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w w w. a s i a n Volume 24 - No. 26 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages
.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
July 7-13, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEw YORk/NEw JERSEY
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Duterte: Martial law won overwhelming mandate from SC by Frinston Lim Inquirer.net
DAVAo CItY — President Duterte took a swipe at critics of the martial law being imposed in mindanao even as he hailed the supreme Court ruling affirming its legality. During his visit to troops in malaybalay City, Bukidnon province, on thursday, July 6, Duterte said he would throw his full support behind security forces implementing martial law as long as they do not commit abuses. “We are forced by circumstances. I have a man-
date to do. otherwise I could go to jail,” Duterte told the troops of the Philippine Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade. he said he was not happy to earn the distinction of being among the handful of Presidents to place a part of the country under martial rule. “I want it ended as soon as possible but I must be assured also that the filipino people and the nation (are) safe,” the Chief executive said. Duterte also lashed at critics of Proclamation 216, the order he had issued last may 23 which PUBLIC APPEARANCE. President Rodrigo Duterte does his signature gesture with Hagonoy Mayor Conrado Laza (left) and Vice Mayor PAGE A2
Franco Calida during the 64th Araw ng Hagonoy celebration at the municipal complex of Hagonoy, Davao del Sur on Wednesday, July 5. Malacañang photo
DATELINE
WBO: No reversal of decision on Pacquiao vs Horn match
USA
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA
Young Fil-Am leaders share experience of immersion trip to PH Encourage applicants to apply before July 21 fILIPINo Americans between the ages of 25 to 40 years old are encouraged to apply for this year’s fil-Am Young Leaders Program (fYLPro), a week-long immersion trip to the Philippines. fYLPro — which was started in 2012 by former Philippine Ambassador to the United states Jose L. Cuisia Jr. and his wife, Victoria — chooses 10 “outstanding young professionals” from fil-Am communities across the country to visit the Philippines, where they will meet with key players in government, business, social entrepreneurship, and arts and culture. In addition to meetings, one day is devoted to service, such as farming or rebuilding areas PAGE A2
Fil-Am MMA fighter gets another shot at redemption fILIPINoA m e r i c a n mixed martial artist AJ “the mercenary” matthews seeks to redeem his career in an upcoming fight against Andre fialho at Bellator 181 on July 14. matthews and fialho will go headAJ “The Mercenary” Matthews to-head in the Bellator’s welterweight division to be held at the Winstar World Casino in thackerville, oklahoma. Bellator 181, is an event of the Bellator mmA, an American mixed martial promotion PAGE A3
by Dana
sioson AJPress
DesPIte calls seeking a review on the recent world welterweight title bout between manny Pacquiao and Jeff horn, the World Boxing organization (WBo) said it cannot reverse the controversial result of the match. In a social media post, WBo exBATTLE OF BRISBANE. Aussie challenger Jeff Horn (left) and defending champion Manny Pacquiao face plained that a reversal of match result off during the “Battle of Brisbane” WBO welterweight title bout in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday. Horn is only possible if violation of rules ocdefeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision.
Photo courtesy of Top Rank
curred. the organization, however, stated that it has found nothing fraudulent during the match. “the discretion of a referee or judge cannot be reversed, except in a case of fraud or violation of laws which is not the case in Pac vs horn,” the organization posted in its official twitter account on tuesday, July 4. Pacquiao lost his WBo Welterweight PAGE A2
Tagle: Spreading fake news Congressional Gold Medal is against human dignity presentation to WWII Filipino veterans planned for October by EvELyn
macairan Philstar.com
mANILA - the proliferation of fake news is against human dignity, which is to love the truth, manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal tagle said. tagle recently said that those who are helping circulate fake news might be those who no longer give importance to the truth. “If it is true that there is fake news, then that means there are people who are manufacturing fake news, and those who are promoting it might no longer Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
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US offers help in Marawi rehabilitation by Dana
sioson AJPress
the government of the United states has offered its help to rebuild marawi City once the fighting is over, Philippine Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on monday, July 3. According to Lorenzana, U.s. Ambassador to the Philippines sung Kim told him about the offer during their meeting last week. “I met with Ambassador Kim last week, and they said: ‘If you need some help, let us discuss…’ so, we’ll still talk about what kind of aid we’ll get,” Lorenzana was quoted saying in an Inquirer report. “so, we are now preparing the rehabilitation plan and we are now preparing the mechanism to go into the rehabilitation and recovery, as soon as the fighting stops in marawi,” he added.
Asked in a briefing if the U.s. would extend its help in the form of monetary aid, Lorenzana told reporters that specifics about the assistance has yet to be discussed. “We do not know yet but we have already gotten some information that they will help,” he replied. “We do not know if they are going to help in kind or in funds or whatever.” In a social media post, Kim reaffirmed the U.s. government’s support for the Philippines in its counter-terrorism and rehabilitation efforts in marawi City. Kim, likewise, said he had “great discussion” with Philippine rodrigo Duterte during their meeting on monday. “Great discussion with pres. Duterte: shared concerns re terrorist threat; rePAGE A4
PLANs are underway for a national celebration honoring filipino World War II veterans, whose service and sacrifice have been finally recognized by the U.s. with the passage last year of the filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold medal Act of 2015, which is now enshrined as Public Law 114265. the Congressional Gold medal (CGm) is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the United states for persons or groups who have performed an achievement that have an impact on American history and culture. American citizenship is not a requirement. In particular, this
award is a public expression of the U.s. Congress’ gratitude on behalf of the nation for the distinguished contributions of 260,000 filipino soldiers and guerrillas during World War II in the Philippines. traditionally, the CGm is formally presented to the awardees by the speaker of the house. this year, the national celebration coincides with the formal award presentation of the medal to filipino World War II veterans by house speaker Paul ryan. the presentation has not been scheduled, but could be held as early as october or November of this year. PAGE A2
FilVetREP leaders and community supporters joined Sen. Mazie Hirono (center) in a celebration photo shortly after the Senate approved the Congressional Gold Medal legislation on Nov. 30, 2016. Photo courtesy of Sen. Hirono’s office
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JULY 7-13, 2017 • OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL
From the Front Page
Young Fil-Am leaders share experience...
PAGE A1 destroyed by disasters. Applications for the sixth batch are due on July 21 and the weeklong trip will be held from October 8 to 14. The all-expense paid program is made possible through partnerships with the Ayala Foundation and the Philippine foreign service posts throughout the U.S. At an information session in Los Angeles on Friday, June 30,
past delegates shared their experiences of how the trip, despite its length, enabled them to connect with their Filipino roots. “This trip gives you that perspective of the different societal norms, the economic issues, a firsthand look at what the government is doing, access to members of Congress, and understanding the innovation they’re doing as well, ” shared Alex De Ocampo,
who was part of the inaugural batch in 2012. He added, “You’re seeing the differences in the country and how it’s changing. It was very impactful in the sense that you’re seeing growth, you’re seeing some poverty — the extremes. But it’s really opening up your mind to what’s happening in the Philippines.” Anna Marie Cruz, a business development officer at CDC Small Business Finance, went on to say that the itinerary gives an opportunity to have a dialogue with various decision makers. “It also leads to a lot of identity questions because a lot of these problems we have a rooted in our colonial history [and] the ‘crab mentality’ we experience here is rooted in [that], so whether it’s this epiphany of what you can do for the community as a whole or what you do for yourself in order to rise above that baggage you’ve been carrying but didn’t know about, it’s a pretty amazing program that it can do that for you,” Cruz said. “It’s personal, but it’s also this collective.” During the program, each delegate has the responsibility to develop his or her own “legacy project,” which is a social impact initiative focused on the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad that are social enterprise, philanthropic or civic engagement focused. Some past examples include empowering Filipina entrepreneurs and HIV research and prevention. Other alumni of the program over the years include Tony and Grammy Award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino, restaurateur Nicole Ponseca, Ryan Letada of storytelling platform NextDayBetter, and Jason Tengco, executive director of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA). The criteria is that applicants must be 25-40 years old, demonstrate leadership skills within school, community or workplace, and show involvement or interest in issues that align with the interest of the Fil-Am community or the Philippines. Requirements include an intent to apply form, an application form, resume, two letters of recommendation, a profile photo and 200-word bio. To apply, visithttp://www.fylpro.org/apply/. (AJPress)
CAR PASS TO MOVE IN AND OUT OF MARAWI. Residents jostle to secure their car pass applications to move in and out of Marawi or get their vehicles out of the combat zone at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol in Marawi City on Thursday, July 6. PNA photo
Duterte: Martial law won... PAGE A1
put the country’s second largest island under a 60-day military rule following attacks by Islamic State-inspired terrorists in Marawi City. The fighting which has been going on for almost two months now has killed over 400 people, mostly militants, and emptied the Islamic city of virtually all its 200,000 residents. The president hailed the high tribunal’s 11-3-1 ruling that thumbed down petitions against the martial rule.
“The majority of justices sustained me. Hindi naman ako mag-declare ng martial law if hindi pwede. (I would not have declared martial law if it was not possible to do so) We won an overwhelming mandate,” Duterte said. Mr. Duterte brushed aside critics of the martial law, saying dissent was part of democracy. He said placing the entire southern Philippines under martial rule was necessary “to save lives and save the Filipino nation.”
The president also reiterated his pledge to troops to upgrade their equipment and protect them against legal actions as they perform their duty in implementing martial law. “You will not be the last in this government of mine,” Duterte said, adding soldiers and police who might be imprisoned for doing their duty upon his order would be “pardoned with promotion to boot.” The president was firm soldiers and police were not committing abuses while implementing martial rule in Mindanao.
WBO: No reversal of decision... PAGE A1 title to Horn in a stunning unanimous decision on Sunday, July 2, creating one of the greatest upsets in the recent world boxing history. The judges gave the final scores of 117-111, 115-113, 115113, all in favor of Horn — which received hostile responses from various boxing fans around the globe. In a letter, the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the regulatory body for boxing in the Philippines, has asked WBO President Francisco Valcarce for a “thorough review” for possible
miscalls during the match. “While we respect the decision, we are constrained to request for a thorough review by the WBO for possible miscalls of the referee where some deductions were not made and of the judges in their judging that have caused varying opinions on their objectivity,” the letter read. Pacquiao also backed the GAB’s move, saying that the “WBO should take appropriate action… so as not to erode the people’s interest in boxing.” But the WBO instead recommended to have the two boxers settle the issue inside the ring.
“The contract for Pac vs Horn provides a rematch clause, which the WBO is in accordance if the promoters decide to move forward,” the WBO added. Horn, for his part, said he’s willing to have a rematch if Pacquiao wanted to have one. “He (Pacquiao) said after the fight he was happy with the decision. He might be changing his mind. But I feel if he wants to do it again, let’s do it again. The rematch clause is there for a reason,” Horn told AAP. Pacquiao previously stated that he is open to having a rematch against Horn. n
Tagle: Spreading fake news... PAGE A1 value the truth,” Tagle said. He also wondered why people would spread information if they knew these were lies and, in the process, would hurt other people who are defamed or have become victims of these fake information. “Why would you be happy if you are the source of the fake
news?” Tagle asked. “I think it is part of basic human decency to love the truth and to abhor falsehood. So that is where it starts. We should first address the source, where the fake news is coming from, and are you really happy about spreading lies?” The Cardinal, who admitted to not being an expert on the subject of fake news, appealed to the
FIGHTING FAKE NEWS. Members of Millenials Against Dictators hold copies of the complaint filed against Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre on Wednesday, July 5. The alleged that Aguirre violated Section 4 of Republic Act 6713 “when he repeatedly made unsubstantiated public accusations and allegations thus failing to discharge his duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and skill.” ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez
public to be critical in discerning between the lies and the truths. Tagle issued the statement at a time when there has been a lot of criticism over the spread of fake news, some of which are allegedly being peddled by supporters of President Duterte. Last Wednesday, various youth groups belonging to the Millennials Against Dictators (MAD) filed an ethics complaint against Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II before the Office the Ombudsman for allegedly spreading fake news or misinformation to the public. One instance cited in the complaint was when Aguirre reportedly said in his June 7 press conference that Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Antonio Trillanes IV, Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano and former political adviser Ronald Llamas were connected to the Marawi City siege and showed a photo of the four men allegedly at a meeting in Marawi. The photo was later proven to have been taken at the Iloilo Airport in 2015.
Congressional Gold Medal presentation... PAGE A1 At the award ceremony, slated to be held on Capitol Hill, surviving Filipino and American veterans or their next-of-kin will receive bronze replicas of the CGM and a framed copy of Public Law 114-265. Expected to attend are Congressional sponsors, Philippine Government officials, Presidential Cabinet members, high ranking general officers from the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Navy, US Air Force, US Coast Guard, veterans advocates, community leaders and supporters and other dignitaries. The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), the proponent of the CGM legislation and the official national point of contact for all CGM activities, is working closely with the U.S. Mint and offices of Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to accelerate completion of the CGM’s minting and production of at least 500 bronze replicas. FilVetREP is led by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (U.S.A. Ret.) and his executive team composed of Marie Blanco, Erick Soriano, Jon Melegrito and Ben de Guzman.
