032418 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

March 24-27, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 25 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

Duterte expects more countries to leave tribunal

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV is planning to file a petition questioning Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to pull the country’s signature from the Roman Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The opposition senator bared his plan during a television interview on Thursday, March

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DATELINE

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Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Inquirer.net photo

Palace: Boracay to remain Pacquiao camp says Top open on Holy Week, summer Rank deal already expired

by AJPRESS

The winning domestic employee with Attorneys Evangelista and Sayas of the Law Offices of Joe Sayas.

Filipina nanny wins $827,506 in wage trial

Judgment one of highest verdicts to a domestic worker on pure wage claim A LIVE-IN Filipina domestic employee has won a wage claim of $827,506 against her former employers who had her care for two of their disabled children in addition to doing housework, errands, and cooking, for what amounted to way less than minimum wage.

The judgment announced last February appears to be among the highest verdicts to a domestic worker on a pure wage claim.

NATIONAL CONVENTION. President Rodrigo Duterte interacts with the audience after delivering his speech at the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Committee (MRRD-NECC) National Convention at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City on Wednesday, March 21. The president extended his invitation to political and social leaders who want to join his administration’s agenda, as he underscored that even those from the other side of the political fence could be accepted as long as they are pro-development.

Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal

MALACAÑANG on Thursday, March 22 assured the public that Boracay would remain open for tourists during Holy Week and throughout the summer despite a proposal to temporarily close the island for rehabilitation.

While confirming that there are no specific instructions from President Rodrigo Duterte yet, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said that the closure will not likely happen during the peak summer season.

“Proceed to Boracay, especially since it’s Holy Week. I don’t think any closure will happen during the peak season of Boracay. We’re looking at, possibly, if the president finally accepts the recommendation, lean season,” Roque said in a brief-

ing.

Boracay is facing possible closure to fix the area’s environmental issues, particularly its sewage system.

The inter-agency task force on Boracay is recommending a six-month total closure of the island, starting April 26. The initial recommendation to close the island was for a maximum of one year.

During the briefing, Roque also defended the government’s decision to approve the construction of a $500-million casino-resort on the island amid efforts to address the area’s environmental woes.

Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. and its Filipino partner, Leisure and Resorts World Corp., are expected to start construction next year af-

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by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

FILIPINO boxer Manny Pacquiao is no longer obligated to work with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. According to Pacquiao’s lawyer, Eldibrando Viernesto, Pacquiao’s last fight under Top Rank was against Jeff Horn in July last year in Brisbane, Australia.

Pacquiao lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight title to Horn, and while there was a rematch clause, their second fight failed to materialize.

PROMOTED. President Rodrigo Duterte pins the rank insignia on newlypromoted Philippine Army reserve Colonel Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao during a ceremony at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, March 13.

Malacañang photo by Albert Alcain

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NAIA among ‘most improved’ airports in the world

by AJPRESS A PHILIPPINE airport that was once considered as among the “worst airports” is now among the “most improved” airports around the globe.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has earned the tenth spot in the Top 10 World’s Most Improved Airports by London-based research firm Skytrax.

Taking the top spots were Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Italy, followed by Perth Airport in

Duterte: PH won’t join US expeditions PH senators reject ‘easy’ divorce patterned after US Palace spokesperson Harry Roque assured that Boaracay closure will not likely happen during the peak summer season.

Inquirer.net photo

THE Philippines will not participate in any joint expeditions with the United States, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, March 21.

Duterte remarked that the Philippines would “stand on our own,” saying the country had enough of getting nothing but “brutality and agony.”

“I’m addressing America right now, whatever expeditions that you will conduct, any wars that you will fight in any other countries, count us out,” Duterte said during the graduation of the Philippine National Police Academy “Maragtas” class of

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by BERNADETTE

E. TAMAYO

ManilaTimes.net

SENATORS Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sherwin Gatchalian are against the passing of a law that will allow divorce patterned after the United States.

Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito, Zubiri and Gatchalian also expressed doubt if the Senate would be able to pass a measure allowing divorce amid the strong opposition of the Catholic Church.

“We don’t want the Las Vegas style

or U.S. style divorce (wherein) you would agree to get married and then after six months or after five years when we already have kids, we’ll say, ‘let’s divorce’ because I like somebody else or I simply don’t like you anymore,” Zubiri said. “That’s not acceptable.”

“I want to protect the sanctity of the family. We don’t want to see people hastily getting married without having any thought about it. That’s the Las Vegas style na divorce of divorce.

We don’t want that to happen here in the Philippines,” Zubiri said in an in-

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London-based Skytrax named Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as one of the world’s most improvedairports.

Inquirer.net photo

terview.

Gatchalian said he is also against an “easy” divorce.

“I’m against drive-thru divorce wherein it would be easy to get a divorce. You just have to file a document and then you’re divorced already. I do not agree of that. The people think that when you talk of divorce it is the fast way of ending a marriage just like in America wherein if you don’t like me anymore, we can separate almost immediately,” he said.

“I don’t approve of that if that would lead to the immediate separation of a

married couple. The sanctity of marriage will be lost,” Gatchalian added.

Ejercito, in a media forum, raised the need to study the divorce bill that the House passed. “I believe it would have a tough time to pass here at the Senate.”

“We are still a Catholic country and our Constitution is centered on the family. In my view, there was the intention not to have a divorce or legal separation in the country to preserve the family. I’m open to it but it will take a rough sailing (at the Senate),” he said. ■

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From the Front Page

Duterte expects more countries...

PAGE A1 t 22, adding that some of his colleagues are also “seriously considering” filing a Senate resolution and a petition against the president’s unilateral decision Trillanes insisted that Senate concurrence is needed in treaty withdrawals.

Regarding the date, the sena-

tor told CNN Philippines that he’s going to file a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) “at an appropriate time.”

Trillanes likewise accused Duterte of trying to evade accountability when he ordered the withdrawal from the treaty.

He further criticized the president for acting like “a man in

panic.”

The Philippines’ decision to leave the treaty came weeks after the ICC begun its preliminary examination into possible crimes against humanity the Duterte administration has reportedly committed while implementing an intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

The ICC’s preliminary examination stemmed from a communication filed by lawyer Jude Sabio in April last year in connection with the alleged thousands of extrajudicial killings and abuses under Duterte’s drug war.

Trillanes and Congressman Gary Alejano also sent a supplementary communication against the Filipino leader, urging the ICC to look into the country’s drug war.

Senate approval ‘needed’ In an earlier privilege speech, Trillanes claimed that without a Senate nod, the Philippines’

MANAOAG PILGRIMAGE. Kids light up candles at the floating candle pond at the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag in Pangasinan on Thursday, March 22. The place is a famous pilgrimage site for devotees and even during the Holy Week.

PNA photo by Joey Razon

Pacquiao camp says Top Rank...

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should there be any, between “I reviewed the contract and I Manny Pacquiao and Austrafound out that Bob Arum has no lian boxer Jeff Horn,” Viernesu PAGE A3 more say even in the rematch, to was quoting in a Philbox-

ing article published Tuesday, March 18.

The lawyer’s statement came in contrast against an earlier remark made by Arum, who said that Pacquiao was still under contract with Top Rank Inc. Arum told Boxing Scene: “Pacquiao is under contract with Top Rank for reasonably long period of time but I don’t know when the contract will expire.”

As present, Pacquiao is reportedly teaming up with Oscar Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to promote his match against WBA welterweight Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this June.

While no contract has been signed yet, Pacquiao claimed the deal in Malaysia is nearing closure.

As for who would be in charged of his training, Pacquiao told GMA-7 News the decision is “not yet final.”

“Right now, I’m fixing the promotion. I’m working as a promoter before starting the training,” he added.

In an earlier statement, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer since 2001, said he recently tried to get in touch with Pacquiao but failed to connect with the boxer.

“I usually leave him alone until I hear from him, but I’ve called him five times and haven’t heard back,” Roach told the LA Times.

“Maybe he changed his number,” he added. n

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Filipina nanny wins...

PAGE A1 t “The court’s judgement is a victory for Ms. Alzate, especially in the face of a vigorous opposition that did not concede any dime of wages that was owed to her,” said a release from the law firm that represented the Filipina. “It was a testament to the courage of this Filipina to have pursued her claims all the way up to trial.”

Fil-Am employment lawyer Attorney Joe Sayas, represented Linda Alzate (not her real name) and argued that she should be paid for the entire time she was on-call to care for the disabled children at which the court agreed.

Just as in previous cases he’s handled for employees in similar situations, Alzate was paid a flat monthly rate regardless of how long she was made available to work which went from 18 to 24 hours per day.

Under the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights made effective in 2014, domestic workers with hours similar to Alzate who are caring for children or seniors are entitled to overtime pay being their regular hourly rate multiplied by one and a half, or “time and a half.”

24/7 care, two children with disabilities Alzate began working in the home of Drs. Peter Sim and Lorraine Diego — located in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles — in 2002 where she initially received a flat monthly salary of only $1,000 to care for the couple’s three to four month child despite being on call for 24 hours, seven days a week. That computes to less than approximately $2.00 an hour.

At 18 months, the child was diagnosed with severe autism, adding to the workload and responsibilities. In 2005, another

child was born with autism yet the couple still failed to give Alzate her proper wages.

In addition to caring for the children, Alzate was made responsible for other tasks including laundry, running errands, house cleaning, and cooking for the family.

Alzate’s last salary in 2014 was $3,000 per month, despite a correctly calculated salary for her 24/7 live-in wage computing upwards of $6,000. Her claims cover the period worked from April 2011 to April 2014 with a significant part of the wage based on regular hourly rates.

Alzate said her daily schedule would consist of waking up at 6 a.m. at the latest to cook for the family and prepare the kids for school. The rest of the day, she would spend cleaning the house, running errands, and cooking for the whole family. Evenings consisted of assisting the children’s much needed therapy sessions, cooking dinner, and preparing the children for sleep during which she would continue to be on-call.

The older child with severe autism often would wake up every two or three hours, said Alzate. The children’s parents offered no help.

U.S. law defines a night’s rest as a minimum of five hours for employees on duty for 24 hours or more which Alzate rarely got.

“Live-in employees should still be paid for each and every hour worked,” said Sayas in an email to the Asian Journal. “This means that even if the employee is not engaged in productive work, but is required by the employer to stay in the workplace (due perhaps to an all-day or all night 24/7 supervision of an elderly or child they are taking care of), they should still be paid as the law sees that as work performed.”

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

Alzate was also discouraged from taking days off. She said that getting even just one day off required her to get permission three to four months in advance.

In one instance she did manage to get four days off for her birthday which falls on Thanksgiving, Alzate said Sim got angry.

“I just want to put out there, if anyone is in my situation, they can always ask for help,” said Alzate, thanking Sayas and his firm.

After having some suspicions of her salary, Alzate’s aunt advised her to contact Sayas’ firm to inquire if she was entitled to back wages after noticing her payments and hours were not what they should be.

Sayas said that wage theft and unpaid overtime wages are not unusual because some employers take advantage of immigrant workers who are often intimidated into working long hours without proper pay. Some employers are also do not know about laws regarding proper salaries.

“Going through this process is not easy, but if you know that if you have someone behind you, you will go for it,” said Alzate.

Appeals proceedings Although the court went in favor of Alzate, the couple has decided to go forth on appeal proceedings, which Alzate and Sayas’ firm are ready to fight against.

The couple has since reportedly hired three people to take shifts, doing what Alzate did herself. The workers are also reportedly being paid minimum wage, together amounting to what should’ve been paid to Alzate while she was working.

“The trial court’s judgement in favor of our nanny client is based on good facts and good law. Make no mistake about it,” said Sayas. “We will vigorously fight for the worker on appeal.”

(Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

Duterte expects more countries...

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withdrawal from the Rome Statute is “void.”

He likewise refuted Duterte’s claim that the treaty was never enforced in the country because it was not published in the government’s Official Gazette, as required by law.

Trillanes cited the Executive Order No. 459, signed by former President Fidel Ramos, which stated that “a treaty or executive agreement shall enter into force upon compliance with domestic requirements

stated in that order.”

“Let me just put on record, nothing in this EO showed that there is a need for the treaty to be publicized in the Official Gazette,” Trillanes argued.

He continued: “Aside from that, I would like to manifest that for as long as the senators or 2/3 of the total number have concurred [with] the withdrawal, such withdrawal of Duterte [from the] ICC is void from the start.”

More to exit from ICC Malacañang, meanwhile, ex-

pressed belief that more countries are likely to follow the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC. According to Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., there’s also a possibility that South Africa would initiate the withdrawal proceedings.

“There’s only 124, now, 123.

If reports are accurate, it might even be another state leaving, South Africa, 122,” Roque told reporters during a news briefing on Thursday.

He also noted that “ma-

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A3

‘MARAGTAS’ CLASS 2018. Graduates from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) ‘Maragtas’ Class of 2018 march past President Rodrigo Duterte for the pass-in review during the 39th PNPA Commencement Exercises at Camp General Mariano N. Castañeda in Silang, Cavite on Wednesday, March 21.

PNA photo by Valerie Escalera

Duterte: PH won’t join...

2018 in Cavite.

“Wala kaming nakuha (We did not gain anything) all these years of sacrifice except brutality and agony. We will stand on our own,” he added.

The president further remarked that the Philippines had enough of colonial rule.

“We have been enslaved by two countries in succession – Spaniards for 400 years and the Americans for 50 years. Tama na po ‘yon (That’s enough). You have had your fill. Do not ask for more,” he said.

Citing the wars in Iraq during the terms of former U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, Duterte criticized how Washington “always demand [their allies] that they

participate in the expeditions.”

In 2003, the Philippines sent a 51-member humanitarian troop to the Multi-National Force but pulled out the following year after the kidnapping of a Filipino contract worker in Iraq, who was later released.

Duterte also lashed out at the U.S. for allegedly stealing the natural resources of the Philippines and the oil in Middle Eastern countries.

“You stole our natural resources. You stole the oil of the Arab countries, divided it arbitrarily into a nation at ngayon kumukuha pa rin kayo, hinihigop pa rin ‘yung oil (and now you are still stealing oil from them). And there is trouble everywhere,” he said.

He noted that the Philippines

would only participate in joint explorations “unless we are threatened directly.”

“Unless we are threatened directly, there will be no more joint expeditions,” he said. “At least sa panahon ko. Maghintay kayong lahat kung mawala ako.

(At least during my term. Wait until I’m gone.)”

While the Philippines and the U.S. were long-time allies, the Duterte administration’s relationship with Washington apparently turned sour after former U.S. President Barrack Obama criticized Duterte’s drug war.

Duterte, however, seemed to have a better relationship with current U.S. President Donald Trump, who, unlike his predecessor, has lauded the Philippine government’s drug war.

(Dana Sioson/AJPress)

jor countries” like the United States, Russia and China are “not parties to the ICC.” “I have read reports that countries like South Africa, although it has relented from its earlier decision to withdraw from the court, will initiate withdrawal proceedings again. So, the Philippines is not alone,” he added.

At the same time, Malacañang thanked Russia for understanding the Philippines’ decision to pull out from the treaty.

This was after Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev issued a statement saying that Moscow signed the Rome Statute but did not ratify it due to the ICC’s supposed “highly politicized” activities.

In a television interview, Khovaev said: “In our assessment the ICC is not a judicial board.

All its activities are highly politicized and it’s used as an instrument to put political pressure on selective governments, on selective countries.”

“We cannot accept certain

approach that’s why my country decided to withdraw from their Rome Statute... I fully understand why your country took the same decision but as I have just explained, it’s up to the Philippine society to make comments, to make assessments, to make steps in this decision. For us, we deeply respect it,” he added.

Responding to the ambassador’s statement, Roque said: “That’s to be expected, and we’d like to thank Russia for such a comment.” ■

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House committee to release GOP report claiming ‘no collusion’ in Russia-Trump probe Release of report formally shuts down the House investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian hackers

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

FIGHTING ON. Supporters of the communist New People’s Army hold a lightning rally on Recto Avenue in Manila on Wednesday, March 21 ahead of the NPA’s 49th founding anniversary on March 29.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Andrew De La Cruz

Sen. Mitchell, Controller Yee unveil legislation to expand sexual harassment prevention training to all workers SACRAMeNTO — California Sen. holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and state Controller Betty T. Yee announced last Wednesday, March 14, legislation to help address the prevalence of workplace sexual harassment.

Senate Bill 1343 would provide training to more California workers on preventing sexual harassment, as well as how to recognize harassment and who to contact if victimized.

“In order for this culture shift around sexual harassment prevention to be successful, workers need to feel confident in their workplace policies and procedures,” said Mitchell, author of SB 1343 and vice chair of the Joint Committee on Rules Subcommittee on Sexual harassment Prevention and Response.

Yee agreed.

“expanding required training means expanding awareness across all economic sectors, not just in hollywood or in the State Capitol. If we want to shift the culture when it comes to sexual harassment, we need to start by ensuring all workers know their rights and know their resources,” said Yee, the highest-ranking female elected official in state government and sponsor of SB 1343.

Current law requires all employers with 50 or more employees to provide two hours of sexual harassment prevention training only to supervisors. SB 1343 would extend this requirement to employers with five or more employees, and ensure similar training in multiple languages for all workers so they know what sexual harassment is and what their rights are un-

Palace: Boracay to remain...

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ter securing a provisional license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Wednesday, March 21.

Roque denied that the government’s move to shut down the world-famous island for rehabilitation was meant to pave way for the casino construction. he also added that the planned casino construction will most likely be required by the Department of environment and Natural Resources (DeNR) to have its own sewage treatment plan (STP), drainage system, and a zero discharge policy.

“No, I don’t think so. Because if they build a facility as big as they want to build, perhaps the [DeNR] will require what Shangri-La Boracay has, which is zero-discharge,” Roque said.

Zero discharge, Roque explained, refers to the “reusing of all wastewater, treating it and

reusing it either for flushing or gardening purposes.”

“So, an establishment as big as this casino, will probably be required to have not just a [Sewage Treatment Plant], but the water recycling treatment facility. So the size will not matter for as long as, a necessary infrastructure [is] there,” he added.

While saying he was not sure how the impending closure would affect the casino project, Roque noted that there is also a moratorium for new developments in the island, which is set to be implemented in June.

“Warning to the developer, they should know that all their development plans hinges on what the president will decide upon on the issue of Boracay,” he said. “But right now, there’s a moratorium on new improvements so they can’t build even if they wanted to today because of the moratorium.” n

der the law. employers could comply with SB 1343 by directing employees to view California Department of Fair employment and housing training videos, which the bill requires DFeh to produce in multiple languages, to raise employee awareness on harassment and discrimination in diverse work force sectors.

From 2005 to 2015, the federal equal employment Opportunity Commission received about 85,000 sexual harassment complaints. Of the charges that specified jobs, 14.2 percent came from the accommodation and food service industry, 13.4 percent came from retail trade, and 11.7 percent came from manufacturing. n

The house committee responsible for the congressional Russia investigation has voted on Thursday, March 22 to release the Republican members’ report, which found that there was no evidence of collusion between Russia and the presidential campaign for Donald Trump.

The vote, which was along party lines, formally shuts down the house’s nearly year-long investigation.

“Today we are one step closer to delivering answers to the questions the American people have been asking for over a year,” Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), the Republican leading the probe, said in a statement. earlier this month, the Republican members of the house Intelligence Committee found that there was no evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government to sway the 2016 election in Trump’s favor, despite concerning events that were revealed over the course of the last year.

