041318 - New York & New Jersey

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Volume 11 – Issue 26 • 16 Pages

APRIL 13-19, 2018

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DATELINE USA FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Concerns for 2020 census grow as citizenship question is added THE U.S. Commerce Department recently announced that it will “restore a question about citizenship” to the upcoming 2020 census questionnaire. The move adds to already existing concerns of risking a fair and accurate count of the U.S. population.

Advocates pushing for an accurate count have long been addressing issues that would affect proper processes of enumeration like insufficient funds, lack of preparations, and the inability to properly test the new online survey taking method.

They’ve also been addressing the increasing climate of fear incited by political rhetoric on immigration enforcement as a major factor. Advocates argue that the added citizenship question will further discourage

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

PH experiencing ‘golden age of economic growth’- ADB exec

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

THE Philippines is currently experiencing a “golden age of economic growth” amid sustained expansion in over five decades, an executive of the Asian Development Bank said on Wednesday, April 11, with the Duterte administration’s ambitious infrastructure program In its Asian Development Outlook 2018 report released on Wednesday, April 11, the Asian Development Bank kept its 6.8-percent GDP growth forecast for seen not only boosting the gross the Philippines for 2018, a faster pace than the 6.7-percent actual expansion domestic product but also reducin 2017.

Inquirer.net photo ing poverty incidence.

In its Asian Development Outlook 2018 report released also on April 11, the Manila-based multilateral lender kept its 6.8-percent GDP growth forecast for the Philippines for 2018, a faster pace than the 6.7-percent actual expansion in 2017.

For 2019, the ADB projected the Philippine economy to further grow by 6.9 percent, although the forecasts in the next two years were below the government’s target range of 7-8 percent starting this year until 2022.

Gender & wage inequality burdens women of color

A new study released on Equal Pay Day demonstrates the wage gap along intersectional gender lines

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No sides in trade tiff, but Duterte says China should ‘protect the east’

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FILIPINO-American Tessy Rivera is a single mother of two daughters. She is currently a case manager at a behavioral health facility in Torrance, California.

She’s just like a lot of other single mothers, she says. She gets up very early in the morning, prepares breakfast for her two girls, drops them off at school, works for “sometimes 10 hours a day,: picks up her daughters from their lola, prepares dinner and puts them to sleep.

“It’s a cycle. It’s a difficult cycle, but it’s one I’m happy to ride,” Rivera, 39, shared with the Asian Journal in a recent interview in her home in Echo Park.

“Rising domestic demand, remittances, and employment, in addition to infrastructure spending, will drive growth” in the Philippines in the near term, the ADB said in a statement.

“Along with domestic demand, the government’s infrastructure investments will fuel the country’s growth in the next few years, supported by a sound economic policy setting. We expect this growth to further lift wage employment numbers, add

by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

RENDEZVOUS AT JOLLIBEE. President Rodrigo Duterte makes an unannounced visit to a Jolibee outlet in Hong Kong before proceeding to Kai Tak Cruise Terminal where he was scheduled to attend the gathering with the Filipino community on Thursday, April 12. the president invited Alma O. Pardillo, an OFW based in Hong Kong, to break bread with them while hearing the latter’s concerns. The president then vowed to provide Pardillo assistance so she could get proper medical attention for her 9-year old child, who is suffering from a lung ailment. The president also committed to shoulder the roundtrip airfare of Pardillo so she can go home to attend the college graduation of her child and to be with her children whom she hasn’t seen for a long time.

Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is not taking sides in trade tensions between the United States and China but believes it is high time for Beijing to “protect the east,” Malacañang said Wednesday, April 11.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte made the comments during his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last Tuesday, April 10, in Boao.

“We do not take sides in the ongoing or possible trade war between China and the United states. The president, nonetheless, had positive words to say to that effect that it’s high time for China to protect the east and the cause of trade liberalism at this time and age,” Roque said in a press briefing

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Draft Dengvaxia report: Aquino, Abad, Garin ‘criminally liable’ Duterte takes home

by AJPRESS

Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, presents a copy of the draft committee report on the government’s controversial dengue vaccination program to the Senate media during the Kapihan sa Senado on Wednesday, April 11.

Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo

FORMER Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and his Cabinet officials should be held criminally liable for the Dengvaxia mess, according to a draft report by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

The committee is recommending the prosecution of Aquino and his officials “for all the tragedy, damage and possible deaths” resulting from his administration’s scrapped P3.5 billion dengue vaccination program.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

chair Richard Gordon presented the draft report on Wednesday, April 11.

“Former President Aquino is responsible because he caused the purchase of Dengvaxia and in the process caused irreversible damage, possibly death, to children, [and] anxiety, sleepless nights, unnecessary expense on the part of the parents and guardians,” he said.

“The greatest sin and transgression of Aquino was to put the lives of Filipino children in grave peril. He simply did not care.

Manhid siya at walang malasakit

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DOT plans to host another Miss Universe pageant after Boracay rehabilitation

by AJPRESS THE Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) is considering the idea of hosting the Miss Universe pageant in 2019 after the rehabilitation of Boracay isGOODBYE TO ALL THAT. Tourists relax along a beach in Boracay island two weeks before its land.

According to Tourism Secreshutdown. The tourism sector is bracing for the fallout from the six-month closure of one of the world’s top beaches, as the government prepares to clean the island that President tary Wanda Teo, it was PresiRodrigo Duterte had called a “cesspool.”

ManilaTimes.net photo dent Rodrigo Duterte himself

who suggested the hosting of another Miss Universe pageant in the country to help in reintroducing Boracay to the world.

While clarifying that the president made the suggestion in jest, Teo said the idea is possible.

“I know it’s pabiro, sabi niya ‘eh baka pwede natin gawin ang Miss Universe sa Boracay.’ So I was thinking baka pwede (I

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P3.8-B aid from China

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte is returning to Manila with billions-worth of economic and infrastructure aid from the Chinese government.

According to Malacañang, Beijing pledged 500 million renminbi (RNB) or about P3.8 billion in assistance to Manila, following a bilateral meeting between Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The bilateral meeting between the two leaders took place on Tuesday, April 10, at the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in the southern province of Hainan, China.

“There was a grant of a 500 million RNB or equivalent to P3.8 billion given to the Philippines by China in terms of economic and infrastructure assistance,” Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. told reporters on Wednesday, April 11.

The Philippine and Chinese governments also inked six bilateral agreements during the meeting.

These include economic and technical cooperation; the establishment of the third phase of the Filipino-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology; and the pre-feasibility study of the proposed expressway in Duterte’s home city of Davao.

Also signed were the exchange of letters for broadcasting equipment for the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO); loan agreement for the Chico River pump irrigation project; and memorandum of understanding on the employment of Filipino teachers of the English language in China.

Duterte likewise witnessed the signing of 9.5 billion worth of investment deals with Chinese firms that could create about 10,800 jobs for Filipinos, according to Malacañang.

On behalf of the country, Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Rowel Barba signed the letters of intent (LOI) covering agriculture, technology, pharmaceuticals, land development, and infrastructure, among others.

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A APRIL 13-19, 2018 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

PH experiencing ‘golden age...

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to household incomes, and benefit more poor families across the archipelago,” Kelly Bird, the ADB’s new country director for the Philippines, was quoted in the statement.

Bird told reporters that he believes the Philippines is now on its “golden age” as economic growth has been achieved for over 50 years.

For Bird, economic expansion will be sustained in 2018 and 2019 as “reforms are in place to support the government’s infrastructure plan,” referring to the massive “Build, Build, Build” program.

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

Bird added that “the government has very sound economic policies in place that will help mitigate external risks.”

“Moving forward, the ADB projects services will continue

to drive GDP growth, along with manufacturing and construction industries,” the lender said.

“The approval of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion [TRAIN] Law in December 2017 will augment tax revenues and provide additional fiscal space for more progressive public spending. The policy reforms are expected to yield additional P90-144 billion in tax revenue collection in 2018 and 2019, respectively,” it added.

According to the ADB, “there are external risks to the Philippines’ growth outlook from heightened volatility in international financial markets and uncertainty about global trade openness, although the country’s strong external payments position would cushion these effects.”

Bird said that the Philippines’ economic golden age “occurred in a sound macroeconomic policy environment.”

“This one has occurred with relatively moderate inflation. The fiscal position is very strong—it had a [budget] deficit of 2.2 percent of GDP last year. You’ve seen national government debt as a share of GDP decline, it’s

No sides in trade tiff...

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Asked to clarify Duterte’s remark, Roque said: “Everyone basically in the meeting was talking about globalization, trade liberalization and, of course, Asia was benefiting greatly from globalization and liberalization.”

“So, basically, it was an endorsement of the Chinese position that the world trading system governed by rules-based WTO (World Trade Organization) system and that there should be no obstacles to further globalization and liberalization,” he added.

Roque noted that participants of the recently concluded Boao Forum for Asia, which was attended by Duterte, had emphasized the need to further strengthen globalization and the need to further speed up trade liberalization rather than return to isolationist trade policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods as he accused the Asian country of intellectual property theft.

China, the top trade partner of the Philippines, responded by imposing $50 billion worth of tariffs on American goods.

The move prompted Trump to instruct his trade representative to study the imposition of additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Cayetano admitted that a trade war would affect the Philippines.

“If the U.S. is sneezing and China is coughing, the Philippines will be somehow susceptible to the flu. There are flu shots available. The economic team is trying to do everything to bulletproof our economy, but there’s no such things as bulletproofing the economy,” Cayetano said.

“We’re hoping this will be

around 42 percent now—it’s the lowest level in terms of its share of GDP for 20 years.

You’ve got the credit ratings that show the Philippines is at investment grade rating. We’re also seeing a labor market that has grown robustly,” Bird said.

“When you look at all those factors together, it’s quite a virtuous cycle. That’s why I would call it’s a golden age for the Philippines because it’s growing in a very sound macroeconomic policy framework,” Bird added.

Bird also attributed the high economic growth in recent years to the central bank and fiscal institutions, which for him were “very strong institutions that had put in place measures to mitigate against risks to the economy.”

“I think the infrastructure plan will help sustain that over the next two to three years. I think it’s important to do that to chip away at the poverty rate, which is still relatively high for a middle-income country,” according to Bird.

The poverty incidence rate stood at 21.6 percent in 2015, and the Duterte administration aims to slash it to 14 percent by 2022 through its 10-point socioeconomic agenda. n short-lived and we’re hoping it won’t affect us too much,” he added.

Philippine trade gap widens According to government data released Wednesday, the country’s trade deficit swelled to $3.06 billion in February 2018, higher than the $1.77 billion gap registered in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, total exports sagged by 1.8 percent year-onyear to $4.66 billion from $4.74 billion. According to Reuters, this is the first time that exports slumped since the 4.5-percent contraction recorded in November 2016.

Government data shows China was the country’s biggest source of imports with a 19.9-percent share in February. Import payments to China stood at $1.54 billion.

Meanwhile, the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, was the top destination of Philippine exports for the month, with shipments valued at $705.20 million. n

ENTREPRENEURSHIP. Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo (2nd from right) shakes hands with Erlinda Legaspi of Marylindbert International (2nd from left) during the launching of the campaign “Buhay Carinderia Redefined” at the Rizal Park Hotel in Manila on Wednesday, April 11. The project, which will be supported by the department for the first time, aims to redefine the eateries in the country. Also in the photo are Alberto Rosal (right) and actor Rommel Montano.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

DOT plans to host another Miss Universe pageant...

PAGE A1 t know it’s in jest, he said ‘maybe we can do the Miss Universe in Boracay.’ So I was thinking it may be possible),” Teo said in a government podcast.

The Philippines has hosted the pageant three times. The most recent was during the 65th Miss Universe in January 2017.

Teo also added that the DOT would be “very proud and happy” to promote Boracay once the rehabilitation of the island is completed.

Boracay is set to be closed from tourists for six months, starting April 26, as part of the government’s efforts to address environmental issues hounding the island, particularly its sewage and garbage problems.

During the rehabilitation period, the government also hopes to resolve the issues on the encroachment on easements, forestland, and wetlands; and the

degradation of certain areas like Puka Beach and caves.

‘No casinos’ In a press briefing on Monday, April 9, Duterte said no casinos will be build in the island while it was still closed for rehabilitation.

“I did not say I will allow casino there somewhere. Far from it actually. I never said anything about building anything or even a nipa hut there,” the president said.

He continued: “Walang plano diyang casino-casino. Tama na iyan kasi sobra na. May casino dito, casino doon (There is no plan to build a casino there.

Stop already because it’s too much. There’s a casino here, a casino there).”

It was earlier reported that Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. and its Filipino partner, Leisure and Resorts World Corp. is planning construction in Boracay

after securing a provisional license from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of the administration, earlier claimed that the closure order was meant to facilitate the construction of a casino in the island.

Maintaining his stance, the senator recently bared his plan to seek a Senate investigation into Duterte’s order to close Boracay.

“I maintain my position that the reason why Boracay was ordered closed is for the planned construction where they need the ports to bring in construction materials and heavy equipment,” Trillanes said in a briefing on Tuesday, April 10.

“They can’t do this with tourists around, so for me, to shed light on this issue, I’ll be filing a resolution calling for a Senate investigation,” he added. n

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US carrier sails in South China Sea

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

Amid escalating tensions, a United States aircraft carrier en route to manila sailed through the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday, April 10.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt was reportedly carrying 65 supersonic F18 jets, spy planes and helicopters, the nuclearpowered carrier. Also aboard the nuclear-powered vessel were a small group of Philippine generals, officials and journalists.

The U.S. Navy’s recent freedom of navigation operations in South China Sea come as a demonstration of might, challenging China’s massive claims in the area. “it’s a showcase of the capability of the U.S. armed forces not only by sea but also by air,” Philippine army Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista said.

Acknowledging that the U.S. military’s presence helps the Philippines in securing waters, Bautista added, “The Americans are our friends. in one way or another, they can help us to deter any threat.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in manila on Wednesday, April 11, for a port visit.

According to the U.S. embassy, the U.S. Navy will “participate in cultural exchanges, community relations events, and morale, Welfare and Recreation (mWR)-sponsored tours to en-

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) anchors off the coast of Manila for a scheduled port visit on Wednesday, April 11. Theodore Roosevelt is deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations and theater security WINNERS. World Archery Philippines officials, national athletes and organizing committee members of the 2018 Asia Cup-Stage 2 Archery cooperation efforts.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alex Perlman Competition pose for a photo opportunity after the awarding ceremony at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in Manila on Wednesday, April 11. The Philippines won three gold medals during the competition after Paul Marton de la Cruz dominated the individual qualification and Olympic rounds, and won in the mixed team compound event with Amaya Amparo Cojuangco.

PNA photo by Jess Escaros Jr.

hance cultural understanding and cooperation between the two countries” during the port visit. “many Theodore Roosevelt Sailors and marines have strong ties to the Philippines,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, Theodore Roosevelt’s commanding officer.