National celebration plans “We secured the Congressional Gold Medal to honor our veterans and demonstrate our deepest gratitude for their supreme sacrifice,” said FilVetREP Chairman Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret). “We will ensure that our national celebration of this historic achievement is one that treats our veterans with the utmost dignity and respect. We are, therefore, calling on all our supporters to make this important event happen. It’s for our veterans and they deserve to have a memorable event.” Taguba also notes that not all recipients of the medal may not be able to come to Washington due to their age and physical condition. Regional award ceremonies are being considered in the West Coast, Midwest and the South to accommodate veterans who are not able to travel to Washington. There are also plans for Filipino veterans residing in the Philippines to receive their bronze replicas in Manila. It is anticipated that this will be handled by the Philippine Veterans Administration Office (PVAO) and Philip-
pine Office of National Defense. National registry Bronze replicas will be awarded only to surviving veterans or their next-of-kin whose eligibility for CGM has been vetted and whose names are included in FilVetREP’s national veterans registry. “It is essential that veterans and their families register as soon as possible to make sure they are included in the award ceremony,” Taguba adds. Applications and instructions for submission may be downloaded from FilVetREP’s website, www.filvetrep.org. Each of the FILVETREP regional directors are responsible for contacting the veterans and families to help them register. Bronze replicas are not funded by the U.S. government, but rather by donations from the public. Donations to support FilVetREP’s CGM activities are accepted through the FilVetREP website. CGM Design and Approval Process. In the past several months, FilVetREP has been meeting with the U.S. Mint’s Office of Design Management in providing signifiPAGE A4
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MORNING EXERCISES. The Bureau of Fire Protection Unit personnel leads the morning exercises with volunteers for the retrieval of casualties of war between the Maute group and the military at the provincial capitol in Marawi City on Tuesday, July 4. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez
Drop in sudden cardiac arrests linked to Obamacare by Jenny
Gold Kaiser Health News
If 22 million Americans lose their health care coverage by 2026 under the GOP Senate’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, how many people could die? The question is at the heart of the debate raging in Washington, D.C., but has been difficult to answer. “Show me the data on lives saved by Obamacare, please,” conservative political scientist Charles Murray requested in a recent tweet. A pilot study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association may provide an answer: Researchers found that the rate of sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital dropped by 17 percent among people ages 45-64 in Multnomah County, Oregon, after the Affordable Care Act expanded insurance coverage. The study analyzed sudden cardiac arrest data from the emergency medical system in 2011-12 before the ACA, and compared the data from 2014-15, after insurance coverage expanded. During that time, the percentage of people in Multnomah County with Medicaid coverage nearly doubled, from 7 percent to 13.5 percent. Early indicator Cardiac arrest can serve as an early indicator to show how an increase in health insurance coverage under the ACA might affect mortality. Each year, about 350,000 people in the United States have a sudden cardiac arrest, in which the heart unexpectedly stops beating. It is one of the most deadly types of heart attacks — only 1 in 10 patients survive it. “It speaks to the importance of predicting and preventing [cardiac arrest], because once it happens, it’s much too late,” said Dr. Sumeet Chugh, medical director of the Heart Rhythm Center of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in California and one of the authors
of the study. The good news is that nearly half of patients experience warning symptoms, offering an opportunity for intervention, said Chugh. Cholesterol and blood pressure medication, diet and exercise, and surgical interventions can all help stave off sudden cardiac arrest. But patients without health insurance might ignore their symptoms and avoid seeing a doctor. “Imagine that you’re someone with a warning symptom. If you had insurance or access to health care that was relatively easy, you might be more inclined to see a provider. If you didn’t, you might let it go for a while,” said Chugh. Consistent Chugh cautions that the study population was small and did not examine other factors that could have led to a decline in cardiac arrests. Still, it is consistent with other studies that found a link between Medicaid expansion and a decline in mortality. Chugh and fellow author Eric Stecker of the Oregon Health & Science University plan follow-up studies to narrow in on the causes in Multnomah County. Michael McWilliams of the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study, questioned the large reduction in cardiac arrests seen in the study, saying it “seems too good to be true.” Still, he said assessing the effects of health insurance on clinical outcomes like cardiac arrest is notoriously difficult, and there is good evidence that health insurance improves access to care and diagnosis of important conditions. “I think when we focus on the lack of consensus evidence on the effects of coverage on hard outcomes like mortality, and use that as an argument against covering the uninsured, I think we let perfect be the enemy of good,” McWilliams said. Uninsured Take James frank, 64, of Lan-
James Frank signed on to Obamacare via Covered California when he started experiencing the symptoms of heart disease. Contributed photo
caster, California, who was uninsured several years ago when he first started experiencing the symptoms of heart disease. “I couldn’t catch my breath, I was wheezing,” frank recalled. “I felt like I had like a chest cold. My feet were tingling. I was getting the sweats.” In 2013, frank had a heart attack and was taken to the emergency room. He signed up for coverage under Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, which opened in 2013 for coverage that began in January 2014. His doctor put him on a statin and blood pressure medication to prevent another heart attack, and he started watching his weight religiously. frank was quick to add that the coverage he gained under the ACA has not been perfect — his premium and deductibles are high, and he thinks that Congress should repair it. Still, he believes the health law saved his life. “I had the same heart attack that killed my mother,” he said. “Had it not been for Obamacare, I probably would have had another one. *** This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
US fleet sails near South China Sea island A “strong provocation,” says China
by Jennifer
Soriano
AJPress
A UnITED States navy destroyer on Sunday, July 2, sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea that is claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan. The Pentagon previously confirmed that an Arleigh Burkeclass destroyer of the U.S. navy called USS Stethem, passed by the Triton Island in the Parcel Islands to “test the claims of the three countries.” A spokesman for the U.S. Pacific fleet, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight did not confirm the recent exercise but said the activity is part of the routine of the U.S. navy operations. “We conduct routine and regular fOnOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future. Summaries of these operations are released publicly in the annual DoD freedom of navigation Report, and not sooner,” Knight said in a
statement. The U.S. Pacific fleet maintains that their recent operations is not politically-motivated as they have done the same kind of operation before. “We have a comprehensive freedom of navigation Operations program under which U.S. forces challenge excessive maritime claims across the globe to demonstrate our commitment to uphold the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law,” the U.S. Pacific fleet said. A statement from the Chinese Ministry of foreign Affairs Lu Kang said the U.S. had “trespassed” and that China sent “military vessels and fighter planes in response to warn off the U.S. vessel.” China expressed its dissatisfaction with the U.S.’ operation and called it “a serious political and military provocation.” The U.S. “stirs up trouble” and runs “in the opposite direction
from countries in the region who aspire for stability, cooperation and development,” the ministry statement said. further, Beijing called on Washington to cease from operating within China’s territory, which “violates their sovereignty and threatens their security.” “The Chinese side will continue to take all necessary means to defend national sovereignty and security,” Lu said. According to Cnn, the operation on Sunday happened days after the Trump administration “made a number of moves that appeared to irk Beijing.” These include “sanctions against Chinese entities doing business with north Korea and the approval of a new arms trade to Taiwan.” Sunday’s operation was the second reported under the Trump administration. The first one was on May 24, when the guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey sailed within 12 miles of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands.
Fil-Am MMA fighter gets another shot... PAGE A1 company, where tournaments for each weight class are held over a three-month period. Coming off from his three consecutive losses, Matthews is going all-out in his training before facing fialho, a Portuguese MMA star who is coming to the match with an almost perfect 7/8 record so far in his career. The 28-year-old fil-Am fighter moved to the Philippines with his team, MMA Alliance, to prepare for his upcoming fight. “AJ has been a working progress for us,” Eric Del fierro,
co-owner of MMA Alliance told Sherdog.com In the Philippines, Matthews sparred against fellow filipino fighters and several team members who are Ultimate fighting Championship (UfC) champions. “I see a bright future for AJ as a mixed martial artist” Dominic Cruz, former two-time UfC Bantamweight Champion, told sherdog.com. “He’s got some of the best cage defense I’ve ever seen on anybody,” Eric Uresk, Wrestling Coach on MMA Alliance, added.
Matthews’ career thrived after his four consecutive wins at the onset of his career in 2007, where he mainly fought for California-based promotions such as King of Cage and Gladiator Challenge. After his triumph in 2015 against Emiliano Sordi at the Bellator 141, his career started to go downhill and lost his next fights. Matthews is moving forward and is now even more determined to win back the momentum of his career. (With reports from Larizza de Vera/AJPress, Inquirer.net and Sherdog.com)
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5 Filipino caregivers get closer to their $500K award in California wage theft case by Jun
nucum Inquirer.net
OAKLAND, California — Five Filipino caregivers in Vacaville, California, inched closer to getting their $$483,495 award when the Solano County Superior Court issued the final orders of dismissal of the appeal of a defendant accused of non-payment overtime and minimum wages to the workers. OAKLAND, California — Five Filipino caregivers in Vacaville, California, inched closer to getting their $$483,495 award when the Solano County Superior Court issued the final orders of dismissal of the appeal of a defendant accused of non-payment overtime and minimum wages to the workers. “But then since she (Ventura) did not assign any of her real estate properties or her care homes under her name, we cannot lien any real estate properties. What will happen is that we will file a writ of execution for levy of future income of the three care homes before the county sheriff,” Taguinod explained. “The sheriff, in turn, will ask for her bank accounts of the care homes and, by law, we can only get 25 percent of the monthly income of the care homes until the caregivers all are paid the full amount of award due each of them,” he further elaborated. Judge Beeman found that defendant/appellant Ventura, owners of the three care homes In Vacaville where the caregivers served, failed to post a bond or undertaking as required to support her notice of appeal, prompting Beeman to order the dismissal of Ventura’s appeal with prejudice. Worked in 3 care homes The caregivers worked in three different care homes — Serene Oaks Care Home now known as Aralynn at Vacaville, Serene Oaks Care Home II now known as Aralynn at Peacock and Serene Oak Care Homes III now called Aralynn at Red Pheasant, which are all licensed to defendant. They had all stayed in the care homes they worked in, took care of even the night shifts and were virtually working 24/7 but have not been given overtime pay. Others were not paid even the minimum wage due them. Some had worked from as
early as May 2009 up to as late as August 2013, but were only able to claim from February 2012 because of the statute of limitations that does not allow claims beyond the three years after services were rendered. Labor Commission award On February 9, 2017 the caregivers were awarded the total amount of $483,495.54 by the Office of the Labor Commissioner of California Department of Industrial Relations Hearing Officer Stephen Franck for unpaid wages, including overtime pay, and accrued interest. The award was subsequently served to Ventura who, in turn, filed an appeal on March 3, 2017, which was far beyond the allowed period of ten days, making its filing untimely; another basis for the appeal’s dismissal. The cases were initially filed by the complainant caregivers between August 8-10, 2015 against Ventura, but a mysterious documentation mix up named Aralynn Atherton LLC as the defendant instead of Ventura herself. Aralynn Atherton LLC is a legal entity Ventura reportedly created to allegedly avoid personal liabilities by making it appear that it is the licensee of her care homes. And after Aralynn Atherton LLC filed for bankruptcy through Ventura, hearing officer Franck came out with a notice of stay on plaintiff’s claim and had to dismiss all cases. “That was when we realized that the complaints mistakenly stated the Aralynn Atherton LLC as the defendant when we filed all five claims against Lynn Ventura,” explained Taguinod. Paperwork error “Fortunately, we were able to convince officer Franck that it was its mistake for the mix up of the defendant, so it issued revised complaints this time against Ventura and scheduled new hearing dates.” Taguinod, together with partner Atty. John Godoy, also discovered that Ventura failed to have the three homes transfer their license to Aralynn Atherton, LLC and she remained the ownerlicensee even if Ventura made it appear through the paychecks given the caregivers that the LLC was the owner. Lourdes T. who decided to study and became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) after
resigning from Serene Oaks, now works for eight hours only in a facility “When the decision was rendered, I felt relieved. Our sufferings have ended. I’ve learned not to stay silent and just bear the abuse done to us. You have to speak up if you think you’re right,” Lourdes exclaimed. “I also want to put a stop to the foolishness and abuses Lynn Ventura has been committing and will commit to other caregivers that will work for her. I hope we’ll be her last victims. To owners of care homes, I hope you will take care of your caregivers especially those who work hard and are devoted to work, for without us you will not be as successful and become rich,” Lourdes T. added. Jelly E. and Diana G. stated that it took a long time to have their cases decided but it was all worth it. Jelly E. exclaimed, “To all caregivers, if we are being cheated and abused, we should not remain silent but rather face them and fight for what is rightfully ours.” A lesson for owners “When we won, we were happy not just for our victory. We also hoped that this will serve as a lesson to Ms. Ventura and others on the abuses including non-payment of just wages to their caregivers and other workers like us who only want to provide food for our families,” Diana G. said. Taguinod lamented that although there several cases have favored complainants, there are still care home owners who are not willing to abide by the law and continue to take advantage of caregivers. “I almost want to believe that their mindset is that when they settle their cases with the caregivers, they can do so with a smaller amount than what they would have properly compensated them,” observed Taguinod. “Those most prone to abuse are the undocumented caregivers who do not have close friends or relatives they can seek shelter with if they decide to sue their employers. I must have talked to dozens of potential clients who decided not to sue because they have nowhere to go if they sue, even though they have huge wage claims against the owners.”
