042019 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

APRIL 20-23, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 30 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

Duterte: I believe in God and I fear karma

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, April 17 that he believes in God and is afraid of karma, in an apparent break from his tirades against the Christian faith.

“I assure you I believe in God and I’m afraid of karma,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino in a speech in Batangas City on the week of Easter.

The hugely popular Duterte has repeatedly locked horns with the Church — which has a significant political and social clout in the predominantly Catholic Philippines — amid mounting deaths in the government’s bloody war on drugs.

In a previous speech on Tuesday, April 16, the firebrand leader raised anew his objections to Christians’ concept of heaven and hell and poked fun at Catholics’ sacrament of penance.

“Kaya ako hindi nagsisimba. Kasi ’pag magsimba ako, ‘Forgive me, father, for I have killed last night u PAGE A2 Philstar.com photo

PH slips further on World Press Freedom index

USA

by KRISTINE JOY

DATELINE Filipinos hold high trust for US, neutral on China

Philstar.com

PATAG

THE Philippines has slipped further on the World Press Freedom Index of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières, RSF).

The country sank a notch lower to the 134th spot out of 180 countries. The Philippines had a score of 43.91.

In 2018, the Philippines ranked 133rd, which was six notches lower than the country’s 2017 ranking 127th spot.

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE United States has maintained its “very good” net trust rating among Filipinos while China’s rating remains “neutral,” the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The survey, which was released on Tuesday, April 16, revealed a +60 net trust rating for the United States and a -6 net trust rating for China.

The pollster said that the United States’ rating was similar to its previous one in December 2018 while the rating for China was up by a point.

According to the SWS, the United States’ rating “has been positive since SWS first surveyed it in December 1994.”

Its score ranged from a moderate +18 in May 2005 to as high as excellent +82 in December 2013, the SWS noted. u PAGE A4

WASHING OF THE FEET. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle (center), washes and kisses the foot of a nun who was among the 12 individuals who were invited to the Holy Week ritual, held at the Manila Cathedral on Maundy Thursday, April 18. During the Last Supper, Jesus Christ demonstrated his greatest act of servant leadership by washing the feet of his disciples.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Duterte tirades vs media The media watchdog noted that President Rodrigo Duterte, early in his presidency, had issued a warning: “Just because you’re a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch. Freedom of expression cannot help you if you have done something wrong.”

Duterte has continued to launch his verbal attacks against members of the local press.

On Wednesday night, April 17, the president slammed jour-

Boracay ‘better’ a year after closure

by NEIL JAYSON

SERVALLOS ManilaTimes.net

BORACAY Island is back to its pristine state almost a year after it was ordered closed for rehabilitation, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the Department of Public Works and Highways had finished repairing all roads there.

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone was also on track in finishing the construction of a sewerage system, part of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force’s (BITF) Phase 2 of the island rehabilitation.

Businesses had also started to boom,

Puyat said.

“Together with Aboitiz Foundation, we’re doing a wetland [project], we are making it into a park, eco-tourism zone. There are so many places to go to in Boracay, not just the beaches,” she added.

The Tourism chief said coliform bacteria levels in Boracay waters were now down to zero from the very high level of one million most probable number.

The DOT attributed the progress to the relentless efforts of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The DENR is also regularly doing the u PAGE A2

Tagle tells Christians to ‘proclaim good Rappler’s Maria Ressa among news,’ slams ‘bearers of hate speech’ TIME’s ‘100 Most Influential’ Rappler CEO Maria Ressa

Hit and run victim Marianne Gabriel Natividad Photo from GoFundMe

Filipina killed in hit and run in San Jose, California

SAN JOSE, California— A Filipina resident of Dubai was killed in a hit and run incident on Thursday, April 11 allegedly by a car driven by another Filipina.

Marianne Natividad, 48, was identified as the victim by the Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office.

Police found Natividad lying in the roadway near the intersection of Nieman Boulevard and Laddie Way when they responded to the scene around 5:40 a.m. u PAGE A2

nalists following the release of an investigative report on his family’s wealth and accused them of being paid hacks.

“Bayad ‘yan lahat. Kasi itong mga p***** i**** ‘to, kung ang negosyo lang nila magsulatsulat lang, mga pulubi kayo sa totoo lang. Hindi kayo makabili ng mga kotse, mga ganun. P*** mapupunta pa kayo doon sa mga — kay Belo nagpaganda. Saan niyo kunan ng pera? Milyonaryo kayo? (They’re all paid. Because these sons of bitches, their only u PAGE A2

by CATHERINE

MODESTO ManilaTimes.net

CARDINAL Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila, slammed bullies and “bearers of hate speech and fake news” and urged Christians instead to “proclaim [the] good news,” as he led the Chrism Mass at the Manila Cathedral on Maundy Thursday.

“We, today, all the consecrated, all the baptized bearing the Holy Spirit will say ‘I will not deliver fake news, hate speech,’” Tagle said in his homily.

“Go, live your consecration, proclaim good news,” Tagle told Christians as he advised them to use this gift, which they received through the Holy Spirit, and to use it “judiciously by serving God and his people, especially the poor.”

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle ManilaTimes.net photo u PAGE A4

by KRISTINE JOY

Philstar.com

Philstar.com photo

PATAG

MANILA — TIME Magazine has named Rappler CEO and high-profile journalist Maria Ressa as one of the most influential people of 2019.

Edward Felsenthal, TIME CEO and editor-in-chief, said that this year’s list of the 100 most influential people is “a community of hundreds of global leaders, many of whom support and challenge one another.”

The veteran Filipino journalist joins American President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Malaysian Prime Min-

ister Mahatir Mohamad, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on the list.

Also named as the 100 most influential people are music icons Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga and K-pop juggernaut pop act BTS. Ressa’s profile, penned by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, read: “Around the world, a generation of authoritarian leaders is leading a concerted and intentional assault on truth, with serious consequences for journalists such as Maria who are committed to exposing corruption, documenting abuse and combating misinu PAGE A4

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

PH slips further on World Press...

PAGE A1 t business is to write — all of you are beggars to be honest. All of you can’t even buy a car or go to Belo for cosmetics procedures.

Where do you get your money? Are you all millionaires?)”

Duterte said.

The president’s tirades followed the release of a Philippine Center for Investigative Jour-

nalism report that showed the incomes of Duterte and his children — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former vice mayor Paolo Duterte — rose significantly while they were in office.

Over time, the government “has developed several ways to pressure journalists who dare to be overly critical of the summary methods adopted by ‘Punisher’

From the Front Page

Duterte and his notorious ‘war on drugs,’” the RSF said.

It noted that in 2017, national broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer and broadcast giant ABSCBN were at the receiving end of Duterte’s tirades.

The president has accused the two media outfits of “slanted” reporting against his administration. He has threatened to not renew the franchise of ABSCBN, and the government has filed suits against the owners of PDI. Cases against Rappler The RSF added that the “temperamental president” trained his ire and “waged a grotesque judicial harassment campaign” at online news site Rappler and its editor Maria Ressa in 2018.

Ressa, a veteran journalist, is facing at least nine cases pending before local courts; her company meanwhile faces 11 cases. She has also been arrested twice, in a span of two

u PAGE A4

ABSTINENCE. Market goers check out the fish and seafood sold at the Area G Market in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Wednesday, April 17 in preparation for Good Friday. The consumption of fish rises among Catholics during Lent as they abstain from eating meat during all Fridays, from Ash Wednesday and until Good Friday. As of April 16, the suggested retail price of bangus (milkfish) is PHP150 per kg.; tilapia, PHP120 per kg.; and galunggong (round scad), PHP160 per kg.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

Duterte: I believe in God and...

PAGE A1 t three.’ Balik na naman ako kinabukasan, ‘Father, forgive me because I have killed 10 drug lords.’

Pabalik-balik ako, bakit pa ako magpunta doon? Useless (That’s why I don’t go to church. Because If I go to church, ‘Forgive me, father, for I have killed last night three.’ Then I will go back to church the next day, ‘Father, Arrested hit and run suspect Delilah Paray

Filipina killed in...

forgive me because I have killed 10 drug lords.’ It won’t end so why would I return there? Useless),” he said.

Duterte, who is known for his crude language, earlier sparked public outrage in Asia’s biggest Catholic nation after he called the Christian God a “stupid son of a bitch” for creating Adam and Eve only to allow their pu-

rity to be destroyed by temptation.

Amid simmering backlash, Duterte vowed to immediately resign if Christians can prove that their God exists through a selfie.

He later issued a public apology and told religious leaders to “never use the name of God as a front to attack government.” (Ian Nicolas Cigaral/Philstar.com)

Boracay ‘better’ a year after...

PAGE A1 t PAGE A1 t tests on the coliform level every Police believe that a 2000 Toytwo weeks to maintain the presota 4Runner driven by Delilah ent condition of Boracay Island, Paray, 65, struck her. especially during the peak seaParay allegedly got out of the son. vehicle to approach Natividad, As of April 8, more than 339 but got back into her vehicle and hotels and tourism establishfled the scene without helping ments have been reopened, acher or providing any identificacounting to more than 12,000 tion, according to a report by rooms.

CBS Local.

Puyat also said respective She was found parked on a hotels and resorts were told to nearby street and taken into cussupply potable water for both tody on suspicion of felony hitdomestic and foreign travelers and-run. while local government officials Anyone with additional inforwere religiously monitoring the mation relevant to the investigarbage. gation is asked to call Detective “Garbage is continuously beMatt Templeman at (408) 277ing monitored by the LGUs (lo4654. (Inquirer.net) cal government units), we have

ground enforcers who ensure that the tourists will dispose trash properly. Receptacles have also been placed everywhere,” she said.

While the BITF and the local government of Boracay have allowed parties since the reopening of the island last October, Puyat said there would be no more LaBoracay or any other beach parties this year.

LaBoracay is an annual summer beach party held in the island, dubbed as southeast Asia’s own “spring break.”

“Bawal ang LaBoracay ngayon (LaBoracay is not allowed now), no drinking and no smoking in public places. So, that still stands. Actually there’s a

law — no smoking is an executive order and there’s a local ordinance na bawal talaga ‘yung ganun sa (that prohibits those kind of activities in the) beach,” she said.

She clarified, however, that some parties were allowed on Boracay “provided that establishments follow laws and existing ordinances that were in place even before the closure and rehabilitation.”

Under existing local ordinances and national laws, smoking and drinking are not allowed in the public beach; parties must not be held within “25+5” easement; and the maximum allowed noise level is 55 decibels in nighttime for open areas. n

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DATELINE USA

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

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Garcetti proposes LA’s 2020 budget with record reserves, investments in homelessness & infrastructure City’s rating upgraded for strong fiscal management

Dr. Leana Wen (left), president of Planned Parenthood, speaks with staff from Planned Parenthood Mar Monte at a clinic in San Jose, Calif.

Photo by Anna Maria Barry-Jester/Kaiser Health News

Planned Parenthood’s ‘risky strategy’to update its image

by SHEFALI LUTHRA AND

ANNA MARIA Kaiser Health News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Trump administration is pushing ahead with its reproductive health agenda. It has rolled out changes to the Title X program, which funds family planning services for low-income people, that are designed to have a chilling effect on organizations that provide abortions or include this option in counseling. It also has nominated federal judges widely believed to support state-level abortion restrictions.

Against that backdrop, Planned Parenthood, known as a staunch defender of abortion rights, is working to recast its public image. Under its president, Dr. Leana Wen, who took office in November, the nation’s largest reproductive health provider is highlighting the breadth of care it provides — treating depression, screening for cancer and diabetes, and taking on complex health problems like soaring maternal mortality rates.

This strategy, analysts say, could buttress Planned Parenthood against the efforts by the White House and other abortion opponents. But it’s complicated.

Even as the organization leans into its community health work, Wen isn’t abandoning the abortion-related services that have helped form the organization’s identity — and its opposition.

“We cannot separate out one of our services. That’s not how medicine works,” Wen told Kaiser Health News.

BARRY-JESTER

This effort to thread the needle could, if successful, change the public’s perception of Planned Parenthood. But if it backfires, it could make the organization even more vulnerable. Some people are skeptical of the payoff, given how polarizing abortion politics are.

“The minute you start talking about abortion, it’s a risky strategy,” said Karen O’Connor, a political scientist at American University who studies the politics of reproductive health care.

It’s likely to attract strong reactions from people who see abortion providers not as reproductive health professionals but as “baby killers,” she said.

“If I was doing it — and this is as somebody who studies social movements and women’s organizations — I would take abortion out of the equation and talk about ‘reproductive health is health care.’”

Already, the new strategy is drawing fire from abortion opponents, who dismiss Planned Parenthood’s positioning as a frontline community health provider.

“This framing is simply a PR exercise,” said Mallory Quigley, vice president of communications at the Susan B. Anthony List, a Washington-based antiabortion group. “I don’t think this campaign will be successful, and I don’t think it will last long.”

Reproductive health experts

have a different view, saying Planned Parenthood’s effort to promote its array of health care offerings — including abortion — is consistent with reality and in line with top medical standards. To bolster this message, Wen, a former Baltimore health commissioner and the first physician to take the group’s helm, has embarked on a national listening tour.

“It’s who we are. We are a health care organization,” Wen said. “That’s what all of our affiliates do around the country, is meeting people where they are with the health services they need.”

So far, Wen and other Planned Parenthood officials have visited 17 affiliates in locations around the country. They plan to visit several more, Wen’s staff confirmed.

The idea is not to standardize what Planned Parenthood sites offer, Wen said, arguing that each clinic should take the lead in devising its own public health programs, based on its patients.

Even so, the organization’s national leadership is working to identify the health programs that could be expanded and encouraging clinics around the country to consider implementing those best practices.

Recently, Wen and her team visited the organization’s Rhode Island clinic to investigate how it is planning to expand its primary PAGE A4

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled on Wednesday, April 17, his $10.6 billion spending plan which strengthens the City’s finances and includes record spending to end homelessness and improve Los Angeles’ infrastructure.

“Through a sound budget, we achieve a strong bottom line and strengthen Los Angeles from the bottom up,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This proposed budget is a blueprint illustrating how we’ll achieve our highest ambitions — from ending homelessness to improving our infrastructure — while maintaining a commitment to fiscal responsibility that has helped to drive Los Angeles’ economic recovery.”

Mayor Garcetti’s proposed budget continues to bolster the City’s fiscal foundation: For the first time since the recession, reserves exceed 8%, which makes Los Angeles fiscally resilient and better able to weather an economic downturn. The Reserve Fund is increased to $399 million, and includes a Budget Stabilization Fund of $110.9 million and an Unappropriated Balance of $20 million.

The proposed budget calls for a record $940 million to improve and update the City’s infrastructure — $140 million more than the previous year. Also included is $348 million for street repairs and maintenance, and $117 million for Vision Zero and traffic and pedestrian safety projects. It allocates funding to advance the Mayor’s sustainability goals with $38 million in Measure W funds going toward clean water infrastructure, and $3 million for the City’s innovative Cool Pavement Program and investments in tree

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti

planting.

The proposed budget includes the City’s largest-ever investment to end the homelessness crisis — with $457 million in permanent housing, temporary shelter, services, and facilities to help homeless Angelenos find their way off the streets. The budget anticipates spending $36 million in Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funds that Mayor Garcetti advocated for, and received, from the state last year. As part of funding from the Prop. HHH initiative, $281 million will go toward 27 new permanent supportive housing and affordable housing projects providing more than 2,126 units.

Mayor Garcetti’s proposed budget also calls for: • Increasing police overtime by approximately 40 percent to cover all critical duties.

• Spending $3 million to help improve dispatch reliability and effective communications for public safety officers.

• Expanding the Advanced Provider Response Units and Fast Response Vehicles to more efficiently dispatch fire resources and emergency medical services.

AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla

• Installing electric vehicle chargers and related infrastructure at Police and Fire Stations, as well as streetlight poles.

• Increasing programming and capital improvements at cultural hubs.

• Funding for the Young Ambassadors Program giving College Promise students overseas travel and opportunities for global affairs education.

• Increasing funding for the LA’s BEST Program to offer summer learning at every LAUSD school in the City’s two Promise Zones.

• Investing in a social equity program focused on legal cannabis businesses.

• Committing more than $18 million for four A Bridge Home sites in South Los Angeles scheduled to open in 2019-20.

• Funding to continue five and open six new Safe Parking sites.

• Expanding comprehensive street cleanups and rapid response to keep neighborhoods safe and free of debris.

• Sustaining syringe collection and HIV testing services at locations surrounding A Bridge Home facilities, as well as homeless encampments cleaned up

$20,000 reward offered in Arcadia homicide investigation THE Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger to offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and/or conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the heinous murder of Chyong Jen Tsai, a 76-year-old Arcadia woman.

On Tuesday April 9, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Arcadia Police Department officers were dispatched to the 300 block of

East Forest Avenue in the City of Arcadia. Responding officers found 76-year-old Chyong Jen Tsai’s body in the backyard of the home, and the victim was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators are also searching for the victim’s 2005 Lexus RX 300, plate number 5LOG473, believed to be stolen from the home at the time of the burglary.

The victim is survived by her husband and 2 children.

Investigators believe the of-

fer of a reward will encourage witnesses to come forward and provide information to this investigation.

Supervisor Barger encourages anyone with information about this crime to contact Sergeant Richard Biddle from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 8905500 or provide information anonymously at “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS or by visiting: lacrimestoppers. org. ■

A April 20-23, 2019 • lA WEEKEND ASiAN JOUrNAl

PH slips further on World Press...

PAGE A2 t

months, and has had to post bail eight times.

The RSF also noted that the in The Philippines, the persecution “was accompanied by online harassment campaigns waged by pro-Duterte troll armies.

The cyber attacks were also launched on alternative news websites and the site of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

On March 29, alternative news sites Bulatlat, Kodao Productions, Altermidya and Pinoy Weekly filed a civil complaint against IT companies they believe are involved in cyberattacks on their websites.

The websites of these alternative news outlets have been targeted by Distributed Denial of Service attacks, which result in the temporary unavailabilyt of the website, since late December 2018.

Earlier this week, New Yorkbased Committee for the Protection of Journalists lamented that the cyberattacks on smaller media websites are not under the purview of the Presidential Task Force of Media Security.

The committee also said it “found increasing levels of intimidation and a shrinking space for the free press in the country.”

Malacañang dismissed the

Dateline USa

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committee mission’s findings as “baseless” and a “hasty generalization,” as it stressed that Rappler and Ressa are not a representative of the Philippine media.

Norway top spot for three years Norway topped 2019 World Press Freedom Index, its third year running.

Meanwhile Finland jumped two places and took the second spot, while Sweden came in third.

Netherlands, where two reporters covering organized crime were put under permanent police protection that RSF said, ranked 4th. n

Rappler’s Maria Ressa among TIME’s ‘100...

PAGE A1 t formation.”

Ressa is facing a total of nine active cases before local courts, on charges of cyberlibel, antidummy law violation and securities and tax code violations.

She has been arrested twice and had to post bail for eight times.

The string of suits against her

prompted calls for press freedom across the country.

The high-profile journalist said that she believes the charges against her and her news outfit are politically motivated, but the Palace has repeatedly distanced itself from the legal suits.

The magazine has also recognized Ressa along with other

journalists as Person of the Year in 2018.

TIME referred to them as the “Guardians” and commended them “for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts that are central to civil discourse, for speaking up and for speaking out.” n

VISITA IGLESIA. Devotees performing the Visita Iglesia visit the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, popularly known as the Baclaran Church, in Parañaque City on Wednesday, April 17. During the Visita Iglesia, the faithful visit seven churches to commemorate Christ’s passion and to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

LA County to review eliminating criminal justice fees When a person is convicted of a crime, in addition to serving time in jail or prison, they often face fines, fees, and penalties. These fees are incurred at nearly every stage of the criminal justice system, and are used to generate revenue for various criminal justice agencies.

Advocates say that these fines and fees make it even more difficult for those exiting the criminal justice system to get back on their feet, pushing them into poverty, homelessness, and even crime and recidivism.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 16 approved a motion, authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by

Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, to examine the application of fines, fees, and penalties, and determine the feasibility of eliminating some or all of these fines.

“Collecting fees for detention undermines rehabilitation, successful reintegration into society, and public safety,” said Solis. “It also unnecessarily increases the financial insecurity of vulnerable families. As part of a larger, transformative reexamination of how we serve our justice-involved residents, LA County is reexamining our approach to criminal justice. If these fines and fees are eliminated, justice-involved individuals, their families, and whole communities might have better

opportunities for success, rather than a future filled with poverty, homelessness, recidivism, and incarceration.”

The motion directs the County’s criminal justice agencies, other County departments, and community stakeholders including those with lived experience, to report back to the Board of Supervisors in 120 days with a detailed report of the fines, fees, and penalties levied against adults in the criminal justice system.

The report would also include a feasibility study of eliminating the fees, fines, and penalties the County has the discretion to eliminate, the financial impact of PAGE A5

Tagle tells Christians to ‘proclaim good...

PAGE A1 t “Nakikiusap ako wag sayangin holy spirit na dumating sa atin nang tayo ay mabinyagan. Lahat tayo tinalaga (I am asking you, do not waste the holy spirit you received when you got baptized.)

We are all called to serve God,” he said.

Chrism Mass is traditionally celebrated on Maundy Thursday to signify the unity between the bishops and the priests.

Tagle also lamented how many young people have to live with bullying and bad news.

“They are not able to go to school because they lack the resources. If ever they graduated, they cannot find jobs,” Tagle said.

There are young individuals who would not go to school lest they they be bullied. Some attempt to commit suicide because

they feel like no one loves them, the Cardinal said.

He added that these youth have to live with the unrealistic expectations of their parents.

So many young people only hear criticisms and their incapacity to meet certain expectations, which are not realistic, Tagle said.

He reiterated that 2019 was the year of the youth, and Pope Francis last year called on the whole Church to “walk together with and for the sake of the youth, humanity and God.” After the homily, Tagle led the renewal of commitment of the clergy to priestly service and blessed the Chrism oil, which will be used in administering the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy order throughout the year.

He then reminded all the

clergy who renewed their commitment that they were called to serve and awaken the priestly consecration of all the baptized.

“That is our ministry. Not to take over and say we are the only priests. We belong to the common consecration, the baptized,” he said.

“Let’s come together as a people set apart, as a priestly people. Like Jesus, let us accept the gift and responsibility of being anointed by the Holy Spirit and reading and fulfilling Isaiah’s words, bring glad tidings to the poor especially the youth,” he said.

After the mass, the faithful also expressed their gratitude to priests for their service to the Manila archdiocese through cheers, banners and confetti outside the Cathedral. n

Planned Parenthood’s ‘risky strategy’ to...

PAGE A3 t

care offerings.

The clinic, a 10-minute walk from downtown Providence, serves patients of all genders and ages, its staff noted. It has upped its focus on things like wellness visits, along with its programs to make sure patients who want to have children are healthy before they get pregnant.

