020120 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 8 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

Quiboloy camp denies complaints against church after US-based administrators’ arrests Kingdom of Jesus Christ officials face federal charges for human trafficking, immigration fraud

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Apollo Quiboloy, founder of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

THE camp of televangelist Apollo Quiboloy on Thursday, January 30, claimed that former members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) church provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation with false information that led to the arrests of three KOJC administrators in the United States.

Israelito Torreon, Quiboloy’s spokesman, denied the allegations, after three top adminis-

trators of the Philippines-based church on Wednesday, January 29 were arrested on federal charges of participating in an immigration fraud scheme.

The charges include bringing church members to the U.S. to work as fundraisers and arranging sham marriages, among other illegal tactics.

“We are ready, able, and willing to show and prove the innocence of the administrators of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ,” u PAGE A2

PANIC BUYING. People queue up in front of medical supply stores on Rizal Avenue corner Remigio Street in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Friday, January 31, to purchase face masks as protection against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). There has been panic buying of face masks since the Department of Health confirmed the first case of nCoV in the country on Wednesday, January 30.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

PH confirms first novel coronavirus case World Health Organization declares outbreak a ‘global emergency’

by AJPRESS

THE first case of the novel coronavirus (nCov) has been confirmed in the Philippines, the Department of Health said on Thursday, January 30.

“Today the DOH is confirming that a Chinese female patient under investigation is positive for novel coronavirus 2019 after her lab results arrived from the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia,” said DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III in a press briefing.

by RITCHEL MENDIOLA The Chinese woman traveled AJPress to the Philippines from Wuhan, THE American soldier convicted of killing Filipina China, via Hong Kong on January transgender Jennifer Laude will stay under the jurisdic- 21. She reported consulted with tion of the Philippines even after the country’s Visiting a doctor after experiencing mild Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States is for- cough and was admitted to one of mally terminated, Malacañang on Thursday, January 30 the country’s government hospitals on January 25. said.

Duque added that the woman According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the country won’t lose custody of U.S. Marine was “asymptomatic,” meaning the Joseph Scott Pemberton, who is currently detained at patient showed no signs of fever and “no symptoms suggesting illCamp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. ness.” u PAGE A2

PH to keep custody of convicted US soldier DATELINE USA in transgender slay Philippines not on list of if VFA terminated FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

countries eligible for H-2A and H-2B visa programs

THE U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), announced last week the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in 2020.

For 2020, the acting secretary of Homeland Security has determined, with the concurrence of the Office of the Secretary of State, that the countries designated as eligible in 2019 will remain unchanged.

This means that nationals of the Philippines are still not eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs. Last year, DHS removed the u PAGE A2

MOST would agree that firefighters are arguably the most crucial public service members of any community in terms of public safety, emergency services and disaster relief.

In Los Angeles County, where earthquakes and wildfires happen on a nearly regular basis, firefighters and paramedics are an essential part of mitigating disaster and rescuing victims.

But, for the most part, a majority of the responsibilities of a fire department lie in evu PAGE A3

He also confirmed that the Chinese woman is confined at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

“I assure the public that the DOH is on top of this evolving situation. We were able to detect the first confirmed case because of our strong surveillance system, close coordination with the World Health Organization and other national agencies,” Duque said.

“We are working closely with u PAGE A3

A LETTER being circulated on social media and through email about a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019nCOV) outbreak in the city of Carson, California has been deemed fake, local officials warned on Thursday, January 30.

The letter — which is purporting to be from an official with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health u PAGE A3

Metro Manila traffic is 2nd worst in the world—report

fic took the second spot this year with drivers expecting to spend an average of 71 percent extra travel METRO Manila has the sec- time stuck in traffic. ond-worst traffic congestion in the The Indian city of Bengaluru world, a report by location tech- topped the 9th edition of the annology specialist TomTom (TOM2) nual TomTom Traffic Index with showed. also 71 percent congestion level.

In its Traffic Index 2019— a The global average congestion report detailing the traffic situa- level is 29 percent, TomTom said, tion in 416 cities in 57 countries— adding that 57 percent of counTomTom said Metro Manila trafu PAGE A2

by DARRYL JOHN

Improving emergency, paramedic services in LA County through Measure FD The LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Measure FD to appear on the March 3 ballot

Philippine Health Secretart Francis Duque III Inquirer.net photo

Officials warn against fake letter claiming coronavirus outbreak in Carson, CA

ESGUERRA

Inquirer.net

President Rodrigo Duterte examines the photos on exhibit during the 69th founding anniversary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at its central office in Quezon City on Wednesday, January 29.

Malacañang photo by Ace Morandante

Duterte bars Cabinet officials from traveling to US

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, January 29, barred Cabinet members from traveling to the United States following his order to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the country and the U.S. “I will not allow any Cabinet member to go there at this time. No Cabinet member should be allowed to go to the United States,”

he told reporters on the sidelines of the 69th founding anniversary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“It’s like a boycott,” Duterte added, stressing that he is “toning down” the relations between the Philippines and its long-time ally.

The VFA, which came into force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines.

Metro Manila officials hope to ease traffic flow on EDSA by regulating the movement of private vehicles u PAGE A2 with one person on board during peak hours.

Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez

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From the Front Page Duterte bars Cabinet officials from traveling...

PAGE A1 t Among the provisions of the deal include lax visa and passport policies for U.S. troops, and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit crimes in the Philippines.

On Jan. 23, Duterte threatened to scrap the VFA after the U.S.’ cancellation of Senator Ronald

“Bato” Dela Rosa’s visa, giving the U.S. a month to “correct” the cancellation of Dela Rosa’s visa.

However, Duterte recanted his statement the next day, saying he is no longer waiting for the US to “correct” the cancellation of Dela Rosa’s visa and ordering the termination of the VFA. “I am terminating the VFA. I was not joking. The day I said

it was the day that I decided it should be terminated,” Duterte said.

He also insisted that he is not being capricious, and that his decision was for “every Filipino.”

“I have long thought about this.

I don’t wait. I just announce late.

I let them go first. At the time, I decided if they do this, I do it not only for Dela Rosa but for every Filipino,” Duterte added.

Still under review According to government officials, they are still reviewing the impact of a possible pullout from the VFA. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III chairs, is set to review the VFA. Pimentel said the panel will discuss how the VFA is being implemented, its timeline, problems and how these were addressed.

They will also review the Enhanced Defense Cooperation An FBI agent, who took part in a raid on the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on Wednesday, January Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande Agreement and Mutual Defense 29, fixes a tarpaulin cover on its fence.

Treaty with the U.S. Pimentel added that recommendations by the Senate panel will be forwarded to Malacañang PAGE A1 t afterwards. n no money solicited appears to as the FBI operation is legitiTorreon told media. benefit impoverished or in-need mate.

U.S. federal agents arrested children.”

“If the raid is legitimate, then Guia Cabactulan, 59, and MarisThey also employed several il- we cannot complain on that,” he sa Duenas, 41, at the KOJC com- licit mechanisms like sham mar- said. pound in Van Nuys, California, riages and phony enrollments in Panelo added, “You must rewhere they both lived. Amanda schools to keep the members in member that if a crime is comPAGE A1 t Estopare, 48, meanwhile, was the country, the complaint add- mitted in any country, then the laws of that country will have to ed. tries included in the study saw an nabbed in Virginia.

“We will show to you that this be followed. We have to respect Prosecutors noted that doincrease in traffic congestion in is nothing but a grand conspiracy nations were solicited by the them the way we ask them to re2019.

The study covered 306.4 mil- of lies concocted by former mem- church members for the non- spect ours.”

On Wednesday, federal agents lion kilometers of roads in Metro bers of the kingdom who struck profit Children’s Joy Foundation an alliance with forces who have also executed search warrants USA, but instead of going to Manila and revealed a 73 percent level of congestion for highways an axe to grind against Pastor poor Filipino children, the mon- at the KOJC compound in Van and 70 percent for non-highways. Apollo C. Quiboloy. They are into ey went to church operations, as Nuys, the CJF office in Glendale, According to the report, the best this grand conspiracy to put to well as to fund Quiboloy’s lavish and three other locations in the Los Angeles area. lifestyle. day for Metro Manila congestion shame PACQ,” Torreon added.

He maintained that former Searches were also conducted The affidavit summarizes the last year was on April 19, Good church members made the alleat two locations linked to KOJC experiences of a series of victims Friday. The day had the lowest average daily congestion at 0 per- gations after Quiboloy ordered who fled KOJC and provided in- in Hawaii, and agents fanned cent. Meanwhile, the worst day for financial audits on some of his formation to the FBI over the out across the United States to interview witnesses as part of a past several years.

Metro Manila traffic in 2019 was officials.

Cabactulan was the top KOJC larger investigation into the orSome of the victims described on August 16, a Friday.

TomTom also bared that Friday official in the U.S. who main- being sent across the U.S. to ganization.

The charge of conspiracy to has the worst rush hour from 6 to tained direct communication with solicit donations, working long church leadership in the Philip- hours to reach their daily quo- commit immigration fraud car7 p.m.

“Travelling after 7 p.m. on Fri- pines, while Duenas allegedly tas, receiving little to no pay for ries a statutory maximum penalday could save you up to 5 hours handled fraudulent immigration their efforts, and participating in ty of five years in federal prison.

The FBI has established a tollper year (for a 30-minute com- documents for KOJC workers sending large sums of cash back and secured the passports imme- to the Philippines on commercial free phone number for potential mute),” the report said. victims or anyone with inforAll in all, the report claimed diately after workers entered the and private flights.

KOJC claims a membership mation about KOJC activities to that for 230 working days in a U.S., the federal complaint said.

Estopare allegedly handled of six million people around the provide information. The inforyear, 257 hours or 10 days and 17 mation line is 1-800-CALL FBI hours was spent driving in rush the financial aspects of the KOJC world. enterprise, including enforc(1-800-225-5324), and it will be Its founder, Quiboloy — selfhours. n ing fundraising quotas for KOJC proclaimed to be “the appointed staffed by English- and Tagalogworkers. son of God” — has close ties with speaking personnel. Individuals The federal criminal complaint President Rodrigo Duterte. may also contact the FBI through said the three reportedly used a Malacañang, for its part, said its website at https://www.fbi. children’s foundation as a front it would not meddle with the gov/tips. to bring in its members from the FBI’s human trafficking probe The ongoing investigation into Philippines and used children to on KOJC. KOJC is being led by the FBI, beg for money on the street.

“The administration’s stance which is receiving substantial “[B]ank records show that of not meddling into the affairs assistance from Homeland SecuKOJC accounts received ap- of another state remains even if rity Investigations, U.S. Citizenproximately $20 million in cash Quiboloy is a close friend of the ship and Immigration Service’s deposits from 2014 through mid- President,” presidential spokes- Fraud Detection and National 2019,…[and] most of these funds person Salvador Panelo said Security Unit, the U.S. Departappear to derive from street-level Thursday. ment of State’s Diplomatic Sesolicitation,” according to the afHe also stressed that the Pal- curity Service, and IRS Criminal fidavit, which notes that “little to ace would not complain as long Investigation. n

Quiboloy camp denies complaints...

Metro Manila traffic is 2nd...

Philippines not on list of countries eligible for...

PAGE A1 t Philippines along with Dominican Republic (H-2B only) and Ethiopia “because they no longer meet the regulatory standards for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.”

According to a Federal Register document, the Philippines had a high H-2B overstay rate. In FY 2017, DHS estimated that nearly 40 percent of H-2B visa holders from the Philippines overstayed their period of authorized stay.

The H-2A visa program allows U.S. employers to hire agricultural workers with some restrictions while the H-2B visa is a federal seasonal worker visa program.

There are 84 countries designated to be eligible for the agricultural visa program and 81 countries are eligible for the seasonal work visa because they continue to meet the regulatory standards.

Additionally, for the Philippines, the report said that among all U.S. posts throughout the world, U.S.

Embassy Manila issues the greatest number of T-derivative visas, which are reserved for certain family members of principal T-1 nonimmigrants (certain victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons). U.S. Embassy Manila issued approximately 40 percent of the total T-derivative visas issued worldwide from FY 20142016.

According to the document, a recent review of certain T-1 status recipients, whose spouses were issued T-2 visas during this same period, shows that approximately 60 percent were determined to have been trafficked to the United States on H-2B visas.

“DHS and DOS are concerned about the high volume of trafficking victims from the Philippines who were originally issued H-2B visas and the potential that continued H-2B visa issuance may encourage or serve as an avenue for future human trafficking from the

Philippines,” the report said.

The Philippines was removed from the list of eligible countries last year because DHS and DOS believe that these overstay and human trafficking concerns are severe enough to warrant removal from the programs.

The DHS maintains its authority to add countries to the eligible countries list at any time, and to remove any country at any time DHS and DOS determine that a country fails to meet the requirements for continued designation.

Examples of factors that could result in the exclusion of a country or the removal of a country from the list include, but are not limited to, fraud, abuse, denial rates, overstay rates, human trafficking concerns, and other forms of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the H-2 visa programs by nationals of that country.

(Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

PH to keep custody of convicted US soldier...

PAGE A1 t Pemberton was sentenced to serve a jail term of up to six years by the Olongapo Regional Trial Court in 2015 after he was found guilty of killing Laude.

“We acquired jurisdiction over him and therefore the jurisdiction remains. You must remember that the VFA states that we cannot acquire jurisdiction unless of particular importance and we already did that,” he said, adding that the agreement’s termination “will not affect the acquisition of jurisdiction by the Philippine courts.”

The VFA, which came into force in 1999, covers the conduct of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines.

Among the provisions of the deal include lax visa and passport policies for U.S. troops, and the rights of the U.S. government to retain its jurisdiction over its military personnel when they commit

Joseph Scott Pemberton

crimes in the Philippines.

On Jan. 23, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to scrap the VFA after the U.S.’ cancellation of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s visa, giving the U.S. a month to “correct” the cancellation of Dela Rosa’s visa.

However, Duterte recanted his statement the next day, saying he

Photo from Olongapo City Police

is no longer waiting for the U.S. to “correct” the cancellation of Dela Rosa’s visa and ordering the termination of the VFA. Panelo, for his part, stressed that the VFA termination has no impact on the country’s other defense deals with the U.S. “It (VFA) refers to privileges of

u PAGE A5

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PH confirms first novel coronavirus...

PAGE A1 t the hospital where the patient is admitted and have activated the incident command system of the said hospital for appropriate management specifically on infection control, case management and containment,” he added.

DOH Epidemiology Bureau Director Ferchito Avelino said that the woman visited Cebu and Dumaguete, adding that the contact tracing is ongoing to determine the public transportation the confirmed case used and the places she visited.

Contact tracing is defined by the World Health Organization as “people in close contact with someone who is infected with a virus, such as the Ebola virus, are at higher risk of becoming infected themselves, and of potentially further infecting others.”

The DOH has recorded a total of 29 patients under observation for 2019-nCoV infection, of which 18 are in Metro Manila, four in Central Visayas, three in Western Visayas, one in Mimaropa, one in Eastern Visayas, one in Northern Mindanao, and one in Davao.

WHO: nCov a ‘global emergency’ The WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday after more than 20 countries spanning Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East confirmed cases of the virus.

“The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries,” said WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He added, “Our greatest con-

Officials warn against fake letter...

PAGE A1 t and bears the logo of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization — contains false information and has been determined to be a hoax, according to Carson Sheriff’s Station Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza.

“There is no immediate threat to the general public, no special precautions are required, and people should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin, or recent travel if they do not have symptoms of respiratory illness,” a statement from the sheriff’s department said.

The LA County Department of Public Health advises the public that all up-to-date and accurate information and updates will be distributed through their official channels in the form of a press release and will be available on their website, www.publichealth.lacounty. gov.

“Everyone is watching with great concern how the coronavirus is wreaking havoc in China and other parts of the world, with some cases having been reported in the United States. My thoughts and prayers are with those stricken with this illness. But it is criminal that a racist perpetrator is trying to instigate division in Carson’s multi-cultural diversity by falsely disseminating fabricated news of a coronavirus outbreak in Carson’s Asian community. There is absolutely no truth whatsoever to anything in the social media reports regarding the coronavirus being in Carson – nothing, zilch, nada,” said Carson Mayor Albert Robles in a statement.

Robles added, “Our residents and businesses should rest assured that we are in regular communication with the CDC and County Public Health Department and will notify our community immediately upon any showing of the coronavirus in Carson.”

The hoax came as the World Health Organization declared a global public health emergency following China’s confirmation that the virus has now claimed at least 171 lives with more than 7,700 currently infected, as of press time. Five confirmed cases have been reported in the United States, including two in Southern California. (AJPress) cern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are illprepared to deal with it.”

A public health emergency of international concern is defined by the WHO as “an extraordinary event” that constitutes a “public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease,” and “to potentially require

A staff at the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila measures the temperature of students through an infrared thermometer upon entry to the university amid the novel coronavirus scare.

Philstar.com photo

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL RAIL AUTHORITY

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking bids for Noise Monitoring Equipment. Upon award, a purchase order will be issued for the goods included in the solicitation.

Electronic bids must be submitted online at https://www. metrolinktrains.com/doing_ business.on or before 2:00 PM Local Time on February 14, 2020. Electronic bids will not be received after this date and time.

The Contract to be awarded will be subject to a financial assistance agreement between Authority and U.S. Department of Transportation under grants issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

As a condition of financial assistance agreements between the Authority and U.S. DOT, the Authority has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and overall DBE goal in accordance with Title 49 CFR, Part 26.

Authority’s overall DBE goal for the current Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) is twelve percent (12%).

In conformance with the Authority’s DBE Policy and Program the Authority has established a 0% DBE contractspecific goal on this project.

Prime Proposers will be required to either meet the 0% goal or submit an adequate Good Faith Effort (GFE) demonstrating intent to meet the goal, for their proposal to be deemed responsive to DBE Program requirements.

SCRRA does not discriminate against, or provide preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, age over 40, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, disability including AIDS, mental condition, cancer-related medical condition, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or marital status in its Contracting activities.

For further information contact David Ambrose, Special Services Employee at 213-452-0339 or email ambrosed@scrra.net.

2/1/20

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) is seeking bids for IT Network Switches. Upon award, a purchase order will be issued for the goods included in the solicitation.

Electronic bids must be submitted online at https://www. metrolinktrains.com/doing_ business.on or before 2:00 PM Local Time on February 10, 2020. Electronic bids will not be received after this date and time.

The Contract to be awarded will be subject to a financial assistance agreement between Authority and U.S. Department of Transportation under grants issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

As a condition of financial assistance agreements between the Authority and U.S. DOT, the Authority has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program and overall DBE goal in accordance with Title 49 CFR, Part 26.

Authority’s overall DBE goal for the current Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) is twelve percent (12%).

In conformance with the Authority’s DBE Policy and Program the Authority has established a 3% DBE contractspecific goal on this project.

Prime Proposers will be required to either meet the 3% goal or submit an adequate Good Faith Effort (GFE) demonstrating intent to meet the goal, for their proposal to be deemed responsive to DBE Program requirements.

SCRRA does not discriminate against, or provide preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, age over 40, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, disability including AIDS, mental condition, cancer-related medical condition, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or marital status in its Contracting activities.

For further information contact David Ambrose, Special Services Employee at 213-452-0339 or email ambrosed@scrra.net.

2/1/20

CNS-3337963# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

CNS-3337995# ASIAN JOURNAL (L.A.)

IFB NO. PO818-20 Noise Monitoring Equipment

IFB NO. PO812-20 Network Switch Rehabilitation

a coordinated international response.”

Previous emergencies have included influenza, Ebola, Zika and H1N1.

Apart from the Philippines, the United States, India, and Italy confirmed their first cases of the 2019nCoV infection on Thursday. n

Firefighters and paramedics pose for a photo with LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn and LA Fire Chief Daryl Osby at the Ethnic Media Services’ Measure FD press briefing on Friday, January 24.

AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla

Improving emergency, paramedic services in LA...

PAGE A1 t eryday emergencies — sudden medical crises that require immediate paramedic assistance, building and home fires and car accidents to name a few — that require swift help from neighborhood paramedics and firefighters.

