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Volume 24 - No. 46 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

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Palace to UN: Duterte’s threat to slap DATELINE USA Defrocked priest in US Callamard just ‘unorthodox rhetoric’ arrested in Laguna FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

by IAN

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. “Alam niya na papalabas na ‘yung warrant of arrest [so] nagpaalam siya dun sa Amerika. Nagpaalam siya dun na magbabakasyon siya sa Pilipinas (He knew of the warrant of arrest release in America. He said that he would be going on vacation to the Philippines),” said Laguna Pro-

NICOLAS CIGARAL Philstar.com

MANILA — The United Nations should see past President Rodrigo Duterte’s colorful language, Malacañang said on Wednesday, Nov. 22 after the international organization denounced threats made by the maverick leader against one of its investigators. High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said the UN’s rights body “deplores the repeated insults and threats of physical violence” made by Duterte and his sup-

porters against UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard. Colville cited Duterte’s threats to slap Callamard should she investigate him for alleged extrajudicial killings in the government’s war on drugs. Responding to the strong condemnation, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque advised the UN not to judge Duterte based on his firebrand language but by “what he stands for and the values he holds dear.” “We need to point that the president’s PAGE A2 Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque

UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard Inquirer.net photos

Duterte warns of revolutionary gov’t if ‘things go out of control’ by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PAGE A4

Filipinos named in Paradise Papers leak SEVERAL Filipinos were included in the socalled Paradise Papers—one of the world’s largest leak of financial documents showing how personalities manage to keep from paying higher taxes—according to a report from the Philippine Star. The recent leak detailed how some politicians and business personalities use complex structures to launder money, fend off sanctions, 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 million files, covering seven decades from 1950 to 2016. Most of its leaked documents were from offshore law firm Appleby, and other 19 tax havens. In a statement, Appleby, one of the world’s most prestigious offshore law firms, insisted that it “does not tolerate illegal behavior.” “Appleby has thoroughly and vigorously investigated the allegations and we are satisfied that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, either on the part of ourselves or our clients,” it said. “We refute any allegations that may suggest otherwise and we would be happy to cooperate PAGE A2

MEDAL OF HONOR. President Rodrigo Duterte confers the Order of Lapu-Lapu Kampilan Medal to the wounded soldiers at the Army General Hospital in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Tuesday, November 21. The president awarded the Order of Lapu-Lapu Kampilan Medal to the wounded soldiers who took part in the anti-terror operations in Marawi City and to those who were wounded in separate encounters with lawless armed groups. During his speech, Duterte reiterated his assurance that he will improve the operational capabilities of the military. Malacañang photo by Ruji Abat

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.” PAGE A2

Duterte to order arrest of communists, legal fronts by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija — President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday that he would order the arrest, not only of communist rebels, but of all “legal fronts” aiding the Left. Speaking before government troops here, Duterte said the leftist groups should be treated as outlaws since they were helping to topple the government. “I will no longer recognize them as an entity negotiating with the government. I will simply declare you all terrorists. Terorista kayo. At yung mga legal front ninyo, alam ko, huwag na lang tayong magbolahan galing ako diyan.”

(You’re terrorists and even your legal fronts are terrorists, I know. Let’s not fool each other, I’ve been there),” the president said. “You are helping each other, conspiring to topple or whatever to sow terror. We will treat you as a criminal. Period. And we will arrest everybody connected, maski yung (eve their) legal fronts,” he added. Earlier on Wednesday, the government announced that it was cancelling the peace talks with the communist rebels following the President’s directive. Duterte said he was no longer inclined to re- Sen. Manny Pacquiao shakes hands with H.Hendri Zainuddin, S.Ag.,S.H., head of the sume peace talks with the communists rebels Delegation of the Ethics Council of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic PAGE A2 of Indonesia, at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, November 20.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Filipina sworn in as member of Pacquiao mulls quitting politics key US Treasury advisory board by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

by CARINA

ORIEL

AJPress

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin swore in nine new private citizens, including Filipina community leader Faith Bautista, to serve on the department’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund Community Advisory Board on Thursday, November 16. AJPress photo

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 ad-

ministration 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, alongside six public representatives, totaling 15 members. She is one of two officers on the board coming from a national consumer

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PHILIPPINE Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday, Nov. 21 admitted that thoughts of resigning from politics have been crossing his mind. In a press briefing at the Senate, Pacquiao expressed dismay toward “destabilizers” and politicians with “hidden agenda[s],” saying such feelings have made 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.”

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november 24-30, 2017 • oC/Ie ASIAn JoUrnAL

From the Front Page

Palace to UN: Duterte’s threat... PAGE A1 remarks on Callamard were addressed to a Filipino audience who are used to the chief executive’s unorthodox rhetoric,” Roque said. The Supreme Court on Tuesday started hearing in oral arguments the petitions seeking to declare Duterte’s brutal drug war as unconstitutional.

