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Volume 28 - No. 41 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
o c t o be r 1 9 - 2 5 , 2 0 1 7
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AFP: Martial law still needed Top Rank exec urges due to network of terror groups Pacquiao to decide DATELINE
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
on boxing career
mAnny Pacquiao’s longtime promoter is calling for the boxer to make up his mind soon on whether he will retire or continue fighting. Because according to top rank inc. president todd DuBoef, Pacquiao’s potential opponents in the welterweight division won’t be waiting for the filipino icon to come up with a decision. speaking recently to John Dennen of boxingnewsonline.net, DuBoef said they are still keenly awaiting Pacquiao’s next move. “i think it’s wait and see. right now he’s predominantly consumed with his job of being a politician and i think probably the best thing to do is wait and see what he wants to do and what his intention is and how he wants to proceed,”
by Dana
SioSon AJPress
mArtiAl law in mindanao must be retained even after the deaths of terrorist leaders isnilon hapilon and omar maute, according to the Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP). AfP spokesperson major General restituto Padilla Jr. said in a Palace briefing that the military still has to address what he described as “greater threats” posed by
network of terror groups. “But there is a greater threat here that needs to be addressed and the need for the maintenance of martial law in some parts is really important because of the network, the existence of the network of all these terrorist groups,” Padilla told reporters on tuesday, october 17. Philippine President rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law and suspended the privilege of writ of habeas corpus in the entire mindan-
ao on may 23, following the attack of islamic state (is)inspired terrorists in marawi City, province of lanao del sur. the martial law proclamation was initially set to expire in July, but Congress voted to extend it until the end of the year. “it is something that we need to do in order to address quickly and adequately those threats that are looming in the horizon or in the Police officers check evacuees from Marawi at a checkpoint by the entrance of Iligan City in
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of Mindanao in this May 24 file photo.
Pres. Duterte declares liberation of Marawi
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Trump to hold meeting with Duterte in Manila
PresiDent Donald trump is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with President rodrigo Duterte and other leaders as he visits manila next month. the Philippines would be one of trump’s stops as he embarks on his Asian trip from november 3 to 14, the White house said. the American leader is expected to arrive in manila on november 12 to attend the special gala celebration dinner for the 50th anniversary of the Association of southeast Asian nations. the Philippine government earlier said that trump will receive a “very warm welcome in manila.” “President Duterte is looking forward to welcoming President trump in manila. our people are excited to see the first face-to-face meeting between our two leaders,” foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement released september 30. trump will also attend the 40th anniversary of U.s.-AseAn relations during the U.s.-AseAn
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by Dana
SioSon AJPress
PhiliPPine President rodrigo Duterte announced on tuesday, october 17, the liberation of marawi City from terrorists. “ladies and gentlemen, i hereby declare marawi City liberated from the terrorist influence that marks the beginning of rehabilitation,” said Duterte in a speech during his visit to the city. the president made the pronouncement a day after the top leaders of islamic state (is)-inspired terrorist groups behind the war in marawi City were killed in a military assault. in a press briefing on monday, october 16, Defense secretary Delfin lorenzana confirmed the deaths of Abu sayyaf leader isnilon hapilon and maute group leader omar maute. “We were supposed to go to marawi today with the president but we were advised by ground commanders not to go because they will conduct the assault this morning,” lorenzana told reporters. “so they were able to do it this morning. they were MARAWI FREED. President Rodrigo Duterte does his signature pose after he declared the war-torn city’s liberation from terrorists. His able to get isnilon hapilon and omar maute. they were declaration came on the heels of the death of terrorist leaders, Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. Despite the declaration, the island of both killed. in fact, their faces are now splashed in the Mindanao, home to around 22 million Filipinos, remains under military rule.
AAPI Nevada State Treasurer candidate to focus on improving state’s education Derek Uehara seeks to take over Dan Schwartz’s seat for state treasurer by Klarize
MeDenilla AJPress
Derek Uehara, a certified financial planner (CfP) and president of the Uehara financial Group, llC, is seeking to take over current nevada state treasurer Dan schwartz who will be running for governor in the next election. When Uehara found out that schwartz wasn’t running for reelection, a friend recommended that he consider running for the position given Uehara’s solid background in financial planning. he researched the position and decided to seize the opportunity to serve the community. “in general, i feel very fortunate for how good the state has been to me, so i’m looking for ways to give back,” Uehara told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. Derek Uehara announces his campaign for Nevada state treasurer.
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Inquirer.net photo
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Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal
NAIA no longer on list of world’s ‘worst airports’ DOTr vows more improvements
After consecutive years of being named as among the worst airports around the globe and in Asia, the ninoy international Aquino international Airport (nAiA) is finally out of the list this 2017. A recent survey released by “the Guide to sleeping in Airports” on sunday, october 15 showed that the Philippines’ premier gateway is no longer included in the world’s top 20 worst airports.
from 2011 to 2013, nAiA ranked first place on the globe’s worst airports list. it landed in 4th place in 2014. the following year, it was no longer included in the world’s top ten worst airports but was rated 8th worst airport in Asia. in 2016, nAiA landed in the fifth spot on Asia’s worst airports, which the government attributed to the issue of “laglag-bala” or “bullet-planting” scheme, wherein personnel allegedly planted
bullets in luggage to extort money from travellers. But this year, nAiA is also no longer among Asia’s top five worst airports list. four Philippine regional airports likewise maintained its spot on the top 25 best airports in Asia. these include the iloilo international Airport, mactanCebu international Airport, Clark international Airport, and Davao international Airport.
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Tourism Sec. Teo revives ‘Bring Home A Friend’ to increase inbound tourist traffic
AmiDst a fiesta themed celebration, the general public welcomed the rebirth of the “Bring home A friend” to the Philippines (BhAf), aimed to help raise inbound tourism figures and spur more economic activity. the grand relaunch of BhAf was held at the newport mall, resorts World manila complete with higantes dancers, other AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal cultural performers and re-
nowned original Pilipino music (oPm) artists. “tonight marks an important milestone for all of us in the Department of tourism as we unveil the most anticipated return of a widely successful incentive travel program which was first launched by former tourism secretary mina Ga- Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo announces to bor in 1994, the Bring home the media the official start of the “Bring a friend,” said Dot secretary Home A Friend” campaign which will run from
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October 15, 2017 up to April 15, 2018. DOT photo
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From The FronT Page
Tourism Sec. Teo revives ‘Bring Home A Friend’... PAGE A1 Wanda Tulfo-Teo. The BHAF is a rewards program which seeks to promote travel to the Philippines by encouraging Filipinos or expatriates in the Philippines to invite friends from abroad with the lure of prizes for both “sponsor” and “invitee”. By simply following four simple steps: Invite, Accept, Travel
and Register, any eligible ‘sponsor’ and ‘invitee’ can join. Program mechanics are available at the www.bringhomeafriend. online. Ms. Mina Gabor expressed excitement and high esteem that the project she initiated 23 years ago has come back to life. She has high hopes of its success as the current situation is more enabling now given that
more prizes are at stake and more importantly, through digital and social media, activation and promotion is a lot easier. The sponsors were thanked through plaques of appreciation awarded by the Secretary and other DOT officials. Partner sponsors include Megaworld Corporation, Toyota Motor Philippines, Philippine Airlines, Duty Free Philippines, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, Tourism Promotions Board, El Nido Hotel and Resort, JPark Island Resort and Water Park Cebu and Pearl Farm Beach Resort. Providing entertainment were hosts Randy Santiago and Jimmy Bondoc together with the Sabado Boys, Mitoy Yonting and the Aegis band. Acclaimed actor Piolo Pascual was tapped to sing the jingle, introduced as the newest Tourism Ambassador. He was, however, unable to join last night’s event. “We are looking at positive reaction from the United States, Japan, Middle East and Hong Kong as these are the places where a lot of Filipino communities are. Eventually, we hope to spur more travel from other areas, the tourism chief said “Bring Home a Friend is our shout-out to the world to come and see the Philippines: a country of diverse cultures, rich traditions, and unrivaled biodiversity,” the Secretary added. Participating officers from the different tourism industry associations, foreign diplomatic community, congress, support government agencies and media promised to give their allout support to the program. For more information, log on to www.bringhomeafriend. online via DOT’s website www. tourism.gov.ph or visit the Department of Tourism Facebook page and Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube accounts. Kindly like, follow, and support the official BHAF social media accounts: Facebook: bringhomeafriendPH Twitter: bringhomePH Instagram: bringhomeafriendPH Email: bringhomeafriend@ tourism.gov.ph Hashtag: #BHAF2 #bringhomeafriend
FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
( Mt Carmel, Mt Beatitude, Mt.Tabor, Cana, Capernum, Nazareth, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem Qumran, Masada, Jericho )
Dec 3 to 14, 2017
Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Alvin Cachola
AFP: Martial law still needed... PAGE A1 environment that may result to the harm of innocents like what happened in Marawi,” Padilla added. He noted it would be up to the president to decide whether to lift the martial law. “From the side of the military, although this is a political decision, we will make appropriate recommendations,” the military official said. He assured that that law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear about military rule. “What we want to convey to the public and for them to understand is that there will be a consultation,” Padilla explained. “The president will allow the Armed
Forces and other security agencies to air their side and to make recommendations, appropriate recommendations.” To date, the military said there only around 20 to 30 remaining armed men or “strugglers” in Marawi City, which include six to eight foreign terrorists. The number of hostages remained to be at about 20, which includes women and children. In a statement, House Deputy Speaker and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro said it may be better to maintain the heavy security measures in Mindanao until the situation stabilizes and rehabilitation efforts can proceed on full throttle.
He advised against the lifting of martial law until “tentacles and smallest level of terrorism have been dismantled and hostilities have been diffused.” “We should not be too confident and complacent just because the military has declared that hostilities have started cease. We have to hear from the people and local government of Marawi City and Mindanao if they already feel secured,” said Castro. “You have to nip it from the bud. It is necessary that normal lives of the people of Mindanao are restored and reconstruction of Marawi City goes unhampered by even the smallest threat of terrorism,” he added.
Pres. Duterte declares liberation... PAGE A1
internet. They were also able to recover 17 hostages,” he added. According to Lorenzana, the military was able to get a testimony on the whereabouts of Hapilon and Maute from a female hostage who managed to escape from a building where terrorists were holed up. Maute was reportedly killed with a headshot by snipers. Hapilon, on the other hand, was hit in his chest. Their will still be subjected to DNA testing, as there will be monetary rewards for their capture or death, the Defense Secretary noted. Malacañang had offered a P5 million bounty for each of the Maute brothers, and P10 million for Hapilon. A separate $5 million bounty was also offered by the United States for the Abu Sayyaf leader, who was also the supposed anointed head of IS in Southeast Asia Lorenza said the government may announce the termination of hostilities in Marawi within this week. “And after that, we’ll find out, we’ll assess the entire Mindanao if there is a but the need to recommend to the president the lifting of martial law,” he added. The attack in Marawi City on May 23 prompted Duterte to impose martial law and suspend the privilege of writ of habeas corpus in the entire Mindanao later on the same day. The extended martial law is set to expire by the end of the year. Since the fighting broke out five
A government soldier passes by a house previously occupied by Islamic State (IS) followers in Marawi, where entire structures (top photo) had been flattened in the war to stop IS from setting up a province in the predominantly Muslim City. Inquirer.net photo by Jeoffrey Maitem
months ago, the government has lost 162 soldiers and at least 47 civilians. 824 terrorists were also killed. According to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Eduardo Año, there are still around 30 terrorists resisting the government forces in the area but most are expected to surrender soon, following the death of their leaders. “They are stragglers. They don’t have leaders anymore, they’re on their own,” Año said. The military chief likewise remarked that the day of the deaths of Hapilon and Maute “marks the triumph of good over evil.” In a statement, Malacanang hailed the government troops for the death of the two terrorist leaders, describing it as a “clear victory against terrorism.” “Bravo Zulu to the AFP (Armed
Forces of the Philippines). We look forward to raising Marawi from the ashes of conflict and building in a new era where people from the farthest reaches of this Republic can share in the boon of progress,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. “This clear victory against terrorism proves the Duterte administration’s resoluteness in delivering on its promise of peace and prosperity to the people of Mindanao,” he added. In a separate statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella reiterated the government’s vow to rehabilitate Marawi City once the fighting was over. “Once the fighting stops and the clearing operations end, we will put our efforts and energies on the challenging task of rebuilding and rehabilitating Marawi,” Abella said.
Italia� Pilgrimag� Ho�� �eek� March 23 to April 3,2018 Spiritual Director : TBA
Day 1 - March 23, 2018 (Fri) Los Angeles, California to Venice, Italy Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to LHR connect to our flight to Venice (Meals served in-flight)
Day 2 - March 24, 2018 (Sat) Venice, Italy 3 DEC-Day 1 - (Sun) LAX/TLV On board meals are served
4 DEC-Day 2 - (Mon) - Arrive at Ben Gurion airport Tel-Aviv/Tiberias
After you have finished Immigration, collect Luggage then Meet our guide and driver. Transfer to Tiberias , Dinner /overnight Gai Beach Hotel
After we clear Immigration & Custom, we will meet our Tour Director and driver for our transfer to our hotel,. Dinner at the hotel.( Dinner) If time permit, discover the most romantic views of Venice on foot and from the comfortable seats of a gondola, spend some time gliding through the cities peaceful canals.
Day 3 – March 25, 2018 (Sun) Venice, Italy
Holy Eucharist at the Church of annunciation “And Mary said, Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” We head to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, we’ll invite couples to renew their marriage vows. Continue to Nazareth, Celebrate Holy Eucharist at the Church of Annunciation, visit St Joseph workshop. We return to Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)
The greatness of Venice has always been reflected in the richness of St. Mark’s Basilica, the perfect synthesis of Venetian art and a unique blend of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic elements. Five Oriental-looking domes crown the shadowy, mysterious interior gleaming with golden mosaics, colored marbles, precious stones and pearls, and guarded by the four gilded bronze horses that stand proudly atop the central entrance. The glittering mosaics of the interior tell the story of St. Mark and episodes from the Bible. It’s most famous treasure stands behind the altar in the sanctuary - the Pala D’Oro, a golden altar screen encrusted with jewels We’ll visit theDoge’s Palace, the magnificent VenetianGothic building from where the leaders of the former Venetian Republic ruled until the late 18th century. Head inside and explore the grandiose public chambers that the doges lavished with fine art and ornamentation. Masterpieces by Renaissance champions.(BB,D) Holy Mass at St. Marks Basilica.
07 Dec-Day 5 - (Thurs) Mt Tabor/Mt Beatitude/Capernum/ Sea of Galilee/Tabgha
Day 4 - March 26, 2018 (Mon) Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
5 DEC-Day 3 - (Tues) Cesarea /Haifa
There was a certain man in Caesarea” Drive north to the sparkling port city of Haifa, viewing Caesarea en route, the city built by Herod. In Haifa, we will ascend Mt. Carmel; home of the two prophets Elijah and Elisha, Visit the Stella Maris Church celebrate Holy Mass in the main Altar, after enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean, continue to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. Gai Beach Hotel (BB,D)
6 DEC-Day 4 - (Wed) - Tiberias/ Cana/ Nazareth
We drive to Mount Tabor, celebrate Holy Eucharist at the church of Transfiguration, Visit Mt. of Beatitudes the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)
08 DEC-Day 6 - (FRI)-Jordan valley/Jericho/Bethany/Jerusalem
After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from Venice to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July 1916 until his death on 23 September 1968. Sit back, relax and enjoy the drive and take in the picturesque scenery along the way. We will reach our hotel in San Giovanni Rotondo in the afternoon. Will have panoramic sightseeing on the way to our hotel,(BB,D).
