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AU GUS T 16-22, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 43 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858
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PH, US to establish, operate P520-million DATELINE USA state-of-art counterterrorism training center New rule change FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
may affect millions of legal residents seeking citizenship or permanent residency
THE Trump administration has focused a lot on actions to curb illegal immigration in the last two years, but new regulation changes released on Monday, August 12 may have a dramatic effect on immigrants seeking legal permanent residency or U.S. citizenship. Set to go into effect in mid-October, the new rule essentially expands who may be considered a “public charge” — a term used since 1996 to describe an individual likely to become “primarily dependent” on the government through public cash assistance or long-term institutionalized care funded by the government. Whether one is a public charge determines whether one can become a legal permanent resident. Through the expanded definition, visa and green card applicants who have accessed benefits like food stamps, housing vouchers, or most forms of Medicaid, may be denied a green card or entry into the U.S. Under the “totality of the circumstances” aspect of the new rule, factors like health, family status, assets, resources and financial sta-
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by CHRISTIA
MARIE RAMOS
Inquirer.net
MANILA — The Philippines and the United States have signed an agreement to establish a P520 million state-of-the-art regional counterterrorism training center
in Cavite. Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde and U.S. Embassy in the Philippines deputy chief of mission John Law signed the memorandum of understanding on Thursday, August 15, to put up and jointly
operate the center. The center, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement, would be constructed on the grounds of the PNP Academy in Silang, Cavite. “The U.S. Department of State has secured Php 520 million ($10 million) in counterterrorism part-
nership funds to establish and jointly operate the center with the PNP,” the embassy said. “Once constructed, the center will provide counterterrorism training for law enforcement units and personnel from the Philippines
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US Homeland Security lifts security alert on NAIA by AJPRESS THE United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rescinded the public notice it issued on the security conditions at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). A news release on Thursday, August 8 said Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan has ordered “effective immediately, rescission of the Public Notice regarding security conditions at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines (MNL) issued in December.” This development comes after the December 27, 2018 notice that alerted travelers that NAIA failed to “adequately implement and maintain international security standards and recommended practices.”
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SENATE HEARING. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, presides over the public hearing on the missing minors who were allegedly recruited by leftist groups, at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, August 14. Dela Rosa said that the Senate investigation was about protecting the basic unit of our society. Inset photo shows PCOO Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy (center) asking the Commission on Higher Education about leftist activities inside the University of the Philippines campus during the hearing. PNA photos by Avito C. Dalan
Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto Robredo keeps options remembered 20 years after killing open for 2022 presidency With race and hate crimes on the rise, Ileto family calls on Asian American inclusion in conversations by
KLARIZE MEDENILLA AJPress
AUGUST 10, 1999 was a hot day. It was a Tuesday, and Filipino American letter carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS) Joseph Ileto — who The Ileto family and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles originally had the day off — was called host a candle-lit vigil in front of the Joseph Ileto mural on Friday, August into work to cover for a fellow mail9. Photo by Fiona Diec/Advancing Justice - Los Angeles man.
by AJPRESS
While on route delivering the mail in Chatsworth, at the nearby North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills, a white supremacist walked into the center’s lobby and fired 70 shots using a semi-automatic weapon, wounding five people including three children. The shooter, Buford O. Furrow of
VICE President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, August 13, said she is keeping her options open regarding the 2022 presidential race. In a Bloomberg article written by Andreo Calozo, Robredo said she was ready for the presidency but would decide
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Vice President Leni Robredo Philstar.com photo
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From the Front Page
PH, US to establish, operate P520...
Philippine National Police Chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde (left) and U.S. Embassy in the Philippines deputy chief of mission John Law (right) shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, August 15 to establish a P520-million state-of-the-art regional counterterrorism training center in Cavite. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila
PAGE 1 and regional partner nations,” its statement further read. According to the embassy, this project comes in response to a request from the PNP for a state of the art facility to provide enhanced regional counterterrorism training. The establishment of this center, the embassy further noted, reflects the “enduring commitment” of the U.S. to support counterterrorism efforts of the Philippines and to work together to address threats to peace and security in the region. n
US Homeland Security lifts security alert...
PAGE 1 Since then, the Philippine government has cooperated to improve the airport’s security operations. “Both the Manila International Airport Authority and the Government of the Philippines civil aviation security authorities have demonstrated they are willing to work toward sustaining those im-
provements,” the DHS said. Thursday’s announcement notes that the U.S. State Department has provided $5 million to help fund airport security improvements through training and technology at the Manila airport. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has provided avia-
tion security advisors to help the Philippine government implement other corrective measures for the airport’s security. “DHS and TSA remain committed to working with the Government of the Philippines to help ensure a strong security posture at MNL and enhance global aviation security,” the release added. n
Eddie Flores, Pat Kwoh, Carmina Ileto, Lilian Ileto, Advancing Justice-LA founder Stewart Kwoh, Deena Ileto, Agustin Herrera and Ismael Ileto attend a commemoration dinner and vigil on Friday, August 9 for the 20th death anniversary of Joseph Ileto, who was killed by a white supremacist while on his postal route on August 10, 1999. Photo by Fiona Diec/Advancing Justice - Los Angeles
Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto remembered... PAGE 1 Lacey, Washington, then fled the scene. He made his way to where Ileto was a few miles away and approached the mailman to ask him to mail a letter for him. As Ileto agreed, Furrow took out a handgun and fatally shot Ileto nine times in a murder that Furrow later confessed was racially-motivated. (He said he thought Ileto was Latino or Asian.) Furrow later turned himself into the FBI in Las Vegas and is serving two life terms plus 110 years without the possibility of parole. The proceeding’s judge told Furrow, “Your actions were a stark and brutal reminder that bigotry is alive, if not well.” The aftermath of the shooting was a wake up call to many state and federal lawmakers and signaled a national push for gun control. Additionally, the shooting prompted the need to combat anti-Semitism and racism. But what gets left out of the narrative is the one casualty of the shooting. At the time of his death, Ileto was 39 years old. He was the eldest son of Lilian Ileto, and while working for the USPS, he was also studying engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. Continuing the conversation And for the last 20 years, the family has sought to cultivate a legacy for their fallen brother to make sure his untimely death didn’t go in vain. The Ileto family has spent the last two decades ensuring that the murder of their son, kuya and tito never be forgotten, building his legacy into something greater than themselves. They’ve attended
marches, spoken at schools, met with numerous advocacy groups and lobbied to lawmakers all in the name of common sense gun control and combating racism. And as the amplification of reactionary rhetoric on race and immigration continues to permeate, the family’s mission to push for the Asian American community to stand up against racism and to be a part of the conversation has never been more relevant. “When my brother was killed, the description of him was just a postal worker, not of his heritage and the main reason he was killed was the color of his skin, and I just thought that was an insult to him as a Filipino American and to our family as Asian Americans and to our whole community,” Ismael “Ish” Ileto, Ileto’s younger brother, told the Asian Journal on Friday, August 9. The younger Ileto and other family members were present at a commemorative dinner for the late postal worker hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, which has provided the Iletos legal and emotional support since 1999. Shortly after Joseph Ileto’s death, the Ileto family attended an event hosted at the Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills for the signing of five new state gun control bills. In attendance of this highly-publicized event were then-Governor Gray Davis, police chiefs from every county in California and numerous state and city officials. State officials talked about what happened and the bills
