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Volume 28 - No. 13 • 2 Sections – 16 pages
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FROM THE AJPREss NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
ICE arrests two undocumented Filipinos in Pacific Northwest
TWO undocumented Filipinos were among the 84 foreign nationals arrested by the United states Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late March for violating immigration laws or posing a public safety threat. In an effort to crackdown on undocumented immigrants with criminal records, ICE conducted a three-day operation in Oregon, Washington and Alaska from March 25-27. Of those arrested, 77 were men and 7 women. sixty had criminal histories “including prior convictions for sex crimes, drug offenses, and domestic violence,” the agency said in a statement. Nineteen had been previously convicted of driving under the influence. Individuals targeted were “criminal aliens who pose a public safety threat and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including those who re-entered the country after being deported and im-
april 6-12, 2017
Pulse Asia: President Duterte’s performance, trust scores drop Palace downplays ratings decline
by AJPress WHILE nearly eight out of 10 Filipinos remain appreciative of his achievements and express trust in him, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance and trust ratings both experienced a decline in the first quarter of 2017, according to a recent survey by Pulse Asia. Figures from the poll showed that
Duterte’s performance and trust ratings dropped by five percentage points and seven percentage points, respectively. From 83 percent in December last year, Duterte’s performance rating decreased to 78 percent in March. His trust rating, meanwhile, slid from 83 percent to 78 percent in the same period. On the other hand, 15 percent and 18 percent of respondents expressed in-
decision towards his performance and trustworthiness respectively. “There are hardly any changes in the performance and trust ratings of President Duterte during the period December 2016 to March 2017,” Pulse Asia said in its news release. “The only significant movement occurring at this time is the drop of the president’s national trust rating (-7 percentage points).” Figures revealed that Duterte scored
PH-US relations still ‘robust’ — DFA
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Duterte supporters call for Robredo’s removal during ‘Palit Bise’ rally
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THE bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the United states “remains robust and very active,” according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Acting DFA secretary Enrique Manalo made the affirmation during a televised forum this week regarding the upcoming Association of southeast Asian Nations (AsEAN) summit. “Our relationship with the U.s. remains very robust and active,” Manalo told reporters on Tuesday, April 4. Noting that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has spoken with U.s. President Donald Trump earlier this year, Manalo said that Manila is considering opportunities “to increase the number of discussions” with Washington.
the highest ratings — in the case of both his performance and trustworthiness — in Mindanao, earning 88 percent performance and 90 percent trust rates, followed by Visayas (86 percent and 84 percent respectively), and Metro Manila (73 percent and 74 percent respectively). In collective Luzon, meanwhile, he had an approval rating of 71 percent
by Dana
SioSon AJPress
BOY SCOUTS. President Duterte gives a high five to kid scout Cyrelle Kean Adolfo after the Chief Executive was installed as the chief scout of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines at Malacañang on Monday, April 3. Looking on are BSP officials Wendel Avisado and Cedrick Train. Duterte told the young scouts who were at Malacañang for an event to enter the Philippine Military Academy. The chief executive made the comments at the Scouts’ Day Celebration in the Palace. Philstar.com photo Krizjohn Rosales
THOUsANDs of supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gathered on sunday, April 2 at Manila’s Rizal Park calling for Vice President Leni Robredo to step down from office. The rally, dubbed as “Palit Bise” (change the vice president), was reportedly led the president’s vocal supporters, including Mocha Uson, singer Jimmy Bondoc, and lawyer Bruce Rivera. The rallyists, mostly clad in red shirts, slammed Robredo for her remarks against some of Duterte’s policies, particularly her video message sent to the
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Vice President Leni Robredo
NDF orders Aquino’s arrest, trial Filipino Raiders fans mourn teams’ move from Oakland to Vegas over violent Kidapawan dispersal by Jun
by AJPress
nucum
Inquirer.net
THE National Democratic Front (NDF) in southern Mindanao is calling for the arrest of former President Benigno simeon Aquino III and other government officials for crimes against humanity reportedly
OAKLAND — The news was not totally unexpected. But like losing dear, ailing family member, it still hurt when it finally came.
committed during the violent dispersal of protesting farmers in Kidapawan last year. In a statement issued during the one-year anniversary of the incident on saturday, April 1, the NDF claimed that Aquino and other officials perpetrated “war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of in-
ternational humanitarian law and international human rights law.” NDF said the indictment “effectively prescribed the arrest” of Aquino and the other individuals. Among the officials tagged in the allegations were North Cotabato gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, Kidapawan City Mayor Jo-
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Int’l human rights group ‘deeply concerned over’ Sen. De Lima’s arrest, eyes PH visit by Dana
SioSon AJPress
Liz Medrano and her boyfriend who converted her from being a San Francisco 49er fan to a diehard Oakland Raider watched the Raiders in the Coliseum whenever they could.
Promising 15-year-old Filipino Persian American Mehdi Mehr, US National Football Team defensive lineman, says that the Raiders may deserve their own stadium in Las Vegas, but they have a solid fan base here in the Bay Area. Inquirer.net contributed photos
The controversial plan to move the much-loved National Football League (NFL) team Oakland Raiders from its present home of more than four decades at the Coliseum in Oakland had been talked about for a while. Now that it’s happening—the team is moving to Las Vegas—the Raider Nation, which includes a lot of Filipino Americans has fallen into deep gloom.
Erick Maglalang has been a Raider fan for a long time even when he was not an Oakland resident. It was not because of the players, but rather because of the community known as the Raider Nation whose members belong to different ethnicities, class backgrounds and lifestyles. All nation members claim to have
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ExPREssINg ‘deep concern’ over the detention of senator Leila De Lima, a global inter-parliamentary institution passed a resolution on Wednesday, April 5, calling for a visit to the Philippines. During its 136th Assembly in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CHRP) adopted a resolution “calling for a mission to the Philippines where it is deeply concerned over the detention of Photo shows Sen. Leila de Lima in her cell at Camp Crame, inside the National senator Leila de Lima and the accusations Police Headquarters in Quezon City. Despite being denied a laptop or a phone,
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she tries to keep up with her Senate business.
Photo by Felipe Villamor
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From The FronT Page
Pulse Asia: President Duterte’s... PAGE A1
and trust rating of 67 percent. The poll, which was conducted from March 15 to 20 using face-toface interviews among 1,200 adult respondents, has a marginal error of Âą 3 percent and confidence level of 95 percent. Despite the drop in ratings, MalacaĂąang said the majority of the Filipinos “continue to embraceâ€? Duterte’s “vision of a nation that works for the prosperity
of all.� In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte’s continued high approval shows that “the majority appreciate [his] decisiveness� despite criticisms against his administration’s policies. “The people continue to embrace the president’s vision of a nation that works for the prosperity of all; a trustworthy government; and lasting peace, consider-
ing that the survey coincided with vicious noise from the president’s fiercest critics; the filing of an impeachment complaint last March 16; the Senate appearance of a self-confessed but perjured assassin; human rights reports highly critical of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drug traffickers and violators; the internationally aired video message of Vice President Robredo,� Abella said.
PH-US relations still ‘robust’... PAGE A1 “We are in touch with the United States in various levels. I think the opportunity for us here is to increase the discussion with US officials,� Manalo remarked. “The key is managing tensions while improving relations. Our goal is to make our region prosperous.� According to him, the ASEAN ministers are also looking forward to have a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
“ASEAN Ministers are hoping to have a meeting with Secretary Tillerson. It’s only a matter of scheduling problems,� Manalo said. He went on to say, “I think the State Department is still in the process of reorganizing and I think we also have to give them some time but in the meantime we are, as much as possible trying to maintain contacts.� With the Philippines as its chair, the upcoming 30th ASEAN summit will be held from April 26 to 29
at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex in Pasay City. Manalo said that the Philippine government is “trying to maintain contact with the view of enhancing our bilateral cooperation with the United States� and also “at the regional level in the ASEAN context.� “The U.S. should continue to be positively engaged in the (Southeast Asian) region,� Manalo added. “We hope U.S. would promote greater security cooperation.� (AJPress)
Duterte supporters call for Robredo’s... PAGE A1 United Nations last month in which she criticized the administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. They also called on the president’s critics to stop shaming him. “To us, palit bise can mean three things. Some are saying palit bise means to impeach, some people say to resign. Some people say to change VP, meaning magbago kayo VP something like that. Whatever they choose among the options, we’re all united by one fact that the Vice President has not done [her] job in strengthening the administration,� Bondoc, an official for the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Duterte, meanwhile, was tightlipped when asked about the rally against the vice president. “Ayaw ko mag-comment diyan, mahirap ‘yan (I do not want to comment, that is difficult),� he told reporters during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City. The president previously expressed his opposition to any impeachment attempt against Robredo and told her critics to “lay off.� Robredo’s camp, on the other hand, downplayed the rally. In a statement, the vice president’s legal counsel lawyer Barry Gutierrez noted that Duterte showed respect for Robredo’s mandate to serve in the country’s second-highest post. “Malinaw na batay sa huli nilang pagkikita, nakatutok ang Pangulo at Pangalawang Pangulo sa kani-kanilang trabaho. May kapwa paggalang sa mandato ng bawat isa (It was clear that based on their latest meeting, both the president and vice president are focused on their own jobs. They
‘PALIT-BISE.’ Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte demanded the resignation or impeachment of Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo during a rally at Rizal Park on Sunday, April 2, for supposedly besmirching the country’s reputation before the international community. Photo by Russell Palma / ManilaTimes
both respect each other’s mandate),� Gutierrez said. The country’s two top officials last met during the graduating ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on March 12 in Baguio City. “Kung sa kabila nito may iilang supporter ng Pangulo na nagpupumilit pa ring lumihis sa pasya niyang ito, siguro sa kanya sila dapat magpaliwanag (If, despite this, some of the President’s supporters still insist in contradicting his stance, then maybe they should explain it to him),� Gutierrez added. Despite the criticism, Robredo said she did not regret decrying the alleged human rights abuses in Duterte’s drug war before the UN. In an earlier interview with radio DZMM on Tuesday, March 28, Robredo also said she was planning to meet with Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno after Holy Week to provide him details
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about “palit-ulo� or “exchange of head� scheme. Sueno, however, was removed from from his post as the DILG chief on Monday, April 3. In her video message, Robredo defined the alleged “exchange of head� as a police scheme in which “the wife, husband or relative in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.� While the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed the existence of the so-called “palit-ulo� (exchange of head) scheme in the government’s war against illegal drugs, insisted that it was far different from Vice Robredo’s definition. Police Chief General Ronald “Bato� Dela Rosa clarified that “exchange of head� refers to a practice wherein arrested drug pushers can reveal their supplier or higher drug lords in exchange of being charged with a lighter offense.
FLOODED CEREMONY. Without shoes and sandals, 97 Grade 6 pupils graduated with their heads held high in Lamitan City, Basilan on Tuesday, April 4 despite flooding at the ceremony venue. The students of Balas Elementary School in Barangay Balas were in their school uniforms for the simple graduation rites in the school’s multipurpose hall when it began to rain heavily. Maria Nava, the school principal, said the incessant rain came as they were already in the middle of the graduation rites. Philstar.com photo
Int’l human rights group ‘deeply concerned... PAGE A1 that she was involved in drug trafficking.� Emphasizing that De Lima has been a vocal critic of Philippine President Duterte, the IPU took note that the senator led a series of investigations into the alleged extrajudicial killings when Duterte was mayor of Davao City and when he started to wage a war against illegal drugs last year. “It is crucial that this delegation meets with the relevant parliamentary, executive, and judicial authorities and Senator De Lima and her lawyers, along with any third party likely to assist it in its work,� the committee said. De Lima was arrested on February 24 for allegedly violating the Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 20. She was accused of profiting from the illegal drug trade at New Bilibid Prison (NBP) when she was the justice secretary. The committee also thanked Philippine Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, who attended
the assembly, for “welcoming� the delegation’s future visit “in order to address the concerns and questions that have arisen in this case.� Pimentel, for his part, confirmed that he has invited the IPU to visit the country, but said he was unaware of its adopted resolution. “What resolution is that? I’m not aware hence I cannot comment. But about their visit, yes I invited them to visit the Philippines,� Pimentel told Rappler. In its draft resolution, the CHRP said there is serious reason to believe De Lima has been “targeted due to her outspoken criticism of the impact of the current government’s policies on human rights in the Philippines.� It noted that the timing of the accusations against the senator coincided with the inquiry she launched in the Senate and the reported public statements made by Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II about her case. “The statements made by Presi-
dent Duterte and the Secretary of Justice flout the principle of the presumption of innocence, portraying Senator de Lima as guilty before legal proceedings have even started,� the resolution read. “Their statements, first and foremost those of the Head of State, forcibly carry great weight and may put undue pressure on the course of the criminal cases.� The CHRP said it “fails to understand how the accusations� against De Lima, “make sense,� pointing out that she “has been the one taking action against the alleged drug trafficking in NBP.� The committee called on the relevant authorities “to ensure full respect for Senator de Lima’s right to a fair trial, taking due account of all the facts and relevant legal provisions.� Established in 1889, the IPU aims to “promote democracy, equality, human rights, development and peace.� The Philippines is among its 171-member parliament.
Filipino Raiders fans mourn teams’... PAGE A1 one passion – the love for the Raiders, win or lose. “When I heard the news that the NFL team owners gave the gosignal for the Raiders to transfer to Las Vegas., I was both shocked and saddened. For me, Oakland is the birthplace of the Raiders where the solid community is, although they have also been to Los Angeles. If only the Raider nation only had enough resources, it would build the stadium for the team,� Pampanga native Maglalang rued. “Team owner Mark Davis is only thinking about his own needs. When I saw them in the news, I see old guys so are not as passionate as their much younger fans are. They looked as if they are
Oaklander Erick Maglalang (right with wife, AJ) has been a Raider fan not because of the players, but rather because of the diverse community referred to as the Raider Nation. Inquirer.net contributed photo
about to retire and are thinking of their own business, their own benefits. It is all about money, money and more money. But the Raider fans, in turn, work hard and spend their hard-earned money just to see their team in action. But to make them go now to Las Vegas just to watch the game, that is not justified.� Maglalang confesses that although he loves the Raiders he would rather spend his money on something more worthwhile than go to Las Vegas to watch them. He wished the Raiders would share the Levi’s stadium with the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara. A Raider convert, who used to adore the San Francisco 49ers but followed his boyfriend’s NFL choice, University of California in Hastings law student Liz Medrano’s immediate reaction was also sadness, even for someone who was not a lifelong Raiders fan.
