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JANUARY 4-10, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 11 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

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Duterte’s household help story ‘made up’ - Palace

USA

DATELINE Fight vs Pacquiao still on despite Broner’s arrest FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE fight for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title on January 19, 2019 between Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao and American challenger Adrien Broner will still push through despite the latter’s recent arrest in Broward County, Florida.

Broner was reportedly arrested for failing to appear before the court on his case back in December 2017. His case involved speeding, having no driver’s license and no Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte Malacañang file photo registration.

However, the Cincinnati boxer was eventually released, according to TMZ. Broner’s trainer Kevin Cunningham assured the public that the fight will push through as their preparations for the coming fight intensifies.

“This is news to me. I didn’t know anything about it. Our camp is on point. He hasn’t missed a beat. Preparation is 100 percent and we are preparing to do what we are coming to do on January 19th and that is to destroy to Manny Pacquiao’s ass,” Cunningham said as reported by The Philippine Star.

The Filipino champion, however, declined to comment on his opponent’s arrest. He said that he plans to share the gospel with him post-fight and pray for him as he goes

by AJPRESS PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s story about an incident of a supposed encounter between him and a household help was “made up,” according to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

Panelo, in a statement on

Sunday, December 30, said the “laughable anecdote” was made by the president to “dramatize the fact of sexual abuse that was inflicted on him and his fellow students when they were in high school.”

“He purposely added and spliced the story with vulgarity to characterise the behavior of the

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Duterte to Filipinos: Help defeat drugs, corruption

by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

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US Embassy condemns deadly Cotabato blast THE U.S. Embassy in the Philippines on Wednesday, January 2 condemned the deadly bomb attack in Cotabato City.

“The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines condemns the recent bombing in Cotabato,” it said in a statement.

The Embassy also extended its condolences to the families of the victims of the blast and hoped “for a quick recovery for the injured.”

It noted the “longstanding” relationship between the United States and the Philippines and expressed readiness “to provide continued support for the peace process in the southern Philippines.”

On December 30, an explosion outside a shopping mall in the southern city of Cotabato killed two people and injured 34 others.

Philippine National Police Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde described the deadly blast as a “cowardly attack” against civilians.

The police said it is eyeing the possible involvement of local terrorist groups inspired by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the bombing.

Malacañang, meanwhile, vowed to “get to the bottom” of the explosion at the “soonest possible time.”

priest who insisted to hear more sins during their confessions when there were none,” Panelo said.

After, he slammed the women’s rights group for criticizing the president. He said they have the lost the ability to discern the truth from “a rebuke on the hypocrisy

WELCOME, 2019! Colorful fireworks light up the sky at the Rizal Park in Manila as the country welcomed the New Year on Tuesday morning, January 1. In his New Year’s celebration message, President Rodrigo Duterte called for solidarity and unity among Filipinos as the administration continues to combat significant ills that the country faces.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, January 1 urged Filipinos to join the fight against social ills and to learn from the lessons of the past as the nation welcomed the New Year.

Duterte expressed confidence that with patriotic fervor and solidarity, Filipinos would overcome the challenges that impede their march toward “a more prosperous and progressive future.”

“We welcome the new year full of hope and optimism.

As we herald the start of another year, let us reflect on our storied past and learn from its lessons so that we can face the future with more confidence,” the president said in his New Year’s Day message.

“Let us work hand in hand to defeat the ills of drugs, criminality and corruption that stunt our development,” he added.

Duterte wished Filipinos a blessed and bountiful New Year and asked them to unite as they face the country’s issues.

“Together, let us face all obstacles head on, armed with the knowledge and brimming with hope that we can triumph over any struggle that we may face as a nation,” the president said.

Malacañang asked Filipinos to pray for the president to enable him to attain his goals for the nation.

“As we express our gratitude to the Almighty for all the blessings we received in 2018, we welcome the new

UK, Australia warn citizens amid bombing in Mindanao

by NATHALIE

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ROBLES

Mindanao could pose a risk considering the incidents that transpired in the area. However, it excluded regions such as Camiguin, THE United Kingdom and Australia is- Dinagat and Siargao islands and included sued a warning to their citizens, cautioning south of Cebu province, Dalaguete and Bathem not to travel to areas in Mindanao af- dian. fected by terrorist threats and insurgency “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office due to last Monday’s bomb explosion in (FCO) advise against all travel to western Cotabato City. and central Mindanao and the Sulu archiThe UK travel advisory stated that visiting u PAGE A2 u PAGE A2 AJPress

PH gov’t to prioritize security improvements after US deems security at NAIA inadequate

person Salvador Panelo said on Friday that “ensuring the safety of the traveling public is one of the MALACAÑANG said on Friday, critical interests of our governDecember 28 that the Philippine ment in view of the looming threat government is prioritizing the im- of terrorism.”

“We assure everyone that the plementation of tougher security measures after the U.S. Depart- Philippine government, through ment of Homeland Security (DHS) the Department of Transportation announced that aviation security (DOTr), the Manila International at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino Interna- Airport Authority (MIAA), and the tional Airport (NAIA) was not up Office for Transportation Security to par with international security (OTS), is prioritizing the implemenSecurity personnel implement security measures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport tation of strict security measures Terminial 3. The United States on Thursday, December 27 urged the Philippines to improve standards.

Philippine Presidential SpokesManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina u PAGE A3 the airport security.

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan.

ManilaTimes.net photo

Palawan’s ‘Hidden Beach’ emerges No. 1 among top 50 beaches in Asia THE “Hidden Beach” at El Nido in Palawan was ranked first in the list of the Top 50 beaches in Asia in 2018, according to a Canadian travel agency.

Flight Network said the famed beach emerged No. 1 for its “sheer untouched beauty, remoteness, sand and water quality, annual days of sunshine, and average annual temperature.”

“The wild, vegetation-covered rock formations and crystal clear waters of Hidden Beach will make you feel as if you’ve been dropped into a movie,” the company said, quoting Sachin

Aggarwal of Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

The Maya Bay and Railay Beach of Thailand was ranked second and third respectively.

Eight other Philippine beaches were also listed among Asia’s best. They are the Guyam White Sand Beach in Siargao (13th); Palaui Beach in Cagayan Valley (22nd); Caramoan Island Beach in Camarines Sur (29th); Dahican Beach in Davao Oriental (41st); Gumasa Beach in Sarangani (45th); Kalanggaman Island in Cebu (49th); and Paliton

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From the Front Page

Duterte’s household help story...

PAGE A1 of the priests who molested him and his classmates when they were high school students.”

Duterte recalled his confession to a priest at the Ateneo high school while speaking at an event in Kidapawan City on Saturday, December 29. The confession was about a sexual experience he had with a household helper who was asleep.

Rights group Gabriela on Sunday issued a statement regarding the issue, saying the President’s

words were “deeply disturbing.”

They also called the incident a “crime.”

“This statement about his crime as a young man is only the latest in his countless statements bragging about flagrantly committing crimes against women and the people,” they said.

The criticisms were dismissed

by Panelo, who said the methods used by the President to highlight what he called “hypocritical practices of those men in religious cloak” were unorthodox

and mischievous. “‘While the telling of the concocted story triggers laughter on his audience, the message that the president intends to convey is not lost on his listeners,” Panelo said.

“The president will not discard his shocking and amusing out-ofthe-box utterances that have been his political signature, which has endeared him to the masses, and which he finds effective in transmitting to the nation his political and social dogmas,” he added. n

UK, Australia warn citizens amid bombing...

PAGE A1 pelago because of terrorist activity and clashes between the military and insurgent groups,” the travel advisory said.

The Australian government also expressed its concern to those who plan to visit the said region. In the height of the tragedy that killed two people and injured at least 30 others, the said country advised its travelers to “exercise a high degree of caution in the Philippines overall.”

“Reconsider your travel to eastern Mindanao and do not travel to central and western Mindanao due to very high levels of violent crime, high threats of terrorist attacks and kidnapping,” the Australian govern-

ment said as reported by The Philippine Star.

“Additional security measures are in place on flights departing from this airport to the UK. You should cooperate fully with security officials. The UK keeps aviation security measures under constant review, in conjunction with international partners and the aviation industry,” the advisory added Both countries believed that the threat to security might escalate to the other parts of the country as well. They noted that everyone must be cautious and security measures must be heightened to ensure the safety of the public.

“Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out at-

tacks at any time and anywhere in the country, including in places visited by foreigners, like airports, shopping malls, public transport, including the metro system, and places of worship,” the advisory said.

“You should remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious to local authorities,” it added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. ensured the public that the military forces are taking the travel alert seriously.

“We advise our troops to double their efforts to prevent these violent incidents from happening so that we can encourage foreign investments and tourism in Mindanao,” Madrigal said. n

FIRSTBORN OF 2019. Lenie Felisilda Bonto, 31, is shown with her baby, Zairah, at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Tuesday, January 1. The ‘New Year’ baby was born at 1:05 a.m. on New Year’s Day. ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Duterte to Filipinos: Help defeat drugs...

PAGE A1 year as an opportune time to reflect on the past year’s experiences and draw lessons from the things that had transpired, particularly how successfully the administration has overcome the challenges of the previous year,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“As another chapter of our Republic’s history is about to unfold, let us continue to be united in our efforts and prayers to help realize the president’s vision of a more comfortable life for all Filipinos,”

he added.

Albayalde vows relentless campaign?

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde vowed that the government’s war on illegal drugs will remain relentless this year.

“The anti-drug war must remain relentless and strong even as we must continue to sharpen our capabilities and strategies to once and for all put an end to this menace that has long been destroying many lives,” he said in his New Year’s message to the officers and personnel of the country’s police force.

Meanwhile, President Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs has resulted in the deaths of at least 5,050 alleged drug pushers and users in reported shootouts with law enforcement authorities.

The number of drug suspects arrested since the start of the campaign in July 2016 has reached 164,265.

Aware of the challenges and expectations from the public, Albayalde urged his fellow officers to exert more effort to ensure their accomplishments are not wasted.

“With the downtrend in crime in 2018, I thus urge every member of the organization to exert greater effort to sustain this trend and assure our countrymen of our best in ensuring more peaceful streets and safer communities,” he said.

Albayalde also put emphasis on sustaining their drive to weed out misfits within the PNP. “We will make sure to put more teeth to our internal cleansing efforts with greater responsibility and accountability now placed on the shoulders of commanders for the erring personnel in their ranks,” he said.

The PNP Counter-Intelligence

Task Force has neutralized at least 100 corrupt police officers, nine of whom were killed in alleged shootouts.

Albayalde directed the police to be ready for two major events this year, the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law this January in Mindanao ?and the midterm elections in May. “While all these will be at the center of our efforts, let us not be remiss in the performance of other police duties and responsibilities,” he said.

As this developed, militant groups said they are bracing themselves for more “blood and repression” from the government’s operations against activists, critics and alleged communist sympathizers.

“The regime’s line of categorizing activists, political dissenters and government critics with the armed revolutionary movement makes those engaged in perfectly legal, not to mention legitimate political activities, as targets of surveillance, intimidation and armed attack by state security forces oriented in brutal tokhang-style operations,” Teddy Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan national council member, pointed out.

“Just this week, in joint operations conducted by the 302nd Infantry Brigade and 94th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and assisted by the (PNP), at least six persons were killed and 16 arrested in Negros Oriental on the pretext of an intensified anti-drug and anti-criminality campaign,” Casiño added.

