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Duterte orders military: ‘Occupy all islands in West Philippine Sea’ by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

PresIDeNt rodrigo Duterte on thursday, April 4 ordered the Armed forces of the Philippines to occupy all islands being claimed by the country in the West Philippine sea (south China sea). speaking to reporters following a visit to a Palawan military camp, Duterte said he wanted to “maintain our jurisdiction” over the islands in the disputed waters. “I have ordered the Armed The military’s commander-in chief-flaunted his new combat uniform given to him as a token during the forces to occupy all. there 120th anniversary of the Philippine Army. Duterte’s are so many islands, I think common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña posted Tuesday nine or 10, put structures night, April 4 on her Facebook account her photo with there and the Philippine the President in full battledress.

USA

DATELINE ICE arrests two undocumented Filipinos in Pacific Northwest

flag,” Duterte said. “Let’s occupy all the unoccupied territories. this looks like a mad scramble for islands, and what’s ours now at least, let’s get it and make a strong point that it is ours,” he added. Duterte bared plans to go to Pag-Asa (thitu) Island on Independence Day, June 12, to raise the Philippine flag there. Pag-asa Island, the largest of those that make up the Kalayaan Island Group and the second largest in the whole of the spratlys, is a fifth-class municipality with about 300 residents and soldiers. the PAGE A2

ARMY DAY. President Rodrigo Duterte troops the line during the observance of the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio on Tuesday, April 4. ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

PH Catholic Church ready to collaborate with gov’t in addressing social issues by Dana

SioSon AJPress

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas

AmID spats over opposing views in drug war killings and reinstatement of death penalty, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed readiness to cooperate with the government in addressing social problems. In a television interview on tuesday, April 4, CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop socrates Villegas said leaders of the Catholic Church recently met with some of the Cabinet officials to discuss possible areas of cooperation. “We have made a breakthrough...We are exploring possibilities for collaboration such as working

Immigration groups, advocates hold workshop as a guide to undocumented Filipinos

tWo undocumented filipinos were among the 84 foreign nationals arrested by the United states Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICe) in late march for violating immigration laws or posing a public safety threat. In an effort to crackdown on undocumented immigrants with criminal records, ICe conducted a three-day operation in oregon, Washington and Alaska from march 25-27. of those arrested, 77 were men and 7 women. sixty had criminal histories “including prior by heather Domingo convictions for sex crimes, drug offenses, and AJPress domestic violence,” the agency said in a statement. foLLoWING the deportation of rey Galleon, PAGE A2 filipino-American community organizations like the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) in Los Angeles are urging undocumented filipinos to know their rights in the event they are approached by U.s. Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICe). Galleon, an undocumented filipino who had been living in san Bernardino, California for several years, was taken by ICe agents after dropping his daughter off at school on friday, march 17. he reportedly did not have a criminal record. the federal judge PWC said Galleon’s case was the first one it rein hawaii who halted ceived regarding an undocumented filipino being President Donald deported since President Donald trump took office trump’s revised travel in January. ban has extended his According to Galleon, ICe manipulated and coorder blocking the ex- erced him into signing a document, which was acecutive order. tually a ‘voluntary departure form.’ he was able to the judge, United persuade the officers to allow him to go back to his states District Court home to get clothes, which presented him the opJudge Derrick Watson, portunity to tell his wife to escape before the officers made the decision to could reach them as well. implement a longerhe then paid for a plane ticket himself and relasting halt on the turned to the Philippines. travel ban — which “he was a simple father trying to raise his famwas a revision on a ily in the U.s and not trying to get attention,” said first executive order Lolita Lledo, associate director of PWC, whom that was defeated by Galleon contacted through facebook messenger

Duterte supporters call for Robredo’s removal during ‘Palit Bise’ rally by Dana

SioSon AJPress

‘Know Your Rights’ urged after first Pinoy deported under Trump

Federal judge extends block on Trump’s travel ban

Judge Derrick Watson

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for the poor and empowering mindanao,” Villegas told ANC. he however, refused to name the officials present in the meeting. the CBCP has repeatedly condemned the supposed summary killings in relation to President rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, as well as the proposed reimposition of capital punishment in the country. Duterte, for his part, constantly hit back at his critics. At one point, he described the Church as the “most hypocritical institution” in the country. While admitting the Church and the government differ in some principles, Villegas stressed that difPAGE A2

Vice President Leni Robredo

thoUsANDs of supporters of Philippine President rodrigo Duterte gathered on sunday, April 2 at manila’s rizal Park calling for Vice President Leni robredo to step down from office. the rally, dubbed as “Palit Bise” (change the vice president), was reportedly led the president’s vocal supporters, including mocha

Uson, singer Jimmy Bondoc, and lawyer Bruce rivera. the rallyists, mostly clad in red shirts, slammed robredo for her remarks against some of Duterte’s policies, particularly her video message sent to the United Nations last month in which she criticized the administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. they also called on the president’s critics to stop shaming him. PAGE A4

Immigration to deploy 170 personnel to PH airports by William

B. DepaSupil ManilaTimes.net

the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is deploying an additional 170 immigration officers to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other international airports as a remedial measure to address the bureau’s manpower shortage that had resulted in queues before immigration counters. the additional immigration officers were picked up on Wednesday, April 5 from the BI main office in Intramuros, manila and other immigration field offices in various parts of the country. In a memorandum order, Immigration Commissioner Jaime morente directed SUBSTITUE. Cutout photos of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno are seen in place 150 immigration officers currently as- of immigration officers at the counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport signed at the bureau’s main office and on Tuesday, April 4. Many employees have resigned or refused to report to work over the non-payment of overtime hours. They are assailing Diokno for claiming Philstar.com photo Rudy Santos

PAGE A2 the amount sought is illegal.

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From the Front Page

Immigration to deploy 170 personnel... PAGE A1 field offices nationwide to immediately report to the NAIA and assist in processing of arriving and departing international travelers. The 20 other immigration officers, who originally were assigned to BI field offices in Pampanga, Davao, Aklan and Cebu, are to report to the airports in Clark (Pampanga), Davao (Davao

City), Kalibo (Aklan) and Mactan (Cebu) to augment the number of BI personnel assigned there. “With the fielding of these additional immigration officers, we are confident that those queues before our counters will be lessened so as not to inconvenience travelers who are going on vacation here and abroad for the Lenten season and Easter,” Mor-

ente said. The BI chief disclosed that he had ordered the cancelation of all approved leaves of Immigration employees during the month. Pending applications will also be disapproved, he said. Morente explained that the deployment to the airports is only temporary and that the affected employees will be recalled to their old units after the Lenten break. He conceded that the employees’ reassignment will cause a slight slowdown in operations of the offices that they will temporarily vacate. Professionalism, prudence “I appeal to our rank-and-file to remain patient and focused on their responsibilities as everything is being done to address their financial plight that resulted from the loss of their overtime pay,” Morente said. “We stand together in this quest for what is due and proper. We must continue to act with professionalism and prudence, strong and confident in the belief that justice will prevail,” he added. Earlier, Morente and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider the latter’s veto of the use of the BI’s express lane collections in paying the overtime services of the bureau’s organic personnel and the salaries of its contractual employees. They proposed that the overtime pay be temporarily reinstated until Congress enacts a new immigration law that will upgrade the salary scale of BI employees. Immigration employees also on Wednesday, April 5, in a twopage open letter addressed to the President, pleaded for retention of the express lane fund in the bureau to be utilized for their unpaid overtime. “Our dear President, without your help, about 1,000 of us or 40 percent of our workforce will automatically lose our jobs and will join the unemployed sector of our country. With a meager pay, the rest of us will wallow in poverty,” the letter read. It said, “Our families will suffer tremendously. We will have very limited resources to pay for our monthly bills and rents. We will PAGE A4

BOYS OF SUMMER Two boys have rollicking fun on a bike as Kadamay members cool their heels outside the government housing project in Pandi Heights III, Bulacan province. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, April 4 said he would give members of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Maralita (Kadamay) the government houses in Bulacan, and asked military and police personnel, supposed to be the original beneficiaries, to let go of the units. Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta

Duterte orders military: ‘Occupy... PAGE A1 island is located 480 kilometers off the coast of Palawan. The President also said he will change the name of Benham Rise—the 13-million-hectare undersea area off northeastern Luzon that was declared part of the country’s extended continental shelf by a United Nations body in 2012—to Philippine Ridge. “I will officially claim it as ours and rename it. I will call it Philippine Ridge,” he said. China grabbed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, a traditional fishing ground well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, following a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy. This forced the previous Aqui-

no administration to seek a ruling from a United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal in The Hague in the Netherlands, which ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016. The tribunal declared that Filipino fishermen are entitled to fishing rights at Panatag Shoal and that the Kalayaan Islands, as well as Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto (Reed) Bank, are all within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. China has repeatedly refused to recognize the ruling and continued to build structures in the South China Sea. It has built airstrips on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs.

Under Duterte, the Philippines warmed its relations with China, but the President has said he would invoke the tribunal ruling at some point in the future. Analysts warn that building on Panatag Shoal would radically change the situation since it is just 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Luzon. Outposts on the shoal would put Chinese jet fighters and missiles within easy striking distance of military bases in the Philippines, some of which could host American troops. The shoal also commands the northeast exit of the sea, so a Chinese military outpost there could stop other countries’ navies from using the waters.

ICE arrests two undocumented Filipinos... PAGE A1

Nineteen had been previously convicted of driving under the influence. Individuals targeted were “criminal aliens who pose a public safety threat and individuals who have violated our nation’s immigration laws, including those who re-entered the country after being deported and immigration fugitives ordered deported by federal immigration judges,” ICE explained. Bryan Wilcox, acting field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Seattle, said the threeday sweep highlights ICE’s “commitment to promoting public safety through the pursuit of targeted criminals residing in the U.S. illegally.” “Our officers will continue in their efforts to create safer

communities by identifying and removing those not willing to comply with U.S. laws,” Wilcox added. Some of the individuals arrested during the enforcement action will be presented for federal prosecution for re-entry after deportation, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, ICE said. However, those “not being criminal prosecuted will be processed for removal from the country,” while those who have outstanding orders of deportation or those who returned to the U.S. illegally after being previously deported are “subject to immediate removal from the country.” The identities of the two Filipinos and their convictions have not been released, as of press time. These arrests come after

Rey Galleon, an undocumented Filipino living in Southern California, was deported following an encounter with ICE agents earlier in March. Galleon, who reportedly did not have a criminal record, is considered to be the first Filipino deported under the Trump administration. In addition to the two Filipinos, nationals from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, United Kingdom, Cambodia, Brazil, Laos, Western Samoa, Myanmar, and Russia were also arrested in the Pacific Northwest. ICE said it carries out targeted enforcement operations daily across the country. “Those persons will be evaluated on a case by case basis and, when appropriate, arrested by ICE,” the agency added. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

Federal judge extends block on Trump’s... PAGE A1

a federal appeals court — just hours after hearing arguments on Wednesday, March 29. The revised travel ban was to temporarily restrict U.S. travel from six predominantly-Muslim countries and suspend the U.S. refugee program. Two weeks ago, the state of Hawaii sued to end the travel ban on the grounds that it violated the Constitution. The extension of the block will be in effect until the lawsuit is resolved; until then, the state sees this as a win for Muslim citizens in the United States after “repeated stops and starts of the last two months,” the state of Hawaii said in a statement. Watson’s reasoning to extend the block coincides with his decision to implement the block two weeks ago: a precedent from the Supreme Court that used Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims

during the presidential campaign to justify the unconstitutionality of the travel ban. “The court will not crawl into a corner, pull the shutters closed, and pretend it has not seen what it has,” Watson wrote in a statement on Wednesday. In his initial ruling that blocked the revised travel ban, Watson said that that the state of Hawaii displayed “a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their Establishment Clause claim, that irreparable injury is likely if the requested relief is not issued.” The Establishment Clause falls under the First Amendment and it prohibits the government from passing laws that favor one religion over another. Watson argued that the executive order, by banning travel from Muslim-majority nations, deliberately disfavors Muslims. In addition to allowing travel from the six Muslim countries

(Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen), Watson’s order also stops the suspension of the refugee program, a program orchestrated by the State Department which protects refugees coming to the U.S. and assists in adjustment to life in the U.S. In response to the ban, the Justice Department — on behalf of the Trump administration — asked the judge to narrow the ruling to involve only the part of the order that prohibits new visas for people in the banned countries. “The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the federal district court’s ruling. The President’s executive order fails squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our nation’s security, and the department will continue to defend this executive order in the courts,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department wrote in a statement. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

PH Catholic Church ready to collaborate...

