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Volume 10 – Issue 33 • 16 Pages
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Duterte pushes for a drug-free community at World Economic Forum vative in the world.” “We cannot turn a blind eye on the scourge of illegal drugs that threatens our youth and PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte the future of our societies,” Duterte said. emphasized the need of eradicating drug He then urged international leaders to impunity during the World Economic Forum “take a committed stand” in dismantling and (WEF) on the Association of Southeast Asian destroying the “illegal drug apparatus.” Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday, May 11, in “We must reaffirm our commitment to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. realize a drug-free ASEAN community,” he In his keynote speech, Duterte urged the added. international leaders to pursue a drug-free Noting that the ASEAN “is a demographic community to protect the younger genera- sweet spot and is likely to post Asia’s fastest tion from harm brought by narcotics. economic growth rates in the coming years,” The Filipino president warned that drugs Duterte also encouraged international leadthreaten the Southeast Asian youth’s poten- ers to invest in human capital, particularly in tials, which he described as “among the best the young workforce. and are most creative, intelligent, and innou PAGE A2 by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
DATELINE
DUTERTE AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. President Rodrigo Duterte joins his fellow ASEAN leaders from the host country Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laos People’s Democratic Republic Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc during the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the ASEAN 2017 at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Thursday, May 11. Duterte urged ASEAN members to reaffirm their commitment to make the region a drug-free community. Malacañang photo
US: No pressure on Philippines to push back against China
USA
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
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U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (left) and Ben Cardin (right) introduced a bill on Thursday, May 4 that calls for withholding certain defense exports to the Philippines.
US senators introduce bill to restrict defense exports to PH
TWO U.S. senators filed a bill on Thursday, May 4 aimed at restricting the export of certain arms into the Philippines and reaffirming support for human rights policies, amid reports of the rising death toll associated with
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Trump signs ‘religious liberties’ order allowing churches to become more politically involved
BALIKATAN 2017. Philippine army Pvt. Ronaldo Balidio (left) and Cpl. John Rey Cagas operate a compactor while building a new school classroom during Balikatan 2017 in Ormoc City. U.S. military engineers and Philippine service members worked together to build new classrooms at Don Carlos Elementary School in Ormoc City. Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine military bilateral exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism and other combined military operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Markus Castaneda
PH military, police assure Palawan is safe by DANA
SIOSON
AJPress
TO coincide with National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 4, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on “religious lib-
THE province of Palawan remains safe for both local and foreign nationals, the Armed forces of the Philippines ( AFP) assured the public amid a travel warning issued by the United States Embassy in Manila. On Wednesday, May 10, the AFP’s Western Command (Wescom) said it is closely coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Coast Guard, and the local government to “ensure maximum security.” “Western Command shares the same concern. That is why, even several months ago, even without reference to any travel advisory, Western Command has beefed up our security posture for tourists season,” Wescom
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Religious conservatives “disappointed”
by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com
VIRAY
WASHINGTON will not put pressure on the Philippines to try to push back against China in connection with the South China Sea dispute, the U.S. Department of State said. Patrick Murphy, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, stressed that State Secretary Rex Tillerson wants cooperation and collaboration in addressing the North Korea and South China Sea issues. President Rodrigo Duterte has refused to use the ruling of an international arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea in pressuring China. In a telephonic press conference last week, Murphy said that the U.S.
took note of the arbitration ruling issued last year and consistently notes that it is a binding ruling between the Philippines and China. “But there is a much bigger story here, and that is bringing about a solution to the disputes that applies to all of the claimants and then the rest of the international community that has the rights and the needs to access the South China Sea area,” Murphy told members of the press. Murphy noted that the South China Sea dispute was one of the main issues discussed during the meeting between Tillerson and his Southeast Asian counterparts last week. The U.S. official noted that Washington and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) share
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Duterte appoints Cayetano, Año as heads of DFA, DILG De Venecia also named special envoy for intercultural dialogue
by DANA
SIOSON AJPress
SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano and Armed Forces (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año are joining Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet as the new heads of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) respectively. Duterte revealed the appointments of his new Cabinet officials in a press briefing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport be- Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, incoming
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Foreign Affairs Secretary
Jose de Venecia Jr., special envoy for interculturual dialogue
‘Excited’ Pacquiao starts training for Horn fight Janet Lim-Napoles acquitted in illegal weight title against Horn on July 2 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. A THRILLED Manny Pacquiao “I am excited to go back to the formally started his training on gym after about a six-month’s lay Monday, May 8, in preparation off. I really miss training at the for his upcoming match against gym with the members of Team Australian Jeff Horn. Pacquiao and fans around,” PacThe Filipino boxing champion quiao told PhilBoxing.com. is set to defend his World BoxPacquiao, who is also a meming Organization (WBO) Welter- ber of the Philippine Senate, has
by AJPRESS
detention case, eyed as state witness
apparently been busy with his legislative duties since his unanimous win against Jessie Vargas by DANA SIOSON last November 5. AJPress But even with almost six months of inactivity, his childTHE Philippine Court of Aphood friend and co-trainer Buboy Fernandez is confident that the peals this week acquitted alleged boxer-senator will be in his best pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles from her seriform during his July fight. u PAGE A4 ous illegal detention case.
In a 35-page decision by its Twelfth Division, the CA reversed the earlier ruling of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) and said that prosecutors failed to prove that Napoles detained her cousin and pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur
Luy against his will. Earlier in 2014, Napoles was sentenced to reclusion perpetua—or an imprisonment term of 21 to 40 years—when the Makati Regional RTC found Napoles guilty of detaining Luy from De-
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A MAY 12-18, 2017 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426
From the Front Page
Duterte pushes for a drug-free... PAGE A1 t
ATE COMMENDS 2016 BAR TOPNOTCHER. Senate President Koko Pimentel III presents a copy of a resolution commending Karen Mae Calam (5th from right), a certified public accountant and law graduate from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, for topping the 2016 Philippine Bar Examinations. The Senate resolution, introduced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri Tuesday, May 9, 2017, congratulates Calam for “obtaining the highest mark in what is considered as one of the toughest licensure exams in the country.” Also in the photo are (from left) Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto with Senators Manny Pacquiao, Zubiri, Calam’s family, and Senator Sonny Angara. Senate photo by Romy Bugante
PH military, police assure Palawan...
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said in a statement. Earlier on Tuesday, May 9, the U.S. Embassy warned its citizens of terror threats in Palawan. “Terrorist groups may be planning to conduct kidnapping operations targeting foreign nationals in the areas of Palawan Province, Philippines, to include Puerto Princesa City, and the areas surrounding Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park,” the travel warning read. It also advised U.S. citizens to carefully consider this information as they make their travel plans, urging them to avoid large crowds and to always remain vigilant. The embassy then reminded U.S. citizens of the recent Worldwide Caution, dated March 6, that warned about an “ongoing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests abroad, including the Philippines.” Both Canada and the United Kingdom released a similar notice, citing information from the U.S. Canada warned that “boaters in waters around Mindanao and in the Sulu Sea, as well as visitors to southern Palawan Island, southern Negros Island or
He went on to say, “The youth is certainly a key sector we must invest in. The ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2016-2020 encourages youth entrepreneurship, employment and employability, awareness, volunteerism and resilience.” Duterte also underscored the need to narrow the development gap in the region, which he said “remains skewed” despite the decreasing of poverty levels by half in the last 50 years. According to him, there remains a huge disparity in the region’s GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, citing from a low of $1,200 to a high of nearly $53,000. “ASEAN is cognizant of the need for more inclusive participation in the community building process,” Duterte said. “We want to ensure that the benefits of integration are felt by all our peoples in the region. But we face a development gap that must be addressed.” As this year’s ASEAN chair, Duterte also said that the Philippines “resolves to establish meaningful partnership for posi-
tive change.” “We aim to operationalize the ASEAN goal of achieving a vibrant, sustainable and highly integrated economy,” he added. Business confidence high Investors’ confidence in doing business in the Philippines remain high despite criticisms in Duterte’s drug war, his Cabinet officials said at the sidelines of WEF. In a press conference, a German journalist pointed out that businessmen from his country are concerned that the drug war might affect foreign direct investments. Duterte, who assumed presidency in June last year, has been pursuing the eradication of narcotics in the Philippines through an anti-illegal drugs campaign that apparently claimed thousands of lives, earning international headlines and criticisms. The Philippine government has repeatedly insisted that the killings are not state-sanctioned. It also blamed reports that labeled deaths under investigation as summary killings for ruining the country’s image, saying that only about 3,000 were killed dur-
ing presumed legitimate police operations when suspects tried to fight back, while the remaining 4,000 or so deaths were conducted by vigilante killers riding the drug war. Amid criticisms, incoming Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano assured that for the Philippine government, “the protection of human rights is paramount,” added that the campaign against drugs is also a “campaign to protect the human rights” of the Filipinos. Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, meanwhile, cited surveys concluding that 82 percent of the Filipinos feel safer and “basically love what’s happening right now” in the country. Lopez also took note that investments from the second half of 2016 was “100 percent higher” than the first half. “So a lot of very positive indicators especially on the investments and the investment confidence is here,” he said. “Business confidence actually has gone up 34 percent
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US: No pressure on Philippines... PAGE A1 t
The US and the British embassies in Manila warned Americans against traveling to Palawan, including Puerto Princesa and the areas surrounding Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, following information it received that terrorist organizations were planning to target tourists there. Philstar.com file photo
Siquijor Island, may also face an elevated threat of kidnapping.” The U.K. also advised its citizens to “carefully consider travel plans, and exercise heightened vigilance in these areas.” While the AFP said it “understands the concern and responsibility of the U.S. government on their citizens’ welfare,” it assured that the military is “always a step further on security.” “We remain on heightened alert, but assures the public that
Palawan, being one of the most beautiful places in the world, is safe for both local and foreign nationals, residing in and/or visiting the province, including Puerto Princesa,” Wescom added. For its part, the PNP said it will enforce stricter security measures while verifying information on possible terror attacks in Palawan. “We are making sure of police presence in the concerned area.
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common objectives in wanting the air and maritime transit through the South China Sea to be free and open in accordance with international law. “He gave his counterparts and Southeast Asia assurances that they could count on the US to assert our rights for the benefit of unimpeded commerce and trade and regional and global security and peace. In accordance with international law, we will assert those rights,” Murphy said. Tillerson also assured his ASEAN counterparts that the US strongly encourages all relevant parties to stop any activities associated with militarizing, constructing or reclaiming land in the disputed areas. “He thought that it would be beneficial for all if such activities of militarization, construction, and reclamation would stop. Let’s
ensure that the environment is conducive for good talks to find a solution,” Murphy said. Murphy further noted that the US is not a claimant in the South China Sea but an interested party seeking to enjoy unimpeded travel and transit for purposes of navigation, overflight and commerce. Washington believes that the South China Sea dispute could be resolved through dialogue, according to Murphy. “Dialogue is important as long as it is inclusive and adheres to the principles of a rules-based order,” the deputy assistant secretary said. Murphy reiterated that Washington does not want to put pressure due to a common understanding of the need for navigation, overflight and for commerce. “It’s a complicated issue, and I think ASEAN is itself a very good example of that. There are claim-
ants, there are non-claimants… The good news is that ASEAN has demonstrated unity on this issue in the past and ASEAN leaders themselves have referred to the Sunnylands Principles which deal with things like militarization, and reclamation, and construction,” Murphy said. As an interested party, the US encouraged China and the ASEAN to conduct a dialogue that would result in a binding agreement that would apply to all countries. During the conclusion of the 30th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in Manila a few weeks ago, Duterte said that the 10-member regional bloc will push through with the enactment of a code of conduct on the South China Sea within the first half of the year. The ASEAN, under Philippine chairmanship this year, did not mention any single reference of the arbitral ruling issued by a United Nations-backed tribunal in its final statement. n
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From the Front Page
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY12-18 2017
US senators introduce bill...
