090526 - Los Angeles Edition

SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2026

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Volume 37 - No. 36 • 14 Pages

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DATELINE

Deadly floods expose gaps in Philippine flood strategy USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

FBI investigates dark-web trove of U.S., Canadian driver’s-license scans Service claimed more than 153 million license records; authorities have not established the source or number of people affected

Marcos pushes review of decades-old plans as 9.4 million people are affected, infrastructure fails and scrutiny intensifies over flood-control spending by AJPress

MANILA – Weeks of punishing monsoon rains and successive tropical cyclones have forced the Philippines to confront a problem that has persisted despite decades of engineering plans and billions of pesos in public works: how to keep increasingly urbanized communities, major roads and critical infrastructure from repeatedly going under water. About 9.4 million people had been affected by the

latest sequence of severe weather as of Sept. 2, according to the Office of Civil Defense. The agency was verifying reports of 39 deaths, while 20 people were injured and three remained missing. More than 71,000 people were staying in nearly 1,000 evacuation centers. The damage has stretched across homes, farms, schools, highways and bridges and renewed questions about how effectively individual flood-control projects have been coordinated with river-basin, drainage and local development plans.

Court enters not-guilty pleas for Estrada in P573.75million flood-control cases

WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating reports that a dark-web service offered access to a vast collection of U.S. and Canadian driver’s-license scans and other identity documents, raising concerns about identity theft, fraud and the security of information routinely collected for identification checks. The bureau told Reuters on Sept. 2 that it was “looking into the incident” but could not comment further because the investigation was continuing. Federal authorities have not publicly identified the source of the records, explained how they were obtained or determined how many people may have been affected. The investigation followed reporting by cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, who said a service called Nexus claimed to hold u PAGE 5

Federal judge blocks Trump’s renewed bid to restrict birthright citizenship WASHINGTON — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from applying its latest effort to narrow birthright citizenship to a nationwide class of U.S.born children, ruling that the Supreme Court had already established their constitutional right to citizenship. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction Sept. 2 against key provisions of Executive Order 14418, which President Donald Trump signed Aug. 6. The ruling prevents federal agencies from denying or refusing to recognize the citizenship of children covered by an existing class-action lawsuit while the case proceeds. Boardman wrote that the order was “alu PAGE 4

Senator declines to plead as Sandiganbayan moves toward bail hearing by AJPress

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, conducts an aerial inspection of flood-hit areas and damaged bridges in Tarlac following recent typhoons and southwest monsoon. PCO photo

Democrats expand into Republican-leaning districts Prosecutors prepare to close confidentialfund presentation as bank and tax while GOP leaders point to redistricting, resources and incumbency advantages two months before Election Day records open the next phase; separate court issues grave-threats warrant in traditionally Republican territory and GOP by AJPress

WASHINGTON — The battle for control of the U.S. House is widening beyond the relatively small group of districts long expected to decide the majority, as Democrats invest

leaders argue that favorable district lines and campaign resources could help them retain control. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said u PAGE 5

Division recalled the commitment orders that had kept him under hospital detention. Police turned him over to his family after checking for other pending cases or legal grounds that could prevent his release. The Fifth Division, voting 2-1 on Sept. 1, allowed the Office of the Ombudsman to amend the criminal informations and remove Bonoan as an accused in a plunder case and a related u PAGE 4

by AJPress

MANILA — The proposed Pax Silica industrial development in New Clark City remains without a final Philippine-U.S. framework as lawmakers and government agencies examine its environmental, agricultural, legal and infrastructure implications. Among the immediate concerns are the project's potential demands on electricity and water, the status of environmental reviews, possible effects on

by AJPress

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial ended the week with prosecutors narrowing their witness list, reviewing financial records and preparing to close their presentation on alleged confidential-fund misuse. The week centered on Article I, which accuses Duterte of misuse and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million: P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million to the Department of Education while she was agricultural and Indigenous education secretary. Duterte has denied wrongdocommunities, and whether any final agreement with the Unit- ing. The impeachment court has ed States would require Senate made no finding of guilt. Army certifications examined concurrence. On Sept. 1, Army officers ManMalacañang said Sept. 1 that no artificial-intelligence data aros Boransing II and Magtanggol centers are currently proposed Panopio testified about certificainside the Clark Advanced Man- tions DepEd used in responding ufacturing Park, clarifying earli- to Commission on Audit questions er descriptions that had raised involving confidential-fund expenquestions about potentially ditures. The officers said the certifiheavy power and water concations concerned Army Youth sumption. u PAGE 4 Leadership Summits involving

questions remain under review as officials Manuel Bonoan pleads not guilty in separate graft case that remains pending clarify the scope of the New Clark City project

MANILA Former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan was released from police hospital custody Friday, hours before pleading not guilty to a graft charge that remains pending despite his removal from other major cases. Bonoan left the Philippine National Police General Hospital in Camp Crame at about 10:35 a.m. after the Sandiganbayan Fifth

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan entered not-guilty pleas for Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Sept. 3 after he declined to plead during his arraignment on plunder and graft charges tied to alleged kickbacks from infrastructure and flood-control projects. Estrada appeared before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, which is handling one plunder case and one graft case against him. His lawyer, Laurence Arroyo, waived the formal reading of the charges, and Estrada confirmed that he understood the implications of the waiver. Under Rule 116 of the Rules of Court, a not-guilty plea must be entered for an accused who refuses to plead. The Office of the Ombudsman alleges that Estrada received P573.75 million in commissions or kickbacks u PAGE 5

Control of U.S. Congress hangs Sara Duterte trial narrows witness over widening midterm fight list as financial-record phase begins

Senate presses for clarity Ex-public works chief released as Ombudsman on Pax Silica commitments moves to use him as witness Environmental, agricultural and legal by AJPress

The debate is unfolding while the rains continue. PAGASA said the southwest monsoon was still bringing rain to parts of western and central Luzon on Sept. 4, with several major river systems under flood watch. Extraordinary rainfall, widespread damage PAGASA reported that parts of western Luzon received roughly 200 to 400 millimeters of rainfall during a single week in August, comparable to what many locations normally receive over an entire u PAGE 2

DepEd, but did not certify how DepEd’s confidential funds were spent. Boransing said his unit received no DepEd confidential funds. Panopio said he did not know his certification would later be connected to DepEd’s accounting. The parties also stipulated that two other Army officers issued similar certifications and that no DepEd confidential funds were transferred to the military for the youth summits. The officers said the certifications established that the activities took place, not how DepEd spent confidential funds. Poa takes the stand On Sept. 2, former DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson Michael Wesley Poa took the stand as a hostile prosecution witness, a procedural designation allowing leading questions, not a finding of wrongdoing. Poa had signed DepEd responses to COA questions but testified that he had no personal knowledge of how the confidential funds u PAGE 2

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From the Front Page

Sara Duterte trial narrows... PAGE 1 were disbursed. He confirmed that no DepEd confidential funds went to the Armed Forces for the youth summits and said Duterte had not instructed him to obtain the military certifications. Under defense questioning, Poa said he was unaware of any COA move to reverse a notice of credit covering P75 million in DepEd confidential expenditures for the first two quarters of 2023. Prosecutors aim to finish Article I by Sept. 9. Financial-record phase begins Attention is shifting to Article II, which alleges unexplained wealth, incomplete asset disclosures and continued business interests. Prosecutor Terry Ridon said Sept. 3 that prosecutors had received subpoenaed bank and tax records involving Duterte, her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, and companies. Six banks and the Bureau of Internal Revenue submitted records. Their production does not establish the allegations. Prosecutors must still connect the documents to Article II, while Duterte’s lawyers may challenge their interpretation and weight. On Sept. 4, prosecutors said they would no longer call former Duterte security officers Raymund Dante Lachica and Dennis Nolasco, or Ramil Madriaga, who has described himself as a former Duterte aide. House adviser Ace Barbers said testimony already

presented was sufficient for Article I. That is the prosecution’s assessment, not a court finding. The panel is considering whether to skip Article III, which alleges bribery involving DepEd officials, and proceed directly to Article II. No final decision has been announced. Conviction threshold questioned Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said some senator-judges want to revisit Presiding Officer Francis Escudero’s ruling that 16 votes are required for conviction. The impeachment court has not changed the threshold. Separate grave-threats case Also on Sept. 4, a Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for Duterte on three counts of grave threats arising from remarks that also form part of Article IV. The court found probable cause for trial and set bail at P120,000 per count. Duterte confirmed receiving notice of the warrant. Her lawyer said she would pursue legal remedies. Duterte has maintained that her remarks were taken out of context and were not a threat. The separate criminal case is distinct from impeachment, and the warrant is not a finding of guilt. No further impeachment hearings are scheduled this week. Proceedings are scheduled to resume Sept. 7, with prosecutors seeking to complete Article I by Sept. 9. n

Deadly floods expose gaps in Philippine... PAGE 1 month. At its Science Garden station in Quezon City, about a week’s normal August rainfall fell within six hours on Aug. 17. Successive days of rain had already saturated the ground, increasing the likelihood and severity of flooding. Satellite analysis released by the Philippine Space Agency showed flood extents across parts of the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, the Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila. PhilSA used radar imagery and artificial intelligence to map inundated areas despite heavy cloud cover. Central Luzon has borne some of the most visible damage. In Tarlac City, portions of the Aquino and Agana bridges gave way after prolonged rains and powerful river currents. When part of the Agana Bridge collapsed on Aug. 29, an SUV carrying five people plunged into the Tarlac River. One occupant survived; two bodies had been recovered and two people remained missing as of Sept. 4. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later inspected both structures and said the national government would provide about P300 million to Tarlac City for their repair. Flooding also disrupted traffic along the North Luzon Express-

way around San Simon, Pampanga, while communities elsewhere in Pampanga, Bulacan, Pangasinan and Zambales faced persistent inundation, evacuation or damaged access routes. Agriculture losses had reached P3.62 billion by Sept. 3, according to the Department of Agriculture, affecting more than 86,000 farmers and fishers and nearly 75,000 hectares. The Department of Education reported damage in 2,243 schools involving 11,167 classrooms and estimated that P7.78 billion would be needed for clearing, repairs and reconstruction. A master plan, but not just one Standing near the damaged Tarlac bridges on Sept. 2, Marcos shifted the discussion from emergency repair toward longer-term planning. “We already have a master plan. It’s just never been executed,” the President said. The historical record requires a more qualified reading of that assertion. The Philippines has produced multiple flood-management master plans over several decades. Some components were completed, others remain under construction, and still others were delayed, modified or superseded as urban development and engineering requirements changed.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon has acknowledged that the country does not currently operate under one consolidated national flood-control blueprint. DPWH has instead relied substantially on separate plans for the country’s 18 major river basins, together with metropolitan drainage programs and local flood-management projects. Malacañang said the Aquino-era flood-management framework associated with former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson is among the earlier plans Dizon is considering for further study as the department reassesses its current strategy. Earlier plans did produce projects Among the most significant earlier initiatives was the Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan, approved by the NEDA Board in 2012 after the catastrophic flooding associated with Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009. Prepared by the Philippine government with World Bank assistance, the plan envisioned a long-term combination of river improvements, drainage modernization, pumping stations, measures around Laguna de Bay, flood forecasting and institutional reforms. Several components later moved into implementation. The Metro Manila Flood Management Project became one implementing component of that broader plan, with financing from the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Philippine government. Its work has included rehabilitation and construction of pumping stations and improvements along critical waterways. Japan International Cooperation Agency records also show that a Metro Manila flood-control master plan formulated in 1990 became a basis for the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project. The Manggahan Floodway, completed in 1988, had emerged from earlier planning intended to divert Marikina River water toward Laguna de Bay. Subsequent phases have widened and improved channels, strengthened embankments, excavated accumulated sediment and installed or upgraded flood-control structures. That record does not establish that earlier programs were sufficient or effectively implemented in every location. It does establish that describing decades of flood planning as entirely unexecuted would be inaccurate without attribution and qualification. Conflicting counts on river-basin plans The Marcos administration is now emphasizing river-basin planning, which seeks to treat waterways from upstream catchments to downstream communities as interconnected systems rather than as isolated construction sites. But even the government’s latest accounting of those plans is not entirely clear. On Aug. 27, Malacañang said all 18 major river basins had flood-control plans but that 14 were still being updated, with completion expected by 2027. Six days later, the Palace said DPWH already had updated master plans and feasibility studies for 16 of the 18 basins as of May 31. Under the newer timetable, updated plans for the Cagayan and Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay basins are expected to be com-

pleted by the end of 2026. The government has not publicly explained the difference between the two accounts. Metro Manila tests smaller-scale solutions Metro Manila is pursuing another layer of protection through projects designed to capture stormwater before it overwhelms drainage networks. MMDA said a completed feasibility study narrowed 107 possible locations to 39 sites for catchment and nature-based flood-management measures. Five priority projects include locations at Miriam College, Camp Aguinaldo and the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City and at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Rajah Sulayman Park and Remedios Circle in Manila. The Rajah Sulayman and Remedios sites are being treated as one combined project. Depending on the location, proposed measures could include underground cisterns, detention areas and other systems that temporarily store rainwater and release it more gradually. MMDA says the projects are intended to supplement existing pumping stations, drainage networks and river improvements rather than replace them. The agency is targeting June 2027 for completion of the first group if financing proceeds. MMDA has said potential Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank financing of up to $200 million remains subject to final terms and government approvals. Beyond concrete and drainage The latest government response is also extending beyond conventional flood-control structures. Marcos has urged local governments to enforce restrictions against construction in waterways and designated no-build areas and to improve the clearing of drainage channels and proper waste management. In a separate Sept. 3 directive issued after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources reviewed lessons from the Nepal disaster, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna ordered wider use of drones, satellite imagery and near-real-time forest-disturbance monitoring to protect forests and watersheds and identify upstream hazards. DENR has emphasized that flood resilience also depends on conditions upstream, where forests, watersheds and catchments can influence how quickly rainfall moves into rivers and populated areas. The causes of flooding vary by location, however, and cannot be attributed to any single factor. In Tarlac, DPWH was assembling a temporary Bailey bridge at the damaged Agana crossing to restore access while permanent repairs proceed. Flood-control money returns for 2027 The reassessment comes at a sensitive time for public spending. Marcos removed new locally funded flood-control projects from the proposed 2026 budget after allegations of nonexistent, defective and substandard projects triggered investigations and public scrutiny. Continuing obligations and foreign-assisted projects were treated separately. Flood-control funding is now returning in the administration’s proposed 2027 national budget. The Department of Budget and u PAGE 5

