Orange County / Inland Empire -- April 15 -- 21, 2016

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Volume 23 - No. 15 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

USPS stamps drop 2 cents the United states Postal service (UsPs) on sunday, April 10, dropped the price of postage stamps by 2 cents for the first time in almost a century. stamps now cost 47 cents each, down from the 49 cents, a decline that’s expected to cost UsPs $2 billion this year. the expected loss will make it more difficult for the government mail carrier to compete and provide services sought by customers. “Given our precarious financial condition and ongoing business needs, the price reduction...exacerbates our losses,” Postmaster General megan Brennan said in a statement thursday, April 7, as it filed a petition seeking a new rate-setting process. “this unfortunate decision heightens the importance of the review of our ratemaking system.” UsPs is not funded by taxpayer dollars, and it depends on its own revenue sources – such as postage – to cover its operating costs. stamp prices have typically risen to cope with inflation, but customers have paid an “exigent surcharge” in the last two years PAGE A3

San Francisco passes law mandating 6 weeks paid parental leave sAN francisco has become the first municipality in the United states to mandate that businesses provide workers who are new parents with six weeks of fully-paid parental leave. “our country’s parental leave policies are woefully behind the rest of the world, and today san francisco has taken the lead in pushing for better family leave policies for our workers,” supervisor scott Wiener, who supported the bill, said tuesday, April 5, according to USA Today. the city board of supervisors and city council on tuesday, April 5, unanimously passed the measure requiring employers to offer new parents paid leave. the United states is the only industrialized nation that does not require paid parental leave, and California is one among only five states in the nation with a form of paid parental leave. It entitles employees to six weeks PAGE A3

aPril 15-21, 2016

US: Prosecution of rights abuses in PH weak by Jose

KAtigbAK Philstar.com

WAshINGtoN—only a limited number of human rights abuses, including those by paramilitary, insurgent and terrorist groups, are investigated and prosecuted in the Philippines, the Us state Department said.

In its 2015 Country reports on human rights Practices released on Wednesday, April 13, the state Department said the most significant human rights problems in the Philippines continue to be extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances carried out by security forces, insurgents and

suspected vigilante groups. “the United states is opposed to the use of torture in any form at any time by any government or non-state actor,” secretary of state John Kerry said. “this is a standard that we insist that others meet,” he said.

A weak and overburdened criminal justice system, a meager record of prosecutions and lengthy procedural delays, and widespread official corruption and abuse of power are also persistent problems in the Philippines, the report said. PAGE A2

Napoles to remain in jail by Joel

M. sy egCo And Jefferson AntipordA ManilaTimes.net

eVeN if the sandiganbayan has allowed Janet Lim-Napoles and two lawmakers implicated in the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance fund (PDAf) scam to post bail, the businesswoman will remain in jail because she has been convicted of serious illegal detention, malacañang said on Wednesday, April 13. “It should be emphasized that miss Napoles was convicted in April 2015 by the makati regional trial Court for serious illegal detention. Accordingly, she cannot be released due to such conviction and the several other cases for plunder pending against her,” Communications secretary herminio Coloma Jr. said. Napoles is serving a life term for illegally detaining her former employee, Benhur Luy, the principal witness in the PDAf or pork barrel scam. Coloma said the Palace respects the anti-graft court’s decision, noting that the sandiganbayan is a “separate branch of government under the judiciary.” some senators have expressed dismay over the sandiganbayan decision allowing Napoles and former members of the house of representatives rizalina seachon-Lanete and edgar Valdez to post bail. sen. Grace Poe said while she is aware that the BIG SHOT IN JAIL. Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles finds herself in a tight squeeze with other inmates at the Correctional legislature and the executive should not Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, where she will serve a life term after she was found guilty of illegally detaining her cousin and former interfere with the decision of the judiciary, she employee Benhur Luy. Napoles’ conviction, otherwise a momentous development in a notoriously slow justice system, has been greeted with a believes that Napoles should not be granted bail. seemingly collective shrug that does not bode well for the plunder cases filed against her and several senators and congressmen. Contributed photo from the Correctional Institute for Women

PAGE A2

SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approve resolution forming Filipino Cultural Heritage District by Joseph

l. perAltA

AJPress

sAN frANCIsCo—the san francisco Board of supervisors on tuesday, April 12 unanimously adopted a resolution establishing a filipino Cultural heritage District in the city called soma Pilipinas. the resolution also recognizes the historic contributions and leadership of the filipino community in san francisco.

Authored and introduced by supervisor Jane Kim, the resolution was cosponsored by seven other supervisors, namely John Avalos, David Campos, maila Cohen, eric mar, Aaron Peskin, scott Wiener and Norman Yee. soma Pilipinas-filipino Cultural heritage District, according to the resolution, will be the area bound by 2nd street to the east, 11th street to the west, market street to the north and

Brannan street to the south, as identified in the Western soma Community Plan which was adopted by the Board of supervisors in 2011. It is located within District 6 in san francisco. Per the resolution, soma Pilipinas also includes the I-hotel, Gran oriente, rizal Apartments, the Iloilo Circle building, and surrounding areas, including rizal street and Lapu Lapu street due to the historic and cultural

significance associated with these buildings and areas. Within soma Pilipinas’ boundary lies filipino cultural landmarks, including the san francisco filipino Cultural Center, the Bayanihan Cultural Center, businesses, institutions, residences, places of worship, buildings, activities and organizations like the filipina Women’s Network, Kularts, PAGE A2

Hot, hot day; food shortage feared Pacquiao defeats Bradley in last fight by doris

duMlAo-AbAdillA Inquirer.net

temPerAtUres around the Philippines soared close to “extremely dangerous” levels Wednesday, April 13, as the International rice research Institute (Irri) warned that the world faced another food crisis similar to the 2007-2008 crunch caused by el Niño. the heat index—the actual temperature felt by the body—reached 52.3 degrees Celsius Wednesday in Nueva ecija, breaking the record 51 degrees reported by the weather station in the province on monday, April 11. this was the highest heat index recorded so far since the onset of the dry season in march. It was also just 1.7 degrees lower than the “extreme danger” level of 54 degrees Celsius at which, according to the state weather bureau, heat- Corn stalks in Tuguegarao City have turned brown as temperatures rise, intensified by El Niño. Nearby, the Cagayan River water level has dropped to one of its lowest. stroke is “imminent” under continued Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes PAGE A2

Filipino champ returns home to PH

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

If manny Pacquiao’s last time in the ring was indeed on saturday, April 9, then he has ended his career on a high note. the filipino fighter who rose to fame in a rags-to-riches storyline concluded what he has said would be his 12 final rounds as a professional boxer in a victory against two-time former WBo welterweight champion timothy Bradley, Jr., an opponent he has faced in the ring on three occasions. Pacquiao announced he would hang his gloves up after saturday’s bout to focus on serving the Philippines, where he is seeking to win a senate seat on the may 9 election. “As of now, I’m retired,” he said. “I FINAL FIGHT. After 12 grueling rounds, Manny Pacquiao emerged victorious via a unanimous decision against Timothy Bradley Jr. on Saturday, April 9 at the MGM am going to go home and think about Grand in Las Vegas. The judges scored 116-110, 116-110 and 116-110 in favor of Pacquiao. AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal PAGE A3

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APRIL 15-21, 2016 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL

From the Front Page

US: Prosecution of rights... PAGE A1

It said killings of activists, judicial officials, local government leaders and journalists either by security forces or insurgents continued to be a serious problem. The Commission on Human Rights investigated 50 new complaints of politically motivated killings involving 68 alleged vic-

tims as of September. The CHR suspected personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) were involved in 10 of the complaints, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or paramilitary in eight, members of the communist New People’s Army in five, civilians in six, local government units in one and unidentified per-