PAGE A1 t the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. The Philippines Human Rights Accountability and Counternarcotics Act of 2017 filed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) calls for withholding the exportation of “certain defense articles” to the Philippine National Police (PNP), working with the Philippines to tackle the drug epidemic from a “public health approach,” and reporting on the sources of narcotics to the country. The legislation comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spoke over the phone. Trump — who is scheduled to visit the Philippines in November for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit MEETING WITH KABABAYANS. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gets a warm welcome from officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs upon his arrival at the Presidential hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Wednesday, May 10. The President attended the World Economic — reportedly invited Duterte to Forum (WEF) on ASEAN 2017 on Thursday, May 11. Malacañang photo the White House and reiterated the two countries’ decades-long alliance. The call on Saturday, April 29 was the second time the two Religious Liberty Commission heads of state communicated. PAGE A1 t strictions on political activity by Russell Moore told CNN’s Erin They previously spoke in Deerty” that would permit churches religious organizations,” said Law- Burnett that the order is a start, and other religious institutions to rence Noble, general counsel of but, hopefully, not the end to become more involved in the po- the Campaign Legal Center. “The bringing more political freedom the hope that this is just the beexecutive order allows the IRS to to religious institutions. litical process. ginning and that there are more The executive order would restrict the activity it currently con“The very fact that religious steps to be made.” allow clergy members and re- siders political, but prohibits the freedom is part of the conversaHowever, many religious ligious institutions to endorse IRS from expanding the restric- tion and religious freedom is be- groups did praise the president political candidates from the get- tions to cover activity not covered ing affirmed I think is a step in for the move. go, a promise Trump made to his before the executive order.” the right direction,” Moore said “The open season on ChrisBut the executive order disap- on Burnett’s show. “Now obvi- tians and other people of faith supporters during the presidenpointed many religious conser- ously if this is the end of the is coming to a close in America tial campaign. Specifically, the executive or- vatives who, per an early draft story, I’m really disappointed, and we look forward to assisting der protects religious groups of the order, expected the bill to but I think we ought to hold out the Trump administration in fully from a restriction imposed by allow employers to discriminate the IRS that prohibits tax-exempt against LGBTQ+ employees on organizations, like churches and religious grounds. The executive order makes no other religious institutions, from political speech and involve- mention of any such provision, much to the dismay of conservament. “Faith is deeply embedded tive religious leaders, who beinto the history of our country, lieve the president has ignored the spirit of our founding and the the wishes of his most fervent soul of our nation,” Trump said at supporters. “In failing to deliver for people the White House during National Day of Prayer event with reli- of faith, President Trump risks gious leaders and White House alienating the single constituenstaff. “We will not allow people cy most responsible for his elecof faith to be targeted, bullied or tion,” Brian S. Brown, president silenced anymore. And we will of the anti-same-sex marriage never, ever stand for religious organization National Organization for Marriage, told the New discrimination. Never, ever.” Despite the president’s show York Times. “Quite strangely, he of the bill, policy experts say that is rewarding LGBT extremists the order will have little to no no- who strongly opposed his electiceable effect on current policy. tion.” American evangelical leader “President Trump’s executive order did not ease the current re- and president of the Ethics and
Trump signs ‘religious liberties’...
Janet Lim Napoles (center with shades on head) steps out of the Sandiganbayan building pn Wednesday, May 10. Inquirer.net photo by Marc Jayson Cayabyab
Janet Lim-Napoles acquitted... PAGE A1 t cember 2012 to March 2013. The CA, however, ruled that Napoles’s guilt was not proven beyond “reasonable doubt.” “We hold that the evidence against [Napoles] is not sufficient to establish her participation or culpability in the alleged criminal conspiracy. The prosecution has not discharged its burden of proof in establishing the commission of the crime charged and in identifying [Napoles] as the malefactor responsible for it,” the decision, dated May 5, 2017, read. While the CA’s ruling indicates that Napoles should now “be immediately released from detention, unless she is confined for any lawful case,” the businesswoman remains detained for separate plunder charges against her. Following her acquittal, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II revealed that Napoles is now being considered as a state witness in the planned reinvestigation of the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) anomaly. Legal experts, however, doubt Napoles’s qualifications as state witness since she was in fact accused of being the mastermind of the anomalous distribution of the PDAF, also referred to as pork barrel, from 2004 to 2010. Napoles’s camp expressed confidence that she would also be dismissed from the plunder and graft cases filed against her before the Sandiganbayan. “I’m very happy that finally, the truth has triumphed. We knew then that there was no truth to (Luy’s) claim of illegal detention,” Stephen David, her lawyer, told Inquirer. Highlighting her need of protection, he said they would also seek the house arrest of Napoles
“if she would be made state witness.” In a statement, Malacañang said that the government did not interfere with the cases involving Napoles and dismissed claims that President Rodrigo Duterte made a deal with her. “Government is clear that there is no policy shift on how we deal with Napoles. Neither there is an agreement forged between the Duterte administration and Napoles,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said. Abella maintained that Duterte respects the independence of the court and “has vowed not to interfere with the decisions of the judiciary or legislature.” Malacañang also guaranteed that Napoles’s acquittal from the serious illegal detention case does not affect the plunder cases lodged against her. “The Court of Appeals acquitting Ms. Janet Napoles involves her illegal detention case. It has no direct impact on her pork-barrel cases,” Abella said. Meanwhile, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin remarked the bar of justice has “gone to the dogs.” “The standard of justice under the Duterte administration has gone to the dogs,” he said. “We are witnessing how big-time plunderers are being acquitted by the courts.” Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate also expressed “grave dismal” over the CA’s decision, saying, “we must be very wary of this development because as things stand now, many of those who have been charged [with] plundering the people’s coffers are getting off the hook.” “Dapat na magbantay at sabayan ng protesta ng taong bayan ang mga pangyayaring ito (We should keep watch and meet with people’s protest this latest development),” he added. n
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cember — following Trump’s win in the presidential election — wherein the American leader lauded Duterte’s handling of the drug problem as the “right way.” Further details, including an exact date, about Duterte’s possible White House visit are yet to be announced. On Monday, May 1, he said he was unsure if he’d travel to the U.S. because he is too “tied up” with a busy schedule. Since Duterte assumed the presidency last June, over 7,000 individuals have been killed both by legitimate police operations and vigilantes in the crackdown on narcotics. These numbers, coupled with his brash statements, have drawn criticism from other nations and international human rights organizations. The administration, however, has continually argued that the killings were not state sanctioned. Rubio, the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s foreign relations subcommittee on human rights and civilian security, said that the use of force was “not the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign.” “…[O]ur legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with
the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies,” he said in a statement. The senators’ bill reiterates the U.S.’ commitment and support toward the Philippines, in particular with defense, counterterrorism, and maritime law enforcement. The transfer of defense articles used for these purposes will not be halted, however. It also authorizes $50 million to the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for public health and human rights programs. “Senator Rubio and I recognize the Philippines is one of America’s oldest friends and allies, and that is why we are committed to the health and well-being of this relationship, and the fundamental human rights of the Filipino people,” Cardin said. Last fall, the State Department halted the sale of 26,000 firearms to the PNP after Cardin publicly announced he would oppose the transaction. (Christina M. Oriel/ AJPress)
restoring America’s First Freedom,” Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a statement. The executive order also addresses religious objections noted in former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act, which required employers to cover contraceptives in insurance packages.
In that provision, Trump instructs the Treasury and the labor and health and human services departments to “consider issuing amended regulations,” to which Secretary of Human and Health Services Tom Price said that the department will be “taking action in short order to follow the president’s instruction.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)
A MAY 12-18, 2017 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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Asia-Pacific banks compliant with international standards - Fitch by CAtheRine
tAlAveRA Philstar.com
BANKS in Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries are “largely compliant” with international standards in line with the Basel III framework, but a possible delay in its implementation is seen as APAC regulators follow the pace of their global peers, Fitch Ratings said. In its May 2017 update of the APAC Banks Regulatory Compendium, Fitch Ratings said most APAC countries were com-
pliant with the international standards set by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), based on the regulatory consistency assessment programmes (RCAP) it conducted. Despite the overall large compliance, Fitch said APAC countries, including the Philippines, could see a delay in the second wave of Basel III rules. “Implementation of the second wave of Basel III rules might continue to be delayed in the AsiaPacific by a lack of progress in other markets, as regulators in
this region have remained reluctant to take a lead in implementing requirements ahead of their global peers, Fitch Ratings said However, Fitch Ratings said the credit profiles of APAC banks are unlikely to be significantly affected. “We expect most APAC regulators will continue to push ahead with consultations, and plan to be ready to meet scheduled deadlines, even if implementation is likely to be contingent on international progress,” Fitch Ratings said. n
Max’s eyes expansion to Europe SHIP OF HOPE. Well wishers welcome the arrival of the landing dock vessel BRP Davao del Sur of the Philippine Navy at Pier 13, South Harbor, on Wednesday. The amphibious vessel will serve as a floating command and control center providing humanitarian assistance during disasters. Photo by Roger Ranada
Palace: No formal invite yet for Duterte from Trump by Alexis
RomeRo Philstar.com
THE Philippine government is still awaiting United States President Donald Trump’s formal invitation for President Duterte to visit the White House, a foreign affairs official said. Acting foreign affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said Duterte could only give a response once a formal invitation has been sent. “When the formal invitation comes, if the President accepts we will formally convey the acceptance and then we will work out the details,” Bolivar told reporters in Malacañang. In a phone call last April 29, Trump invited Duterte to visit the White House, drawing flak from critics who believe that leaders linked to human rights violations should not be welcomed to America’s seat of power. The phone conversation, which was described by officials as “warm” and “friendly,” also touched on the bilateral ties of Manila and Washington and the threat posed by North Korea. Duterte previously said he could not yet make a commitment on Trump’s invitation because of his other planned foreign trips. “I’m tied up. I cannot make any
President Duterte takes a call from US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a gala dinner for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City last April 29. Holding the phone for Duterte is presidential assistant Christopher Go.
definite promise,” he told reporters in Davao City last May 1. The Chief Executive is scheduled to go to Cambodia, Hong Kong, China and Russia this month. He is also expected to visit Israel but details of the trip have yet to be released. The relationship between the Philippines and its traditional ally the US has been rocky since Duterte assumed office because of differences on the President’s crackdown on illegal drugs. The US under then president Barack Obama had called out
Duterte for the spate of killings tied to his anti-drug campaign, a move that the Philippine leader viewed as an intrusion into his country’s internal affairs. Duterte has repeatedly denied condoning extrajudicial killings but has repeatedly advised policemen to shoot drug suspects who pose threats to their lives. While Duterte was antagonistic towards Obama, he is optimistic that he would be able to work well with Trump, whom he described as “pragmatic.” n
by iRis
GonzAles Philstar.com
MAx’S Group Inc. (MGI) plans to continue strengthening its international presence and may even make its foray in Europe, its top official said. MGI president and CEO Robert Trota told reporters following the company’s annual stockholders meeting yesterday that they remain on the lookout for opportunities overseas. “There’s continued interest. The international market alone is making waves and gaining ground as we expand. Our reputation and promises have been delivered so that is why we are getting inquiries,” Trota said. At present, the company is already in the Middle East, North America and Asia. Trota said these areas have room for expansion and the company may finally make its debut in
Europe. “We are in China, Singapore, Vietnam so that particular area has room for expansion…Europe is still under penetrated but the clamour for Europe is there so hopefully, we can get there pretty soon,” Trota said. Among the company’s brands include Max’s, Pancake House, Yellow Cab and Teriyaki Boy. Last year, the company reported a net income of P561.74 million, up 12 percent. Trota said the growth from delivery has been growing double digit and is likely to continue growing, possibly at 20 to 30 percent growth. Sales rose 12 percent to P15.34 billion, bringing topline up 10 percent to P11.44 billion. Restaurant sales increased 10 percent to P9.42 billion as the company opened 77 new stores. Sales from online and delivery came in 24 percent higher at
P1.08 billion while commissary sales stood relatively flat at P1.26 billion owing to closures of certain franchised outlets. Of the 77 new stores that opened last year, 16 are located overseas. This brought the group’s total network count to 623 branches with 49 situated abroad. The company is on track to increase its outlets to 1,000 outlets by 2020. Offshore, MGI intends to put up over 140 stores in the coming years. Last year, it was able to secure eight development agreements for at least 80 stores across various geographies. Among the notable markets penetrated for 2016 include China and Singapore. MGI is pouring in P750 million to P800 million for capital expenditures this year, largely for the rollout of another 60 to 70 new stores for its core brands. n
Duterte appoints Cayetano, Año as heads... PAGE A1 t fore his departure to Cambodia. His announcement came a day after the one-year appointment ban on losing candidates in the May 2016 elections expired. “Dito sa (Here at) DFA, I remember I signed an appointment just before I left my room, I saw the name of Senator Cayetano. Itong hapon lang na ito (Just this afternoon),” Duterte said on Wednesday, May 10. Cayetano is replacing Undersecretary Enrique Manalo, who was assigned as the Acting Foreign Secretary after the Commission on Appointments (CA) rejected the ad interim appointment of Perfecto Yasay Jr. over citizenship issues. Cayetano, who was also Duterte’s defeated vice-presidential running mate, has often been seen joining the president in his foreign travels. Earlier this week, he co-led the Philippine delegation in defending the government’s drug war and human rights record before the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Duterte also revealed the appointment of Año, ending speculations that former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. would be the next interior secretary. Summoning the AFP chief, Duterte told the press: “You are now the facing the next DILG Secretary.” Año, a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1983, will retire from the military service this October. In picking Año as the new interior secretary, Duterte said he needed “somebody who knows the police by the fingertips of his hand.” Undersecretary Catalino Cuy currently serves as the acting DILG chief after Duterte sacked former Secretary Ismael Sueno over corruption allegations. Earlier on Tuesday, May 9, Malacañang announced the appointment of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia as the DFA’s special envoy for intercultural dialogue. “As Special Envoy, his duties are basically to advise the gov-
ernment regarding inter-cultural dialogue issues and to make recommendations to the govt on how to advance PH interests as regards this issue,” DFA spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar told reporters. According to Bolivar, de Venecia’s new post is part of recognizing “his active role in promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue for many years.” De Venecia previously served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998, and from 2001 to 2008. Malacañang also announced the appointment of celebrity blogger Mocha Uson, who is notably a staunch supporter of Duterte, as the assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). On the other hand, former AFP chief of staff Roy Cimatu will replace Regina Paz “Gina” Lopez as Environment and Natural Resources secretary. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr, meanwhile, is named as the central bank’s next chief.
