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F EBRUARY 8-14, 2019 Volume 12 - No. 16 • 16 Pages

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USA

DATELINE Study: Filipinos spend 10 hours a day online, the most in the world FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Philippines also tops most time spent on social media

A NEW report revealed that people in the Philippines spent more time on the internet than any other country in the world in 2018.

The annual Digital 2019 report, created by social media platforms and agencies, We Are Social and Hootsuite, found that those in the Philippines spent an average of 10 hours and two minutes online, an increase from the nine hours and 29 minutes spent per day in the year prior.

The average amount of time spent worldwide clocked in at six hours and 42 minutes per day, with Japan spending the least amount of time online with just three hours and 45 minutes spent per day.

Taking a closer look at usage, the Philippines topped other countries when it came to time spent using the internet in front of a desktop or laptop computer. Compared to the global average of three hours and 28 minutes, the Philippines clocked in five hours and four minutes per day.

Duterte warns ISIS: ‘Do not surrender because I will kill you’

President warns of more terrorist attacks by the group he called ‘insane’ and ‘made in hell’

by NESTOR

CORRALES Inquirer.net

“insane” and “made in hell.”

“We have this insane ISIS that they would kill. And I expect that they would MANILA – President Rodrigo do some bombings here and bombDuterte warned of more terroristic at- ings there ‘cause that’s what they get tacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and in the Middle East,” Duterte said in a Syria (ISIS), which he described as speech during the oath taking of new-

torious for staging suicide bombings and other brutal terrorist attacks, as “terrible.”

“Do not surrender because I will kill you,” he said, referring to members of the terrorist group.

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PH health department: 55 children dead in Metro Manila measles outbreak

by NATHALIE

ROBLES

AJPress

THE Philippines Department of Health (DOH) announced that 55 children have died due to the measles outbreak in the National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday, February 6.

DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III declared the outbreak of the highly contagious disease due to a 550 percent increase of patients — with a total of 169 cases u PAGE A5 — from January 1 to 19 as compared to the same period last year with only 20 cases.

“We are declaring an outbreak as cases have increased in the past weeks and to strengthen surveillance of new cases and alert mothers and caregivers to be more vigilant,” the health secretary said as reported

by The Philippine Star.

The health department’s Epidemiology Bureau said that the measles-affected individuals are concentrated in the cities of Manila, Caloocan, Marikina, Pasig, Navotas, Parañaque, Taguig, Pasay and Malabon.

San Lazaro Hospital, a referral center for infectious MAJORITY of Filipinos believe they are not u PAGE A2 “fully prepared” for disaster, according to a recent study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative.

According to the poll conducted in 2017 and released on Tuesday, February 5, only 36 percent of Filipino respondents perceive themselves as “fully ready” for disasters.

This, despite the campaigns of the government, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), and media.

Nearly 47 percent of respondents claimed that they have made no preparations for a natural hazard in the last five years. In the same survey, which is part of HHI’s DisasterNet Philippines project, 82 percent said they do not have an emergency kit or “go bag”, while 62 percent said they have no first aid kit.

Around 83 percent of Filipinos surveyed said they only discussed emergency plans The mother of nine-month-old Kyzhia Hope H. Montellano has decided to have with family members when prompted. her daughter vaccinated with measles following the rise of measles cases. Ellen

Only 36% of Filipinos in Harvard Humanitarian Initiative poll ‘fully prepared’ for disasters

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ly-appointed government officials in Malacañang on Thursday, February 7.

“Ah pagka ganun patayan talaga ‘yan (It will be a bloodbath). No quarters given. No quarters asked,” he added.

The president also called ISIS, no-

Lumayag-Lacson a midwife at the health center in Barangay T Padilla, Cebu City administers the vaccine.

Inquirer.net photo by Junjie Mendoza

17TH FILIPINO FRANCHISE AND BUSINESS EXPO. Senator Cynthia A. Villar, leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the opening of the 17th Filipino Franchise and Business Expo at the World Trade in Pasay City. The re-elecrionist senator acknowledges the significant contribution of the organization in poverty reduction and the country’s economic growth.

Senate photo

Palace agrees Dengvaxia scare sank vaccine confidence

by RYAN

MACASERO Philstar.com

MANILA — The Dengvaxia scare may have contributed to an outbreak of measles in parts of the Philippines, Malacañang said Thursday, February 7 while also acknowledging Public Attorney’s Office Chief Persida Acosta’s “passion” for cases related to the controversial vaccine.

“Is that the reality [that the Dengvaxia probe caused vaccine scare]? Was the scandal what discouraged people from vaccinating? It seems so,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told Palace reporters.

Gabriela Metro Manila held a protest at the Department of Health (DOH) main office on October

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31, 2018 over poor government response to Dengvaxia fiasco.

Philstar.com photo

Duterte impersonator turns heads at Hong Kong church Top-level US officials to review US-PH defense treaty by

RAE ANN VARONA AJPress

A Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte impersonator sparked frenzy and confusion during a mass in a Hong Kong church. He was accompanied by Howard X, the Hong Kong-based impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Inquirer.net

HEADS were turned on Sunday, February 2 when a Rodrigo Duterte impersonator walked into a Hong Kong church frequented by many of the city’s Filipino community members during a mass service. By his side was an uncanny doppelganger of North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Impersonating Duterte was 57-year-old Filipino Cresencio Estremos Jr., who also goes by his impersonator name of Cresencio Extreme. Taking on the look of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was Hong Kong-based impersonator Howard X, who also acts as Estremos’ agent.

With Estremos wearing a traditional barong tagalog shirt and black trousers, and Howard wearing a black Mao Suit, the two looked almost exactly like the two real leaders and gave the spectators great photo opportunities.

Agence France-Presse reported all eyes were on the duo as they sat in on the hour-long mass.

While many found the performance amusing and took the opportunity to take photos with the toy gun-holding impersonators outside when the mass service ended, some were not so impressed.

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by AJPRESS DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Chief Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday, February 4 that a highranking panel of United States officials will review the U.S.-Philippines 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

“They have been asking me what our plans and their highlevel delegations will be arriving here soon, not yet the formal talks but just maybe the audience to explore what other things that we are thinking on our side. We also want to know what they are

thinking on their side,” Lorenzana said as reported by CNN Philippines.

The defense chief wanted to clarify the “ambiguities” in the 67-year-old agreement. He stated that the review might cover recent controversies involving the issue in the contested West Philippine Sea. “We just want to know, remove the ambiguities because they always say that we do not involve ourselves in territorial disputes. I think that’s the origin of all the problems in the West Philippine Sea when they said we are not

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February 8-14, 2019 • NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

From the Front Page

Duterte warns ISIS: ‘Do not...

PAGE A1 “So that’s it. We have the ISIS. It’s a terrible… It’s a… That thing is or was made in hell. Kaya ko man pumatay ng tao (I can kill a person), but it has to be a good

reason. Self-defense, defense of relatives, defense of stranger, fulfilling your duty as a peace officer,” he added.

Duterte had earlier ordered government troops to annihilate

terrorists and enemies of the state following the twin explosions at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu that killed at least 20 people and injured almost 100. n

PH health department: 55 children dead...

PAGE A1 diseases in Manila, has seen the most number of patients with measles. The hospital receives an average of 48 measles cases on a daily basis.

Outbreak expands to nearby regions in Luzon and Visayas The health secretary said that the department expanded the outbreak to the nearby regions in the entire Luzon, Central and Eastern Visayas due to the “increasing trend” of measles cases in the said areas.

“We are expanding the declaration of the outbreak from Metro Manila to the other regions as cases have increased in the past weeks,” Duque said as reported

by Rappler.

The health department recorded 575 cases with nine deaths in CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna,

plified by Public Attorneys Office (PAO) chief Persida Acosta who represented the loved ones of those inoculated with Dengvaxia.

She was accused of eliminating the public trust with the country’s immunization programs.

Vice President Leni Robredo said that the outbreak may have been avoided if public officials have been careful with their accusations. She urged them not to politicize important concerns and “avoid comments and ac- INCREASING ALCOHOL TAX RATES. Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Committee on Ways & Means, together with Senator Manny Pacquiao, cusations that erode the trust of intently listen to resource persons during the public hearing on the proposed measure increasing the excise tax rates on alcohol products. people.”

Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo “Ito, ‘yung vaccination na ito maganda, ‘yung numero na natin at papunta na tayo sa eradication.

Tapos dahil sa mga irresponsible na accusations, mga buhay ng PAGE A1 Duque said the “baseless” that favors the clients. She’s purkabataan ang ating tinataya (This The Department of Health statements have eroded the agen- suing an advocacy, and [is] imvaccination has resulted in good confirmed Wednesday that there cy’s reputation and affected trust passioned,” Panelo said.

He added, “So I cannot blame u PAGE A5 were a measles outbreaks in Met- in vaccines.

A 2018 study of the London her for that. But even if we do that ro Manila and Central Luzon. On Thursday, the DOH said there School of Hygiene and Tropical as lawyers, we are confronted have alse been high incidences Medicine noted that the country’s with realities that our position response” may affect and impact negatively of measles cases in Central and “highly-politicized to the reported risks posed by on the general public.”

Eastern Visayas.

Health Secretary Francisco Dengvaxia has eroded overall Acosta filed a case against Duque III has blamed PAO Chief public trust in immunization.

Duque and 30 respondents April The research, which involved 2018 over death’s the PAO chief Acosta’s claims that the antidengue vaccine has caused the 1,500 participants, found that the believes to be caused by the deaths of at least 32 people for a respondents who expressed con- dengvaxia vaccine, despite the supposed erosion in the public’s fidence in vaccines declined to 32 fact that medical experts have retrust in the Health department percent last year from 93 percent buked this theory. in 2015. and in vaccines.

Duque called the charges Acosta said however that her “baseless” and “oppressive.”

Acosta has been filing cases over deaths that she said hap- office should not be blamed for According to Panelo, President pened after the victims were given the outbreak.

Rodrigo Duterte — who encourAcosta: DOH should take re- aged the public last week to trust Dengvaxia and that she said were caused by the vaccine, which was sponsibility vaccinations — told Duque not to FRIENDS, PARTNERS AND ALLIES. U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim (center) answers found in November 2017 to put “The one who should take re- worry about the cases. reporters after his welcome message at the Conference on The Future of the U.S.-Philippines those given the vaccine and who sponsibility is the DOH,” Acosta “[He said] don’t worry about Bilateral Relationship held at Rigodon Room of The Peninsula Manila in Makati City on Thursday, had not previously had dengue said in an interview with GMA’s your case, because it will prosFebruary 7. The conference tackled the 67-year-old Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between at risk of contracting severe den- “Unang Balita”. She said: “They per against,” Panelo said, saying Washington and Manila. Beside Kim is Undersecretary Emilio A. Manalo of the Department of should be the ones to explain.” gue. the president was supportive of Foreign Affairs.

PNA Photo by Ben Briones She said PAO was “only do- Duque. “The president is always The Department of Health and other when either of them is at- ing the agreement on our alliance other experts have said that there ing its job” in carrying out the affected by any negative outcome evolves so we would welcome is no direct link between Dengvax- Dengvaxia investigations. tacked by a foreign force. that relates to children,” he addU.S. Ambassador to Manila taking a close look at the treaty ia and the deaths of the children Despite the Palace’s agreement ed.

Sung Kim supported the idea of to see whether we can make any the PAO has investigated. with Duque, Panelo said they On Wednesday, Vice President the defense secretary to have a adjustments to make even better Panelo said he agrees with this would also not stop Acosta from Leni Robredo told the public to review of the defense treaty. He what it is now,” Kim said as re- assessment. continuing the Dengvaxia probe. avoid “irresponsible comments” said that any agreement of such ported by The Philippine Star.

He said that he understands but would also not point specifi“Duque’s finding show deaths According to Lorenzana, the were linked to pneumonia, heart Acosta’s “passion” as a lawyer. importance “should be looked at cally on who was to blame for the review of the treaty is expected disease TB (tuberculosis) etc…,” very closely.”

“Well you know, the PAO chief measles outbreak.

“The circumstances surround- to happen within the year. n as a lawyer is defending a theory Panelo said. u PAGE A5 Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) as compared to 21 cases in 2018.

Central Luzon has 192 cases with four deaths as compared to 32 cases in 2018.

Western Visayas has 104 cases and three deaths as compared to 16 cases in 2018, while Central Visayas has 71 cases with one death — a 3,450 percent increase — as compared to just two cases in 2018.

Vaccine scare from Dengvaxia issue The DOH earlier said that the country’s vaccination coverage rate dropped by 60 percent after the issue that linked the deaths of children to the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. The department said that the parents now feared that vaccines would cause deadly side effects.

The said fear was allegedly am-

Top-level US officials to review US-PH...

PAGE A1 involving ourselves in territorial disputes,” he said.

He said that the U.S. review team should specify the assistance that they are willing to extend in the country since a lot of security concerns are present in the area. He added that the first world country might be of help should extreme territorial disputes arise.

“They could define our territory also, what is the limit of our territories. If they said that they are going to defend us or help us if Metropolitan Philippines is attacked, what do they mean by ‘Metropolitan Philippines?’ Does it include Scarborough Shoal, Mischief Reef or Pag-asa (island)? That’s ambiguous there,” Lorenzana said.

“Suppose there will be shooting there, and they invoked the MDT then you are involved, we’re involved,” he added.

The 1951 agreement included a provision that the Philippines and the U.S. would assist each

Palace agrees Dengvaxia scare sank...

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Dateline USa

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARY 8-14, 2019

Filipina doctor named chief of staff at Glendale hospital

by Christina

M. Oriel

AJPress

MEETING AT THE PALACE. President Rodrigo Duterte gives a message as he meets with the Barangay Councilors from the Fourth District of Quezon City at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, February 6.

Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo

Duterte impersonator turns heads...

PAGE A1 One lady described the stunt to AFP as being “impolite.”

“Coming in here to make a scene—our Duterte is not like that,” she said.

But the church wasn’t the only location visited by the leader impersonators as the two also posed for some photos while eating fried chicken at a local Jollibee.

In an attempt to follow close to Duterte-style rhetoric, Estremos said after the meal: “When I arrived at Hong Kong airport, I didn’t see any beautiful ladies, but now I realize that Jollibee is where they are all hidden.”

