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Volume 28 - No. 46 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
N O V E MBE R 2 3 - 2 9 , 2 0 1 7
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY
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Duterte warns of revolutionary White-born Florida gov’t if ‘things go out of control’ woman claims to DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
identify as Filipina
Ja Du, a transgender woman, now speaks up about newfound Filipina identity
A WHITE transgender woman in Florida announced this week that she identifies as a Filipina. In a story that first broke on the Tampa area WTSP on Monday, November 13, the woman — who was born Adam and said she’s in the process of legally changing her name to Ja Du — told the station that she considers herself Filipina. Ja Du says she grew up watching The History Channel and said that “nothing else intrigued me more but things about Filipino culture.” She has since concluded that she is Filipina and intends to live a “transracial” lifestyle as a Filipina. “Whenever I’m around the music, around the food, I feel like I’m in my own skin,” she told WTSP.
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, Nov. 18, warned anew that he would declare a revolutionary government if things have gone “out of control” and the government is at risk of being overthrown violently. “If things go out of control and [the] government is weakened—that is my predicate,” Duterte told reporters in Davao City.
“If my country is weakened and I see revolutionaries bringing firearms on the streets, well, maybe you shouldn’t have second thoughts, I will declare a revolutionary government,” he added. The president also pointed out that he prefers to declare a revolutionary government instead of martial law, as the latter has “many restrictions.” He went on to say, “I will take it to the hilt. So do not do something that will cause or even attempt to topple [the] government, I will not allow that.”
Last month, Duterte warned that he would not hesitate to set up a revolutionary government in order to avert the country from falling into chaos amid the alleged destabilization efforts by his political enemies. The president accused then that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the elite, the terrorists, and even the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), were working on his
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Sen. Manny Pacquiao shakes hands with H.Hendri Zainuddin, S.Ag.,S.H., head of the Delegation of the Ethics Council of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, November 20. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan
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Pacquiao mulls quitting politics
Filipinos named in Paradise Papers leak
SEVERAL Filipinos were included in the by DANA SIOSON so-called Paradise Papers—one of the world’s AJPress largest leak of financial documents showing PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, how personalities manage to keep from paying Nov. 21 admitted that thoughts of resigning from polihigher taxes—according to a report from the tics have been crossing his mind. Philippine Star. In a press briefing at the Senate, Pacquiao expressed The recent leak detailed how some politidismay toward “destabilizers” and politicians with cians and business personalities use complex RAISING THE TROOP’s MORALE. President Rodrigo Duterte expresses his high praises to the troops of the 1st Infantry Battalion (1IB) who were preparing to leave at the Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday, November 20. The 1IB were among the first units “hidden agenda[s],” saying such feelings have made structures to launder money, fend off sanctions, deployed in Marawi City when the battle against the terrorists broke out almost five months ago. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante u PAGE A2 and evade tax. The controversial documents were first obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, and were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ is now overseeing the investigation on the leak. The Paradise Papers is composed of 13.4 operations—an allegation that the police has by DANA SIOSON million files, covering seven decades from 1950 AJPress repeatedly denied. to 2016. Most of its leaked documents were Last month, lawyers from the Free Legal from offshore law firm Appleby, and other 19 THIS week, the Supreme Court (SC) began Assistance Group (FLAG) filed a petition tax havens. hearing arguments in the petition to declare before the SC. They argued that the the drug In a statement, Appleby, one of the world’s Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war should be declared unconstitutional most prestigious offshore law firms, insisted campaign against illegal drugs as unconsti- because it paves way for the police to kill that it “does not tolerate illegal behavior.” tutional. suspects in guise of “neutralizing” them dur“Appleby has thoroughly and vigorously inMore than 3,900 Filipinos have been killed ing operations. vestigated the allegations and we are satisfied since the so-called drug war launched last “That could be subject to misinterpretathat there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, Supreme Court justices, led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, enter the SC en banc year mostly for supposedly resisting arrest. tion by the policeman on the ground,” Jose either on the part of ourselves or our clients,” session hall in Manila during the start of oral arguments on the consolidated petitions to Critics of the campaign have claimed that Manuel “Chel” Diokno of FLAG said during declare President Duterte’s drug war unconstitutional on Tuesday, Nov. 21. it said. u PAGE A3 Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman summary executions are occurring during
Supreme Court begins hearing on PH gov’t’s war on drugs
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Filipina sworn in as member of UN slams Duterte over threats key US Treasury advisory board against special rapporteur by CARINA
ORIEL
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
AJPress
WASHINGTON – A Filipina community leader was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board on Thursday, November 16. Faith Bautista, the president and CEO of the National Diversity Coalition (NDC) and National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), was appointed by the Trump administration to serve for a total of four years. The swearing-in ceremony was led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin inside the Cash Room of the department’s building. Bautista is one of nine private citizens to serve on the board, alongU.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin swore in nine new private citizens, including side six public representatives, totaling 15 members. She is one of Filipina community leader Faith Bautista, to serve on the department’s Community two officers on the board coming from a national consumer or public Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board on Thursday, interest organization. November 16.
AJPress photo
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THE United Nations’ (UN) human rights office on Tuesday, Nov. 21, rebuked Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for issuing threats against special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard. In a statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said the international body condemned “in stronger terms” the insults and threats of physical violence made UN special rapporteur on summary executions
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Agnes Callamard
Inquirer.net photo
A
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UN slams Duterte over threats against... PAGE A1
by the Filipino leader. “Last week Mr. Duterte threatened to slap Ms. Callamard if she investigates him for alleged extrajudicial killings,� Colville said, adding that Duterte “made the same threat� against Callamard in June. On Nov. 9, the Filipino leader warned Callamard that he will “slap� her if she insisted on prob-
ing his drug war. “Kung imbestigahin mo ako, sampalin kita (If you investigate me, I will slap you),� the president said then in a speech before the Filipino community in Vietnam. Callamard has repeatedly expressed the intent to investigate “all unlawful deaths� that allegedly transpired under what she described as a “cruel� campaign in the Philippines—earning the
ire of Duterte. Data from the government showed around 3,900 drug suspects were killed during drug war operations for reportedly resisting arrest. Police have also repeatedly claimed that there were zero cases of extrajudicial killings. Defending Callamard, Colville noted that the special rapporteur “has clearly been acting fully in line with her mandate when commenting on the situation in the Philippines.� “This campaign, coupled with the repeated personal attacks on Ms. Callamard by President Duterte, seems to be designed to intimidate her into not carrying out the mandate bestowed on her by the Human Rights Council,� Colville added. According to him, Callamard has also been recently “subjected to a tirade of online abuse, including physical threats, during what appears to be a prolonged and well-orchestrated trolling operation across the internet and on social media.� He went on to say, “We condemn this treatment of Ms. Callamard, and the disrespect it shows to the Human Rights Council that appointed her, in the strongest terms.� Responding to the international body’s latest criticism against him, Duterte challenged the UN human rights office to face him. “Sabihin mo sa kanya, harapin niya ako dito, p**** talaga hiritan. Binabastos niya tayo (Tell them to face me here. They are being rude to us),� the chief executive said in a media briefing at the 65th general assembly of the League of Cities of the Philippines on Tuesday. Duterte insisted that Callamard contradicts the UN’s own report when she supposedly believed a “black doctor� who qualified that “the use of drugs is harmless,� referring to Columbia University neuroscientist Dr. Carl Hart. The chief executive pointed out that the doctor’s statement contradicts a UN report entitled “International Narcotics Control Board Precursors and Chemicals Frequently Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Narcotic Drugs and Tropic Substances 2014,� which stated that the use of methamphetamine or shabu “sometimes triggers aggressive, violent and bizarre behavior among users.� n
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NEW PDP MEMBERS FROM LEYTE. Senate President Aquilino “Koko� PImentel III, President of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban), led the oath-taking of 3,000 new members of the ruling party in Leyte Province. Among those who took their oath in the Eastern Visayas Region were Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominic Petilla, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, Southern Leyte Governor Christopherson Yap, Biliran Governor Gerardo Espina, Jr., Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto and Representatives Henry Ong (Leyte, 2nd District) and Vicente “Ching� Veloso (Leyte, 3rd District). Senate photo by Ariel Cagadas
Duterte warns of revolutionary... PAGE A1 ouster. “’Pag ang destabilization ninyo patagilid na at medyo magulo na (If your destabilization slips into chaos), I will not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term,� Duterte told state-run television network PTV 4 last October 13. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, has repeatedly claimed that there were no
current destabilization threats against the president. Critics have accused Duterte of wanting to extend his term by declaring a revolutionary government, but the president has repeatedly denied seeking to perpetuate himself to power. Misquoted Duterte also accused the media of chopping his statements on their news reports and leaving out his conditions on declar-
Pacquiao mulls quitting...
PAGE A1 him ponder if he will still seek a new government post after his term ends in 2022. “If you would ask me right now about politics, I feel like getting dismayed, discouraged. I’m thinking about quitting, like—so this is politics? Because I don’t know how to play politics. Whichever is correct, whichever I think is right for the nation, that’s what I will push for,� the senator told reporters in Filipino. He added, “I discovered a lot when I joined politics—things that you wouldn’t know whether it’s true or not. A lot of them are concealing behind a different appearance.� Pacquiao, more globally known
for his boxing career, was elected as Sarangani Representative in 2010. In 2016, he was elected as a member of the Senate. Asked about his chances of running in the next election, Pacquiao responded, “You know, I told my wife [Jinkee] that I wanted to resign. But if I quit, who will be left with a heart? Who will provide real service?� The senator said he was displeased by politicians who pretend to help the poor but have “hidden agenda[s].� He also expressed disappointment toward personalities who try to “destabilize� the government. But when asked whom he was referring to, the senator refused to cite specific names.
ing a revolutionary government. “[A] revolutionary [government]? Then we should have a revolution first. Until there is a revolution, that’s unlikely,â€? Duterte clarified. “It wasn’t an outright statement that we should establish a revolutionary government. What I said‌they (media) would really cut my message. That’s why I said I won’t engage on media’s whims,â€? he added. n
Concerning the possibility of running next for presidency, the neophyte senator said he is looking to God for guidance. “If I continue my career in politics, whatever responsibility God bestows on me, I will accept,� Pacquiao remarked. According to him, many have aspired to become the chief executive of the country but “it is impossible to become president without the approval from God.� “There have been a lot of strong people who wanted to become the president. Many have potentials, yet God did not approve. No one can become the president but those whom the Lord anoints,� he added. n
1RWLFH RI )LQGLQJ RI 1R 6LJQL¿FDQW ,PSDFW DQG 1RWLFH RI ,QWHQW WR 5HTXHVW 5HOHDVH RI )XQGV November 17, 2017 City of Henderson Neighborhood Services Division 240 S. Water Street, 3rd Floor Henderson, NV 89015 (702) 267-2000 7KHVH 1RWLFHV VKDOO VDWLVI\ WZR VHSDUDWH EXW UHODWHG SURFHGXUDO UHTXLUHPHQWV IRU DFWLYLWLHV WR EH XQGHUWDNHQ E\ WKH &LW\ RI +HQGHUVRQ 5(48(67 )25 5(/($6( 2) )81'6 On or about December 5, 2017, the City of Henderson will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds authorized by Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (NAHA), as amended, in accordance with Section 288, to undertake a project known as Espinoza Terrace Apartments. The City of Henderson proposes to partner with Southern Nevada Reginal Housing Authority (SNRHA) Las Vegas to rehabilitate a senior complex. This existing senior public housing site is located at 171 West Van Wagenen Street, Henderson, NV 89015 [APN# 179-18-401-003] and was built in 1973. This project consists RI VLQJOH VWRU\ EXLOGLQJV WRWDOLQJ XQLWV DQG RQH RI¿FH PDLQWHQDQFH EXLOGLQJ 7KH RYHUDOO SURMHFW DUHD LV JHQHUDOO\ ERXQG E\ 3DFL¿F $YHQXH WR WKH HDVW :HVW 9LFWRU\ 5RDG WR WKH ZHVW :HVW )DLUZD\ 5RDG to the south, West Basic Road to the north in Henderson, NV. 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This renovation will be completed in phases and some residents may be temporarily relocated. ),1',1* 2) 12 6,*1,),&$17 ,03$&7 7KH &LW\ RI +HQGHUVRQ 5HVSRQVLEOH (QWLW\ KDV GHWHUPLQHG WKDW WKH SURMHFW ZLOO KDYH QR VLJQL¿FDQW LPSDFW on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 is not required. Additional project information is contained in the EnvironPHQWDO 5HYLHZ 5HFRUG (55 RQ ¿OH DW &LW\ RI +HQGHUVRQ 1HLJKERUKRRG 6HUYLFHV 6 :DWHU 6WUHHW VW ÀRRU +HQGHUVRQ 19 DQG PD\ EH H[DPLQHG RU FRSLHG 0RQGD\ WKUX 7KXUVGD\ D P WR S P 38%/,& &200(176 Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with this determination or wishing to comment on the project may submit written comments to the City of Henderson, Neighborhood Services Division, 240 S. Water 6WUHHW VW ÀRRU +HQGHUVRQ 19 $OO FRPPHQWV UHFHLYHG E\ 0RQGD\ 'HFHPEHU ZLOO EH FRQsidered by the City of Henderson prior to submission of a request for release of funds. 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(19,5210(17$/ &(57,),&$7,21 7KH &LW\ RI +HQGHUVRQ FHUWL¿HV WR +8' WKDW 6WHSKDQLH *DUFLD 9DXVH LQ KHU FDSDFLW\ DV 'LUHFWRU RI &RPPXQLW\ 'HYHORSPHQW DQG 6HUYLFHV DQG &HUWLI\LQJ (QYLURQPHQWDO 2I¿FHU FRQVHQWV WR DFFHSW WKH MXULVGLFWLRQ of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review SURFHVV DQG WKDW WKHVH UHVSRQVLELOLWLHV KDYH EHHQ VDWLV¿HG +8'œV DFFHSWDQFH RI WKH FHUWL¿FDWLRQ VDWLV¿HV the responsibilities under NEPA and allows the City of Henderson to use Program funds. 2%-(&7,216 72 5(/($6( 2) )81'6 +8' ZLOO DFFHSW REMHFWLRQV WR WKH &LW\ RI +HQGHUVRQœV DV 5HVSRQVLEOH (QWLW\ 5( 5HTXHVW IRU 5HOHDVH RI )XQGV DQG (QYLURQPHQWDO &HUWL¿FDWLRQ IRU D SHULRG RI ¿IWHHQ GD\V IROORZLQJ WKH DQWLFLSDWHG VXEPLVVLRQ GDWH RU LWV DFWXDO UHFHLSW RI WKH UHTXHVW ZKLFKHYHU LV ODWHU RQO\ LI WKH\ DUH WKH IROORZLQJ EDVHV D WKH FHUWL¿FDWLRQ ZDV QRW H[HFXWHG E\ WKH &HUWLI\LQJ 2I¿FHU RI WKH 5( E WKH 5( KDV RPLWWHG D VWHS RU IDLOHG WR PDNH D GHFLVLRQ RU ¿QGLQJ UHTXLUHG E\ +8' UHJXODWLRQV DW &)5 3DUW F WKH 5( KDV RPLWWHG RQH RU PRUH VWHSV LQ the preparation, completion or publication of the Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Study SHU &)5 6XESDUWV ( ) RU * RI 3DUW DV DSSOLFDEOH G WKH JUDQW UHFLSLHQW RU RWKHU SDUWLFLSDQW LQ WKH development process has committed funds for or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 EHIRUH UHOHDVH RI IXQGV DQG DSSURYDO RI WKH HQYLURQPHQWDO FHUWL¿FDWLRQ H DQRWKHU )HGHUDO 6WDWH RU ORFDO DJHQF\ KDV VXEPLWWHG D ZULWWHQ ¿QGLQJ WKDW WKH SURMHFW LV XQVDWLVIDFWRU\ IURP WKH VWDQGSRLQW RI HQYLURQPHQtal quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopPHQW /DV 9HJDV )LHOG 2I¿FH ( &DUVRQ 6WUHHW 6XLWH /DV 9HJDV 19 3RWHQWLDO REMHFWRUV should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period. 6WHSKDQLH *DUFLD 9DXVH &RPPXQLW\ 'HYHORSPHQW DQG 6HUYLFHV DQG &HUWLI\LQJ (QYLURQPHQWDO 2I¿FHU
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Supreme Court begins hearing on... PAGE A1 the course of oral arguments on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Diokno pointed out that the term “neutralize” could mean “kill”. In their petition, human rights advocates wanted the high court to declare as unconstitutional the Command Memorandum Circular (CMC) 16-2016 or Philippine National Police (PNP)’s “Project: Double Barrel” or Duterte’s drug war. The CMC 16-2016 aims “to clear all drug affected barangays across the country, conduct no let up operations against illegal drugs personalities, and dismantle drug syndicates” by pursuing the “neutralization” of illegal drug
personalities and its network backbone. Petitioners also want the high court to declare as unconstitutional the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)’s Memorandum Circular 2017-112, which created a system of anonymous reporting of suspected criminals Lawyer Joel Butuyan, who represents families of 35 victims of anti-drug operations carried out by the Manila Police District Station 6 at San Andres Bukid, told SC that it was easy to be included but hard to be removed from the list of drug suspects. Butuyan cited that his clients tried to clear their names but the “police are not allowing them.”