In the year that the committee has been investigating, it rebuked Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page for providing an “incomplete” account of his questionable trip to Moscow in July 2016.

The report also found that associates of Trump had “ill-advised” interactions with the controversial website WikiLeaks, which the IC say helped in Russia’s efforts to propagate hacked emails from the Democratic Party and then-presidential candidate hillary Clinton.

Most shockingly was the dis-

covery that the president’s son Donald Trump, Jr. had an encounter with a Russian government official at a National Rifle Association event in 2016, which according to the report was one of the several “possible” attempts by Moscow to create a backchannel (a covert communication channel) with Trump’s transition team after the election.

Despite the findings which have raised more questions from the Democratic committee members, the Republican leaders concluded that “Possible Russian efforts to set up a ‘back channel’ with Trump associates after the election suggest the absence of collusion during the campaign, since the communication associated with collusion would have rendered such a ‘back channel’ unnecessary,” committee Republicans wrote.

The Democratic minority view — which posits that there is much more to inquire about and opposes the closing of the probe — will be turned over on Monday, March 26. Both reports are in the hands of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) for declassification.

Unsurprisingly, the Democratic minority in the house intelligence committee has criticized its Republican counterparts. It’s unclear why Republicans have claimed there is evidence of collusion — the GOP has declined to discuss their decision with the media — but ranking committee member Rep. Adam Schiff of California suggests partisan loyalty is the culprit.

“Republicans on the house Intelligence Committee protected

President Trump at the cost of conducting a serious investigation,” Schiff said after the Republican committee members announced their decision. “Russian interference was successful because the beneficiary of their help has refused to condemn it.

The lack of a serious investigation by the GOP is an invitation for Russians to do it again.”

In their initial announcement that they were closing the investigation, committee Republicans have concluded that Russia was responsible for efforts to undermine American political institutions throughout the 2016 election.

They have found that Russian hackers staged a pattern of attacks on democracy through using social media to establish partisan strife among users and lodging complex cyber operations that “continue to present a profound threat.”

Trump and his perceived ties to Russia have been a topic of discussion since the former reality star was first elected into office. This week, Trump was widely criticized for congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin for his election win, despite explicit demands from the White house to not do so.

The house committee’s investigation does not affect that of special counsel Robert Mueller’s independent probe, which is separate from the house investigation. however, Democrats fear that the soon-to-be-released report could sidetrack Mueller’s team.

“It really is a fundamentally flawed document, and there’s not much that can rescue it,” Schiff said on Thursday. n

NAIA among ‘most improved’...

PAGE A1 t Western Australia, and then Calgary International Airport in Alberta, Canada.

Completing the list were Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, Athens International Airport in Greece, Nadi International Airport in Fiji, Aéroports de Montréal Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Texas.

In its official website, Skytrax said its award for the “World’s Most Improved Airport” is based on “the relative year-onyear Quality performance by all airports featured in the World Airport Survey, and takes into account the change in rating together with performance changes across the different product and service categories in the awards.”

The World Airport Survey was conducted from August 2017 to February 2018m covering a total of 550 airports worldwide.

More than 13 million travelers from over a hundred different

nationalities participated in the poll.

Skytrax said the survey “evaluates traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.”

In a news briefing on Thursday, March 22, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager ed Monreal welcomed the Philippine airport’s inclusion in the list.

“I think it’s basically the little things we have done, the little efforts that the team has implemented — good cooperation with all the stakeholders.... improvement of the facilities that has been implemented so far,” Monreal said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that are “still a lot of things to do” to raise its ranking.

“We are now the 10th most improved airport. What is important is what we should do to move forward. That is even a bigger task

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Ed Monreal welcomed the Philippine airport’s inclusion in the list.

Inquirer.net photo

for us. We face tougher challenges as we go high. There’s still hope to improve NAIA,” Monreal added in mixed Filipino.

NAIA—the Philippines’ primary gateway—ranked first place on the globe’s worst airports list released by Sleeping In Airports website from 2011 to 2013.

But in 2014, NAIA apparently started to walk along a positive track as its rank on the same list decreased to fourth. In 2015, it was no longer included in the

world’s top ten worst airports.

In 2016, however, NAIA was hounded by the issue of “laglag-bala” or “bullet-planting” scheme, wherein personnels allegedly plant bullets in luggage to extort money from travellers, causing the airport to land fifth spot on Asia’s worst airports.

2017 brought a more positive news, as NAIA was no longer on top 20 worst airports in the world, nor on the list of top five worst airports in Asia. n

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Bill to stop abuse of patients in recovery from opioid and substance use and fight insurance fraud introduced in CA Senate SACRAMENTO, CA – Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) on Thursday, March 22, took a major step toward rooting out insurance fraud and improving care for patients in recovery from addiction with the introduction of the Substance Use Disorder Patient Protection Act, Senate Bill 1228.

The need for quality recovery services in California has grown, driven by the opioid crisis and changes in federal law that require insurance coverage of substance use disorders. The opioid epidemic claimed 1,925 lives in California in 2016, and drug and opioid overdoses are in the top 20 causes of death statewide. Excessive alcohol use claims approximately 2,100 lives per year.

Yet only 1 in 5 people who need treatment for opioid use disorders currently receive it, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.

“California needs to raise the bar for patient care and protect people in recovery from patient brokering, where quality care takes a backseat to profits and insurance fraud,” said Senator Ricardo Lara. “We are starting to break through the stigma and meet the need for recovery from opioids, alcohol, and

other substances. California has to watch out for desperate families and patients so low-quality care and shady businesses don’t make them repeat victims of the opioid and substance use crisis.”

SB 1228 will prohibit recovery programs licensed by the state of California from engaging in patient brokering.

Patients have been recruited with the offer of cash payments or drugs. Patients with acute medical needs have even died after being referred to facilities that did not meet their needs. Insurance fraud and overbilling for medical services can result from patient brokering.

Several states including Florida and New York have banned patient brokering.

SB 1228 requires licensed recovery programs to refer patients only to certified facilities that meet high standards of patient care and protect patients from physical, sexual or financial abuse.

SB 1228 also requires that certified recovery facilities provide access to life-saving overdose-prevention measures available without a prescription, such as naloxone.

Recovery facilities must also maintain nondiscrimination

Ever Arias celebrates on Match Day, after learning he would be headed to Southern California for his medical residency training.

Photo courtesy of Ever Arias

For ‘Dreamers,’ the dream to become a doctor now ‘at the mercy’ of courts

by AnA B. IBArrA Californiahealthline.org

AMONG the young people known as “Dreamers,” Ever Arias belongs to a select group.

Of the roughly 700,000 unauthorized immigrants who have temporary but tenuous protection from deportation, only 99 are in medical school. Fewer still have made it to their final year.

Arias is one of them and, come June, will start his medical residency — the on-the-job training he needs to become a doctor.

What’s not clear is whether he’ll be allowed to finish and, ultimately, practice in the United States.

“We’re at the mercy of the government at this time,” said Arias, 27, who will graduate this May from Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine.

Last Friday, March 16 Arias got great news. On Match Day, when 31,000 medical students nationwide found out where they will be trained as residents, he learned he would be heading to Southern California, where he was raised.

His three-year residency will be in internal medicine, and his goal is to practice in underserved communities that need bilingual doctors, he said.

But at this pivotal moment in his medical career, Arias must focus both on his academic future and his legal one. In September, the Trump administration announced it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, setting off an ongoing political and legal battle that could overshadow the careers of immigrant doctors in training.

The tug-of-war has left Dreamers — the name given to people brought illegally into the U.S. as young children — wrestling with apprehension and uncertainty.

The stakes are particularly high for those like Arias, who have bet everything on professions that require high-cost educations and several years of training. The end of the DACA program could mean the end of their careers in the United States.

“The biggest fear I have is that one day everything I’ve worked for will be taken away,” Arias said.

President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012. The program allows qualified young people to obtain temporary work permits, which Arias and other Dreamers need to complete their training and advance in their careers.

The future of DACA is tied up in courts. Earlier this year, federal judges in California and New York temporarily blocked Trump’s move to terminate the program, and his administration is appealing.

For now, Dreamers can reapply for the status every two years, but there’s no guarantee how long that will last.

“Without DACA, there is very little possibility that medical students will be able to fulfill their profession,” said Betzabel Estudillo, of the California Immigrant Policy Center. This is of particular concern in the medical field where there is an urgent need for a “robust and diverse workforce,” she said.

Ignacia Rodriguez, immigration policy advocate at the National Immigration Law Center, called Arias and other Dreamers “pioneers.”

“They’ve had this ambition before DACA was around and they’ll continue to work towards it even if DACA were to be taken away,” she said. “But they deserve stability.”

After months of applications and interviews, Arias was excited that he “matched” with his first choice, a residency program in Southern California. He declined to name the institution, citing the uncertain political situation.

Arias, who was born in Mexico and brought to the U.S. at age 6, grew up in Costa Mesa, Calif. He graduated from the University of California-Riverside in 2012 and, after a two-year break, started medical school.

When the Trump administration announced its plan to rescind DACA last year, Arias was in the middle of applying to residency programs. He worried that they might reconsider whether to continue accepting DACA recipients because they could run the risk of losing their trainees midstream if DACA were eliminated.

But some residency programs aren’t letting the uncertainty cloud their decisions.

“We want programs to be able to choose from the best and brightest and to be able to select applicants who would be best suited for their institutions and communities, regardless of status,” said Atul Grover, the executive vice president at the Association of American Medical Colleges, which represents medical schools and teaching hospitals.

Residency programs take a risk with every student they admit, not just Dreamers, added Sunny Nakae, the assistant dean for admissions at Loyola’s medical school.

“The threat that looms over DACA obviously adds a more foreseeable risk,” she said. But “there’s no guarantee that anybody … is going to finish.”

Arias toyed with the idea of waiting a year before applying;

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rules and staff cultural competence; keep a resident code of conduct; report patient deaths; and develop transparent policies and consumer protections including a written contract specifically describing services to be provided.

The patient advocacy group Recovery Reform Now is the sponsor of SB 1228.

Ryan Hampton, a recovery advocate at Recovery Reform Now and Pasadena resident recently testified at the White House about the need in California.

“I know how incredibly lucky I am to have made it out of this crisis alive, but I also know that recovery and access to recovery supports should never be about luck,” Hampton said.

“Since we know that the first five years of someone’s recovery are the most important, how can we support people through the full continuum of care specifically when it comes to stable, qualified and ethical recovery housing and residences?”

SB 1228 standards of care are consistent with those recommended by the National Association of Recovery Residences and other groups SB 1228 will be heard in a Senate policy committee. n

MINDANAO FIESTA. Director Marita Carlos of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD) Applied Communication Division (ACD) (in black dress) and Northern Mindanao Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development-Regional Research and Development Coordinating Council (NOMCAARRD-RRDCC) chair and Central Mindanao University (CMU) president Dr. Maria Soliven (4th from right) leads the ribbon cutting during the opening ceremony for the Farm and Industry Encounters through the Science and Technology Agenda (FIESTA) held at the CMU Convention Center in Bukidnon. NOMCAARRD hosted its first-ever FIESTA celebration on March 21-22, 2018.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

International group: Nations with ties to PH should urge Manila to follow rule of law

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

STATES with strong economic and political ties to the Philippines should urge the country to restore the rule of law and stop widespread extrajudicial killings, according to a group that advocates the protection of civilian populations from the worst

atrocities.

President Rodrigo Duterte recently announced Manila’s intention to withdraw its ratification of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court.

The move came after Fatou Bensouda, a prosecutor of the ICC, announced that she was launching a preliminary exami-

nation into allegations of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines in the course of its crackdown on illegal drugs.

A preliminary examination is a process of determining whether a formal ICC investigation should be conducted.

The Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect said that

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A march 24-27, 2018 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL

Dateline USa

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Pastor Apollo Quiboloy gets his private jet back

Facebook photo shows evangelist Apollo Quiboloy waving from his Cessna Citation Sovereign jet, which landed at his compound in Davao City. The private jet was held by U.S. authorities in Hawaii last month.

APoLLo Quiboloy, pastor of the Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name, has his jet back.

The jet landed on Monday, March 19, in his private hangar inside the Kingdom Central compound along Diversion Road, after it was held in Hawaii last month.

“We are free to fly again,” Quiboloy was quoted as saying when his Cessna Citation Sovereign landed at past 1 p.m.

Last Feb. 13, United States

federal agents allegedly found at least $350,000 in cash and gun parts inside Quiboloy’s aircraft.

The pastor had to take a commercial flight from Hawaii to return to Manila where he was scheduled to hold a thanksgiving worship program.

Quiboloy’s legal counsel Israelito Torreon had denied earlier that the preacher was “deported,” since deportation, being a formal proceeding, could not be finished in a matter of six to

eight hours in which time the pastor was allowed to take a commercial flight back to the country.

“All of those insinuations and speculations are not true, because had he been charged, he would (have) remained in the U.S. and he would not have arrived in the Philippines as early as last night,” Torreon said upon Quiboloy’s arrival in the country last month.

With the return of his private plane, Quiboloy said he is poised to go around the world again.?“So we thank the Father for that and I am poised to travel again around the world with this airplane this 2018,” Quiboloy said after inspecting the interior of his aircraft.

Quiboloy said that the private plane was allowed to come back to the Philippines after it was cleared by U.S. Customs, adding that what happened in Hawaii was unfortunate.

“Finally, after the investigation in Hawaii, the Customs of- SAN ILDEFONSO IN TANAY. The larger-than-life wooden sculpture of Tanay’s patron saint, San Ildefonso, praying before the Blessed Virgin ficials released the plane, and as Mary, which was carved out of a trunk of a century-old acacia tree, at the 400-year-old San Ildefonso de Toledo Parish Church in Tanay, PNA photo by Joey Razon you see, it is already in my han- Rizal. The church is often visited by many Catholic devotees during the Holy Week. gar,” he said. (Edith Regalado/ Philstar.com)

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Biggest payday up for Jerwin Ancajas

by Joaquin

M. Henson

Philstar.com

INTERNATIoNAL Boxing Federation (IBF) superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas has been guaranteed the biggest purse of his career for staking his crown against fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan in May or June and Las Vegas matchmaker Sean Gibbons said the paycheck of $120,000 will be the start of more lucrative deals to come.

Ancajas was supposed to face Sultan in the undercard of the Jeff Horn-Terence Crawford mainer at the Mandalay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on April 14 but the show was postponed.

Crawford suffered a right hand injury in sparring last week and Top Rank CEo Bob Arum will soon announce the new schedule.

Since Ancajas wrested the IBF crown from Puerto Rico’s McJoe Arroyo in September 2016, his paychecks have increased from $40,000 for his first defense against Mexico’s Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in Macau in January last year to $60,000 for his second defense against Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Brisbane last July to $80,000 for his third defense against Ireland’s Jamie Conlan in Belfast last November to $95,000 for his fourth defense against Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi, Texas, last February. The Sultan fight will mark Ancajas’ first breach of the six-figure mark.

Gibbons said even as he’s not taking Sultan lightly, Ancajas should turn back the No. 1 contender and make two more title defenses before the year ends.

“Jerwin could pull in $400,000 this year,” said Gibbons. “Bob’s a genius and he knows how to spot a great fighter. Initially, Bob offered Jerwin a threefight contract with an option

Ancajas was supposed to face Sultan in the undercard of the Jeff Horn-Terence Crawford mainer at the Mandalay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on April 14 but the show was postponed.

Philstar.com photo

for three more fights. After Jerwin knocked out Gonzalez, Bob didn’t hesitate to exercise his option so he’s got Jerwin locked in for five more fights.”

Gibbons credited Irish basketball organizer Dave Cullen for opening Arum’s eyes to Ancajas indirectly. “I met Dave in a Belfast gym before Jerwin’s fight against Conlan,” said Gibbons. “He wore a New York Knicks shirt and I found out he received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY in 2007 for his role in Peace Players International. Dave was recognized for getting Protestant and Catholic kids together to play basketball. I gave Dave and his son tickets to watch Jerwin’s fight. Dave was so impressed with Jerwin’s performance that he phoned ESPN president John Skipper to tell him about the fight. I presume John then phoned Bob and before I knew it, Bob offered a contract.

Things have a way of working out if you’re a good kid like Jerwin.” others who’ve been given the Arthur Ashe Courage Award include Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Tommie Smith, John

Carlos, Dean Smith and Nelson Mandela.

Gibbons said what sets Ancajas apart from others is his humility. “Jerwin’s still the same down-to-earth guy,” he said.

“He’s not extravagant. He helps out his family and invests his money wisely. With trainer Joven Jimenez, Jerwin set up the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, which is getting to be more popular than the Wild Card Gym. He reminds me of former IBF/WBo featherweight and WBo featherweight champion orlando Salido who’s now 39. He’s been a pro for 22 years.

He was born in Mexico and now lives in Phoenix. He owns houses and a 16-door apartment building. His family’s future is secure. His kids speak English and go to good schools. He’s got something to show for what he did in the ring.”

Gibbons said even as Ancajas is mobbed like a rock star in the Philippines, it isn’t getting to his head. “He’s like Sen. Manny (Pacquiao) in that respect,” he said. “Jerwin’s head is in the right place. He’s just a nice, humble guy.” n

International group: Nations with ties...

PAGE A5 t while the Philippines had the authority to maintain law and order in its territory, it should do so with respect to International Human Rights Law. “States with strong economic and political ties to the Philippines must urge the government to restore the rule of law and immediately halt widespread extrajudicial killings,” the group said in its atrocity alert.

Malacañang said that the decision was effective immediately and the ICC should not expect cooperation from the Philippine government.

However, the ICC said that despite the withdrawal, which

should take effect one year after the formal notification of the United Nations, a party should still cooperate with proceedings launched before the date on which it was approved.

The call of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect is not the first time that countries with economic ties to the Philippines have been urged to reconsider their financial relationship following the mounting number of deaths in Duterte’s war on drugs.

In an editorial last year, the New York Times called on nations to consider imposing tariffs on Philippine goods after the European Union floated the proposal.

The publication also urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to launch a thorough, independent probe into the killings under the chief executive’s watch.

In a separate report, the Global Center for Responsibility also accused Duterte of promoting an atmosphere of impunity for murder and claimed that Filipinos were at risk of extrajudicial killings that could amount to crimes against humanity.

“The government of the Philippines is failing to uphold its Responsibility to Protect all Filipinos from crimes against humanity, including those accused of drug offenses,” it said. n

For ‘Dreamers,’ the dream to become a doctor...

PAGE A5 t

he thought maybe the political climate would cool by then.

“But we decided it was now or never,” Arias said of himself and the other Dreamers in his graduating class.

He recently applied to renew his DACA status, he said, and is trying to simply focus on “the craft of learning medicine,” not the turmoil surrounding the immigration debate. If DACA were eliminated, he and other recipients would lose their status at different times, whenever their two-year terms ended.

Before DACA, people without permission to live and work in the U.S. couldn’t get medical residencies because they didn’t have work authorization, Nakae explained.

Raquel Rodriguez, 30, was one of the few undocumented students who started medical school before DACA was created.

Rodriguez, who was born in Mexico City and raised in San Diego, is a second-year family medi-

cine resident in Southern California. She also declined to disclose the name of her residency program.

Rodriguez received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 2009. But because she had neither immigration papers nor DACA, her academic counselor discouraged her from applying to medical school, explaining that she wouldn’t be able to secure a residency spot, she said.

She applied anyway, and in 2011 she started medical school at UCLA. “I applied, but didn’t think I’d get in, and then I did and I had no idea how I was going to pay for it,” she recalled.

