053018 - Southern California Midweek Edition

May 30-June 1, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 44 • 3 Sections - 26 Pages

Chinese government warns US warships in South China Sea

by PIA LEE-BRAGO Philstar.com

CHINA has deployed naval ships and aircraft to warn off two United States warships which Beijing accused of entering its territorial waters without permission from the Chinese government.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense said the two U.S. warships – the guided missile cruiser USS Antietam and the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins – sailed near the Paracel Islands in the The Chinese Ministry of Defense said the two U.S. warships – the guided missile South China Sea. cruiser USS Antietam and the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins – sailed near

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the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

U.S. Navy photo by Jeanette Mullinax

THE PRESIDENT WITH BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS. President Rodrigo Duterte strikes his signature pose with Sec. Bong Go of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President and the players and coaching staff of the San Miguel Alab Pilipinas basketball team who paid a courtesy call on the President at Malacañan Palace on Monday, May 28. The San Miguel Alab Pilipinas emerged champion in the ASEAN Basketball League recently.

Malacañang photo by Rey Baniquet

‘Duterte’s firing spree to continue until all corrupt out’ Cayetano: ‘Prove Philippines lost an island DATELINE Five ballot propositions to China and I will quit’

USA

by ALEXIS

ROMERO Philstar.com

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not stop firing officials until there are no more corrupt personnel in government, Malacañang announced Tuesday, May 29, after the Chief Executive dismissed the government corporate counsel over a questionable legal opinion.

Duterte on Monday, May 27, fired Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado for issuing a legal opinion that

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Californians will be voting for on June 5

THE June primaries for the 2018 midterm elections are coming up which means that voters everywhere will be heading to the polls to vote for a number of local, state and federal measures and government officials.

In California, in addition to the highly publicized gubernatorial and senatorial races, we will also be voting on eight proposition measures, most of which involve funding allocation and taxes.

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Health care looms large in race for California’s top cop ATTORNEY General Xavier Becerra uses a well-worn refrain to describe his role as the state’s chief law enforcement officer: to defend California’s values.

“If that translates into fighting Donald Trump, then so be it,” he said in a recent interview.

Becerra has been one of the leading voices in California’s charge against the federal government, filing more than 30 lawsuits on health care and other issues since taking office in January of last year.

For example, Becerra, 60, succeeded in temporarily blocking the federal government from denying access to birth control nationwide, and he is leading 15 states plus the District of Columbia in a legal battle to defend the Affordable Care Act. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Becerra attorney general after predecessor Kamala Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate. Now, Becerra is taking his chances with voters, running against Democratic Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, retired judge Steven Bailey and private attorney Eric Early.

Bailey and Early are both Republicans.

If Becerra — a former congressman representing Los Angeles — wins, his resistance against President Donald Trump is likely to

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippines has not lost a single inch of its territory to China under President Rodrigo Duterte’s watch, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, even promising to quit public office if proven otherwise.

Cayetano on Monday, May 28, dared his critics to prove the Duterte administration failed in protecting the country’s rights over

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allowed the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone to issue franchises outside Aurora province.

The president said Jurado gave himself an authority similar to state-run gaming regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Duterte would continue to be in firing mode until the government is cleansed of corruption.

“It won’t stop until the government runs out of corrupt personnel, even if it means fir-

ing everyone because that is the promise of the president,” Roque said.

“But he believes that while he is firing a lot of people because of corruption, many others want to serve the country,” Roque added.

Despite claims that there is double standard in Duterte’s crackdown on corruption, Roque gave the President’s effort a score of nine out of 10.

“The campaign against corruption is really effective,” the president’s spokesman said. ■

PH to join world’s biggest war games

by DEMPSEY

REYES ManilaTimes.net

PH Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano Philstar.com photo

Janet Lim-Napoles

Philstar.com photo

Palace backs dropping of Napoles as witness

by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

MALACAÑANG supported the decision made by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday, May 25, to terminate businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles’ provisional admission to its Witness Protection Program (WPP).