“In Mindanao, Duterte has ordered the arming of more paramilitary recruits among members of lumad communities while declaring rebels as mere criminals and bandits,” he said. n

US Embassy condemns deadly...

PAGE A1 “We empathize with the families, relatives and friends of those who suffered from this unhappy occurrence,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in an

earlier statement.

“To them we vow that we will get to the bottom of this at the soonest possible time,” he added.

(Christina Marie Ramos/Inquirer. net)

Palawan’s ‘Hidden Beach’ emerges...

PAGE A1 Beach in Siquijor (50th).

The Hidden Beach previously placed third in the world ranking of best beaches in 2018 by the same company, after Greece’s Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, which was ranked No. 1, and Australia’s Whitehaven Beach in Queensland, No. 2.

Flight Network consulted 600

travel journalists, editors, bloggers and agencies experienced in traveling “to rank the best beaches in the world, based on their personal and professional experience.”

“We received unparalleled insight into the most spectacular beaches on earth,” the company said. (Neil Jayson Servallos/ManilaTimes.net)

Manny Pacquiao trains with Buboy Fernandez during his training camp in the Philippines.

Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiao

Fight vs Pacquiao still on despite...

PAGE A1 through his ordeal.

“Of course in my heart, my desire is to have a conversation with him after the fight and I can share with him the real life, the word of God,” Pacquiao said as reported by ABS-CBN News.

“This is boxing. This is entertainment. We have to do our job in the ring. Outside the ring, we should be compassionate, be friendly, and help others,” he added.

Pacquiao said he believes that Broner will be able to handle his recent brush with the law.

The Filipino boxer turned senator is currently in Los Ange-

les for a four-week training for his match in January. The battle for the welterweight belt will be held in Las Vegas.

It was not the first time that the 29-year-old challenger had clashed with the authorities.

Broner has been sued for allegedly failing to pay for his jewelry bills amounting to $1.152 million.

In 2016, he was charged with misdemeanor for allegedly choking a waitress at a nightclub, and previously had been booked on a sexual battery charge but released. (Nathalie Robles/AJPress)

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Dateline USa

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL •

Filipino ‘Aquaman’ swims from San Francisco, California to Alcatraz in freezing water

ENvIRONMENTAL lawyer and triathlete Ingemar Macarine made a successful swim from the freezing Golden Gate Bridge to the shark-infested Alcatras Island in the U.S. last December 23, 2018.

Known as “Pinoy Aquaman,” Macarine covered a distance of 6 km from the bridge to the island at the Bay Area of California about 6 a.m. on Sunday, December 23, 2018.

The swim was aimed to promote the country’s tourism and to raise awareness on the importance of clean seas and beaches around the world.

Macarine was the first Filipino

from the Philippines to swim from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco shores in 2014.

But during Sunday’s swim, he was accompanied by Lisa Amorao, a Filipino-American cold swimmer who has been based in California for 25 years.

Although the route was very scenic, the two had to endure the hypothermic-cold of 53 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celcius).

“The water was really cold compared to the English Channel when I swam there in 2016,” he told the Inquirer in a Facebook interview.

Macarine, 42, an election of-

at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport,” added Panelo.

Panelo also alluded to the notorious “tanim bala” schemes, which involved airport security personnel planting illegal ammunition in unsuspecting passengers’ luggages for extortion, and declared them “a thing of the past.”

“We thus laud the existing efforts of our various officials in the transport industry who have tirelessly made sure that our passengers reach their destinations from our transit stations safely and efficiently,” he said.

In a statement on Wednesday, December 26, the DHS said that “Aviation security at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), which serves as a last-point-ofdeparture airport for flights to the United States, does not maintain and carry out effective security consistent with the security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).”

The DHS’ determination was based off assessments carried out

by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security experts.

Airlines issuing tickets for travel between the U.S. and NAIA were immediately directed to notify passengers in writing of the determination. All U.S. airports offering regular flights to Manila were also directed to prominently display the advisory, which was also published in the Federal Register.

MIAA says no reason to be alarmed On Thursday, MIAA said that the agency had acknowledged the TSA’s concerns and said that there was “no cause for alarm.”

“All points raised by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) auditors have either been addressed or are in the process of being addressed. There’s no cause for alarm given as we put in place security enhancements following the recommendations of the U.S. TSA,” said MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal during a Thursday press conference.

Monreal also urged passengers to cooperate with the ongoing security improvements and to “submit themselves to security inspections when warranted.”

“Standards are there so the global aviation community will

have a common reference point, and it is highly important that our aviation security protocols in NAIA meet if not exceed. This is our obligation, and shall remain our commitment to the traveling public,” he added.

U.S Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said in a Thursday statement that the U.S. was working closely with the Philippines’ Department of Transportation (DOTr) and related agencies.

He added that they “have every confidence in their leadership and their commitment to improve aviation security.”

“Philippines authorities have worked diligently to improve security measures and we fully expect that they will soon meet ICAO security standards,” said Kim. Kim also said that the U.S. State Department had approved $5 million to go towards airport security improvements at NAIA in both technology and training.

Security improvements The DOTr said on Wednesday that the installation of new security equipment such as X-ray machines, walk through metal detectors, and alarm systems were among the given TSA recommendations. The equipment, it added, are expected to be installed and used by the second quarter of 2019.

The department also said that direct instructions to carry out manual interventions such as the hiring of additional 24/7 MIAAcontracted guards were given in the meantime.

New background check procedures for newly hired airport personnel, a change in “security culture” among longtime NAIA personnel, and the submission of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances for all MIAA access pass holders, were also among other TSA recommendations.

“In this regard, re-trainings have been, and continue to be conducted to instill in every personnel [the] need to be consistent in every aspect of security,” the DOTr said.

Last week, Monreal told the Philippine government’s official news agency that management had already started security system improvements such as replacing single view X-ray machines with double view X-ray machines to comply with current international aviation standards.

Also last week, Immigration Port

A

ficer in Tubigon town in Bohol, had a one-year hiatus in open swimming because of an injury and health concerns. Macarine’s last swim was in November 2017 when he swam 18 km on Panglao Island in Bohol.

Macarine was the first Filipino swimmer to swim across the English Channel, considered the Mount Everest for open swimming in 2015 and 2016.

But he failed in both swims due to bad weather.

His latest swim in California was part of his training for his third attempt to swim the English Channel. (Leo Udtohan/Inquirer.net)

PH gov’t to prioritize security improvements...

PAGE A1

JANUARY 4-10, 2019

Operations Division chief Grifton Medina said that numerous electronic gates — meant to reduce long queues at immigration counters — were installed in NAIA and other major Philippine airports in Cebu, Clark, and Davao this year.

In the Wednesday statement following the U.S.’ determination, the Philippine DOTr said it was fully committed to improving NAIA. “Rest assured that the government, the DOTr, the MIAA, and the OTS are fully committed in employing all measures available to ensure the security and safety of the traveling public,” said the DOTr. Panelo on Friday said the government remains “fully committed in our continuing efforts to enhance and secure our airports and eventually protect and ensure the safety of travelers.” n

DEVOTED. Thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene join a thanksgiving procession in Quiapo, Manila, on Tuesday, January 1, just days ahead of the miraculous icon’s annual feast.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

As Congress returns to session, partial gov’t shutdown persists Trump approval rating drops amid Christmas season shutdown

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

AFTER federal funding expired for one-fourth of the U.S. government on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, which triggered a partial government shutdown, 25 percent of the country’s federal workforce remains in limbo.

The third shutdown of the Trump administration began when negotiations between top Demo-

crats in Congress and the administration concerning Trump’s $5 billion border wall yielded no agreements. So far, the shutdown dragged through to Christmas and is likely to spill into the New Year.

As of press time, there is no end in sight for the shutdown. Trump’s incoming chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News that “it is very possible that the shutdown will go beyond the 28th [of December]” and is expected to trickle down

into the new Congress.

This shutdown — which went underway during the holiday season — has affected and continues to affect certain public programs.

Although the heads of agencies assure that despite the shutdown, offices that oversee public health and nutrition assistance, will continue “business as usual.”

Amid the shutdown, things in the Trump White House were not

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DAteline PhiliPPines

Customs official to South Korea: ‘PH is not a dumping ground’

by Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

A BUrEAU of Customs (BOC) official on Wednesday, January 2 issued a statement to South Korean authorities to take a total of 6,500 tons of garbage illegally shipped to the Philippines back to their country by next week.

Mindanao International Container Terminal (MICT) BOC port collector John Simon stated that the South Korean authorities have until January 9 to retrieve at least the first shipment of garbage found in Misamis Oriental province last July.

“We want to send the message to the world that [the Philippines is] not a dumping ground, and we as a country have the power to send back garbage that was dumped from other countries,” Simon said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

During the EcoWaste Coalition press conference in Quezon City, the customs official emphasized the right of the Philippines to return other country’s trash should they decide to dump such within the territory, as what happened in Tagoloan port.

“We expect the 51 garbagefilled containers stored at MICT to be homebound by January 9 provided that all regulatory requirements are readily available. Their expedited re-export is what BOC wants and this is what our people are yearning for,” Simon added as reported by rappler.

The shipment was imported by Verde Soko Phils. Industrial Corporation containing about 32 tons of “special or hazardous waste.”

It included 2.63 tons of used batteries, 3.3 tons of discarded light bulbs, 25 tons of electrical and electronic waste, and 1.3 tons of dextrose tubes.

EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero echoed the sentiments of the port official noting that the government must strengthen “the adoption of stringent policies to prevent their recurrence, including a crackdown on the importation of plastic waste.”

“We need to act decisively to protect our country from turning into a global dump for plastics and other wastes that China no longer wants,” Lucero added.

Despite the said slip through, Simon said that the South Korean government agreed to take back the waste as they are obliged to keep up with the Basel Convention — an international treaty designed to reduce the movement of hazardous waste between nations.

“South Korean government sent

four representatives here to find out the costs of bringing back the shipment and to validate their earlier findings on the transport of the trash,” he said.

The South Korean Embassy vowed to process the reexport of the waste immediately. It is estimated to cost $47,430, mainly for inland and ocean freight charges.

The embassy also promised to investigate the importer of the said garbage.

“The government stated that it would take measures to have the waste in question be brought back to Korea as soon as possible,” the embassy stated.

“The government of the republic of Korea—the Ministry of Environment, the Korea Customs Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—has embarked on the investigation of a Korean exporter which caused a controversy in the Philippines this month,” YEAR OF THE PIG. Vendors start to sell lucky charms to usher the Year of the Pig at a public market in Quiapo, Manila. The Year of the Pig it added. n

occupies the last (12th) position in the Chinese Zodiac and will begin on February 5, 2019. You are a “Pig Chinese Zodiac native” if you are born in one of these years: 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019 .

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Palace: Catholics should welcome Duterte’s remarks

by Ritchel

MeNdiola AJPress

In this 2017 file photo, EcoWaste Coalition protest the tons of garbage shipped from South Korea.

Philstar.com photo by KJ Rosales

Pope Francis appoints a new bishop in Bicol

by AJPress POPE Francis appointed Fr. rex Andrew Alarcon from the Diocese of Daet as a new Philippine bishop in Camarines Norte, Bicol on Wednesday, January 2.

The 47-year-old bishop served as a superintendent of the parish schools and a spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Caceres. He was also a member of the College of Consultants and the president of the Catholic Educational Asso-

ciation of the Philippines.

