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M I D W E E K M I D W E E K
EDITION
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E May D I 11-13, T I O2016 N
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T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r
Volume 26 - No. 38 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages
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Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey
Tels: 818.502.0651 • 213.250.9797 • Fax: 818.502.0858 • 213.481.0854
‘CHANGE IS COMING’
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Duterte slated to be Philippines’ next president by Christina
M. Oriel
AJPress
mANILA — Davao City mayor rodrigo Duterte is set to become the 16th president of the Philippines, as unofficial vote counts show him in an insurmountable lead and as top rivals conceded defeat. With 92.7 percent of precincts counted as of this writing on tuesday, may 10, Duterte, who ran under the PDP-Laban party, clinched 15,520,595 million votes or 38.65 percent. trailing behind in second was Liberal Party (LP) bet manuel
“mar” roxas with 9,386,781 million votes, followed by senator Grace Poe with 8,690,863 million votes, Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) with 5,154,026 million votes, and senator miriam Defensor-santiago coming in fifth with 1,383,318 million votes. An estimated 54.5 million filipinos were eligible to vote on monday, may 9 for over 18,000 positions throughout the country. more than 92,000 precincts opened that morning at 6 am and closed at 5 pm; however, there had been reports of vote-count-
ing machine (VCm) glitches in metro manila and beyond, so several precincts stayed open until 6 pm if voting was delayed. At the end of the voting period, Commission on elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista told reporters that voter turnout was at 81.62 percent, a historic number compared to the last three automated elections. Binay was the first presidential candidate to head to the polls on monday, filling out his ballot at san Antonio National high school in makati City past 6 am. An hour later, santiago cast her
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USA
DATELINE Filipino World War II vets can reunite with family under new parole program from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
Applications begin June 8
After decades of waiting, filipino World War II veterans living in the United states can now be reunited with family members under a new policy announced by the Us Citizenship and Immigration services (UsCIs). the guidelines for the filipino World War II Veterans Parole (fWVP) Program were released on monday, may 9, outlining who are eligible to apply and what the process entails. the application comes nearly a year after the program was first announced last July in a White house report that provided recommendations on how to “modernize and streamline” the immigration system following President Barack obama’s executive actions on immigration. starting June 8, “certain beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions” can request a discretionary grant of parole to come to the United states while they wait for their immigrant visa to become available.
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Leni Robredo
Bongbong Marcos
OAV votes may swing VP race results Robredo, Marcos neck and neck by MOMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
NeW YorK — All eyes are now on overseas Absentee Voters (oAV) and their votes which could very well decide who the next vice president of the Philippines will be. In a tightly-contested match, Liberal Party’s Leni robredo has taken the lead from independent candidate Bongbong marcos a few hours after the unofficial vote tally were made available online. As of press time, robredo has 13,841,197 votes against marcos who has 13,608,721. It may take a while to see the final results though because of a last minute Comelec ruling that took into consideration the fact that there is no mail delivery on saturdays and sundays. Consulate officials were worried earlier that many ballots would arrive monday after the initially agreed upon 5:00 am deadline in New York, or whatever the time equivalent of 5:00 pm
INCOMING PRESIDENT. Duterte kept a convincing lead on Tuesday, May 11 breaching 15 million votes in unofficial count the day after the May 9 Philippine national elections. Duterte has parlayed decades at Davao City Hall into a successful, if controversial, run for Malacañang with millions seemingly endorsing his tough stance on crime and his self-described “gutter” language. Inquirer.net photo by Nestor Corrales
PH elects first transgender member of Congress by Billy
Dela AJPress
WhILe the Philippines has yet to reconsider its conservative stand on major issues such as same-sex marriage, divorce and death penalty, this predominantly Catholic nation is ready to welcome its very first transgender congresswoman in the incoming 17th Congress. 49-year-old Geraldine roman made
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by tetCh
A fILIPINo federal security officer suspected of fatally shooting three and wounding three others was arrested friday, may 6, the Associated Press reported. eulalio tordil, 62, is linked to shooting victims at mall and supermarket on friday, less than 24 hours after he allegedly shot his estranged wife, Gladys tordil, 44, in the parking lot of high Point high school in Beltsville, maryland. his wife was at the school to pick up her children when tordil shot her multiple times in her car, rappler reported. he also shot a bystander who attempted to aid his wife. No students were reported to have been shot at the school. Police in Prince George’s County have charged tordil with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and other related charges. on saturday, montgomery County police said the gunman is being held without bond for the charg-
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tOrres-tupas Inquirer.net
former President Joseph estrada won his second term as manila mayor on tuesday, may 10, narrowly beating former mayor Alfredo Lim. estrada was proclaimed the winner after garnering 283,149 votes, only 2,685 higher
Cruz
Geraldine Roman
than Lim’s 280,464 votes. estrada’s victory will give him fresh three-year mandate. he first beat Lim in 2013. Lim served as mayor for 12 years. manila representative Amado Bagatsing received 167,829 votes. Dr. maria shielah “honey” Lacuna-Pan-
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history as the country’s first transgender congresswoman after winning the first legislative district seat of Bataan following the national elections held on monday, may 9. “the politics of bigotry, hatred and discrimination did not triumph. What triumphed was the politics of love, acceptance and respect,” roman told AfP after being proclaimed the winner.
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Binays back in Makati by Mike
FrialDe Philstar.com
Former Makati City 2nd District Rep. Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” BinayCampos was proclaimed as the new mayor of Makati City. Philstar.com/File photo
mANILA — At exactly 4:16am tuesday, may 10, former makati City 2nd District rep. mar-Len Abigail “Abby” Binay-Campos (UNA) was proclaimed by the board of election canvassers as the new mayor of the city, mark-
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w w w . i s l a n d p a c i f i c m a r k e t . c o m
A MAY 11-13, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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EXCITING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN CEBU
T
he bustling investment haven of the country is once again the chosen location of a world-class development project. Cebu City continues to be the top of mind choice for more investors and the excitement is palpable in the real estate sector. With the upswing in real estate development in the country, investors are also directing their focus away from congested Metro Manila and finding Cebu as the perfect location. In the center of action, Cebu posted an increase of 42.09% with estimated earnings of Php 27.49 billion pesos in tourism activity alone as compared to its performance last year in the same period of P19.35 billion pesos. More foreign travelers are finding the Cebu experience incomparable and Filipino retirees from across the world are coming to enjoy and settle in their homeland; in fact, there are already available non-stop flights from Cebu to Los Angeles. Worldwide Central Properties, with over 40 years of experience and expertise in the steel and construction supply business raises the bar of development a notch as it moves towards the final stage in its partnership with an international brand for the management of its serviced residences. The strong partnership of an established Cebu-based business conglomerate with a world-class hospitality management company shall develop THE RESIDENCES AT GORORDO, centrally located in Gorordo Avenue across the Cebu Business Park. The landmark avenue is where one finds a mix of the old and modern Cebuano cultural experience all within a long stretch of commercial establishments
and institutions in education, religion, medical facilities, hotels and restaurants, and old homes dating back to post-war history. Taking inspiration from the iconic Flatiron Building in New York City, The Residences in Gorordo offers 310 units of luxury homes. There are 160 Residential Condominiums with more spacious room areas and premium unit materials for the tasteful international traveler, retiree or Cebu resident. Another 150 Serviced Apartments managed as a long stay hotel will add more opportunities for investors to own income-generating assets. Worldwide Central Properties is also behind Sundance Residences located at Banawa, Cebu. The project was designed by a worldclass design team headed by Kenneth Cobonpue. It has a Party Hall where residents can hold parties with family and friends. For the health and fitness enthusiast, a gym with the latest equipment is available. A jogging path, outdoor playground, prayer room, meditation garden and a poolside lounge within the property are all part of the whole design.
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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 11-13, 2016
A
From the Front Page
Duterte slated to be Philippines’ next… PAGE A1 t
PNOY’S VOTE. President Benigno S. Aquino III leads the 52 million Filipino registered voters in casting the vote for the 2016 elections at precinct 175-A at the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Elementary School in Barangay San Miguel, Tarlac City on Monday, May 9. Malacañang photo by Marcelino Pascua
OAV votes may swing VP race…
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Monday in the Philippines when all the voting centers closed. Mailed ballots that arrived up to the extended deadline of 12:00 noon Monday were still included in the counting. Each ballot then had to be cross-referenced with the list of voters to identify as to which precinct it would belong to, before being fed to the vote counting machines. In New York, 314 ballots were delivered on Monday, bringing the post’s total to 10,267 votes cast. This figure represents a
39.5 percent turnout. As of press time, Robredo is leading the vice presidential race with 4,417 votes, followed by Alan Cayetano with 2594 votes and Marcos in third place with 2,205 votes. As expected, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte leads the presidential race with 4,971 votes, followed by Mar Roxas 3,125. Sen. Grace Poe is at third place with 991 votes. Consul Kerwin Tate, one of the three chairmen of the Special Board of Election Investors in
New York will deliver the election returns and the memory cards to Washington, DC where representatives from the various consulates will gather to tally the votes of the United States voters. Swing Vote There are 1,376,067 registered overseas voters (land-based and seafarers), according to data from the Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS). Of this figure, 275,689 come from North and Latin America, with an estimated
ballot at La Vista Clubhouse in Quezon City. Roxas was in Roxas City, Capiz to place his votes at Rufina Andrada Santos Memorial School. Poe visited the grave of her late father Fernando Poe Jr. before heading to Sta. Lucia Elementary School in San Juan City. Duterte, who was the last among the bets to cast his ballot, told reporters in Davao City in the afternoon that, “I don’t want to be presumptuous [about the results]… I ain’t there until I am there. This will be my 11th election in my life. I never experienced defeat. Maybe this time, if it’s God’s will. But If I win, I’ll do my job.” Roxas, who came in second in the latest partial and unofficial results, held a press conference at the LP headquarters in Cubao, Quezon City, acknowledging Duterte as the winner. “According to the unofficial tally of Comelec, Mayor Digong is the clear winner. I wish you success, Mayor Duterte. Your
success is the success of the Filipino people,” Roxas said, thanking his supporters. Before midnight on Monday, Poe (who has three years left in her Senate term) conceded the presidential race to Duterte. Early in the partial vote counts, Poe was placing second, but was ultimately overtaken by Roxas. “Ako si Grace Poe...ay nagbibigay-daan kay Rodrigo Duterte... na siyang napili ng nakararami sa ating mga kababayan (I am Grace Poe, and I am giving way to Rodrigo Duterte, whom majority of our countrymen have chosen),” she said. Prior to talking to reporters, the senator reportedly called Duterte to congratulate him. The presidential candidates marked the end of the 90-day campaign period on Saturday, May 7 with miting de avances (final rallies) across Metro Manila in last-minute attempts to garner support: Duterte and running mate Alan Peter Cayetano at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park;
Roxas and his running mate Rep. Leni Robredo held a star-studded event at Quezon City Circle, with the promise to continue “Daang Matuwid” (straight path); Poe and Sen. Chiz Escudero at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo; Binay and other UNA candidates at Lawton in Makati; and Santiago and running mate Bongbong Marcos held a “street party” in Quezon City’s West Triangle. On the eve of election day, President Benigno S. Aquino III called for elections that are “peaceful, orderly, and truly mirror the spirit of democracy.” “Let me stress: In a democracy, everyone can decide. In the end, after the elections, hopefully, the bickering will end. Let us respect and understand any decision borne out of the collective voice of the majority,” Aquino’s statement in Filipino said. The president had previously urged Roxas to forge an alliance with Poe to defeat Duterte. However, Poe rejected the proposal,
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PH elects first transgender member of…
