May 20-23, 2017 Volume 27 - No. 41 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages
DATELINE
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
CA Atty. Gen. to lead effort to help save Obamacare 15 states to take legal action against Trump administration
AS a way to fight for the millions of Americans who would lose health insurance without the Affordable Care Act (ACA), California Attorney General Xavier Becerra this week announced legal action against the Trump administration to help save the landmark health care bill. Leading the fight alongside New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Becerra announced that he, Schneiderman and 13 other state attorneys general have made moves to intervene in House v. Price, a lawsuit that challenges a part in the ACA — also known as Obamacare — that lowers deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for lower-income Americans and their families. “No parent should worry if they can afford to take their child to a doctor or hos-
PH rejects $278.7-M EU grant Palace: Refusal of aid ‘with conditions’ attests PH independence by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THE Duterte administration has stopped accepting aid “with conditions” from the European Union (EU) to assert the Philippines’ independence as a nation, Malacañang said on Thursday, May 18. According to Philippine Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, the administration has decided to reject new EU grants to “prevent” the latter from
“interfering” with the internal affairs of the Philippines. “To enable them not to interfere with our internal affairs. We’re supposed to be an independent nation,” Medialdea told reporters. This could mean a loss of about €250 million or $278.73 million worth of grants, which are mostly allocated to peace processes in Mindanao, according to EU Ambassador Franz Jessen. “The amount possibly concerned
by the new decision is 250 million euro plus. For this year the amount affected could be 100 million euro,” the ambassador said. Spokesperson Ernesto Abella, however, clarified that the Philippine government would only refuse new grants from the EU which “impose certain conditionalities that will interfere with the way we handle things, that we consider objectionable.” “These grants pertain to particular projects or programs that have the
HOME care is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, with more seniors and people with disabilities relying on the aid of caregivers. However, many home care providers are struggling to provide the care that their patients — mainly people with disabilities and seniors — due to insufficient public funding for California’s home care industry. As a way to further understanding of the quickly growing homecare industry, the UCLA Labor Center — along with the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC), Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employer Network, and Senior Disability Action — collaborated on a comprehensive study on the challenges that homecare providers face. The study, called “Struggles and Support: California’s Homecare Employers,” advocates for the further expansion of resources within the state. It found that the demand for home care workers is high, but the insufficient public funding puts a major
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President Rodrigo Duterte gives a fist bump beside a television monitor airing a clip of his new TV show ‘Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa.’ Malacañang photo
ASEAN, China agree on draft framework for code of conduct in the South China Sea
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New study: Home care employers underfunded, lack resources
potential of affecting the autonomy of the country,” Abella said in a media briefing. He also clarified that the Philippines would still accept development assistance, which is given unconditionally. “We’ll take it on a case-to-case basis. We can accept or respectfully decline that which we find objectionable,” he said. Existing development assistance
by AJPRESS
BALIKATAN 2017. A Filipino soldier prepares to fire off a mortar round with U.S. Marines assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment during Balikatan 2017 at Fort Magsaysay in Santa Rosa. The exercise allows Philippine and U.S. militaries build upon shared tactics, techniques, and procedures that enhance readiness and response capabilities to emerging threats. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine bilateral military exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel James Lewis
SALN BARES SENATE’S BILLIONAIRES, MILLIONAIRES
Villar, Pacquiao are wealthiest; Trillanes poorest by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
THERE are now two billionaires in the Philippine Senate, with boxer-Senator Manny Pacquiao joining Senator Cynthia Villar in the top spot. Based on the 24 senators’ 2016 statements of assets, liabilities and networth (SALN), Villar is richest member, with a net worth sans liabilities of P3.6 billion as of December 31, 2016.
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THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have agreed on a draft framework for a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, signaling a shift toward easing hostilities in the region. The ASEAN members and China came to an agreement on Thursday, May 18 after two days of discussion between officials and representatives in Guiyang, China. ”On the COC, we are pleased to announce that the senior officials have completed the negotiations on the draft COC framework,” coordinator of China-ASEAN relations Chee Wee Kiong declared in a joint press confer-
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DOJ may tap former PDEA exec as state witness against De Lima by AJPRESS
Senators Manny Pacquiao, Cynthia Villar and Antionio Trillanes IV
Pulitzer Prize-winning Fil-Am writer’s final story sparks international debate
THE Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) is studying the possibility of having Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino serve as an additional state witness against Senator Leila De Lima, who is currently being detained over drug-related charges. Marcelino, also the former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)’s Special Enforcement Service, was released from detention on Thursday,
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“My Family’s Slave” by Alex Tizon shares one Filipino family’s relationship with domestic help by KLARIZE
MEDENILLA AJPress
Author and investigative journalist Alex Tizon. The magazine cover of The Atlantic’s June 2017 Image: Website/University of Oregon, School of issue with the controversial cover story “My Journalism and Communication Family’s Slave.”
WHEN The Atlantic published Alex Tizon’s “My Family’s Slave”, the deeply moving, personal story received international attention for capturing the life of a woman who loved and cared for him and his family.
Tizon tells the story of Eudocia Tomas Pulido, whom he and his family called ‘Lola’ growing up. Pulido spent her whole adult life as the Tizon’s family’s “slave”, a woman who gave up her life to serve them. The author details his parents’ cruel treatment of the woman
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Lt. Col Ferdinand Marcelino gets a hug from a friend after his release from detention on drug charges as his lawyer, Public Assistance Office chief Persida Rueda Acosta, looks on. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
A MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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From the Front Page
PH rejects $278.7-M EU... PAGE A1 t from the EU will not be nullified either. “In other words, if it’s already accepted, we will assume that—we will assume that that can continue unless further specified,” he added. According to Abella, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
has approved the recommendation of the Department of Finance (DOF) not to accept grants from the EU “that may allow it to interfere with the internal policies” of the country. The DOF made the recommendation after the EU “recently” offered a conditional grant
European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen earlier said that the Philippine government has informed them that they will no longer accept grants from the economic bloc.
that seemingly affects the Philippines’ internal affairs, he said. Abella, however, refused to specify the grant, explaining that it was a “delicate matter.” Likewise, Abella underscored that the Philippine government “reserves the right to accept loans and grants that help attain its objectives of promoting economic development inclusiveness and reducing poverty, attaining peace within its borders and with its neighbors, and fostering a law-abiding society.” “It also reserves the right to respectfully decline offers that do not achieve these goals and offers that allow foreigners to interfere with the conduct of its internal affairs,” he added. Duterte previously dared the EU, along with the United States and other international critics, to pull out their assistance from the Philippines amid criticisms of his administration’s drug war, and alleged human rights violation and summary killings related to the campaign. ‘Not a policy’ Philippine Chief Economist Ernesto Pernia, on the other hand, insisted that the Duterte administration’s decision to reject EU grants is “not a policy.” “No, it’s not policy. Policy is something that is more permanent. If it’s refused this year, maybe it might not be refused next year. So, only this year,” Pernia said, noting that the refusal was never discussed dur-
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STOP THE KILLINGS. Families of victims of extrajudicial killings, members of religious and human rights group join forces as they denounce the spate of drug killings and human rights violations on Thursday, May 18. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan
Pulitzer Prize-winning Fil-Am writer’s... PAGE A1 t
who essentially raised him and his four other siblings. He goes back and forth describing what he saw growing up and taking Pulido’s ashes back to her birthplace, Mayantoc, Philippines. Throughout the piece, Tizon describes the guilt and shame he carried his whole life for not stopping his parents’ treatment of Pulido, which greatly affected his growth from child to adult. “To our American neighbors, we were model immigrants, a poster family. They told us so,” Tizon writes. “My father had a law degree, my mother was on her way to becoming a doctor, and my siblings and I got good grades and always said “please” and “thank you.” We never talked about Lola. Our secret went to the core of who we were and, at least for us kids, who we wanted to be.” “My Family’s Slave” marks the last published story by Tizon, who passed away at the age of 57 last March from natural causes. According to Tizon’s wife, Melissa Quiason, “My Family’s Slave” took the seasoned journalist six wearisome years to make, but was a story he was determined to tell. “This was his ultimate story,” Quiason said, as quoted by Inquirer. Pulido died from a heart attack in 2011 at the age of 86. Tizon
is quoted in her obituary in the Seattle Times, not detailing the decades of abuse she endured, but rather celebrating the qualities that made her his “Lola.” “Growing up with Lola taught me that not calling attention to yourself was a perfectly fine and honorable way to live. She was never angst-ridden and never felt entitled to anything, including happiness. I think that’s one reason she was one of the most peaceful people I’ve ever known,” he said. The story struck a chord with many Filipino readers, who are familiar with the family-domestic help dynamic, but it also received backlash from readers who were shocked at the treatment of Pulido. Furthermore, many readers were outraged at Tizon’s lack of intervention on the abuse inflicted on the woman who cared for him her whole life. One reader pointed that lack of effort out, saying that, “The author aided and abetted in slavery. His pathetic efforts to ease her situation in the last few years of her life were not enough.” Upon receiving international attention, The Atlantic magazine staff acknowledged the praise as well as the backlash. “Alex did not know that we would be putting his piece on the cover of this issue; he died
the day we made that decision, before we had a chance to tell him,” The Atlantic editor-inchief Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in an editor’s note. “His death, quite obviously, could have derailed publication of what turned out to be his final story, but his family, led by Melissa and his siblings, worked with us during this uniquely trying time to make publication possible However, as Philippine-based Scout Magazine puts it, the international outrage stems from “a place where they don’t fully understand the culture the story is set in,” including the fact that domestic help is deeply embedded in the culture and that many maids and servants work willingly for the families. Tizon celebrated a fruitful career as a journalist, serving as reporter for the Seattle Times and Seattle Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times. In 1997, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for a five-part series on fraudulent activity in the Federal Indian Housing Program. He is also the author of the award-winning “Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self,” an examination of his experience as a first-generation immigrant and what life is like in the U.S. as an Asian man. Tizon is survived by his wife and their two daughters. n
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FROM THE FRONT PAGE
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-23, 2017
PH rejects $278.7-Million EU...
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PAGE A2 t plain the human rights situation Taus said. ing Cabinet meetings. here… So, perhaps that might He went on to say, “In this According to Pernia, the ad- help change the global percep- particular case, GSP+, an agreeministration may still retract its tion of the EU and other coun- ment that covers 6,300 items statement since Duterte is “usu- tries regarding the human rights for tax and duty free import ally open to suggestions.” situation here,” Pernia added. into all EU countries did have Pernia said he will discuss ECCP surprised some mutually agreed upon with other members of the adThe European Chamber of conditions attached to it, while ministration’s economic team if Commerce of the Philippines for the FTA it is premature to they will appeal to the president (ECCP) said it is “surprised” by speculate as it is an agreement to reverse the decision. the Philippine government’s de- still under negotiation.” “We have to parse this careful- cision to refuse further grants Taus also emphasized that ly because you know our presi- from the EU. grants are “designated to furdent has a style of doing some“We are taken by surprise/as- ther improvements nationwide” thing and then taking it back tonished by the recent news re- and “to help alleviate poverty as later. It’s some kind of a tactic,” garding the Philippines’ refusal well as establishing peace and he added. to accept further EU grants,” order.” The chief economist also re- ECCP President Guenter Taus Underscoring the importance called that the administration said in a statement. of grants for the business comrelayed its intention to reject EU He noted that EU grants are munity, Taus added that grants assistance before the Philippine “usually unconditional” and are “greatly contribute to creating delegation went to Geneva, Swit- given in support for various pur- desirable conditions for busizerland for the third cycle of the poses, such as humanitarian. nesses to thrive and spur incluUniversal Periodic Review (UPR) “Perhaps there may be some sive growth as it creates much on the status of the country’s hu- confusion/mix ups here with the needed jobs.” GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of He noted that most business CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra, joined by health care professionals and advocates, holds a press conference at St. John’s Well Child & man rights record. Earlier this month, the Philip- Preferences) and/or FTA (Free sectors consider “peace and Family Center in Los Angeles discussing legal action 15 states are taking against the Trump administration to save the Affordable Care Act (ACA). AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla pine government defended its Trade Agreement) Schemes. order” as an “essential and intedrug war and other policies be- Both do usually come with clear gral part of doing business and fore the United Nations in Ge- guidelines and conditions at- attracting investments.” neva. tached, which are always mutu“Hence grants help to expe“What I gathered from them ally agreed upon and accepted dite this very cause,” Taus conPAGE A1 t The case House v. Price start- has been able to get the health was that they were able to ex- upon signing of these treaties,” cluded. ■ pital. President Trump’s un- ed in 2014 when Republicans in coverage they needed; previpredictable behavior and lack the House sued the secretary of ously, her family had not been of defense of the health care the Department of Health and insured because of high costs. coverage of millions of Ameri- Human Services (HHS) for the “Back then, the only insurcans under the ACA threatens ACA’s creation of cost-sharing ance available to us was COto resurrect those fears of every subsidies, which have helped BRA and that was way too parent,” Becerra said at a press individuals with incomes rang- much for us to afford,” Lopez, a conference at St. John’s Well ing from just under $12,000 to social worker from Inglewood, Child & Family Center in Los $30,000. California said after the press Angeles on Thursday, May 18. A district court ruled in fa- conference. “[Since receiving On Wednesday, May 17, the vor of the House, but the ruling coverage through Covered Cal15 states filed two motions: a was sent to an appeals court to ifornia], we’re now able to see motion to intervene in the suit continue giving millions access the doctor. In fact, on my husand a motion to temporarily lift to health care. Since then, the band’s first visit to [the] docthe suspension of the proceed- subsidies continued pending tor, they found out he had high ings. appeal. After President Donald blood pressure and should have “Here, in California, more Trump was elected, the House been treated a while ago.” than 5 million people now re- asked for a temporary suspenLike many Americans, Loceive quality, affordable health sion on the case to give the pez fears that with Republicans care under the ACA, many for president time to formulate a on the Hill threatening to take the first time,” Becerra added, decision on the matter. away the ACA, it will make it standing alongside health care Since the presidential cam- harder on her family to pay for professionals and Obamacare paign, Trump has called Obam- coverage. advocates. “No one wants to acare a “disaster” and has “It’s going to undo so much return to the days when a child vowed to repeal and replace the good that we were able to rewas denied care because of a landmark health care act. In the ceive from Obamacare since preexisting condition, when a first 100 days of his administra- we didn’t have to worry about woman was charged more than tion, House Republicans came whether or not we were going a man for the same health care up with a replacement health to be able to do something as plan or when you needed care care law, the American Health simple as [going] to the doctor the most and found you reached Care Act, which has been met for a checkup or something,” your lifetime limit.” with much criticism from both Lopez lamented. As of 2016, the uninsured sides of the aisle. She added: “I just hope that rate in California has dropped Maria Lopez, a Mexican- the government does the right HOLY GRAIL OF PHILIPPINE MAPS. Senator Nancy Binay observes the 1734 Murillo Verlarde Map, regarded by historians as the first scientific map to a historic low of 7.1 per- American mother of three chil- thing for once and I hope that of the Philippines as it shows the inclusion of the Spratly islands and the Scarborough Shoal to the country’s territory. It serves as the historical cent as a result of the ACA; this dren, told the Asian Journal that there will be enough lawmakers basis for the Philippines claim over the islands in the South China Sea. In 2014, the map was auctioned at Sotheby’s and was acquired by Filipino marks a 10 percent decrease since signing up for Covered on our side.” (Klarize Medenil- entrepreneur Mel Velasco Velarde. Mr. Velarde has already donated the map to the Filipino people and will be displayed at the National Museum. It will be officially turned over to President Rodrigo R. Duterte on the celebration of Independence Day 2017. Senate photo from 2013. California in 2013, her family la/AJPress)
CA Atty. Gen. to lead effort to help...
Dateline USa
A MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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DFA: No Filipinos hurt in Times Square crash New York,� said a statement released by DFA spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar. He said the “Consulate GenTHE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said eral is closely coordinating there were no Filipinos hurt with New York authorities and when a car mowed down pe- is ready to provide consular destrians at Times Square in assistance to affected Filipinos should it be needed.� New York. An Associated Press report “There were no reports of Filipinos injured in the incident in said a 26-year-old US Navy Times Square yesterday, as of veteran steered his car onto a the latest information received sideway in Times Square, killfrom our Consulate General in ing a teenager and injuring by Kristine
Angeli Inquirer.net
sAbillo
several other people. The man told police officers he was hearing voices. The mayor of the city said there was no indication that the incident was an act of terrorism. The driver, identified as Richard Rojas, initially tested negative for alcohol. He was arrested a week ago for pointing a knife at a notary. He was also arrested twice for driving while intoxicated several years ago. n
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Villar’s wealth increased from P3.5 billion as of June last year. She is the wife of former senator Manuel Villar, who is included in Forbes’ 2017 list of wealthiest Filipinos. Coming in as the second wealthiest member of the Senate is Pacquiao, who declared a total of P3 billion net worth, with P350.6 million in liabilities and P3.4 billion in assets. In his SALN, Pacquiao declared that most of his earnings came from his international boxing matches and endorsements. Among his biggest registered assets include “cash, jewelry, and other personal properties.� Excluding Villar and Pacquiao, the rest of the Senate members are millionaires. Ranking as the Senate member with the least wealth is Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, with a net worth amounting to P6.5 million – P16 million assets and P9.5 million liabilities. Trillanes replaced Senator Francis “Chiz� Escudero at the bottom of the list. Escudero now is the second poorest with only a P6.6 million net worth. Coming in third as among the poorest is Senator Leila de Lima. She declared a total of P6.6 million, P9.8 million, and P3.18 of net worth, assets, and liabilities respectively. Next to Pacquiao on the other side of the list is Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto. He stated a total of P522.6 million net worth. He was followed by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara with P123.9 million net worth. Meanwhile, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri declared P121.8 million in his latest SALN. He was
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HEARING ON AFFORDABLE MEDICINES. Senator. Juan Miguel “Migz� Zubiri (right), chair of the Senate panel of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Quality Affordable Medicines (QAMOC), shares a light moment with Iloilo 4th District Representative Ferjenel Biron before the start of a hearing discussing the status of the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act, Tuesday, May 16. The Cheaper Medicines Act was created to achieve better health services for Filipinos by assuring that quality medicines are accessible and affordable to everyone, especially the poor. Senate photo by Romeo Bugante
DOJ may tap former PDEA exec as state... PAGE A1 t
May 18 after the DOJ absolved him and intelligence asset Yan Yi Shou, a Chinese national, from drug charges. “Kung sakali gagamitin siya as additional witness...Tignan ko (If he could be used as additional witness, I’ll study about it), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said in an interview on Friday, May 19, a day after Marcelino’s release. Marcelino and Shou were arrested during a shabu warehouse raid conducted by the PDEA and Philippine National Police (PNP) operatives in January 2016. The long-time anti-drug operative and his asset, however, insisted they were part of an intelligence operation at the time of their arrest. If tapped as witness, Aguirre said Marcelino could bare details about his conversation with De Lima when she visited him in detention. He added that Marcelino could also testify as to why the PDEA was left out when then-Justice Secretary De Lima ordered a raid on the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). Marcelino is open to testifying against De Lima, according to his lawyer, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda Acosta. “sabi niya he can testify (He can testify),� Acosta relayed. “Pero kung ano ang ite-testify niya, hindi natin alam (Though
we still don’t know what would he testify). Abangan na lang natin ang mangyayari (Let’s just wait) if the government will utilize him in the Bilibid drug case.� In an affidavit dated September 25, 2016, Marcelino disclosed that he and De Lima discussed a previous raid in Tarlac that took place during the previous administration of President Benigno Aquino III. “We discussed operation in the clandestine laboratory in Tarlac and the possible infiltration of the drug syndicate in the political leadership of which she said to me, ‘I can assure you the President [Aquino] is not involved,� Marcelino said in his affidavit. “I was stunned when she mentioned the president, when I did not even state his name nor even allude to him at that time,� he added. Marcelino, who is known for leading successful large anti-illegal drug operations during his stint at the PDEA, revealed he was pursuing the possible political connections of drug syndicates behind the Tarlac laboratory. “Why is the largest clandestine shabu laboratory established right in the home province of then President Benigno Aquino III, which is also the province where the then PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac once served as provincial director of PNP?� he pointed out.