Day 5 - March 27,2018 (Tues) San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
Drive the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. View the Mount of temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Visit the ancient ruins of the wall. Drive through Wadi Welt to view St George’s Monastery. Continue to Bethany celebrate Holy Eucharist, and then visit the tomb of Lazarus. Arrive in Mount Scopus; enjoy the first view of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Notre DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)
We begin the day by celebrating Holy Eucharist. Eucharist,. Followed by a short film about St. Padre Pio.Done by our local guide who are very knowledgeable about the life of St. Padre Pio. We’ll start our visit with the Old Church.Here you can see his cell, his confessional box, the crucifix from which he received the stigmata, and nearly everything he owned or touched, carefully preserved and labeled. Then will visit the New Basilica, Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) dedicated to Padre Pio. (BB,D)
09 DEC-Day 7 - (Sat) - Jerusalem (old City) - Via Dolorosa
Day 6 March 28,2018 (Wed)San Giovanni Rotondo
Holy Sepulcher Church “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place of a skull, which was called in Hebrew Golgotha” Enter the old city of Jerusalem, Sing a hymn in the Church of St Anne and view the pool of Bethesda. Visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, where the soldiers played the Game of Kings, and Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the tomb of Our Lord. This afternoon drive to Mount Zion, to visit the upper room, revered as the site of the last supper. Then survey the Dormition Abbey’s, St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus three times. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME Vatican Hotel (BB.D)
Holy Eucharist in the Morning in the New Basilica.followed by Station of the Cross. Rest of day spend Praying and meditating (BB,D)
10 DEC-Day 8 - (SUN) - Mount of Olives/Gethesemane/Bethlehem/New City
Day 8 - March 30 2018 (Fri) Assisi to Florence (Good Friday)
Holy Eucharist celebration at the Church of all nations Main altar Arrive at the Mount of Olives and enjoy the beautiful view of Jerusalem. Visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit Church”God wept “& walk the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethesemane and the Church of all Nations. This Afternoon drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name the whole world recognizes ,visit the Church of Nativity, the manger, Church of St Catherine, The Grotto of St Jerome, and the shepherds fields. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB ,D).
11 DEC-Day 9 - ( MON) - Jerusalem/Dead Sea/Qumran/Masada
Visit the Western Wall , the only part of the Herodian temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. We drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to Jerusalem Overnight Notre Dame Vatican Hotel (BB,D)
12 DEC-Day10 - (TUE) Jerusalem New City
Return to the new City, Including the Temple Model to see a scale model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of Jesus. Here we will have a better understanding between old and New Jerusalem. Next to Ein Karem, birthplace of St John the Baptist, visit the Visitation church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat Overnight NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)
13 Dec-Day 11 - (WED) Jerusalem/TLV/LAX
Breakfast rest of the morning Free time early PM dinner has to check out from the hotel, around 8:30 PM flight from TLV/ LAX in the 13 Dec flight depart TLV at 1:00 Am Dec 14,2017 ( end of Service )
Day 7 – March 29, 2018 (Thur) San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena, Italy
After breakfast, we will spend the day travelling from San Giovanni Rotondo to Siena. We will begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, it is a treasure chest of Renaissance art and is dedicated to St. Catherine of Siena. You’ll learn about the city’s history while admiring its cathedrals, museums, and libraries. Then admire famous Piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great medieval squares.(BB,D) Continue to Assisi overnight /Dinner Celebrate Holy Eucharist in the Crypt where the tomb of the most beloved saints is located ,after Mass visit the Basilica of St Francis, We’ll also visit the Basilica of St.Claire After Lunch continue to Florence Best know for it leather goods,the best in the world Leather (BB,D) Free time in the afternoon Dinner/ Overnight
Day 9 - March 31, 2018 (Sat) Florence to Rome
2 hrs walking tours of Florence,before we continue to Rome We will have a guided walking tour of this fascinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist, Continue to Rome. Upon our arrival in Rome, Guided tours of the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel .See the Largest church in Roman Catholicism ,St Peter Basilica,see the Crypt of St Pope John Paul (BB,D) Transfer to the Hotel /overnight
Day 10 April 1, 2018 (Sun ) Rome
EASTER SUNDAY MASS, VATICAN SQUARE FOLLOWED BY PAPAL BLESSING Visit the Major Basilicas like St Mary Major,St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, St. Paul Outside the Wall, St. Peter’s in Chain, Santa Croce of Jerusalem, afternoon see Imperial Rome, and short visit to the Trevi Fountain on the way to the hotel (BB,D) Dinner in the hotel
Day 11 April 2, 2018 (Mon) Rome Free time in Rome ( BB,D)
Day 12 April 3, 2018 (Mon) Rome – USA
Transfer to the airport for our flight back to USA, End of our memorable Pilgrimage
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 19-25, 2017
DFA: Filipino among fatalities in North Carolina wildfire
AN unidentified Filipino was among the fatalities in the wildfire currently engulfing North California’s wine area, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, Oct. 17. “We offer our sincere sympathies and prayers to the family of our kababayan who perished in this horrific fire,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement. The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco reported that the Filipino’s remains were recovered on October 14 in Napa County. “I have instructed our Consulate General in San Francisco to offer all possible assistance to the family and to continue to closely monitor the welfare of other Filipinos in the affected areas,”
he said. Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon Ascalon has been in touch with the victim’s family and has offered assistance in the repatriation of the victim’s remains. “We also continue to communicate with the Filipino community through our social media advisories, and have offered consular assistance to Filipinos affected by the wildfires,” Ascalon said. Approximately 100,000 people have been evacuated. More than 10,000 firefighters are currently battling 16 large wildfires that have burned over 86,600 hectares. The fires have destroyed 5,700 structures and have claimed at least 40 lives. There are an estimated 13,500 Filipinos living in the Napa, So-
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noma, and Yuba counties, which are the areas most affected by the wildfires. An estimated 4,200 Filipinos live in the other counties of Marin and Mendocino. As of Oct. 14, red flag warnings have been raised in Northern California due to strong winds, which have increased fire activity. Dry, windy, and hot conditions from late spring through autumn cause periodic wildfires in California. The most recent wildfire, in 2014, affected more than 54,000 hectares of land. The largest wildfire in recent history was recorded in 2012, which affected almost 128,000 hectares of land in California and Nevada. (Bernadette Tamayo/ManilaTimes.net)
AAPI Nevada State Treasurer candidate... PAGE A1 FIRST VISIT. President Rodrigo Duterte chats with inmates at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. The president promised to provide a television set for each cell. ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma
Top Rank exec urges Pacquiao to decide... PAGE A1 said the Top Rank executive. “Because now he’s an elected official, he’s there for the people, that’s his primarily role. We are sitting here. We wait for him to let us know what his intentions are and what he feels like doing and then we go from there,” he added. Pacquiao hasn’t fought since losing the WBO welterweight title to Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia last July, and is most likely done for the year. A planned rematch between the two fighters was scrapped due to various reasons, and now the 29-year-old is set to defend the title against another foe. DuBoef said Horn and the undefeated Terence Crawford — another potential Pacquiao opponent — will move on with their careers with or without fighting the Filipino star. “Horn’s not waiting for Pacquiao and Terence Crawford’s not waiting for Pacquiao. The welterweight division is a wonderful division; all these guys are wonderful athletes. They’re not going to wait on guys,” he continued.
Top Rank Inc. President Todd DuBoef
Horn, for instance, has reportedly already dropped a Pacquiao rematch in his immediate plans. Assuming he defeats British boxer Gary Corcoran in December, the Brisbane native will instead go for UFC star Conor McGregor. Pacquiao is currently occupied with his work in the Philippine senate, and if he ever decides to return to the boxing ring, it will be early next year. DuBoef, for his part, just wants
Photo from Twitter/@ToddDuboef
to find out what’s on Pacquiao’s mind so they, too, will know when to start working. “If he wants to dedicate himself to the people in the Philippines, that’s what his duty is, that’s what he should do. And if he wants to come back and have a fight in the fall or the spring, winter, whatever it is, obviously we love working with him and his team and facilitating his boxing career,” he said. (Dino Maragay/Philstar.com)
Uehara said that he was inspired by the people of Nevada to run for office and that serving the people will be his No. 1 priority. In his circle, Uehara — who is of Japanese and Chinese descent — has been known to be a champion for quality education and enhancing the classroom experience, an issue he plans to focus on if elected. He noted that time is of the essence to bolster the quality of education and to, in turn, improve the lives of the state’s children, whom he said are the state’s “greatest asset” but are the ones who suffer from the inadequacy of lawmakers. “Let’s say the adults here could increase their efficiency by three times in terms of being effective at solving problems. Even with that ideal outcome, how long would it be before one of these solutions actually affected one single student’s life? We’re talking years,” Uehara said. He added: “While we’re trying to do and how to do it and who’s going to do it the kids are the ones falling behind. These lives are precious. I don’t want our kids to be desperate, I don’t want them to face situations where they’re entertaining bad options. By that time it’s too late.” Uehara is also optimistic that his experience as a long-time financial planner will translate well into a role as the state treasurer. He supports the 529 Plan, a plan
AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal
a part of the IRS code that allows individuals to invest in the market, and when families set aside expenses for college, gains will be tax-free. The Uehara campaign team has been traveling around the state, talking with Nevadans and getting a sense of what it’s like to potentially financially govern an entire state. “It has been a pleasure, I love to meet people. I love telling our story and I’m passionate about it. I’m very satisfied or pleased that we’ve had a pretty positive response across the board,” Uehara said. Nevada is home to a sizeable Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population of approximately 215,000. This includes one of the largest Filipino populations in the nation, boasting a Filipino community of more than 138,000 in the state as of 2015, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition to helming his own
financial group, Uehara used his talents to serve the public. He was involved with the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the St. Jude’s Women’s Auxiliary Group and the Water Street District Business Association. He stays active in the community, attending and organizing city-wide events in Henderson, fundraisers and other gatherings. No stranger to running for office, Uehara ran for the Henderson City Council in 2015. Although he wasn’t elected, he never lost his passion for public service, and he hopes to exude that same energy in his current campaign for state treasurer. “I hope I can spread and share this passion with the rest of our voters because this effort we’re talking about is gonna require the state. I’m here as the candidate, but I can’t do this alone. Our community has to buy into this, too. And that’s what I’m about,” Uehara noted.
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Stockton’s Filipino community center vandalized during Filipino-American History Month by Rae
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1
Inquirer.net photo
NAIA no longer on list of world’s ‘worst... PAGE A1 In a statement, Philippine Department of Transport (DOTr) Chief Arthur Tugade welcomed the travel website’s positive feedback as he vowed to continuous development of the country’s services. “Work, work, work lang. While it is good that we are not listed among the worst, let us work even harder to be included amongst the best,” Tugade said, reminding that there are several things yet to be improved at nAIA. “We should be careful that we do not backslide. The show must go on — and better!” he added. The DOTr also noted that since the new administration of Presi-
dent Rodrigo Duterte took over in June last year, there has been “no single incidence of a passenger missing a flight for possessing a bullet.” “Passengers no longer feel the need to wrap bags and luggages in plastic or masking tapes,” the department said. According to the DOTr, among the reforms implemented under the new administration were restriction on general aviation to prioritize commercial flights; reducing flight delays; and construction of Rapid exit Taxiways to allow an aircraft to leave the runway at higher speed and increase flight movements. It likewise include provision
of cleaner toilets additional seats, free Wi-Fi, and Well-Wishers’ Area. echoing the transport chief’s remarks, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general Manager ed Monreal said the latest result “is only as good as the last race.” “We are happy to hear the recent development [delisting of nAIA]. however, the bigger challenge now is on how we can maintain or even surpass this achievement. We are only good as the last race,” Monreal said. “The task ahead is enormous, we are wishing to be part of the list of the best airports in the future,” he added. (AJPress)
Trump to hold meeting with Duterte in... PAGE A1 Summit on november 13. The U.S. president will also travel to Japan, South korea, China, Vietnam and hawaii. “The president’s travel will underscore his commitment to longstanding United States alliances and partnerships, and reaffirm United States leadership in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the White house said in a statement. Trump’s will first visit hawaii to receive a briefing from the U.S. Pacific Command and visit Pearl harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. On november 5, he will begin his visit to Asia with Japan and participate in bilateral meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump will also hold bilat-
Pres. Donald Trump
eral meetings with South korean President Moon Jae-in, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.
White House photo
he will participate in the AsiaPacific economic Cooperation economic Leaders’ Meeting in Danang, Vietnam. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)
ann VaRona AJPress
The Little Manila Center in Stockton, California was vandalized on Monday, October 9, as the Filipino-American community joins others throughout the United States in celebrating FilAm history Month. “We do not know why someone would deface our windows and rip the historic photographs of our community from the Little Manila Center entrance,” reads a statement issued by the Little Manila Center Board. Brian Batugo, a teacher and arts director at the center, was running a bit late to dance practice when he received a Facebook message by one of the student’s parents, notifying him of the vandalism. Shortly after, a student sent him a photo. “One of my students had tears in her eyes,” Batugo told the Asian Journal, detailing that he found his students — many of whom were also taking an ethnic studies class at the center — shocked and upset. Rather than going straight into rehearsal, Batugo allowed his students to reflect and document the event on social media. Batugo himself did a live video showing the damage to those on his social media networks. Stockton’s Mayor Michael Tubbs picked up on the social media outcries and called the incident “unacceptable” in a tweet. he then called the city’s police chief out to the scene. As of Wednesday, police have classified the incident as an act of vandalism and not a hate crime. According to Dillon Delvo, executive director and co-founder of the Little Manila Foundation, no other businesses on the street were vandalized. Words like “brainwashed” and “bigot”, along with seemingly misspelled words like “whittie” and “prop”, were marked on one of the center’s front windows. The vandal, who a witness described as possibly homeless, also ripped down donated banners portraying historic Filipino American stories. The door’s decals that once read “Little Manila Center” also had letters taken off. “Things like this make me so mad. Destroyed our donated
pictures and messed up our windows, and called us “bigots” this is a hate crime,” read a tweet by Twitter user @celiiry. Delvo told the Asian Journal that a recent quote for the damage was $1,200 — more than they had originally thought. Donations are being accepted on the foundation’s website. Fil-Am History Month context The incident came as the center was busy preparing for activities and projects for Fil-Am history Month, an annual celebration of Fil-Ams’ history and experiences in the U.S. observed every October. One of the center’s projects is a series of short documentaries commemorating first-generation manongs (older male relatives) who passed away at the Daguhoy Lodge in Stockton. The project looks to tap into the manongs’ experiences at the time, through what was left behind in their trunks. “As we celebrate FilipinoAmerican history Month this October, we know that discrimination against Filipino Americans is nothing new,” reads the statement on the incident. For much of the 1920s to 1930s, Filipinos in the United States were accused of taking jobs, being criminals, and fraternizing with white women, thus being subject to many mob attacks and raids. The areas of Watsonville, California — just two hours away from Stockton, for example — became a hotspot of friction where mobs ultimately led to the death of a Filipino worker named Fermin Tobera. In response to the anti-Filipino aggressions happening throughout the West Coast, Philippine officials organized a “national day of humiliation” in Manila — thousands were said to have gathered in the capital’s Luneta Park to commemorate Tobera. On September 28, 2011, the state of California officially apologized to Filipino Americans through an Assembly resolution (ACR-74) authored by Assemblyman Luis A. Alejo. “Filipino Americans have a long and documented history of suffering discrimination, prejudice, and animosity in the State of California,” read one line of the
resolution. “Filipino Americans endured past transgressions and wrongs committed against them through the implementation of state policies and the passage of certain laws,” read another. The city of Stockton itself, once had the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines between the 1920s to 1960s, according to the Little Manila Center. Main Street, on which the center is located, was once the city’s dividing line for people of color in the 1930s. Filipinos were consequently not allowed to go north of the street, and signs saying “Positively no Filipinos allowed” were openly displayed, according to the center. The weekend just before the incident, students took photos with a replicated sign at a community event in remembrance of the street’s history. The sign now hangs over the center’s ripped banners for the same reason. “Yeah, this is a real tragedy, but we need to see how we can turn this tragedy into a prospect,” said Delvo who chooses to use the incident as a learning tool, and hopes that those who see it learn a bit about the early experience of Filipino Americans in California. “We’re just adding to this history of what was happening in the past — we can’t just wash it off,” he added. And it’s not just the histories and aggressions against Filipino Americans Delvo wants to shed light on. “Ripping down some signs is kind of like we got the lesser evil side,” he said referring to the overall racial climate that has been affecting other ethnic groups. “If anything, this incident serves as a reminder for all Filipinos and all Asian Americans that we should be in solidarity with the oppressed,” said Delvo. “We are not excluded from that.” As for the young students that first discovered the damage, they are not letting it get in the way of their Fil-Am history Month performances — their next one is slated for Saturday, October 14. “The show must go on,” said Batugo who encouraged his students to channel their positive energy into their art.