He added, “If any drug lords are listening, I might look like him, but I’m not the president.

So I will kill you, but don’t kill me.”

It wasn’t the first time Estremos made a public appearance as Duterte. Many may recognize him from the Philippine reality show, “Pilipinas Got Talent,” where he first gained widespread attention in 2018.

On the show, Estremos went on stage with four bodyguards and wowed judges with not only his strong resemblance to the country’s president, but with his impressively Duterte-like voice.

Estremos, who hails from Manticao, Misamis Oriental, said he found fame when a photo of him went viral and as a result got many appearance invitations.

He told the South China Morning Post that he used to be afraid of the fact that he looked like Duterte until a TV manager encouraged him to enjoy it.

Only 36% of Filipinos in Harvard...

PAGE A1 Areas hit by typhoon ‘most ready’ The study also showed that respondents residing in areas frequently hit by typhoons are the ones who think that they are more prepared. These respondents also believe they are “selfreliant” in disaster preparedness due to their previous experiences.

At least 52 percent of respondents living in Eastern Visayas felt very prepared. In Bicol, 49 percent of respondents said they are prepared while 44 percent in the Western Visayas said they were. Among respondents in the National Capital Region, 32 percent sais they are prepared for disasters.

More respondents in Bicol, and in Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas said they discuss disasters in advance Only 31 percent of respondents in Northern Mindanao said they felt prepared for disasters, the lowest among those surveyed.

42 percent have lost propery, homes to disaster The study revealed that around 42 percent of respondents experienced significant damage to property, assets and had been displaced from their homes due to a disaster.

The Eastern Visayas, which was hit by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013, had 97 percent if respondents saying they had homes damaged destroyed by a disaster. Only 16 percent of the respondents had been displaced for at least a week and seven percent were displaced for over three months in the national level.

Aside from the dominant damage to property, the study also showed that majority of Filipinos think their capability to cope and recover is limited.

Only 22 percent said they were confident that they would recover from a future disaster while 38 percent of the respondents said they would have a hard time coping in future calamities.

According to the srudy, residents of the Visayas take the longest to recover from disasters.

‘Money main barrier for disaster preparedness’ The survey also found out that most Filipinos think money is the main hindrance for them to prepare for disasters with 47.5 percent of respondents saying they lack funds.

It added that 92 percent of respondents from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said they had insufficient funds.

Around 74 percent said they were not able to invest in disaster preparedness and 20 percent said they do not have time to get ready for disasters.

In line with this, majority of Filipinos were also determined to have no insurance for hazards. Only 19 percent said they have life insurance, 56 percent had health or medical insurance, three percent had home insurance, and only two and a half percent had asset insurance.

When it comes to assistance, 52 percent of Filipino respondents said they received aid from local government units, in line with the national disaster management’s policies.

About 57 percent of respondents said they were provided with food and water assistance, emergency shelter (five percent), medicine (eight percent), temporary employment or cash (four percent), or livelihood assistance (four percent).

Only nine percent claimed the government provided them housing and location assistance in Central Luzon, six percent in Northern Mindanao, and five percent in Eastern Visayas.

Only few Filipinos also said they received temporary employment and cash-for-work with 20 percent of them are from Eastern Visayas and 17 percent are from Western Visayas.

‘First nationwide study on disaster response’ The Harvard report seek to determine “the Filipinos’ views on climate change and its anticipated impacts and offers unique reflections on Filipinos’ expectations of who is responsible for disaster response.”

HHI Resilient Communities Program Director Vincenzo Bollettino said it is the first nationwide survey of its kind.

“As an archipelago located in the Pacific Rim of Fire, the Philippines is exposed to an array of natural hazards. How Filipinos understand their own exposure to these hazards and the steps they take to cope with them is crucial to formulating relevant national policy and planning,” Bollettino said in a release.

HHI surveyed 4,368 Filipino households nationwide. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

Nearly 47 percent of respondents claimed that they have made no preparations for a natural hazard in the last five years. In the same survey, 82 percent said they do not have an emergency kit or “go bag”, while 62 percent said they have no first aid kit. Philstar.com file photo by KJ Rosales

“I never could have anticipated people’s reactions,” he told SCMP. “One of the Duterte’s goals is to kill all the drug lords and get rid of corruption, so when people discovered I looked like him, I was scared that the drug lords would think I was the President and kill me.”

During his appearance on “Pilipinas Got Talent” last year, Estremos did say that he hoped to meet the real Duterte someday.

“Mr. President, it is my dream na mag kita tayo. Palagi ako nag susuporta sa programa mo (It is my dream we meet. I have always supported your program),” said Estremos. n

A FILIPINA doctor has been named the chief of staff at Dignity Health-Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California, becoming the first person of Filipino descent to hold that position and the fourth female in the hospital’s history.

Dr. Brigeli Westerband, who has been an emergency room physician at the hospital for the past 20 years, was elected to a two-year term at the beginning of January.

She succeeds previous chief of staff, Dr. Randall Roberts.

“I’m following in the footsteps of a lot of great doctors who have been part of the institution for decades,” Westerband told the Asian Journal in a recent interview. “We have some doctors who have been here for 50 years and that has to mean something.

I am proud to say that I am only the fourth woman chief of staff.”

She also acknowledged joining the ranks of Dr. Virginia Keller, who not only was the first female chief of staff at the hospital in the mid-1950s, but also the first female to hold that high position in the West.

Under this position, Westerband’s duties include enforcing the medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations, and keeping the medical staff up to date on changes at the nonprofit, acute care hospital.

“This is a place...[where] I’ve devoted a big part of my professional career,” she said. “We are committed to providing quality and safe care to our patients.

Brigeli Westerband, an emergency room physician, was named chief of staff at Glendale Memorial Hospital this past January.

AJPress photo by Noel Ty

My role as chief of staff is also to bring that strength to our medical staff,” she said.

Glendale Memorial President Jill Welton said in a statement to the Asian Journal that it was “gratifying to have a dedicated, compassionate woman, such as Dr. Westerband, leading the helm of physician alignment at Glendale Memorial.” She added that the Filipina doctor’s 20-year service at the hospital “wonderfully mirrors our commitment” to the greater Glendale community.

A Los Angeles native, Westerband moved to the Philippines when her father, who was in the military, had an opportunity to work there. She went on to receive her medical degree from Far Eastern University in Manila and returned to the United States where she had her first internship in New Jersey.

She became board certified in emergency and internal medicine and found her way back to Southern California, where she ran a private practice before coming to Glendale Memorial as a staff physician in the emergency room.

“There have been a lot of changes in 20 years in terms of leadership…but I also saw that the only way you could make real changes is if you’re active in participating,” she reflected on her time at the hospital.

She was appointed the medical director of the emergency department in 2005 and sought more ways to be involved, which included joining the medical executive leadership team. She was chosen to be secretary-treasurer for two years, then another two years as vice chief of staff before her new role.

Westerband still works in the emergency room, where she has a 12-hour schedule for about 12 shifts a month.

Of her leadership style, she said she is “more of a person who wants to improve each person individually and bring out the best in each of them.”

“The only way you can be effective in whatever profession you choose is to be true to yourself,” she explained. “Doctors have an open and compassionate heart and as long as you remember why you went into the profession, you’ll succeed.”

With many Filipinos on staff at Glendale Memorial, Westerband hopes her visible role will inspire them to participate and make their voices heard as well.

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Dateline USa

BaACE-P participants pose in front of an FA-50 of the PAF and an F16 of the US at Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga.

Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force

PH, US fighter pilots complete bilateral training in Pampanga

by Christia

Marie Inquirer.net

raMos

THe Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) have concluded their joint training at the Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, February 5, by the U.S. embassy in Manila, members of the PAF and PACAF took part in a 12-day training dubbed as the Bilateral Air Contingent exchange-Philippines (BACe-P) from Jan. 21 to Feb. 1, 2019.

The training exercise served as an opportunity for fighter pilots from both military branches “to practice interfly training and conduct subject matter expert exchanges including intelligence, flight line, and maintenance operations.”

“Having the F-16 fighter [at Basa] allowed us to interact with our PAF (Philippine Air Force) partners along with their FA-50s and in turn helped to strengthen our interoperability and training with a key partner,” Col. Christopher Faurot, commander of the BACe-P 13th expeditionary Air Squadron, said in an article released by the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs.

“Through this engagement, our bilateral forces increased their interoperability, and our partners demonstrated that they are a disciplined, professional and highly motivated force,” he added.

The airmen also engaged in subject matter expert exchanges on topics on crash recovery, communications, fightline, and maintenance back-shop operations which concluded with a large

force exercise on February 1, the article further explained.

Meanwhile, Maj. Mario Mendoza, a PAF FA-50 pilot, said: “The U.S. Air Force [shared with] us a lot of [knowledge] throughout this exercise that we can really apply in the near future.”

“During our exchange, I learned a lot when it comes to fighter operations, specifically air-to-air and air-to-ground. Air-to-air-like intercepts of different kinds of targets, threats airborne, and… threats on the ground, specifically dealing with close air support mission,” he added.

According to the article, this year’s training is the seventh iteration of the BACe-P. The first one was conducted on April 16, 2016, by the U.S. Pacific Air Forces, which was led by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. n

Manila priest on list of Texas clergy accused of child sex abuse A DISCLoSUre by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston of the names of clergy accused of sexual abuse of children includes a Filipino priest who served at a parish church in Huntsville, Texas.

Fr. Moises Cabrera, who between 1985 and 1988 served as a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle in Huntsville was among 42 individuals named in the report.

The Huntsville church was one of six parishes in which Cabrera served over this three-year span.

He was removed from ministry in 1988 but began serving in Manila

in 1994, according to a report by The Huntsville Item.

Among Cabrera’s assignments had been at Prince of Peace, Houston, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Michael, St. rose of Lima — all in Houston, Texas — St. Thomas the Apostle, Huntsville.

The Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston was one of 14 in Texas to identify a total of 286 priests and others accused of sexually abusing children. Its website says “the list contains the names of priests about whom the Archdiocese has received credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.” The

allegations encompass nearly a 70-year span, from 1950 through the end of 2018.

“The Bishops of Texas have decided to release the names of these priests at this time because it is right and just and to offer healing and hope to those who have suffered,” Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, said in a statement. “on behalf of all who have failed in this regard, I offer my sincerest apology. our church has been lacerated by this wound and we must take action to heal it.” (Inquirer.net)

Study: Filipinos spend 10 hours a day online...

PAGE A1 The Philippines also —perhaps unsurprisingly— surpassed other countries when it came to social media use, with 99 percent of internet users in the country on at least one type of social media platform. This, compared to the global average of 58 percent.

Also having 99 percent social media penetration were Malaysia, Taiwan, and the United Arab emirates.

Holding the highest numbers

in social media use, spending an average of four hours and 12 minutes on social media—approximately double the global average of two hours and 16 minutes.

The time was slightly higher than the previous year which recorded an average of three hours and 57 minutes among Philippine social media users.

According to the report, the number of social media users in the Philippines grew from 67

million to 76 million. Facebook was also unsurprisingly the social media platform of choice with 75 million Philippine users on it.

But on the Facebook-owned photo and video-sharing social media platform Instagram, users in the Philippines faired lower than the global average with only 14-percent of people aged 13 years old and older using the platform. (Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

Palace agrees Dengvaxia scare sank...

PAGE A2 “[S]ana naiiwasan iyong mga irresponsible na mga comments saka accusation, na nakakaerode ng tiwala ng tao sa kung ano iyong dapat nilang gawin, lalo na pagdating sa health ng mga bata (We should avoid irresponsible comments and accu-

sations that erode trust in what should be done, especially when it comes to children’s health),” robredo said.

“Itong vaccination na ito, parang — halimbawa, iyong measles, ano na tayo, eh, maganda na iyong numero natin at papunta na tayo doon sa eradication.

Tapos dahil sa mga irresponsible na mga accusations, mga buhay ng ating mga kabataan iyong itinataya. (These vaccinations, for example — measles, it was headed toward eradication. Then because of irresponsible accusations, our children’s lives are now at stake)” n

Filipina doctor named chief of staff at...

PAGE A3 “We have a strong base of Filipinos in our community and we have a very big percentage of Filipino nurses. Filipinos, in gen-

eral, are known to be caregivers, whether they’re nurses, doctors or others in the medical field,” she said. “It brings about some pride in our community and I

think it gives those younger ones a role to look up to, not just being a woman, but also being an Asian woman and a minority.”

(Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

PH health department: 55 children dead...

PAGE A2 numbers and we’re on our way to eradicating measles. But because of irresponsible accusations, the lives of our youth have been put at risk),” robredo said as reported

by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“Sana yung ganitong kahalagang concerns hindi dapat napopolitika, kasi kapag pinasukan ng politika, ‘pag merong mga irresponsible na mga tao na binabahiran ng pagduda yung effectivity ng isang bagay na matagal nang na-test parang unfair ito sa ordinaryong Filipino (I hope that concerns as important as this would not be politicized because if there are irresponsible people who cast doubt on the effectivity of something that has long been tested, it would be unfair to ordinary Filipinos),” she added.

The chief public attorney answered back at her critics stating that blaming her for creating a “mass vaccine scare” is rather unfair. She said that she does not have anything against tried and tested immunization programs.

“Paano naman kami ang magiging may kasalanan sa measles problem natin ngayon, mandato ng DoH na mangampanya ng mga subok na bakuna. Ang PAo, ‘di po kontra sa mga subok na bakuna. Wala po tayong ibang bakuna na pinag-uusapan kundi Dengvaxia lang (How can we be responsible for the measles problem today? It is the mandate of the DOH to campaign for proven

immunization. We’re not against any tested vaccination. Our only concern here is Dengvaxia),” Acosta said as reported by the Philippine News Agency.

She said that the accusation is a mere “diversionary tactic.” She blamed the health department for using an experimental vaccine.

She also argued that she does not have anything against other vaccines except Dengvaxia.

“Galing lang ‘yan sa na-demanda, ginagamit nilang diversionary tactic ‘yung measles. Global ang measles outbreak. Hindi ko kasalanan kung ang DoH nanguna na magturok ng isang experimental Dengvaxia (Those who have been sued are using the issue as a diversionary tactic. The measles outbreak is global. It’s not my fault that DOH decided to use an experimental Dengvaxia),” Acosta said as reported by ABSCBN News.

