020718 - Los Angeles Midweek Edition

February 7-9, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 12 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

USA

DATELINE No deal yet on DACA as another gov’t shutdown looms FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Trump not expected to extend deadline for DACA, chief of staff says

WITH the impending threat of another government shutdown comes another impasse in the ongoing immigration debate.

Congress has until Thursday, February 8 to put together a short-term spending package. Time is running out and very little has been done to finalize a solution for recipients of DACA, the Obama-era program that granted a host of benefits to undocumented youth.

Poised to pass a fifth stop-gap funding

u PAGE A4

SC upholds yearlong martial law extension in Mindanao

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE Philippine Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, February 6, has affirmed the constitutionality of President Rodrigo Duterte’s yearlong martial law extension in Mindanao.

Ten magistrates voted to junk the petitions challenging the extension of Proclamation No. 216, which placed Mindanao under martial law and suspended

the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the area.

They were Associate Justices Noel Tijam, Presbitero Velasco Jr.,Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano Del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Samuel Martires, Andres Reyes Jr., and Alexander Gesmundo.

Only five voted in favor of the petitions: Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associ-

ate Justices Marvic Leonen, Justice Francis Jardeleza, and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

“The Court finds sufficient factual basis for the issuance of resolutions of both houses and finds it constitutional,” SC Spokesman Theodore Te said in a press conference. “Accordingly the consolidated petitions are hereby dismissed.”

In December last year, Lawyer Theodore Te, Supreme Court spokesperson, announced on Tuesday, February 6, the Congress granted Duterte’s high court’s ruling that dismissed all three petitions seeking to nullify President Rodrigo

u PAGE A2

Duterte’s proclamation of martial law in Mindanao.

Inquirer.net photo

Duterte rejects EU

Stalled health invite, expects to programs await a be ‘insulted’ there green light on the Hill

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

WITH the clock ticking on the current stopgap bill that funds the federal government through Feb. 8, Congress is steeling itself to consider another must-pass budget bill. And, once again, health care could be caught in the crosshairs.

During previous debates over government funding, it was the high-profile Children’s Health Insurance Program that went months without reauthorization and became a bargaining chip in January. That program has since been extended for six years.

But the future of a host of other programs remains unsettled. Among them, funding for the nation’s 1,400 community health centers and a delay on capping Medicare coverage of physical and outpatient therapy.

The specific provisions behind these initiatives expired last fall. Advocates now are pressing lawmakers to keep them operational by including language in the broader spending bill that must pass next week to prevent

u PAGE A2

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo has turned down an invitation from the European Union (EU) to attend the upcoming 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in October.

Speaking at the 45th anniversary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Tuesday, February 6, Duterte expressed his belief that he would only be insulted at the event.

“Tingin niyo sa akin ganun noon (You used to belittle me). Why change your assessment of my persona? What am I supposed to do there?

Ask me question(s)? Insultuhin ninyo ako (insult me)? E pu**hin ko kayong lahat dun (I will curse at you there),” Duterte remarked.

He went on to say, “Hindi ako gaya ng ibang presidente na pwede mo lang... Bahala kayo diyan (I’m not like

u PAGE A2

116TH BOC ANNIVERSARY. President Rodrigo Duterte, escorted by Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña, is given foyer honors at the BOC Central Office in the Port Area, Manila on Tuesday, February 6. The president witnessed the destruction of 20 smuggled luxury cars amounting to P61.62 million, which included the brands Lexus, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Jaguar and Corvette Stingray during the BOC 116th Founding Anniversary.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Bongbong Marcos signs Analyst warns China will soon control South China Sea document to withdraw

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

all motions from PET

Transparency Initiative director Gregory Poling, China’s conby JULIUS N. LEONEN A UNITED States-based ana- struction of artificial islands is Inquirer.net lyst warned that China will soon an apparent militarization of the effectively control the South Chi- area.

FORMER Sen. Ferdinand na Sea amid the reported contin“I think we kinda see the outuous developments of Beijing’s line already. The island-building “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. anartificial islands in the heavily was hard to miss. You know when nounced on Tuesday, February disputed waters. you’re building islands that are 6, that he had signed a joint manifestation to withdraw all According to Asia Maritime Installations on Johnson South Reef.

Inquirer.net photo u PAGE A4 motions filed with the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to finally pave the way for a ballot recount.

Philippine authority.

by KRISTINE JOY PATAG “I’ve done everything pos“The entry and stay of foreignPhilstar.com sible to speed up this election ers in the country is not a right protest,” Marcos said in a stateMANILA — The Bureau of Im- but a mere privilege,” Morente ment. “At this point, the only migration has turned away 74 stressed. thing left is for Mrs. Robredo “rude, arrogant” foreigners who He added: “They ought to show to sign the document. We wished to enter the country in respect and courtesy to immigraare waiting.”

2017. tion officers upon their arrival in Marcos issued the announceAccording to Immigration chief our ports of entry.” ment after lawyer Romulo MaJaime Morente, the bureau has The policy has been included in calintal, counsel of Vice Presibeen implementing its long-ex- a memorandum dated March 29, dent Leni Robredo, declared isting policy to exclude or disal- 2001, issued by then-Immigration that their camp had accepted low the entry of a foreigner who chief Andrea Domingo.

Marcos’s challenge for them to The Bureau of Immigration has been implementing its long-existing policy to exclude or disallow shows disrespect or makes ofBI spokesperson Maria Ansign a joint manifestation withthe entry of a foreigner who shows disrespect or makes offensive utterances to symbols of fensive utterances to symbols of u PAGE A2 drawing all motions with regard Philippine authority.

Philstar.com photo

BI turns away 74 ‘rude’ foreigners from entering Philippines

www.TravelTradeConsumer.com Asian Journal’s series of annual events showcasing tourism, trade, and business opportunities in the USA and Philippines.

Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signs the joint manifestation withdrawing all his motions filed with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

to Marcos’s electoral protest.

The Robredo camp issued an advisory on the same day announcing that they would wait for Marcos on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Shakey’s Pizza on Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila. ■

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From the Front Page

SC upholds yearlong martial law...

PAGE A1 request to retain the martial law in Mindanao until December 31, 2018 for the “total eradication” of the communist rebels, Islamic State (IS)-inspired groups, and other local and foreign terrorist groups in the area.

The SC has consolidated four petitions challenging the constitutionality of the one-year extension.

The first and second petitions were separately filed by the “Magnificent Seven” of the House of Representatives, led

by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, and by human rights advocates and cause-oriented groups represented by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

The third petition was lodged

by Former Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, while the

fourth was submitted by a group led by former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman and one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution Christian Monsod.

Petitioners argued that there is no factual basis for extending martial law in Mindanao due to the absence of an actual invasion or rebellion, as Marawi City had already been liberated from Maute terrorists last October.

The SC, however, ruled that the president and Congress had sufficient factual basis to extend military rule: “The rebellion that spawned the Marawi incident persists” and “public safety requires the extension, as shown by facts presented by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines).”

‘Grateful’ In a statement, the Depart-

Duterte rejects EU invite...

PAGE A1 other presidents you can belittle. I leave that to you).”

Last month, EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen disclosed that the bloc has sent an invitation for Duterte to attend the ASEM. The EU ambassador hoped that after Duterte’s visit in Europe, he will come back in the Philippines “with a more positive understanding” of the EU. “He’s not been to Europe, and I think he’s actually never been to Europe, and when you think about the importance of the EUPhilippine relationship, it is probably starting to be noticeable that we haven’t had a visit from him,” Jessen then said.

Duterte, who assumed the presidency in 2016, had repeatedly

lashed out at the EU for raising human rights concerns over his controversial campaign against illegal drugs, accusing the bloc of interfering in the Philippines’ domestic affairs.

The EU ambassador further remarked that Duterte could also use the invitation as an opportunity “to develop his understanding of Europe.”

“We are not spending all our time criticizing the Philippines,” Jessen said back in January.

The ASEM is a dialogue forum aiming “to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe.” It set to take place on October 18 and 19 this year at the bloc’s headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

‘Too presumptuous’ In the same speech, Duterte

ment of National Defense (DND) and the AFP welcomed the SC decision.

“The DND-AFP is grateful for the trust and confidence of our public institutions and the support of the Filipino people,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

He also added that the affirmation of martial law extension “will definitely heighten the morale of our Defenders and allow them to better safeguard public safety in Mindanao as well as give Task Force Bangon Marawi the necessary space to undertake the unhampered rehabilitation of Marawi.”

AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo, meanwhile, described the SC decision as a “vote of confidence.” He further reassured the public that the military will “continue to protect our people WRECKED. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday oversaw the destruction of more than P61 million worth of smuggled luxury cars at the Bureau of Customs just days after he promised the demolition of the vehicles illegal brought to the country.

Malacañang photo against all rebel forces.” n also assailed United States lawmakers for saying they would lead protests if he sets foot in Washington.

“Sabi ng dalawang senador doon (According to two senators there), ‘If that Duterte comes here, we will lead a protest.’ You know guys, you are too presumptuous,” the Filipino leader said.

Duterte was referring to Reps.

Randy Hultgren (R-Illinois) and James McGovern (D-Massachusetts), who have blasted the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines in connection with Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“Whoever told you that magpunta ako diyan sa lugar ninyo (that I will go to your place)?

Anong makuha ko diyan (What will I get)? Anong makita ko (What will I see)?” Duterte added. n

PAGE A1 another government shutdown.

Some of the items in this eclectic legislative mix are often left to the last minute to catch a ride on another bill — known as “extenders”

by Washington insiders, because they extend funding that is set to expire or delay funding cuts that would otherwise take effect.

On the surface, these efforts may sound like wonky, insidethe-Beltway machinations, but program advocates say they have real-life implications for many of the nation’s neediest patients. For them, the congressional delay is causing concern. Here are some things you should know: The provisions are important and wide-ranging.

Renewing federal funding for community health centers is the biggest ticket item — the clinics cost $3.6 billion per year, and provide basic health care for about 27 million low-income people. Also at Red Mariñas said: “This is done stake is the Maternal, Infant and to teach these arrogant and dis- Early Childhood Home Visiting courteous foreigners the lesson Program, through which trained that ours is a sovereign country.” home visitors teach poorer, atA foreigner placed under the risk mothers healthy parenting immigration blacklist may appeal strategies to new mothers who for removal to the immigration are deemed at-risk and have low commissioner by citing meritori- incomes. ous reasons and apologizing for Another provision forestalls the misconduct. n planned reductions put in place

BI turns away 74 ‘rude’ foreigners...

PAGE A1 tonette Mangrobang said that the foreigners barred from entering the country were those who “refuse to answer questions propounded to them by the immigration officers and would shout invectives.”

Travelers who also “got drunk in the plane and refuse to go

through immigration formalities” were also turned away by immigration officers, said Mangrobang.

Those deemed by immigration officers as rude foreign passengers may also be placed on the immigration blacklist that will prevent their return to the country.

BI ports operation chief Marc

Stalled health programs await... by the Affordable Care Act — in federal funds given to particularly vulnerable hospitals that serve a particularly high rate of low-income patients, known as Disproportionate Share Hospitals.

And yet another would prevent limits, put in place by earlier budget bills, from being applied to Medicare’s coverage of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology treatment. Without action, coverage would be cut off after $2,010 of occupational therapy is provided and another $2,010 for the combination of physical therapy and speech-language pathology. Each limit would translate into Medicare reimbursement for fewer than 20 visits.

OK, so why hasn’t Congress acted on these yet?

These are generally smaller programs that, in the past, were authorized or extended via provisions attached to larger, must-pass bills. One of the favorite vehicles was the “doc fix,” which regularly moved through Congress to make adjustments in how Medicare paid doctors. That is, until a landmark 2015 law — the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, or MACRA — permanently addressed physician payment.

CHIP finally got funding in the

Jan. 22 federal spending deal, but the other items were left on the table. One issue, many said: They’re simply not as sexy, and the impact is harder to spot immediately.

“The problem is too much of the focus was on just one egg in the basket, and that egg got done.

Now the rest of the eggs are saying, ‘What about me?’” said Rodney Whitlock, a health policy consultant and former Republican Senate staffer. “The real-world impact of not addressing those is slowly becoming problematic.”

Most of the programs aren’t politically controversial.

These programs usually pass with bipartisan support. For lobbyists and policy analysts on both sides of the aisle, that makes the funding lapse especially disorienting.

“Even things that should be easy and bipartisan are taking much, much longer and encountering much more difficulty than I think any of us would have expected,” said Eliot Fishman, senior director of health policy at the liberal advocacy group Families USA and a former member of the Obama administration. “It’s clearly a matter of political gamesmanship.”