“There are several Rough Riders who are from the Philippines or who have family in the country. We are excited for them to be able to share their culture with fellow shipmates and spend time with loved ones there,” Sardiello added. in its website, the embassy also said that the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group

Concerns for 2020 census grow...

PAGE A1 t people from participating in the census, thus making it possible for certain communities to be misrepresented. in an eight-page memo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that the Justice department has requested that the census include a question on citizenship to help administer the Voting Rights Act (VRA).

Those against the question addition are saying that there is no good reason for it to be incorporated now. A question about citizenship hasn’t been included in the decennial census in the past 70 years, nor has it been used since the VRA was signed into law in 1965.

“We know that adding that question on citizenship status will cause participation in the upcoming census to plummet, and that vulnerable communities that are already hard to count will be most significantly impacted,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference Education Fund in a recent press call.

Gupta told reporters that the question was added to the census against the advice of census experts and former census directors from both democratic and Republican administrations, and other bipartisan leaders.

Official lawsuits have already been filed. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the state will sue the Trump administration.

“Having an accurate census count should be the utmost importance for every Californian. The census numbers provide the backbone for planning how our communities can grow and thrive in the coming decade. California simply has too much to lose for us to allow the Trump Administration to botch this important decennial obligation,” said Becerra in a statement. “What the Trump Administration is requesting is not just alarming, it is an unconstitutional attempt to discourage an accurate census count.”

Rep. Grace meng (d-NY) said

in a statement that she was “deeply disappointed with Secretary Ross.”

She added, “i will not look to introduce legislation to stop this question from being included on the census.”

Risk of community misrepresentation The decennial count looks for population changes and other information about who makes up the United States — citizens and non-citizens alike. it also, more importantly, uses the derived data to address the nation’s needs like determining how seats in Congress are set, and how funding allocations for certain programs are made.

Arturo Vargas, executive director at National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, called the addition of the citizen question the “worse policy-making decision that could have been done.”

Vargas and Gupta were among those who advised Ross last month to leave the question out. Vargas said data scientists at a recent meeting unanimously denounced the decision to add the question. in the last 2010 census, approximately one million young children were unaccounted for,” said Vargas. About 400,000 of them were Latino.

The last 2010 census also found that Asian Americans and Pacific islanders (AAPi) were the fasting growing ethnic group, growing at a 46 percent rate compared to the 2000 census.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice pointed out that about 90 percent of the AAPi community are immigrants or children of immigrants.

“For this reason, the citizenship question potentially will depress response rates within our community,” said Yang.

He said Secretary Ross had acknowledged the evidence regarding the climate of fear felt by immigrants, but concluded it was not enough. marc morial, president and CEO of National Urban League,

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Duterte takes home P3.8-B...

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duterte, in a keynote speech, thanked the Chinese businessmen for their investment proposals.

“Allow me to say that the growing trade and investments reflect the vigorous momentum of the Philippine-China relations and highlighting the Chinese position as our largest trading partner and our largest export market, together with Hong Kong,” duterte remarked.

He went on to say, “i hope for a more robust and healthy balance of trade in the coming years as the Philippines and China continue to enhance and increase trade links.” duterte further acknowledged the “job opportunities that will be created by Chinese investments now and in the years to come and their role in promoting inclusive growth, of encouraging entrepreneurship among the Filipinos.”

Joint exploration Both duterte and Xi have given a “go signal” for the crafting of a framework for the proposed joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea. According to Philippine For-

eign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, the two presidents discussed the matter during Tuesday’s bilateral meeting.

“How important was that statement made by the two leaders? Very important, because it’s basically the go signal to come up with a framework, and if it’s acceptable to both sides, we could see the joint exploration done soon,” Cayetano said.

Quoting Xi, Cayetano said “that China, if that’s what the Philippines wants, is willing to discuss and find a solution” in the disputed waters. duterte, meanwhile, said “it’s important that our people see the benefit” of the relationship between the two countries. despite the development, Cayetano assured that the Philippines will not give up on its claims in the South China Sea. He also noted that Beijing has never asked manila to give up on its claims. “it’s important that we got something out of there. But you know, it was clear to both sides that we will stick to our guns,” the Foreign Affairs secretary said. n

(TRCSG) will continue on their regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment after departing manila.

The TRCSG, according to embassy, will conduct a “variety of operations, including addressing shared maritime security concerns, building relationships with partner navies and enhancing interoperability and communication with partners and allies throughout the area of operations through exercises and visits.”

Apart from the U.S. carrier, Australian and Japanese warships are also set to dock in the Philippines on Thursday, April 12, and Friday, April 13, respectively. n

said that the black population has been undercounted since the first census was made in 1790,

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Gender & wage inequality...

PAGE A1 t A case manager for 10 years, she has worked at several other clinics before. She says that one of the reasons why she left her last post was because of her salary.

After an intimate conversation with some of her coworkers about their salaries, she found out that a young male co-worker, who holds the same position but has less experience, made nearly 10 percent more than she does. “i can’t say i was shocked. mad, yes. Shocked, no,” she lamented. “it’s disturbing and i know it’s, like, one of the first things that people bring up when they talk about equal rights. it’s a discussion that has a lot of mileage to

it, but that has promoted not a lot of action that i’ve seen. i hated to leave that job because that’s difficult when you have children, but i knew my work could be fairly valued somewhere else.”

Though it seems like the world is moving closer to some semblance of equality, women like Rivera still live with the same salary grievances first discussed decades ago at the advent of women’s liberation: on average, men earn more than women.

A new study from the National Partnership for Women & Families reaffirmed that decades-long discussion that the gender wage gap puts women at a great disadvantage: overall, women in the United

States are paid 80 cents for every dollar men earn.

That makes the annual gender wage gap at $10,086.

The report found that the average full-time employed woman in California is paid 88 cents for every dollar that a man makes, which adds up to a $5,928 difference in pay annually.

But in 2018, the wage gap discussion is no longer binary and when broken down among the races, the gap tells a larger story. in California, Asian women are paid $19,613 less than men annually. For Black women and Latinas, the annual wage gap is $27,437 and $41,251, respectively.

A deeper look into the races shows that even within the group of Asian women, certain ethnicities

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Dateline USa

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Groups press ICE for records on deportation of SE Asian immigrants

BORACAY TOURISTS. Dozens of tourists walk along the shores of Boracay which will soon become a ghost town due to its upcoming six-month closure for clean-up and rehabilitation works starting April 26. Employees of restaurants, resorts, shops and other establishments will also be affected by its closure, preempting the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to tell regular employees who would be terminated to sue their employers for illegal dismissal.

PNA photo by Joey Razon

Concerns for 2020 census grow...

PAGE A3 t over two percent — African American children were undercounted by 6.5 percent.

According to the Census Bureau’s own statistics, Morial said that Whites were overcounted by 1.1 percent in 2000, and nearly one percent in 2010.

“Underrepresentation and a

black undercount is an insidious form of racial discrimination because it denies an entire swap of the American population access to privileges, protections and rights,” said Morial.

“The same is true for all people who may be undercounted in the census,” he added. “Without reliable data, it is difficult to track whether people of any race or eth-

nicity receive equitable opportunities in housing, voting, employment, or education.”

Despite the citizenship question, Vargas joined other advocates in encouraging people to still participate in the census, adding that boycotting would make the risk of an undercount worse.

“The best way to fight back and get policy discourse is to participate,” said Vargas. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)

Bob Arum: It happens all the time

by AbAc

cordero Philstar.com

BOB Arum wasn’t surprised to hear that Manny Pacquiao is cutting ties with longtime trainer Freddie Roach – either temporarily or for good.

Pacquiao and Roach rank very high on the list of great boxertrainer relationships, one that spanned nearly 17 years, leading to world titles in multiple

divisions.

Other great ones are those of Muhammad Ali and Angelo Dundee, Oscar dela Hoya and Emmanuel Steward, Juan Manuel Marquez and Nacho Beristain, and the Mayweathers’.

“It’s up to him,” Arum told The Star after ESPN broke news that Pacquiao has officially decided to do it without Roach for his July 15 bout with Lucas Matthysse.

Pacquiao’s training for his first fight since July last year will be supervised by Buboy Fernandez, his lifelong friend.

There’ve been other huge breakups in boxer-trainer relationships, that of Mike Tyson and Kevin Rooney. Even the Mayweathers broke up once and then reunited.

Dela Hoya fired Steward as well, also following a long onand-off relationship. n

Data, including highly-personal information, from these Facebook users were vacuumed and used for targeted political messaging designed to influence behavior and opinion.

Users can check this link to find out if their data may have been compromised. Facebook will also be sending notices to affected users.

This revelation becomes more staggering after it was discovered that parent company of the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, Strate-

gic Communications Laboratories, may have helped Rodrigo Duterte win the presidency in 2016, according to reports.

Duterte’s spokesman has disputed this and said that his campaign did not pay anything to or transact with the company.

Cambridge Analytica Trump-affiliated Cambridge Analytica is a data marketing firm that harvests online information to create targeted content. It also says that it uses data to “change behavior.”

What you need to know about the Facebook data scandal

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

DATA from more than 1.1 million Filipino Facebook users may have been “improperly shared” with a data mining firm accused of using illegallyobtained information from the social media network to try to influence elections, the Philippine Privacy Commission said.

This makes the Philippines the second most affected in terms of data subjects after the United States, where more than 70 million users were affected.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 60 groups filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), demanding transparency and accountability for the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement, specifically targeting Southeast Asian Americans for detention and deportation.

The filing follows the deportation of 43 Cambodians on April 4, the biggest group to be removed in just one day since the repatriation of Cambodian nationals began over a decade ago. The FOIA request was submitted by Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), VietLead, and more than 60 other organizations.

The FOIA request demands ICE release all records related to the arrests, detention, and deportation of Southeast Asian Americans in the past 20 years. Advocates will use this information to assist affected communities and

Draft Dengvaxia report...

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sensitive and lacks compassion),” the senator added.

The committee is recommending Aquino to be charged with violation of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Also tagged as “primary conspirators” in the procurement of the controversial vaccine were former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and former Health Secretary Janette Garin.

“Aquino, Garin, Abad and other officials are primary conspirators and must be held criminally liable… and must be prosecuted for all the tragedy, damage and possible deaths” resulting from

the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program,” Gordon said.

Some 830,000 Filipino children were administered Dengvaxia under the dengue immunization program implemented by the Aquino administration in April 2016.

The program was immediately suspended late last year, following an advisory that the vaccine poses health risk when administered on a person who has not been previously infected with the virus. Some parents claimed that their children died because of the vaccine.

The committee, in its draft report, said that the government’s purchase of the vaccine was done with “undue haste” and “without adequate research on the background and track record of the supplier, Sanofi-Pasteur.”

“He (Aquino) ordered to buy it

Gender & wage inequality...

PAGE A3 t

are paid even lower for every male dollar earned. Burmese, Samoan, and Hmong women, for example, only earn 51 cents, 56 cents and 59 cents for every dollar paid to a white man, respectively.

“The wage gap among Asian and Pacific Islander groups show u PAGE A5 that Asian women are not model minorities and different ethnicities continue to suffer from large gaps in wages,” the study said.

Moreover, Chinese and Indian women are generally paid more than white men, but Filipina, Vietnamese and Korean women are paid less.

“I may have understood it if we were living in the 50s or 60s where the traditional family with a husband and wife still existed, but that’s not how a lot of us live.

There are a lot of single mothers out there who still have to suffer through [wage inequality] to provide for the entire family,” Rivera shared.

And the study affirms that reality for all groups of women. An intersectional look at the wage gap shows that mothers, in particular, receive a substantial blow. Mothers — and single mothers like Rivera — are the sole breadwinners in half of the families with children under 18. This includes 53 percent of Latina mothers, 81 percent of Black mothers and 44 AAPI mothers.

Mothers who work full-time, year-round jobs are paid just 71 cents for every dollar that a father earns.

If the gender pay gap were eliminated, the average working woman in the U.S. could have enough money for 14 more months of child care, 74 more weeks of food for her family and more than one additional year of university fees and 10 additional months of rent, according to the study.

So why is it that in a time where seismic feminist shifts are occur-

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target their access to legal services.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, said, “What has often gone unseen is that Southeast Asian American refugees are one of the most likely groups to be deported for old criminal convictions. Many who are threatened with deportation are providers for their families here in the U.S. It is vital that we receive these records from ICE to allow us to help affected communities and advocate for real policy change.”

Hundreds of Southeast Asian American refugees are in danger of being deported this year, and more than 16,000 community members have received final orders of deportation despite most refugees being lawful permanent residents.

Quyen Dinh, executive director of SEARAC, said, “The mass detention of Southeast Asian community members this year has had a devastating impact on

ring in the current culture that women and people of color are still slighted in wage?

Analysis from the National Partnership survey shows that while certain criteria exist in many occupations (education, experience, region, unionization, etc.), there is still 38 percent of the gap that has been unaccounted for, which leads researchers to deduce that race and gender-based discrimination continue to affect wages for women and women of color.

“It’s clear that discrimination contributes to it --- and equally clear that it’s causing grave harm to women, families and the country,” National Partnership President Debra L. Ness said in a statement. “Lawmakers have not done nearly enough to end wage discrimination based on gender and race. If our country is to thrive, we must root out bias in wages, reject outdated stereotypes and stop penalizing women for having children and caring for their families.”

Ness suggests that lawmakers should double down on efforts to end gender and race discrimination in the workplace, end sexual harassment “which impedes women’s job advancement,” implement a federal paid family and medical leave measure and increase access to high-quality and affordable reproductive health care.

The wage gap discussion began decades ago when the landmark Equal Pay Act of 1963 which made it illegal for employers to grant unequal wages to men and women who performed equal work.

In 2009, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 which loosened timeliness requirements for filing workplace discrimination suits, which signaled another spark in the wage disparity discourse.

Despite these efforts, the wage gap has persisted through loopholes and patterns of discrimina-

so many families. The trauma of deportation in the Southeast Asian refugee community is compounded by historical trauma of war, genocide, and mass displacement. For years we have been trying to advocate for our community without adequate data on detention and arrest statistics specific to the Lao, Hmong, Cambodian, and Vietnamese community. We hope that this FOIA request will release the information we need to shed light on the disproportionate impact of mandatory detention and deportation on our families.”

Nancy Nguyen, executive director of VietLead, said, “This is an important step in our community holding ICE accountable. We have to remove the smoke and mirrors from their operation.”

The groups said they are committed to holding ICE accountable and making sure affected communities receive the services they need to prevent more families from being torn apart. (Inquirer.net) even if it was not in the 2015 budget,” Gordon said.

Reacting on the draft Senate committee report, Aquino remarked: “What should we expect from the Dick Gordon show?”