“Hindi trabaho ng PAo na ipromote ang mga bakuna. Kung sa Dengvaxia, nagbahay-bahay sila, nag-school based, nagcommunity based, bakit hindi nila ginawa sa measles vaccine?

Kung sa Dengvaxia bumili sila ng P3.5 billion worth na Dengavaxia, ganiyan din ba kalaki ang ginastos nila sa measles vaccine?

Ngayon, magkaroon ng measles outbreak, kasalanan ng PAo (It is not the job of PAO to promote vaccines. If for Dengvaxia, they went house to house, they went to schools and the community,

why didn’t they do it for the measles vaccine? If they spent P3I5 billion for Dengvaxia, did they spend the same amount on measles vaccines? Now that there is a measles outbreak, it is suddenly the fault of PAO),” she added.

WHO concern with vaccine scare The World Health organization (WHo) expressed its concern to the country’s outbreak that is attributed to the vaccine scare.

WHo Country representative Gundo Weiler said that immunization programs have “huge benefits for those who received the vaccination.”

“We are very concerned [about] the situation because there are many cases of measles that could have been avoided if we had achieved higher vaccination coverage. The trust in vaccination has been challenged,” Weiler said.

“I think it is important that we rebuild trust and pass on the message very clearly that Dengvaxia is unrelated to the very well-established vaccination programs that have been running in the country for many years,” he added.

Measles is a viral, highly-contagious respiratory disease. Infected persons exhibit symptoms such as rashes, high fever, red eyes, runny nose, and cough.

The disease can cause diarrhea, middle ear infection, pneumonia, encephalitis, malnutrition, blindness and may lead to death. n

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARY 8-14, 2019

More than 10K Filipino nurses took test for US license in 2018, ACTS-OFW says More than 10,000 Filipino nurses took the U.S. licensure examination for the first time in 2018, making up the bulk of test takers.

According to a release by ACTSoFW party-list, 10,302 Filipinos took the National Council Licensure examination (NCLeX), up from 7,791 first-time test takers in 2017.

In contrast, 1,232 Indians, 1,017 Puerto ricans, 783 South Koreans and 601 Nigerians took the NCLeX for the first time in 2018, rep. Aniceto Bertiz III said. Puerto ricans are U.S. citizens.

The U.S. National Council of State Boards of Nursing Inc. administers the NCLeX to license registered nurses and practical nurses. Taking the test in the Philippines through the Perasin VUe center in Makati costs $200 (P10,500), ACTS-oFW said.

The party-list said the number of Filipino nurses taking the test for the first time “is considered a good indicator as to how many of them are trying to enter the profession in America.”

Bertiz said: “There’s no question many Filipino nurses looking for greener pasture overseas prefer to work and live in America, mainly due to the superior hourly pay, plus our attachment to the Western culture.”

Bertiz, whose LinkedIn profile lists him as the president and Ceo of recruitment agency Global Asia Alliance Consultant Inc. and the spokesperson of the oFW Advocates Coalition, said

nurses are not covered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) yearlong ban on temporary work visas for Filipinos.

“Filipino nurses entering America through the sponsorship of their prospective U.S. employers apply for and are issued a separate entry permit — the H-1B visa,” Bertiz said.

The party-list said it expects

the demand for Filipino nurses in America to steadily increase in the years ahead.

“America’s nursing workforce is growing old, and they are not producing new nurses fast enough, mainly because they lack teaching staff. In fact, U.S. schools are turning away many would-be nursing students due to the shortage of qualified instructors,” Bertiz said. (Philstar.com)

ACTS-OFW party-list said the number of Filipino nurses taking the test for the first time “is considered a good indicator as to how many of them are trying to enter the profession in America.”

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

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FEBRUARY 8-14, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

OPINION

FEATURES

Top-secret assets

WHILE President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order promoting freedom of information in the executive branch, the House of Representatives is going in the opposite direction when it comes to transparency and public accountability.

On Wednesday, January 30, the House of Representatives adopted Resolution 2467, which imposes stringent rules — and hefty fees — for access to HOR members’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. All government officials are required by law to submit the SALN every year. Mass media used to be able to access the annual submissions, which are supposed to be a matter of public record.

Now access to the SALNs must be coursed through a formal request that must have final approval from the House plenary after vetting by a newly formed special committee. For every SALN, the requesting party must pay P300. This means access to the SALNs of all 291 members of the HOR will cost P87,300.

Among the reasons cited in the House resolution is that information in the SALN “may be used to render them and members of their family vulnerable to threats to life and security, influence the action of the House or its Committees and, consequently, undermine the independence of the legislative branch.”

Considering that each lawmaker is secured by at least one police bodyguard, lesser mortals who must settle for one police officer per about 500

people must be wondering about this vulnerability. One need not peek into any lawmaker’s SALN to threaten his or her security.

The House, however, is only behaving true to form. There are House members who would want taxpayers to consider congressmen’s assets as a matter of national security, exempted from public scrutiny and rules on accountability.

Lawmakers have posed the toughest roadblocks to the fight against money laundering. Corruption and tax evasion were among the last offenses to be included among the predicate crimes covered by the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Lawmakers also continue to resist proposals to ease bank secrecy rules and regulate campaign finance.

It’s noteworthy that House Resolution 2467 was approved even as Congress is squabbling with the executive branch over a national budget that has been reenacted for the first time since 2009. The reenacted budget – which opens doors for corruption and misuse of people’s money – is now in its second month. The approval of HR 2467 is hardly surprising, but this does not lessen the disappointment over a move that is a step backward in efforts to promote transparency, accountability and good governance. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

President Trump’s State of the Union address: A historical primer

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS AS OF PRESS TIME, President Donald Trump addressed the American people on Tuesday night, February 5 through the State of the Union (SOTU) address, which was originally scheduled for January 31, but had to be rescheduled because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

This tradition has a basis in the U.S. Constitution. Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 mandates that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

While the SOTU has undergone several name changes through the years, the focus of the president’s official message

delivered in-person has been changing as the Union faces different challenges, crises and opportunities since President Woodrow Wilson’s 1913 address.

According to the records of the House of Representatives, “earlier Annual Messages of the President included agency budget requests and general reports on the health of the economy.

During the 20th century, Congress required more-specialized reports on these two aspects, separate from the Annual Message: Budget Message, required by the National Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 (42 Stat.

20) to be delivered to Congress no more than two weeks after Congress convenes in January.

Economic Report, required by the Employment Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 23), with a flexible delivery date.

Over time, as the message content changed, the focus of the State of the Union also

changed: In the 19th century, the annual message was both a lengthy administrative report on the various departments of the executive branch and a budget and economic message.

After 1913, when Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of presenting the message to Congress in person, it became a platform for the President to rally support for his agenda.

Technological changes—radio, television, and the Internet—further developed the State of the Union into a forum for the President to speak directly to the American people.

After the president delivers the SOTU, it has been a tradition to hear the State of the Union from the opposition party. According to the House, this began in 1966 when the television networks provided the Republican party with a half-hour slot. Senator Everett Dirksen (Republican, Illinois) and Representative Gerald R. Ford (Republican, Michigan)

delivered the first opposition response. By 1976 the television networks were providing a slot for the opposition party almost immediately after the State of the Union address.

DAYS BEFORE Trump’s SOTU, almost seven in 10 said the federal government was doing a bad job of governing, with four out of 10 saying the government under Trump’s presidency is “the worst governing of their lifetimes”, according to the latest CNN poll.

President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 40 percent approve to 55 percent disapprove, according to the same new poll.

As we digest Trump’s SOTU, let us check out what the polls say regarding important issues that serve as the backdrop to Trump’s message. Quoting CNN: Trump’s approval rating for handling immigration — the issue at the heart of the shutdown — stands at 41 percent. Although

that is also not a significant improvement compared with his ratings before the shutdown, it is his best read on the matter in CNN polling since April 2017.

But most still disapprove of the President’s work on the issue (54 percent disapprove) and the public is largely opposed to Trump’s proposed paths forward on the wall he pledged to build along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. Two-thirds say he should not declare a national emergency in order to build the wall (66 percent should not vs.

31 percent should), and 57 percent say they would oppose another partial government shutdown over wall funding.

The President’s base, however, is playing a different tune.

Among conservative Republicans, there is massive support for another government shutdown (78 percent would favor that if no agreement is reached including wall funding) or for the declaration of a national

emergency in order to build the wall (72 percent favor that).

With the American people fearing another government shutdown because of Trump refusing to support any spending bill that will not fund for his wall with the warning this could happen again if he does not get the funding by February 15, the poll suggests most want to avoid shutdowns in the future: 53 percent would back legislation preventing any future shutdowns, 40 percent would oppose that.

WILL TRUMP SUCCEED in his goal to get the American people on board and support his agenda and priorities. Will he be able to “unify” the American people through his State of the Union Address moving forward? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

‘Misinformation’ named 2018 Word of the Year

Commentary

YEN MAKABENTA MORE than TIME magazine’s increasingly discredited Person of the Year citation, I follow avidly the yearly competition among lexicographers and language mavens to pick the Word of the Year.

From the Poynter Institute and the writer Daniel Funke, I got significant details of the citation.

Funke wrote in November 2018: “In 2016, the Word of the Year was ‘post-truth.’ In 2017, it was ‘fake news.’ In 2018, the word of choice was significantly ‘misinformation.’”

In a press release sent to Poynter (the Poynter Institute), Dictionary.com said it chose the word “misinformation” — which it defines as “false information that is spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead” — amid the growing role of technology platforms in spreading fakery online.

“Recognizing ‘misinformation’ as the 2018 word of the year reveals once again the perspective that we can gain by thinking about the words of our time,” said Liz McMillan, CEO of Dictionary. com, in the release. “The emergence of a lexicon to describe misinformation alone is a telling sign.”

The runners-up for Dictionary.com’s 2018 word of the year were “representation,” “selfmade” and “backlash.”

“The recent explosion of misinformation and the growing vocabulary we use to understand it have come up again and again in the work of our lexicographers,” said Jane Solomon, linguist-inresidence at Dictionary.com, in the release. “Over the last couple of years, Dictionary.com has been defining words and updating terms related to the evolving understanding of misinformation.”

The site’s choice of “misinformation” instead of the widely used “disinformation” was purposeful. While the latter implies intent to mislead, the former does not. When people share misinformation, they often believe the content to be true — even if the original sharer had malintent, according to Dictionary.com.

The company cited several events over the past year that contributed to its decision to choose “misinformation” as word of the year. Among them include the continued role of Facebook in spreading hoaxes, the rise of the QAnon conspiracy theory, WhatsApp rumors that led to mob violence in India and widespread misinformation during the Brazilian election.

Dictionary.com is just the latest dictionary to choose a misinformation-related term as its

word of the year.

In 2016, Oxford Dictionaries chose “post-truth” (“relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief”). In 2017, Collins Dictionary opted for “fake news” (“false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”).

Suzanne Fields on missing gatekeepers It was Suzanne Fields, columnist of the Washington Times, who alerted me to the selection of “misinformation” as the word of the year.

In a column published on Dec. 14, 2018, she made this pregnant comment on communications in contemporary times. She wrote: “This has been a rough year for news junkies. Changing stations for network and cable-TV news reveals not coherence but alternative realities. It’s easy to be confounded when caught in the middle of a muddle of polarizing differences, as social media spreads interpretations of the theology of what Flip Wilson, a popular comic of an earlier time, called the Church of What’s Happening Now. Today, the abundance of sources enables the news to fit personal prejudices and predispositions. It’s the famous slogan of The New York Times, ‘All the news that’s fit to print,’ distorted to ‘All the news

that fits our bias, we print.’

“Television is the most obvious distorter of the news, but newspapers have their biases, too. Gone are most of the rigorous, careful editors of bygone generations. Abe Rosenthal, the celebrated executive editor of The New York Times, is long dead. Horace Greeley, founder of the dominant New York Tribune, is even longer dead. So, too, is Walter Cronkite, the authoritative anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News’ whose stentorian voice soothed his audience during the Vietnam War with his signature sign-off, ‘And that’s the way it is’ — not always accurate but reassuring.

“The voices from respected institutions of newspapers and television networks once provided confidence in what was printed and said. We trusted them as gatekeepers. Investigative reporting was not driven by partisan opinion.

“Loud barkers and boxcar headlines have always been around to mislead and misinform, eager to manipulate emotions. But most readers and viewers in simpler times were sure they knew how to separate the wheat of facts from the chaff of manipulation.

“That’s harder to do now. The language mavens at Dictionary. com have named ‘misinformation’ the Word of the Year. They stress that ‘disinformation,’

which is deliberately spread for malignant effect, is not the same as misinformation, though sometimes there’s a thin line of difference. When a person reads or sees this disinformation, believes it and passes it on, it becomes ‘misinformation.’

“Much that is passed on as grist for social media never goes through a competent fact-checker, and misinformation is spread, sometimes innocently, as news.

And in a culture as divided and polarized as the one we live in, the question is moot. Even when it imitates the old structures for sorting out “the facts,” many journalists are crippled, either in self-delusion or self-defense, by bias that leads to self-censoring the news.

“In an era of post-truth and ‘fake news,’ factoids are often accepted as the real thing and spread like gossip that quickly becomes gospel among the partisans of both right and left, feeding voracious appetites for support of prejudices.

“The information balance of power has changed, writes Martin Gurri in a new book, The Revolt of the Public, which dissects with originality and depth the impact of the internet on the political culture. ‘A generation ago, the public could exist only as a passive audience,’ he writes of the great age when the daily newspaper was the king of the mountain and television news

was dispensed on a reassuring hierarchical model, from the top down.

“The digital platforms today have created a new and different kind of public, one empowered by the online news, which it creates, collects and dispenses from preferred sites with ideology and emotion outrunning balance and thoughtfulness” In November 2017, I wrote a column on “misinformation” and “disinformation” to underscore the confusion ignited by “fake news.” I wrote then: “Instead of the Babel of definitions that are being used to define ‘fake news,’ I propose to readers and colleagues — and the Senate committee on information — that they adopt with two terms that are more precise and clearer: ‘misinformation’ and ‘disinformation.’