Alarcon succeeded Bishop Gilbert Armea Garcera who was transferred to Lipa, Batangas on February 2, 2017; and became an Archbishop. The See of Daet was vacant for 11 months before Alarcon’s appointment.

The newly appointed bishop also served as a director of the Stewardship programme of the Archdiocese of Caceres. He was also a Professor at the Holy rosary Minor Seminary rosary in Naga.

Alarcon was ordained to the priesthood in 1996, after which he became an assistant parish priest of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naga. From 1997 to 1999 he served as a private secretary to the archbishop.

Alarcon obtained his licentiate in Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University in rome, Italy back in 2001. He studied theology and philosophy in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and Holy rosary Minor Seminary in Naga. n

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MALACAñANG on Tuesday, January 1, said Catholics should not be offended by President Duterte’s remarks on their beliefs, instead they should regard his words as a means to strengthen their faith.

Duterte, who has been at odds with Catholic bishops over the war he waged against drugs, questioned the doctrine of the Holy Trinity last week.

According to him, there is only one God and it is silly to divide God into three. One of the fundamental beliefs of Catholicism is the Holy Trinity, which states that there is one God in three divine persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Duterte furthermore rejected the veneration of saints. He told the public to just pray to God. Malacañang defended Duterte’s latest remark, saying this is his

way of “shaking long held religious tenets and beliefs” that make people “cling to religion as an opium” instead of molding them into righteous individuals.

“In so doing, the President puts to a test the validity of the religious rituals bordering on fanaticism as against the practice of genuine spirituality as taught by the different personifications of one God,” said presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement. “rather than the Church and its believers being offended by such unorthodox narratives, they should welcome it as a process to strengthen further their faith or enlighten those who seek the truth of what they have embraced,” he added.

Duterte, in Panelo’s words, was “unmindful of any consequential erosion of his public support” when he made the unconventional discourse.

Catholicism was brought by

the Spaniards to the Philippines in 1521. More than 80 percent of Filipinos are predominantly Catholic to this day.

Panelo claimed Duterte was merely seeking to “initiate an intellectual discussion for the faithfuls’ enlightenment and spiritual awakening” which could lead them to the upright path.

The presidential spokesman argued that such statements are vital for the “moral regeneration of a nation so abundant with religiosity but wanting in spirituality.”

Panelo also insisted that Duterte was trying to be creative by using means that may be “unnerving to the conservatives unused to his ways of governance” but effective in getting his message across to the majority.

“The President at the same time sets the limits of the freedom of expression to a notch higher than its common use,” he said. n

Typhoon ‘Usman’ death toll climbs to 85

by JeaNNette

i. aNdRade

Inquirer.net

THE death toll from landslides and devastating floods from Tropical Depression “Usman” has climbed to 85 in Bicol and three other regions, with 20 people still missing as rescuers slowly reached cutoff communities, officials said on Wednesday, January 2.

The casualties were mostly killed when their homes were buried by landslides after days of heavy rains, said ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster risk reduction and Management Council (NDrrMC).

Landslides, flooding The tropical depression, which weakened into a low pressure system before leaving the Philippines on Sunday, brought heavy rains that triggered landslides and flooding in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions.

The NDrrMC said the provinc-

Vice President Leni Robredo inspects on Wednesday the extent of the damage caused by landslides at Sitio Igot, Barangay Patitinan, Sagñay, Camarines Sur. Photo from the Office of the Vice President

es of Albay, Sorsogon and Camarines Sur had been placed under a state of calamity to give them access to emergency funds.

Bulan town in Sorsogon, as well as the municipalities of Baco, Naujan, Socorro, Pola, Pinama-

layan, Bansud and Bongabon in Oriental Mindoro have also declared a state of calamity.

Bicol hardest hit The Bicol region, with a population of 5.8 million, was the hard-

u PAGE A5

As Congress returns to session, partial...

PAGE A3 going business as usual. While he wished overseas troops a Merry Christmas from the comfort of the Oval Office, Trump became the first president since 2002 to not visit the troops during the holiday season.

“It’s a disgrace what’s happening in our country,” the president said, referencing the shutdown which he preemptively claimed responsibility for in a televised meeting with congressional Democrats.

“But other than that, I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas,” he added.

With no resolution in sight, on Friday, Dec. 28, the increasingly frazzled president threatened to close the entire U.S.-Mexico border and seize aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador — countries from which many of the migrant caravaners traveled — if Democrats don’t give him the billions of dollars for the border wall.

In a tweet storm, Trump said: “We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with.”

He also claimed that those three Central American countries “are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money,” but provided no facts to back up the statement.

Origins of the shutdown Like the almost-government shutdown back in January, this shutdown was a result of congressional Democrats not coming to an

agreement with the Trump administration for the border wall.

Before the wall is to be built, Trump needs federal funding and, for that, he needs confirmation from Congress. Democrats in Congress have strongly opposed the building of the wall since Trump — who proudly and repeatedly promised on the campaign trail that “Mexico will pay for the wall” — was elected into office.

In a televised meeting in the Oval Office with House Speakerdesignate Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Trump said that would be “proud to shut down the government” to get funding for the wall.

“I am proud to shutdown the government for border security,” Trump said during a tense argument with Schumer and Pelosi as cameras rolled before the leaders’ Oval Office meeting. Later, he added: “If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other ...

I will shutdown the government, absolutely.”

On Thursday, Dec. 27 — the sixth day of the shutdown — the president tweeted, “Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking, Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?”

In response, Pelosi said that Trump’s “scare tactics” lack evidence, saying, “He talked about terrorists coming in over that par-

ticular border, which wasn’t so.

He talked about people bringing in diseases and all the rest of that, which wasn’t so.”

Who is affected by the Christmas shutdown?

The partial shutdown affected 25 percent of the federal workforce. Despite assurances from the Trump administration that public programs would continue “business as usual” some key subsistence programs have already been affected.

And the longer the shutdown continues, the more employees would be furloughed.

In the Department of Agriculture (DOA), 61 percent of employees would still be working through the first week, but that number is set to decrease as the shutdown wears on.

Staff in the DOA’s key offices — the nation’s largest hunger safety net Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) — have been cut by 95 percent by the fifth day of the shutdown.

Also affected is the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), which means that roughly 20 million small businesses across the country could face revenue losses and restricted access to loans.

“Due to the lapse of government funding, SBA will remain inactive until further notice. We apologize for any inconveniences and we look forward to assisting you when we return,” the agency posted to their official Facebook page. n

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A

Report to BI or face sanctions, registered foreign nationals in the PH warned

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

raMos

MANILA — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday, January 2 warned registered foreign nationals that those who will fail to submit their annual report to the agency from January until March 11 this year will face sanctions.

“Two months is a long time,” said BI Commissioner Jaime Morente.

“There is no reason for foreigners to miss the annual report.

Those who will fail to comply will be sanctioned,” he added.

Under the 1950 Alien Registration Act, Morente said registered foreigners are required to report to the agency. Non-compliance may result in fines and the cancellation of their registration.

Morente explained that the said act requires all BI-registered aliens

“to report to the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila or the nearest participating BI field, satellite or extension office from their place within the first 60 days of every calendar year.”

He added that in the annual report, each foreign national must present his/her original alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card) and valid passport and pay a P300 annual report fee and P10 legal research fee.

BI-registered aliens refers to resident foreign nationals who have been issued immigrant or non-immigrant visas and are holders of the ACR I-Card, Morente noted.

“Foreigners who are out of the country during the annual reporting period may make the report within 30 days from the date of their return to the country, provided they have valid re-entry permits,” he added.

While foreigners below 14 years old are exempted from reporting personally to the immigration office, the BI said it will be the duty of their parent or guardian to report to the agency on their behalf.

Meanwhile, senior citizens—65 years old and above—are also exempted from personal appearance at the immigration office but are nevertheless required to pay the fees and fill out the form.

BI Alien Registration Divison (ARD) Chief Jose Carlitos Licas ikewise appealed to all registered aliens to avoid the rush in filing the report.

“It has always been an issue that people file on the last few days of the annual report period, making the process burdensome for everyone,” Licas said.

“We are urging foreigners to avoid [the] deadline rush by making their report earlier,” he added. n

FUEL TAX HIKE. A jeepney driver watches as a gasoline station attendant refills his vehicle with diesel. Consumers may feel the impact of the second round of fuel excise taxes by mid-January, a Cabinet official said. “Excise tax will be applied only to new inventories. Oil companies have to sell all their old stock without the new excise tax. Old stocks might last until mid-January depending on demand,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a text message.

ManilaTimes.net photo

House panel begins probe on budget ‘anomalies’

by AJPress

The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday, January 2 warned registered foreign nationals in the country that those who will fail to submit their annual report to the agency from January until March 11 this year will face sanctions.

Philstar.com photo

Typhoon ‘Usman’ death toll climbs to...

PAGE A4 est hit, with 68 killed in intense rains and landslides. Damage to agriculture in this rice- and cornproducing region was estimated at P342 million ($6.5 million).

Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday said the national government should reinforce disaster management and prioritize infrastructure projects that would prevent huge losses and damage during natural calamities, particulary in the Bicol region.

“We need to identify those areas that are highly at risk and should be deserted to prevent events like this,” said Robredo,

who was at the village of Patitinan to assess the needs of affected residents.

“We also need to prioritize projects for prevention and mitigation like flood control,” Robredo added.

Heartbreaking Robredo and her staff also went around Bicol villages, including Sitio Igot, where rescuers were still trying to retrieve six bodies.

“It was so heartbreaking,” Robredo said. “The landslide area, from what we saw, was really unfit for residential [purposes],” she noted.

“We already gave the [people] cash assistance and relief goods from our Angat Buhay partners,

but I think what they really need the most, especially those who lost almost all their relatives, is a long-term livelihood to help them start again,” the Vice President said.

Rescuers, including the police and military, used heavy-lifting equipment to clear roads leading to landslide sites and entered flooded communities using rubber boats.

More than 45,000 families, or some 191,600 individuals, in 457 barangays in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Calabarzon and Mimaropa were affected by Usman, with 6,637 families still in 170 evacuation centers, the NDRRMC said. n

THE House on Thursday, January 3, began its probe into the alleged anomalies in the current 2018 budget and the proposed P3.8-trillion budget in 2019 — both of which were prepared under Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

The first public hearing was held at the Avenue Plaza Hotel in Naga City, Camarines Sur at 10 a.m.

Among the House members who attended the probe were Majority Leader Rolando Andaya, Jr., Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr., Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, and Coop Natcco Rep. Anthony Bravo.

Consolacion Leoncio, owner of C.T. Leoncio Construction and Trading, was also present after the House panel issued her a subpoena to appear during the hearing. Leoncio was previously accused by Andaya of cornering billions worth of projects for various agencies across the country.

Andaya is firm in his belief that Diokno and a former Cabinet official now seeking an elected post in 2019 are tied to CT Leoncio.

The company cornered a total of 30 projects in 2018 in Sorsogon alone, the province whose vice

governor is the mother-in-law of Diokno’s daughter.

Subpoenas were also issued by the rules committee to several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in the Bicol Region. Engineers Virgilio Eduarte, Danilo Verzola, Ignacio Odiaman, Wilfredo Flores, Larry Reyes, Merla Raveche, Jorge Gorimbao, Victor Azupardo, Gil Augustus Balmadrid, and Noland Claro Guerrero, as well as individuals Malou Lacuna, Renato de Vera, and Dr Elenita Tan were the ones summoned.