Wen also focused on the clinic’s efforts to reduce the area’s maternal mortality rates, a problem that afflicts low-income and black women at far greater rates.

In 2018, 18.3 Rhode Island women per 100,000 births died from causes related to the pregnancy; for black women, the figure was 47.2 per 100,000, and for white women, 18.1. Planned Parenthood leadership touted proposed state legislation that would extend Medicaid coverage to doulas, non-medical birth coaches often seen as a valuable resource in reducing maternal deaths.

At a Planned Parenthood Mar Monte clinic in San Jose, Calif., staff members highlighted the facility’s mental health services — keeping behavioral health professionals in the building to help patients transition seamlessly into care — and its in-house testing center for sexually transmitted infections.

At both clinics, staffers talked

about helping patients who face a threat of domestic violence find safe housing resources, and steering them toward available resources for things like healthy food.

Even while promoting that work — often overlooked by the public — Wen, a 36-year-old emergency doctor by training, emphasizes abortion services at each stop, trying to weave the message into the public health narrative.

In Providence, the Planned Parenthood team stopped by a news conference to talk about a local bill that, if the Supreme Court scales back Roe v. Wade, would explicitly legalize abortion protections in Rhode Island.

“Abortion is part of the spectrum of full reproductive health care, and we know reproductive health care is health care,” Wen said to applause. “And health care is a human right.”

But it’s unclear how the listening tour and messaging efforts will pan out politically. While a majority of Americans have positive opinions of Planned Parenthood, they are, polling suggests, evenly split on abortion.

“Planned Parenthood to some extent is taking a risky strategy by trying to thread these two. I see these as very different mes-

sages,” said O’Connor, the political scientist. “If you take out the ‘abortion is’ and go to reproductive health, you have a winning message that is very simple.”

In other ways, though, this branding effort perhaps comes at the right time, suggested Lucinda Finley, a law professor at the University at Buffalo. She ties the organization to what polling suggests is voters’ No. 1 concern, especially going into the 2020 election: health care.

Framing it as “‘Abortion is health care, health care is a human right’ links it to the larger debate about health care, and how we should provide health care to people in this country,” Finley said.

When asked if this messaging could politically insulate Planned Parenthood from conservative attacks — or win the organization new supporters — Wen suggested the community health emphasis is simply a response to medical needs.

“I don’t want people to think we are doing this because it’s politically the right thing to do,” she said. “It’s the right thing to do because that’s what our patients are requesting.”

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

Filipinos hold high trust for US, neutral on...

PAGE A1 t “It has been at +60 and above in six out of seven surveys since June 2017,” the pollster added.

For China, the SWS said its rating “has been positive in only 9 out of 49 surveys since SWS first surveyed it in August 1994.”

“It reached as high as moderate +17 in June 2010 and as low as a bad -46 in September 2015,” the SWS added.

‘Good’ for Japan, Australia Meanwhile, the survey results showed that Japan and Australia maintained its “good” net trust rating among Filipinos.

According to the SWS, Japan’s rating was at +34 while the rating for Australia was at +33.

The survey was conducted from March 28-31, 2019, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults (18 years old and above).

The survey had 360 respondents each in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao and sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

The SWS said it asked respondents this question: “Pag-usapan po natin ang tungkol sa ilang bansa. Sa mga sumusunod, maaari po bang sabihin ninyo kung ang pagtitiwala ninyo sa (bansa) ay: Napakalaki; medyo malaki; hindi tiyak

kung malaki o maliit; medyo maliit; apakaliit; o wala pa kayong narinig o nabasa kahit na kailan tungkol sa (bansa)? Pakisabi ang sagot ninyo sa pamamagitan ng paglagay ng mga kard sa naaangkop na lugar sa rating board na ito. (Let’s now talk about some countries. For the following, please indicate if your trust/faith in (country) is: Very much; somewhat much; undecided if much or little; somewhat little; very little; or you have not heard or read anything about the (country) ever?

You may indicate your answers by placing each card on the appropriate box on this rating board). (Christina Marie Ramos/ Inquirer.net)

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Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 20-23, 2019

A

‘US could have stopped China in sea dispute’

by Nestor

Corrales Inquirer.net

Malacañang lamented on Wednesday, april 17, the United States’ inaction on Beijing’s massive reclamation in the disputed South china Sea. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement following reports of china’s continued aggression in the disputed waters, including poaching giant clams in Scarborough Shoal and deploying chinese maritime militia near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island.

“Well, like america is there, they could have stopped china from the inception, but they did not,” Panelo said in an interview over aBS-cBn news channel on Wednesday.

In July 2016, the Philippines ILLEGAL SHIPMENT. Officials of the Bureau of Customs unwrap a package that contained illegal drugs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. won its arbitration case against china before the United nationsAuthorities discovered shabu, ecstasy and marijuana from several parcels to be distributed through courier firms.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Enrique Agcaoili backed arbitral tribunal in The Hague, which invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims to almost all of the South china Sea. china, however, has repeatedly dent leni Robredo for accusing have so far refused to recognize refused to recognize the ruling.

by JaNviC Mateo him of lawyering for the Marcos the judgments of this court,” they Philstar.com Since he assumed the presidenfamily in the cases before US said. cy in June 2016, Duterte said he “class counsel continue to would set aside the ruling in the a nEW YORK court has re- courts involving human rights spend time and effort seeking meantime and chose to engage leased the $13.75 million that will victims of martial law.

In a statement, calida said the recognition of the judgments in china through bilateral talks. be used for the upcoming fund distribution to victims of human insinuations by Robredo were the Philippines, relying on the ef“I think the realization is: how fort of Philippine co-counsel. The do you enforce an arbitral ruling rights violations during the mar- “outright lies.”

“She must be confused. Her current political situation in the from an international tribunal that tial law period. american human rights lawyer statements demean and belittle Philippines, where the heirs of does not have the mechanism of Robert Swift, in an email to The the work the OSg and its lawyers Ferdinand Marcos have gained enforcement? It does not have a Star, said the money for the dis- have been doing for decades to ascendancy, bodes ill for the force to reckon with and then we tribution has been transferred to recover ill-gotten wealth,” he class’ prospects,” they added. have powerful countries who apThe distribution of the $1,500 pear not to be persuaded to enthe settlement fund created after stressed. calida explained that the posi- to members of the class action force it,” Panelo said. the successful $2-billion class action suit filed against the Marcos tion taken by his office and the will begin on May 1. (With reports He said the Duterte administraDepartment of Justice is for the from Edu Punay/Philstar.com) family in 1995. tion has not forgotten the ruling.

The fund was transferred days interest of the government.

He said the government rejectafter new York district court Judge Katherine Polk Failla af- ed the proposed settlement agreefirmed the settlement agreement ment in the new York court case that will divide some $20 million because it was grossly disadvanworth of ill-gotten assets recov- tageous to the government that would get only $4 million from ered in the United States.

The money came from the sale the settlement.

He further explained that the of the properties seized from Vilma Bautista, an aide of former proposed settlement required first lady and Ilocos norte Rep. that the Philippine government grant immunity to Bautista and Imelda Marcos. among those recovered from move to dismiss the cases against her were valuable paintings be- her in the Sandiganbayan.

“The government cannot grant lieved to have been purchased using government funds during immunity to Vilma Bautista. She is a principal defendant in a case the Marcos dictatorship. a previous court filing showed currently pending before the Santhat the properties seized from diganbayan. The authority of the Bautista were deposited with the Pcgg to grant such immunity new York clerk of court pending is limited only to a witness who resolution of the different claims can provide material and relevant information or testify against a filed over the properties.

In January, the parties — in- defendant in an ill-gotten wealth cluding members of the class case,” calida said.

The top government counsel action and the Philippine government — agreed to settle and di- stressed that the OSg also opvide the funds, with the victims posed the grant of attorney’s fees receiving $13.75 million and the to lawyers of the human rights victims. government $4 million.

“Even the human rights claima third party, the golden Buddha corp. and the estate of Roger ants will get the wrong end of Roxas that allegedly discovered the deal in the case. Their lawyer the Yamashita treasure, would Robert Swift has sought a hefty also get a portion of the proceeds $4.125 million in attorney’s fees from the sale of some of the paint- out of the $13.75 million, while the rest would be divided among ings. last month, however, the Phil- the 6,500 claimants, who will reippine government backed down ceive a measly $1,500 each,” he from the settlement after the Of- pointed out.

In addition to advanced costs, fice of the Solicitor general found it “grossly disadvantageous” to the U.S. lawyers noted that they have spent over 40,000 hours the government.

It said the Philippines will in- since the class action was filed in stead pursue its claim to all of the 1986, translating to fees of about assets recovered from Bautista in $25 million.

In their motion, the lawyers the cases filed before the Sanditold Real that the estimated ganbayan.

But citing Failla’s ruling, Swift 6,500 members of the class aclast week said the judge affirmed tion would still be able to receive the settlement after finding that $1,500 each even if he approves the Philippine attorney in new their $4.125 million request.

“While class counsel hope to reYork “had actual and apparent authority to bind the Republic to cover more Marcos funds in satisfaction of the class judgments, the the settlement.” prospect for future recoveries is OSG slams Leni Solicitor general Jose calida dim. Despite 22 years of litigation yesterday slammed Vice Presi- in Philippine courts, those courts

$13.75-M transferred to Marcos victims’ fund

LA County to review eliminating...

PAGE A4 t the elimination of these fees to the county and other agencies, and develop a timeline for the elimination of these fees, fines, and penalties.

“These fees do more harm than good. They trap people sentenced for crimes, and their families, in an endless spiral of debt. When inmates can’t pay, the financial burden falls on their family, which may explain why 83% of these fees are ultimately paid by women.

This motion represents a first step in ending punitive fees making it just a little easier for men and women who have been justiceinvolved to build positive lives for themselves,” said Kuehl.

People with criminal justice system involvement already face tremendous barriers to successful re-entry into society, including securing housing or employment, suspended driving privileges, maintaining or improving credit, and meeting child support obligations. Studies by the Brennan Justice center, the american civil liberties Union, and the Ella Baker center for Human Rights have found that the accumulation of fines and fees, including late fees, collection fees, and interest charges, push formerly justice-involved individuals into poverty or

justice fines and fees by the Brennan Justice center, failure to pay these fines or fees can also result in re-arrest or delayed discharge of Probation supervision, creating further barriers to successful reentry.

These fines and fees have also been shown to disproportionately impact people of color. Further, a national survey of formerly incarcerated people by the Ella Baker center found that families often bear the burden of fees, and that 83 percent of the people responsible for paying these costs are women.

The list of fines, fees, and penalties that may be levied against adults who become involved with the criminal justice system include, but are not limited to: probation supervision fees; probation installment collection fees; pre-sentence, investigation, and progress report fees; drug and alcohol testing fees; and county jail booking fees.

In May 2018, a motion, authored by Solis and passed by the Board of Supervisors, called for a plan to discontinue collection of fees assessed for youth detention in Probation custody. In november 2018, another motion, also authored by Solis and passed by the Board, eliminated continued

Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo

In a speech in Palawan on april 3, Duterte told china not to “touch” Pag-asa Island following the surge of vessels from a chinese fishing fleet believed to be maritime militia.

Panelo earlier said Duterte has effectively invoked the ruling with this pronouncement.

“Because by mentioning that, there is the message to the chinese government that ‘we have not forgotten this, excuse us,’” he said.

“Effectively, he (Duterte) is already telling them that this arbitral ruling has the stamp of permanence; it’s irreversible; nobody can take that away from us.

That’s what he is telling the chinese government,” he added.

“But meanwhile, since we cannot enforce it by force since we are not capable of doing that, Panelo said the government’s message is, “let’s be friends first and then let’s discuss if we can enforce this through negotiation.”

Increase Coast Guard presence Following the report of china

Inquirer.net photo

poaching giant clams in the Scarborough Shoal, Panelo said there “is a need for an increased number of coast guards in that area.”

“So if we don’t have that number, then we must purchase, maybe, vessels,” he said.

Scarborough Shoal is a traditional fishing ground within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone that Beijing seized after a two-month standoff with the Philippine navy in 2012. asked why the government is now issuing strong statements against china Panelo said, “We never changed [the] tone.”

“We said that our responses are studied or calibrated, depends on the situation. We just don’t make reckless statements the moment we hear about a report that a certain person or group of persons do these things in that area,” he said.

“We have to validate that first, that’s why we were very cautious in making statements. now, when we validated that, then we make a very strong statement,” he added. n

A April 20-23, 2019 • lA WEEKEND ASiAN JOUrNAl

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D ateline PhiliPPines Duterte raises ‘red flags’ in Quezon, Batangas over spread of illegal drugs

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has raised “red flags” in Lucena City in Quezon province and in Batangas over the proliferation of illegal drugs despite government efforts to fight it.

“Talagang sabi ko pupunta ako ng (I said I will go to) Batangas.

Please do not be offended, tutal para sa bayan man ‘to at wala ho akong tinutukoy na tao dito (this is for the country and I am not mentioning anyone). I talk in general terms,” Duterte said on Wednesday, April 17.

“Apparently, Lucena and Batangas right now appear to be in the — with a red flag in the map of sa (the) drug scene,” Duterte said.

Duterte vowed to hunt down those involved in the narcotics trade and criminality during his term following a mandate to preserve and protect the Filipino nation against these threats.

“Do not f*** with drugs because if you destroy my country while I

am there sitting, p***** i** mo papatayin talaga kita (son of a b*tch I will really kill you),” the president said.

“Diyan ako galit. Kaya sabi ko talagang pupunta ako dito.

Naka-red flag kayo eh. Lucena pati Batangas. Marami. Kaya bukas mag-harvest na naman tayo.

Eh kaligaya ko na lang pumatay ng p***** i**** kriminal (This really makes me angry so I said I will really go here. Lucena and Batangas have been red flagged.

Tomorrow we will start to harvest. It’s my happiness to kill these son of the b*tch criminals),” he said.

Last month, Duterte released a list of 46 government officials involved in the drug trade, including two mayors from Batangas (Lemery town Mayor Eulalio Mendoza Alilio and Ibaan town Mayor Juan Toreja) and the mayor of Lucena City (Mayor Roderick Alcala).

The Department of Interior and Local Government has filed administrative cases against the officials.

Duterte, a former city mayor, beat his more moneyed rivals and won the race to Malacañang in 2016, promising to eradicate crime and solve his country’s drug menace in three to six months.

He later sought a six-month extension for his campaign, saying he was shocked by the magnitude of the problem when he became president.

Human rights watchdogs at home and abroad say most of the fatalities in the government’s antinarcotic drive are extrajudicial killings committed by policemen, which the Duterte administration has vehemently denied.

Last week, the president vowed to rid the country of illegal drugs before his term ended in 2022. (Catherine Valente/ManilaTimes.net)

PARTAKING OF THE PASSION. Penitents flog themselves as they walk the streets of Pampanga on Wednesday, April 17. Self-flagellation is part of the religious ritual during Holy Week, as Christians recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ. ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

DFA starts evacuation of Filipinos in Libya MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, April 18, said that it has started the evacuation of Filipinos from Tripoli, following the escalation of fighting in the outskirts of the Libyan capital.

“The first batch of seven Filipinos—three hospital workers and four students—were evacuated by the Philippine Embassy this morning to Tunisia where they will be repatriated to the Philippines,” the DFA said in a release.

The repatriation came after the Foreign Affairs department raised the alert level in Libya to Level III, which means voluntary repatriation.

The coverage of the raised

alert level includes Tajoura, Ghot Romman, Qaraboli and Qasr Khiyar in the east; Esbea, Tarhuna, Bani Waled and Gharyan in the south; Aziziya, Warshifana, Zawia, Surman and Sabratha in the west.

The DFA shouldered the cost of repatriating the four students, while the Overseas Workers Welfare Association would pay the airfare of the three hospital employees.

“The Embassy is being assisted by augmentation teams from the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs stationed in Tripoli and in Tunis led by Executive Director Enrico Fos and Director Iric Arribas,” the department added.

Embassy Charge d’Affaires Elmer Cato added that there are 13 more Filipinos who have requested assistance for repatriation as they are expected to be evacuated to Tunis in the coming days.

Cato however said that, despite the embassy’s efforts to convince them to go home, only 20 out of the estimated 1,000 Filipinos in the Libyan capital have so far requested repatriation.

The Department of Labor and Employment said last week that it would issue a deployment ban of Filipino workers to Libya once it receives an official notice from the DFA. (Kristine Joy Patag/Philstar.com)

Most Filipinos back ICC challenge vs China’s Xi Jinping MANILA — Majority of Filipinos were in favor of the suit filed by two former Philippine officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court over his country’s actions in the South China Sea, a new opinion poll suggests.

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales had urged the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor to conduct a preliminary examination into Chinese officials’ activities in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. The former high-ranking government officials noted that China’s unlawful acts in the South China Sea “have caused devastating and long-lasting damage to the environment.”

A March 28-31 Social Weather Stations survey of 1,440 adults found 49% of Filipinos agreeing to the statement that the ICC challenge against Xi “tells the world that China should leave the islands it has occupied” in the contested waters.

Broken down, 27% of respondents said they “strongly agree”

with the move, 22% said they “somewhat agree”, 10% “somewhat disagree”, 7% “strongly disagree” and 28% were undecided.

That yielded a net agreement score of +32, classified by SWS as “very strong.”

By areas, there was “very strong” agreement in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, and “moderately strong” agreement in Mindanao and the Visayas.

“Net agreement with the statement was very strong regardless of people’s trust or distrust in China as a country,” the pollster said.

“It was very strong +34 among those with much trust in China, very strong +30 among those undecided with their trust, and very strong +33 among those with little trust in China,” it added.

Ties between the Philippines and China have significantly improved under President Rodrigo Duterte, who has set aside a landmark ruling from a United Nations-backed tribunal that struck down Beijing’s “Nine Dash line” claim that encompasses most of the resource-rich sea.

Duterte’s management of the maritime dispute has frustrated nationalists, who criticized his seeming inaction towards China’s military buildup in the strategic waterway.

Amid accusations of crimes against humanity against the Chinese leader, Duterte defended Xi, saying The Hague-based court has no jurisdiction over China since it’s not a member of the tribunal. The communication was sent to the court four days before the Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC, which has been conducting an initial probe into Duterte’s drug war.

According to Del Rosario, the condition of Filipino fishers being affected by Chinese presence in the West Philippine Sea was the primary concern in the communication submitted before the ICC. “Our estimate is that there are 300,000 fishermen that have had their livelihood affected plus that fact that the food security was a factor,” Del Rosario told CNN Philippines. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral/ Philstar.com)

PCOO steps up campaign vs fake news the election season,” Morato said in a recent interview. “Communications Secretary Martin Andanar MANILA — With the midterm has tasked us to focus on poll-reelections less than a month away, lated disinformation.”

Morato underscored the imthe Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) has portance of educating the public intensified the campaign against about the practice of some candidates to resort to disinformation poll-related disinformation.

Broadcast journalist Pia Roces to get votes.

According to Morato, the pubMorato, spokesperson for the PCOO’s dismiss disinformation lic is bound to lose if fake news is campaign, said they are bracing allowed to thrive.

“There are candidates who are for a deluge of fake news as the deserving, but because of false elections draw near.

“The struggle at the moment is information, they are affected…

by Janvic

Mateo Philstar.com

It causes confusion in communities and it has a negative effect,” she said.

Morato said they are going around the country to intensify the awareness campaign against fake news.

She said they hope that the electorate would be able to properly assess the platforms and track records of the candidates.

Morato said they were meeting with other stakeholders, including local government officials and journalists, to help them in the campaign against fake news. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 20-23, 2019

A

Be impartial, avoid meddling in political spats, judges told by edu

Punay Philstar.com

EARLY BIRDS. Passengers of international flights wait at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City as they came early to avoid traffic congestion on Holy Wednesday, April 17. Some Filipinos take the opportunity to travel abroad during the Lenten season.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

What triggered Duterte’s change in tune on West Philippine Sea

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA — The Duterte administration has recently been uttering stronger statements on Beijing’s recent actions in the West Philippine Sea. Contrary to President Rodrigo Duterte’s previous pronouncements that he would invoke the July 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea “at a proper time,” the administration has been insisting that its position never changed.

The arbitral award invalidated Beijing’s nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea, and concluded that the country violated its commitment under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea upon constructing artificial islands in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

The Hague-based tribunal, however, does not have an enforcement mechanism.

China asked to ‘lay off’ Pag-asa Duterte first changed his tone on China earlier this month when he asked Beijing to stay away from Pag-asa Island, one of the biggest features in the Spratly chain in the West Philippine Sea. This statement was made following reports that hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels, which seem to be part of China’s maritime militia, have been operating

near Pag-asa Island. Philippine efforts to repair facilities on the island, including a dilapidated runway, are underway.

“This is not a warning, this is just a word of advice to my friends, since we are friends, China. I will not plead or beg, but I’m just telling you – lay off Pagasa because I have my soldiers there,” Duterte told reporters in Palawan a few weeks ago.

Duterte ‘never shelved’ arbitral ruling More than a week after Duterte asked China not to touch Pag-asa Island, Malacañang released a statement insisting that the administration “never shelved” the arbitral ruling on the South China Sea. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued this statement in response to former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who appealed to the government to “unshelve” the arbitral award in the midst of China’s “aggression and aggressive moves.”

“In the first place, this administration never shelved the arbitral ruling. It only remains unenforceable because no foreign force seems persuaded to help us enforce it,” Panelo said.

Panelo further explained that the Philippines does not have the capability of enforcing the ruling alone by force.

“It (ruling) has the stamp of

permanence. We urge the Chinese government to respect it, and we hope the mechanism of bilateral negotiations between the countries forge a mutually satisfactory solution to the conflict based on internationally accepted principles of justice and reciprocity, as well as anchored on the dictates of each national security and aspirations of their people,” Panelo said.

‘Salvo’ of diplomatic notes filed against China While Panelo has made remarks that the Departent of Foreign Affairs was protesting China’s actions on Philippine waters, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. refuses to make public any document on such protests.

Locsin only said he had “fired off salvo of diplomatic notes” over the presence of Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Islands. He also tweeted that the West Philippine Sea “is ours” and that China “took it.”

“World’s highest court ruled that. Period. Now the question is how to take it back,” Locsin said on Twitter.

‘Jet Ski-dding!’

The string of strong statements on China from the Duterte administration coincidentally comes as the 2019 midterm elections come near, reminiscent of his campaign promise to ride a jet ski to the contested waters.

u PAGE A10

MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered judges in trial courts nationwide to be impartial during this election period and avoid meddling in political disputes.

In Circular No. 64-2019 issued Wednesday, April 17, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez told judges to be extra careful in acting on applications for search warrants against candidates in the elections.

“All judges are hereby reminded and advised to remain impartial and non-partisan, and be very circumspect in acting on applications for search warrants, to preclude the courts from being used for election purposes,” read the order.

