines where there is no divorce, many people come to the
US to start a new life after they have been separated from their old spouse (often still married to them). Even if the alien over stays their status as a visitor, the alien can still adjust to that of a legal permanent residence if petitioned by a US Citizen spouse. If the alien was never inspected, the alien can still adjust to legal permanent residence if they are grandfathered under INA 245(i) and there are no special restrictions on their status. To be grandfathered under INA 245(i), the alien must have been a beneficiary of a legal permanent residence petition filed no later than April 30, 2001. Finally, a common concern of divorcing immigrants is “What happens if my spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers?” The truth is you do not need your spouse’s signature to obtain a divorce in California. You only need to provide your spouse notice that you filed a divorce by personally serving your spouse the divorce petition and summons. In countries that are members of the Hague Convention, special procedures need to be followed to effect service. So yes it is possible to divorce your spouse even if your spouse is in a country that does not recognize divorce among its citizens such as the Philippines. For some immigrants, filing for divorce opens up opportunities in this land of milk and honey. *** 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 its owners? financial fraud and could be used THE client and her husband to pierce the corporate veil. Let’s are the only stockholders of an Debt say owners borrowed $5.0M S corporation that has been do- Relief from creditors based on projecting well for the last 15 years. In ed sales of $50M per year but in fact, it’s still doing well and had reality, sales came in at $1.0M a a great year last year. year, a case can be argued by the What is the difference becreditors saying that the owners tween an S corporation and a ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG were reckless in their decision to C corporation? In an S corporation, the business income is deTo pierce the corporate veil to borrow $5.0M. But certainly, the clared in the 1040 of the owners, get to the house of the client, the owners may still prevail in provwhile the C corporation files its creditors will have to prove that ing that they were justified in own tax returns. But both cor- the corporation was simply the their $50M sales projections but porations are legally separate ‘alter ego’ of the owners, that it something happened that was entities from their owners. The was not operated by owners like totally unexpected. It’s really a corporation is a ‘person’ created a real corporation. The easiest matter of proof at trial. So what is the lesson here? by legal fiction. It can do what- way to prove the ‘alter ego’ atever a real person does, legally. tack on the corporation is proven If you own a business, do not For instance, a corporation can by a preponderance of the evi- ever personally guarantee the debts of the business. If buy and sell land, transact the creditor requires your business in its own name, personal guaranty, go to file a lawsuit and be sued another bank or supplier in its own name, without who will extend credit to affecting the owners of your business without tythe corporation. ing you in. If the business In the client’s case, fails, at least you don’t the problem is that her lose any of your personal husband is ill and can no assets. You will still have longer run the business. a house to live in. There So the wife now will run the business. Her concern is that dence that personal funds of the is no reason to ‘go for broke’ the corporation owes $1.5M to owners were being intermingled and put your family’s security at banks and suppliers, and that with the funds of the corpora- risk, is there? The other lesson is she has equity in her residence tion. In other words, the owners that do not intermingle personal of $1.0M? So what is the connec- were using the corporation as a funds with business funds, and tion between the two? The client ‘piggy bank.’ So, in the client’s make sure the corporation folis worried that if something hap- case, if there was no intermin- lows legal formalities and procepens to the business and it can- gling of personal and corporate dures. If you do this, then your not pay the $1.5M, can the bank funds, the client’s house is se- corporation will do business sue her and get her house? cure because the creditors will by assuming its own debts and Let’s analyze the problem. not be able to pierce the corpo- shield your personal assets from The first thing that has to be de- rate veil to get her house to pay business debts. Now if the client wishes to termined is whether or not the for the debts of the corporation. husband, and/or client signed Salary payments to the owners not continue doing business, any personal guarantees that — because they are officers of the S corporation itself can file a made them personally liable for the corporation — is not inter- Chapter 7 bankruptcy to handle the debts of the corporation. If mingling of funds. Money lent by the $1.5M of corporate debt. neither one of them gave any owners to the corporation is con- The corporate bankruptcy will written personal guaranty to sidered to be a debt owed by the not affect the personal assets any creditor for the debt of the corporation to the owner-lender, of the client because as I said business, then the answer is that just like any other debt. This is earlier, a corporation is a separate “person” created by legal the creditors of the business will not intermingling of funds. not be able to get her house to However, if the owners use the fiction; therefore, it can file for satisfy the debts of the business. corporate account to pay per- bankruptcy without affecting the But certainly, the creditors will sonal bills, this is an intermin- personal assets of the owners of attempt to penetrate the veil of gling of funds. Another reason to the corporation. corporate fiction to get to cli- pierce the corporate veil is that *** ent’s house. The creditors will corporate formalities were not sue the corporation and the cli- followed such as recording board Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in ent and allege that the corporate resolutions for decisions made by bankruptcy, business, real estate and fiction should be invalidated or the company. Yet another reason civil litigation and has successfully ‘pierced.’ Of course, the credi- is that the owners perpetrated a represented more than five thousand tors will attempt to do this, but financial fraud on the creditors. clients in California. Please call Angie, can they be successful in prov- What is financial fraud? If the Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for ing the allegation, and end up owners acted recklessly in their an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont with a court order setting aside business transactions resulting Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, the corporate that shields the in major debt that they knew the Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey personal assets of the owners of business had no chance in pay- Road, Walnut, CA 91789. (Advertising Supplement) the corporation? ing back, this could be viewed as
“In the client’s case, the problem is that her husband is ill and can no longer run the business.”
SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 6-8, 2018
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PH’s economic competitiveness... PAGE B1 t
Under House Bill 5337, Campos wants the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) empowered to regulate both the quality and the cost of Internet connection by tagging it a basic service. At present, the 23-year-old Philippine Public Telecommunications Policy Law treats In-
ternet access as a “value-added service” rather than a basic service. Thus, suppliers are relatively free to provide the service on their own terms. The Philippines’ 5.5 Mbps average Internet connection speed is the slowest among 15 Asia Pacific countries, according to Akamai Technologies Inc.’s State of the Internet Connectiv-
ity Report. Worldwide, South Korea has the fastest average connection speed at 28.6 Mbps, while Paraguay has the slowest at 1.4 Mbps. Mbps is short for megabits per second—a measure of network transmission or data transfer speed. A megabit is equal to one million bits. (ManilaTimes.net) ■
Tax plan seen hurting small... PAGE B1 t
strategic investments priority plan (SIPP). On top of that, the company must satisfy “performance targets” that will be decided by the SIPP such as export sales, actual investments, actual job creation and investments in lagging regions. Philexport said that basing incentives on export performance effectively disqualifies startups in particular from availing themselves of badly needed tax and customs incentives. Instead, the group said it believed that “incentives should be
provided on such need-basis to help improve performance rather than as a reward for already good performance.” The proposed second tax reform package is expected to create not only more but also better jobs as the government will grant incentives to investments generating employment opportunities, according to the think tank Action for Economic Reforms (AER). “The government’s push to reform the fiscal incentive regime will encourage businesses to hire more people and upgrade the skills of existing workers by
Calendar of Events across
building backward and forward industry linkage as among the criteria to qualify for fiscal incentives,” AER senior economist Jo-Ann Diosana said in an earlier statement, noting that pending bills in the Lower House provided for double tax deductions to be granted to businesses that will hire marginal labor yearly as well as train current employees. “The rationalization actually intends to have a clear set of criteria as a condition to receiving incentives and one of the criteria is the generation of full-time, regular employment,” Diosana said. ■
America
ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS JUNE 9
Money Smart for Small Business course in El Monte, CA oin this introductory two-day business course designed for new business owners, selfemployed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs on Saturday, June 2 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be held at Cathay Bank 9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731. The fee is $20 (payable to API SBP). Course topics include startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, record keeping and more. Breakfast, lunch, and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank. Limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at smallbiz@apisbp.org or call (213) 4731605. Please provide following info: full name, business name (if applicable), phone number, and email address.
Asian Foster Family Initiative information session in Los Angeles To learn more about how to possibly become a foster parent for Filipino children in the LA foster care system, join the informational orientation session on Saturday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. This will be conducted in English. It will be held at the Korean American Family Services (3727 W. 6th St. #320, Los Angeles, CA 90020). Parking lot available behind the building. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP as soon as possible to alicelee@kfamla.org to reserve your place.
City of Carson’s 120th Philippine Independence Day Celebration The City of Carson’s Annual Philippine Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, June 9 is the biggest event in the City of Carson with thousands of people from all over Southern California in attendance. It begins with a flag raising ceremony, followed by an ecumenical service, and a holy mass. The parade/cultural street dance participated in by different Filipino-American, City-affiliated, and school-based organizations officially open the program. This year’s featured indigenous group is the “Igorot”. Igorot dancers will thus be leading the parade. Non-stop entertainment follows with headliners from ABS-CBN-The Filipino Channel. Interactive booths, exhibits, food and non-food vendors, and a children’s area make the event ideal for families and people of all ages. For parade participation/event information/ volunteer sign up, please call (310) 952-1743; booths (310) 569-7500; sponsorship (310) 819-5108. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park (22400 Moneta Avenue - Carson, CA).
Kalayaan Incorporated presents Philippine Independence gala in Los 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.
Los Angeles County Filipino-American Employees Association celebrates Philippine Independence in Glendale, CA Come celebrate with the Los Angeles County Filipino-American Employees Association (LACFAEA) & the Filipino community for the Philippines’ 120th year of independence as a nation, on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at the Hilton Glendale (100 W Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91202) from 6:00 pm to midnight. Guests and performers include Purple & Hearts band, cultural dancers, guest speaker Senator Nancy Binay, Ivy Violan, and other surprise guests and performers. For more information, please call Marge Ordiales at (818) 476-0082 or Tony Mendoza at (323) 618-5401.
PH Time Is Now event in New York Come to New York City on Saturday, June 9 from 1 to 7 p.m. for a day of inspiring sessions to connect with fellow innovators and forward-thinkers, ignite new ideas and learn from today’s Global Filipino leaders! Set in the prestigious Harvard Club of New York, every minute and every session will teach and challenge you to create meaningful paths for personal and professional success. Speakers include restauranteur Nicole Ponseca of Maharlika/Jeepney and actor Vincent Rodriguez III of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.phtimeisnow.com/.