The LA County Fire Department (LA County Fire) is the fourth busiest fire department in the United States, just behind the New York City Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department and the LA City Fire Department.

Throughout the year of 2017, it received just under 400,000 emergency calls.

And the high demand for its services makes sense: LA County Fire is responsible for more than

4 million residents, and its district covers 1.2 million homes over an area of 2,305 square miles.

But the department says it needs more funding in order to keep up with “the current demand and increased need for our services.”

That’s why on March 3, voters in LA County will be voting on Measure FD, a local parcel tax measure that collects 6 cents per square foot for homes and buildings to be funneled into bolstering the county’s fire department.

Voters in Los Angeles County haven’t approved any increased funding through property taxes for LA County Fire since 2000, meaning that paramedics and

firefighters have been relying on contracts and existing property tax revenue.

Currently, LA County Fire does not have access to the county’s General Fund or those of the 47 cities within its jurisdiction that pay for fire protection services through property tax revenues.

LA County Fire’s current annual budget is $1.15 billion (as of 2017), which isn’t enough in aiding the community on dwindling resources and not enough staff on deck, according to the LA County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.

“We’ve done all we could to professionally provide the best services that we can,” Osby said at a press briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services at the LA

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Kids face long-term inequities if census doesn’t count them this year Leader of nonprofit that advocates for children issues stark warning about potential undercount

by Pilar Marrero Ethnic Media Services, LA Opinion

SOCIAL programs that California families use every day are directly tied to the U.S. Census count, and the programs are particularly vulnerable because California has a larger share – and number – of the population most at risk of being undercounted: the youngest children of color.

“A significant number of the younger kids in our communities have been missed by the census, and the undercount rates are double for kids of color,” said Mayra Alvarez, president of the Children’s Partnership, a nonprofit focusing on policy and resources tied to children’s welfare. “The consequences are large, growing and serious.”

Census numbers determine how the federal government divvies up funding for everything from education to health care and a long list of children’s programs.

Alvarez summarized the gravity of an inaccurate count this way: “If the census misses a child born now, the next census won’t happen until they are 10 years old. The most critical period of a child’s life is from 0-3 years old, so we are missing on a key opportunity to support their well-being and opportunities.”

By the time they are be counted in the next census, they will be out of elementary school, she warned.

Speaking on Jan. 16 to a gathering of ethnic media outlets in Los Angeles, Alvarez emphasized the importance of making a direct connection between children’s well-being and the U.S. Census, which begins this week in remote areas of Alaska and continues across the country well into the summer.

The number of missed counts is staggering: 4.6% of children ages 0-4 in 2010. “That’s about 2 million kids not counted or miscounted,” Alvarez said. “One million of those weren’t counted at

Mayra Alvarez, president of Children’s Partnership, warns of long-term effects that would result from an undercount of young children in the U.S. Census this year.

Photo by Pilar Marrero

all. When you think about the impact on funds distribution, political representation, etc., missing a million kids, mostly kids of color, makes a big difference.”

For Latino children, the rate was 7.5% undercounted, for black children 6.3% and for white children: 2.7%. Alvarez calls this undercount being essentially “erased” from existence by the census.

California annually receives between $75 billion and $76 billion in funding for children’s programs based on the census, Alvarez said. “An undercount costs us about $3 billion in programs such as MediCal, food stamps, cash assistance, housing vouchers, Section 8, special education, Head Start… People don’t recognize how connected they are to census data.”

The census numbers also reflect political representation, because they are used to create electoral districts at all levels of government. Experts believe California is at risk of losing at least one congressional seat in a 2020 undercount.

The causes of the undercount are many, but one is a lack of understanding that small chil-

dren, even newborns, need to be counted in addition to the adults in a household. Others are a political climate in which families of color or immigrant families feel threatened and language barriers.

How to address the undercount? Alvarez pointed to “oneon-one conversations” that leaders and organizers are having with families in schools and other settings, using schools as “trusted messengers” to families and making sure they have all the information they need.

From these encounters, she said, activists have learned that parents, once informed, “believe that the census will help their kids, recognize there is strength in numbers and want to be more informed.”

Families need to hear that the census form is “easy to fill out, that the law guarantees the privacy of the information and that this data determines the distribution of $800 billion in federal funding.”

The census, she concluded, is “a tool for our democracy, for reducing inequities, and for expanding opportunities for our next generation of kids.” n

PH to keep custody of convicted US soldier...

PAGE A2 t military personnel with respect to [the] acquisition of jurisdiction in relation to the commission of crimes as well as the movement of their aircrafts and vessels. The other agreements will remain,”

he said.

Meanwhile, former Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr., who was the legal counsel of the Laude family, called for the transfer of Pemberton to the state penitentiary in Muntinlupa.

“I call on the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to exercise vigilance as U.S. authorities will definitely attempt to spirit him out of the country to prevent his detention in Muntinlupa where he truly belongs,” Roque said. n

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PH gov’t still open to free trade talks with US Response to nation’s 1st coronavirus case

by Catherine

talavera Philstar.com

THE Philippines remains open negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S. despite issues regarding the Duterte administration’s plan of terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) the chief of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

“So far, we have not heard any connection. For example, the [U.S.] Congress linking it to FTA, we haven’t heard anything,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez told reporters when asked about the impact of the potential termination of the VFA on FTA negotiations.

“We assume it is a separate issue. But you can already have a sense of the mood in Congress that, in other words, maybe anything to do with us, there might be an issue,” he added.

Duterte earlier expressed plans of terminating the VFA with the U.S. after Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa’s visa was cancelled. The VFA, a 1998 pact, allows Filipino and American soldiers to hold joint military drills in the Philippines.

He cited four developments that prompted Duterte to call for the scrapping of the VFA. Among these is the demand of some American senators to release detained opposition Sen. Leila de Lima; the U.S. Senate resolution condemning the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines; the introduction of a U.S. national budget provision that barred individuals behind de Lima’s detention from entering the U.S. and the cancellation of Dela Rosa’s U.S. visa.

In December, the Philippines banned three American senators — Richard Durbin of Illinois, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Markey of Massachusetts — from entry to the Philippines.

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima “The USTR (United States Philstar.com photo Presidential Spokesperson Trade Representatives) may be Salvador Panelo, however, em- interested (in the FTA) but the phasized that the cancellation of Congress, I don’t know, may not Dela Rosa’s visa is not the reason be interested,” Lopez said.

“We’re waiting,” Lopez said for the termination of the VFA. “The cancellation of Sen. Ba- adding that they are ready to to’s visa was the last straw that commence talks with the U.S. rebroke the camel’s back. It was an garding the FTA. “If the USTR will be confident accumulation, a series of disrespectful acts by some of the U.S. with Congress, I’m sure they will push for it also, Lopez said. n senators, Panelo said earlier.

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draws on lessons from measles outbreak

by Will Stone Kaiser Health News

When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019.

As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed five cases of infection from the new coronavirus in the U.S., including two in California, one in Illinois and one in Arizona. All were linked to people who traveled to the Wuhan region in China. More than a hundred people are under investigation for the new coronavirus in 26 states, according to the CDC. The first U.S. patient, an unidentified man in his 30s, had traveled to the Wuhan area at the end of last year. He fell ill shortly after flying back to the U.S., where he lives north of Seattle.

In Washington state, health agencies have identified more than 60 people who came in close contact with the infected man before he was hospitalized in Everett, a city in Snohomish County outside Seattle.

The case quickly grabbed national headlines, but it didn’t rattle the local health clinic workers who had recently geared up to handle another infectious disease.

“The measles really kind of enlightened everybody about ‘Wow, there are a lot of things out there that can be really contagious and can get you really sick, really fast,’” said Tové Skaftun, the chief nursing officer for the Community Health Center of Snohomish County.

Skaftun said she’s glad that last year’s outbreak forced them to improve how they approach these situations.

“We’ve recently grown our infection-control program so it’s kind of at the forefront of a lot of what we do,” said Skaftun.

She said that effort focused on educating staff about the correct precautions to take when faced with different kinds of infectious diseases — including wearing protective air-purifying respirators when in contact with patients who may be infected.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses and can stay in the airspace of a room for up to two hours. In contrast, public health experts believe the new coronavirus requires close contact to spread between humans.

“Coronaviruses are generally transmitted through sneezing, coughing and close contact with individuals, so those are the types of criteria we use to identify people at risk,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, Washington’s state health officer.

She said previous outbreaks and most recently the measles outbreak led to “a lot of preparation by our health care system partners around how to appropriately … protect themselves from highly infectious pathogens.”

In Washington, public health workers are daily calling people who have come in contact with the confirmed case and asking about symptoms such as a fever or cough. Those being monitored are not required to be isolated unless they develop symptoms.

The patient in Seattle first went to a local health clinic when he started showing symptoms. Once it became clear he was at risk for coronavirus, he was transported to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, a hospital north of Seattle, where he was treated in isolation. He remains in “satisfactory” condition, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, the chief clinical officer at Providence St. Joseph Health, which runs that hospital, said it was set up to handle high-level infectious pathogens during the Ebola scare of 2014.

“All types of infrastructure had been put in place to ensure that when something came around we’d be ready,” said ComptonPhillips.

Those include specialized gurneys to keep patients isolated while they’re wheeled around the hospital, robots that can listen to patients’ lungs and take blood pressure, and rooms with negative-pressure airflow so germs aren’t circulated throughout the rest of the hospital.

In Snohomish County, health workers are on alert for signs that any patients could be at risk of carrying the new virus. At the Community Health Center of Snohomish County, signs posted in the waiting room tell patients to notify staff if there’s any indication they could have been exposed.

“We do have patients that are calling in, and we do have patients that are talking about it with their provider staff,” said head nurse Skaftun.

Skaftun said it’s natural that some patients have been asking questions, but like other health providers in the area, her clinic

had all the right protocols and infection-control gear at the ready when they first heard the news.

Last year, Clark County, Washington, which is in suburban Portland, Oregon, had an alarming outbreak of 71 cases of measles, mostly among unvaccinated children. In the Seattle area, the outbreak was smaller, and Snohomish County had just one case of measles. Still, the contagion containment efforts were statewide and can be drawn on now.

Federal health officials have been advising health care workers to take “airborne precautions” and wear protective gear if they are near a patient who is under investigation for the new coronavirus. At the moment, it appears considerably less dangerous than the flu.

“At this time in the U.S., this virus is not spreading in the community,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a news conference.

The Washington patient was diagnosed after samples were sent to CDC headquarters in Atlanta.

The CDC has developed a test to diagnose the new coronavirus.

“We are refining the use of this test so we can provide optimal guidance to states and laboratoriums on how to use it,” said Messonnier. The agency plans to distribute those to public health labs around the country “as fast as possible” in the coming weeks, she said.

“There are a lot of unknowns,” said Janet Baseman, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington. “The best thing public health can do now is assume that it will be similar to other coronavirus outbreaks we have seen in recent years until proven otherwise.”

“Being overprepared is the name of the game,” she said.

With only one case of the coronavirus from China confirmed so far in Washington, Baseman said it’s much easier for public health workers to do contact tracing than it was last year when they faced the measles outbreak, which included multiple cases.

“It was a really different situation because there were also a lot more exposed people,” said Baseman. n This story is part of a partnership between NPR and Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Improving emergency, paramedic services in LA...

PAGE A3 t County Fire Department HQ on Friday, January 24. “But over the last decade, our resources are almost up, and our staff — including our paramedics — are down 25%. That’s almost unsustainable.”

Currently, the county fire department is funded primarily through property tax revenue and contracts with 11 of the 58 cities it services. But LA County Fire says is not enough to meet “the current demand and increased need for services.”

If passed, Measure FD would impose a tax of 6 cents per square foot of improved properties, which include commercial buildings and homes. Senior citizens, non-profit organizations, and government buildings would be exempt and the tax would be capped at 100,000 square feet.

For example, the average homeowner with a 1,500 square foot home would pay $90 a year, which also adds up to 25 cents per day, LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn said.

Square footage of improvements used for parking would be excluded, and the tax would be limited to 2% inflation adjustments.

All in all, this parcel tax is expected to generate about $134 million a year.

The money generated from the tax would be allocated to three main priorities detailed by Fire Chief Osby: increase the number of on-duty firefighters and paramedics, upgrade outdated communication technology to minimize emergency response time, and replace old fire engines and equipment and emergency tools, like the jaws of life.

“This department is a lot different than it was 20 years ago,” Osby explained. “In addition to the increased call volume, we’re larger. The population is more diverse now and we’ve got an aging baby boomer population. We serve 59 cities in this district and all the unincorporated areas of the county of Los Angeles.”

What will Measure FD be used on, specifically?

Operating a first-class fire department, especially one as big as LA County Fire, requires ample on-duty staff of firefighters and paramedics to accommodate a “growing” LA County population. (According to Cen-

sus Bureau data, there are more than 10 million residents in the county as of 2017, a steady increase from 2000 which had 9.8 residents.)

And because there’s been a spike in the population, from 2008 to 2018, there has been a 50% increase in “emergency medical incidents” but there has been less than a 5% increase in the number of paramedic squads available. One of the top priorities of Measure FD is to hire more firefighters and paramedics “Right now we have 18 units in our department that respond to over 6,000 calls a day, so when you do the math, basically when you get to work for a 24hour shift, you’re gone out on calls 24/7,” Osby said.

In addition to addressing the staff shortages, Osby said that he would like to have enough staff on deck at any given time so that firefighters and paramedics aren’t “forced to come back against their will” in order to fill staff shortages as the demand for emergency services increases.

“You can see the impact of an increased call volume coupled with the fact that we force our already busy firefighters and paramedics which underscores our need to hire firefighters and paramedics,” Osby said, adding that it would allow the firefighters and paramedics to take care of themselves because “in my perspective, my number one objective is their safety and welfare so they can address your safety and welfare.”

The funds would also be used to acquire new equipment used to, quite literally, save lives like defibrillators, breathing devices and the jaws of life, which are routinely used to save victims stuck under debris in wildfires and car accidents.

Additionally, as the area wildfires become more sudden and destructive, the funds would be invested into thermal image cameras used to locate victims as well as protective gear to allow firefighters to brave through these intense blazes.

According to Osby, about a third of the fire engines are older than 20 years and funding from Measure FD would also be used to replace those and the “critical equipment” within each fire engine.

As far as information technology goes, LA County Fire says that it also needs to update its communication systems by using real-time mapping software and other sophisticated technology to improve response times from 911 calls. Additionally, the department would improve communication systems to make it easier to directly reach emergency rooms and trauma centers to provide information when transporting patients.

“In our profession, seconds and minutes matter,” Osby said.

“If you’re in an extreme situation, you know those seconds and minutes matter and we do all we can to make sure we accomplish that objective.”

As Los Angeles County, becomes more and more diverse, so does its linguistic landscape, and Osby told the Asian Journal that if Measure FD is passed, then funds will be allocated to “proper recruitment, tools and mechanisms” that’ll ensure that LA County Fire caters to the culturally-vast community.

“Making sure we serve the complex and diverse men and women of the community is something that is near and dear to me, and it’s been a mission of mine to make sure our department — our paramedics, our firefighters and all our staff — represent the diverse community we serve,” Osby added.

In order to be put into effect, however, voters must approve the measure. The measure requires approval from two-thirds of local voters.

“It’s really up to the voters to make the determination of what they want this department to look like and the kind of service that they feel is necessary to the community,” Osby said. “Again, it’s been over 20 years since voters have approved a parcel tax to fund the department, and we need to update and expand our department as [the] population itself expands and the need for our services become more frequent and abundant.”

To learn more about Measure FD, please visit wearelacountyfire.org, which also has a survey where residents may ask questions and share any experiences with paramedics, firefighters or other emergency services they’ve utilized in the past. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Court sets Enrile plunder trial in Feb Nueva Ecija court convicts Mary Jane recruiters by rEnz

antoni ManilaTimes.net

FORMER senator Juan Ponce Enrile signed with reservation a pre-trial order that would pave the way for his trial for plunder and graft in February.

Gigi Reyes, Enrile’s former chief of staff and co-accused, also signed the order issued by the Sandiganbayan 3rd division that set the trial on February 11 and 12 at 1:30 p.m. and 10 a.m. respectively and every Tuesday and Wednesday thereafter.

The anti- graft court also said that Janet Lim-Napoles, another co-accused, has yet to sign the documents as she failed to appear because she was sick.

The court gave Napoles until Friday at 10 a.m. to make an appearance.

Napoles, a businesswoman, is the alleged mastermind behind the alleged transfer of lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel to bogus non-government organizations that she had cre- Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile ManilaTimes.net file photo ated. n

PH’s Alex Eala, partner capture Australian Open girls doubles title

Philippines’ Alex Eala and partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia.

by Marc

anthony Inquirer.net

rEyEs

ALEX Eala Australian open Philippines’ Alex Eala and partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia. RAFAEL NADAL ACADEMY PHOTO Alex Eala and partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia handily disposed of Ziva Falkner of Slovenia and Matilda Mutavdzic of Great Britain, 6-1, 6-2, Friday to claim the Australian Open girls doubles championships.

Eala, 14, became the first Filipino to win the Australian Open, or any Grand Slam event, since 2009 when Francis Casey Alcantara and Hsieh Chen-peng of Chinese Taipei won the Australian Open boys doubles.

It was an overpowering display for Eala and Nugroho, the fourth seeds who barrelled into the finals by toppling No. 1 seeds Kamilla Bartone of Latvia and Linda Fruvirtova of Czech Republic (1-6, 7-5, 10-8) in the semifinals.

Rafael Nadal Academy photo

They bundled out French pair Aubane Droguet and Selena Janicijevic (7-6 (2), 6-2) in the quarterfinals.

On the way there, Eala and Nugroho also defeated French Julie Belgraver and Slovenian Pia Lovric (6-2, 4-6, 11-9) in the second round and Elina Avanesyan of Russia and Liubov Kostenko of Ukraine in the first round.

Eala, a scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy, is currently ranked No. 9 in the world. n

by EvElyn

Macairan Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Two job recruiters linked to Mary Jane Veloso, the Filipina on death row in Indonesia for transporting drugs in 2010, were sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for large-scale illegal recruitment against three other jobseekers in Nueva Ecija.

Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao were found guilty in the case filed by victims Lorna Valino, Ana Marie Gonzales and Jenalyn Paraiso before the Regional Trial Court Branch 88 in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.

In her 27-page decision, Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes found Sergio and Lacanilao guilty of violating Republic Act 8042.

While Veloso’s complaint against the recruiters is separate, it is being tried by the same judge. The decision may bolster her defense that she is a victim of her recruiters, who allegedly duped her into transporting heroin from Malaysia to Indonesia.

The argument led to a stay of her execution.

Apart from the prison term, the two were ordered to pay a fine of P2 million.

Court records showed that Sergio and Lacanilao attempted to recruit Valisno, Gonzales and Paraiso for employment abroad, but did not have the required license from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to do so.

The judge, after considering the “positive testimonies of the complainants,” ruled that both accused’s act of promising or advertising employment abroad without the necessary license from the POEA constitutes the offense of illegal recruitment.

Moreover, Reyes noted that the offense was committed against three individuals, which is the minimum number of victims under RA 8042 to elevate the crime to large-scale illegal recruitment.

While Gonzales issued an affidavit of desistance in the course of the trial, the court said it did not affect the credibility of her testimony.

Reyes ruled that Gonzales had satisfactorily explained the reason why she executed the af-

fidavit of desistance, citing that because of life’s hardships she barely had time to attend court hearings.

The court noted that Gonzales still affirmed her positive assertions that both accused proposed overseas employment to her.

Both Sergio and Lacanilao denied the accusations and claimed

that they were never in the business of recruiting people for employment abroad.

But the judge ruled that the prosecution had “mustered sufficient evidence to secure a guilty verdict.”

It is noteworthy that at the time the victims were being recruited

u PAGE A9

A8 FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Rehab after Taal’s fury

FEATURES

THE alert remains worrisome at level 3, but there are encouraging indications that Taal Volcano has done its worst for its latest episode of activity. Attention is now shifting from emergency assistance to the rehabilitation of the areas devastated by ashfall, earthquakes and road fissuring.