Medical school is expensive — the median in-state tuition at a public medical school was about $37,000 for the 2017-18 academic year, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Rodriguez’s friends from Harvard helped her pay for her first year. Then in June 2012, DACA

paved the way for other financial opportunities. By patching together scholarships and loans, Rodriguez got herself through her remaining years of medical school.

She will finish her medical residency training next year. She also has a master’s degree in public policy and hopes to find a job that combines both disciplines. She’s still not sure what that will look like, but she knows she wants to give back to low-income communities.

So does Arias. Members of his family didn’t have health insurance because of their legal status, so he’d like to serve populations who also struggle with limited access to coverage and care, he said.

“I see the role I can play in my community,” he said. “I don’t want that to be stripped away from me.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 24-27, 2018

Dateline PAguirre hiliPPines overturns dismissal of

House passes bill abolishing PCGG, OGCC

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

The house of Representatives has passed on second reading the bill seeking to abolish the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC).

Through viva voce voting, the 292-member chamber approved house Bill No. 7376, which seeks to transfer the functions of the PCGG and the OGCC to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

Among the authors of the measure were house Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, house Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, and the house justice committee chief Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro.

The PCGG is the agency tasked to recover the estimated $10 billion ill-gotten wealth of late President Ferdinand Marcos. The OGCC, on the other hand, provides the legal needs of state-owned and –controlled corporations.

The OSG serves as the principal law office of the Philippine

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JUSTICe Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has voided the resolution clearing confessed drug lord Kerwin espinosa, Peter Lim, and several others of drug charges.

Aguirre said he ordered the dismissal of the resolution on Monday, March 19.

“Since I already exercised my power under the automatic review, I issued an order vacating the dismissal of the case, so much so that there is no dismissal anymore,” Aguirre said in a press briefing on Tuesday, March 20.

In a resolution dated December 20, 2017 (but was only made public last week), Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors dropped the drug charges against espinosa and Lim due to lack of evidence.

Prosecutors dismissed the complaint for sale, administration, dispensation, trading, delivery

13 senators back anti-political dynasty bill by aJPress A MAJORITy of the senators have supported a proposed measure seeking to ban political dynasties in the Philippines.

Thirteen of 23 senators signed Senate Bill No. 1765, a consolidated bill prohibiting relatives of incumbent elective officials up to the second civil degree from succeeding, holding, or running for a public office.

Senate Bill No. 1765, or the proposed anti-political dynasty act of 2018, defines political dynasty as the “concentration, consolidation and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.”

The measure covers “spouses (legal and common-law), siblings (full or half-blood), par-

drug case against Espinosa, Lim by aJPress

In these November 27, 2015 file photos, Presidential Commission on Good Government employees hold a set of jewelry from the so-called Hawaii Collection, one of the three sets of the Marcos jewelry, during an appraisal by Sotheby’s. The Hawaii Collection was seized by the U.S. Bureau of Customs upon the Marcos’ arrival in Hawaii in 1986 and is now under the custody of the Philippine Commission on Good Government or PCGG. The recovery of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth, including jewelry, is among the main functions of the PCGG. Inquirer.net photos

ents, and children (legitimate, illegitimate, and adopted) and the spouses of these second-degree relatives.”

Lawmakers who signed in support of the bill were Senators Sonny Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Nancy Binay, Leila De Lima, Joseph Victor ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Francis Pangilinan, and Grace Poe. Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon also backed the measure.

The consolidated bill was approved under Committee Report No. 367 submitted jointly

by Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, and the Senate Committee on electoral Reforms and People’s Participation.

The two committees were chaired by Pangilinan and De

Lima respectively.

President Rodrigo Duterte previously expressed support for the anti-political dynasty bill but doubt if it would pass Congress.

“I am for it. Ang problema, lulusot ba ‘yan (The problem is: will it pass)?” Duterte said in a speech on Tuesday, March 20.

Vice President Leni Robredo also backed the bill, further urging fellow officials to pass the measure first before discussing the proposed shift to a federalism.

She warned that shifting to a federal form of government without an anti-political dynasty law would be “fatal to all” because it will just “embolden political families to further control their jurisdictions.”

“For me, I always say this, I hope that we can pass first the anti-dynasty law before we talk about federalism,” she added. n

A

and transportation of illegal drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) last year.

Apart from espinosa and Lim, also cleared were alleged New Bilibid Prison (NBP) drug trafficker Peter Co, Marcelo Adorco, Jermy Amang, Lovely Impal, Ruel Malindangan, Max Miro, Jun Pepito, and several others identified only by their aliases.

The PNP had filed a motion for reconsideration seeking the reversal of the decision clearing espinosa, Lim, and others. But with the resolution now overturned, Aguirre said the motion is “rendered moot.”

The justice secretary also said that he has formed a new panel to review the charges. Both parties could also file new evidence to

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II Inquirer.net photo

support their respective claims.

“I ordered that the case be ordered wide open for both parties, the complainants and the respondents, to file whatever evidence they have in support of their respective positions,” he told reporters.

The dismissal of charges against big-time drug person-

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A8 MARCH 24-27, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

FEATURES

A way out

DIVORCE in this country is like reproductive health: it’s available, but only to the rich. The Reproductive Health Law was finally passed way back in 2012, but it languished in judicial limbo, and millions of poor Filipino women are still waiting for its full implementation.

Lawmakers who feared a Church backlash at the polls for supporting the RH Law found out that their fears were baseless. This realization surely played a role in the passage of the divorce bill by an overwhelming number of congressmen the other day.

Undoubtedly, political will helped, even if powered by personal interest; Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has made no secret of his desire to get out of his broken marriage and take his affair with his new inamorata to the next level. A number of his colleagues may also have personal reasons for supporting divorce. Alvarez had once asked aloud: who doesn’t have a girlfriend?

Congressmen who want to end their marriage can avail themselves of legal separation or, like President Duterte, of annulment. The divorce bill simply makes the process simpler and accessible even to the poor. These are among the main reasons why women’s groups are among the active supporters of the proposed law.

Senators, some of whom have experienced per-

sonal hell in failed marriages, may understand why the legal exit available to them should also be accessible to all, regardless of one’s station in life. Victims of domestic violence and other forms of abuse, which are still common nationwide, particularly need that way out, and a second chance at love and life.

The argument that divorce promotes promiscuity is laughable, especially when propounded by known serial philanderers in government. This is a country where presidents and other public officials flaunt trophy mistresses in public and brag about maintaining several families. The prospect of paying alimony to ex-wives and being forced to carry on affairs only one at a time have been among the hindrances to lawmakers’ approval of a divorce law.

Opponents are also invoking constitutional provisions safeguarding the family and child. But a household where the love has gone, where the father openly cheats on his wife or, worse, regularly abuse, inflicts irreparable damage on both mother subjects her to physical, verbal and psychological and child. This is not a family home but a living

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

hell. Victims, whether rich or poor, deserve a way out. (Philstar.com)

Students and supporters across America ‘march for their lives’ to demand stricter gun control laws

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS “NEVER AGAIN.” “Enough.”

Can you hear them now, President Donald J. Trump and the Republicans in Congress, as over half a million students and their supporters march in Washington DC and other major cities in America and around the world on Saturday, March 24, to demand for you to do your solemn obligation to end the gun violence and mass shooting epidemic that has increasingly been threatening the lives of kids and civilians in this country?

Can you hear them now as you, Mr. President head back to your

hideaway in Mar-a-Lago for the nth time at taxpayers’ expense while Republican lawmakers leave Capitol Hill as well, or is the voice of the powerful wellfunded lobbyist National Rifle Association (NRA) still ringing in your consciousness, reminding you of how much money they have invested in your campaign so that you would not pass stricter gun control laws?

Can you hear them now, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress, as these young people march on the streets to fight for their lives and their future — because you have failed them, because the adults who cling to their guns believe these

weapons of war, death and destruction are far more important than the lives of children and innocent civilians?

Can you hear them now as they shout out their opposition to your stupid prescription of putting out more guns all over America to solve gun violence, which, in the first 11 weeks alone of 2018, has already seen 17 school shootings? This does not include deaths and injuries in other parts of the community, and the lives lost because of mass shootings in the past years!

Here are the revealing findings from the latest Gallup poll: For the most part, teachers

across the country do not agree with the proposal, and they dispute two of the main reasons for arming teachers: that it would make schools safer and limit casualties during a shooting. * While 73 percent of teachers oppose special training to arm them in school, 20 percent strongly or somewhat favor it and 7 percent are neutral. * Likewise, while 58 percent of teachers think arming them and their colleagues would make schools less safe, 20 percent think it would make schools safer and 22 percent do not think it would make any difference. * Twenty-nine percent of teachers think that arming teach-

ers would be very or somewhat effective in limiting the number of victims of a school shooting, while 71 percent say it would not be effective.

Meanwhile, a new national poll conducted by the Associated Press/NORC revealed that 7 in 10 adults support stricter gun control measures — the strongest level of support since the AP started pilling on this question five years ago.

Do you know that the demand for tougher gun control laws is not just coming from Democrats, Independents, and those who do not own guns? The AP/NORC study also reveals that a majority of gun owners (54 percent) and

half of Republicans favor new laws to address gun violence in America.

Sixty percent of Americans say making it harder to legally obtain a gun would result in fewer mass shootings; just 49 percent said the same in the 2016 poll.

ARE YOU LISTENING, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress? Are you really listening to the American people? *** 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

Rev. Fr. Rodel Balagtas: ‘There Boracay is just the tip of the garbage dump are no exceptions to holiness’ Street Talk

Rhizomes

GREG B. MACABENTA PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. “Moses learned that God makes no exceptions for holiness. When God sets forth a requirement of His people, He most certainly demands it of the leaders. God wanted to make Moses’ life a highway of holiness through which He could bring redemption to millions of people. Obedience to Christ’s commands always brings fulfillment. When the Lord gives you instructions, obey immediately.

Don’t wait until you have figured it all out and everything makes perfect sense to you. HE does not usually reveal all the details of His will when He first speaks to you.

Instead, He tells you enough so you can implement what He has said, but He withholds enough information so that you must continue to rely upon His guidance.”

– Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Daily Devotionals, 1998.

WHEN I read that daily devotional one evening, I could not help but notice that the quotes synchronized with what Fr. Rodel Balagtas shared about God’s calling. He is now the Vice Rector, Director of Pastoral Formation and Field Education, Chair of Pastoral Studies Department, and Assistant Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology at St. John’s Seminary (SJS) in Camarillo, California, after serving as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in East Hollywood for 12 years. Notice his four pillars of responsibilities at

Fr. Rodel Balagtas

SJS will mirror the four pillars of priestly formation that Pope Francis spoke of in 2016, which you will read about.

Fr. Rodel Balagtas has a degree in BA in Classical Arts (San Carlos Seminary, Makati, Metro-Manila); a Master of Divinity, MA in Religion (St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo) and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching (Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri).

One-hundred-year-old IHMC When Fr. Rodel Balagtas took over a parish, it had a history of grievances from factions within.

Dogma solidified their grievances. The community’s unhealthy condition mirrored the church structures — dying and falling apart. Then, a transformation happened and its past history of divisions was interrupted.

The parish was mobilized for a centennial celebration. Archives were dug up and new inspiration

emerged from a realization that the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (IHMC) in East Hollywood was built during the early periods of recession.

After an economic slowdown in 2009-2011, the parish community and its pastor defied these economic realities with their solid faith in God, and proceeded with their capital campaign. At first, the campaign had collected $150,000 cash, out of their ambitious $1,000,000 goal. But, after modifying their tactics, including doing a number of retreats, organizing internal activities to unify the parishioners and external outreach to the larger community — all of these inspired the community to reach for their goal, grossing over $1 million. The Asian Journal’s publishers contributed to this capital campaign as well as other media practitio-

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I’M one of the few who have never been to Boracay, so I won’t know what I will be missing if President Rodrigo Duterte makes good his threat to close down for one year one of the crown jewels of Philippine tourism. But I think I have a good idea of what could happen to this island resort which Conde Nast has ranked among the most idyllic in the world, if nothing is done to arrest its degradation.

You see, I built my very first house in Parañaque back when the creek adjoining my property was clean enough for swimming and washing clothes, salt beds basked in the sun alongside cogon-lined Sukat Road, and one could wade in the clean waters of Laguna de Bay. I can also recall how the beach resorts in Parañaque were favorite destinations for school and company excursions, and how my brothers and I used to swim in Manila Bay, when one could still access it from what then was known as Dewey Boulevard.

Now the creek beside my house stinks, is dangerously toxic, and routinely delivers flood waters into the subdivision. Sukat Road is a traffic hell-hole. And Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay have become environmental disasters.

As sure as night follows day, that same dire fate will befall Boracay, as well as other treasured tourist spots in our country, unless we, as a people, take responsibility for protecting our environment and demand action from our local

governments, while performing our civic duties.

While I fully appreciate the alarm bells rang by Duterte, to get the so-called Secretary of Environment, the so-called Secretary of Tourism and the so-called governor of Aklan off their fat asses, I think it is a shame that it needs the president to get these so-called responsible officials to do their jobs - duties and responsibilities that they and the local governments should automatically and routinely be attending to.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let me concede that cleaning up, protecting and nurturing the environment is much easier said than done – and the best that Duterte and national and local officials can do is to slow down the degradation. Unless drastic corrective measures are taken.

The harsh fact is that environmental degradation and outright destruction is a worldwide plague.

Some of the most popular tourist destinations and most advanced countries in the world are among the worst polluters.

Venice, whose canals evoke visions of romance and beauty, suffers from the kind of pollution that would make Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay seem pristine. Decades of trash, along with human waste dumped into the waters via an open-air sewage system, caused one travel writer to run the headline: “The stuff in the canals is not the stuff of romance.”

Last year, a major clean-up project was planned by Venetian authorities, to dredge sludge accumulated for over half a century and fix the sewage disposal system to minimize the foul smell.

The stink is worse during low tide. But the situation becomes more hazardous when the canals overflow and one has to negotiate the flooded streets. In times like those, it is not unusual to see

makeshift gangplanks and stepping stones being set up on the sidewalks for pedestrians to walk on. Hawkers also sell makeshift “boots” to tourists (actually large pieces of plastic wrapped and tied around the legs to prevent getting wet).

It truly reminds you of Manila during the rainy season.

If you think the Philippine environmental situation is bad, consider one study that lists the most polluted cities in the world as Jodhpur, India; Tangshan, China; Kampala, Uganda; Agra, India; Bushehr, Iran; Narayangong, Bangladesh; and Hengshui, China.

Another study ranks the five most polluted cities as New Delhi, India; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Beijing, Mexico City and Ahvaz, Iran.

Note that Metro Manila is not (not yet?) in either list.

The second study lists the following cities as the least polluted: Oslo, Norway; Bern, Switzerland; Calgary, Canada; Honolulu; and Whitehorse, Canada.

Interestingly, one reason why Oslo is so clean is because of a technology that processes human waste and converts it into transportation fuel.

In Japan, it’s called Poop Power. Toyota has begun to process excrement to extract hydrogen that, in turn, is used for its hydrogen-fueled cars. Cow dung is also processed for the same purpose, causing one pundit to quip that the Philippine Congress could be a rich source of renewable energy material due to all the BS being routinely spewed.

But, levity aside, there could be a solution to the seemingly insurmountable problem of garbage that make Smokey Mountains out of our country’s cities and major municipalities.

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OpiniOn & Features

Trump not copying Duterte drug drive Postscript

Federico d. Pascual Jr. NOT A FEW Filipinos were quick to notice that the White House seems to be taking the same hardline stand against illegal narcotics that has drawn world attention to President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war.

In a speech in Manchester, New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the opioid epidemic sweeping the U.S., President Donald Trump called on Monday, March 19 for the imposition of the death penalty on drug traffickers.

His death call to meet the opioid emergency that claims 115 American lives (mostly overdose victims) daily has set Filipinos asking if Trump has impliedly endorsed Duterte’s drive that has killed 4,000 to 15,000 (depending on who does the counting) suspected drug dealers and users.

Regardless of Trump’s thoughts on Duterte’s style, the official answer to the speculative endorsement will be a “No” – especially now that the Philippine leader’s bloody record is being examined by the International Criminal Court over his vehement objections.

To applause of the Republican-leaning crowd in Manchester, Trump said: “If we don’t get tough on the drug dealers, we’re wasting our time. That toughness includes the death penalty!”

The runaway opioids being chased by Trump are a class of addictive drugs, including prescription painkillers such as heroin, fentanyl, Percocet and OxyContin, some of them traced to foreign sources in the black market.

Trump called on prosecutors to be harsher on drug dealers, but did not call for legislation to expand application of the death penalty for federal drug crimes.

It will be useful for the Manila crowd, meantime, to compare the anti-narcotic campaigns running on either side of the Pacific: • Some 2.4 million Americans are addicted to opioids. The drug-users count in the Philippines is 1.3 million. Population

of the U.S. is 327 million, about thrice that of the Philippines’ 105 million.

• Capital punishment is authorized in the U.S. in some murder cases, while there is totally no death penalty in the Philippines. Around 55 percent of Americans polled favor the death penalty for murder.

• Drug-related deaths in the U.S. are traced mostly to opioid overdose. In the Philippines, they are blamed on alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

• The U.S. punitive crackdown is aimed at traffickers. In the Philippines, there is hardly any distinction between drug dealers and users, especially when they fight back (“nanlaban”).

• The U.S. regards the opioid crisis as a public health concern.

The drug menace in the Philippines is approached more as a police problem.

• “Drug trafficking” is defined

by Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (RA 9165) as the “illegal cultivation, culture, delivery, administration, dispensation, manufacture, sale, trading, transportation, distribution, importation, exportation and possession of any dangerous drug and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical.”

• Under U.S. federal sentencing guidelines, a “drug trafficking offense” is “an offense under federal, state, or local law that prohibits the manufacture, import, export, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance (or a counterfeit substance) or the possession of a controlled substance (or a counterfeit substance) with intent to manufacture, import, export, distribute, or dispense.”

• Death penalty allowed in U.S., but…

IN AN ARTICLE on the death penalty in drug cases, MSNBC legal analyst Danny Cevallos says in part: “The death penalty is authorized against a defendant who has directed a continuing criminal enterprise involving either large quantities of drugs, or if $20 million is generated from the enterprise in a one-year period.

“In 1994 through the Federal Death Penalty Act, the availability of capital punishment was expanded to some 60 criminal offenses. Nearly all federal statutes providing for the death pen-

alty do require a concomitant death. Espionage, treason and trafficking in large quantities of narcotics are exceptions to this rule; the death penalty can be imposed for these crimes without an accompanying fatality.

“In practice, the government has not sought death for these kinds of offenses since the reintroduction of capital punishment into the federal criminal justice system in 1988.

“But the president could seek to enforce existing law and give life to the death penalty for drug traffickers. Then, the Supreme Court might stop him.

“In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that use of the death penalty should be reserved for crimes that take the life of the victim.

“In deciding whether punishment is cruel and unusual, in violation of the Eighth Amendment, the court has ‘looked to the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.’ The Eighth Amendment requires that a capital sentencing scheme must restrict capital punishment to a narrow category of the most serious crimes, and offenders whose extreme culpability warrants execution.

“As the law stands today, capital punishment appears limited by the court to murder or other crimes that result in the death of the victim.

“The court also has imposed other limitations: Even where a death does result from a felony but the defendant was not the actual killer, the defendant must additionally be (1) a major participant, and (2) exhibit reckless indifference to human life, in order to be eligible for capital punishment. Although federal drug crimes feature numerous mandatory minimum sentences, a mandatory death sentence would also likely be unconstitutional, according to a 1976 Supreme Court case.