JUNE 16
Columban missionaries’ Dancing for the World celebration in Glendale, CA Join the celebration of the centennial year of Columban missionaries with Dancing for the World (DFTW) on Saturday, June 16 in Glendale, CA. Since Columban missionaries have received so many blessings during this past century for which we wish to give thanks to God, this year’s DFTW celebration with a Mass of Thanksgiving. It will be a multi-cultural Mass, reflecting the variety of traditions and languages in the countries where Columban missionaries serve, as well as the cultural diversity of our supporters in California. This Mass, which will be the Vigil Mass for Sunday, will be celebrated at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, at the Glendale Civic Auditorium located at 1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208. Afterwards, there will be a social, followed by dinner and dancing, so please bring your dancing shoes! There will also be a raffle with several tantalizing prizes. As you can imagine, it’s going to be a faithfilled and a fun-filled evening! First prize is a trip for two (2) to Hawaii; Second Prize is a cruise for two (2) to Alaska; Third prize is $500 cash; Fourth prize is a trip for two (2) to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. For $2.00 ticket you can win these amazing prizes. The dinner and dance is also available for forty dollars ($40.00). You can contact Ariel Presbitero (323-691-5262) or Carmencita Enriquez (213-880-5075) for tickets and other information.
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
B4 JUNE 6-8, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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People and Events
Tree identification book from the Arbor Day Summer Reading 2018 kicks off Foundation helps people identify tree species at Santa Monica Library on June 9 THE Arbor Day Foundation species of each tree, explainhas a book that helps people ing what to look for in the identify trees in a simple, shape and arrangement of the step-by-step process. The leaves, differences in the leafbook, What Tree Is That?, is stalks and specific characteravailable for a $5 donation to istics of fruits, flowers, buds the nonprofit tree-planting orand bark. ganization. “Our What Tree Is That? What Tree Is That? is a fun, pocket guide is an ideal reeasy-to-use tree identificasource for developing a greattion guide that features hander appreciation for trees,” said drawn botanical illustrations Matt Harris, chief executive highlighting the distinctive of the Arbor Day Foundation. characteristics of many tree “The Arbor Day Foundation species. strives to help people enjoy Nature lovers and profesand appreciate trees, and we sional arborists alike have feel our pocket field guide will called this pocket field guide do just that.” a must-have, user-friendly reWhat Tree is That? is also source. Its beautiful, full-color available as an online interacillustrations are in precise detive version at arborday.org. tail and depict natural colors, To obtain a tree identificashapes and textures so users tion guide in full color, send can make a positive species your name, address, and $5 identification in just a few for each guide to What Tree Is easy steps. Photo courtesy of arborday.org That?, Arbor Day Foundation, The Arbor Day Foundation 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska offers this book to help people the United States. What Tree City, NE 68410. You can also oridentify trees throughout the Is That? uses a unique step-by- der the book online at arborday. Eastern and Central regions of step approach for identifying the org. ■
Dancing for the world
Celebration of the centennial year of Columban missionaries by FR.
PETER KENNY, SSC, ARIEL PRESBITERO AND CARMENCITA ENRIQUEZ
THROUGHOUT 2018 we are celebrating the centennial year of our foundation. Together with our friends and supporters, we are making this important milestone not only here in the U.S., but also in many other countries around the world. We are delighted that our friends and supporters in California, who have come here from various parts of the globe, are planning to mark our centennial year with the “Dancing for the World (DFTW)” celebration. This year’s event will be held in Glendale Civic Auditorium on Saturday, June 16. Since Columban missionaries have received so many blessings during this past century for which we wish to give thanks to God, we will begin this year’s “DFTW” celebration with a Mass
of Thanksgiving. It will be a multicultural Mass, reflecting the variety of traditions and languages in the countries where Columban missionaries serve, as well as the cultural diversity of our supporters in California. This Mass, which will be the Vigil Mass for Sunday, will be celebrated at 5pm on Saturday, June 16, in Glendale Civic Auditorium located at 1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208. Afterwards, there will be a social, followed by dinner and dancing, so please bring your dancing shoes! As you can imagine, it’s going to be a faith-filled and a fun-filled evening! There will also be a raffle with several tantalizing prizes. First prize is a trip for two (2) to Hawaii; Second prize is a cruise for two (2) to Alaska; Third prize is $500 cash; Fourth prize is a trip for two (2) to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. For a $2.00 ticket you can win these amazing prizes! The dinner and dance is also
available for $40.00. You can contact Ariel Presbitero (323691-5262) or Carmencita Enriquez (213-880-5075) for tickets and other information. However, this celebration of our centennial year becomes even more special when one realizes that the funds from the evening’s entertainment will go to supporting Columban missionaries and our ministries in various countries around the world. Thanks to the loyalty and support of friends like you in the past, we have shared the Gospel both near and far during these past hundred years. By joining us for the celebration of our centennial year at Glendale Civic Auditorium on June 16, Columban missionaries will know that you will also have our back as we embark on a new century of ‘Sharing Gospel Joy’ from Mexico to Myanmar, from Peru to the Philippines, and from Chile to China. ■
SUMMER Reading is for everyone! Santa Monica Public Library kicks off its Summer Reading Program on Saturday, June 9, with a series of events for all ages that reflects this year’s theme, “Reading Takes You Everywhere!”, at the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. From 11 to 11:45 a.m., TAIKOPROJECT, a premiere Taiko group that unites ancient Japanese tradition with 21st century innovation, displays their unique drumming style in the Main Library’s North Courtyard. From 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a family craft activity will be held in the North Courtyard. Make your own mini-balloon, bookmark, or fan to cool yourself off on those hot summer days! Kids, teens and adults can join the library’s “Reading Takes You Everywhere!” Summer Reading Program. The library offers the Baby & Me Club (birth to 17 months), Read to Me Club (2 to 5 years), Independent Readers Club (kindergarten to grade 5), Teen Club (grades 6 to 12), and Adult Summer Reading for ages 18 and up. Participants of all ages will earn prizes for time spent reading, listening to audiobooks or reading to others and can en-
joy a range of free activities and performances. Adults (ages 18 and up) Adults receive a summer reads tote bag just for signing up! Upon completion, participants will receive a coupon for a free book priced at $2 or less from the Friends of Santa Monica Public Library Friends Bookstore. Those that complete 20 hours of reading and turn in their participation card will be entered to win one of three $50 gift cards. Youth (from birth through 12th grade) Kids and teens receive a tote bag and a coupon for a free small yogurt at Yogurtland on Lincoln and Pico Blvd. Those who meet the reading goals will receive prizes as follows: Baby & Me Club (birth to 17 months) Sign up and get a free tote bag and board book Read to Me (2 to 5 years) &
Independent Readers Clubs (kindergarten to grade 5): 5 Hours: flying butterflies OR metallic balloon race cars 10 Hours: groan tubes OR ninja squishies 15 Hours: choice of free book Teens (6th-12th grade): 10 Hours: earbuds with phone stand 20 Hours: choice of glow-inthe-dark putty or giant glitter star ball 30 Hours: Free book 40 hours: Entry into bonus prize drawing for a $50 Visa gift card Sign up at any library location beginning June 9. The Summer Reading Program runs through August 18, 2018. Go to smpl.org for full entry and prize details. All Library programs are free and open to all ages. Seating at events is limited and on a first arrival basis. Santa Monica Public Library is wheelchair accessible. For disability-related accommodations, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8606 at least one week prior to event. The Main Library is directly served by Big Blue Bus lines 1, R10 and 18. Lines 2, 3, R3 and 9 stop nearby. Ride your bike. Bicycle parking racks are available at the library.
“Heads Up!” safety campaign to address bicycle safety in 2018
Campaign aimed to reduce accidents involving cyclists by 20 percent FOLLOWING an 11 percent decline in annual collision rate, 47 percent drop in pedestrianinvolved accidents and zero pedestrian fatalities in 2017, the City of Santa Clarita’s “Heads Up!” traffic safety campaign is evolving to target a new demographic: bicyclists. With a large community of bicyclists who ride for fitness, fun or for their daily commute, the City of Santa Clarita’s Traffic Safety Team is committed to reducing the number of collisions involving cyclists by 20 percent in 2018, through education. In partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the City of Santa Clarita launched its “Heads Up!” campaign last year to combat distracted driving and increase pedestrian safety. The campaign educated drivers and pedestrians on crosswalk and roadway safety. Since incorporation, one of our City’s top priorities has been the safety of our residents on City streets. In continuing the awardwinning “Heads Up!” campaign, the City will focus on educating drivers and cyclists on safe behaviors when it comes to cycling and driving with cyclists on the roadway. “Heads Up” banners and ad-
vertisements will continue to be seen throughout Santa Clarita and social media content will center on four main messages: 1. See and Be Seen – Cyclists should always ensure they can be seen by pedestrians and motorists. Wear bright colors, apply reflective tape or stickers to bicycles and helmets, and install lights (red for the rear and white for the front) for riding after sunset. 2. Gear Up – Double check you have your safety gear on before going for a ride. Always wear a helmet and proper footwear. Use a backpack or mounted basket
for carrying personal items, because hands-free riding is safe riding. 3. Be Predictable – Cross streets at marked crosswalks and intersections and never ride out mid-block into the flow of traffic. Use proper hand signals prior to making turns and always yield to pedestrians. 4. Go with the Flow – Only ride with the flow of traffic, never against it. This is a good rule when riding on sidewalks along major roads, too. Remember that it is the rider’s responsibility to know and follow the traffic laws applicable to bicycling on City streets. In addition to traditional methods of pushing out information, the City will reach cyclists with messaging where it is most impactful. “Heads Up!” stenciling will be placed throughout the City’s trail system, as well as at key intersections with a high volume of drivers and cyclists. “Heads Up!” reflective stickers for bicycles and helmets will also be available in the coming weeks for free at City Hall, cycling events and local cycling stores. Learn more about the “Heads Up” campaign online by visiting Santa-Clarita.com/HeadsUp.■
Reporting requirements for U.S. Citizen... PAGE B2 t
the appropriate parts of Form 2555. Since it is voluntary, your choice to exclude foreign earned income remains in effect for that year and all years unless you revoke it. Housing Cost Exclusion or Deduction. You may also claim an exclusion or deduction from gross income for your housing amount if you meet the following requirements: • Have foreign earned income. • Your tax home is in a foreign country. • You qualify for the bona fide residence test or the physical presence test. The housing exclusion applies only to amounts considered paid for with employer-provided amounts while the housing deduction applies only to amounts paid for with self-employment earnings. Like the foreign earned income exclusion, the housing cost exclusion or deduction is filed by completing Form 2555. However, a separate election is required for each exclusion claimed. You may choose to revoke the exclusion for any year. Foreign Tax Credit or Deduction. The credit and deduction are intended to relieve U.S. taxpayers of double taxation on foreign source income. The election is made on an annual basis. If a U.S. citizen incurs or pays income taxes to a foreign country, he may elect to deduct them in determining his taxable income, or take them as a credit against his U.S. tax. The election must be made as to all foreign taxes of the tax year. The credit will be limited to the percentage of the total tax that the taxable income (before deduction for personal exemptions) from foreign countries is of the total taxable income. Other Reporting Requirements.