Marquez, who supervises all judges in the country, issued the order following “reports that the courts are being used by unscrupulous politicians to obtain search warrants against their rivals during this election period.”

He directed judges to first “ensure their jurisdiction before entertaining applications for search warrants, and conduct the proper proceedings before the same are issued,” citing rules of court.

“Nothing can justify the issuance of a search warrant unless all legal requisites are fulfilled.

At the very least, the disregard by a judge of the requirements for the issuance constitutes grave abuse of discretion,” the SC official stressed.

“Of all the rights of a citizen, few are of greater importance or more essential to his peace and happiness than the right of personal security, and that involves the exemption of his private affairs, books and papers from inspection and scrutiny of others,” added the circular, quoting a 1937 ruling of the Court.

AFP, PNP ready Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said soldiers deputized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) are now “strategically deployed” in key spots across the country.

“Our troops on the ground are strategically deployed in different areas and are always on the lookout for any criminal and terrorist groups and individuals who may pose a threat to our citizens,” AFP chief Gen. Benjamin Madrigal said.

He said the AFP is in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), which has also assigned personnel in key areas.

“We are also continuously briefing each other,” he said.

On fears that the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels might take advantage of the security vacuum over the decision of the PNP to recall police security escorts of politicians, Madrigal said soldiers and policemen would always be around to en-

sure the safety of candidates during the campaign period.

He said only policemen assigned as personal security detail of narco politicians in the watchlist of the Department of the Interior and Local Government are facing recall.

“We have security forces who will secure campaign sorties,” Madrigal said, when sought for comment on the possibility of NPA rebels extorting from narco politicians without security escorts. n

A8 APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Reviving peace talks

FEATURES

THIS being a season of prayerful introspection, peace appears to be on President Rodrigo Duterte’s mind. A month after declaring that he was “permanently” ending peace negotiations with communists, the President said he was open to an “immediate ceasefire” with the rebels to pave the way for the resumption of talks.

His conditions for the resumption, often expressed in the past, remain the same. The New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its political arm the National Democratic Front, must stop extortion activities and torching of the properties of those who refuse to pay up. The rebels must also not bring weapons to the negotiating table.

The President’s demands are reasonable in peace negotiations. But election campaigns are fund-raising opportunities for the rebels, who shake down candidates in the guise of collecting “permit-to-campaign fees,” so any resumption of the talks is unlikely before the elections. Their exiled leader continues to engage the President in a word war following the proposed ceasefire, although this has happened in previous revivals of the peace talks.

In case the President’s proposal is rejected out-

right, the government should proceed with its ongoing pursuit of localized peace talks. A similar approach was adopted by the previous administration, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines launching parallel campaigns to win hearts and minds at the grassroots.

Local peace initiatives must be accompanied not just by economic development and poverty alleviation programs but also measures to address social injustice. It requires striking a delicate balance between defending national security and respecting human rights even in asymmetrical warfare. The human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship were the biggest recruiters of the communist insurgency. Lessons on counterinsurgency should have been learned from that dark period.

The government cannot afford to give up in the pursuit of peace. But the initiative can succeed only if the roots of discontent, which fuel insurgencies, are addressed. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

From cultural absence to cultural presence: Why Asian American studies matter to me

Rhizomes

PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D.

by ASHLEE MONTON

[Writer’s note: Once a year, an essay competition is held at CSUN, amongst Asian American Studies and Education majors, as part of an endowment set up by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz for her deceased mother, Asuncion Castro Abarquez and her deceased sister, Rosalinda Abarquez Alcantara to provide a scholarship grant to deserving students. The essays are then reviewed and carefully vetted by a committee headed by Acting Dept. Chair Dr. Teresa Williams-Leon, Dr. Philip Hutchinson and myself as an honorary member this 2019.

This year’s winning essay is from Ashlee Monton, entitled “From cultural absence to cultural presence: Why Asian American studies matter to me.”]

UPON moving to the United States from the Philippines in 2013, one of my favorite places to go to was Vons. I was fascinated by the stockpile of products in a single aisle. Never in my whole life had I ever seen so many varieties of sliced bread. It was not just the massive selection of bread that made me love Vons,

but there was also this allure that came with buying American branded products.

Growing up in the Philippines, my grandmother, who moved to the United States in 2004, would send us “ balikbayan boxes” every few months or so. Meaning “box to send home,” a “ balikbayan box, ” is essentially a big package full of American goodies. Ours usually had Oreos, Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal, Nutella, and a generous amount of chocolates. We not only received food items, but we also received clothes and shoes. I remembered being so excited to wear my “imported” clothes, as we used to call them back home.

These commodities were a status symbol — my status symbol, and in my Nike Air Force Ones and Abercrombie shirts, I derived my personal value. My parents were also massive American pop culture fans, so I was exposed to American shows, not Filipino shows. They listened to American music, so I listened to American music. There then became this sense of shame for consum-

ing anything Filipino, like music, shows, literature, or delicacies.

I was just simply, by default, conditioned to think that anything Filipino was not as good as American.

Despite my desire to frequent Vons at every opportunity, my parents would still constantly go to Seafood City and I couldn’t quite understand why. Why did they still feel the need to buy products from Seafood City when Vons literally had everything? It puzzled me. I did not want to admit it, but I was ruled by this thought of wanting to be more American, which meant leaving all of my Filipino heritage behind. When I would first meet people, I refrained from talking about where I came from. I did not want to be seen as a FOB. It was one of my most irrational fears upon moving here. FOB is an acronym for the term, “fresh off the boat,” generally used to describe immigrants who were quite literally, fresh off the boat from their country of origin. Usually used in a derogatory manner, being described as a FOB

Where are the patriots?

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA ONE of the most touching chapters in “El Filibusterismo,” Jose Rizal’s sequel to the “Noli Me Tangere,” was when Padre Florentino asked plaintively, “Where are the youth who will consecrate their golden hours, their illusions, and their enthusiasm to the welfare of their native land? Where are the youth who will generously pour out their blood to wash away so much shame, so much crime, so much abomination?”

If I may add: “So much cowardice and so little patriotism.”

Last week, I should have known better than to kibitz on a social media discussion on the cabbage tactic that the Chinese have begun to apply on Pag-Asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, otherwise referred to by China as Thitu Island in the South China Sea. The discussion, which seems to have been initiated by dedicated supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte or DDS, blamed the Philippines for the increasingly aggressive actions of China in the vicinity of Pag-Asa, particularly the presence of over 200 Chinese vessels in the area. This

is a significant increase from 24 to 42 ships in 2018 after the Philippines began repairs on a runway on the island. (the number reportedly went as high as 95 ships in December but eventually decreased to under 50).

Apparently the DDS had failed to note that Duterte himself had already bluntly told China to lay off Pag-Asa, otherwise he would be constrained to dispatch a “suicide mission” to confront the Chinese military.

When senatorial candidate Mar Roxas issued a statement to the effect that China had “taken what is ours and that should be defended” (Inagaw ng China yung atin so dapat depensahan yan), he was immediately taunted online by comments such as the following: • Wow, dami pa din naniniwala kay mar, tanong ko lng po mananalo po buh c mar dia election?? (Wow, there are still many who believe mar, just asking will he win in the election??)

• So lahat ng country may paninindigan pero pagdating sa china tikom.... ang ibang bansa nga na mas malalakas ang pwersa e di kinaya ang china tayo pa kaya?.. (So all countries stand for their rights but when it comes to China they shut up…other countries have more (military) force

but cannot buck China, what more us (the Philippines)?

Mar made it a point to add that he was not suggesting that the Philippines should go to war (Hindi ako naghahanap ng away, hindi ako naghahanao ng giyera) but he went on to insist that the Philippines should defend what is ours, because if we just give up, where will it end? (Dapat panindigan natin kung ano ang atin.

Kasi kung isuko natin yan basta basta, saan matatapos yan?).

Well, just to give you an idea of where this could end, one Chinese television commentator committed a Freudian slip by stating that the Philippines is part of Chinese territory. She probably meant Pag-Asa or Thitu Island but we can only imagine what the folks in Beijing are salivating over.

Those who have read their history books, must be familiar with Japan’s Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This was a euphemism for Japanese control of occupied countries (like the Philippines) by which puppet governments manipulated local economies for the benefit of the Japanese empire.

But what really got me riled up was the logic of one person whom I personally know and who I would have expected to at

meant that you stuck out like a sore thumb in any setting — as if you had your country of origin’s flag tattooed on your forehead. I wanted so badly to be less Filipino as if that was even possible. It was this toxic belief that ate away my identity, which resulted in my hiding a part of myself.

The Philippines was occupied by the Spaniards for 333 years, the Americans for a few more, and the Japanese for a brief period. The hopefulness that came with our independence gradually faded over time, as is telling given the tumultuous, poverty-stricken state of our nation. For this reason, my life in the Philippines was driven by my parents’ promise of getting out and obtaining a better life. My parents ingrained this in me from the moment I was able to comprehend what anything meant. Moving to the U.S. was a given, and it was also due to the many relatives we have who were able to live better lives upon moving here. This type of conditioning that I experienced made me harbor this feeling of cynicism for living in the Philipleast bewail the bullying tactics of the Chinese. Instead, this fellow (let’s call him Junior) blamed former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales for filing a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jingping with the International Criminal Court over China’s incursions into Philippine territory and the way Filipino fishermen have been deprived of their livelihood.

Junior theorized that this offended China and provoked it into increasing the pressure on the Philippines — obviously referring to the increase in the number of ships pressing in on Pag-Asa. I took that to mean that Junior would have preferred to just allow China to mount its virtual naval blockade of Pag-Asa, “wrapping” its military forces around Philippine territory, denying free access to the island, depriving the inhabitants of supplies, and preventing our fisherman from working within Philippine waters (this is what China means by its “cabbage” tactic). This, in order not to “offend” the bullies.

Perhaps I was overly sarcastic with my comment which was to recall the demented advice of a former Philippine senator and secretary of foreign affairs: “When rape is inevitable, just lie back and enjoy it.”

Junior’s response was sharp

Ashlee Monton, a student at California State University, Northridge

pines. It was like I was culturally absent because I never allowed myself to enjoy Filipino music, shows, movies, and literature. I was set on priming myself to be more American, which included paying more attention to news and current events in the U.S., and being more concerned about anything that had to do with American culture. I woke up every single day looking forward to leaving my home country, which

fostered within me a colonial mentality. This is when one believes that the colonizer’s culture is much more superior than their own culture. As a result, they refuse to acknowledge, or take part in their own culture in an attempt to embody their colonizers. This type of thinking was something I grappled with my whole life, even more so when I moved to the United States. It was only un-

and direct. He said that it was none of my business because “You are now a U.S. citizen.” His final statement: “Butt off.”

By “butt off,” Junior probably meant, “Huwag kang makialam!”

(Don’t get involved). He probably would have done better by stating it in Tagalog rather than this awkward usage of American idiom (e.g. one works his butt off, meaning working oneself to the bone), but anyway, I got the message.

Thus, I responded by pointing out that I have been a Filipino several years longer than Junior (I am almost 80 and Junior must be in his early 60’s).

Junior’s riposte was even sharper: “You gave up your Filipino citizenship.” And patronizing: “Just enjoy your retirement.”

Junior is supposed to be a journalist, but he forgot to check his facts. I was among those who lobbied the Philippine Senate, the House of Representatives and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the passage of the Dual Citizenship Act. I was also among the very first batch to reacquire Philippine citizenship upon enactment of the law.

But my Filipino citizenship, frankly, is beside the point. I think that Junior, who must believe he is a bona fide Filipino citizen should reconsider whether or not he deserves to remain

so. My last rebuttal to him was: “You should be ashamed of yourself for your cowardice.”

I believe that Foreign Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin is right in his tweet to the effect that he intends to take “legal action” against the Chinese. He may have watered that down with his subsequent statement that it’s “not the right time” to get into a dispute with China. Whatever Locsin means by that, we just hope the “right time” isn’t up to the Chinese to decide.

Like Mar Roxas, I am not suggesting going to war with China. Neither do I subscribe to Duterte’s threat of a “suicide mission” (which implies an attack on the superior Chinese forces).

But the gallantry of our soldiers in Bataan and Corregidor should not be lost on Junior and those who are scared of China.

Holding the fort on Pag-Asa Island is not asking for a fight. It is simply an act of defending what is ours.

Neither should the final words of the Philippine National Anthem be taken as pure bluster.

“Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo.”

These words must surely mean something to every patriotic Filipino. And that includes this almost-80-year-old. (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

u PAGE A9

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OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 20-23, 2019

A

Despite Senate and PNP findings, Duterte blames Roxas for Mamasapano

by Jonathan de

SantoS

Philstar.com

NAIA INSPECTION. Philippine National Police Chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde (2nd from right), checks his men in charge of securing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Holy Wednesday, April 17. The inspection is in preparation for the observance of the Holy Week. Looking on is National Capital Region Police Office Chief, Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (center).

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

From cultural absence to cultural presence...

PAGE A8 t

til this semester, upon taking an Asian American Studies course, that I began to gain awareness of my own mentality contributing to the marginalization of my own people, and my own individual self.

Upon being introduced to Asian American Studies, I began to self-reflect. I started to hold myself accountable for my flawed perspective. Through my Asian American Studies course, I was introduced to the concept of Critical Race Theory, a key tenet of which is that race is a social construct, in a sense, a human invention. This means that race does not exist naturally; all the attributes that we have attached to being white, black, Asian, and in my case, Filipino, were a result of our own conceptions. Lately, I have only started to unpack the colonial mentality that I possess, and found that it is very prevalent among many Filipinos. I held so tightly to this racial identity that I wanted to have: to be more American, without even realizing that it simply does not exist. Race is a social construct, after all, and in the process of trying to suppress my Filipino heritage, I was feeding into the system that categorizes Filipinos in a derogatory way.

In “Brown Skin, White Minds,” author E.J.R. David explains that the colonial mentality among Filipinos has forced them to harbor a sense of self-hatred that has affected not just their individual perception, but the way they perceived all Filipinos. I started to realize that I was not only marginalizing my own group, but I was also taking part in that victimization. My curiosity for my own toxic behavior would have

never arisen if not for my interest in Asian American Studies.

It is through these courses that I’ve finally found in myself a sense of responsibility and identity. I started to be more open to talking about my heritage.

As a Political Science major, I then found myself including Filipino culture in political thought pieces, essays, presentations, and other class projects. I’ve also just noticed that I have been the only Filipina in the majority of my classes, which motivated my wanting to include a Filipino voice even more. The voice that I suppressed for so long is finally taking flight.

Taking Asian American Studies has helped me acquire a unique lens and perspective on many social issues that I otherwise would not even acknowledge. I’ve begun to critically think about inclusiveness and how that affects an individual’s self-perception.

Most classes I have taken simply generalized Asian Americans into one group, and it made me feel invisible. This made it harder for me to actually want to recognize my heritage. It also did not help that in the academic spaces that I have been in, Filipinos were largely invisible in terms of the readings and material. I realized that, for most of my life, I’ve been contributing to the invisibility of my people, and especially, of myself, by being culturally absent, and synonymously, having a distaste for my own heritage. It was through Asian American Studies that I have had the chance to reclaim my identity, one that was always present in me, but never acknowledged.

Looking back now, I do not blame myself for thinking how

I used to think, nor do I resent my parents for raising me the way that they did. I realize that there are plenty of other Filipinos who are exactly like the person I was before, and it is my hope that they can find themselves. For me, I found myself in Asian American Studies. No longer did I feel the need to hide the three stars and the sun on my forehead or to question my parents’ choice in frequenting Seafood City rather than Vons.

Asian American Studies made me come back to my roots, and helped me realize who I truly was, and be proud of it. As I go further into my education and my journey to graduate school, I am making it my personal mission to make space for Filipinos in every social, political, economic aspect in this society.

This is my way of making up for all those years of being culturally absent — by being culturally present in the most utterly obnoxious way possible. This is me giving back to my people, and giving back to Asian American Studies for leading me back home.

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

She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 years.

She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine.

Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has accused opposition senatorial candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II of “wasting” the lives of the 44 police commandos who died in the Mamasapano clash four years ago.

This, despite Senate hearings and parallel government investigations showing Roxas, Local Government secretary when the clash happened, was out of the loop on the operation that left 67 Filipinos dead.

“He (Roxas) wasted 44 lives for nothing. They could not even explain...why it was the police who went there who were totally ignorant of the topography and the physical arrangement of the area?” Duterte said in campaign speeches this week.

The operation involving units of the elite police Special Action Force in a remote town in Maguindanao in January 2015 led to the death of wanted terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” but 44 police officers, 18 Moro

Islamic Liberation Front fighters and several civilians were killed in a clash as the troopers were leaving.

The clash has been blamed on poor planning and a lack of coordination with the MILF despite ceasefire protocols on operations near MILF communities.

The Mamasapano encounter was one of the issues that confronted Roxas during his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2016.

In January 2017, former President Benigno Aquino III issued a statement after Duterte alleged the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency was behind the SAF operation.

He said that the U.S. helped with intelligence but was not involved in operations on the ground.

He also said that when Director Getulio Napeñas Jr., SAF commander at the time, presented the concept for Oplan Exodus, he was worried about “pintakasi”, where armed residents and fighters swarm government troops. He said that he stressed

that Napeñas should coordinate on the operation with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Aquino also stressed in January 2017 that the SAF is not limited to operations in urban areas.

The former president also said the PNP was supposed to lead the joint operation with the AFP because it was the police that had the actionable intelligence.

Senate committee report on the Mamasapano clash A report by the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs noted the lack of coordination in the operation and the involvement of former PNP chief Alan Purisima in the operation despite being put on preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman over an unrelated graft complaint.

It noted that Napeñas only got in touch with the Army’s 6th Infantry Division more than two hours after the “Seaborne” reached the area.

“This was the first attempt at

u PAGE A11

A10 april 20-23, 2019 • la WEEKEND aSiaN JOUrNal

Dateline PhiliPPines

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Palace: Unconstitutional House insertions among vetoed items

by JuLie

M. AureLio Inquirer.net

Otso Diretso senatorial bets Florin Hilbay, Chel Diokno, Gary Alejano and Samira Gutoc went to Masinloc, Zambales to reiterate their firm resolve to stand for the right of Filipino fishers to Scarborough Shoal, which is also called Bajo de Masinloc.

Philstar.com photo

Otso Diretso tells rivals: Come with us to Panatag

by Gerry Lee

Gorit

Philstar.com

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Otso Diretso senatorial candidates last Tuesday, April 16, challenged their administration counterparts to sail with them or on their own to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“If they want to come with us to Scarborough Shoal, why not?

They should accompany us and see what is actually going on there,” said human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno.

Diokno issued the challenge as he confirmed that Otso Diretso will push through with their planned visit to the shoal, probably after Holy Week.

Otso Diretso is composed of Diokno, Romy Macalintal, Gary Alejano, Erin Tañada, Florin Hilbay, Samira Gutoc, Mar Roxas and Bam Aquino.

Speaking to reporters after the senatorial candidates’ forum at Lourdes College here, Diokno said he and his fellow Otso Diretso candidates are determined to go to Panatag Shoal after the Philippine Coast Guard gave them permission to visit the disputed maritime territory.

Attending the forum were Diokno, Hilbay and Macalintal. Independent candidates Jose Matula and Edmundo Casiño joined Otso Diretso during the event.

Diokno said Otso Diretso candidates are finalizing their common time and date for the visit to Panatag Shoal.

He said every Filipino has the right to go not just to Panatag but all the areas in the West Philippine Sea which are under Philippine territorial jurisdiction.

“We are not there to fight the Chinese. If they see us, a group of civilians, I don’t anticipate any

kind of hostility (from the Chinese military),” Diokno said.

If the Chinese military will drive them away, Diokno said, they will assert their right through civil means.

“If they use force against us, it’s on them,” he said.

Diokno agreed with political analysts that the country, acting on its own, could not achieve much.

But the Philippines can achieve more if it will seek the help of other nations, especially those which are also staking claims on the disputed territory, he said.

“We must avail (ourselves of assistance from the international community), to get the other countries behind us. Many will support us, not only because of the arbitral ruling, but on the premise that the international community operates on the principle of diplomacy,” Diokno said. n

What triggered Duterte’s change in tune...

PAGE A7 On one of the Comelec-sanctioned debates at the height of his presidential campaign in 2016, Duterte promised to ride a jet ski to a China-occupied island in the West Philippine Sea to plant a Philippine flag and assert the country’s claims.

When Duterte assumed office in June 2016, his administration sought to forge closer ties with Beijing in a bid to court more Chinese investments into the Philippines.

The Duterte administration has refused to bring up the arbitral ruling with China and opted to hold a bilateral consultation mechanism instead. The Philip-

pines, along with other Southeast Asian nations, and China opened negotiations on a legally-binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. In March 2018, two years after making his jet ski promise, Duterte said it was only a joke.

“When I said I would go to China on a jet ski, that’s nonsense.

I don’t even have… It’s just talk.

I’m surprised you believed it,” Duterte said.

Filipinos oppose government inaction on sea row As the Duterte government seeks stronger ties with China, majority of Filipinos are not pleased with the administration’s policy on the West Philippine

Sea. A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released November 2018 showed that an overwhelming majority of Filipinos oppose the government’s supposed inaction on China’s incursion in the West Philippine Sea. The poll found that 84% of 1,200 adult respondents said it is “not right” for the Philippine government to leave China lone with its infrastructures and military presence in the disputed area.

The same survey also showed that 86% of Filipinos believe it is necessary for the government to strengthen its military capability, particularly the Navy. n

MANILA — The P95.3 billion worth of appropriations in the P3.8-trillion budget for 2019 vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte included the “unconstitutional” changes to the spending bill made by the House of Representatives, Malacañang said on Tuesday, April 16.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said late on Monday, April 15, that the vetoed appropriations were not found to be unconstitutional but were just not part of President Duterte’s programmed priorities.

But asked on Tuesday if the vetoed items included the postratification realignments by the House, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo replied: “Correct. It is.”

Violated the Constitution Panelo said the rejected provisions were “the so-called insertions or riders” that were not part of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ program and therefore violated the Constitution.

“Those vetoed provisions are in violation of the Constitution or it is against certain statutes. That was also the statement made by the president,” he said.

“Remember the [2013] decision of the Supreme Court?

The decision of the Supreme Court was that if they are unprogrammed, then it violates the Constitution,” he added.

The senators rejected the unprogrammed provisions introduced by the House after Congress ratified the budget bill on Feb. 8. For them, the postratification changes were pork.

The congressmen insisted they simply itemized lump sums in the budget, a process that they claimed was in accordance with the Constitution.

Asked on Tuesday if the Palace considered the vetoed appropriations pork, Panelo said: “They are in violation of the Constitution. Whether you call it pork or beef or meat or fish, those provisions are violative of the basic Charter.”

