050918 - Los Angeles Midweek Edition

May 9-11 , 2018 Volume 28 - No. 38 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

Palace: Pres.

Duterte’s 3rd SONA to USA Philippines, US begin tackle only issues close to his heart largest military DATELINE

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

drills under Duterte

PHILIPPINE and U.S. military forces began on Monday, May 7, their annual military exercises — the first and largest since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte entered office.

The annual Balikatan exercises — now in its 34th year — launched in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City with around 8,000 soldiers from the two countries. Nearly 3,000 soldiers from the U.S. joined with approximately 5,000 from the Philippines, and will work alongside soldiers from the Australian Defense Force and the Japan Self-Defense Force.

U.S. and Philippine officials commended the longstanding relationship between the two countries dating back to World War II.

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New border enforcement policy will separate children from parents

Parents who are criminally charged will be referred to federal court while their children will be placed in government custody

IN order to tighten up immigration enforcement, the Trump administration will escalate criminal prosecutions of parents illegally entering the United States and place their children in protective custody, according to federal immigration officials.

Speaking at Friendship Park in San Diego adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico Border on Monday, May 7, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Thomas Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said the administration is adopting a “zero-tolerance policy”

by NESTOR

CORRALES Inquirer.net

MALACAÑANG said President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July will have a new format and tackle only issues close to the chief executive’s heart.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said, “Talagang iyong SONA will be the president talking to the people and reporting to the people on matters na malapit sa puso po ng ating presidente (The SONA will really be the president talking to the

people and reporting to them on matters close to his heart).”

“May bagong format at ang mangyayari, iyong SONA really, malilimita siya doon sa mga gusto talagang sabihin ng presidente sa taongbayan.

Iyong mga achievement, siguro may mga ibang pagkakataon nang iisa-isahin iyan (There’s a new format and the SONA will be limited to the president’s message to the people. Maybe there will be chances that [he] will mention some of his [administration’s] achievements),”

Roque added.

The palace spokesperson, however, clarified that Duterte’s SONA would tackle his administration’s fight against corruption, one of his campaign promises.

As for the new format, Roque did not elaborate, saying he does not want to preempt the president.

In his two previous SONAs, Duterte did not stick to his script and went on to slam his critics.

Duterte will deliver his third SONA on July 23 this year. ■

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque

Inquirer.net photo

Sereno starts packing amid calls for resignation

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (who is currently on leave) is reported to be packing her things and asking Supreme Court (SC) officials to take care of her staff once she is out of office.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno According Inquirer.net photo to The Manila Times, well-placed sources in the judiciary said six boxes of documents were brought out of the Office of the Chief Justice last week.

The issue was reported by security officials to the Office of the Acting Chief Justice to

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IMPORTANT MEETING. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with the members of his cabinet prior to the start of the 25th Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Monday, May 7. Joining the president are National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, Sec. Bong Go of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

Malacañang photo by Albert Alcain

Iglesia ni Cristo breaks 3 Guinness records SWS: More Pinoy families ‘non-poor’

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

THE Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) officially broke three Guinness World Records when it held its charity walk event that over 1.5 million members participated at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Sunday, May 6.

The event, named “Worldwide walk to fight poverty,” broke the records for largest human sentence, largest charity walk at a single venue and largest human mosaic, according to Adam Brown, official adjudicator and representative of Guinness World Records.

A total of 23, 235 participants lined up to form the sentence “Proud to be a member of Iglesia ni Cristo” for the first record, beating India’s previous record which had 16,550 participants that formed the sentence “You can you will” in 2016.

The participants gathered as early as 12 a.m., and started to FOR THE RECORD. Religious group Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) or Church of Christ on Sunday, May 6 set a walk at 6 a.m. along the 1.6-kiloGuinness World Record for the largest human sentence during its charity walk at Quirino Grandstand meter stretch of Roxas Boulevard in Manila’s Rizal Park (Luneta). Clad in various colors, 23,235 participants formed the sentence from the Cultural Center of the “Proud to be a member of Iglesia Ni Cristo.” According to Guinness adjudicator Paulina Sapinska, Philippines in Pasay City to Rizal

NEARLY 60 percent of Filipino families now consider themselves non-poor, a record improvement over the past four years, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The poll, conducted from March 23 to 27, found that 58.2 percent of families were not poor, up from 56.4 percent in December 2017 and 47.9 percent in December 2014.

According to a recent poll, 58.2 percent of families now condiser themselves non-poor.

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the participants had beaten the previous largest human sentence “You can you will” set by 16,550 students on August 10, 2016 who celebrated World Youth Day in India.

ManilaTimes.net photo

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Philstar.com photo

Total of 4,251 drug personalities killed, say PH government officials

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

A TOTAL of 4,251 drug personalities have been killed as part of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, Philippine government officials said on Monday, May 7.

The data was presented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) at its Camp Crame head-

quarters in Quezon City during a briefing on its #RealNumbersPH campaign.

Presenting the data was former PNP chief of operations and current National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director, Camilo Cascolan, who added that 142,069 drug suspects were arrested as part of 98,799 police operations recorded from July 1, 2016 to

April 20, 2018.

Cascolan authored the PNP’s infamous Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel.

Referring to the government’s Recovery and Wellness Program (RWP), Cascolan said that 184,252 drug surrenders were graduates of the program — 79,099 from the PNP-initiated RWP, and 105,153 from

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From the Front Page SWS: More Pinoy families...

PAGE A1 About 28 percent of families said they were “always nonpoor” in the March survey. In addition, one in every three Filipino families escaped poverty in recent years.

While the same proportion was observed in December 2017, more Filipino families, at 18.2 percent, said they used to be poor five or more years ago (usually non-poor) but were no longer poor, compared with 16.8 percent in the previous poll.

Another 12 percent said they escaped poverty in the last four years (newly non-poor).

The same survey also found that 12 percent of Filipino families—about one out of eight families—had fallen into poverty.

But this was two points lower than the record-high 14 percent who identified their families as “newly non-poor” in the survey conducted in December last year.

Self-rated poverty The SWS said 42 percent of

families were now “self-rated poor,” 29 percent of which were “always poor.” Four years ago, self-rated poverty stood at 52 percent.

The pollster reckoned its data since December 2014, when it began to ask its self-rated poor respondents if they have ever experienced not being poor, and if so, when they most recently experienced it.

It also asked its self-rated non-poor (including borderline) respondents if they have ever experienced being poor, and if so, when they most recently experienced it.

The SWS noted that when the question was first asked, nationwide self-rated poverty was at 52 percent, wherein almost three out of five self-rated poor families, or 30 percent of families overall, said they had always been poor.

“December 2014 was also the quarter with the highest rate of newly poor families at 10.7 percent,” SWS said.

Nationwide self-rated poverty reached a three-year high in December 2015 at 50 percent, which was also the quarter with the highest rate of families who were always poor, at 40 percent.

Since then, nationwide self-rated poverty has been at three-year lows. In September 2016, the figure stood at 42 percent.

“September 2016 was also the quarter with the highest rate of families who were always nonpoor, and is the only quarter where the proportion of families who were always non-poor (30 percent) outnumbered those who were always poor (29 percent),” SWS said.

Palace elated Sought for comment, Malacañang welcomed the latest survey, saying “the Duterte administration, as we all know, has espoused inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth.”

“We have broadened access to free education, medicine and healthcare and other basic services to ensure that our people directly benefit from the country’s

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BALIKATAN 2018 OPENS. Officials link arms during the opening ceremonies of the annual exercises of the United States and Philippine militaries, which will be focused on terrorism and humanitarian response. From left: Philippine military exercise director Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the Philippine military chief, Gen. Carlito Galvez, and U.S. military exercise director Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

Sereno starts packing amid calls...

PAGE A1 make sure if there was clearance for the release of the boxes.

It was learned that Jill Dedumo, one of Sereno’s staff members, was in charge of the documents to be brought out of the Office of the Chief Justice.

SC security men were told to halt the release of the documents and secure a clearance first from the Office of Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio.

Dedumo, apparently, coordinated with the rallyists outside of the tribunal who expressed support of Sereno, as stated by the

source.

Calls for resignation Two more groups called for the resignation and ouster of Sereno, who is facing an impeachment complaint in Congress and a separate quo warranto case seeking her disqualification from office, citing her supposed failure to file a complete set of statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALN. A rally on Padre Faura Street on Monday, May 6, was staged by the groups to throw support to justices of the Supreme Court and uphold its jurisdiction to rule

on the quo warranto case.

These two groups were the Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) led by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, and Sereno Resign and Oust (SRO), led by urban poor leader Ka Poneng Tolentino.

Both leaders called for Sereno’s resignation in the middle of the quo warranto case before the high court, and the separate impeachment case before the House of Representatives.

At present, Sereno’s resignation is the only key to saving her from being ousted via quo warranto proceedings. n

Iglesia ni Cristo breaks 3 Guinness...

PAGE A1 Park in Manila.

The walk was concurrently held in 300 sites across 18 time zones by INC members.

INC’s charity event also broke the record for largest charity walk in a single venue with 238,171 participants, beating its previous record of 175,509 participants from its first Worldwide Walk to Fight Poverty held on February 15, 2014 The event also broke the world record for largest human mosaic formed by 9,000 members forming the INC flag, which was previously set by Abeer medical group from Saudi Arabia with 4,500 participants in observance of World Diabetes Day on No-

vember 14, 2017.

According to Brown, they were still verifying two possible world records for the event – largest charity walk at multiple venues and the most nationalities in a charity walk. The number of participants from the other 300 sites will be verified as well as he passports of those who participated in the event.

Edwil Zabala, INC spokesman, said only those whose wristbands have been deposited in the drop boxes at the end of the finish line were counted for the world record.

“Some might have not finished the walk or kept the wristband as a souvenir. So only those who surrendered their wristbands were counted,” he said.

Sunday’s charity walk was for for the benefit of the less fortunate in selected communities, especially in Africa where poverty is the principal cause of hunger.

“Poverty is the principal cause of hunger in Africa and elsewhere. The Church recently established an eco-farming project in Ladybrand, South Africa aimed at helping address the pressing concerns of hunger and malnutrition in that area,” the INC said.

“Proceeds of the second Worldwide Walk will be used to continue providing food and medical assistance for those in immediate need in impoverished communities,” the church added. n

Total of 4,251 drug personalities killed...

PAGE A1 supported community centers.

Of the PNP’s own personnel, the numbers from the PNP Internal Affairs Service counted 302 uniformed personnel and eight non-uniformed personnel as having tested positive for illegal drugs — 265 have been dismissed from service.

Of government workers, 504 were arrested, comprising of 239 government employees, 217 elected officials, and 48 uniformed personnel.

Cascolan said that 2,676 kilos of shabu — the slang term for crystal meth — were seized, totaling PHP13.81 billion or over $265 million.

In total, PHP20.23 billion worth of drugs and laboratory equipment have been seized.

Number wars The Philippine Drug Enforcement (PDEA) and the PNP held its first “RealNumbersPH” forum in May of last year in an attempt to quash claims that Duterte’s controversial war on drugs is as deadly as international and local rights groups and media make it out to be.

After criticisms on the numerous killings of drug suspects, the PNP was twice removed from

leading the government’s antiillegal drug campaign. But in December of last year, Duterte reinstated them back to the frontline to support the PDEA. With the resulting death toll being central to the condemnation of the president and his administration, rights groups and lawyers have since been critical of the accuracy of its numbers, saying they are way too low. Human Rights Watch, among others, hold the count of people killed by police in the administration’s war on drugs to be closer to around 12,000.

But those behind the forum say they’ve been nothing but transparent about their findings, blaming human rights groups and political agendas of the president’s opponents for causing obscurity.

“Despite significant gains, many side issues — and to some extent — delivery of this information, continue to obscure the true picture of our anti-drug operations, often mislabeling the pure and good intention of the campaign with human rights issues and political undertones,” said PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde as he opened up Monday’s forum.

Philippines, US begin largest...

PAGE A1 “Each year, through Balikatan, we reaffirm our commitment to each other under the mutual defense treaty and conduct an array of multilateral training opportunities to help us develop as allies,” said U.S. Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force. “We as military are charged with being ready when our nations need us most.”

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Lt. Gen. Emmanuel B. Salamat, exercise director for this year’s exercises, said, “I’m greatly honored to stand sideby-side with our U.S. military counterpart to share our mutual responsibility and commitment in making this Phil-U.S. bilateral exercise a success.”

“We extend this commitment to strengthen our alliance and learn from both forces to improve our interoperability,” Salamat added.

The drills come shortly after China installed anti-ship cruise

missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three of its outposts in the South China Sea, as reported by NBC. But officials, not mentioning China, said the focus of the Balikatan exercises will be focused on missions including mutual defense, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance, and counterterrorism.

Lieutenant Liezl Vidallon, a spokesperson for the Balikatan exercises, told Rappler last month that humanitarian civic action activities, including medical missions and school buildings in areas in Cagayan and Central Luzon, would also be featured.

The drills also come nearly a year after U.S. special forces came to the Philippines to aid local troops fight against ISISbacked Islamist militants who took hold of the southern Philippine city of Marawi last May. “We want both our forces to learn from our great and hard-earned experience in our past battles like Marawi,” said

Last month, members of the European Parliament called on the Philippine government to stop the extrajudicial killings, while expressing concern that the police had been “falsifying evidence to justify extrajudicial killings.”

Albayalde responded, telling the European Parliament to show proof of the 12,000 killed under the drug crackdown by having the victims listed “oneby-one.”

Yet despite criticism, Albayalde said Monday that the PNP were “winning” the war on drugs.

To reporters, he said, “It is really hard to quantify but with what we see in its effects, we know that we are winning this war on drugs.”

He added, “There are less street pushers. The situation was not like before that buying drugs on the street was like buying a cigarette. It translates to lower crime volume all over the Philippines but on a personal note, maybe this more or less half.”

The PNP did not say Monday how many of those reported to be facing drug charges have been cleared or convicted. n Salamat. “We just want to help each other to be able to effectively combat future scenarios.”

While in Marawi, U.S. soldiers were only able to provide technical support as local laws prohibit troops to take part in combat.

Salamat said that by the end of the Balikatan exercises, they expect both countries’ troops to learn from each other, from both training and “hard-earned experience of both our forces.”

“May this exercise add value on only in the spirit of our U.S.Phil Mutual Defense Treaty engagement and friendship of our armed forces, but also in our commitment to better perform our mandate in protecting our people and state,” said Salamat.

“Our alliance remains a key source of strength and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Nicholson. “It is paramount to recognize that Balikatan is a training opportunity that will test and enhance our readiness while strengthening the bond between our nations.”