DATELINE USA
The Capital Corps, LLC, a CDFIcreated with the intention to finance homeowners and small businesses that are currently underserved by banks and other traditional financial institutions. “I’ve been working on policies to help 70 percent of people living paycheck to paycheck. CDFIs are the solution to give access to capital to low-to-moderate income consumers. I will continue shaping up policies to increase jobs, homeownership, and provide access to small businesses,” she said. NAAC is a HUD-approved nonprofit housing counseling organization focused on sustainable homeownership, job creation, small business, and economic
development for Asian Americans throughout the nation. NDC is a congregation of community organizers, faith-based leaders, nonprofit directors, and business owners who work together to achieve financial equality and empowerment for underserved communities. Through her work at NDC and NAAC, Bautista creates strategic partnerships between corporations, government agencies, and community organizations to advocate for opportunities in homeownership, small business, and financial literacy. The three major themes that the organizations’ work focuses on are diversity, economic empowerment, and corporate social responsibility. ■
RECKONING. FORMER Transportation officials and other individuals are facing a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for awarding the contract for the maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) to the Busan joint venture. Named respondents in the complaint filed on Monday morning were former Transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, former MRT-3 general manager Roman Buenafe; former undersecretaries Edwin Lopez, Rene Limcaoco and Catherine Gonzales; and Ofelia Astrera, Charissa Eloisa Julia Opulencia, Oscar Bongon, Jose Rodante Sabayle and Maria Cecilia Natividad, formerly part of the department’s bids and awards committee. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
Defrocked Filipino priest in US arrested in Laguna by RAE
ANN VARONA AJPress
A FORMER Filipino priest wanted in the United States for allegedly molesting two minors in North Dakota between the years 1995 to 1998 has been arrested in Calamba, Laguna, Philippines on Sunday, November 19. Reports say Fernando Laude Sayasaya was consequently brought to Manila for extradition to the U.S. where he is facing two counts of “gross sexual imposition” filed by brothers Hugo Zamarron and Pablo Zamarron. Sayasaya faces accusations of engaging the then 15-year-old brothers in sexual contact, both in their home and church, during his assignment as priest at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in West Fargo, North Dakota. The ex-Catholic priest reportedly asked for the church’s permission in December 1998 to visit the Philippines for Christmas, and said he would return to the U.S. in January 1999 which he failed to do. This map shows the location of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Isle “Alam niya na papalabas of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Mauritius and Seychelles where law firm Appleby holds offices. The na ‘yung warrant of arrest latest dump from the Paradise Papers leak by the ICIJ lists bankers, businesmen and politicians [so] nagpaalam siya dun sa from the Philippines. Infographic by Jonathan Asuncion/Philstar.com Amerika. Nagpaalam siya dun na trusts.” the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database magbabakasyon siya sa Pilipinas “We do not intend to suggest have broken the law or otherwise (He knew of the warrant of arrest or imply that any people, compa- acted improperly,” the group said. release in America. He said that he would be going on vacation nies or other entities included in (Dana Sioson/AJPress)
Filipinos named in Paradise Papers... PAGE A1 “We refute any allegations that may suggest otherwise and we would be happy to cooperate fully with any legitimate and authorised investigation of the allegations by the appropriate and relevant authorities, it added. Having “researched the ICIJ’s allegations,” Appleby said it believed the allegations are “unfounded and based on a lack of understanding of the legitimate and lawful structures used in the offshore sector.” There are reportedly 169 Filipinos and major entities included in the list. The ICIJ, meanwhile, emphasized that “there are legitimate uses for offshore companies and
A3
Next week on Tuesday, Nov. 28, it will be the key officials in Duterte’s drug war’s turn to defend the campaign before the high court. The SC has ordered PNP Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Interior officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy to appear during the next week’s hearing. Also summoned were Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Chief Aaron Aquino; Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) officer-incharge Jose Marlowe Pedregosa; National Police Commission (Napolcom) Chief Atty. Rogelio Casurao; and PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) Inspector General Alfegard Triambulo. ■
Filipina sworn in as member of key US... PAGE A1 The Advisory Board advises the U.S. Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund on policies and activities focusing on economic development and empowerment for underserved and low-to-moderate income communities. “I am honored to be the first person of Filipino descent to serve on the CDFI Fund’s Community Advisory Board. Through this role, I will continue to advocate for the underrepresented within our community and beyond,” Bautista told the Asian Journal, adding that her position will hopefully bring more Filipinos appointed to government positions. In October, Bautista and the NDC announced the launch of
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017
to the Philippines),” said Laguna Provincial Intelligence Branch chief, Superintendent Vic Cabatingan, according to GMA News. According to Laguna police who said they received a tip regarding Sayasaya’s location, the former Catholic priest had been changing his name and residence for the past 15 years. His warrant of arrest was released in 2002. “Kaya nga nagkaroon tayo ng tracking dito. Nagkaroon tayo ng validation sa address na binigay sa warrant of arrest, wala siya dun. So trinack-down natin kasi may mga kakilala siya, hanggang ma-landing natin sa Barangay Looc, Calamba City (So we did a tracking here. We got validation at the address given in the warrant of arrest, he was not there. So we tracked him down because he had a lot of acquaintances, until we landed in Barangay Looc, Calamba City),” said Cabatingan. In 2012, the United States’ Court of Appeals (CA) First Division approved a lower court’s order for Sayasaya’s extradition in 2012. He had been charged in the District Court East Central Judicial District in Cass County, North Dakota. “It is… in the interest of civilized communities that crimes should not go unpunished. On this score, we cannot allow our country to be a haven for fugitives,
cowards, and weaklings, who, instead of facing the consequences of their actions choose to run and hide,” said the CA decision. The Manila City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on December 28, 2010 found probable cause to grant the request of the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) to extradite Sayasaya who then attempted to challenge it. In a 23-page ruling, the CA through Associate Justice Amy Lazar-Javier denied Sayasaya’s petition of reversal and said the evidence against his alleged sexual offences “met the standard of probable cause”. The CA decision also reiterated that the RTC found the affidavit of detective Grey Clayton Warren of the Police Department of West Fargo, North Dakota, who investigated Sayasaya’s illegal acts, as valid. “This Court gives respect and credence to the foregoing factual findings, which are amply supported by the evidence on record,” said the appeals court. It also stated that the Philippine government “has an obligation to ensure crimes not go unpunished”. “Suppression of crimes is the concern not only of the state where it is committed but also of any other state to which the criminal may have escaped,” it added. ■
A
Dateline USa
november 23-29, 2017 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL
Getting Clarkson to play for Gilas a ‘complicated’ matter by denison
rey a. dalupang Philstar.com
THERE has long been a clamor for los Angeles lakers’ Jordan Clarkson to don the Philippine tricolors. But it’s easier said than done, according to Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes. “I’m getting a lot of questions regarding Jordan Clarkson,” Reyes said during the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas’ send-off on Saturday in Ortigas. “Jordan is there. I just want everyone to understand that it is not as simple as Clarkson wanting to play and us wanting to be here.” “There is also the matter of los Angeles lakers and the National Basketball Association.” Gilas first toyed with the idea of tapping Clarkson in 2011. After joining a couple of practices with the national team mid-2015, he was eventually left out from the lineup for the FIBA Asia Championship in China. “As you can notice, Team USA has just released their lineup last week and there are no NBA play-
Ja Du drives around town in what she calls a Tuk Tuk, a purple motorized vehicle inspired by the tricycle public transit bikes in the Philippines. She said she has started a Facebook group for other transracial individuals who identify as other races and ethnicities. “I think things that make no sense to most people make sense to us on an individual level in almost every person, like a swelling feeling you feel when you listen to dramatic music,” Ja Du told HuffPost. “It’s all sound and vibration but something in it relates to your soul on such a subconscious level that you connect with it and [that’s] how I feel about the Filipino culture.” She reportedly said that she wouldn’t use her newly-found identity to access Filipino-specific benefits like scholarships, jobs etc. I believe people will [take advantage] just like other people have taken advantage of their identity to get their way, but the difference between me and them...is that I don’t want that,“ she told WTSP. “I think that we all have the freedoms to pursue happiness in our own ways.”
