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ED ITION May 4-6, 2016
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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. 36 • 3 Sections - 22 Pages
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DATELINE
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
US extradites Fil-Am suspect in Olongapo murder
the primary suspect of the heinous murder of 23-year-old Karie Ces “Aika” mojica in olongapo City, Zambales in July last year was extradited by the Us back to the Philippines on sunday, may 1. filipino-American Jonathan Dewayne Viane, 29, was turned over by agents of the federal Bureau of Investigation (fBI) after getting arrested in Iowa september 3 of last year. Viane arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 4 am sunday morning. Viane allegedly murdered mojica, a store supervisor and his wife’s best friend last July 25. the murder went viral on social media after mojica’s body was found burned, strangled and shot before being disposed in a dike in san felipe, Zambales. reports say that mojica had a conversation with Viane the night before her murder. she was convincing him to allow his wife to bring their 4-year-old son back to the Us. Viane fled outside the country after the
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DC symposium reflects on Philippine growth and relations with the US
WAshINGtoN, D.C. – members of the government, private sector, and the academe gathered at the Johns hopkins school of Advanced International studies (sAIs) for a symposium entitled “Philippines 2016: Governance, Growth, Development and security” on thursday, April 28. Philippine Ambassador to the United states Jose L. Cuisia, in his keynote address, described the Philippines’ path towards good governance, growth, and development as challenging, fulfilling, and dynamic, crediting the country’s economic transformation to the good governance program of the Aquino Administration and economic policies centered on inclusive growth. Ambassador Cuisia also cited the deepening Philippines-Us relations along the defense and security, people-to-people and economic tracks as an avenue of continued cooperation for the next administration. “the Philippines is committed to be a proactive, reliable and responsible ally of the Us, but more importantly, a strong Philippines is
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10 Indonesian hostages released by Abu Sayyaf by roel
Pareño Philstar.com
ZAmBoANGA CItY – ten Indonesian sailors kidnapped by the Abu sayyaf were freed on sunday, may 1, after five weeks in captivity. officials said emissaries dropped off the 10 tugboat crewmen at the home of sulu Gov. Abdusakur tan Jr. in Jolo during a heavy midday downpour. “the report (of their release) is confirmed. they were there. I saw them,” Jolo police director supt. Junpikar sitin said. “they appeared tired but were in high spirits,” he added.
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IMF: PH to be fastest-growing ASEAN economy for next two years Strong demand to drive GDP at fastest pace among Asean-5
by Mayvelin
U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net
In its “regional economic outlook for Asia and the Pacific,” the multilateral institution forecasts higher 2016-2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the Philippines compared to the rest of Association of southeast Asian Nations (Asean)-5.
the Philippines is poised to be the fastest growing economy in southeast Asia this year and the next, the International monetary fund (Imf) said in a new regional report.
the Imf said Philippine real GDP growth is likely to hit 6 percent this year and 6.2 percent in 2017, higher than Indonesia’s 4.9 and 5.3 percent; malaysia’s 4.4 and 4.8 percent; thailand’s 3 percent and 3.2 percent; and singapore 1.8 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.
Domestic demand “the modest uptick in growth is expected to be driven by the continued strength of domestic demand, which will more than offset the drag from net exports. the latter will remain subdued, but spillovers from China are
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Binay, Roxas sign pact for honest, truthful polls by llanesCa
T. PanTi ManilaTimes.net
LIBerAL Party presidential bet manuel “mar” roxas 2nd, Vice President Jejomar Binay and 16 senatorial aspirants signed a covenant for truthful, responsible, Upright, transparent and honest (trUth) elections on monday, may 2, a week before the country goes to the polls. the two presidential candidates and the other bets vowed to avoid using violence, deceit, fraud and other unfair and dishonest practices. they also pledged to refrain from using guns, goons and gold. the senatorial candidates who signed the pact were sen. Vicente sotto III, former Justice secretary Leila de Lima, former Interior secretary rafael Alunan III , manila Vice mayor Isko moreno, former metropoli- DIVINE INTERVENTION. Presidential candidates Vice President Jejomar Binay shakes hands with Manuel Roxas after signing the covenant tan manila Development Authority Chairman fran- for Truthful, Responsible, Upright, Transparent & Honest (TRUTH) Elections after a Mass at the Manila Cathedral on Monday, May 2. The cis tolentino, former special Action force chief Leo signing was witnessed by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, among others.
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CBCP photo by Roy Lagarde
BSP, AMLC deny leaking Duterte’s bank info by ben
o. de vera, ChrisTine o. avendaño and niña P. Calleja Inquirer.net
Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte
the BANGKo sentral ng Pilipinas (BsP) and the Anti-money Laundering Council (AmLC) on monday, may 2, said leaked information on the bank accounts allegedly owned by presidential aspirant rodrigo “Digong” Duterte did not come from them. “We would like to categorically
Poe: Filipinos fed up with ‘straight path’ policy by Maila
ager Inquirer.net
CAVIte — Presidential aspirant senator Grace Poe hit the administration anew on tuesday, may 3, saying that people are already fed up and “disillusioned” with its “daang matuwid” (straight path) policy. “Ang mga tao ay sawang-sawa na, ang mga tao ay disillusioned dahil palaging idinidiin ‘daang matuwid, daang matuwid’ samantalang nakikita naman natin ang serbisyo ay palpak sa maraming ahensya ng gobyerno,” Poe said in an interview after holding a motorcade in this vote-rich province for more than six hours. (The Filipino people are fed up, they are disillusioned with the “straight path” policy while we see that the services in many government agencies are inefficient.) “matagal ko nang pinupuna rin ‘yan. Nakikita natin na hindi nagiging prayoridad ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya para sa ating mga kababayan, iniisip nila: ‘bakit niyo sinasabi na napakabuti ninyo kung kinakalimutan niyo
state that the BsP and the AmLC are not the source of the documents and information being cited by a vice presidential candidate regarding the alleged bank accounts of a certain presidential candidate,” the BsP officer in charge (oIC), Vicente s. Aquino, said in a statement. he was referring to sen. Antonio trillanes IV, a vice presidential candidate, and Duterte, a presidential candidate. trillanes earlier said that he did
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naman kami?” (i have been criticizing this. We can see that the necessities of our countrymen are not prioritized. That’s why, for our our countrymen, they think, “why are you claiming that you are great when you are neglecting us?”) “hindi ko naman sinasabing nakadirekta sa
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THURSDAY TO WEDNESDAY z May 5-11
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Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe.
not get from the AmLC records of Duterte’s bank accounts, which showed transactions amounting to P2.4 billion from 2006 to 2015. he said the documents came from someone who got them from a relative working with an agency that was investigating illgotten wealth of public officials. Duterte first denied the existence of his bank account at the BPI branch on Julia Vargas Av-
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A MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797
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From the Front Page
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 4-6, 2016
A
BSP, AMLC…
PAGE A1 t
IMF: PH to be fastest-growing ASEAN… PAGE A1 t
and will continue to be smaller [in the Philippines] than in other parts of the region,” it said. The IMF added that domestic demand would benefit from higher public consumption and investment growth, but private demand was also expected to remain buoyant, helped by low unemployment, low oil prices, and higher workers’ remittances. “Private investment growth is expected to remain robust owing to improvements in public infrastructure and implementation of public-private partnership projects,” it said. The IMF forecasts were lower than the government’s 6.8 percent to 7.8 percent target for 2016 as well as the 6.6 percent to 7.6 percent range set for 2017. GDP growth eased to 5.8 percent last year from 6.1 percent in 2014 on the back of a slowdown in exports and other factors. Asia growth engine Meanwhile, the IMF said growth in Asia and the Pacific is expected to remain strong at 5.3 percent this year and next, accounting for almost two-thirds of global growth. Despite a slight moderation, it
said Asia remains the engine of global growth. While external demand remains sluggish, domestic demand continues to show resilience across most of the region, driven by low unemployment, growth in disposable income, lower commodities prices, and macroeconomic stimulus, it added. “Of course, Asia is impacted by the still weak global recovery, and by the ongoing and necessary rebalancing in China,” said Changyong Rhee, director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF. “But domestic demand has remained remarkably resilient throughout most of the region, supported by rising real incomes, especially in commodity importers, and supportive macroeconomic policies in many countries,” he added. Facing risks However, IMF stressed that the region faces a number of external challenges, including slow growth in advanced economies, a broad slowdown across emerging markets, weak global trade, persistently low commodity prices, and increasingly volatile global financial markets.
These risks compound domestic vulnerabilities, such as high debt incurred in recent years. In the short term, China’s transition to a new growth model will disrupt its regional partners, especially those heavily exposed to the region’s biggest economy. Geopolitical tensions and domestic policy uncertainty add risks of potential trade disruptions or lower domestic demand, it also said. Natural disasters, too, can reverse economic gains, particularly in lower-income countries and small states, including many Pacific islands. Small states also face the challenge of reduced financial services by global banks or “de-risking” which could hold back financial inclusion and growth. The report also recognizes, however, that the outcome could turn out more positive than forecast. Low commodity prices could be a bigger boost to the region’s economies than expected; and regional and multilateral trade agreements, such as the TransPacific Partnership, could benefit Asia-Pacific even before they are ratified, it said. n
10 Indonesian hostages released by Abu…
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Sitin said the group ate lunch at the governor’s home. Sources said a huge ransom was paid in exchange for the freedom of the hostages but the military refused to provide information about the release. Sitin also could not confirm if indeed ransom was paid. Sitin added the 10 Indonesians were later brought to a hospital in Camp Teodulfo Bautista for medical check up. The Abu Sayyaf intercepted the Taiwanese-owned tugboat MB Brama off Sabah and seized the 10 Indonesians while they were en route to Manila on March 26. The militants are reported to have sought a P50-million ransom, but Sitin said he was unaware that any money had been paid. The Abu Sayyaf does not normally free hostages unless a ransom is paid. The Indonesians were freed six days after the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel. President Aquino vowed Wednesday to devote all his energy to crushing the group before he steps down in two months. Authorities said the bandits are still holding 11 other foreign hostages – four Indonesians, four Malaysians, another Canadian, a Norwegian, a Dutchman and six
Photo provided by the office of Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan Jr. (center) shows 10 Indonesian sailors having a meal after they were released by the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo, Sulu on Tuesday, May 3.
locals. The four Indonesians were separately taken by the Abu Sayyaf on April 15. The Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in Mindanao that has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970s. It is believed to have just a few hundred militants but has withstood repeated US-backed military offensives against it, surviving by using the mountainous, jungle terrain of Sulu and nearby islands of Basilan to its advantage. The bandit group’s network is deeply entrenched and efforts to
flush out its fighters have proved to be a big challenge for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The lucrative kidnapping business has allowed Abu Sayyaf to invest in high-powered boats, weapons and modern communications equipment. With poverty and joblessness rife, it is able to recruit with ease. Foreign ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are due to meet in Jakarta this week to discuss ways to work together to secure key shipping routes in the waters between the three countries. (With Cecille Suerte Felipe)
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Expo Line to Santa Monica Opens May 20 Metro Rail’s Expo Line to Santa Monica is only a few weeks away from the grand opening of seven new stations that stretch from Culver City to Santa Monica. As testing continues in the area, please remember to watch for trains. Learn more at metro.net/moreexpo. Safety is Metro’s Top Priority If you see any suspicious activity while riding Metro, report it immediately through the LA Metro Transit Watch App. The app gives you a quick and easy way to report an incident or contact sheriffs directly. The app even works underground by storing information until the user reaches an area with cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Download the free app in the App Store or Google Play Store or visit metro.net/security for more details. May is Bike Month Whether you ride your bike to get coffee or all the way to work, there’s something for everyone to get excited about for Bike Month 2016. Learn how to repair your bike at informative workshops, participate in Bike to Work Day on 5/19, check out the Bike Night at Union Station on 5/27 and experience all the fun throughout the month. Learn more at metro.net/bikemonth. Metro Seeks Input on 2017 Fiscal Year Budget Metro’s annual budget sets transportation priorities across Los Angeles County for the coming year. Metro will continue gathering comments on the FY17 budget at the Regional Service Council Meetings in May and the public hearing on May 18, before formal adoption by the Board of Directors. For meeting information or to provide your comments, go to metro.net/budgetcomments.
