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Volume 9 – Issue 34 • 16 Pages
MA Y 2 7 - J U N E 2 , 2 0 1 6
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Think tank tells Duterte: Admin should strengthen ties with US, other allies by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com
Viray
mANILA—the incoming administration of President-elect rodrigo Duterte should strengthen its alliance treaties with the United states and other countries such as Australia and Japan, a think tank said. stratbase Albert del rosario Institute (ADri) said that the Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP) needs to shift its stance from internal security to FLAVORS OF THE PHILIPPINES SHINE IN WASHINGTON, DC. Acclaimed chef Claude Tayag and his bringhe dish, paired with mixologist Enzo Lim’s territorial defense. special cocktail for the evening won the People’s Choice Award at the 8th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge at the Ronald Reagan Building “We believe the AfP should now develop a cred- and International Trade Center on Wednesday, May 25. See full story on Page A4. Contributed photo/Philippine Embassy ible defense position that would make a potential adversary think twice before using force against the Philippines,” stratbase ADri President Dindo manhit said in a statement released on monday, may 23. manhit suggested forming a trilateral armed forces consisting of the Army, Air force and Navy hANoI—Us President Barack u PAGE A2 obama on tuesday called for terby agnes constante ritorial disputes in the south China AJPress sea to be resolved peacefully and not through bullying as Vietnam A fILIPINo man from Los Angeles balks at Chinese actions in the bitwanted for the murder of his pregterly contested waters. nant girlfriend last month has been “Big nations should not bully named to the fBI’s ten most Wanted smaller ones, disputes should be fugitives list. by Jaime r. PiLaPiL and LLanesca t. Panti resolved peacefully,” obama told Philip Patrick Policarpio, 39, was The Manila Times an audience in hanoi, referring to charged with first-degree murder on Lawyers for sen. ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. the disputed maritime region. April 22 in Los Angeles. Authorities his remarks won loud applause have questioned the unusually high number of “underhave issued local, state and federal votes” in the vice presidential race as shown in Certifi- from more than 2,000 delegates warrants for his arrest, and are offercates of Canvass (CoCs) opened on Wednesday, the first including top Vietnamese leaders. ing a reward of up to $100,000 for Washington and hanoi have day of the official tally by Congress. information leading to his arrest and Philip Patrick Policarpio Photo from FBI “We have accounted ‘undervotes’ Your honor, that’s been drawn closer together conviction. totaling the votes cast for the Vice President vis-à-vis through their mutual concern at “his pattern is one of violence, and the votes cast by the voters, it would appear that such Beijing’s increasing assertiveness he is always armed,” said special Agent scott garriola, a memnumber was discovered from the CoC Your honor that in the strategic waterway sea, ber of the fBI’s Los Angeles fugitives task force. “he is the totals 623,174,” one of the lawyers, george garcia, said through which $5 trillion in shipdefinition of a continuing threat to the community.” on thursday. borne trade passes each year. the fBI said the filipino fugitive may have traveled to Las Vethe discovery confirmed marcos’ earlier complaint China, which claims almost all gas and has family ties to the Philippines. that 3.3 million “undervotes” were discovered in their the south China sea, has rattled During a card game last month with associates and friends, own quick count, garcia added. neighbors with a series of recPolicarpio got into an argument with his girlfriend who was 17 Because of questions involving the “undervotes,” only lamation and construction projweeks pregnant. garriola said Policarpio, in front of everyone, 45 of the 48 opened CoC were officially included in the ects—including airstrips—on began beating her with his fists, then pulled out a gun and shot canvass. reefs and islets. her in the head, killing her and her unborn child instantly. garcia said the three questioned CoC were from the Vietnam and four other counWitnesses at the scene said he fled and has not been seen provinces of Laguna, Ilocos sur and Davao del Norte. tries—the Philippines, malaysia, since. these were found to have differences with the elec- Brunei and taiwan—also have on may 16, Policarpio was charged with a second count of tronically-transmitted CoC. claims to parts of the sea. u PAGE A2 As part of the investigation, the Joint Canvassing Freedom to fly, sail Committee ordered the Provincial Board of Canvassers the United states takes no po(PBoC) in the three provinces to explain the discrepansition on the competing territorial cies. Citing as an example, garcia said the first electroni- claims but asserts freedom of navcally-transmitted CoC from Davao del Norte did not con- igation and flights in the sea and has sent warships near Chineseform with the succeeding printed four CoC. u PAGE A2 ing senators u PAGE A2 by LeiLa B. saLaVerria this year. Inquirer.net the feisty After braving the campaign l a w m a k e r trail, sen. miriam Defensor san- has come to tiago has become weak due to the end of the anorexia caused by one of her second her anticancer medications, and s i x - y e a r by giL c. caBcaungan Jr. will continue with her medical term. Inquirer.net leave until her senate term ends. she ran santiago wrote senate Presi- for presifrom three to nearly 300. dent franklin Drilon on tuesday, dent in the the Partido Demokratikong may 24, to inform him that she r e c e n t l y Sen. Miriam Santiago Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDPwill continue to be on medical concluded Laban), the political party of preleave for cancer. elections, despite battling lung sumptive President-elect rodri“one of the medications has cancer, diagnosed in 2014. go Duterte, has cobbled together produced a side effect of anorexBut prior to the discovery that a “supermajority” coalition in ia (inability to eat), which ren- she had lung cancer, she had althe incoming 17th Congress less ders me physically and mentally ready been on medical leave due than three weeks after the may 9 weak,” santiago said in her brief to chronic fatigue syndrome. elections. letter. Amid questions on her fitness Incoming Davao del Norte But she said she and members to head the country given her rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said PDP-Laban was close to achiev- Incoming Davao Del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, the anointed of her staff will nevertheless be health condition, she had said ing its goal of creating one of the Speaker of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, on Friday said half ready to vacate their senate of- she had beaten the disease, as her anticancer medications had biggest coalitions in Congress’ of the Liberals are jumping ship to the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng fices by June 30. santiago is one of the graduat- proved effective. n Inquirer.net photo by Marc Jayson Cayabyab u PAGE A2 Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Obama to China: Filipino on FBI’s Follow int’l law
Most Wanted list
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte
DATELINE
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
Report finds Asians in US are healthier than other groups A NeW study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that Asian adults – particularly Chinese adults – are physically and psychologically healthier than other Us adults. overall, Chinese adults reported better health in five measures included in the report: likelihood for fair or poor health, chronic conditions, psychological distress, work limitations and limited social participation. the study, based on data from the 20102014 National health Interview survey (NhIs), took into account the six largest Asian subgroups: Chinese, filipino, Asian Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean. for other groups, no clear patterns were observed for the measures.
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New campaign raises awareness of lung cancer in Asian Americans
Lung cancer is the no. 1 cause of cancer death among demographic LUNg cancer has long been commonly associated with a history of smoking. however, more studies have shown that other factors contribute to the development of this type of cancer, including genetics, so even if you are not a smoker, you may still be at risk. About 221,200 new cases and 1.5 million deaths from lung cancer will occur in the United states this year, according to the American Cancer society. Within the Asian American community, lung cancer is the number one cause of
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Marcos questions high number of ‘undervotes’
Ailing Miriam on sick leave until her term expires on June 30
From 3 to 300, PDP-Laban forms ‘supermajority’ in House
A MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426
From the Front Page
Marcos questions high number of ....
Think tank: Duterte admin should… PAGE A1 t
for maritime territorial security. The trilateral armed forces would monitor and secure the country’s land features in the disputed South China Sea or West Philippine Sea and adjacent waters. Manhit added that the next government should focus in strengthening the AFP’s joint operation capabilities for the Philippines to be able to face an asser-
PAGE A1 t Election watchdogs and Information Technology experts earlier said “undervotes” do not usually exceed one percent of the total votes cast. In the 2016 elections, there should be not more than 400,000 such votes at 81 percent voter turnout. Insignificant The camp of Rep. Leni Robredo of the Liberal Party (LP), howeve, downplayed the reported “undervotes.” Romulo Macalintal, the lead counsel for Robredo, said the issue is no cause for alarm. “He is saying that there are around 600,000 ‘under votes.’ But this should not be a cause for alarm because it does not indicate irregularity. Not all people cast their vote for Vice President,” Macalintal added. He cited the Supreme Court ruling in Mathay vs. Castelo that such abstaining from voting for a particular post is a regular undertaking. “That’s why I made a clarification that the voters need not worry. This does not mean poll rigging and is insignificant in the canvassing of voters. That happens in an automated or a manual election where people just remain
COUNT GOES ON Lawmakers inspect a ballot box on the second day of the official canvassing of votes for President and Vice President. As of 7 p.m. Thursday, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was leading by 255, 254 votes. Senate photo by Ruy L. Martinez
neutral or abstain from voting for a particular position,” Macalintal said. He expressed confidence that the discrepancies in the three COC can be explained by the PBOC, particularly Laguna where it took the board twice before successfully transmitting the COC. Marcos earlier appealed to the Commission on Elections to allow his own IT experts to audit the central and transparency servers of the poll body with the participation of other interested parties. He said only a system audit would show if a script change done by Smartmatic had triggered the sudden decrease of his almost one million lead in the evening of May 9 during the quick count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting. But the Comelec deferred action on his petition. Abakada Party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, campaign adviser
tive China. The analyst noted that the AFP’s development of its early warning, surveillance, command, control and communication must be designed with allies in mind. This would include strengthening the country’s alliance with the US built around the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. “Continuous training with allied forces, including the US and
its other bilateral allies such as Japan, Australia, and South Korea should also be prioritized,” Manhit said. The Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations is expected to issue its ruling on the Philippines’ case against China’s nine-dash line claim by this month. Beijing had refused to participate in the proceedings of the arbitration. n
Filipino on FBI’s Most Wanted…
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murder of a human fetus with malice aforethought, according to ABC News. At the time of the killing, Policarpo was on parole for multiple counts of attempted murder in a 2000 case in Burbank, according to the Los Angeles Times. In that case, he fired multiple rounds at a vehicle, shooting a woman in the head and a man in the shoulder. Both victims survived. He fled to the Philippines with the help of his mother, according to the complaint, and was extradited back to the United States a year later after being caught by Philippine authorities. “We believe – based on not only his criminal history, but what seems to be a clear propen-
of Marcos, called the poll body’s decision “unfortunate.” “We could not understand how the system audit could affect the official canvass because all election returns have been transmitted and all COC have been printed out for canvass,” dela Cruz said. “The integrity of the whole 2016 elections is on the line here and we do not want unresolved questions and issues to linger after the proclamation. It is our position that whoever will be proclaimed Vice President by the NBOC [National Board of Canvassers] deserves a clear and unequivocal mandate once he assumes the position. We cannot allow all doubts to linger on our new Vice President which would diminish the stature of his office,” he noted in a statement. “We will take the next legal step to ventilate our request for the sake of truth and for the millions of Filipinos who cast their votes PAGE A1 t despite the odds and limitations held islets. on May 9,” dela Cruz said. “As we go forward, the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows and we will support wants to deal directly with parties the right of all countries to do the same,” Obama said. and not blocs,” said Batocabe. On Monday, Obama announced Batocabe said Alvarez would recognize the party-list bloc as a that he was scrapping a Cold political party on its own, which War-era ban on weapons sales to would be entitled to its propor- Vietnam, a move seen as a major tionate share of full, standing boost for Hanoi as it tries to bolcommittee chairs and member- ster its defenses against its giant ships for distribution among northern neighbor. “Vietnam will have greater acmajority members. Batocabe said Rep. Sharon Garin of AAM- cess to the military equipment BIS-OWA was being groomed you need to ensure your security,” as a Deputy Speaker, the first Obama told delegates, adding the party-list member to hold such United States would continue to a lofty post. Batocabe said Alva- train Vietnam’s Coast Guard to rez was also open to converting “enhance maritime capabilities.” ‘A very poor lie’ the special committees on cliIn Beijing, Chinese state media mate change and maritime afon Tuesday slammed the lifting of fairs as full committees. u PAGE A3 a decades-old US arms embargo
sity for violence coupled with the fact that he’s on the run – that he’s clearly a danger to society and needs to be caught,” said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller in Los Angeles, according to The Associated Press. Policarpio is also wanted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for violating his parole. In 2001, he was convicted for assault with a firearm by an ex-felon as well as narcotics violations, according to ABC News. He was released on parole in May 2015 after serving only part of his 14-year sentence for that case. The Filipino suspect is described as 5-foot-8 with brown eyes, black hair and weighing between 150 to 165 pounds. He
has a shaved head; a scar near his left eye; a mole on his right nostril below his right lip; tattoos on his back left thigh and both arms; a tattoo on his chest that says “Only God Can Judge Me;” and may wear eyeglasses. Also named to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list is Luis Macedo, a Latin Kings street gang member from Chicago wanted for the murder of a 15-year-old boy in 2009. Macedo and Policarpio are the 507th and 508th individuals to be named to the list. Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565. Those outside the United States may contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. n
Obama to China: Follow int’l...