There is some room to debate how to pay for these initiatives.

But even that is limited, suggested Thomas Miller, a resident fellow at PAGE A4

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Dateline USa

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New online tool connects Californians to energy-saving & climate programs

Photos by Jhay Otamias

Jerwin Ancajas: The portrait of a classy champion

by Ed dE la

VEga, ddS

JERWIN Ancajas — the young IBF World super flyweight champion from the Joven Sports Gym in Magallanes, Cavite — is increasingly being compared to the great Manny Pacquiao following his sensational knockout victory over the weekend in Corpus Christi, Texas.

To this writer, that is not only unfair because there is only one Pacquiao and one Ancajas. They will never be the same simply because they are two different personalities. And as good as Ancajas is, he is still far from winning eight weight division titles.

While it is true that they have similar backgrounds in that they came from poor families, are left handed, and both rose to fame through boxing, the comparisons stop there.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao is humble and overly generous. But in many aspects, when speaking

about “class”, he is different from Ancajas.

I am not saying Pacquiao has no class. That is far from what I am trying to say here. It’s just Ancajas is something else.

With modesty aside, over the years, I have made mouthguards for free for many Filipino fighters. Some think that I owe it to them to provide the mouthguards. Many are more are appreciative and grateful than others but no one is like Jerwin Ancajas.

From the time I took impressions to custom design and fabricate for him a two color mouthguard several days ago, I sense that there is something special about the kid. But, I just dismiss the thought as I felt he was just being shy and was just overwhelmed by the humble wall of fame at my office that is full of photos of the hundreds of fighters that I made mouthguards for. As he viewed the wall, he said: “Dami palang si-

Stalled health programs await...

PAGE A1 the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

“If it’s your economic interest at stake … this is an end-all and beall. But these are not gigantic items — the consequences for the larger fiscal picture are not immense,” Miller said.

Take the therapy caps. They were first put in place as part of the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, as part of an effort to curb Medicare outpatient spending.

But in 1999, right when the caps were scheduled to kick in, pushback from physicians and patient advocates led Congress to delay their effective date. Since then, Congress, has — except for a brief lapse — kept them at bay.

This delay in funding has consequences for patients.

Stephanie Weyrauch, a Minnesota-based physical therapist

concerned about the therapy caps, said she and her colleagues are already starting to ration care.

She described, for instance, a 69-year-old man who is recovering from a stroke and about halfway through his allotted therapy.

He will require several more sessions later this year just for that condition, which would bring him up to the cap. If his other ailments — shoulder problems and poor blood flow – worsen, Medicare wouldn’t cover treatment.

“We have to make sure we’re doing what’s best for our patients.

Sometimes that means we stop therapy early to prepare for a potential next episode,” she said.

A fix from Congress could come next week.

Congress already provided some short-term funding for community health centers, which is “keeping the lights on,” Fishman said. But it

OAKLAND – The Greenlining Institute released a new online tool designed to help Californians – individuals and families as well as community groups and local governments – access the many resources funded by cap-andtrade revenues through the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

The UpLift Resource Finder is the latest update to UpLiftCA.org, the site created by Greenlining to tell the story of how California climate policies benefit underserved communities.

Until now, Californians have had no central, user-friendly place where individuals or community groups could find all this information assembled in a way that’s easy to access.

“California uses money from polluters to help communities plant trees and community gardens, build affordable housing near public transit, and much more, and helps families weatherize their homes, get solar power and purchase electric cars,” said Greenlining Institute Environmental Equity Manager Emi Wang.

“But until now there’s been no central, user-friendly place you could go to learn what’s available that might meet your needs.

kat dito (There are lots famous people here).”

About two hours after his outstanding knockout performance in Corpus Christi, Texas, Ancajas did something no boxer that ever set foot in my dental clinic ever did. Ancajas, using the cell phone of our mutual friend Jhay Otamias, personally called me to profusely thank me for the mouthguard I made him for the fight.

I was truly shocked by his gesture. How can a world champion be so humble to reach out to me and say thank you barely hours after his fight and in the middle of the victory frenzy that surrounds him?

The humble gesture of Jerwin Ancajas totally validated the value of all the hours I spent at my dental lab designing and fabricating free mouthguards for the Filipino fighters that came to me. His phone call to you was worth more than anything else. PAGE A1 In fact, it was priceless! n bill (a temporary measure that doesn’t finalize federal spending lasts only until the end of March.

And the Maternal, Infant and but rather further pushes back Early Childhood Home Visiting the deadline), Congress needs Program is operating on previ- to compromise with the White House on immigration before ously allocated dollars.

In the meantime, the affected Thursday.

On Tuesday, February 6, White programs are struggling to plan for the future, Fishman noted. House Chief-of-Staff John Kelly They are trying to come up with told reporters that President budgets and make staffing deci- Donald Trump is unlikely to exsions without a sense of what their tend the March 5 deadline he gave Congress to formulate a soincome will actually be.

But some people expressed op- lution for DACA. After a meeting on the Hill, Keltimism about what will be includly told reporters that he doubts ed in the funding bill likely to take “very much” that the president shape in Congress next week.

“I continue to believe that when will extend the deadline, noting a spending deal gets worked out that DACA was passed through this train will ride along. … It is an executive order and was not an election year,” Whitlock said. rooted in legislation.

“Mr. Obama established the “No matter what, this is one of those where it’s got to get worked program, and it was considered out.” (Shefali Luthra/Kaiser Health to be unconstitutional, not based on any law, so the extension, I’m News) This story was produced by Kai- not so sure the president- this ser Health News, an editorially in- president, has the authority to dependent program of the Kaiser extend it,” Kelly remarked.

This further puts a strain on the Family Foundation. n approximately 800,000 DACA recipients who have been in limbo since DACA was first terminated by the administration in September 2017.

Since introduced in 2012, DACA provided young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children benefits including work authorization, protection from deportation and more career and education opportunities to name a few.

As for the government shutdown, the president made a muddled statement to reporters on Tuesday when probed his thoughts on another potential shutdown.

In the event that a deal isn’t

The Resource Finder solves that problem.”

The new tool was designed to be easy to use, even for those with little knowledge of California’s climate programs: Users answer a few simple questions, and the Resource Finder directs them to a summary of GGRFfunded resources they’re likely to be eligible for, with links to the actual programs online. For more advanced users, a separate in-

terface displays all the resources and lets users filter them in various ways.

“By using money from polluters to fund resources that offer real help to underserved communities and low-income Californians, our state has created an example for the world to follow,” Wang said.

“By bringing this information together in one place, we’ve made all this help easier for everyone to access.” n

No deal yet on DACA as another gov’t... made on immigration, Trump casually said that he would “love to see a shutdown,” adding that a shutdown is “worth it for our country. If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don’t want safety — and unrelated but still related, they don’t want to take care of our military — then shut it down, we’ll go with another shutdown.”

In the event of a government shutdown, “non-essential” federal employees are put on furlough until the shutdown is lifted, as the Asian Journal previously reported.

Last month, Congress missed the deadline on January 19, but the shutdown only lasted three days when Democrats agreed on the stopgap spending measure that is funding the government until Thursday, February 8.

As previously reported by the Asian Journal, Trump’s conditions for supporting a solution for DREAMers include confirmation of funding for the border wall, eliminating the Diversity Visa Lottery system and scrapping family-based immigration sponsorship.

Congress still fighting for DREAMers The previous day, the White House dismissed another bipartisan effort to provide a solution for undocumented youth just hours before it was formally introduced.

“It’s a total waste of time,” the president tweeted.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced a bill on Monday, February 5 that would provide a pathway to citizenship to undocumented youth who came to the U.S. as children.

Analyst warns China will soon...

PAGE A1 on front page of every paper, but since that stopped they’ve kind of moved on to phase two, which is putting all the infrastructures on to that island. And now, clearly, that infrastructure is military in nature,” Poling told reporters on Friday, February 2.

Among the areas China had constructed artificial islands include the Fiery Cross Reef, also referred to Kagitingan Reef, along the Spratly archipelago.

China likewise had massive island buildings on Subi Reef (Zamora), Mischief Reef (Panganiban), Cuarteron Reef (Calderon), Gaven Reef (Burgos), Johnson South Reef (Mabini), and Hughes Reef (McKennan).

Poling added, “The days of arguing whether or not the Chinese are building civilian or military bases are long behind us. You do not build 72 fighter jet hangars for search and rescue or for fishing shelters.”

“You build them because you want an airbase. Now maybe there are civilian structures or two but first and foremost these are military facilities,” he stressed.

Aerial obtained by Inquirer, and were published Monday, February 5, showed that China “is almost finished transforming seven reefs claimed by the Philippines in the Spratly archipelago into island fortresses.”

The photos, Inquirer said, were mostly taken between June and December 2017 from an altitude of 1,500 meters and showed that the islands are in the “final stages of development as air and naval bases.”

With the military buildup nearing its completion, Poling further warned China will soon establish “de facto control” in the area,

trumping its other rival claimants.

“You’re gonna see more signaling [systems], intelligence [facilities] and things like that.

You’re gonna keep on seeing the increase of number of Chinese coast guards and the maritime militias and naval ships making calls to these. And little by little, the Chinese plan seems to be to establish de facto control,” Poling remarked.

He went on to say, “Maybe without provoking an immediate sharp clash but by sheer force of numbers, eventually there’s gonna be a Coast Guard and Navy ship close enough to intervene no matter what any claimants are trying to do anywhere in the [sea]. And they are gonna have the radars and patrol craft to make sure that nothing moves within the South China Sea without them seeing it.”

‘No longer news’ Malacañang, meanwhile, downplayed reports saying that China is nearly finished militarizing Philippine-claimed reefs in the South China Sea, saying that the structures were already built before President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016.

Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque said China’s military build up in the area is not “news” anymore.

“You know when I saw the headline, yes, it’s a fact perhaps, but is that news? I don’t think so. I think the moment that they start the reclamation, they declared that they will use it, they will have military facilities into the islands,” Roque said.

Despite reports on the military build up, Malacañang said it cannot wage war and could only continue to rely on China’s “good faith.”

The bill also calls for increasing resources for immigration courts to alleviate the extensive backlog and providing more research on illegal immigration.

What the bill does not address are the family-based sponsorships or the diversity visa program, two immigration programs President Donald Trump is seeking to terminate during his administration.

Additionally, it doesn’t confirm the authorization of the $30 billion funding for the controversial border wall; but, the bill does greenlight further research on further securing the border.

The legislation is a companion to another prior bipartisan immigration bill by Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). The Hurd-Aguilar bill — which includes providing a pathway to citizenship as well as ramping up border security — has garnered 50 cosponsors, including 27 Republicans.

Although the president falsely claimed that no proposed legislation calls to bolster the military, McCain-Coons plan also finalizes funding for the military, lifting caps on defense spending.

“While reaching a deal cannot come soon enough for America’s service members, the current political reality demands bipartisan cooperation to address the impending expiration of the DACA program and secure the southern border,” McCain said in a statement on Monday. “It’s time we end the gridlock so we can quickly move on to completing a long-term budget agreement that provides our men and women in uniform the support they deserve.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress) “Whether we like it [or not], they intended to use them as military bases, so what do you want us to say? All we could do is to extract a promise from China not to reclaim any new artificial islands,” Roque said.

He continued, “If the Aquino administration was not able to do anything about these artificial islands, what do you want us to do? We cannot declare war. Not only is it illegal, but it is also it is impossible for us to declare war at this point.”

No foreign explorations Duterte on Monday has ordered a stop to all scientific research and exploration by foreigners in Philippine Rise, formerly called Benham Rise.

In a Facebook post, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol quoted Duterte saying during a Cabinet meeting: “Let me be very clear about this: the Philippine Rise is ours and any insinuation that it is open to everybody should end with this declaration.”

“Henceforth, only Filipino scientists will be allowed to conduct researches and exploration in the Philippine Rise,” Duterte added.

According to Piñol, the president ordered the navy to chase away any foreign vessel sailing within the Philippine Rise, as well as the Air Force to patrol the area.

“He (Duterte) directed the Department of National Defense to deploy Navy vessels and the Philippine Air Force to conduct flyovers in the area to check on the presence of foreign vessels,” Piñol added.

The Philippine Rise is not in the South China Sea and no other country has made claim to it. It is located along the Pacific Ocean 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Isabela, and is believed to be rich in mineral and gas deposits. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Ex-DOH Chief Garin welcomes civil suit over Dengvaxia mess

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

MARAWI HOUSING. Families displaced by the fighting in Marawi City last year will get to live in a single-detached housing unit in one of the temporary shelter areas in Barangay Sagonsongan, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Palace shrugs Trillanes’ new call to probe Duterte’s ‘unexplained wealth’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

mAlACAñANG on monday, February 5, downplayed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s latest request for a Senate investigation into the alleged unexplained wealth of President rodrigo Duterte and his family.