Human rights watchdogs say Duterte could be committing crimes against humanity amid mounting fatalities and alleged extrajudicial killings in his ferocious drug war. But the government has vehemently denied that by insisting that police are only killing in self-defense. As UN’s special rapporteur on summary killings, Calla-

mard, who reports to the UN human rights council, landed in Duterte’s crosshairs for condemning the spate of killings under his drug war. Her planned probe here was terminated after she refused to heed Duterte’s conditions, which she said violate UN protocols for country visit. She has been subjected to “a tirade of online abuse, including physical threats,” Colville said. “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. ‘Deeply insulting’ Citing the UN expert’s unannounced trip in the country last May, Roque reiterated in his reply to the UN that Callamard “is not a competent and impartial rapporteur.” The Palace spokesman also told the UN that Duterte’s standing offer to host a global human rights summit “shows that this administration welcomes disinterested and apolitical human rights experts in the country.” “The way she conducted herself does not befit her office. Lest we forget, she came unannounced to the country in May this year even while the terms of her official visit were still being finalized,” said Roque, a human rights lawyer himself. “And she did so using an event organized by a group that was extremely critical of the administration and presenting herself as a resource person for that event,” he added. “Her arrogance in going through the back-door not only went against protocol, but is deeply insulting.” To recall, Callamard had clarified she was not on an official visit in the country in May. “I am here in response to an invitation to participate to an academic conference,” she said. Last August, Duterte hurled a slew of invectives at Callamard, who had urged the government to make the death of 17-year-old student Kian delos Santos the last. She also asked Duterte to investigate all “unlawful deaths” and to stop all murders. n

A GATHERING OF MAYORS. President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with the Mayors who joined the 65th League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) General Assembly at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City on Tuesday, November 21. Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo

Duterte warns of revolutionary... PAGE A1 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 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 declaring a revolutionary government. “[A] revolutionary [government]? Then we should have a revolution first. Until there is a revolution, that’s unlikely,” Duterte clarified. “It wasn’t an outright statement that we should establish a revolutionary government. What I said…they (media) would really cut my message. That’s why I said I won’t engage on media’s whims,” he added. n

Duterte to order arrest of communists, legal... PAGE A1 whom he branded as “terrorists” and “criminals.” The president halted talks with the rebels in July following a series of attacks by the communist group’s armed wing, the New People’s Army, against government forces. He said he would not resume the talks unless the rebels stopped their extortion activities. The fifth round of talks brokered by Norway was suspended on May 27 after the government panel withdrew from the negotiating table in response to the communist group’s order to guerrillas to intensify attacks against security forces. In an interview with government-run PTV network in September, the president said the resumption of the talks would just be a waste of money. n

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 deployed in Marawi City when the battle against the terrorists broke out almost five months ago. Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

Filipinos named in Paradise Papers...

PAGE A1 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 trusts.” “We do not intend to suggest or imply that any people, companies or other entities included in the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database have broken the law or otherwise acted improperly,” the group said. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)

This map shows the location of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Mauritius and Seychelles where law firm Appleby holds offices. The latest dump from the Paradise Papers leak by the ICIJ lists bankers, businesmen and politicians from the Philippines. Infographic by Jonathan Asuncion/Philstar.com

Filipina sworn in as member of key US... PAGE A1 or public interest organization. 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 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. n

Pacquiao mulls quitting... PAGE A1

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 dis-

pleased 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. 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

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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

MEETING OF THE MINDS. Senate Majority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III with Senators Manny Pacquiao and Gregorio Honasan welcome the delegation from Ethics Council of Regional Representatives of Indonesia. The three senators, as members of Senate Ethics Committee, exchanged ideas and best practices with the Indonesian representatives. Senate photo by Ramon A. Lopez

Bill to stop outsourcing of American jobs passes Judiciary Committee Closes loopholes in H-1B Visa system

WASHinGTOn, D.c. – congressman Darrell issa’s (r-Vista) bill was recently approved by the House Judiciary committee, a legislation he introduced to curb abuse of the nation’s H-1B Visa system and stop the outsourcing of American jobs. His bill, the protect and Grow American Jobs Act, closes loopholes used by outsourcing companies to undercut American workers with cheaper workers brought in under H-1B, as seen in recent high-profile cases and highlighted in a recent “60 minutes” profile. By curtailing abuse, the reforms approved ensure that employers seeking to recruit high-skilled workers through H1B are not crowded out in the application process by outsourcers gaming the system. The changes ensure that the limited slots under H-1B will instead be available for their intended purpose: to help American companies recruit employees with special skillsets not available in the United States. “Highly skilled individuals that come to America through the H-1B visa program add tremendous value to the U.S. economy. We have a responsibility to ensure this important program isn’t being abused by employers to undercut American jobs,” said congressman Darrell issa. “Unfortunately, loopholes in the

program have allowed a small handful of employers to game the system to displace American workers and crowd out others who legitimately need the limited slots available to recruit individuals with unique skillsets not available here at home. The protect and Grow American Jobs Act is a common-sense update that will go a long way to protecting American workers while helping companies access to the talent they need to grow their businesses and create new jobs here in America.” The legislation approved by the Judiciary committee includes compromise language negotiated by congressman Darrell issa on a bipartisan basis. Among other changes, the bill: • Updates wage requirements to better align with local market averages. The legislation replaces both the $60,000 wage exemption and the advanced degree exemption in favor of a new formula that is equal to the lesser of $135,000 or the mean wage for applicants’ occupation in their area (but subject to a floor of no less than $90,000). The bill would also require the wage levels in this formula to be indexed for inflation over time. • increases accountability for H-1B employers. H-1B dependent employers currently need to merely “attest” that they’ve taken good faith effort to recruit

U.S. workers before seeking an H-1B visa for the open position. Under the new legislation, H-1B employers would be required to submit detailed a recruitment report summarizing the steps they have taken to recruit U.S. workers; the number of U.S. workers who applied for the job; the number of such workers who were offered the job, whether the workers accepted the offer, and for each worker who was not offered the job, the reason why the job was not offered. • Bolsters transparency of the program. The legislation would require the Secretaries of labor and Homeland Security to annually publish a report on the use of the H-1B program including lists of H-1B dependent employers, occupations, wages, worksites and the status of any on-going or completed investigations into misuse of H-1B programs. • improves oversight of H-1B dependent employers. The legislation authorizes the Department of labor to conduct periodic investigations of H-1B dependent employers and requires the Department of labor to review at least five percent of such employers annually. it also ensures that current H-1B penalties, including fines and debarment from the H-1B program, can be levied against any H-1B dependent employer that uses the program to displace American workers. n

