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Volume 29 - no. 1 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

j a n u a ry 1 1 - 1 7 , 2 0 1 8

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Federal judge rules DACA must stay in place Ruling allows current DACA recipients to renew their enrollment

by Klarize

MeDenilla AJPress

AmID the intense fight over the protections of DreAmers, a federal judge issued a nationwide directive late tuesday night, January, 9, ordering the trump administration to restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

United states District Judge William Alsup of san francisco, likely halting the fierce debate since DACA was terminated by President Donald trump on sep-

DATELINE

tember 5, 2017, challenged the administration’s stance that DACA was illegally implemented.

In 2012, former President Barack obama signed an executive order instituting DACA, which has provided work authorization, protection from deportation and other benefits to undocumented youth who came to the U.s. illegally as children.

Calling the rescission of DACA “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and otherwise not in accordance with the law,” Alsup noted that the sudden termination

USA

of the program “deprived DACA recipients of constitutionally-protected property and liberty interests without due process of law.” the breakthrough ruling comes after major moves have been made on Capitol hill on sunday, January 7, where a bipartisan pair of Congress members unveiled a bill that would provide a legislative solution for DACA — the program was temporary and only valid for two years with an option to renew. the bill introduced by reps.

Will hurd (r-texas) and Pete

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Marcos on not running for Senate in 2019: ‘I already won as VP’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Amb. Kim: US-PH ties to reach ‘whole new level’ in 2018

If there is one thing that United states Ambassador to the Philippines sung Kim envisions for the new year, that would be taking the relationship between manila and Washington to a “whole new level.” to mark Kim’s first year serving in the Philippines, the U.s. embassy released on friday, January 5, a three-minute video

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Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“Bakit ako tatakbo ng senador eh nanalo na ‘ko ng bise presidenformer senator ferdinand te (Why will i run for senator when “Bongbong” marcos Jr. on i already won as vice president?)”

Wednesday, January 10 ruled out marcos told reporters. the possibility of running for a In a recently released survey senate seat in the 2019 midterm conducted by social Weather staelections, saying he already “won” tions (sWs) from December 8 to the 2016 vice presidential race.

11 last year, marcos ranked 7-8th speaking at the “Kapihan sa ma- in the senate’s so-called “magic nila Bay” media forum, the former 12” or list probable senatorial race senator expressed confidence that winners. he would win his electoral protest While appreciating the public’s against Vice President maria Le- “continued support,” marcos maintained that he is focused Inquirer.net photo onor “Leni” robredo.

Opportunities for stronger US-PH alliance under Trump security strategy, analyst says PresIDeNt Donald trump’s first-ever national security strategy presents new opportunities in furthering the alliance between the U.s. and the Philippines, according to a senior researcher at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP).

In line with the trump administration’s “America first” platform, the new National security strategy (Nss) — released last December — encompasses four main principles: protecting the homeland, promoting American prosperity, preserving peace through strength, and advancing American influence. the plan also zeros in on strategies within

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on his case against robredo, as he pointed to the importance of knowing the “real” result of the 2016 vice presidential election. “hindi ko titigilan itong protestang ito dahil tapat ang aking paniniwala na dinaya ako noong nakaraang halalan (i will not give up on this protest because i believe that i was cheated during the last elections),” marcos stressed. he continued, “At ipapalabas ko ang tunay na bilang ng boto nang malaman ng tao kung sino ba ta-

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World Bank: PH to remain as ‘fastest-growing’ ASEAN economy

by AJPress

U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, a former prosecutor, turned over more than 2,000 copies of a prosecutor’s manual and other training modules to Philippine Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. The materials were the result of a nine-month justice sector program sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

Photo courtesy of U.S. Embassy in Manila

MEETING WITH CHINA. President Rodrigo Duterte does his signature pose with Communist Party of China Central Committee Member Meng Xiangfeng and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua following their meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, January 9. Also in the photo are Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go among others.

Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

IN terms of economic growth, the World Bank (WB) expects that the Philippines will continue to outpace its neighboring countries in southeast Asia for the next three years.

In its January 2018 Global economic Prospects report released Wednesday, January 10, the Washington-based lender said it expects the Philippines to sustain robust economic growth even as public investments are seen to be slowing down. “the Philippines will continue to be the fastest-growing economy in the Association of southeast Asian Nations (AseAN), despite some stabilization of investment growth,” WB

stated in its report. the WB projected the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6.7 percent in 2018 and 2019, before moderating to 6.5 percent in 2020. on average, the WB expects the country’s GDP to grow by 6.6 percent from 2018 to 2020. the forecasts, however, were below the government’s target range of 7-8 percent anA new group of petitioners tells the Supreme Court that the extension of martial law in nual GDP growth from 2018 to 2022.

Mindanao is intended not against rebels but critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Last month, the WB has upgraded its 2017 Inquirer.net photo growth projection for the Philippines as part of its “quarterly forecast exercise to reflect recent economic trends.” from the previous estimate of 6.6 percent,

Supreme Court to hold oral arguments on Poll: More Filipinos expect martial law extension better life, economy in 2018 u PAGE A2

by AJPress

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

more filipinos are optimistic that their lives and the country’s economy will get better this year, according to the latest social Weather stations (sWs) survey.

Based on results of the non-commissioned poll conducted from December 8 to 16 last year, 49 percent of filipinos expect that their personal quality of life will improve in the next 12 months, while only 3 percent expect it to get worse. this results in a “recordhigh” Net Personal optimism score of +46, which is classified by sWs as

the supreme Court (sC) is set to hold oral arguments on the consolidated petitions challenging Philippine President rodrigo Duterte’s one-year extension of martial law in mindanao.

During the deliberations of the court en banc on Wednesday, January 10, the high court has decided to tackle two petitions next week on January 16 and 17. the high court also said that it has ordered the office of the solicitor General (osG), which will represent the respondents According to a recent poll, 49 percent of Filipinos expect that their personal led by Duterte in the hearings, to quality of life will improve in the next 12 months, while only 3 percent expect it comment on the second petition to get worse.

Inquirer.net photo filed by filed by human rights “excellent.” the figure is the previous +42 in the sep- advocates and cause-oriented groups represented by the Naalso four points higher than tember 2017 survey. u PAGE A2 tional Union of Peoples’ Lawyers

(NUPL) not later than January 13. the other petition was filed by the so-called “magnificent seven” of the house of representatives, led by Albay representative edcel Lagman. other members of the bloc include Akbayan representative tom Villarin, Caloocan 2nd District rep. edgar erice, Ifugao rep. teddy Brawner Baguilat, Jr., magdalo rep. Gary Alejano, Capiz 1st District rep. emmanuel A. Billones, and Northern samar rep. raul Daza.

Last month, Congress extended anew Duterte’s martial law proclamation and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in mindanao until December 31, 2018 for the “total eradication”

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January 11-17, 2018 • LaS VEGaS aSIan JOurnaL

From The FronT Page

Federal judge rules DACA must...

PAGE A1 Aguilar (D-Calif.) would offer eligible DREAMers the ability to apply for a green card and — after years of conditional residency — a pathway to citizenship, given they meet the requirements, including a background check and proof of work, education and/or military service.

On Tuesday, Trump pledged his support for a “clean DACA bill” provided it included strengthening the U.S.-Mexico border — in other words, his controversial, longawaited border wall.

“You folks are going to have to come up with a solution,” Trump told 25 lawmakers in a negotiation at the White House on Tuesday.

“A clean DACA bill to me is to take care of the 800,000 people. We take care of that, and we also take care of security. And then we can go to comprehensive [immigration reform] later on.”

At a meeting at Camp David on Saturday, January 6, Trump said, “We all want DACA to happen, but we also want great security for our country.”

Alsup’s ruling was welcomed as a triumph for DACA advocates who condemned the president’s termination of the program, including many Democratic lawmakers.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said that the ruling was “further evidence that the Trump Administration’s decision to pull the rug out from under these young peo-

ple by ending DACA was not only immoral, but illegal.”

U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (DCalif.), a longtime immigrant rights advocate, praised the federal court’s ruling but urged the passage of the Dream Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth.

“A California judge rightfully recognized that Trump was ‘arbitrary’ and ‘capricious’ in terminating DACA. There was no reason for Trump to end the program other than to sow mayhem in immigrant communities across the country,” Gomez said in a statement released on Wednesday, January 10.

“But this ruling does not provide DREAMers with the certainty they need. DREAMers deserve peace of mind, not the sickening instability that Trump has purposely inflicted.

With Trump already hinting at an appeal, we need to keep the pressure up — and pass the Dream Act now.”

Current DACA recipients will be able to renew enrollment When the Trump administration announced it was terminating DACA, it noted that it was no longer accepting new applications as of September 5, 2017, and recipients whose permits expired after March 5, 2018, were not permitted to apply for renewal.

Moreover, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had set a deadline, October 5, 2017, for

anyone whose work permit was going to expire after March 5 — due to U.S. Postal Service delays, roughly 22,000 DACA recipients missed this deadline, which the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services deemed “narrow.”

Though the ruling doesn’t allow people who applied for DACA before the administration stopped accepting applications on September 5, current DACA recipients are able to renew their enrollment.

However, the government could still prevent DACA recipients from returning to the U.S. if they leave the country.

It remains to be seen how this affects legislation, but Alsup’s order puts a strain on the Trump administration, which is likely headed for a major legal battle, not unlike the intense back and forth between the courts and the Trump administration regarding the travel bans last year.

Economic impact of DACA In five years, the program has more than 800,000 enrollees, many of whom reported back greater career and education opportunities that were otherwise inaccessible.

The termination of DACA in September orchestrated an outcry from immigrant rights activists as well as economic experts who emphasized the program’s positive economic impact, and the newfound permittance to work has opened up economic opportunities for the country as well as the beneficiaries and their families.

An August 2017 study by the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 91.4 percent of DACA recipients were currently employed whereas, before DACA, 56 percent were not able to work.

“So when I think about the data and what it all points to, it makes clear that DACA works, that DACA not only improves the lives of individual recipients and their families, but positively affects the American economy and society,” Tom Wong, associate professor of political science at UC San Diego, said in a press call on Thursday, September 7.

The libertarian-leaning Cato Institution reported in January 2017 that terminating DACA — which would mean deporting those enrolled — would cost the federal government $60 billion and diminish economic growth by $280 billion over the next 10 years. n

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TRASLACION 2018. Around 4 million devotees have joined this year’s Traslacion of the Black Nazarene in Manila on Tuesday, January 9. The Traslacion, recalls the transfer on Jan. 9, 1787, of a copy of the image of the Black Nazarene from its original site at the San Nicolas Tolentino church in Intramuros to the Quiapo church.

Inquirer.net photo

Marcos on not running for Senate...

PAGE A1 laga ang pinili ng taong bayan bilang bise presidente (And I will strive to show the real count of the votes so the people will know who the nation really chose as vice president).”

During the same forum, Marcos accused the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) of being “unfair and unjust,” citing in particular the supposed “disturbing series of decisions” made by Supreme Court Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa.

Robredo won the vice presidential race with just 263,473 more votes than Marcos. The latter accused her of benefiting from “massive electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities” during the vice presidential election in 2016.

Marcos’ electoral protest was raffled off to Caguioa, who is just one of the members of the SC, sitting as the electoral tribunal.

“It’s become very obvious that the strategy has been to delay, delay, and delay. Mukhang hindi na fair ang treatment sakin sa PET (Looks like PET is no longer treat-

ing me fairly),” Marcos said.

“There has been a disturbing series of decisions made by Justice (Benjamin) Caguioa that were clearly unfair and unjust,” he added.

Among several PET rulings — which the former senator claimed were unfair include the tribunal’s order asking him P36 million out of his P66.2 million protest fee on April 14, 2017 — fell on Good Friday when most banks were closed for the Holy Week.

It can be recalled, however, that PET immediately moved first installment deadline on the next working day, which is on April 17, 2017.

Marcos also criticized PET for delaying the deadline of Robredo’s P8 million initial counterprotest fee from the original April 17, 2017 to May 2 of the same year because she “couldn’t pay on time.”

‘Too presumptuous’ In a statement, Robredo’s camp chided Marcos for being “too presumptuous” in claiming that he already won the vice presidency.

“It was too presumptuous for

Mr. Ferdinand Marcos (Jr.) to claim that he already ‘won the vice presidency’ or he is just dreaming,” said lawyer Romulo Macalintal, Robredo’s lead counsel.

“Mr. Marcos is merely trying to preempt the coming results of the recount of ballots where his ridiculous and frivolous claim of massive election cheating will be proven false and a mere imagined victory, which is the usual reaction of an election loser who cannot accept defeat in good grace,” Macalintal added.

Robredo’s camp also stressed that she was already proclaimed winner by Congress, further nothing that “no one has ever won in a recount of automated ballots” based on past recount of ballots.

“For the results of the recount will just tally with the results generated by the vote counting machines from the automated election system, which Marcos himself admitted to be credible and for which his first cause of action questioning the system was dismissed by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET),” Macalintal said. n

World Bank: PH to remain as ‘fastest...

PAGE A1 the WB raised its 2017 economic growth forecast for the Philippines to a stronger 6.7 percent.

“If investment growth accelerates faster along with increased spending in public infrastructure, economic expansion can be even

higher in 2017 and 2018 and exceed the current projection of 6.7 percent,” said Birgit Hansl, WB Lead Economist for the Philippines.

The Philippines posted a 6.9 percent GDP growth for in the third quarter of 2017, which was

higher than the 6.5 percent growth in the second quarter of 2017, and of the 6.4 percent posted in the first quarter.

The government is slated to release the country’s 2017 fourthquarter and full-year GDP performance on January 25. n

Poll: More Filipinos expect better life...

PAGE A1 According to SWS, the country’s December 2017 Net Personal Optimism likewise matches the record-high level that was first achieved in June 2016 when Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office.