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REINFORCING TROOPS IN MARAWI. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) convoy passes through a former combat zone to reinforce troops conducting operations in Barangay Banggulo, Marawi City on Wednesday, July 5. PNA photo by Oliver Marquez
Raid of online firm in PH yields sex-trade data AN American real-estate company’s court-ordered raid of an online outsourcing company’s headquarters in the Philippines has yielded data linking the latter to an embattled classified advertising website accused of engaging in human trafficking and prostitution, an exclusive story by NBC News has reported. CoStar, a multibillion-dollar enterprise behind Apartments.com, carried out the daring raid in the offices of Avion in an undisclosed location, emerging with 262 hard drives containing 35 terabytes of data that indicated it was used by Backpage to drum up business in the sex trade overseas, the report authored by Anna Schecter and Kenzi Abou-Sabe said. Backpage is a US-based online site that has listings for a wide variety of products and services, including automotive, jobs and real estate. It has been under fire since 2011 for allegedly using its adult services subsection for prostitution that particularly involved minors. The company is facing legal battles, including criminal
charges refiled last year by the state of California against its chief executive officer (CEO) and two founders and a civil lawsuit now headed for trial in Washington state after the courts declined to dismiss it, according to the report. Backpage was also subjected to a 20-month US Senate investigation that found it complicit in trafficking. For its part, Avion has claimed it does nothing more than “host and moderate ads.” The report said, however, that there were hackers at Avion “believed to be stealing proprietary real-estate photos and information on behalf of an industry rival.” CoStar claimed that its raiding team’s yield contained proof that its intellectual property was being ripped off, but has been denied by its competitor. CoStar senior vice president told NBC News that they got 1.7 million photographs in the December 2016 raid. “It was building picture, building picture, porn, porn, prostitute ad, building picture and
then – bang! – a picture that couldn’t be anything other than, you know, child pornography,” the report quoted Ricketts. “We just immediately shut the computer off, picked the phone up, called the attorneys. They called the FBI.” Thousands of documents linking Avion to Backpage were found with the photographs, the report said. Based on the yield of CoStar, Avion “worked to promote adult ad business on behalf of Backpage” overseas, including the United Kingdom and Australian markets. Audio recordings of Avion workers contacting people who posted sexually explicit ads on rival escort sites and offering them a free ad on Backpage were also discovered during the raid, according to the report. Citing a non-disclosure agreement he signed with Backpage, Avion CEO Von Nagasangan did not give any comment to NBC. Backpage legal counsel Liz McDougall also declined to say anything regarding the Philippine raid. (Philstar.com)
Congressional Gold Medal presentation... PAGE A2 cant input and recommendations to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) and the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA). The U.S. Mint is the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, commemorative coins and congressional gold medals, and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the nation to conduct its trade and commerce. CCAC is an advisory committee established in 2003 by Congress under Public Law 108-15 to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and designs of all U.S. coins and medals; CFA is an independent federal agency charged with giving expert advice on matters of design and aesthetics, as they affect the federal interest and preserve the dignity of the nation’s capital. As Chairman of FilVetREP, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (U.S. Army Ret) was designated as the official liaison to the U.S. Mint by Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, co-sponsors of the CGM legislation. On January 17, FilVetREP held its initial meeting with the U.S. Mint’s Office of Design Management. The team include FilVetREP executive officers Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, Marie Blanco, Ben de Guzman, Jon Melegrito and Erick Soriano, legal counsel. At this meeting, the FilVetREP team presented possible themes, text, photos and graphics that
would be useful to the assigned artists and illustrators. On February 15, FilVetREP met with the CCAC. The presentation included screening of the documentary, “Duty to Country,” and a discussion of all the artistic, political and historical themes and elements that would inform the design process. A kick-off meeting with the six U.S. Mint artists assigned to the project was held on March 22. A month later, the artists completed 43 candidate designs based on the instructions provided by the CCAC. FilVetREP then reviewed each obverse (front) and reverse (back) designs for historical/technical accuracy and appropriateness. After several rounds of feedback and suggested modifications, the team narrowed down its selection to seven of the front and three of the back. On May 22, a meeting with the U.S. Mint led to the selection of the top three designs, which were presented to the CFA on June 15. The CFA agreed with FilVetREP’s design preferences and modifications. On June 21, the 11-member CCAC approved the recommendations of FilVetREP for the CGM design. The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, who has the final approval, is expected to concur and give the U.S. Mint the official go ahead to have the medal minted this summer. The minting process, which
typically takes about three months, basically involves translating a 14-page legislation (i.e., Public Law 114-265) into a graphic design engraved on a 3inch medal minted in solid gold. The CGM legislation provides that the Smithsonian Institution will be the repository for the CGM where it will be available for display and research. The CGM legislation also requires the Smithsonian Institution to make the CGM available for display elsewhere. Currently, the plan is for the CGM to be permanently housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History or another national museum of similar repute. Digital Exhibition and Education Program. The next phase of the CGM project is to create a digital exhibition and education program that will be accessible to public schools and the public. It will include a complete history of the Filipino veterans’ role in World War II, timelines, testimonies, personal stories, photographs, videos and other artifacts. “This American story of Filipino soldiers fighting under the U.S. flag in Bataan, Corregidor and other places, and helping liberate a U.S. sovereign territory only to be denied the benefits promised them, must be told widely and preserved for posterity for generations to come,” Taguba said. “It is a story we all should be proud of.” (Jon Melegrito)
US offers help in Marawi... PAGE A1
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affirmed our support for C/T & rehabilitation efforts in Marawi,” Kim said in a tweet. Also on Monday, Lorenzana announced the creation of an inter-agency task force for the “recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation” of Marawi City and other localities affected by the ongoing confrontation between the Islamic State-linked Maute group and the government forces. The inter-agency, also dubbed as the “Task Force Bangon Marawi,” was formed under Duterte’s Administrative Order No. 3. “So, we are now preparing the rehabilitation plan and we are now preparing the mechanism to go into the rehabilitation and recovery, as soon as the fighting stops in Marawi,” said Lorenzana, who is also the designated chairperson of the group. According to him, the rehabilitation funds will come from the P20-billion pesos earlier approved by Duterte. The amount, he said, still has the possibility to be augmented.
President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim at the Music Room of Malacañang Palace on Monday, July 3. Malacañang photo
Being the chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) at the same time, Lorenzana added that he would likewise tap the NDRRMC “as the vehicle to implement the rehabilitation” of the affected areas. “I’m going to use the NDRRMC as the vehicle to implement the rehabilitation of Marawi be-
cause we consider the events in Marawi as man-made disaster,” he explained. Lorenzana went on to say, “So the first thing that we would do after the fighting stops is to clear the areas of any left IEDs or any explosives. After which, we are going to allow the return of the civilians, of the residents of Marawi.”
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D ateline PhiliPPines DOJ, PNP to hold separate probe against
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alleged ‘resurgence of drug trade in Bilibid THE Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will facilitate separate investigations against the alleged “resurgence” of illegal drug trade at the national penitentiary. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre signed an order on Tuesday, July 4, authorizing the NBI to conduct an investigation and case build-up over the matter. On Monday, July 3, Aguirre admitted that he received reports regarding the resurgence of the trade. “I have received reports that there (was) some reactivation; we are doing something about this. We are going to end this resurgence, some sort of resurgence by some inmates. I talked to the Director General last Saturday, and we know what we are going to do,” Aguirre said. “We wanted to get to the bottom of the reported resurgence of the drug trade in the NBP. We acted after verifying raw information provided by concerned individuals. I have said it before
and i will say it again, we shall be relentless in fighting and eradicating the drug menace.” Aguirre said in a statement. PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa stressed his trust to the SAF men, however, he reiterated the need for an objective stance in view of the allegations. “Sana mali ang allegations (I hope the allegations are wrong), gentlemen. But then again, in order to be fair doon sa (to the) accuser at in order to be fair to the accused, you must conduct an in-depth investigation,” dela Rosa told reporters. “Klaruhin natin ito kung talagang totoo yan. Mahirap yun, masira ang institusyon natin. Bago man masira, kung talagang totoo, we have to weed out kung sino mang involved (Let’s clarify if that is true. That’s hard because it may defame our institution. Before it gets defamed, if really true, we have to weed out whoever is involved),” he added. As early as June, the NBI chief
admitted that there is a “creeping resurgence” of drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). That time, Aguirre announced his plan to remove the Special Action Force (SAF) troops deployed to guard inmates, including high profile ones and replace them with soldiers. Dela Rosa explained SAF troopers were first deployed at the NBP last year as part of an “internal cleansing,” following the confiscation of illegal drugs, cellphone signal boosters, and other paraphernalia. On December, a new set of SAF officers were deployed to prevent corruption. Considered as the police elite unit, the SAF is a special anticrime and anti-terrorism unit which could also be assigned other tasks. Aguirre said that the rate of resurgence is 5-10 percent, a sharp decrease from the 75 percent illegal drug trade during then Justice Secretary Leila De Lima’s leadership. (With reports from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress)
PH, EU reaffirm commitment to further strengthen cooperation THE Philippines and the European Union (EU) on Tuesday, July 4, reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation on a broad range of issues. This was after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly lambasted the EU following the bloc’s constant criticisms against some of his administration’s policies, particularly his controversial campaign against illegal drugs. Manila and the EU made the reaffirmation during the 9th PHEU senior officials meeting (SOM) earlier this week, which was cochaired by Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo and European External Action Service managing director for Asia and the Pacific Gunnar Wiegand. In a joint statement, both sides “noted the importance of constructive engagement and meaningful cooperation on issues of mutual interest.” “The meeting, conducted in an open and constructive manner, acknowledged the developments in PH-EU bilateral relations since the last SOM in June 2013 and reaffirmed their continued commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation on a broad range of issues,” the statement read. The two parties also said they “looked forward to the ratification and entry into force of the PH-EU Partnership and Coopera-
PH business sector satisfied with Duterte’s performance by Dana
SioSon AJPress
AS Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte marked his first year in office on Friday, June 30, both foreign and local business groups expressed general satisfaction in his administration’s performance. While admitting that there were indeed lapses on the part of the government, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George Barcelon said that businessmen remains confident in Duterte’s leadership. “There are detractors, but you can never say everything is perfect. There are shortcomings but overall the confidence of businessmen is there. It’s a good start. It’s a good foundation for the economy,” Barcelon told the Philippine Star. He lauded some of Duterte’s “game changer” policies, citing in particular his campaign against illegal drugs—which has been criticized by some over due to alleged summary execuPresident Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo attend the 70th anniversary of the Philippine tions—as well as his indepenAir Force at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Wednesday, July 5. The two exchanged handshakes. dent foreign policy, in which the Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales Philippine government starts to warm up with its non-traditional protecting the country and its ef- enhance the operation of the ex- allies, such as Russia and China. forts to stabilize the war-stricken isting assets. Pointing out that drug issues “We will continue the ongo- brings “lawlessness,” BarceMarawi City from the Islamic ing modernization program by lon said Duterte’s so-called war State-linked Maute Group. “We have also tapped PAF to procuring additional attack and against illegal drugs is “good” augment our internal security op- combat utility vehicles and un- in a sense that it helps in dealerations by providing air support manned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, ing with the country’s peace and to our ground forces and assisting to complement our already existour law enforcement agencies in ing air assets,” he added. The South Korea’s Korea the surveillance and intelligence gathering operations,” he added. Aerospace Industries (KAI) also Aside from terror threats, the presented the certificate of compresident also expressed his plete delivery of the 12 FA-50PH concerns on the the country’s ‘Fighting Eagle’ Fighter/Surface maritime security, exerting the Attack/Lead-in Fighter Trainer Philippines’ exclusive sovereign (F/SA/LIFT) aircraft. PAF Commanding General Lt. rights and territorial claims over Benham Rise and the West Phil- Gen. Edgar Fallorina, said the acquisition manifests the symbolic ippine Sea (South China Sea). “The Philippine Air Force plays return of the PAF to its supersona crucial role in preserving our ic age “which greatly bolstered national integrity in the face of PAF’s airstrike capability.” The president looks forward to challenges from within and from purchasing another 12 FA-50PH outside our borders.” “PAF’s intensified aerial recon- within his six-year term. Also present at the event were naissance missions and the maritime patrols [over] the West Phil- Executive Secretary Salvador Meippine Sea and the Benham Rise dialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin are testament to our dedication to Lorenzana, Armed Forces chief protect our waters from external Gen. Eduardo Año, Air Force threats, ” the president went on. chief Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina, As a manifestation of the pres- Armed Force chief chaplain Brig. ident’s vow to continue to mod- Gen. Tirso Dolina, and South ernize the Air Force, he further Korean Ambassador to the Philireiterated the need to procure pines Kim Jae-shin. (With reports advanced military apparatus to from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress)
Duterte, Robredo share brief encounter at PAF 70th anniversary THE top two officials of the Philippine government met for the first time in over three months, albeit for a very short time. President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo were seated together as guests during the 70th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF). The president acknowledged Robredo before he delivered his speech. “The Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, Ma’am, may I look at you for the third time?” the president told Robredo. The vice president just smiled in return. According to the vice president’s close aide, the two did not have a conversation and just shook hands. The two leaders had partisan clashes and opposing stance on issues which put their relationship on a sour note. Last March, Duterte invited Robredo and her family to a dinner but the president has not yet followed up on the invitation. The vice president has said she accepted the invitation for their dinner, saying she would like to take the opportunity to talk about her views on various issues affecting the country. Robredo resigned from Duterte’s cabinet last December after she was ordered to desist from attending meetings. She further stated in her resignation letter that remaining in the cabinet had become “untenable.” Air Force modernization Meanwhile, Duterte vowed to modernize the PAF, saying he will continue previous accomplishments to further improve the country’s aerial warfare service branch. “I assure you that we will build on our past gains to further strengthen the Philippine Air Force,” Duterte said his speech. The president emphasized the important role of the PAF in
In this file photo, top officials of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) marked the first trading day of 2017 with a special bell ringing ceremony at the Ayala and Tektite trading floors. Philstar.com photo
The Philippine Senate delegation meets with Mr. Jean- Jacques Hyest, a former senator and member of the French Constitutional Council. Senator Loren Legarda, President and Founding Member of the Philippines-France Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Association, said that they had an interesting discussion on the history and duties of the Constitutional Council and how laws are enacted in France. Senate photo
tion Agreement (PCA) which was signed in July 2012.” The agreement, they noted, “will serve as the framework for further enhancing bilateral relations.” They also recognized that trade and investment relationships between the EU and the Philippines have been “flourishing and continue to have strong potential to expand in the future.” The EU has been considered among Manila’s largest trading partners. Since the last SOM, both sides have been conducting negotiations for a Philippines-EU Free Trade Agreement. The EU also granted the Philippines dutyfree export under the Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP+) in 2014. During this year’s SOM, both parties also discussed terrorism and violent extremism, and how to
address such security issues. “The meeting reiterated its strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and all its forms and emphasized the need for strengthened Philippines-EU cooperation in this area,” they said. The EU, likewise, donated P49 million (850,000 euros) in humanitarian aid for the victims of the Marawi crisis. “This grant from the EU will support the delivery of immediate life-saving assistance to those most in need, and contribute to increased protection of populations affected by the conflict,” said Pedro-Luis Rojo, head of the East, South East Asia and Pacific Regional Office for the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). (Dana Sioson/AJPress)
order. “Basically that war on drugs is dealing with peace and order. We all know that this drugs issue brings a lot of these lawlessness so in a way, that is good. Even though there are a lot of background noises, the important thing is people feel safer now,” Barcelon explained. On the other hand, Barcelon said Duterte’s foreign policy “puts emphasis on elevating the local economy to new heights.” He also took note Duterte’s foreign visits that brought in significant number of investment pledges in our country, which he said are beneficial for the growth of the country’s economy. “In terms of his leadership, across the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries everybody looks up to him now. Although he had said something in the past which was not that good for the international scene, apparently the ASEAN countries still look up to him,” Barcelon further said. Likewise, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes commended the positive results brought by Duterte’s drug war and foreign policy. “There has been change and continuity, change in foreign policy and drug enforcement and continuity in most of the reforms of predecessor administrations,” Forbes said.