‘Excited’ Pacquiao starts training... PAGE A1 t “He trains hard at the gym and keeps himself in good shape even when there’s no fight. So, we expect him to be in tip-top shape during the scheduled fight,” Fernandez said. Pacquiao is training at Elorde Boxing Gym near the Mall of Asia commercial complex until May 31. Fernandez and Nonoy Neri are overseeing the initial phase of his training. Meanwhile, coach Freddie Roach is expected to arrive in the Philippines later this week. By the end of the month, Pacquiao said he’ll start training at his own Wildcard Boxing Gym in General Santos City until the third week of June. Despite being a heavy favorite, Pacquiao said that he’s not going to underestimate Horn. Pacquiao’s nine-week training schedule against Horn is apparently his longest since his match against to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015, during which he trained for more than two months.
Manny Pacquiao on Monday, May, 8 began his preparation for his WBO welterweight championship defense against Jeff Horn on July 2. Photo by Wendell Alinea
“Katunayan yan na (To be honest) I’m not taking this fight lightly as some sectors think I am,” Pacquiao said. “At hindi ko rin ina-underestimate and kalaban ko (And I am not underestimating my opponent).” Pacquiao, 38, has a record of 59-6-2 win-loss-draw. He won his last match via unanimous
decision and defended his WBO welterweight title against Jessie Vargas last year. On the other hand, 29-year-old Horn has a record of 16-0-1 and 11 KOs. The Philippine Congress will start its month-long break on June 1 and will resume its session on July 2. n
Duterte pushes for a drug-free... Tugade also assured the safety in the country for both local and when it used to be less than foreign investors. “One of the program[s] which 10 percent and consumer confidence used to be negative is program war against drugs number is now positive 14 per- and a lot of other things is to assure an environment of safety cent,” he added. Echoing Lopez, Philippine and security. So, on one hand Transportation Secretary Arthur you have no corruption, on
PAGE A2 t
the other [is] safe and secure,” Tugade said. He went on to say, “So, that’s we’re trying to do and that’s what the president is impressing all of us to do. So that the businessmen will be assured of a level playing field, of a safe and secure place of business.”
PH military, police assure Palawan...
PAGE A2 t
Now, with additional information, once verified, we will make the necessary announcement and necessary security measures if and when these are validated,” PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos told reporters. At the same time, the Mimaropa regional police office said it “even more stepped up on their
security measures” upon the issuance of the travel warning. “Likewise, maximum deployment of personnel in all tourist destinations, points of convergence and vital establishments is being observed to thwart any possible enemy attack and other nefarious activities by any criminal group,” the PRO added. Nonetheless, the PNP encour-
aged the public to “enjoy the summer,” citing its ongoing public safety campaign for the summer season “Oplan Ligtas SumVac (summer vacation).” The PRO also claimed that the Mimaropa region is “generally peaceful and both local and foreign tourists are safe to visit its beautiful tourist destinations.”
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A
PH delegation defends Duterte’s drug war in Geneva Cayetano questions Callamard’s fairness before UN
by Dana
SioSon AJPress
AMID international criticism, the Philippine government on Monday, May 8, defended its drug war and other policies before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. During the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the status of human rights record in the country, the Philippine delegation, co-lead by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, refuted the alleged existence of statesponsored killings of drug suspects and criminals in the country, asserting the government’s high regard for human rights and rule of law. Cayetano lamented how critics and the media’s supposed “alternative facts” and “fake news,” ruined the country’s image before the international community. “There is a deliberate attempt to include all homicides as statesponsored extrajudicial killings,” the senator argued, assailing reports that label deaths under investigation as part of Duterte’s drug war. “[Fake news] created a domino effect of the foreign media, picking up from news reports in the Philippines, which also alerted human rights groups, which are also getting the wrong information,” he explained. Cayetano clarified that for every 100 legitimate police operations, only five people were killed for supposedly resisting the police. He added that there are “more deaths due to police operations because law enforcers are now conducting operations every day.” “If only there was a less political, more unbiased and fair way of describing what is happening in the Philippines, we will be having a more constructive discussion rather than groups throwing alternative facts and fake news,” he said. While there may have been killings, “there can be no compromise on human rights and dignity of human life,” he said. The senator went on to say, “il-
legal drugs can easily destroy a whole generation… Unless we recognize the relationship of illegal drugs, especially crystal Meth or Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, to violent crimes and poverty, we will not understand the Philippine situation.” Citing the achievements of anti-illegal drugs campaign, Cayetano cited that 1.266 million pushers and users have surrendered, while 64,917 have been arrested. In its presentation of the country’s human rights-based development programs, Cayetano also affirmed government’s commitment “to real change, to peace and development and to addressing the problems of poverty and inequality.” Likewise, he reaffirmed the Duterte administration’s commitment to various international treaties ratified in the previous years. “The Duterte administration has vowed to integrate the human rights agenda in its development initiatives to protect all, especially the most vulnerable sectors, including but not limited to, the indigenous people, children, women, migrant workers, elderly, domestic workers, persons with disabilities, farmers, laborers and members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community,” Cayetano further added. The UPR aims to improve the human rights situations of its member states. The Philippines’ first and second UPR reviews took place in 2008 and 2012 respectively. ‘Rapporteurs must be factual and fair’ Cayetano also questioned the impartiality and fairness of Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard over her statements against Duterte’s drug war before the UN Human Rights Council. “Please look at the tweets and statements of this special rapporteur, your excellencies. If you were Filipino and you read these slides, would you think that the rapporteur is factual, is fair?” Cayetano asked.
The senator emphasized that it is essential for rapporteurs to “always appear to be” factual, fair and just. “The system of sending special rapporteurs has oftentimes been effective. But sometimes this could create more harm than good especially when human rights is politicized,” he said. In her recent criticisms against the Duterte administration’s drug campaign, Callamard warned that “ill-conceived drug policies” would not only fail to address the drug menace, but would also foster a “regime of impunity” that leads to fear and despair. Cayetano stressed that a dialogue is only effective when “there is mutual trust and respect and the aim is constructive engagement.” “As a general rule, engagement should not be adversarial,” he added. Duterte previously invited Callamard to come to the Philippines and investigate the claims. The invitation, however, comes with conditions: these include a public debate with Duterte and that the UN special rapporteur should take an oath to “confirm her intention to be truthful.” Callamard, however, rejected the conditions, saying these were inconsistent with the Special Rapporteur Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference for country visits. She also suggested having a joint press conference instead of public debate. Several UN-membering states—Bulgaria, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Peru—urged the Philippines to allow Callamard conduct an investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings in connection with the drug war without any conditions. Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Vatican City, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States have also expressed concern over the alleged summary executions. n
PRECIOUS AND RARE. A visitor inspects one of the rare tomes on display at the University of Santo Tomas’ ‘Semper Lumina’ exhibit and launching at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong. Titled “Semper Lumina” (“Always the Light”), the event showcased vast treasures found at the UST Miguel de Benavides Library and the Archivo de Santo Tomas. It was a follow up to “Lumina Pandit” (“Spreading the Light”), an exhibit of UST’s rare books during its 400th anniversary in 2011. ManilaTimes.net photo by Jamillah Sta. Rosa
US, PH launch first Balikatan under Duterte admin THE Philippines and United States formally launched their 12-day Balikatan war games on Monday, May 8. In its opening ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim underscored Balikatan as an “important military exercise” that has become a “meaningful embodiment of strong partnership” between the two countries. Balikatan, which literally means “shoulder to shoulder,” is considered the biggest military joint activity bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the U.S. “Balikatan is always a very important exercise. It is a very special and meaningful embodiment of our robust bilateral relationship and reflects not only our strong military partnership but also the deep friendship between our two peoples, mutually beneficial economic ties and very importantly our shared history and shared interest,” Kim said. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office in June last year, previously threatened to scrap military games with the U.S. amid his administration’s pivot to China and Russia.
While Duterte has been persuaded to continue joint exercises, adjustments, however were made upon his orders. This year’s Balikatan, the first bilateral exercise under the Duterte administration, involves only 2,600 American soldiers and 2,800 of their Filipino counterparts—which is less than half the total of 12,000 participants in 2015. The two militaries will also focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) and fighting terrorism instead of the usual boosting of maritime defense capabilities, particularly in South China. Despite the scaled down Balikatan exercise, both its U.S. and Philippine directors expressed the mutual importance of the military exchange and are still expecting a “very productive” outcome this year. “We’re looking forward to a very productive 33rd Balikatan Exercises and this year’s themes were discussed and will touch on the humanitarian and disaster relief and counterterrorism. And so we are looking forward to a great couple of weeks,” Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, U.S. co-director for Balikatan. Nicholson also remarked
that working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is a privilege for U.S. troops. “So whether it’s during other exercises, whether it’s Balikatan, whether it’s smaller individual efforts, when we get a chance to train with the AFP that’s great for us’” Nicholson said. AFP chief General Eduardo Año also underscored the mutual benefits of the exercises, citing the two countries’ long history of cooperation. “Our armed forces have continuously shared ordeals that have strengthened our bond. It is an avenue for us to enhance cooperation between our military forces and an opportunity to test and validate our forces’ inter-operability,” Año said. While this year’s Balikatan just commenced, Lt. Gen. Oscar Lactao, Philippine codirector for the Balikatan, revealed that plans for next year’s drills are already being discussed. “The planning exercise for Balikatan ’18 is already being discussed,” Lactao said, without further elaboration. Lactao also expressed confidence that this year’s Balikatan would be “a very successful exercise.” (AJPress)
A MAY 12-18, 2017 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
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OpiniOn
Features
The PDAF queen is back AFTER managing to stay under the radar while being incarcerated for one of the biggest scandals in Philippine politics, pork barrel or Philippine Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is back under intense media scrutiny. Napoles, who is currently detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City since 2015, was recently acquitted by the Court of Appeals in the illegal detention case filed by whistleblower Benhur Luy. However, the PDAF queen will remain behind bars while still facing the string of non-bailable plunder and graft cases charged against her by the Sandiganbayan. In its decision to reverse the 2015 ruling which sentenced Napoles to life imprisonment, the Court of Appeals’ 12 Division said that the evidence presented by the prosecutors were “grossly insufficient to sustain a conviction” and falls below the required proof of crime beyond reasonable doubt. After her recent legal victory, Napoles is now being considered as a state witness in the government’s planned reinvestigation of the multibillionpeso controversy. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II revealed that his team is already planning to meet with Napoles to review the PDAF cases. “She should have knowledge of everything because it all came from her. If what she would say will be coupled with documents, then there is no reason why she should not be credible,” Aguirre
explained. If she becomes a state witness, Napoles is not only guaranteed government protection, she would also be free from all the charges that had been filed against her. Malacañang assured that there has been no policy shift with regard to the PDAF scam and that Napoles will not be used to persecute the current administration’s opponents. “The Duterte administration has never, will never and can never enter into sweetheart deals. It’s very strict on the observance of the rule of law and following constitutional due process,” presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo told reporters. As one can recall, at the heat of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s investigation into the alleged misuse of public funds in November 2013, Napoles had the perfect opportunity to implicate more personalities into the PDAF scam when the Senate threw her to the deep end, with hard-hitting questions to reveal the truth on her alleged collusion with lawmakers and other government officials to funnel huge sums from the PDAF. Instead of spilling the beans, Napoles stuck to her legal strategy by continuously invoking her right against self-incrimination and remaining tight-lipped throughout the grilling session.
Editorial
ManilaTimes.net photo
Now that she is given a second chance, will truth afford Napoles the constitutional protections she wants? Will she be a valuable asset in revealing more truth—and justice at the end of this pork barrel saga?