Meanwhile, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rodante Marcoleta, COOP-NATCCO Representative Anthony Bravo, AKO Bicol Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr., were present to grill the resource persons alongside Andaya.

Billions in anomalous allocations?

Andaya and Suarez, before the 17th Congress adjourned session in December 2018, accused Diokno of supposedly using his influence as Department of Budget and Management (DBM) chief to bag billions of pesos in infrastructure projects for Sorsogon and Casiguran, where the mayor is also the father-in-law of Diokno’s daughter.

Andaya is “particularly interested” in the P100 billion worth

of unpaid payments that the DBM owes various contractors and suppliers this year. He also quoted Budget Undersecretary Catalina Cabral as saying that the amount of pending payables is at P44 billion for DPWH alone.

According to the Majority Leader, this is worrisome after Diokno admitted “inserting” P75 billion into the DPWH funds for 2019.

Diokno, however, insisted there is nothing anomalous here, as the additional funds were part of the legal budgeting process.

The P10-billion infrastructure projects allocated to Sorsogon in 2018 is also being questioned

by Andaya, as well as the P325million allocation for flood control projects in Casiguran in the proposed 2019 budget.

A resolution was even adopted by the House, urging President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Diokno. Still, Malacañang and other Cabinet officials trust the DBM secretary, who have denied all allegations against him.

Cabinet members are being urged by Malacañang to leave or skip Congress hearings if they feel they are or will be shown “disrespect.”

Andaya said they will no longer force Diokno to attend the House investigation, however, they will still extend an invitation for him to attend. n

A6

JANUARY 4-10, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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FEATURES

OPINION

Hope for a better year

THE year 2018 closed on a tragic note as landslides and flash floods spawned by tropical depression Usman in the Bicol region left at least 57 people dead.

It’s a sad reminder of the challenges ahead at the start of a new year. For a country that is visited regularly by natural disasters, and is considered among the most vulnerable to climate change, disaster resilience should be a top priority.

A new year should strengthen the resolve to implement reforms and follow through on promises. The year ahead bodes tough challenges. Inflation must be tamed as the fuel excise tax, whose impact on pump prices in 2018 cascaded to most consumer items and services, is increased starting today.

Economic growth has decelerated and the peso is weak.

There’s a national budget to be passed, before the reenacted one is used for corrupt ends. Public works projects that broke ground in 2018 must be pursued in earnest this year.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law was passed in 2018; this year it must be pitched to the affected areas for ratification.

On the last day of 2018, a bomb exploded at a crowded shopping mall in Cotabato, killing at least two persons and wounding several others, reminding the nation that serious security problems persist.

The brutal war on drugs has been recalibrated, even as large-scale drug traffickers appear unfazed by the continued killings. The election campaign bodes more armed violence that must be contained.

Following last year’s Dengvaxia scare, the government must heed the warning of health experts and revive public confidence in vaccines. The steep drop in vaccinations last year for various afflictions can lead to a public health crisis in the near future.

There’s a new law on Ease of Doing Business that must be properly implemented, to attract investments that generate employment. This is important especially as Middle Eastern countries send home migrant workers.

In Metro Manila, authorities cannot throw up their hands in surrender with a warning to expect worse traffic jams.

The year just past had moments of undoubtedly good news: the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the return of the Bells of Balangiga; the victory Philstar.com photo of Catriona Gray as Miss Universe. Imelda Marcos, As we prepare for the challenges ahead, we hope with hope.

Janet Lim-Napoles, Jovito Palparan and the police A happy and prosperous New Year to all! (Philstar. killers of Kian Lloyd delos Santos were convicted of for a better year ahead. A Social Weather Stations survey showed 92 percent of Filipinos greeting 2019 com) serious crimes.

Editorial

Christmas card from America

Commentary

LITO MONICO LORENZANA TODAY is the second day of the 2019th year of our Lord. And we all count our blessings as we review the year just gone by. My brood is split this year. My eldest, Lara and her Filipino-American kids are with Lolo Lito and Lola Sylvia here in San Francisco to meet up with Grandpa Pat and Grandma Vicky Kolling, parents of Matt, husband of Lara, who flew in from Minnesota. Carlo’s kids are with Papa Louie and Mama Betsy Quisumbing in Manila. Since the half of us are in the United States today, I will follow a quaint American yearly family tradition of sending Christmas cards to families and friends updating them on their journey through the years.

American society is very mobile, residing from city to city or from one state to another. Figures show that an American nuclear family changes residences four or five times in a lifetime. They go where opportunities are available,

in large cities, mostly for work.

But demographics suggest that the reverse has been happening.

The suburbs and small cities are preferred. The car is what defined American society’s mobility. Thus, the need to connect with old neighbors from new neighborhoods that may be scattered all over.

Philippine society has also been transforming for the past several decades. Migration to other countries, especially by the young, for work opportunity as the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) has been rising. A phenomenon which may not be exclusive to Filipinos is that families that migrated in the 1960s,1970s or 1980s have found the good life here in the States, sought after the “American Dream,” brought up kids as Filipino-Americans, have them study and work and live here. When the time to retire comes, fortified by their monthly U.S. dollar pensions and bolstered by the fruits of their 401K investments, the parents go back to the “ol’ country” and live the rest of their lives comfortably, even luxuriously. I know this

firsthand because I have brothers and classmates who are now beginning to filter back as salmon seek the streams of their youth to procreate randomly for the last time and die. No, not the same for my class 1960 high school.

They’re too old and too terrified by their wives to procreate. They are beyond their expiry dates; take it from Rey Vicente and Toti — except for Dinky. They simply come back to seek the company of their classmates and enjoy the last 30 years of their lives in the “pre-departure area.” We are now mostly in our early to mid-70s. We all led good and satisfying lives, here and abroad. For those who migrated to the States, they leave their Filipino-American kids behind, living their lives as upright Filipino-tutored American citizens and may barely have memories of the old sod. And the parents commute across the globe while they still can, slaves to the climate; summer with their American kids and then escaping winter to the beaches and warmth of their old friends in the ‘Pinas. Thus is the circle of life for my brothers and classmates.

Which bring me to my FilipinoAmerican kids, who graciously decided to uproot themselves from their comfortable home in Gramercy Park in New York and their stress-filled but rewarding work as Wall Street bankers and brought my three American Diamonds to Manila.

And face the stressful traffic, but the daily grind mitigated by the help of inexpensive nannies enabling both young parents to carve their future in business and other professions with doting grandparents taking up the slack. My American grandkids don’t fully grasp yet that they are here temporarily for Lolo and Lola to enjoy seeing them grow up, imbibe their Asian culture and be imprinted with good Filipino values, until God forbid, the onslaught of dementia or Alzheimer’s alters the equation.

But until then, what joy to welcome these creatures with their Filipino cousins to the provinces for the beaches, the crocodile farms, the monkey-eating eagles and the lush greenery.

So, on this Christmas, we celebrate, counting our blessings with our families here in Bantry Lane in SFO, missing Javjav, Claudia, Julia and Carlo with Filipino-American

style noche buena; porcetta and baked Cornish hens, Christmas hams, queso and hot, authentic sikwate tablea. On Thursday, the whole brood will motor to Yosemite National Park for four days, communing with nature, building snowmen for Oliver with a carrot nose and stick for arms and for Max and Sylvie on the kiddie slopes for skiing – accompanied

by Lolo, hopefully not breaking a bone, pulling a muscle or tiring too much.

That is, if the tourism industry workers in the park are still there to keep their excellent service despite the Trump-imposed U.S. government shutdown. On the flip side of American democratic governance, we have a condition where a perceived “unhinged American president” has cruelly caused 800,000 federal workers to work without pay possibly for the duration of the holidays and even beyond; hostages to a political fight on partisan ideological grounds. As a backgrounder, the Republican President is pursuing his campaign promise that to prevent illegal migration from South American, with all its pertinent problems, he crafted this mantra to “build a beautiful wall, and Mexico was paying for it.”

It didn’t happen! Now he wants the American taxpayers to carry the burden. He won’t get what he wants; meantime, the targeted workers, the American public and vacationers alike will have to suffer. Enough of this democratic American presidential politics!

And so, my Christmas card updates may have to end here meantime as my Filipino-American family will try to lay aside the American side of the problems and prepare to attend a simbang gabi, also a quaint SpanishFilipino tradition that has for centuries defined our heritage, our firm and deep devotion to our Catholic religious beliefs and re-live the birth of a baby 2,000 years ago in a manger also in a far-away land.

And after the mass, as in the old country, we repair to our homes with our grandchildren taught to touch our hands to their forehead for a “mano po Lolo, mano po Lola”; and partake of the hot sikwate and maybe puto bumbong, queso, a cut of ham between two slices of pan Americano. Unless my wife Sylvia’s sister Ningning and Tita Mi-i can scrounge around for pan de sal to dip into my sikwate – the Filipino way.

(ManilaTimes.net)

New Year’s resolutions for the Filipino nation Commentary

RICARDO SALUDO JUST three, so we have fewer promises to fail in fulfilling.

First, let’s find less fault and more solutions.

Most of us will agree that there is too much fault-finding in our public discussions (and our personal discourse, for that matter). When problems arise, fingers quickly jump out, looking for culprits to blame, as if that would end the ills.

Take the recent bullying gone viral from a toilet in the Ateneo de Manila Junior High School. We’ve all read or made comments blaming the taekwondo-wielding kid, his father and his family, rumored to have another son expelled from San Beda for similar misbehavior, and the Ateneo for purportedly taking too long in dismissing the bully.

Even President Rodrigo Duterte got some fingers pointed at him, purportedly for encouraging bullying, especially after media assumed that Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle was referring to the President in a recent Sunday mass homily against bullying. It didn’t help that both Duterte and his spokesman got defensive, instead of just letting the Tagle remark pass, since it never mentioned him.

For all that blame game about the Ateneo toilet tussle, how much air time, column inches, and online posts actually talked about serious solutions to youth bullying? There was a tweet for the bully boy to be beaten senseless, and a FilipinoAmerican ex-soldier challenging the kid’s dad to fisticuffs, as if more bruises and blood would teach youths that violence didn’t solve anything.

Turning to national problems, Congress has held countless hearings on shabu smuggling, leading to the replacement of two Bureau of Customs commissioners, plus the relief and charging of several BoC, police and anti-drug people, plus alleged smugglers and their cohorts.

But what solutions have actually been implemented to stop the contraband? Will Customs get more and better container x-ray machines, with its operators trained to spot hidden drugs? If so, when and where will the equipment be installed and expertly operated?

Actually, a decade ago, there was already a plan to have x-ray machines with connections for security, police, and anti-narcotics agencies to also access the footage.

Then expert eyes will be on each container being x-rayed. A good plan that remained a plan.

Stop the Church-State bickering Resolution No. 2: State and Church must stop quarreling and start working together.

The escalating verbal jousts between our political and spiri-

tual leaders have reached unprecedented levels of cacophony and nastiness, with nil gain from all the painful exchanges. One hopes most Filipinos ignore the utterly useless repartee between Palace and prelates, who would do immensely more for the nation if they quarreled less and worked together more.

To wind down this bitter banter, the bishops must take a leaf from Pope Francis and desist from responding directly against presidential taunts, especially those attacking God and Catholic beliefs and practices. (As for President Duterte, urging him to mind his words would be like asking U.S. President Donald Trump to stop tweeting.)