sons in the remainder. Of 185 cases since 2001 monitored by the the PNP’s Task Force Usig (TFU), responsible for investigating killings of media members and labor activists, only seven have led to convictions. The government lacked sufficient mechanisms to investigate and punish abuse and corruption in the PNP and the AFP, which allowed impunity to persist within the security forces, the report said. From January to October, the Office of the Ombudsman, an independent agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting charges of public abuse and impropriety, received 319 cases alleging 583 offenses regarding military and law enforcement involvement in human rights abuses including killings, injuries, unlawful arrest and torture. Most charges were against low-rankSupervisor Jane Kim (on podium) authored a resolution calling for the establishment of SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino Cultural Heritage District in ing officials. As of October, one case was San Francisco. It was co-sponsored by seven other Supervisors, including John Avalos, David Campos, Malia Cohen, Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, AJPress photo by Joseph Peralta closed and terminated and the Scott Wiener and Norman Yee. remaining cases were under investigation. There were no convictions recorded against highranking police or military officials, PAGE A1 Avenida, who said that she has we are looking to preserving our the report said. Kearny Street Workship, Veter- witnessed the many contribu- art institutions… preserve housans Equity Center, and West Bay tions given and challenges faced ing and continue to build more.” Pilipino Center. by Filipino Americans in the Supervisor Avalos, for his part, The resolution describes the area, recalled that this resolution said that he learned more about South of Market (SoMa) area, was a dream of Dr. Mario Borja, the heritage and history of FiliPAGE A1 which is home to the Bessie who had envisioned a center that pinos in San Francisco when he “As one of those who partici- Carmichael School/Filipino brought together services and read the resolution. “It makes so pated in the Senate investiga- Education Center (the nation’s programs that celebrate Filipino much sense that we are estabtion of the PDAF controversy, I first and only elementary school culture and history, while serv- lishing this cultural district so believe that it is not right to al- with a curriculum in the Filipi- ing the needs of the community. that we can actually protect the low Napoles bail, because the no language), Victoria Manalo Dr. Borja, according to Avenida, vitality of the cultural institutions evidence against her is strong,” Draves Park (named after the donated the first floor space of that are in the neighborhood, Poe noted. Fil-Am Olympic champion div- the Delta Hotel which he owned support the economic developShe said the pork barrel scam er) and Bindlestiff Studio, as that gave birth to the Bayanihan ment of the neighborhood and is one of the reasons why there an important venue for Filipino Center. maintain the existence of Filipiis a need to review the justice cultural activities like the FAAE/ “Today is a historical event. nos in the SoMa district,” he statsystem. Pistahan Parade and Festival, Today is the day we make his- ed. Avalos represents District 11, “If we can’t implement the law the Parol Festival, Kulinarya tory in San Francisco,” she said. which also has a large number of equally, it will give more cour- and the New Filipino Cinema at “The votes of the Supervisors Filipino residents. age to unscrupulous individuals Yerba Buena. will allow Filipinos to continue to SoMa resident and community to continue their unlawful acts,” The legislation instructs the be a major part of that beautiful worker Juvy Barbonio spoke on Poe added. Planning Department to work tapestry we call San Francisco. the implications the legislation Senator Teofisto Guingona with the SoMa Pilipinas working Today we will validate the pres- will have on the SoMa district. 3rd said he remains optimistic group to “develop a strategic and ence of the Filipinos who have “It’s fitting that today the San that Napoles will not be able to implementation plan to set poli- lived and worked in the corridors Francisco Board of Supervisors get similar rulings in the other cies that promote community de- of SoMa for decades, and who passed a resolution to begin cases she is facing. velopment and stabilization, and have helped to make SoMa what creating land use policies for He pointed out that right to increase the presence and visibil- it is today.” SoMa Pilipinas. The communibail is not indicative of acquittal ity of the district.” Supervisor Jane Kim (District ty sees SoMa Pilipinas as going and appeals can still be made. The resolution calls for the 6) said she was proud to author beyond just signs and murals. The senator said Napoles’ strategic plan for SoMa Pilipinas this piece of legislation “where We need land use policies to conviction by a lower court will to be developed by the Planning we are finally recognizing the keep residents and workers like ensure that she will not regain Department and submitted to the Filipino American community in me in the neighborhood. We her freedom. Planning Commission and Board the South of Market.” need policies that will preserve of Supervisors within six months “I am a beneficiary of the in- and encourage our nonprofits, of the adoption of the resolution. credible work of this community. cultural institutions and busiCommunity organizers esti- I live across from the park, the nesses,” she said. mate that there are about 1,500 only multi-use park in the South “SoMa is still the cultural Filipino residents concentrated of Market that this community touchstone for Filipino culture in the SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino fought for – Victoria Manalo in the Bay Area. We have instituCultural Heritage District out of Draves [Park],” Kim related. tions that exist nowhere else in the 5,106 Filipinos who reside “I live across from one of our the US. Filipinos from across the in District 6. Overall, according public school… the only public Bay Area attend church in SoMa, to the 2010 Census, there are a school to teach Tagalog as part celebrate festivals in SoMa, total of 36,347 Filipinos living in of its program. I’ve been a part of and visit friends and families San Francisco. working with this community to in SoMa,” Barbonio continued, Hours before the resolution make sure our neighborhood is even as she recalled the displacewas adopted, community orga- safe for our seniors, for our chil- ment experienced by Filipinos in nizers held a press conference at dren, and our pedestrians. And, San Francisco, particularly in an the steps of the City Hall, urging of course, we are all a beneficiary area designated before as Manifor a unanimous vote from the of the work of this community in latown (which was next to ChinaSupervisors on the resolution fighting to build more affordable town), as well as in the Fillmore that was tabled in the agenda on housing.” and Yerba Buena. Tuesday. Supervisor Kim told the audi“I am a resident of the South Ligaya Avenida, president ence that this resolution is not of Market. And I am happy to of the Filipino-American De- only geared to just preserving celebrate today as the start of velopment Foundation (FADF) history and culture. “It is also recognizing my neighborhood Board, an organization which talking about how we can use as SoMa Pilipinas,” Barbonio has, through the years, actively land-use controls and economic stated. worked to sustain and nurture development tools to make sure Aside from Supervisors Kim the Filipino community in SoMa, that our community continues to and Avalos, others who spoke at urged the Supervisors to adopt stay in the South of Market for the midday press conference inthe resolution unanimously be- decades to come,” she said. “We cluded Supervisors David Camcause “it’s not only right, but it want to ensure that our commu- pos, Norman Yee, Eric Mar, and is the right thing to do for the city nity leaders, our diversity, get to Atty. Lourdes Tancinco of the that you represent.” stay in San Francisco, and that Veterans Equity Center.

SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approve...

Napoles to...

Hot, hot day; food shortage... PAGE A1

exposure to the sun. The heat was so intense that students at Wesleyan University-Philippines in Cabanatuan City were allowed to ditch their uniforms for more comfortable clothing, while other residents gulped down thousands of liters of iced water and made halo-halo vendors rich. Other residents sought refuge in air-conditioned shopping malls or took a dip in the sea. Herminio Ambrocio, a retired military officer, said he stayed in his air-conditioned room after his morning walk. Hadji Santaygilio, a farmer from Cabu village, chose to stay at his nipa hut on his citrus farm, as using the air conditioner in his house was expensive. Buddy Balajadia said men in his village, Caalibangbangan, went around half-naked, while his family tried to cope with the heat by eating halo-halo. Above 50 degrees Two other weather stations recorded above-50-degree maximum heat index on Tuesday—Clark Airport in Pampanga province, 51.9 degrees, and Sangley Point, Cavite province, 50.2 degrees, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Pagasa said 24 other weather stations recorded a maximum heat index of at least 40 degrees. At 23 other weather stations, the highest heat index ranged from 35.3 degrees to 39.9 degrees. In the three weather stations in Metro Manila, the maximum heat index on Tuesday was 39 degrees in Port Area, Manila; 41.1 degrees at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and 45.4 degrees at the Science Garden in Quezon City. The heat index, Pagasa said, is the temperature actually felt by the body and measured based on air temperature and humidity. The weather bureau has warned that the country will continue to have “generally warmer than average” temperatures this month as El Niño shows signs of ending by the middle of the year. According to Pagasa, a heat index of at least 41 degrees to 53 degrees Celsius is considered the “danger” level due to probable heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke from continued activity under the sun. When the heat index ranges from 32 degrees to 41 degrees Celsius, the weather bureau calls for “extreme caution.” Once the heat index breaches

54 degrees Celsius, Pagasa considers it the “extreme danger” level. Looming food crisis In 2007-2008, a strong El Niño ravaged farms around the world, drastically affecting harvests and pushing up prices of commodities, including rice. The Laguna-based Irri sees another food crisis threatening the world and attributes it to El Niño and the overall trend of climate change. The situation remains stable and the threat will advance or decline depending on whether rice importing countries panic as they did almost 10 years ago, Irri said in a statement Wednesday. The Food and Agriculture Organization, in an update on the impact of the current El Niño on food security and the needed interventions, placed 25 countries, including the Philippines, on “high priority” for early action and response. Irri said the current El Niño had resulted in lower harvests and irregular planting in several rice-producing countries. “Combined with lower stocks in a few key countries, emerging patterns in regional and global grain supply threaten the repeat of the painful rice price crisis in 2007-2008,” Irri said. PAGE A3

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USPS stamps drop... PAGE A1

to help keep USPS alive during the Great Recession, a time when businesses cut back on mailing. The agency was granted permission to raise rates in 2014, at which time it tacked on 3 cents to bring the price of stamps up to 49 cents each.

However, the increase was only meant to be temporary and is required to rollback 2 cents this year. USPS has been hit hard by the transition from written letters to electronic communication like emails and text messages. Although it delivers less mail to-

Dateline USa

Pacquiao defeats Bradley in last fight

day, it still needs to maintain the infrastructure needed to deliver mail to 155 million addresses in the United States. Prices for postage stamps last fell in July 1919 when it went down from 3 cents to 2 cents per ounce. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

Hot, hot day; food shortage... PAGE A2

Joint action “To address such a crisis at a maximum impact, joint action is needed among countries, particularly the Asean+3 and India—recognizing shared responsibility as well as shared investment—and a regional trade outlook,” it said. Asean+3 refers to the trading bloc that includes the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations—the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Vietnam—and the group’s three nearest dialog partners (China, Japan and South Korea). Irri said the 2007-2008 price spike prompted Asean to draw up a regional integrated food security framework along with a strategic plan of action. This in turn led to the setting up of the Asean+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (Apterr) in 2012, aimed at ensuring the long-term food security and livelihood of the people in the East Asian region . “[But Apterr’s] organization has been quite delayed and its feasibility yet to be tested by a major challenge,” Irri said. The institute added that beyond the framework and the plan, “much more needs to be done, and regional cooperation will be essential to manage a food crisis.” Rice reserve In September 2011, the Asean+3 nations signed the agreement to create Apterr, committing the 13 signatories to build up a reserve of 787,000 tons of rice in anticipation of instabilities in supply resulting from natural disasters. The Apterr pact also commits the 13 countries, which together

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the heat index in Cabanatuan City reached 52.3 degrees Celsius at 2pm Tuesday, April 12, surpassing the earlier record on Monday at 51 degrees. Photo by Mark Hillary

account for two-thirds of global rice production and more than half of global rice exports, to raise $4 million for an endowment fund. The Philippines was committed to contribute 12,000 tons of rice for the stock and $107,500 for the fund. Sam Mohanty, chief of Irri’s social sciences division, said in a blog post the risk of another global price spike largely depended on whether importing countries would panic as they did in 2007-2008. “Despite the current stability in the rice market, there are reasons for concern about the direction of the market in the medium term,” Mohanty said, referring to mid-to-late 2016. Citing data from the US Department of Agriculture, Mohanty noted that the world’s five major exporters—India, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the United States—continue to decrease every year since peaking at about 41 million tons in 2013. Shrinking inventory Data from the USDA show

that the Top 5’s combined inventory will shrink by the biggest amount this year, by 40 percent to 19 million tons from 32 million tons in 2015—the tightest supply situation since the price spikes of 2007-2008. Still, prices are expected to remain “fairly stable” until early next year, especially if harvests in the major rice-growing countries in the coming wet season turn out to be normal. But a less-than-usual crop due to some major weather event might push major exporting and importing countries like the Philippines to the limit. “If they panic similar to what happened in 2007-2008 and resort to excessive buying and export restrictions, then another price spike is in the offing,” he said. “However, if they keep their cool and remain rational regarding their needs, the market price may still go up, but only to a level that is consistent with market fundamentals,” he said. (With a report from Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon)

