110219 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 86 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

USA

DATELINE PH among world’s worst impunity offenders FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday, October 29, listed the Philippines among the 13 countries that make up the world’s worst impunity offenders. According to its 2019 Global Impunity Index, Somalia is the world’s worst country for the fifth year in a row based on unsolved journalist deaths as a percentage of each country’s population with 25 killings in a country of 15 million people, while the Philippines ranked fifth with 41 killings in a country populated with 107 million people. “The Philippines has been among the worst five countries nearly every year since the index was first published in 2008,” CPJ said. “The country’s fifth-worst ranking is due in part to the deadly ambush of 58 individuals, including 32 journalists and media workers, in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, on November 23, 2009. The trial of over 100 suspects behind the massacre is due to conclude this year, but as of August 31, 2019—the final date CPJ counted convictions for this year’s index—no verdict had been announced,” it added. u PAGE A3

Groups sue Trump admin for making it ‘much harder’ for low-income immigrants to get citizenship fee waived

Duterte to give Robredo a Cabinet secretary rank as drug czar by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte plans on giving Vice President Leni Robredo a Cabinet secretary rank as the administration’s drug czar to show the seriousness of his previous offer, Malacañang on Thursday, October 31.

Under the drug czar position, Robredo would oversee all bureaus and agencies involved with the enforcement of the law on prohibited drugs as well as anti-drug programs. “To dispel all doubts on the sincerity of the Chief Executive’s offer, as well as to put a halt to the discordant pessimism of the opposition, the president renews his offer to the vice president…’ said presi-

dential spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement. According to him, Duterte is offering the position to Robredo once again after critics called it a “trap” because it would be “impossible for VP Leni to solve the social problem with a limited period of six months and without the support of anti-drug buu PAGE A2

1.5-M drug suspects accounted for – PNP by DARWIN

PESCO ManilaTimes.net

ABOUT 1.5 million drug suspects have been accounted for in the first three years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday, October 30. PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac confirmed to The Manila Times that the drug users surrendered voluntarily to the PNP. Banac’s statement came after Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP officer in charge, described the war on drugs as “sucessful.” Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief of directorial staff, said the drug war should continue as Filipinos now felt “safer,” citing the 60-percent drop in crimes nationwide. “It is because of the campaign against illegal drugs. It really caused the improvement on peace and order in the country and the safety of the people,” said Eleazar in a television interview on Wednesday. HUGE CROWD. Hundreds flock to visit their departed loved ones at the Manila North Cemetery, in observance of All Saints’ Day on Friday, Based on PNP data from July 2016 to July 2019, November 1. The Manila North Cemetery was formerly part of the La Loma Cemetery but the latter was later separated as an exclusive

THE city of Seattle, Wash. and five legal organizations have filed a lawsuit in California on burial grounds for Catholics. Wednesday, October 30 against the Trump administration for changing the requirements for naturalization, which would make it difficult for immigrants to qualify for the fee waiver when applying for citizenship. This comes after another effort to tighten the United States immigration system when the Trump administration on Friday, Oct. 25 updated the requirements to get naturalization fees waived, which the lawsuit cited as “a sudden and unlawful policy change.” “The American promise must be open to all,” Seattle Mayor Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement. “Wealth is not and should never be a requirement of being an American citizen. Seattle will fight for the promise of America and against a pay-to-play approach to citizenship.” The five legal service providers include the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. The 6.5-quake damaged a mid-rise condominium in Davao City. u PAGE A4 Philstar.com photo

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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23 dead after series of earthquakes in Mindanao by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

A TOTAL of 23 people have died from the earthquakes that have struck areas of Mindanao since mid-October, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its latest report. Released on Friday, November 1, the numbers said seven were killed on October 16, when a 6.3 magnitude quake struck the northeast portion of Tulu-

nan, Cotabato. Ten people were killed during the Tuesday, October 29 6.6 magnitude quake that hit the same area, while six died in the 6.5 magnitude on Thursday, Oct. 31 that hit Cotabato and neighboring areas. The tectonic tremor on Thursday was 33 kilometers northeast of Tulunan town — the same epicenter of Tuesday’s magnitude 6.6 quake and Oct. 16’s magnitude 6.3. In addition to the death toll of the three quakes combined, two

others remain missing and 618 injured, as of press time. On Friday, November 1, another earthquake hit Mindanao — this time, a magnitude 5.5 quake off the southern province of Davao Occidental, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. According to the state seismologists, the most recent earthquake hit 334 kilometers southeast of Sarangani town around 10:30 a.m. u PAGE A3

Philippine cities among most threatened by rising seas Ancajas title defense canceled

MANILA — Some 70 percent of the people at risk of annual floods and constant inundation due to rising seas are in eight Asian countries including the Philippines, according to new research. The study, produced by Climate Central, a science organization based in New Jersey, and published in the journal Nature Communications said rising seas could affect three times more people by 2050 than previously thought, threatening to all but erase some of the world’s great coastal cities. Also named together with the Philippines were China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan. Entire coastal cities could be wiped out if sea defenses are not According to a study, climate change will put pressure on cities in multiple ways. Even as global warming floods more places, it will also push poor farmers off the land to seek work put in place, according to the in cities. Philstar.com photo study.

The authors of the paper published on Tuesday, October 29, developed a more accurate way of calculating land elevation based on satellite readings, a standard way of estimating the effects of sea level rise over large areas, and found that the previous numbers were far too optimistic. The new research shows that some 150 million people are now living on land that will be below the high-tide line by midcentury. Southern Vietnam could all but disappear. More than 20 million people in Vietnam, almost one-quarter of the population, live on land that will be inundated. Much of Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s economic center, would disappear with it, according to u PAGE A2

as opponent runs into visa issues by AJPRESS

Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas Inquirer.net photo

THE anticipated fight between Filipino boxer Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas and Mexican fighter Jonathan Javier Rodriguez on Saturday, November 2 has been canceled after Rodriguez did not get a U.S. visa in time. Ancajas, the 115-pound fighting pride of the Philippines, was set for the eighth defense of his IBF junior bantamweight world title on Saturday at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The 27-year-old Ancajas (311-1, 21 KOs) is one of boxing’s longest-reigning and most active champions, as only two current world champions (Deontay u PAGE A2

A November 2-5, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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From the Front Page

Philippine cities among most threatened...

PAGE A1 t the research. The projections don’t account for future population growth or land lost to coastal erosion. Standard elevation measurements using satellites struggle to differentiate the true ground level from the tops of trees or buildings, said Scott Kulp, a researcher at Climate Central and

one of the paper’s authors. So he and Benjamin Strauss, Climate Central’s chief executive, used artificial intelligence to determine the error rate and correct for it. In Thailand, more than 10 percent of citizens now live on land that is likely to be inundated by 2050, compared with just one percent according to the ear-

lier technique. The political and commercial capital, Bangkok, is particularly imperiled. Climate change will put pressure on cities in multiple ways, said Loretta Hieber Girardet, a Bangkok resident and United Nations disaster risk-reduction official. Even as global warming floods more places, it will also push poor farmers off the land to seek work in cities. “It is a dire formula,” she said. In Shanghai, one of Asia’s most important economic engines, water threatens to consume the heart of the city and many other cities around it. The findings don’t have to spell the end of those areas. The new data show that 110 million people already live in places that are below the high tide line, which Strauss attributes to protective measures like seawalls and other barriers. Cities must invest vastly greater sums in such defenses, Strauss said, and they must do it quickly. But even if that investment happens, defensive measures can go only so far. Strauss offered the example of New Orleans, a city below sea level that was devastated in 2005 when its extensive levees and other protections failed during Hurricane Katrina. “How deep a bowl do we want to live in?” he asked. The new projections suggest that much of Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of the largest cities in the world, is at risk of being wiped out. Built on what was once a series of islands, the city’s historic downtown core is particularly vulnerable. Over all, the research shows that countries should start preparing now for more citizens to relocate internally, according to Dina Ionesco of the International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental group that coordinates action on migrants and development. “We’ve been trying to ring the alarm bells,” Ionesco said. “We know that it’s coming.” There is little modern precedent for this scale of population movement, she added. The disappearance of cultural heritage could bring its own kind of devastation. Alexandria, u PAGE A4

Duterte to give Robredo a... PAGE A1 t reaus and agencies.” “The Office of the President wishes to be categorical — and contrary to the claim of critics and detractors of this administration, we want VP Leni to succeed, her success being ultimately a triumph of the Filipino people against the dreaded and destructive evil that is destroying the basic fabric of our society,” the spokesman added. Duterte on Monday, October 28 said that he would temporarily designate Robredo as the Philippines’ anti-drug czar following her remark that his war against illegal drugs is “obviously, not working.” This is so Robredo can find out for herself how hard it is to eradicate the country’s drug problem, according to the chief executive. “I said if she wants I can commission her to be the drug czar. Marami na siyang reklamo dun sa labas, o sige sabi nya you have to redirect, or whatever (She has many complaints, okay she said you have to redirect, or whatever). Ngayon mas marunong ka

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo shows a text message that he said he sent to Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday, October 28. Philstar.com photo by Alexis Romero

man sa akin (Now if you know better than me), I’ll hand to you full powers sa drugs. I’ll give you 6 months, tignan natin kung kaya mo (We’ll see if you can handle it),” Duterte said. “I am ready to concede to you powers that would cover all antidrug activities by the govern-

ment...Clean slate para malaman nya kung gaano kadali mag-kontrol ng droga (Clean slate so she knows how easy it is to control drugs),” he added. The vice president was previously housing secretary for the administration, but resigned from that post in 2016. n

1.5-M drug suspects accounted for...

PAGE A1 t 6,600 drug suspects were killed in anti-illegal drug operations and 256, 227 had been arrested. In Metro Manila, 1,896 drug suspects were killed from 2016 to 2019. Of the total, 474 were users, while 1,422 were pushers. The report also showed that 1,414 of the cases were armed encounters between police and the drug suspects. Of the 44,550 anti-illegal drug operations, 90,883 drug personalities were arrested. Under Oplan Tokhang, 235,754 drug suspects surrendered to police and 626,719 houses were PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac visited. n

Inquirer.net photo

Ancajas title defense canceled as opponent... PAGE A1 t

Wilder and Wanheng Menayothin) have more title defenses. The dynamic Filipino southpaw won the title in September 2016 and defended his belt three times apiece in 2017 and 2018. He last fought May 4 in Stockton, California, knocking out Ryuichi Funai in six rounds. Rodriguez (21-1, 15 KOs) was considered as a dangerous foe

because has won five in a row since a split-decision defeat spoiled his unbeaten record. He is coming off a career-best win June 7 in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, when he knocked out former two-time world title challenger Felipe Orucuta in the 10th round. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Peltz Boxing, the fight was supposed to be televised

live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Spanish) on Saturday night. Ancajas, who has been in the U.S. to prepare, said he will remain in the country to continue training for a fight that may be rescheduled for December 7 in Mexico. “Well, it (cancellation) happens. Maybe God has other plans for me. Anyway, my boxing [career] is far from over,” the boxer told Rappler. n

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvEmbER 2-5, 2019

A

California nursing home residents told to find new homes by Jocelyn

Wiener Kaiser Health News

Through mass evacuations and an all-hands-on-deck assault on the fire, authorities and firefighters so far have prevented the worst. As of Tuesday morning, there were no deaths and just a couple of injuries. Photo by Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News

California fires illuminate trauma and resilience by AnnA

MAriA BArry-Jester Kaiser Health News

SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Dorothy Hammack had planned to wash her thick, dark hair in the kitchen sink Friday morning. She couldn’t yet shower, due to the incision on her breast from a biopsy a few days before. Her doctor had already called to let her know the results: She had breast cancer. She was supposed to be researching treatment options and organizing doctor appointments. Instead, Hammack, 79, was standing in her pajamas in the parking lot of a makeshift evacuation center in Santa Rosa, the urban center of Sonoma County’s celebrated wine country. The Kincade Fire was blazing in the mountains above the home she shared in nearby Windsor with her fiancé, Aldo Lovati, 64. Winds predicted to be fast and furious were expected that evening, and the couple was among the 180,000 people who ultimately would be ordered to evacuate as the fire tore through the rugged terrain of northeastern Sonoma County and bore steadily southwest. Much to Hammack’s dismay, her hair remained wrapped in a gray-and-black nightcap. There had been no time to wash it. She was upbeat, though, laughing at the stream of banter and jokes Lovati told to keep them distracted.

By Saturday, hundreds of others would join them at the shelter set up by the Red Cross at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, in the southwestern corner of the city. Across the street, hundreds more evacuees got set up at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Like Hammack, many of them came with ongoing health concerns and urgent medical needs made all more challenging by the chaos of evacuation. Peggy Goebel, a nurse from Windsor, was helping oversee the medical operation, run largely by volunteers who had responded to calls from Goebel or their employers to lend their services. They provided basic care (like making sure Hammack’s incision was clean) and helped people fill prescriptions or get medical equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs. There were also licensed therapists trained to counsel people during disasters. This is Goebel’s third year volunteering with the Red Cross, a relationship that began during another fire. Twenty-five hours into a shift with no foreseeable end, she still had enough spunk to organize newly arrived volunteer physicians from the local Sutter Health hospital and nursing students from Santa Rosa Junior College, where she teaches. As she showed them around, a fire blazed across the street from her home in Windsor. She didn’t know whether the house would

The Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building sheltered hundreds of people, including dozens of elders and their caretakers from nearby assisted living facilities, after the Kincade Fire prompted mandatory evacuations across the region. Photo by Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News

PH among world’s worst... PAGE A1 t

CPJ has found that the countries listed in the index represent a mix of conflict-ridden regions and more stable countries where criminal groups, politicians, government officials, and other powerful actors resort to violence to silence critical and investigative reporting. “Unchecked corruption, ineffective institutions, and lack of political will to pursue robust in-

vestigations are all factors behind impunity,” the media watchdog noted. Other countries listed in the index were Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Nigeria, and India. Together these 13 countries accounted for 222 of the 318 deaths in the last 10 years with many of the cases linked to war and civil unrest. (Ritchel Mendiola/AJPress)

23 dead after series of earthquakes... PAGE A1 t

It added that at a depth of 33 kilometers, no intensity was reported for the tremor and that it is not expected to cause damage; however, it may spawn aftershocks. Tulunan Mayor Reuel Limbungan said 90% of the structures in Barangay Daig had collapsed during the two previous quakes and several more covered courts and government health centers across the town were damaged by the latest temblor. The Thursday quake also flattened a hotel in neighboring Kidapawan City to the ground, severely injuring several people. “The building fully collapsed. Our ambulances are responding there because some people were severely injured. We hope that we will not reach the point where many more are trapped under the debris,” said local disaster officer Psalmer Bernalte. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo assured that President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in Davao City when the quake

struck, “is safe.” At a depth of two kilometers, the quake was felt in the areas listed below: Intensity VII - Tulunan, Cotabato; Kidapawan City; Bansalan, Davao del Sur; Intensity VI - Matanao, Davao Del Sur Instrumental Intensities: Intensity VII - Kidapawan City; Intensity V- Malungon, Sarangani; Intensity IV- Kiamba and Alabel, Sarangani, Tupi, South Cotabato, Koronadal City, General Santos City; and Intensity III - Gingoog City; Cagayan De Oro City. A total of 6,009 families or 30,045 persons were affected in 72 barangays in Davao and Soccsksargen, the NDRRMC said. Earlier, Philvocs said that the Philippines is straddling the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. It added that the archipelago tallies about 20 earthquakes a day. n

be there when she got back. Her sister’s wasn’t when she returned after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, a massive wildfire that devastated Santa Rosa, killing 22 people and incinerating thousands of homes. “It’s very traumatic. People just passed the anniversary of the 2017 fires, and they went through this big PTSD,” Goebel said. “Lots of people had issues.” Two years ago, the situation was very different. In 2017, people arrived at the shelters in the middle of the night, startled awake by a fire that roared fast and unexpected from the forested hills north of town. They

u PAGE A5

SOME of California’s most vulnerable nursing home residents, many of whom have nowhere else to go, are receiving letters from their health care plans saying they are no longer eligible for long-term care. In one notable example, three dozen nursing home residents in San Luis Obispo County were informed on the same day that their Medi-Cal managed care plan was cutting off payment for nursing home care, said Karen Jones, the county’s long-term care ombudsman. The residents included a 68year-old amputee with diabetes, memory loss and kidney disease who required dialysis three times a week, and an 82-year-old man with congestive heart failure and diabetes who wasn’t strong enough to transfer himself from his bed to a wheelchair, Jones said. “It just felt like we were tossing our seniors and disabled adults,” Jones said of the letters, which arrived in September 2018 and sparked a year-long dispute. “‘Sorry, we’re going to save some money here.’ That’s exactly what it felt like.” The California Department of Health Care Services, which administers Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income people, said the terminations by the managed care plan, CenCal Health, were isolated, a perspective some long-term care advocates share. CenCal said it was just following protocol, ex-

amining the books to make sure members still met the qualifications for long-term care under Medi-Cal. But California Healthline interviewed multiple long-term care advocates and legal aid attorneys on the Central Coast and other parts of the state who said they have witnessed an increase in coverage denials for nursing home residents covered by Medi-Cal managed care plans. They worry such denials may soon become more commonplace: Medi-Cal nursing home care in all 58 counties will be placed under managed care beginning in January 2021, the state announced recently — up from 29 counties currently. Under managed care, the state pays plans a monthly rate for each recipient to provide all of the medically necessary services that person needs. By comparison, under traditional “fee-for-service” Medi-Cal, the state compensates medical providers directly for each service they render. California and other states increasingly are moving their Medicaid patients into managed care, arguing that the model saves money and also improves members’ health by coordinating care. More than 80% of the 12.8 million Californians on Medi-Cal are covered by managed care. Long-term care advocates fear that the trend means more frail people will be forced out of nursing homes as managed care plans look to their bottom lines. “We’re looking at multiplying this problem across the state,” said Leza Coleman, executive director of the California Long-Term

Care Ombudsman Association. The typical nursing home population in California is about two-thirds Medi-Cal, and many have given up everything — their apartments or mobile homes, their furniture, their burial insurance — to qualify, said Lonnie Golick, ombudsman for Shasta, Trinity, Siskiyou, Modoc and Lassen Counties in Northern California. Golick said she’s received a number of complaints against Partnership HealthPlan of California about coverage terminations. “They gave up their whole life,” she said. “And then they’re told, ‘It’s time to go.’” Exacerbating the problem, Coleman added, is a shortage of assisted living facilities willing to serve Medi-Cal patients who no longer qualify for nursing home care. To be eligible for nursing home coverage under Medi-Cal, individuals must have medical needs that require continual, around-theclock care to prevent significant illness or disability, or alleviate severe pain. CenCal sent the termination letters to the San Luis Obispo County nursing home residents as part of the process of reviewing their eligibility, said Bob Freeman, CenCal’s CEO. Normally that process is spread out over the year, he said, but the plan got “backed up” on evaluations, which is why so many patients were notified at once. “We don’t like to do this,” he said. “It’s destabilizing; we don’t want to disrupt people’s lives. We do have state regulations that we

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Jack Ma who? – Mayweather AN irate Floyd Mayweather Jr. said “he doesn’t know” Jack Ma, responding to the Chinese billionaire’s video with his archrival Manny Pacquiao taunting him to fight. “Who? I don’t know who he is,” Mayweather (50-0 win-loss record with 27 knockouts) told TMZ Sports on Tuesday, October 29, when asked how much money Ma, the Alibaba co-founder, needs to pay him to agree to an exhibition fight with the business tycoon. Ma has no background in box-

ing, but is a devoted practitioner of the Chinese martial art of tai chi chuan. “I know what he (Pacquiao) says, I know what he says. He says when you finally face me, I’ll beat him,” Mayweather said. The retired, unbeaten American boxer, though, did not comment on whether a second fight with Pacquiao is possible. In a 27-second video posted on Instagram on Sunday, Pacquiao (62-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts) with Ma, taunted Mayweather: “Floyd Mayweather if you want a real fight, fight me. If you want an exhibition, my guy, my friend Jack

