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S EPT EM BER 20-26, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 48 • 16 Pages 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • 2500 Plaza S. Harborside Financial Center, Jersey City, NJ 07311 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858
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PH to ‘lose’ if arbitral ruling will be raised at UN — Locsin by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com
In this June 2019 file photo, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. delivers his remarks at the 29th Meeting of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea at the UN headquarters in New York. Photo courtesy of DFA
USA
VIRAY
MANILA — Echoing Malacañang’s previous pronouncement, the Philippines’ top diplomat thumbed down the idea of raising the arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea row at the United Nations. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the Philippines would only “lose” as the UN is dominated by countries “grateful” to China. Locsin is scheduled to speak at the 74th regular session of the UN General Assembly this month. “We’ve always lost Non-Aligned Movement votes to include our Arbitral Award. My many
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Senate conducts ‘historic’ hearing on divorce bill
DATELINE Anti-human trafficking summit highlights scope of trafficking within Filipino community Ombudsman to probe de “Nanay” Fedelina Lugasan recounts FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
a life of modern slavery
AFTER decades of enslavement, Fedelina Lugasan can finally breathe. This past July, the 83-year-old Filipina domestic worker was rescued in Northridge, California after more than 30 years of domestic servitude with meager pay and no days off. Born in Leyte, Philippines, Lugasan was 16 years old when she was recruited by the family of Benedicta Cox as the family’s livein housekeeper in Manila. When she was 28 years old, Lugasan was brought to the U.S. to care for Cox’s sister who was sick but little did Lugasan know that she would end up working for the entire family. For the next three decades, Lugasan served the Cox family, cooking, cleaning and caring
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ORDER OF LAPU-LAPU. President Rodrigo Duterte gives a message during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, September 17 after posthumously awarding the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kalasag to kin of the killed soldiers while fighting the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan and Sulu. The Order of Lapu-Lapu is given to persons in government or private sector who have rendered extraordinary service or have made exceptional contributions to the success of the president’s campaign or advocacy. The Kalasag medal is awarded to officials and personnel of the government and private individuals who lost their lives as a direct result of their participation in an activity pursuant to a campaign or advocacy of the president. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez
by RITCHEL
MENDIOLA AJPress
THE Senate on Tuesday, September 17, conducted its first ever hearing on the proposed divorce law in the Philippines. Presiding over the hearing is Senate committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Senator Leila de Lima and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas Gender Equality chairperson Inquirer.net photo Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who called this first deliberation on
the divorce bill “historic.” “This is history in the making,” she said in her opening statement. “We are in the process of making history by crafting a policy to make dissolution of marriage available to all Filipinos who want second chances in love, to rebuild their families and start all over again,” she added. Hontiveros, while a staunch
supporter of the institution of marriage, said Filipinos especially women and their children “should have the right to turn the page and be free from abusive and loveless relationships.” “My sympathy and support go out to my countrymen, especially since there are many women who are victims of domestic violence and psy-
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Lima, Roxas on GCTA mess if WHO, UNICEF underscore importance he’s not satisfied with replies of vaccines as polio reemerges in PH G P L by
ABRIEL ABICO Inquirer.net
ALU
by KRISSY
MANILA – Ombudsman Samuel Martires has vowed to investigate the roles of Senator Leila de Lima and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas II in the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) mess if he is not satisfied with their replies. The Office of the Ombudsman previously sent out letters to the two, asking them to explain why “heinous crime convicts” were removed from the list of those excluded from Republic Act No. 10592, which counted the GCTA credits of inmates. Both de Lima and Roxas have already sent
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AGUILAR Inquirer.net
MANILA — The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reminded parents the importance of vaccination as the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed a case of polio in the country. In a joint statement on Thursday, September 19, WHO and UNICEF stressed how vaccination is the best protection for children against polio. “We urge all parents and caregivers of A baby gets oral polio vaccine.
Inquirer.net photo
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PH to ‘lose’ if arbitral...
PAGE 1 good friends in UN vote against us. We’ve nothing to comparable to offer,” Locsin tweeted Thursday. The DFA chief, however, stressed that the Philippines could “never ever” give up its legal victory against China. The July 2016 arbitral ruling issued by the Hague-based Permanent Court Arbitration invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. “But we will never ever get
UN to vote for Arbitral Award. So let’s leave it as is; move on to mutual beneficial cooperation. Such is life,” Locsin said. This was in response to the statement of presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo that raising the arbitral award before the UN would be a “futile exercise.” “For one, it’s futile exercise. Why? Because UN has no enforcement force,” Panelo said Wednesday. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario urged the government to raise the
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From the Front Page issue before the UN as it would be an opportunity for the Philippines to move forward its position. Del Rosario, who led the Philippines in the arbitration against China, said the UN General Assembly is an excellent venue as all countries would listen. “In our case, the arbitral tribunal outcome was an overwhelming victory not only for the Philippines but also for the entire world. Unless we allow it, China can no longer claim the South China Sea as its own lake,” Del Rosario said. n
WHO, UNICEF underscore importance of vaccines...
PAGE 1 children under 5 years of age to have them vaccinated so that they are protected against polio for life,” WHO’s representative in the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe said, as quoted in the statement. The DOH earlier announced it had recorded a case of the disease in Lanao del Sur and found out poliovirus was detected in samples taken from sewage in Manila and waterways in Davao.
UNICEF expressed alarm on polio’s recurrence in the country, pointing out the need to immunize children to stop its transmission. “The outbreak calls for urgent action to protect more children from being infected. It reminds us of the importance of increasing immunization coverage to 95% of children to stop polio virus transmission in the Philippines,” UNICEF Philippines representative Oyun
Dendevnoro said, as quoted in the same statement. “Vaccination is the only and best protection against polio that mainly affects children under 5 years of age. As long as one single child remains infected, children across the country and even beyond are at risk of contracting polio,” Dendevnorov added. Both WHO and UNICEF also vowed it is working closely with the DOH to respond to the polio epidemic. n
DIVORCE BILL. Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, and Family Relations, presides over the public hearing on proposed “Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage in the Philippines” at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, September 17. Also in photo is Len Arcilla (inset), resource person from Divorce Coalition Pilipinas, narrating the suffering under her unsuccessful married life. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
Senate conducts ‘historic’ hearing on divorce bill
PAGE 1
chological abuse,” she said in Filipino. “They, together with their children, deserve all the chances available in this world to build nurturing families and find true and meaningful relationships,” the senator added. Hontiveros also maintained that the divorce bill is “promarriage, pro-family and prochildren” as it will make people respect marriage more by being more discerning with their choices in life and protects children from abuse and rebuilds broken families. “It makes us respect marriage more by being more discerning with our choices in life. It protects children from abuse and rebuilds broken families,” she said. “We can call it whatever we want. Divorce. Dissolution of marriage or whatever. The important thing is, giving a second chance to our people,” Hontiveros added. Change of term According to Hontiveros, if the lawmakers have an issue with semantics, advocates were open to changing the term “divorce.” She said if the term “divorce” is contentious, then “dissolution of marriage” would be issued in the committee report she will draft. “The term dissolution of marriage is acceptable already for the advocates. It’s fine with them if the word divorce is already contentious, as long as the grounds they are asking for to have a second chance [in life] is covered,” Hontiveros said. She added that some of her