they’re signing into law and that if these laws had been put in place earlier, it could have made a difference at the North Valley Jewish Center, full stop. Nothing about Ileto, the only casualty in the incident, was mentioned. Not even his name. “We were invited to this event and we had front row seats, and the Jewish American representatives were on the other side of the aisle but they only mentioned what might have happened with the Jewish community center,” Ismael Ileto said. And as the event concluded and people were filing out of the auditorium, Gov. Davis quickly mentioned, “Oh, by the way the Ileto family is here.” And that’s not the first time that’s happened. Ismael Ileto recalled an event at the Museum of Tolerance, a live radiobroadcasted discussion on the Aug. 10 shooting and raciallycharged violence. “I wasn’t up there [on the stage], and it was only the Jewish community representatives. They started talking about the shooting again, and nothing about my brother. And they all know that this is connected to Joseph who was killed by the same guy, yet there was no mention [of Joseph],” Ismael Ileto said. He added, “Here we are and getting killed and harmed and yet the mainstream media is not recognizing who we are. It gave us a feeling of we don’t count. That’s what fuels us to speak out.” But as Filipino Americans, as soon as they began speak-
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Thurman: Nobody wants Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 by Dino
Maragay Philstar.com
remains inactive in boxing since stopping UFC star Conor McGregor in 2017. KEITH Thurman is joining But Thurman said Mayweaththe side of boxing fans who er-Pacquiao 2 will end up with aren’t interested in another fight the same result as the first fight between Manny Pacquiao and — a victory by Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather Jr. “He’s just defensive. He’s Thurman said a rematch gonna put Pac on the offenbetween Pacquiao and Maysive and make him miss. He’s weather will only be a cash grab, gonna make him pay,” added especially with the fact that Thurman. when the two superstars first “I’m just not gonna pick Pacfought in 2015, it became the quiao. Floyd is just smart. Forrichest bout in boxing history ever smart.” “All they talk about is how “I think at the end of the day, nobody wants to see it (Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch),” Thurman continued. Thurman, who gave a good account of himself in his 12round war with Pacquiao, said fans would be better off seeing Pacquiao-Thurman 2 instead. “I can’t say you can’t promote the (Mayweather-Pacquiao 2) fight, but real fight fans know it ain’t gonna be more exciting File photo shows Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao during their fight that than what Keith Thurman did,” took place on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. said Thurman. n Mayweather Jr. won the contest by unanimous decision. Philstar.com photo
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much money they’re going to make. How big the fight is,” the Clearwater, Florida-based fighter recently told TMZ. Thurman, who lost his WBA “super” welterweight belt to Pacquiao via split decision last July 21 in Las Vegas, is positioning himself for another shot at Pacquiao. But the Filipino icon’s camp isn’t keen on giving Thurman a rematch, instead preferring to move on to other fights. That includes another showdown with Mayweather, who
New rule change may affect millions of... PAGE 1 tus, and education are further among the considerations that may deem an individual to be a public charge. Exempt from the change are asylum-seekers and refugees. For supporters, the new rule is a way to modernize the family-based immigration system and save taxpayers billions of dollars. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli said during a White House briefing that the expanded definition would encourage and ensure “self reliance and self sufficiency for those seeking to come to or stay in the United States.” “Our current law, which is generations old, recognizes that some new arrivals to our country need the help of their family and community,” said Cuccinelli. “It requires some of those who seek to live and remain in the United States, to have a sponsor who will be financially responsible for them.” But critics of the expanded definition say that the new rule was made to punish immigrant families and will result in many families having to choose between maintaining immigration status or meeting basic needs like food. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, an affiliation of five civil rights organizations, called the policy racist and said it prioritizes wealthy immigrants. “Public benefits are essential to helping families stay
Dateline USa
healthy and thrive. Weighting the likelihood of future benefit use, along with discriminatory factors such as English proficiency is unjust,” Advancing Justice said in a statement. “The administration has intentionally sought to scare immigrants and their families from using public benefits,” it added. Since the rule change was proposed in October of 2018, over 13% of immigrant adults have reportedly dropped their use of public benefits out of fear of potentially losing their chances at becoming green card status, according to Advancing Justice. Heng Lam Foong, senior policy manager with the Health Access Project at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, told the Asian Journal last October that about 3.8 million Asian American and Pacific Islander immigrants relied on some form of public benefit to make ends meet. Many at the time saw the then-proposed change as a potential public health crisis in that many legal immigrants would similarly find themselves choosing to skip medical appointments in fear that they’d risk endangering their immigration status. “This could affect our most vulnerable residents: the disabled, seniors, and children. Sacrificing care would lead to worsening medical conditions in which patients could end up in emergency rooms or at health care centers that do not
receive federal funds,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis said in a statement on Tuesday. Asked whether the policy unfairly targeted lower-income immigrants, Cuccinelli responded: “We certainly expect people of any income to be able to stand on their own two feet, so if people are not able to be self-sufficient, then this negative factor is going to bear very heavily against them in a decision about whether they’ll be able to become a legal permanent resident.” He then suggested that the “totality of circumstances” test made it so lack of self-sufficiency wasn’t the main deciding factor on whether one would be able to become a legal permanent resident. “A poor person can be prepared to be self-sufficient; many have been, through the history of this country. So let’s not look at that as the be-all and end-all. It’s not the deciding factor, which is why we continue to use the totality of circumstances test,” said Cuccinelli. Legal action is expected, especially by those who see the rule change as discriminatory. Solis said that LA County Counsel is currently analyzing the rule and will be making recommendations to possibly join legal action. “LA County will continue to defend, protect, and fight for its most vulnerable residents,” said Solis. (Rae Ann Varona/ AJPress)
TRIPARTITE AGREEMENT. Officials of the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine SEA Games Organizational Committee Foundation, Inc. (Phisgoc) formally sign tripartite agreement at the PSC Conference Room at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila on Wednesday, August 14. Signed by (seated from left) POC chairman Steve Honteveros, PSC chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez, POC president Abraham Tolentino and and Phisgoc chief executive officer Ramon M. Suzara, the agreement aims provide smooth sailing hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year. PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.
Filipino postal worker Joseph Ileto remembered... PAGE 2 ing out, attending gun control marches and vocalizing the need to end racially-charged violence, the Iletos found themselves in a precarious situation. They soon started receiving hate mail and death threats from white supremacists, causing the family to move homes. For years, they lamented the erasure of the Filipino American and Asian American community when it comes to issues of race and hate crimes, both of which are typically associated with other communities like blacks, Arabs and Latinos. Pushing for Asian American and Filipino American inclusion on these issues has, to this day, been proven to be difficult, but that hasn’t slowed the family down yet. “But then I was told that my skin wasn’t dark enough to know what racism is, but yet we had a white supremacist in our life telling us to go back home because we took up their schools and took up their jobs and we don’t belong here, so it made us want to speak out
more,” Deena Ileto, Ismael’s wife, said. “You know, our families teach us, ‘don’t say anything, don’t speak because we’ll look like troublemakers and they’ll retaliate or do something against us,’ but it made us want to work harder to reach out to the communities and students to build a stronger and safer community for everyone because it’s happening more and more,” she said. The family has bestowed an acronymically-named title for their cause and fight for Joseph Ileto’s legacy: Join Our Struggle, Educate and Prevent Hate, Instill Love, Equality and Tolerance for Others. Ileto’s 20-year anniversary of his death comes a week after a 21-year-old white nationalist targeting Mexicans shot and killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Since Ileto’s tragic murder, there have been countless incidents of gun violence, mass shootings and hate crimes that have propped up, targeting a wide variety of different communities.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2017 a majority of reported hate crimes were motivated by race, ethnicity and ancestry of the targets (58%). And the number of those crimes increased — in 2016, there were 3,489 incidents and in 2017, there were 4,131. Speaking at the dinner, the mother Lilian Ileto shared the lifelong struggle of losing her son and the pain and fear it’s brought to her and the Ileto family. But she also noted the necessity to keeping up the fight against gun violence and hate crimes, and encouraged the Asian American community stand in solidarity with them. “Although our family lost our beloved Joseph to a senseless hate crime, we do not want any other family to suffer a similar loss,” the mother said. “That is why every year, on the anniversary of his death, we speak out to remind the community that we all must work together to overcome prejudice, intolerance and hate.” n
Robredo keeps options open for 2022...