metro.net @metrolosangeles losangelesmetro
16-2027ps_gen-v-16-012 ©2016 lacmta
NEW LAWYERS. Bar passers hug each other after the Supreme Court released the list of successful examinees. A graduate of the University of the Philippines topped the 2015 Bar examinations with a grade of 87.40 percent. Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, chairman of the 2015 Committee on the Bar Examinations, on Tuesday said 1,731 or 26 percent of the 6,605 examinees passed. The new members of the Bar will take their oath in June. ManilaTimes.net photo by Mary Rose Piano
enue in Pasig City but later admitted that it had less than P200 million. Amid the brouhaha over Duterte’s bank records, BSP’s Aquino assured “the Filipino people that the BSP and the AMLC are not engaged in partisan politics and will never allow themselves to be used as a tool for political persecution or harassment, or as an instrument to hamper competition in trade and commerce.” BPI mum Citing client confidentiality, Ayala-led BPI on Monday refused to further comment on Duterte’s bank accounts. “[The] Bank of the Philippine Islands will not make any comment as regards this morning’s discussion involving prominent politicians at our Julia Vargas, Pasig City branch. To do so would be against the basic banking principles of client confidentiality,” BPI said in a statement. The bank said it was “committed to protecting client information and preserving the trust bestowed on us by our clients all these years.” BPI denied on Friday it was the source of information on bank accounts that Trillanes claimed belonged to Duterte. Informant named At a news conference at the Magdalo headquarters in Quezon City after he met with Duterte representatives at the BPI Julia Vargas branch, Trillanes presented his signed affidavit that identified his informant. In the affidavit, he said he got information about Duterte’s “secret bank accounts” from a Joseph de Mesa whom he met on April 21 in his office. De Mesa “used to idolize” Duterte and withdrew his support “when he saw documents showing that Mayor Duterte maintained numerous bank accounts where hundreds of millions, if not billions of pesos, were deposited/transferred over the years,” he said. The senator said De Mesa got the documents “from a close relative who was working with an agency involved in investigating ill-gotten wealth of government officials.” De Mesa, he said, gave him copies of the documents showing the bank accounts in the name of Duterte and his daughter Sara at the BPI Julia Vargas branch and BPI Edsa Greenhills branch as well as the Banco de Oro Unibank
A MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
From the Front Page
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Binay, Roxas sign pact for honest… PAGE A1 t
Napeñas, Susan Ople, Cresencio Paez, Pasig City (Metro Manila) Rep. Roman Romulo, Princess Jacel Kiram, former party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, former Moro Islamic Liberation Front spokesman Eid Kabalu, broadcaster Rey Langit, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Diosdado Valeroso. The candidates promised to support and promote the right of Filipinos to vote and advocate truthful, responsible, upright, transparent and honest elections. The agreement was signed after a Holy Mass officiated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle. Tagle called on voters to be
discerning and to “choose the candidates who will be a representative for the common good.” The cardinal clarified that the Catholic Church will not endorse any candidate. “We won’t impose on who you should vote [for] because we want the flock to participate based on their intellect and conscience. We cannot preach participation and curtail the people’s right to act according to their intellect, rationally and with conscience,” he said. Tagle noted that the right to vote is a blessing that should not be wasted. “Kaya kung tutuusin ang pagboto ay isang tungkulin na hindi lamang makabayan, kundi makadiyos dahil sa aking pag-
boto ako ay nakikilahok sa biyaya na binibigay sa atin na maging bahagi at magkaroon ng boses para sa ikabububuti ng ating lipunan [it could be said that voting is not just a patriotic duty, but a godly one, since by doing so, we participate in the grace given us to play a part in, and have a voice, in the betterment of our society],” the cardinal added. According to Tagle, voters have the responsibility to be discerning and analytical of the candidates. “Mag-aral, kumilatis, kumawala sa pagkakulong sa sarili at isipin ang kabutihan pangkahalatan [Study, discern and liberate yourself from your preoccupation with oneself, and think of the common good],” he said. n
accounts. Panelo, however, said the special power of attorney (SPA) signed by Duterte granting him the power to request and receive a bank certificate from the bank was the waiver. “It is the bank waiver that Trillanes was asking,” the lawyer said over the phone. But the language in the SPA was specific. It allows Panelo to “request for and receive, from the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), bank certificates for BPI Saving Account No. 24330695-39 to show the current balance as well as the fact that at no time since the opening of the aforesaid bank account was there a deposit either singly, or collectively of two hundred million pesos (P211 million).” Trillanes is accusing Duterte of having P227 million—not P211 million as earlier reported—in the BPI account. Asked about the discrepancy in the amount, Panelo said: “That is his problem, He is always changing his statements. That fact is Duterte’s account has no millions.” ‘Hearsay’ The lawyer dismissed as hearsay the affidavit that Trillanes handed to Panelo as part of the senator’s dare to Duterte to open his bank account. “In other words, it was a hearsay coming from De Mesa. He heard it from De Mesa,” Panelo told reporters. Panelo said he showed BPI officials Trillanes’ affidavit that contained Duterte’s supposed transaction history. “The official of the bank said: ‘Sir, we don’t
have a form like that. That was done by a computer,” he said. It was Trillanes who initiated the challenge to Duterte for a face-off at the BPI branch on Julia Vargas last week. He offered to resign as senator and withdraw from the vice presidential race if his accusations against Duterte could be proven false. The face-off attracted supporters from both camps who covered a portion of the avenue. Duterte supporters were seen carrying campaign materials, shouting “Duterte.” The other camp responded “Corrupt.” The two camps traded jeers with Duterte supporters calling the others “bayaran (for hire).” Trillanes’ supporters came prepared, sounding drums and waving flags, ushering their principal’s arrival shortly before 11am. The security at the BPI branch’s periphery was tight with policemen carrying shields and truncheons keeping the supporters and even reporters at bay. Roxas, Poe Also on Monday, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Mar Roxas continued to press Duterte to reveal his bank transactions, a line of attack he has made since last week. “Mayor Digong, why won’t you face the truth?” he said, addressing the foul-mouthed mayor by his nickname. Sen. Grace Poe said Duterte should stop making excuses in refusing to open the history of his bank accounts in BPI. (With reports from DJ Yap and Gil C. Cabacungan)
BSP, AMLC deny leaking Duterte’s bank info
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in Mandaluyong City. He said in his affidavit that he vetted the information given to him and also compared them with Duterte’s statements on assets, liabilities and net worth. He said he executed the affidavit disclosing the identity of his informant so that there would be no more reason for the mayor’s camp not to issue a bank waiver and to “end this issue because I want the people to know what we know.” Face-off Earlier in the day, the muchawaited face-off between the camps of Duterte and Trillanes at BPI Julia Vargas where the presidential hopeful admittedly kept bank accounts drew throngs of supporters but went for naught, as no bank records were opened. Instead of a waiver, Duterte lawyer Salvador Panelo requested BPI to look into his client’s records and issue a certification that “at no time since the opening of the account has there been P211 million whether singly, collectively or cumulatively deposited to his bank account.” Banks asks for 7 days The bank branch, however, asked for seven days to respond to the request of Duterte’s camp. Panelo said a bank official told him that the request had to be carefully studied since it was a joint account. Trillanes said after the meeting, Duterte’s camp had failed to issue a bank waiver even if he had given it an affidavit detailing how he obtained the information on Duterte’s bank
ELECTION PREPARATION. Workers rush to package vote counting machines (VCMs) at the COMELEC warehouse in at Sta. Rosa, Laguna, where a transmission of mock elections results is also held duing the weekend in preparation for the May 9 elections. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
Poe: Filipinos fed up with ‘straight path’… PAGE A1 t
isang tao, kundi nakadirekta sa pamamalakad na parang, yun bang parang wala nang mabait kundi ‘yung iilan,” she said. (I am not referring directly to a single person but to the governance that it seems like there are only a few good people.) Poe made the remark when sought for comment on presidential frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s reported statement that many people have embraced him because they hate the government’s purported inactions. At a campaign rally in Nueva Ecija on Monday, the senator also warned voters against electing a government that will promote violence, saying the poor will suffer from it. While she also dreams of quick solutions to long-time problems, Poe said she does not believe that killing would bring the peace and order people want. “Merong isa kasing kandidato na ang sinasabi tatapusin niya ng tatlo hanggang anim na buwan ang droga. Kahit naman ako, pangarap ko rin ‘yon. Walang masama doon kung talagang magagawa. Kaya lamang ito: Ang pamamaraan ay mali,” she said. (There is a candidate who says he would end illegal drugs in three to six months. I also have the same dream. There is nothing wrong with that if it could re-
ally be done. However, the way of doing that is wrong.) Poe was apparently referring to Duterte, who earlier promised to solve criminality in his first six months in office should he get elected President. The senator said it was not right to give any group blanket power to just kill or kidnap suspected criminals without going through due process. Under this culture of impunity, she said, the poor are in a disadvantaged position. “Ang problema ang palaging napapagkamalan ay mahihirap. Pansinin ninyo, meron bang pinatay na mayaman doon sa lugar nila na nasuspetsahan ng droga, smuggling, o anupaman? Kaya kahit gusto natin ng mabilis na solusyon, gagawin ko pa ring mabilis ang solusyon pero naaayon sa proseso,” she said. (The problem is the poor are always blamed. If you would notice, has there been a rich person killed in their place for suspected engagement in drugs, smuggling or similar activities? That’s why although we want quick solutions, I would make quick solutions according to due process.) If she wins in the May 9 elections, Poe said she would push for the creation of a drug court to try only drug-related cases. This, she said, will declog the country’s criminal courts, which are saddled with thousands of
unresolved cases. She said she would also strengthen the Public Attorney’s Office so that the poor can have access to free and competent legal services. “Bibigyan ko ang mga mahihirap ng magagaling na abogado. Magtatalaga ako ng magaling na pulis sa bawat rehiyon. At ‘pag hindi bumaba ang datos ng krimen at droga, hindi ako maghihintay ng dalawang araw, ako mismo tatanggalin ko ‘yung provincial police para mapalitan ng gumagawa ng trabaho,” she said. (I will provide competent lawyers to the poor. I will assign efficient police to each region. And if crime and drug rates don’t go down, I won’t wait for two days, I will fire the provincial police so he could be replaced immediately.) Poe said the appointment of local police chiefs must not be politicized to ensure that the Philippine National Police (PNP) force across the country will be impartial. “Hindi pwedeng political ang appointment ng pulis. Kailangan ang pulis ay nagtatrabaho para sa inyo dahil naniniwala ako na ang tao ay hindi dapat matakot sa gobyerno. Ang gobyerno ang dapat matakot sa inyo ‘pag hindi namin ginagawa ang aming trabaho,” she further said. n
US extradites Fil-Am suspect of Olongapo…
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crime while the second suspect, Niño Dela Cruz, also a Fil-Am, was arrested by the Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force in Tondo, Manila, last August 12. Aika’s father Josar Mojica was in deep sorrow because of his daughter’s murder. Viane’s return in the country gave hope to
the Mojica family that the case would push ahead. “It’s a good development that he has been brought here but his face is a painful reminder of my daughter’s death,” Josar Mojica said. Aika Mojica’s murder was linked to the custody battle between Viane and his estranged wife back in the United States. Viane left
the US and took their son to the Philippines which led to Mojica intervening in the issue. Viane is temporarily detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office, as of this writing, while Dela Cruz has already been charged before the Zambales RTC Branch 71, and is now locked up at the Zambales Provincial Jail. (Ian Jamotillo / AJPress)
DC symposium reflects on Philippine growth…
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critical to the stability of South East Asia, and I do look forward to the Philippines continuing along its current path,” he said. During the first panel on governance, growth and development, Motoo Konishi, former World Bank Country Director for the Philippines, emphasized the importance of addressing corruption and improving governance, protecting the population from climate change and environmental disasters and having peace in eliminating extreme poverty. “Fighting poverty and eliminating poverty means that you have to know each poor, who they are and where they live, and your investments need to be targeted to those people. Fast growth doesn’t eliminate poverty, you have to choose your policies carefully,” Konishi said. The Aquino Administration has actively pursued these three objectives, according to Konishi. “The Aquino Administration focused on pro-poor policies,” Konishi further added, stating that the Philippine experience will be a highlight of the World Bank’s flagship World Development Report this year. Gloria Steele of USAID highlighted the accomplishments of the Aquino administration in competitiveness, transparency, corruption, infrastructure, education and health. “The Filipino people are looking forward to more changes and to the continuation of reforms that the Aquino Administration started,” she said. However, Steele added that more needs to be done by the next administration, such as improvements in airport infrastructure and quality energy regulations. Matthew Bohn of the Millennium Challenge Corporation lauded the first compact with the Philippines, which supported poverty reduction, inclusive growth, and elimination of cor-
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. delivers his welcome address at the symposium entitled “Philippines 2016: Governance, Growth, Development and Security,” held at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) on Thursday, April 28. Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy
ruption, as being one of MCC’s best compacts. He also expressed confidence that despite the challenges ahead, the Philippines will be able to sustain its growth and development largely because of the ground work that the Aquino administration has set in place. “The Aquino Administration has successfully put down deep and important roots for creating the conditions for (sustained) economic growth,” Bohn said. The second panel discussion on security and peace focused mainly on internal and external security challenges. Professor Zachary Abuza of the National War College described the modernization of the Philippine air force, military and marine forces, the deepening defense relations with the United States through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), and Balikatan exercises as some of the major accomplishments of the Aquino Administration. However, peace and security challenges remain in Mindanao, one of which is the coercive capacities of political dynasties and political families through the use of private armies.