“The president may wish to impose the death sentence for drug crimes. But he cannot create this legislation; only Congress can. The president could, however, attempt to enforce the existing laws permitting capital punishment for trafficking in large amounts of drugs. Either way, the Supreme Court would likely strike down the statute or undo the individual sentence if presented with the opportunity.” (Philstar.com)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 24-27, 2018

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Rev. Fr. Rodel Balagtas: ‘There are no...

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ners in Los Angeles.

On May 31, 2014, a wall plaque permanently displayed the families who made donations of over $1,000+ and with those: heating and airconditioning (HV/AC) in the church, a new roof for the parish center, painted interiors and exteriors, a new electrical system for the church and the rectory, new marble flooring from the aisles to the altar, new baptismal font, refurbished pews for the community, repaving of church and school parking lots, secured school and church fences and improved lighting to protect parochial school students and parishioners, new ambo and presider’s chair for the priests (donated by Fr. Balagtas for the community), remodeled rectory kitchen, new trees in the school playground, a new auditorium floor and a new school roof.

Three thousand came to the centennial celebration. That was the front-story, attended by Archbishop Jose Gomez, regional bishops, the who’s who of the Los Angeles’ Catholic community, and IHMC’s parishioners.

The back-story was Fr. Rodel Balagtas and his siblings were going through a transitional crisis of taking care of their father with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, who needed oxygen hookup to breathe. He needed 24/ 7 care, while all the siblings had full-time jobs to tend to.

The family members rotated in giving service to their ailing father, along with caregivers, while Fr. Balagtas sustained his stewardship of a church, which was

undergoing internal and structural changes. He kept this up for two years, until his father died.

What was remarkable was how Fr. Balagtas sustained his familial relationships with his father, his siblings, his nieces and nephews, by integrating them in the church’s activities. His Easter mass included them, as Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holiday as well. Two pews in the church were reserved for them. After mass, the congregation welcomed his siblings and at times, his father who would make the journey, just to be part of the community and his family.

Though the tensions were palpable from his facial expressions, Fr. Balagtas shared his familial joys with the parish, hoping that a solidified family unit, even as a family member is on his way home to God, was the best example of a pastor in charge of his church community and his family.

He remained vulnerable, accessible, approachable to his parishioners, and even doled out the necessary advice to help families restore the sacred core of their relationships. He kept evangelizing.

His Marian Heart Fast forward to today, and my conversations with Fr. Balagtas are centered on Mama Mary: “Mama Mary is a great part of me. Like when I had to write my doctoral thesis, I asked her to pray for me, [and told her] I am your son. She has never failed to protect me. I am priest — hence, I represent her son. I have a Marian heart — I always turn to her. My whole life as a priest — I pray to her that I be faithful to my calling

and to protect that calling – even my relationships with my siblings, and whatever relationships I have with the people. These are sacred friendships and to protect them.

Every priest should turn to her and pray to her.”

He also made trips, while as a pastor, to renew his perspectives about life and the Holy Land, as part of the centennial celebration.

One such trip took him to Mexico, where he joined one of the families who worshipped in IHMC. While there, he visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and he shared that his devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe got deeper.

“I also took a cultural immersion trip to Guatemala, where he visited the Basilica of El Senor Esquipulas and to El Salvador, where he paid homage to Blessed Oscar Romero’s tomb (soon to be canonized as a saint). I made these trips to honor my Guatemalan and Salvadoran IHMC parishioners,” Fr. Balagtas shared.

October 2018 Marian Pilgrimage 2017 was the 100th year anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. He will lead a pilgrimage this October, 2018, the 101stanniversary, with American-based pilgrims who will make their way to Lourdes, France, but also Spain, to visit Our Lady of Montserrat or the Virgin of Montserrat.

“When I travel — I pray to her, not just as an intercessor, but also a guide, a mentor and a role model,” Fr. Balagtas continued.

“Our Lady of Montserrat or the

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Robredo to campaigning politicians: ‘Do your job first’

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday, March 23, hit officials and politicians already going around the country to campaign for next year’s midterm elections, saying they should all first do their jobs.

Robredo, in an interview at the launching of the Albay Provincial Library Gender and Development Section, said that it was still too early to be campaigning and thinking of next year’s polls.

“If everybody talks about elections, that will not be good for everyone. If public servants are already going around to campaign, this is not yet the proper time. This is not yet the time for that,” the vice president said in Filipino.

“There is time to campaign.

Let us do our jobs first,” the vice president added.

Robredo also refused to divulge the names of possible candidates of the Liberal Party next year. She said that names had been mentioned but they were yet to comprehensively discuss their plans for 2019.

“We haven’t seriously discussed that, but we have already mentioned some names, but I’m not at liberty to disclose those,” she said.

She also lauded the conciliatory tone of President Rodrigo Duterte, who urged on Thursday for politicians to forget about politics and start working together.

Robredo however said that this was easier said than done as many officials were making decisions based on politics and not

Vice President Leni Robredo

on principles.

“This is easier said than done but sometimes it’s difficult to remember that in our hearts. Just like now, we see many national government officials already campaigning,” she said.

Just two days ago, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez revealed eight names that could form part of the senatorial lineup of the ruling PDP-Laban, still more than a year before the May 2019 elections.

The ruling party’s possible candidates, according to the speaker, are Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go, Francis Tolentino, Rep. Reynaldo Umali (Oriental Mindoro), Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu (Maguindanao), Rep. Geraldine Roman (Bataan) and Rep. Karlo Nograles

Philstar.com photo

(Davao).

Alvarez has been busy going around the country to supposedly preside over oath-taking ceremonies of new members of PDP-Laban.

On his visits to different provinces, he has been vocal in stressing the need to vote for administration candidates supposedly to help the president’s agenda move forward.

Roque meanwhile has also been visiting different places in the country supposedly to give local media an opportunity to ask the palace questions.

Go has been a constant presence by the president’s side and is supposedly being egged on by supporters to run for senator.

He has shifted his position from turning down a senatorial run outright to saying that it’s not yet its time to be discussed. n

Aguirre overturns dismissal...

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alities sparked public outrage, as well as criticisms from other top government officials, including President Rodrigo Duterte himself, who was initiating an intense anti-drug drive in the country.

Espinosa had earlier confessed that he was a drug dealer. Lim, on the other hand, was previously named by Duterte as one of the country’s biggest drug lords.

Espinosa had tagged Lim as one of his suppliers of shabu (crystal meth).

During the briefing, Aguirre admitted that the “nationwide uproar” prompted him to re-open the case.

“The president told me, ‘Vit, while the rules are there, you must, your department, has also

to feel the pulse of the people, in these kinds of cases, the big ones,’” Aguirre said.

Aguirre also expressed belief that the information on the dismissal of charges against the drug suspects was leaked.

Blaming the the public outrage on the “premature declaration,” Aguirre noted that while the case was dismissed by the prosecutors, it was still subject to a motion for reconsideration and review.

“It has not even reached the Office of the Secretary of Justice.

As a matter of fact, the Motion for Reconsideration filed by the CIDG was not even resolved yet, and the Office of the (Justice) Secretary has not yet exercised his power under the automatic review,” Aguirre explained. n

House passes bill abolishing...

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government.

In a statement, Party-list representatives Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers expressed alarm over the measure, saying the abolition and transfer of the powers of PCGG “fatally undermine(s) the government’s efforts to run after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses and his cronies.”

Tinio expressed doubt that the efforts to recover the ill-gotten wealth would prosper should the PCGG be transferred. He pointing out that Solicitor General Jose Calida was a known supporter of the Marcoses.

He noted that Calida was one of the leaders of the group Alyansang Duterte-Bongbong that supported the 2016 vice-presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. “How can the recovery efforts prosper when the OSG is led by a professed supporter of one of the principal holders of ill-gotten wealth?” Tinio asked.

He urged the public to “denounce and oppose” the bill.

Since its establishment three

decades ago, the PCGG has so far recovered an estimated P170 billion-worth of cash and assets plundered by the Marcoses and their allies.

Tinio claimed that an “estimated US$5 billion of plundered wealth remains stashed away in the hands of the Marcos family and their proxies.”

He further criticized the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for their supposedly supporting the Marcoses.

“The Duterte administration’s moves to rehabilitate the Marcoses took another giant leap forward with the approval of House Bill 7376,” Tinio remarked.

He went on to say, “Not content with giving a hero’s burial to the dictator Marcos and propping up the political fortunes of the Marcos family, President Duterte and his regime are moving to fatally undermine the government’s efforts to run after the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate also slammed the bill, calling it an “attack against the security of tenure” of the employees of OGCC and PCGG. n

Boracay is just the tip of...

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Several European countries have been actively converting garbage into energy. Sweden is said to be leading the way, followed by the Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and Finland. According to one report, “Every day, some 300 trucks arrive at a plant outside the city of Goteborg on the west coast of Sweden. They carry garbage but they are not there to dump the cargo. Instead, they deliver it to the plant’s special ovens, which burn it, providing heat to thousands of local homes.

According to a spokesman for Renova, the energy company operating the plant, the only fuel used by the plant is trash and it provides one-third of the heat for households in the region.

Continued the report: “Across Sweden, 950,000 homes are heated by trash; this lowly resource also provides electricity for 260,000 homes across the country according to statistics from Avfall Sverige, Sweden’s national wastemanagement association.”

This could open up an opportunity for the Philippines (as well as for Canada, which report-

edly exported tons of trash to our country and was asked to take the garbage back).

The Swedes are said to recycle 47%^ of their waste and use 52% to generate heat, leaving less than 1% for the garbage dump. The “problem” is that there has actually been a shortage of garbage to meet Sweden’s heating needs.

The German, Danes, Dutch and Belgians are facing the same shortfall. Sweden is said to be importing trash from other countries – up to 800,000 tons in 2014 alone.

Maybe some entrepreneurial taipans or the Pangilinan or the Ayala conglomerates can look into this opportunity.

In sum, Duterte’s foray into environmental protection should be viewed as simply the tip off the garbage dump. Hopefully, what he and his officials threaten to do will not simply be for press release purposes.

So much more can be done, not just to solve a stinking problem but to literally convert trash into cash. (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com).

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 24-27, 2018

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Rev. Fr. Rodel Balagtas: ‘There are no...

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Virgin of Montserrat is a Marian title associated with a venerated statue of the Madonna and Child at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery on the Montserrat Mountain in Catalonia, Spain.”

The pilgrimage will also take them to Our Lady of Pillar in Zaragoza, Spain. Our Lady of the Pillar (Spanish: Nuestra Señora del Pilar) is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the claim of Marian apparition to Apostle James the Greater as he was praying by the banks of the Ebro at Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza), Hispania, in AD 40. The celebrated wooden image is enshrined at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza,” as Wikipedia, noted.

When I asked him to share miracles about the Virgin Mary, he said, “Amongst parishioners, they are not [experiencing] apparitions, but more of from their pain, they turn to her, and they go through spiritual transformations.”

In one of the spiritual Lenten retreats that Fr. Balagtas led at IHMC, he referred to the Virgin Mary as the first feminist. He explained that he used the word of a theologian, referring to the Virgin Mary, as the woman whom the Lord God chose to be the mother of Jesus, and who played a big role in salvation history.

“Feminist,” he said, “has a volume of meaning for the people.”

During his sabbatical from teaching at St. John’s Seminary, he will be going for a Holy Land retreat on May 27-June 9, 2018.

75-year-old St. John’s Seminary and God’s calling From IHMC, a one hundred year old church, Fr. Balagtas’ journey took him to St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, a 100 miles one way commute.

He reflected on the fact that he has spent 12 years of priestly formation: four years of high school at Mother of Good Counsel Seminary in San Fernando, Pampanga; 4 years of College at San Carlos Seminary in Makati (he is honored to be a classmate of 3 bishops in the Philippines, including the renowned Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the former Chair of the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines; and 4 years of Theology studies at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. If you add the years of taking his doctorate, he had spent 16 years in priestly formation.

“I have been an altar server ever since I was a little boy. It is different for everyone, but you feel God’s

voice in your heart. I had that calling since after elementary when a group of seminarians came to our school and did the vocation talk.

I saw how happy they were that I told myself – I want that life,” Fr. Balagtas shared when he became conscious of God’s calling.

“When you are being called

by God, though everyone experiences a deep encounter with the Lord, there is something dramatic, something of a conversion experience, even a restlessness, a feeling of emptiness, it can even be influenced by family, but that emptiness is only satisfied by God,” Fr. Balagtas emphasized.

At St. John’s Seminary, he described: “a beautiful ministry to journey with men who are called to be priests and further. It is to teach them, to guide them, to inspire them; it is a blessing and a privilege. [I have] not felt the calling of being an academe, as I am more into serving the people of God. It is more of following God’s plan, ‘to bloom where you are planted.’ I am blessed to have this opportunity.”

“What would you tell the incoming recruits,” I asked, and he said, “Respond to the calling. It is real! When God calls you, follow that. Not all [of my life is] happy, joyful, [it has] many hardships, sacrifices to follow the Lord – [it is] filled with crosses, but [there is] so much joy in serving, lots of struggles, too. One must be prayerful, have the support of mentors, formators, friends, people like you, for only by God’s grace, that I have remained faithful to HIM.” As he summed up his 27 years of priesthood, I recalled what Pope Francis described as four pillars of priestly formation: intellectual, human, communitarian, and spiritual: “In the seminary, there are four pillars: spiritual life, prayer; community life with your companions, the life of study; because we must study – no-one tolerates a priest who does not understand things, who has no method for understanding things and who does not have a solid base of knowledge of the things of God; and fourth, apostolic life. At the weekend you go to the parish and you have this experience. These four pillars, may they always be present...

And returning to the Holy Spirit, I would like to underline a virtue, very important and necessary for the priest: apostolic zeal. To have this, you must be open to the Holy Spirit; He will give you

apostolic zeal. You must ask for it! Discreet zeal, but apostolic.”

- Pope Francis’ speech of Dec. 12, 2016 Pope Francis recalls the icons of his childhood: “These good priests, who get up at any hour of the night to go to a sick person, to give the sacraments – ‘but I must rest, the Lord saves all, leave the telephone off the hook …’ This [willingness] is apostolic zeal, this is what it means to spend your life in the service of others. And at the end, what remains to you? The joy of service to the Lord! Think about the nun, and think about the telephone on the bedside table; think about the people, think about the Tabernacle; think of the four pillars. Many things to think about … and think also of the bishops, your fathers: if you have something against him, sooner or later, the first who must know this is him, and not others in gossip.”

It seems that Fr. Balagtas evolved in these four pillars: his intellectual formation in four seminaries; his human and communitarian formation in staying engaged and connected with his family of 7 brothers, sisters and their families; while interacting with multi-cultural communities of Southern California, as well as the Midwest community, where he got his doctorate; and his daily spiritual devotion to Mama Mary, weekend masses at different parishes in Los Angeles, and pilgrimages to other countries for spiritual retreats.

This Easter, I cannot think of a better spiritual example of deep faith than Mama Mary, and a spiritual mentor and example on how to navigate life’s struggles in this world, than Fr. Rodel Balagtas.

They say when you write, you teach yourself. Thanks to Roger Oriel for giving me this assignment for this Lenten season, for from this assignment, I learned deeper aspects of my faith.

*** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.”

She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 years.

She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine.

Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.

FILIPINO SENIOR FESTIVAL / SENIOR CENTER PROGRAM Senior Center Invite you to Our

Thursday April 5, 2018 Will take place: #905 E. Colorado Blvd., Glendale CA 91205 FREE Breakfast and Lunch Entertainment, Bingo, Arts and Crafts and much more From 9am to 1pm

Transportation is FREE

Please call Gyna or Antonio

to reserve your seat before Monday April 2 at

323-459-9071 or 1-800-571-9994

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal

Bea Alonzo unfollows, deletes photos The many faces of the Songbird of Gerald Anderson, Pia Wurtzbach Regine Velasquez talks about discovering and mentoring new singers

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

From Kim Chiu to maja Salvador, Sarah Geronimo, and Bea Alonzo, is Gerald Anderson now dating Pia Wurtzbach?

Such was the question many netizens have been asking on social media after Bea “unfollowed” and deleted photos of both Gerald and Pia on her Instagram account.

Bea also reportedly deleted the poster of Gerald and Pia’s movie “my Perfect You,” which made netizens abuzz that the rumored relationship of Gerald and Bea is now over because of miss Universe 2015.

Some netizens also claimed to have seen Pia and Gerald strolling in a mall together.

As of press time, there are still no words from the three of them online, but Bea’s hairstylist posted a cryptic message on Instagram.

According to the stylist, who uses the username @ayuhamasaki: “Bakit hindi na lang magkatuluyan ang mga TAPAT at SERYOSO at hayaang maglokohan ang mga MALALANDI at BABAERO.” Netizens had mixed reactions regarding the Instagram post.

User @salazarang8 said: “Wala nang bearald maharot kac yang c budoy na yan feeling mo ang gwapo pewee.”

by lhar

Santiago ManilaTimes.net

IT is always a delight to engage regine Velasquez in a conversation what with her animated ways, lovable facial expressions and sheer honesty.

These days, if you want to see her talk with a passion, ask her about her new GmA Network program, “The Clash,” and she will burst with excitement.

A singing competition she is hosting, The Clash is her new baby and says of the unique conLeft photo shows Gerald Anderson with Bea Alonzo. Right photo shows Gerald with Pia Wurtzbach. cept, “This is one competition you ABS-CBN photos have got to see!”

Netizen @anonanon2x commented: “Di natin alam kung ano nga nangyari between gerald & bea. I hope they will find peace in whatever decision they make.

Wag muna idamay si pia - she is in a relationship & seems happy with her bf.”

User @flyingkisses101 said: “Baka pwedeng magantay nalang Muna tayu bago manghusga, malay natin nahack lang account ni bea,” while @dollvjjCome on! I’m fan of both....let’s not judge Anyone until we know the thruth.”

Pia has reportedly broke up with car racer marlon Stockinger, but this has not been confirmed by the couple. Pia’s Valentine post

with marlon in New York is still on her Instagram.

Bea and Gerald dated back then, but their relationship was cut short reportedly because of “immaturity.” They dated once again while doing their film “How To Be You.” on the other hand, Bea and Pia became friends and worked together during their teen years on the youth-oriented show “K2BU.” It can be recalled that Pia admitted she was insecure with Bea back then because Bea was always cast in lead roles, while Pia only got minor parts. Such insecurity was told in Pia’s “maalaala mo Kaya” life story.

Liza Soberano on a high with ‘Bagani’ by

teSSa Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net

Liza Soberano

PHILIPPINe showbiz’ current “It Girl” Liza Soberano says her hairs stand on end whenever she watches prime time TV’s latest goldmine, “Bagani” on ABS-CBN. one of the month-old program’s five lead stars—along with matteo Guidicelli, Sofia Andres, makisig morales and her on-and-off screen partner enrique Gil—Soberano has ABS-CBN photo seen the value of a well-pre-

pared series once it goes on air.

“Like our directors have said, we started shooting this fantaserye a year ago, with preproduction starting way back in 2016. Though not a historical account of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines, it is well researched in the sense that it shows the culture of the tribes back then, and the story, heightened by the fight scenes and the sets just really blows PAGE B3

Certainly not your ordinary singing contestant, the participants actually get to choose their opponents in the course of the show.

