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.com T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

Volume 24 - No. 2 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

JANUARY 20-26, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

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Duterte hosts dinner for Philippine tycoons by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte hosted a dinner for some of the country’s top businessmen at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday night, January 17. “The President reiterated that he was all for job creation to uplift the people’s well-being. The one-hour meeting was extended to three and in the words of Joey Concepcion, everybody walked out extremely, extremely happy,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a news briefing on Wednesday, January 18. During the meetup, which DUTERTE MEETS WITH BUSINESS TYCOONS. President Duterte poses with ofﬁcials and heads of some of the country’s biggest businesses following a dinner and discussion at Malacañang on Tuesday, Jan. 17. The country’s business heavyweights committed to pour resources into some of the nation’s most impoverished regions and promote inclusive growth and vowed to help the was facilitated by Joey Congovernment promote peace, spur development and reduce poverty in Mindanao.

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

New US envoy affirms ‘solid’ ties with PH THE United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim has affirmed the longstanding ties between Manila and Washington, Malacañang said. “[Kim] reiterated the commitment of the U.S. to the bilateral relationship with the Philippines, which he described as ‘solid,’” Presidential Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Sunday, January 15. According to Abella, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had a “productive 45-minute meeting” with the U.S. ambassador on Sunday in Davao City. Abella said Duterte and Kim met following the launching of the country’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year. “The U.S. ambassador congratulated the Philippines on its assumption of the ASEAN

Malacañang photo

Immigration activists tell Trump admin: We are here to stay by ERIC

ANTHONY LICAS AJPress

ACTIVISTS rallied in support of immigrants’ rights on Saturday, January 14 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown Los Angeles as they have across the country in the weeks since the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. A number of the president-elect’s stated intentions, including his promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, have sparked impassioned responses from both liberals and conservatives who say America’s immigration policy is broken. “We know for a fact that the first thing we need to do is secure the border,”

Rudy Asercion, a committee member for the Republican Party in San Francisco told the Asian Journal during a phone call on Monday, January 16. “You need to enforce immigration laws before you reform the system.” He said that lawmakers need to focus on protecting citizens in light of prior instances of terrorism-linked violence. Gaining more control over the movement of people in and out of the country and removing up to 3 million undocumented residents with criminal convictions on their records from the U.S. has to be the first step in correcting immigration policy, according to Aquilina Versoza, executive director of Pilipino Workers Center in Los Angeles, leading a chant at Asercion. PAGE A3 the rally on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Pacquiao asks DOT for P3-B to fund his match against Marquez in PH by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PAGE A3

FILIPINO boxing champion and Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao announced that he is anticipating a rematch in the Philippines against Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez. In a radio interview with DZMM’s Fastbreak, Pacquiao related that he asked Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Teo to fund his bout

Fil-Am students react to UC’s proposed tuition hike WHEN Alyssa Duarte was still in high school, she worked two jobs: waitress at Applebee’s and weekend dog-walker. Still managing to earn stellar grades, Duarte aimed to attend a prestigious university. Of all the universities she got accepted to, she decided on UCLA, which had the kinesiology program she admired. “This is my dream school, and it’s amazing that I got into it,” Duarte, 18, told the Asian Journal. But she knew that tuition was going to be an issue and would provide her and her parents more fi nancial stress. “That’s why I worked two jobs in high school,” Duarte remarked. “I’m the youngest of my family and I see now how difficult it is for my siblings to pay off their college debt. I knew that no matter what, I’d have to take out loans, but I wanted to prepare and hopefully, lessen my own fi nancial strains.” And for students in the University of

cepcion, Duterte’s adviser in entrepreneurship, various topics were tackled, including federalism, contractualization, graft, job creation, tax reform, and graft and corruption. “Basically, they were being brought on board to help address the issue of how to create a more inclusive economy, especially addressing work and investments in areas of conflict,” Abella said. According to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, the tycoons “expressed support for the President’s call for big business to create opportunities to alleviate the economic conditions in poor communities.” PAGE A3

Pope Francis welcomes chief government peace negotiator Jesus Dureza at the Vatican on Jan. 18, 2017. Photo from the Facebook page of Mr. Dureza

Pope Francis receives Duterte’s thank-you letter by DANA

M. SIOSON

AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has personally written Pope Francis a letter to express his gratitude to the Pontiff for visiting the country in 2015. According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay personally handed Duterte’s letter to Pope Francis on Wednesday, PAGE A2 January 18.

“Our countrymen remember your Holiness’ apostolic visit in 2015 with deep appreciation, knowing that it was made with the most sincere regard for the welfare of the Church’s flock,” Duterte said in his letter addressed to the pope. “The Philippines values its special relations with the Holy See and regards with gratitude your Holiness’ gracious stewardship of the Catholic faith,” it further read. Duterte also expressed his high PAGE A2

against Marquez that is reportedly scheduled for sometime in November. “Approximately, sabi ko sa kanya [Secretary Teo] nasa 3 o 2.5 billion [pesos]. Kasi plano ko mag-rematch kay Marquez tapos dito ko dalhin si Marquez sa Pilipinas (Approximately, I told her we need 3 or 2.5 billion. I plan to have a rematch with Marquez here in the Philippines),” Pacquiao said. He added, “Maganda kasi ‘pag kami PAGE A2

Robredo camp dares Marcos: Prove ‘massive fraud’ or drop the case THE camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday, January 19, challenged defeated candidate and former Senator Bongbong Marcos to drop his electoral protest if he fails to prove his claims of “massive fraud” during the May 2016 elections. “We challenge former Senator Bongbong Marcos to enter into a written agreement that if his and his lawyer’s claimed ‘massive election fraud’ based on alleged data from 13 SD cards being decrypted by the Com-

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, lead counsel for Vice President Leni Robredo. Philstar.com photo by Jonathan Asuncion

elec is not proven, then President Leni RobreMarcos should with- do,” Romulo Macalintal, draw his election protest Robredo’s lawyer, said against our client, Vice PAGE A2

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january 20-26, 2017 • OC/IE aSIan jOurnaL

From the Front Page

Pacquiao asks DOT for P3-B...

Senator Manny Pacquiao

PAGE A1 naglaban, hindi takbu-takbuhan (Our fight will be good because there will be no running around).” Teo confirmed that Pacquiao had asked her to help provide funds for his fifth fight against the Mexican boxer. “Kinausap nga ako ni Manny Pacquiao, we talked and he said, humingi siya ng P3 billion for

the fight (Manny Pacquiao indeed talked to me and asked P3 billion for the fight),” Teo said in a radio interview with DZMM’s Pasada Sais Trenta. According to her, the DOT would only grant Pacquiao’s request if he fights another big name boxer. “I was telling him, ‘pag (Floyd) Mayweather o si Marquez, madali ‘yung i-sell, kaya namin ang P3 billion (if it’s going to be a fight with Mayweather or with Marquez, it’ll be easy for us to shell out P3 billion),” Teo added. Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum earlier confirmed that Pacquiao is set to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship against Australian Jeff Horn on April 22. Arum, however, said the location of the match is not yet finalized. “Once we have a location, then I’ll fly over to the Philippines to meet with Manny and finalize everything on our side. But he is going to fight Jeff Horn,” Arum told ESPN. Pacquiao defends death penalty, cites Bible The boxer-turned-politician again invited controversy for recent remarks supporting the revival of the death penalty in the Philippines. “The Bible says do not kill. Ang ibig sabihin kasi noon pag nagkasala ka sa akin hindi kita pwedeng patayin (In the past, it means that if you sinned against me, I cannot kill you). Let the authority handle that,” Pacquiao told reporters on Tuesday, January 17. He took note that both the Bible and the Constitution allow the imposition of the death penalty as punishment for heinous crimes. “Siguro naman sa Constitution allowed yung heinous crimes na death penalty and then sa Panginoon naman, binibigyan ng Panginoon ang karapatan ang government (The Constitution allow us to use death penalty for heinous crimes while the Lord also gives the government the rights) to use the capital punishment, which is the death penalty,” Pacquiao argued. The senator also said that he is ready to lead a subcommittee in the Senate that would discuss the proposal.

NATIONAL MULTI-SECTORAL STRATEGY VS. HIV. Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday pushed for the implementation of a national multi-sectoral strategy to address the rising incidence of HIV and AIDS in the country amidst reports that there will be 133,000 people living with HIV in the Philippines by 2022. Senate photo

Duterte hosts dinner for... PAGE A1

“In fact, they have already sent their people to Sulu to look for opportunities to help the local communities, but because of security problems, the President asked them to focus in other areas in ARMM (the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao),” Dominguez added. Among the business tycoons who attended the event were Aboitiz Equity Ventures President Erramon Aboitiz, Ayala Corp. Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, International Container Terminal Services Inc. Chairman Enrique Razon Jr., Lucio Tan Group President Michael Tan, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Philippine

Long Distance Telephone Co. chairman Manuel Pangilinan, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry President George Barcelon, and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. board member Hans Sy. “They are engaged in conversation with the DOLE Sec. Bello. And they’re try — they are working out a win-win situation. In the words of Sec. Dominguez, that they are trying to work out a win-win situation,” Abella said. Former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also attended the event. Abea added that the businessmen were there to “show their support especially for improvement in areas of poverty and cri-

sis and the conflicts.” In a television interview, Concepcion took note that the businessmen’s preconceptions about Duterte were clarified after the dinner. “Everyone in that room was able to clear their minds on wrong perceptions that they had with the President,” Concepcion told the ABS-CBN. Last August, Duterte described influential business leaders as “monsters” for allegedly using their power solely for their own interests. “I am fighting a monster. I am just two months (into the presidency) but believe me, I will destroy their clutches in our country,” Duterte previously said.

Pope Francis receives Duterte’s... PAGE A1 respect for the Pontiff. Quoting the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza said that the pope has blessed the Philippines and Duterte. “I said, ‘Bless the Philippines, your holiness.’ Pope Francis [said], ‘I will also bless your president,’” Dureza shared on his Facebook account. Dureza and other Philippine government delegates are in Rome for the third round of peace

talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which is slated from January 19 to 25. In 2015, then-presidential candidate Duterte made headlines after reportedly cursing the pope for causing heavy traffic during his papal visit. Duterte later clarified that the curse was directed at the government’s traffic management. He later sent an apology to the Vatican. Earlier this week, Pope Francis sent a message to Manila, urging World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM 4) delegates to

continue on searching and sharing God’s mercy. “Carry on seeking and finding new ways to express God’s mercy,” the church leader said in his message. The pope’s message was read by Papal Legate Archbishop Philippe Cardinal Barbarin during a mass held at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila on Tuesday evening, January 17. The WACOM is an international gathering of devotees of the Divine Mercy which is held every three years.

Robredo camp dares Marcos: Prove... PAGE A1

in a statement Earlier, Marcos’s lawyer, Victor Rodriguez, claimed that the 13 SD cards used in last year’s election were used to commit fraud during the polls. Macalintal also dared Rodriguez to surrender his license to practice law for his “irresponsible statement” if Marcos camp failed to prove its claim. If, however, Marcos is able to prove his allegation, Macalintal said he would quit his legal profession.