The drills and operations will continue until May 18. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)

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Gubernatorial hopefuls look to health care for election edge

by AnnA

GormAn Kaiser Health News

CLIMATE ACTION. Senator Loren Legarda stresses the need for bold climate action, transformation in all sectors, multi-sectoral involvement, community level local climate action, and industrialized nations leading the low carbon pathway to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming limit and to bring about sustainable development. Legarda made the statement during the press conference, “Talanoa Dialogue: What Happened and What It Means for COP24”, organized by the World Resources Institute (WRI) during the 48th Session of the Subsidiary Bodies of the UNFCCC in Bonn, Germany where she is Head of the Philippine Delegation. Also in photo are (from left to right): Rhys Gerholdt, Senior Communications Manager, Climate Program, WRI; Marianne Karlsen, Deputy Head of Delegation of Norway; Paula Caballero, Global Director, Climate Program, WRI; and Yamide Dagnet, Senior Associate, International Climate Action, WRI. Senate photo

Duterte on TIME cover: I’m not a monster by nestor

CorrAles Inquirer.net

Time titled “rise of the strongman,” along with russian PresiPrEsiDEnT rodrigo Duterte dent Vladimir Putin, Hungarian took offense at the cover photo Prime Minister Viktor orban, of the international edition of and Turkey President recep the TIME magazine, saying he Tayyip Erdogan. looked like a “monster.”

“Sinabay pa ako doon sa apat in its May 14, 2018, edition, kami na mga… mukhang monDuterte landed on the cover of ster pa ang pagka-drawing ng

mukha [namin],” Duterte said on Tuesday, May 8.

The president then slammed TIME for including him on the list of dictators.

The 72-year-old chief executive had earlier said he was not a strongman contrary to TIME’s depiction of him. n

Pacquiao slower, easier to hit – Matthysse by

Dino mArAGAy Philstar.com

for WBa welterweight champion lucas Matthysse, Manny Pacquiao’s best days are long gone, and now is the perfect time to take the filipino icon out.

Matthysse, who will put his title on the line against Pacquiao on July 15 in Kuala lumpur, said Pacquiao’s style is tailor-made for him. another thing going for the argentine is the notion that Pacquiao is already on the decline. “i really like his style. We have the same height, he is a fighter who comes forward and who likes to attack like me, so that is going to be good for my way of boxing,” the pride of Chubut, argentina said in boxingscene. com report.

Matthysse likewise draws confidence from the fact that the 39-year-old Pacquiao is not the same fighter he once was. “i have already faced lefthanded fighters and it did not

California’s leading gubernatorial candidates agree that health care should work better for Golden state residents: insurance should be more affordable, costs are unreasonably high, and robust competition among hospitals, doctors and other providers could help lower prices, they told California Healthline.

What they don’t agree on is how to achieve those goals — not even the Democrats who represent the state’s dominant party.

“Health care gives them the perfect chance to crystalize that divide” between the left-wing progressives and the “moderate pragmatists” of the Democratic Party, said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California-san Diego.

Consider the top two Democratic candidates, who both aim to cover everyone in the state, including immigrants living here without authorization. lt. Gov. Gavin newsom — billed as a liberal Democrat — supports a single-payer health care system. That means gutting the health insurance industry to create one taxpayer-funded

health care program for everyone in the state.

But former los angeles Mayor antonio Villaraigosa has called single-payer “unrealistic.” He advocates achieving universal health coverage through incremental changes to the current system.

Under California’s “top-two” primary system, candidates for state or congressional office will appear on the same June 5 ballot, regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters advance to the november general election. a poll in late april by the University of California-Berkeley institute of Governmental studies puts newsom in first place with the support of 30 percent of likely voters, followed by republicans John Cox, with 18 percent, and Travis allen with 16 percent. Trailing behind were Democrats Villaraigosa, with 9 percent, John Chiang with 7 percent and Delaine Eastin with 4 percent. Thirteen percent of likely voters remained undecided.

Health care is in the forefront of this year’s gubernatorial campaign because of recent federal attempts to repeal the affordable Care act, which would have threatened the coverage of millions of Californians, said Kim

nalder, professor of political science at California state University-sacramento. California has pushed back hard against republican efforts in Congress to dismantle the law.

“There’s more energy in California around the idea of universal coverage than you see in lots of other parts of the country,” nalder said. Democrats and those who indicate no party preference make up almost 70 percent of registered voters.

Those voters care more about health coverage than republicans, she said.

“Whoever is most supportive [of universal health care] is likely to win the votes,” she said.

The top republican candidates, Cox and allen, are not fans of increased government involvement, however. They favor more market competition and less regulation to lower costs, expand choice and improve quality.

“Governments make everything more expensive,” said Cox, a former adviser to former House speaker newt Gingrich during his presidential run.

“The private sector looks for efficiencies.”

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

Senate passes bill to support those found innocent and released from prison saCraMEnTo – on Thursday, May 3, the California senate passed senate Bill 1050 by a unanimous 38-0 vote to extend services and support for exonerated people released from prison after their wrongful convictions are overturned. sB 1050 is one of five bills in the #EquityandJustice2018 package carried jointly by sens. Holly Mitchell and ricardo lara as follow-up measures to their initial #EquityandJustice bills last year. since 1989, there have been Matthysse, who will put his title on the line against Pacquiao on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, said a total of 192 exonerations in Pacquiao’s style is tailor-made for him.

Philstar.com photo by Jun Mendoza California. create any problems for me. in not have the same speed and “Under no circumstances addition, Pacquiao has had a explosiveness as before,” added should a person be convicted lot of hard fights, and in the last Matthysse, who started heavy and sentenced for a crime they few it was evident that he gets training last week in Coachella, did not commit,” Mitchell said. hit more often and that he does California. n “That it happens is a grave indicator of a broken system that desperately needs all of our focused attention. i ask that everyone support not only sB 1050 today, and also support our current fight for #EquityandJustice2018.” lara agreed.

“The irony is that we provide more services to people who have actually committed a crime upon release than to the exonerated. Exonerees deserve better than being thrown out with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” sen. ricardo lara said. “Justice has already failed these people.

We cannot allow the state to

fail them twice.”

The need to support exonerated people was highlighted by Gov. Brown’s recently pardon of Craig Coley, who was imprisoned for 38 years for a crime he did not commit – the longest time served by a wrongfully convicted person in California history.

The #EquityandJustice2018 package includes bills that give healthcare and other support to exonerated people after prison, reform mandatory sentencing rules, and require youth age 14 and 15 who commit crimes be tried as juveniles not as adults.

The remaining bills in the #EquityandJustice2018 package by the los angeles-area Democrats are: SB 439 – Minimum Age Incarceration This juvenile justice-reform measure would exclude children age 11 and younger from juvenile court jurisdiction and would promote the rights, health and well-being of the child by curbing premature exposure to incarceration. status: awaiting review by the assembly Public safety Committee.

SB 1391 – Justice for children under age 16 Ensures that youth ages 14 and 15 who commit crimes get the services and help they need by prohibiting them from being tried as adults and keeping them in the juvenile justice

New border enforcement...

PAGE A1 toward anyone crossing the border. in other words, asylum seekers would be immediately directed to the Department of Justice (DoJ), and everyone would be taken to jail and prosecuted for the misdemeanor of illegal entry into the U.s.

“People are dying trying to enter this country. There is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it,” said Homan. sessions said that at this time, parents may be separated from their children after the arrest.

Parents will be sent to adult detention facilities while their children will be sent to juvenile shelters under the office of refugee resettlement. Until now, border agents kept parents and their children together at the same centers.

“This border is not open.

Don’t come unlawfully. We cannot take everyone on this planet who is in a difficult situation... if we do our duty to prosecute most cases, then children inevitably for a period of time might be held,” the attorney general said, prompting outrage from protestors on both sides of the border.

Previously, individuals who were apprehended at the border would be immediately deported without criminal charges. an asylum seeker who crossed into the U.s. illegally would have officially committed a federal

misdemeanor, but the Dept. of Homeland security would process their asylum case before being referred to the DoJ for prosecution. Even after being referred to prosecution, the DoJ wouldn’t prosecute until the asylum case was processed and completed.

This new law would send asylum seekers straight to federal prosecution without having to process an asylum case first. sessions has postulated that many asylum claims are fraudulent and propagated by “dirty immigration lawyers.” additionally, this new law, while adhering to the administration’s mission to stiffen immigration policy, could overwhelm the already-crowded detention centers and add on to the massive backlog of cases in immigration courts. “if you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you and that child will be separated from you as required by law,” sessions put it in an earlier meeting in scottsdale, ariz.

The administration’s plan to impose immediate criminal charges on border crossers and asylum seekers comes as no surprise. Ending the phenomenon known as “catch and release” has been a key part of the president’s immigration agenda. for decades, thousands of Central americans have been trying escape gang violence and political turmoil of their na-

SWS: More Pinoy families...

system. status: awaiting review by senate appropriations Committee. sB 1392 – one-Year repeal This proposal would repeal the 1-year sentence enhancement for felony convictions status: Waiting to be taken up by the senate.

SB 1393 – Five-Year Judicial Discretion This proposal would return to prior statutory authority for judicial discretion on 5-year enhancements for serious felony convictions. status: Waiting to be taken up by the senate. sen. ricardo lara is chair of the senate appropriations Committee and was first elected to the legislature in 2010.

He represents nearly 1 million residents of senate District 33, which includes long Beach and the southeast los angeles cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Cudahy, Huntington Park, lakewood, lynwood, Maywood, Paramount, signal Hill, south Gate, and much of los angeles. More at www.senate. ca.gov/lara. sen. Holly J. Mitchell is chair of the senate Budget and fiscal review Committee. a member of the legislature for more than six years, she represents nearly 1 million residents of senate District 30, which includes Culver City and much of los angeles. learn more at www.senate.ca.gov/Mitchell. n tive countries by seeking asylum in the U.s. in recent years as violence and unrest continues to plague the region, more and more asylum seekers have been trying to find a way into the United states.

Many of these asylum seekers travel in large caravans every year in order to protect themselves. a caravan of 300 people from Guatemala, Honduras and El salvador is currently trying to make its way through Mexico in groups of about 50 to seek asylum at the U.s.-Mexico border.

Global human rights organization amnesty international Usa slammed the new policy to separate parents from their children and have said they planned to challenge it in a court of law.

“The idea that children can be protected by tearing them away from their families defies all sense of logic and humanity,” said Executive Director of amnesty international Usa Margaret Huang. “These are children who have already suffered the trauma of violence and persecution in their native countries and arduous journey to seek safety. Why in the world would the U.s. government institute a policy that would compound their distress by separating them from their families, claiming it’s for their own good? This is a monstrous policy that flies in the face of human rights and should be rescinded immediately.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)

sWs conducted the survey using face-to-face interviews with PAGE A1 1,200 adults, aged 18 years old Jr. said in a statement. economic gains while reducing the “rest assured that we will and above, nationwide.

The poll had a margin of error vulnerability of families through continue to reduce inequality, our conditional cash transfer pro- expand economic opportunities, of ±3 percent nationwide, ±4 pergrams and employment facilitation and lay down the foundation of cent for luzon, and ±6 percent and microenterprise projects,” a comfortable life for everyone,” each for Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao. n Palace spokesman Harry roque he added

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Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Australian community throws support behind Sister Patricia Fox

by Gaea

KatReena Philstar.com

cabico

MANILA — Australians expressing support for Sister Patricia Fox called on the Philippine government to rescind its order against the 71-year-old nun to leave the country.

Nearly 500 leaders and members of the religious community, politicians, and union and community members signed the campaign initiated INSPIRING THE GRADUATES. With the high unemployment rate, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar reminds the graduates of the PUP- San Juan campus by Movement Against Tyranny in Quezon City, not to be disappointed if they fail to land a job. She tells them there is always an option to go into entrepreneurship- to be Australia, International Coalian entrepreneur and employ people. But she assured them that with the quality education they got from PUP, they can be easily employed. tion for human Rights in the Since she became a lawmaker, starting as a congresswoman, Villar says education has always been among her priorities. She was the Philippines and Migrante AusHouse committee Higher and Technical Education chair during the passage of 28 bills on promoting high quality of education and advanced tralia. education which included the ladderized approach and open-university.

Senate photo They are urging President Rodrigo Duterte and the Bureau of Immigration to restore the missionary visa of Fox, a Melbourne native, and thank ing his second term — which the

by Ritchel Mendiola AJPress CA contracted by saying that the disbursement vouchers contested in the case were signed by Binay The Court of Appeals (CA) rebefore he was elected. versed the ruling of the Office of “Indubitably, this Court cannot the Ombudsman to dismiss and sustain the OMB with respect to perpetually disqualify from govBinay, Jr. without utterly disreernment service former Makati garding the foregoing pronounceCity Mayor Jejomar erwin “JunPReSIDeNT Rodrigo Duterte ments of the Supreme Court,” the has accepted the resignation of jun” Binay, Jr. over the construction of the Makati City hall parking former Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” CA held.

Tourism Secretary Wanda TulfoBinay, Jr. Philstar.com photo “Given the factual circumstanc- Teo, his spokesman said on Tuesbuilding worth P2.28-billion.

In a 159-page decision penned Carpio-Morales, the condonation es herein and the prevailing ju- day, May 8.

by Associate Justice edwin Sorong- doctrine may still be applied,” the risprudence, this Court holds that “Yes accepted,” Palace spokesthe undisputed and subsequent man harry Roque said in a text on, the appellate court dismissed CA added.

The appeals court explained that reelection of Binay, Jr. in the year message, when asked about it. the administrative case against Binay based on the so-called “con- the alleged irregularities that Binay 2013 is a condonation of his adTeo submitted her resignation to donation doctrine” — which bars allegedly committed happened be- ministrative liabilities,” it added. executive Secretary Salvador MeThe CA also dismissed the ad- dialdea prior to the Cabinet meetthe administrative disciplining of fore he was elected in 2013.

“Clearly, these pertained to acts ministrative complaints against ing on Monday in Malacañang. an elective official for a wrongful act committed during his/her im- which transpired before Binay, Marjorie De Veyra, Cecilio Lim III, Teo has come under fire after Jr., was subsequently elected and eleno Mendoza Jr. and Virginia the Commission on Audit revealed mediately preceding term.