In a text message on the same day, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. agreed with Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra that Napoles cannot claim to be the least guilty in a multibillion-peso scam that used lawmakers’ pork barrel funds.

“We support the DoJ secretary’s decision and agree

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THE Philippines will for the first time participate in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (Rimpac), the world’s biggest international maritime war games, to be held off Hawaii in June.

The maneuvers will be led by the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet. The biennial exercises will train thousands of personnel from more than two dozen countries on seamanship.

The Philippine Navy will deploy one landing dock ship, one frigate and an Agusta Westland helicopter for the Rimpac, Capt. Lued Lincuna, Navy spokesman, said.

“In the past years, we were active and regularly sending participants as observers for the Rimpac, but this time, it will be the first time we will be sending our ships, the Tarlac class and Del Pilar class and an aircraft [with]around 700 sailors and marines,” Lincuna told reporters.

“We have now the capability to send ships and aircraft to participate in one of the biggest naval exercises in the world,” he added.

Earlier, Philippine Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said the Philippines will deploy 700 sailors and marines for Rimpac. They will sail for Hawaii on the first week of June.

Rimpac is held every two years in Hawaii in June and July.

This year, around 30 navies across the world are expected to

The Philippines will participate in the world’s biggest international maritime war games to be held off Hawaii in June.

Inquirer.net photo

participate. The naval exercises seek to enhance the interoperability among the armed forces of the Pacific Rim. Last week, the Pentagon pulled its invitation for China to join the maritime exercises in the Pacific because of Beijing’s “continued militarization” of the South China Sea. “China’s continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serves to raise tensions and destabilize the region,” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Logan said.

“We have disinvited the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific Exercise. China’s behavior is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exer-

cise,” he added.

He said the Pentagon has strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and electronic jammers to “contested features” in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea. “While China has maintained that the construction of the islands is to ensure safety at sea, navigation assistance, search and rescue, fisheries protection and other non-military functions, the placement of these weapon systems is only for military use,” Logan said, adding that the recent landing of a Chinese bomber on Woody Island had only exacerbated strains.

China participated in the naval exercises in 2014 and in 2016.

(With reports from AFP) ■

A May 30-june 1, 2018 • SoCal aSIan jOuRnaL

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From the Front Page

Chinese government warns US...

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The U.S. warships, which were conducting freedom of navigation operations, passed within 12 miles of four islands – Tree, Lincoln, Triton and Woody.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said the two U.S. warships’ entry into China’s territorial waters is serious infringement on China’s

sovereignty.

Wu Qian, spokesman for the ministry, made the remarks on Sunday when asked about Chinese military’s comments on the U.S. warships’ provocation.

Two U.S. warships entered China’s territorial waters on May 27 without permission from the Chinese government, according

to Wu. “Chinese military took immediate actions by dispatching naval ships and aircraft to conduct legal identification and verification of the U.S. warships and warn them off,” Wu said.

The spokesman stressed that “Chinese military is unshakably determined to strengthen its naval and air combat readiness, raise defense level, safeguard national sovereignty and security and maintain regional peace and stability.”

The US raised its concerns about the militarization of the South China Sea following China’s deployment of bombers on an outpost in the South China Sea. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who hosted Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Washington last week for their first meeting, raised U.S. concerns about the militarization of the South China Sea. Wang defended China’s building of defense facilities in the South China Sea and called the deployment of Chinese bombers “normal” and has nothing to do with militarization.

“On the so-called militarization in the South China Sea, we talked about this issue just now. China is only building civilian and some necessary defense facilities on our own islands. That is the right to self-defense and preservation of every sovereign state,” Wang said in a joint press briefing with Pompeo.

China downplayed the landing of Chinese bombers in the South China Sea and the full militarization of the disputed waters, saying there is no need to “over-interpret” the “normal” activities of its military.