In a briefing, Presidential Spokesperson harry roque dismissed Trillanes’ accusations as old news. “lumang tugtugin, lumang balita para ng sirang plaka (It’s old news that sounds like a broken record),” roque said of Trillanes’ call for a Senate inquiry.

He also maintained that the president has “nothing to hide.”

He further noted that the senator does not possess any authenticated document to support his claims, as the Anti-money laundering Council (AmlC) had already denied that they provided Trillanes documents of Duterte’s bank transactions.

“Ang tanong, anung dokumento ang hawak ni Senator Trillanes, eh wala naman siyang authenticated documents (The question is, what document does Trillanes has on hand, when he has no authenticated documents),” roque stressed.

He continued, “Sinabi na nga ng AmlC hindi galing sa kanila ang dokumento at mali-mali ang datos na hawak-hawak ni Senator

Trillanes (AMLC already said that the documents he had were not from them, and that his data were false).”

Trillanes recently filed Senate resolution 602, asking the Senate committee on banks, financial institution, and currencies to probe the possible violations of the Anti-money laundering Act by Duterte and his daughter, Davao mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The senator has long accused the president of failing to disclose his wealth going back prior to the 2016 national elections, when Duterte was still the mayor of Davao City.

Duterte, for his part, has repeatedly denied the accusations and vowed to resign if Trillanes could prove his claims.

In his resolution, Trillanes said the probe aims to “promote efficient compliance with the AmlA” and “further improve the said the law.”

“It is the state’s policy to protect the integrity and confidentiality of bank accounts, and ensure that the Philippines is not used as a money-laundering site for proceeds of unlawful activities,” the resolution further read.

Trillanes also cited a Vera Files report stating that Duterte and his daughter had at least P100 million in joint deposits and investments that were not disclosed in their Statement of Assets, liabili-

ties, and Net Worth (SAlN).

Vera Files said its report was based on bank records previously released by Trillanes, who claimed that the same documents were from the AmlC. ‘Tragic waste of time’ opposing the Trillanes’ fresh call for investigation, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said it would just be a “tragic waste of time.”

Pimentel remarked that if Trillanes “really has the evidence, then he should bring an actual case in the proper body.”

“Senate is not the body for that.

We are part of legislative action.

But if this is part of just making this issue land in the news then this should not be allowed. It will be a tragic waste of time by the Senate,” Pimentel said.

Trillanes, in response, argued that his resolution was “valid.”

“Senator Pimentel, even as Senate president, has no power to disallow its referral. masyado namang syang ninenerbiyos agad para sa amo n’ya (He’s too nervous for his boss),” Trillanes said, apparently referring to Duterte.

Trillanes further pointed out that “it was Duterte himself who challenged the Senate to investigate his bank account.”

“So, ito na ang sagot sa hamon ng amo n’ya (this is the answer to his boss’ challenge),” he added. n

Former Philippine Health Secretary Janette Garin welcomed the civil case filed against her in connection with the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.

The Public Attorney’s office (PAo) on monday, February 5, filed a civil case against Garin, Sanofi Pasteur executives, and officials of distributor Zuellig Pharma for damages over the death of a child who received the dengue vaccine.

Garin said the complaint would serve as a good medium to clear their names from all allegations hurled against them.

“I welcome the case. It’s a good forum for me and for the others accused – and wronglyaccused – to air our side,” the former health secretary told reporters in a media briefing.

She also maintained that the implementation of the government’s mass immunization under her term was done in good faith.

“Sa lahat po nangyayayari, isa lang po yung pinanghahawakan ko: Yung pagsasalita ng katotohanan – yung nag-desisyon kami base sa burden ng dengue that time (In all that’s happening, I only hold true at one thing: That I’m telling the truth – we made a decision based on the burden that dengue presented at that time),” Garin said.

She continued, “The desire to save lives, the desire to be of service – hindi po yung nasa gobyerno ka nakaupo ka lang hindi nagtatrabaho. Yan po ang ginawa namin at paninindigan ko yun (not just being in government and sitting there without doing your job. That’s what we did and I stand by it).”

PAo filed a civil case against Garin and other officials before the regional Trial Court (rTC) in Quezon City on behalf of the family of 10-year-old Anjielica Pestilos, whose death was allegedly triggered by the dengue vaccine.

Pestilos was among the 830,000 children who were administered with Sanofi’s Dengvaxia under the dengue immunization program launched

Felicitas Sombrado, 53 years old, a parent whose child received the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine expresses frustration to former Health Secretary Janette Garin, who had just went up the elevator, as security guards restrain her at the lobby of Congress after the hearing on Dengvaxia on Monday, February 5.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

by the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III in 2016, and was continued by his successor, President rodrigo Duterte.

But late last year, the Department of Health (DoH) suspended the program following an analysis which found out that the vaccine could cause a more severe case of dengue when administered on a person who has not been previously infected with the virus.

Saddened Also on monday, Garin told media that she was “saddened” by the act of furious mothers who confronted her at the end of the this week’s House of representatives hearing into the government’s dengue-immunization program.

A group of frustrated mothers confronted Garin after the hearing, demanding accountability and “medical intervention” for their children who were administered Dengvaxia. The women later told media that none of their children had died but supposedly started to fell ill since being vaccinated.

“Ikinalulungkot ko na humantong sa ganito (We are saddened that it has come to this).

We’re very much willing to talk and to discuss about things,” Garin told reporters.

She added, “Nakakalungkot na humahantong sa pananakit, humahantong ito sa panghahampas, sa panununtok, kasi nawawala tuloy yung hinaing kung ano talaga ang katotohanan, ano ang problema (It’s sad that it has come to assault, striking, punching, because the complaint is lost in what’s really true, what the real problem is).”

Garin, however, questioned the intention of the group as they seemingly did not want a dialogue with her but was there to supposedly make a scene.

“Hindi ko kasi alam kung yung intensyon eh tototong makatulong sa tao o kung yung intensyon ay palakihin yung kwento at bigyan ng dagdag na kaba yung mga nanay (I don’t know if they really intend to help others or they intend to magnify the story and give more worries to mothers),” she said. n

A6 FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Rule of law: The biggest mover

FEATURES

THERE’S one thing that advanced economies have in common: the rule of law prevails. This is reflected in the annual Rule of Law Index, which was launched in 2016 by the World Justice Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization operating worldwide to advance the rule of law.

In the latest index, the best 10 performers are Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Austria, Canada and Australia. At the bottom are Afghanistan, Cambodia and Venezuela. This year’s index is notable in that the Philippines merited special mention as “the biggest mover” as it plunged by 18 places to 88th out of 113 countries from its rank in 2016, and 13th out of 15 countries in East Asia and the Pacific.

The report said the Philippines saw substantial drops in ranking in four out of the eight factors measured in the index, placing 107th out of 113 countries in terms of order and security, 102nd in criminal justice, 99th in adherence to fundamental rights, and 59th in constraints on government powers.

The other factors used to measure adherence to the rule of law are absence of corruption, open government, regulatory enforcement and crimi-

nal justice. The index covers 113 countries and jurisdictions, based on surveys conducted in 110,000 households and 3,000 experts.

The country has had problems for a long time with the eight factors. Why is the rule of law important? The index was initiated by the American Bar Association, which counts prominent legal professionals as honorary chairpersons. The World Justice Project stresses that effective rule of law fights poverty and disease, reduces corruption and protects people from injustice.

The rule of law, the group stresses, underpins development, accountable government and respect for basic rights. It promotes peace and deprives insurgencies of several reasons to advance their causes through armed conflict. If the government is sincere in its effort to bring peace and development especially in conflict areas, it must do more to strengthen the rule of law. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Tensions in the US-China relationship

Political Futures

BY IAN BREMMER IN Davos and during his recent State of the Union address to Congress, Donald Trump made clear that he means to get tough with China. This U.S. president has an “outdated Cold War mentality,” responded China’s foreign ministry. Trade and investment relations between the world’s two largest economies are headed for trouble. Trump doesn’t want a full-scale trade war. Neither does Beijing. But even short of that, there is much damage that can be done.

Since announcing his presidential candidacy in 2015, President Trump has presented himself to U.S. voters as the consummate maker of deals, a tougher, shrewder and a better defender of the American people than any past president, Democrat or Republican. He knows that his popularity, odds of reelection, and presidential legacy depend on his ability to promote the interests of voters who believe that trade competition has undermined their lives and livelihoods. In that arena, fast-rising China and its state-dominated economy have emerged as the ultimate adversaries.

Trump has begun to argue that economic security is national security. That’s his warning to Beijing that righting the wrongs in U.S.-Chinese trade and investment relations is his highest priority. His first moves

Philstar.com photo

will include announcements of trade enforcement actions and restrictions on Chinese investment in coming weeks. There will be continued discussion between Congress and the White House of how best to reform the process by which the U.S. government approves proposals for foreign investment. Trump will also push Beijing to change rules that force U.S. firms to transfer intellectual property (IP) to gain access to Chinese markets and to end IP theft.

With these changes, Trump hopes to impose enough pain on China and Chinese companies to force Beijing to take U.S. commercial complaints more seriously. He’ll begin with announcements of new tariffs and other restrictions on Chinese products entering the US. Only if these moves fail to win concessions will he threaten to make it more difficult for Chinese companies to operate and invest in the United States. These carefully calibrated measures are designed less to punish China than to push its negotiators to the bargaining table.

China will respond first with criticism and defiance, but both will be limited to avoid unnecessary provocation. President Xi will cast his government as a global leader in cross-border trade and investment and warn that Washington is headed down a dangerous protectionist path.

China will certainly challenge U.S. actions at the World Trade Organization.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping

He will also test the U.S. pain threshold. U.S. companies in many sectors will face new formal restrictions, but also audits, inspections, and other forms of bureaucratic assault that might move the U.S. business community to pressure Trump to tread more lightly. In particular, each government will target the other side’s tech companies.

Both sides have good reason to compromise. Xi Jinping will resist changes that prevent China’s government from providing subsidies for Chinese firms that can help build a modern, technologically dynamic Chi-

nese economy. But nor will he try to weaken the Chinese currency for tactical advantage or order a sharp slowdown in the purchase of U.S. Treasury bonds to up the ante. Both actions would be self-defeating.

Instead, Xi will probably appeal to Trump directly with pledges to give U.S. companies expanded access to Chinese markets without forcing them to share IP and technology. Trump too has reason to compromise. He wants to win enough concessions from China to declare victory without jeopardizing the strong economic numbers

White House file photo

that he believes can bolster his popularity.

Here’s the problem: Each side believes the other is more vulnerable. Trump officials believe that China needs continuous access to U.S. markets to avoid a sharp economic slowdown that might provoke a political crisis.

Chinese officials believe their president is much less vulnerable to pressure than Trump, who must listen to continuous complaints from U.S. business leaders and face voters again soon enough. The risk of conflict rises when each side believes it holds the stronger hand.

Don’t expect a quick resolution. Neither side wants to look weak, at home or abroad. U.S.China frictions will likely last through 2018. Given the importance of relations between the world’s most important rising and established powers — for China, the U.S., and the entire global economy — let’s hope that Donald Trump and Xi Jinping can find common ground with enough space for both to stand proudly. *** Ian Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group and author of Superpower: Three Choices for America’s Role in the World.

In a year of real optimism, what could go wrong?

Opinion

MARLEN RONQUILLO THE country’s sense of optimism rests on the economic fundamentals. Growth is steady, inflation can be contained, the central bankers are a responsible, able lot and the economic managers are not the type to go into the territory of reckless adventurism. In good times, the boring, orthodox types are preferable to those prone to brinkmanship and experimentation.

The reviews and the views on the TRAIN’s impact are mixed.

But right now, in the immediate, the wage earners who will get their tax breaks will surely ramp up the demand side as they are the people who spend all—I mean all—of excess income to acquire or buy services and goods.

But the TRAIN should think of a pause. The idea of a corporate tax cut amid the unprecedented corporate profits and the direction of the income gains (the

wealthy snap up everything) is a terrible and bad idea.

And Mr. Duterte, aside from leaving his economic policy team alone, does not have an EJK policy toward business people. He has struck fast friendships with 99 percent of the oligarchs and the plutocrats after the elections, save for one or two. Some of his people are dipping their so-so-clean-fingers into affairs at the customs zone, at the gaming and gambling agencies, at the revenue agencies. But these are moneymaking acts that would hardly dent the growth momentum.