From 3 to 300, PDP-Laban forms…
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history after taking in 37 House members from the independent party-coalition bloc in the 17th Congress. Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe estimated that PDP-Laban’s Coalition for Change has gathered as many as 260 allies or 90 percent of the estimated 290 members in the next Congress. Batocabe said this was an extraordinary feat in itself as PDPLaban started with only three House members on its roster— Valenzuela Rep. Erik Martinez, Lanao del Sur Rep. Jun Papandayan, and Alvarez. Ako Bicol is among the 32 party-list groups who joined the
PDP-Laban as coalition partners. The rest are 1-Ang Edukasyon; AAMBIS-OWA, 1-Care, 1-Pacman, 1-Sagip, Aangat Tayo, Aasenso, Abang Lingkod, ABS, ACTS-OFW, AGAP, Agbiag, Agri, Akbayan, Amin, Ang Kabuhayan, Angkla, A-Teacher, BH, Buhay, Butil, Cibac, Coop-NATCCO, Kabayan, Kalinga, Kusug Tausug, Manila Teachers, Mata, PBA, TUCP, and Yacap. Partylist bloc is made up 73 members. Batocabe explained that 8 other party-list members have been weeded out of the bloc because they joined other political parties. “Alvarez wanted a clean alliance, not cluttered, because he
President Barack Obama ducks down under a low beam as he descends a staircase with Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, during a tour of Stilt House in Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday, May 23. White House photo by Pete Souza
against Vietnam, saying the move was aimed at China and calling Obama’s assurances to the contrary “a very poor lie.” Obama announced the end of the 41-year-old ban on weapons sales to Hanoi, as Washington and Beijing jockey for influence
in Asia and tensions mount in the strategically important South China Sea. The lifting of the arms embargo “was not based on China,” Obama said, but part of normalizing ties with its former enemy.
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From the Front Page
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2016
A
New campaign raises awareness of lung…
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cancer death; of the Asians who are diagnosed, 40 percent do not smoke. “For those who have never smoked, they have certain genetic changes for reasons that we don’t still understand why. They made not have any significant smoking exposure and they can get lung cancer,” Dr. Kim-Son Nguyen, an oncology-hematology physician at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation said on Tuesday, May 17 at an educational media event hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc in Burlingame, California. At the event, a panel of Asian American oncologists spoke about the risks factors and symptoms of lung cancer and the latest medical developments to help patients manage the disease. CARABAO FESTIVAL. A carabao with a Philippine flag design painted on its head is seen during the Carabao Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan. The Studies have shown that gene festival is celebrated to honor San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon mutations — epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ana“And we hope those normal plastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) — and friendly relationships are con- can be behind the development of ducive to regional stability and lung cancer in Asians who never development,” Hua Chunying told smoked. EGFR mutations occur in PAGE A3 t reporters at a regularly scheduled approximately 50 percent of Asian taining China.” China’s Global Times newsIn an editorial, the daily said news conference on Monday. lung cancer patients (compared Such embargoes are “a product to 10 to 15 percent of Caucasian paper, which hews closely to the that the move risked “turning the position of the ruling Communist region into a tinderbox of con- of the Cold War, and should not patients), while ALK occurs in 2 to have existed,” Hua said. Party, retorted on Tuesday that flicts.” 7 percent of Asian patients. She added that China hoped Obama’s comment was “a very “The former bitter foes have Dr. Elwyn C. Cabebe, physician poor lie” and exacerbated “the turned into friends and are seek- similar arms bans would also be partner and chief administrative strategic antagonism between ing to boost their commercial, lifted, a possible reference to the officer at Valley Medical OncolWashington and Beijing.” military and political relations,” continuing weapons embargo im- ogy Consultants in Los Gatos and According to the newspaper, the editorial said, adding the move posed by the United States and San Jose, pointed out that more Obama’s “ultimate goal” was to showed “there are no eternal allies the European Union following awareness needs to be done in cement US dominance in the area or perpetual enemies, only eternal China’s bloody military crackdown the Filipino-American community on prodemocracy demonstrations to show how serious the risk of and that the United States was and perpetual interests.” centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen lung cancer is. “taking advantage of Vietnam to Double-faced stand stir up more troubles in the South Earlier, China said it welcomed Square in 1989. (Inquirer.net with “I think Filipinos don’t have a China Sea.” the Obama administration’s deci- reports from AFP and AP) real understanding of the impact 3 nets sion to lift an arms embargo on Similarly the Trans-Pacific Part- Vietnam, even though Beijing nership trade agreement, which is apparently displeased to see includes Vietnam but not China, warming relations between its was one of “three nets that the US southern neighbor and chief reis knitting around China—ideolo- gional rival. gy, security, economy and trade,” Asked about the move, a Chithe paper added. nese foreign ministry spokesperThe stance was echoed on the son said that “as a neighboring front page of China Daily, which country, we would be happy to is published by the government see Vietnam develop normal and and whose front-page headline friendly cooperative relationships said the United States was chart- with all other countries, including ing a “clear course aimed at con- the United States.”
Obama to China: Follow...
Report finds Asians in US…
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Filipino adults fared better than all US adults in the five measures, although the group was nearly equal to US adults when it came to a likelihood of having multiple chronic conditions, posting 22.3 percent compared to 24.1 percent. Filipino adults also came close to all US adults in the measure of likelihood for limited social participation at 3 percent compared to 3.9 percent. Asian Indian (4.1 percent) and Korean adults (4.6 percent) were more likely than US adults to have limited social participation. Vietnamese adults were the most likely group to report fair or poor health status (16.8 percent), surpassing the total for US adults (12.4 percent); Japanese adults were the most likely to report a work limitation (4.1 percent). “The findings of this study are consistent with these earlier analyses on non-Hispanic Asian subgroups and add to the body of evidence concerning their widely varying health,” wrote authors Barbara Bloom and Lindsey Black, who are with the National Center for Health Statistics Division of Health Interview Statistics. “Further research is needed to better understand the differences among subgroups in health care and health care outcomes for this population.” Asians constitute 5 percent – or 15 million people – of the US population. The data used in the report was collected on more than 165,000
adults aged 18 and older. Noted by the authors is that less than 1 percent of NHIS interviews are conducted in languages other than English or Spanish. In these cases, a family member typically translates for the respondent. In the data collected from 2010 to 2014, approximately 8 percent of interviews were conducted in other languages for non-Hispanic Asian respondents. Additionally, 16.6 percent of family respondents said the sample adult’s ability to speak English was “not well or not at all,” compared to 6.5 percent for all US adults. “This limitation should be considered when interpreting results in this report,” Bloom and Black wrote. Not detailed in the report are the reasons for Asians’ better health in these areas, nor the genetic risk Asians face for developing diabetes, which is the seventh most common cause of death worldwide. In LA County, 10 percent of Asian Americans are diabetic, compared with 7 percent of whites, despite Asian Americans’ lower obesity level, the Tribune News Service reported. Scientists believe the mismatch is because obesity measures weight – not necessarily fat, which is what is associated with diabetes. South Asians have some of the diabetes rates among Asians, according to the Tribune News Service. (By Agnes Constante/AJPress)
From 3 to 300, PDP…
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The PDP-Laban has signed a coalition agreement with Nacionalista Party with 50 members, Nationalist People’s Coalition with 45 members, National Unity Party with 40 members, and Lakas-CMD with four members. The PDP-Laban is expected to emerge as the single biggest party with at least 80 members by the end of its raid on the Liberal Party’s ranks. Alvarez said he expected to reduce the minority bloc to “bite size” or 20 members. Batocabe said that having a supermajority in the House was
important as this would ensure smooth approval of Duterte’s legislative agenda, specifically the reimposition of the death penalty and Charter change to liberalize economic restrictions and shift to federalism. Aside from the party-list bloc, six House members also shifted to the PDP-Laban. They are Estrelita Suansing of Nueva Ecija, Along Malapitan of Caloocan City, Ricky Sandoval of MalabonNavotas, Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino of Cavite, Roy Loyola of Cavite, and Vincent “Bingbong” Crisologo of Quezon City. n
of lung cancer in their communities. Here in the United States, we know that Filipinos are one of the largest-growing Asian American communities, and we also understand the incidence of cancers…is also increasing,” Cabebe said. “If you look at lung cancer specifically at Filipinos, it is…one of the highest cancer-related deaths.” Cabebe went on to note that in the Bay Area, in particular, a large percentage of Fil-Am males get diagnosed with and die from lung cancer. In a study released by the Cancer Prevention Institute of California in 2013, prostate, lung, colon/rectum, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver were the five most commonly diagnosed cancers in Filipino males from 1990 to 2008. For Filipino females, the five most commonly diagnosed during the same period were breast, colon/rectum, lung, uterine corpus and thyroid. “It’s quite large — lung cancer kills more Americans and Filipinos than breast, colon, pancreatic cancer[s] all combined. And yet, there is not enough education in the community, as well as research in looking at effective ways of catching the disease early and treating the illness. So we are trying to promote…the understanding of the impact in public health, as well as, the promising landscape of options of therapies for those who are diagnosed with lung cancer as well,” he said. Both Cabebe and Nguyen highlighted the importance of paying attention to symptoms, as that
can help patients detect lung cancer early on and get proper treatment. “If we find cancers early, specifically for lung cancer,” Cabebe said, “we are able to impact outcomes. There’s almost a 20 percent improvement and early survival with prevention.” Such symptoms include: chronic cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, shoulder pain, recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis, among others. The signs, however, can take years to appear or can be confused with symptoms of other less serious conditions like flu or bronchitis. “We rarely see lung cancer in kids because it does take time and it usually, you need more than one genetic mutation. You need a series of genetic changes over time. Unfortunately, I have some young patients who are diagnosed in their 30s or 40s, but as we get older, the chance of lung cancer is also higher similar to any type of cancer. So in a way, cancer is also related to aging as well because as we age, we have more time and chance for genes to be mutated,” Nguyen said. For Filipinos, specifically, Cabebe said more needs to be done to encourage people to get tested and discuss the diagnosis. “Culturally, there’s this sort of bias that somehow when you develop lung cancer, you somewhat deserved it. Because of that association with smoking that somehow you’ve chosen to undergo that lifestyle and you developed that risk. But those patients — that’s someone’s mother,
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A MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
‘Flavors of the Philippines’ wows palates at 8th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge WASHINGTON, DC—Chef Claude Tayag’s bringhe recipe and Enzo Lim’s special cocktail bagged the People’s Choice Award at the 8th Annual Embassy Chef Challenge organized by Events DC and Cultural Tourism DC on 25 May 2016 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. “The Filipino people won it. We have conquered the world with our cuisine,” said Chef Claude. “See the trending here in the US. Philippine cuisine has crept
into the mainstream. They know about adobo, pancit, and lumpia. A lot of people around the world have what I call a ‘Filipino cuisine connection’. I really think it is our decade,” he added. Master mixologist and restaurateur Enzo Lim, whose special cocktail was described as “bold in its use of tropical flavors and locally inspired by way of ginger zest and kalamansi,” shared Chef Claude’s enthusiasm and excitement about the Philippines’ inaugural participation in the Challenge.
The winning team: Master mixologist and restaurateur, Enzo Lim and Chef Claude Tayag
Dateline USa
“This is the first time we joined and I am glad that I’m a part of it. It is a great way to learn about the cuisines of other countries and obviously, to showcase ours, which I think we did,” Enzo Lim said. The Philippines’ offering bested the entries of 17 other Embassies in the People’s Choice category whose results were compiled through social media and hard copy ballot voting. Chef Craig Greenridge, representing the Embassy of Barbados, took home the Judges’ Choice Award. “Winning the People’s Choice Award is a nod to the world-class quality of our cuisine, its strong appeal to international palates, and of course, to the talent of Chef Claude and Enzo. With this achievement, we hope to bring our culinary diplomacy to even greater heights,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. “Flavors of the Philippines,” a joint project of the Philippine Embassy, Philippine Trade and Investment Center and Office of the Agriculture Attaché in Washington D.C., is generously supported by the US-Philippines Society, Philippine Airlines, Seafood City Supermarket, and 13 Degrees North. n
Philippines among nations to get $500-M disaster readiness boost by Prinz
P. Magtulis Philstar.com
THE Philippines will be among the first of 50 countries to benefit from a new multilateral initiative that aims to boost preparedness to natural disasters of vulnerable nations. The Global Partnership for Preparedness (GPP), a group of six entities, aims to disburse up to $500 million in financing over five years to ensure nations have “minimum level of readiness” against calamities. “We know investment in preparedness saves lives and dollars and thus makes financial and economic sense,” National Treasurer Roberto Tan said on Tuesday, May 24. “Crises such as those from natural disasters and effects of climate change should no longer spin out of control,” he added. Tan represented Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima as chair of the Vulnerable 20 (V20) nations,
a group of calamity-susceptible countries that have since expanded to 43 members. The V20 signed the partnership with the World Bank, World Food Programme, Food and Agricultural Organization, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The partnership, between $100 and $130 million will be disbursed within two years to V20 founding members. The rest will be spent three years after to cover 30 others. Aside from the Philippines, other 19 original V20 members countries to get funding first are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam. The fund aims to ensure nations have “minimum” disaster
readiness. This will be achieved through a six-tier program, GPP said. This covers evaluating existing laws and institutions that tackle disasters, looking into early warning systems, ensuring fund availability and agency coordination, formulating a disaster database and developing skills and training for calamity response. “The aim is to save lives, safeguard development gains and reduce the economic impacts of crises,” UNDP administrator Helen Clark was quoted as saying in the statement. After suffering from intense drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon, the Philippines is now bracing for La Nina expected to bring in more than the average rains this year. Weather forecasters have said at least 17 tropical cyclones are bound to enter the country this year, higher than 15 that actually came in 2015. n
http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426
GUARDED. Philippine soldiers tightly guard the certificate of canvass and election returns as they transfer them from the Senate in Pasay City to the House of Representatives in Quezon City on Tuesday, May 24. A joint session at the Congress will be convened to start the official canvassing of the presidential and vice presidential election results. Inquirer.net photo by Nino Jesus Orbeta
Fil-Am pleads not guilty to 2015 murder of Zambales woman by allan
Macatuno Inquirer.net
IBA, Zambales — FilipinoAmerican Jonathan Dewayne Viane pleaded not guilty to killing a 23-year-old woman whose burnt remains were found in a river dike in San Felipe town last year. Viane was arraigned on Thursday, May 19 at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 71 here on murder charges filed by relatives of Karie Ces “Aika” Mojica. Mojica, a resident of Barangay (village) Sta. Rita in Olongapo City and a store supervisor,
Jonathan Dewayne Viane.