“If the verification and examination of these 13 SD cards by the Comelec or concerned agencies proved the existence of such ‘massive fraud’ which favored Robredo and caused the defeat of Marcos, then I am also willing to surrender to the Supreme Court my license to practice law and will withdraw as lawyer of Robredo,” Macalintal said. Macalintal also suggested that Marcos and his lawyers file a joint manifestation before the Comelec to suspend the verifi-

cation and examination of the 13 SD cards until an agreement is signed by both parties in the presence of Comelec officials. “We maintain that these SD cards are not even part of Marcos protest, hence, cannot be admitted as evidence in his protest. But nevertheless we agreed to have them examined for purposes of transparency and to prove that Robredo is not hiding anything nor is she afraid to face Marcos in his baseless and frivolous protest,” Macalintal added. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)

Fil-Am students react to UC’s proposed... PAGE A1

California (UC), that financial strain may be tightening up. On Wednesday, January 4, the UC proposed a 2.5 percent tuition ($282) increase for the 2017-2018 year, the overall average tuition growing to $11,502. The controversial student services fee would be $1,128, a $54 increases from the previous year. If passed, this would be the system’s first tuition increase in six years. The proposals will be reviewed by the UC Board of Regents this month, and will likely see the same protests from students from November. Total fees for out of state and international undergraduates would increase by $1,668. These students will be subjected to a 5 percent hike in their supplemental tuition, which would rise from $26,682 to $28,014 starting next academic year. Students have been opposing this proposed hike since November when more than 80 students vociferously protested at the regents meeting in San Francisco, which temporarily it down. Students who receive financial aid — roughly 175,500 students, according to the UC — would have their two-thirds of their fees covered by federal and state assistance. But students who don’t receive enough

financial aid aren’t so lucky. “We’re in that awkward inbetween category where it’s like we’re ‘not wealthy enough to afford paying totally out of pocket’’ but ‘not in need enough to receive enough financial aid’ and it’s been really hard trying to put together our finances,” Duarte said, adding that it’s already been difficult to pay other expenses like food, transportation and living expenses. “It’s really hard when you live in Westwood,” she added with a laugh. “It’s really expensive, and I know next year I’m gonna try to move into an apartment.” Duarte’s mother, June Duarte, lamented over the proposed tuition increase. Her two other daughters are graduates of UC Davis and UCLA, and the family is still struggling to pay off their student debt. “It’s a little outrageous, if you ask me,” she told the Asian Journal in a phone interview. “It’s already hard paying for my other kids’ debt, and now this. And tuition is just going to increase in the coming years.” Filipino-American UCLA sophomore Frankie Ng thinks that the tuition increase may be necessary and that “the UC wouldn’t impose an increase in our fees for nothing.” “It’s understandable that [the UC] needs more money, and I don’t doubt that they would be using the extra mon-

ey for students’ needs,” Ng, 17, told the Asian Journal. “But I think it would be great if they did, like, a survey or something for students because I think we should have a say in how the money will be spent. We’re paying for some of it it, after all.” Ng receives enough financial aid to cover most of his expenses and fees, but he empathizes with students who have to take out loans and pay out of pocket for their university fees. “I have friends that scramble to pay for their courses and fees every quarter and don’t receive enough financial aid,” Ng said. “Again, I hope the UC has a good reason for wanting to raise tuition, but right now, it seems like a lot of students would be at a disadvantage” But the UC has justified the proposed increase, saying that the extra revenue will improve the quality of education across the 10-school system, which includes UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine and UC San Francisco. “We’re at the point where if we don’t do this, if we don’t invest, the quality of education is going to suffer,” UC spokesperson Dianne Klein told the Los Angeles Times. “We want these students to have the same or better experience than students who came before them.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)

JANUARY 20-26, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL

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Fil-Ams greet potential Trump pick for solicitor general with surprise, skepticism by ANTHONY

ADVINCULA New America Media

that a Filipino American holds and would be the fi rst AsianAmerican solicitor general. While a majority of Filipino Americans vote Democrat, a survey last October found that among registered Asian American voters, Filipino Americans showed the most support for Trump. Conway’s name was little mentioned during the presidential campaign, though it was reported that he did make donations to the Trump campaign, as well as to previous GOP presidential candidates. A long-time partner at the New York-based law fi rm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, according to his biography on the fi rm’s website, Conway graduated from Yale Law School in 1987, after attending Harvard College. Throughout his career, Conway has represented highprofi le clients, including the National Football League and tobacco maker Philip Morris. He also played a minor role in the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton. For other Filipino Americans, however, Conway’s potential nomination does little to curb their mistrust of the president elect. “During the campaign, Trump supporters made [some] disparaging remarks about Hillary Clinton’s Filipino housekeeper,” said Mary Villena, of

Jacksonville, Fla. “I’m just surprised that I didn’t hear a peep NEW YORK — Few Filipifrom Kellyanne Conway about no Americans know the name defending the housekeeper George T. Conway III. The hussince she is married to a Filiband of Kellyanne Conway, sepino American.” nior adviser to President-elect Villena believes Conway’s Donald Trump, he has never potential nomination will do litbeen active in the Filipino tle to benefit ordinary Filipino American community and it Americans. was only recently that his Fili“Looking at his biography pino heritage had even been and his clients—they don’t made public. scream social justice to me,” So when it was reported she added. “I really don’t think last week that Conway is on the his Filipino heritage would be shortlist of nominees for U.S. influential or of benefit to us.” solicitor general, Filipino AmerSome Filipino Americans icans greeted the news with a also say that Conway would be mix of surprise and skepticism. an unusual choice for solicitor “I didn’t realize that he is general, because of his lack of Filipino American,” said Rudy experience arguing cases beAsercion, chairman of the Nafore the Supreme Court. tional Organization of FilipiSo far, his law fi rm biogno-American Republicans and raphy lists only one Supreme PEACE AND ORDER COUNCIL MEETING. Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista underscores the need to speed up the construction of the city’s new an elected member of the San Court case that he has argued— jail facility to address the concern of overcrowding at the Quezon City Jail during a meeting with members of Quezon City Peace and Order Francisco Republican Party a 2010 dispute involving the Council and Technical Working Group in Bulwagang Amoranto on Monday. Judge Celiyn E. Burgos-Villabert (at the mayor’s left) reported that Central Committee. “My wife overseas reach of federal secu- around 60 percent of prisoners were drug-related offenders. says that his mother is Filipino, rities law. but we are still not sure about His appointment, according that.” to other Filipino Americans, Yet, as a devoted Republiwould also raise questions can, Asercion was brimming about confl ict of interest, conwith pride at the news. sidering his wife’s position in “This is very telling that a the Trump administration. Filipino should be raised up Although a solicitor general [under a Republican adminisreports to the attorney general VALLEJO, California – Valle- and at San Jose State University tration],” he said. Whenever the and answers to the president, jo’s fi rst mayor of Filipino ances- majoring in Administration of nation’s leader is a Democrat, he decisions should be made indetry, Bob Sampayan, was sworn Justice. added, “it doesn’t do anything” pendently of the White House. Jan. 3 as mayor to a city with Sampayan served decades in for the community. “There’s defi nitely going nearly 25,000 Filipinos. law enforcement with the Palo Conway, if appointed and to be a major bias in the deciSampayan, a fi rst term city Alto Police Department and the approved by the Senate, would sion-making process,” said N. council member, was elected City of Vallejo Police Departachieve the highest public office Macasaet, a single parent from in November. He thanked his ment, eventually taking comJersey City, NJ. “I don’t know campaign team and family for mand of the Central Community him [Conway], but I’m not sure all their support. He also spoke Substation. He retired in 2006 if it [his appointment] is a good about how the city should move but returned to work in 2009 idea.” forward in the coming years. with Fighting Back Partnership Eric Lachica, a Filipino Sampayan was born the (FBP) as the Crime Prevention American advocate and chairoldest of two children in 1952 Coordinator. He specialized in man of the Washington, D.C.in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. He was Neighborhood Watch programs, based Filipino American Coan “Army brat” whose military business watch, personal safety, alition for Filipino Veterans, family lived throughout the Pa- home and business security and wanted to give Conway a cific and United States. They civil nuisance abatement. chance. settled in Salinas, CA in the late Sampayan is married to RaHe said Conway may fi nd 1950’s where Bob and his broth- mona and lives in the Hiddensolutions to some critical issues er lived until both began their brooke subdivision in Vallejo. that Filipino Americans face. college education. Bob received They have two grown children “I really don’t know anyhis formal education at Hartnell and two grandchildren who also thing about his background, Community College in Salinas reside in Vallejo. Bob Sampayan, Vallejo City Mayor but I would like to see his community participation and fi nd out whether it is going to be an asset or liability,” Lachica said. “I hope he’d join us in what we are fighting for, especially equal rights for Filipino veterans and the growing confl ict George T. Conway III (right), husband of Trump Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway, was named between the Philippines and a candidate for solicitor general. WASHINGTON – The US State admitted it has so far been un- fenders,” Tillerson said. China.” Department has not yet been able to verify the reports. In reply to a query, Toner said At his confirmation hearing the State Department has not able to verify that human rights abuses are being committed in before the Senate Foreign Rela- made a firm determination that, the Philippines in connection tions Committee on Wednesday, in fact, human rights abuses are with President Duterte’s cam- Secretary of State nominee Rex being committed in the Philippaign against drug traffickers Tillerson declined to pass judg- pine war on drugs. and users, spokesman Mark Ton- ment on Duterte, saying he did Referring to the bilateral relanot have enough information to tionship between both countries, er said. He said the United States was determine if Duterte and his gov- Toner said “we still continue to very concerned by “credible re- ernment have committed human work on a government-to-govports” of extrajudicial killings by rights abuses in their war against ernment level, on a military-toor at the behest of government narcotics and other drugs. military level with the Philippine Republican Sen. Marco Rubio government and are going to authorities in the Philippines, but conceded “we have not made a had pressed Tillerson to con- continue to do so. It’s an imdetermination yet that this in- demn Duterte, claiming that since portant bilateral relationship for the Filipino President took office us.” deed is what’s happening.” The outgoing Obama admin- on June 30, police and vigilantes Duterte is seeking to lessen istration has been criticizing have killed about 6,200 people in foreign military dependence on Duterte repeatedly in recent the drug war. the United States and to pursue If facts support allegations of alliances or partnerships with months over what it said were credible reports of human rights extrajudicial killings “then I don’t China and Russia, two potenthink any of us would accept that tial adversaries of the United abuses. But this is the first time it has as a proper way to deal with of- States.

First Filipino mayor of Vallejo, California sworn in

US unable to verify human rights abuses in PH

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AAPIs urged to enroll in health care... PAGE A3 able through private health care market. Those who switch plans after shopping for insurance through Covered California saved an average of $450 a year, Lee reported. “While there’s some confusion in Washington, there’s no confusion that the reason people want health care is that they know they need it,” Lee told reporters on Thursday. “The thing they don’t all know is that now they can afford it.” In California, the number of the people who lack coverage has fallen faster than it has in any other state, Lee said. The rate of uninsured Californians has fallen from 17 percent to 7.4 percent since the ACA’s implementation, lower than it has ever been in history. Speakers at Thursday’s press conference urged California’s remaining uninsured population to explore their options and reach out to representatives of Covered California. The health care exchange network offers information and support in 13 languages, including Tagalog through their website and several phone hotlines. More than 800,000 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the state have registered for health care through Medi-Cal and Covered California. Nationwide, the number of uninsured AAPIs has fallen by 59 percent since the ACA’s implementation, according to Kwoh. Approximately 20 million previously uncovered Americans have enrolled in plans through Obamacare.

Despite federal efforts to repeal the law, Kwoh and other advocates of the ACA say the increasing number of people who have taken advantage of it demonstrates its value and demand.