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ferences should not hinder them from cooperating. “There are issues where we differ in principle, but we should not allow such differences to prevent us from cooperating on the bigger issues where we can collaborate,” Villegas said. He affirmed that the CBCP supports Duterte “on matters that are dear to the people,” citing peace making and alleviating poverty. He also assured the “full cooperation” of the Church on “everything that will benefit the people,” clarifying that the Church is not against Duterte himself but rather, “with the issue of killings” related to some of his administration’s policies. “We are not attacking the person of the president. We are not attacking the institution of the

police. But we’re dealing with the issue of killings and, related to that, is the seeming acceptance of that culture, that killing becomes something normal, something ordinary,” Villegas explained. He said the Church will maintain its stance against the killings: “You can’t tell us to stop talking when issues are so un-Christian and against our beliefs.” “We are afraid that if we keep quiet about the killings, the people will think that it is alright,” Villegas added. “Our children might grow up thinking killing is correct, or that there are some people exempted from the commandments.” Despite this, Villegas said that the two sides both agreed to “tone” down criticisms against each other. Malacañang, for its part, wel-

comed the CBCP’s statement over the possible cooperation with the government. In a statement on Thursday, April 6, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said CBCP’s openness in exploring avenues of collaboration with the Duterte administration is “a welcome change.” “It is a good reminder that power struggles between church and state belong to a dim dark past, and in a world that has evolved by leaps and bounds, it is imperative that all work together to put food on every table, no matter what beliefs one holds in private,” Abella added. He said Malacañang also “looks forward to [CBCP’s] help in treating drug dependents and restoring their mental, spiritual, and psycho-emotional health.”

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Filipina caregiver arrested for alleged grand theft from patients

‘PALIT-BISE.’ Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte demanded the resignation or impeachment of Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo during a rally at Rizal Park on Sunday, April 2, for supposedly besmirching the country’s reputation before the international community. Photo by Russell Palma / ManilaTimes

Duterte supporters call for Robredo’s...

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“To us, palit bise can mean three things. Some are saying palit bise means to impeach, some people say to resign. Some people say to change VP, meaning magbago kayo VP something like that. Whatever they choose among the options, we’re all united by one fact that the Vice President has not done [her] job in strengthening the administration,” Bondoc, an official for the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Duterte, meanwhile, was tightlipped when asked about the rally against the vice president. “Ayaw ko mag-comment diyan, mahirap ‘yan (I do not want to comment, that is difficult),” he told reporters during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City. The president previously expressed his opposition to any impeachment attempt against Robredo and told her critics to “lay off.” Robredo’s camp, on the other hand, downplayed the rally. In a statement, the vice president’s legal counsel lawyer Barry Gutierrez noted that Duterte

showed respect for Robredo’s mandate to serve in the country’s second-highest post. “Malinaw na batay sa huli nilang pagkikita, nakatutok ang Pangulo at Pangalawang Pangulo sa kani-kanilang trabaho. May kapwa paggalang sa mandato ng bawat isa (It was clear that based on their latest meeting, both the president and vice president are focused on their own jobs. They both respect each other’s mandate),” Gutierrez said. The country’s two top officials last met during the graduating ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on March 12 in Baguio City. “Kung sa kabila nito may iilang supporter ng Pangulo na nagpupumilit pa ring lumihis sa pasya niyang ito, siguro sa kanya sila dapat magpaliwanag (If, despite this, some of the President’s supporters still insist in contradicting his stance, then maybe they should explain it to him),” Gutierrez added. Despite the criticism, Robredo said she did not regret decrying the alleged human rights abuses in Duterte’s drug war before the UN.

In an earlier interview with radio DZMM on Tuesday, March 28, Robredo also said she was planning to meet with Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno after Holy Week to provide him details about “palit-ulo” or “exchange of head” scheme. Sueno, however, was removed from from his post as the DILG chief on Monday, April 3. In her video message, Robredo defined the alleged “exchange of head” as a police scheme in which “the wife, husband or relative in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.” While the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed the existence of the so-called “palit-ulo” (exchange of head) scheme in the government’s war against illegal drugs, insisted that it was far different from Vice Robredo’s definition. Police Chief General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa clarified that “exchange of head” refers to a practice wherein arrested drug pushers can reveal their supplier or higher drug lords in exchange of being charged with a lighter offense.

THE Palos Verdes Estates Police Department has arrested a Filipina caregiver suspected of stealing credit cards, cash and other personal belongings from elderly victims she cared for. Ma “Rose” Licuanan, 49, was arrested on Tuesday, March 28 after detectives obtained a warrant to search the Torrance woman’s home and car on March 21, according to a statement released by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department. Detectives discovered stolen credit cards and other belongings from various victims. Police allege that Licuanan “copied other credit card numbers so she could use them online. Fraudulent transactions were made on those credit card accounts.” Detectives spoke with five other victims who asserted that Licuanan was their caregiver and they had found “fraudulent transactions on their accounts and/or believe she stole cash from them,

the statement read. One victim, 78-year-old Lisa Alonzo, told CBS Los Angeles that she hired Licuanan to assist her in her mobility since injuring her leg in a car accident. However, Licuanan only worked for Alonzo for two days because she suspected that the caregiver stole $100 from her. “I just told her I just don’t want to work with you,” Alonzo told CBS. Soon after, Alonzo noticed nearly $900 worth of charges on her credit card that she didn’t make. Licuanan has been charged with four felony counts and two misdemeanor counts in this investigation by the LA County DA’s office. The suspect used a number of aliases including Rose Licuanan, Maria Licuanan, Marosario Mendoza Licuanan and Rosario Licuanan. Licuanan is currently held without bail. The Palos Verdes Estates Po-

Ma “Rose” Licuanan, a 49-year-old caregiver was arrested on Tuesday, March 28 for allegedly stealing credit cards, cash and other personal belongings from elderly patients she cared for in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department

lice Department was unavailable for a comment on this story. They encourage more victims to come forward by contacting Sgt. Luke Hellinga at (310) 378-4211. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Immigration to deploy 170 personnel... PAGE A2

face extreme difficulties in providing for the basic needs of our loved ones. Our children may not finish their education.” According to Red Mariñas, BI Port Operations Division chief at the NAIA, more than 3,000 BI officers are on leave as of February 17 this year, including front liners at the country’s premier airport. An airport official who requested anonymity said fear of mass resignation of Immigration officers will put the premier airport vulnerable to illegal entry of suspected terrorists who would take advantage of the lack of officers who are experts in profiling undesirable aliens. Vulnerable to terrorists The letter senders said, “Our airports, border-crossing stations in the South [Mindanao], field officers and sub-ports nationwide will be undermanned, or worse,

unmanned. There will be queues in the airports and other BI offices and our borders will be vulnerable to the terrorists. Because of these dangerous consequences, our national security might be compromised.” They noted that “the express lane system has been in place for almost 30 years now. It has been the source of ultimate compensation for the bureau’s personnel and only the passage of the new immigration act will answer the deficiencies that the express lane has effectively addressed.” DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier assured that a total of P224.835 million has been appropriated in Fiscal Year 2017 General Appropriations Act specifically for the overtime pay of BI employees. Mariñas, however, said the DBM is yet to release the over-

time pay and many employees mostly casual ones have opted to resign because they could no longer cover their expenses. The Department of Justice (DoJ) has already confirmed the legal basis for the utilization and disbursement by the bureau of the express lane fund. According to the DoJ, since there is a law that specifically exempts the collections for overtime service from provisions of Section 63 of Presidential Decree 1445, the express lane fund may not be remitted to the national treasury. Meanwhile, passengers of international flights are advised to be at NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 at least four to five hours before their respective estimated times of departure because of the lack of immigration personnel manning the BI counters there. (With Benjie Vergara)

Immigration groups, advocates hold workshop... PAGE A1 not long after he arrived in the Philippines. Galleon, who was a member of PWC until he moved from Los Angeles to San Bernardino, told Lledo he was unaware of how ICE found out his exact address. He was later joined by his wife and their two U.S.-born children a week later. Galleon’s story serves as an example of what the next four years may bring under the current administration. However, his story is also a lesson that other Filipinos can learn from. In response to this, a “Know Your Rights” training and workshop — hosted by the Association of Filipino Workers and ICE Out of LA Coalition — was held at PWC on Saturday, April 1. At the event, Emi MacLean, who is an attorney with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), discussed types of deportations and precautionary measures undocumented residents can take. She emphasized that ICE can raid communities, homes, jails, and workplaces; but cannot raid schools, hospitals, or places of worship. Vanessa Deleon from the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) also explained that undocumented workers who may have suggestive tattoos could get them a gang injunction or be placed on a database of suspected gang members, increasing their chances of deportation. Those with misdemeanors can qualify to have their charges expunged through YJC, she added. Although Trump has said in the past that his primary focus is to deport those with criminal records, speakers on Saturday argued that Galleon’s story proves otherwise and that the basis for deportation has become broader. “The Trump era brought a faster deportation process, a more regular use of immigration jails, and more raids in homes and work, and encouraged a better collaboration between the police department and ICE,” said MacLean. She also explained that even those with a green card are not entirely exempt so it is important to attend a legal clinics or workshops to be well-informed of one’s rights “I am not saying this to scare you. I am saying this because it shows we need to support one another, educate ourselves on our rights, and fight back,” she emphasized. Lledo also spoke out about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s stance that he would not ‘lift a single finger’ to help the undocumented Filipinos in the U.S. “And we want to remind you,

President Duterte, that most of these undocumented are your supporters. They send you money during the election. [They] are still Filipino citizens,” Lledo said, adding, “You cannot ignore them. Even if they are far away, suffering, they have been helping [their] country. Why would [Duterte] not open the Philippines consulate to help us to provide legal service? They could organize immigration Filipino lawyers and send a lawyer to someone like [Rey].” She went on to say that instead of “trying to cower in fear every time you read the news about an arrest,” undocumented Filipinos should attend legal clinics or seek advice from a lawyer about their cases. Although she is single and has never had children, Alice (last name withheld), 52, said she still has so much family to help. Alice graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in pharmacy, but is working in the U.S. as a caregiver. “I am here to provide for my nieces and nephew. I am the one sending them to school. My niece and nephew are graduating college this March,” she said. She added that undocumented individuals need support groups because “in times like this PWC, gives information of what to do and what not to do during this hard time. And if in case, whatever happens, PWC has a support system that can help the person. It’s not guaranteed, of course, that a person will always get what they want but at least the person knows there is someone that will help throughout any case.” For other participants, the workshop proved beneficial as it equipped them with the proper resources in case they encounter immigration officials. “The workshop helped me because if ICE knocked on my door, I now know what to do. I love America and I don’t want to go home. I have been here 13 years. My parents and brothers and sisters are all U.S. citizens but I was

petitioned as married so it will take longer. I have to send three boys to school,” Ford (last name withheld), 56, said. Another story that came to light was Rose (last name withheld), 62, who has been working as a caregiver. In August 2015, she was assigned to a woman in her 90s, who was diagnosed with dementia. The patient lived on a large estate by herself and was being cared for by undocumented caregivers because of her mental condition. One night, the patient claimed Rose stole her money and was sent by her daughters to kill her. The elderly woman chased Rose around the property with a knife. “The knife was near my right shoulder so I called 911. A lot of tears falling down,” she recounted. “I screamed and yelled outside hoping someone would hear me. The neighbors just opened the lights, but no help.” Eventually, the police came to take the patient to a mental institution and Rose stayed with a friend that night. When asked if she plans to stay here, she said, “If God allows me, I will have a U Visa.” A U Visa is for individuals who have been victims of certain crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. The psychological trauma that Rose endured has made a lasting impact until today. Even though she would prefer to go back to the Philippines, she said has many family members she still needs to help. Out of 11 children, she is the youngest daughter and is the only one in her family who has a college degree. To the undocumented workers, Lledo said, “You belong to this country. Who will take care of your kids? We need to support each other especially in this crisis where [people] are singled out by a racist government.”