San Francisco passes law mandating 6 weeks... PAGE A1 of partially paid leave – 55 percent of their salary – to care for newborns, as well as adopted and foster children. The time off is paid for by a state insurance program funded by workers. “The vast majority of workers in this country have little or no access to paid parental leave, and that needs to change,” Wiener said at a news conference before the vote, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Under San Francisco’s new ordinance, businesses with 50 or more employees will be required to pay the remaining 45 percent of their salaries for a six-week leave beginning Jan. 1, 2017. Employers with 35 to 49 workers have until July 2017 to comply. For those with 20 or more workers, the law will apply starting Jan. 1, 2018. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be exempt from the law. The ordinance further makes it illegal to terminate an employee after taking parental leave, whereas California’s program doesn’t guarantee a worker’s old job when they return from leave. “Paid parental leave increases the probability that employees will return to work, be more productive and earn higher wages. That is good for business and families,” said Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, according to the AP. Last week, New York also signed a similar measure into law that requires employers to provide 12 weeks of paid time off, though the program will initially offer 50 percent of an employee’s salary and will be phased in until it fully begins in 2021. While labor groups have touted the legislation in San Francisco and New York, others have noted that other developed countries offer expectant and new mothers at least 12 weeks of paid leave; in Australia, they receive 18 weeks, 39 weeks in the UK and 480 days for parents in Sweden. Also criticizing the requirement are small business owners who say the current list of city mandates unfairly targets them. “They don’t necessarily have the resources, they can’t absorb the increases in cost, and they feel like it’s kind of relentless, it’s one thing after the next,” said Dee Dee Workman, vice president of public policy at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, according to the Associated Press. Despite critics, Wiener said

he’s confident other cities and states will take notice of what is happening in San Francisco. “[Every time] San Francisco adopts a local pro-worker ordinance, we’re told that it’s going to be the end of the world for businesses,” Wiener said, according to The Guardian. “What ends up happening is the state and sometimes the federal government follows our lead ...” Another ordinance the city approved for workers was a $15 hourly minimum wage or workers, which passed in 2014. On Monday, April 4, the governors of New York and California signed off on legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 per

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

hour. Among supporters of paid parental leave include tech companies Google and Facebook. Others like eBay and Spotify provide employees six months of fullypaid parental leave, while Netflix announced unlimited parental leave for the first year after a child is born. Vicki Shabo, vice-president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, praised local San Francisco leaders for supporting the measure. “There’s a growing consensus that the nation must do something to address this,” she said, according to The Guardian. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

PAGE A1 [fighting again]. I want to go home with my family and serve the people.” But before he secured his victory, 37-year-old Pacquiao (586-2 KOs) gave millions of viewers around the world a fight that included knocking down Bradley (33-2-1) twice, in the seventh and ninth rounds. His performance resulted in a unanimous decision in his favor from the judges, who scored it 116-110. HBO commentators during the fight noticed what they said appeared to be some sort of problem with his right shoulder, which was injured and exacerbated during Pacquiao’s long-awaited match against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr. However, he dismissed concerns and said he was OK. “I was looking for a knockout in every round,” Pacquiao said. “He’s a very tough fighter and a very good counter-puncher. Bradley is a good boxer, a great fighter and a good man. It was not easy tonight, [but] my right shoulder was fine. It gave me no problems.” Before the fight, Bradley said he planned on fighting at a level similar to the performance he gave during the ninth round of his fight against Brandon Rios in November, which he won with a knockout. CompuBox reported that Pacquiao connected on 122 of 439 punches, while the Bradley landed 99 of 302. “Manny is patient … I wasn’t professional enough to be patient myself and I walked into some shots,” he said following his loss. “He’s very quick, very explosive and it’s hard to judge him with quick reflexes. He won the fight, much respect to Manny Pacquiao.” In between the fighters’ postmatch interviews, Pacquiao, who is fond of Bradley, invited his opponent to Sunday prayer breakfast. Yet despite looking sharp after his win, Pacquiao affirmed he was retiring. Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, however, said he believes the boxer’s retirement is more of a trial separation. “He’s torn. His wife wants him to retire. He’s running for office, and if he wins, which he will, there will be tremendous responsibilities that go with that,” Arum said, according to ESPN. Arum also said that Pacquiao may need a big paycheck in the near future. The Filipino fighter reportedly was set to receive $20

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AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

million for his third fight against Bradley. For his fight in the ring with Mayweather in May, he reportedly earned $160 million. “He doesn’t have money problems now, but of course he’s going to have money problems if he’s going to be building hospitals out of his own pocket instead of letting the [Philippine] government build the hospitals,” Arum said, according to ESPN. His trainer, Freddie Roach, has said leading up to the match that he would support whatever decision Pacquiao made. “I loved the way Manny threw his combos. He may be a little rusty, but if he wants to continue fighting, I think he can still go,” Roach said. After the fight, when a questioner pointed out to Pacquiao that it seemed like his family wanted him to retire more than he did, he laughed. “In my heart I’m 50-50. But I love my family, and I won’t hurt

my family, my kids. I don’t know, I might enjoy my retired life or I might want to come back. It’s hard to say because I’m not there yet. But right now, my decision is to retire,” he said, according to ESPN. Pacquiao returned to the Philippines with his family on Thursday, April 14, where he was met with fans and media at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. He also met with Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach at Novotel Hotel in Quezon City. When he arrived back home, the Filipino champ went straight to a press conference where he said he was content with his boxing achievements and thanked fans for their prayers and support. He did not, however, confirm if he is retiring from boxing for good, Philstar.com reported. “Yes, I am retired as of now,” he told reporters at the airport lobby. “I want to be with my family and to serve my people.”

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OpiniOn

Features

Plan B

EVEN the temptation of a possible rematch—and vengeance— against Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not stop Manny Pacquiao from stepping into retirement, in boxing at least. Ending his illustrious boxing career on a high note, Pacquiao emerged victorious in his last fight—winning via a unanimous decision against a formidable opponent in Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 9. After scoring two knockdowns in rounds 7 and 9, it was no surprise that all three judges had it 116-110, 116-110 and 116-110 in favor of Pacquiao. “I was looking for a knockout every round. His style is to counter punch. But I countered him. He was different to the last two fights, and he improved. I can still fight - but I made the decision to retire tonight, work for my people and spend more time with my family,” Pacquiao told his cheering fans as he confirmed that his 66th fight would be his last. “Thank you to all the fans in boxing, especially the Filipino people. I’ve really appreciated all your help and support,” Pacquiao added. The 37-year-old Filipino champion vowed to focus on his political career. Pacquiao is a candidate for the senatorial race on the upcoming Philippine elections on May 9. The whole world stood witness to Pacquiao’s rise to the top: from a struggling 14-year-old boy, who left his home in Mindanao, he became

the best fighter of his generation. In his journey, Pacquiao managed to have millions of adoring fans. His followers are so devoted to him that they still find cause to celebrate even in his defeat. All his hard work has manifested into millions of earnings, a successful showbiz career and a legislative post as Congressman of the Saranggani province. His fame has catapulted him to become one of the most revered Filipino icons of all time. And why not? After all, his achievements supersede Pacquiao himself—winning eight championships in different weight divisions by beating boxing champions from around the world. His reign as king of the ring is over. Now, Pacquiao wants his (eligible to vote) Filipino fans to join him on his next endeavor. Celebrities, who venture into politics, are not an uncommon sight in the Philippines—and Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao is one of them. However, his explosive punches and agility may not be able to guarantee him votes to win a senate seat. With only a few weeks left until Filipinos cast their votes, Pacquiao must prove why he is worthy to occupy one of the country’s highest legislative posts. (AJPress)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

How to vote in the May Philippine elections

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-reloS YOU care about the Philippines. You want the next president and vice-president to really lead the nation toward progress, peace, order. You want to see more employment opportunities in the Philippines so you can come home and settle down in the Motherland for good, or have a loved one come back and never have to leave again . You want your hard earned dollar that you send to the Philippines really go a long way for your loved ones and not for some thieves in the government bureaucracy. Channel the frustration into hope, and hope into reality by

exercising your right to VOTE. If you are a Filipino citizen or a dual citizen, then your vote will count in the May 9 Philippine election. You vote may in fact be a swing vote that can decide who will win in the election. How do you do this? The voting process has become so simple and fast, especially with the voting machines that can now electronically receive your vote and transmit results to the Philippine Commission on Elections. But for your vote to be counted, you have to do what you need to do as a responsible citizen. The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” has been airing information stories to guide you in the new voting process. If you live in a city that is near the Consulate or Embassy, then enjoy the pride and experience

of going there to cast your vote as internationally renowned Pinay Broadway singer and actress Lea Salonga did. If not, let this information from the report by Balitang America’s New York Correspondent Don Tagala serve as your guide: Since April 9, Filipino overseas absentee voters who registered for the 2016 Philippine elections will start receiving voting packets from their respective Philippine consulates. The packet contains a paper seal, a return envelope, an instruction manual in Tagalog and the ballot itself. In a press conference, Consul Kerwin Tate said the ballots are shorter than the ones in Philippines because local positions are excluded. Using only black ink pens, Tate showed how to completely

shade their choices for president, vice president, 12 senators and a party list. The machine may not be able to count a vote if pencils or any other colors are used and if shading is incomplete. “If you mark two for the president, that will not be counted. Not invalid but it will not be counted,” said Tate. “If you mark 13 senators that will not be counted either but if you put 11, that’s an under vote that will be counted.” Fold the ballot and place it in the return envelope. Do not use any other envelope other than the provided official return envelope. Seal the envelope and place the provided paper seal sticker on the top flap. Fill out the blanks on the face of the envelope.