He also lauded the Philippine government’s comprehensive tax reform and ambitious Build Build Build infrastructure program. Forbes, however, noted that the heavy traffics in the National Capital Region, including the growing congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, are among the concerns that must be addressed. For his part, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Guenter Taus said the Duterte administration has done a “commendable job” in its first year. “We acknowledge the notable achievements of the current administration thus far. With this, it is fair to say that they have done a commendable job. With increased public and private sector cooperation, we believe even more can be achieved during President Duterte’s term,” Taus said. While admitting that there were indeed “shortcomings” on the part of the government, Taus maintained that the business sector remains bullish. “We remain positive, and see the weaknesses as things that the private sector can work on with the government. We can spend a lifetime speaking on any government’s shortcomings but we prefer to focus on what has been done successfully and what we can do to support actionable initiatives,” Taus said.
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Features
Champion in our hearts DESPITE his impressive display of explosive punches and dynamic movements, Manny Pacquiao still bowed down before a formidable opponent during the “Battle of Brisbane” on Sunday, July 2. In his latest conquest, Pacquiao surrendered his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title to Jeff Horn in front of more than 51,052 people at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. After 12 grueling rounds, Horn won via a unanimous decision against Pacquiao with scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113. The Australian fighter now holds a perfect record of 17 wins with 11 KOs. While many contest the judges’ decision, Pacquiao graciously accepted his defeat. “That’s the decision of the judges, I respect that,” Pacquiao said as he thanked his fans and countrymen. There have been rumors that Sunday’s fight was a litmus test for Pacquiao’s possible retirement. The Filipino champion hasn’t knocked out an opponent since 2009. After dropping his fourth loss in his last nine outings, Pacquiao is now at 56-7-2 with 38 KOs. This early, Pacquiao is looking into another showdown—to regain his WBO welterweight title—against Horn in November. “Rematch, that’s fine. Absolutely, I’d love that,” Pacquiao declared. Athletes do more than just to represent the flag where they come from. Their presence in any sporting event gives their countrymen hope, self-
respect, and to many—pride in who they are. In his entire career, Pacquiao gave his kababayanss something to watch and be passionate about. The whole world stood witness to Pacquiao’s rise to the top: from being the struggling 14-year-old boy who left his home in Mindanao to being the best fighter of his generation. His commitment to the sport and dedication to winning have catapulted him to be one of the most famous personalities in sports. His career so far, embodies the stuff legends are made of. And why not. After all, his achievements supersedes Pacquiao himself—winning eight championships in different weight divisions by beating boxing champions from around the world. All his hard work has manifested into millions of earnings, a successful showbiz career and a legislative post. His fame has catapulted him to become one of the most revered Filipino icons of all time. Pacquiao, whose career has been put into question after a series of losses, still managed to give his audience worldwide an impressive showing. That is the kind of champion that he is. When his back is against the wall and everyone is raising questions, he leaves a lasting performance that puts the record straight. Pacquiao’s reign as the king of the ring is far from over. (AJPress)
Editorial
The Fil-Am Perspective gel SAntoS-reloS HAPPY FOURTH of July! As we celebrate Independence Day in America this week, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll study reveals that a majority of Americans — 70 percent — say the level of civility in Washington has declined since Donald Trump was elected president. Perhaps you felt the same exasperating toxicity in the political discourse not only in Washington, but among citizens engaging in debates on various social media platform from both parties.
ManilaTimes.net photo
Poll: A vast majority of Americans say political civility has declined since Trump was elected president As far as I recall, this started even during the primary elections, with Donald Trump normalizing the use of personal attacks, insults, and lies to grab the attention of voters amid the noise of the campaigns. Now that Trump has been elected president — he is not disappointing his ardent fans. The candidate Donald Trump never changed, and has in fact intensified the toxic rhetoric as president, using the bully pulpit of the most powerful position in the world. Aside from name-calling and demonizing his political opponents, Trump has declared war
against the news media — particularly those who are critical of him and his policies, and his loyal fan base believes him when he brands even responsible media networks as “fake news.” This is Trump’s way of controlling the message, attitude and behavior of his base who seem to have been living in an alternate universe, with so much different view of reality compared to what most Americans experience to be true. Last weekend, Trump’s obsession was the use of Twitter to single out the hosts of Morning Joe, two of his most outspo-
continued criticizing Trump, and yes, the National Enquirer published their “story.” In a statement, MSNBC said, “It’s a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job.” Then on Sunday, July 2, Trump posted a short video on Twitter of an old video of him wrestling and punching a man, but this new video had the logo of CNN replacing the man’s head. Does Trump fantasize about violence against news media people/organization critical of
him? This sent a chilling effect on people in the media, with some concerned that such a suggestion from Trump may put the lives of news media people in danger. Is this Trump’s way of silencing dissent? Surely, political civility has declined in America since Trump became president. Many people are following his example. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
Unity and solidarity amid crisis
Living up to the American Dream, in California GROWING up, I remember celebrating Commentary the 4th of July with my family. My parents would tell my brother, sister and me about the importance of fighting ASSemblymember for justice for everyone rob bontA in our nation, no matter where they were born. We lived near the home of Cesar Chavez in La Paz, the headquarters for the United Farm Workers of America in the Central Valley. My parents worked alongside civil rights leaders like Chavez, Philip Vera Cruz, Pete Velasco, and Dolores Huerta, organizing Filipino and Mexican farmworkers in their struggle for fair treatment and better working conditions. Today, as a California State Legislator, I am working to ensure that our state continues to live up to the dreams and values of my parents which include Justice, Inclusion, Equity and Opportunity. I worked to improve health care for vulnerable Californians and establish equal protections for farmworkers. I introduced the TRUTH Act, signed into law last year, to protect immigrants and establish a transparent process, including community engagement, prior to local law enforcement participation in ICE deportation programs. I am working to reform our bail system so justice isn’t based on how much money you have, and to put an end to private companies making a profit from incarcerating Californians. Now more than ever, it is essential that immigrants have access to accurate information in their language and qualified legal services providers. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to fund the creation of regional
ken critics on the liberal cable news channel MSNBC. He not only labeled the news program as “fake news”, but also spewed personal attacks against the looks of Mika Brzezinski, as he did with other strong females he has insulted publicly. Joe Scarborough and Brzezinski responded in an Op-Ed, alleging that Trump’s son-inlaw, Jared Kushner, asked them to apologize to Trump for their reporting so the president will call his friend, the owner of the tabloid National Enquirer, to spike the juicy story about their relationship. The Morning Joe couple did not apologize and
and statewide resource centers for public defenders to gain immigration expertise, so that immigrants across the state have proper legal representation and can help to avoid unnecessary deportations. But there are also steps that immigrant families can take now to find out what their legal options are. In fact, some undocumented immigrants already qualify for some form of immigration relief and don’t know it. If you live or go to school in Oakland, you can access free or low-cost legal services through the Oakland Immigration Project. This trusted organization aims to help qualified Oakland immigrant families apply for immigration relief and work authorization to open the door to economic stability and success. Just like a visit to the doctor, families can get an immigration check-up to see what their options are. I encourage immigrants to take an important step to benefit their entire family: go to a reputable legal services provider to find out if you might qualify for some form of immigration relief, and make sure you have the information you need to secure your future at this critical time. Together, we will live up to the dream of all Americans who are fighting for the future of all of our families. *** Assemblymember Rob Bonta represents the 18th Assembly District, which includes Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro and is the Assistant Majority Leader and Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. To access free or low cost legal services in Oakland, go to: www.oaklandimmigrationproject. org.
SOME readers noted the “soft- With ness” of my last two columns Due which discoursed, Respect as objectively as possible, on the raging issue of Artemio V. PAngAnibAn martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, without blaming, faulting, or pointing a finger at anyone. Support for military. Specifically, though I opined on June 18 that martial law was validly declared and the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was validly suspended by the President at least in Marawi City, if not in the whole of Mindanao, I nonetheless thought that the petitioners, led by Rep. Edcel Lagman, did the nation a favor for giving the Supreme Court the precious opportunity to issue a “win-win decision” by laying down guidelines on how martial law may be proclaimed and implemented, and how the privilege may be suspended and implemented in parts of or in the entirety of the country in the future. And though I opined on June 25 that the Supreme Court could find the review of the declaration of martial law and suspension of the privilege undertaken by Congress via separate, not joint, sessions to be less than a faithful observance of the letter and spirit of the Constitution, I nonetheless wrote that the Court need not find fault with anyone (neither the leaders of Congress nor the petitioners represented by former solicitor general Florin Hilbay) and merely issue
guidelines on how Congress should pass upon such proclamations and suspensions prospectively as future guides. By so doing, I was hoping to avoid divisive bickering and to focus on how to support our military in its campaign to end the Marawi siege and on how to assist in the relief and rehabilitation of over 200,000 innocent victims of the armed conflict. I thought we should no longer fret over divisive legalisms but concentrate instead on how to help end what the CNN described as “the deadliest urban fighting in the Philippines” with (as of July 1) 422 people (militants, soldiers and civilians) that authorities reported as having been killed, the dislocation and separation of families, and the devastation of homes and livelihood in the conflict areas. Beyond politics and religion. Laudably, Vice President Leni Robredo, head of the Liberal Party, led the opposition in echoing the need for unity and solidarity during her visit last week to the Marawi evacuees at the Al Markhazie Islamic Institute in Lanao del Norte, unequivocally declaring: “More than at any other time in our country today, this is the time we need to show that we are one.” Significantly, she praised the military’s effort “to do everything to finish the problem against the Maute group.” Crossing religious lines, Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle meditated ear-
ly on: “We ask ourselves, ‘Why are humans capable of hurting other fellow human beings?’ We grieve for you, for all Filipinos, and for everyone in the world whose lives are destroyed because of violence.” Anxious for the safety of Fr. Teresito “Chito” Suganob (vicar general of the Marawi prelature) and about 200 other civilians who were kidnapped and held hostage by the rebels, Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, pleaded, “As the government forces ensure that the law is upheld, we beg of them to make the safety of the hostages a primordial consideration.” Muslim, Protestant, ecumenical and other religious groups aired similar calls. Rehabilitation and peace process. I hope the leaders of the legislature and local government units will follow suit and settle as quickly as possible the seething intramural in Ilocos Norte. Already, it has taken its toll on the work of Congress, the judiciary and the provincial board. While the siege of Marawi may be ended soon, there is still relief and rehabilitation to follow. Rebuilding homes, curing illnesses, reuniting families, healing psychological grief, and reeducating radicalized young people will overwhelm government and privatesector resources. Truly, unity and solidarity will be indispensable even after the shooting is over. They are also essential in the pursuit of a comprehensive peace process with the moderate Moro groups and with the National Democratic Front. (Inquirer.net)
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the asian journal entertainment magazine
june 30-july 6, 2017
Aladdin photos by Deen van Meer Other photos from the Instagram accounts of Adam (@adamjacobsnyc) and Arielle (@ariellejacobs).