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2 suspected IS members nabbed in Taguig by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — Two suspected sympathizers of the so-called Islamic State (IS) were recently captured by agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for violating the country’s immigration laws in an operation in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. At a press conference, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II presented Hussein Al Dafiri from Kuwait and Rahaf Zina from Syria who had been living in the Philippines since January 28 this year. Aguirre said that the Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) of the BI together with police and military officers arrested the two in Room 907 of Deluxe Residences on 28th Street corner 4th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City on March 25. Aguirre said that based on the information from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation Al Dafiri had links to terrorism and posed a threat to national security. This intelligence information was confirmed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which said that Al Dafiri was a member of IS and was involved in the manufacture of explosives and operation planning against Kuwait. “Intelligence reports provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines stated that the Hussein Al Dafiri is a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. He is believed to have been involved in explosives manufacturing and possible on operation planning against Kuwait,” Aguirre said. Cited information from the Kuwaiti security service, Aguirre said Rahaf Zina, who was arrested with Al Dafiri, is the widow of Abu Jandal al Kuwaiti, the num-

A military report obtained from a source said that the foreign couple—identified as Hussein Azo Aldgafiri alias Warsh Al-Kuwaiti, a Kuwaiti national; and Raja Zina, a Syrian—were arrested last March 25. Inquirer.net photo by Aie Balagtas See

ber two military commander for IS operations in Syria. He said Zina became Al Dafiri’s wife following the IS tradition in which the widow of a member is taken care of by other members by marrying her. “Rahaf Zina, Syrian national, is identified as the widow of one of the ISIL leaders in Iraq who got killed in combat operation. It is believed that she used to be the wife of Abu Jandal al Kuwaiti, the number two military commander for ISIL operating in Syria. Based on their tradition, the widow will be taken care of by the living members by marrying the widow,” said the justice secretary. To be deported BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, meanwhile, said the arrested foreigners will be deported to Kuwait where they will face charges for planning a bombing operation. This could happen in a month’s time.

Morente did not discount the possibility they also planned to stage a bombing operation in the Philippines. “A note verbale by submitted by the embassy of Kuwait seeking for the deportation of the nationals. They will be answering charges in their own country because they were reportedly planning for a bombing operation. It could be in Kuwait. It could be in the Philippines. There’s a possibility that the planning included the Philippines,” Morente said. Based on BI records, Al Dafiri’s January 28 travel to the Philippines was already his third. He initially went to the country in 2016 on a tourist visa, but he was able to secure a working visa after some time. Morente said that government authorities were still investigating the local groups that could have links with Al Dafiri.

Duterte designates Cuy as DILG officer-in-charge by rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

MANILA— Malacañang on Tuesday, April 4 announced the designation of Catalino Cuy as officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. “[Undersecretary] Cuy will hold the position to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of services of the department until Duterte appoints a new secretary,” the palace said in a statement. Cuy’s designation came after Duterte fired Ismael Sueno as DILG secretary over loss of confidence and trust. Sueno was facing corruption and abuse of power complaints prior to his dismissal from office. He has denied the allegations and had asked the department to have him investigated. Cuy, a former Davao City police chief, is undersecretary for peace and order. He is not among the

In this August 2016 file photo, former DILG Sec Mike Sueno and Usec Catalino Cuy confirm meeting with MILF representatives for government cooperation.

undersecretaries who accused Sueno of corruption. In a statement Wednesday, Cuy said he has accepted his designation as the acting DILG chief. “I am taking the responsibilities given to me by President Duterte seriously, and I commit to overseeing the day-to-day operations of the DILG and its constituent agencies in the spirit

of absolute fairness, unity, and dedication to public service,” Cuy said saying these are needed to move forward in Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality. “I promise all of you in the executive branch, DILG—my home department—and the Filipino people that I will not betray this sacred public trust,” he added.

PH gov’t, Reds sign joint ceasefire agreement by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — Government and communist rebel negotiators sealed on Wednesday, April 5, an agreement on an interim joint ceasefire that could lead to comprehensive settlement of the 48year insurgency, one of the longest in the world. Both parties are also moving fast to conclude the provisions of a draft of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) which are meant to address the causes of the armed rebellion. Both panels believe that this agreement would lead to a better mechanism that would prevent the occurrence of violence between police and military personnel and the rebels on the ground. The approved guidelines, which should take effect as soon as the ground rules are approved, will govern issues such as the presence of armed groups in local communities, creation of buffer zones, prohibition of hostile and provocative acts including the collection of so-called revolutionary taxes and the undertaking of socioeconomic projects. The agreement also has a provision for the formation of a joint ceasefire committee and a possible third party to monitor the compliance of parties with the truce and other mechanisms such as handling of complaints and alleged violations. The agreement said: “The Joint Ceasefire Agreement shall be deemed interim until a permanent ceasefire agreement is forged pursuant to a Comprehensive Agreement on End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces.” The agreement was hammered out following informal negotiations among the panel members of both sides. It also came after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the government-declared unilateral truce in February following attacks by New People’s Army

Silvestre Bello III and Fidel Agcaoili shake hands after the signing of an agreement on an interim joint ceasefire on Wednesday, April 5. The truce could lead to a comprehensive agreement that will end the 48 year-insurgency, one of the longest in the world.

(NPA) guerillas on military personnel. Government panel Chairperson Silvestre Bello III, panel members Hernani Braganza, Angela Librado, Rene Sarmiento and Antonio Arellano signed the joint ceasefire. For the communist side, Chairperson Fidel Agcaoili and panel members Benito Tiamzon, Coni Ledesma, Julieta De Lima and

Asterio Palma signed the agreement. Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza, Eduardo Pamintuan and Luis Jalandoni signed as observers. Earlier in the day, both sides agreed to release political prisoners: four soldiers and a policeman held by the guerillas and 23 political detainees held by the government.

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OpiniOn

Features

Airport woes

FOR a country that has been branded with the “worst airport in the world” tag in 2011 and 2013, the last thing it needs is another reason to inconvenience its travelers. Last year, a survey released by “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” ranked the Philippines’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in fifth place. Complaints included the prevalence of the tanim bala (bullet planting) scheme that victimized NAIA passengers, frequent power outages, poor air-conditioning, lack of seats and complicated terminal transfers. NAIA was not included in the world’s list of worst airports in 2014 and 2015 after major renovations were implemented at the country’s main international gateway. “Some travelers noted improvements in the airport structure and facilities such as cleaner bathrooms, more chairs and some general organization of taxis in front of the terminal,” the travel website noted. Travelers rate their airport experience on factors such as comfort (rest zones and gate seating), facilities and things to do, food options, immigration or security, customer service and cleanliness. On Tuesday, April 4, cutout photos of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno were seen in place of immigration officers at the counters of NAIA. Many immigration windows were vacant as a result of the looming crisis as more Bureau of Immigration officers (IOs) assigned at NAIA terminals

have already left their posts—while more are expected to quit—after a recent order was issued to stop the overtime pay of IOs at the airports. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II reported that 32 IOs had left since January. Fifty more IOs had informed the bureau that they would go on leave for six months in preparation for their resignations and to look for new jobs. At least 17 to 18 IOs are absent almost daily at the four NAIA terminals. “Many of them have stopped going to work or have gone on leave because their overtime will not be paid anyway,” Aguirre said. “The economy will be affected by this. Hopefully, we could find a temporary remedy to this situation.” Aguirre is referring for a compromise to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to bar the bureau from using the funds collected from airport express lanes for overtime pay. Express lane funds are generated charges are additional costs being paid by a foreigner who wants to fast track processing of permits and documents. Duterte vetoed the use of express lane charges collected by the BI for payment of salaries of casual and contractual personnel, confidential agents and job order employees, augmentation of salaries and the health insurance premium of personnel

Editorial

who render services beyond office hours. Records showed that immigration personnel were paid P784 million in overtime pay last year, which was five times bigger than their basic salaries. Under R.A. 10924, the said funds collected from use of express lanes will now go to the national treasury and will be allocated to other government agencies.

If this problem continues, expect to see longer lines of domestic and foreign travelers at the country’s international gateways. Until a solution becomes available, this will have significant effects on the economy and security, and will be a great concern for travelers who will now think twice before making the Philippines their next destination. (AJPress)

Trump smoke and fire: Spies, lies, and the Russian ties “SOME people in the Trump campaign may end up in jail,” revealed Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro in a CNN interview on Tuesday, April 4. The congressman’s declaration comes after more classified information was presented to the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the allegations that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to meddle in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. With probes also being performed by the Department of Justice, FBI, the National Security Agency and the Senate Intelligence Committee to get to the bottom of the assault of Russia on U.S. democracy, new deep connections between members of the Trump campaign and transition team and Russian officials have been coming to light. The Trump camp had initially denied the numerous secret meetings that various members had with Russian officials here in the United States, in Russia and other parts of the world. Some even lied under oath and recently, evidence has revealed that those meetings actually occurred. These Trump associates included, among others: National Security adviser Michael Flynn who lied about meeting with Russian officials and failed to disclose payments from Russian companies; Attorney General Jeff Sessions who lied under oath that he met with the Russian ambassador to the United States twice; Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort was found to have worked to help Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government push its interests around the world; Former campaign associate Carter Page was targeted for recruitment by Russian spies; Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared

Analysis

antonio P. ContReRaS INDAY (not her real name) has been living in Trinidad and Tobago for the past 10 years with her foreigner husband and their four children. There are about 500 Filipinos living in the Caribbean nation in various sectors, in construction, hospitality, healthcare and domestic work. She was living a peaceful and ordinary life, until Leni Robredo delivered that six-minute message painting the Philippines as a dark place where people are mired in helplessness and hopelessness. Radio stations began to speak harshly about the Philippines, even painting our country as if we have become a war zone where just anyone can be killed in the streets. Commentaries in the media and even from her friends were so insulting, and have caused her much stress. Many of her friends have messaged her, concerned about the safety of her family still living here, something that she is not sure if she should appreciate. And the stories keep coming,

Kushner met with the Russian ambassador during transition and met with a Russian bank The Fil-Am chairman with ties to Putin; Perspective Major campaign donor, Erik Prince — founder of government service and security company Blackwater and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Gel SantoS-ReloS — reportedly had a secret meeting arranged by the United Arab Emirates at the Seychelles islands, just nine days before Trump’s inauguration. U.S., European and Arab officials revealed that the meeting was with a Russian close to Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump. The questions that need to be answered: Why did the Trump campaign have to make these meetings “secret”? Why did they have to lie about these, with Sessions even being not forthcoming under oath? Was there coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in hacking and leaking damaging information about the Democratic National Committee and nominee Hillary Clinton to help Trump win? Were there talks between the Trump campaign and Russia about easing sanctions imposed by President Barack Obama against Russia for interference in the 2016 election? What did Trump know? When did he know them? What did he do when he knew about any of the talks? On March 4, as the Russian probe went deeper, Trump shocked the world with his early morning tweets accusing Obama of wiretapping him without offering any evidence to support his allegations. This accusation was debunked by the U.S. intelligence community to be unfounded.