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Partial and unofficial election results as of Tuesday, May 10, showed that Roman won with 104,287 votes (62 percent) compared to Danilo Malana, who received 63,881 votes (38 percent). A devout Catholic, Roman said it was her family’s love and support, and her faith that helped her throughout this journey. “I am Catholic and I just happen to be a transgender. You can reconcile the fact that you’re Catholic and you are true to yourself,” Roman said. Roman, who admitted to have undergone gender reassignment
20 years ago, said she is looking forward to proving her critics wrong. “I’m elated, very, very happy. I’m also excited to work. I realize that the burden is bigger because the stereotype of people about the LGBT is we are frivolous, that we have nothing substantial to say, so I have to prove them wrong,” she said. In an interview with ABSCBN’s “TV Patrol” aired on Tuesday, May 10, Roman said that public service has always been close to her heart because of her father, the late former Bataan Rep. Antonino Roman. “Marami kaming natutulungan
(we are able to help a lot of people), our family, ang parents ko (my parents) particularly. And I said, ‘well somebody has to continue the tradition of service of the Roman family,’” she said. Before politics, Roman worked as a senior editor for a news agency in Madrid, Spain. She decided to come back in 2012 to take care of her ailing father, who eventually passed away due to multiple organ failure in January 2014. Roman will succeed her mother, outgoing Bataan Rep. Herminia Roman, who has already served the maximum three-year
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Listahan ng paghihintay para sa Long Beach Housing Authority Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher at HOPWA ay magbubukas ng June 6, 2016 Pagtanggap ng mga Aplikasyon Ang Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach (HACLB) ay magsisimulang tumanggap ng mga aplikasyon para sa Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) at HOPWA (pabahay na oportunidad para sa mga taong may AIDS) simula Lunes, June 6, 2016 at magsasara ng Lunes, June 20, 2016. Ang voucher ay maaaring gamitin sa kahit anong uri ng pamamahay na rerentahan na tumatanggap ng Section 8 at umaayon sa pamantayan ng programa. Paano Ako Mag-aaplay: Maaari mong kumpletuhin ang isang online na aplikasyon sa www.longbeach.gov/haclb/apply. Mangyaring tawagan ang Linya ng Telepono ukol sa Awtomatikong Impormasyon para sa karagdagang impormasyon — (562) 570.6309. Kung walang desktop computer na magagamit kaagad, mangyaring bumisita sa isa sa aming mga satellite na lokasyon na nakalista sa ibaba upang makumpleto ang iyong aplikasyon. WALANG MAKUKUHANG APLIKASYON SA TANGGAPAN NG AWTORIDAD NG PABAHAY SA LUNGSOD NG LONG BEACH
Long Beach Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher and HOPWA waiting list to open June 6, 2016
Accepting Applications
The Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach (HACLB) will be accepting applications for its Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) program and HOPWA Program (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS) starting Monday, June 6, 2016 and will close on June 20, 2016. These vouchers can be used in any unit as long as the unit you wish to rent accepts Section 8 and meet the standards of the program. How Do I Apply: You may complete an application online at www.longbeach.gov/haclb/apply. Please call the Automated Information Telephone Line for more information — (562) 570.6309. If a desktop computer is not readily available to you please visit one of our satellite locations listed below to complete your application. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH OFFICE All City of Long Beach Public Libraries 2017 E 4th Street The Center 1150 E. Fourth Street Long Beach Senior Center Centro C.H.A. (Community Hispanic Association) 205 E. Anaheim St. Cal Rec Community Center United Cambodian Community Houghton Park Community Center Silverado Park Community Center Filipino Migrant Center
1550 Martin Luther King Blvd 2201 E. Anaheim St Suite 200 6301 Myrtle Ave 1545 W. 31st Street 2125 Santa Fe Ave
10:00 am – 3:00 pm 9:00 am — 2:00 pm 8:30 am — 6:00 pm 8:30 am — 3:00 pm 9:00 am — 2:00 pm 9:00 am — 12:00 pm 9:00 am — 2:00 pm 9:00 am — 2:00 pm 10:00 am — 2:00 pm
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From the Front Page
A MAY 11-13, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Binays back in…
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ing the return of the Binay family at the political helm of the country’s premier business capital. Campos-Binay defeated her rival, Liberal Party candidate and outgoing Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña with 152,859 votes garnered. Peña got 137,329 votes while independent candidate Jimmy Jumawan got 1,755 votes. Canvassed at the Makati Coliseum were 299,857 votes. Makati City has 379,303 registered voters. Also proclaimed winner as the city’s new vice mayor was former Makati 1st District Rep. Monique Lagdameo (UNA) who got 165,894 votes trouncing Liberal Party bet Karla Mercado who got 103,209. Independent candidates Glenn Enciso and Edgardo Padrigon meanwhile got 5,055 and 1,877 votes, respectively. The Binay-led slate also took control of the 15-member Makati City Council, losing only two seats to Peña’s slate. Among those proclaimed as new councilors were actor Virgilio “Jhong” HIlario and singer Rico J. Puno who both run under Binay’s UNA banner. Proclaimed as Makati’s new 1st District Rep. was actor and former councilor Monsour del Rosario while proclaimed Makati’s new 2nd District Rep. was Abby’s husband Luis Campos. Tension meanwhile gripped the canvassing of votes after the official tallying was suspended at
about 9:11 p.m. with 88.01 percent of the votes cast. According Peña’s camp, their supporters prevented the transfer of election paraphernalia and vote counting machines to the City Treasurer’s Office after complaining of alleged cheating. Peña’s supporters also claimed that the outgoing mayor did not get a single vote in at least three schools that served as polling precincts in the city’s second district-known as his bailiwick. At about 8 p.m., Peña’s supporters started barricading the gates of the Benigno Aquino High School and prevented the transport of election paraphernalia. Some 117 teachers at the Rizal Elementary School who served as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) found themselves trapped by Peña’s supporters who refused to let them out along with the questioned election paraphernalia and vote-counting machines. Peña supporters also barricaded the gates of the Cembo Elementary School. The tension later simmered down after Peña instructed his supporters to allow the transfer of the questioned election paraphernalia to a secured Commission on Elections (Comelec) area and allow the counting of votes to continue. The teachers at the Rizal Elementary School were able to safely leave the school building later. Reached for comment about the incidents at the three District
2 schools, Binay-Campos said Peña’s supporters did not understand the vote counting process. “Di ‘ata nila naintindihan ‘yung proseso. Kasi nga ‘di ba trinatransmit ‘yung resulta. If they stop or interfere in the transport of election paraphernalia, (it) is an election offense. Baka ‘yun hindi nila alam. And it’s also a sign of desperation, ‘di ba? It seems na ayaw nilang respetuhin ‘yung resulta, kaya gusto nila manual (counting of votes),” Binay-Campos said. “I mean they are actually demanding for a manual counting. Kung magpapa-manual counting ka dapat may petition ka, dapat may lawyer ka, I mean my proseso yan, hindi ‘yung pwedeng magbabarikada, ibabarikada mo yung eskwelahan at hindi mo papalabas yung gamit, yung balota dahil meron tayong prosesong sinusundan,” she added. BInay-Campos also belied the claim of Peña’s camp that they were engaged in cheating. “Okay, first of all hindi kami pwedeng-pwede mandaya dahil unang-una hindi kami ‘yung nakaupo. Siya (Peña) ang incumbent. Pangalawa, hindi rin kami administration candidate. He has, he has the machinery for that hindi kami,” she said. On October 9 last year, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed former Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay from service and ordered his perpetual disqualification from public office due to an administrative case filed against him. Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales then ordered the dismissal of Binay for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty. The Ombudsman also recommended to ban Junjun from seeking public office. Binay was earlier ordered suspended also by the Office of the Ombudsman for his involvement in the alleged overpriced con-
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Estrada…
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gan, daughter of former Manila vice mayor Danny Lacuna, Estrada’s running-mate, topped the vice mayoral race with 268,969 votes. The City Board of Canvassers also proclaimed the representatives of its six districts, namely Manny Lopez (1st District), Carlo Lopez (2nd district), actor Yul Servo (3rd District), Edward Maceda (4th District), Cristina Bagatsing (5th District) and Sandy Ocampo (6th District). n
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COMFORT FOOD. What did Mar Roxas do after his emotional concession speech? He craved a burger. Hours after giving a heartfelt speech before his supporters, campaign staff and the media, Roxas decided to take a break and satisfy his craving in a burger joint along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. Like what he would always say, amid the “vicious” political battle he’s in, Roxas, in the photo, looked “serene” and “at peace.” Photo from Yacap Partylist Rep. Carol Lopez
Duterte slated to be Philippines’ next…
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saying she was not planning to withdraw from the race. Replicating Davao City’s progress Davao City, where Duterte has served as mayor for over two decades, was once considered the murder capital of the Philippines, but has since transformed into a model of peace and order for its strict rules, like a no smoking ordinance in public places, liquor ban from 1 to 8 am, and 10 pm curfew for unaccompanied minors. Leading up to Monday’s polls, the 71-year-old, who bears the nickname “The Punisher,” has consistently topped national surveys and gained popularity for being the anti-establishment candidate, whose no-nonsense platform promises to wipe out crime and corruption within six months of taking office. (He estimates 100,000 criminals would be gone by then or else he’d step down.) Before a crowd of thousands of supporters in Rizal Park on Saturday night, Duterte delivered a 90-minute speech, wherein he
reiterated his anti-crime policy, which involves mass killings. “If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men and do-nothings, you better go out,” he said. “Because as the mayor, I’d kill you.” In response to the criticism from human rights groups, he simply added, ”I will butcher him in front of them if they want.” Even the controversies that arose during Duterte’s campaign — the rape comment about an Australian missionary, questions about his wealth and hidden bank accounts, and the alleged human rights violations for the Davao Death Squad’s extrajudicial killings, among others — were not enough to detract Filipinos who are tired of the rampant crime throughout the country. After voting on Monday, young Filipinos expressed why Duterte is fit to be the country’s chief executive. “I voted for Duterte because I support Federalism and he qualifies my requirements for a president. I want the next administration to address the problem
in education and income tax,” Ericka Cayton, 20, a marketing associate from Las Piñas, said. “Duterte kasi kailangan na ng bansa ang pagbabago, yung kamay na bakal para sumunod lahat (Duterte because we need a changed country [and] that hand of steel so everyone will follow), “ said Chris Talon, 25, from Caloocan. 22-year-old Allen T. from San Pedro, Laguna added, ”Duterte, sawa na ko sa puro salita, kailangan na may gumawa (I’m tired of all talk, there needs to be action).” The strictness that voters seek and now expect was reiterated by Duterte on Tuesday morning. “I will be strict. I will be a dictator, no doubt it. But only against forces of evil -- criminality, drugs and corruption in government,” he said in Davao City. Once officially declared the winner, Duterte will assume the presidency on June 30. Outgoing President Aquino has yet to reveal plans on what he will do after leaving office. (With reports from Mary May Portez, Godwin Gasacao and Ian Jamotillo / AJPress)
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Dateline USa
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 11-13, 2016
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Filipino suspected of shooting wife and…
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SAN JUAN WINNERS. The Ejercito-Estrada clan can now rest easy as San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez and Councilor Janella Estrada (Janella is the daughter of detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada,) were proclaimed Monday night as the winners in this year’s polls. Gomez has secured her third and last term as the city’s top executive, winning over erstwhile ally, outgoing Vice Mayor Francis Zamora by a margin of only more than a thousand votes. Estrada, on the other hand, trumped Councilor Totoy Bernardo, after she received a vote of close to 30,000.
es, for which he was set to have a bail review on Monday, May 9. Tordil, an employee of the Federal Protective Service since 1997, which provides security at federal properties, was taken into custody near the supermarket, the last shooting scene, authorities told the Associated Press (AP). He was stripped of his badge, credentials and weapon, and assigned to administrative duties in march following a protective order issued against him when his wife said he had threatened to harm her if she left him, according to The Washington Post. The order stated that Tordil subjected their children to “intense-military-like discipline,” including pushups and detention in a dark closet. After allegedly shooting his wife on Thursday, Tordil evaded authorities and shut off his cellphone.
Prior to his Friday arrest, plainclothes officers followed Tordil for an hour gaging the right time to conduct the arrest. Earlier on, he threatened to “commit suicide by cop” and authorities wanted to ensure the public was safe when he was arrested, according to the AP. “Knowing his behavior today, knowing of statements he made in the past, we did not want to endanger anyone and have a shootout when we took him into custody and that’s why he was taken into custody the way he was,” said Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger, the news agency reported. Tordil was sighted when he returned to his car, at which point officers surrounded him. “He jus got out of his car,” Jason Palmer, a private investigator who lives close by and began searching for Tordil himself, told the AP. “He gave up. They pinned him in.”