There is corruption—what government does not have this Filipino SOP?—but not at the level of impunity. Or, maybe there are big-time acts of corruption going on but the media just missed them—as usual.

The optimism is real.

That Mr. Duterte is popular with decent to excellent approval and trust ratings has been the stuff of all the surveys—and there are no outliers disproving his popular support.

Even the most horrible and vulgar display of official turpitude by his subordinates do not personally affect him. Sub-cabinet people may fight it out publicly like palengkeras. Top officials may be purveyors of fake news and engage in the basest of actions. But none of this touches the president.

The usual Achilles heel that leads to the downfall of leaders—bank documents showing money moving under the name of that leader or members of the family—has not in any way affected Mr. Duterte.

The “ now” of the country seems to be Dickens’ “the best of times.”

But as the story of George W. Bush tells us, a leader’s sky-high approval and trust ratings, the kind that Bush the Younger had after 9/11, are not a permanent thing. In fact, the pedestal can easily crash down to earth and a drip-drip of bungling and failings could erode the highest of leadership esteem. Where is Bush the Younger now? In the list of the most mediocre of U.S.

presidents.

Nothing, except change, is permanent in this world and in this country.

So, in this current context of economist optimism and trusted political leadership, what could go wrong? Many, and one is happening right before our very eyes. Mr. Duterte’s tangle with the judicial branch of government and the constitutional bodies.

The effort to oust a chief justice via an impeachment effort on the say-so of Mr. Gadon is a farce, wrapped on some tortured legalese and is fueled by the general premise that Mr. Duterte hates CJ Sereno and therefore she has to go. That is not how a real impeachment effort works. The House of Representatives has to impeach her based on solid grounds. The HoR has to prove that she committed “high crimes” and treasonous acts. That she is not Ms Congeniality and is a strict scold who does not respect the intellect and legal acumen of her colleagues is her prerogative and

that does not constitute “high crimes.”

That the HoR did not even raise a holler on the other decisions of Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro after his scandalous Joel Reyes decision, while merrily soldiering on with the impeachment of the CJ, is a double standard that stood out like the behavior of a drunk in a churchyard. Other than the Joel Reyes case and the Marcos wealth case, Mr. Pizarro has cleared other controversial cases with mind-boggling decisions.

Only the HoR did not bother to inquire.

The firing of Mr. Carandang, the deputy Ombudsman, and the refusal of Ms Morales-Carpio to legitimize the firing of her No. 2, is the kind of rash decision that could plunge the country into a constitutional crisis. Instead of firing Mr. Carandang, Mr. Duterte should have come clean on his bank records to clear up the allegations of multiple bank transactions once and for all.

People won’t mind if Mr. Duterte is wealthy. He is past

70. He is a lawyer. And at that age, he is expected to have a decent amount of money. If he has P100 million in the bank, what is wrong with that? Mr. Duterte has been working all his life and to have money is not a sin.

The all-out war with the Left will not lead to a victory of any kind, moral or military. The Left has a permanent base, the academe and the hamlets of abject poverty and hopelessness. No amount of firepower, arrests and sieges of leftist strongholds will lead to victory against the nimble and resilient Left.

Mr. Duterte’s words in the early days of his government—that he is out to secure the “peace of the living“—should have been the operative policy with the Left, not a historically debunked mailed-fist policy.

If crude hits $80 plus per barrel, all the macro assumptions of the economic team will have to be revised, from positive to negative. Growth prospects will dim and all the well-laid plans— as the Bard said—will go awry.

(ManilaTimes.net)

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

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018

B1

UK investors more concerned on ease of doing business Federalism shift, tax reform no big deal

by RICHMOND

MERCURIO Philstar.com

THE proposed shift to a federal form of government as well as ongoing tax reforms are not considered a big deal among British companies looking at investment opportunities in the Philippines, saying they are more concerned about the ease of doing business in the country.

“Whenever I discuss with companies back in the U.K., and I had multiple interactions, the number one question is the ease of doing business,” British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) chairman Chris Nelson said in a briefing Saturday, February 2.

“Federalism wouldn’t be top of mind for those companies at the moment. For them it’s where they can go. The foremost in the people’s minds is the ease of doing business,” he added.

With the administration ramping up efforts to further streamline doing business in the country, British firms are further encouraged to invest and do business in the Philippines, according to British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) chairman Chris Nelson.

BCCP/Released

With the administration ramping up efforts to further streamline doing business in the country, British firms are further encouraged to invest and do business in the Philippines, according to Nelson.

“Everyone is seeing how they can make that (doing business) easier and there has been various bills to reduce red tape. So overall, the focus of growth is a

u PAGE B2

Cigarette tax take substantially higher

by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO ManilaTimes.net

CIGARETTE excise tax revenues have substantially increased following Japan Tobacco, Inc.’s takeover of Mighty Corp., the Finance department said.

Excise tax payments attributable to Mighty brands totaled P20.22 billion from September to December 2017, the department said, a 262-percent improvement or P14.65 billion more than the P5.57 billion recorded in the comparable 2016 period.

Total excise tax collections for last four months of 2017 hit P71.24 billion, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commission-

er Caesar Dulay reported, 26.68 percent higher compared to the previous year’s P56.24 billion.

The tobacco industry accounted for 57.4 percent or P40.91 billion of the excise tax take.

“What stands out there is the Mighty-JTI improvement in collections as they represented

u PAGE B2

Coal to spur PH energy infra growth

by JORDEEN

SHEEX LAGARE ManilaTime.net

SUSTAINED investments in coal-fired power plants will play a vital role in boosting the Philippines’ energy and utilities infrastructure over the next decade, a BMI Research study said.

Such infrastructure is projected to grow at an annual average of 8.7 percent between 2018 and 2017, according to the study.

“Coal-fired power plants will continue to form an integral component of the Philippines’ power mix, and contribute to strong investment and construction activity in the country’s energy and

utilities infrastructure sector,” Fitch-owned BMI said.

Coal is still preferred because of its low cost and technological requirements, despite recent trends to turn away from it as a power source.

Citing its Key Projects Database, BMI said the Philippines has more than 7,300 megawatts (MW) worth of power-plant capacity, almost 80 percent of which come from coal-fired sources.

“The rise of coal will be particularly pronounced in the lessdeveloped southern regions of Mindanao and Visayas, which

u PAGE B2

SSS eyes overseas investment to raise revenues

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

TO further raise revenues, the state-run pension fund Social Security System (SSS) is looking at investing overseas, similar to the strategy of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

President and chief executive Emmanuel F. Dooc noted in an interview with reporters last week that while the SSS is allowed to undertake foreign investments, they have yet to do so.

“Based on the experience of the GSIS where they reported good returns, we will also consider that,” Dooc said.

Dooc said the SSS already got in touch with some investment advisers from abroad.

“For diversification purposes,

we don’t like to restrict our investments in one basket, in the local economy, in domestic investment,” according to Dooc.

As early as four years ago, the SSS had also been planning to hire local fund managers as part of its plan to increase exposure in domestic capital markets.

However, the plan to tap two to three fund managers to manage P1 billion in investments each did not materialize.

In January, the GSIS announced that it was hiring two foreign fund managers to invest a total of $800 million overseas in order to diversify the pension fund’s portfolio and almost double the rate of investment returns. ■

DoE: Tighter tax watch saved consumers P2.7B Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido III and Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad, answer questions from the media on the TRAIN law’s impact on oil industry during a press briefing.

Photo by Roger Ranada/Manilatimes.net

by JORDEENE

SHEEX LAGARE ManilaTimes.net

CONSUMERS would have had to pay over P2.5 billion extra had the government not carefully monitored the implementation of the Tax Reform of Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, the Energy department claimed in Friday, February 1.

“To emphasize, the Department of Energy has saved the consuming public approximately P2.7 billion in what could have

been improperly collected,” Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido 3rd said in a press briefing.

In particular, consumers would have had to shell out P2.649 billion at fuel pumps and another P54.8 billion for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) products, the department said.

The computation, Pulido said, was based on a review of existing inventories and demand as of December 31, 2017.

The TRAIN law, which raised taxes on fuel in addition to other goods in exchange

for lower personal income taxes, took effect at the start of this year.

The Energy department also cited the implementation of safeguard measures such as public advisories, random inspections and the issuance of show-cause orders to retail outlets that had raised prices before January 15, which was when new stocks bought only after the law took effect were expected to be made available to consumers.

Oil companies, in particular, were directed

u PAGE B3

B FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

BIR removes special tax rate for BPO subsector

by Stephen

already been established before 2018. New companies that would invest here starting this year would not be able to avail themselves of the perk, according to the law.

Days after the law was passed, President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed this tax perk. However, the industry and tax experts pointed to inefficiencies in the veto that led to confusing interpretations.

PAMURI insisted that status quo, as said in the TRAIN law, should be retained instead.

Multinational companies (MNCs) established these ROHQs and RHQs to cater to affiliates, subsidiaries, or branches in the global market. The Philippines is just one of many countries trying to attract the investments of these MNCs. Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. (Pamuri) had

previously said that MNCs “relied heavily on the PTR in making their business decision.”

Under the 15-percent tax rate, the Philippines is just on par with that of Hong Kong, which offers a range of two percent to 17 percent personal income tax, and Singapore, which has a personal income tax ranging from 0 percent to 22 percent.

There are two citations in the TRAIN law that allowed the PTR. One allowed the special tax rate, while the other provided this would apply only to ROHQs and RHQs already existing before 2018.

The problem, according to Pamuri, was President Duterte vetoed only a part of the latter provision. The question, therefore, is whether or not the first provision — the one which granted the special rate — still applies.

“In order to give effect to [the provision] that still remains in the law as well as the veto message, the correct interpretation should be that ROHQ/RHQs registered before January 1, 2018 shall continue to be entitled to the PTR,” Pamuri said in its previous statement.n

ity by 2030, the majority of which will come from coal-fired sources,” it added.

Besides boosting infrastructure, coal is also expected to overshadow renewable energy (RE) as the primary power source in those regions.

Coal fuels more than 40 percent of power generation there, up from 4 percent before 2003.

“Although both regions’ power needs are significantly lower than that of Luzon, they have historically relied predominantly on renewables sources—geothermal in Visayas and hydropower in Mindanao,” BMI said.

The value and capacity of upcoming coal-fired projects in those regions outweigh the volume of RE projects, it added. n

C. Canivel

Inquirer.net

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has removed the special tax rate that has for a long time benefitted a subsector of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, possibly making the cost of doing business much higher.

In a tax advisory dated January 31, BIR Commissioner Ceasar Dulay said that the workers employed by regional operating headquarters and regional headquarters (ROHQs/RHQs) “are now subject to regular income tax rates.”

This reverses previous rules that allowed these employees to pay only 15 percent of their gross income, ending the uncertainty over the tax rate at the dismay of the ROHQ/RHQ industry.

Since late December last year, there was uncertainty over the fate of the 5,000 workers who — prior to this advisory — have enjoyed the preferential tax rate (PTR).

The TRAIN law, which was passed in December, allowed the industry to keep the PTR as long as these ROHQs and RHQs have

Photo from investphilippines.org

Coal to spur PH energy infra...

PAGE B1 t have historically relied on renewable sources, but are now facing demand pressures stemming from economic and industrial growth,” BMI said.

“According to the Department of Energy’s 2009-2030 Power Development Plan, the Philippines will require an additional 12,300MW of generating capac-

UK investors more concerned...

PAGE B1 t

very attractive story. The Philippines is not next door but there is an opportunity. So if you’re looking at Southeast Asia, this is a country to look at as well,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the Philippines remains a “very attractive market” for British firms that want to invest and do trade. “(The) U.K. sees the Philippines today as an important market. Interest level in the Philippines is growing. Clearly it is a country that has done well economically and the infrastructure program could further boost growth,” he said.

Following a successful trade mission in Davao in March last year, the BCCP is set to hold another trade mission next month in Iloilo to promote and highlight business opportunities in the Visayas region.

Nelson said the Iloilo mission is expected to be bigger than the Davao mission, with the BCCP eyeing to bring in at least 25 UK firms to explore business opportunities in Visayas and meet relevant business contacts.

The delegates are expected to represent cross-sector industries such as food and beverage, retail, manufacturing and infrastructure.

Nelson said Iloilo has been chosen as the entire Visayas region is booming and is expected to overtake the country’s economic growth in the next five years.

“In an effort to address Metro Manila’s worsening traffic congestion brought by this growth and to achieve inclusive growth throughout the country, President Duterte’s administration is pushing for decentralization to spur development in the countryside. Major cities like Clark in Northern Luzon, Davao and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao, and Iloilo in the Visayas are economic hotspots for investment,” Nelson said. n

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA WHAT does it cost to be kind to others?