“The four-point rise in Net Personal Optimism nationwide was due to increases in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, combined with a steady score in the Visayas, and a decline in Metro

Manila, from September 2017 to December 2017,” SWS said in a media release on Tuesday, January 9.

In Balance Luzon, the Net Personal Optimism rose from “very high” +39 in September to “excellent” +45 in December; while in Mindanao, it rose from +46 in September to +50 in December, staying under “excellent” category.

The Net Personal Optimism in the Visayas also remained at

“very high” +39 from September to December. In Metro Manila, it went down by 3 points from +52 in September to +49 in December but stayed under “excellent” category.

The survey results also showed that the Net Personal Optimism remains “excellent” in classes ABC and D, and “very high” in class E. “Net Personal Optimism stayed excellent in class ABC, up by 6 points from +53 in September 2017 to +59 (correctly rounded) in December 2017. It stayed excellent in class D, or the masa, up by 5 points from +42 in September to +47 in December,” SWS said.

In class E, however, it went down by 5 points from +38 in September to +33 (correctly rounded) in December.

The same survey also showed that 52 percent of Filipinos are optimistic that the country’s economy will “get better” this year while only nine percent feel that it would “deteriorate,” resulting to a Net Optimism about the Economy score of “excellent” +42.

The latest figure is 12 points higher than the excellent +30 in September 2017, and the highest since the excellent +43 in December 2016.

“The 12-point rise in national Net Optimism about the Economy was due to increases in all areas,” SWS said.

Results showed Net Optimism about the Economy also stayed “excellent” in all areas.

In Mindanao, the Net Optimism about the Economy went up by 10 points from +51 in September 2017 to +61 in December 2017; while in the Visayas, it went up by six points from +24 in September to +30 in December.

It also rose by 17 points in Balance Luzon from +23 in September to +40 in December, and in Metro Manila by 6 points from +30 in September to +36 in December.

Net Optimism about the economy likewise stayed “excellent” in all classes.

In class D, it went up by 13 points from +30 in September to +43 in December; while in class E by 9 points from +32 in September to +41 in December. In class ABC, however, the figure went down by 2 points from +33 in September to +31 in December. n

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Dateline USa

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 11-17, 2018

A

Amb. Kim: US-PH ties to reach ‘whole new...

PAGE A1 where the envoy participated in a quick series of light questions about his stay in the country and what his plans are.

“I’m very excited, we’re going to take the U.S.-Philippines relationship to a whole new level,” Kim said when asked about what he envisions for the new year.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim arrived in the country in December 2016 to replace Philip Goldberg as the new U.S. ambassador to the Philippines.

In the video, Kim described his one-year stay in the Philippines as “wonderful.” Adding that traveling around the country has been among his favorite experience so far, Kim said revealed that he had never been to Palawan and wanted to see the place for himself.

The U.S. envoy also answered light questions about his favorite Filipino food, desserts, and even local sports team: crispy tilapia, buko pandan, and basketball teams Ateneo and La Salle.

As to what would be his advice to his 20-year-old self, Kim said cited: “Be true to yourself, be willing to try different things and of course work hard.”

In a separate television interview on Tuesday, January 9, Kim said that for the year 2017, the U.S.-PH alliance mainly focused on the Marawi City crisis. In May last year, Islamic State (IS)-inspired Maute terrorists occupied the city, sparking an armed conflict that lasted for five months.

“As you know, I passed my first year mark just recently… and in terms of what we’ve focused on, I think obviously the Marawi situ-

ation was of great importance to the alliance. And I think we’ve played a very important role in supporting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he told GMA News’ News To Go. Kim also announced that the U.S. government has allocated an additional $6 million on top of the $20 million earlier pledged for the rehabilitation efforts in war-torn Marawi City.

“I am happy to announce today that we are allocating $6 million to help the most vulnerable population in Marawi. We’re talking about young children [and the] elderly,” the envoy said.

“We’re coming up with some programs that are really focused on their needs, such as vocational training, and other educational-related programs,” he added.

(Dana Sioson/AJPress)

Opportunities for stronger US-PH alliance...

PAGE A1 the “Indo-Pacific” region, which Christian Vicedo at NDCP said will have a big impact on U.S and Philippines relations.

“The U.S.-Philippines alliance will be significantly influenced by Washington’s security interests and priorities in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Vicedo in his commentary published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS), a bipartisan and nonprofit policy research organization.

Trump used the Indo-Pacific term during his 2017 Asia tour in reference to countries spanning from China down to Australia, including the Philippines which the NSS called one of the U.S.’ important allies in Southeast Asia, along with Thailand.

Vicedo cited three of the strategy’s regional security issues as having the possibility of developing security engagements between the U.S. and its allies.

The plan asserts that China’s building of artificial islands and military facilities in the South China Sea “endanger the free flow of trade, threaten the sovereignty of other nations, and undermine regional stability.”

China and the Philippines have long argued over the South China Sea. Most recently, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines intends to hold a diplomatic protest against China for breaking its promise to not militarize artificial islands in the area, as reported by Reuters.

The plan also calls out North Korea’s recent nuclear provocations

in saying that Pyongyang is “rapidly accelerating its cyber, nuclear, and ballistic missile programs,” and warns that “jihadist terrorists are likely to return to their home countries” to plan attacks against the U.S. and its allies.

Vicedo pointed to the NSS’ priority political, economic, and military/security actions, which he said “presupposes a U.S. security commitment to allies and partners.”

In detailing efforts within the Indo-Pacific region, the priorities of the NSS include working with allies to achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, encouraging free and open seaways, strengthening military relations, and addressing growing terrorist threats with Southeast Asian partners through law enforcement, defense, and intelligence cooperation improvements.

“As a result, while Trump’s NSS reiterates transactional principles of economic reciprocity and burden-sharing in confronting common threats, the possibility of a diminishing U.S. security commitment to the Philippines seems unlikely, “ Vicedo reckoned.

The security strategy presents new opportunities to strengthen the U.S. and Philippine alliance, first through its promotion of increased cooperation between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India — all of which the Philippines has defense and security ties with.

“Indeed, linking U.S. allies and partners may provide a strategic advantage for the U.S.-Philippines alliances in addressing future traditional and nontraditional security

concerns such as a more assertive China in the South China Sea or a major terrorist attack similar to the Marawi Siege,” said Vicedo.

This, along with the NSS’ urge for allies to modernize and improve military operations, give a stronger case for alliance opportunities, he added.

Vicedo made reference to the future formation of the Philippine’s Government Arsenal Defense Industry Estate, which will act as an economic zone for local and foreign investors seeking to work with manufacturers in supplying the country’s military needs.

The plan also looks to give companies incentives for investing in developing countries.

With Philippine-U.S. relations dating back to the late 19th century, the leaders of the two countries seemed to hit it off last year despite a number of rocky moments.

Following Duterte and Trump’s first ever bilateral meeting in November 2017 on the sidelines of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian National Summit, Trump said they had a “great relationship” and that he “really enjoyed” being in the Philippines..

The two leaders released a joint statement following the bilateral meeting, as did the U.S. and Philippine Senior Defense and Foreign Affair Officials at the Bilateral Strategic Dialogue 2017.

“The complementarity and opportunities offered by President Trump’s National Security Strategy may re-energize security engagements between the two countries,” Vicedo concluded. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS. President Rodrigo Duterte shares a light moment with Ambassador-Designate of Malta to the Philippines John Aquilina as the president gives a token after the latter presented his credentials to the at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, January 9.

Malacañang photo by Rey Baniquet

Filipina reportedly trafficked into forced labor sues host family Lawsuit puts a spotlight on forced servitude, anti-trafficking advocates call for further awareness on the issue

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

A FILIPINA immigrant, who for nearly three years was allegedly forced into involuntary servitude and suffered unfair wages and extreme verbal abuse, has led a lawsuit against her host family in a case that highlights modern slavery and human trafficking.

Edelynne Bergado, a single mother of two from the rural Pangasinan province in the Philippines, said she was brought to the United States in 2014 by Marlon and Nelle-Ann Velonza who promised her a green card and a well-paying job.

However, from April 2014 to January 2017, she was reportedly “kept against her will” by the Velonzas and worked 14hour days, seven days a week in the Velonzas home in the Los Angeles northeastern neighborhood of Eagle Rock, according to the complaint filed on Dec. 19, 2017.

For nearly three years, the Velonzas allegedly forced Bergado to cook, clean, care for the Velonzas’ two children and perform other domestic duties.

Additionally, the Velonzas also forced Bergado to work for Etta’s International Cosmetics, a busi-

ness run by Nelle-Ann Velonza which specializes in skin and facial bleaching.

According to the complaint, Bergado was responsible for preparing the products sold by Etta’s; she was reportedly even instructed by Mrs. Velonza to purchase other brands of similar skin products and replace the label with an Etta’s label to appear that it was manufactured by her company.

Notably, Mrs. Velonza also used Bergado as a “guinea pig” to test the skincare products — most of which were created by mixing household cleaning products like detergent and hydrogen peroxide — they were selling. As a result, Bergado suffered from painful, irritated skin burns, the complaint said.

Throughout her captivity under the Velonzas, Bergado was verbally assaulted and harshly mistreated, according to the complaint. They often made her work seven days a week and was not allowed days off, even if she was sick.

They also forbade her from speaking to her daughters, even confiscating her cell phone in July 2014.

The strict rules in place — that

further isolated Bargado — prohibited her from speaking to people outside of the home; and, she was often not allowed to leave the apartment by herself.

Additionally, the Velonzas had a video monitoring system that made sure she didn’t leave the house when they were gone.

Although they had promised Bergado a well-paying job once they got to California, she was paid about $200 for her first three months; afterwards, they didn’t pay her at all.

After a particularly heated argument with Mrs. Velonza, which left Bergado “very frightened,” she sought help from a friend on Facebook, who reported Bergado’s story to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

On Jan. 12, 2017, Bergado was rescued by the Los Angeles Police Department, who recommended various health and legal providers to help her with her transition after the three years she spent in forced servitude.

Still suffering from residual emotional and physical trauma, she is now suing the Velonzas — along with Mrs. Velonza’s brother Nelson Orqueza and sister Josephine Cadaoas who knew

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Dateline USa

January 11-17, 2018 • LaS VEGaS aSIan JOurnaL

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US provides additional P330-M aid for Marawi

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

FOLLOWING its initial P730 million assistance for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, the U.S. government has announced an additional P330 million fund for the war-torn city.

Through the U.S. Agency for International Development or USAID, Washington now has a total of over P1 billion worth of contribution to the recovery and rehabilitation of Marawi and surrounding areas.

“This new funding will support some of the most vulnerable populations affected by the conflict,” U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim said.

The additional funding would provide opportunities for the youth of Marawi to enhance their livelihood skills and assist

strengthen vulnerable populations within their communities.

“The United States is deeply committed to supporting our friend and ally in long-term recovery efforts to ensure a brighter and more peaceful future for the people of Mindanao,” Kim added.

The initial assistance of USAID involves restoring water access and distributing desks for schools in affected areas. The U.S. agency has also been providing health clinics in Marawi and surrounding areas to counter tuberculosis and support maternal, newborn and child health needs.

The USAID will continue to provide public services, such as water and electricity. Part of the assistance also includes working with communities to promote community dialogue and im-

prove health and education systems, according to a release from the U.S. Embassy.

“To help fortify the area’s longer-term stabilization and rehabilitation, USAID will offer skills training and psychosocial counseling for youth, and promote community alternatives to violent extremism,” the U.S. Embassy said.

During his visit to Manila last November, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated President Rodrigo Duterte on the liberation of Marawi from ISISinspired terror groups. In their meeting, the Philippine leader expressed gratitude to his American counterpart for the more than $1 billion foreign assistance that the U.S. had provided to the Philippines for the past eight TURNOVER CEREMONY. Newly appointed Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman and former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) years. n Officer-in-Charge Secretary Catalino Cuy (right) takes a farewell look at the DILG official seal (center) as he turns over the flag of leadership to incoming DILG OIC Secretary Eduardo Año during the ceremonial turnover held at the DILG-National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Center in Quezon City on Tuesday, January 9. Cuy served as OIC for nine months, but held the DILG undersecretary post for 18 months prior to his appointment.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

2 Americans arrive to conduct third-party probe of Davao mall fire Cebu waters unbeatable — travel mag

by Frinston Lim, Judy

Quiros & mart sambaLud Inquirer.net

TWO Americans hired by the management of NCCC Mall have arrived here for the conduct of an independent investigation into the Dec. 23 fire that killed 38 people.

Senior Supt. Jerry Candido, the spokesman of the Inter-agency Anti-Arson Task Force (IAATF), said the two American investigators from Washington, DC, had paid him a courtesy call and informed him of their interest to coordinate with local fire authorities during their probe.

“They are hired by the NCCC as third-party investigators, so we assigned someone to assist them,” Candido told reporters here on Tuesday, January 9.

He said the NCCC management had wanted a third-party probe of the incident.

Candido said the American fire investigators could start their work as soon as possible.

Earlier, Candido said the IAATF had found several violations on the part of NCCC Mall and Survey Sampling International (SSI), which had contributed to the tragedy.

These included compliance with safety rules on fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire exits.

The NCCC management denied it had committed violations, maintaining that the four-storey mall in

Barangay Ma-a had been certified as fire safety compliant.

“We wish to stress though that the mall had passed through all the needed safety examinations and was certified by authorities as being safe to operate and serve the public,” Thea Padua, NCCC spokesperson, said in a statement.

“This stringent certification process included passing requirements for the adequate provision of such public safety systems as fire alarms and sprinklers, fre exits and emergency procedures including fire drills,” she added.

Candido said they were looking at the fire safety compliance documents issued to the mall and SSI. Criminal indictments over the tragedy could include retired local fire officials, he added.

But he clarified that they had not established as of yet who should be held liable for the fire that also cost P1.6 billion in property damage.

“We are giving ourselves two weeks [to wrap up the investigation],” Candido told the Inquirer by phone on Monday, January 8.