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Police are investigating the vandalism as a possible hate crime because the words “white” and “brainwashed bigots” were used, according to the center’s staff. Inquirer.net photo
Finance chief : PH-US economic ties ‘can only grow stronger’ by Ben
o. de VeRa Inquirer.net
ACknOWLeDgIng that the United States had been instrumental in economic and public governance reforms undertaken in the Philippines of late, the head of the Duterte administration’s economic team expressed optimism that such reforms would entice more American investors to do business here. “We appreciate the support extended by the U.S. government intending to help modernize our governance, improve policy formulation across the board and strengthen the rule of law in our country,” Finance Secretary Carlos g. Dominguez III said on Sunday, Oct. 15 in a speech during a forum organized by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “The support likewise covers winning peace and progress for
Mindanao, facilitating trade and modernizing our agriculture,” he added. “With the help of generous development assistance from the U.S., we have accomplished much.” For Dominguez, the relations between Washington and Manila had been “tested by time and made more enduring by the shared values we hold.” “Let me say that the partnership between the Philippines and the U.S. can only grow stronger in the coming period,” he added. According to a statement issued by the Department of Finance (DOF), Dominguez is hopeful that “improvements in our governance and a benevolent conjuncture of factors favoring stronger growth will encourage private investments from the U.S. to take a much closer look at our economic prospects.” As far as domestic policies are concerned, Dominguez told the CSIS forum that the proposed com-
prehensive tax reform program and the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure tack were expected to move the economy further. “We are optimistic and we are committed,” he said. “We are confident we have the correct strategy and moving in the right direction. We will continue to rely on your support in this grand effort to reduce poverty, build strong institutions and properly care for the most vulnerable among our people.” “Dominguez cited the government’s continuing efforts to improve the ease of doing business by cutting red tape, curtailing corrupt practices and limiting its negative list for foreign investments, and training the country’s young and talented workforce to be more globally competitive, as among the factors that would sustain the Philippine economy’s high growth and haul in more long-term investments,” the DOF said.
US praises PH military for Hapilon, Maute deaths The United States on Tuesday, Oct. 17 lauded the Armed Forces of the Philippines for successfully neutralizing terror leaders Isnilon hapilon and Omar Maute. In a statement, U.S. embassy in Manila press attaché Molly koscina expressed how the Philippines’ longtime ally is proud to support the counter-terrorism efforts in Mindanao. “We congratulate our partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines for their reported success in killing two of the leaders behind the months-long clash in Marawi: Isnilon hapilon and Omar Maute,” koscina said. “The U.S. is proud to support the AFP’s counter-terrorism
efforts in Mindanao through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and other technical assistance,” she added. hapilon and Maute were killed in a military operation before dawn on Monday, Oct. 16, signaling the approaching end of a months-long campaign to rid the Islamic city of extremist militants. hapilon had long been on the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s list of most wanted terrorists. The U.S. Department of State had offered $5 million for information leading to his capture. Maute, meanwhile, was a figurehead of the pro-Islamic State Maute group along with his broth-
er, Abdullah, who was reported killed in September. The two led a group that attempted to lay siege on the city in May. President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the besieged city is now free from terrorists on its 148th day of armed conflict. The military, however, said it was still pursuing foreign militants including a Malaysian recruiter in Marawi. koscina, meanwhile, said the U.S. will continue coordination with the local government. “We will continue working with our Filipino friends, partners and allies to eradicate violent extremism and terrorism,” she added. (Philstar.com)
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 19-25, 2017
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D ateline PhiliPPines Pulse Asia survery: Majority of Filipinos Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, 86 support drug war, believe EJKs happen by Dana
SioSon AJPress
Nearly nine in ten of Filipinos support the Philippine government’s campaign against illegal drugs but a majority also believe that extrajudicial killings (eJKs) are occurring in the course of its implementation, a recent survey showed. In a its latest survey, Pulse asia asked respondents, “Do you support or not support the campaign against illegal drugs of the administration of President [rodrigo] Duterte?” The poll results, which released on Monday, October 16, showed that 88 percent of Filipinos expressed support to the so-called drug war and only two percent said otherwise. The remaining nine percent said they may or may not support it. respondents were likewise asked the question, “Do you believe or not believe that extrajudicial killings or eJK are happening in the implementation of the campaign against illegal drugs?”
Seventy-three percent believed that eJKs occur amid the crackdown on illegal drugs. Only 20 percent of said they do not believe that eJKs existed while 7 percent refused to answer. almost eight in ten or 76 percent of Filipinos also expressed fear that they, a member of their family, or someone they knew may experience the same fate as Kian delos Santos—a 17-year-old student who was killed by Caloocan City police for supposedly resisting arrest. The survey was conducted from September 24 to 30, 2017 among 1,200 respondents using face to face interview. It has an error margin of ± 3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. Welcoming the poll results, Palace Spokesperson ernesto abella said the figures only showed that Filipinos “appreciate the administration’s efforts to reduce the incidence of crime and make the streets safer and the communities more peaceful.” With the Philippine Drug enforcement agency (PDea) re-
by aDor
Vincent S. Mayol Inquirer.net
cently tasked as the agency to lead all drug war operations, Malacañang expressed hope that the administration will “continue to win near-universal support while addressing the public’s concern over unlawful suspect deaths.” regarding the public’s concern that they may become a victim of drug war abuse, abella reaffirmed that the administration does not condone unlawful killings. “We also share the concern of many Filipinos over unlawful killings possibly perpetrated in the anti-drug campaign. as we have Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal previously said, even one death Vidal Inquirer.net photo is one too many,” the Palace ofCeBU CITy — The country’s ficial said. champion of peace is gone. “The president has made it abCebu archbishop emeritus risolutely clear that killing unarmed cardo Cardinal Vidal died at the suspects who do not resist arrest Intensive Care Unit of the Perpetual is never allowed and will be pun- Succour Hospital in Cebu City at ished,” he added. 7:28 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18, abella also remarked that the surrounded by some priests and “massive media coverage” of his closest confidants. the Caloocan youth killings likely The 86-year-old cardinal died of caused respondents to believe septic shock, a condition when the that extrajudicial killings are hap- blood pressure drops to a dangerpening. ously low level after a severe blood infection, said Msgr. Joseph Tan, the spokesperson of the archdiocese of Cebu. “It is with great sadness that I announce the death of Cardinal Vidal,” Tan said in telephone interview. “He has returned to the Father’s home at 7:28 a.m. today.” “I ask the people to pray for his eternal repose,” he added. “For four days, he was in stable condition. But as it is, his heart may have given up due to his age.” Cebu archbishop Jose Palma and auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo, who served as Vidal’s private secretary for many years, were with Vidal when the cardinal breathed his last. Vidal, who served as archbishop of Cebu for 29 years, from 1982 to 2011, lies in state at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral from Wednesday afternoon. His remains will be Vice Pres. Leni Robredo Inquirer.net photos transferred to the archdiocesan Shrine of San Pedro Calungsod at Tokhang? Knock and plead, the archbishop’s residence comkatukin ang bahay ng drug per- pound over the weekend. sonality at pakiusapan na, ‘Please, Tan said the funeral date has not huminto ka na. Mag bagong bu- been set, but Vidal’s body may be hay ka.’ Hindi namin binabaril buried at the cathedral mausoleum agad ang mga drug personalities where his predecessors had also (Knock on their door and plead been laid to rest. with the drug personality saying ‘Please stop with the drugs and change your life for the better.’ We don’t shoot the drug personalities immediately),” Dela rosa said. Just last week, Duterte named the Philippine Drug enforcement agency (PDea) as the “sole agency” in charge of the government’s war on drugs amid public outrage over alleged police abuses. Under the new order, the PNP’s task in the drug war was now limited to “maintaining police visibility.” Dela rosa, however, insisted that this does not mean that “PDea values life more than the PNP does.”
Vidal, whose health declined since 2014 due to pneumonia, was rushed to the hospital Wednesday last week after having difficulty in breathing. He was in a semi-comatose state and underwent dialysis after his kidneys weakened. But around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, his blood pressure severely
dropped due to blood infection. Physicians tried to revive Vidal for about an hour but failed. Brother thanks Cebuanos aside from Palma and Villarojo, also present at the hospital were his 84-year-old brother Juanito and former private secretaries – Msgr. achilles Dakay, Fr. agustin ancajas, PAGE A7
PNP chief tells Robredo to set aside presidential ambition, help Duterte first by Dana
SioSon AJPress
THe country’s top cop has no qualms with Philippine Vice President Ma. leonora “leni” robredo running as president in the next national elections, but he has one request: she must let President rodrigo Duterte finish his term first. In a forum on Monday, October 16, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General ronald “Bato” Dela rosa said robredo should set aside her supposed presidential ambition for now and instead help Duterte “accomplish his plans for the country.” “Sana tulungan na lang niya ang presidente, anyway, she will have her time, she will have her time pagkatapos nito (I hope she helps the President first, anyway, she will have her time. She will have her time after this),” Dela rosa said during a forum on World Pandesal Day. “Kung gusto niyang mag-presidente, subukan natin siya. Basta patapusin muna ‘yung buong administration ni presidente (If she wants to be president, we can try. But she has to let the Duterte administration finish its job),” he added. allies and supporters of Duterte previously hit robredo for criticizing some of the administration’s policies, including the anti-illegal drugs campaign that resulted to thousands of alleged summary killings. at one point, robredo hit the PNP for its so-called “palit-ulo” (exchange of head) scheme,
Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa
wherein she said “the wife, husband or relative in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.” Dela rosa refuted robredo’s definition, clarifying 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. During this week’s forum, the top cop defended anew the drug war as he maintained that the police force values human life. “We wage the war on drugs because we value life; if we don’t value life and we value money, we will just receive (bribe) money from the drug lords,” Dela rosa said. The PNP has been the center of the controversial drug war, particularly its heavily-criticized “Oplan Tokhang.” “What’s the essence of
Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority
Notice of Public Comment Period and Public Hearing
As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Notice is hereby given that the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) will hold a Public Hearing to solicit comments on Amendment-01 to SNRHA Annual Agency Plan for FY2018 The Public Hearing will be held at: Howard Cannon Center Commission Chambers 340 North 11th Street Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 5:30pm
Senate President and PDP Laban President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (right) on Tuesday, Oct. 17 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Russia, the largest party in Russia, in St. Petersburg. United Russia is the ruling party of the Russian Federation and counts Russian President Vladimir Putin among its leaders. Senate photo
PDP-Laban inks memorandum with Russia’s ruling party
MaNIla — The administration PDP-laban party has entered into a memorandum of understanding with russia’s ruling United russia party, a move meant to bring “russia and the Philippines closer together.” “This is a historic moment, as it brings russia and the Philippines closer together through relations between their ruling parties, and not just their governments,” Senate President aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, PDP-laban president, said in a press statement. although details of the memorandum have yet to be released, the party pointed out that it is the second agreement with a foreign administration party for PDP-laban. The party signed a Memorandum of agreement with the Communist Party of China in February. “PDP-laban is unique among political parties in the Philippines not just for its active grassroots presence and ideological discipline, but also for its efforts to boost diplomatic ties through relations with ruling parties of other
countries,” the Senate president said. The party “is open to building ties with political parties in other countries that share its commitment to Change for the welfare of the people,” the press statement said. “We want to share our experiences with parties from other countries, and we want to learn from their experiences as well. The Change we push is not change for the sake of change, but rather, it is aimed at eradicating age-old problems and must therefore be sustainable,” Pimentel said. United russia, led by russia President Vladimir Putin, controls russia’s legislature, New yorkbased watchdog organization Freedom House said in its Freedom in the World 2017 report. It noted a decline in political rights in russia “due to the heavily flawed 2016 legislative elections, which further excluded opposition forces from the political process.” Freedom House adds in its report: “The government also
has strong control of the media environment, and has been able to retain domestic support despite an ongoing economic slump and strong international criticism.” Human rights Watch, another international watchdog, said in its World report 2017 that russian authorities “used a 2012 law to demonize as ‘foreign agents’ dozens of nongovernmental organizations, including leading rights groups and independent think tanks.” It also noted that the russian government “refused to sanction public protests organized by government critics and political opposition and punished protesters participating in unsanctioned peaceful gatherings and singleperson pickets.” The government also has also “[empowered] law enforcement agencies to place on watch lists individuals allegedly engaging in “anti-social behavior,” or “actions that run contrary to commonly accepted norms of behavior and morality.” (Jonathan de Santos/ Philstar.com)
Amendment-01 to our Plan will be available on Monday, October 16, 2017, at all Public Housing Community Offices as well as in the main lobby area of SNRHA Administrative Offices located at: Howard Cannon Center – 340 North 11th Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 W.F. Cottrell Administrative Building – 5390 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89122 Housing Programs Building – 380 North Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89101 Amendment-01 to our Plan will also be available on our website at www.snvrha.org, Welcome Page, scroll down to Agency Plans section, click on “Click here for all Agency Plans” and scroll down to the pdf icon for this plan. If you wish to comment on this Amendment, require additional information, and/or need special accommodations, please call 702-477-3112. Written comments will be accepted from Monday, October 16, 2017 through Thursday, November 30, 2017 at 5:30pm at the above address.
PUB: October 15, 2017
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OctOber 19-25, 2017 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JOUrNAL
OpiniOn
Neutralized
Features
THE photographs are grisly. But just to leave no doubt that this time, reports of the deaths were not exaggerated, graphic photos were released showing Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute bloodied and dead. Hapilon, said to be the Southeast Asian leader of the terrorist Islamic State, had a $5-million prize on his head plus another P10-million bounty from the Philippine government. The military was preparing to capture Hapilon when he launched the attack on Marawi back in May together with the brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute. Much of the once bustling city is now in ruins in the wake of the most serious attempt yet to set up an Islamic extremist base in Mindanao. The siege has had a grievous toll. As of Monday, Oct. 16 over 800 Maute terrorists had been killed in the fighting. So far, the military has lost 162 soldiers, with over 1,700 others wounded, while 47 civilians have died. Although remnants of the Mautes still have about 20 civilian hostages, the neutralization of Hapilon and Omar Maute raises hopes that the fighting will soon be over. The military counts fewer than 30 Maute members still in Marawi together with a handful of foreign fighters mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia. Now the challenge is to ensure that the Mautes will
not regroup and launch a similar attack. The group clearly took the government by surprise, depleting the resources of the Armed Forces and keeping the fighting alive for nearly five months now. Armed Forces officials said that with the deaths, “the terrorists will crumble.” But the whereabouts of Abdullah Maute are unknown, and the group can prove to be like the Abu Sayyaf, which has been decapitated several times but keeps sprouting new heads like a Hydra monster. For several decades now, the military has pursued a counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategy that has been summarized as “clear, hold, consolidate and develop.” The clearing of the threat is almost over in Marawi, and the military is holding on to abandoned battlegrounds. The government must now step in to consolidate victories in the fighting and pour resources into rehabilitation and development of the battered city. If properly implemented at each step, it is a sound strategy that can prevent a repeat of the Marawi siege. (Philstar.com)
Editorial
Opinion
Yen MakabenTa THIS is the fourth time that I am writing about public opinion polling, so I do not enter the subject cold. I have an idea why the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys differ so much from each other and why they reached contrasting conclusions about the public’s perception of the Duterte presidency. In a column published last July (“SWS looks for satisfaction; the world asks about approval”, Manila Times. July 13), I commented that SWS in the Philippines looks for public satisfaction in its opinion research; while in contrast, pollsters in practically all other countries (the US and Europe included) ask about approval of the job performance of their presidents and prime ministers. Satisfaction not the same as approval I wrote at the time: “Satisfaction is not the same as
Opinion
Francisco TaTad THERE are a couple of profoundly sensational things President Rodrigo Duterte threatens to do, and he’s got us on tenterhooks waiting to see what he will finally do. Given his well-known track record, no one knows if he really means what he says, and what truly motivates him. Where crime specialists increasingly find the motive for certain crimes more elusive, we find ourselves at sea trying to divine why DU30 does the things he does and says the things he says while supposedly trying to convert an alleged negative2 percent trust rating to a full 80 percent. First, he has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Europe and give the European diplomats in the country 24 hours to pack up and leave. This was a real bolt out of the blue. Our contacts and familiar ties with Europe antedate our contacts and familiar ties with the new world. Europe was the intellectual and cultural homeland of our first patriots; it was there where Jose Rizal wrote the Noli and Fili; where Graciano Lopez Jaena and Marcelo H. del Pilar authored their most trenchant La Solidaridad pieces; where Juan Luna won the gold medal and international recognition for the Spoliarium; where Spain and the United States drew up (in the December 10, 1898 Treaty of Paris)
Philstar.com photo
SWS vs Pulse Asia: Satisfaction rating or job approval rating?
approval. ‘Satisfaction’ means the fulfillment of a desire. Or reparation for a wrong done. ‘Approval’ means agreement, sanction, favorable opinion, or commendation. Why does SWS in its surveys ask about satisfaction, instead of approval of job performance, or support for presidential policies? Why does this Filipino opinion researcher persist in using its satisfaction angle in measuring public opinion on presidential performance, instead of the near universal approval/disapproval method of inquiry which is used by almost all pollsters in advanced countries. The Philippines is the only country, and Filipinos are the only people in the world who are asked whether they are satisfied or dissatisfied with their president. With this survey angle, the president or any public official is treated like a meal, a dish or a fruit which we consume, or perhaps a person who is in our employ or an object of affection. I have long wondered why
against standard research practice, SWS insists on its idiosyncratic terminology and method.” Contrasting survey reports My interest at the time was not misplaced, because this week, SWS and its survey landed in the middle of a national controversy. In survey research conducted in the same month (September) and reports released within weeks of each other, SWS and Pulse Asia presented the nation a contrasting picture of how the Filipino public views the job performance of President Duterte. SWS reported that DU30 had suffered a precipitous decline in his satisfaction rating. For good measure, it also found a decline in DU30’s trust rating. Pulse Asia, in sharp contrast, reported that in its survey, DU30 got an 80 percent approval rating, as 8 out of 10 Filipinos fully approved of what the president was doing in office. Why did the two surveys differ so sharply? Were they taken from different samples of Filipinos? SWS survey: the magic of net
Threatening a civil war the territorial boundaries of the new Philippine Republic. Is Europe the enemy? Just when and how did Europe become our enemy? As a Filipino, I would like to know; I am sure the Europeans, who must have thought they had a stable working relationship with the Philippines all these years, would also like to know. If Europe had become our enemy, shouldn’t DU30 order his diplomats and all Filipinos living and working there to come home, and his minions in Congress to declare war? Wouldn’t this be a wonderful way of putting to use the firearms shipment we have just received and will probably be receiving still from China? Second, DU30 has threatened to install a revolutionary government if he sees the “Yellows,” the “Reds,” or any other group “destabilizing” his dysfunctional government. “Destabilization” does not have a universally agreed definition: DU30 tends to regard mere “dissent” as “dissidence” and therefore “destabilizing.” His attack dogs tend to denounce honest and constructive criticism as “detraction,” which, correctly understood, means exposing somebody’s private fault for no legitimate and sufficient public motive. Shredding the Constitution first Since a revolutionary government overthrows an existing constitutional order, this means DU30 intends to destroy the Constitution before any other party has the chance to destroy it.