“For any lasting peace to happen in Mindanao, you have to eliminate the private armies,” Professor Patricio Abinales of the University of Hawaii at Manoa said. Professor Abinales also linked the private armies with the pervasive presence of the illicit sector, stating that the presence of illicit trade in Mindanao cannot be weakened without first eliminating the private armies. “Unilateral naming doesn’t change the status of a territory, sea or land,” Professor Ruth Wedgwood of Johns Hopkins SAIS said, switching the discussion from internal to external security challenges. Referring to the impending decision of the Arbitral Tribunal, Professor Wedgwood further stated that “China will be put in a very difficult position to defy it” considering the interest of ASEAN member countries in the case. The last part of the symposium was a keynote address delivered by Senator Richard Lugar, speaking on the hallmarks of the Aquino Administration and the strong ties between the Philippines and the United States. n
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Calif. criminal records purge help many; Filipinos missing out? by Jun
nucum Inquirer.net
SAN FRANCISCO — A ballotapproved measure in California is benefiting a lot of people with criminal records who have had their offenses lowered to misdemeanor, according to a panel of supporters of the reform measure. But many non-US citizen Filipino immigrants may still not know about it and could be missing out on opportunities for immigration relief or naturalization. More than 60 percent of California voters in November 2014 approved Proposition 47 (Prop. 47), otherwise known as the Safe Neighborhoods and School Act, a retroactive measure that reclassifies six low-level crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. They are simple drug possession, petty theft or receipt of stolen items, shoplifting, forgery and writing a bad check all under $950 worth. The savings that may be generated from the reclassification are reallocated to local prevention and treatment programs. Fewer prisoners At the New America Media
news briefing on Prop. 47, attorney Hillary Blout said there was a 1,500-percent increase in money spent for the overloaded prison system before Prop. 47. However, through the measure, the state met the federal mandate and reduced prison population a year ahead of schedule. “We’ve had around 5,000 people released from prison on theft cases with cost of less than $950, not a drug dealer, not transporting drug but maybe an addict,” Blout announced. “From Prop. 47, savings have already been generated. $73 million have been cut from Gov. Brown’s prisons spending budget thus far. Figures that will be in by May that could reach $100150 million in savings, which can be used for prevention, treatment and different types of programs that will be able to address lowlevel non-violent offenders,” Blout added. In the same briefing, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon affirmed that savings are realized as the cost of prosecuting a misdemeanor is significantly less than the cost of prosecuting a felony and takes less time and less court involvement.
Around 60 percent of the savings go to drug rehabilitation and mental health programs while the rest go to at-risk youth and services for victims of traumatic incidents. “Incarceration is not deterrent to low-level crime as what it does simply is to warehouse people for a period of time, especially if they are drug addicts, and cycle people in and out of jail. They do worse each time they come out, and continue to commit crime,” Gascon maintained. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi reported that they handled around 20,000 low-level cases a year in San Francisco, but the number is now down to a low 4,000-5,000. More focus on serious crimes “What that allows police to do is to focus their efforts more on serious crimes. It allows us all in the criminal justice system—defenders, prosecutors, police — to focus more on serious and violent crimes,” Adachi stated. “Jail population in San Francisco dropped from 2,400 about six years ago to the present 1,200 with no huge increases in violent crimes as there is nationwide. Property crime is up though, just
“Prop. 47: Measuring Impact on Crime and Criminal Justice” briefing held recently at The New America Media in San Francisco. Photo by Jun Nucum
like in the rest of the country,” Adachi reported. Blout added that community organizations and Californians also want money divested from the prison system to be put more in prevention treatment as the present prison system spends $62,000 per person in prison but the public schools get only about $8,000 per person. “There have been some
250,000 applications around the state for resentencing or record change to get felony convictions off people’s records, out of the projected million-plus offenders that may be eligible,” said blout. “A felony conviction carries 43,000 restrictions most of which prevent people from reintegrating into the society. They cannot get a job, get a house, reunite with kids or get financial aid to
pursue different career goals,” Blout added. Filipinos missing out? In a phone interview, prominent Filipino immigration lawyer Lou Tancinco confirmed that Prop. 47 offers immigration relief by basically affording the individual an opportunity to lower the offense to a misdemeanor. “A person who is being put
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A MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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OpiniOn
Features
Public interest THESE last few days leading up to May 9—the Philippine national elections—are critical. This moment is intense as aspiring leaders are rushing to mount campaigns that will boost in public support, which in turn, they hope will manifest in actual votes. For Filipino voters, this moment is a chance for them to relish the power they have and take this exercise with tenacity and good cheer. The Filipinos’ support is essential to any leader. They are after all, the ones who get someone into office, and whom leaders are representing. On the other hand, an elected leader plays a central role in every Filipino’s life. He or she shapes the system, make crucial decisions, and represent the hopes and interests of every Filipino. On Monday, May 2, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle gathered candidates for national positions during a Mass at the Manila Cathedral where he also made them sign the covenant for Truthful, Responsible, Upright, Transparent & Honest (TRUTH) elections. In his homily, Tagle urged the political aspirants to evaluate what the real needs of the people are and to do everything in their powers to foster better and safer communities in the country. “In being candidates, you need to know that it is a blessing that comes with a responsibility. If you win, it means you must represent the people’s dreams and common good,” Tagle said. Meanwhile, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo on Tuesday, May 3, reminded Filipino voters to “not to
be mesmerized” by promises of “change” by candidates seeking the country’s top post. He said that what the country needs is a “radical” and “profound” change in mind, behavior and values. Quevedo urged voters to throw their support for the candidates who have an option for the poor and those with moral integrity or someone “that is not tainted by corruption, unexplained wealth, and properties, and enrichment in office.” He encouraged them to choose a leader who is competent to govern 100 million Filipinos and lead them to a better life. Filipinos have signaled an inclination for a progressive, ideal government—a that system is committed to the common good, shared and personal responsibility, and one that finds opportunity for everyone. Next week, we will see if election results will usher in a new presidency that would mark a significant change in the country’s political landscape. Until then, may voters ruminate on who they think will be a good leader before casting their votes. May they choose an inspiring leader who will stand for the highest values and ideals of every Filipino—all 100 million of them. (AJPress)
Editorial
ManilaTimes.net photo
With Roxas and Robredo surging in polls, can Duterte lead be overtaken? DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may The Fil-Am have had the most challenging week of Perspective his campaign, just a week before the allimportant presidential election in the Philippines, following Gel SantoS-ReloS allegations made by VP candidate Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Trillanes alleged that the Philippine presidential front-runner has multiple bank accounts with millions of pesos not declared in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). This allegation of corruption and many other attacks on Duterte’s character have been branded as black propaganda by the Duterte camp and his followers, alleging that his opponents are so desperate to pull him down after his dominance in the recent polls all over the country. But as some say, all is fair game in politics, especially when a candidate has given his detractors ammunitions to
fire back at him. Duterte has been criticized over many issues like his rape statement wen he said he, the mayor, should have been the first one to rape the murdered Australian. Then there were more among many others: his own words admitting he has killed people and is willing to kill more to get things done as his approach to governance; his cursing the popular Pope Francis; his blatant unapologetic and even bragging statement that he is a womanizer; the allegations that he has ghost employees; his reported statements that if elected, he will release former Pres. Gloria Arroyo; that he will allow deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos be buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani; and that he will let Bongbong Marcos take over if he fails to resolve crimes in the first three months of his presidency. Just this past week, something has been happening in the polls. We see the
I WAS having merienda with some friends Demand last week discussing and Supply our political situation when one of them exclaimed the country is going to the dogs. Ever the cynical journalBoo ChanCo ist, I responded that of course we are going to the dogs and the election is just meant for us to choose our preferred breed. By this time, many of us know exactly who we will vote for. There are however, some of us who are still troubled by the choices set before us. Those who are very sure of their choice can no longer be convinced to vote for anyone else. They are, already emotionally invested in their choice and any attempt to appeal to their “rational” side or even scare them of their vote’s consequences will no longer work. What is “rational” is a personal thing. This whole emotion versus reason in people’s decision making process had always been a hot topic among economists and other social scientists. As someone who once made his living by claiming the ability to craft people’s choices, I always knew that without “an emotional buy-in” a product, service or person is destined to fail. In my advertising days, we call this essential element, “kurot sa puso”. You must have heard about Homo Economicus or the theoretical rational man. A human is supposed to make decisions on the basis of self interest. Economists who follow the rational choice theory accept the assumption that people make decisions as a Homo Economicus. Homo Economicus as an assump-
tion has seen better days. Recent Nobel Prize winners in economics got their citation because of work in a field known as behavioral economics. Briefly, behavioral economics is “a method of economic analysis that applies psychological insights into human behavior to explain economic decision-making.” Investopedia explains that “behavioral economics explores why people sometimes make irrational decisions, and why and how their behavior does not follow the predictions of economic models.” This is also how we make decisions every day, yes, including the choice we will make on May 9. Let us take the Duterte groundswell that may well bring him to Malacanang. It is very clear to me that if we didn’t have Duterte, we would have to invent him. P-Noy may have been the most honest president we have had since his mother, but like her, he failed to address some of the most basic needs of our people. True, our macroeconomic numbers have not been better, but all that had very little impact on the lives of our people. The survey numbers showed even those classified among the ABC social classes are strong supporters of Duterte because they too felt shortchanged by the last six years. I recall someone saying that 70 percent of our economic gains over the last six years went to four percent of our population. I am not sure how accurate those numbers are, but it feels like that. It did not help P-Noy was rather inept in rolling out infrastructure that could
rise of DILG Sec. Mar Roxas in surveys, especially following the last debate hosted by ABS-CBN. In the Pulse Asia survey for the period April 26-29, Duterte may have stayed at top place at 33 percent, unchanged from the April 19-24 survey, but Roxas has climbed up to second place with 22 percent, a 2 percent rise from the previous poll. The D’ Strafford Research and Strategies Poll for the period April 25-29 could be more problematic for Duterte. It showed Roxas on top with 27.8 percent, followed by Duterte with 25.4 percent. If this trend continues, could Roxas pull an upset on May 9, and be elected president? ABANGAN! *** 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 Roxas-Robredo