“I was immediately drawn into Raider Nation even if they weren’t playing well at all; but the fans were so faithful and so excited every single game. It was intoxicating and I immediately became a fan too,� Medrano said. “The city of Oakland and the Raider are so inherently tied together–there is so much history and passion as well as SO many emotions involved. Going to games at the Coliseum and going to the tailgates have this feeling of home and family, so this move to Las Vegas is really hard to accept,� an emotional Medrano added. Medrano also does not find it justifiable that the Raiders management decided for the transfer despite a $1.3 billion stadium proposal from Oakland civic and business leaders. She expected that there should have been more patience and more thought given PAGE A4
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Dateline USa
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 6-12, 2017
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Pacquiao-Horn match confirmed by Dana
SioSon AJPress
Filipino boxing champion Manny “pacman” pacquiao has signed a contract for a July match against olympian Jeff Horn in Australia, Top Rank chief Bob Arum disclosed on Tuesday, April 4. Speaking to lance pugmire of the los Angeles Times, Arum said pacquiao will defend his World Boxing organization (WBo) welterweight title against Horn on July 1 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. other details, however, have yet to be finalized. “We’re slowly finishing up the deal to fight,” Arum told the ARMY DAY. President Rodrigo Duterte troops the line during the observance of the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio newspaper. “people have agreed on Tuesday, April 4. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan on essential points.” “paperwork takes time, particularly when it’s not the usual thing of getting it done in the United States. We’re dealing PAGE A1 farmers in Kidapawan City, Co- sured that Aquino and the other with an Australian promoter, the seph Evangelista, north Cotabato tabato protested the alleged lack officials tagged by nDF will be Representative nancy Catamco, of assistance from the local gov- protected. “Security measures are in several Government of the Re- ernment amid the worsening El public of the philippines (GRp) niño. Two protesting farmers place to guarantee the protection civilian personalities, and other were killed and more than a doz- of the former president and other en others were injured during the personalities mentioned by the military and police officers. announcement of the national nDF said that “after due trial incident. The group also said that the Democratic Front,” presidential by ED MargarEth Barahan by a people’s Court,” the responInquirer.net dents must “be meted out with “willful shooting that resulted in Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said multiple violent deaths and seri- in a statement. appropriate penalties” Refusing to recognize nDF’s “The people’s Democratic ous injuries, the incarceration HUMAn Rights Watch reGovernment found compelling and the maltreatment of civilians, “indictment,” Malacañang main- searcher Carlos Conde on Thursevidence that the ‘gross neglect were all deliberate acts of aggres- tained that “only the appropriate day defended New York Times and apathy and willful acts and/of sion against defenseless civilians body can rule on the issue.” (nYT) against Malacañang’s ac“We only have one government cusation that the publication is omissions’ of the named-respon- and vulnerable sections of the dents violated the fundamental civilian population long consid- and one justice system in the doing a “demolition job” on presirights of the civilians guaranteed ered under iHl (international philippines,” Abella said. “only dent Rodrigo Duterte. in international tenets, covenants Humanitarian law) as protected the appropriate body can rule on “We have to keep in mind, itong the issue of the violent dispersal New York Times, 166 years na ito, and instruments,” the group said. persons.” in response, Malacañang as- of farmers in Kidapawan.” on April 1, 2016, at least 6,000 mas matanda pa ito sa Republika ng pilipinas, at hindi ito naging respetado na diyaryo sa buong mundo ng basta-basta, pinaghirapan ito, hindi lang basta-basta PAGE A1 magpapagamit ito,” Conde, who eral prosecution for re-entry af- earlier in March. migration fugitives ordered de- ter deportation, a felony punishGalleon, who reportedly did is a former correspondent of the ported by federal immigration able by up to 20 years in prison, not have a criminal record, is publication said in an interview judges,” iCE explained. considered to be the first Fili- with GMA’s “news To Go.” iCE said. (The New York Times is older Bryan Wilcox, acting field ofHowever, those “not being pino deported under the Trump than the Republic of the Philipfice director for iCE’s Enforce- criminal prosecuted will be administration. ment and Removal operations processed for removal from the in addition to the two Fili- pines, and this didn’t become a (ERo) in Seattle, said the three- country,” while those who have pinos, nationals from Mexico, respectable newspaper just like day sweep highlights iCE’s outstanding orders of deporta- Guatemala, Honduras, El Sal- that; they worked hard for it, “commitment to promoting tion or those who returned to vador, United Kingdom, Cam- they’re not just gonna let it be public safety through the pur- the U.S. illegally after being bodia, Brazil, laos, Western used by anyone.) “Hindi kapani-paniwala, taliwas suit of targeted criminals resid- previously deported are “sub- Samoa, Myanmar, and Russia ing in the U.S. illegally.” ject to immediate removal from were also arrested in the pacific iyang sinasabi nila na bayaran ang nYT pagdating sa mga nilalathala “our officers will continue the country.” northwest. in their efforts to create safer iCE said it carries out target- na reports nito,” he added. The identities of the two Fili(It’s not believable, what they’re communities by identifying and pinos and their convictions have ed enforcement operations daily saying about NYT that it’s being removing those not willing to not been released, as of press across the country. comply with U.S. laws,” Wilcox time. These arrests come after “Those persons will be evalu- paid to write their reports is conadded. Rey Galleon, an undocumented ated on a case by case basis and, tradictory.) presidential spokesperson Some of the individuals ar- Filipino living in Southern Cali- when appropriate, arrested by rested during the enforcement fornia, was deported following iCE,” the agency added. (Chris- Ernesto Abella earlier said that in just one week, the new York action will be presented for fed- an encounter with iCE agents tina M. Oriel / AJPress)
NDF orders Aquino’s arrest, trial over...
state government. Here, in this case, you’ve got to cross the T’s and dot the i’s, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing,” he added. pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, also confirmed Arum’s statement. “Yes [Manny signed the contract] this morning,” Koncz told philstar. Arum initially endorsed pacquiao’s match against undefeated Horn on April 23, but was put on hold as the possibility of a match against Britain’s Amir Khan this coming May in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was explored. The proposed UAE fight against Khan, however, was dropped apparently due to financial issues. Koncz said he is still looking at the possibility of a pacquiaoKhan bout after the upcoming match against Horn.
“i am still working on putting a deal together [for Manny] to fight Amir Khan in october or november either in the Middle East or the philippines,” Koncz said. pacquiao, with a record of 596-2 win-loss-draw, won his last match via unanimous decision and defended his WBo welterweight title against Jessie Vargas last year. Horn, on the other hand, has a record of 16-0-1 and 11 Kos. Expressing confidence that the fight against Horn bout will be a blockbuster in Australia, Arum said he expects the tickets for the 55,000-capacity stadium will be sold-out. “Horn is an Aussie. There’s government behind it. They want the fight. They wanted Manny pacquiao. Essentially, to buy the cheese, they wanted pacquiao against this Aussie fighter,” Arum said.
HRW researcher defends New York Times vs Palace accusations
ICE arrests two undocumented Filipinos...
Carlos Conde
Times published a psychological profile of Duterte tracing his rise to power through violence, an editorial demanding accountability for the thousands of extrajudicial killings in Duterte’s war on drugs, and released a video documentary showing the bodies of the victims of the antinarcotics crackdown and their grief-stricken families. Abella was referring to the article “Becoming Duterte: The Making of a philippine Strongman,” published on Thursday; the editorial “Accountability for Duterte,”
Photo from Carlos Conde’s Twitter account
published on Saturday, and the video documentary “When a president Says, ‘i’ll Kill You,’” released Monday. He also found it “curious” that suddenly there is a rush of attention on the philippine’s war on drugs. Conde maintained that the killings are real, the incidents are not invented by the publication, and there is nothing suspicious in reporting the killings. “Hindi kahina-hinala (na
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Filipina caregiver arrested for alleged grand theft from patients THE Palos Verdes Estates Police Department has arrested a Filipina caregiver suspected of stealing credit cards, cash and other personal belongings from elderly victims she cared for. Ma “Rose” Licuanan, 49, was arrested on Tuesday, March 28 after detectives obtained a warrant to search the Torrance woman’s home and car on March 21, according to a statement released by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department. Detectives discovered stolen credit cards and other belongings from various victims. Police allege that Licuanan “copied other credit card numbers so she could use them online. Fraudulent transactions were made on those credit card accounts.” Detectives spoke with five other victims who asserted that Licuanan was their caregiver and they had found “fraudulent transactions on their accounts and/or believe she stole cash from them,
the statement read. One victim, 78-year-old Lisa Alonzo, told CBS Los Angeles that she hired Licuanan to assist her in her mobility since injuring her leg in a car accident. However, Licuanan only worked for Alonzo for two days because she suspected that the caregiver stole $100 from her. “I just told her I just don’t want to work with you,” Alonzo told CBS. Soon after, Alonzo noticed nearly $900 worth of charges on her credit card that she didn’t make. Licuanan has been charged with four felony counts and two misdemeanor counts in this investigation by the LA County DA’s office. The suspect used a number of aliases including Rose Licuanan, Maria Licuanan, Marosario Mendoza Licuanan and Rosario Licuanan. Licuanan is currently held without bail. The Palos Verdes Estates Po-
Ma “Rose” Licuanan, a 49-year-old caregiver was arrested on Tuesday, March 28 for allegedly stealing credit cards, cash and other personal belongings from elderly patients she cared for in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department
lice Department was unavailable for a comment on this story. They encourage more victims to come forward by contacting Sgt. Luke Hellinga at (310) 378-4211. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
Filipino Raiders fans mourn teams’... PAGE A2 to the fan base. “I’ll remain a Raiders fan but no, I would not go to Las Vegas just to watch a game. I’m not willing to pay to go all the way to the desert just to watch the team. But if I happen to be in Las Vegas and Raiders game tickets are cheap while I’m there, then why not,” quipped Medrano. “The Raiders are built on the loyalty and unwavering devotion of the fans. Raider fans remained as intense and passionate to the organization, even when the team was playing horribly.” Medranos’ uncle, Jay Ilagan, who has been a Raider fan longer than she has, thinks the NFL owners and Mark Davis do not care about the feelings of the fans;
they only care about the money. “The Raider fans always support the team, in fact the fans sold out the tickets for this season and next season 2018, and this is your gift to them, move your team to Vegas?” he complained. “I’m a Patriots fan. but I’m not too happy that the Oakland Raiders will become Las Vegas Raiders in 2019,” butted in Mehdi Mehr, a 15-year-old Filipino-Persian American. Mehr is a US National Football Team defensive lineman (DL) aside from being Team Edge USA offensive lineman (OL) and DL who became 2015 and 2016 Offensive Lineman of the Year in Washington High School in Fremont, California. He’s someone to watch in the
coming years among aspiring FilAm professional football players out to make a big name. “The Raiders deserve their own stadium! It’s just that they have a solid fan base here in the Bay Area who remained steadfast in showing undying love, faith and loyalty to the team all throughout the years despite of the losing streak. This impending move will sift the fans. We will see who really bleeds ‘black and silver,’” Mehr said. “ Russell Chiuco of Union City, California also thinks the transfer is not a good idea because the team would lose a lot of true fans. “But don’t get me wrong. Vegas also has a Raider support base … they got better bars there too.”
HRW researcher defends New York Times... PAGE A3 magreport ang NYT) kasi may patayang nangyayari, tayo lang ang bansa sa buong mundo ngayon na libo-libo ang namamatay bawat buwan. Wala naman tayo sa estado ng giyera, ‘di tayo katulad ng Syria o Yemen, o nasa giyera na bansa para magkaroon ng patayan na ganyan karami,” Conde said. (It’s not suspicious for the NYT
to report on this because there are killings happening, we are the only country in the world now where thousands are killed each month. We aren’t even in a state of war like Syria or Yemen, and the country isn’t at war to have that many killings.) “Mas kahina-hinala kung titigil ang diyaryo, ang NYT, Washington Post, at ang mga diyaryo sa Pilipinas,” he added.
(What’s more suspicious is if the NYT, Washington Post, and the newspapers in the Philippines stop reporting.) Abella linked the New York Times to alleged ouster plots against Duterte, saying that certain personalities and politicians have mounted a well-funded campaign utilizing hack writers and their ilk in their bid to oust the President.
DONATE. US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim accepts letters of gratitude from the students of the Anahawan National High School for the six classrooms donated by the US government as part of its assistance to Leyte in the aftermath of Super typhoon ‘Yolanda’(international name: Haiyan) in 2013. Kim assured that the United States government will continue to extend assistance to the Philippines despite the scathing attacks of President Duterte against the superpower. “The US and the Philippines have a close partnership, very close friendship and very strong alliance for many, many years. In fact, the US- Philippines alliance is the longest alliance we have in the whole Pacific Region,” Kim said. Inquirer.net photo by Joey Gabieta
Federal judge extends block on Trump’s travel ban by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
THE federal judge in Hawaii who halted President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban has extended his order blocking the executive order. The judge, United States District Court Judge Derrick Watson, made the decision to implement a longer-lasting halt on the travel ban — which was a revision on a first executive order that was defeated by a federal appeals court — just hours after hearing arguments on Wednesday, March 29. The revised travel ban was to temporarily restrict U.S. travel from six predominantly-Muslim countries and suspend the U.S. refugee program. Two weeks ago, the state of Hawaii sued to end the travel ban on the grounds that it violated the Constitution. The extension of the block will be in effect until the lawsuit is resolved; until then, the state sees this as a win for Muslim citizens in the United States after “repeated stops and starts of the last two months,” the state of Hawaii said in a statement. Watson’s reasoning to extend the block coincides with his decision to implement the block two weeks ago: a precedent from the
President Donald Trump
Supreme Court that used Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims during the presidential campaign to justify the unconstitutionality of the travel ban. “The court will not crawl into a corner, pull the shutters closed, and pretend it has not seen what it has,” Watson wrote in a statement on Wednesday. In his initial ruling that blocked the revised travel ban, Watson said that that the state of Hawaii displayed “a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim, that irreparable injury is likely if the requested relief is not issued.” The Establishment Clause falls
under the First Amendment and it prohibits the government from passing laws that favor one religion over another. Watson argued that the executive order, by banning travel from Muslim-majority nations, deliberately disfavors Muslims. In addition to allowing travel from the six Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen), Watson’s order also stops the suspension of the refugee program, a program orchestrated by the State Department which protects refugees coming to the U.S. and assists in adjustment to life in the U.S. In response to the ban, the Justice Department — on behalf of the Trump administration — asked the judge to narrow the ruling to involve only the part of the order that prohibits new visas for people in the banned countries. “The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the federal district court’s ruling. The President’s executive order fails squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our nation’s security, and the department will continue to defend this executive order in the courts,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department wrote in a statement.