colleagues in the Senate are more inclined to support the “dissolution of marriage.” Senate President Vicente Sotto III himself had said that a measure with the term “dissolution of marriage” has a better fighting chance in the upper chamber than divorce. “I don’t have the exact numbers right now pero in terms of sensing, I do sense there is more openness to the dissolution of marriage bill compared to other contentious bills,” Hontiveros said. She also said that she is willing to hold more hearings or technical working group meetings before elevating it to the plenary should there be calls for extensive discussion on the issue. Banning divorce is ‘tortuously inhumane’ Resource persons who were at the hearing stressed that banning divorce does not only lead to exploitations but is also “tortuously inhumane.’ Marc Anthony Luna from the Divorce Coalition of the Philippines addressed the panel saying that annulment is “one of the milking cows” of lawyers. A former OFW, Luna said he didn’t pursue annulment because he doesn’t believe in it and it is a process that is being exploited. Independent journalist Ana Santos said that the divorce ban in the Philippines has created scammers who take advantage of married couples breaking up. Apart from lawyers (both fake and legitimate) who run away with their clients’ money, she also added that there are courts that manufacture annulment proceedings and deci-
sions. Santos, who went through an annulment, said the divorce ban is “tortuously inhumane” as it “not only takes such a long time, not only bleed you of your money but it pits the couple against each other.” An annulment is a civil procedure in which a judge declares the marital union between a husband and a wife no longer valid. Proceedings cost at least P200,000 and it is the only option for Filipino couples who want to break up their marriage. A predominantly Catholic nation, the Philippines is one of the two countries that still ban divorce (the other one is Vatican City, an independent ecclesiastical sovereign citystate). The Family Code of the Philippines states that a marriage can only be annulled if: • The party in whose behalf it is sought to have the marriage annulled was 18 years of age or over but below 21 and the marriage was solemnized without the consent of the parents, guardian or person having substitute parental authority over the party • Either party was of unsound mind • The consent of either party was obtained by fraud • The consent of either party was obtained by force, intimidation or undue influence • Either party was physically incapable of consummating the marriage with the other and such incapacity continues and appears to be incurable • Either party was afflicted with a sexually-transmissible disease found to be serious and appears to be incurable. n
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Police numbers underreport drug war killings –US think tank by PaTRicia louRdes Philstar.com
ViRay
FIGURES from the police are a “gross underestimation” of the killings linked to President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs, according to a New York-based think tank. A report from the Columbia Journalism School’s Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism found that police numbers “do not give a true picture of the human cost” of the crackdown against illegal drugs. The study published July 2019 was based on drug-related killings in Manila, Caloocan and Quezon City from July 2016 to December 2017. While the police recorded a total of 764 killings in these three cities during the first 18 months of the drug war, the center documented 1,111 police killings based on both police and non-police sources. “Furthermore, we estimate that by taking into consideration the dark figure of undocumented killings, the true number is approximately 1,254,” the report read. The “dark figure” is the undocumented number of killings, which the think tank estimated through a statisti-
cal technique called multiple systems estimation. The think tank also observed a “more extreme” underreporting on drug-related killings committed by unidentified assailants. Data from the police showed 201 drug-related killings but the sources used in the report documented 1,201 killings. The estimated number of killings by unidentified assailants, including the dark figure, is at 1,587 victims. “The findings of this report are limited to only three cities for the first 18 months of the anti-drug campaign, but they raise questions about the accuracy and completeness of the police data on drug-linked killings,” the report read. The data used in this report was from more than 20 different sources in the Philippines, including police reports, news, churches and parishes, non-governmental organizations and human rights groups, and the Commission on Human Rights, among others. The data set of the Stabile Center noted that 80% of the 2,320 homicides recorded in the same time period were reported in police documents, 60% reported in the news while a small number has
been recorded by churches and human rights groups. Earlier this year, rights watchdog Human Rights Watch warned that the human rights crisis in the Philippines has “deepened” during Duterte’s second year in office. In its annual report issued last January, HRW noted that the drug war has expanded to areas outside Metro Manila. As of November 2018, the government’s tally of drugrelated deaths rose to 5,050. In a report last July, London-based Amnesty International said the epicenter of the Philippines’ drug has shifted to Bulacan province, where 827 drug-related killings were observed from July 2016 to February 2019. Amnesty attributed the rise in killings in Bulacan to the transfer of police commanders previously based in Metro Manila to the province. “A closer looks shows that several commanders who previously held posts in Metro Manila when it was the region where most drugrelated killings were reported have been promoted and are now at the helm in various positions in Bulacan and the wider Central Luzon,” the Amnesty report read. n
INC holds Guinness world record of most people baptized i p p i n e A re n a c o i n c i d e d w i t h E d u a r d o M a n a l o ’s tenth year as INC executive THE Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) minister. “We bore witness to a solset a world record with its baptism of 18,272 people in emn and historic gathering. Bocaue, Bulacan on Septem- More than the attainment of the new world record, howber 7. Based on its statement, ever, we are thankful that the t h e I N C s a i d i t s “ G r a n d INC is continuing to grow and Baptism” event at the Phil- its message of peace and salby Reina
TolenTino ManilaTimes.net
vation is reaching more new adherents in the Philippines and abroad,” INC General Auditor Glicerio Santos Jr. said. Guinness adjudicator Joanne Marie Brent officially announced the record after a thorough count and audit of attendees, based on INC’s statement. n
Ombudsman to probe de Lima, Roxas on GCTA mess... PAGE 1 their replies, but Martires said on Thursday, September 19, he has yet to read them. He however warned the two that if the replies appear sarcastic, he will not hesitate to answer back. “I am just asking them why is it that the prohibition in the law was not included in the IRR (implementing rules and regulations). Ikaw ang gumawa, ipaliwanag mo, kung satisfied ako sa paliwanag mo, titigil ako. Pero kung hindi ako satisfied sa paliwanag mo, aabante ako ng imbestigasyon,” Martires told reporters after an event at the Office of the Ombudsman. “Pero kung namimilosopo
lang sa akin, mamimilosopo rin ako. Ayaw ko sanang humantong sa hindi pagkakaunawaan di ba, pero sabi ko nga kung pipilitin ako, eh gagawin ko, tungkulin ko ito eh,” he added. Martires clarified that both de Lima and Roxas are neither considered as respondents or resource persons in the ongoing investigation of the Bureau of Corrections. Previously, Martires pointed out in his letter that there is a difference in Article 29 of the Revised Penal Code, which was amended by R.A. 10592 — signed by former President Benigno Aquino III — and the law’s IRR. Section 7 of R.A. 10592 mandates the interior and
justice secretaries — then de Lima and Roxas — to craft the IRR. Under the law, “recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees, and persons charged with heinous crimes” are excluded from availing GCTA. Heinous crimes convict are however not included in Section 3 of the IRR. In her reply submitted on Tuesday, de Lima said the Ombudsman should direct his question instead to the Department of Justice, as she is no longer in the proper capacity to answer the question. Roxas on the other hand insisted that heinous crime convicts were excluded, as shown in the IRR’s Rule IV, Section 6. n
Dateline USa
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RICE PRICE MONITORING. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar (in vest jacket), together with other government officials, supervises the unloading of NFA rice during the on-site price monitoring in Commonwealth Market, Quezon City. The DA is working closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in monitoring the prices of rice in the market. PNA photo by Ben Briones
Anti-human trafficking summit highlights...