“It is a normal deployment and has nothing to do with militarization, just like the U.S. has military presence in Hawaii, in Guam. And China’s deployment is at a much smaller scale than that of the U.S. It’s just out of necessary defense purposes. We don’t hope to see any exaggeration or hype-up of this matter,” Wang said.

The U.S. disinvited China from participating in the military exercises in the South China Seas, a decision Wang called “unconstructive.” n

MEMORIAL DAY. A United States serviceman walks past tombs of soldiers at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City on the eve of Memorial Day on Sunday, May 27. The U.S. Embassy in Manila was closed on Monday, May 28, 2018 in observance of Memorial Day. Manilatimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

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Cayetano: ‘Prove Philippines lost...

disputed islands in the South China Sea. “I challenge anyone of them.

Whatever their professions are— justice, politician, newsman, journalist—if we lost a single island during Duterte’s time, I will pack my bags, go home and I will not serve the public in any elected or appointed position,” Cayetano said during his department’s flag-raising ceremony.

This was in response to an article published by the Philippine Star on Sunday, May 27, entitled “How many islands does Philippines still have?”

In the article, columnist Federico Pascual Jr. said the “smart answer to the question ‘How

many islands comprise the Philippines?’ used to be: ‘Depends on whether it’s low or high tide.’

Not anymore — now the cautious reply is: ‘Before or after Duterte?’”

“Are you willing to face this administration, and show us which island feature or inch, squareinch we lost during Duterte’s time? I’m willing to show you what we lost in the last administration,” Cayetano responded.

China has deployed surfaceto-air and cruise missiles, radio jamming equipment and military transport aircraft to its “big three” islands in the Spratly group since the year started.

Cayetano insisted the government is taking diplomatic actions

whenever necessary. Although critics have slammed President Rodrigo Duterte’s “defeatist” stance on the long-standing maritime dispute, Cayetano assured that the president is ready to defend the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. “The president has said that. If anyone gets the natural resources in the West Philippine Sea, he will go to war,” Cayetano said.

This is contrary to what the president had said in the past — that he would not go to a war he could not win, and that he preferred to maintain friendship with China rather than engage the Asian giant in a war over the two countries’ territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. n

Palace backs dropping of Napoles...

PAGE A1 that [Napoles] is not [the]least guilty [and]whose testimony is not indispensable and can be testified upon by other witnesses,” Roque said.

Napoles has been “provisionally covered” by the program since February 27, when Vitaliano Aguirre 2nd still headed the department.

Such coverage was set to lapse on May 26.

Guevarra on Friday disclosed

that a formal letter has been sent to Napoles, through her counsel, stating that her provisional coverage under the WPP is terminated effective May 25.

Napoles had requested to be admitted to the program, citing alleged threats to her personal security and specifically requested protection by way of transfer from her place of detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Guevarra explained that Napoles’ application for full WPP coverage has been rendered

moot and academic after all three divisions of the Sandiganbayan rejected her motions for transfer to a DoJ safehouse from Camp Bagong Diwa, where she is held on plunder charges.

The charges stemmed from the P10-billion scam, which involved lawmakers’ discretionary funds being funneled to non-existent projects by bogus non-government organizations that Napoles owned.

“As there has been no further

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A May 30-june 1, 2018 • SoCal aSIan jOuRnaL

Health care looms large...

PAGE A1 continue.

It’s not surprising the Democratic candidates “would step in against the federal government on health care and other issues,” because they see opposing Trump as “good politics,” said Walter Zelman, chairman of the public health department at California State University-Los Angeles.

Jones said he agrees on the need to challenge some recent federal policies but believes Becerra is focusing too narrowly on that.

“There’s much more to the job of attorney general than just suing the Trump administration,” said Jones, 56, pointing to health care fraud and other legal targets.

Still, the two Democrats are aligned on many health care policies, including and the concept of a single-payer system, in which the state would set the rules and pay for the coverage of all California residents.

Jones said if he were elected attorney general, he would continue to fight fraud in the health care industry and protect consumers, and would focus on ensuring that insurance markets are competitive.