As such, the Songbird advises, “The contestant should be smart in making his or her moves. Dapat alam niya kung sino ang kakalabanin niya kaya the concept is a first for Philippine TV.” Since she can’t wait for the show to start, regine actually joined the multiple auditions held in Luzon, Visayas and mindanao.

She would even sing couple of songs for the crowd, not only

Regine Velasquez

GMA photo

to entertain them but to inspire aspiring singers.

“Nilibot natin ang buong Pilipinas. In the auditions, ang daming PAGE B3

Features

B March 24-27, 2018 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL

The Love of Country Global Ambassadors Program The Love of Country Global Ambassadors Program selects women and men that represent four different categories. Our mission is to inspire four specific age

groups and generations which we believe will create an even bigger impact and influence in the world.

We believe that you’re never too old or too young to become who

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Miss Universe-Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray: First the world, now the universe

might have been or dreamt of becoming. For more information, please visit www.loveof countryambassadors.com.

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By Monet

The Love of Country Ambassadors’ participants taken during their video taping (L-R) Dr. Veronico Agatep, Tita Munoz Palomo, Cora Miller, Mellette Lampino, Gloria Resurecion,and Arturo Flores.

(L-R) James Castillo, Ariana Conechado, Angel Faith Soliven, Lourdes Garcia, Lauren Asunción, Amanda Yu, Camille Knowlton and Jacob Afable.

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS LAsT February 28, 2018, my wife, Farida, and I arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport from Manila, following our two medical missions in the Philippines. While waiting at the lounge for our flight back to Las Vegas, we received a call from our friend, Lynn santos, a nurse, who relayed to us the sad news that a close mutual friend, a medical colleague who was 84 and recovering well from a stroke, had collapsed in a grocery store. About half an hour or so later, while we were on board American Airline’s flight to Vegas, Lynn called again, this time to inform us that he had passed away.

A testament Our friend’s departure was a devastating loss to his family, friends, and the community. The health issues this physician and his wife of 53 years experienced as they grew older were a testament to the realities of aging.

This natural part of life, aging, is inescapable, as much as death is a part of life, without exception or exemption. In certain ways and instances, we could perhaps alter the progress and reduce the odds to some degree, but the inevitable end is obviously beyond us.

As the clock ticks, we are older by the second. As we grow older, the expected normal wear and tear in our body progress faster and faster, including the reduction in the secretion of our various essential glands and the weakening of our immune system.

Our telomeres – caps at the ends of each strand of DNA that protect the chromosomes, similar to plastic tips at the end of shoelaces, which prevents them from fraying – get damage and the telomeres become shorter as our body is subjected to all assaults internally and externally. The shorter the telomeres, the shorter the life span.

The speed of the degenerative changes in us depends on our genes and to a great significant degree, on our lifestyle. That’s why the aging process varies in different individuals. While we cannot (yet) do anything about our genes at this stage in science and technology to extend longevity for everyone, we have enough evidence-based medical data today on how to achieve maximal health benefits through healthy lifestyle and extend our life, our telomeres, to the fullest possible.

Realities of aging Physiology of deterioration The degeneration starts in the basic cellular foundation of our body as we grow older, varying in different individuals since people age at different speeds, but in general the physiological changes start to manifest when we reach about 40 years of age, more obvious when we reach about 65.

As we age, all the systems and essential functions of our body work less efficiently, at suboptimal level. Inflammation, the precursor of almost all diseases, invades the entire body. All the glands in the body secrete significantly less, if not meager, hormones and other essential substances that regulate the various vital organs in the body. Arteries lose their elasticity and hardened, causing high blood pressure and arterial blockages.

The blood gets thicker, increasing the risk for blood clots, coronary heart disease and stroke. Joint lubricants decrease causing aggravating arthritic pains. Male and female hormones drop and lessen sex drive. The dermal collagen and oil production slow down and the skin loses turgor and moisture, becoming thinner and thinner, and wrinkles form.

Most of our biologic functions peak at age 30, declining in a linear fashion thereafter. This, however, does not materially affect our daily activities at this stage.

Only stresses and diseases, and not aging, impact the physiology negatively during this period.

Theory of aging There are a few, but the prominent one is the Free Radical Theory where oxygen-containing molecules called free radicals, with a life span of one-millionth of a second, and are toxic, are damaging our body. Free radicals attack the cell’s DNA, causing the cells to prematurely die. Our body’s natural antioxidant (defense) system mops up free radicals before they could cause damage, but as we grow older, and continue to abuse our body through unhealthy lifestyle and behavior, our body’s immune system becomes less efficient, allowing the free radical level to increase. This negatively impacts the normal cellular regulation and function, which leads to aging and its physical and physiologic consequences, as well as weaker defense system to diseases. On top of the damages from free radicals, external assaults are caused by sunlight, environmental pollution, stress, unhealthy lifestyle (high carbohydrate-low vegetable-low fruit and low nut diet, smoking, alcohol, soft drinks, lack of exercise, and substance abuse).

Just to illustrate the damage:

From using a single stick of cigarette alone, trillions of free radicals are generated. And if we added all the assaults listed above, many of which are self-inflicted, it would be clear why our body deteriorates as we grow older. The human body is a fundamentally unique, amazing, efficient, and tough, machine, that can withstand a lot of abuses, but it also has its limit.

Discipline and resolve The harder part of the equation in slowing down aging and avoiding preventable diseases to solve is our lack of personal discipline and resolve. Today, most, if not all of us, know which items are good and which ones are unhealthy to eat or drink, and also know that regular physical exercise and de-stressing are fundamental to our health and longevity. Yet, somehow, we seem to always find enough reasons or excuse to justify our non-compliance with these known and proven scientific principles of healthy living.

As alluded to in the book Let’s stop “Killing” Our Children, inflicting harm to our body with self-abusive behavior and by living an unhealthy lifestyle is masochistic. some of us appear to have programmed our mind to an auto self-destruct or suicidal mode and continue to do things, or perpetuate bad habits, that we know could maim or kill us.

The book also proposes healthy lifestyle and disease prevention should begin at the cellular (DNA) level starting in the womb and in the crib, to protect the integrity of the DNA as early as possible.

Damaging the DNA-telomeres with our unhealthy habits and insults from our environment lead to major metabolic (diabetes, thyroid illness), pulmonary, cardiovascular (heart attack and stroke), and, especially cancer.

With volumes of evidencebased medical data on healthy lifestyle and with our more informed selves today, disease prevention is much easier to achieve compared to five or more decades ago. We no longer have any excuse not to maximize our health and longevity. To do otherwise is simply asinine. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Lu

JUsT when you thought you have seen it all, a new queen makes history by winning Miss World Philippines and Miss Universe-Philippines, making her the first Filipino beauty queen to have conquered ‘both worlds’ It was back in October 2016 when Catriona Gray won Miss World Philippines. she won many of the special awards that night and impressed the judges with her answer during the Q&A round. she went to represent the Philippines in the Miss World pageant held in December of the same year. she performed well during the talent competition and won 3rd runner-up. she also received special awards such as the Multimedia Award, 2nd place in Talent, and Top 5 finalist for Beauty with a Purpose project.

For most beauty titleholders, winning once is enough, but not with Gray. Last January 18, she walked into the Binibining Pilipinas, Charities Incorporated (BPCI) office to submit her application for the Binibining Pilipinas 2018 pageant. Without a doubt, she made it to the official line up of candidates.

Two months later, Gray was crownedMiss Universe-Philippines 2018 during the coronation night held at Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City on sunday, March 18.

Gray was a favorite by the audience that night and I don’t blame them. It was obvious from the numerous awards she won that she has the looks and the stance to represent the Philippines — for the second time. Gray was named as the first winner of the first-ever Pitoy Moreno National Costume Award and won Best in National Costume in a Mindanao-inspired Jason Demavivas ensemble. she went on to win five of the 11 minor and major special awards, including Jag Denim Queen, Miss ever Bilena, Best in swimsuit, and Best in Long Gown.

In the much-awaited Question and Answer portion, Gray was the last of the contestants called via

Miss Universe-Philippines 2017 passed on the crown to Catriona Gray on Sunday, March 18 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Photo courtesy of BPCI

draw lots. One of the judges, U.s.

Ambassador to the Philippines sung Yong Kim, asked her: “After the devastating war, Marawi is now on its way to recovery. What is your message to the young women of Marawi?”

“Thank you for that question.

My answer and my message to the women is to be strong. As women, we’re the head of the household and we have amazing influence not only in our families, as mothers, sisters and friends, but also in our community. If we could get the women to stay strong and be that image of strength for the children and the people around them, then once the rebuilding is complete and is underway, the morale of the community will stay strong and high. Thank you,” Gray confidently answered.

And that, my friends, is the reason she was crowned Miss Universe-Philippines 2018.

Other winners of the night were: Maria Ahtisa Manalo (Bb. Pilipinas-International 2018); Jehza Mae huelar (Bb. Pilipinassupranational 2018; eva Psychee Patalinjug (Bb. Pilipinas-Grand International 2018); Karen Juanita Gallman (Bb. Pilipinas-Intercontinental 2018); Michele Theresa Gumabao (Bb. Pilipinas-Globe 2018); Vickie Marie Rushton (Bb. Pilipinas 2018 1st Runner-up) and samantha Mae Bernardo (Bb. Pilipinas 2018 2nd Runner-up).

It is quite ironic that Gray would represent the Philippines again, let alone join a pageant twice. In her interview in 2016, she said she was surprised to have joined the Miss World competition.

“I don’t know. I was even kind

of surprised myself. I didn’t expect it because I kind of look at the whole pageantry thing in a certain light before. And all of a sudden, parang overnight, I saw it in a different perspective and I looked at it as the heart of it is the advocacy. so that’s what made me fall in love with it. so that’s why I’m joining Miss World,” she said.

Born in Queensland, Australia, Catriona has an Australian father, Ian Gray, while her mom, Normita Ragas Magnayon, is from Albay, which is why she represented Albay in Binibining Pilipinas.

A Taekwondo black belter, Catriona earned a Masters Certificate in Music Theory from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. she also has a Certificate in Outdoor Recreation. Apart from being the lead singer of her school’s jazz band, she starred in local “Miss saigon” productions.

After taking up high school in Australia, she moved to Manila, where she became a top model at the age of 18.

Congratulations to Catriona Gray. You have my support and remember, “Victory (like love) is lovelier the second time around.” *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Sharon Cuneta dines with the president

by Arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

IF a picture paints a thousand words then five photos over a dinner in Malacañang on Tuesday is practically a story. special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go’s post of President Rodrigo Duterte having dinner with Megastar sharon Cuneta in Malacañang quickly went viral overnight, with 9,500 likes and shared 4,689 times as of this writing.

Go simply captioned the photos, “Dinner with PRRD and sharon Cuneta. Sarap ng sardines.”

The Megastar, who is very active on social media, on the other hand, gave a good number of details on her Facebook about the intriguing dinner.

“My beloved only brother with the exact DNA as mine, Chet, @ chetdc9 finally met his idol and hero tonight. My Daddy was a good friend of the President’s.

Kuya and I always find ways to make each other happy. Tonight, I was not only happy and honored to have dinner with Pres. Duterte, but also to make my Kuya the happiest I’ve ever been able to make him. hope you’re happy, Daddy!

I love you so much, Kuya ko. And

The President and the Megastar with Special Assistant to the President Bong Go dine over sardines in Malacañang on Tuesday, March 20.

Malacañang photo

thank you, Mr. President. We pray that God’s hand be upon you so that you may steer our country where he knows it will be best!

May God bless you, sir. (Miss you, Mayor Inday!)(Thanks so much for everything, @bernsrp Bernal!

Luv u!)”

Cuneta then followed up on her post three hours later, mentioning her husband sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who is a known Duterte critic and diehard member of the opposition.

“Got home before sunrise then my hubby woke up to start his day. Di pa ako nakakatanggal ng make-up cos I was excitedly making him kuwento about the resident and kuya and our friends and how much fun we had. he’s

so chill and happy that kuya and I are happy! Di naman personal ang di nila pagkakasundo sa pulitika, sabi nga ni Tatay Digong kanina eh — they respect each other even if they disagree on certain things. Well — that’s why it’s nice that we live in a free country. Politics? Temporary. My Dad was the President’s good friend? hey — deal closed!

Blessed to have a hubby like my dork.”

In her photo with the President and Go, she captioned it, “Ito po ang mga kinukuwento ko kay Kiko kanina pa! Kumain ng sardines si Tatay Digong kanina, nag-crave tuloy ako. Magsasardinas din kami ni Kiko bago ako matulog!”

Jay-R: Guilty or innocent?

by Boy

ABundA Philstar.com

WhAT makes a man sexy? some say a sexy man must have a flat, toned abs while others insist that having a smart mind is enough to be considered sexy. But somebody once said that a sexy man is one who is confident about his body and mind.

One best explanation came from Jay-R when he guested on Tonight With Boy Abunda a few nights ago.

Considered as one of the sexiest men in showbiz, Jay-R said that a sexy man is a gentleman.

“A sexy man, yes, he has to be very confident but he need not necessarily be good-looking or rich, dapat ‘yung mabait na tao,” emphasized Jay-R who also believes that one can be very sexy even without the abs.

In Jay-R’s case, aside from his being talented, the first thing that comes to mind upon mention of his name is his sexy physique. Does it make him feel good?

“Actually, I have mixed feelings,” he said and continued, “because I don’t find myself sexy and for me, it just feels weird that

people actually say that about me, but thank you.” having been tagged as sexy started when the R&B singer posed for Cosmo Men in 2004 where he was shown on the cover in his birthday suit with only green apples covering his private parts.

“It’s actually the idea of my old manager Arnold Vegafria. he convinced me to do it, sabi ko ayoko but then he said kailangan ko daw yun for me to get to the next level, it’s for my music. I trusted him and so there.” And Arnold’s idea actually worked given how many people instantly recognized Jay-R not only for delivering good music but also for his male physique.

Of course, his gift of making good music is the foremost reason of his lasting stay in the industry.

Now under the guidance of talent manager erickson Raymundo of Cornerstone entertainment, Jay-R continues to promote OPM (Original Pilipino Music) with the use of modern technology for the young and the young-at-heart. his latest album, Kamusta Ka, allows music fans to experience his new

Jay-R on marrying long-time girlfriend Mica Javier: I don’t want to give her any pressure.

approach to making music.

“I’m so excited about this album because not many people are buying CDs anymore so I thought of making an MP3 player instead. What’s good here aside from the music is that it comes with headphones, it comes with a UsB cable so you can access the exclusive files.

“I have here a music video, an open house video where I take PAGE B3

Features

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Mount Nebo, Jordan: The site where Moses died

plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There SITUATED high above the Jor- the Lord showed him the whole dan Valley at around 710 meters land — from Gilead to Dan.” above sea level, Mount Nebo The Lord said to Moses, “This is where Moses was granted a is the land I promised on oath panoramic view of the Promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Land. In the Holy Bible, Deuter- when I said, ‘I will give it to your onomy 34:1 reads, “Then Moses descendants.’” God told him climbed Mount Nebo from the that he would not enter there,

by Emil

PErito

and there on Mount Nebo, Moses died.

As indicated in Deut. 34:6, the exact location of Moses’ burial is not specified, but it has become and important Christian pilgrimage destination to its connection to him.

A sanctuary was built there in the 4th century in honor of Moses, and in the 6th century, it was transformed into a basilica that was later abandoned and neglected. In 1993, the property was purchased by the Franciscans who started excavating and restoring the area.

Today, the Memorial Church of Moses stands, as well as a replica of his staff that turned into a snake.

Mount Nebo and Petra are just two of the many places included in our October 2018 pilgrimage itinerary to the Holy Land, Jordan, and Dubai.

Established in 1995, Air Plus Travel specializes in religious travel. Join us in our pilgrimage in October 2018. For more information, contact Air Plus Travel at (562) 863 - 0624, or visit us at www.airplustravel.net.

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Jay-R: Guilty or...

PAGE B2

them into my home and give them a tour. I also have welcome video for the fans and there are also eight photos from the photo shoot of the cover. This is a new way for artists to make an album and this is from my record label HomeWorkz Music.”

Jay-R also reminisced on his early days in the music scene with Kyla as partner. He admitted to have had felt that Kyla was his perfect match that time. “When it comes to music, we’re really a perfect match but I respect Kyla so much. I had a girlfriend that time and ayoko naman siya ligawan just for the sake of our love team.”

Fast forward to this day, Jay-R has a smooth-sailing romantic relationship with GirlTrends member Mica Javier. The two just celebrated their five years of togetherness.

He shared, “We’ve been both very busy so what we did is naglipat lang ng bahay ko and that day was very nice because at midnight of our anniversary, my parents were with me and Mica, of course. We ate in a little restaurant, sa corner lang and it was very intimate and very family-oriented.”

Jay-R revealed that they’ve been talking about marriage but he is in

no rush to marry her and has an absolutely good reason behind it.

“Mica is on the rise now. She’s so much into her acting, into her music that I really want her pursue her dreams first and I don’t wanna be a factor to drag her down. I don’t want her to give any pressure. Gusto ko yung mga pangarap n’ya matupad muna.”

It was so funny when Jay-R initially said matuwad when what he really meant to say was matupad.

He laughed out loud when told about the difference between tuwad (to bend down with head low and bottoms up) and tupad (to accomplish or to fulfill one’s objective). After realizing his fault, Jay-R was too thankful to learn the meaning of the two words.

Meanwhile, Jay-R gamely revealed some of his unforgettable moments in Sinong Guilty o Innocent.

Are you innocent or guilty? Napaalis sa isang bar or club.

“Guilty. There was this time in the beginning of my career na parang I was getting a lot of hate. Maraming nagsasabi na ang yabang-yabang ko and we were in a bar one time and there’s this guy na sinusugod ako na ang ya-

The many faces of...

PAGE B1 magagaling kumanta so we really won’t run out of good singers in the Philippines. Mga bata pa lang ang huhusay nang kumanta kaya buti na lang I’m not the one sitting as judge! It’s a very hard task given all these good singers.”

“Impressive” is how Regine describes the applicants she saw, which begs the question, “How does a singer impress the Songbird in the first place?”

“Madali akong ma-impress, actually. Basta malinis kumanta at hindi nagpapakitang-gilas.

Of course it helps if you have a unique style but singing can’t be all that; what impresses me is if a singer makes me feel what’s being sang. Yung totoong mag-perform at nilalabas niya yung soul ng kanta, and you can only do that if singing comes from the heart.

“Another thing that I admire in a singer is yung linis ng kanta.

Kasi obviously, lahat naman sila, magagaling eh. But the one na malinis kung kumanta, yung para kang ni-record, that’s what makes a big difference.”

Just like past singing competitions she hosted, Regine does not discount the possibility of finding new “children” from “The Clash.”

“The winners and finalists, after the contests become really close to me. I become their ate and adviser, and I’m happy they stay connected with me.

“They would text me every now and then and I am flattered that they sort of make me their unofficial consultant. That’s why whenever they need me, like for guesting in their shows, I say yes basta kaya ng schedule na madalas namang mangyari.”

Regine is particularly proud of two of her young “sisters” Rachel Ann Go and Aicelle Santos who have both gone far in their career.

“Both of them are getting married. Lalo na si Aicelle, two big things are happening to her because she is joining the ‘Miss Saigon’ UK tour. Si Shin naman is already doing well in London.

Natutuwa lang ako na hindi sila nakakalimot. They always call or text me to give me updates on what’s happening with them. I’m flattered they treat me like their mentor kahit sa personal life.”