Please note that any person or entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United States includes individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, and estates having a financial interest in, or signature or other authority over, bank accounts, securities, or other financial accounts having an aggregate value exceeding $10,000 at any time during the calendar year in a foreign country, shall report such a relationship. Although there are some limited exceptions, filing requirements also apply to taxpayers that have direct or indirect control over a foreign or domestic entity with foreign financial accounts, even if the taxpayer does not have foreign accounts. For example, a corporate-owned foreign account would require filings by the corporation and by the individual corporate officers with signature authority. Failure to disclose the required information to the U.S. Department of the Treasury may result in substantial civil and/or criminal penalties. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service also requires information reporting under applicable Internal Revenue Code sections and related regulations, and the respective IRS tax forms are due when your income tax return is due, including extensions. The IRS reporting requirements are in addition to the U.S. Department of the Treasury reporting requirements stated above. Therefore, if you fall into one of the below categories, or if you have any direct or indirect foreign interests, you may be required to file applicable IRS forms. • File Form 8938: For individual or entity with ownership of foreign financial assets and meet the criteria. There is a penalty of $10,000 for failure to file, am additional penalty of up to $50,000 after IRS issued notification for
continued failure to file. • Form 5471: If you are an officer, director, or shareholder with respect to certain foreign corporations attach Form 5471 to your income tax return by the due date including extensions for that return. You are a foreign-owned U.S. corporation or foreign corporation engaged in a U.S. • trade or business, Form 5472; • You are a U.S. transferor of property to a foreign corporation, Form 926; • You are a U.S. person with an interest in a foreign trust ,Forms 3520 and 3520-A; or • You are a U.S. person with interests in a foreign partnership, Form 8865. Notice 2018-13 Code section 965 of the 2017 tax cuts and jobs act added that US shareholder in a foreign corporation are possibly liable for the transition tax. Failure to timely file the appropriate forms with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service may result in substantial penalties. Calendar year corporation ending December 31, 2017, the tax us due and payable with the US shareholder’s 2017 return. *** Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid taxrelated penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. (Advertising Supplement)
B5 JUNE 6-8, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL
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‘Malayo man narating, pusong UPSE pa rin!’ First grand reunion of the UP School of Economics
CALLING all alumni of the UP School of Economics (UPSE)! Join us in the first ever UPSE reunion in the USA this summer 2018. Malayo Man Narating, Pusong UPSE pa rin! When: July 6, 2018 (Friday) to July 7, 2018 (Saturday) Activities: • July 6, 2018 - Early reception dinner at Ocean One Bar
and Grille followed by a Party Bus Tour along the Las Vegas Strip (complete with wine/beer/ cocktails, Kodakan and music). • July 7, 2018 - Dinner/Reunion at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Cost: $ 115.00/person paid before May 1, 2018 ($130.00 after May 1), which will cover the Party Bus Tour (including
all drinks and gratuity) on July 6, reunion buffet dinner and celebration on July 7, a reunion t-shirt, event videography/photography and memorabilia, incidentals. Cost WILL NOT COVER the Friday optional reception dinner, other meals, hotel and airfare/local transportation. Alumni may opt to stay at
Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas with room rate at $ 159 per night + $35 resort fee per night + 13 percent Las Vegas tax. Please email or call UPSE’s contact person below to confirm your interest and attendance. Contact person: Jay Ortega (562) 676-7735 (UPSE Batch ’83) or e-mail: upselasvegasreunion@ gmail.com â–
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation announces 2018 free summer service program
Photo courtesy of parks.lacountry.org
THE Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture, the California Department of Education and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, will provide approximately 300,000 free snacks and lunches this summer to children at 50 county parks, 25 county libraries, and at Gerdes Park, Hermosillo Park and Norwalk Park in the city of Norwalk. The summer lunch program will also take place at St. Lucy’s Catholic Church in East Los Angeles, and the Gloria Molina Community Empowerment Center in Walnut Park. The 2018 free Summer Food Service Program will kick off on Monday, June 11, and will end Friday, Aug. 3. Lunch and snacks will be served between
11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Exact times vary depending on location. Created to help reduce the growing number of young people in the United States challenged by obesity or lack of consistent access to wholesome meals, this program aims to provide a healthy alternative for children when school is out for the summer. Monday through Friday during each week of the program, children 18-years-of-age and under are invited to receive a nutritious lunch and snack, which may include vegetables, fruits, seeds and healthy dairy products like milk, string cheese and yogurt. Participating parks are required to service communities within the geographical boundaries of an elementary, middle or high school attendance area
where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. “The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is proud to be part of the safety net that helps ensure children do not go hungry this summer by having access to daily healthy meals while not in school,� said Department Director John Wicker. “We want young people to come to our parks, enjoy a healthy lunch and snack, and stay for all the great programs, facilities and other amenities that our parks offer to their communities.� The public may use the California Department of Education’s (CDE) CA Meals for Kids mobile app to find the locations of California’s Summer and Afterschool Meal Programs, including the ones sponsored by
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,Allenby Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)
the county Department of Parks and Recreation. The CA Meals for Kids App provides the most up-to-date information about meal services available in the community. Children and families can use location-based searches to ďŹ nd meal sites, dates, and times. The app also allows for searches by site name, ZIP code, and city. The CA Meals for Kids mobile app is available for free download through Apple’s App Store, Google’s Play Store, and Microsoft’s App Store Web pages. More information is available on CDE’s CA Meals for Kids Mobile Application support Web page. For more information about the county Department of Parks and Recreation’s 2018 Summer Food Service Program, including locations, please call (310) 965-8630.â–
Pilgrimage to Some of ITALY’s Highlights and Miracles of the Eucharist Nov 12, 2018 to Nov 22,2018 Spiritual Director REV.JOEL BUGAS
OCTOBER 18 to Nov 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct 18, 2018 (Thur) Day 1 – Lax to Tel Aviv, Israel / +0Č’ 1) +1& Ć? &$%1 #/,* 1, "+ 2/&,+ +1"/+ 1&,+ ) &/-,/1Çž ") 3&3Çž 0/ ")Ç˝ Č› " )0 0"/3"! &+Č’Ć? &$%1Čœ Oct 19, 2018 (Fri) Day 2 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Tiberias Ćž "/ 4" )" / **&$/ 1&,+ +! 201,*0Çž 4" 4&)) *""1 ,2/ ), ) $2&!"Çž 4%, 4&)) " 4&1% 20 !2/&+$ ,2/ 01 6 &+ ,)6 +!Ç˝ "+',6 1%" - +,/ *& 3&"4 ,# 1%" "!&1"// +" +Ç˝ " 4&)) 0-"+! ,2/ Ćœ /01 +&$%1 in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Beach Holy Eucharist Oct 20, 2018 (Sat) Day 3 – Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana/ Mt Tabor We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon.