The two Republican candidates oppose both a single-payer health system and the Affordable Care Act — and they criticize Becerra’s tactics. Early, 59, said he would go through every lawsuit Becerra has filed to figure out which ones to dismiss. And Bailey, 66, said “just because a tweet comes out of Washington, it doesn’t require a lawsuit to be filed the next day.”

Early promotes a more aggres-

sive strategy on mental health and opioid addiction. Bailey, who has argued there is too much government regulation in health care, said the costs of insurance are still unaffordable for many people.

The attorney general is the state’s leading law enforcement official. The scope of the job focuses heavily on public safety but also addresses civil rights, consumer fraud and environmental protections, among other issues.

The health care duties of the job include investigating Medi-Cal fraud and elder abuse, reviewing proposed sales ofnonprofit hospitals and administering an index of child abuse cases.

Becerra has definitely elevated the importance of health care as an issue for the office — and Jones, with his insurance background, could push that further, said Dan Schnur, a Republican political strategist who teaches at the University of Southern California and the University of California-Berkeley. For most of California’s history, the attorney general has focused almost exclusively on criminal justice, but that has changed as recent attorneys general have taken on a broader range of issues, he added.

Although there have been no major public polls on the race, Becerra starts with a significant advantage as the incumbent, Schnur said. “There is no shortage of complaints that Becerra’s critics can level, but so far it doesn’t appear that any have risen to the level to turn him out of office,” he said.

Becerra also enjoys the advan-

Dateline USa tage of an “ideal platform” to take on Trump, Schnur said.

Since assuming office, Becerra has sued Sutter Health for alleged anticompetitive practices, arguing that the massive hospital system is overcharging consumers and driving up costs. He also has formed a strike force to take on other health care battles in the state.

He recently led 19 states and the District of Columbia in opposing a proposal by the Trump administration to change how federal family planning dollars are allocated. “We will stand up to any and all attacks on women’s reproductive rights,” Becerra said at a press conference.

Becerra refuted criticism from his opponents that he has focused too heavily on resisting the Trump administration, pointing to his work on environmental health, sex trafficking,gang violence and other issues.

Each candidate shared his health care priorities in interviews with California Healthline.

Jones said that “as attorney general, I’ll have even broader authority to make sure that mergers … and other market practices are not anticompetitive.”

As insurance commissioner, he has argued against certain proposed health care mergers, including one between Aetna and Humana that was later called off.

And he has investigated insurance companies and arrested hundreds of people for fraud.

Jones said he would work to get guns out of the hands of those who should not possess them. He also said he would focus on expanding rehabilitation programs for people coming out of jails and

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Palace backs dropping of Napoles...

PAGE A2 claim of threat to her personal security inside Camp Bagong Diwa, the Secretary of Justice has found no reason to extend Mrs. Napoles’ provisional coverage under the [WPP],” he said in a statement.

Napoles’ coverage was good only for 90 days, according to Guevarra.

Under Republic Act (RA) 6981 or the Witness Protection Act, before a person is admitted into the WPP, he or she shall execute a sworn statement describing in detail the manner in which the offense was committed and his or her participation.

Among the requirements of the law for a WPP applicant to qualify as state witness is that he or she must be the least guilty of the al-

leged crime committed.

Aguirre had granted Napoles’ provisional admission to the WPP after she executed an affidavit that provided more details on the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAFs) or pork barrel funds last February 27.

The DoJ, however, did not release her affidavit in line with the confidentiality rule under RA 6981.

Lawyer Stephen David, counsel for Napoles, earlier said his client was open to becoming a state witness in the new PDAF cases being investigated by the DoJ. Napoles’s controversial admission to the WPP, through provisional, was reportedly among the reasons why Aguirre was sacked

by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Aguirre explained though that

his decision to place Napoles under the WPP was anchored on a valid ground, not on any alleged compromise.

“To be fair to Mrs. Napoles, she has a [valid]ground,” he said, adding that Napoles’ life was in danger.