Duterte is not the first prominent figure to make fun of Church doctrines, and like all those who attacked Catholicism before him, he will fail to budge the faithful, since he has no spiritual authority, and God’s graces and action toward His believers count far more than anything His detractors can say or do. Just ask the martyrs.

Once the President sees that his screeds against the Church are being ignored, he will hopefully be satisfied with his victory by default and stop his angry monologue.

Then maybe, just maybe, State and Church can begin sincere and serious dialogue on national concerns, especially drugs, crime, corruption, poverty, and lawless violence.

The top priority: Forging peace Now, if government and reli-

ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia

gious authorities might hold their peace in the interest of joining hands for the national interest, then our third resolution for 2019 may get moving: forge local peace accords with armed groups — not just insurgents and extremists, but also private armies.

The task force recently created

by President Duterte to accelerate local peace efforts should work with bishops and clergy in reaching out to rebels and rebel-affected communities. Insurgents would be offered new lives and livelihoods, and the barangays where they thrive could be placed under the widely successful Kalahi-CIDSS program to bring development to poor areas in consultation and cooperation with their inhabitants.

For sure, there are other national

priorities demanding Church-State action. But the bloodletting among Filipinos must be addressed first and most resolutely, partly because doing so would also address poverty and injustice, and establishing peace opens violent areas to development and investment.

Local peace accords would also reduce the number of armed fighters who could be employed by politicians, criminal syndicates and extremist groups in assassinations, abductions, and attacks on businesses and communities.

Of course, the biggest reason for both State and Church in forging peace is the imperative from God and country for Filipinos to live in harmony. Killing and conflict only feeds more of the same bloodletting, as we see in the rise in political

murders.

Which also underscores the need to include private armies in the local peace efforts. Back in 2009, then President Gloria Arroyo created a special commission, which included a Mindanao archbishop, to rein in private armies in the wake of the Maguindanao Massacre of 56 people, in an effort to stop a rival candidacy.

For 2019, may State and Church bury the verbal hatchet and work together to get purveyors of lawless violence to silence their guns. That would do the nation far greater good than Palace and prelates showing how foolish pride can turn both of them into paragons of nasty nonsense.

A Joyous New Year to all! (ManilaTimes.net)

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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An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 4 , 20 1 9

From Fil-Am Pulitzer Prize winners to culinary stars: A look back at the personalities who made it on the LifEASTyle Magazine cover

A

by

AJPress

s we usher in 2019, the Asian Journal editorial team dedicates the first LifEASTyle Magazine cover of the year as a reflection on the stories that we covered in

2018.

Each week, the LifEASTyle Magazine publishes long-form stories of Filipino Americans who continue to break barriers in their respective career fields, as well as highlighting the

Fil-Am experience living in America and the social issues we face.

In the 52 covers we’ve published last year, we covered a breadth of topics, such as the importance of Filipino nurses to the U.s. medical industry, the need for Filipino families to support children in the foster system, long distance relationships during Valentine’s Day and Christmas, and why we need to talk about mental health as a Fil-Am community.

Along the way, we observed annual celebrations, from

Manny Mogato & Mariel Padilla: Getting to know the Filipino 2018 Pulitzer Prize winners (By Momar G. Visaya) The Pulitzer Prize is the highest and most prestigious award in journalism, literature and music composition.

Earlier this year, Manny Mogato, 55, won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting, alongside his Reuters colleagues, Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall, for their relentless reporting that exposed the brutal killing campaign behind Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. With this feat, Mogato became the first Philippinebased journalist to do so after 75 years when Carlos P. Romulo won it way back in 1942.

Mariel Padilla, a 23-year-old graduate student of journalism at Columbia University, also won

Clare Baldwin and Andrew R.C. Marshall

as she was part of the team at the Cincinnati Enquirer that

Philippine Independence Day to Fil-Am History Month.

Our fellow editors and writers sat down with Fil-Am Pulitzer Prize winners, elected officials, Broadway stars, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, authors and more. It’s always a difficult process to narrow down a whole year’s worth of stories into a succinct list, but we hope that you take a look back at these stories and continue to share them. *To read these selected features & other stories in their entirety, please visit http://asianjournal.com.

From tech entrepreneur to travel journalist: Garrett Gee and his ‘bucket list’ (By Christina M. Oriel)

A lot has been written about 28-year-old tech entrepreneur Garrett Gee and his ‘Bucket List Family,’ — a wife and three young children — who travel around the world and document their experiences.

In 2017, Gee starred in a web series called “Discovering Routes,” developed by ABs-CBN Global studios, Myx TV and Go Button Media, in which he and his older sister Miristi (a yoga and dance instructor) journeyed across the Philippines to learn more about their Filipino heritage.

As for a Philippines trip for the Bucket List Family, Gee said it’s bound to happen, but it wouldn’t be treated like any other trip.

“A lot of people ask us, we’ve been to 45 countries so far away, why haven’t we been to the Philippines? The honest truth is because the Philippines is such a special place to me.

I didn’t want to make it just like one of the many countries we’ve visited. I wanted to give it special attention and special planning and special preparation. We’re just waiting for that AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya special time when we as a family can go and spend a really long time there,” he said. covered the deadly opioid crisis in Cincinnati.

“Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen”: The raw, unapologetic candor of Jose Antonio Vargas (By Klarize Medenilla)

Garrett Gee with his ‘Bucket List’ family Photo from Instagram/@garrettgee

Filipino cuisine strides in LA and beyond (By Momar G. Visaya and Christina M. Oriel)

Our Executive Editor Momar G. Visaya has closely followed the rise of Filipino cuisine and Pulitzer Prize winner and chefs in New York and across the immigration advocate Jose country. In a piece earlier this year, Antonio Vargas published his he highlighted the strides made, memoir, “Dear America: Notes like Tom Cunanan and Margarita of an Undocumented Citizen,” Manzke getting James Beard nods, to much praise in september to mainstream media coverage, to 2018. “Dear America” delivers Nicole Ponseca getting a cookbook a perspective that has endured deal. institutionalized and socialized Around February, several racism and internal struggles Filipino chefs joined forces and and identity crises as an staged a dinner at the James undocumented gay immigrant Beard House in New York City to of color. showcase regional Filipino cuisine.

In a chapter called Last June, the Philippine Consulate “Filipinos,” he writes, “Filipinos AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya General and the Department of fit everywhere and nowhere Tourism New York held Filipino at all,” and despite the rich Restaurant Week, and this year, presence of Filipinos in they also included restaurants in American history, the struggle Jose Antonio Vargas AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla New Jersey and Philadelphia. of Filipinos in America to feel In Los Angeles, editor Christina at home and to feel a sense introductory call to Filipinos in the Filipino-American identity M. Oriel covered the opening of belonging is ubiquitous. In America — undocumented and and understanding how we got of Charles Olalia’s Ma’am sir in many ways, “Dear America” is an otherwise — to stake a claim to here. the summer — which has since Gina Ortiz Jones and her endeavor to become the first Filipina in Congress (By Momar G. become one of the LA Times’ ‘101 restaurants we love’ and has Visaya) landed on numerous ‘best new’ restaurant lists. We also saw a first openly gay, first Iraq War The 2018 midterm election handful of chefs like Chef Barb veteran and first woman House was historic in many ways, Batiste of Big Boi and B sweet and representative from the 23rd including the number of Chef Alvin Cailan of The Usual District of Texas.

While she didn’t women and Filipinos who Purple Yam’s Romy and Amy Besa Chef Charles Olalia NY/Eggslut fame at the LA Food win, the momentum and name vied for positions across the AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya Photo from Instagram/@lafoodbowl and Wine Festival. she built for herself as a political country. We saw Fil-Am TJ Cox “It’s our time. The people from leader may be a signal that we’ll be elected to California’s 21st Food and Wine recognize how be seeing more of her soon. congressional district, as Jennifer “I would be honored to be the much we represent our culture Zimmerman (Florida - District 1) and how much we represent first but it is important that I am and Cristina Osmeña (Calif.-14) Los Angeles in general. Now we not going to be the last because also ran in competitive races, showcase. It’s always been my I am only here because of the but unfortunately did not push credo, which is just for us to be a opportunity my community, my through. part of the conversation,” Cailan country afforded for me.

This is In Texas, Gina Ortiz Jones very much about protecting those told the Asian Journal. “For us, to went up against incumbent, twoactually do something to where opportunities for others that are term Representative Will Hurd, in Gina Ortiz Jones Contributed photo people know, ‘Hey we’re Filipino, just as talented, just as hungry one of the most tightly-contested we’re on the billboards, we’re on and need a little bit of help,” Ortiz make history as the first Filipinaand closely-watched battles in the marketing’ not because of Jones told the Asian Journal.

American in Congress and the the country. she endeavored to The Chefs and organizers pay courtesy call on the Philippine Consulate General. From left: PR…but because we’re persistent FFM Executive Director Kim Boral; Chef Francis Ang; Chef Miguel Trinidad; Consul General Ma and we work hard to promote our Theresa Dizon-De Vega; Chef Carlo Magna; Chef Melissa Miranda; FFM President Sonia Delen Fil-Am Elaine Castillo’s debut novel earns rave reviews (By Momar G. Visaya) culture through our food.” and JBK Founder Joanne Boston.

PCGNY photo California-based author, born and There was a chorus of publications and critics such as What’s next for Kelsey Merritt, the first Filipina model in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion raised in the san Francisco Bay praise for Elaine Castillo’s debut New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Area, has been called “one of the Show (By Momar G. Visaya) novel “America is Not the Cosmopolitan, Elle and Vulture, most promising new voices in Heart” and it was a symphony among others.

Kelsey Merritt — who was born and fiction” and her book, published of adoration from mainstream The 33-year-old Milpitas, raised in the Philippines — made history

by Viking Books, an imprint on November 8 when she became the first of Penguin Random House as Filipina woman to walk in the Victoria’s “extraordinary, exquisite and secret Fashion show, an annual spectacular evocative”. event that highlights some of the best and she is a graduate of the well-known fashion models in the industry University of California, Berkeley, including stalwarts such as Adriana Lima, Gigi and received her MA in creative Hadid, and Kendall Jenner among others. and life writing from Goldsmiths, “I am not exaggerating when I say that University of London. this is literally the hardest job you can get in Castillo grew up in what the world. It was so hard that there has never she describes as a very Filipino been a Filipino in it. I can’t explain how much neighborhood in a very Filipino hard work I put in on this,” she said in her atmosphere. Her town, Milpitas interview with the Asian Journal. in California is a majority minority Continued on Page 6 and there’s a large Filipino, Vietnamese, Mexican, Taiwanese communities there, which is why she said she didn’t grow up thinking of herself as a minority.

“I read quite a lot of translated works, which I realize now probably is a sub-conscious political response to a white mainstream canon. I read a lot of Filipino American writers from Jessica Hagedorn to Carlos Bulosan. That book, America is in the Heart, was the first time I ever read about someone from Elaine Castillo AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya Pangasinan,” she said.

Kelsey Merritt AJPress photos by Troi Santos

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 4 , 20 1 9

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

A JOURNEY THAT FELT LIKE GOING “TO HELL AND BACK” REACHES A HAPPY CONCLUSION WITH ATTY. MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL’S HELP. Roselyn (center) married her U.S. citizen husband and acquired her green card. Unfortunately, their love did not last forever, and Roselyn left her abusive husband. Unknowingly, she became involved in felony forgery – a crime that made her subject to deportation. When she applied for citizenship, it was denied because of this past crime. After hiring three other attorneys and consulting with Atty. Gurfinkel at least four times, Roselyn decided to finally retain leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Watch this success story on how Roselyn retained her green card, terminated her deportation, and paved the way for her naturalization in a brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAGlAyA (What better way to begin 2019 by revisiting your bucket list, fine-tuning it by editing, yanking off a few hare-brained entries, patting your back as you check off those you have done, writing in new, shiny ones and recalibrating the trajectory of where you want to go or how you want to be. So here’s reprising the Bucket List Series. You may want to build your own.)