+ 1%" "4 "01 *"+1 ,,( ,# "3") 1&,+Çž &1 &0 /"#"//"! 0 1%" 0&1"0 ,# 1%" ČŠĆœ + ) 11)"Č‹Ç˝ /,* 1%"/"Çž 4" 4&)) ,+1&+2" ,2/ !/&3" &+1, Nazareth, where we will have Mass in the Church of the Annunciation ,the Cave of the Annunciation and and visit Joseph’s Work0%,- +! %"+ 4" 4&)) *,3" ,+ 1, + ,# )&)""Çž 4%"/" 2/ ,/! -"/#,/*"! &0 Ćœ /01 *&/ )"Çż % +$&+$ 4 1"/ &+1, 4&+" 1 1%" 4"!Č’ ding feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows,Con1&+2" 1, ,2+1 ,/ Çž0&1" ,# "020 / +0Ćœ $2/ 1&,+Ç˝ Ćž "/4 /!Çž 4" will head to Tiberias. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D). Oct 21, 2018 (Sun) Day 4 – Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heavenâ€? Early AM departures to Mt. Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people., Eucharistic Celebration . "+',6 0 "+& , 1 /&!" /,00 1%" " ,# )&)"" 1, -"/+ 2*Çž %,*" ,# 2/ ,/! !2/&+$ %&0 *&+&01/6Ç˝ Ćž "/ 3&0&1&+$ 1%" 6+ $,$2" where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the ), 3"0 +! Ćœ 0%"0Ç˝ %"+ 1, 1%" %2/ % /&* 6 ,# 1 "1"/0Ç˝ Č› Çž Čœ Oct 22, 2018 (Mon) Day 5 – Magdala 2)) ! 6 /"1/" 1Çž , 20 4&)) + )2!" -/,$/ *0 0"! ,+ 1%" %&01,/&Č’ ) +! ")&$&,20 3 )2" ,# 1%" $! ) 0&1"0 More info coming up as we get closer to the dates Çž 0/ ") Č” Ç—Ç•Ç•Çž &0 ,3"/&"0 #/,* +"4 / % ",),$& ) !&$ are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the %,*" ,# /6 $! )"+"ǽȋ %" )&3"! %"/" +! 0%" *"1 "020 %"/" and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the 1&*" ,# "020Ç˝ ,/!&+$ 1, / % ",),$&010Çž &1ȉ0 1%" Ćœ /01 ,+" !&0 ,3Č’ "/"! &+ 1%" )&)""Ç˝ Oct 23, 2018 (Tues) Day 6 – Jordan Valley/ Jericho/ Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church in Bethany Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" %" ! 1, "/& %,Çž 1%" ,)!"01 &+% &1"! &16 &+ 1%" 4,/)!Ç˝ &"4 1%" ,2+1 ,# "*-1 1&,+Çž 4%"/" "020 0-"+1 ǙǕ days fasting in the desert. We will visit the ancient ruins of the wall. We will continue to Bethany and will have mass to celebrate Holy 2 % /&01 1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ 7 /20Ç˝ %"+ 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" -Č’ 1&0* ) 0&1" &+ &3"/ ,/! +Ç˝ -,+ //&3 ) &+ ,2+1 ,-20 *" +&+$ Mount of the Watchmen/Sentinels, is a mountain in northeast Je/20 )"*Ç˝ +',6 1%" Ćœ /01 3&"4 ,# "/20 )"*Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" ! 6ȉ0 1,2/Çž 4" will check in at our hotel in Jerusalem (B/D) Oct 24, 2018 (Wed) 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 ,# 0(2))Çž 4%& % &0 ))"! &+ 1%" " /"4 ,)$,1% ǽȋ Č› ,%+ Ç–ÇžÇżÇ–ÇœČœ We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 3&0&1 ,)$,1% +! 1%" ,* ,# 2/ ,/!Ç˝ Ćž "/ * 00Çž 4" /"12/+ 1, the hotel for breakfast. Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) "+1"/ 1%" )! &16Çž 0&+$ %6*+ &+ 1%" Church of St. Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda. Then we will 3&0&1 1%" % -") ,# ) $")) 1&,+Çž &1%,01/ 1,0 Č›4%"/" 1%" 0,)!&"/0 -) 6"! 1%" *" ,# &+$0Čœ +! 1%" / % ,# 1%" ČŠ " ,*,Č‹Ç˝ Dinner/Overnight
Oct 25, 2018 (Thurs) Day 8 – Jerusalem Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu ČŠ %" ,/! " *" Ć? "0% +! !4")1 *,+$ 20ǽǽǽȋ Č› ,%+ Ç–ÇżÇ–Ç™Čœ " 4&)) 4 )( 1, 3&"4 1%" ,*" ,# 1%" , ( #/,* 1%" ,210&!"Çž +! visit the Western Wall,( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for "40Ç˝ %"+Çž 4" 4&)) !/&3" 1, 1Ç˝ &,+Çž 1, 3&0&1 1%" --"/ ,,*Çž /"Č’ 3"/"! 0 1%" 0&1" ,# 1%" 01 2--"/Çž 1%"+ 02/3"6 1%" ,/*&1&,+ "6Çž +! 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ "1"/ &+ ))& +12Çž %" 0&1" 4%"/" "1"/ !"+&"! "020 1%/"" 1&*"0Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" ! 6ȉ0 1,2/Çž we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Oct 26, 2018 (Fri) Day 9 – Mount of Olives/ Gethsemane/ Bethlehem/ Jerusalem (New City)/ Ein Karem Mass at the Church of Nativity ČŠ *,2+1 &+ ,# ,!Çž /" "&3" *"Çž *,1%"/Çž 4&1% *6 %&)!ǽȋ Č› /,1,Č’ "3 +$")&2* ,# *"0 Ç—Ç—ÇżÇ˜Čœ " 4&)) //&3" 1 1%" ,2+1 ,# )&3"0Çž 1, "+',6 +,1%"/ 3&"4 ,# "/2Č’ salem, visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the ,*&+20 )"3&1 țȊ ,! 4"-1Č‹Čœ 0 + 12 /6Ç˝ "51Çž 4"ȉ)) 4 )( 1%" )* 2+! 6 , ! 1, 1%" /!"+ ,# "1%0"* +"Çž +! 3&0&1 1%" , ( ,# $,+6 +! 1%" %2/ % ,# )) 1&,+0Ç˝ + 1%" Ćž "/+,,+Çž 4"ȉ)) !/&3" to Bethlehem, a city whose name is recognized around the world. Ćž "/ ")" / 1&+$ 00 1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1&3&16Çž 4" 4&)) 0"" 1%" +$"/Č€ 3&0&1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ 1%"/&+"Çž 1%" /,11, ,# 1Ç˝ "/,*" +! 1%" %"-%"/!0ȉ &")!0Ç˝ 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 "/20 )"*Ç˝ - +"51 &0 1/&- 1, &+ /"*Çž &/1%-) " ,# 1Ç˝ ,%+ the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church, where Mary proclaimed %"/ # *,20 ČŠ $+&Ćœ 1Č‹Ç˝ " 4&)) "+! ,2/ ! 6 6 /"12/+&+$ 1, ,2/ Hotel. (B/D) Oct 27, 2018 (Sat) Day 10 – Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ")" / 1" * 00 1 1%" %2/ % ,# )) 1&,+0 and then we will drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last 01/,+$%,)! $ &+01 1%" ,* +Ç˝ "12/+ 1, "/20 )"* #,/ !&++"/ and Overnight (B, D) Oct 28, 2018,(Sun) Day 11 – Jerusalem/ Allenby Bridge/ Madaba /Jordan/ Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba Mass at Mount Nebo On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We 4&)) $, 1, 1%" -1&0* ) &1" 1 "1% +6Çž 4%& % ,-" ,%+ 2)
3&0&1"! &+ Ç—Ç•Ç•Ç•Ç˝ %"+Çž &1ȉ0 ,+ 1, ,2+1 " ,Çž 4%"/" ,0"0 3&"4"! 1%" /,*&0"! +!Ç˝ 2/ +"51 01,- 4&)) " 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ ",/$" &+ ! Çž 4%& % %,010 1%" # *,20 *,0 & * - ,# 1%" ,)6 +!Ç˝ Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Mov"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ "Ç˝ Oct 29, 2018 (Mon) Day 12 – Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ',2/+"6 1%/,2$% 1%" &.Çž 2+1&) 4" $"1 ,2/ Ćœ /01 $)&*-0" ,# 1%" % 7+"% Č› /" 02/6ČœÇ˝ %"+ 4&)) 4" 4 )( !,4+ 1, 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 !&++"/ Č› ČĄ ČœÇ˝ ,3"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ " Oct 30, 2018 (Tues) Day 13 – Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/ Overnight Oct 31, 2018 (Wed) Day 14 – Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" ! 0%"* 20"2*Çž&0 0/ ")ȉ0 ,Ć› & & ) *"*,/& ) 1, 1%" 3& 1&*0 ,# 1%" ,), 201Ç˝ 1 &0 !"!& 1"! to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought $ &+01 1%"&/ 7& ,--/"00,/0 +! "+1&)"0 4%, 0")Ć? "00)6 &!"! Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding 02 % "3"+10 &+ 1%" #212/"Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" "01"/+ ))Çž ! 0%"* &0 1%" 0" ,+!Č’*,01Č’3&0&1"! 0/ ")& 1,2/&01 0&1"Ç˝ "12/+ 1, 1%" %,1") #,/ )2+ % +! /") 5 1&,+ &+ -/"- / 1&,+ #,/ ,2/ /"12/+ Ć? &$%1 ( 1, 1%" Ćž "/ !&++"/ 4&)) " 1/ +0#"//"! 1, 1%" &/-,/1 #,/ ǖǿǕǕ * )&$%1 ,3 ǖǞǗǕǖÇ? Č› %2/0! 6Čœ
Day 1 – 12 Nov 2018 – (Mon) Day 2 – 13Nov 2018 – (Tues)
- USA - ROME - Rome -,+ ,2/ //&3 ) &+ ,*"Çž our Tour Escort will wel,*" 20 1, 1 )6Ç˝ ,*" &0 the heart, home and the spiritual capital of over one billion Catholics all ,3"/ 1%" 4,/)!Ç˝ Ćž "/ short panoramic orienta1&,+ ,# 1%&0 1"/+ ) &16 1, 20 ,* + 1%,)& 0Çž 4" 4&)) have our dinner and overnight rest at this great ancient City.
Č› Çž Čœ Day 3 – 14 Nov 2018 (Wed) – Rome / Papal Audience/ Rome
This morning before we continue with our tour, we will % 3" - ) 2!&"+ "Ç˝ %"+ Ćž "/Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" # Č’ *,20 ,)&0"2* +! 0"" 1%" ,/2*Çž 1%" /"3& ,2+1 &+ and the Pantheon, one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world. Celebrate the Holy Eucharist at St Peter Basilica St Joseph Chapel .Short stop in Trevi ,2+1 &+Çž "#,/" %" !&+$ 1, ,2/ ,1")
Č› Çž Čœ Day 4 – 15 Nov 2018 (Thurs) – Rome / Basilicas We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, +! "3"+ + &"+1 /""( +! ,Č’ man artists. the largest church &+ ,* + 1%,)& &0*Çž 1Ç˝ "1"/ȉ0 Basilica. Holy Eucharist at ST Mary ',/Çž ,)),4"! 6 3&0&1 ,# 1%" Č’ silica. We continue to visit the rest ,# 1%" * ',/ 0&)& 0 4&1%&+ 1%" 4 ))0 ,# ,*"Çž +! 1Ç˝ ,%+ 1"/Č’ an, St Paul Outside the Wall. We will also pray at the Scala Santa or the Holy Stairs. St. Helena transported the steps from Jerusalem; the same 01"-0 1% 1 %/&01 0 "+!"! 1, /" "&3" &) 1"ȉ0 2+'201 ,+Č’ demnation.
Č› Çž Čœ Day 5 – 16 Nov 2018 (Fri)–Rome /San Giovanni Rotondo Ç—Ç•Ç–Ç? &0 1%" Ç–Ç•Ç•1% ++&3"/0 /6 ,# 1%" 01&$Č’ matization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year . + &,3 ++& ,1,+!,Çž 1%" %,*" ,# 1 Č’ !/" &, ,# &"1/") &+ #/,* Ç—Ç? 2)6Çž ǖǞǖǛ 2+Č’ 1&) %&0 !" 1% ,+ Ǘǘ "-1"* "/Çž ǖǞǛÇ?Ç˝ +',6 1%" !/&3" $,&+$ 1, + &,3 ++&Çž Ćž "/ 4" check in our Hotel. We visit the Shrines of St Padre Pio of Pietralcina as well as the places associated 4&1% %&* Çž 02 % 0 1%" %/&+" ,# 2/ !6 ,# / " 1% 1 contains his tomb. Here, we spend some time meditat&+$Çž 0"" %&0 /,,*Çž %&0 ,+#"00&,+ ) ,5 +! 1%" /2 &Ćœ 5 that gave him his supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Cel" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 Č› ,1") / + / !&0, Čœ
+ &,3 ++& ,1,+!, (BB,D) Day 6 – 17 Nov 2018 (Sat) – SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO This Morning we visit the new and Modern Basilica of St Padre Pio, See his uncorrupt body .Celebrate Holy Eucharist Spend some time meditating in this awesomeBasilica.