Allan Macatuno/Inquirer Central Luzon
was found dead at a portion of RTC Branch 71 Judge Conthe Sto. Tomas River dike in San suelo Amog-Bocar ordered Felipe town on July 25 last year. u PAGE A5
Academic and agricultural exchange to broaden ties between PH Consulate General and Maine business organizations PORTLAND, Maine — It was one for the books as PH Consul General Mario De Leon, in cooperation with the local Filipino community in Maine, established linkages with key economic officials who play a vital role in promoting deeper cooperation with state stakeholders in global climate change issues and the opening of the Arctic trade route. Consul General De Leon held a meeting with Wade Merritt, Vice-President, Maine International Trade Center (MITC), and Thomas Conley and Billie Cary, who are both International Trade Specialists, at their headquarters in Portland, ME. MITC is a public-private funded organization created by the state legislature to promote international business and increase trade in goods and services for Maine companies. During the meeting, the Consul General conveyed the significance of the Consulate’s economic outreach which recently visited other New England states like Vermont, and New Hamp-
Consul General Mario De Leon flanked by MITC VP Wade Merritt, who was joined by his colleagues Billie Carrie and Thomas Conley, and Tess Cardona and other Filcom members. Also in the photo opportunity are junior associates and interns of MITC and Consul Bong Carino (far right)
shire. He also cited that Philippine private business groups organized investment roadshows in the past 4 years that promoted trade and investment opportunities before US businessmen in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and, most recently, in Pittsburgh last October 2015. Wade Meritt said that MITC is
primarily an export development agency, but is looking beyond export into development programs and other areas such as academic exchange programs to attract foreign students to Maine. He underscored that several private schools in Maine are currently hosting students from Asia and,
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Guam archbishop denies sex abuse charge AGANA, Guam — The head of the Catholic church here is defending himself against claims that he sexually abused an altar boy 40 years ago. Archbishop Anthony Apuron released a video May 17, in which he denied the allegations brought by Roy Taitague Quintanilla, of Hawaii. Quintanilla has accused Apuron of sexually abusing him when he was an altar boy and the archbishop was a priest at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Agat, The Pacific Daily News reported. “To be absolutely clear and to avoid any misinterpretations of my statement, I deny all allegations of sexual abuse by Roy Quintanilla,” Apuron said in the video. The archbishop also referred to “malicious ads” recently featured in local newspapers, including the Pacific Daily News. In a previous news release, the archdiocese said the advertisements insinuated sexual abuse
Archbishop Anthony Apuron.
by Apuron. “As predicted just four days ago, these malicious ads have resulted in a false accusation of sexual abuse,” Apuron said in the video. The Concerned Catholics of Guam, a group that has been
Catholic Archdiocese of Agana
critical of the archbishop, paid for the advertisements, which called on victims of sexual abuse to come forward. Apuron has been accused of molestation in the past, but has never been charged with a crime. n
New campaign raises awareness of lung… PAGE A3 t
someone’s father and someone’s loved one. I don’t think anybody ever chose to have cancer. I think that it’s this sort of forum that allows the openness to encourage people to come out and discuss their diagnosis,” he said. Several treatment options are available depending on the stage and type of lung cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted medications. Based on testing, doctors can determine what type of treatment would work best for the patient’s type of cancer.
“We have what we refer to as a patient support program. We know that cancer medications can be very expensive for patients and we have ways that we can help offset the costs for people,” Bill Ragaz, director of oncology marketing at Boehringer Ingelheim, said. “Cancer can take a terrible toll on the family emotionally and financially, and while we want to make sure they get the best outcomes, we want to make sure that it’s appropriate and affordable for families as well too and we are doing what we can to help that… “
For those diagnosed with advancing non-small cell lung cancer and have the EGFR mutation, the pharmaceutical company has developed Gilotrif, once-daily tablets that have been shown to be more effective than chemotherapy in prolonging patients’ survival, Ragaz said. Earlier this year, Boehringer Ingelheim launched FACELungCancer.com with information about lung cancer, biomarker testing and treatment options. In addition to English, the website is available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. (AJPress)
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Dateline PhiliPPines
A
‘Draconian’ laws vowed vs crime by pAolo
romero Philstar.com
MANILA—The country is facing a “peace and order crisis” including crippling traffic jams, and the incoming 17th Congress may have to pass draconian measures to address this, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday. Alvarez, who is the choice of incoming president Rodrigo Duterte to be the next speaker of the House of Representatives, also said extra powers may be sought by the executive to deal with the crisis. Priority measures include amending the 1987 Constitution to shift the form of government to a federal system, reimposing
the death penalty and lowering the age of criminal liability, Alvarez said. Asked if the measures would be “draconian,” he replied, “yes, yes.” Alvarez said the legislative priorities would address what he described as a “peace and order crisis” as Duterte promised “change in three to six months.” “We are faced with a crisis. Criminality is rising every day and the main source of the worsening criminality is drugs. Traffic is so horrendous, it is in itself a crisis,” Alvarez told reporters after arriving at a political event in Makati City two hours late. He said the worsening traffic congestion is also causing billions of pesos in economic losses daily.
“The executive branch needs the support of Congress to have extra powers to address these crises, if we’re really serious in fixing them. We need drastic measures,” he said. Alvarez said previous administrations have tried to address criminality and traffic congestion but many have opposed the solutions to protect their own interests. When asked to elaborate, Alvarez said the executive branch may need powers that should be granted by acts of Congress. Alvarez added the shift to federalism would greatly address the peace and order situation in Mindanao as the people in the region would be given more freedom to chart their future. n
Aquino on treason raps: Do you want us to be hostile to China? CONGRESS CONVENES IN JOINT SESSION. Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., open Congress in joint session on Tuesday, May 24, to canvass the votes for President and Vice President in the elections held last May 9. The Senate and the House convened as the National Board of Canvassers to proclaim the winners for President and Vice President. Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo
Duterte eyes ‘massive’ gov’t reshuffle by Aries Joseph
Inquirer.net
heginA
PRESUMPTIVE Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte said early Thursday morning, that he will implement a massive government revamp the moment he assumes office at noontime of June 30. A fuming Duterte told reporters that the agencies to be affected by the shake-up will include the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). “There will be a massive reshuffle so I am putting a notice now to everybody. Lahat kayong mga taga-Muntinlupa (All of
you from Muntinlupa), you ship out. Be ready. Magbalot na kayo (Pack up),” Duterte said. The tough-talking mayor said that the shake-up will not spare anyone as it will include ranking officers. “When I reshuffle, I don’t reshuffle officers. Lahat, pati janitors (It includes everyone, even janitors),” he said. Duterte said that he will consult incoming PNP chief Chief Supt. Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa in implementing the reshuffle. “There will be a massive movement. Hindi lang one or two officers pati mga generals (Not just one or two officers, but generals as well). Reshuffle din. I am just being a messenger. I am not
threatening you but I will do it,” he said. The only institution that seems to be out of the chopping block for now in Duterte’s view is the military. “The Army so far is doing fairly good. I am satisfied [na] walang masyadong hostilities ngayon (that there are not much hostilities now),” the incoming President said. Duterte issued his plan of revamping the law enforcement agencies following the deaths of five people in a summer concert party in Pasay City last May 21. He said that the deaths can be pinned on the “lack of intelligence” of the law enforcement agencies. n
Academic and agricultural exchange to…
PAGE A4 t
last January 2016, an MITC-led trade mission was conducted in Thailand and Vietnam. According to Mr. Meritt, among Southeast Asian economies, Malaysia remains Maine’s number one trade partner because of electronics and semiconductors exports from Fairchild Inc. On the other hand, Vietnam produces furniture, while Thailand exports seafood and textiles to Maine. Consul General De Leon said that the ASEAN Economic Community is now established in Southeast Asia and has a significant impact on the liberalization of trade of goods and services for about 600 million people. The Philippines hopes to attract investors because of its educated and Englishspeaking population. BPO and IT services, of which 70% are American companies, adds to a sizeable chunk of PH growth. The Philippines has also been participating in regional trade fairs such as Boston Seafood Show, where there is great potential for seafood and fisheries market for Filipino fishermen. Another area of growth is education where the Consulate General has been actively seeking alliances between PH and US universities in New Jersey and New York, he added. On May 18, Consul General de Leon met the Maine State Chamber of Commerce in its headquarters in Augusta led by its President Dana Connors with Peter Gore, Vice-President for Advocacy and Government Relations and Joyce LaRoche, VicePresident Member Services and Program Development in attendance. Consul General De Leon gave a brief presentation where he focused on the IT-BPO sector, agriculture, resurgence of manufacturing, and tourism as
Viane detained at the provincial jail after denying a petition filed by his lawyers to place the American under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Viane, a 29-year-old American prison guard, was extradited to the Philippines on May 1. He flew back to the United States on July 26 last year shortly after policemen launched a manhunt for him and another suspect, Niño de la Cruz. US marshals arrested Viane on Sept. 3, 2015 in Iowa, while members of the police’s Special Action Force in Metro Manila ar-
Angeli Inquirer.net
sAbillo
TARLAC CITY—“Treason?” President Benigno Aquino III said on Thursday, May 26 before asking if his detractors wanted him to engage in hostilities with China. “I’d like to hear the specific charge so I can respond appropriately,” he said, referring to the treason and espionage charges filed by supporters of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. The complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this month said Mr. Aquino and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV committed treason when they engaged in “back-channel” talks with China, which claims a large part of the disputed South China Sea. Aquino, however, explained how difficult it was for the Philippines to take on China by military action. “What should we do about the dispute? Engage in hostilities?” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “If we engage in hostilities there, can we win? Obviously no,” he told Malacañang reporters in this city. Aquino said there was no need
President Benigno Aquino III
to endanger lives “unnecessarily.” Aquino even quoted St. Thomas Aquinas and his concept of a “just war.” “If you engage in war, there has to be that possibility of winning,” he said. The President said the government, as well as the agreements it has entered into, had always adhered to international law. He emphasized that international law, which he believes is a great equalizer among nations, should be binding on everybody. Red lines Asked if he agreed with securi-
ty experts who said that Scarborough Shoal, which was among the Philippine territories transferred to the US by Spain, was a “red line” (meaning “a limit past which safety can no longer be guaranteed”), Aquino said, “I think there are so many red lines.” At the same time, he pointed out that Scarborough Shoal was within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. He said the Philippines had already taken two tracks to address the issue: through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and through international
u PAGE A7
Consul General De Leon flanked by Dana Connors on the right and Sarah Boothby on the left and Maine State Chamber of Commerce officials Joyce LaRoche and Peter Gore and other team members.