And then Trump dropped another smoke screen: that British spies did it for Obama. This was an allegation that was vehemently denied by America’s closest ally and the U.S. intelligence community. And then this past week, another smoke screen — allegations that Obama’s former National Security Adviser Susan Rice illegally unmasked names of Trump’s associates in surveillance against him and leaked information for political expediency. This accusation against Rice was debunked by members of the intelligence community who said that as an adviser, she was just doing her job in requesting to unmask (get to know) the identities of individuals who arose to be in communication with foreign entities believed to be a threat to U.S. national security. Unmasking was legal and was necessary to know the context of the communications between the U.S. person and the foreign entity. Rice never leaked the information to anybody, disproving accusations she and the Obama administration had used it for political reasons. The Bloomberg story by Eli Lake that broke the news implicating name of Susan Rice in this development concluded: “Rice’s requests to unmask the names of Trump transition officials do not vindicate Trump’s own tweets from March 4 in which he accused Obama of illegally tapping Trump Tower. There remains no evidence to support that claim. But Rice’s multiple requests to learn the identities of Trump officials discussed in intelligence reports during the transition period does highlight a

longstanding concern for civil liberties advocates about U.S. surveillance programs. The standard for senior officials to learn the names of U.S. persons incidentally collected is that it must have some foreign intelligence value, a standard that can apply to almost anything. This suggests Rice’s unmasking requests were likely within the law. The news about Rice also sheds light on the strange behavior of Nunes [Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also part of Trump’s transition team] in the last two weeks. It emerged last week that he traveled to the White House last month, the night before he made an explosive allegation about Trump transition officials caught up in incidental surveillance. At the time he said he needed to go to the White House because the reports were only on a database for the executive branch. It now appears that he needed to view computer systems within the National Security Council that would include the logs of Rice’s requests to unmask U.S. persons. The ranking Democrat on the committee Nunes chairs, Representative Adam Schiff, viewed these reports on Friday. In comments to the press over the weekend he declined to discuss the contents of these reports, but also said it was highly unusual for the reports to be shown only to Nunes and not himself and other members of the committee. Indeed, much about this is highly unusual: if not how the surveillance was collected, then certainly how and why it was disseminated.” *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Leni Robredo’s sins against the overseas Filipinos from nurses, domestic helpers, immigrants, engineers, Filipinos all. They have to endure being objects of misplaced concern over how we cope with the horror of being under a tyrannical despot, or of downright condemnation of how we can allow a President who targets the poor and has ordered the execution of more than 7,000 drug users. Even Filipinos who are supposed to be on vacation have to suffer the effects of the disinformation, like Melanie (not her real name) who was on vacation in Ecuador had to bear. Instead of pleasantly engaging her tour group colleague, she had to spend time debunking accusations that we are some backward country whose President is a crazy, maniacal murderer who loves to kill at will. And the most painful story is that of Elaine (not her real name), who is married to an Italian but lives in Thailand with their child. Elaine is dying of cancer, and she wants to come home to spend the rest of her life with her parents and family in her hometown. After being exposed to the unfavorable images painted by the international media, and further affirmed by the speech of Mrs. Robredo, her

husband refuses to come with her. He believes that the Philippines is not a safe place under President Duterte. Elaine begged him to allow even just their child to come with her, but her husband refused to grant her request. He told her that she can go home by herself, or just remain in Thailand to die there, and he will just send her ashes or remains to her parents here. There are millions of overseas Filipinos in the global diaspora. We may not be the only nationality that is scattered all over the world, but we are surely the most diasporic, in the sense that regardless of our circumstances, whether we are just temporary migrant workers, or permanent residents or even citizens of our adoptive countries, we remain attached to the Filipino homeland. The circumstances that drive us to leave can be to seek greener pastures abroad, or simply to earn more by sacrificing so much. There are Filipinos who have to leave their children, barely old enough to take care of themselves, to take care of other countries’ children. We leave our parents and elderly, in order to serve the needs of the aged and the infirm in other

countries. We leave jobs here that pay less to go to jobs abroad that pay more even if it means selling everything that we have earned. There are also many of us who migrate and take up citizenship abroad, but the taking of an oath of loyalty to other countries, and marrying their citizens and starting families there, can never extinguish our bond with the Philippines. And these are the millions of Filipinos in the diaspora that have now been offended by Robredo’s six-minute speech that slandered the President, but in the end also slandered our country and people. As one overseas Filipino lamented, embodying a widely held sentiment, Leni Robredo spoke with the Philippine flag behind her, and the seal of her office prominently displayed. She inflicted the authority of her office to become a burden for the overseas Filipinos to bear. Her unverified accusations took the mantle of an official declaration, and acquired the character of authoritative truth, for it came from the second highest official of the land. It is, however, heartwarming to see overseas Filipino workers assertively standing up to dispel the

Vice Pres. Leni Robredo

lies and the half-truths. It is simply amazing how ordinary people in the Filipino diaspora rose to defend not only the President but their homeland. We owe it to every mother who left her children, every husband who left his wife and family, and every Filipino who left us but remains with us, to rise up too in

solidarity and defend if not the President, then our country. We who are left behind have to be at the forefront in unmasking the lies of Leni Robredo and her allies. Leni apologists will dismiss this as obsession, or misplaced loyalty. We have to tell them this is our duty. (ManilaTimes.net)

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Solon warns Alvarez disbarment may lead to House, Supreme Court clash by AJPress

married man. Alvarez admitted during a phone interview on Thursday, March 30 that he is in a relationship with Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, amid reports that the graft case he filed against Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr. stemmed from an altercation between their respective lovers. Alvarez also confirmed that he is no longer talking to his second wife, Emelita Alvarez. In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) that “in the event that someone should file a complaint against Congressman Alvarez, he will, of course, be granted the full measure of his right to due process but these shall be the same standards against which his actions shall be measured.� IBP reminded Alvarez to embody the “highest standards of morality, behavior and professionalism� as expected of lawyers. Alvarez also drew flak for supposedly criticizing Senator Leila De Lima for having an affair with her driver, Ronnie Dayan.

MOVES to disbar Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez over his extramarital affair may lead to a confrontation between the Philippine House of Representatives and the Supreme Court (SC), a lawmaker warned. According to House Deputy Minority Leader and Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque, while the SC has disbarred lawyers in the past due to immoral conduct, disbarring Alvarez may result in a conflict between the two branches of the government. “It is my opinion that Speaker Alvarez should not be disbarred as ECO-TOURISM PROJECT. Sen. Cynthia A. Villar was joined by Ms. Earth 2017 candidates during the ground breaking ceremony for the eco-tourism this may lead the SC to a confrontafacilities of the Las PiĂąas-ParaĂąaque Wetland Park. The senator, chair of the Senate committee on environment, said this would signal the tion with a co-equal branch of govconstruction of eco-tourism and conservation facilities of the soon-to-rise park. She said structures to built will boost the wetland’s natural ernment, which in turn may result landscape and will make our people’s visit more convenient and educational. Also in the photo are Architect Aaron Lasiones, lead designer of in the possible impeachment of the wetland and DOT NCR Regional Director Benjamin Santiago (wearing hat). Senate photo some of the justices,â€? Roque said in a statement on Sunday, April 2. Roque argued that “immoral or not,â€? the Office of the Speaker “still commands numbers for impeachment.â€? The possible disbarment case against Alvarez surfaces followPriceonomics said that most taking unauthorized photos.â€? by AJPress Based on the number of Ameri- ing his admission last week that countries ranked are “particiTHE Philippines is among the pants in ongoing international cans killed between 2009 and he has a girlfriend despite being a top most dangerous countries for conflicts,â€? citing Israel, Pakistan, 2016, ranking first is Mexico Americans to visit, according to and Afghanistan, or are “sites in (584); followed by Afghanistan analysis released by content mar- which extremist groups regularly (84); Philippines (74); Haiti (65); keting agency Priceonomics Data carry out terrorist attacksâ€? like and Honduras (46). These were followed by DoMali, Nigeria, and Syria. Studio. The Philippines, ranked 8th minican Republic (45), Jamaica In an article published last month, Priceonomics listed the alongside Kenya and Lebanon, (39), El Salvador (34), Costa Rica (27), and Guatemala (26). Cases top 25 most dangerous countries has 20 travel warnings. Do you have a bank account in the Philippines? “We found that Mexico, Mali, include only homicides, execufor American travelers based on both by the number of State De- and Israel have been targeted by tions, deaths in terrorist attacks, Are you a victim of MLM investment? Call us on partment travel warnings and by the most travel advisories in re- and drug-related deaths. how we can save on your taxes! “More Americans die in Mexico cent years, but that Americans are actual deaths in the area. From 2009 to 2017, Mexico has more likely to face life-threatening because vastly more Americans CPA Services offered: led the list with the most number danger in Thailand, Pakistan, and travel to Mexico than any other • Tax Preparation of issued travel warnings, which Honduras. Indeed, warnings and country,â€? the article read. “This • IRS & FTB Representation “are issued when lasting turmoil deadly violence are correlated on holds true to a lesser degree for • Delinquent Back Taxes in a country poses such a danger the whole,â€? the article read. “And some of the other countries near • Innocent Spouse Relief that the State Department dis- fortunately, some travelers — at the top of this ranking, including • Offer in Compromise courages any travel there at all.â€? least those headed to the Philip- the Dominican Republic and Ja“Mexico tops the list with 28 pines or Egypt — seem to heed maica.â€? Lawyer services offered: In an adjusted version of the warnings in an 8-year period. It’s these advisories, as those counworth noting that these warnings tries see dropoffs in tourism fol- ranking to account for the volume • Estate Planning / Trust Formation of tourism from the United States, are regionally specific, targeting lowing warnings. • Business Consulting Coming in ninth are Chad, Priceonomics calculated the numsites where crime syndicates are • Incorporation. LLC's particularly active,â€? the article Libya, and Sudan (19); followed ber of Americans murdered in a CALL US ABOUT THE TAX by Colombia and Congo (18) as country per 100,000 American read. WHISTLEBLOWER PROGRAM AND LEARN tourists. However, popular tourist des- tenth. HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE UP TO 30% OF Data excluded any countries North Korea, on the other hand, tinations in the country — like THE AMOUNT RECOVERED! Mexico City and the YucatĂĄn pen- has been listed as an “interesting that received fewer than 100,000 insula, including CancĂşn — “are exceptionâ€? since “the govern- American visitors between 2009 ment itself presents a danger to and 2016. generally regarded as safe.â€? +NOTT 3T 3UITE 'ARDEN 'ROVE #! In the new list, Pakistan ranked Second to Mexico is Mali (26); American travelers.â€? 0HONE Quoting the State Department, first with 3.54 per capita, followed ranking third are Israel and Pakistan (25); fourth Iraq (24); fifth Af- Priceonomics said foreigners in by Thailand (3.2), Philippines ghanistan, Nigeria, and Syria (23); North Korea “are liable to be jailed (2.28), Haiti (1.96), Honduras sixth Algeria, Iran, and Yemen for unspecified reasons, or for (1.66), Nigeria (1.28), Belize (1.02), % MAIL JAYSON AQUINOCPALAW COM s &AX (22); seventh Burundi and Cen- seemingly innocuous infractions Guyana (0.97), Egypt (0.86), and WWW AQUINOCPALAW COM like interacting with the locals or Mexico (0.84). tral African Republic (21).