PAGE 1 for the children, all with no pay and days off. Although the home in Southern California had four bedrooms, Lugasan was forced to sleep on the floor with no mattress. “I worked so hard even when my body was really hurting, and when it got really bad, I would cry [and] tears would be coming out nonstop. But I couldn’t complain, I couldn’t protest, and I felt so helpless,” Lugasan said of her decades of servitude under Cox at a summit on human trafficking on Friday, September 13, in Los Angeles hosted by the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC). Speaking with the conviction of Lugasan — who affectionately goes by Nanay Fedelina — recounted a lifetime of lies and neglect begat onto her by her employers, who mocked Lugasan whenever she said she wanted to leave, asking her, “Where would you go?” “[The Cox family] would threaten to call the police if I ever left and accuse me of stealing their things, which I never did. That scared me. I did not know anyone who could help me and of course, I didn’t want to go to jail for something that I didn’t do,” Lugasan recalled. PWC has estimated that throughout her decades of work, Lugasan’s back wages come to about $1.6 million, using California’s minimum wage at the time Lugasan began employment with the Cox family in 1980. But Lugasan’s lifelong experience in modern slavery isn’t unique at all. Just like Lugasan, tens of thousands of people all over the world are duped into promises of stable work and income in the United States only to be subjected to harsh work-
ing conditions, low pay and abuse. Trends show that a growing number of traffickers are utilizing social media platforms in order to coerce victims into sex work or domestic servitude. According to a report from the U.S. Health and Human Services, an estimated 50,000 people are trafficked into the U.S. annually, with a majority of them coming from Mexico and the Philippines. According to the Human Trafficking Hotline, a significant majority of victims are women and minors and an overwhelming majority of cases are reported in California. Filipinos may be recruited by individuals who promise things like stable income, shelter and a pathway to citizenship, or they may be tapped by agencies in hospitality, the service industry or homecare who end up exploiting workers and threaten them into submission. And it may be difficult to even identify a human trafficking situation on its face. PWC Executive Director Aquilina Versoza noted that, like Lugasan, oftentimes looks as normal as picking up kids from the school, running errands or working in the garden. But behind the pedestrian facade may be hiding something more sinister. “It just really sheds a light on how our judicial system fails to protect victims and that the need for anti-human trafficking reform in our legislation is more urgent than ever,” Versoza said at the summit. “We celebrate Nanay Fedelina’s freedom today, but as I’ve said, it’s bittersweet. Nobody should ever have to endure what she has endured for so many years.” Lugasan was finally rescued in 2018 when she col-
lapsed in a hospital while watching over Cox who was sick at the time. In the days preceding the collapse, she had not been able to sleep or eat, and when hospital employees suspected mistreatment of the woman, they contacted law enforcement. The FBI then searched Cox’s residence and found all evidence of abuse and exploitation. Both the FBI and the PWC helped Lugasan during her rescue and transition into normal life, helping her obtain health care, housing, food and legal services. (After a lengthy investigation, law enforcement put Cox on house arrest, sentenced her to five years probation and ordered her to pay $101,119.98 in restitution.) Through the help of the PWC and the Filipino American community at large, Lugasan said she’s now able to live the life she’s always wanted to live, and she feels emboldened as ever to be active in the fight against human trafficking. “Now that I am free from the abuse, I want to let all workers who might be in a similar situation to seek help and don’t let people mistreat or abuse you. Like PWC, there are so many of us who are looking to help. I felt so alone before, so I know how [isolating] it feels, but please know you are not alone,” Lugasan said. If you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline can connect you with services and support and, most importantly, confidentiality. Call the hotline at 1-888-3737888, text 233733 or visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org to chat with a representative. (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)
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OPINION
FEATURES
Beyond emergency powers AFTER three years, it looks like senators remain lukewarm to proposals to give President Duterte emergency powers to untangle the traffic mess particularly on EDSA. The bone of contention has always been the Senate’s request for the administration to specify exactly what powers are being requested or for what specific purposes. Senators have refused to grant blanket authorization that might open doors to corruption, by circumventing procurement laws or the constitutional separation of powers, for example. An exasperated President Duterte has said he’s no longer interested in the emergency powers. This should not mean he is giving up on the traffic mess in Metro Manila, which experts estimate is costing the country billions in lost economic productivity. A recent report said patients in ambulances have died because heavy traffic in Metro Manila prevented the vehicles from reaching hospitals on time. The president’s spokesman facetiously suggested that helicopters be deployed for such emergencies. No one stuck in infernal traffic can afford to laugh.
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In fact some officials are showing that certain things can be done, even without emergency powers, to improve traffic flow. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno cleared some of the most congested streets in the country of vendors, illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions, opening the streets to vehicular traffic. He has so far sustained his campaign without incurring a lawsuit. Schemes to rationalize bus deployment and movement on EDSA have been proposed, with at least one measure involving provincial buses now the subject of a court injunction. Even without emergency powers, authorities can clamp down on “colorum” buses and prune the number of franchises covering EDSA. The president can use his considerable political capital to get industry players to cooperate in rationalizing the deployment of buses, so that they don’t have to engage in cutthroat competition for passengers and turn various stops into virtual terminals. There are also several schemes being considered to reduce the volume of private vehicles. Police traffic teams are exploring tighter enforce-
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
ment to keep vehicle flow moving along EDSA. As for long-term measures, emergency powers will not solve bureaucratic bottlenecks and inefficient processes in implementing infrastructure projects necessary for reducing traffic. Some agencies have started opening to the public roads in private subdivisions, even without approval from homeowners, to ease traffic along
main thoroughfares. This can be done without emergency powers, and it may be carried out in a way that would enjoy the support of homeowners. The president has immense persuasive powers that can be applied to get everyone on board. Even without special powers, many things can be done in the name of public interest. (Philstar. com)
What we need to know about suicide, PH, China and US: Joint exploration vs rearmament the 10th cause of death in the US Commentary
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS SUICIDE — the act of taking one’s own life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2017, the 10th cause of death in the United States was suicide. Worse, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents 10 to 19 years old. Suicide follows heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes,
influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease on the causes of mortality, according to the report of the CDC. It has now become a public health problem that is begging to be talked about, understood and addressed. What causes suicide? What drives a person, who is equipped with life instinct for life preservation, harm him/ herself to end it all? According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there is no one cause for suicide. However, this tragedy “often occurs when stressors and health issues
converge to create an experience of hopelessness and despair. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it is often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase risk for suicide. Yet it’s important to note that most people who actively manage their mental health conditions go on to engage in life.” HOWEVER, SUICIDE CAN BE PREVENTED. We just have to be better informed PAGE 8
President Duterte’s joint exploration framework with China is a historic breakthrough. But since it has potential to de-escalate tensions over time, it is opposed by those interests that prefer rearmament, even if that would lead to a split of Southeast Asia and new nuclearization. IN early 2018, the Philippines and China agreed to set up a special panel to work out how the two could jointly explore oil and gas in parts of the South China Sea (SCS) that both sides claim without having to address the issue of sovereignty. That was something of a breakthrough. Last fall, President Xi Jin-
DAN STEINBOCK ping’s state visit to the Philippines resulted in the bilateral memorandum of understanding on oil and gas development in the contested SCS. It was one of the some 30 documents signed during Xi’s visit in Manila. Following a recent meeting with Xi, Duterte said the Philippines could set aside the ruling of the international arbitral tribunal on China’s SCS claims, in
exchange for a joint oil and gas exploration deal with Beijing. Xi-Duterte framework relative to Malampaya To undermine the breakthrough and cooperation, critics argue that Duterte is “abandoning” the international ruling on the disputed sea. In reality, setting aside the ruling does not mean abandoning it. As I have argued since the early 2010s, the friction between the Philippines and China can be overcome by focusing on the economic cooperative potential, suspending the stated bilateral differences, creating mechanisms to settle those disagreements over time PAGE 10
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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Dateline PhiliPPines
‘Capture convicts dead or alive’ by Jomar
Canlas
ManilaTimes.net
MORE than a thousand prisoners prematurely freed under the controversial Good Conduct Time Allowance Law will be captured “dead or alive” if they do not surrender before the deadline, according to President Rodrigo Duterte. Authorities scrambled to track down the prisoners — including convicted murderers and rapists — who were released early because of a wrong application of the law and possible corruption A worker hangs lanterns at a stall in Central Market in Manila three months before the official start of the Christmas season. The Philippines is the only country that begins celebrating the happiest season in September. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina of prison officers. Earlier this month, Duterte set a September 19 deadline for the prisoners to surrender or return to jail or face the consequences. He also by Germelina laCorte, matthew reysio-Cruz, ronnel w. DominGo offered a P1 million price on Inquirer.net their heads. AFRICAN swine fever has backyard raisers would be paid posal of food waste that crosses “The one million prize is spread to Metro Manila from P3,000 and P1,500 for every national boundaries by air or available to those who can adjoining Rizal and Bulacan, slaughtered pig and piglet, by sea. capture them dead or alive,” It has also urged hog raisers Duterte told reporters on provinces that the govern- respectively, as compensation ment earlier acknowledged even if the animals were from not to feed the animals with Tuesday, September 17. untreated swill to help interas among the areas hit by the illegally operated pens. “But maybe dead would be The city has said that as part national efforts to deal with disease that is fatal to hogs but of standard protocol, all pigs outbreaks. harmless to humans. In the Philippines, two-thirds The Quezon City government within a 1-kilometer radius of has culled 146 pigs at Barangay infected areas need to be culled of hogs are raised by backyard Bagong Silangan since Sunday, to stop the highly contagious operators. Agribusiness coalition SamaSeptember 15, after 11 hogs disease from spreading to anihang Industriya ng Agrikultura in the area tested positive for mals in nearby areas. (Sinag) laments the lack of clarGround zero the African swine fever virus, Sitio Veterans (Area 5) and ity on the government’s policy Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Oriole Extension (Area 2) in on untreated swill. Wednesday, September 18. Pigs raised by backyard The culling of the animals Bagong Silangan have been came as the World Organiza- identified as ground zero for farmers are commonly fed with food waste—a source of cheap tion for Animal Health, or OIE, the outbreak. Anamarie Cabel, head of the feed that usually comes from reported that about 8,000 hogs had died in the Philippines Quezon City Veterinary Office, household kitchens, hotels, said additional blood samples restaurants and even air and from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12. This figure accounted for from the 1-km radius of the two sea ports. The Bureau of Animal Industhe bulk of the 8,200 hogs lost areas also had been sent to the in all of Asia and the 10,000 Bureau of Animal Industry for try and the Department of Agriculture have urged hog raisers lost worldwide during the testing. Officials of the Quezon City to “not serve swill” as this may two-week period, said OIE in its latest fortnightly update on Police District and barangays be contaminated with microorthe global monitoring of the have been instructed to contain ganisms and viruses that could the spread of the disease, with cause the death of pigs. disease. Cultural practice In yet another measure taken the former being tasked with Rosendo So, president of by a local government, Mati establishing and monitoring City in Davao Oriental has multiple checkpoints within the industry umbrella group Sinag, noted that feeding hogs banned the entry of fresh and the area. Barangay officials have been with swill was a cultural given, processed pork unless these are transported via refrigerated ordered to crack down on other especially among backyard informal backyard hog raisers raisers. delivery trucks. “We are explaining to backand assist the veterinary office Compensation Mati adopted the measure by acquiring blood samples yard raisers that in these times when we don’t know where the despite the appeal on Monday for testing. The veterinary office has food scraps came from—maybe of Agriculture Secretary William Dar to local governments pledged to aggressively mon- from hotels and restaurants to await guidelines from his itor Quezon City’s biggest that serve dishes with imported department on how to deal markets in Commonwealth, pork—using swill feed may with the disease and not unduly Balintawak, Mega Q-Mart and ruin their business,” So told the Inquirer. impose bans on the entry of Novaliches. “Even in the carinderias, we Untreated swill pork and pork products in their In a bulletin, OIE is calling can’t be sure that establishrespective localities. In a statement, Quezon City on governments to enhance ments use frozen imported Mayor Belmonte said affected sanitary measures on the disPAGE 10
80% of global swine fever deaths are in PH
a better option. I will pay you smiling,” he added. More than 20,000 prisoners have been released since 2014, including those convicted of heinous crimes who were found to be ineligible for a law that rewards good behavior with shorter jail time. The law went into effect in 2014, two years before Duterte was elected president. The release of prisoners became controversial when Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials announced that former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez would join thousands of inmates who would be released under the good conduct law. Public furor prompted Duterte to sack former BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon. At least 500 prisoners have surrendered over the past two weeks, according to police. Their cases will be reviewed by authorities with a view to returning them to prison.