We often think that being kind costs us something — whether it is time, money, connections or any of what we consider to be our personal resources becoming depleted.

But have we ever thought at all about the physical and psychological benefits of acts of kindness that flow right back to us?

It’s one of those mysteries of the amazing human body.

Recent medical studies indicate that both the giving and receiving of kindness have positive effects on a person’s well being. It helps produce oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone in the human body that boosts our immune system and causes other good residual effects on blood pressure and the body’s general homeostatic balance. In women, it has positive effects on childbirth and lactation. Studies now seem to prove that it can help in autism and the ability to handle social anxieties.

This feel-good substance is produced in the human body by laughter and exercise and apparently, as medical studies are showing, also by acts of kindness, specially the pure ones, those that are done without any thought of payback or return.

Oxytocin running in our bloodstream is good for the heart and the mind as it counteracts the effects of free radicals wreaking havoc in our bodies as we go through the ravages of the aging process. It does not mean however, that kindness and the oxytocin it produces insures us against aging. All humans will get old and die eventually. C’est la vie.

It just means that the residual effects of habitual kindness can substantially slow down the ag-

The power of kindness “Kind people are the best kind of people” - Anonymous ing process along with a good diet, and regular age -appropriate exercise.

Of course, wisely steering clear of moving vehicles, toxic relationships and such known elective, addictive poisons such as cigarette smoking, drugs and alcohol all help to arrive at a high quality of life in one’s sunset years.

In the same way joy shows in our faces, so does grief. Perhaps, the latter, even more so, can become deeply etched. No amount of plastic surgery can erase it.

During the greed of the nineteen eighties and nineties that spawned such film characters as Gordon Gecko, the saying was, “He who has the most TOYS, WINS!” In contrast, during this current supposedly more informed yet not necessarily wiser age of information, the saying is likely to read. “He who has the most JOYS, WINS! Those of us who live in big cities and are subject to the stresses of the fast pace and killer demands of modern life to “perform and deliver” in our home and work environments are more than likely to suffer from diseases and infections. It’s the curse of big city living and the rat race.

Because of such demands that can exceed individual human capacities, many feel exhausted and cannot think beyond their personal needs and wants.

Remember too that this is the “Selfies Generation.” The trend these days in social media is to focus on the self. Many are becoming stars in their deluded minds and in the web firmament thinking that the number of “likes” they get is proof positive of their popularity and social status.

The result is that many are becoming hardwired and focused on just their individual images to

the exclusion of others. This selfobsession—today’s equivalent of the biblical golden calf of idolatry—strangely leads to depression.

Those who have seen the light, however, and have decided that kindness is beneficial to others as well as themselves, practice it quite naturally, most times, without fanfare. After all, genuine kindness is often quiet and does not need to go viral.

But when acts of kindness captured on video do go viral because a disinterested third party uploaded the clip on the internet and is viewed by millions around the world, this becomes a teachable moment when kindness can become a ripple in a pond.

Kindness without an agenda can inspire others to be kind to the people in their immediate spheres of influence. It can inspire some to be kind to those that orbit around them daily at home and at work. You could say that kindness, like the flu, is truly contagious. Unlike the flu virus though, kindness is good all around.

A caveat though…… The hormone oxytocin is not a panacea for all kinds of social anxiety problems. Too much of it when taken by prescription, like any other substance on earth taken to extremes, can cause ordinary people to become oversensitive to the emotions of others resulting in a skewed perception of reality.

Perhaps, the best ways for this love hormone to flow in one’s bloodstream are still the natural ways through LAUGHTER, EXERCISE and KINDNESS. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Cigarette tax take substantially...

PAGE B1 t 262-percent improvement from September to December,” Dulay was quoted as saying in a report.

Taking slight differences in the periods being compared into consideration, Finance Assistant Secretary Mark Dennis Joven said that excise tax payments

from Mighty brands were still up by around P13 billion.

“That’s still about P4 billion a month more,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III was quoted as saying during a Finance department’s Executive Committee meeting.

Dominguez noted, however,

that JTI might have been frontloading stocks in anticipation of higher “sin” taxes beginning 2018.

Still, the Finance department said the government would continue to collect about P2 billion more per month, after the frontloading period ends, from JTIMighty brands. n

BUSINESS NEWS

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Business owner seeks Chapter 7 relief from employee lawsuit for backpay of $100K Secured creditor client seeks relief from buyer who filed for Chapter 11

OH, the woes of owning and running a business come in all shapes and sizes! Even when a business is profitable, something can go wrong that wipes it out. This is particularly true with small businesses when an unexpected lawsuit literally kills the business. Client has operated a successful small business for 5 years. He turns a profit of $50K a year, just enough to pay for his home mortgage all household expenses for his young and growing family. About five years ago, client hires an employee to help him run the business for a salary of $1,500 a month. That’s all the small-scale business can afford to pay the employee who was enthusiastic to accept the job.

Employee had been out of work for three years and drastically needed income. Client informed employee that $1,500 was the most he could afford to pay him, and that because this was a small business, the two of them would have to do everything to make sure everything was running smoothly. In other words, this was not a regular nine to five job. Deliveries would be made after five, and if there were a lot of orders, he would have to come in earlier and leave later to ship out the orders in time. Employee said that there was no problem, that he was willing to work hard, and would consider the salary heaven sent.

After working for three years at $1,500 a month, he starts to complain to client that he’s not getting paid enough because of all the overtime work that he has put in. Client reminds him that he already informed him at the very beginning that the business could not afford to pay more than $1,500 a month, and that employee willingly accepted the terms of the offer of employment that it would have a lot of

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. Four situations in which filing for divorce can be beneficial to your immigration case are as follows: Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens If you were petitioned for legal permanent residence by your US Citizen parent as a married son or daughter 21 years old or over, you are classified in immigration law under family sponsored third preference (F3) which usually carries a long wait time. The wait time for Filipinos for example is currently 22 years. The priority date is normally the date the petition was initially filed by your US Citizen parents. If you get divorced, you revert back to single status and your category automatically becomes reclassified to first preference (F1) where the waiting time is substantially shorter. For example, for Filipinos the wait time under F1 category is 10 years shorter than F3 category. This means if your parents filed your immigration petition 12 years ago, then you can adjust to a green card now instead of waiting another 10 years.

Married Sons and Daughters of Legal Permanent Residents If your parents are legal permanent residents, getting divorced will convert you back single status making you eligible to be petitioned by your legal permanent resident parents under the family based second preference (F2b) category if you are 21 years old or older or under the family based second preference A (F2a) if you are under 21 years of age.

For those who married after they were petitioned by their LPR parents (F2A and F2B), the petition is automatically revoked under operation of law the moment you get married and cannot be reclaimed by a divorce. In theory, it can be argued that filing a subsequent petition after your divorce under the same category inherits the previous petition’s priority date under 9 FAM 42.43 N10 and 8 CFR 204.2(h), Part

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG

overtime work that would not be paid, and that he accepted those terms. Nevertheless, employee filed a complaint with the labor department asking for back pay for unpaid overtime for 3 years.

The labor department computed that unpaid overtime work to be $2,500 monthly for 3 years. With interest and penalties, the labor department award came out to be $100K for 3 years of back pay! What a turn of events. Client helps this man by giving him employment, and then he comes around and sues him for $100K. Employers beware. You may be hiring a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

In any event, client does not have $100K. Client decides to have a fresh start in life with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy to wipe out the labor department award of $100K for back pay.

In another case, client sold a parcel of land to a developer couple of years ago for $2.0M in installment payments. Developer ran into some problems with city zoning. Developer’s intent was to develop the land into commercial property, a strip mall. Unfortunately, the property was rezoned into a residence putting a monkey wrench into developer’s business plan. Client decides to foreclose on the property. On the eve of the foreclosure sale date, developer files for Chapter 11 reorganization. Under Chapter 11, debtor can stop payments to client for 3 months, but must start paying client interest or monthly mortgage payments after 90 days. Otherwise, client

can ask the court for relief from the bankruptcy stay and proceed with foreclosure. Client entered into an adequate protection agreement to restart monthly payments at $10K monthly immediately. Further the court found that the value of the property had been reduced to $1.1M because of the rezoning. However, developer has not been able to present a viable chapter 11 plan to the court for 2 years. Why not? The reason nothing really is going on. Developer is basically stuck, dead in the water, except for new money being infused by new investors, if any, it’s future looks really bleak.

However, recently, developer has asked the court to find that the current value of the property is now $400K, and proposed a plan that crams down the secured portion to $400K, and the $1.6M unpaid balance as unsecured. In other words, developer wants client’s property for free! Client now needs to get his property out of developer’s bankruptcy and proceed with foreclosure. *** Disclaimer: The foregoing is an expression of opinion and is not meant to be legal advice to any reader.

There is no attorney-client relationship established by this article with the reader. If you want to discuss your situation, you have to set an appointment to consult with the attorney. The first general consultation is free. *** 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 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

4 ways filing for divorce can benefit your immigration case 205. However, success of such argument is not clear since the old petition was automatically revoked the moment you married. The best thing that can be done in this situation is to have your LPR parent repetition you as an F2A or F2b even if you are unable to reclaim the previous petition’s priority date.

Conditional Legal Permanent Residents in failed Marriages For those who obtained their legal permanent residence status through marriage based petition by their US Citizen spouse of less than 2 years marriage, the legal permanent residence status conferred is usually a “conditional legal permanent residence” valid only for 2 years. The couple would need to sign and file a joint petition to remove this condition prior to the expiration of the 2 years or the conditional legal permanent resident spouse would fall out of status.

The problem arises when the marriage is in trouble. Often it becomes difficult to obtain the cooperation of the US Citizen spouse specially when the couple has separated. US Citizen spouse often refuse to sign the I-751 for or appear at the I-751 interview if one is set by the USCIS. Filing for divorce would terminate the marriage and allow you to file a “waiver” of the joint petition to remove the conditional LPR status based on entering into the marriage in good faith. Terminating the marriage by filing a divorce is a requirement in order to file the “waiver.” It is important to time this correctly as soon as the marriage starts falling apart because by terminating the marriage early on, you might be able to file the waiver before the expiration of your 2 year conditional LPR thus allowing you to extend your LPR status in 1 year increments until a final decision is made in your case.

Married Aliens in Non-Immigrant Visas and those without Status For those who enter the US as a non-immigrant and are separated from their spouse but still married, filing a divorce would open up opportunities in case they meet a new significant other who is a US Citizen and who can petition them as an immediate relative. This is usually the fastest of process in obtaining legal permanent residence. In countries such as the Philippines where there is no divorce, many people come to the US to start a new life after they

have been separated from their old spouse (often still married to them). Even if the alien over stays their status as a visitor, the alien can still adjust to that of a legal permanent residence if petitioned by a US Citizen spouse.

If the alien was never inspected, the alien can still adjust to legal permanent residence if they are grandfathered under INA 245(i) and there are no special restrictions on their status. To be grandfathered under INA 245(i), the alien must have been a beneficiary of a legal permanent residence petition filed no later than April 30, 2001.

Finally, a common concern of divorcing immigrants is “What happens if my spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers?” The truth is you do not need your spouse’s signature to obtain a divorce in California. You only need to provide your spouse notice that you filed a divorce by personally serving your spouse the divorce petition and summons. In countries that are members of the Hague Convention, special procedures need to be followed to effect service. So yes it is possible to divorce your spouse even if your spouse is in a country that does not recognize divorce among its citizens such as the Philippines. For some immigrants, filing for divorce opens up opportunities in this land of milk and honey. *** 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. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a 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 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 kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

DoE: Tighter tax watch saved...

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to submit notarized inventory reports on per depot and per product basis, impose the excise tax under Train only after last year’s stocks were fully exhausted, and submit daily withdrawal summaries starting January 1, 2018 until

the depletion of declared inventories as of December 31, 2017.

“We implemented a lot of initiatives for the smooth implementation of [the]Train law, because we did not want consumers to be compromised. The goal is to protect everyone, especially the

consumers,” Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

The Energy department is also in discussions with several oil companies for the provision, renewal or expansion of discounts offered to public utility vehicle drivers. ■

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS F E B R UA RY 7

City of Carson’s 4th annual Military Career Day Join the 4th annual Military Career Day in Carson, California on Wednesday, February 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It will be held at Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center (801 East Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745). Representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, California National Guard, and more will be giving information on career options and various opportunities. For further information, call (310) 952-1743.