But he said the timetable could be shortened if documents and other pieces of evidence that they had been gathering would be sufficient to determine liabilities and for the filing of criminal charges against those found to be responsible for the tragedy.

As this developed, the association of business process outsourc-

ing companies in the city said it would evaluate emergency procedures in all BPO work places in the wake of the tragedy.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao President Samuel Matunog said the evaluation would be based on the result of the IAATF investigation.

“When the result of the investigation is known, we will call the association (into a meeting), we will gather together, sit down and review our emergency procedures,” Matunog said.

Currently, BPOs here implement three levels of warning in cases of emergency.

Level 1 means operations will be restored in two to four hours.

Level 2 means operations will be restored within eight hours. Level 3 means operations will only be restored after eight hours.

Matunog said ICT-Davao would also make an appeal to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to reconsider its order suspending operations of SSI in Davao.

“Our appeal to PEZA is to look at it [suspension[ again,” Matunog said. “We have the obligation to take care of the remaining workers. The remaining 480 workers could still earn about P900 million income [for SSI] and P97 million in compensation per year. That’s substantial if totally lost.”

He said ICT-Davao was planning to help SSI rebound in an alternative location. n

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by catherine

taLaVera Philstar.com

CEBU continues to be on the radar of foreign travelers as an international travel magazine has cited Cebu for its clear waters and warm climate.

Conde Nast Traveler magazine included Cebu in its list of “10 Warm Places We’d Rather Be Right Now,” which featured warm-temperature destinations that editors of the magazine are dreaming about during the winter season.

“I’d rather be wading through the clear Philippine Sea as schools of brightly colored tropical fish swim around me,” Conde Nast Traveler senior editor Erin Florio said.

“I’ve snorkeled all over the world; even knee-deep, the waters off the coast of Cebu can’t be beat,” Florio added.

Cebu is joined by other warmtemperature destinations like Buzios in Brazil, Chiang Mai in Thailand and Karpathos in Greece, among others.

Conde Nast Traveler magazine included Cebu in its list of “10 Warm Places We’d Rather Be Right Now,” which featured warm-temperature destinations that editors of the magazine are dreaming about during the winter season.

Philstar.com photo

Last October, readers of the international travel magazine voted Cebu and the Visayan islands as the second best island in the world in 2017.

“Not as wild as Phuket in Thailand, Cebu City is more personal, with plenty of up-and-coming restaurants and shopping,” Conde Nast Traveler earlier reported.

Boracay and Palawan also secured the first and third spot on the best islands in the world list.

The Philippines has been receiving continued interest from international tourists in recent years for the country’s beaches.

Just last week, Travel+Leisure included five Philippine beaches on the list of 365 beaches to visit in 2018. Among these are the Seven Comandos Beach, Payong-Payong Beach, Hidden Beach and Linapacan islands, all in Palawan.

The white beach in Boracay was also included in the list. n

Supreme Court to hold oral arguments...

PAGE A1 of Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorists and communists rebels in the area.

Duterte first placed Mindanao under military rule following the attack of Maute rebels in Marawi City on May 23. The president’s 60-day proclamation was initially set to expire last July 22 but was then extended by Congress until December 31 of this year.

Petitioners, however, argued

that there is no current actual rebellion in Mindanao.

“Threats of violence and terrorism by remnants of vanquished terrorist groups do not constitute a constitutional basis for extension of martial law because ‘imminent danger’ has been deleted as a ground for imposing martial law under the 1987 Constitution,” the opposition bloc’s petition read.

They also expressed fear that that a second extension it may lead

to “extensions in perpetuity.”

NUPL Chairman Neri Colmenares, on the other hand, further pointed out that the “government is functioning in Davao City and the entire country.”

“This is a violation of the Constitution which only allows the imposition of martial law when there is actual rebellion and when the operations of civilian government are substantially impaired that public safety should be preserved,” Colmenares said. n

PAGE A3 about Bergado’s captivity but didn’t help her — for monetary compensation for years of unpaid wages as well as the intense trauma she endured.

Like many individuals seeking work in in the U.S., once she knew her situation was definitely not what she was promised, she wanted a way out. But due to threats and coercion by the Velonzas, Bergado didn’t see a way out.

“I think that’s common with a lot of ppl who are in human trafficking situations that they recognize they’re being mistreated and they do want to leave but because of the fear and coercion and inundation that traffickers often use, they are often unable to do so, even if they desperately want to,” Christopher Lapinig, Skadden Fellow in the Impact Litigation Unit at Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles, shared with the Asian Journal.

Advancing Justice - LA, along with law firm Jenner & Block LLP, filed the lawsuit on behalf of Bergado last December.

Per federal law, human trafficking includes “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of subjecting that person to involuntary servitude, forced labor, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery,” according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline website.

While human trafficking is popularly discussed in the context of sex trafficking, it is a wide-ranging concept that includes a myriad of industries, noted Lapinig, who works closely with Filipinos who are survivors of trafficking.

“There are certain industries and certain types of work where [human trafficking] is really common, and it can happen in any industry or any type of job that is not sex-related. It’s a pretty expansive category,” he said.

Moreover, those who are trafficked into domestic servitude — many of whom come from overseas, like Bergado — aren’t fully aware of the laws in place

that protect them from the types of abuse and negligence they may endure under their captors, Lapinig said.

“The nature of domestic work makes it easier for traffickers to keep the trafficking victim hidden away and isolated throughout society and isolated from information about what our person’s rights are and the status of the law,” he noted. “So, that isolation as the nature of being a domestic worker makes people working as domestic worker much more vulnerable to the types of coercion that traffickers often use to keep their victims in place.”

Protections against human trafficking In recent years, U.S. federal law has doubled down on its approach to eradicate human trafficking of all kinds.

Passed in 2000, Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) was the first comprehensive federal law to tackle human trafficking in the U.S. The law includes prevention, protection and prosecution.

He also noted that there’s a special visa available for those who have survived from trafficking called the T-Visa that allows undocumented victims of trafficking to bring over any spouses and unmarried children from their homelands; if eligible, this visa could get them a green card and a guaranteed pathway to citizenship.

But survivors are encouraged to report their stories immediately and seek legal help. In some cases, trafficking victims only approach law enforcement or seek legal counsel years after; by then, some evidence may not be available to bring together a case.

“If we want to end human trafficking, I believe it is important for us to hold traffickers accountable, whether through criminal prosecutions or lawsuits that result in monetary damages,” Lapinig said. “But it’s hard to do that unless survivors of trafficking realize that they are survivors of trafficking and to seek legal help as soon as they escape.”

The Bergado case parallels a story in The Atlantic, “My Family’s Slave,” by Pulitzer Prize-win-

ning journalist Alex Tizon. Tizon, who passed away in March 2017, wrote an emotional first-hand account of how his family had kept a slave, Eudocia Tomas Pulido, for more than 50 years.

Though Tizon and his siblings adored Pulido (whom they affectionately called “Lola”), he shared how his parents unremorsefully abused Pulido, didn’t pay her and forbade her from seeing her family back in the Philippines.

“I had enough interior dialogue going on. I was no better than my parents. I could have done more to free Lola. To make her life better. Why didn’t I?” Tizon wrote. “I could have turned in my parents, I suppose. It would have blown up my family in an instant.”

That story, which went viral, raised questions on the issue of modern slavery and domestic servitude, specifically.

According to the September 2017 report by the International Labor Organization (ILO), there are an estimated 40 million victims of modern slavery; of those 40 million, about 25 million are engaged in forced labor while around 15 million are coerced into arranged marriages.

While forced labor — which usually entails abuse of many forms, underpayment or lack of payment and overworking — is illegal in the United States, many victims who are immigrants are unaware of the laws that uphold their rights as workers.

Lapinig emphasized the importance of being aware of the labor laws in the country in which a worker is placed so as to recognize signs of human trafficking in their place of work.

“My hope is that more victims of human trafficking get the message of what trafficking is so they can self-identify themselves as survivors of human trafficking and seek out whatever legal or social services that will help them rebuild their lives,” Lapinig said.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of trafficking, visit the National Human Trafficking Hotline,www.humantraffickinghotline.org or call 1-888373-7888 to learn more. n

Filipina reportedly trafficked into...

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 11-17, 2018

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

A

Dateline PSenate, hiliPPines House leaders agree to convene into con-ass

Most Filipinos rate Duterte as a better president compared to Aquino

by AJPress A MAJORITY of Filipinos believe that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is “better” than former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, according to a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey result reported by radio network DZBB on Monday, January 8.

As stated in the report, 70 percent of Filipinos said that Duterte has performed better than his predecessor, while 8 percent said Aquino was better than Duterte.

The remaining 22 percent said the two leaders had the same performance.

Duterte’s approval rating was the highest in Mindanao at 86 percent, followed by in Metro Manila at 73 percent, in Visayas at 64 percent, and in balance Luzon at 63 percent.

Aquino, on the other hand, got the highest approval in Metro Manila at 10 percent.

In the survey, respondents were asked the question: “Kung iku-

kumpara ang pag-ganap ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa kanyang tungkulin mula Hulyo 2016 sa pagkaganap ni dating pangulong Aquino mula Hulyo 2010 hanggang Hulyo 2016, masasabi n’yo ba na PRRD is better, the same, PNoy is better (Comparing the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte from July 2016 to former President Aquino’s from July 2010 to July 2016, would you say PRRD is better, the same, [or] PNoy is better)?”

The report also found that 69 percent of Filipinos believe that Duterte’s actions are appropriate for his position as president, while 18 percent of those surveyed said Duterte’s actions were inappropriate. 13 percent were undecided.

The SWS poll was reportedly conducted from December 8 to 16 last year.

In a comment, Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque remarked that the survey result “confirms already what we already know as a fact.”

Still most ‘approved, trusted’

In a separate survey conducted

by Pulse Asia last month, Duterte remains the most “approved” and most “trusted” among the top five government officials in the Philippines.

Based on the poll result, which was released over the weekend, Duterte received an approval rating of 80 percent and trust rating of 82 percent. The figures barely changed from his previous 80 percent approval and 80 percent trust ratings in September last year.

In the latest poll, Duterte received the highest approval and trust ratings in Mindanao at 93 percent and 94 percent respectively.

The president also enjoyed a majority of approval in Visayas at 86 percent, in Metro Manila at 79 percent, and in balance Luzon at 72 percent. He likewise got high trust ratings in Visayas at 86 percent, Metro Manila at 79 percent, and balance Luzon at 74 percent.

Duterte’s overall approval and trust ratings were also higher than PAGE A7

Jinggoy Estrada says he’s still ‘inclined to serve people on a national level’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

ALTHOugH he did not confirm if he would run for a Senate position in 2019, former Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada has dropped some hints that running for a national post is possible.

“I haven’t decided yet eh, pero siyempre nandun pa rin ’yung incllination natin to serve our people on a national level (but of course there is still the inclination to serve our people on a national level),” Estrada told reporters in an interview on Monday, January 8.

Estrada, who is currently out on bail, is facing plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan for allegedly misusing and pocketing P183-million priority development assistance (PDAF) funds from 2004 to 2010 when he was still a senator.

But should he decide to seek a seat in the Senate or any other government post, Estrada expressed confidence that the current charg-

es against him will barely affect his chances of winning.

He then cited the instance when he was still elected as a senator in 2004 despite facing a plunder case alongside his father, former president and incumbent Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, who was later found guilty in 2007.

“If you remember when I first ran in 2004, I still had an outstanding case, a pending case together with my father, a plunder case in 2004, and eventually I was acquitted,” the former senator recalled.

He then stressed, “The PDAF case will not affect my run in the Senate, if I decide to run.”

For now, Estrada said he plans to “[go] around the country to thank the people for their unwavering support” to him.

He also said that he has not yet spoken to his half-brother, current Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito about their political plans for 2019.

In a previous television interview, Ejercito said there can only

be one Estrada in the Senate in 2019.

In survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) from December 8 to 11 last year, both Estrada and Ejercito were included in the Senate’s so-called “Magic 12” or list probable senatorial race winners.

Estrada tied at 7th to 8th spot with former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.; while Ejercito also tied at the 10th to 12th spot with returning Senator Lito Lapid and media personality Erwin Tulfo.

Topping the pre-election survey for the 2019 Senate race was Senator grace Poe. She was followed by Senators Cynthia Villar, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, and Nancy Binay.

Meanwhile, former Senator Pia Cayetano landed on the 5th spot, while re-electionist Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. was 6th. Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also made it on the list, ranking 9th. n

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by Dana

SioSon AJPress

BOTH Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez agreed to have the two chambers convene into a constitutional-assembly (con-ass) to discuss the revision of the 1987 Constitution and proposed shift to a federal form of the government.

The two leaders, however, have different timetables on presenting a new charter to the people in a nationwide plebiscite—with Pimentel wanting a plebiscite in 2019 while Alvarez preferring it to be held this May. In an interview on Monday, January 8, Pimentel disclosed that he will be filing a resolution this week calling for the Senate and the House of Representatives to sit as a con-ass.

“It’s a resolution calling for the Senate to sit together with the House of Representatives as a constituent assembly for the purpose of revising the 1987 Constitution, specifically to study the adoption of a federal system of government,” the Senate president said.

Pimentel, who is also the president of the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party which advocates federalism, said the resolution will be filed before the Senate resumes its session on January 15.

Asked if his resolution would include a term extension and holdover capacity, Pimentel answered in dissent as he pointed out that public would most likely reject it.

Pimentel also said he expects the Senate and the House to come up with a draft charter by the end of 2018, with the plebiscite to be held at the same time as the 2019 elections. “[The draft proposal should be done] in less than a year so that by January 2019, what is being deliberated and being explained to the public is the final draft, which will be subject to a plebiscite [in May 2019],” he said.

The Senate president further reiterated that the 2019 midterm elections will proceed as stated in the current 1987 Constitution.