“The writer Franklin Veaux has provided an arresting distinction between the two.

“He said ‘misinformation’ is information that is false, but the person who is disseminating it believes that it is true.

“On the other hand, ‘disinformation’ is information that is false, and the person who is disseminating it knows it is false. It is a deliberate, intentional lie.

“Both are false information. All fake news is false information.

“At the time, former Foreign Affairs secretary Alan Cayetano PAGE A7

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Dateline PhiliPPines

BI: No blue collar jobs for foreigners in PH by aJPress

DFA OFFICIALS CONFIRMED. Senate President and Commission on Appointments chairman Vicente C. Sotto III (center) and Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri (right) pose with five foreign service officials whose appointments were confirmed on Wednesday, February 6, namely (from left to right) Ambassador to India Ramon Bagatsing, Jr., Ambassador to Republic of Korea Noe Albano Wong, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia Noel Eugene Eusebio Mejica Servigon, Ambassador to Chile Ma. Theresita Cruz-Daza, and Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Christopher Baltazar Montero. Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo

House recalls death penalty for illegal drugs during parties

by Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

The Philippines’ house of Representatives withdrew its approval of the re-imposed the death penalty for convicted offenders found in possession of illegal drugs during parties, social gatherings and meetings on Wednesday, February 6.

Assistant Majority Leader and Zamboanga Sibugay First District Rep. Wilter Palma II made a motion to reconsider the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 after it was approved on its third and final reading on Monday, February 4.

“Madam Speaker, I move that we recommit house Bill No. 8909 to the committee on dangerous drugs to allow the committee to introduce necessary amendments thereto,” Palma said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Deputy Majority Leader and Kabayan Representative Ron Salo agreed and moved for the reconsideration of the recommitment of the bill to the panel level.

“Madam Speaker, earlier we recommitted house Bill No. 8909 to the committee on dangerous drugs for necessary amendments. I move, Madam Speaker, that we reconsider the recommitment of house Bill No. 8909 to the committee on dangerous drugs,” Salo added.

The said bill authored by house Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo elevated the punishment from life

imprisonment to death for those who dare to violate the Dangerous Drugs Law. On Monday, the lower house approved the bill with an overwhelming vote of 172-0. The lower legislative chamber sought to strengthen the drug campaign of Duterte by proposing amendments to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165).

“Any person found possessing any dangerous drugs during a party, or at a social gathering or meeting, or in the proximate company of at least two persons shall suffer the penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine of P500,000 to 10 million, regardless of the quantity and purity of such dangerous drugs,” the bill stated.

In the same bill, drug trafficking is defined as the “illegal cultivation, culture, delivery, administration, dispensation, manufacture, sale, trading, transportation, distribution, importation, exportation, chemical diversion” and having “precursor chemicals.”

Other amendments include the reduced validity of certificates from drug testing centers from one year to three months. Athletes will be required to undergo drug testing twice a year. house committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman and Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers enumerated the implications that illegal drug trade and abuse have caused in the Philippine society.

“I am fully aware of the dan-

Justice department indicts Rappler for cyber libel

by Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, February 6, released the decision indicting Rappler Incorporated, its Chief executive Officer (CeO) and executive editor Maria Ressa, and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of cyber libel for a story published in May 2012.

In the resolution dated on January 10, obtained by Rappler on February 4, and released to the media on February 6, all three members of the preliminary investigation panel of the justice department found probable cause and ruled in favor of the complainant - Wilfredo Keng.

Keng complained before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in October 2017 over an alleged malicious story written by Santos and published by Rappler on May 29, 2012.

The story At the height of former chief justice Renato Corona’s impeachment trial, Santos wrote the article “CJ using SUVs of ‘controversial businessmen” naming Keng as an alleged owner of a sports utility vehicle that transports Corona to and from the Senate.

The article compiled a series of intelligence reports that allegedly implicated the businessman to criminal cases such as murder, smuggling, illegal drugs and human trafficking. Keng confirmed ownership of a black Chevrolet Suburban with the plate ZWK 111 but denied Corona’s use of it.

The complaint Keng complained not on his alleged ownership of the vehicle but on the background details of his “shady past.” The DOJ prosecutors led by edwin Dayog said that the article had four elements of libel — defamatory, malicious, given publicity and with an identifiable victim.

Seven years after the story came out, Keng went to the NBI on October 11, 2017, and filed a formal affidavit on January 10, 2018. however, NBI Cybercrime Division under Manuel Antonio eduarte dismissed the complaint on February 22, 2018, for lack of

In this file photo, Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa submitted her counteraffidavit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the preliminary hearing.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

basis. Also, the prescription for filing libel is only within a year.

The same division revived the complaint when Keng submitted a supplemental affidavit on February 28, 2018 showing that Rappler updated the report on February 19, 2014, which is a time frame now covered by Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 which took effect four months after the original article was published.

Ressa said that such complaints and attacks thrown at the news website were “evidence” that the law is used as a weapon against them. Rappler, along with media outfits — Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN — had received threats from President Rodrigo Duterte.

“This indictment is evidence that the law has been weaponized: the NBI’s own lawyers recommended the case be thrown out, and the prosecutors wrongly named me an editor,” Ressa said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chair Nonoy espina said that the case would pose a danger in press freedom since articles published before the enactment of Republic Act No. 10175 could be used against the media outfits.

“This is an extremely dangerous proposition since it essenPAGE A8

gers, as well as the irreparable damage, that this menace has brought our people, our children and how the entire future of our country has been compromised.

Senseless killings, irreversible brain damage and a completely wasted populace are but some of the realities we face with the proliferation of illegal drugs,” Barbers said as reported by The Philippine Star. n

The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Wednesday, February 6, that the government will no longer issue work permits to foreign nationals who want to be employed as construction workers, cashiers, janitors and carpenters.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the bureau would tighten the requirements and procedures on the issuance of special and provisional work permits to foreigners in order to the country’s local workers.

“These new rules are meant to protect the interest of local workers. As we have observed that in the past, foreigners may abuse their permits and take away jobs from our kababayans (countrymen),” Morente said as reported

by The Philippine Star.

Professional work is also strictly regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to address the reported increase of foreign workers in the country.

They strived “to ensure that work permits are issued only to aliens whose jobs could not be performed by Filipinos.”

Among the additional requirements for work applicants are — validity of their stay as tourists; address, existence, nature of the business and financial viability of petitioning company, Securities and exchange Commission (SeC) registration and other government licenses to operate.

The new rules will be applied to both provisional work permit (PWP) and special work permit (SWP) holders. According to Rappler, a PWP consist of an alien employment permit (AeP) and a pending work visa, while SWP is for tourist visa holders employed for six months or less.

In line with the new set of regulations, only authorized immigration officers at the main office and alien control officers in the bureau’s field offices may approve or disapprove applicants for special (SWP) and provisional work permits (PWP).

Voluntary regularization On the same day, the Department of Labor and employment (DOLe) announced that with the help of employers Confederation of the Philippines (eCOP), they will implement a national voluntary regularization for over 200,000 workers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III announced that both the labor department and the eCOP is scheduled to sign on Friday, February 7, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to enforce the national voluntary regularization program.

“This will cover workers in more than 3,200 establishments, mostly eCOP members. As a start, between 30 to 40 percent of the workers of the pre-identified establishments will benefit from the plan this year alone” Bello said as he emphasized that the program will commence with this month.

Ideally, eCOP member companies are expected to have fully regularized all their estimated 220,000 workers within the next three years. n

‘Misinformation’ named 2018 Word...

PAGE A6 issued a barefaced lie in the media: ‘All drug war casualties in the Philippines are drug dealers.’

“This plainly is false information.

“Cayetano made the claim in an interview with Al Jazeera. he declared that all 3,800 people killed

so far in police operations in the drug war are drug dealers.

“Malacañang was more modest than Cayetano in talking about the drug war. Presidential spokesman ernesto Abella declared only that the government did not sanction killings under the drug war.

“Abella said in a statement: ‘We

wish to emphasize that one death is one too many. These deaths are being addressed to ensure the accountability of perpetrators, even as it calls upon witnesses and individuals who can provide valuable evidence that will lead to [the] speedy resolution of cases.’”

(ManilaTimes.net)

Dateline PhiliPPines

February 8-14, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL

http://www.asianjournal.com â&#x20AC;˘ (212) 655-5426

Second BOL elections successful despite Lanao bombings - Comelec

by AJPress

TRAVEL TOUR EXPO. Davao Oriental 1st District Rep. Corazon Malangyaon, Travel Tour Expo 2019 chair Marlene Dado Jante, Senator Maria Lourdes â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nancyâ&#x20AC;? Binay, Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) president Ritchie Tuano, and Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the opening of the 26th Travel Tour Expo and PTAA Expanding Partnerships with International Counterparts at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday, February 7. Eight national tourism organizations are participating in the expo, which aims to provide them the needed network to grow their operations.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared on Wednesday, February 6, that the second leg of plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in Mindanao was successful despite the bombings in Lanao del Norte.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that despite the security concerns in the two voting areasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cotabato and Lanao del Norte, the voter turnout is around 75 percent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We expected a lower turnout due to apprehensions because of security concerns in some places.

But people are coming out. They do not come in droves like in the previous elections but the stream of arrivals was steady,â&#x20AC;? Jimenez said as reported by The Philippine Daily Inquirer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So far, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showing up to be very successful elections. Of course, if something happens at the very last minute, that very last minute event is whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to define the whole

exercise. But with caution in mind, yes it is successful so far,â&#x20AC;? Jimenez added as reported by The Philippine Star.

The election spokesperson said that they could not determine for certain if the bombings were election-related. However, he noted the impeccable timing as it occured a day before the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Jimenez said that despite the persistent rumors of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters entering the provinces, no untoward incidents were reported.

He noted that they are verifying these rumors but in the meantime, the local government units are on alert and the military and police are taking steps to secure the voting.

The elections were held in 67 villages in Cotabato and six towns in Lanao del Norte to determine whether those municipalities would become part of the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous

Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

A total of 7,312 police personnel secured 4,479 polling precincts in the two provinces.

Palace calls bombings â&#x20AC;&#x153;acts of cowardiceâ&#x20AC;?

MalacaĂąang on Tuesday, February 5, condemned the explosions calling it â&#x20AC;&#x153;acts of cowardice.â&#x20AC;?

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that the people will not be intimidated from turning out for the plebiscite. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The explosions were) acts of cowardice on the part of those who resist change and want to perpetuate the climate of fear, hopelessness and poverty among the Bangsamoro people and the Christian inhabitants in Mindanao,â&#x20AC;? the spokesperson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The road to lasting peace in that region is not without obstacles strewn by those who foment disunity and who purvey the status quo. We shall not be waylaid by the twin forces of obstruction and destruction,â&#x20AC;? Panelo added. n

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the long run. As the world progresses, as everything is developed, and we in turn realize our folly and (when) itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about time, too late,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Duterte said the delays in the processing of documents were intended to extort money from applicants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That includes verily corruption, the person will keep coming back. And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no end to it, the bleeding of the pocket of the guy,â&#x20AC;? the president said.

Duterte said he walked out of a Cabinet meeting while some officials were discussing the land usage conversion process. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how red tape or black tape looks like, when they started to debate, I interrupted them.

This I would not like to be a part of this briefing because this will not happen during my time so why would I waste my time listening to this when it would take

about two presidents to finish?â&#x20AC;? the president said.

In March 2017, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano said an executive order for a twoyear moratorium on land conversion. Marianoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment to the Cabinet has since been rejected by a congressional panel and the Official Gazette does not list any EO ordering the moratorium.

Duterte said he went out of the room and asked Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to take over the meeting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I went out to chat with the pretty ladies outside,â&#x20AC;? the president said in jest.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo previously said Dutete was frustrated by the â&#x20AC;&#x153;tediousâ&#x20AC;? requirements of the land usage conversion and has asked agencies to streamline the process.

(Alexis Romero/Philstar.com)

House passes measure that punishes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;political butterfliesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Red tape, corruption in government frustrate Duterte

by Glee Jalea

PuBLIC officials who change their political party a year before or after elections may soon be banned if a measure approved by the House Committee on Ways and Means becomes a law.

The House panel on Monday, February 4, approved the proposed Political Party Development Act to strengthen the political party system and promote party loyalty and discipline.

The unnumbered bill was authored by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Majority Leader Fredenil Castro and 14 other lawmakers, consolidating House Bills 522, 697, 1695 and 7088. under the measure, political turncoatism, or changing political affiliation a year before or after the holding of national elections will be punished.

Penalties for â&#x20AC;&#x153;political turncoatsâ&#x20AC;? include forfeiture of their elective office; disqualification from running for any elective position in the next election; prohibition from holding any position in any government office for three years after the expiration of his or her current term; prohibition from assuming any executive or administrative position in the

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, February 7, Philstar.com decried corruption and red tape in government, saying the problem could pave way to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;failed government.â&#x20AC;?

Duterte said he was reminded of the extent of the problem when he discovered during last Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cabinet meeting that some applications have been languishing in government offices for years.

He said some applications have been pending at the National Economic and Development Authority for 25 years while some land usage conversion have not been acted upon for two years.

ManilaTimes.net photo â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not to dwell lengthily, Aquino III started. but the system itself is designed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our party is small. When to experience a failed govern[Aquino] became president, politi- ment,â&#x20AC;? Duterte said during the cians rushed to LP and we became oath-taking of new appointees bigger, but when PNoy stepped in MalacaĂąang. down our numbers dwindled again,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) President and Senator Aquilino PAGE A7 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kokoâ&#x20AC;? Pimentel III said in August tially means anyone can be made 2018 that since the 2016 elec- liable for anything and everything tions, the membership of the party they posted even way before the had significantly increased from cybercrime law,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Rapplerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal counsel, JJ Disi40,000 to 93,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with 300,000 ni, said that the resolution is danpending applications. n

by Ryan

ManilaTimes.net

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

new political party; and refund of the amount received from the previous political party and a 25 percent surcharge thereon.

Any citizen of voting age or any candidate, political party may file with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a petition to disqualify a candidate on the ground of political turncoatism.