drivers of economic growth that propelled the Philippines’ stellar growth for the past 64 quarters. Dana Connors stated that Maine has a thriving call center industry and a robust aqua- and agriculture industries which promote self-sufficiency and farmto-table objective of the state. Many young citizens of Maine and those who come from big cities such as New York are resettling to Maine to go into agricultural farming. In addition, Maine is attracting bio-medical companies which he described as a “niche-market” indicating a trend where these big companies are relocating near its subsidiaries or R&D centers such as in Boston, Massachusetts, to boost production capacity and enhance turn-around time for new products. The tourism industry in Maine is also getting attention because of the beauty and uniqueness of the landscape and people, he added. The Consul General also echoed with Mr Connors possible cooperation in education to
attract foreign students to Maine schools and increase collaboration between Maine universities and PH schools, as earlier discussed with MITC. The Consulate General is pursuing an economic diplomacy program based on genuine people-to-people exchanges which usually begin with actual outreach to economic officials and Chambers of Commerce of regional city centers under its jurisdiction. Recently, an Investment Roadshow was held in Pittsburgh, PA after the Consulate General opened links with Allegheny Conferences and Community Development and the Pittsburgh Regional Chamber of Commerce. US Northeast cities like Boston, Philadelphia and New York have also hosted investment roadshows in the past five years under the leadership of PH Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia and Consul General De Leon, where PH economic managers and captains of industry promoted Philippine trade and investment opportunities. n
rested De la Cruz on Aug. 12. Agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation turned Viane over to the NBI at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Josar Mojica, the slain woman’s father, said, “I still have mixed emotions seeing him (Viane) in person. I wanted to ask him why he killed my daughter.” Josar said his daughter was killed after being dragged into Viane’s marital problem. Mojica and the suspect’s wife, who is based in the US, were friends, he said. Josar said Viane left his wife in the US and took their son to the Philippines in April last year
to escape a custody battle. The judge also ordered the provincial warden to explain within 24 hours why the other suspect, De La Cruz, was allowed to keep and operate gadgets, such as computers and mobile phones, inside his cell. Lawyer Josefina Bueno, counsel of the Mojica family, manifested in court that De la Cruz had been posting photographs on social networking site Facebook from inside jail. Bueno presented print outs of the photos showing the suspect and other detainees, one of whom had a mobile telephone. n
Fil-Am pleads not guilty... PAGE A4 t
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A MAY 27-JUNE 2, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Features
Separated WHILE most of the country is joining the bandwagon of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, the Church is keeping its stand and keeping a close eye on the incoming leadership. Earlier in April before he won the votes, Duterte has already shrugged off a possible support from the Church. He even warned Catholics to not vote for him because the Church said it would be sin to vote for him. He then vowed that, if he wins, the Church would have no say in his administration. Duterte and the Church leadership have since been butting heads on divisive issues such as death penalty and family planning. The president-elect insists on these “solutions” to combat criminality and overpopulation. “I’m a Christian, but I’m a realist so we have to do something with our overpopulation,” he said. “The religious sector, I’m sorry, your fundamental beliefs do not solve the problems of the country,” Duterte said on Sunday, May 22. Duterte said the government’s population control program was “not moving because every President has deferred to the stand of the Catholic Church.” “I will defy the opinion or the belief of the Church,” Duterte vowed. He called the Church as the most “hypocritical institution” and warned to reveal the sins of the Church if it continues to
meddle in his leadership. For centuries, followers of the Church are bound by stern and unrealistic expectations that are set by strict traditions. Today, the Church must become less of a moral standard and must make itself more of a guide, for people to find a harmonious relationship with God without dictating on how they can live as decent human beings. There is something in the Filipino ethos that makes a person accept the harsh reality. A Filipino finds it easy to come to terms with hardships and persist on achieving a better life. What softens the blow of the realities of life is the Filipino spirit when it comes to living a difficult life. Such resilience is a precious gift, but is not an excuse to practice fatalistic attitude. The country’s problems is multi-faceted which makes mitigation to require action from multiple fronts—including the Church. Religion is no excuse. Being faithful is not turning a blind eye on solutions (that contradicts the teachings of the Church) to problems. The Filipino faithful must find a balance to embrace their faith and welcome the change they want achieved in the society. (AJPress)
Editorial
ManilaTimes.net photo
With the unfavorable ratings of front-runners Clinton and Trump, should Sanders drop out of the race? This race to the White House is not like any other, especially when you look at the front-runners of each party. In past elections, voters generally have fallen in love with their candidates of choice, giving each a boost in favorability ratings. The winning candidate usually has the highest favorability rating — the one that is most “likable,” but such is not the case in this election cycle. Polls show that presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic Party front-runner Hillary Clinton are both deemed highly unfavorable by the voters. In fact, of the three remaining candidates for president, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has the highest favorability rating. What has bothered many Democrats lately is the fact that Trump and Clinton are now neckand-neck in a hypothetical match-up for the November general elections. This is bad news for Clinton, who used to have a double-digit lead over billionaire business mogul/reality star Trump. Despite his unconventional campaign, questionable conservative principles, and bizarre policies and platform, Trump has defied expectations and the Republican Party leaders’ attempt to deny him the nomination. Critics explain the reason behind the narrowing margin between Trump and Clinton is the fact
that Republicans are now starting to rally behind their presumptive The Fil-Am nominee, whereas Clinton is still in the race against Sanders to be Perspective the democratic nominee. Many of the Democratic party establishment leaders blame Sanders, saying his continued criticism of Gel SantoS-ReloS Clinton just increases her unfavorability and trust ratings among voters, not to mention the time and resources she is spending to compete with Sanders, which should otherwise be used to start unleashing her arsenal to defeat Trump in the general elections. But the Sanders campaign is not giving up, vowing to fight all the way to the convention in July. Why won’t he? He continues to win in state primaries and receive donations from ordinary citizens who believe in his cause for a political revolution that would give power back to ordinary working Americans and not just to the top 1 percent of the richest American corporations and citizens. The Sanders campaign contends that the primary election isn’t over until all states have made their voices heard and not until Clinton has won
the required 2,383 delegates to clinch the nomination without the weight of the superdelegates — elite Democratic party officials who have given Clinton 525 delegates. Sanders only has 42 superdelegate counts. As of press time, Clinton has 1,776 unpledged delegates (from ordinary citizens’ votes from different states that have completed their primary elections), while Sanders has 1,533 unpledged delegates. The Clinton camp says the superdelegates’ votes should catapult her to be the party nominee even before the delegate-rich states of California. Sanders says this is something he will fight until all votes from all states have been counted, and up until the Democratic National Convention in July. The Sanders campaign believes that should Sanders win big in the remaining states, especially in California, then he can make his case for the superdelegates to shift their votes to him to reflect the will of their constituents. Moreover, Sanders contends that he is the stronger candidate to defeat Trump, with his
double-digit lead over Trump in the polls. He also points out how he has energized new and returning voters to align with the Democratic Party, even attracting more independent voters and moderate Republicans, especially in states where Democrats need to win. The Clinton campaign argues that the reason for this is because Sanders is not really vetted yet, and has not really been the target of the GOP’s arsenals of negative ads. But beyond this, Sanders continues to be in the race to fight for his progressive agenda, which is supported by almost half of the Democratic primary voters. Even if he ends up losing to Clinton, he has already pushed Clinton to embrace more of his policy and platform, which he wants to be part of the Democratic Party platform that will be presented in July and all through the general election campaign season against the Republicans. So what do you think? Should Bernie Sanders remain in the race and fight all the way to the convention? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com and https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.
Change requires new ideas Asian political parties describe
Demand and Supply Boo ChanCo THE Duterte campaign promised the nation that change is coming. Close to 40 percent of the voters bought that promise. The question now is… can Mr. Duterte deliver change? Based on recent cabinet appointments, change is not apparent. I saw one complaint on social media that captures a skeptical sentiment: “I voted for Duterte but it seems Gloria Arroyo won.” Indeed, some Duterte appointments are rethreads from the Arroyo era. There is nothing wrong with that if the appointees have been outstanding. That does not seem to be the case. Other than the names, ideas are also important. We have age old problems and past administrations have applied the same old solutions that have not been effective. Someone said something about the idiocy of applying failed solutions over and over in the hope of having a different outcome. Past administrations have been doing that and the Duterte administration is in danger of doing that too. In a way, I like the appointment of former Gov. Manny Piñol as agriculture secretary. He doesn’t have formal training in agriculture, but he runs his own farm. I don’t know how big a farm it is, but I can imagine that running a farm plus his direct contact with
farmers as a provincial governor are good inputs in crafting and carrying out agriculture policies that work and not just in theory. Mr. Piñol’s first pronouncement, however, makes me wonder if change is coming. Maybe it is not just Mr. Piñol, but Mr. Duterte himself. The former governor said it is the policy of Mr. Duterte to stop private importation of rice to stop smuggling. Only the NFA will do importations. Perhaps, it will help Mr. Piñol to get the economists of PIDS, the government economic think tank, to brief him on the problem. Or consult Dr. Rolly Dy, a native of Davao who is an expert in agri-business at the University of Asia and the Pacific. It seems the policy of Mr. Duterte, as announced by Mr. Piñol, is more of the same thing that already failed. The policy also resulted in piling up NFA debts that surpass our annual national defense budget. The problem is precisely in the government agency’s monopoly to import rice. Private importers have to get NFA’s permit to import. This is at the root of corruption in NFA and the recyclable permits they issue are the basis of much rice smuggling. NFA officials also have the incentive to over import and pad costs of related services like trucking. On the other hand, if we liberalized rice importation, the private traders will not import more rice than the market can buy. They can also respond more quickly to unexpected market demand, up or down.
Private importers will have the incentive to buy rice as cheaply as possible because there’s competition from other importers. There will be no reason to smuggle rice because importation is allowed. We can also put an import tax and the proceeds used to help local rice farmers. This is why a group of economists under the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) called on the incoming Duterte administration to stop the rice importation monopoly of NFA. It is only through liberalizing rice importation that the new administration can make good on its promise of affordable food for the poor. FEF believes liberalizing rice importation “will enhance food security, rather than diminish it. Malaysia allows up to 30 percent of its needs to be met by rice imports. The economists are sure “liberalizing rice importation will definitely benefit the poor. Our country cannot bear rice to become more unaffordable especially at a time of supply uncertainty due to severe drought conditions.” There is also the need to unburden taxpayers with billions of annual subsidies to NFA which presently exceeds P150 billion, the economists urge. The World Bank estimates that for every P5 of spending for NFA, P4 are wasted leakages that provide no public benefit. In any case, our rice quantitative restriction (QR) expires in 2017. After that, we are committed by our international trade obPAGE A7
Philippine polls as ‘exemplar’
THE International sia, Malaysia, and Brunei Conference of Asian navies against piracies and Political Parties radical groups in the Ma(ICAPP), representing lacca Straits, Sulu Sea, and more than 340 rulSoutheast Asian waters. ing, opposition, and The ICAPP bureau independent politialso called for initiatives cal parties on Friday, for negotiated bilateral May 20 called the or multilateral political Philippine national settlements in the South elections “free, clean, China Sea, East China Sea, and without violence revival of the six-nation and an exemplar for Korean talks, a formula for third-world countries the long-neglected Musin Asia, Africa, and lim-Rohingya refugees in Latin America.” Myanmar, new solutions The ICAPP bureau to the bloody Iraq-Syriainclude its Founding Libya crises, and revival Chairman, former of the global Inter-Faith Philippine Speaker Dialogues at the U.N. to Jose de Venecia; Coreduce the bitter SunniChairman and SecreShiite Muslim conflicts and tary General Chung Former Philippine Speaker Jose de Venecia the unspeakable violence Eui-yong of South of radical ISIS extremism Korea; Vice Chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Sok in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. An of Cambodia; and Special Rapporteur, Pakistan ICAPP reported that it just held Asia-Latin senior Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, repre- America-Africa inter-parties conference in Jakarta senting the 23-man Standing Committee from last April 22-24, to inaugurate the first tricontinenNortheast Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West tal meeting of political parties (ICAPP, the Council Asia including the Arab world, Australia, New Zea- of African Political Parties (CAPP), and COPPPAL, land and the small Pacific island states. composed of Latin American and Caribbean politiThe Asian political leaders endorsed President- cal parties) to revive the historic Bandung Spirit of elect Rodrigo Duterte’s initiative to put an end to the 1950s and intensify post-colonial economic Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency, set mobilization to defeat pervasive poverty. a prolonged ceasefire and include Cabinet-level The tricontinental leaders said they will concommunist representatives in the new government tribute efforts to mobilize political parties, governand his call for federalism as an instrument to end ments, parliaments, and the private sector in the the Muslim insurgencies, develop Mindanao and continuing campaign against poverty, since one the regions, and decentralize the national govern- percent of the world or some 80 persons are said ment. to own more than 50 percent percent of the world’s They said they will ask the leadership of govern- wealth, intensify the global effort against climate ments in Southeast Asia to support the setting up change and environmental degradation, and the of joint naval patrols by the Philippines, Indone- unceasing violent politico-religious extremism. n
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San Pedro bell returns after 115 years by WilliaM Jun
garcia ManilaTimes.net
BAUANG, La Union—The 400-year old San Pedro bell was installed and returned in its original home at Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church on Monday, May 23 after it was taken by American soldiers in 1901 from the Roman Catholic church here. “After more than a century, we are so glad that we now have the opportunity to once again hear the call of San Pedro (St. Peter) to our church services,” said Father Ronald Chan, parish priest, in his remarks during the unveiling and ceremonial rites. The bell was installed at left side of the church’s main door. Most Reverend Rodolfo Beltran, Bishop of the Diocese of San Fernando, La Union, officiated the Mass during the ceremonial rites attended by representatives from
the United States (US) Embassy in Manila, US war veterans, the West Point Association of the Philippines, parishioners, local officials and residents. “I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the US military for the return of the bell, the voice of God,” Beltran said, who led the ceremonial ringing of the bell following its unveiling. Mayor Martin de Guzman also thanked all who facilitated the return of the bell, especially retired US Navy Captain Dennis Wright, who discovered the existence of the bell through research work. “This bell is very important to us. It is our long lost treasure. The return of the bell would strengthen our faith and further unite us,” De Guzman said. The bell was transported from the West Point Community in New York, USA on April 30 and arrived in the Philippines, through
the Clark Airport in Pampanga, on May 17. Before the bell’s shipment, a ceremony and Mass were held at West Point’s Most Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel attended by Philippine consulate officials and representatives of the US government. Historical records show that in 1883, Gobernadorcillo Mariano Balancio, who became a Mayor of Bauang and Lt. DD. Hilario Calica gave the bell to Father Mariano Garcia, who was then Parish Priest of San Pedro from November 1872 to July 25, 1876. The bell was almost destroyed during the Philippine revolution but the advancement of American forces prevented it and other bells in the Philippines from being melted down and made into guns and other war ammunitions. The bell is made from alloy of gold silver and copper. n
South China Sea tackled in ASEAN defense ministers meet
WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY. Two Muslim doctors from the south are among the country’s representatives to the ongoing 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Local executives in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were elated with the participation to the event of physicians Kadil Sinolinding Jr. and Abdullah Dumama, both ethnic Maguindanaons from central Mindanao. Sinolinding, an Indian-trained ophthalmologist and eye surgeon, is ARMM’s incumbent regional health secretary. Dumama is regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) for Region 11. Sinolinding said he and Dumama, both Filipino Sunni Muslims, joined the assembly on order of Health Secretary Janette Garin.