Sen. Franken accused of groping and kissing Fil-Am entertainer in 2006 Anchor for “McIntyre in the Morning” Leeann Tweeden tells her story by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes during the national team’s send-off. Inset photo shows Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers during his visit in the Philippines in 2015. Philstar.com photos
ers,” Reyes offered. “Not one. So that means the league didn’t allow any of their players to play in the World Cup qualifiers.” “I just want you to know why Jordan is not here. So that’s the rundown regarding the national players,” the multi-time Gilas mentor said. The national team left for Tokyo, Japan on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
They take on the Japanese on Novemver 24 for their first match in the first window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Gilas is set to return immediately to the capital for their second tussle on November 27 against Chinese-Taipei. Each region stakes six slots in the global skirmish which will be on Aug. 31, 2019, in China. n
White-born Florida woman claims to... PAGE A1
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But Filipinos are not so quick to embrace Ja Du as a FilipinoAmerican. Political science student Erica Sy at UC Riverside says that simply claiming identity to another ethnicity for “superficial reasons” such as liking the food, music or cultural aesthetics negates the struggles that people of those communities suffer. “Just because you enjoy certain aspects of the Filipino culture doesn’t make you a Filipino. You know what it takes to identify as a Filipino? Being Filipino,” Sy said in an email to the Asian Journal. “Being Filipina means more than connecting with the music, food or what have you. It means living a life where discrimination is frequent.” She added that many Filipinas, including herself, have gone through identity crises relating to being Filipina. Before she fully embraced her “Filipino-ness”, she often tried to mask her ethnic identity. “I grew up thinking my features were less appealing and made extensive efforts to hide my Filipino-ness, so to speak,” Sy, 27, recalled. “I grew up seeing my Filipina mother being
called these awful, derogatory terms. When I grew older, I, too, became a target of those attacks. People of color, especially women of color, receive a lot of s**t for just existing. So unless you’re OK with receiving the struggles, then welcome to the community. But you can’t just sail by just taking all the harmless aspects of the culture.” Ben de Guzman, an executive member of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, mirrored Sy’s take and said that trying to claim another race or ethnicity represents white privilege. “For Filipinos who don’t have the luxury of making the decision to identify as another race in a society where whiteness as a default places real constraints about how people of color can decide to move in the world, this smacks of white privilege in the worst way,” de Guzman said in an email. People who have criticized Ja Du’s new identity compared Ja Du’s announcement to that of white-born former NAACP chapter president Rachel Dolezal who received backlash for identifying as black. (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)
FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
( Mt Carmel, Mt Beatitude, Mt.Tabor, Cana, Capernum, Nazareth, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem Qumran, Masada, Jericho )
Dec 3 to 14, 2017
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Alvin Cachola
A FIlIPINA-AmERICAN model turned radio newscaster on Wednesday, November 15, said that in 2006, she, without her consent, was kissed and groped by Sen. Al Franken (D-minn.), who joins a growing list of men accused of inappropriate sexual misconduct against women. morning newscaster on the los Angeles-based KABC, leeann Tweeden, who is half Filipina from her mother’s side, described her experience in a piece titled, “Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped me Without my Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It.” She details a time in December 2006 when she — then a model — was on her ninth tour with the United Services Organization (USO) to entertain the troops in Afghanistan. Franken, who was still a working comic and not yet a senator, was the troupe’s headliner. Franken, a former “Saturday Night live” writer and performer, “had written some skits for the show and brought props and costumes to go along with them,” Tweeden wrote. “like many USO shows before and since, the skits were full of sexual innuendo geared toward a young, male audience.” She continued, “As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHm, maxim and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along.” The skit Franken wrote for Tweeden required his character to come at the then-model for a kiss, but Tweeden suggested she turn her head at the last minute “to get more laughs from the crowd.” Before the show, they rehearsed the skit alone backstage where Franken insisted they rehearse the kiss. She ignored him, but he kept insisting to which she told him, “‘Relax Al, this isn’t SNl...we don’t need to rehearse the kiss.” He persisted they rehearse everything, making her uncomfort-
able. She reluctantly agreed, and when it came in time for the kiss, he “put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth,” Tweeden wrote. Soon after this incident, Tweeden avoided Franken for the rest of the tour. She said that he attacked her with petty insults, “including drawing devil horns on at least one of the headshots I was autographing for the troops.” In another instance on the 36hour flight back to los Angeles, Tweeden, wearing a helmet and flak jacket bearing her name, fell asleep on the C-17 cargo plane where Franken groped her breasts for a photo without her consent. “I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated,” Tweeden said upon discovering the lewd photo. “How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?” At the time, Tweeden only told a few people, including her husband. For years, she wanted to tell her story but was worried that it may affect her career. What made her change her mind was when California Rep. Jackie Speier (D-San mateo) was a guest for “mcIntyre in the morning” a few weeks ago when she recounted when she was sexually assaulted as a congressional aide in an experience similar to Tweeden’s. Tweeden now felt compelled to tell her story, saying, “I had locked up those memories of helplessness and violation for a long time, but they all came rushing back to me and my hands clinched into fists like it was yesterday.” One day after the news broke on KABC, Franken told reporters, “I certainly don’t remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to leeann. As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.” On Friday, November 17, he issued a statement where he said, “The first thing I want to do is apologize: to leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and cham-
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)
pion of women. There’s more I want to say, but the first and most important thing—and if it’s the only thing you care to hear, that’s fine—is: I’m sorry.” Franken, who expressed shame over his behavior, added that if an ethics investigation were to go forth on his conduct, he “will gladly cooperate.” U.S. President Donald Trump even took to Twitter to weigh in on the issue, saying “The Al Frankenstein picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words.” “And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. lesley Stahl tape?” the president said in another tweet. Tweeden has since said that she only came forward her with her story to shed a light on the rampant sexual misconduct that permeates many professional environments. “I wasn’t calling for his resignation, I wasn’t calling for his career to end,” Tweeden said Friday morning on “The View.” “I didn’t want any of that. I just wanted to shine the light and stand on the shoulders of these other women to go, ‘This is not right, this is not what should be happening in our society.’” Since the story of the downfall of Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein (who was accused by several hundred women of sexual misconduct and rape) in October, many have come out and told their own stories of sexual assault and harassment by many men in power. n
Italia� Pilgrimag� Ho�� �eek� March 23 to April 3,2018 Spiritual Director : TBA
Day 1 - March 23, 2018 (Fri) Los Angeles, California to Venice, Italy Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to LHR connect to our flight to Venice (Meals served in-flight)
Day 2 - March 24, 2018 (Sat) Venice, Italy 3 DEC-Day 1 - (Sun) LAX/TLV On board meals are served
4 DEC-Day 2 - (Mon) - Arrive at Ben Gurion airport Tel-Aviv/Tiberias
After you have finished Immigration, collect Luggage then Meet our guide and driver. Transfer to Tiberias , Dinner /overnight Gai Beach Hotel
After we clear Immigration & Custom, we will meet our Tour Director and driver for our transfer to our hotel,. Dinner at the hotel.( Dinner) If time permit, discover the most romantic views of Venice on foot and from the comfortable seats of a gondola, spend some time gliding through the cities peaceful canals.
Day 3 – March 25, 2018 (Sun) Venice, Italy
Holy Eucharist at the Church of annunciation “And Mary said, Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” We head to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, we’ll invite couples to renew their marriage vows. Continue to Nazareth, Celebrate Holy Eucharist at the Church of Annunciation, visit St Joseph workshop. We return to Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)
The greatness of Venice has always been reflected in the richness of St. Mark’s Basilica, the perfect synthesis of Venetian art and a unique blend of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic elements. Five Oriental-looking domes crown the shadowy, mysterious interior gleaming with golden mosaics, colored marbles, precious stones and pearls, and guarded by the four gilded bronze horses that stand proudly atop the central entrance. The glittering mosaics of the interior tell the story of St. Mark and episodes from the Bible. It’s most famous treasure stands behind the altar in the sanctuary - the Pala D’Oro, a golden altar screen encrusted with jewels We’ll visit theDoge’s Palace, the magnificent VenetianGothic building from where the leaders of the former Venetian Republic ruled until the late 18th century. Head inside and explore the grandiose public chambers that the doges lavished with fine art and ornamentation. Masterpieces by Renaissance champions.(BB,D) Holy Mass at St. Marks Basilica.
07 Dec-Day 5 - (Thurs) Mt Tabor/Mt Beatitude/Capernum/ Sea of Galilee/Tabgha
Day 4 - March 26, 2018 (Mon) Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
5 DEC-Day 3 - (Tues) Cesarea /Haifa
There was a certain man in Caesarea” Drive north to the sparkling port city of Haifa, viewing Caesarea en route, the city built by Herod. In Haifa, we will ascend Mt. Carmel; home of the two prophets Elijah and Elisha, Visit the Stella Maris Church celebrate Holy Mass in the main Altar, after enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean, continue to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. Gai Beach Hotel (BB,D)
6 DEC-Day 4 - (Wed) - Tiberias/ Cana/ Nazareth
We drive to Mount Tabor, celebrate Holy Eucharist at the church of Transfiguration, Visit Mt. of Beatitudes the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)
08 DEC-Day 6 - (FRI)-Jordan valley/Jericho/Bethany/Jerusalem
After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. Sit back, relax and enjoy the drive and take in the picturesque scenery along the way. We will reach our hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo in the afternoon. Will have panoramic sightseeing on the way to our hotel,(BB,D).
Day 5 - March 27,2018 (Tues) San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Drive the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. View the Mount of temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Visit the ancient ruins of the wall. Drive through Wadi Welt to view St George’s Monastery. Continue to Bethany celebrate Holy Eucharist, and then visit the tomb of Lazarus. Arrive in Mount Scopus; enjoy the first view of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Notre DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)
We begin the day by celebrating Holy Eucharist. Eucharist,. Followed by a short film about St. Padre Pio.Done by our local guide who are very knowledgeable about the life of St. Padre Pio. We’ll start our visit with the Old Church.Here you can see his cell, his confessional box, the crucifix from which he received the stigmata, and nearly everything he owned or touched, carefully preserved and labeled. Then will visit the New Basilica, Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) dedicated to Padre Pio. (BB,D)
09 DEC-Day 7 - (Sat) - Jerusalem (old City) - Via Dolorosa
Day 6 March 28,2018 (Wed)San Giovanni Rotondo
Holy Sepulcher Church “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place of a skull, which was called in Hebrew Golgotha” Enter the old city of Jerusalem, Sing a hymn in the Church of St Anne and view the pool of Bethesda. Visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, where the soldiers played the Game of Kings, and Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the tomb of Our Lord. This afternoon drive to Mount Zion, to visit the upper room, revered as the site of the last supper. Then survey the Dormition Abbey’s, St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus three times. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME Vatican Hotel (BB.D)
Holy Eucharist in the Morning in the New Basilica.followed by Station of the Cross. Rest of day spend Praying and meditating (BB,D)
10 DEC-Day 8 - (SUN) - Mount of Olives/Gethesemane/Bethlehem/New City
Day 8 - March 30 2018 (Fri) Assisi to Florence (Good Friday)
Holy Eucharist celebration at the Church of all nations Main altar Arrive at the Mount of Olives and enjoy the beautiful view of Jerusalem. Visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit Church”God wept “& walk the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethesemane and the Church of all Nations. This Afternoon drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name the whole world recognizes ,visit the Church of Nativity, the manger, Church of St Catherine, The Grotto of St Jerome, and the shepherds fields. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB ,D).
11 DEC-Day 9 - ( MON) - Jerusalem/Dead Sea/Qumran/Masada
Visit the Western Wall , the only part of the Herodian temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. We drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to Jerusalem Overnight Notre Dame Vatican Hotel (BB,D)
12 DEC-Day10 - (TUE) Jerusalem New City
Return to the new City, Including the Temple Model to see a scale model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of Jesus. Here we will have a better understanding between old and New Jerusalem. Next to Ein Karem, birthplace of St John the Baptist, visit the Visitation church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat Overnight NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)
13 Dec-Day 11 - (WED) Jerusalem/TLV/LAX
Breakfast rest of the morning Free time early PM dinner has to check out from the hotel, around 8:30 PM flight from TLV/ LAX in the 13 Dec flight depart TLV at 1:00 Am Dec 14,2017 ( end of Service )
Day 7 – March 29, 2018 (Thur) San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena, Italy
After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena. We will begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, it is a treasure chest of Renaissance art and is dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena. You’ll learn about the city’s history while admiring its cathedrals, museums, and libraries. Then admire famous Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great medieval squares.(BB,D) Continue to Assisi overnight /Dinner Celebrate Holy Eucharist in the Crypt where the tomb of the most beloved saints is located ,after Mass visit the Basilica of St Francis, We’ll also visit the Basilica of St.Claire After Lunch continue to Florence Best know for it leather goods,the best in the world Leather (BB,D) Free time in the afternoon Dinner/ Overnight
Day 9 - March 31, 2018 (Sat) Florence to Rome
2 hrs walking tours of Florence,before we continue to Rome We will have a guided walking tour of this fascinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist, Continue to Rome. Upon our arrival in Rome, Guided tours of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel .See the Largest church in Roman Catholicism ,St Peter Basilica,see the Crypt of St Pope John Paul (BB,D) Transfer to the Hotel /overnight
Day 10 April 1, 2018 (Sun ) Rome
EASTER SUNDAY MASS, VATICAN SQUARE FOLLOWED BY PAPAL BLESSING Visit the Major Basilicas like St Mary Major,St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, St. Paul Outside the Wall, St. Peter’s in Chain, Santa Croce of Jerusalem, afternoon see Imperial Rome, and short visit to the Trevi Fountain on the way to the hotel (BB,D) Dinner in the hotel
Day 11 April 2, 2018 (Mon) Rome Free time in Rome ( BB,D)
Day 12 April 3, 2018 (Mon) Rome – USA
Transfer to the airport for our flight back to USA, End of our memorable Pilgrimage
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 23-29, 2017
(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com
Dateline PAlvarez hiliPPines reiterates proposal
to abolish Court of Appeals
HIGANTES FESTIVAL. Townsfolk of Angono, Rizal celebrate their fiesta with the Higantes Festival, in which 12-feet papier mache giants are paraded on the streets in honor of San Clemente, Patron saint of fishermen. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada
Mocha Uson on potential Senate run: ‘I hate politics’ by Ian
nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com
MANILA — “I don’t want to get involved in politics — not anymore.” This was one of the “simple” reasons listed by Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson for not seeking a Senate seat but she also emphasized one thing: it might be too early to announce future plans. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez last week announced that Uson was among those being eyed by the ruling party PDP-Laban to be on its senatorial ticket for the 2019 mid-term elections. Uson later clarified she was not interested in securing a seat at the Senate and that she would only run if President Rodrigo Duterte convinces her to do so. In her weekly column, Uson said she prefers a private life as she expressed her supposed disdain for politics. But she also stressed it would be political “suicide” should she officially announce her plans to run for office as early as 2017, noting the “condescending” backlash she received after Alvarez announced her as one of PDPLaban’s senatorial bets. Citing her “loyalty” to the president, Uson also emphasized anew she would only run if Duterte told her do so. “It’s a common saying that in politics, there are no permanent friends, nor are there permanent
enemies. Your closest friend, your party mate, or even your most loyal ally today may be your worst enemy tomorrow — and that’s just not for me,” she said. “Here’s a piece of the truth that’s not known to everyone: I don’t want to get involved in politics — not anymore. I want to go back to my private life where it’s more peaceful and much quieter,” she added. “But I am still here because I want to see the end of this fight. Not just me, but everyone else who believes and supports the President. We want to see the promises of President Duterte come to fruition.” Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president, earlier clarified that the ruling party has not yet made a final decision on the matter. Meanwhile, Duterte last week said he is leaving it to the public to judge his party’s possible 2019 senatorial line-up. “If that’s the choice of the Filipino, you might not like her; her ways might not suit your values. But if that guy or woman is elected by the people, then you have to honor that choice,” he said. Uson—a former starlet who maintains a Facebook blog with more than five million followers—got her mid-level position at Malacañang after playing a pivotal role in helping Duterte easily win last year’s presidential elections.
