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april 27-may 3, 2018 • OC/iE aSiaN JOUrNal
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Kevin de León sounds off on campaign...
COFFEE FESTIVAL. Amadeo, Cavite Mayor Conrado Viado (4th from left) and Vice Mayor Leo Angelo Bayot (5th from left) leads town officials in the ribbon cutting ceremony for opening the “Pahimis Coffee Festival” that features various exhibitors from popular coffee brands such as Amadeo Coffee and Olivia’s, among others, and various exhibitors on food, farm animals, plants, apparels and dresses from April 25-27 at the Amadeo Municipal Hall Grounds in Cavite. PNA photo by Gladys Pino
Dureza highlights PH peace efforts in UN General Assembly
PReSidential Peace adviser Jesus G. dureza highlighted the peacebuilding efforts of the Philippine government as he spoke before the United nations (Un) General assembly in new York City on Wednesday, april 25. in his message delivered during the high-level meeting on peacebuilding and sustaining peace, dureza presented several initiatives being undertaken by the Office of the Presidential adviser on the Peace Process (OPaPP) as proof of government’s commitment to peace. He said these include the implementation of socio-economic development programs in conflict-affected areas through Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PaMana) and the development of a peace constituency through the People’s Peace table. Using the “chicken and egg” analogy, dureza said peace and development should not come one after the other but “should come hand in hand.” “as you all know very well,
you cannot have peace – or you cannot sustain peace – if there is no development; and you cannot also sustain development unless there is peace,” he said. the peace adviser added that development should be done through a “peace lens,” using an inclusive approach that involves the different stakeholders of conflict. “We cannot address sustainable peace if you only attend to people who are triggers of conflict, or are involved in conflict,“ he said, emphasizing that the concerns of “the bigger table, which is the public” should also be addressed. dureza closed his presentation by reaffirming government’s commitment to pursuing and sustaining peace in the country. He also expressed gratitude for the Un’s role in strengthening government’s peacebuilding efforts. “the work for peace is not an easy to road to travel. there are roadblocks. there are many
ways, however, to peace. We cannot avoid roadblocks … but we have to stay in the course,” the peace adviser said. dureza expressed his gratitude to the United nations and the countries that have “kept faith with our work for peace.” “Many mechanisms for peace have been in place in the country today are being supported strongly by the Un systems and the Un agencies,” he said. dureza also recognized the importance of mediators who facilitate peace negotiations. “We have noticed that when there are foreign nations supporting the peace process, it is not too easy for the rebel groups, in times of challenging situations in the process of the negotiation, (to) walk away from the table,” he said. aside from addressing the Un General assembly, dureza will also update the Filipino community on the peace process on april 26 at the Philippine Center in new York. n
Cayetano pressed to file diplomatic protest... PAGE A2 separate occasions, he said he was left in a room with a gun and a grenade which he saw as CBP attempts to “entrap him into using the items.” CBP spokesman Jamie Ruiz said in a statement that “U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not consider country of origin or human rights activism
to be determining factors for admissibility.” Before being released, aba said he was coerced to cover up details of his detainment by recording a video statement of him saying he had not been tortured. a “foot-tall stack of papers that the agents purported were their profile on him” was shredded in front of him before his release,
according to the iCHRP-U.S. statement. to Cayetano, Payaba added, “the filing of a diplomatic protest against the U.S. government will be an indicator if Cayetano and the Philippine government are indeed capable of exercising the country’s sovereignty, or if it is just rhetoric used to conveniently dismiss critics.” n
PAGE A2 cumbent of California voted for two wars: afghanistan and iraq,” de león said. “We have spent close to $6 trillion in both wars combined, $6 trillion that should have been spent investing in young men and women, college debt and education giving much bigger financial aid so they can graduate in a timely basis without being riddled with debt. We should’ve invested it in clean energy, education, healthcare; and, that shows you why the incumbent is so disconnected to the values and to the realities of working families in California.” Since 2010, de león has been serving Sd 24 (he previously served the 45th district as an assemblymember), which comprises of many of la’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods including Boyle Heights, little armenia, little tokyo, Chinatown, Westlake and Historic