Vice President Maria Leonor â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leniâ&#x20AC;? Robredo previously cited the case of the Liberal Party (LP), which had lots of â&#x20AC;&#x153;political butterfliesâ&#x20AC;? when the term of former president Benigno â&#x20AC;&#x153;Noynoyâ&#x20AC;?

MacaseRo

Justice department indicts Rappler for... gerous not only for the media but also for bloggers and social media users. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If the theory is that if a libelous article is published in the past and continues to be accessible today, and that constitutes libel

today, then no one is safe. Anyone that has a libelous article that continues to be accessible may be charged with libel, and, moving forward, this affects everyone, not just media, even bloggers,â&#x20AC;? Disini said as reported by Rappler. n

60 COUNTRIES. OVER 100 CITIES WORLDWIDE. THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL.

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARY 8-14, 2019

10

February 8-14, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL

Dateline PhiliPPines

http://www.asianjournal.com â&#x20AC;˘ (212) 655-5426

Cebu governor supports asking UK govâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t to lift travel advisory on parts of island

by Ryan

MacaseRo Philstar.com

The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended filing graft and technical malversation charges against former President Benigno Aquino III and former Health Secretary Janette Garin over the Dengvaxia vaccine debacle.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

House panel wants charges vs Aquino, Abad, Garin over Dengvaxia MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The House of Representatives Committee on Health has recommended filing charges of graft, technical malversation and grave misconduct against former President Benigno Aquino III, former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin in connection to the Dengvaxia mess.

In its report, the House committee pointed out that there was an apparent collusion among public officials to ensure that the government would purchase a large quantity of Dengvaxia vaccine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These officials provided shortcuts in the process to favor Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer of a commercially available dengue vaccine,â&#x20AC;? the report read.

The report noted that several public officials may be held liable for â&#x20AC;&#x153;conspiring and confederating with one another,â&#x20AC;? violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The House panel said Aquino should be held liable for approving the P3.5-billion budget for the purchase of dengue vaccines in 2015 while Abad should be charged for requesting the re-

lease of these funds.

Garin, on the other hand, should be held liable for proposing the procurement of Dengvaxia despite the vaccineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lack of certificate of product registration.

As for the technical malversation charge, the House panel noted that the 2015 national budget did not appropriate funds for the acquisition of the vaccine in the DOH budget, as well as the agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expanded immunization program.

Aquino, however, approved Garinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s request to use â&#x20AC;&#x153;savingsâ&#x20AC;? to purchase the dengue vaccine, the report read. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thus, the President may be authorized by law to augment any item in the general appropriations with savings from other items, this power to augment necessitates an existing appropriation to be augmented.

Savings cannot be used to fund procurements that have for which no appropriations have been made in the GAA,â&#x20AC;? it said.

For this, Aquino, Abad, Garin and Philippine Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medical Center executive director Julies Lecciones could be held liable for illegal use of public funds or technical malversation under Article 220 of the Revised

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III on Monday, February 4, said he supports the move of a Philippine Cabinet official to ask the UK government to lift the travel warning it issued over towns on the southern part of the island following the Jolo bombing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea para weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d know what their reason is,â&#x20AC;?

Davide said in a statement in a mix of English and Cebuano.

Following a travel advisory updated by the United Kingdom on January 27 due to the twin bombings at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, top law enforcement and local government heads in Cebu assured the public that the tourism-reliant province is â&#x20AC;&#x153;safe.â&#x20AC;?

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said she has â&#x20AC;&#x153;the same questionsâ&#x20AC;? on the basis of the travel warnings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the same manner that [the municipality of] Dalaguete has been included a few months back.

I support the move of OPAV (Office of the Presidential Advisor for the Visayas),â&#x20AC;? Magpale said.

She was referring to a statement made on Sunday, February 3, by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino who said in an interview with state-run Philippine News Agency that he would take up the lifting of the

Penal Code.

The House panel also suggested that such acts constitute grave misconduct wherein the concerned public officials may be held administratively liable.

Admistrative cases may be filed against the concerned public officials despite some of them not being in the government at the moment. They can be dismissed from the service under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, Section 52(a) of the same Rule provides that the penalty of dismissal shall carry with it the cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the governmetn service, and bar from taking civil service examination,â&#x20AC;? the report read.

The Department of Justice earlier summoned Garin, as well as other officials, to answer the criminal charges against them over the deaths supposedly brought about by the dengue Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III vaccine. At least three batches of cases have been filed against them before the DOJ in connection to the Dengvaxia mess.

(Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar. com)

by DeMpsey Reyes

that the travel ban could affect the tourist arrival count this year.

According to data from the Department of Tourism, tourist arrivals in the Central Visayas reached over 6.8 million in 2018.

Dino said during an inter-agency security summit last Sunday that the terror threat was â&#x20AC;&#x153;zeroâ&#x20AC;? percent in Cebu.

This was a similar response to an advisory issued on April 9, 2017 by the U.S. Embassy, which said the American government received â&#x20AC;&#x153;unsubstantiated yet credible informationâ&#x20AC;? that terrorist groups may attempt to stage kidnappings in the Central Visayas, including Cebu and Bohol. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can we have an information that is unsubstantiated and at the same time credible?

That travel advisory is pregnant with oxymoronic expression that needs to be clarified,â&#x20AC;? Dino said in a press statement then.

This countered the information of then-Philippine National Police chief Ronald â&#x20AC;&#x153;Batoâ&#x20AC;? dela Rosa, however, who said on April 10 that they were actually monitoring a serious threat.

That same week on April 11, the Philippine military clashed with members of the Abu Sayyaf in the town of Inabanga, Bohol, directly across the strait from Cebu City.

That armed encounter lasted about one month, leaving at least 11 members of the terrorist group dead and six military and police officers injured.

Police visibility heightened Although this time police downplayed the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advisory, they did say they would increase police visibility on the southern part of the island as well as station a Coast Guard vessel to patrol the area.

MalacaĂąang spokesperson Salvador Panelo gave assurance that the Philippines remains safe despite the travel warning issued by the UK. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would like to assure the general public that they can go about their normal activities. Our country is still a safe haven,â&#x20AC;? he said, calling the attacks in MindPhilstar.com photo anao â&#x20AC;&#x153;isolated incidents.â&#x20AC;? n

travel advisory with the UK government through a letter.

No basis?

Dino, whose role is to advise the president regarding matters affecting the Visayas, said there was â&#x20AC;&#x153;no basis at allâ&#x20AC;? for the travel advisories.

The governments of the United States and the United Kingdom have been issuing travel advisories since 2016 on and off for the southern part of Cebu, an area which had been relatively isolated from terror attacks before.

In the latest travel advisory, towns â&#x20AC;&#x153;up to and includingâ&#x20AC;? Badian and Dalaguete are the only parts outside of Mindanao included â&#x20AC;&#x153;due to the threat of terrorism.â&#x20AC;?

These towns have been consistently included in those advisories. In November 2016, for example, the United States government issued a warning on the same areas due to alleged kidnap threats. This warning was specific to the towns of Dalaguete and Santander, also in the south.

Then Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said they had also received unvalidated reports of plans to stage kidnappings in the area.

Tourism concerns Dino said he would ask why the advisories â&#x20AC;&#x153;alwaysâ&#x20AC;? included these towns, an area known for its beach resorts and other tourist activities. He said he was wary

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sawadjaan acting IS emir in PHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ManilaTimes.net

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HATIB Hajan Sawadjaan, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf Group, is believed to be the â&#x20AC;&#x153;acting emirâ&#x20AC;? of the Islamic State (IS) in the Philippines, according to a report by the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Department of Defense (DoD).

The report estimated that there were around 300 to 550 IS terrorists in Mindanao. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This quarter, U.S. Indo-Pacom (Indo-Pacific Command) reported that it had no update on the status of an ISIS-[Philippines] emir, but it still believed Hatib Sawadjaan, an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) sub-unit commander, was the acting emir,â&#x20AC;? the report said, using another acronym for IS. ISIS stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The U.S. defense department said the U.S. Indo-Pacom had reported that the IS Core, or those who are based in Iraq and Syria, had not clarified their clear relations with Sawadjaan, who is based in Sulu.

There are two groups led by the Abu Sayyaf, one under Sawadjaan and the other under Radulan Sahiron.

The U.S. government has reported that there was no evidence on the relationship between ISCore and IS-Philippines.

It, however, said the conclusion of the five-month long siege in Marawi, which left about 1,000 persons dead, had â&#x20AC;&#x153;fracturedâ&#x20AC;? the relationship between the ISCore and the IS-Philippines.

The statement jived with that of Defense Secretary Delfin

Lorenzana, who said there were around 40 foreign terrorists in Mindanao accompanying groups that have aligned themselves with the IS, including the Abu Sayyaf under Sawadjaanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supervision and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters under Abu Toraype.

Most of the foreign extremists came from Indonesia and Malaysia, according to Washington, which did not identify the home countries of foreigners aiding Philippine-based terrorists.

Lorenzana and Interior Secretary Eduardo AĂąo had confirmed there were terrorists who came from Pakistan, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco and even Singapore.

AĂąo confirmed that Sawadjaan was the IS â&#x20AC;&#x153;emirâ&#x20AC;? in the Philippines.

He said even if Abu Dar or Owayda Benito Marohombsar had been recognized as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;emirâ&#x20AC;? replacing Isnilon Hapilon for IS Southeast Asia, Sawadjaan is the believed leader of the IS in the country, luring foreign terrorists to southern Philippines.

At the same time, the DoD report said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) lacked capabilities in collecting information on targets including terrorists.

The report of the DoDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lead Inspector General for the Operation Pacific Eagle in the Philippines noted that the Philippine military â&#x20AC;&#x153;lacksâ&#x20AC;? assets for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

It added that the Armed Forces does not have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Production, Exploitation and Dissemination cellâ&#x20AC;? that has the capability of

producing ISR information and â&#x20AC;&#x153;providing it to a decision-making entity.â&#x20AC;?

The Philippine military, it said, also â&#x20AC;&#x153;suffers from an institutional problemâ&#x20AC;? by using limited ISR assets in live-tracking active operations.

The DoD got this information from the US Special Operations Command-Pacific (USSOCPAC), which also pointed out that the Philippine military still â&#x20AC;&#x153;relies heavilyâ&#x20AC;? on the U.S. Defense department and its contractorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ISR capabilities in identifying locations of activities of the enemy.

To attain the â&#x20AC;&#x153;end-to-endâ&#x20AC;? capability requiring the Philippine militaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Joint Special Operations Group (JSOG) to have a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tactical level ISR platform, an established Aerial Reconnaissance Unit, a Joint Intelligence Componentâ&#x20AC;? to assist with intelligence collaboration and analysis is needed.

In March last year, the Philippine Air Force received six ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles from the U.S. that can be used for ISR operations.

The DoD inspector general said the USSOCPAC is providing the Philippine military an intelligence training package, analyst notebook software, multiple unmanned aerial vehicle systems, tactical command posts and other equipment.

For this year, the DoD inspector general said the U.S. Indo-Pacom was planning to spend $50.1 million or P3.2 billion on contracted ISR and $11.8 million or P617.4 million on U.S. Army ISR support for the Philippines. n

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Soldiers stop motorists at a checkpoint in North Cotabato during the holding of the second plebiscite on the inclusion of several villages and municipalities in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Bangsamoro.

Contributed photo

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COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA [SELECT a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, it means before your life’s energy goes into ‘ low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.]

Ever wonder how the Peach Melba dessert got its name?

It was said that the celebrated French chef Auguste Escoffier named the confection after his friend, the soprano Nellie Melba of Melbourne, Australia. She would dine in the restaurant where he was chef and would give him tickets to the opera where she was the main draw.

Nellie Melba was the late 19th century equivalent of a celebrity these days that could pack opera houses for the elite in London, Paris and New York. On a historical note, Escoffier partnered with Cesar Ritz (from whose name the term “ritzy” is derived, to mean elegant and first class, and pricey as well) to establish the Ritz-Carlton Hotels chain.

From the book, “Memories of My Life” by Auguste Escoffier, here’s the original recipe good for 6 that he created for Peach Melba.

“Choose 6 tender and perfectly ripe peaches. The Montreuil peach, for example, is perfect for this dessert.

Blanch the peaches for 2 seconds in boiling water, remove them immediately with a slotted spoon, and place them in iced water for a few seconds.

Peel them and place them on a plate, sprinkle them with a little sugar, and refrigerate them.

Prepare a liter of very creamy vanilla ice cream and a purée of 250 grams of very fresh ripe raspberries crushed through a fine sieve and mixed with 150 grams of powdered sugar. Refrigerate.

To serve: Fill a silver timbale with the vanilla ice cream. Delicately place the peaches on top of the ice cream and cover with the raspberry purée. Optionally, during the almond season, one can add a few slivers of fresh almonds on top, but never use dried almonds.”

Signature dishes are not just for the rich and famous. They are for you and me, as well.

Choose just one dish. Just one from many possibilities… Choose

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS THE Norovirus outbreak that sickened 277 on board the Oasis of the Seas of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines forced the 7-day Caribbean cruise to return prematurely to Port Canaveral about 3 weeks ago.

This incident puts the spotlight on this most contagious gastrointestinal disease known to man.

For the aged and the very young, this virus could be so devastating as to kill some victims.

Annually, about 20 million people in the United States are infected with norovirus, 2 million are so severe as to require hospitalization. New strains are responsible for pandemics every 3 to 4 years. So far, the most virulent strain was seen in the pandemic of 2002-2003 and 2006-2007. Majority (around 80 percent) of norovirus infections are seen annually between November and April.

Symptoms The symptoms of norovirus could occur suddenly as abdominal cramps and pains, nausea, severe vomiting and diarrhea, 12-24 hours after exposure to the virus. Some norovirus carrier may not have symptoms at all, but could infect other people.

The other symptoms include low-grade fever, severe malaise, and muscle aches. The symptoms last between 24 hours and 3 days, depending on the age of the patient and the health of the individual. Most recover without treatment, except infants and those with major illnesses and those immunocompromised. The vomiting and diarrhea lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The infection is common in crowded situations, like cruise ships, nursing homes, schools, etc. About 10 percent of norovirus infection develop sever symptoms.

The Bucket List Whip Up Your Signature Dish 5th of a Series

“Food is a way of making a connection with others and making memories.” a scrumptiously delicious one.