Detained On Wednesday, September 18, two officials of BuCor and a doctor of the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP) hospital detained by the Senate sought refuge at the Court of Appeals. The three were cited in contempt for giving evasive answers during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Sept. 12, 2019. A petition for habeas corpus was filed before the appeals court by CTSO3 Ramoncito Roque, chief of the Records and Documents Section of BuCor, Frederic Anthony Santos, legal officer of the Records and Documents Section of BuCor and Ursicio Cenas, medical officer of the NBP Hospital. Named respondents to the case were Senate President Vicente Sotto 3rd, Sen. Richard Gordon and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Rene Samonte. The petitioners asked the court to declare their arrest and detention illegal. n
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Imee Marcos: Good for UP to teach martial law, but get our viewpoint too by Cathrine
Gonzales Inquirer.net
MANILA — Senator Imee Marcos said on Wednesday, September 18, it is good for the University of the Philippines (UP) to teach martial law to its students, but appealed that her family also be given a chance to share their side of the story about the era. “I think maganda din na pinag-aaralan. At least sana bigyan na lang din kami ng pagkakataon na sabihin din kung anong nangyari sa pagkaalam namin. ‘Yun lang naman ang importante doon, na may viewpoints ng bawat isa at marinig ang bawat isa (I think it’s good for it to be studied. But at least we should be given a chance to narrate what happened during martial law according to our knowledge. It’s important that the viewpoints of everyone are heard),” she told Senate reporters in a chance interview. UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Evageline Amor earlier said a subject on martial law will be offered as a general subject at UP Diliman starting January 2020. The subject will be called “Philippine Studies 21: Wika, Panitikan, at Kultura sa
Senator Imee Marcos
Inquirer.net photo
Ilalim ng Batas Militar.” For Marcos, UP has the academic freedom and the right to teach martial law, but explained there is a tendency for this freedom to be confined to ideas from a certain group. “Ang problema kasi, ang academic freedom kung minsan, freedom lang para sa isang pangkat, wala namang freedom sa iba (The problem is academic freedom is sometimes confined to a certain group but is not extended to others),” she said. She then blamed the silence of her family in telling their side of the story on alleged human rights violations when martial law was declared by
her father, former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. “Ako naman tinitiis ko rin. ‘Yung iba, makinig din naman sana. Actually sa tingin ko, kasalanan na rin ng pamilya namin, kasi naging tameme na rin kami, tinamad na kaming magsalita. Hindi na namin binabahagi ‘yung alam namin. Hindi na rin kami nakikikwento kasi parang nakakapagod na eh (I am trying to endure it. I hope others will also listen. Actually, I think it’s also the fault of our family because we were quiet and became tired to speak. We no longer share what we know. We no longer tell our story because it already became tiresome),” she said. “Kulang kami dyan eh. Talagang hindi kami nagsulat, hindi kami nagpa-interview, bitin talaga sa pagtatanggol ng sarili kumbaga (We lacked in that area. We did not write about it or allowed ourselves to be interviewed. We fell short in defending ourselves),” she added. “What we have is personal knowledge, the experience and the truth that we own,” Marcos further explained, adding that she believes the UP will be fair in teaching martial law to its students. n
What we need to know about suicide...
Lombard By The Bay is a joint venture development project between Premier Asia Pacific Real Estate and Development Corp. and Omnicor Industrial Estate & Realty Center, Inc.
PAGE 5 about what it is all about, what the warning signs are and how we can respond appropriately to help your self, a loved one, a co-worker, a friend, a student or anybody that exhibits such warning signs. It is not just about being “malungkot” all the time. Some people can be functional or have a smiling brave front, but deep inside they are hurting and dying in spirit. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention cautions that we need to be on the lookout for “a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors.” The foundation explains that “this is of sharpest concern if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change. Most people who take their lives exhibit one or more warning signs, either through what they say or what they do.” Warning signs: Watch what they say or post on social media or write about. If a person talks about: • Killing themselves • Feeling hopeless
• Having no reason to live • Being a burden to others • Feeling trapped • Unbearable pain Be mindful of their behavior. Behaviors that may signal risk, especially if related to a painful event, loss or change: • Increased use of alcohol or drugs • Looking for a way to end their lives, such as searching online for methods • Withdrawing from activities • Isolating from family and friends • Sleeping too much or too little • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye • Giving away prized possessions • Aggression • Fatigue Be sensitive about their mood changes. People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods: • Depression • Anxiety • Loss of interest • Irritability • Humiliation/Shame
• Agitation/Anger • Relief/Sudden Improvement Who could be at risk? The foundation discusses the characteristics or conditions that increase the chance that a person may try to take their life: Health factors • Mental health conditions • Depression • Substance use problems • Bipolar disorder • Schizophrenia • Personality traits of aggression, mood changes and poor relationships • Conduct disorder • Anxiety disorders • Serious physical health conditions including pain • Traumatic brain injury Environmental factors • Access to lethal means including firearms and drugs • Prolonged stress, such as harassment, bullying, relationship problems or unemployment • Stressful life events, like rejection, divorce, financial crisis, other life transitions or loss PAGE 10
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What we need to know about suicide... PAGE 8
• Exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of suicide Historical factors • Previous suicide attempts • Family history of suicide • Childhood abuse, neglect or trauma How you can help: The Foundation for Suicide Prevention advises that if you think someone is thinking about suicide, assume you are the only one who will reach out. Here’s how to talk to someone who may be struggling with their mental health. • Talk to them in private • Listen to their story
• Tell them you care about them • Ask directly if they are thinking about suicide • Encourage them to seek treatment or to contact their doctor or therapist • Avoid debating the value of life, minimizing their problems or giving advice If a person says they are considering suicide: • Take the person seriously • Stay with them • Help them remove lethal means • Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800273-8255 • Text TALK to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line
for free, 24/7 • Escort them to mental health services or an emergency room LASTLY, if I may add, let us pray for them and their families. Let us visualize the light of God surrounding them like a shied, dissipating the dark clouds hovering above them, and healing them to wholeness. GOD BLESS YOU. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos
80% of global swine fever deaths...