“You will put your signature and write your name, there’s a box where you sign,” added Tate. “There’s a box where you sign your name and then you buy your stamp for the ballot.” Voters have the option to main in their ballot or deliver the ballot in person to their respective consulates. On Mondays and Thursdays, voters also have the option to personally feed their ballots into the vote counting machines at their Philippine Consulates between 9am until 5pm. In accordance with a recent Philippine Supreme Court ruling, a ballot receipt will now be printed after each feeding. Registered voters who have home address changes or who have not received their ballots may email the Philippine Consulate in New York at vot-

ersid2016@gmail.com or fax their change of address at (212) 764-6010. “We encourage them to fill up the ballot and to mail it immediately,” said Consul General Mario de Leon. Whether by mail or hand-delivered, completed ballots must be received at their consulates before 5am on May 9, otherwise late ballots or tampered ballots will not be counted. SIGE NA! BOTO NA! Let your voice be heard and your vote be counted! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective. com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos. Relos

The Kidapawan clash: A crisis of leadership

Street Talk GreG B. MacaBenta I CAN’T help comparing the clash of farmer-activists and PNP and government authorities in Kidapawan, North Cotabato with the oft-told anecdote about the three priests, a Dominican, a Franciscan and a Jesuit (actually, the roles and the priestly orders vary, depending on who is telling the story). At any rate, the three were meeting in a room when the light suddenly went out. The Dominican immediately began a philosophical discourse on why the room was suddenly enshrouded in darkness. The Franciscan knelt down and prayed for the light to come back on. And the Jesuit went out to change the light bulb. While many in mainstream and social media have called the incident a “massacre,” I have prudently avoided using the term because police authorities have characterized it differently. Suffice it to say that there were injuries inflicted on both sides, with the farmers suffering at least three confirmed fatalities (and several disappearances). As of the last media reports, the parties on both sides of the conflict are still doing what the Dominican did in the anecdote - railing about how and why it happened while hurling blame at each other.

Officials of the PNP insist that they did not start the clash and that they were the victims rather than the oppressors because several peace officers were hurt, some seriously. They have also blamed the New People’s Army for inciting the confrontation. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas has not spared the invectives against the “heartlessness” of the government, in the process endearing the Left among the rural folk. And, the other day, the chief executive of North Cotabato, Gov. Lala Talino-Mendoza, was busy on media blaming everyone for it, except herself. Inexplicably, she also took offense at those who offered food supplies to the farmers, calling the humanitarian attempt “Nakakainsulto” (insulting). From what I gather, TalinoMendoza resented what she perceived as an attempt by “interested parties” to exploit the incident for political brownie points at her expense and that of the Liberal Party and its presidential candidate, Mar Roxas. There are also those who, like the Franciscan, have been praying for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and for the proverbial rule of law to prevail – which, frankly, is neither here nor there. To some extent, Mar Roxas appears to fall in this category. Roxas was quoted in media declaring that the “first task is to restore order to the area and make sure that no clash happens

again.” He also “called on the PNP and other concerned agencies to investigate as to the true cause of the clash and, if warranted, to punish those accountable.” And what about the President of the Republic of the Philippines? We are told that His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III is still waiting to get a full picture of the incident before he makes any statement on it. Here’s how it is explained by Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Underscretary Manuel Quezon III (I run of out of breath every time I say the titles of these Malacanang executives): “I do believe the President will refrain from making any statements until he has fully studied the matter and is given and is satisfied with all the answers that he has received as a result of demanding an impartial and thorough investigation.” Ergo, don’t expect any presidential comments on the incident until after, perhaps, the 40th day after the burial of the fatalities (babang luksa), which would be after the presidential elections, which would make any comments of Aquino meaningless and irrelevant anyway. And to think Aquino was schooled under the Jesuits and not the Dominicans. But Aquino is not the only one who finds it more convenient to discuss the hows, whys and wherefores of the problem rath-

er than to confront, address and alleviate the problem. The question is, at the end of the day (to paraphrase a favorite cliché of Aquino), are these loud noises filling the hungry stomachs of the protesting farmers and their families to address the core of the conflict? In other words, is anybody changing the light bulb? There are several reasons why the clash – the conflict – the massacre – call it what you may - came about and, depending on whose version is being told, it’s always the other side’s fault. But at the very heart of this crisis is an even bigger one: A crisis of leadership. Anyone familiar with the dynamics of conflict and intrigue will tell you that the Kidapawan situation, like many similar situations in the rural areas across the Philippines, was – and still is – a recipe for a grassroots uprising. The rural poor, punished by the scourge of El Nino, are fair game for being incited and inflamed. Like those who joined Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan at Biak na Bato, they are ripe for ripping their virtual cedulas. It just takes someone to light the fuse. And the Left is expert at it. But for the fuse to be lighted and the flames to ignite, it takes a “manhid” and “palpak” (numb and incompetent) set of national and provincial officials to provide the fuel, as well as armed and trigger happy police or

military officers to set the whole situation ablaze. So how did this become a crisis of leadership? It takes a leader – seasoned, compassionate, decisive, wise – to understand the dynamics involved. It takes street wise insights to note that any false move – any unthinking decision – could ignite the incendiary situation – mainly because those who brought it about really intend the situation to explode. What did the Kidapawan farmers want? Rice. Were there stocks available? According to government sources, there were stocks “pre-positioned” for calamities. Why did the provincial government not want to give it to them? Because the palpak and manhid leaders felt that the poor folk were being exploited by some sinister quarters – either political enemies or the Left – and goaded to resort to anarchy. The provincial government, as well as the national government, could have defused the situation by immediately providing relief to the hungry farmers, thus buying them time to take control of the crisis and deprive the intriguers of their weapon of mass incitement. Instead, they allowed their amor propio, their political agenda and their incompetence to get the better of them – thus falling prey to the other side’s game plan. Indeed, it takes a seasoned leader to be able to handle a sensitive situation like this. Unfor-

tunately, our current president has proven himself incapable of dealing with a crisis. And what about the crop of “presidentiables”? How about someone with an itchy trigger finger, whose idea of bringing about peace and order is by making the “troublemakers” rest in peace? Or how about an ivy leaguer who doesn’t know enough to bring a weather expert along to manage a crisis posed by the strongest typhoon on record? Or an ailing shrew whose idea of solving a problem is by challenging everyone involved to a debate? And how about a former grade school teacher who would wake up the military command in case of a crisis with a foreign enemy? Does Grace Poe realize that an impending conflict with a foreign enemy is not supposed to catch the military leadership and the national leadership sleeping? Good grief!!! As far as I can tell, the only presidential candidate who would have known how to defuse the Kidapawan crisis is someone who has fought alongside the Left and knows the dynamics of intrigue and conflict, who has fought on the side of the government, armalite in hand, in the face of near-successful coups and, most of all, who understands that the way to fight poverty is not by killing the poor. Like it or not – it takes a Jojo Binay. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

Dateline PBalikatan: hiliPPines US soldiers, Pinoy

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police figure in bar brawl by Jaime Laude Philstar.com

KITE FESTIVAL. A kite inspired by the Philippine flag competes in the second Isabela Kite Festival last Saturday, April 9. Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

IS claims attack in Philippines for first time KIDAPAWAN CITY—The Islamic State (IS) has claimed an attack in southern Philippines for the first time, following earlier reports from a certain group called “Jundul Khilafah,” or soldiers of caliphate, in the country. “With the grace of God we were able to detonate seven trucks carrying soldiers,” the IS said in a statement on Wednesday, April 13. According to the IS’s Amaq news agency, dozens of Filipino soldiers were recently killed in an ongoing clash in southern Philippines, as IS fighters repelled a major ongoing campaign by the Philippine Army. “Islamic State fighters set up ambushes on roads used by Filipino forces, where they detonated explosive devices that blasted seven troop-carrying trucks, killing most of those aboard and injuring others, in addition to surprise attacks carried out against concentrations of enemy troops,” the agency said. “Several jihadi groups and battalions in the Philippines announced their joining of the Islamic State, the latest of which was Jund at-Tawhid Battalion of the Abu Sayyaf group, which announced its pledge of allegiance on the 20th of last month,” it added. Also written as Jundul Tawhid,

IS in the Philippines allegedly continues to proliferate on the volatile island of Mindanao, where decades-long conflict still persists.

the IS was referring to Jund atTawhid headed by Mohd Amin Baco, a Malaysian. It did not name the other jihadi movements that had vowed allegiance to the international terror group Previous reports showed that Harakatul Islamiyah in Basilan (another faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group headed by Isnilon Hapilon), Dawlah Islamiya or Islamic State in Lanao (headed by Abdullah Maute), Rajah Solaiman Movement in Luzon, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao, and Ansarul Khilafah in Sarangani had all rallied their support to the IS, also known as ISIS or Daesh since 2014. The jihadists, who have identified themselves in the country as

Jundul Khilafah, have claimed responsibility over the recent attack in Basilan that killed 18 soldiers and wounded more than 50 others. The rise of IS militants in the country came amid peace talks in Mindanao, where a decades-long conflict between Muslim fundamentalists and government troops continues. The Philippine government and the largest Muslim rebels Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have come up with two agreements in the 17-year peace talks. The MILF is openly opposing the “virus” ideology being carried by the young generation of jihadists. (Moh Saaduddin/ManilaTimes. net)

MANILA—Five American servicemen participating in this year’s Balikatan joint exercises are facing a probe for figuring in a brawl at a girlie bar in Puerto Princesa City last April 2. Capt. Alex Lim, Balikatan spokesman for the US, said the US servicemen got involved in a brawl with three policemen, one of them the deputy commander of the Puerto Princesa police. Lim said the five American servicemen would face investigation by their mother unit after the conclusion of the joint exercise. “Any potential misconduct of US service members is completely unacceptable and not compatible with US military standards. Appropriate actions, which will be at their command’s discretion, will be taken at their home stations,” Lim said. Lim did not identify the five Americans involved in the brawl, but the Filipino policemen were identified with the group of Superintendent Ariel Celino. The Americans figured in a melee with Celino and his men at Club 54, a girlie bar in Puerto Prin-cesa City. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said Celino and his colleagues, Sr. Insp. Winner Paguio and SPO2 Jimmy Dalumpines, have been relieved and will face investigation over the incident. The three policemen reportedly introduced themselves in the bar as part of ongoing anti-drug surveillance operations. The incident was kept under wraps until a video was uploaded to social media and went viral. The video showed an unnamed American serviceman tapping the bottle of beer he was holding on the beer of one of the Palawan policemen, who appeared to be asleep at another table. At the height of the confrontation, another policeman entered the scene and punched one of the American servicemen. The uploaded video also showed that one of the Americans moved closer and disarmed one of the policemen of his service pistol before he was able to draw it.