The damage to property and livelihoods is considerable, especially on Volcano Island itself and in the lakeshore communities. Houses and other buildings have collapsed from the quakes and the weight of the ash on their roofs. Drains are clogged with volcanic materials that are hardening like cement. Roads and bridges have been damaged and need to be checked for structural integrity amid fissures that have formed. Water and electricity services have yet to be fully restored.

Tourism, agriculture and fishing are the principal sources of livelihood in many parts of the danger zone. The phreatic explosion on Jan. 12 blanketed much of the 14-kilometer-radius danger zone as well as parts of Tagaytay City and other areas of Cavite with ash that killed crops, domestic animals and wildlife.

Schools are reopening after the lockdown

was lifted in many areas and evacuees are now allowed to return to their homes. Life won’t be the same, however, in the affected areas, especially on Volcano Island, which the government is planning to close off permanently to human settlement.

Rebuilding from the ruins of Taal’s fury is approaching the scale of the reconstruction of Marawi City. In the case of Taal, rebuilding must incorporate resilience amid the continuing threat of more volcanic eruptions.

Scientists have not yet withdrawn their warning about the possibility of a powerful base surge or lateral eruption of Taal.

“Building back better” was a mantra after Super Typhoon Yolanda obliterated large swaths of Eastern Visayas. The same mantra can be adopted as devastated communities rise from the ashes of Taal’s fury. (Philstar. com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Why I’m running for President of the United States

Commentary

ANDREW YANG I’M Andrew Yang, and I’m running for President of the United States. I’m the first Asian-American man to run as a Democrat, and, like many of you, I’m a first-generation American. My parents immigrated to the United States from Taiwan, met in college, and started a family in New York.

Growing up, my parents instilled in me pride in my heritage and in this country. They came here to provide their future children with opportunities they didn’t have. This campaign and the response to it are proof that immigrants make this country stronger.

I wasn’t always a politician.

I’m barely one now. I’m an entrepreneur, and I’ve started several organizations over my career. I’ve also worked to help businesses throughout the companies grow and create jobs in many areas. But

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO WE don’t really know for sure if this deadly coronavirus is a product of natural evolution or was manufactured as part of a country’s biological war arsenal that had gone wrong. But here it is, a serious threat to mankind.

For the third time this century, The New York Times pointed out, a new strain of coronavirus, a family of pathogens that cause respiratory illness in birds and mammals, has jumped species and infected humans.

We seem to know more about this virus than previous ones. Its genetic code had been determined. And we know it spreads faster than the SARS and other similar viruses that plagued the earth some years back.

Microbes and viruses have been thriving and mutating in our environment since time began. Until modern medicine, pandemics caused by uncontrolled microorganisms and viruses were facts of life.

The 1918 Flu pandemic, for instance.

small business formation is at multi-decade lows, and I hear from many people starting local businesses that the rules seemed stacked against them, tilted in favor of the big corporations.

Last year, Chevron, Halliburton, and 89 other Fortune 500 companies paid $0 in federal taxes. Amazon sucked up billions of dollars of revenue, shuttering local businesses, while paying nothing in taxes.

Netflix collected data from each and every user with a subscription - data worth more than oil - and didn’t contribute anything back.

Think about your family.

Your friends. Your kids’ teachers, many of whom are working a second job. Think about how many of them are struggling to make ends meet. How many are one of the 78% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck. Think about the system that lets the biggest corporations pay nothing in taxes while too many of us struggle just to get by.

Modern medicine brought penicillin and antibiotics and new ways of managing disease causing bacteria and viruses. But the battle is a continuing one.

Lately, a new generation of so-called superbugs has emerged for which available cures have little or no effect.

Modern medicine has not been producing new antibiotics fast enough to deal with the mutating superbugs.

Viruses are in a different class. Viral diseases cannot be treated by antibiotics, something we all know every time we catch a cold or go down with the flu. Doctors can only manage the progression of the disease in our body making sure we will outlast its life cycle.

Vaccines have been developed to give us immunity to diseases including viral infections. But misinformation has caused many to distrust vaccines. That explains why we now have a resurgence of diseases we thought we have effectively controlled like polio and measles.

But this Wuhan coronavirus seems different. It mutates very fast, making it more difficult to address. And its victims often show little or no symp-

This is the problem I saw in communities throughout the U.S. as I helped to create thousands of jobs through the nonprofit I founded, Venture for America (VFA). By connecting young entrepreneurs with local businesses, I hoped to reinvigorate local economies hit hard by the financial crash. But as I spent time in these communities, I saw exactly how much most people were struggling financially. In the richest, most advanced nation in the history of the world, I found this to be unacceptable.

As a parent and a patriot, this wasn’t a world that I was willing to leave my children.

As I dug into the numbers, I saw that, if we wanted our local economies and small businesses to thrive, we needed to rewrite the rules of the 21stcentury economy. The biggest corporations were closing down small businesses while giving nothing back.

At the same time, automation has taken away more and more jobs. We already lost 4

million manufacturing jobs, and we know that hospitality, food service/prep, transportation/trucking, admin/clerical, and retail are next. Across the country, we have seen robots start to replace workers, from bartenders and cashiers to truck drivers and call center workers.

The sad truth that I learned through VFA is that, for every job we can create, automation is going to take away hundreds, maybe thousands. And the companies that are benefiting most aren’t contributing back.

The only way forward is to set up a system that ensures the American people get a small slice of every Amazon transaction, Google search, and self-driving truck mile. We need to make these companies pay their fair share and return it to the American people so that they can thrive.

Imagine the impact once we start returning this value in the form of a Freedom Dividend, $1,000/mo for everyone 18

and older. Money that would go directly to your families and neighbors, money invested right back into your main streets. Millions of dollars every year would give each and every community across this country the money they need to start rebuilding their economies and giving their children a reason to stay.

Imagine what this will do for the health, mental health, and stress levels for your community. Once people stop living paycheck to paycheck, they can start to plan for the future.

Imagine what this will do for our children. With less financial stress, we’d set the next generation up for success better than any prior generation.

Imagine what this will do for our local businesses. As an entrepreneur, I know that businesses thrive when people have more money to spend. This money would go to car repairs, housing renovations, and the occasional night out. Instead of having rules that benefit the biggest corporations and

Wuhan’s coronavirus

toms during its incubation period of one to two weeks, making it easy for other people to be infected.

The most common way of getting infected is by droplets in the air from sneezing and coughing, touching things in public, shaking hands, beso beso. A face mask and frequent hand washing should help. The virus can only live on your hands for 5-10 mins, but a lot can happen in those 5-10 mins (you can rub your eyes or pick your nose unwittingly).

According to The New York Times, the Wuhan coronavirus “is thought to be less lethal than both SARS and MERS, the last zoonotic coronavirus to infect humans, in 2012.

And the vast majority of confirmed cases remain in mainland China…”

The good news is that a vaccine is said to have been developed. But using it in the current outbreak is not possible. Testing for efficacy and safety will take time.

There is still a lot we do not know about this Wuhan coronavirus. The only way we can control it at this time is to prevent infection as best as we can.

For now, we can only isolate

victims of the Wuhan coronavirus and put those known to have contact with them in quarantine. That’s why the DOH ordered Filipinos returning home from China to be quarantined for two weeks.

But why did DOH clear a boatload of Chinese tourists on a cruise ship to disembark? And why the hesitance of Duterte and the DOH to stop direct flights to and from China when other countries have already done that?

To prevent the further spread of the disease, isolating cities, a draconian measure taken by China, is called for. High speed trains and airplanes make it easy for the virus to spread worldwide within days.

In the 1918 Flu pandemic, victims died within days of developing symptoms. Their lungs filled with fluid that caused them to suffocate. It is estimated that about 50 million people died and a total of 500 million people or onethird of the world’s population were infected with this virus.

A National Geographic article points out that “new research is placing the flu’s emergence to the shipment of Chinese laborers across Canada in sealed train cars.

“Historian Mark Humphries of Canada’s Memorial University of Newfoundland says that newly unearthed records confirm that —the mobilization of 96,000 Chinese laborers to work behind the British and French lines on World War I’s Western Front—may have been the source of the pandemic…

“Historian Christopher Langford has shown that China suffered a lower mortality rate from the Spanish flu than other nations did, suggesting some immunity was at large in the population because of earlier exposure to the virus…

“In the new report, Humphries finds archival evidence that a respiratory illness that struck northern China in November 1917 was identified a year later by Chinese health officials as identical to the Spanish flu.

“He also found medical records indicating that more than 3,000 of the 25,000 Chinese Labor Corps workers who were transported across Canada en route to Europe starting in 1917 ended up in medical quarantine, many with flu-like symptoms.”

One other worrisome thing about the Wuhan coronavirus, the New York Times reports,

cause us to struggle, we can rewrite the rules to allow our small businesses to thrive.

This is the vision for the future of this country that I’m fighting for. One where we rewrite the rules to work for us, the American people. One where everyone has a chance to build the life they want for themselves and their families.

One where everyone can live the American dream, with the economic security needed to take a chance on a small business. One where someone can come to this country to provide their children with more opportunities than they had.

One where we can look at our children and say, in earnest, that you can be President one day. *** Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur and the non-profit founder of Venture for America, an organization dedicated to creating jobs in struggling communities across the United States. He’s running for president because he saw the country he was leaving for his children, and it wasn’t something he was willing to accept.

is the possibility it could also threaten the global supply chain of pharmaceuticals.

“Roughly 80% of active ingredients used by commercial sources to produce finished medicines come from China.

Most ingredient production occurs several hundred miles east of Wuhan, but it’s not hard to imagine the virus and the quarantine spreading in that direction, bringing with them the possibility of shortages.”

But pandemics are nothing new. It shows man has not been able to take better control of natural forces. Modern science may have accomplished quite a bit but more work has to be done.

The ordinary seasonal flu kills roughly 35,000 Americans every year. This season, it has already sickened an estimated 15 million Americans and killed 8,200, according to estimates of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Given that perspective, the Wuhan coronavirus is still a cause for concern but appears less deadly.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com.

Follow him on Twitter @boochanco.

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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A

European Union donates P42M for Taal eruption victims the funding would help support the local government of Batangas as well as their humanitarian partMANILA, Philippines — The ners that are extending help to the European Union has donated affected residents. €750,000 or over P42 million to “The EU stands ready to support aid victims of Taal Volcano’s erup- the people of the Philippines and tion. ensure affected people get proThe donation seeks to help in tection and have enough means providing emergency shelter and to survive through this difficult essential household items, such as time and get back to their feet at mats and blankets, hygiene kits, the earliest possible,” Lenari was and access to clean water quoted as saying in an EU press Janez Lenari, EU Commissioner release. for Crisis Management, said that The eruption has affected over

by Neil

MASKED. Students wear masks as they commute to school in Quezon City. Officials called on Filipinos to take precautions to protect themselves from the new coronavirus ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

‘Corruption in bureaus a pittance comparedto higher government offices’

by Alexis

roMero Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The corruption in the tax and customs bureaus is just a “pittance” compared to the one in higher levels of government, President Duterte said, as he reiterated his resolve to put billionaires in jail.?

Duterte said Filipinos should be vigilant regarding actions of what he called “sons of b******” in the upper echelons of government whom he blamed for the country’s underdevelopment.?

“I do not mean to belabor the point. I don’t want because these fools might say that I am targeting them. But as I have insisted during the campaign, I told you the corruption in customs, BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), they are just pittance to the corruption being done upstairs in the higher or in the highest echelons of government. It’s true,” the President said during the anniversary of the social welfare department in Quezon City last Wednesday.?

“I do not want to sound vindictive. I am not vindictive. After I slap you, we’re done. After I kick you, I’m done with you. We’re OK. But these kinds of wrongdoings... So guard against the son of a b**** upstairs,” he added.

Duterte said he is angry with the rich because of their sup-

Duterte said Filipinos should be vigilant regarding actions of what he called “sons of b******” in the upper echelons of government whom he blamed for the country’s underdevelopment.

Philstar.com file photo

posed wrongdoings to the nation.

“What I will do is I will have you arrested. I want to see Philippine billionaires and millionaires in jail even for just one month. I am really furious,” the President said. “If you compute, all the corruptions done by those, by the customs, it pales in comparison.”

Duterte went on to enumerate deals that he claimed are disadvantageous to the government, including the water concession contracts, Light Rail Transit project and University of the Philippines (UP)-Ayala Land Technohub agreement.

He has threatened to file largescale estafa charges against the

owners of water distributors Maynilad and Manila Water, whom he accused of using their concession deals to “milk” Filipinos by the billions.

He has also ordered a probe of the deal between UP and Ayala Land for the commercial development of a 37-hectare property in Quezon City.

There have been claims that Ayala Land has been paying less than P20 per square meter in monthly rentals to UP but the real estate firm denied these, saying the lease rate paid to the state university is P171.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said UP sent him a copy of its contract with Ayala Land last Wednesday. January 29. n

ArwiN MercAdo Inquirer.net

350,000 people and displaced 288,000 individuals from their homes.

Some 63,000 people are temporarily sheltered in 415 evacuation centers.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has lowered alert on Taal Volcano from Level 4 to Level 3.

But Phivolcs said that this should not be interpreted as “unrest has ceased or that the threat of hazardous eruption has disappeared.”n

Nueva Ecija court convicts Mary Jane...

PAGE A8 to work abroad, they had already been hearing stories that Sergio and Lacanilao were behind the recruitment of their neighbor Veloso, who ended up incarcerated on a drugs charge in Indonesia.

Court records showed that the complainants decided to press charges against Sergio and Lacanilao in 2015 even if they were never deployed abroad, because they somehow hoped that it would help the cause to save their neighbor from execution.

The complainants’ lawyer Edre Olalia, of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), said they are pleased with the verdict handed down by Reyes.

Reyes is also the judge in a separate trial in which Lacanilao and Sergio face charges of human trafficking, simple illegal recruitment and estafa involving Veloso.

Veloso is represented in that case by the NUPL. “We (NUPL) are of course glad that justice has been served even if only partially and initially through Mary Jane’s fellow victims. Even if their case is distinct from Mary Jane’s, we believe that Sergio and Lacanilao’s conviction stand as a testament to Mary Jane’s story – that she was not a drug courier but an unwitting victim of the same illegal recruiters,” Olalia said.

In April 2010, Veloso was arrested in Indonesia for bringing in 2.6 kilograms of heroin in her suitcase. She was sentenced to death in October 2010 but her execution did not push through because of the moratorium issued by former Indonesian president Susilio Bambang Yudhoyono.

She was granted a stay of her

execution in April 2015 in exchange for testifying against her alleged recruiters.

At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo also hailed the decision, but said it has nothing to do with the drug trafficking case involving Veloso in Indonesia.

“As a lawyer, there is no connection. She’s being charged with a crime there. Nothing to do with the conviction of the traffickers here,” said Panelo, who is also the chief presidential legal adviser.

When President Duterte assumed office, he informed Indonesian President Joko Widodo in 2017 that the Philippines would not interfere with Indonesia’s legal processes and instead, will

She was granted a stay of her execution in April 2015 in exchange for testifying against her alleged recruiters. Philstar.com file photo

take a hands-off policy on the Veloso case. – With Christina Mendez. n

A10 FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline PhiliPPines

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39% of Filipinos said their lives improved in 2019 — SWS

by FranCo Luna Philstar.com

Massive deposits of ash destroy a house on Taal Volcano Island.

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

TAAL VOLCANO ISLAND — The lives of the thousands who had built their livelihood around Taal Volcano have changed forever following the eruption that destroyed their homes and killed their source of income.

Taal Volcano Island—once a picturesque paradise located in a lake in Batangas province— now resembles a wasteland after the second most active volcano in the Philippines rained ash across the island two weeks ago.

Destroyed houses and schools were covered in massive deposits of ash. Many animals were buried in desolate sand dunes, while others were found decomposing near the shoreline.

Dead trees were everywhere.

Randy Olimpiado said there is nothing left to save in his ash-covered house in Sitio San Isidro in Talisay town. The house of her daughter in Brgy.

Calawit in the nearby Balete town was also destroyed.

He used to earn money by renting his horses to ferry tourists up the mountain.

Relocation Reynold Desipeda, also a resident of the tourism-dependent Sitio San Isidro, said he was accompanying tourists when Taal woke up from its slumber.

“We were on top of the volcano. We had customers near the crater. The steam and the tremors were really strong,” Desipeda recounted.

The former tour guide doesn’t have a plan yet on how his family will move on from the tragedy and rebuild their lives.

For now, he and his family are temporarily seeking shelter in Sto. Tomas town.

“It would be very nice if the government provides us houses and livelihood. That’s big help,” Desipeda said.

The future is even more uncertain for Olimpiado, Desipeda and thousands of others who have lived in “pulo” for years now that the government said it would bar people from returning to the island.

Taal volcano island is categorized as a permanent danger zone—long declared off-limits to settlements.

Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste said in an interview on “Unang Balita” that the displaced residents of the volcano island will be relocated to Ibaan town in the province.

Entry into volcano island State volcanologists lowered the status of Taal Volcano to Alert Level 3 Sunday, which signifies there is a “decreased tendency toward hazardous eruption.”

Those living in areas around Taal Lake were allowed to re-

Another category, Economic Optimism, which was defined as the sentiment of adults saying the Philippine economy will improve in the next 12 months, was said to have generally gone up in all areas, as its net rating went up by 10 points to an “Excellent” +38.

Net Economic Optimism also rose among all education groups with the exception of elementary school dropouts.

The survey’s full report noted that the national Net Gainers score was a result of generally positive responses as the additional seven points in December 2019 were due to increases of +10 points in Luzon, +7 points in the Visayas, +4 points in Metro Manila, and +1 point in Mindanao.

Since 1983, only 9% of Net Gainers scores were recorded to be within the “Very High” classification range of +10 to +19 or better. n

MANILA — Thirty-nine percent of Filipinos said that their lives improved towards the end of 2019, a recently conducted survey found.

According to the Social Weather Stations’ Fourth Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey, the 39% who reported that their lives improved throughout the past year were termed by SWS as Gainers, while the remaining 21% sayPhilstar.com photo by Efigenio Toldeo IV ing their lives worsened in the last 12 months were coined “Losers.”

The survey, which was carried out on December 13-16, yielded an overall a Net Gainers score of +18, a new high over the previously reported +11 in September, +13 in June and +17 in March.

Most notably, the full report turn to their homes as volcanic said that the amount of Net activity subsides. The residents of the volcano island, however, were still not allowed to go back, as experts said that human activities are unsafe here.

But the ban did not stop residents from coming back to the island. They keep on returning to check their ash-covered houses and feed the animals they left behind.

“We returned because our livelihood is here,” Donabelle Mangana said, referring to fishing. The resident of Brgy. Pulang Bato in San Nicolas was checking her heavily-destroyed home, hoping there is still something she could recover.

But she said she and her husband return to an evacua- In this May 9, 2018 photo, American and Filipino troops participate in an amphibious landing exercise simulating a beach assault during the tion center in Alitagtag town— annual Balikatan exercises in San Antonio, Zambales.

Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Toldeo where her family temporarily seeks shelter—every afternoon “because we have nothing to stay at here on the volcano island.”

Should they be not allowed to make a settlement on the volcano island even after the threat MANILA — Magdalo party- forts to quell terrorism a former Navy officer, echoed the disappears, Mangana said her list has filed a resolution opposCabochan, however, raised same sentiments in an earlier refamily would just go back to ing President Rodrigo Duterte’s that the abrogation of VFA helps leased statement where he called Marinduque—her husband’s “unilateral decision” to terminate the Philippines significantly in its Duterte’s move to terminate the hometown—to start anew. the Visiting Forces Agreement counter-terrorism efforts.

VFA as “whimsical, reckless and But for Olimpiado, who has between the Philippines and the He raised that through the very damaging.” lived his entire life on the vol- United States.