F E B R UA RY 1 0

Free Family Wealth Workshop in San Francisco A free Family Wealth Workshop organized by the office of City and County of San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu will be held at the City College Mission Campus (1125 Valencia Street, Rm. 107, San Francisco, CA) from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. There will be multilingual workshops on homeownership opportunities, college fund, family wealth and estate building. To register: http://bit.ly/2Bhwgp4.

F E B R UA RY 1 4

Free Reggae Valentine Rendezvous with Lover’s Rock at Grand Park, LA Grand Park is making Valentine’s Day easy and affordable with an ode to romance, and an evening featuring Lover’s Rock, an American Soul-influenced Reggae music subgenre on Wednesday, February 14 from 6 to 10 p.m. Angelenos looking for a relaxed Valentine’sevening under the stars will be serenaded to the sounds of DJ Danny Holloway and DJ Phersone, who will be spinning laid-back Reggae tracks throughout the evening. Couples will enjoy the park’s romantic ambience and tables for two around the fountain and throughout Olive Court, which will be illuminated with the glow of string lights. They can dine amidst the iconic views of Los Angeles City Hall and Grand Park’s own Arthur J. Will Memorial fountain. To help sweeten the mood, desserts and treats will be available for purchase from various food trucks and couples can capture romantic moments with a complimentary photo booth. Grand Park by the Olive Court and Arthur J. Will Memorial fountain is located at 200 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Park furniture is available on a first come, first served basis.

F E B R UA RY 2 0

“Usapang Pagkain”: A monthly series exploring wellness with Filipino cuisine in Chicago, IL Community-based organization AFIRE (Alliance of Filipinos For Immigrants Rights & Empowerment) and food media and events group Filipino Kitchen will explore wellness and health with Filipino Cuisine in a monthly series, Usapang Pagkain. The event series is free and open to the community. Each event will highlight a Filipino dish or dishes, including recipes. During the weekday evening events, a light dinner of the highlighted dishes will be provided. Made possible with a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, the purpose of the series is to explore how Filipino food can best serve our community. On Tuesday, February 20 from 6 to 8 p.m., the focus is “Healthy & Happy Hearts.” The event will take place at the Hana Center (4300 N. California Ave., Chicago, IL). Schedule and venues are subject to change, please check http://afirechicago.org and http://filipino.kitchen for the most up-todate information.

F E B R UA RY 22

Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be an immigration forum on Thursday, February 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. The immigration forum is about employment-based immigration information regarding FAST TRACK Work Visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by marriage, family-based immigration employment sponsorship for green card and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for a FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. As you have already seen there are many changes happening in the field of immigration with regards to the new executive administration and their agenda. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families.

F E B R UA RY 24

Filipino well-being training summit in Los Angeles Kataas-taasang pagsasanay para sa kalusugan ng mga Pilipino” — Understanding Obstacles; Charting New Paths.

This training summit aims to honor and recognize indigenous understanding of wellness and healing; reduce stigma associated with emotional and mental illness; and promote community dialogue and connectivity. It is organized by the Filipino Well Being Training Summit Committee led by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. It’ll be held on Saturday, February 24 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 at 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info and to register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/filipino-well-being-training-summit-registration-41880032304.

NOTE: This event is free of charge to all attendees. Breakfast and lunch will be served on a limited capacity and may not be available to all attendees. Space is limited - please cancel on Eventbrite if you are unable to attend so others on the waiting list can be notified and accommodated.

City of Carson Gala Ball The City of Carson, California is marking its 50th anniversary of incorporation on Saturday, February 24 with a gala ball. It will be held at Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at Carson (801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745) at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $50 / person and $400 / table (seats 8). For more information, please call the Community Center at (310) 835-0212 or visit ci.carson.ca.us.

Free workout with Assemblymember Philip Chen in Walnut, CA The City of Carson, California is marking its 50th anniversary of incorporation on Saturday, February 24 with a gala ball. It will be held at Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center at Carson (801 E. Carson Street, Carson, CA 90745) at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $50 / person and $400 / table (seats 8). For more information, please call the Community Center at (310) 835-0212 or visit ci.carson.ca.us.

MARCH 14

Philippine American Bar Association’s 32nd installation & awards gala in Los Angeles on March 14 The Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) invites you to its 32nd Installation and Awards Gala on Wednesday, March 14. This year’s Gala will feature keynote speaker California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu, a menu of Filipino flavors, and special performances. During the gala, PABA also will formally unveil its new logo and website, both of which were developed by a Fil-Am-owned start-up and involve colors and designs deeply rooted in the cultural history of the Philippines. To purchase tickets or a sponsorship, please visit: https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/paba/giftstore.jsp.

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

B3

B4 FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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People and Events

Spring planting is near: Join the Arbor Day Foundation in February and receive 10 free trees JOINING the Arbor Day Foundation is an ideal way to get in the mood for spring planting. Anyone who joins the Foundation in February 2018 will receive 10 free Norway spruce trees or 10 free redbud trees to plant when the weather turns warm.

The free trees are part of the nonprofit Foundation’s Trees for America campaign.

“These trees will help beautify your home for many years to come,” said Matt Harris, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “The trees will also add to the proud heritage of your state’s existing Tree City USA communities.”

The Tree City USA program has supported community forestry throughout the country for the past 40 years.

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between March 1 and May 31, with enclosed planting instructions. The 6to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow, or they will be replaced free of charge.

Members also receive a subscription to the Foundation’s colorful bimonthly publication, Arbor Day, and “The Tree Book,” which contains information about planting and care.

To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE NORWAY SPRUCE TREES or TEN FREE EASTERN REDBUD TREES, Arbor

EMPLOYMENT

Burbank residential parking permit renewal applications available soon Changes coming For 2018-2020 cycle

RESIDENTIAL parking permit renewal notices for the 20182020 cycle will be mailed at the end of January to all current permit holders. In March of 2016, the Burbank City Council approved various code changes in order to further protect neighborhoods from non-resident vehicle parking overflow. Some of these changes were delayed until this upcoming citywide permit renewal.

Starting in 2018, the residential parking permit fee is thirty dollars ($30) for each permit. All permits are valid until April of 2021 no matter which year they are purchased. The cost is then prorated by year sold. For example, a permit costs thirty dollars if purchased in 2018, twenty dollars in 2019 and ten dollars in 2020. The next citywide permit Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, renewal will occur in 2021.

Time-limited streets NE 68410, by February 28, 2018, or visit arborday.

Residents who reside on timeorg/february.■

EMPLOYMENT

limited streets (one-hour, or twohour parking restrictions) are allowed up to five transferable hang tag permits; however, residents must provide vehicle registration for three cars to obtain permits four and five.

Permit-only streets Permits for permit-only streets are not transferable and the new permits must be affixed to the lower-left, driver-side windshield.

Residents living on permit-only streets (no public parking during the posted time-frame) may obtain up to five windshield decal permits; however, vehicle registrations are required for each permit requested. The vehicle registration(s) must match the applicant’s qualifying address.

Additionally, the permit display area is expanded for both timelimited and permit-only streets.

Permits may be displayed on like permitted streets within each zone as indicated on the map

(Zones A-H). For example, a Zone C hang tag permit may be displayed on any of the two-hour or one-hour streets within Zone C. A windshield decal permit in Zone C may be displayed on any other permit-only street in Zone C. Residents who are part of the PASS Program can use their PASS benefits to receive an 80 percent subsidy and pay six dollars per permit. For more information about the PASS program, please click here: bit.ly/ PASSProgram To request a new residential permit parking zone for your street, click here. To remove an existing permit parking zone from your street, click here. Residents have until April 30, 2018 to renew their permits. After that time, parking enforcement takes effect for the 2018-2020 cycle.

For further information, please contact the Public Works Department at (818) 238-3915.■

EMPLOYMENT

INSURANCE/SERVICES

FOR RENT

B5 FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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DARE TO INSPIRE. DARE TO LEAD.

LOC AMBASSADORS FPFC Powered By

Transforming Filipino women and men of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds into global leaders and influencers who ignite, drive, and fuel the greatness of the Philippines.

GLOBAL AMBASSADOR CATEGORIES 01 & 02

03 & 04

05 & 06

07 & 08

MADAME / SENIOR LOVE OF COUNTRY GLOBAL AMBASSADORS Ages 50 and over

MRS. / SIR LOVE OF COUNTRY GLOBAL AMBASSADORS Ages 28-49

MR. / MISS LOVE OF COUNTRY GLOBAL AMBASSADORS Ages 18-27

MISS YOUTH / YOUTH LOVE OF COUNTRY GLOBAL AMBASSADORS Ages 13-17

DELEGATE REQUIREMENTS 01

02

03

04

05

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LIFE ACCOMPLISHMENTS All applicants must have displayed or indicate strong willingness to pursue excellence in his/her community, field of study, or work.

EDUCATION

PERSONALITY

ETHNICITY

NOMINATION

Proof of educational attainment.

All applicants must display vibrance of personality and good moral character.

All applicants must be at least 1/4th Filipino to join.

All applicants must be recommended or nominated by at minimum 1 family member, friend, colleague, or professor.

PERSONAL STATEMENT All applicants are required to write a personal statement about her/his dreams and goals for the Philippines.

FOR INTERESTED DELEGATES FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, AND ARIZONA, PLEASE CALL PAGEANTRY GLOBAL AND ASK FOR TRINI FOLIENTE AT (818) 455-2132 OR CORA SORIANO AT (213) 999-1993.

For more information, visit www.LOVEOFCOUNTRYAMBASSADORS.com or email Info@AsianJournalinc.com.

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Community Journal

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 7-9, 2018

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 7, 2018

‘Kung hei fat choi’: All about the Lunar New Year T

he Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Chinese culture and it is celebrated around the world. Said to have begun during the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.), the centuries-old legend’s origins of the holiday varies from teller to teller, but the main theme is always the same — fear.

The story includes a terrible mythical lion-like monster named “Nian” (which is also the Chinese word for “year”), who preyed on villagers. A wise old man counseled the villagers by instructing them to make loud noises with drums and firecrackers to ward off the evil monsters. He also said that they should hang red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors because Nian is scared of the said color. Since the defeat of the monster, the day has been named “Guo Nian” (“guo” meaning pass and “nian” meaning year) or “to pass over the year.”

Based on the lunar calendar, the event normally falls between January 21 and February 20. As with many festivals around the world, it is believed that how you spend

the start of the year affects its outcome. It is also one of the longest public holidays in China, where most people take time off from works for seven consecutive days.

This year, the holiday begins on February 16 and marks the beginning of the Year of the Dog. Following the Chinese lunar calendar, it was traditionally a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors.

The cycle of 12 stations or “signs” is the Chinese zodiac is part of the Chinese calendar. However, the calendar’s structure wasn’t static: It was reset according to which emperor held power and varied from one region to another. It was also a complex timepiece, which parameters were set according to the lunar phases as well as the

solar solstices and equinoxes. Yin and yang, the opposing but complementary principles that make up a harmonious world, also ruled the calendar.

Every new year was marked by the characteristics of one of the 12 zodiac animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

The Western-style Gregorian calendar arrived in China along with Jesuit missionaries in 1582. It began to be used by the general population by 1912, and New Year’s Day was officially recognized as occurring on January 1. China, however, continues to celebrate Lunar New Year with the traditional greeting, “Kung hei fat choi.” (AJPress)

Let the Year of the Earth Dog begin Eat your way to luck with these Feng shui master Thierry Chow gives her tips and forecast Lunar New Year dishes for the upcoming Year of the Earth Dog

by Rae ann VaRona AJPress

DISCovErED in China some thousand years ago, feng shui (translated as “wind and water”) in simple terms is about examining how surroundings and the placement of things affects and influences people’s lives.

It’s something that to this day, many believers still look to in figuring out life’s concerns whether they be in health, wealth, relationships, and so forth. It’s also been going through a recent wave of renaissance.

At the forefront of the modern feng shui movement is Thierry Chow, a young fashion forward feng shui master whose approach to the ancient practice is as she describes, “creative and fun with a modern twist” — her Instagram bio reads “environmental curator.”

Despite having a contemporary approach and a style uncommon among geomancers, Chow’s knowledge of the ancient practice is nothing to be doubted. Her teacher, master Chow Hon-ming, is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent feng shui masters. His client list includes major banks and companies including Cathay Pacific and HSBC, according to a Time Out Hong Kong article.

Chow Hon-ming is also Thierry’s father.

“My dad has been in the industry for 30 plus years, and [has a] very traditional approach, which I think is very important,” Thierry Chow told the Asian Journal. Being the offspring in a new generation, Chow has made it a point to keep the tradition alive while incorporating modern elements that are more in tune with the 21st century.