PAGE 7 meat—smuggled—that are readily available and come in boxes indicating their country of origin,” he added. Banned in EU Swill feeding has been banned in the European Union since an outbreak of foodand-mouth disease in 2001, which was traced to cases of swill feeding in the United
Kingdom. Even then, there are calls to rethink a total ban on swill, with the emphasis on “untreated” swill. Alternatives put forward in the European Union—to make swill feed acceptable— include the Japanese method of treating swill through, for example, a combination of heat treatment and acidifica-
Dateline PhiliPPines
tion—fermentation or adding lactic acid. Mati veterinarian Marites Erispe said the city would no longer allow the entry of meat products by bus, vans and other vehicles except for refrigerated meat delivery trucks. “All those [meat products] which fail [to meet] the strict screening [standard] would be confiscated,” Erispe said. n
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PH, China and US: Joint exploration... PAGE 5 and fostering joint confidencebuilding measures. That’s what most Asean countries aspire to, including those that have SCS disagreements with China. It may be useful to compare the stated joint exploration framework with another historical precedent. In 1989, during the rule of President Corazon Aquino, a gas field was discovered off the shore of Palawan. Following successful appraisal in the 1990s — during the presidencies of Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada — the Malampaya field became operational in 2001. According to its operators’ estimate, as of 2018, the Malampaya, whose supply is forecast to start declining by 2022, has surpassed $10 billion in Philippine government revenues. That’s a nice way to say that that 90 percent of the Malampaya revenues go to multinationals in Europe and the US. In reality, the Philippine interest in the gas field is just 10 percent, as opposed to the British-Dutch Shell (45 percent) and the U.S. Chevron (45 percent). According to President Duterte’s statement, China has promised to give the Philippines 60 percent of the profits from any gas or oil deal as opposed to China’s 40 percent. That’s a breakthrough, something that none of Duterte’s precursors achieved in the past decades. Of course, there is another possible approach to the SCS issues, as well. After Duterte’s statement, Vice President Leni Robredo, the last major holdout of the Liberal Party meltdown following the 2016 election, blamed Duterte for a “shameful” sellout to China over the joint-exploration deal. In turn, Duterte has argued that the Philippines needs to stop the “foolishness” of such scenarios. Where would such scenarios lead? In the April phone conversation between U.S. President Trump and Duterte, Trump boasted about two U.S. nuclear submarines near North Korea. “We have a lot of firepower over there,” Trump said. “We have two nuclear submarines — not that we want to use them at all.” The willingness to use nuclear weapons in the region is the latest phase in the ongoing rearmament. During the Cold War, Washington created the security architecture in the region, including the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (Seato) signed in Manila in the mid-1950s. The Seato’s stated task was to
contain Soviet communism. Hence, the U.S.-led wars from the Korean Peninsula in the early 1950s and the massacre of almost a million Chinese communists in Indonesia in the mid-1960s, to the war in Vietnam and subsequent conflicts in the former Indochina in the 1970s until the Seato’s dissolution. Today, the region looks very different. In relative terms, America’s economic role has been descending. Meanwhile, China has matured into a major economic contributor, as reflected by the economic spillovers associated with One Road One Belt initiatives. Ever since President Obama’s Pivot to Asia in the early 2010s, the Pentagon has been pushing rearmament in the region, through arms sales. In 2017, the U.S. sold $42 billion in weapons to foreign countries, but $8 billion (20 percent of the total) in the “Indo-Pacific” region. Yet, in global arms transfers, Asia Pacific is the most lucrative region (over 40 percent of world total). Consequently, U.S. defense contractors would like to double their revenues in the region. The Pentagon’s highest executives have a personal stake in rearmament. Former U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis served on the board of General Dynamics, a leading U.S. defense contractor. His successor Patrick Shanahan served over 30 years in executive roles at Boeing, the largest U.S. military exporter. Current Defense Secretary Mark Esper has been recognized as America’s top military lobbyist. He spent seven years as the head of government relations at the leading defense contractor Raytheon. In the early 2010s, the strategic goals of the former Aquino government and those of current Vice President Robredo have largely converged with the U.S. “pivot to Asia.” As President Obama’s Defense Secretary Leon Panetta affirmed in 2012, this plan was predicated on the deployment of 60 percent of U.S. warships to Asia Pacific by 2020 — that is, next year. Last month, the Pentagon’s new chief Esper illuminated the next phase of U.S. rearmament in the region. A day after Washington withdrew from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia — that President Reagan and Gorbachev in 1987 hoped would ensure peace in the 21st century — Esper stated the U.S. will be looking to deploy new ground-
launched, intermediate- range missiles in Asia. According to Pentagon estimates, a low-flying cruise missile with a potential range of about 1,000 kilometers could be ready for deployment in 18 months. The U.S. continues to have almost 4,000 nuclear warheads. Esper has acknowledged the U.S. is considering placing new medium-range conventional weapons in Asia: “We would like to deploy a capability sooner rather than later.” While he has not specified where the U.S. intends to deploy these weapons, U.S. allies in the region are historically prioritized. In brief, geopolitical pressure toward missile deployments is about to begin in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, the history of nuclear deployments has been largely covert. Article II Section 8 of the Philippine Constitution forbids the presence of nuclear weapons in the country. But such clauses do not constrain its allies. During the Cold War Marcos era, U.S. nuclear warheads were secretly stockpiled in the Philippines. When the U.S. Navy withdrew from Subic Bay naval base in 1992, it was due to the failure to iron out differences, including Manila’s ban on nuclear weapons. By 1995, the Asean countries agreed on the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty. The Bangkok treaty entered into force on March 28, 1997 and obliges its members not to develop, manufacture or otherwise acquire, possess or have control over nuclear weapons. However, allies are not constrained by such limitations. When President Aquino and Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario agreed with the U.S. on a rotating U.S. military presence in Philippine bases in March 2016 — right before Duterte’s landslide win — the effort seems to have been to lock in a path to closer military alignment (which eventually would require such deployments). That scenario could bury the economic promise of the Philippines in the 21st century. President Duterte’s rebalancing, including a joint exploration deal, is an effort to foster new economic cooperation with China, in addition to the old ties with the U.S. That rebalancing is very much in line with Asean’s efforts at peaceful, regional economic integration. Rearmament and nuclearization aren’t. (ManilaTimes.net)
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A CREWMAN WHO JUMPED SHIP WENT HOME TO THE PHILIPPINES ON AN APPROVED PROVISIONAL WAIVER, BUT WAS CHARGED WITH FRAUD FOR OVERSTAYING, AND COULD NO LONGER RETURN TO THE U.S. Jimmy entered the U.S. in 1999 and jumped ship. When the provisional waiver regulations came out, (which also included crewmen), Jimmy immediately applied for it in his desire to “do the right thing” and legalize his status. When USCIS approved his provisional waiver (thereby “forgiving” his overstay), Jimmy traveled back to the Philippines for his immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy, thinking he would be back in the U.S. in a few weeks. However, the Embassy charged him with fraud by imposing a new “90-day rule” for his having overstayed almost 20 years ago. He found himself stuck in the Philippines while his wife lay in a coma in the U.S. Leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel never abandoned Jimmy or his case, and kept fighting for him. Witness a hearttugging and heart-wrenching homecoming and reunion on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
October 2019 priority dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY: First Preference
EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning in October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance or Final Action Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card.