Montgomery Assistant Chief Russ Hamill said those shot in Montgomery appear to have been random targets that stemmed from Tordil’s attempted carjackings, according to the Post. Students and teachers at Parkdale High School, where Gladys Tordil was a chemistry teacher known for encouraging students to be ambitious and sharing home-cooked food with her colleagues, were devastated by the shootings. A new Filipino teacher who began working at Parkdale this year, Grace Mary Relador, told the Post that Tordil was an excellent teacher who made her feel welcome at the new school. Another fellow teacher, Mary Alvarenga-Hercules, told the Post students loved Tordil. “They don’t know how they’re going to go back inside of her classroom,” she said. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)
Inquirer.net photo by Jovic Yee
Filipino World War II vets can reunite with… Binays back… PH elects first transgender…
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Estimates indicate that as many as 26,000 Filipino veterans (of the over 260,000 Filipino soldiers who fought in the war) became US citizens, after long being excluded from a law that granted citizenship to foreign soldiers serving in the US forces. Some of the veterans have petitioned family members from the Philippines to join them in the U.S., but wait times can last years, often times exceeding 20 years, due to statutory visa caps. With the population of the Filipino veterans rapidly aging — around 2,000 to 6,000 veterans are estimated to still be living in the US today — having family members by their sides would provide them with the necessary support and care. “The Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program honors the thousands of Filipinos who bravely enlisted to fight for the United States during World War II,” USCIS Director León Rodríguez said in a statement on Monday. “This policy will allow certain Filipino-American family members awaiting immigrantvisa issuance to come to the United States and be with their loved ones. For many, it will also allow them to provide support and care for elderly veterans or their surviving spouses.” Among the requirements for the application include: indi-
viduals must be “beneficiaries of Forms I-130, Petition for Alien Relative” who were approved on or before the filing date of the parole and must be related to those who have “established they are either Filipino World War II veterans or are the surviving spouses of such individuals.” If cases where the petitioning relative is now deceased, family members may be able to seek reinstatement of their immigration petitions and then self-petition for parole. Granting parole will be determined on a case-by-case basis after interviews by the USCIS or Department of State consular offices. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) praised the announcement as a “victory” for Filipino-American communities across the U.S. “After facing decades of injustice and separation from their loved ones, courageous Filipino veterans in Nevada and throughout the country finally have the opportunity to reunite with their families,” Reid said. “These brave veterans have made incredible sacrifices for our country, and I have spent years fighting to ensure that the United States does everything possible to repay that great debt. Today’s victory is the culmination of years of hard work and advocacy on behalf of a group of people who have endured decades of false promises
and denied benefits.” The American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, a Washingtonbased advocacy organization, thanked Congress members, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and “allies for their kind-hearted and dedicated lobbying for the Filipino elderly heroes, their widows and children.” JT Mallonga, national chair of NaFFAA, called the announcement “heartening.” “Our courageous heroes, who have waited for up to 20 years, deserve the opportunity to be with their children,” he said. “They must not suffer the pain of separation in the twilight of their years.” The United States has set up similar parole programs in the past, such as the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program and the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program. Under those parole programs, the beneficiaries were allowed to come to the US and were eligible to apply for work authorization while waiting to apply for lawful permanent resident status. In a statement, USCIS added that eligible individuals who are interested in requesting parole under the FWVP Program are encouraged to do so within five years from June of this year. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)
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struction of the Makati City Science High School building. The Ombudsman dismissed Binay in connection to the anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall building II worth P2.28 billion. Last July 1, prior to the issuance of the Ombudsman’s dismissal order, Binay stepped down as city mayor pending the resolution of his petition before the Court of Appeals for a temporary restraining order. His petition was not granted by the Appellate Court. After he stepped down, Peña took over as acting city mayor. Binay, on the other hand, had virtually barricaded himself inside his office at the 21st floor of the Makati City Hall after the Office of the Ombudsman, on June 29, slapped a six-month suspension on him over his involvement in the allegedly anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2. On October 15, Binay’s sister, Makati Rep. Mar-Len Abigail “Abby” Binay filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor in his place together with Makati 1st district Rep. Monique Lagdameo as her running mate. Political pundits have predicted a showdown at the local polls as eña who also filed his COC as city mayor vowed to dismantle the Binay dynasty in Makati and institute reforms. n
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term for public officials. Priority measures Roman vowed to pursue antidiscrimination measures that will promote equality for all people in every socio-economic status, and not just for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. “Discrimination in the work place, discrimination in all spheres of society, in daily situations,” Roman said. There have been various anti-LGBT discrimination bills filed during the 15th and 16th Congress, but none have been passed into law. The latest version is House Bill 5687, which aims to eliminate discriminatory practices based on sex, sexual orientation or gender identity by proscribing and penalizing discriminatory practices. AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Sharon Garin, one of the spon-
sors of House Bill 5687 or the proposed Anti-Sexual or Gender Identity Discrimination (SOGI) Act, will push for the immediate passage of the bill in plenary when Congress opens its third regular session on July 27. In an earlier interview with Inquirer.net, Roman said that she also intends to file her own version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill to ensure that all documents required for public works projects were accessible to the people. “This is one way of avoiding irregularities in public works projects [because] some government officials connive with unscrupulous contractors. Public work projects should be done according to correct specifications and the right perspective to benefit the public, and not project contractors,” she said. The 17th Philippine Congress will convene in July. n
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OpiniOn
Features
Progress report
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) proudly announced on Monday, May 9, that of the 54.4 million registered Filipino voters, about 40 million or 81.62 percent exercised their right of suffrage. This year has seen the fastest transmission of election returns since the automated poll was introduced in 2010. At 10:50pm on Monday, the transmission rate for 2016 elections was already at 74 percent. In 2010 and 2013, the electronic transmission was only at 17 and 23 percent during the same time, respectively. More Filipinos abroad also cast their votes during the 30-day voting period in 85 Philippine posts worldwide. Comelec reported a total of 376,586 out of the 1,376,067 registered overseas Filipinos worldwide or 29.56 percent voter turnout. It was 285 percent higher compared to the 2013 polls. Garry Martines of Migrante International said that this year has seen a higher turnout of overseas absentee voting (OAV) because FIlipinos abroad want accountability and new leaders who will nurture overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and migrant workers, and their families back home. “Our OFWs have remained vigilant,” he said. “We have once again proven how resilient and significant our OFWs are. We have disproved all claims that there had been a growing apathy among our OAVs.” For their part, the Armed Forces of the Philip-
pines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported that the 2016 elections may still be considered generally peaceful despite some isolated reports of Election Related Violent Incidents (ERVIs) and delays due to glitches in the vote counting machines (VCMs). There were 164 recorded ERVIs since January, the beginning of election season. Despite the 140,000 police personnel deployed across the 36,000 polling precincts across the country on Monday, the AFP still recorded 22 ERVIs, which resulted to 10 fatalities and three wounded. Both security agencies vowed to remain vigilant until the last winner is proclaimed. Meanwhile, voting had to be extended to until 6pm on Monday in some precincts due to some delays caused by malfunctioning VCMs. Comelec said that out of the 77,829 VCMs, 171 needed replacement, which is equivalent to 0.2 percent. Because voting and the transmission of election All in all, Monday’s polls are gearing towards a results went smoothly, Comelec confirmed that so far, there is no need for special elections. Comelec satisfactory conclusion, which is more than what is will only hold a special election when precincts expected. Even international observers agree. These positive reports reflect how Filipinos that reported failure of elections, have votes that may have finally realized the power that belongs can significantly change the results.
Editorial
Philstar.com photo
to them, which is to choose the leaders they think are adequate to represent their best interests. It strengthened their participation in this democratic process and trust in the system that is election. (AJPress)
Historic Halalan 2016 busts apathy among Filipino voters EIGHTY ONE PERCENT turnout among registered voters in the Philippines is a reason enough to celebrate in a country that has complained about apathy among Filipino people, who have much to complain about lacking in the will and push to do something to do something about the problems that beset the nation. After more than a year of passionate, contentious and even nasty debates and campaigns, kababayans in the Philippines and around the world passionately made their voices heard by casting their votes on who they want to lead the Philippines as president, vice president, senators, representatives and other local officials. Fueled by discontent of the status quo and buoyed by the power of social media, ordinary Filipinos have been empowered to choose the leaders who they think will stir the nation to the Philippines of the future — their vision of a better, more peaceful, orderly, safer, and progressive Philippines. The most number of Filipinos decided to traverse a path different from “Daang Matuwid” offered by President Benigno Aquino III in the past
genuine desire to serve the six years. The torch was supposed people, devoid of the hunger for to be handed over to the adminis- The Fil-Am power and greed for money that tration’s bet —Former DILG Sec. push many politicians to be emMar Roxas — moving forward. Perspective broiled in graft and corruption. But most Filipinos clamored for The results of the elections in real change, and they discerned a the Philippines (based on parRoxas presidency would be more tial, unofficial tallies of votes) of the same. mirrors the decision of Filipinos And so they chose instead to Gel SantoS-ReloS in America. The Overseas Abtrust Rodrigo Duterte, the maverick but tried and tested mayor who has made sentee voters here also chose Duterte for Presithe City of Davao the peaceful, safe, clean, orderly dent, and Robredo for Vice-President for the same and progressive city it is now. They believe what reasons. In the days leading up to the May 9 elections, Duterte did in Davao, he could also do in all parts social media was inundated with prayer requests of the Philippines. But a clean, honest government remains what for clean, honest, peaceful and orderly elections. Pinoys continue to aspire for, which could be the For the most part of the election process, such reason why as of press time, Congresswoman Leni prayers were answered. The result: record breaking turnout of Filipinos Robredo — the widow of Former DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo — has been leading the race for vice who decided to use their right of suffrage to effect president. Leni Robredo has dedicated his life to change in the status quo through a peaceful and being a lawyer for the poor, before she entered responsible way. Kababayans were amazed at house fast the repolitics when her husband died in a plane crash. The most number of kababayans saw in her the sults of the election were reported, thanks to the
use of voting machines. Filipinos were in awe by the grace (no pun intended) and class of candidates who conceded early knowing they have lost the election by a big margin. Sen. Grace Poe, Sec. Mar Roxas and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano have shown the other candidates that the election is not about them. It is about the will of the people that must prevail, and that its is the moral responsibility of those who were not chosen by the people to make sure there is a smooth and orderly transition to the next administration. Through their example, they began the healing process that will lead to the unity of the citizens in looking forward to and doing their part for the success of the next administration. After all, the success of Duterte, Robredo, and the newly elected public officials will be the success of the Filipino people. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are 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
An election of images, a collection of tribes C’MON, just a day after the elections: Commentary Who remembers the platforms of the five presidential candidates, the topics they discussed in three presidential debates, or even RiGobeRto tiGlao their campaign slogans? The more than 15 million Filipinos who voted for Duterte were not really voting for this 71-year old man, who for 22 years has been Davao City mayor, who even boasted he was the patron of – or the brains? – behind the Davao Death Squads. Indeed, even reporters and editors scrambled to Google or ask their sources for some background about this mayor. They voted for an image in their minds—to which they projected idealized qualities of goodness and courage of a man of the masses, the antithesis of the uncaring hacendero Benigno S. Aquino 3rd. The image etched in their minds was of this tough-looking guy in the kind of polo shirt and rubber sandals you could buy from a cheap store, with his fist raised up in the air, and saying: “I will fight for you.” Duterte was their avenging angel against a hated Aquino of the rich, who has made life difficult for them the past six years. The image was so powerful that even values held dear by modern civilization and Christianity such as reverence for human life and due process – which Duterte disregards openly in his public speeches – have been tossed away like garbage. Elections in this country are no longer a contest of the best and the brightest or who can most successfully portray himself as the best candidate. Due to the tremendous power of media, including Facebook and other forms of social media – and especially
because of their capability to disseminate photos and videos that form memes in people’s minds – Philippine presidential elections have become a contest of images. Duterte’s inner circle? Clockwise, the brothers Carlos and Paul, former AFP chief of staff Esperon, former NFA head Banayo, former Press secretary Dureza, and former broadcaster and North Cotabato governor Piñol. Duterte’s inner circle? Clockwise, the brothers Carlos and Paul, former AFP chief of staff Esperon, former NFA head Banayo, former Press secretary Dureza, and former broadcaster and North Cotabato governor Piñol. While there is cause for considering that Leni Robredo’s tight race with Bongbong Marcos has been Aquino’s Plan B for recapturing power, her image as a comely widow with a captivating smile, even as one waiting alone for a bus to take her home to her province, pushed her candidacy forward. If another candidate such as former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had, instead, been fielded by Aquino for the vice presidency, even Antonio Trillanes would have trounced her. If there’s one thing the elections on Monday also proved, it is that political machinery is no longer important in presidential and vice presidential elections, because we have moved almost totally into the age of images. This might also be due to the fact that more voters are young, with little ties to community ward leaders. Gripping image Duterte has stumbled upon a means of creating the most gripping image of himself that resonated with the masses – as a leader of and from the masses (though he came from the upper class), who would kill for them, who is as an-