In her weekly column, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson said she prefers a private life as she expressed her supposed disdain for politics. Senate photo
She now handles the Palace’s social media platforms. A staunch supporter of the president, Uson had been using her blog to berate presidential critics and discredit media outlets that produced reports critical of the administration. She had been accused of spreading false information online. Last August, the hashtag #FireMocha trended on Twitter after she committed back-to-back social media blunders. But she maintained she had corrected posts containing questionable claims. Despite several gaffes committed by the Palace assistant secretary, Uson continues to enjoy Duterte’s confidence and trust.
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MANILA — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday, Nov. 21, renewed his suggestion to abolish the Court of Appeals to improve the judicial system in the country and hasten resolution of cases. Alvarez lamented that cases in courts take too long to resolve at the trial court level alone. He cited that final decisions on cases take years as these are being brought to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. “For the sake of our people, let us consider simplifying the process. I propose that the Court of Appeals, unless it can speedily resolve cases brought to it and, in other words, unless it can be shown that it facilitates rather than delays the speedy disposition of justice, be abolished,” Alvarez said in a release. “Let us also work on removing the delaying tactics afforded by the present system to lawyers who abuse the benevolence of the courts,” he added. Alvarez suggested that the number of trial courts should be expanded in proportion to the size of the population. He also proposed investment in the specialization of trial courts to resolve particular cases and speed up the dispensation of justice. “This will facilitate the speedy disposition of cases. No more back and forth for witnesses who need to travel from out of town. No more witnesses who, because of old age, are already dead by the time they are called to testify. No more pieces of evidence lost with the passage of the years. This is the way forward in the attainment of justice and the rule of law in our country,” Alvarez said. The House speaker said the Duterte’s administration’s push for a shift to a federal system of government “requires structural changes not just in the Executive and Legislative branches of government but also in the Judiciary.” Last June, Alvarez also threatened to abolish the appellate court after three of its magistrates ordered the release of the six Ilocos Norte provincial officials detained by lawmakers for contempt. Former Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr.
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previously said Congress created the appellate court in 1935. He said it could legislate to abolish the Court of Appeals but added that “there is a clause that you should not violate the security of tenure of justices.” (Rosette House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez Adel/Philstar.com) Philstar.com photo
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NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL
OPINION
Rehabilitating criminals
FEATURES
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has scrapped a plan to set up a mega prison facility in Nueva Ecija. The DOJ estimated that such a facility would cost some P150 billion over 20 years. Instead, according to DOJ officials, the funds earmarked for the facility would be used to construct additional prison buildings in existing penal colonies and another regional prison in Pangasinan or one of the Ilocos provinces. Building additional prisons around the country would make it easier for people to visit incarcerated relatives, DOJ officials said. They have apparently taken into account the case of the mega rehabilitation facility donated to the government by controversial Chinese tycoon Huang Rulun. The 10,000-bed center in Laur, Nueva Ecija remains underutilized. The former head of the Dangerous Drugs Board attributed this to the inaccessibility of the facility to families with members needing drug rehabilitation. The facility may be converted into an academy for drug enforcement units, with smaller rehabilitation centers instead set up in other parts of the country. This is the same approach now being considered by the DOJ in constructing more national prisons. While the department ponders its final move, the government should also consider building additional local jails, which are under the Department
of the Interior and Local Government’s jail management bureau and provincial governments. Local jails were already congested even before the Duterte administration launched its intensified crackdown on illegal drugs. The system was not prepared for the flood of drug suspects tossed behind bars, apart from those arrested for other offenses. The government may also consider constructing additional prisons for women as well as special facilities for juvenile offenders and those convicted of white-collar crimes. The state must make it clear that crime does not pay. Many convicted criminals, however, deserve a second chance to become productive members of society. Alongside punishment, the thrust of modern penology is corrections. This starts with the provision of adequate prison facilities. (Philstar. com)
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY! Amid the stress at work and at home, preparing for a Thanksgiving feast, planning for Black Friday shipping, thinking about the Christmas holidays and gift-giving, our year-end review of goals met and those still pending, the bank, credit card, auto, rent and mortgage payments, tuition fees, money to be sent to help family back in the Philippines — the list goes on and on... and we feel overwhelmed by them all that we forget the very essence of Thanksgiving Day. Of course, as a nation, this hol-
Thanksgiving challenge: What is your gratitude inventory? iday is meant to collectively give thanks for our liberty, freedom, and graces we receive as one people in this great experiment that is America. But this day is also a perfect time to slow down and reflect about the things we are thankful for in our own lives. Unfortunately, this ritual of counting our blessings has been taking a back seat as we worry about life. So this week, let me share with you this “gratitude inventory” that I got from Psychology Today, written by Dr. Barton Goldsmith, and challenge you to make your own gratitude inventory. Are you up to it? Here it goes: “As Thanksgiving approaches, I think it’s important to take a gratitude inventory. A number of things in life can make us
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s critics claim that he lacks a comprehensive approach to Asia. In reality, his current approach is aligned with moderate ‘America First’ goals. But what did Trump really achieve in Asia? While former President Barack Obama’s Asia pivot was based on multilateral trade agreements, which were mainly geopolitical and predicated on exclusionary politics against China, Trump’s interest is in bilateral trade deals, which are fueled by U.S. exports, foreign investments in U.S. jobs and foreign purchases of American military weaponry. That’s what Trump was after in the grueling 12-day Asia tour. Deals with Japan Outside of North America, Japan is America’s third-largest export market and second-largest source of imports. Japanese firms are the second-largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S., and Japanese investors are the largest foreign holders of U.S. treasuries. After Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the White House’s focus has been on a redefined bilateral trade deal with Japan that would also include significant arms deals. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pursues controversial strategic initiatives, including re-militarization, the U.S.-style security legislation, and re-nuclearization. However, the share of Japanese trade covered by free trade deals or economic partnership agreements remains less than a third now (and
uncomfortable or even a little miffed. But sometimes they are gifts in disguise. With that in mind, here are my top ten things to be thankful for. 1. Be thankful for growing older. Not everyone gets this opportunity. Aging with health and grace is a rare and beautiful gift. 2. Be thankful that you can read these words. It is a very sad thing that many people do not have the ability to read. 3. If you have to wait in line at the supermarket for your Thanksgiving dinner, be thankful that you can afford what you want to eat and have a convenient place to buy it. We are all aware of the many people waiting in line to have a meal at the local homeless shelter. 4. Be thankful for the ability
to pay your bills, even if it means that you have to give up some things that you want. Remember that having basic needs met is a luxury for many people. 5. If you have to get up before dawn to get to work, be thankful that you get to see another sunrise and have a job to go to. Think about what it would be like if you slept everyday until noon and spent the rest of your waking hours wondering what to do with your life. 6. When you’re stuck in traffic, be thankful you have a car to get where you need to go and money to buy gas. Standing in the rain while waiting for a bus is, at the very least, uncomfortable. 7. When the kids are screaming at each other, be thankful that you have children to love
Trump’s Asia strategy
Commentary
DAN STEINBOCK
Philstar.com photo
would only rise to 34 percent even with the EU deal), which is half of that of South Korea (68 percent). Also, Japan lacks deals with its largest trade partners, China and the U.S., as well as India. With his quest for a bilateral trade deal with Japan, Trump wants more U.S. exports and arms sales to Tokyo, and Japan’s military buys from Pentagon. Abe seeks a trade deal to assist support structural reforms at home and U.S. security assurances against China. Tensions with South Korea Since the 1950s, the Mutual Defense Treaty has allowed the U.S. to dominate South Korea’s defense. However, after the Park impeachment, South Korea opted for a strategic U-turn in economy and strategic relations. Elected in May 2017, President Moon Jaein supports the U.S. anti-missile system (THAAD) and sanctions against North Korea, but only as long as it may bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table. South Korea is the U.S.’ seventh-largest trading partner and the U.S. is South Korea’s secondlargest trading partner. The two economies are joined by the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). While the Trump administration has stated its intent to review and renegotiate the deal, it has not specified what it would like to amend. During his visit, Trump offered strategic security assurances in return for deals that would generate more jobs in the U.S. and reduce the bilateral trade deficit. South Korea is likely to purchase advanced strategic assets, including nuclear-powered submarines and reconnaissance assets. Strategic patience with China In East Asia, Trump’s priori-
ties are secondary to his China agenda. In 2016, U.S.-China trade amounted to $579 billion, while Trump’s focus is on the $368 billion trade deficit. Yet, merchandise trade is only one aspect of the bilateral economic relationship. China is America’s fourth largest services trading partner, third-largest services export market, and U.S. has a major services trade surplus with China. The combined annual U.S.China investment passed $60 billion in 2016, and China remains the second-largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury securities ($1.2 billion as of August 2017), which help keep U.S. interest rates low. In Beijing, Trump’s more moderate approach toward China paid off, as evidenced by the historic $254 billion deals. Some of these buys, including Boeing’s $37 billion aircraft order, were negotiated previously, while other pacts extend over long periods, including a 20-year shale gas and chemical project in West Virginia. Nevertheless, the volume of bilateral deals will ease tension between Washington and Beijing for some time to come. Tributary deals with ASEAN Trump seeks to renegotiate many of the existing trade deals. So, several Association of Southeast Asian Nations (SEAN) countries that were not included in the current tour sought to preempt pressures. During a recent visit, Premier Najib Razak announced that Malaysia’s national pension and provident funds would invest several billion dollars in equity and infrastructure projects in the U.S. Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha promised Thailand would buy Blackhawk and Lakota helicopters, a Cobra gunship, Harpoon
missiles and F-16 fighter jet upgrades, plus 20 new Boeing jetliners for Thai Airways. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong showcased Singapore Airlines’ deal with Boeing for buying 39 B787 and B777-9 aircraft. That is the regional way to offer dollar-tribute to the US hegemon. ‘Strategic partnership’ with Vietnam While Obama’s goal was to push a “strategic partnership” with Vietnam, Trump’s objectives are more economic. Following the post-1986 Vietnamese economic reforms and U.S. extension of normal trade relations (NTR) status in 2001, bilateral trade soared from $220 million in 1994 to $45 billion in 2015, which has turned Vietnam into the 13th largest source for U.S. imports (but only 37th largest destination for US exports). According to Trump, the U.S. got a $12 billion order from Boeing, but critics claim that the deal with Vietnam’s VietJet airline was a result of Obama’s visit in 2016. Nevertheless, Trump sees Vietnam as a deficit risk and the latter sees the U.S. as a captive of agricultural interests. Obama and his Pentagon dreamed of permanent U.S. military installations in Vietnam. Trump might concede – if the price is right. Strategic continuity with the Philippines During the Aquino III years (2010-16), increasing cooperation with the U.S. resulted in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the return of US forces, rearmament supported by the Pentagon and the escalation of maritime conflicts with China. However, close U.S. ties
and who love you, and remember that at least some of the time, they do get along. There will always be bumps in the road, but they are usually followed by easier times. 8. When your mate is acting grumpy or giving you a hard time, be thankful for having love in your life and someone to grow old with. A life partner is something that less than half the population has. Having your partner is a blessing that needs to be counted several times. 9. When your parents are telling you how to run your life, be thankful that you still have them around. If they are no longer with you, take a moment to be thankful for the time you had with them. 10. When you sit down with
your loved ones for your Thanksgiving dinner, be thankful for everyone and everything that makes it possible. Look your family and friends in the eye and express to them your gratitude for sharing this wonderful time together. Thanksgiving is a very special holiday. Embrace those around you and your ability to give thanks with the people you love.” WHAT IS YOUR GRATITUDE INVENTORY?? ***
also coincided with deep strategic dependency on U.S., economic polarization within the country and the spread of drugs, corruption and alleged “narco ties” with the pre-2016 regime. With Duterte, the U.S.-Philippine relationship has been subject to a recalibration and, at the end of the Obama era, alleged U.S. efforts at destabilization. Duterte’s sovereign foreign policy maintains U.S. security guarantees but benefits from economic ties with China. Now the Philippines is linked to China’s One Road One Belt (OBOR) initiative, which supports the government’s infrastructure program to triple the Philippine per capita incomes in the next 25 years. Concurrently, U.S.-Philippine tensions have been eased as Duterte has developed more constructive personal ties with the Trump White House. Free trade prospects Trump also attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Danang, Vietnam, followed by the 50th anniversary of Asean in Manila. While trade ministers from 11 countries announced they would push ahead with a TPP without the U.S., the latter is a shaky TPP lite that will serve as a face-saving measure to Japan and as a hedge option to other nations. The best APEC may hope for is long-term U.S.-Chinese cooperation for the Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), which focuses on trade and investment and has room for both the U.S. and China. In effect, the Asean nations’ integration plan AEC 2025, which would be undermined by a “America First” policy, stands to benefit from China’s OBOR plans, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment initiative (AIIP). New risks, new opportunities
Except for China, Trump’s Asian tour was largely a hard sell of military assets across the region. While the conventional wisdom is that Obama achieved America’s pivot to Asia, the reality is that the pivot was mainly military and sought strategic gains. This is why: During the Obama military pivot to Asia, Asia/Oceania received most of global imports (43 percent), according to SIPRI. The U.S. continues to dominate imports to its key security allies in Australia, Japan, and South Korea. But while the Obama pivot contributed to maritime conflicts in the region thus fueling demand for weapons, the Pentagon did not cash the profits. Instead, today Russia accounts for most arms deliveries to Asia and Oceania (37 percent), followed by the U.S. (27 percent) and China (10 percent). What about the economic realities? Trump said that the Asian tour generated “at least $300 billion worth of deals,” which will more than “triple in a fairly short period of time.” Yet, the bottom line is $253 billion from deals with China and perhaps a total of $300 billion — if ASEAN deals that were negotiated prior to the tour are included. That may be far more than any post-Cold War U.S. administration — including Clinton, Bush and Obama — ever achieved in Asia. If U.S.-Chinese economic ties prevail, China’s rebalancing and the rise of emerging Asia could contribute to far greater economic gains with the US and in the region. (ManilaTimes.net) ***
Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Dr Dan Steinbock is the founder of Difference Group and has served as research director at the India, China and America Institute (USA) and visiting fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www. differencegroup.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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Abaya, Roxas, others face plunder complaint over MRT deal With new head, CBCP sees smoother ties with Duterte by Gaea
Katreena Philstar.com
CabiCo
MANILA — The Department of Transportation filed plunder charges against former members of the Aquino Cabinet, including former Transport chief Joseph Emilio Abaya, over the allegedly anomalous P3.8-billion maintenance contract for Metro Rail Transit Line 3. Representatives of DOTr filed plunder raps before the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Aside from Abaya, former Cabinet secretaries included in the complaint are: Mar Roxas (Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary, Transportation and Communications secretary); Florencio Abad (Department of Budget and Management secretary); Cesar Purisima (Department of Finance secretary); Jericho Petilla (Department of Energy secretary); Mario Montejo (Department of Science and Technology secretary); Voltaire Gazmin (Department of National Defense secretary); Rogelio Singson (Department of Public Works and Highways secretary) and Arsenio Balicasan (National Economic and Development Authority director-general). Those who were also named as respondents are former Transport undersecretaries Rene Limcaoco,
Catherine Gonzales, Edwin Lopez and MRT-3 general manager Roman Buenafe. Likewise charged were former Bids and Awards Committee and Busan Universal Rail Inc. officials and Marlo dela Cruz, who is said to be a trusted “political operator” of Roxas who allegedly supplied fake spare parts to BURI. DOTr also filed graft charges against Abaya along with 10 former Transport officials and 10 incorporators of BURI in October. On Monday, national democratic activist groups filed graft and procurement violation complaints against them. DOTr took over the service and maintenance of MRT after terminating the contract of BURI for its poor performance. The three-year contract is supposed to end in January 2019. The department has been heavily criticized after the detachment of a coach from a train and the accident that severed a passenger’s arm at the Ayala Station in Makati City. Technical glitches also hound the MRT-3, which ferries half a million commuters daily. Transport officials said the public should expect better services in three to six months. Last week, Sen. Grace Poe said that DOTr should stop blaming the
by edu
Punay Philstar.com
former Transport chief Joseph Emilio Abaya Philstar.com photo
past administration over the issues plaguing the busiest train line in Metro Manila. “While many of the woes began with the past administration, the current problems are now in the hands of the DOTr. If they are earnest and sincere in addressing these problems, then they should work faster on bettering our train system,” she said. Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo party-list) likewise told DOTr to take responsibility for the mistakes of the previous administration. “The responsibility of finding solutions to the problem falls squarely on the DOTr and its leadership. It has been over a year since the Duterte administration took over,” Alejano said.