Meanwhile, Holy Week next week will mean vacation time for Regine and her family. But unlike past years when they’d go abroad, they will only be in Balesin.

“I have a show in Balesin so yun na yung bakasyon namin.

We will extend our stay for a couple of days before we go back to Manila.”

For four years now, since Regine and her husband Ogie Alcasid became Christians, they’ve been fasting during the Holy Week.

“Actually, it’s fasting and prayer. The reason you go on fasting is because you commune with God. You also read His word

bang-yabang ko daw at wala akong ginagawa. Syempre I kinda got tired of it already so I confronted him.”

Nagsinungaling para protektahan ang kaibigan sa girlfriend.

“Whew! I’m not gonna say who but I’m guilty, hahaha.”

Nakipag-date sa ex ng kaibigan.

“Innocent. No way, hindi pwede yun.”

Followed or spied on a girlfriend.

“Yes, I’m guilty. Si Mica, I stalked her.”

Umalis ng bahay ng walang underwear.

“Guilty. I’m not wearing an underwear right now, hahaha.

Naglilipat kami at hindi pa tapos yung washer and dryer so…hahaha.”

Nag-send ng nude selfie.

“Guilty. I sent one to Mica, wala lang close na kasi kami so I sent one just to throw a little spice in a relationship so a little pwet right here, hahaha.”

Nakipagtalik sa isang pampublikong lugar.

“Guilty. There was this club at The Fort before and in the dark spot I was making out. The girl was a little bit aggressive that I couldn’t say no. I was single at that time so…” then pray. You talk to Him and also listen to what He is saying. This is also what you can call spiritual feeding,” explains Regine.

Come April, the Songbird will celebrate her birthday, although she isn’t planning anything. She usually that to her husband.

“I know he’s already planning something. Ganu’n ‘yun, sasabihin niya sa akin, I have a surprise for you. Pag tinanong ko kung ano, hindi na magsasalita.

So I just let him do everything para rin sucessful ang surprise niya,” the happy wife ended with a laugh.

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Twice, he applied for an immigrant visa. Twice, he was denied. Find out the final score this Sunday, on CITIZEN PINOY! Joseph (center) was initially petitioned as a minor child of a green card holder, but his visa was refused at the interview because he admitted to drug use. When he aged out, his petition was reclassified to F-2B. At his second interview, he was denied for the same reason.

His mother, Josie (right), and his sister, Evelyn (left), felt hopeless. They were running out of options, and were desperate. It felt like Nanay Josie’s promise of having the family reunited in America would just remain a dream.

Mother and daughter consulted with leading U.S. attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, after seeing a case similar to Joseph’s that was featured on Citizen Pinoy. Atty. Gurfinkel went to the U.S. Embassy in Manila and becomes a major contributor to a landmark decision and policy change that benefitted Joseph and many more.

Watch a mother’s promise fulfilled on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

Liza Soberano—on a high...

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the day, we’ll just keep working the public a good show. That’s you away. Kinikilabutan talaga because we just want to give all we want to do.” ako when I watch the show because we never know when we’re doing the scenes they would be jaw-dropping.”

Despite a minor bump with Commission on Higher Education and several groups supporting Indigenous Peoples who are now satisfied the show does not claim to be a historical piece, Soberano—as well as Gil—nevertheless continues to deal with online critics who say they are “too mestizo” or foreign-looking to be cast in Filipino tribal characters.

As “Ganda,” an ordinary girl who receives special powers to fight for her tribe, Fil-American Soberano only has to say to her detractors, “Even if we’re only half Filipino, that doesn’t make us less Filipino. Para sa sa amin Pinoy po kami and we’re proud to be Filipinos. All the same, we respect their comments because they’re entitled to their own opinion, but at the end of

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Marian Pilgrimage to France, Spain and Portugal

St. Francis the Great Church, Madrid, Spain

Our Lady of Fatima at Fatima, Portugal

1st Marian Apparitions

Notre Dame De Lays, Southern France

St. Joseph Shrine Gap Southern France, October 2017

Basilica our Lady of Rosary Fatima

FOOT STEPS OF JESUS + Madaba,Mt Nebo,Petra,Aqaba,Jordan

(Tiberias, Ceasarea, Haifa, Meggido,Magdala, Nazareth, Cana, Mt Carmel, Capernaum, Mt Beatitude, Jericho, Bethany, Mt.Tabor, Mount Zion, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Qumran, Masada Dead Sea, Allenby Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan) OCTOBER 18 to Nov 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct 18, 2018 (Thur) Day 1 – MNL HKG, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel.

(Meals served in-flight) Oct 18,2018( Fri ) Day 2 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/Tiberias Arrival from Manila still oct 18,2018 late in the evening. After we clear Immigration and Customs, will be met by our driver for transfer to tiberias. Enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean. We will spend our first night in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D).Gai Beach Hotel (Oct 19,2018) Holy Eucharist Oct 20 2018 (Sat) Day 3 - Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana /Mt Tabor We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon. In the New Testament book of Revelation, it is referred as the sites of the “final battle”. From there, we will continue our drive into Nazareth, where we will have Mass in the Church of the Annunciation ,the Cave of the Annunciation and and visit Joseph’s Workshop and Then we will move on to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed His first miracle: changing water into wine at the wedding feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows, Continue to Mount Tabor ,site of Jesus Transfiguration Afterward, we will head to Tiberias. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).Gai Beach Hotel.

Oct 21,2018 (Sun) Day 4 - Tiberias/ Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/ Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Early AM departures to Mt Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people., Eucharistic Celebration. Enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Then to the Church Primacy of St Peters. Overnight Magdala ( BB, D) Oct 22,2018 (Mon) Day 5 Magdala Full day retreat , Focus will Include programs based on the historical and Religious value of the Magdala sites.

More info coming up as we get closer to the dates MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one discovered in the Galilee.

Oct 23 2018 (Tues) DAY 6- Jordan Valley/Jericho/Bethany/Jerusalem Mass at the Church of St. Lazarus After breakfast, we head to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world.

View the Mount of Temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. We will visit the ancient ruins of the wall. We will continue to Bethany and will have mass to celebrate Holy Eucharist at the Church of St. Lazarus. Then we will visit the Baptismal site in River Jordan. Upon arrival in Mount Scopus meaning Mount of the Watchmen/Sentinels, is a mountain in northeast Jerusalem.

Enjoy the first view of Jerusalem.

After the day’s tour, we will check in at our hotel in Jerusalem (B/D) Notre Dame Vatican hotel Oct 24,2018 (Wed) Day 7- Jerusalem (Old City)/Via Dolorosa/Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17) We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord. After mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast, we will enter the Old City, sing a hymn in the Church of St.

Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda.

Then we will visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostratos (where the soldiers played the Game of Kings) and the Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Dinner/ Overnight Notre Dame Vatican hotel Oct 25, 2018 (Thurs) Day 8- Jerusalem Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:14) We will walk to view the Dome of the Rock from the outside, and visit the Western Wall,( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. Then, we will drive to Mt. Zion, to visit the Upper Room, revered as the site of the Last Supper, then survey the Dormition Abbey, and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu. The site where Peter denied Jesus three times. After the day’s tour, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Notre Dame Vatican Hotel Oct 26,2018 (Fri) Day 9 - Mount of Olives/ Gethsemane/ Bethlehem/ Jerusalem (New City)/ Ein Karem Mass at the Church of Nativity “O mountain of God, receive me, a mother, with my child.” (Protoevangelium of James 22:3) We will arrive at the Mount of Olives, to enjoy another view of Jerusalem, visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit (“God wept”) sanctuary. Next, we’ll walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, and visit the Rock of Agony and the Church of all Nations. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name is recognized around the world. After celebrating Mass at the Church of Nativity, we will see the Manger; visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Jerome and the Shepherds’

Fields. Then we will return to Jerusalem (New City), to view the Temple Model to see how it looked during the time of Jesus. Here, we will gain a better understanding between the old and new cities of Jerusalem. Up next is a trip to Ein Karem, birthplace of St. John the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church, where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat”. We will end our day by returning to our Hotel. (B/D).

Oct 27,2018 (Sat) Day 10 - Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations After breakfast, we will celebrate mass at the Church of all Nations and then we will drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman.

Return to Jerusalem for dinner and Overnight (B, D) Oct 28,2018 (Sun) Day 11 - Jerusalem/Allenby Bridge/Madaba/Jordan/Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba Mass at Mount Nebo On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We will go to the Baptismal Site at Bethany, which Pope John Paul II visited in 2000.

Then, it’s on to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land.

Our next stop will be the Church of St. George in Madaba, which hosts the famous mosaic map of the Holy Land.

Then we will drive down to Aqaba.

Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence.

Oct 29,2018 (Mon) Day 12 - Aqaba/ Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba After breakfast, we will journey through the Siq, until we get our first glimpse of the Khazneh (Treasury).

Then will we walk down to visit the Temple and view the many caves all around the Theater. At the end of the tour, we will drive back to Aqaba for overnight and dinner (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence Oct 30,2018 (Tues) Day 13 - Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/Overnight Oct 31 2018 (Wed) Day 14 - Jerusalem / Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX After breakfast, we will visit the Yad Vashem Museum,is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future. After the Western Wall, Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site. Return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation in preparation for our return flight back to the USA after early dinner will be transferred to the airport for Flight.

Oct 31,2018 8:45 PM departure from TLV

Please call QTS Tour and Travel NOW at

1 (714) 288-0800 1095 N Main St. Suite O, Orange, CA 92867

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COMMUNITY Journal

Problems and solutions for entering without inspection WE often hear the term “EWI” (pronounced Ee-whee), but what does that even mean? EWI is an acronym for “entry without inspection,” and can have serious ramifications for anyone who engages in that activity but especially for those who seek to become lawful permanent residents (“LPR”) in the United States.

Someone has entered EWI when she did not present herself in a procedurally regular way when she came into the country. For example, she walked across the border at other than an official checkpoint and did not encounter an immigration official, and is present without permission or parole. Another example is where she hid in the back of a truck while it entered the United States in order to avoid encountering immigration officials. In addition to immigration ramifications, there are civil penalties of $50-250 that may be imposed on someone entering or attempting to EWI. Those who are deemed inadmissible at the border, for lack of travel and visa documents—as generally the case for EWI—can be subject to expedited removal.

If the Customs and Border Patrol issues an order of expedited removal, then the person is subject to a five-year bar. One who is seeking to enter the United States because she fears persecution or torture in her home country will be subject to a credible fear interview. A finding of credible fear means that the officer believes that there is a significant possibility that she could establish eligibility for asylum.

Someone who entered EWI is not authorized to be in the US for any period of time, and has no immigration status. The unlawful presence begins upon the date that the individual EWI’d. While minors do not accrue unlawful presence until they turn 18, being a minor does not cure the manner of entry. Number of days of unlawful presence is significant because if someone accrues over 180 days but less than one

Your Immigration Solution NaNcy Miller aNd aMaNda KwoNg year, she is subject to a bar from returning to the US for 3 years when she leaves the country. If there is over one year of unlawful presence, she is barred for ten years upon departure. The

“ EWI is an acronym for ‘entry without inspection’.” unlawful presence accrues even after the individual leaves and reenters. Please note that there is a difference between accruing unlawful presence by overstaying a visa multiple times versus accruing unlawful presence by multiple EWIs. Someone who EWI’d multiple times, or merely attempted to do so, has a permanent bar where she must wait ten years in her home country before she is allowed to request a waiver for consent to reapply for admission into the US. A waiver exception exists for Violence Against Women Act self-petitioners (which, despite the title, also includes men) who can show a connection between the battering and/or extreme cruelty, their final departures from the US, and their (attempted) reentries. There is a limited exception for multiple EWIs if the attempts were all made prior to April 1, 1997.

EWI also prevents someone from adjusting to becoming a permanent resident within the US, with the exception if she is the beneficiary of an immigrant visa petition filed on or before April 30, 2001. The petition must have been approvable when filed, but does not need to have been approved before that date. Because the rules state that an EWI

applicant is ineligible to adjust, the only other way to become a permanent resident is to consular process in her home country.

As stated above, unlawful presence bars can pose as barriers upon departing to consular process. Fortunately, there is an unlawful presence waiver available to those who can demonstrate extreme hardship to their qualifying relatives. If granted, the applicant can lawfully return to the US before the three or ten-year periods are completed.

On occasion, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) has the authority to parole a person for “urgent humanitarian reasons” or “significant public benefit” on a case-bycase basis. When a person who is EWI and physically present has been paroled-in-place, she gets a status that allows her to remain in the US lawfully. Additionally, she can become eligible to adjust her status. This discretion is typically applicable to EWI spouses, children, and parents of military personnel (active duty members and former individuals of the US Armed Forces or Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve) who have no serious adverse factors, like crimes.

All of the above are complicated by many other factors. Please consult with an immigration attorney so that you may make an informed decision based on available options. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Pasadena, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

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

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Community Journal

3 reasons why bankruptcy might be the best solution for debt problems IF you’re in debt and are considering bankruptcy as an option for you to get needed relief, perhaps just hearing the word “bankruptcy” makes you extremely nervous. Maybe the word conjures up images in your mind of losing everything you have and not having a financial future.

Relax. It’s not what you think.

Regardless of what you may have heard about bankruptcy, it is really nothing more than a petition that you file with the court in order to get relief from debts that you can no longer pay.

If you were physically sick, the best thing to do is to go to get immediate medical help. If you’re not well, you may be admitted to a hospital where you can get medical care and treatment until you recover and are able to function again.

The same is true if you are financially sick and are no longer able to take care of yourself. I always tell my clients that bankruptcy is like getting a needed surgery. Yes, it may hurt but it’s exactly what you need to get better.

Tax Tips victoR sy, cPa, MBa

IRS loves to audit Schedule C. This form is filed by taxpayers who conduct their businesses as sole proprietors (popularly referred to as “DBA” or doing business as) instead of corporations or LLCs. This includes professionals and independent contractors who receive 1099s as subcontractors (instead of W2s as employees). Sole proprietorships face a risk that’s much greater than wage earners. Here are issues that draw the most attention from the IRS: 1. Employees versus independent contractors – You have personnel who work under your supervision and control at your business location. You do not want to treat them as employees because you do not want to pay FICA, Medicare, and unemployment insurance. Your personnel also do not want you to withhold federal and state taxes. It

Minding Your Finances atty. RayMond Bulaon How do you know if bankruptcy makes sense for your situation? Well, here are four situations that may tell you if you are going the right direction.

You can no longer afford to make your monthly debt payments. If you are always late in making your debt payments and you are sometimes forced to borrow even more just to pay other debts, this is a serious sign of financial trouble. To get out of debt, you need to stop borrowing and not do the exact opposite. Otherwise, the financial hole you’re in just keeps getting deeper every month.

Your income is not sufficient to even pay for living expenses, let alone pay your debts. This is one of the most common reasons why people file bankrupt-

cy. If you have suffered a loss of income and can’t even cover basic necessities such as rent, food, utilities, etc., the question is whether or not you’d be able to replace the lost income right away in order to avoid defaulting on your debts. If your current situation is likely to continue for a long period of time, it will not take very long to be broke unless you have financial reserves.

Sadly, most people don’t.

Your credit is already damaged. A lot of people consulting with me about bankruptcy often ask about the impact that filing may have on their credit. That’s understandable, especially if maintaining a good credit rating is important to you. But if your credit is already damaged due to late payments, repos, foreclosure, lawsuits or judgments, what “credit” are you really trying to protect? Filing for bankruptcy may actually help you re-establish credit much faster (usually two to three years) instead of having a lot of collection accounts on your record.

Remember that as long as you

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IRS audits schedule C of sole proprietors is therefore quite tempting not to deduct taxes and treat them as 1099 independent contractors instead of W2 employees. If the IRS or EDD determine that your workers are employees, you could be assessed for employer’s share of payroll taxes as well as employees’ taxes that you should have withheld. Ouch.

2. Unreported income – is checked by comparing reported revenues versus deposits. The Service adds all deposits to all your bank accounts and compares the totals with what you reported as gross revenues on your returns. If you deposited $70,000 but reported only $50,000, the IRS wants to know where that extra $20,000 came from. This undeclared excess amount could have come from non-taxable loans or bank transfers. It could also have come from business income that you chose to “hide” by depositing collections to personal or children’s accounts. Remember that auditors are trained to catch these anomalies. They

are professionals and will track down this rather basic scheme.

They perform a BDA (business deposit analysis) on your business and personal accounts that can easily uncover unreported income. If they become suspicious (or if give them a hard time), they’ll also look at deposits to accounts of your spouse and children. Malo.

3. Personal auto use – do not claim 100% of vehicle expenses.

You do use that car for commuting to and from the office, buying groceries, or taking the kids to school, don’t you?

4. Personal insurance – Business-related insurance such as fire and liability coverage on business properties are fine but coverages on personal auto, life, or home are not. Take time to allocate auto insurance among business and personal cars. It also enhances the most important criteria in an audit: credibility. This magic word makes a lot a difference when you are face to

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Growing in grace during Holy Week

The Prophetic Voice ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas HOLY Week starts this Passion Sunday, what we also traditionally call Palm Sunday — the remembrance of Jesus Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem where he would suffer, die, and, in three days, resurrect. At the beginning of this Holy Week then, we contemplate on the Passion of Christ according to the Gospel of Mark.

On Holy Thursday, we start the Triduum by commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples before his arrest. Then on Good Friday, the service is not a Mass but a threefold ritual of the reading and contemplation

of the Passion of Christ according to the Gospel of John, the rite of adoration of the Cross, and Communion. On Saturday evening, we have the Easter Vigil— the Mother of all Liturgies. During this liturgy, we recall God’s salvation from the Old Testament in the life of the People of Israel to the New Testament, the fulfillment of God’s promise through the life, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. In this Vigil Mass, the Church also receives the catechumens through the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Easter Sunday is our most important liturgy as Christians for it is the profession and the celebra-

tion of our belief in the Resurrection of Christ and our share in it through our proclamation and living out of the Gospel and the celebration of the Sacraments of the Church.

In all these liturgies of Holy Week, the Church urges us to grow in profound relationship with Jesus Christ. Hence, the way to respond to this call is to participate actively in the liturgies and to spend these days prayerfully through religious devotions and sacrifices like fasting, abstinence, and charitable works.

One of the solemn devotions by which we can enter deeply into the celebration of Holy Week is the Stations of the Cross. This

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Do I need a premarital agreement before getting married?

Barrister’s Corner atty. Kenneth uRsua Reyes IN the absence of a premarital agreement, the general community property presumption under California family code section 760 controls which provides “ ….all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property.”

Family Code §760.

This becomes a problem if you are the spouse that has the substantially higher income or the one who accumulates the majority of the assets during the marriage. You are called in family law lingo “the in spouse.” The other spouse (or in our lingo also called the “out spouse” gets a half interest on everything accumulated during the marriage even if the asset is under your name alone or it was accumulated solely due to your sweat and hard work. The out spouse, who stayed at home most of the marriage, gets a one half interest on all the accumulations during the marriage under California community property law. For example, if you opened a savings account during the marriage under your name alone

for which you religiously and diligently stash away 25% of your earnings during the marriage while your spouse blows away his/her salary during the marriage, your spouse still gets a half interest in the money you saved in your savings account.