From here on out, the Philippine government and its members stand in a parlous position. Every riveting detail of the pork barrel saga will further bring consciousness to the nation that has been subjected to this hullabaloo. (AJPress)
The ‘war on drugs’: Saying too much is saying nothing
Street Talk gReg b. Macabenta SOCIAL media have been abuzz over a tweet attributed to Dr. Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who was recently in Manila as a keynote speaker at a forum organized by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). The controversial tweet reads: “@AgnesCallamard - Prof Carl Hart: No evidence Shabu leads to violence or brain damage. #Philippines drug policy forum” It should be clarified that the “Dr.” attached to Callamard’s name has nothing to do with being a medical specialist or psychiatrist. She has a PhD in Political Science, thus the “Dr.” appellation. Her official position in the UN is Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Wikipedia describes her as “an expert on a number of international and UN human rights initiatives.” No mention at all of any
expertise on the effects of drugs like shabu on people. Of course, Callamard didn’t claim that the tweeted opinion was hers, but if she has any understanding of the dynamics of communications, she should have known that quoting a third person’s opinion could be misunderstood as endorsing it. Not surprisingly, that led people to assume that the opinion was her own. Callamard’s tweet on shabu reminds me of a screening in California of a movie that had Manny Pacquiao in the lead role. Having been invited to the event, I was asked what I thought of Pacquiao’s performance. My response: “As an actor, Manny Pacquiao is an excellent boxer.” I was too polite to suggest that he should not quit his day job. With due respect to Callamard, she should have limited her social media postings to the subject of ”extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions”—conceivably, her area of expertise. In advertising, there is an axiom: Saying too much is saying
nothing. By making that needless tweet, Callamard shifted the discussion to her debatable familiarity with the effects of shabu, and away from the very serious problem of extra-judicial killings. I’m guessing that Philippine Ambassador to the UN, Teddy Boy Locsin, welcomed Callamard’s tweet, because it gave him respite from a defensive and indefensible position at the UN. He must have relished calling Callamard an “idiot” and, by extension, implying that she had been dispatched to the Philippines by fellow idiots in the UN. I have one more point to make, and this is on the opinion of Prof. Carl Hart that there is “no evidence shabu leads to violence or brain damage” and his findings that “85-90 per cent of people who used illegal drugs do not become addicted.” Has Hart tried to play Russian Roulette? Cocking a six-shooter with only one bullet loaded means that the odds are fiveto-one that he will not blow his brains out. But will he take that chance? At any rate, all of these innu-
endoes unnecessarily draw attention away from the real issue at hand. Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. No amount of legalistic somersaults by the apologists of President Rodrigo Duterte and no amount of childish namecalling by his die-hard fans can justify the number of questionable killings perpetrated during Duterte’s first year in office. Like Callamard, Duterte’s apologists have been saying too much and really saying nothing. They have made a big thing of the “inconsistency” in the number of deaths reported, ranging from 3,000 to 8,000. And they have pointed to Singapore’s harsh anti-drug policy – death by hanging - to justify the killings. Note, however, that there were only 259 drug-related executions in Singapore from 1991 to 2017 or a period of 26 years, according to statistics compiled by Amnesty International. Pray tell, is there any comparison with Duterte’s thousands in only one year? Indeed, Singapore has been unforgiving in its campaign
against drugs, but in a March 2017 speech, Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam asserted: “The death penalty is applied only and strictly in the context of an unwavering commitment to the rule of law. In fact, you could argue that a prerequisite is an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, resting on a strong and independent judiciary. There must be fair and transparent laws and due process… Capital punishment is carried out only after due judicial process and in accordance with the law.” Even Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, known to also take a hardline against the drug menace, has expressed reservations about a “shoot on sight” policy: “If it was allowed by law then I would order the National Police and the BNN [National Narcotics Agency] chief to do so, but luckily it is not.” Can Duterte and his Chief of Executioners, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa say as much? Have the police killed alleged drug users or pushers “in the context of an unwavering
commitment to the rule of law” as Singapore insists it does, and “only after due judicial process and in accordance with the law”? Are people supposed to believe that everyone killed in the course of a drug raid “resisted arrest” and “tried to draw their guns” at the police? Are people supposed to believe that this was what happened when Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa and a cell companion, Raul Yap, were shot in cold blood inside their jail cell by elements of the PNP? Can Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin and Duterte apologist Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano attribute to “due process” the killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo inside Camp Crame, near the office of De la Rosa, after a “tokhang” raid? Is it humane for Duterte to dismiss the deaths of young children, in the course of drugrelated shootings, as “collateral damage” Are people supposed to believe that the PNP has absolutely nothing to do with the thousands
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CHR head Gascon now the biggest threat to human rights
Commentary
RigobeRto tiglao IRONIC as it may seem, it is Jose “Chito” Gascon, the Commission on Human Rights chairman that President Benigno Aquino 3rd appointed in June 2015, who has emerged as the biggest stumbling block to the development of institutions and a political culture that would defend human rights in this country. I base this conclusion on the following arguments: Gascon, the last straggler of the Yellow Party still in government, has politicized the issue of human rights in the Philippines, and has transformed it into a propaganda weapon against President Duterte. He is the very first CHR chairman since the agency’s establishment in 1987 to do so, to have adopted an openly belligerent stance against the incumbent administration. • As such, Gascon’s thrust and activities since Duterte took power hasn’t been to build up the institutions necessary to propagate a culture of respect for hu-
man rights. It has been to paint this administration as a wanton violator of human rights, mainly by convincing foreign bodies to believe so. His real agenda is to convince Filipinos to rise up against Duterte and restore Yellow rule. • Gascon and the CHR he leads now have therefore lost their credibility as human rights (HR) champions, with their accusations of HR violations received with such suspicion and cynicism, that little has been done to develop respect for human rights in the country, and to instill fear in those who would violate such rights. Because of his politicized stance, Gascon has been unable to get the cooperation from other government agencies, to the detriment of human rights in the country. Every time I see a photo of Gascon, I can see either former President Aquino 3rd or Mar Roxas or Sen. Franklin Drilon at his back as ghosts whispering to him, how to hit the government. Gascon is, as it were, the Liberal Party’s remaining ranking cadre still ensconced in a government agency with a budget of P500 million yearly, and which has been paying him P4 million
annually. (His salary grade of 31 is just two notches lower than the President’s 33.) He was the executive director of the Liberal Party’s think tank, the National Institute for Policy Studies, the director general of the Liberal Party from 2008 to 2011, and the political director of its 2010 electoral campaign. After that, he was at Aquino’s beck and call in the Office of the President at the same time that he was a board member of the Bases Conversion Development Authority. As Yellow as can be In short, Gascon is as Yellow as can be, and the Yellow Cult’s big hope of killing Duterte with a thousand human-rights-violations cuts. Not only has his party loyalty determined his stance and actions. Gascon has that kind of Manichaean and messianic world view so typical of activists who went against Marcos only when it was clear the dictatorship would be collapsing. As Marcos was the Evil Lord he helped defeat, Duterte is now for Gascon the Dark King he will overthrow, as he practically stated in his oh-so melodramatic speech at the CHR’s recent an-
niversary: “We have entered a period of darkness, the sun is gone, night has fallen. Although we are a tropical country, winter has come. It is in this period of darkness that we shall all be tested as we fight for human rights. “ This is a guy who must have watched too many Game of Thrones episodes, or think of himself as the Aragorn who would defeat the Dark Lord Saruman. That line “night has fallen”, if you will remember, was exactly the headline of Time magazine cover story that was one of the first hatchet jobs abasing Duterte. My sources have informed me it is Gascon himself who has been feeding the foreign and a section of the local press, mainly the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler (both of which have had puff pieces on him), with material they could use to portray government as waging a ruthless war against illegal drugs and grossly violating Filipinos’ human rights. Gascon also teamed up with the Free Legal Aid Group (FLAG) lawyers to assist former Davao police officer Arturo Lascañas in his campaign to claim
that Duterte himself participated in the Davao Death Squad. One can’t underestimate Gascon’s skill in conspiracies: He was the Liberal Party operator that plotted the breakaway from former President Gloria Arroyo of the traitorous Hyatt 10 which, if not for that President’s grit would have meant the collapse of her government. Gascon and Callamard It was Gascon who invited UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to give a speech at the CHR’s anniversary event. Callamard has been so obnoxiously critical of the country’s war against drugs there is a tsunami of outrage against her. It was even the CHR that paid Callamard’s air fare and five-star accommodation. One demonstration of Gascon’s propaganda expertise was when his staff brought media to a cell in a precinct in Tondo which was blown up to be portrayed as “secret cells”. The connotation of course was that since the detainees were concealed, they would be executed soon. The “raid” was undertaken in the evening when it would be dark outside the window, which therefore made it appear
closed, necessary for such a cell to be kept secret. Daytime photos of the cell though show a huge window with bars. And that operation was timed during the Asean Summit. Such an issue of course wasn’t new, as the nation has been shocked in the past several months by photos of horrific overcrowding in jails not only in Manila but in Cebu City. But if Gascon was authentically concerned about this, he could have asked his staff to prepare a detailed study on how much there is of such overcrowding, and propose a plan to be submitted to Congress which can fund the building of more jails. The task of creating institutions and a political culture that upholds the rights of each individual is a daunting and really tedious one, which took the West generations to achieve. Who wouldn’t want such respect for human rights? But this cannot be done in the way Gascon assumes that Duterte has adopted a state policy of violating human rights, so that his response would be to discredit him so much he would be toppled, to be replaced by
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY12-18 2017
A
Mocha Uson to defend Duterte against misinformation in media by LeiLa
B. SaLaverria, Nikko DizoN & PochoLo coNcePcioN Inquirer.net
IN what could be further proof that change has indeed come under the Duterte administration, former bold starlet and entertainer Mocha Uson was appointed assistant communications secretary on Tuesday, May 12, and was put in charge of fighting fake news, something she had been accused of propagating on her blog. In a post on her Facebook page, Uson said she would focus on using social media to bring the Duterte administration closer to the Filipino people, and to fight bogus news. “It’s time for us to stop relying on the wrong reports from some mainstream media, and to strengthen social media with the help of true members of the DDS (Die-hard Duterte Supporters). Because we are the media of Tatay Digong,” she said in her Mocha Uson Blog. Uson’s appointment— with a salary grade level of between SG 27 and 29 and a base pay of be-
tween P87,000 and P106,000— was met with disgust, outrage and mockery from several sectors, with the alternative account of the Armed Forces of the Philippines tweeting the strongest and most critical reaction. @AltTeamAFP described Uson as the “Queen of Fake News in the Philippines,” and said “(t)he misinformation of the people is a threat to national security.” The alternative military Twitter account, which has almost 2,000 followers since it was created in March, also took a swipe at Uson’s huge compensation. In a press briefing on Wednesday shortly before he left for Cambodia, President Duterte defended the starlet known for her risque interaction with her mostly male audience in bar performances. “She’s bright, she’s articulate,” and should not be deprived of the “honors that she deserves,” Mr. Duterte said, adding that it was his turn to believe in the likes of Uson
Mocha Uson
after she and her group Mocha Girls campaigned for him for free. The President also said Uson’s past as a sexy performer did not render her unfit to work in the government. “There’s no law which says if you expose half your body with a shorts and bra, you are disMARCH VS DEATH BILL SET. Anti-death penalty advocates call for the junking of a bill restoring capital punishment at the Catholic Bishops’ qualified from being the President Conference of the Philippines headquarters in Manila. Various groups are organizing a march from Cagayan de Oro City that is expected of the Philippines,” Mr. Duterte to reach the Senate on March 19. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan added. As a Palace official, Uson will be in charge of social media and will UN, it may serve a good purpose be producing social media conto recall the preface (English tent, said presidential spokespertranslation) of Dr. Jose Rizal’s son Ernesto Abella. n ed as follows: “In Davao I used to Noli Me Tangere where he justiPAGE A6 t of killings attributed to “vigilan- do it personally. I’d go around in fied his frank exposure of the soDavao with a motorcycle, with a cial cancer afflicting his beloved tes”? Vice-President Leni Robredo big bike around (sic), and I would country: “Desiring thy welfare, which has been accused of “shaming just patrol the streets, looking for the Philippines” for her video trouble also. I was really look- is our own, and seeking the best On Tuesday, Alvarez told re- message to the 60thannual ing for a confrontation so I could treatment, I will do with thee porters that he has yet to decide meeting of the UN Commission kill.” what the ancients did with their whether to endorse either of the on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna in Did Robredo’s report to the sick, exposing them on the steps complaints. which she reported that “more UN shame the Philippines more of the temple so that everyone “I don’t want to just keep at- than 7,000 people (had) been than Duterte has done with his who came to invoke the Divinity tacking even when there’s no sub- killed in summary executions.” boasting about personally kill- might offer them a remedy. stance. So we are studying it. I’m “And to this end, I will strive to Robredo has been accused ing people and his assertion that not saying I will truly file. If there’s of “lying to the world.” But if “Hitler massacred three million reproduce thy condition faithfulsubstance, why not? Like I said be- she was lying about the killings, Jews…Now, there are 3 million ly, without discriminations; I will fore, if there is substance, and if it wouldn’t that make Duterte a liar drug addicts. ... I’d be happy to raise a part of the veil that covers can stand in an impeachment trial, too? After all, he is the one who slaughter them”? the evil, sacrificing to truth evthen it can be considered,” Alvarez has been bragging about filling As to the “shaming of the Phil- erything, even vanity itself, since, said. Manila Bay with dead bodies in ippines” ostensibly caused by as thy son, I am conscious that I The House speaker added that his war on drugs. Robredo and by those who have also suffer from thy defects and he also referred the complaints to In a December report by AFP brought the issue of extra-judi- weaknesses.” (gregmacabenta@ the justice committee “to evaluate News Agency, Duterte was quot- cial killings to the attention of the hotmail.com) whether it’s OK to endorse it.” “It would be hard it if it were just me,” he remarked. Robredo is facing possible impeachment raps for allegedly bedesks, as in the case of their human rights, Gascon should traying public trust when she sent PAGE A6 t women’s desks); working with resign as CHR head, before his a video message criticizing the a lover of human rights, who of Congress so it could pass the term ends in 2022. I’m sure with Philippine government’s war on course would be a Liberal Party laws necessary for human rights his talent, he can recoup elsedrugs before the United Nations. loyalist. (or just allocate a bigger budget where the P4 million he is getMarcos loyalists Oliver Lozano Such a task requires pains- to build proper jails); and most ting from the agency. If he deand Melchor Chavez filed the first taking work outside the glare of importantly, the rigorous investi- cides to be kapit-tuko, to use that complaint against Robredo in news media. Among these: work- gation and prosecution of cases Filipino term, I hope the other March, while the group ‘Impeach ing with the police to undertake of human rights violations as a four commissioners and even the Leni Movement,’ led by law pro- continuous education on the deterrent. CHR staff revolt against this Yelfessor Bruce Rivera, tried to file importance of human rights; the But that won’t seem to be glo- low straggler. an impeachment rap last week but strengthening of the police in- rious enough tasks for Gascon. Duterte I’m sure can find many failed to secure an endorsement ternal affairs offices (or even the If he still has an ember of pa- Filipinos with a real concern for from any lawmaker. n establishment of human rights triotism and has real concern for human rights. (ManilaTimes.net)
The ‘war on drugs’...