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 ev-

erything, making her uncomfortable. 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

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.)

an ally and supporter and champion 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

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DATELINE USA

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL

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Human rights groups praise Trudeau HUMAN rights advocates praised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for publicly expressing concerns about President Duterte’s deadly crackdown on illegal drugs, with Human Rights Watch saying the “quiet diplomacy” adopted by U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders wouldn’t stop the killings. Trudeau told reporters in Manila that he raised concerns about rights abuses and extrajudicial killings in Mr. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign when he met him ahead of an annual summit with Southeast Asian counterparts. He was the only one among 20 heads of state in Manila who publicly said he spoke to Mr. Duterte about it. Asked to comment on Trudeau’s remarks, Mr. Duterte said he was angered and insulted. Phelim Kine of U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Trudeau’s decision to speak publicly about his comments to Mr. Duterte was “deliberate, strategic and principled.” ‘Stop the killings’ More than a year into Mr. Duterte’s crackdown, in which thousands of people have died, “no foreign leader, including Donald Trump and Asean heads of state, can reasonably be still under the illusion that soft-pedaling concerns about the ‘drug war’ will prod Mr. Duterte to stop the killings and take meaningful moves toward accountability,” Kine said. “Instead, such approaches provide foreign leaders a cynical veneer of substantive engagement, while in reality merely providing

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses for a selfie shot with fans moments after his press briefing at the International Media Center, World Trade Center in Pasay City. Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas

Mr. Duterte the reassurance that the international community isn’t serious about accountability and that the killings can, therefore, continue,” he said. Rachel Chhoa-Howard of Amnesty International Philippines said Trump and the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) largely ignored an opportunity to talk tough like Trudeau and left human rights off the table. “It’s a shame,” she said. The former head of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, Loretta Ann Rosales, said that it was understandable for most Asean members like the Philippines that were formerly colonized by Western powers to guard their sovereignty closely. “But after half a century, one would expect 50 years as more than enough time for Asean mem-

bers to grow up and learn the rules of the trade in diplomacy,” she said. ‘Very short talk’ It was not clear what Trudeau exactly told Mr. Duterte. Mr. Duterte’s spokesperson, Harry Roque, told reporters that he was “confident that beyond stating that Canada is firmly committed to human rights, nothing else was said in the private and very short talk between President Duterte” and Trudeau. “I think you saw how emphatic he was that he will not tolerate states interfering in what the President perceives as purely domestic affairs,” Roque said of Mr. Duterte. After Trump met Mr. Duterte in Manila, they issued a joint statement praising their countries’ enduring treaty alliance. The two sides “underscored that human rights and the dignity of human life are essential, and agreed to continue mainstreaming the human rights agenda in their national programs to promote the welfare of all sectors including the most vulnerable groups,” said the statement, which did not specifically mention the drug killings. Asean leaders also did not express public concern about the killings in the Philippines. The 10-nation bloc has a rule of noninterference in each member’s domestic affairs, a policy that has been used by member-states to parry criticism and has allowed Asean to endure despite its diverse membership of nascent democracies, monarchies and authoritarian states. (Inquirer.net with reports from AP)

OFWS AND FAMILIES IN A SUMMIT: Senator Cynthia A. Villar, together with DPWH Sec. Mark Villar and the OFWs and their families ‘showed their force’ during the Villar SIPAG 7th OFW and Family Summit held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The success stories of OFWs who ventured in agriculture or the agri-preneurs were highlighted during the event. The senator, chair of the Senate agriculture committee, says she wants to see the day when our countrymen no longer need to work abroad due to various opportunities from agriculture. Also in the photo with the Villars are Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Ramon Lopez, Acts OFW partylist Rep. Aniceto John Bertiz III and Engr. Albert Paredes, Pasay City Mayor Chief of Staff. Senate photo

UN: Terror attacks kill 25,000 in 2016 by PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com

OVER 25,000 people died and 33,000 injured in at least 11,000 terrorist attacks in more than 100 countries last year, according to the United Nations. Terrorists are losing physical ground in Syria and Iraq, but gaining virtual ground in cyberspace such as Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube, the UN said. “Terrorism is fundamentally the denial and destruction of human rights,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said. “Terrorism has been unfortunately with us in various forms

DARE TO INSPIRE. DARE TO LEAD. B E L E G E N D A R Y.

across ages and continents,” Guterres declared. “But modern terrorism is being waged on an entirely different scale, and notably its geographic span. No country can claim to be immune.” In 2016, nearly three-quarters of all deaths caused by terrorism were in five states – Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria and Somalia. The global economic impact of terrorism is estimated to have reached $90 billion in 2015. That year, terrorism costs amounted to 17.3 percent of gross domestic product in Iraq and 16.8 percent in Afghanistan. Recalling how the Magna Carta established the principle of the rule of law 800 years ago, Guterres said human rights are a true recognition of common humanity. “When we protect human rights, we are tackling the root causes of terrorism. For the power of human rights to bond is stronger than the power of terrorism to divide,” he said. He stressed the need for stronger international cooperation, announcing that he intends to convene the first-ever UN summit of heads of counterterrorism agencies next year to forge new partnerships and build relationships of trust. Guterres said focus on prevention, which includes addressing

the factors that radicalize young people and make terrorism a fateful option for them, should be another important priority. He said the UN has launched an anti-terror partnership, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, to thwart the spread of extremist content online. Facing threats of an unprecedented nature, states are scrambling to enhance efficiency of their counterterrorist legislation. Without a firm basis in human rights, counterterrorism policies can be misused and abused to suppress peaceful protests and legitimate opposition movements. “The battle of ideas must be won. We should never shrink from pointing out the cynicism and errors of terrorism. At the heart of darkness, we should build a new age of enlightenment,” Guterres said. “When terrorists portray violence as the best way of addressing inequality or grievances, we must answer with non-violence and inclusive decision-making,” he added. Guterres said the UN would also prioritize to lift up the voices of the victims of terrorism. He said victims and survivors of terrorist attacks must consistently call for accountability and results. He urged young people to become clear-thinking and enlightened citizens. ■