House-Senate standoff Months of squabbling between the House and the Senate over the creation and elimination of pork delayed the transmission of the budget bill to Malacañang.

The delay forced the administration to revert to the 2018 budget and cut its 2019 growth target to 6-7 percent from 7-8 percent, reflecting the absence of a new spending program.

To break the standoff, Senate President Vicente Sotto III signed the ratified budget bill in late March and transmitted it to the Palace with a letter advising the president to veto unconstitutional provisions.

In signing the budget on Monday, Mr. Duterte told the House leadership in a veto message that “[a]ny provision introduced in this budget which does not relate to a particular appropriation or

President Duterte, assisted by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, shows the P3.8-trillion budget for 2019 that he signed on Monday, April 15, after vetoing P95.3 billion in unprogrammed items, including postratification changes made by the House of Representatives.

Malacañang photo

those which seek to amend the Constitution and existing laws have no place in the (General Appropriations Act) as these are considered ‘rider’ provisions and therefore must be subjected to direct veto.”

“Likewise, items of appropriation that are not consistent with the programmed priorities are hereby vetoed,” he said.

Just OK with GMA Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo shrugged off the House’s loss, telling reporters in San Carlos City, Negros Oriental province, that she, too, vetoed budget provisions when she was president.

“Every year, I partially vetoed the budget,” Arroyo said.

The budget was also reenacted in 2001, 2004 and 2007 under Arroyo.

But Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., the House appropriations committee chair, was bitter, slamming the “celebratory mood” at the Senate on Tuesday.

Andaya said in a statement that he had not yet read the president’s veto message but wondered why the Senate was “claiming victory” over the deletion from the budget of billions of pesos worth of amendments by the House.

“Does this mean that the Senate pork remains intact? Could this be the reason for their celebratory mood?” he said.

“It’s not Good Friday in the Senate but Christmas,” he said.

Sotto dismissed Andaya’s talk of senatorial pork.

“We do not need to pay attention to brickbats. It’s the people’s victory. The illegal realignments cannot escape the President’s scrutiny,” Sotto said on Tuesday. “[The President] and his Cabinet know what is advocacy and what is pork,” he added.

Sotto reiterated that the additional funds for the construction of health centers and the modernization of the military should not be seen as pork.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the

pork buster who led the charge against the House realignments, praised the president for vetoing the pork in the budget.

“If there is one act of [the President] that is worthy of admiration, this veto message is on top of my list,” Lacson tweeted on Tuesday.

“With his guts, glory comes to the Filipino taxpayers,” he said.

Really pork-free budget?

But asked by the Inquirer if the approved budget was really free of pork as defined in the 2013 Supreme Court ruling, Lacson said, “That we have to see.”

“Nothing is perfect in this world. I hope we will get there sooner than later and consistently,” he said.

Party-list groups Bayan Muna and ACT Teachers said Mr. Duterte should have also vetoed the billions of pesos in “presidential pork” that the senators had tucked in the allotments for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and other government-owned and -controlled corporations.

Not everyone in the House is angry over the loss of pork.

‘Slap in the face’ Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, a vice chair on Andaya’s committee who had sided with the senators in the controversy, called the veto “a slap in the face of the House leadership.”

“This presidential veto is a slap in the face of House leaders, particularly Andaya and (Majority Leader Fredenil) Castro, who both insisted no manipulations had taken place and that they had simply itemized lump-sum portions of the budget, even to the point of mocking their critics for supposedly making much ado about nothing,” he said.

“Well, the veto proved who among us were telling the truth,” said Villafuerte, who earlier accused Andaya and Castro of diverting public works and health funds from some districts to those of their allies. n

Duterte threatens to sack MWSS execs by rALph

ViLLAnueVA ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to fire officials of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for failing to prevent a water shortage in parts of Metro Manila and Rizal province, saying there were more qualified people to do their jobs.

Speaking at the campaign rally of the ruling PDP-Laban party in Tuguegarao City on Tuesday night, Duterte hinted at firing officials in the government because of corruption.

He then shifted to the MWSS, saying the water agency knew the El Niño dry spell was coming, but did not prepare for it.

“The MWSS. You know that is… seasonal. It comes with regularity, El Niño. Son of a b***h, you have been there for several years and you do not prepare for it? And when it comes, the people have no water,” he said.

The board of MWSS is headed

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco

by Franklin Demonteverde, a retired Negros Occidental judge, and its administrator is a retired police general, Reynaldo Velasco.

Other members of the MWSS board are Jose Hernandez, Valeriano Pasquil, Merly Cruz, Melanie Sia-Lambino, Mariano Alegarbes and Melchior Acosta Jr. Duterte again noted that a day after scolding MWSS officials and executives of the agency’s two water concessionaires, Manila Water Company Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. on March 19, water supply was back.

“The afternoon, there was already water. You see? Why do you have to cause problem for the people when there are things that you can do at once…

It just means, you derail everything in life. They cannot drink, they cannot…. Foolishness,” he said.

The President said he had no patience for people sleeping on their jobs, saying they “either hack it or not.”

“You know, there are a lot of Filipinos here, engineers outside that are skilled but are not known. There are millions of Filipinos waiting outside, [brighter] than you, [smarter],” he said.

“But, they are not well-known because they are not politicians.

I will not hesitate to replace you all,” he added.

Last month, Malacañang said a visually irate Duterte threatened to fire officials of MWSS and end the contracts of its concessionaires during a 40-minute meeting, if the water shortage was not addressed.

Duterte had directed the MWSS to demand from Manila Water, Maynilad and other responsible offices to release water good for 150 days from the Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s main water source.

On Tuesday, the Chief Operating Officer of Manila Water Geodino Carpio stepped down following last month’s water shortage that hit about 1.2 million households in Metro Manila and Rizal province.

Manila Water came under fire as customers — from lowincome families to commercial and industrial establishments — suffered major inconveniences because of an unprecedented water shortage that started on March 6 with the implementation of a scheduled water service interruption scheme to refill 28 reservoirs.

The utility has an allocation of 1,600 million liters per day (MLD) from Angat Dam. However, the company was forced to tap its reserves from La Mesa Dam to make up for a supply deficit, as demand increased to about 1,750 MLD over the previous weeks.

The listed water utility declared a one-time bill relief for ManilaTimes.net photo by Rudy Martinez its customers. n

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 20-23, 2019

A11

Canada’s trash shipment, refusal to take back wastes are illegal — legal non-profit

TRI-AGENCY MEETING. Commission on Elections Chairman Sheriff Abas (6th from right), Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. (5th from right), Philippine National Police chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde (6th from left), and other government officials link arms for a souvenir photo at the signing of the Joint Letter Directive 01-2019 at Tejeros Hall in Camp Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday, April 16. The letter directive was drafted for the delegation of tasks to participating military and police personnel who would secure the May 13 mid-term polls.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Despite Senate and PNP findings, Duterte blames...

PAGE A9 t

‘coordination’ made by the PNPSAF with a unit of the AFP,” the committee report read, adding the 55th Special Action Company that was acting as a “blocking force” would be engaged by “hostile Moro Islamic Liberation Front forces” within minutes of the message.

“The ‘coordination’ while late was urgently necessary as the PNP-SAF troopers were already engaged with hostile forces and needed reinforcement to assist them in their exfiltration,” the Senate committee also said.

“Similarly, no prior coordination was made... with the government’s peace process mechanisms,” it also said.

Military support The committee also notes that the Armed Forces of the Philippines had authorized the deployment of Army troops and mechanized infantry to reinforce the SAF units but did not approve indirect fire support without “complete details of the firefight” beceause there were non-combatants in the area.

The committee report called the lack of coordination a “fatal flaw” and noted that: “Oplan Exodus was poorly planned and executed. It intentionally broke the chain of command. The Oplan was not followed to details. It was badly coordinated. Oplan Exodus had badges of failure from the start.”

It noted further that on the suspended Purisima’s instructions: “Secretary of Interior and Local Government and the Officer in Charge of the PNP [Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina]

were deliberately kept unaware of Oplan Exodus.”

It added: “A text message about the ongoing operation sent by Secretary Roxas to the president at 8:09 a.m. deserved only a curt ‘thank you’ from the president.”

Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry findings A PNP Board of Inquiry conducted site inspections and interviews with local officials and with MILF commanders in 2015 to look into possible lapses in the operation that led to the Mamasapano clash. Former national police chief Ronald Dela Rosa, a close ally of the president and an administration candidate for senator, was in the audit team that conducted the police inquiry.

The BOI noted in its report that although Roxas and Espina were included in a March 2014 briefing “about a special project to take down high value targets”, they were “kept in the dark throughout the planning process of Oplan Exodus.”

It also pointed out that Espina “was never consulted for approval before the concept of Oplan Exodus was presented to the president. There was no opportunity for the OIC-PNP to inform SILG about Oplan Exodus, as he himself was taken put of the loop.”

Both only learned about the operation on the morning of Jan. 25, 2015 when the mission was already underway.

The police board also said the mission plan “failed to provide in-depth analysis of the terrain, particularly the condition of the

rivers along the route”, which troops could have prepared for in exercises and rehearsals.

Because of this, the progress of the “Seaborne” was delayed and “caused a domino effect in delaying the movement of the “containment/blocking forces (55th, 45th, 42nd and 41st SACs) which consequently resulted in their failure to reach their designated waypoints and in their failure to accomplish their tasks.”

Military support The BOI report noted that although the AFP sent armored vehicles and troops “where they could provide support to the beleaguered SAF commandos, excepting the provision of artillery support”, which came 11 hours from time of request.

It said that “artillery support could not be immediately provided because there was no contact with the engaged SAF commandos and there was no [forward observer] who scould provide information on the direction of artillery fire, taking into consideration the ‘danger close’ principle.”

The term “danger close” means friendly forces might be hit by artillery or air support.

Citing Army Artillery Regiment regulations, the BOI said artillery was put on hold because of the lack of FOs within the requesting unit, lack of direct radio communication with the field artillery battery and a lack of identification of “enemy’s location from friendly forces”, stressing again that artillery support “could have been practically arranged if only prior coordination was made by the SAF.” n

MANILA — Canada’s dumping of tons of garbage in the Philippines in 2013 and 2014 violated an international treaty and Ottawa’s inaction on the issue is illegal, a new legal opinion found.

The legal opinion, prepared by lawyers at the Pacific Center for Environmental Law and Litigation, was sent to reporters on Wednesday, April 17, by EcoWaste Coalition. CELL is a non-profit society based in British Columbia, Canada.

The legal opinion said there is a “strong argument that Canada violated the Basel Convention” when it shipped 103 container vans of wastes to the Philippines. The shipments—falsely declared containing homogenous plastic scrap material—actually contained heterogenous waste such as household trash, used adult diapers and electronic waste.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and Their Disposal prohibits the exports of wastes that are falsely-labeled.

“The Basel Convention applies to the shipments of wastes in question because the contents of the container vans were wastes deemed to be hazardous under Philippine law and therefore are ‘hazardous wastes’ within the means of the Basel Convention, or in any case were household

wastes within the meaning of ‘other wastes’ under the Basel Convention,” the opinion read.

The legal opinion also noted that Canada failed to discharge its obligation under Article 9 of the Basel Convention. The article states that “the state of export shall ensure that the wastes in question are taken back by the exporter or the generator or, if necessary, by itself into the state of export.”

The Basel Convention also requires a country that has exported illegal wastes to take back the garbage within 30 days. But the Canadian government has for five years failed to take action on the longstanding issue despite requests from Philippine authorities.

It added that Canada violated the provision which forbid the transfer of obligation to properly manage hazardous or other wastes and that the country failed to impose criminal liability for illegal traffic in household wastes.

Environmental groups all over the world sent the legal opinion and a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, challenging his government to stop violating the Basel Convention and take back the garbage.

“We respectfully request the Canadian government to act on this legal opinion and its Basel Convention obligations and provide a clear and definite date by which it will repatriate its garbage

so that this protracted ordeal can finally be promptly ended,” groups said.

They added: “Canada should meet the standards set by the Republic of Korea which has acted to promptly arrange the return of its wastes illegally dumped in the Philippines, citing convention obligations.”

The first batch of garbage illegally brought into the Philippines finally arrived in South Korea last February 4—around seven months after the waste shipments arrived at a port in Mindanao.

Trudeau said during the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila that his country is committed to solving the garbage dumping issue.

But two years later after his statement, the Canadian garbage is still languishing in the Philippine soil.

The environmental groups, moreover, said that the matter is a “moral issue that demonstrates Canada’s level of respect for the citizens of developing countries and how the nation demonstrates proper conduct.”

“Leaving Canada’s garbage in another country for five years reveals values that clash with moral responsibility,” they said.

The groups earlier sent letters to Trudeau but the government has not responded. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)

PH press freest in SE Asia, says DOJ chief

by TeTch

Torres-Tupas Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippine press “is the freest in the region,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday, April 17, as he dared visiting foreign journalists to prove their allegations that press freedom in the country is diminishing.

“Contrary to the opinion of the visiting foreign journalists, I believe that the Philippine press is the freest in the region. Anyone can criticize or say anything against the government without fear of retaliation,” Guevarra said in reaction to reports by representatives of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) from the U.S. and Alliance for Journalists Freedom (AJF) from Australia.

CPJ and AJF took note of the “increasing levels of intimidation” against Filipino journalists

and “shrinking space for the free press in the country.”

Guevarra said the foreign journalists made a hasty generalization after a two-day fact-finding probe.

The CPJ and AJF cited the 11 criminal cases filed against journalist Maria Ressa and her online news outfit Rappler as basis for their findings.

The groups claimed that the cases against Ressa and Rappler were a form of “formal and informal pressure on journalists… that appear to be politically motivated” and which “created a sense of fear throughout the media industry, leading to self-censorship.”

Guevarra rebutted this, saying the case of Rappler is an isolated one that has nothing to do with press freedom.

“Maria Ressa’s case is not reflective of the overall situation.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra Malacañang photo

Her cases arose from a violation of our Securities Code, which led to other cases such as tax evasion and anti-dummy charges.

Her cyber libel case was initiated by a private individual, not by the government,” Guevarra pointed out. n

A12 april 20-23, 2019 • la WEEKEND aSiaN JOUrNal

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

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Journal Catriona Gray defends self from Fil-Am actor Matthias Rhoads netizen schooling her about Holy Week draws flak for ‘insensitive’ caption about Notre Dame by

Krissy AguilAr Inquirer.net

MISS Universe 2018 Catriona Gray did not hold herself back from replying to a netizen who tried to lecture her on what Holy Week is about.

Gray posted on Wednesday, April 17, a photo of herself in a bikini and expressed regret on not getting to visit any beaches in the Philippines during her short stay.

“Where I’d rather be to escape the Philippine summer heat,” Gray wrote as caption.

“I unfortunately wasn’t able to get vitamin sea on my short trip

back home to the Philippines but the beach is where my mind will be!”

But Gray’s post did not seem to sit well with one netizen.

A certain Instagram user @ maecy commented and told the beauty queen, “Holy Week is not about vacationing.”

But the beauty queen replied: “Holy Week is a very meaningful time for Christians (like me), Catholics and other faiths.”

“But as I speak to an audience of an array of faiths and beliefs, within and outside of the Philippines, I want to be inclusive with the conversations I post on social Miss Universe Catriona Gray 2018 Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray media,” she added.

3 Filipino dishes land in Top 500 ‘memorable eating experiences’ of travellers, foodies worldwide by

BernAdette tAmAyo ManilaTimes.net

THREE Filipino dishes — sisig, halo-halo, and adobo — made it to the latest edition of the Lonely Planet Ultimate Eatlist, a compilation of the world’s top 500 “memorable eating experiences.”

“Filipino food doesn’t get a lot of international play compared with other Asian cuisines. And that’s unfortunate as anyone who has tasted sisig knows,” stated an entry on the iconic Kapampangan pork dish. Sisig is ranked highest among the other Filipino dishes in the list.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the list was drawn up by the Lonely Planet community of travellers and foodies. The entries were evaluated PAGE B2

Sisig

ManilaTimes.net photo

by

KAtrinA HAllAre Inquirer.net

FILIPINO American actor Matthias Rhoads drew flak after he supposedly made an insensitive photo caption referring to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

The historic Catholic cathedral recently grabbed the world’s attention when it caught fire on Monday, April 15. The fire toppled the spire and burned the roof of the 12th-century building.

Rhoads first posted a photo of him on Instagram flaunting his toned abs. In the caption, he expressed his gratitude for now having 40,000 followers on the photo-sharing app.

However, a netizen on Twitter named Jason R. Arneson (@ JasonDaRuler) called out the actor for his original caption that read: “The Norte (sic) Dame burned down today, yet another masterpiece is in the making.”

“Pls tell me this dimwit didn’t just compare his body and ins-

tagram followers to the Notre Dame,” the netizen expressed about Rhoads’ caption.

Another netizen named John Sherwynn Chan (@JohnSherwynn) also did not like Rhoads’ original caption. “It’s completely insensitive of him to post something like this…,” he said. “Also, who he (sic)?”

Meanwhile, a Twitter user going by eleanorxx (@eleanorxx6) shared that he/she had an unpleasant conversation with PAGE B2

EntErtainmEnt

B APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Angelica Panganiban involved in car accident in Japan

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

Angelica Panganiban

Photo from Instagram/@iamangelicap

ACTR ESS Angel ica Pan ganiban had a vehicular accident in Japan, but assured her fans that she is now doing fine.

In her Twitter account, a user asked the actress if she was able to make it to her flight to Japan, to which Angelica said: “Umabot.”

She then added that her taxi had an accident on a freeway in Japan, but she survived with the cab driver.

“Although umikot sa freeway yung taxi ko sa Japan. Masakit lang batok ko at may bukol.

Pero ang importante, ligtas kami ni kuya driver,” Angelica revealed.

“Nagtaka lang ako pinag bayad pa niya ko kahit muntik na kaming mamatay,” she added.

Angelica is in Japan for a vacation and to watch international star John Mayer’s concert.

After the ending of her afternoon soap opera “Playhouse,” Angelica took a breather from showbiz. Earlier this month, she was in Hong Kong for vacation.

Prior to her international getaways, Angelica posted photos on Instagram from a recent trip to Boracay.

Liza Soberano visits set of TV sitcom ‘Friends’ with Enrique Gil by

KriSSy aguilar Inquirer.net

ACTRESS Liza Soberano did not miss the chance to capture the moment when she visited the set of American sitcom “Friends” with boyfriend Enrique Gil. Soberano posted on Thursday, April 18 a photo of her and Gil at the Central Perk, the cafe featured in the series.

Her younger brother Justin was also seen in the photo.

The 21-year-old actress recently flew to Los Angeles, California to attend the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

In a previous post, Soberano said she only attended the event Ads 132the FebKorean 2019_Layout 1 2/14/19 Soberano 1:55 PM Page toAJwitness girl group was1 also accomBLACKPINK perform. panied by Gil and her brother

Photo from Instagram/@lizasoberano

Justin when she attended the music festival.

age gracefully

Annatto Seeds Pack a Powerful Punch Many people have never heard of annatto, also called achiote. The closest most of us in North America have come to this tiny seed that grows in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean is cheddar cheese. Annatto is used to color the naturally white cheddar a pleasant shade of orange.

Stunning new research shows that this often overlooked spice from the rainforest is very good for us. For centuries, folk healers have used annatto to treat infections topically and orally. Some cultures consider it a digestive aid and a heartburn calmer.

Annatto/achiote is full of the FoodTrients vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids, as well as vitamins B2 and B3 and helpful phytochemicals.

Other compounds in annatto are antimicrobial.

According to new studies that have looked into the molecular structure of vitamin E, the form of vitamin E available in annatto (tocotrienol) is a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and can lower cholesterol.

Vitamin E is integral to skin, hair, and nail health. A company called American River Nutrition (www.americanrivernutrition.com) extracts this superlative form of vitamin E from annatto seeds and sells it as a nutraceutical.

Instead of taking an annatto/achiote supplement, you can just cook with it.

Achiote seeds grow inside inedible, spiky, heart-shaped, fruit pods. You can buy powdered annatto or achiote seeds at Mellissas.com. I prefer working with achiote seeds because I know they haven’t been adulterated with other powders or flavors. The best way for home cooks to extract the flavors and nutrients from the seeds is to simmer them in oil or infuse

them in vinegar. The goodness and flavor of the achiote will then be transferred to the oil or vinegar.

I use neutral-tasting oil like corn or canola or grapeseed, which won’t fight the taste of the seeds. Olive oil isn’t a good choice.

Coconut oil can work really well especially if you’re planning on making a Brazilian dish. Start with 1 teaspoon of achiote seeds and add ½ cup of coconut oil to a saucepan. Simmer the seeds in the oil over medium heat for 5–7 minutes. Swirl the pan a few times while cooking to keep the seeds evenly distributed. The oil will turn a beautiful orange color and the seeds will sizzle and turn very dark brown. Once all the seeds have turned dark, remove them from the heat. Cool the oil and strain out the solids. Now it’s ready.

To infuse vinegar, place a teaspoon of seeds in a 2-cup container and cover with ¼ cup of white vinegar. You can also use rice vinegar or apple-cider vinegar.

Microwave the mixture for 1 minute, then let stand for 20 minutes. Strain the solids out and use the infused vinegar to add flavor when slowly roasting pulled pork with onions. To make a salad dressing with it, combine the vinegar with 1 teaspoon of honey and 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Try sautéeing ground beef and onions in achiote oil when you’re making taco filling.

When preparing rice dishes, pan-fry the rice in achiote oil before simmering with tomatoes and olives to make a very authentic Spanish rice. Sear chicken breasts in achiote oil before sprinkling them with salt and paprika and then finish them in the oven for a colorful, flavorful take on an old standby.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

Maja Salvador dances her way to NCCA ambassadorship by

arlo CuStodio ManilaTimes.net

FRESH from her stint as one of three judges in TV’s just-concluded “World of Dance Philippines (WODP),” Maja Salvador strengthened her position as the country’s premier modern terpsichorean when she was named Dance Ambassador by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) on April 11, in time for Dance Xchange or the celebration of the International Dance Day on April 29.

While she had previously and pointedly answered bashers who questioned her presence

among WOPD’s panel of judges with Gary Valenciano and Billie Crawford [Salvador posted on her Instagram,”Wag ako, wala na tayong magagawa, nakaupo na si Maja bilang judge. Wala na kayong pakialam, yun na yun!”], she nevertheless clarified during the ceremonies that she wanted to help others reach their dreams the way that she reached hers, be it in dance or the other art forms. It is for this reason, according to the actress, that she accepted NCCA’s challenge despite some negative reactions.

“Before people got to know me as an actress, I entertained [everyone] through dancing

first. And from the time I danced with John Prats in ‘It Might Be You’ starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo in 2003, I have been dancing continuously on ‘ASAP’ week after week for 16 years. At lahat po ng klaseng sayaw yun. Of course, if there were dances that I wasn’t very comfortable with, like ballroom dancing, I’d ask for more time to rehearse, like two or three sessions,” she told the media during her launch as NCCA’s first Dance Ambassador since the Dance Xchange was established eight years ago.