Ma will take care of you. They real Manny team.” Ma, shown in the video hitting the pads said: “Yeah, I’m ready anytime, any place. Manny team is ready.” Pacquiao and his family went to Hangzhou, China on Saturday to meet Ma, returned to Manila on Monday then flew to South Korea for a vacation. They will return to the country next week. A reliable source inside the Pacquiao camp told The Manila Times on Friday, November 1, that there’s indeed an ongoing negotiation between Pacquiao In this Aug.7, 2019 file photo, members of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance hold a rally to condemn the shooting in Lagawe, Ifugao that seriously and Mayweather for a possible injured Cordillera Human Rights Alliance paralegal volunteer and provincial human rights officer Brandon Lee. Philstar.com photo by Andy Zapata Jr. rematch. n

PAGE A2 t Egypt, founded by Alexander the Great around 330 BC, could be lost to rising waters. In other places, the migration caused by rising seas could trigger or exacerbate regional conflicts. Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq, could be mostly underwater by 2050. If that happens, the effects could be felt well

beyond Iraq’s borders, according to John Castellaw, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general who was chief of staff for United States Central Command during the Iraq War. Further loss of land to rising waters there “threatens to drive further social and political instability in the region, which could reignite armed conflict and

increase the likelihood of terrorism,” said Castellaw, who is now on the advisory board of the Center for Climate and Security, a research and advocacy group in Washington. “So this is far more than an environmental problem,” he said. “It’s a humanitarian, security and possibly military problem too.” (Philstar.com)

by Josef

ramos ManilaTimes.net

Philippine cities among most threatened... US Speaker Pelosi urges probe into shooting of American rights worker in Ifugao

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by Gaea

KatreeNa Philstar.com

CabiCo

UNITED States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she has called on the Philippine government to investigate the attempted murder of a Chinese-American human rights and environmental defender who was shot in Lagawe, Ifugao in August. Brandon Lee, an American volunteer of the Baguio City-based Cordillera Human Rights Alliance was shot in front of his house on August 6. “Grateful that Brandon Lee has returned home to San Francisco for refuge and care after being brutally shot in the Philippines, where he was fighting for environmental and indigenous peo-

ples’ rights,” Pelosi said on her Twitter account. She added: “I have encouraged the Philippine government to investigate this disturbing crime.” Lee, a California native, is back in his home city. He and his mother Louise arrived in San Francisco on a medical transport last Saturday, according to social media posts of Mar Gordon and Matty Haney, district supervisors of San Francisco City and County. “It took a movement—here in the Bay Area and US-wide, in the Philippines and internationally to bring him back to safety,” Haney wrote on Facebook. Lee, also a paralegal volunteer of the Ifugao Peasant Movement and a contributor to online paper

Northern Dispatch was among the activists tagged by the military as alleged supporters of the New People’s Army in 2015. “Weeks and days before this incident, the 54th [Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army] frequented the Ifugao Peasant Movement office as well as the residences of Brandon and other officers of the Justice and Peace Advocates of Ifugao conversing with them, gathering data, and intimidating them,” CHRA said in a report on the shooting by reogional weekly Northern Dispatch. The Philippines was the deadliest country for environmental and land activists in 2018, with at least 30 recorded deaths, according to watchdog Global Witness. n

Feds indict Filipino crewman, shipping firms for dumping oil in Pacific SAN FRANCISCO — Federal prosecutors charged two shipping companies and a Filipino engineer on an oil tanker with dumping oil in the Pacific Ocean on at least four occasions. First engineer Gilbert de la Cruz and the companies FGL Moon Marshall Limited, Unix Line Pte Ltd. (“Unix”), are charged with violating a federal anti-pollution

act, as well as aiding and abetting pollution, and obstruction of justice. The charges carry up to 20 years in prison and fines totaling $1.5 million, prosecutors said. The complaint alleges that de la Cruz ordered crewmen on the oil tanker Zao Galaxy to dump the oil three miles into the ocean and conceal what had happened by repainting bilge tanks among oth-

er actions. Two whistleblowers on the ship agreed to cooperate with investigators, authorities said. One of the whistleblowers, identified in court records as “Crew Member Two,” told authorities de la Cruz “ordered him to pump the oily waste overboard three to four times” in January and February, and, “to do so only when it was dark outside.” (Inquirer.net)

US destroyer lost in World War II found in Philippine sea by Neil JaysoN

servallos Philstar.com

A FEW days after the 75th anniversary of the Battle off Samar, ocean researchers have found on the floor of the Philippine Sea the remains of a battleship that was sunk during the engagement, according to a United States research organization, which claimed it was the deepest ever naval shipwreck to be discovered. Researchers on the R/V Petrel found the remains of the U.S. World War II destroyer, believed to be the USS Johnston, at 6,220 meters using an undersea drone. Eerie footage captured by the drone and shared by the research vessel on its Facebook page showed the mangled wreckage resting on the seabed, with almost unrecognizable debris. R/V Petrel is part of Vulcan Inc., a research organization set up by the late billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. “This wreck is completely decimated… It is just debris. There is no hull structure,” Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Vulcan and the video’s narrator, said. “We believe this wreck to be that of the USS Johnston DD557,” he continued. The USS Johnston was a Fletcher-class destroyer that was sunk during the Battle off Samar, the

Photo posted by the USNI News shows what is believed to be a wreck of the World War II destroyer USS Johnston.

centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf – one of the largest naval battles in history. Fletcher destroyers were a class of destroyers built by the U.S. during World War II. The Battle off Samar was the only major action in the larger battle in which the Americans were largely unprepared against the opposing forces. It has been cited by historians as one of the greatest last stands in naval history. Experts said they believe that the mangled wreckage of the ship was more likely to be the USS Johnston than the USS Hoel, another destroyer that sank in the Battle off Samar. “There is no evidence of the

dazzle paint scheme, indicative of the USS Hoel and its location suggests this wreck sank later in the battle, after the loss of the Hoel,” Vulcan said. The location of the wreckage, in the southern part of the area where the battle took place, suggests the wreck is USS Johnston, Kraft said. Johnston was the last ship to sink in the battle, according to historians. The USS Johnston sank on Oct. 25, 1944, after a fierce battle with Japanese forces, for which it earned the Presidential Unit Citation. According to the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, only 141 men of the ship’s crew of 341 survived. n

Groups sue Trump admin for making it ‘much harder’...

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(CLINIC), Central American Resource Center of California (CARECEN), Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), OneAmerica and Self-Help for the Elderly. The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) — through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — revised the “request for fee waiver” qualifications, eliminating a 2010 rule that allowed immigrants who receive certain government benefits to automatically qualify for a fee waiver. USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli reasoned that the agency uses the fee to cover the costs of processing applications, and that the new rule “will improve the integrity of the program and the quality and consistency of fee waiver approvals going forward.” Currently, the application fee for naturalization is $725, and USCIS said that individuals may still request a fee waiver if they present proof that the annual household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty line

or if “they demonstrate financial hardship.” In 2010, USCIS placed rules that automatically allowed lawful permanent residents — aka green cardholders — who receive certain government benefits like food stamps, subsidized housing or Medicaid to receive a waiver for the required fee for applying for citizenship. Immigrant advocacy groups and elected officials denounced the rule change, noting that it puts a burden on lawful, low-income immigrants. Legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) estimated that the revised rule will impose “significant barriers” to naturalization for “tens of thousands of nonwealthy applicants each year.” “This rule change is about changing the complexion of future immigrants from black and brown to white and furthers a class-based society that is discriminatory and unwelcoming,” John C. Yang, president and executive director of AAJC, said in

a statement. “We cannot allow our government policies to reject the time-tested promise on the Statue of Liberty of a country that is accepting of the potential of the tired, poor, and huddled masses who year to breathe free in America.” The USCIS fee waiver rule change comes after a slew of controversial immigration proposals the Trump administration has announced regarding low-income immigrants. Last month, the DHS announced it would require incoming immigrants to present proof of health insurance or proof that they can afford health insurance before applying for green cards. As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the DHS has also sought to revise the terms of the public charge test administered to immigrants that determines whether or not they will need certain government benefits; federal courts, however, ruled against the policy and it has not been enacted. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvEmbER 2-5, 2019

California nursing home residents told...

REMEMBERING THE KING. Flowers adorn the tomb of Fernando Poe Jr./Ronwaldo Reyes, considered as the “King of Philippine Movies” as an actor/director, who also tried his luck in politics and died on December 2004. He was posthumously declared as National Artist for Film on May 23, 2006 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

California fires illuminate trauma...

PAGE A3 t came without shoes, in their nightgowns, without medicines, money or important documents. “That was hard to deal with, trying to provide physical, emotional, medical support,” Goebel said. This time around, people were calmer, because they had time to prepare. The scale of evacuations posed a challenge, but it was nothing like the last time, she said. That let the medical personnel focus on the extreme needs of some people who ended up at the shelter. There was the frail elderly woman who was near death when she arrived — another volunteer called nearly two dozen convalescent facilities before finding one that could take the woman, ensuring she wouldn’t die in the shelter. And there was the elderly man with dementia who had been dropped off alone. Afraid he might wander away or otherwise hurt himself, fellow evacuees volunteered to look after him during the night. A police officer brought an elderly woman with Parkinson’s disease after the people living with her decided they couldn’t take her with them during the evacuation. She was taken to a room at the shelter where the elder residents of an assisted living facility in Healdsburg were lined up in hospital beds, many accompanied by their caretakers. The Red Cross volunteers always ask those caretakers to stay, said Goebel. Not everyone in need came with help, though.

Among them were people with Alzheimer’s disease and a man with multiple sclerosis. As she made her way between the veterans’ hall and the fairgrounds, Goebel said she was rejuvenated by how quickly people mobilized to help one another, and the resilience of her community after the last set of big fires. Not only had the community pulled together, but it was much better prepared this time. The winds whipping through the region at 70 to 80 mph were stronger than they had been in 2017. But through mass evacuations and an all-hands-on-deck assault on the fire, authorities and firefighters so far have prevented the worst. As of Tuesday morning, there were no deaths and just a couple of injuries. Patients in the hospitals across the county that had been evacuated were transferred to other facilities without incident. A doctor described the parade of newborns in their tiny beds, taken from Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and transferred to hospitals farther south. As buses pulled away with patients, two people stood outside clutching a balloon reading, “Congratulations.” On Saturday, the day after his arrival, Aldo Lovati walked across the same parking lot he had stood in the day before, wearing the same green long-sleeve shirt and gray sweatpants. Today, he was much quieter. It had been a rough night of little sleep in close quarters. He was mad at himself

for being ungrateful — he desperately wanted to focus on the generosity of strangers, and how lucky they were to have food and shelter. But he was feeling tired, sad and frustrated. “I’ve lost my dignity in here; I just really feel that I’ve lost my dignity,” he said. Lovati had struggled through some mental health issues that predate the fire. A breakdown a few years ago had taken a toll on family relationships, and it was all coming to the surface now that he was in need of help. “It’s gotten to me. I just want to go home,” he said. Hammack wandered out to find him, her thick, dark hair fluttering in the wind, and the two held hands as they talked. She, too, was feeling more tired than the day before, and the news of her diagnosis was starting to set in. The incision from her biopsy hurt; she was supposed to put hot compresses and pressure on it and made do with unused sanitary pads she’d gotten at the makeshift Red Cross clinic. They began to laugh again, recounting how she’d pulled one out to give him when they couldn’t find a napkin at lunch. Hammack said she was tired and wanted to go back in to lie down on a cot. Lovati agreed she should be lying down and asked why she had come out. “We’re a couple, right? We look out for one another,” she replied. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.

PAGE A3 t have to follow.” Last month, the Department of Health Care Services sent MediCal managed care plans a notice clarifying that federal law allows residents to stay in nursing homes to receive “intermediate care”; in essence, plans should pay for lower levels of care rather than terminating coverage. Freeman said the plan is reconsidering some residents’ eligibility, given the clarification. And Jones, the San Luis Obispo ombudsman, said CenCal recently hired a new nurse who has begun restoring eligibility for some residents in certain homes. But residents of other homes — and in other regions — are still facing denials. David Green, 60, a registered nurse in Santa Barbara County, said his 90-year-old mother received a letter last year telling her CenCal would no longer pay for her care at Marian Extended Care Center in Santa Maria. She’d landed in a nursing home in 2016 after a bout of sepsis, he said. At first, she was so weak, she couldn’t walk. By the time she got the letter, her strength had improved, but she still had diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, breast cancer, memory loss and pain in her artificial knees, Green said. Green sought out the Santa Barbara County ombudsman and, later, a lawyer. Eventually, he prevailed — but he’s always on alert for another letter. “It’s very nerve-racking,” he said. Tessa Hammer, the attorney from Legal Services of Northern California who helped Green, said she has worked on seven such cases out of Santa Barbara County, as well as a handful in the state’s rural northern counties. She’s concerned about residents who don’t have family advocating for them. “I’m not sure where those folks might end up,” she said. Golick, the ombudsman for several northern counties, said a man in his 80s in Trinity County received a notice from Partnership HealthPlan earlier this year that he was no longer covered for nursing care he’d depended on for a decade. Like many elderly residents, she said, he felt he had no choice but to comply. He told her he might sleep on someone’s couch, or in his brother’s car. “Rural areas are really scary,” she said. “Where the hell do you go?”

Dustin Lyda, a spokesman for Partnership, said the plan doesn’t track data on these kind of coverage denials, but anecdotally hasn’t noticed an upsurge. Lyda said the plan works with facilities, doctors and family members to determine a patient’s needs. If Partnership determines skilled nursing is no longer medically necessary, it works for 60 days to find an alternative solution, he said. In the meantime, nursing homes find themselves in a diffi-

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cult situation. They cannot legally discharge residents who don’t have a safe place to go, but they are no longer paid to keep them. In some cases, including in San Luis Obispo, nursing homes have kept residents without pay. “We’re all watching this closely,” said Craig Cornett, CEO of the California Association of Health Facilities. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation.

A November 2-5, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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DOH hits 95.4% in polio vaccination - Duque Filipino, 7 Chinese arrested for tober 29, the department has achieved a total of 95.4 percent from its supplemental vaccinaDEpARTMEnT of Health tion coverage against polio. (DoH) Secretary Francisco He added that the national Duque iii said on Tuesday, oc- Capital Region “has performed by eva

casaljay ManilaTimes.net

A child receives a polio vaccine during a mass immunization program in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

very well,” with it reaching 96 percent of its target. That is equivalent to over 1.1 million vaccinated children from its 1.2 million target. Meanwhile, Mindanao had an average of 93.6 percent coverage in its 700,000-target. The Health secretary also commended Davao City for reaching 101 percent coverage. Duque credits the good communication plan of the Health department, as well as the strong participation of local government units and their partners like the World Health organization and the United nations international Childrens’ Emergency Fund. The Sabayang patak Kontra polio program of the DoH started last october 14, with the first round of which simultaneously took place in lanao del Sur. Marawi City, Davao del Sur and Davao City. While the second round took place in Metro Manila. n

alleged kidnap attempt at NAIA by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

A Filipino and seven Chinese nationals were arrested on Friday, november 1 for allegedly trying to kidnap a Chinese man at the ninoy Aquino international Airport (nAiA) Terminal 3 in pasay City. Based on the report by philippine national police – Aviation Security Group, the victim, who was identified as Zhouzeng

lin, was meeting with one of the suspects named Zhao Xin at about 6:25 a.m. to settle his p30,000 loan after arranging his visa. However, the suspect, along with his companions, allegedly forced lin inside their vehicle for a still undisclosed reason, according to the police. The ensuing commotion caught the attention of security personnel stationed at naia. After being arrested, the

suspects were brought to the police intelligence and investigation Division of the Airport police Department (ApD) headquarters. The other Chinese suspects were identified as Huang Yuhang, Cheng Yuqi, Xiong Yao, pan Chinglin, liu Huan, and nie Shaolin. Meanwhile, the Filipino suspect was identified as Jesus Solinap Jr., the driver of the vehicle. n

Poll protest will be tougher for Robredo after change in PET composition by KRistine joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MAnilA — it may be more difficult for Vice president leni Robredo to defend her electoral win in the poll protest filed by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with changes in the presidential Electoral Tribunal’s composition, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said. Carpio is one of the two justices who held that Marcos’ election protest should be junked after he failed to make out his case in his chosen three pilot provinces, but they were outvoted by 11 other justices. The retired justice told AnC’s “Headstart” Thursday that for Robredo, it would be “more difficult,” noting that it would be one less vote for the vice president but he assured that the Supreme Court, sitting as pET, is aware of the significance of this case. “i think the court will also consider the implications of all of these if you allow a protestant [to go] outside of the pilot provinces because that will prolong the election contest and that will change the rules,” Carpio explained. president Rodrigo Duterte is also set to appoint three more justices, to replace Carpio and retired Chief Justice lucas Bersamin. The president will also fill the associate justice seat of Chief Justice Diosdado peralta. He added that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal and the Senate Electoral Tribunal also follow the same set of rules: Consider the three pilot provinces in the case and decide on whether it will be dismissed or not. “now, if we allow other precincts to be considered, that will be a departure and we have to consider the ramifications of

Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

that,” the retired justice also said. Carpio dissent in his dissenting opinion, Carpio insisted that Rule 65 of the pET expressly states that “the number of pilot provinces must ‘not be more than three.’” Marcos is asking the court to proceed with this third cause of action that is determining whether there is electoral fraud in three provinces in Mindanao. “The Tribunal will be violating its own Rules if it allows a revision and recount of ballots in other provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, beyond the maximum three provinces chosen by protestant,” he warned. “The last thing that this Tribunal should do is to change its rules in midstream to accommodate a party who has failed to comply with what Rule 65 of the 2010 pET Rules expressly requires,” Carpio stressed. Carpio said he is proud of the last vote he cast before retiring. He was joined in the dissent by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, who initially was the member-in-charge of the case. Change in member-in-charge no material effect

Philstar.com photo

Reports quoting unnamed sources from the SC said that the poll protest has been raffled off to Associate Justice Marvic leonen. Carpio assured that a new member-in-charge of the case “would not be material,” unless the tribunal proceeds with the third cause of action. “initially it will have no effect because the first issue will be whether the court will allow three more provinces to be considered,” the retired justice said. “if the court will allow 3 more provinces to be considered then that will be material for the ponente because the ponente will be in charge of revision and recount of the 3 more provinces,” he explained. leonen is one of the 11 justices that voted to allow Marcos and Robredo to comment on the release of the initial recount report and on the move to proceed with Marcos’ third cause of action. He later explained that his vote was for due process. “You do not want a court to condemn without hearing, no matter what the consequences are, you do not want to condemn,” he said. n

Lawmakers reject proposed ‘salt tax’ by glee jalea ManilaTimes.net

lAWMAKERS in the Senate and the House of Representatives on Thursday, october 31, opposed the recent proposal of the Department of Health (DoH) to impose tax on salty products, calling it “highly regressive” and “anti-poor.” Health Secretary Francisco Duque iii on Tuesday, october 29, expressed support for the proposed “asin (salt) tax” on junk food, noodles and even daing or salted dried fish since salty diets lead to hypertension that cost the government about p756 billion annually. Senate president Vicente Sotto iii, however, described as “silly” the proposed asin tax on daing, which he said is part of the poor’s diet. “i think they are now going overboard. Bakit pati pagkain namin gustong pakialaman ng DoH (Why is it that the DoH wants to meddle with our food

choice)?” he said in a text message. Sen. Aquilino pimentel 3rd echoed Sotto’s remarks, saying such tax would be imposed on food items consumed by the “poorer sections of society.” Senators panfilo lacson and Maria Josefa imelda Marcos also rejected the Health department’s plan to impose a “sin tax” on daing, tuyo (dried fish), noodles and other “similar foods of the poor,” and urged the DoH not to push through with it. in the House of Representatives, Albay Second District Rep. Jose Maria Salceda noted that the DoH should not “pass the ball” of health-related outcomes to tax policy, as it has not yet provided solutions to address the spread of non-communicable diseases in the country. “While we take the cognizance of the DoH and WHo’s (World Health organization) warnings of negative health impacts of high salt content of consumption

patterns, we are also concerned that this will constitute a tax on the entire food item,” he said. Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, stressed that the “highest level of care” must be taken when taxing items that are beneficial to the health such as salt and sugar. Meanwhile, Bayan Muna noted that the proposal would only increase the prices of products mostly consumed by poor Filipinos. “it is not the sin of the poor that they can only afford a poor people’s diet. it is their concrete present abject condition in our country that prevent them from getting healthy food,” said Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate. Data from the WHo showed that high salt intake is one of the causes of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory diseases, which account for 68 percent of all deaths in the philippines. n

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Tuesday, October 29, expressed support for the proposed “asin (salt) tax” on junk food, noodles and even daing or salted dried fish since salty diets lead to hypertension that cost the government about P756 billion annually. ManilaTimes.net photo

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvEmbER 2-5, 2019

A

Reuters says Robredo’s criticism of drug war ‘fairly and accurately’ reported by Ian

This undated photo shows Marcelo Fernan Bridge connecting Mactan to Cebu island.