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D ateline PhiliPPines Solon warns Alvarez disbarment may PH included in list of most dangerous lead to House, Supreme Court clash countries for American tourists by AJPress
MOVES to disbar Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez over his extramarital affair may lead to a confrontation between the Philippine House of Representatives and the Supreme Court (SC), a lawmaker warned. According to House Deputy Minority Leader and Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque, while the SC has disbarred lawyers in the past due to immoral conduct, disbarring Alvarez may result in a conflict between the two branches of the government. “It is my opinion that Speaker Alvarez should not be disbarred as this may lead the SC to a confrontation with a co-equal branch of government, which in turn may result in the possible impeachment of some of the justices,� Roque said in a statement on Sunday, April 2. Roque argued that “immoral or not,� the Office of the Speaker “still commands numbers for impeachment.� The possible disbarment case against Alvarez surfaces following his admission last week that he has a girlfriend despite being a married man. Alvarez admitted during a phone interview on Thursday,
March 30 that he is in a relationship with Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, amid reports that the graft case he filed against Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr. stemmed from an altercation between their respective lovers. Alvarez also confirmed that he is no longer talking to his second wife, Emelita Alvarez. In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) that “in the event that someone should file a complaint against Congressman Alvarez, he will, of course, be granted the full measure of his right to due process but these shall be the same standards against which his actions shall be measured.� IBP reminded Alvarez to embody the “highest standards of morality, behavior and professionalism� as expected of lawyers. Alvarez also drew flak for supposedly criticizing Senator Leila De Lima for having an affair with her driver, Ronnie Dayan. In defense, Roque said “everyone knew in Congress� about Alvarez’s affair. “I think that the difference is there is no concealment (of his relationship with Vicencio). Everyone knew in Congress. I knew
by AJPress
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
from Day 1 that they (Alvarez and wife, Emelina) were estranged. I knew at some point that he had an affair with this woman. I’ve seen her in functions so there was no attempt to conceal,� Roque explained. Alvarez earlier clarified that it was De Lima’s involvement in illegal drugs that he criticized, not her relationship. Shrugging off threats of possible disbarment case against him, Alvarez told his critics: “Go ahead, no problem with me.�
Philippine-US military exercises to begin this month by AJPress
THIS year’s joint Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will be held this summer, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Eduardo Aùo. According to reports from Rappler, U.S. troops are expected to arrive in April for outreach activities. The war games will begin in May. They will be led by Lieutenant General Oscar Lactao, who is also the chief of the Visayas Central Command (Centcom). The Philippine News Agency (PNA) also stated in a report that the Balikatan will be held in Ormoc City in the Visayas. Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez said this year’s Balikatan
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office in last June, previously threatened to scrap military games with the United States, the country’s decades-old ally. He, however, later allowed the continuation of other military exercises, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). EDCA is a treaty that allows U.S. forces to be deployed in Philippine territory temporarily for maritime security and humanitarian and disaster response operations. Among the canceled bilateral exercises, meanwhile, were the Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) exercises, and the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) drills.
will include activities like a medical mission, book donation, and construction and repair of school buildings and health centers. Balikatan, which literally means “shoulder to shoulder,� is considered the biggest joint activity bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the U.S. It focuses on “partnership, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, Philippine capability development and military modernization.� While previous war games under the administration of former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III included exercises held in the South China Sea — home to contested territories between Asian countries — it has been reported that no exercises will be held there anymore.
Duterte designates Cuy as DILG officer-in-charge by rosette
Adel
Philstar.com
MANILA— MalacaĂąang on Tuesday, April 4 announced the designation of Catalino Cuy as officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. “[Undersecretary] Cuy will hold the position to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of services of the department until Duterte appoints a new secretary,â€? the palace said in a statement. Cuy’s designation came after Duterte fired Ismael Sueno as DILG secretary over loss of confidence and trust. Sueno was facing corruption and abuse of power complaints prior to his dismissal from office. He has denied the allegations and had asked the department to have him investigated. Cuy, a former Davao City police chief, is undersecretary for peace and order. He is not among the undersecretaries who accused Sueno of corruption. In a statement Wednesday, Cuy said he has accepted his designation as the acting DILG
In this August 2016 file photo, former DILG Sec Mike Sueno and Usec Catalino Cuy confirm meeting with MILF representatives for government cooperation.
chief. “I am taking the responsibilities given to me by President Duterte seriously, and I commit to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the DILG and its constituent agencies in the spirit of absolute fairness, unity, and dedication to public service,�
Cuy said saying these are needed to move forward in Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality. “I promise all of you in the executive branch , DILG—my home department—and the Filipino people that I will not betray this sacred public trust,� he added.
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THE Philippines is among the top most dangerous countries for Americans to visit, according to analysis released by content marketing agency Priceonomics Data Studio. In an article published last month, Priceonomics listed the top 25 most dangerous countries for American travelers based on both by the number of State Department travel warnings and by actual deaths in the area. From 2009 to 2017, Mexico has led the list with the most number of issued travel warnings, which “are issued when lasting turmoil in a country poses such a danger that the State Department discourages any travel there at all.â€? “Mexico tops the list with 28 warnings in an 8-year period. It’s worth noting that these warnings are regionally specific, targeting sites where crime syndicates are particularly active,â€? the article read. However, popular tourist destinations in the country — like Mexico City and the YucatĂĄn peninsula, including CancĂşn — “are generally regarded as safe.â€? Second to Mexico is Mali (26); ranking third are Israel and Pakistan (25); fourth Iraq (24); fifth Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Syria (23); sixth Algeria, Iran, and Yemen (22); seventh Burundi and Central African Republic (21). Priceonomics said that most countries ranked are “participants in ongoing international conflicts,â€? citing Israel, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, or are “sites in which extremist groups regularly carry out terrorist attacksâ€? like Mali, Nigeria, and Syria. The Philippines, ranked 8th alongside Kenya and Lebanon, has 20 travel warnings. “We found that Mexico, Mali, and Israel have been targeted by the most travel advisories in recent years, but that Americans are more likely to face life-threatening danger in Thailand, Pakistan, and Honduras.
Indeed, warnings and deadly violence are correlated on the whole,� the article read. “And fortunately, some travelers — at least those headed to the Philippines or Egypt — seem to heed these advisories, as those coun-
tries see dropoffs in tourism following warnings. Coming in ninth are Chad, Libya, and Sudan (19); followed by Colombia and Congo (18) as tenth. PAGE A7
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april 6-12, 2017 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal
OpiniOn
Airport woes
Features
FOR a country that has been branded with the “worst airport in the world” tag in 2011 and 2013, the last thing it needs is another reason to inconvenience its travelers. Last year, a survey released by “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” ranked the Philippines’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in fifth place. Complaints included the prevalence of the tanim bala (bullet planting) scheme that victimized NAIA passengers, frequent power outages, poor air-conditioning, lack of seats and complicated terminal transfers. NAIA was not included in the world’s list of worst airports in 2014 and 2015 after major renovations were implemented at the country’s main international gateway. “Some travelers noted improvements in the airport structure and facilities such as cleaner bathrooms, more chairs and some general organization of taxis in front of the terminal,” the travel website noted. Travelers rate their airport experience on factors such as comfort (rest zones and gate seating), facilities and things to do, food options, immigration or security, customer service and cleanliness. On Tuesday, April 4, cutout photos of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno were seen in place of immigration officers at the counters of NAIA. Many immigration windows were vacant as a result of the looming crisis as more Bureau of Immigration officers (IOs) assigned at NAIA terminals
have already left their posts—while more are expected to quit—after a recent order was issued to stop the overtime pay of IOs at the airports. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II reported that 32 IOs had left since January. Fifty more IOs had informed the bureau that they would go on leave for six months in preparation for their resignations and to look for new jobs. At least 17 to 18 IOs are absent almost daily at the four NAIA terminals. “Many of them have stopped going to work or have gone on leave because their overtime will not be paid anyway,” Aguirre said. “The economy will be affected by this. Hopefully, we could find a temporary remedy to this situation.” Aguirre is referring for a compromise to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to bar the bureau from using the funds collected from airport express lanes for overtime pay. Express lane funds are generated charges are additional costs being paid by a foreigner who wants to fast track processing of permits and documents. Duterte vetoed the use of express lane charges collected by the BI for payment of salaries of casual and contractual personnel, confidential agents and job order employees, augmentation of salaries and the health insurance premium of personnel
Editorial
who render services beyond office hours. Records showed that immigration personnel were paid P784 million in overtime pay last year, which was five times bigger than their basic salaries. Under R.A. 10924, the said funds collected from use of express lanes will now go to the national treasury and will be allocated to other government agencies.
If this problem continues, expect to see longer lines of domestic and foreign travelers at the country’s international gateways. Until a solution becomes available, this will have significant effects on the economy and security, and will be a great concern for travelers who will now think twice before making the Philippines their next destination. (AJPress)
Trump smoke and fire: Spies, lies, and the Russian ties “SOME people in the Trump campaign may end up in jail,” revealed Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro in a CNN interview on Tuesday, April 4. The congressman’s declaration comes after more classified information was presented to the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the allegations that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. With probes also being performed by the Department of Justice, FBI, the National Security Agency and the Senate Intelligence Committee to get to the bottom of the assault of Russia on U.S. democracy, new deep connections between members of the Trump campaign and transition team and Russian officials have been coming to light. The Trump camp had initially denied the numerous secret meetings that various members had with Russian officials here in the United States, in Russia and other parts of the world. Some even lied under oath and recently, evidence has revealed that those meetings actually occurred. These Trump associates included, among others: National Security adviser Michael Flynn who lied about meeting with Russian officials and failed to disclose payments from Russian companies; Attorney General Jeff Sessions who lied under oath that he met with the Russian ambassador to the United States twice; Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was found to have worked to help Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government push its interests around the world; Former campaign associate Carter Page was targeted for recruitment by Russian spies; Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared
Analysis
antonio P. ContReRaS INDAY (not her real name) has been living in Trinidad and Tobago for the past 10 years with her foreigner husband and their four children. There are about 500 Filipinos living in the Caribbean nation in various sectors, in construction, hospitality, healthcare and domestic work. She was living a peaceful and ordinary life, until Leni Robredo delivered that six-minute message painting the Philippines as a dark place where people are mired in helplessness and hopelessness. Radio stations began to speak harshly about the Philippines, even painting our country as if we have become a war zone where just anyone can be killed in the streets. Commentaries in the media and even from her friends were so insulting, and have caused her much stress. Many of her friends have messaged her, concerned about the safety of her family still living here, something that she is not sure if she should appreciate. And the stories keep coming,
Kushner met with the Russian ambassador during transition and met with a Russian bank The Fil-Am chairman with ties to Putin; Perspective Major campaign donor, Erik Prince — founder of government service and security company Blackwater and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Gel SantoS-ReloS — reportedly had a secret meeting arranged by the United Arab Emirates at the Seychelles islands, just nine days before Trump’s inauguration. U.S., European and Arab officials revealed that the meeting was with a Russian close to Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump. The questions that need to be answered: Why did the Trump campaign have to make these meetings “secret”? Why did they have to lie about these, with Sessions even being not forthcoming under oath? Was there coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in hacking and leaking damaging information about the Democratic National Committee and nominee Hillary Clinton to help Trump win? Were there talks between the Trump campaign and Russia about easing sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama against Russia for interference in the 2016 election? What did Trump know? When did he know them? What did he do when he knew about any of the talks? On March 4, as the Russian probe went deeper, Trump shocked the world with his early morning tweets accusing Obama of wiretapping him without offering any evidence to support his allegations. This accusation was debunked by the U.S. intelligence community to be unfounded.