may 30-june 5, 2014 www.asianjournal.com
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july 7-13, 2017
SIBLING REVELRY: How Adam and Arielle Jacobs achieved their Broadway dreams by MoMar
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G. Visaya/AJPress
In 2015, the stars aligned for Adam and Arielle Jacobs — he was playing the lead role in “Aladdin” and she was cast as nessarose on “Wicked” — and for the first time, both siblings were on big Broadway hits at the same time. Arielle made her Broadway debut as nina Rosario in “In The Heights” in 2010, opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda while Adam made his debut four years earlier as Marius in the 2006 revival of “Les Miserables.” The siblings’ journey to Broadway began when they both got their first taste of professional theatre and performed in one musical called “Honor Song for Crazy Horse” at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts in California, where they were cast as native Americans – Adam, then 14, was Little Hawk and Arielle was Blue Swan. It was Arielle who got into performing first, taking violin and dance lessons and studying ballet, tap and jazz, and eventually moving to singing. She influenced Adam and told him to try singing lessons because they were enjoyable. “Adam started piano when he was four, I wanted to be a pop singer like Mariah Carey or
Whitney Houston and so I started taking lessons and fell in love with it. I said to Adam — you should take lessons, too. It’s fun. So he did,” Arielle shared. The Jacobs family lived in Half Moon Bay, California until both kids were old enough to spread their wings. Both went to college in nYU, Adam finishing with a BFA in Theater at Tisch School of the Arts while Arielle graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and concentration on musical theater. After graduating from nYU, Adam worked the regional theaters, performed on cruise ships, and toured the country as Cinderella’s Prince before landing his first Equity (Actor’s Union) production as nanki-poo in Marriott Theater’s Hot Mikado. His star shone brighter when he was given the opportunity to play Marius in the national tour of “Les Miserables.” This job led to him being cast in the Broadway revival and his subsequent Broadway debut. Since “Les Miserables,” his journey brought him to the islands of “Mamma Mia!” and to the African pridelands of “The Lion King” where he was cast as Simba. He’s also gone from the
Adam Jacobs as Aladdin Photo by Deen van Meer
Arielle Jacobs as Nessarose on ‘Wicked’
tropics of “Once On This Island” to the Arabian city of Agrabah in “Aladdin.” Adam met his future wife Kelly while doing a Christmas show in Hershey, PA. She was a rag-doll/ballerina and he was a well-padded, white-bearded Santa Claus (with black eyebrows). Sparks flew, and led to them getting married, their union blessed with the arrival of their twin sons Jack and Alex in 2014. After college, Arielle on the other hand moved to Los Angeles and lived there for eight years, returning to new York in 2013 and eventually booking “Wicked,” which she did for a year. Last year, she was cast as Jasmine in the Australian production of “Aladdin.“ Asked if performing is in their genes, Arielle replied, “My mom’s parents have beautiful voices but they don’t sing professionally. My mom sings and plays piano; my dad’s mother was a cabaret singer in the 40s. She sang with the Tommy Dorsey Band when she was 15. She never had it as a career, really.” Both siblings were on major Broadway top-earners. Did they ever think it would happen? “no, never. I dreamed of it for myself, he might have. But it never really occurred to me that we would be on Broadway at the same time. I don’t know why, I just didn’t,” she said. Arielle then lavished her brother with praise. “I saw him in his high school performances in San Francisco and he was leagues beyond everyone else onstage and it was obvious that he had the potential and the talent to be on Broadway and I knew at the back of my brain that I was going to be on Broadway. But I never put it together,” she said laughing. Upside and downside In a previous interview with the Asian Journal, Adam mentioned about not going after shows that have already cast Arielle as the female romantic
lead. Arielle chipped in with her thoughts. “That happened to us! He did Zorro in Atlanta and I would have loved to play the Catherine Zeta Zones part, but he was already cast as Zorro. The casting director called my agent and said they would love to see me and my agent told the casting director, ‘You know that Adam and Arielle are brother and sister, right?’ and they said, ‘Ohhhh, yeah. That won’t work.’ So they just cancelled my audition,” she recalled. She also had an audition for Jasmine for “Aladdin,” and this was before they made the cast announcement because Arielle thought that at that time, they weren’t sure if he got the part. Outside the musical realm, Adam and Arielle worked together last year on a cabaret concert at 54 Below, calling the show Sibling Disobedience. They did a powerful combination of pop and musical theater, both their interests. “I was the one who wanted to perform. You know how it is. I would put on shows in my living room, Adam wouldn’t do it. When we went to family gatherings, my mom would always want us to sing songs for the family and I would love it. I would sing a lot, and my brother would begrudgingly sing one. He hated it. I was the one who craved for the audience,” Arielle said. Adam and Arielle’s mom Abby (short for Avelene) was 14 when her entire family moved to the United States, eventually spreading out across the country. She and her husband now live in new Jersey. Asked about the roles she wanted to do, Arielle rattled off her list. “I had dream roles. I wanted to be Maria in West Side Story, Kim in “Miss Saigon,” although maybe I am getting too old for both. I was obsessed with Sunset Boulevard, I used to listen to the soundtrack over and over. Maybe one day, when I’m 60,” she said.
Photos from the Instagram accounts of Adam (@adamjacobsnyc) and Arielle (@ ariellejacobs).
“I have my eye on Hamilton. I’d love to be in that. Or Aladdin. When my brother leaves,” she said back then, breaking into laughter. That was months before it was announced that Adam would be leaving the Broadway production to lead Aladdin’s national tour. Being bi-racial has been a little tricky for Arielle. “It’s a double-edged sword. It has definitely cost me some roles. If I didn’t have dark hair and dark skin, I would have been offered the part. Recently, there was a part I didn’t get because they wanted someone with red hair and blue eyes. I can play Hispanic or Middle Eastern or native American or Latina, it’s theater,” she said. Off-Broadway, she has starred in two world-premiere plays by Pulitzer-winning playwright and director nilo Cruz; entitled Sotto Voce (as Lucila Pulpo, a Colombian) and Farhad or the Secret of Being (as Farhad, a young Afghan girl who was raised
as a boy to avoid social exile but then reaches puberty and struggles with the limitations of becoming a woman in the Middle East.) Earlier in her career, she was also seen in the original national Touring companies of In The Heights (as nina) and Disney’s High School Musical (Gabriella), and in Dreamcatcher Theatre’s production of Into The Woods (as the Baker’s Wife), opposite Broadway legend Tituss Burgess as the Witch. These days, Adam is on the road leading the national touring production of Aladdin while Arielle is working on her debut album called “A Leap in the Dark”. The Jacobs siblings credit their Filipino mother and Jewish father not just for their mixed ethnicity, which has allowed both of them to play such varied roles so far, but more importantly for their whole-hearted encouragement to pursue a life in the arts.
Vogue: Liza Soberano, a style star to watch Claudia does not feel the pressure of being a Barretto By nathalie
robles
“Liza’s looks are always youthful, fresh, and with an understated elegance, to give OnE of the Philippines’ [her outfits] that unique quality most sought-after actresses Liza we always try to mix aesthetics.” Soberano gained yet another Tabora told Vogue. international recognition as she Tabora also revealed some was featured in the American of the 19-year-old celebrity’s fashion and lifestyle magazine website, Vogue on Friday, June 30. style favorites. The fashion pair The Filipino-American actress, collaboratively combines who will soon play the role of comic heroine Darna, was deemed Filipino labels and signature items from Gucci, Tom Ford, as a “style star to watch” in the Chanel and Dior. Despite Vogue article by Janelle Okwodu the actress’ fascination due to the thousands of likes she with the brand Dior, gets on every Instagram post. supporting local “Soberano sports a carefully designers particularly curated wardrobe that is a mix of Martin Bautista and tomboy and cool girl,” Okwodu Michael Cinco remains wrote. her priority. Okwodu also mentioned that With the anticipation Soberano, along with celebrity of “Darna,” directed by Erik stylist Perry Tabora, figured out Matti, to cross the television the concept of switching gears screens; fans could expect with fashion choices in order to more from Soberano’s chic make a vital sense of personal style in her promotional style. tours and fan meets. “She’ll move from ripped As of this posting, denim and ribbon chokers worn Soberano has a total of for a casual outing to princess5.9 million followers on worthy couture for major red Instagram alone. carpet events,” the article said. Other celebrities featured As Soberano’s profile rose, by Vogue were “It’s Showtime” Tabora was there to guide her host and actress Anne Curtis fashion sensibility, and over the past four years they’ve developed and South Korean star Sandara Park. a winning formula. AJPress
by Jan
Milo seVero Philstar.com
Viral 50 Chart on the first week of its release, while its music video garnered an astonishing 100,000 AnOTHER Barretto is on the rise in show business: this time, in views in just five days. Daughter of Marjorie, niece music. of Gretchen and Claudine and Claudia Barretto is now younger sibling of Julia, the the latest addition to Universal 17-year-old singer said she is not Records’ outstanding roster of recording artists as she debuts her feeling the pressure of having a talented clan. new single, “Stay.” “no naman! Even my siblings “Stay” reached as high as and mom they’re not like that number 4 on Spotify Philippines’ towards me. Like I don’t want to be as great as them. As long as I’m doing my best, for me it’s enough,” said Claudia. She chooses the song “Stay” because upon hearing it, she just know it is the song she wanted to record. “I just felt it is the right one. The song is about when you meet someone and you don’t know if he stays around, just like the song itself you ask him to stay.” Recently, in the talk show “Tonight with Boy Abunda,” Claudia revealed that she has a boyfriend named Basti Lorenzo and she has been posting photos of them on Instagram. Asked by the media what makes her “stay” with a person, Claudia Barretto is now the latest addition to Universal Records’ outstanding roster of recording Claudia said, “When you know the artists as she debuts her new single, “Stay.” Philstar.com photo by Jan Milo Severo person will make you better.”
Anthony Diaz V on making films 3 that people will remember A path to fortune: The Golden july 7-13, 2017
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Aside from bringing life to the main character, Diaz also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced IN today’s era of superhero the film. movies, Filipino-American director “This gave me a unique Anthony Diaz refuses to follow chance to develop interesting the trend and offers a compelling characters that I feel will resonate movie centered on religion. with the audience,” Diaz stated. Despite his failure to clinch an Ultimately after the audience award at last year’s Sundance Film watch the film, Diaz wants them Festival with his movie “Break,” to leave puzzled as they ask and Diaz sets aside his usual role as debate, “What would they do director to play the lead character if they were in those situations for his upcoming movie, “Way of themselves?” The Cross.” “our goal was to make a timely “Way of The Cross” is a film that will be remembered,” psychological thriller set in a small Diaz said. religious town in the Philippines. The screenplay had been It follows the life of rogelio father Antonio Diaz and Gorio rewritten a couple of times in ‘rogue’ Marquez (TBoy), a Las Vicuna, former animator at Marvel order to make the characters Vegas-based Fil-Am FBI agent, Studios and director of “When relatable to a wider scope of who stumbled upon a string of Nature Calls.” audience. murderous events in the town of “This was actually the first “We wanted the characters San Antonio during the Holy Week film in which I was directed by to be relatable to many different festivities. others, however I did assist in personality types with all the The movie, which will hit the directing of this film when character flaws that we all share as local and international theaters needed,” the multi-faceted Diaz human beings,” he added. in August, was directed by Diaz’s told the Asian Journal. Despite its central theme focused on religion, Diaz claimed that the movie is unique in many ways because the story crossed all borders and is not bound by a certain culture or country. “I hope the audience is speechless on the drive home. There are lots of twists and turns in the movie that gradually build to a crescendo that is quite memorable,” Diaz said. Although Diaz confirmed that the portrayal of religion will be controversial, he assured that the film did not intend to demote other people’s faiths. “The controversy of the film is in no way attacking the Catholic religion at all. It lies on how the characters react to strange situations that are occurring in their town that is very religious,” he added. “Way of The Cross” also stars Alvin Anson, rafael rosell, Daiana Menezes, roxanne Barcelo, Giovanni respall, Miguel Vasquez, oz rivera, Yussef Esteves, Danielle Chopin and Jordan Castillo. The audience can expect more from Diaz as he also has five scripts on queue for productions. His next film project is a one hour Despite its central theme focused on religion, Diaz claimed that “Way Of The Cross” is unique in many ways because its story crossed all borders and is not bound by a certain culture or short film based on the story of a country. Photos from the film’s official Facebook page retired gangster in Japan. By Larizza de AJPress
Vera
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they’ll receive a complimentary daily entry, as well. Each day, the top finisher automatically advances to the ruby Dragon Baccarat Tournament that will
be held october 6-8, offering a substantial prize pool of $250,000. Players of course, the fabled hospitality of The Venetian and The Palazzo is as much a part of the fun as the tournament proper. our spacious suites, roughly twice the size of the average Las Vegas hotel room, welcome each guest to a home away from home. Fine dining from chefs like Mario Batali and Lorena Garcia make every meal a symphony. And even the parking is complimentary, something to be appreciated on the Las Vegas Strip. Participation is open to all, so don’t miss your chance to take part in this one-of-a-kind event. (Advertising Supplement)
july 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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Aga Muhlach: ‘Lea Salonga is the one that got away’ A LEttEr professing Aga Muhlach’s love for former co-star and girlfriend Lea Salonga resurfaced and gained an overwhelming amount of appreciation on the Internet. Muhlach’s letter to Salonga, which was included in the “Playlist Souvenir Book: A celebration of Lea Salonga’s 35 years” published in 2013 for her 35th showbiz anniversary concert, received massive attention after @loudestdork tweeted an excerpt of the letter. Before Muhlach’s marriage to charlene Gonzales, the actor was last romantically linked with former Miss Universe Dayanara torres. But years after, he revealed his love for Salonga writing that, “Lea is the one that got away. And she never knew.” the actor, who said he was once a young man on fire with passion, admitted his never ending love and gratitude to Salonga, his former co-star in “Sana Maulit Muli” as Agnes and “Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal” as Sandy.