“Mrs. Napoles is very much afraid for her life. That is why she wanted to be taken out of the Taguig detention center,” he said.

According to Aguirre, it is right to allow Napoles to testify and spill the beans on the scam.

“I have to clarify that there is no compromise in putting Mrs. Napoles under the WPP. All [she]wants is to be released immediately to the custody of the WPP, which I declined,” he said. n

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Ancajas retains IBF title by outboxing Sultan

by Dong

Secuya Philboxing.com

FRESNO, CA – Jerwin Ancajas retained his IBF world super flyweight title by outboxing mandatory challenger Jonas Sultan in the first all-Filipino world title fight in 93 years at the Save Mart Center here Saturday night, May 26. (Sunday morning, May 27, in Manila). Ancajas got the nod of judges Wayne Hedgepeth, Jonathan Davis and Daniel Sandoval with scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111.

Sultan has been exposed for his lack of skill while Ancajas was content in sniping and controlling the fight most of the night.

Ancajas’s tactical approach to the fight made the skirmish dull and the mostly Mexican crowd of about 8,000 became listless and booed both fighters in many rounds and many of the fans head to the exit early.

Sultan, tried as he might, could find way to penetrate Ancajas’s solid stance. Here and there, Sultan lands a looping left but Ancajas took them well.

The action heated up in the last four rounds as Sultan tried to force the issue and to make the fight into a street fight but Ancajas, with his highly superior skill, caught Sultan many times coming in. In the last round, Sul-

PAGE A1

tan gave his all but got a lump in his forehead in return courtesy of Ancajas’s head and body combinations.

Sultan may have failed his chance of a lifetime as his skill level was not up to it while Ancajas will continue his journey to probably become the Philippines’ new face of boxing.

If anything, Sultan showed his toughness as he broke Ancajas’s knockout streak to four.

Ancajas improves his record to 30 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw with 20 knockouts while Sultan dropped to 14-4-3, 9 KOs. n

Photos by Jhay Otamias

Five ballot propositions Californians...

California propositions are initiative measures that are placed on the ballot either by a member(s) of the State Legislature or a petition signed by registered voters. In general, propositions are submitted to the state’s electorate for either a direct decision (in other words, approving an action, like permitting a vote within the State Legislature) or direct vote (passing of a new law or amendment through majority support).

On the June 5 primary election, Californians will be voting on five ballot measures: Proposition 68: Authorizes Bonds Funding Parks, Natural Resources Protection, Climate Adaptation, Water Quality and Supply, and Flood Protection This proposition would allocate $4 billion in bonds to state and local parks. Authored by Senate President Kevin de Leon (D-24), a 2018 candidate for the U.S. Senate race, the bond measure would help with water quality and infrastructure projects, climate adaptation projects and flood protection in addition to other environmental infrastructure projects. The bill’s fiscal impact, according to the bill, would mean an average of about $200 million annually over the next 40 years for maintenance and upkeep of the state’s parks.

In addition to receiving endorsements from various Democratic leaders, the measure has been supported by the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Humane Society of the United States and the Sierra Club.

“California has always been an environmental leader, and our public spaces, forests, lakes and beaches are recreational destinations for millions,” said Susana Reyes, vice president of the Sierra Club. “Five years of severe drought followed by heavy rains have magnified the lingering aftermath of the 2008 economic downturn, leaving our state with a substantial need to invest in deteriorating local and regional parks and aging water infrastructure, dams, reservoirs, and flood protection.”

Opponents of the measure argue that the bond measure will dig the state deeper in debt and raise taxes for the next several decades.

“Assuming they don’t leave the state to get relief from ever-high taxes, that means not just our children, but our grandchildren will be paying it off,” Sen. John Moorlach (R-37) said in an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee. Silicon Valley profits are currently filling [up] state coffers. Forecasted personal and corporate income taxes are up $8 billion from Gov. Jerry Brown’s January budget proposal. Which begs the question: If the Prop. 68 projects are so great, why not just fund them with that surplus?”