PAGE 1 later on whether to stand as the opposition Liberal Party’s main candidate in elections three years from now, when Filipinos will vote on Duterte’s successor. “If you ask me now, I have no plans, but I am leaving everything open,” she said. “I wouldn’t have ran for the vice presidency if I didn’t feel I was ready for the presidency,” Robredo added. A 54-year old lawyer with an economics degree, Robredo first entered politics as a congresswoman in 2013 — a
year after her husband, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, died in a plane crash. She won the vice presidency with her anti-poverty platform, promising to help those in the fringes of society. She defeated former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. by more than 200,000 votes. In a June interview, Robredo said her top priority is addressing the country’s present problems, not the 2022 presidential elections. However, she did not rule out the possibility of running for president, maintaining
that the presidency is a matter of destiny. “Everything is possible. But it’s not something that is planned, I think it’s destiny,” Robredo said. “The presidential election is still very far. In a year, many things could happen, much more in three years,” she added. At present, Robredo is facing an electoral protest filed by Marcos as well as a sedition complaint filed by the Philippine National PoliceCriminal Investigation and Detection Group. n
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OPINION
FEATURES
Modern slavery IF the government wants evidence of worker abuse, the surveillance video footage provides graphic proof: a Chinese, handcuffed to window grills, managed to loosen the grills from the wall. He slipped out through the opening in what clearly looked like an attempt to escape. But he was still handcuffed to the iron grills. Either he deliberately jumped from the sixth floor, or the weight of the grills sent him plummeting down to the ground. He died hours later in a hospital. Authorities are still investigating who handcuffed Yang Kang to the grills, and the circumstances that brought him to the building in Pamplona, Las Piñas where he was illegally detained. Initial police investigation indicated that the 27-year-old information technology employee wanted to leave his job, but his Chinese employer reportedly demanded that he first pay the money advanced for his recruitment. The Chinese embassy, in a strongly worded statement last week, decried the working environment akin to “modern slavery” under which many of their citizens toil in the Philippines, most of them in the online gaming industry whose principal clients are Chinese. The em-
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bassy said some of the workers have also suffered kidnapping, torture and even murder. Government officials have given assurance that protection will be given to Chinese and other foreigners working in the Philippines. The Chinese reportedly secure tourist visas upon arrival in this country before working for Philippine offshore gaming operations or POGOs. It is not clear if Yang Kang worked for a POGO. Whether he was recruited by a Chinese or Filipino, however, the government must address one point raised by the Chinese embassy in its statement: Chinese laws make it illegal for their citizens to engage in all forms of gambling including online, whether in their country or overseas, and whether as operator, bet caller or player. Under Chinese laws, all Chinese employed in POGO establishments are working illegally. The embassy said Beijing is cracking down not only on gambling, whether at home or offshore, but also on the money laundering that illegal earnings engender. Part of the gambling While protecting all foreigners from “modern earnings, the embassy noted, could be laun- slavery,” the Philippine government also cannot dered through real estate and other assets. afford to be complicit in activities considered to
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
be criminal in another country. The Chinese embassy statement calls for a review of the Philippine policy on POGOs. (Philstar.com)
Trump could heal wounds and win the trust of the American Public charge rule – inhumane for families people after mass shootings — if he would do these things Commentary obsessed with crowd sizes, ratings, getting more publicity mileage than your political foes, and cheap photo-ops like when you used a baby who just lost both his parents in the mass shooting as a prop while you were grinning while showGEL SANTOS-RELOS ing off a thumbs up. You inspired the gunman LISTEN, MR. PRESIDENT. The people of the grieving to massacre the victims in El communities of El Paso, Texas Paso because of your hateful and Dayton, Ohio are speaking rhetoric demonizing immigrants and scaring people of a up. For the first time just listen “Hispanic invasion” and “into their pleas instead of being festation”.
The Fil-Am Perspective
This is not about the issue of illegal immigration anymore. After all, your own wife Melania came to the United States and worked as an undocumented immigrant. After all, her parents were able to obtain their legal papers through what you call as “chain migration” because they happen to be the first lady’s parents and do not qualify under the merit-based policy the Trump administration has been pushing, instead of the family-based petitions. PAGE 10
LUISA BLUE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION NO matter where you came from and the color of your skin, all parents want what is best for their children. Except those, it seems, in the Trump administration. Because they have once again told immigrant families: we don’t want you, don’t try and live the American dream. They have released a new, in-
humane rule that targets people applying to get their green card, or legal permanent. It’s unfortunately just one in a long line of actions the Trump administration has taken to pit working people against each other. What they should be doing is putting families first, helping children develop into healthy adults and making it possible for every single person in this country to obtain healthcare, education and healthy food. NO ONE should be penalized for legally safeguarding their family’s well-being because too many jobs pay poverty wages
making working people rely on anti-hunger, anti-poverty, affordable housing and healthcare in order to thrive. But that’s what this public charge rule does. Last year, the Trump administration received over 200,00 public comments on their proposed rule and of that amount, over 20,000 comments were from the Asian Pacific Islander community, 10% of the public comments submitted, illustrating the importance this rule is to our Asian Pacific Islander communities. If legal challenges are not successful, it PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 16-22, 2019
Dateline PhiliPPines
Filipino workers appeal ATM fee hike Napoles asks Sandiganbayan anew to dismiss plunder case by Gabriel
Pabico Inquirer.net
by aJPress Partido Manggagawa chair rene Magtubo on tuesday, august 13, said workers are appealing to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to suspend the impending increase in fees for transactions conducted through banks’ automated teller machines (atMs). Workers commonly withdraw from atMs since salaries are now received through them. However, long queues at popular banks force depositors to use the atMs of other banks. Currently, interbank fees on atM withdrawals range from P10 to P15. on Monday, august 12, Makati City rep. Luis N. Campos, Jr. noted that atM fees could increase by as much as 50 percent. the hike is expected to be implemented by banks following the lifting of a six-year moratorium on fee increases enforced by BSP. “Charging P15 per withdrawal is already burdensome. doubling the fee would be onerous on workers receiving their wages through payroll atM accounts,” Magtubo pointed out. He also said that the P15 fee is almost 3% of the daily mini-