Since when has the total destruction of the Constitution become a sitting government’s legitimate response to any party seeking to overthrow that same government? This seems the most novel and absurd of all political theories, but it’s there. In both instances, something seems terribly amiss. There is no sign that either pronouncement is the product of any deep, coherent or rigorous intellectual exercise. Both appear to be conclusions without any valid premises. In fact, if we have not heard DU30 personally making the threats himself, we could not possibly imagine the President of any fairly literate and civilized country or any President for that matter making such threats without choking in mid-sentence. But DU30 has made them with the same apparent resolve with which he had threatened to destroy his drug-related targets, which had been quickly destroyed; it would seem foolish for us to ignore them or take any chances. So back to the first question: when and how did Europe become the enemy? Who put DU30 up to it? European protesters It would seem DU30 was reacting to a group of Westerners, including some European parliamentarians, that demanded that he “stop the killings” and “stop silencing dissent,” after visiting the Philippines under the sponsorship of Progressive Alliance, a private group critical of the killings. Short of proposing econom-
satisfaction In its survey report released on October 8,SWS reported that “President Rodrigo Duterte’s satisfaction and trust ratings dropped in September.” The President’s satisfaction rating dropped to 48 percent, 18 points down from his 66 percent rating last June while his trust rating declined to 61 percent from 75 percent in June. The SWS non-commissioned survey from September 23-27 used face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults aged 18 years old and above nationwide. Of those surveyed, 600 were from Balance Luzon, while 300 each were from Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao. In fact, SWS in its report skirted the verdict of its own research. The poll reported that Duterte got 67 percent satisfied in the satisfaction survey, and “73 percent” in the trust poll. SWS diverted attention from these towards its so-called “net satisfaction rating,” which represents the difference between
the number of those satisfied and those dissatisfied. Through this keyhole, SWS found a way to pronounce a decline in Duterte’s rating by contrasting the new poll with the numbers in past surveys. By legerdemain, in short, SWS was able to present a decline in Duterte’s popularity. What credence should we give this kind of opinion research which runs away from its own findings? Who commissioned this survey of Duterte’s decline? Pulse Asia survey: Switch to job approval In contrast, Pulse Asia’s report on its survey was straightforward. The pollster ran a survey on the public’s approval of Duterte’s job performance. The survey result was as follows: “President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval rating is down two percentage points in September from that of June 2017, but 80 percent of Filipinos still approve of his work and trust him,” according to the Pulse Asia survey released
Friday, October 13. According to Pulse Asia, Duterte enjoys an 80 percent approval rating, slightly lower than June’s 82 percent. Eighty percent of Filipinos have “big trust” in him, too, according to the survey. Duterte’s approval rating was highest among the poorest Filipinos, with Class E rating at 86 percent, Class D at 79 percent, and Class ABC at 75 percent. Although 80 percent of those surveyed trust Duterte, 14 percent are undecided. Six percent, meanwhile, said they distrust him. Duterte got 85 percent trust rating among Class E; 80 percent among Class D; and 74 percent among Class ABC. Approval ratings of top national officials have all dropped, albeit by varying degrees, according to the survey, which was conducted from September 24-30, 2017 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults. End of an era Reaction to the surveys was predictable.
ic sanctions, the group suggested that the European Union tighten its terms of trade with the Philippines for human rights reasons. At the same time, a director of Human Rights Watch suggested that the Philippines be removed from the UN Human Rights Council based in Geneva, which has condemned DU30’s record, and insisted that DU30 allow Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial executions, to investigate the drug killings, without any preconditions or limitations. DU30 may have been further incensed by one erroneous report, given prominent play in one newspaper, which claimed that a USAID assistant administrator for Europe and Asia was part of the European group. It appears that the individual concerned used to occupy that said position from 2016 to 2017 under the Obama administration, but had since become a private citizen. President Donald Trump has since named one Margot Ellis to the position. If DU30 had read the report without being able to fact-check what he was reading, he would have found reason to be beside himself. Last year, an EU resolution expressed concern over the “extraordinarily high numbers killed during police operations” and urged DU30 “to put an end to the current wave of extra-judicial executions and killings.” But relations between the Philippines and Europe operate normally, according to an EU diplomat; in fact, the Philippines is negotiating a trade agreement with the EU, which allows 6,200 products to enter the Eurozone duty-free. How then do
we react to this unexpected threat to cut off ties with the EU? Pls don’t take us seriously Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella has explained that DU30’s outburst should not be taken seriously; it was the result of misleading information the President had received about the European protesters. He did not know that no European government was involved at all. Reassuring, or frightening? It means we have a President who can be provoked to extremes by simple newspaper reports. Anything short of saccharine praise is bound to make him hit the ceiling; if you want to please him you attack those who criticize him, even if you cannot find anything in him worth praising. This wasn’t the first time DU30 raged against the EU. In an earlier outburst, he said he was rejecting all loans and grants from the EU because of alleged conditionalities, an allegation denied by European officials. Then as now, the real provocation was the criticism of the drug killings. According to Abella, there is no plan to expel any European diplomat from the Philippines. No plan to ask overseas Filipino workers in Europe to come home either. Former Senator Ed Angara, DU30’s special envoy to the EU, can now invite all the EU ambassadors to his beach resort in Baler, Aurora, and reassure them it was all a tantrum. All should be well until the next tantrum. President Trump and other world leaders should be able to enjoy the warmest Filipino hospitality during the Asean summit in November without any anxieties about DU30’s mercurial
temper. The RG threat What about the threat to establish a revolutionary government? It isn’t a president’s most responsible statement. DU30 won 38 percent of all the votes in the last election and is now in charge of our constitutional government. The crooked opinion pollsters have tried and are still trying to make the people believe that DU30 remains popular despite the fear of the majority that they might get killed in his murderous drug war, which has already killed thousands. But for those who see that right is right and wrong is wrong, no amount of fraudulent polling could make DU30 appear acceptable, least of all popular. So, if the government is failing, it is not because the Constitution, which guarantees the sanctity of human life, the inviolability of the family and marriage, the supremacy of the rule of law and due process, is failing, but because DU30 rejects these human and constitutional values and regards them as antithetical to his desired political, economic and social order. The government is failing not because the Constitution is failing, but because DU30 is failing. Against the Constitution and the State If DU30 believes the solution to his problems is to abolish the Constitution, then he must be prepared to contend against the people, who are the real authors of the Constitution; against the Church which confirms the moral and spiritual as well as the temporal and eternal values of the people; and against the Armed
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Dateline PhiliPPines
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 19-25, 2017
Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, 86 PAGE A5 Fr. Mhar Vincent Balili and Fr. Joseph de Aquino. Juanito flew in to Cebu from Manila last week after learning that Vidal was confined at the hospital. But he was not able to talk to his brother who was already unconscious. While they understood that Vidal would eventually die, Juanito said it was still painful to lose a loved one. Vidal is the fifth of six children while Juanito is the youngest. Juanito thanked the Cebuanos for taking good care of Vidal. Peacemaker Tan said Vidal would always be remembered as champion of peace who made himself available to others. “He lent himself to others so he could be of help to them. He tried to be a peacemaker by mediating parties in conflict even to the point that he was (at times) misunderstood. But that is his way. He chose the way of truth,” the monsignor said, alluding to Vidal’s episcopal motto “Viam veritas elegi (I have chosen the way of truth).” Among Vidal’s biggest legacies for Cebu, Tan said two things stood out. “First, he called for a diocesan synod in 1982 to create policies to transform the diocese,” he said. “And second, the Cardinal Vidal gave us the legacy of San Pedro Calungsod, and he started the legacy of Archbishop Teofilo Camomot.” For over two decades, Vidal worked for the canonization of Calungod, a Visayan martyr, who eventually became one of the saints of the Catholic Church in 2012. The cardinal also started the process for the beatification of the late Cebuano bishop, Teofilo Camomot, who was known for his extreme generosity and holiness. De Aquino, the last private secretary of Vidal, said the cardinal was a true example of service and peace. “He is a man of peace,” he said. “All he wanted was peace and reconciliation. If there was trouble in the Church or politics, he would always intervene. Cardinal Vidal’s death is one turning point in the history of the Catholic Church or even in the political or whole Philippine setting.” Key figure in Edsa revolution A year after he was named cardinal by then Pope John Paul II, who’s now a saint, Vidal was elected president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) from 1986 to 1987. He and the CBCP condemned the
results of the February 1986 snap elections and called the people for a “non-violent struggle for justice” against the abuses of then President Ferdinand Marcos. A CBCP report stated that Vidal led the rest of the Philippine bishops and made a joint declaration against the government and result of the snap election. Although he was instrumental in toppling down the regime of Marcos, Vidal flew to Hawaii to give the former president the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, a sacrament given to seriously ill person. In 1989, then President Corazon Aquino requested Vidal to convince Gen. Jose Comendador, then the Air Force chief who was sympathetic to the rebel forces fighting her government, to peacefully surrender. Vidal repeatedly appealed to Comendador, who eventually gave up. Vidal’s intervention averted what could have been a bloody coup. In 2001, Vidal also played a silent role in the EDSA 2 revolution. While another uprising was done by the people, the cardinal privately advised then President Joseph Estrada to step down from office. Estrada heeded the advice of his spiritual adviser. On Dec. 7, 2010 the Senate recognized Vidal’s services and leadership through a resolution that read: “It is resolved by the Senate, to honor Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu, for his service to the people of Cebu, providing spiritual leadership and inspiration, helping the community avert or survive several crises and conflicts, often acting as a peacekeeper and giving the voice of moderation amid clashing views and interests in local and national issues.” Sickly seminarian But Vidal almost didn’t become a priest. In an earlier interview, Vidal was very sickly when he was a seminarian in Mogpog, a third class municipality in Marinduque. He was eventually sent home and was on the verge of not getting ordained as priest because he was sickly. “I was so sad, and while I was on my way home, I passed by a church, and it was there where I intently prayed before the Blessed Sacrament,” he said. His prayers were answered: His health improved. Vidal was eventually ordained a priest on March 17, 1956 by the Bishop Alfredo Maria Aranda Obviar, who died on Oct. 1, 1978, and is now a candidate for sainthood. Vidal was then assigned as assistant priest of a parish in his
hometown in Mogpog and was a professor of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon. He was later named a bishop and appointed as coadjutor bishop of Malolos in 1971. Less than two years later, Vidal was appointed Archbishop of Lipa by Pope Paul VI. Reluctant to go to Cebu In 1981, Vidal was sent to Cebu by then Pope John Paul II and was named a coadjutor archbishop with the right to succeed then Cebu Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales. At that time, he didn’t want to go to Cebu since he didn’t speak the Cebuano language. “I personally went to Pope John Paul II to express my request,” Vidal said. “But he told me: ‘I am also from Poland, and yet the Lord brought me to Rome.’ So I openly accepted my assignment in Cebu. I learned the language and eventually fell in love with my assignment. The people of Cebu are so good to me.” When Rosales died in 1983, Vidal took over the Archdiocese of Cebu, the largest in the country with 400 diocesan priests, 200 others from various religious congregations, and about four million Catholics. Although 75 was supposed to be the mandatory retirement age, Vidal waited for more than four years for the Vatican to approve his request to retire. In October 2010, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Vidal’s resignation. Vidal was replaced by Archbishop Jose Palma on Jan. 13, 2011. Instead of going back to Marinduque, Vidal chose to spend his retirement in Cebu. He stayed at a retirement house at the Sto. Niño Village in Banilad, Cebu City. Although he had already retired, Vidal’s advice was still sought after by Church and political leaders in the country. In July 2016, Vidal went to Malacañang and met with President Rodrigo Duterte, hoping to bridge the gap between Catholic Church bishops and the new administration. Duterte earlier criticized the Catholic Church for alleged sins committed by the clergy describing the Church, at one point, as the “most hypocritical institution.” When he arrived at the Music Room of Malacañang, Duterte bowed his head and kissed the prelate’s hand, and even cracked jokes with Vidal. During their conversation, Vidal said he promised to pray for the president.