The Supreme Court struck down continued in public office on May hernandez for lack of jurisdiction. the placement of P60 million in On the other hand, the CA af- tourism ads to Bitag Media, which this doctrine, which was laid down 14, 2013. It is uncontroverted that in the Aguinaldo v. Santos case Binay, Jr. served as the City Mayor firmed the Ombudsman’s ruling produces “Kilos Pronto,” a blockin November 2015 due to lack of of Makati from June 28, 2010, and over 11 other city officials involved timer show on state-run PTV-4, basis under the 1987 Constitution. was re-elected into the same office in the case namely City Legal Of- despite the lack of a memorandum ficer Pio Kenneth Dasal, City Bud- of agreement or contract. however, according to the CA it is on May 14, 2013,” the CA said.

The Ombudsman dismissed Bi- get Officer Lorenza Amores, Civil still applicable in Binay’s case.

She denied any conflict of interThe CA said that “the abandon- nay and 20 others because “fla- engineer of the Central Planning est in the deal, saying the transment of the condonation doctrine grant anomalies were found to Management Office (CPMO) Arnel action was between the Tourism should not be given any retroactive have been committed by Binay, Cadangan, CPMO chief Line dela department and PTV-4, not her effect as to prejudice Binay, Jr.” for Jr. and the other respondents in Pena, City Legal Officer Giovanni brother’s media outfit. the acts he allegedly committed the design and construction of the Condes, Technical Working Group Teo is the fifth official to leave when said doctrine was still in ef- building consisting of six phases” (TWG) officer Rodel Nayve, Gen- the Duterte Cabinet, following the fect and duly recognized — refer- in its 103-page joint decision in eral Services Department staff resignation of former Justice secNorma Flores, Bids and Awards retary Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd. ring to the alleged irregularities in 2015.

According to the Ombudsman, Committee (BAC) member Ulysses Phases III to V of the Makati City earlier on Tuesday, Teo’s lawthe condonation doctrine could Orienza, CPMO staff Connie Con- yer, Ferdinand Topacio, said his hall Parking Building (MChPB).

“Considering that the present not be applied because the alleged sulta, BAC secretariat Manolito client resigned “voluntarily.” case was instituted prior to the anomalies were committed after Uyaco and BAC member Gerardo “We wish to clarify that there ruling of the Supreme Court in his reelection in May 2013, dur- San Gabriel. n was no demand on the part of the

Ombudsman erred in dismissing Junjun Binay, CA says

In this May 4, 2018 photo, Australian Catholic nun Sister Patricia Fox, center, is greeted by supporters after filing documents at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila.

her for dedicating 27 years of her life to help the poor and the marginalized.

“We unreservedly condemn the detention of Sr. Pat on PAGE A7

Duterte accepts tourism chief’s ‘voluntary’ resignation

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo shakes the president’s hand ahead of a Cabinet meeting on Monday, May 7.

Malacañang photo

President for Secretary Teo to resign, and that the decision to do so was purely out of her own volition,” Topacio said in a press briefing at the Department of Tourism office in Makati.

“Secretary Teo reiterates that she has no wrongdoing and that all the dealings of the DOT went through legal processes, were above-board and done in good faith, and with total absence of malice” Topacio said.

The Tulfos announced that they would return the P60-million to the government after being hit by the issue.

“It was more of delicadeza to protect the family name and to show that the Tulfos do not wish

to benefit from any government funds,” Topacio said. he also noted that there was nothing illegal with what Teo did, as DOT only contracted with PTV4 and it was the station, which decided to put the funds into Tulfo’s show.

“DOT is not under investigation

by COA… Wala akong nakikitang illegal, pangit lang talaga tignan.

(There is nothing illegal. It’s just that it’s inappropriate),” according to Topacio.

“I am trying to coordinate with COA to know the process (how to return the funds). It has nothing to do with legitimacy. It has something to do with the family name,” she added. (ManilaTimes.net)

A6 MAY 9-11, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Setting a precedent

FEATURES

THE law is what the Supreme Court says it is, and the high tribunal must not take this responsibility lightly. Every decision of the SC sets a precedent that can be applied to similar cases in the future.

This week the high tribunal is expected to decide on an unprecedented petition that seeks to unseat the chief justice merely by a vote of her peers. Several of the SC justices have openly resented the promotion of the second most junior member of the tribunal to the post of chief magistrate. But no SC justice has heeded calls to inhibit from deliberations on a quo warranto petition seeking the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The petition was filed by the government’s chief lawyer, who argues that Sereno’s appointment was void from the start. Sereno also faces ouster efforts before Congress, this time through the constitutional process of impeachment. While the super majority in the House of Representatives is expected to vote for Sereno’s removal, her conviction after trial by the Senate is uncertain.

The chief justice is one of only a handful of government officials led by the president who

are specifically mentioned in the Constitution as impeachable public servants. Because these officials hold such sensitive posts, the Constitution was crafted to insulate them from arbitrary and whimsical efforts to remove them from office.

Concerns have been raised that the quo warranto petition will circumvent and undermine the constitutional process. If the solicitor general can move for the speedy ouster of the chief justice, there are also valid concerns that it will undermine the independence of the judiciary, which is weak enough as it is.

Speculative reports indicate that the SC justices are unfazed and are set to vote for the ouster of Sereno. Once this mode of removing a chief justice succeeds, there is no stopping the next administrations from doing the same thing. In deciding on the quo warranto petition, SC justices must rise above their personal concerns and decide with the best interest of the nation in mind. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

History and national identity

Commentary

CECILIA GAERLAN IT is a moral outrage when one country tries to suppress the history of another through various forms of coercion. But it is a bigger offense when one’s own government colludes in this crime and commits a breach of trust against its own people. The recent stealth removal by the Philippine government of the Comfort Women Statue in Manila is a massive indignity to the Filipino people and to all those who believe in the sanctity of freedom.

More than 76 years ago, the Philippines, a U.S. Commonwealth at that time, was attacked by the Empire of Japan just hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed. The United States declared war against Japan but the ravages of war did not reach the continental United States and instead the war was fought

in its colony, the Philippines.

In any war, the majority of casualties are civilians. Approximately 1 million Filipino civilians died during WWII. Yet today, the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is but a dim memory, forgotten by the leaders of the Filipino nation. Young students grow up without any knowledge of their ancestors’ heroic deeds, many of whom chose death over a life of bondage. And memorials to Filipinos who suffered so much during the war are dismantled in favor of the Japanese occupiers who inflicted pain and tyranny. Seventy-four years after World War II ended, one would think that it was the Empire of Japan that won the war in the Philippines. Perhaps it did.

Otherwise, why are we allowing a foreign power to dictate how our history is being presented?

Many of our leaders have deliberately chosen to forget the nation’s glorious past in favor of the road to economic prosperity. In

doing so, we have lost our sense of national identity. Without this, the Filipino nation cannot become a leader in its own right. In the long run, a nation’s self-worth is just as important, if not more, than economic prosperity. As a country, there is no true sovereignty unless a nation has a sense of identity and self-worth. If we do not have that, then our ancestors’ sacrifices were all in vain and our nation will remain a vassal of other mightier countries.

In California, several generations of Filipino Americans, which now make up the largest Asian population in the state, grew up without a sense of identity because the legacy of their ancestors were not being taught in schools. The Filipinos’ contribution during WWII was a seminal part of U.S. history and this should be learned not just

by Filipino Americans but by all students in the United States so that they can appreciate the sacrifices that were made in fighting

for their freedom by an entire nation some 5,000 miles away. It is for this very reason that Bataan Legacy Historical Society, with support from the community, fought for the inclusion of WWII in the Philippines in California’s high school history curriculum framework. On July 14, 2016, it was finally approved for inclusion in California’s Grade 11 U.S. history curriculum framework. Because California is one of the two largest consumers of textbooks in the country (Texas being the other), publishers are mandated to include any changes in the curriculum framework in these two states. These textbooks are distributed nationally so it is only a matter of time before WWII in the Philippines will be taught across the U.S. This was presented during the last conference of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in August 2017 in Pampanga. It was received with much enthusiasm and teach-

ers and historical societies were clamoring for its introduction in the Philippines. Except for one paragraph about the Bataan Death March in the social studies curriculum, why is it that WWII in the Philippines is not taught in high schools when two weeks are devoted to the EDSA revolution (downfall of Marcos regime)?

Why is there no political will to do this?

The recent removal of the Comfort Women Statue, a memorial to many Filipina women who were enslaved by their Japanese occupiers, is a wakeup call to a nation that needs a strong national identity. A country’s history should be presented in its unvarnished form. It should never be tampered with, suppressed or embellished. Students should be able to make their own determination and hopefully, they will become more engaged in their civic affairs. If we do not heed to this call, we will lose a golden opportunity to awaken our youth so that they can take pride in their heritage and become better citizens of their country and the world.

I am calling on the leaders of the Philippines to invest in their country’s future by educating its youth of its proud legacy – a history unencumbered by economic interests. I am also calling on the entire Filipino diaspora to take a stand as one nation and not rely on the old proverb “Dios na ang bahala.” (God will provide).

What so many fail to recognize is that this is only half of the proverb “Nasa Tao ang Gawa, Nasa Dios ang Bahala” (loosely translated God helps those who help themselves).

As descendants of the greatest generation, we have a moral obligation to ensure that the legacy of our ancestors will live on in future generations. It is time for Filipinos to take matters into their own hands so that they can have a strong national identity. Only then can we have a future that is strong and filled with possibilities. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! *** Cecilia Gaerlan is the Executive Director of Bataan Legacy Historical Society. For more information, log on to www.bataanlegacy.org.

If China deploys missiles, so should we Opinion

RICARDO SALUDO FIRST, let’s get real. No amount of global protest will make China remove anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles reportedly installed on the three islands it reclaimed in the South China Sea. Assuming President-for-life Xi Jinping approved deployment, it would be a huge climbdown before the world if he orders them out. That would weaken him in front of 1.38 billion Chinese, and potentially destabilize the country.

No way.

And if Xi didn’t actually allow the missiles to be installed or know about them, then we may have a bigger problem: rogue elements of the People’s Liberation Army making major, regionally destabilizing decisions outside Beijing’s control.

That’s highly unlikely. Rather, what’s almost sure is that the Chinese leadership agrees with the PLA that the missiles should be installed on the three islands, despite the international reaction.

Why Beijing put up missiles So, what pressing factors could have prodded Beijing to arm its man-made islands with ship-sinking and plane-downing projectiles sure to alarm all nations with vessels and aircraft passing the South

China Sea? Of the many reasons, let’s ponder just one: the possibility of war with the United States over the North Korean nuclear missile crisis, or Taiwan’s leanings toward independence.

The latter got a recent boost from a new U.S. law calling for Cabinet-level contacts with the island. That’s an utter no-no for Beijing, which insists that Taipei is a renegade regime not entitled to direct relations with sovereign states.

Plainly, if there may be armed conflict, then China — like the US and any other major power — will take all military measures necessary to defend its security and interests, even if every nation on earth objects.

So, with or without international protests, the PLA has put up missiles to protect the islands and nearby Chinese shipping routes from air and sea threats. Those sea lanes are immensely vital to China, carrying among other essential commodities, four-fifths of its oil imports.

And no less than a U.S. Armyfunded study by the RAND thinktank, “War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable,” explicitly urged that one war strategy against the PLA should be “cutting off Chinese access to seaborne supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas.”

Now, if a potential adversary has said that it was a good idea to cut off your country’s fuel imports during war, would you deploy missiles, warplanes, and radar

jammers on island bases to protect your ships, especially your oil tankers? Absolutely, and no power in the world would stop you.

What makes China even more fearful are the increasing number of potentially hostile ships and planes coming around, with the US Navy’s freedom of navigation operations (fonops) challenging Beijing’s claim over nearly all the South China Sea, as well as the claimed territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from its reclaimed islets.

Plus: Japan, Australia and India, all part of the U.S.-led Quadrilateral alliance seeking to secure the Indo-Pacific region, have also begun naval sailings in the South China Sea. Recently, China warned Australian warships patrolling the area.

And if the Philippines ever moved ahead to fully implement the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, then Washington may proceed with its announced plan to deploy 60 percent of its naval assets in the region under its pivot-to-Asia policy. The EDCA would treble rotations of US forces in the country, and give them access to several military bases.

Now, is all that reason enough for China to put missiles, planes and radar jammers on three small islands?

Just to be very clear: the foregoing discussion is meant to explain — but not justify — Beijing’s deployment of island bases, warplanes and missiles in the South China Sea.

The graphic from Rep. Gary Alejano shows the range of missiles recently installed by China on three of its artificial reefs in the South China Sea.

And besides securing its shipping, there are other reasons for China’s militarization of the South China Sea, from asserting its regional supremacy, just as the U.S. did in the Americas in the 19th century under the 1823 Monroe Doctrine; to addressing the PLA’s main naval challenge of being hemmed in by the Japanese, Philippine and Indonesian archipelagos — all U.S. allies — the so-called First Island Chain.

But the naval threat to Chinese shipping is more than enough reason to brave global opprobrium to put up missiles in the Spratlys. Now, what should the Philippines do?

How to secure our ships First, President Duterte may wish to call the National Security Council, which may include not just the Cabinet and defense officials, but also congressional leaders and former presidents.

With the NSC meeting the national leadership can achieve two

imperatives: discuss security issues in confidence, and get everyone behind the chosen action points.

By contrast, the public hearing on the Chinese missiles urged by some senators, while grabbing TV publicity for those due for reelection next May, would only serve to publicize hugely sensitive security deliberations and information. It would also heighten partisan divisions, denying the nation the leadership unity needed to deal with China.

Second, the NSC may wish to consider one military option: acquiring anti-ship missiles and anti-aircraft systems, as urged by this column <http://www.manilatimes.net/defend-seas-get-missiles-not-ships/383395/ >. Then, if our ships are targeted by China, we can retaliate against its vessels, thousands of which sail between China and Luzon — well within missile range.

Now, if China doesn’t mean to threaten our ships with its mis-

siles, then its shipping should not fear our rockets.

At the same time, our projectiles, with a range encompassing the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, can deter intruders in our EEZ. Third, the Philippines must forge a joint defense agreement among Southeast Asian nations around the South China Sea. Under the accord, if a country’s ships are attacked by China, the alliance blocks Chinese shipping in waters within range of their forces.

This purely defensive agreement would be far preferable to Beijing than getting Uncle Sam and its Quadrilateral allies to defend Asean.

Now, which is the best response to Chinese reclamation and militarization — diplomatic protests Beijing will just ignore, US forces sure to be targeted by the PLA, or our own missiles and mutual neighborly defense? (ManilaTimes.net)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAy 9-11, 2018

A

DFA, labor officials trip to Kuwait cancelled

by alexis

romero Philstar.com

CAMPAIGN SEASON. A teener jumps off a vehicle to distribute campaign materials during a sortie for the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Road in Quezon City on Tuesday, May 8.