“Hangga’t hindi magbago yan, lahat ng scheduled elections in the 1987 Constitution must be held, pero pag magbago yan, there is a

new Constitution, yung schedule ng new Constitution ang masusunod (Unless the 1987 Constitution is revised, scheduled elections will proceed. But if amended, we’ll follow the schedule under the new Constitution),” Pimentel added.

Last week, Alvarez cited the possible cancellation of the 2019

midterm elections as part of the anticipated transition to a federal system.

Noting that the senators have different term expirations, the House speaker remarked that it is only practical to extend their terms of senators who were elected in 2013 until 2022 for a transitory period. n

A

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January 11-17, 2018 • LaS VEGaS aSIan JOurnaL

OpiniOn

A new battle for DILG chief

Features

As promised, President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former Armed Forces chief Eduardo Año as head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). He will serve as officer-in-charge, raising criticism that it goes around the law barring the appointment of military officers from being named to a civilian post within a year after retiring from the service. This practice cannot be institutionalized.

This issue aside, the appointment has raised expectations that Año can have a positive impact on the DILG, after he led the military in ending the Marawi siege and neutralizing top Maute terrorists. Año replaces Catalino Cuy, who also served as OIC in the department after Ismael Sueno was sacked as DILG secretary on allegations of corruption.

The DILG has supervision over the Philippine National Police, which has rejoined the war on drugs that is now led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, as provided by law. In accepting his new post, Año is reportedly giving priority to the fight against illegal drugs as well as corruption in the agencies now under his jurisdiction.

In battling the Mautes in Marawi, the military under Año managed to make martial law in Mind-

anao generally acceptable to the nation. This was no simple feat, considering the nation’s unfortunate experience with martial law. Año might yet achieve the same feat in the PNP’s operations against illegal drugs.

Fighting corruption involves plugging opportunities for graft. Red tape is deliberately designed into systems and processes to encourage the payment of grease money. Año must review how red tape can be cut not only in the PNP and his department but also in local government units. With full support from President Duterte, he should be able to work with the elected politicians who head the LGUs in cutting red tape and curbing corruption.

These are all formidable challenges, but perhaps the man who led government forces in retaking Marawi can make a difference. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-ReloS OPRAH WINFREY delivered a powerful, empowering and inspiring speech after she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award during the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7.

It is an honorary Golden Globe Award bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.”

Since the first time this award was given in 1952, it is only this year when this recognition was bestowed upon a black woman — and that is Oprah.

In her speech, Oprah talked about what inspired her to be the woman she is now — amid poverty, racism, prejudice, abuses of people in power.

“THEIR TIME IS UP!”… “A new day is on the horizon,” Oprah

Breakthrough elfRen S. CRuz SENATORIAL elections have always been a major topic of discussion and speculation. This year, the candidates for the 2019 senatorial elections will be finalized. There are already surveys on the most probable winners and speculation on who will be running.

One of the reasons that there is so much interest in senatorial elections is the perception that the Senate is a major route to the Presidency. But is this really true?

In the post Marcos martial law regime, there have been six democratically elected presidents.

Three did not serve in the Senate — Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Rodrigo Duterte. Three served in the Senate — Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, Noynoy Aquino.

However, two of them — Estrada and Arroyo — became president right after winning the vice presidency. Only Noynoy Aquino went directly from the Senate to the presidency.

It is true that being a senator gives a political personality national exposure. But it would seem that being a senator is not enough credentials for a person to win the presidency in the modern political era.

The shift toward federalism will also be a major development in the Philippine political environment. The election of state or regional governors will provide another route to the presidency.

We can learn lessons from the

Philstar.com photo

Oprah for president in 2020? Not too fast! said so empathically that made a lot of viewers tear up, this writer included, thinking this is the kind of speech we want our children and grandchildren to hear.

As Oprah was delivering her speech, people were already making social media burn with their “Oprah for President 2020” posts and this has continued to be the hot topic even in homes, schools, offices, television and radio talk shows and newscasts, even after the Golden Globe Awards’ lights went off.

President Donald Trump even chimed in, saying he likes Oprah a lot, but does not think she will run. However, in the event she does, Trump said he will beat her.

But not too fast.

I myself love Oprah a lot. She has a very colorful and compelling life narrative that speaks volume about this woman’s strength, grit, determination,

focus, intelligence, hard work, empathy, compassion, and love for humanity.

Her success story from her humble beginnings to being the successful media mogul she is now has inspired a lot of people. We have seen her rise higher and higher, witnessed her personal struggles on her way up, and felt she is just like every one of us.

Throughout her work on television, she has lifted the lives of millions of people who have watched and listened to her, and her Golden Globe speech was to me, her most shining moment that cast light to so many people during these challenging years in our nation’s history.

BUT beyond her powerful words and inspiring life, we have yet to know more about Oprah Winfrey before we could make the informed decision if she would be a good president, commander-in-chief of this na-

tion.

I am not saying she is NOT qualified. I think she passes the “content of character” test, but what about other leadership and knowledge and vision requirements of a good president? How much does she know about governing, history, current events, international relations? What is her vision for America? What will be her platform to address domestic issues and financial challenges? How will her foreign policies look like? I really want to know.

In the meantime, let us digest and fully assimilate all the great things she spoke about in her speech. My favorite parts: “I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. We know the press is under siege these days. We also know it’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to

corruption and to injustice.

To—to tyrants and victims, and secrets and lies. I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story.”

“In my career, what I’ve always tried my best to do, whether on television or through film, is to say something about how men and women really behave. To say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and how we overcome. I’ve inter-

viewed and portrayed people who’ve withstood some of the ugliest things life can throw at you, but the one quality all of them seem to share is an ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during our darkest nights. So I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.” *** 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

PH Senate elections American political system which is presidential and federal.

In the post Eisenhower period, there have been nine American presidents. Three of them served in the U.S. Senate — John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson. Richard Nixon. Four of them became president after becoming state governors — Jimmy Carter of Georgia, Ronald Reagan of California, Bill Clinton of Arkansas and George Bush Jr. of Texas.

George Bush Sr. ran for the Senate and lost. He became Reagan’s vice-president and won the presidency after Reagan. Donald Trump is the political outlier who became president without holding any previous elective or appointive government office.

In the history of the Philippine Senate, none of the Senators I most admire and respect ever became presidents. My personal list includes Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, Raul Manglapus, Ninoy Aquino, Joker Arroyo and Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. I always thought they would have become great presidents. But the fact that they never became presidents has not diminished their influence on Philippine history. In fact, they have had more impact on our country than most of our previous presidents.

Fifty years from now, I wonder how many of the senators today will still be remembered as having contributed to their country’s progress. Perhaps now is a good time to look back at the members of the Philippine Senate 50 years ago and how many have left any lasting legacy.

The Senate leadership of the 1954-1957 Senate were Eulogio Rodriguez, Senate President;

Manuel Briones, President Pro Tempore, Cipriano Primicias, Majority Floor Leader. The members of the Third Congress were elected in 1953 and 1955. The list includes the following names: Democrito Alonzo, Tomas Cabili, Manuel Cuenco, Francisco Delgado, Ruperto Kangleon, Jose Laurel Sr., Oscar Ledesma, Jose Locsin, Fernando Lopez, Alejo Mabanag, Pacital Madrigal Gonzalez, Enrique Magalona, Quintin Paredes, Emmanuel Pelaez, Macario Peralta, Gil Puyat, Claro Recto, Francisco Soc Rodrigo, Decoroso Rosales, Pedro Sabido, Lorenzo Sumulong, Lorenzo Tanada, Jose Zulueta.

Perhaps our senators will stop focusing on becoming the next president and realize that they can use their position to leave a lasting legacy equal justice and equal opportunity for all Filipinos.

2018 overview For those interested in international geopolitics, Stratfor is a good site for quick assessments and analysis. In their 2018 annual forecast, they identified five major factors to watch this year — North Korea, U.S. Trade Policy, Oil Industry, Iran, and ChinaRussia collaboration.

North Korea’s demonstration of a viable nuclear deterrent this year will give rise to a new and more unstable era of containment. The threat of war on the Korean peninsula cannot be ruled out but a preventive strike against North Korea will cost millions of lives and plunge the global economy into a recession or even a depression.

The White House will forge ahead with an aggressive agenda that will target China, Mexico,

Infographic courtesy of Social Weather Stations

South Korea and Japan. I personally think that a global trade war is about to begin and countries all over the world will begin to adopt nationalist, protectionist trade and investment policies.

The United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia will close ranks against Iran. This means that proxy battles will intensify all over the Middle East. Russia will exploit these mounting tensions to expand its influence in the Middle East at the expense of the United States.

Major oil producers hope to stay on track to rebalance the

global oil market. Saudi Arabia and Russia may be able to work together to counteract an expected uptick in U.S. shale oil output.

Deepening collaboration between China and Russia will pose a strategic threat to the United States, spurring Washington to try and check the budding partnership by reinforcing its own allies in the Eurasian heartland.

The fluidity of alignments among great powers will increasingly define the international system as Moscow and Beijing balance against each other, just as many U.S. allies hedge their relation-

ships with Washington.

Amidst all these gloomy predictions we can only look for hope from people like Pope Francis who has constantly been the voice for peace and sanity in this world. I still remember his message last year: “Peace is the only direction of human progress — and not the tensions caused by ambitious nationalisms, nor conquests by violence nor repressions which serve as mainstay for a false civil order.”

I wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful New Year. (Philstar. com)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 11-17, 2018

A

Veloso tells ‘father of nation’: Help your child duped by crooks

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

PREVIEW. Thousands of devotees clog Quezon Blvd. in Quiapo, Manila during the procession held on Sunday, January 7, where hundreds of Nazarene images and replicas of the Black Nazarene were paraded. The scene will be repeated on Tuesday during the Traslacion but this time, several millions of Black Nazarene devotees will be participating.

ManilaTimes.net photo by John Micah Sebastian

Lorenzana slams Reds for working on Duterte’s ouster

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana slammed Maoist rebels on Wednesday, January 10, following their call for an “unholy alliance” with critics of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring down the government, saying this demonstrates their “bankrupt ideology.”

In a statement, Lorenzana said the invitation of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, both of which are considered terrorists by the government, to work with and build an alliance with anti-Duterte groups showed how far the rebels were from the truth and how years of “propagating lies” had deluded their sense of reality.

“President Duterte is far from being “increasingly isolated” from the Filipino people since according to the latest survey, he has a very high 82 percent approval and trust rating,” the defense chief said.

According to Lorenzana, the rebels, through their official publication, called on their comrades to build an alliance with anti-gov-

ernment personalities and groups, even those with “the biggest contradiction with revolutionary forces,” to remove the president from office.

They encouraged their forces to launch both armed and unarmed campaigns to “deal serious blows to the regime and weaken it until it falls.”

He said that this invitation was also a sign that the communist movement was “crumbling from within” and had already lost their mass-based support and some members who had laid down their arms.

The defense chief reassured the public that the military would do its utmost to defend it from attacks by communist militants.

“We will guard the institutions which are sacred to our democratic way of life and not let any group destroy the ideals which our nation’s forefathers fought and died for,” he said.

Local Maoist rebels are waging one of the longest rebellions in the world, and hopes for a peace deal between them and the government were high when Duterte assumed the presidency.

There was some progress, and

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana slammed Maoist rebels Wednesday following their calls for an alliance that would toward the removal of President Rodrigo Duterte from office.

Philsrar.com photo

Palace defends China’s ‘good faith’ in South China Sea

by PAtriciA lourdes Philstar.com

VirAy

MANILA — Recent reports from Chinese state media that one of the Manila-claimed reefs in the Spratly Islands has been transformed into an airbase is “not news,” Malacañang said on Tuesday, January 9.

Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television had released aerial images of Fiery Cross or Kagitingan Reef show that the artificial island now functions as a fortified airbase with a hospital and military installations.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, however, said that China has not yet breached its “good faith commitment” not to reclaim new islands.

“From the very beginning China, we knew, was militarizing the area by reclaiming these areas and by using them as military bases so the fact that they are actually using it now as military bases, as far as I am concerned, is not new,” Roque said in a televised press briefing.

Roque had earlier claimed the Palace “[doesn’t] know where these works are.”

He stressed that the Philippine government continues to rely on Beijing’s “good faith” that it will not embark on new reclamation activities inside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Duterte’s spokesman added that the Philippines has always been against the militarization of the disputed area.

Defense Secretary Delfin

Lorenzana, on the other hand, appears to have a different position on recent developments on Fiery Cross Reef.

The Defense chief warned that the Philippines will file a diplomatic protest against China if proven that they are militarizing the reclaimed islands.

Asked about Lorenzana’s comment, Roque said that this would be up to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The DFA under the leadership of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has opted to focus on aspects of diplomatic ties with China outside the South China Sea dispute.

Citing the July 2016 ruling of the United Nations-back tribunal, Roque noted that only the Philippines has the right to make installations within the disputed features as part of its exclusive economic zone.

“I think that without doing anything, the tribunal already articulated the correct legal position of the country and the correct legal position that the Philippines is the coastal state that should exercise sovereign rights within its exclusive economic zone,” Roque said.

Roque had cited the landmark tribunal award, which the Duterte administration repeatedly refused to bring up during talks with Beijing to settle the South China Sea dispute.

The Philippines, as ASEAN chair last year, made no mention of the tribunal award in all of its statements following the leaders’ meetings in Manila in April and November. n

Most Filipinos rate Duterte...

PAGE A5 of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s approval rating of 59 percent and a trust rating of 58 percent.

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, on the other hand, got 57 percent approval rating and 53 percent trust rating, while House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had an approval rating of 42 and a trust rating of 37 percent.

Lauding the Duterte’s high ratings, Roque said the survey result

only “showed that our people are aware of and recognizes significant strides the president undertook in his one year and a half in office.”

The Palace official also assured that Duterte “will continue to discharge his duties with nation’s interest foremost in his mind.”

He also called on the public “to put this appreciation into action by standing as one and helping the government as we continue to address the problem of poverty, illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.” n

the president appointed some leftleaning personalities in his Cabinet.