MaNiLa – Convicted pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has again sought the dismissal of her plunder case before the Sandiganbayan, based on claims that evidence presented was insufficient. according to the 31-page motion submitted to the Fifth division last July 30, Napoles’ Workers commonly withdraw from ATMs since salaries are now received through them. legal counsel rony Garay said However, long queues in popular banks force depositors to use ATMs of other banks. Philstar.com photo that the absence of a specific public official as the main mum wage rate in Metro Ma- charges in excess of the P10 nila, so if the atM fee doubled, to P15 that they are currently it would take away 6 to 8% of collecting per single interbank the minimum wage of workers withdrawal transaction, considering that depositors are merely per withdrawal. “this is highway robbery,” taking money that they lent to the bank,” Pimentel said. Magtubo said. “Besides, banks are already Surigao del Sur rep. Johnny Pimentel, meanwhile, gave extracting way too many subanks a reminder that the cash perfluous fees from deposithey put inside the atMs are tors, including the P300 to actually cash they only bor- P500 monthly charge slapped on accounts falling below the rowed from their depositors. “this is why banks are pay- P10,000 to P25,000 minimum ing interest on deposits,” he monthly average daily balance, not to mention the dormancy said. Pimentel offered his sup- levies on inactive accounts,” Janet Lim Napoles port to calls led by Makati City he added. Pimentel also urged the rep. Luis Campos for a House inquiry into the planned atM House committee on banks and financial intermediaries fee increases. “offhand, we see no justifi- to investigate where the atM cation for banks to impose atM charges go. n
Marcos asks SC to admit evidence on poll fraud by Jomar
canlas ManilaTimes.net
tHE Supreme Court (SC) on tuesday, august 13, was asked by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to set his case for immediate hearing and present his evidence on alleged election fraud committed by the camp of Vice President Maria Leonor robredo in the May 2016 elections. in an extremely urgent motion to set this election protest for preliminary conference dated aug. 9, 2019, Marcos pleaded before the high court, sitting as Presidential Electoral tribunal (PEt), to allow him to receive evidence and proof that election fraud was indeed committed. He filed the motion in view of the termination and completion of revision proceedings in the pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, iloilo and Negros oriental. “With the termination of the revision proceedings in the pilot provinces, the corresponding revision reports relative thereto were likewise submitted before this honorable tribu-
lalu
nal,” he said. “Consequently, the reception of evidence should now proceed in accordance with the relevant provisions of aM 10-429-SC, otherwise known as the ‘2010 PEt rules.’” recently, the electoral tribunal ruled to junk an urgent motion filed by robredo on June 11 to “immediately resolve” all pending cases filed by Marcos regarding his electoral protest in connection with the alleged irregularities during the May 2016 race for vice president. He claimed that her lead widened by more than 15,000 votes after the revision of ballots. Under Marcos’ protest, the first recount covers the three pilot provinces — Camarines Sur, iloilo and Negros oriental — covering a total of 5,418 clustered precincts. the tribunal shall now rule whether to proceed with the recount on a total of 132,446 precincts in 39,221 clustered precincts covering 27 provinces and cities identified in the protest. associate Justice Benjamin
Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ManilaTimes.net photo
Caguioa, an appointee of thenPresident Benigno aquino 3rd, is the ponente of the case who shall recommend to the Supreme Court the actions to be taken regarding Marcos’ protest and robredo’s counterprotest. in his protest, Marcos assailed election results in 39,221 clustered precincts. the former senator, who lost to robredo by 263,473 votes, has accused her of “massive electoral fraud. n
plunderer is tantamount to the case’s dismissal. “all the evidence of the prosecution, taken together as shown herein-above, still fail to identify the main plunderer, an essential element of the crime of plunder as held in the GMa case,” the motion said. Garay was referring to the dismissed plunder case involving former president Gloria Macapagal arroyo, which Sandiganbayan cited in denying Napoles’ previous motion which also sought for the case’s dismissal.
according to the anti-graft court, the main plunderer should be pointed to when the accused are all public officials like in the arroyo case, but no main offender is determined when the case involves private citizens — instead, all accused will be called co-conspirators to the crime. “according to the assailed resolution, the information in the GMa case involves ten (10) public officers where the main plunderer was not identified unlike in the above-entitled case which involves two (2) public officers and 2 private persons wherein the main plunderers are the 2 public officers, accused Jose ‘Jinggoy’ Estrada and accused Pauline therese Mary C. Labayen,” Napoles’ camp insisted. “it is possible for the main plunderer to exist alone without any co-conspirator as stated in the law on Plunder itself, it is never possible for a co-conspirator for Plunder to exist without a main plunderer,” they added.
Inquirer.net photo
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Dateline PhiliPPines
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Palace, DOJ: Up to Ombudsman to investigate Acosta Trump could heal wounds and win the trust...
MANILA — The Palace and the Department of Justice are leaving the investigation into corruption allegations against Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta to the Office of the Ombudsman. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday, August 15, that President Rodrigo Duterte does not interfere with the mandate of constitutional bodies, which include the Office of the Ombudsman. “If there is a case at the ombudsman, then let the ombudsman do its work,” Panelo, who is also the presidential chief legal counsel, said. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Commissioner Greco Belgica of the Presidential AntiCorruption Commission said the body is conducting lifestyle checks on top officials of certain government agencies. “For officials that fall under Salary Grade 26 and up, that will be given to PACC for proper investigation and submission to the President and the ombudsman,” he said. Acosta, in an interview in 2011, said her level is Salary Grade 31. Unnamed PAO lawyers reportedly urged the ombudsman to investigate and suspend Acosta and forensics chief Er-
File photo shows Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta checking the rashes of a 12-year-old girl during a press conference with the alleged victims of Dengvaxia. Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos
win Erfe of scheming to receive extra budget. The lawyers reportedly sought to supplement an earlier filed complaint against Acosta by a certain Wilfredo Garrido Jr. who accused PAO chief of illegally creating its forensic laboratory and manufacturing evidence for a Dengvaxia complaint. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra meanwhile said the DOJ will leave it up to the anti-graft body to look into the anonymous allegations against Acosta. “What I know is that there is already a case filed by a certain Mr. Garrido, against the PAO chief and it’s pending investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman,” Guevarra said. “So this request of some
anonymous PAO lawyers for I think suspension, in the meantime, of the PAO chief, we will leave that to the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added. PAO is an attached agency of the DOJ, but it remains an independent and autonomous office. Panelo also said that it is up to Acosta to leave the office while the investigation is ongoing. The presidential spokesperson said that Duterte continues to trust his officials if there is no probable cause to hold them accountable. Guevarra said that from what he was told, the complaint is already in the preliminary investigation stage. (Kristine Joy Patag with a report from Evelyn Macairan/Philstar.com)
Public charge rule – inhumane for... PAGE 5 will go into effect in October. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has close to 2 million members: hospital workers, public health and community-based clinic workers, long term care workers providing care at home for our seniors, mental health and emergency services, help educate our children from babies to college, just to name a few of the jobs and services SEIU members provide every day. We represent the largest number of Asian Pacific Islander union workers, over 110,000. SEIU is a member of the OneNation AAPI coalition and I serve on the OneNation AAPI Commission. Asian Health Services, is one of the leading AAPI community-based organization and healthcare agency in the nation that is dedicated to providing quality culturally competent healthcare and other services in Alameda County, California and is a leader of the OneNation AAPI Coalition and the employees of Asian Health Services are SEIU members. Manang Femy is a 79-yearold immigrant from the Philippines, a proud U.S. citizen and has been a patient at Asian Health Services for 23 years.