VFA, the Philippines’ Armed Senate review and executive cano island, he is planning to Rep. Manuel Cabochan III, a Forces receive crucial intelli- branch’s impact assessment come back. former officer of the Philippine gence reports in counterterrorThe Senate, meanwhile, is “We are used to here on the Navy, filed Resolution No. 676 ism efforts, “upgrade military set to review the VFA and other volcano island. This is where I on Wednesday. He stressed that capability” and provide latest military pacts with the U.S. next was born,” he said. n while the agreement with the U.S. modern warfare. week, including the Mutual Demay have “contentious terms,” it The Armed Forces of the Phil- fense Treaty and the Enhanced “has served the Philippines in ippines traces its lineage to the Defense Cooperation Agreeterms of ensuring the security of Philippine Scouts and the Philip- ment. our nation and its people.” pine Constabulary, which were The Department of Justice, for “The impulsive decision to formed while the country was its part, is leading an impact asabrogate the VFA based merely under the U.S. Its weapons, and sessment review of the potential on personal motivations will equipment as well as its tactics cutting off of the VFA. compromise the longstanding and doctrine are from or were Justice Secretary Menardo and cordial diplomatic relations influenced by U.S. forces, with Guevarra earlier said the impact between the Philippines and the which Filipino troops continue to assessment review needs thorUS,” he added. train with. ough study, and its “timeframe Duterte threatened to end the The U.S. forces, through the depends on how soon the Cabidecades-long standing agree- VFA, has also been beneficial net cluster or the VFA commisment with the U.S. in a month if in joint operations, including di- sion can convene.” it will not “correct” the cancel- saster relief missions, Cabochan The Cabinet cluster includes lation of the American visa of raised. the Department of National DeSen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a “In the view of the many secu- fense, Armed Forces of the Philipknown ally of the president. rity threats that the Philippines is pines, Department of Foreign AfThe Palace said the visa issue facing at present, the VFA contin- fairs, Philippine National Police, was merely the “last straw that ues to contribute in addressing National Bureau of Investigation, broke the camel’s back,” and is the vulnerabilities of our national National Intelligence Coordinatnot the sole reason why Duterte security,” the lawmaker said. ing Agency and the Office of the made the threat.

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes Executive Secretary. (Kristine VFA helps in Philippines’ ef- IV, a member of the Magdalo and Joy Patag/Philstar.com) n

Future uncertain for volcano island residents after Taal destroyed their homes, way of life

by Gaea

Gainers rose in all areas, in all education groups and among Self-Rated Poor and Non-Poor Filipinos.

Self-Rated Poor was defined in the survey as “those who belong to households whose heads rated their family as poor or mahirap.” Once the label was self-rated, the status was adopted for all members of a household.

Adults expecting their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months were labelled “Personal Optimists” as Net Personal Optimism reportedly rose in Luzon and the Visayas, but fell in other areas as decreases were recorded with a four-point drop in Metro Manila, and a decrease by one point in Mindanao.

Additionally, Net Personal Optimism went up in all education groups except high school grads.

Economic optimism up

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

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

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

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

Magdalo party-list files resolution opposing VFA termination

Senator eyes trash as power source

by Javier ismaeL ManilaTimes.net

SEN. Francis Tolentino is pushing for the early passage of a bill that seeks to use garbage as source of electricity and fuel to address waste disposal and energy supply shortage problems.

The lawmaker filed Senate Bill 401, an “Act allowing the use of waste-to-energy technology in electricity, fuel and heat generation and for other purposes,” taking note of the problem of improper waste disposal and a projected energy supply crisis.

Tolentino cited a study conducted by the Japan International Corp. Agency showing that the percentage of local government units that fully followed the sanitary landfill method as mandated

by Republic Act 9003 did not

Sen. Francis Tolentino

ManilaTimes.net

reach 10 percent.

The situation, he said, would worsen, as around 80 to 90 percent of the capacity of the constructed sanitary landfills had

been utilized and were projected to be at full capacity within the next five years.

Concurrent with the garbage disposal problem, according to Tolentino, is the forthcoming crisis in the energy field.

He said this was already manifested in the rotational brownouts being implemented by electric suppliers in some parts of the country and the rising cost of power due mainly to the shortage of supply, further aggravated by the rising prices of petroleum products.

“There have been several attempts to establish waste to energy facilities, which were even backed by the national government and local government units, but which never pushed through because of legal impediments,” Tolentino lamented. n

Lawmakers push ‘Eddie Garcia bill’ by reina Leanne

toLentino ManilaTimes.net

LAWMAKERS at the House of Representatives on Tuesday, January 28, called for the passage of a measure that aims to introduce occupational safety and health standards law for the film, television and theater industry.

The bill was filed by Deputy Speaker Michael “Mikee” Romero, stepson of the late veteran actor Eduardo “Eddie” Garcia.

Garcia broke his neck after tripping on a wire while shooting a TV series in Manila last year.

“We are not here to put a blame or crucify people, but

rather how to create a distinctive measure on how to protect the lives of people in the industry,” Romero, a representative of 1Pacman party-list, said during a meeting of the House Committee on Labor and Employment.

Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. implored on his colleagues to support the bill.

“The entertainment industry is filled to the brim with talented individuals that bring to life stories through various media.

Although it is not visible in our screens, these talented individuals are risking life and limb in order to bring us joy and awe when we watch them perform,”

he said.

Garbin said the bill also seeks to protect those working behind the camera.

“These individuals endure sleepless nights in order to deliver to the public a small respite from their daily lives,” he said.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas pledged to support the measure, saying, “We support the bill of Congressman Mikee Romero dahil po gusto namin itong bills na ito protecting the film industry and ‘yung mga tao po na nagtatrabaho dito (because we like these bills protecting the film industry and the people who work in it).” n

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Philippines, India hold joint defense committee meeting

by Neil

ServallOS ManilaTimes.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and India are holding the third iteration of their joint defense cooperation committee meeting on Friday, as both sides continue to boost the defense aspect of their bilateral ties.

Commodore Pradeep Singh of India Navy, the directorate of Foreign Cooperation, Integrated of the Ministry of Defense, will lead the Indian delegation, said acting Navy public affairs chief Lt. Cmdr. Ma. Christina Roxas.

Singh visited the Philippine Navy on Thursday, where he was welcomed by chief of naval staff Rear Admiral Rey Dela Cruz.

“During the said courtesy call, both navies discussed on how it can further improve its defense cooperation through future engagement particularly in training and capabilities,” Roxas said.

The Philippines and India have stepped up its defense engagements in recent years. In

Commodore Pradeep Singh of India Navy, directorate of Foreign Cooperation, Integrated of the Ministry of Defense, visits the Philippine Navy on Thursday, Jan. 30.

ManilaTimes.net file photo

2017, the two countries have signed a defense and logistics agreement.

India “desires of upping our engagements” with the Philippines in many folds, New Delhi ambassador to Manila Jaideep

Madumzar said in December at a forum at the National Defense College of the Philippines.

He said India is also looking forward to participating in many defense projects in the Philippines. n

ASF still spreading; 200,000 pigs culled

by Karl

r. OcampO

Inquirer.net

Despite intensified efforts to contain the spread of the African swine fever (ASF) virus, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the hog-borne disease has continued spreading in several parts of Luzon, bringing the total number of outbreaks in the country to 130 and has resulted in the culling of nearly 200,000 pigs.

The DA submitted four followup reports to the World Organization for Animal Health this week after over two months of silence, wherein it was revealed that there have been 2,891 ASF cases recorded in over 300 barangays between August and December.

From 52,850 hogs culled in November, the number has risen to 191,641 hogs—a 270-percent increase just after a month.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar earlier said that the number of ASF cases in the country had begun “tapering down” after it strengthened quarantine and safety measures, but data had

shown otherwise.In the latest reports prepared by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), it showed that the fatal disease is now present in more municipalities and cities in both northern and southern areas.

Badly hit were the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan. The virus also reached new areas in Aurora, Cavite, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.

The region of Central Luzon is the country’s major livestock hub, accounting for 18 percent of the sector’s total hog output. Bulacan, Tarlac and Pampanga are considered the top hog-producing provinces in the region.Additional ASF outbreaks The reports also confirmed additional ASF outbreaks in Metro Manila, Caloocan, Quezon City and Metro Manila.

The BAI’s report has pointed to the illegal movement of animals, swill feeding and fomites as the main reason for the ASF spread.

Earlier this week, 25 tons of pork celery dumplings from Guangzhou, China, were seized by authorities in Manila, after they tested positive for ASF.In a statement, the Department of Finance

urged the DA to “strictly enforce biosecurity measures and set up more stringent quarantine checkpoints, provide more disinfection facilities and intensify our antismuggling and meat inspection efforts.”

Authorities continue to employ the 1-7-10 protocol to prevent the further spread of ASF.This means killing off all hogs and disinfecting all areas within 1 kilometer of the disease’s ground zero, controlling the movement, shipment and sale of hogs within the 7-km zone and monitoring those within 10 km.

The DA estimated that the livestock industry incurs about P1 billion every month in opportunity losses because of the epidemic, but industry stakeholders said that factoring in the decline in farm-gate prices would bring the amount to P5 billion every month.

While not harmful to humans, the ASF virus is easily transmitted because it can stay alive for days on clothes and shoes, in processed meat, and in parasites such as ticks. The BAI, however, assured consumers that ASF would not pose health risks to humans. n

MALASAKIT BUILDING. President Rodrigo Duterte and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista lead the opening of the Malasakit Building at the Department of Social Welfare and Development main office in Quezon City. Looking on is Sen. Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go. ManilaTimes.net photo by Gerard Seguia

Facebook opens Disaster Maps for foundations involved in Taal operations

by Neil

ServallOS ManilaTimes.net

MANILA, Philippines – Social media giant Facebook has opened its Disaster Maps for foundations who are conducting relief and rescue operations in areas affected by the Taal Volcano eruption.

Information from Facebook showed that the maps were used by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) to track down Batangas and Cavite residents displaced by the heavy ashfall — families who eventually fled to evacuation centers.

“In response to the Taal volcano eruption, Facebook made Disaster Maps available to the Philippine Red Cross to support evacuation and relief operations,” Facebook said in a statement on Thursday, January 30.

“PRC deployed over 800 Red Cross personnel, and opened evacuation centers to support displaced communities in 13 towns near the volcano,” they added.

According to the social media company, Disaster Maps would help responders to identify which areas need help, as it sources information from Facebook users in the area concerned — in

this case, evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite towns.

“Near real-time information compiled by Facebook’s Disaster Maps helps fill information gaps by providing relief organizations with aggregated, deidentified data gathered from people using Facebook on their mobile phones in areas affected by natural disasters,” Facebook explained.

“This information helps paint a more complete picture of where affected people are located so that resources like food, water, and medical supplies can be efficiently distributed where they are needed most,” they added.

The program has been used in other disasters, like the onslaught of Typhoon Tisoy in the Bicol Region and the series of earthquakes in Puerto Rico starting last December.

“These maps allow responders to quickly get a read on how people are actually behaving during a specific emergency, rather than making assumptions or predicting behaviors based on past events,” the social media site noted.

PRC Head of Operations Center May Layugan attested to the Disaster Maps’ contributions, saying that it helped them to prioritize the areas that need help.

“In times of calamity, the biggest challenge we face is determining the worst affected areas where we are most needed.

Facebook Disaster Maps show us anonymized data on movements of people connected to Facebook and help us identify which areas have no internet connection or electricity,” Layugan said.

“Based on this data, we are able to verify reports we get from our community-based volunteers and prioritize where to deploy our resources and improve the efficiency of our response,” Laguyan added.

Reports from Batangas’ Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said that over 32,000 families have been displaced due to the volcanic eruption last January 12, which send ashfall as far as Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

As of now, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has downgraded the alert warnings from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3, after the volcanic activity has lessened in the past weeks.

On Wednesday, January 29 President Rodrigo Duterte said that he is withdrawing police officers stationed in Taal-affected areas to allow residents to come home. n

A12 FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal Judy Ann admits past plans to move to rival network

Grand opening event at The Resort in Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday, February 8 (RANCHO Cucamonga, CA) – Get ready to celebrate!

Saturday, February 8 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, you’re invited to the Grand Opening Event at The Resort in Rancho Cucamonga! This is your chance to enjoy model tours, delicious refreshments, fun activities and music—plus discover Nova by The New Home Company, the newest collection of townhomes and single-stacked flats making its model debut at this bright new master-planned community designed to bring out the best of everything. With modern amenities, beautiful green belts, walkable retail and sustainable, style-forward home designs, it’s a vibrant new living destination crafted to change the way you live.

So mark your calendar, make plans to attend and see how you can discover the new urban.

At The Resort, distinctive new neighborhoods will feature beautiful construction,

Judy Ann Santos Photo from Instagram/@officialjuday

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Judy Ann Santos admitted that she taught of transferring network in the past but still chose to be with ABS-CBN through the years.

During the press conference of her recently concluded teleserye “Starla,” Juday said that when she was young, she wanted to shift to another network.

“May mga moments noong kabataan ko, maiisip mo ‘yun pag may tampo ka, halimbawa mayro’n kayong miscommunication or misunderstanding ng mother network, you always think of something big to do,” Juday professed.

“‘Yung parang ayoko na, pero you’ll always go back to where you began, where you started and napag-uusapan naman ang mga bagay-bagay kaya nga we are called Kapamilya eh. I am able to tell everything to Tita Cory, Tatay Lauren. Siguro hindi maiiwasan ‘yon kasi ako lang yata ang hindi umalis dito sa ABS-CBN,” she added.

Juday started her career via the teleserye “Ula: Ang Batang Gubat” in 1988, followed by the hit teleserye “Mara Clara” with Gladys Reyes in 1992 until 1997.

Since then, she starred in different top-rating shows in ABSPAGE B2

Why Lotlot wants Janine to be ‘her own person’

By AllAn

PolicArPio Inquirer.net

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PAGE B2

AS a child, Lotlot de Leon was quiet and reserved. She was obedient—too obedient, in fact, it pained her sometimes. She would often just say yes to what was asked of her, she recalled, and did as she was told. She doesn’t want that for her children. “I want them to be their own person, and have their own way of thinking,” the seasoned actress told reporters at her recent contract signing with LVD Management, which will handle her showbiz career for the next three years.

The subject was brought up in light of an issue Lolit Solis had with Lotlot’s eldest daughter, Janine Gutierrez. Last December, Janine tweeted the words, “Oh God,” in reaction to a news item touting Sen. Bong Revilla’s Lotlot De Leon with dauther Janine Gutierrez PAGE B2

Photo from Instagram/@ms.lotlotdeleon

EntErtainmEnt

B FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

Vic, Pauleen in Palawan for Sariling Himig Choir 4th wedding anniversary performs on February 22 by

Niña V. GuNo

Twelve parishes unite in the concert “Colours of Love”

Inquirer.net

VIC Sotto and Pauleen Luna celebrated four blissful years of marriage together in Palawan this week.

The “Eat Bulaga” hosts tagged along their 2-year-old daughter, Tali, on the trip to luxury resort Amanpulo where they basked on the island’s white-sand beach.

On the day of their anniversary on Jan. 30, Luna greeted her husband with a picture of them by the beach’s pristine waters, as well as a short and sweet greeting: “4 years married to the love of my life. Eternally grateful for your love.”

She shared too a family photo of them on Instagram on Wednesday, Jan. 29. The three posed along the beach for a picture beneath clear, blue skies. Both mom and daughter sported bikinis, while dad Vic wore turquoise Vic Sotto and Pauleen Luna with their daughter Tali board shorts.

Photo from Instagram/@pauleenlunasotto Sotto and Luna’s 2016 wedding took place in Muntinlupa. Sotto Luna in 2013 following rumors 2011. Sotto was previously marconfirmed his relationship with that they had been dating since ried to actress Dina Bonnevie.

Why Angel refuses to work with fiancé by

Niña V. GuNo Inquirer.net

Angel Locsin with fiance Neil Arce

Photo from Instagram/@neil_arce

ANGEL Locsin swore she would never work on a movie project with her fiancé, businessman and film producer Neil Arce.

“We just might end up fighting,” she explained. “He used to do that for the women he cared about. I guess it’s also because I want to be different from them.”

Neil had dated two other actresses, Maxene Magalona and Bela Padilla, prior to getting engaged to Angel. He collaborated on two films with Bela—“Luck at First Sight” and “Last Night.”

“I’ve always been supportive of his endeavors, not just because we were friends then, and later, because we were dating. This was because I believe in his talent. Iba ang mata niya,” Angel declared.

In fact, Angel said she had read the script of “Last Night,” which Bela and Neil cowrote, then presented it to Star Cinema. “I recommended them. We have no issue at all,” she declared. (Marinel Cruz/Inquirer.net)

THE Sariling H.I.M.I.G. Choir, a registered non-profit organization, is collaborating with the dynamic Fr. Art Mateo in its very first-ever concert, which will be held on February 22, 2020 at the California Education and Performing Arts Center in Ontario, CA. Fr. Mateo, who is based in the Philippines, has inspired choir singers for twelve parishes to raise funds to support Bahay Bata, Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair, and St. Oscar Romero’s Church Building Fund Campaign. Bahay Bata (Save the Children) is an organization that provides food, clothing, shelter and education to roughly 300 less fortunate children from the streets of Bulacan and Manila, Philippines.

The concert dubbed as “Colours of Love” is a collaborative effort of choir members from different parishes in the Diocese of San Bernardino and Riverside who has organized as Sariling H.I.M.I.G. which stands for “Healing in Music is a Gift.”

Churches represented are Corpus Christi – Corona, St. Oscar Romero- Eastvale, Our Lady of Lourdes- Montclair, Sacred Heart - Rancho Cucamonga, San Secondo d’Asti – Ontario, St Anthony – Upland, St Catherine of Alexandria- Riverside, St George – Ontario, St Frances of Rome – Wildomar, St Margaret Mary – Chino, St Paul the Apostle- Chino and St Thomas – Riverside.

The group’s enthusiasm to help others through music was formalized in just ten months.

HIMIG was initially conceived on March 25, 2019. By March 30, the members voted and unanimously decided to name the group Sariling HIMIG during Fellowship at the last Saturday Filipino mass at St Anthony in Upland.

Sariling HIMIG members had been part of the Pagdiriwang Choir of the Diocese of San Bernardino since 2012, and the Assumption Choir and had performed in the February 2019

“ASIN ng LUPA” Concert with Noy Pillora.

By May 25, Sariling HIMIG had its Debut Performance at St Christopher Church in Moreno Valley for Fr Tony’s Sacerdotal Anniversary. June was then a very busy month performing: June 1 at the Asia-Pacific Celebration of the Diocese of San Bernardino; June 15 at the “Misa ng Bayan” of St Christopher, Moreno Valley; June 29 at the Apalitenos Town Fiesta of the Holy Family Church, Artesia, CA and June 30 at the Philippine Cultural Night of St Paul the Apostle, Chino Hills CA.

By September 11, H.I.M.I.G. (Healing In Music Is a Gift) was registered as a Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation with the State of California.

Witness the joy of music that brought together these individuals in “Colours of Love” on February 22. Tickets are $20, email sarhimig@gmail.com for more information.

Sariling HIMIG shall also be performing at Asia Pacific Fashion Week on April 25 in North Hollywood, as well as the Travel Trade and Consumer Expo on August 8 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

(Advertising Supplement)

Grand opening event at The...

PAGE B1 Also open at The Resort, Aspire by Van Daele Homes welcomes contemporary flats for single-level living priced from the high $300,000s. Inviting, fresh and modern, these new homes boast from 1,176 to 1,706 square feet with up to three bedrooms and two bathrooms, featuring five inspiring plans to choose from.

Now selling from the high $500,000s, Tempo by TRI Pointe Homes offers stunning new single-family homes ready to carry you into the future.

These three incredible plans present 1,890 to 2,243 square feet with up to four bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as fresh, open living spaces.

Now open and priced from the mid $400,000s, Lumin by Van Daele Homes brings new detached bungalows and contemporary flats for single-level living to The Resort. Offering three exceptional designs to choose from, these stunning residences boast 1,448 to 1,934

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With a name like The Resort, you know there will be the amenities to match. And it all begins with the forward-trending, resort-style recreational and fitness center made to kickstart and shape every action, connection and experience in your wellness journey. Find your stride at the swimming pool or your zen in the yoga room. Sit back and relax with newfound friends at the barbecue area.

Here, there are countless places to gather and connect—or even take to nature, with beautiful green belts and paseos.