Prop. 69: Transportation Taxes and Fees Lockbox and Appropriations Limit Exemption Amendment Proposition 69 would allocate the revenue generated from the state’s diesel sales tax and the Transportation Improvement Fee (a 2017 transportation funding law) to only transportation purposes which includes public transportation. In other words, this would prohibit the state from using those funds for other purposes. There would be no immediate effect on the state’s revenues or costs, though it could affect how funds are spent by legally ensuring that recently enacted taxes and fees to only

serve transportation purposes.

Sen. Josh Newman (D-29) coauthored the measure and said that the motivation behind the bill was to provide Californians “with a very clear assurance that these new revenues will be spent only on repairing our aging infrastructure, reducing congestion and otherwise supporting transportation improvements that foster economic development across the state…”

Support for this measure means approving a change in the state’s Constitution that requires certain taxes and fees to go toward transportation-related expenses. Voting “no” simply opposes the change and allows the State Legislature to change the law and spend revenues from transportation-related taxes and fees on non-transportation uses.

Prop. 70: Vote Requirement to Use Cap-And-Trade Revenue Amendment Passage of this measure would require a one-time two-thirds vote in both chambers of the CA State Legislature in 2024 on how to spend the revenue from state’s cap-and-trade program.

The cap-and-trade program was created after former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law in 2006 that required the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In short, the cap-and-trade program requires factories, oil refineries and other businesses that emit large amounts of CO2 and other pollutant gases to obtain permits for each ton they emit. Some permits are auctioned off by the state which generates massive revenue for the state; this year, the Legislative Analyst’s office said that the program will generate about $3.3 billion.

Gov. Jerry Brown and other Democratic leaders have been trying to gain Republican support to meet the two-thirds vote needed to extend the program.

If approved, Prop 70 would greenlight a 2024 vote on how to spend the cap-and-trade profits.

“Last year, California did what Washington, D.C. has failed to do. Democrats and Republicans worked together to reduce pollution while protecting jobs and the economy by extending California’s landmark cap-andtrade program,” Brown said in a statement, saying that a vote for this proposition would “ensure that the money generated from this program is spent in the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way possible.”

Several Democratic leaders and environmental organizations oppose the measure saying that the requirement of a two-thirds vote would cause gridlock and would stymie environmental projects by allowing certain politicians to use the funds for non-environmental purposes.

“By requiring a [two-thirds] supermajority vote of the legislature to allocate the funds paid by polluters, Proposition 70 would change this effective system and empower a small minority of politicians to divert the funds away from environmental priorities and prevent them from being spent to reduce pollution and provide needed transportation, housing and energy services to our communities,” Sen. Ben Allen (D-26), Rep. Todd Gloria (D78) and Helen Hutchinson, president of the League of Women Voters of California, said in their official argument against Proposition 70.

Voting “yes” on this measure would support a stricter requirement for lawmakers to spend revenue from the cap-and-trade program. A “no” vote indicates supporting the current requirement that says that legislators only need a majority vote to authorize spending revenue from the auctioning of emission permits.

Prop. 71: Effective Date of Ballot Measures Amendment This measure has to do with ballot propositions that are approved by voters and when they are actually put into effect.

Previously, voter-approved measures went into effect the day after the election unless the proposition stated a specified different date. Proposition 71 would move the date that a measure goes into effect to the fifth day after the secretary of state certifies the election results instead of the day after the election. For example, when Proposition 64 (the legalization of recreational marijuana use) passed, it became law on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after the election.

If the process described in Proposition 71 was in use back then, the law wouldn’t have been into effect until Dec. 17, 2016.

Proponents of the measure argue that this would remove confusion as to when measures take place and resolve the problem of a measure that seems to have passed but is later to not have received the certified majority approval.

Voting “yes” on this bill would support amending the constitution to effectively set a specific date for when measures take effect. Voting “no” would support no change in the current requirement that ballot measures take effect the day after the election unless stated otherwise.