However, peace negotiations have been stalled following accusations by both sides of violations and continuous armed operations against each other.

The military is accusing rebels of continuous attacks despite peace negotiations while the militants are complaining about operations against indigenous people and incursions into their so-called territories.

Last December, both sides have declared a cessation of hostilities to allow soldiers and rebels to spend some time with their families during the holidays. n

PAtAg

MANILA - On her 33rd birthday, convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso asked President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she called “father of the nation,” to help her tell her story in court.

“Pangulong Duterte kayo po ang ama ng aming bansa at isa po sa inyong tungkulin na protektahan ang inyong mga anak sa kapahamakan na nagbabanta sa kanilang buhay, lalong lalo na po sa tulad naming mahihirap na nagiging biktima na masasamang tao na naghahangad ng kayamanan sa masamang paraan (President Duterte, you are the father of our nation and one of your duties is to protect your children from threats on their lives, especially those who are poor like me who become victims of evil people who want wealth through crooked means),” read Veloso’s letter to Duterte.

A transcript of Veloso’s audio appeal to Duterte was posted by News 5 Aksyon.

Veloso said she was granted a reprieve from execution in 2015 because her alleged recruiters Julius Lacanilao and Christina Sergio attested that she had been used to unwittingly carry drugs into Indonesia.

“Pero bakit po magtatatlong taon na ang nakakalipas nang ihinto ang bitay sakin, pero hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin nakakamtan ang katarungan (But why is it that I have been behind bars

Mary Jane Veloso asked President Rodrigo Duterte, whom she called “father of the nation,” to help her tell her story in court.

Philstar.com photo

for three years and I still have not known justice)?” she added.

Veloso said that she knows that Duterte hates drugs, but she pointed out that her situation is unique.

Veloso was arrested in April 2010 at the Audisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia with heroin sewn into the lining of her luggage. She has maintained her innocence and has claimed that she was duped by her recruiters into carrying the drugs.

She was convicted by the Indonesian court and sentenced to death.

Following a personal plea from President Benigno Aquino III and the surrender of Lacanilao and Sergio, Veloso was given a last-minute reprieve in April 2015.

Veloso also pleaded with the appellate court to “further study” her case so she can “tell the truth and those who have done wrong may be punished.”

Last December 13, the former

11th Division of the Court of Appeals ruled against a local court judge’s decision to have her testify through deposition. The court said that allowing that violates the rights of the accused to confront the witness—a decision that was slammed

by Veloso’s lawyers as “disappointing and ironic.”

Sergio and Lacanilao are represented by the Public Attorney’s Office, while lawyer Edre Olalia of the National Union of People’s Lawyers represents Veloso. He is also a private prosecutor in the case against the alleged illegal recruiters.

Olalia said that Veloso’s lawyers are “in coordination with the public prosecutors and indirectly with the [Office of the Solicitor General] so our plea for a reconsideration will be given a fair shake.”

When Duterte and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo met in April 2017, the Malacañang said that Veloso’s case was not discussed during the meeting. n

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Journal

Filipino culture, talent on display at LA Clippers Filipino Heritage Night Filipino Pixar animator Gini Cruz

By Christina

AJPress

It’s no secret that Filipinos revel in the game of basketball — from the sport becoming a center topic of discussion at family get-togethers to multi-generations gathering around the living room on a game night. the support for the game was no different this week, as the heavy downpour in Los Angeles wasn’t enough to deter many of them from arriving in droves to the staples Center for the Los Angeles Clippers game versus the Atlanta Hawks. On Monday, January 8, the Clippers held the annual Filipino Heritage Night, as they have been for the past nine seasons since 2009.

During the event in 2016, Raymond townsend — the first Fil-Am player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) — was honored by the team and met with Fil-Am fans in the audience. this year’s celebration went beyond simply handing out commemoration memorabilia, as the entire night was specifically programmed to honor Fil-Am fans, from pre- and post-game activities and the halftime show. “the Clippers have an incredibly diverse fan base, and we work hard to build authentic connections with our fans and the broader L.A. community through events

Apl.de.ap

Santos wins 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Motion Picture

Oriel

by MaridOl

ranOa-BisMark Philstar.com

As part of those who created one of Pixar’s latest films, “Coco,” Filipino Pixar supervising animator Gini Cruz santos is also co-recipient of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Motion Picture that went to “Coco.”

“Coco” is the first Pixar film centered on a Mexican cultural festival. It bested other animated films in the Golden Globes, namely, “the Boss Baby,” “Ferdinand,” “Loving Vincent,” and “the Breadwinner.”

In a previous interview with The Star, santos said it took them about six years to create “Coco” as they have to travel back and forth to Mexico to for intensive research.

Fil-Am influencers from entertainment to fashion entertained select fans with a game of basketball.

“the Mexican culture, they kind of share our dynamic a little bit as family. For me, I was excited because I felt like all our research in the dynamic of our acting and just kind of a how the Mexican family relates to each other feels Filipino,” santos told a group of journalists during the roundtable interview last year in Manila.

A native of Pasay City and a graduate of the University of santo tomas in Manila, santos is also among those behind Disney’s “Brave” and Dory in “Finding Nemo.”

Pinoy pride at the Golden Globes Besides santos, Filipino-American composer Robert Lopez and PAGE B2

The Los Angeles Clippers celebrated Filipino Heritage Night on Monday, January 8 during their home game versus Atlanta Hawks.

AJPress photos by Noel Ty

like [Monday’s] Filipino Heritage highly engaging experience at Night. We continually strive to each game,” Matt Paye, the Clipgive our fans a fun, exciting, and pers’ vice president of marketing, told the Asian Journal.

Roslynn Cobarrubias, cofounder of global talent discovery platform & creative network Mydiveo and one of the organizers for Monday’s Filipino Heritage Night, told the Asian Journal that the program was orchestrated “with different elements” to highlight the Fil-Am community in Los Angeles.

“Generationally, we all grew up in a household where basketball was big and always playing on the television. Just historically, Filipinos are very talented at basketball — many of us may not be the right size but we are very big fans of it, and have always watched games

in person or on television and have bought a lot of merchandise,” she said. the game against the Atlanta Hawks kicked off with R&B singer Jessica Reynoso, whom Apl.de.Ap discovered through “the Voice Philippines,” singing the National Anthem.

During half-time, Apl.de.Ap energized the crowd with his performance of “Bebot” and “I Gotta Feelin’” with Reynoso.

Apl.de.Ap told the Asian Journal that the night was a “proud moment to celebrate our Filipino culture in an American setting.”

“Filipinos are all over the industry but we don’t get to shine or we are quiet and like to be in the background. But today, we got PAGE B3

Manny Pacquiao

Photo screengrabbed from “Infinite Challenge’s” Youtube channel

Manny Pacquiao toys with Korean variety show hosts in ‘boxing’ match by kristine JOy

Patag

variety show led by Yoo Jae suk, “Nation’s MC.” Like basketball superstar steEIGHt-division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao’s phen Curry of the Golden state went back to amateur boxing for Warriors who earlier guested at his first match in 2018. this time, the show, Pacquiao allowed fun he battled it out with hosts of the into his league as he fought it out popular south Korean variety with members sporting extended arms, multiple arms, extra-large show “Infinite Challenge.”

Pacquiao showed off his famed gloves and extra padding. the other hosts of the show, boxing skills while slugging it out with the six hosts of the Korean PAGE B2 Philstar.com

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Golden Globes nominee Robert Catriona Gray tries out for Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Lopez wears Oliver Tolentino

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

AFTER representing the Philippines in Miss World 2016, Australian-Filipina model and title-holder Catriona Gray applied for Binibining Pilipinas 2018.

In an Instagram post, Catriona announced that she is now eyeing to join the Binibining Pilipinas pageant.

“Today marks the reveal of an evolution of self that has been quietly happening away from the public’s eye for a little while now,” Catriona wrote.

“It was in no way planned, but sometimes the stars align to make Catriona Gray Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray things happen,” she added.

GOLDEN Globes nominee Robert “Bobby” Lopez wore a piña tuxedo by designer Oliver Tolentino to the recent Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 7 where he and his wife Kristen were nominated for Best Song.

The couple wrote the song titled “Remember Me” featured in the film “Coco.” “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” ended up winning best song. “Coco” won in the Best Animated Film category.

In order to promote native Philippine fabrics, Tolentino created a hand-dyed black piña eco tuxedo jacket with matching piña vest for Lopez. Lopez also is Filipino-American and was interested in tapping into his heritage by wearing piña.

In addition to his recent nomination, Lopez has won every major award, including a Tony for “The Book of Mormon”. In

Filipino Pixar animator Gini Cruz Santos wins...

Robert Lopez with wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez

fact, after he and his wife won the Oscar in 2014 for the song “Let It Go” from “Frozen”, Lopez became what’s called an EGOT — a winner of all categories of major awards: the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Only 12 people in the history of entertainment have competitively won all four awards.

Creations by Tolentino were worn by a dozen attendees to Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel-Peters with the Golden Globes, including former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner. former Miss Universe Margaret

Photos by Sthanlee B. Mirador

Gardiner who is a member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that puts on the Globes.

Gardiner wore the designer’s black sequin-patterned gown to escort her guest, the current Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, to the awards (Nel-Peters wore a South African designer). They are the only two Miss Universes from South Africa.

For more info on the designer, please visit: www.OliverTolentino.com.

Manny Pacquiao toys with Korean variety show...

PAGE B1 Park Myeong-su, Jeong Jun Ha, Haha, Yang Se-hyung and Jo SeHo, also expressed giddiness at sharing the ring with the international superstar.

Pacquiao likewise invited the comedians to visit the Philippines.

He told them he will host them in his home either in Manila or General Santos City, to the delight of

The former Miss World bet who finished in the top five of the 2016 edition of the pageant thanked her supporters and asked for their continued support.

“Maraming Salamat sa inyong tiwala at sana samahan niyo ako sa aking bagong paglalakbay,” Catriona said.

Miss Universe-Philippines 2010 Venus Raj also confirmed that Catriona filed an application for the prestigious local pageant which would determine the representatives to international pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Intercontinental, Miss Supranational and Miss Globe.

the show’s members. He also said that they can create a group chat to further plan the trip.

In the end, Pacquiao won against the members, scoring 25-0.

Filipino-Korean host and comedian Ryan Bang served as Pacquiao’s translator for the show.

The episode was shown on

January 6. The shoot was done during Pacquiao’s visit in South Korea in December.

During his trip, Pacquiao was also recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as Seoul global ambassador for leading in cultivating better relationship and exchanges between South Korea and the Philippines.

PAGE B1 his wife, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, were also nominated in the 2018 Golden Globes for their composition, “Remember Me,” “Coco’s” theme song. “Remember Me,” which Anderson-Lopez describes as a “message of goodbye,” was nominated for Best Original Song.

In 2014, the couple won the Best Original Song award for their hit composition “Let it Go,” from the acclaimed 2013 animated film “Frozen.”

Apart from Lopez and Santos, among the latest Filipinos to make it to the list of Golden Globe winners is animation writer Ronnie del Carmen, whose work in Pixar’s “Inside Out” bore fruit when the motion picture won the Best Animated Film Feature award in 2016.

The Cavite-born Del Carmen co-directed “Inside Out,” and was one of its writers. He worked on the set of Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Apocalypse Now” before getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Santo Tomas.

Another Golden Globes winner with a Filipino as driving force is the hit Disney film “Zootopia,” which was declared Best Animated Feature at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Josie Trinidad, co-head of “Zootopia,” is a second generation FilAm. Her mom was born and raised in Canlubang, Laguna; her dad in San Juan, Manila. Josie’s maternal grandparents hail from Ilocos, San Juan and La Union.

In an interview with The Star’s Ricky Lo, Josie said it helps a lot that her Filipino ancestors taught her to value the family, because

Filipino animator Gini Cruz Santos is a co-recipient of the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animation Motion Picture for “Coco”.

Philstar.com photos

this has become her wellspring of (emotional) support.

Twenty one year old Fil-Am singer-actress Hailee Steinfeld, meanwhile, was nominated for Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for the film “The Edge of Seventeen” at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Steinfeld is one-eighth Filipina.

Her maternal grandfather was half Filipino and half African-American.

Steinfeld also stands out in the music scene, where her single, “Starving,” placed 12th at the

Billboard Hot 100 chart. Another song, “Let Me Go,” reached number 21 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart in the U.S. The annual Golden Globes is yet another proof that Filipinos can stand head and shoulders above other filmmakers from around the word. Filipinos may not have the First World technology of their Hollywood, European and Japanese counterparts. But they more than make up for this lack of resources with their talent and knack for making do.

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Coco Martin happy for Special Jury Prize

by GeorGe

Kabrisante ManilaTimes.net

IN a sit down with some members of the movie press on the set of the ongoing top-rated teleserye “Ang Probinsyano,” Coco Martin showed he was more than ecstatic in winning the Special Jury Prize for his role in “Ang Panday” at the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2017.

Also awarded Special Jury Prize was playwright National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin for his original play “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” which was translated into Filipino as “Ang Larawan” by another National

Coco Martin

Artist, Rolando Tinio. The movie version, set to the music of Ryan Cayabyab, and directed by Loy Arcenas, went on to win Best Picture, Best Actress for Joanna Ampil, Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award, Best Production Design, and Best Musical Direction for Ryan Cayabyab.

In his capacity as producer, actor, and director as Rodel Nacianceno, Martin bagged other awards like the Fernando Poe Jr. Memorial Award, Children’s Choice Award, and Best Visual Effects.

While the Special Jury Prize is second in ranking to the Best Actor award won by Derek Ramsay for “All Of You,” Coco Martin ad-

Inquirer.net photo

mits to the fact that he is indeed more than happy to receive said award along with Nick Joaquin, albeit posthumously bestowed upon the noted playwright.