MANILA — Will the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) tone down its criticisms against the administration of President Duterte under a new leadership? A CBCP official thinks this is possible as they hope for a “friendlier” relationship with the administration upon assumption of Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles of the top CBCP post next month. Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP public affairs committee, said the conference may be expected to change its approach on critical issues, such as the extrajudicial killings (EJKs), under Valles who is known to have close ties with the President, former long-time mayor of Davao City. “We are hoping for a smooth relationship. President Duterte’s friendship with Archbishop Valles may play a part in it,” the priest said in an interview. Secillano, however, quickly clarified that the CBCP would remain critical of various issues, especially those concerning the sanctity of life. “We have to remember that a change in CBCP leadership
In this Aug. 27, 2016 file photo, President Rodrigo Duterte greets Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles while attending a 50th wedding anniversary rite at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Davao City. Malacañang photo
doesn’t mean a change in stand on issues such as EJK, same-sex marriage, divorce, or death penalty,” he stressed. “What may change perhaps is the approach, tone, and strategy in tackling those issues,” Secillano hinted. Valles and other new CBCP officials will assume their posts on Dec. 1 and will serve a two-year term until November
2019. The prelate succeeds CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, who led the CBCP as one of the most vocal critics of the Duterte administration’s bloody war against drugs after it resulted in thousands of perceived EJK cases. The Church, in turn, has received tirades from Duterte himself and his supporters.
the Chinese Coast Guard. In the years that followed, very few patrols were conducted. In 2016, the government eventually ordered the complete halt of patrols in the area,” Alejano said. The lawmaker added that Esperon’s statement attempts to hide the fact that the government has long ceased its efforts to strengthen the country’s claims on the disputed areas. He also noted that there have been cases of Chinese harassment in the region since the Philippines reduced its presence in Panatag early last year. “Instead of deterring incidence of harassment, Chinese forces have become more bold and fearless. In fact, some of our fishermen have opted not to venture anymore in Panatag for fear and worry of wasting their food and fuel just to be blocked by the Chinese,” Alejano said. Alejano further claimed that the Philippine government ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stop aerial patrols
over Panatag, which the military denied. “It is extremely disheartening to see our own government limiting the AFP from performing its mandate,” the Magdalo lawmaker said. The lawmaker lamented that the government “practically surrendered” the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea by acceding to pressure from China. “The Duterte administration has bargained our claims in the West Philippine Sea in exchange for promised economic concessions,” he said. On the other hand, the Philippine Coast Guard might be tasked to patrol the disputed waters after receiving three newly commissioned multi-role response vessels. Esperon earlier hinted at making the Coast Guard a lead agency in patrol operations in the western seaboard, along with the Philippine Navy and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Martial law extension needs justification, says Drilon ‘PH Navy stopped patrolling Panatag since January 2016’ by PaoLo
romero Philstar.com
MANILA — The possible extension of martial law in Mindanao will require credible justification before it can be approved by Congress, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Monday, Nov. 20. Drilon said Malacañang should go back to Congress armed with evidence to convince lawmakers that the martial law President Duterte declared over Mindanao
until the end of year should be extended. “Let us decide on the basis of evidence. They said the problem has already been addressed, but now they’re asking for an extension,” Drilon said over dzBB. Drilon is among four senators who voted against the extension of martial law in July, which included Senators Risa Hontiveros, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Francis Pangilinan. He said he is reserving judgment on the matter until Duterte
formally seeks the approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives in a joint session and his Cabinet present their arguments. He said under the Constitution, the power to possibly extend martial law rests on Congress. Drilon said Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar’s statement that the Armed Forces’ proposal to extend martial law was “deemed accepted” by Duterte has weight as far as the executive branch is concerned. n
Revolutionary gov’t would be just as ‘abusive’ as war on drugs, says Pangilinan by PathriCia
ann V. Inquirer.net
roxas
one and the same,” he added. Pangilinan said democracy, THE revolutionary government freedom of the press, and freedom that President Rodrigo Duterte has of speech would be curtailed unbeen threatening to impose would der a revolutionary government. be as “abusive” as his war against “No more safety in life and drugs, Sen, Francis “Kiko” Pang- livelihood from corrupt police ofilinan said on Monday, Nov. 20. ficials. No more elections because “Just like the excessively abusive there will only be term extension war against drugs, rev gov will be for incumbents and appointments abusive as well,” Pangilinan said. to the obsequious in politics. No “Rev gov and dictatorship are more hindrance to sell our lands
and seas to China,” he added. Pangilinan said those who oppose the government and Duterte would be “imprisoned so that no one can express dissent to wrongdoings.” The senator issued the statement a month after Duterte warned he would declare a revolutionary government if his critics’ alleged attempts to destabilize his administration would escalate. n
by PatriCia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
MANILA — The Philippine Navy has stopped sending ships to patrol the Panatag or Scarborough Shoal in the disputed West Philippine Sea for almost two years now, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said Tuesday, Nov. 21. This revelation came in response to the statement of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. that the government recently stopped sending Navy ships to Panatag Shoal. The recent halt in Navy patrols was meant to ease tensions with China and prevent harassment from Chinese forces, according to Esperon. Alejano, meanwhile, claimed that he has received information that the Philippine Navy has not conducted a single mission to Panatag Shoal since January 2016. “The frequent visits of Philippine Navy ships were noted in 2012 during a standoff with
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VEGAS&STYLE Journal
Rachel Peters sizzles in black swimwear in Miss Universe prelims
Miss Universe Philippines Rachel Peters wears a Yamamay swimwear during the Miss Universe preliminary competition in Las Vegas. Photo by David Becker/The Miss Universe Organization
The Philippines’ bet for the 66th Miss Universe pageant showed off her fit physique in her swimwear during the preliminaries in Las Vegas on Monday, Nov. 20. Filipino-British model Rachel Peters donned her black Yamamay two-piece swimwear during the Miss Universe preliminary competition at Planet hollywood Resort. “Shoutout to all the Filipinos who were there for me tonight. I seriously felt the love and have been all week,” Peters said in an Instagram post. The Miss Universe candidates have spent the last week touring, filming, rehearsing and preparing to compete for the crown. The online voting for Miss Universe 2017 has officially began starting on Tuesday, Nov. 21. According to Miss Universe Organization, online votes could secure a candidate a spot in the semifinals. On Facebook, Miss Philippines Rachel Peters is currently leading the online votes with more than 200,000 likes. Voting is now open through vote.missuniverse. com or by tweeting with hashtag #MissUniverse. If you are voting for Miss Philippines, add the hashtags #Philippines and tag Rachel, @Rachel_Petersx. The coronation night would be held in Las Vegas on Sunday, Nov. 26. (Philstar.com)
By Monet
cause finally I get to experience one of the highlights of my career,” said Zanjoe. “Thank you so much ABS-CBN for giving me the opportunity.” In the “MMK” epiode, Zanjoe played the role of a hardworking father, who later on suffered schizophrenia. For him, his portrayal was his way of helping families who has someone dealing with the illness. “It’s a very heavy role and I accepted it to challenge myself as an actor. I think the episode helped create more understanding for people with schizophrenia and how hard the situation is for them and even their families.” Zanjoe, together with “MMK” production manager Roda Dela Cerna, attended iemmys functions and panel interviews before the red carpet and gala night on
Monday at the hilton. Zanjoe was among the 44 nominees across 11 categories and 18 countries in this year’s awards. If he wons, he could have been the first Filipino actor to bag the coveted award. Last year, fellow Star Magic artist Jodi Sta. Maria also got an international emmy nomination in the Best Performance by an Actress category for her portrayal as Amor Powers in the hit drama “Pangako Sa’Yo.” Primetime series “Bridges of Love,” meanwhile, was nominated in the Best Telenovela category. ABS-CBN previously scored International emmy Awards nominations for “Precious hearts Romances Presents: Impostor” (Best Telenovela) in 2011, “Dahil May Isang Ikaw” (Best Telenovela) and Sid Lucero in “Dahil
I hAVe caught wind of the latest update regarding Miss Universe 2017 that is happening on November 26 at Planet hollywood in Las Vegas. The Philippines’ representative to Miss Universe 2017, Rachel Peters, seems to be a crowd favorite in this early stage in the competition. She is now leading in the pageant’s Facebook poll with over 209,000 votes as of posting. Rachel is followed by Miss Thailand with over 155,000 likes; Brazil with 28,000; Colombia with 37,000; Indonesia with 24,000; Nicaragua with 18,000; and Germany with 14,000. This is good news for our country as we have been consistently placing well in these pageants for the past six years It would be an honor to win the
Zanjoe Marudo
Getting to know Miss UniversePhilippines 2017 Rachel Peters
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Zanjoe Marudo represents Philippines at international Emmys KAPAMILYA actor Zanjoe Marudo is now in New York City to attend the prestigious International emmy Awards on Monday, Nov. 20. Zanjoe was nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor category for his performance in “MMK’s” episode titled “Anino.” he competed against actors Julio Andrade (Brazil), Kenneth Branagh (United Kingdom), and Kad Merad (France). Although the award eventually went to UK’s Branagh, Zanjoe received a medal for being nominated. In his Instagram posts, the actor proudly showed off the medal. As a nominee, Zanjoe also got to walk on the red carpet together with international stars from all over the world. “I am excited and ‘kinikilig’ be-
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Philstar.com photo
May Isang Ikaw” (Best Actor) in 2010, and “Kahit Isang Saglit” (Best Telenovela) and Angel Locsin in “Lobo” (Best Actress) in 2009. (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)
crown again after Pia Wurtzbach won Miss Universe in 2015. I was there when that happened and I’m so thrilled to be witnessing it again this year. I will be in Las Vegas to support our candidate (hopefully I would be a lucky charm). Many will be flying out to support Rachel and we all just hope she gets in the top 5. I watched her performance
in the Binibining Pilipinas. She is oozing with confidence and she really owned the stage the night. She won Best in Swimsuit and that’s not really surprising once you see her walk with such fierceness and boy, her legs are endless! The crowd couldn’t get enough of her upon seeing her in her shimmering evening PAGE B4
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Fil-Am Artist FrAncis cAlimlim
Connecting with his history, community and identity By Malou liwanag-Bledsoe AJPress
FILIPINO-AMERICAN interdisciplinary artist Francis Calimlim believes that you should always have conversations with yourself. Some may think it’s crazy, but from his experience, doing such can open the avenue to discover who you are and want to be. As an interdisciplinary artist, Calimlim’s practice focuses on “the process of making,” meaning he doesn’t categorize himself in any particular style or medium.
“W/alis,” 2016.