Whether it’s downtime at the outdoor lounge or breaking a sweat at the fitness center, The Resort redefines what it means to have an active and healthy lifestyle.

Your front door is your gateway to everything when you live at The Resort. Take a short stroll to get a quick retail fix or hop in the car to find the

perfect date-night restaurants and trendy shops to browse at Victoria Gardens and Ontario Mills. If you’re looking for some entertainment nearby, head to the Toyota Arena for a concert or hit the Auto Club Speedway for high-speed fun. Being in a prime location walking distance to the Metrolink train station and close to the 10 and 15 freeways, you always have easy access to employment, recreation destinations and entertainment hotspots in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and more. Plus, nearby business centers offer an abundance of opportunities.

With all that and the Ontario International Airport close to your new home at The Resort, you’ll be surprised at just how convenient your life can be here.

The Resort is located at 9301 The Resort Parkway, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

For more information on The Resort, please visit TheResortLiving.com or call (909) 270-4284.

(Advertising Supplement)

Judy Ann admits past...

PAGE B1 CBN, including “Esperanza,” “Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka,” “Basta’t Kasama Kita,” “Krystala,” and “Ysabella,” to name a few.

Her teleserye “Starla,” written

by Dindo Perez and directed by

Onat Diaz, Darnel Villaflor and Jerome Pobocan, brightened viewers’ nights nationwide as it shared moral lessons and good vibes to kids and the whole family since its premiere last October.

Until the very end, the series reminded viewers to carry with them the value of hope, forgiveness, love for family, and helping others for the rest of the year. (Deni Rose M. AfinidadBernardo/Philstar.com)

Why Lotlot wants Janine...

PAGE B1 imminent television comeback, after four years in detention for plunder charges. As Bong’s longtime manager, Lolit took the post as a slight against her ward, prompting her to write a lengthy rant against the actress on Instagram. “I can’t tell her not to give an opinion because she has a voice of her own. And she has the freedom to express that. Even if she’s my daughter, I can only give her advice,” Lotlot stressed.

Lolit, who was also present in the media gathering, casually asked Lotlot why Janine “feels that way” about Bong. “I don’t think it’s right for me to speak on her behalf, because she’s a grown woman,” she replied, adding that it would be better if Lolit could sit down and talk with Janine “to clear whatever misunderstanding.” “If someone was hurt, maybe it’s better that the issue be discussed in

person,” surmised Lotlot, who maintained that there’s no bad blood between her and Lolit, despite what happened. “I have respect for Manay. Show biz is such a small world; there’s no room for burning bridges.”

Still, Lotlot is proud of her children having “something to stand for” and “principles in life,” especially Janine, whom she believes is intelligent and strong enough to back up what she says.

“One thing I always tell them is to think a hundred times before they say anything… You have to be responsible for what you say or do. Knowing her, I think she was aware that her words could be taken differently by other people. Nonetheless, I know that she can defend her opinions,” she related. “She’s intelligent, open-minded and kind. And I’m not saying this just because she’s my daughter.”

At 48, Lotlot refuses to spend the rest of her career playing

mother roles. Actresses her age shouldn’t be typecast as such, she stressed, because they still have a lot to offer. “Oftentimes, I get the typical mother-who-gets abandoned-by-their-children kind of roles. The usual. But I believe there’s a lot of stories and possibilities out there to explore,” Lotlot, who was last seen in the GMA 7 soap opera “Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko,” told the Inquirer.

Lotlot will have a small role in “Beauty Queens,” an upcoming miniseries directed by Joel Lamangan for iWant. Although she will only appear in one out of six episodes, Lotlot is thrilled about the project because she gets to play a lesbian character—something she had to audition for.

“You don’t stop learning as an actor. There’s always something new to discover. We learn from the people we work with, from the experiences we have,” she pointed out.

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 B

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Attendees at a pre-Grammy luncheon hosted by MYX and ABS-CBN music.

Fil-Ams in music industry come together for pre-Grammy celebration by aJPress

A recent luncheon hosted

by Myx before the Grammys honored three Filipino Americans representing various facets of the music industry. those recognized on Friday, January 24 were Grammy nominated rapper Guapdad, Grammy Award winning producer Illmind, and DJ e-Man during a gathering with nearly 50 artists, DJs, producers, managers and media professionals. “this event was created to help bring together Filipino music professionals in the industry so that they could come together to be inspired, meet one another, and feel empowered while connecting and networking to create more,” roslynn cobarrubias, global head of music and talent at ABS-cBn, told the Asian Journal.

27-year-old Guapdad 4000, who is half Filipino on his mother’s side, was nominated for a Best rap Album Grammy for his contributions on Dreamville’s collaboration album, “revenge of the Dreamers III.” In his remarks, Guapdad 4000 noted how his rapper name came from his Lola always calling him ‘guapo’ (tagalog for handsome) while growing up. the West Oakland native released his debut album “Dior Deposits” last October, which included features from tory Lanez, 6LAcK, chance the rapper, and G-eazy.

“If you want to do this and do what I do, you can’t let up.

A lot of doubted me, but it’s all about process, feeling and happiness. If you smiled, when you recorded something,” Guapdad 4000 told the Asian Journal. “Be genuine, follow the feeling, follow the music and people will come.”

Known as DJ e-Man, emmanuel coquia was promoted to Director of Programming and content for Meruelo Media last August. He heads the programming and music content for Meruelo Media’s Power 106 (KPWr-FM), 93.5 KDAY — both in Los Angeles — and oversees the initial stages of the new cALI 93.9 (KLLI-FM) Latin rhythmic format.

His younger brothers — DJ Virman of Far east Movement and DJ MikeeMike, director of operations and program director of Dash radio — gave remarks prior to his award about how DJ e-Man influenced her own careers in the music industry.

Illmind, producer and songwriter, was surprised with a special honor at the lunch for his work with high-profile artists, such as Beyoncé, Kanye

AFTER HER PARENTS’ DEATH, A DAUGHTER DID EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO SALVAGE THEIR PETITON AND REALIZE THEIR PARENTS’ DREAM – ON AN ALL-NEW CITRIZEN PINOY THIS SUNDAY. Ismael (left) was petitioned by his father back in 1996. He patiently waited for his petition to be current. However, when their mother passed away in 2009, their father’s health started to deteriorate, too. Tatay Samuel died in 2014, and his petition for his son Ismael “died” with him. Ester (3rd from left) promised their parents that she would do whatever it takes to get their eldest brother, Ismael, to join the rest of the siblings and their families in the U.S. That was their parents’ dream and Ester intended to honor that. She went through two lawyers who filed for humanitarian reinstatement, but got denied. She filed the humanitarian reinstatement on her own, but that was also denied. She even asked the help of a congressman, but the most it got them was a status update. As a last resort, Ester went to consult with leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right). See how Atty. Gurfinkel was able to help Ester fulfill her promise to their parents and bring Ismael and his wife, Glen (2nd from left), to the U.S. on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

DJ Virman, Brian Samson, DJ E-Man and DJ MikeeMike

Photos by Sthanlee Mirador

Should the family pay for an ‘expensive approval’?

DJ Eman

Guapdad4000, Grammy nominated honoree

Illmind, Grammy Award-winning honoree

SoSuperSam and Guapdad 4000

West, Drake and Ariana Grande.

Illmind, whose real name is ramon Ibanga, Jr., won his first Grammy for Best Urban contemporary Album for his work on Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s collaboration album “everything is Love” in 2019.

“All you really do is find your passion, keep doing it and just never stop…I’m out here having fun and I’m super humbled to have the opportunity to do this as a career. this is so amazing to see so many Filipinos doing their thing. I wish we could talk more and this is the beginning of creating that energy,” Illmind told the audience. “the goal is for people to see how talented Filipinos are, not only behind the scenes and in

front of the camera or as songwriters and more,” cobarrubias said. “I want people to increase the hiring of Filipino DJs, A&rs, executives and more because they know we work hard, get the job done and create dope events.”

She cited events and programs like 143 Festival by SoSuperSam, who was also present at Friday’s lunch and “World of Dance” co-created by Filipinos Myron Marten and Dave Gonzales.

Also present at the pre-Grammy luncheon were singers AJ rafael, Alex ritchie, Melissa Polinar and trace Gaynor and VJ rosales of the Filharmonic, and Grammy-nominated producer DJ Flict.

A slimmer Kris exudes glow in latest picture amid health issues by

Niña V. GuNo Inquirer.net

WeArInG a white dress accentuating her slender waist, Kris Aquino f launted her figure and a healthy glow in her latest studio portrait. t he t V host a nd act ress took to Instagram on Wednesday, January 29, to share her picture taken by top fashion photographer Mark nicdao.

In the post, Aquino thanked U l t h e r a p y, a n o n -i n v a s i v e treatment she endorses that lifts and tightens loose skin.

W it h her ha i r t ied back , it could be seen t hat her slim face stood out with makeup in pink tones.

She said her look garnered a compliment from her second son Bimby: “He told me ‘mama, even men will find you breathtaking.’”

In the comments, fans and fellow celebrities alike showered praises on Aquino. “Pretty naman ate,” said actress Angel Locsin, while “crazy rich A sians” aut hor Kev i n Kwan wrote, “Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!”

In a health update on Jan. 21, Aquino said thyroid issues

After the Petitioner died, three Humanitarian Revalidation requests were denied

Kris Aquino

were the reason for her weight loss. She said that in dealing with her autoimmune conditions, “I may not be healthier, but I’m not worse.”

She has yet to a n nou nce

Photo from Instagram/@krisaquino

showbiz projects, although she said in response to comments in her Jan. 10 post t hat she did not expect to have a talk show soon but was praying for a movie.

TATAY Samuel petitioned his eldest child, Ismael, in 1996. However, Tatay Samuel died in 2014, and his petition “died” with him. this devastated the Pulido family and they did not know what to do next. ester, Ismael’s sister, promised their parents t hat she wou ld do whatever it takes to get their eldest brother to join the rest of the siblings and their families in the U.S. So, she set off on finding the best way to get Ismael to the U.S. People around ester kept s ay i ng t h at A t t y. Gu r f i nkel was expensive, so ester

went to t wo ot her law yers, paid them good money, but a l l s he got wer e den i a l s .

Bot h law yer s gave up a nd said they could do nothing since the petitioner already passed away. ester then took matters in her own hand and filed on her own. Again, she was denied. She even sought help from a congressman, to no avail.

F i n a l l y, e s t e r t o o k a c h a n c e a n d w en t t o c o n su lt w it h lead i ng U.S. I mmigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. While he would not “guarantee” success or results, Atty. Gurfinkel and

his team worked hard to file for a fourth time a convincing package and presentation for humanitarian reinstatement.

About a year later, the Pulido family finally received t he ne w s t he y h ave b e en wa it i ng for a l l t h i s t i me: APPrOVeD!. See how Atty.

Gurfinkel helped ester fulfill her promise to their parents a nd br i ng I sm ael a nd h i s w ife, Glen (2nd from left), to the U.S. on a brand-new episode of cItIZen PInOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PSt) on tFc. (Advertising Supplement)

B4 FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS WHAT is the usual type of gastric cancer?

The most common variety of gastric (stomach) cancer is adenocarcinoma, usually found in the body of the stomach and in the area between the esophagus (food pipe) and the stomach. The

http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797

On gastric cancer

word adeno stands for “glandular” cell type as seen by the pathologist in the microscope.

How prevalent is gastric cancer?

This varies among countries and by sex. Per 100,000 Japanese population, for example, it is about 80 men and 30 women; white American men, 11, white American women 7; British men, 18 and British women, 10. There has been an impressive decline in incidence in North America,

New Zealand and Australia since 1930 but the reduction has been slower in Europe. The incidence also seems higher among those with Type A blood. In the United States, cancer of the stomach is relatively more common among Japanese American and Hispanic groups. The death rate in the U.S. for gastric cancer is between 14,000 to 15,000 a year. Sixty to 70% of total cases of these are men. Stomach cancer among the people in Japan appears to be “milder,” as compared to stomach cancer in the U.S. Is this cancer related to stomach ulcers?

Lifelong stomach ulcer caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori appears to be strongly associated with cancer of the stomach, and so with poor intake of antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, (and folic acid and calcium also), and vegetables and fruits.

The chronic inflammation in H. pylori infection may also be a contributing factor in the formation of gastric cancer among patients.

What are the other etiologic factors?

Smoking is strongly related to cancer of the proximal portion of the stomach. This is one unhealthy habit people should stay away from because cigarettes are deadly, killing hundreds of thousands slowly and “softly”.

This type of gastric malignancy is also associated with obesity, gastro-esophageal reflux, high fat intake, and seen more among the more affluent people. Those in the lower socio-economic bracket are seen to be more prone to distal stomach cancer.

How about eating smoked or salted fish?

Eating dried salted fish and smoked foods (or the nitrates in them) have been suspected to increase the risk of stomach cancer. There seems to be a higher incidence in Asia, particularly in Japan. Currently, however, we find no absolute proof in the medical literature that confirms this, but I would still advise caution here. As far as a good daily dietary regimen is concerned, there is nothing better and safer than fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, high-fiber foods, and abstaining from red meat and eggs, which are high in cholesterol and fats and low in fiber. Red meat has been implicated as a causative

MOONLIGHTING

My favorite story

by MYLAH DE

LEON

ALL my life I’ve dealt with words. I live in a world of stories, which are not replicable because our lives are unique and give us value and meaning.

Yet, as each story is told, we also learn about what makes us similar, what connects us all, and what helps us transcend that isolation authors say separates us from others and ourselves and conquers loneliness, the hidden wound of our time.

Real stories take time as they take that sort of time called, pausing reflecting and wondering time. We listen to other people’s stories and try to remember that the real world is made of such stories and perhaps how life is teaching us to live.

In my work, I find that these are from the soul stories, where you find hope, wisdom to live a life worth remembering. Sometimes that meaning we may draw from someone’s story may be different from the meaning drawn from it, which does not matter because facts will bring us to knowledge, but stories lead us to wisdom. The capacity to understand and appreciate their gist.

Storytellers have the gift to be able to see beyond the veil of our beliefs, expectations and judgment of ourselves and others, so that we may see the world with wisdom.

Most of the stories we are told are written by novelists and screenwriters in the movies and are acted out by actors.

These are stories that have clear beginnings and endings, but alas these are stories that are not real.

When we tell our stories to one another they have no beginning and ending, but front-row seats to real experiences. They may have happened in a different time or place and have a familiar tone because they are about us.

Real stories take time – the line to pause reflect and wonder – as life rushes along. With our stories and other people’s stories, they remind us that the real world is made for such stories.

The writer with her grandchildren.

Stories are about the same thing — having and losing, pain and wounding, courage and hope, healing and loneliness and the end of loneliness.

Through the years, as we cobble our stories and realize that in telling them, we are telling each other the human story through narratives that touch us and are weaved about common humanness.

Sometimes during interviews, when I ask people to tell me their story, they tell me about their achievements, what they’ve acquired or built over are their achievements, what they’ve acquired or built over a lifetime.

Our open story is about who we are, not what we have done.

It’s about what we are faced to build, not what we have built; what we’ve drawn open and rocked to do it is what we have felt, thought, feared and delivered through the events of our lives that which to us, alone.

When protests come up that it didn’t happen quite that way or it was more like this, all stories are equally genuine. It is about their experience of the event in their lives. They are not the events themselves, but they are just seen in our own unique ways with ourselves in it. Truth becomes highly subjective.

As a crime reporter for years, I’ve learned that stories can sometimes be full of bias and uniqueness mixing facts with meaning, many times the meaning we draw from someone’s

story may be different from the stories they have drawn. It matters that facts bring us to knowledge but stories lead us to wisdom.

We carry with us every story we have ever heard, filed at some deep place in our memory.

The best stories have many meanings that change us. Our capacity to understand and appreciate meanings grows.

It required having a personal response to life.

The best stories have many meanings that change as our capacity to understand and appreciate meanings grow, requiring us to have a personal response to life. Is it possible to live life without experiencing it?

After 30 years of being a congenital unemployable in newspapering (to this day, I can’t write straight news) and 11 years of living with my own life-threatening illness, I, too, am a woman who is full of stories I have lived and have been told. These are my stories about being a daughter, a granddaughter, and an indomitable widow. There are stories of being a friend, a patient, a doctor’s companion, and an ace photographer’s devoted ally. There are stories about my friends, stories that are true and false and stories that I don’t understand.

Every one of those stories has helped me to live. *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. com.

Martin Nievera, the man who would be ‘king’

PAGE B5

BY MONET

LU

MARTIN Nievera followed the footsteps of his father who sang for the group S.O.S. (A Society of Seven) in Hawaii. He went back to his birthplace in 1982 to pursue his musical career and released his first album that went platinum in the span of five months.

Thus began the journey of the man who would be called ‘The Concert King.’

Martin Nievera Ramon Razon Nievera was born on February 5, 1962, in Manila, Philippines to Bert Nievera and Conchita Razon. The Nievera family took up residence in the Bay Area in California in the late ’70s.

Martin graduated from Clayton Valley High School in Concord, California in 1980.

Martin and I met almost 30 years ago at his fi rst concert with then-wife Pops Fernandez.

We’ve been friends since then but that did not keep me get from getting star stricken each time. The guy is my all-time favorite performer! I would forever be a fan. Until now, he still amazes me with his performance. And like his music so timeless. It never gets old; if possible, it gets better with time.

He is both an amazing songwriter and singer – a combo that solidified the trappings of a legendary performer that he is to become. His first album “Take One” achieved such a feat that is not common for a neophyte in the industry. His talent opened another door to his impending stardom, a career in TV hosting.

Martin co-hosted the TV variety show “Penthouse Live!” with (then) future wife Pops Fernandez, the Philippines’ “Concert Queen.”

His second live performance in 1984’s The Best Gift was also certified platinum. In 1987, Penthouse Live! was changed to Martin and Pops Twogether, reflecting the duo’s marriage.

While he is an exceptional singer in his own right, it is mostly his jovial on-stage personality that makes him a hit across generations. His mass appeal spread throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s as his albums and live performances were fanatically devoured. Martin’s 1997 album Journey was a hit

Martin Nievera

in Hawaii, most especially in the Philippines. The track “You Are My Song” earned him Awit and Katha Awards for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist.

“I was actually discovered while singing at the shower in our locker room. I was part of the basketball team, but not a very good one at that, and I intentionally take a shower after everybody else has so it would seem like I had a tough game when I was actually a bench warmer… As I was singing, the wrestling coach passed by and heard me, called out loud and said he should see me at the choir auditions the next day. So I joined the choir and next thing I know I am singing back up (in a choir) for Barry Manilow for his three-day concert, and that’s where I realized that this is what I want to do,” Martin recalls in an interview.

Even in the darkest moments of his life, specifically the dissolution of his marriage, the ‘concert king’ turned to music.

He wrote and recorded a song, entitled “Forever” to win back his wife. Though the song didn’t achieve its main goal, it effortlessly achieved Double Platinum, moved up to Triple Platinum in a few months, and later soared to Quadruple status. Martin and his music were warmly embraced by his adoring public, and “Forever” has become an all-time bestseller.

The two sequels, “Forever Forever” (Platinum to Double Platinum to Triple Platinum within the same year) and “Return to Forever,” both alluded to the couples heartbreaking split.

They, however, decided to be civil (and continue to be good friends) throughout the years.

Martin’s success in the field of music carried over to his acting career. He has appeared in eleven movies and seven television series and specials.

His television show, Martin after Dark lasted for almost a decade (1988 – 1998) and won Best Celebrity Talk Show. It PAGE B5

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Enrique gives a peek into his Hawaii trip with Liza Cha Lino Inquirer.net

by

ACTOR Enrique Gil started 2020 by launching a new YouTube channel named The Gil Side this January. The channel’s first vlog is about Gil’s trip to Hawaii with his girlfriend, actress Liza Soberano, and some family members.

Gil welcomed viewers to the channel as he compiled videos from their trip, as seen in a travel vlog last Monday, Jan. 27. In Hawaii, they enjoyed scenic views of the island and rode on a cruise ship. Gil and Soberano also had dinner while listening to a live band and witnessed the night sky lit up with fireworks. “[T]his vacation meant so much to us because spending time with family is always first,” the video caption stated.