Her son served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years, deployed multiple times, including 3 tours in Iraq and had to leave his family and miss his children’s college graduations in order to serve and protect our Country. Manang Femy continued to work and pay taxes to this Country and raised her family. Upon hearing about the Public Charge rule, she remembered what it was like as a new immigrant, and Manang Femy worried about the patients at Asian Health Services and other immigrant families who work hard everyday, sometimes working two or more jobs to provide for their families. She took action and organized nearly 100 people to submit comments with their concerns on the new Public Charge rule and it was SEIU members working at Asian Health Services who educated her and other patients about the Public Charge rule and its impact on immigrant families. Manang Femy stood up and spoke out for her family and other immigrant families. I am first-generation born to parents who immigrated from the Philippines; my father proudly served in the U.S. Army during WWII and my
mother retired from Bank of America. Both worked very hard to provide for my brothers and me to reach the American dream. I am a former Intensive Care Nurse who worked at San Francisco General Hospital for 9 years and served as president for SEIU Local 400-790 for four years while working for San Francisco General. I also worked at Asian Health Services for three years as their clinical coordinator and helped establish their patient advisory committee. I am now an Executive Vice President of SEIU leading our Union’s Asian Pacific Islander civic engagement and leadership program. As a former RN access to quality culturally competent healthcare will always be close to my heart. Together with SEIU members and community allies, like the OneNation AAPI Coalition, we will continue to be advocates for the communities we serve no matter where they came from and the color of their skin. All we want is what is best for our families. Stand up and speak out! *** Luisa Blue is the executive vice president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
PAGE 5 Listen, President Donald J. Trump, to the people who have lost their parents, children, spouse, friends and neighbors to mass shooting not only in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio but all over the country. Listen to the American people living in fear that their communities may be targeted next by a deranged trigger happy shooter who has a lot of hate in his/her heart, especially those who emulate you and follow your suggestions by virtue of the power of the Office of the President of the United States. I have been listening to many grieving people of El Paso, public officials and politicians and these steps are what they hope you would do to heal wounds, regain their trust and help solve the mass shooting epidemic in the United States: 1. OWN UP to your share of culpability in the mass shooting. Your hateful words and demonization of immigrants have been dividing this nation that is built by immigrants. Your vilification of people of color, with different religions and nations of origin, and asylum seekers running from the violence of their own countries to save their children — they have become vulnerable to the people who listen to you and those who have anti-immigrant sentiments. These shooters do NOT differentiate between documented and undocumented immigrants. They will hurt and kill those who do not look like them, especially true during the rise of violence and hate crimes perpetrated by white nationalists, domestic terrorists and white supremacists. 2. APOLOGIZE to the American people for your words and actions that have betrayed the dignity and honor of the Office of the President and the provisions of the Constitution of the
United States of America that prohibit discrimination. Your hateful and divisive rhetoric does NOT unify or inspire people. On the contrary, they bring out the worst from the American people. After issuing a sincere apology, CHANGE, Mr. President, and live up to the honor and dignity of the office you are holding. Our Founding Fathers stipulated the “The Want, Will, and Hopes of the People” of America in the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Constitution, meanwhile says, as paraphrased: “The Fifth Amendment has an explicit requirement that the Federal Government not deprive individuals of ‘life, liberty, or property,’ without due process of the law and an implicit guarantee that each person receive equal protection of the laws.” “The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly prohibits states from violating an individual’s rights of due process and equal protection. Equal protection limits the State and Federal governments’ power to discriminate in their employment practices by treating employees, former employees, or job applicants unequally because of membership in a group, like a race, religion or sex. Due process protection requires that employees have a fair procedural process before they are terminated if the termination is related to a “liberty,” like the right to free speech, or a property interest.” (FindUSlaw.com) 3. TELL CONGRESS Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
Connell that it is OK to debate and vote on the bipartisan gun control law passed by the House, supported by both Democrats and a few Republicans. This will NOT take away guns from people as the powerful and rich gun lobby group National Rifle Association has been misleading people about using scare tactics. The legislation will just implement a common-sense regulation that will make sure guns will not go to the hands of mentally ill and criminal people, that the purchase, ownership, and continued ownership and use of guns will have to go through a stringent process. Also, assault rifles and high capacity magazines are weapons intended to be used in war zones, not by civilians. Ban these for civilian use. These dangerous and powerful weapons have killed so many people in a few seconds in the mass shootings. We do not need those to fulfill the Second Amendment rights to protect ourselves. It is about time President Trump and the Republicans in Congress serve the interests and well being of the American people they have sworn to serve and protect, and not bow down to the National Rifle Association that has been contributing millions and millions of dollars to their campaigns. Can and will you do this, President Donald Trump, and be a true leader worthy of the honor of the Office of the President of the United States? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos
Napoles asks Sandiganbayan anew to dismiss... PAGE 7 However, Garay says this ruling from the Sandiganbayan has no legal basis. “But with due deference, that conclusion in the assailed Resolution has no basis in law and prevailing jurisprudence because the main plunderer can commit the crime of plunder not only in conspiracy with private persons but also in conspiracy with his or her subordinates as well, like in the GMA case,” the petition noted. Napoles is accused of providing kickbacks to former Senator Jinggoy Estrada in
exchange for the allocation of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to her bogus non-government organizations. The prosecution alleges that Estrada received 40 to 60 percent of the PDAF, or roughly around P55.79 million. Both accused were allowed by the Sandiganbayan to file their demurrers to evidence, but these were also denied by the anti-graft court based on the prosecution’s supposed ability to establish that Napoles and Estrada connived to implement the scheme.
Had the court granted the demurrers, Napoles and Estrada would have been able to seek for the outright dismissal of the cases. Napoles was convicted in a separate P224-million plunder case involving the same scheme, this one supposedly done with Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla. However, the Special First Division acquitted Revilla and instead convicted his aide lawyer Richard Cambe, after the court found no documentary evidence to prove Revilla’s direct participation in the scam. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 16-22, 2019
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Petition denied based on petitioner’s prior fixed marriage Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ MANY people believe that once they obtain a green card through marriage, they are “home free” as far as their legal status is concerned. They are now green card holders. They can get divorced, remarry, file a petition for their new spouse, seek naturalization, etc. Imagine a green card holder’s surprise when USCIS “reopened” his file, dug into his past, and concluded he obtained his green card through a fixed marriage.
This may be a sign of things to come under Trump, where a person’s immigration status and file (whether green card holder or US citizen) could be reopened, re-examined, and revoked. In that case, a Filipino married a U.S. citizen and obtained lawful permanent residence through her petition in 2013. The couple later divorced in 2015, and he married another woman in 2016. He then petitioned his second wife in the F-2A category as the spouse of a lawful permanent resident. Unfortunately, USCIS denied the petition based on the petitioner’s prior “fixed marriage” with his first wife. What was interesting in the denial was USCIS concluded that the petitioner had “sub-
mitted sufficient evidence that established a bona fide relationship” between himself and his new wife. However, the problem was he “did not establish by clear and convincing evidence” that his marriage to his U.S. citizen first wife was bona fide. In other words, even though he had a green card for several years, and, in approving the green card, USCIS was satisfied his first marriage was bona fide, USCIS reopened HIS adjustment case as part of processing his petition for his second wife, and concluded his first marriage was fixed. USCIS noted that “little evidence was submitted to establish the claimed relationship.” In other words, he supposedly did not provide
Fiesta In America 2019 notches another win
FIESTA In America mounted another successful edition on August 10 and 11 at New Jersey’s Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey befitting the indoor event’s milestone 21st anniversary. This year, the biggest expo and cultural show of its kind on the east coast was highlighted by standout performances on the concert stage – from American disco icons to current Philippine teleserye superstars – as well as the expected cornucopia of crowd-pleasers in the Trade Pavilion – from exportgrade products supported by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Region 12, to free franchising and financial workshops. “Despite a competing freeadmission event held only a few miles from our venue on the same day as Fiesta In America, avid and new followers of our event still came in droves,” said Nanding Mendez, the event’s President and CEO. “It only signifies the loyalty of the Fil-Am community whose goodwill was nurtured for more than two decades PAGE 12
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THE THIRD BATCH OF KAPAMILYA WHO CAME TO THE “CITIZEN PINOY” TAPING IN ILLINOIS GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED THIS SUNDAY! Can a mother still use the same petition she filed for her son back in 1992, even if the son did not pursue the case back then because he got married?What is the fastest way for a mother to bring her two aged-out children to the U.S.? What happens if an applicant diligently completed his Employment-Based Visa Application (EB3), only to find out that his lawyer never filed the case? Get answers to these and more on an encore episode of — “Citizen Pinoy,” this Sunday at 6:15 p.m. PST/EST (9:15 p.m. EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers). (Advertising Supplement)
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August 16-22, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERsEY AsIAN JOuRNAL
Petition denied based on...