PH included in list of most dangerous countries for American tourists

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In defense, Roque said “everyone knew in Congress� about Alvarez’s affair. “I think that the difference is there is no concealment (of his relationship with Vicencio). Everyone knew in Congress. I knew from Day 1 that they (Alvarez and wife, Emelina) were estranged. I knew at some point that he had an affair with this woman. I’ve seen her in functions so there was no attempt to conceal,� Roque explained. Alvarez earlier clarified that it was De Lima’s involvement in illegal drugs that he criticized, not her relationship. Shrugging off threats of possible disbarment case against him, Alvarez told his critics: “Go ahead, no problem with me.�

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april 7-13, 2017

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The ‘adventure of a lifetime’ for Coldplay fans Like Coldplay, Filharmonic creates song for Manila by ChRistina

alpaD ManilaTimes.net

Coldplay’s concert may have been titled “a Head Full of dreams”—named after the British band’s latest album—but for the estimated crowd of 35,000 fans at the Mall of asia concert grounds on Tuesday night, april 4, it was simply and utterly a dream come true. Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion performed in front of their Filipino fans—comprised of millennials, couples, singletons, and even celebrities like Maine Mendoza, alden Richards, sarah Geronimo, Matteo Guidicelli, Marian Rivera, dingdong dantes, Julia Barretto, angel locsin, Kathryn Bernardo and daniel padilla, and anne Curtis, among many others who set aside their stardom—for the first time since catapulting to fame in 2000. “sorry it took us 17 years to get here. We’ve been waiting till we have enough good songs to come to Manila,” Martin said in one of the lighter moments of the concert. To say that they earned a string of hits through those years is an understatement. The band, formed by then University College london students Martin and Buckland, has

by Deni Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

a soNG with many “baby” and “crazy” on the lyrics was dedicated by Filipino-american a capella group, The Filharmonic, to Manila during its concert with american girl band, Fifth Harmony, at the Mall of asia arena on Wednesday, april 5. The song has an upbeat vibe like a K-pop (Korean pop) composition, which appealed to The Filharmonic’s crowd of mostly teenagers and college students. The night before, British rock band Coldplay, which The Filharmonic watched, composed something simply called “Manila song” as tribute to the city and the band’s Filipino fans. Besides some original songs that The Filharmonic performed for the first time for Filipinos, the stars of Hollywood flick “pitch perfect 2” rendered their renowned covers of Maroon 5’s “one More Night” and dawin’s “dessert,” among others. Their version of Jessie J’s “Flashlight,” complete with claps and snaps, made the audience open their flashlight app and wave their smartphones as if dancing like fireflies to the song’s rhythm. Many begged for the group to go on, as if the watchers do not mind if Fifth Harmony would start much later. some of those in the audience felt that the front act, this time, was just as good if not better, than the main act. some even wished the concert was completely all about The Filharmonic. With only a black backdrop behind them and simple costumes of mainly blue, The Filharmonic proved that even without musical instruments, their voices alone can lift Filipino talent into the global pedestal.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin wowed Manila in their first-ever concert in the country.

Coldplay in the flesh, it was—to use the title of one of their bestselling records—“an adventure of a lifetime.” The band opened the two-hour concert with the carrier single “a Head Full of dreams,” from their latest album. The upbeat tempo, pyrotechnics, lights, and the band’s surprise light-up wristbands set the mood for the entire show. The crowd went crazy when they sang the first single that broke them into mainstream consciousness, “yellow” (2000) from their debut album parachutes. “Magandang gabi, Manila!” screamed Martin at the end of the song, and the mammoth crowd responded with deafening cheers. They then segued into “Every Tear drop Is a Waterfall” as Martin waved the “love” flag that he has been carrying throughout Coldplay’s tour in support of the love Button Global Movement. Calming the crowd down with A mammoth crowd of 35,000 sang with Coldplay’s alternative rock hits and zesty pop chart toppers. Philstar.com photos a slower beat, Martin sang the sold over 90 million records from seven studio albums and numerous singles. as such, it was no surprise that tickets to the Manila leg of Coldplay’s world tour sold out in just a little over 24 hours back in November 2016. ‘Best concert ever’ For those who lived their dreams of seeing and hearing

hit that arguably cemented their superstar status in “The scientist” (2002) from the sophomore album a Rush of Blood to the Head. In between catching his breath, the lead singer acknowledged, “at this point, I just want to say thank you to all of you who’ve come through the traffic and the ticket prices… from all of you here in the front who have been standing in sweat for hours and hours… and all of you there all the way from the back…” “look at that crowd, people, that’s how you do it,” he exclaimed. “I hope you’re having a great time. We’re so happy to be here. It’s such a thrill, it’s such an honor, and I wanna thank everyone who has been so welcoming and so kind to us for just making us feel amazing.” Martin reportedly biked around the concert grounds in the afternoon, catching fans by surprise before preparing for the concert. Charismatic musician In a single night, Coldplay Filipino-American a capella group The Filharmonic during their concert with Fifth Harmony Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV Continued on Page 6 on Wednesday, April 5.

75th AnniversAry of BAtAAn DeAth MArch

remembering the courage of our heroes These soldiers fought in the Bataan peninsula for 99 days oN april 9, 1942, three months without reinforcement or air support, but they were able to after the Bataan of Bataan in the disrupt the 50-day timetable philippines during World War II; of the Imperial Japanese army Filipino and american prisoners before their surrender. This delay of war were forcibly transferred prevented the Japanese from by the Imperial Japanese army reaching australia. from Mariveles, Bataan to Camp This year commemorates the o’donnell in Tarlac. They 75th anniversary of the Bataan marched approximately 60 miles death March, keeping mind the under extreme heat, with no valor and sacrifices of these brave provisions for food, water, shelter soldiers who fought in Bataan, or medicine. along the way, Corregidor and other parts of those who could no longer go the philippines. despite being on were beaten, bayoneted, shot abandoned early on during the or beheaded by their Japanese war, the Filipino and american captors. approximately 10,000 Filipino and 650 american soldiers soldiers of the U.s. army Forces in the Far East (UsaFFE) fought died during the march. By aJpRess

gallantly in the Bataan peninsula for 99 days without reinforcement or air support. But they managed

The Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles Adelio Cruz and Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque (center) are joined by members of the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society in Los Angeles.

In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles is hosting an exhibit of World War II memorabilia curated by Philippine Scouts Heritage Society, Lt. Alexander Nininger Chapter. The exhibit, which opened on Monday, April 3, will be ongoing for the next month. AJPress photos by Ding Carreon

to disrupt the 50-day timetable of the Imperial Japanese army before their surrender, despite suffering from massive disease and starvation. “This is the real significance of the Bataan death March,” said Bataan legacy Historical society (BlHs) director Cecilia Gaerlan. “While their bodies were beaten their spirits remained steadfast and true to the ideals of freedom and justice for all. as stewards of this great legacy, we have a great obligation not only to our ancestors but to future generations.” last year, BlHs worked successfully with the California department of Education to include the Bataan death March and WWII in the philippines in the U.s. history curriculum framework for Grade 11. It is now starting the next phase to help enable its implementation by creating sample lesson plans. To remember these heroes, BlHs along with its partners the presidio Trust, National park service, american Battle Monuments Commission and Fil-am Racing; have organized a series of events on saturday, april 8, starting with a Bataan legacy 7.5K Valor run at 8:30 a.m. The race will start and end in front of the presidio officers Club at 50 Moraga avenue in san Francisco. proceeds from the run will benefit the BlHs and the Congressional Medal for the WWII Filipino Veterans. a wreath-laying ceremony will also take place at 9 a.m. at the american Battle Monuments Commission WWII West Coast Memorial, and a program at the Moraga Room of the presidio

officers Club at 10 a.m. Veterans of the Bataan of Bataan as well as WWII in the philippines will be honored during the ceremony. Major Generals (Ret.) Eldon Regua and antonio “Tony” Taguba, Filams whose fathers and uncles fought in Bataan, are among the guest speakers. “as a leader of the Filipinoamerican community, I am asking you to join us during this event not only to remember this glorious past but to show the younger generation that they can emulate the ideals of their ancestors so that they can learn and appreciate the steep price of the freedom that they are enjoying,” Gaerlan stressed and continued, “only by learning the unvarnished facts of history can they become informed citizens and responsible leaders of our society. We in the Filipino american community must join together to show the entire nation that we have a proud heritage and one voice. only then can we

have a formidable presence and a resounding voice – one that must be heard across the nation.” LA commemorates Filipino WWII vets in exhibit Just in time for the 75th anniversary of the Bataan death March, the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education project (FIlVETREp) along with the philippine Consulate General of los angeles are hosting a special exhibit showcasing artifacts from WWII. For the month of april, visitors can get a close look at a wide variety of war equipment used and owned by Filipino scouts from the war. artifacts include uniforms, weapons, utensils and saddles among other gear. also on display are war posters, photographs, medals and copies of the recently awarded Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor in the U.s. The exhibit opened on Monday, april 3 in a ribboncutting ceremony.

april 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

3

She has just turned 21 (last March 26) and he’s turning 22 (on April 26). Now that they are of legal age, can they make important decisions themselves?

KathNiel returns to rom-com in grown-up fashion

On their new movie, Star Cinema’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,� Kathryn Bernardo had this to say: “I am the opposite of Gab, my character. She’s a perfectionist, I’m not. She’s stiff, napaka-formal na tao. But everything changes when she meets Dos.� And Daniel: “Dos is adventurous and I am not. I am the stay-home type. Dos runs a travel agency and I don’t. He goes scuba-diving and I don’t. But I am happy that the movie gives me a chance to do so many things, maraming adventures, that I don’t and I can’t usually do in real life.�

he won’t entertain any problem. Unlike Gab, he has no plans in life. Parang, ‘come what may,’� Padilla described. “Let’s just say this movie is more mature than ‘Crazy Beautiful You’ but lighter than ‘Barcelona,’� Cruz-Alviar first offered when asked to describe her new movie with Kathniel. For the director—who first worked with Kathniel in “24/7 In Love� and “Crazy Beautiful You�—CHFIL continues the love team’s maturity in the rom-com Continued on Page 7

Over time, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla—collectively known as “Kathnielâ€?—have proven their ability to draw strong box office returns for movies they have headlined. The love team first landed their major lead in their romantic comedy “Must Be‌ Loveâ€? in 2012, which reportedly raked in P 72.9 million. The following year, they starred in the big screen adaptation of the pop fiction book “She’s Dating the Gangster,â€? which totaled P296-million in ticket sales. As their love team’s popularity soared with Tv projects and on social media, the pair’s subsequent movies tallied even stronger at the box office. “Crazy Beautiful Youâ€? in 2015 earned P320-million, and finally, their latest big screen outing “Barcelona: A Love Untoldâ€? earned P321-million in 2016. But their impressive performance in the box office is just half of the story. What is more interesting to note is the continued growth of the love team and individual acting abilities in each new role they take. From tweens who had just discovered the heart’s desires in “Must Be‌ Love,â€? to high school enemies turned sweethearts in “She’s Dating the Gangster,â€? to struggling college-aged teens in “Crazy Beautiful You,â€? they delivered deepening emotions through the years. However, some observers

ManilaTimes.net

feel that “Kathniel� prematurely embraced mature characters when they leapt from their tried and tested genre of romantic comedies to heavy romantic drama in “Barcelona: A Love Untold. Helmed� by veteran dramatic director Olivia Lamasan (“Got 2 Believe,� “Milan,� “Starting Over Again�), said movie challenged Bernardo and Padilla to tackle the complexities of life and love. But while the title has delivered the biggest revenue for the love team so far, many fans demanded a return to the rom-com to enjoy the youthful magic the love team never fails to deliver. enter “Can’t Help Falling In Love (CHFIL),� Star Cinema’s upcoming summer movie that top bills Kathniel. The lighthearted and heartwarming romance is centered on Gab dela Cuesta (Bernardo), a high-strung career woman who is engaged to her longtime boyfriend (Matteo Guidicelli). “Gab is very organized. It is very important for her to accomplish everything the way she has planned them. So imagine how it would be for her to learn that her dream marriage might not come true because she is apparently legally bound to a total stranger,� Bernardo said of her character at the movie’s grand press conference at villa Immaculada in Intramuros, Manila. That total stranger is Dos Gonzales whom Padilla portrays. “Dos is very adventurous,

alpad

by Christina

april 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

4

Ex-lovers Lovi Poe and Rocco Nacino finally have a heart-to-heart talk by lhAR sAntiAgo