“The future of the ACA is going to depend on the people,” said Kwoh “Yes, politicians can say what they want, but the American people will have to speak up.” (Eric Anthony Licas / AJPress)

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee (seated left) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles Executive Director Stewart Kwoh (seated right) join State Treasurer John Chiang (standing) at a press conference urging Californians to sign up for health care coverage on Thursday, January 12.

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee speaks to reporters about the beneﬁts of health insurance. AJPress photos by Eric Anthony Licas

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL â€˘ JANUARy 20-26, 2017

D ateline PhiliPPines PH seeks explanation from China

over weapon installations on islands by Dana

SioSon AJPress

Following the reports from a U.S. think thank stating that China has installed weapons on all of its seven artificial islands in the South China Sea, the Philippines has sent Beijing â€œlow-keyâ€? notes verbale to seek clarifications on the issue. The Centre for Strategic and international Studies (CSiS) previously reported that China has installed anti-aircraft guns and close-in weapons systems on its newly built islands situated along the disputed areas in the South China Sea. â€œwe have taken action on that, we have issued a note verbale,â€? Philippinesâ€™ Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay told Cnn in an interview on Monday, January 16. According to Yasay, Manila has sent â€œthree to fourâ€? notes verbale to China. A notes verbale is a diplomatic communication, less formal than a diplomatic note, that is not signed and is issued in the third person. â€œi just want to assure the Filipino people that when we take

action at engaging China in this dispute, we do not want to take such aggressive, provocative action that will not solve the problem,â€? Yasay said. â€?we cannot engage China in a war.â€? The foreign secretary did not disclose when the notes were issued. He, however, affirmed that the Philippine government is taking necessary steps to protect the countryâ€™s interests. â€œwhen there are reports about the build-up of weapon systems in the area, during our watch we made sure that the interests and rights of the Philippines are properly protected,â€? Yasay stressed. China, for its part, said that it â€œhas the right to deploy necessary and proper national defense facilities on its own territory.â€? â€œThe South China Sea issue is cooling down and returning to the right track thanks to joint efforts by China and relevant parties including the Philippines, and this meets the common interests of China and the Philippines and the aspiration of all, and does good for peace and stability of the South China Sea,â€? Foreign Ministry

spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a press briefing. China also expressed its willingness to pursue peace and stability in the disputed region. on Tuesday, January 18, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister liu Zhenmin visited President Rodrigo Duterte at MalacaĂąang. The details of the meeting, however, were not disclosed. â€œHis request for an audience with the President is simply a courtesy call and exchange of pleasantries. it cannot involve discussions of substantive issues that will undermine the purpose and process of our political consultations,â€? Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said. in an earlier statement, Philippines Defense Secretary Delfin lorenzana described Chinaâ€™s reported weapon installations as â€˜very troubling.â€™ â€œThe actions of China in militarizing those disputed features are very troubling. They do not square with the Chinese governmentâ€™s rhetoric that its purpose is peaceful and friendly,â€? lorenzana said.

Duterte to sign defense pact with Russia this summer by Roel

PaReĂąo Philstar.com

ZAMBoAngA CiTY â€“ President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit Russia this summer to sign a defense agreement for possible acquisition of military logistics, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief gen. Eduardo AĂąo said. â€œi think our President is going to Russia this summer for that signing of agreement. Until then, we can start our defense bilateral agreement with our counterpart in Russia,â€? AĂąo told reporters on the sidelines of the turnover rites at the western Mindanao Command (westmincom) on Tuesday, Jan. 17. AĂąo made the statement when asked if the AFP would acquire weaponry from Russia. AĂąo said the AFP has not made any purchase of Russianmade firearms and other weapons and defense logistics, citing the absence of a defense bilateral

agreement. AĂąo said that at present, the AFP has enough resources to do its job. AĂąo added the government has yet to sign a pact with the Russian government. Both Russia and China have expressed readiness to help the Philippine military pursue its capability upgrade program by offering to become its source of weapons and other military assets and equipment. Russia, for its part, is offering to sell a submarine, drones and sniper rifles to the AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin had invited President Duterte to visit Moscow this year. Putin extended the invitation to Duterte on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru last november. if the government decides to purchase Russian weapons, AĂąo said the AFP would have to familiarize itself with the system. AĂąo agreed that there is a dif-

ference between the weapons utilized by the western countries and those in Russia and China. He cited the incompatibility of some Russian weapons with those used by western countries. As this developed, Russian Ambassador igor Khovaev met with Philippine Coast guard (PCg) officials yesterday as part of bilateral cooperation on security issues. Khovaev visited the PCg headquarters in Manila and was briefed by PCg officer-in-charge Commodore Joel garcia on the operations of the agency and what it needs to be able to further enhance its capacities. in the closed-door meeting, garcia informed the Russian envoy of the functions of the PCg, spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said. in the same meeting, Khovaev and garcia discussed the west Philippine Sea issue where the country has a territorial dispute with China.

RESCUED. A Philippine serpent eagle is rescued by a village resident in Garcia Hernandez town, Bohol province. The rescuers have coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Bohol to take care of the bird. Inquirer.net photo by Leo Udtohan

Pimentel: Senate majority still intact MAnilA â€“ Senate President Aquilino â€œKokoâ€? Pimentel iii on wednesday, Jan. 18 assured the public that the Senate supermajority is still intact despite some differences on political issues. â€œThe point is one member of the majority is not the majority,â€? Pimentel told reporters in an interview after a colleague expressed concern that senators in the majority bloc who were members of the liberal Party usually vote against the majority. Sen. Joseph Victor â€œJVâ€? Ejercito on Tuesday, Jan. 17 asked lP senators to make a decision whether to stay in the Senate supermajority bloc or transfer to the minority. Ejercito said it was not fair for lP senators to enjoy the â€œbenefits of being in the majority but at the same time we are also attacking and hitting and going against the majority.â€? Pimentel, however, said that after having a word with Ejercito, the latter admitted that he made a slight mistake in his recent comment. The Senate president said that what mattered was that senators belonging to the majority bloc were not divided in â€œsubstanceâ€? and instead had â€œa common legislative agenda.â€?

â€œPero huwag kami dapat maghati-hati sa substance ng aming common legislative agenda of the majority. Kapag doon kami nagkahati-hati, it is time to rethink why we are together. (But we in the majority should not be divided in substance of our common legislative agenda. If that is where we donâ€™t agree, it is time to rethink why we are together),â€? Pimentel said. Ejercitoâ€™s comment came after most lP senators voted to reconsider a committee referral of a resolution to possibly overhaul the Bureau of immigration (Bi). Pimentel said that â€œsome divisionâ€? was still acceptable within the majority. â€œi can accept some division even within the majority. So donâ€™t worry, the majority is intact, as far as the substance is concerned,â€? he said. Sen. Richard â€œDickâ€? gordon also noted that five lP senators, referring to Senators Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon, Risa Hontiveros and leila de lima, have been â€œacting in unisonâ€? with minority Senators Antonio Trillanes iV and minority floor leader Ralph Recto. Recto is also a member of lP. gordon suggested that if these members are in the opposition,

they should stay in the opposition. De lima hits questioning of majority membersâ€™ opposition on issues De lima meanwhile said it is inappropriate for any member of the Senate to ask others to leave the majority as these matters must be discussed during internal caucuses. She described the remark as a possible form of oppression. â€œAnd then, bakit pangungunahan ng member na yan (gordon) kami? Hindi pa nga kami nag-uusap on that matter. So itâ€™s inappropriate. itâ€™s...to me, thatâ€™s tending towards oppression. Magrespeto naman tayo sa isaâ€™t isa. Respetuhin naman natin ang isaâ€™t isa. Hindi ka puwedeng...hindi sasabihin ng isang miyembro, â€˜Hoy, kayo na mga hindi bumuboto with us you better already vote out of the Majority, or better start thinking about voting out of the Majority,â€™ De lima said. â€œno one can impose on our will, both our personal and collective will. Di ba, nakaka-insulto yun. May sari-sarili kaming pananaw. May sari-sarili kaming pag-iisip so kami rin ang magde-decide kung anong gagawin namin. no one is supposed to dictate on us on matters like that,â€? she stressed. (Philstar.com)

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ASEAN at 50

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is turning 50 years old this year. The 10-member organization will celebrate a milestone, from starting as a loosely constructed regional association at the height of the Cold War to becoming a stable organization that has overcome a myriad of challenges that have come its way. Perhaps the biggest prize for ASEAN has been the preservation of peace, stability, prosperity and close relations among its members, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This stable bond has propelled ASEAN’s economic growth and has boosted its international profile. President Rogrido Duterte on Sunday, Jan. 15 called for a stronger ASEAN free of external interference, dependence and ignorance as he launched the Philippine chairmanship of the bloc’s 50th founding anniversary. “For an ASEAN citizen, the ASEAN community must provide opportunities for a truly better life. This is a life that has broken the bonds of dependence and ignorance. This is a life that has given opportunities for self-improvement. This is a life that is provided by a society transformed and reformed,” Duterte said. With the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” the Philippine hosting of the 2017 ASEAN meetings aims to have “inclusive and innovation-led growth,” and turn ASEAN into a “model of regionalism. “We express our shared determination to ensure stability and security from external interference in

any form of negotiation in order to preserve our national identity,” the president added. The Philippines will be hosting 118 ASEAN meetings this year— including two summits with the heads of state of the 10 member-nations and dialogue partners—which will take place in various locations nationwide, including Metro Manila, Laoag, Pampanga, Legazpi, Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao. “Fifty years, hence, we see ourselves much changed for the better. Lives have been improved. The march towards sustainable development and inclusive growth continues to take place. And we have established amongst ourselves good neighborliness that allows for secure and stable relations. But we also see in ourselves the very same burning desire to move forward together based on shared values,” Duterte said in his speech. Despite these achievements, some political pundits have challenged the organization to grow economically and politically, to have a more dynamic ASEAN Code of Conduct, and a facilitation of a deeper and more meaningful dialogue and consultation. ASEAN must also address the brewing tension in

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

the contested waters of the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty on almost the entire South China Sea. China has been aggressive when it comes to territorial disputes. It has continuously rejected other nations’ claims (including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei) on the oil- and gasrich waters. Despite obstacles set by conflicts among nations,

ASEAN is moving forward to pursue higher goals. The ASEAN community is sure to meet its vision of becoming an alliance that has withstood the test of time, assuring regional peace and stability for its people. Allies not only by common interests, but also by shared values and aspirations among its people, the ASEAN will set precedents for creating a solution to global challenges. (AJPress)