To him, the award, given especially by the MMFF’s board of jurors, is a validation of his dream to become an esteemed actor, so to speak.

In hindsight, Caveat had it in past interviews with the actor regarding his long time dream to be acknowledged as a versatile actor, adding that in Ang Panday, he went through the roller coaster and gamut of emotions in the scenes which called for him to do drama, swashbuckling action stunts, and comedy.

He considers it triple rewarding as it acknowledged his capacity to produce a hit movie, direct, and act in it competently as well.

The actor intimated further that the highly encouraging turnout of his opus both in the commercial and critical realm was an answer to his fervent prayer from the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. A self-confessed devotee of the Nazarene, he said that his pious devotion began when his grandmother used to tag him to Quiapo Church when he was just a young boy.

Coco Martin has received over 80 prestigious awards and recognitions from local awardgiving bodies plus a handful of impressive awards abroad since he joined showbiz in 2006.

Moreover, his box-office and mass appeal was validated by several awards from the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation Awards as Prince of Philippine TV.

Fil-Am influencers from entertainment to fashion entertained select fans with a game of basketball.

AJPress photos by Noel Ty

Filipino culture, talent on display at LA Clippers...

PAGE B1 to express ourselves, be loud, and show our culture,” he said.

Eighteen-year-old Filipina Kyla Fajardo-Santos — the youngest member of the Clippers Spirit Dance Team — got to dance alongside Apl.de.Ap during his set.

“The thing with being a dancer, it’s not really work for me. I love my job because I get to dance every single night,” she told the Asian Journal. “I’ve gotten to dance with artists like tonight with Apl. This is one step closer to my dream.”

A portion of the night’s ticket proceeds benefitted the Apl.de.Ap Foundation, which helps students in the Philippines by building classrooms and computer labs.

Currently the foundation has built 34 classrooms and plans to create more with the help of the night’s funds.

“We worked closely with Apl. de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas to create a unique and authentic game experience for Filipino Heritage Night and to give back to the community, with partial proceeds from Filipino Heritage Night ticket sales going to the Apl.de.ap Foundation. The event was a win for both the Clippers and L.A.’s Filipino community,” Paye added.

Further showcasing Filipinos’ love for basketball, after the main Clippers game (wherein they narrowly won 108-107), a special match between two teams — led by Apl.de.ap and DJ E-Man of radio station Power 106 — was held featuring Fil-Am celebrities and influencers in various industries from entertainment to fashion.

“We wanted to give something back to the people who purchased tickets that they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere, and that was the post-game with Filipino influencers alongside some fans who wanted the opportunity to play with the stars on either Team Apl or Team DJ E-Man,” Cobarrubias said.

She remarked that the night’s festivities were successful in part

by DJ E-Man, who was a “perfect fit to work together.” “[A]s the music director of

Apl.de.ap with Clippers Spirit Dance Team member Kyla Fajardo-Santos and Jessica Reynoso

Power 106, he produces a weekly celebrity basketball games for high schools across LA and a big yearly one for charity at USC,” she said.

Those on the court included actors Dante and Dion Basco, choreographer Brian Puspos, and rapper P-Lo. Kobe Paras was also present at the game, serving as assistant coach to Apl’s team. Both teams were outfitted in custom jerseys, representing Clippers’ colors and the Philippine flag, made by Filipino brand New Jersey Sets.

Fil-Am radio personality Manny Streetz Guevara said he attended Filipino Heritage Night and participated in the celebrity game as a way to give back “to our heritage and how we grew up.”

“Basketball is a great connector in our community. Filipinos play basketball at some point in their lives,” he told the Asian Journal. “It was so fun to be alongside people I grew up watching on TV or singing to their music. I finally got to meet them and play with them.”

Coinciding with Filipino Heritage Night, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) also had a presence at the Staples Center on Monday, inviting people — Fil-Am or not — back to the Philippines.

This is part of the department’s partnership with the Clippers to feature the country in the team’s home games this year.

“Among the several scheduled games lined-up in 2019, we specifically requested that we must be part of the Filipino Heritage Night to show our support to the Filipino-American community’s efforts in promoting Philippine

pride and fostering solidarity among Filipinos in the community,” DOT-Los Angeles attaché Richmond Jimenez told the Asian Journal. “Basketball is the Philippines’ number one sport and is a game watched by many even far ahead of boxing and beauty pageants. This game attracts viewers across demographics, thus PDOT-LA [found] it a fitting venue and platform to promote the Philippines and attract funloving people to come to our country.”

Basketball teams, such as the Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, also have their own versions of nights to recognize their Fil-Am fans. Other sports teams like baseball, from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the San Francisco Giants, do annual celebrations as well.

“When Filipinos are together, we’re able to show the strength our community and be a voice so that these large mainstream corporations understand the power of the Filipino dollar. Just having us incorporated on a large scale, whether it’s heritage night, an artist on television or an actor or politician, is huge. With the taboo and the crab mentality in our community, we don’t really rally to support one another but it shows at sporting events that we can and we do,” Cobarrubias said. “It’s bigger than just going to a Clippers and Hawks game.

It’s actually showing our buying power and our community, bringing a voice and family together, and doing something fun so we can then support each other in other areas.”

While they have all performed with one another in various shows, ‘#paMORE’ is their first opportunity to tackle songs all together in complete harmony—Nievera is a baritone, Alcasid a tenor, Velasquez a soprano and Santos sings across the scales.

ManilaTimes.net photo

MARTIN NIEVERA, OGIE ALCASID, REGINE VELASQUEZ AND ERIK SANTOS

What ‘MORE’ can you ask for in 2018’s first big OPM concert

by tessa

Mauricioa-arriola ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine concert scene is kicking off 2018 as it should with Original Pilipino Music’s best lording over a single stage.

As a prelude to the busiest concert season of every year at Valentine’s, Concert King Martin Nievera, Singer-Songwriter Ogie Alcasid, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez and Prince of Pop Erik Santos will headline “#paMORE” at the Mall of Asia Arena on February 10.

Besides being a popular millennial hashtag, the word “MORE” is the acronym of the artists’ first names, while the phrase itself promises an evening of limitless musical talent.

The one-night-only concert is by the way one of the few big local acts to make it among the roster of Valentine’s shows for 2018, and the four Platinum-recording are grateful that as early as November, when #paMORE tickets first came out, sales have been through the roof.

“It’s my 35th year in the business, Regine’s on her 31st, Ogie’s

celebrating his 30th this year, and well, Erik’s turning 15,” Martin rolled his eyes jokingly at the youngest headliner, “and it’s really a rare thing for someone to be in a cast like this. Sana ‘more pa’ like this.”

As Regine explained, while they have all performed with one another in various shows, this is their first opportunity to tackle songs all together and explore where their voices can take them.

“Harmonizing is my favorite thing to do and with the four of us, kumpleto na kami. Ogie is a tenor, Martin’s a baritone, I’m a soprano, and Erik can go the whole range!

So, I’m excited to see all the new things we can do together. We’ll do quartets, trios, duets—lahat puwede naming magawa for this show.”

As power balladeers, Regine further said they all have their love for ‘80s music in common.

“We’ll do a few new songs I’m sure, but they will have to be appropriate to our style and age—nothing pilit,” the Songbird added.

As for Erik, who looked every bit overwhelmed to be lined up among OPM’s reigning icons, he expressed, “After po ng concert na ito puwede na po akong mamatay. Isa po itong dream come true for me. Dream come true na ‘yung ‘Royals’ [his 2016 Valentine’s concert with Martin, Regine and Angeline Quinto], mas dream come true pa ito kasi iniisip mo lang makakasama mo ang tatlong icons natin sa isang stage… talagang speechless na ako. It’s such a blessing for me.”

Returning the good vibes, Martin, Ogie and Regine sincerely agreed that Erik deserved to be in the line-up given his talent and achievements in the business.

“He’s such a great singer and alam ko na in this concert malaki ang mako-contribute niya. So, I’m really very happy that he is with us,” Regine stated. #paMORE is a co-production of Anna Puno’s Starmedia Entertainment and Cacai Velasquez-Mitra’s I-Music Entertainment, with stage direction by Paolo Valenciano and musical direction by Louie Ocampo and Raul Mitra.

B january 11-17, 2018 • LaS VEGaS aSIan jOurnaL

EntErtainmEnt

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

Paul Soriano hopes to end ‘affair’ Fifty shades of white: Anastasia Steele stuns in Monique Lhuillier wedding gown rumor with Erich Gonzales

by KatrIna

Hallare Inquirer.net

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

Filmmaker Paul Soriano is still unable to escape the infidelity issue involving actress erich Gonzales, which had partially overshadowed his entry “Siargao” to the 2017 metro manila Film Festival (mmFF). Soriano won Best Director for his work on the modern day drama, which besides Gonzales stars Jericho rosales and Jasmine Curtis-Smith.

Soriano, who married actresshost Toni Gonzaga in 2015, spent six weeks in the famed surfing destination to film the movie.

Back then, there were rumors that even as other cast members would take the opportunity to return to manila in between shooting schedules, Gonzales and Soriano were among those who chose to stay for the stretch. Occasionally spotted lunching together on the island, the infidelity issue started rolling. “i think it’s [the rumors]just part of the industry. it’s the unfortunate part of the industry that you just have to accept. at the end of the day naman, i am focused and my objective was to make a film and tell a story, nothing else.

That’s just what it is,” Soriano reacted during a thanksgiving press conference on January 4 in Quezon City. in past interviews, the 36year-old shared that it is normal practice for him to have lunch with cast members while working on a film and did so with rosales many times as well. He pointed out a similar kind of rumor also unfolded when he shot the movie “Thelma” in ilocos Norte with maja Salvador in 2011.

Winner Despite the controversies, Soriano is overwhelmed by the success of his first foray into the mmFF, which earned him and his team seven major awards. Besides the Best Director plum, Siargao won Second Best Picture, Best Supporting actress for Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Best editing, Best Cinematography, Best Original Theme Song and Best Sound. “it was really a happy New Year for me. my past films have been very niche. From 40 cinemas in the first two days of the festival, after we won the awards, we had more than 150 moviehouses,” he shared.

“Now i can say that i can really

EMPLOYMENT

PrePare to see a Filipino-designed wedding gown in the last film of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy.

On instagram, Filipino-French fashion designer monique lhuillier posted a promotional photo of characters anastasia Steele (portrayed by Dakota Johnson) and Christian Grey (played by Jamie Dornan) from the erotica film series “Fifty Shades of Grey”. The photo depicts a scene from the movie adaptation of the final installment of the series titled, “Fifty Shades Freed”, set for a worldwide release on Feb. 14.

in the photo, the actors are seen sharing a kiss in their wedding. The stunning white lace number Steele wore is the designer’s creation.

“The climactic final chapter begins Valentine’s Day. Can’t wait to unveil the dress!” lhuillier wrote. meanwhile, in the movie’s officaial instagram page, another photo showed more details of Steele’s wedding gown. it revealed that the dress is supported with buttons down the back.

The bride definitely looked radiant in her gown while sharing the first dance with her husband. look in love, anastasia!

Celebrities who adore the Black Nazarene

by MarIdol

rañoa-BIsMarK Philstar.com

Paul Soriano

make a film for a bigger audience, especially the mmFF, which is technically the biggest audience of the year. and then when we did well with the awards and picked up in the box office… it just shows na kaya ko. Now, i am inspired to make more stories,” he said. moreover, Soriano was able to cull an important insight during the entire mmFF process. “if there’s one thing that this festival has really taught me it’s that not everybody is going to like what you make and not everyone is going to appreciate what you made. “in every film that i do, i know i cannot please everyone. even the greatest directors get a lot of bad reviews. But what i like is the discourse a bad review creates.

So yung mga bad reviews i read them, because they have some points i can learn from. The positive reviews naman, it inspires me to do more, and as a filmmaker it really is fulfilling.” looking forward Soriano said there is lot on his plate for 2018 but he will be more careful pursuing them coming from the success of Siargao. He said that he wants to make sure to ride this kind of momentum for his next movie.

Soriano disclosed that his production TeN17P is planning to make a movie for his wife Toni and her sister alex Gonzaga.

“Sisters concept and pang-pa-

ManillaTimes.net photo

milya of course within the brand of Toni and alex Gonzaga. in terms of who is directing, we don’t know yet but i’ve always told my wife i want to produce a movie for her,” Soriano continued.

The director further shared he is developing a script for movie starring aga muhlach and Bea alonzo to be co-produced by Star Cinema. “it’s been a dream of mine to work with aga ever since my father (Jeric Soriano) shot him in ‘Hotshots,’ i think in 1983 or 1984. it was the first Filipino film that i watched as a child. Betamax pa ‘yan!” he laughed.

“Of course, aga has been a family friend growing up. He was also ninong at our wedding. We’ve kept in touch, and what’s nice with aga honestly is, this is like my fourth concept we pitched to him. He says no even if you are friends and he’d say, ‘Paul walang personalan pero hindi ko type yung concept.’ So we try again.

This time parang i got it. Okay siya and we were able to get Bea’s approval as well.”

Work is still in progress for the script, which Soriano describes will be a heavy drama compared to Siargao’s light storyline.

Finally asked where the film will be shot, the director who is clearly inspired by locations said, “it’s going to be shot abroad — completely shot abroad. let’s say North america.”

SERVICES

ON January 9, around four million local and foreign devotees flocked to the annual Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo, manila, and among them are celebrities.

But the stars, who seem to be far more blessed than you and me, seem to have everything. What more can they ask for in life? as it turns out, these stars are as devoted to the Black Nazarene as any other believer, and here is why.

Angeline Quinto The kapamilya singer-actress’ devotion to the Black Nazarene dates back to 15 years ago, when she was nine. in 2011, the “Star Power: Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar” winner even joined the sea of humanity that walked barefoot every time the Traslacion came around. angeline never imagined her devotion to the Nazareno will change her life years after, when her mom fell ill. She went straight to Quiapo Church after visiting her mom at the Philippine Heart Center, every single day.