by Frances
Mangosing Inquirer.net
REGIONAL security, including the South China Sea disputes, was tackled by defense ministers on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers Meeting in Laos this week. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin emphasized the need to have actions of states guided by and in accordance with international law, saying the Philippines’ decision to seek arbitration on the maritime dispute with China was a clear manifestation of having international law being the anchor of a state’s actions, the Philippine defense department said in a news release on Thursday, May 26. The defense chief also said actions of states should be consistent with their policy pronouncements of promoting regional peace and stability. In 2013, the Philippines initiated an arbitration case questioning China’s excessive claims in the disputed South China Sea, challenging the latter’s nine-dash claims over the disputed waters. China, however, refused to participate in the
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Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin
proceedings and reiterated that it would not abide by the court’s decision. A ruling on the dispute is expected to come out next month. In the same meeting, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquang was quoted as saying that China and the Asean had a “shared destiny.” Chang also suggested military exercises among Asean members and China’s armed forces in the South China Sea. n
Aquino on treason raps: Do you want… PAGE A5 t
arbitration. “Now, in ASEAN, in an effort to ease the tensions in this body of water, in 2002, they tried to come up with a code of conduct,” he said. While the group has failed to establish a code, there is already a Declaration on Conduct of Parties in South China Sea (DOC), which states that parties should
refrain from actions that will escalate tensions in the area. He enumerated several instances when Philippine vessels had issues with China while in disputed areas of the South China Sea. “Now, their continued presence is something that we have continuously objected to but at the same time…Parang (It’s like) part of that is we want to stress the difference between
the Philippines’ and China’s behavior in that we are religiously adhering to the DOC,” he explained. Aquino said the government wanted to show the contrast between the actions of the Philippines and China. He added that it would not help the case of the government if Philippine vessels adopted a “confrontational attitude.” n
Change requires new…
ligations to allow private sector importers. The QRs on rice should have expired in 2012, but extended to 2017 at our request. As part of the continued QR on rice, the Philippines has committed to cut tariff under the scheme starting July 2015. Tariff is now 35 percent and with minimum access volume or MAV of 805,200 MT. Purchases beyond that will be subject to a 50 percent rate. In energy, Duterte’s pick for Energy secretary promised to “ensure reliable, steady and affordable power supply and work towards greater energy self-sufficiency.” Those are wonderful motherhood objectives an Energy secretary has no power to deliver due to the nature of the sector today. But I cannot blame Al Cusi, a close friend of Mike Arroyo, who was appointed to head the Energy department by Mr. Duterte, for trying to sound like he can deliver. Al has little or no background in energy, his last assignments under the Arroyo administration having been running NAIA, CAAP and the Philippine Ports Authority. Al will be disappointed to eventually find out he got the worse Cabinet seat there is. Unlike during the time when I was with Energy under the late Ronnie Velasco, we had the power and resources to really manage the energy sector. Today, the Energy secretary is powerless. The petroleum downstream sector is deregulated. All he can do is monitor prices in Singapore, make some computations and exert moral suasion on oil companies not to raise prices too much. During our time, we had Petron to set prices that the private oil companies must follow or lose market share. In the power sector, we had NPC to build new plants and distribution lines. Now the Energy sec-
retary must convince the private sector to invest in power plants and the power grid. Once power plants are built, the private generators pretty much call the shots under EPIRA. Then there is the independent ERC for regulating the utilities including the approval of power rates. There is PSALM which holds and manages assets of NPC. Here, the chairman of the board is the Secretary of Finance, not the Energy secretary. The Energy secretary does not have powers, but has all the responsibilities. Al will get blamed when oil prices don’t go down at the pump fast enough or go up too quickly. He will be blamed for blackouts even if all he can do is monitor the power supply situation through data given by NGCP. I am not sure how the Energy department can handle government-to-government oil importations from Russia or some other country as some eager beaver in Davao announced. Government no longer has a refinery to process that crude. The independent oil companies import processed products from Singapore. Petron has a top rated refinery, but any deal has to benefit its bottom line. On energy development, government has no money to risk in this very risky side of the energy business. We are dependent on private oil companies with the risk appetite. But they look at the most favorable deals that also depend on world oil market prices (now depressed and unattractive for exploration) and data about our geology. A good Energy secretary must have some good ideas that can only come from years of experience in the energy business. Otherwise, he will be a nonperformer, his best intentions notwithstanding. *** Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.
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An Asian Journal Magazine
The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY M AY 27, 20 1 6
For the Benefit of Filipino Rural Kids
Fundraising, Fashion, Food, Feast by MoMar G. Visaya/AJPress
pretty amazing, world-renowned restaurants who are executing away. Thank goodness, it’s Friday. Filipino food. Andrew Carmellini More than a hundred guest of Locanda Verde was represented Evening in Manila gathered Friday evening at the by Chef Louis Bayla who did a “I took a bigger role in the Pratt House in the Upper east Filipino take on pasta; there’s also planning and we added dinner Side neighborhood of Manhattan Aquavit and their Swedish take on to it. People will be pleasantly to celebrate an evening in Filipino food; Untitled from The surprised how we’re reinventing Manila, a fundraising effort to Whitney and Maharlika/Jeepney. what it means to be Filipino,” feed rural school kids in the Then, outside, there’s more said Nicole Ponseca before the Philippines. food prepared the chefs of evening’s festivities stared. Maharlika and Jeepney coLumpia Shack, Noreetuh, The It’s a step up from the founder Nicole Ponseca and ArK previous incarnations of evening Green Table, The Modern, Hidden (Advancement for rural Kids) in Manila where guests had food Apron and Master Chef Junior Ceo and co-founder Ayesha finalist Josh reisner. From foie tastings and tried the different Vera Yu envisioned a beautiful gras with calamansi to halabos restaurants and chefs offering party where guests would have na hipon with butter foam, the their dishes in their stations and a fun time eating dishes carefully guests had a great time hopping tables that evening. created by chefs of some of NYC’s from one table to another. Tonight, it was different. The best mainstream restaurants. “When I met Ayesha, I was organizers added a sit down Then, they would go up and dinner, feeding about 160 guests, struck by our similar stories, both find more Filipino delicacies as leaving our corporate jobs and with wine pairing and some they dance and drink the night pursuing passions. I am really impressed with the minute details of auditing down to the last penny where each dollar is spent. That means quite a bit, knowing that it goes so far,” Nicole added. “A lot of the people at ArK are ex-finance people so we like to account for everything,” Ayesha told us laughing, as she echoed Nicole’s observation. Their end of the year report said that the cost per meal is P2.44. It’s not hard for them to bring down the cost of the meals, explained Ayesha, citing a couple Nicole Ponseca of reasons. The cost of the feeding program is set by the community. ArK asks the parents how much allowance they give their children when they go to school. Some give a few pesos, some five, others ten. They are in farming communities, which means that there are no shipping costs, and the fruits and vegetables are fresh, bought at market prices. The parents volunteer in the kitchen, which is run by a paid Melissa Alviar, Loren San Diego, Western Union’s Mylz Tolentino and Jen Furer with White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford. AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya chef. every day, a different set of
Mia Alvar, award-winning author of In The Country
Rafe Totengco
Ayesha Vera Yu, ARK Co-Founder
parents volunteer to help. ARK: Growing Through the Years The organization has grown its partner communities through the years and they have replicated the ArK programs in seven communities. over 2,500 kids have benefitted, touch points in the community is over 18,500. Then, Haiyan happened. “one of the strongest typhoons to hot the planet hovered for five to six hours in some communities where ArK operated. The past two years have been spent in recovery efforts with the community, helping them in rebuilding classrooms that were completely damaged,” Ayesha shared. “When you’re in the rural areas, you are highly dependent on the land and when there’s nothing there, hunger ensues. A lot of the communities are
Lemon Tortellini with black garlic-braised short rib and tatsoi pesto by Louis Bayla, executive sous chef of Locanda Verde
Humba, slow braised pork belly, toasted garlic rice, kangkong puree, taosi and crispy peanuts by Miguel Trinidad, executive chef of Maharlika and Jeepney
Marinated Mackerel, with cabbage, green papaya and coconut by Suzanne Cupps, chef de cuisine of Untitled at The Whitney.