Prop. 72: Rainwater Capture Systems Excluded from Property Tax Assessments Amendment Whenever a property owner designates new construction to their property, that new construction automatically has taxable value, and rainwater capture systems (any facility used to capture and store rainwater from rooftops) currently count as new construction. This measure would exclude rainwater capture systems from construction products that can be included in property tax assessments, so the taxable value of someone’s property would not increase with the inclusion of a rainwater capture system.

“Everyone benefits from the increased use of rainwater capture systems; when a business or individual employs captured rainwater, water from conventional sources is freed for consumption by others,” said Sen. Steve Glazer (D-7) who sponsored the amendment, in his official argument for the measure.

“That is why I feel it is necessary to incentivize the proliferation of rainwater capture systems. A property tax exclusion created by this measure would do precisely that and lead to a significant expansion of rainwater capture systems throughout the state, all while contributing to the State’s conservation efforts.”

Voting “yes” on this measure supports excluding rainwater capture systems from the list of construction projects included in property tax assessments.

Voting “no” opposes the exclusion and supports including rainwater capture systems in property tax assessments. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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DFA alerts Filipinos in southeast US vs ‘Alberto’ tHe department of Foreign Affairs (dFA) through the Philippine embassy in Washington, d.C., has cautioned Filipinos living near the southeastern part of the United states against subtropical storm “Alberto.” in an advisory issued on Monday, May 28, the dFA urged Filipino communities in the states of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi to “take extra precaution,” and

follow the warnings of local authorities as the storm enters the northern Gulf coast.

Citing information from the embassy, the dFA said Alberto is expected to dump heavy rain, consequently advising all Filipinos in the affected areas to prepare for flash floods, storm surges, strong winds, and tornadoes. “there are 179,647 Filipinos in the areas that could be affected

Health care looms large...

FLAG DAY. Philippine flags fly high in front of the monument of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal at the Rizal Park in Manila on Sunday, May 27, ahead of the national flag days from May 28 to June 12. During this period, Philippine flags are displayed in commemoration of the struggles and sacrifices of Filipino heroes who fought for the country’s independence.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Duterte doubts US readiness to defend Philippines vs extremists

by Christina

Mendez

Philstar.com

President rodrigo duterte has raised doubts whether the United states would be ready to help defend the Philippines from islamic militants amid concerns raised by some groups over the administration’s dealing with China.

“Because of the threat here in Mindanao, you must have an option of where to go. is America ready to die for us? Are they ready to send their troops here?

Or can i call China for more arms because we do not have it?” duterte said during the inauguration of a bridge in davao City on thursday, May 25. duterte made the statement after some sectors questioned why the government did not contest Beijing’s deployment of missiles and other military equipment in the south China sea. the U.s. was the first to provide missiles, guns, ammunition and other weaponry as well as surveillance equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines when Maute terrorists laid siege to Marawi in May lasy year. Australia followed, providing drones.

China and russia later donated guns and bullets. duterte reiterated that the

Philippines could not afford to wage war against China.

He also maintained that he is not abandoning the Philippines’ claims to the disputed areas in the south China sea.

“We cannot afford a war. We cannot win a battle against China and i would only lose maybe thousands of my troops and policemen,” he said. duterte had blamed the U.s. for not lifing a finger when China started building military equipment in the south China sea.

Meanwhile, sen. Leila de Lima called on the president to convene the national security Council (nsC) in a bid to take up China’s militarization of the south China sea. de Lima said the country could not afford to remain silent while China continues to construct structures and install missiles in the disputed waters. she filed senate resolution 744, asking the president to convene the nsC, the principal advisory body on the proper coordination and integration of plans and policies affecting national security. “diplomatic actions are no longer options as the military activities of China in the West Philippine sea have placed the

whole country under perpetual threat,” de Lima said. “the president should be presented all possible actions, including forceful diplomacy, close collaboration with allies such as Australia, Japan and the United states, renewed partnership with indonesia, Vietnam and other allies in the AseAn, and availment of other Un mechanisms,” she added.