LOS ANGELES COUNTY LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN METROPOLITAN TRANSTRANSPORTATION PORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) AUTHORITY (LACMTA) INVITATION FOR BID INVITATION FOR BID LACMTA will receive Bids electronically via email at bids@ metro.net for DR143889 - Hi-Rail Stake Bed Truck. A virtual Pre-Bid conference will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 11:00 a.m. All Bids must be submitted electronically to bids@metro. net via email, on or before 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at which time bids will be opened and publicly read. Bids received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned unopened. Each Bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. DR143889. For a copy of the Proposal/Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Lorretta Norris at norrisl@metro. net. 9/5/26 CNS-4070216# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

LACMTA will receive Bids for DR131468 - Hi-Rail Bucket Trucks (4)via emails to bids@ metro.net. This project is open to all vendors. All Bids must be submitted on forms furnished by LACMTA, and must be submitted electronically via email to bids@metro.net, on or before 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 13, 2026; refer to the IFB document for bid opening information. Bids received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned to the bidder unopened. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https:// business.metro.net or for further information email Gabriel Anaya at AnayaG@ metro.net. 9/5/26 CNS-4075490# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

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Sandiganbayan grants Marcoleta medical furlough as bail hearing opens Comelec official testifies on disputed P75-million funds as court weighs jurisdiction challenge by AJPress

DANGER IN THE AIR. Haze covers the Metro Manila skyline on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, as seen from Antipolo City, Rizal. The Department of Health advises the public to wear face masks and limit outdoor activities as haze from forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia has reached parts of Luzon and the Visayas, carried toward the Philippines by cross-equatorial winds. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

California lawmakers approve tougher penalties for assaults on utility workers by AJPress

CALIFORNIA lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1330, which would increase penalties for assault or battery against utility workers and send the measure to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Authored by Sen. Jesse Arreguín, D-Oakland, the bill would place utility workers among protected service professionals, including peace officers, health care workers, nurses and lifeguards. If signed, violations could carry up to one year

in county jail, a $2,000 fine, or both. Arreguín said the bill responds to attacks on utility workers. In March, PG&E workers in El Dorado County were fired upon while replacing a power pole, injuring one worker and two sheriff’s deputies. In August, a Southern California Edison crew in Mentone was shot at; the suspect later died following a shootout with deputies. Arreguín’s office said at least 450 violent incidents or threats have targeted workers of California’s major utilities since 2024.

MANILA — The Sandiganbayan has granted detained Sen. Rodante Marcoleta a one-day medical furlough as the anti-graft court begins weighing his petition for bail in a plunder case arising from ₱75 million he received from three individuals before the 2025 Senate campaign period. The Third Division allowed Marcoleta to undergo medical examinations at The Medical City in Pasig on Sept. 7. His lawyers cited stage 2 hypertension and an enlarged prostate in seeking the furlough. Government prosecutors opposed the request, saying the medical assessment came from Marcoleta’s personal physician rather than doctors at the New Quezon City Jail, where he is detained. The furlough does not resolve his separate request for release on bail. The ruling came as the court opened hearings on Marcoleta’s bail petition. Under Rule 114 of the Rules of Court, a person charged with an offense punishable by re-

clusion perpetua may be denied bail when the evidence of guilt is strong. Prosecutors bear the burden of meeting that standard. The prosecution’s first witness, Commission on Elections official Victoria Kadeja Besinio, testified that Marcoleta stated in a verified position paper that the ₱75 million was received in his personal capacity before the campaign period, was not restricted to campaign use and became part of his personal funds. Besinio also said Comelec did not determine whether the money should be classified as election contributions or personal funds. The three individuals identified in the proceedings are former lawmaker Michael Defensor and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray. Ombudsman prosecutors allege that the transfers formed part of unlawful benefits received while Marcoleta was serving as a SAGIP party-list representative. Marcoleta and the three other accused have pleaded not guilty. Comelec ended its election-offense investigation in March after finding no other evidence that

Marcoleta committed an election offense, although it also said he had not complied with Section 109 of the Omnibus Election Code. The Ombudsman later filed the plunder case and three cases under Presidential Decree No. 46, which makes it punishable for public officials to receive, and private persons to give or offer, valuable things given by reason of official position. Marcoleta’s lawyers are separately challenging the Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction, arguing that the dispute falls within Comelec’s authority. Prosecutors reject that position. The court has submitted for resolution Marcoleta’s motions to dismiss the case and to withhold a possible 90-day preventive suspension. His counsel also told the court that a petition for certiorari had been filed with the Supreme Court. Marcoleta posted a total of P90,000 bail Thursday in the three P.D. 46 cases, which are pending before the Sandiganbayan’s First, Fourth and Sixth divisions. He remains detained while the Third Division considers his bail petition in the plunder case. n

Legarda’s Senate return uncertain as treatment continues

CHP crime suppression teams Zubiri cites serious lung illness; prolonged absence begins to affect budget work report 15,000 arrests statewide by AJPress

by AJPress

SACRAMENTO — California Highway Patrol Crime Suppression Teams have made 15,197 arrests, recovered 7,042 stolen vehicles and seized 656 illicit firearms since Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the program in 2023. The initiative began in San Francisco before expanding in 2024 to Oakland, San Bernardino and Bakersfield. In August 2025, CHP extended the model to six regions: the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento Valley, Central Valley, Los Angeles, Inland Empire and San Diego. The teams work with local law enforcement on auto theft, violent crime, organized crime, illegal firearms and drug trafficking. Since the statewide expansion, CHP says the teams have made 5,949 arrests, recovered 1,192 stolen vehicles, seized 206 illicit firearms and confiscated 1.7 million grams of illegal drugs, including about 108 kilograms, or 240 pounds, of fentanyl. CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said the strategy combines intelligence-driven enforcement with local partnerships to target emerging crime trends and dangerous offenders. In February, a Crime Suppression Team canine unit in Victorville helped apprehend a suspect wanted in connection with 15 attempted murder cases after receiving a federal alert. The Newsom administration also cited declines since 2024 in homicide, robbery, property crime,

File photo/www.gov.ca.gov

motor vehicle theft and violent crime. California’s homicide rate is 3.5 per 100,000, which the administration said is the lowest since statewide reporting began in 1966. Nearly 400 CHP cadets are expected to graduate in 2026, bringing the total since 2019 to more than 2,900.

Ex-public works chief released as Ombudsman... PAGE 1 graft case involving Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and former Department of Public Works and Highways officials.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (LACMTA) INVITATION FOR BID LACMTA will receive bids for DR140153 - G Line Bus Station Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Replacement electronically via email to bids@metro.net. This project is a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) SetAside contract. To participate in this IFB, bidders must be SBE certified with LACMTA prior to proposal due date. For information on the Set-Aside program, visit: https://business.metro.net/webcenter/portal/VendorPortal/pages_home/ smallbusinesstools/smallbusinessprimeprogram A virtual Pre-Bid conference will be held on Monday, September 14, 2026, 11:00 a.m., via Microsoft Teams. All Bids must be submitted electronically to LACMTA, on or before 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, A virtual Public Bid Opening meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13th, 2026, via Microsoft Teams. Bids received after the above date and time may be rejected and returned unopened. Each bid must be sealed and marked Bid No. DR140153. For a copy of the Proposal/ Bid specification visit our Solicitation Page on our Vendor Portal at https://business.metro.net or for further information email Austin Pope at popeau@metro.net. 9/5/26 CNS-4075067# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

The Ombudsman sought Bonoan’s exclusion after reaching a cooperation agreement with him and has said it intends to use him as a cooperating witness in cases arising from the broader investigation into alleged irregularities in flood-control and other infrastructure projects. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla

Southern California Regional Rail Authority PAUNAWA SA PAMPUBLIKONG PAGDINIG ARROW BUDGET ANG Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) na nagpapatakbo ng Metrolink commuter rail system ay magsasagawa ng isang Pampublikong Pagdinig hinggil sa pagpapatibay ng iminungkahing Arrow budget para sa Fiscal Year FY202627. Ang pagdinig na ito ay nasa agenda para sa Pulong ng Lupon ng SCRRA sa: Setyembre 25, 2026 sa 10:00 a.m. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board Room na nasa: One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor Los Angeles, CA 90012 Ang mga kopya ng mga iminungkahing Arrow budget para sa FY2026-27 ay makukuha para sa pampublikong inspeksyon mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes, mula 8:00 a.m. hanggang 5:00 p.m. sa tanggapan ng SCRRA, 900 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90017 mula Setyembre 1 hanggang Setyembre 25, 2026, at sa elektronikong format sa aming website sa www.metrolinktrains.com 9/5/26 CNS-4073882# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

has said Bonoan’s institutional knowledge could assist prosecutors in establishing how alleged schemes operated. Associate Justice Gener Gito dissented from the Fifth Division ruling, questioning the procedure and arguing that the Ombudsman’s prosecutorial discretion is not absolute. The majority held that determining whom to prosecute and whom to use as a government witness falls within the Ombudsman’s authority. Bonoan, however, remains an accused before the Sandiganbayan Second Division in a separate graft case stemming from prosecutors’ allegation that Estrada received P213.75 million in kickbacks connected to P855 million in Bulacan projects. The court rejected prosecutors’ bid to remove Bonoan in August, ruling that changing the information after Estrada had been arraigned would prejudice Estrada’s rights. Appearing before the Second Division Friday, Bonoan waived the reading of the charge and pleaded not guilty. He had posted P90,000 bail in the case in May. Prosecutors allege that Estrada received about P573.75 million in kickbacks linked to infrastructure allocations in the 2025 national budget. The Fifth Division cases also name former DPWH officials Denryl Caesar Cortuna, Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr., who have entered not guilty pleas before the court. Those allegations have not been proven at trial. Estrada has denied wrongdoing and has said he will pursue legal remedies. Bonoan had been confined at the PNP hospital since June after the court allowed hospital detention because of his medical condition. During Friday’s arraignment, he told the court that he remained on medication. His lawyers have asked the Second Division to reconsider its refusal to remove him from the remaining graft case. Pretrial proceedings began Friday while that request remained unresolved. n

MANILA – Sen. Loren Legarda remains overseas undergoing treatment and further medical tests for what Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri described as a serious lung illness. Her exact location has not been publicly disclosed, and the timing of her return to the Senate remains uncertain as deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget intensify. Zubiri said Legarda wants to return to the Philippines as soon as possible but still has medical tests to complete. He gave no timetable and said her condition requires continuing care. The description came from Zubiri rather than from a medical statement issued by Legarda or her doctors. Legarda’s latest publicly confirmed medical-leave notice covered Aug. 24 to 26 and Sept. 1

to 2, following several earlier absences in August. The prolonged leave is beginning to affect Senate work. Finance Committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito said agencies assigned to Legarda for budget hearings could be redistributed among other vice chairpersons if she remains unavailable. He said Legarda had acknowledged receiving her assignments but had not indicated when she could return. Her office has continued legislative work during her absence. On Sept. 2, it announced that Legarda had filed a bill seeking stronger government monitoring of fuel inventories and prices and the establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve for severe supply disruptions. Her absence comes as the Office of the Ombudsman continues a preliminary investigation involving Legarda, her son Batangas

Rep. Leandro Leviste and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over allegations tied to solar-energy projects. The Ombudsman has ordered Legarda and Leviste to submit counter-affidavits, allowing them to answer the complaints and present evidence. The order is not a finding of wrongdoing, and Legarda has denied the allegations. Leviste’s current whereabouts have not been publicly confirmed. Immigration authorities said he left the Philippines on Aug. 2, while the Ombudsman later said his House travel authority runs from July 26 to Sept. 24 and covers travel to several countries. If Legarda remains unavailable as budget hearings accelerate, the Finance Committee may have to shift some of her assigned agencies to other senators so deliberations can proceed on schedule. n

Federal judge blocks Trump’s renewed bid...

PAGE 1 most certainly unconstitutional” as applied to the class because the Supreme Court ruled June 30 in Trump v. Barbara that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment. Trump’s Aug. 6 order was a narrower successor to the broader directive he issued in January 2025. It sought to withhold federal recognition of citizenship in several circumstances when neither parent is a U.S. citizen, including cases involving certain foreign-government employees, people classified by the administration as “alien enemies,” and alleged fraud or commercial arrangements intended to obtain

U.S. citizenship for a child. The administration argued that the new order fit within recognized exceptions to birthright citizenship and that the challenge was premature because agencies had not completed implementation guidance. Boardman rejected that argument, finding that the executive order itself directed agencies to withhold citizenship documents from specified children. Her injunction is not a final ruling striking down every part of the Aug. 6 policy. It applies to the certified class, leaves one territorial provision untouched and allows agencies to continue preparing implementation guidance. The ruling also does not invalidate a separate Aug. 6 exec-

utive order targeting what the administration calls “birth tourism.” That measure directs the State and Homeland Security departments to tighten scrutiny of nonimmigrant visa applicants believed to be seeking entry primarily to give birth in the United States. The constitutional dispute centers on the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which grants citizenship to people born or naturalized in the United States and “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The Supreme Court’s June ruling reaffirmed that protection for U.S.-born children of undocumented or temporarily present parents, while preserving narrow historical exceptions such as children of accredited foreign diplomats. (AJPress)

Senate presses for clarity on Pax Silica... PAGE 1 BCDA nevertheless estimates that the industrial district, at full development, could require about three gigawatts of electricity and 65 million to 90 million liters of water daily. The agency says it plans to rely on surface-water harvesting, treatment and recycling rather than groundwater. BCDA has also projected $40 billion to $70 billion in potential investment and roughly 130,000 to 190,000 jobs over the project's long-term development. Those figures remain government projections rather than committed investments or guaranteed employment. Environmental review remains incomplete. Environment officials told lawmakers Aug. 26 that no project-specific environmental impact assessment had been processed because regulators had not received a sufficiently defined project description. An environmental compliance certificate exists for BCDA's broader New Clark City development plan, but specific facilities would still be subject to applicable regulatory requirements. Agricultural and land-use questions also remain unresolved. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said Sept. 1 that his department was still assessing possible effects on farming. Two days later, the

Department of Agrarian Reform said it had received no land-conversion application related to the project. Aeta residents in Capas, Tarlac, where New Clark City is located, have raised concerns about possible effects on homes, livelihoods and ancestral claims. BCDA says the proposed site is on government-controlled land designated for development and does not overlap titled ancestral domains. The Senate has begun examining the project. Resolutions filed by Sens. Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros seek inquiries into its environmental, energy and socioeconomic implications. A separate legal debate concerns whether any final Philippine-U.S. agreement must be submitted to the Senate. Retired University of the Philippines Los Baños scientist Teodoro Mendoza argues that an undertaking of this scale should require Senate concurrence. His position remains a legal argument, not an established ruling. The Constitution requires two-thirds Senate concurrence for treaties and international agreements covered by Article VII, Section 21, while Philippine jurisprudence also recognizes executive agreements that may take effect without such concurrence under appropriate legal authority. At an Aug. 14 Senate hearing,

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the document then under review was a discussion paper rather than a formal negotiating instrument. He said the government would not accept provisions inconsistent with Philippine law. Pax Silica is a U.S.-led international initiative aimed at building more secure supply chains for technologies behind semiconductors and artificial intelligence. It links partner countries in areas including critical minerals, chipmaking, advanced manufacturing, energy infrastructure and AI-related hardware. The name combines pax, Latin for peace, with silica, the material from which silicon used in semiconductor chips is derived. The Philippines joined the initiative on April 16 as its 13th signatory. A related plan envisions an approximately 1,620-hectare industrial development within New Clark City, which Philippine officials now describe primarily as an advanced-manufacturing park for semiconductors, electronic components and equipment supporting AI-related industries. BCDA has outlined an initial development of about 500 hectares, with construction previously projected to begin as early as 2028 if planning, agreements and regulatory requirements are completed. n

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AFP says foreign influence campaigns are moving deeper into Philippine political debate by AJPress

HONORING HEROES. The Philippine flag is flown at half-mast to honor fallen heroes at Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026. The last Monday of August is observed annually as National Heroes Day. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

FBI investigates dark-web trove of U.S...