The former president noted that the fund for Dengvaxia was obligated in 2016.

“Kelan nag-warn yung Sanofi?

Ano yung sinabi nila ng umpisa? Wala yan downside na yan, walang danger. (When did Sanofi issued the warning? What did they say earlier? That is has no downside, no danger),” Aquino was quoted as saying in an Inquirer report.

He also denied that the approval of the Dengvaxia funds was done in “undue haste,” pointing out that his administration was “waiting for this vaccine as early as 2010 or for that matter we’re waiting for any other tool that can be used against dengue.” n tion that bypass existing legislation. But lawmakers in Washington haven’t stopped authoring laws that would move the country toward equal pay along race and gender lines.

The Paycheck Fairness Act was introduced by U.S. Sen. Patty Murphy (D-Wash.) and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in 2017 and seeks to close those loopholes by providing more rights for employees, incentives and assistance for employers to impose equal pay practices and direct the Dept. of Labor to hold employers accused of illegal wage discrimination accountable.

And most Americans do support policies that would address and close the pay gap. In a 2016 survey from research group American Women, 89 percent of registered voters said they would favor (57 percent said they would “strongly favor”) legislation that would hold employers accountable, protect workers from discriminatory wage practices and provide salary negotiation training for women.

For the last several decades, advocates have been fighting tooth and nail to close the wage gap.

Significant social and legislative reforms have materialized, but the disparities persist.

The National Partnership predicted that “at the current rate, the wage gap will not close until 2059” which means that “wage inequities will persist and compound year after year for women and their families, affecting their incomes now and their retirement income and savings in the future.”

The complex issue of wage inequality will likely require more than a one-size-fits-all fix, and when asked what she thinks should happen first in order to close the wage gap, Rivera swiftly replied, “Elect more women in public office. Elect more women of color in office. They know us and they get it. That should be the first step.”

(Klarize Medenillia/AJPress)

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HARDIN NG LUNAS FESTIVAL. Philippine Army Chief Lt.General Rolando Joselito Bautista, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Tarlac Heritage Foundation Inc. co-Founder Dr. Isa Suntay flash the signature pose of President Rodrigo Duterte during the Hardin ng Lunas Harvest Festival at the Philippine Army Headquarters in Taguig on Wednesday, April 11.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 13-19, 2018

Dateline PInternational hiliPPines group of jurists

A

assails Duterte for slamming Sereno

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

where Jose Calida, the solicitor general or the country’s top lawyer, is questioning her legal hold on office.

Calida’s involvement stirred speculations that Duterte was directly behind efforts to remove Sereno, who clashed with the chief

executive after he named several judges to be part of the trade of illegal drugs in the Philippines.

The chief magistrate is also facing the specter of an impeachment trial as the House, dominated by the president’s allies, is expected to impeach her in May. n

MANILA — An international group of judges and lawyers has recently condemned President Rodrigo Duterte for railing against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, calling it an “assault” on both the chief magistrate and judiciary’s independence.

Reacting to Sereno’s insinuations that the Philippine leader is directly behind efforts to dislodge her from office, Duterte on Monday declared that he was already the chief justice’s enemy.

He also directed his PDP Laban party mates at the House of Representatives to hasten the impeachment of Sereno, whom he said needed to be removed from the Supreme Court.

The International Commission of Jurists assailed Duterte’s pronouncement and urged him to OLD-SCHOOL PLAY. A boy plays in an old-school fashion as he flies a kite with a bird design at the Rizal Park in Manila on Thursday, April respect the independence of the 12. The park, which is also known as Luneta, is open from 5 a.m.-9 p.m. every day.

PNA photo by Avito Dala Philippine judiciary.

It also called on the president to refrain from exerting political pressure on any government official or agency to undermine the judicial branch of government.

“The president’s remarks constituted an assault not just on the chief Justice, but on the independence of the judiciary in the counby aJPress try,” ICJ said in a statement.

ICJ also urged the president to THE Supreme Court (SC), sitretract his comments and avoid ting as Presidential Electoral making future statements attackTribunal (PET), has ordered Vice ing judges that would in any way President Maria Leonor “Leni” interfere with their duties.

Robredo and former senator Fer‘Direct intimidation’ of Sereno dinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Emerlynne Gil, senior internato explain why they should not be tional legal adviser of the ICJ, decited in contempt for disclosing scribed Duterte’s action as “unacinformation on the vote recount. ceptable” because it was a “direct The PET, in a resolution made intimidation” of the chief justice public on Thursday, April 12, isand sent a “chilling effect” to the sued a show cause order against country’s independent judges.

Robredo and Marcos for publicly She added that Duterte’s open discussing information involving anomisity toward Sereno and his the election protest in the 2016 Former Sen. Bongbong Marcos and Vice Pres. Leni Robredo Philstar.com photos order to the House constituted vice presidential race. “influencing and interfering” with The tribunal gave both parties to or pending resolution of the with their claims. the functions of other branches of ten days to submit their explana- Tribunal, as well as statements “In this regard to preserve the government. tion. or remarks pertaining to the in- sanctity of the proceedings, both The body also reminded Duterte In a resolution dated February tegrity of the revision process are parties are hereby directed to 13, the PET ordered the two par- within the clear ambit of the sub show cause and explain why they that based on the UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the ties to strictly observe the sub judice rule,” it added. should not be cited in contempt Judiciary “[I]t is the duty of all govjudice rule—a prohibition on The revision of ballots begun by the Tribunal,” the PET said in ernmental and other institutions to discussing a case that is pend- on last week, on April 2. On the its latest directive. respect and observe the indepening in court. This was reiter- first day of recount, Marcos’ In his poll protest, Marcos acated in another resolution dated camp revealed to the media that cused Robredo of committing dence of the judiciary.”

Sereno faced her colleagues on March 20. wet ballots were discovered from massive electoral fraud during Monday at the Supreme Court, “Despite these stern directives the clustered ballots of Munici- the May 2016 polls. Robredo of the Tribunal, several news re- pality of Bato, Camarines Sur. won the vice presidential race ports have shown that the parMarcos’ spokesman, Vic Rodri- with only 263,473 more than ties, their counsels and/or rep- guez, further claimed that there Marcos’. resentatives, have nonetheless were missing audits and ballots Camarines Sur is among the continued to disclose sensitive pre-shaded for Robredo. three pilot provinces Marcos information regarding the reviLawyer Romulo Macalintal, tagged in his poll protest. The sion process to the public, in representing Robredo, main- other two were Iloilo and Neclear violation of the aforemen- tained that wet ballots and miss- gros Oriental. The result of the tioned resolutions,” the PET said ing audit logs are not evidence of revision on the three pilot provin its latest directive. inces will determine whether the irregularity in an election.

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PNP insists drug war constitutional, for public safety by aJPress

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday, April 12, maintained that the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign is “constitutional, legal, and is implemented in the interest of public safety.”

In a statement, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. John Bulalacao dismissed anew the allegations that the deaths related to drug war are state-sanctioned.

“We maintain that the PNP campaign against illegal drugs is constitutional, legal and is implemented in the interest of public safety. All allegations are part of the healthy democracy that the country has,” Bulalacao said.

He noted that the presumption of regularity “remains with the law enforcers and unless proven otherwise in the court of law.”

“Emphasis should not only be focused on the almost 4,000 deaths in police operations but also on the more than 1.3 M surrenderers, 120,000 plus arrest-

ed persons and on the number of law enforcers who have died during these police operations,” Bulalacao said.

He further argued that surrenderers and arrested suspects “should not be alive as well” if the allegations of state-sanctioned killings were true.

The Supreme Court (SC) has recently dismissed a petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida asking the high court to rescind its order requiring the PNP to submit data on the killings of all drug suspects during the implementation of “Oplan Tokhang” from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017.

In his appeal, Calida argued that disclosing these documents “in the long run will have an undeniable effect on national security and could spell the success or failure of follow-up operations of police and other law enforcement bodies, aside from endangering the lives of those on the list as well as those already in custody.”

But the SC, in a resolution released Tuesday, April 10, said

What you need to know...

PAGE A4 t Christopher Wylie, who worked with CEO Alexander Nix SCL, blew the whistle on the company’s practices.

Wylie said that Nix wooed support from Steve Bannon, a former campaign manager of Donald Trump, and Robert Mercer, a Trump donor and billionaire who infused more than $15 million into the company.

This led to the creation of Cambridge Analytica in 2014.

This is Your Digital Life’ quiz Aleksander Kogan, an academic researcher who developed a Facebook personality

quiz called “This is Your Digital Life” in 2014, approached Cambridge Analytica after its formation.

“What Kogan offered us was way cheaper, way faster, and of a quality that nothing matched,” Wilie said in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, which together with The New York Times, exposed the firm’s practices.

Wilie said that Kogan had apps that would provide Cambridge Analytical not just data from users of the app but also from their friend network including status updates and in some case private messages.

that the “requested information and documents do not obviously involve state secrets affecting national security.”

“There is no showing that the country’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, independence, or foreign relations will be compromised or prejudiced by the release of these information and documents to this Court or even to the public,” it added.

The high court also noted that it asked submission of drug war data for the government to “establish its claim of the legitimacy of police operations.”

The SC pointed out that that Office of the Solicitor General’s (OSG) refusal to the order only lead the high court to the think that the documents are being “willfully suppressed.”

“The OSG’s continued refusal to submit to this Court’s requirement will lead this Court to presume that these information and documents, because they are wilfully suppressed, will be adverse to the OSG’s case,” the resolution read. n Kogan paid 270,000 people to take “This is Your Digital Life,” and this collected information not just on the quiz takers but also on their friends, including details not meant to be shared publicly, thanks to Facebook’s loose privacy rules.

Cambridge Analytica used these Facebook data to target voter groups with messaging designed to influence opinion Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify before hearings at the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives where he is expected to apologize, again, for the latest data breach and to stave off possible federal regulation that some lawmakers have mentioned. n

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A6 APRIL 13-19, 2018 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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

FEATURES

OPINION

Courageous deeds

THERE are many opportunities for showing courage during wartime. Today the nation once again honors the brave men who made a last stand in Bataan against foreign invaders 76 years ago. The Philippines became the last nation in Southeast Asia to surrender to the Japanese.

An estimated 75,000 Filipino and American troops defended Corregidor, with many dying or becoming permanently maimed by the Death March from Bataan to internment camps in Capas, Tarlac. Along the way, people risked the wrath of the occupation forces and tried to give the defenders food and drink.

A common enemy unites a nation and allows people to rise above personal interests. Today, after more than seven decades of peace, Filipinos have been admonished about a weak sense of patriotism and civic duty, with the greater good taking a backseat to personal interests.

This need not be the case. There are many ways

of showing courageous patriotism in modern life. It takes guts to say no to corruption and fight abuse of power. It takes courage to blow the whistle on anomalies in government and to testify against the powerful and wealthy.

Patriotism also involves acts of civic responsibility, such as proper garbage disposal and driving with courtesy. Following the law instead of trying to go around it can make the nation a better place.

Those who die for their country deserve the highest honors. Living an exemplary life for one’s country, however, can be equally challenging.

Those who show courage in their everyday life also deserve accolades. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Debunking Trump’s false statements on the FBI raid of his attorney’s office “IT’S a disgrace.

It’s, frankly, a real dis- The Fil-Am grace. It’s an attack on our country, in a true Perspective sense. It’s an attack on what we all stand for,” President Donald Trump lamented GEL SANTOS-RELOS on Monday, April 9, in response to the news about the FBI raiding the office of Trump’s long-time personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

As the New York Times reported, “the search warrant carried out by the public corruption unit of the Manhattan federal attorney’s office seeks information about Karen McDougal, an ex-Playboy model who claims she carried on a nearly yearlong affair with Mr. Trump shortly after the birth of his son in 2006.

Ms. McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc., the Enquirer’s parent company, whose chief executive is a friend of Mr. Trump’s.”

Furthermore, “agents were also searching Michael D. Cohen’s office for information related to Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, who says she also had sex with Mr. Trump while he was married. Mr. Cohen has acknowledged that he paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement to secure her silence just days before the 2016 presidential election.”

A few days ago, Trump flatly denied having knowledge about this as he spoke

to the press aboard Air Force One. He also denied all allegations made by women who came forward to accuse him of sexual assault or inappropriate sexual behavior.

“They found no collusion whatsoever with Russia. The reason they found it is there was no collusion at all. No collusion….So they find no collusion, and then they go from there and they say, ‘Well, let’s keep going.’ And they raid an office of a personal attorney early in the morning. And I think it’s a disgrace.”

NO, MR. PRESIDENT.The Special Counsel team of Robert Mueller has NOT concluded that “there was no collusion”. The probe is still ongoing, and in fact, indictments, charges, and guilty pleas from some members of your campaign and sentencing have been issued along the way, effectively debunking all the denials coming from you and your team regarding communications and business deals with Russia. This is why this investigation continues because the American people deserve to know the TRUTH, no matter how hard you try to call this a “witch hunt.”

Special Counsel Mueller was given the mandate to probe based on evidence if the Trump team conspired, colluded, coordinated, worked with

Russia to meddle in our elections.

However, he was also given the mandate to consult with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein if his investigators find new evidence of any crime that may fall outside his original purview. It would then be up to Rosenstein to determine whether to give the green light to Mueller to proceed with the investigation on this new lead, or to assign the case to another U.S. attorney or another part of the Justice Department. This was exactly what Mueller did in this case.

These honorable men followed the rule of law, Mr. President, pursuant to the provisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Manual. As the Washington Post reported: to obtain that search warrant, the U.S. attorney would have had to meet six conditions. Even with those checks in place, the U.S. attorney wasn’t guaranteed a warrant. Search warrants granted to U.S. attorneys are approved by magistrate judges serving in U.S. District Court.

“The Cohen search warrant almost certainly included decision-making or approval on the part of the second-highest-ranking person at the Justice Department (Rosenstein), a federal judge and the U.S. attorney or an assistant attorney general. Before it was executed, the team would have needed to check a number of boxes meant to reduce the likelihood of improperly seizing privileged material and to make the case to a judge that evidence of criminal behav-

ior would probably be found,” the Post reported.

“This is the most biased group of people. These people have the biggest conflicts of interest I’ve ever seen….

Democrats all — or just about all either Democrats or a couple of Republicans that worked for President Obama, they’re not looking at the other side…”

NO, MR. PRESIDENT. The public servants who are just doing their job in this probe are people who belong to the Republican Party, including those you appointed to the position of public trust they now hold.

Rosenstein is a Republican who appointed Special Counsel Robert Mueller, also a Republican. All of the top law enforcement officials involved in the raid are Republicans. Christopher A. Wray, the FBI director you appointed after you fired James Comey (whom you also appointed to stay in the position), is Republican. Geoffrey Berman, the interim United States attorney in New York, is Republican.