SO here you are in the late afternoon of your life. Sundown is on the horizon. The end game is in sight. You know it isn’t a matter of if but when.

You’re still upright on two legs, although your knees are starting to buckle. You aren’t looking forward to walking on 3 legs with the help of a cane or a walker. At least, not just yet...

In the quiet of the early morning hours of the coming winter season of your life, you wonder if there is yet one glorious summer time, a glimmer of hope in reprising one’s life unencumbered by the structures and strictures of

The Bucket List Reprising the Series

“What goes on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?” asked the Sphinx.

“Man” Oedipus answered after some thought.

- Riddle of the Sphinx past choices, right or wrong.

There is a part of you that longs for some kind of reprieve to break away and create a life that fills your soul with gladness, so light, so ethereal as the flutter of butterfly wings — that all the hurts, pains, heartaches, and sense of brokenness that have weighed you down and held you hostage for so long a time suddenly went up in smoke, went pouf and VOILA, disappear as though by magic.

A few of your contemporaries have passed and you wonder if you still have what it takes to stay the course you have chosen until the end game. You question if there is time enough to do all those things you wish you did when you could. There’s that long bucket list burning a hole in your

back pocket.

Why call it a bucket list?

Kicking the bucket means “to die” from where the phrase “bucket list” comes from. There are many explanations but the one that seems to make sense is that of a method of dying, either by execution or by suicide. A person stands on a bucket, with a noose around his neck to cause death by hanging from a beam by the final act of an executioner kicking the bucket or by kicking it himself. I am pretty sure that is NOT a scenario most people would choose. But we now refer to the bucket list as your TO DO LIST before the end.

You groan, perhaps not because of the thought of dying itself, but because there is just too many in your bucket list, so little

If Republicans are ‘pro-immigration,’ why are they so against it?

ONE of the main talking points of Republicans is that they are not “anti-immigration,” but instead are “anti-illegal immigration.” They speak about how it is unfair that people come to the U.S. by crossing the border or overstay, break our immigration laws, and expect to be rewarded with legalization.

They emphasize that the people who “play by the rules,” wait their turn in line, etc., are the ones who are deserving of legalization.

What I have found is that even when people follow the rules, the USCIS has several policies and procedures reflecting a bias against legal immigration and those trying to follow the rules.

For example, when a person has already obtained an approval of an H-1B visa, and files for an extension, there is no assurance the extension will be approved, even if the person fully complied with the terms of his visa. Officers have been instructed to dig and investigate, sometimes serving requests for evidence (RFE) that are several pages long, requiring a mountain of documents and other proof, even though the original H-1B petition had already been approved.

In other situations, when a person is applying for a green card, and the case is denied for some reason, even on a technicality such as a missing document that was inadvertently

left out, the case could be denied without an RFE, and USCIS could already place the person in deportation/removal by issuing a notice to appear (NTA).

A person who is a mere overstay and is seeking to legalize his or her status, is now considered an “enforcement priority,” along with felons, gang members, terrorists, etc.

So, it appears everyone is an enforcement priority.

Many years ago, the mission statement of INS was to try to find ways to approve cases. Since USCIS took over INS’ functions, the attitude seems to be to suspect and investigate, and look for ways to deny cases if possible.

That is hardly a “pro-immigration” attitude.

Immigration judges have been instructed to quickly process deportation/removal cases. Their performance reviews are based on quotas for the number of cases they can process.

Judges are instructed to not continue cases (even if a person may be seeking a continuance because an immigration benefit is in process, and if approved, the person could get a green card), or they should reopen cases that had been previously administratively closed.

That is why it is important that whenever a person is applying for an immigration benefit, they should seek the advice of an attorney, who can

evaluate their case and situation, and possibly assist them in applying for benefits, because even though we’re being told the administration is pro-legal immigration, it appears they are tough with both those who are illegal as well as those trying to get legal. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel. com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-487-3465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES ∙ SAN FRANCISCO ∙ NEW YORK ∙ PHILIPPINES

time, low levels of personal energy and scant resources. SIGH… There’s also this thing called Legacy — a big word but it only means ‘What do you leave behind?’ Those anointed by grace to live large will have streets and schools named after them, marble statues on a town square or etched on the side of a mountain

like Mount Rushmore. But for ordinary people, great memories frozen in still photos and videos and some intangible influence beyond death would be enough.

Perhaps a few tears will be shed. There will be sadness for some time. There will be cloudy days as though nature feels the pain of separation, yours and

theirs. You pray those you left behind can move on and live purposeful lives pleasing to God. Life goes on.

Most women can be calm, cool and collected accepting the notion of goodbyes more readily than men. It seems nature has blessed women with the internal Continued on Page 6

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An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY , 20 1 9

On the PEP Front

People, Events, Places BoBBy T. yalong GEarinG towards the final days of our itinerary had involuntarily stimulated us to make the most out of the remaining destinations while simultaneously trying to contain our intensely building enthusiasm.

Sans any sign of exhaustion and weariness, on Thursday, november 29, 2018, saw us back on the road once again (after a hearty hotel breakfast), this time en route north passing through Bosnia-Herzegovina boundaries for checkpoint and passport inspection, stopping at two rest areas (every one and a half hours) and driving along Sibenik, the first city founded

by Croats and the first urban area in Europe to have streetlights.

EMPLOYMENT

Travelogue: (FourTh oF 4 parTs)

Discovering the less known gems of Croatia, slovenia, and Montenegro We made a stop at the quaint Dalmatian village of Pocovo, Selo where we had light lunch after traveling for more than three hours.

We were ushered in to Enoland Dalmati, a tavern-type eatery between Sibenik and Drnis where food was prepared and cooked the ancient way, a unique combination of culture, tradition, and history.

Everything they served was raised and produced from their own poultry, livestock farm, vegetable garden, and fruit orchard.

Ten kilometers away from where we had that rare dining experience is Krka national Park (proclaimed in 1985) in southern Croatia, known for its series of

seven waterfalls, a 2.6 kilometerheavily trafficked loop trail, the Krka Monastery built above ancient roman catacombs, and the Skradinski Buk waterfalls, said to be one of the largest in the entire Croatia measuring 72.5 km. long (45 miles) with a basin that covers an area of 2,088 km. (806 sq. miles).

Krka national Park is spacious, unchanged, and of multi-faceted natural value with the highest density of lavender in Europe, hence the frequency of wasps and bees in the area aside from the exceptionally rich diverse species of flora and fauna.

Later on, we drove to Vodice, a small resort town about 38 km.

EMPLOYMENT

from Krka (and borders the adriatic Sea) known for its vibrancy, diversity, and friendly people. We checked in (for our overnight stay) at Hotel Olympia, a premium beachside resort hotel popular for its modern lagoon-style swimming pool and spa-wellness center.

The following day, Friday, november 30, we were ready for a long one. We spent the morning traveling through the wooded and rocky mountains with lush vegetation on our way to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital and the country’s largest city. We passed through a long tunnel beneath the massive mountains and entered Lika, a mountainous continental region in central Croatia where nikola Tesla was born (specifically in Smiljan)… then passed through the Mala Kanila Tunnel, the longest in Croatia at 5,821 meters long (compared to Holland Tunnel at 2,608 meters and Lincoln Tunnel at 2,504 meters).

Zagreb prides itself of the Gothic twin-spired cathedral, the 13th century St. Mark’s Church’s colorful tiled roof, and its main thoroughfare lined with outdoor cafes, souvenir shops, museums, and a huge open farmers’ market. after an interesting walking tour, we had lunch at restoran Katedralis, a classy restaurant fronting the cathedral that served authentic Mediterranean cuisine… then went for a stroll in the spacious farmers’ market for souvenir items.

By around 2:30 we gathered at our meeting point and boarded our tour bus…this time, headed to Bled, Slovenia’s exquisite city set amidst the majestic Julian alps. We entered the Slovenia-Croatia borders under strict checkpoint that we were commanded to empty the bus, entered a room for close scrutiny, exited at the side door, and boarded the bus again. We finally reached Slovenia proper after an hour and checked in at Park Hotel in Bled.

The city of Bled, with its rich

Krka National Park in Croatia

A souvenir shot aboard a gondola in Venice Grand canal

Ancient buildings crowded the narrow river alleys of Venice Grand Canal

natural beauty ranks among one of the world’s most beautiful alpine resorts with mild healing climate and thermal lake waters.

During our two-day stint, we had the opportunity to be housed with European athletes that participated in the 2018 Ski Olympics. The emerald green Lake Bled served as a breathtaking backdrop of our hotel and from our balcony we had a perfect view of the Bled Castle, a medieval fortification clinging to a rocky cliff.

Saturday, December 1, was a significant day in Slovenia for it was the official opening of their Christmas holiday season with the crisp wisp of December air easily giving away the reason for celebration. We drove up the Bled Castle, the oldest castle in Slovenia and currently the most visited tourist attraction that is 130 meters above Lake Bled. The castle has a huge wine cellar, an ancient

printing press, gift and souvenir shops, and museum. after spending an hour atop of the hill, we drove down towards Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital (about 46 kilometers or 28.5 miles from Bled) known for its university population, green spaces, and the mystic Ljubljana river (their miniversion of Venice’s Grand Canal) enormously lined with outdoor bars and cafes that separates the city’s old town from its commercial hub. Ljubljana, wedged between austria and italy, is the cultural, educational, economic, political, and administrative center of independent Slovenia since 1991.

The pulsating urban spirit of Ljubljana was invigorating as it is infectiously hyperactive. i personally would wish to go back and explore more what’s beyond its city life, if given the opportunity. i feel like i finally found the European Continued on Page 7

PSYCHIC

SERVICES

Tension and diseases Health@Heart

in a hurry. People can’t even say “Just a second, please.” They now say “Just a sec,” to save a split second of time. Everything is now, now, now. I have been so guilty of this myself, they call me “Dr. PHILIP S. CHUA, Karon” (Dr. Now) in Cebu. Instead MD, FACS, FPCS of mailing handwritten letters, we now transmit email messages with ONE of the major factors or lightning speed, domestic and enhancing conditions in disease international. The whole world formation is tension/stress. This could be emotional or psychologic has shrunken smaller and it seems stress, or stress from an unhealthy even the hour has been reduced to less than 60 minutes, and the lifestyle, exposure to chemicals, minute to less than 60 seconds. radiation, or other toxic agents in We are all in a rat race. our environment.