Another example would be if you purchase a piece of real property during the marriage under “your name alone” and have

spouse” by avoiding or altering the applicability of California community property law to assets 1) already owned by each and 2) to property and income to be acquired or earned during their marriage. Marriage of Grinius (1985) 166 CA3d 1179, 1186, 212 CR 803, 807 Premarital agreements may validly provide that the earnings and accumulations of each party during marriage will remain that party’s separate property, free of any claims, community property or otherwise, of the other party. Marriage of Dawley, supra, 17 C3d at 350, 131 CR at 8; Cheney v. City & County of San Francisco Employees Retirement System (1936) 7 C2d 565, 569, 61 P2d 754, 756. Premarital agreements may also serve to preserve a person’s estate for his or her heirs, free of the other party’s inheriance claims. Estate of Wamack (1955) 137 CA2d 112, 115, 289 P2d 871, 872.

Pursuant to Family Code §1612(c ),“ Parties to a premarital agreement may contract with respect to all of the following:(1) The rights and obligations of each of the parties in any of the

”This becomes a problem if you are the spouse that has the substantially higher income or the one who accumulates the majority of the assets during the marriage.” your spouse sign a “quit claim” deed, your spouse may still have a claim for a half interest in your real property. Another example would be if you owned a business prior to marriage, but due to your hard work, long hours of labor, and efforts, the business grew exponentially during the marriage, your spouse may still have a claim for an interest in the business.

Signing a premarital agreement may serve as added protection to the future “in spouse” and a hurdle for the future “out

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Community Journal

Who else is liable for unpaid wages?

WHAT happens when your employer faces difficulties paying a significant claim for wages?

Information regarding the identity of the various “employers” becomes important when employees have serious claims for unpaid wages or wrongful termination. Sometimes a smaller company may not have the financial resources to compensate employees who suffered damages.

If more than one company is involved in the employment relationship, several legal theories can be pursued to recover payment of wages. Other companies may be joint employers, depending on the extent of control that one has over the other.

They may also constitute a single integrated enterprise with interrelated operations, common management, centralized control of labor relations, and common ownership. One of the companies may be the agent of the other.

Although highly technical, various courses of action can be pursued with the creativity and persistence of the attorney representing the employees.

Consider the following case against Google, Inc. Google worked with staffing agency Urpan Technologies to engage Contract Recruiters to work for Google. Contract Recruiters worked as part of Google’s recruiting team and performed the hiring and interviewing process that served Google’s staffing needs.

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Tymuoi Ha was hired by Urpan Tech to work as a Contract Recruiter for Google. She worked alongside Google’s other permanent Contract Recruiters.

However, Urpan Tech’s practice was to cap the amount of overtime it pays to individual Contract Recruiters regardless of the amount of overtime hours actually worked. There was a limit to the overtime hours that Contract Recruiters were allowed to report. Both companies, however, allowed the employees to work additional unpaid overtime hours.

Ha was eventually fired after she complained to her immediate supervisor (a permanent manager at Google) about not being paid overtime.

Ha sued both Urpan Tech and Google in a class action, claiming back wages for unpaid overtime.

Even though Urpan Tech was the company that hired and directly paid Ha, and thus, appeared to be Ha’s employer, Ha argued that Google is the real employer and that Urpan Tech was simply an “agent” of Google.

Google directly interviewed Ha and other contract recruiters like her. Urpan Tech would not have hired Ha if Google had

not approved it. Recruiters were directly supervised by Google managers and had to follow Google’s policies. Ha alleged that Google set the terms and conditions of day to day work. Google provided the office space and equipment for the recruiters to do their jobs.

More importantly, Google created and implemented the policies regarding hours and wages that governed the recruiters’ work. These factors became solid bases for Ha’s argument that Google is also her employer.

Rather than proceed to trial, the parties decided to settle the case. Google and Urpan Tech agreed to pay the nearly 800 class members $5.5 million in damages. The net settlement amounts was to be distributed on a pro rata basis depending on the employee’s length of service at Google. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic.

All inquiries are confidential and at nocost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.]

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Business owner seeks Chapter 7 relief from employee lawsuit for backpay of $100K

Secured creditor client seeks relief from buyer who filed Chapter 11 OH, the woes of owning and running a business come in all shapes and sizes! Even when a business is profitable, something can go wrong that wipes it out. This is particularly true with small businesses when an unexpected lawsuit literally kills the business. Client has operated a successful small business for 5 years. He turns a profit of $50K a year, just enough to pay for his home mortgage all household expenses for his young and growing family. About five years ago, client hires an employee to help him run the business for a salary of $1,500 a month. That’s all the small-scale business can afford to pay the employee who was enthusiastic to accept the job. Employee had been out of work for three years and drastically needed income. Client informed employee that $1,500 was the most he could afford to pay him, and that because this was a small business, the two of them would have to do everything to make sure everything was running smoothly.

In other words, this was not a regular nine to five job. Deliveries would be made after five, and if there were a lot of orders, he would have to come in earlier and leave later to ship out the orders in time. Employee said that there was no problem, that he was willing to work hard, and would consider the salary heaven sent.

After working for three years at $1,500 a month, he starts to complain to client that he’s not getting paid enough because of all the overtime work that he has put in. Client reminds him that he already informed him at the very beginning that the business could not afford to pay more than $1,500 a month, and that employee willingly accepted the terms of the offer of employment that it would have a lot of overtime work that would not be paid, and that he accepted those terms. Nevertheless, employee filed a complaint with the labor department asking for back pay for unpaid overtime for 3 years.

The labor department computed

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrenCe yAng

that unpaid overtime work to be $2,500 monthly for 3 years.

With interest and penalties, the labor department award came out to be $100K for 3 years of back pay! What a turn of events.

Client helps this man by giving him employment, and then he comes around and sues him for $100K. Employers beware. You may be hiring a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In any event, client

monthly mortgage payments after 90 days. Otherwise, client can ask the court for relief from the bankruptcy stay and proceed with foreclosure. Client entered into an adequate protection agreement to restart monthly payments at $10K monthly immediately. Further the court found that the value of the property had been reduced to $1.1M because of the rezoning. However, developer has not been able to present a viable chapter 11 plan to the court for 2 years. Why not? The reason nothing really is going on. Developer is basically stuck, dead in the water, except for new money being infused by new investors, if any, it’s future looks really bleak.

However, recently, developer has asked the court to find that the current value of the property is now $400K, and proposed a plan that crams down the secured portion to $400K, and the $1.6M unpaid balance as unsecured.

In other words, developer wants client’s property for free! Client now needs to get his property out of developer’s bankruptcy and proceed with foreclosure.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 *** Disclaimer: The foregoing is an expression of opinion and is not meant to be legal advice to any reader. There is no attorney-client relationship established by this article with the reader. If you want to discuss your situation, you have to set an appointment to consult with the attorney. The first general consultation is free.

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

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

*** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

Growing in grace during Holy...

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devotion allows us to empathize with Christ in his suffering and death, to feel his heroic love for us, and to discover the power and grace of his Cross.

But there is nothing more healing during these days of Holy Week than going to Confession.

Although Lent is the designated time for us to fulfill this obligation in preparation for Easter, we hope that many of us who have done it will take time to see a priest for this Sacrament of Reconciliation.

There is nothing more that God wants us to have than a life filled with his grace of peace and love. For us, the road to this life is our loving relationship with his

Son, Jesus. On this Holy Week, let our love for him flow in our heart and around us. Let us be stronger in our faith in him. Let the Cross of Christ be our armor and strength.

I end this message with a prayer from “Spirit Food for Thought”: The Cross A symbol of my faith. That strengthens me each day. As I

by God’ grace. Walk the narrow way. You see God’s own Son. He gave His life for me. And took my debt of sin. To a place called Calvary. I owe Him my life. And all I’ll ever be . All He asks is that I’ll let Him live through me. So I run the race. Empowered by His grace. And give Him all the glory.

As I look into His face. JESUS is Lord!

Have a Blessed and GraceFilled Holy Week! *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 24-27, 2018

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Preventing abandonment of your greencard due to travel abroad A GREEN card holder can travel outside the US and return with some limitations. If a green card holder is outside the US for an extended period of time, he may be considered to have abandoned his permanent resident status. Brief travel (such as for a vacation) normally will not affect permanent resident status. However, abandonment of permanent resident status is a potential issue for green card holders who have to leave the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year) for one reason or another, such as to finish studies or work abroad. In such situations, how can a person avoid losing his green card?

If a person plans to be outside the US for an extended period of time (over 1 year), an application for a reentry permit must be filed. A reentry permit establishes that one did not intend to abandon his green card, and it allows one to apply for admission to the US after being outside the US for up to 2 years without having to obtain a returning resident visa. Reentry permits are normally valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. A permanent resident can re-apply for subsequent reentry permits. Each subsequent reentry permit would be valid for 2 years.

As aforementioned, if one is outside the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, he may be considered to have abandoned his green card. If a permanent resident

Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn has been outside the US for more than 1 year and attempts to reenter the US, he may be referred to an Immigration Judge to determine whether he has abandoned his permanent resident status.

An application for reentry permit should be filed at least 60 days prior to the contemplated extended trip outside the US. While a person does not have to be present in the US at the time his reentry permit application is approved, it is important to file it with sufficient time prior to the trip to allow time to receive the biometrics notice after the application is filed, and have biometrics taken. An applicant must provide his biometrics while in the US. If an applicant leaves the US before biometrics are taken, the USCIS may deny the application.

What if a permanent resident has already left the US and either has 1) been outside the US for over 1 year or 2) been outside the US for over 2 years with an expired reentry permit? The Department of State on its website advises to apply for a Returning Resident Visa. To qualify for a Returning Resident Visa, you must show a valid reason why your stay abroad was extended,

and that the reason for the extended stay was beyond your control or for which you were not responsible. Another (perhaps better) option would be to re-enter the US--if US customs denies admission due to abandonment of your green card, you will have an opportunity to argue before an Immigration Judge here in the US that you did not abandon permanent resident status.

Obtaining a green card often is a difficult process. For some, it takes many years. It is accordingly important to take all steps necessary to maintain permanent resident status once attained. If you plan to be away from the US for an extended period of time, or have been away from the US for an extended period of time without a reentry permit, or a reentry permit that has expired, it is recommended that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association. *** LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 6390277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

IRS audits schedule C of sole...

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face with an agent.

5. Capital expenditures – Some expenses benefit the current year (telephone, supplies) and therefore can be expensed this year.

Some expenses benefit future years (car, computers, roof) and therefore should be capitalized and depreciated over three, five, seven years or longer. Agents are on the lookout for equipment with a life of seven years but were expensed in one current year. (TIP: Use section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code to expense equipment—if you need deductions this year) Caveat: If you submitted an

“improved” version of your income tax to a bank for loan purposes, beware. The IRS has a program with banks and the SBA (Small Business Administration) by sampling returns that look cute compared to the universe of average returns. The banks can cooperate with the IRS because you signed an authorization (you may not even know it), along with other loan documents, for them to disclose your taxes to the IRS. Be careful. This is a nowin situation. If you stand behind the improved bank version, it becomes an IRS fraud case. If you stand behind the IRS version, it becomes a bank fraud case. Ei-

ther way, you lose. Don’t do it. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

C MARCH 24-27, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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3 reasons why bankruptcy might...

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do not pay creditors, they will continue to report you month after month which then makes it impossible for you to regain your credit.

Because every situation is unique, there may be reasons other than the above which make filing bankruptcy the best option in getting out of debt. Before go-

ing down this road, of course, you need to know the pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision.

I would like to help you get out of debt and explore all possible solutions. For a free attorney consultation, please call TollFree 1(866) 477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia.

Calendar of Events across

*** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

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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 M A R C H 29

Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA There will be a FREE immigration forum on Thursday, February 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801). RSVP is a MUST to attend. No registration fee required. Please contact (714) 657-7460 or admin@globallawcenters.com. Attendees will be able to get information on the following topics: How to find H-1B/green card sponsoring companies, tips for a successful H-1B interview, job placement assistance for qualified applicants with start-ups in Orange County, and a list of top 100 H1-B employers in the OC. Global Law Centers strives to inform the immigrant community of its rights and make sure it is knowledgeable about what immigration processes might be available. The forum will also update everyone about new and recent changes which may affect immigrants and their families. Refreshments will be provided to all attendees. For more information about Global Law Centers, please visit www.globallawcenters.com.

A P R I L 1 1 -1 3

Advancing Justice Conference in Washington, DC Advancing Justice Conference in Washington, DC The Advancing Justice Conference is the signature event in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community focusing on civil rights and social justice happening on April 11-13, This three-day, bi-annual convening is hosted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice. It provides a unique forum to learn from issue area experts and community leaders, discuss common challenges and opportunities, share best practices, and find more effective ways to work collaboratively. This year, community leaders from across the U.S. will come together in Washington, D.C. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018advancing-justice-conference-april-11-13-registration-39652865789.

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HIRING Asian Journal Publications is now looking for:

Customer Sales and Service Representative

APRIL 14

SALIDA: Simbolo at Kultura in Queens, NY AFTA presents its latest fundraising event - “SALIDA: Simbolo at Kultura” – a cultural dinner show featuring the internationally recognized dance troupe from the Philippines, the Leyte Dance Theater, which will kick off their USA TOUR 2018 in NYC. The event is on April 14, 2018, 3:00 pm at the Rock Church in Woodside, Queens. “Salida” aims to raise funds and awareness to support the flagship projects of the Association of Fil-am Teachers of America, Inc. (AFTA) with their partners: The Rock Churches Worldwide and the Leyte Biliran & Samar Federation. Proceeds of this fundraiser will finance AFTA’s projects in the Philippines like Adopt a School (Marawi City, Biliran and Albay, Adopt a Scholar, and Balikturo). For Sponsorship opportunities, contact Roxanne at 347-932-6631 or Nitz at 862-368-1706 or any AFTA officer/board member.

Philippine Medical Association of Southern CA and its auxiliary to hold inaugural ball in Anaheim, CA The Philippine Medical Association of Southern California (PMASC) and its auxiliary will be holding its biennial inaugural ball on Saturday, April 14 at the Anaheim Marriott (700 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA). This grand occasion will be attended by several Filipino physicians and its guests to raise funds for humanitarian purposes, specifically its outreach programs including medical missions to the Philippines and Southern California. The association has been conducting such purposes for 46 years since its founding in 1971. For more information and tickets, please contact Dr. Emma Arella at (661) 794-3322, Dr. Ellen Abejuela at (909) 859-4865 or PMASC Executive Office at (562) 572-2481.

APRIL 30

East West Players’ 52nd Visionary Awards & Silent Auction in Los Angeles East West Players celebrates its 52nd Anniversary at the Annual Visionary Awards Dinner & Silent Auction. The Visionary Awards laud the achievements of individuals who have raised the visibility of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community through their craft. Proceeds from the gala will benefit East West Players’ educational and artistic programs. It will be held at the Hilton Universal City (555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA 91608) on Monday, April 30. At 5:30 p.m., VIP Reception*, silent auction, and registration begin.

Dinner and awards show begin at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please visit: http://www. eastwestplayers.org/news/east-west-players-52nd-anniversary-visionary-awards-dinner-andsilent-auction/.

M AY 3 -1 2

34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Fax résumé to:

The 34th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will be presented May 3 - May 12, 2018 at select cinemas in the Los Angeles area. A key highlight of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities, the Festival is produced by Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center, and enjoys broad support from cinema artists and audiences alike. Since 1983, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has presented over 4,000 films, videos, and digital mediaworks by Asian international and Asian Pacific American artists, and additionally features seminars and panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards. The Film Festival continues to be the largest festival of its kind in Southern California and is the premier showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema. To learn about Visual Communications, visit www. vconline.org.

JUNE 9

Kalayaan Incorporated presents Philippine Independence gala in Los Angeles Kalayaan Incorporated, Southern California’s foremost celebrant of Philippine Independence will host the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 9, at the Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, California. For more information, contact Erlinda Granada-Sabah at (562) 682-9576; or Malou Perez at mperez0813@ aol.com.

info@asianjournalinc.com

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

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People and Events Do I need a premarital... PMASC and its auxiliary announce inaugural ball in Anaheim, CA PAGE C2 t

property of either or both of them whenever and wherever acquired or located. (2) The right to buy, sell, use, transfer, exchange, abandon, lease, consume, expend, assign, create a security interest in, mortgage, encumber, dispose of, or otherwise manage and control property.(3) The disposition of property upon separation, marital dissolution, death, or the occurrence or nonoccurrence of any other event.(4) The making of a will, trust, or other arrangement to carry out the provisions of the agreement.(5) The ownership rights in and disposition of the death benefit from a life insurance policy.(6) The choice of law governing the construction of the agreement.(7) Any other matter, including their personal rights and obligations, not in violation of public policy or a statute imposing a criminal penalty.

However, the right of a child to support may not be adversely affected. Family Code §1612(b).

Premarital agreements that are entered into voluntarily by parties who are each represented by independent counsel and aware of the effect of the agreement, a post 1985 premarital waiver of post dissolution support does not offend contemporary public policy and is not per se unenforceable. Fam.C. § 1612(c); Marriage of Pendleton & Fireman (2000) 24 C4th 39, 53–54, 99 CR2d 278, 288–289; Marriage of Facter (2013) 212 CA4th 967, 981, 152 CR3d 79, 90.

Under both the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act and prior law, the spouse claiming the agreement is invalid or not enforceable bears the burden of proof on that allegation. Family Code. § 1615(a); Marriage of Bonds, supra, 24 C4th at 27, 99 CR2d at 269; Marriage of Iverson (1992) 11 CA4th 1495, 1502, 15 CR2d 70, 74–75; However, the UPAA (as amended effective 1/1/02) deems that a premarital agreement was not executed voluntarily unless the court makes five prescribed findings provided for under Family Code. § 1615(c) (1) The party against whom enforcement is sought was represented by independent legal counsel at the time of signing the agreement or after being advised to seek independent legal counsel, expressly waived, in a separate writing, representation by independent legal counsel. (2) The party against whom enforcement is sought had not less than seven calendar days between the time that party was first presented with the agreement and advised to seek independent legal counsel and the time the agreement was signed.

(3) The party against whom enforcement is sought, if unrepresented by legal counsel, was fully informed of the terms and basic effect of the agreement as well as the rights and obligations he or she was giving up

by signing the agreement, and was proficient in the language in which the explanation of the party’s rights was conducted and in which the agreement was written. The explanation of the rights and obligations relinquished shall be memorialized in writing and delivered to the party prior to signing the agreement. The unrepresented party shall, on or before the signing of the premarital agreement, execute a document declaring that he or she received the information required by this paragraph and indicating who provided that information.(4) The agreement and the writings executed pursuant to paragraphs(1) and (3) were not executed under duress, fraud, or undue influence, and the parties did not lack capacity to enter into the agreement.(5) Any other factors the court deems relevant. In addition, the parties are required to provide each other with full disclosure of all material financial information.

A premarital agreement may be unenforceable if found to be unconscionable when it was executed and the requisite disclosures were lacking and not waived Additionally, a spousal support provision in a premarital agreement executed under the UPAA, whether before or after January 1, 2002, is not enforceable if found to be unconscionable at the time of enforcement.

Family Code § 1612(c). If you are the higher earning spouse and have assets to protect, it is important to seek the representation of experienced counsel in drafting a premarital agreement to make sure that all statutory requirement are met which increases the likelihood that your premarital agreement will be deemed enforceable when attacked in court in case of a divorce. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

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THE Philippine Medical Association of Southern California (PMASC) and its auxiliary will be holding its biennial inaugural ball on Saturday, April 14, at the Anaheim Marriott (700 W. Convention Way in Anaheim, California). This grand occasion will be attended by several Filipino physicians and its guests to raise funds for humanitarian purposes specifically its outreach programs including medical missions to the Philippines and Southern California. The association has been conducting such purposes for 46 years since its founding in 1971.