In a side interview with NCCA Deputy Executive Director MarPAGE B3

Fil-Am actor Matthias Rhoads...

PAGE B1 the actor via private messaging on Instagram, and described Rhoads as someone who is “disrespectful, in public and in private.”

In the photos of the conversation which the netizen shared, Rhoads asked him/her why he/she got mad over his post. He went on to say that his caption was only a joke, saying that the Notre Dame “is just a building.”

“I don’t care [about] yours or anyone else who got mad at it,” Rhoads supposedly told the netizen, adding: “So don’t go on my page.”

The netizen also posted an update, sharing he/she got blocked from viewing the actor’s Instagram page.

The actor is known for being part of a viral video titled “Vow” released by a fast-food chain in February 2017. He was also part of the supporting cast of the GMA teleserye “Super Ma’am” starring Marian Rivera.

Rhoads has not spoken up about the issue, as of this writing.

Matthias Rhoads

Photo from Instagram/@manilamatthias

Marian Rivera gives birth to baby boy

by Jan

Milo Severo

Philstar.com

ACTRESS Marian Rivera has given birth to her second child with husband Dingdong Dantes on Tuesday, April 16.

In his Instagram account, Dingdong posted the photo of Marian with their baby boy Jose Sixto G. Dantes IV. “Yahoo! After around 10 hours of labor, Marian finally gave birth to our baby boy at 1:35pm today.

Thank you very much for praying with us. Welcome to the world, Jose Sixto G. Dantes IV!,” Dingdong said.

In a previous interview with Philstar.com, Marian said that her

second pregnancy was a complete opposite of her first one.

“Ang pregnancy, kahit sinong nanay ang tanungin mo, iba-iba ‘yan e. Kay Zia kasi ‘di ako inaantok, ‘di ako ganoong kalakas kumain. Ito kasi baligtad, palagi akong inaantok, sobrang lakas ko kumain. Pero hindi naman ako hirap, enjoy naman ako,” she said.

The “Kapuso Primetime Queen” also said in the same press conference that their target number of children is four.

Marian and Dingdong announced last September that they are expecting their second child. Marian Rivera has given birth to her second After getting married last 2014, child with husband Dingdong Dantes on they welcomed their first born Tuesday, April 16.

Photo from Instagram/@dongdantes Maria Letizia in 2015.

3 Filipino dishes land in Top 500...

PAGE B1 by a panel of 20 chefs and food writers and was ranked based on taste, cultural significance, and uniqueness of location.

Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Antonio Lagdameo said, “The world has yet to fully discover Filipino cuisine.”

“At the Embassy, we share the

Filipino community’s insatiable appetite to show the world what they are missing an exciting culinary experience when they miss out on Filipino food,” Lagdameo said.

He said that since 2018, the embassy through its Cultural Diplomacy Unit, has initiated various efforts to promote Filipino

food in the UK and Ireland such as strengthening ties with the growing number of Filipino food advocates to engaging the UK’s culinary tastemakers.

The spike in the number of Filipino restaurants, pop-ups, and supper clubs in the UK, for example, shows the growing interest in Filipino food in the region.

© 2015–2019 by FoodTrients.com

BY GRACE O

Salvador joins the Filipino Unity Dance which traditionally ends major NCCA events.

GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks — The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmand’s ‘Best in the World’ Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry.

Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com Adobo

Halo-halo

ManilaTimes.net photos

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Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla

EntErtainmEnt

always protect you. I will always be your number one fan. I love you so much,” said Kathryn, who ACTRESS Kathryn Bernardo is in Hong Kong for a shooting of had a short birthday message for her upcoming film “Hello, Love, her on- and off-screen partner Goodbye” with Kapuso actor Alden Richards.

Daniel Padilla.

In response, Daniel said he During Daniel’s birthday number in “ASAP” last Sunday where already misses Kathryn and he he sang “The Girl From Ipane- thanked his girlfriend for the ma,” Kathryn had a short video birthday surprise.

“Maraming maraming salamat greeting for her boyfriend.

“Hi love! Happy, happy birth- sa mensahe mo, bal. I miss you day. Ang daming nagmamahal sa very much. I will see you soon,” ‘yo. I will always love you, I will Daniel said.

by JAn

Milo severo Philstar.com

Daniel’s 24th birthday is on April 26. It is unclear, however, if they have time together to celebrate it because reports said that Kathryn will stay in Hong Kong for a month.

The love team popularly known as “KathNiel” earlier said that they both agreed not to team up in a teleserye or a film this year to grow individually as actors.

KathNiel have been officially in a relationship for over six years.

New OFW movie veers away from sad tales, focuses on success

by Arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

Behind the scenes in Dubai: (from left) producer Jay-Ar Rosales, lead actress Sylvia Sanchez, the Emirati couple Mohammad and Fatima who play her employers, co-producer Ting Umpa and director Neal ‘Buboy’ Tan. ManilaTimes.net photos

Rafael Rosell

Dianne Medina

Maja Salvador dances her...

PAGE B2 ichu Tellano, The Manila Times learned that the choice for Salvador was unanimous.

“We also considered Billy Crawford but he dances only to foreign music, unlike Maja who can dance every genre even our own folk dances,” Tellano said.

Tinikling as showcase of Filipino dancing skills Asked what Filipino dance she would promote to the international stage if given the chance, she said it’s tinikling as it can go slow or fast and there’s a lot of movements and skills involved in presenting the bamboo pole dance, yet it’s easy to go with the beat.

Comparing her life to a dance, she said it’s jazz.

“Ganun kasi ang naging takbo ng buhay ko, slow, mula pagkabata, hindi [naging] mabilis ang mga pangyayari, yung tamang galaw lang,” she noted, adding that it’s a big blessing for her to be in the same league now with Boy Abunda and Piolo Pascual as NCCA ambassador.

Of the artists that she wanted to dance with — she clarified that she wanted to share the stage only and not for a dance duel — it already happened when she performed with Gary V in World of Dance, and still in her bucket list to dance along with Jennifer Lopez.

“Sixteen years ako sa “ASAP” pero di nagkaroon ng chance yung kay Sir Gary [na magkasama sa iisang entablado] pero nagkaroon ng katuparan sa World of Dance. Internationally,

B

Photo from Instagram/@bernardokath

Kathryn Bernardo to Daniel Padilla on his birthday: ‘I’ll always be your number one fan’

MOST of the memorable movies made about overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are those centered on tragedy and emotionally-charged stories.

Remember “The Flor Contemplacion Story” in 1995, “The Sarah Balabagan Story” (1997), “Anak” (2000) and all the way to “Maid in London” in 2018.

By mid-year, another film about OFWs will hit the big screen but this time, it will be a feel-good movie showing the successful side of the Filipino diaspora.

“There are so many successful OFWs whose stories can serve as inspiration to all of us, so why tackle the few negative experiences of those who sacrificed for their families?” director Neal Tan said during the story conference and cast pre sentation of “OFW The Movie” at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office in Pasay City.

Tan is remembered for his opus “Ataul For Rent” starring Jaclyn Jose and Joel Torre; “Tarima” starring Gloria Romero, Fanny Serrano and Rocky Salumbides; and “Kalabit” starPAGE B5

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

siyempre ang Ate JLo ko. It’s because of her kaya na-appreciate ko lalo ang sumayaw. As we all know she became a big Hollywood star [as an actress and a recording artist] she said.

Salvador the more expressed gratefulness for her NCCA ambassadorship as well as her

stint as WODP judge when it was made known during the media conference that the first winner of the dance reality show franchise — FCPC of Bulacan, was also the grand champion in the 2018 Sayaw Pinoy NCCA National Dance Competition held in October.

Salvador joins the Filipino Unity Dance which traditionally ends major NCCA events.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

CONQUERING THE FEAR OF UNCERTAINTY AND SIX ICE AGENTS KNOCKING AT THEIR DOOR ON THIS SUNDAY’S “CITIZEN PINOY!” After they were offered jobs as caregivers, Danilo (left) and Millet (center) took a big gamble when they decided to stay in the U.S. to pursue their American dream. It was not easy, especially after their hard-earned money was lost to a lawyer who hardly did anything to move their case forward. They eventually went out of status, and even had ICE. agents come knocking on their door. The couple then consulted with Atty. Michael Gurfinkel, who took over the case, and helped them acquire their green cards. Leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael Gurfinkel (right) was also able to help their two daughters avail of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and getting approval on their green cards the same day President Trump cancelled DACA. Watch this encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Geoff Eigenmann now engaged to singer girlfriend

ACTOR Geoff Eigenmann is now engaged to his longtime girlfriend, singer Maya Flores.

In his Instagram post, Geoff posted a photo of him with Maya with the latter’s finger, which can be seen wearing the engagement ring.

“From my girlfriend, to now my fiancé a new chapter begins #lifesentence,” Geoff captioned the photo.

Maya also posted the same photo and said: “It just got real, like diamond real.

I said yes!”

Maya is currently pregnant with their second baby, a baby boy this time. Geoff and Maya’s first daughter has been named Arabella.

Son of veteran stars Michael de Mesa and Gina Alajar, Geoff started his showbiz career as a Kapuso actor before becoming a Kapamilya artist. He later returned to GMA 7. (Phil- Geoff Eigenmann is now engaged to his long-time girlfriend, singer Maya Flores. star.com) Photo from Instagram/@g_eigenmann_

FEATURES

B4 APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS BILLIONS of people around the world use painkillers, and some of them like water, because they are readily available over the counter and mostly inexpensive.

There is a survey that showed 1 in 20 people take as many as 6 tablets of painkillers for pain or headache. Some even consume more than 365 pain pills in a year. Like all other medications, including “simple” aspirin, or vitamins have potential side effects. Each person has individual response or reaction to different medications.

A jolting revelation: One week of ibuprofen increases the risk for a heart attack. The most popular combination of aspirin and ibuprofen (like Advil), a Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), is effective for pains and inflammation and preferred over steroids, but must also be taken under a physician’s supervision.

The British, Finnish, and Canadian 2017 study, which investigated the impact NSAIDs may have on the risk for heart attack, revealed this alarming finding: “By cross-referencing previous studies encompassing a group of 446,763 individuals, they found that taking NSAIDs over a period of one day to a week was associated with a dramatic risk increase of heart attack, with ibuprofen causing a 48% hike in risk of myocardial infarction.

Rofecoxib, another NSAID that had an even more drastic impact at 58%, had been recalled in 2004, though it is now being considered to return to the market as a specialized treatment for hemophiliacs. Higher dosages of NSAIDs were associated with an even greater risk, though the period of intake did not seem to effect the odds.”

Of course, there are many individual variables and factors when it comes to response or reaction to medications. If you are on any NSAID and are concerned, be sure to discuss this issue with your physician. These drugs are very useful to countless people around the world.

New life-saving cancer tests Cancer is almost synonymous

Are pain pills safe?

to death in many instances. Malignancy is a dreaded disease.

The usual problem is how to diagnose them, and how to do this as early as possible to catch it early and find a cure.

An Australian research team from the University of Queensland found a distinct and “unique DNA structure that is common to every type of cancer they tested for.” This new technology has been proven to be “accurate up to 90 percent in tests of 200 human cancer samples” which includes cancer of the prostate, lymphomas and different types of breast cancer.

“Different cancers have very different signatures and use different types of screenings to detect. Scientists have been unable to identify a simple signature that was common to all cancers, but this new technology seems promising,” says the UoQ team.

Hopefully, someday soon, test would be invented abnd appropriate drugs developed that will detect cancer soonest and make it totally curable, reminiscent of the ravages of killer pulmonary tuberculosis of the yesterdays before anti-Tb pills were developed, where the disease invades almost all organs of the body, virtually a fatal illness at the time, like many cancers today.

Smartphones reduces brain power?

Smartphones are heaven-sent in most instances. For me it is my second self, but more smart, more efficient, much faster when it comes to data production or retrieval, and has a lot more superior computer power than my brain. Used wisely, smartphones make us perform closest to our maximum potential brain power.

However, studies have shown that when we are taking an examination or doing a complex chore requiring our brain’s maximal power, the presence of our smartphone nearby, even face down, or in our pocket, reduces our brain power and performance, compared to another person who does not have a smartphone nearby. Our dependence on it virtually, subconsciously, lessens our self-confidence and distracts our concentration when we are not using it. Many are addicted to their smartphone. I am one of them, who use it for everything, from waking me up to putting me to sleep, and my activities for the whole day, from

setting reminders, getting news updates, emailing, writing my column, navigating, shopping, surfing the net, and communicating with my colleague, Dr. Google.

The advise, especially for children, is to give the smartphone a vacation once in a while, not using it for half a day or more, providing the same break for tablets and laptops. Children on the phone or computer a great part of the day provides passive brain activity, unlike intellectual or brain exercise as in talking to, and interacting with people, reading, doing puzzles, or solving problems, and other active brain exercise. When we always give the task of remembering dates or occasions to our smart devices, for instance, and depend on them as a routine, then our memory bank becomes less efficient, and weaker memory and slower recall result. This does not mean these computers are bad for us. When used appropriately and with wisdom, computers (like smartphones, etc.) are a great boon to a person’s life and to humanity as a whole.

Inflammation is the culprit The initial process in the formation of most diseases is inflammation. This is not the usual obvious inflammation that results from bumps, injuries, that leads to area redness, swelling, warmth, and pain. The pathophysiology is more sophisticated than this and the effect more systemic and general. Some of the triggers are stress, exposure to environmental pollution, toxins, etc., bad food we eat (like processed foods, soft drinks, junk foods, contrary diet, smoking, alcohol, inactivity or lack of exercise, illicit drugs, and some bad behaviors/habits. Any of these, or combination thereof, can trigger inflammation in the inner linings of the arteries all over our body and other organs, production of free radicals and increase in the oxidation processes, and weakening of the immune system.

The food items that are antiinflammatory and anti-oxidants include olive oil, broccoli, tart cherries, blue (and most) berries, fish (omega 3), nuts, kelps and fermented foods. Food items that cause inflammation, which all of us should avoid, especially those with arthritis, include: sugar PAGE B5

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The fascination with the Bible MOONLIGHTING

by MYLAH DE

LEON

IT is the time I prepare myself for worship on Sunday, by reading beautiful and poetic stories from the Bible.

Our knowledge of the Bible was limited to memorizing the Beatitudes, Psalms and part of the Story of Solomon. My mother required of me to memorize parts of the Bible that she considered the most beautiful stories, and to assuage my thirst for these with the fulfillment of spiritual urgency that inspired my youthful soul when I began to read the Holy Book for myself.

Now, anyone who has read the Bible knows there is not a better source for story than this collection of verse and prose, song and lamentation, love and death, sin and punishment. Fascinating revelation of the struggles of the soul of men and women to find the sources of being, either through its divine teaching or as the purest literature in a compendium of information on suffering, strengthen, rejoice of the human nature.

All have some stories in common with other scriptures, whenever they are found.

The virgin birth is not unique to Christianity and loses nothing of its importance, thereby; the story of the great flood tells of how the Lord smelled the sweet savor of Noah’s offering and pleased with what was in the good man’s heart. He vowed He would never again curse the ground, punish man and destroy all life on Earth. Then He created a great arc of lovely colors to vault the sky, as a token of the vow between them, the rainbow.

Of David, the singing shepherd, who was to be the mighty king of Israel. From David’s family came the Savior of Mankind, a baby born from Bethlehem. Ruth the kind, Moabite woman who believed in the God of Israel, gave life to an Israelite family that led down through the years to Mary, Joseph and gentle Jesus.

“It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bothers me; it is that part I do understand.”

- Mark Twain

Photo by Nathan Dumlao from Unsplash

A city named Babel where a tower was built where the Lord confused the language of all the earth, and from there, the people scattered to the far corners to form separate nations each with a language of its own. Their pride is sufficient sin.

The Sermon of the Mount where the people were astonished at the Word, for he taught them with authority, and not as the old scribes who quoted the old laws and not strange things as, “Love your enemies,” “Bless those who curse you,” “Do good to those who hate you,” and “Turn the other cheek.“ These ideas that were new to them, unlike preachings of the Pharisee. The sayings of Jesus truly sounded as though they were the wonder of a merciful and loving God. And there’s a lot more.

The Bible is a whole library of many books. Within a single volume, a huge repository of history, law, religion, poetry,

philosophy; either for information, comfort, inspiration, or for sheer reading pleasure. The Bible contains length of smoothly flowering narratives and complexity of its nearly one million words — inspired words of God in written documents. It’s form of literary expression, of marvelous and stirring evens linked to divine wall and purpose… compelling tales of men and women, caught up in a courageous effort to live good and godly lives, every spiritual sage, agrees.

The Bible was written for the heart as well as for the mind and the will. It was not written to us, but was written for us. It can enlighten, enable, enrich and encourage us if we let it.

Remember the reaction to the writings on the wall at Belshazzar’s feast? Old fashion, Old Testament — fear took the fun out of the feast. *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol. com

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EntErtainmEnt

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

B

New OFW movie veers...

PAGE B3 ring Ara Mina and Raymond Bagatsing, among others.

While some directors and producers choose the awardwinning formula of poverty or crime and punishment for international film festivals, Tan and producer Jose Olinares Jr. of Active Media Events Production Company clarified their intention is to highlight positive results of working abroad.

“Most of the time what’s reported on social media [or mainstream media for that matter] are those getting jailed, killed or raped, and that’s has become the general idea what it’s like to be a Filipino working abroad. Pero marami rin namang umuuwing wagi or victorious, yung iba nagiging milyonaryo pa at natututong magnegosyo,” Tan explained, citing a returning OFW who now operates the biggest construction firm in a northern province.

Tan and Olinares [known in showbiz as singer Jay-Ar Rosales] first worked together in “Men In Uniform,” an advocacy movie for policemen, which starred Rommel Padilla, Jeric Raval, Empress Schuck, Rayver Cruz and Alfred Vargas.

Personal connections OFW The Movie bears five narratives with the main characters played by Sylvia Sanchez, Kakai Bautista, Dianne Medina, Christian Vasquez and Rafael Rosell. Arnell Ignacio, who became part of the project before he resigned as OWWA deputy administrator, still serves as narrator of the film.

It must be said that everyone in the production agreed to either waive or accept lesser talent fees for the sake of this notable advocacy.

Sanchez for one [who just won Best Actress at the Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival Awards for the movie “Jesusa”] said she is already at a point in her career where making meaningful movies is a top priority. Moreover, with the OFW theme, she was all the more eager to be part of the OWWA-supported project since she is still in search of her seaman-father who went missing when she was in fifth

Christian Vasquez

ManilaTimes.net photo

grade.

“Suddenly we lost contact with him. May nagsabi na nasa Brazil siya at may iba nang pamilya. I just want to have closure about my father, whether totoong buhay pa siya o patay na. Kahit wala na siya, gusto ko pa rin mapuntahan kung saan siya nakalibing,” she related, adding that OWWA has been successful in finding long lost OFWs for a long time now.

“Sana makatulong din ang OWWA para mahanap ko siya,” she expressed.

Playing the role of a domestic helper, Sanchez finally said, “At my age, I really want to portray roles that can serve as a lesson or give inspiration to my fellow Filipinos. Masarap kumita pero mas masarap yung makapagbibigay ka ng magandang message sa role mo, kaya ipinagmamalaki ko ang pelikulang ito at proud ako sa role na Ofelia,” she shared.

Ignacio, on the other hand, worked in Japan for 10 years, and is very much aware of how OFWs grapple with sadness and homesickness just to provide for the needs of their family.

Bautista, who provides comic relief to the film, related that her brother is an OFW

Are pain pills safe...

PAGE B4 and all sweet items, rice, bread, pasta, gluten foods, soft drinks of any kind, french fries, processed meats, blackened grilled meats (whose oil drippings cause cancer-causing fumes/smoke that goes back up to the meat being grilled on high heat), nightshades (tomato, white potato, pepper, eggplant, paprika).

Anti-inflammatory behaviors include good attitude, physical exercises, brisk walking preferred over jogging (which causes impact injuries to spine, hip, knee, ankles joints over time), fun activities with family

and friends, the act of laughing itself, singing, rest and relaxation, vacations, and any other stress reduction regimens. Living a healthy lifestyle is anti-inflammatory. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian and anti-graft foundation in the United States. Websites: FUN8888.com, philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)

whom OWWA had previously helped. He was not being paid his salary for many months and sought the intervention of the government agency, which succeeded on his behalf. Bautista was therefore wholehearted in accepting the role of a Waray domestic helper the movie.

For PTV News and RTVM host Medina, who plays the role of caregiver Feliza, she said she had been to exposed many OFW stories as co-host of Ignacio’s erstwhile program for OWWA titled, Bagong Bayani.

“One goal fulfilled for sure is to create awareness that the government helps our modernday heroes,” she said.

Finally, prime time leading man Rafael Rosell, who was born to Filipino parents in Norway, can be considered to have the closest experience of OFW life having grown up in a foreign land. He experienced first-hand how Filipinos would come together like families or close kin especially during holidays, particularly the Christmas season because they are away from their own for work. In fact, the actor declared that OFW should mean “Overseas Filipino Warrior” for what they do and accomplish.

Besides the five main leads, independent movie producer Baby Go of BG Productions International has agreed to play a supporting character, as well as Regine Tolentino, Helga Krapf, Mel Kimura and Manuel Chua, with Angelica Santiago in an introductory role.

A life-changing spiritual journey

by Emil

PErito

FOR Christians, setting foot in the Holy Land is more than just a dream, it is a life fulfillment. There is nothing quite like experiencing God’s word come alive while traversing the Holy Land of Israel and the surrounding Mediterranean.

The Holy Land is home to amazing locations like the Mount of Olives, the Sea of Galilee, the River Jordan, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, the tomb where he was laid, and the classic city of Jerusalem — all of which are found in the Bible. Pilgrims can make their way through the places where Jesus was born and baptized, where he taught and performed his miracles, where he was convicted and hung on a cross before rising again on Easter Sunday.

Journeying through the Holy Land is a profound and enlightening experience. A pilgrimage here not only gives one new knowledge about the Bible and ancient history, but it also impacts one’s beliefs and deepens the understanding of an authentic Christian lifestyle.

A trip to the Holy Land is a life-changing opportunity to strengthen one’s faith and recommit to living a Christian life. Countless of accounts exist saying how a Holy Land sojourn has reshaped their character and attitude to everyday living, giving them newfound love and appreciation not only for the people around them but also for the Holy Family.

Ravi Zacharias, the author of numerous Christian books, once said: “if you look at Him through the world’s eyes, you’ll never see a glimpse of Him. But

if you look at the world through His eyes you will get a glimpse of the Him, and the world as well.”