PNA photo by Oliver Marquez

Duterte to create panel to review Dengvaxia-linked deaths General Hospital and the Public Attorney’s Office.

“As a lawyer and a former MANILA — President Rodrigo prosecutor, he knows that exDuterte will create a three-man pert witnesses cancel out each panel of experts to look into the other’s testimonies. In effect, probable cause of deaths alleg- he said that with conflicting edly linked to the controversial testimonies from the experts Dengvaxia, Malacañang an- from PAO and PGH, he is constrained to seek further advice nounced Tuesday, May 8.

In a press briefing, presiden- from disinterested parties,” tial spokesperson Harry Roque Roque said.

The president’s mouthpiece Jr. said that the president will be bound by the findings of the added: “That’s why he requested panel composed of Asian experts that the panel of experts should on whether or not Dengvaxia ac- be foreign, should have no links absolutely with the Philiptually caused deaths.

This will be different from the pine government and links with separate reviews of the Univer- Sanofi.”

The expert physicians of sity of the Philippines-Philippine

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

PGH found that three of the 14 children who died after being vaccinated with Dengvaxia contracted dengue. It noted that two of these children may have died because of vaccine failure but cautioned that more tests should still be done.

PAO’s findings, presented before the Senate blue ribbon committee, showed a link between the deaths of 22 children they autopsied and the dengue vaccine.

More than 830,000 people have been vaccinated with Dengvaxia since it was launched during the term of former Department of Health secretary Janette Garin. n

Australian community throws...

PAGE A5 April 16 to 17, 2018 and the subsequent 30-day deportation order of April 25 as an arbitrary act of repression against her and against all foreigners who have committed to assist and support the Filipino people in their struggles to live in a poverty-stricken, exploited and violent society,” the collective statement read.

BI is seeking the expulsion of Fox from the country, citing her alleged violation of immigration rules by participating

in partisan activities while she is in the Philippines with a missionary visa.

On May 3, Fox filed her 26page counter-affidavit on the deportation case, arguing that Intelligence Agent Melody Penelope Gonzales “has no right to define and delimit what constitute the apostolate and missionary works of the Sisters of Our Lady Sion.”

The Australian community stressed that the nun did not commit any illegal political activity in the Philippines and

applauded Fox for fighting for her right to stay and do her duties in the country.

“As she has stood alongside the poor farmers, workers and indigenous people these last 27 years, we are proud to stand alongside her now,” they said.

In a speech last month, an angry Duterte blasted Fox for her supposedly having a “shameful mouth” and admitted that he was the one who ordered immigration officials to investigate her. n

MANILA — A scheduled trip to Kuwait by labor and foreign affairs officials has been cancelled.

“Everything is now up to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). We defer on all diplomatic initiatives to the DFA,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a chance interview.

Roque made the remark a week after Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he and other officials were flying to Kuwait to discuss the diplomatic row with their Kuwaiti counterparts.

Malacañang is leaving it to the DFA to handle all diplomatic initiatives, including the issues between the Philippines and Kuwait that stemmed from the conditions of migrant workers, he said.

Roque said the meeting between Philippine and Kuwait officials in the Gulf state was supposed to touch on the proposed memorandum of understanding that would improve the working conditions of overseas Filipino workers.

Asked if the trip would push through, Roque said: “None, there’s no such trip.”

He was supposed to be part of the Philippine delegation to Kuwait.

Last February, Duterte banned the deployment of workers to Kuwait, citing reports about the death of eight Filipinos allegedly maltreated by their employers.

He also demanded better working conditions for migrant workers in Kuwait, including allowing them to sleep for at least seven hours, cook their own food and grant them a day off each week.

Last month, videos showing Philippine embassy staff rescuing Filipinos from their employers were uploaded on the internet, drawing the ire of the Kuwaiti government which regarded it as an affront to their sovereignty.

The Kuwaiti government had asked Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa to leave and declared him persona non grata.

The Philippines apologized

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Foreign Affair Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano Malacañang photo

for the incident and insisted that the rescue was a “rightful exercise” of its duty to protect its citizens.

The president has urged Filipinos in Kuwait to come home and vowed to provide for their needs.

He has also announced a plan to make the deployment ban permanent but Bello later clarified that the sending of workers may resume once a bilateral agreement protecting workers is signed.

UAE job market Meanwhile, local recruiters are seeking the reopening of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as an alternative destination for displaced Filipino domestic helpers from Kuwait.

At a media forum, the Philippine Manpower Agencies for the United Arab Emirates (PAMA-UAE) urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to lift the suspension of the deployment of Filipino household service workers (HSWs) to UAE. “We reiterate our call to DOLE Secretary Bello to promulgate the directive allowing the accreditation of job orders to the UAE because it will be a good solution to the Kuwait problem,” PAMA president Dolly Uanang said.

Uanang explained that the UAE would be a better alternative market compared to Asian countries.

“It will not be that difficult to transfer our HSWs because the salary, the situation, rules

on welfare and protection are the same,” she said.

The DOLE is reportedly studying the possibility of resuming the deployment of Filipino domestic helpers to UAE. “We are praying, hopefully this week, there will be very very good news about opening of the United Arab Emirates market when it come to household service workers,” she added.

Four years ago, the DOLE opted to suspend the deployment of Filipino HSWs to UAE after the latter refused to comply with the requirement of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) to verify employment contracts prior to hiring.

The suspension, however, prompted many Filipino HSWs to sneak out of the country and enter UAE illegally.

Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras agreed that the reopening of the UAE market would be a good alternative for Filipino workers at this time.

“I think that will be timely if indeed what the recruitment agencies are saying that the UAE market will be opened is true,” Paras said.

Lucy Sermonia, Coalition of Licensed Agencies for Domestic and Service Workers president, said their applicants continue to await the reopening of Kuwait.

Recruiters said other countries in the Middle East like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Bahrain can also serve as alternative market for Filipino HSWs. n

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Poverty eradication tops ADB’s long-term strategy

by CZERIZA

VALENCIA Philstar.com

ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) president Takehiko Nakao yesterday announced 10 priority areas where the bank’s resources would be focused on under its Strategy 2030 which is expected to be completed mid-2018.

Addressing the opening session of the ADB Board of Governors meeting, the head of the international finance institution said the global economic center of gravity is shifting to the Asia and Pacific region as most of its developing member countries (DMCs) have advanced to middle income status but large challenges to development still remain and new ones are emerging.

“Our region has experienced a fundamental transformation.

Half a century ago, Asia was

Philstar file photo

the poorest region in the world.

Today, the economic center of gravity is shifting to Asia and the Pacific, and almost all our developing member countries have advanced to middle-income status,” Nakao told delegates attending the 51st ADB Annual Meeting.

“Yet, large challenges remain, and new ones are emerging. There is still persistent poverty. We must address rising inequality, growing environmental pressures, and rapid

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GMCAC ready to embark on 2nd phase of MCIA development

by MARIANNE

Philstar.com

GO

EVEN as it is just about ready to inaugurate and start full operations of its newly constructed Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) by June this year, GMRMegawide Cebu Airport Corp.

(GMCAC) is preparing for the second phase of its 50-year masterplan for the country’s second international gateway.

In a briefing and preview of the MCIA Terminal 2, Louie Ferrer, president of GMCAC, and Andrew Harrison, chief executive advisor of GMCAC, told reporters, that they are already working on getting the necessary regulatory approvals to

More Filipinos open bank accounts as online shopping, payments boom Photo courtesy of banking.net

A THIRD of Filipinos now hold bank accounts – allowing them to save money or make and receive payments, wages or financial assistance – thanks to a growing demand among consumers for digital payment services, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Sunday, May 6.

In a press statement, the BSP quoted the World Bank’s 2017 Global Findex study that showed 34.5 percent of Filipinos aged 15 and above now have direct access to the formal financial system, up from 31.3 percent in 2014.

“While gains are modest, the Philippines made remarkable strides in indicators pertaining to digital payments,” the BSP said.

It noted that the share of adults who used the Internet to pay bills or make online purchases grew by 6.3 percentage points to 9.9 percent in 2017. Those who made or received digital payments in the past year rose by 5.6 percentage points to 25.1 percent in 2017.

“The prospects look bright as the Philippines takes deliberate measures towards digitization,” it said.

“Formal accounts” refer to those held in financial institutions such as banks, cooperatives or microfinance institutions and can be an electronic money account, as well.

Formal account penetration in the country improved by 3.2 percentage points between 2014 and 2017, translating to more than 3.7 million Filipino adults who opened accounts during the period.

The 2017 Global Findex also highlighted key challenges to disadvantaged segments such as farmers and small businesses. Those

 PAGE B2

BSP bats for information sharing vs cyber attacks

by MA. LISBET

K. ESMAEL

ManilaTimes.net

The Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 is on track for the June 7 inauguration which will be led by President Duterte.

Philstar file photo

start development work on the second phase of their 50-year masterplan for MCIA which would involve an estimated $4 billion expansion of the runway facilities of the airport.

 PAGE B3

INFORMATION sharing is vital to strengthen the banking sector’s fight against cyber attacks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Wednesday, May 2.

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier acknowledged that while emerging technologies advance the way banks design and

FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Petra, Aqaba, Jordan

(Tiberias, Ceasarea, Haifa, Meggido,Magdala, Nazareth, Cana, Mt Carmel, Capernaum, Mt. Beatitude, Jericho, Bethany, Mt.Tabor, Mount Zion, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Qumran, Masada Dead Sea, Allen by Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)

OCTOBER 18 to NOVEMBER 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct. 18, 2018( Thursday) Day 1 – MNL HKG, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL Trans-Atlantic flight from LAX to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel. (Meals served in-flight) Oct. 18, 2018 (Friday) Day 1 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/Tiberias Arrival from Manila still Oct. 18,2018 late in the evening. After we clear Immigration and Customs, will be met by our driver for transfer to tiberias . enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean. We will spend our first night in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Gai Beach Hotel (Oct. 19, 2018) Holy Eucharist Oct. 20, 2018 (Saturday) Day 3 - Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana /Mt Tabor We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of Armageddon, known in Hebrew as Meggido, a giant fortress and City built by King Solomon. In the New Testament book of Revelation, it is referred as the sites of the “final battle”. From there, we will continue our drive into Nazareth, where we will have Mass in the Church of the Annunciation, the Cave of the Annunciation and visit Joseph’s Workshop and Then we will move on to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed His first miracle: changing water into wine at the wedding feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows, Continue to Mount Tabor, site of Jesus Transfiguration Afterward, we will head to Tiberias. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).Gai Beach Hotel.

Oct. 21, 2018 (Sunday) Day 4 - Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Early AM departures to Mt. Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. Eucharistic Celebration. Enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Then to the Church Primacy of St Peters. Overnight Magdala ( BB, D) Oct. 22, 2018 (Monday) Day 5 - Magdala Full day retreat , Focus will Include programs based on the historical and Religious value of the Magdala sites More info coming up as we get closer to the dates MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one discovered in the Galilee.

Oct. 23, 2018 (Tuesday) DAY 6 - Jordan Valley/Jericho/ Bethany/Jerusalem Mass at the Church of St. Lazarus MAGDALA, Israel – 2009 Discoveries from a new archaeological dig are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the home of Mary Magdalene.”She lived here and she met Jesus here and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the time of Jesus. According to archaeologists, it’s the first one discovered in the Galilee.

Oct. 24, 2018 ( Wednesday) Day 7 - Jerusalem (Old City)/Via Dolorosa/Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha.” (John 19:17) We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the Tomb of Our Lord. After mass, we return to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we will enter the Old City, sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda. Then we will visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostratos (where the soldiers played the Game of Kings) and the Arch of the “Ecce Homo”.

Dinner/Overnight Notre Dame Vatican hotel

Oct. 25, 2018 (Thursday) Day 8 - Jerusalem Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us...” (John 1:14) We will walk to view the Dome of the Rock from the outside, and visit the Western Wall, ( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. Then, we will drive to Mt. Zion, to visit the Upper Room, revered as the site of the Last Supper, then survey the Dormition Abbey, and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, the site where Peter denied Jesus three times. After the day’s tour, we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Notre Dame Vatican Hotel Oct. 26, 2018 (Friday) Day 9 - Mount of Olives/Gethsemane/ Bethlehem/Jerusalem (New City)/Ein Karem Mass at the Church of Nativity “O mountain of God, receive me, a mother, with my child.”

(Protoevangelium of James 22:3) We will arrive at the Mount of Olives, to enjoy another view of Jerusalem, visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit (“God wept”) sanctuary. Next, we’ll walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, and visit the Rock of Agony and the Church of all Nations. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name is recognized around the world. After celebrating Mass at the Church of Nativity, we will see the Manger; visit the Church of St. Catherine, the Grotto of St. Jerome and the Shepherds’ Fields.

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

Oct. 27, 2018 (Saturday) Day 10 - Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations After breakfast, we will celebrate mass at the Church of all Nations and then we will drive to Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and Overnight (B, D) Oct. 28, 2018 (Sunday) Day11 - Jerusalem/Allenby Bridge/ Madaba/Jordan/Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba Mass at Mount Nebo On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan.

We will go to the Baptismal Site at Bethany, which Pope John Paul II visited in 2000. Then, it’s on to Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land. Our next stop will be the Church of St. George in Madaba, which hosts the famous mosaic map of the Holy Land. Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence.

Oct 29, 2018 (Monday) Day 12 - Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba After breakfast, we will journey through the Siq, until we get our first glimpse of the Khazneh (Treasury). Then will we walk down to visit the Temple and view the many caves all around the Theater. At the end of the tour, we will drive back to Aqaba for overnight and dinner (B/D). Movenpick Resort & Residence Oct. 30, 2018 (Tuesday) Day 13 - Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/ Overnight Oct. 31, 2018 (Wednesday) Day 14 - Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX After breakfast, we will visit the Yad Vashem Museum,is Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought against their Nazi oppressors and Gentiles who selflessly aided Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding such events in the future. After the Western Wall, Yad Vashem is the second-most-visited Israeli tourist site. Return to the hotel for lunch and relaxation in preparation for our return flight back to the USA after early dinner will be transferred to the airport for flight Oct 31, 2018 8:45 PM departure from TLV End of Our Memorable Pilgrimage to Jesus Home Land!!!

deliver their services and products, they also “place additional dimensions to cyber-risks that we should all be worried about.”

She added cybercriminals have been aggressively introducing more threats targeting critical infrastructures to get confidential information.

