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August 24-30, 2023
T h e F i l i p i n o A m e r i ca n C o m mu n i t y N e ws pa p e r
Volume 34 - No. 34 • 12 Pages
2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 201 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879
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Marcos: Let’s transcend political barriers DATELINE USA from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
DFA confirms 2 Filipinos killed in Hawaii wildfire, verifying 2 others
by Helen Flores, Mayen Jaymalin Philstar.com
MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. joined Filipinos in commemorating the 40th death anniversary of former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. on Monday, August 21, asking them to tear down political barriers that have rent the country for decades. “I stand united with all Filipinos worldwide in commemorating the Ninoy Aquino Day. By standing MANILA — The Department of Foreign for his beliefs and fighting for battles he deemed Affairs has confirmed that one more Filipino right, he became an example of relentlessness and has been killed from the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, bringing the total number of Filipino fatalities to two. The second reported fatality is Rodolfo Rocutan — a 76 year-old resident of Lahaina, according to DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega. Rocutan renewed his passport at the Philippine consulate in Honolulu in 2022 and is “thus confirmed to have been a Filipino citizen at the time of death,” according to information provided by the Philippine Consulate in Hawaii. Consul General Emilio Fernandez said that the Consulate is verifying reports of two more Filipino nationals who possibly died from the wildfires. “Once again, the Philippine nation expresses its deepest sympathies to the families of all the victims of this tragedy,” Fernandez said.
resolve for many Filipinos,” Marcos, son of the former president who was the senator’s political nemesis, said. “Let us transcend political barriers that hamper us from securing the comprehensive welfare and advancement of our beloved people,” he said, even as progressive groups hit the alleged disinformation spread by the Marcoses and their cronies to deodorize the family’s name. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) president Renato Reyes said Malacañang’s statement lacked historical context.
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Sen. Cortez Masto shows support for Las Vegas AAPI small business leaders by AJPress
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US, PH find ways to boost energy cooperation THE United States and the Philippines have discussed ways to "deepen" their cooperation on energy security, energy access and the clean energy transition, the U.S. Department of State said. It said that the two countries launched on April 17 the inaugural U.S.-Philippines Energy Policy Dialogue (EPD). The EPD aims to advance commitments by the U.S. and the Philippines on energy as agreed upon during Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to the Philippines in November 2022. Laura Lochman, the U.S. State Department's principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources, and Beth Urbanas, the U.S. Department of Energy's deputy assistant secretary for Asia and the Americas, co-led the US delegation. Department of Energy Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Felix William Fuentebella led the Philippines delegation. "Both delegations reviewed the progress of current energy projects in the Philippines and established priorities for future cooperation and technical support," the State Department said.
“(Ninoy’s) death became a symbol of the brutality of the Marcos fascist dictatorship. This fundamental point is lost in the statement from Malacañang today,” Reyes noted. The pursuit of power, unchecked corruption and submission to foreign dictates are the “genuine impediments to development,” far more than mere political disagreements, he explained. Aquino, the deceased Marcos patriarch’s harshest critic, was assassinated on the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport on Aug. 21, 1983 as he
LAW-ABIDING RIDERS. Wearing raincoats and never taking shelter in underpasses or footbridges, motorcycle riders along Tandang Sora, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City carefully tread the wet road caused by a sudden downpour on Thursday, August 24. The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has warned that motorcycles seeking shelter in underpasses, flyovers or Metro Rail Transit stations during heavy rains could face a fine of PHP 1,000 for obstructing traffic. PNA photo by Ben Briones
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) met with over a dozen Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) small business owners and community leaders in Las Vegas to discuss federal resources available to help businesses grow. Cortez Masto's roundtable was held on Friday, August 18 at Taps & Barrels, a new AAPI-owned craft beer taproom owned by Ming Liu, a Las Vegas resident and UNLV College of Hospitality alum, and was attended by AAPI business and professional leaders who represent the fast-growing community. "I'm proud to see the community to grow and I will continue to do everything I can to support our AAPI community at all levels," the senator told the Asian Journal. "My goal is to continue to support and fight for them." She added, "Our community is beautifully diverse and is bringing so much, not just on economic support, but so much rich culture and food." Business owners at the event discussed barriers faced during access to information and opportunity, u PAGE 3
US, Japan, Australia plan joint drills in South China Sea Show of force amid Chinese activities by Rainier Allan Ronda Philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines — The United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill in the South China Sea off the western Philippines this week to underscore their commitment to the rule of law in the region after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters, Filipino security officials said on Sunday, August 20. On Aug. 5, Chinese coast guard ships used water cannons against Philippine
vessels in the contested waterway where disputes have long been regarded as a potential flashpoint and have become a fault line in the rivalry between the US and China in the region. The drill will include three aircraft and helicopter carriers sailing together in a show of force and undertaking joint drills. Their commanders are set to meet with Filipino counterparts in Manila after the offshore drills, two Philippine security officials told The Associated Press. u PAGE 2
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez
Inquirer.net file photo
Continuing tension in WPS Meet Gilas Pilipinas’ Final 12 for Fiba World Cup ‘far more serious’ than we think — PH envoy to US u PAGE 3
by Lance Agcaoili Inquirer.net
Gilas Pilipinas’ Final 12 for the Fiba World Cup.
Inquirer.net photo
MANILA — The new-look Gilas Pilipinas, composed of NBA star Jordan Clarkson and a mix of veterans and the current top players in the country, will have a chance to defend the country’s home court and chase an Olympic dream in the Fiba World Cup 2023. These 12 men and their coaches will represent the country in its historic hosting of the biggest basketball spectacle for the first time in 45 years as the Filipinos try to defy the odds in Group A against the Karl-Anthony Towns-
led Dominican Republic, Angola, and powerhouse Italy. Gilas Pilipinas is not only seeking to reach the next round– which it hasn’t done in the last two World Cup appearances– but also is setting its sights on becoming the best Asian team to book an outright ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Philippines trimmed down its 16-man pool to the Final 12 on Wednesday with Ray Parks Jr., one of the steadiest scorers of Gilas in the past tournaments, Thirdy Ravena, Chris Newsome, and Calvin Oftana not making the cut. u PAGE 3
by Charie Abarca Inquirer.net
MANILA — The continuing tension between China and the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea is far more serious than how people perceive it is, said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez on Tuesday, August 22. Romualdez, in an interview over ANC’s Headstart, said it is time for the Philippines, along
with its allies, to stand against the continuing aggression over the territory. “I think this is the time for us to really be together — all united into pushing back. Because, as I have said, the seriousness of this situation is far more than we think it is,” said Romualdez. “Some people think it’s just politics, [but] it is very serious. We can actually lose the country if we don’t watch it. That’s how serious this thing is. One day we u PAGE 2