“Whether it be drawing, installation, video or performance, it really depends on what I’m trying to figure out,” he explained. “I’ve stopped myself early on to jump straight to an end-goal or outcome, and allow my work to take the forms it needs to be, usually ending up in places I did not expect in the beginning stages. I like the process of the game, play, setting rules and limitation to start a project off with, and I basically just go for the ride.” Born in Quezon City, Philip- The artist doing work on “A Lala.” pines, Calimlim was only three years old when he and his family His mother was from Nueva immigrated to the United States. Ecija; while his father was from Baguio. He grew up mostly in San Diego, California, although he traveled back to Manila almost every year. Being an only child, Calimlim spent most of his time at home watching TV and drawing. “My mom, who was an engineer, would bring home old navy ship schematics as scratch paper for me to draw on where I would sketch my own version of the cartoons and TV shows I watched,” he shared. “I never got out of that practice of drawing and inventing, and always thought of different career paths such as animation or illustration.” He graduated from San Diego State University, majoring in Multimedia. Although he pur“Peaces,” 2016, in plaster cast. sued photography and moved through many different phases — film, illustration and sculpture — he eventually found himself focused on painting. Insider/outsider: Finding the connection as a Fil-Am Calimlim gradually shifted his focus during the two years before
he began his graduate studies at the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) in 2014. “...I took three trips to the Philippines. I shot a lot of photos and really focused on my experiences of now being there as an adult. It really started to sink in that going back home [to Manila] felt both welcoming and extremely foreign to me — I became very aware of my positionality as a FilipinoAmerican, and how that affected my interactions with the people and places I passed through. “The last phase of my paintings described those feelings of being an outsider in the Philippines, painting landscapes depicted through various kinds of windows and frames in the foreground; looking out into the scenery from the inside of some sort of vehicle or house, to express feeling like a tourist,” he said. Halfway through his graduate program, Calimlim left painting and began to focus more on interdisciplinary approaches, including what he felt during his trip to the Philippines.
“The Three That Made It (Were Left Behind,” 2017.
Francis Calimlim
“ I was still thinking about depicting this “insider-outsider” experience, while also including other issues such as diaspora, social and cultural contradictions, and (dis)connection. “I am still currently focused on these ideas, although they are angled from a more subjectivity-focused orientation. I am interested in the individual subject and the idea of community that is both longed and searched for – more specifically, Filipino-American communities,” he said. In 2016, Calimlim made the nine-sculpture installation project entitled, “Balikbayan.” Each sculpture was a balikbayan box that has been cut in a particular angle, arranged across the gallery floor. It was a continuation of his previous project, “For
“Bumalik ka na, ha ha ha,” 2017”
When You Welcome Me (2015),” which was a series of 132 ink drawings on featuring at least one figure protruding a part of their body out of the box. Calimlim’s artist statement reveals his eagerness to explore “subjectivity within FilAm diasporic communities and its (neo/post) colonial symptoms.” Through mixed media, he focuses on the subject of the balikbayan (overseas Filipino) entangled in intergenerational collisions and trauma. He is “interested in the individual residing within and who form these communities, who are often times generalized under the focus of communal healing, resistance, and solidarity.” However, including his FiliPAGE B4
“Without A [(Be)C/P(I)]ause.”
Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest travel days of the year — whether by land or air.
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017
As we celebrate another Thanksgiving, We pay tribute to our co-founders, whose vision paved the way for the success of Unistar Foods today. Our longevity is based on the determination and dedication of our founders to provide quality food products to the Filipino-American community in the West Coast. Owners Alvin and Carol Yam, along with Alvin’s brother Calvin, started this business from scratch. During the early days of the business, Unistar kicked off with Alvin as the sole employee. Back in July of 1986, he ran the company while occupying a garage. From there, the sole proprietors rolled the business into a leading purveyor of quality meat poultry, seafood and other food product line, housed in our own 30,000 square foot-facility in downtown Pomona, California. The Unistar processing facility allows us to more efficiently and effectively serve our clientele in the food service industry in Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire. We also serve San Diego, Las Vegas and Northern California. To professionalize the trade was the grand vision of the Yams. We follow strict quality control. Seeing to it that there is temperature control from our warehouse to our delivery trucks. Our high quality products come with very competitive and affordable prices. The company has really gone a long way since we started in 1986. Our business has earned the respect of both the consumers and competitors including our American counterparts over the years. But, we know in our hearts that the only way we could have come this far was because of the commitment we made from day one - to build our business by helping others build theirs.
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Getting to know Miss Universe-Philippines...
Gerald Santos as Thuy in a scene from Miss Saigon: “I was so nervous during the gala night. Thank God I was able to pull it off.” Philstar.com photo
Gerald Santos almost lost his voice in 1st show of the ‘Miss Saigon’ UK tour by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
Something not-so-funny happened to gerald Santos on opening night of “miss Saigon” last July in Leicester, the first leg of the long-running Cameron mackintosh mega-musical’s UK tour. “i almost lost my voice,” gerald Santos, who plays thuy, told Funfare after arriving for a two-week break. “Sobrang pagod because of the continuous rehearsal as soon as we arrived in Leicester.” that was aside from the rigorous rehearsal and training that began in may as soon as he arrived in London from manila to fulfill a contract that expires in April next year, together with three other Filipino actors who passed the auditions conducted in manila late last year — Red Concepcion (Sam’s brother) as the engineer, Joreen Bautista (from Pampanga) as cover for Kim and Christian Rey marbella as cover for the engineer. “i felt a big relief when i was able to pull it off without any hitch,” added gerald who was incredulous when mackintosh congratulated him, saying, “You did a great job. You made me emotional.” After more than 100 performances in four months in Birmington and Dublin (seven weeks), gerald said that the thuy
EMPLOYMENT
character has become like second skin to him. “i am thuy eight days a week, with an extra performance in some days,” he noted. “So i am thuy as soon as i wake up, i am thuy when i’m eating, i am thuy when i leave home (15-minute walk to the theater in Dublin). i am thuy all days of the week.” But not on Sundays, his rest day, when gerald sleeps for as long as he wants, does groceries and laundry and cleans the apartment he shares with a Korean actor (also in the musical). “Sometimes, when i have free time i take a walk or i work out in the gym. i am a member of a health club that has jacuzzi and a sauna. Besides the workout, i make sure that i get enough sleep. the performance usually ends at around 10:30 in the evening and i get home with my energy level still high so i take melatonin to put me to sleep.” to preserve his voice, gerald said that he has included all kinds of english tea in his diet (no meal at least two hours before he goes onstage and no chocolates except when he performs twice a day to help sustain his energy) and “steaming” his vocal cords before bedtime. Although he cooks, gerald really has no problem with food because of what he described as “the massive support” of kababayan
who gives him pancit, pandesal, adobo, suman and other Filipino delicacies. “the mom of the boy playing tam (son of Kim) is a Filipina and she has been very supportive and very helpful. the boy is the third Filipino to play tam in the UK tour and he’s very good. Mahusay umarte even if he doesn’t have any dialogue.” Aside from the Filipinos, there are other Asian artists in the cast including a malaysian, a Vietnamese and an indonesian. “Christian Rey told me that i was very fortunate to be in my group, one of the best and the kindest daw, kaya maganda ang bonding namin. Sila at ang ating mga kababayan make me feel at home so i got over my homesickness easily. i have done shows abroad but it’s the first time that i’m living abroad and doing things myself.” By now, gerald (who rose to fame after winning Season 2 of the gmA talent search “Pinoy Pop Superstar”; the first winner was Jona) shall have finished recording an album for Star Records.As soon as he’s back in UK, he will join the cast in the Cardiff leg of the tour until April next year. Beyond miss Saigon, what? “i want to audition for other musicals,” said gerald. “i am keeping my options open and my fingers crossed.”
EMPLOYMENT
PSYCHIC
PAGE B1 gown and the way she handled the Question and Answer (Q&A) portion like a pro. She was asked about what she would say if she were to speak to leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASeAn)Summit. to which she confidently responded: “i believe one of the biggest problems that our country is facing today is divisiveness in politics, in religion, and also in culture. And i believe that it is something that is the same across the world, and that is something i would want to address. i believe that when people can learn to tolerate each other’s differences and respect each other’s opinions, then we will just be a stronger nation and world.” Rachel is 25 years old, of Filipino and British descent, and is from Camarines Sur. She is a graduate of La trobe University in Australia. Before she entered Binibining Pilipinas, Rachel joined the miss World Philippines 2014 pageant, where she placed 4th Princess to Valerie Weigmann. She loves dogs and posts a lot of photos with her pets. According to her Bb Pilipinas profile, Rachel completed her international Baccalaureate at the British School in Phuket, thailand, and graduated with a Bachelors
degree in Business, tourism and events from La trobe University in Australia. She is also an events organizer. on her Bb. Pilipinas video profile, she talked about organizing events and concerts. “i’ve been living and breathing events for as long as i can remember. i’ve been lucky enough to work with artists such as Katy Perry and Christina Aguilera,” she said. in her interview with mega Style Ph, Rachel described herself as “not very girly.” “growing up i wasn’t very girly. i’d always hang out with boys and we’d be playing on the beach, i’d also play lots of sports like rugby. You can imagine how it was a transition for me when i needed to start walking in heels, but i kept my style completely the same. As i said my advocacy is staying true to oneself and that’s what i did all throughout.” it took longer for Rachel to be convinced of joining the Binibining Pilipinas. “Since joining miss World, i’ve always had some people messaging me, ‘Please join. Why don’t you try?’’ And there’s always been a prestige that comes with being a Binibini. And i’m 25 and so i thought this was kinda my last chance and my last shot. And so i’m here and i’m gonna give it my all.” says Rachel in an
interview with Rappler. now that she is finally in one of the greatest moments in her life competing with 91 candidates around the world, she has this one trick up her sleeves that her mom taught her. “the most important thing that my mom has thought me is to really enjoy myself and also to take time for myself too. Because it can get pretty crazy what we’re doing and so we really need take ten minutes by ourselves. And when i started doing that, it made things so much clearer. And also to be kind to everyone,” Rachel says Well, Rachel, you are doing a great job charming them with your personality, attitude and beauty. Congrats on the votes! i will be there cheering for you along with “half the country.” Keep shining, Pilipinas! *** 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
Fil-Am artist Francis Calimlim...
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pino heritage in his work is important to “very specific extent.” “it’s all about intention — and if more obvious Filipino signifiers are required to fill certain holes of content then they certainly should be used, but very intentionally and responsibly,” he explained. “i don’t believe in using materials for just the sake of being more easily legible and indicative of who i am and where i’m from. i think to do that ends up misrepresenting and backfiring in the long-run, resulting in potentially tokenizing myself in some regards, as if saying, ‘i’m Filipino because i’m using Filipino things!.’ it can really narrow the perspective of the Filipino(-American) experience for others to understand by redirecting the focus to just these particular objects, closing the scope to just a few aspects, and
blocking a lot of our complexities and history.” Sharing his struggles during his early years as an artist, Calimlim explained that he continually face these — though at a different level — today. “it was tough going through school and never taught about Filipino artists, or even artists of color in general. it was a mostly white, male and eurocentric art history, which conditioned me to only know how to learn from and try to emulate in the beginning. i had to do a lot of my own research and digging to find artists and figures who i can really connect with. “my particular struggles personally as an artist reflect a lot of issues that i face on a regular basis. Living in San Francisco with a brutal economic environment, being a person of color that potentially reads as ethnically ambiguous, and a presi-
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dency that targets many forms of racial queerness and identity, are just some of the things that i struggle with that affects my practice and how i think about my work. in a lot of ways, i work with and through my art as a way of coping with and understand these issues that i’m a part of. Art can be a way of figuring things out, a way of processing that is already inherently a struggle,” Calimlim said. At present, Calimlim is currently teaching an experimental Drawing class at the SFAi’s Public education Program. he was also part of “APAture,” the annual Asian & Pacific American arts festival, presented by Kearny Street Workshop at the Arc Studios and gallery in San Francisco. For more information on Francis Calimlim and his work visit his website at www.franciscalimlimart.com.