gry as them at the Establishment. His strength was that he did not need to artificially create an image: his world has always been in Davao City, where even the elite dress like the ordinary man on the street. In metropolitan Manila, the elite speak Filipino only to their drivers and domestic help. In Davao and other areas in Mindanao and the Visayas, the elite speak the language of the common man, Bisaya. Grace Poe Llamanzares, who contrived to project an image of herself as a virgin princess of sorts – which played on the masses’ confusion over movies and reality – still managed, of course, to fool a lot of people, but was no match to Duterte’s image. I rooted for and voted for Vice President Jejomar Binay, as my reason told me he was the most qualified. But Philippine elections have never been a rational exercise. Because of the two-year campaign by Aquino and Roxas to vilify Binay, the Makati city mayor had been unable to really shed his corruption-tainted image. Binay was also too decent to spit verbally at people, and he wanted to be a “healing President.” But the masses wanted somebody very angry, who spits at the Yellow Throne. After all, how could a staunch defender of human rights, when he started out his law career, say that due process is an obstacle to fighting crime? I’m sure if Aquino and Roxas had undertaken a similar two-year vilification campaign against Duterte, a huge sector of the masses’ image of him would also be of a corrupt mayor of a frontier town. Duterte’s masa image siphoned off Binay’s political support, as he was the candidate who had projected himself as the masa candidate. Roxas tried to project an image of a technocrat untainted by corruption. But the masses haven’t been looking for a technocrat. Their gut feel has
been that, having been screwed alternatively by the rich and criminals all these years, therefore they need somebody able to fight for them. As troubling, though, as the supremacy of images in determining who would lead us is that the recent elections have laid bare the fact that more than a century since we were established as a nation of “Filipinos,” we have remained a collection of tribes, with each individual member behaving as a blind loyal subject to his tribal leader. If Duterte’s image was dominant in his popularity in metropolitan Manila, it was tribalism that won for him the presidency. I don’t remember any instance of a province such as Davao del Sur (of which Davao City had been provincial capital in the 1950s) voting 96 percent for their province-mate. Mindanao, it seems, had voted 60 percent for Duterte. Bisaya for Duterte, Ilonggos for Roxas Those who speak Bisaya actually constitute one big tribe, and Visayanspeaking provinces and cities (such as Cebu City) overwhelmingly voted for Duterte. Was it because reason told them he was the best candidate? Similarly, the Ilonggo speakers voted overwhelmingly for Manuel Roxas, and seemed to have forgotten he stands for the hated status quo. Also similarly, the Ilocano speakers went overwhelmingly for Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and the Bicolanos for Leni Robredo. Unfortunately for Binay, he does not really have a “home” region or a province (except, of course, for the tiny Makati) to call on his tribesmen to rally behind him. We are stuck with Duterte, though, and we really can’t afford another People Power uprising similar to that which toppled a previous President who had also won the elections because the image he created had drawn
the masses so strongly to him – Erap “para sa mahirap.” I hope that his fiery rhetoric such as, among them, that he would fill Manila Bay with the corpses of 100,000 criminals and fatten the fish there, that due process only lets criminals get away with their evil deeds, are just that – rhetoric that helped him create the image the masses love, and not serious beliefs he adheres to. Or he won’t last two years in his new post. Duterte’s inner circle One thing going for Duterte is that his advisers (or backers), whom I presume would be his inner circle in Malacañang, have had extensive experience in the country’s labyrinthine corridors of powers. For the sake of the country, I hope that old adage isn’t always true – “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” One of his close allies, Davao businessman and corporate executive Carlos Dominguez, had served Corazon Aquino’s government as agriculture secretary for two years, as PAL chairman from 1992 to 1995 (until Lucio Tan fired him, after taking over the firm), and an informal but close adviser of Fidel Ramos. Carlos’ younger brother, Paul Dominguez, was officially Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s presidential adviser for Mindanao, but was also her trusted adviser, being a member of Arroyo’s core team of advisers who reported for meetings with her almost every morning during her first two years in office. Jesus Dureza, also from Davao, was a trusted Arroyo official during her nine years in office in various capacities, from being head of the talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to press secretary. He would, therefore, have a keen grasp of how Malacañang works. Former Armed Forces Chief of Staff (2006 to 2008), Hermogenes Esperon,
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REELECTED. Bebot Abellanosa (second to the left) is reelected as Cebu City South District Representative, Tommy Osmeña (center) is proclaimed as Cebu City mayor while Raul Del Mar (second from right) is also reelected as Cebu City North District Representative. The last vote count flashed on widescreen TV mounted at the canvassing area sometime around midnight showed that Osmeña had 254,566 votes. Inquirer.net photo by Santino Bunachita
OAV votes may swing VP race…
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180,000 coming from the United States. An estimated 407,000 registered voters cast their votes, or 29.5% of the total. In 2013, there were only 737,759 voters and of that figure, only 113,209 cast their ballots for a low turnout of 15.35%. The turnout was higher in the 2010 presidential polls with 26% casting their votes. The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles leads the list of U.S. posts with 55,000 voters, followed by San Francisco with 46,000 and Washington, DC with 28,000. Consul General Leo Herrera-
Lim of Los Angeles thanked all the Consulate staff who performed their duties to ensure the success of overseas voting. The Consulate opened from 8 a.m. of May 8 and was expected to remain open for over 30 hours. “I am proud of all of them. For over four weeks, the Consulate staff delivered exemplary service to ensure the success of the voting exercise. Many of them sacrificed their weekends and/or evenings so that they can do both their consular work and election duties,” he said. “In fact, many voters told me that they admired the patience and diligence of the LA overseas voting team.”
The Philippine Consulate General in New York, which covers the northeast states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, has about 26,000 registered voters. The consulates of Chicago and Honolulu round up the list with 13,000 and 9,000, respectively. Middle East and Africa leads the list of overseas voters with 593,834, followed by Asia Pacific Region with 344,857. Europe has 161,687 registered voters. The month-long voting for overseas voters began on Saturday, April 8. n
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was also Arroyo’s 2009 to 2010 head of the Presidential Management Staff, a low-key but powerful unit in Malacañang. I bet Esperon would be Duterte’s defense secretary. Angelito Banayo, said to have been Duterte’s campaign manager, seems to have a knack for correctly betting on who the next President would be before they get into power. He worked under three Presidents: as postmaster general under Cory Aquino, as Philippine tourism authority head and presidential political adviser under Joseph Estrada, and National Food Authority administrator under President Aquino. In the 1990s he was with Nationalist People’s Coalition big boss Eduardo Cojuangco, and after that, with Senator Orlando Mercado.
Manny Piñol, a former radio broadcaster and North Cotabato governor, has been a de facto spokesman for Duterte, and with his background, could be his press secretary. I don’t think these Davao guys would be able to work with the Senator from Taguig, Alan Cayetano, and I bet they’d lobby for him to be as far away from Malacanang as possible, perhaps as foreign affairs secretary, as Duterte has once mentioned. I do hope, though, that these very competent and experienced people won’t hear from Duterte what Estrada told his inner circle, when after a year in office, he got tired with their unsolicited advice: “Mag presidente muna kaya kayo?” (Why don’t you become President first?) (tiglao.manilatimes@gmail.com)
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BUSINESS& COMMUNITY Journal
markets in Southeast Asia after 2020 with annual sales capable of growing at least 10 percent. MANILA — The Philippine Automotive markets in Southautomotive industry is seen sus- east Asia selling more than taining its double-digit expan- 500,000 units annually are cursion even beyond 2020 when rently experiencing a slowdown motor vehicle sales are expected in sales on saturation concerns. to reach 500,000 units annually. “We’re talking about 500,000 Federation of Automotive In- units per year by 2020. So at that dustries of the Philippines presi- level we’re okay already and our dent Vicente Mills Jr. told The Star automotive market will be very the country could still be among competitive,” he said. the fastest growing automotive “After that, maybe it will slow by rIchMond
s. MercurIo
Philstar.com
down but it will still grow double digit because as our economy improves, so does buying power. And with Euro 4 fuels, some of these vehicles will have to be scrapped and that will add to volume. So it’s not only fleet expansion but fleet replacement as well,” Mills added. The Philippines is currently the third fastest-growing automotive market in Southeast Asia, according to the Asean Automo-
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Global fund managers Reforms lure foreign withdraw $17 B from investments into emerging economies banking, manufacturing by PrInz
P. MaGtulIs Philstar.com
by IrIs
Gonzales Philstar.com
MANILA — Economic reforms undertaken by the government on banking and manufacturing sectors are now yielding positive results by attracting more foreign direct investments (FDI) into the sectors, the chief economist of the Department of Finance (DOF) said. “FDI flows to sectors that undergo economic reform,” Finance Undersecretary
MANILA — Global economic fund managers have pulled $17 billion out of emerging markets including the Philippines, Philippine Stock Exchange president Hans Sicat said. However, Sicat said the Philippines’ economic fundamentals remain solid and fears of Davao
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PSE president Hans Sicat
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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA PREPARE to be amazed. A truly busy woman, who is both efficient and effective, has mastered by trial and error, over a period of time, that fine blend of mixing the art and science of planning her work and working her plan. Mix in the powerful emotion of love and she can produce stupendous results in every area of her life. Nowhere is this life skill more put to the test than here in America where a person’s worth, whether we like it or not, is measured, not only by her productivity and her creativity but also, by her results. With apologies to men, note that I refer to the multitasker as
Community Journal
Prof. EnriquE M. Soriano (Last Part)
“IT’S not the first “prominent/ wealthy family” inheritance battle waged nor will it certainly be the last, but the on-going estate litigation of Potenciano ‘Nanoy’ Ilusorio’s heirs has emerged as one of the longest, nastiest, most public, no-holds-barred litigious family feuds in Philippine history or in the annals of jurisprudence.” That is how the Ilusorio Family Conflict was described by the media and the Philippine courts after close to 300 civil and criminal cases were filed between two warring factions. There are six Ilusorio children involved in the feud: sons Ramon (chair emeritus of Multinational Investment Bancorporation) and Maxie, and daughters Lin, Sylvia (president and vice president of Philcomsat, respectively), Honi and Shereen. Ramon and Shereen were allied with mother Erlinda against the rest. Honi was allied with Ramon in the beginning, but has since shifted her allegiance to the other “team.” Most of the rancor, however, now seems to be between Ramon on one side and three sisters— Lin, Sylvia and Honi—on the other. According to the source, Ramon and Shereen tried to keep
“In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” — Mother Teresa a woman. For with the liberated, emancipated status of women in some parts of the world, multitasking, as a socio-cultural phenomenon, has become the area of expertise of womanhood. Some studies confirm that women’s wiring or DNA structure equips them to multitask at incredible levels. Multitasking is a skill needed to navigate a person’s day-to-day life. The major strides in technology have further enhanced our capability to produce results. No matter how much we want to buck the system, there is no way we can get around the fact that in order to thrive, let alone sur-
vive at this time and in this place, the life skills we need to acquire and develop some level of competence in, are in the areas of planning our work and working our plan. You know what a delight it is to work on a project that has been well conceived planned and executed so that everything comes together in seamless fashion. On the flip side of the coin, we also know how aggravating it is to be involved in one that is a mess from the beginning. Men have always been great planners and women have learned a lot from men. For some reason that may be attributed
the news of their mother’s passing from the three sisters in Manila. The sisters found out about it only four days later from a relative of Erlinda’s attending physician in New York. It was tit for tat, says another source, also close to the family. It seems that when Potenciano died, some of the sisters also kept the news from Ramon. A memorial service for Erlinda was held at Sanctuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, organized by the Manila faction. Strangely enough, the funeral urn held Potenciano’s ashes, since Erlinda’s ashes were still in the keeping of Ramon and Shereen. A separate memorial, organized by Ramon, was held March 4 in Legazpi Village, Makati. The three sisters were pointedly excluded from the service, according to the source. Security was even given detailed instructions to bar them from the premises. This article is not meant to add fuel to the fire. We are simply re-stating the chronicle of events for a better understanding of those who are not familiar with the case and to drive home the point how important is the foresight to prepare for any such eventuality long before the heirs are confronted by the business founder’s mortality. Agreements offers Hope,
Clarity and Sustainability Pursuing doggedly a family agreement is critical as it paves the way for family and business Governance but it is EMPTY if there is no owner’s agreement. Documenting owner’s agreement is key while the family members are still young. Often called the shareholder’s agreement, it is meant to protect the rights of owners. It specifies the legal and contractual understandings among shareholder on ownership of shares and governance issues. The agreement is important because it is the blueprint for the transfer of ownership. Without such an agreement in place, transfers can become mired in differences of opinion. As wills and estates lawyers authors Les Kotzer, Barry Fish and Jordan Atin explain in their book, “The Family War,” how a will is worded can pit family members against each other, as well. “For many children, a parent’s will is interpreted as reflecting something deeper about their lifelong relationship. Those words in black and white are an expression of a parent’s confidence or distrust, pride or disappointment in the child. A large gift, or a smaller one, is seen as a reward or a reprimand.” There is now a vogue among the famous, including Anita
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PH auto industry seen sustaining double…
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tive Federation. Data from the regional automotive group showed Philippine vehicle sales for 2015 rose 23 percent, while that of Singapore accelerated the fastest at 66 percent, followed by Vietnam at 57 percent. Major automotive markets in the region in terms of volume such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, however, are currently experiencing a downtrend in terms of vehicles sales. These markets are already selling one million, 800,000, and 600,000 units annually, respectively. The Philippines, for its part, sold over 300,000 units last year and targets at least 350,000 units for 2016.