“Financial losses, operations disruptions, reputational risks and public distrust—these are just some of the negative con-

sequences of a cyber attack, as highlighted in recent incidents,” the BSP official said in her speech during the “Managing Cybersecurity in the Age of Digital Transformation” forum in Taguig City.

This, she stressed, calls for the need to practice information sharing on cyber security threats.

BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier Photo by Roger Ranada/ManilaTimes.net “Beyond merely enforcing compliance, cooperation and  PAGE B2

Marian Pilgrimage France, Spain & Portugal

SEPTEMBER 8 to SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR: REV. JOHN DUY NGUYEN Sept. 8, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 1 USA/PARIS Transatlantic flight from USA to Paris (CDG )Meals serve on board.

Sept. 9, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 2 - Paris (CDG) Arrived Paris CDG, Then after we clear immigration and collect our Luggage,. you will proceed to your hotel and have mass and dinner. Overnight in Paris. (D) Sept. 10, 2018 - (Monday) Day 3 - Paris Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, also known as the City of Light. Full day touring with local guide, including visit of the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Basilica of Sacre Coeur, The chapel of the Miraculous Medal in Rue de Bac is the site of Marian Apparitions and contain the reliquaries of St. Catherine Laboure and St. Louise De Marillac. The shrine of St. Vincent the Paul is within walking distance, a few blocks from Rue De Bac, visit the chapel which houses the relic of St. Vincent the Paul. Overnight in Paris (BB/D) Sept. 11, 2018 - (Tuesday) Day 4 - Paris/Lisieux After breakfast, Full day in Lisieux, home of St Therese, who at age 15, entered the convent and became Carmelite nun, she took the religious name of St Therese of the child Jesus and the Holy face. The spirituality of her little ways was not about extraordinary things, but rather about doing simple things of life well and with extraordinary love. She believed and taught that “Everything is Grace”, God’s face and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy. She died at the age of 24 believing that her life was really the beginning for God, promising to spend her heaven doing good on earth, her promised” shower of Roses” began and have become a torrent in the church ever since. Return to Paris, Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel. Overnight in Lisieux (BB, D) Sept. 12, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 5 - Lisieux / Nevers / Paray-Le-Monial After Breakfast, Continue your drive to the picturesque Loire valley to Nevers, visit the convent of St. Gillard, where St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. At the conclusion of the eighteen apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the congregation of the sisters of charity of Nevers. St Gildard convent is her final resting place. After she was blessed with the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, St. Bernadette retired in Nevers. She received her religious habit in 1866. Continue to Paray-LeMonial for Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) Sept. 13, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 6 - Paray-Le-Monial After Breakfast, you will tour Paray-Le-Monial. Your first stop is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and here you will celebrate Holy Eucharist. Then you will tour and admire the Romanesque basilica and see the Chapel of Apparitions. After the Basilica, you will proceed to the Monastere e la Visitation. Visit the reliquary of Saint Margaret Mary of Alocoque at the Chapel of Visitation.

Still to see and visit after lunch is the Park of the Chaplain and the Chapel of St. Colombiere. Dinner & Overnight (BB, D) Sept. 14, 2018 - (Friday) Day 7 - Paray-Le-Monial / Lourdes After breakfast you will continue your pilgrimage to Lourdes. Lourdes, celebrating 160 Years of apparitions

of Blessed Virgin to Bernadette. Still one of the great pilgrimages shrines in the world, visited by thousands of pilgrim’s. Arrive in Lourdes in the late afternoon, orientation to the shrines and spends some time in the sanctuary. Dinner & overnight.

(BB, D) Sept. 15, 2018 - (Saturday) Day 8 - Lourdes You will have early morning bath at the healing water of Lourdes. Then return to the hotel for breakfast. There after attend Holy Mass at the Grotto. continue the day with a walking tour of the shrines and places associated with the life of St. Bernadette. Spend some time meditating on the passion of our Lord through more than life size exotic way of the sacrament and prayers.

Afternoon will be free time for private devotion. Dinner/ overnight (BB, D) Sept. 16, 2018 - (Sunday) Day 9 - Lourdes / Zaragoza After Breakfast, you’ll continue your drive towards Zaragoza, Spain. Visit the shrines of Our Lady of Pillar, the 2nd most popular pilgrimages sites in Spain. See the Magnificent altar in the Basilica, built on site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the apostles St. James, before her assumption into heaven. Dinner/ overnight Zaragoza (BB, D) Sept. 17, 2018 - (Monday) Day 10 - Zaragoza / Salamanca After breakfast you will embark on a trip to Salamanca.

You will have a short stop and panoramic tour of Avila. Upon arrival in Salamanca, you will visit the Old Cathedral and tour the city. Dinner /overnight Salamanca (BB, D) Sept. 18, 2019 - (Tuesday) Day 11 - Salamanca / Fatima After Breakfast, you will spend the first half of the day touring Salamanca. You will visit the new cathedral with a short stop at Plaza Mayor for lunch. After lunch you will continue to Fatima, the famous Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Upon arrival you will have a short orientation tour of the Sanctuary. Attend the nightly Candlelight procession at the Shrine. Dinner and Overnight Fatima (BB, D) Sept. 19, 2018 - (Wednesday) Day 12 - Fatima Breakfast, then Visit the Museum dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary followed by Mass at the Apparitions chapel, Full day Guided tours includes the Shrines ground, visit of the tombs of Francisco and Jacinta in the Basilica, In Aljustrel and Valinhos, you see the two homes of the shepherds, site of Our Lady’s fourth apparitions. Stop at the Parish church where the seers were baptized, and the cemetery where Francisco and Jacinta were once buried. You will do the station of the Cross. We encourage everyone to spend some time in the Blessed Sacrament, which is open every day.

Dinner/overnight Fátima. (BB, D) Sept. 20, 2018 - (Thursday) Day 13 - Fatima / Lisbon After breakfast ,you will proceed to Lisbon with stops at Santarem to visit the church of the Holy Miracle containing the Glorious 13th century Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem .Then you will do a panoramic city tour of Lisbon, with a visit to the Basilica of St Anthony de Padua, St Jeronimo’s Monastery and the famous Belem Tower. Dinner/Overnight Lisbon (BB, D) Sept. 21, 2018 - (Friday) - Early AM transfer to Lisbon Airport for flight home to USA Full of wonderful memories of Our Pilgrimage

Please call QTS Tour and Travel NOW at 1 (714) 288-0800 or (714) 761-6280 1095 N Main St. Suite O, Orange, CA 92867

B MAY 9-11, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

FATCA reminder for US persons THE Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) requires foreign financial Institutions and other non-financial foreign entities to report on the foreign assets held by their U.S. account holders or be subject to withholding on certain payments.

1. Form 8938 Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets: U.S. taxpayers holding financial assets outside the United States must report those assets to the IRS on Form 8938. There is penalty for not reporting financial assets. This is in addition to FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) (formerly TD F 90-22.1), in addition to Form 8938.

2. FATCA and foreign financial institutions: FATCA may require foreign financial institutions to report directly to the IRS information about financial accounts held

by U.S. taxpayers or by foreign entities in which U.S. taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest. These institutions include banks, investment entities, brokers, and certain insurance companies and certain non-financial foreign entities may have to report of their U.S. owners.

3. Outside of U.S. new account

Debt Relief

Atty. lAwrence yAng

I had my seniors’ week last week — two different seniors, both over 80 came to see me for different reasons.

The first was 83. He was in good health, just a little stooped. He still works full time and receives social security, while his wife receives a small social security.

He and his wife live with their son, so they have no mortgage or rent expenses, which is good.

He has a new car and pays a car loan of $400. He wants to keep the car. He has an old car that he used as collateral for a highinterest loan. He does not want to keep the old car because the high-interest loan requires $500 a month at 50 percent annual interest. Yes, that’s pretty high interest for a secured debt. His problem is $35,000 of credit card debt that he has kept current for the last 15 years, paying $1,000 a month. He thought it wasn’t such a great idea keeping them cur-

the year and you live abroad; or more than $50,000, if you live in What’s the United States.

8. Married filing joint income New tax return or live abroad: You must submit a Form 8938 if you have more than $400,000 of specified foreign financial assets Arlene Al-os, at the end of the year and you live cPA, MBA abroad; or more than $100,000, set up: Foreign financial institu- if you live in the United States.

9. Exception: 1) If you are not tion may ask you for information required to file a U.S. income tax about your citizenship.

4. Service Account Holders: return for certain year then you If you are mainly maintaining a do not have to file Form 8938. 2) service account, FATCA provides If you report interests in foreign special reporting requirements entities and certain foreign gifts, of U.S. account holders of some you may just list the submitted financial institutions that do not forms on Form 8938 without the solicit business outside their details. *** country of organization.

Disclaimer: Any accounting, business 5. Threshold: The threshold or tax advice contained in this varies depending on your filing communication is neither intended as status or if you live abroad. a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific 6. Outside of U.S.: You are live issues, nor a substitute for a formal abroad if you are a U.S. citizen opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid taxwhose tax home is in a foreign related penalties. country and you have been present in a foreign country or coun*** tries for at least 330 days out of a Al-os & Associates Accountancy consecutive 12-month period.

Corporation provides accounting and 7. Single or married filing tax services to individuals, corporations, separate: You must submit a LLCs and business entities. The Firm has Form 8938 if you have more a niche in defending taxpayers audited than $200,000 of specified for- by the IRS and other governmental eign financial assets at the end of agencies. (Advertising Supplement)

Seniors plan their golden years One gets rid of debt, while other attempts to collect money lent

rent in the last 15 years because he already forked over $180,000 in the last 15 years to keep them current, and surprise! He still owes the same $35,000 now. He thought he certainly would have been happier now if he had that $180,000 in his pocket. He could take his wife, his sweetheart of 60 years cruising all over the world and pay cash for those cruises.

His wife wanted to take a cruise to the Greek isles and the Mediterranean coast, maybe spend a couple of days in Barcelona, enjoying the artwork of Dali and the whimsical architecture of Gaudi. He wanted to see the office of the Philippine tobacco company, which was in Barcelona when the Spaniards were still lording it over the islands. I asked him what’s your connection with the Philippine tobacco company anyway? He said his grandfather worked for that company his whole life and all he got from it was a gold plated watch and a gold plated cigar; not even

a good pension that he could live with. “Why was your grandfather a Spaniard,” I asked? He was an illustrado, he said, with a mustache that made him look like Pancho Villa. I asked him if he could still speak Spanish and he said “Claro que si, senor abogado.” In fact, he told me that he still had many relatives in Barcelona, that’s why he wanted to bring his sweetheart to visit, and he wanted to meet all his Spanish relatives. Well, I told him that if you had gotten rid of your $35,000 of credit card debt 15 years ago with a Chapter 7 petition, then today, you could actually buy a condo on the south coast of Spain, and retire there with your sweetheart for a quarter of the cost of living in LA. Instead of being able to retire there with a fully paid condo overlooking the tranquil Mediterranean, you now have to get rid of your $35,000 of credit card debt, and live in a tiny room with your son.

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

Angels among us

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week …)

THE belief in the presence and power of angels to intervene is strong in popular conservative culture. In a remarkable 1999 Hallmark film, “A Season for Miracles,” an angel plays a pivotal role in helping a loving aunt to two children whose incarcerated, drug addicted mother places them in a situation forcing them to run and escape from the foster care system that threatens to split them apart during Christmas. The film is based on a novel by Marilyn Pappano and scripted

by Maria Nation. It was very ably directed by Michael Pressman.

It is a heartwarming story set in a small town called Bethlehem during Christmas with engaging characters like Agatha and Corrina. For those with a penchant for romance, the story has spades of it as well. So check this film out on youtube whether it is Christmas or not. In my opinion, this is a timeless piece of good work worth watching a hundred times. It will be an hour and some minutes to lighten your load and feel the presence of angels in your life as well.

Suspend disbelief. That is the only way to enjoy stories about angels.

Trawl the internet and social media and read about how angels, though unseen in many instances, can be felt by many who believe in them. There are many instances when the presence and oftentimes the direct interventions of one’s personal guardian angel are a part of the twists and turns of the unraveling story of many people’s lives.

Many have written about their encounters with angels, documenting how their guardian

(Second of 4 parts) angels are a real part of their to stray from the straight and lives guarding, guiding and narrow.

In Frank Capra’s classic protecting them from harm and on many occasions, even from Christmas film, “It’s a Wonderdeath, because their time had ful Life,” Clarence, a portly, not yet come. I am sure many bumbling character aspiring to others have their own personal become an angel must earn his stories to tell about this unseen wings by doing something good entity that can be ascribed to the for a human being in desperate presence of God himself – an need and contemplating suicide. ever-present help to aid us in “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings,” is a memorable navigating life on earth.

The common image of an an- line in this classic film that is ingel is a beautiful heavenly being tended never to get old and aptly with piercing eyes, big white becomes new again for a new pair of wings and long cascad- generation around the Christmas ing golden hair, robed in an- season.

On the other hand, in the drogynous white gown and who warped imagination of liberal film makers, “Michael” supposedly about Michael, the Archangel, the highest seraphim who fought Satan and flung him to the burning sulfurous depths of hell and believed to be the protector of the nation of Israel, is portrayed as somewhat of a sleaze who is more human than angelic.

In this film, Archangel is neither male nor female but to Michael can charm females bewhich we ascribe the word “he” cause he smells of cookies and who is a bit of a Lothario to boot. just for convenience.

An angel, who is an eternal It may be somewhat funny to celestial being, is not subject color outside the lines in portrayto the constraints of gravity, ing angels but don’t be fooled by time, space or language prob- the liberal yarn on angels. Hollems. Communication between lywood, in my opinion, has no protector and protectee is often gravitas on angelic matters.

Trust your own instincts. wordless and automatic. Some are messengers and some bring Your own personal experience punishment and death but each will color the lens with which has a definite purpose, most of you view and relate with your which are beneficial to humans. personal guardian angel. God Some claim to have seen their so loved the world, He sent His angels appearing differently from only son to redeem us from sin the common image we believe and death so we may gain eterof winged beings. Some morph nal life. Angels are sent to help into human form to lend a hand, us during our time here on earth to protect from danger or avert towards this arduous journey to disaster then disappear quickly. eternal life.

(To be continued …)

They appear specially when the humans they are protecting *** find themselves in dire straits and need help. As one might Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is imagine, angels are extremely SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. busy considering the weakness To send comments, e-mail monette. of humans and their predilection maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

“ Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”

– From Frank Capra’s film “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Can a divorcing couple agree to pay for their adult children’s college expenses in their divorce judgment?