Marcelino went on to say, “Is it possible that the syndicates already penetrated the highest political leadership of the country? Or do they want to simply embarrass our government when it will eventually be discovered?� De Lima, for her part, questioned Marcelino’s release, saying that his dismissal is part of DOJ’s “brazen deal� to “pressure� Marcelino to pin her down. “Isn’t it obvious that his freedom is in exchange for mine?� she told reporters. “A deal has been struck that he testify against me.� The senator, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, is facing three counts of drug-related cases related to violations of sections in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC). Blasting the Duterte administration anew, De Lima said, “I think Marcelino still has honor, and whatever lies he is forced to tell are not easy for him to declare, if not for some overwhelming pressure or threat coming from the tyrant and his minions.� “This regime of the worst and dumbest is already famous for turning men of integrity against their sworn duties and word of honor, and making the stupidest and most incompetent ‘honorables,’ with their titles and positions,� she added. n
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Dateline USa
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PH-US Balikatan exercise ends by
SHE FOR SHE. Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros speaks during the She for She: A Women’s Forum, which was held at the Century City Mall Tuesday, May 16. The forum, which was hosted by the French Embassy, highlights the different efforts and initiatives of women supporting other women in various fields to symbolize women’s solidarity. Senate photo by Joseph Vidal
ASEAN, China agree on draft framework... PAGE A1 t
ence after the meeting. While specific details about the COC were not disclosed, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said, “all parties have vowed to continue to constructively advance the negotiations toward the early conclusion of the COC.” The Chinese senior official said the framework is only a draft and “not the final rules.” “It will provide a good foundation for the next round of consultations,” he said, adding that a “more detailed agreement is yet to come.” he also stressed that the consultations on COC will continue without “outside interference.” The Philippines, this year’s ASeAN chairman, welcomed the completion of the framework for the COC in the South China Sea. The country’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday, May 19 said the draft framework will be presented before the Foreign Ministers of ASeAN and China at the upcoming Post-Ministerial Conference in Manila this August “for their consideration.” Apart from the Philippines, other ASeAN-member states include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao , Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Duterte open to ‘fair’ South China Sea deals with rival claimants
earlier this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his openness to conducting joint explorations in the South China Sea with rival claimants China and Vietnam. he said he is willing to consider deals in the disputed waters as long as they would be “fair” to the Philippines. “Let us see the wherewithal. Let us see first if we will gain something from it. It has to be fair. It has to be balanced,” the president told reporters upon his arrival in Davao City on Tuesday, May 16 after attending the Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation in Beijing. his comments came in response to a question about a proposal for joint maritime explorations on the disputed Spratly Islands with China and Vietnam. “If we can get something there with no hassle at all, why not?” he added. The president further reaffirmed that he has no immediate plans to pressure China into abiding by the international tribunal’s ruling that struck down the economic powerhouse’s massive claims over the sea in favor of the Philippines. On Sunday, May 14, Philippine Special envoy for Intercultural Dialogue Jose de Venecia Jr. raised the possibility of conducting a joint energy exploration effort at the disputed area.
Fil-Am teen missing after diving into swift Calif. river AUBURN, California — A Filipino-American teenager was swept by rapids in the American River last Thursday, May 11 and is still missing. Raymond Cabalfin Jr., 19, went to Lake Clementine Trail here with friends and jumped into the river to cool off. Cabalfin was swept away immediately. his friends called 911 and ran downstream to save him, but he had disappeared. Rangers at Auburn State Recreation Area searched the area for seven hours but were unable to find the teenager. Officials are warning the public to stay out of the American River, which was 54 degrees the day Cabalfin went missing.
Raymond Cabalfin Jr.
Large snowmelts have made the river deeper, faster and colder. Cabalfin’s family launched a GoFundMe account to be used to fund official search operations and private search efforts.(Inquirer.net)
Villar, Pacquiao are wealthiest... PAGE A4 t followed in the list by Sherwin Gatchalian, P92.1 million; Grace Poe, P88.5 million; Franklin Drilon, P82.5 million; and JV ejercito, P79.1 million. Senators Richard Gordon, Nancy Binay, and Vicente Sotto III stated a P66.9 million, P60.5 million, and P63.8 million total of net worth, respectively. Senators Loren Legarda’s net worth amounts to P40.9 million, followed by Panfilo Lacson, P38.7 million; Paolo “Bam” Aquino, P33.9 million; Aquilino Pimentel III, P17.7 million; and Risa hontiveros, P16.3 million. The other remaining Senators – Alan Peter Cayetano, Joel
Villanueva, Gregorio honasan, and Francis Pangilinan have net worths amounting to P24.1 million, P21.5 million, P21.3 million, and P9.3 million, respectively. Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman released President Rodrigo Duterte’s SALN. Duterte declared a net worth of P27.43 million as of December 2016, which went up by over P3 million from P24.08 million as of June of last year when he assumed the presidency. Unlike Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo’s net worth decreased by more than P2 million after six months in office – from P11 million in June 2016 to P8.88 by December of the same year. n
Speaking at the opening of the new Silk Road conference in Beijing, De Venecia said such effort would help to promote peace and economic development. Philippine Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano, however, dismissed De Venecia’s remarks, saying: “If you look at the statements of former Speaker De Venecia when he was still Speaker, he is consistent with those kinds of ideas.” “But that doesn’t mean that that’s the direction of the government because we are bound by the Constitution and our own law,” he told reporters in Beijing. n
Jaime Laude Philstar.com
The 33th Joint Ph-US Balikatan military exercises ended yesterday with Filipino and American officials citing cooperation as the only way to hurdle major challenges. Officials described the disaster-themed joint military drill as a huge success. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim attributed the completion and the success of this year’s joint exercises to the months of planning, the rigorous training schedules and the hard work of all the participants. “Months of planning and hard work during this year’s exercises have reinforced long standing ties and strengthen our combined ability to respond to today’s challenges,” Kim said. Over the last 12 days, Kim said U.S. and Filipino servicemen shared critical skills, undertook planning processes and refined their combined abilities. “By all accounts Balikatan 33rd series was a tremendous success. Our nations face an increasingly complex and volatile security environment. Now more than ever our armed forces must work together closely,” Kim said as he lauded every participant in this year’s exercises. he said that both countries must stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of the alliance of the two states based on shared values and international rules-based order.
Steelworker 3rd Class Austin Cox and Steelworker 3rd Class Timothy Vincent stack bags of concrete mix during the construction of the Walung Health Clinic in Kosrae, Philippines. NMCB-1 provides expeditionary construction and engineering support to expeditionary bases and responds to humanitarian assistance disaster relief requests. U.S. Navy photo by Information Systems Technician 1st Class Ledget Glover III
Lorenzana introduced three Filipino words in describing the just-concluded Balikatan exercise—three Ks referring to Kaibigan (friend), Kakampi (ally) and Kadamay (collaborator). “I am so honored to stand before you as we formally end this year’s Balikatan, the most important bilateral exercise that we annually conduct. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the participants, to include the foreign observers, for the success of this year’s joing exercises,” Lorenzana said. The defense chief pointed out that in cooperation and working shoulder-to-shoulder, major challenges could be overcome. This year’s disaster responsethemed drill were held Batanes, Calayan island in Cagayan and in
Casiguran, Aurora in Northern Luzon as well as in Panay and Samar in Western and eastern Visayas. Anti-terror exercises were also in Ternate, Cavite as part of this year’s event aimed at harnessing the anti-terrorism skills of both Filipino and US military forces. Gen. eduardo Año, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, said that this year’s joint exercises bolstered cooperation among the participants in responding to major disasters. Año told a story involving a series of races between a tortoise and a hare. he said that in the first race, the hare was too complacent that before reaching the finish line he rested and was overtaken by the tortoise, which won the race. n
A MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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11th Ambassadors’ Tour gives focus PH reaffirms commitment to peopleon emerging destinations, tourism’s centered ASEAN at ‘ASEAN Matters for role in growing PH economy America/America Matters for ASEAN’ launch WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Philippine Department of Tourism office in New York (PDOT-NY) conducted a presentation on the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour on Monday, May 15 at the Embassy’s Romulo Hall, underscoring the Tour’s unique
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characteristics and its significance to the overall cultural and tourism promotion strategy of the country. “The 11th Ambassadors’ Tour will give participants the opportunity to visit Davao, an exciting, emerging tourism destination in the Philippines, within an affordable package that also includes
Manila, the capital city of fun,” said Zeny Pallugna, Officer-inCharge of PDOT-NY. Ms. Pallugna also highlighted the post-basic tour packages featuring other emerging destinations Cagayan De Oro-Camiguin and Dumaguete-Siquijor. She urged audience members to participate in the Tour and take a more active role in promoting Philippine tourism. “If you visit the Philippines, or get even just one person to visit, that will create employment for one Filipino,” Ms. Pallugna told the audience. Mr. Patrick Chuasoto, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy also pitched for the Tour, saying that “This year, the tour for Filipino-Americans has been rebranded to shift the focus to the participants who are envisioned to become ‘Philippine Ambassadors in their own right’ after spending their summer holiday in the Philippines. The 11th Ambassador’s Tour features key destinations in Manila and the King City of the South—Davao. It promises to be another fun-filled outing, and in keeping with its tradition of providing a unique and memorable experience, the Ambassador’s Tour offers VIP treatment, guided tours, and world-class accommodations.” “I strongly encourage every one of you to consider joining the 11th Ambassador’s Tour and spreading the word to your networks. Doing so will contribute to the sustained and inclusive economic development of the Philippines. Your support will go a long way in empowering the local communities in Manila and Davao, and cultivating good will between the people of the Philippines and the United States,” he concluded. Registration remains open until May 30, 2017. Interested parties may contact the Philippine Embassy at info@philippinesusa. orgor PDOT-NY at pdotnewyork@ gmail.com to get more information about the itinerary, rates and registration procedures. The 11th Ambassadors’ Tour will be held on July 11- 16, 2017. It is a joint project of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board, the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States, and Rajah Tours. n
WASHINGTON, D.C. — “While ASEAN celebrates its 50th Founding Anniversary, we also look at the milestone we have reached with the 40th Anniversary of its Partnership with the United States. It is an open and strategic partnership that aims to forge a common path towards a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region,” remarked Mr. Patrick Chuasoto, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Philippine Embassy, at the launch of ASEAN Matters for America/America Matters for ASEAN on Tuesday, May 16 at the Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. ASEAN Matters for America/ America Matters for ASEAN is a publication and web resource “for credible and nonpartisan information, graphics, analysis, and news at the national, state, and local level on U.S.-Southeast Asia interactions.” It is a joint project by the East-West Center, U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. The publication offers information on the flow of trade and
investments, and travel and tourism between ASEAN and the U.S. It also highlights the vibrant people-to-people ties between the two sides, as evidenced by the large number of ASEAN-Americans in the U.S., educational exchanges, and sister partnerships. The Philippines, as Chair of ASEAN for 2017, seeks to enhance and leverage ASEAN’s relationship with the US in pursuit of the six thematic priorities that currently guide its Chairmanship. “These themes frame the substantial issues that we wish to address—putting the interests of the peoples of ASEAN at the center of its work; high quality of life; enhancing an environment that is conducive to business; prioritizing health and improved nutrition; promoting peaceful co-existence; advancing work on maritime security; highlighting connectivity and innovation; building a disasterresilient region; and strengthening ASEAN’s work and standing in the international arena,” said Mr. Chuasoto.
“The Philippines is fully committed to developing a peoplecentered ASEAN. Thus, we attach great importance to socio-cultural and educational exchanges among the peoples of ASEAN and the United States that support this goal,” he added. Mr. Chuasoto further stressed this point by citing the fact that of all ASEAN countries, the Philippines has the most sister city relationships with the United States at 61. There is presently 92 sister cities and sister state or sister county connections between ASEAN countries and the US. In his remarks, Mr. Chuasoto also highlighted the progress that the Philippines has made as ASEAN Chair, such as consolidating the members’ consensus in combating violent extremism, attaining maritime security and cooperation, and pursuing an innovation-led growth agenda. ASEAN Matters for America/ America Matters for ASEAN is available for download at http:// www. asiamattersforamerica. org/ asean. n
New study: Home care employers underfunded... PAGE A1 t
roadblock on giving individuals and families the care they need. “Our results indicate that the financial support California’s seniors and people with disabilities receive is not sufficient,” detailed Lucero Herrera, report co-author and Research Analyst at the UCLA Labor Center during a media call on Wednesday, May 17 on the newly released study. “The U.S. is far behind other industrialized nations in providing government support for seniors. This is a problem not just for our state but also our country.” Notably, home care workers also do not receive the adequate pay they deserve, with many caregivers becoming victims of wage theft, a recurring problem plaguing this particular sector. As the Asian Journal previously reported, the city of LA filed a lawsuit against a Canoga Park-based home care provider for allegedly paying more than
200 mostly Filipino caregivers as little as $5.50/hour and failing to compensate for overtime. “We find our report’s results troubling because these low wages are impacting primarily women of color who allow our state to thrive. Workers that are supporting seniors and our loved ones struggle to care for themselves and their families,” explained Aquilina Soriano Versoza, executive director of PWC and co-author of the report. Nearly half of home care employers — about 48 percent — pay only two-thirds of the fulltime median wage pursuant to state’s wage laws. According to the study, more than half (61 percent) of caregivers surveyed said they receive government support for home care. However, 1 in 5 of them still pays for some of the workers’ wages. Despite all the challenges that home care employers face, the researchers suggest-
ed ways to expand home care resources and strengthen the fastest-growing sector in public health. The largest problem comes from the lack of government aid allocated to the home care sector, which can bring longterm benefits to both workers and the individuals and families receiving care. Herrera mentioned that home health care providers, as well as caregivers, would benefit substantially from government subsidies. But she fears that the Trump administration’s commitment to reforming the health care sector may append challenges, including slashing Medicaid, which many seniors and people with disabilities rely on. The survey’s data was gathered from 327 surveys distributed to home care employers via phone, the internet and inperson interviews throughout the state of California. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
PROTECT YOUR FUTURE. CITIZENSHIP NOW For many immigrants, coming to the United States meant leaving behind everything familiar in pursuit of greater opportunities and for the promise of a better future. Citizenship is the last step to securing that dream, providing the strongest protection of one’s livelihood and well-being in the United States. Southern California is home to 300,000 Asian immigrants eligible for U.S. citizenship. Yet many do not pursue naturalization due to different barriers such as language access and lack of financial resources. The Asian Journal believes that everyone should have access to all the benefits and privileges that come with U.S. Citizenship. That’s why we’ve partnered with trusted non-profit organizations with a longstanding history of success guiding thousands of qualified individuals through the naturalization process. Through the “Endless Possibilities. Citizenship Now!” campaign, those eligible for U.S. Citizenship have free access to experienced attorneys and accredited staff who can help with the process from beginning to end in more than six different Asian languages, including tagalog. The value of these services can cost upwards of $3,000 and are available to you and your family at low to no cost. The “Endless Possibilities. Citizenship Now!” campaign provides expert legal advice, assistance with completion of all necessary forms, and access to free resources to help you prepare and pass the naturalization interview and exam. Free assistance is also provided to complete fee waivers or reduced fee application forms for eligible individuals. All information discussed with attorneys and legal staff will be kept confidential to the full extent permitted by the law. Currently, the application fee for U.S. citizenship is $725. This cost is a one-time fee for a lifetime of protection and opportunity. Becoming a U.S. citizen can help cut costs over time and will give you freedom and peace of mind to safely travel to and from your native country and the United States. Although the future of immigration law is unknown, the opportunities and protection afforded by U.S. citizenship are not.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BECOME A U.S. CITIZEN. IT’S EASY T O S TA R T Y O U R A P P L I C AT I O N T O D AY !
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A
New chapter in PH-Russia ties seen
APPOINTED. President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, May 18 administered the oath of office of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano. Photos of the event held at the Presidential Guesthouse in Panacan, Davao City, were released to media on Thursday evening. With Cayetano were his wife Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, his sister Taguig City-Pateros Representative Pia Cayetano and other relatives. The appointment of the defeated running mate of Duterte was recently confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Malacañang photo
CA approves Cayetano appointment as new Dept. of Foreign Affairs chief by Dana
SioSon AJPress
The Commission on Appointments (CA) has approved the nomination of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new chief of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Cayetano’s appointment met no opposition from the members of the CA committee on foreign affairs led by Senator Panfilo Lacson. his nomination was approved in less than five minutes before he could even deliver his opening statement on Wednesday morning, May 17 — which, according to Lacson, is likely the “shortest confirmation hearing of a Cabinet Secretary.” The CA committee referred Cayetano’s confirmation to the plenary in the afternoon. It also approved the motion to confirm his nomination without objection. Cayetano’s approval came a week after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his nomination on May 10, after the oneyear appointment ban on los-
ing candidates in the May 2016 elections ended. Thanking the CA for the “swift and painless” confirmation, Cayetano reiterated that he will do his best as the new DFA chief. “I will make a commitment to you today that I will do my best na hindi po kayo mapahiya (to not embarrass you),” Cayetano said, who is now deemed resigned as a senator. even as the chief diplomat, Cayetano, who was also Duterte’s vice-presidential running mate in the previous elections, maintained that he would defend the chief executive from critics. Cayetano, however, noted that he would take into consideration his new position by using “more diplomatic language” when speaking, especially before the international community. “I will continue to speak for the President, I will continue to speak pag inutusan ng (if ordered by the) President, I will continue to speak kung sa tingin ko necessary (if I think it is necessary) but not in the political
manner that was available to me when I was in the Senate,” he told reporters in a chance interview. Cayetano replaces Undersecretary enrique Manalo, who was assigned as the acting foreign secretary after the CA rejected the ad interim appointment of Perfecto Yasay Jr. over citizenship issues. Revealing his plan as the new Foreign Affairs secretary, Cayetano earlier said the department would prioritize the welfare, protection and comfort of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). he assured that all the DFA officials would “not have their own agenda or their own foreign policy,” adding that they would “all work hard together to implement the foreign policy of the Philippines.” he also promised to “keep building bridges” with other countries while maintaining good relationships with allies. Likewise, Cayetano vowed to refrain from using “microphone diplomacy” and instead leave the public communications to the spokesperson.