PAGE 1 more than 153 million driver’s-license records from the United States and Canada, along with millions of other identification and travel documents. That figure remains a claim by Nexus and has not been independently verified by the FBI. It also should not be read as a count of 153 million individual victims because one person may have generated more than one scan or record. Krebs said he searched the service for licenses belonging to people who gave him permission and found records for nine of them. Those individuals confirmed circumstances that corresponded with timestamps attached to the images, providing evidence that at least some of the material was authentic. Some records included infrared and ultraviolet images associated with document-au-

thentication procedures. Krebs also reported that the number of driver’s-license records displayed by Nexus increased by nearly 400,000 over about 24 hours, suggesting new material was continuing to enter the database. Krebs’ investigation pointed toward IDScan.net, a New Orleans identity-verification company whose technology is used to scan and authenticate identification documents. He linked timestamps and characteristics of several images to situations in which licenses had been scanned. Reuters, however, said it could not independently establish the source of the data. IDScan.net told Krebs it was investigating. As of Sept. 3, the company had not publicly established whether unauthorized access occurred, which systems or customers may have been involved, or how many people were

affected. The company says its technology performs more than 21 million identity verifications a month at more than 20,000 locations worldwide. For consumers, the concern is that digital copies of a driver’s license can contain a name, address, birth date, photograph and license number that could be used to impersonate someone. The Federal Trade Commission advises people whose driver’s-license information may have been exposed to check and monitor their credit, consider a free credit freeze, and contact their state motor-vehicle agency. Anyone who discovers identity theft can report it through IdentityTheft.gov. Nexus went offline shortly after Krebs published his findings. Its disappearance does not establish that copies of the information were destroyed or are no longer circulating. (AJPress)

Control of U.S. Congress hangs over... PAGE 1 Republicans can expand their majority in the Nov. 3 elections, while Democrats are pointing to national polling and several shifting district ratings as evidence that the political environment has become more favorable to them. Neither outcome is assured. Republicans won 220 House seats in 2024 to Democrats' 215. The composition of the current House has since changed because of vacancies, special elections and California Rep. Kevin Kiley's departure from the Republican Party. The chamber now has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, Kiley as an independent and two vacancies. Kiley continues to affiliate with Republicans for committee purposes. Polling versus the congressional map Recent national surveys have given Democrats an advantage on the generic congressional ballot and shown higher enthusiasm among Democratic voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Aug. 31 placed President Donald Trump's approval rating at 33 percent and found 46 percent of Democrats highly enthusiastic about voting, compared with 31 percent of Republicans. An earlier survey found Democrats leading Republicans 42 percent to 37 percent when voters were asked which party they would support for Congress. Generic-ballot surveys measure the national political environment, however, and do not predict individual House races. District boundaries, candidate quality, turnout and local issues can produce results that differ significantly from national polling. That distinction is particular-

ly important in 2026 because mid-decade redistricting has altered the congressional landscape. Republican-controlled states, including Texas and Missouri, adopted maps that improved GOP prospects in several districts, while Democrats pursued countermeasures elsewhere. Cook Political Report has estimated that the changes could provide Republicans with a net advantage of roughly five seats. Cook nevertheless has described Democrats as favored overall to gain House control while maintaining that Republicans have a viable path to keeping their majority. Democrats test Republican territory The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its offensive battlefield to 58 districts, compared with 35 on its initial target list. The designation does not mean all 58 seats are considered competitive by independent analysts. Republicans are also targeting Democratic-held districts, with the National Republican Congressional Committee identifying 36 seats as offensive opportunities. Among the more difficult districts Democrats are now contesting are Nebraska's 1st, Kentucky's 6th, Nevada's 2nd, South Carolina's 1st and Texas' newly drawn 35th. Several have historically favored Republicans. In Nevada's 2nd District, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Republican David Flippo are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Mark Amodei. Kentucky's 6th is open because Republican Rep. Andy

Barr is running for the Senate, while South Carolina's 1st is also an open-seat contest. In Texas' redrawn 35th District, Democrat Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff's deputy, faces Republican Carlos De La Cruz. The district was reconfigured into territory that Donald Trump would have carried by about 10 percentage points in 2024. Independent analysts still rate these races as Republican-leaning rather than toss-ups, although some have moved toward greater competitiveness. Cook's latest ratings identify 21 House contests as toss-ups. Inside Elections has projected Democratic gains of between two and 10 seats, a range broad enough to encompass either a Republican hold or a Democratic takeover. Both parties remain well funded Federal Election Commission filings through July show the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had raised about $210 million during the election cycle, compared with roughly $208 million for the Republican committee. Republicans, however, entered August with more cash on hand, approximately $92 million compared with about $80 million for Democrats. Both parties are expanding field operations and directing resources toward districts where late movement could determine control of the chamber. With the majority threshold at 218 seats, even small shifts in a handful of districts could decide which party controls the House when the next Congress convenes in January. n

Deadly floods expose gaps in Philippine... PAGE 2 Management says P107.4 billion has been proposed for flood-control work, including maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, improvement and continuing projects. About P19.6 billion of the proposed amount is for capital spending on ongoing foreign-assisted flood-control projects. A separate P3.41 billion is proposed for MMDA’s flood-control program, including operation and maintenance of pumping stations and related facilities. DBM says projects submitted for 2027 underwent tighter scrutiny, including requirements for clearly identified locations and supporting programs of work before inclusion in the National Expenditure Program. One continuing project illustrates the connection between older planning and new spending. The proposed DPWH budget includes P8.54 billion for the Japan-assisted Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project Phase IV, part of the decades-long effort to increase river capacity and reduce overflow risks in Metro Manila. Audits deepen scrutiny The renewed spending proposal comes while investigators and auditors continue examining ear-

lier flood-control projects. Commission on Audit Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba told senators Thursday that COA had completed 50 fraud audit reports and submitted them to the Office of the Ombudsman. A fraud audit is an investigative audit process and is not itself a finding of criminal guilt. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told lawmakers that 31 flood-control cases had been filed in the Sandiganbayan and four in regional trial courts, with another 166 matters under preliminary investigation. The proceedings involve allegations and audit findings at different stages of review. They do not by themselves establish criminal guilt, which must be determined through the appropriate judicial process. Cordoba also told the Senate that about P98 billion, or roughly 18 percent of the value of DPWH flood-control projects from 2022 through 2025, had gone to Bulacan, one of the areas receiving particular attention in COA’s audit work. The scrutiny is increasing pressure on agencies to demonstrate that projects correspond to identified flood risks and fit broader drainage and river-basin systems.

The next decisions The government now faces two deadlines that will shape the next phase of flood policy. Under the Palace’s latest timetable, DPWH is expected to finish the remaining Cagayan and Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay river-basin updates by the end of the year. Congress, meanwhile, must decide which flood-control projects survive deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget and what safeguards will govern their funding. Those decisions are being made while many communities are still recovering. As of Sept. 4, PAGASA continued to forecast monsoon rains over Zambales and Bataan and rain over parts of Metro Manila and Central Luzon. Its flood monitoring system placed the Pampanga and Agno river basins and the NCR/Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay system under flood watch. The immediate task is recovery. The longer-term test is whether decades of separate plans, projects and appropriations can be brought into a flood-management system that is coordinated across river basins, grounded in current risk data and capable of protecting communities before the next major round of flooding. n

MANILA — Philippine security officials are warning that suspected foreign influence operations are becoming harder to distinguish from ordinary domestic political debate as online campaigns increasingly use Filipino language, local controversies and familiar partisan arguments. Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson on West Philippine Sea matters, said the military has observed what it calls a more “street-level” form of foreign malign influence. The term refers to localized messaging, not the physical deployment of foreign operatives. According to Trinidad, campaigns that once focused heavily on maritime disputes and overtly pro-China narratives are increasingly attaching themselves to divisive Philippine issues, including Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, flood-control controversies and the May law-enforcement operation at Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. in

Misamis Oriental. The AFP has not publicly released the full technical evidence behind its latest attribution. Its findings therefore remain an official national-security assessment, not independent proof that every account or narrative it has identified is controlled by Beijing. China has repeatedly denied interfering in Philippine internal affairs and has disputed Philippine allegations connected with the Sanjia Steel case. Independent research, however, has documented organized China-linked influence activity in Philippine political discourse. A Reuters investigation in 2025 reported that Manila-based InfinitUs Marketing Solutions operated fake social-media accounts as part of an embassy-funded campaign, based on company records, account analysis and interviews. InfinitUs denied involvement in illicit digital activity, while China’s Foreign Ministry denied interference. In June, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab identified a Chinese Spamou-

Court enters not-guilty pleas... PAGE 1 connected with projects under the 2025 national budget. According to the prosecution’s Information, the amount includes P360 million linked to projects in the National Capital Region and Occidental Mindoro and P213.75 million tied to projects I n Bulacan. The allegations have not been proved at trial. Estrada has denied wrongdoing and challenged the prosecution’s case. The prosecution bears the burden of proving the charges beyond reasonable doubt at trial. In a separate Sept. 3 ruling, the Fifth Division refused to reverse its earlier decision declining to immediately fix bail in the plunder case. The court said a hearing must first determine whether the evidence of guilt is strong. Estrada’s petition for bail remains pending. The court said Estrada’s position, history of complying with travel restrictions and arguments that he posed no flight risk could not replace the required evidentiary determination.

The court set a preliminary conference for Sept. 11 for the marking of evidence. It also gave Estrada’s lawyers 10 days to explain why he should not be preventively suspended in the Fifth Division cases, with prosecutors given five days to respond. Estrada has been detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas since surrendering June 1 after the court issued an arrest warrant in the plunder case. The Sandiganbayan Second Division ordered him preventively suspended for 90 days in June in another graft case tied to alleged Bulacan transactions. Three former Department of Public Works and Highways officials, Manny Bulusan, Arturo Gonzales Jr. and Denryl Caesar Cortuna, earlier entered notguilty pleas in the Fifth Division cases. Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan was removed as an accused in those proceedings after the Ombudsman sought his exclusion for use as a government witness in flood-control cases. n

flage network using inauthentic Facebook accounts to promote anti-Marcos messages and material favorable to Duterte. The Philippine government has expanded its response. In April, the National Bureau of Investigation created a specialized unit covering disinformation, cyber manipulation and covert foreign interference. A month earlier, the National Security Council said authorities had uncovered China-linked espionage and foreign-directed malign activities involving Filipino nationals. During an August budget hearing, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said some elected officials might be receiving Chinese support to advance pro-Beijing narratives, but acknowledged that credible evidence was difficult to establish. No elected official was identified, and Malacañang said any such allegation would require thorough investigation. n

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY RFP NO. SP665-27 PROCUREMENT & CONTRACTING PROCEDURES MANUAL REVIEW SCRRA seeks a qualified Procurement Compliance Consultant to renew its Procurement & Contracting Procedures Manual to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements; alignment with best practices; and removal of unnecessary or duplicative provisions while maintaining audit defensibility. Proposal documents may be downloaded at SCRRA's website at http://www.metrolinktrains. com/contracts. Proposals are due on 10/15/26. For further information contact: Tammi Phillips, Sr. Contract and Compliance Administrator, at PhillipsT@scrra.net. 9/5/26 CNS-4073569# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

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Opinion

Features

SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2026 • ASIAN JOURNAL

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The Philippines must rethink what it means to grow old Part 1 of 2 : Work, dignity and the rights of older Filipinos

THE Philippines is entering a demographic transition that requires a broader understanding of what senior-citizen policy should accomplish. The Philippine Statistics Authority counted 11.42 million people age 60 and older in the 2024 census, representing 10.2 percent of the household population. In 2020, there were 9.22 million, or 8.5 percent. Congress is confronting two immediate consequences of that shift. One is whether to broaden social pension coverage. The other is how to build a health system better equipped for an aging population. More than one million signatures supporting a universal social pension were formally turned over to House leaders in May. The existing Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens remains targeted: Republic Act No. 11916 provides qualified indigent seniors at least ₱1,000 a month. The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that 4,112,895 indigent senior citizens received the benefit in 2025. Proposals for universal coverage remain before Congress.