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SAVE OUR JEEPNEYS. The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper and Opereytor Nationwide or Piston on Monday, Oct. 16 launched a two-day transport strike nationwide to protest the government’s program phasing out jeepneys at least 15 years old. Piston is protesting the PUV modernization program aimed at phasing out old PUVs, while the government plans to replace the jeepneys with “eco-friendly” PUVs. Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez
SWS vs Pulse Asia: Satisfaction rating or... PAGE A6 The opposition, especially the Liberal Party and the yellow media, lapped up the tale of Duterte’s decline. Rappler. the yellow website, had a field day analyzing the SWS report. It majestically opined: “Cracks are beginning to show in President Duterte’s image as a ‘populist’ strongman. “The latest SWS survey seems to signal the end of that era.” The reply, after Pulse Asia released its survey, was not only ecstatic for the government; it was devastating for SWS and the yellow crowd. The Daily Tribune in an editorial blasted SWS as having become part of the yellow campaign against President Duterte. It said: “The campaign will go full throttle using the recent results of survey ratings showing a substantial drop in the ‘net’ ratings of Rody despite showing a clear majority of 73 percent with much trust and 67 percent being satisfied with his
performance. “It seems that pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) is part of the yellow offensive too as prior to the release of the survey showing a drop in Rody’s net rating it released a series of June reports showing results from a poll on the conduct of Rody’s war on drugs. “Released on different days in the run-up to the satisfaction and performance poll on Rody were the reports on ‘3 of 5 Filipinos agree that only poor drug pushers are killed’; ‘nearly half of Filipinos mistakenly believe drug use is punishable by death’; and ‘90 percent say it is important that drug suspects be captured alive.’ “The reports were quoting from just one survey which was done June 23 to 26. Just two days for a nationwide face to face interviews with respondents survey and with leading questions to boot? “The Liberal Party of course is up to its task of keeping the domestic pressure on Rody through its attack dogs in the Senate led by
Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th. “The yellow mob was merely waiting for just the SWS report, the manipulation obviously undertaken in how the report was packaged to highlight the negative despite the still high figures favoring Rody.” Goodbye to satisfaction Now that Pulse Asia has joined the rest of the world in conducting the straightforward and tested approval survey on job performance, it’s questionable whether SWS will still venture to conduct its satisfaction and net satisfaction surveys. It will be an even bigger mystery whether the public and the media will ever buy again numbers manufactured by SWS. Personally, I would like to see SWS conduct a survey in the aftermath of the deaths of Hapilon and Maute in Marawi, and the now certain end of the Marawi crisis. If SWS can produce a negative satisfaction rating for DU30, it will truly earn its commission. (ManilaTimes.net)
Threatening a civil war
PAGE A6 Forces of the Philippines, whose goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the national territory, as constitutional protector of the people and the State. DU30 must be prepared to be declared in rebellion against the Constitution he has sworn to preserve and defend, and for the God-fearing and law-abiding Filipino people and their loyal armed
forces to overthrow his rebellion. This is fraught with unimaginable dangers. It could lead to civil war, a bloody civil war, such as we have not known before, where brother will slay his own brother for nothing. Its first inevitable result would be the collapse of the State, which DU30 would like to control. And the most horrifying and damnable thing about this begins not when one’s brother’s blood
begins to flow in the streets, but when the highest authority of the land decides to foist its prospect upon the people with complete nonchalance and devil-may-care spirit, as though it were a mere parlor game played by drunks at the dockside or some dark alleys. Mr. President, this is what you are doing to our people right now, in case you haven’t realized it. (ManilaTimes.net)
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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 19-25, 2017
VEGAS&STYLE
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Journal
‘Motherland’: A conversation with award-winning Fil-Am The unstoppable Aga Muhlach documentarian Ramona Diaz on witnessing the miracle of life amidst chaos, reproductive rights in the Philippines by Gabbie
TaTad Philstar.com
By Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
TwenTy-four-year-old Mary Joyce Jaime’s highest level of completed education was 6th grade. She doesn’t work and had her first child at 18 years old. In six years, she had five more pregnancies, one which she miscarried. She sits in a corner of a bustling, loud maternity ward being questioned by a hospital staffer for her intake. Here, she’s on her sixth pregnancy. “Tell your husband you don’t want any more children,” the staffer tells Mary Joyce, a seemingly unwarranted piece of advice. “you’re so young. you’re only 24 years old.” This is an opening scene from the new documentary “Motherland” from Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona Diaz (“Imelda,” “Don’t Stop Believin’”). As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the film opened in Los Angeles on Friday, September 22 for a limited run. The film explores the goingson inside Dr. Jose Fabella Hospital, which is purportedly the busiest maternity ward in the world. At the start of the film, we see a nurse marking down the number of mothers and babies in
the ward that day — mothers: 151, babies: 115. The hospital staff work tirelessly to accommodate the large influx of mothers, most of whom live in poverty. The mothers — many of whom are in their late teens and early twenties — are often on their 4th, 5th or 6th birth. The lack of incubators force mothers to perform Kangaroo Mother Care, which entails mothers, and sometimes fathers, having their baby held in their tube tops to provide insulation. During large influxes, staff are forced to have mothers share beds, sometimes three to one bed. Because of the Catholic Church’s domination on Philippine culture and society and a lack of sexual education, many of the mothers turn away from contraception like IUDs despite staffers urging them that those options will prevent them from unwanted pregnancy and avert further physical and emotional stress on the mother. Despite the difficult decisions, however, the mothers are the stars of the film and find solidarity among each other. They find room in their dreary conditions to laugh and joke, which brings unexpected delight to a film about the drastic state of reproductive health in the Philippines.
Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona Diaz
Throughout the 90-minute exploration into the daily life of Fabella, perhaps the most significant takeaway is despite difficult conditions, the miracle of life and strength of the human spirit still finds a way to shine through. The film was screened at the coveted Sundance Film Festival in January 2017 where it won the world Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Commanding Vision award. Diaz has screened the film all over the world including new york, Austin, Australia, Germany and Russia. Diaz had just come back from a film screening in St. Petersburg, Russia when she sat down with the Asian Journal for an interview on the night of the film’s premiere in Santa Monica, California on Friday, September 22. The Asian Journal: You originally wanted to do a story on the 2012 Reproductive Health Bill to research reproductive rights in the Philippines as a whole. Why did you decide to change course and follow the stories in one hospital? Ramona Diaz: when I was in the Philippines researching the bill, and I was interested in the
social and cultural drama surrounding this issue which I’d been reading about here in the U.S. And I thought that’s the film I wanted to make. I also thought the culture was turning a corner and tethering its ties to the [Catholic] Church if the bill passed so that was interesting me. But when I got there, it wasn’t as dramatic as it was in my head. I couldn’t wrap my head around the film until I went to the hospital when we visited Fabella. when I got there, it was so clear to me that that was the film. I mean, it’s still the same film with all the same themes, reproductive justice and reproductive rights. I just knew intuitively that the film was just the hospital. AJ: What was filming in such a small space like Fabella like? What were were some challenges or surprises your team ran into while filming? RD: Filming was very tough, you know. we had 14-16 hour days every day for six weeks, except for one day when there was a typhoon. It was tiring because we were following stories as they unfolded, and there were so many stories and every day was differPAGE B2
AT 48 years old, Aga Muhlach finds himself discovering many firsts. For instance, the last five years that Muhlach spent away from the silver screen taught him the true joys of being almost normal and mundane. He talks of his flirtation with retirement, spending much of the year in suburban nevada, with a lineup of daily activities that includes going for runs or bike rides, long drives and picking up groceries. “That’s the only place where you can be normal. Kahit nasa beach ka or poolside, pwede nakabutata yung tiyan mo, walang nakakakilala sayo,” Muhlach says with a laugh. “Pero you come to a point where you think, ‘I need to work.’” He came back to television in 2016, as a judge in “Pinoy Boyband Superstar,” which placed him in a reality format that he had yet to be acquainted with, surrounded by talents that he didn’t quite know. Muhlach found himself in a state
Aga Muhlach
Philstar.com photo
of culture shock, saying that while he always felt he enjoyed the work, he couldn’t wait to get home and be himself again. Muhlach says, “Medyo naiilang ako. Parang nawala lang ako ng sandali, biglang ibang-iba na lahat.” He cites the biggest difference as the sudden weight that social media carried in his line of work, a concept still unheard of when he momentarily retired years ago. Familiar but different This year finds him reunited with his one true love: filmmaking.
A scene from “It’s Showtime” showing hosts Anne Curtis and Nadine Lustre.
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ABS-CBN photo
Anne Curtis strikes back at basher, defends Nadine Lustre
wHILe many netizens wel- ported death of her brother, many come “It’s Showtime” host nadine critics also resumed in bashing Lustre’s return to the noontime the actress. variety show this week after she Among those negative comtook a break to mourn the rePAGE B3
EntErtainmEnt
B october 19-25, 2017 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL
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Julia Abueva’s star sparkles at KPoP
By MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
When she was 18 years old, Julia Abueva achieved her childhood dream: to become Kim on “Miss Saigon.” It happened in West end at the 2014 revival of the musical when she was selected as an understudy/alternate for the titular role. It was also her first time to leave home and live independently. She was then a recent high school graduate of Singapore American School. Three years later, she is in new York, aiming to achieve new dreams that she set out for herself. She is now starring in “KPOP,” a high-energy and dynamic offBroadway musical that is taking new York by storm. We met with Julia one cool fall
Photo by Troi Santos
afternoon after she finished five grueling hours of rehearsal for the show, which is presented by Ars nova, “one of nYC’s most adventurous Off Broadway companies” (new York Times), in association with “the foremost incubator of new Asian American theater in the country” (Obie award) Ma-Yi Theater and Woodshed Collective, “the exceptional theater company” that turns “spaces into intimate vortexes of wonder”. “It’s unreal. Grabe,” Julia told me as she sipped her iced matcha. I had asked her about how it feels like to be a part of one of new York’s hottest shows of the season. “KPOP,” which opened for a limited run last September has been extended to two more weeks. It is expected to close on October 21. Tickets to the show have been so hard to get and due to an overwhelming public demand, an extension was the only solution. As of press time, tickets to the extension shows are all sold out. In a nutshell, “KPOP” is about how stars get created and polished, whether they are solo stars or members of a girl group of a boyband. The audience gets to see the inner workings of a Korean company trying to cross over the American market. “We worked hard for this show not knowing how the audience would react. Five-hour rehearsals today and a couple of two-show days, it’s crazy but it’s all worth it,” she said. “I knew in my heart that new York hasn’t seen something like this before And I hope it is not the last that new York gets to see this.” The 21-year-old Julia moved to new York from London in 2015. For a year she said she was just
finding her footing and eventually, she hired an agent to represent her. It was towards the end of 2016 when her agent told her to audition for a new musical called “KPOP.” She was adamant at first but her agent insisted that she go and so she did. For her first audition, she performed the Alicia Keys song “If I ain’t got you”. She was initially auditioning for Tiny D, one of the members of the Super K girl group. On her next set of auditions, Julia performed the same Alicia Keys song, only this time, she sang while playing the piano. Julia recalled her follow up audition. The first few notes on the piano were off. She knew it and she asked if she could do it from the top. “I knew I was screwed,” she said. Once she got the flow and the rhythm, her audition ran smoothly. Then she got another call, for the dance callback. For anyone who has seen the show, one would immediately notice and agree that the musical’s choreography is topnotch. The dance moves of both Super K and F8 showcased the performers’ magnificent dance moves. “This was the fun-nest audition I’ve ever been,” Julia shared. “The moment I entered the room, the energy was just infectious. And they’re all so beautiful and young!” After the dance call, Julia said to herself that she even if she doesn’t get the part, she’d still be thankful because the entire audition process she had to go through taught her lessons she could use as she trains her sights on Broadway. Around that time, she was also
Katie Lee Hill, Deborah Kim, Sun Hye Park, Julia Abueva, Cathy Ang and Susannah Kim
Photo by Ben Arons
MessAge of ThAnks
Rogelio Aban karagdag (Roger)
September 16, 1938 – October 9, 2017 We, his bereaved family — wife Loreta (Silang); children Malou and Willie, Jojo and nellie, Rolly and Olive, Marlene and Julius, Randy andJoyce; grandchildren Charles, Sunshine and Karol, Aaron, Arvie and nica, Matthew and Lora — would like to thank you all for the prayers and kind expressions of sympathy and support. Your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated and will always be remembered with love. Sincerely, The Karagdag Family
being considered to be a part of Fun home in Singapore but she couldn’t say yes to them because they were waiting for word from the “KPOP” production. her agent told them the dilemma so they had to hasten the process. Julia was called back to read for both Jessica and Mwe. “Jessica was really my choice. Growing up watching nicole Scherzinger—siyempre Pinay— and her group, I wanted to have that experience of being the lead in a girl group,” Julia shared. A week later, she got the call. She was in and they were offering the role of Jessica/Sonoma to her. And for the past month or so, Julia has been enthralling audiences with her crystal voice, amazing dance prowess and intense acting chops, making her an instant triple threat in the industry. Immersive, off-broadway musical enthralls NYC audience There have been shows in new York that were immersive, such as “here Lies Love,” the musical about the life of Imelda Marcos and “Sleep no More,” one of the more successful examples of this new kind of theatrical performance. The similarity with “here Lies Love” ends with the stage and dance floor setting. With “Sleep no More,” it is like reading a Choose Your Own Adventure novel and the audience has the option to follow which characters they liked. With “KPOP,” there was organized immersion in such a way that the entire audience was divided into what seemed like more than a dozen sub-groups after the opening number. Upon entering the theater, we were given color-coded wristbands with a character’s name printed on it. We followed the character assigned to us and we were with him for a few minutes before we got reunited with a few more audience members to watch the boyband F8 break down before our very eyes. We stayed with this group for a while until we came face to face with Mwe and eventually, the girls of Super K. The entire audience got back together for the grand finale, an extravagant mini-concert showcasing the talents of Mwe, F8 and Super K. On the first week of rehearsals, they were told to get ready for “KPOP” boot camp. And they were not kidding. “They made us learn all the dances and songs during the first week. It was quite exhausting and rigorous and rehearsal hours were long,” Julia shared. “The production had to adjust accordingly because there were many moving parts and the show had to be as cohesive as possible.” “KPOP” has evolved from its original state to its present incarnation, some songs and dances were cut to make sure that the story progressed well. The writers made changes on the characters’ dialogues because they knew that the cast would be interacting with the audience so their characters’ traits should be reflected.
The unstoppable Aga... Muhlach stars in “Seven Sundays,” a Star Cinema-produced family drama which teams him with Ronaldo Valdez, Dingdong Dantes, Cristine Reyes and enrique Gil. As an experience, making the film was both familiar and different. Familiar in that there was none of the gloss of the reality talent search format — no playing to an audience, no having to be Aga Muhlach The Celebrity (which he admits he isn’t very good at being) — and instead surrounded by the privacy of crafting a character that sits well inside a narrative, being able to actually be an actor. “It’s really work. You’re filming your scenes, you’re acting, you’re learning your part, you sit in your tent until you’re called back to work — that’s my love.” But it was different in that the process had changed. There had always been a separation between the manner of shooting a film and shooting for television, the latter usually involving multiple cameras set up to film scenes from every angle start to finish. Muhlach was trained in a more traditional style of film, where a scene is shot in full from start to finish, and then pickups of certain parts of the scene are taken as the cameras adjust and move in as close as necessary. All of his cast mates were adept in the training of television and were used to every take being a full take of every scene, whereas Muhlach felt challenged. Acting his age On a larger scale, Muhlach’s portrayed version after version of the beloved leading man, romancing the likes of Lea Salonga, Regine Velazquez, Angel Locsin and Anne Curtis onscreen, just to name a few. And while he was there, he
fell in love with each story and each character. he recounts shooting “All My Life” with Kristine hermosa, which was set on a cruise ship, and it practically felt like they were dating. So while he was in the shoes of his character Sam, he felt that surge of kilig in every stolen glance, every pregnant pause. Likewise, in “Sana Maulit Muli,” he literally felt the heartache of making his way to the U.S. to the arms of a woman who’d begged and pleaded for him to come, only to find that she no longer had need of him by the time he arrived. he was Jerry and Raffy and Adie and Alex through and through, but by the time life had given Muhlach the type of experience that comes with age and certain milestones, he found himself searching for just a little bit more. “I was looking at all these scripts and it just didn’t appeal to me. It was the same thing again and again, and I was thinking, ‘My God, the young are making so many different kinds of films now, tapos ito nanaman.’ So in my mind, I thought, when I go back and do films, I want to offer something different,” says Muhlach. Seven Sundays succeeds as it takes him out of the romantic sphere and focuses more on familial relationships, with Muhlach playing the big brother who was left behind, sacrificing his own dreams for the sake of everyone else’s. Muhlach also confides that his weight was a major hindrance in accepting any previous roles, that he had maxed out at 218 pounds and couldn’t find any real motivation to lose the weight. It sounds like a rather vain concern for the common man, but for someone whose gifts, skills and charm have been wrapped up in a beautifully dimpled package that has sold many a gallon of ice
cream, it’s as difficult as having to play Glastonbury with rusty instruments. his confidence waned, but funnily enough, when Star Cinema approached him with this role and the selling point of “You don’t really have to lose weight for this one,” it turned out to be just the push he needed. Muhlach dropped almost 30 pounds in two months, and is energetically diving into the newer animal of present-day filmmaking, with two more developing projects under his belt. The yung and the reckless Amid all these firsts, Muhlach also finds a place for his own wisdom, and gratitude that he found his footing in a time when every move wasn’t captured by a phone camera. he comments that he’s met so many young actors whose respect for directors and bosses translates into palpable fear, and that the pressure to focus on the social media aspect of the job as much as the craft has watered down some younger artists’ ability to take creative risks. Muhlach says the recklessness of his youth, and the ability to make those mistakes without prying eyes watching round every corner is what’s made his instrument as an actor what it is. his advice to younger actors is to maintain a comfortable distance in relation to their work. “Don’t take it too seriously! It’s just a job. When I work, I’m there, but when I’m home, I’m home. My training is as an actor, and I’m not saying I’m a great actor, but I was lucky enough to learn from people like Lino Brocka and Mike de Leon. It’s film, not celebrity; so even in popularity, I remember to stay grounded. I appreciate it when fans get excited, but I know where I stand.”
they would go back to Manila every summer to be with their relatives. At a young age, she began performing in Manila as well, joining the concert of Monique Wilson as the young Monique. She would later perform with Lea Salonga in three of her concerts as young Lea. She graduated high school from the Singapore American School. She wanted to go to nYU or London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and then Miss Saigon happened. Julia is the grandchild of two former presidents of the University of the Philippines - Jose Abueva is her grandfather and the first UP woman president emerlinda Roman is her grandmother “I’m the misplaced one. everyone in the family is either in finance or a doctor. And I’m like ‘I’m going to try my luck on Broadway!’,” she said laughing. Julia was discovered in Singapore when she was 7 years old which just means that she has been performing for more than half her life. While she has not set a timeline for her dreams, Julia said she hopes that in five years, she want to say “I’ve already made it to Broadway and I’ve played a dream role or two”. her first indie film here is coming out soon. It is called Stella’s Last Weekend and they’re hoping to premiere the film at the Sundance Film Festival next year. “I love musical theater but I also enjoyed the experience of doing the film so maybe I could also start doing TV and film. My focus is just to keep on working and as long as I am working, I’m fine,” she said And because her schedule is freeing up a bit, she started doing auditions again. In between, she plays with her dog named Ballon, a petite golden doodle adopted from a family who moved to Japan. She also runs, does yoga, attend dance classes, take voice lessons and acting classes. “I just want to keep honing my craft and improving what I have so that I am always ready for these constant auditions,” she remarked.