“The attorney general made a terrible mistake when he did this, and when he recused himself. Or he should have certainly let us know if he was going to recuse himself, and we would have used a — put a different attorney general in. So he made what I consider to be a very terrible mistake for the country.”

NO, MR. PRESIDENT. You seem to have not learned up to now that the Attorney General is NOT your attorney

who is supposed to be working for your personal interest. The Attorney General, who leads the Department of Justice (DOJ), is mandated by the Constitution to be the attorney of the United States of America, and should work in the best interests of the nation. While the DOJ is an Executive Branch department, it is supposed to be an independent body that will make sure the rule of law is equally applied to ALL, and that includes you, Mr. President. You are NOT above the law.

NO, MR. PRESIDENT. This was NOT an attack on the country. An attack on the country that you have been painfully finding hard to call out was Russia’s interference in our 2016 election to help you win, and even up to now — to sow discord in our democratic institutions and processes, and even mess up our power grid.

NO, MR. PRESIDENT. This was NOT an attack on what we stand for. You and the people who work for you are NOT the country. WE, the people, are the United States of America, and you are just an elected public official who is duty-bound by the Constitution to adhere to the rule of law and protect our democracy. That is what we stand for. *** 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

Government of National Unity Why 2018 will be Duterte’s make-or-break year AFTER most of our God-centered thoughts Peaceduring the last Holy Week, we felt there is Maker need today for new initiatives for peace, renewal, and development in our FORMER SPEAKER country, and what imme- JOSE C. DE VENECIA, JR. diately comes to mind is to revive our old proposal for a “Government of National Unity.”

The other choice of other more extreme advisers is for President Duterte to declare a “Revolutionary Government.”

A revolutionary government has its strategic uses but after a time, after goals are achieved at great cost, it is usually difficult for the Revolutionary Leader to disengage from authoritarian rule and return the nation to normalcy.

Perhaps without seriously aiming to, in meandering thoughts, when he spoke on the eve of Holy Week, of re-establishing in effect diplomatic ties with the Liberal Party of Vice-President Leni Robredo, Mar Roxas, Frank Drilon, and Francis Pangilinan, former Vice-President Jojo Binay and his group, and other friends, the Villars, and other foes in the Nacionalista Party, etc., he was perhaps really thinking, why not be friends with everyone, with Charity for all and malice towards none in the whole nation, which the Filipino people can only applaud and support.

Anyway, the President has declared publicly he will stay only for one complete six-year Constitutional term.

Under a largely conflict-free government of national unity, the President can then and should address the following: Finalize and implement a peace agreement in Mindanao with the MILF, while keeping the existing pact with the MNLF,

start and complete the full-scale rebuilding of the devastated Marawi City, and finish off the diminished Abu Sayaf in Sulu and Basilan or to allow the least guilty to return to the fold of the law; Advance to the final stage the surrender of firearms and full demobilization by the New People’s Army and integrate some of their units into the Armed Forces and appointment of one or two of their leaders in the Cabinet; Complete the Constitutional process for the adoption of the Federal system of government nationwide; Negotiate and finalize an agreement with China and Vietnam for joint-exploration and development in the South China Sea to be followed by similar arangements with Malaysia, and Brunei; Full-scale infrastructure building, masshousing and agriculture development; and, Full-scale rehabilitation of the nation’s drug addicts.

Obviously all these cannot be completed during President Duterte’s term.

But full-scale development and industrialization with strategic economic dispersal in a decentralized system can begin and continued in earnest, accompanied

by Constitutional reform as hopefully the various insurgencies come to an end and join the fold.

We believe Items 1 to 6 are definitely achievable, not impossible and a Government of National Unity with everyone pitching in, is the key and we should all support it. ■

launch within a WHEN the story year. Plus: trains of President Rodrigo Commentary from Manila to Clark Duterte’s administraand Bicol. tion is written, 2018 Mindanao will get may stand out as the more infrastructure crucial period when than ever before, sweeping change firedressing decades nally gets going—or RICARDO SALUDO of neglect: P124 bilgrinds to a halt. Conlion, mostly in four sider the milestones unfolding since January and set to con- mega-projects. The P5.4-billion Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Project Phase tinue through the year.

First, the Tax Reform for Accelera- 2 in North Cotabato and Maguindanao tion Acceleration and Inclusion Act, will water almost 10,000 hectares in 56 raising tax exemptions for lower-in- conflict areas.

Costing P98 billion, the Mindanao come earners, as well as excise levies on non-essentials, like softdrinks and Logistics Infrastructure Network Projcars. TRAIN would not only shift the ect will upgrade and expand 2,500 km tax burden to wealthier Filipinos; it will of farm-to-market roads across Northalso raise tens of billions of pesos for ern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen and Caraga regions. Zamboanga will the ambitious public works program.

The challenge will be to persuade see the P21-billion Improving Growth the citizenry and Congress that the cur- Corridors in Mindanao project to build rent inflation, the fastest in years and and improve a 276-km network. And widely blamed on TRAIN, is worth en- the Mindanao Railway Project is to during for higher revenues to fund un- start with the 105-km Tagum-Davaoprecedented infrastructure and social Digos segment.

The challenge, of course, is actuservices. That support is crucial to pass four more tax bills from the Depart- ally building the projects, especially for the Department of Transportation. ment of Finance.

Unlike the Department of Public Works Build, Build, Build!

Which brings us to the second roll- and Highways, which has been buildout in 2018: The Build, Build, Build! ing roads, bridges, and flood control projects are finally getting off the draw- systems every year, DOTr has never ing boards and into the pipeline. Most rolled out the current number and size of the building in 2017 were roads and of projects now on its plate. Hence, it bridges. Now, railways and airports would be wise to let the private sector are due to join the public works boom. handle a good chunk of the work, like Metro Rail Transit 7 from North EDSA the airports, and concentrate on rail.

Cleaning up the system to Bulacan and the Clark airport expanThe third big change to level up desion are ongoing, while the Quezon City-Bonifacio subway and the Manila velopment: fighting corruption. Early gateway airport development should on, President Duterte showed his anti-

graft determination by his order for freedom of information in the Executive branch. He also took swift action against appointees, even close associates, unlike his crony-coddling predecessor, who even paid the bail of partymates facing Sandiganbayan cases.

To keep the pressure on officialdom, Duterte also created the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, chaired

by Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founder Dante Jimenez.

One clear beneficiary of Duterte’s crusade against sleazy appointees is the Bureau of Customs, placed last September under former anti-drug czar Isidro Lapeña. He has boosted BoC collections to record levels, and run after grafters, including those behind the recent wrongful release of 105 cargo containers from the Port of Manila.

This will reverse the tripling of smuggling in the regime to over $25 billion a year.

Last week the president appointed new Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde precisely because Davao police didn’t want the erstwhile PNP National Capital Region head for being too strict. Now, another straight arrow, Department of Interior and Local Government OIC Eduardo Año, who supervises the PNP, told Albayalde to remove “bad eggs” from the police.

Meanwhile, the naming of Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra as justice secretary may accelerate graft cases against the past regime—or not. As a top Aquino administration official, Guevarra knows its inner workings. This should come in handy in the pork barrel, DisbursePAGE A7

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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 13-19, 2018

A

National ID rollout seen early May

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

MANILA — The government is hoping to roll out the national ID system using biometrics of all citizens and resident aliens in the Philippines as early as next month.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the launch of the national ID system supports the central bank’s aspiration for a more digital economy.

“Our great expectation is that we will have finally a proper national ID law as early as next month,” he said.

Espenilla pointed out the BSP has been a major partner in promoting the adoption of “what we call a foundational biometric ID system.”

The Senate approved on third and final reading the bill, “An Act establishing the Philippine Identification System” last month.

The House of Representatives approved the same measure in September last year.

“There’s a meeting of the minds between the two houses.

And we expect the bicameral conference committee to happen next month. The bill has also been certified as urgent,” he added.

To significantly catalyze a digital ecosystem, the BSP believes there must be a reliable national digital identification system to address persistent customer onboarding issues due to lack of acceptable IDs and the highly inefficient paper-based KYC (know

Artwork by Philstar.com photo

your customer) processes.

The envisioned national ID system is designed to ensure universal coverage, data integrity and security, and optimum utility and would serve as an enabling platform for the efficient delivery of a whole range of government and private sector services for all Filipinos.

The single national ID dubbed PhlSys would contain the full name, date of birth, address and some fingerprint information of an individual.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has allocated P2 billion for the national ID system under the 2018 national budget.

“We have great expectations in the BSP and we can assure you that we are ready to move forward quickly with this foundational biometric ID system. I hope it doesn’t get any political derails. We really need it,” Espe-

Why 2018 will be Duterte’s...

PAGE A6 t

ment Acceleration Program, and Dengvaxia cases.

Some quarters fret that he was an Ateneo schoolmate of former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, who engineered the funding in those anomalies. Already, Secretary Guevarra has said he will review his predecessor’s grant of witness protection to alleged pork barrel operator Janet Lim Napoles, presumably to get her help in cases against the Aquino camp.

If they stall under Guevarra, his boss won’t like it.

The other big corruption challenge is outside President Duterte’s power: the courts. But now, he has urged Congress to fast-track the impeachment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. If she goes, he can appoint a successor to clean up the judiciary.

One more graft-busting change coming: Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who has shown favor toward Aquino and his close cohorts, retires in July, giving the Palace another sleaze-sweeping broom to put in place.

So, President Duterte can very well clean up the justice system, whose gross failings is the main reason why due process can’t stop crime and narcotics syndicates. If he succeeds in straightening out the police, the prosecutors, and the judges, it would be an unprecedented achievement indeed.

Winning war and peace If President Duterte establishes a strong tax base, rolls out massive infrastructure, and institutes the rule of law, then investors would just want one more thing before they surge into the country: peace and security. The Armed Forces of

nilla said.

He said the Philippines is the only member country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that does not have a national ID system.

The BSP chief said the BSP is ready to recognize the national ID once it is put in place to replace all other IDs currently required from bank customers.

There are various ID cards issued to state workers including the Unified Multi-Purpose ID (UMID) issued to members of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund).

“It will solve or it will address many issues such as money laundering compliance. It will also facilitate the acquisition of customers from a distance,” he said. n the Philippines has been expending troops, arms and logistics to crush Islamic State-linked terrorists and communist insurgents, and slowly but surely, it is eroding these entrenched threats.

The 2014 peace agreement is holding with the main Muslim rebel force, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which still trusts that President Duterte would deliver the promised Bangsamoro region with greater autonomy.

As for the communists, talks may resume in two months, or the AFP’s winning offensive will continue. Either way, the red insurgency will likely be ended in a year.

What about federalism? If President Duterte delivers on taxes, infrastructure, anti-corruption and peace, Filipinos will almost surely approve his new charter.

Then, as promised, he can go.

(ManilaTimes.net)

PRICELESS GIFT. A woman reaches out to touch the blood relic of St. John Paul II after a Mass led by Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at the Manila Cathedral. The relic was a gift to the Manila Cathedral.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Arroyo calls for wider Asian engagement

by LLanesca

T. PanTi

ManilaTimes.net

FORMER president Gloria Arroyo called for wider engagement among Asian countries on less controversial issues on her election as one of the members of the board of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Hainan, China.

Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga, noted that the Boao platform will be bigger in the coming years, given the growing role of Asia, particularly China, in the global economy.

“I’ve been a participant in Boao for a long time and I’m very honored to be a member of the Board. I’m happy to be here

at this time because with a very good relations between the Philippines and China now and under the leadership of [Chinese] President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Duterte, I would like to add what I can to contribute to that very good relationship,” Arroyo said in a statement.

“The Boao Forum is an important forum in order for leaders in government, society and business from all over the world who want to engage in Asia to focus on the longer term issues.

Asia should move forward with issues that are less prickly given the closer and friendlier relationships of the member-countries,” she added.

Arroyo, who had a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) agreement inked with China and Vietnam during her presidency, supports Duterte’s friendly stance with China.

“The Boao global forum is going to be a very important forum, even much more important that it has been in the last 18 years because of the importance of China now in the world economy and the whole world stage. If we look at what China was when the Boao forum started in 2001, China was emerging. It was a new member of WTO (World Trade Organization). Today, it is poised to become the largest economy in the world,” she pointed out. n

Boracay casino permit provisional – Pagcor

by HeLen

FLores Philstar.com

MANILA — As Malacañang stands pat on its order to ban casinos in the world-famous Boracay Island, the state-run gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) justified yesterday its granting of a license to Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) and its Filipino partner Leisure and Resorts World Corp.

Pagcor stressed that the license is only provisional.

At the same time, Malacañang said yesterday that the casino

could be set up elsewhere in the country.

“The provisional license is only the start of a very long and tedious process of compliance that every integrated-resort operator must go through before they can be issued by Pagcor a Notice to Commence Casino Operations and eventually, a regular casino gaming license,” Pagcor said in a statement.

GEG will be in charge of the development and operation of the Boracay Philippines Resort and Leisure Corp. (BPRLC).

“Pagcor, being a government entity under the Office of the

President, abides by the laws and orders of the land,” the agency said.

“As regulator, it ensures that its licensees comply with pertinent laws, rules, regulations and ordinances promulgated by authorities relative to the establishment and operation of casinos,” it added.

It said the provisional gaming license granted to BPRLC was issued after it met all initial documentary requirements, including a certificate of no objection and a minimum investment commitment of not less than $300 million. n

A APRIL 13-19, 2018 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

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

APRIL 13-19, 2018

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 3, 20 1 8

Talking about stress

by Rae

STReSS is a feeling we’re all familiar with. it’s how we feel while sitting in bumper to bumper traffic to and from work, why we often dread Mondays, our responses when people ask how we’re doing, and what may keep many of us void of a good night’s sleep. Sometimes, we even use it as an indicator of how busy and productive we’ve been.

Regardless of what stresses us out or where we feel the most stressed, it’s safe to say that we’ve all spent a good amount of time and effort trying to get rid of the feeling. in a bid to tackle stress, we’ve inadvertently turned the counteract of mindfulness into a movement.

According to market research firm iBiSWorld, the meditation and mindfulness industry in the U.S. was estimated in 2016 to be approximately $1.1 billion.

The proliferation of apps available on our phones meant to help us tackle stress further reveals our wants to relieve it. Headspace, a guided meditation app, for example, has gotten so popular, it’s garnered an estimated valuation of $250 million according to Forbes.

Then, there are the new “meditation busses” popping up around the U.S., such as the Pause now bus founded by Fil-Am Jackie Corwin, which is complete with private spaces, comfy seats, cushions, noise-canceling headphones, and a tablet computer.

Small amounts of stress are natural and are a healthy part of life. it’s what prepares us for “fight or flight” mode by releasing hormones and chemicals like adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine.