MANILA - From a relatively nascent stage despite 41 years of diplomatic ties, the Philippines seeks to fast-track its relations with Russia during the landmark visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Moscow next week. “The relations can be best described as cordial albeit modest in scope and depth. Thus, we consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines’ commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners such as Russia,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad said during the pre-departure briefing at Malacañang for the President’s trip from Monday to Friday. Natividad said Duterte would have separate meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev during his visit, when several agreements are expected to be signed and build “a stronger partnership” and usher in a “new chapter in Philippine-Russia relations ” – the theme of the official visit. Putin and Duterte first met last November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific economic Cooperation (APeC) summit in Lima, Peru. Meanwhile, Medvedev had also met with Duterte for the first time in September 2016 during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASeAN) summit in Laos. “(The President) will be discussing important issues and areas of cooperation and economic partnership with Prime Minister Medvedev and with President Putin on the cooperation in political, military and defense,” Natividad said. The agreements to be signed are related to defense, military and technical cooperation as well as a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of security between the respective national security councils. A treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and on extradition will also be signed. The President is likewise set to meet with the Filipino community and deliver a policy speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), when he is expected to articulate his administration’s commitment
to pursue an independent foreign policy and share his ideas on how to achieve peace and security, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. “We expect him to be warmly welcomed by a good-sized Filipino community crowd. We have around 5,000 Filipinos in Russia and we heard that they are very
strong supporters of the President,” Natividad said. The President will also visit St. Petersburg aside from his engagements in Moscow, Natividad said. Natividad said the President’s trip to Russia has long been planned but that it has always
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A8 MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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OPINION
FEATURES
Seize the moment
WITH scenic Bohol declared Abu Sayyaf-free following a military offensive, the bandits are surrendering in droves, according to security officials. Those who have surrendered, their supporters and ordinary people have become more willing to pinpoint bandits for arrest or neutralization, the officials also said. The government must seize this opportunity to weaken the Abu Sayyaf significantly enough to allow the military to declare by July, with credibility, that the bandits have been crushed. Crushing the Abu Sayyaf has been ordered by a succession of presidents since the terrorist group emerged over two decades ago and began pillaging villages, decapitating hostages, and bombing churches and other soft targets. The group has lost many commanders including its founding chieftains, the brothers Abdurajak Abubakar and Khadaffy Janjalani, but it’s a monster with many heads that keep regenerating. The regeneration is aided by
Guest Editorial
a support network fed by the massive funds raised by the bandits from their criminal activities particularly kidnapping for ransom and piracy. There are recent reports that the group has entered the illegal drug trade. Ending the Abu Sayyaf threat requires dismantling that support network. If security officials are telling the truth, this is starting to happen as the military sustains its offensive and government forces carry out President Duterte’s order to “shoot on sight” Abu Sayyaf
members. The President’s order was carried out in Bohol, where the group had reportedly planned to kidnap foreigners and conduct bomb attacks coinciding with the summit in Manila of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). No such attacks materialized, and for this security forces deserve commendation. They would earn even louder applause if the Abu Sayyaf would be neutralized for good. This can happen if they are given full support by the civilian government and ordinary citizens. The opportunity is here and the nation must not let it pass. (Philstar.com)
Philstar.com photo
Trump’s White House lawyers are now researching impeachment proceedings
The Fil-Am Perspective
collusion with Russia in interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Comey learned about his oustGEL SANTOS-RELOS er on TV, without Trump giving ON THE DAY President Donald the highly respected FBI chief Trump embarked on his first trip the courtesy of speaking to him abroad, White House lawyers have personally about the ouster. This reportedly been researching im- followed after Comey reportedly peachment proceedings in prepa- asked for more resources for the ration for what is now becoming FBI to further pursue the probe more of a probability than just a on the Russia-Trump campaign possibility: removing Trump from connection. office. When the ouster of Comey This oversized baggage Trump backfired against Trump, the took with him has been a conse- president said the reason why quence of his firing of FBI Director he fired Comey was because he James Comey with regards to his thought the chief did not have motive and the way by which he the leadership required to run the fired Comey, who was investigat- bureau, especially after Comey ing the Trump campaign’s alleged disclosed that Hillary Clinton was
under investigation because of her emails just a week before the election. However, this version of the motive was negated by Trump himself in a TV interview wherein he disclosed that he fired Comey with the Russian investigation on his mind. This has been in congruence with Comey’s revelation following his ouster. In contemporaneous memoranda, he wrote in detail his communications with Trump in which he felt uncomfortable and even appalled because of impropriety of Trump’s message and/or action. One such memorandum revealed that Trump allegedly asked Comey to let go of the investiga-
tion of Michael Flynn’s connection with Russia, as the former National Security Advisor was part of the Trump campaign. In an earlier incident, Trump asked Comey if he would pledge his loyalty to him. As the New York Times reported, Comey declined to make that pledge. Instead, Comey has reportedly recounted to others that he told Trump that he would always be honest with him, but that he was not “reliable” in the conventional political sense. But on Friday, May 19, the New York Times dropped the biggest bombshell yet that builds the case of the impeachable offense of “obstruction of justice.” Last week, the same day Trump
supposedly shared classified intelligence with the Russians, he was quoted as telling the Russian envoy and foreign minister in the oval office: “I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Trump said, according to the document, which was read to the New York Times by an American official. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.” The New York Times further reported that Trump added, “I’m not under investigation.” In an effort to regain public trust on the probe being done by the DOJ on the Russian probe, highly respected former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been appoint-
Dr. Sim Sang Yoon, dubbed the “Korean Gustavo Dudamel” by Benito Miranda
All the choral groups’ conductors
ed by the DOJ deputy attorney general to be the special counsel tasked lead the investigation of the Russia-Trump campaign alleged connection. Mueller has also reportedly given Comey the go-signal to present his testimony under oath in the senate inquiry. Where will the facts take Trump? Is this the beginning of the end for the Trump presidency? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Asian Choral Festival: Heartbeat of history animated
Rhizomes
PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. “Asian Americans are considered a minority group in the United States. [Yet], the diversity of traditional Asian culture and unique music have enriched our country as a beautiful melting pot. This is a historic event that, for the first time, several Asian choirs are performing together under the same roof. We are so fortunate to have five very outstanding choirs join this event.” - Dr. Simon Lin, Chairman of Taiwan Center Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, 2017 I WITNESSED Philippine Chamber Singers-LA (PCS-LA) make history in 2014 for their 10th-anniversary concert, “I will Sing Forever” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall attended by over
2,000 folks. In 2012, PCS-LA joined a thousand musicians to perform The Mahler Project’s Symphony of a Thousand, which involved nine symphonies, two orchestras of the LA Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar, under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. PCS-LA, conducted by Maestro Gelo Francisco, dares boldly to do more historic firsts, now performing with other choral groups led by Conductors Im Sang Yoon, Gayane Baghdasaryan, Mikayel Avetisyan, Keiko Takeshita and Cliff Yang. I now refer to Gelo Francisco as maestro, as he has become a distinguished conductor of all genres of music as well as the music director of PCS-LA, along with Emmanuel Miranda, their resident conductor. PCS-LA first debuted at the 6th
International Choral Music Festival in 2004 and since then, they have progressed to be known as “one of the best vocal groups in Los Angeles,” as CBS Los Angeles said. They have performed in major stages in New York and California: Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ford Amphitheater, Shrine Auditorium, Segerstrom Center and select churches in Southern California. In this choral festival, they took a risk of growing from 12 to 25 members and practiced for two months. Their risk paid off handsomely in a great performance. Great as two out of 20 are professional musicians, while 90 percent have full-time day jobs as accountants, graphic designers, homemakers, and more.
Rosa Liu, a retired professional and a Taiwanese church choir member, observed that the Filipino performers are natural, while others referred to them as great performers with vibrant stage presence, whose voices and movements mimicked the sounds of bamboo traps clapping, crab clacking to the rhythmic song, “Pasigin.” Its clever
PCS-LA Choral Group with Becca Godinez (front center) and Benito Miranda (back)
use of voices sounding like nature, birds tweeting and animal sounds stood out. Two singers, Alec Bao and Ana Burog chanted together and achieved a non-traditional way of singing, punctuating their versatility and command of their vocal chords. They sang as if the sounds of community elders doing the Holy Week’s Pasyon, which is often chanted antiphonally in the pabasa (reading) held during Ash Wednesday, the Sundays of Lent, and Holy Week. Sopranos Marivic Francisco and Kit Buhion were equally impressive and achieved their sound summits. The indigenous repertoire consisted of “Chua-Ay” (Rice Pounding Song), “Kayo Mungay Daun” (Weaving of Leaves), “Awit sa Panginoon” (Song for the Lord), “Pasigin” (Visayan Fish Song) and “Rosas Pandan” (Visayan Folk Song). These choices endeared them to the audience who were mostly Armenian, Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese and Filipinos. At the lobby, about to exit post-festival, the Filipinos in the audience requested an encore, to which PCS-LA enthusiastically sang “Dahil Sa Iyo,” to our delights. Another plus for me is the
Photos by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D.
English translations of these native songs, which emphasized longing for our birth nation, “The Balitaw song is my only offering/The only legacy from my forefathers/A song that is ancient/The pride of the mountains/Tikading, tikading, tikading/Here is my song! As I dance beautifully to it.” There was an effort by PCS-LA to communicate the meanings of these beautiful Pilipino native songs to a multiculturally diverse audience, as well as their arrangers. PCS-LA sang superbly, and their choreography and their vocal projections were unmatched, as they sang acapella! PCS-LA members are: A) Soprano: Marivic Francisco, Kit Buhion, Charmaine Normandia, Anne Jeanette De Guzman, Teng Cayetano, Christine Verzosa and Melissa Stenger. B) Alto: Ana Burog, Apple Nazareno, Lisa Ulanday, Jennifer Morelos, Kim Bautista, Judith Guererro, Vilma Lince. C) Tenor: Alec Bao, Noel Anzures, Dino Padallan, Louie Ulanday, Ace Caguioa, Christian Cayetano D) Bass: Gelo Francisco, Emmanuel Miranda, Rainer Villanueva, Dennis Capili, NJ Flores Armenia, Korea, Japan and
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-23, 2017
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FIGHT STARTS. A supporter of former San Juan City vice mayor Francis Zamora (third from left) carries documents containing the thousands of signatures which were submitted along with the petition for recall field against Mayor Guia Gomez. ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada
Duterte signs EO banning smoking nationwide by LeiLa
B. SaLaverria Inquirer.net
President rodrigo duterte has signed an executive order that prohibits smoking within enclosed public places and public conveyances nationwide, except in designated smoking areas. the order also encourages local government units to implement smoking cessation programs. executive Order no. 26, signed on May 16, sets standards for the designated smoking areas, bans minors from using, selling, or buying cigarette or tobacco products, and prohibits the sale of these products within 100 meters from places frequented by minors. the order states that desig-
nated smoking areas should not be present in schools, including colleges and universities, youth hostels, and recreational facilities for minors. designated smoking areas are also banned in elevators and stairwells, gas stations and storage areas for inflammable materials, within hospitals and other health centers and food preparation areas. As for the features of the designated smoking areas, the order says there should be no opening that would allow air to escape from the designated smoking areas to the smoke-free areas, except for a single door. the area must not be located in or within 10 meters from entrances, exits or any place where people pass or congregate, or in
New chapter in PH-Russia... PAGE A7 t
been postponed due to weather considerations in Moscow. Defense offices the two countries will also open their respective defense offices and strengthen partnership to deal with traditional and non-traditional security matters such as terrorism and drug trafficking. “the agreement on military technical cooperation will pave the way for the Philippines to explore a possibility of… military procurement from russia,” natividad said. “And there is really nothing that would stop russia from partici-
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pating in the defense modernization program of the Philippines,” she said. natividad noted the agreement is in line with the statements of duterte and defense secretary delfin Lorenzana that they will seek partnerships with countries that can provide the best defense deals to the country. “And also the ones that would be most compatible with the defense and needs of the Philippines, especially in the aspect of interoperability,” she said. “We welcome russia’s greater participation and involvement in the Asia-Pacific region. After all, they are already very much en-
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front of air intake ducts. the area and the buffer zone should not be larger than 20 percent of the total floor area of the building but should not be smaller than 10 square meters. there should only be one designated smoking area in one building or conveyance. Minors are not allowed in these areas, which should display graphic health warnings of the effects of tobacco use. the order also requires the prominent display of “no smoking” signs in public places, and must be at least 8 x 11 inches in size. For public conveyances, a three-and-a-half inch “no smoking” sign must be placed on the windshield, and a 10-square inch sign at the back of the driver’s seat. n gaged in the region through their participation in AseAn, in APeC and in other dialogue fora,” she said. Boost to trade ties the President will also serve as salesman during his visit to attract russian investors and tourists and improve economic ties between the two countries. natividad said there are many untapped opportunities for mutually beneficial economic relations between the two sides that can be explored. russian investments in the Philippines are very modest and with this visit of the President, natividad said “we hope we can start to correct that.” (Edith Regalado and Christina Mendez/Philstar.com)
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No endorsers yet of impeach raps vs VP, ombudsman the document must be endorsed by a lawmaker for it to be considered filed at the House. MAnilA - The impeachment Asked during the weekly Kapicomplaint against Vice President han sa Manila Bay media forum leni Robredo has yet to be en- in Manila wednesday, May 17 if dorsed at the House of Represen- Robredo’s impeachment could be tatives, justice committee chair- tackled soon, Umali, who repreman Reynaldo Umali said. sents oriental Mindoro, just said Umali also said the impeach- “not yet.” ment complaint against ombudsTwo Marcos loyalists—lawyer man Conchita Carpio-Morales has oliver lozano and broadcaster not been filed and that there were Melchor Chavez—and the imalso no endorsers for it so far. peach leni Movement filed sepaAny Filipino citizen may initiate rate impeachment complaints an impeachment complaint but against Robredo for alleged beby Ghio
onG Philstar.com
trayal of public trust in connection with a video message she sent to a United nations side event where she criticized the administration’s war on drugs. Meanwhile, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) said it would file an impeachment complaint against Morales for dispensing “selective justice” and inordinate delays in the resolution of cases filed before the anti-graft body. Umali said the same rules used in the impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte would prevail in the cases against Robredo and Morales. He said the House justice committee would look into the form, substance and probable cause of the impeachment complaints. when his committee tackled the impeachment complaint against Duterte last Monday, May 15, Umali said they had to hold marathon hearings that resulted in its finding that the documents attached to the complaint were neither well-documented nor certified. They also had an hour-long executive session before they found that the complaint was insufficient in substance. “The decision really comes from each member of the committee,” Umali noted. Voting 42-0, the committee members junked the complaint against Duterte on charges that he amassed ill-gotten wealth, ordered the killing of thousands in the course of his war on drugs and failed to defend the country’s sovereign rights and territorial claims when he reportedly allowed Chinese presence in Benham Rise. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who was the first to threaten Robredo with impeachment also because of the Un video, said no endorsement for the impeachment complaints against Robredo and Morales should be expected anytime soon because lawmakers are still studying the contents. According to the Speaker, the earliest time the public may expect an endorsement will be in August. This is because the 17th Congress will take a break starting June 3 and resume session sometime in August. Also, Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list Rep. Jericho nograles accused lawyers Bruce Rivera and Trixie Cruz-Angeles of the impeach leni Movement of including his name as co-complainant, messenger or endorser in the impeachment complaint against Robredo allegedly without his consent. n
BEVY OF BEAUTIES. Miss Global Philippines candidates pose for photographers as they were presented to media in Quezon City on Thursday, May 18. The grand coronation will be held on July 9 at the Resorts World Manila. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
Chinese visa applications to Philippines up 200% by Christina
Mendez
Philstar.com
Following the shift in President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy to align with China, the Philippine embassy noted a 200percent increase in visa applications for tourism and business to the Philippines. Ambassador Jose Santiago Sta. Romana pointed out that there was a big decline in the number of Chinese tourists wanting to visit the country “before we resolved the underlying issues in the South China Sea,” but things have changed since. on recommendation of their central government, Chinese travel agencies have started booking tours to the Philippines and China now has a big demand for tourist and business visas, Sta. Romana said. He added that the Philippine government aims to double tourism arrivals this year. “(we) will hit one million (arrivals) this year, so we are just scratching the surface,” the ambassador said, noting that various consulates
in China are now deluged with visa applications. The increase in the number of applications also resulted in more workers hired for its consular sections. “The problem right now is how to make it easier for the Chinese to process their visa to travel. As you probably know, as Chinese citizen who has a valid visa to the U.S., Japan, Australia, new Zealand... they can go visa-free for one week
as long as they have an onward or return ticket,” Sta. Romana said. Records culled by the embassy showed a total of 675,663 arrivals from January to December 2016, representing a growth rate of 37.65 percent when compared to 2015. For January to February this year, the embassy reported a 25. 42 percent increase in the number of tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year. n
PNP chief challenges police scalawags to shootout by eMManuel
tupas
Philstar.com
MAnilA - As another policeman was implicated in the illegal drugs trade, Philippine national Police (PnP) chief Director general Ronald dela Rosa challenged other police scalawags to a shootout. Dela Rosa issued the challenge after he confronted a police officer from Teresa, Rizal who was caught with 100 grams of shabu worth P300,000 at his house last Tuesday. Police officer 1 Fernan Manimbo, 33, was arrested at around 1 a.m. in Barangay Bagumbayan in Teresa. Dela Rosa expressed frustration that despite his repeated warnings, there are still police officers involved in illegal activities. “i’m already tired of appealing. My message to those policemen involved in illegal drugs is just to
fight,” Dela Rosa said. “You shoot it out with your fellow police officers who will arrest you so once and for all let’s settle the score,” he added. Dela Rosa also ordered the immediate relief of Teresa police chief Senior insp. Richard ganalon for command responsibility as part of their internal cleansing program. “we recognize his efforts in the anti-drug campaign but he was unlucky because one member of his drug enforcement team is peddling shabu,” said Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa confronted Manimbo, now detained at the police station on charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Manimbo is among 43 prisoners at the detention cell, which has a capacity of 15. “You shouldn’t be ashamed if you have not committed any
wrongdoing. Are you not afraid of me?” Dela Rosa told Manimbo. Manimbo denied that he was involved in illegal drugs and claimed the shabu recovered from his house does not belong to him. Dela Rosa, however, was not buying his alibi. Manimbo was a member of the police station’s drug enforcement team for about a month when he was arrested and has been under the Rizal Police’s drug watch list. Based on intelligence information investigators have gathered, Dela Rosa said Manimbo is connected to convicted drug lord Amin Boratong. “it appears that he is connected with the drug lord who is still in jail,” said Dela Rosa. The Pasig regional trial court convicted Boratong for operating the shabu tiangge in Pasig and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Asian Choral Festival: Heartbeat of history... PAGE A8 t Taiwan choral groups Armenia is in west Asia. Before their group sang, as other choral groups, they showed a video clip showing how their country, one of the oldest civilizations in the world dating back 3 million B.C., has now evolved from the past of genocide of 2 million Armenians by Turkey and prior occupations of Persians, Arabs, Turks and Byzantines, to a country that can support modern tourism and industries. The video showed not only their spirituality but also their resilience as a people whose population is now at 3,000,000 in Armenia, while 11,000,000 are in a diaspora, living in 120 countries. Five hundred thousand Armenians live in the Southern California region, primarily in glendale, a 1/5 of their native population in Armenia. Comparatively, the Philippines has a native population of 100 million, while 12 million are also in a diaspora, living in over 190 countries. lA Belfry Singers, formed only in nov. 2016, conducted by gayane Baghdasaryan and Mikayel Avetisyan (founding Artistic and Music Director of glendale Philharmonic orchestra and Director of Belfry Singers) sang folk songs from different regions of Moush (Armenian Highlands), Aparan (known for its flowing, frigid spring waters and lush meadows and alpine climate), Taron (dates back to medieval periods) with the festival song of “Vardavar” which were all well received. osanna song sounded like a lullaby, while the Aparan folk song had distinct, well modulated, fast to slow rhythmic sounds,
that this performance garnered three rounds of applause. The star instrument was the flute. when the folk song from Taron was sung, we could all feel the melancholy that was punctuated with sacredness, and the prolonged sounds of sadness reminiscent perhaps of the spirits of 3 million Armenians massacred by the Turks from 1915 to 1923. On Japan Ensemble Echo (est. in Aug. 2000) and Yuukari Chorus (est. in 1985) composed of elderly Japanese Americans with young spirits still, sang a Japanese song medley of Soshunfu, Akatombo, Yashi no Mi (their best song), Sakura Sakura (well harmonized) and Hotaru Koi (which mimicked little children’s voices and footsteps with abbreviated, soft, slow and fast pacing) and Mura Matsuri (with Taiko drums and a nice contrast with the piano). They were conducted by Keiko Takeshita with Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Aichi Prefecture University of Arts in Japan, along with Yuujoi Daiko. On Taiwan Cliff Yang, chairman of the Elite Music Foundation, conducted Elite Chamber Singers, made up of 30 singers from several Taiwanese choirs in the community with only two months of rehearsals. while the festival was originally conceived to get one good choir from Taiwan, no choir could get ready in time to come to America. But, with a good pianist in Ms. lynn Huang, the chamber performed well. Their repertoire consisted of “The Sorrow Under the Moon,” “Diu Diu Dang Ah (Train),” “oh My god!” and “Four Seasons.”