By 2020, the country is eyeing to become a major automotive market in the region as domestic sales are expected to continue posting stellar growth while local production is seen ramping up with the government’s Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program. “The reason why we’re growing is because our vehicle density is very low compared to the rest of Asean. As borrowing costs are going down, availability of credit is going up, banks are getting more competitive so it’s easier to loan. Down payments are also starting to go down. As the buying power goes up, the automotive market will continue to grow and that is necessary for the economy to
grow,” Mills said. “I think we’re in the right track, but we are just hoping the economic growth of the whole country becomes more balanced and more inclusive so that buying power can spread out,” he added. Mills said the country’s lack of an efficient mass transport system would also fuel the continued growth of the local automotive industry in the years to come. “No matter what you do, you cannot stop people from buying cars. After the house, and for many people, ahead of the house, cars are a top priority because of mobility. The reason people buy cars is because there is no public transport,” he said. n
Global fund managers withdraw $17 B…
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Mayor Rodrigo Duterte winning the presidency could be unfounded. “At this stage, fears might be overdramatized. Of course we will have to see the economic team members who will be chosen to serve in the Cabinet. Our view is that the economic advisers of all the candidates are all competent and they are all middle of the road economic guys,” Sicat said Sicat said investors were keeping a closer watch not just on the winning candidate but the composition of the next government’s economic team as well. “We’re giving politics too much weight. The way we look at it, the economic fundamentals of
the country are extremely solid. Things aren’t going to change much,” Sicat said. Many in the business community such as the Makati Business Club are concerned over Duterte’s lack of an economic program. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) plunged below the 7,000 mark last week, shedding 2.34 percent to close at 6,991.87. It dropped to as low as 6,961.65. Sicat noted the competence and independence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which he said,was very positive to sustain the country’s economic growth. “The fact that our central bank is operating on a very solid man-
ner and they are promoting an environment where banks are pretty well capitalized is good. On the economic side, we’re hoping for the continuity of infrastructure projects. This will provide a huge multiplier effect,” Sicat said. In a research note, stock portal 2TradeAsia.com said the investing community would be on a wait-and-see mode to check on the market’s quick acceptance of results, which could be marred by possible protests from candidates inclined to question the counting process. With the uncertainties, the peso is expected to succumb to weakness, declining to 47.35 against the dollar from P46.89 last week. n
Reforms lure foreign investments into banking…
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Gil Beltran said in a recent economic bulletin. Specifically, Republic Act 10641 that allowed more foreign banks to operate in the country and an ongoing manufacturing blueprint both helped double FDI to $587 million in January. Broken down, equity investments – or those which are funneled by parent companies to subsidiaries in the country – accounted for the bulk at $330 million. A net inflow means more FDI entered than left during a specific period. If sustained, FDI is considered a job-generating investment. “Liberalized foreign bank entry
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Three cheers for the multitasking woman
Family feuds and shattered families
The Kite Runner
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 11-13, 2016
and manufacturing resurgence programs were the spark that generated significant response from investors in 2015 and the first month of 2016,” Beltran said. RA 10641 allowed the operation of more than 10 foreign banks in the Philippines under the previous law. So far, the central bank said six other lenders were approved to operate in the country. This, in turn, generated a surge to $189.39 million in financial and insurance sector equity FDI from $2.18 million in January, Beltran said. The ongoing 2014-2025 Manufacturing Resurgence Program, meanwhile, increased the sector’s FDI by more than 4,600 percent in January.
Equity FDI placements on factories rose to $13.27 million from just $280,000, central bank data showed. “For the sectors to benefit from FDI, economic reforms should continue and the competitive edge of the Philippines in services should be exploited to the fullest,” the DOF official said. Other economic sectors should also undergo reforms, he said, particularly the information and communication technology (ICT) segment that attracted $4.74 million. “The competitive position of the Philippines in technologyenabled services is also evident in the 66,659 percent in FDI...,” Beltran said. n
to the demands of modern life, women are somehow doing it better as they switch to the multifaceted roles they play as wife or significant other, mother, daughter, sister, worker, crusader … the list can go on and on. History bears out that most of the great leaders of all time, whether in politics, in industry and in business are supreme planners. And contrary to common knowledge, such leaders not only see the nebulous big picture, but are also able to roll up their sleeves and work on the nitty-gritty — those thousand and one details very few people want to be bothered with. In everyday life, we can perhaps single out a few names at work, in our church, in our club or association who can plan the work and work the plan. Like thoroughbreds, these account for a small percentage
Debt Relief atty. LawrEncE yang I GOT my senior’s week last week. Two different seniors, both over 80 came to see me for different reasons. The first was 83. He was in good health, just a little stooped. Still works full time and receives social security. Wife receives a small social security. He and his wife live with their son, so they have no mortgage or rent expense, which is good. He has a new car and pays a car loan of $400. He wants to keep the car. He has an old car that he used as collateral for a high interest loan. He does not want to keep the old car because the high interest loan requires $500 a month at 50% annual interest. Yes, that’s pretty high interest for a secured debt. His problem is $35,000 of credit card debt that he has kept current for the last 15 years, paying $1,000 a month. He though it wasn’t such a great idea keeping them current in the last 15 years because he already forked over $180,000 in the last 15 years to keep them current, and surprise! He still owes the same $35,000 now. He thought he certainly would have been happier now if he had that $180,000 in his pocket. He could take his
of the general population — a select breed of individuals who can shepherd a project sometimes with less than adequate time and resources from start to finish. Here is how it’s generally done. Break it down to bite sizes. As you flesh out the details of a project, the number of sub-tasks and the sequence with which these smaller tasks need to be done becomes clearer. Assigning who does what further breaks down the job to smaller and manageable bite sizes. As you look ahead, you are able to anticipate problems even before these happen. With good planning, things can be monitored much more closely to measure progress. Since projects almost always cost money, planning helps us stay within budgetary constraints. Ultimately, planning brings us full circle helping us
stay focused on the goal. But here’s a caveat. Lest we think that planning is foolproof, there is still a chance that no matter how carefully we plan and execute a project, we still need to accept that stuff happens and things could go wrong. Robert Burns said it best, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” There are no guarantees that something will work out because of a great plan. Still, even if this possibility exists, mapping out projects and fleshing them out stacks good fortune in our favor and steers us towards success — all because of the simple act of planning our work and working our plan. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Seniors plan their golden years One gets rid of debt, while the other attempts to collect monies lent wife, his sweetheart of 60 years cruising all over the world and pay cash for those cruises. His wife wanted to take a cruise to the Greek isles and the Mediterranean coast, maybe spend a couple of days in Barcelona, enjoying the artwork of Dali and the whimsical architecture of Gaudi. He wanted to see the office of the Philippine tobacco company, which was in Barcelona when the Spaniards were still lording it over the islands. I asked him what’s your connection with the Philippine tobacco company anyway? He said his grandfather worked for that company his whole life and all he got from it was a gold plated watch and a gold plated cigar. Not even a good pension that he could live with. Why was your grandfather a Spaniard, I asked? He was an illustrado, he said, with a moustache that made him look like Pancho Villa. I asked him if he could still speak Spanish and he said “Claro que si, senor abogado.” In fact, he told me that he still had many relatives in Barcelona, that’s why he wanted to bring his sweetheart to visit, and he wanted to meet all his Spanish relatives. Well, I told him that if you had gotten rid of your $35K of credit card debt 15 years ago with a Chap-
ter 7 petition, then today, you could actually buy a condo in the south coast of Spain, and retire there with your sweetheart for a quarter of the cost of living in LA. Instead of being able to retire there with a fully paid condo overlooking the tranquil Mediterranean, you now have to get rid of your $35K of credit card debt, and live in a tiny room with your son. Think about the opportunity you missed to live in the South coast of Spain now, just because you wanted to keep your $35K of credit cards current for 15 years. And even if you prefer to live here in LA, the $180K of cash in your pocket, well managed, can give you an extra $700 of income a month which you can use to indulge what you and your wife want to do now. Otherwise, you wake ip everyday and just stare at each other, or watch TV the whole day. Not really an exciting way of living your golden years, is it? He chooses to file a Chapter 7 to get rid of $35K credit cards even though it’s way late. Better late than never. The second senior is 80. His wife passed away recently. They have no children but have a lot of relatives who owe him money.