The proposed Philippine Geriatric Center Act is further along. The Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1509, but differences with the House version still must be reconciled through the bicameral process. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. identified a national geriatric health center as a priority when he called Congress into special session in June. Pensions and geriatric care are essential, but they should not define the entire national response to aging. A serious policy for older Filipinos must also address dignity, independence and equal opportunity. That includes the right to work. The same Congress considering how to provide greater security to older Filipinos is also considering measures to expand employment opportunities for senior citizens. On Aug. 11, the House Committee on Senior Citizens acted on a consolidated proposal seeking additional employment

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

opportunities for older workers and greater incentives for private employers. Yet the Philippines does not have to begin by writing a new prohibition against age discrimination. It enacted one a decade ago. Republic Act No. 10911, the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, declares that employment should be based on abilities, knowledge,

Judicial firepower

The Long View Manuel L. Quezon III I HAVE become convinced that among the many defects of our rulers is the absence of imagination. I am referring to a specific kind of affliction, the inability to view one’s institution and its place among other institutions, from a perspective broad enough to include the past, and wide enough to consider the reasons for the institution’s being, besides what it actually does. A case in point is what might seem a minor decision by the House some years back to ape the executive by having people in marching band uniforms serve as a kind of interior ceremonial guard in the premises during one State of the Nation Address. I remarked to a then-legislator that this contravened the deepest-held principles of parliaments, going back to the socalled Mother of Parliaments, the House of Commons, which jealously guarded its prerogatives to be free from physical intimidation ever since King Charles I tried to arrest some MPs, helping to ignite the English Civil War. It is symbolically respected by the executive in our case, with military honors being rendered by

Undercurrent

Eleanor Pinugu A young actress recently drew heavy criticism after videos of her relief efforts circulated online. In one clip, she was filmed distributing aid while standing in floodwater, despite what appeared to be a dry road nearby. Many accused her of staging the scene and unnecessarily exposing the aid recipients to the risk of getting leptospirosis. The backlash was amplified by the fact that the actress was also criticized just a few weeks back for promoting online gaming by giving away free iPhones. Some commenters speculated that her Pampanga relief effort was simply a PR stunt to rehabilitate her image. The actress later explained that their truck had broken down in the flooded area and that residents began lining up before they could move. Whatever one makes of the incident, the

the military to the president, outside the Batasan, since soldiers, however high their rank, can only enter upon invitation. The legislator’s eyes glazed over, of course, and I recall some sort of nonsensical but expected rejoinder to the effect that we’re not British, which is beside the point. I was reminded of this narrow-minded lack of imagination upon seeing that Congress had enacted the law, the President had signed it, and the Supreme Court even issued implementing rules and regulations (IRRs), establishing judicial marshals. We are, perhaps, more familiar with court sheriffs who have existed since the American colonial era: they execute writs, serve processes, and implement judgments. They operate under judicial control and are authorized to use reasonable force and can request police assistance but have never been, and are not, a dedicated, armed, law-enforcement service. On April 8, 2022, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11691, creating judicial marshals; on Aug. 20, 2024, the Supreme Court approved the IRRs for the law, which came into effect on Dec. 11 of that year. The law itself had first been proposed by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to address killings not just of lawyers but of judges.

Babe’s Eye View What’s interesting—and trou-

bling—is both the logic and the provisions of the law. The logic of the law is supposedly to assert judicial independence and achieve security for the courts. The assassination of judges and court personnel, the sponsors of the law argued, was continuing unabated and, worse, remained unsolved. To continue to depend on the Philippine National Police, the proponents further argued, would keep the judiciary vulnerable to violence and political pressure. Since the Constitution granted administrative supervision over all courts to the Supreme Court, it seemed logical for Congress to create an organic security force under the supervision and control of the Supremes, who would be freed of having to rely on another branch for their own safety. Judicial marshals would thus provide armed security, undertake threat investigations, and render limited assistance to court processes. Sheriffs would continue to execute civil judgments and processes. Here, our lawmakers deviated from what had, from the start, been the model for the proposed marshals in the first place: the system of United States Marshals. That system retains the entire chain of command for the marshal service in the executive u PAGE 8

‘Ayuda’ for content controversy does raise a larger question about the ethical concerns that come with documenting charitable work and turning someone else’s hardship into a content opportunity. The term “poverty porn” was largely used to criticize humanitarian campaigns that feature distressing pictures of malnourished children. While the shocking impact of these photos could be quite effective for eliciting reactions and getting donations, this approach is considered unethical in the development sector because it commodifies a person’s suffering by using exploitative images of their most vulnerable moments. In the social media age, poverty porn has also been used to describe the way some politicians, content creators, and even ordinary individuals use the images and narratives of impoverished and disadvantaged individuals as a backdrop for online posts aimed at generating engagement and strengthening their personal brand. Is it really so bad, though? If

people are getting help in the process, shouldn’t we just see it as a win-win situation? First, it is important to clarify that filming and documenting charitable work is not inherently wrong. Storytelling is not just valuable for fundraising; it is also important for transparency and accountability. Having well-documented impact reports can ensure donors know where their assistance went, raise awareness about the cause, and encourage more people to give. The problem with poverty porn is that the beneficiaries’ suffering becomes part of the product. These posts often employ narratives that reduce beneficiaries to passive, helpless, or “kawawa” recipients. Their circumstances are sensationalized while the person providing the assistance becomes the protagonist and is portrayed as a compassionate, heroic savior. Research suggests that poverty porn can also negatively influence how we perceive people experiencing poverty. An u PAGE 8

Babe Romualdez THE horrific videos from the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet were harrowing. A wall of ice, mud and rock came crashing into a mountain river, unleashing a flash flood that swallowed homes, roads, bridges and communities. Hundreds have been reported dead, with many more missing as rescuers confront broken roads, unstable slopes and the threat of further flooding. For Filipinos, the disaster should not be treated as a distant tragedy in a faraway mountain range – it is a warning. Scientists are still examining the precise chain of events. Early assessments indicate a massive ice-and-rock avalanche collapsing into a river, generating the destructive surge. Experts have cautioned against attributing any single disaster solely to climate change but aver that rising temperatures are destabilizing high-mountain environments. Glaciers are retreating, freezeand-thaw patterns are changing and slopes once held together by ice are becoming more vulnera-

Sketches

Ana Marie Pamintuan CALL it divine intervention. This is how Sen. Panfilo Lacson sees the heavy rainfall and catastrophic floods that continue to inundate Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon. The disaster, Lacson said, has rekindled public outrage over the flood control corruption scandal. He hopes that the outrage will be sustained. Unlike in the 2025 wet season, today’s public anger is worsened by the thought that a year since the “mahiya naman kayo” anti-corruption crackdown was launched and the government promised to fix defective flood control infrastructure, there’s not a lot to show for the promises. Worse, flood control projects aren’t the only ones turning out to be defective. Over the weekend, two concrete bridges collapsed one after the other, forcing a long detour to enter Tarlac City. Public works officials said sup-

skills and qualifications rather than age. Except where a lawful exception applies, employers may not publish job advertisements containing age preferences or limitations, require applicants to declare their age or birth date during the application process, reject applicants because of age, deny promotion or training on that basis, or force workers out simply because they have grown u PAGE 7

Himalayan landslide can very well happen to us ble. The Philippines has no Himalayan glaciers, but the basic lesson applies directly to us: when extreme weather meets weakened terrain, the result can be catastrophic. Our country is one of the most disaster-prone in the world. An average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year. PAGASA’s latest climate projections indicate heavy daily rainfall becoming more frequent, with extreme rainfall increasing in parts of Luzon and the Visayas. We don’t have to imagine what rain-induced landslides and flash floods look like. We have witnessed them in Leyte, Benguet, Cebu, Davao de Oro and many other provinces. But too often, we describe these events as natural disasters when it is human actions that have made them deadlier. Illegal logging strips mountains of roots that help hold soil together and absorb rainfall. Kaingin and uncontrolled land conversion expose slopes to erosion. Mining and quarrying can destabilize terrain when laws, engineering standards and en-

vironmental safeguards are ignored. Roads and settlements are built in areas classified by geohazard maps as highly susceptible. Rivers are narrowed or clogged, while watersheds lose their capacity to slow and store water. Then the rains come – and government officials act surprised. The connection is not complicated. Forests cannot prevent every landslide, especially those driven by earthquakes or immense geological forces. Neither can every flood be blamed on logging or mining. Healthy forests and watersheds are among our strongest natural defenses. When they are destroyed, rain runs off faster, soil erodes more easily, rivers fill with sediment and communities downstream face greater danger. A DENR-supported assessment of the Laguna de Bay basin, for example, warned that rapid deforestation in the watershed is causing soil erosion and sedimentation, reducing the lake’s storage capacity and increasing flood risk for Metro Manila. This is precisely why environmental protection is not an u PAGE 8

Dangerous ‘resilience’ porting pillars of the Aquino and Agana bridges gave way from the force of the Tarlac River current. But the 25-year-old Aquino Bridge was reportedly retrofitted only three years ago. A portion of the Tarlac River Dike that was finished only last February also collapsed. The Department of Public Works and Highways has just failed a test of the “new normal” following the appearance of potholes in the newly rehabilitated EDSA after just a few days of heavy rain. In fact there are whispers about a new bagman emerging in the DPWH. * * * The promise of putting behind bars the big fish in the flood control and budgeting anomalies also faltered way back in Christmas 2025. We’re now into the “ber” months of 2026, and two incumbent senators plus Curlee and Sarah Discaya are in jail. But people are focused on the TOTGA – the ones that look like they’ll get away – led by the perceived whales in the ocean of corruption, former House appropriations committee chair Zaldy

Co and former speaker Martin Romualdez. An intriguing pattern has emerged, of people popping up to hurl damning stories against Romualdez, and then disappearing. Upon resurfacing, they recant their statements. Romualdez’s camp maintains that he has nothing to do with the recantations. Former senator Bong Revilla, a veteran of plunder indictments, is suspected to be already one step closer to TOTGA status after he was granted bail by the Sandiganbayan based on insufficiency of evidence. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla lamented the propensity of the courts to grant bail even for normally non-bailable offenses such as plunder and malversation of public funds, not only to those undergoing trial, but even to those already convicted but awaiting final judgment on their appeals. Apart from Revilla, another example is former police senior superintendent Rafael Dumlao III, who was allowed to post bail by Angeles City Regional Trial Court u PAGE 8

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Von Hernandez THE rains came not as a warning but as a verdict–a verdict that our government is failing to do what is necessary to prepare our nation for the catastrophic impacts of a changing climate. Over the past week, a series of typhoons, supercharged by the southwest monsoon, dumped torrents upon our islands and submerged our cities in trash-laden floodwaters. With over half a million people displaced and damages to agriculture and property already estimated to run in the billions, this is not a freak weather occurrence. It is a portent of things to come. Filipino commuters wading through waist-deep floods every time the skies open has now become a routine urban inconvenience, even in the nation’s premier metropolitan centers. But we shouldn’t accept this as our new “normal”—unless we want to admit that the gold standard of Filipino resilience is simply learning how to swim to work. We cannot allow ourselves to be conditioned into accepting the soggy consequences of corruption and incompetence that have brought the nation to this sorry and sordid state of affairs. Now, weather agencies are monitoring the specter of a “Super El Niño” in late 2026—one that climate models warn could rank among the strongest and most destructive on record. If our recent monsoon flooding is what a “normal” season does, imagine the sheer catastrophe when typhoons are fueled by a monstrous, record-breaking climate anomaly. Recalling our tragic and unforgettable experience with Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), we know exactly what happens when systemic unpreparedness meets extreme weather: coast-

Protecting what protects us al communities become ground zero for absolute devastation. While leaders pump billions into questionable flood control Band-Aids that wash away with the first drizzle, the country is left completely exposed to the impending climate hammer. Yet, even as the waters rise, the national conversation remains fixated on concrete and steel—the same materials compromised by decades of greed. To be clear, flood control infrastructure like dikes, seawalls, and pumping stations is essential. But these projects must be built with both structural and institutional integrity, insulated from the rot that has plagued this sector for too long Here is what baffles the mind: while the government frantically tries to reengineer its way out of this self-inflicted crisis, with the deployment of new multibillion flood control projects, it completely ignores a solution so obvious, cost effective, and immune to embezzlement that it should have been prioritized decades ago. Mangroves. Scientific studies confirm that a coastal greenbelt just a hundred meters wide can slash wave energy by three quarters. That is not environmental hyperbole—it is engineering fact. Mangroves absorb the fury of storm surges, serve as nurseries for the fish that our coastal communities depend on, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere at rates that dwarf tropical forests. Every year, they grow stronger. Every storm, they stand firmer. Unlike concrete that cracks or the projects that never materialize, mangroves do not vanish into the pockets of the corrupt. They ask only for space and protection. This is the ultimate low-hanging fruit of Philippine climate adaptation. It costs a fraction of a mega infrastructure project, while delivering immediate returns in storm protection, food security, and local livelihoods. It provides vulnerable communities the physical buffer they

desperately need while we work to purge the deeper rot in our infrastructure sector. Protecting and restoring the country’s remaining 300,000 hectares of mangroves is not an alternative to flood control—it is the very foundation upon which any sensible disaster resilient strategy must be built. The Iloilo City government recently demonstrated the way forward, passing a landmark ordinance that establishes a 100-meter “no-build” coastal greenbelt zone, and a total ban on reclamation. Across the country, 127 local governments have enacted similar measures, proving that coastal greenbelts are sound environmental policy and practical governance. But local action can only go so far. Without a national law, these gains remain fragile. Enacting a National Coastal Greenbelt Act is no longer optional—it is a matter of absolute survival. The Marcos administration should have certified this as urgent upon taking office years ago. The storms will come and the floodwaters will rise again. Mangroves are here, now, ready to shield us—if only leadership possesses the wisdom and the will to protect them. To delay is to gamble with lives. Our people are running out of time. And our government is running out of excuses. Congress must waste no time in passing the National Coastal Greenbelt Act. The climate emergency does not wait for legislative gridlock, and neither will the next super typhoon. (Inquirer.net) ***

ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2026

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The lawyers behind Sara Duterte’s impeachment defense by AJPress

A 16-member legal team led by Sheila Sison combines senior litigators, tax and corporate lawyers as the vice president contests four articles before the Senate MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte entered her impeachment trial with a 16-lawyer defense team drawn largely from Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar, a Makati-based law firm with a broad litigation practice. Leading the group is Sheila C. Sison, who delivered Duterte’s opening statement and has directed the defense before the Senate impeachment court. The July roster includes Sison; Philip Sigfrid Fortun; Gregorio Y. Narvasa II; Kristine R. Ferrer; Michael Wesley T. Poa; Carlo Joaquin T. Narvasa; Justin Nicol B. Gular; David Ronell M. Golla VII; Lindon Miguel C. Bacquel; Karol Grace G. Oroceo; Clarlaine F. Radoc; Francesca Marie V. Flores; Miguel Carlos A. Fernandez; Mark C. Vinluan; Ralph B. Bodota; and Roberto N. Batungbacal. Most are affiliated with Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar. Sison, admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014, graduated as class valedictorian from San Sebastian College of Law. Her practice includes criminal and civil litigation, appellate work. Fortun and Narvasa bring decades of litigation experience. Ferrer, a certified public accountant and lawyer, heads her firm’s tax practice and works in taxatiThe opinions, beliefs and viewpoints on, corporate law and litigation.