‘Motherland’: A conversation with award... PAGE B1
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“KPOP” was conceived by Woodshed Collective and Jason Kim (The Model American, hBO’s “Girls”) and features a book by Kim, music & lyrics by helen Park and Max Vernon (The View UpStairs), an immersive design by Woodshed Collective, choreography by Bessie-nominee Jennifer Weber (The hip hop nutcracker, TruTV’s “Face Off”) and is directed by Teddy Bergman (empire Travel Agency). “I am so lucky to be a part of a class that is so insanely talented. They are good hearted people who just want to work hard and come up with something that we can be proud of,” Julia said. The road to Broadway Julia recalls the time when she moved to London to achieve her dream. “I was fresh out of high school then, very young, so it was like my college and I had to learn living by myself for the first time and dealing with people. It wasn’t the easiest time of my life, I will say that. From rehearsals to wearing the bikini onstage to the sex scene, it was all shocking to me,” she shared. It was a very good learning experience for her because she believes that chapter in her life prepared her for her present life now in new York. “It taught me to work hard and never take the craft for granted because you never know when your next gig is gonna be,” she quipped. “It was hard for me but I think I learned so much and It prepared me to face whatever new York had in store for me.” From Miss Saigon in the West end to moving to new York, Julia had to work extra hard. In between jobs, she realized how much she loved performing and how much she loved her job that she instantly regretted the few moments she felt tired doing Miss Saigon and how it was getting old back then. “I am still finding myself and learning more about me,” she admitted. Julia was four years old when she moved to Singapore from Manila with her family because her mom, who had a job at Procter & Gamble International was assigned a regional role there. Then
ent. It was a really small space so we had a small crew, which is familiar since I work with small crews all the time because documentaries I make only call for a small group, but this was smaller than what I was used to. It was just me and my [cinematographer] and I chose a female shooter because, even though there were men going in and out of the ward, we figured the mothers might be more comfortable that way. AJ: Did you find that subjects were willing to be filmed and willing to share their stories, given that giving birth is such an intimate and sensitive moment? RD: All these years making documentary films — this is my fourth one — I find there’s a point when the subjects become invested in the film enough to care about it. Initially, you’re always having to explain to them what it is you want, like, I don’t want them to perform for me and I don’t want them to do anything extraordinary. It’s just ordinary and I want them to just live their lives within whatever they do. That’s hard for people to understand because people never think their lives are interesting. But we always, always made sure to let them know that it’s okay if they didn’t want to be filmed, they can say “ayoko yan.” But at the same time, some of the women would miss being filmed and would direct us to them [laughs]. After a while, they got used to the attention and they liked it. AJ: One notable characteristic of the film was the bonding among the mothers and how easy it was for them to remain in high spirits and laugh despite living the conditions of the ward. RD: Yeah, the sense of community amongst the women was really something. When I first
visited that was what surprised me and drew me to the story. I wanted to film the communities of women. I thought the staff was interesting, but the women — the mothers — because of these communities that formed. They were quite intimate relationships, yet the relationships were so fleeting because they know they’ll never see each other again after the month. That’s what was interesting to me, these fleeting friendships that were so intense amongst women. I loved that they were funny and sort of gaudy and very sexual beings. Whenever people film women in poverty, they don’t film them in sexual ways, but I wanted to show that they are sexual beings; that’s how they got here in the first place, so that was my interest and what drew me to the story. AJ: Why was a story that sheds light on the state of reproductive health rights in the Philippines something you wanted to explore? RD: I’m always interested in women’s rights and female stories, which are very important stories to tell. It was interesting to me too because I grew up in the Philippines, which is a very Catholic country and also the only country in the world that doesn’t have [a] divorce law. There are so many things about this that makes me think, ‘I can’t believe we’re still fighting over bodies of women or what women can do.’ It just boggles my mind. So that’s why I’m interested in it, the constant conversation that makes you go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s so clear that these things should be the woman’s choice. no one should legislate it.’ AJ: You’ve made several documentaries about Filipinos and Filipino culture, including the films you’ve done on Arnel Pineda and Imelda Marcos. Why is it important for you to tell
Filipino stories? RD: I don’t think it’s a conscious thing where I have to tell Filipino-American stories, I think it’s just what I gravitate to naturally because it’s what I know. There’s something universal in the stories I tell, they just happened to be from the Filipino perspective. The way I film is way more observational and I like being in between two cultures. I’m from the Philippines and, although I’ve lived more years here [in the United States] than there now, there’s something I can always find when I go home, so to speak. So when I’m there I can observe from the outside, but still, understand the nuances of the culture. And, you know, there are just so many unique stories from the Philippines that are so interesting. It’s what I gravitate towards. AJ: Do you have any words for aspiring Filipino-American documentary filmmakers? RD: Let me tell you what I always tell emerging filmmakers: It really is a good time to be a filmmaker because the tools of the trade are so easily accessible. And they’re great tools, you can make anything look fantastic. But it still comes down to what it is you’re trying to say, the story you want to tell. I think that has to be answered because craft is great but if it’s style over substance, it’s empty. For people of color, and particularly women of color, I think they’re shining a light on the racial disparity in the industry. So it’s a great time to be in the industry because you can really make a lot of noise and you’ll be standing on big shoulders, women who started on it, like Ava DuVernay. It’s a good time to start claiming your own narrative. For a lot of years, we haven’t told our own stories, right? Someone else does it. So I think it’s our time to claim our narrative.
EntErtainmEnt
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What we can learn from Dave Bautista stars in ‘Blade Runner 2049’ Harvey Weinstein’s victims by Mark
By Monet
Lu
poliTiCS and show business seem like two sides of the same coin. Both filled with scandals, power struggle, hypocrisy, lies, deception and sex offenders. While there’s a lot to gain from both of these sectors, there is, sadly, also a lot of disgrace that is just too disturbing for our sanity. i’ve been in the entertainment industry for as long as i can remember and yet it still shakes me to the core whenever i hear horror stories resulting from the series of malady i have just mentioned. i wasn’t surprised when i learned about the sexual harassment and assault grievances that women (both actresses and employees alike) have been throwing at Harvey Weinstein, who by the way, is the co-founder of the productionand-distribution companies Miramax and the Weinstein Company, that helped to reinvent the model for independent films, with movies such as “Sex, lies, and Videotape,” “The English patient,” “pulp Fiction,” “The Crying Game,” “Shakespeare in love,” and “The King’s Speech.” i was not surprised because i’ve heard stories and witnesses talk about how dirty show business can be. What shocks me is why we haven’t done anything about it for years. it was reported that for more than twenty years, Weinstein has been trailed by rumors of sexual harassment and assault. in fact, they say, it has been an open secret in Hollywood and beyond. There were attempts to investigate and expose the misdemeanor but because too few people were willing to speak, much less allow a reporter to use their names, it was buried like it never happened. now here we are. And finally, women have been coming out to speak about the sexual advances and harassment that this man did. Amidst these allegations, according to The new Yorker, “on october 5th, in an initial effort at damage control, Weinstein responded to the Times piece by issuing a statement partly acknowledging what he had done, saying, ‘i appreciate the way i’ve behaved with colleagues in the past has caused a lot of pain, and i sincerely apologize for it.’ in an interview with the new York post, he said, ‘i’ve got to deal with my personality, i’ve got to work on my temper, i have got to dig deep. i know a lot of people would like me to go into a facility, and i may well just do that—i will go anywhere i can learn more about
myself.’ Weinstein went on. But before we get into how “sorry” Weinstein really is, let’s go back to the number of stories (complaints) that have been going around as more and more women are starting to speak up. Many of the stories bear similarities: Weinstein would arrange a hotel meet-up under the guise of business, he would request a massage, make intimidating sexual advances or masturbate in front of his subject. According to New York Times, the following incidents took place: Actress Ashley Judd recalled a hotel breakfast meeting with Weinstein while shooting Kiss the Girls. Mr. Weinstein soon issued invitation after invitation, she said. Could he give her a massage? When she refused, he suggested a shoulder rub. She rejected that too, she recalled. He steered her toward a closet, asking her to help pick out his clothing for the day, and then toward the bathroom. Would she watch him take a shower? she remembered him saying. in 1997, Weinstein reached a settlement with actress Rose McGowan. The $100,000 settlement was “not to be construed as an admission” by Mr. Weinstein, but intended to “avoid litigation and buy peace,” according to the legal document, which was reviewed by The Times. Gwyneth paltrow said Weinstein sexually harassed her when she was 22 years old filming Emma. “i was a kid, i was signed up, i was petrified,” she said in an interview, publicly disclosing that she was sexually harassed by the man who ignited her career and later helped her win an Academy Award. Angelina Jolie recalled Weinstein making sexual advances in a hotel room. on another outlet, The new Yorker, the following were also reported: italian actress lucia Stoller (who now goes by lucia Evans) said Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex during an office meeting. “At that point, after that, is when he assaulted me,” Evans said. “He forced me to perform oral sex on him.” As she objected, Weinstein took his penis out of his pants and pulled her head down onto it. “i said, over and over, ‘i don’t want to do this, stop, don’t,’” she said. “i tried to get away, but maybe i didn’t try hard enough. i didn’t want to kick him or fight him.” in the end, she said, “He’s a big guy. He overpowered me.” A few more have recently come out with their sickening stories of sexual advances from Wein-
Harvey Weinstein
stein. Among them were Heather Graham, Cara Delevingne and Kate Beckinsale who said that Weinstein offered her alcohol in his hotel room when she was 17 and that she repeatedly declined his sexual advances over the years. Five days after the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal exploded, the movie producer’s wife announced she’s leaving him. “My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. i have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and i ask the media for privacy at this time,” Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman told people in a statement. The split was separately confirmed by Us Weekly. So what can we learn from this nightmare? How do we avoid it? i honestly don’t know how women have endured such behavior but it’s about time we make a stand. Sexual harassment is everywhere and part of it is because, we are so afraid to call it out. Whether it’s our fear of our lives being threatened or our reputations ruined, or even our careers. While all of these are valid, we have to understand that if we let abusive people continue on while we sit in the corner paralyzed in fear, we are participating in their evildoings one way or another. it’s time we put an end to this and if there’s one thing we can take away from all this, it’s that. in closing i sincerely hope that justice will be served and that Weinstein will truly learn from this and prove that he’s worth the second chance he is asking for. *** 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.
Empowered By Love gala raises $340k For families who depend on Ronald McDonald House Charities
lAS VEGAS, nV – last Saturday was absolutely electrifying as supporters of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater las Vegas gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel to raise more than $340,000 for families who stay at the Ronald McDonald House while their children receive critical medical treatment. The presenting Sponsor, the Greater las Vegas McDonald’s operator Association, not only made the night possible, but brought an entirely new level of enthusiasm to the event. For their incredible contributions to the House and to our families, nV Energy was recognized as the Honoree and Roger Jones of VegasTickets.com was named our House Hero. one of the most memorable parts of the evening was little Bells (pictured left) stealing the hearts of every attendee. Her family spoke about their experience staying at RMHC while her baby brother, TJ, was in the hospital and how much it meant to their family. “You’re hit with this big tragedy in your family, and it’s the hardest time in your life. You’re not thinking about the next time you’re going to eat, the next time you’re going to have something to drink, or where you’re
going to lay your head at night,” said Shila, TJ’S mom. “Those are things we didn’t have to worry about because we had the Ronald McDonald House.” The evening began with cocktails, appetizers, and live entertainment. Guests purchased tickets to receive wine and a piece of jewelry, thanks to Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits and Kendra Scott. nevada Ticket Brokers Association sponsored a prize box in which one lucky key holder went home with a $2,000 Hawaiian themed package. The evening continued with the silent auction, live entertainment by The Moonshiners, a gourmet dinner by Chef Michael Goodman, and a live auction. This amazing fundraising event for RMHC of Greater las Vegas was possible thanks to the generous support of our presenting Sponsor, the Greater las Vegas McDonald’s operator Association. Special thanks to our platinum Sponsor, Capital one. Thank you to our prize Box Sponsor, nevada Ticket Brokers Association, and our Wine and Shine Sponsors: Destinations by Design, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, and pSAV. last, but not least, thank you
to our Gold Sponsors: Bank of America Merrill lynch, Bank of nevada, CareMeridian, Center for Sight, Cox Communications, McDonald’s Rocky Mountain Region, MEDnAX, nV Energy, Southwest Medical part of optum Care, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, The private Bank by nevada State Bank, and Vector Media. Thank you to all of our amazing supporters! We look forward to seeing you next year on october 20, 2018, at the Four Seasons for our 20th Anniversary Celebration Gala! Believing that every child deserves a safe and supportive place to grow, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater las Vegas creates and supports programs that directly improve the health, education and well-being of children in our community. We fulfill our mission by providing a homeaway-from-home at the Ronald McDonald House for families who travel to las Vegas to receive critical medical treatment for their children, and manage programs that service the immediate needs of children and families in our community. For more information on RMHC of Greater las Vegas, visit www. rmhlv.org.
Xavier Bautista AJPress
Filipino-American Hollywood star and former WWE champion Dave Bautista co-stars in the much-anticipated movie “Blade Runner 2049”, a sequel from the 1982 hit movie “Blade Runner” that was directed by Ridley Scott and starred by Harrison Ford. Three decades after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, lApD officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former lApD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”) directed the much-anticipated sequel. Blade Runner 2049 was produced by oscar nominees Andrew A. Kosove & Broderick Johnson (“The Blind Side”) and three-time Emmy winners Bud Yorkin & Cynthia Sikes Yorkin. Multiple oscar nominee Ridley Scott is the executive producer. Bill Carraro served as executive producer and unit production manager.
Filipino-American Hollywood star and former WWE champion Dave Bautista Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
The film which stars Ryan Gosling (“la la land”) and Harrison Ford (“Star Wars”) also includes an internationa l c a s t , a m o n g t h e m A n a de Armas (“War Dogs”), Sylvia Hoeks (“Renegades”), Robin Wright (“Wonder Woman”), Mackenzie Davis (“The Martian”), Carla Juri(“Brimstone”), and lennie James (“The Walking Dead”), with Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films) and oscar winner Jared leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”). Director Denis Villeneuve was asked by the press what interested him in taking this film and he re-
plied, “The idea that as human beings we are reprogrammed with our genetic background and education and how we can free from that. Also to bring back that beautiful career from the first movie and explore it with my own sensibility.” For Fil-Am actor Batista, it is all about the pride of being a part of a great film. “When i first got the role, i didn’t realize how important the character was to the plot of the film. i’m proud to be part of the film,” he said. Blade Runner opened in theaters on october 6, 2017.
Anne Curtis strikes back at basher, defends...