Yet, while some day-to-day stress is normal, some forms of stress — especially long term and chronic stress — make way for a number of issues that can lead to more serious health problems if left unchecked. “good stress turns bad when it causes severe anxiety or other health problems,” Fil-Am health and wellness coach, Anna Marie Cruz, told the Asian Journal. “in today’s modern living, we are more exposed than ever to chronic stress, the kind that persists for a long time and leads to health problems, mood changes, and negative

Avocado

Yogurt

Cashew nuts

Oatmeal

Oranges

Dark chocolate

ann VaRona /AJPress

Health and wellness coach Anna Marie Cruz

behavior including stress eating,” she added.

According to WebMD, 43 percent of all adults suffer health effects from stress. Seventy-five to 90 percent of all doctor visits were found to be for stress-related complaints and illnesses.

Stress related health effects can include anxiety, headaches, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, skin conditions like acne or psoriasis, asthma, depression, arthritis, and insomnia among a string of others. letting stress linger can also in turn affect our behaviors which explains why many turn to “stress eating” or unhealthier habits like binge drinking. in fact, 63 percent of U.S. workers that participated in a Statista survey of over 17,000 adults said they regularly engaged in unhealthy behaviors like drinking to counter work-related stress.

There are ways to respond to stress and because April is Stress Awareness Month,

Cruz shared a few basic strategies to approach stressful times in a healthy way.

Acknowledge the stress Many times, we find ourselves either not wanting to admit we’re stressed or are unaware that we’re actually experiencing stress.

Cruz said that being aware of our stress is a key step in relieving ourselves and preventing it from getting worse.

“Some of us ignore stress, which can lead to burnouts and breakdowns,” she said, adding that one of her friends had to admit herself into the eR because of work-related stress that she had been ignoring for months.

Focus on the now When we start to feel stress building up, Cruz recommends that we find activities that help us focus on the present, instead of the future or past.

“Without the luxury of time, this might mean taking a five minute walk or doing deep breathing exercises,” said Cruz.

Taking deep breaths is a common quick and simple tip given to people feeling stressed out. “i often talk my clients through a simple breathing technique at the beginning of each coaching session, counting one to five for each inhale and exhale, and repeating this three to five times,” Cruz shared.

Get occupied Whether it’s doing some yoga, taking a nature walk, playing basketball, or just hanging out with friends, getting ourselves occupied is a good way to step back and stop stress from taking over.

“The point is to find something that allows you to let go of that stress, even momentarily,” said Cruz.

Talking from experience, she reminded that some forms of stress are unavoidable, such as the loss of a loved one.

“When my mom passed away, i remember feeling grief and extreme anxiety from her loss. The one thing that allowed me to feel some relief after days of uncontrollable sobbing was a hike with a group of friends,” shared Cruz.

Continued on Page 3

Six foods to fight stress

by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress

Feeling stressed is not foreign to us anymore. Whatever the trigger is — work issues, family problems, or a financial setback — stress usually incapacitates us and makes us feel irritated and helpless. To deal with it, some people blow off steam by doing physical activities, while others reach for their stash of comfort food. it’s important, however, to know what food can actually offer relief. it’s time to be smart about stress-eating. Forget your chips and ice cream, here are the best foods to snack on when you’re in need of comfort.

• Avocados The millennials’ favorite fruit provides close to 20 healthboosting nutrients — lutein, betacarotene, vitamin e, B vitamins, and folate, among others. A serving of avocado can help regulate your blood sugar levels, not to mention, keep your mood steady, even in times of stress.

• Cashew nuts According to Prevention.com, anxiety, stress, and depression can be linked to having low levels of zinc. Since our bodies have no way of storing zinc, we must get them every day. Cashew nuts are packed with zinc and B vitamins — a tasty snack to fulfill your cravings while also lowering blood pressure and reducing the

strain stress puts in your heart.

• Low-fat plain yogurt not only is yogurt healthy, it is also great as a comfort food. A 2013 UClA study among 36 women revealed that consuming yogurt reduces stress hormone level elevation, and a study published in the journal Biomedical Research found that yogurt has arginine and lysine — two amino acids that work together to decrease feelings of anxiety.

• Oranges This citrus fruit is packed with vitamin C, an antioxidant proven to be helpful in combating stress.

Having a dose of vitamin C lowers blood pressure and levels of cortisol — one of the hormones produced during stress.

• Oatmeal A serving of oatmeal causes your brain to produce serotonin, a feel-good chemical that not only has antioxidant properties, but also creates a soothing feeling that reduces stress.

• Dark chocolate Keyword being dark, this type of chocolate is known to lower blood pressure and levels of stress hormones. Research has also shown that dark chocolate contains unique natural substances that induce a sense of euphoria, similar to the feeling of being in love. Just make sure to grab a bar that has 70 percent of cacao!

Take control: 4 self-care tips when dealing with stress altogether is impossible, so what’s important in those situations is how you take care of yourself noBoDY is immune to stress. when life becomes particularly if you’re a human being with even taxing.

• Start small and focus on a mildly engaged life, you have felt things you can control: Setting that gnawing feeling that comes some kind of routine for yourself with the pressures of everyday can help you feel like you’ve got life. Whether you’re flooded with some structure, even if it feels assignments at work or you’re having relationship problems with like your life is in disarray. Some examples include establishing your significant other, friends or family, there are ways you can take a morning routine, an exercise regimen and developing a care of yourself and to cope with the stress. Accepting that you will skincare/beauty routine. For a lot of people, stress can feel even be stressed out from time to time worse when it gets out of hand (or even all the time) is the first and you feel like you don’t have step. Sometimes avoiding stress

any more control in your life.

Setting up a self-care routine can help you feel like that you’ve got a handle on at least a few things in your life, and that can transcend into other factions of your life.

• Avoid situations that may trigger your stress: one of the most important things that you can do is to protect yourself from situations you know will amplify anxiety. it’s oK to cancel on a dinner party. it’s oK to turn down invites to the movies. You don’t have to force yourself to attend parties or other engagements that you know may trouble you even more. Similarly, if it’s another person (or persons) that are causing you stress, it’s oK to put some space and establish boundaries between you. it is neither selfish nor egocentric to put yourself first in this case.

• Take a break: in the famed Hamilton: An American Musical, there’s a scene where founding father Alexander Hamilton’s wife eliza tries to convince her overworked husband to take a break from his job. He chooses not to, and his mental state worsens which leads him to Avoiding stress altogether is impossible, what’s important in those situations is how you take make not the wisest choices care of yourself when life becomes particularly taxing.

Inquirer.net photo as a husband and as Treasury

by KlaRize Medenilla AJPress

Secretary that eventually ruin his reputation. Your situation may not be as dramatic as that, but if you feel yourself becoming overburdened at work, school or in your personal life, it is essential to take a sabbatical and take your mind off the sources of your stress. it can be as little as taking an hour to meditate or read a book or as grand as taking a week-long vacation.

Think of yourself as a cellphone.

You can go so long feeling oK whilst being exposed to certain stressors. But eventually your battery will run out and you want to recharge before things get worse.

• Seek therapy: if it’s within your budget, seeking therapy is an excellent way to handle stress with a third party. While talking about your stressors with family and friends can be comforting, having a mental health professional to help you cope with stress can be essential and can help you better manage your emotional and mental health amid rocky situations. https:// www.psychologytoday.com/us/ psychiatrists is a great resource for finding a mental health professional near you.

If you want to feel mentally sharp and full of energy all day long, making important changes in your bedtime habits is vital.

Inquirer.net photo

How to sleep better: Steps to develop good sleep habits

enough to fall asleep.

• Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment Minimize noise and lights geTTing a good night’s in your room to optimize your sleep is just as important bedroom environment. A quiet, as having a balanced diet dark, and comfortable bedroom and regular exercise — but promotes better sleep. oftentimes, it’s easier said than • Don’t watch the clock done.

Watching the clock when With today’s fast-paced you’re trying to sleep will only lifestyle and its increasing trigger stress and anxiety. Try demands, we tend to sacrifice turning your clock around some hours of sleep just to get and keep your phone on your things done. According to the bedside table to keep yourself national Sleep Foundation, the

by Bianca cRuz neighborhood park, less noise from checking the time. appropriate sleep duration for AJPress will benefit your meditation.

• Make use of daylight adults is between seven and Invest in ear plugs ReDUCe your stress levels natural light keeps your nine hours every night, but most let’s face it, not all of us and calm your anxiety with internal clock on a healthy sleepof us only get three to five hours are going to have access to a meditation. Taking a few minutes wake cycle. let in light first thing — sometimes, even none. completely silent place all the out of your day to pause and in the morning and spend more lack of sleep affects the time. Whether it’s the outside meditate will bring awareness, time outside during the day to physical, mental, and emotional noises from the busy city or the mindfulness, and a state of deep help keep you alert and awake. health. if you want to feel sounds coming from inside of peace when practiced regularly.

• Be smart about your food mentally sharp and full of energy your own home, a pair of handy Though it may seem like consumption all day long, making important living in the hustle and bustle of a earplugs can help tune them out.

Your eating habits actually changes in your bedtime habits Stay awake city isn’t the most practical place impact your sleeping habits. is vital.

Better sleep can be When it comes to meditation to build a meditation habit, it’s Avoid having a heavy dinner achieved by following these for beginners, falling asleep is much easier than you think and within two hours of bedtime. Cut steps: quite common. So, if you ever it’s where you need it most. back on sugar and caffeine as it • Maintain a regular sleep find yourself doing just that, Here are nine tips to can trigger wakefulness at night, schedule incorporate a meditation practice don’t stress out about it. The Taking a few minutes out of your day to pause and meditate will bring awareness, mindfulness, and only drink enough fluids to Try to go to bed and get quiet and relaxing energies could into your daily routine. and a state of deep peace when practiced regularly.

Photo from Pexels.com up at the same time every day. keep you from being thirsty but easily make time for a nap. You Disconnect not enough to make frequent on the internet that are available Doing this consistently, even on can avoid falling asleep by letting uncomfortable and is in need Say “BRB” to Facebook, bathroom trips. weekends, will help your body for free download and streaming, of a little bit of support, you can a little bit of light enter your eyes. instagram, and everything else • Nap wisely fix its internal clock and establish so feel free to use this as a hack always sit against a wall, bed, or Sit in a comfortable in between for just a while and A nap never hurts a regular sleep-wake pattern for concentration. cabinet. position switch your phone to airplane — but make sure to limit your to help you sleep and wake up Try guided meditation Let go Try either sitting on a chair and mode and disable the WiFi. afternoon snooze to 30 minutes more easily.

Be guided every step of Make no effort to control sitting on the floor or on a cushion Meditating when your phone is or less so it won’t decrease your • Don’t go to bed unless the way in your meditation by your breath. instead, focus on and decide what’s best for you. sounding off to every message sleep drive at night. you’re sleepy listening to a podcast made for the sensation.

Feel your breath When sitting on a chair, keep your sent to your group chat is more • Exercise regularly Struggling and forcing exactly for just that. experiment as it enters the nose, pass your feet on the floor and your hands on than enough to distract you.

Any amount of exercise yourself to sleep will only lead with podcasts or recordings your lap. When sitting cross-legged throat, fills you chest, and exits Seek a quiet space during the day is good for you. to frustration, so if you’re still online — there are many free through the nose as well. on the floor, your knees must be Any place where you can be exercising regularly helps you awake after 20 minutes of resources on the internet — until Play mood music alone with minimal noise is ideal. lower than your hips. sleep better at night and makes getting into bed, get up and you can find or create your own There are countless Find support Weather you’re inside your cozy you less tired during the day. do something until you’re tired routine. meditation songs and playlists if your back feels bedroom or out in nature in your

9 ways to add meditation to your daily routine

by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress

USCIS to destroy undeliverable green cards and work authorizations Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ On April 3, 2018, the USCIS announced that it will start destroying green cards and work authorizations that are returned to it as “undeliverable.” If the document is returned, the person has only 60 days to contact USCIS and update their address.

Many times, people file for immigration benefits, such as green cards, work authorizations, petitions, adjustment of status, etc.

While the petition or application is pending, they move to another address and send a postcard to the Post Office to forward mail from their old address, thinking this is sufficient to ensure receipt of mail from their old address. It is not.

First, the address change to the Post Office may only be valid for one year, after which the Post Office will return mail to the sender. Many immigration benefits take longer than one year. Therefore, notifying the Post Office alone is not enough to protect you. Instead, you need to advise the USCIS directly of your address change, either online or by mail and make sure you have written confirmation of USCIS’s receipt of your address change

request. Making a phone call to them will not document the fact you notified them, as there is no written record.

And the consequences of not informing the government of an address change can be severe. As they warn, they will destroy green cards and work authorizations returned as undeliverable. In addition, the USCIS may serve a Request for Evidence (RFE) years after a petition is filed, asking for additional information or documents. A person is typically given 87 days to respond. If the person moved, but did not notify the USCIS, the RFE will be returned as undeliverable, and the person obviously would not have responded. The case would then be denied due to “abandonment,” and it would be difficult to have it revived or reopened. In the meantime, the person is waiting for years (at their new address) for their petition approval or green card processing, totally unaware their case was denied.

And the same is true for notifying the national Visa Center (nVC) of address changes. Once a petition is approved, and the person will process for their immigrant visa abroad, the case is sent to nVC to be put in storage until the priority date is current, which may be years away. When the priority date is close to being current, the nVC will start sending notices, forms, and fee bills to the person at the last address they have on file, which may be the

Talking about...

From Page 2 She added, “To this day, I still remember that as a giant exhale — that feeling of letting go I desperately needed. I still had to deal with the reality, but that respite reminded me of how lucky I was to be surrounded by such great friends.”

Focus on mindful eating When stressed, we often find ourselves reaching for those “feel good” comfort foods that are often high in fat, carbohydrates, and sugar. You know — foods like ice cream, pizza, fries, or burgers.

Aside from choosing better foods that regulate our stress hormones and protect our immune system, paying attention

to how we eat can also be helpful.

“Mindful eating, in which we are engaging the senses, to nourish ourselves is one way to avoid stress eating,” said Cruz. “This means we are observing, smelling, tasting, feeling the texture of every bite we take.”

And as tempting it is to bring our plate to the TV room to binge on our favorite shows, Cruz suggests getting in an environment free of distractions where we can relax. Doing so also helps with digestion, she added.

Plan a getaway (like to the Philippines) “There’s always a trip to the mother country,” said Cruz, adding that the Philippines was recently

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 3, 20 1 8

address when the petition was filed. The person is given one year to respond to the nVC’s notices, and if no response is received, nVC will shred or destroy the file, and the priority date is lost.

Therefore, even if you advise USCIS of your address change, if your case is at the nVC, you must also notify nVC to avoid your case being terminated.

If you filed your case years ago, or your green card never arrived, you should consult with an immigration attorney, who can look into the matter, track down the document, and hopefully make sure your case was not denied or terminated due to nonresponse. *** 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)

named the third happiest country in the world according to U.S. based firm Gallup International.