SWS: Robredo’s trust rating declines by DaNa
SioSoN AJPress
PHILIPPINE Vice President Leni Robredo’s trust rating suffered a steep decline in the first quarter of the year, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. According to the results of the survey, which was released on Tuesday, May 9, the vice president’s net ratings plunged by 15 points lower than her previous 45 percent net trust rating in December 2016. Figures from the poll show that 55 percent of Filipinos have “much trust” for the Vice President, while 25 percent have “little trust.” The remaining 20 percent are undecided. The poll, with an error margin of plus or minus three, was conducted using face-to-face interviews with a total of 1,200 respondents nationwide from March 15 to 20. Despite the drop in score, Robredo’s camp said that the survey results show that many Filipinos still trust the vice president. “We are grateful for the continued show of trust in Vice President Leni Robredo reflected in the recent SWS Trust Rating survey re-
sults,” Georgina Hernandez, the vice president’s spokesperson, said. She added, “We are encouraged by the results of this survey which covers the period from December 2016 to March 2017 — the first three months that VP Leni began work outside of Cabinet, and focused all her efforts on Angat Buhay, the Office of the Vice President’s Anti-Poverty initiative.” Robredo suffered the biggest loss in Mindanao where her trust rating fell down by 32 points — from 52 percent last quarter to 20 percent, downgrading from “very good” to “moderate.” In Metro Manila, her ratings also dropped to “moderate” after scoring 20 percent, which is 10 points below the “good” 30 percent in the December poll. While Robredo’s trust remained “very good” in Visayas and Balance Luzon, both areas’ score decreased by 10 points—scoring 40 percent and 33 percent respectively this year. Impeachment case House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he is still making a careful review of the two impeachment raps against Robredo.
CHR head Gascon now the biggest...
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Single moms in their multi-tasking, complicated world:
The sTruggles and joys of doing iT alone by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe/aJPress
ONE of my very close friends is a single mother. After a failed marriage, she had an affair with a married man and unexpectedly got pregnant. I didn’t know about the affair — or her pregnancy, until I saw her seven months on the way, during a party. She told me about what happened, how the father of her unborn child at that time didn’t want any kind of scandal, and how she felt alone. She had to give up her job to downplay rumors, and had to depend on help from her siblings. When she gave birth to her son, I saw how she struggled to raise him alone, with no support from the biological father. But I also saw how her strength grew, and how the love for her son made life have meaning. Today, her son is in college, doing well. Being a parent is tough. Although I have no children, I have seen my parents, brothers and friends go through parenthood and all of its perils. Having both parents doesn’t make it easy, so just imagine how it would be for a single mother. There’s having to raise your kid (or kids) by yourself, trying to put food on the table (especially when there is no support from their father), helping with schoolwork, being there when your kids are sick, etc. Then there’s the shame and judgment from other people. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re the best mother in the world, as some are quick to judge. This Mother’s Day as we celebrate all our moms/inays/ nanays, we also put our focus on single mothers — whether it is their choice or not. Fritzie Marie Pascua Umali, 40-something: “There might be struggles in raising your kids alone but you’re not alone and eventually as time pass by, you’d look back and say, ‘I did it alone.’” Fritzie Marie Pascua Umali has been separated from her husband for 17 years. Although their two children — daughter Tritzie Samanta Marie (21) and son Marvin Nicklaus (20) — were still very young when they split, Umali shared that they knew the situation. “...They would ask questions on whether or not their father really loved them (or me), or if they would be living in a separate house and who visits who,” Umali shared and continued, “I explained to them that their father wanted to go back to their parents’ house in the other city but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t love them anymore.”
An online English coach and freelance events organizer in Manila, Umali faced the task of raising her kids alone. For her, however, the greatest challenge is that she has to be both parents — father and mother — at the same time. “I face this challenge, head on, and thinking that I would be able to do it even if I am alone.” Another hurdle that she had to surpass was the misconception of people about single moms, and the mentality that the blame falls on them. “Most people think that single parents, most especially mothers, were just tossed aside when the kids came,” she said. “People would start to ask you ‘Why are you a single mom?,’ ‘Did you two do something accidentally and your partner regretted the consequences? (referring to the kids).’ ‘Is he not happy about this new life that’s why he left?’ The point is, for single parents, whether a mom or dad, the society’s weight is always on the women.” Margaret Fuentes, 50+ going old: “We were built to be mothers, we even mother people who don’t need it or deserve it.” Margaret Fuentes and her daughter, Angelique (Alex, who is now 27) moved to the United States almost 10 years ago not only had to face the challenges of being a new immigrant, but being a single mother as well. “I had to face the challenges of studies and tuition (Alex came here just in time for college), and building a career from scratch,” she said. “Income was bleak and expenses were over the roof.” According to Fuentes, her road to being a single mother is a complicated one. After migrating, she explained that Alex’s father became lonely and prompted him to fill his “void,” technically ending their relationship. “His filling his ‘void’ resulted to a baby half-brother for Alex, whom she never met and only heard about, and a wife and four stepkids here in California.” But in retrospect, she said, she actually considered herself a single mom from the beginning, as she made all the decisions, even when she and Alex’s dad were still together. “It was just like raising two kids instead of one.” She also shared that she was
too busy surviving and keeping her sanity to worry about what other people thought about single moms. “If I were on the outside looking in, I would say that others might say that it’s not plausible, but that is just their mindset. “We were built to be mothers. We even mother people who don’t need it or deserve it. Mothering comes naturally and there is no right and wrong, no manual but so many judges. “It is not a contest to win, it is a life to live. Its main goal is to nurture to bring up your children the best way you could to give them the strength to push on with their own lives. “It is a selfless act of giving life to another person and giving your life to that person without losing yourself and not expecting anything back.” Dulce Aysip, 50ish: “Learn to sit back, relax and enjoy your time with your child or children.” By choice — Dulce Aysip was sure about being a single mother even before she got pregnant with her son, Timothy, who is now 20. “It was my choice, because I wanted to have a child to adore and share my overflowing and unconditional love,” she said. Not going into details, Aysip also shared that she already explained to her son everything he needed to know about his father, with no doubt or fear. With her choice, came many challenges. “Making fair decisions, learning to trust my child (now that he’s almost and adult) and for my child to trust me, try to be emotionally and physically stable, and be a mother that my child could depend on,” Aysip said. She also added that she spends 99 percent of her time with Timothy when she’s not working. “The common misconception of people about single moms is that a child is meant to have a father no matter how hard a single mother plays both roles,” she said and then added, “Single moms should learn to sit back, relax and enjoy their child/children. Bring lots of love around your home for a peaceful ambiance.” Cherie Llorin, 43: “Happiness and love starts with me first before I can give that to my son.” It was a mutual decision for Cherie Llorin, a footwear product developer, and her husband to separate two years ago. In fact, they have an amicable relationship and are partners in taking care for their son, Rockwell, who is now seven years old. “My son was pretty young when we split (four years old). At that age, he didn’t know that it was a major life-changing event that Daddy didn’t live with us anymore. I just calmly explained that we didn’t live together anymore and he was okay with it,” Llorin said. “He does understand Fritzie Marie Pascua-Umali with her kids Tritzie Samantha Marie (left) and Marvin Nicklaus that we were married at one time, (right).
Ledy Almadin with daughters Elena and Ellie
Margaret Fuentes with daughter Alex
but doesn’t really ask too much about it.” The biggest challenge for her, however, is asking for help from others. “When I am in ‘Mom Mode,’ I feel the tendency of needing to do everything. I don’t want to be a burden to others, so I try to be ‘Super Mom’ and do everything myself,” she explained and continued, “But there are days that I cannot do it all, and I’m starting to realize it. I am learning to ask family and friends for help, and actually accepting their help when they offer it to me.” Llorin also shared that single moms can spend 99.9 percent of their time taking care of their child/children, plus deal with other things in their life such as work, bills, etc. Because of this, single mothers forget that they have needs and have to take care of themselves. “I felt unhappy and didn’t realize the reasons why. Once I reintroduced things I was passionate about into my life (i.e. dance and yoga) I felt a renewed spirit inside me. Whatever time I could manage, I would fit them in. I felt like I was being a better mother because I was happy inside and my son could feel it,” she said. “I feel more inspiring to him, because he sees me pursuing my passions and he in turn wants to do those things. He has a positive outlook, where as before (when we were still living with his dad), he seemed like he could not do anything. It is still a work in progress with him, but I see so many changes in him. Happiness and love starts with me first before I can give that to my son.” Her advice to other single moms is to take their time. “You won’t have all the answers right away. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ll figure it out one way or another. If you fail in your journey, acknowledge it and move on..” Jona Jane Tajonera, 47: “You can’t argue with stupid.” According to Jona Jane Tajonera, a businesswoman, one of the misconceptions of people about single moms is that they are “failures, losers, immoral” — or all. This, she said, is what makes her upset. “Someone asked me if I go to communion when I go to church, so I said, ‘Yes!’ And this person said, ‘You’re not suppose to do that because you’re a single mom, you’re divorced, it’s a sin.’ I didn’t argue because in my mind, I can’t argue with stupid,” she said. “Most men think that I carry huge baggage until they get to know me. Then either they think they hit a jackpot or they get intimidated by my status.” For Tajonera, it was a bitter journey to single motherhood. Divorced for 12 years now, her marriage crumbled when her ex-husband cheated on her. She was able to get full custody of her two children — Joshua Bailey, 19 and Jason Bailey, 14 — but did allow their father to take them on weekends. “It turned out he was not even around during those times and the kids were left with their stepmother. So, they stopped going there,” she explained. “Since they were still young when we got divorced, they don’t have a good relationship with their father and they don’t ask or look for him even on Father’s Day. “ Because she did get full custody, it was a challenge to be
Dulce Aysip with son Timothy
Cherie Llorin with son Rockwell
Jona Jane Tajonera with her sons Jason and Joshua
both father and mother to her kids. Balancing work while taking her sons to their sports and extra curricular activities was tiring, so she decided to start her own business. “I decided to start my own business so I can have more time with my kid and have a more flexible time. During the day I make sure it’s all about my kids and at night I worked late to catch up. It was hard but I was able to manage it because I saw my kids happier, and I am happier,” she shared. “Now that they are both teenagers, they don’t demand much of my time anymore but we still do activities together (I feel like I became their older sister).” She also believes that although single motherhood is hard, nothing is more important than giving her kids her love and time. “Those two (love and time) are the things money can’t buy, and they need it badly. I gave up a high-paying salary and started my own business because I want to be there for my boys. It was hard in the beginning, I struggled and made almost nothing, but with hard work, perseverance and faith, nothing is impossible. “Lastly, for single mothers, do not worry about what others will say because it is your life. Your children’s happiness comes first and then yours,” she said. “I wake up everyday and say, ‘Today is another day to be awesome.’” Leny Almadin, 49: “...Be honest to the children and
have that open communication for everyone’s healing process. Children are the ones that take it hard the most.” The greatest challenge about being a single mother according to Leny Almadin, an accountant, is not being able to give her children a conservative whole family environment. Having been divorce for a decade now, her daughters — Elena Velez (now 20) and Ellie Velez (19) — knew about the end of their parents’ marriage through open communication. “The change/transition was though, it took a few years to really settle in everyone’s system,” said Almadin. “Open communication and being honest with the kids is the big factor in the process.” Almadin also said that people have the misconception that single mothers are at fault when their marriages break down. Trying to keep the family whole may be a noble idea, but may not be the ideal answer. “...Divorce is probably the better choice to many,” she said and continued, “And it’s just part of life’s journey to get to the next chapter in many people’s lives.” Like she initially said, having open communication, especially with the children, is essential. “...Let them know everything is going to be okay. If possible, have that open communication with their father as well. Kids need that that relationship to make them feel whole.”
An Asian Journal
Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again. Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for
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The June 2017 priority dates
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY m AY 1 2 , 20 1 7
The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: Application Filing Date
FAMILY CATEGORY:
Visa Issuance Date
First Preference
Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)
Second Preference
(2A) Spouse and minor children (below April 8, 2016 21 years old) of green card holder
August 15, 2015
(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder
July 22, 2007
September 22, 2006
Third Preference
Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.
February 1, 1995
October 8, 1994
Fourth Preference
Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.
February 8, 1995
November 22, 1993
LABOR CERTIFICATION:
September 8, April 22, 2007 2006
Application Filing Date
Visa Issuance Date
Second Preference
Advanced Degree (Masters)
Current
Current
Third Preference
Professional/ Skilled Workers
July 1, 2014
May 1, 2013
Other Workers
Non-Skilled Workers
July 1, 2014
May 1, 2013
PROVISIONAL WAIVER FOR CREWMEN DISPELS THE FEAR IN GOING BACK TO MANILA FOR VISA PROCESSING — ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF ‘CITIZEN PINOY.’ Cindy was a crewman who jumped ship and had been a TNT for more than 10 years. After seeing a “Citizen Pinoy” episode about another crewman who also jumped ship, Cindy and U.S. citizen husband, Tom decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel about her chances of legalizing. Through Atty. Gurfinkel’s help, Cindy’s provisional was approved. She went back to the Philippines, was processed for her immigrant visa at the US Embassy in Manila, and returned to the US less than a month later as a legal permanent resident. Watch an encore episode on Provisional Waivers, which could benefit: (a) crewmen without 245(i): (b) those who entered the US without inspection(EWI) without 245(i); or (c) K-1 fiancees who did not marry their US petitioner, on “Citizen Pinoy” – this Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)
the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. *** 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 attorney-client 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)
Kris Aquino remains tight-lipped on Hollywood project by Deni Rose M. AfiniDAD-BeRnARDo Philstar.com
Actress, TV host, and upcoming Hollywood star Kris Aquino.