Having graduated in Canada with a degree in design and art illustration, Chow went back to Hong Kong where she decided to pick up her father’s craft. Now, she’s regarded as one of the top must know feng shui masters in all of Hong Kong.

Most recently, Chow finished up a Hong Kong taping of Anthony Bourdain’s award winning travel and food show “Parts Unknown” — she can’t share much on what to expect, but encourages people to keep an eye out. She’s also just published

Thierry Chow

by Rae ann VaRona AJPress

THIS year’s Lunar New Year falls on Friday, February 16, prompting an auspicious 15-day celebration of bold red lanterns, equally bold red door decorations, crackling firecrackers, gold inscribed money envelopes, and of course, food — lots of food.

The Lunar New Year continues for many to be all about honoring ancestors, spending time with family, getting rid of any bad luck from the past year, Symbolizing wishes for a long, happy, and healthy life, longevity noodles are popular at celebrations like and making way for new good birthdays, newborn birthdays, weddings, and the Lunar New Year. AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona luck and fortune.

While the Lunar New Year is celebrated by several countries throughout Asia, many Filipinos have come to celebrate the holiday the Chinese way. In Manila’s ongpin Street — the world’s oldest Chinatown estab Artwork by Kendrick Tan/AJPress lished in 1594 — the Lunar New Year is welcomed with the usual her first book called “Love and things as a good action for the lion and dragon dances, drums, Fate” that was self-written and environment also.” and again food which families illustrated, and is in the works of At work Dumplings launching her own line of feng In line with the earth category gather around for on the eve of Spring rolls the holiday and throughout. rots, cabbage, bean sprouts, and pan-fried. other variations shui products. on which the upcoming year falls, Here are some essential shiitake mushrooms, and pork put the cake between slices of So what does the feng shui Chow recommends incorporatLunar New Year foods to help which vegetarians can opt out sweet potato or taro, dipped in guru have to say about this uping earth-friendly elements and you and your family eat towards of including. The rolls are then batter, and deep-fried. coming Year of the Earth Dog? ideas in our work spaces. Keya year of da ji da li (great luck fried, taking on a golden brown Good fortune fruits “For the Year of the Earth words include recycling, ecoand great fortune). color meant to resemble gold Mandarins, oranges, pomDog, we will be more focused on friendly, reuse, gems, crystals, Longevity noodles bars and welcome in wealth and elos, kumquats, tangerines, eco-friendliness and recycling, clay, jade, etc.

Symbolizing wishes for a prosperity. grapefruits and other hardy winsuch as eco-friendly products one tip she gave was to long, happy, and healthy life, Dumplings ter citrus fruits are bound to be and events,” said Chow, adding place more plants indoor to longevity noodles are popular Stuffing dumpling wrappers found scattered around homes, that this year will be all about improve productivity. “A great at celebrations like birthdays, with passed down jiaozi xian temples, and dinner tables durpushing efforts on taking care of corner to place plants is the newborn birthdays, weddings, (filling) recipes is a tradition ing the Lunar New Year holiday. the planet. south corner of a space,” said and the Lunar New Year. for many Chinese families and The luck of the fruits lies For those born on a dog year, Chow.

Because the length of the dates back to the Ming and in their roundness and bright Chow said to “expect a lot of In your relationships and noodle refers to long life, they Qing Dynasties, making it a gold-like color. The Chinese changes” — this year may not be social life aren’t meant to be broken as symbol of family unity. words for wealth and luck also as stable as they would typically “Make sure to focus on the Shaped like the sycee, which sound similar to words for tanhope. “But with focus, wisdom, people you love and enjoy being doing so represents the risk of shortening one’s lifespan. was a form of currency in China gerine and orange. and awareness, one will find with,” said Chow.

How the noodles are until the 20th century, dumpBa bao fan peace through the dog year,” She added that a good star prepared varies. Some prefer lings are also another dish that Also known as eight-treashe added. for relationships is to be found noodles like the thin, long, and symbolize wealth and prospersure rice pudding, the often While feng shui advice is in the southeast corners of our salty miswa noodles in soup, ity. colorful and beautifully deoften personalized, Chow gave homes and offices. “Use those while others may prefer yi mien Nian gao signed dessert is basically sticky the Asian Journal some quick tips corners more,” she said. noodles fried and mixed with Translated to English, nian glutinous rice, studded with that all may find useful in garnerFor yourself some vegetables. gao means “year higher” and a combination of eight ingreing good energy in entering the “It is important to stay Spring rolls symbolizes the idea of achievdients often including dates, year of the earth dog. healthy. Keep in mind, balance Spring rolls are especially ing something greater each dried apricots, lotus seeds, At home is key,” said Chow. This includes popular during the Lunar New year whether it be in health, in jujubes, dried plums, red bean Getting rid of unwanted and exercising, eating well, seeing Year and are named after the one’s career, monetary wealth, paste, goji berries, and other unneeded items in our homes is both family and friends, and holiday’s other name, the Spring grades, or even child’s height. sweet ornaments often used in very important when it comes to keeping a nice and comfortable Festival.

In the Philippines where it is Chinese medicine. welcoming the new year. Chow home.

Inside the spring roll wrapcalled tikoy, the steamed cake The mosaic-like dessert said that our homes and what we Chow added, “This year, the pers made of water and wheat can be eaten as is, but is comrepresents wealth or prosperity have in them are a reflection of sickness stars are located in the flour are often shredded carmonly sliced, dipped in egg, in that the number eight — proour inner experiences and who north and west corners.” She nounced “ba” — sounds like we are. recommends not using these “fa” which means prosperity.

“A big purge can help with areas of our homes or offices for Fish our internal health,” added too long. If we must, she recomAny impressive Lunar New Chow. “Donate your stuff to mends placing a copper clock in Year meal will include a whole charity so others can reuse your the corner to help minimize bad fish which if eaten, is said to energy. welcome in a year of excess or In your closet abundance — the word for fish Being that Chow is also a in any Chinese dialect sounds fashion guru, she encourages similar to the Chinese word people this year to try wearing “yu” which generally means the following: checkered suits surplus. and blazers, oversized “boyThe fish can either be friend” suits and blazers, knee Nian gao Tang yuan (sweet rice balls) steamed with ingredients like high boots, artist hats, and super ginger, cilantro, and green bright electric colors of pink, onions; or deep-fried like the green and purple. She also sugdramatic “squirrel fish.” gests keeping stone jewelry like Tang yuan (sweet rice balls) jade, in your wardrobe. “They Depending on the region, will become quite trendy,” Chow these glutinous sweet rice balls forecasted. are either eaten throughout the On your plate Lunar New Year period, or at When it comes to incorpothe end of the 15-day celebrarating feng shui through food, tion to welcome the beginning Chow said gaining personal wellof the Lantern Festival. being through what we eat is a A symbol of togetherness matter of not only being mindful and reuniting with family, the of what we eat, but of where we balls are often served in sweet eat. syrup and can be filled with “Choose places that have sweet fillings like red bean good energy to eat and have cofpaste, sweet peanut paste, and fee,” said Chow. “You will find black sesame paste.

Facebook.com/ThierryChowFengShui yourself charged positively.”

The Chinese words for wealth and luck also sound similar to words for tangerine and orange.

The Grove and The Original Farmers Market mark Year of the Dog with second annual celebration

features 3

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 7, 2018

LUNAR NEW YEAR AT SEAWORLD A celebration of Asian culture with live performances, culinary delights and new Puppy Garden

SAN DIEGO —Sights, sounds, and savory sensations of Asia will all be part of SeaWorld San Diego’s Lunar New Year. This cultural celebration features jaw-dropping Chinese acrobats, mouthwatering cuisine, traditional performances and, in recognition of Year of the Dog, an all-new Puppy Garden.

Visitors will be immediately immersed in festive red décor and artwork depicting the Year of the Dog — the 11th ChiThe Original Farmers Market and The Grove in Los Angeles marked the Year of the Earth Dog on Sunday, January 28, featuring an afternoon of activities, nese Zodiac sign. SeaWorld’s performances, and guest speakers. The stage ceremonies kicked off with a dragon dance by The Immortals.

Photos by Manfong Leong new Puppy Garden will emphasize the importance of responsible pet adoption and ownership. Additionally, as a symbol of good fortune in the New Year, guests may receive a customary red envelope with a special treat inside.

San Diego’s premier Asian celebration kicks off this weekend (Feb. 10–11) and continues Feb. 17–19 and 24–25.

Lunar New Year at a glance: All-New Puppy Garden: In honor of Lunar New Year’s Year of the Dog, SeaWorld is partnering with the Helen A Year of the Dog sculpture made from plants sat on a Woodward Animal Center Students from the Beijing Opera School in LA performed an opera number. truck parked at The Original Farmers Market. and Chula Vista Animal Care Facility to showcase adorable orphan dogs at an all-new Puppy Garden. Park guests will connect with man’s best friend while learning about the pet adoption process and responsible ownership.

Chinese Acrobatic Acts: Seen exclusively at SeaWorld, graceful acrobats combine agility and jaw-dropping gymnastics with eye-opening costumes in a mesmerizing, 25-minute show. These spellbinding performances, at the park’s Mission Bay Theater, include contortion, lion dancing, hoop diving, foot juggling and chair stacking.

The afternoon’s festivities concluded with a Lion Dance by Wong Tai Sin around the Grove’s property.

Lunar New Year Festival

Area: Located just south of the landmark SeaWorld Skytower, this highly decorative area brims with cultural

entertainment, including Taiko drummers, lion dancers and fan dancers. This festival area Continued on Page 4

H appy Chinese New Year!

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Kuh on love: ‘If the person who knocks is the right one, why not?’

features The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 7, 2018

A celebration of Asian culture with live...

From Page 3

also features a traditional Wishing Tree where guests can write a conservation aspiration on a red ribbon for a $3 donation and place it on the tree.

The Wishing Tree donations benefit the seaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

Incredible Animal Visits: Visitors will have a chance to get up close with seaWorld’s Asian small-clawed river otters and a Eurasian eagle owl, along with other marine life.

Red Envelope surprises: As part the Chinese New Year tradition of wishing prosperity

by riCky lo Philstar.com

and good luck to family and friends, guests may receive a red envelope with a chocolate gift inside.

Asian-inspired Culinary offerings: seaWorld’s Lunar New Year Festival will overflow with Asian-inspired flavors and aromas: Asian spicy & steamed Chicken: Noodles, kimchi, Enoki, scallions and egg at the All-New Ramen skytower.

Aroma Teas, Cool Ice Cream Flavors & Blended Coffees: All-New homemade vanilla ice cream cookie sandwiches in three flavors, Green blend teas, and starbuck’s drinks, including Espressos and Frappuccino’s at the Tea House.

Finger Foods: Duck lumpia, vegetable spring rolls, pot stickers and bao sandwiches (five-spice pork belly with pickled kimchi and hoisin sauce) at the spring Roll and Bao Hut. sizzling stir Fry Dishes: Chow mein chicken, vegetable tofu, and sustainable garlic shrimp stir fry cuisines at the stir Fry Cart.

The Dragon’s Breath: Tantalize the taste buds with dragon-breath popcorn: a unique recipe that transforms the traditional snack into a unique, cold, nitrogen-infused treat.

Lunar New Year at seaWorld is included with park admission. The popular seaWorld Fun Card is an incredible value that pays for itself after only one visit, providing guests with a year full of fun at seaWorld now through Dec. 30. With a Fun Card, visitors can be among the first to experience san Diego’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster—Electric Eel, slated to open this summer as well as enjoy all the exciting seasonal events the park has to offer.

For more information, visit www.seaWorldsanDiego.com.

You can’t help feeling…sanctified?...when you’re talking to Kuh Ledesma and her daughter Isabella Gonzalez.

Next Tuesday, Feb. 13, mother and daughter are having a Valentine show at the ABs-CBN Vertis Tent (“My first time to hold a show in Quezon City,” noted Kuh) with Kris Lawrence and Gabby Concepcion.

Yes, Gabby Concepcion!

In case you didn’t know, Gabby is also a good singer besides being a good actor (torn between two women, sunshine Dizon and Ryza Cenon, in the hit GMA soap “Ika-6 Na utos,” thanks to the brilliant direction of Laurice Guillen the series has been going on and on with all the twists and turn, keeping viewers in suspense on an extended run until end of March).

During his extended stay in the u.s., Gabby earned his keep by engaging in real estate and, on the side, making extra dollars by, that’s it, having concerts. He actually took voice lessons under u.s.-based Jam Morales and he already has a second album, “unforgettable,” to his name.