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Community Journal
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Relief from default in divorce cases
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes THERE are situations in both Divorce and Child Support cases where the Summons and Petition resulted to a default against one party for failing to respond on time. In certain situations, the defaulted party failed to respond on time because he or she did not even know that he or she was served with a Summons. This situation places the defaulted party in a precarious situation in that the first time the defaulted party usually becomes aware of the existence of the case is when the default child support judgment or divorce judgment is actually being enforced against the defaulted party. At this point, the party no longer has the right to participate or defend itself in the litigation. Based on my experience in practice, the defaulted party usually gets in this situation because they moved residences and the summons was served at the prior residence. Sometimes, the proof of service of summons is fraudulent or defective. Fortunately, relief is available for the defaulted party. If a default judgment is entered against a party who was served with summons, but service did not result in actual notice in time to defend the action, the party may serve and file a notice of motion to set aside the default or default judgment, and for leave to defend the action. Code
Civ. Proc., § 473.5, subd. (a) “Actual notice” means genuine knowledge of the party litigant. Rosenthal v. Garner, 142 Cal. App. 3d 891, 191 Cal. Rptr. 300 (2d Dist. 1983)The Courts has strictly construed this term to implement a policy of liberally granting relief so that cases can be resolved on their merits. Olvera v. Olvera, 232 Cal. App. 3d 32, 283 Cal. Rptr. 271 (4th Dist. 1991) In addition, actual notice by a party’s attorney will not be imputed to the client. Rosenthal v. Garner, 142 Cal. App. 3d 891, 191 Cal. Rptr. 300 (2d Dist. 1983) There is an additional angle of argument available for non native English speakers. Receipt of summons and complaint by a non-English speaking defendant lacking in business sophistication may not impart “actual knowledge.” Goya v. P.E.R.U. Enterprises, 87 Cal. App. 3d 886, 151 Cal. Rptr. 258 (2d Dist. 1978); Tunis v. Barrow, 184 Cal. App. 3d 1069, 229 Cal. Rptr. 389 (2d Dist. 1986) So even if you actually received the complaint, if you do not speak English and are not sophisticated with business and legal matters, you may use the arguments that the default judgment should be set aside because you did not receive “actual notice.” It is the Court’s policy to, as reflected in the Olvera case, to liberally grant setting aside such defaults and having the case heard on the merits. Default Judgment may be set aside by an attorney by filing a
Motion for relief from default. This would be accompanied by a declaration from the defaulted party that he never received actual notice. A copy of the proposed response is also required to be filed with the court. This type of motion must be filed and served within 2 years after entry of default judgment or within 180 days after service of a notice of default or default judgment on the defaulted party, whichever comes first. If you are a defaulted party, you should retain the representation of an experienced attorney to set the default aside as soon as you can. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, nonspecific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. (Advertising Supplement)
Seniors plan their golden… PAGE B3 t
He and his wife were generous in lending a helping hand to their relatives when they were younger. $50K to a cousin who wanted to buy a UPS store. $40K to a brother who wanted to buy a restaurant. You know what I mean. The money lent has stacked up over the years and have not been repaid. He feels unsecure now because he has maintenance expenses now, which are escalating. Just the caregiver costs $2K a month. Well, the problem of course is that it’s easy to lend out money, but it’s very difficult to collect. First off, would be to file lawsuits to collect. So, at least you end up with money judgments that accrue legal interest at 10% yearly. In addition, placing
judgment liens on real property can enforce these money judgments, wages can be garnished, and bank accounts can be levied. This is a lot better than waiting for his beloved relatives to start paying him back, which knows when. The truth is, which is better left unsaid, beloved relatives are probably waiting for client to kick the bucket so they can forget about paying him back. After all, he won’t need cash in heaven, would he? Nope. The third client is a young senior at 58. She is a single mom with a good paying job as a registered nurse. She has two kids in college who need support. Her problem is $50K of credit card debt. The choice is making minimum payments of $1,500 a
month to visa and MasterCard, or giving the $1,500 to her college kids to help them pay their rents in out of state colleges. It’s a no brainer. Client decides to discharge her $50K of credit card debt with a Chapter 7 petition. “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” — Psalm 34:6-7 *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.
People and Events
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA WE talked about tax consequences of short sales, foreclosures, and abandonments of homes. Let us now talk about tax consequences of cancelled debt on qualified real property – including rental units. Debt forgiven from short sales, foreclosures, and abandonments creates debt relief income – taxable income, taxed at ordinary rates. Hard for property owners who lose their properties to foreclosures, then find themselves paying tax on debts that are forgiven, reduced, or cancelled. There are laws that protect property owners, first under bankruptcy and insolvency rules. Second, the Mortgage Forgiveness Act of 2007 comes to the aid of homeowners. Third, the Revenue Reconciliation Act helps rental owners. Let us explore how you, as rentals owners, can exclude income from debt relief. Qualified acquisition indebtedness. Debt relief income can be excluded by landlords from qualified acquisition debt. This is debt incurred or assumed to acquire, construct, reconstruct, or substantially improve real property. It also includes debt resulting from refinancing, as long as the new loan does not exceed the amount of old loan. It does not cover funds used to pay off car loans, credit cards, travel, or
Debt relief exclusion for rental properties college costs. It does not apply to bankruptcy cases. It does not apply directly to insolvency cases when your assets are less than your debts immediately before the cancellation. The insolvency exclusion must be applied prior to seeking relief for cancelled qualified real property business debt. Qualified Real Property Business Debt. Taxpayers other than corporations may exclude debt forgiveness from qualified real property business indebtedness and where the insolvency exception does not apply. The question is – can rental properties be eligible for the Qualified Real Property Business Debt Exclusion? The debt must be incurred or assumed in connection with a trade or business. It is based on the taxpayer’s involvement in the rental activity. For this purpose, rentals are “trade or business property” even if a management company is hired. Rentals conducted as net leases do not qualify. Exclusion limit. Exclusion is limited to your equity in depreciable properties and the basis cannot be reduced below to zero. How to elect the qualified real property business debt exclusion. You must make an election to exclude cancelled qualified real property business debt. The taxpayer makes the election on Form 982 (PDF), which must be attached to a timely filed (in-
Calendar of Events across
cluding extensions) 2015 federal income tax return. Check the box on line 1d of Form 982. Include the amount of canceled qualified real property business debt on line 2 of Form 982. Reduce your tax attributes in Part II of Form 982. If you filed but missed this election, you can still make the election by filing an amended return within 6 months of the due date of the return. Enter “Filed pursuant to Section 301.91002” automatic extensions on the amended return and file it at the same place you filed the original return. Example: Let us say that you own a $550K ($550,000) worth fourplex with a first mortgage of $510K and a second of $90K. The second trust deed holder agrees to reduce the second loan from $90K to $30K. Your debt discharged is $60K. The maximum debt that you can exclude from income tax is loan balance immediately before the discharge of $600K minus the fair market value of $550K. You may elect to exclude $50K from your income. In accordance with IRS Circular 230, this communication is not to be considered a “covered opinion” or other written tax advice and should not be relied upon for IRS audit, tax dispute, or any other purpose. *** Sy Al-os Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers
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 M AY 28
LASAA dinner-dance The Los Angeles San Antonian’s (Zambales) Association will hold its dinner-dance on May 28 at the Holiday Inn-La Mirada, 14299 Firestone Blvd. The association is headed by Larnoe Dungca. Its president. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For questions, call the association’s vice president, Ramon Radoc, at (951) 751-3267.
JUNE 4
Piyesta Pinoy Bolingbrook Please join us on Saturday, June 4 for the 3rd Philippine Fest Celebration (Piyesta Pinoy sa Bolingbrook) at the beautiful Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center (375 W. Briarcliff Rd. Bolingbrook, IL). This year’s event will include a variety of food vendors, business, merchandise, and non-profit organizations, as well as hours of dance, games, and musical entertainment, including special guest performances. The Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF) is proud to promote and share our rich Filipino cultural heritage and traditions in America. Your participation and support are always valuable and critical to the survival of PACF and its programs. For more information, or to volunteer, perform, exhibit, or donate, please visit www.piyestapinoy.net, or email Piyestpinoy@gmail.com.
Missionary Society of St. Columban Dinner-Dance
Members of the Organizing Committee: L to R: Michael Maniquis, Lourdes Maniquis Contreras, Corry Maniquis Painter, Tess Zamora Manikis, Veronica Maniquis, Luisa Maniquis, Joselyn Maniquis, and Juanito Maniquis, Jr.
LET’S GET TOGETHER
8th Biennial Maniquiz/Maniquis/ Maniquez/Manikis Family Reunion MEMBERS of the Maniquiz/ Maniquis/Maniquez/Manikis clan are scheduled to get together for their 8th biennial family reunion on May 28, 2016 at the Gold Coast Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Hosted by the Santiago clan, the program of activities starts with registration at 11:00 am, followed by a delicious Asian lunch buffet. Rewind to the 50s and 60s era, and enjoy an afternoon of dancing, games, prizes and talent shows, while recon-
necting with the family members in your favorite poodle skirts, and your James Dean jackets. The family’s history dates back to 1730s, when a young Spanish-Mexican trader named Carlos Agustin Maniquiz arrived in San Bartolome, now Tartaro, San Miguel, Bulacan and started a family with a local lady named Juana Puno. This union produced four sons (Dionisio, Miguel, Alejandro and Santiago), from whom the four branches and 10
generations of the family are descendants of. The 7 previous biennial reunions were all successful and well-attended with family members coming from all over the US, and as far as New Zealand, England, Canada, Dubai, and of course, the Philippines. Family members interested in attending this event may preregister by contacting Corry Maniquis Painter at (925)577-9939 or Tess Z. Manikis at (209) 815-098. n
The Missionary Society of St. Columban will hold its annual dinner dance event on June 4th, 6pm, at the Friendship Auditorium (3201 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90941). Organized by the Dancing for the World, an affiliate of the Columbans, will celebrate the “Year of Mercy” to echo and emphatically support the call of Pope Francis’s Jubilee Year. This year is very important to be responsive to the call of the church and be faithful to the mission of God because God is by nature merciful. Thanks to the many dedicated missionaries, priests, sisters and lay missionaries who responded to the call of God and live among the poor to make a difference and allow God’s mercy to flow into the hearts of those they minister. For more information, please visit www.columban.org. The Dancing for the World event on June 4 is also an opportunity to meet supporters, donors and friends to thank them for their valuable contribution to the Columban mission. Event will include delicious food, ballroom dancing, and fabulous raffle prizes. (For this year, the first prize will be a cruise for two to Mexican Riviera. The second prize is a Flat screen TV. The third prize is a Tablet.) There are many amazing prizes available for all lucky winners. The dinner dance ticket is $40.Reserve your tickets now or before May 15. For information and tickets please contact Carmencita Enriquez (213) 880-5075 or Ariel Presbitero (323) 691-5262, or at: 2919 Moss Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Thank you in advance on behalf of the Missionary Society of St. Columban and the Dancing for the World committee members. Please continue praying for all Columban Missionaries all over the world and the success of this event.
Pechanga Bus trip The Filipino American Law Enforcement Officers Association (FALEO), a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, will host a bus trip to Pechanga to raise funds for its scholarship. There will be two locations for pick up and drop off: First pick up is at 10:45 am; drop off at 8:30 pm at Carson Civic Center, 801 East Carson Street, Carson. The second pick up will be between 11:15 to 11:30 am; drop off at 8 pm at Angels Stadium Metrolink, 2626 East Katella Avenue, Anaheim. Tickets are $35 and include games and a light breakfast while en route to Pehcanga. For more information, contact Pauline at igorott@yahoo.com.
JUNE 11
Philippine Independence Day celebration The Philippine Independence Day Foundation in conjunction with the City of Carson and GMA Pinoy TV will hold the 118th Philippine Independence Day celebration at Veterans Park and Sports Complex, 22400 Moneta Avenue, Carson, CA 90745. The event is celebrated yearly in the City of Carson and is attended by thousands of Carson residents, as well as people from different parts of Southern California. The celebration will take place from 8am to 6pm. For more information, call (310) 549-3111.
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
Family feuds and shattered…
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Word International Ministries ( WIN) LA is inviting everyone to SWING,SWING,SWING Novice Golf Tournament on June 10,2016. Photo shows (from right to left) Pastor Alberto Cordero of WIN LA,Mr. Brent Boznanski, General Manager, Whittier Narrows Golf Course, and Mr. Peng Gho, event organizer from WIN-LA. For more details, call Mr Goh at 3108900133.
Roddick, Bill Gates and Nigella Lawson, to declare that they will not spoil their children with ludicrous fortunes but leave the money to charity. Hong Kong superstar Jacky Chan once said: “I’ve made my money myself — my son should make his own way in the world.” Even the popular singer Sting, who recently staged a concert here has time and again declared that he will not leave any inheri-
tance to his six children. He was quoted as saying “ I have told my children not to expect to inherit my money (estimated to be worth more than $255 M or close to P12 B) as I don’t believe in Trust funds. I fear that my wealth will be albatrosses round there necks”. In short, Sting was very clear… his children will have to fend for themselves and find their own way in the world as well. ***
Prof. Soriano is an ASEAN Family Business Advisor, Book Author and Executive Director of ASEAN-based Consulting group, Wong + Bernstein Advisory. He is slated to deliver a series of talks in the US this May. Grab Prof Soriano’s book as he shares his insights and offer solutions to Family Businesses through his second book entitled “Ensuring The Family Business Legacy.” For those interested, please call Marianne at +639255224713 or email her at mrevilla@wongadvisory.com. Prof Soriano’s business articles can also be accessed at www.Faminbusiness.com.