For this writer, “oh My god!” was done well as it attempted to combine instruments that sounded like fighting in conflict. The piano played the busy bumble bee creating the tension, with the chorus singing and the violin and clarinet like a sweet old couple, as the program aptly described. it was a bold display of harmony and disharmony “skillfully integrated,” sometimes reminding this writer of Bartok. On Korea i save the best for last. The video overview of South Korea was compelling and one scene stays seared within me, where the inked letters of the calligraphy magically rise up and travel to become Korean characters in balance and to form the vignettes of a modern country replete with winds, colors, welldesigned cars to a visual palette of colors in a bibimbap to Asian beauty. it was fluid, it was visually appealing to the senses, it was well done! i had a chance for a short talk with im Sang Yoon, the masterful conductor of the los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association, dubbed the Korean Dudamel by Benito Miranda (an independent licensee of Blue Shield), who came with his wife, Becca godinez, a singer, actress and producer whose solo concert at the Catalina Bar will be this May 20. Mr. Yoon is best known as Dr. Yoon, as he has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental Conducting at American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Fans waited as Mr. Yoon shared with me that 80 percent of the group are professional musicians who practiced for
u PAGE A11
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Calida, Hilbay got millions of excess allowances in 2016, says COA by ElizabEth
MarcElo
Philstar.com
MANILA - In just six months since he assumed office, Solicitor General Jose Calida already got excess allowances amounting P1.123 million, while his predecessor Florin Hilbay got P4.662 million also in six months before he stepped down, a latest report by the Commission on Audit (COA) showed. Based on the annual audit report on the OSG published by COA on its website on May 17, Calida, Hilbay and 15 other OSG lawyers received excess honoraria and allowances totaling P8,555,767.80 in 2016. The amount was paid by OSG’s various client agencies for the legal services and advice that the government lawyers rendered. The state auditors noted that honoraria and allowances that Calida, Hilbay and the 15 other state lawyers received exceeded 50 percent of their annual basic salary. The audit body said the OSG
officials violated COA Circular 85-25-E dated April 25, 1985 which states that the payment of services, incentives, remunerations, honoraria and all other extra compensations to government officials and employees “shall not exceed 50 percent of their annual basic salary.” Calida assumed post from Hilbay on June 30, 2016. Based on the report, Calida and Hilbay’s basic salary for 2016 only amounted to P702,516 thus they were allowed to receive allowances of up to P351,258. The report showed that for 2016, a total of P1.475 million and P5.103 million were received by Calida and Hilbay, respectively, as honoraria/allowances from OSG’s client agencies. The COA said that while Republic Act 9417 or An Act Further Strengthening the OSG allows the staff and lawyers of the agency to receive honoraria and allowances from client departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the government, such benefits are “not without limit”.
The COA said it had even issued 15 notices of disallowance (NDs) in February 2014 and August 2016 against the grant of excess allowances to some OSG officials. The NDs are now under appeal before the COA central office. “Pending resolution from the Commission on Audit, the OSG officers and employees who rendered legal services and advises to client agencies should have collected only the amount of up to 50 percent of their basic salary,” the COA said. Based on the report, Calida and Hilbay directly received from the client agencies P342,500 and P466,000, honoraria/allowances, respectively. The COA said the most of the amounts directly received by the OSG officials from the client agencies were not reported to the OSG FMS despite the agency’s Office Order No. D-188 dated Sept. 9, 2009, requiring them to do so “for taxation purposes”. “The failure of the OSG employees to report the allowances directly given to them by client agencies provides no
Asian Choral Festival: Heartbeat of history... PAGE A10 t three months. Their repertoire consisted of four movements of “Oh! Korea” by Hyo Won Woo, which took us to highs and lows of pounding of the taiko drums, along with the piano and the chorus. As to their repertoire, their sounds had compelling resonance mimicking the earth’s rich breaths of nature, as well as the soft slow bass with vocal sounds that felt like coming from the bottom of the earth. Their rendition of “Heartbeat of History” was superb and elicited rounds of applause and bravos. Why? Their robust voices were matched by slow beats of the drums first, then, cascading loud sounds to match ascending voices and the fast beating of drums. It made for such an excitement to watch robust drumming, matched by beautiful sounds of voices and the accompaniment of the piano. Drums were robust and voices had to rise to meet up the sounds and they did! “This is Asia’s time and it is time to come together. A union of Asian countries through cul-
assurance that the correct taxes were indeed withheld or [that] taxes were withheld at all,” the COA said. The COA said at least eight client agencies confirmed directly giving honoraria and allowances to various OSG officials totaling P3.372 million but the receipts were not recorded in the FMS. These client agencies were the Aklan State University, Department of Education Division of Rizal, Development Bank of the Philippines, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Land Transportation Office, Occidental Mindoro State College, Philippine National Railways and the Central Bank Board of Liquidators. In its reply letter to the audit report, the OSG management said the COA “has no authority” to issue an order setting a limit on allowances of government officials and employees as it is not among the audit body’s functions and mandate under the Constitution. The OSG management further cited EO 292 of 1987 which authorizes the OSG lawyers “to receive allowances and hono-
Solicitor General Jose Calida and his predecessor Florin Hilbay.
raria for the legal services they render without qualification as to the number of agreements for the payment of said allowances that can be entered into by the OSG lawyers with client agencies” The OSG said both the EO 292 and the RA 9417 have already repealed COA Circular 85-25-E of 1985. In a text message to reporters, Hilbay maintained that he and the other OSG officials receipt of allowances beyond the 50% of the basic salary was above board.
“It’s an old, recurring issue bet OSG & COA. Allowances of all lawyers of OSG, past and present, are allowed by a very specific provision of law, Sec 8 of RA 9417 (OSG law). Obviously, the COA doesn’t have the authority to countermand an act of congress,” Hilbay said. “The COA can’t amend a law, especially a specific provision of law that goes back to the Admin Code of 1987 and reiterated under 9417. That’s always been the position of the OSG under every SolGen,” he added. n
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ture and arts to make this world a little better. We are just starting to realize that unity, despite cultural differences, is strength,” Gelo Francisco added. Truly, the heartbeat of history was animated by th is group and we could not help ourselves in shouting bravos! Come to think of it, all of these groups together made for a powerful choral festival! *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.”
Photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D.
She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.
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No ‘pamanhikan’ yet for Dennis Trillo with Jennylyn Mercado by ricky
calderon ManilaTimes.net
oN may 12, dennis Trillo celebrated his birthday with two families—his and his girlfriend’s Jennylyn mercado. The actor said he wanted all his loved ones to be present on his special day, which prompted someone to ask at the press launch of his new show, “mulawin vs. Ravena,� if it’s true he has asked for Jennylyn’s hand in marriage. “There was no formal pamanhikan yet,� said dennis. “We’re just happy to be together. Jen and I have no plans of getting married yet, and we don’t want
to put a label on our relationship. We are happy and we understand each other.� It so happened that the press launch of his new show was held on Jen’s birthday so they were not able to go out on a date. Jen also had taping for her own series, “my Love from the Star.� All the same, dennis has a special birthday surprise for his ladylove but kept it to himself. Career-wise dennis shared he has not accepted any other project since he started doing mulawin as he wants to concentrate on his role as Gabriel—the role he portrayed in the original series who is a Ravena and king
of Halconia. “my character has a lot of twists and I really have be focused. At first, I was having a hard time with my costume, plus the hair extensions. It’s a good thing I don’t have a head dress like the mulawin but I’m getting the hang of it,� he related. The actor added that even the weather is something they have to consider when taping, which has them changing locations every so often. “Then of course, I have to train in the gym regularly for the fight scenes, but I’m adjusting to all of it already,� dennis continued. “I don’t want to fail the production
Ai-Ai reveals how she almost quit showbiz by Tessa
Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net
Comedy Queen Ai-Ai de las Alas was very emotional at the victory party of her latest Regal entertainment blockbuster, “our mighty yayaâ€? on Thursday, may 18. Shortly after basking in congratulatory messages from her cast mates and well wishers [the movie grossed P35 million on its first week alone], Ai-Ai couldn’t help but get emotional, recalling how she got to this point of her career all over again. Unable to hold back tears, the actress opened up, “mga three to four years ago, talagang naging mahirap ang pinagdaanan ko. Namatay ang nanay ko, naging flop ang movie namin [‘Kung Fu divas,’ 2013], nahiwalay ako sa asawa ko‌â€? she trailed off. “Nung nagdadasal ako, gusto ko na ngang tanungin si Lord kung anong nagawa kong masama at talagang hindi ako makabangon. Pero di ba, masama namang kuwestyinin si Lord? Then to everyone’s surprise, she revealed, “dapat hindi na ako mag-aartista noon. Bumili ako ng
bahay sa America kasi plano ko, sasama na ako sa mga anak ko.� But thanks to her long-time manager and trusted friend Boy Abunda, a spark of hope lit up for Ai-Ai’s struggling career. “Nakipagusap si Boy sa APT entertainment [producers of “eat Bulaga� among others], and GmA Network, tapos nagka-“Sunday Pinasaya� ako [on TV]. “Tinanong ko si Boy, ‘Ama, bakit mo ginagawa ito para sa akin?’ Sabi niya, ‘Kasi ayoko munang huminto ka na mag-artista; alam ko marami ka pang magagawa.� True enough Ai-Ai was able turn her career around slowly but surely, until she landed two goldmines, one after the other. The first, the indie movie “Area,� which has turned her into an internationally awarded actress this past year; and now the box office comedy, our mighty yaya, going strong into its second week. “Napakalaking pasasalamat ko na kahit nawalan na ako ng kompiyansa sa sarili ko bilang artista, pinaniwalaan pa rin ako ni Boy, at ni mother Lily at Sister Roselle [monteverde, producers of Regal] na marami pa rin akong magagawa at bilang artista.� PAGE B3
team, especially my directors dominic Zapata and don michael Perez.� The main star of the series said never did he imagine he would be back on the set of mulawin 12 years since first starring in the fantasy series. But of course, he is very grateful to be part of what is sure to be another landmark production from his mother studio. mulawin vs. Ravena premieres monday, may 22 on “GmA Telebabad.� *** It will be good for the image of BG Productions International if Representative Vilma SantosRecto will be able to star in a
movie for them. At a thanksgiving party organized by the production’s boss Baby Go, she revealed that she had a chance to talk with the Star for All Seasons and told her she has a movie in mind for Ate Vi. The amiable congresswoman reacted positively and said if the script is ready, she would love to go over it already. Apparently, the actress-politician said she is impressed with the projects of BG Productions, as well as its roster of directors which include award-winners like Joel Lamangan, mel ChiDennis Trillo on girlfriend Jennylyn Mercado: onglo and Louie Ignacio. ‘We’re just happy to be together.’
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FilAm ARTS and Philippine Expressions Bookshop host BUKLOD: A gathering of Filipino and Filipino-American art and artists
Champoy
Diyan BukoBomba
Eliseo Art Silva
Hana Acabado
Lyn Pacificar
Nicanor Evangelista Jr.
LOS ANGELES – The Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) and Philippine Expressions Bookshop in partnership with the Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles proudly present BUKLOD: A Gathering of Filipino and FilipinoAmerican Art and Artists. Over 50 works of art by Filipino and Filipino-American artists are featured in this exhibition, which aims to reassert the presence of Filipino-Americans in the Western canon. Although many Filipino-American artists have been recognized in the art world, their cultural heritage is rarely highlighted nor has there been a body of work categorized as Filipino-American masterpieces in the 600 years of the history of painting. The artists of BUKLOD strive to fill that void with works that instill culture, dignity, and imagination to a cultural landscape that seldom acknowledges and habitually denies them their shared humanity. This exhibition gathers contemporary LA-based artists who anchor their work with their heritage and have an active community involvement to further their respective passion projects
as artists. Accompanying BUKLOD is a collection of color prints culled by curator Edwin Ramoran from the works of Filipino-American Masters, many of whom have successfully synthesized their practice to become part of museum collections in the United States. Entitled: OBRA PINTURA: PinoyArtWork (Filipino American Masterpieces from Alfonso Ossorio to Maia Cruz Palileo, 1953-2015), this accompanying exhibit was part of last year’s Larry Itliong Day celebrations in Historic Filipinotown through the Department of Cultural Affairs Arts Activation Fund, with support from Community Partners and sponsored by LIDC (Larry Itliong Day Committee). Another accompanying exhibit is comprised of monumental sculptures of National Artist Napoleon Abueva and Filipino master Solomon Saprid from the collection of Linda Nietes-Little. The BUKLOD exhibit will be open to the public beginning on May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with the San Pedro’s First Thursdays Artwalk. The exhibit will run until Thursday, May 11 at the Croatian Cultural Center (510 W 7th St, San Pedro, CA 90731). The Opening Recep-
tion will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will include live performances as well as food and artisan booths. Details will be announced within the forthcoming weeks. Artists featured in this exhibition were: Hana Acabado, or Hana ACBD, a Filipino illustrator and designer based in Los Angeles. Hana is a Multimedia Arts graduate of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde - School of Design and Arts and has exhibited her work in Manila, Philippines; Richmond, Virginia; and Los Angeles, California. Hana has worked for local and international clients such as GMA Network, a four-book illustration deal in Australia and New World Cosmetics. Diyan BukoBomba, a self taught multimedia artist, solar pyromaniac, musician and community organizer. Her artwork uses creation as a way of finding freedom from inner pains & colonial traumas. She recreates “folk art” and reimagines indigenous and ancestral art as part of her healing process, to indigenize, decolonize and reconnect with her ancestors and native roots. Champoy (born Janeil Sumampong Lim), an LA-based artist
born and raised in the Philippines. He primarily draws comics with patterns and humorous images lifted from his personal cosmology. He teaches workshops on woodworking, comics, murals and puppet-making. As a teaching artist, he likes to instigate and encourage creative atmospheres allowing play and flow in everyday consciousness to occur, something which he believes is very essential to his own creative process. Nicanor Evangelista Jr.`s creative energy is channeled through music, art & cinematography. A descendant of Tagalog/Kapampangan and Macao/Visayan ancestry, his creative energies and intuition is influenced by sacred geometry and ancestral indigenous arts. His love for nature and the ancestors is what fuels his spirit to create and capture beauty. Lyn Pacificar, a Filipina American artist and lineage healer born in Los Angeles, of Ilonggo and Waray descent. Pacificar is an oil and mixed media painter, who uses indirect painting methods by building depth through underpainting and glazing techniques. Currently, Pacificar’s work is inspired by her trip to the homeland of the Philippines in 2015. Her paintings are an expression of that change as a powerful experience of energetic transference from her father’s passing. In the waters of Tinuy-an Falls and the Hinatuan Enchanted River, Pacificar was blessed by the spirits of the land and came into her full destiny as a healer. Eliseo Art Silva was born in 1972, the same year PH President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. Silva was an undergraduate at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles (then located in Koreatown), when the 1992 LA Riots erupted. He was 22 yrs old and a junior at Otis when he created his signature work: the Gintong Kasaysayan Filipinotown mural. The Martial Law era in the Philippines, the 1986 Philippine Revolution and the 1992 LA Riots shaped Silva`s art; and, his work directly address the visual dehumanization of his culture by reconciling the history of his lineage with the history of painting.
Photos courtesy of Celia Abuel
The Beautiful Life 2017’s Red and Black Awards Gala: A grand success THE night of April 29 will always be remembered as the most glamorous Fil-Am gathering of the year. Filipino-Americans from different circles congregated to celebrate cultural heritage and living beautiful and inspiring lives. The prestigious event was held at the LA Hotel in downtown. Monet Lu, founder of The Beautiful Life Celebration, was in high spirits as he welcomed the distinct men and women of various fields, the new Queen of Queens, as well as former awardees with their guests. Like his other recognition p ro g ra m s , n a m e l y, R e f l e c tions and Uliran Awards, the said event created buzz across Filipino-American groups, especially the elites and celebrities. Speaking of celebrities, celebrity balladeer Ryan Gallagher starred as the master of ceremonies, who also charmed the crowd once again with a song performance. He was joined by 2008 Ms. Asia-USA Karen BorjaNichols as his co-host. Though it was their second time as co-emcees for The Beautiful Life, their chemistry is always a treat for the audience. And while their witty exchange was a hit, it was the “dancing segment” that got the ball rolling. As resident and sound engineer Randy Trinidad masterfully played every beat, the guests did not dither about busting their moves
on the dance floor – that lasted for almost an hour and continued after the program. Former Awardee for Real Estate, Loida Atienza, gave the opening remarks followed by an opening prayer led by 2015 The Beautiful Life Woman of the Year, Olivia-Quido-Co. The most awaited coronation of the new Queen of Queens was done at the beginning. Giselle Joves (Queen of the Philippines — Globe), Aida Jugo (Queen of Philippines — International) Lourdes Garcia (Queen of Philippines — Universe), and Camille Agbayani (Queen of Philippines — World) had their first walk as the new Queen of Queens before they sat on their respective ‘thrones’ The awarding of the men and women of distinction followed shortly. The following awardees gave a short speech to acknowledge their commendation: Dot Nesst (Woman of Distinction in Music and Ministry Work), Ed Rame (Award of Distinction as a Florist and Events Specialist), Raymond Lo – (Award of Distinction for Journalistic Excellence in Socioeconomic & Entertainment), Djhoanna “Giji” Garcia (Woman of Distinction in the field of Music & Entertainment), Charina Vergara (Woman of Distinction in the field of Marketing), Sonia Bermejo (Award of Distinction as a MagaPAGE B4
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Bedroom ceiling By SEAN
SHONO
PEOPLE get defenseless while asleep and may be easily affected by the surrounding energy. This makes the bedroom one of the most important places for Feng Shui. Sleeping under a ceiling with exposed beams or slanted ceiling may cause bad circulation of energy, which make stagnation of good energy, sleeplessness or ill health. Consult with Dragon God regarding any sleeping problem that you might have. All of our items have been purified by the authentic Feng Shui process. Dragon God, a Feng Shui store in Gardena, *** California. He is the U.S. Chief of the Feng Shui master Sean Shono owns
MOONLIGHTING by MYLAH DE
LEON
“IT ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” — Mark Twain It is the time I prepare myself for worship on Sunday — by reading beautiful and poetic stories from the Bible. Our knowledge of the Bible was limited to memorizing the Beatitudes, Psalms, and part of the Story of Solomon, which my mother required of me to memorize as they were among what she considered the most beautiful stories. When I began to read the Bible for myself, it assuaged my thirst for the fulfillment of spiritual urgency and inspired my youthful soul. Now, as everyone who has read the Bible knows, there is not a better source for story, than this collection of verse and prose, song and lamentation, love and death, sin and punishment. It has pages of fascinating revelations of the struggles of the souls of men and women to find the sources of being, either through its divine teaching or as the purest literature in a compendium of information on suffering, strengthen, rejoice of the human nature. All have some stories in common with other scriptures, whenever they are found. The Virgin Birth is not unique
International Feng Shui Association. For
more information, please call Sean Shono at (310) 787-1891. Dragon God is located at 1580 W. Artesia SQ. Suite A, Gardena, CA 90248.