She has also examined witnesses during the proceedings. That mix is relevant to a case centered partly on confidential funds, financial records and the procedures used to authorize, release and liquidate government expenditures. The House of Representatives voted 257-25-9 on May 11 to impeach Duterte and transmitted four articles to the Senate. Article I alleges misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds. Article II concerns alleged unexplained wealth and issues involving statements of assets, liabilities and net worth and business interests. Article III alleges bribery and corruption within the Department of Education. Article IV contains allegations involving threats and an alleged assassination plot directed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and described the proceedings as politically motivated. The allegations remain unproven, and the prosecution bears the burden of establishing its case before the senator-judges. Poa occupies an unusual position in the proceedings. He served as a Department of Education undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson while Duterte was education secretary, then joined her impeachment defense. Because of that former role, prosecutors called Poa to testify about matters connected to Article I and the department’s P112.5 million in confidential funds. He temporarily stepped

aside from his duties as defense counsel and spokesperson before taking the witness stand, with Gular assuming communications duties. On Sept. 2, the Senate impeachment court declared Poa a hostile witness for the prosecution, allowing prosecutors to ask leading questions. The designation is procedural and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing. Prosecutors questioned Poa about the handling and documentation of confidential funds at the Education Department. Defense lawyers objected at several points, and the court ordered one characterization by a private prosecutor stricken from the record. Duterte’s defense roster has also changed over time. Her 2025 legal team included Maria Selena Golda Fortun and Reynold Munsayac. After the Supreme Court declared those proceedings unconstitutional and new complaints were filed in 2026, the lineup shifted. By July, Ferrer and Oroceo were in the trial roster, while Munsayac and Maria Selena Golda Fortun were not. The changes explain why earlier published lists do not always match the team associated with the current trial. The Senate will ultimately determine whether the prosecution has established any of the four articles. Until then, the accusations remain matters for adjudication, and Duterte’s lawyers may continue to challenge the evidence.

expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Von Hernandez, a Goldman Environmental Prize laureate, is the vice president of Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation.

Part One of Three You built an empire. But did you build a family? On the difference between a successful business and an enduring legacy. Inside Family Business Prof. Enrique Soriano THERE is a moment that visits almost every successful founder. The business is running well. The children are grown and working in the company. Money flows. And yet, quietly, in the back of the mind, a question begins to take shape — one that no spreadsheet can answer: What happens to all of this when I am gone? This question is not about money. You have already solved the money problem. This question is about family — whether the love, the trust, and the unity that you worked your whole life to build will survive the transfer of what you built. The painful truth that family business advisors see again and again, across Asia and around the world, is this: the business often survives the founder. The family does not always. "The first generation builds. The second generation enjoys. The third generation destroys." This old proverb is not destiny. It is a warning. And the families who have broken this cycle have done so not by working harder, but by thinking differently — about what they are really building. Money Is a Love Language In many Asian families, love is expressed through provision. Founders who grew up with very little poured everything into making sure their children would never go without. They worked seven days a week. They sacrificed holidays, rest, and sometimes their own health. The business was not just a business — it was an act of love, expressed in the only language the founder knew.

And so money became the family's love language. The measure of care was financial security. The measure of success was profit. The measure of a good parent was a child who wanted for nothing. This is not wrong. But it is incomplete. Because money, without governance, without structure, without shared values and clear roles, can become the very thing that tears a family apart. We have seen it happen. The founder passes away. The will is read. And suddenly, children who have sat together at every family dinner for forty years are looking at each other across a boardroom table as strangers — or worse, as rivals. What Is Family Governance? Family governance is the set of structures, agreements, and practices that help a family manage the intersection of two very different worlds — the family and the business. In the family, decisions are made from love. Authority comes from age and relationship. Disagreements are resolved over meals. There are no job descriptions for being a son or a daughter. In the business, decisions should be made from strategy. Authority comes from role and responsibility. Disagreements have procedures. There are job descriptions, performance reviews, and accountability. Without governance, these two worlds collide. Promotions are given out of loyalty rather than merit. Salaries become a reflection of favoritism rather than contribution. Meetings become family arguments in disguise. And the eldest child, simply by virtue of being born first, is assumed to be the next leader — whether or not they have the skills, the desire, or the calling for it. Family governance creates the bridge between these two worlds. It answers the questions that love alone cannot answer: Who makes decisions when the founders

are no longer here? How do we resolve disagreements without destroying relationships? What are the rules for family members joining the business? Who owns what — and how? Legacy Is a Choice, Not an Accident The founders who have built great businesses have done so through discipline. They planned. They set goals. They made hard decisions. They held people accountable. Legacy works the same way. A family that will remain united across generations does not arrive at that unity by accident. It gets there because someone — usually the founder, in their wisest years — made the deliberate choice to build not just a business, but a family institution. This series is written for you, the founders, and for your children who love you enough to want to get this right. In the articles that follow, we will explore what it means to move from an informal family business to a structured one, how to define roles and responsibilities honestly, and how to begin the most important transition of your life — from owner to steward. Because the greatest gift you can give your children is not just the business you built. It is a family that still loves each other after the estate is settled. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Prof Enrique M. Soriano serves as a Mentor at the Singapore Institute of Directors Board Readiness Program, where he contributes to the development of current and aspiring directors in corporate governance, board effectiveness, and strategic oversight. He advises multi-generational family enterprises and boards across Asia, advocating for merit-based board composition and principled stewardship to ensure long-term sustainability.

The Philippines must rethink...

PAGE 6 older. The prohibition extends to employment advertisements published online. Violations may carry fines of P50,000 to P500,000, imprisonment of three months to two years, or both. The central policy problem, therefore, is not the absence of a legal right. It is whether that right is sufficiently visible, accessible and enforceable in the labor market. A job advertisement requiring an applicant to be “below 35,” for example, is not merely a matter of preference when age has no legitimate relationship to the work. Where no statutory exception applies, an arbitrary age ceiling can conflict directly with RA 10911. The principle behind the law is straightforward: an applicant should be judged on the ability to perform the job. A birth date is not a measure of competence. That principle goes to dignity as much as employment. Work can provide income, but it can also provide independence, professional identity, social participation and a continuing sense of contribution. For an older person who remains willing and capable, exclusion from employment solely because of age can amount to exclusion from a significant part of economic life. Digital hiring should make compliance easier to monitor,

not easier to evade. The Department of Labor and Employment should make age-discrimination compliance a more visible part of labor enforcement. Government should publish regular data on complaints, investigations, dispositions and penalties so workers, employers and policymakers can assess how effectively the law is operating. Recruitment platforms and publishers should likewise have clear procedures for identifying advertisements containing unlawful age restrictions. Congress should examine whether RA 10911 would benefit from more accessible administrative remedies, explicit safeguards against retaliation and provisions suited to automated or algorithmic hiring. A criminal penalty may deter violations. It is less useful if an applicant has no practical way to challenge discrimination promptly. The United States provides a useful comparison, although Philippine law should not be regarded as inherently weaker. The U.S. Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers and applicants age 40 and older at covered employers and generally prohibits age preferences in job advertisements, subject to limited exceptions. Philippine law is more explicit in one significant respect. RA 10911 generally prohibits requiring applicants to disclose

their age or birth date during the application process. U.S. federal law does not categorically prohibit an employer from asking, although such inquiries can attract scrutiny when they suggest discriminatory intent. The lesson is not that the Philippines lacks modern legal standards. In important respects, those standards are already in place. The more pressing task is to make them meaningful. Age should neither qualify nor disqualify a person by itself. The relevant inquiry is whether an individual possesses the competence, qualifications and capacity required for the work. That principle becomes more important as the country's older population grows. A credible national policy on aging must protect people when work is no longer possible or desired. It must provide adequate income security and health care in later life. But it must also protect those who still want to participate. Older Filipinos should not have to choose between being treated as people who need protection and people who still have something to contribute. They can be both rights-holders and productive members of society. Pension security and geriatric care address vulnerability. Equal opportunity protects dignity and independence. An aging Philippines needs both. (AJPress)

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SEPTEMBER 5 - 11, 2026 • ASIAN JOURNAL

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DFA cites geopolitics in failed Philippine Senate panel advances P7.23-billion bid for UN Security Council seat Ombudsman budget for 2027 by AJPress MANILA — Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said geopolitical forces contributed to the Philippines’ failed campaign for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, offering the government’s latest explanation for the June defeat. Speaking Thursday, Sept. 3, during a House appropriations hearing on the DFA’s proposed 2027 budget, Lazaro called the campaign a “herculean” effort and referred broadly to geopolitical factors. She did not iden-

tify any country or bloc. Security Council elections are conducted by secret ballot, so there is no public record showing how individual U.N. members voted. The Philippines and Kyrgyzstan competed for the single Asia-Pacific seat for the 2027–2028 term. Kyrgyzstan led through four rounds of voting and won 142–49, securing its first Security Council term beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The Philippines was seeking a fifth term after serving in 1957, 1963, 1980–1981 and 2004–2005. Manila entered the race with ASEAN’s formal endorsement, while Kyrgyzstan drew coordi-

nated support from Central Asian leaders and emphasized greater representation for countries that had never served on the council. Before the vote, analysts pointed to broader major-power alignments, with China and Russia expected to favor Kyrgyzstan and the United States, Britain and France seen as supportive of the Philippines. Those assessments provide context but do not establish how any government voted. Lazaro also told lawmakers that P70 million had been allocated for the campaign across the 2025 and 2026 budgets, with P52.5 million spent. n

Mayors, treasurers emerge as strongest pairing in Sandiganbayan case study Analysis highlights recurring links between political authority and financial administration by AJPress MANILA — Mayors and local treasurers emerged as the strongest recurring pairing in a network analysis of more than 400 Sandiganbayan cases from 2016 through 2025, highlighting where political authority and financial administration frequently intersect in local government. The analysis by University of the Philippines Diliman political scientist Rogelio Alicor Panao covered more than 1,800 public officials included in cases before the anti-graft court. The mayor-treasurer relationship registered a network weight of 83, the highest among the pairings examined. Accountants and mayors followed at 72, while accountants and treasurers registered 63. The figures measure relationships within the case network. They are not conviction rates and do not establish wrongdoing merely because officials held particular positions or appeared in the same case. The pattern broadly reflects the structure of local government finance. Under the Local Government

Code, treasurers have custody and management of LGU funds and responsibility for disbursements. Accountants oversee accounting and internal-audit functions, review supporting documents and maintain financial records, while budget officers coordinate with treasurers and accountants in preparing and administering local budgets. Under the New Government Procurement Act, Republic Act No. 12009, the local chief executive serves as Head of the Procuring Entity, while procurement decisions are also subject to procedures involving Bids and Awards Committees and other designated officials. Those overlapping duties mean several officials may lawfully participate in different stages of the same government transaction. Their appearance together in a Sandiganbayan proceeding does not by itself establish conspiracy or criminal liability. The study comes as procurement authorities strengthen monitoring and compliance systems under RA 12009, including more data-driven tools intended to improve oversight across national agencies and local governments. n

Philippines weighs holding back U.S. sugar exports as domestic output weakens SRA awaits harvest data as pest outbreak and El Niño pressure supplies by AJPress MANILA — The Philippines is weighing whether to hold back raw sugar exports to the United States as weaker production, a spreading crop pest and El Niño pressure domestic supply. Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the agency has not decided whether to use the next U.S. allocation and will assess yields once milling resumes in October. For U.S. fiscal 2027, the Philippines was allocated 145,235 metric tons raw value under the

tariff-rate quota system, the second-largest allocation after the Dominican Republic. The quota runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027 and provides preferential market access, but does not require Manila to ship the amount. The caution marks a reversal from earlier this year, when the government approved exports of up to 100,000 metric tons after production left inventories elevated and farmgate prices under pressure. About 99,000 metric tons had been shipped by early August. Production has since weakened. SRA data for Aug. 2 placed

raw sugar output at about 1.85 million metric tons, roughly 11 percent below a year earlier. The supply picture has also been complicated by the redstriped soft scale insect, which can reduce sugarcane yields, and by El Niño. By late July, infestations had been reported across nearly 94,000 hectares, while PAGASA said a moderate to strong El Niño could persist into the first half of 2027. The SRA has classified sugar from the coming crop year for the domestic market, signaling that local supply will take priority while regulators await harvest data. n

‘Ayuda’ for content...