Now that her mom is well again, angeline’s faith has grown by leaps and bounds. She took time off from her packed schedule last year to mount the carriage bearing the centuries-old image. This year, angeline got a pleasant surprise when Joseph magcalas of apalit, Pampanga gave her a small replica of the Black Nazarene.

Coco Martin like angeline, Coco’s faith in

Noli de Castro

the Black Nazarene goes back to his childhood, when he tagged along with his grandmother in going to the church.

Years later, the star of the hit teleserye “ang Probinsyano” found himself in front of the Black Nazarene again.

“Sinasabi ko, ‘Mahal na Nazareno, bigyan Niyo lang po sana ako ng trabaho, kahit ano. Kahit hindi na po ako matulog, tatanggapin ko po iyan, basta bigyan Niyo po ako ng maayos na trabaho na mabubuhay ko ang pamilya ko,” he relates.

Coco believes the Nazarene’s generosity is responsible in granting 10 of his 15 petitions. So he makes it a point to go to Quiapo Church, even if he is busy. He tries to be as low key as possible to avoid distracting other devotees. last year, Coco heard mass at the church before the procession kicked off. Then, he joined the sea of humanity and was rewarded with the rare privilege of touching

SERVICES

ABS-CBN photo

part of the Nazarene image.

Kris Aquino in 2013, kris held a Black Nazarene handkerchief while asking msgr. Clem ignacio to pray for her friend Boy abunda’s mother, who was then confined in the hospital. kris acted as proxy for Boy, who cannot be present at that time.

She placed the handkerchief in a ziplock then sent it to Boy. Noli de Castro The veteran broadcaster would forego his chores as primetime news anchor to go to Quaipo and join the feast of the Black Nazarene.

Other celebrities who have braved the crowd and joined the Traslacion include award-winning actor Christopher de leon and funnyman Bayani agbayani.

Stars who have a veneration for the Black Nazarene include celebrity siblings John and Camille Prats, Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista, singer-actress Vina morales and TV host amy Perez.

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Your Immigration Solution Atty. devin Connolly & nAnCy Miller It is no surprise that many people dream of one day becoming a U.S citizen. After all, a person must be a U.S. citizen to vote in elections, file petitions so their parents can immigrate to the U.S., be issued a U.S. passport, etc. Despite the many advantages of U.S. citizenship, it should also come as no surprise that people sometimes do things that make their path to U.S. citizenship more challenging. these mistakes are a part of life. But the question here is: do these mistakes prevent a person from being granted U.S. citizenship? And, thankfully, the answer is: not always.

One of the most common ways a person acquires U.S. citizenship is through the process known as naturalization. there are several requirements a person must satisfy for their application to be approved. they include permanent resident status for a prescribed period of time, physical presence in the U.S., and good moral character. Many applications are denied because the applicant lacks the requisite good moral character. the concept of requiring an applicant to possess good moral

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 1 of 2) FOR good or ill, advances in communication technology have reshaped our lives drastically far more than we can imagine a decade or so ago. We email, Facebook, Youtube, twitter and Instagram and think nothing of it. We write comments and post photos and videos for our friends, friends of friends or for all the world to see. Posts can go viral, depending on the public’s whim or appetite for cute things or those with shock value.

If we don’t watch it, we could be buried in this avalanche of information, sights and sounds available electronically right at our fingertips 24/7. It is an amazing phenomenon defying space and time constraints, the cumulative, social effects of which, we still have to evaluate in hindsight.

A few words to the wise: PROCEED WItH CAUtION. Much of cyberbia is uncharted territory.

It’s a jungle out there.

Corporations who trade in bits and bytes milk the web for information that can advance their corporate goals, that is to say, their profit and loss statements.

Scammers of every nationality and persuasion holed out in their rooms or in cyber cafes are out in full force still making fools of the greedy lot who still believe in something for nothing. Identity thieves troll social network sites to get information about birthdays, addresses and such

Health@Heart PhiliP S. ChuA, Md, FACS, FPCS NINEtEEN years ago, I wrote my article entitled “How to Prevent Cancer”, a serious topic I also discussed in my book, Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children (www.philipSchua.com).

A review on cancer in the United States in 2014 by the American Cancer Society revealed that almost 50 percent of cancer deaths were related to smoking, unhealthy diet, and bad lifestyle and behaviors.

In the U.S., 36.5 million adults smoke, with 16 million living with a smoking-related illness.

While smoking has gone down by about 15 percent, obesity has tremendously increased.

Forty-five percent of cancer mortality and 42 percent of cancers detected were caused by preventable or modifiable risk factors, not genetics. these cancer-inducing factors include tobacco, Alcohol, Bad diet, Absence of exercise – (tABA). Actually, obesity (“taba” in the Philippine dialect) is also, in itself, a great risk factor for cancer. Lifestyle is definitely the key to disease prevention, including cancer, heart and metabolic diseases, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

Smoking is responsible for 29 percent of deaths, followed by obesity, 6.5 percent, and alcohol, 4 percent. Secondhand smoke is also a killer, possibly worse.

Smoking on top of excess drinking would obviously be more deadly.

Here below are data from this study which was published in CA,

Community Journal

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARy 11-17, 2018

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Becoming a US citizen despite a not-perfect past character for a prescribed period of time prior to submitting their application is one of the more complex requirements of naturalization. Many acts that one might not think of as evidencing bad moral character may nevertheless be considered in making a good moral character determination. the Immigration and Nationality Act lists several specific acts that preclude an applicant from establishing good moral character. these include lying to obtain an immigration benefit, committing certain criminal offenses, the willful failure to pay support for dependents, and engaging in an extramarital affair which tended to destroy an existing marriage. However, the list of prohibited acts is not absolute. thus, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service may deny an application on good moral character grounds even though their act was not specifically prohibited.

Furthermore, acts outside of the required good moral character period can also be considered in determining an applicant’s good moral character. However, as the saying goes — good moral character does not mean perfect moral character. Proof of why those acts do not define the person can help overcome a prior misstep.

Regarding prior criminal acts, a disqualifying criminal conviction in the prescribed period of

required good moral character will automatically render an individual ineligible for naturalization. However, a disqualifying criminal offense outside of the prescribed period can also cause an application for naturalization to be denied. the government is afforded broad discretion to examine otherwise non-disqualifying criminal convictions outside the prescribed period to determine if the underlying facts warrant a favorable finding of good moral character. therefore, an analysis of good moral character extends far beyond the prescribed period. these issues may not result in an automatic denial but they must be adequately explained.

When applying for naturalization with a criminal history, it is important to determine whether the conviction could not only cause the non-citizen’s application for naturalization to be denied, but also whether it will cause the Department of Homeland Security to attempt take away their permanent resident status (Green card) and deport them to their native country. the answer to this question depends on various things, including whether the underlying crime is considered a ‘Crime Involving Moral turpitude’ or an ‘Aggravated Felony,’ the date of the crime and the date on which the person was issue their green

Mindfulness as virtue “Social media should improve your life, NOT become your life!”

–Patrick Driessen relevant information from which they can put together and extrapolate your SSN and assume your identity. that number is a key that can open financial doors for the ill intentioned. Consider yourself warned.

So much is already out there in the public records and on Google and Google Maps complete with street views. You can view mug shots of those with arrest records and for a few bucks more, cull out the details.

I am guessing that in the future, when it finally dawns on us that OBSCURItY is a blessing and CELEBRItY, a curse, there will be a market for Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloaks to shield us from all this unwanted intrusion into our private lives.

We are all vulnerable to determined privacy intruders. tweak or fine-tune your privacy settings to limit your exposure.

Refrain from signaling your intention when going on vacation so thieves don’t ransack your home. Alas and alack! the world may have become your stage but not everyone is rootin’ for you. the rules for social networking are still being drawn but a few, yet-to-be-written guidelines have congealed just in the last few years and have become quite apparent and definitely bears repeating and amplifying. Do take heed.

Your postings at all social net-

working sites define who you are and delineate your character to the world. Your thoughts, your ideas and comments, your images, even your choice of words give an insight to your personality and character traits. they reflect your values, give a hint of your weaknesses and vulnerabilities and can be a measure of the size of your ego. taken altogether, they paint a composite picture of you, either flattering or not.

Even the amount of time you spend on online games is a sliver of insight into your interests and how you spend your free time. It may be indicative of whether you are near the brink of obsessivecompulsive behavior or a candidate for the nuthouse.

Unfair? Of course it is. It is a flat and one-dimensional picture of who you are. You are a far more complex person than what your Facebook and twitter postings give you credit for. But based on available information that you yourself provided, that’s how you want the people that orbit in your universe see you. take heed from a phrase that police officers read to suspects, “ …

Anything you say (and in social networking, what you post) can and will be taken against you…”

(To be continued…) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Is cancer preventable? a cancer Journal for Clinicians: “Smoking accounted for 82 percent of lung cancers. Excess body weight was associated with 60 percent of uterine cancers and about one-third of liver cancers.

Alcohol intake was associated with 25 percent of liver cancers in men and 12 percent in women; 17 percent of colorectal cancers in men and 8 percent in women; and 16 percent of breast cancers in women. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or tanning beds was associated with 96 percent of skin cancers in men and 94 percent in women.”

My September 2, 1999 article on cancer and its prevention, reprinted below, is still pertinent, applicable, and relevant today, confirmed by the recent study presented above.

What are the causes of cancer?

In our previous article column, we defined what cancer was and discussed its etiologies (causes), and other specific issues on cancer. the most striking information we revealed last week was that more than 75 percent (3 out of 4) of all cancers in humans were caused by only three things: diet, tobacco, and alcohol. Majority of cancers are preventable, and that it is within our power to prevent this deadly malady. the genetic factor could also be positively influenced and changed by a healthy lifestyle to one’s advantage.

So, what is the problem? the problem is the lack of discipline on our part. We continue to eat a lot of red meat, a lot of high cholesterol or fatty foods and high carb diet knowing these are bad for our heart and also increase our chances of having cancer of the colon, breast and uterus, etc.

Smokers know tobacco cause cancer of the throat, lungs, kidney, urinary bladder, pancreas, among others, and still fume away with gusto. Moderate to heavy alcohol drinkers are aware that ethanol causes not only liver cirrhosis but cancer of the digestive tract, liver and breast, and are not scared to bend their elbow and say “cheers!” unabated. It is no longer the lack of awareness or knowledge that is leading many of us to self-destruct. It is the lack of discipline, inner strength and resolve. When one loves to hold on to something very precious, like life and happiness, one should be ready to make sacrifices.

What other natural foods prevent cancer?

Fruits and vegetables in general have powerful antioxidants in them that reduce the risk of cancer. Broccoli, beans, oat meal, lettuce, processed tomatoes, bokchoy, strawberry, oranges, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, watermelon, langka, and all the other leafy vegetables and fruits are anti-cancer to a great extent. But unless we eat them daily, they won’t work. Of course, abstinence from animal fats, tobacco and alcohol are essential. And so with avoidance of chemical pollutants, radiation exposure and UV rays from sunlight.

Does exercise reduce cancer risk?

Yes. Physical exercises does not only control body weight and lower cholesterol but also reduces the risk of cancer. One does not have to jog for half an hour a day to get the benefit. Walking 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes after dinner are vigorous enough to do the job. Brisk walkPAGE B6

card, etc. this should be carefully analyzed before submitting an application for naturalization.

Another issue that is not uncommon is an applicant failing to register with the Selective Service.

If you are a male living in the U.S. and between the age of 18 and 25, you are likely required to register with the Selective Service. Failing to register before you turn 26-years-old is often grounds for a denial of an application for naturalization. the applicant must then wait until they turn 31-years-old before they may be granted U.S. citizenship.

A final issue worth mentioning is the submission of incorrect or fraudulent tax returns. Claiming ineligible dependents, not

reporting all income, or filing under the wrong category could potentially cause an application to be denied. the process of acquiring U.S. citizenship is often far more complex than one might anticipate.

It is important to remember, though, that past mistakes are not fatal and that even potential set-backs may ultimately result in U.S. citizenship. As with all requests for immigration-related benefits, one should know the positive and negative ramifications of the request before filing the application. therefore, when contemplating the possibility of obtaining U.S. citizenship, the application should consult an experienced and knowledgeable

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immigration attorney to determine if it is advisable and how best to succeed. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

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Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague celebration in Los Angeles The Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Friday, January 12 at 7 p.m. The history of the Infant Jesus of Prague started in the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Many graces, blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been received by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus.

You are invited to a Special Mass Celebration of the Feast of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels with Bishop Joseph V. Brennan as main celebrant. The special celebration features the relic of the holy robes that the Infant Jesus wears at the shrine in Prague, Czech Republic and it is brought to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for the third time by the Holy Trinity Ministry. Now that the Divine Child of Prague comes to touch our hearts, participants have the unique and holy opportunity to touch his holy robe. Bring your Infant Jesus Statue to touch the Holy Robe of the Infant Jesus of Prague.

JA N UA Ry 2 0

Dinner for GK e-Rotary Club for PH incoming governors in Westminster, CA The 6-year-old GK e-Rotary Club will be hosting a dinner for two incoming Rotary District Governors from the Philippines — Gov. Mar Reyes from QC D3780 and Gov. Nisce from La Union D3790 — on Saturday, January 20, at the new Luxe Buffet Restaurant at 2008 Westminster Mall, Westminster, California (restaurant is in the 2nd floor of the mall, along Bolsa Ave. at Godldenwest, just off the 405 freeway).

Invited guests include Consul General Adelio Cruz, presidents and officers of several Filipino-American organizations, like the Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of OC, the PressClub of California, the Phil American Society of CPAs, Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, the Historic Filipino Town Rotary Club and many others.

Please come and witness the launching of our first GK e-Rotary Annual Fil-Am and their Friends Young Professionals Ambassador Tour to the Philippines in July, that will also a part of the official Phil Government Ambassador Tour that is being done annually for many years now. For more information, please contact the Project Chair, Jhenny Evans at (714) 5986446, or e-mail at jhenny_evans@yahoo.com; or Ernie Delfin at (714) 746 3088 or e-mail him at ernie.gkerc@gmail.com.