And then Trump dropped another smoke screen: that British spies did it for Obama. This was an allegation that was vehemently denied by America’s closest ally and the U.S. intelligence community. And then this past week, another smoke screen — allegations that Obama’s former National Security Adviser Susan Rice illegally unmasked names of Trump’s associates in surveillance against him and leaked information for political expediency. This accusation against Rice was debunked by members of the intelligence community who said that as an adviser, she was just doing her job in requesting to unmask (get to know) the identities of individuals who arose to be in communication with foreign entities believed to be a threat to U.S. national security. Unmasking was legal and was necessary to know the context of the communications between the U.S. person and the foreign entity. Rice never leaked the information to anybody, disproving accusations she and the Obama administration had used it for political reasons. The Bloomberg story by Eli Lake that broke the news implicating name of Susan Rice in this development concluded: “Rice’s requests to unmask the names of Trump transition officials do not vindicate Trump’s own tweets from March 4 in which he accused Obama of illegally tapping Trump Tower. There remains no evidence to support that claim. But Rice’s multiple requests to learn the identities of Trump officials discussed in intelligence reports during the transition period does highlight a
longstanding concern for civil liberties advocates about U.S. surveillance programs. The standard for senior officials to learn the names of U.S. persons incidentally collected is that it must have some foreign intelligence value, a standard that can apply to almost anything. This suggests Rice’s unmasking requests were likely within the law. The news about Rice also sheds light on the strange behavior of Nunes [Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also part of Trump’s transition team] in the last two weeks. It emerged last week that he traveled to the White House last month, the night before he made an explosive allegation about Trump transition officials caught up in incidental surveillance. At the time he said he needed to go to the White House because the reports were only on a database for the executive branch. It now appears that he needed to view computer systems within the National Security Council that would include the logs of Rice’s requests to unmask U.S. persons. The ranking Democrat on the committee Nunes chairs, Representative Adam Schiff, viewed these reports on Friday. In comments to the press over the weekend he declined to discuss the contents of these reports, but also said it was highly unusual for the reports to be shown only to Nunes and not himself and other members of the committee. Indeed, much about this is highly unusual: if not how the surveillance was collected, then certainly how and why it was disseminated.” *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos
Leni Robredo’s sins against the overseas Filipinos from nurses, domestic helpers, immigrants, engineers, Filipinos all. They have to endure being objects of misplaced concern over how we cope with the horror of being under a tyrannical despot, or of downright condemnation of how we can allow a President who targets the poor and has ordered the execution of more than 7,000 drug users. Even Filipinos who are supposed to be on vacation have to suffer the effects of the disinformation, like Melanie (not her real name) who was on vacation in Ecuador had to bear. Instead of pleasantly engaging her tour group colleague, she had to spend time debunking accusations that we are some backward country whose President is a crazy, maniacal murderer who loves to kill at will. And the most painful story is that of Elaine (not her real name), who is married to an Italian but lives in Thailand with their child. Elaine is dying of cancer, and she wants to come home to spend the rest of her life with her parents and family in her hometown. After being exposed to the unfavorable images painted by the international media, and further affirmed by the speech of Mrs. Robredo, her
husband refuses to come with her. He believes that the Philippines is not a safe place under President Duterte. Elaine begged him to allow even just their child to come with her, but her husband refused to grant her request. He told her that she can go home by herself, or just remain in Thailand to die there, and he will just send her ashes or remains to her parents here. There are millions of overseas Filipinos in the global diaspora. We may not be the only nationality that is scattered all over the world, but we are surely the most diasporic, in the sense that regardless of our circumstances, whether we are just temporary migrant workers, or permanent residents or even citizens of our adoptive countries, we remain attached to the Filipino homeland. The circumstances that drive us to leave can be to seek greener pastures abroad, or simply to earn more by sacrificing so much. There are Filipinos who have to leave their children, barely old enough to take care of themselves, to take care of other countries’ children. We leave our parents and elderly, in order to serve the needs of the aged and the infirm in other
countries. We leave jobs here that pay less to go to jobs abroad that pay more even if it means selling everything that we have earned. There are also many of us who migrate and take up citizenship abroad, but the taking of an oath of loyalty to other countries, and marrying their citizens and starting families there, can never extinguish our bond with the Philippines. And these are the millions of Filipinos in the diaspora that have now been offended by Robredo’s six-minute speech that slandered the President, but in the end also slandered our country and people. As one overseas Filipino lamented, embodying a widely held sentiment, Leni Robredo spoke with the Philippine flag behind her, and the seal of her office prominently displayed. She inflicted the authority of her office to become a burden for the overseas Filipinos to bear. Her unverified accusations took the mantle of an official declaration, and acquired the character of authoritative truth, for it came from the second highest official of the land. It is, however, heartwarming to see overseas Filipino workers assertively standing up to dispel the
Vice Pres. Leni Robredo
lies and the half-truths. It is simply amazing how ordinary people in the Filipino diaspora rose to defend not only the President but their homeland. We owe it to every mother who left her children, every husband who left his wife and family, and every Filipino who left us but remains with us, to rise up too in
solidarity and defend if not the President, then our country. We who are left behind have to be at the forefront in unmasking the lies of Leni Robredo and her allies. Leni apologists will dismiss this as obsession, or misplaced loyalty. We have to tell them this is our duty. (ManilaTimes.net)
The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 6-12, 2017
A
Government, NDF agree on interim truce by Audrey
MorAllo Philstar.com
MANILA — Negotiators for the government and for communist rebels on Wednesday, April 5 reached an agreement on an interim ceasefire, according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). In a post on Twitter, OPAPP said that both panels agreed on the joint truce, which is expected to be signed later this evening, Manila time. The guidelines will govern issues such as the presence of armed groups in communities, creation of buffer zones, prohibition of hostile and provocative acts such as the collection so-called revolutionary taxes and the undertaking of joint socio-economic projects. The agreement will also guide COMMAND CONFERENCE. President Rodrigo Duterte shakes hands with the top brass of the police and the military during the National Peace and Order Council meeting and joint command conference at the Palace Heroes’ Hall. MalacaĂąang photo the formation of a joint ceasefire committee and the possible role of a third party in truce monitoring and other ceasefire mechanisms in the implementation of the agreement. by edu PunAy These mechanisms will also DAP were misused. finding probe. Philstar.com “The President is in possession have a provision for complaints Aguirre revealed the investigaMANILA - The Department of tion would cover former president of documents showing how of- and alleged violations. “Matters regarding a single Justice (DOJ) will investigate the Benigno Aquino III and Sen. An- ficials in the previous administraalleged misuse of the Disburse- tonio Trillanes IV and how they tion benefited from it,â€? Aguirre government authority and taxation shall be discussed and rement Acceleration Program (DAP) supposedly benefited from the said. during the previous administra- scheme. The DOJ has concurrent juris- solved in forging the Comprehention. Duterte on Sunday said the diction with the Office of the Om- sive Agreement on Political and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Agu- former president, former budget budsman in investigating corrup- Constitutional Reforms within the irre II said the probe would also secretary Florencio Abad and tion charges against government framework of the proposed Fedlook into possible liabilities of for- Trillanes had benefited from the officials even if the anti-graft office eral Republic of the Philippines,â€? mer and current officials who sup- DAP. has the exclusive power to prosposedly benefited from schemes Duterte has alleged the Aquino ecute the cases under the jurisdicunder the economic stimulus pro- administration continued to im- tion of the Sandiganbayan. gram that was partially declared plement the DAP even after the Last month, the Office of the MANILA — The camp of illegal by the Supreme Court. Supreme Court in 2014 struck Ombudsman indicted Abad before “We will look into that (anomaly down most of its provisions for the Sandiganbayan for violation of Vice President Leni Robredo on in the DAP),â€? Aguirre told The being unconstitutional. Article 239, or usurpation of legis- Wednesday, April 5 shot back at Star. He said there are plans to Duterte vowed to expose how lative powers over the controver- losing vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. following create a team to conduct the fact- P72 billion in funds under the sial DAP but spared Aquino. his statement in Pampanga suggesting that not all votes from the province were counted during last year’s national election. PAGE A5 Barry Gutierrez, legal adviser to In an adjusted version of the (65); and Honduras (46). the vice president, said in a stateThese were followed by Do- ranking to account for the volNorth Korea, on the other hand, has been listed as an “in- minican Republic (45), Jamaica ume of tourism from the United ment that the comment of Marcos teresting exceptionâ€? since “the (39), El Salvador (34), Costa States, Priceonomics calculated was an “outrightâ€? lie. “Former Senator Bongbong government itself presents a Rica (27), and Guatemala (26). the number of Americans murMarcos’ allegations that votes danger to American travelers.â€? Cases include only homicides, dered in a country per 100,000 were not counted in Pampanga Quoting the State Depart- executions, deaths in terror- American tourists. Data excluded any coun- are not only self-serving but are ment, Priceonomics said for- ist attacks, and drug-related tries that received fewer than outright lies,â€? Gutierrez said. eigners in North Korea “are li- deaths. On Wednesday afternoon, Mar“More Americans die in 100,000 American visitors beable to be jailed for unspecified cos attended the birthday celebrareasons, or for seemingly in- Mexico because vastly more tween 2009 and 2016. In the new list, Pakistan tion of Pampanga Rep. Gloria nocuous infractions like inter- Americans travel to Mexico acting with the locals or taking than any other country,â€? the ranked first with 3.54 per Arroyo in her home province article read. “This holds true capita, followed by Thailand where he thanked Kapampangans unauthorized photos.â€? Based on the number of to a lesser degree for some of (3.2), Philippines (2.28), Haiti for supporting him in last year’s Americans killed between 2009 the other countries near the (1.96), Honduras (1.66), Nige- vice presidential election. He, and 2016, ranking first is Mex- top of this ranking, including ria (1.28), Belize (1.02), Guyana however, made a claim that not all ico (584); followed by Afghani- the Dominican Republic and (0.97), Egypt (0.86), and Mexi- their votes were counted. Marcos also criticized Robredo stan (84); Philippines (74); Haiti Jamaica.â€? co (0.84).
DOJ to probe DAP misuse
Government and communist peace negotiators speak to the media in The Netherlands on Wednesday, April 5.
the agreement said. The agreement will remain interim until a permanent ceasefire is forged pursuant to a Comprehensive Agreement on End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces, according to the text. This development followed an agreement between the two sides on the release of political prisoners: four police officers and soldiers held by the rebels and 23 political detainees held by the government. Both panels believe that this agreement would lead to a better mechanism that would prevent fighting between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) on the ground. Set for release are the following
military officers and policeman: 1. PFC Edwin Salan, who was captured in Alegria, Surigao Del Norte on Jan. 29; 2. Sgt. Solaiman Calucop, who was captured in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat on Feb. 2; 3. PFC Samuel Garay, who was also caught in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat on Feb. 2 and 4. PO2 Jerome Natividad, who was taken in Talakag, Bukidnon on Feb. 9 Their release comes after the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army released paramilitary members Rene Doller and Mark Nocus, who were both captured in Lupon, Davao Oriental on February 14.
Robredo camp hits Marcos: Stealing is ‘unpatriotic’
PH included in list of most dangerous...
for her video recorded message at a United Nations (UN) side event where she offered a comprehensive critique of the government’s brutal campaign against illegal drugs. He said the vice president’s message showed that she was “unpatriotic� and “disloyal� to the nation. Marcos received more than 43 percent of Pampanga’s votes last year against Robredo’s 29 percent. He, however, lost the election by a slim margin of more than 200,000 votes. The well-financed Marcos filed an electoral protest against Robredo alleging irregularities in 662 poll precincts. Robredo said that so far Marcos submitted affidavits covering only 57 voting precincts. Gutierrez questioned Marcos’ camp for not including Pampanga in his protest if his allegations that some votes in the area were not counted were true.
Robredo’s legal adviser said that this latest comment from the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was just an attempt to “sway public opinion� and make his case a trial by publicity rather than one based on fact and merit. Gutierrez also scored Marcos for his “disloyal� comments against the vice president, saying stealing billions from the country’s coffers was the unpatriotic behavior rather than stating the truth. “Hindi ba mas unpatriotic pa rin ang magnakaw ng bilyon sa kaban ng bayan kaysa simpleng magsabi lang ng totoo?� he said. The Marcos family accumulated billions of pesos in ill-gotten wealth from the country and stashed some of the money away in banks abroad. Marcos’ reign was also marked by serious violations of human rights and the weakening of governmental institutions. (Philstar.com)
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The ‘adventure of a lifetime’ for Coldplay fans KathNiel returns to rom-com in grown-up fashion by Christina
alpad ManilaTimes.net
angel locsin, Kathryn Bernardo and daniel padilla, and anne CurColdplay’s concert may tis, among many others who set have been titled “a Head Full of aside their stardom—for the first dreams”—named after the British time since catapulting to fame in band’s latest album—but for the 2000. estimated crowd of 35,000 fans at “sorry it took us 17 years to the Mall of asia concert grounds get here. We’ve been waiting till on Tuesday night, april 4, it was we have enough good songs to simply and utterly a dream come come to Manila,” Martin said in true. one of the lighter moments of the Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, concert. Guy Berryman and Will Champion To say that they earned a string performed in front of their Filipino of hits through those years is an fans—comprised of millennials, understatement. The band, formed couples, singletons, and even by then University College london celebrities like Maine Mendoza, students Martin and Buckland, has alden Richards, sarah Geronimo, sold over 90 million records from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin wowed Manila in their first-ever concert in the country. Matteo Guidicelli, Marian Rivera, seven studio albums and numerThe crowd went crazy when as such, it was no surprise dingdong dantes, Julia Barretto, ous singles. that tickets to the Manila leg of they sang the first single that broke Coldplay’s world tour sold out in them into mainstream consciousjust a little over 24 hours back in ness, “yellow” (2000) from their debut album parachutes. November 2016. “Magandang gabi, Manila!” ‘Best concert ever’ For those who lived their dreams screamed Martin at the end of the of seeing and hearing Coldplay in song, and the mammoth crowd rethe flesh, it was—to use the title of sponded with deafening cheers. They then segued into “evone of their best-selling records— ery Tear drop Is a Waterfall” as “an adventure of a lifetime.” The band opened the two-hour Martin waved the “love” flag that concert with the carrier single “a he has been carrying throughout Head Full of dreams,” from their Coldplay’s tour in support of the love Button Global Movement. latest album. Calming the crowd down with The upbeat tempo, pyrotechnics, lights, and the band’s surprise a slower beat, Martin sang the A mammoth crowd of 35,000 sang with Coldplay’s alternative rock hits and zesty pop chart light-up wristbands set the mood hit that arguably cemented their PAGE B7 toppers. Philstar.com photos for the entire show.
Celebrity couples date at Coldplay concert
by deni
rose Bernardo Philstar.com
WHeTHeR celebrating a colorful love life to “sky Full of stars” or nursing a broken heart to “The scientist,” Filipino celebrities were at full force at Coldplay’s first Manila concert last night. Teams aldub (alden Richards and Maine Mendoza), Kathniel (Kathryn Bernardo and daniel padilla), dongyan (dingdong dantes and Marian Rivera), erwanne (erwan Heussaff and anne Curtis), ashmatt (sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli) and Joshlia (Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto)
were in attendance, as well as other real-life couples who are yet to be named: Toni Gonzaga and paul soriano, luis Manzano and Jessy Mendiola, Bianca Gonzalez and JC Intal, among others. “sky Full of stars” was the theme of dongyan’s pre-nup video. also spotted were father and son piolo and Iñigo pascual, beauty queen Kylie Verzosa, and actors erich Gonzales, angel locsin, Rayver Cruz, Bela padilla, yassi pressman, JC de Vera, Isabelle daza, yam Concepcion, ejay Falcon and Carla abellana.