Aga Muhlach and Lea Salonga
“To me, Lea was Sandy— ethereal, aloof, unattainable; my very heart’s desire. Lea was Agnes — vulnerable yet remote, kind yet callous, constantly engaged in a battle of wills. And I loved Agnes and Sandy and Lea in equal measure,” Muhlach said. the actor also regarded his role with Salonga in “Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal” in 1992 as “the right movie with the right girl
Businessman asks Erich Gonzales on a ‘coffee date’ via billboard By Nathalie
A rEcEnt billboard in Morayta drew the attention of many and became this week’s ‘talk of the town’ when businessman christian “Xian” Gaza, supposedly the cEO and president of a certain Guanxigian group, asked actress Erich Gonzales for a “coffee date.” last Monday, June 3. “I can’t even espresso how much I like you a latte. Will you... drink coffee with me? Erika chryselle ‘ErIcH GOnZALES’ #coffeeWithErich #PleaseSayYesErich,” the sign said. Gaza posted a photo on Instagram with him looking at the said billboard wherein the caption said, “they say it’s first time in Philippine history. I say: Philstar.com photo that’s how special you are to me at the right time” that saved his @erichgg, will you drink coffee career which was at that time on with me?” the brink of failure. Since its appearance on “Lea, bakit labis kitang mahal? Instagram, the post garnered It’s because you are, and have more than 7,000 likes and has always been, so real. Walang been shared multiple times on kaplastikan, walang arte, walang different social media platforms. drama. Pinakita mo sa akin ang the actress, who is currently totoong pagkatao mo. You are the out of the country, told ABS-cBn real thing,” said Muhlach. writer and host Darla Sauler her He expressively described response to Gaza’s proposal via Continued on Page 6 text message. “Hi Darls!!! How are you? Hahaha!!! Ang cute ng effort ni Kuya. It’s fine. Let’s see when I get back. there’s nothing wrong naman if we talk over coffee, pero needs to face another set of dapat kasama ka. Hahaha!!! See treatments soon. In his previous interview with you soon Darls!” Gaza draws flak online Inquirer.net, Mortel said he would Although some saw Gaza’s work hard to provide for her effort as sweet, there also those medical needs. who criticized him. Many of “I’ll keep working extra hard those criticisms came from for us and we will get through people he allegedly scammed this” read in his post. the 24-year-old actor recently with his false promises, celebrityuser-friendly tendencies and starred in regal Entertainment’s pseudo-projects. “Mano Po 7: tsinoy” and is Dewanie catapang, a social currently a co-host on the ABScBn morning show “Umagang Kay media personality from Davao exposed Gaza’s scheme through a Ganda.” series of tweets with relevance to He is hopeful for his mother’s her personal experience with the recovery and has put faith in businessman. prayers as their family rally in this “Marami pa nabubulag journey together. sa mga paandar mo ha, (A lot “nothing is impossible with Jesus. I love you so much!” Mortel of people are blinded by your schemes) pero ako I know you and said. (With reports from Larizza de what you’re up to so please lang Vera/AJPress)
Marlo Mortel shares about mother’s fight against cancer
Marlo Mortel
EMPLOYMENT
“BE careful With My Heart” actor Marlo Mortel recently opened up about his mother’s courageous battle with cancer. He revealed that his mother, Merlie Pamintuan, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2014. She had undergone an open heart surgery to remove the huge cyst found inside her body. “We’re thankful that it was successfully removed but tests revealed that her cancer is now at Stage 4,” Mortel said in his moving post on Instagram. He posted a photo of him and his father at his mother’s bedside and captioned it with, “you are definitely a fighter mommy, and me & Daddy will fight with you all the way.” His mother is still recovering from her recent surgery but still
Robles
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COFFEE DATE? Erich Gonzales says she finds young businessman Xian Gaza’s billboard message cute. Photo from Erich Gonzales’ Instagram account
don’t me. Kakadiri ka! (You disgust me)” catapang said. ryan Salcedo tanada, a Doha-based realtor, also revealed his transactions with Gaza in a Facebook post showing screenshots of their conversations. “It’s not wrong to dream big and to want the best things in life as long as you’ll work for it in an honest way and wala kang nilolokong tao (you are not fooling anyone). Man, just stop this shit once and for all as more victims of yours are coming out.” tanada said in his post. In a report by PEP.ph, Jesica cruz, mother of dance icon and actress Ella cruz, stepped forward to share their experience when Gaza bought a Fortuner from her husband, who runs a buy-and-sell business for cars. Gaza had reportedly given them postdated checks, but repeatedly asked to hold the checks because he’d be paying in cash instead. “After new Year, nag-ask ulit kami kung may fund na yung check. Ginagawan daw niya ng paraan kasi he’s having financial problems, at andoon nga daw siya sa dad niya para umutang (After New Year, we asked if the check had funds. He said he was figuring it out because he was having financial problems and he was at his dad’s to borrow money),” cruz said. Gaza returned the Fortuner the next day. Gaza addresses his critics In a report by rappler, Gaza defended himself on catapang’s claim of a false project, he stood
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by his statement that the project was legitimate. “It didn’t pushed through because the funding that was promised to me ay hindi po dumating at napako (didn’t come),” Gaza explained. He said that he funneled P300,000 from his own funds towards the project, losing the amount when the project didn’t materialize. the 2,000 t-shirts that were produced for the charity were not sold, and instead distributed to different charities. “Wala akong kinita maski ni isang kusing (I did not earn a single cent) and even lost P300,000 on that project, plus the burden of paying P10,000 every month until now to the company I partnered with, to produced [sic] the 2000 Haiyan Shirts in Davao city,” he wrote. regarding tanada’s allegation, Gaza said that he received a P200,000 down payment from the former in november 2016, an amount which was then diverted to the operating expense backlogs of Gazera Media. “I was financially bleeding to Gazera Media/Filipino Vines for 8 months with no returns at all… I stopped shelling funds to the company to stop my bleeding dahil wala na ‘kong nakikitang kalalabasan na maganda (because I no longer saw a good outcome) on the aspect of profit generation,” he said, adding that he declared bankruptcy to De Vera in December 2016. On the other hand, Gaza confirmed the transaction with cruz’s husband, saying that they Continued on Page 7
Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond
An old tale on self-absorption “Vanity of vanities; ALL is vanity.” - From Ecclesiastes
Monette AdevA MAglAyA WE now live in an age of extreme self-absorption. Many already believe they have become legends in their own minds. They believe the world revolves around them and that their personal happiness is paramount. Following the lead of celebrities in the sports and entertainment world, we are being led by the media to believe that life is all about I, Me and Myself at center stage. The songs and stories in popular media all amplify and sell the story of selflove as the highest form of love. We have all the electronic tools for self-absorption at hand: camera phones, computers, tablets, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media and the unceasing, unrelenting advertising messages that prick our vanity. We have become the stars in our own firmament.
It’s not a new phenomenon though. Advanced, wealthy civilizations in history have fallen for the same trap. Maybe it’s time to dredge out those stories from mythology, told and retold from the distant past so we can better understand how to deal with this disconcerting trend and see how too much self-absorption eventually lead to despondency and unhappiness. The antidote to self-absorption, like for many ills that plague our world today, is still the same as it was in the past — love and concern for others, interest in the well-being of someone or being involved in something bigger, higher, loftier than one’s self. The idea of sacrifice still remains the most concrete, visible form of love for another. In the end, happiness finally comes with the humble awareness and quiet appreciation of what
was, what is and what is yet to come — right now, right here where we live our days and nights. Long ago when enchanted creatures peopled the earth, there was a nymph called Echo. She probably rated a nine and a half on a 10 point-attractiveness scale, gorgeous, knowledgeable and perfect in every way except for one thing — she was a chatterbox nonpareil. She liked to hear herself talk far too much and perhaps, with a tinge of hubris, would insist on having the last word in every conversation. Juno, the queen of the Gods, was so irked by Echo’s habit that she meted out a punishment just for her. Echo will no longer be able to talk, except for one tiny concession — she will be able to say only the last word. In the same forest where the Continued on Page 6
july 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS
Many patients with coronary heart disease have no chest pains or other symptoms indicative of ischemia (diminished blood flow and oxygen to the coronary arteries that supply the muscles of the heart). as such, this silent (asymptomatic) type of ischemia is treacherous and increases the risk of sudden and unexpected death and other cardiac events. Symptoms, in any illness, are the body’s defense alert system, a good warning sign that allows the affected individual time to do something pre-emptive to protect itself and prevent serious complications, like in seeking prompt medical help. Silent ischemia could strike an individual surreptitiously, causing heart attack or even cardiac arrest. These are the sudden deaths we all hear about every now and then, where the victims do not even know or realize the dangerous situation they are in. The mechanism The muscles of the heart require oxygen and nutrition to function properly. These vital ingredients are in the blood which is supplied to these structures by the coronary arteries. If the blood supply is diminished because the coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked by arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries that reduces the luminal diameter of these arteries), the muscles are deprived of vital oxygen and nutrition. as a result, theoretically, angina pectoris (heart pains) ensues. But a significant number of heart patients, even with their coronary arteries narrowed, some of them blocked severely, somehow do not develop chest pains. These are the asymptomatic or silent ischemia patients who could be a walking time bomb. Why “silent”? When there is myocardial 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION. Fr. Geoffrey Fontelera Baraan, parish priest and pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Pinole, recently ischemia, it is logically expected celebrated the 20th anniversary of his ordination. The celebration was attended by about 900 friends and family from all over the U.S., including from Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Bakersfield and Las Vegas. Reception and entertainment was held the school gym. Shown in that the individual will have chest pains, much like lack of blood to photos with with Fr. Baraan is his mother, Imelda.