Work on it many times until you can do it from scratch without looking at your cheat sheet and it becomes a masterpiece.

Cook it for family gatherings or potluck events. Cook it until they clamor for you to bring it because your dish is memorable.

You notice that people come for seconds until it’s all gone. Clean plate and happy faces —the mark of a culinary success…

Congratulations! You’ve created your signature dish. You have placed your name on it. Best of all, you’ve created gastronomic memories, quite hard to forget because, believe you me, the gut remembers.

I have met many who have done this and it is a source of joy specially when shared with many. My friend Angel cooked Spanish Paella with original ingredients from Spain and with great flourish wearing a chef’s hat and risqué apron of washboard abs, in a class reunion held in their mountain view home. It was delicious and memorable.

Two of my sisters, Olga and Evelyn, bake Sans Rival and indeed, nothing rivals their concoction. Fresh lumpiang sariwa, with many hours of chopping, slicing and dicing of the ingredients is my mother’s and eldest sister, Olga’s signature dish.

There is Agnes Jovellana’s delightful original espasol which she prepares for her parties. My sister Mitch of San Antonio, Texas prepared Buttered Mochi and her baked dish was a hit. I do a simple potato soup with bacon that is popular in the winter time.

The millenials in our family love it. My daughter-in-law Elia, prepares her special recipe for Turkey with bacon on Thanksgiving and draws rave reviews from the family. My son, Rene, prepares delightful chocolate ice cream, from scratch and there is never enough. A colleague, Malou Halili-Case who hails from Pampanga (famous for women who cook heavenly dishes) prepared Dinuguan, on slow cooker and it was special and memorable.

Team it up with puto and, Voila, you have a wonderful meal.

If you don’t have any signature dish, get cracking and work on one, just one dish you can enjoy

preparing and put your mark on.

With time and practice, you will get better at it. Choose one that is popular with most taste buds.

Don’t let your ego rule trying to reinvent the wheel and try an exotic dish, like alligator soup, for instance.

Nix the labels low calorie, low fat, gluten free, low carb. It is a bit of a downer when you have to work within limiting parameters.

It doesn’t have to be original but it must be pleasing to most taste buds within your orbit of friends and family. Oftentimes, it could be just a tweak on an existing, tested recipe with a secret ingredient or a different technique of doing. Make it simple, easy and fun.

Food is a way of making a connection with others and making memories. Remember that Jesus Christ in his time ate bread, fish and drank wine with his disciples on many occasions. Those were the staples of his time and salt was the flavoring. He multiplied the bread and fish as He fed thousands who followed him to hear his teachings. Jesus knew how important it was to make a connection. He still connects with us two thousand years later in the Holy Eucharist at Mass when bread and wine are consecrated and become His body and blood. It is a daily reminder of how God loves us — so much He sent His only son to redeem us from sin and death so we may live forever.

We use food to feed our bodies and make a connection with others. Partaking of the Eucharist to feed our souls in order to make a connection with the divine is the other aspect worth pursuing as part of our bucket list.

Food is a blessing, a visual and visceral aid, that makes our life here on earth so wonderfully engaging.

Make your signature dish and the joys they have caused to yourself and others part of the wonderful memories etched in your soul forever.

Next week: Another idea to consider for The Bucket List… *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Norovirus can kill

Causes Noroviruses are found in feces of infected persons and animals.

The virus is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food or drinks, touching the mouth with fingers hat have touched contaminated surfaces or items, and by close contact with an infected person. Noroviruses are resistant to most disinfectants and to hot and cold temperatures. Infected cook could contaminate the food and drinks.

The virus particle is about 38 nanometers and 3 particles of the virus could fit across the width of a single hair. Nanovirus travels at lightning speed.

Consultation If diarrhea does not stop within 3 days or so, and/or there is blood in the stools, especially when accompanied by vomiting, medical consultation is mandatory. While most will recover spontaneously, untreated dehydration and electrolyte imbalance could be fatal to some. The ones with a higher risk are infants, young children, older persons, those with chronic medical conditions, and those with compromised immune systems.

Vomiting and diarrhea could deplete the body of water and vital minerals that allow all organs in the body to function normally. A tilt in the balance due to the loss of these vital element negatively impacts the kidneys, heart, liver, and brain. Normal homeostasis is essential to life.

Prevention About 50 percent of norovirus infection is from contaminated food, especially leafy green vegetables, shellfish, and fresh fruits. As with any other infectious diseases, prevention is the key. In case of Norovirus and other contagious illnesses, a person can become infected more than once. Norovirus infected persons must stay home until fully recovered to avoid spreading it to others.

Here are some simply common sense ideas that can help

us avoid this and other infections, and prevent their spread to others: 1. Frequent handwashing after using the toilet, before eating, after any chores (changing diapers or cleaning a bed-ridden persons) that could render the hands dirty. Washing hands with soap and water frequently could go a long way in our quest for health; 2. Prepare and cook foods with extra consciousness about cleanliness and hygiene around the kitchen, including cook wares and utensils; 3. Do not eat or drink foods prepared by a sick person; 4. Chicken, pork, and sea food must be cooked properly; 5. The plates and utensils must be washed properly, and if in doubt, soaked in boiling water; 6. Fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed, soaked if needed, especially berries.

6. Stools, vomitus, and contaminated towels or items should be disposed off carefully, quickly, and properly to prevent spreading the disease by air or by contact.

7. With gloves, clean the contaminated area or surface with liquid disinfectant chlorine bleach. Only very high heat and chlorine-based disinfectants can inactivate norovirus fast.

Proper use of gloves To avoid food contamination, some restaurants, fast-food chains, etc., make their food preparers and servers wear gloves.

As a surgeon, I am very conscious of the mistakes of food handler using gloves. Almost 100 percent of the time, I see them use the gloves improperly, which could even allow more contamination of the food. The gloves must never touch anything but the food, and the food item only. If the server touches the knife, or the microwave oven door handle, or the surface of the table, or anything else besides the food, he/she is contaminating

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEBRUARY 8-14, 2019

Calendar of Events across

11

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 8 -1 0

“Journey for Justice” book launch in Delano, CA Bridge and Delta Publishing in partnership with the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) and PapaLoDown Agency takes “Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong,” on a 15-city national book tour, starting with Delano, California, on February 8, 2019.

This is the first nonfiction illustrated children’s book about Filipino American history, and the first book ever written about Larry Itliong. The children’s book written by the late historian Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, Ph.D. with Gayle Romasanta and illustrated by Andre Sibayan tells the story of forgotten United Farm Workers (UFW) cofounder, Larry Itliong, his migration to the United States and his lifelong fight for a farmworkers union. To celebrate these milestones and to honor Larry Itliong’s death anniversary (Feb. 8) and Dr. Dawn Mabalon’s six-month death anniversary (Feb. 10), and to kick off the Journey for Justice FANHS national book tour, a three-day event with a historical tour of Delano, panel discussions, children’s readings, Q & A with the co-author and illustrator, dinner, performances, a dedication mass for Larry Itliong and Dr. Dawn Bohulano Mabalon, and closing reception will be held from Friday, February 8 through Sunday, February 10. The historic Filipino Community Hall (“Filipino Hall”) in Delano, where the historical vote to go on strike occurred on September 7, 1965 (1469 Glenwood Street, Delano, CA 93215) will host most of the programming. All events, except for the dinner on Saturday night ($15/$6), are free to the public. Co-sponsors for the Delano event include: Filipino Community Delano, Delano Union School District, Delano Joint Union High School District, Bakersfield College Little Manila Rising, UC Davis Carlos Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies, Pin@y Educational Partnerships. For additional information visit www. bridgedelta.com.

F E B R UA RY 9

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

5th Filipino American Community General Assembly in New York The Philippine Consulate General New York is inviting all Filipino American community organizations in the U.S. Northeast (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont) to the annual General Assembly (Connecting and Collaborating for Change) on Saturday, February 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Philippine Center in New York. Please register your organization at newyorkpcg.events@dfa.gov.ph with the subject 5th Filipino American Community General Assembly.

F E B R UA RY 1 5

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

F E B R UA RY 1 6

Domestic Violence Prevention Symposium in San Fernando, CA The Valley Care Community Consortium partners with the Lions Clubs International/District 4-L3 to host the inaugural Domestic Violence Prevention Symposium to be held on Saturday, February 16, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the San Fernando Regional Recreation Park (208 Park Avenue, San Fernando, CA). Admission is free, open to the public and registration is strongly encouraged. For more information or to register for the event, please contact the Valley Care Community Care Consortium (VCCC) at (818) 904-5566 or email at healthy@valleyccc.org.

F E B R UA RY 2 0

FACCGLA hosts Music and Merlot in Sherman Oaks Join us for evening of Wine & Cheese to unwind after a busy day on Wednesday, February 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. as we enjoy the music of jazz guitarist Ric Ickard. Get to know the members of the the Filipino American Chamber of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA), and get a chance to tell us about your business or profession. We love to meet new people to share our plans for the year, with some time for a Q & A and inspirational talks from Asian Business owners. We will announce a special perk for our members AND you can be one of the first to get hold of the FilAm Entrepreneurship Magazine. Register at www.faccgla.org. Venue is BFG Room, 2nd floor, 5121 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403.

F E B R UA RY 23

Free oil filter exchange in Lynwood, CA Free oil filter & motor oil recycling event! Everyone is invited to bring in their motor oil and used oil filters on Saturday, February 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All those who recycle their used oil filter will receive one FREE new oil filter. Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean. It will be held at O’Reilly Auto Parts at 10727 Long Beach Blvd. Lynwood, CA 90262.

MARCH 9

LolaLand: The Grandmother of All Shows in Los Angeles Rejoicers Events brings to Los Angeles, “LolaLand: The Grandmother of All Shows,” the show that sold out in Manila, and soon restaged in New York and the Bay Area. It will be held on Saturday, March 9 at the Aratani Theatre (244 San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) at 7 p.m. Headlined by comedienne Fe delos Reyes, award-winning songwriters Cecile Azarcon and Odette Quesada are joined by singers Jam Morales and Chiqui Pineda, who popularized numerous OPM Songs. Part of the proceeds of this much-anticipated concert benefit Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA, a non-profit organization that helps bring Filipino Artists to U.S. stages.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com the food that he touches next. It takes a lot of practice and a good teacher to nuse gloves properly, otherwise it will only give a false sense of security that the food is protected from contamination because gloves are used. That is not true. The situation could lead to more contamination of food, if not properly executed. Cleanliness of the food is assured when touched by gloved hands IF and only IF those hands would NOT touch anything else but the food being prepared. If you notice surgery on television, the operating table and every surface is draped with sterile cover, and the surgeon and assistants touch only the sterile instruments, and

the draped areas ONLY. Treatment The management of Norovirus infection among those with significant symptoms includes fluid and electrolyte replacement, monitored by laboratory tests.

If the person is able to drink, beverage with electrolytes (Gatorade, etc.) is recommended. If not, and if the vomiting and diarrhea are severe, intravenous fluid drip is initiated in a clinic or hospital ER setting. If there is fever, the patient is hospitalized. In the past, these patients were advised not to eat anything for at least 24 hours, but modern medicine encourage these patients to eat if they tolerate it. This has been

shown to shorten the illness and improves the fluid electrolyte and nutrition balance of the patients.

If being treated at home, the person should try to avoid contacts with family members and friends, preferably isolating himself, and eating in his room, with separate utensils, plates, glasses, etc. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is a medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United NetworkUSA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888. com, philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)

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PEOPLE & EVENTS

FEBRUARY 8-14, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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Business News

Peso ‘one of the more stable in Asia’ – DOF

By MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO ManilaTimes.net

THE Finance department on Wednesday, February 6, touted the peso’s stability amid continued global uncertainties and analysts’ forecasts of a further weakening this year.

“The Philippine peso continues to be one of the more stable Asian currencies despite the uncertainties in the world market brought about by the normalization of Fed monetary policy, Brexit, volatile fuel prices and U.S.-China trade war,” the department said in an economic bulletin.

The currency, it added, continues to move in tandem with Asian counterparts and is one of the least volatile — tied in third with the South Korean won — in the world’s fastest-growing region.

The peso was also said to be the seventh among the Asian currencies that posted the biggest appreciation last month, gaining 0.73 to P52.17:$1 from P52.56:$1.

On average, 12 Asian currencies appreciated by 0.79 percent.

The peso depreciated by 5.4 percent last year, ranking fourth among 12 Asian currencies in a region where the average depreciation was said to be 3.03 percent.

The currency ended 2018 at P52.58 versus the greenback, down sharply from its 2017 close of P49.93:$1.

On Wednesday, the peso closed at P52.23:$1, up 18 centavos from Monday.

Financial markets were closed on Tuesday in celebration of Chinese New Year.

The Finance department’s op-

timism comes as analysts have projected a further weakening to as much as $55 to the dollar this year.

The most pessimistic outlook came from Standard Chartered Bank analysts who projected the unit to close 2019 at P55 to a dollar.

“The PHP (Philippine peso) faces medium-term challenges including twin deficits, still-elevated inflation and low real rates,” Standard Chartered bank analysts said as they forecast a 2019 close of P55 to the dollar.

First Metro Investment Corp., meanwhile, expects the currency to weaken to P54 per dollar given pressure from a widening trade deficit.

Fitch Solutions also expects the peso to weaken to P54.12:$1 by yeareand due to the country’s trade and current account deficits and still-high inflation.

Lucio Tan lauds ANA entry into Philippine Airlines

By IRIS

GONZALES Philstar.com

MANILA — Taipan Lucio Tan is happy with the entry of Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc. into flag carrier Philippine Airlines, a deal which is expected to be formalized by the end of this week in Tokyo.

Officials from both companies are expected to meet at ANA’s headquarters in Tokyo tomorrow to formally sign the multi-million dollar transaction, industry sources said.

The signing ceremony comes after the two airline giants announced their partnership in a joint statement last week.

Tan welcomed ANA’s entry into PAL Holdings, the parent company of the four-star carrier.

“Yes, yes, (we’re) happy,” Tan told The STAR on the sidelines of a Chinese New Year celebration recently hosted by the Chinese embassy in Manila.