While the country isn’t free of stressful conditions like poverty and extreme climate events, Cruz said that its ranking as the third happiest country shows that the people may know a thing or two about managing their stress.

“Perhaps you have heard of the phrase ‘Bahala na’ which loosely translates to surrender,” added Cruz. “This is an attitude of faith, that no matter what happens, there it will be.”

Cruz suggested that one way to think about stress is to acknowledge that we can only control what we can.

“So, why not give the worry away?” said Cruz.

FOOTSTEPS 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, Allen by Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)

OCTOBER 18 to NOVEMBER 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct. 18, 2018( Thursday) Day 1 – MNL HKG, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL Oct. 25, 2018 (Thursday) Day 8 - Jerusalem Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:14) Israel. (Meals served in-flight) We will walk to view the Dome of the Rock from the outside, and visit the Oct. 18, 2018 (Friday) Day 1 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Western Wall, ( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still Tiberias standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. Then, we will Arrival from Manila still Oct. 18,2018 late in the evening. After we clear drive to Mt. Zion, to visit the Upper Room, revered as the site of the Last Immigration and Customs, will be met by our driver for transfer to tiberias . Supper, then survey the Dormition Abbey, and the Church of St. Peter in enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean. We will spend our first night Gallicantu, the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. After the day’s in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Gai Beach Hotel (Oct. 19, 2018) Holy tour, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Eucharist Notre Dame Vatican Hotel Oct. 20, 2018 (Saturday) Day 3 - Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana / Oct. 26, 2018 (Friday) Day 9 - Mount of Olives/Gethsemane/Bethlehem/ Mt Tabor Jerusalem (New City)/Ein Karem We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Mass at the Church of Nativity Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon. In the New “O mountain of God, receive me, a mother, with my child.” (Protoevangelium Testament book of Revelation, it is referred as the sites of the “final battle”. of James 22:3) From there, we will continue our drive into Nazareth, where we will have Mass We will arrive at the Mount of Olives, to enjoy another view of Jerusalem, in the Church of the Annunciation, the Cave of the Annunciation and visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus visit Joseph’s Workshop and Then we will move on to Cana of Galilee, where Flevit (“God wept”) sanctuary. Next, we’ll walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Our Lord performed His first miracle: changing water into wine at the wedding Garden of Gethsemane, and visit the Rock of Agony and the Church of feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows, Continue to Mount all Nations. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name is Tabor, site of Jesus Transfiguration Afterward, we will head to Tiberias. Dinner recognized around the world. After celebrating Mass at the Church of Nativity, and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).Gai Beach Hotel. we will see the Manger; visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Oct. 21, 2018 (Sunday) 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)

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. 23, 2018 (Tuesday) DAY 6 - Jordan Valley/Jericho/Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church of St. Lazarus 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.

famous mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then we will drive down to Aqaba.

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

Oct. 27, 2018 (Saturday) 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 Oct. 22, 2018 (Monday) Day 5 - Magdala Full day retreat , Focus will Include programs based on the historical 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 and Religious value of the Magdala sites Jerusalem for dinner and Overnight (B, D) More info coming up as we get closer to the dates MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are Oct. 28, 2018 (Sunday) Day11 - Jerusalem/Allenby Bridge/Madaba/ creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is Jordan/Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She Mass at Mount Nebo lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We will go to that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue the Baptismal Site at Bethany, which Pope John Paul II visited in 2000. dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one Then, it’s on to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Our discovered in the Galilee. next stop will be the Church of St. George in Madaba, which hosts the

Oct. 24, 2018 ( Wednesday) 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

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Oct 29, 2018 (Monday) 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 (Tuesday) Day 13 - Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/Overnight Oct. 31, 2018 (Wednesday) 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 End of Our Memorable Pilgrimage to Jesus Home Land!!!

ABUSED AND ACCUSED WOMAN GETS THE ULTIMATE REDEMPTION IN HER GREEN CARD ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY Imagine being broken on the inside by your husband’s constant verbal abuse and then getting a signed confession from him saying that yours was never a real marriage. That’s the hellish nightmare that Evelyn (center) suffered from her former husband. That same confession jeopardized the petition by her current spouse, Glenn (left), for her.

Leading U.S. immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL (right) proved the allegations wrong and eventually delivered Evelyn’s ultimate redemption in the form of her green card on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY- on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAGlAyA

The good book on money “Life is a journey and the heavier the luggage, the shorter the distance covered.”

WHEn something goes wrong regarding personal finance, our mental default setting is that we need someone else to help fix the problem.

But if we stop and think about it, there is really nothing new under the sun, as Ecclesiastes says.

Our guidelines for how we should live, then as now, come from the Good Book and those the Holy Spirit has chosen and guided to explain and interpret its doctrine in the context of modern life.

These days, we click on Google and make it our personal adviser, our own impersonal Yoda. For anything we need to know, we’re just a click away online for mountains of information to inundate us.

But BEWARE! Google and ALL tech giants have an agenda that more often than not, is at cross purposes with your well-being.

They provide you images and information at your fingertips and make you part of a social orbit BUT at the same time, these tech giants are harvesting information about you that they can then package to sell to other entities who would like to influence you or sell you something.

Think about it. They do not have a product to sell.

Their product is YOU. They will monetize on the ton of information you foolishly and naively entrust to them. Don’t think FB or any of these tech giants loves you. Somehow I get the feeling these purveyors of information think you are so dumb as to give them personal, private information.

As human beings, they know our vanity is our weakness. All those postings make us feel important with the world as our stage.

There is so much information out there in cyberspace. It can all be disconcerting and confusing.

It’s like tackling the Library of Congress in one go.

Don’t despair. There’s hope yet. We can simplify and refer to that old why and how-to manual for all times and seasons.

Take the case of the sub prime mortgage mess in 2008. It was a sorry and foolhardy attempt by liberals in the government power structure to democratize what was never meant to be a level playing field. This made it possible for millions who could not afford and should not qualify for a mortgage to be approved for loans they could not carry.

Continued on Page 5

Marian Pilgrimage France, Spain & Portugal September 8 to September 21, 2018 Spiritual Director: rev. John Duy nguyen Still one of the great pilgrimages shrines in the world, visited by thousands of pilgrim’s. Arrive in Lourdes in the late afternoon, orientation to the shrines and spends some time in the sanctuary.

Dinner & overnight.

Sept. 9, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 2 - Paris (CDG) Arrived Paris CDG, Then after we clear immigration and collect our (BB, D) Luggage,. you will proceed to your hotel and have mass and dinner.

Sept. 15, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 8 - Lourdes Overnight in Paris. (D) You will have early morning bath at the healing water of Lourdes.

Then return to the hotel for breakfast. There after attend Holy Mass Sept. 10, 2018 - (Monday) Day 3 - Paris Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, also at the Grotto. continue the day with a walking tour of the shrines and known as the City of Light. Full day touring with local guide, including places associated with the life of St. Bernadette. Spend some time visit of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Basilica of Sacre meditating on the passion of our Lord through more than life size Coeur, The chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Rue de Bac is the site exotic way of the sacrament and prayers. Afternoon will be free time of Marian Apparitions and contain the reliquaries of St. Catherine for private devotion. Dinner/overnight (BB, D) Laboure and St. Louise De Marillac. The shrine of St. Vincent the Paul is within walking distance, a few blocks from Rue De Bac, visit Sept. 16, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 9 - Lourdes / Zaragoza the chapel which houses the relic of St. Vincent the Paul. Overnight After Breakfast, you’ll continue your drive towards Zaragoza, Spain. Visit the shrines of Our Lady of Pillar, the 2nd most popular in Paris (BB/D) pilgrimages sites in Spain. See the Magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the apostles Sept. 11, 2018 - (Tuesday) Day 4 - Paris/Lisieux After breakfast, Full day in Lisieux, home of St Therese, who at age St. James, before her assumption into heaven. Dinner/overnight 15, entered the convent and became Carmelite nun, she took the Zaragoza (BB, D) religious name of St Therese of the child Jesus and the Holy face. The spirituality of her little ways was not about extraordinary things, but Sept. 17, 2018 - (Monday) Day 10 - Zaragoza / Salamanca rather about doing simple things of life well and with extraordinary After breakfast you will embark on a trip to Salamanca. You will have love. She believed and taught that “Everything is Grace”, God’s face a short stop and panoramic tour of Avila. Upon arrival in Salamanca, and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of you will visit the Old Cathedral and tour the city. Dinner /overnight our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy. She died at the Salamanca (BB, D) age of 24 believing that her life was really the beginning for God, promising to spend her heaven doing good on earth, her promised” Sept. 18, 2019 - (Tuesday) Day 11 - Salamanca / Fatima shower of Roses” began and have become a torrent in the church After Breakfast, you will spend the first half of the day touring ever since. Return to Paris, Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. Salamanca. You will visit the new cathedral with a short stop at Plaza Mayor for lunch. After lunch you will continue to Fatima, the Overnight in Lisieux (BB, D) famous Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Upon arrival you will have a Sept. 12, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 5 - Lisieux / Nevers / Paray- short orientation tour of the Sanctuary. Attend the nightly Candlelight procession at the Shrine. Dinner and Overnight Fatima (BB, D) Le-Monial After Breakfast, Continue your drive to the picturesque Loire valley to Nevers, visit the convent of St. Gillard, where St. Bernadette’s Sept. 19, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 12 - Fatima incorrupt body miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. Breakfast, then Visit the Museum dedicated to the Blessed Virgin At the conclusion of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary Mary followed by Mass at the Apparitions chapel, Full day Guided in Lourdes, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the tours includes the Shrines ground, visit of the tombs of Francisco congregation of the sisters of charity of Nevers. St Gildard convent and Jacinta in the Basilica, In Aljustrel and Valinhos, you see the is her final resting place. After she was blessed with the apparitions two homes of the shepherds, site of Our Lady’s fourth apparitions. of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette retired in Nevers. She Stop at the Parish church where the seers were baptized, and the received her religious habit in 1866. Continue to Paray-Le-Monial for cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once buried. You will do the station of the Cross. We encourage everyone to spend some time Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) in the Blessed Sacrament, which is open every day. Dinner/overnight Fátima. (BB, D) Sept. 13, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 6 - Paray-Le-Monial After Breakfast, you will tour Paray-Le-Monial. Your first stop is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and here you will celebrate Holy Sept. 20, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 13 - Fatima / Lisbon Eucharist. Then you will tour and admire the Romanesque basilica After breakfast ,you will proceed to Lisbon with stops at Santarem and see the Chapel of Apparitions. After the Basilica, you will proceed to visit the church of the Holy Miracle containing the Glorious to the Monastere e la Visitation. Visit the reliquary of Saint Margaret 13th century Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem .Then you will do a Mary of Alocoque at the Chapel of Visitation. Still to see and visit after panoramic city tour of Lisbon, with a visit to the Basilica of St Anthony lunch is the Park of the Chaplain and the Chapel of St. Colombiere. de Padua, St Jeronimo’s Monastery and the famous Belem Tower.

Dinner/Overnight Lisbon (BB, D) Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) Sept. 8, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 1 USA/PARIS Transatlantic flight from USA to Paris (CDG )Meals serve on board.

Sept. 14, 2018 - (Friday) Day 7 - Paray-Le-Monial / Lourdes Sept. 21, 2018 - (Friday) - Early AM transfer to Lisbon After breakfast you will continue your pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lourdes, Airport for flight home to USA celebrating 160 Years of apparitions of Blessed Virgin to Bernadette. Full of wonderful memories of Our Pilgrimage

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Nora Aunor goes back to TV

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 3, 20 1 8

by Lhar Santiago ManilaTimes.net

Radharani Martinez: versatility and magnetism personified On the PEP Front

People, Events, Places BoBBy T. yalong Natural born singers keep mushrooming anywhere they are based…especially when they are Filipinos. For these vocally gifted vocalists, the irresistible lure of the spotlight and center stage are tough to turn down…much less, ignore.

But majority of these vocally gifted ones fail to achieve the fame they persistently seek for. the mostdreamt about prominence has constantly been elusive for the lack of the hard-to-find “it” factor. the never-ending issue of “whether singers are born or made” has yet to find its perfectly justified solution to put a closure to it. although the advent of modern technology could effectually enhance and edit vocal and recording flaws, still there’s nothing that could be at par with a natural born vocal capability which potential hitmaker radharani Martinez was obviously instinctive of. like the lustrous bubbliness and fizziness of carbonated compounds, radha’s uniquely crisp vocal sound caressingly permeates in the air like the inviting effervescence of sparkling wine … sans the need

Recharging for Radha is to be out of her shell.

EMPLOYMENT

The sultry singer in one of her gigs

Radha became a regular fixture in Jersey City’s events after winning Pinoy Got Talent search

for try-out one just voluntarily succumbs to her melodious renditions while being cast under her spell. Her imperturbable but arresting stage presence was more than enough to arouse curiosity while her beguiling singing style more than justifies her instinctive versatility. that’s how good a singer is radha!

Engaging and interesting to watch as well as (to) listen to, radha impressively sings with impeccable resonation and nails the right notes effortlessly. She’s one rare performer innately equipped with sensitive aural skill that keeps her constantly in pitch. Her powerful breathing technique coupled with a very spontaneous relaxed stature all the more create for her an essentially

effectual and alluring performance so very appealing to watch and listen.

Not all chanteuses are gifted with such imperatively vital traits but the diminutively cute singer is just auspiciously gifted with such. actually, it’s a double treat watching her perform: one gets to visually enjoy her charismatic beauty while simultaneously enjoying audibly the enchanting sound of her incredibly powerful, but masterfully controlled, voice. a total package, indeed! a dead-ringer for abby Viduya, Philippine cinema’s sweet teen star of the 80s turned most-in-demandbombshell of the 90s, radha started singing at a very young age… bold and focused… with an unflinching

The profile of a potential global talent

Radha Martinez in a projected album cover

two years since last appearing the GMa Network soap, “My little Nanay,” and an aBS-CBN episode of “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” Philippine showbiz’ reigning Superstar Nora aunor is all set to perform for the cameras anew. ate Guy is starring in the new GMa series “Extraordinary love,” which has completed its, and most likely in the early days of taping as of this writing.

Excited to be cast with the Superstar are young Kapuso stars Mikee Quintos and Klea Pineda, as well as Gardo Versoza, adrian alandy, wendell ramos, rochelle Pangilinan, Vanessa del Moral, Enrico Cuenca and Cherie Gil. a special lady by the name Jo Berry, who describes herself as “differently challenged,” will be introduced in the series as a mother who has two daughters who are fully capable mentally

determination to succeed in her chosen craft. She dreamt lofty dreams with such unimaginable monstrosity that she resolutely believes she could attain. the colossal guts that built her ambitious vision gradually reinforced her drive to reach what she had aimed for especially when gigs unpredictably packed her calendar and offers relentlessly came pouring in.