Pilgrims who only have their blind faith end their sojourn in the Holy Land with a softened heart, renewed faith, and indelible memories that will last a lifetime.

From October 20 to November 2, 2019, you can have the perfect opportunity to touch and see physical manifestations of your faith as Air Plus Travel will be having a “Journey to Holy Land, Jordan, & Dubai” pilgrimage.

Established in 1995, Air Plus Travel specializes in religious travel. Join us in one of our pilgrimages to the Holy Land and a private tour to other places. For more information, contact air Plus Travel at (562) 863-0624, or visit us atwww.airplustravel. net.

(Advertising Supplement)

B APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

COMMUNITY Journal

Your Immigration Solution Atty. MichAel Bhotiwihok THE United States Department of State is understandably cautious before they issue a person a U.S. passport. They are determined to avoid issuing a passport to person, who is only fraudulently claiming to be a citizen of the United States.

Since these fraudulent claims do occur, it is often legitimate U.S. citizens who are forced to endure long waits, burdensome requests for additional documents, etc., all just to obtain what they are legally entitled to – a U.S. passport.

A client of Reeves Immigration Law Group was recently a victim of this bureaucratic nightmare.

Our client, who we will refer to as Lucia to protect her privacy, was born in the United States through the use of a midwife. She was rightfully issued a U.S. birth certificate following her birth, and she previously used this birth certificate to obtain a U.S. passport.

Lucia had no idea that renewing her passport after it expired would be so challenging. There were delays, doubts about whether Lucia was actually a U.S. citizen, etc.

Lucia eventually decided that, rather than trying to complete the process on her own, perhaps she should consult with an expert. She had a consultation with Reeves Immigration Law Group and felt encouraged that we would be able to assist her. Attorneys

The Prophetic Voice

American citizen finally receives her US passport Brittany Milliasseau and Michael Bhotiwihok happily accepted the challenge to represent Lucia in her application.

Due to their experience and research, Attorney Milliasseau and Attorney Bhotiwihok were able to explain to Lucia why the government was challenging her claim of U.S. citizenship. They told Lucia that the U.S. government’s concern about her citizenship was likely because she was born with the assistance of a midwife. But they also told Lucia that the simple fact that she was born with the assistance of a midwife did not mean that her application should be denied. After all, it is well known that the use of midwives is a longstanding tradition along Texas’ southern border with Mexico. In fact, midwifery has been a common practice for more than a century, particularly in rural and other traditionally underserved communities.

Attorney Milliasseau and Attorney Bhotiwihok wrote legal arguments about why Lucia should be issued a U.S. passport. They referenced an agreement in 2009 between the U.S. Department of State and the American Civil Liberties Union to implement new procedures to ensure the fair and prompt review of U.S. passport applications by Mexican-Americans whose births in Texas were attended by midwives. Attorney Milliasseau and Attorney Bhotiwihok discussed how due process

and equal protection rights of U.S. citizens delivered by midwives should not be violated by burdensome and unnecessary requests for them to prove their citizenship, and their applications should not be arbitrarily denied simply because a midwife was used at their birth.

Reeves Immigration Law Group is now happy to say that Lucia’s application for a U.S. passport has finally been approved. It required convincing legal arguments and supporting documentary evidence, but after years of delay, Lucia now has a valid U.S. passport.

And with her passport in hand, she is reassured that her constitutional rights will be protected as she freely travels outside the country for a long-awaited trip to see friends and family abroad. *** REEVES IMMIGRATION LAW GROUP is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

For more Information please call (800) 795- 8009 or visit www.rreeves.com.

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

(Advertising Supplement)

An Easter Sunday message: No flames will ever destroy our faith!

us who have visited and seen this magnificent work of art and place reVerend of worship could not hold back our rodel G. BAlAGtAS tears especially at witnessing its legendary spire collapse and fall WE were all in shock at seeing apart.

We thank God that its signifion television and social media the historic Notre-Dame De Paris cant structures and artifacts were Cathedral engulfed in flames last spared from the fire and that now Monday, April 15. How could this prayers and donations from people 850-year-old gothic style cathe- all over the world are pouring out.

Here in Los Angeles, for examdral, Paris’ symbol of Catholicism, be gone before our eyes? Those of ple, Archbishop Jose Gomez has

urged us to support its rebuilding and to “join our brothers and sisters in Paris and throughout the world in mourning the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral.” As a symbol of our love, prayers, and solidarity, he asked last Wednesday that the 36 bells in the Carillon and four chimes in the Campanile of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels be rung for more than a minute.

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Tax Tips Victor Sy, cPA, MBA

THERE are two types of income tax – regular tax that you are familiar with, and an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) that you may not have encountered. If you had experienced a bout with AMT, you’d not forget it. It hurts like a Pacquiao punch to your gut.

What exactly is AMT? AMT is a separate tax that was originally drafted in 1969 to make sure that wealthy individuals with tax shelters paid their fair share of taxes. Unfortunately, it has not worked that way. AMT has snared more and more taxpayers like you and me. This AMT burns unsuspecting taxpayers who have second mortgages, high state income tax, high property tax bills, or several dependents. It applied to both corporate and noncorporate taxpayers.

AMT gone rogue: AMT had unintended consequences both to taxpayers and its computation. Very complex rules applied to the deductibility

The Metamorphosis

C

Alternative minimum tax changes (AMT)

of minimum tax credits (MTCs).

It was a very complicated system that added even more complexity to intricate tax compliance.

Corporate AMT: The new Act repealed the corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Good riddance.

Individual AMT less painful but still here Sorry guys, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) did not eliminate AMT for individuals but it did ease our pain by increasing exemption amounts for tax years 2018 through 2025. This makes us less likely to get hit with this dreaded provision.

Exemption increases and higher phaseouts The TCJA increases the individual AMT exemption amounts for tax years 2018 through 2025 to $109,400 for married filing jointly and surviving spouses; $70,300 for single filers; and $54,700 for marrieds filing separately. These increased exemption amounts are reduced (not below zero) by 25% of the amount of the taxpayer’s alternative taxable income above $1 million for joint

returns and surviving spouses, and $500,000 for other taxpayers except estates and trusts. All of these amounts will be indexed for inflation in 2019 and later years under a new measure of inflation that will result in smaller increases than under the method previously used.

AMT for estates and trusts: The base figure AMT exemption of $22,500 and phase-out threshold of $75,000 remain unchanged for trusts and estates. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Extracurricular activities that give purpose and meaning to my life (Part 2 of 2)

ernie d. delfin I WAS with the Rotary Club of Cerritos until I moved to a larger and more active Rotary Club in Newport Irvine, where I was elected as its Youth Director. We were tasked to form and organize the Rotaract Club of the University of California-Irvine. This club is the strongest and largest in the Rotary District 5320 in Southern California.

I was with Newport Irvine until I founded the first electronic-based Rotary Club of Global Kalinga D3780 in the Philippines in 2011, where I was its charter president.

This GKeRotary has two flagship projects: the completion of the GK Laoac Hope Village #2 in my

barrio, and the bi-annual medical mission in the Philippines in partnership with Task Force International composed of many doctors, RNs and nursing students, which we started in 2018. *** “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21) has become my internal compass that has guided my life. Looking back after, I never became obsessed or driven to be super rich, like some of my past employers or business clients. My growing up years from my barrio to America, the hardship, challenges and values that I have accumulated provided enough residuals and enough solid foundation that grounded me to live simply so others can

simply live.

Although far from perfect, I never danced with the mega wealthy and powerful people, nor truly enjoyed their company.

In so many ways, I was still the same unsophisticated barrio boy, the hardworking Ilocano who enjoyed reading, writing and and observing people.

My happiness emanates from within that is augmented by occasional trips to the movies, live shows and plays in theaters. I also find enjoyment in regular travels, locally and abroad. I enjoy traveling because it is first class education by itself. Social interactions with like-minded people with regular people in church or cultural and literary groups and

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C APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng THIS week is Holy Week again. The whole Christian world observes the passion of Jesus Christ. In many countries, the faithful reenact the passion and suffering of Jesus. They wear a crown made from thorns, flagellate themselves, and some even carry a heavy wooden cross on which they may be tied or nailed to it, thus crucifying themselves, just like Jesus was crucified 2019 years ago.

After Jesus is nailed to the cross on Mt. Calvary, he eventually dies. Before he breathes his last breath, Jesus says the following statements: 1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

2. Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.

3. Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother.

4. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

5. I thirst.

6. It is finished.

7. Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.

Traditionally, these seven sayings are called words of: 1) Forgive-

Community Journal

Young client with $700K debt needs Chapter 7 relief ness 2) Salvation 3) Relationship 4) Abandonment 5) Distress 6) Triumph and 7) Reunion.

A Roman soldier then pierces his side with a lance to make sure that he has died. His spirit then goes down to Hades, which is deep into the bowels of the Earth, very near Hell. Why does he go there? Because every person who died before Jesus died, are waiting in that temporary place very near hell, waiting for Jesus to lead them to heaven after Jesus dies, because the death of Jesus redeemed mankind from the consequences of sin. Without Jesus dying for us, we cannot enter heaven, we would be in Hades forever and eternity, and that really sucks for us. But rejoice, because Jesus loved us so that he gave us the key to heaven and eternal life with Him and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit!

That is the biggest and best deal of all for all of us!

Thank you, Jesus!

So now I have this young client who had a business that caused him to owe $700K. That figure is $700,000, not $70K. I understand that that also includes some gambling debt. You know what happens with some business owners

involvement in community benefit organizations like Rotary or Gawad Kalinga are very rewarding times that I enjoy greatly.

Quality family time to parks, museums or anywhere that titillate the minds of our two children when they were growing up was also very important to me. Oftentimes, they were the only kids in my professional meetings. It was a “lesser� evil than leaving them with babysitters even on weekends.

From active participation in our city’s elite civic community organizations, I was also invited to our Holy Spirit Catholic Church, first as a member of our weekly Bible Study and our Peace & Justice Ministry.

With very active Catholic friends who lived out their faith, I was prodded to become a minister in the Diocese Prison Ministry after a decade in our Bible Study class.

Looking back how it happened was also a “miracle� in itself, as there is always a reason for every season. I never ever dreamed to

be a Prison Minister volunteer, ministering to the spiritual needs consisting of Bible Study and communion services to hundreds of inmates in America!

I was never interested, until one day, a fellow Rotarian leader from the Philippines called me and requested to visit her daughter who was incarcerated for allegedly murdering her husband, which she was convicted of 30 years to life in state prison. I politely declined initially as I cannot just visit her without a “badge� or a special pass from the Sheriff’s Department! However, I told my Rotarian friend that I could ask my Bible Study classmates who were already prison ministers to visit her daughter in the county jail. Four of them were able to visit her within the same week. So the following week, I relented to their invitation to become a prison minister like them.

After three months of going through the certification process required by the Diocese of Orange and the Sheriff’s Department, I became a minister and was able

Barrister’s Corner

when their business starts to lose Atty. Kenneth money. They try to recover by UrsUA reyes gambling. The problem is, they end up losing more money and THE Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, owing more debt.

The client is not even 40. I mean which was recently enacted into that is young. So he has learned law, impact various issues in a the hard way how to lose a lot of divorce case. These changes are money. His business was mak- effective beginning 2018 through ing money for several years, but 2025.

Spousal Support. Spousal SupI guess from too much competition, it started losing money and port will no longer be deductible never recovered. He and the busi- by the paying spouse and will not ness owes a total of $700K includ- be taxable income to the supported ing bank loans, credit cards, etc. spouse for post 2017 divorce judgYou name it, he’s got that kind of ments and support orders. This will benefit the supported spouse debt.

He has two kids and a wife. But in that the spousal support will be his wife has left him and brought tax free income to the supported the kids with her. The client is spouse. This does not affect existmaking money again, but half of ing orders and judgments for supthe money he makes goes to pay port entered prior to 2018. Prior to alimony and child support. That’s 2018, spousal support was tax deonly right. His family still has to be ductible to the payor and taxable taken cared of. They have needs income to supported spouse.

Dependency Exemptions. The that must be provided for, and as new law suspends personal and their father, it’s his responsibility to do that. He doesn’t shirk away dependency tax exemptions effective 2018. This is not favorable to from the responsibility.

He is thinking of going back into the parent who has sole or primary business after he is done with bk. physical custody of the child beThe answer is yes, he can. Can cause under the law prior to 2018, he travel out of the country even that parent can claim the depenwith bk? Sure, why not. Does he dency exemption for the child in a divorce case. However, this loss u PAGE C3 may be offset by the higher standard deduction available for 2018 which is $24,000 for joint filers and $18,000 for heads of households. to visit my friend’s daughter, Child and Family Tax Credit. among many other women prisChild tax credit is increased to oners who attended our classes. $2,000 from $1,000 per qualifying I have been doing this ministry child beginning 2018. This would now for almost ten years.

Matthew 25 admonition: “ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave PAGE C1 t me drink, I was a stranger and For many Parisians and Cathoyou welcomed me, I was naked lics, Notre-Dame is more than a and you clothed me, I was sick symbol of the Mother Church and and you visited me, I was in prisa magnificent building. It signion and you came to me.� fies our love for our Catholic faith This ministry is one of the most that beats alive in our hearts and rewarding extra-curricular activwill never be consumed by fire. It ities that I have done in my life. I speaks of our profound relationship thank all the good people around with the Triune God and Mary, no me, and above all, my Creator matter how secularism and antiwho has guided my journey. All religious propaganda have tried to these volunteer activities and destroy and affected it. ministries are true service above Notre-Dame, like other legendself. For me, service to humanary Catholic buildings and places, ity is the best work of life! is God speaking to us, inviting us *** not to forget who we are. We are Disclaimer: The foregoing is an children of God whose deep longexpression of opinion and is not ing for Him will never diminish. meant to be legal advice to any The cries of the French people reader. There is no attorney-client are our cries. Their prayers are our relationship established by this prayers. Their love for Our Lady is article with the reader. If you want our love for her. to discuss

Extracurricular activities that give purpose...

PAGE C1 t

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2018 tax changes that affect divorcing couples benefit parents with sole or primary physical custody of the child.

Further, up to $1,400 of the child tax credit can be refundable if it exceeds the parents’ tax liability.

Prior to 2018, this credit was not refundable. However, the child tax credit begins to be phased out once the parents’ adjusted gross income reaches $200,000 or $400,000 for joint filers.

Mortgage Interest deduction.

It is common among divorcing couple to buy the other party’s interest out of a community property home through refinancing. Beginning 2018, mortgage interest on loans used to acquire principal residence and a second home is only deductible up to $750,000 (down from $1 million prior to 2018) beginning with loans taken out in 2018. Further, interest on home equity loans are no longer tax deductible regardless of when the debt was taken out. This would be a disadvantage to the party keeping the community property home who typically would buy out the other spouse through a refinancing or home equity loan.

Estate and Gift Tax Exemption. The estate tax exemption was raised to $11.2 million per individual beginning 2018. Prior to 2018, the estate tax exemption was $5.49 million per individual.

This is a major win for divorcing couples with significant assets.

Couples with assets over $5.49 million would typically need to use both spouses’ estate tax credit totaling $10.98 in order to avoid pay-

ing estate taxes upon their death.

The problem arises after a divorce when each spouse will be limited to $5.49 million. With the estate tax exemption raised at $11.2 million per individual, this would exempt 99% of divorcing couple from having to pay estate taxes in case of death. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

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

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

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010.

Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto: kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com� kenneth@ kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

An Easter Sunday message: No flames...

On this Easter Sunday, we worship in solidarity with Catholics and other Christians around the world, to show that no fire, no other disasters, and indeed no shameful and demeaning remarks from a leader of a nation like those of the Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, would ever destroy our Catholic faith and our Mother Church.

This Easter Sunday is the opportune time to stand up for our Catholic faith and defend it from its attackers. Absolutely, we have learned from our Church’s mistakes and all her scandals, but from now on we pray that our Catholic leaders and all of us Catholics will do everything possible to resurrect her powerful image and influence throughout the history of the world.

Our love for Jesus and the belief

in his words and teachings will always flourish. His Resurrection is a testament to our hope that no death, disaster, or person ever will ever trample down our faith.

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

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Community Journal

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

C

Does your employer need to know your Can I get a green card if I had a previoius medical condition to accommodate you? marriage petition denied based on fraud?

Q: I was diagnosed with herniated disc and severe anxiety. I want to request leave but want to keep my privacy at work. Do I need to tell my employer about my medical or psychological condition?

A: No. The employee is not required to disclose the nature of the employee’s medical condition or disability (i.e., their diagnosis). The employee is required only to provide reasonable medical documentation which describes the employee’s physical or mental limitations, which may prevent them from doing their work. For example, the medical documentation may simply state that the employee is restricted from lifting more than 25 lbs.

The employer cannot inquire into the “nature or severity” of the employee’s disability. The employer cannot ask for the employee’s complete medical records as those records may be unrelated to the need for accommodation. The employer also cannot ask the employee about the underlying medical cause of the disability (unless such a medical examination is “job-related” and “consistent with business necessity”).

How much of an employee’s medical condition should be disclosed to the employer? Under the law, if an employee’s disability or medical condition is not obvious, the employer may request the employee to provide reasonable medical documentation confirming the existence of the disability and the need for reasonable accommodation. That medical documentation may contain the following: a. The name and credentials of the health care provider b. Certification from the medical provider that the employee has a physical or mental condition that limits a major life activity or a medical condition, and a description of why the employee or applicant needs a

tion Acquiring or modifying Protecting equipment or devices Employee Even if the medical condition does not limit any major & Consumer life activities (i.e., there is no Rights disability), the employee is still entitled to reasonable accomAtty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. modation if, he or she needs to be absent from work for medical treatments or doctor apreasonable accommodation.

There is a need for ‘reason- pointments.

For the employer to provide able accommodation’ if the employee’s medical condition reasonable accommodation to limits a major life activity, such the employee, the employer as doing the necessary tasks must know that the employee that the work requires. To have needs such accommodation. a limitation in the performance The employer knows an emof a major life activity is to have ployee has a disability when the employee tells the employa disability. er about the condition, or when the employer becomes aware of the condition, such as through a third party or by observation. Thus, if the employee’s disability becomes known or obvious, the employer must engage the employee in a timely, good faith interactive process to determine if reasonable accommodation can be made for the employee.

The employer must start the interactive process.

Lastly, California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. An employer may not terminate or demote an employee based on the employee’s disability or medical condition.

Reasonable accommodation *** includes reasonable assistance that the employer extends to the The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. employee, in order to enable the welcomes inquiries about this topic. All employee to do his or her job inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. despite the disability. Depend- You can contact the office at (818) 291ing on the employee’s specific 0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or restrictions and the employer’s our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. circumstances, the following are Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced examples of reasonable accom- trial attorney who has successfully modation: recovered wages and other monetary Granting or extending leave damages for thousands of employees from work to allow medical and consumers. He was named Top Labor treatments & Employment Attorney in California by Making facilities accessible to the Daily Journal, consistently selected and usable by disabled individu- as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles als Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Offering part-time or modified Community Champion Award for 2016.] work schedules Reassigning to a vacant posi(Advertising Supplement)

“Under the law, if an employee’s disability or medical condition is not obvious, the employer may request the employee to provide reasonable medical documentation confirming the existence of the disability and the need for reasonable accommodation.”

I-539 application to extend/ change non-immigrant status

Tapat Sa Batas Atty. rheA SAmSon ANG Form I-539 ay ginagamit para sa pag-apply na palawigin o baguhin ang status ng aplikanteng nandito sa US sa ilalim ng nonimmigrant visa category na B1/B2 (bisita), F1 (estudyante); J1 (exchange visitor) or kaya H4, E2 o L2 (mga dependent ng H1 [temporary worker], E1 [investor] or L1 [intra-company transferee]. Kamakailan lamang, o nitong Marso 2019, sinabi ng USCIS na may mga pagbabago na sa filing ng I-539 dahil na rin sa Executive Order 13780, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States ni Pangulong Trump.

May mga bagong form ng I-539 at I-539A na makikita sa website ng USCIS. Kung dati ang aplikante lamang ang pumipirma ng I-539 Application, sa bagong version ng I-539 ang aplikante at bawat isang kasamang aplikante (co-applicant) ay pipirma na ng Form I-539/ I-539A. Ang magulang o guardian ay maaaring pumirma para sa mga anak o mga batang walang pang 14 na taong gulang o kaya may kulang sa pag-iisip (mentally incompetent).

Maliban dito, ang bawat aplikante at kasamang aplikante ay kailangan nang magbayad ng biometrics fee na $85. Samakatuwid, ang susunod ang babayarang filing fees at biometrics fees sa USCIS: Kung may isang aplikante para sa I-539, ang kanyang filing fees ay $370 + $85 na biometrics fee, o kabuuang $455. Kung ang aplikante ay may asawa at isang anak, ang kanilang filing fees ay $370 + $85 bawat isa o $85 x 3 ($255.00) o kabuuang $625.

Dahil ang bawat aplikante at kasamang aplikante ay nagbayad ng biometrics fees, ang bawat isa sa kanila ay makakatanggap ng biometrics services appointment o fingerprinting appointment. Lahat sila ay pupunta sa fingerprinting appointment.

Ang fingerprinting ay gaganapin sa Application Support Center (ASC) na pinakamalapit sa tirahan ng aplikante.

Ang fingerprinting na ibibigay ng aplikante at kasamang aplikante sa ASC Appointment ay magbibigay sa USCIS ng pagkakataon para kumpirmahin ang pagkakakilanlan ng aplikante at gawin ang nararapat na background check at security check.

Ang ASC Appointment Notice ay magbibigay ng mga instruksyon kung anong dadalahin ng aplikante sa ASC Appointment.

Kabilang dito ang mga sumusunod: ASC Appointment Notice (Form I-797C); at Valid photo identification (passport, driver’s license) Sa ASC Appointment, kukuhanin ng USCIS ang fingerprint, photograph at digital signature ng aplikante. Kapag binigay na ng aplikante ang kanyang digital signature, kanyang pinapatibay at pinapatotohanan sa ilalim ng parusa ng pagsisinungaling/ panunumpa nang walang katotohanan na lahat ng inpormasyon na knyang ibinigay sa kanyang I-539 Application ay kumpleto, totoo at tama. Inaasahang ang mga pagbabagong ito ay magpapatagal ng processing time ng

plication Support Center (ASC).

Thus the filing fees and biometrics fees are as follows: For one applicant, filing fee is $370 + $85 biometrics fee; total of $455 For an applicant with spouse and one child, filing fee is $370 + $85 biometrics fee per person or $85 x 3 ($255); total of $625.

Every applicant and co-applicant will receive a biometrics services appointment notice, regardless of age, containing their individual receipt number. The biometrics schedule will be at the Application Support Center closest to the address of the principal applicant.

The biometrics provided by the applicant and co-applicants during the ASC Appointment allows the USCIS to confirm the identity of the applicant and coapplicants and run the required background checks and security checks. The ASC Appointment Notice will provide specific instructions on what the applicant should bring with him during the ASC Appointment.