Filipino celebrities were on full dsiplay at Coldplay’s first Manila concert.
by Christina
alpad ManilaTimes.net
oVeR time, Kathryn Bernardo and daniel padilla—collectively known as “Kathniel”—have proven their ability to draw strong box office returns for movies they have headlined. The love team first landed their major lead in their romantic comedy “Must Be… love” in 2012, which reportedly raked in p 72.9 million. The following year, they starred in the big screen adaptation of the pop fiction book “she’s dating the Gangster,” which totaled p296-million in ticket sales. as their love team’s popularity soared with TV projects and on social media, the pair’s subsequent movies tallied even stronger at the box office. “Crazy Beautiful you” in 2015 earned p320-million, and finally, their latest big screen outing “Barcelona: a love Untold” earned p321-million in 2016. But their impressive performance in the box office is just half of the story. What is more interesting to note is the continued growth of the love team and individual acting abilities in each new role they take. From tweens who had just discovered the heart’s desires in “Must Be… love,” to high school enemies turned sweethearts in “she’s dating the Gangster,” to struggling college-aged teens in “Crazy Beautiful you,” they delivered deepening emotions through the years. However, some observers feel that “Kathniel” prematurely embraced mature characters when they leapt from their tried and tested genre of romantic comedies to heavy romantic drama in “Barcelona: a love Untold. Helmed” by veteran dramatic director olivia lamasan (“Got 2 Believe,” “Milan,” “starting over again”), said movie challenged Bernardo and padilla to tackle the complexities of life and love. But while the title has delivered the biggest revenue for the love team so far, many fans
On their new movie, Star Cinema’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Kathryn Bernardo had this to say: “I am the opposite of Gab, my character. She’s a perfectionist, I’m not. She’s stiff, napaka-formal na tao. But everything changes when she meets Dos.” And Daniel: “Dos is adventurous and I am not. I am the stay-home type. Dos runs a travel agency and I don’t. He goes scuba-diving and I don’t. But I am happy that the movie gives me a chance to do so many things, maraming adventures, that I don’t and I can’t usually do in real life.”
demanded a return to the rom-com to enjoy the youthful magic the love team never fails to deliver. enter “Can’t Help Falling In love (CHFIl),” star Cinema’s upcoming summer movie that top bills Kathniel. The lighthearted and heartwarming romance is centered on Gab dela Cuesta (Bernardo), a high-strung career woman who is engaged to her longtime boyfriend (Matteo Guidicelli). “Gab is very organized. It is very important for her to accomplish everything the way she has planned them. so imagine how it would be for her to learn that her dream marriage might not come true because she is apparently legally bound to a total stranger,” Bernardo said of her character at the movie’s grand press conference at Villa Immaculada in Intramuros, Manila. That total stranger is dos Gonzales whom padilla portrays. “dos is very adventurous, he won’t entertain any problem. UnPAGE B2
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75th AnniversAry of BAtAAn DeAth MArch
remembering the courage of our heroes By AJPress
On April 9, 1942, three months after the Bataan of Bataan in the Philippines during World War II; Filipino and American prisoners of war were forcibly transferred by the Imperial Japanese Army from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac. They marched approximately 60 miles under extreme heat, with no provisions for food, water, shelter or medicine. Along the way, those who could no longer go on were beaten, bayoneted, shot or beheaded by their Japanese captors. Approximately 10,000 Filipino and 650 American soldiers died during the march. These soldiers fought in the Bataan Peninsula for 99 days without reinforcement or air support, but they were able to disrupt the 50-day timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army before their surrender. This delay prevented the Japanese from reaching Aus-
tralia. This year commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, keeping mind the valor and sacrifices of these brave soldiers who fought in Bataan, Corregidor and other parts of the Philippines. Despite being abandoned early on during the war, the Filipino and American soldiers of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) fought gallantly in the Bataan Peninsula for 99 days without reinforcement or air support. But they managed to disrupt the 50-day timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army before their surrender, despite suffering from massive disease and starvation. “This is the real significance of the Bataan Death March,” said Bataan Legacy Historical Society (BLHS) Director Cecilia Gaerlan. “While their bodies were beaten their spirits remained steadfast and true to the ideals of freedom and justice for all. As stewards of this great legacy, we have a great
obligation not only to our ancestors but to future generations.” Last year, BLHS worked successfully with the California Department of Education to include the Bataan Death March and WWII in the Philippines in the U.S. history curriculum framework for Grade 11. It is now starting the next phase to help enable its implementation by creating sample lesson plans. To remember these heroes, BLHS along with its partners the
The Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles Adelio Cruz and Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque (center) are joined by members of the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society in Los Angeles.
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles is hosting an exhibit of World War II memorabilia curated by Philippine Scouts Heritage Society, Lt. Alexander Nininger Chapter. The exhibit, which opened on Monday, April 3, will be ongoing for the next month. AJPress photos by Ding Carreon
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Presidio Trust, national Park Service, American Battle Monuments Commission and Fil-Am Racing; have organized a series of events on Saturday, April 8, starting with a Bataan Legacy 7.5K Valor run at 8:30 a.m. The race will start and end in front of the Presidio Officers Club at 50 Moraga Avenue in San Francisco. Proceeds from the run will benefit the BLHS and the Congressional Medal for the WWII Filipino Veterans. A wreath-laying ceremony will also take place at 9 a.m. at the American Battle Monuments Commission WWII West Coast Memorial, and a program at the Moraga Room of the Presidio Officers Club at 10 a.m. Veterans of the Bataan of Bataan as well as WWII in the Philippines will be honored during the ceremony. Major Generals (Ret.) Eldon Regua and Antonio “Tony” Taguba, Fil-Ams whose fathers and uncles fought in Bataan, are among the guest speakers. “As a leader of the FilipinoAmerican community, I am asking you to join us during this event not only to remember this glorious past but to show the younger generation that they can emulate the ideals of their ancestors so that they can learn and appreciate the steep price of the freedom that they are enjoying,” Gaerlan stressed and continued, “Only by learning the unvarnished facts of history can they become informed citizens and responsible leaders of our society. We in the Filipino American community must join together to show the entire nation that we have a proud heritage and one voice. Only then can we have a formidable presence and a resounding voice – one that must be heard across the nation.” LA commemorates Filipino WWII vets in exhibit Just in time for the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FILVE-
TREP) along with the Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles are hosting a special exhibit showcasing artifacts from WWII. For the month of April, visitors can get a close look at a wide variety of war equipment used and owned by Filipino scouts from the war. Artifacts include uniforms, weapons, utensils and saddles among other gear. Also on display are war posters,
photographs, medals and copies of the recently awarded Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. The exhibit opened on Monday, April 3 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. *Bataan Death March memorabilia photos are courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration (www.archives. gov).
A new direction for Erik Santos by Yugel losorAtA Philstar.com
THERE are a number of firsts or special reasons why the upcoming concert of Erik Santos, dubbed as the King of OPM Theme Songs, is different from anything he has done live in his storied career. For one, it’s his first time to perform at the highly-valued Solaire’s The Theatre. And secondly, it will have a pure OPM catalogue as repertoire. But one thing that gets the industry’s attention is the fact that Erik will direct his own show—concept, script and all. That’s right, the balladeer is also sitting on a director’s chair. Funny if one takes that in a literal way; that the performer in front of the audience and the guy overseeing it all behind the spotlight is one and the same. But seriously, it means he has total control of this. And control, as stated by Liam neeson in a classic role, is power. That leads us to the show being under the tag Powerhouse, a series of concerts created by fast-rising promoter Lucky 7 Koi Productions that features Filipino world-class performers. This is the second outing after the successful first staging that had Arnel Pineda on board. “Lahat ng makikita niyo po sa show ay kung ano ang nararamdaman ng puso ko,” stated the Cornerstone and Star Magic talent in sincere, emotional tone. The concert is titled “Erik Santos Sings The Greatest OPM Classics.” For a glimpse of what he will offer, he performed a medley of three Ryan Cayabyab-written numbers during a recent promotional gathering at Solaire’s Eclipse Bar. He assured everyone that there will be a lot of powerhouse medleys of songs written by brilliant Filipino songwriters, reckoning it’s the best way to deal with OPM’s rich catalogue of now-classics. It’s Erik’s saving grace that tried-and-tested Homer Flores sits in as musical director for his show, with Cornerstone Concerts serving as line producer. Added to the mix are his special guest performers Yeng Constantino and Ogie Alcasid who are two famous singers with songwriting skills that already produced certified hits. When asked if he intends to take the directing route real far, Erik shared, “Hindi naman po masama mangarap to establish myself directing concerts or other types of show that involve music. I’ll take it one
For the first time, Erik Santos, with Yeng Constantino as the guest, directs his own show Powerhouse 2: Erik Santos Sings The Greatest OPM Classics.
show at a time. For this one, I’ll make sure lahat ng manonood ay uuwi ng nakangiti.” That he himself has hit songs under his belt makes him credible to embracing OPM in his first directorial venture. Some of the songs he popularized are “Kulang Ako Kung Wala Ka,” “Kung Akin Ang Mundo” and “Pagbigyang Muli.” He digs great songs written by Filipino tunesmiths with sincere poetry, saying, “May narrative ang OPM na nakaka-relate tayong mga Pilipino. Grabe ang letra, dapat namnamin kapag kakantahin.” Erik recently recorded a theme song for the ABSCBn soap “My Dear Heart.” Lucky 7 Koi, determined to give part of the concert proceeds to certain beneficiaries, actually made Erik’s dream to direct his own show come true upon sealing the deal. And in a way, it is a major realization for the production group, spearheaded by women executives, considering it wanted Erik even before staging the first Powerhouse show. Lucky 7 Koi cited that Erik just wasn’t available the first time around. Its spokeswoman clarified, “The first Powerhouse was an overwhelming success and we’re happy that we now finally got Erik and the ticket sales for his upcoming show are doing well.” Erik’s version of a Powerhouse concert, to also showcase Marcelito Pomoy, will happen on the last Friday before Holy Week. Therefore, people are likely to look for something entertaining before the solemn stretch. Let Erik do the talking, or should we say singing and directing.
KathNiel returns to rom-com in...
PAGE B1 like Gab, he has no plans in life. Parang, ‘come what may,’” Padilla described. “Let’s just say this movie is more mature than ‘Crazy Beautiful You’ but lighter than ‘Barcelona,’” Cruz-Alviar first offered when asked to describe her new movie with Kathniel. For the director—who first worked with Kathniel in “24/7 In Love” and “Crazy Beautiful You”—CHFIL continues the love team’s maturity in the rom-com category. “First of all, they are now portraying young adults who are actually members of the working force,”
Cruz-Alviar noted. In terms acting, the director also noticed that Bernardo and Padilla have also grown professionally. “They are definitely more mature now, and they are less maharot on set. These two know the characters better and they have a firmer grasp on the roles. I can say that professionally, they have matured as well.” As it turned out, CHFIL was shot almost immediately after Barcelona, which made sense to Cruz-Alviar when they were on the first shooting of the movie. “It took them a while to loosen up, ang seryoso nila. In the first few scenes, they were still the Ely and
Mia from Barcelona so I told them to shake off. It actually took us seven takes to perfect their first scene. But in a way, it’s good we started early because they were given enough time to really get in the shoes of Dos and Gab,” Cruz-Alviar shared. Finally, Cruz-Alviar said the age-appropriate movie is their treat for the Kathniel fandom, who by now have also grown with the love team. “I kept saying they’ve mature but I would also like to emphasize that ang maturity na ito ay tama lang sa okasyon. We are not rushing them to mature. They are just acting their age in the movie,” Cruz-Alviar ended.
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Kris Aquino’s ‘reentry’ to TV set Sunday by ronnie
CarrasCo ManilaTimes.net
IF plans don’t miscarry, Kris Aquino’s “Trip Ni Kris”—her “point of reentry” to TV—pilots this Sunday, taking the SNBO [Sunday Night Box Office] late night time slot on GMA. A two-hour special, TNT—a blocktimer—has the Queen of All Media doing non-showbiz stuff for a change—travel and cooking, so we heard. As everybody knows, both are her main interests which she does often and does best. To prove our point, allow us to share one late afternoon many years back when we realized that Kris could give culinary experts out there a run for their money. Lolit Solis, then business manager of Kris, tagged us along to Alexandria (a condominium cluster in Ortigas) where the latter occupied an entire floor. Photos by Robrest Saldaña Arriving almost dinnertime, Kris ushered us to the dining table, proudly announcing, “Dinner’s ready!” She then opened the lid of a Pyrex dish containing what she said was her specialty: olive-garnished beef mechado. It was among the three dishes she had prepared for her guests. Before we knew it, we had almost emptied the bowl hardly sampling the two other mouth-watering putahes. Yes, we loved Kris’ version of the saucy
Binibining Pilipinas bets exude Filipina beauty in national costumes by rosette
adel
Philstar.com
The photos of the 40 candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2017 in national costumes has been released by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. early this week. In the national costume photoshoot, most Binibing Pilipinas 2017 hopefuls wore the iconic terno. Some of them tried to reinvent the terno by making it modern and grander almost seemingly similar to Victorian gown dresses while others stood out wearing Filipino tribal and festival costumes. The Binibining Pilipinas bets also completed their national costumes with dazzling headpieces and accessories such as fan and
umbrella, among others. Others even incorporated symbolic pieces in their outfit. The photos of the Filipina candidates, taken by photographer Raymond Saldaña, are now being displayed at an exhibit at the Gateway Mall cinema lobby. The exhibit opened last April 1. The Binibining Pilipinas bets are set to present their national costumes at a pre-pageant event on April 23. The grand coronation night of the pageant will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on April 30. Checkout the photos of the Binibining Pilipinas bets as they shine in their respective national costumes.
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Ai-Ai delas Alas to wed in 2018 by MJ
Marfori ManilaTimes.net
AFTeR her big win on March 19 as Best Female Actor at the 7th Queens World Film Festival in New York for her dramatic portrayal of an aging prostitute in the movie Area, Ai-Ai delas Alas does not deny that she will be more picky with upcoming movie roles. “Gusto ko na kasi mas makabuluhan. For example mother role, pero may twist. Ang dami ko pa kaya gawin eh,” she said candidly. Ai-Ai will display her “cute” but significant trophy in her new home in Quezon City, along with her other awards. “Isasama ko siya at sa tuktok ko ilalagay na parang Christmas tree,” joked the versatile Comedy Queen. When asked what her 22-year-old boyfriend Gerald Sibayan thinks of her first international acting award, Ai-Ai laughed again and replied, “Linoloko niya ako na ‘uy pa autograph naman, pa-picture’!” Kidding aside, all is well between Ai-Ai and his man who asks her everyday when she’ll be ready to settle down with him. “Linoloko na lang niya ako, ‘O ano na balita as of today?’ Ako as of Ai-Ai delas Alas in a PDA (Public Display of Affection) for her first international Best today go pa ako! Sagot ko as of today sa 2018!” she laughed heartily. Actress award (for her performance as an “Kailangan ko pa ng time! hayaan niyo ako sa ilusyon ko!” Ai-Ai stressed she learned so much from her past relationships so aging prostitute in Area) won at the recent Queens World Film Festival in New York. she wants to be 100 percent sure this time around.
The ‘Queen of All Media’ returns to TV doing ‘non-showbiz stuff’ like traveling and cooking
mechado, so much so that we thought it wouldn’t be difficult for her to find and settle down with a man who possessed a palate for good food. After all, isn’t the way to a man’s heart through his stomach? Sadly, the years that followed in Kris’ personal life have proven us wrong.