gung ho and they want to lift themselves out of that situation,” she added. In some schools, a meal per child costs two pesos. The meal
is fresh and organic, harvested from school gardens, bought from parents, produced within the community. Continued on Page 6
APICHA Celebrates 26th Anniversary with benefit gala Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, Geena Rocero among evening’s honorees by MoMar
G. Visaya
AJPress
APICHA Community Health Center marked its 26th anniversary with a benefit gala called A Thousand and one Champions, in honor of the countless individuals over the years who have championed their cause. Formerly named Asian and Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Apicha was founded in 1989 to address unmet HIV/AIDS-related needs of Asian and Pacific Islanders in New York City. This year, they recognized three extraordinary people who have helped strengthen their mission to effectively meet the health care needs of New York City’s underserved communities. Therese rodriguez, Apicha’s Ceo has been at the helm of Apicha Community Health Center‘s management since 1997. She led the development of multiple initiatives including the establishment of Apicha CHC‘s culturally competent one-stop HIV care model, and the most recent transformation of Apicha
Therese Rodriguez
New York City council member Corey Johnson
Geena Rocero
CHC from an AIDS Service organization into a Community Health Center. She is a long-time advocate of civil rights and health and social services for Asian and Pacific Islanders, especially those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. “We have transformed from an AIDS service organization to a fully-designated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Apicha was initially conceived to help Asian and Pacific Islanders who were infected with HIV/ AIDS and as we delivered these services, we saw that we were also serving other people in the LGBT community so we expanded our services and included providing primary care, which is very important in preventing the spread of the epidemic,” she said. APICHA will now turn this model of care and bring it to the medically underserved poor in the neighborhood, especially in Jackson Heights where they will be expanding so that they can help immigrants who have limited access to care. “regardless of whether you
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach
are a very small population, if you have a voice, or you develop a voice to speak for those who are on the edges or margins, it will be worth it and if you succeed, it will be a huge legacy,” rodriguez said. Honorees “I’m looking forward to the work of Pia and Geena, Pia in her work on HIV/AIDS awareness and Geena on her transgender rights advocacy. For Pia, we will be providing her with all the necessary information and resources that she wants to develop so she can really become an advocate for HIV/AIDS especially in the Philippines. I think she is prepared to use the power of her celebrity for a very important cause,” she added. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach has previously worked with organizations that are champions in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Philippines, an issue that is a growing problem in the country and one that is just now beginning to receive national recognition for the severity of the disease. As Miss Universe, Pia would like to work with the LGBT community specifically to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS education and prevention and will work with groups such as Gay Men’s Health Crisis and Apicha Community Health Center. “I chose to focus on the LGBT Continued on Page 3
Titanic problems
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ ALMOST every Filipino has seen the movie Titanic, the story of Jack and Rose who sailed that doomed ship, which hit an iceberg and sank. During consultations, I sometimes compare the person’s immigration situation to sailing on the Titanic. What do I mean by that? If a person wants to buy a ticket on the Titanic, I want to tell them about all of the possible “icebergs” they may encounter. In the same way, if a person wants to pursue a particular immigration benefit, I think it is important that they be advised of all the possible issues, problems, dangers, and the like (icebergs), in addition to being told of the requirements and chances. I know this approach is counter – productive for business. I probably could have more sign ups if I focus solely on the positive, and downplay the negative. But all of these Filipinos appreciate
my approach. They relate how when they went to consultants or others with their situation, and no matter how serious the case, they were told their case is “no problem,” that they have a 95% chance of success, etc., and were asked to immediately sign the retainer. But they felt the person was more interested in getting the sign up and down payment than in giving them a realistic assessment of their situation. In fact, I have turned down many cases, where I really felt the chances were slim, or the risks too great. But I think I owe it to the person to point out the “icebergs”, rather than telling them it’s going to be smooth sailing, when I already know they’re going to encounter problems, issues, or icebergs. And after pointing out those issues, they can make an informed decision to go forward, or wait for new developments in immigration laws. And I want to be clear I am not “guaranteeing” success or approval on any person’s case, even a case that seemingly has
De la AJPress
Cruz
JACLYN Jose made history after winning the Best Actress award at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, May 22. She is the first Filipino to bring home the acting honor for the Philippines at Cannes. The 52-year-old veteran actress was hailed for performance in the film “Ma’ Rosa,” directed by Brillante Mendoza, who marks the film as his return to Cannes after winning Best Director for his film “Kinatay (Butchered)” in 2009. In “Ma’ Rosa,” Jose plays a struggling mother who owns a small sari-sari (variety) store in a poverty-stricken neighborhood in Manila. She makes ends meet with her husband (played by Julio Diaz) by selling drugs. “The small-time drug selling and all that is happening and it’s quite alarming and something needs to be done. That’s why I decided to make a story out of this situation,” Mendoza said about the film. “I don’t know what to say. I am so surprised,” Jose said with a shaking voice as she accepted her award at the Palais des Festivals on the French Riviera in France. An emotional Jose was joined by her daughter and “Ma’ Rosa” co-star Andi Eigenmann and Brillante on stage. “I just went through having a red carpet walk with my daughter, my real life daughter and my daughter in the movie also,” she continued. “Thank you to Cannes, thank you so much. Thank you to the jury, thank you that you liked our film” “Thank you also to Brillante Mendoza. I was just following whatever he tells me to do. He is such a brilliant director--a genius in the Philippines, and now, here in your country,” Jose said as she gestured towards Mendoza, who was applauding at the side-
Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)
skills.” “It was an absolute beautiful, beautiful performance for lead actress. That’s why she got it,” Mikkelsen said. French film director and
Cannes best actress Jaclyn Jose shows her Palme d’Or (Gold Leaf) award upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday, May 24. Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande
lines. “To my countrymen, to the Philippines. Thank you so much, France, for loving our work,” she concluded. Jaclyn bested front-runners and Hollywood actresses Marion Cotillard, Charlize Theron, Ruth Negga, Isabelle Huppert, and Kristen Stewart for the prestigious Palme d’Or (Gold Leaf) award. “When I saw the line-up, I said, ‘Oh, they are all my idols and they are all good.’ (During the awards night) I was just watching and enjoying the moment. When they called my name, I got surprised and got emotional,” Jose told Reuters after the awarding ceremony. “Who would not get be emotional, this is the Cannes film festival, this is big, especially in my country. You know, not anyone can be in the competition here or be nominated as best actress, so this is big in my country right now,” she added. International accolades During a press conference after the awarding ceremony, Cannes Jury member and Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen described Jose as “a wonderful leading actress, a master of her
APICHA Celebrates 26th... From Page 2 community because I want to give back to this community. I was very lucky to have this group of trainors take me in as part of their family and I owe a lot to them,” Wurtzbach said in her speech. “And whenever I hear about their stories, when they get discriminated against, or it took them a while to come out in the open or they had a friend or relative who passed away because of something like this, it really hits home.” Geena on the other hand, has shown APICHA her grit and flair for life to become whatever she wants to be, Rodriguez said. Rocero, born and raised in Manila, is a model, producer, trans rights advocate and host of the new USA Network TV Show ASPIREist. “I feel so honored to be recognized here tonight. It is also important that we support the work that APICHA has been doing for the longest time, serving the most marginalized in the community,” Rocero said. On March 31, 2014, in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility, Rocero came out as transgender at the annual TED Conference, and her talk has since been viewed almost 3 million times. She is the founder of Gender Proud, an advocacy and media production company that tells stories to elevate justice and equality for the transgender community. “We need to speak out and stand for each other, now more
than ever. I truly believe that we are moving towards progress and we are on the right side of history,” Rocero said, referring to the current transgender and bathroom issues in North Carolina. The evening’s third awardee was New York City Council Member Corey Johnson, who represents District 3, the area which covers Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, the West Village, and parts of Flatiron, SoHo and the Upper West Side. Corey Johnson was raised in a union household where his mother, a homeless services provider, and his father, a Teamster, instilled in him the values of community service and political engagement. Corey first came to national attention in 2000 when he became a trailblazer for LGBT youth. As a member of the City Council, Johnson has championed legislation to help end the HIV/ AIDS epidemic, helping secure $6.6 million in funding to fund access to PrEP and promotion of viral load suppression. Additionally, Johnson has introduced legislation to expand housing access to all people living with HIV. “The Filipinos and the Filipino community here have not let me down through these years,” Rodriguez said. “I am so proud that in this long journey, we still find people out there who are willing to battle it out and help fight the stigma against the struggle with HIV/AIDS.”
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY m AY 27, 20 1 6
no icebergs. But I do believe it is important for a person to fully understand all aspects of their case and situation, not just the positive, but also the negative, so they can determine whether or not to proceed, and how to possibly deal with and avoid the icebergs. ***
Jaclyn Jose becomes the first Filipino to win Best Actress at Cannes By Billy
An Asian Journal Magazine
A MOTHER’S AND HER ATTORNEY’S PERSISTENCE RESULT IN HER DAUGHTERS FINALLY BEING ISSUED CSPA VISAS BASED ON “EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES”-- ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF ‘CITIZEN PINOY!’ Lolita left her two daughters in the Philippines to seek a better life in the US, with the dream that she would eventually have them join her. However, her previous attorney missed the one year “sought to acquire” filing deadline for CSPA eligibility, resulting in the Embassy refusing to issue their immigrant visas. Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was her beacon of hope, as he did not give up in trying to convince the Embassy that the daughters should be entitled to visas, despite missing the one-year deadline. Find out how Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to prove extraordinary circumstances, have the two “aged-out” daughters be issued visas, and reunite this family on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday, May 29 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.
screenwriter Arnaud Desplechin said: “She’s the film. Have you seen the performance she gave? She broke my heart.” “Everybody’s heart, actually,” Shahrzad Media Inter-
national CEO and Iranian film producer Katayoon Shahabi echoed. Jose now joins the rank of other premier actresses who have won the Best Actress
award at Cannes, such as Sally Field (1979), Helen Mirren (1984, 1995), Cher (1985), Meryl Streep (1989), Julianne Moore (2014), and Rooney Mara (2015), among others.
An Asian Journal Magazine
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LUCKYRICE Feast kicks off in NY June 2
The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY m AY 27, 20 1 6
New Jersey (AAPI) & Friends for Hillary NeW Jersey Asian Americans Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and Friends for hillary recently kicked off on Tuesday, May 24, at LITM Restaurant in Jersey City, NJ. Michelle Kwan, two-time Olympic medalist, public diplomacy envoy for the United States, and hillary for America Surrogate Outreach Coordinator, attended to speak about support for hillary Clinton in the New Jersey Primary June 7th. Rolando Lavarro, Jersey City Council President, Arvin Amatorio, Bergenfield Council Member, Ravi Bhalla, hoboken Council Member and Jannie Chung, Closter Council Member also spoke. Michelle Kwan shared her family history immigrating to the land of opportunity, the importance of protecting that opportunity for future generations and the significance in this election between Clinton who has fought for it to grow as opposed to build walls to destroy it. Rolando cited the significance of Fil Am voters coming out to vote in the Primary. he pointed out that New Jersey may very well close the deal for hillary who is only 78 delegates away from the Democrat Nomination. She currently has 2,305 delegates and the required number for the
EMPLOYMENT
Three Kings of Kings County, David Massoni and John Bush launched Pork Slope, a Brooklyn roadhouse serving his take on classic American bar food. he took over the kitchen and became a partner in Massoni and Bush’s first restaurant, Thistle hill Tavern in October 2012. Last year Dale, John and David opened their second location of TALDe in Jersey City around February and by November, the third outpost of TALDe opened in Miami Beach at the Thompson hotel. According to the organizers, “This year as we amp up the energy by opening up the feast to more innovative Asian dishes and cocktails that share our enthusiasm for creative, chefdriven (as well as traditional) Asian cuisine. We’ve lowered our price of admission but as always, tickets are still inclusive of all tastings from over 30 curated chefs, as will as dozens of craft cocktails, sake, beer, and beverages to keep you spirited throughout the night. experience our stylized personification of a Night Market where Brooklyn meets Asia— with plenty of
imagination, cultural collisions, food and drink to keep your bellies happy and good vibes to transport you to the exciting new cuisine of Asia, without leaving NYC.” VIP tickets gain guests one hour early admission and allnight access to the American express lounge which will offer up a specialty dumpling bar, crafted cocktails and seating. From their home base in downtown Manhattan, the LUCKYRICe Festival works with hundreds of chefs and restaurants as well as corporate and culinary partners to bring the diverse worlds of Asian culinary culture to global-minded North American consumers. The LUCKYRICe Culinary Council boasts of a who’s who in the culinary world, including José Andrés, Daniel Boulud, Floyd Cardoz, David Chang, Susur Lee, Anita Lo, Masaharu Morimoto, Pichet Ong, Tadashi Ono, Zakary Pelaccio, Charles Phan, eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson, Andy Ricker, JeanGeorges Vongerichten and Sang Yoon.
Manuel Baldemor’s ‘Symphony of Flowers’ blooms at Philippine Center Gallery Michelle Kwan and Rolando Lavarro
Michelle Kwan, Ginny Barahona and Jujo Conol
The New York LUCKYRICe Feast presented by Bombay Sapphire eAST officially kicks off in New York on June 2 from 7 – 10pm before heading out to San Francisco (June), Los Angeles (July), houston (debut in October) and Miami (November). hosted by Chef Dale Talde, the much-anticipated annual New York Feast breathes new life this year as the foodie gathering moves to a creative hub in Brooklyn to showcase the city’s most enticing Asian food experiences: from Southeast Asia to Western China, from fine dining global restaurants to local superstar mom and pop shops, from traditional dishes to fusion dishes that mash up culinary cultures. Dale applies this distinct Asian-American experience to the menu of his eponymous restaurant, TALDe, located in the Brooklyn’s thriving Park Slope neighborhood. Dale opened TALDe, his first restaurant as chef/partner, in January 2012, and it quickly became a hit with diners and critics alike. In August 2012, he and his partners, the
Nomination is 2,383. About 100 supporters attended the kick off. Asian American and Filipino American community leaders from 6 counties - Monmouth, Middlesex, Union, Passaic, Bergen, and hudson were present. In addition, partner organizations were represented including Filipino Americans for hillary New York, South Asians for hillary New Jersey, and NJ Latinos and friends for hillary. “We’re so grateful to our community who came out from across the state and NYC. But the primary isn’t over and we need NJ to come out on June 7 and bring this home,” said Ginny Barahona, Lead Organizer for NJ
AAPI & Friends for hillary. “There are phone banks and canvassing events that is most critical in counties across the state listed at www.hillaryclinton.com/ events/. Al Uribe from NJ Latinos for hillary said “hillary must win for Asians, for Latinos, for women, for Black Americans, for any and all minorities, disenfranchised and forgotten. Why? Because she has spent her life fighting for those with no voice. This is why NJ Latinos and Friends for hillary was founded, because we firmly believe hillary will lead our nation in the best foot forward.” For more info, visit us at NJ AAPIs and Friends for hillary Facebook Page and Instagram.”