Č› ,1") / + / !&0,Čœ Day 7–18 Nov2018 – (Sun) – San Giovanni Rotondo / Lanciano /Loreto Ç˝ " //&3" 1 + & +,Çž # *,20 #,/ 1%" &/ )" ,# the Eucharist. Near the Piazza Plebiscito, the Miracle is inside the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle. The mira)" 1,,( -) " !2/&+$ 1%" Ç?1% "+12/6 when a Basiline monk doubted the " ) /"0"+ " ,# ,2/ ,/! &+ 1%" 2 % /&01Ç˝ " #,2+! %&*Č’ 0")# %,)!&+$ 1%" %,01 1% 1 % ! % +$"! &+1, " ) )"0% +! 1%" &+" ,+ 1%" )1 / % ! % +$"! &+1, " ) ),,!Ç˝ We continue our pilgrimage to the great Marian shrine ,# ,/"1, 1, 0"" 1%" # *,20 0 /"! %,*" ,# 1%" *,01 ,)6 *&)6Çž "020Çž /6Çž +! ,0"-%Ç˝ &+ " ǖǗǞǙ 1%" %,)6 %,*" % 0 ""+ ), 1"! &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& ,# ,/"1,Ç˝ ")" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 &+ + & +, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN Assisi Day 8 –19 Nov 2018 – ( Mon) Loreto/ Assisi ,! 6 4" "5-),/" 1%" %&))1,- &/1%-) " ,# 1 / + &0 ,# 00&0&Ç˝ + 1%" /6-1 ,# 1 / + &0 0&)& )&"0 1%" 1,* ,# one of the most humble and beloved Saints of all times, 1Ç˝ / + &0 ,# 00&0&Çž ,)6 2 % /&01 1 1%" /6-1 ,# / + &0 "" 1%" 0&)& ,# 1 ) /"Çž 4&1% %"/ &+ ,//2-1 body, and the little Church of St. Damiano and its Cru&Ćœ 5 #/,* 4%& % "020 0-,(" 1, / + &0 ,21 %&0 *&0Č’ 0&,+ &+ ǖǗǕǛǿ ČŠ ,Çž / + &0Çž +! /" 2&)! *6 %,20"Çž 4%& % 0 6,2 0"" &0 # ))&+$ &+1, /2&+ǽȋ " 3&0&1 1%" 0&)& ,# 1Ç˝ Mary of the Angels, located in the lower plains of Assisi, and the place where the miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi 1,,( -) " &+ ǖǗǙǕǽ %" 0* )) %2/ % ,# 1%" ,/7&2+ ,Č’ ) &0 &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& &10")#Ç˝ ,-" ,+,/&20
$/ +1"!
a plenary indulgence for those entering this humble %2/ % ,+ 2$201 Ç–01 +! Ç—+! "3"/6 6" /Çž 4&1% ,+#"0Č’ sion, reception of the Eucharist and no attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) Day 9 – 20 Nov 2018 – (Tues) – Assisi / Siena / Florence We will spend half day in Siena. Begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built &+ 1%" ǖǘ1% "+12/6Çž &1 &0 1/" 02/" %"01 ,# 1%" "+ &0Č’ sance art and dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the city’s history while admiring it’s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great *"!&"3 ) 0.2 /"0Ç˝ ,+1&+2" 1, ),/"+ "Ç˝ Č› Çž Čœ " 01 /1 4&1% $2&!"! 4 )(&+$ 1,2/ ,# ),/"+ "Çž 1%&0 # 0Č’ cinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria !") &,/"Çž &,11,ȉ0 ")) ,4"/Çž 1%" -1&01"/6 ,# 1Ç˝ ,%+ the Baptist. "01 ,# 1%" ! 6 #/"" Č› Çž Čœ Day 10 – 21 Nov 2018 (Wed) – Florence / Rome " 3" ),/"+ " /,2+! Ç— //&3"! ,*" )*,01 !&++"/ time (BB.D) Day 11 – 22 Nov 2018 (Thurs) – Rome / USA End of our wonderful Pilgrimage .
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Second annual Bayan Masaya held in Historic Filipinotown IN celebration of the 120th Philippine Independence, the second Bayan Masaya (Bayanihan sa Araw na Makasaysayan) Health, Cultural & Resources Fair held in Historic Filipinotown last Saturday, June 2, successfully attained its aim of providing an atmosphere of Bayanihan sa Araw na Makasaysan. The Search to Involve Pilipino American’s (SIPA) multipurpose room was filled to capacity as the program began at 1 p.m. Romy Borje sang the national anthems, “Star Spangled Banner” and the “Lupang Hinirang”; followed by an invocation by Fr. Martin Silva of the Society of Jesus; and welcome address by Dorothy Gamoning, the interim executive director of SIPA. To officially open the event, two independence cakes decorated with Happy 120th Philippine Independence and Congratulations to BAYAN MASAYA were ceremoniously cut by the Executive Directors of FASGI – Yey Coronel, PWC – Aquilina Soriano-Versoza represented by Malou Villacisneros and Gamoning together with Leo Pandac and Benito Miranda, former
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board president and vice president of SIPA, respectively. The cakes were gifts from Red Ribbon. Consul-General Adelio Angelito Cruz, who could not make it due to prior commitments, sent a written message which was was read by Villacisneros on behalf of Soriano-Versoza. The cast members of StanD, a play written by FASGI Executive Director Yey Coronel and SIPA In their message, BM Christopher Aguilar and presented by FASGI, Interim Executive Director Dorothy Gamoning Chair and Co-Chair Perla promotes awareness and breaks the stigma led the cake cutting during the Bayan Masaya Santos and Rosanne Mu- Volunteers man the booth for Asian which of mental health illnesses in the Filipino-American on Saturday, June 2. noz, were in unison in Pacific Health Care Venture. community. (Photos by Reggie Avendan and Jun Salangsang) thanking everyone who supported the BM event, dancers come various groups in- stage. Written by Christopher cel Kim Chuateco was assisted including the sponsors, program cluding Our Lady of Loretto par- Aguilar, and presented by FAS- by nurses Ana Manuel, Cecil participants, the volunteers and ish, Angelus Plaza and others. GI, the show left many of the Berango and Emmylou Harris in all behind the scenes for making MOTHER Technical Director audience in tears. With StanD, providing health screenings and their work light - the commit- Grandmaster Conrad Manaois one way Aguilar is addressing answered health-related quesment, dedication and hard work; and his assistants performed the the problem is “to raise aware- tions. Ely Cabungcal added fun and the guests themselves for at- Arnis-Kali-Eskrima exhibition ness—of what possible signs and excitement with his conducttending the event. Seeing every- which the spectators watched and symptoms are, of what life ing of parlor games sending the one very happy is recompense with awe. It may be recalled that is like for a person with a mental spectators giggling. The OPM enough for all the challenges Arnis was promulgated in 2009 health condition, and of the fact Karaoke showdown conducted undergone in the preparation by Republic Act No. 9850 as the that asking for help should be by Loloy Go and Tess Nones culphase. Philippine’s national martial arts and is perfectly fine.” The play minated the program. Geo SitCultural performances led by and sports. promotes awareness and breaks jar-Sargent was co-emcee with MOTHER Board Secretary Cres Emotions ran high resulting the stigma of mental health ill- Yey Coronel. Go, provided entertainment with from the spectacular perfor- nesses in the Filipino-American There was an abundance of their Subli, La Jota Moncadena, mance of the actors in the stage community. raffle door prizes donated by varSalakot, and Kuratsa. The folk- play, StanD that took center SIPA boardmember Dr. Carou- ious donors including the booth
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exhibitors, the Korean ATOMY specialty products, Care 1st, Silver Star Financial Group, among others. The Philippine Sarao jeepney enhanced the setting of a Filipino landscape. Native foods, such as bistek, turon, lumpia, and biko catered by Fiesta Fast Food, was aplenty; lumpiang shanghai, suman, dinuguan and other native delicacies complemented the true essence of Bayan Masaya celebration. In addition to SIPA, FASGI, PWC, the other collaborating organizations included Tender Loving Care Family Caregiver Foundation, Manaois Martial Arts, HiFi Tennis Association. The organizers thanked the sponsors that included Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, and media sponsor the Asian Journal. Volunteers included Ismail and Lilia Fos, Connie Mored, Yolly, Marlon, La Rainne and Rinna Gonzales, Ardyel Lim, and many others. Bayan Masaya started in 2011 as a project of the MOTHER Movement. Andy Ramacho of SIPA assisted Perla Santos in organizing this event. n
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The Asian Journal
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018
Fil-Ams on connecting with their heritage on PH Independence Day by
A
lso known as “Araw ng Kasarinlan” or “Araw ng Kalayaan”, Philippine Independence Day is held every June 12 — the same date the country declared independence from spain in 1898, following four centuries under its colonial rule. That independence though was very short lived, as those familiar with Philippine history know. Philippine Independence Day traces back 300 years ago when the Philippines — under General Emilio Aguinaldo — declared independence from spain on June 12, 1898. But as Filipinos began to celebrate through national anthem fanfare and flag raising, they again quickly found themselves under another ruler. spain had let go of its reign while it was at war with the United states. Upon losing, spain had then given the Philippines to the U.s. as part of the 1898 Treaty of Paris Agreement which involved a payment of about $20 million. The
Rae ann VaRona / AJPress
Philippines, thus became a U.s. territory. The PhilippineAmerican War would rise up a year after. Ironically on July 4, 1902, President Teddy Roosevelt declared victory over the Philippines. He would though, five years later, give into pressure of granting the Philippines their independence by proclaiming general amnesty between the two countries. Yet it was again postponed as William Howard Taft, backed by a party who wasn’t too keen on granting independence. By 1912, Taft was defeated by President Woodrow Wilson who brought talks of possible independence back on the table. But it wasn’t until 1946 did the Philippines finally gain sovereignty through the Treaty of Manila, and the day it was given its independence so happened to be again on July 4 — the same day its newly former colonizer celebrated Independence Day. But the shared indepen-
dence date would only be celebrated together for 15 years. In 1962, Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal decided to officially change the date back to June 12. “July 4 seemed tantamount to the celebration of Philippine subjection to and dependence on the United states which served to perpetuate unpleasant memories,” wrote Macapagal sometime after. “I felt too, that July 4 was not inspiring enough for the Filipino youth since it recalled mostly the peaceful independence missions to the United states,” Macapagal further wrote. “The celebration of independence day on June 12, on the other hand, would be a great inspiration to the youth.” Hence, June 12 stuck as the official date for Philippine Independence Day. July 4 then began to be referred to as Filipino-American Friendship Day. Celebration of Fil-Am identity Despite the long history
of colonial rule, the relationship between the once colonized Philippines and its colonizer for the most part remain good. over four million Filipinos currently live in the U.s., making the second largest Asian American group in the nation. While those in the Philippines celebrate the holiday with a day off from classes and work, Filipinos in the U.s. take it as an opportunity to celebrate their Filipino identity despite being thousands of miles away from their motherland. Along the West Coast’s California, Fil-Am communities of Carson, san Francisco, and stockton have been gearing up for their own Philippine Independence Day celebrations — all of which be held on saturday, June 9. And of course, included are food booths, cultural performances, and entertainment by beloved Filipino artists. The City of Carson’s 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration will be featuring entertainment headlines by ABs-CBN talents sam Milby and Jona. In New York, Filipinos and New Yorkers in general, celebrate the holiday earlier on the first sunday of June. Having been celebrated annually since 1990, the Philippine Independence Day Parade and celebration held along Madison Avenue and in Madison square Park has become the
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largest among Philippine Independence celebrations in the U.s. “This year’s Philippine Independence Day Parade Celebration was great. Filipinos and Filipino-Americans came together and showed love for this yearly celebration of our freedom,” said Richard Baccay, who goes by his artist name of R1CH. R1CH was one of the performers at the parade, along with his fellow Filipino producer and manager Paulo Gernarde who goes by his artist name IsTANZA. The two performed original Filipino rap music inspired by life experiences and struggles as Filipinos. other featured performers included dancers representing the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City, and the Manggahan Festival of the island province in Guimaras. Born and raised in Pasig City, but now residing in New York, R1CH said the celebration was important in that it serves as a reminder to Filipinos — especially to those who grew up in New York and throughout the U.s. — of their roots and culture. Also in the crowds of FilAms and general New Yorkers were visiting Filipinos like 26year-old Carlo James B. salina, an ICU nurse in the Philippines on vacation in the Big Apple. “Definitely one for the books,” said salina, though adding that he was a bit confused
about its early celebration. It being his first Philippine Independence Day outside the Philippines, salina said the event made him proud to be Filipino. “I even roamed around the busy streets of New York, rode the subway and went home with my little Philippine flag sticking out of my backpack,” said salina. like Baccay, salina found the celebration’s importance as being a reminder — especially to the youth — of what was involved in creating the Filipino identity. He encouraged young Filipinos, especially those living outside of the Philippines, to be learn more about the Filipino culture and history. “This hard-fought freedom that we are enjoying now should not be taken for granted,” he said. “It should always be cherished and be claimed with dignity and pride.” As the New York Filipino community swarmed around Madison Avenue and Madison square Garden, waving their Filipino flags, letting out the occasional “Mabuhay!”, and partaking in the variety of Filipino foods, salina said he was proud to have witnessed such Filipino pride among Fil-Ams. “These things just made my heart swell with pride,” said salina. “It was that time when I experienced a sense of belongingness, and at the same time, a sense of identity in a melting pot of culturally diverse people.”