ACTrESS and TV host Kris Aquino did not affirm or deny her participation in the upcoming Hollywood film, “Crazy rich Asians,” being helmed by American studio outfit Warner Brothers. Following a recent press conference for antibacterial solution Fucidin, the media, including Philstar.com, quizzed Kris about her role in the Hollywood flick. “I don’t want to violate the
non-disclosure. Please, please! Allow me this one lang talaga to obey them. Thank you!” Kris pleaded the media. The actress declined to speak even about Mother’s Day or anything at all because she might slip. “Ayoko talaga, sorry! Baka mamis-interpret pa nila tapos bawiin. Gift na ni God eh!” she explained. Based on the funny novel of the same name by international
bestselling author Kevin Kwan, “Crazy rich Asians” follows the intersecting stories of heir apparent Nick Young and his cousins Eddie Cheng and Astrid Leong, a Singapore society darling, also known as “The Goddess.” A Warner Brothers’ announcement said the film will be shot entirely in Malaysia and Singapore and will feature an all-Asian cast, including Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Constance Wu, Chris Pang, Sonoya Mizuno,
Gemma Chan and Awkwafina. Kris will reportedly play the cameo role of a Brunei or Malaysian-born Asian princess. On April 16, Kris announced that she would fly to Los Angeles to sign a contract for a Hollywood movie. The actress said that the project has been a huge blessing after experiencing a year of rejections. Philstar.com is the first to report about the possibility of Kris being cast in “Crazy rich Asians.”
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On the PEP Front
People, Events, Places
PAFCOM crowns 27th anniversary beauties on May 13
BoBBy T. yalong EMPOWERED and motivated by the life-changing honor and prestige brought about by being crowned beauty queen, a great number of females are driven to take a shot in this fascinating social tradition of beauty, poise and grace that originated in European festivals during the medieval era where Georgiana Seymour (Duchess of Somerset was crowned Queen of Beauty in 1839. In America, entrepreneur Phineas Taylor Barnum established the first ever modern beauty pageant held in 1854 while the Filipinos celebrated it as a sacred event and part of their culture inherited from the Americans. In 1908 the Philippines held its first beauty pageant and dubbed the winner, Pura Villanueva (Kalaw), “Carnival Queen.” Beauty queens, since then, had consistently been associated with social events and celebrations and considered the attention-drawers and highlights of special occasions. PAFCOM (Philippine American Friendship Committee) has remarkably integrated beauty queens in its annual founding celebration. Seven equally deserving females are lined-up to be crowned 2017 PAFCOM Beauties during its 27th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 7:00 PM at the posh Grand Ballroom of Marriott Newark Liberty International Airport Hotel. Getting to know the 2017 PAFCOM Queens: Samantha Evangelista Damito – Bb. Pilipinas A third year student at NJIT majoring in Biomedical Engineering with concentration in Biomechanics and minor in Applied Mathematics, Samantha has participated in a great number
EMPLOYMENT
Victoria Ortega
of humanitarian voluntarism since 2012. An active member of the Filipinos in Newark Engineering Sociocultural Tradition (FINEST), she currently presides as Secretary of the association’s Executive Board. In private Samantha enjoys playing the piano and the guitar aside from reading, dancing, and enhancing her expertise in culinary art, drawing, and writing. Joy Rodriguez – Mutya Ng Silangan Pasig City, Philippinesborn Jocelyn “Joy” Rodriguez graduated with honors from UC College with a degree in Dental Technology where she was crowned Miss Dentistry. Currently she works as Executive Assistant at AIG, after having had administrative positions in IT, HR, and Legal Departments during the last eight years. Joy loves nature and the outdoors aside from traveling and exploring different cultures. Angie Dogillo Haboc – Mrs. PAFCOM A Bicolana (born in Casiguran, Sorsogon), Angie is the eldest among nine children of
Claramae Calvar Oliveira
businessman-politician Martin Haboc and Gloria Dogillo, both deceased. She earned her Bachelor in Nursing from Centro Escolar University and has gained enormous experiences as a Corporate Nurse from her various employments in the Philippines and the Middle East. Currently, Angie is affiliated with Bellevue Hospital Center’s Children Psychiatry Department in NYC. A dutiful mother of three, Angie loves to shop and travel, attending social and charity events, while her interest expand to Interior Designs and Ballroom Dancing. Kayla Marie Avanzado – Miss Liberty This sweet sixteener loves sports and a coxswain (a steerman of the boat) of Belleville crew since her Sophomore year. She steers while simultaneously coaches the rowers during training and race aside from being a Marching Band drum major and playing the saxophone. Despite her interest in culinary and consuming what she cooks and bakes, impressively this future
EMPLOYMENT
Rose P.Javier PAFCOM President
restaurateur capably maintains her figure and weight. Jessica Lynn Soriano – Miss PAFCOM A senior at Mother Seton Regional High School, Jessy’s involvement in the Filipino community commenced in 2013 as Little Miss NAFA and Miss New Jersey, A recipient of the title Seton Distinguished Scholar, the school’s highest scholarship award, Jessy is the President of the National Honor Society and an active member of the Science League. She works with autistic children in east Brunswick’s outreach program and gets involved in other service organizations including Towards Boundless Charities, Loaves of Fishes, and Habitat of Humanity. She hopes to pursue a career in Finance. Claramae Calvar Oliveira – Miss Teen PAFCOM Claramae is 14 years old and an 8th grader at Dolan Middle School in Stamford, Connecticut. A consistent honor student and exhibits unparalleled dynamism in school activities like volleyball, softball, cheerleading, and even
in worthwhile Filipino community events. Voluntarism keeps her on her toes having had assisted in serving breakfast during the 2016 PIDCI parade, soup kitchen organized by the Filipino Amateur League in Connecticut aside from reigning as Santacruzan queen and Little Miss and Master of the Karilagan Group. Victoria Ortega – Little Miss PAFCOM Victoria, Tory as her family and friends call her, is an only child of six years old and a first grader in Our Lady of Czestochowa in Jersey City. A Lego enthusiast, Tory has just completed building her Lego Friendly Amusement Park Roller Coaster Set which is made out of 1,200 pieces of tiny blocks. She spends time painting and drawing human and animal figures that made her excel in arts and crafts. While baking cup cakes and cookies is a perfect bonding moment with her mom. Tory loves accessories especially in silver and gold. At an early age she has traveled to Disneyworld, Mexico, the Philippines, Greece, UK, and France.
SERVICES
PAFCOM, after all these years, has constantly exhibited its unprecedented enthusiasm in the conceptualizing and exploring possible opportunities for the emergence of promising and deserving beauties (of all ages) aside from offering an unparalleled assemblage of talents during its cultural presentation. Under the headship of its current president, the indefatigable and energetic Rose Pantoja Javier, this year’s PAFCOM events are expected to surpass the past with her effectual leadership, optimistic ideas, well-supported and facilitated team, excellent persuasion abilities, and passionate dedication to her status as organization president. Incidentally, this writer would like to take the opportunity to thank Ness Bantog (@ nessbantog@gmail.com), PAFCOM’s official photographer, for furnishing the essential texts and photos of the beauty queens. For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@yahoo.com.
Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS DEPRESSION is a most significant risk factor in suicide. In today’s busy, impatient, materialistic, and fast-paced society, people are subjected to various stressors in life everyday. Encumbered by their personal circumstance, some are unable to adjust and cope, and develop depression. Suicide is a senseless option and a preventable alternative. What is depression? Depression is a state of emotion where the individual has some or all of the following senses, feelings, or moods: downhearted, unhappy, anxious, irritable, unable to concentrate, socially withdrawn, empty inside, has inordinate fatigue and reduced interest in activities which used to be fun, hopelessness, indecision, impaired sleep, misery, helplessness, confusion, monosyllabic speech or abnormally quiet. What is the prevalence of depression? In the United States, about 9 percent, or 28 million American adults “have feelings of hopelessness, despondency, and/or guilt that generate a diagnosis of depression,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three percent or 9.6 million of adults have major depression, a chronic and severe form of depression. In the Philippines, the rate is about 5.3 percent. Worldwide, the rate is between 2.6 percent to 29.5 percent, a pandemic, actually, according to an international study conducted by the World Health organization. In general, women are 70 percent more prone to develop depression, in part due to hormonal changes, especially during menstruation, after pregnancy, and menopause. In the past 50 years, the rate has catapulted from 3.33
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette aDeva Maglaya ONE man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Just for a little fun, go garage “sale-ing.” There aren’t as many in the summer season as there are in spring. Many old-timers have to deal with their stuff gathered over the years, a lot of which have long ago outlived their usefulness. For practical purposes, many just want to reclaim the spaces occupied by junk and clutter and re-use the space for some other purpose other than storage. Some simply want to make a few extra bucks. If you have too much stuff and would like to simply reclaim your breathing space or to get rid of what has become dust catchers, you can have fun clearing out your stuff and convert them to cash by becoming the seller. The pace could be faster than selling your stuff on ebay. Don’t just kibitz if you are a buyer. Enter the flow. Don’t forget to bring along a few kindred souls and some cash. A note of caution is in order. Garage “sale-ing” is one fun activity that can get out of hand if you let it. Particularly during tough times, a good number of people are becoming creative on how to stretch the dollar and are looking at garage sales, either to sell or to buy. Particularly for newly arrived immigrants or newly married couples starting a new life who are wary of getting into a whopping financial burden by going into debt at the outset, going to garage sales particularly in affluent areas might be an option. Cash remains king. With a little cash, you can go to garage sales, tag sales, estate sales, swap meets and thrift shops to find practically everything that you will need, and more besides, to set you up in your new place — practically for pennies on the dollar, at least during the beginning years, when you are conserving your resources to prep yourself for the big purchase decisions, e.g. like buying a car or a condo or house, when the time is right.You will be amazed at what you can find. Newer communities with yuppies as residents will have newer, modern, mass-produced plastic or vinyl stuff, the kind that you get at Ikea while older communities will have items
Depression is great risk factor in suicide
percent to 7.06 percent, from 1991 to 2002. The rate for the various types of depression in the United States are: Postpartum – 10 to 15 percent; SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) – 4 to 6 percent; Bipolar – 2.6 percent; Dysthymia (minor depression that lasts 2 years or longer) – 1.5 percent; Psychotic depression (most severe form) – 5 percent. Are there screening tests for depression? Yes, there are. Mental health specialists can administer preliminary tests such as the BDI (Beck Depression Inventory), or the HRS (Hamilton Rating Scale), which is composed of 20 questions to screen the patient. Today, computerized phone interviews are gaining effectivity as a screening tool. These tests are only a small part of the evaluation process, because the specialists have the symptoms of the patient and other criteria to aid them make the correct diagnosis. Don’t we all get depressed sometimes? To some degree, some situations in life trigger depression, and normal people develop a mild form of depression, which is transient, self-terminating, and not a disease. As long as the resultant symptoms are trivial and temporary, and do not debilitate the person, the condition is not clinical illness and does not need any medical treatment What foods relieve depression? Foods that are high in tryptophan, an amino acid involve in serotonin production, provide relief to some people with depression. Niacin (Vitamin B3), which is essential in the production of tryptophan, can be found in dried peas, beans, whole grains, dried fortified cereals, and especially in oily fishes like salmon and mackerel. It is reported that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oil may actually reduce
depression. PMS Escape, a high carbohydrate drink, was claimed to increase tryptophan level and would control the depression related to pre-menopausal syndrome has been found to have impurities by the FDA and subsequently withdrawn from the market. Calcium supplements and Vitamin B-12 have been reported to reduce pre-menstrual depression. Also, some studies showed that among depressed people who drink caffeinated beverages have a lower incidence of suicide, which seems to suggest that coffee or tea reduces depression. How about exercises? Believe it or not, physical exercises may be as effective as psychotherapy in the management of mild to moderate depression. Prolonged aerobic workouts lead to higher levels of serotonin, adrenalin, endorphins and dopamine in the brain (producing the popular term “runner’s high”). Physical exercises, brisk walking, ballroom dancing, yoga, tae-bo, etc. lead to better emotional health. As an extra bonus from physical exercises, weight loss and improved muscle tone lead to the sense of well-being and higher self-esteem. Those individuals with strong spiritual faiths have a relatively lower predisposition to depression. These people might benefit from meditation, yoga, and other techniques for obtaining spiritual security, inner peace and happiness. Severe depression needs medical treatment. Does depression play a role in suicides? Yes, very significantly. Depression is present in about 90 percent of the more than 40,000 suicides that take place in the United States annually, and for every two homicides, there are 3 suicides. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States overall and the second leading Continued on Page 6
On how not to become a pack rat “Why do we do it? Why do we encumber ourselves with possessions?.”