Pregnant Asian women who develop high blood pressure at highest risk for heart failure hospitalizations ANAHEIM — Women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy are more likely to experience heart problems within a few years of giving birth, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017, a premier global exchange of the latest advances in cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians. Researchers from University of California San Francisco followed the time to hospitalization from heart failure (a condition when the heart can’t pump well) and heart attack for nearly 1.6 million women in California. Women who experienced any form of pregnancy-related hypertension — gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, chronic hypertension and chronic hypertension combined with preeclampsia — were more frequently hospitalized for heart failure than women who did not experience high blood pressure during pregnancy. However, the likelihood of heart failure hospitalization depended on the patient’s racial background: Black women had the lowest likelihood of heart failure hospitalization while Asian/Pacific Islander women had the highest. White and Hispanic/Latina women fell between the two groups. Women who experienced gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and chronic hypertension were also more likely to be hospitalized for a heart attack, but unlike with heart failure, the likelihood of hospitalization for heart attack was not influenced by racial background. The analysis demonstrates that racial background influences risk of heart failure hospitalization but not hospitalization for heart attack in women with pregnancy-related hypertension. (Leila Y. Beach, M.D., University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine/AHA)

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vincial 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 fugi-

tives, 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. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

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D ateline PhiliPPines Robredo lawyers slam Marcos’ Duterte to return leadership of drug war to PNP ‘deceit, lies’ to electoral tribunal by auDrey

Morallo

Philstar.com

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, Nov. 21, blasted what her camp labeled as moves by former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to deceive and lie to the Presidential Electoral Tribunal by presenting non-registered voters as witnesses in the defeated vice presidential candidate’s electoral protest. Marcos, who lost the vice presidency to Robredo by a little more than 200,000 votes, is alleging in his electoral complaint that the vice president and the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party committed fraud during last year’s national election. Marcos, the son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos whose rule was marred by massive cases of rights abuses and corruption, has chosen three provinces, Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, as pilot areas that would allegedly demonstrate major discrepancies between cast ballots and those transmitted by the votecounting machines and reported by the Certificates of Canvass.

Robredo’s lawyers said that Marcos deceived the PET by submitting a list of witnesses from the provinces of Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan who were not registered voters during last year’s local and national polls. Romulo Macalintal and Maria Bernadette Sardillo submitted a manifestation and comment to the PET on behalf of the vice president detailing the supposed lies of Marcos to the tribunal. “In his vain attempt to convince the Honorable Tribunal to conduct a technical examination of election documents in the Provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan, Marcos has practically resorted to misleading if not totally deceptive representation,” Macalintal said in the manifestation. During the preliminary conference on July 11, both parties agreed to identify three witnesses per clustered precinct and submit their names to the PET, a requirement that Marcos failed to comply with, according to Robredo’s lawyers. Marcos was able to submit the

names of 8,000 alleged registered voters following its failure to submit them for the second time on August 29. “Contrary to these baseless claims, if not outright falsehood, the alleged witnesses identified by protestant Marcos are not registered voters,” Macalintal said. Macalintal said that with this latest finding the electoral protest of Marcos against the vice president was already bereft of facts. “Marcos must be reminded that the Honorable Tribunal is a court of law which deals with facts supported by evidence,” Macalintal said. In September, the PET upheld the integrity of the 2016 elections which Marcos questioned in his electoral case. In the same ruling, the PET ordered the retrieval of all ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia from the provinces that Marcos wanted to include in his protest. Marcos wanted to reopen the ballot boxes in 22 provinces and three urban areas which had a total of 36,000 clustered precincts. n

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

ONE month after the police exited the anti-illegal drugs campaign, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, Nov. 22, said he would soon reappoint the Philippine National Police (PNP) to lead his drug war. During his visit to the headquarters of Special Operations Command in Nueva Ecija, Duterte hinted that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which is currently spearheading the campaign, may have been struggling due to lack of manpower. According to Duterte, he has no choice but to bring back the police to prevent the drug situation in the country from worsening. “But as of now, just to, you know, parry, inilagay ko sa PDEA (I designated PDEA). But whether I like it or not, I have to return that power to the police because surely, it will increase the activity of — sa shabu (methamphetamine),” the president said. Last month, Duterte ordered the PNP out of the drug war amid public outcry over alleged police abuses and killings of suspects, including teenagers. Replacing the PNP, he designated PDEA as the “sole agency” in charge of his anti-narcotics campaign.

PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa together with Police Director Oscar David Albayalde (RD, NCRPO) visited the policemen and policewomen who were deployed during the 30th ASEAN Summit last Nov. 10-14. PNP photo

Just days after the order was issued, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino himself expressed hope that the agency’s lead role in the drug war would only be “temporary.” “I know the public has high expectations but I am asking the public for understanding because of our limitations,” Aquino said in a radio interview. “I hope this is just a temporary arrangement; we need the police.” Supporting the proposed return of police back to drug war, House minority leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez noted that the PNP “has more resources and personnel than the PDEA to confront drug syndicates.” Compared to about 175,000

police nationwide, PDEA has only about 2,000 personnel, 1,100 of which are agents. “I believe that the PDEA is doing its best to eradicate illegal drugs. However, if the problem worsens and the president decides to tap the PNP again, I will support that,” Suarez told reporters in a media briefing. He pointed out that the illegal drug trade “is a P700-billion industry whose resources cannot be matched even by the PNP.” He went on to say, “The president has admitted that he underestimated the severity of the drug problem in the country. We are far from completely eradicating illegal drugs 16 months into the campaign.” n

Roque appointed as presidential adviser on human rights alarm for activating his fierce drug war as part of his campaign promise to use deadly force to wipe out MANILA — Presidential spokes- crime and narcotics. person Harry Roque has been apMany raised their eyebrows pointed as an adviser for President when Roque, a well-known human Rodrigo Duterte on matters related rights lawyer, agreed to become to human rights. the new spokesperson to Duterte, Roque made the announcement who had repeatedly expressed his in a press statement on Wednes- contempt for human rights. day, Nov. 22. But in a previous statement, “Being appointed recently as Roque said he was not “condonpresidential adviser on human ing” the drug war by joining the rights concurrent with my being Duterte government, saying he rethe presidential spokesperson, I mains a staunch supporter of huwill take steps to ensure that the man rights as “demonstrated” by Philippines discharges its obliga- his track record as a legislator. tions in protecting and promoting “By taking this position, I hope human rights, especially the right to be able to advise the president to life,” Roque said. directly regarding the manner and Roque earlier hinted at having methods he has used to tackle another role in the Duterte admin- the problem of drugs. I have alistration on top of his job as presi- ready expressed my willingness to dential mouthpiece. serve as an adviser on the matter,” Duterte has incited international Roque said. by ian

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

nicolaS cigaral Philstar.com

“I intend to refocus the attention of the people more towards the fundamental position of the State, and less towards the manner by which such has been declared,” he added. “Similarly, I am committing to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the impact of statements which appear to support genocide or violations of fundamental human rights.” Roque taught law at the University of the Philippines and was the head of Center for International Law, the Philippine-based human rights advocacy group whose lawyers represented the families of the victims of the Ampatuan Massacre and the kin of killed transgender woman Jennifer Laude, among others. CenterLaw also represents victims of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs in petitions filed at the Supreme Court. n

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november 24-30, 2017 • oC/Ie 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 whitecollar 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 giftgiving, 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 holi-

Thanksgiving challenge: What is your gratitude inventory? day 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) *** Dr Dan Steinbock is the founder of Differvence 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/

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

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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FIL-AM ARTIST FRANCIS CALIMLIM

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Connecting with his history, community and identity BY

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. “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,

“W/alis,” 2016.

MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE / AJPRESS

and I basically just go for the ride.” Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Calimlim was only three years old when he and his family immigrated to the United States. His mother was from Nueva 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

“Peaces,” 2016, in plaster cast.

State University, majoring in Multimedia. Although he pursued 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 Filipino-American, 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

“The Three That Made It (Were Left Behind,” 2017.

“Without A [(Be)C/P(I)]ause.”

“Lazarus,” 2017.

“Bumalik ka na, ha ha ha,” 2017”

Francis Calimlim

The artist doing work on “A Lala.”

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. “ 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, FilipinoAmerican 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 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.

“A Lala,” 2017.

Calimlim’s artist statement reveals his eagerness to explore “subjectivity within Fil-Am 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 Filipino 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 “Mmm, ano? K! Manok, man. OK: Chickens,” Filipino things!.’ It can really narrow 2017. 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 presidency 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. *Cover photos: Installation, “Balik” (2016), medium: balikbayan cardboard boxes, rope, duct tape. All photos courtesy of Francis Calimlim.

Getting to know Miss Universe-Philippines 2017 Rachel Peters Why Pia Wurtzbach believes Rachel

BY MONET

LU

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

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 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

Peters deserves to be Miss Universe 2017

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

AT first, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach seemed hesitant to answer why Miss Philippines Rachel Peters should win Miss Universe 2017. Perhaps, Pia, who will be judging at the pageant’s coronation night on November 26, does not want to be accused as biased to any candidate. She, however, is confident that Rachel would take home Philippines’ fourth Miss Universe crown, not only because Rachel is the Miss World Philippines 2014 her “kababayan.” pageant, where she placed 4th “Like a lot of people have said, Princess to Valerie Weigmann. she is the perfect package. I don’t She loves dogs and posts think people have anything to a lot of photos with her pets. worry about,” Pia told Philstar.com. According to her Bb Pilipinas During the Miss Universe profile, Rachel completed her International Baccalaureate at the 2017 welcome party in Las Vegas, British School in Phuket, Thailand, Rachel wore a dress in Pia’s signature royal blue. When asked and graduated with a Bachelors if Pia thinks Rachel and other Miss degree in Business, Tourism and Events from La Trobe University in Universe candidates have been copying her style, Pia said: “I think Australia. She is also an events organizer. she has her own identity. I mean, that’s her advocacy. Her advocacy On her Bb. Pilipinas video profile, is celebrating self-identity. I don’t she talked about organizing Continued on Page 3 really see it as other girls making

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach Philstar.com photo

up a formula on how to win.” Though Pia thinks Rachel has what it takes to bring home the bacon, winning still depends on how a candidate projects herself onstage and “if it’s meant for you.” Continued on Page 3