Sometimes, no time for visiting our Stress, induces thickening of parents, friends and other loved blood and predisposes a person ones. No time for exercises or R to clot formation in arteries & R. No time for contemplation and veins, which increases the and soul-searching. No time risk for heart attack, stroke, and to appreciate and smell the thrombophlebitis in the legs that flowers along the way. No time could send blood clots to the lungs, a life-threatening condition to commune with nature. Simply no time, except for the wild and called pulmonary embolus. dizzying ride in the fast lane of Stress, just like lack of physical today’s society. exercise, believe it or not, stress For Christmas, a husband and is also a significant factor in the wife colleagues of mine in Cebu development of cancer. For one gave me four books, among other thing, stress produces hormones that aggravate and magnify stress gifts, when I left for the United States to spend the holidays itself, reduce the level of happy with my family almost 20 years hormones in us, and weakens our ago. One of these books was immune system. This lowers our entitled “STOPPING.” Reading that resistance to prevent and fight book while on my international diseases. flight opened my mind and my Living a healthy lifestyle, eyes, and provided me a wiser which includes relaxation and perspective in life, one that I stress reduction strategy, is like taking good care of any household never had the time to stop for and realize. appliance or electronic gadget, or Looking back, from the time of our vehicles with regular tuneup and oil change, to reduce stress I stepped out of high school and the 18 years of college, medical and premature wear and tear and schooling, internship, residency break-down. training and fellowship that Severe emotional stress could followed, and then the hectic lead to mental breakdown. When medical practice thereafter, I was I was a teenager in Quezon City, always on the expressway of my I knew of a 30-year-old female life. Somehow, the speedy lane was neighbor who was severely the only path and direction I knew. heart-broken when her American I was caught in the vicious cycle of boyfriend left her because her work, work and work, unwittingly parents rejected him. She literally went crazy and became insane and sacrificing the beauty of life itself. had to be institutionalized. Indeed, It now seems that part of my life stress could be seriously harmful to had passed me by as I was whirling away, barely noticing it. our body.

Not experiencing every minute We live in a complex, hurried of our life and savoring its beauty and stress-laden society. The and wonders is really missing it carousel of life spins so fast we all. And it would indeed be a great sometimes can’t get off and get pity if, in the twilight years of our confused with our priorities and life, we woke up one morning and goals. In this world of instant this wondered “where have the all and instant that, of split-second years gone by? Did I enjoy life to email, express grocery checkout the fullest, or did I miss it all?” counters, drive-up fast food, Stopping is the way to get back pharmacy and banking, people give high fives instead of the old- to the right track in life and to have fashioned handshake, and friendly a life. Although in a zip and zoom modes, we sometimes have to put conversation is reduced to “Hi!” and “Bye.” Everyone seems to be the brakes on, even if the inertia

throws us overboard and wakes us up. Stopping the vertiginous circus, in order to live again, seems to be the saner and healthier way. For many of us it might be difficult to simply “slow down” gradually, because the habit we have developed over the years had conditioned our mind and body to “full speed ahead,” and reducing the pace only leads to a poor compromise. What we have to do is to just STOP as I have just learned from that book. At least to re-orient our bearings in life and review our priorities.

Stress is a natural force in life.

There is no one exempt from stress.

It is how each of us handles it that makes the difference on its impact.

Dealt with properly, stress could be positive; it could be an inspiration for us to be better persons or drive us to perform more efficiently to achieve our best. This doubleedged sword could certainly be used positively, wisely.

Stopping the vicious cycle of work, work, work does not mean quitting work altogether. All we simply have to do is to punctuate at a pre-scheduled intervals this unending circle of work with “nonwork-related, fun-filled, pureplay” activities we have always wanted to do alone, or with our loved ones, “if we only had the time.” Time management is not limited to our job, even in this mega-trendy times. It also applies, and more appropriately so, to our life and to our happiness. After all, we are here on earth to be fulfilled and to be happy. And happiness is not the destination in life.

Happiness is the journey itself. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest.

Savor Life Let us not hurry to our graves by casting recklessly our fate.

Not much time to abuse and waste, let all the empty gravesites wait.

Savor life’s overflowing cup and every second we have left.

Time pauses not for any man Mortals can’t amend God’s plan.

(PSC Houston 1972) *** 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

For Vice Ganda, granting mom’s wishes is greatest achievement

by NIÑA

GUNO Inquirer.net

VICE Ganda ended the year with a bang, thanks to a box-officetopping movie in “Fantastica”, an entry at the Metro Manila Film Festival.

The actor and comedian celebrated the movie’s P300 million earnings on Dec. 30. But for him, even such an achievement pales to providing for his own mother.

Vice shared on Monday, Dec. 31 on his Instagram account how important it was that he granted his mother’s wish to see the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. He posted a picture of him and his mom, Rosario Viceral in front of the historical church.

“My profession deprives me

of quality time with my family. So when given the chance I make sure every moment counts and everything creates a wonderful memory. Before this year ends I brought her to where she wished to be,” he said.

But not everything went quite smoothly, he revealed. “I didn’t know we had to book online to get access inside the church. So I asked a friend for help. Unfortunately only one could get inside.

“And like a parent to a child I am now patiently waiting for her to finish her ‘field trip’ inside the Sagrada Familia. I am the happiest son right now!”

He said that fulfilling his mom’s wishes is his greatest achievement amid his career success.

“To be able to grant my Nanay’s wishes as she gets older

is [a] big deal for me,” he stated.

“Vice Ganda is accomplished.

Tutoy is successful. This is how I end my 2018.”

“Tutoy” is Vice’s childhood name. When he marked the 7th year of his talk show “Gandang Gabi Vice” last June 2018, he said he would rather be Tutoy than Vice Ganda. “Tutoy is my nanay’s source of joy, I will forever be Tutoy.”

He said he could lose everything except his true self: “Kaya ‘di pwedeng mawala si Tutoy kasi s’ya ‘yung kasiyahan ng nanay ko (Tutoy cannot be lost because he is my mom’s happiness), and that’s the most important thing in this world.”

On New Year’s Eve of 2017, Vice Ganda brought joy to his Nanay when he surprised her with a visit to San Francisco.

5

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N UA RY 4 , 20 1 9

Change in lifestyle tops celebs’ priorities for the New Year

by MARY

ANN BAUTISTA Inquirer.net

ALONG with the New Year come new beginnings, a new hope and, for others, a fresh start. We asked some celebrities what their resolutions are for 2019.

Ruru Madrid: I will focus more on my career, work harder and take better care of myself. I’m already 21, so I need to be more fit, healthier and eat what’s good for my body.

Sophie Albert: My New Year’s resolution is to be wiser about the way I spend my time and try harder to live a positive and meaningful life in 2019.

Joyce Pring: This 2019, I want to

Inah De Belen

Ruru Madrid

Jackie Rice

manage my time better and also, to start packing light. My everyday bag weighs a ton because of all the stuff I carry around on a regular basis, so I want to be able to organize that.

Devon Seron: I want to be more productive, exercise more, eat healthy food, read books and spend more time with my loved ones.

Inah De Belen: My New Year’s resolution is to be a better version of myself. I want to make better decisions in my life, work out again and sleep early. I also want to explore more aspects of my craft, which is acting, and prepare for the projects I will be doing soon.

Jackie Rice: I will try my best

not to eat pork or, at least, lessen its consumption. For health reasons na din. Although may patikim-tikim pa rin, kasi masarap ang chicharon, lechon, especially during the holidays, kaya isa siya sa challenges para sa akin.

Paul Salas: I will try to sleep early and practice being a morning person. I’d like to be able to do more for the day. And I know waking up early is also good for the body.

Pauline Mendoza: I want to welcome the New Year with a fresh start. My resolution is to love and take care of myself more. I will enjoy life, and be more contented and appreciative of what I have and of what I will receive.

Calendar of Events across

GMA photos

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS JA N UA RY 5

Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of Greater LA hosts Gala in Burbank, CA Enjoy the glitz, glamour and allure of Hollywood at the Gala Night of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACC-GLA) on Saturday, January 5. Come dressed to the nines inspired by your favorite Cinema icons for a fun evening in an evening of dancing, good food and camaraderie for only $65 at the renovated Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport (2500 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505). FACCGLA members bring your friends and family, non-members welcome! Doors open at 6 p.m. Prefer to be a VIP donor?

Sponsorship packages available at faccgla.org.

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Santo Nino Celebration at St. Catherine Laboure Church in Torrance, CA Most Rev. Bishop Oscar A. Solis will celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass on Friday, January 18 at St. Catherine Laboure Church (3846 Redondo Beach Blvd. Torrance, CA 90504) at 7 p.m. The Novena prayers and Chaplet will follow after the Mass. The parish has an exact replica of the Infant of Prague (Santo Nino) clothed in a relic of the Holy Robe that adorns the original statue in the shrine at Prague. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own statues; the devotion of touching them to the Holy Robe will conclude the celebration. For more information, please contact Lorna Arceo at (310) 345-4637, Maria Quan (310) 714-6537 or Vicki & Romy Balliyut at (310) 406-6575.

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Sto. Niño celebration at St. Finbar Church in Burbank, CA Please join us for Sinulog on January 19, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Finbar Church (2010 W Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91506). Bring your statues of the Infant Jesus. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m.

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Feast of Sto. Niño at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in LA On Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 3:30 pm, the Santo Niño Cruzada USA will sponsor a mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to be presided by its Pastor, Fr. David Gallardo, and to commemorate its 32nd year anniversary of the solemn Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus. Participating are the choir of St. Paul the Apostle Church from Chino Hills, The Southern California Sinulog Dance Co., The Saint Junipero Serra Province Knights of Columbus, and various religious organizations. We also offer the mass to the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu who gave the Santo Nino statue that we use for this event to Cardinal Roger Mahony and Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik. For more information of this celebration, please contact Romy & Tess Esturas at (213) 219-0590.

F E B R UA RY 9

St. Finbar Church in Burbank, CA celebrates its 9th Annual Valentine Dinner Dance Come and celebrate Hollywood glamour on February 9, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For information contact Marian at (818) 562-6819 or send an email to minobleza@yahoo. com.

F E B R UA RY 1 5

Franchising Retail & Trade Conference in Cerritos, CA The Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC) hosts this highly anticipated business event at the Cerritos Sheraton located at 12725 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, CA 90703. Attendees will have access to opportunities in business match making & referrals, roundtable discussions, entrepreneurship training programs, and networking & business connections with participants representing both the United States and the Philippines. Business owners, entrepreneurs, corporations, and the general public are all invited to attend. The Philippine Retailer Association (PRA) and the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) will be present to network with the US business community. Also present will be local franchisor and franchisee business owners, the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), the National Diversity Coalition (NDC), the Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, the Philippine Consulate Los Angeles Office, Philippine Dept. of Trade & Industry (PTIC) Los Angeles, and the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).Basic entry is only $10 but can and will vary depending on the participation experience desired. Registration for the Conference is simple and is processed online at by going to https://cofacc.org.

Vice Ganda with his mom during their trip in Spain.

Photo from Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin

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

From Fil-Am Pulitzer Prize winners to...

An Asian Journal Magazine

From Page 2

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 4 , 20 1 9

Lizette Cabrera, Sabrina Santamaria talk about their US Open journey (By Momar G. Visaya) This year, the US Open celebrated its 50th birthday, and along with it, the opening of the Louis Armstrong Stadium version 2.0, a 14,000 seat arena right next to the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

We met and interviewed a couple of tennis players who made it into the draw, one representing Australia and the other the United States.

Lizette Cabrera was born in Brisbane, Australia to Filipino parents while Sabrina Santamaria was born in Los Angeles, California to a Filipino mother and a Panamanian father.

Both of them went through a lot in order to reach their dream and last week, they both achieved one of

Liza Soberano

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano Nadine Lustre

Photo from Instagram/@nadine

Liza Soberano, Nadine Lustre among Filipinas on 2018 ‘Most Beautiful Face’ list FILIPINO-American modelactress Liza Soberano has made it to the Independent Critics’ Hall of Fame as she entered its “Most Beautiful Faces” list for the fourth time.