Contributed photo

nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com

INTERNATIONAL news agency Reuters on Tuesday said it stands by its October 23 story about Leni Robredo’s call for a halt to the Duterte administration’s drug war, adding it “accurately� reported the vice president’s remarks. “Reuters fairly and accurately represented the statements of Philippine vice president Leni Robredo, and we stand by our story,� Reuters Asia Pacific Communications Manager Tyler Thia said. Police say more than 7,000 who resisted arrest have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte launched his deadly narcotics crackdown — a far cry from rights

UNESCO hails Cebu as new ‘Creative City of Design’ Congress asked

CEBU City was named as one of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities on Monday, October 28. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay designated a total of 66 UNESCO Creative Cities. Cebu was chosen as a Creative City of Design, making it the second UNESCO Creative City of the country. UNESCO Creative Cities Network was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The UNESCO Creative Cities

are laboratories of ideas and innovative practice that bring “tangible contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through innovative thinking and action.� These cities “champion sustainable actions that directly benefit communities at urban level.� “All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,� Azoulay said in a release. “This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations,� she also said.

In 2017, Baguio City was also hailed as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art. The UCCN covers seven creative fields including crafts and folk arts, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature and music. The members cities that form UCCN “work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.� (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

‘World Bank’s $500-million grant for Philippines missing since 2015’ by Delon

Porcalla Philstar.com

MANILA — Amid the series of earthquakes in Mindanao, a senior party-list lawmaker asked the government as well as the previous administration what happened to the $500 million equivalent to at least P2.5 billion — that the World Bank (WB) granted Manila as loan for calamities in 2015. Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera, a senior deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives,

recalled that the WB loan was approved in December 2015, or during the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III. “Given the widespread damage in Mindanao, it is proper for us in Congress to ask the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Finance (DOF) to fully account for the ‘Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Plan’ to the Philippines,� Herrera said. The lawmaker is among the authors of House Bill 3214 that

aims to create a Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR). “The public must know how much is left of the $500 million, how the loan has been spent and whether that spending has been wise and in the public interest. It cannot be that only the technical staff are aware of what has happened to the $500 million,� she said. While the Duterte administration, through Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, is applying for another $500million WB loan, it would be

u PAGE A9

to probe missing papers in Marcos wealth cases MANILA — Where are the documents that would prove the Marcos family’s ill-gotten wealth? Former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales on Tuesday called on Congress to investigate why the documents needed in the multimillion-peso forfeiture cases against the Marcoses have gone missing, leading to the Sandiganbayan’s dismissal of three civil suits in three months for “insufficient evidence.� “Maybe Congress, led by somebody like [Albay first district Rep.] Edcel Lagman should investigate why the documents are missing,� said Rosales, referring to the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s (PCGG) inability to produce the original documents as required by the “best evidence� rule of court. The agency submitted only photocopies of the documents in three forfeiture cases against the Marcoses and their associates, leading to the cases’ dismissal. Quoting former PCGG chair Haydee Yorac, Rosales said some individuals had removed the original documents, with one even caught in the act. She did not identify the individual, however. “This is a betrayal of public trust,� Rosales said. n

groups’ estimate that pegs drugrelated fatalities at 27,000. In an article entitled “Philippine vice president says time for Duterte to halt failed drug war�, Robredo told Reuters that the government’s controversial antinarcotics campaign is “obviously not working.� “The lives of our people are on the line and the dignity of our country is on the line, but my first

call is for our government to take care of the mess,â€? Robredo was quoted as saying by Reuters. On Sunday, Robredo said she was misquoted by Reuters, arguing that what she meant was the drug war must be “tweaked.â€? The vice president’s criticism of the war on drugs touched a nerve in MalacaĂąang, with Duterte offering to put her in charge of law enforcement. n

Dear Fil-Am Lawyers, Our father owned real property in the Philippines and he has passed away. My siblings and I were born in California and are not sure how the laws work in the Philippines. We have discovered that the real property is still in the name of our paternal grandfather who died over 20 years ago! I read online that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the Philippines will assess estate taxes corresponding to the deaths of our grandfather as well as our father. Is this correct and what are the necessary steps for us to properly settle our father’s real property in the Philippines? Sincerely, Carlos A., San Diego, California Dear Carlos A., You are not alone. Generations of Filipino families still hold properties in the names of their deceased relatives. Traditionally, properties are ÂŤ>ĂƒĂƒi` `ÂœĂœÂ˜ LĂž ĂœÂœĂ€` Âœv Â“ÂœĂ•ĂŒÂ… LĂ•ĂŒ Ă€>Ă€iÂ?Ăž LĂž Âœvw Vˆ>Â? }ÂœĂ›iĂ€Â˜Â“iÂ˜ĂŒ `ii`ĂƒÂ° Why? Well, it is all due to one scary thing—estate taxes. Estate tax refers to the tax imposed on the conveyance of property upon the death of the estate owner. In other words, the estate tax must be paid in order to transfer a decedent’s estate to his or her lawful heirs and Li˜iw Vˆ>Ă€ÂˆiĂƒÂ° /Ă€>`ÂˆĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜>Â?Â?Ăž] iĂƒĂŒ>ĂŒi ĂŒ>Ă? ˆ˜VÂ?Ă•`iĂƒ > Óä¯ ĂŒ>Ă? œ˜ ĂŒÂ…i ˜iĂŒ estate of the decedent, plus any additional penalties and interests. In ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ v>“ˆÂ?ĂžÂ˝Ăƒ V>Ăƒi] ÂˆĂŒ iÂ˜ĂŒ>ˆÂ?Ăƒ > Óä¯ iĂƒĂŒ>ĂŒi ĂŒ>Ă?] > ĂƒĂ•Ă€VÂ…>Ă€}i Âœv Ă“xÂŻ ­>˜` Ă•ÂŤ ĂŒÂœ x䯎] >˜` ĂŒÂ…i˜ >Â˜ÂœĂŒÂ…iĂ€ Óä¯ ÂˆÂ˜ĂŒiĂ€iĂƒĂŒ vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ĂŒÂ…i ĂŒÂˆÂ“i ĂžÂœĂ•Ă€ }Ă€>˜`v>ĂŒÂ…iĂ€ died. Unbelievable, right? With such cost-prohibitive taxes imposed on a decedent’s estate, it is no surprise that many families avoid estate taxes by simply not transferring their assets; leaving them unprotected and subject to accruing penalties with the BIR. Luckily for you and your family, the newly approved Republic Act ­,Ä?ÂŽ ϡ ÂŁÂŁĂ“ÂŁĂŽ] >Â?ĂƒÂœ ÂŽÂ˜ÂœĂœÂ˜ >Ăƒ ĂŒÂ…i />Ă? Ä?“˜iĂƒĂŒĂž Ä?VĂŒ Âœv Ó䣙] Â…>Ăƒ provided new provisions on estate tax amnesty and tax amnesty on delinquencies. What does this mean and how does it affect your family? 7iÂ?Â?] Li}ˆ˜˜ˆ˜} œ˜ Ă•Â˜i ÂŁx] Ó䣙] Â?i}>Â? Â…iÂˆĂ€Ăƒ Âœv >˜ iĂƒĂŒ>ĂŒi Âœv > `iVi`iÂ˜ĂŒ ĂœÂ…Âœ `ˆi` œ˜ ÂœĂ€ LivÂœĂ€i iVi“LiĂ€ ĂŽÂŁ] Óä£Ç] V>˜ Li˜iw ĂŒ vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒ ˜iĂœ Â?>ĂœÂ° i˜iw Vˆ>Ă€ÂˆiĂƒ ĂœÂˆÂ?Â? }>ˆ˜ ÂˆÂ“Â“Ă•Â˜ÂˆĂŒĂž vĂ€ÂœÂ“ ĂŒÂ…i ÂŤ>ޓiÂ˜ĂŒ Âœv iĂƒĂŒ>ĂŒi ĂŒ>Ă?iĂƒ] as well as civil, criminal, and administrative cases and penalties. This can be accomplished by settling estate tax obligations within two years from the amnesty’s effective date. Unlike previous estate tax provisions, the >“˜iĂƒĂŒĂž ÂŤĂ€ÂœĂ›Âˆ`iĂƒ vÂœĂ€ > y >ĂŒ ĂˆÂŻ ĂŒ>Ă? œ˜ ĂŒÂ…i `iVi`iÂ˜ĂŒÂ˝Ăƒ ĂŒÂœĂŒ>Â? ˜iĂŒ iĂƒĂŒ>ĂŒi >ĂŒ ĂŒÂ…i ĂŒÂˆÂ“i Âœv `i>ĂŒÂ…] ĂœÂˆĂŒÂ… > Â“ÂˆÂ˜ÂˆÂ“Ă•Â“ ĂŒ>Ă? >“˜iĂƒĂŒĂž >Â“ÂœĂ•Â˜ĂŒ Âœv *x]äää ÂŤiĂ€ decedent, and without penalties at each stage of transfer of property. Ultimately, your family will be saving lots of money when settling your father’s real property‌but you and your siblings need to take care of this during the two year period! So how can you take advantage of this opportunity? Our team of licensed and experienced attorneys, from both the United States and the Philippines, can guide you through the intricate maze of the Philippine inheritance laws and help you receive, and protect, what is rightfully yours. To schedule a phone or video consultation, please visit us online at www.FilAmLawyers.com or contact us at 323-FILAMLAW or 323-345-2652. Warm regards, Fil-Am Lawyers

A8 NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Among Asia’s best

FEATURES

NOT too long ago, the travel website sleepinginairports.net was consistently rating the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as one of the world’s worst. Today, with improvements in both the NAIA 1 and 2 as well as the full operation of Terminal 3, the country’s principal gateway is out of the worst list. Even better, the same website has included two new Philippine airports among the 20 best gateways in Asia. Cebu-Mactan International ranked 16th while Iloilo International placed 18th. Those rankings are still a long way from the consistently top-rated Changi airport in Singapore and South Korea’s Seoul Incheon International. The two gateways, which offer many of the creature comforts that make traveling a much less stressful experience, were rated first and second not just within the region but also globally. Still, for Filipinos who for some time had regarded the NAIA as a national embarrassment, having two of the country’s international airports included in a list of the region’s best is a much welcome, refreshing change. The challenge at this point is to aim for further improvements in the two airports, and to develop

more world-class gateways. Airports can give travelers their first – and sometimes only – impression of a country. Countries with a keen awareness of competition in a globalized environment invested heavily early on in developing the best airports. It is no coincidence that tiny Singapore, whose Changi International has been setting the global standard for many years now, also ranks high in all national competitiveness indicators. Cebu-Mactan and Iloilo international airports are expanded, upgraded versions of the original gateway. The recognition they have received, modest compared to several others in the region, can set the example for improvements in other Philippine gateways. Equally important is that they don’t stagnate from complacency. As neighboring countries have shown, airport upgrading is an unending effort. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Missing the Filipino tradition of ‘undas’ in America

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS PICTURES and videos of friends in costumes partying and kids trick or treating on Halloween flood my newsfeed on social media. I must admit, my husband and I never got to own this American Halloween tradition, never decorated our home to look spooky, and never went to Halloween parties in costume. Yes, for the sake of our children, we would buy candies to give away to other kids trick or treating, and dressed up our kids for them to trick or treat themselves in the neighborhood, but we personally were never excited about Halloween. Just last weekend we were video calling with our two grandkids who are five and four years old now living in Missouri, and they asked us what costumes my husband and I would be wearing. They were disappointed to hear from us that we did not have any costumes. “How can you have Halloween without costumes?” they lamented, and said how they wish they could go trick or treating

with their “big family” — code words that mean Lolo and Lola included. My husband’s heart melted and responded to our apos’ wish: “ Yes someday we will join you!” You have to forgive us, though, if we sound KJ ( kill joy) or boring because of this, but you have to understand where we are coming from. Like many of you, we also grew up in the Philippines. We moved to America when we were in our late 30s with two teenagers and two young kids in tow. We were so stubbornly set in our ways and traditions especially during this time of the year. To us, October 31 brings back memories of going to Cementerio del Norte in Manila with our family and extended families when we were kids to clean, paint the “nicho,” and bring flowers and candles to the grave of our family members who have already died. This was in preparation for All Saints’ Day. November 1 would be the day for our big families to gather together for a reunion in the sementeryo (cemetary) for a big reunion. We would bring a lot of food and drinks, a sound system, guitar, playing cards, board games, and old family

photo albums. We would also buy our family favorite flower — chicharong bulaklak — so sinfully crispy and delicious freshly fried from the row of lechon stores in La Loma, near the entrada of North Cemetery. All Saints’ Day was a whole day family affair. We would start it with prayers and rosary, then all day eating, storytelling about our memories with our family members who have died, honoring their memory. So much laughter, teasing, and family stories immortalized as they were passed from one generation to the next. Living far away from the Motherland makes us miss these family bonding moments. It also saddens us to think our children do not have these opportunities to be close to and get to know our big families just like we did. Haaay, I know... I hear you… We are now living in a different world. While we will always cherish our family traditions from decades ago back in the Philippines, we need to embrace our new reality. My husband and I are first in our families to immigrate to the United States. We are now building the foundation of a new chapter in our family history which starts with us. Our

The author and her ‘big family’ observing All Saints’ Day in the Philippines in 1988.

family is growing. After our children came our two beautiful grandkids. We will be blessed with many more apos who will be the third generation of our family to be American citizens. Okay, so what costumes

should my husband and I get when we go trick or treating with our apos Azshara and Thorin in the future? *Wink, wink* *** Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989

with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

Robredo should have accepted drug czar challenge

Commentary

AL VITANGCOL III LAST Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said he was willing to surrender his law enforcement powers to Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo for a period of six months. Knowing how the president talks, no one could confirm if he was joking or serious. Robredo refused to react to the offer from the president. The next day, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo confirmed that the president’s offer was serious. In fact, according to Panelo, the president will be sending a formal letter to Robredo detailing such a proposition. Should Robredo accept such an offer to be an “interim” drug czar? Netizens and the ordinary men on the street have reacted to this diversely. Some say that the drug czar designation of Robredo would mean that the administration had indeed failed in its three-year-long drug war and will use Robredo as a scapegoat. Others say that this is an opportune time for Robredo to show her mettle and prove herself to the Filipino people. Well, certain quarters are opening that this is a “click-bait” where Robredo

would be trounced on and her work sabotaged by the incumbents the moment she steps up to the challenge. In my opinion, the president was not really serious when he made the announcement. He was exasperated with the criticisms proffered by the vice president. With the attention generated by his announcement, however, and with the supposed text message sent by Panelo to Robredo, Malacañang had to own the president’s words. Thus, the Palace took the stance that it was serious about the offer. Robredo should accept offer The vice president should accept the designation of interim drug czar for a period of six months, subject to certain conditions. First condition. It should be done in writing and signed by the president himself. Second condition. The appointment should come with a blanket authority to control the government agencies dealing with the war on drugs — the Philippine National Police, the Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the National Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice, and even the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. Third condition. Those officials and employees of the

Vice President Leni Robredo

above-mentioned agencies who would not obey her orders should be immediately sacked and slapped with administrative and criminal charges. Fourth condition. She should have the authority to appoint key officers and personnel in the said government agencies to ensure their compliance with her orders. The incumbent officers

Inquirer.net

that would be displaced with the interim appointment should be placed on floating status for six months (or reassigned to non-essential positions). Final condition. She should be immune from any suit, of whatever nature, that might arise from her performing the duties of a drug czar. Law of supply and demand

Come to think of it. Why is the drug menace persistent? It is because of economics — the law of supply and demand. Robredo should study this. The most basic laws in economics are the law of supply and demand. Supply pertains to the amount of goods that owners or producers offer for sale, while demand is the amount needed by the buyers or users of the goods for sale. If demand increases and supply remains unchanged, then it leads to a higher selling price and lower available quantity. If supply increases and demand remains unchanged, it will lead to lower equilibrium price and higher quantity. Eliminate the supply. One way to deny the users of their illegal substance is to minimize and eventually eliminate the supply. The administration had been doing this for more than three years now but to naught. How come? Well, drug suppliers have protectors in the points of entry, say in the Bureau of Customs, and in law enforcement. Even if the source or supply is identified and captured, the illegal drugs would be recycled (meaning taken back to the market) by the socalled “ninja cops.” Thus, the source or supply will never be shut off. This leaves

Robredo with only one variable to control — the demand. Eliminate the demand. Minimize and eventually eliminate the demand and the drug economy falls. Even if there is supply (from original manufacturers and ninja cops) if there is no demand, then there will be no market to speak of. How do we eliminate demand? There is no choice but to eliminate all drug users. Killing them with bullets opens up scenarios where innocents and non-drug users are killed (by mistake or by design). So, let us just kill those who are really drug users. Remember the recycled drugs? PDEA should conduct a series of drug operations and confiscate these illegal substances. Chemists should then be employed to lace these seized illegal drugs with cyanide or other potent chemicals. The “death-laden” drugs should then be infused back in the market. Who would die from these “death-laden” drugs? Of course, only the real addicts and drug users. Innocents will no longer die in this protracted drug war. The authorities need not even pull the trigger to kill these drug users. The druggies would have killed themselves in the end! (ManilaTimes.net)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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ASEAN refuses to choose between US, China – DFA official by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