Zanjoe Marudo dapper on iEmmys red carpet This is a dream come true. I thank the jurors, the show MMK, ABSCBN and Star Magic,” Marudo ZANJOE Marudo stood tall said in statement sent to The and proud as the lone Filipino nominee at the 45th International Manila Times in October when his nomination was first announced. Emmy Awards (iEmmys) in New In 2016, Marudo’s colleague York Monday night, Nov. 20. Wearing a white-on-white suit, the in Star Magic, Jodi Sta. Maria, was also nominated for the top female 35-year old ABS-CBN talent said he felt like winner just by walking acting honors for her role in the length of red the carpet along “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.” It will be remembered that with gifted actors from all around MMK gave Marudo one of his the world. Marudo was nominated for his first acting jobs after his stint in the “Pinoy Big Brother” reality portrayal of a single father who show in 2006. That same year, raised his children in side a cave he starred with Rica Peralejo after a storm ravaged their home and Derek Ramsay in the “Love in an episode of “Maalaala Mo Letter” episode of the anthology. Kaya.” He lost to no less than the Between 2006 and 2016, Marudo British multi-awarded actor and counts a total of 13 MMKs in his director Kenneth Branagh for the body of work. UK crime series “Wallander.” Marudo said that while this Besides Branagh, Marudo was latest validation of his acting up against Brazil’s Julio Andrade skills comes from an international and France’s Kad Merad. award-giving body, he has also “This recognition from the iEmmys is a personal milestone for thrived in nominations in the local scene. me as an actor and as a Filipino. The actor was nominated in 2011 for two awards: New Movie Actor of the Year at the PMPC Star Awards for Movies for the Star Cinema Film “You Got Me!” and Breakthrough Actor of the Year at Golden Screen Awards for “Altar.” In 2011, he took home the 9th Gawad Tanglaw for Television’s Best Single Performance by an Actor for his role in MMK’s “Kuliglig” episode. Thereafter, he was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award at the 38th Metro Manila Film Festival for his portrayal as Angel Locsin’s devoted boyfriend in the drama movie “One More Try.” The same role earned him two more best supporting actor nominations in the 61st FAMAS Photos from Instagram/@onlyzanjoemarudo Awards and the 29th PMPC Star

by IZA IGLESIAS ManilaTimes.net

enjoy being in Vegas. “Like with all the girls, I told them to have fun and stay focused. Don’t get distracted especially at this time of the competition where you’re there already, you’re wearing the sash already. People are trying to tell you what to do, but don’t get distracted and just focus on yourself,” Pia reminded Rachel and

Getting to know Miss Universe-Philippines...

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From Page 2

Zanjoe Marudo

Awards for Movies. Most recently, Marudo won the PinakaPasadong Katuwang na Aktor in the 19th Gawad Pasado Awards for the movie “The Third Party.” The dramedy was all the more challenging for Marudo as he portrayed Sam Milby’s new love interest. It also marked his second movie with Locsin who played Milby’s ex-girlfriend.

Why Pia Wurtzbach believes Rachel Peters deserves...

From Page 2 In an earlier interview with ABS-CBN, Pia said that the coronation venue, Planet Hollywood, has been lucky for her, so she hopes that the lucky streak would extend to Rachel this year. If Pia has a contribution to Rachel’s Miss Universe training, it would be her advice to keep her eyes on the prize but not forget to

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

other Philippine pageant bets. “And most importantly, to have fun because these few weeks are going to go by so fast and you don’t want to regret not making friends, having fun because whatever the results, that’s the kind of memories that you’re going to take with you!” (Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/ Philstar.com)

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, award-

winning 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

november 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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H Mart Arcadia grand opening on December 8 fishery. H Mart is also known as the ‘One-Stop Shopping’ place for all shoppers in different ethnicities, backgrounds and ages. H Mart arcadia is over 40,000 square feet of retail space and will be placed in 1101 W Huntington Dr. arcadia, Ca 91007. By directly providing products directly from its Ca warehouse and local farms, Hmart arcadia will retain and elevate its freshness to meet customers’ needs. “On behalf of the residents of arcadia I welcome H Mart. We are excited and honored that H Mart has chosen our great town for a location for their grocery store. It is a win-win, great for the community and great for H Mart. I wish them many many years of success here in arcadia,” said arcadia Mayor, Peter amundson. H Mart President Brian Kwon said, “as H Mart would like to give special thanks to arcadia and the surrounding communities for