How we will vote
Duterte
have helped alleviate some sufferings among the working classes. A foreign journalist observed “the disconnect between Aquino’s rosy rhetoric and realities on the ground is feeding democratic fatigue at the worst possible moment. Good governance hasn’t smashed the oligarched nature of the economy any more than rapid growth has eradicated poverty. Filipinos have every reason to be disenchanted with the ruling elite telling them life is super.” Add to all that is a rather insensitive president who had been unable to feel what common people feel. He considered anyone who complains about his leadership as enemies for whom he has reserved some of the most hurtful words of scorn and sarcasm. Buhay ka pa naman, hindi ba? Duterte, as someone observed, is PNoy’s lasting legacy. People are just so angry they find this crass and dirtymouthed mayor from the south as just
the man who can bring them relief. Mar Roxas also made a big messaging mistake by emphasizing continuity (being rational) when what people want is change (being emotional). That’s not surprising in this administration because the president and his officials just talk to each other instead of casting a big net to gather diverse opinions and reports. During the last presidential debate in Dagupan, Mar Roxas, who had been trailing badly in the polls, made a good and rational presentation. Some of my technocrat friends who had been unsure about voting for him were convinced he is their man. I was not surprised. If I didn’t know any better, I would be won over by Mar’s presentation too. His style is what those of us who went to graduate school and worked in the higher levels of management are hardwired to look up to. Mar was the McKinsey consultant trying to convince us, and it works all the time with the logic and the numbers even if divorced from reality. The masses that are all out for Duterte are, on the other hand, not inclined to listen to concepts or big pictures from well dressed people who smell good. They have heard all that before and have been disappointed. They know better this time. They are mad as hell for a life that makes them wake up before dawn to fall in line for hours for a train, only to be told the trains are not running or will be delayed. Out in Mindanao, far from the consciousness of Imperial Manila, they are dying of hunger and they got shot at instead. The Makati businessmen were disappointed Duterte did not deliver a coherent speech that gave them an idea of
his possible approach to economic policies. He doesn’t care. They are not the audience he is banking on to bring him to the Palace. Duterte’s audience is only ready to listen to memorable sound bites that offer them relief. Duterte has won their hearts, and their hearts, have chosen him, for better or for worse. The acoustical war this week will not likely lead to a change of heart if the choices remain as they are. If the elite want to prove it remains powerful enough to influence elections, they will have to take drastic steps or suffer Duterte for the next six years. Cheating should not be an option because with emotions at a very high level, it could lead to a bloody protest. The elite power brokers may have to convince the other candidates to join forces for a last stand. Divided, it will be Duterte for the next six years. I have heard stories about planeloads of cash being feverishly rushed all over the country. The price per voter is said to have gone up to P5000. But given the emotional investment of his supporters on his candidacy, people may take the money and vote for Duterte anyway. Man versus machine? Some Binay and Roxas followers are saying their machinery will prevail in the end. I am not too sure machinery beats the emotional ties that bind the Duterte followers. But we will see. This is one election that could be a turning point… which I hope will be for the good of our beloved country. We will all vote with our hearts, with our emotions. We always do because somehow the heart knows best. *** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco
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Dateline PhiliPPines
Wong to return more laundered money by Ghio
onG Philstar.com
VICTORY HUG. De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Kim Fajardo (center) gives graduating teammates Ara Galang (left) and Mika Reyes a tight hug after beating archrival’s Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagle’s three-peat bid in the 78th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) volleyball tournament at the jampacked Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, April 30. Inquirer.net photo by August dela Cruz
Calif. criminal records purge help many… PAGE A7 t
on removal proceedings, for instance, because of a removable offense or felony, will have a chance to have his offense lowered to a misdemeanor,” explained Tancinco. “If it is lowered to a misdemeanor offense, this individual may have the removal proceedings terminated and be safe from being deported,” Tancinco further explained. “This is the same scenario for those non-US citizen Filipinos who want to apply for naturalization but have criminal offenses that render them ineligible. They may avail of Prop. 47 to have their felonies modified to that of a misdemeanor, thus allowing them to apply for naturalization,” she added. Unfortunately, Tancinco doesn’t believe that many Filipinos in California with low-level criminal records know about Prop. 47, and how it can benefit them. Because of this, they are usually prevented from applying for naturalization for fear that they may be subject to deportation/removal. “It is really important for all to know not just about the benefits and relief brought by Prop. 47 but also that the deadline of November 2017 is really approaching.
We have a year and a half left to reach the people who can benefit from Prop. 47. We are working to have this deadline lifted, but if we don’t, that will be the last day to apply for relief through Prop. 47,” Blout warned. She encouraged people to visit the website myprop47.org which carries all the information for people to apply to remove felonies from their records. There is a clickable county map as well where one’s felony conviction took place. “Again, the application to remove felonies from your record must be filed before November 2017, and it is all free,” reminded Blout. Doubts Despite all the gains from Prop. 47, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) communications and policy analyst Ericka Webster asserts that the measure needs more time for its real gains to be determined. “It is too early to conclusively measure Proposition 47’s effects on crime, but that the data available to us does not show Prop. 47 has an impact on urban crime in the cities,” Webster contended. A new report by CJCJ’s Mike Males indicates that by comparing recently released FBI crime data for California’s 68 largest cities with prison discharges/re-
leases as a result of Prop. 47 and overall county jail population decreases, it is too early to conclusively determine if Prop. 47 has had an impact on crime. Filipino community leader Rudy Asercion is not sold on the benefits of Prop. 47, which he calls “not really a good deal.” “They are releasing a lot of criminals out to the street and they are the ones committing all these car break-ins that are becoming epidemic in San Francisco and all over the place. They just cannot continue releasing criminals and sending them out in the streets because they are the ones breaking into the cars and destroying properties,” Asercion argued. “The first rule of the government is not to hurt people and Prop. 47 is a bad law that must be revisited and repealed. There were 25,899 car burglaries in the city in 2015 based on the report of the San Francisco Police Department. This is unacceptable.” Asercion claimed to be one of the victims of those car breakins, which he suspects were done by released prisoners who willfully smashed car windows to steal personal items, causing hundreds of dollars in repairs for victims, most of whom are working people. n
MANILA — The camp of businessman Kim Wong pledged to continue cooperating with authorities in returning parts of the $81-million stolen from the central bank of Bangladesh and transferred to banks and casinos in the Philippines. Toby Purisima, Wong’s lawyer, said his client “will continue to cooperate with all agencies, with all bodies, with the legal process as committed from the beginning.” Wong, one of the personalities accused of money laundering, has returned amounts of $4.6 million, P38 million and P200 million. The funds allegedly came from casino junket agent Gao Shuhua. The funds are currently with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for safekeeping. Wong’s camp was supposed to file their comment to the petition for civil forfeiture of assets filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) before the Manila Regional Trial Court branch 53. The petition seeks to seize the funds in favor of
Toby Purisima, businessman Kim Wong’s lawyer, said his client “will continue to cooperate with all agencies, with all bodies, with the legal process as committed from the beginning.” Senate PRiB photo, file
the government. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said “after the funds are forfeited in favor of the Republic, any claimant can file a claim to get those funds.” The central bank of Bangladesh can eventually file its petition to claim the funds that Wong returned. n
Marcos urges voters to guard votes by Jaime
R. PilaPil ManilaTiames.net
AS the elections draw nearer, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. called on his supporters to guard their votes, warning that his opponents are hatching all types of tricks to manipulate the result of the May 9 polls. The Ilocano lawmaker issued the warning on Monday, May 2, after his camp received more than a dozen reports of irregularities during the conduct of the overseas absentee voting. “We have 12 to 15 cases from Dubai to Japan and to California where our supporters voted for me and yet the voters’ receipts did not show my name,” he told reporters in a chance interview at Great Eastern Hotel Manila in Quezon City where local politicians gathered to express their support to him. Marcos said the overseas voting discrepancies were reported to the Commission on Elections (Comelec). “So far, we were told that the complaining voter will be allowed to vote again, invalidating the questionable vote,” the senator added. Marcos said he anticipates more attempts to cheat him that is why he has tapped lawyers to guard his votes. “Our legal team is on top of the
preparations in making sure all our votes are counted and guarded. We also have our volunteers who will help us on the ground to closely monitor the elections on Monday,” he added. “We are now focusing on guarding our votes. Of course, we are still campaigning but we are intent on making sure that all our votes are counted,” the senator said. The local officials present on Monday were Councilors Bong Suntay (Fourth District), Jun Ferrer (First District) and Tates Gana, common-law wife of Mayor Herbert Bautista, who is running for councilor of the Fifth District. Meanwhile, Marcos said that he topped the mock elections among members of El Shaddai. “I don’t have the details yet but I was told that I emerged on top
of the consultation. I am thankful to the El Shaddai members for their trust and confidence,” he added. At the start of Saturday’s prayer rally, members of the religious group were told to fill out a piece of paper and indicate their preferred politicians for national seats from President to senators. Marcos also won the support of a big labor group, Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center, led by Terry Tuazon. “From Cory Aquino to the present President, we only had frustrations. We believe in the platform of government of Bongbong which is geared toward granting more benefits to ordinary workers,” Tuazon said. Cory is Corazon Aquino, late former president of the Philippines and mother of President Benigno Aquino 3rd. n
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Listahan ng paghihintay para sa Long Beach housing authority housing choice Voucher magBuBukas ng 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 starting Monday, June 6, 2016 and will close on June 20, 2016. This voucher can be used in any unit as long as the unit you wish to rent accepts Section 8 and meets 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
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) 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, 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 All City of Long Beach Public Libraries Long Beach Senior Center Centro C.H.A. (Community Hispanic Association)
1150 E. Fourth Street 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
9:00 am — 2:00 pm M-F 8:30 am — 6:00 pm M-Th 8:30 am — 3:00 pm F 9:00 am — 2:00 pm M-F 9:00 am — 12:00 pm M-F 9:00 am — 2:00 pm M-F 9:00 am — 2:00 pm M-F 10:00 am — 2:00 pm M-F
Requests for reasonable accommodations based on a disability should be made in writing to the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, Attn: Fair Housing Coordinator - 521 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90802. Ang mga kahilingan para sa mga makatwirang akomodasyon batay sa disabilidad ay dapat isagawa sa pamamagitan ng pag-sulat sa Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, Attn: Fair Housing Coordinator - 521 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90802.