Cory Quirino’s beauty secret by
Maridol rañoa-BisMark Philstar.com
WheN Cory Quirino admits with a straight face that she is 65, you gasp, open your mouth, and almost fall off the chair. She has no fine lines on her face. her skin is smooth and supple. her hair is thick and shiny. And she can wear body-hugging dresses without looking like a senior citizen in denial. her secret—and that of others who have found the fountain of youth—is inner peace. “I meditate. I pray every day. I remain centered, no matter what happens,” she shared in an interCory Quirino view with this writer. The beauty and wellness icon called that fateful day when she refuses to get angry. That is be- hit the headlines and her story cause, “I’d rather control stress inspired a movie. than let it control me.” Cory’s religious upbringing So you will not see Cory losing (her parents required her to go to her poise and raising hell over a church every Sunday) took over. botched-up schedule, a wrong She whispered “Blood of Christ, decision, even a threat to her life cover me and deliver me from and limb. danger.” And she surrendered She could have panicked and herself to God. put her life on the line when five This is why she never lost armed men abducted her in 1995. her cool, confident that God will The abduction happened in Luc- answer her prayers and someone ban, Laguna, miles away from Ma- will come to the rescue. nila. her kidnappers could have True enough, rescuers freed pulled the trigger and finished her less than 24 hours after. Cory off with a single shot. Cory still exudes that serenity Cory admitted that she was that allows her to think fast on afraid, but she did not panic. her feet and handle stress. But “Faith kept me cool,” she re- she has added something else: an
anti-aging food supplement called Novuskin Lift. “I take care of myself and embrace wellness. It all starts with respect for your mind, body and spirit. And I take natural supplements like Novuskin Lift,” she said. Cory takes one tablet a day (with meals) and gets a dose of rejuvenating marine fish collagen, zinc gluconate, soy protein isolate, green tea and yeast extract and others. It also helps that she has handed over the responsibility of running Miss World Philippines to talent manager Arnold Vegafria. Cory no longer shuttles from one meeting to the next, or from a meeting to tapings for her lifestyle show, “Graceful Living” (Saturdays, 8 p.m. on ANC). She has more time to hit the treadmill and lift weights at her favorite gym. When she does not feel like leaving the house, Cory does push ups and jumps up and down the trampoline at home. It all boils down to one thing: love for herself. Cory has mastered this art of healthy self-esteem. It shows in her body and on her face. It is a legacy she wants to pass on, especially to harried, stressedout millennials who do not know that reaching for the stars takes a toll on one’s looks, and, most of all, on one’s health.
B april 6-12, 2017 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal
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Meet the Filipino finalists of Gabbi Garcia’s hair commercial World Gourmet Summit Awards seen in ASEAN and Australia by
Deni Rose BeRnaRDo
by Tessa
MauRicioa-aRRioLa ManilaTimes.net
Philstar.com
The chefs of the world have spoken: Filipino chefs Gene Gonzalez and Antonio “Tony Boy” escalante have been voted as finalists in the 21st World Gourmet Summit Awards of excellence held in Singapore last week. Chef Gene of Café Ysabel in Manila and Chef Tony Boy of Antonio’s in Tagaytay were both nominated as finalists for the award Asian Cuisine Chef of the Year (Regional). escalante was also a finalist for the Restaurateur of the Year award for his namesake restaurant, Antonio’s. At age 23, Gonzalez opened his restaurant, Cafe Ysabel, in San Juan. Apart from a series of apprenticeships in France and Italy, he has completed various specialized courses in food arts, Culinary Institute of America, California Culinary Academy and the Callebaut Chocolate College. he is a cofounder of the Alta Cocina Filipina, the movement for contemporary Filipino cuisine. Alta Cocina Filipina, he said, was set up by him and a group of chefs to vouch not only for Filipino traditional cooking, but also to spread the use of Filipino ingredients. This week, Gonzalez will be taking part in Spanish-themed Madrid Fusion food festival in Manila, where he will showcase modern interpretations on traditional cuisine, particularly, the different uses of calamansi. “If the Japs have yuzu, the Thais have manao, we (Filipinos) also have calamansi,” he enthused. An avid writer, Gonzalez is also an editor of a weekly food page for one of Manila’s major newspapers. he has also authored cookbooks, including, “Cocina Sulipena,” a book on 19th century recipes from Pampanga. he is one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees in Culinary Arts and at present, author to a book series on Philippine cuisine. he was also board member of the College of Saint Benilde and at present, conseiller culinaire of the National board of the Chaine des Rotisseurs and also member of the London based International Wine and Food Society. Meanwhile, born in Negros Oriental and raised amid the rich cultural tradition of his home province, Chef Tony Boy learned about
EMPLOYMENT
IF you’ve seen prime time actress Gabbi Garcia’s new TV commercial for a shampoo and conditioning brand this week, so have viewers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, hong Kong, Taiwan, and Australia. This is because the “encantadia” star quietly landed the role as Asian brand ambassador of Procter & Gamble’s 72-year-old hair product, and is therefore just a step behind American actress and singer Selena Filipino chefs Gene Gonzalez of Café Ysabel in Manila (left, photo by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo) Gomez who serves as global brand and Chef Antonio “Tony Boy” Escalante of Antonio’s (right, photo by Aaron Tan for Miele Guide 2011) ambassador. were finalists at the recently concluded World Gourmet Summit Awards in Singapore. The T-Zone was part of a small huddle invited by Gabbi’s handlers, GMA Artist Center, on Tuesday where the 18-year-old celebrity excitedly shared her experience in joining the multi-national company beyond its Philippine offices. Apparently, early this year, P&G Philippines had asked to meet the Sang’res of the hit GMA fantasy series, comprised of Garcia, Kylie Padilla, Glaiza de Castro, and Sanya Lopez. Unbeknownst to the girls, the executives were apparently on the lookout for the next Pantene Girl for the Philippines, and were smitten by the morena beauty’s looks, Chef Gene with celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain (left, photo by Keithandjovie.blogspot.com) and conversation skills and overall Bobby Chinn (right, photo by Traveldocumentaries.co.uk) demeanor, among the four. the joy even the simplest meals can found in the countryside, closer offer at a young age, and he grew to the produce and livestock that to understand how food can bring serve as the lifeblood of any great restaurant. eventually, he decided people together. by Ricky Lo According to him, “Food has that it was time to pursue his life’s Philstar.com always been important in my fam- passion—food. The GMA adult drama “Ika-6 Antonio’s did not begin as ily, but it was also from my family that I learned to appreciate the restaurant, but as a farm. After Na Utos” resonates with the juicy beauty of the old, the traditional.” leaving the airline industry, Tony reverberations from the house of This aesthetic appreciation and Boy and his wife, Agnes, im- Representatives — and vice-versa. love for entertaining would help mersed themselves in setting up The series is widely-followed belay the foundations for the look and the farm. This not only provided cause it reflects realities in marthe escalantes with an income riages. Check the current headlines atmosphere of Antonio’s today. Becoming a chef was not part by supplying Manila’s higher-end and you know what that means. Viewers are hooked on the of Tony Boy’s plans, not at first. he restaurants with fresh produce, was in his third year of dentistry but it would eventually become the brilliant performances of Gabby when he decided that it was not the vital backbone of Antonio’s much- Concepcion (you know how many marriages he has survived, don’t right path for him. So, he became a praised menu. In 1999, Tony Boy left the Phil- you?), Ryza Cenon (going steady flight steward, and this was when ippines to pursue his dream of with actor Cholo Barretto) and he discovered his true calling. “Travel was more than just becoming a professional chef. he Sunshine Dizon (who has filed an about fun for me. It is inspiration,” studied in the Regency Park Insti- annulment case against her hustute of Tafe in Adelaide, Australia. band whom she accused of having he narrated in his website. Traveling around the globe was “When I got to Adelaide, I thought “another woman”). The drama inhow he discovered the wealth of I was already a good cook,” he volves Sunshine as emma, Ryza as gastronomic traditions throughout recalls. “But the truth was, I had a Georgia the mistress and Gabby as the man caught between them. europe, Asia and the Americas. lot to learn.” Said Sunshine, “We owe it to While in South Australia, he But more importantly, Tony Boy learned that fine food could be would also start what he describes the public. We would like to thank found outside the bounds of big as “making his bones”– taking on them. Masaya kaming lahat dito cities. In fact, some of his very menial kitchen jobs such as work- sa set. We continue doing what best dining experiences were PAGE B7 we did on the first day. It’s easy to
Behind the scenes of Gabbi Garcia’s shoot at a desert in Australia.
To Gabbi’s surprise when she was asked back to P&G’s headquarters, not only did she meet the company’s top executives but also their counterparts from several offices in the ASeAN via video conference, who all welcomed her as Pantene’s regional ambassador. “It was overwhelming to see them all there, and so much more when I finally left in mid-February to shoot the commercial in Australia,” she related. “They assembled a team from their offices all over the
world to put everything together.” “It was such an experience,” she continued. “I spent a week in Australia with Adelaide as our base. We had a long drive to the shoot’s location, which was an isolated desert in the south of Australia. There was no signal, there were no houses so we slept in an RV, but you’ll suddenly see a kangaroo out of nowhere!” Nevertheless, the production was top-notch, with Gabbi learning how differently things are done abroad like clockwork.
When three is a crowd
EMPLOYMENT
In the hit GMA adult drama Ika-6 Na Utos, Gabby Concepcion is torn between his mistress (Ryza Cenon, left) and his wife (Sunshine Dizon, right).
see why viewers easily relate to the show. I learned that people follow the show’s development on buses, and both here and abroad.” Ryza: “It’s so heart-warming, knowing that people appreciate our effort inspires us to do better in every episode. Stay tuned po!”
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FOR RENT
Gabby is grateful to the show’s loyal viewers and netizens’ overwhelming support since it premiered in December last year. “We knew that the show would rate but we didn’t expect the rating to be that high,” added Gabby.
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Features
Obtaining a green card after being abused Your Immigration Solution Atty. Devin Connolly & nAnCy Miller PerhaPs the most common way for a person to be granted permanent resident status (Green card) is through marriage to a U.s. citizen. But what happens when the U.s. citizen spouse is physically or verbally abusing the foreign national? are they required to stay in the abusive relationship until they receive their green card? Because of the “Violence against Women act,” (“VaWa”), the answer is NO! The VaWa applies to both men and women and it is not limited to only spouses of U.s. citizens. It allows certain spouses, children, and parents of U.s. citizens and
Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, MD, FACS, FPCS aBOUT 25 percent of physicians practicing in the United states graduated from foreign medical schools who had their internship/medical/surgical residency training in the U.s. More than 22,000 of them are from the Philippines. For an objective evidencebased reply to that question, I am reprinting below, verbatim, the Tusgawa harvard study published in the British Medical Journal on February 2, 2017: Graduates of international medical schools are an important part of the healthcare system in many Western countries, and the authors of the current study provide a review of the role of international medical graduates (IMGs). They note that onequarter of practicing physicians in the United states, United Kingdom, Canada, and australia are IMGs. In the United Kingdom, most IMGs trained in India, the republic of Ireland, or Pakistan, whereas in the United states, IMGs from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines are fairly common. The United states requires that
permanent residents to file a petition for themselves without any assistance from their relative. This ability to file without their family member’s assistance allows victims to immediately seek both safety and independence from their abuser. The abuser will not be notified about the self-petition. There are three general categories of people eligible to file self-petitions under VaWa. These categories include people who are abused after entering into a marriage with a U.s. citizen or permanent resident; parents of abusive U.s. citizen children; and children who are under 21, unmarried, and have been abused by their U.s. citizen or permanent resident parent. This requirement that a child file before their 21st birthday may be extended until they turn 25years-old if they can demonstrate that the abuse was the main rea-
son for the delay in filing. The most difficult task facing a self-petitioner under VaWa is typically establishing that they have suffered “extreme cruelty” by their family member. While difficult, this task is still very possible. First, it is important to know that “extreme cruelty” is not limited to acts of physical violence. “extreme cruelty” is interpreted much more broadly. It does obviously include acts of physical violence, but it also includes many other types of abuse as well. In fact, the U.s. Citizenship and Immigration service (“UsCIs”) may approve a self-petition based solely on psychological and emotional abuse. The UsCIs will also consider what has been deemed “immigrant-related” abuse. Immigration-related abuse may include the refusal to file papers on behalf of a family member despite repeated promises to do
Is the patient death rate in the US lower among non-US-schooled MDs? IMGs pass both the U.s. Medical Licensing examination (UsMLe) Clinical Knowledge tests plus the UsMLe Clinical skills test before being permitted to practice medicine. Moreover, the U.s. educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates has stated a goal to accredit all foreign medical schools by 2023. In the United Kingdom, IMGs have to pass an examination of english proficiency and professionalism, but not examinations evaluating medical knowledge. There is concern among stakeholders, including patients, that the care provided by IMGs is inferior to that of physicians trained in their country of practice. however, little data are available to validate this belief. In fact, some research has found that IMGs outperform Us medical graduates on medical knowledge testing. The current study by Tsugawa and colleagues fills a gap in research by evaluating outcomes of inpatients cared for by U.s.-trained physicians and IMGs in the United states. Study synopsis and perspective Medicare patients admitted to the hospital and treated by internists who graduated from medi-
cal schools outside the United states had lower 30-day mortality rates than matched patients cared for by graduates of Us schools, according to results of a study published online in the British Medical Journal. To practice in the United states, international medical school graduates must pass 2 examinations on medical knowledge and 1 assessment of clinical skills, and complete accredited residency training here. however, medical schools outside the United states are not accredited by any domestic agency. In response to concerns about the quality of care from internationally trained physicians, the educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates will require accreditation of medical schools outside the United states by 2023. studies comparing the quality of care provided by internationally trained physicians with that by domestically trained physicians are few and small in scope. Yet, physicians trained outside the United states may be perceived by some as not as competent as physicians who attended medical school in the United states. To compare the two, Yusuke Tsugawa, MD, Ph.D., from the
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affordable and fresh seafood, meat and produce and also sells grocery products from the Philippines, which may not be available in mainstream supermarkets. Island Pacific Silverado also houses its Food Service brands – Philhouse and Bread Republic. Inspired by traditional home-
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette ADevA MAglAyA
ThIs Lenten season, it is a good idea to ponder the life of saint Paul. Paul, aka saul of Tarsus, lived more than two thousand years ago. he had something to say about what does matter in life. he spoke about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ahgah-pay). agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no agenda or motivations, a kind of love that is exemplified in God sending his only son, a kind of love that if emulated by humans, sets us apart from all of God’s creatures, makes us a little closer to the angels and truly created in God’s own image and likeness. But Paul didn’t start out as a defender of the Christian faith. he was, in fact, an avid persecutor feared by early Christians. as a Jew and a Pharisee who was also an educated man and a class above because he was a roman citizen, he used everything in his power and position to quash the growth of the church persecuting the members of the then budding Christian church. saul was his Jewish name. Paul PAGE B6
Island Pacific Supermarket opens 2nd store in Las Vegas LAS VEGAS - Shortly after opening its first branch in Las Vegas last year, Island Pacific continues to serve the growing underserved Filipino community in the city by opening its 2nd location, this time in the South West area. The grand opening celebration and store blessing was held on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 467 E Silverado Ranch Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89147. Notable guests include Mr. Joseph Otting, former President and CEO of One West Bank, Consul General Adel Cruz of the Philippine Consulate of Los Angeles, Carlo Magno of Asian Culture Television, Bong Gutierrez and Alexander Encarnacion of Vista Land, Dave Tupaz - Fashion Designer, Gloria Caoili, Ruel Rodriguez and Grace Vergara - Filipino community leaders of Las Vegas. Island Pacific Seafood Market is a chain of supermarkets situated in various locations in California, Nevada and Washington states. It caters primarily to Filipinos and Asians, but also sells products manufactured by and marketed for various ethnicities. Island Pacific provides