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Your Immigration Solution ATTY. DEVIN CONNOLLY & NANCY MILLER IT is nearly a universal dream to be happily married. To be with the person that you consider to be your soul mate, the person with whom you can share life’s joys and happy moments. Though this dream is not limited to U.S. citizens, what is limited to U.S. citizens is the ability to file a petition for their fiancé(e) to join them in the U.S. This ability is extremely important because, as anybody who has been in a long-distance relationship can tell you, telephone calls and text messages are just not the same as seeing your significant other on a daily basis. It is commonly known that both U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders) can petition for their spouses to join them in the U.S. But if there is not a legal marriage between the parties, green card holders are unable to petition their significant other. And no, neither the duration of the relationship nor the
Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS (Part 1 of 2) AS the year comes to a close, allow me to take you back in time to revisit some of the great moments in medical science which made possible the great strides man has made in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases that benefit all of us today. I had \ privilege in 1972 to have trained as a fellow in Cardiac Surgery under one of the world’s giants in heart surgery, Dr. Denton A. Cooley, founder and surgeon-inchief of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. The management of heart diseases was still in the Dark Ages during my undergraduate years in the late 50s. Physicians then did not know how to treat heart diseases, much less, save the lives of patients with these ailments. Looking back, the physicians at that time did not even know that simple aspirin
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Immigrating as a fiancé(e) strength of the commitment is relevant. Only U.S. citizens may file petitions for a fiancé(e)! This petition is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). Once approved, it may lead to the issuance of a fiancé(e) visa, commonly referred to as a K-1 visa. There are several requirements that must be met by the U.S. citizen petitioner and his or her fiancé(e). The U.S. citizen petitioner and his or her fiancé(e) must intend to marry within 90 days of the foreign national’s entry to the U.S. This intention must be sincere; it is not permissible for a person to enter the U.S. simply to decide whether they actually want to marry their petitioner. There also must not be any legal impediments to marriage. This includes the requirement that any and all prior marriages have been legally terminated through divorce, death or annulment. In addition, the U.S. citizen petitioner and his or her fiancé(e) must have met, in person, at least once in the two-year period preceding the filing of the petition. There are exceptions to this requirement if an in-person
meeting would violate strict and long-established customs of either party’s foreign culture or social practice, or if the in-person meeting requirement would result in extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen petitioner. The mere inconvenience to have to travel to a foreign country, or to take time off from work or purchase an expensive airline ticket will not qualify you for an exception to the in-person meeting requirement. After the USCIS approves the petition, the foreign national must apply for the fiancé(e) visa. Following submission of the application and required supporting documents, the fiancé(e) will be required to appear for a personal interview at the U.S. Embassy in their home country. At this interview, they will be questioned extensively by a Consular Officer who must be convinced that the relationship is not one that has been entered into solely to obtain immigration benefits. To assist in that determination, the Consular Officer will need to see documentary evidence of the true, actual relationship. The inability to submit sufficient proof or correctly answer questions may lead
Fascinating history had any potential role in the prevention or treatment of heart attacks. Treatment was mainly symptomatic, using pain pills or pain shots. The most sophisticated pill was the nitrate pill, a vasodilator that “relaxes open” the coronary artery, since the “current” knowledge in physiology then said angina pectoris (chest pain) was due to spasm in the coronary arteries which supply the heart muscles with oxygen and nutrition. The first milestone that started it all was in 1628 when an English physician first described blood circulation. Inspired by that, these historical events followed: 1706 - Raymond de Vieussens, a French anatomy professor, first described the structure of the heart’s chambers and vessels. 1733 - Stephen Hales, an English clergyman and scientist first measured blood pressure. 1816 - Rene T. H. Laennec, a French physician, invented the first stethoscope. 1903 - Eillem Einthoven, a
Dutch physician, developed the first electrocardiogram. 1912 - James B. Herrick, an American physician, first described heart disease resulting from hardening of the arteries, a fundamental concept that led to the modern therapy of today. 1938 - Robert E. Gross, an American surgeon, performed the fi rst heart surgery (closeheart, not open-heart). 1951 - Charles Hufnagel, an American surgeon, developed a plastic valve to repair the aortic valve. 1952 - F. John Lewis, an American surgeon, performed the first successful open heart surgery. 1953 - John H. Gibbon, an American surgeon, introduced the heart lung machine (which he published as a concept in 1937) and first used this mechanical heart and “blood purifier” to do the first “real open heart surgery” utilizing the heart lung machine, precursor of the modern day cardiopulmonary bypass machine. PAGE B6
the Consular Officer to deny the application for a fiancé(e) visa if they believe that the application was being submitted solely to avoid immigration requirements and enter the U.S. . Following the foreign national’s entry into the U.S., they must marry their petitioner within 90 days of entry. It does not matter if this marriage is before many friends and family members or a small civil ceremony, so long as it occurs within 90 days of entry to the U.S. After this timely marriage, the foreign national may then proceed to file an application for a green card. Yes, that entails more applications, more documents, and likely a second
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017
interview, but the process should hopefully be more enjoyable since now you are able to go through it while living in the same house as your beloved spouse. Finally, a fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen may also be eligible to bring their children with them to the U.S. The children will only be allowed to enter the U.S. if they are unmarried and under 21-years-old. Immigrating to the U.S. with a fiancé(e) visa can be complex. There are some unique aspects to K-1 visas about which many people are unfortunately not aware. Be sure to consult with an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney so that you
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can be reunited with your significant other as soon as possible. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
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13th annual mayor’s luncheon in Woodland Hills, CA The United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley presents the 13th annual mayor’s luncheon with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Wednesday, November 29 at the Warner Center Marriott - Grand Ballroom (21850 Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367). Registration opens at 11 a.m. and the program is from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be complimentary self-parking, while valet is $16. For questions or sponsorship opportunities, please call (818) 981-4491 or email marian@unitedchambers.org.
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Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA Global Law Centers in association with Civicminds Recruitment presents an immigration forum on Thursday, November 30 at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). Candidates and employers with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visa issues are encouraged to attend this FREE Q&A session from 6 to 8 p.m. Civicminds Recruitment will offer tips on how to find employers for green card and work visas after graduation, job placement assistance for qualified applicants and free resume evaluation. To register, please email admin@globallawcenters.com or call (714) 657-7460. For more information, please visit www.globallawcenters.com.
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Historic Filipinotown parol parade and festival in Los Angeles The Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HFNC) announced that the annual parade and festival will be on Friday, December 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will start with the assembly of parols and vehicles at 250 N. Union St. at the Our Lady of Lorreto Catholic Church courtyard. The parade will start at 5 p.m. and will go westward from Union to Beverly, and will eventually end up at the FCC/FACLA compound at 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. The HFNC is calling for volunteers who will serve as security, ushers, for registration and monitors for the parade. To volunteer, please call Art at (213)318-9065. For more information, please contact Cecile at (213) 503-8176.
D EC E M B E R 2
Pasko Na Naman in Glendale, CA The Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups will sponsor a fundraiser entitled “Pasko Na Naman 2” on Saturday, December 2 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium (1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA 91208) starting at 4 p.m. The presentation’s theme is Salo-salo at Pagdiriwang” which means “getting together joyfully.” The show will provide a glimpse on how Filipinos celebrate Christmas in the Philippines, which will be depicted through choral singing and folk dancing. The performers are Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, St. Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Choir, Monique Magpayo and Kurt Winterhalter. Benefactors of proceeds include but are not limited to: Channel of Charity, Filipino Priests Association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, feeding programs and FFRG faith formation events. Come one! Come All! Feel the scents and sights of Filipino Christmas. The audience will also enjoy “merienda cena” during the intermission. Ticket donation is $45.00 per person. For souvenir ad and ticket information, please contact Tess Domingo at (909) 855-2208 or Carol Evangelista at (909) 969-3316.
Free oil filter exchange in Alhambra, CA Attention all Alhambra residents! Free oil filter & motor oil recycling event on Saturday, December 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. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at AutoZone located at 1100 W. Commonwealth Ave., Alhambra, CA 91803.
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Arnel Pineda in Los Angeles Arnel Pineda, the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed rock band JOURNEY, will be in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 3 at the famed Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The show begins at 6 p.m. VIP ticket ($200) includes CD, concert tour shirt, meet & greet. Other ticket prices are $150, $100, $75 or $50. For sponsorship and tickets, please call or text: Trini Foliente at (626) 818-7147; Cora Soriano at (213) 999-1993 or Andy Tecson at (323) 467-5096.
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Ateneo de Naga High School Class ’67 celebrates 50th anniversary in Naga City The Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) High School Class 1967 is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017 from December 27 to 29 with various activities lined up for its 153 alumni members. (ADNU is a leading Jesuit university in the Bicol region located in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines). The activities include the publication of its 50thAnniversary Yearbook, a coffee table book which features the individual life stories of the class members after high school, tributes to their mentors, and various articles about school life in the 1960s. Also scheduled for the middle of the year is a golf tournament which — aside from fostering camaraderie — will essentially be a fund-raising activity for planned alumni projects such as a medical mission to a remote provincial town, scholarships, and donations for other worthy causes. This year’s reunion will be at the ADNU main campus in Naga City with various fun and commemorative activities lined up for the occasion. All batch members, wherever they are domiciled, including those residing in foreign countries, especially those in the USA and Canada, are enjoined to contribute their life story articles for the anniversary book as soon as possible, to participate in the various identified activities and outreach projects, and attend the grand homecoming in December. For coordination and for details about the events and activities, please email or call up any of the following batch members: Jojo de Jesus (email: jvdejesus6@yahoo.com; cell: 09772114750); Nilo Ezequiel (email: nilo. ezequiel0977@gmail.com; cell: 09257200926; Antonio Sibulo, MD (email: assjrmd@gmail. com).
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B NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017 • LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL Immigration Corner Atty. MAriA ritA reyes-stuby And bernAdette bretAnA In this day and age, the best travel document in your hands would be a U.S. passport. Hence the sense of urgency among immigrants to become U.S citizens. International travel and the globalization drumbeat, among others, prompts members of the immigrant community to acquire the proper documentation to ease their entry and exit to and from the United States. There is a growing trend among young people to pursue college education in other countries or simply, to explore. By law, an immigrant with a green card cannot stay out of the country longer than 365 days. A violation will cause the loss of lawful permanent residency status. In most countries collegiate studies usually lasts 4 years. If the student is not a citizen, a re-entry permit which will allow a 2-year stay outside of the U.S. is usually applied for. If one can apply to become a U.S. citizen or is already a citizen by law, it is a no-brainer. On 10/30/2000, then President Bill Clinton signed into law the “Child Citizenship Act of 2000” (CCA) which became effective on 02/27/2001 (incorporated as §320 {InA}). The CCA makes it possible for immigrant children under 18 years old whose parent/s are U.S. citizens, to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship upon fulfillment of certain conditions, namely, (a) at least one parent is a U.S. citizen
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Automatic citizenship and the US Department of State by birth or naturalization; (b) the child is under 18 years old; and (c) the child resides with the U.S. citizen parent under her/his legal and physical custody and pursuant to a lawful permanent resident status. It does not matter that the child’s birth was prior to the parent’s naturalization; as long as the child enters the U.S. before turning 18. The child maybe legitimate or illegitimate as long as the parent-child relationship can be solidly established. This rule covers adopted children as well. CCA also provides for children of U.S. citizens who are petitioned and enter the U.S. before they turn 18 years old. They are automatically U. S. citizens by operation of law. “Automatic” means they do not have to undergo a procedure such as naturalization (that requires waiting for 5 years residency after entry or reaching the age of 18, whichever comes later) in order to become U.S. citizens. All they need is to be documented as U.S. citizens. These “lucky’ ones can do either or both of these: (1) apply for a Certificate of Citizenship at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or U.S, Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and/or (2) apply for a U.S. passport at the Passport Services of the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Applying for a Certificate of Citizenship is more tedious and costly. The easier and economical route is to apply for a U.S. passport. Lately however, it has not been easy to obtain a U.S. passport
based on the automatic citizenship law for children (under 18) of U.S. citizens. The Passport Service Office of the Department of State is requiring more documentation to prove that an applicant is qualified to be a U.S. citizen. Submission of the parent’s original copy of the Certificate of naturalization and the applicant’s actual green card is not enough. Failure to submit the required documentation within approximately three (3) months will cause the denial of the passport application. In the meantime, one takes the risk of losing original documents in the mail or not returned properly. The best proof to expedite issuance of a passport is the original Applicant’s Certificate of Citizenship. But this certificate has yet to be applied for at the DHS (USCIS). Processing time right now is approximately 8-9 months depending on where the applicant resides. Have patience though because it is a guaranteed way to go in a time of policy thru tweets. *** Maria Rita Reyes-Stuby is a licensed attorney in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law. She specializes in immigration and practices in Las Vegas, Michigan, California and other states. Bernadette Bretana, a graduate of the Ateneo Law School and Ms. Stuby are licensed attorneys in the Philippines. Please call @702-403-4704 or email her at stubylaw@aol.com or go to www.mrstubylaw.com for any questions on this article.
Miss India is new Miss World, Miss Philippines bags special awards InDIA’S Manushi Chhilar was crowned Miss World 2017 on Saturday evening. The pageant was held in Sanya, China. Miss World 2013 Megan Young hosted the coronation night while international talent manager Arnold Vegafria was one of the judges. Chhilar won the crown for India after 17 years. This is the country’s sixth title. Mexico’s Andrea Meza and England’s Stephanie Hill were named Miss World’s 1st Runner-Up and 2nd Runner-Up, In this Nov. 18, 2017 photo, newly cowned Miss World Manushi Chhilar poses with Miss World Philstar.com photo PAGE B7 2013, Megan Young.
Rep. Ruben Kihuen with members the Philippine Nurses Association of Nevada
The Asian Community Development Council honors the Philippines Nurses Association of Nevada at 2nd Annual Community Health & Wellness Fair With special guest Congressman Ruben Kihuen
On Sunday, nov. 19, the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) of nevada honored PnAnV (The Philippines nurses Association of nevada) at the 2nd Annual Community Health & Wellness Fair in light of their organization being called to action after the tragic Route 91 Mandalay Bay Harvest Festival Attack. The ceremony included remarks from ACDC President & Founder Vida Lin, and an acceptance speech from PnAnV President Doris Bauer. At the health fair, Ms. Lin thanked PnAnV for their service to the greater Las Vegas community in the days following the tragic Route 91 Mandalay Bay Harvest Festival attack that killed 58 concert goers. On behalf of ACDC, Ms. Lin honored
stated as she accepted the check, and thanked ACDC for honoring them as they took initiative and represented the courage and community dedication of over hundreds of practicing Filipino/ Filipina nurses in nevada. Congressman Ruben Kihuen, who also attended the event, stated: “I had a great time meeting folks from around the valley at the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) Health & Wellness Fair, which offered needed resources like assistance getting signed up for health coverage and health screenings. My office is doing everything possible to help get the word out about Open Enrollment, and I’m glad we can count on the Asian Community Development Council as a partner in that effort”.