PAGE 6 experimental study first published in 2023 found that exposure to negatively framed posts and images led to the perception that people from an impoverished background had less agency. The authors also highlighted previous research suggesting that this could trigger a cognitive shift in which the perceived lack of agency translates into dehumanization. In simpler terms, showing people in disempowering ways may attract sympathy in the short term, but it could also reinforce perceptions of them as helpless and less capable. In the long run, this could potentially lead to less concern, less respect, and less support for policies aimed at more sustainable poverty alleviation. It also becomes easier for the public to overlook the structural inequalities that reinforce poverty and reduce a disadvantaged person’s

circumstances to something that they’re solely responsible for. There is also the issue of consent. Giving aid inevitably involves a power imbalance because the donor possesses something that the beneficiary urgently needs. Can a person really say no to being filmed if they think it could mean losing access to food, money, or other assistance? During these moments, it is important to examine not just whether help was given, but whether the dignity of the person receiving it was preserved in the process. This is where a few reflective questions can help. (1) Is showing their face really necessary to tell the story? (2) Before filming, did I give them the chance to opt out by explaining to them that maintaining their privacy would not compromise their access to the assistance being offered? (3) Am I portraying them as a helpless bene-

ficiary, or am I also highlighting their voice and agency? And perhaps the most important (and most uncomfortable) question: Is this post primarily helping people understand their situation, or am I just doing this so that more people will admire me? Good intentions can go a long way, and helping others in times of crisis is important and much-needed work. The challenge now is to keep the spotlight on the issue rather than on ourselves and to ensure that the stories we tell never come at the expense of another person’s dignity, well-being, or right to be treated with respect. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Email: eleanor@shetalksasia.com

LIGHT MOMENT. Former Department of Education (DepEd) spokesperson, lawyer Michael Wesley Poa (2nd from left), greets private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. on Day 21 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial at the Senate in Pasay City on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. Poa was questioned regarding the disbursement of DepEd’s PHP112.5 million in confidential funds. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Anti-graft office seeks added resources for staffing, enforcement and investigations by AJPress MANILA — The Senate Committee on Finance has advanced the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed P7.23-billion budget for 2027, moving the spending plan to plenary deliberations as the anti-graft agency seeks additional resources for investigators, enforcement operations and staffing. The amount reflects the Department of Budget and Management’s recommendation for the Ombudsman in the proposed 2027 national budget. The agency had sought about P12.797 billion, but that larger figure was an agency proposal rather than an enacted appropriation. Among the Ombudsman’s priorities is a proposed Marshal Service, for which officials sought about P168 million and 100 positions. The unit would support the serving of warrants, protection of investigators, securing of evidence and enforcement of Ombudsman orders. Sen. Panfilo

Lacson has separately proposed legislation creating such a service. The budget hearing also examined confidential expenses. The DBM-recommended spending plan contains P51.468 million for confidential expenses. During an earlier House hearing, an Ombudsman finance official said the agency was seeking an additional P148.532 million for that purpose. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said confidential funds would support sensitive investigations and security requirements. Senators indicated they could consider additional funding but made no commitment to provide the full amount sought. Staffing remains another challenge. The Ombudsman has 1,247 vacant plantilla positions and has sought funding to fill more of them. Remulla said the office had hired 60 lawyers this year and expected to add 40 more by November. The personnel shortage comes as the agency handles a substantial caseload, including investigations involving questioned

flood-control projects. Remulla told senators that 35 such cases had reached the courts, including 31 before the Sandiganbayan and four before regional trial courts. Another 166 cases were undergoing preliminary investigation, while the office was conducting 107 lifestyle checks. Those proceedings do not by themselves establish criminal liability. Individuals charged in criminal cases retain the presumption of innocence unless convicted by a court. The Ombudsman is also seeking resources for office facilities and vehicles, while Remulla has announced plans to assign an assistant ombudsman specifically for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Lacson has proposed broader fiscal autonomy for the Ombudsman and suggested that Congress consider allowing part of funds recovered for the government in corruption cases to support the agency’s operations. Both proposals would require legislative action. n

Dangerous ‘resilience’...

PAGE 6 Judge Irin Zenaida Buan even after his conviction for the ransom kidnapping and grisly execution of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo inside Camp Crame. Remulla may be reminded that among the beneficiaries of this liberal application of bail rules is President Marcos’ immortal mother herself, Imeldific. Convicted of seven counts of graft (no plunder yet when the offenses were committed), Imeldific was allowed by the Sandiganbayan to post bail. In the four years of the Marcos administration, the anti-graft court has also dismissed, mostly due to inordinate delay, the remaining wealth cases against the current ruling clan. BBM has drawn flak for telling foreign correspondents recently that the cases were dismissed because it was not proven that the wealth was ill-gotten. Historical revisionism worked for BBM in the 2022 elections. But this time, that tack is stoking public anger and distrust. And this time, his allies-turned-arch enemies in the UniTeam are among those disputing the false narrative. You can discern the level of public anger in the reaction to BBM’s crooning love songs to his

wife Liza on her recent birthday celebration, while people were drowning, getting electrocuted, falling into open drains, catching leptospirosis and seeing their properties destroyed in the floods. Pinoys love singing and birthdays are big in our country. Under normal circumstances, that karaoke moment and the need even of presidents for family bonding and some me time would have been understandable. Some might have even been touched by the First Couple’s PDA. But with everything coming apart around us, from bridges to the rule of law and public accountability, what comes to mind for many people at the sight of that video is, how come they are having fun while we’re drowning in misery? Gov. Lilia Pineda and her son Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda of flood-submerged Pampanga were also called out after being spotted wearing pricey luxury brands while interacting with their flood-hit constituents. Speaking to “Storycon” on One News last Monday, Pineda apologized for hurting public sensitivities while pointing out that her family has some wealth. She said that she simply grabs

any clothing at hand upon rising for the day’s work. Whether the explanation will appease the critics remains to be seen. Lacson is glad to see the anger and hopes it can be sustained until lasting reforms are in place. Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David posted on Monday a similar message. “There comes a point when resilience becomes dangerous because it teaches us merely to endure,” David said. “After every disaster, we are told to be resilient. This time, let us also be defiant,” he declared. “Let us refuse to normalize preventable suffering. Let us demand answers. Let us demand accountability. And where the law allows it, let us act together as citizens to hold accountable those who fail in their duty to protect the public.” Once the anger disappears and people become indifferent and resigned to the idea that corruption and the waste of public funds are normal, the nation is lost. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Judicial firepower... PAGE 6 department, where all police and military power lies. What Congress and the presidency agreed to do, by contrast, was create a separate, independent, armed force, answerable only to unelected judges. No one then, and now, with the sole (self-interested, to be sure, but he still had a point) exception of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who abstained from approving the law, seems to have cared that the judiciary now has a private army. Because this is the point: finding the police feeble, or corrupt, or incompetent, or all of the above, Congress’ solution was to create a private army for a ju-

diciary never before (here, and never before, anywhere else, for that matter) expected to wield armed might. “When the guns speak, the law falls silent,” how often have lawyers and judges both repeated this, ad infinitum and ad nauseam? So what happens when the guns speak on the orders of an unelected judge? With incredibly broad powers: a national force covering the entire judiciary; command that does not pass through the interior or justice departments or even the police; concurrent jurisdiction to investigate crimes against judges, staff, or court property; the power to arrest, conduct searches, carry firearms, issue mission orders,

and even run its own academy. The US, South Korea, and Ukraine have internal police-type units reporting directly to their Supreme Courts, but their powers are far more limited, their ability to operate much more circumscribed: mostly, they only cover the Supreme Court, not all courts; in Korea they cannot even conduct arrests. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Email: mlquezon3@gmail.com; Twitter: @ mlq3

Himalayan landslide...

PAGE 6 abstract concern for activists. It is public safety, economic security and national survival. We already possess much of the information needed to reduce the danger. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has geohazard maps identifying areas susceptible to floods and landslides. Local governments know which families live below unstable slopes, beside swollen rivers or in places where evacuation routes can quickly become impassable. The real question is whether we act before the disaster – not after it. Enforcement must be relentless against illegal logging, illegal mining and irresponsible quarrying. Financiers and protectors of these operations must be prosecuted, not just poor workers caught onsite. Mining permits and environmental compliance certificates must never become shields for destructive practices. Local officials who ignore hazard warnings or allow construction in no-build zones must be held accountable. At the same time, legal and responsible mining should be distinguished from operations that disregard science and the law. The Philippines needs minerals for industry, energy transition and national development. But no investment can justify

endangering communities or sacrificing watersheds that took generations to form. Responsible development means rigorous assessment, transparent monitoring, proper use of rehabilitation funds (if they exist) and swift suspension when safety standards are violated. Reforestation should be more than ceremonial tree planting, with the right native species, planted in the right places, protected long enough to mature. Critical watersheds and remaining old-growth forests should be defended as national infrastructure. A forested mountain is as essential to flood control as a concrete dike, and often more enduring. Barangays in high-risk areas should have practical evacuation plans that residents understand. Warning systems must reach people quickly, including those without smartphones. Roads, bridges, schools and evacuation centers should be designed according to hazards shown on government maps. Families in highly dangerous areas must be given realistic relocation options, not simply ordered to leave without livelihood, transport or basic services. Climate change is no longer a prediction for the next generation – it is an amplifier of dangers we already face. Stronger

rainfall on denuded mountains, silted rivers and poorly planned communities are a formula for tragedy. The heartbreaking scenes from the Himalayas show how quickly a familiar landscape can be transformed into a field of mud and debris. Homes disappeared, roads were erased and families were separated in just minutes. Geography offered no mercy, and there was hardly any time for escape. We cannot stop every typhoon, earthquake or landslide, but we can stop people from cutting protected forests, tearing into unstable slopes and building where danger is already identified. We can enforce the law before lives are lost. We can treat warnings as instructions, not suggestions. The Himalayan catastrophe can very well happen to us – not in exactly the same way, but with the same terrifying speed and human cost. If that happens, we can no longer say that nature gave us no warning – it is already before our eyes. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

*** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com

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Silent killer called diabetes Health @Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS THERE are about 589 million (1.31 billion by 2050) adults with Type 2 diabetes around the world, 40 million (projection: 76-100 million by 2050) in the United States, and 4.7 million (projected to be 8.6 million by 2050) in the Philippines. There are almost 43 percent globally who are still undiagnosed, walking around with this metabolic disease, unaware, while the disease and its complications get worse. Among those who are 20 years old and younger, there are 1.2-1.8 million globally who have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and 352-364 thousand in the USA; no available statistics for the Philippines. Serious complications Type 2 Diabetes can result in acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) complications, basically damaging blood vessels and nerves all over the body, damaging various organs, by narrowing/blocking tiny blood vessels, like in the eyes (blindness), brain (stroke), kidney failure needing dialysis), foot ulcer/ gangrene (amputation), bladder and sexual dysfunction. T2D can be prevented T2 Diabetes is a horrible, devastating disease, if not treated early before complications start. If diagnosed early, one can look (appear totally) healthy and live a basically normal life, some by simply talking a pill, like Metformin, daily; others with insulin. With proper diet, discipline, and healthy behavior (no alcohol, no tobacco, consciously/ consistently minimizing carbohydrates, like rice and wonderful sweets, unfortunately) and poisonous soft drinks, walking exercise daily), a diabetic can be fully active, successful in their career, travel, and enjoy life like normal. But it requires personal discipline and sacrifices. But the gains in health are worth the effort, hard work, and pain. Best foods for diabetics “Many different foods can help control or lower your blood sugar when you have diabetes. Consider adding these wholesome picks (in reasonable portion sizes) to your plate: •non-starchy vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels

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sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, leafy greens, mushrooms, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini •lean protein: beans, eggs, fish and shellfish, lean poultry, lean red meat (like sirloin or flank steak), lentils, reduced-fat cheese, and soy foods (like tofu and tempeh) •fresh fruit: apples, apricots, bananas, berries, melon, oranges, peaches, and pears •whole grains and starchy vegetables: whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, sweet potatoes, skin-on white potatoes, winter squash, peas, and corn •Greek yogurt, cottage cheese •healthy fats: olive oil and olives, avocado, nuts, and seeds •water and unsweetened drinks.” Complex carbs vs. refined carbs “The type of carbohydrates you eat can have a big effect on your blood sugar. Refined or simple carbs get broken down into glucose quickly. They cause a rapid spike in blood glucose levels, which can make it harder to control your diabetes. Foods high in refined carbs include white bread, white pasta, white rice, soda, fruit juice, baked goods, candy, and other foods high in added sugars. “Complex carbohydrates help control your blood sugar. They contain fiber, so they’re broken down at a slower rate. As a result, they have less of an effect on your blood glucose. Foods high in complex carbs include whole grains such as wholewheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa, as well as beans and other legumes, and starchy vegetables (like corn, sweet potatoes, and peas).” Sample diabetes meal plan “The best diabetes eating plan is one that you enjoy and that fits with your lifestyle. Consider choosing from options like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, or another plant-based or low-carbohydrate diet. “You can find helpful meal planning guides and sample recipes at the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Food Hub. Many of these meals use the Diabetes Plate method, in which you divide your plate into three balanced sections: •non-starchy vegetables on 50% of your plate •complex carbohydrates on 25% of your plate •lean protein on 25% of your plate. “Here are some examples of combinations that you might prepare

under the Diabetes Plate method: •turkey meatloaf with a mixed green salad and quinoa •baked salmon with sautéed garlicky greens and a sweet potato •tofu and bell pepper stir-fry with brown rice •roasted skinless chicken with air-fried baby potatoes and cauliflower florets •lentil soup with kale, diced tomatoes, and chopped sweet potato. – Medpage Wonder drug SGLP-1 Thanks to brilliant scientists and trailblazers, a wonderful friend of those who are struggling with weight and T2 diabetes, SGLP-1 class drug, was discovered. GLP1 (glucagon like peptide) acts by mimicking a natural gut hormone that stimulates insulin secretion, slow down stomach emptying, and curbs the appetite/signal fullness (satiety) to the brain for us to stop eating. Those actions help treat diabetes and overweight. SGLP-1 was first in clinical use April 2019 in Europe, and on May 26 (my birthday!) 2023, it was introduced in the United States. Since then, 100 million people are on GLP-1 drug, with great clinical results. More than those two avenues of benefits from this class drug, clinicians have found added health wellness premiums to various organs (brain, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.) from these drugs. Complications from GLP-1 There is no drug in the world, including aspirin, our 129-year-old friend since August 10, 1897, that does not have potential side-effects. For GLP-1, some of the common side-effects are: nausea, vomiting, bloating, stomach pains, diarrhea, constipation, which happens when starting the drug, or when increasing the dose. Some of the more serious complications, which are reported as rare, less than 1-2 percent incidence: gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), acute pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the gall bladder, kidney injuries, worsening retinopathy, thyroid cancer (extremely rare). The super benefits from SGLP-1 drugs massively outweighs the sideeffects and possible complications from them. Metaphorically, T2 Diabetes Mellitus, is like a man-eating tiger, but when detected early, handled properly, can be tamed like a pet, to allow diabetics and those overweight (to trim down safely) to enjoy this fabulous world and a wonderful life. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed

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LOS ANGELES ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 5 - 11 , 2026

9

Do I have a Community Property Interest in a House Which My Spouse Acquired Before Our Marriage?

GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or funds during the marriage? The community in this situation acquires a pro tanto interest in the ratio that the payments on the purchase price made with community funds bear to the total payments on the purchase price and any appreciation should be apportioned accordingly. Marriage of Moore (1980) 28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR 662, 664, 665. Other expenses associated with the property are not considered in the calculation such as mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance. In essence, the real property would accumulate both a separate property and a community property component by the date of separation. The appropriate remedy in this situation where separate property is subsequently paid with community funds is “apportionment.” The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Marsden. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in which the mortgage loan principal was reduced during the marriage and applied that percentage to the appreciation of the real property during the mar-

riage. The community property component would then consist of the reduction in the mortgage loan principal during the marriage plus the portion of appreciation during the marriage applying the ratio discussed above. In the Marriage of Marsden, the real property was purchased by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to marriage. Marriage of Marsden (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910. During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation. The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. This percentage of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property. The rest was the husband’s separate property. The husband in that case was awarded his separate property component of the real property plus one half of the community property component. The Marsden apportionment method is also applicable to situations where a community real property is later transmuted into one spouse’s separate property through execution of a quit claim by the other spouse but is subsequently paid using community funds. Marriage of Broderick

*** 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, APLC. 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 is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** The main objective of this column is to educate and inspire people live a healthier lifestyle to prevent illnesses and disabilities, and achieve a happier and more productive life. Any diagnosis, recommendation or treatment in our article are general medical information and not intended

to be applicable or appropriate for anyone. This column is not a substitute for your physician, who knows your condition well and who is your best ally when it comes to your health. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3

humanitarian foundation in the United States. He was a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, conferred by then Indiana Governor, later Senator, and then presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry Truman, President George HW Bush, Muhammad Ali, Astronaut Gus Grissom (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today. SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Barrister’s Corner A tty . K enneth U rsua R eyes

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(1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397. In litigation, the community interest in the situations mentioned about is proven through expert witness testimony typically by a forensic CPA. Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property. One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel.