PAGE B1 tition of “it’s Showtime” hosts. it James Reid and Amy perez. (Deni ments came from Twitter user @ kicked off on october 17 with a Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philkathxnielonly. on october 15, @ performance by Billy Crawford, star.com) kathxnielonly wrote, pertaining to nadine: “namatayan na nga, nagagawa pang mag inarte na ganyan. Advocacy pang keep going ulul #ownWhoYouAre pa rin without pretentions.” nadine’s co-host, Anne Curtis, then came to nadine’s rescue, replying to @kathxnielonly: “You are a horrible person. You never know what a person is going through or how they deal with whatever it is they are feeling. So back off.” So far, Anne’s reply has been liked 13,000 times and retweeted for over 4,000 times. in contrast, the tweet by @kathxnielonly has been liked 119 times and retweeted 23 times. The camps of nadine and James Reid thanked Anne for the gesture, while nadine’s fans also praised Anne. Anne, nadine, and fellow host Ryan Bang will perform on Wednesday as a group for “it’s Showtime’s” Magpasikat segment, a week-long, annual talent compe-
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Lbc brings holiday cheers to overseas Filipinos as boc suspends tariff act on balikbayan boxes
Corporate Governance: Outstanding Performance, Higher Profits, Expanded Market Reach and the like FAILS to protect a company which has put good governance & ethics at the back burner. Only the culture of strict adherence to good compliance can keep a company ahead on sustainable basis, bring in larger profits. Corporates should act like honey bee which suck the nectar of the flower without effecting its fragrance and produce honey for the well–being of society.
The Kite Runner Prof. EnriquE M. Soriano SAN FRANCISCO—Governance is everywhere. I am slated to deliver a talk related to Ownership and Succession today to the students, faculty members and business owners at the Community College of San Francisco Ocean Campus (CCSF). This will be another interesting exchange of ideas with business owners and the academia similar to the one I did exactly a year ago when the University of San Francisco College of Business (USF) core faculty invited me to lecture on a topic as diverse as the ASEAN Integration and Its impact on the US Economy. Next month, I will resume my family business initiatives in Africa organized by the World Bank/IFC Group and then proceed to Southwest Asia to run another governance campaign in collaboration with the country’s stock exchange. If I get “unlucky”, I will end up doing another North American engagement before or after the year ends. It will be winter so advisory work can get really challenging. Just as I thought my business coaching engagements will taper off as the year is almost at the tail end, in comes invitations to actively promote governance and succession in emerging economies like Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda in Africa and India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in South Asia.
EMPLOYMENT
Why banks love governance Governance is a top lending metric There is no doubt that creditors, lenders, VC’s and financial institutions are clearly biased towards businesses that are devoted to best practices or whose business and operating model revolve around corporate governance. The Asian and Global financial crisis in 1997 and 2008 revealed severe shortcomings in corporate governance. Quoting an OECD report, “when most needed, existing standards failed to provide the checks and balances that companies need in order to cultivate sound business practices.” Right after the 2008 debacle, the OECD and several global institutions launched an ambitious action plan to develop a set of recommendations for improvements in priority areas such as remuneration, risk management, board practices and the exercise of shareholder rights. The changes happening now is a result of the global wave of governance standards put in place especially in the most vulnerable sector, the start-up businesses and family- owned enterprises. Hopefully, the collaborative and active intervention efforts will encourage founders of businesses to step up to the plate not just in their profit strategies but in establishing a structure where sound business practices can become the norm. It is a fact that one of the major hurdles for business owners is the issue of transitioning from an owner mindset (where there is weak governance structures and systems) to the new model of stewardship management (where governance is written and there is compliance
of best practices). Why do creditors/banks prefer businesses that espouse governance? The answers point to a very important ingredient in lending money... the ability to use the fund for the right purpose and the responsibility to pay the creditorbank on time. Corporate governance structure builds a strong family foundation and banks are naturally receptive in lending capital to a stable enterprise especially if they see a family constitution in place that captures the following: • Vision-driven and valuesbased that prepares the family and the business for the future • Aligning the family’s relationship with the business by way of meritocracy • Defining the family member’s rights and responsibilities • Ownership alignment covering the next gen leaders are welldocumented • Effective plan for ownership including key family leadership role and succession • A Communication platform to minimize conflict and misunderstanding for active and non-active owners • The creation of Family Council to manage Family and personal issues. ***
LBC’s customers abroad who are now busy filling up Balikbayan boxes to send to their loved ones here in the country will now be able to do so without worrying about the rules and regulations imposed by the Bureau of Customs last August 1, 2017 This is after BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapena issued a memorandum last September 28, 2017 suspending the implementation of the Customs Modernization Tariff Act (CMTA) until March 31, 2018. The CMTA carried with it certain provisions which set parameters for Balikbayan shipments and who was qualified to send them so they can avail of tax exemptions. Because of the suspension, there is no more need for Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to submit documents like information sheet; a photocopy of the passport; and, invoice or proof of purchase of items to be sent thru the Balikbayan Box. There is also no need to fill up Customs’ forms detailing the gifts to be sent. There is also no more limit to the number of times an OF can send a Balikbayan Box and there is no more cap or maximum amount than each box can carry. And the better news is, the P150,000 duty and tax-free privelege on the Balikbayan Box remains! LBC, the largest and leading forwarding company
in the Philippines, welcomed the development saying many Overseas Filipinos are still unaccustomed to the CMTA and that the suspension will give them time to focus, instead, on sending joy and gifts to loved ones this Holiday Season. (Advertising Supplement)
702Shifters #VegasStrong tribute ride LAST OCTOBER 8, seven days after the tragic shooting at the Route 91 event, the cycling group 702Shifters, together with their family and friends, dedicated a ride to honor the victims of the tragedy. Coincidentally 58 cyclists and then some, rode to the memorial site at the Las Vegas Sign. There, they paid tribute, offered prayers and flowers, and showed their solidarity with the other mourners from the community. Cycling has become a means for these people to come together as a family. 702Shifters became the place where they belonged and impact the community with strength. Together, they found
Prof. Soriano is a National Agora Awardee for Marketing Excellence, an ASEAN Family Business Advisor, Book Author and Executive Director of ASEAN-based Consulting group, W+B Strategic Advisory. He has close to three decades of real estate experience and is currently the Program Director for Real Estate at the ATENEO Graduate School of Business
the light within themselves. Together, they became beacons of hope for others. Together, they will heal with the community,
EMPLOYMENT
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conquering challenges that come to Las Vegas. These people are battle born, Vegas Strong because together they are 702Shifters.
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Community Journal
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 19-25, 2017
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From fraud to waiver to citizenship in 3 not-so-easy steps
Your Immigration Solution Atty. Devin Connolly & nAnCy Miller Countless people want to live in the united states. It is, therefore, not surprising that people sometimes misrepresent facts in order to accomplish that goal. these lies are told for an obvious reason – telling the truth would not get them an immigration benefit. However, an immigration benefit obtained through a lie renders the alien removable. If (or when) the Department of Homeland security discovers the truth, they will take steps to deport the person to his native country. An immigrant in this situation may be eligible to apply for a waiver of their prior misrepresentation pursuant to section 237(a)(1)(H) of the Immigration and nationality Act (InA). And if the waiver is granted, and they are otherwise
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette ADevA MAglAyA (Part 1 of 2)
soMe stories are cautionary tales. If we approach our own lives with a smidgen of humility, stories do teach and show us the way. I have learned that without humility, one cannot be taught anything of real value. Without humility, one would have to experience life’s hard lessons first hand. this is choosing to learn by paying the highest tuition when one can learn simply by listening and pondering the wisdom of those who love you and have your best interests at heart. I am revisiting two stories from 2010. these stories illustrate supremely bloated egos and an overblown sense of personal entitlement. the story of Amy Bishop, the Alabama ex-professor, who murdered her academic colleagues in cold blood during a departmental meeting, ended with a life sentence.
eligible, they will be able to apply for u.s. citizenship. A waiver under InA 237(a)(1)(H) “forgives” the fraud and allows the alien to keep the green card if they are the spouse, parent, or son or daughter of a u.s. citizen or lawful permanent resident (lPR) and can meet the requirement of showing that the equities in their case outweigh the liabilities. this balance is called “favorable exercise of discretion”. the fraud or misrepresentation must be of a material fact that was made in connection with the attempt to obtain a visa or green card. the applicant must be “otherwise-admissible” to the u.s., but-for the material misrepresentation. this means that the immigrant will not be eligible for the waiver if they are inadmissible for reasons in addition to the fraud, such as criminal convictions. the waiver may be granted whether the misrepresentation was made at the u.s. Consulate or a Citizenship & Immigration
service (CIs) office. the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has said that a person may be eligible for the waiver even if they got their green card through a sham marriage. A “sham marriage” is a marriage entered into solely for the purpose of obtaining a green card. the qualifying relative, however, may not be the spouse from the sham marriage. Many other circumstances exist for which this waiver may be appropriate. A common scenario involves a prospective immigrant who has been petitioned by an lPR parent who marries before the priority date becomes current. that petition is denied or revoked as a matter of law immediately upon the marriage – whether CIs is told about the marriage or not. even if the parent is a usC, many years can be added to the wait-time. the prospective immigrant wants their spouse and their green card so they lie at the time of the interview
Tales of entitlement “...I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled...” — Tiger Woods once-upon-a-time golf legend, tiger Woods, after 7 years have passed, seems to be still reeling from the severe aftermath of a self-inflicted reversal of fortune involving sex, hookers and the tangled web one weaves when we deceive with impunity. It looks like in the postscript to tiger’s tale, big, bad karma will have the last say on how the remainder of his life story pans out as he continues to struggle with a bad back and a losing streak. on February 2010, Amy Bishop, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist killed 3 of her colleagues with a 9 mm gun in cold blood and wounded three others, in a faculty meeting in the university of Alabama in Huntsville (uAH). Bishop’s rampage may have been motivated by the fact that she was denied tenure and will have to look for work
elsewhere by the end of the spring semester of that year. she is married with 4 kids and appears to be the sole family provider. With her action, she decimated half the Biology Department and two of the wounded, were hit in the head. she went target shooting at the range prior to this. And who has not heard of tiger Woods’ blazing fall from grace? Amy Bishop felt entitled. tiger Woods himself admitted, “I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled…” Amy Bishop, who was perceived as brilliant inventor and scientist but a social oddball strongly, obsessively felt entitled to be given tenure at uAH. she had a secret, troubled past beginning with the death of her own 18
Radiation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, MD, FACS, FPCS My wife, Farida, and I just returned to las Vegas from an 11-day Japan explorer Cruise on the Celebrity Millennium with some colleagues, claimed to be the largest cruise vessel in Asia, at 91,000 tons, 965 ft. long, 105 beam, and an occupancy of 2,138. there were more than 300 Filipinos working admirably onboard. We felt at home, and proud of our kababayans. Besides going to tokyo, Chiba, yokohama, and other ports of interest in Japan; we toured nagasaki, a city of 263,000 (among them 9,000 Japanese soldiers and 400 Allied PoWs) when it was devastated by an atomic bomb dropped by American squadron commander and pilot of Bockscar, Major General Charles W. sweeney, at 2:45 a.m. on August 9, 1945, killing about 80,000. three days earlier at 8:15 a.m., the American B-29 bomber “enola Gay,” piloted by BG Paul W. tibbets deployed the world’s first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, then Japan’s 7th largest city, with a population of about 420,000. the bomb plummeted to 137,197 following the nuclear disaster. the second bombing (nagasaki) was the final warning that led to the unconditional surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945, named V-J (Victory over Japan), which ended World War II and saved millions of lives on both sides. As of 2015, the population of Hiroshima was 1.594 million and nagasaki, 429,508. Both are thriving cities today — vibrant, booming with millions of tourists visiting from around the world. Level of radiation mystery the radioactive particles from the atomic bombs 72 years ago were supposed to render both cities uninhabitable for thousands — and millions — of years. “today, the background radiation in Hiroshima and nagasaki is the same as the average amount of natural radiation present anywhere on earth. It is not enough to affect human health,” according to scientific reports. But why? What happened? Why are these two cities in Japan safe again, so soon? uranium-235 was used for the bomb over Hirsohima and Plutonium-239 over nagasaki. the half-life of u-235 is 700 million years, the Pu-239, 24,000 years, if they had reach and exploded on the ground.
Information from the Hiroshima and nagasaki Peace Museums provided the answer to the mystery. Both bombs exploded high up in the air, 1,968 feet for Hiroshima and 1,800 feet for nagsaaki. they never hit the ground. the 139 pounds of u-235 and the 12 pounds of Pu-239 were pulverized into particles and the plume dissipated by the wind over land and mostly to the sea. Data show there was only a slight increase of leukemia in nagasaki region but there were no added incidence of cancers in and around Hiroshima. An amazing feat of luck. I could not find information as to whether these two atomic bombs (Code-named “little Boy” for Hiroshima and “Fat Man” for nagasaki) were specifically designed to explode high up in the air to minimize ground contamination. those atom bombs are grenades compared to the present day nuclear bombs, which are more sophisticated, more powerful, and greater in their ability to obliterate even an entire nation. Indeed, 38-year old Kim Jong un should grow up and realize that he could get burned (and north Korea could disappear from this earth) when he continues to play with fire with bravado and recklessness. Outbreaks on cruise ships thank God, our Japan explorer cruise was a healthy and totally enjoyable experience. sometimes, cruises could be marred by an outbreak of illnesses. on May 9, 2016 Cnn reported that, “More than 200 passengers on a British cruise ship have fallen ill with the gastrointestinal condition norovirus. the u.s. Center for Disease Control said 252 of 919 passengers — 27 percent — have gotten sick on the Balmoral, a ship operated by Fred olsen Cruises and most recently docked in Maine. eight of 520 crew members have come down with norovirus.” new reports on May 4, 2017 said cruise ships norovirus outbreaks at a 15-year low in 2017, the lowest since 1994. nearly 25 million are expected to take a cruise this year. there were outbreaks in 19 cruise ships in 2004, only two as of May this year, like in 2001. the cruise industry is mandated by law to report to the CDC any outbreak that exceeds 2 percent of the total number of passengers/ crews on onboard. In the case of the Celebrity Millennium we just cruised on, that would mean an outbreak involving at least 43 persons. u.s.-bound ships from foreign ports are required to report the total number of gastrointestinal disease cases, including zero, evaluated by the medical staff 24 hours prior to arrival at u.s. ports.