Kumbaga, walang nagtaasan ng pride. Tanggap lang kami nang tanggap. We just listened When Rocco nacino accepted the invitation of Gabby to what each one had to say. Issues concerning why we broke eigenmann for a night cap one up were answered. We both evening, the “encantadia” star said sorry to each other and we had no idea who among their forgave each other. I couldn’t be circle of friends were coming. happier.” he was already on the way to The emotional baggage the venue—a restaurant which Gabby partly owns—when Rocco Rocco had been carrying since learned that his former girlfriend their split is all gone now. he feels he’s ready to move on. Lovi would be there. Rocco Is it also time for a new proceeded just the same. It was a fun get-together with relationship? “That I cannot answer right now. Yes, I could feel almost all of the GMA network artist’s “Kapuso” barkada present. I’m ready but I’d rather wait for Photos by Raymond Saldaña God’s time. God’s timing is always As he joked and chatted with perfect,” Rocco averred. them, his eyes met Lovi’s as Although he isn’t dating the night grew older, and in a spur-of-the moment decision, he anybody right now, Rocco admits approached her and asked if they that “encantadia” co-star Sanya Lopez is the girl closest to him at can talk. Lovi readily agreed. the moment. he clarified though “While everyone was having that he isn’t pursuing her. fun talking, sabi ko, let’s talk “We’re still together about…alam mo na. The first in a show and our few minutes, I could feel that we friendship is going were both kinda uncomfortable. May ilangan talaga kasi we never great. I don’t want got to talk about what happened to rock the boat. Let’s see to us. Before we knew it, it was when we are already 4 a.m. and everyone had finished with left,” Rocco recalled the fateful ‘encantadia.’” night to Showbuzz. While waiting he described their heart-tofor what Rocco heart “exhilarating,” leaving him calls “God’s with a much “lighter feeling.” best plan for “It was a very good talk— him,” he will see very mature,” he emphasized. to it that he’s “Nakakatuwa nga because that ready when night when we talked, she told the right girl me, ‘Alam mo, Rocco, I dreamt comes. In fact, about you last night.’ Then [true he’s now enough]the following night, we preparing got to talk. I was thinking, ang to build galing talaga ni God. Parang he his dream made a way for us to meet. I was happy it happened and I’m happy house in for her and her career. She’s doing Antipolo. “It’s ‘Mulawin’ now, and I’m happy the one big with all the big projects she’s project of getting. I’m also happy with the my life good things happening in her right now. personal life.” having Rocco believes his lengthy my own heart-to-heart was an answered house prayer. is in my “It was really about time bucket that we cleared up everything list. I’ve with each other. We were able to already verbalize what we were feeling talked inside, and it really helped. ManilaTimes.net

Binibining Pilipinas bets exude Filipina beauty in national costumes by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

The photos of the 40 candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2017 in national costumes has been released by the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. early this week. In the national costume photoshoot, most Binibing Pilipinas 2017 hopefuls wore the iconic terno. Some of them tried to reinvent the terno by making it modern and grander almost seemingly similar to Victorian gown dresses while others stood out wearing Filipino tribal and festival costumes. The Binibining Pilipinas bets also completed their national costumes with dazzling headpieces and accessories such

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as fan and umbrella, among others. Others even incorporated symbolic pieces in their outfit. The photos of the Filipina candidates, taken by photographer Raymond Saldaña, are now being displayed at an exhibit at the Gateway Mall cinema lobby. The exhibit opened last April 1. The Binibining Pilipinas bets are set to present their national costumes at a pre-pageant event on April 23. The grand coronation night of the pageant will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on April 30. Checkout the photos of the Binibining Pilipinas bets as they shine in their respective national costumes.

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to my contractor and hopefully, we can start building real soon.” The Kapuso actor describes the house he’s building as very modern. “Maraming salamin,” he quipped. “It’s going to have four rooms. One master’s bedroom, two bedrooms for my future children, and one guest room.” At 30, Rocco is now serious about his future and wants to be prepared for a family. he knows he will have one sooner or later, which is why he is hard at work in showbiz. “I hope in a few years’ time, perhaps when I’m 35, I’ll already start a family. Right now, I’m praying and waiting for the right girl to come my life,” Rocco ended with a hopeful smile.

april 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Problem Solved Atty. Kelly O’Reilly Recent developments in immigration law have certainly caused a great deal of fear and worry among immigrant families. Fear can either propel to action or can immobilize and paralyze. In recent articles, it has been our goal to offer words of hope. Having correct information and knowledge should empower, and prepare those who are uncertain about their future in the United States. In addition to knowing your basic rights, carrying your important documents, and having preparedness or safety plans in place, families with mixed immigration status should consider making arrangements for their children and loves ones, in case the harsh threat of being torn apart becomes reality. to that end, undocumented parents status need to communicate with their children and other family members about the possibility of removal and their wishes

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MOnette ADevA MAglAyA tHIS Lenten season, it is a good idea to ponder the life of Saint Paul. Paul, aka Saul of tarsus, lived more than two thousand years ago. He had something to say about what does matter in life. He spoke about a special kind of love that in Greek is called Agape (ah-gah-pay). Agape is unconditional love, a kind of love that has no agenda or motivations, a kind of love that is exemplified in God sending His only Son, a kind of love that if emulated by humans, sets us apart from all of God’s creatures, makes us a little closer to the angels and truly created in God’s own image and likeness. But Paul didn’t start out as a defender of the christian faith. He was, in fact, an avid persecutor feared by early christians. As a Jew and a Pharisee who was also an educated man and a class above because he was a Roman citizen, he used everything in his power and position to quash the growth of the church persecuting the members of the then budding christian church. Saul was his Jewish name. Paul was his Roman name. Paul stood by watching the cloaks of the stone throwers, tacitly approving the stoning of Saint Stephen, the first christian martyr.

Health@Heart

Undocumented parents — what you need to know and goals as to what should happen to children and other dependents. Keeping your family in the dark about immigration status is sadly no longer an option. It is recommended that undocumented parents decide, as difficult as it may be who should care for their children in the event they are unable to do so. this may include designating informal caregivers or legal guardians. Informal caregivers and legal guardians have different rights under the law. For example, informal caregivers may assume physical custody of children, but they have limited powers to make important decisions. Legal guardians, on the other hand, are appointed through courts and they have the ability to act on children’s behalf and make legal decisions. Power of attorney forms do not transfer any custody rights and are not helpful when undocumented parents are detained or removed. While embarking on this process can be difficult and

emotionally taxing, it is important that undocumented parents take steps to prepare for every possibility. the safety and wellbeing of children should be paramount here. this is why we recommend that undocumented parents make good and informed decisions and put action plans in motion with the assistance of reputable immigration and family attorneys. Help is available so please do not lose hope, after all, you may be entitled to immigration benefits and relief that you are presently unaware of. ***

Kelly S. O’Reilly is a nationally known immigration expert and former immigration officer. He is a highly sought after speaker on immigration and employment compliance issues. Mr. O’Reilly serves as the current chair of the Riverside County Bar Association Immigration section and is a partner in the full-service immigration firm of the Wilner & O’Reilly where he provides free consultations. Mr. O’Reilly can be contacted at (714) 919-8880 and he welcomes email inquiries at kelly@ wilneroreilly.com.

Love as the center of gravity “All you need is love.” - Lennon-McCartney

Paul was a young, rising brilliant star of his time eager to make his mark in the Judaic tradition. At first, Paul was hot and bothered by the intensity of the love and fervency of the Apostles and early believers. this start-up movement was a threat to his career track and his Judaic core belief system. Paul thought he was going to make it his life’s work to eliminate christ’s early followers and eradicate what christ himself has started. If murder and mayhem were the tools to get it done, he was going to use them. But God had other plans for Paul. On his way to Damascus on a mission to arrest and persecute christians, a blinding light shone on him. He fell off his horse while Jesus’ voice is heard asking him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” this dramatic, miraculous conversion when he temporarily became blind was a critical juncture for the christian church. Inspired by the Holy Spirit who suffused his entire being when the scales of his blindness fell off his eyes, Paul’s teachings and writings have an eternal shelf life - true today, as it was then, and will be for much of human history. In the quiet of your soul during this holy season amid troubled times, read the gospels. Also, you just might discover the exquisite beauty, range and depth of human

emotions made known to God, contained in the Psalms, all 150 of them. And then read Paul. You’ll be surprised at the clarity and current relevance of many of his writings to today’s unfolding history. He has a wealth of wisdom to share with anyone seeking meaning in a confusing world seemingly bent on self-immolation. In a swirling fast-paced technological world full of self–love, vanity, illusions and artifice that only tend to distort and act as centrifugal forces pushing God away as the center of our lives, Paul’s directives make absolute sense. His words have the power to keep us all centered, as they were intended to be, not on ourselves, but on God. Ironically, it’s like being in the eye of the storm where there is peace while swirling forces rage about in the periphery. this one below, if etched in many hearts and minds and lived out in our daily rounds through thoughts and more specifically in even the tiniest of actions, particularly in couples, already married or planning marriage in the foreseeable future, could remarkably bring down the alarming rate of break-ups and a whole universe of heartaches among couples. this has the power to preserve FAMILIeS, the last best hope of humanity on steroids. Continued on Page 7

Is the patient death rate in the US lower among non-US-schooled MDs?

Kingdom, IMGs have to pass an examination of english proficiency and professionalism, but not examinations evaluating ABOUt 25 percent of medical knowledge. physicians practicing in the there is concern among United States graduated from stakeholders, including patients, foreign medical schools who had that the care provided by IMGs their internship/medical/surgical residency training in the U.S. More is inferior to that of physicians trained in their country of practice. than 22,000 of them are from the However, little data are available Philippines. to validate this belief. In fact, some For an objective evidencebased reply to that question, I am research has found that IMGs outperform US medical graduates reprinting below, verbatim, the tusgawa Harvard study published on medical knowledge testing. the current study by tsugawa and in the British Medical Journal on colleagues fills a gap in research February 2, 2017: by evaluating outcomes of Graduates of international medical schools are an important inpatients cared for by U.S.-trained physicians and IMGs in the United part of the healthcare system States. in many Western countries, and Study synopsis and the authors of the current study perspective provide a review of the role of Medicare patients admitted international medical graduates (IMGs). they note that one-quarter to the hospital and treated by internists who graduated from of practicing physicians in the medical schools outside the United States, United Kingdom, canada, and Australia are IMGs. In United States had lower 30-day mortality rates than matched the United Kingdom, most IMGs patients cared for by graduates of trained in India, the Republic of US schools, according to results Ireland, or Pakistan, whereas in the United States, IMGs from India, of a study published online in the British Medical Journal. Pakistan, and the Philippines are to practice in the United fairly common. States, international medical the United States requires school graduates must pass that IMGs pass both the U.S. 2 examinations on medical Medical Licensing examination (USMLe) clinical Knowledge tests knowledge and 1 assessment of clinical skills, and complete plus the USMLe clinical Skills test before being permitted to practice accredited residency training here. However, medical schools medicine. Moreover, the U.S. educational outside the United States are not accredited by any domestic commission for Foreign Medical agency. In response to concerns Graduates has stated a goal about the quality of care from to accredit all foreign medical internationally trained physicians, schools by 2023. In the United

PhiliP S. ChuA, MD, FACS, FPCS

5

the educational commission for Foreign Medical Graduates will require accreditation of medical schools outside the United States by 2023. Studies comparing the quality of care provided by internationally trained physicians with that by domestically trained physicians are few and small in scope. Yet, physicians trained outside the United States may be perceived by some as not as competent as physicians who attended medical school in the United States. to compare the two, Yusuke tsugawa, MD, Ph.D., from the Harvard tH chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues conducted a large observational study of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries to assess whether outcomes differ depending on whether their general internists were trained domestically or abroad. the study excluded graduates from central America and the caribbean to minimize inclusion of US citizens trained outside the country. the countries that contributed the most internists to U.S. hospitals were china, egypt, India, Mexico, nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Syria. the researchers assessed 30-day mortality rate (the primary outcome), readmission rate, and costs of care (total part B spending), and whether clinical condition influences differences in patient outcomes and care costs between the 2 groups of patients. In addition, they adjusted their Continued on Page 6

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS APRIL 7

Fashion Arts Autism Benefits The Philippine COnsulate General New York and the Autism Heart foundation present Fashion Arts Autism Benefits Foundation Fashion For Hope at 7pm on Friday, april 7 at the Kalayaan Hall, Philippine Center (located at 556 Fifth Avenue, New york City, NY 10036). Fashion For Hope marks the first anniversary of a joint collaboration that promotes an innovative art therapy program and fashion project that make a difference in the live of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. The FAAB Project empowers these individuals to courageously overcome such challenges by promoting healthy self-expression, building essential life skills and providing inclusive opportunities in the creative arts. The entire FAAB Project also includes an educational art therapy program and a series of fashion shows and workshops where students produce original works of arts on canvases made of piña (pineapple) cloth. This event features the incredible artworks created by FAAB Projhect artists rendered into unique fashion designs by famous Filipino designers Anthony Cruz Legarda and Patis Tesoro. For more information, please visit www.eventbrite.com.