raMos

he assumed office. According to Mahilum-West, the President will be accompaMEMBERS of the Associanied by Foreign Affairs Secretion of Southeast Asian Nations tary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Trade (ASEAN) believe they should not Secretary Ramon Lopez and be made to choose between the other Cabinet members. United States or China as it might Aside from the ASEAN Plejeopardize ASEAN’S active and nary Summit, there will also be growing ties with the two counseveral other summits where tries, an official from the DepartPhilippine participation is exment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) pected. said on Monday, October 28. These include ASEAN Plus “I think Asean has its own Three Summit and the East agenda and issues that Asean Asia Summit where leaders are always discusses in its meetexpected to share their views ings and the U.S.-China rivalry regarding regional and intermight have a big impact on the national issues affecting our Based on results of Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 20 Countries in the World: Readers Choice Awards 2019, the Philippines ranked eighth with a Philstar.com photo summit,” Foreign Affairs Assisregion and beyond, Mahilum- score of 90.63. tant Secretary Junever MahilumWest said. West of the Office of ASEAN AfASEAN members, she added, fairs said in a press briefing. will also have one-on-one sum“But it’s also clear that ASEAN mits with China, with India, the well for the country’s sustainable Western Philippines is as close by Christina Mendez, leaders have stated that we United Nations, the United States tourism development program to a tropical idyll as you’ll find Catherine talavera should not be made to choose and Japan where discussions on as continuity is the very essence in Southeast Asia, with gentle Philstar.com between the U.S. and China the current direction of each of of sustainability,” Puyat said. coastlines and made-for-Insbecause we have an active and the countries’ partnerships and Malacañang lauded yesterday tagram sunsets,” according to FOREIGN visitors’ interest in growing cooperation with those cooperation on mutual concerns the Philippines remains strong the DOT for efforts to promote Conde Nast Traveler. two countries which we would are expected to take place. n “Fold in a thriving nightlife after the country was voted by the Philippines after the counreaders of travel magazine Conde try placed 8th in the Readers’ scene, and you have one of the Nast Traveler as one of the favor- Choice Awards 2019 of Conde top tourist spots in the region,” it added. ite destinations in the world to Nast Traveler. “The world has spoken: it The magazine acknowledged PAGE A7 where these funds went, how be the rightful implementing visit. is truly more fun in the Philip- the island’s closure and ongoing Based on results of Conde Nast best if the DOF “first report to they were spent and if there agency,” she added. pines,” presidential spokesman rehabilitation, noting that it has Government financing insti- Traveler’s Top 20 Countries in the Salvador Panelo said. Congress what they did with are still funds we could use for “become too touristed” in the World: Readers Choice Awards tution Pag-IBIG, along with lothe 2015 loan,” according to calamities,” she said. The Palace official is grate- past. 2019, the Philippines ranked cal banks in Mindanao, should “Now that Congress is creHerrera. ful to the readers of Conde Nast At present, the Philippine gov“Policy loans usually run for ating the DDR, it is but neces- exert effort to extend calamity eighth with a score of 90.63. Traveler for making the Philip- ernment is implementing a carThe magazine cited island loans to residents in key areas sary for the NEDA and DOF to several years. The public is enpines eighth in their list of favor- rying capacity for Boracay, with titled to know whether the WB account for this huge loan to in the region that have been hit hopping, surfing and shopping ite countries in the world. only 19,215 tourists allowed to as some of the activities tourists the hardest by the recent series share or turnover management credit line is still active. Filipi“We commend the Depart- be on the island at any one time, can do in the country. nos should also be apprised on of it with the DDR, which would of earthquakes. n It also cited Palawan, particu- ment of Tourism, their industry and 6,405 tourists allowed to enlarly Coron, El Nido and Linapa- partners and other stakeholders ter the island per day. “The aptly named White Beach can, as among the top destina- for their splendid job. In its most recent report, the DOT counted is Boracay’s main draw, with tions. The Philippines joined the oth- a total of 5,554,950 visitors powdery white sand and shallow er favorite countries to visit that between January and August azure water ideal for swimming and snorkeling,” Conde Nast included Indonesia, Thailand, 2019,” Panelo said. On top of this, Panelo noted said. Portugal and Sri Lanka. Following Boracay is Cebu “Gaining yet another pres- that the Philippines registered tigious recognition as the 8th a 14.08 percent year-on-year and the Visayas islands landing Favorite Country in the World increase in the country’s interna- in second spot. “Located in the center of the speaks well of the concerted ef- tional inbound traffic. The recognition comes on the Philippines, Cebu draws nearly fort of the Philippine tourism industry stakeholders in nurturing heels of two major awards the two million travelers annually for the many natural wonders the Philippines won at the recent its pristine beaches and diving country is blessed with,” Tour- 2019 World Travel Awards held off the island’s northern coast. Spanish and Roman Catholic ism Secretary Bernadette Romu- at Phu Quoc island in Vietnam. Readers of Conde Nast Trav- influences permeate Cebu City; lo-Puyat said. Department of Tourism New eler also voted three Philippine Basilica Minore del Santo Niño York attaché Francisco Lardiza- islands as the best islands in houses a small statue of Christ bal received the award in behalf Asia, with Boracay grabbing the that was presented by Ferdinand of the Philippines during cer- number one spot, despite the Magellan,” Conde Naste said. The magazine highlighted emonies at the One World Trade six-month closure of the island last year due to clean up and re- Cebu’s Kawasan Falls near Center in New York. Cebu’s southwest coast, noting FURRY VISITORS. These cats drop by for a “visit” at a tomb inside the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City on Friday, November 1. Every year, “All these accolades that the habilitation efforts. Filipinos — and cats, too — troop to cemeteries to remember their departed loved ones in observance of All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day. “This itty-bitty island (just its popularity among locals and country and our other island desPNA photo by Ben Briones tinations continue to receive bode under four square miles) in the tourists. n not want jeopardize and that’s we invite them to the Asean meetings so that those relations would further grow,” she added. The U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies, have been battling for influence in Southeast Asia and they have put nations that do not want to choose between them in an “awkward” position. The Philippines has been a long-standing ally of the U.S. But recently, President Rodrigo Duterte made a pivot to China. Malacañang has repeatedly insisted, however, that the pivot to China would not affect the long-standing ties between the U.S. and the Philippines. Southeast Asian nations will once again meet at the 35th ASEAN Summit which will be held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4 in Thailand. President Duterte will attend the said summit, which will be his fourth visit to Thailand since

‘World Bank’s $500 million for...

PH 8th favorite country among travelers

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No reopening of Maguindanao massacre trial by JANVIC

MATEO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Quezon City court handling the multiple murder cases filed in connection with the 2009 Maguindanao massacre will not reopen the decade-long trial as requested by the lawyer of primary suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, in a five-page order released on Monday, denied the motion to reopen the trial filed by lawyer Paul Laguatan in behalf of his client Ampatuan. She noted the testimony of suspect-turned-state witness

Sukarno Badal, who denied the claim of Ampatuan that he would recant his testimony. “With the denial made by prosecution witness Sukarno Badal of his intention to recant his previous testimony given on several dates, it is crystal clear that the ground relied on by the accused-movant’s for the reopening of trial has no leg to stand on,” read the ruling. “Thus, the motion must perforce fail,” it added. With the denial of the motion, the 90-day period that SolisReyes has to rule on the case will proceed. She submitted the case for decision last Aug. 22, giving her

until Nov. 20 – or three days before the 10th anniversary of the massacre – to hand down the verdict on Ampatuan and some 100 suspects who have been arrested in connection with the incident. The camp of Ampatuan tried to defer the proceedings, first with a request that he be given three months to find a new lawyer after the withdrawal of the firm of Raymond Fortun from the case in August. When it was denied by the judge, his new lawyer Laguatan asked for an extension to file the defense memorandum and, later on, the motion to reopen the trial. ■

Families victimized by common crimes down - SWS FOOT PATROL. Manila Police District (MPD) personnel conduct foot patrols to maintain peace and order inside the Manila North Cemetery on Thursday, October 31. The 54-hectare cemetery is among the oldest and biggest cemeteries in the country. PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Filipino farmer’s cacao beans among top 20 in the world MANILA— A Filipino farmer’s cacao beans have been recognized among the top 20 in the world on Wednesday, October 30. In August, Jose Saguban, a cocoa farmer from Davao, was chosen as one of the producers of the Top 50 best cocoa bean samples in the world at the prestigious 2019 International Cocoa Awards. On Thursday, Saguban also won the main award for the Top 20 best cacao beans in the world at the same competition, which was held at Salon Du Chocolat 2019, in Paris, France. Saguban is a farming partner of award-winning local chocolate brand Auro Chocolate. “We won top 20 best cacao beans in the world for the most prestigious Cacao of Excellence Award — The first time for the Philippines!” the chocolate company announced. Now on its tenth year, Cocoa of Excellence Programme is the entry-point for cocoa-producers to participate in the global competition International Cocoa Awards. This competition recognizes the work of cocoa farmers and celebrates the diversity of cocoa flavors.

Jose Saguban, a farmer from Davao, produces among the top cocoa beans in the world. Photo from Facebook/Auro Chocolate

This year, the Cocoa of Excellence Technical committee received 223 samples from 55 coco-producing countries. The samples were transformed into liquor during the evaluation. Saguban was trained by chocolate expert and Auro Chocolate’s cocoa manager Louie Cena. Cena also closely worked with the other members of the Paquibato Tree Developers Cooperative . He taught them fermentation protocols and helped them prepare the data and samples for submission sponsored by Auro and entered for the com-

petition. “When we found out he made it to the Top 50, we were already ecstatic so we decided to bring him to Paris to receive his award in person. but WOW! Little did we know he would make it to the Top 20 best cacao beans in the world, we have no words!” Auro wrote in a social media post. “Thank you to Mang Jose for his hard work, dedication and motivation to keep getting better! What a great moment for the Philippines and Filipino farmers!” it added. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

ABOUT 1.4 million families fell victim to common crimes in the past six months, according to the third quarter survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). The poll from September 27 to 30 among 1,800 Filipino adults nationwide showed 5.6 percent of families being victimized by pickpocketing or robbery, break-ins, car theft, and of physical violence. This is 1.4 points higher than the 7.0 percent or 1.7 million families reported in June 2019, and is the lowest since the 5.3 percent in June 2018. “Except in March 2013 and June 2016 when it was at 10.5 percent and 11.4 percent respectively, victimization of families by any common crime has been at single-digit levels from March 2012 to September 2019,” SWS said. Since 1989, SWS has been

asking respondents of each quarterly survey whether any household member became a victim of street robbery, home break-in, or violence in the past six months. In 1992, SWS added motor vehicle theft to its list of crimes that was specifically monitored. “Victimization by common crimes reported in SWS surveys is much higher than the number of crimes actually reported to the police,” the polling firm said. According to the same survey, 3.4 percent or an estimated 846,000 Filipino families reported getting victimized by property crimes such as street robbery, burglary, and carnapping within the past six months, down by 1.0 point from 4.4 percent or an estimated 1.1 million in June. The survey also showed 2.6 percent or an estimated 640,000 families were victimized by break-ins, while 0.3 percent or

an estimated 40,000 families owning any type of motor vehicle were robbed in the past six months. About 0.5 percent or an estimated 133,000 families said they were victims of physical violence in the past six months, down by 0.7 points from 1.2 percent or an estimated 287,000 in June. The September survey also found 59 percent of Filipino adults fearful of burglary, 47 percent fearful of walking the streets at night, 38 percent noticing many drug addicts in the neighborhood. The survey, which was released on Wednesday, had sampling error margins of ±2.3 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent each for Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila and the Visayas. (Catherine Valente/ManilaTimes.net)

DOH pushing for outright ban on e-cigarettes by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Department of Health is pushing for an outright ban on electronic cigarettes, saying users of the product are exposed to health risks. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the rising use of electornic cigarettes is “alarming,” claiming that the product is being used even by some elementary students. “If the DOH would have its way, we would go for an outright ban,” Domingo told reporters Wednesday in Malacañang. “Even if the packaging and promotion is enticing to the youth, it is not for young people. These products are not good alternatives to normal or regular cigarettes,” he added. Domingo said there have been 1,604 recorded cases of EVALI or “e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury” in the United States, 34 of which have resulted in deaths. He said about one percent of Filipinos are now into vaping. In contrast, 22.7% of Filipinos smoke tobacco cigarettes and 18.7% smoke daily, according to a 2015 fact sheet for the Global Adult Tobacco Survey posted on the Philippine Statistics Author-

The group Responsible Vapers show off their vapes at the DOH in Manila where talks on the rules and regulations regarding the use of electronic cigarettes are ongoing. Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales

ity website. The government has raised excise taxes on tobacco prices, partly to discourage smoking and people are not supposed to smoke in public except in designated areas. “Let’s not wait for an epidemic like this to happen in the Philippines,” Domingo said. Domingo said his agency would back bills that would ban

electronic cigarettes or vapes. “There are several countries that have now decided to ban ecigarettes. There are two tracks, to ban it or to regulate it...here, many are using and many are selling it, it’s there. So regulation would be the softer way, but for health outcomes, an outright ban would be the best and will definitely improve health outcomes,” he added. ■

Marcos grave among most visited at Libingan ng mga Bayani by DARRYL JOHN

ESGUERRA

Inquirer.net

MANILA — The grave of late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos is among the most visited tombs at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) on the eve of Undas, nearly three years since his controversial burial at the hallowed ground in Taguig City. Visitors, a mixture of young and old ones, paid a visit at Marcos’ grave at the Presidents Section of LNMB or Heroes Cemetery. Among the former presidents buried at the Presidents Section of the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Ferdinand Marcos’ tomb had

the most number of visitors. Other former presidents interred at the cemetery were Diosdado Macapagal, Elpidio Quirino, and Carlos Garcia. Among the former presidents buried at LNMB, Marcos’ tomb had the most visitors. In fact, Marcos’ number of visitors is comparable to that of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, arguably the most iconic site at the 103-hectare cemetery. Some of Marcos’ visitors would stop by to take photos and selfies with his grave. “Pwede magpa-picture? Sabi ibabawal daw, eh loyalist kami,” a woman asked a soldier

The grave of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

posted at Marcos’ tomb. Marcos’ remains were interred at the Heroes Cemetery on November 18, 2016, despite massive opposition. Marcos is among the most polarizing figure in the Philippines. He is most likely to be remembered for his declaration of martial law, a period which led to the closure of more than 80 newspapers, 292 radio stations, and public utility services. According to Amnesty International, Marcos’ martial law caused the deaths of 3,240 people, imprisonment of 70,000, and torture of 34,000. ■

Inquirer.net photo by Dexter Cabalza

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Journal Stars who have passed on to the other side of the veil By Arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

LIKE the Taoist concept of dualism that is the yin and yang — which describes how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected and independent in the natural world — comes the reality of death as the paradox of life. The inevitability of one being snatched out of existence leaves family and friends in shock and grief, but making those still alive ponder on their own fate as to when will they breathe their last. Since January, a number of

showbiz denizens left abruptly, some not even able to say goodbye while others have lived their full life if their earthly age was to be the determinant. Rock icon Joey “Pepe” Smith died on January 28, after suffering a stroke in November 2017. A member of the Juan dela Cruz band, he became one of the pioneering figures in Pinoy rock. He did a movie, “Above the Clouds.” in 2014 playing grandfather to Ruru Madrid, who was only 15 then. Smith was 71. On February 9, comedian Bentong (Domingo Vusotros Brotamante Jr.) died at the age of 55 due to diabetes and health Eddie Garcia PAGE B2

Pepe Smith

Showbiz personalities weigh in on the Barretto scandal by

AllAn PoliCArPio Inquirer.net

AS the ongoing, real-life teleserye starring the Barrettos unravels online, show biz kibitzers—heck, even people who claim they don’t care about celebrity shenanigans—can’t help but follow, “like,” “share” and make memes out of every bit of sordid morsel the lead stars themselves drop. But while internet users have no qualms giving their dissertation-esque hot take on this controversy, the same can’t be said of other show biz personalities. Many of them are quite wary about giving their two cents or doing anything that could be construed as a gesture of support or otherwise for any of those involved. “Why are you asking me? They’re not asking for my opinion. Do you want me to get bashed?” Ai-Ai delas Alas said, cackling, when asked about the said issue in a recent pocket

Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine Barretto

interview, shortly after she renewed her contract with GMA 7 for three more years. Ai-Ai isn’t particularly keen on taking sides, she said, because Gretchen, Marjorie and, to a certain extent, Claudine, are her “kachikahan.” “I don’t want to get involved in these things anymore. If or when the people embroiled in it make up with each other, you could end up being their en-

Inquirer.net photos

emy,” she pointed out. “I know this only too well.” The 54-year-old actress herself is no stranger to intrigues or to onlookers feasting over her personal life. But sometimes, that’s simply the price celebrities like her have to pay, she surmised. “People will want to find out. I’m thankful social media didn’t exist back when I was involved in a lot of scandals—me PAGE B2

Amalia Fuentes

Carlos Celdran

ManilaTimes.net photos

EntErtainmEnt

B November 2-5, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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JC Santos, Bradley and Bianca Liew

Pechanga Resort Casino wins best Southern California casino and other major readers’ polls THE result of the readers’ polls of 2019 held by The Press-Enterprise and Orange County Register has been revealed: Pechanga was voted “Best Southern California Casino.” At the same time, Pechanga also picked up first place wins in the categories of “Best Casino Resort,” “Best Entertainment,” “Best Poker,” “Best Casino Spa” and “Best Casino Golf Course” in the Southern California Gaming Guide’s readers’ poll. Likewise, in the national online readers’ poll held by USA Today’s 10Best.com, Pechanga came in as one of the top three in the “Best Casino Hotel” and the “Best Casino Outside Las Vegas” categories. Among the result of the “Best Casino Hotel” poll, Pechanga came in third, just a little behind Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. The $300M Pechanga Resort Casino spent on its resort expansion would rival any casino in California or Nevada. With 200,000-square feet of casino floor combined with an exhilarating array of table games and slots, Pechanga has the largest casino floor in California. With the addition of the newly built 14-story hotel tower, there are now a total

of 1,090 luxurious rooms and suites. The two-story spa facility Spa Pechanga has also won numerous awards. In addition, the 40,000-square-foot Pechanga Summit can accommodate 3,000 event-goers, whereas, the Pechanga Theater has 1,200 seats to host top-notch entertainment shows. Make a splash at The Cove with your family or indulge your culinary cravings at one of our 13 restaurants. Come “Play Your Perfect Combination” at Pechanga Resort Casino. Pechanga is just a less than two-hour drive from Los Angeles and about a one-hour drive from San Diego. Pechanga Resort Casino offers one of the largest and most expansive resort/casino experiences anywhere in the United States. Named the Number One

casino in America by readers of USA TODAY and rated a Four Diamond property by AAA since 2002, Pechanga Resort Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. Offering more than 5,000 of the hottest slots, table games, world-class entertainment, 1,090 hotel rooms, dining, spa and championship golf at Journey at Pechanga, Pechanga Resort Casino features a destination that meets and exceeds the needs of its guests and the community. Pechanga Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. For more information, call toll free (877) 7112946 or visit www.Pechanga. com. Follow Pechanga Resort Casino on Facebook and on Twitter @PechangaCasino.

(Advertising Supplement)

Slow Cooker Cooking: It Warms the Soul By Grace O My fans have let me know how much they enjoy crockpot cooking. They allow working families the chance to come home to long-simmered soups, sauces, stews and other comforting meals that warm the soul. The trick to developing or converting recipes for slow cookers is to correctly estimate the liquid needed. Figure that about 2 cups of liquid will be evaporated during the cooking process over six to eight hours, so plan accordingly.

Because of the long cooking times, lean towards using tougher cuts of meat and KHDUWLHU À VK IRU EHVW UHVXOWV /DPE VKDQNV hold up well to 10 hours of braising as do short ribs. Pork shoulder and rump roast become very tender after stewing IRU KRXUV 'RQ·W EH DIUDLG WR PDNH À VK LQ your slow cooker Dried beans and root vegetables are ideal for slow cookers. Black-eyed peas cooked for hours with ham hocks and water become very tender and very tasty. Dried navy or cannellini beans are wonderful after being simmered with water, rosemary, garlic and onions. Hard root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, onions, and beets can handle being cooked for six or eight hours. Tomatoes are very versatile and can be cooked for the whole run or thrown in near the end. Sundried tomatoes and other dried fruits can endure hours of cooking and add sweetness to your most comforting foods.

Easy Crockpot Apple Butter

Don’t be fooled by the title, this is a completely dairy-free recipe! With seasonal apples, naturally sweet dates and warming spices this recipe will not only taste delicious on a slice of toast but also make your kitchen smell divine!