These include: The ASC Appointment Notice (Form I797C); and Valid photo identification (passport, driver’s license) During the ASC Appointment, USCIS will capture the applicant’s fingerprints, photographs and/or digital signature. When the applicant provides his digital signature, he attests and affirms under penalty of perjury that the information provided in his I-539 Application was complete, true and correct at the time of filing.

It is expected that the above changes to the I-539 Application will increase the adjudication or processing times for these Applications. *** Atty. Rhea Samson is a partner at Lindain & Samson Law Firm. Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson are licensed attorneys both in California and the Philippines. They are also professors. Lindain & Samson Law Firm aims to provide excellent and effective legal representation to their clients, and support them in achieving their dreams. As professors, Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson strive to educate the younger generation as they believe that education is the way for progress and to attain success in life in order to serve other people.

Visit us at our office at 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los Angeles, CA 90010 or contact us by telephone at (213) 381-5710 or email attorney@ lindainsamsonlaw.com.

“The biometrics provided by the applicant and co-applicants during the ASC Appointment allows the USCIS to confirm the identity of the applicant and co-applicants and run the required background checks and security checks.”

I-539 Application.

Form I-539 is used to apply for a change or extension of status for applicants who are in the US under different categories such as B-1/B2 (visitor), F-1 (student), J1 (exchange visitor), or H4, E2 or L2 (dependents of H1 [temporary worker], E1 [investor] and L1 [intra-company transferee]).

Starting March 22, 2019, USCIS will accept only the new Forms I-539 and I-539A following Executive Order 13780, Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States of President Trump. Under the new Forms I-539 and I-539A, each applicant and co-applicant are required to sign. Parents or guardians may sign for a child who is below 14 years of age or is mentally incompetent.

In addition, each applicant and co-applicant are required to pay an additional $85 biometrics fee, and attend a biometrics or fingerprinting appointment to be scheduled at a USCIS Ap-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore, in cases such as yours in which the USCIS has indicated it intends to deny the subsequent immigrant visa petition due to the prior finding of “marriage fraud,” new evidence can be submitted that demonstrates that the prior finding of “marriage fraud” was incorrect—i.e., evidence that shows that the prior marriage petition was based on a bona fide marriage, or that explains that the prior denial was based on an incomplete or inaccurate assessment of the facts. In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider. I recommend that you seek an experienced attorney to assist you in properly presenting the law and facts to the USCIS adjudicator to address the Section 204(c) bar. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association. *** LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277.

Email: info@dtanlaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Young client with $700K debt needs...

PAGE C2 t

need a fresh start in life without $700K of accumulated debt from a failed business? Of course, he does. How can he be productive again if everything he makes goes to pay back the $700K? I mean, that’s like a death sentence if he is saddled with $700K of debt without the ability to get out of it.

He definitely needs a Chapter 7 discharge of the $700K so he can become productive again. There is no question about that.

He’s smarter now and won’t be making the same mistakes in the past. Everybody deserves a fresh

start in life without accumulated debt. Even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Disneyland became successful. So why should it be any different for my young client? He should be given a second chance to start again without debt. Even the companies of Pres. Trump filed for bankruptcy in 1990 and wiped out over $1B of debt. Why should my young client no take advantage of bankruptcy law to obtain a fresh start in his life? He’s even lost his wife and family, his debts broke his family. I mean, he owes his creditors debt. He doesn’t owe them his life,

or he doesn’t owe them the rest of his life, right?

If you need debt relief, call our office and set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

C4 APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Calendar of Events across

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

A

merica

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS A P R I L 22

West Ranch Music Masters Tournament in Valencia, CA West Ranch High School’s Instrumental Music Program is excited to announce their inaugural Golf Tournament fundraiser to be held on Monday, April 22 at The Oaks Club at Valencia, CA. Check-in and breakfast starts at 10 a.m. with a 12 p.m. shotgun start. The $125 per player fee includes: 18 holes of golf, use of golf cart, practice facilities, lunch and dinner. There will be an optional Mulligan and Magic Putt package for purchase. Additionally, a wide array of silent auction and raffle baskets will be available. The awards dinner will be served starting at 5pm and will feature students performing live jazz music. For those who wish to attend only the dinner and award festivities, the cost is $50. All proceeds go directly to support the West Ranch High School Music Program. To register for the tournament or for more information contact Jean Conway at westranchband@gmail.com or visit westranchmusic.com. Deadline to register is on April 11.

A P R I L 25 -28

Philippine Nurses Association of America - North Central Regional Conference in Columbus, Ohio The Philippine Nurses Association - Central Ohio will hold a regional conference from April 25 to 28 at the Embassy Suites (2886 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio). For more information, please visit http://www.mypnaa.org/.

M AY 4

Kulintang festival in Oakland, CA As part of the as part of the celebrations of Asian American Heritage Month, Gongster’s Paradise — a kulintang party — will be held on Saturday, May 4 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center where the father of Filipino-American Kulintang music, Danongan ‘Danny’ Kalanduyan was once an artists in residence. This year’s line up will feature a new generation of Maguindanaon Master Artists from Cotabato City, Traditional groups from all over the United States and Contemporary groups from all over the world including Toronto, Philippines, Seattle, Virginia, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Alongside non-stop kulintangan, Gongster’s Paradise will feature visual artists, vendors, and dancers to showcase movements related to kulintang music rooted from all over Mindanao. A feast will be served throughout the evening to be prepared and served by Chef Eric Pascual, rising star and owner of Eats By E and will be joined by collaborator and sponsor, Ramar Foods. It will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (388 9th St., Oakland, CA 94607).

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

Traveling outside the US as a lawful permanent resident

Commentary

IN this week’s column, we will address immigration issues that may come up for lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who travel outside of the United States.

Lawful permanent residents can travel outside the United States for temporary or brief travel purposes, and the departures typically should not affect the permanent resident status, assuming there are no other issues regarding the individual’s immigration and/or criminal history.

However, permanent residents who attempt to reenter the United States after prolonged and/or frequent absences can be found to have abandoned their permanent residence status.

A general guide is used whether you have been absent from the United States for more than a year. Nonetheless, abandonment of residency may be at issue in trips of less than a year where there is evidence that you do not intend to make the United States your permanent residence. While brief trips abroad generally are not problematic, the officer may consider other factors, including your intention to visit overseas only temporarily, family and community ties

in the United States, maintaining employment in the United States, and filing income taxes as a resident.

Immigration may also consider whether you maintained a U.S. mailing address, kept U.S. bank accounts and a valid U.S. driver’s license, own property or run a business in the United States, or other evidence that supports the temporary nature of your absence and that your residence is in the United States.

In today’s political climate, immigration officers may question immigrants more extensively than in the past when seeking reentry. It is always a good idea to be prepared in case an officer questions you regarding the purpose of your travel and any factors described above. If you have an extended and/or frequent absences from the United States, you may also want to bring supporting documentation to show continued ties to the United States.

Ultimately, if the government believes that you have abandoned your permanent residency, they can start immigration proceedings to take away your immigration status.

If you plan on being absent from the United States for longer than a year, you should apply for a reentry permit on Form I-131 before your departure. The reentry permit will help you avoid

issues when you return to the United States and is compelling proof of your intent to continue residing in this country.

As long as the reentry permit is valid, you do not need to obtain a returning resident visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad after a prolonged absence. Keep in mind that the information above is not a substitute for legal advice.

For advice about your individual situation, you should consult with an experienced, trustworthy immigration attorney or DOJ accredited representative. If you have questions about your situation or need legal assistance, please contact Advancing Justice - LA’s Tagalog helpline at (855) 300-2552. *** Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles (Advancing Justice - LA) is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NHPI). Founded in 1983 as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Advancing Justice - LA serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year.

Through direct services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, leadership development, and capacity building, Advancing Justice - LA focuses on the most vulnerable members of Asian American and NHPI communities while also building a strong voice for civil rights and social justice.

For more information, please visit https:// www.advancingjustice-la.org/.

People and Events

Emergency locating system markers added to Santa Clarita city trails New signs help trail users easily convey their location during emergencies

M AY 1 7-1 9

Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii The Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Global Association (SMISGA) and the Santa Marians of Hawaii are sponsoring the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur 12th Global Reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii from May 17-19, 2019. The festivities will start with a meet and greet on May 17 at 5 p.m. at the Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom to be followed by a gala night on May 18 at 5 p.m. at the Dole Cannery Pomaikai Ballroom. A picnic is also scheduled at Ala Moana Beach Park’s Magic Island on Sunday, May 19 starting at 10 a.m. The ticket to attend all the events is $130.00 per person.

Due to limited space, reservations must be made not later than March 31, 2019. Hats and tshirts will also be on sale for $20. For further information, call Nena Empleo at (808) 384-0394, Carlito Soria at (808) 487-3370, Alex Pena at (702) 373-9522 or Orlino Baldonado at (865) 7898324. Leave a message if there’s no answer. Additional information is also on SMISGA.com and Facebook @ SMISGA19FB. Proceeds from the events will be for various projects in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur and in Hawaii. Donations are tax deductible since SMISGA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved by the Internal Revenue Service.

M AY 25

Marist School Marikina to celebrate 55th anniversary in Buena Park, CA Marist Alumni Abroad, coordinated by Arthur ‘Jojo’ P. Armada ‘77, invites alumni, family and friends, and the public who are interested, to the 55th anniversary grand reunion of the Marist School Marikina, to be held on Saturday, May 25, at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel (7675 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620). The event’s theme is “Celebrating Our Marist Life...The Legacy Continues,” hosted by Marist Alumni Abroad. Dinner and dance: 6 pm to 11 pm; donation: $55/pax (per person). Contact person is overall chair Jojo P. Armada at (626) 216-3529 or email: armadaarthur@yahoo.com.

M AY 25 -26

Bulacan high schools reunite in Rosemead, CA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, Bulacan will be held on May 25-26, 2019 at the Double Tree Hotel in Rosemead, CA. For further information, please contact any of the following: Lourdes Ople-Smith at lourdesosmith@gmail. com / (310) 662-1948; Charito Aldaba-Gabriel at chato_gabriel1019@yahoo.com / (818) 6536047; Leni Flor Cruz-Florentino at lenflorcruz529@yahoo.com / (818) 282-0928; Tristan Zafra at tristan@trisoftco.com / (714) 686-3345; Gerry Torres, Jr. at gerrytorres50@gmail.com / (213) 249-1633; and Perfecto T. Martin at perfecto.martin@gmail.com.

JUNE 1

7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival in LA The 2019 Global Gathering of Marcelo H. Del Pilar High School (MHPHS) of Malolos, BulacThe 7th Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Parade and Festival Committee (7KPFC) announced that it will holding the 7th Kalayaan Parade in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 1, 2019 in commemoration of the 121st PH Independence Day on June 12, 1898. This will be the 7th Kalayaan Parade and Festival in Historic Filipinotown, as the first was held in 2013 in cooperation with the PH Consulate General in Los Angeles. This is the only Independence Day parade and Festival in Los Angeles and is held every year in Historic Filipinotown. For more information, please call Freddie at (818) 220-2075 or email at jfavusa8@gmail.com.

Kalayaan Incorporated’s annual Philippine Independence Day gala in LA Kalayaan Incorporated invites the community to its celebration of the 121st Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on Saturday, June 1, 2019, at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel (5855 W. Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA). Kalayaan is extremely proud to have Honorable Risa Hontiveros, an incumbent senator who assumed office on June 30, 2016, as the grand gala’s guest of honor and speaker. For tickets to the Gala Night, please contact Annie Cuevas-Lim, Kalayaan President at (213) 447-7078. For more information, contact KI PROs Violet Mislang at vmislang@gmail.com or Lady Hope Robillos at lhopepr@yahoo.com.

J U LY 2 0

The Ibaan Association USA-Canada gala dinner in LA The Ibaan Association USA-Canada will hold its 32nd Annual Gala Dinner & Dance July 20, 2019 from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles / Universal City - Ballroom A at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, California 91608. For reservations call Monica Benitez at (323) 697-3731 / email: monica_benitez03@yahoo.com or Irene May Villafranca at (323) 4232299 / email: imay02@yahoo.com. Tickets are $85 for Adults and $40 for Children (3 to 10 years old). Please make checks payable to: Ibaan Association USA-Canada and mail to: Merly Pagunsan at 5025 Heintz St. Baldwin Park, CA 91706. For sponsorship information on our 2019 Souvenir Program please contact President Noli Reyes at homesbynoli@gmail.com or call (818) 458-7888. Please RSVP by April 12, 2019.

J U LY 24 -28

40th annual Philippine Nurses Association of America National Convention in Atlanta, GA The Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) will have its 40th annual national convention from July 24 to 28 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, GA, hosted by the PNA-GA chapter. More information and details TBA. To learn about the PNA-GA, please visit: https://pnaga.wildapricot.org/.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

Photo courtesy of Hometownstation

TRAIL users in Santa Clarita will now be easier to find during emergencies – even in the City’s vast open space hiking areas – thanks to a new Emergency Locating System recently launched by the City of Santa Clarita. As part of the system, a total of 658 markers have been posted every ■ trails, includ1/8 mile on all city ing bike paths and hiking trails.

The trail markers provide a quick and easy way to convey a location during an emergency

situation. Each marker displays a specific number which designates its location. These numbers correspond to a GIS map that first responders can use to locate the emergency. When a hiker or cyclist provides an emergency operator with the designated number, the operator will be able to pinpoint the location and know where to dispatch emergency personnel.

The City is constantly looking for ways to ensure the safety of

its residents, and this new Emergency Locating System will cut down response times during emergency situations. After over a year and a half of planning and design, the system is now in place and ready to be used by residents and visitors who are out enjoying the City’s trails.

For more information on the Emergency Locating System, visit santa-clarita.com/emergencylocator or email gis@santaclarita.com. ■

The South Gate Police Department taking back unwanted prescription drugs onApril 27 ON Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the South Gate Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will give an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal to Sam’s Club located at 5871 Firestone Blvd, South Gate, CA 90280. (Sites cannot accept liquids or syringes, only pills or patches.) The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Last fall Americans turned in nearly 460 tons (more than 900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,800 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in almost 11 million pounds— nearly 5,500 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s

National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet.

In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medi-

cines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 27 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack. com or call Crime Prevention Specialist Sean Palos at (323) 563-5465. ■

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PeoPle and events

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 20-23, 2019

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Faith formation emphasized at Santacruzan in Los Angeles

File photo shows past Santacruzan festivity in Los Angeles.

Jo B. SolomonSon LOS ANGELES — On Saturday, May 11th, 2019, the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will hold a religioushistorical pageant, SANTACRUZAN, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 Temple Street, Los Angeles) at 2:45 p.m.

This year’s theme: “Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, Our Perfect Model In Doing the Will of God” will bring all faithful to venerate the Blessed Mother.

The main celebrant of the Eucharistic liturgy is Reverend Albert Avenido, Chaplain and Moderator of the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. An expected huge crowd will gather at the Cathedral to witness the Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It will be a joyful event where all young girls wear their best to honor the greatest mother of all. Beautiful and well-poised young women ranging from thirteen to thirty-five years of age will carry symbols representing the holy people of the Old Testament who believed in the coming of the Messiah; the significant women of the New Testament; the symbols of Christian faith and various titles to our Blessed Virgin.

Santacruzan commemorates the search of the Holy Cross by Queen Helena (Reyna Elena) and her son, the newly-converted conqueror Constantine. After the Holy Cross was found in Jerusalem and brought back to Rome, a joyful celebration of thanksgiving was held. Nine days of novena in

honor of the Holy Cross preceded Santacruzan. The festival was introduced by the Spanish conquistadores in the Philippines in the 1800’s and has since become part of Filipino traditions identified with the youth and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The “Hermana mayores” or lead sponsors of Santacruzan will process after the image of Our Lady of Fatima. They are the first to offer flowers to our Blessed Mother. Several images of the Blessed Virgin will be in procession. The event is supported by various Filipino communities, religious and civic organizations, government and business institutions. This tradition is well-celebrated in the month of May not only in the Philippines but also in different parts of the world where a great number of Filipinos strongly practice this Marian tradition.

Two faith formation days were held to prepare participants. The main purpose of the catechetical day is to educate the youth in the roles they will portray on the day of Santacruzan. Catechism is the main focus of this tradition. Virtues of the Blessed Mother are emphasized at both formation days. “Sagalas” (participants who will portray Biblical characters and titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and their parents attend workshops. This year’s Reyna Elena is Maria Giselle Victorio. She will do the Coronation of Mary. In her essay, she expressed: , “Mary is calling people to action to do God’s work and promote peace and love through

Jesus. Following Mary’s footsteps and leading by example have helped me become a better person. I became active in helping the less fortunate. Last year, I joined a group of teens in feeding the homeless. I realized that helping others bring much joy. I see Mary as the Perfect Disciple.

She was obedient and humble.”

Erica Marie Guico will play the role of Reyna Emperatriz, who values faith as a force that pushes her to give to the community.

She serves as lead cantor and pianist at St. Philomena’s Servant choir. The selection of sagalas was based on their active participation in their parishes.

Each one was asked to submit an essay reflecting on their relationship with the Blessed Mother and how they will exemplify her virtues in relation to being bearers of Good News. The angels and estrellas (stars) also joined the sagalas and parents at faith formation day.

The emphasis on Catechesis has made a strong impact on the youth and the parents who participated in this event. Reyna De Los Flores will be portrayed by Erica Rose Madlangsakay who believes that a flower represents beauty and purity of one’s heart. “Like Mary, I continue to grow and be someone who can extend a helping hand to others, “she said.

All sagalas are actively involved in their church’s youth ministries. Santacruzan 2019 will celebrate the youth. The main goal is to reach young Filipino Americans so that they may be exposed to traditions which their

Thomasian Engineers Club of Southern California to hold 45th Anniversary Celebration Thomasian Engineer’s Club is a social organization of alumni and former engineering faculty members from the University of Santo Tomas in Espana, Manila, Philippines. It aimed to provide social interaction, pleasure, entertainment and similar events to its members, family and friends. In addition, it intended to provide scholarship grants to deserving students at the University of Santo Tomas, College of Engineering. It was formed on October 1, 1974 at its first meeting in Cerritos, California. The first President of the organization was Nelson Ramirez (deceased). After a few years, as the members and officers got too busy with work and families, the enthusiasm towards the organization subsided.

The organization was revived when former faculty members, husband and wife, Loloy and Puri Romualdo moved to Southern California. TECSC is active to this day and holds its election every two (2) years. The board hold their respective positions for two (2) years. The organization holds about 4 events

Thomasian Engineer’s Club Preisdent Emma Hilario

every year for its members, their families and friends.

TECSC is proud to announce that it is holding its 45th anniversary celebration on May 11, 2019 at the Long Beach airport Marriott Hotel, Long Beach, California starting at six o’clock in the evening. At this event, the Past Presidents are being appreciated, the mothers will be honored and the incoming officers and board will take their oath of office. There will be plenty of time for dancing and socializing.

Raffles will also be conducted.

The incoming board are as follows: President: Emma Hilario, BSChE., 1966 1st Vice-President: Benjo Villanueva, BSECE, 1977 2nd Vice-President: Emil Sunga, BSME, 1975 Secretary: Bel Ylagan, BSChE, 1975 Treasurer: Tess Junio, BSChE, 1975 PRO: Paulo Gumawid, BSEE 2012 For more information, contact Emma Hilario at (909) 480-9117

Santacruzan at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles

Maria Giselle Victorio, Reyna Elena

Erica Marie Guico, Reyna Emperatriz

parents and grandparents have embraced in their youth. The true meaning of Catholic identity among Filipino Americans lie in understanding their cultural heritage and what it meant.

A Reception/ Dinner- Dance will follow after the Eucharistic celebration. It will be held at Embassy Suites by Hilton/ 800 N. Central Avenue, Glendale, CA 91203. You may secure tickets by calling Arnel Bailon at (818) 310-3663. For more information on SANTACRUZAN 2019, please call: Patty Santiago (818) 362-4864 or send an e-mail to: piesan@hotmail.com n Erica Rose Madlangsakay, Reyna delas Flores

C APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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State department reports many Filipino ‘Hot money’ leaves in March family-based visas go unclaimed, resulting in the case being shred and priority date lost

by IAN

RECENTLY, officials from the U.S. State Department discussed the monthly Visa Bulletin and the movement of priority dates.

(A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for an immigrant visa, and is typically based on the date the petition was filed.

The monthly Visa Bulletin reports which priority dates are now eligible to be queued up for immigrant visas and adjustment of status.)

Sometimes, it could take 20 years or more for a priority date to become current for Filipino family members, especially in the categories of married children of U.S. citizen (F-3) and brother and sister of U.S. citizen (F-4).

State Department officials observed there has been a continuing low demand in these categories, despite a very large “pool” of applicants with approved petitions who have not yet acted on their case. In other words, there are many Filipinos whose priority dates are current and visas are available, but they are not coming forward to claim or apply for their visa.

Ordinarily, if a visa is available, but the person does not claim their visa within one year of being notified of its availability, their visa registration could be “terminated” and their file destroyed. If a case is terminated because of a person’s failure to timely pursue their visa, the priority date is also lost and the petition is gone! A new petition would need to be filed, and the person would get a brand-new priority date, meaning they may now have to wait another 20 years or more to be processed for their visas.

At the present time, visas are available in the F-3 and F-4 categories filed before 1996. That’s over 23 years ago! A lot could have changed since then, such

ing the notices at their new address.

Immigration You should check the priority Corner date on your petition and compare that date to the “current” priority dates. (I always post the most recent priority dates on my website www.gurfinkel.com ATTY. MICHAEL and Facebook). If your priority GURFINKEL, ESQ date is already current, but you as the family moving to a new have not yet received any notiaddress but neglecting to notify fication or forms from the NVC, the National Visa Center (NVC) don’t just sit there and do nothing. You may miss a critical deadline, resulting in the shredding of your case. I would also suggest that you seek the assistance of an attorney, who can quickly look into your case to make sure it is still on track, and didn’t fall between the cracks, especially if your priority date has been current for some time.

“A new petition would need to be filed, and the person would get a brand-new priority date, meaning they may now have to wait another 20 years or more to be processed for their visas.” of their new address. Therefore, the only address the NVC has for the person is their original address from decades ago. The NVC will then send notices (with deadlines) to the old address. If the family moved to a new address years ago, the mail may not be forwarded to them anymore, and so they will not respond in time. In that case, the NVC could terminate the case and shred the file, resulting in the loss of the priority date.

Remember, it is your obligation to keep the NVC advised of your current address; it is not the job of the NVC to track you down. It’s your fault if documents are sent to your old address because you did not update your new address.