The actor said that the almost three-minute video was merely a teaser. Gil hinted at a part two by posing with his sister Andie behind a snowy background; the siblings sported streetwear outfits

Joshua Garcia and Janella Salvador

Joshua on rumors with Janella: ‘Sobrang close lang namin’

Liza Soberano with Enrique Gil

as seen on his Instagram post on Tuesday, January 28.

“Stay tuned for part 2 where we show you all the fun activities and kulitan namin sa (our antics in) Hawaii,” Enrique said.

LizQuen went to the United States last month to celebrate the

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano

Christmas holidays. The couple also welcomed Soberano’s 22nd birthday while they were in the country.

Meanwhile, Soberano and Enrique are back on television this month with a new romantic series titled “Make It With You”.

On Gastric Cancer...

PAGE B4 factor in colon cancer and other cancers.

What are the symptoms to watch for?

They vary from person to person. Most do not even have obvious symptoms before they are discovered. The symptoms could be a sense of indigestion, upper stomach discomfort, gassy bloating feeling, loss of appetite or pain on eating, loss of weight, tarry (blood in) stools, anemia, weakness and fatigue, depending on the stage of the cancer.

But any of these symptoms may also be caused by other illnesses, which may not be as serious and are curable. This is the reason why a regular medical check-up and seeing the doctor early are important practices to prevent serious illnesses. If in doubt, consult your physician.

What is the survival rate?

In the United States, the 5year survival rate (the number of patients alive after 5 years) is 90% (nine out of ten) among those where the tumor is confined to the mucosa (stomach

Photo from Instagram/@superjanella

lining only) and 20% (one in five) among those with large tumors and lymph node spread.

What is upper GI endoscopy?

This is an examination of the food pipe and stomach using a flexible fiberoptic lighted and magnified scope (about the caliber of the little finger), that is passed through the mouth, down the throat, the esophagus and to the stomach to view any pathology, and do a biopsy, if needed. Endoscopic Ultrasound is another recent diagnostic tool and is very helpful in assessing the condition of the esophagus and stomach, and also for any lymph node or regional spread of the cancer.

What is the treatment?

When stomach cancer is diagnosed, complete surgical excision is the best option, if maximum survival rate is to be achieved. But this is not always feasible, depending on the stage and anatomy of the disease. Subtotal gastrectomy (removing part of the stomach involved in the cancer) has been found to have

the same survival rate benefit compared to removing the entire stomach. No difference in the 5year survival rate or postoperative mortality.

How about chemotherapy?

Current clinical evidence has shown that adjuvant chemotherapy (surgery plus chemotherapy) versus surgery alone significantly increases survival rate. In other words, it is not any better than surgery alone.

It also found that those who had adjuvant chemotherapy had much more postoperative complications. There are various current chemotherapeutic agents that have not been fully evaluated. But ongoing research continues. Hopefully, someday soon, the “perfect” regimen will come along. Better yet, a vaccine to prevent gastric cancer. In the meantime, let us stay away from unhealthy habits and prevent diseases from coming our way, especially deadly cancers. *** For a gift of health, visit philipSchua. com. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com.

by Ryan

aRCadio Inquirer.net

JOSHUA Garcia has made it clear that he and Janella Salvador are not in a relationship despite the rumors surrounding them.

The two starred opposite each other in the recently concluded TV drama series “The Killer Bride.”

Garcia addressed the speculations during his guesting on “Tonight with Boy Abunda” alongside his “Block Z” co-stars McCoy de Leon and Yves Flores, posted on the show’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, January 29.

Dur ing t he program, Boy Abunda first pointed out that he had noticed teasing between the two actors.

“I think there was an interview where you said kung may

mamahalin ka habang buhay ay si Janella (if you were to love someone for life it would be Janella),” the talk show host added. “You call her ‘baby.’”

These instances later led their fans to wonder if the two actors were in a romantic relationship.

However, Garcia dispelled the rumors, saying, “Tito Boy, sobrang close lang talaga namin na magkaibigan (Tito Boy, we are just really close friends).”

The actor also explained that he posted a photo of him and Salvador before to let others know that they were friends. Garcia uploaded a picture of them on his Instagram page on Jan. 12.

“I am lucky to have a friend like you,” he said at the time.

Garcia also said that people might have thought there was “something” between them dur-

ing the last day of their show because they said they would really miss each other. Following the finale of “The Killer Bride” earlier this month, Salvador penned a short yet sweet message for Garcia on Instagram.

The actress thanked Garcia for “being such a wonderful leading man” and called him a friend who is “so much like [her].”

Garcia echoed her statement on the talk show, saying: “Si Janella kasi, siya yung friend ko na katulad ko, parang ako.

Ang dami naming similarities (Janella is the kind of friend that is just like me. We have so many similarities).”

“Gusto ko siya maging kaibigan habang buhay more than maging girlfriend (I want her to be more my friend for life than being my girlfriend),” Garcia added.

Martin Nievera, the man who...

PAGE B4 garnered him his Star Awards’ Best Celebrity Talk Show Host award consecutively from 1989 to 1991 and then again in 1993, 1994, and 1996.

In 2006, the Aliw Awards Foundation Hall of Fame distinguished Martin as Entertainer of the Year and Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Honolulu Adviser likewise named him Best Male Singer and Star of the Year in 1988.

He also won at the Abu Golden Kite Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as Best Interpreter for (Advertising Supplement) a Composition in 1990.

Martin’s transfer to the rival network from 1998 to 2002 gave the public “Martin Late@Nite” as well as a television show with Gary Valenciano in July 2010, “Twist & Shout.” Martin’s film credits include dramas, romance, science fiction, comedy, and action.

Right now, Martin is busy with concert tours around the U.S. His upcoming one will be in Las Vegas. I am pretty sure this is going to be a memorable one. His songs will always have the same force and appeal as it did the first time I saw him on stage. And for someone who

is dubbed as ‘Concert King,’ there’s no doubt, the man has set himself for greatness anywhere he goes. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com.

B FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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COMMUNITY Journal

Franchise Trade Mission presents opportunity for Fil-Ams to learn about small businesses in PH

Fil-Am business leaders at the kick off for the Filipino American Franchising Trade Mission organized by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Foundation Inc. on Wednesday, January 29.

Ellen Samson, president of FACC Foundation

THE Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Foundation Inc (FACC Foundation) presented its kickoff orientation event for the Filipino American Franchising Trade Mission (FAFTM) at the Philippine Consulate on Wilshire Blvd on Wednesday, January 29.

Partner organization the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC) represented by Chamber Presidents attended in full force.

Consul General Adel Cruz and Commissioner Eric Elnar of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were on hand to encourage the attendees to invest in the Philippines through franchising.

Philippine Consul General Adelio Cruz

Commissioner Elnar stated that the investing climate is growing as the government has been driving infrastructures, and the Gross National Product GDP has risen 6% in the past year.

Ellen Samson, president of FACC Foundation, emphasized her advocacy for teaching Filipinos “how to fish”, instead of giving them the fish. She is working for a continued change of mindsets, stemming from her “Push for Entrepreneurship” movement while she was president of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA).

Dept. of Trade and Industry Commissioner

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Your chance of getting audited in 2020 YOUR chances of being chosen for audit has been miniscule for more than 10 years. IRS was underfunded and understaffed.

They didn’t have financial resources to hire and train auditors. That’s about to change.

Recent budget has allowed them to hire and train auditors for the coming years. Bad news.

For now, let’s talk about your chances of audit based from prior year statistics: 1. The audit rate among taxpayers with incomes of $25,000 to $500,000 is about 0.5% (or ½ %).

2. Taxpayers with incomes $500,000 to $1 million have an audit rate of 1.10%.

3. Taxpayers with incomes of $1 million to $10 million have an audit rate of about 2.2% to 4.2%.

4. Taxpayers with incomes of $10 million or more is 6.7%

Tapat Sa Batas Atty. rheA sAmson NOONG Enero 9, 2020, ang USCIS ay nagbigay ng pormal na anunsyo ng implementasyon ng H1B registration process para sa Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 H1B capsubject petitions. Kasama sa H1B cap-subject petition ang mga visa numbers na may “statutory cap” na 65,000 na empleyado bawat FY, pati na rin ang karagdagang 20,000 “master’s exemption” visa numbers para sa mga dayuhang empleyadong may master’s degree o mas mataas pa sa master’s degree mula sa mga kwalipikadong colegio o unibersidad sa US. Ang USCIS ay magbubukas ng initial registration period mula Marso 1 hanggang Marso 20, 2020. Sa loob ng registration period na ito, ang H1B cap-petitioners ay kailangang mag-electronic registration sa USCIS at magbayad ng $10 registration fee para sa bawat submission. Ang H1B petitioners ay kailangang mag-submit ng hiwalay na registration para sa bawat dayuhan na nais ng US employer na i-petition para sa H1B; bawal ang dobleng registration. Ang US employer ay kailangang makatanggap ng electronic notice mula sa USCIS

Tax & Stock Tips victor sy,

cPA, mBA (retired)

5. Taxpayers who report no income have an audit rate of 2.0%.

How to lower your chances of audit in 2020 with two simple rules: The first rule is to submit a return in such form that it gets “lost” in the crowd. To have a return pulled out for any reason increases the chances of an audit.

To submit a return with wrong social security numbers, math errors, and missing schedules is like waving nice little red flags.

The second rule is to present

the return in such a way that if it gets picked out for manual review, it does not generate curiosity for further verification. For example, claiming your father, mother, niece, nephew, uncle, and aunt as dependents and again claiming payments made to these same dependents for childcare is not in keeping with this rule. In other words, don’t. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation. *** He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to vicsy@live.com.

The new H1B cap registration system na nagsasabing ang kanyang registration ay napili bago makapagfile ng H1B petition para sa dayuhang empleyado na kanyang nirehistro.

Sa bagong prosesong ito, ang USCIS ay maaaring magbukas ulit ng registration period kung ito ay hindi makatanggap ng sapat na registration para sa FY 2021.

Ngunit kung labis ang mga registration na matatanggap ng USCIS, ang USCIS ay magsasagawa ng random selection para sa FY 2021 H1B numerical allocations pagkatapos ng registration period. Ang employer ay kailangang magfile ng H1B sa loob ng filing period na nakalagay sa eligibility notice. Ayon sa registration regulations, ang USCIS ay kailangang magbigay sa H1B employer ng hindi bababa ng 90 araw para magfile ng H1B petition.

Ayon sa USCIS, ang pagstreamline ng H1B cap selection process sa pamamagitan ng bagong electronic registration system ay kapaki-pakinabang sa US employer at sa USCIS. Ito ay dahil magkakapagbawas ito sa gastos ng petitioner employer at USCIS, sapagkat ang mga napili lamang na registration ang kinakailangang magfile ng H1B petition packet. ***

On January 9, 2020, USCIS formally announced the implementation of the H1B registration process for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 H1B cap-subject petitions. This includes the H1B visa numbers subject to the “statutory cap” of 65,000 workers per fiscal year, as well as the 20,000 additional “master’s exemption” visa numbers for foreign workers with a master’s degree or a higher degree from a qualified US college or university.

According to the USCIS, it will open an initial registration period from March 1 to March 20, 2020.

During this period, H1B cap-petitioners will be required to register first electronically with USCIS and pay the $10 registration fee for each submission. H1B petitioners must submit a separate registration naming each alien for whom the employer seeks to file an H1B petition; duplicate registrations are prohibited. The US petitioner employer must receive an electronic notice from USCIS

by March 31 stating that its registration was selected before the employer can file the H1B petition for the worker it registered.

Under the new process, USCIS may reopen the registration period if it does not receive enough

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Minding Your Finances Atty. rAymond BUlAon ACCORDING to a new report, the number of seniors filing bankruptcy is increasing rapidly. The average senior who files bankruptcy these days owes approximately $17,390 according to the report (Although I have to say that most seniors who come to me for debt help actually owe a lot more!).

Some of the reasons mentioned are increased financial risks during retirement age, insufficient income (Social Security benefits are almost never enough to cover all personal living expenses unless seniors are getting financial help from family) and rising medical expenses. When seniors who are still working lose their jobs, it is also difficult or impossible for them to seek new employment as they have to compete with much younger applicants.

It is even more difficult for struggling seniors who have not stashed money away for retirement or a savings account because they usually have no other financial resources other than their Social Security benefits. So a lot of them resort to bankruptcy in order to wipe out debts they can no longer pay or perhaps restructure them in a way that makes them affordable. Unfortunately, by the time they file, a lot of them have also used up whatever savings they have and they do not have enough years (unlike

Why are more seniors filing bankruptcy? younger people) to be able to get back on their feet.

Another common reason for seniors filing bankruptcy is medical debt. Unpaid medical bills can lead to lawsuits and eventually a judgment that the creditor can enforce by wage garnishment. In California for example, a judgment creditor can take up to 25% of the debtor’s disposable income. How would you survive if you were already struggling as it is and then lose 25% of your available income? Facing unscrupulous debt collectors, seniors worry about their future knowing that they can’t pay their bills. Of course, the debt collectors don’t care; they just want their money and seniors seem to be an easy target for collection harassment.

If you’re a senior who owns your home, your home is likely your biggest and most important asset. Fortunately in California, the law allows you to protect up to $175,000 of the equity in your primary residence. In most cases, this amount is sufficient to keep your home safe. If it’s not enough because you have more than that amount in equity, you should speak with an attorney who can help you explore other options to protect your home from creditors.

A lot of seniors are unaware that their retirement plan is exempt even if they file bankruptcy. Under federal law, most retirement plans including 401K/403b plans and IRA’s cannot be touched. So instead of taking money out of

your retirement plan to pay debts that you cannot afford (and still possibly end up filing bankruptcy later on, anyway), it is better in most cases to file bankruptcy now and leave your retirement money untouched.

If you are reading this article and can relate to what I am saying here, my advice to you is to seek help as soon as possible if you are in serious debt trouble.

Do this before you deplete any retirement money or savings, not after. If you’ve tried your very best to repay your debts but nothing seems to be working, I can help you figure out all your options. If you have parents who are in this situation, I also encourage you to help them get the assistance that they need.

I can do a thorough analysis of your debt situation and give you my best recommendations. Since 1997, I have helped more than 5,000 clients in finding the best solution to their financial problems. Call my office at 1-866-4777772 and request a free consultation. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped more than 5,000 clients in getting out of debt. For a free evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1-866-4777772. They have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia.

(Advertising Supplement)

On mourning the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 7 other victims THE tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people in a helicopter crash shocked us all.

It’s unimaginable, heartbreaking, and utterly depressing. We are all grappling with questions about their demise and often think it’s only a bad dream.

Yes, we can’t believe that Kobe is gone. He was a big part of our lives as we watched him for years play Lakers’ games and adored his skill. He has inspired many young people around the world to work hard in pursuing their dreams and passions. His philanthropic works after his retirement are equally impressive.

His practice of the Catholic faith also makes us Catholics proud. The news confirmed that he and his daughter attended the 7 a.m. Mass and received Communion at Our Lady Queen

The Prophetic Voice reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAs of Angels in Newport Beach the morning of their death.

I’ve heard some sentiments about life in light of this tragedy.

“Life is fragile and short, and so we better take care of the people we love,” some have said. “It can happen to any of us,” others expressed. “There are things in life that we cannot fathom, only God knows,” someone shared.

But Kobe’s death and the hard realities of life should not impede us from pursuing our dreams and living life to the fullest. Let Kobe’s career and life inspire us

to live a righteous life and leave endearing legacies in this world.

Kobe would be the first one to give us this advice. In one of his messages on social media, he shared: “The lesson I cherish the most is how important it is to love what you do. If you love what you do and is making you happy, all the hard work and perseverance will pay off. Your dreams are up to you. I encourage you to always be curious, always seek out the things you love, and always work hard when you find them.”

May Kobe Bryant, Gianna, and others who died rest in peace.

May their loved ones who suffer their loss find strength and consolation in God! May we live life to the fullest! Amen. *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Can a divorcing couple agree to pay for their adult children’s college expenses in their divorce judgment?

DIVORCING couples with children sometimes worry about who is going to pay for their children’s college education after the divorce once their children graduates high school. They want a guarantee that their soon to be ex-spouse will share in the college expenses of their children.

This is specially the case when the other spouse has moved on with a new family. The old family becomes less of a priority.

In California, there is no legal basis for a spouse to request the family court to order the other spouse to pay for their adult children’s college expenses.

However, the divorcing couple can agree to pay for their adult children’s college education as part of a marital settlement agreement. Family Code section 3587; In re Marriage of Rosenfeld and Gross, 225 Cal. App. 4th

Debt Relief

Atty. lAwrence yAnG THE YOUNG: The first set of clients are in their late twenties, the epitome of youth. They have their whole life ahead of time.

They married three years ago.

Right after they got married, they spent all of their money to buy a retail business thinking that the business would flourish and provide their new family with financial security in the future. Their new family is indeed growing as the wife is expecting their first baby early next year.

But their business has turned into a losing money pit. The business was profitable in 2015 and 2016 with some profits, not much, less than $20,000 a year.

But $20,000 a year of profits is still pretty good compared to a loss of even $10,000 a year. The problem with retail business is that once it starts losing money, it’s difficult to turn it around into profit because a retail business is basically stuck where it stands,

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes 478 (2014). Pursuant to statute and court cases, college expense payment provision in a stipulated marital settlement agreement, as incorporated into a Court’s judgment, constitutes adult child support such that court had jurisdiction to modify the provision in light of the settlement’s failure to specifically provide that adult child support was not subject to modification. In re Marriage of Rosenfeld and Gross, 225 Cal. App. 4th at 488 (2014). Providing for payment of adult chil-

dren’s college expenses is recognized more of an “add on” to adult child support. Family Code 4062(b)(1).

However, the parties may “opt out” or restrict the court’s jurisdiction to modify an adult child support order (including college expenses) but the parties must expressly and specifically state in their marital settlement agreement that any resulting adult child support order will not be subject to modification or termination by the Court because the adult child support order is rooted in the parent’s contractual agreement. Cal. Family Code Section 3587, 3651(a).

So if you are concerned about your spouse sharing for the college tuition and expenses of your children after the divorce, you should negotiate a provision in

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Chapter 7 debt relief for a fresh start or once the novelty of the business has passed, you’re looking at a loss every month.

I am reminded of a client who set up a restaurant. The first year did great. Then after that, fewer people came to eat. He then changed it from a sit down to a buffet. It didn’t work either.

So after one and a half years, he closed the business. Here, young clients are not restaurant owners but their retail business runs on almost the same principles as a restaurant. They depend on repeat customers. If these repeatcustomers become less and less, then the business has no future.

Seeing no future anymore for their business, young clients decided to stop operating and close it. Of course, the problem when you close the business is that the landlord will sue you for the rest of the lease payments. They calculated that they would owe the landlord about $100,000 in the lease. And, the landlord has indeed sent them a letter demanding payment for

the rest of the lease. Why can the landlord do this? He can ask for the lease payments for the rest of the lease even if the business stops operating because, by contract, the landlord expects to get a total amount of lease payments from the tenant. For instance, in a five-year contract that terminates after the first month, the landlord can demand payment of 59 months for the rest of the lease contract because he expected 60 months of lease payments from the tenant.

If the lease is $1,000 a month, 59 more months would be $59,000 that the landlord can demand the tenant pays even if the tenant moves out on the first month. It’s the same principle at work when you return a car with a car loan — the creditor can demand the rest of the car payments even if you gave back the car to the creditor. Of course, the creditor can sell the car, but if there is still a shortage, he can demand you pay him the unpaid

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020

Is this Filipino “church” engaging in human labor trafficking?

ON January 29, 2020, the FBI conducted a raid of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Name Above Every Name church in Van Nuys, California. During the raid, the federal authorities arrested three top administrators for the church. The FBI alleged that the church was engaging in immigration fraud and human trafficking. The raid and arrest were covered by several news media in Los Angeles.

According to federal investigators, the church obtained visas for its church members claiming that that they would be performing in musical events in America. But when the members got to the country, their passports were taken away by their church leaders.

They were then forced to work as “volunteers” to raise money for the church.