Ingredients 5 pounds of apples, peeled and chopped 3 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4-5 Medjool dates, pitted 2 Tbs. water or orange juice 1/4 tsp. sea salt Instructions

1. In a large bowl, toss chopped apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour spiced apples into crockpot. 2. Add medjool dates, vanilla extract and water to a blender. Secure lid and blend on high until pureed, scraping down the sides or adding more liquid 1 teaspoon at a time as needed to blend. 3. Pour date puree over apples in the crockpot, stir to combine, and sprinkle with sea salt. Secure lid over crock pot, set heat to high and cook for 1 hour. 4. Decrease heat to low, stirring apples once, and cook 8-10 hours or overnight until thickened. Uncover and cook an additional 1 hour. 5. Turn off heat and let apple butter cool. Scoop into airtight containers and store up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

ABOUT GRACE O

GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks—The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmand’s ‘Best in the World’ Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com

Inquirer.net photos

Pinoy pride on the Tokyo fest red carpet

by

Marinel r. Cruz Inquirer.net

T OK YO —“I buc k led bigt i m e ,” c o n fe s s e d a c t o r J C Santos when asked about his red carpet experience in this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), which opened at Roppongi Hills Arena last Monday, October 28. JC, whose film “Motel Acacia” will have its world premiere tonight, added that this was his first time to visit Tokyo and join an international film festival. “Nabulol ako in my interviews. I didn’t know what to say. I forgot that after walking the red carpet, I was supposed to talk about our film,” he told t he Inquirer. “Ever yt hing is new to me, and I’m enjoying the experience.” While on the red carpet, JC said he, director Bradley Liew and producer Bianca Balbuena-Liew kept whispering funny comments to each other to sort of “ease the tension.” He added that he was unable to focus on smiling to the photographers because he saw Japanese actor Takeru Satoh, lead star of the 2012 film “Rurouni Kenshin.” “I shifted to fanboy mode. I kept turning around to see h i m . I wa sn’t m i nd i ng t he photographers,” JC confessed. Satoh is part of the film “One Night,” which has a special screening at the TIFF this year. His group was called to walk the red carpet right after the team of “Motel Acacia.” “Unt r ue” d i r ec tor Sig r id A ndrea Bernardo, may have walked the red carpet in other

Pinky Amador and Mara Lopez

Paul Soriano (left) and Bela Padilla

film festivals before, “but they weren’t as big an event as this one. This made me tense. I was careful not to trip on my way down the stairs.” But what made her more nervous, she said, was the Q&A session after the screening of “Untrue” last Tuesday, as well as t he sy mposiu m she a nd fellow f ilmmaker A ntoinette Jadaone were supposed to participate in, along with Laotian director Mattie Do. The topic of their talk had been changed at the last minute, Sigrid said. W hile it was supposed to be ab out how to m a ke hor r or f ilms, it is now about Asian women filmmakers doing different genres. Antoinette, whose “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay” is part of the Crosscut Asia #06 section, is attending the TIFF with boyfriend,

wr iter-f ilmmaker Dan Villegas. Shortly after their walk on the red carpet, the couple ran into Australian-Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle (“Chungking Express,” “H appy To get her,” “I n t he Mood for Love”). “It’s Dan who’s a big fan of the guy. I didn’t know how he looks like until Dan pointed him to me. He’s a nice guy. He graciously posed for photos w it h us,” A ntoinette shared with the Inquirer. This may be Bela Padilla’s second time at the TIFF—for Paul Soriano’s “Mañanita”— but she said she was more nervous to walk on the red carpet this time “because there were just t wo of us t here. T here were six of us on the red carpet for ‘I America’ in 2016. Direk Pau l a nd I kept r em i nd i ng PAGE B3

Stars who have passed on... PAGE B1 complications, according to reports. Singer, actress and film and TV producer Armida SiguionReyna died on February 11 at the Makati Medical Center due to cancer. She was most remembered as singer and producer of the kundiman show, “Aawitan Kita.” She was 88. Comedian Chokoleit (Jonathan Aguilar Garcia in real life) experienced difficulty in breathing after his performance in show with Star Magic artists in Abra on March 10. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness due to a heart attack and pulmonary edema. He was 46. Multi-awarded actor-director Eddie Garcia met a freak accident at the set of a teleserye

he was doing for GMA Network, and his death on June 20 while confined at the Makati Medical Center spawned proposals to Congress so the incident will never happen again. He was 90. Tony Mabesa, Garcia’s co-actor in the award-winning film, “Rainbow’s Sunset,” died on October 5. He was well-loved in the theater circuit as well, having founded Dulaang UP and mentored many of the thespians on stage, theater and television. He was 84. On the same day, former movie queen Amalia Fuentes died at her residence in New Manila, Quezon City. Tagged as the “Elizabeth Taylor of the Philippines” for her beauty, she reigned supreme in Philippine silver screens from the late ‘50s

to the mid-60s along with Susan Roces. She was 79. Other prominent personalities who “kicked the bucket” this year include Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel at the age of 85 on October 20. On October 8, popular Intramuros tour guide Carlos Celdran died in Spain from natural causes at the age of 46. Entertainment editor and Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) co-founder Isah Red died of natural causes on September 21 at the age of 67. Former House Speaker Prospero Nograles died on May 4 at the age of 71. Central Bank Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. died on February 23 at the age of 60. National Artist for Architecture Francisco Mañosa died at 88 on February 20.

Showbiz personalities weigh... PAGE B1 getting beaten up, getting in a fight at a bank, etc.” “I hope they (Barrettos) find peace,” Ai-Ai added. “Blood is thicker than water.” It all started on Oct. 16 at the wake of the late family patriarch, Miguel Alvir Barretto. All hell broke loose when Marjorie refused to mend fences with her elder sister Gretchen— this despite the presence of no less than President Duterte, who tried to mediate between the two. That same night, Claudine figured in a physical altercation with Marjorie, who allegedly made fun of her mental health issues. The incident pried open a Pandora’s box that let out the family’s years’ worth of enmity and unresolved issues. Since then, the three have been taunting and hurling accusations at each other on Instagram, and eventually, on evening television newscasts. And as the story wore on, it became increasingly apparent that Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine’s issues are but a portion of a bigger, more complicated web that involves other family members, former lovers, politicians and wealthy businessmen. A national diversion

Prolific and award-winning filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes described the Barretto saga as a “national anesthesia of diversion and gossip.” “This scandal assumed national proportions, because the highlight of this ‘telenovela ng tunay na buhay’ has more plot twists and revelations of secrets than any narrative concocted for primetime commercial television,” he told the Inquirer. “Moreover, the cast involves no less than the President of the Republic. Now that’s a hard act to beat.” He also lamented the fact that “grief” has somehow turned into “shallow amusement or malicious curiosity.” “The conversation has now been diverted to the etiquette of mistresses, and the viciousness that accompanies the meltdown of relationships,” he pointed out. But what’s more disappointing, Reyes stressed, is the amount of attention the media has been dedicating to the issue; how evening newscasts allotted substantial airtime for “ratingshungry and tell-all interviews” with the key personalities. “That’s the greater sadness,” Reyes said. “It’s a tragedy not only for the family in question, but for us, the audience, because we have diminished

personal conflicts as if they were mounted fiction, and turned them into cynical entertainment.” Meanwhile, Bibeth Orteza, another acclaimed writer-director, offered another theory: People may just be looking for something to pile their frustrations on. “I think people are in an angry mood. They want to diss. They’re afraid to speak against the government, but it’s easier for them to feel superior over the Barrettos,” she told the Inquirer. It remains to be seen whether or not a reconciliation is a possibility among the warring Barrettos. But just the same, industry colleagues are hoping for the best. Pokwang, who has worked and grown close with Claudine and niece Julia Barretto (another controversial figure), believes that “there are no wounds that time can’t heal.” “Pareho kong love ’yun. It’s all a matter of time. Let’s just wait and see. Let’s just pray that they manage to fix everything. That’s still family, at the end of the day,” the comedian told reporters at a recent press conference. “Let’s not add fuel to the fire—let’s give it to them… There’s no perfect family.”

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B

Keeping up with the Barrettos: A tale of three sisters

By Monet

Lu

THEY say, “you can’t choose your family,” and nobody knows this better than Gretchen, Marjorie and Claudine aka ‘The Barretto sisters.’ Their recent public spat at the wake of their family patriarch, Miguel Alvir Barretto, is the latest and most controversial family feud at the moment. According to Rappler, “Gretchen, who has long been estranged from most of her family members, attended the wake of their father on October 16. President Rodrigo Duterte, who was at the wake, reportedly asked Gretchen to shake hands with her sister Marjorie. Marjorie refused to do so – and the sisters soon took their battle online, where each of them threatened the other with their versions of the truth.” The media was quick to get different sides of the story. Starting with Marjorie’s tell-all interview with Karen Davila where she exposed a bit more than expected; followed by Noli De Castro’s interview with Atong Ang who denied being in a relationship with either of the Baretto sisters including – and especially – their niece, Nicole, who, according to her and Marjorie, was Atong Ang’s girlfriend for five years. The revelations and expose

Claudine, Marjorie, and Gretchen Barretto

just keep coming and the chance of these three sisters reconciling is becoming vague – even close to impossible. And this is what saddens me the most. I’ve known Gretchen since she was in her 20s. Back then, life was simpler with just her being in the limelight. Things got complicated when they all grew up, made careers in show business, got involved, and got married to fellow celebrities, had children – or ‘a child with a married politician,’ and the list goes on. Shocking but not at all surprising, considering the history of their feud. And it’s all over the news. I can’t stop shaking my head as I read how their relationships were strained one incident after another. Rappler wrote that their earliest reported rifts began in 2004 which involves Gretchen, Marjorie, and the latter’s then-husband Dennis Padilla. According to reports, Marjorie didn’t like the fact that Gretchen helped Willie Revillame – Dennis’ former co-host in Masayang Tanghali

Inquirer.net photo

Bayan (MTB) – when Gretchen’s partner Tonyboy Cojuangco, hired him to work in the latter’s network company. In 2006, it was Gretchen and Claudine’s relationship that started tainting when Gretchen didn’t show up at Claudine’s wedding with former husband Raymart Santiago. Gretchen and Claudine reconciled the following year after running into each other at S&R at The Fort, according to Pep. Gretchen also reconciled with Marjorie, who at that time ended her marriage with Dennis. Unfortunately, that reconciliation was short-lived as Gretchen and Claudine were “fighting again” and were not “on speaking terms,” which was the reason their supposed teleserye together was canceled. Claudine reportedly moved to the rival station at the time. Five years later, they are back to being “bffs” with Claudine saying in an interview, “Now there’s not a day that we don’t talk – if we can’t meet – at least two times a PAGE B4

Pinoy pride on the...

PAGE B2 each other not to trip and fall because it will be too obvious,” she said. For the event, Bela said she did her own makeup, then took t he train to Shibuya to look for a salon to have her hair braided. “Mañanita,” which is part of the festival’s Main Competition, had its world premiere here last Tuesday. “It’s the first time that an audience got to

see it. I wasn’t sure how they would react because the film i s ex p er i ment a l ,” she sa id last Monday. “I’m happy that someone from t he fest ival ’s organizing team went up to me and Direk Paul to say he liked the movie.” Bela and Paul will stay here u nt i l Nov. 5 to at tend t he awards ceremony. She, however, said she does not expect to win anything and would just “try to learn as much as I could

from the whole experience.” Paul told the Inquirer the same thing: “I’m letting the film go. Hopefully, the audience here in Tokyo will understand what I’m tr ying to say. This experience is ver y humbling. For me, the idea that (Chinese actress) Zhang Ziyi, as well as the rest of the jury members, will put aside two and a half hours of their lives to watch our film is enough. To me, that’s awesome.”

FRAUD WAIVER DENIAL TURNED AROUND TO APPROVAL WITH NO FRAUD WAIVER REQUIRED, ON THIS SUNDAY’S “CITIZEN PINOY!” Wilma entered the U.S. on a C-1 “transit” visa, on her way to work in Guantanamo, Cuba. She remained in the U.S., married a U.S. citizen, and filed for adjustment of status. A “consultant” gave her hope and said he would take care of Wilma’s papers. Unfortunately, the consultant altered Wilma’s documents and put down false information (that she entered on a visitor’s visa), to cover up that she actually entered on a C-1 transit visa. Her case ended up being denied because of fraud! Wilma then consulted with the Law Offices of Michael Gurfinkel, who took over the case, and filed an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) in Washington, DC. Atty. Gurfinkel convinced them that Wilma committed no fraud, and was eligible for a green card, despite her entry on a transit visa. Watch how Atty. Gurfinkel’s determination won the day for Wilma, when her name was cleared, and she got her green card with no fraud waiver required, on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Billy celebrates 1 year of being sober, opens up on being called ‘too thin’ by

Niña V. GuNo Inquirer.net

PARTYING on Halloween was a different kind of celebration for Billy Crawford: He was marking one year of sobriety. Crawford attended the “Opulence” Halloween party held in Solaire resort last night, Oct. 31, along with wife, Coleen Garcia. Garcia was a vision in a white frills-and-lace corset, while Crawford was decked in a pinstriped suit. The singer and TV host shared a picture on Instagram today, Nov. 1, of him and Garcia taken by photographer Magic Liwanag during the party. He said, “I got to celebrate with my everything last night for Holloween (sic).” “And yesterday was my first year anniv since I stopped drinking, not one lick since. Thanks so much my love for supporting me and being there when I’m irritated.” “Everyone says I lost too much weight and I’m ‘too thin’ etc.,” he said. “I am NOT sick NOT on drugs just pure happiness and sober! Free from cigs, and now free from alcohol, too.” In his recent Instagram posts,

Billy Crawford says he has given up alcohol and smoking. Photo from Instagram/@billycrawford

some fans expressed concern about his weight loss, stating that he looked sick and that he should eat more. Back in 2017, Crawford made getting fit a priority before he got married to Garcia in April

2018. He revealed to the Philippine Entertainment Portal in September 2017 that he went on a Ketogenic diet, which meant that he gave up eating carbohydrates such as rice, bread and pasta.

B4 NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

FEATURES

Keeping up with the Barrettos... PAGE B3 day. I totally see her beauty now. Oh, how much she’s changed! That day at our mom’s condo, I felt she humbled herself, and humbled me as a result.” But in 2013, their knottiest fight (next to this “funeral brawl”) involving more people in their clan, happened when Gretchen and Marjorie teamed up on Instagram to respond to an anonymous basher of Marjorie’s daughter Julia, who was just

then starting out as a Star Magic talent. Later that same year, their mother, Inday Barretto, wrote a scathing open letter to Gretchen published on Philippine Star’s FunFare, bringing the feud between the sisters out in the open. The issue escalated so that the other Barretto siblings, Jayjay and Gia, chimed in. Jayjay defended Gretchen, while Gia sided with their mom. In 2015, all was well between Claudine and Marjorie as she

was spotted in Julia’s debut and was photographed with her estranged sister. By the start of 2019, Claudine was back in Gretchen’s arms again – literally – as a video on social media showed their long and warm embrace when she surprised Gretchen on her birthday. Presently, it’s Claudine and Gretchen versus Marjorie. And just a few days ago, it seems like it’s Gretchen versus Ruffa and (hopefully not) Annabelle – because nobody wants to mess with Annabelle Rama, if you know what I mean. This started when Ruffa Gutierrez commented on Julia Baretto’s Instagram post, and La Greta took this the wrong way commenting that Ruffa is a meddler. Every way I look this, doesn’t end well. I mean, first of all, nobody wants to fight on social media, let alone on in public. And most of all, nobody enjoys having their whole life exposed. It’s publicity at its worst. But what saddens me the most is that the Barrettos are family. And no matter how many stories of them fighting and reconciling and fighting again surface, no tale can erase the fact that they all come from the same bloodline and once upon a time, they loved one another. I am really hoping that this feud is over sooner rather than later. And I hope they start with one thing: forgiveness. All of these fights stem from their unwillingness to forgive and move on. I think if they can do that for starters, it would help them all heal – and hopefully bring back what they have lost, which is their respect for one another. To the Barretto sisters, it is my hope that one day the story that I’ll be hearing about you would a tale of love and forgiveness – one that happens to the best of sisters such as yourselves. I am not losing hope and I hope you won’t too. ***

Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com.

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MOONLIGHTING

A father’s legacy

by MYLAH DE

LEON

THIRTY-FIVE years ago, my husband left me. He died, leaving a house full of daughters; young, adorable and innocent, with the world on their side. In the face of adversity, we were not permitted to ask, “why me?” You can ask, but you won’t get an answer. Through the years, I’ve learned the hard way. Why some poems don’t rhyme, why some stories don’t even have a clear beginning, middle and end. That life is a delicious, ambiguity about not knowing, having to change, just taking the moment, making the most of it, without knowing what is going to happen next. Through years of hair-raising fears and loneliness, joy and pride; that tumbled in every widow’s brain, I’ve tried to create a vision of life for them in my mind. I thought of four lawyers, four doctors or beauty parlors and boutiques, four writers…And God forbid, four spinsters! You see, your children are either the center of your life or not. The rest is commentary. Having helped make them mine, I remember their arrival that still produced grave guilt in in one’s motherhood, because we have ached for sons, instead. I have hatched them, till they’ve flown. Watched them grow from babies, whose moves toward independence were baby steps excruciatingly slow —to little children, into young adults. From diapers to cap and gown for that law degree, Milkah, the eldest who taught everyone kindness; modeled respect and always looked rich and clean. Through the scrapes, and scratches, the indomitable one had a Mass Communication degree, another in Economics. But my fondest hopes was a pool of writers that would out scoop me, abundantly an improvement on their mother. Raisha stumbles out of the door line as one of the three tenors, singing neopolitan love songs; upbeat, positive, and polite. But somehow, ancestral calls, and would delegate them as assistants to the most prominent lawyers here in Southern Cali-

fornia. And the nightingale married a hot shot lawyer in Nevada, but that’s another story. Years back, they were little women that I caught falling into the fierce tentacles of first love. When 10-year-old hearts were breaking, sending convulsions that shook the house, weeping like Victorian heroines in immeasurable anguish and despair. I remember walking to the front door, instead of their father, to shake the hands of their first dates, young men crippled with shyness. Soon, I was walking them into the wedding altar — and stepped aside! Like a gypsy reads tea leaves, I saw them merged into an unmanageable ceaseless demands. Always bouncing on my bed when I was inside, when I was sleeping. There was Natasha, the Christmas Baby, her father’s legacy…pleasant, thoughtful and generous. Veruschka, the source my joy and numerous excesses, always interrupting when I phoned in my stories. The holy terror, in whose shoes, my life shined and set. They could occupy themselves with times end with friends, computers, malls, plays and concerts, husbands and work. And just when I’m feeling grateful for some peace, that indeed there’s mysterious depths in my fatherless daughters that I need not fathom. Someone erupts with... MOTHER! Memories of their father

include being perched on his laps and a kiss that cures broken legs, or bruised egos. He had the uncanny way saying just the right word and to whom. His expectations, hope and commitment to us we were high. Mr. de Leon gave us love, taught us reason and intelligence, made us feel certain we will succeed in any endeavor. Today it is the girls’ turn to give memories, not to take them away. Their father’s 31st death anniversary was a day of appreciation and respect. I can’t think of no other daughters who deserve it more than those who had to give a father’s back. They are the instruments who were left behind to perpetuate the life that was lost and appreciate the time they had with it. I’ve watched all my daughters grow up, now they are watching me grow old. So, why am I crying? *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. com.

Tradition, fear and spirits Life Coaching in a Different Perspective STARGAZER IN Mexico, they celebrate Día de Los Muertos or the Day of the Dead on November 2. They clean the graves and create altars to offer traditional dishes for their deceased loved ones. They also sing the favorite songs and dance to honor their dearly departed. This tradition is influenced by Spanish Conquistadores on the Mexicans. In Western culture, All Hallows’ Day is also known as All Saints’ Day or Hallowmas. Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve is the evening before the Hallowmas and is widely celebrated by having scary costumes, trick or treats and lantern parades. This event is more popular than the actual All Saints’ or All Souls’ Day. When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, they brought Catholicism and a lot of traditions that we still observe until now. Alongside influenced tradition, mysticism is deeply rooted in our culture. The old ways of the pagans are interspersed with what the Spaniards had taught us. With the belief that the dead visits when All Souls’ Day comes, FEAR also comes with it. Some fear the coming of Nov. 1 and 2 because they fear the visit of the dead. They fear shadows lurking, the sudden smell of flowers, candles or perfume at night, or apparitions seemingly of those dearly departed. It is difficult to say not to fear them because an encounter with the unknown is always scary. It is for the main reason you are kept in mystery as to what the unknown can bring. In short, it is very hard to calculate something that is not tangible at all. When we pass on to another world or our physical bodies die, we simply go to another dimension where other spirits converge and stay. Our physical bodies are shed, we become lighter and one with the unseen

God. We also become like Him... unseen but felt. But the question is, are they really our loved ones visiting us during these days of remembrance? Are they the ones standing in dark corners, walking past our peripheral vision, knocking down picture frames, moving the rocking chair or making those footstep sounds pacing to and fro at the wee hours in the morning? The answer: maybe yes and maybe no. YES. Our departed loved ones come around and visit us. They come not only during Dia de Los Muertos or All Souls’ Day but anytime when the family sits down and talks about them, when a birthday comes, an anniversary is remembered. At a wink of an eye, they come as a thought that comes in a second. My grandmother died in 1994 but I still interact with her in my dreams. Each time I dream of her, it warns me of things to come. Each time she appears, even for a second in one of my dreams, it is a forewarning that I will have a challenge or a problem with crop up. A premonition of some sort, it gives me a chance to be more aware of things to come. Consider it a coincidence but in August, September, October and November of 2018, she would frequent my dreams as if egging me to pay attention to something. True enough, someone became my ultimate concern or problem. While I was on a trip to Bukidnon last May, she once again appeared in my dream and told me to take care of myself. In the latter part of May, I had a nosebleed that brought me to running to the emergency room three times and a quick confinement. This made me slow down for a month and had a chance to rejuvenate. Coincidence or not, I could go on and on citing dreams of her in the past and of actual challenges that came. These visits always make me smile. Being a grandma’s pet, I love the connection even in the afterlife. What a great bond we have, my Nanay (my grandma), and I welcome the visits you always do. Last September, I visited my college best friend and stayed with her in Melbourne. In col-

lege, there were about six of us in the barkada and we lovingly call each other “Tsong.” As usual, I would do Tsong Marisa’s reading before I return for Manila. A week after I arrived in Manila, here comes Tsong Marisa telling me that Tsong Pearl (she passed away more than six years ago) insisted that she follows my reading. Tsong Pearl was Marisa’s mother who had departed when she was young and both were supporting my advice. This clearly shows that our loved ones interact with us continuously and lovingly. Yes, they do guide us. They do care for us. They also get hurt when we are pained. They grieve when we have misery and they rejoice for our successes. They are simply there walking in pace, observing our lives but is unseen by the eye. Spirits are not to be feared of especially souls of people who once lived in this physical realm. We should not be afraid of them but rather we commune with them. Isn’t it great to establish and continue a loving bond with them? But should we really be afraid of spirits? Whether they are the spirits of our dear loved one or that of another individual, we must be attentive to what they are trying to convey. There must be a message that we have to be OPEN in order to UNDERSTAND. And to be open means to dissolve FEAR and replace it with LOVE. With LOVE, we will COMMUNICATE. In the next article, we will tackle the other answer...the NO part. When other types of spirits visit us, what do we do?