The curious case of Stephen C. Davis
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond
A ghost story
Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 1 of 2) JUST for kicks during my halcyon days as a full-time working /full-time grad student at the University of the Philippines long ago, I had agreed to act as medium for a séance or a hypnotic session to conjure or call the spirit or spirits that were causing a disturbance. I took over from another medium in a previous session weeks earlier conducted by a Jesuit priest from the Ateneo, Fr. Bulatao. There were repeated paranormal disturbances at the old building where I worked, a stone’s throw from the Institute of Mass Communication (now called by another name) where I was a grad student at night while working during the day as a full time research associate of what was then the Institute of Environmental Planning, now called the School of Urban & Regional Planning. That haunted building has been razed and there stands a newer multi-story building. At night, the custodian claimed that when all the rooms were locked up and no one was in-
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presented PnAnV with a donation check for programs that the two organizations will partner on developing youth and strengthen civic engagement initiatives. “We are very proud to celebrate and honor our healthcare providers in the Asian Pacific Islander communities.” stated Vida Lin, ACDC President & Founder, “They often work behind the scene with so much sacrifice and very little appreciation. As a community, we must come together and express our thanks for their life-saving work”. “We look forward to collaborating with ACDC in the coming years ahead for community programs that focus on youth development and health education for the people we serve,” PnAnV President Doris Bauer
“...In memory of one american soldier...” side, there were eerie noises that would make the hair on the back of one’s neck stand on end. The occurrences were so frequent and so disruptive, ignoring them and pretending life was normal was no longer an option. Someone finally did something about it and called on Fr. Bulatao to help shed light on the mysterious goings-on at the institute. I simply avoided the rest rooms and steered away from isolated areas of the building and never stayed in the building past sundown. Professor Cynthia Turingan was the first medium. Under hypnosis, she revealed that an American soldier, an enlisted man, by the name of Stephen Davies (his name was spelled with an e in the surname) was murdered at the location right smack dab where the building stood. Details of a murder story flowed
out of her like a gusher. But then it came to an abrupt halt when the door to the room where the session was being held, for no apparent reason, suddenly burst open. The medium snapped out of the hypnotic trance feeling extremely limp and exhausted as though she had traveled many miles across a desert. I stood up and with a nonchalant shrug of my shoulders calmly closed the door. Dissatisfied with the aborted session, the group decided to hold another. Professor Turingan was unavailable for the next session and I was drafted to act as medium, a role which I accepted on a lark and a dare. There was a thunderstorm raging outside but I don’t remember much of what I said when I went on a trance. I do remember feeling very light, as though weightPAGE B7
Fascinating history
1950 - John Hopps, a Canadian, invented the external heart pacemaker. That same year, Willem Greatbatch introduced the concept of an implantable (internal) heart pacemaker. 1960 - The first self-contained implantable heart pacemaker made by Medtronic was inserted by W. C. Lillihei. Over the years, this has been improved, made more versatile, smaller, better, and longer lasting. 1961 - J. R. Jude, an American cardiologist, led a ream in performing the first external cardiac massage to re-start the heart, the foundation for today’s CPR. 1960s - Denton A. Cooley of Houston, Texas, rose to fame for his extraordinary dexterity in performing thousands of congenital heart surgeries in infants, and for being the first to successfully remove pulmonary emboli (clots in the lungs). 1965 - Michael De Bakey and Adrian Kantrowitz, American surgeons, implanted mechanical devise to help the diseased heart. 1967 - Christian Barnard of South Africa, performed the first whole heart transplant from one person to another. 1968 - Denton Cooley performed the first heart transplant in the United States on a 47year-old man, using a donor heart from a 15-year-old. The patient lived for 204 days. He had done 22 heart transplants over the next year, a record at the time. 1969 - Denton A. Cooley implanted the first artificial (mechanical) heart on a man to
“tide him over” and keep him alive while waiting for a donor heart. 1972 - In the field of clinical application, Denton A. Cooley had, by this time, performed more than 10,000 open-heart surgeries, more than any other surgeon in the world. That year, in his honor, the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society was founded. Its members are the more than 800 heart surgeons from 50 countries around the world whom he trained at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) in Houston. (As a Filipino-American heart surgeon, I was truly humbled to be elected as its first president.) The THI has been doing more than 30 open-heart surgeries per day since then. 1970s - Michel Mirowski, M.D., and his associates, Morton Mower, Stephen Heilman, M.D., Alois Langer, PhD, and a company called Medrad in Pittsburgh, developed the automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator. In 1980, the prototype AICD was implanted at Johns Hopkins to prevent sudden cardiac death. 1982 - Willem DeVries, an American surgeon, implanted a permanent artificial heart, designed by Robert Jarvic, also an American physician. O. H. Frazier and his team under Dr. Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute has performed more than 600 heart transplants, and doing extensive works on artificial (mechanical) hearts. Someday, they will be available on the shelf like pacemakers today, and heart bypass and cardiac valve surgeries would be a thing of the past.
A crazy idea A most worthy pioneer was Werner Forssmann, who, as a surgical resident in Germany in 1929, experimented with himself by inserting a catheter through a vein in his arm and into his heart. He walked to the basement where the X-ray machine was, and x-rayed himself to prove that the catheter was in his heart. In another experiment, he injected dye to his heart through that catheter and took x-ray film. Many of his fellow physicians were outraged by his “daring and insane” acts. This, by the way, was the origin of what we know today as coronary or heart angiogram or cardiac catheterization that made possible life-saving procedures, like angioplasties and heart bypass surgeries all over the world. Thanks to Forssmann’s “crazy idea.” In 1956, Forssmann was awarded a nobel prize, shared with Dickinson Richards and Andre Cournand, physicians in new York who studied heart function and physiology using catheters. (To be continued next week) *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017
B7
Presenting Alessandra de Rossi, singer/lyricist by BABY
A. GIL
Philstar.com
Ellen Adarna and John Lloyd Cruz
Photo from Instagram/@maria.elena.adarna
ACTRESS and model Ellen Adarna reportedly confirmed she is pregnant and actor John Lloyd Cruz is the father. According to a report from the Philippine Entertainment Portal, Adarna confirmed her pregnancy to her close friends. It added that Cruz is willing to take care of their future child. The report added that Adarna’s pregnancy is the reason why she failed to attend the Bench denim and underwear fashion show titled “Under The Stars” last Saturday. In October 2017, rumors of Adarna’s pregnancy surfaced after netizens assumed that she was the one being described in a Facebook post of veteran newscaster Jay Sonza. Sonza claimed he had a conversation with his “niece” he pertained as “Elena” who allegedly apologized for not informing him about her vacation. He added that his niece told her that she would now become a “grandfather.” Netizens further speculat-
ed that Sonza was referring to Adarna. “Diba sabi mo sakin pag gusto kong mamahinga at mamasyal ay puntahan ko ang saint tropez, nice, morocco or venice, am here tito,” Sonza’s niece was quoted in the social media post. Adarna and Cruz recently went on a vacation together in Morocco. Sonza’s “niece” also replied in the Visayan language further intriguing netizens that it was indeed Adarna being referred to as she hails from Cebu. Adarna, however, denied that she is related to Sonza. “We’re definitely not related,” Adarna said. Adarna and Cruz were co-stars in ABS-CBN’s comedy sitcom “Home Sweetie Home.” The two were rumored to be a couple after they posted on social media photos of them spending time together in vacations in Philippine beaches and in Europe. Adarna also previously called Cruz “baby love.” (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)
Are Ellen, John Lloyd expecting a child?
The curious case of Stephen...
PAGE B6 less, while someone gently whispered things to my ear. Later, I learned that under hypnotic suggestion, I was instructed to go back to 1945, the year that the medium revealed when the alleged murder of the American soldier occurred. I described the place as I saw it — an open field, a moonless night, quonset huts and a heavy sense of foreboding in the air. During the session, the same Stephen Davies revealed the name of his murderer. He said he was hit on the head by a piece of wood while he was out on patrol one night and was robbed of his money. The ghost revealed details about his murderer: his assailant’s name, the exact address where he lived, describing him as an old man by that time, languishing in jail for other crimes he committed and that the house where the murderer used to live on J.P. Rizal Street in Makati was eventually destroyed by fire. He was asked about the name of his wife and where she lived, questions upon questions which the ghost said were “not impor-
tant” but pressed further, he said that his wife had remarried and pleaded not to bother his wife anymore. He said that he was not the only spirit hovering in the area and that there were many others. Asked about how he felt, he said that he was lonely and that he just wants to be remembered. Over and over again, he said he wanted to be remembered. He ignored questions about his past brushing them aside for the one thing he wanted — that he be remembered. His bones, he said, lay scattered and mixed with the soil in the same area which was leveled years earlier by a bulldozer. The ghost of the dead soldier requested that a mass be said on a sunny day in his remembrance — a request the group readily granted him. Shortly after, the eerie occurrences seemed to stop. (To be continued in next week’s issue …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP
MOVIEGOERS gave Alessandra de Rossi a huge box-office hit with the movie “Kita Kita”. Already considered one of the country’s finest actresses since her teenaged days, this recent success has given the Italian beauty the encouragement to show off what else she can do. And how nice it is to find out that Alessandra sings and she also writes, not just songs but also stories. Alessandra put on both those hats in her latest movie outing 12. Her follow-up to “Kita Kita” is another love story and one that she wrote herself. She stars as Erika, a band singer who gave up her career to be with her commercial director boyfriend Anton, played by newcomer Ivan Padilla. The 12 comes from the length of their relationship. They were friends for five years and then lovers for seven more. Now Anton wants to make things permanent and has proposed marriage. But Erika is having second thoughts. What has happened to her life during the past 12 years with Anton? What will happen to her life in the future? The premise is interesting and very real. The role of Erika with all those conflicting ideas going on inside her is one that Alessandra can sink her teeth into. And she has a song to go with it. The title is Twelve, which is now available on various streaming and downloading platforms. It is a wistful ballad with lyrics by Alessandra who also produced, and music, arrangement and all
instrumentation by Mark Abaya of the band Kjwan. Should Alessandra one day decide to give up acting, I am sure she will not want for singing gigs. Her style, soft and on the husky side is just what lonely souls enjoy nursing their heartbreaks to. Pinoys love it when their movies and TV shows come with memorable songs in the hugot scenes. This is because after watching they can listen to the songs and relive their favorite portions over and over again. Take a look at this list of current hits. These songs all come from either a movie or a TV series and they have been in the hit lists for months now. Malaya by Moira de la Torre from Camp Sawi; Torete, the oldie by Orange & Lemons revived for Love You to the Stars and Back also by Moira; Two Less Lonely People in the World, a cover of the Air Supply classic by KZ Tandingan from Kita Kita; Sa ‘yo by Ebe Dancel from Last Night; Tag-ulan by Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana from Luck at First Sight; Balisong, the Rico Blanco biggie recorded anew by The Juans for 100 Tula Para Kay Stella; and 241 by Janine Tenoso from the same film. “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” by Jona from “Barcelona”; “Your Love”, originally by the rock band Alamid sung by Juris for the soap series “Dolce Amore”; “A Love To Last A Lifetime”, a classic love song by Jose Mari Chan from the teleserye of the same title also performed by Juris; “Sundo”, again by Moira for “The Good Son”; “Till I Met You” by
Alessandra de Rossi
Philstar.com photo
James Reid and Nadine Lustre from the series of the same title that they also starred in; “Stay” by Daryl Ong from “On The Wings of Love”; and “Someday” from “The Unmarried Wife” also sung by Juris. Incidentally, this symbiotic relationship between motion pictures and hit songs is all the more evident in the success of the song Tadhana by UP Dharma Down. Composed by lead singer Armi Millare, the song was initially the theme song of the TV series Illumina and later of the movie “This Thing Called Tadhana”. “Tadhana” has been a consistent
top seller these past four years. Still on the hot film and song partnership. Regine Velasquez when tasked to do a music video for her new original “Hugot”, decided on putting alternate endings to the love story of Fidel and Stella in “Isang Daang Tula Para Kay Stella” and having the leads, Bela Padilla and JC Santos of the movie, reprise their roles in the video. The result is an engaging hugot fest indeed. So songwriters and publishers out there. Take note. The best way to create a hit out here these days is to get those songs into motion picture soundtracks.
TRAVEL TRADE & CONSUMER MULTI-CITY ROADSHOWS PROMOTING TOURISM, TRADE, AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE USA AND PHILIPPINES.
AUGUST 2018
of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Miss India is new Miss World... PAGE B6 respectively. Laura Lehmann brings home special awards The Philippines’ bet to the Miss World pageant, 24-year-old Laura Lehmann, failed to advance to the Top 15. Although she made an early exit, Lehmann still bagged special awards. Lehmann was among the winners of the pageant’s Beauty with a Purpose program which made her a top 40 finalist. Other winners of the Beauty with the Purpose programs were candidates from South Africa, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Miss World Philippines Orga-
nization General Manager Bessie Besana said proceeds from her win would go to the milk bank of the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center. The Filipina beauty also won the Head to Head Challenge. In a lengthy social media post, Lehmann shared that she is now headed back to the country. She thanked her supporters and coaches and said she is proud of what she attained and for the opportunity to represent the Philippines in an international pageant. “I know we didn’t get as far as we wanted to here, but I don’t want anyone to be sad, okay?” she said. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)
The Asian Journal Media Group, now on its 27th year in business, is a leading ethnic multimedia agency serving the global Filipino industry. Asian Journal publishes over 7 million weekly community newspapers annually in the USA from California, Nevada, New York, to New Jersey. In addition to this, the Asian Journal also publishes a quarterly magazine that is distributed in 60 countries and 101 cities throughout the World. Complementing these frequent print publications are a variety of digital channels such as AsianJournal.com, BalikbayanMag.com, and LoveOfCounry.ph. As an extension of that core mission, the Asian Journal, in cooperation with the Philippine Departments of Tourism (DOT), and Trade and Industry (DTI), is organizing multi-city “Travel, Trade, and Consumer Roadshows” to connect the US and Philippine markets together. These events are in line with the “Balikbayan Program” of the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the “One Town, One Product” of the DTI. The organizers collectively aim to ignite, drive, and fuel business-to-business, government-to-business, and business-to-consumer networking while showcasing and promoting tourism, investment, studying abroad, philanthropy, and retirement in the Philippines.
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Miss World-Philippines Laura Lehman failed to enter the top 15.
Philstar.com photo
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