The “volunteers” were reportedly instructed to go to malls, college campuses, restaurants, and department stores throughout the U.S. to solicit donations for a church non-profit called the Children’s Joy Foundation USA, according to news reports. The donors were told that their money benefitted impoverished Filipino children. But investigators said this was a lie, and that the donations was actually used to finance the church’s expensive projects, such as building a stadium, travel expenses for church leaders to attend conferences, and a special fund sent to the church’s leader as a gift for his birthday.

The “volunteers” spent long hours soliciting money for the church. However, they received little to no pay for their work. Several former workers reported to the investigators that they lived in dirty conditions at some of the church’s compounds throughout the country and they often slept in

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. parked cars when they are doing their fundraising or solicitations.

Workers who raised the most funds were reportedly forced to marry other church members who were U.S. citizens as a way to keep them in the country so they could continue their money-soliciting work.

The government continues to investigate the church’s activities, not just in California, but also in Hawaii and other parts of the country. The church claims in its website that it has six million members in 2,000 cities all over the world.

Human trafficking, also known as modern day slavery, is obtaining labor by the use of force, fraud or coercion in order to subject a person to involuntary servitude or slavery. Human trafficking is a criminal offense.

However, the laws also allow the victims to obtain compensation for their damages against the traffickers.

In California, trafficking victims are allowed to sue their socalled “employers” for “forced labor,” which means labor or services obtained or maintained through force, fraud, or coercion. Trafficking victims are entitled to: Actual damages, including wages, overtime pay, interest, and penalties; Damages for emotional distress; Treble damages (which means the victim’s actual damages multiplied by three); Punitive damages; Attorneys’ fees Trafficking victims do not have

to be physically restrained (or locked up) by the “employer.”

They may be able to go outside the home of the “employer” but the “employer” still maintains psychological control over them by threats of harm to them or their family, or threats of being arrested by police or of being deported.

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), there is no single profile for trafficking victims – they can be any age, from any economic background, with varied levels of education, and may be documented or undocumented. They can be foreign nationals or American citizens. For as long as they are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to provide labor or services, they are victims of labor trafficking.

Human trafficking preys on immigrant workers, especially women and the undocumented. It violates fundamental civil rights. It is wrong and should have no place in today’s society.

Victims and those willing to help trafficked workers should not hesitate to confidentially consult with an experienced civil rights attorney to stop this modern-day slavery. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost.

You can contact the office at (818) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas in 2018.]

(Advertising Supplement)

Can a divorcing couple agree to pay...

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your marital agreement that both of you will share on the college tuition and expenses of your children. In doing so, you should also think about whether you want this provision to be non-modifiable or not. In the absence of a specific provision limiting adult child support as non-modifiable and non-terminable, the default is that child support is modifiable.

Sometimes, leaving the adult child support provision as modifiable protects the spouses from unforeseen future events such as a disability or retirement which limits the earning capacity of a spouse and ability to comply with

the adult child support provision in the MSA. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. ***

Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto:kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com” kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a

Chapter 7 debt relief for a fresh...

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balance after sale proceeds are received. So if you have a car loan on a brand new Mercedes Benz 300 with a five-year payment of $500 a month, the creditor expects to get a total of $35,000. If you return the car after the first month, he can sell the car, say for $20,000, and you would still owe creditor about $14,000. This happens because you bought it at retail, while creditor sells it after repo at wholesale, which is 50% less than retail.

Aside from $100,000 of lease liability, the young clients also have about $40,000 of credit card debt. With Chapter 7, they get rid of $140,000 of debt at this stage in their young lives! It’s a fresh start without accumulated debt so these young clients can become productive again. Just like Walt Disney who filed for Chapter 7 twice when he was still young and right before he hit the right business of Disneyland, now a multibillion-dollar global company. That business started from a fresh start with two Chapter 7s for Mr. Disney! Maybe my young clients, after they get their fresh start, will become the next Jack Ma in the business of artificial intelligence, the next Steve Jobs, the next Bill Gates or the next Mr. Hershey of Hershey Chocolates, the world’s biggest chocolate business. He also filed for Chapter 7 when he was young to get a fresh start and went on to build his Hershey chocolate business!

THE NOT SO YOUNG: The husband is 60, while the wife is 61. These clients are still young, but when compared to the young clients in their twenties, they are not so young. But physically if you look at them, they look maybe about 50. Don’t forget that the World Health Organization classifies the young as 17 to 65, and middle age starts at 66. Together they owe $50,000

of credit cards. They pay $1,500 minimum to keep the $50,000 current. For the last 10 years, they have paid $150,000 to keep these cards current, but today, they still owe the very same $50,000.

The husband was self-employed as a contractor and made good money in home remodeling. But at 60, he says he doesn’t feel that strong anymore for the contracting business. This reminds me of the contractor I retained to extend our kitchen 10 years ago. He was just 55. I noticed a bump on his forehead.

sion of $1,000 a month.

It’s definitely time to get rid of the $50,000 credit card debt with Chapter 7 for a fresh start at 60. With so much credit card debt, the client may not be able to drive safely for Uber as he keeps on thinking about how to pay the $1,500 a month to keep the $50,000 credit cards current.

With Chapter 7, no more $50K credit card debt!

THE NOT SO OLD: The client is 69. He owes only $10,000 of credit cards. He has a pension of $2,500 a month. His rent is $600/mo. He asks me if it’s worth doing a Chapter 7 to get rid of $10,000 of credit cards. I told him it sure is. He needs $300-$400 minimum to keep the $10,000 current every month. That’s at least $4,000 a year spent to keep $10,000 current. In two years, he would have spent $8,000 to keep $10,000 current, and still owe the same $10,000.

Certainly, get rid of the $10,000 now with Chapter 7, and just save the $4,000 yearly. At 79, his credit is perfect again and there is no record of his bankruptcy anymore.

So if you are young, not so young or not so old, or even if you are old, come see me for debt relief if the accumulated debt is making you miserable and weighing you down. So, stop being a slave to debt and get your freedom now!

If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation, and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.

“ Right after they got married, they spent all of their money to buy a retail business thinking that the business would flourish and provide their new family with financial security in the future.”

He said that he had skin cancer and was going through chemotherapy. I suggested for him to wear a hat because he was so fair that he had no pigmentation at all. If you are this fair, you better wear long sleeves and a hat when you go out in the sun because skin pigmentation protects you from the rays of the sun, too much of which can cause skin cancer! Anyway, he went to the City of Hope and I thought everything was cool. Then I found out that his cancer had spread to his lymphatic system and other organs. He died at 56, leaving behind a son who was only 10.

His wife was a homemaker and his daughter was a nurse. His daughter had just married a good guy just before he died.

The client says he’s now driving Uber and makes about $2,500 a month net, while the wife just retired and will be getting a pen-

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Can I get a green card if I had previous marriage petition denied based on fraud?

DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband. He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf. The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition could not be approved since the USCIS had determined that I previously entered into a fraudulent marriage to get a green card several years ago. My ex-husband previously filed an immigrant petition on my behalf several years ago, which was denied since USCIS determined that I only married him to get a green card. My second husband and I truly love each other. What are my options? -- In Love but Out of Status Dear In Love but Out of Status, Under INA Section 204(c), a person who “attempted or conspired to enter into a marriage” in order to receive permanent resident status in the US is prohibited from obtaining USCIS approval of an immigrant visa petition. Simply stated, Section 204(c) prohibits approval of any immigrant visa petition if there has been a finding of “marriage fraud” in a prior marriage-based petition.

Based on the above law, your case seems at first glance like an “open-and-shut” case in favor of denial. However, you still have hope of getting a green card—a person can ap-

Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn ply for and get his immigrant petition approved despite the prior finding of “marriage fraud” under certain circumstances.

You may ask, how is this possible? Isn’t Section 204(c) straightforward? Not quite. The answer lies in the fact that USCIS must independently examine the prior finding of “marriage fraud” in considering the subsequently filed immigrant visa petition.

Before invoking the Sec. 204(c) bar to approval of a subsequent visa petition, USCIS must make an independent determination of fraud based upon the record, including but not limited to any evidence gathered during adjudication of the prior visa petition, but may not parrot or rely on the conclusions made by other adjudicators. USCIS must have “substantial and probative” evidence of “marriage fraud.” Matter of Tawfik, 20 I. & N. Dec. 166, 168.

The determination is to be made by the USCIS district director while adjudicating the subsequent visa petition. Matter of Samsen, 15 I. & N. Dec. 28, 1974 WL 29995 (B.I.A. 1974).

The district director should not give conclusive effect to the determinations made in the prior proceedings, but should reach his own independent conclusion

based on the evidence actually before him. Matter of F-, 9 I. & N. Dec. 684 (BIA 1962).

Therefore, in cases such as yours in which the USCIS has indicated it intends to deny the subsequent immigrant visa petition due to the prior finding of “marriage fraud,” new evidence can be submitted that demonstrates that the prior finding of “marriage fraud” was incorrect—i.e., evidence that shows that the prior marriage petition was based on a bona fide marriage, or that explains that the prior denial was based on an incomplete or inaccurate assessment of the facts. In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider. I recommend that you seek an experienced attorney to assist you in properly presenting the law and facts to the USCIS adjudicator to address the Section 204(c) bar. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

The new H1B cap registration...

PAGE C2 t registrations. If more than a sufficient number of registrations are received, USCIS will randomly select the number of registrations projected as needed to reach the FY 2021 H1B numerical allocations after the registration period closes. H1B employers with selected registrations will be eligible to file FY 2021 H1B cap-subject petition only for the alien named in the registration and within the filing period indicated on the eligibility notice. Per the registration regulations, USCIS must give the employer at least 90 days within

which to file its petition.

According to the USCIS, by streamlining the H1B cap selection process with the new electronic registration system, it is creating cost savings and efficiencies for petitioner employers and USCIS, as only those selected will be required to submit a full H1B petition. *** ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is the principal of SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C. She has been a member of the State Bar of California for over 15 years and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for over 20 years. Atty.

Samson received her Legal Manage-

ment degree from the Ateneo de Manila University and her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo Law School. She was a Professor for over 10 years, teaching Obligations and Contracts, Labor Laws and Social Legislation and Taxation Law. Atty Samson is the author of The Law on Obligations and Contracts (2016), Working with Labor Laws-Revised Edition (2014) and Working with Labor Laws (2005).

SAMSON LAW FIRM, P.C., 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010; Phone: (213) 381-5710; Email: info@samsonlawfirmpc.com” info@samsonlawfirmpc.com.

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C4 FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Franchise Trade Mission presents...

PAGE C1 t The Philippines’ revenues are $27.6 billion in remittances, projected to be $36 billion in the coming years. Samson encouraged U.S.-based Filipinos to invest instead of giving dole-outs to give loved ones back home the dignity of earning a living and the pride of earning their own keep.

She stated that Filipinos are the best workers and employees, with a culture espoused in “safe” employment. It is time that Filipinos start investing their hardearned money into a business that they own, instead of enriching an employer further, she emphasized.

Samson shared that there are at least one thousand successful small and micro businesses in the Philippines, as evidenced in the Philippine Franchising Expo held at SMX Convention Center last year.

For an investment as little as $5,000-$10,000, for example, you may start up a gasoline station, generic pharmacy, supermarket, among others. Food businesses

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People and Events

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles announces nationwide search for new CEO ASIAN Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA) has launched a nationwide search for a new Chief Executive Officer.

The search is a first for the organization, which was previously led by civil rights leader and attorney Stewart Kwoh.

Kwoh founded the organization in 1983 and built it into a leadare the most popular, and 64% and Malacanang, a Trade Exhib- ing voice for Asian Americans in of brands and stores at the Expo it, B2B Meetings, Seminars and the U.S. “We look forward to welcomWorkshops. were 64% homegrown. ing a new CEO to lead Advancing Delegates can be U.S.-based FAFTM Delegates will learn about the franchises’ operations, on Philippine-based, with the Justice-LA in the fight for a more speak to franchisees, explore delegate responsible for their equitable and just future for our B2B matching, loans and funding own travel depending on their during the March 23-29 Trade place of origin. More information Mission. The schedule includes is available on www.faftm.com, a tour of Clark Freeport Devel- by texting “faftm” to 90407 or opment Project, Manila City Hall call +1 (310) 742-4327. ■

Calendar of Events across

America

communities,” said Nita Song, chair of the Advancing JusticeLA Board of Directors. “For the past 36 years under Stewart’s leadership we’ve become the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. We’re looking for a dynamic leader and visionary who can build on this legacy of impact and progress.”

In 2019, Stewart Kwoh announced the transition from his role as President and Executive Director of Advancing JusticeLA due to health and personal

reasons. He will continue to hold the title of Founder, working with the organization on development and coalition-building.

Koya Leadership Partners, a leading executive search and strategic advising firm exclusively dedicated to missiondriven executive recruitment, is spearheading the CEO search in conjunction with the Advancing Justice-LA Board of Directors and staff. Interested candidates can contact Koya Leadership Partners Managing Director Michelle R.S. Bonoan at mbonoan@ koyapartners.com. ■

More Than Pink Walk™: 23rd annual Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County event

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 F E B R UA RY 1

2020 Filipino Policy Symposium in Hayward, CA The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies and LEAD Filipino are inviting all interested nonprofit, grassroots, and student organizations to the 2020 Filipino Policy Symposium on Saturday, February 1. It will be held at Cal State University East Bay in Hayward, CA. Breakfast and registration begin at 9 a.m. with the conference from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join as Filipino organizations from across California come together to discuss issues affecting the community and determine which legislative bills/public policies to push during the upcoming 2020 Fil Advocacy Day in Sacramento. Tickets ($25 for General Admission and $15 for Student) can be purchased on Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/FilSymposium2020.

F E B R UA RY 3

Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of SouthBay Los Angeles Area monthly membership meeting in Torrance Business owners, professionals and community leaders are invited to attend the upcoming Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of SouthBay Los Angeles Area (FACC-SLAA) monthly general membership networking meeting on Monday, February 3. It will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Bluestem Hotel Torrance-Los Angeles, Ascend Hotel Collection (2448 Sepulveda Blvd, Torrance, CA 90501). Part of the agenda will be to sign up and renew memberships, as well as to discuss the various events and activities FACC-SLAA has lined up for the rest of the year. For more information, please email facc.slaa@gmail.com.

F E B R UA RY 1 4

Live jazz and dance Event in Los Angeles Amintuh Productions invites everyone to the show, “A Valentine’s Night of Hearts Fusion with Debbie Torres” on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. at Embassy Suites Los Angeles (800 N. Central Ave., Glendale, CA 91203). Tickets start at $45(Show only), an optional Dinner Ticket is also available for those who want a complete Valentine’s date package or simply enjoy having a delicious dinner with their family and friends! A cash bar and dance floor will also be available for your enjoyment. Dinner guests will be served at 7:30 p.m. with the main event beginning at 9:00 p.m., followed by dancing into the end of the evening. Feel the love in the air on Valentine’s Day through the energy of jazz composition and improvisation from an eclectic ensemble of instruments, from Piano to Saxophone. Tickets are available at www.amintuh.com, select “Shows” and you’ll be directed to an Eventbrite ticketing page. Sponsorships available, if interested, please contact us at amintuhpro@yahoo.com.

SUSAN G. Komen Los Angeles County will hold its 23rd annual event at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, February 29, its MORE THAN PINK Walk™.

Known for raising significant monies to help those with breast health issues in Los Angeles County, the affiliate does so with many activities, the Expo, Hope Village, for survivors and those living with breast cancer, Reflection Tent, and Team Zone in addition to the fun MORE THAN PINK Walk™ itself. There’s something everyone will enjoy.

Sponsored by AutoNation, Spiritual Gangster, The Citadel and CBS-2/KCAL-9, 2020’s event is expected to significantly surpass 2019’s attendance of 6,000, nearly 400 survivors in attendance, and over 900 members on the largest corporate team.

“We are proud to be advocating for the breast health needs of LA County families, but we have a long way to go before we end this cancer entirely because it is not just one disease. One in eight women and some men will have

this devastating disease during their lifetime. Breast cancer kills one person every 60 seconds.

Please join us and support this event through participation and fundraising so we can continue to provide no-cost services to those most in need,” explained Mark K. Pilon. executive director of Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County.

“Our attendees gather together to celebrate their lives, to support one another. To encourage even more attendance this year, we’ve reduced the registration fee to $15 for the rest of 2019. On January 1, 2020, it will increase to $30,” Pilon concluded.

Check-in and on-site registration opens by 7:30 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. The walk begins at 8:45 a.m. then from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. is the post-walk celebration where guests can enjoy music, snacks and activities. Through events like the Los Angeles County MORE THAN PINK Walk™, Komen Los Angeles County invests 75% of the funds raised to support vital local breast health services and

dedicates the remaining 25% to national research to find the cures. To participate, call (310) 575-3011 or visit komenlacounty. org/walk.

Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Komen has set a Bold Goal to reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50 percent in the U.S. by 2026. Komen was founded in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life.

Komen Los Angeles County is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local community. Through events like the Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk™, Komen Los Angeles County has invested $10,535,590 in community breast health programs in Los Angeles County and has helped contribute to more than $920 million invested globally in research. ■

AAPA mentorship program begins in March

F E B R UA RY 1 5

Live Filipino Music at Hard Rock Cafe in Boston, MA An evening of live music at the Hard Rock Cafe - Boston with talented Filipino American bands and performers, including Arianne Aldecoa, Balut Proof, Highland Ave Band, Jireh Calo and John dela Cruise. Bring your special someone, your besties or your family on this Valentine’s Day weekend. For tickets/info, call Rowena (617) 407-0232 or Ning (508) 843-0346.

F E B R UA RY 29

23rd annual Susan G. Komen ‘More than Pink Walk’ in Los Angeles Susan G. Komen Los Angeles County will hold its 23rd annual event at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, February 29, the ‘MORE THAN PINK Walk™.’ Known for raising significant monies to help those with breast health issues in Los Angeles County, the affiliate does so with many activities, the Expo, Hope Village, for survivors and those living with breast cancer, Reflection Tent, and Team Zone in addition to the fun MORE THAN PINK Walk™ itself. There’s something everyone will enjoy. Sponsored by AutoNation, Spiritual Gangster, The Citadel and CBS-2/KCAL-9, 2020’s event is expected to significantly surpass 2019’s attendance of 6,000, nearly 400 survivors in attendance, and over 900 members on the largest corporate team.Through events like the Los Angeles County MORE THAN PINK Walk™, Komen Los Angeles County invests 75% of the funds raised to support vital local breast health services and dedicates the remaining 25% to national research to find the cures. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. To participate, call 310.575.3011 or visit komenlacounty.org/walk.

MARCH 10

Glenn Miller Orchestra to perform in Stevenson Ranch, CA The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will swing into the Santa Clarita Valley for a special one-night-only event to be held at West Ranch High School on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 p.m. The most sought-after big band in the world will take the stage with Bandleader Nick Hilscher at the helm, performing beloved hits from their extensive library which includes In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade and Pennsylvania 6-5000. Hosted by West Ranch High School’s music program, the concert will be an event for all ages and offers the chance to experience history, enjoy the magical melodies and walk away knowing you’re supporting a new generation of talented musicians in the process. The most popular and sought after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements. With its unique jazz sound, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world. The performance will be held at West Ranch High School Theater (26255 Valencia Blvd. Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381). Ticket prices are $25 – Seniors/Students/Military; $30 – General; or $40 – Premium Seating. Prices increase by $5 at the door the day of the event. Tickets available online at westranchmusic.com or by calling (661) 222-1220 ext. 645.

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

THE Asian American Pacific Association (AAPA)’s mentorship program is currently accepting early applications. Take advantage of the early registration special of $250 through Friday, February 14th.

The AAPA mentorship program provides professionals with a one-year mentorship and leadership training program. Participants attend speaker sessions, workshops, and executive forums that teach critical management skills while working one-on-one with a mentor to reach specific career goals. The program is open to professionals from diverse ethnic backgrounds who seek career advancement. The program will begin in March 2020.

Benefits: • Elevate your employees’ leadership skills that are critical to career growth and success.

• Improve employee productivity and retention.

• Strengthen the leadership pipeline with diverse leaders.

• Deepen employee connections with like-minded profession-

als and executives.