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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal
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Analysis: Is the market really wary of Duterte? by Prinz
P. Magtulis Philstar.com
MANILA — A week before the national elections, are investors getting wary of a potential Duterte presidency? With the peso and the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) down in recent days, some observers rang alarm bells over foreign fund outflows as surveys showed tough-talking Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who has vague economic plans, leading the presidential polls. But if volatility or how wide
are the swings or changes are considered, data showed the local bourse and currency are not only moving in tandem with their regional counterparts now, they also follow a generally risk averse trend common during looming change in government. “It will be very hard to point out what exactly influences the market,” said Emilio Neri Jr., lead economist at Bank of the Philippine Islands. From Jan.1 to April 26 this year, the peso added 0.12 percent on a normalized ba-
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Pinoys now seeking jobs in Philippines fered by the DOLE nationwide preferred to work locally and only a small percentage applied MANILA – The lure of over- for overseas jobs. seas employment seems to be Fameronag said as of 1pm on fading, as more workers are Tuesday, May 3, they have reseeking jobs in the country. corded a total of 22,036 job apThis was according to Depart- plicants nationwide, more than ment of Labor and Employment half of whom wanted domestic (DOLE) Undersecretary Nicon employment. Fameronag, who said more than Fameronag further noted that half of Tuesday’s applicants of those who applied, almost who trooped to the job fairs ofu PAGE B3 by Mayen JayMalin Philstar.com
BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said investments by overseas Filipino households has only increased to 6.5 percent in the first quarter of the year from 2.3 percent in 2007, while savings surged to 43.4 percent from 7.2 percent. Philstar.com file photo by lawrence
agcaoili Philstar.com
MANILA — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has stressed the need for the beneficiaries of cash remittances from overseas Filipinos to invest more, amid the increasing access to financial services of migrant workers and their families. BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said investments by overseas Filipino households has only increased to 6.5 percent in the first quarter of the year from 2.3 percent in 2007,
while savings surged to 43.4 percent from 7.2 percent. Results of the BSP’s Consumer Expectations Survey showed the percentage of beneficiaries using remittances to invest only almost tripled over the nine-year period, while those using remittances to save booked a six-fold increase. “The challenge and the opportunity is to encourage more investments by overseas Filipino households,” he said. Tetangco said the survey showed that 97.3 percent of overseas Filipino households
use remittances to purchase food and other household needs. Cash remittances went up 4.6 percent to a record $25.8 billion last year, while personal remittances inched up 4.4 percent to $28.5 billion. Remittances accounted for 9.8 percent of the country’s domestic output as measured by the gross domestic product. Personal and cash remittances have been a dependable source of strength for the Philippine economy, amounting to $228 billion
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For next president, businessmen bare wish list
tration must be consistent with policies. “I would say more decisivePhilstar.com ness. Don’t change the rules in MANILA — An international the middle of the game. You have airport that works efficiently and contracts so don’t change them,” does not cause flight delays, a Pangilinan said. number of new roads and bridges The Aquino administration and a consistent and level play- over the past six years has often ing field in doing business are been criticized by the private just among the wishes that busi- sector for changing the rules in nessmen want from the country’s the middle of contracts. next president. Pangilinan, who heads Metro Businessman Manuel V. Pan- Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), gilinan said the next adminis- however, said the business comby iris
and
This statement was according to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Nicon Fameronag, who said more than half of the applicants who trooped to the job fairs offered by the DOLE nationwide on Sunday, May 1 preferred to work locally in the Philippines and only a small percentage applied for overseas jobs. Philstar.com file
gonzales richMond Mercurio
munity could not disregard what the present administration has done for the improvement of the national economy despite its shortcomings. “Everybody was a beneficiary (of the economic boom),” Pangilinan said. Ports and casino magnate Enrique Razon said the next administration must immediately work to build a new airport and connecting roads. “My wish is that they focus on the needed infrastructure. Num-
ber one is an airport. And then roads. They have to do these more or less at the same time,” Razon said in a recent interview. Asked if he is willing to help the next administration should it continue the Aquino administration’s public-private program for infrastructure, Razon said yes. “For an attractive project, why not? If it will help push things forward, yes I am willing to help. It could possibly be an airport project,” he said.
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B MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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Analysis: Is the market really wary…
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sis against the dollar. It closed at 99.9168 on Tuesday, May 3, according to data culled from Bloomberg. At that level, the local currency was weaker than its counterparts in Southeast Asia. On that same day, the Indonesian rupiah closed 95.8143, Malaysian ringgit at 91.4336 and Thai baht at 97.6833. The base mark is 100 with movement up signaling weakness, while a downward adjustment means strength. While these currencies ended up stronger than the peso, data also showed that it was the least volatile among the four from January to April. For economists, the fact that other regional currencies also weakened, more so at a higher magnitude, is a sign the Philippines remains on the investor map. “Emerging markets are all weakening and it is due to global developments,” Neri said. “At some point, we are better because we are not that volatile. We do not want a volatile currency. That’s why the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) intervenes from time to time to smoothen its movements. Otherwise, it could be damaging to businesses,” he added Remrick Patagan, research director at the Institute for Development and Econometric Analysis Inc., said exchange rates are “inherently unpredictable” affected by many factors. “While players might have a better grasp of market sentiments, disentangling the effects of shocks (or news) on sentiments and, in turn, the effects of those sentiments on foreign exchange markets is extremely problematic,” he said in an e-mail. This may include sentiments
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte
on news here and and abroad. For instance, when recent news of Duterte leading the surveys came, the US Federal Reserve signaled and eventually kept interest rates low just as the government reported two-year low economic growth. Elsewhere, the Bank of Japan also kept interest rates low as well as its by ¥80 billion credit program that aims to flood its economy with money to boost prices and gross domestic product. For Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc., there were a “combination of factors” that drove the peso to end the week down at 46.89 to a dollar last Friday. “The dollar was oversold and then there were heightened expectations from the Fed as well as renewed China concerns,” he said in an e-mail. To put into context, a slowing China, magnified by reports of missed corporate quarterly earnings and deflation worries, prompted some investors to leave emerging markets such as the Philippines.
In the same way, positive news from the US could lure them back to the world’s safe haven giving the greenback a boost and weakening its counterparts in developing countries. Previous elections Interestingly, the peso had shown wild fluctuations in the run-up to the 2010 elections than in 2016, data showed. While it ended trading stronger at 96.7826 on April 30, 2010, the currency moved from over 100 level until early March before strengthening its way to that level until April. Similar to 2016, it also traded weaker than some of its counterparts such as rupiah (95.8205) and ringgit (92.9848) by the end of April. It only performed better than the baht (97.1636) that day. The PSEi, on the other hand, remained up 4.77 percent since the start of the year to close at 7,159.29 last Friday. That was slower than the 9.49-percent increase during the same period in 2010. The fact that it remains up, no matter by how much, indicates investors see the economy’s strength intact, Neri said. “The economy will continue to perform well because you have a very healthy consumption base driven by overseas Filipino remittances,” he added. While analysts asked by The Star refrained from stating political opinions, an earlier report by think tank GlobalSourcePartners provided a glimpse of how investors would react to the poll results. Fund managers they asked seemed to favor a win by administration bet Manuel Roxas II and will “buy” more local equities. On the other hand, views are mixed for a win by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe. n
OFW families should invest more…
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between 2005 and 2015. “The importance of remittances for enhancing the financial stability of overseas Filipinos and the economic growth of our country cannot be overemphasized,” Tetangco said. The World Bank has ranked the Philippines as the third largest remittance-receiving country after India and China. The BSP chief said banks and financial institutions should develop
and promote products suited for the needs of overseas Filipinos. “Financial education is essential for overseas Filipinos to realize the opportunities – as well as possible pitfalls – in investments. Equally important, financial institutions should consider it their responsibility to inform overseas Filipinos of their rights and protection as financial consumers,” he added. According to Tetangco, the BSP has put in place policies
and programs to enable the development of a wide range of products that could cater to the needs of overseas Filipinos and their beneficiaries through a nationwide Economic and Financial Learning Program. Through the National Strategy for Financial Inclusion, the BSP together with 12 other government agencies, would provide a financial system that is accessible and responsive in greater financial inclusion. n
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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA BECAUSE times have been so tough for an extended length of time, many are looking for ways to cope financially. Job growth in many US industries has ground to a halt. Yet in good and bad times, there are many offers of opportunities to make money in multilevel marketing and direct sales organizations that depend on a network of people (bodies) to push their products or services. Properly and ethically done, multilevel marketing can work for some. One caveat: If you don’t like selling or dealing with people and all that it entails, you would do well to look elsewhere. Here’s an article that may shed some light on this practice should you decide to go this route. For some reason, multilevel marketing organizations find ethnic communities fertile ground for their recruitment campaigns. The promise of riches to the unsuspecting immigrant is a bait that works nearly all the time. Know that there are legitimate companies who operate this way and may be worth your while and a host of others on the pyramid scheme that operate bordering on the illegal and/or unethical. Here is how it works. A company sells different products ranging from such mundane products as household cleaners; vanity products such as cosmetics or health and diet formulas as well as financial products such as travel, insurance or securities. There are supposedly two ways to make money. You generate revenue as a direct retailer and salesperson of the product yourself buying products from the company and reselling them to your own customer base initially consisting of a circle of relatives and friends. As you run out of family and friends to sell to, you eventually expand to other prospects, including strangers by using cold calling and other prospecting techniques. Note that the company will stress that the more lucrative way to make money is to recruit people as your downline into the company. You earn override commissions from the sales of
Community Journal
What you need to know
The Kite Runner
“The darkest hour of any man’s life is when he sits down to plan how to get money without earning it.”
Prof. EnriquE M. Soriano
— Horace Greeley
those you have recruited who in turn, can recruit others for their downline. On and on it goes with recruitment providing the lifeblood of the multilevel marketing organization that suffers eventually from the natural law of attrition as members often lose interest or bail out. The one who recruited you, your upline, earns a commission off of you. The company’s structure resembles a pyramid of hundreds or thousands of other pyramids. This concept feeds on the dream of most immigrants that with a minimum of investment on their part and a consuming desire to succeed, the organization can help them become rich quickly. Multilevel marketing companies spend tons of money to produce slick and smooth presentations replete with testimonials—very often emotional—of people within the organization claiming that being in the company, doing everything the company does, has done a tremendous difference in their lives with tremendous wealth and a quality of life beyond imagining. The websites of successful multilevel marketing organizations gush in florid, emotional language claiming individual success. A few of these stories may be true; others however, may have been spun by spin doctors. Recruits: BEWARE! Before you give up your regular job or sign up to do this on a part time basis, ask yourself this question: Do you like to sell? This is a nonstop selling job and for you to realize your dreams of wealth, you have to sell prodigiously and tirelessly because no product, no matter how excellent and necessary, ever sells itself. Do you believe in the product? Does it have value and merit and is it fairly priced? Is this something that is really up along your alley, something you can do for long periods of time and from which you can really make a good living and be happy with what you do? How reputable is the outfit? Are there
pending lawsuits and of what nature? Has it been around for a considerable length of time or is it a company that is merely riding high on current hype—here today and gone tomorrow? How many of your friends and relatives are already part of it and how are they faring with their sales efforts? Here is a caveat for those embarking on a multilevel marketing career. To be good at selling something, you must believe in it with passion. And because you want to succeed so much, you then have a tendency to talk about nothing else but the product you are selling. If you are not careful, you will transform yourself to a boring, predictable person to your friends and relatives who will tend to scamper in all directions when they see you, thinking up all sorts of excuses to avoid being sold to. Keep your balance even as you try to succeed in a multilevel sales career. An early warning flag that the organization may not be what it claims to be is if you are asked to pay an up-front fee just to get in on the ground floor—in exchange for a starter kit consisting of some brochures, a video and sample products. You might as well kiss that money goodbye. Organizations with good solid reputations in existence for some years with no major lawsuits might be your best bet. Regard with deep suspicion any group that pushes recruitment with very little emphasis on the product or service it is selling. It could be an outright scam. On the other hand, if the product, just by word of mouth, gets great reviews from ordinary people who have nothing to gain by pushing it, it is likely that the company is a good one worth looking into if you are truly a salesperson at heart and you feel strongly that a sales career is where your talents lie. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
I HAD a wonderful time exchanging notes with the participants of my Family Business Talk last Friday, April 29 at the Holiday Inn in Makati. It was a sold out event with whole families coming in droves and occupying several tables armed with loads of questions related to governance. To those who attended, many thanks! It is my sincere desire that the key learnings highlighted in the talk can translate into actual application and pocket wins leading to harmony and growth in your respective family businesses. Family feuds in the Philippines, and elsewhere in the world, have always been about money -- lots of money. However, although estate fights are commonly perceived to be just about money, there is almost always more to a family war than just the money. Many estate disputes are sewn by the seeds of jealousy, greed, thirst for control, bitterness, hatred, and hurt feelings resulting from real or perceived preferential treatment by a parent. The infighting becomes more intense if the patriarch or matriarch had another family on the side or children from previous marital relationships. A significant number of inheritance disputes also involve testators and beneficiaries who come from dysfunctional families, are mentally ill or addicted. According to lawyer P. Mark Accettura, author of the book “Blood & Money: Why Families Fight Over Inheritance and What To Do About It,” the combatants can always trace their problems back several years, if not all the way back to childhood. It is clear that inheritance conflict doesn’t come out of nowhere; it is a continuation of long-term
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 4-6, 2016
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Family feuds and shattered families relationship problems that resurface upon the illness or death of a loved one. And they aren’t just about money or greed; they are about more, much more. But what is it that so often drives people to wage war against their own flesh and blood over a loved one’s estate? There are five basic reasons why families fight in matters of inheritance. Author Mark Accettura accurately points to the following: 1. First, humans are genetically predisposed to competition and conflict; 2. Our psychological sense of self is intertwined with the approval that an inheritance represents, especially when the decedent is a parent, 3. We are genetically hardwired to be on the lookout for exclusion, sometimes finding it when it doesn’t exist; 4. Families fight because the death of a loved one activates the death anxieties of those left behind; and finally, 5. In some cases, one or more members of a family has a partial or full-blown personality disorder that causes them to distort and escalate natural family rivalries into personal and legal battles. Accettura cites that these sources of family conflict are not mutually exclusive; in most cases, some combination of the five elements present themselves in a combustible cocktail of family rivalry and conflict. Case in point: The bitter family squabble over the estate left by Lawyer and businessman Potenciano “Nanoy” Ilusorio, which included shares in Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat) and the Baguio Country Club, valued at between one and two billion pesos at the time of his death in 2001. Pitting one set of siblings against another, the Ilusorio fam-
Calendar of Events across
ily feud has dragged on for more than 15 years now, clogged the court system with more than 300 legal suits and counter-suits, and entertained the idly curious as it played out in the media over the years. To quote media covering the conflict... “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.” Far from easing tensions, the death last Feb. 17, 2016 of Potenciano’s widow, Erlinda “Nena” Kalaw-Ilusorio, in New York City, seems to have raised the simmering bad blood between the rival family factions back to boiling point. In a newspaper article that came out two months ago, the rival factions are now said to be fighting over the ashes of the dearly departed, a weird echo of the tug-of-war they played over the custody of their aged and non compos mentis father just before his death in 2001, and quite possibly, a prelude to renewed fighting on the legal front over her estate, on top of the pending tussle over other Ilusorio assets. (To be continued) *** 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.