Kalayaan Incorporated hosts annual Philippine independence celebration in LA on June 9 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, 2018, at the Universal Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California. “Each year,” stated susan Espiritu-Dilkes, KI president and gala chair, “Kalayaan Incorporated, a California nonprofit corporation with a 501 (c) (3) status, focuses on harnessing the Filipino spirit into a one-day celebration. It is a time when Filipinos and Filipino Americans in los Angeles can come together to celebrate not just the anniversary of Philippine Independence Day, not just our pride in being Filipinos, but also a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of many of our kababayan here who have given to the community in helping to raise the profiles of Filipinos in all societal strata.” susan has retired as executive director of FAsGI Filipino American services Group, Inc.,
one of the oldest service groups in los Angeles, founded in 1981, helping the underrepresented and underserved of the community through social service, education and social action, among others. To create lighter moments during KI’s gala, there will be a presentation of ‘Mga Dilag ng Kalayaan 2018’ featuring Ginang Kalayaan Anita Cal Jackson, M.D., Binibining Kalayaan Queenie Navarro, and Mutya ng Kalayaan Megan Isabel Ebreo sabocor, to extol the beauty and virtue of Filipino womanhood, symbolizing the ideal Filipina as a paragon of pulchritude, character and talent, and imbued with an inherent love for our home country and humanity, in general. Chairperson of the Dilag presentation is past KI president Zeny sabocor. Her committee includes board member/cochair Virginia B. Vivas, 2007 Mrs. Kalayaan UsA; board member Malou Perez, 2017 Ginang Kalayaan; secretary Violet Mislang; assistant secretary lynda Joco,
and PRo lydia V. solis. susan is the overall chair of the gala with vice-president/co-chair Annie Cuevas-lim, former Philippine DoT director in los Angeles. “The purpose of KI’s Dilag program,” stated Zeny, “is to showcase Pilipina beauties and promote the culture of Filipino-American women; to help raise funds to support KI in implementing the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence and its charitable and humanitarian projects; and to promote our Dilag as KI’s Ambassadors of Goodwill.” “Each Dilag ng Kalayaan 2018,” added Virginia, “has met the qualifications: must be of Filipino descent and possess good moral character. Ginang must be female, married or divorced, age 31 years old or older; Binibini must be female, single, never been married, never had a child, age 18 to 30 years old; and Mutya must be female, age 13 to 17 years old. They will each receive a crown, sash, bouquet and stand up plaque.” Ginang Kalayaan Dr. Anita Cal Jackson serves as incumbent president of the Confederation of Boholanos in UsA & Canada (CoNBUsAs), was the previous president of the Boholanos of southern CA, Inc. (BsCI) and chairman of the Tagbilaran Association of CA (TAC), while working as a practicing physician in Temecula and lake Elsinore, CA. Anita is a devoted wife, mother and homemaker, yet has the capability to pursue her professional career. she says she is deeply honored to represent Kalayaan Incorporated. she symbolizes the total embodiment of a typical Filipino womanhood in the U.s.A. whose deep roots in Philippine culture and values are still embedded in her whole being. Despite the many responsibilities on her shoulders, she has accomplished and excelled in her profession
Anita Cal Jackson, M.D., Ginang Kalayaan
Queenie Navarro, Binibining Kalayaan
Megan Isabel Ebreo Sabocor, Mutya ng Kalayaan
and community service. Her hobbies are ballroom dancing, Filipino folk dancing and visiting with her grandchildren! she maintains her beauty, not only her external appearance, but her inner self that radiates in her individuality. Binibining Kalayaan Queenie Navarro, 23, dreams of becoming a ‘digital nomad in order to continue exploring the edges of the world, meet people from different cultures and learn their stories, and grow as a person through these experiences.’ she loves to travel and says she has been fortunate enough to have set foot in over 60 countries in her young life. Her desire is to ‘simultaneously broaden my perception of life and the things that truly matter.’ “It’s an honor to serve as Binibining Kalayaan,” she expressed, “because as a young Filipina born and raised in the United states, I understand that privilege comes with the responsibility of giving back. It’s not about how much you can give in terms of time or money, it’s about knowing that there are those with less fortunate circumstance that need help and taking a proactive stance about these issues. With that said,” she continued, “I believe that everyone has the capacity to give back in their own way, and that if we pull
in even the most minimum of our resources, we can help make this world a better place.” Queenie, from Glendale, CA, is a recent graduate of Pepperdine University with a degree in Accounting. she’s working for a property management firm. “Despite common stereotypes for those in my career choice,” she quipped, “I am still the creative type and am passionate about music having played the piano and having been involved in singing on stage since I was a child. I even own my own fashion and lifestyle blog which allows me to express myself in a different way as well as give me a break from numbers.” Mutya Ng Kalayaan “I’m excited to hold the title of Mutya ng Kalayaan 2018,” admitted Megan Isabel Ebreo sabocor, 14, “so I will be able to help the organization in raising funds to support its charitable projects.” Megan is the only child of lilian and santi sabocor, who are both certified public accountants. “she’s warm and smart,’ says her mother and added that they are proud that their daughter, a freshman at Immaculate Heart High school, an all-girls Catholic school in los Angeles, is currently in honors
Geometry, English and spanish 2, and a participant in the lincoln Douglas debate. she plays volleyball and is active in other school activities ‘that she actively pursues.’ “At age 12 while in 7th grade at Cathedral Chapel school,” lilian recalled, “she won the much coveted Versatility Award in speech among contestants from 10 competing Catholic schools. This certificate is presented to a student who has received a minimum of six trophies (‘Megan got 7’) in the areas of oratory, poetry, dramatics and sight reading competitions. Megan loves to sing, too. she is also a volunteer altar server at Cathedral Chapel of st. Vibiana.” Masters of ceremony for the event include Marissa Castrosalvati, southern California Edison’s public affairs region manager; lydia solis, a retired management analyst from the City of lA; Dr. Jeremy Villar, dean of student services at lA City College; and Noel s. V. omega, Kalayaan chairman in 2008 and information technology professional. KI promises a stellar evening on June 9. For more information, contact Erlinda Granadasabah at (562) 682-9576; or Malou Perez at mperez0813@ aol.com.
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018
Sunshine Cruz reflects on 5 years since showbiz comeback by NIÑA
GUNO Inquirer.net
ALTHOUGH Sunshine Cruz has known show biz since she was a teen, there was a time when she shunned the spotlight for 13 years. After marrying Cesar Montano in 2000, she was willing to give up her career to become a housewife and full-time mom. Her last regular appearance on TV would be in 2004 for the fantasy series “Marina.” In 2013, she separated from Montano after discovering that he had an alleged affair. Since then, she raised their three children on her own and came back kicking into television with ABS-CBN’s “Dugong Buhay.” Her comeback was also marked with magazine covers, such as one she shared of a parenting magazine. Back in 2013, Cruz also drew reactions when she posed for a men’s magazine; she explained then that she wanted to
Sunshine Cruz
Photo from Instagram/@sunshinecruz718
inspire mothers to stay sexy. “I’ve done 6 seryes (series) with [ABS-CBN] (“Dugong Buhay,” “Galema Anak Ni Zuma,” “Oh my G!,” “Pure Love,” “Dolce Amore,” “Wildflower”),” she recalled, adding that she is working with GMA after moving to the network on the series “Kapag Nahati ang Puso” (previously known as “Karibal Ko ang Aking Ina”).
“Been blessed with loving, beautiful, TALL and smart children and of course, wonderful opportunities since then,” she gushed. Cruz has also finished a college degree in psychology at 39 and has been in a nearly two-year relationship with Macky Mathay, all while keeping her physique fit at 40 years old.