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
January 01, 2009
July 01, 2008
(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below August 01, 21 years old) of green 2019 card holders
Current
(2b) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 March 01, 2009 September 01, years old or older) 2008 of green card holders Third Preference
married sons and daughters of US Citizens
October 01, 1998
April 01, 1998
Fourth Preference
brothers and sisters of US Citizens
January 08, 1999
July 08, 1998
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
professional/ Skilled Workers
Current
October 15, 2017
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
Current
October 15, 2017
*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute
a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook. com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @ GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
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Scam-proofing basics 101 As McDonald’s delivery business builds
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA YEARS ago, I came across an email message from a legitimate contact telling a sad story and asking for emergency money in a far-off land. I searched some phrases and sure enough, it was a scam. Out it went with the spam trash. My take on this: my contact’s email was breached and his contact list hacked. This is one of the reasons I am loath to forward emails sent by well-meaning friends, no matter how funny. What is amazing is that people have been victimized by this scam all over the world when a few keystrokes would have verified it and a bit of common sense and a smidgen of cynicism would have raised one’s hackles and suspicions. There are rough estimates of $183 million per year on average that have been scammed from the unsuspecting on the internet. The figure could be more since a big percentage of people will not admit to being conned. The electronic age has brought us wonders and unbelievable convenience defying space/time constraints and accomplishing things we can only do in previous times if we were physically present in one place. With an internet connection, we can do great and wonderful things that were the stuff of science fiction not so long ago. But there is a sinister side to the internet — a very sinister side. And it gets darker as moral turpitude and relativism appear to be on the rise and our capacity to be shocked is diminished with every jawdropping crime. There was a time when crime was met with swift and appropriate punishment. Sadly, we have archaic laws governing these types of crimes and enforcement is nearly non-existent. We are in uncharted territory. For as long as these laws which were structured in the past cannot keep up with the overwhelming volume of cyber crimes, it is in our best interest to learn how to become savvy net users and defend ourselves from the onslaught that comes electronically. The amount of available crud (translate that to disgust-
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” —Marcus Aurelius ing things like porn, pedophilia, scams and gambling and some such variation of evil) on the net is staggering. In the book I wrote, there is a chapter dedicated on avoiding the pitfalls of scams and the schemes of con artists designed to separate you from your hard-earned money. This time, the level of sophistication is up several notches higher as many unscrupulous and oftentimes, amoral and downright evil people everywhere around the world see the internet as the modern, deceptively innocuous version of highway robbery using a computer instead of a gun. If we are internet users, we are all at risk, unless and until we take the necessary psychological and physical precautions to deal with this and become relatively “scam proof.” No one is sacrosanct. These scams are designed to prey upon two basic human weaknesses ingrained in our DNA wiring: GREED and FEAR. Here’s one blanket caveat to keep us on our toes about how lottery scams and cons play out in cyberspace. REMEMBER — and I can’t emphasize this often enough, on this matter, and perhaps, other significant areas of life — IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. Okay, repeat that as your mantra. The scams that feed on greed are so sophisticated that they can send a seemingly authentic check by mail from a real bank with so many zeroes on it. If you bite at the first overture, they then ask for a processing fee from you for you to get the rest of the winnings. This is called the Nigerian scam apparently because the first perpetrators allegedly were well educated but destitute Nigerians who found that their facility for the English language could be exploited to scam millions using the internet. The scam has spread and morphed with mind-boggling variations but with only nefarious purposes — to separate you from your money OR on a more sinister level, to steal your identity. No one race or culture has the monopoly on these. These can originate anywhere in the
world. I have had mine come in purportedly from G7 as well as impoverished countries. If you have not consciously joined any lottery, why in heaven’s name would you think you have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning even one thin dime? Also, legitimate lotteries will NEVER, repeat NEVER, ask you for money in order for a winner to claim a prize. One other purpose aside from stealing your money is stealing sensitive information if you work for corporations or government institutions. BE WARY of clicking on innocent looking links which can infect computer systems and networks with crippling viruses. Some scams feed on your fear. One of the most deceptive things is to receive an email from your bank instructing you to click on a link and verify your information since someone supposedly is accessing your account and if you don’t verify your information, particularly your pin number or password, this can result in a temporary hold on your funds. Or so, the scammer’s script reads. The modern term for this is “phishing” and its derivative more laser focused version, called spear phishing,”which refers to the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company. I received one of these phishing calls which had a legitimate ID on the caller ID asking us to call a number and even left a reference number claiming to check on some gas card purchases. I told her I need to verify if her call is legitimate. I detected a hint of dejection in her response. Sure enough, a check on the phone number she left indicated it was a phishing call. No legitimate financial entity will ask you for financial information online. Cut scammers off at the knees with the simple expediency of calling the fraud unit of your bank or credit card company yourself. Take the bull by the horns. Generate the call. Get the telephone number from your statement or your card and DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER that the caller or e-mailer provided you with. It’s a TRAP.
global momentum, the company hosts third annual McDelivery event across 50 countries and six continents
Global “McDelivery Night In” includes “Staying n” clothing line dropping September 19 CHICAGO — McDonald’s now delivers to more than one million customers around the world every day. To honor this milestone, on September 19th McDonald’s and Uber Eats are encouraging customers to enjoy a “Global McDelivery Night In” – one night dedicated to enjoying their craveable and delicious McDelivery favorites where they order it most: at home. With 60% of McDelivery orders being placed at night, and a growing culture of coziness and relaxation emerging around the world, McDonald’s has created a line of apparel and accessories designed to take quiet nights in to the next level – whether it’s curling up on the couch for a night of relaxation or spending time with loved ones – with McDelivery. Items offered in the McDelivery Night In line, a unique collection of comfortable, ontrend items to enjoy at home including plush loungewear, socks, slippers, games and more. “With McDelivery we’re meeting our customers on their terms,and providing more ways to get their McDonald’s favorites than ever before,” said Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s CEO. “In fact globally there are more than 10 McDelivery orders placed every second. With our third annual McDelivery celebration, we’re calling on our customers around the world to take a break and join us for a well-deserved night in.” Around the world, coun-
tries across six continents will bring McDelivery Night In to life on September 19th. • In the U.S., customers can order McDelivery with Uber Eats from a participating McDonald’s to receive a limited edition item from the McDelivery Night In line* with $10 minimum purchase beginning at 5 p.m. local time, while supplies last. Available items in the U.S. include items ranging from cozy socks to slippers perfect for kicking up your feet in style with a Big Mac. • In the United Kingdom and Ireland, well-loved TV personalities will kick-off the activation, encouraging their fans and followers to join the big night in. There will be a £0 delivery fee for Uber Eats throughout the country on the 19th, and cozy socks will be given away with orders between 5-7pm, while supplies last. • Canada will be celebrating McDelivery Night In through a partnership with Drake General Store – a
Canadian retail and e-commerce shop. One hundred percent of the proceeds from all McDelivery Night In line items sold will go to supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities® Canada. With over two decades of delivery experience in Asia and the Middle East, McDonald’s is already one of the largest global delivery players, offering the service in more than 21,000 restaurants across more than 80 countries. McDelivery is expected to be a $4 billion business globally in 2019, and leverages several different models, including partnering with various third parties for ordering and delivery fulfillment. McDelivery launched in the U.S. in 2017 with partners including Uber Eats, and by the end of 2019 will be available in 10,000 restaurants, more than 70% of the U.S. system. For more information on McDelivery Night In, visit McDeliveryNightIn.com.
If it is an email, hit the spam button and empty the trash. Don’t just delete it. Sure, they will morph into another form but be proactive and make it more difficult for them. These scams are like viruses or shape shifters and can mutate faster than the speed of light. PC users are more vulnerable to spammers/scammers and pesky pop-ups than Mac users. But this too can change. C’est la vie. Is there karmic justice? Because con artists rarely ever see the faces of their victims
or know the full extent of the damage that they wreak on real people with real lives, these crimes seem impersonal in nature and rarely, if ever, do con artists get their comeuppance or due punishment. Translate that to jail time or some form of punishment, like being exposed to an anthill, boiled in oil or tickled to oblivion… Just kidding of course… Con artists should be happy we no longer live in Medieval Times. Often, these scammers are based overseas outside of
any jurisdiction. They say the wheels of justice grind ponderously, exceedingly slow and it seems during this age, even at the highest levels of political and social crimes and malfeasance, have altogether ground to a halt. It seems all we can do, short of wanting to become the judge, jury and executioner ourselves, is to pray without ceasing that someday soon, the rule of law prevails and swift justice is meted out to perpetrators in due time. PAGE 13
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Fil-Am Bailey Munoz wins ‘So You A new challenge for Kim Think You Can Dance’ Season 16 By Christina alpaD ManilaTimes.net
By Billy De la Cruz AJPress
A FILIPINO American emerged as the best dancer of them all! On Monday, September 16, Fil-Am Bailey “Bailrok” Munoz was hailed the champion of the 16th season of “So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).” The 19-year-old succeeds Filipina American Hannahlei Cabanilla who won the previous season last year. Aside from being named “America’s Favorite Dancer,” Las Vegas-native Bailrok will also take home a $250,000 grand prize and a cover article in Dance Spirit. Fellow finalists Mariah Russell, Gino Cosculluela and Sophie Pittman finished second, third, and fourth respectively. Bailrok will also join the rest of this season’s top 10 dancers as they go on tour this fall. “It hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m the first b-boy ever [to win],” Bailrok told Hollywood Junket following his victory. Week by week, Bailrok has wowed the judges by breaking out of his “b-boy shell” and excelling at every genre — from ballroom, to contemporary, to hiphop — and nailing every performance assigned to him. “B-boying/ girling” is a form of hip-hop dancing which has evolved into a highly demanding type of dance physically and mentally. Bailrok revealed that finding a whole new strength in himself was his favourite part of his SYTYCD journey. “I really wanted to show that I could do it, that I could
Bailey “Bailrok” Munoz won “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 16. Photo from Instagram/@danceonfox
[overcome] obstacles I was faced and to give it my 100% every time I was on that stage,” he said. Behind BailRok’s recent success, are his proud parents, Ferdie and Barbra Munoz, and her younger sister Faithe, who are all present during all his live performances. Judge Nigel Lythgoe told Buzz that America got it right when it voted Bailrok as “America’s Favorite Dancer.” “What I loved about Bailey is his heart is bigger than him. And he’s the only one with the only style that hasn’t been done by anybody else on the series,” the “American Idol” producer added. During the show’s finale episode on Monday, judge Mary Murphy was asked to name her favorite routine of the competition. She picked Bailrok’s Broadway routine with SYTYCD alumna Koko
Iwasaki on the show’s 13th episode last September 2. “He affects me,” Murphy explained. “He triumphs over his challenges.” For his part, Bailrok said that performing a jazz routine to “Need You Tonight” by INXS, with fellow finalist Mariah was his favourite performance. Bailrok said that he appreciated the challenge to be sexy. The judges stood from their seats as they raved about the duo’s performance. Judge Dominic Sandoval especially commended Bailrok for his moves saying that “you’re a b-boy, but you’re like Magic Mike the Filipino version.” “Once again, blown me away!” Sandoval concluded. Bailrok has found his niche in breakdancing as early as eight years old. He earned PAGE 15
Scam-proofing basics...