10 SEPTEMBER 5 - 11 , 2026 • LOS ANGELES ASIAN JOURNAL

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The Pain No One Could See

SEPTEMBER is Suicide Prevention Month, and I want to share a part of my story that I once wanted to keep hidden. Grief does not always look like grief. Someone can appear to be living fully—traveling, smiling and collecting extraordinary experiences—while privately struggling to keep going. When my marriage of 24 years ended, my world as I knew it fell apart. Along with the heartbreak came debt, uncertainty and a future I no longer recognized. I slipped into a darkness so deep that I began struggling with suicidal thoughts. When all I had left was my faith, I asked God to rebuild my life. But first, I ran. I traveled to escape the noise, the work and the pain because, at the time, it felt like the prescription that might take away my misery. For several seasons, it helped. Every mountain I climbed, desert I crossed and unfamiliar place I explored reminded me that

beauty still existed—even when I could no longer see it in my own future. Travel gave my overwhelmed heart room to breathe and helped carry me through my grief. But eventually, I learned that although distance could offer relief, it could not do the deeper work of healing for me. Lasting healing began when I stopped concealing my pain and allowed faith, honesty and support to become part of my recovery. There is healing in transparency. Revealing our pain can be far more freeing than concealing the story we never wanted anyone to know. Financial distress can also affect far more than a bank account. Debt, divorce, job loss and housing uncertainty can touch our identity, security and hope. Behind the numbers, people may be carrying rejection, grief, fear or shame that no spreadsheet can reveal. Looking back, I can see how God took me to places I could never have reached on my own— literally, figuratively and spiritually. He met me in the desert, steadied me on the mountains and reminded me through every sunrise that darkness does not last forever. I asked God to rebuild my life. First, He rebuilt me. I could not have imagined

then that God would use those very wounds to shape the work and ministry through which I now help others restore more than their finances—their hope, confidence and belief that life can be rebuilt. I share this not for sympathy, but because someone reading these words may be quietly carrying more than anyone knows. If you are in a place of darkness, please tell someone. Seeking professional help is not weakness or a failure of faith. God’s help may reach us through a trusted friend, pastor, doctor or crisis professional. What you feel today is not the end of your story. There is hope beyond what you can see right now. Please stay long enough to discover it. If you are in the United States and need emotional support, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to speak with a trained counselor.

*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Kathy Current is a financial coach, mortgage advisor, and author of Heal Your Money Wounds God’s Way, where she combines over three decades of financial experience with timeless biblical wisdom. Kathy addresses real-life questions about God and money, helping readers find freedom and purpose in their financial lives.

Growing as an “ekklesia” Pastor’s Notes Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas YOU have heard me say many times that Christianity is not merely a “me and Jesus” religion; it is an “us and Jesus” relationship—a communal bond. We do not come to church solely to mind our own business; we gather to worship and praise the Father and to commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross in obedience to His Father, so that we can all receive eternal life. As a priest, I find it spiritually enriching and meaningful to celebrate Mass with the congregation. I see it not as a task but as a privilege and a gift. I love connecting with people in prayer and feel deeply aware of God's presence. It is no wonder Jesus said in this Sunday’s Gospel that where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is among them. The Mass that we celebrate daily and on Sundays connects us with people beyond our parish community. It is the same Mass celebrated in different parts of the world and in various languages. For example, this Sunday’s Scripture readings and prayers are the same as those proclaimed during the Mass in Nigeria, Manila, Peru, or Sydney. This is what is so extraordinary about our Catholic faith; it truly embodies its name, meaning “universal.” The Mass unites us with fellow believers throughout the world. It not only connects us with fellow Catholics but with all people, as we offer the Mass with the needs of all in mind. For instance, our Universal Prayer at Mass includes intentions for all those in Nepal who have died or remain missing following the recent deadly mudslide and flood-

ing. The word “Ekklesia” in Greek means "assembly" or "congregation." In a Christian context, "ekklesia" refers to the church or the body of believers. It is often understood as a community of followers of Jesus Christ who gather for worship, fellowship, teaching, and service. The term reflects the idea of coming together for a common purpose, indicating both a physical gathering of individuals and a spiritual assembly united in prayer. As an “ekklesia,” we are called to grow in deep love and concern for one another, removing anything that blocks our entrance into a deeper communion with God and one another, such as unforgiveness, conflicts, discrimination, and division. We are called to welcome one another as brothers and sisters through our common baptism. We are also called to serve one another and inspire each other to live joyous and meaningful lives. We come together to affirm each other’s gifts, and, most importantly, we gather to pray for everyone’s eternal salvation. Our gatherings extend beyond the celebration of Mass, allowing us to deepen our faith in God and strengthen our community. This is why we have various ministries involving children, youth, and adults, and why we organize community-building events and fellowships. Our hope is that more people will participate in our ministries and serve as volunteers, rather than merely attending Mass. It is truly delightful to see people coming together, enjoying one another’s company, and jointly serving the needs of others, especially the young and the poor. As an “ekklesia,” we are also called to grow in stewardship. In the Catholic tradition, stewardship is not simply about fundraising or financial contributions to the parish. It is a way of life rooted in gratitude, responsibility, generosity, and discipleship.

We must remember the four dimensions of stewardship: 1. Stewardship begins by giving God our time through prayer, Sunday Mass, Scripture reading, spiritual formation, and time spent serving others. 2. It involves sharing our talents. Stewardship asks: What has God entrusted to me, and how can I use these gifts for the good of the Church and the community? 3. Stewardship entails the generous sharing of material blessings. It encourages us to give proportionately, intentionally, and generously, supporting the mission of the parish, the poor, evangelization, and works of charity. This approach differs from simply "paying for church expenses." We give because we recognize God as the source of all we possess. 4. Stewardship includes caring for creation—our common home—and for the earth’s resources. We are caretakers rather than absolute owners. Ultimately, stewardship is about discipleship. A helpful way to express this is: “Stewardship is not about what the Church wants from us; it is about what God wants to do through us.” The fundamental question changes from: “How much should I give to the Church?” to “How is God calling me to use everything He has entrusted to me?” For a Catholic parish, therefore, stewardship is best understood not as a financial program but as a spirituality—a spirituality of gratitude, generosity, and mission. Friends, let us grow stronger as an “ekklesia” and grow deeper together in spirituality. May St. Joseph, the Patron of the Universal Church, intercede for us! Amen.

*** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California

Consular Outreach in Elk Grove, California THE Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission in Elk Grove, California, on Saturday, 19 September 2026, at St. Joseph Parish, 9961 Elk Grove Florin Rd., Elk Grove, CA 95624. Passport and citizenship reacquisition (dual citizenship) services will be offered during the

outreach. Limited civil registry and legal/notarial services will also be available. Please refer to the graphic for the respective appointment links and other important reminders. Appointment slots are free of charge and non-transferable. Clients are encouraged to book early and ensure that all docu-

mentary requirements are complete before their appointment. Slots will automatically close once fully booked. Overseas voter registration will also be available on a walkin basis. For inquiries or assistance, please email sanfranciscopcg. consular@dfa.gov.ph.

Singer-Actor Eduard Bañez Reconnects With His Motherland

EDUARD Bañez is a former Filipino actor and television host and a current U.S.-based educator and digital entrepreneur who identifies as a historian and philanthropist. After a diverse career in the Philippine entertainment industry, he joined his parents, Eduardo and Zarina Bañez of Baliuag, Bulacan, in Los Angeles, California, where he expanded his life’s focus toward education, community service, and global history. Bañez has a deep appreciation for heritage and history. After migrating to the United States, he pursued advanced studies in political arts and media history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He prominently lists “historian” as a core part of his personal and professional identity. He also actively funds and supports charitable initiatives in the Philippines. His philanthropic work includes financing local church programs, assisting underprivileged children in areas such as Tondo, Manila, and sending financial relief to communities recovering from devastating floods and typhoons. He works as a media producer, content creator, and platform founder, shifting his focus to production and digital entrepreneurship. In Los Angeles, he leverages his background in the entertainment industry to build, manage, and produce content across a variety of self-started digital ventures. Operating as an independent producer in the “new generation of entertainment,” he designs digital media campaigns and targeted content tailored to niche markets. As a co-founder of lifestyle platforms, including a dedicated dating app, he directs the technical and media production pipelines for new applications. Bañez began pursuing his professional musical ambitions

Singer-host-actor Eduard Bañez.

Eduard Bañez with his dad Eduardo Bañez.

More solo photos of Eduard Bañez.

Eduard Bañez with his beloved mom Zarina Eduard Bañez on the cover of Brixton U.K. Bañez.

by reviving Sharon Cuneta’s classic ballad “Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko.” Written by legendary composer Rey Valera, Bañez’s emotional rendition gained significant traction early in his career, garnering more than 120,000 views on YouTube. The milestone became a turning point, motivating him to take his singing career seriously. Shortly afterward, he was launched into the local entertainment industry as part of Star Magic Batch 15 in 2006, training alongside batchmates such as former Miss World Megan Young, Bela Padilla, and Jessy Mendiola.

Over the years, he worked as an MTV Asia host, a newscaster for Net25, and a news anchor for TV5’s Aksyon TV. He also broke into international media as a host for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. He has also worked on international production sets alongside global icons such as Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Sia. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Email: rogelio.medina@asianjournalinc.com

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LOS ANGELES ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 5 - 11 , 2026

LOS ANGELES JOURNAL

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Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields generates $20 million for groups supporting women and girls Filipino American singer’s inaugural Irvine festival raises $10 million, followed by an equal commitment from Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal by AJPress IRVINE — Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival generated $20 million in announced support for 10 nonprofit organizations working on issues affecting women and girls. The Aug. 29 festival at Great Park in Irvine had raised $10 million for its nonprofit partners when Melinda French Gates joined Rodrigo onstage and announced that Pivotal, the organization she founded, would commit an additional $10 million. Pivotal said the $20 million will be divided equally among Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood. Daisy Chain Fields was founded by Rodrigo and produced by C3 Presents. The sold-out event drew about 45,000 people, according to independent reporting. Organizers said participating artists waived their performance fees, allowing all net proceeds to support the nonprofit partners. The festival also included a designated area where attendees could meet representatives of participating organizations and learn about their work. Performers included Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Garbage, Bikini Kill, Santigold, Rachel Chinouriri and The Breeders. Special guests included Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks. The festival drew inspiration from Lilith Fair, the women-centered touring festival founded by McLachlan in the 1990s.

On Board the Eala Express

Filipino Fans in Frenzy at the US Open Fan Week by Momar G. Visaya

WE are witnessing the rise and rise of Alex Eala. Tens of thousands of Filipino fans trooped to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens to get a glimpse of the 21-year-old Pinay tennis phenom. From the mixed doubles match with Felix Auger-Aliassime to the Stars of the Open to practice courts, the fans followed. Eala Mania After Eala broke out at the 2025 Miami Open last year, her stardom continued to consistently and exponentially grow. In a series of historic firsts, she became the first Filipino player to claim a

Photos from Momar Visaya

Grand Slam win in a main singles draw when she won over number 14 Clara Tauson at the Grandstand of the US Open last year. She also became the first Filipino at Wimbledon early this year to reach a record fourth round.

Then last month, she won her first WTA 500 title at the Mubadala DC Open earning her a Top 20 appearance for the first time as well. In an extraordinary feat, she beat tennis champions along the PAGE 12

Fil-Am actor JB Tadena joins ‘The Pitt’ for Season 3 Former satellite engineer will play Dr. Reed Thomas in HBO Max medical drama by AJPress

Photo from Intagram/@oliviarodrigo

Rodrigo, 23, has also spoken publicly about her Filipino American heritage. In a 2018 interview with the Center for Asian American Media, she said her great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a teenager and described Filipino traditions passed down through her father’s family. Daisy Chain Fields marks a significant expansion of Rodrigo’s philanthropic work, pairing her musical platform with direct financial support for organizations focused on health, legal rights, economic security and family assistance.

acting. His television credits include “Kung Fu,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” LOS ANGELES — Filipino “Westworld” and “SEAL Team.” American actor JB Tadena has Created by R. Scott Gemmill joined the recurring cast of HBO and starring Noah Wyle as Dr. Max’s “The Pitt” for its third seaMichael “Robby” Robinavitch, son, playing Dr. Reed Thomas, a “The Pitt” follows doctors, nursphysician at the fictional Pittses and patients during a single burgh Trauma Medical Center. emergency-room shift, with Tadena is among seven recureach episode advancing the storing guest stars added for the ry roughly one hour. new season, alongside Stephen Photo from Instagram/@jaybeetadena Season 3 is scheduled to preChang, Barry Clifton, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lawrence Kao, Perlah Alawi. Their characters miere in January 2027 and is Brent Sexton and Hannah Ware. have also spoken Tagalog on the set on Nov. 12, 2026. The series won five Emmys in 2025, includHis casting adds another per- series. Born in Los Angeles and ing outstanding drama series. former of Filipino heritage to Tadena is also part of the cast the Emmy-winning medical dra- raised in the Washington, D.C., ma. Isa Briones plays Dr. Trinity area, Tadena studied computer of David Fincher’s “The Further Santos, while Kristin Villanueva engineering at Penn State Uni- Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” and Amielynn Abellera portray versity and worked as a satel- starring Brad Pitt and written by nurses Princess Dela Cruz and lite engineer before pursuing Quentin Tarantino.