*** Stargazer is a life coach, aura reader, psychic/clairvoyant, and lecturer on the paranormal. She uses the aura, energies & vibrations as focal points of her psychic readings. Using several techniques involving the psychological, spiritual, paranormal and her own experience of the intricacies of life, Stargazer makes one get in touch with his inner and understand life in a positive manner. Faith in God and belief in self is what Stargazer emphasizes on. Currently, Stargazer is a radio anchor of DZMM Teleradyo, the radio arm of ABS-CBN. Her show “Pinoy Vibes” has been airing every Sunday morning since Sept. 2007. She can be reached at stargazerphils@gmail.com. For more information, please visit http:// stargazer.ph/.

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B November 2-5, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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COMMUNITY JOURNAL

75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing observed in Carson

One Global Academy JONATHAN OBOZA PETALVER

AN Introduction This Entrepreneurial Leadership Article called STEM (Strategic and Transformative Entrepreneurial Management) will serve as a guide for you, whether you are employed, self-employed, unemployed, starting a business, already in business and planning to have one. Reading this will give you a keen understanding of what is an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Yes! A Masters in Business Administration. Before we continue, maybe you are asking me, “Is it important to have a degree in MBA?” Yes, if you plan to teach in a structured Academy, as it is the minimum requireDistinguished guests in the 75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing in Carson on Oct. 20, 2019. First Row: L-R: Alex Cainglet, EmCee and Chair of the ment. However, if your interest is Filipino-American History Month, WWII Filipino American Veteran Alfred Bocatija, American WWII Veterans who landed in Leyte 75 years ago: Herbert Bounds, Hy Arnesty, Paul Cohen and Ernest Cowell (standing). Second Row L-R: Serry Osmena , granddaughter of Phil. Commonwealth President starting a business or venturing to Osmena who waded the shore alongside with Gen. MacArthur, Arlene Bocatija, co-EmCee, Councilman Jim Dear, City of Carson, Gen. John Harrel, Keynote Speaker, Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque, presentor of the Program, Gen. Ruth Wong, Director of the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs of the County of Los Angeles, Thomas Ruck, Director of the L.A. National Cemetery for Veterans, Major Frank Quiambao, CO of 26th Cavalry Support Detachment of the State of CA, Color Guards, left of Vet. Cowell, Evelyn Andamo, VP of Board of Directors of the Filipino Veterans Foundation, and Judge Wilford Ross, Historian of the Leyte Landing, and son of Wilford Ross Jr., who landed in Leyte and died two years ago.

ON Sunday, October 20, a profound gathering in observance of the 75th anniversary of Leyte Landing was held as Liberators of the Philippines, third and fourth generations, and supporters came together to listen as histories unfolded. Owning their legacy were the sons and daughters who remembered their fathers’ histories and sorely missed their verbal stories and physical presence. All those who served, living and gone to the ages were celebrated for their service to country, freedom and democracy, on this sunny Sunday of October. This event was pre-emptied by the awarding of medals to those who landed in Leyte at the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 12. Five were American GIs who recounted their war experiences when they were 17 to 23 years old and still full of vitality retold their stories. Thomas Ruck, director of the Los Angeles National Cemetery, gave the invocation. Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque,

WWII Veterans who landed in Leyte with the 3rd Generation winners of essay and poster contest on the 75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing, held at the Carson Community Center on Oct. 20, 2019.

executive director of the Filipino Veterans Foundation and the Erasto R. Batongmalaque Foundation, introduced the distinguished guests and noted that the legacy of the WWII Veterans cannot be forgotten and this day, on the 75th Anniversary, is an opportunity to thank them for their service. Judge Wilford Ross gave a his-

torical perspective of Leyte and described the map of the greatest naval battle in WWII, the Battle of Leyte Gulf. He received the posthumous medal for his father who landed in Leyte when he was 17 years old. His father died two years ago. Councilman Jim Dear presented a Certificate of Appreciation

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Strategic and Transformative Entrepreneurial Management

any start up business, it is better to understand it from a point of view of someone who has fully attended an MBA or what we call The Graduate School. Technically, some universities offer MBA and ME (Masters in Entrepreneurship) separately. It can run from a year and a half to as long as 5 years, depending on the rules on residency. Having said that, just imagine the time and the money you need, not to mention the number of sleepless hours for you to do research, group work and presentation. In these articles, what I’m going to share with you are the 7 most relevant MBA theories and decision-making tools that you need to understand as a Micro Entrepreneur or as a Corporate Entrepreneur. I have included “personal experiences and testimonies” of

7 successful Filipino CEOs and company presidents who made it to where they are now attesting to the tools presented. At the end of the day, business is about making the most “profitable” decisions for your organization. And the most profitable decision will always be the one that will sustain your growth and give you that competitive advantage. May you enjoy your reading these STEM articles and we hope and pray you will make a decision to start your entrepreneurial journey! God bless and keep on transforming lives through education! *** Jonathan Oboza Petalver is the Founder and CEO of Petalver Management Consultancy Services. He is also the President and Dean of One Global Academy U.S.A. (Advertising Supplement)

ply. Dependents of Edison International and SCE employees and retirees are not eligible for the Edison Scholars Program. “These future leaders have the opportunity to change lives, communities and perhaps even the world,” said Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International. “We are proud to help talented students realize their academic dreams and support these important STEM programs.” Scholarship recipients will be announced next spring. They may

also be eligible for summer internships at SCE after completing their second year of college. Since 2006, Edison International has awarded an estimated $9.9 million in scholarships to 640 students through the Edison Scholars Program. Edison International’s support of charitable causes, including the Edison Scholars Program, is funded entirely by Edison International shareholders. SCE customers’ utility bill payments do not fund company donations.

$1.2 million Edison Scholars Program 2020 application period begins

ROSEMEAD, Calif. — High school seniors whose dreams are to power the future and make a difference through the study of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) are invited to apply for Edison International’s $1.2 million Edison Scholars Program. Each year, Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, awards $40,000 scholarships, paid over four years, to 30 high school students who plan to major in designated STEM fields at a four-year accredited U.S. college or university. See the list of eligible STEM majors. Scholarship applications are now being accepted through Dec. 16. To apply and obtain additional eligibility information, visit: edisonscholars.com. Applicants must live in SCE’s service area and plan to be a fulltime undergraduate student majoring in a STEM field. Eligible students also must be a high school senior, have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA and demonstrate financial need. Students from underserved communities and ethnic minorities are encouraged to ap-

30 high school seniors were named the 2019 Edison Scholars, each winning a $40,000 scholarship from Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, to help them follow their dreams in STEM (science, technology, engineering or math). Photo by Elisa Ferrari

C NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Community Journal

Red flags of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF) AN ETF is called an ExchangeTraded Fund since it’s traded on an exchange just like stocks. Below are three red flags to avoid the worst ETFs: 1. Inadequate liquidity Avoid all ETFs with less than $100 million in assets. Low levels of liquidity can lead to a discrepancy between the price of the ETF and the underlying value of the securities it holds. Low asset levels lead to lower volume and larger bid-ask spreads. 2. High fees ETF fees should be cheap, but not all of them are. The first step here is to know what is cheap and expensive. Invest in ETFs with total annual costs below 0.46%. The weighted average is lower

Tax & Stock Tips Victor Sy, cPA, MBA

at 0.15%, which highlights how investors tend to put their money in ETFs with low fees. 3. Poor holdings Avoiding poor holdings is by far the hardest part of avoid bad ETFs, but it is also the most important because an ETFs performance is determined more by its holdings than its costs. Fees may be cheap but if it holds bad

stocks, its performance will be bad. The quality of an ETFs holdings matters more than its price.

Atty. rheA SAMSon SA ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), ang isang dayuhan ay nagkakaroon ng unlawful presence sa dalawang situwasyon: (1) ang dayuhan ay na loob ng US nang hindi dumaan sa proseso ng admission o parole; at (2) ang dayuhan ay nanatili sa loob ng US pagkatapos lumipas ang kanyang period of authorized stay na binigay ng Secretary of Homeland Security. Sa unang sitwasyon, ang dayuhan ay nagkakaroon at nagdaragdag sa mga araw ng kanyang unlawful presence mula sa petsa ng kanyang pagpasok sa US na walang admission o parole. Sa ikalawang sitwasyon, ang dayuhan ay karaniwang dumadaan sa proseso ng admission sa pagharap sa US port of entry sa Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officer na nagbibigay ng Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record. Nakalagay sa I-94 ang petsa ng pagpasok ng dayuhan at ang petsa kung kailan siya kailangang umalis na ng US (departure date). Ang dayuhan na nakatanggap ng I-94 ay magkakaroon ng unlawful presence pagkalipas ng petsa ng authorized stay na nakalagay sa I-94. Dahil dito, ang dayuhan ay kailangang lumabas ng US bago ang departure date na nakalagay sa kanyang I-

94. Nong Abril 2013, ang CBP ay nag-automate na ng Form I-94. Dahil dito, wala nang paper I-94 na binibigay at ang record ng entry ay electronic na at nasa sistema ng CBP. Ngunit any CBP ay nagbibigay pa rin ng “admission stamp” sa passport ng dayuhan. Maaaring makakuha ng paper version ng I-94 sa CBP website. Ang dayuhan ay inadmissible ng 3 taon kapag: (1) ang dayuhan ay nagkaroon ng mahigit na 180 araw na unlawful presence pero hindi humigit sa 1 taon sa isang pagbisita sa US noong Abril 1, 1997 o pagkatapos ng Abril 1, 1997; at (2) siya ay kusang loob

“The alien who receives an I-94 starts accruing unlawful presence after the date of authorized stay indicated in the I-94. Hence, the alien must exit the US on or before the departure date indicated in the I-94.” na lumabas ng US bago siya napalagay sa removal proceedings. Ang 3-year inadmissibility period ay nagsisimula sa paglabas ng dayuhan ng US. Ang dayuhan ay inadmissible ng 10 taon kapag: (1) ang dayuhan ay nagkaroon ng 1 taon o mahigit na unlawful presence sa isang pagbisita sa US noong Abril 1, 1997 o pagkatapos ng Abril 1, 1997; at (2) siya ay kusang loob na lumabas ng US o siya ay may Order ng Removal galing sa Immigration Judge. Ang 10-year inadmissibility period ay nagsisimula sa paglabas o pagka-re-

The Prophetic Voice

*** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude reVerend from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State rodel G. BAlAGtAS University with an MBA. Vic worked with YOU may have been saved SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before from a fatal accident, healed establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation from cancer, freed from an unjust accusation, or received a in Pasadena, California. much-needed help. Any of these miracles hap*** He has 50 years of experience in pened in your life because you defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, believe in God’s protection and FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental the intercession of saints and anagencies. He is publishing a book on his gels. You know and understand expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE that there is a higher spiritual IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire power looking over you and usabout the book or email tax questions at ing other means and agencies to protect you. vicsy@live.com. Some things happened in your life that you could not wholly comprehend, mysteries that have startled you. You know that they move ng dayuhan ng US. are not your own making, and no Sa loob ng 3-year o 10-year inadmissibility period, ang dayuhan ay hindi maaaring: (1) makaBarrister’s tanggap ng immigrant o nonimmigrant visa; (2) makakuha ng Corner green card sa US; at (3) ma-admit sa US port of entry. May mga sitwasyon na ang dayuhan ay maaaring mag-apply ng waiver Atty. Kenneth of inadmissibility ng kanyang 3- UrSUA reyeS year o 10-year inadmissibility. GENERALLY, you must have *** Under the Immigration and resided in California for at least Nationality Act (INA), an alien six months in order to file a diaccrues unlawful presence in 2 vorce in this case. Under Famsituations: (1) he is present in ily Code Section 2320, a judgthe US without being admitted ment of marriage dissolution or paroled; and (2) he (divorce) may not be entered has remained in the US unless one of the spouses has after the expiration of been a “resident” of California the period of authorized for six months and of the county stay by the Secretary of where the proceeding is filed for three months immediately Homeland Security. For the 1st situation, preceding the filing of the petithe alien starts accruing tion. This poses a problem for unlawful presence on divorcing couples that has not the date of entry to the resided in California for at least US without being admit- 6 months. Couples that moved ted or paroled. For the to California from other states or 2nd situation, generally, other countries are faced with an alien is admitted into the US this problem because they canby a Customs and Border Patrol not get divorced until they sat(CBP) Officer who issues Form isfy the residency requirements. I-94 Arrival-Departure Record. Even a bigger problem is when The I-94 indicates the alien’s they need immediate temporary date of entry and the specific orders from the California Court date when he is required to leave regarding child custody, child or the expiration date of autho- support, management and conrized stay (departure date). The trol of community businesses alien who receives an I-94 starts and property. The solution for this type of accruing unlawful presence after the date of authorized stay in- problem is filing nullity or legal dicated in the I-94. Hence, the separation petition rather than a alien must exit the US on or be- divorce and amending the petifore the departure date indicated tion later on to convert it to a diin the I-94. The CBP has auto- vorce once the residency requireu PAGE C3 ment has been met by one of the

3-year and 10-year bar rules

Tapat Sa Batas

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God’s protection and power over your life earthy genius can explain why they occurred. So you claim that it is solely God who is responsible for them. So, believe in God’s power and sovereignty over your life! It’s what would heal you from your paralyzing and anxious thoughts. Don’t allow bad memories linger in your mind. Let them evaporate and fill you with God’s healing grace. When fearful, invoke a saint’s name, call on your guardian angel for help, and seek the prayer of Mary, the Mother of God. Contemplate the love and mercy of Jesus by recalling a Gospel story. Put yourself in the character of that story—it could be the paralytic, the leper, the tax collector, the prostitute, or the woman with a hemorrhage.

Allow Jesus to heal your pain or your broken heart and free you from your fears and anxieties. Let him restore your health and self-confidence and fill your heart and mind with hope. Let not the Evil one influence your thoughts. You have only God, His angels, and saints with you! In all the craziness of this world, hang on to your faith in God! On these somber days of November, may your faith in God grow stronger! May it be a time for you to enter more deeply in prayer and remembrance of God’s mighty power and love! Blessings to you always! *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Getting around the six month residency requirement to file a divorce in California

parties. Millar v. Millar. Unlike a divorce, there is no residency requirement to filing an Annulment or a legal separation. The advantage of this strategy is you would immediately have access to the courts and can ask the court for immediate temporary orders needed to maintain the status quo or preserve the marital assets. If domestic violence is involved in the case, the domestic violence issue can be heard in the same court room by the same judge that would be hearing the divorce case. In addition, service on the legal separation petition (to be amended later to a divorce) will also start the clock on the six-month “waiting period” for finality of a judgment terminating marital status, optimizing the time-frame within which the parties will be legally restored to “single” status. As far as the county where to file the legal separation or nullity, venue is proper in the county where either party resided at the time the petition was filed pursuant to CCP 395(a). Once the parties have satisfied the residency requirements, the Petition may be amended from legal separation to Dissolution without permission from the Court as long as notice is provided the opposing party under

Marriage of Dick. The Petitioner would also be in a safer position if the intent to amend from legal separation/nullity to a divorce is stated in the initial Petition. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He 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, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

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Community Journal

Protecting new mothers at work Q: I work for a 100-employee company in Los Angeles. I recently returned to work after maternity leave. Since I decided to breastfeed my newborn, I needed to periodically pump breast milk at work. When I asked my supervisor if there is a room in the building where I could do this, I was told to do it in the bathroom. I objected because I think it is unsanitary. My supervisor said there was nothing he could do. He also told me I needed to pump milk only on my 10-minute breaks. What are my rights? A: There are laws in California that protect the rights of pregnant employees and new mothers in the workplace. Our lawmakers recently revised current law to better protect the lactation rights of mothers. The following provisions will be effective January 1, 2020. An employer shall provide an employee with the use of a room for the employee to express milk in private. The room may include the place where the employee normally works if it meets legal requirements. A lactation room shall not be a bathroom and shall be near the employee’s work area, shielded from view, and free from intrusion while the employee is expressing milk. Where a multipurpose room is used for lactation, the use of the room for lactation shall take precedence over the other uses, but only for the time it is in use for lactation purposes. An employer in a multi-tenant building or multi-employer worksite may provide a space shared among multiple employers within the building or

nate or retaliate against, an employee for exercising her lactation rights. The law further requires the employer to develop and implement a lactation accommodation policy that includes the following: a) A statement about an emAtty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. ployee’s right to request lactation accommodation. b) The process by which the worksite. A lactation room shall comply employee may request lactawith all of the following require- tion accommodation c) An employer’s obligation ments: 1. Be safe, clean, and free of to respond to the request d) The employer’s duty to hazardous materials 2. Contain a surface to place a provide a written response if it breast pump and personal items cannot provide break time or any lactation accommodation 3. Contain a place to sit e) A statement about an 4. Has access to electricity, extension cords or charging sta- employee’s right to file a comtions, needed to operate an elec- plaint with the Labor Commistric or battery-powered breast sioner for any violation of their lactation rights pump Employers must include 5. Has access to a sink with running water and a refrigera- these policies in their employtor (or cooler) suitable for stor- ee handbook and give a copy ing milk in close proximity to the of the policy to new employees and those who inquire or reemployee’s workspace. An employer with fewer than quest parental leave. 50 employees may be exempt if it *** can demonstrate that compliance The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. would impose an undue hard- welcomes inquiries about this topic. ship when considered in relation All inquiries are confidential and at to the size, financial resources, no-cost. You can contact the office at or nature of the employer’s busi- (818) 291-0088 or visit HYPERLINK ness. However, that employer “http://www.joesayaslaw.com” www. shall still make reasonable efforts joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., to provide the employee with the Esq. is an experienced trial attorney use of a room, other than a toilet who has successfully recovered wages stall, for the employee to express and other monetary damages for milk in private. thousands of employees and consumers. The denial of reasonable He was named Top Labor & Employment break time or adequate space to Attorney in California by the Daily express milk shall be deemed a Journal, consistently selected as Super violation of the law, which en- Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, titles an aggrieved employee to and is a Presidential Awardee for remedies. Outstanding Filipino Overseas in 2018.] An employer cannot discharge, (Advertising Supplement) or in any other manner discrimi-

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrenCe yAng DAK ruled the world with its film. In 1990, its total worldwide sales were $16B and its net profit was $2.5B. It employed 70,000 people. Yet, in 2012, KODAK file for bankruptcy relief. KODAK could not survive the onslaught of digital cameras coming in from Asia. Remember, digital cameras, which KODAK invented in 1975, do not use film. It was so sure that its brand and product were so well known that digital cameras would die. But technology changed and people preferred to use digital cameras, which were more convenient to use without film. I won’t tell you which technology my client was involved in. But the client also sat too long on his laurels and his business became the victim of technology and got left behind. With the new technology, fewer people needed his service and product, so there is no doubt the client had gone the KODAK way. He still has two employees and able to breakeven. So what’s the problem? He has $70,000 of credit card debt. He needs $2,200 a month for minimum credit card payments monthly. When your business is breaking even, $2,200 a month is a big deal; that’s $26,000 of profit at the end of the year or $26,000 of interest expense. I don’t want to get into the details of what he owns aside from the business, but obviously, the $70,000 of credit cards is now a very irritating situation for him. He has received “hard money” offers to pay off the credit cards.