Mark your calendars! AAPA will have its Orientation Session on Saturday, March 13, 2020. More details to follow.

Since 1999, AAPA has continually provided some of the most effective and comprehensive leadership development programs in South-

ern California. More than 77% of mentees received promotions after graduating from the Mentorship program and more than 82% indicated AAPA was instrumental to their promotion. Since its inception, AAPA has served over 1,100 mentees and 2,500 community members. ■

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020

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C FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 D1

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MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

&

No visas for ‘offspring’

Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: Years ago, I was petitioned by my U.S. citizen parent in the F-3 category (married child of U.S. citizen). The priority date on my petition is now current, and I am being processed for my immigrant visa at the U.S. Embassy, along with my spouse and our 19-yearold daughter.

I know the F-3 petition includes not only me, but also my spouse and my minor child. The problem is that my 19-year-old daughter had a baby. We want to also bring the baby with us to the U.S., but we were told my grandchild cannot get a visa. We just can’t leave this infant in the Philippines. Is there a way by which my daughter can bring her baby with us to the U.S.?

Very truly yours, A.G. Dear A.G.: U.S. immigration laws set forth those family members included under the various family petitions.

Congress has decided, in making these laws, to draw a line on which family members can be included, or how far down the “family tree” a petition will go. The law allows only the following family members to be included under a petition: 1. Primary Beneficiary: This is the person who was directly petitioned by the Petitioner (or is

named as the Beneficiary in that petition). In your case, you are the primary beneficiary.

2. Derivative Beneficiaries: Derivative beneficiaries include the spouse and unmarried children (under 21 years of age) of a Primary Beneficiary. In your case, your spouse and minor child would be derivative beneficiaries. (Note: derivative beneficiaries are not included or allowed in “immediate relative” petitions of U.S. citizens.

Only one person is allowed per petition.)

Children of derivatives, called “Offspring,” are NOT eligible for immigrant visas. This would include any babies of Derivative Children (or grandchildren of the Primary Beneficiary). In your case, your daughter’s baby would be considered an “offspring,” and is therefore not eligible for an immigrant visa, even though only an infant.

I know Consuls have to sometimes face the heart-wrenching experience of telling families that infant offspring are not eligible for visas. But the Consuls are simply following the law. If Consuls issued visas to offspring, they would be breaking the law. So, it is not the Consul’s decision (or fault) that offspring have to be left behind; it is simply what the law provides.

In your case, your daughter faces a choice of either staying behind in the Philippines with her child, or coming to the U.S., getting her green card, and then petitioning her baby in the F-2A category. Although the backlog for petitions of minor children of immigrant parents is about 2 years, at least after

that, your entire family (including the baby) will eventually get to the U.S. In addition, if your daughter really wants to be with her baby, she can come to the U.S., obtain her green card, and then apply for a re-entry permit, allowing her to stay outside the U.S. for about 2 years with her baby, without being considered to have “abandoned” her green card.

If your family has issues or questions about who can be included under a petition, you should seek the advice of an attorney, even for derivative beneficiaries who have aged out, as they may still be eligible under the Child Status Protection Act. *** 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 (Advertising Supplement)

Business Quote of the Week “There are different ways to do innovation. You can plant a lot of seeds, not be committed to any particular one of them, but just see what grows. And this really isn’t how we’ve approached this. We go mission-first, then focus on the pieces we need and go deep on them and be committed to them.”

— Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and co-founder of Facebook

Remittances support 12% of Philippine households

Philstar.com file photo

by CZERIZA

VALENCIA Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) have been supporting around 12% of Filipino households especially those in the top income brackets, according to the latest National Migration Survey (NMS).

The 2018 NMS conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) found that this percent-

age of Filipino households had at least one member who was or had been an OFW. Of these households, a fourth belongs to the highest wealth quintile, a tenth belongs to the middle wealth quintile and 4.3% belongs to the lowest wealth quintile.

Among households receiving or have received remittances from OFWs, most are in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Cagayan Valley, and the Ilocos Region.

Regions with the lowest percentages of households with current or former OFWs are Caraga, Mimaropa and Central Luzon.

As around 2.3 million Filipinos migrate overseas for better jobs, around 13% of 100.9 million Filipinos have been migrating internally in the past five years from less prosperous regions or cities in the country to regions where there are better economic opportunities.

PAGE D2

Lacson warns vs ill effects of US travel ban on economy, security after Duterte barred his Cabinet from traveling to the U.S. Lacson noted that the PhilMANILA, Philippines — Presi- ippines is exporting at least dent Rodrigo Duterte’s order to U.S.$10-billion worth of goods his Cabinet not go to the United annually to the U.S., which acStates may have “adverse” im- counts for at least 52% of the topact not only on the country’s tal U.S. military financing and aid economy and security, but also to the entire Asia-Pacific region.

“Considering these numbers, to Filipinos working there, Senator Panfilo Lacson warned on an indefinite travel ban now imposed on all members of the Thursday, January 30.

Senator Panfilo Lacson is- Cabinet could have adverse PAGE D2 Senator Panfilo Lacson Inquirer.net file photo sued this warning on Thursday

by MAILA

AGER Inquirer.net

D FEBRUARY 1-4, 2020 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Coronavirus threatens tourism DTI to put up 19 Negosyo Centers in emerging Asia – think tank

by Czeriza

ValenCia Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The rising number of cases of coronavirus poses a threat to tourism in emerging Asian economies as Chinese tourist constitute a sizable portion of tourist arrivals in several countries, said Londonbased Capital Economics.

“If the outbreak continues to spread, one of main channels through which the regions will be affected is though a decline in tourist arrivals from China,” Capital Economics said.

“The number of Chinese traveling abroad has increased nearly 10-fold since the SARS outbreak in 2003 and spending by Chinese visitors now accounts for sizable share if some of countries’ GDP, most notably Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore,” it said.

In the Philippines, China was the fastest-growing market from January to November 2019, with arrivals reaching 1.6 million out of the 7.4 million arrivals during the period, growing by 40.2 percent year-on-year.

Capital Economics said that during the SARS outbreak in 2003, the number of Chinese tourists fell by around a third.

“Overall though, lessons from past epidemics show that while

When completed, the province would have Negosyo Centers in all its 19 municipalities and 13 cities, the DTI said. by louella

desiderio Philstar.com

Philstar file photo

the initial hit to the economy can be severe, growth tends to bounce back quickly after the virus is contained,” the firm said.

Equity markets in the region have also been hit hard, with the Chinese stock market faring worst.

Capital Economics noted though that because Asian households

don’t hold much of their wealth in shares, swings in equity prices do no not have much impact on household spending and saving patterns.

The Philippines has suspended flights from Wuhan, China, the origin of the new coronavirus and will be deporting travelers from the city. n

Makati seeks to become Philippines’ first smart city by iris

Gonzales Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The city of Makati is laying the groundwork to become the country’s first smart city by harnessing technology to maintain its competitive edge as the country’s undisputed financial center.

Makati is partnering with the private sector through various initiatives such as utilizing technology to improve public service and governance, Makati City Mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay said in a speech before the non-government Foundation for Economic Freedom.

“I believe technology is an indispensable tool for governance at all levels, as it is to manage-

ment in the private sector. To ignore the infinite possibilities technology offers is to risk being outpaced by competitors. Worse, we could lose the chance to deliver the highest quality of service that our citizens and taxpayers deserve,” she said.

Under Binay’s leadership, Makati has embraced technology to become a digital city.

“Our ultimate goal: Make Makati the country’s first smart city. I envision a city where citizens and other stakeholders can reap optimum benefits from modern technology, including the ability to be self-reliant and resilient in times of disaster,” Binay said.

She said such ambitious goal requires huge capital that could

eat a large chunk from resources devoted to social programs and services. Thus, Makati adopted the PPP or public private partnership approach as the linchpin to propel its infrastructure development program.

The city’s first PPP venture in information technology started in 2017 through an unsolicited proposal from Globe Telecom which offered to supply about 500,000 Makatizen Cards at no cost to the city.

The all-in-one ID or universal card system consolidates all health and social benefits for residents and city hall employees. It can also be used to pay bills, purchase items, draw salaries and stipends, and send or receive money, among others. n

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is setting up 19 Negosyo Centers in the provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental this year to reach more micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In a statement, the DTI said 10 Negosyo Centers would be established in Negros Occidental, particularly in the municipalities of Calatrava, Candoni, Ilog, Manapla, Moises Padilla (Magallon), Murcia, Pulupandan, Salvador Benedicto, Toboso and Valladolid.

When completed, the province would have Negosyo Centers in all its 19 municipalities and 13

cities, the DTI said.

Meanwhile, the DTI will put up nine Negosyo Centers in the municipalities of Balasan, Alimodian, Badiangan, Duenas, Dumangas, Igbaras, Janiuay, New Lucena and San Dionisio in Iloilo.

The new facilities will bring the total number of Negosyo Centers in Iloilo to 37 by yearend.

Other provinces in Western Visayas such as Guimaras, Aklan, Antique and Capiz have earlier completed Negosyo Centers in all their respective municipalities.

When all the Negosyo Centers are put up, the region would have a total of 147 by yearend.

Negosyo Centers are being established in line with Repub-

Philstar.com file photo

lic Act 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act, which seeks to promote the development of MSMEs. Through these facilities, MSMEs can avail of services in the processing of business requirements like obtaining registration, business license, as well as getting technical, financial, and business management assistance.

As of the end of November last year, the country’s 1,110 Negosyo Centers assisted 217,213 clients.

DTI is pushing for the development of MSMEs, which serves as the backbone of the economy.

The sector accounts for bulk of all registered businesses, and about two-thirds of employment in the country. n

PH cannot ignore coco water world market

by Conrad

M. CariÑo ManilaTimes.net

The Philippines must take notice of the growing world market for coconut water since exporting more of the beverage can help increase the incomes of small coconut farmers.

Gigi Calica, a senior science research specialist from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) said that people getting more health conscious is driving the worldwide demand for natural health products like coconut water.

“There is an international demand for coconut water as more people are getting health conscious. Drinking coconut water benefits our health by strengthening our body, reducing fatigue, and taking care of our normal heart function,” Calica said.

She headed the project “Pilot Testing of Coconut Water Processing Enterprise in Selected Areas of the Philippines” to establish a holistic picture of the requirements for the successful adoption of the technology to extract, process and package coconut water.

The project was led by PHilMech and conducted from 2017 to 2019.

It aims to determine the technical, financial, operational and management requirements needed to establish and operate a villagelevel coconut water processing system developed by PHilMech as an integrated component of the traditional copra and virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing system.

The project was funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research through its National Technology Commercialization Program.

The Philippines is the second largest producer of coconut in the world, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

“We aim to process the unutilized coconut water into 100-percent pure, without any additives and preservatives, nutritious, and

ManilaTimes.net file photo

safe bottled coconut water with the ultimate goal to help and empower the small coconut Filipino farmers and increase their income,” said technology generator Ofero Capariño, chief of the Bioprocessing Engineering Division of PHilMech.

When coconuts mature, their meat is used to create products like copra, desiccated coconut, VCO, coconut flour, among others.

However, during the processing of those products, huge volumes of coconut water or 2.4 billion liters per year are not utilized or thrown away. Coconut water taken from mature coconuts has more nutritional value compared to coconut water extracted from young coconuts.

One problem that needed to be addressed with coco water is its shelf life. According to Capariño, once newly extracted coco water is exposed to air, its quality quickly degrades. Most coco water would not survive 24 hours as it can ferment in a matter of hours. Under chilled conditions, however, it can last up to three days.

Capariño’s goal is to prolong the shelf life of coco water without using any preservatives or additives that will keep it 100-percent natural.

To address this problem, Capariño’s team designed and developed a village level coconut water processing system that aims to provide Filipino coconut farmers with a new income generating opportunity by processing unutilized coconut water. The system aims to process coco water taken from mature coconut pasteurization, which eliminates diseases causing microorganisms and inactivates spoiling agents that would usually affect the shelf life of the product.

As part of PHilMech’s project, a village-level coconut water processing technology incubation facility was established at the Department of Agriculture-Regional 5 (Bicol Region) office in Pili, Camarines Sur, with support from the World Bank through the Philippine Rural Development Project. This project was intended to showcase to potential investors of processing coco water. n

Lacson warns vs ill effects of US...

PAGE D1 t consequences on our country’s economy and security, not to mention the many employed Filipino immigrants in that country, especially if the U.S. responds and retaliates to the recent tirades of President Duterte,” he said in a text message.

“I hope some of the Cabinet members will have the courage and sensibility to speak to him to reconsider,” Lacson added.

Duterte’s order to bar the Cabinet from going to the U.S. followed his threat to terminate

the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries.

All these were triggered by the U.S.’ cancelation of visa of Duterte’s close ally, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who was chief implementor of the government’s brutal war on drugs when he was the police chief.

“It’s a sign of his (Duterte) displeasure,” Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in a separate text message when asked about the travel ban on the Cabinet’s US travels.

For his part, Dela Rosa not-

ed that when Cabinet officials joined this government, they were expected to “sink or swim” with it.

“If they are not ready to sink, then they have an option to quit swimming with this government,” he said in another text message.

Opposition Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, meanwhile, criticized the travel ban, saying the government should have barred instead the entry of Chinese nationals from areas infected with coronavirus. n

Remittances support 12% of Philippine...

PAGE D1 t Some of these internal migrants are lifetime migrants or those residing in a place different from the usual residence of their parents.

The NMS also showed that most lifetime migrants settle in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Davao Region and Central Visayas.

These internal migrations were found to be significant sources of remittances as well.

The NMS survey found that 48% of the population aged 15 and over responded that they have been receiving remittances from local sources. Four percent, meanwhile, reported receiving remittances from both sources.

PSA said this indicates that “domestic remittances are just as important as international remittances.”

By age group, senior citizens—those in the age group of 60 and over—were the top

recipients of remittances while those in the age groups 30 up to 39 and those aged 40 up to 49 were the strongest senders of remittances.

Money transfer operators was the predominant mode for transferring remittances both domestically (90%) and internationally, followed by remittances through banks.

Transfers through families and friends, meanwhile “were not so common.” n

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Coffee warriors fight to save weakened ‘barako’ from bitter end

by Karl

r. OcampO Inquirer.net

THE production of the famous Filipino coffee variant known as “kapeng barako” is under threat following the eruption of Taal Volcano that destroyed hectares of farms in Cavite and Batangas provinces.

The ash belched by the volcano has damaged about 3,563 metric tons of coffee, or 71% of the industry’s estimated production in the region, according to the Department of Agriculture.

In a press conference by the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) on Wednesday, January 29 board member Rene Tongson said losses to the coffee industry may reach P2 billion over the next two years considering the potential revenues from the processing of coffee beans.

Alejandro Mojica, another board member, said it could take two years for farmers to recover given the nature of growing the cash crop.

“The new leaves would take two years before it bears fruit,” he said. “The harvest this year and the next are already gone. There were some trees in Alfonso and Indang [in Cavite] that survived but there would be a significant decrease [in production].”

While the country has been importing the majority of its coffee supply, 95 percent of the barako variant is grown in the provinces of Cavite and Batangas due to its topography and climate.

Three other countries—Malaysia, Ethiopia and Vietnam—produce the same variant but Commune coffee shop owner Rosario Juan said the taste profile of the local liberica is still different. It has a taste similar to jackfruit, she said.

“It’s a heritage variety for the Philippines. It’s something really Filipino. I believe that we have to keep it going not just to save barako but we have to save our farmers. They have to survive as well,” PCBI board member Manny Torejon said.

The official added the setback has discouraged some coffee planters to switch to planting other crops—a disheartening but understandable decision on the part of local growers who have suffered huge losses.

As such, the organization is looking to take a third of the remaining coffee production in the region over the next few years to assure the continuous availability of the kapeng barako. Plans are underway to diversify its production areas to other provinces with similar land and weather conditions such as Bohol and Palawan.

PCBI said consumers should expect a slight uptick in the prices of local coffee in general, but also implored the help of Filipinos to support local agricultural products.

“Farmers may be encouraged to go back to farming if prices spike a little bit. This is a crisis but also a unique opportunity for our farmers,” board member Guillermo Luz said. n

SM Supermalls names new chief

by TyrOn Jasper

c. piad

ManilaTimes.net

SHOPPING Center Management Corp. (SCMC), SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s subsidiary managing SM Supermalls, appointed Steven Tan as its new president.

The Sy-led conglomerate made the announcement via a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, January 28.

“His new position underscores the rapid and dynamic changes in the Filipino consumers behavior. Mr. Tan’s focus on building meaningful shopping experiences consistently through his career prepares him for this next phase,” SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim said.

Prior to his promotion, Tan was the chief operating officer of SCMC. He was also the head of operations for SM Supermalls in China and in the Philippines.

The new SM Supermalls chief also led the launch of SM Mall of Asia in 2006 and SM Aura Premier in 2013.

Tan completed his master’s degree in business administration from the Paris School of Manage-

Steven Tan as newly appointed president for SM Supermalls

ment.

He started his career working in various hotel properties in Taipei, and Shanghai before venturing into marketing and communications.

SM Prime’s income in the first nine months in 2019 rose by 18 percent to P27.6 billion from P23.44 billion a year ago due to

ManilaTimes.net file photo

robust mall and residential segments.

Mall revenues inched up by 8%to P42.03 billion while residential revenues climbed by 26% to P31.92 billion as of end-September last year.

SM Prime shares dropped by 3.05% or P1.25 to end at P39.75 apiece on Tuesday, January 28. n

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Calabarzon, NCR top destinations of Filipino migrants — PSA

In a report released earlier this week, the PSA said Metro Manila and Calabarzon — which is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon — are the most preferred destinations of Filipino “lifetime migrants�.

Philstar.com file photo by KJ Rosales by ian

nicoLas cigaraL Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region and Calabarzon Region are the top-ofmind choices for Filipinos who want to migrate to other regions and live there for good, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

In a report released earlier this week, the PSA said Metro Manila and Calabarzon — which is composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon — are the most preferred destinations of Filipino “lifetime migrants.�

The PSA defines lifetime migrants as those who are now residing in a place different from the usual residence of their mother at the time of their birth.

According to the country’s statistics agency, about four in ten Filipinos are lifetime migrants. “The change in residence most commonly involved movement from one region to another (23%), followed by movement from one city/municipality to another within the same province (12%),� the PSA explained. “In contrast to lifetime migration, only 15% of Filipinos migrated in the past five years,

of which 13% moved within the country (internal migrants), while 2% moved to/from another country (international migrants),� it added.

According to the PSA, NCR and Calabarzon remained the most common destination regions for inter-regional migration in the past five years, but they also registered the largest number of out-migrants in the same period.

Calabarzon, NCR and Central Visayas were the top local intended destinations of the 14% of Filipinos who intended to move in the next five years. n

PAL cancels Kalibo-China charter flights

by Daxim

L. Lucas

Inquirer.net

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines has decided to cancel chartered flights between Kalibo and several cities in China, but will keep its regularly scheduled flights to and from the mainland with enhanced protective measures in place.

In a statement, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the airline’s chartered flights between Kalibo and Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai will be suspended, in part due to the drop in demand from travelers. “Our flights between Manila and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi-

amen, Jinjiang, Hong Kong and Macau remain operational with protective measures in place,� she said.

Villaluna said the cancelled flights “are our China chartered flights.� “Charterers have requested cancellations in the wake of concerns on corona virus,� she said.

Passengers with tickets for travel between Jan. 24 to Feb. 29, 2020 may rebook their flights to another date until June 2020. Refund and rerouting were also offered as options with service fees waived.

Villaluna added that all members of PAL’s cabin crew wear protective masks onboard and

passengers who request masks are provided with them.

Cabins are sprayed with disinfectant and announcements were being made inflight to inform passengers that they would be scanned for fever by the Bureau of Quarantine “at point of arrival.�

Starting last Jan. 27, PAL had stopped operating inbound Kalibo flights. But all outbound flights from Kalibo had been operated this week to allow Chinese tourists to return to their homeland. “The last outbound Kalibo flight left at 5:10 p.m. for Hangzhou,�

Villaluna said. “So starting next week, no flights in and out of Kalibo.� n

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