Capt. Celeste Frank Sayson, Balikatan spokesman for the Philippines, said no Filipino soldiers were involved in the brawl. He was informed about the incident by his US counterpart. Screengrab from YouTube video

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Miss U and Pacman meet in Manila by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—It was one epic encounter as Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach and Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao met in one venue. On Thursday, April 14, Pacquiao was back in the

Philippines after his win last Sunday against Timothy Bradley Jr. Pia, meanwhile, is in the country to pass on the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe crown on Sunday, April 17. “I was very happy to be present earlier. I admire him as

boxer,” Pia said about her quick encounter with Pacquiao before her press conference. She added that in their quick chat, the boxing champ told her how emotional he and his wife, Jinkee, when host Steve Harvey made a blunder in announcing her the pageant’s first runner-up. In return, she told him about her tweet last year vowing to make things right at the Miss Universe competition after Pacquiao lost in his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao gave her a “Miss Universe Pink” boxing gloves as a sign of his appreciation for the pride Pia brought to the country. The crowned Miss Universe said she also admires Pacquiao as a boxer. “I’m still proud of him as a boxer,” she said. “Even if we have different opinions on some things, but we’re both Filipinos and as a fellow Filipino, I was

‘Kilig’ officially added to Oxford English Dictionary MANILA— “Kilig,” a Filipino term used to describe one’s feelings, is officially included in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). On Thursday, April 14, OED released a list of new word entries, containing over a hundred words. According to OED, kilig can be both an adjective and a noun.

Adjective: “Of a person: exhilarated by an exciting or romantic experience; thrilled, elated, gratified.” Noun: “Exhilaration or elation caused by an exciting or romantic experience; an instance of this, a thrill.” Citing an example, OED used the sentence “kilig to the bones” as an adjective which means

utterly thrilled or thrilling. In 2015, OED included 40 Filipino terms in their update, saying it’s now recognized as the “definitive record of the English language.” It was the “largest single batch” of words from Philippine English to be recognized and “published at the same time” in the dictionary.

2

PINOY PRIDE. Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach meets People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao on Thursday, April 14. Pacquiao arrived in the Philippines following his recent victory against Timothy Bradley Jr. last Saturday, April 9. Present in this rare moment is BPCI chair Stella Marquez Araneta, Uniprom Inc. OIC-COO Irene Jose and Novotel Manila Araneta Center General Manager Bernd Schneider. Photos by Denise Viña Photography/Binibining Pilipinas Facebook page

proud of his victory for the Philippines.” Pia was referring to

differences in opinion she and Manny have on same-sex marriage. Pacquiao was slammed

by the LGBT community for his comments against same-sex marriage earliert this year.

Kanye, the consummate showman, wows Manila fans by AllAn

PolicArPio Inquirer.net

IN his first-ever live performance of “Famous,” the controversial lead single off his latest album, “The Life of Pablo,” Kanye West, ever the perfectionist, stopped the song midway through. Was there a technical glitch? Or was there something that simply did not feel right? The reason was not clearly by BAyAni SAn Diego Jr. discernible to the sea of faithful Inquirer.net before him, but was apparently FILIPINO filmmaker Brillante glaring enough for his meticulous Ma. Mendoza returns to the Main ears to force him to start over. Competition of this year’s Cannes Surely enough, it was bedlam Film Festival with “Ma’ Rosa.” the second time, the pumped-up “Ma’ Rosa” stars Jaclyn Jose, audience at Aseana City Open Andi Eigenmann, Felix Roco, Grounds volleying the verses back Jomari Angeles and Julio Diaz, who to Kanye with unwavering ferocity: recently suffered a health crisis. “I feel like me and Taylor might Mendoza is the lone Filipino in still have sex / Why? I made that the fest’s main section. Mendoza’s b*tch famous,” the fans bellowed— student, Raymund Gutierrez, emphasis on the last line, which Filmmaker Brillante Ma. Mendoza is competing in the Short Film referenced the now infamous Last Face”) and Jim Jarmusch Regard section of Cannes. Competition with “Imago.” incident at the 2009 MTV Video (Paterson”), the Netherlands’ Paul Music Awards, where Kanye—being In 2008, he first joined the Gutierrez was a product of Verhoeven (“Elle”), Denmark’s Mendoza’s film workshop last year. Main Competition with the erotic Kanye—went up the stage and Nicolas Winding Refn (“The Neon interrupted an acceptance speech flick “Serbis.” The year before, Mendoza is no stranger to the Demon”), South Korea’s Park world’s biggest cinema event, to be he was part of the Directors’ by pop superstar Taylor Swift. Chan-wook (“Agassi”), France’s held this year from May 11 to 22 in Fortnight, a parallel section in It was visible that Kanye, the Olivier Assayas (“Personal Cannes, with the family drama the south of France. headliner of the recent Paradise Shopper”), Spain’s Pedro “Foster Child.” In 2009, Mendoza won best International Music Festival Almodovar (“Julieta”), Belgium’s This year, Mendoza will be director for the gritty crime drama 2016, had a grand time doing Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc vying for top honors with an “Kinatay.” Last year, he fielded the the number, so much so that he Dardenne (“La Fille Inconnue”), illustrious honor roll that includes Yolanda movie “Taklub,” top-billed asked the crowd if he could do among others. United States’ Sean Penn (“The by Nora Aunor, in the Un Certain it all over again—but not before launching into a sermon that was part reflection on the events that inspired “Famous,” and part monologue on his misunderstood genius. lifestyle. “I learned about the by AlixAnDrA cAole VilA “This is the song that broke “I support children mainly foundation sa tita ko. She set it up Philstar.com the writer’s block for me. There because I feel like they’re the only ten years ago. Nakita ko talaga na ones that are extremely innocent in was something I wanted to say nag-grow yung foundation from MANILA—The slums so badly, but they told me I could thirty kids now they are sponsoring this world. I think that they should of Payatas have found new not say. That night when I went be given the opportunity to have over 200 kids. Binibigyan nila ng collaborators in celebrities Isabelle an equal footing to succeed in this onstage was the beginning of Daza and Erwan Heussaff to assist pagkain every day,” she said in an the end of my life … Lady Gaga world,” he said. interview with Philstar.com in programs and give millennial canceled the tour (‘Fame Kills’) the At the press event, it was As an Early Childhood consumers, already born with an next day,” he said. “You know the revealed that both ambassadors Education graduate from De abundance of choices, a better night I was talking about.” visited Payatas to learn about the La Salle University, Daza feels alternative. For speaking out on things that passionate about helping children reality of poverty and the life of the On Wednesday, Daza and other people have in mind, but who are in need. Daza believes that people there. Heussaff to the press shared would not dare say out loud, Kanye “Once we arrived in Payatas, being the world’s future, children what made them say yes to the said he had to fight every day of his it was a really weird feeling for should be well-fed and nourished collaboration with skin care line life, with the world against him. But me. The first thing I wanted to do in order to have an education, Kiehl’s to assist the Payatas Orione that is the job of an artist—a true was just get out there. It’s funny good health, and as they grow Foundation. artist, he pointed out. how this kind of reality makes us up, a job, which will lead to their Daza said both the brand and “Artists are not to be controlled feel so uncomfortable. Probably survival. the foundation are close to her because you don’t want to admit Heussaff, an International heart. In fact, she has been helping and don’t want to understand that Business degree-holder the foundation through their specializing in hospitality, believes you wake up in the morning, have feeding programs and others for in helping others imbibe a healthy your morning juice while there are over ten years now. others who literally fight for their hunger by eating salt for breakfast,” recalled Heussaff. The Payatas Orione Foundation feeds over 600 malnourished children annually. To contribute to the cause, Heusaff and Daza decided to help these kids by agreeing to design a limited edition packaging for Kiehl’s best selling product. All of the sales from the product will be given to the charity to feed underprivileged kids aged 2 to 8 years old through a supplemental feeding program where one full meal will be provided for them every single day of the week. The goal for this project is to help kids grow physically and mentally, readying them to receive On April 13, Daza together with Heussaff graced a press event in Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Cafe, proper education, and, eventually, allowing them to help their BGC where they shared what made them say yes to the collaboration with Kiehl’s. Instagram photo by Erwan Heussaff families rise from poverty. Wiz Khalifa

Brillante Mendoza returns to Cannes

Isabelle Daza, Erwan Heussaff team up for Payatas

Kanye West

by finances and perception, but only by their truth—what you see, what you feel, and say what you f**king feel! It is overwhelming for me to have performed that song for the first time and for you all to react to it that way,” Kanye said, as fans chanted, “Yeezy! Yeezy!”—the name of his clothing line that has become his moniker. Kanye has always been a polarizing figure in pop culture— praised for his progressive style of hip-hop that shows off his unmistakable and profound musical artistry; reviled for his perceived megalomania. But that night, one thing was undeniable: The man is a consummate showman. He regaled the crowd with about 30 songs culled from his seven studio albums: “Power,” “Black Skinhead,”“All Day,”“Jesus Walks,”“Niggas in Paris,”“Runaway,” “FourFiveSeconds.” Aside from “Famous,” he also did select tracks from “Pablo” live for the first time: “Father Stretch My Hands, Pts. I and II,”“Waves,” “Ultralight Prayer.” All the while, he performed under a plane of orange spotlights that hovered over his head, its shape and lighting patterns shifting to adapt to the show’s changing moods. At times, the array of lights beamed straight on Kanye, who basked in its glory; most of the time the lights forged a hazy wall that exposed nothing more than his silhouette. The production, while not on the same scale as his previous, high-profile shows, was still very

much a visual and aural spectacle; a collision of hypnotic, intricate stage lights and thrashing, rippling beats that shook the dust off the ground. Simply put, everything about the 90-minute concert was—as his opening song went—“harder, better, faster, stronger.” Getting high If Kanye’s set was a painstakingly curated display designed to awe, Wiz Khalifa’s was as laid-back as it could be. The American rapper, who went before Kanye—with whom he had a Twitter feud earlier this year—was easy, breezy onstage, much like the carefree choruses that flourished his funky, danceable hip-hop sound. He giggled, gyrated, waved his lanky arms, doused himself with water and moved—as if in slow motion—about the stage, as he spat some of his most well-loved hits that drove the fans into frenzy, including—“Young, Wild, Free,” “Black and Yellow,”“Roll Up,”“On My Level,”“Mezmorized,”“We Dem Boyz,”“Taylor Gang” and “See You Again.” At one point, the rapper oh-socasually lit up a joint, and took not a few puffs of it as the cool wind blew his half-opened Hawaiian shirt that exposed his intricately tattooed torso. “We all got some problems … we all need to get high,” he jested, sniggering. And some did take his heed, the balmy air being suffused by that unmistakable sweet scent. But for some, the music itself provided more than enough high.