DIVORCING couples with children sometimes worry about who is going to pay for their children’s college education after the divorce once their children graduates high school. They want a guarantee that their soon to be ex-spouse will share in the college expenses of their children.

This is specially the case when the other spouse has moved on with a new family. The old family becomes less of a priority.

In California, there is no legal basis for a spouse to request the family court to order the other spouse to pay for their adult children’s college expenses.

However, the divorcing couple can agree to pay for their adult children’s college education as part of a marital settlement agreement. Family Code section 3587; In re Marriage of Rosenfeld and Gross, 225 Cal. App. 4th 478 (2014). Pursuant to statute and court cases, college expense payment provision in a stipulated marital settlement agreement, as incorporated into a Court’s judgment, constitutes adult child support such that court had jurisdiction to modify the provision in light of the settlement’s failure to specifically provide that adult child support was not subject to modification. In re Marriage of Rosenfeld and Gross, 225 Cal. App. 4th at 488 (2014). Providing for payment of adult children’s college expenses is recognized more of an “add on” to

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes adult child support. Family Code 4062(b)(1).

However, the parties may “opt out” or restrict the court’s jurisdiction to modify an adult child support order (including college expenses) but the parties must expressly and specifically state in their marital settlement agreement that any resulting adult child support order will not be subject to modification or termination by the Court because the adult child support order is rooted in the parent’s contractual agreement. Cal. Family Code Section 3587, 3651(a).

So if you are concerned about your spouse sharing for the college tuition and expenses of your children after the divorce, you should negotiate a provision in your marital agreement that both of you will share on the college tuition and expenses of your children. In doing so, you should also think about whether you want this provision to be non-modifiable or not. In the absence of a specific provision limiting adult child support as nonmodifiable and non-terminable,

the default is that child support is modifiable. Sometimes, leaving the adult child support provision as modifiable protects the spouses from unforeseen future events such as a disability or retirement which limits the earning capacity of a spouse and ability to comply with the adult child support provision in the MSA. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

BSP bats for information sharing...

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collaborative engagements among relevant stakeholders, which include fellow regulators, the banking industry, as well as relevant government agencies, play a critical role in enhancing the financial system’s cyber resilience,” she said.

Fonacier also urged BSP-supervised financial institutions that while they heighten their system, they also need to “stepup their information security posture … beyond their respective networks.”

“So, it would not just your

network. Information sharing allows BSP-supervised financial inclusion to enhance the threat intelligence, enables the quick identification, prevention and response to emerging and persistent threats,” she added.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), on the other hand, said it has partnered with international computer emergency response team (CERT) to share threat information.

“We just partnered with Malaysia, other countries. Australia is coming soon, other governments

in Asean members in strengthening international cooperation,” Allan Cabanlong, DICT Assistant Secretary, in-charge for cybersecurity and enabling technologies, said during his presentation.

Cabanlong also expressed confidence with the country’s banking industry.

“Financial institutions are being attacked [every single day], [but they remain]resilient. They can still operate even under attack,” he said.

“If not, then maybe you’ll withdraw your money from the banks,” the DICT official added. n

More Filipinos open bank accounts...

PAGE B1 t

who borrowed to start, operate or expand a farm or business declined to 4.2 percent in 2017 from 13.6 percent in 2014. One in five adults received payments for the sale of agricultural goods, slightly unchanged from 2014 to 2017.

Compared with its Asean peers, the Philippines ranked in the middle with Singapore (97.9 percent) and Cambodia (21.7 percent) at opposite ends of the spectrum. The country’s level of

account ownership fell short of the average for East Asia and the Pacific (70.6 percent) and lower middle income countries (57.8 percent).

The results of the 2017 Global Findex will be augmented by the upcoming release of BSP’s own financial inclusion survey. The local survey will provide a more in depth look at the state of financial inclusion in the country to complement the topline country indicators of Global Findex.

The BSP is focusing its financial inclusion work to sectors that previously neglected sectors such as agriculture and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The approach goes involves creating a financing ecosystem that supports value chains and addresses fundamental issues in the financial infrastructure in terms of guarantees, crop insurance, movable collateral registry, and credit information system, among others. (Inquirer.net) n

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

BUSINESS NEWS

Poverty eradication tops ADB’s...

PAGE B1 t

urbanization. Aging in some countries and an increasing youth population in others present opportunities as well as challenges,” he added.

Thus, on top of ADB’s development finance agenda leading up to the next 12 years is eliminating pockets of poverty in DMCs and decreasing income inequality by helping DMCs create quality jobs, promote secondary and tertiary education, expand universal health care, and strengthen social protection programs.

“We will focus on lagging areas and pockets of poverty even in middle-income countries,” he said.

Another area high in ADB’s agenda is helping countries accelerate progress in gender equality by incorporating gender elements in the design and implementation of projects and programs. The bank will also support gender-focused projects in education, health, and financial inclusion.

ADB will also scale up support for climate change and disaster resilience projects and enhancement of environmental sustainability.

“ADB will help countries to achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. We will invest in the conservation and restoration of natural capital. We will improve the water-food-energy nexus,” said Nakao.

The multilateral bank will also help cities expand sources of funding for the development of

its mass transport systems and water sanitation systems with the goal of making cities liveable, resilient and inclusive.

ADB will likewise invest more on rural development and food security by focusing on developing agricultural value chains through investments in rural roads, storage facilities, and mobile connectivity. The use of advanced technologies in farming will be promoted.

The bank will also help governments enhance their capacity to prepare, implement and operate high-quality projects.

Nakao said ADB will also support projects that will strengthen regional cooperation and integration.

“We will build on our experience in subregional cooperation initiatives since the 1990s in Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. We will promote regional public goods such as transportation and logistical networks, and protection against communicable diseases. We will support a regional approach to energy security, education, tourism, and financial stability. ADB will cooperate with existing and emerging international and regional initiatives,” he said.

Operations in the private sector will also be strengthened to mobilize private sector resources to meet the region development financing needs. Through its private sector department ADB invests in privately-held and statesponsored companies across a wide range of industries across Developing Asia.

The last two priority items on the long-term agenda involve strengthening the bank’s role as a provider and facilitator of knowledge and expanding its presence on ground through greater investment in its workforce.

“We will invest in our workforce, promote diversity including gender balance, and ensure a respectful workplace. We will expand our presence on the ground. We will dramatically modernize business processes to speed up our services to clients,” said Nakao.

Extensive consultations, he said, have already been held for the new long-term plan which replaces Strategy 2020 to adapt to the socioeconomic challenges faced by its developing member states.

“Our task ahead is to reinvent ADB and meet the challenges of a transforming Asia and the Pacific,” said Nakao.

These priorities, he said, will be aligned with the international agenda, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Nakao maintains a positive growth outlook for the region particularly for DMCs in the ASEAN region which are growing at a rate close to seven percent.

“In countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Viet Nam, growth continues at 7 percent or even more. At this pace, gross domestic product (GDP) will double in about 10 years,” he said. ■

GMCAC ready to embark on 2nd...

PAGE B1 t

Ferrer and Harrison said apart from the construction of the new Terminal 2 and renovation of Terminal 1, the development plan for MCIA would logically involve the expansion of the runway facilities of the airport.

GMCAC, Ferrer said, has actually gotten original proponent status for its runway development proposal as early as February this year, but would still need regulatory approval for the project from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The second phase of its development plan for MCIA would include construction of a parallel emergency runway beside the existing runway so that repair

and upgrade of the original runway could be undertaken without disrupting operations.

A longer third runway would also be built to accommodate an expected increase in aircraft traffic, but it would involve some land reclamation and relocation of the existing Mactan Export Processing Zone.

For now, though, GMCAC is on target for the June 7 formal inauguration of the 65,000 square meters Terminal 2 by no less than President Duterte, although full commercial operations would start on June 22.

Upon its full commercial operations on June 22, MCIA T2 would service all international operations and Terminal 1 would be dedicated to domestic flights.

GMCAC would also finally start work on a one-year upgrade and renovation of Terminal 1.

It is expected that with the opening of Terminal 2, MCIA would increase its passenger capacity to 12.5 million.

GMCAC has a 25-year operations and maintenance concession agreement for MCIA. MCIA’s O&M was turned over to GMCAC in November 2014, but construction of Terminal 2 was initially delayed due the government’s failure to secure the right of way and relocate the Philippine Air Force facilities adjacent to MCIA. However, despite the delay, GMCAC was still able to catch up and deliver ahead of its deadline, Ferrer said. ■

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 9-11, 2018

B3

Seniors plan their golden...

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Think about the opportunity you missed to live on the South coast of Spain now, just because you wanted to keep your $35,000 of credit cards current for 15 years.

And even if you prefer to live here in LA, the $180,000 of cash in your pocket, well managed, can give you an extra $700 of income a month, which you can use to indulge what you and your wife want to do now. Otherwise, you wake up every day and just stare at each other, or watch TV the whole day. Not really an exciting way of living your golden years, is it?

He chooses to file a Chapter 7 to get rid of $35,000 credit cards even though it’s way too late.

Better late than never.

The second senior is 80. His wife passed away recently. They have no children but have a lot of relatives who owe him money.

He and his wife were generous in lending a helping hand to their relatives when they were younger — $50,000 to a cousin who

wanted to buy a UPS store and $40,000 to a brother who wanted to buy a restaurant. You know what I mean. The money lent has stacked up over the years and has not been repaid. He feels insecure now because he has maintenance expenses now, which are escalating. Just the caregiver costs $2,000 a month. Well, the problem, of course, is that it’s easy to lend out money, but it’s very difficult to collect. First off, it would be to file lawsuits to collect. So, at least you end up with money judgments that accrue legal interest at 10 percent yearly. In addition, placing judgment liens on real property can enforce these money judgments, wages can be garnished, and bank accounts can be levied.

This is a lot better than waiting for his beloved relatives to start paying him back, which knows when. The truth is, which is better left unsaid, beloved relatives are probably waiting for the client to kick the bucket so they can forget about paying him back.

Calendar of Events across

After all, he won’t need cash in heaven, would he? Nope.

The third client is a young senior at 58. She is a single mom with a good paying job as a registered nurse. She has two kids in college who need support.

Her problem is $50,000 of credit card debt. The choice is making minimum payments of $1,500 a month to Visa and Mastercard or giving the $1,500 to her college kids to help them pay their rents at out-of-state colleges. It’s a nobrainer. The client decides to discharge her $50,000 of credit card debt with a Chapter 7 petition. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803 or at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS M AY 3 -1 2

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

M AY 1 2

Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown hosts “Rotary Pride” in LA Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown cordially invites you to its “Rotary Pride” event on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. With a FUN evening of Dinner, live band entertainment, dancing & door prizes with a surprise presentation. It will be held at Filipino Cultural Center (FCC) — 1740 Temple St., Los Angeles, CA. It is $50 per person ($65 per person after May 3). Proceeds to benefit a rotary project in the community and internationally.

Archdiocese of Los Angeles hosts Santacruzan-May Crowning Everyone is invited to the 14th Annual Santacruzan-May Crowning sponsored by the Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 2:45 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012).

Msgr. Alex D. Aclan, Vicar for Clergy of Archdiocese of LA, will be the principal celebrant.

Highlights include presentation of “Sagalas” who are young girls and women comprising the Court of Honor for the Procession of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Celebration, Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Flower Offering, and a “Banda Musiko”accompanied Procession. It will be participated by different civic, religious, devotional, and ethnic organizations including the Philippine Consulate General in LA. The theme of the celebration: “Immaculate Mary, Caring Mother of Missionary Disciples.” The celebration is capped by a Dinner-Dance at Casa Italiana (1051 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 6:30 p.m.) For more information, please contact: Chairperson Arnel Bailon at (818) 310-3663 / nyarface2@yahoo.com or Co-chair Fe Amit at (323) 376-8448 / fe.amit@gmail.com.

Free oil filter & motor oil recycling event in Baldwin Park, CA ATTENTION ALL BALDWIN PARK RESIDENTS – Free Oil Filter & Motor Oil Recycling Event! Everyone is invited to bring in their used motor oil and used oil filters. All those who recycle their used oil filter will receive one FREE new Oil Filter. Recycling motor oil and filters helps save our environment and keeps our water clean. So don’t miss out – we’re making it easier for you to keep your car running smoothly and efficiently. It will be held on Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at O’Reilly Auto Parts (14503 Ramona Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706).

M AY 1 3

TIKIM Filipino Food Fun Run in San Mateo, CA ABS-CBN International The Filipino Channel (TFC) will hold the 1st TIKIM Filipino Food Fun Run at the Coyote Point Recreation Area (1701 Coyote Point Drive) in San Mateo on Sunday, May 13. The run starts at 8am, while the food festival (Duck Pond area/picnic sites 5-8) starts at 10am.

The purpose of the event is to celebrate on Mother’s Day everything about family, fitness, fun and Filipino food flavors. The event is open to all ages, gender and races. Every kilometer of the 5K fun run will have Filipino taste stations, with a food festival and entertainment past the finish line. More importantly, participants who register and join the fun run help provide meals for 10 malnourished children in the Philippines via ABS-CBN Foundation International’s Bantay Bata (Child Watch) program. Every month, the program feeds 300 children with one nutritious meal a day during school time. For more information about the TIKIM event and AFI Bantay Bata can be found by visiting https://mytfc.com/tikim and http://www.abscbnfoundation.org/.

M AY 1 8

The Asian American Group to celebrate first annual Asian Culture Day in Las Vegas On Friday, May 18, the Asian American Group (AAG) will celebrate the first annual Asian Culture Day. The event will be held at the Conference Center of Las Vegas (6590 Bermuda Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119), and will start at 6 p.m. There will be a variety of Asian dishes and cultural performances at the celebration. The primary goal of the Asian Culture Day celebration is to invite and unite the Asian nations of the world, and to educate and share their respective cultures in order to achieve greater understanding and fellowship between nations.

The annual Asian Culture Day was established by Senate Bill 175, which proclaims every 18th of May as Asian Culture Day in the state of Nevada. The bill was introduced and authored by State Senator Scott Hammond, and was signed into law by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval last year. The bill gives recognition to the Asians and Asian-Americans who were instrumental in the settlement and early development of the State of Nevada; the culture and traditions shared by Asians and Asian-Americans; and the Asian and Asian-American communities that continue to make important contributions to the cultural, religious, political, and business environment. To purchase tickets visit https://www.asianamericangroup.org/saac-2/.

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

B4 MAY 9-11, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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People and Events

Artesia academic scholarship application deadline extended THE City of Artesia is pleased to announce a partnership with Artesia-based Cerritos Presbyterian Church to award up to three high school seniors or college students a $1,000 academic scholarship to the college, university, or trade school of their choice.