Our fascination with the Bible to Christianity and loses nothing of its importance, thereby; the story of the great flood tells of how the Lord smelled the sweet savor of Noah’s offering and was pleased with what was in the good man’s heart. He vowed that he would never again curse the ground of punished man and destroy all life on Earth. Then, he caused a great arc of lovely colors to vault the sky, as a token of the vow between them, the rainbow. Of David, the singing shepherd by who was to be the mighty king of Israel. From David’s family came the Saviour of Mankind, a baby born in Bethlehem. Ruth, the kind Moabite woman who believed in the God of Israel, gave lift to an Israelite family that led down through the years to Mary, Joseph and gentle Jesus. A city named Babel — where a tower was built — was the site of the Lord as He confused the language of all the earth, and from there, that the people scattered to the far corners of the earth to form separate nations, each with a language of its own — their pride is sufficient sin. The Sermon on the Mount, where the people were astonished at the Word, is where He taught them with authority, and not as the old scribes who quoted the old laws: and not strange things as
“Love your enemies, Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you. Turn the other creek. “ These ideas were new to them, unlike the preachings of the Pharisee. The sayings of Jesus truly sounded as though they were the wonder of a merciful and loving God. And there’s a lot more. The Bible is a whole library of many books, within a single volume, a huge repository of history, law, religion, poetry, philosophy and either for information, comfort, inspiration, for sheer reading pleasures, with the length of smoothly flowering narratives and complexity of its nearly 1 million words. It has inspired words of God in written documents. It is a form of literary expression — of marvelous and stirring events, linked to divine wall and purpose, compelling tales of men and women, caught up in a courageous effort to live good and godly lives, as every spiritual sage agrees. The Bible was written for the heart, as well as for the mind and the will. It was not written to us but was written for us. It can enlighten, enable, enrich and encourage us if we let it. Remember the reaction to the writings on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast? Old fashion, Old Testament — fear took the fun out of the feast.
Talking business at Daniel Padilla’s party ting KathNiel loveteam, Kathryn Bernardo. Former San Juan Vice Mayor and former DLSU cager Francis Zamora also felt equally at home in the presence of longtime showbiz friends and fellow cagers including Yap, whose son MJ is Zamora’s godson. Greatly excited about an impending business partnership with the Teen King, Zamora also disclosed that Padilla and Vice Ganda will be his partners in District 8, a gastropub opening soon in San Juan where celebrities, athletes and high-profile personalities will converge for good food, drinks and music. Their other business partners include PBA stars James Yap and Marc Pingris, former PBA cager and San Juan councilor Paul Artadi, superstar DJ Ace Ramos, chef Kel Zaguirre and Ayala Vice Ganda, Keri Zamora, Francis Zamora, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, James Yap, Michela Land premier senior manager Cazzola Charlton Yu. (ManilaTimes.net) TEEN King Daniel Padilla was pleasantly surprised when his mom Karla and ABS-CBN executives hatched an advance celebration at Manila House, Bonifacio Global City two days before his 22nd birthday. Guests were comprised of family, friends, showbiz movers and media colleagues, who enjoyed the spectacular view overlook-
ing the city’s night lights, amid an overflow of food, drinks and non-stop music provided by a live acoustic band. Spotted at the party were ABS-CBN bosses Charo SantosConcio, Cory Vidanes, and Carlo Katigbak; Vice Ganda; loveydovey couple James Yap and Michela Cazzola; and of course, the better half of the trendset-
Filipina tattoo artist featured in New York Times waiting for Coco Martin
‘Ang Probinsyana’ and ‘Ang Probinsyano’ Kalinga ritual tattoo artist Maria Fang-od Oggay (left, photo from Looloo Insights) wishes to meet Filipino action star Coco Martin (right, file photo). x
Ai-Ai reveals how she almost... PAGE B1 Ai-Ai later told The T-Zone that she is grateful for her successful return to the comedy genre, following the heavy drama that was Area, because it meant she was able to make countless people happy. “Kaya gustong gusto ko pa rin gumawa ng comedy kasi simple man sabihin, kailangan talaga natin sa buhay ang tumawa. Ito talaga yung kakayanan na binigay sa akin ni Lord kaya ko gustong patuloy na
NEW YORK — Coco Martin’s on-screen girlfriend, Yassi Pressman, and rumored reallife lady love, Julia Montes, now have another challenger vying for the actor’s heart. A Filipina tribal tattoo artist featured in The New York Times (NYT) on Monday revealed that she is still waiting for a visit from her biggest celebrity crush, Coco Martin. In a lengthy article written by Aurora Almendral, Maria Fang-od Oggay, a ritual tattoo artist from the Butbut tribe of the Kalinga ethnic group of northern Philippines, confessed that she is fond of the “Ang Probinsyano” PAGE B4
this month]that she will be—and rightly so—more careful in choosing her roles. magpasaya sa tao.” “Na challenge ako dito sa Our Ai-Ai also acknowledged that while her role in Our Mighty Yaya Mighty Yaya and I had to use difmight seem like a formulaic kind of ferent styles of acting, inspiration comedy with her prosthetic laden from other actors, as well as mga and uglified character Yaya Virgie, eksena na nangyayari nalang tashe was able to merge her innate laga during shooting. Masaya ako comedic skills with her aptitude for na nagustuhan nila ang pelikula drama in a very challenging role. namin,” Ai-Ai enthused. Asked what she learned through After all, she did say after winning a slew of international her life’s most recent ordeal, she awards for Area [the latest of wholly pointed to her faith. That which is Asean International Film “in God’s perfect time, everything Festival’s Best Actress plum early will fall into place.”
CREWMAN WENT HOME TO MANILA ON PROVISIONAL WAIVER AND CAME BACK TO THE U.S. WITH A GREEN CARD—ON A SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY! Leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel obtained a Provisional Waiver for Jerome, a crewman who jumped ship. Jerome had filed for Adjustment of Status on his own, but it was denied, because he was not eligible. With the approved Provisional Waiver of the 3\10 year bar, Jerome returned to the Philippines for visa processing at the US Embassy in Manila. His wife and children wondered and prayed if Jerome could make it back to the U.S. Every crewman and their US spouse should watch the outcome of this Provisional Waiver case on an encore episode of ‘Citizen Pinoy’ — this Sunday, May 21 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising supplement)
Derrick Monasterio flies high by LHAR
SANTIAGO ManilaTimes.net
by bagging a most important role back on his mom’s story years ago, in the telefantasya’s grand sequel, he believes it is now something he DERRICK Monasterio was “Mulawin vs. Ravena.” can consider prophetic. around nine years old when his Derrick is Alamino in the grand “That was the first time I joined a mom, ‘80s actress Tina Monasterio prime time series, and as he looks PAGE B4 learned he could sing. According to the story, she heard him practicing a tune at home for an inter-school singing competition, which turned out to be “Mulawin’s” theme. And guess what? Derrick won the contest, just as he is a winner today
Derrick Monasterio
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Programming for Kababayan Today, May 22-26, 2017 The Global Kababayan G. TÖNGI Monday, May 22 - May is Mental Health Awareness month. Watch our show as we feature excerpt performances from the cast and creatives behind “Stand”, a
play about mental health, which affects the Filipino community. Tuesday, May 23 - We share news about wage theft in the domestic caregiving profession in relation to the Filipino community. Wednesday, May 24 - The Asian Journal shares the latest headlines relevant to the FilAm community. Brandon Reilly, professor of history, talks about immigration. Meet the filmmakers and cast of “The Last Straw.”
Art Garcia shares Justice for Filipino Veterans’ mission on the program and Mia McLeod shares some tips on real estate in Southern California. Thursday, May 25 - “Princess Ten Ten and the Dark Skies: A New Musical” is taking a narrative very new to Asian communities. Watch the program to see an excerpt performance Friday, May 26 - Today’s show is about a bill in California that is being lobbied that will make dialysis better for not only patients but health practitioners. *** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipinos living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.
Filipina tattoo artist featured... PAGE B4 leading man and yearns to meet him soon. For now, according to the article, the centenarian “contents herself with a life-size cardboard cutout” of the soap opera action star. Titled “At 100 or So, She Keeps a Philippine Tattoo Tradition Alive,” the article expounds on Oggay’s lifestyle and heritage as a tattoo artist sought after by tourists from as far as Mexico and Slovenia. In the article, Fang-od, as she was called, has been repeatedly referred to as a “Ms.” The NYT story says Ms. Fangod belongs to the last generation bearing a full set of traditional tattoos and is one of the few who remember how they were done. As such, she was also featured in the 2009 documentary series, “Tattoo Hunter,” by American anthropologist, Dr. Lars Krutak. For Fang-od’s contribution to cultural preservation, maybe Martin, who is also single, could squeeze in some time to visit her in her mountain village of Buscalan, with the hope that Julia and Yassi would not mind. (Deni Rose Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar.com)
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Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS HEALTHJUSTICE Philippines, a vigilant think tank and advocacy group with legal expertise in tobacco control and health promotion and a Bloomberg Awardee for Global Tobacco Control, sent out a press release on May 12, 2017 praising “Davao City Vices Regulation Unit for its strict enforcement of smoking ban and apprehension of 4,487 violators since its formation last month.” “We commend the local government of Davao City and its Vices Regulation Unit for strictly enforcing the provisions of its pertinent local ordinances and national and international laws banning smoking in public spaces. Davao City has been recognized by no less than the World Health Organization for its landmark tobacco control ordinance, and since then it has continued setting a sterling example in crafting and implementing tobacco control measures for cities across the country and the whole world to emulate,” said Mary Ann Fernandez-Mendoza, president and trustee of HealthJustice. “We hope that President Duterte will soon sign the ‘smokefree’ Executive Order that will not only strengthen the enforcement of existing smoking bans, but also direct local governments to pattern their anti-smoking ordinances after that of Davao, which includes a ‘no smoking indoors’ policy,” she added. *** Cebu in the 1990s, expanding on its existing ban on smoking in public establishments then, proposed its laudable goal to make Cebu city a smoke-free city by year 2006. I was among its staunchest supporter and stated then that achieving this would earn Cebu the enviable distinction of being one of the healthiest cities and tourist spots in the world. Unfortunately, wisdom, health, and medical science were no match to the power of money and political correctness. I remember that there were some brainless city legislators who wanted to amend the ordinance to allow smoking after 9:00 P.M. and for the creation of smoking areas in shopping malls, restaurants, etc. Did these obviously ignorant officials think that active and passive smoking would only cause cancers, cardiovascular illnesses, and lung diseases before 9:00 P.M., and that smoking after 9 PM would be safe? Did they honestly think that the smoking areas (within a building) will prevent the 4000 harmful (200 of them can-
National smoking ban Providing a smoking area within the same building with one ventilation system is like designating a urinating area in a swimming pool. cer-causing) chemicals in tobacco smoke from getting into the ventilation system and expose and hurt everyone in the premises, including non-smokers and children? What in this issue was NOT clear? I bet even the kids in the kindergarten can see how ludicrous these proposed amendments are. Unless the designated room is air-tight and totally excluded from the main building (of shopping malls, restaurants, stores, hospitals, public libraries, theaters, the workplace, etc.), and has a ventilation system of its own, it would be ineffective and useless. Providing a smoking area within the same building with one ventilation system is like designating a urinating area in a swimming pool. This is the same scientific and medical principle why the smoking ban in commercial airplanes also includes the toilets, besides all the cabins and the cockpit. A simple common sense. The issue is crystal clear. Smoking and second hand-smoking or passive smoking maim and kill millions in countries around the world, the Philippines included. Spraying poison in the air, as in passive smoking, adversely affect everyone in the area. The simplest, totally cost-free, and medically effective solution is to allow smoking ONLY outside of, and a distance from, public buildings. What could be more obvious? A national smoking ban, while unpopular and controversial, would provide an immeasurable boost to people’s and the nation’s health. While I abhor smoking and inhaling secondhand tobacco smoke for health reasons, I defend the right of smokers to smoke. That is their constitutional right…so long as the exercise of that right does not offend or hurt the people around them and infringe upon the rights of others. After all, nonsmokers have rights too: not to be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke. Where there is a conflict, the right of the non-smoker prevails. This is an accepted legal tenet. What is secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke is the fume that one involuntarily inhales after someone who smokes exhales it (called mainstream smokes), or the fume that goes directly to the atmosphere from the burning tobacco (cigarette, pipe or cigar) called side stream smoke. When non-smokers breathe in these smokes or fumes from other people’s cigarettes, cigars or pipes, this is involuntarily inhalation called passive smoking. As stated earlier, tobacco smoke contains
about 4000 chemicals, 200 of them known poisons and carcinogens. Smoking around people is similar to spraying known poison gases into the atmosphere, victimizing and posing even greater health hazards to non-smokers. Does passive smoking cause cancer? Yes, active and passive smoking cause cancers, besides bronchitis, premature births, smaller babies with higher risk for impaired mental development, respiratory illnesses among children, emphysema, heart attack, and stroke. In the United States, cancer victims of smoking, and family members of smokers who died from cigaretterelated illness, have sued cigarette manufacturing companies, and have won millions in awards. While they vehemently denied it before, cigarette companies today have admitted in public that tobacco causes cancers and other lung illnesses. The courts have likewise ruled in a similar fashion in favor of victims of passive smoking (as in the airline stewardess’ case). In 1986, the Surgeon General of the United States reported that involuntary (passive) smoking can cause lung cancer in healthy nonsmokers. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now classified secondhand smoke as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). If we, as a people and as a nation, are really serious in eliminating all the smoking-related killer diseases that snuff out more than 240 lives a day, yes, a day, not a month, causing the loss of loved ones and family devastation, promulgating a national smoking ban truly makes sense. But don’t hold your breath. History shows that majority of our elected politicians, leaders we voted for to protect us, do not have balls and the wisdom and the will to eliminate this vicious serial killer amidst us. The illnesses and deaths from tobacco far exceed the morbidity and mortality from illegal drugs. Let’s see if President Rodrigo R. Duterte can extinguish this political insanity that is holding the people’s health hostage. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
The Beautiful Life 2017’s Red and Black Awards... PAGE B3 zine Publisher), Joel Estrada Joves (Award of Distinction as a Real Estate Design Consultant and Developer), Imee Ong – Maghanoy (Woman of Distinction in Beauty and Aesthetics) and Filbert Diego Kung (Man of Distinction in the field of Photography) This year’s outstanding couples of the year were Reynaldo and Nora Diego, Geraldine and Prinze Scott, and Drs. Rene and Dra. Che Calugcugan, who received the
Man and Woman of Distinction in the field of Dentistry Award. Special awards were also given out. Lina Navarro was this year’s Mother of the Year, while Corazon Rosete was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. Filipino Film and Theater Actor Mat Ranillo III received the Award of Excellence as an Actor. The Filipino-American community has an extraordinary connection that transcends age, status and profession. This annual
Derrick Monasterio flies... PAGE B3 singing competition and I chose to sing ‘Ikaw Nga’ because I found the song very beautiful as a Mulawin fan, but very challenging too. Still, never did I imagine that this time will come when I will be starring in the telefantasya that gave me my winning song back then,” he marveled. There are at least 26 big stars starring in Mulawin vs. Ravena portraying important roles, but Derrick’s Almiro is said to be the role designed for someone being groomed to be the network’s next big star. Almiro is a pivotal character because as the son of Aguiluz and Alwina, the rightful king and queen of Avila, which is the kingdom of the Mulawin. With Aguiluz gone, Almiro is the rightful heir to the throne, the anointed one to save the entire flock of half-bird and half-humans from their enemies. Pressured and excited is how Derrick describes his emotions over portraying the role of Almiro in the biggest telefantasya of GMA this year. “Before I was given this role in Mulawin, I was chosen to play the title role in Tsuperhero. Doon pa lang, naramdaman ko na how my network has been giving me importance. Inaalagaan talaga nila ko. When the role of Almiro was entrusted to me, I was overwhelmed kasi Mulawin na ito! Kumbaga, a very important project. I am really grateful to GMA for the trust. On my part naman, I promise to give my hundred percent in return. Pag-
bubutihan ko talaga. That’s why I’ve been so serious with my training for the show. I will do my best so that I will not let my bosses down,” Derrick fervently promised. The actor’s training for the role included sword fighting and flying, besides his personal workout in the gym. He also enrolled in boxing. “I won’t say though that I am super ready,” he humbly stated. “While I may have done a lot of training, we can never tell demanding my scenes will be. Mabigat nga kasi yung role. I can just say that right now, I am excitedly challenged.” Doing Mulawin vs Ravena is definitely not easy. It’s both physically and emotionally taxing, but Derrick is not complaining. “Even if what you do is hard, if you have very good co-workers, they will inspire you. That’s what happening to me on the set. Most of the scenes that I have taped are with Kuya Dennis (Trillo), Miss Heart (Evangelista) and Tita Nova (Villa) and I tell you, they are so good pero ang maganda, hindi sila nananapaw sa mga eksena, sa halip, they are very helpful. Like si Tita Nova, she really helps me on how to attack certain scenes, and I really appreciate that.” With taping now in full swing, Derrick can’t wait to do his scenes with the other stars of Mulawin vs. Ravena like Carla Abellana, Lovi Poe, Tom Rodriguez, Miguel Tanfelix, Bianca Umali, Martin Del Rosario, Kiko Estrada, Ariel Rivera, Dion Ignacio, Wyn Marquez, Chyna Ortaleza, and the rest of the cast.
event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and promote that connection. It was a night filled with life and laughter, a success like no other. As such, The Beautiful Life Committee would like to thank the following sponsors: Weichert Realtors, L&A Escrow, L.A. Financial Management & Services, Rupert Law Group, Image Body Spa and Image Spa MD, Ed Rame Flower Arrangement, Fiesta Fast Food and O Skincare. Derrick has yet to tape a scene with his leading lady in the telefantasya, Bea, who he is so used to working with from past projects. “Kami naman ni Bea, we are so comfortable working with each other. Hindi na kami nahihiya sa isa’t isa. She really is the closest to me among all the female actresses of GMA. We understand each other, and we take care of each other. Like pag pawis na ko during taping, she will wipe my face, or she would remind me of things that I have to do. Ako naman, dinadaan ko sa materyal ang pagpapakita ko ng pag-care. Ginagastusan ko siya. Like I would ask her what she wants to eat and I would buy it for her.” Last Mother’s Day, Derrick invited Bea to lunch with his mom. Bea accepted the invitation and came with her own mother, so the two families celebrated the special day at a seafood restaurant in Quezon City. “Our families have become very close,” confirmed Derrick. “Since more than five years ago, when I started in showbiz, our moms would see each other in events and it all started there.” With their closeness, doesn’t Derrick feel he’s already falling for Bea? “With how things are going in our careers right now, we don’t think about entering into a relationship yet. Yes, our friendship is very special but we are leaving it at that at the moment. Both of us don’t want to get distracted as we are so focused on our respective careers,” Derrick reasoned-out. In the meantime, Derrick is so excited about Mulawin vs. Ravena.