Inquirer.net photos by Alec Corpuz

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The convenience of flying Philippine Airlines It will come as no surprise that many travellers place a high premium on nonstop direct flights. the advantages are obvious. Since a nonstop direct flight goes directly from the origin airport to the destination airport, without any connections in between, it is generally the shortest path. Further, without a connection, there is no waiting around for the intermediate flight to board, which means less travel time. Add to this is the less chance of travel complications associated with missed connections, mid-trip delays, checked baggage getting lost and other unpleasant events that could happen mid-way through your trip. to put it simply: flying direct is always preferable. this becomes an even more important choice to many when flying internationally. Although given that other airlines’ pricing strategies and itineraries that entail connecting flights are usually less expensive, a huge percentage of Filipino travelers –especially those from the West Coast -- still prefer PAL because it provides them the advantage and the convenience of that non-stop direct flights to either Manila or Cebu. Missing a connecting flight adds more stress to an already long exhausting trip. And Philippine Airlines has conveniently addressed this with their non-stop direct flights. With PAL’s direct flights to either Manila or Cebu the traveler enjoys the advantage of checking in only once and not worry about going through another check-in for a connecting flight. Moreover, a direct flight also provides convenience to senior citizen travelers who no longer need to walk and navigate the long distances between arrival and departure gates to make their connecting flights. And once you’re on board, you are guaranteed that the next stop is your final destination. In addition it gives you an additional piece of mind knowing that

your checked in luggage don’t have to make a connection and do not involve another series of handling; therefore, the possibility of losing your checked-in bags as very remote. Further, Filipino travelers immediately feel at home as soon as they check-in and board the aircraft – for the simple reason that they can speak tagalog and not be afraid of being misunderstood by the airline cabin crew. Meanwhile, nonFilipino speaking passengers will have no communication problem because every member of the PAL staff speaks fluent English. And of course, another advantage is that PAL international passengers use terminal 2, which is far more convenient than terminal 1. *** Philippine Airlines, which recently marked its 75th anniversary with the launch of its non-stop direct flights between Los Angeles and Cebu, is the first commercial airline and the oldest operating in Asia. PAL has a good history, and although the company was severely affected the Asian financial crisis in 1997, it has nonetheless overcame the challenges. Jaime Bautista, PAL’s president and chief operating officer during the gala event that mark the company’s 75th year revealed that PAL is setting its sights into becoming a 5-star airline within the next five years. Speaking during the gala event held at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills on March 18, the PAL chief executive said that the company’s goal is to make PAL the airline of choice in all markets. Mr. Bautista acknowledged that this goal is not a simple task. However it is doable, which means PAL needs to further improve the quality of its service – from their front-line products to their staff service, both in the ground and in the air – to be at par with other 5-star airlines. With the launch of its LAXCebu service is aimed at boosting

PAL’s presence in the United States that includes flights between San Francisco and Manila, New York and Manila, Honolulu and Manila, Guam and Manila, and Los Angeles and Manila. the thrice-weekly non-stop LAX-Cebu flights mark’s PAL’s first long haul destination from its secondary hub in Cebu. PAL currently has four international flights from Cebu, namely Nagoya, Osaka, Narita, and Seoul. Cebu, is of course, becoming a very important hub outside of Manila, and an exciting gateway to the country’s dive sites, beaches and other nearby tourist destinations like Bohol, among others. Aboard the inaugural flight from LAX to Cebu were mostly balikbayans with roots in Cebu and Mindanao. Also on board were members of the media who were part of the joint PAL-DOt Fam tour featuring various tourist sites and destinations in Cebu, Bohol and Manila, that include the historic Magellan’s Cross and nearby Basilica del Santo Nino which houses the oldest religious relic in the country; Fort San Pedro, the 17th century stone fort that served as the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. In Bohol, Fam tour participant were treated to a countryside tour where they visited the tarsier sanctuary for a close encounter with the tarsier, the world’s smallest primate; enjoyed a cruise with lunch buffet down the Loboc River; plus the opportunity to visit Bohol’s geological wonders of limestone cone shaped hills known as the “Chocolate Hills”. Of course a trip to Manila would not be complete without a quick trip to tagaytay, a perfect weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Locals have always been drawn to tagaytay because of its mild climate, the endless roadside stores offering the freshest fruits and vegetables, and native delicacies and of course the magnificent view of the world’s smallest volcano, taal Volcano, which sits on an island

Jaime Bautista, PAL President and Chief Operating Officer led the ceremonial toast in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippine Airlines during the gala event held March 18 at SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. He was joined by officials from the Philippine Department of Tourism headed by Assistant Secretary for Tourism Development Planning Rolando Canizal; the Philippine Consulate General office headed by Consul General Leo Herrera Lim; and other executives of Philippine Airlines. Photo courtesy of Julian Oriel

PAL VP-Passenger Sales Ryan Uy with Eliza Chung, Regional Director of GTT International, one of the largest airline consolidators in the United States. Photo courtesy of Julian Oriel

within a lake. *** With the advantages and the convenience of direct flights it offers to Filipino-American travellers notwithstanding, Philippine Airlines nonetheless faces stiff competition from other Asian airlines. With their attractive tour packages, additional perks such as city tours during layovers, and competitive prices, other airlines are slowly but surely dipping into the sizeable Filipino-American

Philippine Airlines Personnel gathered at the LAX during the send-off ceremony of the maiden launch of PAL’s direct flight between Los Angeles and Cebu on March 15, 2016. In photo, in front from left: Ricky Panis, account officer; Ed Rivera, cargo supervisor; Mitty Torres, account officer; and Junerick Marinas, LAX sales secretary. Standing, from left: Catherine Guino, Assistant Deputy Manager-LAX airport station; Terry Romilla, Activations Team-Manila; Anna Pisigan, Deputy Manager, LAX airport station; Marie Jemma Saranillo, outgoing Area Manager-Los Angeles; Maria Milagros Revilla, Country Manager, Americas; Ryan Uy, Vice President-Sales; Harry Inoferio, Senior Assistant Vice-President-Sales; Maricel Wall, Senior Account Officer; Rex Aldanese, LAX Station Manager; and Mark Andrews, ramp assistant. Photo courtesy of Philippine Airlines

traveling population between the United States and the Philippines. Aware of the competition posed by other airlines, PAL is expected to come up with competitive prices as a result of a recent meeting between PAL’s VPPassenger Sales Ryan Uy and Eliza Chung, Regional Director of Gtt International, one of the biggest airline consolidators in the US. this latest move will, hopefully, place the national carrier in a more advantageous position in the highly demanding and

competitive travel industry. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years experience in the tourism and travel industry. He provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles and San Diego.

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Kore 2016 Pro-Am takes place at Journey at Pechanga

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Photo shows 26 professional golfers from the LPGA tour, Pechanga Resort & Casino officials and tee sponsors posing in front of the Journey at Pechanga golf course. Photo by Nicole Daly

The Kore 2016 Pro-Am took place at Journey at Pechanga on April 3 and 4, 2016. This is the fourth year that Pechanga held the tournament at their resort as the proud official sponsor. Journey at Pechanga is Pechanga Resort & Casino’s premiere championship golf course, already well known among many Asian golfers. This year, 26 talented LPGA golfers were invited to participate in this highly anticipated tournament with the Pro-Am’s tee sponsors. The night before the tournament, sponsors found out which LPGA Pro golfers they will be playing with, at the pairings party in the resort’s eagle’s Nest. The pairing party featured gourmet hors d’oeuvres, premium beverages and live entertainment, which created a relaxed atmosphere for all players and allowed them to get to know their LPGA Pro partners and prepare for the next day’s tournament. Kore 2016 Pro-Am featured many professional golfers including Mi hyang Lee (LPGA ranking 34), Chella Choi, Ilhee Lee andJenny Shin. Mi hyang Lee, who started playing golf at the age of 3, came into the spotlight when she became Rolex first-time winner after winning Mizuno Classic 2014. Lee tallied four top-10 finishes at the evian Championship in 2015, which was her best finish in a major. Chella Choi earned her 2009 LPGA Tour card at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She has several Top-10 finishes in many major golf championships and won Rolex for the first time at the 2015 Marathon Classic. Debuted in 2010, Ilhee Lee became a Rolex first-time winner at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. With Rolex ranking 38, Ilhee boasts career

earnings of over $2.2M. Jenny Shin, like many Koreans, started playing golf at a very young age and began competing in USGA golf championships at age 13. She had several strong majors and recorded career-best T13 finish at the Cambia Portland Classic in 2015. This annual tournament, being the fourth year held at Journey, consisted of many other LPGA superstars such as Jennifer Song, Kelly Shon, Tiffany Joh, haeji Kang, Soo Bin Kim, Vicky hurst, Jenny Suh, Julie Yang, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Birdie Kim, Christine Song, Grace Na, Irene Choe-Coe, Mindy Kim, Victoria elizabeth, emily Tubert, Jing Yan, Jennie Lee, Min Lee, Stephanie Kono, Demi Runas and Brianna Do. This elite group of 26 pro golfers were expected to challenge each other on the stimulating and demanding course, along with their fans and golf partners. Throughout the tournament, tee sponsors were not only be able to get up close and personal with these golf elites, but also swing their clubs alongside these talented athletes. They were also be provided with a great networking opportunity with celebrities, corporate leaders and pro golfers at the Awards Ceremony and Dinner that immediately followed the tournament. Journey at Pechanga Journey at Pechanga championship golf course, one of the many high-end amenities at Pechanga Resort & Casino, is consistently rated among the top public courses in California. When golfers partner their rounds with a luxury stay at the adjacent resort, the value of the experience rises. hotel guests receive