Janine Berdin is ‘Tawag Ng Tanghalan’ grand champion
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AFTER a year of scouring the whole archipelago and the rest of the world, “Tawag ng Tanghalan sa Showtime” has finally hailed Janine Berdin as the grand champion in the highly anticipated grand finals of the competition’s second season on June 2 held at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City. During the first round, the 16-year-old singer from the Visayas competed with the other Top 6 grand finalists namely, Arabelle dela Cruz, Ato Arman, Anton Antenorcruz, Reggie Tortugo and Steven Paysu. She kept the judges and the crowd on their feet when she sang the hit Filipino song “Nosi Balasi” popularized by Sampaguita. Berdin then received one of the highest average scores and
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made it to the Final 3 along with Arman and Paysu. She battled her way out and wonderfully gave her own rendition of the songs of the Bamboo band such as “Noypi,” “Tatsulok,” and “Hallelujah” through a medley. Garnering the highest total combined votes of 96.11 per-
cent from the judges and the viewers, Berdin bested Arman who sang a medley of Freddie Aguilar songs, and Paysu who sang a Barry Manilow medley. Arman and Paysu received 74.27 percent and 61.80 percent respectively—margins so large compared to Berdin’s Continued on Page 4
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Vice Ganda breaks down after remembering ‘Tutoy’
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‘Goblin & Aya’? Korean film experts on Gong Yoo-Anne Curtis pairing “Sid & Aya,� the “unusual� pairing of Kapamilya star Anne Curtis with Kapuso actor dingdong dantes, has reportedly earned P65 million in five days. After this, will Anne be able to fulfill her dream to team up with Korean superstar Gong Yoo? it is no secret the Filipino superstar is a big fan of Yoo and his hit Korean fantasy series, “Goblin.� in a recent press conference organized by Korea Tourism Organization, Korean filmmakers and film industry insiders said: “To be honest, for the Korean actors to work with Filipino actors will be quite difficult because the price for actors’ fees (of Korean stars) is 10 times higher than here.� “But it doesn’t mean it’s impossible,� the Korean pundits assured. “it depends on the Korean
Korean star Gong Yoo and Anne Curtis
Philstar.com photo
actors or actresses, whether they see the movie or the film content as good, then they could work
together with the Philippine actors or actresses.� (Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar.com)
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iN an unexpected turn of events, the anticipated humor of Vice Ganda celebrating the 7th year of his show “Gandang Gabi Viceâ€? (GGV) became emotional as he broke down in tears to remember his childhood. in a new segment “Tanong Mo Mukha Moâ€? hosted by “Asia’s King of Talkâ€? Boy Abunda, the host showed seven faces to Vice, to whom Vice can ask a question. Seven faces were shown to Vice because the show celebrates its seventh anniversary. One of the faces showed to Vice was Tutoy, his childhood self. “Masaya ka ba sa kung anong ginawa ko sa buhay ni Tutoy?â€? Vice asked his childhood self. The GGV host said that he will be forever Tutoy because of his mother’s love. “Tutoy is my nanay’s source of joy, i will forever be Tutoy. There are moments na nakakaligtaan ko na si Tutoy, but i always remind myself na ‘uy you have to go back to Tutoy’ Because Tutoy is real. Mas pipiliin ko si Tutoy kesa kay Vice Ganda,â€? Vice said. “Kasi noong panahon ni Tutoy mapayapa lang siya. Simple lang siya, hindi komplikado ang buhay niya pero masayang masaya siya. Masaya din naman si Vice Ganda, pero iba yung saya ni Tutoy eh,â€? Vice added while breaking down emotionally. “Pwede mawala si Vice Ganda, pero hindi pwede mawala si Tutoy‌ Kaya ‘di pwedeng mawala si Tutoy kasi s’ya ‘yung kasiyahan ng nanay ko, and that’s the most important thing in this world,â€? Vice maintained. “Kahit tanggalin na ng D’yos lahat, ‘tong damit ko, alahas ko, boyfriend, wala na akong pakialam, ‘wag n’ya lang tatanggalin ‘yung kasiyahan ng nanay ko. That’s the most important
Vice Ganda
Photo from Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin
thing.� Vice’s mother joined him onstage and hugged him. Other faces showed to Vice in the segment included Charo Santos-Concio; Tito, Vic and Joey; President Rodrigo duterte, Coco Martin, Ricci Rivero, and his departed father Reynaldo Viceral. To Charo, Vice asked: “dear Charo, sa dinami dami po ng araw at okasyon, bakit nyo napili na pumareho sa blouse ko?� To Tito, Vic, and Joey, Vice asked: “Natatawa ba kayo sa akin o nabwibwisit kayo sa’kin?� Abunda asked Vice that if he would be given a chance to star in a movie with Tito, Vic, and Joey, what would the title be? Vice suggested “Eat Showtime� or “Sina Tito, Vic at Joey kasama ang isang beki.� When showed the face of his father, Vice asked the
question: “Kasi nung nawala sya, hindi pa ko ganito, so kung makakausap ko s’ya ngayon, ‘Tay ano pong gusto n’yong sabihin sakin?â€? Boy asked Vice that if he has a chance to show a loved one to his father, who would he introduced to his father? Vice said he will introduce his first girlfriend to his dad. “Sinubukan ko mag-girlfriend para mapasaya sya‌ pero bakla talaga kasi ako!â€? Vice quipped. When asked what he would ask duterte, Vice said: “Bukas ka ba sa posibilidad, dahil sa inyo naman nanggaling ang change is coming, bukas ka ba sa posibilidad nang pagpapanose lift?â€? On June 4, GGV’s June 3, seventh anniversary episode took the number one trending on Twitter with over 20,900 tweets using the hashtag #GGVPito.
Ellen Adarna’s dad passes away amid rumours of her engagement by iza igleSiaS ManilaTimes.net
EVEN as she and boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz appear to be protecting their privacy, parts of Ellen Adarna’s life continues to surface on instagram, the latest of which imparted the sad news her father, Alan Modesto Adarna, had died. it was showbiz website Pep. ph which first spotted a post of a Cebu-based florist (with the handle @floraltouchbychaty) of a woman standing in front of a coffin, surrounded by blooms. dated June 2, it carried the caption, “Our condolences and prayers to the Adarna family. God grant you eternal peace Sir Alan Adarna.� The post has already been deleted by the instagram user, but not before one netizen was able to ask if the person who died was Adarna’s father, to which @floraltouchbychaty replied, “Yes.� Sources of Pep.ph confirmed that the wake of the actress’ 58-year-old father is being held at the Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels in Mandaue, Cebu, and that he had died of cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN News.com reported that the Adarna family—a prominent Cebuano clan and owners of
Ellen Adarna
ManilaTimes.net photo
the Queensland Motel chain— requested to grieve in privacy, banning media from covering the wake. They further cited they have chosen to keep the details of their patriarch from friends and family alike while they are settling bank matters. interment is set on June 8 at Queen City Memorial Gardens. it can be recalled that in November 28, 2017, Adarna posted a photo of her family with she and Cruz sat beside her father. in the same week, veteran entertainment scribe Lolit Solis confirmed the actress was pregnant, and that Cruz was the father.
Ellen engaged? However, amid the sad news, Adarna posted on her own instagram account a photo that may be cause to celebrate. On Sunday, the day after the florist’s post, the 30-year-old actress uploaded a shot of her left hand wearing three rings—two were on her middle finger, while a diamond sparkled on her ring finger. She simply captioned the post with a heart emoticon. Naturally, speculations of her engagement with Cruz surfaced anew, as the actress proceeded to take down her post an hour later. All the same, fans had already taken a screen shot of the photo, which also showed Adarna’s celebrity friends Beauty Gonzalez, Mark Nicdao, Gretchen Barretto, and isabelle daza congratulating her. This is not the first time Adarna initiated rumors of engagement herself. it can be remembered back in March that she posted a photo of a diamond ring on her finger with the caption, “if he makes you laugh.� Adarna was last seen in public on May 19 with a baby bump while vacationing in Palawan with Cruz and some friends.
Janine Berdin is ‘Tawag Ng Tanghalan... From Page 3
score. As the newest Tawag ng Tanghalan grand champion, Berdin has won for herself P2 million cash, a trophy created by renowned Filipino visual artist Toym imao, a brand new house and lot, management and recording contracts, an ultimate vacation package, a musical gadgets package, a livelihood package and a premium television set. According to the “it’s Showtimeâ€? website, ever since she was a child, Berdin already knew that show business was the path she really wanted to take. Her ticket to the industry was joining the “Star Circle Quest: Search for the Next Kiddie Superstars 4â€? where she finished fourth semi-finalist to Grand Quesators Clarence delgado and Brenna PeĂąaflor. The loss didn’t hinder her to pursue acting as she be-
came a Star Magic talent and appeared in several episodes of “Maalaala Mo Kaya� as the younger versions of the female leads, in “Mutya� as the titular role’s school bully, and in two tales of “Wansapanataym� as the younger sister of Toni Gonzaga and the bestfriend of Xyriel Manabat’s character. However, the promising child star needed to step out of the limelight to go back to their hometown in Cebu for her to focus on her studies. She once again tried her luck by joining “The Voice Kids PH� and Tawag ng Tanghalan Season 1 but failed. instead of
getting disheartened, these failures fueled Janine to keep on going until she succeeded. Even before winning, videos of her gut-wrenching and powerful performances have gone viral and became a trending topic on Twitter.
entertainment 5 The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018
Jayda Avanzado on her own now by RICKY LO Philstar.com
WHEN I saw Jayda performing with the so-called Broadway Boys on “Eat, Bulaga!” three Saturdays ago, I was convinced that she is fast moving out of the combined shadow of her parents, Dingdong Avanzado and Jessa Zaragoza. She wowed the audience (both in the studio and, I’m sure, in homes) with her terpsichorean and singing talent, add to that her good looks (the sum total of her parents’ best traits), and what do you get? A star about to shine on her own. A few years ago when she guested in a TV show with her mom, Jayda did her own (nasal) version of “Bakit Pa?”, the song that helped catapult Jessa to singing stardom, and Jayda did it so well that Jessa could do nothing but, well. “concede.” No doubt she’s what is described as an improvement of the specie. Although she has been guesting in her parents’ shows, Jayda considers Next Attraction (the concert starring Karylle, Isabella and Robin Nievera, the children of Zsa Zsa Padilla, Kuh Ledesma and Martin Nievera respectively) as the most special because, she said, it opened the door bigger for her. “But when I was nine years old,” recalled Jayda with a distinct American twang (she spent a good part of her childhood in California), “I guest-performed in my dad’s show, ‘Tatlong Beinte Singko’. Since then, I’ve been a regular guest in my parents’ shows, including their anniversary concert in December last year.” Janelle Amanda Loyola Avanzado is an unica hija who turned 15 on June 1. She’s looking forward to bigger milestones in her life. On Sunday, June 10, Jayda will curtain-raise for Niall Horan’s show at the Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena. Niall is the second ex-One Direction member to have a concert in Manila, following Harry Styles last month. “I’ve been practicing since I got the news that I was opening
Jayda Avanzado
for his show,” gushed Jayda, understandably so because Niall happens to be her favorite among the 1D guys. “It’s actually super-crazy! I am a big Directioner, that’s why I’m so excited. I love their music. The band greatly influenced me as a singer and composer.” She hastened to add, “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I like them all but Niall struck me the most. He’s the cutest! It’s so super-surreal. If you told 12-year-old me that I was gonna meet him, I would probably freak out! I’ve been checking my set list but so sorry I can’t reveal anything. Abangan na lang nila on the concert day itself. You guys will see. It’s a surprise!” Dad Dingdong (turning 50 on July 7; Jessa is 39) is just as excited. “Darling, what have the One Direction fans been telling you?” “Yes,” Jayda continued, “since I made the announcement on social media, not just people from the Philippines but all over the world around the world have been tweeting me. 1D has a massive fan base and social media brings them closer together. One 1D fan tweeted me, ‘You’ve gone from being a fan girl to being a 1D co-performer. Now you are performing with Niall’.” The truth is that Jayda has been a 1D fan from way back. “I have a lot of 1D merchandise and a scrapbook containing 1D stories that I clipped from
Philstar.com photo
magazines. I even have a huge poster of Niall on the wall of my room.” Would she swoon as soon as she met Niall in the flesh? “I just might,” Jayda blushed. Asked if she had a crush on Niall, she blushed even more. “Well, you can say that, hehehe!!! I will tell him how much I respect him as an artist and how much he has inspired me in my career.” “Normal naman ‘yung crush, eh,” said the protective dad. Now in Grade 11, Jayda’s birthday wish is simple. “I hope my career continues to work out and all my dreams come true. I really want to make my parents proud. I hope to do well in my education.” (She is home-schooled, enrolled at the Asia Pacific College.) Two weeks ago, Jayda’s single titled “Text” was released (Star Music), part of her In My Room EP (Extended Play), accompanied by a music video. Jayda herself wrote the song as well as the five other original tracks on the album which she is co-producing. In My Room was inspired by the small recording studio that her parents have put up for her right at home. She started writing songs when she was 12. “‘Text’ deals with a millennial topic,” she explained. “It’s so relatable among millennials. Everyone around the world is texting Continued on Page 6
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entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018
Moira Dela Torre, fiancé shower ‘kilig feels’ during concert with Boyce Avenue by Jan
Milo Severo Philstar.com
iNteRNatiONal acoustic group Boyce avenue had a successful sold-out concert with Kapamilya singer Moira dela torre on June 2 at the araneta Coliseum.