Thank you for your service, President Barack Obama IT was President Barack Obama who welcomed me and my family when we took our oaths as new citizens of the United States of America in 2012. It was during his presidency when I first exercised my sacred right and duty as an adopted daughter of America. I have followed President Obama’s rise to the highest post in the land — watched him evolve from being a candidate up until he was catapulted to be the most powerful leader in the world. I have also watched his family — First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters Sasha and Malia during the eight years that they were in the White House. You may not believe in his policy and ideology. You may not agree with all his decisions, initiatives and actions. But looking past the prism of contentious and dirty tactics of politics, I hope you also find in you the respect and even admiration for the man. THANK YOU, President Barack Obama, for being the leader who my children can emulate in the way you carried your self with decency, integrity,

humility, dignity, and respect for all human The Fil-Am beings. THANK YOU for liv- Perspective ing a life that exemplifies that thirst for the truth, for learning, and the pursuit of excelGel SantoS-reloS lence. THANK YOU for walking the talk when you teach my family about how America is a nation that is strengthened by immigrants like us, welcoming us to this exceptional country with your policies that affirm the very principle held scared by the Constitution — equal opportunities and equal rights for all regardless of the color of our skin, where we came from, our age, educational attainment, economic status, religion, our gender, whom we choose to love — for as long as we do our part in respecting and obeying the law, and giving our fair share for the good of the nation. THANK YOU for showing us what the audacity of hope really is in the way you

governed the country, amid all the criticisms and obstructionism from your political distractors. You ran your race in the best way you can with grace, faith in God and in the goodness and value of every person. You fought hard so that those who have been blessed may be inspired and motivated to reach out and help those who are in need, marginalized, and neglected by society because you believe we are all on this journey together. THANK YOU, President Barack Obama for your service to the country. I know you will continue fighting for us. I know you will continue to inspire us. Your legacy will live on in all of us as we do our part in giving back to this nation, to the world, to this planet as you have shown us in the past eight years. May God bless you and your beautiful family as you start a new chapter in your

Pres. Barack Obama

life as a private citizen.. *** 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

Showing off the beauty of the Philippines

Street Talk GreG B. MacaBenta THE Miss Universe pageant that reels off in the Philippines this January and will culminate in the final selection of winners in Metro Manila on January 30 is much more than just a contest among the world’s most beautiful women. It is a tug-of-war between two starkly contrasting images of our beloved country. On one hand, there is the brewing picture of a “narco state” given to slaughtering anyone associated with drugs, whether drug lord or user or mere suspect. On the other hand, there is the portrait of a nation whose claim to beauty goes beyond female pulchritude. If beauty contests were among the events in the Olympics, our constantly frustrated yearning for a gold medal would have long been satisfied and the Philippines would be among the most bemedalled. Our country has won three Miss Universe titles (Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, and the 2015 queen, Pia Wurtzbach), four Miss International crowns (Gemma Cruz in 1964, Aurora Pijuan in 1970, Melanie Marquez in 1979 and Precious Lara Quigaman in 2005), as well as one Miss Supranational title won by Bea Rose Santiago in

2013. Additionally, no other country can claim to have won the hearts of the first Miss Universe, Finland’s Armi Kuusela (1952), and the first Miss International, Colombia’s Stella Marquez (1960). Both were swept off their feet and wed by dashing Pinoys soon after donning their crowns—Kuusela by Virgilio Hilario and Marquez by Jorge Araneta—and both became Metro Manila residents. But the beauty of the Philippines—aptly expressed by that classic Philippine Airlines advertising campaign, “The beauty of the Philippines, shining through”—deserves to shine through in more ways than via a revealing two-piece swimsuit or a glittering gown. The organizers of this year’s Miss Universe pageant are determined to do just that. Our beloved Filipinas (the country) can boast of beauty beyond its luscious lasses (of which we appear to have more than the normal quota among the nations), beyond scenic spots and historical landmarks, beyond exotic cuisine and shopping bargains, beyond being a consumer market of over 100 million waiting to be tapped, beyond hospitable, ever-smiling people. Indeed, the beauty of the Philippines is an unmatched blending of all of these, a quality not easy to describe. I tried to do that in a speech at the 12th Asian Advertising Congress in Seoul, Korea.

“Filipinos,” I said, “look like Malayans, Chinese, Americans and Europeans, pray in the Spanish manner, dine on Chinese food, watch American programs on Japanese-made TV sets – but deep down is a Filipino soul, unique and indomitable, that expresses what we are as a people.” Frankly, I may have confused the folks in the audience more than enlightened them. The beauty of the Philippines has to be experienced, not just seen. It has to be felt and then missed by overseas Filipinos like me and by foreign expatriates who, having been posted in our country and then assigned elsewhere invariably realize what they have lost. I understand that the schedule of the 86 contestants leading up to the final competition, includes events in key tourism spots, from Intramuros to Boracay, Vigan, Cebu, Baguio, Iloilo, Davao and Batangas. The final pageant and coronation will be staged at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. These events and the final pageant will be telecast all over the world, a fantastic opportunity to showcase our tourism treasures. Hopefully, the scenic spots, smiles and laughter, the music, the cultural events, the testimonials and the positive media reports will neutralize the negative news that international media have been headlining of late. There should be extra interest

FLOWER FESTIVAL WELCOMES MISS U CANDIDATES. Miss Universe candidates join the flower parade in Baguio City on Wednesday, January 18. Four giant floats and hundreds of street dancers provide a preview of the famed Panagbenga Festival to Miss Universe candidates. Inquirer.net photo by EV Espiritu

value in this year’s pageant after the 2016 historic blooper committed by emcee Steve Harvey, where he first named Miss Colombia as the winner, before he realized his mistake and called Pia Wurtzbach. Harvey is hosting the pageant again and, no matter how much he rehearses his lines, people will likely be watching out for a mistake. Needless to say, it costs a lot of money to stage a Miss Universe competition, some $15 million, I understand. In 1974, when the Philippines first hosted the pageant, President Ferdinand Marcos had just declared martial two years earlier and First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos

could pretty much have anything she wanted from the country’s coffers. When the pageant was staged a second time in Manila, President Fidel V. Ramos had to contend with severe criticism for his government having to cover the budget shortfall. This year’s pageant is being paid for mainly by private sector funders, led by the LCS Group of Ilocos Sur’s Luis “Chavit” Singson, with the support of Okada Manila, Solar Entertainment, SM Lifestyle Entertainment Corporation, San Miguel Corporation and Philippine Airlines. Of course, the Department of Tourism has a stake in it, too, but it’s exposure is not that heavy.

We owe these hardy entrepreneurs a debt of gratitude for risking their time, talent and treasure on an activity that is clearly beneficial to the country. This year’s Miss Philippines and contender for the Miss Universe crown is 25-year old Maxine Medina, a professional model and a graduate of the Philippine School of Interior Design and De la Salle-College of St. Benile. Oddsmakers believe she has a good chance of winning the title. But even if she doesn’t win, the Philippines will, hopefully, be a winner in the eyes of the world. Even if Steve Harvey commits another blooper. (gregmacabenta@ hotmail.com).

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 20-26, 2017

SolGen repeats: De Lima is Public Enemy No. 1 by rosette

adel

Philstar.com

FREED. Captain Chul Hong Park (left), a South Korean national, and 2nd officer Filipino Glenn Alindajao (2nd from left), two hostages released in Jolo Sulu, arrive in Davao City with Philippine Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza (2nd R). The duo was kidnapped on October 20 after rebels hijacked the cargo ship Dong Bang Giant while it was sailing near Bongao, Tawi-Tawi and the Sabah border. The ship was on its way to South Korea from Australia.

Japan to join PH-US Balikatan by Christina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MANILA - Japanese forces will join this year’s joint Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, a Tokyo official said. Japanese Foreign Press Secretary Tasuhisa Kawamura made the announcement at a press briefing in Malacañang, echoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s commitment to further promote defense and maritime security cooperation between his country and the Philippines. The annual military exercise will push through this year despite an earlier rant by President Duterte against allowing US forces to take part in joint drills with Filipino soldiers. His anger stemmed from the US calling his attention to human rights abuses in the conduct of his so-called war on drugs. He had called for the scrapping of the annual exercises and asked the Americans to pack their bags and leave. Japan normally sends military personnel to Balikatan only as observers. “For this year’s Balikatan, the Japanese Self-Defense Force is going to attend,” Kawamura said. There is no date yet for this year’s Balikatan. “Japan will continue to cooperate – promote the cooperation in the defense area, including capacity building and equipment, and training and exercises and

Japanese forces will join this year’s joint Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States.

so on,” he added. Abe concluded his two-day official visit on Friday, Jan. 13 after spending the night in Davao City, home province of Duterte, who received the Prime Minister in his home. “On the issue of security and terrorism, anti-terrorism measures, Japan welcomes today the conclusion of the exchange of notes between our two countries concerning the high-speed boats,” Kawamura revealed. “Japan would accelerate its decision to support, in fact to make a further support providing the security-related equipment to the Philippines,” he added. In the area of maritime security, the official reiterated that Japan would provide the Philippines with new patrol boats. He said Japan is pursuing a loan agreement with the Philippines for the latter’s acquisition of TC-90, a training aircraft of the

Japanese Self-Defense Force. He added Filipino pilots are being trained to fly the aircraft. Earlier reports showed Japan was keen on participating regularly and actively in joint drills with the US and the Philippines. Kawamura also emphasized Japan’s alliance with the US is the “cornerstone” of his country’s foreign and security policies. “And this question will see no change whoever becomes the next president, although Mr. Trump is going to be soon the president of the United States,” Kawamura added. “So we’ll maintain this position and we’ll continue to look closely to the next US administration. So that the region, the Asia-Pacific region, will be secure and prosperous,” he maintained. “If the question is about the Filipino-China relationship… basically, we should refrain from comment,” he stressed.

MANILA – Solicitor General Jose Calida on Thursday, Jan. 19 called Sen. Leila De Lima, whom the government has accused of having drug ties but has not charged, Public Enemy Number One anew. Calida, who is the government’s chief lawyer but not a prosecutor, was enumerating the cases handled by the Office of the Solicitor General and his stand on those cases including that of late President Ferdinand Marcos’s burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, when he referred to the senator as the country’s top enemy. He described De Lima’s filing of a petition for writ of habeas data against President Rodrigo Duterte as a “test case.” “There’s another interesting case concerning Public Enemy Number One. And I’m referring to Senator Leila de Lima versus Rodrigo Roa Duterte in the case for the issuance of a writ of habeas data. Again, I cannot yet argue the merits because this is still sub judice,” Calida said in a televised press briefing in Malacañang. The writ of habeas data is petition sought by persons whose right to privacy in life, liberty or security has been violated or threatened by an unlawful act of a public official or employee. “Can a sitting president wage a personal vendetta against petitioner and use the resources of his powerful office to crucify her as a woman, a human being, and a duly elected senator in violation of her right to privacy in life, liberty and security?” De Lima’s petition, which she filed in November, read.

Sen. Leila De Lima

Calida said De Lima is an enemy of the country because she is allegedly “using her power to suppress investigation” in her alleged involvement in the proliferation of drugs at the New Bilibid Prison when she was still Justice secretary. Last December, Calida and members of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption alsocalled De Lima “public enemy number one” and “patron saint of narco politics.” Due to this De Lima early January said she is consdiering filing a writ of amparo petition against Duterte, Calida, the VACC and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II for allegedly encouraging people to form a group against her. The Supreme Court said writ of amparo is the remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security is violated or threatened with violation by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity. “Si Aguirre, si Calida, sila

VACC, na sila yung nagre-raise funds daw and nage-encourage sa mga ibang tao na sumama sa kanila and form a group against me because I’m supposed to be the Public Enemy No. 1,” De Lima said in an ambush interview on January 10. De Lima said the petition will protect her right to life and security under the Constitution, citing threats directed to her. “The respondents will be asked to respond, to comment, and to deny if they want to na there is such a threat sa akin because of their various statements. Kasama na yung fairly recent statement din ni Calida about being Public Enemy Number 1,” she added. “Di ba yan yung mga terorista, yun ang mga big-time. So, natalo ko na sila lahat. Ako na. So I’m fair game. Yung mga vigilantes, they can always target me because I’m supposed to be the Public Enemy Number 1. So the threat against my life and security is really serious. So that’s the only remedy I’m thinking of at this point,” she said. Public Enemy No. 1 was used in the United States in the 1930s to describe gangsters and criminals like Chicago mobster Al Capone and bank robber John Dillinger. While De Lima was Justice secretary, the Aquino administration released a list of “Big Five” fugitives: Retired general Jovito Palparan Jr. (kidnapping and serious illegal detention), Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee (syndicated estafa), former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes (murder of broadcaster Gerry Ortega) and former Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. (convicted of parricide).