Filipinotown. the son of Guatemalan immigrants, de león humbly grew up in San diego where ethnic diversity thrived. He has maintained a close relationship with the Filipino-american community since childhood when his mother, who worked as a licensed vocational nurse and certified nursing assistant, befriended many Filipino americans at her job. When she got sick and could no longer care for the family, these Filipino colleagues would bring chicken adobo, pancit and lumpia to the house to make sure the de león family was taken care of. “i’ve always had very strong memories and this deep fondness for the Filipino-american community because when we were in deep pain and in a very difficult place as a family, our Filipino sisters and brothers really stepped up and that meant a lot. the Filipino-american community has always, always, always been very good to my family,” de león remarked. acknowledging that Filipino americans are the largest asian american group in California, de león made clear that he promises to be a representative for the vast Filipino-american community in the U.S. Senate. “i have an enormous respect
for the Filipino-american community, many of whom come from so many different parts of the Philippines to come all the way across the Pacific Ocean whether that’s to join the United States navy or as a nurse,” de león said. “if i have the opportunity to be the voice for California in Washington, the Filipino-american community has a voice with me too. they come with me, too.” One of the issues closest to the Filipino-american community is immigration, which continues to dominate as one of the most pressing domestic issues nationwide. California is home to nearly 10 million immigrants, a quarter of whom are undocumented, according to the latest statistics from the California Public Policy institute. Over the last year as California has loudly resisted the rhetoric coming from the trump administration on immigration, de león has emerged as a leader defending California’s vast and diverse immigrant population. and de león has led the legislative effort in that fight. last year, his pièce de résistance came in the form of SB 54, the California Values act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from sharing information with federal immigration agencies that could lead to the capture of undocumented immigrants. though the vast majority of Californians support SB 54, Orange County residents in cities like Huntington Beach, newport Beach and los alamitos have supported the trump administration’s lawsuit against SB 54. “it’s deeply unfortunate that politicians in a handful of cities, in Orange County, are on the cusp of wasting taxpayer dollars to join donald trump in his lawsuit against California and SB 54,” de león said. “it’s my hope they read the bill that they understand that the bill doesn’t protect violent criminal felons. to me, it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re from ireland, the Philippines, Germany or Mexico, if you’re a criminal violent felon, you don’t belong here.” He added: “this bill was created to protect innocent immigrants,
fathers, children and hard-working families who have contributed greatly to our country for decades and who have been waiting to become legal permanent residents (lPR) through a dysfunctional, broken down immigration system that Congress has yet to have the aptitude, courage or work ethic to tackle. So this is an indictment on Congress, if anybody, for not doing its job.” if elected, he promises to be an unwavering challenger to the trump administration’s immigration policies, including standing up to the threats against the deferred action for Childhood arrivals (daCa) and family reunification, the process through which naturalized immigrants can petition their family members to come to the U.S. “Family unity and respect for the family are so entrenched in the Filipino community like so many other communities, and we have a president who uses terms like “chain migration” which represents the most anti-family values one can espouse,” de león said. “Who doesn’t want to bring their mother? Or their father or their siblings to america so can have a cohesive family reunited together. California is home to the largest concentration of Filipinos who became naturalized citizens, lPRs or achieved status after being undocumented. the leading voice should be here in California, and that certainly hasn’t been the case with the incumbent.” ahead of the June 5 primary election, de león is continuing to visit counties throughout the state, meeting with and engaging with residents about their concerns. in addition to Feinstein, de león will also have to contend with other democrats who also believe in a regime change in the Senate. according to the official list of candidates slated for the June 5 primary election released by Secretary of State alex Padilla, among the 32 candidates are 11 Republican hopefuls. However, none of the Republican candidates have reported raising any money, according to the Federal election Commission, making way for a contentious alldemocratic contest. n
A new electric car sharing service launches...