We arrived early at Japan Town @ Vertis Ginza (which opened at the fourth level of Ayala Malls Vertis North only in December last year), so we had some time for an easy-breezy chat with Kuh and Isabella (Gabby begged off from the presscon because he was stuck on the set of “Ika-6 Na utos” while Kris was on his way).

The title of their show is “Love Matters.” Naturally, the topic revolved around love.

When you talk to Kuh (and Isabella), love means love of and for The Lord. A few days prior, mother and daughter were at the Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) to listen to Josh McDowell, a Christian apologist, evangelist and writer (of more than 150 books, according to Kuh).

(Advertising Supplement) Asked if love still mattered (after a failed marriage), Kuh said, “Yes, of course, love still matters especially now that I have a relationship with our savior, Jesus Christ.” And she proceeded to share with us gains of wisdom from McDowell’s talk. “He said that it’s not good when parents only tell their children, ‘You have to love

Kuh Ledesma and daughter Isabella Gonzalez with Gabby Concepcion and Kris Lawrence. Philstar.com photo

this, you have to love that,’ without explaining what love is and how to really love.”

We presumed that Kuh didn’t have anything to explain to Isabella who shares her mom’s beliefs and (Christian) outlook in life. “When you love someone,” said Isabella, “you pledge to serve and to protect…”oops, she corrected herself, “That’s the motto of the police pala. I mean, you have to ‘cherish and protect’ that someone and keep him away from harm. You have to provide each other an environment where you both can flourish and bring out the best in each other.” saying that she never felt more loved than she did right now…in all senses, “mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically”…Isabella confessed that she hadn’t had a boyfriend since birth (as in “NBsB”).

“I tell The Lord, ‘I don’t want many boyfriends; I need only one’,” explained Isabella who, at 14, received The Lord as her savior. “When it comes to my heart, I hold it in the highest standard. Do not awaken love until the time is right.”

The free-wheeling chat turned to romantic love.

Asked what was the craziest thing she had done for love, Kuh replied, “Get married,” and then laughed. “That was when I didn’t understand what marriage was all about.”

Now that she knows better, will she say yes if love comes knocking the second time around?

“Bakit, may asim pa ba ako?” she joked. “If the person who knocks is the right one,

why not?”

At this point, Kris arrived limping a bit. It’s his second time to perform with Kuh; the first was three years ago.

“I’m honored. At home (in the u.s.), my mom loves to listen to Kuh’s songs and that’s how I got to know Kuh. I love her songs as much as my mom loves them.”

Kris related why he was limping. He and Katrence Lawrence (Katie for short), his five-year-old daughter with ex-girlfriend Katrina Halili, checked into solaire.

“As soon as we entered the room,” recalled Kris, “Katie started running around and I ran after her. she jumped onto the bed and I caught her, and we began jumping together while carrying her. Bigat pala niya! I ended up with a pinched nerve, naipit ang ugat ko.”

Asked the same question (about the craziest thing he had done for love), Kris said, “Honestly? A lot! one time, I flew back to the u.s. to visit my girlfriend whom I was missing a lot. That was 10 years ago and three other girls have come into my life since then.”

That is, including Katrina with whom Kris now enjoys a happy, healthy relationship as friends.

“We are over the awkward moment. Now we can talk, usually about life. I like the way things are between us now. I don’t want it to change.”

Like Katrina, Kris is fancyfree. Any chance for reconciliation?

“As I just said, we are okay as it is…good friends. But then,” he added, “hindi ko hawak ang future.”

Maja Salvador thankful for ‘Wildflower’s’ success

by Christina

alpad ManilaTimes.net

As top-rating ABs-CBN primetime series “Wildflower” goes into its last week, the riveting drama’s sizzling lead Maja salvador is overwhelmed with gratitude. she is thankful for the show’s success, and the many opportunities “Wildflower” opened for her this past year.

“I can proudly say Wildflower helped me boost my career the most, among all the other teleseryes I’ve done in the past,” salvador shared during the show’s finale press conference.

“But more than that, Wildflower, what with its all physically and emotionally demanding scenes, has taught me to be more dedicated and passionate in my craft,” the 29-year-old added. since premiering in February 2017, “Wildflower” not only cemented salvador’s reputation as a first-rate actress, but it also turned her into a social media star.

From a bride in black walking down the aisle to a fierce lady in gold making one unforgettable entrance, “Wildflower’s” many show-stopping scenes became memes—or edited images made to look humorous—that went viral online.

It is also one of the most talked about shows by netizens.

“I guess, what all these memes show, at least for us, is we’re all comfortable with each other in the cast. We know each other too well that we no longer have qualms in doing heavy scenes,” Aiko Melendez, who plays antagonist Emilia Ardiente, noted.

From a bride in black walking down the aisle to a fierce lady in gold making one unforgettable entrance, “Wildflower’s” many show-stopping scenes became memes—or

Maja Salvador

edited images made to look humorous—that went viral online.

It is also one of the most talked about shows by netizens.

“I guess, what all these memes show, at least for us, is we’re all comfortable with each other in the cast. We know each other too well that we no longer have qualms in doing heavy scenes,” Aiko Melendez, who plays antagonist Emilia Ardiente, noted.

Moreover, the series swept several awards within its yearlong run, among them recognitions from the PMCP star Awards for TV, LionhearTV Rawr Awards, Gems Hiyas ng sining Awards, and even the Asian Television Awards where Tirso Cruz 3rd was nominated in the Best supporting Actor category.

Beside salvador, Melendez and Cruz, crossing the finish line

ABS-CBN photo

with “Wildflower” are a power cast in sunshine Cruz, Wendell Ramos, Zsazsa Padilla, Christian Vasquez, RK Bagatsing, Vin Abrenica, Joseph Marco, Yen santos and Roxanne Barcelo, among others.

Finally, business unit head and director Ruel Bayani expressed his team is proud that Wildflower achieved its goal of conveying women empowerment in through the characters and storylines.

“More than just a tale of revenge, ‘Wildflower’ is a story of a woman’s courage, determination, and resilience to find justice for her family and for the people of her town. It shows that women are just as powerful as men; they are no longer the meek and oppressed who can only cry in the confines of their homes,” Bayani ended.

features

Travel, Trade and Consumer Roadshow: Philippine trade for the new generation

by Andrew

J. MArtinez SoriAno the Philippines could become

As a young boy born and raised in southern California, I loved my Filipino heritage for what I knew it to be - lots of food, traditions, family togetherness, and the foreign yet warmly familiar sound of the Tagalog language gracing my ears. I got a taste of trends and goings-on in the Philippines from my grandparents’ TV shows and grew up learning bits and pieces of Philippine society from brief exchanges with friends and family.

However, it wasn’t until I got to college and met Filipino-American peers from so many different walks of life that I realized there was a completely untouched of my roots I had yet to discover: the full extent of the beauty the Philippines had to offer socially and economically. Not only is it a country rich in its people and culture, but also a treasure trove of brilliant inventions, wonderful goods, and undiscovered talent.

As I graduated college, I found myself wanting to learn more, and how to connect the feelings of pride I had in my culture as a child with the real world applications of business, trade, and travel that the Philippines could be, is, and has been a major player in.

I also always wondered how

known elsewhere as more than a source of “goods from home� for scattered Filipinos who are the sons and daughters of immigrants worldwide; I wondered how they could become involved in western, specifically American, society, on a deeper level than before.

Enter the multi-city, multi-date Travel, Trade and Consumer Roadshow, being hosted by the Asian Journal, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The event will take place in August 2018 in Carson and san Francisco as well as on the east coast in New Jersey. Facilitated and co-planned by EC Ferrer CHB, Inc., Planet63, American Pacific Container Line, Pangasinan Brotherhood UsA, and Pistahan Parade Festival and Fiesta In America; this topically-diverse program intends to close the multi-thousandmile distance between the U.s. and Philippine markets on a more intimate level. Filipino products of all kinds, and talents and showcases in fields such as tourism, investment, studying abroad, philanthropy, and retirement; will be featured. What’s more is that the program is emphasizing the participation and involvement of the youth such as myself to help introduce the American

market and this generation in general to the wonders of the Philippines, and this combination of traditional culture with a modern, youthful, and technological approach in the planning and theme is something completely unprecedented.

The goal of these events is to unite these separate markets on a more relatable level than ever - hopefully making “foreign� products less foreign, and introducing them to a whole new consumer audience who can discover something unlike anything they’ve experienced before.

As a millennial living in the technological age, I have realized that the breaking down of cultural barriers is a step that is necessary for society to grow the way we want it to, and efforts such as these are something I am personally incredibly excited for.

This is only a brief intro to the hopes for this event, but over the next year, we hope to cover the various aspects of it and what benefit they could serve to these goals in particular, so please stay tuned for future features on the development and progression of this monumental event. 2018 is primed to be a year of change and innovation, and nothing is more significant in terms of change than bringing worlds together. (Advertising Supplement)

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 7, 2018

Gary V. sets ‘love in motion’

GARY Valenciano kicks-off a year-long celebration of his 35th anniversary in the industry with an amazing treat: the much-awaited reprise of his Valentine concert “Love In Motion.� The concert is set on February 14 at the grand ballroom of shangri-La Hotel in Bonifacio Global City, The Fort.

Directed by Paolo Valenciano with musical direction by Mel Villena and vocal musical direction by Mon Faustino, “Love In Motion� first had a two-night run in 2017. The concert then marked Valeciano’s first solo Valentine concert in Manila in almost 20 years.

Gary V.

Philstar.com photo

“Love In Motion� was originally conceptualized as a special, two-night Valentine concert that aimed to offer 100-percent of its proceeds for the benefit of victims of Typhoon Nina, which hit Gary’s hometown in Camalig, Albay, Bicol in late 2016, as well the shining Light Foundation’s scholarship programs, and UNICEF causes.

A historic milestone in Gary’s illustrious career, the concert featured him performing with the amazing 18-piece AMP Band, with the multi-talented Cebuana Anna Fegi and with the Manoeuvres. “Love In Motion� was a big band concert that showcased a different side of Gary—he scatted, crooned, and belted his way to the hearts of his audiences with a delicious sampling of standard classics and iconic jazz tunes. Of course, a selection of his hits were also performed but were re-arranged to fit the big band genre.

This year, to spice things up, Kiana Valenciano and Jona will join “Mr. Pure Energy� as his very special guests. Kiana broke major grounds in the music scene with her self-penned smash hit singles “Circles,� “Does she Know,� and “Misfits.�

Birit Queen Jona, on the other hand, is one of today’s most talented young divas whose growing body never ceases to blow away fans and critics alike.

One hundred percent of the proceeds of “Love In Motion� 2018 is for the benefit of shining Light Foundation and Operation Blessing as well as the victims of the recent eruption of Mayon Volcano in Albay. “Love In Motion’ is one of the many events tha’t my team and I will mount this year,� Valenciano said, “We are gearing up for a series of events that are all unique and creative. We are working very hard to be as innovative as we can be. It’s our goal to show something new and something that everyone will never forget. 2018 will truly be a very exciting year.� (ManilaTimes. net)

How Camille Prats’ daughter led her to new advocacy

Camille Prats with daughter Nala

THE previous year was a big one for actress Camille Prats who was tragically widowed at 24 years old when her first husband died of cancer. A single mother for eight years, she finally married a childhood sweetheart in January 2017, and a month later announced she was expecting a baby.

In November she gave birth to a beautiful girl named Nala, who finally made a “kuya� of her eldest son Nate.

Now blessed with two children, the protective mother ManilaTimes.net photo

in her has grown twice over, leading her to join a growing advocacy to create awareness for the “Child safety in Motor Vehicles Act of 2017.� Approved by the House of Representatives, the bill is now up for deliberation in the senate.

Conscious of being a wellinformed mother, Prats believes this is a very timely advocacy what with statistics in the Philippines showing an average of 600 children dying in road every year from 2006 to 2014.

To walk the talk, the actress

has partnered with Joie, a global manufacturer of baby car seats, strollers, high chairs, and baby carriers, to help raise awareness on the issue, happy to bring her little daughter into the ad campaign’s photo shoot.

Just how important are car seats for babies and children?

According to the World Health Organization, a good car safety system with rear-facing restraint can reduce the risk of injury for children aged 0 to 4 by 80 to 90 percent. seatbelts will only decrease the risk of by 32

percent. “We all know that in the Philippines, most parents aren’t used to putting their babies and toddlers in car seats, an existing law in many countries for a very long time,� Prats noted. “That’s why we shouldn’t waste any more time in making this a requirement on the road for the sake of our children. You can’t put a price on your children’s safety and I’m glad companies like Joie are helping us demonstrate the ways we can protect them today.� (ManilaTimes.net)

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6

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - February 7, 2018