H Mart, a leading international supermarket chain has made a final announcement of H Mart arcadia Grand Opening and is set to open its doors at 10:30am on Friday, December 8. a number of community leaders and representatives are set to participate and celebrate the Grand Opening. the Grand Opening will feature a ribbon Cutting Ceremony followed by a “Unexpectedly Yours” stars Sharon Cuneta and Robin Padilla, and Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto. Star Cinema photos Korean traditional Folk dance and Chinese Lion Dance. a variety of FrEE GIFtS will be given out to new and current Hmart Smart Card members (while supplies last) as well as all shoppers, purchasing over $30 by Jan Milo Severo (thirty dollars). In addition, facehaving a project together is a ‘yon, ang bigat sa pakiramdam Philstar.com painting events will be held for blessing for them. paggising mo. Siya (Julia) nakita children (Weekends only). “Personally, gusto ko kako na may kasamang ibang lalake, KaPaMILYa love team H Mart is an upscale trabaho si Josh kasi masarap umiyak ako. Parang secretly may “JoshLia,” composed of Joshua supermarket with more than magtrabaho ‘pag kasama mo sinasamahan s’yang iba. Paggising Garcia and Julia Barretto, shared 90 stores in U. S nationwide. It ‘yung taong nagi-inspire sa’yo, ko ang bigat sa pakiramdam. what could be their “scariest serves both traditional asian and nagpapangiti sa’yo so ‘yung work, Salamat at panaginip lang,” the nightmare.” international food, with fresh hindi sya nagiging work parang “Good Son” actor said. “there is one time, in my produce, meat, poultry, and mas light sya,” Julia said. Since the success of the film dreams, there is something bad the love team said fans “Vince and Kath and James,” the happened kay Josh. Umiiyak ako always request for them to have pair skyrocketed to the top. Now, sa dream ko hanggang paggising their photos taken together they have an upcoming movie ko. Talagang iyak ako ng iyak especially when on a date. with no other than the “Bad hanggang narealize ko na dream by iza igleSiaS “Ayun din yung maganda eh. Boy of Philippine movies” robin lang pala iyon,” Julia told select ManilaTimes.net Nabibigay namin sa kanila and at Padilla and “Megastar” Sharon media during JoshLia’s launch of the same time, gusto rin namin na Cuneta. IN her almost 13 years in the new Oppo F5. lumabas so parang hindi namin “I am overwhelmed and very show business, Bianca King has For Joshua, who had many kailangang magtago sa mga tao excited na makakatrabaho namin learned the true meaning of ups experiences in supernatural na lalabas kami,” said Joshua. sila ni Josh. It is really a great and down. With most of her career occurrences but refused to share “Unexpectedly Yours,” starring spent at GMa Network where she opportunity that we really have his stories, his worst nightmare JoshLia, Sharon Cuneta and to grab right away,” said Julia. starred in over a dozen soaps, she was seeing his partner Julia with robin Padilla, will be showing on had a two-year stint in tV5, which JoshLia admitted that they another guy. November 29. want to be together always, so wasn’t too memorable radar-wise, “Nangyari na rin sa akin finally transferring to aBS-CBN in 2016. Immediately, the dramatic actress was cast in the afternoon series “Pusong Ligaw” as lead KaPaMILYa actor Piolo Pascual expressed antagonist Marga, and the show support for his friend and Star Magic co-actor John has turned out to be her longest Lloyd Cruz (JLC), who is rocked by recent intrigues, television project ever. including the alleged pregnancy of his rumored “actually, from the story girlfriend Ellen adarna. conference in October 2016, a “Same thing with tin (toni Gonzaga), we only whole year had passed since I want what’s best for him. It’s not for us to even joined aBS-CBN. and then with comment or say anything about him because that’s his decision. We’re always gonna be here as a friend, ‘Pusong Ligaw’ starting in april, this has definitely been my as a brother, as a family. I’ll protect him as a brother longest soap so far. and hindi and as a friend,” Piolo said. ko naramdaman na dumaan Piolo temporarily replaced John Lloyd in JLC’s yung panahon because I’m really aBS-CBN sitcom “Home Sweetie Home,” in which enjoying myself,” King happily John Lloyd stars with toni. the blockbuster actor said, clearly grateful she made is still in his indefinite leave from the Kapamilya the right move to her present network. Continued on Page 6 network.

“I’ve been a Kapamilya for a year, but it only feels like I’ve only been here a month, meaning to say all my experiences still feel fresh. I feel at home as well because of all the lovely people I work with,” the 32-year-old actress continued. the hit afternoon series begins its second chapter today and King is very excited over the

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia on working with Robin Padilla, Sharon Cuneta

loving our arcadia store, we will prepare hard everyday to serve customers and go beyond any expectations of our opening.” and added that Hmart arcadia will be a new destination where customers can truly enjoy ‘Good for all’ H Mart is a 34 years old supermarket chain, which started with first store in Woodside, NY in 1982, offering robust and unique cultural foods that also promote a rich and healthy lifestyle. today H Mart operates more than 90 stores in 14 states and in one of the leading international supermarket chains in the United States. In 2014, Hmart was recognized as one of the fastest growing retailers in the National retail Federation’s HOt 100 rEtaILErS (#13 Hmart). In 2016, Supermarket News has listed Hmart as one of the top 50 Small Chains and Independents in the United States & Canada. (Advertising Supplement)

Bianca King knows she made the right move

Piolo Pascual to John Lloyd Cruz: I got your back

John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual

ABS-CBN photo

EMPLOYMENT

Bianca King

Photo from Instagram/@bianca_king

exciting turn of events in the gripping and sexy love story that also stars Beauty Gonzalez, Joem Bascon, raymond Bagatsing, Diego Loyzaga, Sofia andres and Enzo Pineda. “Expect a lot more intense scenes,” promised King as she invites the public to watch Pusong Ligaw weekdays after “It’s Showtime”.

november 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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.

Maraming Salamat Po!

Los Angeles • San Diego • Las Vegas • San Francisco 128 N. Gibbs St. Pomona, CA 91767

1 (800) 2-UNISTAR www.unistarfoodsinc.com

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NOVEMBER 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

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The curious case of Stephen C. Davis A ghost story

“...In memory of one American soldier...”

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

Calendar of Events across

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

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS N OV E M B E R 29

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.

N OV E M B E R 3 0

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.

D EC E M B E R 1

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.

D EC E M B E R 3

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.

D EC E M B E R 27-29

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).