On Jan. 29, ANA Holdings, Japan’s largest and five-star air-

Business tycoon Lucio Tan

Philstar.com photo

line for six consecutive years, said it would invest $95 million in PAL Holdings and acquire 9.5 percent of the company’s outstanding shares.

ANA will acquire the shares from Trustmark Holdings, which is owned by Tan and is the largest shareholder of PAL

Holdings.

The investment by ANA heralds the dawn of a new era of growth for PAL, which has embarked on a full-scale expansion program that has seen its fleet and network grow to almost 100 aircraft and 80 destiPAGE 13

Aboitiz Group and the team of real estate magnate and former senator Manuel Villar Jr. The Aboitiz Group, through infrastructure unit Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., has submitted an unsolicited proposals for the upgrade, operations, maintenance, and expansion of the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental.

Aboitiz is partnering with an international airport operator for its P42.7 billion proposal and has also tapped design and engineering firm Arup as consultant for the technical studies and masterplan.

Meanwhile, the Villar group’s Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI) has made an unsolicited offer to rehabilitate, operate, maintain and expand the Iloilo International Airport.

Aside from the two proposals, Davao-based businessman

Dennis Uy’s Udenna Infrastructure Corp. and Canada’s Airtrav Inc. have each submitted their respective unsolicited offers for the development, operations, and maintenance of Bacolod-Silay Airport.

In September last year, OPS have been granted to the Aboitiz Group for its unsolicited proposal for the New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport, as well as to Mega7 Construction Corp. for the Kalibo International Airport.

Uy’s Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. in October last year was also able to secure an OPS from the DOTr for its P49-billion unsolicited proposal for the Davao International Airport.

Securing an OPS gives a proponent the right to match offers from other parties when a Swiss Challenge is conducted for the project.

Bank deposits grow to P12.5 trillion in 11 months More groups to gain headway in regional airport proposals

By LAWRENCE

AGCAOILI Philstar.com

MANILA — More Filipinos continue to entrust their savings with banks as deposits rose by nearly nine percent in the first 11 months of last year amid the strong economic growth.

Total bank deposits reached P12.49 trillion from January to November last year, P1.02 trillion higher than the P11.48 trillion recorded in the same period in 2017.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed pesodenominated deposits increased by 9.6 percent to P10.37 trillion in the first 11 months of 2018, while foreign currency deposits owned by residents went up six percent to P2.13 trillion.

“The Philippine banking system exhibits steady growth in assets and deposits,” the central bank said.

It added local banks continued to lend more support to the country’s long-term economic growth and stable financial condition.

EMPLOYMENT

The industry booked a double-digit growth of 10.4 percent in resources to P16.72 trillion from January to November last year compared to P15.15 trillion in the same period in 2017.

Assets of big banks or universal and commercial banks rose by 10.8 percent to P15.17 trillion from P13.69 trillion, while that of mid-sized banks or thrift banks inched up 6.5 percent to P1.27 trillion from P1.19 trillion.

The BSP has already released the framework for banks to offer a basic deposit account to promote account ownership among the unbanked and provide Filipinos the tool to save and transact money in a safe, convenient and affordable manner.

The BSP said the framework could unlock access to a wider range of financial services to meet their various needs, including credit, insurance and investments.

The minimum key features of the account include: simplified

know-your-customer (KYC) requirements; an opening amount of less than P100; no minimum maintaining balance; and no dormancy charges.

To prevent misuse of the basic deposit account, its maximum balance is set at P50,000.

These features meet the need of the unbanked for a low-cost, no-frills deposit account clients could open even if they do not have the standard identification documents.

As an incentive for banks, the basic deposit account is granted a preferential zero reserve requirement which lowers their account maintenance cost.

The BSP clarified the regulatory incentive does not apply to regular bank accounts even if their balances fall below P50,000.

The central bank said the basic deposit account supports the implementation of the National Retail Payments System (NRPS) that aims to increase adoption of digital payments in the country.

FOR RENT

SERVICES

By RICHMOND

MERCURIO Philstar.com

MANILA — More private proponents are expected to gain headway for their respective unsolicited offers to operate and upgrade some of the country’s major regional airports this month.

Transportation Undersecretary for aviation Manuel Tamayo said about three groups are expected to be granted an original proponent status (OPS) for their unsolicited proposals within February.

“We hope to issue the OPS upon approval of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) board. We are looking at Feb. 11, CAAP’s next board meeting. So this February they will likely have their OPS,” Tamayo said.

Leading candidates for the OPS grant this month are the

SERVICES

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Community Journal

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARY 8-14, 2019

13

The value of being legal and legal services Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ SOME people who are in the U.S. with immigration problems/issues, such as being out of status, in deportation/removal, or they are outside the U.S. hoping to immigrate one day, are reluctant to do anything about it because they don’t want to spend money and/or they think it may be “too expensive” to fix their problem. They are putting a monetary value on their immigration status.

But there are so many benefits to lawful immigration status, which these people need to consider. Therefore, they should consider other factors and realize the true value of being legal, which far outweigh the cost: • Legal status brings peace of mind. If a person is out of status, they are anxious and nervous. Some lay awake at night, fearful of getting caught and deported/removed. How many people are afraid of being pulled over while driving, a knock on the door late at night, and afraid they may be reported and turned over to ICE? • Legal status allows a person to safely travel to the Philippines to visit family. Many people who are out of status are alone in the U.S., while their family misses them in the Philippines. They may communicate with their spouse and children via Facetime, Facebook, Viber, etc., but nothing

compares with hugging your child or aging parents, being there for important events like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

• Legal status could possibly allow your family to join you in the U.S. If a person can legalize their status, it may also include their spouse and children, who may qualify for immigrant visas to join the person in the U.S. • Legal status provides a better life and opportunities for your family, especially your children. Most people came to the U.S. primarily to make a better life for their children. But if they are all out of status, what future is there for their children? While some may temporarily get by on DACA, or the parents hope the child will marry a U.S. citizen, it could still be possible for the parent to do something about their own legal status which would also benefit their children.

• Legal status enables a person to work at a well – paying job equal to their education or experience. If a person is out of status, they may have to accept any kind of lowpaying job just to survive and pay their bills. If they legalize their status, they could possibly work anywhere and/or at a well – paying job equal to their education or experience.

There are so many other benefits to being legal, that a person has to really put a value on those benefits. What is the value of having peace of mind? Isn’t it worth the expense, if it is possible to legalize your status? Think of all the other things that people spend money on, whether it is the latest Apple product, largescreen TV, vacations, etc. Was

that money well – spent compared to the value of spending money to get legal?

I am not stating that everyone is qualified or eligible to clear up their immigration problems and/or legalize their status. But given the value of legal status, a person should at least explore their options and chances, rather than doing nothing because of the monetary cost. You should consult with an immigration attorney who can evaluate your situation and determine if there is hope and if you have chances, because legal status is priceless! *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and reenactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Lucio Tan lauds ANA entry...

PAGE 12 nations in four continents.

During the announcement, Jaime Bautista, president of PAL Holdings and PAL, said they were honored and excited that a premier airline group such as ANA decided to purchase shares in PAL Holdings.

“The Philippines and Japan have a long-standing relation-

ship with complementary strengths,” he said.

The entry of a strategic investor would be a big boost to PAL’s plan to become a fivestar global airline by 2020.

An alliance will also help the carrier expand its flights.

In late 2013, PAL entered into talks with ANA when it was then under the control of

former businessman Ramon Ang but the talks did not materialize.

Tan, the country’s fourth richest man according to Forbes, took over PAL in 1993 and led the company through different periods in the country including turbulent times and now onward to its rapid fleet expansion.

DREAMS OF A FAIRYTALE WEDDING ENDED UP IN A NIGHTMARE OF BATTERY AND ABUSE. Anne entered the U.S. on a fiancé (K-1) visa, hoping to build a beautiful, love-filled life with her U.S. citizen petitioner. But the marriage turned into a nightmare, when the husband became verbally and physically abusive. Battered and abused, Anne reached out to leading immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel. Watch as Anne was able to escape the chains of abuse, through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petition that the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel filed and was able to get a green card for Anne….on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

14

JANUARY 8-14, 4-10, 2019 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL A14 14 FEBRUARY

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people events arts culture entertainment

A path of H.E.R. own

The Grammy-nominated R&B sensation H.E.R. discusses Filipina heritage, inherent passion for music and why she remains largely anonymous

W

BY

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL / AJPRESS

HEN R&B singer and songwriter H.E.R. stepped onto the B.E.T. Awards stage last summer the whole room gave her its undivided attention.

Propped in front of violinists and a harpist playing the dreamy intro to the single “Focus,” H.E.R. sways in a haze of cyan and magenta fog as she strikes the audience with the first line of the song, “Me? Can you focus on me?”

It’s less of a call for us to merely look at and acknowledge her as a strictly visual spectacle, but more of a petition to pay attention to the soulful expression emanating through the mic.

Like water, her voice is soft yet unyielding. Her flawless harmonies permeate the room with the power of unconstrained feeling and soul so rare to find in a rising star.

Before she transitions into “Best Part” with fellow R&B upand-comer Daniel Caesar, she offers a robust electric guitar solo with skill and authority rarely seen in young musicians these days.

As music begins to rely more on computer programs and other digitized methods of producing and modifying, experiencing a truly live performance with instruments is becoming a rare bird. It’s even rarer that artists sound just as good — or in H.E.R.’s case, better than the studio versions.

Amid working on her debut album, H.E.R. (which stands for Having Everything Revealed) has racked up a fortuitous and busy 2019.

The 21-year-old R&B sensation is nominated for five Grammy Awards: Album of the Year (for the compilation album, “H.E.R.”), Best New Artist, Best R&B Performance (for “Best Part” with Caesar), Best R&B Song (for “Focus”) and Best R&B Album (for “H.E.R.”).

And that’s just the beginning.

She’s also performing at the 61st Grammy Awards — airing this Sunday, Feb. 10 on CBS — and will be performing as one of the bigger acts at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

She’s currently working on her debut album, which she briefly took a break from to speak with the Asian Journal on Wednesday, Jan. 30.

“I always say I could be taking a midterm right now, but I feel more blessed and grateful than anything that I get to do what I love every single day,” H.E.R. says in an interview, as her enthusiasm beams through the phone.

But, who is she? Or, if you will, who is H.E.R.?

A performer through and through Born in 1997 to FilipinaAmerican Agnes Wilson and African-American Kenny Wilson in

provided an interpersonal gateway for her to connect with people of different backgrounds in the cultural hub that is the Bay Area.

From teen prodigy to R&B sensation When it became evident that she was a born

performer, Agnes and Kenny Wilson AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel fully supported their “doesn’t speak [it] as much as she daughter’s aspirations in used to,” she understands the music. language.

When she was 12 “I’m really grateful for my mom years, H.E.R. was brought who encouraged me to be a hard on the Today Show to worker, you know, that’s one thing cover Alicia Keys songs about Filipinos, they’re really hard- on the piano, and soon working people,” H.E.R. warmly after, competed on Radio remarks.

Disney’s “The Next BIG And, of course, H.E.R. says that Thing.” her household was no stranger to In 2014, she was signed the ubiquitous karaoke machine(s) to Sony’s RCA Records and that exist in so many Filipino released a single called homes.

“Something To Prove” under Gabriella Wilson.

“For me, it wasn’t really a decision so much as it was a fact that this was what I was meant to do. There wasn’t really an alternative career path for me,” H.E.R. explains.

And then in 2016, she emerged with her new persona as H.E.R. to release her debut extended play “H.E.R. Vol. 1” which garnered acclaim from industry juggernauts like Usher, Pusha T and Wyclef Jean, as well as labelmate and childhood “She wanted me to sing Alicia inspiration, Alicia Keys.

Keys songs, Mariah Carey and all That EP would end up on those love ballads, and I also sang many publications’ end of the year some Tagalog songs, like I learned list, including NPR’s “5 Essential Sharon Cuneta songs, too. She’d R&B Albums You Slept On.” In bring her friends over to the house 2017, she released a follow-up and ask me to sing for them,” EP, “H.E.R. Vol. 2,” which further H.E.R. remembers with a laugh. hoisted her up.

But it wasn’t just karaoke Both albums represent a that gave her exposure to the contemporary vulnerability with performance life. Kenny Wilson its beautifully crestfallen lyrics used to perform in a blues cover most people would turn to in band which used to rehearse in the midst of heartbreak. We find their living room. solace in the resilient conviction “It was a lot of James Brown she portrays, like in the song “As and a lot of soul music and a lot I Am” on the EP “I Used to Know of R&B,” H.E.R. shares. “And that Her: The Prelude” released in 2018. influenced my own music heavily.

In addition to collaborating I’ve always been drawn to that with Daniel Caesar on “Best Part,” soulful and emotional music with she has also worked with fellow real lyrics and those lyrics that rising R&B star Ella Mai, Khalid and make you feel something.”

Bryson Tiller.

Growing up biracial opens the Changing the game door to a myriad of identity crises, Clout. Flex. Influencer. but for H.E.R., it was a source of Influencers flex to gain clout and empowerment and an opportunity more clout heightens your own to connect with a diverse array of influencer brand. This is all Internet people. speak for a new, millennial brand “[Being biracial] helped of prestige and celebrity shaped me more than it did hinder me by the idea of one’s personal because I always tried to conquer brand. any doubt I had in myself,” she Amplified by the continued remarks. “What I learned to do merging of pop culture and was assimilate, but not in a way social media, this trifecta forms where I had to conform or be the millennial mission statement something else that I wasn’t.” for social upward mobility.

She adds that she embraced a In this world where celebrity diverse upbringing and that music transparency and intimacy are

“I wanted the music to be No. 1, I wanted it to get the attention, the forefront, the No. 1 focus, and I wanted people to just listen and love the music because sometimes we get caught up in the gimmicks, the looks, and the glitz: these things that don’t really matter to me,” she shares.

Vallejo, California, H.E.R. — whose real name is Gabriella “Gabi” Wilson — said she was raised with a “good balance” of the Filipino and Black American cultures in her home.

Her maternal grandparents were first-generation Filipino immigrants who made sure that Filipino traditions were not lost in their familial diaspora. They spoke Tagalog, and although she

H.E.R. grew up in the Bay Area of California with a “good balance” of the Filipino and Black American cultures.