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Cayabyab returns with US concert tour 2017
The Maestro and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers perform in California and Nevada Ryan Cayabyab, whose landmark song “Kay Ganda ng ating Musika” has become the anthem of Filipino music, will be starting off a US Tour this June 2017 which will take him and his astounding vocal group, The Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), to San Francisco, Los angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego. audiences in these cities will get to enjoy Maestro Ryan’s song catalog and other beloved OPM songs, as he accompanies RCS in a song and dance programme. The San Francisco show will be on June 16 at the Marines’ Memorial Theatre. a full concert with Maestro Ryan and the RCS will precede a Gala Reception, in celebration of the Philippines’ 119th Independence Day. This formal event is presented by the KalayaanSF Committee. Email gala@ kalayaansf.com for inquiries. Los angeles is the next stop on June 25. In “Musikahan! with
Maestro Ryan”, Cayabyab and RCS will be joined by local Fil-am artists such as Giselle Tongi, annie nepomuceno, Miguel Vera, The Harana Men’s Chorus, Edsel Sotiangco, Michael Keith, the Los angeles young ambassadors (Laya), Josie Gonzalez, Louisa Tampi and more from the Pilipino artist network. This blending of Manila and La talents will be staged at the alex Theatre in Glendale, presented by Philippine Patrons of the arts USa in cooperation with FilamaRTS, Tickets are available at the box office, online links are posted on www.musicartsevents.com. The San Diego (July 2) and Las Vegas (July 7) concerts feature Cayabyab and the RCS performing a full program, with touring guest annie nepomuceno. More information is posted on www.musicartsevents.com. The Las Vegas concert, at the Flamingo Theatre of the Clark County Library will also feature
Edsel Sotiangco
Annie Nepomuceno
Harana Serenata FIlipina
Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers
the special participation of tenor Edward Granadosin. Front acts are Michael Perez and Esmeralda Padilla. Call Dr. Mike Santa Juana at (516) 669-5834 for inquiries. Maestro Ryan’s unique arrangements of his own songs will be performed by RCS, some in acapella. Maestro Ryan’s hit songs include “Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang” originally by Basil Valdez, “Kay
Ganda ng ating Musika” by Hajji alejandro, and “Kailan” by Smokey Mountain, to name a few. The prolific composer is also an inspiring educator who continuously mentors aspiring musicians, as he does with the RCS. He deliberately selected singers in different genres like rock, pop, musical theatre, & classical, bringing them together in group performance while standing out at soloists as well. Maestro Ryan established the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) in
2007, and has produced 3 albums for the group. The latest “Sa Panaginip Lang” released in august 2016 includes songs co-wrote by some members. Maestro Ryan was the first to be honored in the TV show aSaP’s Songwriter Series. His works are varied and impressive, and make up a vast catalog that represents the Filipino, in culture and psyche. among his musicals are the oftenstaged “Katy!”, originally produced by Celeste Legaspi and Girlie
Rodis, with Mitch Valdez in the title role of Katy Dela Cruz. His opera “Spoliarium,” about Filipino painter Juan Luna was staged in new york last year. Kuh Ledesma’s first hit “Magbalik Ka na, Mahal” was culled from his ballet-musical “Rama Hari”. This tour’s major sponsors are Philippine airlines, TFC The Filipino Channel, asian Journal, The Law Offices of Chris navarro, and Wealth Financial Life. Tour promoter is Music arts Events Inc.
G. Tongi
Josie Gonzalez
Miguel Vera
Louisa Tampi
Ryan Cayabyab
Photo by Geo Yusooncho
The Los Angeles Young Ambassadors (LAYA)
Michael Keith
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-23, 2017
Journal
Supreme Court tacitly allows new limits on aliens’ rights
out due process of law.” Constitutional due process protections—which include the right to a hearing—apply to “all persons” within the United States. The only exception is that aliens arriving at a port of entry, even though they are in fact geographically inside this country, are subject to the legal fiction that they were stopped before the border and have not yet entered the U.S. The Third Circuit’s Castro ruling classified women and children apprehended several miles inside the United States (who had avoided a port of entry) under the legal fiction that they had not yet entered, and then also held that they did not have the right to challenge their detention with habeas corpus petitions. Habeas corpus scholars submitted another amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to take up this case, arguing that the right to file a habeas corpus petition “turns on the extent to which the government exercises control of the petitioner’s person and not on [the petitioner’s] status as a citizen, noncitizen, or alien seeking asylum.” Indeed, the very same Supreme Court decision which established the legal fiction that, for due process purposes, an alien at a port of entry has not yet arrived in the United States, also acknowledged that such an alien “may by habeas corpus challenge the validity of his exclusion.” However, because the Supreme Court did not agree to hear the Castro case, the Third Circuit’s holding stands and is binding throughout that circuit, which includes Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila. For more Information please call (800) 795-8009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
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Other U.S. Courts of Appeals have ruled differently in the past, and their rulings remain binding within their circuits. California is in the Ninth Circuit. The most recent rulings from the Ninth Circuit on this issue affirm the entry fiction as traditionally understood, and safeguard constitutional protections for people who have crossed the border into the United States, even if they have done so illegally. The Third Circuit’s ruling could affect those in other Circuits. Recent arrivals apprehended in the Ninth Circuit could be moved to the Third Circuit and held in detention there, where they would be subject to Third Circuit law and thus unable to file habeas corpus petitions to challenge their detentions. The asylum seekers in the Castro case were taken into custody in Texas (in the Fifth Circuit) before being moved to detention centers in Pennsylvania (in the Third Circuit). For this reason, it is important to try to prevent DHS from moving recent arrivals from the Ninth Circuit to a Circuit where the law is more harsh. Legal motions need to be filed to prevent such moves. Those subject to expedited removal due to their recent arrival in the United States, or their loved ones, should immediately consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer to determine what help is available for them. ***
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MOST aliens in the United States are entitled to a hearing before an Immigration Judge if the government seeks to remove them, however those who entered the country illegally and have been here for a short time are subject to a process called expedited removal. As its name indicates, the expedited removal process is designed to move quickly. Usually the alien is not even able to consult an attorney and the final decision is made by an immigration officer during one interview. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review a case which raised questions about whether aliens caught up in the expedited removal process have certain constitutional rights. In that case, Castro v. D.H.S., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that families in expedited removal proceedings, who had applied for asylum, could not seek habeus corpus petitions to challenge their detentions in court. A writ of habeas corpus (Latin for “you have the body”) requires the government to bring a prisoner into court and justify the legal basis for his or her detention. Immigration law scholars and human rights organizations filing amicus (“friend of the court”) briefs argued that the Supreme Court should take up this case because the Third Circuit’s decision threatens the rights of many people already inside the United States. There are two main reasons for concern. First, serious flaws have been documented in how the expedited removal system actually operates. Also, the scope of that system is being expanded by the Trump administration, which plans to apply expedited removal over a much wider geographic area and to include aliens who have been present in the United States for up to two years. For well over a century the Supreme Court has held that “even aliens shall not be . . . deprived of life, liberty or property with-
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Community Journal
10 debt danger signs: Ignore them or suffer later
Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon WHILE credit can be a great asset when used wisely, a lot of people tend to misuse it and they acquire more debts than they could possibly pay back. The results can be disastrous because excessive debt can threaten one’s financial future. In this article, let me list some of the warning signs of excessive debt that you should keep an eye on. FACT: Let me get one thing straight. Just because you can pay your minimum monthly payments each month doesn’t necessarily mean that you do not have a debt problem. This is a common misconception. For example, a lot of people foolishly think that having low monthly payments on their credit cards is to their advantage. Well, this may be true in the short term if you intend to pay off the debt soon. In the long term, however, low monthly payments only benefit the credit card companies. The lure of “low monthly” payments is exactly what ensnares people into debt and with the grossly inflated interest charges accumulating oftentimes for years. It could take decades for people to pay back what they had borrowed. Do you realize how much money you can be losing in giving your money away to the credit card companies? Never allow yourself to be
lulled into a false sense of security that you have your debts under control just because you are never late on your payments and that you are able to manage the monthly minimums. Here are some of the warning signs that you have a credit/debt problem. The more “yes” answers you have to these questions, the more serious you situation might be. In that case, you may need to take more drastic steps to control
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You are always late on debt payments especially your home and car payments. Sorry for being too blunt and if this offends you. But as a bankruptcy attorney who has dealt with thousands of people with debt problems over the years, I have found that a lot of people tend to ignore the above warning signs until it is too late. Often, people find it easier to fool themselves into believing that their problems do not exist. They are too proud or too blind to admit that they have a debt problem and that they must do something about it. But ignoring the above signs when they are obvious can be likened to having all the symptoms of an illness but refusing to go to the doctor in order to get treatment. In the end, it will kill you if you don’t take corrective action now. If you are in debt and need to figure out a way to get out, I can help you figure out all your options. Please call TOLL FREE 1-866-477-7772 to schedule an appointment. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. ***
Let me get one thing straight, just because you can pay your minimum monthly payments each month doesn’t necessarily mean that you do not have a debt problem
Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRSuA ReyeS
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the problem before it gets out of hand. You don’t have any savings. You can only afford to make minimum payments on your credit cards every month. You use credit cards that you used to pay for with cash, such as groceries. You are at , near or over your credit limit on your credit cards. You don’t even know how much you owe anymore. You take out cash advances on your credit cards to pay other bills. Your checks are starting to bounce. You are getting calls from collectors. After paying your credit card bills, you are completely broke until next payday.
None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. (Advertising Supplement)
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Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA
BE conservative with deductions if you want to avoid audits. Be aggressive and you increase your risk of IRS scrutiny. Play the odds and you invite an audit. The question then is—is it worth the risk? No, it’s not. Saving a few dollars compared with what could be a disastrous experience of dealing with the IRS and paying tax, penalties and interest—for prior and subsequent years—is certainly not a rewarding proposition. This is the last of three articles on audits. The first two dealt with general guidelines and income. Let’s discuss Part 3 – Deductions in IRS audits. • The first rule is to submit a return that vanishes in a pack of returns. To have a return pulled out for improper deductions increases your chances of an audit. • Present your return in a way that it does not become a candidate for IRS audit. If you take a legitimate but inappropriatelooking deduction, explain and document it satisfy agent curiosity. • Make sure that your tax return makes sense. For example, it does not make sense to report a meager income and claim large deductions. It makes no sense to report business losses and drive expensive cars. How do you survive? Do not set up yourself for an economic reality audit. • Review your tax return to make sure that deductions are within reasonable range. Excessive amounts can get you into trouble. If you consistently surpass national averages, back it up. For example, a donation
How to avoid IRS audits: Deduction issues of $6,000 on an adjusted gross income of $40,000 is a red flag because the national average is only $2,100. If you are a Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon, or a Catholic who gives tithes, opt out of e-file and attach explanation and documentation. A few minutes of your time to back it up could save many days or weeks of defending an IRS examination. Check out our list of “Average Personal Deductions.” • Make sure that only mortgage interests covered by Form 1098s are reported on line 10 of Schedule A. Report mortgage interests that are not under your social security number (such as your house loan under somebody else’s name) or those without 1098s (seller-financed or owner carried) on line 11. This is important because IRS matches mortgage interests reported by banks with Form 1098 against line 10 of Schedule A. • If you have extra-ordinary expenses such as big legal fees or huge donations toward a church building fund, opt out of efile and send a conventional paper tax return with documentation. • Office at home elicits emotions from taxpayers and interest from agents. Taxpayers swear that a portion of the home is used exclusively for business on a continuous basis. That’s fine. We believe you. The problem is that IRS radar is locked into home office deductions. You have to be practical. Weigh tax savings versus risk. Most of the time, savings are so small that by the time you divide the square footage of a portion of the home used solely for business by the
total area of your home and multiply that by your tax rate, the tax savings could be small but your audit profile has significantly increased. In other words, it’s probably not worth it. The IRS recently promulgated simplified rules to reduce litigation in this area. 8. For those of you who run a business, be wary of deducting capital expenditures. Some expenses benefit the current year and therefore can be expensed this year (telephone, supplies). Some benefit future years and therefore should be capitalized and depreciated over years (car, computer, machine). 9. If you own rental properties, do not deduct capital expenditures in the current year. Agents are on the lookout for large “repairs” that are actually major renovations that benefit future years. 10. Start-up expenses for a new business are incurred prior to the time you actually open your doors to customers. Agents look for incorporation costs or market surveys that should be capitalized, not expensed. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com. (Advertising Supplement)
Is real estate property purchased prior to marriage considered community property in a divorce?
GENERALLY, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760. How do you characterize real property purchased prior to marriage but with the mortgage principal paid down using community income or funds during the marriage? The community in this situation acquires a pro tanto interest in the ratio that the payments on the purchase price made with community funds bear to the total payments on the purchase price and any appreciation should be apportioned accordingly. Marriage of Moore (1980) 28 C3d 366, 371, 373, 168 CR 662, 664, 665. Other
expenses associated with the property are not considered in the calculation such as mortgage interest, taxes, and insurance. In essence, the real property would accumulate both a separate property and a community property component by the date of separation. The appropriate remedy in this situation where separate property is subsequently paid with community funds is “apportionment.” The process of apportioning between the separate and community property component is laid out in the Marriage of Madsen. In that case, the court determined the ratio or percentage in which the mortgage loan principal was reduced during the marriage and applied that percentage to the appreciation of the real property during
the marriage. The community property component would then consist of the reduction in the mortgage loan principal during the marriage plus the portion of appreciation during the marriage applying the ratio discussed above. In the Marriage of Madsen, the real property was purchased by the husband for $38,300 prior to the marriage. The original mortgage was $30,000. By the time the husband got married, the house was now worth $65,000 while the mortgage has gone down by $7,000. Both the appreciation of $26,700 and the mortgage reduction of $7,000 would be separate property since it occurred prior to
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Community Journal
Should employees who “volunteer” to work off-the-clock be paid? Q:I WORK as a nurse at a hospital that has a strict policy Protecting of no unapproved overtime, and no going on breaks un- Employee less we are relieved by another & Consumer nurse. We are forced to skip our breaks if there is no reliever Rights (which happens a lot because we are often understaffed). As Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. for overtime, we don’t even ask for approval anymore since we risk being written up for “too much overtime.” We just clock out and go back to work to finish our charts. I recently complained to our supervisor but was told that if I “voluntarily” skip breaks or work off the clock, this is not the hospital’s problem. This seems unfair. Do we have remedies? A: Yes. You should be paid for the extra hours you worked even if they are “off the clock.” If these extra hours go beyond 8 hours per day, then you are entitled to the overtime rate of 1½ times your regular rate for any work in excess of 8 hours per day or two times your regular rate for any work beyond 12 hours per day. Also, you should be paid a one-hour premium for any missed lunch break, and another one hour-premium for any missed rest break. A disturbing fact in your inquiry is that the employer considered your missed breaks and off-the-clock work “voluntary.” In California, there are clear laws for volunteers and what constitutes “voluntary work.” First of all, where there is an employment relationship between a worker and a company, that worker cannot be treated as an unpaid volunteer when performing her/his regular work for the employer during the employee’s work period. In order to qualify as “volunteers” the persons must perform services for a civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation. Moreover, they must offer their services freely and without direct or indirect pressure or coercion. Finally, to qualify for volunteer services, the services must not be the same type of services the employee is employed to perform for the employer, and such volunteer work must take place outside the employee’s normal working hours. California’s Court of Appeal clarified this issue about employees who “voluntarily” skip breaks or work off-the-clock: Valerie Alberts and her fellow nursing staff at two acute care psychiatric hospitals owned and operated by Aurora Behavioral Health Care (the employer), filed a class action against their em-
To Live With Faith reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS THE rooms of the dormitories are now clean and empty, and the seminary is quiet, for the academic year has ended and the seminarians have left for summer vacation. Some of them finished their long years of seminary formation — seven years for most of them — and they are now preparing for ordination, ready and excited to tackle the labors of priestly ministry. From time to time, I would remind seminarians, especially those who are starting their priestly ministry or even those who have internships, to preach Jesus and all his actions in their lives and the world. “We preach Jesus Christ, not ourselves,” I would remind them. “If you do this, then you won’t fail, no matter how you think and feel that you’re not competent enough,” I would add. Priestly ministry is about proclaiming the actions of Jesus Christ in our lives and the world. It’s because although he now “sits at the right hand of the Father,” his Spirit resides in the
ployer claiming unpaid wages. The employees claimed that the employer intentionally understaffed its hospitals but nevertheless required its nursing staff to remain at their posts and monitor patients unless relieved, resulting in employees being denied meal and rest breaks, which the employer failed to pay for as required by California law. The employer also required employees to complete assignments before leaving at the end of a shift, but discouraged or denied requests for overtime compensation and instructed employees to finish outstanding tasks off-the-clock. The employer asked the court not to grant class action status to the case, citing one of its reasons as being that the employees “voluntarily” skipped their breaks or “voluntarily” worked off-the-clock. The Court of Appeal rejected the employer’s position, stating that a “voluntary” act is an act being “unconstrained by interference; not impelled by outside influence.” The employer has instituted policies that limit its employees’ freedom to take breaks, such as chronic understaffing, making patient safety the “number one priority,” having “zero tolerance” for staff who take a break without first being relieved, and the nurses’ code of ethics, which requires that a nurse’s “primary commitment” be to the patient. These policies exploit a reasonable nurse’s ethical obligations, making missed breaks mandatory, not voluntary. The court further noted that even if there is evidence that some employees voluntarily worked uncompensated overtime, such a “choice” is not permitted under California law. A nonexempt employee (like the nursing staff in this case) may not lawfully volunteer to work off-the-clock without compensation. The law requires payment for “all hours worked,” and overtime pay for “all hours worked” in excess of a 40-hour workweek. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)
We preach Christ, not ourselves
Church through Word and Sacrament and is alive in the works and love of His present-day community of disciples and followers. This belief in the continual presence of Christ the Holy Spirit in the Church is deeply rooted in the words he said to his disciples in his departure discourse in this Sunday’s Gospel (John 14:1521): “If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, and the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you will know him, because he remains in you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Indeed, it is the Spirit of Christ that moves the hearts of men and women to dedicate their lives as missionary disciples in a world that often does not know or accept Jesus Christ. It is the Spirit of Christ that makes people like seminarians to respond to this heroic
call of service, often forgetting or abandoning the comforts of this world. There is no other genuine reason for people to follow this heart’s desire except the continuous works of the Holy Spirit — Christ’s actions in the world. We can describe the movement of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart in one word: love. It is the love of Christ that impels a person to believe in him, to follow him, to live by his truth, and to proclaim his love to the whole world. It’s his personal love that motivates and encourages Christians to spend time and energies in studies and work to form communities of faith and disciples, to preach his words of forgiveness and mercy, to help the poor, and to advocate for justice, respect, and dignity of every human being. Our Second Reading his Sunday (1 Peter 3:15-18) asks us to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts and to be always ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks us for a reason for our hope. We have no other reason for our hope in Jesus Christ other than that he loves us to the end of times! For that, we preach Christ—his eternal love and actions in our lives and the world. Amen!