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ers of at least 18 years, access to a personal car anytime they want for as low as $1 a month, and 15 cents per minute depending on income level. the program sprung from a partnership between los angeles department of transportation (ladOt) and Blue Solutions — a carsharing subsidiary of France’s Bolloré group — and is the largest of its kind in the U.S. Bluela’s mission is to provide an alternative and environmentally friendly mobility solution to underserved communities. “Blue Solutions recognizes that mobility is a key factor in creating inclusive communities. By providing a convenient and fully electric car sharing service at a more affordable cost,” said Marie Bolloré, CeO of Blue Solutions. “By providing a convenient and fully electric car sharing service at a more affordable cost, we believe that Bluela will promote both inclusivity and sustainability.” Currently, cars can be found in seven initial hubs including los angeles City College, Koreatown, Macarthur Park, Chinatown, Pico Union, Boyle Heights, and right in front of the Pilipino Workers Center in Historic Filipinotown. three more stations are scheduled to be opened in less than two weeks, working up to 40 stations and 100 electric cars around the city by the end of the year. How BlueLA works designed by the italian auto design house Pininfarina, the Bluela cars were made specifically for car sharing, seating up to four adults comfortably. On a full charge, the cars can get up to 125 miles thanks to the systems and batteries made by the Bolloré group. Using the carsharing service is simple, and is great for trips to the grocery, running errands, picking kids up from school, and so forth. Once registered, drivers can reserve a car using the program’s app, or through an easy to use reservation kiosk located at any of the hubs. Using either a Metro taP card or a Bluela card which gets sent through the mail, drivers simply unplug the car from the charging station, tap their card near the car’s door, and begin their trip. On their trip, drivers have access to the car’s own navigation system, car-return system, and a blue telephone button that connects drivers to 24/7 customer service should they need any assistance. to return the car and end a trip, all drivers have to do is park at any of the hubs, and plug it back in for free battery charging. “the car sharing system is very good because you park in a station where you booked in ad-
(L-R) in group photo: CARB vice chair Sandra Berg, U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez, Deputy Mayor Barbara Romero, Blue Solutions CEO Marie Bolloré, LADOT general manager Seleta Reynolds, and 13th District City Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona
BlueLA, a carsharing program that gives drivers access to a car for as low as $1 a month.
vance, your parking spot,” Bolloré told the Asian Journal. the only requirements for the service are that drivers be at least 18 years old, have a valid U.S. driver’s license or international driver’s permit, and have a debit or credit card to set up an account. the service also provides auto insurance coverage up to the state minimum limit, secondary to the driver’s personal insurance. Membership prices start as low as $1 per month, and 15 cents per minute for households earning an annual income of $35,000 or less. that equates to around $9 per hour. a standard membership costs $5 month, 20 cents per minute. Environmentally friendly transportation alternative While the county of los angeles has been investing in its public transit system through expansions and improvements of rail and bus connections, putting the new Bluela cars on los angeles roads is about being an environmentally friendly transportation alternative to those who could benefit from the mobility. “it really provides a mobility option for folks,” chief sustainability officer at ladOt, told the Asian Journal. “For families that may be a one car household, or zero car household, here’s another option that you can use to both support using the bus and rail.” Because the cars are 100-percent electric, they fall in line with los angeles Mayor eric Garcetti’s electric vehicle goals set in his mission for a cleaner environment
and stronger economy. Garcetti said, “We all want a healthier planet for our children and our grandchildren. Bluela will make our collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more inclusive by providing underserved communities with an environmentally friendly way to get around town — at an affordable price.” the service runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week which is helpful when metro rails or busses may not be in service. Many of the stations are even located around existing metro stops. “So you can imagine yourself getting off of the subway or a bus, using Bluela to complete your errands, come back, and then maybe jump back on the bus or rail,” said Parras. “For folks that are maybe needing to go from the Pilipino Workers Center to Union Station, it’s going to be a quick trip,” he added as an example. it’s all part of what they call their “first mile-last mile” solution that they’re integrating. Bluela received $10 million in investment from Blue Solutions which has already started similar programs in indianapolis, Singapore, london, Paris, and other european cities. it is also funded in part by California air Resources Board and the California Climate investment Program. More information on the the service and how to become a member can be found on Bluela. com, or by emailing contact@ bluela.com. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)