PAGE 12 Be on guard. Better yet, UNPLUG for long stretches from Facebook, Twitter, Gab, Instagram, Reddit or any other social media or from following inane and insane celebrity tweets on Twitter. Strive to live in the REAL WORLD. The virtual world STILL cannot hold a candle to the real world. You can’t feel the sensation of a good sneeze virtually. Or that of a hug or a kiss… Or of the wonderful feeling of being in your bed sipping a warm mug of cocoa as you listen to the gentle pelting of the rain on the roof at night as you prepare to go to sleep…
There is a lot of real living for us to do. The internet has its place in our world. But you are the boss and you can decide to curtail its influence on the quality of your own life. We get to pass this way but once. Choose well. Grill salmon steaks brushed with butter (Yup! Butter makes it better!) and sprinkled with lemon on a summer’s day. Create panini sandwiches for friends or loved ones on your grill pan. Dance. Fly a kite. Knit a shawl. Take time to sip your tea or tend to your garden in the spring. Laugh with the kids. Log off for long stretches of time and create something with your hands
that will make your heart glad and make the people in your immediate orbit praise God for having you in their lives — even for just a short while. The virtual world is a blessing simply meant to enhance life, NOT REPLACE IT. That’s all it does. Even with all its bells and whistles, it is a spice, not the main entree. After all, life tethered on terra firma, is for real living, right here, right now. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com.
TO theatergoers, she is the beloved Aileen from “Rak of Aegis.” To TV viewers she is the much hated sidekick Savannah from “Kadenang Ginto.” And to streaming audiences, she is the cute and funny Peng from “Momol Nights.” There can be no doubt that the talented Kim Molina has made a name in various media but she has yet to make a dent in the biggest screen of all which is the movies. Thankfully, she’s caught the eye of Viva Films which in turn believes she can and will pull off her very own solo movie. Thus was born “Jowable,” Molina’s launching film opening on September 25. “Dati pag may ganitong press con, after the Q&A, aakyat na ako sa dressing room, kakain na ako ng nuggets ko kasi inuuna sina Arci, sina Bella, sina Andi,” Molina laughingly shared at the the sidelines her solo-starrer’s media conference. She was referring to the first time she had a supporting
The versatile actress of theater, TV and streaming is about to find out if she’ll be just as effective in the movies. Photo from Instagram/@kimsmolina
role in a movie, 2016’s “Camp Sawi” starring Bela Padilla, Arci Munoz, Yassi Pressman and Andi Eigenmann. “Pero ngayon, hindi ko makain yung nuggets ko kasi ako na yung tinatanong kung anong kailangan ko!” she added, visibly overwhelmed by the changes in her career. Her humble and easy going demeanor, however, is far from the character she’s
playing in Jowable. In it, she plays Elsa, a 30-something “No-Boyfriend-Since-Birth” gal who dreams to fall in love. She’s pretty, sexy and funny, surrounded and supported by her friends but still feels miserable and envious of every couple she sees. That is until she meets a guy who seems very attracted to her. Question is, is he the love she’s been waiting for, or will he only lead to her first heartbreak? Far from Kim Originally, Jowable was a short film written and directed by Darryl Yap. Shared on Vincentiments’ Facebook page in 2018, Jowable turned out to be such a relatable short it hit one-million views overnight. Nevertheless, the original also had its share of critics who deemed parts of the script offensive and vulgar. Apparently, some of Elsa’s rants bordered on blasphemy for certain religious groups. True enough, Molina, who was raised in a religious family herself found the role of Elsa tricky and challenging at the start. PAGE 15
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people events arts culture entertainment
MASTER OF HER OWN FATE
Hadestown’s Kay Trinidad is living her best life BY
H
Kay Trinidad on the two other members of “The Fates”: I love them so much! We really are like sisters :) We work so closely with one another and spend so much time together. We know each othersʼ quirks and how to navigate our differences and celebrate our similarities and quirkinesses together. Photo from Instagram/@kaytrinidad
Photo by Jenny Anderson/Broadwaybox.com
MOMAR G. VISAYA / AJPRESS
ADESTOWN is undoubtedly the hottest show on Broadway this season. It led the pack and received an astounding 14 Tony Award nominations, winning in eight categories including Best Musical.
It is special for Filipino Americans too, because one of the principal cast members is Eva Noblezada, who received her second Tony nomination for lead actress. Eagle eyed audience members will notice though that it’s not just Eva who is Filipino in the cast but one of the three scene stealing trio called The Fates is a certified Pinay as well. Her name is Kay Trinidad and in an interview with the Asian Journal, she expressed how thankful she is for being part of an amazing cast and an even more amazing show. “It feels like a dream! I am so incredibly humbled and grateful to be a part of this very special show, this beautiful, inspiring and epic masterpiece.” Trinidad said. It was an arduous casting process, something that Trinidad relished in remembering. She first went in and sang her own song for the casting director, then got a callback and was given a packet of material, which included both Persephone and Fate music. She was was asked to stay and dance, and later that day, she performed Fate choreography to “When The Chips Are Down.” “I thought that was the final part of the audition and left the city for the holidays. I was given a call while out of town to come back and dance more for them as they were figuring out casting,” she recalled.
Since she was not in the city, Trinidad had to send her video dancing. She said they were kind enough to send a video of their choreographer, David Neumann, dancing to “Papers” music. She studied the tape and learned that choreography with her older sister taping it for submission. Trinidad was then called in one more time, once back in town, to sing with another performer up for the role of one of the Fates. A day or two later, she received the call that I had booked the role of Fate #2! “I was in my apartment when I received the call! I was so elated my heart could burst and I wanted to be one of the Fates so badly,” she said. Trinidad had just finished a presentation of a new musical called “Lempicka” when the opportunity to join Hadestown presented itself. Her husband and his company, Marathon Digital, had already been running the social media for the show and she had the opportunity to see the production both in Edmonton, Canada, and at The National Theatre in London. “Since the first time I saw it, I fell in love with the stirring music of Anaïs Mitchell. Then when I saw the show once again in London, with all of the great adjustments and tightening (aka director Rachel Chavkin is a genius), that’s when I realized... I wanna be one of them (the Fates),” she said.