PAGE 11 sufficient documentation concerning the bona fides of his first marriage. If that were the case, why did USCIS approve the case in the first place? Why was the documentation and evidence sufficient when it was originally submitted, but now, years later, USCIS said it was not? The Denial noted that even though he had submitted evidence/proof of joint documents in connection with his first marriage, including joint tax returns, joint utility bills, joint bank statements, dozens of pictures, etc., this evidence/documentation now did “not reflect an ongoing relationship existed outside of the documentation.” The Decision concluded that because the person did not establish by clear and convincing evidence that he had a bona fide marriage with his first wife, or that he and his first wife shared the emotional, economic or domestic bonds normally associated with marriage, his current petition for his second wife was
being denied. What can also happen is he could now be placed in deportation/removal proceedings, with USCIS attempting to revoke his green card on the basis it was obtained “unlawfully” through a fixed marriage. Given this new era of Trump’s strict immigration enforcement, including going back and reopening a person’s old immigration file, people should consider seeking the advice and representation of attorneys, rather than trying to do it themselves. In the past, it may have been considered a relatively simple case of a spouse petitioning a spouse. Who would have thought, that a person who was already granted a green card because the evidence was sufficient at that time, that USCIS would take a “second look” and determine the previous evidence is now insufficient, and the person (even if now a petitioner) obtained a green card unlawfully, his green card could be revoked and be placed in removal/de-
portation?
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Fiesta In America 2019... PAGE 11 by Fiesta In America, and the potent recall of the event’s brand.” Diversity could well be this year’s theme, as seen in the wide range of products that bore the “Made in the Philippines” label, in the array of investment properties in the Philippines, in the native cuisine selection at the Food Court, and on the concert performers’ marquee. The sheer variety of Trade Pavilion offerings was a revelation in itsef. Dressed in colorful T’boli attire and supported by the Department of Trade and Industry Region 12 led by Regional Director Dorecita Delima, exhibitors from General Santos showcased organic sugar and other consumables from visionary producers such as Chi Farms. Property firms as varied as golf resort purveyor G&W Clubshares and residential property marketer Alveo of AyalaLand pitched the value of investing in Philippine real estate amid a strong local economy. Free workshops on the rapidly growing Filipino franchising industry conducted by Ateneo Graduate School of Business Professor Jonathan Petalver, and on the challenges of estate planning presented by Atty. Carol Tan-
jutco of Eagle Strategies, LLC, offered priceless tips to aspiring Fil-Am entrepreneurs and those concerned about wealth management in middle age. On the performance stage, diversity could not have been more stark as the cultural show line-up ranged from 9-year-old singing prodigy Denise Kara, The Voice 2018 sensation Radha, current OPM hits sang by Philippine TV “soap” superstars JC De Vera and Yam Concepcion, the disco-flavored covers of ABBA Billboard 100 chart-toppers, and an extended play of the double-platinum hit Boogie Oogie Oogie by Janice Marie Johnson (founder, bassist and
lead singer of Grammy-winner A Taste Of Honey). But even the night before (Friday, August 9), the expo and cultural show’s audience turnout was presaged by the People’s Ball, Fiesta In America’s companion event and community tribute gala. Created to summon a coherent civic and cultural vision for the Fil-Am community of the New York-New Jersey area, this year’s People’s Ball was held at the Meadowlands Hilton in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The gala’s much awaited Empowerment Awards were presented to FilAm achievers in various fields of endeavor and expertise:
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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA
Romantic comedies and that thing called love (Part 1 of 2)
“The past is prologue.” —Shakespeare
IF you’re a woman who believes in secret in such things as love-at-first sight and happily-ever-afters, TAKE HEART. Even during this cynical, jaded Age of Information when nothing seems sacred or mysterious any more, there are still countless women (and maybe some men) the world over just like you, who believe in the magic and mystery spun by that ancient, invisible force called LOVE. It is written in our DNA. So don’t fight it. It’s just that modern women (and some men) probably won’t admit being romantic in public, for fear of ridicule. They will say, “Bah, humbug!” with a straight face and then watch every romantic comedy on the sly. That is probably why the Hallmark Channel is at the forefront of this storytelling genre. Some have cheesy, predictable plotlines completed in about an hour and twenty-two minutes viewing time. Women are a captive audience and these women, in turn, drag their partners, more than likely, kicking and screaming because they would rather watch violent movies oozing with blood and gore. Yeah, yeah. Talk about women coming from Venus and men, from Mars. That’s what makes the chemical attraction between straight genders so compelling and fascinating — repelling and binding at the same time. Deep within most women, despite all that they’ve seen and been through, some, despite being scarred beyond belief by past toxic liaisons, if they don’t let bitterness and acrimony permeate their hearts, that thing called LOVE, still rules and does so mightily. Romantic comedies churned out fairly regularly from the Hollywood story factory seem to come from a well-worn template, copyfitted in about 90 minutes of predictability. After a while,
they taste like prepackaged burgers, food enough for the starving romantic soul, but hardly satisfying. After you have seen a few, you can very well interchange the characters and the plots and subplots like pieces of Lego. It’s a formula that keeps on giving: girl meets boy; a delicious attraction sizzles; a situation sets up a series of conflicting, seemingly complicated twists and turns made more tenuous by a third opposing character, just like Bluto, in the Popeye, Olive Oyl triangle. There is always that horrible antagonist that prevents the girl and the guy from coming together. The couple almost gives up trying but then an unexpected twist happens, some deus ex machina, a manipulation by the love god, that resolves the conflict and zaps away all obstacles e.g. a can of spinach that rolls from nowhere, that energizes Popeye to pummel Bluto; guy gets girl or whoever is doing the hot pursuit; and finally, the way is then made clear for the de riguer wedding scene. Sigh. THE END. Disney has pretty much scoured the bottom of the barrel in spinning out modern versions of animated stories from ages past. In medieval times, when marriage, the nunnery or spinsterhood were the choices that were available, most young girls dreamt about that rich, dashing knight riding on a horse, that would slay the dragon, overcome overwhelming forces, sweep them off their feet, ride out into the sunset and live happily ever after. For a few centuries, that was how it was. But we all know, real life tells far different stories. The fairy tales turn out to be more like Gothic novels. Girl and guy don’t always end up
happy. The depressing d’s descend on every life: divorce, deceit, despair, discouragement, disillusionment, darkness and death. And we’re left disappointed. But for all that, hope springs eternal in the human heart and keeps the romcom writers busy. We have this need to believe even if we begin to view with a jaded eye that the concept of happily-everafter is just a myth, long after the harsh facts of reality beat us into submission in a staredown. Slowly, warily, we learn to separate fact from fiction. Our world has changed from the simple to the utterly complicated present times. We now live with ubiquitous social networks available to our fingers where we can engage electronically in our pajamas and unmade beds, engage with one another instead of what used to be face-to-face interpersonal relationships when we need to be right where we need to be to make our case. We facebook and twitter all day long electronically creating, maintaining or killing off disposable internet relationships, that can defy space and time constraints, that can either bloom and thrive or take shallow roots and die in an instant. It doesn’t really matter. The next thing is just a click away. It remains to be seen what will come out of this relatively new phenomenon that is rewriting how this generation and the succeeding ones will find their mates that are right for them. There is no precedent, no formulas, no template, no books to copy from. (To be continued in the next issue…) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com.