Perhaps that’s why the State Department is noting a “low demand” in Filipinos pursuing their visas despite a “very large pool of applicants with approved petitions,” because they may have moved and are not receiv-

*** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-4873465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINE (Advertising Supplement)

NICOLAS CIGARAL Philstar.com

MORE short-term portfolio investments exited than entered the Philippines in March, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported Wednesday, April 17.

Registered foreign portfolio investments, also known as “hot money” for their volatility, yielded net outflows of $739 million in March after four consecutive months of net inflows.

Year-to-date, foreign portfolio investment transactions posted $363.40 million net inflows.

So-called hot money enters and exits the country with ease, unlike firmer commitments like foreign direct investment.

In March, gross inflows stood at $1.7 billion, up by 22.8% from $1.4 billion in February.

About 66.5 percent of investments registered during the month went to securities listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange — mainly holding firms, food, beverage and tobacco compa-

Philstar.com file photo

nies, property firms, banks and transportation services companies. The United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong were the top five investor countries last month.

However, gross outflows hit $2.5 billion, 130.8 percent higher than $1.1 billion chalked up in February. The U.S. continued to be the main destination of outflows, receiving 76.8% of total

remittances.

“By instrument, net inflows of $2 million was noted for Unit Investment Trust Funds while net outflows were recorded for all other investment instruments: securities listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE-listed securities: $379 million); Peso government securities (Peso GS: $361 million); and other portfolio instruments (less than $2 million),” the central bank said. ■

130K Chinese workers not paying taxes

Foreigners will be made to pay the penalties for all their violations since they started working here

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is going after the income tax payments of more than 130,000 unregistered Chinese working in the Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) sector.

Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa told reporters last Monday, April

15, that the BIR had expanded its investigation to also include about 2,000 foreigners employed in the Clark and Subic economic zones.

“They are consultants, engineers, designers, IT (information technology workers)… Our estimates showed that there are around 2,000 [foreign workers in economic zones] but what we are really prioritizing are the Pogos,” Guballa said.

The BIR official said majority of the Pogo workers in the country were Chinese.

He said all of these Chinese workers in Pogos did not secure tax identification numbers (TIN) from the BIR. As such, they are not registered as taxpayers.

“We are looking for all of them.

Although they are employed in online gaming, what we are checking is if they are paying PAGE D2

Business Quote of the Week “If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement.”

— Kevin Systrom, Co-Founder of Instagram

D APRIL 20-23, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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ICTSI sees a healthy terminal business in 2019

nal (MICT ) is working on Berths 7 and 8. With a controlling depth of 13.5 to 14.5 meters, these new INTERNATIONAL Container berths will further enhance the terTerminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is minal’s capacity and ability to hancautiously optimistic and expects dle larger ships. a healthy container business this The second phase of the conyear, amid the changes taking struction, which adds backup areas place in the industry. for future berths 9 and 10, started ICTSI Chairman and Presiin the first quarter of 2019. dent Enrique Razon Jr., citing the The Drewry Maritime Research Drewry report said that while ports showed that there would be no worldwide would have to cope significant increase in maximum with more cascading loops, vescontainer ship size. The maximum sel size was unlikely to increase twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) further in the next few years even intake is going up, but the physical as the outlook for global container dimensions were not. However, port throughput remains healthy. cascading will still be very much “It is apparent then that utiliat work across all trade routes, and zation levels are expected to rise each port will see increasing presacross most all regions. It also folsure on whichever berths would be lows that berths with the infrastrucICTSI Chairman and President Enrique Razon able to handle the biggest ships, ture to handle the largest ships will Jr. Manilatimes.net file photo and increased obsolescence of be the most highly utilized and in older berths. short supply, while older berths tic because the terminals they built Drewry said terminal operators will be underutilized,” Razon said could handle the biggest ships in and port authorities would continduring the recent stockholder’s places where they were. ue to seek to expand their activities meeting.

“Even if is there is no global beyond the port gate into the wider “These indication, couple with trade, the berths that can han- supply chain, to try and diversify global trade dynamics — our drive dle the largest ships are the ones sources of revenue, tie in traffic in maintaining positive volume who’s most in command. We will and get closer to cargo owners. growth organically and through get growth from having modern “Despite all the above challengmergers and acquisitions, our terminals. Almost all our facilities es, the global container terminal focus on cost and operating ef- are modernized,” Razon added. industry will remain a very solid, ficiency to make our terminals ICTSI has allocated $380 million profitable business. The 2019 inthe preferred port of call in their capital expenditure for capacity dustry throughput of over 800 milrespective countries and regions expansion in Manila, Mexico and lion TEUs should generate EBIT— all combine to provide a case Iraq, for additional equipment and DA (earnings before interest, tax, for cautious optimism in 2019,” he carry over maintenance. depreciation and amortization) in added.

ICTSI’s flagship terminal, Ma- excess of US$25 billion,” accordRazon said they remain optimis- nila International Container Termi- ing to Drewry. n

by Genevi

Factao Manilatimes.net

More taxpayers filing ITRs electronically – BIR by mayvelin

u. caRaballo Manilatimes.net

MORE taxpayers have switched filing their income tax returns (ITRs) by electronic means, a senior Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) official said as the agency marked the annual April 15 deadline.

“Based on our data, most of our taxpayers now are availing of the e-filing or online filing for convenience,” BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said in a press conference on Monday.

Filing using Electronic BIR Forms has been mandatory since 2014 for all tax returns.

“In terms of the totality of the whole taxpayers for the BIR, we estimated those who filed only comprise 30-40 percent,” Guballa noted.

He did not provide further details but Deputy Commissioner Marissa Cabreros has said that individual taxpayers registered

referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law that took effect last year.

Salaried employees and other individuals were given personal income tax exemptions for the first P250,000 in taxable income and significant tax cuts for those earning above P250,000 under the new law.

The perks, Cabreros claimed, are expected to prompt more taxpayers to file their ITRs. The BIR, which has a P2.339BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa trillion collection target for this Manilatimes.net file photo year, has rolled out options and reached 19.2 million in 2018 facilities to enable taxpayers to transact by electronic means. alone.

“We should try to hit that figure Cabreros earlier told The Manila Times that the BIR was hope- as much as possible … Hopefully ful of exceeding its P232.6-billion we should go above P2 trillion take in April last year, which was this 2019,” BIR Commissioner 24 percent or P44.9 billion better Caesar Dulay said.

The bureau missed its P2.044compared to a year earlier.

“We are hopeful for increased trillion collection goal last year, collection because more are com- only netting P1.961 trillion deplying as filing had been simpli- spite higher sales taxes implefied because of TRAIN,” she said, mented under the TRAIN law. n

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Philippine Airlines orders modern aircraft in line with 5-star rating goal

Philstar.com file photo

by Richmond

meRcuRio Philstar.com

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is adding new modern and technologically advanced aircraft to its fleet in preparation to the carrier’s future development and expansion.

PAL said new modern and technologically advanced aircraft has been placed on order and would be delivered “in the coming years.”

“These new aircraft types will not only result to operational efficiency, reliability and profitability, but will provide comfort and improve the product and service offerings,” the airline said.

For this year, PAL is taking delivery of six new airplanes that are composed of two Airbus A350, two A321neo, and two Bombar-

dier Q400.

The new aircraft is part of PAL’s commitment to continue providing “the excellent flying experience to its passengers on its quest to achieve an eventual five star rating by year 2020.”

Aside from modernizing its fleet, PAL’s development plans also include further expanding its route network.

The airline said the route network expansion would entail the introduction of new destinations and city pairs.

“More flights will be added in secondary hubs such as Clark, Cebu, Davao, and Kalibo. Flight schedules and timings will also be improved to provide more convenience and better connections,” PAL said.

PAL said it would also explore

on sales and business opportunities, invest on facility and resource improvement programs, acquire more efficient operating system, optimize flight and ground operations, and constantly prioritize safety.

“Company priorities still include the further development of its competent workforce and provide satisfying careers to the employees. Also, all employees not only front liners, are continuously made aware on the focus on bringing excellent service beyond customers’ expectations,” the company said.

PAL, the country’s only four-star global airline, has an international route network covering 39 cities in 18 countries, and a domestic network covering 39 cities and towns. n

130K Chinese workers not paying taxes

PAGE D1 t their taxes,” Guballa said, as he noted that some Pogo firms actually had remittances to the BIR. “We will check if their remittances are correct, if [payments were] below the actual [income tax] rate or below the declared income. We are counterchecking the income that they receive,” he said.

Before this month ends, the BIR will finalize the list of Pogo workers as it is currently in the process of validating data.

For those to be found not paying taxes, “we will file the corresponding necessary enforcement—if you are not registered, then we impose penalties on

those unregistered.”

Guballa said many Pogos were already registering because they now know that the government was very much aware of their activities.

But even after these Pogos finally register, Guballa said the BIR “will stretch back as far as we will determine [how long they were operating so they] will pay for all the penalties of all those violations.”

Early this month, the Department of Finance (DOF) said the government wanted to collect about P32 billion in unpaid income taxes from foreigners who work in the Pogo industry.

It was based on a rough com-

putation by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III on the assumption that up to 138,001 foreign workers earned an average of $1,500 a month and paid the 25-percent personal income tax.

Based on the report submitted to Dominguez by the Department of Labor and Employment and the Bureau of Immigration last month, 54,241 Pogo workers had been issued alien employment permits aside from 83,760 who have special working permits.

For Dominguez, the reported salaries of foreign Pogo employees amounting to only P20,000 a month were “ridiculously low” for skilled workers. n

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OFW remittances hit 5-month low in Feb US fund to invest in the Philippines by ronnel

W. DoMingo

Inquirer.net

Manilatimes.net file photo

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo Manilatimes.nbet

MONEY sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) fell to a five-month low in February, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported on Monday, April 15.

Personal remittances — comprising OFWs’ net compensation, personal transfers whether in the form of cash or in kind, and capital transfers between households — totaled $2.557 billion, 1.2 percent higher than the $2.528 billion posted a year earlier, but 6.8 percent lower compared to the $2.745 billion booked in the

prior month.

It was also the lowest since September 2018.

The result brought year-todate remittances to $5.302 billion, 2.3 percent higher than the $5.182 billion registered in the comparable 2017 period.

“Personal remittances from sea-based and land-based workers with work contracts of less than one year rose by 8.5 percent to $0.57 billion in February 2019 from $0.53 billion in February 2018,” central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a statement.

“This compensated for the 0.43-percent decline in the per-

sonal remittances from landbased workers with work contracts of one year or more to $1.93 billion from $1.94 billion,” he added.

Nicholas Antonio Mapa, ING Bank Manila senior economist, said remittance flows remained healthy.

“The steady stream of dollars help fund peso purchasing power, almost assuring that household consumption continues, while also augmenting the sustained struggles of the export sector,” he pointed out.

Cash remittances, which only count money coursed through PAGE D5

Customs modernization to get $150-M WB loan Shift to fully automated processing system

by ben

o. De vera Inquirer.net

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has adopted a World Bank (WB)proposed system aimed at modernizing processes at the country’s second biggest tax-collection agency through funding from the Washington-based lender.

In a statement Monday, April 15, the BOC said it was shifting to a fully automated customs processing system from the present electronic to mobile system as required under the proposed $150-million World Bank loan.

“This $150-million project is envisioned to support the BOC to reform and upgrade its systems, procedures and operational activities in order to improve transparency, accountability and predictability, streamlined and harmonized business processes

in line with accepted international standards,” Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero said.

The World Bank loan for the Philippine Customs Modernization Project will “transform the bureau into a world-class customs by streamlining and upgrading its operations and processes through information communications technology,” he said.

To implement this project, Guerrero on April 1 issued Customs Special Order No. 44-2019 to reconstitute the agency’s project management unit, which is tasked to administer, manage, plan and supervise the BOC modernization project.

“The modernization project is significant to the BOC in order to improve efficiency in customs administration. The bureau has to supplement, augment or enhance its present capabilities until

we achieve world-class customs,” Guerrero’s chief of staff, Teodoro M. Jumamil, was quoted by the BOC as saying.

According to World Bank documents, the proposed project “aims to support export-led economic growth by supporting the BOC to reduce trade costs, improve transparency and increase revenue collection.”

“The project will support the modernization of systems, procedures and operational activities in line with accepted international standards for the processing and clearance of imported and exported goods. This will be especially beneficial for traders from outside Manila (in effect, Visayas and Mindanao), which will be able to deal with customs without having to complete their processes at the capital. This, in turn, will increase the Philippines’ trade competiPAGE D5

IMPACT investment manager WaterEquity, cofounded by Hollywood actor Matt Damon, has raised $50 million from banks and foundations for projects that will address the water crisis in four Asian countries, including the Philippines.

The Missouri, United Statesbased social enterprise announced that commitments for the full amount of its flagship fund— dubbed WaterCredit Investment Fund 3—have been secured following a first closing for an initial $33 million in September 2018.

Those who are investing in WaterEquity’s projects included Bank of America, Overseas Private Investment Corp., Ceniarth LLC and Niagara Cares as well as the Conrad N. Hilton, Skoll and Osprey Foundations.

According to WaterEquity, its funds were invested in a portfolio of financial institutions and

Photo courtesy by www.waterequity.org

enterprises in emerging markets to enable these to scale up, meet increasing market demand and deliver access to safe water and sanitation.

“We are extremely pleased at the response to our fund and appreciate the confidence our investors have placed in WaterEquity’s ability to drive positive social and financial impact,” WaterEquity executive vice president Alix Lebec said.

By investing in financial institutions and water and sanitation enterprises throughout India, In-

donesia, Cambodia and the Philippines, the fund aims to help 4.6 million people gain access to safe water or sanitation.

So far, the fund has made five investments totaling nearly $17 million to financial institutions in India, Indonesia and Cambodia, with the next investments expected to be placed in similar entities in the Philippines.

In particular, the fund is intended for investing in microfinance institutions, microutilities, toilet manufacturers and water purification kiosks. n

24/7 work on new infra projects pushed by ben

o. De vera Inquirer.net

ECONOMIC managers want work on new infrastructure projects done 24 hours a day, seven days a week to play catch up given the delays in the approval of the 2019 national budget.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told the Inquirer Tuesday, April 16, that while continuing and ongoing projects had “no disruptions, new projects certainly need to get going fast on a 24/7 work regimen.”

Luckily, the weather is likely to cooperate given the weak El Niño forecast,” added Pernia, who heads state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

On Monday, April 15, President Duterte finally signed the P3.8-trillion budget for this year even as he vetoed P95.3 billion in projects that were not included in his administration’s priorities.

Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III told reporters in a Viber message on Monday night that “we fully support the President in his desire to focus

national expenditure on projects and activities that redound to the benefit of all Filipinos.”

These priority programs and projects to be funded by the 2019 budget will “stimulate the growth of the economy, providing job and income opportunity for the least advantaged,” said Dominguez.

NEDA earlier projected economic growth at about 6.1-6.3 percent, within the downgraded 6-7 percent full-year target and around the same level as last year’s 6.2-percent expansion, if the government operated under a reenacted budget until April. n

Bank violations seen in NPC privacy sweep

by Tyrone Jasper

C. piaD

Manilatimes.net

THE privacy watchdog is finalizing inspections of banks’ mobile applications and online services to determine their compliance with privacy laws and policies, with results expected to be released next month.

“We just did what we call privacy sweep for mobile applications and web services of banks,” National Privacy Commission (NPC) chief Raymund Liboro told reporters during a seminar in Baguio during the weekend.

Findings will be revealed in May, the last week of which was

declared last year by Malacanang as National Data Privacy Awareness Week.

“We are checking who are excessively [asking for personal information], who are collecting [data] disproportionately,” Liboro added.

Ahead of the report’s release, he indicated that one bank had violated privacy laws by mandating 17 permissions for a customer to set up an account.

Another bank was found to be asking for the customer’s location, which Liboro said was unnecessary.

“They have to come up with a very good explanation on why so many [pieces of] data are be-

ing collected, kept and maintained,” he said.

Transactions can be considered void in these cases, Liboro claimed.

The NPC chief said banking institutions, along with other businesses or institutions that require data from clients, should carefully consider this as the information could be vulnerable to mismanagement or hacking.

Liboro said the NPC was looking to strengthen its coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with regard to banks’ data collection practices.

“We actually have talks with Bangko Sentral [but] not specific to this,” he noted. n

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Gov’t goes slow on processing of meat import permits Customs modernization to get $150-M...

PAGE D3 t tiveness, facilitating the growth and diversification of exports,” according to the World Bank.

To ensure correct valuation of imports entering the country’s ports, the BOC has also launched an online platform also designed to enhance revenue collection and prevent technical smuggling.

The agency said it piloted on April 8 in all ports nationwide the

web-based National Value Verification System (NVVS), which would “determine and verify the accurate value of a commodity.”

Under this system, the data are presented based on all aggregate importations of commodities per Harmonized System Code, specific description and country of origin, the BOC said. “The NVVS will ensure that updated and correct valuation is being implemented in all ports nation-

wide. Hence, the system is also an effective tool in addressing the issue of benchmarking in the BOC through application of correct values of goods entering the ports,” it added.

Also, the BOC said the NVVS would allow assessment officers to verify if an importer declared the value that was similar to the price it actually paid or payable for the products when exported to the Philippines. n

OFW remittances hit 5-month low...

PAGE D3 t banks, rose by 1.5 percent to $2.301 billion in February from $2.267 billion a year earlier. It fell by 7.3 percent, however, from the $2.484 billion recorded in January 2019.

Year to date, cash remittances grew by 3.0 percent to $4.784 billion from $4.647 billion last year.

Remittances from both landIn a meeting with local producers, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said stakeholders agreed to start a rationalization program amid the need to conduct a study on the absorptive capacity of the market in relation to supply.

by Louise

Maureen Philstar.com

siMeon

THE Philippines plans to slow down the processing of meat import permits amid the current oversupply which is affecting the local hog and poultry sectors.

In a meeting with local producers, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said stakeholders agreed to start a rationalization program amid the need to conduct a study on the absorptive capacity of the market in relation to supply.

“Pending the rationalization of the industry, we may have to go slow on the issuance of new im-

port permits. If we continue with the volume of importation right now, the market will certainly choke and everybody will lose money,” Piñol said.

Data showed that inventory in the cold storages right now have reached 27.8 million kilograms of chicken and 34.3 million kilos of pork, already good for about three months.

The current inventory is too much for the market to absorb which in turn, is affecting the drop in prices of local pork and chicken produce.

“We have to make sure there is a corresponding withdrawal from the cold storage and make

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

sure that the volume of importation will not go beyond what the market can absorb,” Piñol said.

“Local hog raisers should be able to release their stocks first because those in the cold storages can actually wait but our backyard hog raisers need to sell their produce at a certain period,” he added.

Piñol said there is no need to bring in more stocks following the oversupply in the market.

“The stocks are really too much. Our producers are already crying because they can’t release in the market because the cold storages are overflowing,” he said. n

Bank violations seen in NPC privacy sweep

by Tyrone Jasper

C. piad

Manilatimes.net

THE privacy watchdog is finalizing inspections of banks’ mobile applications and online services to determine their compliance with privacy laws and policies, with results expected to be released next month.

“We just did what we call privacy sweep for mobile applications and web services of banks,” National Privacy Commission (NPC) chief Raymund Liboro told reporters during a seminar in Baguio during the weekend.

Findings will be revealed in May, the last week of which was

FOR RENT

declared last year by Malacanang as National Data Privacy Awareness Week. “[We are checking] who are excessively [asking for personal information], who are collecting [data] disproportionately,” Liboro added.

Ahead of the report’s release, he indicated that one bank had violated privacy laws by mandating 17 permissions for a customer to set up an account.

Another bank was found to be asking for the customer’s location, which Liboro said was unnecessary.

“They have to come up with a very good explanation on why so many [pieces of] data are being

collected, kept and maintained,” he said.

Transactions can be considered void in these cases, Liboro claimed.

The NPC chief said banking institutions, along with other businesses or institutions that require data from clients, should carefully consider this as the information could be vulnerable to mismanagement or hacking.

Liboro said the NPC was looking to strengthen its coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with regard to banks’ data collection practices.

“We actually have talks with Bangko Sentral [but] not specific to this,” he noted. n

FOR RENT

based ($3.73 billion) and seabased ($1.06 billion) workers rose by 1.0 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, and were said to have supported the year-to-date tally.

“By country source, the United States registered the highest share of overall remittances for the period at 35.5 percent,” Diokno said.

It was followed by Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Canada, Qatar, Hong Kong, and Germany, accounting for 77.3 percent of total cash remittances for the two-month period.

OFW remittances hit $32.21 billion last year, the “highest annual level to date” according to the central bank. n

Market leader for U.S. To Europe package shipping enters Balikbayan box shipping market WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. & CARSON, Calif. - April 16, 2019 - PRLog -- International Package Shipping, the leading consumerto-consumer package consolidator for U.S. shippers to Europe, today announced that the company will be expanding their services into the Philippines, bringing their total countries served by ocean to 46 countries. With over 60 years of experience, International Package Shipping is the first American run company to enter the Balikbayan box shipping industry.

By adding the Philippines to the previous 45 countries served through their discount ocean shipping service, International Package Shipping will now be able to serve the needs of millions of additional customers from the Philippines who need reliable, cost-effective access to deferred package shipping to the Philippines and all of the other countries that International Package Shipping serves.

International Package Shipping offers customers the flexibility of Economy Express and Premium Express service to the Philippines. All International Package Shipping Authorized Shipping Outlets (ASOs) will be able to ship to the Philippines immediately. International Package

Shipping’s ASOs are conveniently located across the country. A list of the current International Package Shipping outlets across the United States can be found at internationalpackageshipping.com.

“With our expansion into the Philippines, we are able to serve a more diverse market and allow our ASO’s to connect their customers to our growing, cost-effective, network of global transportation,” said Tom Nightingale, president and CEO of International Package Shipping. Chairman, Ernest Jacquet added, “Our team is thrilled to begin offering our trusted international shipping service to the Filipino community living in the U.S. and keep them connected to their family in friends in the Philippines.”

According to The Migration Policy Institute, between 1980 and 2016, the Filipino population in the United States nearly quadrupled, rising from 501,000 to 1.9 million. Whether it is holiday gifts, basic necessities or the brands to which U.S. shoppers have superior access, deferred consumer-to-consumer interna-

PSYCHIC

tional package shipping through International Package Shipping serves as a vital link keeping people connected through Balikbayan boxes.

About International Package Shipping International Package Shipping exists to connect people and commerce through reliable, cost-effective global transportation. They are the leader in consumer-to-consumer consolidated shipping technology. As the largest consumer-to-consumer package transportation company shipping from the United States to Europe and with over 60 years of experience handling ocean and air shipments, International Package Shipping has earned its reputation as a trusted carrier handling shipment to 46 countries by ocean and growing.

International Package Shipping has the largest end-to-end network of Balikbayan Authorized Shipping Outlets in the country.

The company can be found on the web at internationalpackageshipping.com. n (Advertising Supplement)

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