George and Jocelyn Martinez gave birth to the smart singer-songwriter who first saw the light of day on September 11…(coincidental with the historic twin tower historical fall but three years prior) and is astrologically a quintessential exponent of a Virgo-born. Patient, clever, humble, and a quick thinker, radha is meticulous about everything she does especially in writing her songs. listless and stoic when inspired to write and compose (‘though she dawdles True friends are hard to find and Radha keeps when boredom creeps in) but sees

to it that she ends up brandishing a brand new composition before the day is done. at times garrulous when induced to share her thoughts on interesting subjects (especially that pertains to her personal views) and taciturn during her mood swing moments (most especially when trying to decipher the emotion or grasp the concrete words she needs to incorporate in the lyrics she’s writing), radha could be sharp-witted, perceptive, and methodical… her typical skeptic and independent personality traits being a Virgo-born. limitlessly adaptable to any given genre but radha is at her best in Pop, r n’B, and soul. Her far-fetched talent didn’t fail to win the attention of Fox Four, america’s Got talent, and the Voice producers who have shown interest on the petite Fil-am sensation to be part of their up-coming production.

But there are more to discover than just meeting her. radha’s immeasurable wit and all-natural beauty indubitably held me in hex and on tenterhooks during this interview as I curiously waited for her responses. let’s get to know who the real radharani Martinez is through a couple of questionnaires she

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them close to her

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Radha in one of her melancholic poses.

Nora Aunor

GMA photo

and physically. the show explores how these daughters will accept their mother when they grow up.

“Extraordinary love” is directed by Gina alajar. answered without batting an eyelash.

Asian Journal (AJ): What was your childhood like? radharani E. Martinez (rEM): well, as the second child among four siblings, I was both responsible and secured…but I was a crybaby and oftentimes bullied. Maybe because I was quite different from the rest since I entered school without having experienced kindergarten.

AJ: When did you start singing? rEM: My mom said that I could already sing when I was three and all she did was make me memorize the song… and if there was a music piece that I could comfortably sing that would be “If I Sing You a love Song” by Bonnie tyler. But it was on my fifth grade when I started to sing publicly in a talent show in school.

AJ: What kept you driven to perform later? rEM: Honestly, there was that strange urge in me to perform. a number of Filipino-american organizations invited me to sing in their events since Grade 8 to freshman years. and when I turned 14, in 2012 to be exact, I joined Pinoy Got talent search at lincoln Park, Jersey City and luckily bagged the First Prize.

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EVA wins 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines Top-10 World’s Best Airlines, Top-10 Major Airlines in Asia, Best Business and Premium Economy Classes in Asia TAIPEI, TAIWAN – TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, has revealed EVA Air as a winner in four categories of its second annual Travelers’ Choice Awards for Airlines. After earning top spots in two categories last year based on quantity and quality of travelers’ reviews, EVA has now won four, including the 5th place in Top-10 World’s Best Airline Award, Top-10 Major Airlines in Asia, and Best Business and Premium Economy Classes in Asia. Travelers can learn more about TripAdvisor’s awards and reviews at https://www. tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoiceAirlines and check out EVA’s routes and services at www.evaair.com.

After analyzing more than 900,000 airline reviews posted in the 12- month period between February 2017 and February 2018, TripAdvisor has recognized 550 airlines from five regions, Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East/Africa and Asia-Pacific.

EVA earned its global and regional rankings by consistently focusing on quality service and safety.

“EVA never compromises safety and service and makes every effort to give passengers the best possible flying experience.

All of us at EVA deeply appreciate our passengers for expressing satisfaction with our services in their ratings and reviews,” said EVA President Clay Sun. “We will further elevate the passenger experience during the second half of this year when we start

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS IN this week’s issue, we shall devote our column to exalting “medicinal values or therapeutic effects” of regular, ordinary, food that people all over the world eat as part of their diet. The reported health benefits of some of the foods we have listed are anecdotal — passed down from generations — and many have not been thoroughly and scientifically proven. But since they are regular food items we consume daily, trying them for some of the ailments or situations they are allegedly effective for is simply natural and safe. As long as one is not allergic to them, ingesting these food items does not result in adverse “side effects” as could be encountered in, say, noni juice, or some other dangerous “curative food supplements” in the market today.

Besides their essential nutritional value, many of the foods we ingest regularly have “medicinal effects” that we are not conscious about but which help alleviate or correct some diseases or conditions. It is common knowledge that scurvy (vitamin C deficiency), is cured by eating a lot of citrus fruits, or that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) among diabetics will be alleviated by eating candies, sugar or other sweets. Or, that banana and apples are good for diarrhea; while papaya, prunes and other fruits, and vegetables are good for constipation.

But did you know that onion, hot pepper and tomato are good for common cold? Or that cherries are good for cramps? Or that apple, grapefruit, calamansi are good for halitosis (bad breath)?

Here is a list of medical conditions and the corresponding food items claimed to either prevent, alleviate, and/or cure them, which we suggest you first confirm with your physician, and save for future reference: • Arthritis - Apple, pineapple, malunggay, cantaloupe, grape, grapefruit, orange, mustard green, strawberry, tangerine, cucumber, lettuce, cherries, celery, cauliflower • Insomnia - Onion, cabbage, celery, avocado, onion, apple, banana • Hemorrhoids - Prunes, date, beans, eggplant, plum, sweet potato.

• Nausea - Pineapple, papaya • High cholesterol - Garlic, soybean (tofu), red wine, grapefruit, tomato, apple, eggplant, corn, cabbage, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, high fiber cereals, malunggay • Indigestion - Plum, papaya, pineapple, banana, apple, grapefruit, cucumber, peach • Sinusitis - Onion, hot pepper, tomato

introducing brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and will initiate more enhancements as we begin to add Boeing 787-10s next year.

We continually seek to introduce new services and amenities and make every effort to ensure 5-star service quality for all our passengers.”

TripAdvisor is home to a global community of more than 400 million average monthly unique visitors with over 600 million reviews and opinions covering the world’s largest selection of accommodations, attractions, restaurants and airlines.

“We’re thrilled to recognize the global TripAdvisor community’s favorite airlines and shine a spotlight on the carriers around the world that provide the very best flying experiences,

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 3, 20 1 8

Merging medical missions, wellness and music

A THREE-PART nonprofit alliance on the east coast is impacting thousands of lives in Marawi on Mindanao Island as well as in areas of dire need outside the Philippines. On a unique twist, this alliance has even gained the attention and the support from NBA stars, such as the former Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans.

Led by social entrepreneurs in Virginia and Pennsylvania, the informal coalition sends medical missions and emergency supplies to cities and villages ravaged by natural disasters or human conflict.

In this synergic relationship, a component group in Philadelphia, PA, solicits donations of hospital equipment, medicines and including EVA Air,” said Bryan life-saving supplies from various Saltzburg, senior vice president sources, and ships the provisions and general manager for to affected areas. A partner in TripAdvisor Flights. “As the airline Chesapeake, VA heads the overseas industry introduces new fare and U.S. medical missions and an associate group in Virginia Beach products and a widening array raises funds for the missions by of in-flight offerings, consumers organizing benefit concerts. continue to seek out the carriers According to the founders, that deliver value and a quality all of whom are expatriates from experience. The Travelers’ Choice the Philippines, the nonprofit awards for airlines recognize the alliance is driven by the individual carriers that exceed passenger strengths and charitable goals expectations and receive top of each partnering organization. marks from travelers.”

Furthermore, this particular alliance SKYTRAX has ranked EVA as is aware of the importance of leveraging current technologies to a 5-Star Airline two years in a row and recognized it for Best Business bring awareness and support from both individuals and organizations; Class Comfort Amenities and thus, the importance of having a World’s Cleanest Aircraft Cabins. platform such as Starmatchfund.

Based on evaluations by the Jet Starmatchfund of Philadelphia, Airliner Crash Data Evaluation PA is a social media phenomenon Centre (JACDEC), EVA has been that has raised millions of dollars Continued on Page 6 on behalf of nonprofit startups, creative types, and small entrepreneurs. Steered by its co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Juan “Johnny” Rustia, Starmatchfund has transformed its original crowdfunding purpose that contribute to the epidemic to focus on accumulating, storing, of these ailments, but food, even and transporting tons of donated more than heredity, plays a very relief supplies and equipment that significant role in the causation of the Chesapeake-based Montero diseases. What we eat, how much Medical Missions (MMM) will use. we eat, what we do not eat, how “We owe a lot to the generosity we take care of ourselves, or how of pharmaceutical companies, we abuse our body, determine, corporate donors, sympathetic businesses, and individual to a great extent, how healthy or benefactors,” said Rustia. “One of unhealthy we are, our quality of the latter happens to be a young life, and our longevity. pro athlete, the Memphis Grizzlies’ In the book, “Let’s Stop Evans, who was the NBA’s Rookie “Killing” Our Children,” I of the Year in 2010. Tyreke and his highlighted the significance brother Reggie (also his professional of a proactive and preemptive agent), grew up as underprivileged approach to healthy lifestyle and youths, which is why Tyreke’s own disease prevention, starting early philanthropic interests address at the cellular (DNA-Telomere) the multiple needs of low-income communities in the U.S. and other level to effectively ward off countries.” major diseases we currently As the spokesperson, Tyreke lifts consider normal and expected Starmatchfund’s profile among his as we age. Our children and the fellow athlete-donors and spreads future generation do not have to the word about the organization’s have these “ailments of aging” work among celebrity entertainers. afflicting most of us today, if we Rustia averred that, like himself, protect the integrity of their DNA Tyreke Evans and Board Chairman starting from the womb and begin healthy dieting in the crib. (www.philipSchua.com) The United States Congress and the Food and Drug Administration are now putting the screws on the so-called “food supplements, alternative medications, herbal and homeopathic therapies,” all of which make up for a flourishing 30 Billion US Dollar industry annually. The medical and lay community in the United States are now (finally!) realizing that majority of the so called “food supplements” with purported therapeutic values are nothing From Page 3 more than a money making A little known phrase in the scheme that victimizes hundred Book of Proverbs for those who of millions of unsuspecting put up “security for debts” serves people around the world. as stern warning, “… your very bed I sincerely hope that President will be snatched from under you.”

Rodrigo R. Duterte and our If only we took heed of the wisdom legislators in the Philippines of the ages written in the Bible, we will follow suit to safeguard our could have saved ourselves a lot of people and our country from grief and gnashing of teeth.

Strive to live relatively debtthe unscrupulous domestic or free. Sharply define what is a need foreign manufacturers, moneyand what is a want. For most hungry distributors and dealers things, frugal gurus tell us to buy of falsehood, who, by malicious only when we have the cash for it. design, have been preying on the Don’t mortgage your future for a ignorant and trusting public long mere whim, particularly that which enough. Our government and strokes your ego. Debt can have lawmakers should promulgate you in a stranglehold. Many have new legislations, if needed, found this out a tad too late when and enforce all pertinent laws the recession hit.

Steer clear of scams particularly without delay, to protect the from high places. Bernard Madoff, Filipinos by putting an end to the biggest Ponzi convicted these malignant merchants of scammer doing time in jail, had deception and fraud. a Wall Street address. He had *** a steady gaze and an air and Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac demeanor of respectability and Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and trustworthiness about him belying chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to a heart of darkness.

2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, But greed went both ways. where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus Madoff’s victims did not question in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. why they were getting consistently He is a Fellow of the American College of great returns on their investments Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, for as long as their phony statements were rosy year after and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular year for decades.

Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Then the financial bomb Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) exploded when the US and the humanitarian foundation in the United States. global economy ground nearly to For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: a halt in recent times. There were scalpelpen@gmail.com no new investors who can be (Advertising Supplement) suckered in by the monumental

Food medicine • Gastric ulcer - Pumpkin, rice, avocado, banana, date, okra, peach • Hypertension - Bamboo shoots, guava, pear, tangerine, squash, cherries, jackfruit, peach, celery, orange, malunggay • Impotence - Pumpkin seeds, avocado, seaweeds, date, oyster, hot pepper • To lose weight - All variety of fruits and juices, like grapefruit, orange, apple, pineapple, radish, tomato, lettuce, especially when eaten as a substitute for red meat and carbohydrates.

• Cancer - For prevention, high fiber, low cholesterol diet (fish), plus frequent intake of processed tomato (ketchup, tomato paste), asparagus, broccoli, apricot, strawberry, cherries, mustard green, okra, apple, carrots, papaya, prunes, spinach, peach, pumpkin, watermelon, green leafy vegetables, all berries.

• Heart attack - Just like for cancer prevention, high fiber and low cholesterol diet, plus a lot of fruits, berries, and vegetables like malunggay.

• Stroke - The same antioxidants as above for prevention • Cuts and burns - Sesame seed oil, coconut oil, olive oil • Dry scalp, skin - Coconut oil, papaya, avocado, sesame seed oil • Constipation - Papaya, prunes, green leafy vegetables, peanuts • Diarrhea - Bananas, apples • Dizziness - Onion; ginger for motion sickness • Gallstones - Soybean, radish, tomato, apricot • Headache - Beets, cabbage, apple, asparagus, malunggay • Cuts, stings - Papaya local application • Depression - Banana, chocolates • Diabetes - Ampalaya vegetable helps lower blood sugar a little only, not effective as treatment.

These are only a few sample conditions where foods have been taken not only for their fundamental nutritive and caloric value but for their alleged medicinal effects. We want to emphasize that these food items are not substitutes for prescription medications.

As a general rule, one should never stop taking prescription drugs without consulting with a physician.

Unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol, and lack of exercise are the four most important, if not the most notorious, killers of man and the reason why in today’s world we have catastrophic numbers of obesity, hypercholesterolemia, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, depression, infertility, male erectile dysfunction, and degenerative diseases like arthritis, gout, osteoporosis, etc.

Of course, there are other factors

An Asian Journal Magazine

Starmatchfund COO Johnny Rustia (above, left) and Board Chairman Dr. Resty Estacio.

Starmatchfund incorporates fundraising campaigns for Montero Medical Missions in its website to present the MMM emergency relief projects to donors and contributors.

Dr. Juan Montero II (right) and Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Jose Romualdez, at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. where the Ambassador was briefed on December 18, 2017 about the relief mission to Marawi.

Dr. Resty Estacio “are elated that Starmatchfund has found a very worthy recipient of support in the Montero Medical Missions.”

Chesapeake-based Montero Medical Missions (MMM), a nonprofit, interfaith humanitarian organization, promotes world friendship through the universal language of the healing arts. MMM recruits expatriate physicians and allied health professionals in the United States to serve on medical missions abroad, create sustainable projects, and share medical knowledge in their respective countries of origin.

Dr. Juan M. Montero II has been involved in the creation of sustainable eyesight, prosthesis, and dental care projects through partnerships with Rotarians and Lions organizations. In addition, MMM Health Fair For Veterans is a quarterly in-country project, helping military veterans with their healthcare needs.