The City encourages all students to pursue higher education and find their passion, and Cerritos Presbyterian Church is pas-

sionate about helping the local community.

Therefore, we’re partnering for the second year to provide Artesia residents with an opportunity to earn an academic scholarship that will assist each student in their pursuit of higher education. This scholarship opportunity is open to all high school seniors and college students who are residents of the City of Artesia and will be enrolled in college, university, or trade school in the

fall of 2018.

For more information, or to apply for the scholarship, please see the application and the scholarship qualifications. Completed applications should be submitted to City Hall no later than 5 pm on Monday, May 7, 2018. Winners will be announced during the June City Council meeting.

Please direct all questions to Beatriz Lopez at blopez@cityofartesia.us.■

Free yard sale dates 2018 in the City of Azusa IN the City of Azusa the only yard sales that are allowed must occur on the following four weekends in 2018. Those dates are: • June 9 and 10 • September 8 and 9 • December 8 and 9 Please note that all yard sales can only occur on Saturday and Sunday weekends.

The yard sales are free and require no city permit, but must adhere to the regulations listed below: Regulations • No permits or fees are required (yard sales are free) • Sales can only take place from residential property between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday only

EMPLOYMENT

Photo courtesy of www. ci.azusa.ca.us

• Items for sale may be used but not manufactured or acquired from elsewhere for resale • No signs can be posted on public prop-

erty (Utility poles, light poles, street signs, or in the parkways) • Sales may not be held on public sidewalks, parkways, streets, or alleys .■

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

B MAY 9-11, 2018 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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B

The Asian Journal

MDWK

Wednesday, MAy 9, 2018

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 9, 2018

Mom hopes to inspire more Fil-Ams to become resource families in LA County

by Christina M. Oriel / AJPress wIth Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, Armida Chow is quite sentimental.

It will mark one year after she and her husband Brandon adopted Delaney, whom they had been fostering since she was four days old. It was a 15-month process toward adoption.

“For me, I’ve learned that motherhood means that the children don’t necessarily have to come from your stomach,” Armida Chow, a teacher at an adult education school, told the Asian Journal. to date, the Chows have fostered five children at their three-bedroom home in the San Gabriel Valley, where they live in a community near families who have adopted or are fostering children. Before Delaney, who turned 2 earlier this year, the couple adopted a son named Cooper, who is now 6 years old and in kindergarten.

“During the first placement, it was a challenge because I got attached and didn’t want to let them go. At the same time, reunification is important. I’ve been teaching my own children that we’re taking care of other kids temporarily,” Chow said.

Eight years ago, the Chows took classes as they were looking to adopt a child from abroad. however, they realized that there are thousands of children here in the united States who are in need of a home and family. the couple became a resource (foster) family — an all-encompassing term in California for caregivers who provide out-ofhome care for children in foster care — through the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and have been licensed to care for one child at a time. they had no race or gender preferences but wanted a child between infancy to 8 years old.

In the separate cases of Cooper and Delaney, the Chows were called to pick them up at the hospital, as their mothers gave them up under California’s Safely Surrendered Baby Law, which allows babies less than 72 hours old to be relinquished at a hospital or fire station anonymously and without any ques-

tions asked. (the caveat is that the baby’s parents have 14 days to change their minds.)

“I’ve learned to be flexible as a mom. you have to laugh about things. I became resourceful getting services for the children and advocating for them because they can’t speak for themselves. the number one job of being a resource parent is advocating and protecting them,” Chow said.

She narrates several experiences they’ve had, including fostering an Asian American teenage girl who was separated from her parents who were verbally abusive. Another instance was Christmas Day two years ago when they got a call about a one-year-old girl who was in the hospital. they went to see her the following day and noticed she had cigarette burns on her head and some older ones on her body.

“It changed our perspectives and made us realize how sheltered we were. you’ll never get to experience that…It was one of those heartbreaking things where we could have kept her,” Chow said. the couple ended up fostering her for seven months and had anticipated to eventually adopt her but she was adopted by her grandfather instead.

“Attachment is important.

If you can attach, then you’re going to be a good resource parent because the children need attachment and need to be loved. It’s not easy because you can’t fall in love with them right away but the kids need to be protected and feel safe in order to develop trust because most of the time they can’t trust grownups,” Chow said. the foster children who had been placed under the Chows’ care were reunited with their biological parents or relatives, which is considered the primary goal. Second would be putting the children with relatives; but if those two options don’t work out and parental rights are terminated, foster/resource parents will be presented with the choice of adoption.

“Sometimes my kids will say, ‘remember when we were in

Illustration By Tristan Yuvienco

InterestIng FACts About Mothers And Mother’s dAy

• thE first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908. Anna Jarvis honored her mother Ann Jarvis with a memorial. Ann Jarvis had started a committee in 1868 to establish ‘Mother’s Friendship Day’. her motivation had been to reunite families after the Civil war. She died in 1905, before Mother’s Day became a holiday.

• Mother’s Day became a recognized holiday in 1914 in the united States.

• Americans spend $14.6 billion on gifts on Mother’s Day, Armida and Brandon Chow, with their adopted children, Cooper and Delaney, take a family photo during including $671 million on cards and $1.9 billion on flowers.

Easter 2018.

• Carnations are very popular flowers for Mother’s Day and are thought to be made from the tears of Jesus’ mother (Mary) when she wept at his feet the day he was crucified. wearing a colored carnation on Mother’s Day indicates that a person’s mother is living. A white carnation means that a person’s mother is dead.

• there are about 122.5 million phone calls on Mother’s Day, making it one of the busiest phone days of the year.

• the u.S. National restaurant Association reports that Mother’s Day is the year’s most popular holiday for eating out.

• Although the u.S. spends more money than any other country on health care as well as on maternal care, it is more dangerous to give birth in the u.S. than in 49 other countries, including Kuwait, Bulgaria, and South Korea.

• there are an estimated 85.4 million mothers in the united The Chows during Delaney’s (3rd from left) adoption ceremony in May 2017.

States. there are about 2 billion moms in the world.

Photos courtesy of Armida Chow • Mothers do about 88 percent of laundry in the u.S. this and parent alongside us. For my equals 330 loads of laundry and 5,300 articles of clothing per year. your tummy?’ I’ll remind them daughter, who is Latina, I have that they’re actually adopted, the least favorite job for moms is vacuuming the stairs. friends who are Latinos so she but they came from my heart,” • Even though motherhood is becoming less popular, a can be exposed to her culture Chow said. “It’s our everyday majority of women still become mothers. Modern moms are more as well.” language that they’re adopted. likely to be more educated, single, and older.

She added, “At the end of In between my kids, we’ve had • In the Bible, Eve is credited with being the ‘Mother of All the day, this is my family and I’m the Living.’ placements so we were able okay with that. I actually forget to have pictures of children Source: 57 Interesting Facts about Mothers | FactRetriever.com that my kids don’t look like who have lived with us and I’ve me or my husband until other shown my son and told him that people are staring at us and we cared for them while their that’s when you realize.” parents had to work through Chow said that when she some things.” and her husband attended She mentions that books like trainings, they were noticeably “yes, I’m Adopted!” by Sharlie the only Asian Americans in the Zinniger and tiffany Cunliffe or room. She wondered if there “tell Me Again About the Night Filmmaker Maritte Go discusses ‘Remittance’, were other resource couples like I was Born” by Jaime Lee Curtis them. are staples in their home, as inspirations and thoughts on Asian they were contacted by the are conversations about how representation in film and TV Korean American Family Services superheroes like Iron Man and (KFAM), as the organization was Superman were adopted.

by Klarize Medenilla/AJPress looking for Asian American and when asked if her son has Pacific Islander (AAPI) resource started to ask questions about IF there’s one thing to be families to share their experihis background, she said, “he’s said about the Filipina mother, ences and guide others who still young where he hasn’t it’s that she puts her children were interested in going through been too curious yet, but I’m first. the process as well. Chow was sure pretty soon he’ll realize, that’s the thematic nucleus familiar with KFAM because she ‘my parents are Asians.’ But he of the new short film “remithad seen their commercial on a hasn’t asked about race. they tance” by Filipina-American local public tV station. say in third grade that’s when it filmmaker and producer Push for more AAPI rekind of gets visible. right now, Maritte Go, who won third source families he doesn’t see color. that’s the place in the second annual Located in the heart of LA’s beauty of a child.” hBo Asian Pacific American Koreatown — in a multilevel the Chows’ household is (APA) Visionaries Short Film building that’s a one-stop shop multicultural with Chow being Competition, where filmmakers with organizations and busiFilipina, her husband is Chinese/ had to tell stories surrounding nesses that cover an array of hawaiian, Cooper is Caucasian, the theme of “home.” services — KFAM has catered and Delaney is Latina.

Filipina-American filmmaker and producer “remittance” tells the the Korean-American community “we teach the kids about story of a Filipina cruise worker Maritte Go since 1983 through counseling, what it means to be Fili(played by Go) who is notified voice over the phone reminds domestic violence and child pino through food and tagalog via voicemail that her son is in her that home isn’t a location abuse intervention, community words. they call my parents the hospital. Stuck working on but rather the unbreakable workshops, and a food program. ‘lolo’ (grandfather) and ‘lola’ an Alaskan cruise, the mother bond between a mother and In 2014, it started the Korean (grandmother). My daughdesperately tries to get a hold her child.

Foster Family Initiative, which ter calls my son ‘kuya’ (older of her family which proves to Go, a uSC Film and tV helped Korean families receive brother) because I wanted to be a physical and emotional Production graduate, drew make sure they knew the Filipino in-language resource family challenge. inspiration from her family’s extraining who were then referred customs,” Chow said. “Still, we the film is a reminder of a periences and chose this story to partner foster agencies in try to expose them to their birth mother’s hardship and the sac- to evoke the vast meaning of order to be certified. In subseculture. Since Cooper is white, rifices many overseas Filipino home.

The Asian Foster Family Initiative (AFFI) was started by the Korean American Family Services (KFAM) quent years, it branched out we make sure we have friends workers (oFws) make to proBut she was particularly in 2014 and became a state licensed foster family agency last year, making it the first non-profit to include other Asian groups who are Caucasian. For both vide for their families. though inspired by her own mother’s organization in Los Angeles that focuses on connecting Asian foster families with Asian children in the like Chinese, Vietnamese, and of our kids, I pick three couples she’s thousands of miles away story. with the help of her famfoster system.The organization’s offices are located in LA’s Koreatown. who come alongside with us Continued on Page 4 from home, hearing her son’s AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel Continued on Page 4

Filipina-American filmmaker’s short film about motherhood earns third place in hbo competition

Gary V. sits up on day 3 post-op Lea Salonga speaks up on racial Shout for joy!

So goes one of oPM icon Gary Valenciano’s greatest hits—a line his family must be singing now what with this very positive update, which The Manila Times received on tuesday, May 8, regarding his condition.

Following his emergency open heart surgery on May 5 to remedy a blocked and thinning major artery, “Day 3” of his recovery, as wife Angeli Pangilinan noted in a text message, showed “major breakthroughs.”

Pangilinan began her update with a very happy vibe as she exclaimed, “thank you for all your prayers!”

She then detailed, “Four tubes were taken out [from Valenciano today]. Boy, when I saw the 2 0.6-cm width tubes on his stomach taken out by the surgeon, my knees felt like jello. “then less than an hour later, Mr. Pure Energy Gary sat up, with the help of 3 nurses. he stood up and walked a few steps to his lazyboy in the CCu

diversity issue in int’l theater by niña

V. GunO

Inquirer.net

BroADwAy star Lea Salonga joins the chorus of black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) actors denouncing an agent’s statement that minority actors are taking white performers’ jobs. united Kingdom agent Gemma hamilton of Lowy hamilton Artists wrote in a Gary Valencino says his diabetes had blocked and thinned the wall of the heart’s main valve, requiring private forum that “BAMEan emergency operation. It was after a high-powered dance number with his son Gab some two weeks only breakdowns” exist only ago, when he felt something was not right.

Photo courtesy of AngeliPangilinan to “[add] that va-va-voom to singer whose career spans over the cast list.” She complained (coronary care unit) and gave a three decades wrote an open huGE smile when he sat down! that it’s been “putting talented letter just before going under “Baby steps but huge ‘white’ performers out of the knife to be sure the public breakthroughs! on the third work.” Incidentally, she herself only receives facts about his day he rose again! halleluiah!,” is white. condition.

Pangilinan’s text ended. however, a screenshot of Physically active despite the entertainment industry the comment has been circuliving with type 1 diabetes for and Valenciano’s supporters lated on social media and has four decades now, the 53-yearhave been on prayer vigil since triggered criticism from the uK old singer related how his heart theater community. news broke about his surgery on Monday. the multi-awarded hamilton has since apoloContinued on Page 3

the movement as she shared her iconic roles over the years. “you ain’t ready for this. time for me to #VaVaVoom,” she said with her typical sass as she featured her “Les Miserables” performance.

She also posted her roles in Broadway’s “Miss Saigon” and in Disney movies. Salonga provided the singing voice to characters Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and Mulan.

“For the longest time, we people of color don’t always see ourselves represented on stage, film or tV. we should celebrate that we’re now able Lea Salonga ABS-CBN photo to, more than before. to resent gized, but the remark “va-vainclusion? Not classy,” Salonga voom” has since been restressed. claimed in a hashtag on twitter “And ‘closed forums’ don’t where actors of minority ethexist,” she added. nicities celebrate productions the actress is currently they’ve been a part of. part of Broadway’s “once on In a series of tweets, Sathis Island,” which features a longa expressed support for racially diverse cast.

Asian Business Association of entertainment 3 Orange County (ABAOC) to celebrate Small Business Development Day on May 10 Jake Zyrus opens up about depression, suicidal thoughts The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 9, 2018

IrvIne, CA — The Asian Business Association of Orange County (ABAOC), will host its annual Small Business Development Day (SBDD) on May 10th at the Delta Hotels by Marriott in Garden Grove, CA. The event is sponsored by US Bank, and more than 100 attendees are expected to participate in this half-day event.

The City of Anaheim is proclaiming May 10th as ABAOC Day in recognition of this event.

ABAOC’s President Pramod Kunju and event CoChair, announcing the event, stressed on ABAOC’s mission of helping small businesses succeed with 4 essential ingredients: education, Inspiration, networking, and Business Opportunities. Mr. Kunju thanked US Bank for its sponsorship of SBDD. ABAOC Board Member roger Cheng will be Master of Ceremonies for this signature event.