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31st anniversary of the Feast of Santo Niño in Los Angeles Santo Niño Cruzada USA, with the participations of the Filipino Catholics Choir of St. Paul the Apostle Church, The Saint Junipero Serra Province Knights of Columbus and The Southern California Sinulog Dance Co., is inviting everyone to attend the holy mass of its 31st year anniversary celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, on Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 3:30pm. The main celebrant is Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik to be concelebrated by various priests from different parishes. We also offer this mass to honor the late Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who returned to our Creator on October 18, 2017 in Cebu, Philippines. The Santo Niño image that we use to celebrate the annual feast was given by Cardinal Vidal to Los Angeles Archbishop Emeritus Roger Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik several years ago. For more information, please contact any of the following officers and members: Romy and Tess Esturas (213) 387-6982; Tess and Rey Edpao (818) 469-7292; Carmen Estrada (213) 413-2881; Fe Montano (323) 218-1587; Ester Paredes (213) 864-1149; Lilia Figuracion (626) 394-2661; Fe Reyes (213) 413-5286; Cherry Guerrero (323) 747-6508; Cherry Nicodemus (323) 304-6195; Vicky Samia (818) 851-2262; Tessie Cruz (213) 361-0937; Purita Prather (626) 798-4674; Lourdes Cronin (310) 880-6069; Maria Oclarino (213) 427-0353; Jun Panlaqui (213) 413-2881; Flora Ferrer (323) 556-4855.

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Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be an immigration forum on Thursday, January 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. The immigration forum is about employment-based immigration information regarding FAST TRACK Work Visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by marriage, family-based immigration employment sponsorship for green card and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for a FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. As you have already seen there are many changes happening in the field of immigration with regards to the new executive administration and their agenda. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families.

Asian American Professional Association intro session in Rosemead, CA Join the Asian American Professional Association (AAPA) introductory session on Thursday, January 25! Hear from Paul Park, Founder and CEO at American Dream Builders Now Inc. As a “Gold Miner” Paul’s mission is to search and help develop hidden potential, inspire, and motivate others to dream big. He believes “If you can dream it, you can do it. Build your dream and it will build you.” During the second half meet and interact with AAPA Mentors!

Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., with the program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will be at Southern California Edison, GO-1 Employee Lounge at 2244 Walnut Grove Ave., Rosemead, CA. It is free and open to all professionals. To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aapaintroductory-session-tickets-40791228663.

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Annual dinner/dance at St. Finbar School in Burbank, California You are invited to the annual dinner/dance at the Albert Hall of St. Finbar School (2120 W. Olive Ave Burbank, CA 91506) on Saturday, February 10 from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. For tickets, please call: Marian Nobleza at (818) 562-6819.

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

Features

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Application deadline is January 31 for 2018 Cox Diversity Scholarships LAs VEGAs – Graduating high school students in southern Nevada are encouraged to apply for one of 10, $3,500 Cox Diversity scholarships from Cox Communications, Las Vegas. the deadline to apply is Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018.

Applications and submission instructions are available online from the Public Education Foundation at www.thepef.org/ scholarships. since 2014, Cox has awarded $140,000 in Cox Diversity scholarships as part of a $175,000, five-year Cox commitment to fund higher education diversity scholarships.

A total of $35,000 in Cox scholarships will be presented this spring and are being offered in partnership with the Public Education Foundation and the

following southern Nevadabased diverse organizations: Aid for AiDs of Nevada (AFAN); Asian Community Development Council; Chicanos Por La Causa; Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Nevada; Girls on the run; Junior League of Las Vegas; Puerto rican Association of Las Vegas; Organization of Chinese Americans; theta Pi Lambda and Urban Chamber of Commerce. the competitive scholarships require applicants to be on track for graduation with a minimum 2.5 grade point average, provide demonstrated leadership and community service as well as submit an essay focused on a significant leader from their respective diverse community.

Cox Communications is a

broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, internet, telephone and home security and automation services over its own nationwide iP network. the third-largest U.s. cable company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses.

Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a fullservice provider of national and local cable spot and digital media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces.

For nine years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable.

All-star Pinoy ‘Ocean’s’ in the works

by Bayani

San Diego Inquirer.net

Jr.

CUrrENtLY in development is an all-star, Filipino movie inspired by the Hollywood franchise, “Ocean’s Eleven.”

Actor Albert Martinez is cooking up the action movie that will have Cagayan de Oro and Moscow, russia, as primary locations.

Albert told the Inquirer that he envisions the planned film as a “reunion” for the brightest teen stars of the 1980s, who will be joined by today’s hottest actors. “it’s like 1980s Brat Pack meets Millennial stars.”

Albert admitted that the movie is “a monumental task. it’s not easy to put together this huge cast in one project.”

Apart from Albert, Gabby Concepcion, richard Gomez, William Martinez and Aga Muhlach are also in the ensemble. the lone rose among the thorns is Megastar sharon Cuneta.

Early reports noted that some of the stars had already given the concept the thumbs-up and expressed interest in topbilling the project. Meetings have been scheduled, along with a story conference and a look test. then, the production hit a few snags on the road.

Albert had also eyed friends Cesar Montano and robin Padilla, but they purportedly “begged off.”

Albert envisions the planned film as a “reunion” for the brightest teen stars of the 1980s.

Inquirer.net photos

there were also reports that Coco Martin, Arjo Atayde and Piolo Pascual have likewise been considered to represent today’s generation of stars. so far, only Paulo Avelino had signified interest in the project. this early, there have been all sorts of speculations about the “intriguing” reasons behind the delays. read: Billing issues have been raised in the tabs. that some stars are squabbling about who should go first in the credits.

Albert categorically denied the rumors: “it’s totally untrue. it’s the script that’s holding it down.

We want to make sure that each actor in the film would have equal screen impact.”

At press time, Albert related that the project is still in the development stage. Albert is now planning to present it to two production companies. “i will line produce it for them.” He has also teamed up with Negros Occidental rep. Albee Benitez, among other partners.

Nevertheless, Albert, who also acts as the film’s creative director, remains optimistic and equally excited about the venture’s prospects this year. “sharon is very supportive in pushing for the project,” said Albert.

Albert made his directorial debut in the big-budget period romance-drama, “rosario,” in the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival.

What’s IN and OUT in 2018

By Monet

Lu

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. When the year ends, another one begins. As we bid adieu to 2017, it is good to look forward to what 2018 has in store for us. Here’s a list to get us started in that direction.

Society and politics One thing i realized when it comes to social issues is that after a while (of fighting and rallying for it), one day, it’ll present itself in a different light and we’d see it in all its glory (or lack thereof). such can be said about racial equality which is iN this year. Finally, eyes are enlightened and that is something to be optimistic about. in the meantime, kneeling during the National Anthem will have to remain in, despite it being out among certain white football fans. Leaks from the White House is out but books about former White House staffers are in. thanks to the president, national monuments and parks are out, especially if President Obama was the one who preserved them. in nature, global warming is in as well as solar eclipses.

Entertainment & celebrities With Disney’s announcement about wanting to buy 20th Century Fox, it’s just plain obvious that “Mickey Mouse” is so in this year.

Welcome back, Disney! stranger things’ Millie Bobby Brown is out (of pre-puberty, at least. Oh, how fast they grow). But storm reid from Disney’s “A Wrinkle in time” is in. in movie theaters, Wonder Woman is in, and i don’t even wonder why (wonder – see what i did there?). Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins proved through their “Wonder Woman” movie, that audiences will flock to a strong, well-written female hero. As for the rest of the Justice League, sad to say they’re out – at least for now until they come up with a sequel (and it better be good!). science fiction in general is on the outs.

Fashion and beauty if 2016 was the year for stripes, then 2018 would be the year for tartans or checkered prints to make a comeback. Jackets, oversized shirts or even a pair of trousers are in as well as taking on patterns with checkered utilitarian pieces paired with art inspired garments.

2017 and 2016 were all about Korean cosmetics. this year, we will see the return of Japanese makeup and cosmetics that offer a more natural-looking color

palette. there is fascination in 2018 for labels like shiseido, Kanebo and Kate tokyo. Clear and polished skin is the focus for beauty looks in 2018. With Japanese cosmetic companies being masters at perfecting complexion and combating age, wrinkles and age spots can now disappear as fast as a ninja could. speaking of age-defying tools, cosmetic enhancements that are non-invasive are being introduced to the market and embraced by many, especially this year. Not only are they non-invasive, these procedures take up less time. two of the leading non-invasive procedures that help rejuvenate and restore youth to one’s appearance are Ulthera and thermage. Ulthera utilizes ultrasound to heat the deep tissues resulting in firmer and younger-looking skin. similarly, thermage uses radiofrequency heat to tighten the skin. Both treatments have minimal to zero downtime and may also be used for other parts of the body that need firming or lifting.

Makeup direction for 2018 is straightforward. Achieve polished skin, well-groomed brows and punctuate the look with a glossy red lip.

Food Who would not want to know what’s on and off the menu in 2018? i would love to know what’s trendy in the “fridge department”. it is time to take a hiatus from your favorite burger joint because HUGE burgers, novelty milkshakes and fried chicken are off the menu for 2018, replaced by lighter salads and vegetable-

based dishes.

Food experts are predicting this year will see a move away from high-fat, meat-based feasts in favor of native and plant-based ingredients.

Matt Moran said 2018 is the year that’s all about “conscious” eating.

“Consciousness about sustainability and consciousness about waste,” said Moran, who said the ABC docu-series War On Waste made a huge impact on the urban food scene. “People are far more aware of things like waste and where their food is coming from and they will make the effort to support smaller growers and producers in a way that we have never seen before.”

And there it is - a preview of what to expect this year! Although, i still think that we are entitled to our choices and can still decide on a different fashion statement (from what i just described) these are mere predictions and should not, in any way be taken as dogmatic statement. Plus, burgers are pieces of heaven. it wouldn’t be a great year without them, don’t you think? *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

BB Gandanghari reveals struggle to reach ‘overwhelming and elusive’ Hollywood dream

by Katrina

Hallare Inquirer.net

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

And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event.

To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice.

The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

it’s a long road for BB Gandanghari, but it’s worth the wait.

On instagram, she shared in an open letter on Wednesday, January 3, that her 2017 was all about chasing her dream of building a name for herself in Hollywood. the older sibling of action star robin Padilla revealed that she was feeling optimistic about starting a career even if she was struggling financially. she even planned that she would give herself a three-month period to be signed by a top agency. “i was WrONG, of course.

Agency hunting as i used to call it, proved to be very challenging,” Gandanghari realized.

Having already her resume by the start of the year, it was not until June that she passed it out to agencies and had to update her headshot every now and then while doing small jobs. “survival mode, i used to remind myself every time i would feel weak and out during this pro-

cess. LA living is far from cheap… double job/ shift i’ve [realized] is the only way to go. i did just that,” Gandanghari said. it was also during this time that she realized the “sad and unfortunate reality” of discrimination due to her gender. “it is at this time too, that discrimination as a transgender on job opportunities is not just a hearsay, but a sad and unfortunate reality, as i urgently sought employment to support a life, a DrEAM,” she admitted.

After the longest time, her struggles soon changed to relief as she snagged a deal with the Brogan Agency in the fall of 2017. “the great white ‘Hollywood’ way is finally within sight,” she exclaimed. “so far, i have auditioned to some of the top network shows that i never thought i would ever have the chance to do so and went as far as being on hold for a role, i’m proud to say,” Gandanghari added with pride.

BB Gandanghari Photo from Instagram/@gandangharibb

Ending her post, she said that she will remember her year when she finally “came into terms with my whole being” and saw the light at the end of “this long and dark tunnel.”

Previously, her younger brother revealed that Gandanghari was trying to make both ends meet by being an Uber driver, but gave the assurance that she was doing well.

Is cancer preventable?

PAGE B5 ing for those who can tolerate it is even better. Parking away from your destination and getting of the bus or jitney and walking the rest of the way, using stairs for a couple of floors instead of elevators, drinking a tall glass warm water before each meal, and being physically active in general, are most helpful in reducing cancer risk, besides abstinence from red meat and alcohol.

How about those “anti-cancer pills and juices”?

Pills and juices being marketed as anti-cancer are as effective as tap water from your faucet. the manufacturer’s claims have no scientific basis whatsoever.

At least drinking tap water is a hundred fold cheaper and has no potential serious complications.

Besides, drinking a lot of water is good for your kidneys, unlike those pills and juices, which might cause damages to your kidneys and liver.

What is a sound anti-cancer strategy? there are several behavioral

and lifestyle changes we can do to lower or prevent cancer, and many of these changes are common sense and practical measures. But, as i stated earlier, first, we must have the discipline, determination and resolve. then, we must religiously implement our strategy.

A safe and sound cancer prevention strategy includes all of the following regimen: (1) abstinence from tobacco (2) eating fish and a high-fiber, low-carb, low fat, diet (with a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, bran, etc.) instead of red meat; (3) taking multivitamins; (4) doing regular physical exercises for half an hour at least four times a week; (5) avoidance of exposure to too much sunlight, polluted air, agents like asbestos, household chemicals in our home environment or workplace; and, (6) limiting alcohol ingestion to one or two drinks a day, or none at all; (7) stress management through rest and relaxation with family and friends; and (8) Meditation for inner peace. in short, stay away from carcinogens and

live a healthy life-style through self-discipline. so, if you are serious about reducing your risk for cancer, do not look for a miracle pill or juice, lotion or potion. starting today, make some simple changes in your lifestyle as suggested above.

You’ll be amazed how this could change your life and those of your loved ones, for the better. sounds simple and inexpensive? You bet. try it. You may even live to appreciate the benefits from your sacrifices of today on your 100th birthday. *** 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

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