FOR RENT
SCHOOL
PSYCHIC
NeW York City—The gallery of the Philippine Center in New York was bathed in a burst of colors shaped in the delicate silhouettes of petals andleaves as Manuel Baldemor’s latest exhibit “Symphony of Flowers” opened on May 16. About 60 art lovers and members of the Filipino community were on hand to catch a first glimpse of the world renowned artist’s sixth exhibit so farin New York City at a reception to officially inaugurate the event. Mrs. eleanor de Leon led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, together with Baldemor, Philippine Center Manager Kira Danganan Azucena and the artist’s closefriend and former Philippine Cener Manager Gavino Abaya. In his remarks, Baldemor paid homage to flowers as
(L-R) Philippine Center Manager Kira Danganan Azucena, featured artist Manuel Baldemor, former Philippine Center Manager Gavino Abaya and Madame Eleanor de Leoncut the ceremonial ribbon to formally open “Symphony of Flowers: Aquarelle Paintings by Manuel Baldemor” last May 16 at the Philippine Center Gallery. Photo by BoyetLoverita
anindispensable element of the Filipino landscape, and as a window towards finding one’s soul and inner peace. “A simple flower…has a certain peace and tranquility you
PSYCHIC
can take into yourself,” Baldemor said. “(They) are universal, and a symbol of love and peace. They speak directly to our hearts and have their own secret and Continued on Page 6
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Driving tourism growth through effective marketing slogans
Tourism is a big business. The tourist market is getting broader, changing and becoming more competitive. understandably nations and individual cities are constantly battling for their share of the huge tourism market to sustain the economic viability of attractions that bring in tourists and travelers – whether they are pristine beaches, ancient monuments, or natural wonders. To attract more tourists, destinations, strive and outdo one another in trying to be different through destination branding. The Philippines, in fact, is among those countries that are investing heavily in tourism promotions and marketing efforts in the hope of attracting more visitors to the country. officials of the current administration have been quoted in various news reports as saying that tourism is one of the highest economic drivers of the Philippine economy, next to the iT and semi-conductor industries. Data confirms that tourism is an important sector of the Philippine economy, contributing 7.8% to the country’s GDP in 2014. in 2001, the Department of Tourism, with richard Gordon as the secretary, launched “WoW PHiLiPPiNEs” campaign, which focused on attractions to be experienced in the country. The marketing campaign generated foreign visits reaching a little over 3 million in 2007. Notwithstanding what the “WoW Philippines” campaign accomplished in creativing awareness and interests from prospective travelers, DoT under then Tourism secretary Albert Lim launched “Pilipinas Kay
Ganda” tourism slogan in 2010. The special preview, which was done in 3D and was attended by 700 guests, reportedly costs Php4.8 million. unfortunately, the slogan was much-criticized and maligned for its negative connotations and was pulled out only a week after it was launched. in January 2012, Tourism secretary ramon r. Jimenez Jr. launched the “it’s more Fun in the Philippines” slogan. Within weeks it was dubbed the third smartest marketing campaign in the world by global annual ranker of marketing campaigns Warc 100. That year, the Philippines drew in 4.27 million visitors – a record high for the country, but still a little below the target of 4.6 million visitors. in 2014, DoT, through its marketing arm, the Tourism Promotions Board unveiled a new campaign the “Visit Philippines Year 2015 (VPY2015)”, with the aim of attracting some 6 millions visitors. The target was later on downscaled to 5.5 million. At the end of 2015, the country recorded 5.36 million tourist arrivals. For 2016, DoT aims to bring in 10 million foreign visitors and launched a new tourism campaign dubbed as “Visit the Philippines Again 2106 (VPA 2016). in today’s competitive tourism industry, a country has to stand out to draw the attention and interests of tourists. A country needs to be distinctive and unique. Thus branding is perceived as a major factor in gaining attention and motivation for the tourists to visit the place. using this new tourism marketing tool, many countries have been very successful with their campaigns slogans
Successful tourism slogans and branding drives tourism growth. However, Changing slogans can be costly and complicated. That is why many countries and destinations do not change their slogans on a regular basis.
drawing millions of international travelers every year. Hong Kong, for example, with its “Asia’s World City” campaign attracted 59.3 million visitors in 2015. others Asian countries with successful tourism slogans which clocked impressive tourist arrivals in 2015 include: Japan (“Endless Discovery”) with 19.73 million tourist arrivals; india (“incredible india”) with 8.03 million; indonesia (“Wonderful indonesia”) with 9.73 million; Korea (“Korea, Be inspired”) with 13.23 million; malaysia (“Truly Asia”) with 25.7 million; Taiwan (“The Heart of Asia”), with more than 9.9 million; Thailand (“Amazing Thailand”) with 29.88 million; and Vietnam (“Timeless Charm”) with 7.94 million. (source: uN World Tourism organization’s World Tourism ranking 2015) However, the success of a brand or marketing slogan cannot be measured overnight. it takes years of sustained awareness campaign and a variety of aggressive marketing strategies before the desired objective is achieved, which is to drive tourists to specific destinations. That is why many countries and destination cities do not change their slogans. india for example, has been using its slogan for the past 10 years. on
the other hand, a few including the Philippines has a penchant for coming up with new slogans on a regular basis. With the change in administration coming on July 1st, so will there be the changing of guards in the Cabinet and other appointed positions in the different government agencies. Each of the new appointees is up for a big challenge to fulfill the promises that Team Duterte made during the campaign. Given that the tourism helm is about to change hands, we are wondering if the tourism target of 10 million tourists for 2016 still remains or will be downgraded to an attainable figure. in addition, there are other questions in our inquiring minds: Who will be the new tourism head that will be tasked to steer the country’s tourism industry? Will he or she share the vision of the “it’s more Fun in the Philippines” campaign? Will the new tourism chief maintain the existing brand and strengthen the country’s competitiveness? or will he or she launch a new campaign to sustain the country’s tourism efforts? in many cases, making changes is the first thing incoming leaders do in an attempt to convey that they are doing something new or different
Department of Tourism’s slogans aimed at drawing more tourists to the Philippines.
from what their predecessors did. in the case of tourism, we hope that whoever will be the new bosses will realize that they do not own the brand that promotes the Philippines. rather, they are temporary custodians of a strategy that captures the country in a positive light. it is worth noting that tourism is a big spender, too. specifically, changing slogans is costly and complicated. Although we are not privy as to how much money the government agency spent to adopt a tourism slogan, launching new campaign can be very expensive. if a foreign brand consultant is hired, the cost could increase to several million dollars, not to mention the fact that previous brochures and other printed promotional materials identifying the old brand or slogan will be wasted completely. such multi-million dollar spending can, of course, be justified if the slogan attracts more foreign visitors. But, what if a new slogan or brand does not fulfill its purpose? Changing slogans or brands not only cost millions but can also can have a negative impact because they can alter the image and identity of the country. To avoid the prospect of spending millions of dollars, maybe our new
set of leaders under the new administration should look into putting in place legislations to regulate spending on new campaigns. Effective marketing slogans have been proven to drive tourism growth. The challenge is how to sustain the interests of the travel and tourism market. We hope that whoever the next tourism head will be, will see the wisdom that it is not the constant changing of marketing slogans or branding that draws in the tourists. The effectiveness of a tourism slogan lies in aggressive promotional activities that create awareness and strong presence in the travel market. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years professional experience in the tourism and travel industry. He provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism, which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York. For comments or questions, you may reach him at manilagan@ gmail.com.
Businesses gearing up for Fiesta In America 2016
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Gloc 9 reminds youth: Get high with music By Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com
GLoC 9 and Jason Fernandez are saddened by the negative image being associated with music festivals. Recently, five concert-goers died in a music festival organized by a toothpaste brand, after allegedly taking a heavy dose of drugs which is supposedly not allowed inside the venue. “Ni-lock ko sa bahay ‘yong mga anak ko,” joked Gloc 9 when asked to react about the incident, in an interview on Wednesday, May 25. on a more serious note he added, “Pero nakakalungkot ‘yon. Ang unang-una kong naisip ay ang mga magulang ng mga batang ‘yon. Hindi mo na mababalik ‘yon, e.” If his children, who are aged 7 and 9, would want to attend such events in the future, he would rather accompany them. “Kung hindi nila ko isusumpa na nakiki-party ako sa kanila, at papayag sila na ako ang sumama sa kanila, e, mas okay,” he added. Meanwhile, Jason who is one of the rock artists in the local scene
LEADING American brands and industry category leaders are again eyeing Fiesta In America, a popular indoor consumer expo in the US northeast, as the key to one of niche marketing’s bestkept secrets: high-income Filipino consumers. “As the biggest direct-sales and branding event of its kind on the east coast for the past 17 years, Fiesta In America is now a growing dot on the radars of sector-market specialists,” said Nanding Mendez, Fiesta In America’s President and CEo. “Industry leaders ranging from AT&T in telecom to Western Union and Xoom in remittances are aware of Filipinos’ potent buying power, strong brand identification, and loyalty. Businesses know
that on-the-spot interaction with consumers during a culturedriven event such as Fiesta In America can activate sales and burnish brands as effectively as mass media advertising and online selling.” Fiesta In America will mark its 18th anniversary on August 13 and 14 at the 61,000 sq. ft. Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. The organizers expect up to 14,000 visitors from seven east coast states to pack the expo’s Trade Pavilion, multicultural show, live concert, free workshops, and native food court. More than 200,000 have attended the indoor festival since 1998. Main stream businesses are taking notice. The greater New
York-New Jersey-Pennsylvania metro statistical area is home to the largest Filipino community in the United States outside California, with more than 224,000 residents. In fact, some demographers think that the number is an undercount due to the “gray market” in which undocumented immigrants are working off the books. Mendez speculates that although Filipinos are significantly outnumbered by Latinos, “the purchasing power of Filipino families, especially those in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, are a lot more potent than the buying capacities of all other ethnic groups, except perhaps the Continued on Page 7
For the Benefit of Filipino... denied they’re heavy takers of drugs. “Mukha lang kaming nagdadrugs pero hindi, high kami sa music,” he said. He added that real singers “are high with their music. If hindi ka ganun at musikero ka, something is wrong with you.” Jason would also like to remind the youth that “puwede ka naman magsaya na hindi ka
nagda-drugs.” “Minsan kasi ‘yong kultura ng kabataan kapag party, kapag hindi ka nag-take, hindi ka cool, hindi kasi gano’n ‘yon,” he added. He also hopes that incident will serve as lesson to the youth that “’wag n’yo putulin ang buhay ninyo sa napakabatang edad. Puwede tayo magsaya na hindi gumagamit ng anumang droga.”
Mariel Rodriguez to give birth in US AFTER tragic miscarriages in the past, Mariel Rodriguez is happy to go through the first trimester of her pregnancy. “Siyempre hinintay ko talaga na safe na,” she explained about her delayed announcement of her pregnancy, in an interview aired in “Tonight with Boy Abunda” on Tuesday, May 24. “Sinigurado ko na ‘yong first trisemester malagpasan, so after that sinabi ko na talaga.” “Bakit hindi ko sasabihin, e, ang sayasaya ko!” she added. The Kapamilya host is still taking extra precautions with her pregnancy, since she has gestational diabetes. Before this pregnancy, she has experienced two miscarriages last year. First was in March, and the second was in August. Mariel plans to give birth in US with her husband, Robin Padilla. Despite her sensitive pregnancy, Mariel denied that she’s taking an early leave from “It’s Showtime.” “Basta kaya ko, I will do it,” she said. (Philstar.com) Mariel Rodriguez is happy that she made it through the first trimester of her pregnancy.
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From Page 2 What it does is that it creates a whole new sustainable market within the community to feed their kids in school. It solves two things – the hunger issue and the dropout rates. Many kids in rural areas drop out of school at age ten, Ayesha said. As the organization’s cofounder, Ayesha is proud of the schools and communities which are on their third year. Some of them are paying 80% of the program cost, with ARK shouldering the remainder. “In the next few years, they will be sufficient,” she said. Whether it is planting vegetables to raising chickens and pigs, the community members are given an extra income stream, aside from the farming of rice and corn. It gives the community a platform to grow. In the schools that they have partnered with, the teachers learned how to use Excel, and Skype to communicate with Ayesha and her team. Teachers from Mongoso, Capiz have told her that they are thankful for the program because through that, the school had internet and they found a bigger world outside their municipality. “Through Excel, they have learned to account for the cash, how to track their impact and it creates this sense of transparency in the community that everyone trusts. Because of the corruption that we know, many Filipinos do not trust some of the systems but this is one huge change,” she said with a tinge of pride. Ayesha is happy to see that they are changing the lives of rural kids in the Philippines, one school at a time. From two schools to seven, ARK is looking forward to adding up to 15 more schools for 2016-2017, now that they are on the tail end of their Haiyan recovery efforts . “The most important thing, for me at least, they have this sense of empowerment. In partnership with us and in them doing it on their own, managing the program on their own, operating the kitchen on their own, they feel that the horizons are so broad they can go after anything. That, to me, you cannot pay that,” she said. Recognition Two Filipino-Americans were also recognized during the evening’s program, for their efforts in their respective fields – designer Rafe Totengco and author Mia Alvar. “I am humbled to be honored tonight. It’s such an honor to be recognized by our community because there’s so much of us, and collectively, we can make a difference in these children’s lives,” Rafe told us. “A lot of us here have come here to make something of ourselves but at the same time, we have to remember that there are plenty of kids back home whose dreams have not yet been fulfilled.” Mia Alvar, author of the book
White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, flanked by guests Elda Rotor (left) and Patricia Madlangbayan.
In The Country, echoed Rafe’s sentiments. “It is very humbling. I attended the after party of Evening in Manila before and I had a great time enjoying the wonderful food and drinks. It is my honor to be here tonight,” she said. “ARK is a wonderful organization and I admire the way they do their work.” Alvar won the 2016 PEN/ Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction last month. An award-winning designer, Totengco has been on the forefront in the fashion world. The past couple of years, he focused on the craft of shell inlay. “All of these minaudieres are made in the Philippines and what I’m tickled about is when people see them, they go, ‘Really? They’re made in the Philippines?’ because I think they have this stereotype that things manufactured in the Philippines are like straw bags and inexpensive and here we are doing world-class, modern, contemporary and really chic evening bags. I have a lot of celebrities wear them and we actually do well with them,” he revealed. It’s a matter of pride for him when he sees somebody pick it up and say “It’s something, it’s beautiful!”. Every season, Rafe names his bags after friends, family, people he knows and people who inspire him. “I told them, let’s take it further and challenge the crowd to see if there’s somebody out there who wants her name on a minaudiere. I am designing the next collection and I have yet to name some of them so why not call it somebody new,” he said. Rafe’s minaudieres are works of art and they have become conversation pieces, where Rafe can proudly talk about the Filipino artisanship and craftsmanship involved in the creations of these little masterpieces. “When I first started doing them, I told people they were shell inlay and they were confused, so finally when I went to the factory, I filmed the process and while I was filming it, I was like, ‘I’m going to cut my fingers here’ because it was really labor intensive and it takes about 4-5 days to complete one,” Rafe explained. “It’s this whole idea of slow movement, yes you have to wait. The best part is because we don’t produce so much of it so it
Manuel Baldemor’s ‘Symphony... From Page 4
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unspokenlanguage of diplomacy.” World renowned Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor paid tribute to flowers as a “symbol of love and peace” and an indispensable element of the Filipino landscape. on Wednesday, Baldemor hosted an art workshop for the Philippine Center employees and their families, where participants had a chance to colororiginal blackand-white drawings of flowers by the artist. A select group, led by Consul General Mario L. de Leon Jr and Mrs. Eleanor de Leon, also lent theirhands in finishing a painting by Baldemor depicting the Filipino festival Flores de Mayo.