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 7
PUP/PCC to hold 1st Global Reunion Attention all graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine College of Commerce: join us in our FIRST GLOBAL REUNION being organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Alumni Association, USA Inc. scheduled on May 27-29, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We promise a weekend of fun-filled activities, of friendship and camaraderie as we reminisce our best memories during our high school and college days. There will be lots of entertainment, singing and dancing and photo opportunities with your classmates and friends. For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-5448210 or loiherrera@yahoo.com; Monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 or Monette_santillan@yahoo.com; Rose Mejia at 323-997-3838 or Rosemariemejia@kw.com; Marissa Sugay-Palanca at 818-281-7460 or marispalanca@yahoo.com; Rose Maghari at 661-7948906 or rmaghari@gmail.com; Sally Mendoza at323-695-0235 or sally.mendoza616@ yahoo.com; Honeylette De Leon at 562-480-5743 or honey@worldclassfreight.com; Virginia Herbito at virginiaherbito@gmail.com; Connie Acosta at 323-854-5303 or connieacosta1@ att.net; Violeta D. Cristobal at 310-880-5808or vee@cristobalcpa.com; Jun Mapoy at 323627-5326 or jcmapoy@yahoo.com.
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.
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Pinoys now seeking jobs in…
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11,283 have qualified or have been referred for an interview, while 2,292 were hired on-the spot (HOTS). “We have already posted 36.1 percent HOTS, with 497 of those hired for local employment,” Fameronag said. In Metro Manila, DOLE National Capital Region (NCR) director Nelson Hornilla said for the first time, more local jobs were offered in the Labor Day job fair and many of the jobseekers also applied for local employment. Hornilla said 17,000 local jobs were opened to jobseekers as compared to only 15,000 overseas jobs. Of the more than 1,000 registered applicants, 320 were hiredon-the-spot, with local employment accounting for 265 of the job placements. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the DOLE is grateful that there were more job opportunities, both local and overseas, offered in the last Labor Day job
fair to be mounted by the Aquino administration. “We are hopeful that we will achieve our target of 25 percent HOTS this Labor Day,” Baldoz said, adding that in 2010 DOLE registered 10 percent HOTS. She said all of the participating employers are operating laborcompliant companies. Baldoz said the high number of local jobs offered in the Labor Day job fairs showed that government efforts to encourage more investments, such as in tourism and infrastructure, have succeeded. “So we are looking forward to a brighter future for our workers,” Baldoz said. She expressed hope that the next administration will continue the whole-year job fair that DOLE is undertaking to address unemployment. The increasing HOTS for the past years, Fameronag added, indicated DOLE’s job facilitation services are working well. He said the Labor Day job fair
would continue for a month. “That is the measure how we are performing in our one-day job fair. This time we hope to exceed last year’s number of job applicants as well as the HOTS,” he said. Hired on the spot Fameronag dismissed allegations that the jobs being offered in the job fairs are contractual employment. He said there are many big companies participating and they are hiring lot of engineers and other professionals. For new graduates like 21year-old Mariel Diaz, it took her only 10 minutes to find employment upon arriving at yesterday’s Labor Day job fair. Diaz said she just graduated last April and was hired immediately as marketing assistant with an entry monthly salary level of P13,000 plus other benefits, despite her lack of work experience. “I was very surprised that I got hired immediately even if I am just a new graduate,” Diaz said. n
B MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENT and husband are the only stockholders of an S corporation that has been doing well for the last 15 years. In fact, it’s still doing well and had a great year last year. What is the difference between and S corporation and a C corporation? In an S corporation, the business income is declared in the 1040 of the owners, while the C Corporation files its own tax returns. But both corporations are legally separate entities from their owners. The corporation is a ‘person’ created by legal fiction. It can do whatever a real person does, legally. For instance, a corporation can buy and sell land, transact business in its own name, file a lawsuit and be sued in its own name, without affecting the owners of the corporation. In client’s case, the problem is that husband is ill and can no longer run the business. So wife now will run the business. Her concern is that the corporation
EMPLOYMENT
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Will business bankruptcy affect owners of the business?
owes $1.5 M to banks and suppliers, and that she has equity in her residence of $1.0 M? So what is the connection between the two? Client is worried that if something happens to the business and it cannot pay the $1.5M, can the bank sue her and get her house? Let’s analyze the problem. The first thing that has to be determined is whether or not husband, and/or client signed any personal guaranties that made them personally liable for the debts of the corporation. If neither one of them gave any written personal guaranty to any creditor for the debt of the business, then the answer is that the creditors of the business will not be able to get her house to satisfy the debts of the business. But certainly, creditors will attempt to penetrate the veil of corporate fiction to get to client’s house. Creditors will sue the corporation and client and allege that the corporate fiction should be invalidated or ‘pierced.’ Of course, creditors will attempt to do this, but can they be successful in proving the allegation, and end up with a court order setting aside the corporate that shields the personal assets of the owners of the corporation?
To pierce the corporate veil to get to the house of client, creditors will have to prove that the corporation was simply the ‘alter ego’ of the owners, that it was not operated by owners like a real corporation. The easiest way to prove the ‘alter ego’ attack on the corporation is proven by a preponderance of evidence that personal funds of the owners were being intermingled with the funds of the corporation. In other words, the owners were using the corporation as a ‘piggy bank.’ So, in client’s case, if there was no intermingling of personal and corporate funds, client’s house is secure because creditors will not be able to pierce the corporate veil to get her house to pay for the debts of the corporation. Salary payments to the owners; because they are officers of the corporation, is not intermingling of funds. Money lent by owners to the corporation is considered to be a debt owed by the corporation to the owner-lender, just like any other
debt. This is not intermingling of funds. However, if the owners use the corporate account to pay personal bills, this is intermingling of funds. Another reason to pierce the corporate veil is that corporate formalities were not followed such as recording board
“
Let’s say owners borrowed $5.0 M from creditors based on projected sales of $50M per year but in reality sales came in at $1.0M a year, a case can be argued by creditors saying that owners were reckless in their decision to borrow $5.0M. But certainly, owners may still prevail in proving that they were justified in their $50M sales projections but something happened that was totally unexpected. It’s really a matter of proof at trial. So what is the lesson here? If you own a business, do not ever personally guarantee the debts of the business. If the creditor requires your personal guaranty, go to another bank or supplier who will extend credit to your business without tying you in. If the business fails, at least you don’t lose any of your personal assets. You will still have a house to live in. There is no reason to ‘go for broke’ and put your family’s security at risk, is there? The other lesson is that do not intermingle personal
If you own a business, do not ever personally guarantee the debts of the business. If the creditor requires your personal guaranty, go to another bank or supplier who will extend credit to your business without tying you in.
EMPLOYMENT
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resolutions for decisions made by the company. Yet another reason is that the owners perpetrated a financial fraud on the creditors. What is financial fraud? If the owners acted recklessly in their business transactions resulting in major debt that they knew the business had no chance in paying back, this could be viewed as financial fraud and could be used to pierce the corporate veil.