Mindanao’s ‘drug queen’ nabbed in police bust CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The so-called drug queen of Mindanao, who reportedly supplied drugs to top drug distributors in the country, such as Kerwin Espinosa, was arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Iligan City on Wednesday, January 18. Lovely Adam Impal was caught red-handed while trying to sell a packet of suspected shabu to a PDEA agent. Seized from her possession were more sachets of shabu, weighing a total of 110 grams

with an estimated street value of P550,000. Ampal earlier surrendered to PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa in 2016 after her name surfaced on the list of Espinosa’s suppliers but she was allowed to go home. PDEA-10 regional director Adrian Alvariño said Impal was “selling and giving samples of her stock of drugs in an effort to expand her network and re-convince other pushers to go back to selling drugs.” Impal, however, denied there was a buy-bust operation when

taken in from her house in Iligan. “They just barged into my place and arrested me and my companions,” she told reporters. Arrested with Impal were her sister Farina Rato and Alvin Pamilian. Impal said “it would be a shame that I surrendered to [Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa] and would return again to drug pushing. No, I do not sell drugs anymore.” In 2006, Impal was also arrested during a buy-bust operation inside a fastfood chain in Cebu City but she was also freed. (Inquirer.net)

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may 30-june 5, 2014 www.asianjournal.com

january 20-26, 2017

Maxine Medina, an ‘empowered’ beauty The ‘universal’ terno 26-year-old Binibining Pilipinas is all set to win the Miss Universe crown by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

BINIBINING Pilipinas talent scouts invited Maria Mika Maxine Peñaranda Medina to join the country’s foremost beauty pageant as early as 2012, but an existing advertising contract prevented her from entering the contest.

Apparently, her endorsement brand was a direct competitor of one of the pageant’s major sponsors, making it impossible for then 22-year-old beauty to vie for the prestigious title. She finally relented to the constant prodding of friends from the modelling industry and threw in her hat into the Binibining Pilipinas ring in 2016, winning no less than the Miss UniversePhilippines crown. And in just two weeks’ time, Medina will compete anew for the ultimate title of Miss Universe, now proudly held by her predecessor, Miss Universe Philippines 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. With such big stilettos to fill at January 30’s grand coronation night, right here in Manila to boot, the press naturally had a field day at Medina’s “good luck send-off” this past week at Novotel Manila Araneta Center. The foremost question on everyone’s mind was how the Philippine bet was feeling amid all the pressure. Surrounded by those closest to her —her mom Marife, sister Ferica, boyfriend Marx Topacio, her fellow beauty queens, and the Binibinining Pilipinas organizers, led by chairman Stella MarquezAraneta— Medina was far from nervous nor anxious as expected. On the contrary, she radiated with confidence and shared she is excited at the possibility of a back-toback win with Wurtzbach in the presence of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Filipino people. Beautiful host After almost a year of rigorous training under the guidance of Aces and Queens mentors, and personality development experts Dale Carnegie and John Robert Powers, Medina described

Filipino designers winningly dress 20 Miss U candidates in the national costume by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

TWENTy candidates of the 65th Miss Universe had the unique experience of donning the traditional Filipino terno during prepageant activities in Vigan, Ilocos Sur on Sunday, January 15. With the well-preserved Spanish town of Calle Crisologo and Plaza Burgos for a backdrop, it was as if this beautiful bevy of ladies— including the Philippines’ own representative Maxine Medina— travelled back in time during the Terno Fashion Show, where Vigan’s policemen themselves dressed up in the barong Tagalog to keep the crowded event secured. The show featured spectacular creations from members of the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP), among them noted names as Albert Andrada, Barge Ramos, Mike Dela Rosa, Edgar Madamba, Mimi Pimentel, Miss Universe Philippines- Maxine Medina Reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach crowns successor Maxine Medina on April 17, 2016 as Amir Sali, Vince Sityar, Cathy the Philippines’ representative to the 65th Miss Universe pageant—will she pull off a backPAGE B4 radiant in white to-back win?

Not only is Medina representing the country on January 30’s coronation night but she is also playing host to her fellow candidates from around the world; this batch visited in December for a week of promotions.

herself as “empowered,” ready not only to do the flag proud at the pageant, but also to become a gracious host to the 80-plus strong delegation of candidates from all over the world. Beautifully fulfilling her responsibilities so far—both literally and figuratively—Medina was asked if she sees a downside to being the host country to the pageant. There are those who say that playing host automatically earns a candidate plus points, thus making a less credible finish,

impression-wise. “I still think it’s fulfilling to have the competition here in the Philippines,” she replied, choosing to brush aside the suggestion. “Everyone knows I’m fond of the outdoors, and happily, we’re going around the Philippines. This has actually been my goal that before I travel the world, I’ll go around the Philippines first.” One thing the model-cuminterior designer especially wants to let her fellow candidates PAGE B6

Miss New Zealand Tanya Dawson is half-Filipina and traces her roots to Baguio City and Pangasinan. Philstar.com photo by Artemio Dumlao

Half-Filipina Miss New Zealand comes home to Baguio by arteMio

duMlao Philstar.com

BAGUIO CITy – New Zealand’s bet— half Filipina Tanya Dawson—together with her Filipino mother, family, friends, and supporters from San Vicente in Sta Maria town in Pangasinan,

lined up the streets of Baguio City during the Panagbenga Flower Festival on Tuesday, Jan. 17 to support her. The 24-year-old beauty’s mother, Margarita Palabay Pelenda, 54, who came back to the PAGE B4

Fil-Am artist Rea Lynn de Guzman: Reconnecting with her roots, heritage and history By Malou liwanag-Bledsoe AJPress

ONE way to reconnect with one’s roots is by creating artistic pieces, whether in writing, sculpting, painting and more. In mixed-media installations, some people would think it is just a mishmash of junk, but in reality, it is a collection of materials that has a deeper connection to the artist. Minus words, artist Rea Lynn

After Maria Clara Sleeve

de Guzman conveys a message of how it is to be a Filipina. “I draw inspiration from personal experiences and memories of growing up in the Philippines, attending an all-girl Catholic school as a child, revisiting my native country, reconnecting with family yet recognizing the disconnect, and reflecting on how all of these converge with my everyday life as an immigrant in the U.S...” she said. “As a Filipina-American artist, I am passionate about questioning inequality, power dynamics, stereotypical views and expectations on Filipinas and investigating their historical ties with colonialism and patriarchy.” Born in Manila, Philippines in 1985, de Guzman’s parents separated when she was only six years old. Her father then immigrated to Italy to work. She and her mother moved to the United States in 1999 when her late grandmother’s petition was approved. Unfortunately, de Guzman’s two other siblings were

left behind because they had exceeded the age limit (21) to emigrate with a parent. They initially lived with relatives in San Diego then moved to the Bay Area, eventually settling in the Tenderloin, where she spent most of her formative years. She shared that although she loved art when she was a child, she didn’t have the privilege of being exposed to it. “I was initially a business major at the University of California Riverside. It wasn’t until I attended the City College of San Francisco, where I took art classes on a whim to fulfill some requirements, when I rediscovered my passion for art. “My painting instructor saw some potential in my early work and encouraged me to pursue art. The CCSF art department nominated me for a scholarship, which enabled me to transfer to the San Francisco Art Institute. That’s where I gained further foundational skills, and found catharsis and more meaning

Imahe (Image)

in art; it helped me deal with the displacement and familial disconnect I experienced from my immigration to the United States from the Philippines at age 14. A few years later, I received my MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.” De Guzman’s “Retaso” series reflects on how we view “the ideal Filipina” through the iconography of “Maria Clara,” specifically symbolizing the longstanding stereotype.” “I am drawn by the materiality of the synthetic organza (organza as an ingredient in the ‘Maria Clara’ dresses, woven with piña fiber) and its subtle, sheer beauty, amidst its haunting/ghostly, and mysterious qualities. I focus on the synthetic to emphasize its fake-ness, echoing the expectations of the ‘Maria Clara’ embodiment in Filipinas. “In addition, I select colors that evoke skin tone variations to highlight the spectrum of brownness to ‘Maria Clara’’s preferred whiteness as a mestiza, which has been equated to the ideal female beauty and status in the Philippines. Essentially, I want the viewer to question these imposed stereotypes, to think about unbalanced power structures and hegemony in colonized cultures. I want my work to empower Filipinas and inspire them to stop bleaching their skin and injecting glutathione. Shades of brown skin are beautiful and in no way shape or form inferior to whiteness,” she said. At present, de Guzman is the first Filipina Teaching Artist Fellow at Root Division. Root Division is a visual arts non-profit that connects creativity and community through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios. “Through this fellowship, I will be teaching art to underserved children in the Galing Bata

Piña offerings

program at the Filipino Education Center in Bessie Carmichael Elementary School,” she excitedly shared. Her advice to other struggling Filipino artists trying to make it in the mainstream? “As an artist, I believe it’s important to be honest with yourself and to not force anything in the work. Engage with your interests and passion, obsess,

create, research, experiment, play, fail, and try again.” De Guzman will be in a group show called “Burnt Rice” with fellow Epekto Art Projects artists and select local Hawaii artists, at the Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center in Hilo, Hawaii. For more information, visit: www.epektoartprojects.com. Visit her website at www. readeguzman.com.

Bad girls

january 20-26, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Donna Villa passes away at 57

by Gabbie

TaTad Philstar.com

STARTING the year off with a bang, Star Cinema brings us a sexy new action comedy entitled “Extra Service.” The fun new romp stars three of the industry’s sexiest stars to date: the statuesque Arci Muñoz, the alluring Coleen Garcia, and the sultry Jessy Mendiola. The film tells the story of three ex-cons who find post-prison employment at a spa (hence the title), but the extra service in question is a little more spy-oriented than what it would usually connote. Muñoz plays Aw, whose code name is Kapitana, as she is the leader of the group. Garcia plays Em, whose alias, Maldita, clearly speaks for itself. Mendiola plays Gee, also known as Henya, and is the lovable book-smart tech geek. Garcia expresses excitement over being able to play the most extreme version of one’s self, of being a little bit “bad” and actually being able to do the things you wish you could do. And yet contrary to her character, Garcia sweetly doles out praise for her co-stars. “They both fit the characters so well. Jessy… her character was very cute and klutzy and she played it really well. I honestly don’t know how I did it, but for Arci, it was like the role was made for her.” The ever-quirky Muñoz, however, finds this somewhat laughable, calling herself more of a follower than a leader. When asked where she drew inspiration from, Muñoz replies with the most humorous sincerity, “Nung sinabi ni Direk na ako yung leader, inisip ko yung Powerpuff Girls, tapos sabi ko, ‘Okay, ako si Blossom!’ Yun talaga inisip ko.” Mendiola, on the other hand, although hardly a hacker herself, says there was something very endearing about the cluelessness of Gee, and says of her character, “I really loved her.” Funny bones It comes as a bit of a surprise, then, when both Garcia and Mendiola admit they were intimidated and hesitant about taking on a comedy. Neither of them has done one on this scale before. But they were convinced as soon as they knew Chris Martinez of “Temptation Island,” “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng

ON Tuesday evening, Jan. 17, news broke on social media that movie producer Donna Villa, better known as the spouse of comics novelist and director Carlo J. Caparas, had died. Although the family is yet to issue official statement on Villa’s demise, posts and comments from entertainment reporters said that the executive producer of Golden Lions Films passed away due to cancer at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital. For being amiable and generous, Villa has been called the real and true Darling of the Press by showbiz writers. She was 57. Donna Villa with husband Carlo J. Caparas (Arlo Custodio/ManilaTimes.net)

Camille Prats gets married twice on same day by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

‘Extra Service’ tells the story of three ex-cons who find post-prison employment at a spa (hence the title), but the extra service in question is a little more spy-oriented than what it would usually connote. Muñoz plays Aw, whose code name is Kapitana, the leader of the group. Garcia plays Em, whose alias, Maldita, clearly speaks for itself. Mendiola plays Gee, also known as Henya, and is the lovable book-smart tech geek. Philstar.com photo

Prequel,” and “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: Forever is Not Enough” would be at the helm. “I don’t see myself as a funny person,” says Mendiola, “but after they pitched it to me and we discussed it with Direk Chris, hindi ako nagsisi. He’s the sweetest director I’ve ever had. He gives you the freedom to play but he also guides you.” For Muñoz, who’s known for being quite naturally comedic, the story was a little bit different. “Galing ako sa Magpahanggang Wakas, yung sobrang bigat na drama, tapos araw araw yun from soap to movie na taping na magkakasunod na call. Sa kotse na ako nakatira. Pero sobrang cool ni (Chris Martinez), ang gaan niya katrabaho. Sabi niya, pag comedy naman, dapat pati yung atmosphere sa set, magaan.” The atmosphere, it seems, also helped in putting the three stars at ease with one another. Muñoz had previously worked with Garcia and was friendly with Mendiola, but Garcia and Mendiola were both solidly interacting and working together for the first time. On many sets, that’s not always a recipe for

success, but the three seem to overflow with admiration for one another. Mendiola says, “They’re both very professional, and you can tell that they both really want this. Coleen is always on time and she’s always prepared. Si Arci naman, kahit anong pagawa mo sa kanya, game siya. It’s great working with people like that, because when they give their all, it makes you want to give your all.” Garcia agrees, “We’re all very, very different, and I don’t know what it is that allowed us to get along, but we all gelled, we all understood each other. Yung tipong when you look at her once and your eyes can actually communicate. The three of us were like that the entire time we were shooting this movie.” Mendiola adds, “You can really see the teamwork and how it affects the end product. Ang gandang panoorin.” Kick-ass females Adding to the visual feast is not only the presence of three ravishing ladies and the sharp cinematic style of Direk Martinez, but the fact that it involves Continued on Page 4

WHEN Camille Prats woke up on the morning of her wedding to VJ Yambao, she wore a simple white dress, donned a handmade flower crown and hurried to the church in her tsinelas. They had to rush back to their hotel room to look for a more church-appropriate footwear. At 8 o’clock, Camille was fresh-faced, clutching a simple bouquet made of lilies of the valley

when she walked down the aisle of the Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buenviaje Parish Church to meet (again!) VJ who was wearing a white polo button-down shirt and khaki pants ensemble. In less than an hour and with less than 20 people as witnesses, they were declared husband and wife, shared their first kiss as a married couple, and then went their separate ways to prepare for their second wedding in the

afternoon of the same day, this time during the reception. Their decision to have two weddings (one simple and one grand) was, according to a guest, “the couple’s way of putting God in the center of their marriage, while being able to celebrate their love in the way that they have always envisioned.” VJ, a businessman, was Camille’s grade school classmate Continued on Page 5

january 20-26, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

From Page 2

The ‘universal’ terno

Capistrano, Russ Cuevas, Frederick Berches, Jearson Dimavivas, Joel Acebuche, Rian Fernandez and Cherry Veric. Several local designers also got their ternos into the show, namely Eroll Reminates, Darwin Ramirez, Raffy Sy, Gyan Claude Ben, and Jan Van Paquing of the Ilocos Sur Designers Guild (ISDG). Together with Medina, Miss USA Deshauna Barber, Miss Venezuela Mariam Habach, Miss Uruguay Magdalena Cohendet, Miss Thailand Chalita Suansane, Miss Vietnam Dang Thi le Hang, Miss Slovak Republic Zuzana Kollarova, Miss Singapore Cheryl Chou Zhi Hiu, Miss Sierra leone Hawa Kamara, Miss Nicaragua Marina Jacoby Santos, Miss Netherlands Zoey Ivory, Miss Malaysia Kiran Jassal, Miss Guatemala Virginia Argueta, Miss Great Britain Jaime-lee Faulkner, Miss Czech Republic Andrea Beldekova, Miss Cayman Islands Monyque Brooks, Miss Bulgaria Violina Ancheva, Miss British Virgin Islands Erika Creque, Miss Brazil Raissa Santana, and Miss Belgium Stephanie Geldof beautifully wore the famed butterfly-sleeved long dress, many of which were made from indigenous fabrics like the Abel Iloco, with intricate beadworks. For most if not all of the Filipino designers, it was a dream-cometrue to see their handiwork on a Miss Universe candidate, what with fashion always playing a critical role in deciding the international pageant’s favorites and eventual winners. Most of all, they felt honored and humbled to be able to show

Gretchen Barretto no-show at mom’s 80th birthday bash by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

From Page 2 country and the city, described Tanya as kind, industrious, and smart. “As a child, Tanya,” she narrated, “was not the kind of girl that is going to show business.” She liked farming, Pelenda said, since their family, back in New Zealand, owns a huge farm. But as Tanya grew up, her mom saw her potential to become

All her loved ones were accounted for when Inday Barretto celebrated her 80th birthday Thursday (Jan. 12) at the Manila Hotel — that is, except Gretchen Barretto for reasons that everybody knows by now. It would have been the best occasion for mother and daughter to kiss and make up, after all, not every mother celebrates an occasion like that. Celebrity lawyer Ferdie Topacio, who defends Inday’s daughter Claudine Barretto in her legal cases, was among the guests and he served as Funfare’s eyes and ears at the event. “I arrived a little after 7 p.m. (the time stated in the invitation),” reported Ferdie. “People were beginning to trickle in. Old rose was the color motif for the night. While the invitation said ‘smart casual,’ most family members were Miss Universe 2016 candidates don the Philippine national costume especially created by popular Manila-based and Ilocos Sur designers for the Terno Fashion Show at the UNESCO dressed formally in gowns and tuxedos. It’s good I wore a dark Heritage City of Vigan. suit.” matter, should be to forward the world the beauty of Philippine Other notable guests Ferdie our advocacies and woman fashion and its peoples’ artistry. spotted were former Pres./Manila empowerment goals,” she said. In her opening remarks, The City Government of Vigan Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Department of Tourism (DOT) further expressed their gratitude to businessman Antonio lopa Undersecretary Katherine Chloe and publicist Reli German (“All the candidates and designers for De Castro thanked everyone classmates of Daddy Mike, the showing the world the beauty of who helped bring the 65th the Philippine terno and the World Barretto family patriarch”); former Miss Universe pageant to the Mayor Recom Echiverri; and Heritage Site that is Vigan with Philippines, first and foremost, director Alco Guerrero. tokens of plaques of appreciation. former Ilocos Sur governor Singson “All children of Daddy Mike The local government— and his lCS Group. and Mommy Inday were in represented by current Governor “To those who believed and attendance, except for Gretchen Ryan luis Singson and Mayor who continue to believe that this (for obvious reasons) and Guia Carlo Medina—and Miss Universe endeavor will bring us enduring, Organization president Paula intangible gains, thank you. More Shugart likewise exchanged importantly, we wish to prove that plaques of appreciation for this our participation in this pageant, once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. or in any beauty pageant for that From Page 3 women truly kicking ass. Garcia explains that some of the fight moves were choreographed to integrate certain massage moves. to her,” Margarita said, as she a beauty queen. “I encouraged Mendiola says that although brandished a tarpaulin of her her to join beauty contests she’s done Muay Thai, the movie girl’s photograph at Burnham because she’s beautiful and she explored “hard-core action” and Park in 2012. Actually, she will make it.” called for them to do something confided, she met Tanya’s father In 2014, Tanya was named different from what they normally in Baguio City. Miss Teen Universe. She was also a “We’re very proud of her,” said would. Muñoz, admittedly not supermodel in New Zealand. She very athletic in real life, says she Mayor Domogan of the very rare was crowned Miss New Zealand occasion of hosting Miss Universe would have wanted more time to Universe in 2016. She is also into bets, including Miss New Zealand, really prepare and look like a lean, film, being a theater teacher by mean, killing machine, but her who traces her roots to Baguio profession. co-stars say that, being so tall and City and Pangasinan. “It’s God’s best blessing

EMPLOYMENT

Bad girls

Half-Filipina Miss New Zealand comes home...

The celebrant Inday Barretto (rightmost) with daughter Claudine and celebrity lawyer Ferdie Topacio. All her loved ones were present except daughter Gretchen.

(who has a frozen shoulder and couldn’t fly in from the US). Also there were a lot of grandchildren, among them Cholo with girlfriend actress Ryza Cenon; sisters Julia, Claudia and Dani (children of Marjorie); Nicole (daughter of J.J.); and of course, Sabina and Santino (children of Claudine).” The children and grandchildren performed a special medley of songs for the celebrator: You by the Carpenters; You by Basil Valdez; Somewhere Over The Rainbow from the Wizard of Oz; and Fools Rush In (Inday’s favorite). A string band also played songs, especially chosen by Mommy Inday for the occasion. A touching audio-video presentation was also made, chronicling the life of Inday from her teens to the present. Shown were pictures of all the children

with their respective families. “I told Claudine that Spanish singer Antonio Morales Barretto Junior (of Yakap fame and who made two movies with Vilma Santos) was related to them by blood,” said Ferdie. “I told them that when I went to Spain last December, a friend (Raul Buendia) told me that Junior was born here (in the Philippines) and that his grandfather, an Icariza, was one of the original founders of San Miguel Corporation. “One significant thing that happened — at least, for me, personally — was that I was able to apologize to Marjorie and Dani for any pain which I may have caused due to the ‘horse tweet’ issue. They graciously accepted my apology, said that it has been a long time ago and that they have since moved on, and that we can be friends.”

long-limbed, she definitely sold it. And while action may be a genre that routinely objectifies women, the three stars insist that the sexiness is merely a byproduct of the cool costumes and some of the movements, but what rises above that is the fun and the laughs. “There’s a certain sophistication to it. A lot of the dialogue is intelligent, a lot of it is story-based. Because you know how a lot of comedies can get out of hand, and the flow of the story kind of gets lost somewhere. With this (movie), it very much relies on the story line,” says Garcia.

What’s also apparent in the film is a theme of sisterhood — of what women can do when they support one another. Mendiola says, “Sobrang lakas ng mga babae. I get bashed every day of my life, morning to evening, but when I look at who makes the comments, babae rin pala. Kaya ayoko yung ganyan yung babae sa babae, because it gives men permission do that to us. Here it’s women helping each other, lifting each other up. Walang mas sexy, walang mas maganda, or walang mas sikat. Kanya-kanyang personality tsaka kanya-kanyang abilidad lang.”