so, calling the U.s. Immigration and Customs enforcement to report a family member’s unlawful presence in the U.s., or threats to have a family member deported if they do not act in conformity with the abuser’s wishes. The UsCIs will consider the totality of the circumstances when assessing whether “extreme cruelty” is present, which means that they may find the existence of “extreme cruelty” when there are acts that may not initially appear violent but are part of an overall pattern of violence. It is especially important to note that in cases where a person is filing a self-petition based on the abuse they suffered from their spouse, the immigrant does not have to stay married to their abusive spouse. They are certainly permitted to file a self-petition during the marriage, but they may also file the self-petition after the marriage has been terminated through death or divorce. however, if
cooking, Philhouse is a fast food restaurant, which serves a wide variety of Filipino dishes that are freshly prepared daily. It also has Philhouse Grill, which offers Pinoy faves like Grilled Fish, Inihaw na Liempo, Pinoy BBQ, Chicken Inasal and Lechon Belly. Reminiscent to the small bakeries in the Philippines, Bread Republic offers freshly baked bread and pastries like pandesal, Spanish bread, empanada, ube flan cupcakes, silvanas and many more. Island Pacific Seafood Market now has 23 locations (and counting!) with 2 stores in Las Vegas. Find a store near you - 467 E Silverado Ranch Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89147 or 8650 W Tropicana Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89183. 8[m\ik`j`e^ Jlggc\d\ek
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 6-12, 2017
the marriage has already been terminated, they must file the self-petition within two years of the termination of the marriage. They must also file the VaWa petition before the self-petitioner enters into a new marriage. In addition, if the abusive spouse/parent had previouslyfiled an immigrant visa petition on behalf of the battered spouse/ child, the priority date can be transferred to the self-petition. This can be helpful for spouses or children of lawful permanent residents who face a long wait for the availability of their priority date. Following the approval of a self-petition by the UsCIs, the immigrant will be permitted to seek adjustment of status as soon as their priority date is current. however, even if the selfpetitioner is not ready to adjust their status, they may receive “Deferred action.” This grant of “Deferred action” would protect them from being placed in removal proceedings even though
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they lack lawful immigration status in the U.s. These individuals who receive “Deferred action” are also eligible to receive employment authorization. Obtaining permanent resident status as an abused spouse, parent or child is a complex process and requires excellent advocacy before the UsCIs. Individuals seeking assistance in such matters should therefore always consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney. *** Reeves, Miller, Zhang & Diza Law Corporation’s offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City. 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)
Love as the center of gravity “All you need is love.” - Lennon-McCartney
was his roman name. Paul stood by watching the cloaks of the stone throwers, tacitly approving the stoning of saint stephen, the first Christian martyr. Paul was a young, rising brilliant star of his time eager to make his mark in the Judaic tradition. at first, Paul was hot and bothered by the intensity of the love and fervency of the apostles and early believers. This start-up movement was a threat to his career track and his Judaic core belief system. Paul thought he was going to make it his life’s work to eliminate Christ’s early followers and eradicate what Christ himself has started. If murder and mayhem were the tools to get it done, he was going to use them. But God had other plans for Paul. On his way to Damascus on a mission to arrest and persecute Christians, a blinding light shone on him. he fell off his horse while Jesus’ voice is heard asking him, “saul, saul, why do you persecute me?” This dramatic, miraculous conversion when he temporarily became blind was a critical juncture for the Christian church. Inspired by the holy spirit who suffused his entire being when the scales of his blindness fell off his
eyes, Paul’s teachings and writings have an eternal shelf life - true today, as it was then, and will be for much of human history. In the quiet of your soul during this holy season amid troubled times, read the gospels. also, you just might discover the exquisite beauty, range and depth of human emotions made known to God, contained in the Psalms, all 150 of them. and then read Paul. You’ll be surprised at the clarity and current relevance of many of his writings to today’s unfolding history. he has a wealth of wisdom to share with anyone seeking meaning in a confusing world seemingly bent on self-immolation. In a swirling fast-paced technological world full of self–love, vanity, illusions and artifice that only tend to distort and act as centrifugal forces pushing God away as the center of our lives, Paul’s directives make absolute sense. his words have the power to keep us all centered, as they were intended to be, not on ourselves, but on God. Ironically, it’s like being in the eye of the storm where there is peace while swirling forces rage about in the periphery. This one below, if etched in many hearts and minds and lived PAGE B7
Features
B april 6-12, 2017 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal
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Pearls of motherly wisdom from ‘Mama Lina’ Navarro By Monet
Lu
IF I had a penny for every time I would tell myself and others that ‘mothers know best,’ I’d probably be very rich now. Truth of the matter is: we have so much to learn and emulate from mothers in general. Whether from your biological mother or a woman playing a motherly role in your life, they have so much wisdom to impart on us. I have had the privilege of diving into the deep mind of one toughspirited woman— a mother and a grandmother—by the name of Lina Navarro. Today, I share with my readers some of the most precious pieces of advice they’ll ever hear in their lifetimes. I asked Mama Lina is, “What, for her, is a Beautiful Life?” She answered with several meanings, but I also wanted to share parts of her story that best exemplify her definitions. “A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ belongs to a person whose senses and intellect are keen and aware not only of the beauty and goodness in the world, but also of its inexhaustible store of knowledge waiting to be explored.” As a teacher for over 4 decades, I tried to inspire, motivate, and guide my students. By precept and example, I tried to steer them towards their educational goals and to encourage them to contribute positively to society. I also do this with my fifteen grandchildren and other young people I meet. I keep abreast of current events, and devote time to reading history and literature to be able to actively participate in discussion of social issues. I try to keep physically fit, and mentally alert. I even endeavor to memorize one poem a month. Starting at a very early age, I have always loved studying and learning. I believe deeply that it is a person’s duty to discover and actualize one’s potential, along with a set of core values. I often engage my grandchildren, and other young people in informal discussions along these thoughts. I try to communicate with them without sounding pompous and moralistic so that they will feel free to discourse with me and exchange ideas. If in the process, I touch a life, and make a positive difference, then the effort is all worth it. I find that I also learn a lot from the young and my education
Lina Navarro
continues as well. “A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ does not happen to a person; a person makes life beautiful depending on how she uses her inborn and acquired abilities in response to life. She is the Artist who designs her life, as on a blank palette.” An early and unplanned marriage at 17 years old and the birth of my seven children, deflected my original goal of making it big in academia. I dreamed of becoming a lawyer and diplomat on the international stage! I decided to become a teacher instead, because it was the easier and shortest way to start earning a living for my growing brood of children. Surprisingly, I found that I loved the job. And if I may say so, I am effective in teaching and motivating young minds! I taught my children to develop good study and educational habits. I taught in my hometown of Tarlac, Philippines for over 13 years. I was an instructor of literature in a local college, and a high school teacher, before I transferred to the Development Bank of the Philippines, Tarlac Branch, as Administrative Assistant. This was before I migrated to the U.S.A. I did not plan to get married at 17. And I certainly did not plan to have seven children nor to adopt my two orphan nieces. I never had training for the most important job in the world of becoming a parent. But, I felt that it was the most natural thing to do—to be a mother. And I did my best under the circumstances of economic challenges which we faced in the Philippines. “A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ is a fearless, courageous life, unafraid and undaunted by uncertainties and vicissitudes; it is a resourceful and decisive life that tirelessly works for self and others.” Some life experiences that
shaped my character: One of them was back when I was 6 years old when WWII erupted. It uprooted us from our normal comfortable life and exposed us to isolation, uncertainty and dislocation. We evacuated to the hinterlands, fearing for our lives and suffering paucity for basic necessities. From this childhood trauma, I learned that people are basically good. Many people offered their homes and gave us food and drink as we tried to settle down in a hostile environment. Without them, we would have died of hunger and have been left to the mercy of the elements. This experience made me cherish the freedoms I enjoy. I also try to help the less fortunate, inspire and motivate them with the limited resources that I have and by sharing with them some of my life experiences. I try to connect with people. Everyone is interesting; everyone has a story to tell. Another experience is the shattering realization that my first born child Lillibeth, will never walk because of Polio. After the initial shock of learning that my daughter would never walk, at age 20, I braced myself and convinced myself that there is life even with such a severe disability. We availed ourselves of the physical therapy available to her. And with the rest of our children, Lillibeth, despite her disability went to school and competed for excellence. I was and remain convinced that because she did not have a fully-functioning physical body, all the more there was a need for her to develop and train her mind. She worked for the Department of Social Welfare in the Philippines and founded Bahay Buhay Foundation for the disabled. The foundation continues to thrive to this day. “Mama Lina” Navarro will be awarded Mother of the Year at The Beautiful Life Celebration by Monet Lu to be held on April 23. For information call (213) 216-492. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com
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.
HOLLYWOOD STARS IN VEGAS. The official Convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), CinemaCon, debuted at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on March 27-30. The Big Screen Achievement Awards were distributed to Salma Hayek with Sofia Boutella,Female Star of Tomorrow awardee. Amy Schumer with Goldie Hawn received the Icon Award and Naomi Watts garnered the Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film Award. Actress Charlize Theron walked the red carpet and promoted her new upcoming movie “Atomic Blonde.” Photos by Raoul Gatchalian
City of Las Vegas Rainbow Company Youth Theatre partnering with UNLV on production of ‘Peter Pan’ April 28-May 14 Local youth given opportunity to learn from Nevada Conservatory Theatre LOCAL youth from the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre are getting the opportunity of a lifetime – to learn from the professional crew of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre and UNLV during a production of “Peter Pan” at Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV April 28May 14. This is the first partnership between Rainbow Company Youth Theatre and the Nevada Conservatory Theatre at UNLV, with the young Rainbow Company members working alongside the professional designers, cast and crew at UNLV. Suitable for all ages, this joint production between Rainbow Company Youth Theatre, Nevada Conservatory Theatre and UNLV features a community cast selected from an open casting call. The cast is comprised of professional actors, UNLV students, Rainbow Company Ensemble members and community residents. Rainbow
Company Ensemble members and UNLV theatre students work together on all technical aspects of the production, including preparing the sets and making the costumes. The musical portrays J.M. Barrie’s enduring fantasy about the Darling children’s adventure with the boy of Neverland who never grows up. Show times are 7:30 p.m. May 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 and matinees at 2 p.m. April 29-30, May 6-7 and May 14. Tickets are priced at $27.50$33; $10 with a Rainbow Company Seussical or Recollections of the Silver State 2016/2017 ticket stub. Discounted tickets are available for seniors, military members, the differently abled, all students, UNLV faculty and staff, and UNLV alumni. UNLV students may receive one $10 ticket in Section B with identification. Tickets may be purchased at the UNLV Performing Arts Box office
at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway starting at 10 a.m. Monday-Friday. Tickets also are available by telephone at 702-895 ARTS (2787) or online at https://www.unlv. edu/event/nevada-conservatorytheatre-peter-pan. Additional fees apply to telephone and internet purchases. Founded in 1976, the Rainbow Company Youth Theatre is a program of the city of Las Vegas. Rainbow Company produces a full season of family-oriented theatre and offers classes for youth ages 4-18 in all aspects of theatre at Charleston Heights Arts Center. The Student Ensemble program offers professional-level training to young people ages 1018 in all aspects of theatre. For more information on this or other Rainbow Company productions or classes, call 702-229-ARTS (2787) or go online to www.artslasvegas.org.
Is the patient death rate in the US among non-US... PAGE B5 Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues conducted a large observational study of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries to assess whether outcomes differ depending on whether their general internists were trained domestically or abroad. The study excluded graduates from Central America and the Caribbean to minimize inclusion of US citizens trained outside the country. The countries that contributed the most internists to U.S. hospitals were China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Syria. The researchers assessed 30day mortality rate (the primary outcome), readmission rate, and costs of care (total part B spending), and whether clinical condition influences differences in patient outcomes and care costs between the 2 groups of patients. In addition, they adjusted their models for patient characteristics (age, sex, race or ethnic group, diagnosis, and income), physician characteristics (age, sex, and patient volume), and hospital fixed effects (characteristics of hospitals). Results indicated that 19,589 (44.3 percent) of 44,227 general internists in the United States graduated from medical schools outside the country. They were slightly younger than US graduates (age 46.1 vs 47.9 years; P <.001) and were more likely to work in medium-sized, nonteach-
ing, for-profit hospitals without intensive care units. In addition, their patients were more likely to be nonwhite, have Medicaid, have a lower median household income, and have more chronic comorbidities (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes). The mortality analysis included 1,215,490 patients admitted to the hospital under the care of 44,227 general internists between 2011 and 2014. Patients treated by international graduates had lower mortality rates (adjusted mortality rate, 11.2 percent vs 11.6 percent; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.930.96; P <.001). “Based on the risk difference of 0.4 percentage points, for every 250 patients treated by US medical graduates, one patient’s life would be saved if the quality of care were equivalent between the international graduates and US graduates,” the authors write. The cost analysis included 1,276,559 patients treated by 44,680 physicians during the same study period. Overall, patients of internationally trained internists had slightly higher adjusted costs of care per admission ($1145 vs $1098; adjusted difference, $47; 95 percent CI, $39-$55; P <.001). Meanwhile, adjusted readmission rates among 1,182,268 patients who were treated by 44,201 physicians did not differ
between the 2 patient groups. Patients receiving care from international graduates had lower mortality rates than did patients of US graduates for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. “Taken together, our findings should reassure policymakers and the public that our current approach to licensing international medical graduates in the U.S. is sufficiently rigorous to ensure high-quality care,” the researchers conclude. They suggest that the testing process may select for the top international medical school graduates. The fact that some internationally trained internists may have completed two residencies (one in the home country and one here) might also contribute to the slightly better mortality outcomes of their patients. The current study should help dispel the notion that IMGs provide worse medical care compared with U.S. medical graduates. The study results may be used by hospitals and health systems to create awareness about IMGs and their qualifications as clinicians. *** 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
EntErtainmEnt
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 6-12, 2017
City of Las Vegas offers 6 alendar of Events C across Safe Summer Nights Celebrations
Las Vegas residents invited to free community events on April 27-June 1 THE city of Las Vegas invites residents to six free Safe Summer Nights events between April 27 and June 1. Community members are invited to enjoy free DJ music, special student performances at each school, family games, face painting, arts and crafts, and free refreshments while supplies last, along with a community health and resource fair at each of six city of Las Vegas Safe Summer Nights events. Each health and resource fair will offer basic health, vision and dental screenings, along with information about programs for summer youth activities, money management, adult education,
community safety and more. Events will be held: • Thursday, April 27, 4-6 p.m. Crestwood Elementary School, 300 Pauline Way, Las Vegas, NV 89104 • Thursday, May 4, 4:30-6:30 p.m. J.T. McWilliams Elementary School, 1315 Hiawatha Road, Las Vegas, NV 89108 • Thursday, May 11, 5-7 p.m. Matt Kelly Elementary School, 1900 N. J St., Las Vegas, NV 89106 • Thursday, May 18, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wendell P. Williams Elementary School, 1030 N. J St., Las
Vegas, NV 89106 • Thursday, May 25, 4-6 p.m. Hollingsworth Elementary School, 1776 E. Ogden Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101 • Thursday, June 1, 5-7 p.m. Kermit Booker Elementary School, 2277 N. Martin L. King Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89106 Nonprofit community agencies and organizations wishing to provide valuable information to our community at these resource fairs are encouraged to contact Lisa Campbell to make arrangements to participate. Space is limited. For more information, call Lisa Campbell at 702-229-5406.