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complimentary access to the course’s award-winning practice facility, even if they do not have a tee time. The course’s clubhouse is home to spacious men’s and women’s locker rooms, an extensive pro shop and the Journey’s end restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and evening appetizers and cocktails. Nestled in the foothills of the scenic Southern California wine country in Temecula Valley on the Pechanga Indian Reservation, adjacent to Pechanga Resort & Casino, Journey at Pechanga winds along a boulder-strewn mountain. Journey at Pechanga’s par-72, 18-hole golf course winds across 7,219 yards. A challenging and rewarding course, it presents a range of topography – canyons, ravines, open fairways and even a tee shot with a 175-foot drop. Just across a small walkway sits the state’s largest resort/ casino with all the luxuries a traveler would expect from a high-end casino property. Rated a AAA Four Diamond property for 14 years running, the resort recently underwent a major makeover of its hotel lobby, four restaurants, Jacuzzi suites and VIP lounge. The resort offers 517 hotel rooms and suites, a fullservice spa and salon, pool and cabanas, A-list entertainment, more than 200,000-square feet of flexible event and meeting space, 11 restaurants, plus extras like free WiFi, no resort fees, complimentary concierge and valet parking and 24-hour room service. The resort also offers a dedicated group sales, catering and banquet team to handle any room blocks or events. Pechanga will soon be adding more resort amenities such as a 70,000Continued on Page 6

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I squIrm inwardly when friends and acquaintances introduce me as a journalist. I am not. It is not a badge I am proud to wear. I consider myself just a wordsmith at some journeyman level, still struggling to earn being called a writer one day. I like things that last — thoughts and things that have a longer shelf life that anyone in any generation can come back to again and again to find inspiration or gain deeper understanding over the course of one’s lifetime. Christ’s parables and Aesop’s fables have eternal shelf life. Neither wrote their stories. But unknown wordsmiths heard them and thankfully for us, put stylus to papyrus. Words are powerful. They have the potential to build or destroy. They can shine a light or they can obscure truth by a turn of the phrase. Journalists are just human beings after all, whose personal experiences and motivations create the filters through which they see things. In politics, depending on their persuasion and more frequently these days, depending on which side their bread is buttered, they can spout off agenda-driven opinion pieces intended to influence others. If someone pays them a living to thrust a predetermined idea or policy to gain traction for gaining money or power, then they may be rightly called political shills or hacks. They use their craft to entice others to their way of thinking by pretending to endorse an idea in which they have a hidden vested interest. “Presstitute” is a new term that the public has coined to describe this vile specie of journalists. many journalists, particularly in politics these dark days, have become quite skilled in the art of obfuscation. It is the deplorable practice of hiding the intended meaning of what they really mean to say by deliberately crafting a confusing message. Like legalese and political correctness, obfuscation is a deliberately

Calling a spade a spade “Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.”

— Slovenian Proverb

muddled and muddied way of writing that is essentially intended to cloak the truth and spew lies. Thankfully, more and more people in society these days have become savvy at detecting which ones can be trusted and which ones they can ignore. many have become wise and are openly decrying the detrimental effects of the scourge of political correctness. Political correctness has been revealed as a leftist, liberal technique that distorts what is true by ascribing labels and public ridicule to shame people into a way of thinking and behaving. Truth, like sunlight, is the best disinfectant against the rot that is caused by political correctness. The time has come for truth to finally come out swinging with an ax. It starts by calling a spade a spade. A friend emailed me the prayer below. I had to do some fact checking with some websites that do the digging about the veracity of email content that does the rounds in the internet. After all, the internet is rife with rumors and it is always good policy to verify and dig deeper. This prayer of repentance has gone viral and despite its longevity in the internet, refuses to die a natural death. my guess is that the prayer resonates with many in the country. The truth, as they said, will make us free. This prayer is probably worth amplifying and passing to others during a time when political correctness marginalizes the truth. American society has been conditioned by popular culture to play nice to the extent that we are afraid to confront what must be addressed. Calling a spade a spade is risky in a time when we have strayed as far away as we could from the core values that held this country for more than 2 centuries. On January 23, 1996, in Topeka, Kansas, Pastor Joe Wright of the Central Christian Church in Wichita led a prayer in the Kansas House that stirred controversy and

continues to stir a hornet’s nest to this day. It’s a prayer that made legislators, particularly those of the liberal persuasion, very uncomfortable. Pastor Wright said a prayer written by Bob russell, a Pastor of another Christian church in Kentucky. A member of the legislative body walked out and others were vocal in their criticism of the prayer. Later that year, a lawmaker in Colorado repeated the prayer and some of his colleagues became angry and walked out in protest. A radio personality, Paul Harvey, picked it up and aired the story and the prayer with some frequency. The response to the prayer is so overwhelmingly in favor of it, his phone system could not handle it. Are you curious as to why a simple prayer can rile some lawmakers and make them uncomfortable? Are you curious as to why a simple prayer can be so controversial? Here it is in its entirety. Judge for yourself. A prayer for our nation Heavenly Father, We come before You today to ask Your Forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘’Woe to those who call evil good,’’ but that’s exactly what we have done. We have lost our Spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that; we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building

April 15-21, 2016 www.asianjournal.com

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Success lessons from China’s richest man Kite Runner

Prof. EnriquE Soriano (Part 2 of 2) “Never start a business just to make money. start a business to make a difference”. This quote extracted from an online magazine, successtory. com, best applies to the Chinese business tycoon Wang Jianlin. Known as “The Wealthiest person in China,” he never started business with a motive of quick money during that point of time. The real estate honcho was more interested in longevity. It further stated that Wang Jianlin says that “Great companies are born, not developed, because each company has its own DNA” and that is absolutely true in his case. Owner of “Dalian Wanda Group” which is one of the largest and best real estate developers, Jianlin purchased AmC entertainment for $2.6 billion in 2013. His secret is rather straight to the point – it is pretty easy to achieve results with simple tricks than with complicated ones. Let me now continue what I wrote last week about Wang’s success formula: 3. Stay close to the Chinese leadership Wanda only cooperates with one Chinese state-owned enterprise for its construction operations, and Wang has sought to align his business priorities with what the ruling Communist Party has decreed. For example, he’s increasingly interested in investing

overseas -- especially after the state Council in 2014 released specifications urging private Chinese companies to go global, he says. still, it’s a difficult road to navigate. “Government-business relations are very complicated in China,” Wang says. “It’s even more difficult than completing a Ph.D. course at Harvard.” 4. Minimum target: Be No. 1 “There’s nothing wrong with being No. 1 worldwide,” according to Wang. But part of the fabric of success means instilling companywide ambitions and goals with all employees to build a distinctive company culture, he says. To help with that, he has an internal website and monthly company magazine that he describes as “the core media for spreading Wanda’s corporate culture.” A collection of touching success stories about employees are published annually to boost company morale. Wang also recommends one book each year for all employees to read. Outstanding employees get a bonus paid vacation and an invite

self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the timehonored values of our forefathers

and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of this state and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state of Kansas.

Wang Jianlin

to a splashy annual conference to rub elbows with Wanda company executives. 5. Don’t read books on corporate philosophy “One of the most defining characteristics of my success is that I’ve never had full trust in books. You cannot simply copy models that have been proved by successful entrepreneurs. What worked for Wanda may not work for another firm -- circumstances and industries change”, he warns. At a Harvard lecture, Wang was asked about his next business goal: “I’m still on my way to get where I want to be. I mean it. The way I defined success for myself is to lead Wanda to become a worldrenowned company or being in the top 10. That’s my dream. “Now, Wanda might have gained some awareness globally, but it’s still far from being a real international brand. I hope that, in the future, when people are talking about Wanda, it could be like they are talking about microsoft, Apple, or Wal-mart nowadays. To build a top brand as a leading Chinese enterprise, it’s my dream. speaking of when I could achieve it, maybe in four years at the fastest pace, or seven to eight years at a slower pace. I will retire by then.”(sorianoasia@gmail.com) *** Prof. Soriano is an aSEaN family Business advisor and Chair of the Marketing Cluster of the atENEo Graduate School of Business. He is a National agora awardee and book author on family Governance and Succession. He will be facilitating one of his best selling 1 day workshop in the Philippines on September 19, 2014 friday, entitled the Challenges of Managing a family Business at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. for further inquiries please visit www.wongadvisory.com or contact allen at 09228603186 for details. Slots are limited.

Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your Will. I ask in the name of your son, The Living savior, Jesus Christ. ••• Nota Bene: Monette adeva Maglaya is SVP of asian Journal Publications, Inc. to send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Arts commission announces $500,000 in grants to organizations providing services EVA Wins two gold medals, one outside of the arts in Los Angeles County April 15-21, 2016

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silver for Royal Laurel Class Wines

Gets top honors for Best Business Class Cellar and Best Red Wine TAIPEI, TAIWAN—In a nod to EVA Air’s core commitment to quality service, the panel of wine experts who judged Business Traveller Magazine’s prestigious annual Cellars in the sky 2015 competition awarded the airline top honors in two categories and second place in a third. EVA won Gold Medals for the Best Business Class Cellar and the Best Business Class Red Wine. It earned a silver Medal in the Best Business Class sparkling category. The magazine revealed winners among 2015 submissions in London on 22 Feb, 2016 and published the news in its March 2016 United Kingdom and United states issues, available now. EVA won two Gold Medals in Business Traveller’s annual 2013 tasting competition for Best Business Class White and Best Business Class sparkling Wine as well. Information about EVA’s excellent services is available at www.evaair.com. EVA’s winning red wine was The Islander Estate Old Rowley 2014 from south Australia. Its sparkling wine contender was Champagne de Castelnau Brut 2002, JM Cazes selection, France. From its dessert to its sparkling selections, all of the wines EVA serves in its Royal Laurel, Premium Laurel and Business Class cabins are exceptionally enjoyable. The airline’s inflight offerings include a mix of award-worthy wines from top wineries around the globe. This was Business Traveller’s 30th year to host the International Wine Challenge. Last summer, the magazine invited the world’s

leading airlines to participate and 35 entered bottles of wine from their inflight service cellars for the competitive tasting. The magazine’s panel of experts judged wines that entrants serve in first and business classes in Red, White, sparkling and Fortified/Dessert categories in addition to selecting the BestPresented Wine List and Best Cellar for each cabin. EVA serves its fine wines with meals made with fresh, seasonal ingredients on all flights and adds niceties to reflect top local luxuries on selected routes. Ladurée Macaroons from Paris, Yoku Moku butter cookies from Japan and entire dining experiences created by the acclaimed chef of three-star Michelin Restaurant Nakamura Kyoto are among the extras EVA offers. At the same time, the airline makes comfort treats available for meals and snacks, such as dumplings from Din Tai Fung, tasty hamburgers, Haagen Dazs ice cream, cups of noodle soup and

Grantees include organizations providing services for youth and program addressing mental health, homelessness and immigrant rights

As part of the new Community Impact Arts Grant (CIAG) program, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission announces $500,000 in arts grants to 51 nonprofit organizations delivering a wide variety of cultural services to County residents. CIAG funds organizations that use the arts to support their mission to provide a wider range of services including after-school youth, foster youth, mental health, homeless, disability, immigrant rights/social justice, veterans and environmental communities. Grantee more. organizations are providing arts The airline has configured its services in visual arts and art Boeing 777-300ERs, the plane it therapy, dance, literary arts, media flies on all long-haul flights, with Royal Laurel Class business as its top arts, music and theatre. Examples of the projects cabin. It offers Premium Laurel Class supported by CIAG include business on the Airbus 330-200s the Day Laborer Fandango Project, and 330-300s it operates on shorter gathering stories of the day and regional routes and Business laborer community through verse Class on the smaller aircraft it uses writing workshops and fandango; The Therapeutic Living Centers within Asia. for the Blind, offering a visual art About EVA Air: EVA Air, a star Alliance member, program for visually impaired and developmentally disabled was formed in 1989 as Taiwan’s adults;Lamp, Inc. providing a series first privately owned international of art and music workshops to airline. It flies a fleet of close to 70 residents of skid Row; and REACH Boeing and Airbus aircraft to more LA whose program supports and than 60 international destinations educates urban LGBT young adults throughout Asia, Oceania, Europe of color. More information about and North America. With just one the all 51 organizations can be found below. easy stop in Taipei, travelers can connect onward to most major cities throughout Asia, including more than 29 destinations in Mainland China. More information about EVA’s routes and services is available at www.evaair.com. by Dan E. nino (Advertising Supplement) LOs ANGELEs -- Teodora Cendaña-Aoanan, affectionately known as Dory, and popularly touted as the first highly visible woman entrepreneur in Dagupan how to pay for long-term care, City if not the whole province of Medi-Cal House Protection Trusts, Pangasinan, passed away on April 2, and most importantly, how to the eve of the Feast of Divine Mercy. preserve your assets. We have two she was 90. seminars on saturday April 23: one she is survived by her husband at 10am to 11:30 am and one from of 72 years, lawyer Mariano “Naning 1 pm to 2:30 pm. They will be held Aoanan, a former Dagupan City councilor. After his stint as legal at 110 Jackson street san Jose, CA 95112. Call 1-800-411-0546 for attache in Honolulu, Hawaii, the family moved to Los Angeles and reservations. settled in Alhambra. The Aoanan patriarch, now 95 resumed his post at the Los Angeles Consulate until his retirement. Dory was born on Jan. 7, 1926, in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, Philippines. she spent her early years in in Baguio City, Philippines where she met her husband and got married on April 30, 1944. They initially settled in san Manuel then moved to Dagupan City for greener pastures where their five children — Victoria, Ramon, Mariano, Jr. (deceased), Manuel “Lito” and Virgilio — were born. Dory is also survived by her grandchildren Gerald Obien, Jose Bernard Obien, Rebecca Aoanan Gonzales, Francis Obien, Rachel Aoanan, sarah Aoanan, Isabel Aoanan and Clarisse Aoanan, her daughters-in-law and son-in law, Esther Ramos, Maria Elena MendozaAoanan and Manuel Obien, her grandsons-in- law Thomas Charles

individuals and families who are planning to start their estate planning, have no clue whether they need an estate plan, or already have an estate plan in place. We will be going over topics such as how to save thousands in probate fees, whether your existing trust needs updating, how to avoid conservatorship,

mental health, our residents truly benefit from these high quality arts programs.” Applications were reviewed and scored by 20 knowledgeable panelists with experience in the arts and social services, including artists, arts administrators, and those with experience working with the diverse communities being served by applicants. Additional facts and figures about the 2016 CIAG grantees can be found below. Detailed grant information is available at lacountyarts.org/CIAG. The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County, encompassing 88 municipalities, and provides leadership in cultural services. In addition to its role as an arts funder, the Arts Commission implements the regional initiative dedicated to restoring arts education to 81 school districts, program and operates the Ford Theatres, funds the largest arts internship program in the county and manages the County’s civic art policy. The Arts Commission also produces free community programs, including the Emmy Award-winning LA County Holiday Celebration for public television. lacountyarts.org.

Dory CenDAnA-AoAnAn: Pangasinan’s first woman entrepreneur passes away at 90

Free elder Law Living Trust Seminar PLEAsE join our FREE annual Elder Law seminar presented by the attorneys at Elder Law services of California, a professional law corporation, and take advantage of our $1,000 off trust or trust update package sEMINAR DIsCOUNT! This event will provide a wealth of information to both

“Through this process, we have broadened our understanding of how organizations are using the arts to impact communities across LA County,” states Laura Zucker, Arts Commission Executive Director. “The Board of supervisors recognized that supporting the more complex arts ecology of LA County would increase access and strengthen the quality of arts programming no matter where it happens.” Grant amounts range from $2,600 to $12,200 and support one year arts projects for organizations looking to build upon existing arts programming. There will be two additional years of available funding. “This program allows us to support organizations that are reaching a more diverse sector of our population with arts programming,” said supervisor Hilda solis. “This helps to broaden the context in which arts are accessed by Los Angeles County residents who may not otherwise participate in the arts.” “These first grantees of the CIAG program are a perfect demonstration of the various ways in which the arts can promote civic problem solving across a wide range of areas,” said supervisor sheila Kuehl. “From issues of homelessness to foster youth to

Gonzales and shawn Anderson, great-granddaughter Emma Gonzales and only surviving sister, Lilia Cendana santos. While in Dagupan City she established the Dory Cendaña Vocational school while at the same time operated a beauty salon business for more than 25 years. Her business and mentorship provided a safe, educational environment for young women interested in the workplace at a time when women’s rights were practically non-existent. Because of their senior status in the Filipino community, the husband and wife tandem were affectionately addressed as “kuya” and “atchie,” as in older brother and sister. When Kuya Naning was assigned as the Philippine Legal Attaché in Honolulu, Hawaii, Atchie Dory continued with her beauty salon business in Pearl City, Hawaii and again in Los Angeles, California when Kuya Naning was reassigned here. The couple were very active in their church, st. Thomas More in Alhambra, California. Atchie Dory was especially active with the parish’s Legion of Mary. They were also active members in the Greater Dagupan Association of Los Angeles Area as well as the Pangasinan Brotherhood-UsA. The 9th day of the Novena was held last sunday, April 10 in Alhambra. On Monday and Tuesday, April 11 and 12, viewing and rosary was held at the Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, CA. The final funeral service and

Mass is on Wednesday, April 13, at the sky Rose Chapel, Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier, CA 90601 On saturday, April 30, on Naning and Dory’s 73rd Wedding Anniversary, a Mass for the eternal repose of Dory’s soul will be held at st. Thomas More Parish Church, 2510 so. Fremont Ave., Alhambra, CA 91803. The urn containing her ashes will be present during the Mass. Thereafter, it will be transported to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on 555 West Temple street, Los Angeles, CA 90012-2707. A celebration of Dory’s life will follow. All who want to say something about fond memories of her are invited to speak. Venue will be announced shortly.

Cal State LA student awarded archaeology field project scholarship CAL state LA anthropology major Wendy Layco is one of only eight college students in the nation selected to participate in the competitiveIfugao Archaeological Project (IAP). Layco will conduct archaeological work in the Ifugao region of Philippines for five weeks this summer. she will join a field project crew composed of university students, as well as early career archaeologists. Funded by the National science Foundation-Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, the project will examine anthropological issues that include the relationship between agricultural and irrigation systems, and effects of colonialism on local political and economic activities. “I never dreamed school could be so exciting,” said Layco, a resident of Hollywood. “suddenly my life has been turned upside down and I am preparing to leave for a great adventure.” Layco was born in Los Angeles and raised in Oregon. she started her college career in

Wendy Layco Photo by J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA

Portland Community College, and completed her associate degree at Los Angeles Community College before transferring to Cal state LA. At Cal state LA, Layco is a member of the society for the Advancement of Mesoamerican studies and the society for Biological Anthropology. she volunteers at the California Coastal Archaeology Laboratory,

examining and analyzing ecofacts from san Nicolas Island. she also spends time in the University’s Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, where she organizes osteological remains. she has recently been inducted into the Golden Key International Honour society and the LAMBDA Alpha National Anthropology Honor society. “I am absolutely thrilled for Wendy because she is such a hard working student,” said Professor James Brady, of Cal state LA’s Department of Anthropology, who is Layco’s adviser. “This is exactly the break she needs to further herself in the field of archaeology.” The NsF-REU Ifugao Program scholarship will cover travel expenses, tuition, and room and board. The project is hosted by UCLA, the Archaeological studies Program-University of the Philippines, the National Museum of the Philippines, the Institute for Field Research, and the save the Ifugao Terraces Movements, Inc.

Kore 2016 Pro-Am takes place at Journey... From Page 5

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