Mary Grace Asufrin for Nursing Leadership, Roger Santos for Philanthropy, Alvin and Prima Hower for International Community Service, Dr. Lirio Covey for Autism Advocacy, Eric Bustamante for Banking Management, Roumel Reyes, Achievement in International Chess, and a posthumous
award to Dr. Fely Quines, a former Fiesta In America Hermana Mayor. The expo event is sponsored by AARP, G&W Clubshares, Inc./ PRM Homes & Leisure, Inc., Hackensack Meridian Health, World Remit, Mama Sita’s, LBC, Philippine National Bank, Belmont
Hotels and Resorts, Savoy Hotel, Inquirer.net, Tancinco Law Offices, Asian Journal Publications, and Metrobank. For advanced exhibitor, sponsor and advertiser reservations as well as information about Fiesta In America 2020, please call 212-682-6610 or email info@fiestainamerica.
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Valfrie Tabian Jr. on pursuing passion in LA By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net
FOR an individual to find their calling and be fortunate enough to pursue it as a living doesn’t happen too often. If it eventually does, it would mean the person endured a lot of patience and sacrifice to turn his passion into a viable career. Take for example 26-yearold Los Angeles-based Filipino filmmaker Valfrie Tabian Jr. who left his comfort zone to chase after his dream. Admitting that it has not been a walk in the park, the Tuguegarao native decided to move to Manila to pursue what he always wanted to be — a director. To get a headstart, he studied Filmmaking at De La Salle–College of St. Benilde and there, he got to explore the craft he eventually made a career into. “In college, we started making short films and collaborated with other students in different programs. I was having a lot of fun filming with my classmates, and as I progress, one of my instructors gave
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2019 - 2021 UPAAGLA Executive Officers and Board of Directors at a recent retreat planning event on July 27, 2019
Twenty-six-year-old Los Angeles-based Filipino filmmaker Valfrie Tabian Jr. living out his dream in the U.S. Contributed photo
us a film to watch and write something about it, ‘Cinema Paradiso’ by Italian Filmmaker Guiseppe Tornatore. All I remember writing about it is how simple the cinematography was, yet, it gives justice to the characters and the story. That’s the time when I started to love cinematography and pursue it as a career,” Tabian shared to The Manila Times in an interview. After graduating in 2014,
Tabian worked in a commercial production house as a Creative Associate, where he mainly did editing, before leaving the company to focus on his career as a Director of Photography for a year and a half. Decided to improve his passion even further, Tabian flew to Los Angeles, California campus of the New York Film Academy (NYFA) in mid-2017.
FOR RENT
From left to right, Eric Panuncialman, Natalia Matitu-Mercado, Jackie Rivera, Relson Banas, Joji Bautista, Atty. Mary Lyn Sanga, Gil Guinto, Atty. Lovee Sarenas, Monette Carranceja, Ivy Manalang, Ethel Rubio, Weny Khan, Dr. Lourdes Capulong, Annie Nepomuceno, Gary Paglinawan, Maribel Catala, Michael Melendres
“With the support of my family, they helped me pursue that dream. Because as an artist, you’re always seeking ways of how to improve yourself and your craft, and I took advantage of that here in Los Angeles. Through the guidance of my mentors at NYFA, it helped me set a path that break those barriers and
with constant practice you progress quicker than you realize,” Tabian added. However, things didn’t happen in a blink of an eye for the young cinematographer. After graduating in NYFA, he had a difficult time getting into production houses because of his immigrant status. “It’s very understandable
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because of the possible high cost of the sponsoring company. Perhaps it’s true about they say that, ‘Patience is a virtue” because I just kept myself busy by helping out and doing free projects as a cinematographer, although that helped me grow my network here in LA, it got me to PAGE 15
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people events arts culture entertainment
Handmade, socially responsible products from the Philippines at NY NOW
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BY
MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPRESS
E are world-class and we belong to the world,” said Consul General Claro Cristobal when we spoke with him after he and the economic team from the Philippine Consulate General New York visited around six booths at the NY NOW, the largest US gift and home decor trade show. “What can be most important lesson to learn is that we have what it takes to leapfrog onto the global stage. It only takes ambition. The skill, the talent, the wherewithal, we have that,” he added.
Cristobal, together with Senior Trade Representative Nicanor Bautista, Consul Arman R. Talbo, economic officer, and some staff from the consulate made the rounds and encouraged other retail-
ers and wholesalers to participate in the Manila FAME this coming October 17-19, 2019 and consider buying and distributing Philippine-made and Filipino designed products in the US mainstream market.
Among the booths visited were a mixture of American companies like Kubla and Lily Juliet, importers and distributors of Philippine-made artisan products; Natibo, ATBP and Likha which are Filipino American owned companies which use hand-loomed, handwoven fabrics indigenous to the Benguet Province in the Philippines and natural, eco-friendly materials including natural straw and plant fiber, coco coir, sustainably-sourced shells, and recycled wood, respectively. If there is one thing that these companies’ Philippinemade and Filipino designed products have in common, it is the fact that each product is made with love and a lot of skill and hard work. Just a quick and cursory look would show its beauty but a much closer and detailed look would reveal each item’s unique characteristics. Case in point: the Boracay Bowl, sourced through Lily Juliet, sold at Barney’s for $415 and at Bloomingdale’s for $385. Crafted out of driftwood, it is also described as “handmade by craftsmen, no two pieces are alike” and a “statement-making bowl inspired by texture and patterns of driftwood” that can be used as a centerpiece or decorative fruit bowl. The consulate team ended at Mele+Marie, a Cebu-based company that makes accessories, clutch bags and minaudieres. Melecio Oamil and his wife Rosemarie started their export business company in 1999 and now, almost 20 years later, they have evolved and are on top of their game promoting Filipino craftsmanship and creativity. He is the creative genius in charge of the design while she is the one who takes care of the business and at-
The Boracay Bowl, made in the Philippines using driftwood, on display at Lily Juliet’s booth at NY NOW. The bowl is available for sale at Barney’s and Bloomingdale’s, among other places. Lily Juliet is an importer of products from the Philippines where Joel Levin, its managing director, works with craftsmen to create products from shells and driftwood found in the countryside.
Rosemarie Oamil, the other half of Mele+Marie, at the NY NOW show held at the Javits Convention Center. AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya
Handwoven fabrics from Sagada and the Cordilleras are turned into robes, pillowcases, tote bags, pouches and purses by Paulo Manaid of Natibo ATBP.
Among Likha’s products are coco coir planters, motherof-pearl coasters, wooden jewelry, and hand-woven palm clutches.
tends t r a d e shows such as NY NOW, where she brought their daughter Rome, an up and coming designer herself. The last time they were at NY NOW was in 2017 and the couple decided to return to the trade show this year. Like in the previous years, they were placed under Artisan Resource, a carefully curated pavilion of innovative artisan brands from around the world.