Baldemor last held an exhibit of his works at the Philippine Center in July 2015, which showcased, among others, a collection of 6-foot scrolls that depict scenes of life in the Philippines. While in New York, hehosted a similar workshop for the Philippine Center employees and their dependents, and facilitated an artists’ interaction activity where five of the most prominent Filipino artists in New York, namely Edgar Doctor, Angelito David, Cesar Delos Santos, Ronald Cortez and Lorina Capitulo, together produced apainting depicting scenes of the Philippines. The painting was donated to the
is by default, limited edition.” Community Support The cost to feed one kid in school for a whole year is $15 – equivalent to the cost of three lattes. Young Filipino Americans are some of ARK’s biggest supporters. ARK has young volunteers from their 19 partner schools and universities here in the US. “They are drawn to the kind of impact that we make. We find that the young Fil-Ams are very supportive and really generous. I’m overwhelmed,” said Ayesha. Asked why she continues to do what she does, she paused, composed herself a bit and smiled. Then she said, “It is fun! Life is too short, you’ve got to do something that you love. I get to meet so many inspiring people and it’s so addictive to see people change and transform and how communities go from being disjointed to coming together to work for a common goal and to see them get over their fears.” Staging the 2016 Evening in Manila is a dream come true for both Nicole and Ayesha, who used to just talk and discuss about it before. “Up until recently, Filipino food has been categorized in a certain kind of execution, typically home style. We certainly tried to help change that conversation, that dialogue and this is one more step in doing that,” said Nicole. “And of course, inviting chefs from other cultures to use our ingredients, our flavor profiles, to heighten the identity.” Nicole is also happy and thankful that White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford attended the event as a show of support. “It means a lot that we’re all here tonight. We’re here to enjoy but it is really for the kids. My heart goes out for the poor kids in the Philippines so hopefully, we get to raise a lot tonight,” Chef Cris said. “These kids are going to be the future leaders of the country. It’s a rest day for me, a welcome break, and I’m happy to spend it with friends.” “I do believe in pursuing what’s beautiful. We worked hard for it. Some of us come from very humble beginnings and we’ve worked hard to be able to stand here and be proud of our achievements and how far we have come,” Nicole said.
Philippine Center. A multi-talented Filipino artist, Manuel Baldemor is a painter, sculptor, print maker, writer and book illustrator. He was born in 1947 in Paete, Laguna, aplace renowned for wood carvers. He has held one-man exhibits in many cities all over the world, and his works have been displayed in a number of importantinstitutions including the United Nations Headquarters in New York. For 18 straight years, his works have been reproduced in UNICEF’s Christmas greeting cards. “Symphony of Flowers: Aquarelle Paintings by Manuel Baldemor” is organized by the Philippine Consulate General in New York, and runs until May 27.
PH Consulate, PTIC host 2016 Philippine Outbound Business Mission delegation NEW YORK—The Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Trade and Investment Office (PTIC) hosted visiting trade and business officials for the New York leg of the 2016 Philippine Outbound Business Mission (OBM) to the U.S. held on May 16-22. The 2016 OBM was organized by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The Philippine delegation members consisted of Ms. Russhel S. Benosa, Export Sales Director, Farmland Trademarket Solution, Inc. (FTSI); Ms. Salve Angela Aromin Antonio, Founder/CEO, Zen & Sea Enterprises; Mr. Sing Lee Tiu, General Manager, Mr. Lang Eng Kee, Export Manager and Mr. Sherwin Tiu, Market Researcher, Tropicana Food Products, Inc.; Ms. Mary Jane Tan Ong, CEO, Elemie Naturals, Inc.; Ms. Anilyne P. Moreno, AVP for Export and Ms. Mary Joy C. Galiza, Export Account Supervisor, Republic Biscuit Corporation (REBISCO). The EMB officials were led Mr. Senen M. Perlada, Bureau Director, and Ms. Suraida U. Guro, Assistant Division Chief. Philippine Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. received and welcomed the delegation at the boardroom of the Philippine Center last Monday, May 16. In his welcoming remarks, Consul General De Leon noted how the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte inherits a bullish Philippine economy, touted as the new Asian tiger, and that U.S.-Philippine trade cooperation continues to be robust borne by decades-old alliance and economic complementarity. He stated how he believed that Philippine exporters potentially stand to reap dividends by examining closely consumption patterns and market demand in mainstream America, which extend beyond traditional Filipino markets in the West and East Coast of mainland U.S. He underscored that Philippine agricultural and technology products, along with Philippine design, can compete in the U.S. market. He further observed how it would be helpful for the delegation members to familiarize themselves with the U.S. federal regulations that can help Philippine exporters penetrate mainstream markets. Consul General De Leon concluded with faith that the Philippines is entering a golden age where its products and services can compete globally and domestically, and even exceed
other well-known brands. He cited that the Consulate General has contributed to this renaissance by helping make Philippine cuisine “the next big thing” in New York, by launching Filipino Restaurant Week (FRW) 2016 in New York with the participation of 15 Filipino-style restaurants. FRW is now on its 2nd year and is ongoing on May 16-28, he added. The OBM briefing sessions held at the Philippine Center boardroom from 16-18 May 2016 featured guest presenters such as Mr. John Howley, Esq. (“Presentation on Trademarks, International Sales Contracts, and Dispute Resolution Alternatives”); Mr. Jan Cabangon, President, United Food of Asia, Ltd. (“How to export, market, and promote Philippine products in the US”); Mrs. Dilcia Granville, Ph.D., Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“U.S. Food and Drug Administration”); Mr. Michael F. O’Connor, Esq. (“Warehousing and Logistics”); Ms. Denise D. Keys, Sales Executive and Mr. Gregory Bonar, Senior Sales Executive for Shipping, United States Postal Service; and Jerry Glass, Field Sales Representative-Northeast, Endicia (“United States Postal Service”); and a video conference with Mr. John Dietz (“Ecommerce Amazon/Online Selling”). On May 19-20, the OBM delegation visited the offices of leading corporate figures in the TriState region to learn more about the effective practices of their respective businesses, including Tropicana Food Products, Inc. & EMB/Rema Foods, Inc. in Englewood Cliffs, NJ; CEE Enterprises in North Bergen, NJ; Everlasting Distributors, Inc./Golden Fortune Import & Export Corp. in Bayonne, NJ; Whole Foods Market in Manhattan; Trader Joe’s in Queens, NY; Walmart Supercenter in Secaucus, NJ; East West Market in Bloomfield, NJ; and The Mills at Jersey Gardens in Elizabeth, NJ. On the final day of the New York leg on Friday, May 20, the OBM delegation paid their last call on Consul General De Leon where they apprised him of what they learned and accomplished during the course of their mission. Consul General de Leon also briefed the members on his just-concluded economic outreach trip to Portland, Maine, and encouraged the delegates to persist in exploring potential business opportunities in the Northeast U.S., and other cities where both Filipino and mainstream communities could benefit from their products and services.
New York Consul General De Leon (7th from right) together with the visiting Philippine delegation to the 2016 Outbound Mission to the U.S., together with Mr. John Howley, Esq. (far left), Consul Felipe Carino, director of the economic section (2nd from left), New York Special Trade Representative JP Inigo (3rd from left), Deputy Consul General Kira S. Danganan-Azucena (4th from left), and Mr. Senen M. Perlada (6th from left), Director, Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Businesses gearing up...
From Page 6 South Asians.” According to the US Census’ American Community Survey, Filipinos in New York and New Jersey have median family incomes of more than $92,000 and household incomes in excess of $75,000. In contrast, the national median household income, including that of Whites, is $53,482. Small wonder: most Filipinos in the U.S. are college educated, fluent in English, and are employed in white collar jobs in high-paying industries such as health care, finance and administration. Len Manansala, Fiesta In America’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications, pointed to psychology and group identity as counterpoints to hard data. “Like other newcomers of various races, first-generation Filipino immigrants are culturedriven,” Manansala observed. “Fiesta In America visitors crave handcrafted Philippine apparel, footwear, accessories, home décor, and other products not found in U.S. stores. Exhibit booths at the expo’s Trade Pavilion overflow with artisanal Philippine products that are steeped in native design and material. With their two- to three-household incomes, Filipino expo visitors can see themselves owning luxury condos, retiring comfortably in their native land, and vacationing in word-class resorts on sparkling islands…all showcased at the expo.” Readers of the influential Travel + Leisure Magazine agree with the last part of Manansala’s statement. The magazine ranked the Philippines’ Palawan and Boracay as the “Number One and Number Two Best Islands in the World for 2014.” According to Coy Apostol, the expo’s Sponsorship and Exhibitor Relations Manager, “major real
estate firms, hotel chains and other tourism-oriented companies represent a major part of Fiesta In America’s exhibition area.” This is not to mention various “car dealerships, financial consultants, insurance companies, other service-providers as well as other ethnic businesses that are aware of the purchasing clout of east coast Filipinos. As part of Fiesta In America’s growing multicultural appeal, other Asian and Latino companies, dance troupes and performers have been taking part since 2013.” Beyond Filipinos’ economic value as a distinct group, there are other meaningful issues that separates them from other consumers. For instance, the Filipino susceptibility to certain illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiac diseases has piqued the interest of the healthcare industry. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is a new sponsor of Fiesta In America, reflecting the company’s sensitivity to heritage as a driver of client engagement. “We understand culture and creativity are essential to the health of our diverse communities,” said Nemesio Kinsora, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey’s Sales Executive for Government Programs. “We look forward to supporting Fiesta In America, which embraces and raises awareness about Filipino culture.” For information on how to participate as visitors, exhibitors, sponsors or advertisers, please call 212-682-6610; email info@ fiestainamerica.com; or visit www. fiestainamerica.com. Video and photo galleries are available on Facebook. Fiesta In America is a nonprofit 501-C-3 company headquartered in New York City.
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Ph Embassy Promotes Creativity and Art, Global Awareness WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Philippine Embassy highlighted its engagement with the Filipino and Filipino-American community and public school students through a series of cultural events at the Romulo Hall last week. An evening reception was held last Thursday May 19, for the opening of the annual “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” exhibit which featured the works of 19 artists who showcased their various paintings and sculptures at the Romulo Hall May from 17 to 20. Now on its 14th year, Brown Strokes is a joint project of the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine American Foundation for Charities (PAFC), Inc. who also celebrated its 20th anniversary on the exhibit’s opening night. This year’s line-up of featured
artists included Laurie Barton, Evelyn Bunoan, Isabel Castañeda, Gabriel Riego De Dios, Gloria Federigan, Mencie Hairston, Ramon Carlos de Jesus, Philip Lopez, Nabil Makar, Marielle Mariano, Zarily Mojika, Tanya Owens Nuchols, Alfonso Ong, Julian Oteyza, Kevin Owens, Marco Cuba Ricsi, Nilo Santiago, Alice Santos, and Marvin Santos. “Cultural diplomacy is an important component of the broader public diplomacy. It allows us to promote the Philippines and our culture to a wide range of audiences,” Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Patrick Chuasoto, said in his opening remarks. Thirty (30) 6th grade students from Jefferson Academy were also able to see and appreciate the Brown Strokes exhibit at the Romulo Hall during their visit to
Featured artists of the exhibit, “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” who were present during the opening reception at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 19 May 2016.
the Philippine Embassy on Friday, May 20. Jefferson Academy’s visit to the Embassy is part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP), a partnership program of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and the Washington Performing Arts. EAP exposes DCPS students to international perspectives and cross-cultural lessons through direct interactions with embassies and other global entities. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. welcomed the students from Jefferson Academy in a short program that included a presentation of the student’s maskStudents and teachers of Jefferson Academy with Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. during their making and street dancing activities as well as a lecture on the Philippine visit to the Philippine Embassy on 20 May 2016.
coconut and coconut products. The students also performed a short dance number to the tune of “Da Coconut Nut,” an original Filipino song, and enjoyed Filipino lunch of pansit, chicken lollipop, lumpiang shanghai, turon, coconut ice cream, and juice. “This kind of exposure is so good for them so that they could learn a lot about other cultures. That is why I really wanted to be in the program so that I could help them learn about diversity,” Ms. Brandie Crump of Jefferson Academy said about the whole EAP experience. Both the Brown Strokes and EAP form part of the Philippine Embassy’s Cultural Diplomacy activities for the month of May.
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