12 SEPTEMBER 5 - 11 , 2026 • LOS ANGELES ASIAN JOURNAL

MIFF to honor Nora Aunor, Pilita Corrales at 2026 closing gala by AJPress LOS ANGELES — National Artist Nora Aunor and singer-actress Pilita Corrales will be honored posthumously as the Manila International Film Festival returns to Los Angeles for its third edition Sept. 3-6. MIFF said Aunor and Corrales will each receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival’s Closing Night Awards Gala on Sunday, Sept. 6, at The Beverly Hilton. Actress Janine Gutierrez, a granddaughter of both women, is scheduled to accept the honors on behalf of their families. Aunor and Corrales, whose careers helped shape different eras of Philippine entertainment, died four days apart in April 2025. Aunor, who died April 16 at 71, worked for more than five decades across film, television and music. Born Nora Cabaltera Villamayor, she built a body of work that included Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bona, Himala, Bulaklak sa City Jail and The Flor Contemplacion Story. She was proclaimed National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts in 2022 and received a state funeral after her death. Corrales died April 12 at 85. Known professionally as “Asia’s Queen of Songs,” she had a career spanning music, radio, television and film in the Philippines and abroad. The title became associated with her after her success at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1972. In 2023, the University of the Philippines Asian Center presented her with its first Asia Culture Award. Aunor and Corrales were also among the Filipino cultural figures posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in May 2025. The closing gala will extend that recognition to a newer generation of Filipino and Filipino American artists working across film, television, theater and animation. Writers-directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and members of the voice cast of DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island are scheduled to receive MIFF’s Trailblazer Award. The animated feature follows longtime friends Jo and Raissa, voiced by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, who are transported to the fictional island of Nakali and encounter creatures inspired by stories passed down through Filipino families. Its voice cast also includes Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea Salonga. DreamWorks has scheduled the film for U.S. theatrical release Sept. 25. Actress BarBara Luna is also among the festival’s Trailblaz-

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On Board the Eala Express..

PAGE 11 of whom were Filipinos. Eala way. From Olympic gold medalagainst her friend Iva Jovic were ist Qinwen Zheng to defending the third match, which ran for champion Leyla Fernandez, top about an hour. After the one set players Elina Svitolina and Naomatch, majority of the Filipinos mi Osaka, and eventually Jessica left, leaving Alex Michelsen and Pegula. recent Cincinnati champion ArThe mania continues at the US thur Fils finishing in less than an Open as major mainstream mehour. dia outlets like Forbes, The New Amanda Anisimova battled it Yorker, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, out with Martha Kostyuk in the The Economist have profiled the evening’s first match, revealing movement extensively, noting in the post-match interview that how it has turned her into a culthey have been friends since their Photo from X/@WTA junior days. tural symbol and marketable star. Andy Roddick has publicly Among the evening’s fun moPrior to the official start of the supported “Eala Mania,” calling tournament, the United States ments was when Eala and Jovic it great for the sport and has ex- Tennis Association staged a few brought out their dads onto to the pressed support and admiration events catered for the fans. Ex- court to play mixed doubles with to the Filipina youngster. cept for some ticketed events at them. Her first-round match this week the Arthur Ashe Stadium, everyOfficial US Open coverage is scheduled for a Louis Arm- thing else was free. There were highlighted the electric atmostrong Stadium night session due product activations from spon- sphere under the lights and the Philippine “Superstar” National Artist, Nora Aunor (left) and Asian’s Queen of Songs, Ms. to demand, and US Open Tourna- sors such as Chase, Amex, Dove, mix of competitive play with enPilita Corrales (right). Photos Courtesy Nora Aunor, Pilita Corrales Facebook. ment Director Eric Butorac has Cadillac, Fage, Lavazza, among tertainment. Full matches and publicly welcomed the energy. In others. highlight clips, including walker Award honorees. Luna’s caan interview with Tennis Channel, ons, big points, and celebrations Eala Among Stars of the Open reer includes the original Star Butorac discussed placing Eala’s Eala was one of the tennis stars were posted on the tournament’s Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror,” first-round match on the Louis who took centerstage at the Stars site and YouTube channel, with in which she played Marlena Armstrong Stadium night session of the Open. What was initial- strong viewership—especially for Moreau, as well as the films citing the strong fan demand and ly planned as a mixed doubles the Eala-Jovic match. The Devil at 4 O’Clock and Ship energy around the Filipino star. This was the fourth year of the event featuring American stars of Fools. MIFF also named Pris“We knew it had to be on a Learner Tien and Iva Jovic against signature event, showcasing riscilla Hunt as a recipient of the major stadium, we thought that’s non-Americans Joao Fonseca ing young stars in entertaining award. a great place to start but I’ve al- who was paired with Eala. The and high-energy singles exhibiThe festival will introduce a ready monitored some of the sec- event evolved into four singles tion matches. Generations Award for the Briondary pricing and that session is matches, Fonseca was replaced That wave of national pride, enones family: Jon Jon Briones, blowing up,” he said. “It’s amaz- by Flavio Cobolli because the for- thusiastic support, and commerhis wife Megan and their chiling to see, I can’t wait to have her mer had to withdraw due to an cial buzz has made the 21-yeardren Isa and Teo. out there late at night and see all abdomen injury. old one of the most watched and Jon Jon Briones appeared in of the Filipino crowd behind her, celebrated young players in womThe Stars of the Open drew the original Miss Saigon comit’s going to be really special. a sold-out audience, majority en’s tennis right now. pany and later played the Engineer in productions in the Philippines, Europe and the United States, including the Broadway Lea Salonga, the Briones family and the team revival. He and Isa Briones later behind DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island are appeared together on Broad- also among the honorees. Photo Courtesy Lea Salonga Facebook. way in Hadestown, playing Hermieres. mes and Eurydice. Bench: Body of Work, diIsa Briones’ screen work includes Star Trek: Picard and rected by Tom Lowry, follows The Pitt, while Teo Briones has Philippine clothing company by AJPress appeared in Chucky and Final BENCH as it returned to the Destination Bloodlines. Megan runway after an eight-year abLOS ANGELES — The Philippine Department Briones’ stage credits include sence. of Tourism-North America has partnered with Francis dela Torre’s East of Miss Saigon. DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, tying Lea Salonga, previously an- Western, starring Dante Basthe upcoming Filipino-inspired animated feature nounced as the recipient of co, Darion Basco and Dionysio to a campaign promoting travel to the Philippines. MIFF’s Icon Award, will also be Basco, is set in Los Angeles, inThe collaboration includes a North American featured in a festival retrospec- cluding Historic Filipinotown. sweepstakes whose grand prize combines airfare Five short films presented tive with Sana Maulit Muli and to Manila with hotel stays in Tagaytay and El Nido. with FilAm Creative are also The Vale: Origins. Forgotten Island, which opens in U.S. theaters Her MIFF appearance comes part of the program: Ralph TorSept. 25, centers on Jo and Raissa, longtime during another significant refranca’s Jamie & Lina Write friends preparing to go their separate ways after week in Hollywood. The Holly- the Greatest Song Ever, Serville high school. Their final night together takes an wood Chamber of Commerce Poblette’s In the Morning, Meg unexpected turn when they enter a portal leading is scheduled to dedicate Sa- Mateo’s You Could Have Been to Nakali, a fantastical island populated by beings longa’s star on the Hollywood a Nurse, San-San Onglatco’s drawn from stories they heard from their Filipino Walk of Fame on Sept. 4, mak- Naughty Maids and Alex Cruz’s families. ing her the first Filipina to re- Silim. H.E.R. voices Jo and Liza Soberano plays RaisThe shorts join a lineup that ceive a Walk of Fame star. sa. The cast also includes Dave Franco, Jenny MIFF said the Sept. 6 gala includes 58th, Eddie Romero Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronwill be hosted by entertainment Remastered: A Century of Filipiny Chieng and Lea Salonga. personality Erin Lim Rhodes, no Cinema, Kappa-Tiran, Pinay, Joel Crawford and Filipino American filmmakactor Mark Dacascos and fash- Quezon, Manila’s Finest and No er Januel Mercado wrote and directed the movie, ion designer and Miss Universe Room for Love, along with a with Mark Swift serving as producer. The three special screening of Forgotten 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel. previously worked together on DreamWorks’ Puss Rapper Ruby Ibarra and sing- Island. in Boots: The Last Wish. Universal Pictures is dis- DreamWorks Forgotten Island © DWA LLC / Courtesy of Philippine Industry programming iner Carl Angelo are scheduled Department of Tourism–North America tributing the film. to perform “Salbahe Ako,” a cludes an animation panel and Under the tourism promotion, one grand-prize on or around Oct. 16 from eligible entries retrack from the Forgotten Island the workshop “How to Awards winner will receive one round-trip economy-class ceived during the promotion period. soundtrack. Festival organiz- Season Your Film 4.0.” Airfare and hotel stays are subject to the conditicket to the Philippines provided by United AirThe festival’s screenings, ers also announced expected tions specified in the official rules, including availlines. appearances by Lou Diamond filmmaker discussions and inThe package also includes a three-day, two- ability, validity periods and certain hotel blackout Phillips, Dante Basco, Jericho dustry programs will be held night stay in a Deluxe Room at Escala Tagaytay dates. Expenses not expressly included in the Rosales, Karylle and filmmaker at the TCL Chinese Theatre and a four-day, three-night stay in a one-bedroom prize remain the winner’s responsibility. in Hollywood from Sept. 3 Raymond Red. Premium Villa at Lihim Resorts in El Nido. Both The sweepstakes is administered by Industry’s MIFF is also expanding its through Sept. 5, before the hotel prizes include daily breakfast for two. Finest LLC on behalf of the Philippine Department film program with two features awards gala moves to The BevThe sweepstakes runs through Oct. 15 and of Tourism-North America. United Airlines, Escait is presenting as world pre- erly Hilton on Sept. 6. is open to eligible legal residents of the United la Tagaytay and Lihim Resorts in El Nido are proStates and Canada who are at least 18 years old. viding the prize components. No purchase is required, and entries are limited Complete eligibility requirements, entry into one per person. structions and prize conditions are available at A winner is scheduled to be chosen at random philippinetourismusa.com/forgotten-island/.

Philippine tourism department partners with DreamWorks’ ‘Forgotten Island,’ offers Philippines trip

Jose Mari Chan, a man for all seasons

The “ber” months may have made him the enduring face of Philippine Christmas, but at 81, the singer-songwriter’s life continues well beyond the holidays by AJPress MANILA — Every September, Jose Mari Chan seems to reappear almost on cue. As the Philippines enters the “ber” months and Christmas songs return to radio, television and public spaces, Chan’s voice once again becomes part of the national soundtrack. His 1990 classic “Christmas in Our Hearts” has become so closely identified with the season that he has often been playfully described in media and popular culture as the “Father of Philippine Christmas.” But Christmas tells only part of the Jose Mari Chan story. At 81, Chan remains a working singer-songwriter and businessman whose professional life has never been confined to the final four months of the year. While his Christmas recordings bring him renewed attention each September, he continues to divide his time between music and the sugar business in Negros that has been part of his family for decades. His connection to the industry dates to his father, Antonio Chan, who established a sugar trading business in Bacolod in 1960. Chan later became involved in the family enterprise while pursuing music, a path his father initially regarded as less dependable than business. Chan managed to make room for both. His entertainment career reaches back to the 1960s, when he appeared as a host and singer on ABS-CBN’s 9 Teeners.

Expanding Horizons: The Future of LOGO Cargo

Continued expansion, stronger logistics, digital innovation, and new services are shaping the company’s next chapter under CEO and Founder Joel P. Longares.

Photo Courtesy Jose Mari Chan/Jojo Guingona

Over the decades that followed, he built a catalog that included “Beautiful Girl,” “Please Be Careful With My Heart” and “Can We Just Stop and Talk a While.” Then came Christmas in Our Hearts. Released in 1990, the album and its title song took on a life far beyond that of an ordinary seasonal recording. Over time, Chan became inseparable from the Filipino Christmas season, his music returning with remarkable regularity as soon as September arrived. The association has survived generational change. Filipinos who were not yet born when the album was released have encountered Chan through the annual return of his songs, television appearances, advertising campaigns and social media memes. Yet his career has continued on a parallel track. Chan has remained involved in

the sugar business in Negros and has said he still travels regularly to Bacolod, particularly during the milling season. Music, meanwhile, remains an active part of his life. Earlier this year, he said he had no plans to retire from performing as long as audiences continued to want to hear his songs. That longevity has given Chan an unusual place in Philippine popular culture. His recordings belong to several generations, but he has never been reduced entirely to nostalgia. The annual return of “Christmas in Our Hearts” may be the most visible part of Chan’s public life, but it is only one part of a career that has continued to evolve with the years. At 81, he remains active in the work that has defined much of his adult life, moving between music and business with the same steadiness that has carried him across generations.

UNDER the leadership of CEO and Founder Joel P. Longares, LOGO Cargo continues to strengthen its network and prepare for a bigger future, bringing its services closer to more Filipino families across the United States, Canada, and the Philippines. As part of its continued growth, the company is expanding its branches, strengthening pickup and delivery routes, improving warehouse operations, and investing in a more efficient logistics network. In Southern California, LOGO Cargo has expanded with locations in National City and Panorama City, supported by its Southern California Warehouse in Ontario, California. These developments are part of the company’s broader strategy to make cargo and related services more accessible to Filipino communities. The company is also strengthening the presence of LOGO Asian Mart, combining access to Filipino products with cargo and remittance services in selected communities. More Than Expansion For Longares, growth is not simply about opening more locations. His vision is to build a more connected and efficient network that can support customers throughout the entire shipment journey—from booking and

Joel P. Longares CEO of Longares Group of Companies President, DDCAP | Executive Vice President, PUCP

pickup to warehouse handling, shipment monitoring, and final delivery. “Building a bigger, stronger, and more connected LOGO Cargo for Filipino families worldwide.” Technology at the Center Digital innovation remains an important part of the company’s future. Through the LOGO Mobile App, customers can conveniently schedule pickups, monitor shipments, locate nearby branches, access promotions, and use available services directly from their mobile devices.

LOGO Cargo continues to strengthen its internal systems, tracking capabilities, scanning technology, and shipment monitoring processes to improve efficiency, transparency, and customer convenience. Building the Next Chapter Moving forward, LOGO Cargo plans to continue developing its cargo, remittance, logistics, and digital services while investing in employees, infrastructure, transportation resources, warehouses, and technology. After more than three decades of serving Filipino communities, the company continues to move forward with a clear goal: to make LOGO Cargo more accessible, efficient, innovative, and connected for the generations ahead. With continued expansion and a long-term vision for growth, Joel P. Longares is leading LOGO Cargo toward its next chapter— one built on stronger operations, greater accessibility, and new opportunities to serve Filipino families around the world. (Advertising Supplement)

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