The PMASC is a professional organization of the Physicians in Southern California of Filipino heritage dedicated to address the economic, educational, and humanitarian needs of its members and the community. Several guests including public and private officials are expected to grace this occasion.

For information and tickets about this highly significant event, please contact the following: Dr. Emma Arella at (661) 794-3322, Dr. Ellen Abejuela at (909) 859-4865 or the PMASC Executive Office at (562) 572-2481. n

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&

Bad truth or good bola?

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ A Filipino and his U.S. citizen wife came to my office recently for a consultation. They drove several hours to see me in person. He was crying and begging me to accept his case, but i advised him to wait until there would be further changes in law. He is not eligible to apply for a green card. To do anything now would likely result in a denial, and he is spending money for nothing.

This man had entered the U.S. on a crewman’s visa. He did not have the benefit of section 245(i), which is a law that might enable a crewman to adjust status (be interviewed in the U.S. for a green card), provided he was petitioned before April 30, 2001. He was not petitioned before that date. He also committed fraud by entering into the U.S. under a different name.

He then asked about “provisional waiver,” as he had seen success stories on my television show, Citizen pinoy, involving crewmen who were able to go back to Manila for their immigrant visa and return to the U.S. without

being subject to the 10 year bar. i pointed out that provisional waiver is available if the person’s onlY immigration violation is he overstayed. it is not available if a person has other immigration violations such as FRAUD. Therefore, he was not eligible for a provisional waiver.

This person had consulted with me a few years earlier, and i had told him the same thing: he’s not eligible to apply for a green card at this time, and he should wait. He did not like that answer and went to an immigration consultant, and paid the consultant over $10,000 based on the consultant’s promises and assurances that his case was “easy,” and the consultant would be able to obtain his green card for him in the US. After paying all that money, his case was denied, as i had predicted. There was no change in immigration law since the last time he consulted with me, and so, my advice was the same.

But my point is, when you seek advice, what is it that you want? Good bola, or bad truth?

Sometimes the truth is not what you want to hear, such as there may not be anything that could be done right now. people tend

to listen to the bola, but i’m glad that there are many Filipinos who consult with me, saying they came to me to get a “straight answer.” i’m not saying every case is hopeless, but consult with an immigration attorney, as there could possibly be hope in your case. Do not rely on consultants’ promises that sound too good to be true, as you may end up like this man. ***

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar 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. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Tourism groups: Boracay’s total closure will impact PH tourism efforts

by Julius

N. leoNeN Inquirer.net

THe proposal of president Rodrigo Duterte to impose a total closure of Boracay would directly affect the livelihood of nearly 20,000 people on the island, tour- Leonard Tirol of the Boracay Foundation speaks as other tourism stakeholders listen during ism groups lamented on Thursday, a news conference where they opposed proposals to shut down Boracay.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Andrea De La Cruz PAGE D2

Business Quote of the Week “You don’t have to start from scratch to do something interesting. You don’t have to start from scratch to have a massive impact on the world.

You have to have a good idea. You have to convince other people of those good ideas. And you have to push as quickly as possible.”

- Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter, and founder and CEO of Square

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 24-27, 2018

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Philippine coffee industry gets boost Infra spending expected to

boost GDP growth to 6.8%

by leander c. domingo ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine coffee industry is expected to get a big boost after five government agencies vowed to collaborate in pushing the implementation of the country’s coffee roadmap.

During the Third Philippine Coffee Conference held in Baguio City on Tuesday, March 20 the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority agreed to cooperate in boosting the country’s coffee industry by implementing the commodity’s roadmap.

In her message for the conference, Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, made reference to the International Coffee Organization and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that revealed Philippine coffee production has been decreasing by 3.9 percent per year over the past decade.

With this development, Villar urged farmers to adopt “intercropping coffee with coconut, establish coffee nurseries, and put-up farm schools supported

by TESDA and the Agricultural Training Institute [ATI] of the DA to have a better income stream and to get out of poverty.”

She said the good news is that according to the Philippine Coffee Board (PCB), coffee consumption in the country is rising and is now at 170,000 metric tons per year from only 75,000 MT in 2002.

by Ben

o. de Vera Inquirer.net

Philippine government agencies agreed to cooperate in boosting the country’s coffee industry by implementing the commodity’s roadmap.

Inquirer.net photo

However, she said production is only 35,000 MT, which is the reason why the country still importing coffee.

Based on the data from the DA, the Philippines imports from 75,000 MT to 100,000 MT of dried coffee beans from Vietnam and Indonesia annually at a cost of P7 to 10 billion.

During last year’s Coffee Expo in Butuan City spearheaded by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), it was revealed coffee has found a new home in Mindanao particularly in South Cotabato, Cotabato City, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City, also called Soccsksargen (Region 12).

According to PhilMech, also an agency under the DA, Mindanao currently leads in the local production of dried beans with Sultan Kudarat taking No. 1 spot with 21,119.24 MT in 2016 followed by Davao del Sur with 5,007.54 MT; Sulu, 4,802.30 MT; Bukidnon, 4,423.50 MT; Maguindanao, 3,401.85 MT; North Cotabato, 2,014.18 MT; and Basilan, 1,732.50 MT. Outside Mindanao, Iloilo accounted for 2,722.32 MT; Kalinga, 2,080 MT; and Cavite, 1,811.68 MT. In the traditional coffee areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Calabarzon, production has decreased from strong typhoons two years ago that affected coffee plantations.

Australia firms line up $40-M investments in PH by louella

d. desiderio Philstar.com

MANILA — Australian firms are looking to take advantage of the Philippines’ growing economy through investments worth at least $40 million in various projects which include an assembly plant, biomass power plant and hotel and residential development.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Foreign Affairs Secretary Allan Peter Cayetano witnessed the signing of letters of intent to invest in the Philippines during the business reception organized by the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) held in Sydney last week.

The investments include the development of a $10 million biomass power plant and a $30 million hotel and residential complex in Cebu.

It also includes building an assembly plant for GPS (global positioning system) tracking devices.

Lopez said the country has strong economic growth, manufacturing sector, as well as consumer confidence.

He said new regulations are also helping ensure the competitiveness of businesses and industries. These include the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law which took effect earlier this year.

TRAIN reduces personal income tax rates and imposes higher taxes on certain products like petroleum and automobiles, to offset foregone revenues.

With its implementation, it is expected to build a wider consumer base with higher buying capacity leading to greater opportunities for businesses.

Lopez said the Philippines is open for business and investments to create more job opportunities for Filipinos.

APBC serves as the go-to private sector organization for advancing business interests between the Philippines and Australia, while the PTIC is the representative office of the DTI.

THE Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) raised to 6.8 percent its 2018 growth forecast for the Philippines with the massive “Build, Build, Build” program expected to boost economic expansion.

“After expanding by 6.7 percent in 2017, the Philippine economy is expected to grow by 6.8 percent in 2018 and 6.9 percent in 2019 as exports remain buoyant while budget execution gradually improves,” the regional macroeconomic surveillance organization said in a statement.

In January, Amro slightly cut to 6.7 percent from 6.8 percent previously its gross domestic product growth forecast for the Philippines, citing “the softening of private sector demand from the third-quarter 2017 GDP release.”

Amro’s updated projection nonetheless remained below the government’s yearly 7-8 percent growth target from 2018 to 2022.

“Amid the softening in private sector demand last year, an ambitious ‘Build, Build, Build’ program in public sector infrastructure is expected to lift growth momentum

in the near term,” Amro said.

Under “Build, Build, Build,” the government plans to roll out 75 flagship, game-changing projects, with about half targeted to be finished within President Duterte’s term, alongside spending more than P8 trillion on hard and modern infrastructure until 2022 to usher in “the golden age of infrastructure” after years of neglect.

“The first package of the proposed comprehensive tax reform program recently passed by the government is expected to help finance the ‘Build, Build, Build’ initiative while containing the budget deficit within the ceiling of 3 percent of GDP,” Amro said, referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act. Signed by President Duterte in December, the TRAIN law under Republic Act No. 10963 starting Jan. 1 this year jacked up or slapped new excise taxes on oil, cigarettes, sugary drinks and vehicles, among other goods, to compensate for the restructured personal income tax regime that raised the tax-exempt cap to an annual salary of P250,000.

However, Amro warned that

despite the infrastructure buildup, “risk pockets continue to warrant close monitoring.”

“The progress of the infrastructure program may be constrained by the weak implementation capacity of the government and private sector participants,” Amro said.

“Notwithstanding these structural impediments, a strong pickup in public infrastructure spending, accompanied by a crowdingin of private investment, cannot be ruled out, and this could cause the economy to overheat and the external imbalance to widen,” Amro added.

Amro also pointed to rising inflation as a near-term concern.

“Headline inflation rose to 4 percent at the start of 2018 and is expected to rise to slightly above the upper end of the band in 2018 on the back of the excise tax increases in the recently approved tax reform, higher crude oil prices, and the modest pass-through from the sustained depreciation of the peso. But as the impact of the excise tax increases diminishes, inflation is expected to ease back to within the target range in 2019,” Amro said.

Tourism groups: Boracay’s total closure...

PAGE D1 March 22.

This was Boracay tourism stakeholders that included the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc., Philippine Travel Agencies Association, and the Tourism Congress of the Philippines during a press conference in Makati.

Citing data from the Boracay Foundation, among those to be affected by the total closure, according to the groups, are employees of hotels, resorts, restaurants, dive shops, souvenir shops, as well as transport providers, beach masseurs, tattoo artists, and vendors.

“On top of this are the families and dependents of these workers.

The impact on individual lives cannot be ignored,” the groups said in a joint statement which was read before the media.

In addition, the groups also noted that Boracay’s tourism industry has generated P56 billion in revenue and makes up 20 percent of the country’s “total tourism

receipts.”

“The loss of this revenue contribution in the short-term may not be felt immediately but the recovery as Boracay tries to regain its place as a major destination will be an uphill climb,” they said.

“The recovery of business may take years to return to its present levels,” the groups added.

Inquirer.net photo

According to the groups, further efforts to sell the Philippines as a tourism destination, would be “greatly compromised” by Boracay’s total closure.

If a closure would be in place, the groups said that tourists would be “diverted elsewhere,” and the country’s marketing efforts would “all come to naught.”

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Lombard by the Bay: Retiring in style plus investment RetiRed accountant from Orange County, California ernie delfin knows a good investment when he sees one. So it was not hard for him to decide on reserving a condo unit at Lombard By the Bay, which is becoming one of the faastest-rising property developments in Montemaria, Batangas. “i decided to reserve a condo unit at (this) Lombard By the Bay for two main reasons: First, my wife is from Batangas City (but on the other side of town — Bgy. tingga itaas going to ibaan), said delfin. “Second, although at our retirement age, it’s a great feeling (and wise) to know that what we are investing is also an asset that can appreciate in value at the same time be enjoyed by the family now, that we will eventually can leave to our children and their children.

He also added that it’s nice to be part of a new resort community that promises to be like property developments in Manila where you can just go down from your unit to stroll and become like a tourist in your own city — but with fresh air, favorable climate and with friends within minutes.

Aimed at providing the most fulfilling experience for its residence and guests, Lombard By the Bay is just a two-hour drive from Manila. Situated on a pla-

teau overlooking the beautiful Verde island Passage which is considered the center of marine biodiversity in the world, it promises to be the perfect destination for retirees and tourists — local or not. it is also in close proximity to the tallest statue of the Virgin Mary, Mother of All Asia, towering at 317 ft. delfin, who also gives financial advice, believes that Lombard By the Bay is a good investment. “definitely, especially to those family who have some disposable income (savings) that are not earning enough to out space inflation,” he explained and then added, “Also to fellow senior citizens who have lots of equity in their primary house in the U.S., where they may consider just pulling some cash (to pay their unit in full via Reverse Mortgage). this can give them tangible benefits.”

He added that instead of just one asset with low appreciation value — like their primary house in the U.S. — reserving a unit (or two) with Lombard By the Bay is the perfect investment. “in this great location, now two or three properties are appreciating without any cash outflow problem as the reverse mortgage taken out need not to be paid until it is sold or inherited by the homeowner’s children,” he said.

Ernie Delfin

Lombard By the Bay is a 2.1hectare development and a joint venture between Premier Asia Pacific Real estate and development, inc. and Omnicor industrial estate & Realty Center, inc.

(Advertising Supplement)

Traveling to Asia just got easier when you live at The Preserve at Chino CHiNO, CA — discover a place where you can have the world at your fingertips. Starting March 25, direct flights to taipei from nearby Ontario international Airport will make it easier than ever to visit destinations throughout Asia when you live at the Preserve at Chino. this new home community by Lewis Community developers is less than ten miles away from daily flights to the Philippines, China, india, South Korea, Japan and more aboard China Airlines – allowing you to stay connected to family and friends, travel for business and enjoy new adventures. At the end of every journey, you’ll return to a quality new home in a place where days are filled with first-class amenities, the peace of mind provided by award-winning schools and the remarkable shopping and dining that SoCal is known for. And thanks to amazing affordability, this master-planned community not only stands out from the rest but also adds more flexibility to your travel budget.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or ready to retire, your ideal home is waiting for you at the Preserve at Chino. Renowned builders CalAtlantic Homes – A Lennar Company, Richmond American Homes, William Lyon Homes, Lennar and Woodside Homes craft their homes with exceptional quality, with options for every lifestyle.

Ranging from approximately 1,380 to 2,805 square feet with up to five bedrooms and four baths, homes can accommodate even the largest of families. Priced starting in the low $400,000s, these homes are an exceptional deal, making homeownership

attainable for all. in the center of the community, the Parkhouse at the Preserve at Chino brings neighbors together in an impressive resident-only clubhouse. Whether you’re trying to stay active in the fitness center or getting a little work done in a quieter spot at the business center, the Parkhouse supports all your goals and ambitions. Game rooms and an intimate movie theater will help you relax and unwind. A wonderful location for any event, the multipurpose room has a welcoming feel and features a connected on-site catering kitchen. Lighted tennis courts, a junior Olympic swimming pool, spa and playgrounds make the outdoors at the Parkhouse just as inviting. in addition, the Parkhouse library is a great place for students from the award-winning Cal Aero Preserve Academy across the street to finish homework and study before walking home.

Residents will also have access to the agrarian-themed Gardenhouse Recreation Center, where get-togethers happen organically. Community gardens connect residents back to the land, while indoor-outdoor kitchen and dining spaces take farm-to-table entertaining to new heights.

Whether you’d rather go for a swim in the junior Olympic pool or lounge on the deck, afternoons in the sun will leave you feeling refreshed and reenergized. the Gardenhouse Recreation Center is all about relaxation that’s in harmony with nature.

With a home at the Preserve at Chino, days always turn towards new adventures. Just moments away, explore the Shoppes at Chino Hills to find

hidden treasures in the shops or a new favorite meal in one of the restaurants. Or take a short drive for new experiences at Chino Spectrum Marketplace, Chino Spectrum town Center, eastvale Gateway, Victoria Gardens, Ontario Mills or the famous Fairplex. this exciting location makes it easy to head up to the local mountains, find your spot on the beaches of Los Angeles and Orange counties or tour all the world-famous Southern California entertainment hotspots.

From days spent at theme parks to afternoons at prestigious gardens and museums, you’ll find you’re at the center of it all.

Connect with nature and your neighbors in more than 33 scenic acres dedicated to parks, playgrounds, lawns and gardens at the Preserve at Chino.

Larger parks are home to team sports, picnics, group events and more, while smaller parks spread throughout the neighborhoods for outdoor play closer to home.

All year round, these colorful outdoor spaces become an extension of the backyard and bring the community to life.

Please call (877) 417-9623 or visit thePreserveAtChino.com for more information. the Preserve at Chino is a development by Lewis Community developers, a member of the Lewis Group of Companies. the Lewis Group of Companies has successfully developed more than 55,000 residences, 10,000 apartments and over 14 million square feet of retail, office and industrial space. Founded in 1955, the company is one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate organizations.

(Advertising Supplement)

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GMR-Megawide ‘quite alarmed’ by NAIA PLDT’s data, IT services post record revenues consortium’s plan to tweak proposal “super” consortium’s plan to tweak their submitted proposal Philstar.com to rehabilitate the 70-year-old MANILA — Listed builder Ninoy Aquino International Megawide Construction Corp. Airport.

“An unsolicited proposal, and its Indian partner, GMR, on Thursday, March 22 said they’re once submitted, should be evalu“quite alarmed” by competitor ated as is,” GMR-Megawide said

by Ian

nIcolas cIgaral

GMR-Megawide said NAIA consortium’s proposal should be properly revised and re-submitted to the government.

Philstar.com photo

in a press statement. “Their suggested ‘tweaks’ involve changing cornerstones of their proposal.”

The remarks came after a team of seven conglomerates that is also eyeing to upgrade Manila’s aging airport said they’re willing to shorten their earlier proposed concession period to fit the government’s preference.

Last month, the NAIA consortium, which has a combined capitalization of more than P2.2 trillion, announced they submitted a $6.7-billion offer to upgrade the country’s main international gateway. It proposed a concession period of 35 years.

GMR-Megawide later announced they want to give NAIA a $3-billion makeover with an 18-year concession, which includes construction of taxiways and extension of secondary runway, among others.

GMR-Megawide has in the past been awarded the contracts for upgrades to international

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airports in Cebu and in Clark, Pampanga.

Integrity of the process In the same statement, GMRMegawide said NAIA consortium’s proposal should be properly revised and re-submitted to the government.

“We are very much concerned that this tweaking of proposals after they have submitted and deemed complete will put into question the integrity of the process for evaluation of all unsolicited proposals,” the pair said.

“We encourage the NAIA consortium to commit to the proposal that they have submitted. It will now be up to the government to evaluate and decide which proposal best serves the needs of its people,” they added.

Once approved, an unsolicited proposal will undergo a Swiss challenge system, whereby third parties can submit competing offers while the original proponent will be given the right to match these offers.

by louella

D. DesIDerIo Philstar.com

MANILA — PLDT Inc. posted record revenues of P34.1 billion from its enterprise business, driven by demand for information technology (IT) services and cloud services.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 21 PLDT Inc. said last year’s revenues from the enterprise business rose 11 percent.

Revenues from the information communications technology service grew 26 percent year on year due to the 59 percent jump in managed IT services and 49 percent growth in cloud services.

Managed IT services include business process outsourcing, managed service desk, managed infrastructure, ERP (enterprise resource planning) implementation, and application life cycle support.

Data center services such as co-location, peering, and managed server hosting services also posted a 10 percent growth last year.

“We are jumping to the next curve from being the preferred managed infrastructure provider to a trusted managed services provider where we create value

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FOR RENT

for clients through our integrated tools, skills-based expertise, globalpractice methodologies, and broad ecosystem of partners. This aligns with our strategic intent to further solidify our position as the trusted partner and thought leader in the enterprise market,” said Jovy Hernandez, PLDT senior vice president and head of enterprise business.

He said the robust growth in managed IT services and the strategic focus on building a cyber security practice among enterprises would further diversify PLDT’s revenue streams beyond data center and cloud for the enterprise group.

PLDT, through enterprise units ALPHA Enterprise and SME Nation, provides world-class data services for businesses and government clients.

PLDT chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan earlier said the telco provider’s financial performance would be driven by continued growth in fixed line, both in home and enterprise.

It is eyeing recurring core earnings of P23-to P24-billion this year.

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