norovirus is a common cause of acute gastroenteritis, popularly called the stomach bug or stomach flu, which causes about 20 million illnesses a year in the united states, most often in crowded environments like dormitories, restaurants, hotels, cruise ships, nursing homes, and day care centers. the common cold is higher in incidence than norovirus, but it is more infamous because of the mandatory strict reporting legal requirement. When exposed to norovirus, it takes about one to three days for symptoms to appear, and it usually lasts for 24 to 48 hours. Victims may be contagious for about two weeks after recovery. Hygiene is the key since the introduction on all cruises of hand sanitizer (70 percent ethyl alcohol which kills 99.9 percent of germs within 15 seconds), the outbreaks of norovirus and other contagious illnesses on cruises have dramatically gone down. As always, the onus is on all crewmembers and guests on board. one single infected person’s virus is enough spread and contaminate the entire ship and cause an epidemic on a cruise or a hospital, household, dormitory, nursing home, restaurant, day care center, etc. the good old-fashioned handwashing, with or without soap, works wonders anywhere we are, even at home. norovirus and common cold viruses could contaminate food, tables, chairs, plates, cups, glasses, utensils, hand rails, door knobs, elevator buttons, dialpads, counters, tables, etc. those surfaces are “naturally” teeming with microorganisms. this is the reason why frequent handwashing and not touching the face (and those surfaces) are essential habits that significantly lower the risk of acquiring these infections. While the viruses we commonly encounter cause illnesses and misery, using hand sanitizers after touching handrails and doorknobs, etc., in public areas, and washing hands frequently will greatly protect us. Always be aware that germs, invisible to the naked eyes, are on our skin, especially in our hands, and are swarming, ever-present, all around us. All we have to do is to wash them away, often. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
and say they are single. Clearly, the green card was obtained through fraud. A 237(a)(1)(H) waiver can cure the original fraud and allow the person to keep their green card – which be valid back from the date it was issued. A less common scenario involves one whose Immigration Court case was administratively closed. When he becomes eligible to obtain a green card, he lies and claims he was never in Court. CIs has no authority to grant the green card but it does not know that. so the green card that the immigrant obtained through fraud is worthless and he needs the waiver. When applying for the waiver an immigrant must demonstrate that they deserve a favorable exercise of discretion. the factors that an Immigration Judge may consider when making their decision include the immigrant’s family ties within the united states, the length of their residence in this country, whether the immigrant
or any family members would suffer hardship if the immigrant was forced to return to his or her native country, the immigrant’s employment history, the existence of any property or business ties, evidence of value or service to the community, as well other evidence of the immigrant’s good moral character. the Immigration Judge will balance these positive factors against any negative factors in an immigrant’s case. these negative factors may include the original fraud or misrepresentation, any criminal activity, or any other evidence of the immigrant’s lack of good moral character. In the end, the immigrant must demonstrate that the positive factors in their case outweigh the negative ones. A well-documented waiver application and persuasive testimony at the court hearing are essential to a successful outcome. And, yes, I did just say court. A waiver under InA § 237(a)(1)(H) may only be applied for in Im-
migration Court. With so much riding on the end result, it is important to retain a knowledgeable immigration attorney who is experienced in these types of waivers. And what is the end result? After being granted the waiver, the immigrant can go on to successfully apply for u.s. citizenship. that is a successful outcome. ***
year old brother whom she shot in the heart 24 years ago with a shotgun, a case that was ruled accidental in Braintree, Massachusetts. Well past the statute of limitation, that case was never logged in the national database because she was never charged in that incident. In hindsight police officials now believe there was probable cause to charge her for what she did after the incident when she held a man at gunpoint in a nearby dealership demanding a get-away car and holding officers in a standoff. there are talks that because her mother, who had some clout, intervened and that there were some slipups in the chain of command, Bishop was effectively exonerated and nothing more was heard of this case until now. this important piece of information could have prevented the university from hiring her in the first place. Her husband, who appears delusional as she is, paints a pleasant picture of her as a mother and wife, in stark contrast from those who felt she was aloof and arrogant in her perceived superiority. she herself said she was arrogant because she is superior. she frequently mentioned Harvard in class and that she was a cousin of
the author John Irving who wrote “the Cider House Rules” and “the World According to Garp.” Former neighbors in Massachusetts sighed in relief and held a pizza party when her family moved to Alabama. she and her husband had called the cops on their neighbors in excess of a dozen times over perceived slights to the point that the cops felt they could not do enough for them. she prevented the ice cream truck from coming to their street because her children were lactose intolerant. nor did she want her children to play with her neighborhood kids. students at the uAH petitioned that she be removed from the classroom since she taught by reading from the textbook, didn’t make eye contact and was just plain ineffective in a classroom setting. there are other troubling incidents in her past life, such as, when she punched a woman at the local IHoP all because of a child booster seat while ranting profanities, raving and screaming, “I am Dr. Amy Bishop.” In another suspicious incident, she and her husband were among those investigated but never charged in the unresolved mail bombing case of Professor Paul Rosenberg of Harvard. It appears the professor was giving her a
negative review of her post-doctoral work. no one could have predicted that Amy Bishop’s very vocal ranting and internal raging over something she felt entitled to would result in tragedy. Her appeal for tenure was denied that october. sadly, one of her victims, the Biology Department head, Dr. Gopi Podila, a well-liked academic who immigrated from India, and who supported her appeal for tenure and even dismissed the students’ petition against her, was the first person, Amy Bishop shot dead. the other 2 are Dr. Maria Ragland Davis and Dr. Adriel Johnson, all in their early fifties and by all accounts, great human beings. she fired repeatedly at her friend, Dr. Debra Moriarity despite her pleas for mercy but the gun jammed and her friend lived to tell the gruesome details of the carnage. on April 2011, the Alabama Madison County District Attorney Robert Broussard said during a court proceeding that he would seek the death penalty for Amy Bishop. (Conclusion next week…)
Calendar of Events across
Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China. For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case. (Advertising Supplement)
*** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
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City of Carson’s 8th annual Larry Itliong Day Celebration Join the City of Carson for its 8th annual celebration of Larry Itliong Day on Saturday, Oct. 21 with a parade and program. Assembly time begins at 8 a.m., with the parade from 9 to 9:30 a.m. The program will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. It will be held at Veterans Park at 22400 Moneta Avenue, Carson, CA 90745. Admission is FREE. For more information, please call (310) 952-1743.
NaFFAA to celebrate 20th anniversary in Washington, DC The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) turns 20 years old this year. This October, several events are being planned to celebrate this milestone, which coincides with the national observance of Filipino American History Month. They will culminate with NaFFAA’s 20th Anniversary Gala, to be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 21. With its theme “NaFFAA 2.0: One Voice, Four Million Strong,” NaFFAA will recognize the legacy and accomplishments of the organization over the past 20 years, and highlight its comprehensive vision to unite and amplify the voices of the four million Filipinos living in the United States. “NaFFAA 2.0” represents how NaFFAA is honoring its past while forging a new forward-thinking and balanced approach in uniting, engaging, and empowering diverse Filipino American individuals and community organizations through leadership development, civic engagement, and advocacy. To learn more about NaFFAA or to purchase tickets for the 20th Anniversary Gala, please visit www. naffaa.org.
Mutya ng Lahi in Santa Clarita, CA To celebrate Filipino-American History Month, the Fil-Am Association of SCV, Inc. proudly presents Mutya ng Lahi (Jewel of Ancestry) on Saturday, Oct. 21. It will be held at the Centre at 20880 Centre Pointe Parkway, Santa Clarita, CA 91351 from 6 to 10 p.m. The program will showcase traditional folk dances, songs, national costumes and an exhibition of Philippine Centennial. Tickets for the dinner and show are $35 for adults, $20 for children (4-12), and free for under 3 years. For ticket sales, please contact the following no later than Oct. 13: Emie R. Carrillo at (661) 877-2699, Zeny Justiniano at (661) 294-0181, or Zony Gordon at (661) 312-3422.
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FACC-GLA’s Halloween Dance Party in Canoga Park, CA FACC-GLA’s Halloween Dance Party in Canoga Park, CA The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce - Greater Los Angeles (FACC - GLA) invites members and guests to its Halloween Dance Party on Friday, October 27 from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. at the Best Western Canoga Park Hotel. Come in with your scariest attire as there will be special gifts for the best costume attire. Food & drinks will be included. Tickets are limited and entry will only be allowed for those who paid online or through check on or before Tuesday, October 24. Payment can be made through the website www.filamchambergla.org. Strictly NO payment will be accepted at the door.
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3rd annual Larry Itliong Day parade & festival in Los Angeles Join the Larry Itliong Day Committee (LIDC) in honoring the legacy of Filipino American Labor Leader Larry Itliong on Saturday, October 28. There will be a parade followed by a festival with cultural music, dance performances, food vendors, art exhibits, health screenings and various vendors. Parade starts at 9 a.m. with a light breakfast, opening ceremony and line-up at 8 a.m. at Unidad Park (1648 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026). The festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Columban Church at 125 Loma Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90026. There will be film screenings of “Delano Manongs” by Marissa Aroy at the church at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. For more information on sponsorships, parade registration, exhibitor opportunities, and volunteering, please email larryitliongdayLA@gmail.com.
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Franchise Expo West in Los Angeles Franchise Expo West, the premier franchise event in the western U.S. is returning to Los Angeles after a five-year absence, to provide the strongest business opportunities for potential franchisees in this dynamic, growing region. Attendees can engage with over 200 franchise brands in every industry at every investment level, access over 60 free educational sessions where in depth answers are provided to any franchising questions, and meet with lenders and consultants to learn about financing options. It will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center at 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 from Thursday, Nov. 2 to Saturday, Nov. 4. For more information, please visit: www.franchiseexpowest.com. For free registration, use promo code AJ here: https://r1.events-registration.com/franwest2017/.
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Maine returns refreshed from Maldives vacation by Tessa
MauRicioa-aRRioLa
ManilaTimes.net
It has been a week since Maine Mendoza returned from her holiday on the island of Maldives where the rich and famous like to frolic, and the actress is happy to say she feels refreshed and ready to face showbiz once again. For someone whose fame happened almost overnight, Mendoza has never hidden the fact that she finds it difficult to deal with the controversies that come with her celebrity status. As such, she left in a bit of rush for her Maldives sojourn, eager to escape from the growing buzz regarding her decision to deactivate her twitter account earlier this month. Catching up with the actress in an interview for her latest tVC for CDO Funtastyk Young Pork tocino, she chose not to comment on the Cadayona issue [even as tattle tales were mistaken to spread rumors the comedian would follow her to Maldives], but readily explained why she decided to shut down her widely followed social media account. She denied she did so not because of her bashers, but mainly because she wanted to end fighting among her followers. She related how she felt sad over fans starting arguments themselves online until a non-issue gets blown out of proportion. Mendoza remembers how social media was such a friendly place not too long ago, and that which catapulted her accidental love team with Alden Richards— best known as “AlDub”—to its phenomenal status on “Eat Bulaga’s” Kalyeserye segment. Regretting how things have changed since, she is still hopeful social media will return to what she believes should be a place for people to have fun and get along. All the same, the prime-time star of GMA Network’s ‘Destined to be Yours’ still cannot believe to this day how from a virtual unknown, she became one of the country’s biggest stars. “Sobrang bilis talaga ng mga nangyari sa amin ni Alden (Richards),” she said again. Indeed, it has has only been two years since she joined show business, and apparently tV’s Yaya Dub still needs to get used to all the fame. “Parang hindi ko pa rin ma-fathom kung ano ba ang meron. Bakit ako?” She said she still has no idea what it is about her that the pub-
lic loves and trusts. “Honestly, hindi ko po alam. Parang isang question sa akin yun na hindi ko po masasagot.” And no matter how rabid some of her followers may be, she is simply grateful to all of them who number way beyond the thousands for making her who she is today. Mendoza especially realizes the overwhelming support of her fans whenever she endorses a product. “Kapag nakikita na may bago akong endorsements, talagang sinusuportahan nila,” she acknowledged to the good fortune of her principals. She is also grateful to companies who continue to recognize her draw and positive influence on the public. “Nakakatuwa po kasi patuloy pa rin silang nagtitiwala sa akin. Gaya itong CDO, first year ko pa lang sa showbiz, nakuha na nila ko. Hanggang ngayon. Parang isa siya sa mga unang endorsements ko at nagtiwala sa akin.” She then went on to talk about her latest campaign for the meat brand where everyone teases her about having found her “forever” on social media sites. “Very unique ng concept. Parang ilo-launch nila na very mysterious sa tao. Kung ano nga ba ‘to, anong klaseng beauty product na bandang huli, malalaman nila na tocino pala, pagkain. I think, it’s very fresh for the consumers and for the viewers to see this kind of campaign.” Hoping she can return the confidence of her principals in every project she takes on, and more importantly continue to please and entertain her fans, Mendoza promises to give her hundred percent all the time in everything she does. Moreover, she keeps it mind that showbiz is not forever, which is also the very reason why she makes it a point to take off from all its stress and controversies like she did in Maldives. Her getaways help her stay both grounded and healthy. “Kasi po, hindi ko naman pinangarap na mapunta sa ganitong posisyon. Kasi, akala po siguro ng iba, madali siya, very relaxed. Akala po siguro nila, puro glitz and glamour, walang paghihirap sa ganitong buhay. Siyempre, meron din po siyang downside ng pagiging artista,” she honestly expressed. In ending, she mused, “Siguro ito yung isang bagay na hindi ka dapat malunod. Kasi, pana-panahon lang din naman po ‘yan. Ang
Calling a spade a spade PAGE B5 ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have
been sent here by the people of this state and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state of Kansas. Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your Will. I ask in in the name of your Son, The Living Savior, Jesus Christ. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com
Jasmine Curtis-Smith tightens grip of... PAGE B6 conversations. “Everyone of us on the set—the producers, production staff, crewmen, our director Joel Ferrer and the cast—are like a close knit of friends but at the same time, very professional. We’re always joking around and often get reminded of our time restrictions for the day. As we balance our time for the project, it feels like home when I’m on the set,” she said. the actress revealed that she has become very attached to her character Izabel, the 170-year-old vampire pretending to be a normal 21-year-old who works in the graveyard shift of a call center. “I love Izabel and her story through and through. Her emotions are so pure and her history so heavy. I empathize with her so much that I look forward to tapings just so I could play Izzy again for the day,” she enthused. Would she change anything about her character if given the chance to have an input in the direction of the story? “I don’t think I’d change anything with her. It is evident that even our audience has formed an attachment to her life and especially her personal life,” she answered. She said her input comes in when they do the scenes and after speaking to their director. “Sometimes ideas pop up while he tells me how he interpreted the scene, and he’s always game to try our suggestions. that always makes us feel involved more than
we already are, a sense of really owning our characters, story, and the entire project.” the young actress added that she is not at all surprised with the solid, steady following of Forever Sucks, particularly with millennials that comprise much of its audience. “the concept of the show is refreshing for millennials. It’s neither heavy nor shallow. It’s symbolic and also easy on the mind,” she pointed out. “the timing is quicker than your regular series and so it doesn’t feel like a drag to watch. Everyone behind the show is emotionally invested ensuring the authenticity of everything we do. I also think it’s the collective feeling we have on set that translates on the screen.” As for the prospects of returning for a fourth season or even a possible movie adaptation of the hit web series, Curtis-Smith said she and the rest of the cast and crew would be thrilled if it materializes. “I would definitely love a fourth season. A movie? It would be interesting. Given that the material flow would still justify all the characters and Forever Sucks in totality from its original beginnings, we would love that for sure.” In the third season that premieres in July, Izabela and Kiko (Felix Roco) struggle with the realization that it’s hard to keep a romantic liaison between a human and a vampire burning, sans sunlight.
Maine Mendoza
sa akin na lang, habang nasa ‘yo, enjoy mo.” And so, as everyone welcomed her back to work, Maine Mendoza assured everyone that she is ready to face another round of whatever Showbiz may bring her way.
LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 29-JULy 5, 2017
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Pokwang under ‘house arrest’ by Ricky Lo Philstar.com
JuSt came back from a quickie weekend trip to tagbilaran to visit my friend Raoul tidalgo who flew back from texas after undergoing a radical (read: life-changing) surgery. I was with another friend, Edmund Silvestre, who was Raoul’s colleague at New York-based the Filipino Reporter and has been a StAR correspondent for the longest time. they have retired and resettled back home after more than two decades of chasing after deadlines in the Big Apple. Sunday morning, Raoul treated Edmund and me to what he described as a “heavenly” breakfast at the Amarela, less than an hour drive from the Bohol tropics Resort (more on it much later) where we were billeted. there, we met Charito “Chat” Subong and her Swedish husband and their 16year-old son (sorry, wasn’t able to get their names since they were in a hurry for a tour), with another man who turned out to be Chat’s brother. “I am Pokwang’s sister,” Chat introduced herself after shyly dilly-dallying in asking for a selfie (and “groupie”) with us. the introduction was, well, not a surprise. Although much smaller (barely five feet) than Pokwang (real name: Marietta Subong), Chat is a carbon copy of Pokwang and easily endeared herself to us with her Pokwang-like mien, very comic as Pokwang. Chat and her Swedish partner and their 16-year-old son are visiting from Sweden, staying at
Pokwang’s three-storey house in Antipolo City. they were in Bohol for an R&R. She said that she has been living and working for 27 years in Sweden where she met her partner. “Pero hindi ako natutong magsalita ng Swedish,” Chat laughed ala-Pokwang. “Hindi rin ako marunong mag-English,” adding as if the joke was on her. Asked how Pokwang was, Chat answered in tagalog, “Hayun, nasa bahay parating nakahiga. Lumalabas lang ng kuwarto para kumain. Buntis kasi, eh.” In a sense, Pokwang is, well, under “house arrest.” “Nakakulong lang siya sa kuwarto,” she added. It’s understandable because after suffering from a miscarriage two years ago, Pokwang is again expecting her and American boyfriend Lee O’Brian’s second baby. So delicate is her two-month pregnancy that her doctor advised her to take an extended bed rest. Pokwang then took a leave from her Kapamilya shows FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano and Banana Sundae. After all, she’s already 42, not 46 as reported. Lee, also 42, has appeared in Hollywood movies including the 2005 romancedrama Happy Endings (starring Lisa Kudrow, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jesse Bradford and Jason Ritter). He and Pokwang met (and matched) during the shoot of Star Cinema’s Edsa Woolworth (Pokwang in the title role) in 2014 in San Francisco Bay Area where Lee comes from. Pokwang and Lee are engaged and their wedding might have
Pokwang and American boyfriend Lee O’Brian: The baby first before the wedding.
to wait until after they have the baby. “Ako ang talagang 46,” Chat confirmed, adding still in tagalog. “Dose kaming magkakapatid. Pokwang was also an OFW in Japan where she was when her little son died. Hindi sya pinayagang umuwi ng amo niya. Mabait si Pokwang. She really helps our family. She’s taking care of our mother who is showing signs of Alzheimer’s.” told that, while Pokwang is on maternity leave, she could replace Pokwang in her shows, Chat broke into a Pokwang-reminiscent smile and exclaimed, “Puede bakit hindi!” and then laughed and laughed as her partner and their son looked on clueless.
B october 19-25, 2017 • LAS VeGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL
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