APRIL 8

Filipino Cursillos’ Kalbaryo show in San Diego, CA The Filipino Cursillos in Christianity of Los Angeles, CA (FCIC-LA) will present a Kalbaryo (Lenten) show about the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus on Saturday, April 8. It will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Pala Mission Church, San Juan Diego Center at 3015 Pala Mission Rd., Pala, CA 92059. For further information, please contact any of the following: Tess Tan Torres at (213) 249-1507; Agnes Golingay at (818) 599-8401; Len Balino at (310) 2033639; Genie Bagsic at (858) 472-9338; or Oddie Sabas at (760) 670-5868.

APRIL 14

Greenlining Institute Economic Summit in Oakland, CA On Friday, April 14, the Greenlining Institute’s 24th annual Economic Summit will boldly tackle local and national controversies as it focuses on the theme, “Racial Justice on the Frontlines.” With Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza moderating the opening discussion, community activists, political and business leaders will take on such challenging issues as gentrification, tech diversity (or the lack thereof), possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the impending arrival of Uber in downtown Oakland. It will be held at Oakland Marriott City Center at 1001 Broadway, Oakland, California. Registration opens 8 a.m., program starts at 8:30 and runs to 5:45 p.m. For more information, please visit www. greenlining.org.

APRIL 15

“A Musical Odyssey” in Cerritos, CA Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, Inc. and DreamAgeGroup presents Rudolf Paleaz Golez, an internationally acclaimed Filipino virtuoso pianist in “A Musical Odyssey” on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. Other local singing talents will be present at the concert, such as recording artist Sean Collado, aspiring actress and singer Sheila Tejada, Sabrina Oxciano and Samantha Murray. Ticket prices are $35, $65 and $100. Proceeds of this performance will go toward the Pangansian Brotherhood-USA’s scholarship funds, which helps academically successful seniors who are college-bound in both the greater Los Angeles area and the Philippines. The performance will be at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ Sierra Room at 12700 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, California 90703. Interested parties may contact project managers Dan E. Nino at (562) 921-5116 or denino1951@gmail.com; E. Mendoza at (623) 341-6247 or thedreamagegroup@gmail.com; Lino F. Caringal, Jr. at (714) 808-2642 or linojr.caringal@gmail.com; Bong Soriano at (909) 851-1493 or believe1156@gmail.com; Neil Estrada at (562) 301-9972 or bluezero2sixty@yahoo.com; or Feliz Lopez at (562) 572-2301 or fblopezinsurance@msn. com.

APRIL 20

CAUSE’s annual gala in Los Angeles Join Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) for its annual gala on Thursday, April 20. It will be held at LA Hotel’s California Ballroom at 333 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071. The event begins at 5 p.m. with a VIP reception. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact kim@causeusa.org or visit www.causeusa.org.

APRIL 21

Fundraising event to benefit the first-ever Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum in Las Vegas The Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum (FAHAM) will host “Heritage Celebration - Filipinos Landing in California,” a fundraising event on Friday, April 21, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Dallas Ballroom of Texas Station Hotel and Casino. Festivities include a buffet dinner, arts exhibits, vendor booths, cultural entertainment a native fashion show, a Philippine history presentation, and dance performances. The cultural entertainment will be provided by the FAHAM Cultural Dance Group, Heart of Polynesia, Gina Kim Korean Dance Group, Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas, Sophia Ramos, Sharon Tanyag, and DJ Mike. Emcees will be Amie and Leo Belmonte. The donation is $50 / person. Attire is formal. FAHAM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is currently America’s first Filipino American Museum, Archives, Legacy, Culture, Innovation Research Center, and Library Garden founded in Delaware by Mrs. Ditta Camomot, M.Ed., M.A. Its holdings are artifacts, ethological materials, and ecclesiastical, historical, arts and ephemera collections, as well as environmental projects. Texas Station is located at 2101 Texas Star Ln, North Las Vegas, NV 89032. For tickets and more information, please contact Salve Edelman at (702) 418-8968.

A P R I L 29

12th annual Sikad ng Bayan bike ride in Anaheim Hills, CA The Sikad ng Bayan (Cycling for the Nation) is an annual bike ride that raises funds to build preschools for less fortunate communities at Gawad Kalinga (GK) villages in the Philippines. It is a non-competitive ride that will be held on Saturday, April 29, where cyclists traverse the Orange and Los Angeles counties. And in true Filipino fashion, this fun ride culminates in a Pinoy-style luncheon where cyclists can get together and know more about Sikad. It will be held at the Yorba Regional Park (7600 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807). For more information or to register please visit www.sikad.org or call Rey D. at (562) 964-1445 or Robbie V. at (949) 351-8344.

APRIL 30

Filipino Cultural School to host “Sari-Sari Talent Show 2017” in Cerritos, CA Filipino Cultural School (FCS) will host its 2nd annual Sari Sari: Talent Show Fundraiser on Sunday, April 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Josephine’s Cerritos (11305 183rd St, Cerritos, CA 90703). Filipino Cultural School, based in Cerritos, CA and other neighboring cities, is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization geared to the preservation and promotion of the Philippine heritage and culture. FCS has and continues to be open to all. Filipinos and non-Filipinos who are interested in Philippine culture are invited to attend. “Sari-Sari” is a Tagalog word for “variety,” and in this talent show, FCS aims to celebrate the diverse talents of our community members in forms of singing, dancing, spoken words, etc., along with some great Filipino food from the restaurant. Pre-sale tickets are $10 for ages 13 years old and above, and $5 for ages 12 years old and under. Door prices will be $15 for ages 13 years old and above, and still $5 for ages 12 years old and under (ticket prices do not include food). The raised funds for the event will go towards helping cover for the cost of venue, insurance, and materials for the FCS Summer Program. For information on how to purchase a ticket and also sign-up to perform in the show, please visit the website http://filipinoculturalschool.org. For any inquiries, feel free to contact FCS at filipinoculturalschool@ gmail.com.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

april 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

6

McDonald’s USA unveils next big change: Fresh beef Quarter Pounders Latest step in building a better McDonald’s will bring fresh beef, made-to-order Quarter Pounder burgers by mid-2018 OAK BROOK, Ill. – McDonald’s USA recently announced that by mid-2018, it will serve fresh beef, prepared when ordered, in all Quarter Pounder burgers across the majority of its restaurants. The fresh beef burgers, cooked right when ordered, are the latest step the company has made to meet customers’ changing expectations. All McDonald’s burgers use 100 percent pure beef with absolutely no fillers, additives or preservatives. “Over the past two years, we’ve made a series of bold, tangible changes for our customers,” said McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook. “Serving All-Day Breakfast, moving to cage-free eggs and testing delivery are all proof of our commitment to build a better McDonald’s. And we are committed to transforming more aspects of our business, including offering a more modern and enjoyable dining experience, adding new levels of convenience and technology, and making more positive changes to the food we serve.” Delivering fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, in Quarter Pounder burgers is one of the company’s latest customerled initiatives that builds on several other recent milestones, including: In 2015, the company announced a number of changes to how it serves and sources its food by offering All-Day

Breakfast, committing to only sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025, and committing to only serve chicken not treated with antibiotics important to human medicine* that was completed nearly a year ahead of schedule in 2016. Last year, the company removed artificial preservatives from several menu items, including Chicken McNuggets and eliminated high fructose corn syrup from the buns used on Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Filet-O-Fish and McChicken sandwiches. “Today’s announcement is part of a continuing food journey for McDonald’s,” said McDonald’s USA President Chris Kempczinski. “Over the last two years, we have accelerated the pace of change around how we source and serve our food. Delivering fresh beef that’s prepared when our customers order their food is just another example of how we are raising the bar. We’re just getting started, and can’t wait to show you what’s next.” “This represents a strong partnership between McDonald’s, Lopez Foods and their other beef suppliers to support this initiative and deliver McDonald’s quality standards,” said Ed Sanchez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lopez Foods. “It was exciting to be part of the test and we look forward to bringing fresh beef to more McDonald’s customers in 2018.”

Quarter Pounder burgers using fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, were initially tested in 325 restaurants across the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area and 77 restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Quarter Pounder burgers include the Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers. “We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees and we’re proud to have been part of a test that is creating a watershed moment for McDonald’s,” said McDonald’s Dallas/Fort Worth Franchisee Joe Jasper. “This test was driven by the Franchisees, our region and insights from what our customers are asking for when they visit McDonald’s.” McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to nearly 25 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www. mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and Facebook www.facebook.com/ mcdonalds.

Third ‘Pabasa ng Pasyong Mahal sa Historic Filipinotown’ on April 13-14 LOS ANGELES — In keeping with the Filipino tradition of Holy Week, the third “Pabasa of the Pasyong Mahal” will be held on Maundy Thursday, April 13 and Good Friday, April 14 at the Manila Terrace, 2328 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026. The annual Pabasa is sponsored by Philippine Institute of Language, Arts and Culture (PILAC) Inc, The Knights of RizalHistoric Filipintown (KOR-HFT), United Bicolandia of Los Angeles (UBLA) and the Manila Terrace or the West Lake Community Development Corp. Inc.

This cultural tradition of bible reading by singing in Tagalog is very famous in the Philippines since it was introduced by the Spanish authorities when they introduced Catholicism in the Philippines. For more than 500 years, the tradition lives on. The “Pasyong Mahal” The book titled, “Pasyong Mahal ng Ating Panginoong Jesucristo “ was translated from Spanish to Tagalog by Dr. Mariano Pilapil in April 20, 1884 and has been used for the singing recitation of the passion

American girl group Fifth Harmony during their first Manila concert on Wednesday, April 5.

of Jesus Christ every Holy Week. For the past three years, the novena for two days singing by reading of the passion of the Lord was organized by PILAC, JFAV, KOR-HFT and the other Fil-Am organizations. We call on people to join the reading/singing recitation for two days, donate food or drinks. Please do not bring meat for these are days of abstinence and join our cultural tradition. To participate please contact Bernie Targa-Ganon at (323)6834477 or email us at alpiegarcia@ gmail.com.

Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV

Fifth Harmony: Summer #fitinspiration by Deni

Rose M. BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

ACTRESSES Liza Soberano and Andrea Brillantes might have missed British rock band Coldplay’s concert last Tuesday, April 4, but they sure added girl power to American girl group Fifth Harmony’s first Philippine Advertising Supplement concert last night. Summer is officially here, as the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration declared THE United Batanguenos of Southern California will hold their Induction early this week. Temperatures in Manila rose as Fifth Harmony of new set of Officers on Saturday, July 8 at Casa Italiana - 1051 N. Broadway, sizzled at their Mall of Asia Arena LA 90012. Millie Moncada will be inducted as new Governor. Music will be show as part of their “7/27” tour. provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions please call The group opened with their Millie at (818) 322-9429; Cely Anuran (805) 630-3377 or Willie Manacsa at (818) empowerment anthem, “That’s My Girl,” a shout-out of the recent 400-7391. celebration of Women’s Month

UBSCI to hold Induction Ball

in the Philippines. This was followed by “Miss Movin’ On” and other hits like “Sledgehammer” and “This is How We Roll.” Their more popular hits among Filipinos, “Worth It” and “Work From Home,” were saved for the latter part of the show. The group, composed of Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui, wore athletic-chic costumes in Philippine colors red and blue. Their jersey shirts had the word “Pilipinas” boldly imprinted on the front. A product of “The X Factor US” second season, Fifth Harmony was formed in 2012 originally consisting of Brooke, Jane, Kordei, Jauregui and Camila Cabello. Last year, Cabello

left the group to reportedly go solo. The group has been best known for its hits like “Miss Movin’ On,” whose music video won the group the MTV Video Music Award for Artist to Watch. The team’s debut studio album, “Reflection,” includes the platinum hits “Sledgehammer,” “Worth It” and “Boss.” “Worth It” reached the triple platinum status in the US and was in the top 10 in 13 countries. The group’s latest album “7/27” released last year includes “Work from Home,” which has become Fifth Harmony’s first top 10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and said to be the first top five by a girl group in a decade on the chart.

The ‘adventure of a lifetime’ for... From Page 2

proved that they can please both new and long time fans with a good mix of earlier and later hits. The band played songs from their first three albums, during which time they were considered as an alternative rock music group. This set included “Don’t Panic” (2000), “Clocks” (2002), “In My Place” (2002), and “Viva La Vida” in between their current zesty pop and anthemic tunes like “Paradise,”“Magic,”“Hymn for the Weekend,”“Adventure of A Lifetime,”“Something Just Like This,” “Sky Full of Stars,” and “Up & Up.” They also threw in David Bowie’s “Heroes,” among the 21 songs they played in the show, as a tribute to the late British music icon who passed away in 2016. Moreover, Martin proved why he is one of the most adored front men of his generation. He had a masterful command of the stage

as he ably emphasized the mood of every song. Just as easily, he enjoined his audience to dance, jump and raise their mobile phones whenever he asked them to. As such, the charismatic musician impressively shifted audience’s mood from lively to melancholic like he did with “Everglow” [their tribute to Muhammad Ali who also passed away in 2016, and to a huge fan of Coldplay whom they call Ely]and “Fix You” [said to have been written for Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow when she lost his father in 2012]. The tributes did not end there as Martin shared with the audience how he met with Filipino fan Kenneth that Tuesday morning before the show. Kenneth is a huge Coldplay fan who was barred from watching the show because of his ongoing battle with Stage 4 cancer.

He dedicated “Ink” to his new friend. Visual feast Coldplay’s was also a visual feast with pyrotechnics, bursts of confetti, lasers, stadium canons, and flame on stage. The antics, including Martin’s impromptu song for the Philippines, made the audience feel special. “I love Coldplay! It’s definitely worth the 17-year wait,” one fan exclaimed at the tailend of the concert. “I cannot watch another concert after this one. No, I am not going to be as excited with any other concert after Coldplay,” a teary-eyed fan declared. In ending, an overwhelmed Martin, speaking on behalf of his bandmates promised, “We’ll see you next time! Good night!” And so another dream began for their fans in the Philippines.

Is the patient death rate in the US lower... From Page 5 models for patient characteristics (age, sex, race or ethnic group, diagnosis, and income), physician characteristics (age, sex, and patient volume), and hospital fixed effects (characteristics of hospitals). Results indicated that 19,589 (44.3 percent) of 44,227 general internists in the United States graduated from medical schools outside the country. They were slightly younger than US graduates (age 46.1 vs 47.9 years; P <.001) and were more likely to work in medium-sized, nonteaching, for-profit hospitals without intensive care units. In addition, their patients were more likely to be nonwhite, have Medicaid, have a lower median household income, and have more chronic comorbidities (congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes). The mortality analysis included 1,215,490 patients admitted to the hospital under the care of 44,227 general internists between 2011 and 2014. Patients treated by international graduates had lower mortality rates (adjusted mortality rate, 11.2 percent vs 11.6 percent; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95 percent

confidence interval [CI], 0.93-0.96; P <.001). “Based on the risk difference of 0.4 percentage points, for every 250 patients treated by US medical graduates, one patient’s life would be saved if the quality of care were equivalent between the international graduates and US graduates,” the authors write. The cost analysis included 1,276,559 patients treated by 44,680 physicians during the same study period. Overall, patients of internationally trained internists had slightly higher adjusted costs of care per admission ($1145 vs $1098; adjusted difference, $47; 95 percent CI, $39-$55; P <.001). Meanwhile, adjusted readmission rates among 1,182,268 patients who were treated by 44,201 physicians did not differ between the 2 patient groups. Patients receiving care from international graduates had lower mortality rates than did patients of US graduates for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. “Taken together, our findings should reassure policymakers and the public that our current approach to licensing international medical graduates

in the U.S. is sufficiently rigorous to ensure high-quality care,” the researchers conclude. They suggest that the testing process may select for the top international medical school graduates. The fact that some internationally trained internists may have completed two residencies (one in the home country and one here) might also contribute to the slightly better mortality outcomes of their patients. The current study should help dispel the notion that IMGs provide worse medical care compared with U.S. medical graduates. The study results may be used by hospitals and health systems to create awareness about IMGs and their qualifications as clinicians. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Danica learns to take care of business by Maridol

ranoa-BisMark Philstar.com

little ones to enjoy the competitive atmosphere a regular school brings. Handling two frisky children can MArrIAGE and motherhood be tough, but Danica doesn’t mind. is opening big doors for Danica She knows they’ll grow up into Sotto-Pingris. teenagers who will have their own Now that she’s not into separate worlds, so she’s enjoying teleseryes, Dina Bonnevie’s eldest their company while she still can. child is learning a brand-new set Danica loves motherhood so of skills she never imagined she’d much, she’s praying for a third child, have. One of them is marketing “in God’s time.” glass products. As part-owner of Until that time comes, Danica Technoglass (with cager-husband is bent on taking care of business Marc Pingris and their non-showbiz while Marc makes the most of his partners), the host of Colour career in the hardcourt. Channel’s Mombiz (with real-life “I’m the one who has more friend LJ Moreno-Alapag) is learning Danica Sotto-Pingris time. Marc is in his prime (as a businesswoman, ” she smiles. technical terms that used to be basketball player), and I don’t want Her months-old YouTube Greek to her. to get in the way,” explains Danica. channel, KusiNica PH, on the other “I have ‘nosebleed’ when it But she knows her 35-year-old hand, is part of Danica’s journey as comes to technical terms. This isn’t husband will retire years from now a wife and mother of Jean Michael my forte,” she admits. (athletes usually quit playing in their and Anielle Michaela, aged eight But Danica carries on. She late 30s or early 40s). So her doors and five. knows that learning those terms is remain open for showbiz. It’s Danica’s passion project, an a must if the business is to flourish. The tables will be turned extension of her love for cooking Danica must, for instance, know once Marc retires. He’ll focus on and sharing recipes with friends. the basics of installing a glass and the business, and Danica can act She’s proud of her featured recipes, aluminum door to market the before the cameras again. By then, which include Tinapa Salted Egg product well. the children will be older and can Pasta, Mango Panna Cotta and Marketing something men understand how much their mom Dina’s ‘No-Tipid’ Kare-Kare. are expected to be more adept at loves the business her parents have Danica is testing the waters for challenges and excites Danica. She become so much a part of. now, and seeing where things will sets appointments with clients and Meantime, Danica is happy go from there. attends bidding sessions with big making the most of her life. She’s a Much as she longs to expand corporations. mompreneur, a wife and host of a the channel and go abroad to Danica’s hosting background show for fellow moms. explore other topics and shoot more gives her confidence to face CEOs She knows change is a fact videos, this hands-on mom would and corporate top guns. But she of life. So she’s preparing for that admits it doesn’t guarantee victory rather stay put in the country and day when she and Marc need in the bidding war for her two-year- see her young ones grow up. something more stable than his “They’re my priority. As much old company. basketball career and her showbiz as I want to accept more work and “I know how it is to lose a work. project because prospective clients do other stuff like traveling for the “Basketball and showbiz can’t vlog, I can’t. I don’t want to leave my feel our product is too expensive,” sustain us forever. So as early as says Danica. But she also felt the joy children for a long time.” now, Marc and I are diversifying our Home schooling and taking of winning the bidding and getting investments, ” says Danica. the children while she travels is an the fat account brings. Her family is in good hands. option, but Danica would like her “It’s part of my journey as a

KathNiel returns to rom-com... From Page 3 category. “First of all, they are now portraying young adults who are actually members of the working force,” Cruz-Alviar noted. In terms acting, the director also noticed that Bernardo and Padilla have also grown professionally. “They are definitely more mature now, and they are less maharot on set. These two know the characters better and they have a firmer grasp on the roles. I

can say that professionally, they have matured as well.” As it turned out, CHFIL was shot almost immediately after Barcelona, which made sense to Cruz-Alviar when they were on the first shooting of the movie. “It took them a while to loosen up, ang seryoso nila. In the first few scenes, they were still the Ely and Mia from Barcelona so I told them to shake off. It actually took us seven takes to perfect their first scene. But in a way, it’s good we started early because

they were given enough time to really get in the shoes of Dos and Gab,” Cruz-Alviar shared. Finally, Cruz-Alviar said the age-appropriate movie is their treat for the Kathniel fandom, who by now have also grown with the love team. “I kept saying they’ve mature but I would also like to emphasize that ang maturity na ito ay tama lang sa okasyon. We are not rushing them to mature. They are just acting their age in the movie,” Cruz-Alviar ended.

april 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

7

Love as the center of... From Page 3

These days, the very structure and integrity of the family unit are heavily assaulted from many fronts with popular culture, Hollyweird, media and the internet leading the charge at a time when the church is weakened by internal abuses and scandals and when persecutions of Christians around the world are at a terrifying, alarming rate and intensity. Fear not. Let not our hearts be troubled. As history will bear and as written in the song, “Canticle of the Turning,” which is based on the Blessed Mother Mary’s “Magnificat,” it is when the church is at its most vulnerable when the forces of heaven align to defend itself and go on the offensive in subtle yet dramatic ways. The blood of early Christians spawned the rise of the early Church. History does repeat itself. Marriage as a bedrock institution between man and a woman is in

serious danger, as man-made laws masquerading as civil liberties, are enacted to challenge it, all in the name of political correctness. Strong family units built on LOVE are so essential in creating strong societies from the ground up. Each generation builds upon and learns from the ones that came before it. The passage below is a favorite among couples and wedding planners and for good reason. These words are more than the pretty, superficial veneer of rituals in weddings. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 13, are words to live by telling us what really matters as he did then to members of the early church who were probably just as lost, confused and disconcerted as most of us probably are. Set your hearts on the greater gifts. I will show you the way which surpasses all the others. If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a

noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give everything I have to feed the poor and hand over my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to love’s forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure. Love never fails. … And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

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