Exempt property in bankruptcy Bankruptcy Code exemptions). ONE of the goals of bankruptcy In the first system, the is to allow debtor-filers to start exemptions include some of anew. This means that after filthe following: real or personal ing bankruptcy and getting a disproperty occupied at time of charge of their debts, these debtfiling for bankruptcy, includors will be in a position to move ing mobile home, boat, stock on financially. Allowing these cooperative, community apartdebtors to keep certain basic asment, planned development or sets despite a bankruptcy filing is condominium, up to the folone way of helping debtor filers. lowing limits: $75,000 if single These assets or properties that and not disabled; $100,000 an individual can keep are called if family and no other mem“exempt properties”. ber has homestead; $175,000 Each state has its own list of Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos if 65 or older or if physically exempt properties. Some states have more liberal exemptions than others. To avail or mentally disabled; personal property such as of any of these exemptions, the debtor must com- motor vehicle up to $3050.00, building materiply with the residency requirement rules. These als up to $3,200.00 to repair or improve home, rules were incorporated to address the concerns burial plot, health aids and appliances, furnishthat people may move to another state with more ings, clothing and food needed by the debtor. On the other hand, some of the exemptions liberal exemptions before filing bankruptcy. Some of these residency rules include the fol- in the second system include the following: real or personal property used as a residence up to lowing: • The filer must be a resident of his current state $26,800, motor vehicle up to $5,350, personal for at least two (2) years before he can use that injury recoveries up to $26,800; tools, books and implements of trade up to $8,000, and alistate’s exemption. • If the filer has been a resident in his current mony and child support necessary for support. If you are contemplating of filing bankstate for more than ninety one (91) days but less than two (2) years, he must use the exemption of ruptcy, it is advisable to seek the counthe state where he lived for the greater part of the sel of a bankruptcy lawyer to guide you on 180-day period immediately prior to the two-year the intricacies of filing for such a petition. period preceding the filing. • If the filer have lived in his current state for *** less than 91 days, he can file either in his old state Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos is a member of the State Bar of (as long as he lived there for at least 91 days or California and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. To schedule wait until he has lived at least 91 days in his cur- for a free initial in-person consultation, please call Tel. Nos. (213) rent state and file his petition in his current state. 284-5984 or (626) 329-8215. Atty. Santos’ office is located at 3450 California has adopted two (2) systems of ex- Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200-105, Los Angeles, CA 90010. emptions. Debtors can choose either system and *** decide which system is most advantageous to them. Information contained in this article does not, nor is it intended to, constitutes The first system is based on state law exemptions legal advice for any specific situation and does not create a lawyer-client listed in the California Code of Civil Procedure relationship. It likewise does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or section 704. The second system is a list of bank- prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter. ruptcy-only exemptions in California Code of Civil We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under Procedure section 703.140 (based on the federal the Bankruptcy Code. (Advertising Supplement)
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Permanent residence for crewmen
DEAR Attorney Tan, I entered the US in 1998 as a crewman. I have recently married a US citizen and would like to get a green card. However, I have heard that since I entered as a crewman, I cannot adjust my status to a permanent resident. Is this true? --Lost on Land Dear Lost on Land, Under INA Section 245(c)(1), a person who enters the US as a “crewman” is generally barred from adjusting his status to permanent residence. However, analysis of this issue must begin with determining whether you are actually a “crewman,” who is barred from adjustment. A “crewman” is defined as a person “serving…in a capacity required for normal operation and service on board a vessel, …or aircraft, who intends to land temporarily and solely in pursuit of his calling as a crewman and to depart from the United States with the vessel or aircraft on which he arrived or some other vessel or aircraft.” INA Section 101(a)(15(D). A “crewman” under this definition is assigned a “D” visa classification, but is often issued a dual C-1 transit/ D crewman visa. Because of this, a common misperception exists that a C-1 visa classification is designated for crewmen, and that a person who entered the US under a C-1 classification is by definition a “crewman,” therefore barred from adjusting his status to permanent resident. However, it is important to keep in mind that if a person entered on a C-1 transit visa, he may not be a “crewman” and may be eligible to adjust status. Further, the facts of a particular case regardless of letter classification of one’s visa upon entry may also be considered. If you entered on a C-1 transit visa, or under circumstances that do not fit the definition of a “crewman,” you may be eligible to adjust status. If you are considered a “crewman” under the above definition, you can still file for adjustment of . status to permanent residence and get a green card in the US if you are covered by INA Section 245(i). To be covered under INA Section 245(i), one must be the beneficiary of a visa petition or labor certification filed on or before April 30, 2001. If the petition was filed between January 14, 1998 and April 30, 2001, physical presence in the US on December 21, 2000 is also required. If you are not covered under INA Section 245(i), and are considered a “crewman” under the above definition, you would need to obtain your immigrant visa at a foreign consular post. Traditionally, persons who were unlawfully present in the US for more than 1 year, and who had to obtain their immigrant visa at an overseas US consulate were subject to an unlawful presence bar from returning to the US for 10 years. That person would be able to seek a waiver of the unlawful presence bar after leaving the US, but if denied, he would be left outside of the US, and away from his family for 10 years. However, under the Provisional Waiver program, you can apply for and get a decision on the waiver of the unlawful presence bar without leaving the US. If the waiver is approved, you can leave the US with some assurance that you will obtain your immigrant visa at the US consulate post and quickly return. Spouses and minor children of US citizens are eligible for provisional waiver relief.
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If you are considered a crewman under the above definition, you can still file for adjustment of status to permanent residence and get a green card in the US if you are covered by INA Section 245(i)
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*** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association. LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com. (Advertising Supplement)
Community Journal
C MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
Calendar of Events across 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 2 1
Filipino Medical Program hosts mini health fair in Bergenfield, NJ Holy Name Medical Center’s Filipino Medical Program will take part in a mini health fair on Sunday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church - Conlon Hall at 19 North William Street, Bergenfield, NJ. For more information, please call the FMP at (201) 833-3355 or email lavarro@holyname.org.
M AY 26
AMBOY presents lechon festival in LA AMBOY presents a Lechon festival on Friday, May 26 where six different chefs will compete and be given the chance to show their version of our beloved lechon. All attendees and judges will get the chance to taste each chef’s representation and get to vote for the best version of lechon in Los Angeles based on flavor, originality, plating and crunchiness. VIP guests and judges will have additional courses made by each chef competing for the grand prizes. It is $75 for VIP (entrance at 6 p.m.) and $50 for GA (entrance at 7 p.m.). It will be held at the second floor of Far East Plaza (727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012). To book online, please visit www.universe.com/amboylechonfestival or email eatatamboy@ gmail.com for any inquiries.
M AY 28
Global gathering of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School in Rosemead, CA Graduates of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School of Malolos, Bulacan will hold their first ever global gathering on Sunday, May 28 at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Rosemead, California. Please call up any of the following for more details: Rosario “Charito” Aldaba Gabriel (Class ‘66), Tel. No. (818)-982-1165; Lourdes Ople Smith (Class ’64) Tel. No. (310)-662-1948; Gerry “German” Torres, Jr. (Class ’66) Tel. No. (818)-646-3286. You can also visit the website at www.mhpnhs-maa.com.
Filipino Medical Program hosts community health screening in Jersey City Holy Name Medical Center’s Filipino Medical Program will have a health screening from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 28 at the Santacruzan Festival at St. Mary’s Church on 254 2nd St, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302. For more information, please call the FMP at (201) 833-3355 or email lavarro@holyname.org.
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Abandoned wife, Uber driver seek Chapter 7 for credit card debt
FIRST client is 48 and married in the last 4 years. Husband was a foreigner who professed his love for her in so many ways. Unfortunately, his love for her was actually for her U.S. citizenship. Client, who had never been married before, fell head over heels for her newfound Romeo whom she met in a party in her hometown. He looked handsome and dashing in his own peculiar way. Never mind that he was height challenged at 4 feet 4 in and had web fingers and toes. He was an athlete and was the fastest swimmer in their town. His nickname was ‘AquaMan.’ All of these traits did not bother client; in fact, it was these traits that endeared him to her. She called him my “BB” for baby “beluga”. She reasoned that he would have no problem getting a job in California. Sea World in San Diego would certainly offer him a job to swim with the dolphins and whales. Well you know how the K-1 fiancée visa works. You have to prove to the INS that you met your loved one at least two years before the petition date with evidence consisting of pictures with dates on them, cards, letters, emails, the works. It’s just too bad that there is no camera that can take a picture of the real intent of the human heart. Client petitioned husband for his green card as soon as they were married. It wasn’t a $15M wedding like Kanye and Kim’s in 2014. Client’s reception was held in a popular restaurant a block from Trump Towers. All of client’s family, her brothers and sisters attended her wedding, all of them trying to convince her not to marry the guy. “Why him?” “You’re better off being single than marrying that human milkfish!” said her older brother. Her guest of honor, FBI director Comey said, “It just makes me nauseous to see you marry this guy, he looks fishy to me!” But despite all of the wellintentioned objections of family, friends and the FBI, client tied the knot. She charged their honeymoon, a 2-week cruise in the Mediterranean, to MasterCard. That was followed by a romantic river cruise at St. Petersburg in Russia and a 3-week Asian tour of China, Japan, Korea and all the Southeast Asian countries. The
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Debt Relief
Atty. LAwrence yAng honeymoon set her back $50K but thanks to MasterCard and visa, she was given the opportunity to make minimum payments of $1500 a month for the $50K of credit cards. Money she thought was well spent. It was her dream come true, to see the world with her prince charming. She was a certified nursing assistant who grossed $3K a month. Her take home pay is $2400. 62.5% of her take home pay or $1500 is for monthly minimum payments on her $50K credit cards. So she has $900 left before rent. They rent a
for divorce from client since he already got legalized and client had maxed out her credit cards. No more honeymoons for free around the world. Thus, being now of sound mind and body, client decided to forget her fake husband and start fresh without accumulated debt. She decided to discharge the $50K of credit cards with a Chapter 7 petition. Finally, she’s making the right decision for herself. Second client is 45. He owes $20K of credit cards. He pays $750 a month for minimum card payments. He is self-employed because he makes his living by driving full time for UBER. By full time, I mean 5 days a week. He has a late model SUV, which he pays $400 a month. His gas expense is $125 a week or $500 a month. So, if you are wondering how much you can make driving UBER 5 days a week, you will gross $3500, less $500 for gas. You can net about $3K without considering car insurance and car payments. In client’s case, he has family abroad and needs to send them money every month. So he decides to discharge his $20K of credit cards with Chapter 7, so he can send $750 back to his family monthly. I have another client who drives UBER part time. He has a full time job. He makes about $800 a month gross from UBER. If you are saddled with debt, now is the time to get them discharged. Better now than later when you are about to retire. But if you have not yet gotten rid of your debts yet and you are now a senior, believe me, you need to get rid of your debts now that your income is less than half of what it was when you were younger. If you need bankruptcy relief, please call my office for an appointment and I will analyze your case personally. “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” PHILIPPIANS 4:13H
If you are saddled with debt, now is the time to get them discharged.
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room for $600 so she has $300 left for food. What about her husband? Well, he did not want to work because he said that as head of family, she should be the one working. He decided he would just stay in the room and watch Disney movies the whole day. So, client decided to get a second job to pay for monthly necessities and the immigration lawyer fees for husband’s green card. Since the petition was filed before the Trump era, husband beneficiary was not fully vetted. He obtained FBI clearance despite Mr. Comey’s objections, and soon enough he became a legal permanent resident of our country which at that time was not “great again.” Our country, at that time, was just “so-so”. As it turned out, beloved husband was actually secretly married in his country of origin. So again, the FBI did not uncover this anomaly so the INS allowed a criminal bigamist to become a legal permanent resident. “Bigly Bad!” “That’s a no-no!” As soon as he got legalized, he disappeared. Client hired the best private investigator that money, or credit cards could buy. It was finally determined that he had gone to another state. He filed
*** 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)
JUNE 3
5th annual Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown The 5th Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown will be held on Saturday, June 3, beginning at 9 a.m. to celebrate the 119th Philippine Independence Day. LA Councilmember Mitch O’ Farrell of District 13 will be the guest speaker of the program. The assembly area is in front of the Silverlake Medical Center (SLMC) at Temple Street at 8:00 a.m. The parade starts at 9:00 a.m. and will end at the Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) compound. For more information please call Art at (213) 318-9065 or visit www.jfavusa.org.
Kalayaan Incorporated’s Philippine Independence Gala Night in Garden Grove, CA Kalayaan Incorporated Southern California, with the cooperation of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, invites you to its Gala Night in commemoration of the 119th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 3. It will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County (11999 Harbor Blvd. Garden Grove, California 92840). Doors open at 5 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:15 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. It is $75 / per ticket (pre-paid). Attire is formal/barong/Filipinana. For more information, please visit https://www. kalayaanincorporatedsocal.com/.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
Is real estate property...
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marriage. Marriage of Madsen (1982) 130 CA3d 426, 181 CR 910. During the marriage until the time of trial, the property has appreciated another $117,500 (property now valued at $182,500) while the mortgage has further declined by $9,200 up to the date of separation. The ratio at which community funds paid down the mortgage ($9,200) during the marriage to the original purchase price ($38,300) amounts to 24.02%. This percentage of the property appreciation during the marriage of $117,500 ($28,223.50) plus the reduction in mortgage balance during the marriage ($9,200) would constitute the community component of the real property. The rest was the husband’s separate property. The husband in that case was awarded his separate property component of the real property plus one half of the community property component. The Madsen apportionment
method is also applicable to situations where a community real property is later transmuted into one spouse’s separate property through execution of a quit claim by the other spouse but is subsequently paid using community funds. Marriage of Broderick
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are already married. Three, the parties can execute a transmutation agreement with a waiver of any family code section 2640 reimbursement claim. If your divorce case involves complex issues of asset distribution, it is best to retain the representation of competent counsel. ***
Generally, in California, property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is considered separate property under the family code section 770 while those acquired after marriage are considered community assets under family code section 760.
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(1989) 209 CA3d 489, 257 CR 397. Since California case law allows the creation of a community interest in real property acquired prior to marriage, one has to consider vehicles to protect themselves if you own property and you are contemplating of getting married. There are several ways of avoiding the creation of a community interest on your separate real property. One, you can sign a prenuptial agreement. Two, the parties can execute a postnuptial agreement if the parties
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, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a (Advertising Supplement) solicitation.
ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com. And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event. To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice. The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.
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People and Events
Filipino Cultural School opens up registration for summer 2017 Filipino Cultural School’s student registration is now open! Filipino Cultural School (FCS), based in Cerritos, California and other neighboring cities, is a nonprofit organization that educates the community at large specifically the youth about the Filipino and Filipino-American culture. One of its main programs for the year is the summer program geared to the preservation and promotion of the Philippine heritage and culture. FCS has and continues to be open to all. Filipinos and non-Filipinos who are interested in the Philippine culture are invited to attend. With the growing influence of American culture in our everyday lives, it is easy to forget where we came from and our origins. This growing impact,
without a doubt, affects the youth and can easily create a disparity between the American and Filipino cultures. FCS has encompassed and taught the youth the many different aspects of Filipino culture, such as dance, music, history, lifestyle, and language. The school has been running a summer educational program that teaches the youth about their Filipino culture. Furthermore, FCS strives to show the different sides of Filipino culture in hopes of preserving the culture for future generations. For information please visit FCS’ website at http://filipinoculturalschool.org. For any inquiries, feel free to contact at filipinoculturalschool@ gmail.com.
LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 20-23, 2017
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C MAY 20-23, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL
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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mAy 20-23, 2017
MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM
& Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ
DURING Pres. Trump’s candidacy, and after he was elected, he stated that among the ways he would combat terrorism would be through “extreme vetting,” which would include a “rigorous evaluation” of visa applicants to determine if they support terrorism. Recently, the State Department listed possible additional questions for visa applicants who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection with terrorism or Given its robust growth prospects and the surge in Chinese tourist arrivals, a top gaming analyst other national security-related predicted the Philippines to be the next big thing in Asian gaming. Inquirer.net photo visa ineligibilities, in order to more rigorously evaluate applicants for terrorism or other national security-related visa ineligibilities: If a person is suspected of having terrorist ties or sympathy for terrorists, he or she may be “I think the Philippines is prob- required to provide the followby Zinnia dela Peña ably one that comes to mind first ing information, if not already Philstar.com simply because we are seeing a included on an existing visa apMACAU – The Philippines is decent amount of growth in in- plication: seen to be the next big thing in bound Chinese volumes, but the • Travel history during the last Asian gaming given its robust real exciting part there is the local fifteen years, including source of growth prospects and the surge story, the local economy is doing in Chinese tourist arrivals, a top so well, gross gaming revenues gaming industry analyst said. are getting better and better and During the annual Global Gam- it’s not entirely dependent on the ing Expo (G2E) Asia convention, Chinese, so that’s interesting,” Union Gaming managing director Govertson said. Grant Govertson said while SingaGovertson said the Philippines pore, South Korea, and Vietnam enjoys a wide mix of nationalities are all playing their cards right, that play in its casinos. the Philippines could turn out to The Philippines is vying with be the ace in the pack given its Macau and Singapore to become growth story. PAGE D2
PH seen as next big thing in Asian gaming
Tax reform to upgrade Philippine credit rating
an upgrade (in credit ratings). I’m optimistic that we might get an Philstar.com upgrade,” Diokno told reporters MANILA - The Philippines on the sidelines of the Luzon leg of could potentially enjoy a credit the Open Government Dialogues rating upgrade should the govern- in Pasay City. Currently, the Philippines enment implement its tax reform program, Budget Secretary Ben- joys an investment grade status jamin Diokno said on Thursday, from credit rating agencies Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch May 18. Diokno said the approval of the Ratings. A rating upgrade could lead substitute tax reform bill in the Congress, despite the watered to lower interest rates and more down provisions, would put the investments for the Philippines. Diokno said the expected revPhilippines in a good fiscal position, and increase its chances for enues to be generated through the tax reform measures would a credit rating upgrade. “I think that (tax reform) will be incorporated in the national actually strengthen our position. budget for fiscal year 2018. PAGE D2 If we pass that, we might even get by Mary
Grace Padin
The Philippine stock barometer slipped on Friday, May 19.