5
Silent heart attack the leg will cause “Charlie Horse”type pains, medically termed claudication (pain and spasm of leg muscles) and even gangrene. The explanation for silent ischemia of the heart muscles (asymptomatic patients) is not fully understood. Some of the theories include: the patient may have a high threshold for pains; the size of the affected muscles in the heart may be small; there may be some collateral circulation to the ischemic area; the ischemia may be of short duration; some persons may have self-denial; the person may have a defective “warning system,” related to some past brain injury, past heart attack (known or unknown), diabetes, past heart bypass or transplantation. Etiology The etiology or cause of narrowing of the arteries is multifactorial. While heredity plays a role in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis, lifestyle appears to be the major culprit. This includes a high-cholesterol, high-fat, highcarbohydrate, low-fiber diet of red meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, potato, rice, pasta, cakes, and sweets, instead of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains. The other important factors are smoking, the lack of daily regimented physical exercises, excess body mass index (weight), and poor stress management. alcohol abuse, inadequate treatment of existing or undiagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes mellitus are aggravating conditions that hasten the buildup of cholesterol plaques in the inner walls of the arteries that lead to blockages and resultant ischemia. The minimum test Obviously, the early detection of myocardial ischemia, especially among those asymptomatic (silent) cases, is essential. This can prevent sudden cardiac death. Since many of these persons have no indication whatsoever about the state of their coronary arteries and they all may be feeling “100 percent healthy,” the only prudent strategy is to do prophylactic (preventive) investigation. Based
on medical statistics, the minimum test recommended is a stress electrocardiogram (Stress EKG) for those with chest pains or other symptoms suspicious of coronary heart disease. Those with a strong family history of coronary heart disease or heart attack and/or hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, regardless of age, should also have Stress EKG every 2 to 5 years, depending on the severity of their hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes or hyperthyroidism. For those with none of these illnesses and with no familial history of coronary heart disease, Stress EKG is nonetheless advisable when they are 45 and older, especially for those who smoke, and a mandatory test for pilots and some giant corporate executives. There are other more sophisticated tests available. The supreme court of heart tests To arrive at the final confirmatory diagnosis, a cardiac cath is performed. This is the “court of last resort,” the “supreme court” of heart tests, that will tell us, once and for all, with 100% accuracy, if there are stenoses (blockages) in the coronary arteries or not, how powerful or weak the ventricular contraction is, the integrity of the heart muscles, in segments and as a whole, and if there are any other cardiac abnormalities present, like heart valve disease, etc. If there are coronary artery stenoses present, this angiogram, which is recorded in a video film (movie of the heart in action), will also show which arteries are blocked, how many percent obstruction there is (are) and the exact location of the blockage(s). The findings will also help the cardiologist and the cardiac surgeon make a final decision if heart surgery is needed or not, and if it is, what procedure to do, which arteries to bypass, blocked arteries) will be, the percentage of risk of the surgery, and the prognosis. Clinical highlights Various investigative studies have been done to address this particular issue on silent ischemia, Continued on Page 6
july 7-13, 2017 www.asianjournal.com
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TOYCON 2017 + Poplife FanXperience celebrate 16 years
Travelers say EVA’s business amenities best, cabins cleanest SKYTRAX reveals World Airline Award winners at Paris Air Show
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – EVA Air is continuing its winning ways AJPress by taking the top spot in two categories of SKYTRAX’s annual POP culture fans’ much World Airline Awards, Best Airline awaited convention of the year Cabin Cleanliness and Best kicks off as ToyCon 2017 partners Business Class Comfort Amenities. for the second time with Pop! SKYTRAX also confirmed that Life entertainment at the SMX EVA is upholding its commitment Convention Center in Pasay City to quality service as one of only on June 30-July 2, 2017. nine 5-Star Airlines worldwide As an annual fan and ranks among the World’s Top entertainment who aims to 10 Airlines of 2017. SKYTRAX promote interest in collectibles revealed its World Airline Awards and boost pop culture in the 2017 at the Paris Airshow on Philippines, The Asian Comics, Tuesday, 20 June, 2017. The Toys and Hobbies Collective Inc. awards were determined through celebrates this year’s sixteenth Liza Soberano analyses of an extensive global Toycon culmination as one of passenger satisfaction survey that the grandest celebrations with featured 320 airlines in the final FanXperience which is a scion to results. Travelers can learn more the Salt Lake City Comic Con, the about EVA’s exceptional services third largest comics convention in and book tickets at www.evaair. the United States. com. Toycon is famous for cosplays, “No airline can overlook the gathering its fans and collectors importance of inflight cabin to showcase their toy and action cleanliness and the impact figure collectibles, and even this has on the customer travel featuring the biggest local and experience. It is great testimony international celebrities from of EVA Air’s inflight cleanliness different medias like movies, Karen Fukuhara and Lindsay Mckeon and cabin maintenance checks Photos from ToyCon 2017’s official Facebook page animes, television, music, gaming and comics where the massive Philippines’ most iconic superhero, that this is second time in 3-years Carribean, Lindsay Mckeon from that the airline has been voted by entertainment and gaming brands Supernatural, Charlie Bewley from is among the international passengers as the World’s Cleanest are also being exhibited. personalities who are present at Twilight, Suicide Squad’s Karen Airline,” said Edward Plaisted, This year’s star-studded guest Fukuhara and such. The event the ceremony. SKYTRAX CEO. list who are in town to grace the “It’s so fun seeing the is also a perfect opportunity for EVA also ranks second for ribbon cutting ceremony on July characters I grew up watching, I’m local stars to show appreciation World’s Best Airport Services 1 includes those from famous very happy to be here meeting for fans of the country’s most and third for World’s Best Cabin movies like Filipino-American people who keep the comic followed shows like Encantadia Staff. SKYTRAX began rating actress, Carla Perez who starred industry alive and I’m very happy in 2016. This year, Liza Soberano in Power Rangers, Kevin McNally to be in this event kasi dito naman EVA in 2008 and the airline has who emerged as star cinema’s steadily updated, upgraded and who played Gibbs in Pirates of the pick to play the role of Darna-- the talaga nag-umpisa si Darna (this improved service and products is where Darna started)” said from check-in through the Soberano in an interview with onboard experience and baggage Push.com. claim. For example, EVA installed Thousands of festive fans easy-to-read electronic maps in unite as licensed properties airport and introduced turn-down like Marvel, Star Wars, Game service for Royal Laurel Class of thrones, DC, Walking Dead passengers on long-haul flights and the likes are showcased, as well as the highlighting of the biggest gaming brands like DOTA, Capcom, Namco and such. Established in 2002, The Asian Comics, Toys, and Collective Inc. has grown from maintaining a network of collectors to advance the collecting hobby into being recognized by the international industry of toys, comics, movies, and anime. by IrIs
VIcente
aboard Boeing 777-300ERs. EVA takes care of details and, thanks to extraordinary staff efforts, offers unsurpassed onboard hospitality. The review and ranking organization awarded EVA 5-Star Airline ranking for the first time in 2016. “When we received the 5Star Award last year, we made a commitment that EVA will not stop improving and innovating and will continue to uphold this honor. This year, SKYTRAX again awarded us 5-stars. This demonstrates the consistency of our top-notch service, “said EVA President Derek Chen. “I’m grateful to our EVA staff. Thank you for always doing your best to serve every customer. It is a great honor to receive support and recognition from passengers around the globe. EVA will never lose sight of our goal to be the very best. We hope every journey with EVA is one of pure relaxation and delight for every passenger.” EVA’s emphasis on comfort and quality service doesn’t stop at the top cabin door. Passengers in every seat get benefits of the airline’s trademark warm, friendly service. Clean cabins are part of that service. From take-off to landing, flight attendants keep shared spaces neat and tidy and
lavatories restocked. Reflecting its recognition for Best Business Class Comfort Amenities, EVA has especially high standards for Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 777-300ERs it flies to and from North America and on other long-haul routes. Royal Laurel Class passengers travel in luxurious comfort with awardwinning wines, cozy pajamas, lie-flat seats, Rimowa amenity kits and more. SKYTRAX conducted its survey in English, Spanish and Chinese among 19.87 million eligible respondents between August 2016 and May 2017. The global ratings organization describes the survey as “independent, impartial and global” and its awards program is not-for-profit. EVA is frequently honored, awarded and recognized by organizations worldwide. TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, honored EVA Air with two distinctions, “Top 10 Major Airline in Asia Pacific” and “Best Airline – Taiwan.” SKYTRAX, Travel + Leisure and AirlineRatings. com have ranked it among the world’s Top-10 Best International Airlines multiple times. SKYTRAX also scored EVA as the Best Airline Transpacific and, based on traveler feedback, as the world’s third Most Loved Airline. AirlineRatings counted EVA Air’s Economy Class and Elite premium economy both among the top-10 best-of-the-best worldwide for 2017. EVA’s Elite Class, introduced in 1992 as one of the world’s very first premium economy cabins, was Best or Second-Best Premium Economy Class in SKYTRAX’s annual poll three years in a row. And Business Traveller Magazine awarded EVA two Gold Medals in its annual Cellars in the Sky competition, one for Best Business Class Cellar and the other for Best Business Class Sparkling Wine. (Advertising Supplement)
Aga Muhlach: ‘Lea Salonga is the... From Page 4 former Salonga’s voice as “transcendent, resplendent, indisputable, incomparable.” “Her voice is as clear as a bell, as breathtaking as the sunshine,” Muhlach added. Their love and respect for each other remained even
though their onscreen love story did not happen in real life. “I love her still, but perhaps because she got away, I have her as a friend now, and so I will always have her,” Muhlach said. Both of them are now happy with their separate lives. Salonga
is married to Robert Charles Chien and has a daughter, Nicole Beverly. Muhlach, on the other hand, has been married to Gonzales, and they have their twins — Atasha and Andres. (With reports from Larizza de Vera/AJPress)
An old tale on self... From Page 5 nymphs lived, there was a young man named Narcissus who was so classically handsome and perfectly proportioned that all the nymphs oohed and ahhed and fell in love with him at first sight. Picture Michelangelo’s marble sculpture of “David” in flesh and blood or a composite between diCaprio and Brad Pitt. If he were real person today, he would have made the cover of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man of the Year.” His fans became legion that all that adulation got into his head. He became extremely vain. No nymph was good enough for him.
One day, Echo espied Narcissus while he was hunting with his peers and fell like a ton of bricks in love with him. She longed to tell him of her feelings, but in her afflicted state, she became painfully shy and simply contented herself silently watching him from a distance, shadowing Narcissus’ every move. Narcissus, however, became aware of her shadowy presence and talked her out of her hiding place. Echo could only repeat the last words of what Narcissus was saying in their conversation so she may have came out sounding like a mindless idiot, vexing Narcissus. Besotted with love for the
hunk however and believing Narcissus’ plea that she come out so they can be joined together, she finally overcame her crippling shyness and revealed herself. However, Narcissus felt she wasn’t good enough for him and scorned her for her bold presumptuousness and repudiated her total being. He sent her away devastating Echo in the most cutting words, slashing and burning her very existence, swearing he would rather die than be with Echo. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com
Silent heart attack From Page 5 its diagnosis and treatment. To of these trials are the ACIP (Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot) and the ASIST (Atenolol Silent Ischemia Study). The findings are as follows: (1) Silent cardiac ischemia could lead to sudden cardiac death; (2) In the ACIP trial, it has been shown that revascularization, using coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery provided more effective relief of the ischemia than medical (pill) therapy alone; (3) In the ASIST study, those treated with Atenolol showed great reduction of ischemia and the risk of future
events compared to those who were given placebo (“sugar” pills, in the controlled group); (4) the prevalence and risk of cardiac events have been much less where ischemia has been treated with revascularization; (5) that risk factor modification (lifestyle and behavioral changes: cessation of smoking, abstinence from red meat and eggs, a diet of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, daily exercises), together with aggressive treatment as in numbers 2 and 3 above, reduces or eliminates myocardial ischemia, left ventricular dysfunction, and the incidence of sudden cardiac
death. It is obvious that a preemptive strike, a prophylactic strategy, on everyone’s part is the only way to beat sudden cardiac death. *** 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
7
Calendar of Events across America Pia Wurtzbach to star in a superhero movie july 7-13, 2017
www.asianjournal.com
by
Larizza de Vera AJPress
MISS Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach will star in a superhero movie directed by the multiawarded Joyce E. Bernal. “The Revengers” cast and crew recently a story conference at the Manila Hotel last Thursday, June 29. “As of now, we’re still working on the details of the characters but definitely it’s a superhero movie,” Pia told ABSCBN. The former Miss Universe will debut her return to acting with comedian Vice Ganda and “La Luna Sangre” star Daniel Padilla for Star Cinema film. “I’m so excited about that. This is going to be the first time I’m acting in a movie after many years but Vice assured me that he will take care of me and guide me so I think I’m in safe hands,” the beauty queen said. Pia started as one of the
PIa Wurtzbach
talents of Star Magic and cast members of the teen-oriented program “K2BU” in 2002. She starred in films like “Kung Ako
na Lang Sana (2003)”, “All My Life (2004)” and “All About Love (2006).” She worked with the big names in the industry like Aga Muhlach, Kristine Hermosa, Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz, etc. Wurtzbach was one of the recurring judges in “Asia’s Next Top Model” cycle 5 in which FilipinaGerman Maureen Wroblewitz took home the crown. One of her most recent projects is in “Maalala Mo Kaya” wherein the episode showcased the hardship she went through before she won the title of Miss Universe 2015. Her new film, “The Revengers” is one of the entries for the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. The stakes and expectations from the fans are high because Bernal held the Best Director title for the Metro Manila Film Festival in 2013 and also directed the highest grossing film in the Philippines ‘The Super Parental Guardians.’