ABAOC Board Member, event Co-Chair and US Bank Assistant vice President Ajay Aggarwal, reiterated US Bank’s commitment to Small and Diverse businesses, as exemplified by its support of SBDD.

Allison Maslan, Best Selling Author of Blast Off, will headline this year’s SBDD with a keynote presentation on Scale or Fail: How to Leap from entrepreneur to enterprise Without a Safety net.

Dr. Charla Griffy-Brown of Pepperdine will present an informative session on Cybersecurity 101 for Small and Medium Businesses.

A panel of Diversity experts led by Marlene nantell of Minority Supplier Development Council, will explore the types of Certification that Small business owners should have to do business with large Corporations.

A “Fast Pitch” competition will feature five Small Businesses presenting in front of the audience and judges, vying for prizes.

A Small Business expo will feature a good mix of Small Businesses, Community Organizations, and Large Corporations. Cindy Mei, ABAOC Board Member and expo Chair, highlighted the opportunity for Small Businesses to exhibit in front of influential decision makers. exhibitor tables can be purchased at https://conta. cc/2HqWpZF Seating is limited, it is

recommended to purchase tickets early at https://conta. cc/2qyJTxD. May 10th, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Delta Hotels by Marriott, 12021 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840 About ABAOC The Asian Business Association of Orange County (ABAOC) was founded in 1992, as a nonprofit business under IrS 501(c) (6), to meet the needs of the growing Asian businesses in Orange County.

For more than 26 years, ABAOC had been a leader in community service in the Asian and small business community. Since its establishment, it has successfully organized many major events, including networking mixers, procurement events and outreach programs through the support of its members, sponsors and community affiliates.

ABAOC events and programs inspire and stimulate small business owners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to grow and proper through creation of new opportunities, education, networking and community participation.

ABAOC is run by a volunteer Board.

by MJ

Marfori

ManilaTimes.net

IT happens to the best in showbiz, and Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco) was among those who had difficulty constantly living life in the spotlight.

We caught up with Jake at the newly opened Axiaa Hotel in Quezon City where the singer held a 10th anniversary concert press conference.

Following Sarah Geronimo’s now infamous breakdown at her Las vegas concert the past week, Jake opened up about a dark phase when, still as Charice, “Hindi ko siya na-handle nang maganda sa totoo lang. Hindi naman po ako superhero na pag dumating ang depression I would say, ‘Oh I am strong, kaya ko ito’.”

Jake fully supports Sarah and even backed her up by saying emotional struggles are the hardest for artists and performers because, “people expect you to be happy kasi all the time. They expect you to be the one to give them joy. Paano na lang, di ba, if kami ang nalulungkot?”

Jake also offered a piece of advice for fans to be more understanding. “normal lang po yun. Minsan, di ba, like sina Celine Dion,

Gary V. sits up on day 3...

From Page 2

is still very strong but that his chronic condition affected his major artery.

Professional as ever, he apologized for scheduled commitments he has had to cancel over the last two weeks and assured the public his faith is getting him through this difficult time.

“I believe in my God who restores; my God who heals, and rescues, my God who is my strength, and my God who gives each of us a thousand second chances,” he wrote.

Later on Tuesday, valenciano

uploaded a video from his hospital bed looking well as he said, “Hi everyone, I’m A-okay.

I’m here in the hospital pa rin.

I’m recuperating, I did have a major bypass but I ‘m getting better day-by-day. One of these days, babalik din ako sa ‘ASAP,’ babalik din ako sa ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar,’ and ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan.’ Paminsan minsan siguro mag a-absent pa rin ako just to make sure I’m in good shape but the doctors are very satisfied with how it all turned out.”

“My heart is actually in very good condition, dun lang sa

isang part na medyo delikado talaga. But I’m here, I’m okay.

I love you all and I’m thankful that God has given me so many people that have shared their love with me. And I’ll see you soon, okay? Don’t worry na. I’ll be okay. Pure energy ulit. God Bless.”

Asked in which area of the metro valenciano’s hospital is located, his publicist Chuck Gomez respectfully told The Manila Times the family has requested to keep that particular information private. (Tessa Mauricio-Arriola/ManilaTimes. net)

Jake Zyrus

Photo cuortesy of Star Records

Mariah Carey… sometimes they cancel shows kapag hindi nila kaya. Yun ang kailangang intindihin ng mga fans dahil ako, fan din ako. Yun ang kailangang intindihin, kaysa naman talagang mapagod ang isang singer.”

“Napakahirap, napakahirap talaga,” Jake continued. “Kung talagang alam ng isang singer na

hindi mo kaya, it’s okay.”

According to the artist once dubbed by Oprah as “the most talented girl in the world,” there was even a time suicide came to mind.

Jake was in an extreme state of confusion, detailing, “Ito yung tipong nakatulala ka lang and laContinued on Page 4

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features The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 9, 2018

Why Maricel Soriano stays away from social media

by Ricky

Filipina-American filmmaker’s short film about...

From Page 2

ily, Go’s mother, an immigrant from the Philippines, was able to become a doctor in the U.S. and, for her, family was the sole driver for all her hard work.

“She raised me to work for my family and that everything we do is for family. She’s really

my inspiration for everything i do,” Go shared with the Asian Journal in a recent phone interview. “She’s just incredibly strong and works so hard, and so when i saw that HBo called to make a film about ‘home’ i thought this is perfect because i’ve always seen [how] my mom misses home so much and

caldeRon ManilaTimes.net

DiaMonD Star Maricel Soriano has never had a social everything she does is for her media account and has no family and all the money she plans to have one in the near makes she goes to them. So future. it’s her personal choice home isn’t necessarily where and makes it clear she respects you are but where you’re heart other celebrities who choose is and her heart was always to be active over Facebook, back in the Philippines back instagram and Twitter. there.”

Her reason from staying With very few lines of away from social media is dialogue, “Remittance” probecause she doesn’t want to be foundly captures the internal subjected to attacks from hatconflicts of a distressed mother ers and bashers, which happen who begins to question the de- much too often these days. cision to separate herself from “i don’t want to create eneher son, a feeling very familiar mies on social media that’s why to the more than 10 million i don’t to want to have a social oFWs around the world. media account. Besides, i even Like many Filipino families, tell my fans not to answer back she has relatives working as [at bashers]even if they come oFWs who have spent most of across bad comments about their lives away from the family in order to provide for it.

“There’s people from around the world, you know, From Page 3 people who have to find the hat ng weakness mo papasok sa work wherever it is to be able ‘yo. Marahas talaga like suicide to support the family whether attempts and everything.” that’s working on a cruise ship Thankfully, Jake got through or at a hotel,” Go said, highthe ordeal and is finally happy lighting the collective struggle and content, both personally and of all oFWs who have the as an artist at this point in life. bravery to be separated from if there was a lesson that loved ones. “it’s being able stuck with Jake, it is this: “Ang to move there, and sacrifice na-realize ko na kailangan ko your own happiness so that your family can live a good life is heartbreaking, but it’s also beautiful and so moving in that you’ve given that up so that From Page 2 your family can succeed.”

Filipino, rebranding itself as the in February, “Remittance” asian Foster Family initiative was selected as a finalist for (aFFi).

HBo’s aPa Visionaries Short The aFFi became a state Film Competition, a comlicensed foster family agency petitive program that provides (FFa) last year, making it the emerging aPa filmmakers a first non-profit organization in chance to feature their talents. Los angeles that focuses on in addition to Go’s “Remit- connecting asian foster families tance,” two other films were with asian children in the foster selected as finalists: “June” by system.

Tawainese Huay-Bing Law and its campaign has been to “Jiejie” by Feng-i Fiona Roan. recruit more asian families as The three films were then licensed foster care providers screened at the Los angeles through the DCFS. it is seeking asian Pacific Film Festival on to hire additional social workers May 4, where Law and Roan who specifically focus on the diftook first and second place, ferent asian groups. respectively.

To be a resource parent, “Remittance” and the other there is a long list of requireshort films are now available ments, including being at least to stream on HBo noW and 25 years of age, attending preHBo Go. approval trainings, and comply-

me. Eh hindi natin kilala ang mga nagko-comment. Hindi nga tayo sure kung totoong tao ba sila?” the erstwhile “Taray Queen” of showbiz raised her eyebrows in jest.

“Kaya ang sabi ko sa mga fans, huwag na huwag na makikipag-away sa social media. Siyempre ayaw mo naman na sinisiraan ka ng ibang tao na hindi mo kilala.

Parang magugustuhan mo ba halimbawa yung nanay mo eh sinisiraan ng taong di mo kilala?

Siyempre ayaw mo, di ba?” added Maricel who will appear in a special role come May 9 in Regal Entertainment’s “My 2 Mommies.” The Mother’s Day movie offering is directed by Eric Quizon, and stars Paolo Ballesteros and Solenn Heussaff in the lead.

Maricel Soriano

ManilaTimes.net photo

all the same, the Diamond Star is grateful that she has a presence in social media all the same, what with fans long clamoring for her return to showbiz.

Jake Zyrus opens up about depression... noong time na yun ay hindi lang mga tao na makikinig sa akin.

Iba po kasi yung mga taong makikinig lang sa iyo sa mga tao na iintindihin ka.”

Jake’s upcoming anniversary concert is titled “Music and Me” to celebrate the artist’s first decade in the music industry.

With his hormonal treatments, the singer further im-

parted that besides being a pop belter, Jake’s voice has now has fully transformed into the likes of Frank Sinatra.

“Sa concert ko po huwag na nila asahan si Charice. i’m now inspired by the music of Shawn Mendez as well and enjoying singing songs like ‘Fly Me To The Moon,’ which really fits my range as a performer.”

Mom hopes to inspire more Fil-Ams to...

One of the rooms in KFAM’s office used for family visits

them with a family that looks like them, eats similar food and speaks the same language they did at home,” Lee said.

The aFFi shares one story in particular during its orientations wherein a three-year-old ing with home safety inspections Korean boy lost his entire family and background checks. to an accident and was placed The organization has helped in non-asian foster homes so some 40 asian families with he didn’t have an appetite and certification so far. couldn’t speak his native Korean in any given month, there are language. close to 35,000 children in the La His foster mom learned how County foster system. nearly 700 to make a kimbap (seaweed of whom are of asian and Pacific rice roll) and he ate that at every islander descent — that entails meal for an entire month, Lee both children who immigrated said. to the U.S. with their parents The aFFi recently hired and those who were born in the its first Filipino social worker, country.

Mariah oca, who is slated to of that figure, there could start this summer ahead of the be somewhere between 100 organization’s two-hour orito 200 Filipinos, making them entations on Saturday, June 9 the largest population of aaPi (English) and Tuesday, June 19 foster children, according to data (Tagalog/English) for those in the the aFFi shared with the Asian Filipino-american community Journal. who want to learn what it takes alice Lee, the initiative’s pro- to be a resource parent. it also gram manager, said Filipinos in plans to hold other outreach the system are most likely under- activities. counted since Filipino surnames oca said in an email that could be Spanish-sounding. she intends to “shed light to not The social workers at aaFi only to resource families but to told the Asian Journal that the the general Filipino community top reasons why aaPi children about the kind of support that get taken away from their Filipino children in the foster families are cultural differences care system need.” (parenting styles in the U.S. Lee shared that the organizaversus back in asia), neglect (i.e. tion is willing to hire more qualileaving underaged children alone fied social workers to handle the for a lengthy period of time or number of Fil-am kids in foster not feeding them), and drug or care. alcohol abuse. “it’s a very labor intensive 2017 data from the DCFS process from our perspective,” showed that 31.7 percent of she said. “When the family has children in the La County system to go through that much work, were removed from their families the social worker has to go for general neglect, followed by through even more paperwork. at-risk/sibling abuse and physical The number of social workers abuse. does make a difference.”

“The reason for the high Reducing hesitations number of Filipino kids in the With May as national Foster system is similar to the other Care Month, the DCFS is lookasian cultures in that Filipinos ing to raise awareness on the are not aware of how to pargrowing need for families to ent their kids. it’s different from foster, adopt or mentor children how to parent your children in in the system. There were less your home country coming to than 4,000 foster homes in La a Western society,” Chow said, County, as of 2015. sharing some of what she along one of the ways is holding with other resource parents have orientation classes and letting observed. “Here, teachers are interested families know that mandated reporters. Kids can the county provides financial just be telling stories like ‘my par- support since the cost of child ents don’t feed me’ and if teach- care can be a burden. accorders hear that, that’s a red flag. it’s ing to recent rates, the monthly more of a parenting issue.” stipend is at least $923 a month.

Though aaPi children com“Many families do not have prise approximately 2 percent of a realistic portrayal of foster the foster care population in La youth and are concerned they County, there has been a lack of may not be up to the task. They attention on minimizing cultural may perceive foster youth as differences the children may face ‘damaged goods,’” neil Zanville when they are placed in homes. of the DCFS’ office of Public af“it would be ideal to put fairs told the Asian Journal in an

AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

email. “The fact is, foster youth are very resilient and capable of achieving great things with the support of a stable and caring resource family. a good stepping stone to becoming a foster parent is to first mentor a youth to see firsthand what’s involved.”

Lee said that aFFi doesn’t “sugarcoat” the experience because it could take anywhere from four to six months to become a resource parent. The organization is upfront about the expectations and since it is a foster family agency now, it can not only recruit, certify and train families, but also provide support to them once they receive placements, like how to care for the child and dealing with social workers and the county.

Chow’s parents have been supportive of her fostering and adopting children, but shared that she still gets criticized by extended family members because they don’t understand why she does it. She hopes that aFFi’s information sessions will reduce the stigma of foster parenting within the Fil-am community.

“Some of my relatives think it’s silly and crazy. it’s the mentality of ‘why are you doing this?

Don’t you want to have your own child?’ of course everyone has an opinion. They are many children out there, why would i have one when i can actually help out?” she said.

Life for the Chows hasn’t stopped, despite the long and tedious procedure surrounding adoption and taking in foster children. “it’s like carrying your biological children, for me. We still have fun. Even though they’ve gone through challenges… it doesn’t mean that we’re living a sad story. We live like a family and take them out, eat out, and go on vacation — except we just report it to DCFS,” she said.

“When you and your partner or spouse need a break, have someone you can rely on to take care of your kids and still go out on dates. Your life and relationship don’t have to stop. Take care of your emotional health. if you do this with a spouse, take care of each other emotionally because it can strain a relationship.”

“Don’t let your fear hinder you from becoming a resource parent. if you have the heart to help, follow it. i always tell people that my children are worth it. it was a hard journey from fostering to adopting, but in the end, it’s rewarding. i wouldn’t change a thing and would do it all over.”

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 9, 2018

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 9, 2018