Photos courtesy of Facebook/OfficialHERMusic

H.E.R. receives a plaque in December 2018 celebrating the self-titled compilation album going Gold.

H.E.R. racked up five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist.

everything, and mysticism in pop culture has become obsolete, it’s become rare for an artist to take the backseat and allow their art to be the selling point.

She only goes by H.E.R. and has curated an enigmatic persona, so much that for this interview, the Asian Journal was instructed to address her as H.E.R. For most performances, she wears dark sunglasses. In her album cover art, her eyes are blacked out and you rarely get a look at her face. And unlike so many stars, she’s never one to overshare and maintains a low-key profile.

“I wanted the music to be No. 1, I wanted it to get the attention, the forefront, the No. 1 focus, and I wanted people to just listen and love the music because sometimes we get caught up in the gimmicks, the looks, and the glitz: these things that don’t really matter to me,” she shares.

Social media has become a crucial application in celebrity promotion that is conducive to guerilla marketing that relies on gimmicks and stunts to spark conversation. The idea that all publicity is good publicity doesn’t jive with H.E.R., who has chosen to stay away from those means of

influence.

Though she’s maintained anonymity, there is still a warmth in what she shares with the world.

She’s vulnerable and honest in her presence and in her records, but at the end of the day, you still don’t really know her.

Despite straying away from the trend of increasing intimacy between celebrity and fan, she is rising in the ranks to become the next big superstar in, not only R&B, but in the music industry at large.

But achieving celebrity status is hardly the objective.

“I definitely don’t try to do what everyone else is doing at the moment,” she says. “I try to trust my gut and trust what’s got me this far, which were honest songs that I was afraid to do. Sometimes the most daring thing — the thing that you’re most afraid to do — is the thing that’s gonna get you from point A to point B. You have to dare to take risks and dare to be you. When you try to be successful trying to be someone else, the success eventually runs out.”

The 61st annual Grammy Awards will air on CBS on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. PST. H.E.R. will be performing at Coachella this spring on Sunday, April 14 and Sunday, April 21.

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EntErtainmEnt

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • FEbRUARY 8-14, 2019

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Iñigo Pascual mourns death of leukemia-stricken fan By katRina

HaLLaRe Inquirer.net

Miss Universe Catriona Gray (center) is joined by Consul General Claro Cristobal, Consul Arman Talbo and Filipino-American media prior to her meet and greet with the Fil-Am community.

AJPress Photos by Troi Santos

Homesick Miss Universe looks forward to her grand homecoming this month

By MoMaR

Visaya Philstar.com

BeFOre going to the Philippines for her big homecoming, Miss Universe Catriona Gray spent an unusually warm winter afternoon with fellow Filipinos at a meet and greet at the Philippine Center hosted by the Philippine Consulate General New York.

Gray on Monday afternoon said that just being in the consulate is already like taking a trip back to the Philippines and reminisced when she was at the Philippine Center for the first time in 2016 a few days proceeding to the Miss World finals in Washington, DC. “I just want to say thank you to everyone for being here today. I feel like I’ve taken a step back home in the Philippines seeing you all,” Gray said as she thanked the roomful of Filipino community leaders from the various states in the northeast who attended the event. “I am a little homesick but I am going back for my homecoming mid February and I’m very, very excited.”

Consul General Claro Cristobal and Consul arman Talbo joined Gray at the presscon prior to her meeting the community.

“It has been a wonderful two months so far and I am really excited to go home and see everyone for the homecoming,” Gray added. according to press announcements, Gray will have a grand homecoming on February 21 and 23 in Manila. “as I said earlier in the room next door, it makes me feel like I’ve taken a little bit of a trip home to the Philippines. seeing all of your faces so many kababayans dito— Thank you so much po for being here,” she said, addressing the capacity crowd.

Dr. aida Navidad rivera and a group came all the way from Philadelphia to attend the meet and greet with the Filipina Miss Universe.

“Miss Catriona Gray is politely beautiful. she is beauty and brains, well spoken and engaging,” Dr. aida Navidad rivera said. “The Miss Universe title rightfully belongs to her.”

“The event was of mutual expression of appreciation of who we are as Filipinos in the diaspora,” rivera added.

For another community leader,

aguiLaR Inquirer.net

aCTress-hOsT Toni Gonzaga bared her relationship with her father, Bonoy, whom she called “The first man who broke my heart.”

Toni interviewed his father, who was celebrating his birthday, about his strict parenting style in a video blog posted on her Youtube channel on Tuesday, February 5.

The questions ranged from why Toni and her sister alex were punished when they were young to why they were never allowed to go on a sleepover.

The actress-host also asked, “Bakit ayaw mo kami magboyfriend noong teenager pa lang kami?” to which her father replied with, “Kasi ayaw namin kayo magsisi.”

“Hindi pa kaya bumabalanse.

Kayo kasi, ‘pag teenager pa, puro damdamin ‘yan, e. ’Gusto ko ‘yun!’”

Bonoy said. “Ngayon, malaki ka na, nag-iisip ka na. ‘Gusto ko ‘yun,’ pero meron ka nang, ‘kaya lang.’” also revealed in the vlog were the reasons why Bonoy disapproved of Toni’s previous suitors. Toni mentioned the names, but were censored from the viewer, and her father gave descriptions as to why he did not like them for Toni.

Toni’s last question was why he never talked to her nowhusband Paul soriano when they

Iñigo Pascual with his fan Arnie Espina.

Pascual first met espina in august 2018 while she was staying in Ospital ng Makati. “This is what she has to live, this is the life she has to live and yet she chooses to be happy, she still chooses to

Photo from Twitter/@InigoDPascual

fight,” the singer said of her in a video posted by One Music Ph. he also organized a starstudded benefit concert for espina held at the historia Boutique Bar and restaurant in Quezon City last January.

The new Miss Universe will have her grand homecoming in Manila this month. She said she is excited to go home to meet her fans and loved ones.

it was a pleasant opportunity to see Gray again, after meeting her back in 2016. “and she has blossomed so beautifully and oozing with confidence at that. she carries and embraces the Miss Universe crown so professionally,” said Joji Jalandoni. “It is a perfect vehicle to benefit her cause which is promoting education and increasing awareness of hIV in the Philippines.”

Yet another group from Tom’s river, New Jersey is thankful to the consulate for the chance to meet the Miss Universe and have their photo taken with them.

“Catriona is a very special lady in her own way, she is very beautiful inside and out, always smiling and (she) looks happy,” said Joji Ortega Babuschak. “I admired her more when she talked about her advocacy, I wish I can raise some money to support her mission to help our less fortunate children back home and folks who have hIV.” Promoting Filipino fabrics Gray was known to wear Filipino designed gowns using local textiles and fabrics during her time as a candidate for Binibining Pilipinas and again at the Miss Universe competition in Bangkok. at the consulate event, she wore a full hand-embroidered modern Filipiniana and Victorian inspired barong designed by Orias studios.

“I’ve fallen in love with our Filipino textiles and fabrics. as a Miss Philippines, yes I wore the sash but if I were to remove the sash, I wanted to look like a Miss Philippines,” she said, explaining

Daphne Oseña

Miss Universe Catriona Gray is all smiles as she stepped out of the Philippine Center in New York.

She will be busy in the next few days attending New York Fashion Week.

why she collaborated with Filipino designers for her gowns and accessories.

“We have amazing Filipino designers and our textiles are unique to us, they’re nowhere else in the world. If I could just share that in a way, I know it doesn’t encapsulate the whole of our culture, but it is a small aspect that I feel like, specially my age group would really sit up and pay attention,” Gray added. responding to a question about how she sees herself in five years, Gray rattled off a couple of items in her list, including a possible career in music and business.

“I would love to have my own business, but with a livelihood program. I have this love developed for our fabrics and textiles and I would love to have a business reflect that,” she said.

Photos courtesy of Unicef

Anne Curtis, Daphne Oseña named Unicef ambassadors

three, said her work with Unicef as special advocate for children took her around the country The United Nations “to bring out stories on health, International Children’s breastfeeding, early childhood emergency Fund (Unicef) has education and safety of children.” appointed actress anne Curtis “This is very important to me, and TV host and producer Daphne as a mother, to see that every Oseña Paez as its ambassadors. child is protected,” she said.

Unicef will formally announce Unicef said the two women their appointment on Thursday in were recognized for their work Cubao, Quezon City. in pushing children’s rights and In her blog, Paez, a mother of empowerment.

By JaiMe

PiLaPiL ManilaTimes.net

Anne Curtis

Is Bong revilla-Coco Martin action starrer feasible?

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

PerhaPs not many moviegoers remember that almost 17 years ago, Coco Martin appeared as a supporting actor in ang agimat: anting-anting ni Lolo, a 2002 action movie directed by augusto salvador and produced

by Imus Productions owned by the family of Bong revilla who starred in it with son Jolo.

“Oo nga pala!” said former sen. Bong (running in May’s mid-term elections) the other day when reminded about it during a friendly lunch with movie writers at annabel’s. “Coco did a fight scene with Jolo. The original actor was not okay and it was my brother Marlon (Bautista) who saw Coco on the set. ‘Umarte ka nga,’ Coco was told. Mahusay siya so he got the role. When I see him now in ‘ang Probinsyano’, hanga ako sa kanya. Sabi ko, siya pala ‘yung Coco na nakasama ko sa pelikula noon. Hindi mo talaga masabi ang swerte.” somebody suggested to Bong to co-star with Coco in an action movie, maybe the one that Bong has been conceptualizing during his five-year stay at the Camp Crame Detention Center that he’s intending to enter in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) as his comeback starrer. Good idea, isn’t it?

Toni interviewed his father, Taytay, Rizal Vice Mayor Carlito “Bonoy” Gonzaga, who was “I want to revive interest in celebrating his birthday, about his strict parenting style in a video blog posted on her Youtube action movies,” said Bong who channel on Tuesday, February 5.

Photo screengrabbed from Youtube/Celestine Gonzaga-Soriano lamented the moribund state of years. They now have a two-year- the genre that catapulted him to were still dating. stardom. “When was the last time old son named seve.

“Kailangan makita niya na na sikat ang action films, during at the end of the video, mayroong nag-po-protekta sa the time of FPJ? That was a long Toni shared her realizations on inyo. Lahat ng ama, pag ang anak time ago.” the strict parenting style of his nila ay babae at may nanliligaw, In fact, Imus Productions father: “I realized that the pain of sinusuri ng lahat ng magulang has kick-started the big move by discipline is better than the pain ‘yan. Dapat diyan bina-bluff of regret. The man who I thought producing Tres, a trilogy topbilled kaagad,” Bonoy answered. “‘Wag

by Bong’s sons Jolo, Bryan and broke my heart before was mong lolokohin ang anak ko.

Luigi. a good step in the right actually the one who saved my Magkakaproblema tayo.’” heart from being broken so many direction.

Toni and soriano tied the Taking time out from the midtimes.” knot in 2015 after dating for eight

Toni Gonzaga bares father as ‘first man who broke my heart’ By kRissy

IñIGO Pascual expressed his grief today, Feb. 6, upon learning that a fan stricken with leukemia passed away. “[I’m] so sorry my angel…,” the 21-year-old singer said on Twitter when he learned that 15year-old arnie espina died. “[You’re] the bravest girl [I’ve] ever met,” the singer said of his fan as he posted a photo of them hugging. “[Y]ou fought a good fight my love… thank you for sharing us your beautiful soul… i love you so much @ arnieespina.”

Fellow singer Moira dela Torre comforted Pascual, “sending you hugs, ñigs. someone’s telling God about the joy you gave her here on earth. I love you.” another Pascual follower named abby (@abbyxriley) said that although she never met espina, she somehow knows that she was “a very sweet and kind girl.”

Other fans and commenters posted their condolences and prayers.

Bong Revilla at the meet-the-movie-press lunch with sisters Andeng Ynares (second from left, running for mayor in Antipolo City, with daughters Cassandra, leftmost, and Via, rightmost), Rowena (Bacoor City councilor running for reelection) and Bong’s daughter Gianna. Right photo shows actor Coco Martin. Philstar.com photos

term campaign that has brought him around the country where he’s getting a warm welcome, Bong told the movie writers that if elected, he would file a bill that would bring down the movie admission price from P300-P250 to around P200-P150.

“In my sorties,” related Bong, “I saw the big number of poor people, ang daming mahihirap.

That got me thinking, how could they afford to watch movies?

Their alternative is to watch TV shows and old movies (including his starrers) on PBO (Pinoy Box Office, etc.). If I can bring down the admission prices, I think that should help bring back the people back to the movies.”

What if he’s offered to star in an action-adventure series?

Bong thought for awhile, presumably caught between his being (used to be?) a Kapuso and one-time Kapamilya (he starred in the very first action film produced by star Cinema)? What would get his nod (if the price is right)?

“The TF (Talent Fee) is immaterial,” replied Bong. “My prime consideration would be the project.”

Incidentally, compared to his first post-Camp Crame salu-salo with the movie press at Gloria Maris last month hosted by regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde, Bong looked “fit and fabulous” during the annabel’s affair, several

pounds lighter and as macho as ever, thanks to his regular workout even while he was “inside.”

On hand to support him were his daughter Gianna, sisters andeng Ynares (with daughters by husband incumbent antipolo Mayor Junjun Ynares) who is running for antipolo City mayor unopposed and rowena who is running for reelection as councilor in Bacoor City where the mayor is Bong’s re-electionist wife Lani Mercado (who begged off from the annabel’s gathering to avoid distracting the spotlight from Bong). since Valentine’s is just around the corner, Funfare asked Bong how he and Lani would spend the day. The couple spent the past five Valentine’s at Camp Crame with permission from authorities for conjugal visits on special occasions like Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s.

“I stayed at a small room with no air-con,” confessed Bong, “and even when we turned the blower full blast, it was very hot pa rin, so we would end up sweaty, pawis na pawis.”

That was “inside.” For their first Valentine’s “outside,” Bong and Lani plan to simply watch a show, something light and easy that will make them feel bright and breezy.

The couples’ theme song is Ikaw, same as Pres. Duterte’s.

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February 8-14, 2019 • NeW yOrK aND NeW JerSey aSIaN JOurNaL

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