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PeoPle & events
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 11-13, 2016
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Barbara and Steve Allen, Priscilla Hunt, �ema �asiah, Dr. �ambria Kang and �aju �asiah.
Priscilla greets David Hunt and grandchildren.
EMPLOYMENT
Fabulous Milestone. Priscilla D. Hunt was recently feted by family and friends with a Black and White Formal Dinner-dance plus entertainment galore at the Manhattan Beach Marriott Hotel. Madame Hunt is the President of Hunt Enterprises, Inc. She is the daughter of former Mayor Isidro Dulay of Aringay, La Union and Laureana Pajarillo of Aklan. She is shown with members of her family. �L-��� �L-��� �ynthia Soma, Sara Moore, �yan Moore, Brenda �owotka, �rystal Beckinger, �iley Beckinger, Sa�on �owotka, �alph Moore, Susan Moore, �Hilda Koronel��, Priscilla Hunt, Melissa Steeber, Diana Simmons, �alph Simmons, Aarika Simmons, Trip Simmons, Heidi Lopez, Diego Lopez, Kaikoa Soma, �oelani Soma, Sean Simmons, Brenda K. �owotka, Director of Human �esourcesHunt Enterprises, Inc. �By �ore Patrana�� Photos by Joe Cobilla
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B MAY 11-13, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 11, 2016
AsiAn PAcific AmericAn HeritAge montH:
Celebrating diversity and inclusiveness By Charisse
Trinidad/AJPress
ThroughouT the month of May, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the uS celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage Month. representatives Norman Mineta of California and Frank horton of New York introduced a house resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first 10 days of May as Asian/Pacific heritage Week in June of 1977. By 1978, President Carter signed a resolution making it an annual celebration. It was then expanded to a month-long commemoration in 1990 by President george h.W. Bush. The month of May was chosen for two main reasons: The first is the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. A majority Rep. Frank Horton of the workers who laid the tracks on the western half of the construction were Chinese immigrants; while the second reason is that May marks the immigration of the first Japanese to the united States. In the 1980s, the San gabriel Valley in Southern California did not have a thriving Asian demographic. Monterey Park was the only city whose Asian household made up one-third of the city’s overall demographic. however, this began changing in the 1990s and continues through to today. Now, cities such as San gabriel City, San Marino, rosemead, Arcadia, and Temple City not only have thriving Asian households and businesses, but they are also the majority of residents there. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing racial group in our country, growing over four
Rep. Norman Mineta
times as rapidly as the population of the united States. As one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse groups in America, the AAPI community reminds us that though we all have distinct backgrounds and origins, we are bound in common purpose by our shared hopes and dreams for ourselves and our children. our nation’s story would be incomplete without the voices of countless Asian Americans, Native hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have called the land we all love home. This month, we honor the irreplaceable roles they have played in our past, and we recommit to ensuring opportunities exist for generations of AAPIs to come. The AAPI community’s long and deeply-rooted legacy in the united States reminds us of both proud and painful
chapters of our history. Confronted with grueling and perilous working conditions, thousands of Chinese laborers on the transcontinental railroad pushed the wheels of progress forward in the West. Japanese-American troops fought for freedom from tyranny abroad in World War II while their families here at home were interned simply on the basis of their origin. And many South Asian Americans in particular face discrimination, harassment, and senseless violence often in the communities in which they live and work. Today, AAPIs lend their rich heritage to enhancing our communities and our culture. As artists and activists, educators and elected officials, service men and women and business owners, AAPIs help drive our country forward. Yet despite hard-won achievements, AAPIs continue to face obstacles to realizing their full potential. one in three AAPIs do not speak English fluently, and certain subgroups experience low levels of educational
Kick-off presentation for the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at Los Angeles City Hall on Friday, April 22.
Photo from LAAPHM Facebook page.
San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee proudly led a culturally diverse city in The Kariktan Dance Company doing the opening performance during the last year’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. 2016 Asian Pacific American Heritage Awards Ceremony in San Francisco on Photo courtesy of APASF.org. Monday, May 2. Photo courtesy of APASF.org.
attainment and high levels of unemployment. AAPIs also often experience heightened health risks, and millions of AAPI men, women, and children in the united States live in poverty. “our nation’s story would be incomplete without the voices of countless Asian Americans, Native hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have called the land we all love home,” President Barack obama shares. People across the country honor Asian-Pacific American heritage Month with com-
munity festivals, government gatherings, and educational activities for students. how the uS celebrates Asian-Pacific American heritage Month Asian Americans research on the geographic locations. Ethnicity goes from across Far East Asia (Korea, Japan, China), India, the Philippines, and it’s subcontinent (Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal), and the Pacific regions (Samoa, Micronesia). Another way they celebrate is looking up Asian cities or states to find out how many Asian Pacific Americans reside
there. Multi-cultural generations have grown tremendously over hundreds of decades broadening their knowledge about their surroundings and giving insight on it. Furthermore, visiting a local Asian places like a city’s Chinatown or Los Angeles’ historic Filipinotown when celebrating Asian Pacific heritage Month. Citizens explore a A lot of places have revolved around America’s modern culture, so discovering hidden spots where Asian traditions are still maintained is quite an interest to Americans.
So Cal Edison celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by agnes ConsTanTe / AJPress IN celebration of Asian Pacific American heritage Month (APAhM), utilities company Southern California Edison (SCE) on Friday, May 6, awarded business and community partners for their contributions to energy efficiency and the greater Asian American community. “having this celebration helps us recognize the importance of this community’s contributions to Southern California, to the nation,” said Pedro Pizarro, president of SCE. “In today’s economy, we really believe that workforce diversity and inclusion is critical to being able to succeed and serve our customers.” Three awards presented honored Brighton Management, a Chinese owned company based in Irvine that owns or operates 45 major hotels, with the energy efficiency participation award; the Center for Asian Americans united for Self Empowerment (CAuSE), a non-profit organization, with the community partnership award; and LTL Attorneys, one of the largest certified minority and women-owned litigation boutiques, with the diverse business enterprise award. Through its participation in SCE’s Energy Efficiency Express Solutions, Brighton Management was able to reduce about 265,000 kWh on an annual basis, equating to a savings of $42,400. “Winning this award as an Asian American-owned business means so much to us because as we’re seen as the underdog,” Ariel Fan, energy operations manager at Brighton Management, told the Asian Journal.
Emmy Award-winning NBC4 reporter Hetty Chang hosted the 11th annual Southern California Edison Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration.
SCE President Pedro Pizarro said the company’s celebration helps it recognize the community’s contributions to Southern California and the United States. AJPress photos by Ding Carreon
“It really puts us in the spotlight to be able to make change and also influence other Asian American biz owners to do the same. For CAuSE, which seeks to empower the Asian American community through leadership development, has long been supported by Southern California Edison. The organization’s board chair, Charlie Woo, said Friday’s recognition by SCE was an honor. “We are really glad that our work is being recognized,” Woo said. “And I think more importantly, [this award is] encouragement for us to do even more.” LTL was noted for donating time to leadership positions in multiple non-profit organizations. Some of its attorneys have also worked on pro bono cases and traveled to refugee camps in Southeast Asia to offer legal advice. In addition to the honorees, a keynote address was delivered by Nanxi Liu, CEo and co-founder of open digital display software Enplug. Liu,
who was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 and one of Fortune Magazine’s Top 10 Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs, shared that growing up, she had to learn how to work with limited resources. She learned she could make money by winning piano competitions and participating in pageants. In college, she said she maximized her time by not always attending classes unless she absolutely had to. Throughout her college career, Liu spent much of her time applying for scholarships to obtain money to pay for school. She also built devices, including a chip that allowed lights on campus to go on and off based on light settings. Liu received $10,000 from the university for the chip, which took her 24 hours to make. During Liu’s sophomore year of college, she and some friends developed a biomedical device for glaucoma patients that converted eyedrops into a puff of air for elderly patients; In her junior year, she made a website for male video gamers to play with female video gamers. Liu monetized both these ventures. Today, Enplug is the leading open digital display software, and is used by Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. “I’m so thankful for the Asian American community [in Koreatown] who supported us, because ... our first customers were the Asian community in Koreatown,” Liu said. The Southern California Edison event was held at its Energy Education Center in Irwindale. It was the company’s 11th annual celebration of AAPI heritage Month.
Brighton Management receives the energy efficiency participation award
102 win at 99 Ranch Mother’s Day drawing contest In celebration of Mother’s Day, 99 Ranch Market held a drawing contest to allow children to express their love and gratefulness toward their mothers. With no exception this year, the contest drew in thousands of entries from all across Southern California, Texas and nevada. This year, 99 Ranch Market created something a little more special other than the traditional pencil-to-paper drawing contest: younger artists were invited to participate in the coloring contest to show off their coloring talent. After entry submissions were professionally judged by a panel of artists, 99 Ranch Market celebrated with participants and shoppers with a lavish Mother’s Day awards ceremony on Saturday, May 7, from 2 to 4pm at its Rowland Heights store. The Mother’s Day drawing contest marks another year in the efforts of 99 Ranch Market to create an interactive and loving way of marking Mother’s Day from child to mother. Contestants were divided into two groups:
Stella Abrera in “The Bright Stream.”
features
The Asian Journal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 11, 2016
Hacienda Heights, Kayley n. from The Colony, Wincent L. from Grapevine, and Zi Chao Z. from Alhambra in Group A; Chloe T. and Madison L. from San Gabriel, Lorena T. from Oak Park, Ella T. and Sung L. from Arcadia, Angelica C. and Kristina L. from Rancho Cucamonga, Jessica H. from Rosemead, Megan L. from San Marino and Hanwen X. from
AJPress Photos by Mark Bautista
Group A participants, ages 3 to 6 years old, were provided with pre-drawn “Super Mom” artwork, so younger artists could express their artistic talent through coloring. Group B, with participants aged 7 to 12 years old, were provided with construction paper that allowed them to maximize their
creativity and imagination. The artwork was judged and evaluated by a panel of professional artists with the following criteria breakdown: 25 percent creativity, 25 percent skill and 50 percent subject relevance. As in previous years, the entries received for 2016 demonstrated the immense creativity from children across various age groups in the name of Mother’s Day. After much deliberation, the judges selected a total of 102 winners from both groups. This year, the Tawa Foundation awarded $300 checks to six winners, three from each group: Joshua W. from Artesia, Felix H. from Irvine and Anna H. from Arcadia in Group A; Matthew Tan M. from Cerritos, Iris L. from Diamond Bar and
Photo by Gene Schiavone
Ryan G. from Irvine in Group B. Ten Grand Prize winners, five from each group, took home a $100 gift card from 99 Ranch, as well as a trophy. The winners from Group A were Ariel C. from Irvine, Yalan Z. from Temple City, Athena S. from Claremont, Viviana C. from Diamond Bar and Jade X. from Loma Linda. From Group B, winners were James W. from Diamond Bar, Allison L. from San Gabriel, Jaden T. from Tustin, Lynette H. from Temple City and Fiona T. from Walnut. A total of 20 first prize winners, 10 from each group, won a trophy and $50 gift card to 99 Ranch Market: Joanne L. and XinRan Y. from San Gabriel, Yolanda W. from Pasadena, Eric D. from Alta Loma, Annie H. from Irvine, Andrea L. from Arcadia, Grace W. from
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Rowland Heights in Group B. Finally, 66 Outstanding Prize Group winners were awarded with a trophy and a $25 gift card to 99 Ranch Market. All winning entries from this year’s contest will be displayed at the 99 Ranch Market Rowland Heights branch through May 31. *Advertising Supplement
4
Iza Calzado: Hollywood can wait
entertainment
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 11, 2016
Chiz to have honeymoon with Heart after conceding in VP race by
Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com
After the tiring election circus, Sen. francis “Chiz” escudero plans to finally have his long overdue honeymoon with wife Heart evangelista. escudero has conceded in the vice presidential race tuesday, May 10 after seeing the trend, where Camarines Sur rep. Leni robredo and Sen. ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos lead the unofficial tallies. “Siguro ‘yung matagal nang naudlot na honeymoon ay matutuloy na,” he said in a brief announcement of his concession. the couple was married in feb. 15, 2015 and didn’t have a proper honeymoon due to the preparations for escudero’s vice presidential campaign. Aside from their honeymoon, the senator also looks forward to “quieter times at mas maraming time sa pamilya.” He has two children from ex-wife Christine elizabeth flores.