Tom Rodriguez, Carla Abella spend quality time in Europe CARLA Abellana recently celebrated her 31st birthday in Europe with beau Tom Rodriguez. The couple arrived in the country in time for the pilot episode of their romantic-comedy drama “I Heart Davao” which premiered last June 26. “Gusto sana namin [makanood] kaso nasa biyahe pa kami nun, pero we are very happy to see the reaction ng mga tao” Rodriguez told GMA News. Rodriguez expressed his joy after spending some quality time with his leading lady. “Enjoy [kami]. Mas mainit pa pala dun kaysa dito [sa Manila] ngayon. Mali ‘yung dala kong damit,” he happily said. Coincidentally, the couple also saw Director Jun Lana, whom they used to worked with in the film
“So It’s You.” “It was a lot of fun, really enjoyed it. Ang weird na nasakto namin si Direk Jun Lana sa Amsterdam, who’s one of our favorite directors who directed our film So It’s You,’ Rodriguez said. Despite their refusal to put label on their relationship, Rodriguez had admitted to GMA News last year that marriage is not far from table. “That’s definitely a part of my plan. It’s what I want. If I didn’t have to work for survival, kahit ngayon na. Pero siyempre, the reality is hindi kayang lahat ay instant. Marami pang kailangang asikasuhin bago mo maisip ang sarili mong kapakanan,” the actor said. He added that both of them are on the same page when it
Carla Abellana and Tom Rodriguez
comes to settling down. “It seems like we’re both ready,” Rodriguez admitted. (With reports from Larizza de Vera/ AJPress)
Isabelle Daza shares regimen for a healthier lifestyle by iza igLesias ManilaTimes.net
WORKOUTS may be fun for a lot of people especially fitness buffs, but for those who find exercise an obligation rather than a hobby, they can easily get bored over a single routine. This is the reason why a new gym member may start off coming in regularly, only to disappear in a few weeks’ time and never to return at all. If only there were a “refresh” button for an exercise regimen. This in mind, actress, model and fitness enthusiast Isabelle Daza was inspired to bring into the Philippines alternative to gym routines via indoor spinning or cycling. With several partners, she runs—and even teaches class—at Ride Revolution indoor spinning studio. Welcoming The Manila Times along with a few other publications to her business endeavor, Daza said that the workout is specifically designed to strengthen the body’s core, tone muscles and burn maximum calories. “I put up Ride Revolution because I love to advocate wellness, health and fitness. I noticed in the last few years that more and more people are trying to get into this lifestyle but the challenge was how to keep them interested in exercise. I wanted to bring something different to Manila, something people will enjoy and appreciate. Ride Revolution is a great compliment to other workouts and it’s definitely far from boring,” Daza related as she hosted the G Active Studio hybrid workout demonstration in her Makati City location. She further shared how every class is set to a specific and personalized playlist created by the instructor. Upbeat music—
J u LY 7
Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers in concert in Las Vegas Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) will hold a concert at the Flamingo Theatre of the Clark County Library at 7 p.m., with touring guest Annie Nepomuceno and special guest tenor Edward Granadosin. Front acts are Michael Perez and Esmeralda Padilla. Please call Dr. Mike Santa Juana at (516) 669-5834, Art Jerus (702) 738-8029 or Randolph Umali (702) 985-5724 for inquiries.
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United Batanguenos of Southern California Induction in Los Angeles The United Batanguenos of Southern California will hold its induction of officers on Saturday, July 8 at Casa Italiana in Los Angeles. Millie Moncada will be inducted as new governor. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions please call Millie at (818) 322-9429; Cely Anuran (805) 630-3377 or Willie Manacsa at (818) 400-7391. Casa Italiana is located at 1051 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
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11th Ambassadors’ Tour to Manila & Davao The 11th Ambassadors’ Tour will take place in the Philippines from July 11 to 16. Led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism’s Tourism Promotions Board and Rajah Tours, the itinerary for the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour combines the best of Metropolitan Manila up North and the sprawling city of Davao in the South into one adventure-packed and enriching vacation experience. The four-day stay in Davao, the King City of the South and current seat of power in the Philippines, is a special highlight of this year’s event. Participants in this year’s tour will be presented with an opportunity to experience Davao up-close. It is a chance for the participants to revel in Davao’s picturesque landscapes through its nature parks, agricultural farms, and resorts, experience the diversity of its people through a series of courtesy calls with Philippine government officials, and feel the harmony of its culture through its heritage and cultural museums. Tailor-fit to tell the narrative of a new, safer, more beautiful Philippines, the tour will provide its participants with enough experience to engage their respective communities and leverage goodwill towards Filipinos and generate interest in the Philippines. Delegates who will be part of the program become “Filipino ambassadors” in their own right, carrying a fresh perspective and the message of a new and improved Philippines when they go back to the United States. As “Filipino Ambassadors,” this year’s delegates will be well-capable of showcasing the strides made in tourism, economic development, and public safety in the Philippines to the larger international community. For more information and to register, please visit http://www. acgtdt.com.
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Money Smart for Small Business in El Monte, CA Come to an introductory two-day business course designed for newer business owners, self-employed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Course topics include: startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, time & financial management, selling & succession planning, banking services for small businesses, recordkeeping, and tax & business planning. The curriculum is developed jointly by the FDIC and the SBA. It will be held on Saturday, July 15 and July 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cathay Bank (9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731). The fee is $20 payable to Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP). Breakfast, lunch and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank. There will be limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at (213) 373-1605 or cseto@ltsc.org. Participants will be eligible for free business counseling by API SBP.
J u LY 2 0
LEAP’s 35th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles
With indoor cycling, the actress-model says people can have fun while working out.
plus the flattering lights —moves one along the 50-minute journey, helping to push the body and metabolism to its peak. “The aim is simple—to allow people to lose themselves, let go and have fun while working out,” Daza added. Since its opening, the teleserye actress’ new enclave has already garnered a following from celebrities like Solenn Heussaff, Anne Curtis, Denise Laurel, Iza Calzado, and Raymond Gutierrez. Gutierrez—who is also one of the endorsers of G Active—has been the talk of the town for his inspiring weight loss journey toward a healthier body. “There are a lot of different exercises that I tried but I think what’s most important is finding something enjoyable. My first ever
work is indoor cycling,” he shared. Explaining why he enjoys it, the popular event host said, “I own night clubs and when you’re in Ride Revolution you feel you’re in a night club but you’re actually working out. It’s because of the music, the lights, the energy and doing it with friends that is fun for me.” Proud of her good friend, Daza used Gutierrez as the perfect example of someone who creatively chose his exercise activities in order to stay on the course. Her best advice in keeping fit, healthy—and yes, beautiful— is, “Keep routines simple and mix them up.” When it comes to inspiration, she reminded, “We only have one body and one life. So, if you don’t take care of yourself nobody else will.”
Businessman asks Erich Gonzales on a...
From Page 4 agreed on a price of P650,000, to be paid in two installments. Gaza claimed that he pressured himself to take the deal to impress the Cruz family, despite not having an immediate need for the vehicle. He said that he decided to
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
back out of the deal when he learned that the unit was valued at a lower price than he agreed to pay. Amid all the flak he received, he stood by his initial interest of getting that coffee date. “Ang tanging hangad ko lang
po ay kape with Erich with no hidden personal agenda at all (all I want is coffee with Erich)… I just wanna show her how much I like her and using this billboard effort to possibly create an initial friendship with her over coffee,” he said.
Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) is proud to celebrate 35 years of ”Growing Leaders” on Thursday, July 20 and the leadership of individuals that exemplify LEAP’s mission to achieve full participation and equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy. Proceeds from the event will be used to develop LEAP’s innovative leadership programs, cutting-edge public policy research, and nationwide community building. This year’s 35th Anniversary Celebration will be like no other gala that LEAP has had in the past. LEAP’s 35th Anniversary Celebration will be an eventful evening that will be both interactive and experiential. With an abundance of food and friends, LEAP will celebrate those who have shaped the organization, those who have been impacted by the organization, and those who continue to grow as Asian and Pacific Islander leaders and dream big. Honores for the individual leadership award include Fatima Bustos-Choy, Phd, founder of Gaia Flow Consulting and CEO And owner of Body & Brain Holistic Wellness Center; Kenneth Kasamatsu, advisor to the CEO, E-Central Credit Union / The Pacific Bridge Companies, and founder of Pacific Commerce Bank ; Geri Mannion, program director, U.S. Democracy and Special Opportunities Fund at Carnegie Corporation of New York; and Paul Ong, director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at UCLA. The David R. Barclay Alumni Leadership Award will be presented to Scott Chan, program director for the Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement and Patricia A. Neilson, director of Asian American Student Success at University of Massachusetts Boston. The VIP & general reception will begin at 5 p.m., while the program is from 7 to 10 p.m. It will be held at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (244 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012). Attire is business. To RSVP, visit www.leap.org/celebration_tickets. For more information about registration, contact Mayta Lor at (213) 485-1422 x 4105 or mlor@leap.org.
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Filipino Caucus Family Retreat in Lake Hughes, CA The Filipino Caucus of the California Pacific Annual Conference (CALPAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) is inviting its members to a family retreat to be held from July 21 to 23. The venue will be the scenic Oak Camps and Conference Center (18651 Pine Canyon Road, Lake Hughes, California). The Rev. Dr. Bener Agtarap, Associate General Secretary of the UMC Board of Discipleship Ministry will be the resource person and guest speaker during the three- day gathering to be marked with group discussions and fellowship. “Rekindling the Flame” will be the theme of this retreat. According to Rev. Nelson Castorillo, the Filipino Caucus president, the goal of the retreat is re-igniting and rekindling the symbolic flame representing the spirit and unity of this growing group of Filipino-American Methodists and hoping this type of gathering will reenergize and revitalize the Church. The Rosewood UMC, headed by Ding Lapus, is coordinating the event. He is assisted by Noribel Taguba, Vicky Ignacio, Dennis Mañacop, Auring Garcia, John Umaguing, Revs. Manny Predas and Lisa Santiago. Food and lodging for three days is $148 and $103 for children 7-12 years old. Check is payable to the Filipino Caucus, PO Box 10435, Glendale, CA 91209. For more information please call Rev. Nelson (909) 538-7606 or email at nelsonpreacher@gmail.com.
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The Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa County, Inc. hosts annual picnic in Hercules, CA The Filipino-Americans of Contra Costa County, Inc. (FACCC, Inc.) invites you to its annual potluck picnic on Saturday, July 29 at Foxboro Park in Hercules, CA. It will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your favorite dish to share. FACCC, Inc. will provide barbecued beef, chicken, hot dogs and water. For any inquiries, call Chairperson Roy de Leon at (510) 5655465 or Vice Chair Joe Medrano at (510) 417-0585.
If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com
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$
APPLIANCES
L A S
99999
$
LM NWC 20220
FURNITURE
Features recliners with console, 6PC sectiOnal armless chair, armless recliner, and wedge
LM UNT 2057
3PC RECLINING LIVINGROOM SET
Includes dual reclining sofa, and dual reclining loveseat
699
$
99
HIGHLIGHT 10" GEL MEMORY FOAM QUEEN MATTRESS
STAY FRESH AND COOL!
RECLINER
LM KMX YT026
DANIELS SLEEP
+FREE
COME GET YOUR AIR CONDITIONER NOW!
SAVE $300
69999
$
*Adjustable Friendly *Available in Cal King
SAVE $300
79999
$
4.5 Cu Ft. WASHER GRAPHITE STEEL
PRICES STARTING AT
7.4 Cu Ft. GAS DRYER GRAPHITE STEEL
PEDESTALS SOLD SEPARATELY
12999
$
PEDESTALS SOLD SEPARATELY
59999
$
MATTRESS ONLY SET PRICE
69999
#WM3670HVA
MTDMMHIG10QM
$
LWLGE3670HVA LWLGEGX3371V
15” LUXURY EURO TOP
#DLGX3371V
QUEEN MATTRESS MATTRESS ONLY
*Adjustable Friendly
MTDMMBILETQM SERTA
BALANCED SUPPORT FOAM
799
$
99
• Gently conforms to your body for a personalized fit by using our exclusive, individually-wrapped coil spring system. • Maintains a cool, balanced temperature throughout the night, allowing muscles to breathe and heal.
*Adjustable Friendly *Available in Cal King
QUEEN MATTRESS
999
$
99
• Helps comfortably cool & support every curve of your body • Absorbs & dissipates excess heat
6
BUY
SAVE $800
99999
$
24.4 cu. ft. STAINLESS STEEL FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR
GET
60" • 4K UltraHD • TruMotion 120HZ • HDR Pro • 4k Upscaler • webOS 3.0
TPLGE60UH655
MTSERBLUE1QM
99999
$
ONE
SMART TV
MATTRESS ONLY
SAVE $600
#60UH6550
TH
ONE *FREE!
RWLGES25426S
#LFCS25426S
WATCH ANDROID 4.3 GOLD LGW100AUSA
*Buy an LG TV or Refrigerator - get a free LG Watch Applies to #60UH6550 and #LFCS25426S only
JULY 9th
ANNUAL
#ACLGELGW100G
RIZE!
P GRAND
12noon to 4 pm
SHOW 2017
• 4 Split SpillProtector™ Tempered Glass Shelves • Smart Cooling System • Multi-Air Flow
At Daniel’s Parking lot - ANAHEIM
LED HDTV
Compliments of Daniel’s Home Center
PICK UP YOUR FREE COPA ORO CALENDAR TODAY! CERRITOS - NEW! 17510 Carmenita Rd Cerritos, CA 90703 562-348-4773 Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 10:30am-7:30pm
ANAHEIM
255 S. Euclid St Anaheim, CA 92802 714-999-1285 Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm Sun 10:30am-7:30pm
CHINO
12605 Central Ave Chino, CA 91710 909-291-0688 Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Sun 10:30am-7:30pm
OUTLET CENTER
353 N Euclid Way Anaheim, CA 92801 714-999-1281 Mon-Sun 10am-7pm
NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS APPLY IN-STORE OR ONLINE!
Offers valid only until August 21, 2017 or while supplies last. Daniel’s Home Center is not responsible for misprinted sale prices and typographic errors. Advertised items are limited in quantities and we reserve the right to substitute advertised item with a comparable item. Color fabric and finishes may vary from shown. Offer cannot be combined with any other offers. One item per customer. Must bring ad for special pricing. *O.A.C 14660-1 ASIAN | NWSPR | 07/7
49”