Back in the country for the seventh time, the Manzano siblings composed of alejandro, daniel and Fabian, never failed to impress thousands of fans with their performance. their rendition of popular songs such as “Wonderwall,”
Kris Aquino reacts to Mocha’s video about Ninoy by Deni
roSe BernarDo Philstar.com
MultiMedia star Kris aquino has broken her silence on a recent video posted by Presidential Communications Group assistant Secretary for Social Media esther Margaux “Mocha” uson. the video, posted by uson on her Facebook blog on June 4, showed Pres. Rodrigo duterte’s recent controversial kiss with an overseas Filipino worker in Korea being compared to a footage of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” aquino Jr. being kissed on the cheeks and on the lips of female fans on the airplane, before he was assassinated on august 21, 1983. “Masagwa daw ito?” the Jason Marvin Hernandez about to kiss Moira video said, referring to duterte’s Dela Torre’s head during a recent Manila concert. kiss. Philstar.com photo by EC Toldeo “Pero ito hindi?” the video “iris,” “Fast Car,” “teenage continued, this time referring to dream,” “torn,” and many Ninoy’s video. more, plus their original songs, “Paki-explain?” the video made the concert venue look ended. like a karaoke bar, with fans Mocha’s video, so far, has singing with the acoustic group. over 800,000 views and 14,000 Boyce avenue and Moira reactions on Facebook. also made a duet of Christina the viral video immediately Perri’s “a thousand Years.” caught the attention of Ninoy’s Moira opened the concert daughter, Kris. by singing her popular songs On June 5, Kris posted her with her band that includes her rage on her instagram account. fiancé Jason Marvin Hernandez. “asec Mocha uson — marathe soundtrack queen of mi akong pinalagpas. Binalahura today also called aJ Rafael in mo na ang buong pagkatao ng the audience for them to sing pamilya namin... Mapapansin together their hit song “Withmo si Noy hindi parte ng video out You.” ko dahil BUHAY sya. Kaya nyang But the highlight of the depensahan ang sarili nya. night belongs to Moira when Pero nung napanuod ko yung the whole araneta Coliseum inupload mo para depensahan opened their phones’ flashlight when Moira and fiancé Jason sang “tagpuan.” “tagpuan” is a special song for the couple as Jason proposed to Moira during the by iza igleSiaS shoot of its music video. ManilaTimes.net after Moira sang the first HaviNG been in the enterpart of the song, Jason sang tainment industry for more than its chorus by tweaking the lyrtwo decades, award-winning ics “ikaw ang panalangin ko,” changing “siya” to “ikaw” from actor Piolo Pascual is considered as one of the most successful the original lyrics. stars in the entertainment indusafter the performance, try—movies, television, music Jason kissed Moira on the and recording. forehead, sending the entire Starting his career in the teen araneta on a “kilig” spree. variety show “that’s entertainment,” he has since appeared in more than 60 movies and television shows including “dekada ‘70,” “Milan,” “lobo,” and “Noah”. His team-up with every actress he has worked with almost always top the box office. Besides his impressive acting talent, Pascual is gifted with attractive looks and muscular physique as well, plus singing voice that make a girl swoon. Many Filipino women say that the “ultimate Heartthrob” is the man every girl could dream of. there are those though who focused on his appearance more than his talents and character, but with the years he has been active on screen, being objectified is no longer an issue to him. “Growing up i never thought i could be an artista or become really good-looking. When i started acting that’s when i get to really take care of my appearance. But there are days that i don’t feel guwapo. i address that by trying to stay away from the sun as much as possible and get a lot of sleep. Otherwise, wala eh, i have to deal with it. even on the set sometimes i don’t wear make up or i don’t use hair product para lang malinis palagi,” Pascual shared “With regards on me being objectified by women, wala naman akong magagawa dun. i guess that comes with the territory. i know for a fact that in this business you are bound to be objectified. it comes with the job,” he explained. Pascual even recalled that despite having good looks, he was still turned down by some girls he tried to court back in the days. “Of course i got turned down [too]. Hindi naman porket pogi
Kris Aquino and Mocha Uson
si presidente duterte (na ni minsan hindi ko pinakitaan ng hindi maganda) alam mo ba kung ano ang ginawa mo? Sinariwa mo ang sugat sa puso ng isang batang 12 years old nung pinaslang ng walang kalaban laban ang kanyang ama,” Kris started in the caption. “Umiyak ako ng tuloy tuloy dahil NAINGGIT ako sa 2 babaeng nakahalik sa dad ko bago sya pinatay. Isang regalong hindi binigay sa nanay ko na walang tigil mo ring binabastos,” Kris said. though angry, Kris shared how much love she received from her mom, former Pres. Corazon aquino, despite her shotcomings. “Nangako akong hindi kita papatulan — but this time you crossed the line. You reminded me of how much i hurt my mom nung buntis ako kay josh & na disown ako pero nung 1 month si kuya — naglakas loob akong pumunta sa times Street & once kinarga nya
Philstar.com photos
yung apo nya — sya na yung pinaka nagmahal sa anak kong may autism. Pinaalala mo na nung issue namin ni joey, nung umamin ako sa Std, niyakap lang ako ng nanay ko. Sa lahat ng naging palpak sa buhay ko — yun siguro ang kaibahan namin — WALA KAMING PINAGTAKPAN. Wala kaming ginamit. Inako ko lahat ng mali ko at dahil nga minahal ako ng nanay ko at gusto kong maging mabuting ina — sinisikap kong ayusin ang buhay ko.” a video came with Kris’s caption, and it showed footage and news clippings of Mocha’s alleged attacks on the aquino family. Kris pleaded Mocha to direct tirades against her, not to her family. “Kaya ngayon hihiramin ko ang salita nya: TAMA NA. SOBRA NA... Kung may gusto kang punching bag, please ako na lang. Kasi buhay ako, kaya kitang sagutin. At hindi kita uurungan.”
Now iN full BATTle geAr As proDucer of ‘MArAwi’ Movie & More
piolo pascual answers ‘objectified’ issue
expand and hopefully export our talents abroad in asia primarily, then eventually internationally so that’s why we intend to join a lot of festivals abroad because i believe in our films, i believe we can compete outside the country because we’re world class. So i hope i can be a trailblazer and have an access to the world market,” the actor-producer said. “We have four movies currently in the pipeline. We have ‘Hayup Ka,’ an animated film with ‘Saving Sally’ director avid liongoren, ‘Kuya Wes’ for Cinemalaya starring Ogie alcasid, ‘i’m ellenya l’ with my son iñigo and Maris Racal, and ‘Marawi,’” The actor-producer aims to be a trailblazer for he continued. Filipino films to enter the international market in “Marawi”, Pascual and his team has tapped talents from ka sasagutin ka. Girls do have southern Philippines such as personal preferences so it’s fine writer Zurich Chan from Zambowith me,” he intoned. anga. at 41, Pascual doesn’t show “For ‘Marawi’, we recently signs of slowing down. even had a meeting with [aBS-CBN though he has accomplished president and CeO] Sir Carlo every goal he wanted in life, he Katigbak, then we had another said there’s still so much for him meeting with Kuya Robin [Padilla] to reach. “i try to keep myself young at and our financiers and they’ve my age. actually when i reached done ocular [inspection] already in Marawi. We’ve been talking 40, i thought i was old already, to people for safety and we’re but even my vision hasn’t getting ready to shoot. there’s changed so i am still 20/20. and i seriously feel that i am 28 years already a place allotted where we could shoot anytime soon. old. i am able to enjoy my life We’re just finalizing the casting, now that i am older. i’d like to so hopefully this month or in July say even wiser so i get to enjoy makapag-grind na,” he said. the things that i want in life and Pascual also stressed that i don’t feel old. ang sa akin, they want to concentrate in sellnasa tao yan how do you want ing the film abroad first. in fact, to be perceived. So for me, my one of their co-producers was in bones are intact, my joints are intact, and i enjoy the things that Cannes last month just to present their film and plenty of proi want to do—age is nothing duction outfits expressed interest [but a number] for me,” Pascual in distributing their movie. enthused. “Kaya sinasabi namin sa indeed, a lot of things have Spring Films na huwag kami in store for the actor. He keeps on grinding everyday in the small magpadala sa playdate. that’s the last thing we want because screen for “Since i Found You,” the quality of the film will suf“Home Sweetie Home,” and “aSaP.” aside from all these, his fer if focus is put much on the playdate. So what we’re focusmain goal for now is to become ing on is finish the film then do one of the pillars of producing exhibition probably in toronto quality Filipino films that can be in September or at Sundance distributed outside the country [Film Festival in utah, founded by through his company Spring Hollywood actor Robert Redford] Films Production along with and have a commercial run here director Joyce Bernal. in the country by January,” he “i really want to tap the ended. regional market. i want us to
Jayda Avanzado on her... From Page 5
now. the song is about being ‘ghosted’…it’s a millennial slang for when you think you have a connection with someone and you are left just hanging there. the song is about being reconnected with that someone.” as a millennial, Jayda has had her share of being bashed, especially after she posted her picture with an upcoming handsome singer who is now trying his lucky with a group in the u.S.
“But i just ignored the bashers,” she shrugged. “that’s the best way to treat bashers,?just ignore them!” is she ready for showbiz? “Oh yes, i am!” she said. “Singing has always been my passion.” it’s in the blood after all. “Since she was small, even as a baby,” recalled Jessa, “she has been going with us to our shows in the u.S. (where we lived for a few years) and here. Kaya sanay
na sanay na siya sa showbiz.” So who is she more like, her mom or her dad? “i think i’m a bit of both,” she admitted, looking at her dad and then at her mom. “i think that’s the right answer because they are both here, hehehe!!!” any do’s and don’t’s? “She knows her limitations,” stressed dingdong. “Siempre, no boyfriend-boyfriend yet. She’s too young pa.”
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - June 6, 2018