Pop music also plays a role in the partnership that could be just as vital as medicines, supplies, and direct treatment by volunteer doctors. According to Vincent “Vinnie” Medina, president of a Virginia Beach company that provides licensed caregiving for seniors, popular tunes of the past and current chart-topping songs have helped to build awareness and secure financial aid for the medical

The good book...

Ponzi scheme Madoff and his cohorts hatched. It was a matter of time. Built on a big fat lie, it collapsed like a house of cards.

What a monstrous mess it was and still is. The tedious efforts at clawing back some of the money spent on a shamelessly luxurious lifestyle was as grueling as pulling teeth from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. One of Madoff’s sons, unable to bear the shame and ignominy sadly hung himself with a dog’s leash in his Manhattan apartment leaving behind a wife and children who would like to escape the stigma of the Madoff name.

The other son died of an illness.

His wife now bears the brunt of his crime. Madoff’s sentence is 150 years behind the slammer.

Considering the distress and sorrow he has brought others, a thousand years would probably still be inadequate.

Was there something from the Good Book to caution us about this? The one that comes to mind intended for scammers like Madoff and his ilk, is of course, “Thou shalt not steal.”

Scams are no more than sophisticated thefts generated these days from the comfort of one’s computer in the guise of legitimate sounding paper and lately, quite easily, electronic communication like the Nigerian scam or identity theft. This is the modern version of a hooded, masked robber using a gun in a dark alley. New laws on tracking and enforcement procedures are

Dr. Montero (right), Founder and President of Montero Medical Missions, Vincent R. Medina, CPO, USN, Ret. MMM Board Member and Chair of MMM Health Fair for Veterans

Tyreke Evans, NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2010

missions.

Medina, his wife Lenie, and concert producer Rogelio “Ogie” Afable organize benefit concerts in and around Virginia Beach, featuring young performers from Manila and the U.S. “The coalition’s highest-profile project to date was Music and Mercy for Marawi, the recent MMM mission that shipped life-saving drugs, medical equipment, and doctors to the stricken area of Mindanao.

We responded to the devastating injuries and displacement of thousands of villagers from the stepped-up battle between government forces and Islamic insurgents,” said Medina. “But we are just as gratified by the success of our 2017 concert that raised funds for people much closer to home: thousands of victims of the catastrophic hurricane and floods in the southern parts of the U.S.”

decades away from dealing with this worrisome social phenomenon that seems able to breach all kinds of barriers.

The antidote against electronic scammers: continuous education, a smidgen of cynicism and a ton of common sense.

What’s the mantra worth remembering and repeating to one’s self particularly during days of tight money when scammers are getting more creative and brazen?

Of course, it’s still that one that says: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Well this one isn’t in the Bible but it might very well be.

A similar quotation from the Book of Proverbs bears reiterating: “The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps.”

In a word, “THINK.” The fictional character Gordon Gecko in the film “Wall Street” asserted that to be rich, “Greed is good.” Not so, said the Bible…

Jesus was clear on the subject. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Life is a journey and the heavier the luggage, the shorter the distance covered. Though that’s the physical explanation of energy required to carry the luggage weighed down by gravity as we travel, it has some bearings about a spiritual journey towards eternal life. Getting far too attached to material wealth and all its trappings makes one lose his focus of the journey’s goal. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 3, 20 1 8

Amusing revelations about Maymay

By Boy

aBunda Philstar.com

It was in 2017 when Maymay Entrata was named the big winner of the ABS-CBN reality show “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Lucky 7” and just a year after, she already had a movie, a TV series, a solo concert and an album. In case you are not familiar, her first-ever major solo concert exceeded public expectation that led her to be called as the new Concert Princess.

Maymay profusely thanked the people who helped her become what she is today. Her family, particularly her Kuya Vincent, topped her list.

“To my brother, I love you very much and thank you so much for supporting me because during those times when life was so hard for me and you knew about the possible forfeiture of my scholarship, you chose to work abroad for my schooling. Now, I would like to give back all the help you have given me,” said Maymay.

The 20-yearold Kapamilya talent has been wishing for her brother to come home and continue with his studies. “Gusto ko s’ya paaralin kasi gusto ni kuya na makapagtapos ng pag-aaral.”

When asked if she still wanted to go back to school, Maymay replied: “Me, I will study again probably when he graduates, siya naman magpaaral sa akin, hahaha.”

On being dubbed as the new Concert Princess, there’s nothing she could utter but words of appreciation and gratitude. “For me, I can’t do this on my own.

I’ve reached this far through the people who supported me. I am not a professional, but because of them the concert turned out the best so I want to thank the Hotlegs, the make-up artists, the stylists and to all the people who helped to make my concert a success,” said Maymay.

Along with her rosy career is the blooming romance between her and onscreen partner Edward Barber, although Maymay hasn’t confirmed or denied anything

GMA gives the Philippines its biggest medal haul to date at the New York Festivals, represented by Mark Norella, executive producer for Reel Time: ‘Hawla’ and ‘Gutom’; Neil Gumban, SAVP for Public Affairs; Regie Bautista, FVP for GMA Program Support Department and Corporate Strategic Planning; Ian Simbulan, executive producer for ‘Reporter’s Notebook’; Maki Pulido, host, ‘Reporter’s Notebook’; Jessica Soho, anchor, ‘State of the Nation with Jessica Soho’ and host, ‘Brigada’; Alden Richards, lead actor, ‘Alaala’; Joy Madrigal, program manager, ‘Alaala’ and ‘Brigada;’ Raffy Tima, reporter, ‘Brigada;’ and Justin Baluyot, researcher for Reel ‘Time: Gutom’

Alden Richards earns NY fest nod for playing a martial law activist

by Tessa

Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net

Maymay Entrata

regarding the buzz that their “love affair” goes beyond the cameras.

But those who avidly follow Maymay’s career are certain that the MayWard loveteam is for real.

The glow in Maymay’s aura tells how Edward adds color and joy to her life in spite of heavy workload.

“We’ve become closer,” she revealed. “Nag-I love youhan na kami? I love you as a friend, hahaha. I love you all.”

Another source of Maymay’s happiness is her friendship with Kisses Delavin. The two became close inside the PBB house and up to now, they are bestfriends.

Maymay said that their bond is stronger than before after surpassing every challenge that could tear them apart.

“Our friendship has turned out beautiful despite the challenges, boring kung walang pagsubok at ito ‘yung nawalan kami ng oras, naging busy kami pareho.” Kisses also had her solo concert at the Kia Theatre last February.

In the Legit or Lie? portion of “Tonight With Boy Abunda,” Maymay revealed that she falls asleep while her makeup artist works on her face and

GMA Network proudly shared with The Manila Times that Alden Richards’“Alaala: A Martial Law Special” documentary drama had just won a silver award at the 2018 New York Festivals held on Tuesday, April 10.

The awards night, mounted this year in Las Vegas Nevada, saw the ABS-CBN photo network’s prized star receiving the added, “May panaginip pa nga trophy for the Docu-drama category ako.” where he portrayed the role of Here are other amusing Martial Law activist and awardrevelations from Maymay in Legit winning screenwriter Bonifacio or Lie?: Ilagan, who was a human rights Legit or Lie? Maymay is victim during the dark period in talking to herself in front of the Philippine modern history. The truemirror. to-life drama, whose production “Legit.” (And what she usually closely involved Ilagan himself, tells herself?) “Baliw, baliw, baliw.” was aired in September 2017 to Legit or Lie? Maymay hurts commemorate the 45th anniversary people when she’s angry. of President Marcos’ declaration of “Lie. I am a crybaby. I just let Martial Law. out my anger through crying and On his official Instagram then I feel okay after.” account @aldenrichards02 the actor It was Maymay’s mother who said, “Thank you to the New York first dreamed to be an actress.

Festivals for this great recognition.

Legit or Lie? Congratulations to Team Alala “Legit. My Mama and my for the win! To God be the glory! aunt had once been talents #humbled” here in Manila. But they chose Richards has been traveling to work abroad kasi nandun around the U.S. and Canada since yung opportunity talaga.” early April as part of the “Sikat Ka, Tinatanggal ni Edward ang Kapuso” ensemble of stars with balakubak ni Maymay? Legit or Dingdong Dantes, Dennis Trillo, Lie? Jennylyn Mercado, Lovi Poe and “Legit. I have no more Betong Sumaya, to perform for dandruff thanks to Edward’s help.”

Filipino communities in New Jersey Nagsasabihan na and Toronto. sina Edward at Maymay ng “I Moreover, in an emailed love you.” Legit or Lie? statement, the network further said, “I love you as a “GMA Network has another record friend, hahaha. Legit.” in Philippine broadcast history, this time bringing home eight medals and four finalist certificates at the

2018 New York Festivals World’s Best TV and Films Competition.”

“Reel Time” won top honors and will bring home a gold medal in the Health/Medical Information category for “Hawla (The Untold Story of the Village Monster)”.

Hawla featured the story of Nene who had been kept in a cage all her life because of a psychological condition.

Another documentary under Reel Time further won a silver medal, namely the episode “Gutom (Starved)” about a two-year-old boy named Roel, who, because of extreme malnourishment, could not walk, much less crawl at his age. Gutom garnered a prize in the Human Concerns category, with Mark Anthony Norella directing the pieces, as well as Hawla.

Marking another first for Philippine broadcasting at the festival is GMA News pillar Jessica Soho who won the bronze medal in the Best News Anchor category.

Soho is the first and only Filipino broadcast journalist to date, who made it to the list.

The rest of GMA Network’s haul of awards was: a bronze medal for the “Front Row” episode “Batang Bomba” in the Best Public Affairs Program category; a bronze for the “Reporter’s Notebook” episode Yapak sa Pusod ng Dagat” by Maki Pulido in the Community Portraits category; a bronze in Current Affairs for the “Brigada” report “Combat Camera Team,” detailing the operation of Philippine Army’s Scout Ranger Battalion in Marawi City using combat cameras; a bronze for “EDSA 31st Anniversary Spot” in the Graphic Design: Promotion/Open and IDs category; and finalists

Alden Richards is a winner for portraying Martial Law activist Bonifacio Ilagan in the international TV and film competition.

Photos courtesy of Steven Lam

certificates for “I-Witness” (one in the Human Concerns category for Kara David’s “Sundalong Aso” and another in the International Affairs category for Atom Araullo’s “Silang Kinalimutan”), for Best Newscast through “State of the Nation’s” coverage titled “Marawi Liberation: War is Over,” and “Kulayan Natinang Summer” in the Art Direction: Promotion/Open and IDs category.

According to the New York Festivals website, ABS-CBN also won a gold medal and finalist certificate for the documentary “‘Di Ka Pasisiil” (Coverage of Continuing News Story category and Current Affairs, respectively), a silver medal for “Local Legends: Bandurria” (Cinematography), and a bronze medal for “To Love And To Serve” (Station/ Image Promotion category).

Rounding up the Philippines’ wins at the 2018 New York Festivals is a bronze medal for BG Production’s AiAi de las Alas-starrer “Area” for Direction.

Radharani Martinez: versatility...

From Page 4 AJ: What do you consider your biggest gig so far?

REM: That would be my performance in the in the Annual Jersey City Pride Festival where a mammoth crowd attended and applauded my performance… complete with back-up dancers… although I have done live shows and events in New York City, Concerts in Queens, and other events such as The Highline Ballroom, All The Music, Social Star Events, The Montauk Music Festival, Groove On Grove (Jersey City), Bike Tour NYC, and some personal bookings for the entire summer of 2017.

AJ: How long does it take you to learn a song?

REM: Normally, four days. I first get familiar with the melody and beat then study the lyrics and the message the song imparts… then sing the song piece by piece and finally sing it whole.

AJ: What song was the hardest for you to learn?

REM: Hmmm… (she paused for a few seconds trying to recall the song) Oh, that was Mariah Carey’s “My All.” I so loved the song and the melody the first time I heard it but Mariah’s complicated melismatic style made it too hard

for me to perfect it… that it took almost a month to finally deliver it confidently. It was worth the effort, anyway!

AJ: What song put you to tears?

REM: Actually I have two… first is “Jealous” by Labrynth and secondly is my self-composed “Mama” which I am releasing on May 11 in time for Mother’s Day but slated to publicly perform it on April 28 as one of the highlights of my show in Doshe, a newly opened Korean Restaurant along Erie Street in Downtown Jersey City.

With “Mama,” it took me really a long time to finally finish it. I tried to snatch the perfect words to use and, for some personal reasons, I always cry every after a line. There and then I felt that a woman doesn’t really become one if not for a mother.

AJ: When boredom strikes after writing and recording, how do you recharge?

REM: I have to get out of my recording room and free from my shell. I usually go to a movie with my best friend and confidant, Gianna Cruz, who I know from my freshman days. We just mutually loved our company and became inseparable since then.

AJ: How many songs have you

uploaded on YouTube? And how many original compositions have you recorded?

REM: Maybe around 10 or a little more…they are all covered songs I recorded in the basement. I’m proud to say I have professionally recorded 6 songs: “High Tide,”“Thank You,”“Best Friend,”“Somebody Like Me,”“Saint,” “Chances,” and “Mama,” and soon to come up with more. My recorded originals and cover songs are available in iTunes / Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon and in www. reverbNation.com Incidentally, Radha is currently in the roster of honors in her sophomore year at Montclair State University while juggling between two part time jobs. Under the wellstructured and able management and supervision of Magnolia Ocampo (@ TheOfficialRadha@ gmail.com) Radha’s opportunity in the entertainment arena, recording in particular, is already assured of a bright future.

Watch out for this girl, Radha Martinez, and be part of her multihued journey, flourishing career, and unprecedented success!

For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@ yahoo.com.

EVA wins 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’...

From Page 5

consistently recognized among the world’s safest airlines and as one of the World’s Top 20 Safest Airlines by AirlineRatings.com. EVA holds safety as its top priority.

All the 2018 Travelers’ Choice award-winning airlines are listed at www.tripadvisor.com/ TravelersChoice-Airlines.

EVA Air EVA Air, a Star Alliance member and one of 10 SKYTRAXrated 5-Star Airlines worldwide, was established in 1989 as Taiwan’s first privately owned international airline. It is part of the respected Evergreen Group and a sister company to global containershipping leader Evergreen Line.

It flies a fleet of more than 70 Boeing and Airbus aircraft to more than 60 international destinations throughout Asia, Oceania, Europe

and North America where gateways are Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver. With just one easy stop in Taipei, travelers can connect

onward to every major city in Asia, including 17 destinations in China.

Travelers can learn more about EVA and book, buy and reserve seats at www.evaair.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

An Asian Journal Magazine

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY ApRil 13, 2018

An Asian Journal Magazine

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY ApRil 13, 2018

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