*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South-Lower Level Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803. (Advertising Supplement)

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Removing the conditions of your permanent residence without your petitioning spouse’s participation A PERSON who obtains his/ her green card via marriage to a US citizen spouse, and who is married for less than 2 years has conditional permanent resident status. A conditional permanent resident has a green card that is valid for 2 years. In order to continue to have permanent resident status after 2 years, the conditional permanent resident and his/her US citizen spouse must file an I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence during the 90 days before the expiration of the green card. 8 CFR 216.4(a)(1) But what if things don’t work out with the US citizen spouse after getting married, and the conditional permanent resident can no longer get the participation of his/her US citizen spouse in filing the I-751 petition? In such a case, the conditional permanent resident may seek an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement. In order to qualify for an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement, the conditional permanent resident must show that the marriage upon which his/her status was based was: 1) entered into in good faith, and 2) terminated. 8 CFR 216.5(a)(1)(ii) With respect to the required showing that the marriage was entered into in good faith, the conditional permanent resident must show that his/her marriage was not a “sham.” A mar-

Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn riage is considered a “sham” if, when they married, the couple did not intend to establish a life together. An intent to obtain something other than or in addition to love and companionship (such as a green card) from that life does not make a marriage a sham. Matter of Soltan, A76 888 125 (BIA 2001). Documents such as joint bank and credit card statements, and photos that demonstrate that the marriage was entered in good faith should be presented. Also, in order to qualify for an I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement, the conditional permanent resident must show that the marriage was terminated. By “terminated,” the USCIS requires a valid, formal divorce judgment. An I-751 waiver of the joint filing requirement cannot be approved in cases where the conditional permanent resident is legally separated or in divorce proceedings that are still pending. Also, once the marriage is terminated, the conditional resident may file the I-751 petition immediately, and does not have to wait until

the normal 90 days before the expiration of the conditional green card. It is worth noting that if the conditional permanent resident and his/her US Citizen spouse live in California, a valid divorce judgment must be obtained in the California courts. I have had numerous California-resident clients in the past who have obtained a “quick” divorce judgment in Nevada only to face USCIS scrutiny after presenting the Nevada divorce judgment in support of an I-751 waiver request (since one must be a Nevada resident to obtain a divorce in Nevada). The assistance of an experienced attorney in handling the divorce as well as the I-751 waiver request is accordingly recommended. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com (Advertising Supplement)

3-year and 10-year bar rules PAGE C2 t

mated Form I-94 in April 2013. This means that the I-94 admission record is created electronically and maintained in CBP systems. However, a CBP stamp is still provided in the alien’s passport. The alien can get a paper These are high-interest loans to version of I-94 through the CBP pay off the cards. In other words, website. they lend you $70,000 to pay An alien is inadmissible for 3 off his credit cards, but he ends years if: (1) he has accrued more up paying more than $2,200 a than 180 days but less than 1 month to service the hard money year of unlawful presence during loan. Now, that’s a no brainer, a single stay in the US on or afisn’t it? Yeah, replace the debt ter April 1, 1997; and (2) he volwith higher interest loan, that’s a untarily departed the US before great idea, like a square wheel. he was placed under removal Well, it so happens that after proceedings. The 3-year inadcareful analysis of the client’s as- missibility period starts when the set structure, he can actually get alien departs or is removed from Chapter 7 relief, for a fresh start. the US. Keep everything including his An alien is inadmissible to the business but wipe out the $70,000 with a Chapter 7 discharge. The higher interest loan would cost more than $70,000, probably $200,000 when it’s fully paid off. A consolidation would also cost at least $70,000 over 5 years. With Chapter 7, the client gets a fresh start without paying a cent on the $70,000. That’s $200,000 cheaper than the higher interest loan, and it’s $70,000 cheaper than consolidation. So which would alternative sounds the best for the client? In five years, with a Chapter 7, his credit score will be back over 700 and he would not have to pay any portion of the $70,000. If he chose the higher interest alternative in five years he would be out $200,000. If you don’t see the benefit of Chapter 7 relief, I don’t know what else to tell you. But the client did the right thing and chose Chapter 7 relief to get rid of the $70,000.

Senior client with business faces crossroads with $70K credit cards THE client is 72, married, and owns a small business. He’s been operating the business for the last 30 years. At its height, when times were good, the business had 10 fulltime employees. He used to net between $120,000 to $150,000 of profits after tax. That’s a nice and decent profit. Well, what happened to the business? It got left behind due to the change of technology. What does getting left by technology change mean? Let’s use an example of a huge business that literally got killed by technology change. Ever hear of the word KODAK? If you at least 50 years old, you certainly know what KODAK was. When the first cameras were commercially produced probably in the late 1800s, KODAK started making cameras and film, black and white then colored film. I had a brownie camera myself given to me as a gift about 1958. To use this camera, you have to use KODAK film. No focusing required. Just point and shoot. Made in the USA. This was less than 10 years after the end of WWII and American products ruled the world. Everything was American: cars, TVs, radios, cameras, film, etc. Nobody in the world could compete head to head with KODAK. No one. Of course, other film manufacturers started to come out of the woodworks like Fuji film. But there was no real competition for KODAK. It made tons of money every year. It was smooth sailing for decades for KODAK until digital cameras came into the picture. Interestingly enough, digital cameras do not use film. What’s more interesting to note here is that KODAK itself invented digital cameras in 1975. Steven Sasson invented the first self-contained digital camera, .01megapixel, for KODAK. But for another 25 years, KO-

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019

US for 10 years if: (1) he has accrued 1 year or more of unlawful presence during a single stay in the US on or after April 1, 1997; and (2) he voluntarily departed the US or was removed from the US. The 10-year inadmissibility period starts when the alien departs or is removed from the US. During the 3-year or 10-year inadmissibility period, the alien is not eligible for the following: (1) receive an immigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa to come to the US; (2) adjust status to that of a lawful permanent resident (green card holder); and (3) be admitted to the US at a port of entry. In some cases, a waiver of inadmissibility may be applied for and approved for aliens subject to the 3-year or 10-year bar rule.

*** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is a Partner at LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM. Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson are both licensed to practice law in California and in the Philippines. Both Attorneys were also professors. LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM aims to provide excellent and efficient legal representation to clients, and support clients in achieving their goals and dreams. As professors, Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson wish to educate the younger generation, as it is through education and continuous study that one can achieve success and serve others. Please visit our office: LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Call or text us: (213) 381.5710 Email us: attorneys@lindainsamsonlaw. com. (Advert ising Supplement)

C4 NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Calendar of Events across

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

America

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75th Anniversary of Leyte...

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Oil filter exchange event in Alhambra, CA ATTENTION ALL ALHAMBRA RESIDENTS – Free Oil Filter & Motor Oil Recycling Event on Saturday, November 2! Everyone is invited to bring in their used motor oil and used oil filters. All those who recycle their used oil filter will receive one FREE new Oil Filter. Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean. So don’t miss out – we’re making it easier for you to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at O’Reilly Auto Parts (800 E. Valley Blvd. Alhambra, CA 91801).

75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing observance was held on Sunday, October 20 at the Carson Community Center.

N OV E M B E R 9

Access to business capital conference in Woodland Hills, CA Presented by the Valley Economic Alliance and Wells Fargo, join on Saturday, November 9 for an Access to Business Capital event at the Hilton Woodland Hills from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration includes: same day loan consultation, business workshops and exhibitors, free networking, coffee and lunch. Panel topics include: Financing Options for Start-Up Businesses (0-2 years); Alternative Financing: Different options for obtaining capital to grow your business; Financing Strategies for Your Existing Business (2+ years); Your Resource Partners and Why They Are Key to Your Success. The event will be held at the Hilton Woodland Hills (6360 Canoga Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367). For any questions, contact jmatsumoto@economicalliance.com or colinewitt@gmail.com.

N OV E M B E R 1 6

Arts and Glamour Night in Long Beach, CA Emerald Lantern Group and Pangasinan Brotherhood USA on Saturday, November 16 proudly present dinner-dance at the Long Beach Marriott from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. This unique concept is the vision of Rosemarie De Vera and the Emerald Lantern Group who want to showcase the world-class caliber of Filipino American Visual Artists.Receiving Emerald Awards for Excellence in the Arts are international architect Wilson Deomampo and author of “Visual Diary” A celebration of Creative Spark in 30 years of Architecture. Another recipient is Archie Gadon, Senior Designer and Architect of Freidmutter Group Newport Beach, Project Designer of Ceasars Forum Convention Center, Solaire Resort and other international properties. Also receiving an award is Filipino-American muralist Eliseo Art Silva, the creator of the landmark mural in Historic Filipinotown’s Unidad Park. Emerald is proud to honor Trailblazer Emmanual E-Man Coquia, celebrity who was names Director of Programming of several radio stations after an exhaustive nationwide search. Mereulo Media’s CEO Otto Pardon selected Coquia for his sensible plan and vision that lined perfectly with the company’s goals. Coquia head programming for 3 stationsL Power 106FM, Classic HipHop 93.5, and Cali 93.9 Latin Music Station. Also to be bestowed recognition are Faith Bautista as a Community Hero awardee for her tireless work in retrieving $331 million dollars back into the housing fund amongst other non-profit efforts. Special Recognition will be given to Henry Sadang, for his charitable work for “Gabay”, parents group of children with autism and cerebral palsy. Gabay is also the beneficiary who will receive part of the proceeds from this event. The art exhibit shall feature the works of Alberto Dulay, Butch Lara, Napoleon Merana, Roland Escalona, Micah V. Javier, Gani, Dino, Rodolfo Mora, event art curator Ron Tuanquin, and more. The Art Exhibit will be open for the duration of the event, open doors at 5:30pm. Guests shall enjoy dinner before the awarding ceremonies, followed by social dancing with DJ Luigi Dizon. Part of the proceeds shall benefit “Gabay” Parents Group of Children with Cerebral Palsy and Autism in the Philippines. Tickets are regularly $100, but readers of this article can use the discount code “AJ” for a 25% discount online at www. artsandglamournight.eventbrite.com, or call Vanie (818) 284-7966 or Wawan (818) 648-4709. For more information, email emerald@musicartsevents.com or visit www.emeraldlanterngroup. com. Event starts at 6:30pm on November 16 at the Long Beach Marriott Hotel at 4700 Airport Plaza Dr, Long Beach, CA 90815.

Serry Osmeña, granddaughter of 4th Philippine President Sergio Osmeña.

N OV E M B E R 22-24

World Education Summit on Sustainability and Transformation in Las Vegas The World Education Summit on Sustainability and Transformation is a call to action and transformation to finding solutions to the challenges of our times. Join on November 22-24 for three days of activities, learning, networking and events, such as panel discussions and presentations, industry leader keynote speeches, and a dinner and gala featuring an eco-fashion show. The summit aims to gather stakeholders from educational institutions; business and civic organizations; government agencies and international development organizations to galvanize collaborative and strategic partnership to achieve a common goal in environmental sustainability. We are expecting delegates from different countries. The Summit will serve as a collaborative platform to achieve a unified mission. The venue is The Convention Center at The Orleans Hotel (4500 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103). For more information and to register, please visit http://worldsummit.info.

N OV E M B E R 24

#HashtagLunchbag/SIPA food drive in LA The Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) and #Hashtag Lunchbag are joining forces to create positive changes in Historic Filipinotown on Sunday, November 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. SIPA will be hosting a Food Drive with #HashtagLunchbag to create letters of encouragement, decorate lunch bags, and assemble sandwiches for those in need in Historic Filipinotown. When finished, they will be giving out lunch bags to homeless youth, women, and families. Registration contact and link: Maria Carmel Valendez at maria@sipacares.org or (213) 382-1819 ext. 107.

N OV E M B E R 25

UPAAGLA presents Fil-Am authors on artificial intelligence and sustainability in LA Two Filipino-American authors, Dr. Cris Liban and Elzar “Dodjie” Simon, on Monday, November 25 will discuss two current and relevant topics: artificial intelligence and sustainability. Liban is the executive director for environment and sustainability for the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Simon is director of global infrastructure for New York University. The discussion, moderated by LA Deputy Mayor for Budget & Innovation Miguel Sangalang, will take a deeper dive on: What should you know? Why do they matter to you? How do understanding and embracing these fields help countries like the Philippines be an emerging market? The event, organized by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA), will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Public Library -Echo Park Branch (1410 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026). “A.I. Hacked” books will be available for purchase and signing. A portion of books sold will be donated to the UPAAGLA Endowment Fund.

D EC E M B E R 1

Kalayaan Incorporated’s Christmas Party and induction of officers in Monterey Park, CA Kalayaan Incorporated’s Induction of Officers 2019-2020 will be held during its Christmas Party on Sunday, Decemeber 1, from 12 to 4 p.m., at the Monterey Hill Event Center. The hilltop venue offers a spectacular view of the San Gabriel Valley, and is located at 3700 Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, Calif. 91754. Kalayaan Incorporated, a non-profit public benefit corporation in the State of California, classified as a public charity organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, holds the annual celebration in Southern California of the anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence. Chairing the Induction and Christmas Party is Violet Mislang with Lady Hope Robillos, Co-chair, and Nonie Belarmino, Program Coordinator. Cost of lunch is $40.00. For more information, please contact Violet at (562) 644-4073, vmislang@gmail.com; Lady Hope at (310) 500-0917, lhopepr@yahoo.com; or Nonie (310) 357-0222, Idancenonie@outlook.com.

Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown anniversary & Christmas Party On Sunday, December 1, the Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown will celebrate its 13th anniversary and Christmas Party during a major FUNdraising event. Expect a night filled with food, drinks, entertainment and activities such as raffle prizes and silent auction prizes. The Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown was chartered in 2007 originally of Filipino descendants, who are leaders of the community, professionals and entrepreneurs. Today it has members from different cultural backgrounds. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. at Capital Seafood Restaurant (50 N. La Cienega Blvd. Ste 130 Beverly Hills, CA 90211). Attire is business casual. Donation is $65.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

Proclamation of the 75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing in the state of CA promoted by Assemblymember Michael Gipson and supporters.

PAGE C1 t from the City of Carson to all the Awardees. The keynote speaker was Gen. John Harrel, who spoke emphatically that in October 20, 1944, we were all Americans. And even through time and tide we cannot deny the lasting relationship of America and the Philippines. He recounted his cousin, whom he never met, was one of those who landed in Leyte and gave his young life to service. When he attended his family reunion just before this event, he visited the gravesite of his cousin, who died in 1944 as a result of his landing in Leyte. The Retired Maj. Gen. Harrel started as a Marine for 10 years then shifted to Infantry for 32 years. His ribbons on his chest attested to the many heroic acts while in service. Gen Ruth Wong, firector of the Military and Veterans Affairs of the County of Los Angeles, presented the Awardees of the medals of honor and appreciation on Oct. 12 at the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. The Americans who landed in Leyte were Herbert Bounds, Hy Arnesty, Paul Cohen, and Ernest Cowell. Absent at this event was Al Altig. The posthumous medal for Wilford Ross, Jr. was received by Judge Ross. The Filipino guerrillas of WWII who participated in the liberation of the Philippines were: Felicisino Berdoz, Emeterio Corpuz, Leonides Crook, Rogaciano Dagdag, Julian Dologuin, Marcelino Gawat, Juanito Piamonte, Ildefonso Quibin, Adelaida Samson, Leonardo Samson, and Eliseo Tomines. Added to this list was Alfredo Bocatija. The Color Guards on October 20 was led by Major Frank Quiambao, who presented the 26th Cavalry Support Attachment of the State of California. The Parade of Supporters were the Fleet Reserve left by Romeo Galleon, the Achievers, led by Lilia Bravo and Romeo Bejo, the Lavender Ladies led by Linda Clark, the Carson Lion’s Club led by Dorothy Ross, the Carson Adult Day Care Center led by Paz Velasquez, and the Winners of the Essay and Poster Contest of the 75th Anniversary of Leyte Landing contest. Alex Cainglet, Chairman of the Filipino American History Month opened the Program, assisted by Arlene Bocatija as emcee.

The Medal of Honor and Appreciation for those who survived 75 years since they landed in Leyte. So far, only six medals have been awarded.

Delia Harvey sang the National Anthems of the Philippines and United States. Judge Wilford Ross gave a historical perspective of the landing in Leyte 75 years ago, where 200,000 ground troops, 700 ships including 157 warships, transported the landing force. The difference with the D-Day of Europe was that this did not have air support during the landing. As the troops landed, one shouted “follow me” and that became the battle cry. Judge Ross pointed at the famous poster of the landing in Leyte. Oct. 23-25 was the greatest Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf. He pointed at the famous sinking of the aircraft carrier, the USS. St. Lo, struck by the Kamikaze and the survivor, Herber Bounds is here to tell the story in first person. The event was likened to the” David and Goliath” story, with U.S. winning because the Japanese Imperial battleships made a U-turn and left the battle scene. Dr. Jenny asked a rhetorical question: “Where do we go from here? When will be the next milestone event? Maybe on the 80th Anniversary?” Then she called to the stage the participants of the Essay and Poster Contest commemorating the 75th Anniversary. “The legacy continues when we get the young to get involved and participate in these remembrances and commemoratives, and we will all remember and thank the Veterans for their service,” she said.

The winners of the contest were called to the stage, namely: Gabriella Tapia, 5th Grade, Jalyn Ward, 8th Grade, Jasmine Ranches - 8th grade, Jezalyn Ranches -10th grade, and Alyssa Suba, collegiate. Special award went to Lydia Ty, 82-year-old born in Tacloban, Leyte, who wrote a poem to pay tribute to the 75th Anniversary of the Leyte Landing. It was read by Paz Velasquez, the coordinator of the contests. A wreath was laid to those who lost their young lives at the altar of freedom and those who have gone ahead, by Gen. Wong and Gen. Harrel. Maj. Quiambao spoke about the 26th Cavalry Color guards and its commitment to honor those who served in occasions such as these. A special Guest was Serry Osmena, the granddaughter of President Sergio Osmena who appeared in the iconic picture of Gen. MacArthur’s wading on the shores of Leyte. She acknowledged that as she was listening to the history and meeting the survivors of Leyte Landing on stage, she is compelled to return home and tell her children of the significance of this legacy, and urged all to do the same to their children. With that last word, everyone sang a rousing “God Bless America.” A group picture captured the momentous event. Then the block party started to celebrate the living, thanks to those who served and gave us our freedom and our democracy. ■

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November 2019 priority dates Study: Better economic indicators after TRAIN

Immigration Corner

by MAYVELIN

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Application Filing Date

FAMILY CATEGORY:

ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ

March 15, 2009

September 15, 2008

(2A) Spouse and Second Preference minor children (below 21 years old) of green card holder

September 1, 2019

Current

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

April 1, 2009

October 1, 2008

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

December 1, 1998

June 1, 1998

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

March 1, 1999

September 1, 1998

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

Second Preference Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

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)

Visa Issuance Date

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Current

February 1, 2018

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Current

February 1, 2018

*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar 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. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does 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: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Business Quote of the Week “The PC has improved the world in just about every area you can think of. Amazing developments in communications, collaboration and efficiencies. New kinds of entertainment and social media. Access to information and the ability to give a voice people who would never have been heard.” — Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation

U. CARABALLO ManilaTimes.net

THE Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN) could result in improved economic and poverty indicators, according to a policy brief titled “Assessing the Potential Impacts of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion and the Build Build Build (BBB) Program,” released by De La Salle University–Angelo King Institute on Wednesday, October 30. Implemented in 2018, the tax measure exempts those earning annual taxable incomes of P250,000 and below from paying personal income taxes. In exchange, new taxes were imposed on automobiles, fuel and sugarsweetened beverages, among others. In 2018, a P68.4 billion revenues attributable to Train exceeded its full-year target of P63.3 billion by 8.1 percent. The authors of the study said a simulation found out that the tax measure “has prompted additional revenue in social programs and infrastructure spending.” Citing National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) data, the authors stated that total additional government revenues from Train are seen to reach P144.2 billion this year, P187.7 billion in 2020, P186.8 billion in 2021, and P177.8 billion in 2022.