Alice Dixson relocates back to Manila with life partner by MJ
Marfori ManilaTimes.net
“BuSy with baby-making!” yes. That’s what the ever gorgeous Alice Dixson told In The Know on the set of her latest endorsement shoot for clothing line, Mags. Alice’s life partner for four years, who is based in Dubai, is apparently all set to relocate to Manila to get their project going. “We’ve decided to settle down here in Manila once and for all so we don’t have to go back and
forth [to Dubai]. Nakahanap siya ng magandang company to join. Mahirap na ang long distance,” said the ageless actress. While they are both eager to start a family, she admitted that marriage is not in the horizon yet. “We’ve both been married kasi before,” she added. Career-wise, Alice promised she will be more visible these days with a soap and a movie in the works. “Him being in the Middle East was the reason why I was not so visible last year,” she explained.
which time they were considered as an alternative rock music group. This set included “Don’t Panic” (2000), “Clocks” (2002), “In My Place” (2002), and “Viva La Vida” in between their current zesty pop and anthemic tunes like “Paradise,” “Magic,” “Hymn for the Weekend,” “Adventure of A Lifetime,” “Something Just Like This,” “Sky Full of Stars,” and “up & up.” They also threw in David Bowie’s “Heroes,” among the 21 songs they played in the show, as a tribute to the late British music icon who passed away in 2016. Moreover, Martin proved why he is one of the most adored front men of his generation. He had a masterful command of the stage as he ably emphasized the mood of every song. Just as easily, he enjoined his audience to dance, jump and raise their mobile phones whenever he asked them to. As such, the charismatic musician impressively shifted audience’s mood from lively to melancholic like he did with “Everglow” [their tribute to Muhammad Ali who also passed away in 2016, and to a huge fan of Coldplay whom they call Ely]and “Fix you” [said to have been written for Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow when she
tonio’s, his fine dining restaurant set in the rolling hills of Tagaytay, to much critical and popular acclaim. And because he wanted to share his lifelong obsession with breakfast food with his guests, he also launched his second restaurant, Breakfast at Antonio’s, in November 2003. In August of the next year, The Grill by Antonio’s began serving home-style Filipino cuisine. In December 2012, after an extensive renovation, Chef Tony Boy reopened Breakfast at Antonio’s at its original location along the picturesque Tagaytay ridge. Besides improvements to the kitchen and dining area, Breakfast at Antonio’s now features a retail store on the premises, selling products used in all the Antonio’s establishments. In 2013, Antonio’s also launched
Love as the center of...
PAGE B5 out in our daily rounds through thoughts and more specifically in even the tiniest of actions, particularly in couples, already married or planning marriage in the foreseeable future, could remarkably bring down the alarming rate of break-ups and a whole universe of heartaches among couples. This has the power to preserve FAMILIES, the last best hope of humanity on steroids. These days, the very structure and integrity of the family unit are heavily assaulted from many fronts with popular culture, Hollyweird, media and the internet leading the charge at a time when the church is weakened by internal abuses and scandals and when persecutions of Christians around the world are at a terrifying, alarming rate and intensity. Fear not. Let not our hearts be troubled. As history will bear and as written in the song, “Canticle of the Turning,” which is based on the Blessed Mother Mary’s “Magnificat,” it is when the church is at its most vulnerable when the forces of heaven align to defend itself and go on the offensive in subtle
yet dramatic ways. The blood of early Christians spawned the rise of the early Church. History does repeat itself. Marriage as a bedrock institution between man and a woman is in serious danger, as man-made laws masquerading as civil liberties, are enacted to challenge it, all in the name of political correctness. Strong family units built on LOVE are so essential in creating strong societies from the ground up. Each generation builds upon and learns from the ones that came before it. The passage below is a favorite among couples and wedding planners and for good reason. These words are more than the pretty, superficial veneer of rituals in weddings. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 13, are words to live by telling us what really matters as he did then to members of the early church who were probably just as lost, confused and disconcerted as most of us probably are. Set your hearts on the greater gifts. I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic
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Fashion Arts Autism Benefits presents “Fashion for Hope” in New York The Philippine Consulate General New York and the Autism Heart Foundation present Fashion Arts Autism Benefits (FAAB) Foundation’s “Fashion For Hope” at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 7 at the Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center (located at 556 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY 10036). Fashion For Hope marks the first anniversary of a joint collaboration that promotes an innovative art therapy program and fashion project that make a difference in the live of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. The FAAB Project empowers these individuals to courageously overcome such challenges by promoting healthy self-expression, building essential life skills and providing inclusive opportunities in the creative arts. The entire FAAB Project also includes an educational art therapy program and a series of fashion shows and workshops where students produce original works of arts on canvases made of piña (pineapple) cloth. This event features the incredible artworks created by FAAB Projhect artists rendered into unique fashion designs by famous Filipino designers Anthony Cruz Legarda and Patis Tesoro. For more information, please visit www.eventbrite.com.
Filipino Cursillos’ Kalbaryo show in San Diego, CA The Filipino Cursillos in Christianity of Los Angeles, CA (FCIC-LA) will present a Kalbaryo (Lenten) show about the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus on Saturday, April 8. It will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Pala Mission Church, San Juan Diego Center at 3015 Pala Mission Rd., Pala, CA 92059. For further information, please contact any of the following: Tess Tan Torres at (213) 249-1507; Agnes Golingay at (818) 599-8401; Len Balino at (310) 2033639; Genie Bagsic at (858) 472-9338; or Oddie Sabas at (760) 670-5868.
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Greenlining Institute Economic Summit in Oakland, CA
lost his father in 2012]. The tributes did not end there as Martin shared with the audience how he met with Filipino fan Kenneth that Tuesday morning before the show. Kenneth is a huge Coldplay fan who was barred from watching the show because of his ongoing battle with Stage 4 cancer. He dedicated “Ink” to his new friend. Visual feast Coldplay’s was also a visual feast with pyrotechnics, bursts of confetti, lasers, stadium canons, and flame on stage. The antics, including Martin’s impromptu song for the Philippines, made the audience feel special. “I love Coldplay! It’s definitely worth the 17-year wait,” one fan exclaimed at the tailend of the concert. “I cannot watch another concert after this one. No, I am not going to be as excited with any other concert after Coldplay,” a teary-eyed fan declared. In ending, an overwhelmed Martin, speaking on behalf of his bandmates promised, “We’ll see you next time! Good night!” And so another dream began for their fans in the Philippines.
Meet the Filipino finalists of... PAGE B4 ing the grill in Gaucho Argentinean Restaurant or cooking on the line at the Hilton Adelaide. After his stint in Australia, Chef Tony Boy returned to Manila to begin his internship in the Mandarin Oriental’s prestigious Tivoli Grill. It was here that Chef Tony Boy would meet and work with his gastronomic mentors, Chef Norbert Gandler and Chef Humphrey Navarro. His employment arrangement was, at the time, unique. For three years, Chef Tony Boy worked without compensation in the kitchen of The Tivoli on weekdays. In exchange, he would keep his weekends free so he could cook for paying guests at his home in Tagaytay. In November 16, 2002, Chef Tony Boy opened the doors of An-
America
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The ‘adventure of a lifetime’ for... PAGE B1 superstar status in “The Scientist” (2002) from the sophomore album A Rush of Blood to the Head. In between catching his breath, the lead singer acknowledged, “At this point, I just want to say thank you to all of you who’ve come through the traffic and the ticket prices… from all of you here in the front who have been standing in sweat for hours and hours… and all of you there all the way from the back…” “Look at that crowd, people, that’s how you do it,” he exclaimed. “I hope you’re having a great time. We’re so happy to be here. It’s such a thrill, it’s such an honor, and I wanna thank everyone who has been so welcoming and so kind to us for just making us feel amazing.” Martin reportedly biked around the concert grounds in the afternoon, catching fans by surprise before preparing for the concert. Charismatic musician In a single night, Coldplay proved that they can please both new and long time fans with a good mix of earlier and later hits. The band played songs from their first three albums, during
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a line of ready-to-eat products that would allow guests to bring the Antonio’s experience home with them. For the fourth time and for four years in a row, Chef Tony Boy’s Antonio’s placed number one in the Philippines in the 2011/2012 list of The Miele Guide, considered as the “bible” of Asia’s culinary greats and Asia’s answer to Europe’s oldest and most popular hotel and restaurant guide, the Michelin. “Now, we are being recognized and it gives me a lot of pleasure to be just being here and get to touch-base with a lot of other chefs. If Singapore can do it, if their culinary team can do it, what we Filipinos just need is just a lot of patience, a lot of funding, we can do it!” Chef Gene assured.
as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure. Love never fails. … And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
On Friday, April 14, the Greenlining Institute’s 24th annual Economic Summit will boldly tackle local and national controversies as it focuses on the theme, “Racial Justice on the Frontlines.” With Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza moderating the opening discussion, community activists, political and business leaders will take on such challenging issues as gentrification, tech diversity (or the lack thereof), possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the impending arrival of Uber in downtown Oakland. It will be held at Oakland Marriott City Center at 1001 Broadway, Oakland, California. Registration opens 8 a.m., program starts at 8:30 and runs to 5:45 p.m. For more information, please visit www. greenlining.org.
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“A Musical Odyssey” in Cerritos, CA Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, Inc. and DreamAgeGroup presents Rudolf Paleaz Golez, an internationally acclaimed Filipino virtuoso pianist in “A Musical Odyssey” on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Other local singing talents will be present at the concert, such as recording artist Sean Collado, aspiring actress and singer Sheila Tejada, Sabrina Oxciano and Samantha Murray. Ticket prices are $35, $65 and $100. Proceeds of this performance will go toward the Pangansian Brotherhood-USA’s scholarship funds, which helps academically successful seniors who are college-bound in both the greater Los Angeles area and the Philippines. The performance will be at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ Sierra Room at 12700 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, California 90703. Interested parties may contact project managers Dan E. Nino at (562) 921-5116 or denino1951@gmail.com; E. Mendoza at (623) 341-6247 or thedreamagegroup@gmail.com; Lino F. Caringal, Jr. at (714) 808-2642 or linojr.caringal@gmail.com; Bong Soriano at (909) 851-1493 or believe1156@gmail.com; Neil Estrada at (562) 301-9972 or bluezero2sixty@yahoo.com; or Feliz Lopez at (562) 572-2301 or fblopezinsurance@msn. com.
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CAUSE’s annual gala in Los Angeles Join Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) for its annual gala on Thursday, April 20. It will be held at LA Hotel’s California Ballroom at 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a VIP reception. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact kim@causeusa.org or visit www.causeusa.org.
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Fundraising event to benefit the first-ever Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum in Las Vegas The Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum (FAHAM) will host “Heritage Celebration - Filipinos Landing in California,” a fundraising event on Friday, April 21, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Dallas Ballroom of Texas Station Hotel and Casino. Festivities include a buffet dinner, arts exhibits, vendor booths, cultural entertainment a native fashion show, a Philippine history presentation, and dance performances. The cultural entertainment will be provided by the FAHAM Cultural Dance Group, Heart of Polynesia, Gina Kim Korean Dance Group, Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas, Sophia Ramos, Sharon Tanyag, and DJ Mike. Emcees will be Amie and Leo Belmonte. The donation is $50 / person. Attire is formal. FAHAM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is currently America’s first Filipino American Museum, Archives, Legacy, Culture, Innovation Research Center, and Library Garden founded in Delaware by Mrs. Ditta Camomot, M.Ed., M.A. Its holdings are artifacts, ethological materials, and ecclesiastical, historical, arts and ephemera collections, as well as environmental projects. Texas Station is located at 2101 Texas Star Ln, North Las Vegas, NV 89032. For tickets and more information, please contact Salve Edelman at (702) 418-8968.
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12th annual Sikad ng Bayan bike ride in Anaheim Hills, CA The Sikad ng Bayan (Cycling for the Nation) is an annual bike ride that raises funds to build preschools for less fortunate communities at Gawad Kalinga (GK) villages in the Philippines. It is a non-competitive ride that will be held on Saturday, April 29, where cyclists traverse the Orange and Los Angeles counties. And in true Filipino fashion, this fun ride culminates in a Pinoy-style luncheon where cyclists can get together and know more about Sikad. It will be held at the Yorba Regional Park (7600 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807). For more information or to register please visit www.sikad.org or call Rey D. at (562) 964-1445 or Robbie V. at (949) 351-8344.
ApRIL 30
Filipino Cultural School to host “Sari-Sari Talent Show 2017” in Cerritos, CA Filipino Cultural School (FCS) will host its 2nd annual Sari Sari: Talent Show Fundraiser on Sunday, April 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Josephine’s Cerritos (11305 183rd St, Cerritos, CA 90703). Filipino Cultural School, based in Cerritos, CA and other neighboring cities, is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization 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 Philippine culture are invited to attend. “Sari-Sari” is a Tagalog word for “variety,” and in this talent show, FCS aims to celebrate the diverse talents of our community members in forms of singing, dancing, spoken words, etc., along with some great Filipino food from the restaurant. Pre-sale tickets are $10 for ages 13 years old and above, and $5 for ages 12 years old and under. Door prices will be $15 for ages 13 years old and above, and still $5 for ages 12 years old and under (ticket prices do not include food). The raised funds for the event will go towards helping cover for the cost of venue, insurance, and materials for the FCS Summer Program. For information on how to purchase a ticket and also sign-up to perform in the show, please visit the website http://filipinoculturalschool.org. For any inquiries, feel free to contact FCS at filipinoculturalschool@ gmail.com.
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B april 6-12, 2017 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal
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