SERVICES

january 20-26, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Travel agents: Your virtual human travel apps In today’s digital age when computers, tablets, and smartphones are the order of the day, travel isn’t the same as it used to be. Easy accessibility to the Internet and the various mobile application platforms aiding us in our daily needs make it possible for people to automatically turn to their electronic devices when planning a trip. And why not? It’s so easy. Using any electronic device with Internet access allows you to search and compare airfares, lodging prices, rental-car deals, etc. because there are countless sites like Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, TripAdvisor, KAYAK, Hotwire, AirfareWatchdog plus numerous airline and hotel sites that allow the would-be travelers to become their own booking agents. Therefore, with the number of options available online, many people are beginning to think that travel agents are becoming obsolete and are no longer useful in planning their vacation. Right? Wrong. So very wrong! True, the onset of advanced technology has tremendously

The Metamorphosis

ErniE D. DElfin (Part 2 of 2)

6. A Constitutional Convention or Constitutional Assembly to amend the Constitution and make it more relevant to the needs, aspirations of the Filipino people should be held in 2017-2018. Among them is to convert the political system into a federal form of government like the United States or Great Britain. Doing so will accelerate the development of other regions or provinces and make the representatives of the people more accountable to the people who voted for them. The above are some of the critical issues and concerns that may make Duterte a great president or become a big disappointment! He still has over five years to really work very hard to make the Philippines great again. For the world: 7. The Vatican — while Pope Francis I has a massive

can easily provide you with expert advice customized to your needs because they have the knowledge impacted and influenced travel and the expertise to assess your planning, but it has not negated vacation needs and provide you the need for travel professionals. In with the best possible experience. fact, an in-depth industry market 2. Travel agents can save research conducted by IBISWorld you money. It may sound idiotic (a leading industry research when you think about paying organization) showed that the someone for something that travel agencies industry is growing you can handle on your own. despite the rise of online travel But booking a trip often proves websites. While this growth can be to be extremely stressful, and partly attributed to the fact that time consuming. You can spend traditional travel agencies have hours online searching for deals reinvented themselves and are on flights and hotels, surfing one finding new markets and niches, website after another in search of the study showed that travel the best prices while coordinating agents are certainly not on the your vacation schedule. Travel way out. On the contrary, travelers agents, however, who are directly are more and more becoming connected with travel suppliers aware that they need the services are in the best position to get of travel agents. The following are you better prices, in addition to just some of the many reasons: the fact that they can sometimes 1. Travel agents have provide you with additional professional expertise. If you perks such as VIP packages, are looking for a hotel booking room upgrades or restaurant and flight for a simple weekend reservations which you probably vacation, there’s no doubt you won’t get on your own. can easily arrange that on your 3. Travel agents save time. own. However, if you are trying You have to admit it, when trying to coordinate multiple flights to make travel arrangements in various locations on different on your own you need to read dates, and require specific through reviews of hotels, various amenities and more, a travel agent accommodations, and sightseeing

moral support from Catholics all over the world — should be more aggressive to change the centuries-old-way of governance of the Church. Significant changes to archaic or obsolete ways of doing business or protecting their “flock” who commit grievous sins (like sexual abuse and fathering children) take forever. Churches (not only the Catholic Church, by the way) can be one of the best agents of changes in the area of social justice and the alleviation of extreme poverty. They should not only “teach” people how to pray, but also how to live in dignity (dignity of work, the wisdom of having less children if you cannot afford to provide their basic needs, education not only for those who can afford to pay tuition, but to all who have the ability and capacity to learn). It is very interesting to note that there are millions of impoverished people in countries where the religion is predominantly Catholic or of the Muslim faith. This sad phenomenon should start a spirited debate among the

leaders of the Catholic Church and also those who control the other church denominations. Paging the leaders of the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Augustinians, the Anglicans, Methodists, the Lutherans, Redemptorists, the Budhists and lslams, and all religions who are in the education field. WHY is that? 8. Population and poverty. There is also a direct correlation between poverty and population. It should not only be the responsibility of the church, nor the government but everybody in the community, to have some kind of formal or informal protocols to have a healthy balance of population growth that will not make people in the community or country poorer, rather, such increase in population should enrich (not just materially) the community or country. It takes a community or a village to raise a good child to become a useful citizen to the society where he or she belongs. How to do it? The church, community, college, or schools and the Social welfare Agency

personification of Mr. Perfect whom she suddenly meets. Falling madly in love with Cuenca’s character, the public will definitely see a different Angeline Quinto in the movie—a singeractress who has matured from wide-eyed simpleton characters to a daring performer to fulfill the demands of her character. Cuenca, meanwhile, shows his ever-present passion for his craft and was very much willing to help Quinto fall at ease into the sexy genre in which he has made a name, both for TV and the movies. Besides these two popular

who has migrated to the States. He popped the question in July of 2015 but Camille already had the date 1-7-2017 in mind long before he asked for her hand in marriage. “1717” was an auspicious date, so auspicious in fact, that when Camille booked with event stylist Gideon Hermosa, he had three other bookings and four inquiries for that same day. So Gideon it would be. Venue of the event was the Prats-owned nayomi Sanctuary Resort in Batangas. Camille and VJ kept the guest list short and sweet, with just about 150 guests. “We really made sure that it’s going to be a small gathering,” said Camille. “Mas madali i-manage, plus we wanted to make sure that we are able to go around and say hi to everyone. We wanted to share our joy with them. So we narrowed it down to the people we were closest to, those we have a deep relationship with.” While Camille and VJ’s renewal of vows was a happy and teary-

help you make the trip you will enjoy. Flawless and successful travel plans lie in the details, and travel agents are experts when it comes to handling details. They will not only find you the best fares and options according to your needs, but they are also there to help you travel like a tourist and finding unique life experiences that you will surely remember. needless to say, these people who are your virtual human travel apps are here to stay. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years professional experience in the overseas tourism and travel industry. He is currently the Director for Business Development and Marketing of GTT International/Majestic Vacations, one of the biggest airlines consolidators in the United States, and wholesaler of package tours worldwide. He also provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism, which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York, and other Manilabased newspapers as well. For comments or questions, you may reach him at manilagan@ gmail.com.

eyed event, the reception was a rip-roaring fun time. While the guests enjoyed the delicious food from Juan Carlos Catering (another family friend of Camille’s), they were entertained by the hosts of the night, Camille’s best friend Ginger Serranilla, her Mars co-host Suzi Abrera, and her Kuya John. “Lahat ng bala niya sa Banana Sundae, talagang nilabas niya lahat!,” recalled another guest, referring to John’s Kapamilya show. The party lasted until almost midnight. It’s lovelier-the-second-timearound thing for Camille, widowed by the untimely death of her first husband, Anthony Linsangan, by whom she has a son, nathan. As she shared during her bridal shower hosted by Goody Philippines a few weeks back, VJ coming into her life was not only an unexpected turn of events in her life, but an answered prayer as well. “I felt that nathan was longing for a father. But not having a father doesn’t make you less of a person.

of the country should discuss it with young men and women as a requirement to get a marriage license. If the parents of the young child are not “married” require a Parenting Class (for the parents) before they are issued a “birth certificate” for their child. 9. The basic right to food, shelter, clothing and health care. All over the world, from America to Zimbabwe, (from Aparri to Zamboanga in the Philippines), there are always poor people and much fewer wealthy people. The late publisher-columnist Max V. Soliven wrote, “God loves the poor so much that He made so many of them!” However, there should be some ways, led by the national and provincial government to have some kind of safety net (a sort of a

“petty cash system” that can be funded if necessary by an extra one percent “sales tax” for every dollar) exclusively to be used to provide the most basic needs to those who run out of luck, so that these unfortunate citizens will not die from hunger or cold while they are in the bottom of the pyramid. 10. For all leaders, be it in government, business, church or even in nGOs or Community Benefit Organizations (CBOs), to read, learn and hopefully to try and implement attributes of Servant Leadership. For Catholics and Christians, the greatest example of a servant leader is Jesus Christ himself. The Bible says that in His public ministry, His area of focus is always on the welfare and well being of His

Calendar of Events across

brothers and sisters, His “Church. Servant Leadership is a philosophy and set of practices that enriches the lives of individuals, builds better organizations and ultimately creates a more just and caring world. Servant leaders are the greatest needs of our world now, and we as a society must work towards towards it. Google “Servant Leadership” and you will get dozens of good reading materials, like Robert K. Greenleaf’s writings on the subject. May we all have a great 2017! Let us endeavor to become not just a person of success but a person of value! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS JA N UA RY 2 1

Free women’s self-defense class in Echo Park Angeline Quinto and Jake Cuenca

showbiz celebrities, Foolish Love also stars real-life couple Miho nishida and Tommy Esguerra. It opens in cinemas nationwide on January 25. (ManilaTimes.net)

Camille Prats gets married twice... From Page 3

5. Travel agents offer convenience. Faced with countless choices and options for flights, hotels, car rentals, tours and too many travel products available on numerous websites, travelers are finding it more and more difficult to navigate and decipher all the options available. Travel agencies are one-stop shops. Just tell them exactly what you want and they can arrange everything for you the way you want it, less the headache and stress of doing the planning on your own. 6. Travel agents build relationships. There’s a great difference between price and value. While technology had its many advantages, one of its downsides is the noticeable decline in our interpersonal relationships. This is so true in the travel industry with the rise of online travel sites offering you the “best deals”. Travel sites are not looking to build a personal relationship – they are looking to make a sale. Travel agents, on the other hand, want to build a relationship that makes your experience with them count for more than one trip. They will not only help you book a trip, they will

Prognostications, predictions and prayers for 2017

Jake and Angeline set inhibitions aside for sexy rom-com HUnKY Jake Cuenca and sweet singer-turned-movie actress Angeline Quinto rekindle the flame of an aborted romance in Regal Entertainment Inc’s initial offering for 2017, “Foolish Love.” And for this unique pairing’s first big screen project this new year, director Joel Lamangan reveals, “They went all out in their kissing scenes and love scenes.” A sexy romantic comedy, “Foolish Love” required the actors to set their inhibitions aside—Quinto especially—so they can convincingly portray a woman obsessed to meet the man of her dreams, and an actual

opportunities especially when you’re heading to a place you’ve never been before. However, a travel agent can help you navigate through this oftentimes headache-inducing maze, can advise you on options available to you or can connect you with an expert colleague in less time than you would spend searching on your own. 4. Travel agents makes your trip secure. Travelers know that even after a trip is booked, things may not always go as planned. Sometime between the booking and the actual trip, something may come up that may require travel cancellation or rescheduling. In addition, anything from bad weather condition, a lost luggage or a family member getting sick can disrupt one’s vacation plans. If you made your travel arrangements yourself with online travel sites, you are left entirely on your own to deal with this eventuality. But with a travel agent, you are assured that someone is always there to help you resolve any bumps that may occur during your trip and therefore make your travel experience a lot less stressful.

That’s what I always wanted him to feel. I told him that he can always share stories about his nong nong (John) who I always tell him is his second dad.” When VJ came along, nathan was around five years old. Camille asked nathan if he liked VJ and if he could be part of their family. Said Camille, “Being in a relationship doesn’t mean that it’s only me, eh. Kung ako, nakakamove on, baka ang anak ko hindi. I don’t want him to grow up thinking that people always leave, that nothing is ever permanent. So kaya I really made sure that VJ and I were really in a stable relationship way before we went into putting nathan on board.” After a few days, nathan came to Camille and said he was okay with it. “I told him that we could only choose one, we cannot choose any other person anymore. ‘If you choose Tito VJ, it’s him na forever.’” And it seems that, indeed, Camille and nathan have found forever in VJ.

Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez invites you to a free women’s self-defense class with Grand Master Conrad A. Manaois on Saturday, January 21st. In partnership with MOTHER Movement and El Centro Del Pueblo, this workshop will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at El Centro Pueblo at 1157 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. Space is limited, participants must RSVP no later than Jan. 18 by calling (213)483-5151.

JA N UA RY 24

Workshop - Dementia: Up close & personal in Sherman Oaks, CA The American Geriatric Care Management and Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater LA are hosting a workshop on Tuesday, January 24 called Dementia: Up close & personal, preserving family relationships at the onset of dementia. Learn how to handle the stress and challenges of family caregiving when alzheimer’s or dementia are too close to home. Manage the care of your family member by using the right language and approach. The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Valley Economic Alliance (VEA) building, BFG conference room at 5121 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91204. To RSVP, please call Lou at (310) 938-9393 or Mary Ann Omega at (818) 430-3972. Seating is limited. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

JA N UA RY 28

Historic Filipinotown Scavenger Hunt Explore the cultural gems of HiFi (Historic Filipinotown) by joining the 2nd HiFi Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser on Saturday, January 28 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m! Meet Filipino-specific challenges (from a Balut eating contest to dancing Tinikling to a hip hop beat!). You may find yourself meeting a little-known community hero, tasting a Filipino food challenge or receiving your very own Filipino nickname! You will be having a blast while building your bayanihan spirit by asking your friends and family and even your Facebook fans to donate money to sponsor your Team to take this challenge. You and your team choose your own fundraising goal! Funds raised by this event will go to the programs and services of 2 HiFi community organizations, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) to provide vital services to families, workers and seniors in our community. Services include free or low-cost citizenship application assistance, human trafficking survivor support, civic engagement, wage theft claims assistance, cultural programs and more! Have fun, Discover Historic Filipinotown win prizes and support your community while doing it! Go to www.pwcsc.org/HiddenHiFi to sign up now. PWC is located at 153 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026.

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

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week) TRUST your own instincts. Your own personal experience will color the lens with which you view and relate with your personal guardian

Angels among us

SUpeRBUG kIllS lAdY

Alarming news, warning to all

under the mercy of these superbugs. Medically, we would be transported back to the pre-antibiotic era, where simple wound infections of the hand, arm, or leg could lead to — Roma Downey PhiliP S. ChuA, amputation or death, where easy-to-treat bacterial pneumonia Md, FACS, FPCS eternal life — not unlike His angels. or gastrointestinal infections of Then He sent the Holy Spirit to “pUBlIC health officials from today could be a frequent killer guide us and enlighten us. But on Nevada are reporting on a case once more. the micro, day-by-day level, God of a woman who died in Reno Indeed, it is scary to imagine sent us our personal guardian angels in September from an incurable a world with a pandemic of from conception, birth, throughout infection. Testing showed the superbugs, without effective our life and our passage from death superbug that had spread antibiotics. people will be dying to eternal life as a constant presence. throughout her system could fend like flies, especially today when Come to think of it, every time off 26 different antibiotics.” bacteria appear to be more an unborn life is cut down, the “It was tested against virulent and more adaptive. murder deprives an angel of his everything that’s available in Superbugs are here purpose. There is must be some the United States … and was But this is not science fiction. cosmic angst and turmoil in the not effective, ” said dr. Alexander Today, we already have some heavens. There must be anguish kallen, a medical officer in the superbugs, as the death of the and pain, a disturbance, not only Centers for disease Control and woman from Reno has proven. on earth but also in the celestial prevention’s division of health care One of them is the medically realm. Some say God created so resistant tubercle bacilli, where many angels, one cannot count the quality promotion. We have written about the standard anti-TB regimen number of angels that can stand on superbugs in this column before, is no longer effective and the head of a pin. and this recent scary news where survival is more of an But there is a caveat to this from last week highlights the gift from the Almighty. One must exception. The more popular one accept the gift and use the gift of utter helplessness of all living is MRSA a methicillin-resistant the presence of angels in one’s life creatures on earth if drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which for good and only good. One must microorganisms (superbugs) are used to respond to methicillin, a be humble of heart to know that by not eradicated from this world. simpler and much less expensive ourselves we can do nothing of real Or, at least countered by the antibiotic. value to ourselves or our loved ones discovery of a cure against them. Today, MRSA is resistant and ultimately find God in our lives Medically, superbugs could wipe to many antibiotics. In public, without asking in earnest for help out our civilization if they become most MRSA infections are skin from the spiritual, unseen realm of widespread and remain incurable, infections, but in medical centers, angels. like what happened to the lady in this dangerous bug causes Yes, the key is to ask for help for Reno. potentially fatal blood poisoning, one to receive it. let me take you back in time pneumonia, and infection of Also, one must never take the and space. the surgical incisions. MRSA is gift of a personal guardian angel for Since Sir Alexander Fleming, a expected to have a death toll of granted. Scottish biologist, pharmacologist, 19,000 annually in the United An angel is an invisible presence and botanist (a 1945 Nobel States alone. that must be acknowledged to laureate), first discovered luckily for patients with become ever stronger. God sends penicillin in 1923, hundreds of MRSA, Bactrim and Vancomycin, angels to keep watch over human more potent wider spectrum clindamycin, minocycline have beings and help them in every been found to be still effective human challenge. There is, however, antibiotics have been added to the medical armamentarium. against it. However, resistance is the element of free will in humans. These life-saving drugs have You can acknowledge the now being seen developing even presence of angels or deny it. It is been a boon to medical care and to some of these more potent and your choice ultimately. The more benefited billions of patients more expensive drugs. angels are acknowledged and around the globe. The emergence, become a conduit to heaven, they However, like many good multiplication, and spread become a hovering, guiding reality things, antibiotics have been of superbugs are a threat to in one’s life growing ever stronger abused by society as a whole, the achievements of modern in their influence to shape every including the medical community. medicine. They would negate and thought, word and deed in one’s life. In many cases, they are prescribed render useless the great advances (To be continued) without strict medical justification in pharmacologic science and *** clinical medicine we have gained Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian or used for a protracted period, Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e- longer than necessary. Individuals so far in our war against bacterial mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com who are able to buy them over infections. the counter without prescription Warning from WHO use them ignorantly and The World Health Organization unnecessarily, without medical (WHO) has published and released rationale. its first worldwide review of Besides wasting money, they antimicrobial resistance with data are endangering their health from 114 countries and warning and well-being, and those of the global community of this others, and encouraging the serious threat to public health. development of mutation of WHO assistant directortoday’s microbes into superbugs. general for Health Security, dr. The “Transformer” bugs keiji Fukuda, declared “Without Since bacteria have the ability urgent, coordinated action by many to adapt to substances being stakeholders, the world is headed repeatedly used against them for a post-antibiotic era, in which and mutate (transform itself ) common infections and minor overtime to a resistant variety injuries which have been treatable in order to survive, medically for decades can once again kill…. resistant strains of the microthe implications will be devastating.” organisms soon develop. They are The report also pointed called superbugs, potential killers out that there is a resistance which would not respond to any to last resort treatments, like antibiotics at all. carbapenem antibiotic against When this happens, humans the common intestinal bacterium and other animals would be klebsiella pneumoniae, which has

“I think we all do have a guardian angel. Health@Heart I believe they work through us all the time, and kind to each other.” angel. God so loved the world, He sent His only son to redeem us from sin and death so we may gain

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ŉ æĲįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíßßĽæÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽĲĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com.

And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event. To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice. The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

now spread around the globe. This is now ineffective for more than 50 percent of severe infections it used to cure. e. coli infection of the urinary tract, which used to respond to fluoroquinolones, is now resistant to the drug around the world. When these drugs first came out in the 1980s, there was zero resistance. The Uk, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Austria, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia have reported treatment failures with third generation cephalosporins, the last resort treatment for the more than one million gonorrhea patients around the world. WHO also laments the fact that many nations lack basic systems to track and monitor antibiotic use and resistance, and not many have seriously addressed this issue. Our abuse is haunting us While bacterial resistance is a natural and expected tendency to a degree, the rapid speed of its development and the number of superbug transformations have been the results of our carelessness and abuse in the use of antimicrobial drugs as a society. For one thing, viral infections in general (colds, Flu, etc) do not respond to antibiotics, which are actually indicated only for bacterial infections. A person taking antibiotic frequently and without medical supervision is more prone to develop superbugs in his/her body. That would be tragic. Our abuse, which includes feeding antibiotics to our farm animal sources of meat, could bring back some old enemies in a drug-resistant and deadly form: tuberculosis, typhoid, syphilis, gonorrhea, klebsiella, diphtheria, etc., which could wipe out countless millions more. Unless people take this warning seriously and act wisely and responsibly, and unless nations around the world work together to reassess and change how these drugs are manufactured, prescribed, and used, and come up with potent new drugs against these superbugs, we, humans, are doomed to lose our war against these deadly bugs. And this could be worse than the plague, known as the Black death, that killed more than 25 million people (almost half of the population) in europe in the 14th century. This is not fiction. It is a very scary reality that is brewing. It’s really up to us.

*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

Maxine Medina, an ‘empowered’... From Page 2

experience—besides the warm hospitality of the Filipinos, the unique culture and traditional values—is the boodle fight. “The best thing is, I will get to share with them the best food choices in our cuisine as well as the boodle fight. I’d like for them to try it! eating without utensils—that’s going to be very challenging!” Medina enthused. Meanwhile, asked how she feels over the president’s mandate for all government agencies to support the staging of the Miss Universe pageant but without spending a single centavo, she replied, “ The fact that the president has said he will personally watch the coronation is the best indication of the government’s support. Will I be nervous he is there? Oh no, I’m very honored that the president will be there and he will be witnessing a back-to-back,” she confidently added. Improvements A Binibining pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BpCI) staffer told The Sunday Times Magazine that Medina has shown exceptional improvements since she was crowned Miss Universe-philippines in April, and that her confidence level has “doubled” through her training. Her fellow Binibining pilipinas queens agree. Miss Grand International 2016 First Runner-Up Nicole Cordoves [who feels vindicated for her choice

of donald Trump during the US election campaign during her Q&A in October now that the business mogul has been elected the 45th president of the US] further noted that Medina’s facial transformation is amazing with a new signature makeup that is perfect for her. “Our makeup artists, our trainers can’t find the one look for her because she knows how to project [fxrom her modelling experience], as she fits all styles. Also, in terms of communication skills, she’s [really]much more confident now. She speaks with lot of conviction, even about politics,” Cordoves told The Sunday Times Magazine. Miss International 2016 kylie Verzosa on the other hand related, “everyone can see her improvements overall, and I know she knows it herself.” Acknowledging the fruits of her hard work, Medina said, “I never thought of myself being a beauty queen, and now that I have embraced it to prepare for Miss Universe, I feel very empowered. Besides competing, I really want to inspire the youth through my own experiences, and I believe I can do a better job of that if I become Miss Universe.” She further revealed that she has chosen the same advocacy as Miss Universe pia Wurtzbach, that of AIdS/HIV awareness and prevention, but one that is more focused on the youth.

“My advocacy is about the youth who has HIV to be able to give them hope and help them live the life they should have despite their disease, especially in terms of education,” she said. Should she win the crown, Medina also said she is very much willing to leave her life in the philippines to fulfil her obligations in New York and around the world. “It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity and I will devote myself to the title, for the country, for people everywhere as this is something that can really inspire others to dream big.”

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