Hadestown has no shortage in great songs and numbers, so we had to ask her what her favorite scenes and songs are in the show. “This is always a tough question because I have such a blast throughout every part of the show depending on who I’m playing with onstage,” she started. Then she mentioned a couple: “When The Chips Are D o w n ” (“It’s so fun to perform) a n d “Epic I I I ” (When Hades a n d
Persephone are sharing their moment of pure love and all the Underworld is swept up in it as well, it’s so incredibly beautiful and symbolic of how goodness can overcome the world and feel so damn uplifting - to see how the world could be). “I love performing the powerhouse songs that are “Wait for Me” and PAGE 15
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Scarlet Snow named new Tourism ambassador By Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com
APART from being an Internet celebrity and products endorser at the young age of four, Scarlet Snow Belo is now an official tourism ambassador. In her Instagram account, the daughter of celebrity doctors Hayden Kho Jr. and Vicki Belo posted a photo of her with Department of Tourism officials, including Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. “Okay Tita Berna, let’s get to work and invite all the people of the world to our Philippines. But only as visitors, okay?” Scarlet wrote. For her part, Puyat also posted a video of her welcoming Scarlet as tourism ambassador. “@scarletsnowbelo, our youngest and cutest advocate of Philippine tourism, is now part of the fun!” the Tourism chief wrote. Scarlet was introduced to the public by her parents on 2016 and instantly became an internet sensation. Her
Scarlet Snow Belo with Philippine Tourism Chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and other DOT officials. Photo from Instagram/@scarletsnowbelo
Instagram account, managed by her parents, now has 3.4 million followers. It can be recalled that last July, the Tourism department has named actress
Dimples Romana as Tourism ambassador, thanks to her popular #OhDani memes inspired by her “Kadenang Ginto” character, Daniela Mondragon.
A new challenge for...
PAGE 13 “Honestly, medyo natakot ako kasi both my parents are Catholic and grew up serving the church. Sa ganun din ako pinalaki.” But the 28-year-old clarified that her parents have always supported all her projects, including this controversial movie, which besides showing Elsa ranting inside a church also features a nun discussing sexuality. “I am blessed to have parents who are open with whatever decision I made pag tanda ko. They were strict with me when I was young but when I reached 18, nung tamang edad, hinayaan nila akong
lumipad. Binigyan nila ako ng pagkakataon na mag explore sa religion, sa kung ano ang gusto kong maging. I am just so blessed to have parents like them na very supportive,” Molina proudly shared. With her family’s approval, the actress is all the more excited to share Elsa’s story and the message of the movie. “I want to be open with my sexuality and I want everyone to do the same. Everyone should be equal. If you are positive about your sexuality, ipakita mo kung gaano ka ka confident sa sarili mo. “That’s where self-pity starts eh, when you are unsure of yourself. Kung sigurado ka sa
gusto mong ma-achieve, lalabas yan. Yun ang gusto kong ipalaganap, maybe that’s why ganitong roles ang tinatanggap ko kasi walang naglalakas loob gumawa.” Finally asked if she is ready to face the backlash “Jowable” may get, especially from the religious community, Molina replied, “I guess when we accepted this project, kailangan ready na, so ako ngayon handa na rin ako.” Presented by Viva Films and written by Darryl Yap, Jowable also stars Jerald Napoles, Kakai Bautista, Cai Cortez, Fabio Ide, Chad Kinis and with the special participation of Candy Pangilinan.
Fil-Am Bailey Munoz wins ‘So...
PAGE 13 respect within the b-boying community as he showed confidence and creativity that matched those of his older and more experienced contemporaries. In 2010, Bailrok performed as the other half of the Future Funk duo on “America’s Got Talent and finished in the semifinals.
Since then, Bailrok has worked and met with countless celebrities through dancing. He has charmed a lot of audiences with his diverse performances, ranging from a New York Knicks game to a political sortie of former U.S. Senator Harry Reid. He was also featured in Chris Brown’s music video “Yeah 3x.” In a previous Asian Journal
report, Bailrok shared that when he is not busy breaking out some cool dance moves, he loves having tocino and longanisa for breakfast and often requests for his favorite adobo, kare-kare and lumpia. And just like most Filipino kids, Bailrok goes to church every Sunday and greets his grandparents with the traditional mano.
Master of her own fate...
PAGE 14 the “Wait for Me Reprise” and getting to be the ominous presence in both songs,” she added. Herstory “The best part of my job is sharing a piece of theater that is life-changing not only for me, but for anyone who sees it. I also find it so utterly gratifying to be able to represent my fellow Asians,” she said. I didn’t grow up with many Asian role models or anyone who really looked like me on the stage. Lea Salonga was always someone I looked up to, but it wasn’t common to see diversity on stage as it is today, although we still have a long way to go regarding diversity in the arts. This is just the beginning.” Kay feels like she has always been singing and putting on productions as far as she can remember. “I would create and perform my own shows, concerts, and sock-skating performances for my family when I was a child. I would make tickets, make them buy them, have them purchase snacks during intermission, and would always force my little sister to be my co-star,” she recalled. Growing up, she was always involved with choir and began taking voice lessons around 4th or 5th grade. It wasn’t until she went to high school and auditioned for show choir that she realized that singing and dancing at the same time was so hard. That was her cue. She began taking all different kinds of dance lessons. She has always been very active in sports growing up, and by her junior year in high school, she had to choose between sports and drama and musical theater. “Performing had my heart. It was then that I decided that I wanted to pursue a career on Broadway - my later high school years,” she quipped. And how exactly did her parents react? “My parents knew I was meant to be a performer before I did,” Trinidad revealed. “They have always been incredibly supportive in every way possible. I’m so thankful that at a young age, they enrolled me in piano lessons. This made learning music a breeze.” They have also attended every single performance and concert she was a part of, and supported her decision to pursue her career and attend college far away from home at New York University’s Tisch
School of the Arts. Trinidad was a sophomore in college when she received an offer to join the cast of Bare: A Pop Opera as Diane Lee. As a young college student, she couldn’t believe it was happening. The offer also meant getting her Equity card and joining the professional actor’s union. Her father called her high school musical theater teacher, Peg Waldschmidt, and asked if she should leave NYU for this show. “She said, “Yes!” and I’ve never looked back. I don’t know how much more supportive my parents could have been, especially when faced with the unknown regarding my education and future. I love them so incredibly much, and they have always been my number one fans,” Trinidad added. Creating memories Doing the show has been an incredible experience for her because she gets to work with an amazing group of fellow cast members every single day, including fellow Filipino Americans Eva Noblezada and Adam Hyndman whom she describes as “Nothing less than incredible, inspiring human beings”. Together, they’ve been through a lot of memorable and unforgettable experiences, including this year’s Tony Awards, which she was also very happy to share with her husband Mike Karns, Social Media Director/Co-Producer/ Fates Fan Club President. Doing the Tony Awards takes a lot of time and preparation and after the actual awards show, she felt exhausted and elated, all at once. “It was a big recovery day for me and I’m sure for the rest of the cast as well. The Tony Awards day is a very crazy day,” she explained. The cast starts the day with only 2-4 hours of sleep since they had a two-show day the day before and had a call time of 5:00 a.m. at the theater to get into hair, makeup and costumes. Then they had to head over to Radio City Music Hall and run the entire Tony’s Show for rehearsal, then head back to their theater for a matinee, and then head back to Radio City Music Hall for the actual Tony Awards. “By the time the awards were over, we had our company party, and then the after parties...and just like that it was 5:00 am! Bedtime!,” she said.
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Opening Night was also memorable, and for her, a dream as her husband’s parents and her own parents shared in the celebration. “We are so blessed to have the most loving and supportive parents anyone could ask for. And to have them all at the show for Opening Night was such a blessing,” she said. “It is so fulfilling to be performing in a show that is lifechanging. This is why we do it! This is why I do theater,” she exclaimed. “I’m so blessed to be paid for doing what I love and call it a job. And to do art that moves the heart and makes people think.” Learnings Based on the time she has spent doing the show, Trinidad has learned quite a few lessons, something that she’d bring wherever fate brings her next. Balance work and life. Continue to learn and grow personally and professionally. Discover new things onstage every day. Although show life seems glamorous, it’s also a fulfilling ass-kicking. In the end, it’s not all about the glamour and fame, and the Hollywood personalities who go backstage after the show. The audiences see two and half hours of great songs and performances, something that the cast does eight times a week. That requires a lot of discipline and practice. In order to do that, Trinidad does a lot of stretching, yoga and strengthening exercises. She also runs, hydrates as much as she can, gets plenty of rest when possible, and keeps her body as healthy as possible. Asked about her message to young FilAms who want to become performers/artists, Trinidad quipped, “Shoot for the stars! Believe in everything you want to do and be, and work hard for it.” Then she followed it up with some tips: Never stop learning and growing. Always be kind to others. If there is anything else you can see yourself doing other than performing, do that - because you really need to go all in and put all of your heart into your career. Have faith. Embrace everything you are and all of your differences. That’s what sets you apart and makes you the special person you are. In the end, she is simply thankful, and full of gratitude. For her family and closest friends, and God, “for without him I wouldn’t be doing what I was meant to be doing or have my gifts to share”.
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