“New York is getting better in terms of business. It is becoming alive again, although we never stopped supplying some of our retailers,” Oamil said, excited that she gets to meet some of their old clients to introduce Harvest, the company’s new collection. Melecio has always been very personal in terms of his design and him being naturally a farmer, he wanted to give tribute to what he is. What you can see in the farms, you can see the luxury versions in PAGE 15
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John Lloyd reportedly got ‘too weird’ for Ellen By Deni Rose M. AfiniDAD-BeRnARDo Philstar.com
ELLEN Adarna has reportedly split up and fallen out of love with partner John Lloyd Cruz because he allegedly became “too weird” for her. According to a report by TV5’s MJ Marfori last Thursday, Ellen allegedly told a friend that she broke up with the actor because she cannot anymore withstand his “weirdness.” The actress has reportedly found the actor too eccentric that she requested a Temporary Protection Order to keep John Lloyd away from her and son Elias Modesto. Reports said the celebrity couple’s relationship has been on the rocks even before Elias’ birthday last month. After their son’s birthday, the
John Lloyd Cruz Photo from Instagram/@ dumpsitegallery
two allegedly agreed to just keep a co-parenting relationship for their son’s sake. In one of his recent Instagram posts, John Lloyd appeared to have posted a photo of Elias and himself seemingly sporting a new haircut. The image, though, shows a man and a baby with their backs turned away from the camera as they viewed an artwork. The post has been cap-
tioned “hbd pox,” and might be referring to his birthday greeting for his son. According to Pilipino Star Ngayon entertainment editor Salve Asis’ “super reliable source,” Ellen just woke up one day realizing that she no longer wants to be with the “One More Chance” star. Ellen was last seen vacationing in Bangkok, Thailand with Elias. She was also with her pal and “Kadenang Ginto” star Beauty Gonzalez and the actress’ daughter, including good friend Vito Selma. John Lloyd, on the other hand, was reportedly in Vietnam while Ellen spent the time away in Thailand. The two have been on showbiz hiatus since 2017 and have not confirmed reports about their relationship and split.
Moira reveals risk of going blind due to nose job gone wrong By niñA V. Guno Inquirer.net
MOIRA Dela Torre opened up on the difficulties she faced after undergoing a nose job gone wrong. The “Tagpuan” singer went through a non-invasive rhinoplasty for her nose about two months after her January wedding to Jason Marvin Hernandez, she revealed in a press conference for her upcoming concert “Braver” as featured in a report by “Umagang Kay Ganda” on Wednesday, August 14. “Well, basically, may nagkamali (someone made a mistake). And my nose went on necrosis. And it was a very simple procedure. It’s non-in-
vasive. But it went wrong,” she said. “Hindi po siya naagapan agad (It was not taken care of) because we had no idea what was happening. I was at high risk of being blind, of aneurysm, of heart attack, and stroke.” The “Idol Philippines” judge said she spent nearly three months recovering at home, and assured that she is doing better. “I’m 85% healed, I feel like I’m 100% healed internally. I feel like this whole season really did make me so much braver.” Despite missing projects while she recovered, Dela Torre said she has forgiven the person and will not file a case. “Napatawad ko na rin naman
Handmade, socially responsible...
Moira Dela Torre Photo from Instagram/@moirarachelle
po (I have forgiven him) and I know that that person didn’t mean to do that. I’ve forgiven that person. That person helped me fix everything.” Dela Torre’s concert “Braver” will take place on Sept. 13 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Valfrie Tabian Jr. on...
PAGE 13 where I am right now,” Tabian enthused. “Los Angeles is a very diverse city, I met people from different countries around the globe. There’s not much difference compared to the industry we have in Manila, it’s very open and what matters the most is the attitude you bring on set and that comes on top of your talent. Focusing on shooting narrative scripts at first to be able to find the right look or style, Tabian eventually had his most successful project as a Directector of Photography for the short film “Benjamin” written and directed by his friend, Ayush Soni. With determination and perseverance, he got selected to multiple festivals in Los
Angeles and in other states. For the said short film, Tabian won an award for Cinematography at the Los Angeles Film Awards. “One of the best feeling or moments I always get is whenever I get to watch a film that I’ve shot as a cinematographer in the big screen. And sharing that moment with the people you worked with is just priceless. Getting this kind of award is a plus,” Tabian told The Manila Times. With the brighter future ahead, Tabian is now working on possibly his first full length film as a cinematographer called “The Cursed.” It will be directed by another good friend of his, Gowtham Namasivayam and will be filmed in Los Angeles in the middle of 2020. He also hopes to do a
Consul General Claro Cristobal, Special Trade Representative Nicanor Bautista and Consul Arman Talbo with Rome Oamil and Rosemarie Oamil of Mele+Marie at NY NOW. AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya
science fiction story or an action film in the future. When asked what is the most important lesson he had to learn so far in his growing career, Tabian shared, “In my opinion, working in either a film or a commercial always come in group, and that group branches out to different departments with department heads to specific jobs and the goal is to execute the director’s vision. And being a team player is a huge factor to a film’s success, getting the right people for the job and the right attitude. “One thing I always tell myself at least, is always be patient and it will always come if you work hard, and if it’s yours then take the opportunity, if not then there’s always a reason for it,” he ended.
PAGE 14 their clutch bags, as elements such as bees and palay grains are incorporated into the handles. The classics are still there, particularly the minaudieres using the iridescent shells, the same material Lily Juliet artisans in Cebu use for their distinct resin shell dishes. Mele+Marie is also expanding its operations in the Philippines and next stop are more trade shows in Dubai and Paris. “We are focusing right now on the five major cities of fashion and since we are a Filipino company, we also have to fortify our presence in Manila, which is why our products are now available at Conrad Hotel and later this year at Shangrila BGC,” Oamil shared. Innovation Showcase Among the plethora of products at NY NOW are world-class Philippine products ranging from high-end wooden bowls, mother of pearl hand bags, t’nalak and abaca clutches, to jewelry boxes and woven baskets. There are also coco coir planters, mother-of-pearl coasters, wooden jewelry, hand-woven palm clutches, tabletops and robes, bags and pillowcases using handloomed, handwoven fabrics from northern Philippines. Competing for space and attention are some small business owners like Paulo Manaid of Natibo, ATBP and Patrick & Nathalie Lim of Likha,
who are among the 2,500 exhibitors from all 50 states and 85 countries and 400 product categories. Manaid uses handwoven fabrics from Sagada and Cordillera for his range of products such as tote bags, pillowcases, pouches and even unisex robes and Yakan designs from Zamboanga for his accessories. “I wanted vibrant colors and for the tote bags, silhouettes, which is good for city life,” he remarked. He began in the industry by selling jewelry and eventually incorporated Filipino handicrafts. He embraced the shift and decided to do more with Filipino textiles and came up with the tote bags, which he said did really well when he sold in different markets in the city such as the Hester Street Fair and other pop up locations. Manaid lamented the fact that based on his experience, older Filipinos in the United States don’t seem to support and appreciate the native weaves and fabrics from the Philippines and the hard work that have been put into it. Traditional weaving in the country, unfortunately, is also fast becoming a lost art. “I realized that when I went around, and saw that most of the skillful weavers are elderly women,” he said. “Tapos parang walang appreciation from Filipinos here, yung mga Fil Ams na lumaki dito looking for their identities, yes, may
appreciation from them.” But that is not stopping him from still using these native, labor-intensive fabrics and working with artisan communities to provide sustainable income for them and hopefully, in the long run, preserve their craft skills. Manaid approached ByHand Consulting and like Likha, he was placed under the Innovation Showcase pavilion in the Handmade Global Design section of NY NOW, along with other US-based global handmade companies new to wholesale market. For Likha, they are back for the third time at NY NOW, and they are thankful because through their exposure at the trade show, they were able to bring their Philippine-made products to almost 100 retail stores across the United States and internationally. Also through ByHand and its Artisan Resource program, international artisan enterprises such as Mele+Marie have been guided to be successful at the trade show and generate sales with US customers. NY NOW, formerly called New York International Gift Fair, is held twice annually in January and August. The show is organized into three collections - Home, Lifestyle and Handmade (including artisan) to help independent and specialty retail buyers, interior designers/firms, distributors, importers and wholesalers find everything they’re looking for.
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August 16-22, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERsEY AsIAN JOuRNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426