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

Urban & Regional Planning. That haunted building has been razed and there stands a newer multistory building. At night, the custodian claimed that when all the rooms were locked up and no one was inside, 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 weightless, 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 important” 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 of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Piolo Pascual to John Lloyd Cruz: I got... From Page 4

When asked if he will be a permanent replacement for John Lloyd, Piolo said there is still no word from ABS-CBN if he will be a regular cast in the sitcom. “It’s not for me to say. When they asked me to guest because of the current situation, of course, you know, being an ABS talent and I have a very good relationship with my network, who am I to say no?” Piolo shared that according to Toni, the show’s ratings remain the same and the audience accepts what is happening on the show as the advertisers are still there. “The show has been there for three years kaya may solid na siyang foundation. I’m just there to fill in. ‘Yun lang ang alam ko for now.” Piolo is also now the face of Mober app, an instant and on-demand platform for same-day delivery solutions at affordable prices. The app aims to provide start-up businesses with safe and cost-effective logistical services. (Philstar.com)

John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual

ABS-CBN photo

NOVEMBER 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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-in-chief 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 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

Fascinating history

thousands of congenital heart surgeries in infants, and for valve. the “current” knowledge in being the first to successfully 1952 - F. John Lewis, an physiology then said angina remove pulmonary emboli (clots American surgeon, performed pectoris (chest pain) was due to in the lungs). the first successful open heart spasm in the coronary arteries 1965 - Michael De Bakey and surgery. which supply the heart muscles Adrian Kantrowitz, American 1953 - John H. Gibbon, an with oxygen and nutrition. surgeons, implanted mechanical American surgeon, introduced The first milestone that devise to help the diseased started it all was in 1628 when an the heart lung machine (which he heart. published as a concept in 1937) English physician first described 1967 - Christian Barnard of and first used this mechanical blood circulation. Inspired by South Africa, performed the first heart and “blood purifier” to do that, these historical events whole heart transplant from one the first “real open heart surgery” person to another. followed: utilizing the heart lung machine, 1706 - Raymond de 1968 - Denton Cooley precursor of the modern day Vieussens, a French anatomy performed the first heart cardiopulmonary bypass professor, first described the transplant in the United States structure of the heart’s chambers machine. on a 47-year-old man, using 1950 - John Hopps, a and vessels. a donor heart from a 15-yearCanadian, invented the external 1733 - Stephen Hales, an old. The patient lived for 204 heart pacemaker. That same year, days. He had done 22 heart English clergyman and scientist Willem Greatbatch introduced first measured blood pressure. transplants over the next year, a the concept of an implantable 1816 - Rene T. H. Laennec, a record at the time. (internal) heart pacemaker. French physician, invented the 1969 - Denton A. Cooley 1960 - The first self-contained implanted the first artificial first stethoscope. implantable heart pacemaker 1903 - Eillem Einthoven, a (mechanical) heart on a man to made by Medtronic was inserted “tide him over” and keep him Dutch physician, developed the by W. C. Lillihei. Over the years, first electrocardiogram. alive while waiting for a donor this has been improved, made 1912 - James B. Herrick, heart. more versatile, smaller, better, an American physician, first 1972 - In the field of clinical described heart disease resulting and longer lasting. application, Denton A. Cooley 1961 - J. R. Jude, an American had, by this time, performed from hardening of the arteries, a cardiologist, led a ream in fundamental concept that led to more than 10,000 open-heart performing the first external the modern therapy of today. surgeries, more than any other cardiac massage to re-start the 1938 - Robert E. Gross, an surgeon in the world. That American surgeon, performed the heart, the foundation for today’s year, in his honor, the Denton CPR. first heart surgery (close-heart, A. Cooley Cardiovascular 1960s - Denton A. not open-heart). Surgical Society was founded. Cooley of Houston, Texas, rose 1951 - Charles Hufnagel, an Its members are the more than to fame for his extraordinary American surgeon, developed a 800 heart surgeons from 50 dexterity in performing plastic valve to repair the aortic countries around the world

Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano

Of love and family at Christmas ABS-CBN’s station ID gathers 100-plus Kapamilya stars

CHRISTMAS is definitely on the airwaves as ABS-CBN repeatedly runs its 2017 Christmas station ID, dubbed “Just Love Ngayong Christmas. Launched a week ago today, its official hashtag #justLoveDay quickly trended across the country and around the world what with over 100 Kapamilya stars featured in the touching music video. They include Coco Martin and the cast of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis and the rest of the “It’s Showtime” family, love teams Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, James Reid and Nadine Lustre, Kapamilya hunks like Zanjoe Marudo, Jericho Rosales, Paulo Avelino, Gerald Anderson, and leading ladies Jodi Sta. Maria, Kim Chiu, Julia Baretto, and Judy Ann Santos. The stars of various Kapamilya shows like “Wildflower,”“Pusong Ligaw,” “The Promise of Forever,”“Banana Sundae,”“Magandang Buhay,” and “La Luna Sangre” are featured in Just Love, as well as the anchors of “TV Patrol,” “UKG,”“Rated K,”“Red Alert,”“Matanglawin,” ANC, and DZMM. Making sure to represent the media conglomerate’s affiliates include artists from Star Music, Tarsier Records, and sports stars that can be seen on ABS-CBN Sports+Action. Leading the powerful lineup of singers behind the song are Sarah Geronimo, Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga, Ogie Alcasid, Erik Santos, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Billy Crawford, Yeng Constantino, ASAP regulars, and winners from the Kapamilya network’s talent reality programs. The recording lyric video for Just Love Ngayong Christmas got over three million views in less than a week after its launch. The station ID video, meanwhile, is approaching one million views. In a nutshell, Just Love features snippets of real people sharing what they have with strangers, helping one another in times of distress, and showing hope and resilience in videos or photos that went viral online and touched the hearts of many people this year. The stars are also seen writing notes to cheer up and console the people of Marawi City who are still recovering from the months’ long conflict and doing their own acts of charity. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

TRAVEL TRADE & CONSUMER MULTI-CITY ROADSHOWS PROMOTING TOURISM, TRADE, AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE USA AND PHILIPPINES.

AUGUST 2018

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.

GLOBAL BUSINESS NETWORKING & MARKETING Nadine Lustre and James Reid

Anne Curtis and Vice Ganda

ABS-CBN photos

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FOR MORE INFORMATION TRAVELTRADECONSUMER.COM I INFO@ASIANJOURNALINC.COM

november 24-30, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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