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Physical fitness & accident prevention services for Jersey City seniors launched IN the recent weeks, alarmed and compassionate citizens and community volunteers zeroed in on the prevailing health and common domestic predicaments of seniors whether in the confines of their own homes, in housing projects, or in various assisted living quarters. These inevitable physical condition and mishap issues triggered off their concern that duly stimulated the conceptualization of a program to diminish, if not totally eradicate, frequent falls and slips recurrently suffered by seniors. Through the initiative of Dr. Elizabeth Bulosan, a welldistinguished Jersey City-based Doctor of Physical Therapy, Seniors’ Fitness & Wellness Program was judiciously launched through the auspices of the Hudson RehabSpa. The said community project is a long-range accurate physicaloriented and precautionary orientation program aptly suited for seniors. “Our senior citizens, after having had enjoyed the prime of their youths, oftentimes became lackadaisical and unconcerned about their safety and well-being especially at this phase of their lives. Due to the weakening and decrease in physical performance, worsening health issues, deterioration of body balance, carelessness and negligence, and other related factors, domestic accidents, slips, and falls frequently occur,” Dr. Bulosan candidly uttered. “It is but appropriate and timely that we do something about these common accidents. It’s never too late! We can do our share for the benefit of our elders,” she suggested. “Since prevention is better than cure, then, why not provide them the necessary information to prolong their lives that they may ultimately enjoy the remaining years they have!” The Seniors’ Fitness & Wellness Program, a brainchild of Hudson RehabSpa’s Marketing Consultant Mike Florendo, an indefatigable and expert promotional strategist,
Elizabeth Bulosan, Dr. of Physical Therapy
primarily aims to promote healthy lifestyle, wellness initiatives, and safety options among senior citizens in the Jersey City areas while being able to saturate the most proximal senior centers to relentlessly augment the city’s patient populace. Dr. Bulosan, a PACCAL Achiever Awardee & Recipient of the JC-Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce Recognition trophy, added in conclusion: “Our inherent concern for our seniors’ health and unassisted daily activities pertinently encouraged us to offer a partnership with various Jersey City’s senior
housing facilities…that we may work hand in hand for the betterment of their physical condition and jointly function in ensuring and maintaining their healthy lifestyle.” This early, a number of Jersey City senior housing facilities have sought after the services of SFWP like Harborview Senior Apartments at Ocean Avenue, Battery View Senior Citizens Housing at Montgomery Street, Berry Gardens at Ocean Avenue, and Grace Senior Center along Erie Street, while a couple of facilities have shown interest in availing of the on-thehouse community service the group offers, Incidentally, the HRS-SFWP Team (Hudson RehabSpa-Seniors’ Fitness & Wellness Program) is composed of: Dr. Elizabeth Bulosan (Chief of Operations & Resource Speaker), Bobby T. Yalong (Team Leader), Gina Florendo (Logistics / Comptroller), community volunteer Patrick Geniu Yabut (Utilities / Technical), and Blanche Ramos and Sandra Escobido-Red (Home-based coordinators). For interested senior facilities and senior housing to avail of HRSSFWP’s community services please feel free to inquire or ask for more details and information at 201-9939344 or 201-300-5234 or 917-7410447.
Dr. Bulosan during one of her sessions.
— Alice Thomas Ellis from the past, perhaps still in working condition but in outdated styles. Unless those wily antique collectors and estate handlers beat you to estate liquidations as they most often will, if you’re lucky, you might stumble upon treasures or heirloom pieces that you only get to see on “Antiques Roadshow” ringing up unbelievable appraisals. Be warned. Appraisals are just benchmarks of value given as expert opinions, from which buyer and seller can begin negotiation and arrive at a purchase price, which can be higher or lower than appraisal value, depending on the motivation and time frame of both buyer and seller and the perceived intrinsic value of the item being sold. Simply because manufacturers are not making more of it, good handcrafted furniture pieces made from mahogany and other prized hardwood of over 100 years or porcelain ware, hold up their value comparatively well as sought-after prized antiques than disposable, ready-to-assemble furniture made from particle board and melamine mass produced in China. Still, there’s no accounting for taste and individual preferences. The younger ones prefer the sheen and gloss of lacquer or the spanking new, modern furniture of plastic, steel or formica over the patina of old, seasoned wood. Whatever your choice, dare to be different. Be creative. Immerse yourself in the books written about styles you would like to emulate. You can have your own style with very little money. Let your imagination and a little elbow grease help you create your own unique haven. The really creative ones do it on a shoestring budget and still have great fun along the way while earning themselves some bragging rights in creating treasures out of junk. Also, you’re doing your environmental bit by recycling. America is a consumer society and the amount of discarded things is simply staggering. Out with the old, in with the new. Every season brings new fashions and trends and since closet, basement and garage spaces are
limited (most times, bursting at the seams) and public storage units cost money, there is an endless round of garage sales going on in America, more so these days when money is tight for many households. You will find that a lot of items, specially for babies and younger children who outgrow their things pretty fast, look almost new and highly usable. Plates, silverware, kitchen items, small and big appliances, decor, furniture, framed art, clothes, videos, audio and video tapes and tools are the usual fare. Many items are still new and in their original packaging. Sometimes, there are genuine antiques or priceless works of art hidden in dust and grime. That’s when you hit paydirt. But such instances are few and far-between, so keep yourself grounded. There is no sales tax. Check your local community newspapers or go online for these weekend events. The early bird gets the early worm. The earlier you come during the day, the better the selection but the prices will be marked a tad higher unless the seller wants to seriously dispose of his merchandise fast and pack up early. The later in the day you come — from noon to early afternoon — the prices are cut drastically, practically at giveaway rates, but the selection is much less, with junk a-plenty. Learn to negotiate. Read Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.” In America, what you get is not what you deserve. Very often, it is what you negotiate. If you are uncomfortable with haggling and if you happen to be with someone who can dicker with the seller in a courteous, pleasant way, get him to do it for you. The key is to be respectful. Never disparage what is being sold in the transparent attempt to get a lower price. Many crafty buyers use this as a tactic and instead of getting a better price, all it does is irritate the seller. If you want a lower price on an item you like, ask politely, “Would you take less for this?” And then state the price you are Continued on Page 6
Ramona Munsayac, Diwa ng Kalayaan 2017
Jasmine Santa Cruz, Bituin ng Luzon 2017
Pearl Reyes, Bituin ng Visayas 2017
Leah Elizabeth Wong, Bituin ng Mindanao 2017 Photos by Boyet Loverita
15-year-old NJ beauty is PIDCI Diwa ng Kalayaan By Tambi
Wycoco Philstar.com
THE grand commemoration of the 119th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence in the New York region continued when the producers and directors of the annual celebration, the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), held the Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) Selection and Coronation Pageant and Gala last Saturday, May 6, 2017 at the plush Grand Ballroom of the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Fort Lee, New Jersey. A sellout crowd of the cream of the Filipino and Filipino–American communities of the Northeastern United States all dressed to their nines, the ladies in their posh ternos and the gentlemen in their formal Barong Tagalog were witness to the evening’s merrymaking and ceremonies. Towards the end of the evening, the judges picked 15-year-old Ramona Munsayac, a freshman at the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, an all-girls Catholic school in Milford, Connecticut as winner of the top, much-coveted title of Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence). As Diwa ng Kalayaan, Ramona will reign as Queen of all the festivities of the 119th Commemoration till its final commemorative event, the Philippine Independence Ball on the evening of Saturday, June 10, 2017. Ramona has four siblings, three sisters and a brother. She is the most recent immigrant among the
candidates, having come to New York only in 2014. Even as early as her Freshman year in High School, Ramona already has her sights set on being a Law graduate of Harvard University. Along with her grand prize of a round trip airline ticket to the Philippines, Ramona was also awarded a check for $500.00 donated by the volunteer community organization Alliance Of Manila and Philippine Islanders, for her “pocket money” when she takes her trip to the homeland. The check was handed to Ramona by Alliance president Tambi Wycoco. Other Alliance officers Boy Echavez, vice president, and Salve Stamatelaky, secretary, and Nanette Wright, treasurer, chipped in to bring the prize to $500.00. The Alliance of Manila and Philippine Islanders organization was organized some years ago at the instance of the then-Mayor of Manila Lito Atienza to promote Manila and the Philippine islands in terms of tourism, foreign investments, and economic development. The first runner up with the title of Bituin ng Luzon (Star of Luzon) was a 17-year-old Junior student of Forest Hills High School, Jasmine Santa Cruz, who is a grand champion in a black belt division of a major karate tournament. Among her many other talents is singing and for this she has performed at Carnegie Hall four years running. Jasmine and her two sisters and a brother and their parents Daniel and Marissa Santa Cruz make their home in Elmhurst ,
Queens, New York. Second runner up title of Bituin ng Visayas (Star of the Visayas) was won by Pearl Reyes, a Communications major at Kean University in New Jersey. As early as when she was only nine years old, Pearl already performed in a Philippine Independence Day celebration. Her love for singing, being able to sing in five languages, has garnered for her many awards and titles. In pursuing her love for singing she has auditioned for American Idol and the Voice, among other major singing contests. While she is majoring in Communications presently, Pearl wants to pursue a culinary arts degree and open a bakery or café in the future. The final title of the evening, the Bituin ng Mindanao (Star of Mindanao) was taken home by Leah Elizabeth Wong. A Senior in Mahwah High School, Leah turns 18 years old later this month. She is the daughter of Steven and Grace Wong who are blessed with two other children, older siblings of Leah. Leah is looking forward to graduating from High School and getting into the New Jersey Institute of Technology to major in Industrial Design. Leah won a second title of Hiyas ng Pilipinas (Jewel of the Philippines) for being the top fundraiser of the four candidates. And for this, she joins Diwa ng Kalayaan top title-winner Ramona Munsayac in being awarded a round trip airline ticket to the Philippines, donated by Philippine Airlines (PAL).
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pintô Manhattan Manila: 24-hour exhibition of contemporary philippine art
The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY m AY 1 2 , 20 1 7
Benefiting the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and The Pintô Art Museum Open on Monday, May 22 (8pm) until Tuesday, May 23 (8pm) Urban Zen, 711 Greenwich Street, New York City
MoMA presents A new Golden AGe: ConteMporAry philippine CineMA
Celebrating the diverse genres and styles of the third golden age of philippine cinema from 2000 to today CharaCterized by a prolific and dizzying array of genres and styles, the ongoing third Golden age of Philippine cinema is celebrated in MoMa’s extensive, unprecedented survey, a New Golden age, on view June 1 through 25 in the roy and Niuta titus theaters. the third Golden age of Philippine cinema spans from around 2000 to the present, following the first golden age, in the 1950s, and the second, from the 1970s to the early 1980s. the Philippines’ current wave of sustained creativity is unusual in its diversity of style, audacious formal experimentation, and vibrant spirit of adventure.
defying simple description, this variety of distinct cinematic statements makes it an exceptionally unique and largely unrecognized movement. MoMa highlights the stylistic mélange of the third Golden age with a wide-ranging selection of films—from the 2017 Sundance Special Jury award–winner Motherland (2017), which intimately explores the Manilabased busiest maternity hospital in the world, to the works of acclaimed champion of slow cinema Lav diaz and gripping thrillers by prolific newcomer ato Bautista. this cinematic wave is also typified by its raw reflection of the current political situation
in the Philippines—with MoMa’s selection including Brillante Mendoza’s Ma’ rosa (2016), which tracks the fate of petty drug dealers at the hands of a corrupt law enforcement system, and Clash (2009), whose plotline of a “strongman” city mayor who implements crime-fighting death squads mirrors headlinegrabbing stories coming out of the Philippines today. Filmmakers including ramona diaz, ato Bautista, Lav diaz, raya Martin, and isabel Sandoval will be present for post-screening discussions of their work. the exhibition is supported by the annual Film Fund.
depression is great risk factor... From Page 5 cause of death in the age group 10 to 34. according to CdC, 1.3 million adults attempted suicide in 2014. about 78 percent of them are men, more than 4 times the rate for women. depression lowers the mental threshold for selfdestruction. Do you have depression? if you do, it is most prudent to seek medical help, not necessarily psychotherapy. the first thing to do it to consult your family physician, who can help guide
you. With early proper medication and/or advice, depression in most cases can be managed effectively and eliminated faster than one can imagine. Physicians today have invaluable tools in their armamentarium for the diagnosis and treatment of depression. Many individuals with depression, who have sought medical care, are so “cured” with simple oral medications that they look, behave, function and live as normally and happily as anybody else, lost in the sea of anonymity.
*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com. And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event. To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice. The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.