Liza ranked fourth this year on TC Candler’s The Independent Critics “Most Beautiful Face” list.

Last year, she was hailed as the most beautiful face.

For this year, Liza comes after Israeli model Yael Shelbia, K-pop girl group TWICE’s Chou Tzuyu and French model Thylane Blondeau, who is hailed as “The Most

From Page 3

Beautiful Face” in 2018.

The Independent Critics have been making the annual list since 1990 under the leadership of British film critic TC Candler.

According to its website, the ranking covers more than just “aesthetic perfection,” as “grace, elegance, originality, daring, passion, class, poise, joy, promise and hope” are also seen “in a beautiful face.”

Other Filipinas who made it on the list in 2018 were Nadine Lustre whose rank went up to the 78th

spot from the 70th last year, and Jessy Mendiola who is at the 55th spot, 16 places higher than last year’s 71st spot.

Meanwhile, actor James Reid is 21st on “The Most Handsome Faces” list. He ranked fourth last year.

Model Daniel Matsunaga meanwhile jumped to the 39th spot from placing 88th last year.

Aquaman actor Jason Momoa is this year’s “Most Handsome Face.” (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar. com)

Sabrina Ashley Vida Santamaria (born February 24, 1993 in Los Angeles, CA) takes pride in her Filipino and Panamanian heritage.

Photo from Instagram/@sabsantamaria

Lizette Faith Cabrera (born 19 December 1997) is an Australian tennis player of Filipino descent.

Photo from Instagram/@lizettecabrera

their dreams.

They also share an ultimate

dream: to win a Grand Slam and be the world number 1.

Feed2Succeed: How three high school students found a way to feed young students in the Philippines (By Rae Ann Varona) In time for the holiday season, Feed2Succeed — a non-profit founded by Caroline and Carmina Raquel and their friend Tiffany Sato — was featured for its work in helping feed and educate malnourished children in the Philippines. They found that it only takes $4 to do so for an entire month.

From small scale high school fundraisers, Feed2Succeed has grown into a full-fledged nonprofit organization with club chapters run in different U.S. schools helping eleven sponsored elementary schools in

a part of Feed2Succeed’s original elementary school feeding programs.

“I hope that people can understand that passion behind our mission and how I think we just want to help as many kids as possible, and I think kids helping kids is a very powerful effect that we can have,” said Caroline Raquel. “There are so many ways Caroline Raquel and Tiffany Sato at one of to help, and creating a community Feed2Succeed’s yard sales in Los Angeles and surrounding yourself with Contributed photo people that also just want to the Philippines. They’ve also taken help I think is something that we on the sponsorship of a number are trying to push forward with of high schoolers that were once Feed2Succeed.”

Globetrotting with Filipino-French entrepreneur’s lifestyle brand Oneculture (By Christina M. Oriel)

In December, the Asian Journal featured Anthony Alvarez, a Filipino-French entrepreneur living in Paris who started his own lifestyle menswear brand Oneculture, featuring pieces inspired by travels and global influences. So far the collections have included nothing. You’ve earned the right Manila, Fez, Morocco and Tokyo. to this bit of luxury.

“I really wanted to convey that message through the clothes, For now, select a handful of promoting culture and diversity and promoting travel without any those things in your bucket list cultural barriers,” Alvarez said. “This was also during a time when a lot that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time of people were focusing on barriers, such as Brexit or Donald Trump being elected president of the United States. That’s the political side to frame. In tech speak, this means before your life’s energy goes into it. So that’s how I got the name Oneculture.”

One of the statement pieces during the Manila collection was ‘low batt mode’ and life has run a rendition of the men’s barong (a formal shirt made from piña out of sockets to plug into. considered the national costume of the Philippines) in the color black Next week: An idea for The and using a more comfortable, sporty fabric. He incorporated the Bucket List… eucalyptus tree that is found in the Philippines and put that print in the *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP inside layer of the clothes.

“I grew up in a household that was very Filipino,” he said. “It of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ is a very important part of my identity so I [started] the journey of Oneculture in Manila.” asianjournalinc.com

The Bucket List

fortitude and strength to be able to plan for the final event with remarkable equanimity.

As for men, well, not so much... The idea of mortality is not something that most men are comfortable with. Don’t fret. It is in their DNA. There are exceptions of course. Men’s strength is expressed in other ways no less than women, like nature intended it.

The solution is always the same when one is overwhelmed and paralyzed. With too many items in one’s bucket list, pare it down to bite sizes. Make a molehill out of a

mountain.

Size it down as David did when he slew Goliath. Cull out nonessentials ruthlessly, the fluff as we call them, and PRIORITIZE. Since life itself holds no guarantees on how long we are to live, SIMPLIFY and do a triage of sorts.

Do the most important things first, the one that is near and dear to your heart. Then when there is time left over, you can still choose to do the trivial stuff on your bucket list just for the heck of it. OR simply delete the rest of the list. With still a smidgen of time left, sit back and savor doing

Anthony Alvarez Photos courtesy of Anthony Alvarez/Oneculture

Discovering the less known gems of Croatia...

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JA N uA RY 4 , 20 1 9

From Page 4 city that fits meâ&#x20AC;Śurban but not too busy and diverse in ethnicities with familiar culture.

And while they say: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even some good things have to endâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? and so did our 10-day European escapade.

By around 3:00 p.m. we were on our way back to Bled with a hearty dinner and farewell party prepared for us. Cocktails at 6:30 and dinner at 8:00 were fun-filled but too heartbreaking to disintegrate a bonding developed in just ten days.

It was a teary-eyed moment when everyone bade each other a warm hug, a gentle pat on the shoulder, an affectionate handshake, and final adieu. It was the last moment to savor the instantaneous friendship and unanticipated togetherness weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve warmheartedly shared only to depart the following morning in different schedules. There was nothing left but fond memories and memorable snapshots to keep and treasure.

But it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the end for me and my wife. We requested for an extension even during our bookingâ&#x20AC;Śthis time, a day in Venice, Italyâ&#x20AC;Śsince it was at the Marco Polo Airport where we were booked to fly back home.

Sunday, December 2, we checked out around 6:30 AM and on the road to Italy by 7:00. After 45 minutes we passed along the Slovenia-Italy borders and reached our destination around 11:00. A local cab took us to Hotel Ambasciatori along Corso del Popolo, our overnight residence.

There wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a single minute to waste. After checking in, we purchased our bus and ferry tickets and off we went to the Grand Canal.

It was exhilarating as it was exciting.

Guided by our instincts and raging curiosity, plus the courage that

An Asian Journal Magazine

Catriona Gray off to New York after spending holidays with loved ones

Zagreb, Croatiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twin-spired cathedral

weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tremendously mustered, exploring Veniceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grand Canal, a totally new place but familiar site (from movies, photographs, and publicity materials), seemed so easy for the two of us. Although intermittently bothered by how to find our way back while on board the ferry boat, but the amazingly breathtaking sceneries held me grasping the right words to say that thoroughly expunged my fears and worries.

The splendid charm of Venice, Italy has continuously attracted millions of tourists around the world. As the capital of Veneto Region, Venice is a place of immense beauty and historical significance with its gorgeous canals, shopping kiosks and brand name stores, food and souvenir shops, exotic culinary choices, and most of all, the authentic venetian gondola ride experience that gives one the opportunity to discover the floating cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden charm and lesser known gems.

Monday, December 3, we were picked up from the hotel at 12:30 p.m. by a service cab for our 2:45 p.m. flight to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH) via Swiss Airways. After an

Me, trying all my powers to lift an ancient water turbine in Krka National Park

OFF to the Big Apple she goes!

Newly crowned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is ready and all packed up as she heads to her new home in New York City.

In an Instagram post late Wednesday, January 2, the 24year-old beauty queen can be seen clad in a stylish gray bomber jacket, jeans, and thigh-high boots, holding a metallic silver carry-on bag with a Philippine flag plastered on it, as she seems to be awaiting her flight bound for New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Refreshed from a quiet holiday season with my loved ones, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve packed up my home in Manila and now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready to move to my new home in New York City!!

I still canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it!â&#x20AC;? Gray wrote in the caption.

However, given that she has lived in a tropical country for a while, the Fil-Aussie stunner

Zagreb, Croatiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market

said she is â&#x20AC;&#x153;most nervous about experiencing the chill of NYC in winter.â&#x20AC;?

She then asked her Instagram followers for recommendations for things â&#x20AC;&#x153;to see, do and eatâ&#x20AC;? in the Big Apple.

Gray, who was crowned last December 17 in Thailand, will be living in a luxury apartment in New York during her reign. (Inquirer.net)

Moira dela Torre calls out heckler: May you learn to love yourself

The Bled Castle of Bled, Slovenia

hour and 10 minute-flight we rushed to Gate E27 for our Swiss Air Flight #E37 to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) at 5:45 p.m.

After 8 hours and 28 minutes covering a total distance of more than 6,335 km (3,936 miles), we finally landed at the Newark Airport at 8:30 p.m.

Reflecting on this moment, I believe the opportunity given me to travel and explore the world far beyond my not-so-empty shell has afforded me to achieve that most elusive â&#x20AC;&#x153;changeâ&#x20AC;? that I actually needed to discover more about myself and celebrate the â&#x20AC;&#x153;birthâ&#x20AC;? of friendships I encountered along my journey. After enjoying every single distant paradise on earth and overwhelmingly absorbed the very essence of its existence as it imposed pleasure to the realm of my sensesâ&#x20AC;ŚI came to realize the significant change of travelâ&#x20AC;Ś which only induced even more hankering in me to pursue exploring other less unknown gems in many parts of the world.

Thank you, dear readers, for

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray

KAPAMILYA singer Moira dela Torre cried foul on a rude spectator who called her names during a yearend concert held at Marikina Sports Center.

In her Twitter account, Moira shared her experience with a male concert-goer who was shouting at and calling her ugly and fat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To the rude kuya shouting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ang taba mo laki mo moira panget tabaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; while i was performing last Trekking the 2.6 mile long wooden trail in night..i was so tempted to look at Krka national Park you & give you a piece of my mind. hopping onto my bandwagon as But i didnt want anyone feeling how I fondly reminisce the thrills and you made me feel. Even you,â&#x20AC;? the pleasure of my recent European â&#x20AC;&#x153;Malayaâ&#x20AC;? singer wrote. escapade! An exceptional Moira added that â&#x20AC;&#x153;women are acknowledgement goes to those beautiful whatever size and may i who emailed me inquiring more be the last person you disrespect about the process and details of this like that.â&#x20AC;? particular travel.

She also wished the heckler a Sending everyone a Prosperous good year ahead of him and that he New Year! may learn to love himself.

For comments and suggestions, â&#x20AC;&#x153;May you learn to love yourself please email to: gemini0646@yahoo. enough that you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to com. bring people down just to feel

Moira dela Torre Photo from Instagram/@moirarachelle

â&#x20AC;&#x153;funnyâ&#x20AC;? or important. If ur reading this, i hope next year showers you love. Happy new year,â&#x20AC;? she said.

In another post, Moira said sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happy with how the concert turned out despite the incident. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But anywaaaay, i got to meet 69,999 amazing people last night!

Our biggest show to date and we had so much fun. Maraming maraming salamat MarikeĂąos!

Thank you for ending 2018 w us!!!â&#x20AC;? she wrote. (Philstar.com)

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