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funds with business funds, and make sure the corporation follows legal formalities and procedures. If you do this, then your corporation will do business by assuming its own debts and shield your personal assets from business debts. Now if client wishes to not continue doing business, the S corporation itself can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy to handle the $1.5 M of corporate debt. The corporate bankruptcy will not affect the personal assets of client because as I said earlier, a corporation is a separate “person” created by legal fiction; therefore, it can file for bankruptcy without affecting the personal assets of the owners of the corporation. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.” — 1 Timothy 1:17
*** 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. (Advertising Supplement)
(818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 • http://www.asianjournal.com
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes MOST couples that want out of a marriage in California usually file for Divorce. There are circumstances though that allow a couple to have their marriage “voided” rather than “dissolved.” There is a big difference between the two concepts. With a voided marriage, it restores the couple to status of unmarried person as if they have never been married before. In a divorce, the couple would always be regarded to as married during the period of the marriage. Unlike Divorce which can be obtained regardless of the reason. Voiding a marriage may only be obtained based on certain grounds. It is void in cases of incest and bigamy. It is voidable in cases of minority, Unsound Mind, Fraud, Force, or Physical Incapacity. Marriages between parents, children, ancestors and descendants, brothers and sisters, half brothers and sisters, uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews are incestuous and are void from the beginning. So are bigamist marriages where either party was still married to another person when they entered the marriage. Nevertheless, it is best to obtain a Nullity Judgment to clarify the legal status of the parties under these circumstances. Certain situations does not necessarily make a marriage void but makes it voidable on the parties option. One such circumstance is when the petitioner was under 18 years old when the petitioner married and the parents did not provide their consent. The Nullity petition based on this ground
Grounds for annulling a marriage has to be filed within four years after the party turns 18. The parent of the minor may also file the Petition provided it is filed prior to the minor turning 18. Another situation is a bigamist marriage where the first spouse has been absent and not known to be living for 5 years prior to the second marriage or if the party believed the spouse to be dead at the time of the second marriage. A Nullity based on this ground may be filed during the life of the other party. A marriage may be voided if either party was of unsound mind at the time of the marriage. Unsound Mind means a person is incapable of understanding the nature of the marriage contract and the duties and responsibilities it creates which depends on the degree of mental capacity of the party. This may not be a ground if the party later on came to reason yet continued to freely cohabitate with the spouse. Fraud is another ground for voiding a marriage. The false representation or concealment must relate to a substantive matter and directly affect the purpose of the party deceived in entering the marriage. The fraud must go to the very essence of the marital relation before it is sufficient for an annulment. It is not sufficient simply to contend that your spouse turned out to be a lazy, drunken disappointment. Nullity based on fraud has to be filed within four years of discovering the fraud. Certain marriages that are entered into by force are voidable. Circumstances that meet these standards requires that the forced party’s free will to have been overcome by the spouse such as through the use
Notice of Cancellation of Hepatitis B Screening on May 7 due to street closure THE Hepatitis B Screening at the Community Mini Health & Resources Fair scheduled on Saturday, May 7, has been postponed. The LA Police Metropolitan Division will close Temple Street between Rampart Blvd. to Parkman from 6:00am to 2:00pm. On May 7, two educational awareness workshops to promote Hepatitis B prevention will go on at the same place, through the side entrance on Bentonway. The address is Center of Hope, 2707 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, California 90026. The first session will be 9:30am-10:30am and the second session, 11:00am to 12:00noon. For more information, contact Perla Santos (323) 664 3880 Ext. 341 or email psantos@aphcv.org. n
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Razon, whose operator International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s main office sits right at the heart of the congested port area in Tondo, Manila, has long been pushing for new roads. Businesswoman Josephine Gotianun-Yap, president and CEO of conglomerate Filinvest Development Corp. also hopes to see an improvement in the country’s infrastructure. “All the citizens are looking at some basic infrastructure that is really making the productivity of our country better. Examples are mass transit and airport. These are really very basic infrastructure. If we can just have these and the connector roads, it would make everybody happy,” Gotianun-Yap said. She also said businesses want a “business friendly government” that would ease the cost of doing business and make it cheaper. “We need to make more companies invest in manufacturing plants so you can create permanent employment. The basic things that people look at before we make major investment include infrastructure and ease of doing business. We also want a level playing field,” she said. For global fund manager Mark Mobius of Templeton Emerging Markets Group, a business friendly environment is important before he decides on putting his funds in the Philippines. “It should be business-friendly and can administer with the mini-
Community Journal
mum of corruption. Business like predictability and understandable regulation,” Mobius said. Peter Wallace of the Management Association of the Philippines and founder of the Wallace Business Forum, consistency of policies in the government is vital in attracting more foreign direct investments to the country. “Investors look for stability, consistency and predictability of the business environment. Not changes every six years or sooner,” Wallace said. According to Wallace, a study conducted by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has revealed that weak enforcement of contracts is among the most pernicious ways of turning off foreign investors. “Philippine government’s rules must not be changed on a whim. Bidding rules must not be altered. It scares investors away,” Wallace said. Many analysts, for their part, said the lack of an economic platform by presidential frontrunner Rodrigo Duterte is sending jitters to the local stock market. Last week, the PSEi fell 1.32 percent week-on-week to 7,159.29. It dropped to as low as 7,122.76 during the week. Last week, the tough-talking Duterte faced the business community in a meeting organized by the Makati Business Club but his executives said his two-hour long speech, peppered with expletives, did not really provide a detailed economic program. n
of threats. These type of Nullity must be filed within four years from the date of marriage. A marriage where the spouse was found to be incapable of physically engaging in copulation may be voided. It can only be filed by the spouse that does not have the physical incapacity and must be filed within four years of the marriage. Before deciding weather a divorce is the appropriate avenue to end your marriage, parties should evaluate if a Nullity is a viable alternative and weather it serves their best interest. *** 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)
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 college costs.
LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 4-6, 2016
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Debt relief exclusion for rental properties 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 (including 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 audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. (Advertising Supplement)
B MAY 4-6, 2016 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL
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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
The first of everything: First-time mothers share their joys and challenges by
Malou liwanag-bledsoe and MoMar g. Visaya / AJPress
OF the joys and challenges women face in life, none is more extraordinary than having their first baby. From the moment they find out about the pregnancy to the day they give birth, women will experience many changes and learn new ways to take care of their lives and their growing babies. In this Mother’s Day special feature, we asked first-time mothers about their experiences, emotions and how they deal with their lives now with their first borns. “Holding her for the very first time was when I knew that life was going to be so much brighter and happier” - Aileen B. Castañeda, mother to Sophie Nicola Castañeda (born March 3, 2016) Aileen said she was overwhelmed with mixed emotions when the labor and delivery nurse informed her that she was going to be admitted. “I was very happy that I would be meeting our baby girl soon. It was exciting since I was exactly 40 weeks into pregnancy—baby was very punctual because she decided to come out her exact due date,” she said then added, “I was also very scared since being a first-time mom, everything was all new to me. I did not know what to expect and did not know how painful labor was going to be. I had my husband (Ryan) with
Aileen Castañeda with baby Sophia Nicola
me the whole time and he was a very good coach throughout the process, so I knew everything was going to be okay.” Apart from the usual paranoia new mothers have, such as not producing enough breast milk and not knowing what the baby needs when it cries is the fear of failing to become the best mom to Sophie. “I wanted to be prepared— read books, went to birthing classes, stocked up her nursery so there would not be any surprises, I even downloaded some apps so I can be reminded when the next feeding will be and for how long!,” Aileen shared. “But at the end of the day, it was what it was, just a preparation. I did not know what the future holds, I knew there would be challenges ahead but I have my husband, family and friends willing to support and do anything and everything. That support and assurance alone helped overcome any first time mother fears.” She takes cue from her hardworking mother to become
a better mom to Sophie. With this, she only has one wish for her daughter. “There will come a time when she will face her own challenges in life. I wish she can embrace and be passionate of the good values my husband and I will instill in her. I hope that she will decide and choose her paths based on those values. “ “I was full of gratitude, and I said my prayer of thanks to God, that after more than five years of wishing and praying for a child we have now received His blessing, as we have now my child in my arms.” - Maria Lourdes Nitro-Puzon, mother to Aldrei Mateusz Puzon (born September 16, 2015) For Maria Lourdes or Marie Nitro-Puzon, nothing could really have prepared her and her husband, Aldrin, to see their son come out of this world. The couple had been through years of trying to have a child. “It was just overwhelming. It was the most surreal experience,” she shared. “[I} still
Marie Nitro-Puzon with baby Aldrei Mateusz
couldn’t believe that I was able to push that baby out of me. My husband and I were tearful for a moment, then we posed for the picture to have our first family photo and we were all smiles.” As a nurse working at a government birthing facility in Makati City, Philippines, Marie does counseling about breastfeediing with mothers. Ironically, it was the same thing that faced during the first days after Aldrei was born. “I did not know that it was going to be that painful until I experienced it myself. I was struggling during the first few days, feeling pained and lacking sleep; as it was a round-theclock job,” she shared. “It was discouraging as I was producing very little milk at first. I almost thought of giving up, but I can’t. I just continued breastfeeding and my milk supply increased.” With the difficulties in breastfeeding, being sleep deprived and tired; Marie always reminds her of her mother’s advice. Continued on Page 3
The origins of Mother’s Day & how Filipinos celebrate by Charisse Trinidad / AJPress MOTHeR’S Day is observed in different forms throughout the world. The American existence of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Reeves Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. While dates and celebrations may differ, Mother’s Day most often falls on the second Sunday in May and traditionally involves presenting mothers with flowers, cards and other gifts. Celebrations of mothers can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele. However, the most modern version of Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” The roots of the modern Mother’s Day date back to the 19th century. Years before the Civil War (1861-1865), Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. In the US and Philippines on the second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day is a time when children and fathers both
spend a day pampering and showering mothers with presents, as a sign of gratefulness for all that they have done for the family. Mothers in the Philippines go by various titles: Ina, Nanay, Mama, and Mommy, to name just a few. Mothers are recognized as the “ilaw ng tahanan,” which is translated to the “light of the home.” This Filipino expression serves to describe mothers as the light who brings warmth and comfort to her family by caring for them in the best way possible, sometimes even putting aside her own happiness and well-being just to do so. This material sacrifice is also highlighted in another popular Filipino saying: “Ang ina, isusubo na nga lang, ibibigay pa sa anak,” which means “even with the food all ready for her to consume, the Mother will always find the need to still give every last morsel to her children.” Having a dedicated day to mothers is no surprise, especially in Filipino culture wherein motherhood is a revered role. Filipinos tend to have tight-knit families, so it is common for Mother’s Day to also include grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and other Continued on Page 3
erraTuM IN last Wednesday’s MDWK Magazine (April 27, 2016), the Asian Journal published the wrong cover image for our feature story “Rocky Gathercole: Born to be a fashion designer.” The Asian Journal regrets this inadvertent error and apologizes for any inconvenience and confusion that this has caused among our readers.
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The Asian Journal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
Even the most intelligent, beautiful and successful people in the world needed their mothers. Here are few famous quotes about mothers: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” - Abraham Lincoln, US President
Marge Maceda with baby Maktan
Nina Berroya-Carlos with baby Andy Mireille
“The only love that I really believe in is a mother’s love for her children.” - Karl Lagerfeld, fashion designer
Mae Manubay with baby Mason
The first of everything: First-time mothers share their... From Page 2
“[My] mom told me that when you are tired, it’s ok to ask for help so that you can rest. “My mom is a woman of prayer. She tells me that despite those fatigued moments from diaper change and long nursing sessions, I still and should find time for prayer, seek help, ask for blessings and to guide me through motherhood,” she said. “I am teaching my son to pray and call on God to bless him and the people around him. I want him to be God-fearing, morally upright and a responsible man.” “Your child does not need the latest of most expensive toys/clothes to be happy and healthy, they only need your love and your attention” - Marge Maceda, mother to Maktan Maceda (born March 2015) When asked what they felt when their child first came out, Marge Maceda said, “Sobrang saya at takot, mga magulang na kami (Overwhelming joy and fear, [because] we are now parents!)” Just like any other first time mother, Marge shared that not getting enough sleep is one of the major challenges she faced especially during the first few days. Still, this does not stop her from doing everything so that her son, Maktan, gets everything he needs to be healthy and happy. Marge also looks to her
own mother in raising Maktan. Through her mother’s actions, she shared that materials things are secondary in making your children happy. What’s important is giving your love and attention to them. “When she was in my tummy, I have been longing to hold, hug, smell, and kiss her. She finally arrived. It was so surreal” - Nina Berroya-Carlos, mother to Andi Mireille Carlos (born March 7, 2016) Overwhelmed with happiness, Nina Berroya-Carlos and husband Dino Carlos were finally holding their first born, Andi. And just like any other first time mother, she went through the challenges, such as breastfeeding and balancing their time. “Even I want to purely breastfeed Andi, I cannot [do it] since I do not have enough milk. I still try by diligently doing breast pump,” she shared. Nina added they struggle at times trying to understand Andi’s needs and wants as a newborn. Also, getting ready is a balancing act. “We need to allot more time in dressing up since we need to prepare [about] Andi too,” she said. Still, she sees Andi as a blessing and only wants the best for her. “I wish that she may continuously to grow healthy,” Nina said and then added, “I also
wish that she grows to be kind, smart, responsible, patient, obedient, diligent [and a] Godfearing woman.” “I have always wanted to be a mom. So for me, it was a dream come true. I’ve always loved being around kids and taking care of them, but it’s true what they say that the feeling is different when you have your own child.” - Mae Ermita-Manubay, mother of Mason Manubay (born November 10, 2015) As a person, Mae ErmitaManubay likes to be organized and on time for everything. This is a must for her life, especially in her work as an assistant to the Deputy Consul General at the Philippine Consulate in New York. However after giving birth to her son, Mason, she realized that she has to let things go. “Time is no longer my friend. I feel like it goes by so fast. In the beginning we (with husband, Robby) found ourselves late for everything until I realized that I just have to give myself an extra hour (or two) to get everything ready before we’re out the door just to make it on time for an event,” she said. “I also had to accept that baby things will take over the house no matter how organized you try to be. Sleep will be a thing of the past, but I’m thankful that I have a supportive husband who takes turns with me during night shifts.