NeW YOrk, NY – Pintô Manhattan Manila will exhibit works by more than 30 contemporary Philippine artists for 24 hours beginning at 8:00 PM on Monday, May 22, 2017 and continuing until 8:00 the following evening at Urban zen, 711 Greenwich Street (between Charles and West tenth Streets) New York City. the space will become a portal to the Philippines with special programming throughout the night featuring skype conversations between New York and Manila. the works will be sold to benefit the asian Cultural Council (aCC) ’s Philippines Program and the Pintô art Museum. artists exhibited include “three generations” of contemporary Philippine artists, including: 1st generation: Manuel Ocampo*, elmer Borlongan, Gil Batle, emmanuel Garibay, Mark Justiniani, antonio Leano, Joy Mallari. 2nd generation: ronald Ventura, José John Santos iii, kawayan de Guia, alfredo esquillo, Nona Garcia*, Gregory halili, riel hilario*, Geraldine Javier, erwin Leano, ian Quirante, Pam YanSantos. 3rd generation: Jigger Cruz, rodel tapaya Marina Cruz, raffy Napay, Leeroy New*, dexter Fernandez*, Winner Jumalon, Joven Mansit, Martha atienza, rG habulan, ryan Villamael, Jaypee Samson, reynaldo Samson, dexter Sy. *denotes aCC grantees this exhibition is curated by Federico de Vera in conjunction with Pintô’s founder dr. Joven Cuanang, the art historian Patrick Flores, and dr. Luca Parolari. Pintô international seeks to present Philippine contemporary art beyond the borders of asia in the manner envisioned by the philosophy of the Pintô art Museum, both via their online gallery, and with forthcoming exhibitions in Milan, Paris, and tokyo. the artists represented by Pintô cover the wide range of aesthetics unique to the Philippines. their styles include Surrealism, expressionism, Minimalism, Social realism and Conceptual art, all with an attention to identity and rootedness. their themes and subjects are both universal and product of the unique historical and cultural experience of being Filipino. Pintô art Museum is a private museum dedicated to the exhibition and study of Philippine contemporary art in antipolo, a pilgrimage site for the past four hundred years, 16 miles east of Manila. its name, Pintô, comes from the Filipino vernacular word for door or doorway and signifies the role of the institution as a threshold to aesthetic consciousness and
Self Portrait, Jigger Cruz
Artist: RG Habulan
cultural awareness. the museum’s philosophy is defined by its founder and patron, renowned Filipino neurologist and medical educator Joven Cuanang, who befriended local artists in the late 1980’s. his extensive collection was formally presented to the public with the opening of the museum in 2010. the collection features more than 200 works of sculpture, painting, and installations. initially begun to support the artists called the Salingpusa, the collection has grown to include subsequent generations of artists, largely those working in the figurative tradition. the museum buildings are designed by antonio Leaño, himself among the original group of young stalwarts whom dr. Cuanang supported. Surrounding the museum is a two-hectare complex known as Silangan Gardens, itself an ecological collection of plants and flora, and a sanctuary for birds and local fauna. the Museum also operates a gallery for contemporary Philippine art. the collection records cultural changes following the People Power revolution in 1986. highlighting this is a large canvas, “karnabal,” a collaborative work by the artists of the Salingpusa group, capturing the mood at the end of the Marcos regime, depicting the post-revolutionary period as a carnival. Works by artists including elmer Borlongan, emmanuel Garibay, Neil Manalo, Mark Justiniani, antonio Leano, Ferdinand Montemayor, and Jose John Santos iii reflect the challenges of empowerment in the 1990s. the collection also traces the figurative tradition in contemporary Philippine art to its roots in Spanish colonial and academic art of the 1800s by way of church art, and its influence on Modern art in the years before and following World War ii. Works in the collection illustrate how Filipino artists fused academic traditions with personal interpretations of international, but with a vigilance for their unique cultural identity. their themes and subjects appeal to the universal human condition, but expressed in
Artist: Ryan Villamael
on how not to become...
Artist: John Santos
the unique historical and cultural experience of being Filipino. For more information see: http://www. pintoart.com/about the asian Cultural Council works to advance international respect and understanding between people and cultures through transformative cultural exchange. aCC awards fellowship grants to artists and scholars in three categories of cross-cultural exchange: asia to the U.S., U.S. to asia, and inter-asia. to achieve the goal of enabling meaningful engagement, aCC develops programs specifically tailored to the needs and interests of each of its grant recipients. additionally, aCC fosters ongoing dialogue between and among its grantees and artists and scholars through a dynamic and robust network of individuals across disciplines and across the globe. the aCC supports its efforts by seeking funding from individuals, foundations, and corporations with an interest in and dedication to strengthening ties between the United States and the countries of asia. For more information see: http://www. asianculturalcouncil.org/
Artist: Pogs Samson
pathways in your home. avoid “plaque build-up” in the spaces of your home. expedite the flow of From Page 4 book or classroom can teach you. “chi” or life force by becoming a willing to pay. Very often, the seller above all, have fun garage minimalist. toss things out. will counter with a lower price and “sale-ing”. the joy of discovering Less is more. From a practical then you can proceed from there something that you need or want standpoint, you get back the with the price getting tossed back practically at a price of a song breathing space you had when and forth until you agree on the and a dance is part of the whole you first moved in to your empty final figure. experience. But as in all things abode. having less stuff also means Merchandise is sold on an “as good and bad, do this with balance possibly having more in your piggy is” basis and most of the time, is and moderation. if you become bank, that will allow you to have not returnable. Buyer, beware. obssessive-compulsive with better, more meaningful, fulfilling inspect closely. there are more even as trifling a thing as going life experiences at the right time. trustworthy sellers than there to garage sales as a matter of the ironic thing a recovering are hucksters. they will tell you if habit, you can become a pack rat. pack rat discovers about himself the item is working or if there is Curb the human tendency to be is that as he travels down life’s a crack or a flaw on it. if you are obsessive. highways and byways, it is so much uneasy about not being able to With time and as you more liberating and more fun to return things, buy the item new accumulate things, you will travel light, refusing to be bogged in a department store which will find yourself holding your own down by mere possessions. the usually take it back, if it is defective. garage sales because you have bonus is that one gets to journey there are no guarantees when encumbered yourself with too farther without stressing and you buy stuff at garage sales. You much stuff. Or you might find straining while loading up instead decide on the spot and there is no yourself renting storage spaces on life’s precious experiences. turning back — most of the time. for stuff that won’t fit in your in our final journey, the only if you want to hone and practice home. When this happens you’ve thing we might bring with us in your decision-making, buying and reached a dangerous tipping point. that big blue yonder, if alzheimer’s negotiating skills as an immigrant, the time has come to trim your doesn’t wreck our brains first, are this is one inexpensive (translate possessions down to size and take our MeMOrieS. that to cheap) way to go. it is also a back some of that breathing space Stuff, after all, is just stuff. lighthearted learning experience of you used to have. *** what people value and discard on Better yet, when you buy one Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP the material level and a personal thing, discipline yourself to get rid of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send and up close method of interacting of 2 items at the same time. it is comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ with people of various cultures no a feng shui principle to clear the asianjournalinc.com
Jodi Sta. Maria as a millennial mom
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY m AY 1 2 , 20 1 7
by Rosette Adel Philstar.com
Actress Jodi sta. Maria has revealed the best thing about being a mother. Mother to her 11-year-old only son, Panfilo “thirdy” Lacson III, Jodi admitted that being a mother is no easy task because of the several roles mothers play. Nonetheless, she said it is the most fulfilling. “You see, when you are a mom, you’re also a planner, you’re also a chef, you’re also the alarm clock, you’re also the teacher, you’re also the teacher, you’re also a counselor,” Jodi cited. At a blog conference on her comeback star cinema movie,“Dear Other self,” Jodi shared two best things about being a mother. “Yes, kumbaga mahirap man siya pero I think wala nang mas sasarap pa doon as feeling na nakikita mo na number one lumalaki ng tama yung anak mo, pangalawa is yung simpleng sabihan ka ng ‘Mommy, I love you’ parang ano ‘yun e parang ‘yun na lang ‘yung gusto mo marinig,” Jodi shared. “Parang magic word iyon na
Aubrey Miles and troy Montero: When are they going to tie knot?
What is the best thing about being a mother? Jodi Sta. Maria answers.
kahit sobrang pagod na pagod ka na sa dami ng responsibilidad na ginagawa mo sa life mo pero pag sinabi na na ‘I love you, Mommy’ parang napapawi talaga lahat,” she added. Jodi, who considers her motherhood the “most fulfilling” thing that happened to her, lauded all the mothers this coming Mothers’ Day. “It really takes a strong woman to become a mother, you have to have a backbone made of steel and a heart made of gold,” she described them.
On the other hand, Jodi’s costar in “Dear Other self,” Xian Lim, as a son, also said that a best thing about being a mother is their unconditional love. “Yung love na nabibigay ng mga nanay walang katumbas,” the actor said as he advised children to be kind and patient. Xian said that although mothers can get into our nerve, the love they give to their sons or daughters “is just so priceless.” the actor likewise greeted mothers in celebration of Mothers’ Day.
Christopher and Sandy’s daughter snags title on second try by IzA IglesIAs ManilaTimes.net
Maria angelica “Mariel” de Leon is definitely on her way to making a name outside her famous parents’ showbiz fame after winning the Binibining Pilipinas-international last april 30. The 23-year-old, 5’8” stunner is the daughter of veteran actors Christopher De Leon and Sandy andolong, and is a second-timer in the country’s premiere beauty contest. Her beauty undeniable, she also held her own at the allimportant question-and-answer portion when asked to name an activity perceived to be maleoriented, but which she can do just as well if not better than the opposite sex. She replied, “i think i can box better than males,” adding, “i believe i can do anything better than males because it isn’t about gender at all. it’s about your abilities, your strengths, your weaknesses and your confidence within yourself.
Mariel De Leon was joined by her proud family after being crowned Miss PhilippinesInternational 2017. In photo with Mariel are brother Gabriel, mother Sandy Andolong, father Christopher De Leon and sister Mica.
and with that, you can achieve anything.” With the Binibining Pilipinas-international title came a P500,000-contract from Binibining Pilipinas Charities, inc. (BPCi), a P500,000 endorsement contract, and complete wardrobe sponsorship from BPCi among other prizes. De Leon also snagged special awards, namely Miss Cream Silk and Best in Long Gown.
The mestiza beauty first tried her luck in Binibining Pilipinas in 2013, achieving a Top 15 finish under the guidance of talent management agency aces and Queens. in 2015, she signed up with Viva Entertainment as a member of singing group, The Opera Belles. according to her biography on the pageant’s website, de Leon finished high school at Southville international School,
ceLebrItIes Aubrey Miles and troy Montero have been together for over a decade, and ever since, people have been asking, “When are they going to tie the knot”? According to Aubrey, marriage, actually, never left her and troy’s mind. “Lagi naming napag-uusapan. It’s just that kung saan, kung dito or sa states,” she said. citizenship and whether she or troy and their sons should stay in Manila or in America are the usual problems they face whenever they hear the word “wedding,” especially now that she has businesses to look after in Manila. Whether or not wedding bells ring soon, Aubrey feels that she, troy, and their 16 and eight-year-old sons are officially a happy family. When asked if there is a chance for a third child, the actress quickly replied: “Oo naman! May fourth pa!” In fact, she said, they are going to try for a third one by the end of the year. As a mom she is strict, especially with her children’s sleeping time, cleanliness and treating people with politeness. she felt like she did not give her firstborn enough time, so she took a showbiz hiatus. “sobrang busy ko, kaya gusto kong bumawi. Kaya bumawi ako sa panganay ko at pati sa second son ko.” Now, Aubrey is back in the limelight, playing a lesbian opposite Mercedes cabral in a tV5 short film, “everlasting,” directed by brillante Mendoza. the movie tells the story of two and took up a culinary course in New Zealand where her eldest brother lives. asked in previous interviews why she decided to join Binibining Pilipinas again after four years, she replied, “it was this just this year when i realized that i should try [it]again. i was definitely inspired by Pia [Wurtzbach] and i felt something in my heart…like a spark that just went off.” Meanwhile, in an interview with aBS-CBN, which carried the delayed telecast of the
Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles
girls who fell in love at the backdrop of baguio’s Panagbenga Festival. According to Mendoza, “everlasting” is one of the many short films tV5 commissioned him to execute; each featuring a region’s culture, local festival, and stories of common people. Aubrey told Philstar.com that “everlasting” is her first lesbian flick, and she agreed to do it because there were no “girl-to-girl action” involved and everything that Mendoza asked for were done in good taste. “Direk brillante asks for a different acting style. He allows you to bring your true self. Unlike in a soap opera, you have to be a little exaggerated,” Aubrey shared. contrary to those who thought Mercedes has an attitude due to her squabble with film producer Lily Monteverde last year, Aubrey attested that cabral is easy to work with. In the film, she learned that baguio has a custom that loosely resembles same sex marriage. In the
Philippines, however, she admitted that “same sex marriage is hard to push because we’re catholic.” What did troy say about Aubrey playing a lesbian? “Ooh…exciting!” he told his girlfriend. besides “everlasting,” Aubrey also did a reality tV show for starWorld, “Four Girls And A bucket List,” together with celebrities from other countries. she also starred as Joseph Marco’s partner in the defunct Abs-cbN soap opera, “Pasion de Amor.” she confessed that as a sexy star, she is pressured to always stay in shape. Which is why even when she was pregnant, she continued to exercise. she said, she is lucky that troy and their kids are also into fitness. “troy told me, ‘I’m so happy na ikaw ‘yung girlfriend ko kasi, sabi n’ya, lagi s’yang na-pre-pressure sa’kin (mag-workout),” said Aubrey, who has been working out since her teens. (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)
pageant, de Leon’s famous father admitted he prayed hard for her daughter to win Binibining Pilipinas-international. Boyet, as he is fondly called in showbiz circles was quoted, “This is the most exciting time of my life. i am so proud of her. i’ve been dreaming of this. i’ve been wanting something really, really good for Mariel.” Meanwhile, her mom who was initially not very keen on the idea of de Leon joining the pageant again, joyfully exclaimed, “She’s a princess.
She’s our princess. Now she’s a queen. This is very special. This has been her dream. Second time na nga and finally, she won. She really prepared for this. Talagang determined,” she said. Given her parents’ all-out support, the dutiful daughter took a moment during her victory to acknowledge them: “Thank you nanay, tatay for all the love and support that you’ve given me since birth. i love you so much and this one’s for you,” she said.
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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY mAY12, 2017