Inquirer.net photo
Slower GDP growth, US political jitters drag market down by
doris duMlao-abadilla Inquirer.net
ThE local stock barometer slipped on Friday, May 19 on rising U.S. political jitters and slower-than-expected first quarter domestic economic growth alongside the liquidity-siphoning effect of two local initial public offerings in the market. The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index shed 68.84 points or 0.88 percent to close at 7,757.69, tracking the sell-off across U.S. and regional markets. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Index fell by 1.78 percent on concerns that the political turmoil involving President Donald Trump would jeopardize his tax and regulatory reforms. This is amid the brouhaha over Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey. “Rising U.S. political entropy is weighing on risk sentiment. US equity futures are retracing, implied volatility is rising, U.S. Treasury yields are falling and the dollar is softening,” Citigroup said in a research note. Citi said further deterioration in U.S. political climate might hurt sentiment more broadly. Meanwhile, the financial markets were disappointed with the 6.4 percent year-on-year first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate reported by the Philippines. This fell below
market consensus forecasts of 6.7 percent (Bloomberg survey) and 6.8 percent (Reuters survey). “Even with the slower GDP growth, we are maintaining our positive view on the economy and expect growth to rebound going forward,” COL Financial head of research April Lee-Tan said. In the first quarter, she noted that the private sector remained resilient as indicated by the 11.9percent increase in private construction and the 7.5-percent growth in manufacturing. “Moreover, these is a growing likelihood that the tax reform program will be passed soon. This should pave the way for faster economic growth going forward,” Tan said. At the local market, all counters declined but the steepest fall was seen by the property counter, which lost 1.57 percent. Value turnover for the day hit P7.49 billion. There were 124 decliners that edged out 74 advancers while 51 stocks were unchanged. Foreign investors were net sellers amounting to P549.37 million. Investors sold down shares of Ayala Land, Jollibee, PLDT and Metro Pacific, which all declined by over 2 percent. ICTSI and BDO also fell by over 1 percent. URC, SM Prime, JG Summit, Globe, Ayala Corp., Metrobank, AGI and Petron Corp. also contributed to the decline.
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Trump’s ‘extreme vetting’ of visa applicants funding for travel; • Address history during the last fifteen years; • Employment history during the last fifteen years; • All passport numbers and country of issuance held by the applicant; • Names and dates of birth for all siblings; • Name and dates of birth for all children; Names and dates of birth for all current and former spouses, or civil or domestic partners; • Social media platforms and identifiers, also known as handles, used during the last five years (such a Facebook, etc.); and • Phone numbers and email addresses used during the last five years. • People may also be required to turn over their cell phones, to see who they have been calling, etc. Most of this information is already collected on visa applications, but for a shorter time period, e.g. five years rather than fifteen years. Regarding travel history, applicants may be requested to provide details of their international or domestic
(within their country of nationality) travel, if it appears to the consular officer that the applicant has been in an area while the area was under the operational control of a terrorist organization. These questions may not always be required for every visa applicant. But you can see the type of information that may soon be required for anyone applying for a U.S. visa. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an
active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
Business Quote of the Week “Experience taught me a few things. One is to listen to your gut, no matter how good something sounds on paper. The second is that you’re generally better off sticking with what you know. And the third is that sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.” – Donald Trump, businessman and 45th president of the United States
D may 20-23, 2017 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOURNaL
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US, Legazpi to promote inclusive, South China Sea resources a pillar of economic growth, says MVP resilient urban development LEGAzPI CITy—The US Embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Susan Brems and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal signed a Memorandum of Understanding recently making Legazpi the seventh city in the Philippines to join USAID’s Cities Development Initiative (CDI). The USAID works closely with city governments outside Metro Manila to fulfill their potential as engines of inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and resilient growth. In Legazpi City, USAID will provide a range
of technical assistance in the areas of economic growth, health, environment, governance, and education. “Legazpi City is a key driver of growth in the Bicol region, with tremendous potential to pursue inclusive development in surrounding localities in Albay and beyond,” Brems said. After the signing Rosal said “[Legazpi] City will be able to enhance its competitiveness and acquire the knowledge and skills to address disaster risks. These [projects]will help sustain our city’s development.” The USAID director capped
her visit with a trip to the rice fields of Polangui town. In partnership with the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office 5 and local governments of Polangui, Albay and Buhi and Nabua, Camarines Sur, USAID has increased 600 upland Bicol farmers’ resilience to extreme weather by introducing farming advisories and technology such as small-scale irrigation systems. Other USAID CDI partner cities currently include Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran and zamboanga. (ManilaTimes.net)
PH on cusp of turning into FDI powerhouse by Richmond
meRcuRio Philstar.com
MANILA - The Philippines is on the brink of becoming a foreign direct investment (FDI) juggernaut in the Southeast Asia due to reforms being undertaken by the Duterte administration, which has partially taken away the spotlight on the President’s war on drugs from the eyes of foreign investors. Foreign businessmen, whose confidence in the Philippines were earlier rocked by President Duterte’s controversial pronouncements, are now slowly getting back to their bullish ways in line with the government’s programs which, among others, include higher infrastructure spending, easing of
economic restrictions in the Constitution, and tax reforms. “The good news is that if the Duterte infrastructure spending increases can be combined with foreign investment opening reforms in public utilities and retail trade and reforms in agribusiness and mining sectors, the Philippines could move past Malaysia in FDI,” American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes told The STAR. The country’s net FDI last year zoomed 40 percent to a new record level of $7.9 billion, exceeding the full-year target of $6.7 billion from $5.64 billion in 2015. “The Philippines is already surpassing Thailand in FDI inflow, a
paltry $2.5 billion in 2016 as that country has encountered political and labor challenges. But Malaysia at $13.2 billion or 67 percent more (than that of the Philippines) and Vietnam at $15.8 billion or 100 percent more should remain in third and fourth place after Indonesia and Singapore,” Forbes said. According to European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Guenter Taus, the Philippines’ share to total FDI inflows in the region stood at only 4.7 percent last year despite the growth it recorded, while countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam contributed 50.7 percent, 14 percent and 9.8 percent, PAGE D3
by AudRey
moRAllo Philstar.com
MANILA — Manny Pangilinan, the chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MIPC), said that the resources in South China Sea could be one of the major pillars of Philippine growth as he called on the private sector to help the government in growing the economy. During the BusinessWorld Economic Forum in Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City on Friday, May 19, Panglinan said that although not yet visible in the economic radars of businessmen, South China Sea held vast amounts of resources that could spur Philippine economic growth. “The South China Sea and its resource potential are something that probably are not visible on our economic radars,” Pangilinan said in his keynote address. The MIPC chairman said that with the impending depletion of the gas reserves at Malampaya, the Philippines should start looking for other sources. Otherwise, he said, the country would have to import this source of energy. “We simply cannot leave the three gas plants we have of about two or three thousand megawatts that are in Batangas stranded,” Pangilinan said as he also warned that failure to look for other energy sources could result in a slew of blackouts hitting the country. Pangilinan however admitted that exploring the potential of
Manny Pangilinan, the chairman of the Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, said that the resources of the South China Sea could be a pillar of Philippine economy growth.
South China Sea would be difficult without getting Chinese cooperation. Hence, the first critical step is to determine if there are indeed gas resources in the area. China claims almost the entire South China Sea where U.S. $5 billion worth of trade passes through yearly. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have rival claims over the area. According to Pangilinan, the best estimates of resources at North Bank in South China Sea put gas reserves there at 2.6 trillion cubic feet of gas, about the size of Malampaya when it opened. This is on top of around 65 million barrels of oil that could possibly be found in the location. Pangilinan said that the open and constructive approach of President Rodrigo Duterte was encouraging as the Philippines would need to deal with Beijing because it was an economic and military superpower. “We need to deal with China. They are undoubtedly a military and economic superpower,” he said. Aside from the potential resources in the South China Sea, Pangilinan also mentioned the government’s tax reform, infrastructure drive and investments in businesses as the other drivers of Philippine economy. Pangilinan said that comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) of the government would make the tax system simpler and
fairer by decreasing the number of tax brackets and reducing the tax rate for low-income groups. Corporations will also benefit from the reform the tax system of the country as it would lower tax rates for them, according to Pangilinan. “CTRP is central to Dutertenomics. It is in fact the catalyst to the government’s 10-point economic program. That is why I believe the business sector should support it,” said Pangilinan who noted that the government needed the money to be generated by the CTRP to fund its infrastructure projects and investments in education, healthcare and social safety nets. Pangilinan said that the government’s increase infrastructure spending would also spur economic development. He said that with the government’s plan spending for infrastructure would rise from 5.4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to 7.4 percent of the GDP. He however recognized that there might be dangers in this platform of the government. It is important for the country to maintain robust economic growth to accommodate the debts that the Philippines will incur with these plans, according to Pangilinan. “That’s why it’s important for business to support in whatever way we can to keep the GDP growing at 6 to 7 percent,” he said. He also asked the government PAGE D3
Tax reform to upgrade... PAGE D1 “It will already be included in the 2018 (budget), because it might get approved in the House of Representatives before end of May,” Diokno said. According to the latest estimates of the Department of Finance (DOF), the substitute tax reform currently being deliberated in the House of Representatives could yield P82.3 billion in additional revenues for the government. This is lower by almost half than the P157.2 billion in projected revenue in the original proposal of the DOF, augmented by proceeds from complementary measures. Despite the lower than expected revenues, Diokno assured the government would be able to manage its fiscal deficit at around three percent of the GDP. “It’s not strictly three percent, it could be 3.2 percent next year, then 2.8 percent the following year, as long as it’s steady at around three percent,” Diokno said. Sought for comment, Emilio Neri, chief economist at the Bank of the Philippine Islands said a credit rating upgrade as a result
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the approval of the substitute tax reform bill in the Congress, despite the watered down provisions, would put the Philippines in a good fiscal position, and increase its chances for a credit rating upgrade. Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales
of tax reform is a possibility, but “not a guarantee.” “There are issues about the timing of implementation, how watered down it will be, and on whether it will be enough to fund the government’s plan to spend,” Neri said in a text message. “I’m not sure how the rating agencies perceive a shift from ODA funding vs provate and market led funding of PPPs,” he said.
PH seen as next big thing... PAGE D1 Asia’s top gaming destination with the opening of the Pagcor Entertainment City, Manila’s version of a Las-Vegas like gaming strip along Manila Bay. Three of the planned four large-scale gaming resorts in Entertainment City have already started operations. These include ports magnate Enrique Razon’s Bloomberry Resorts Corp., City of Dreams Manila of Macau casino giant Melco Crown and tycoon Henry Sy’s Belle Corp., and Okada Manila of Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada. The Philippines presents an attractive alternative for the wealthy Chinese gamblers. Improving bilateral relations between China and the Philippines along with President Duterte’s efforts to ramp up infrastructure spending will increase the number of Chinese visitors. The government has committed to spend about $8 trillion to ramp up spending on roads, airports, seaports and railways to attract more investors and generate jobs. Praveen Choudhary, managing director at Morgan Stanley, also thinks the Philippines may be the next best bet for investors looking to put their money into casinos. “I do agree the Philippines
looks like the market to watch out for. I think the gambling appetite in Asia is still humongous, as long as you can build a casino, integrated resort and offer good food and entertainment. I think you can keep getting more and more out of it. I will not be surprised if I hear more success in the future,” Choudhary said. Choudhary noted Philippine casinos do not rely too heavily on China’s VIP market. Philippine casinos posted more than 100 percent growth in VIP revenues from high-rollers last year as it benefited from the Chinese government’s crackdown on corruption in Macau. Nationwide casino gross gaming revenue grew 20 percent in the nine months ending September last year to P99.77 billion. G2E Asia is the international gaming trade show and conference for the Asian gaming industry. Organized by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibition, G2E Asia made its debut in 2007, defining itself as the preeminent show for the Asian gaming-entertainment industry. The three-day conference, which kicked off Tuesday, intends to foster learning, present emerging opportunities and highlight the latest global industry trends.
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Economic team moves to change Duterte image EU now top destination for Philippine exports
THE Duterte administration is planning to hold more forums on its flagship infrastructure development program, dubbed “Dutertenomics,” in a bid to rebrand the President beyond his infamous reputation in the bloody drug war, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said. Lopez told reporters in a briefing that Cabinet officials might choose to include the forum in future overseas trips of President Duterte. “That one we can say ‘yes’ because we really want our socioeconomic agenda, our
Dutertenomics be understood by the world and for the world to appreciate that President Duterte is not just about drugs, peace and order but really goes beyond that and is really concerned for bringing prosperity to all Filipinos, addressing inequality,” he said. Top government officials have led two forums overseas since the first Dutertenomics forum was launched in April. Led by the economic managers, the forum—with a tagline “Build! Build! Build!”—has been held in Cambodia and Beijing. he team presented the Dutertenomics in front of Chinese
media and companies, outlining the big-ticket projects included in the P8.4-trillion infrastructure spending program for the entire six years of the administration. Amid improving relations with China, the Philippines was invited to join the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. The move to hold more Dutertenomics forums overseas will help provide a counter-narrative to President Duterte, whose reputation has been consistently criticized in international headlines for his violent war on drugs. (Inquirer.net)
to assess if it had the capacity to executive these big-ticket projects. Miguel Belmonte, the president and chief executive officer (CEO) of BusinessWorld, agreed with Pangilinan that infrastructure was a pillar of Philippine economic growth. In his opening remarks, Belmonte said that a central piece of the local economic puzzle was the money the government would al-
PH on cusp of turning into FDI...
PAGE D2 respectively. Given these numbers, Taus said the Philippines’ FDI inflow levels has to grow at a much faster pace than that of its neighbors to top the league. “Regardless, we believe that the Philippines has a lot to offer, and that it can significantly prosper especially if it consistently pursues the creation of a more competitive business environment in the following areas such as implementation of Philippine Competition Law, sanctity of contracts, tax reform, fiscal incentives regime, transparency and integrity, judicial reform, intellectual property rights protection, and partnership with local government units in increasing ease of doing business,” he said. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said he sees the country having a stronger position as one of the most preferred FDI destinations in the region in the next few years given the huge and relevant infrastructure spending and trade and investment reforms of the government. The target, he said, is for the
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MANILA - Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s series of expletives against the regional grouping, the European Union was the largest destination of exports from the Philippines with $901 million in March this year, latest data the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed. The EU overtook the United States and Japan in March, making the EU largest exporting partner of the Philippines that month. In the first quarter, Philippine exports to the EU consist 15.5 percent of total, a growth of 48.3 percent, making the EU the biggest and fastest growing export locate for roads, bridges, airports of what it calls ‘Dutertenomics,’” market for Philippine goods. Growth was triggered by a he said. and transportation systems. number of factors, primarily The last pillar of economic Belmonte also recognized that infrastructure could be mired growth according to Pangilinan strong growth of and demand in with many difficulties such as is the investments of the govern- the EU economy (+1.9 percent); issues with right of way, delays, ment in businesses that would and an uptake of exports of the agri-food sector (overall growth inadequate funding, endless re- complement its projects. He cited as an example in- of exports of 33.6 percent) supbidding and corruption. “We are pleased that in its bid vestments in tourism, hotels, ported by EU’s generous GSP+ to spur national development the restaurants and recreational fa- trade benefits. European Union Ambassador government is dead set in making cilities that could be done once the golden age of infrastructure an airport had been constructed Franz Jessen said “this seems to confirm messages I hear in the happen behind the framework in an area. country of increasing production and EU demand in manufacturing and agri-food products.” “EU’s trade agenda is one of fair trade and of leaving nobody country to rank between the top nance,” the FICC said. behind. And even though statisCited as reasons on why the tics are indications, these figures three to five in the region in the Philippines is the best investment next three to five years. Businessmen from Israel were destination in the region include among those in the global com- the country’s stable and resilient munity which consider the country economic growth, good position as a rising force to reckon with in in global competitiveness rankby raadee S. SauSa the region as far as investment at- ings, and positive investment ManilaTimes.net grades from major credit-rating tractiveness is concerned. The Federation of Israeli Cham- agencies. THE Management Association Aside from these, the FCCI said of the Philippines (MAP) supports bers of Commerce (FICC) recently published a special newsletter the country’s location also serves a holistic approach to develop an on the Philippines titled “Philip- as a critical entry point to over aviation system for the Greater pines—Your Next Investment 600 million people in the ASEAN Manila Area and Luzon, which market and a natural gateway to means upgrading the Ninoy Destination in Asia.” The country newsletter, which the East-Asian economies. Aquino International Airport The Philippines, it said, is lo- (NAIA) and making Clark airport was made available to FICC’s 3,000 members in Israel, provided an cated at the heart of ASEAN which an alternative. overview of the Philippine econ- became a fully integrated economy The rapid increase in visitor omy and opportunities that one in 2015 and is likewise placed at volume, mostly passing through of the emerging economies of the the crossroads of international the NAIA, calls for immediate shipping and airlines. region has to offer. action and harnessing available “The economic development in resources to provide the needed “The Philippines has come a long way from being an economic the Philippines has many opportu- infrastructure and management laggard in Asia to one of the fastest nities for Israeli companies in both support for the growing number growing economies in the world in export and import. In addition, of air passengers, it said. the last eight years. Its economy the new administration headed In a statement on Thursday, continues to show strong macro- by President Duterte is very in- MAP said its welcomes the aneconomic fundamentals, growing terested in promoting business nouncements of the government foreign direct investments, high and economic ties with Israel,” to undertake infrastructure deexport rates and robust domestic said Ron Doron, vice president of velopment, an indispensable consumption, supported by eco- the Chamber of Commerce Israel- component of a holistic aviation nomic reforms and good gover- Asia. system.
South China Sea resources a pillar of...
PAGE D2
by Pia Lee-Brago
The EU overtook the United States and Japan in March, making the EU largest exporting partner of the Philippines that month.
surely help the Philippines achieving its inclusive growth agenda,” he said. Growing trade and investments, Jessen said, is one of the most important features of the EU-Philippines thriving relations. The EU is the largest foreign investor in the Philippines, providing an estimated 500,000 jobs. Since December 2015, the Philippines is the only ASEAN country to enjoy the concrete benefits of the Special Incentive Arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance, GSP+ status, with duty free exports of 66 percent tariff lines, worth around €1.6 billion in 2016. “These economic gains help
the country not only economically, but also to strengthen implementation of core international conventions on labor rights, environment protection, governance and human rights,” he said. “We are the largest global market and the leading foreign investor in most parts of the globe,” he added. He stressed that the EU has achieved this strong position by acting together with one voice on the global stage, by playing a key role in removing barriers to trade as a member of the World Trade Organization, as well as concluding bilateral trade deals with many important partners around the world—such as the recent CETA deal with Canada.
‘Upgrade NAIA and link to Clark airport,’ says MAP “We fully support the plan of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to optimize, through upgrades, the existing NAIA while redeveloping the Clark International Airport,” it said. The association noted that Tokyo is expanding Haneda airport to supplement Narita. Shanghai has its HongXiao in addition to Pudong. Berlin’s Tempelhoff continues to operate in addition to Tegel. Washington D.C. has Reagan National besides Dulles and Baltimore. “We back the decision of DoTr to maintain and upgrade NAIA, a valuable state asset. Upgrading the existing NAIA facilities now will provide early and welcome relief to the present problem of severe passenger and aircraft traffic congestion at a time well within the term of the current administration,” it said. “Pending completion of the
upgrades, one quick way of mitigating the congestion in NAIA is to make Clark attractive as an alternate departure and arrival airport through appropriate inducements,” MAP noted. A fast train plying the TutubanClark route has been presented as part of the “Build, Build, Build” initiative under Dutertenomics. This is the second important component of the proposed aviation system, next to the two gateways. A fast train link will enable Clark to support NAIA while serving the needs of travelers to and from Central and Northern Luzon. For better connectivity and convenience of the traveling public, “we suggest that the proposed fast train to Clark be extended to NAIA, instead of terminating at Tutuban, Manila,” MAP said.
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