Every minute counts! At the end of the day, no matter how sleep deprived, how unorganized you get, or how time will sometimes get the best of you, just seeing Mason smile and knowing that he’s happy is all worth it.” Yes, Mae reaffirms that her perspective on life has changed, as everything now revolves around her family, especially Mason. She does acknowledge the same challenges first time moms go through — the lack of sleep, getting ready, traveling with their son and planning for the future. “Cutting down on expenses to prepare for the future is important. Budgeting has definitely changed in terms of buying more thing I need as oppose to more things I want,” she said. Although no amount of preparation will be enough, Mae believes that some sort of plan will help new and future moms after their baby is born. “Have a plan for childcare. Be prepared! It can get expensive if you don’t have family to help,” she shared and added, “Read/sing to your baby! it’s [a] great bonding time. Record your milestones, take all the pictures you want.” Lastly, she also would like to impress the importance of keeping a healthy marriage. “Still go out and have a date with the hubby. You’ll feel guilty at first but it’s important to continue to nourish your relationship as a couple as well!”
“God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” - Joseph Rudyard Kipling, - English journalist, writer, poet and novelist (1865-1936)
“My mother is a walking miracle.” - Leonardo DiCaprio, actor “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” - Maya Angelou, writer, poet and civil rights leader
The origins of Mother’s Day... From Page 2 women in the family who are also mothers. Children often make cards or drawings for their mothers, with some even bringing breakfast to mom in bed. Fathers, on the other hand, generally give their wives a present they have
been asking for, or a trip to the spa for a day of relaxation. Celebrations for this day usually consist of treating the moms to lunch at their favorite restaurant. The rest of the day is usually spent with the family in the malls or wherever the mothers want to go.
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entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
Judy Ann Santos, Ryan Agoncillo celebrate 7th year anniversary Celebrity couple Judy Ann Santos and ryan Agoncillo renewed their vows seven years after their wedding. the renewal of vows took place in a beach resort in batangas province on April 30.
the couple’s three children—yohan, lucho, and luna—were present in the ceremony. Some celebrity friends of the couple such as Agot isidro, iza Calzado and KC Concep-
cion also attended the event. Fr. tito Caluag led the ceremony. Days before the ceremony, Judy Ann and ryan exchanged sweet messages to mark their anniversary. in an instagram post, Judy Ann reminisced how APO Hiking Society serenaded them during their wedding. “Seven years ago when APO serenaded us. Seven years ago i was on cloud 9 dancing with my forever… this among others is my favorite part. Happy anniversary, my bubba!” she wrote as the caption,” she said. On his part, ryan posted a photo of his wife and kids with the caption: “Happy Sevenersary!” Here are some photos taken during the event taken by the guests and photographers Caliber King and Francis Perez. (Inquirer.net)
Infographic by AJPress. Sources: American Psychological Association, Pacific Post Partum Support Society, Journal of American Medical Association, National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation and Depression Facts
Marian Rivera: Motherhood becomes her by Bot
Glorioso Philstar.com
WHetHer you are a showbiz watcher or not, you certainly know that Marian rivera is now a mom to five-month-old daughter Maria letizia, nicknamed Zia. but not everyone knows that since becoming a mom, her perspective in life has broadened. the better half of Dingdong Dantes has learned to look at things in a more positive light. “My point of view in life has widened,” said Marian on how motherhood has changed her. “Unlike before that i easily get stressed out even over the simplest matter of concern, now i just shrug things off and let them pass especially when it comes to bashers. i think all of us have bashers, even ordinary people do. that’s why, i won’t waste my time answering them because for me they are cowards; hiding their identities with fake accounts and saying nasty things repeatedly. Perhaps, i will deal with them only when they reveal their true identities.” besides, Marian is focused on taking care of Zia who is a real bundle of joy. “She is bubbly. i’m still breastfeeding her. Usually in the morning, i wait for her to wake up to breastfeed her and then after, she just plays in her crib; mabait s’yang bata kaya i thank God for blessing
Marian Rivera says her first GMA 7 morning lifestyle show Yan Ang Morning! is the perfect venue to share her personal experiences with the viewers on being a new mom and homemaker.
me with a beautiful family and a happy life. there is really no reason to complain. in the morning, when i open my eyes, i see my handsome husband on my side and then on the other side is my beautiful daughter. So who am i to complain?” Although Zia already did a photo shoot for a tV commercial and has appeared on the cover of yes! Magazine, Marian
affirmed that media exposure for her baby is limited. When asked if Zia’s first tV appearance will be in her first GMA 7 morning talk show titled “yan Ang Morning!” that is set to air its pilot episode today at 10:45 a.m., Marian replied in the negative. “Ayoko naman ipagdamot bilang parehas naman kami ni Continued on Page 5
Sharon Cuneta replaces Sarah Geronimo on ‘The Voice Kids Philippines’
Sharon Cuneta
A neW coach is coming in the third season of “the Voice Kids Philippines.” As Sarah Geronimo bids goodbye to focus on being a performer, Sharon Cuneta will be welcomed in the show’s new season. “Sobrang excited ako!” said the Megastar in an interview with AbS-Cbn news. “i will be part of ‘the Voice Kids,’ of course [with] bamboo and lea Salonga.” before being part of this show, Sharon has been one of the judges in the two seasons of “your Face Sounds Familiar.” Aside from “the Voice Kids Philippines,” the Megastar also announced that she’s gearing up for a “really big” project. “i have been working on myself para i-surprise kayo,” she said. “Hindi pa ako tapos but i have lost a lot of weigh, preparing for something really big.” (Philstar. com)
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Celebrate Mother’s Day at Café Sierra Savor life. Savor each and every moment at Café Sierra inside the Hilton Los angeles / Universal City. Enjoy an eclectic blend of culinary delights including California, Continental and Mandarin cuisine by veteran Executive Chef George Sit. For over 30 years, Chef George has taken contemporary cuisine and insured a Pacific rim influence, enhancing each dish with his own personal international flair. Dinner and cocktails at the Café Sierra restaurant and atrium Lounge can be experienced either a la carte or enjoyed from one of our extensive specialty buffets.
The culinary team has come together to create a valuable foundation – serving up excellence from start to finish. our award winning weekend seafood and prime rib buffet is a Los angeles favorite and voted #1 in California by the Yahoo Travel Team. Join us for Mother’s Day with our evening buffet on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as a brunch buffet on Saturday and Sunday The Hilton Los angeles / Universal City is conveniently located at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City. For reservations call (818) 5092030. (Advertising Supplement)
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
Marian Rivera: Motherhood becomes... From Page 4 Dong na artista. When I was still pregnant, I shared photos. I also did when I gave birth. But on Instagram, I seldom post; mas si Dong pa kaya oK na yun.” When queried once more if Zia will guest on the show’s Mother’s Day presentation, Marian hinted at the possibility when she smilingly said, “We never know. Mommy nga ni Dong (Mommy angeline), nagguest.” “Yan ang Morning!” is Marian’s first GMa morning lifestyle talk show with Boobay as her co-host. The actress never denies that hosting is not her forte, and she had mixed emotions about accepting the project. She was initially worried that she might not be able to deliver on her duty as a host. Good thing, Dingdong has inspired her to try and take on her new Tv role. “His advice is simple — just be yourself. and here I am now.” Marian continued, “Wala sigurong masama kung susubukan mo ang mga bagay na di ka pamilyar dahil ako bilang isang ina marami akong mga bagay na na-realize na kaya ko pala o magagawa ko pala. So I
told myself, why not apply this to hosting — to try my hand in something that I am not yet familiar with. If you will notice the show’s tagline is ‘Kung kaya ni Yan, kaya n’yo rin,’ because I believe that we can learn everything. The show is very informative. I learn a lot of things even off cam. I am not shy to ask our guests like the mommy bloggers, for example, questions on the topic about breastfeeding. I ask them what should I do to produce more milk so natututo din ako sa mga bagay at na-aapply ko sa sarili ko.” The show, under the helm of Louie Ignacio, allows viewers as well as the studio audience to participate and be involved in everything that Marian does in the program. She will have a cooking segment dubbed Luto ni Marian where she will demonstrate simple and affordable recipes. She, too, will also share latest fitness workouts and invite everyone to try out DIY projects. another segment called oK Yan, Wag Yan will have two different sides giving their opinions on a certain topic or issue. raising a family is another topic Marian can very well relate
Crab Legs | Shrimp | Oysters | Salmon on Ice Carving Stations with Prime Rib | Ham | Leg of Lamb Chinese Specialties | Sushi | Sashimi Breakfast Favorites | Chef's Entree Specialties Chocolate Fountain | Crepe Station | Much, Much More During Mother's Day Brunch Sparking Wine | Mimosa | Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Plus a Flower and Chocolate Gift for Mom
555 Universal Hollywood Drive | Universal City, CA 91608
to. Televiewers can expect her to talk kilometric when it comes to child-rearing. “I am certain that anything that concerns children and family will make the discussion interesting, most especially when you are a parent. Like, how can one be a good mom? Perhaps, all the moms will agree with me that motherhood is priceless. Sabi ko nga, mahirap man mag-buntis at mag-labor pero pag nakita mo na yung resulta sasabihin mo, ‘Lord, sana bigyan mo pa ko.’” Marian is praying that she and Dingdong will be blessed with four more children. of course, Marian stressed that she and Dingdong want to raise a good and responsible child. “May plano din dapat. Definitely, we want our child, si Zia muna syempre, to grow up as a responsible kid. at syempre gusto namin s’yang makapagaral sa magandang eskwelahan at magkaroon ng magandang buhay.” Like most of us, Marian never stops wishing for good things to continuously pour, but she truly feels content with her life. “I can’t ask for anything more. Kuntento ako at happy.”
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features The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
Moonlighting
A retiree’s lunch party
faintly bewildered, but the guest of honor, gazing at her de leon colleague’s faces could read their minds, because whatever it was she was looking for, she found in their demeanor and in Working is a mysterious every burst of laughter. It was thing. Many of us claim to disthe evening’s ambivalent emolike it at times, but it takes a grip tion, never mind that all these on us so fierce that it captures occurred in one of the top legal emotions and loyalties we never offices here in Los Angeles. knew were there. A man’s work—if she is It was a retirement party for good at it, it is said—is as ima lady who had spent a decade portant to her as her family. It with the same company and her was such a delicate balance, colleagues from her office were the attention that one must in attendance. There were prebe paid to her job and to her pared little speeches, toasts and family—with never the luxury of gifts; just like hundreds of retire- overlap. ment parties being held around Her job is quite separate the country that afternoon. from her family, that is why, It was lunch like any. Some for them, the men and women guests came a little early, she had worked with for a while others came a little late decade were just names from a as usual. The women kissed, lifetime. Now, she is 65 and the pressing their cheeks, kissing rules said that she must retire. the winds and for some reason, The speeches began, filled connected lipstick. with references and in jokes that The men back-slapped, and made the retiree, Rev. Pastor then settled, with short or longer Mercy Pascual, laugh and nod lapses of disconnection. Then, her head in recognition as every they would mill around the respeaker took turns making the tiree, go back to their seats but people in the room roar with like a magnet, each one would glee. go back to the woman, repeat a The little speeches were tale and offer her whatever! specific, not general. It was More than just breaking mostly of little matters that had bread with her that evening, it happened over the course of seemed there was something the years. Each remembrance all, each had to say. Looking was like a small gift to the by Mylah
Ms. Christy Barrett (office administrator), Mercy Pascual (the retiree), and Besty Johnson, Esq.
retiree. I thought about how the Rev. Pastor Mercy Pascual was going to feel the next morning, knowing that for the first time in her adult life, she wouldn’t be driving to the building where the rest of people there would be reporting for work. The separation pains have to be just as strong to the loss of a family member, yet in the world of the universal work force, a person is supposed to accept and even embrace retirement. None of us can really change the world in a lifetime, but we touch the people around us, in ways that may last. That is the real purpose of a retirement party like this one, to tell a lady that those memories will remain, even though the work rules say that she has to go away. The plaque and office gift was presented, and then year and years of work at an end, the retiree, went back to her own home. And the rest of us went back to ours. The Rev. Pastor Mercy Pascual retired from the leading labor law firm of Ogletree, Deakins and Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. last April 15. ***
E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com
The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 4, 2016
Thursday - Wednesday • May 5- 11
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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