The authors also said 70 percent of the expected government revenue from the tax measure will be allocated to the Build, Build, Build program, which aims to improve infrastructure, roads and network of all regions in the country with a budget of P8.44 trillion until 2022. Train-sourced allocation for infrastructure spending this year was programmed to reach P100.9 billion, P131.4 billion by 2020, P130.8 billion by 2021 and P124.5 billion by 2022. The remaining 30 percent of Train revenue will be allocated to social program expansions such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the rice discounts of the National Food Authority (NFA), education and health projects, the authors stressed. In a breakdown, the government allotted P35 billion for the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program this year, and P36 billion for next year; P1.7 billion for the 10-percent fare discount for minimum wage earners and unemployed for a year until 2022; P6.5 billion for the 10-percent NFA rice discount a year until 2022; and P100 million for fuel vouchers to 100,000 public utility jeeps/units a year until 2022. The authors further said “there are clear increases in the capital stock, which drive economic growth with the industry sector leading the way and the services

and agricultural sectors lagging behind.” Based on the simulation, government capital stock could reach P59.5 billion this year, P153.6 billion by 2020, P279.9 billion by 2021, and P404.2 billion by 2022. “With regard to the inflationary effects, we can see that the additional excise taxes increase inflation in 2018 and 2019 but decelerates after that as higher growth would significantly dominate the inflationary effects,” the authors added. The simulation showed Train stoked the inflation rate by 0.69 percent in 2018. To recall, inflation rate averaged 5.2 percent last year. This year, the simulation revealed that the contribution of the tax measure to inflation could drop to 0.54 percent, before decelerating further to 0.36 percent in 2020, -0.04 percent in 2021, and -0.048 percent in 2022. The authors highlighted that “results of the poverty and distributional microsimulation showed that the policy had reduced poverty and reduced income inequality very slightly.” They said poverty incidence — the proportion of families or individuals with a per capita income or expenditure less than the per capita poverty threshold to the total number of families or individuals — eased to 21.053 from the baseline value of 21.503. ■

Infra spending jumps 53.9% in Sept but nine-month expenditures below target by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

PUBLIC spending on infrastructure climbed 53.9 percent to P100.3 billion in September but nine-month expenditures on these capital-intensive projects remained below government target no thanks to underspending at the beginning of the year. The latest Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data released Thursday, October 31,

showed that disbursements on infrastructure and other capital outlay last September increased by over a half of the P65.2 billion during the same month last year. Infrastructure spending in September also exceeded by 69 percent of the P59.3 billion spent in August. Last September, “infrastructure spending is buoyed primarily by completed and partially completed projects of the DPWH [Department of Public Works and

Highways] such as construction, upgrading, repair and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and floodcontrol structures,” DBM said in a report. Also, “capital expenditures related to the purchase of military equipment under the Revised AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] Modernization Program of the DND [Department of National Defense], and the construction of the new Supreme Court buildPAGE D2

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Robust household loans failed to lift credit growth

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Prolonged US-China trade dispute worries shipowners

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said loans for household consumption jumped by 26.2 percent to P791.62 billion in September from P627.32 billion in the same month last year. Philstar.com file photo by LAwrence

AGcAoiLi Philstar.com

STRONG lending for household consumption due to easing interest rates failed to translate to faster credit growth as the increase in loan disbursements remained steady at 10.5 percent in September, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said loans for household consumption jumped by 26.2 percent to P791.62 billion in September from P627.32 billion in the same month last year. Diokno attributed the strong growth to the faster increase in motor vehicle, credit card and salary-based general purpose consumption loans. Data showed credit card loans surged by 27.2 percent to P334.7 billion from P263.11 billion, while auto loans zoomed by 29.5 percent to P366.16 billion. The BSP has so far slashed interest rates by 75 basis points due to easing inflation as well as slower than expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first half of the year. Inflation averaged 2.8 percent in the first nine months after easing to a 41-month low of 0.9 percent in September from 1.7 percent in August. The easing partly reversed a

tightening cycle that saw interest rates rise by 175 basis points last year as inflation accelerated to 5.2 percent from 2.9 percent in 2017 and exceeded the BSP’s two to four percent inflation target due to elevated oil and food prices as well as weak peso. Diokno said credit growth in September remained at 10.5 percent to P8.78 trillion from P7.95 trillion in the same month last year. He said loans extended by big banks for production activities remained unchanged at nine percent to P7.68 trillion from P7.05 trillion, an accounting for 87.4 percent of the total portfolio. The BSP chief said the growth in lending to the real estate sector recovered to 18.3 percent to P1.57 trillion as of end-September and accounted for 18 percent of the total loan disbursements by big banks. Likewise, the increase in disbursements to the wholesale and retail trade as well as repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles also bounced back to 4.8 percent to P1.14 trillion for a share of 13 percent. However, loan releases to the manufacturing sector contracted by 0.4 percent to P1.04 trillion in September from P1.05 trillion in the same month last year, while disbursements for accommoda-

tion and food services activities also contracted by 1.3 percent to P144 billion from P145.9 billion. Likewise, the increase in lending to the electricity, gas, steam and airconditioning supply further eased to 9.2 percent with P978.55 billion. Apart from the rate cuts, the BSP’s Monetary Board has also lowered the reserve requirement for big- and mid-sized banks by 400 basis points and for small banks by 200 basis points for same banks to free up much needed funds to accelerate credit growth and boost economic activity. The BSP also reported a faster 7.7 percent rise in money supply to P12.04 trillion in end September from P11.18 trillion in end September last year. “The BSP will continue to monitor domestic liquidity dynamics to ensure that overall monetary conditions remain in line with maintaining the BSP’s price and financial stability,� Diokno said. ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said commercial bank lending continued to grow but was largely unmoved by BSP’s recent rate cuts and adjustments to the RRR due to the reluctance on the part of corporates to take on hefty loans as they wait for rates to “hit rock bottom.� n

Manilatimes.net file photo by AnnA LeAh

e. GonzALes ManilaTimes.net

THE trade war between the United States and China that could affect the global economy is a cause for concern, a top official of the Norwegian Shipowner’s Association (NSA) said. “We are really concerned about the development. We are really concerned about a more protectionistic world and we see that the development of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China now influence the growth in the world economy and that’s a worrying signal,� said NSA Chief Executive Officer Harald Solberg in a briefing in Pasay City on Tuesday, October 29.

Solberg said the U.S.-China trade war is currently being discussed within the shipowner communities around the world. “We have this discussion in the International Chamber Shipping (ICS), we have the same discussion in the European Chamber Shipping. Unfortunately, China is not part of the ICS but we still have a cooperation with the China ship organization and hopefully we will meet them later this week. China is one of the big players,� he said. Solberg said that while the trade war has not yet caused a slowdown in the shipping industry, it may affect demand in for the next couple of years. “The shipping industry in

general is heavily related to the growth in the world economy and we see a slowdown in the growth, so we are concerned about the outlook and the implication of the trade war. We are prepared that the slowdown in the world economy will also lead to a slowdown on the demand for shipping services,� he said. Solberg added that a prolonged trade dispute between the two superpowers could also affect recruitment of seafarers. “Not on the short timeline but if this is the starting point of a development into a more de-globalize world. In the last 40 years, we had a world trade organization and establishment of global value chain and globalization,� he said. n

Infra spending jumps 53.9% in Sept... PAGE D1 t ing of the judiciary ramped up infrastructure spending for the month,� DBM added. However, DBM data showed that the total of P546.3 billion in public expenditures on infrastructure and other capital outlays from January to September was 8.1-percent below the P594.5-billion program for the nine-month period. Actual government spending on infrastructure as of Septem-

ber also declined 4.3 percent from P570.8 billion a year ago. DBM nonetheless noted that the end-September infrastructure spending drop was narrower than the 11.7-percent decline posted during the first six months. According to DBM, national government spending on public goods and services continued to catch up to the program, while blaming underspending at the start of the year to the late pas-

sage of the P3.7-trillion 2019 national budget and the ban on new public works projects ahead of the midterm elections last May 13. The delayed approval of this year’s budget – which slowed economic growth to 5.5 percent in the first half as the government-operated using reenacted 2018 appropriations from January to April –stemmed from squabbles among legislators over alleged “pork� funds. n

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Government to increase vigilance vs smuggled cigarettes

Gender pay gap in Philippine farm sector persisted in 2018 — PSA

Manilatimes.net file photo by Mary

Grace Padin Manilatimes.net

THE government has committed to increase its vigilance against smuggled cigarettes following the seizure of Chinesebranded tobacco products in Manila last week, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Thursday, October 31. In a text message, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said he would order the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to coordinate with its counterparts in China and other countries in Southeast Asia to intensify efforts against the illegal entry of cigarettes into the Philippines. “We are increasing our vigilance against non-tax paid cigarettes from all sources. We will order the BOC to alert their counterparts in China and all the ASEAN countries to the practice of exporting untaxed cigarettes to the Philippines,” Dominguez

told reporters. Last Oct. 25, a strike team of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) raided a warehouse in Binondo, Manila, where it confiscated around 145 mastercases (1.45 million sticks) of smuggled Chinese-branded cigarettes. The BIR said the seized packs, which were not affixed with tax stamps, were bearing Chinese brand names, such as Double Happiness, Changbaishan, Liqun, Yunyan, Septwolves, and Golden Leaf, among others. BIR Revenue Officer Remedios Advincula, who also heads the BIR strike team, said the prevalence of smuggled Chinesebranded cigarettes in the country is “becoming alarming.” He said these may have been illegally imported from China amid the growing number of Chinese nationals in the Philippines. Last August, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and General Administration

U. caraballo ManilaTimes.net

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has invested $150 million in the green bond fund earlier launched by the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said. In a text message to reporters on Tuesday, October 29, Diokno noted the invested amount was sourced from the country’s gross international reserves (GIR). “It’s part of the diversification of the bank’s reserves,” he added. The country’s GIR currently stands at a record-high $86.16

billion as of September this year, with central bank’s investment income as part of its growth driver. In a separate statement, the BSP stressed that “it takes a step further in recognizing the role of sustainable investing in reserve management” following its participation in the open-ended fund. “Climate change appears to be inevitable, and the financial sector has a significant role to play in pursuing sustainable and inclusive growth in the global economy, the environment, and society,” it said. “The BSP is one with the BIS in its broader commitment to support environmentally responsible

At the national level, men in agriculture were paid P310.16 per day in 2018, out-earning women who received P285.51 daily. Inquirer.net file photo

of Customs of China (GACC) Minister Ni Yuefeng signed an intergovernmental implementation agreement, which laid out the guidelines on how the two agencies can strengthen their cooperation and assistance on customs matters. GACC also committed to assist At the national level, men in agriculture were paid P310.16 per day in 2018, out-earning women who received P285.51 daily. the BOC in monitoring and stopPhilstar.com file photo ping the entry of unauthorized pay disparity persisted in 2017, wage for the same activity” cigarette-making machines from by ian nicolas ciGaral “The remainder is due to wage Philstar.com with males receiving P284.72 China into the Philippines. per day and females earning bias by activity. In the case of Meanwhile, Dominguez also palay workers, the wage gap is GENDER inequality persisted P255.80. directed the BIR and the BOC to According to the Philippine more than one hundred percent,” strengthen its monitoring of illic- even in the Philippines’ agriit cigarette trading, which could culture sector, with male farm- Statistics Authority, the country’s it added. To close the gender pay gap potentially worsen following the workers receiving higher pay nominal wage rate for agriculturrecent increase in tobacco excise than their female counterparts al workers averaged P306.28 per among farmworkers, PIDS said last year, the country’s statistics day in 2018, higher than P280.37 women should be priority recipitaxes. He said the recent passage of agency reported Thursday, Octo- compensation that Filipino farm ents of agricultural grants and ers earned more than their male training from the government Senate Bill 2233, which would ber 31. At the national level, men in ag- counterparts in Calabarzon and to increase their control over increase tobacco excise taxes household resources. to a unitary rate of P45 per pack riculture were paid P310.16 per Davao Region. PIDS also proposed the esA report by state-run think starting next year, may exacer- day in 2018, out-earning women tank Philippine Institute for De- tablishment of women’s groups bate the proliferation of counter- who received P285.51 daily. By comparison, male farm- velopment Studies dated October active in rural labor market inforfeit and smuggled cigarettes in workers’ daily earnings stood at 2018 found that the “main source mation and advocacy, as well as the country. n P278.23 in 2016 against their fe- of gender wage gap in Philippine increased protection of women’s male counterpart’s P260.78. The agriculture is the difference in rights at the grassroots. n

BSP invests $150M in green bonds by Mayvelin

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 D

finance and investment practices,” the Bangko Sentral added. In September, the BIS highlighted that the green bond fund was its response to a growing demand for climate-friendly investments among official institutions. “The initiative helps central banks to incorporate environmental sustainability objectives in the management of their reserves,” it added. BIS explained that the fund pools its client assets to promote green finance through sizeable climate-friendly investments, and support the adoption of best market practices to deepen the green bond market. n

WB encourages PH to use innovations by Mayvelin

U. caraballo ManilaTimes.net

THE World Bank (WB) is encouraging the Philippines to use innovations like digital technology to expand financial inclusion in the country, according to the Department of Finance (DoF). In a statement on Monday, October 28, the Finance department quoted WB President David Malpass in a recent meeting held in Washington D.C. with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd, as saying the Philippines’ robust economy offers many opportunities for the government to

“reguide” its digitalization efforts to empower Filipinos. Malpass also commended the country’s efforts to kickstart its digitalization program with the passage of a National Identification (ID) Law that aims to unify and streamline an identification system for all Filipino citizens. The use of new technologies, particularly digital currency and remittances, “can open new avenues” for marginalized sectors to participate in the economy, he said. The WB head added this is why the multilateral lender is now studying how these innova-

tions can directly benefit people while encouraging them to avail themselves of state-provided social services, such as healthcare. “This is an opportunity because you have so many things going on where you can reguide the program,” Malpass said. For his part, Dominguez welcomed Malpass’ support for digitalization as a way to expand financial inclusion in developing economies. He told Malpass, that the Philippine government has long been implementing a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, in PAGE D5

D NOVEMEBR 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Slower electronics sector could ‘short circuit’ Philippine growth — Oxford Economics by Ian

nIcolas cIgaral Inquirer.net

THE Philippines’ electronics sector will likely face more headwinds in the short run, boding badly for the economy. In a research note, Oxford Economics said a slowdown in electronics sector — which accounts for over 50% of Philippines’ total goods exports and the biggest source of employment within manufacturing — could hurt the country’s economy. “We conclude that the Philippines’ electronics sector will continue grappling with challenges in the short run,” Oxford Economics said. “This will likely keep growth below 6% in 2020, despite an anticipated pickup in infrastructure spending,” it added. The electronics sector has contributed positively to Philippine economic growth since the second quarter of 2017, but activity in the sector has slowed down recently, Oxford Economics said. Oxford Economics said trade tensions between the U.S. and China continue to threaten the sector, with the planned U.S. tariffs targeting Chinese consumer electronics likely weighing on

ValencIa Philstar.com

Philippine electronics, the biggest foreign market of which is China (including Hong Kong). “With domestic demand accounting for only around 35% of Chinese demand in computer and electronics sector, the risk is significant that such tariffs would hurt Philippine exports,” Oxford Economics explained. On the domestic front, policy uncertainty on fiscal incentives

has dampened business sentiment in Philippines economic zones, hitting investments in the electronics sector. “Inflows are likely to remain muted until more clarity emerges on the tax incentives,” Oxford Economics said. Despite starting from a lower base, Vietnam’s share of electronics exports has risen rapidly and is now more than twice the Philippines’ electronics exports. n

PH still not ready for full nuclear energy program by ronnel

W. DomIngo

Inquirer.net

THE Department of Energy on Wednesday, October 30, formally received an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on the Philippines’ capability to adopt nuclear energy for electricity generation. This was 10 months after an international team formed by the Austria-based IAEA visited the country for an assessment, officially called Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (Inir) mission. The Inir mission was conducted in December 2018 upon the request of the Philippine government. Since the Philippines is just intending to adopt nuclear power, the mission was considered Phase 1 in a three-phase scheme. After this mission wrapped up, the IAEA issued a statement that

Developing Asia needs over 5% of GDP investments into infra — ADB by czerIza

Inquirer.net file photo

“the end of Phase 1 marks the readiness of a country to make a knowledgeable commitment to a nuclear power program.” The IAEA’s international review team made recommendations and suggestions where the Philippines could make further progress, such as: * Involving a broader range of stakeholders in completing the work required to enable a national commitment to introduce nuclear power * Developing a legal and regulatory framework that ensures and demonstrates a commitment to safety, security and nonproliferation * Further enhancing its approaches to human resource and leadership development, nuclear fuel cycle options and electrical grid impacts * Adapting the existing national frameworks for emergency preparedness and response and

nuclear security in light of a future nuclear power project “With energy security at the cornerstone of our country’s energy agenda, we need to bring to the forefront, intelligent, informed and comprehensive dialogue on whether we could safely utilize nuclear power as one of our alternative sources to meet our ever-growing energy requirements,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said during the handover ceremony. “For the past three years, we have been working hand in hand with the [IAEA] to find clear answers to all our longstanding questions on nuclear power, most especially its safety aspect,” Cusi said. He noted that the Philippines would need to address and satisfy the 19 infrastructure requirements before it would be able to successfully embark on a full nuclear energy program. n

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 2-5, 2019 D

MANILA,Philippines — Countries in Developing Asia need to invest more than five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) over the next decade to build infrastructure for their rapidly growing economies, according to a new book co-published by the Asian Development Bank. The book, titled “Infrastructure Financing in Asia,” said many countries in Asia Pacific are still investing less than five percent of GDP for infrastructure development. The bank said at this rate, sustaining the momentum for financing infrastructure as well as boosting economic growth and development would be more difficult. ADB estimated that the infrastructure needs of Developing Asia and the Pacific will exceed $22.6 trillion through 2030, or around $1.5 trillion per year. Factoring in the costs of climate change mitigation and adaptation, the estimates rise to over $26 trillion per year, or $1.7 trillion per year. The book, co-published by World Scientific, documents the evolution of Asia and the Pacific’s infrastructure over the past 50 years and reviews the pivotal role of infrastructure in supporting the region’s robust growth and social development. It is coedited by ADB principal economist Donghyun Park and economist Shu Tian.

To address these challenges, the authors urge countries in Developing Asia to consider a variety of policy approaches, such as wide-ranging public finance and institutional reforms to create a stronger enabling environment for public–private partnerships (PPP). It also puts forward out-of-the box solutions in the form of tax financing, mass transit investments, and smart energy grids investments to help meet the infrastructure financing gap. Park said that as rapid economic growth is seen in Developing Asia, quality of growth must also be promoted to uplift the standards of living. “We need to keep it going, not only in terms of narrow GDP growth but also on what it means in human terms, environmental concerns and inclusiveness of growth,” he said during the book launch in Quezon City yesterday. Projects like smart grids and smart infrastructure would go a long way in improving the quality of lives for people in the region, said Park. As the financing for these projects are now more daunting, Park said private capital would have to “play a visibly larger role than in the past.” As such, governments in the region will have to create and maintain a conducive environment for the private sector. “To increase private sector participation in infrastructure investment, governments must

make it worthwhile for them to jump in. Uncertainties must be mitigated and the bankability of projects must be increased,” said Park. The use of PPP, he said, could be effectively used to mobilize financing for infrastructure used for social services like schools and hospitals. The book also explores alternative financing methods to unlock long-term funding from institutional investors and offers mechanisms to deepen the region’s bond markets. For example, it dives into the efforts of countries under ASEAN+3—Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam—in developing local currency bond markets to provide long-term local financing. It also examines the use of green bonds to finance sustainable growth in Asia. “Developing Asia must strive to find new, innovative, outsidethe-box financing solutions to meet its huge infrastructure investment needs. I am confident that this rich collective volume prepared by experts from inside and outside ADB will set forth some concrete and specific directions for infrastructure financing, as well as provide food for thought,” said ADB vicepresident for knowledge management and sustainable development Bambang Susantono. n

PAGE D3 t which low income households in the country receive cash grants, provided they fulfill certain conditions, such as ensuring their children go to school or that pregnant mothers get regular medical checkups. This CCT program “has worked pretty well” because of the assistance extended by the WB and the Asian Development Bank to the Philippine government, the Finance chief said. He also stressed that the passage of a national ID Law, which will be implemented on a pilot basis starting the first quarter of next year, will significantly

improve the delivery of the CCT program. “That’s all good,” Malpass was quoted as to have commented after learning from Dominguez the Philippines’ efforts to digitalize its government services. The Finance department added that WB Country Director for the Philippines Mara Warwick said the multilateral institution is providing technical assistance to the Philippines for the rollout of its national ID system. WB Regional Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Region Victoria Kwakwa also informed Dominguez of the institution’s new policy that supports the Phil-

ippines’ reform initiatives in enhancing its fiscal stability, global competitiveness, and economic resilience. In response, the DoF chief said the World Bank can assist the Duterte administration’s ongoing efforts to help the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao set up its government and adopt the best practices of other independent political entities in other parts of the world, which have been successfully set up and effectively run their regional governments. Malpass, for his part, responded the WB “would like to work on that.” n

WB encourages PH to use...

D NOVEMEBR 2-5, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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