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero plans to have the long overdue honeymoon with wife Heart Evangleista after conceding in the vice presidential race.
Richard Gomez elected as Ormoc City Mayor After years of attempting to enter politics, actor and athlete richard Gomez won as as mayor of Ormoc City in Leyte, the home turf of his wife, Leyte rep. Lucy torres. On Monday, May 9, Gomez was proclaimed on tuesday as mayor with 53,234 votes, defeating Ondo Codilla with 44,453 votes. He was running under the Nacionalist People’s Coalition, while Codilla was under the Liberal Party. Gomez first tried to secure an elective post in 2007 when he ran for senator, while he was disqualified as congressman in 2010. While this is the second time he ran for mayor in Ormoc City. He first ran in 2013 but
Richard Gomez finally won an elective post as he was proclaimed Mayor of Ormoc City.
lost against edward Codilla. Gomez’s wife Lucy torres-Gomez who ran under the Liberal Party, meanwhile, has
again the won a seat in the House of representatives, defeating Violeta Codilla. (Philstar. com)
by Jerry
Donato Philstar.com
IzA Calzado is not Hollywood-bound just yet. But her recent sojourn to Los Angeles saw the actress testing the waters, so to speak, by exploring the audition landscape there. “I didn’t study a specific acting course,” Iza shared. “I studied an audition technique. We are not used to auditioning here (in the Philippines for a role). I (also) studied some improv. I always think that there’s so much room for improvement. I’m not where I want to be as an actress (but) I’m happy where I am.” Iza went to the Acquila Morong, whose owner is a casting director. Whatever new insights she has gained from it will surely help her secure a mainstream or an independent film in the US. If not, she can use the experience (like learning an accent) in every project that may come her way in the local scene. “It’s better to be prepared,” Iza said. “I wanted to explore several things… Whatever it is, I’m just preparing for my future… Why do you have to wait for a role to come to you? Why don’t you prepare for it?... I’m just preparing for, if for one day, I just want to move there for a certain period of time. I’d rather be prepared and know that I can actually live there. It’s more of an ocular inspection. I always wanted to go beyond the Philippines — it could be regional (like) Southeast Asia. I just feel that we should keep on expanding our audience and market.” Iza also shared a piece of good news, if one may call it, that when she was in the US, the actress was able to book an independent film (thriller) with a filipino director. If this materializes, she will be working with Jake Macapagal. “It’s ongoing and it is not yet set,” Iza said. “It’s good (that) something came up with my trip.” for actors like Iza, it is important to think of the next logical step by setting new
As Senatoriable Vera Sanchez in the political rom-com “My Candidate.”
goals. As she put it, “You just keep on exploring and trying.” following the “globalizing” trend in the creative arts, especially on tV and in film, Iza has to be on her toes and always on the lookout for new acting playing field to explore. Although it’s safe to say that chasing the American dream is on her wish list like most filipinos do, Iza is still bound by her commitments in the local tinseltown. One of which is “My Candidate,” also starring Derek ramsay and Shaina Magdayao. “May pagka-maldita siya,” described Iza of Vera Sanchez, the former girlfriend of Derek’s character Sonny Suarez, who is also running for a senatorial seat in the movie. “She is very ambitious and she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.” Iza added that her role “wasn’t patterned after any politician” and it never crossed her mind that the Quark Henares movie could be perceived as a political statement. After all, “My Candidate” is a romcom set in an elections milieu. Aside from acting in mainstream movies, Iza said that an upcoming soap and an indie are in the pipeline. “ABS-CBN ang aking tahanan,” she shared. “I would be (starring in a soap) with Bea. I’m also currently working on a project with Jerrold tarog. It’s a psycho-thriller, one of my
favorite genres. I auditioned for the part. When I was asked to read for it, I was so thrilled.” the movie is more sensual as Iza implied. She might be baring some skin as much as she is baring her talent. Having attended recently the wedding anniversary of close friends Judy Ann Santos and ryan Agoncillio, is Iza pressured to tie the knot? “Wala,” she replied. “Hindi talaga. Wala pa. Hindi naman na ako bata, but (I’m not getting married) this year.” If and when she and her boyfriend decide to start their forever, will marriage stand in the way of her Hollywood dream? “I think you can pursue that and get married,” she said. Now, Iza is back in Manila, doing what she loves best, and never afraid to take on eclectic, diverse roles. With that mindset, she has surpassed the celebrity tag, which is mainly based on charm and looks. “I also had decisions that didn’t quite work out,” she said. “there’s always a reason why things (fall into place). there’s always a reason why things happened. I think I’m a bit of a risk taker like doing that psycho-thriller with Jerrold and like doing this (My Candidate). Work is work. As long as the role is fun and challenging, I’m going to accept it.”
A series promoting love of country by BiBsy
m. carBallo Philstar.com
DreAMSCAPe entertainment introduced its newest series “Because You Love Me” starring Gerald Anderson, Jake Cuenca and Yen Santos. It is helmed by Dan Villegas, the award-winning director behind such films as “english Only, Please,” “the Breakup Playlist” and “Walang forever.” It promises to be different as it will focus on triathletes and the sport of triathlon, which has been growing in popularity in the country over the past few years but has yet to reach the same level as the likes of basketball or volleyball. Gerald said “Because You Love Me” features a lighter tone than most tV shows, and claimed that it will be revolutionary. “It is light but the back story has something to do with profound pain. Neither is it the type that will make you cry. We are going to do it in a different way. I believe that it will change the landscape of tV shows,” he said.
Jake Cuenca, Yen Santos and Gerald Anderson, stars of Dreamscape Entertainment’s drama series “Because You Love Me.”
He is also happy being reunited with Jake, his former co-star in the drama series “tayong Dalawa” in 2009. Direk Dan admitted that he is looking forward to the challenge of recapturing the intensity of a triathlon for televiewers. “things happened so fast, so many things happening, there is an underwater scene, the size and scope of the show
is huge,” the director said. Direk Dan is also proud of the scenic spots in Mindoro where the series will be shot. It’s on the opposite side of Puerto Galera. It is another beautiful scenery to be highlighted and also to promote tourism in the area. Yen, for her part, said that it has always been her dream to be cast with Gerald and Jake whom she had worked with in an episode of Wansapanataym. Yen first appeared in “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB)” 2010 teen edition. She gained popularity as one of the lead stars in the hit drama “Pure Love” with Alex Gonzaga, and in “All of Me,” her last series with Albert Martinez and JM de Guzman. Joining them are Dante rivero, Joel torre, tonton Gutierrez, Bing Loyzaga, Nico Manalo and Helen Gamboa, who worked with Jake and Gerald in “tayong Dalawa.” there is no date yet as to when Because You Love Me will air but it will be handled by the same team behind “On the Wings of Love (OtWOL).”
MODELING DEBUT. Erveen Legaspi, 21, is currently a junior at Cal State University, Northridge, taking up mechanical engineering. “Ben,” as they call him, is ambitious, optimistic, friendly, energetic and down to earth. He dreams of becoming a successful engineer in the future. He will be featured as one of the models at the fashion show of L.A.’s top fashion designer Joeberte Couture. It will be held on May 28 at Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles.
features 5
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 11, 2016
Moonlighting
People last Sunday at the ER
As a story unfolded, I was there. A young woman was de leon brought in comatose, having taken a massive overdose of anti-depressant pills. Shortly after she arrived, her heart All of los Angeles Counstopped. The ER staff worked ty’s sufferings come through to resuscitate her for some the doors of the emergency time, not because they had room. much hope of success, but Accidents, shootings, heart because they knew it was attacks, beatings, rapes, suiimportant to those who surcides—just as gory and heart- vived to feel that everything stopping when I was covering possible had been done. They the police beat for People’s weren’t successful. Tonight of The Journal Group It fell on the physician, in the Philippines, before I de- who led the Code Team, to fected to Hollywood. Stories tell her husband that his wife that would make you clasp had died. The doctor sat your chest and spit out your there with him for a while and coffee over breakfast when listened to his story. That’s you read it. what doctors are for. I was giddy with the drama The couple had come to of it all, temporarily forgetting California with the hope of reasons for admission at the making something better for emergency ward’s Trauma Unit themselves. Both their parlast Sunday evening. ents had a history of violence The countenance of Florand alcoholism. He was a ence Nightingale still floats mechanic, she waited tables in the corridors of this great in a bar. All they owned was county hospital, as she had a truck, which was more of designed herself. Doctors an apology, and his tools. A assigned to the wards of week ago, the tools had been lAC-USC Medical Center stolen and there was no monfor their first clinical experiey to replace them. Welcome ence find it a colorful place to to the human race! work, like Dickens in modern They both had suffered clothes. Here, they learn a lot from depression. She would of medicine and other things wake in the night and wanas well. der in their hovel; he would The emergency ward had always hear her and wake to major and minor trauma units sit with her in the dark. They with a huge room of beds— were all each other had. one along each other of the She had gone to the sidewalls. It was like a place medical cabinet and taken of refuge, and in spite of the down the whole bottle of a advent of managed care, it four-month supply of pills was not uncommon for people that had been given at the to be treated at the hospital mental health clinic a week with a chief complaint of cold before. She had swallowed it and hungry or even homeless all. When she didn’t wander in fall, with fever. It was a that night, he tried waking place with its own culture, its her up. regulars and newcomers, and The man thanked the its politics. doctor for his efforts. It had Good and bad news, been too many pills, too much examination and treatments, pain, many years too late to family relationships—hapbring her back. Once again, pened in full view of everyone. the doctor assured the man It was an extraordinary experi- that “everything possible had ence of community. been done.” The man sat by Mylah
quietly. Nodding, he said “Everything? Then she is healed and in heaven now.” The doctor told me how deeply he was moved by the simplicity of the man’s life and depth of love for his wife. His heart went out to him in his loss. He had been a devoted husband, but she had been mortally wounded, long before she had been loved so completely. And it was while I was lying down by the gurney of the emergency ward last Sunday, yielding to unbearable anxiety between blood tests and all the poking and prodding and humiliating assault to one’s body—while fluid drips down from a plastic bag into your arm—that I found myself thinking of that man and his wife. I sensed in him a sort of acceptance that was bewildering. He was young. Perhaps it never occurred to him that some pain might be beyond the power of love to heal…the thought was humbling. Is that what her husband had known? Is that what he had accepted? If so, how had he found the courage to love her so completely? And having loved her in this way, how could he go on? In the anguishing aftermath of a spouse’s suicide, surrounded by many wellintentioned and impotent words of comfort, the man must have understood the power of acceptance as the only way for those who survive to find peace and heal. In time, he will be able to go on, because he knew that he could not haveloved her more. No one could have. But, she had been mortally wounded a long time ago— long before he even knew her name. Now, he would have understood. *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com
6
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 11, 2016
Valid at Island Pacific West Covina·Panorama·Canoga Park·N. Vermont Los Angeles·S. Vermont Los Angeles·Oxnard·Cerritos·Rancho Cucamonga.
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SAVINGS
Lydia's Lechon Sauce Regular 330g
“WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE THE SALES PROMO WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. WE ALSO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REPLACE ITEMS WITH PRODUCTS OF APPROXIMATE VALUE. NO RAIN CHECKS. PROMO GOOD WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER COUPON OR PROMO. PRICES MAY CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. GIVEAWAYS NOT VALID FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISCOUNT.”
1.79
WAS
SAVINGS
Sukang Pinakurat 250ml
Jicama
Cilantro
89¢ WAS
SAVINGS
$1.29 31%
Chaudoc Coconut Milk 13.5oz
2
for WAS
6
$
SAVINGS
$4.99 40%
Sun Tropics Premium Fruit Juice in Carton Asstd Flavors 64oz