China has reportedly deployed cruise ship and surface-to-air missiles on three islands in the spratlys, where the Philippines is one of six claimant-countries.

Beijing has also landed bombers on an outpost in the south China sea. duterte admitted shedding a tear after he led the ceremonial valve opening of the Polyard-3 well, operated by the China international Mining Petroleum Co. Ltd. in Cebu City last weekend.

“Last week, i was in Alegria, Cebu. For the first time nakita ko ‘yung apoy na (I saw the fire)... When i turned on the valve para lumabas ‘yung (langis) pag-uwi ko sa chopper kunyari nag-wipe ako ng face ko but i cried. At least for the first time nakita ko oil (I saw oil),” the president said. (With Marvin Sy) n

PAGE A4 prisons, and would work harder to enforce a law on mental health parity to protect patients from discrimination by insurers. the law generally requires health insurers to provide the same level of benefits for mental and substance use treatment as they do for medical care.

Bailey, a longtime criminal and administrative law attorney before he served as a superior Court judge in el dorado County, said his “goal is to free the marketplace to be able to function so that consumers have as much choice as possible.”

Bailey said California’s current system reduces those choices, and that Obamacare has driven up health costs. Many people are priced out of the market unless they are wealthy, he said. early, a managing partner at a Los Angeles-based law firm, early sullivan Wright Gizer & Mcrae, said he would do a “deep dive” into the legal issues of mental illness, prescription drug abuse and homelessness. to do so, he said, he would bring together experts and others in the field to figure out how best to deal with people who have severe mental health and

(151,376 in Florida; 14,409 in tennessee; and 8,244 in Alabama; and 5,683 in Mississippi),” dFA said in a statement.

“Filipinos who may require assistance in cases of emergency are requested to call +1-202-3682767,” dFA added.

According to the dFA, Alberto is the first storm in the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. (Gabriel Pabico Lalu/Inquirer.net) addiction problems.

One possibility, early said, might be to involuntarily commit those with severe mental illness more frequently, so they can get the care they need. that could help slow the rise of homelessness and the increase in the number of mentally ill people in state prisons, he said. early also said he would take more aggressive steps against the pharmaceutical industry, which he called “one of the causes of where we are with the opioid epidemic.” (Anna Gorman/Kaiser Health News) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

A6 MAY 30-JUNE 1, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

FEATURES

Decongestion CABLE cars are fun, they provide great views, and they don’t get stuck in traffic. The public can only wish that Arthur Tugade could finally push through with his plan, first disclosed when he assumed his post as secretary of transportation, to install a cable car service in the country.

If the plan pushes through, the pilot area, of course, will be trafficchoked Metro Manila. Tugade has cited the example of Bolivia, which is using cable cars to ease traffic gridlocks. He reiterated his proposal the other day, adding that he wanted cable car fares to be competitive with those of public utility vehicles.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency, which has conducted studies on the impact of traffic jams in Metro Manila, reports that road congestion is causing P3.5 billion in lost economic opportunities every day. The figure has been revised from the previous estimate of P2.4 billion, calculated in terms of lost productivity, higher fuel consumption and logistics costs, among others.

Commuters in Metro Manila can spend up to six hours a day traveling between their home and their workplace or school. The Metro Rail Transit 3 is an unmitigated disaster. The inadequacy of the mass transport system is the overriding reason for the refusal of car owners to leave their vehicles at

home. It is also the reason for the surge in ownership of motorcycles, which aggravate road congestion as well as air and noise pollution.

People in the country’s densely populated cities will welcome any measure that will ease traffic jams. The Metro Manila subway project is finally underway. Numerous proposals have been made to decongest the mega city. For the long term, mass transport modernization and infrastructure improvement are critical.

For the short-term, the government must compel bus and jeepney owners to end the boundary system and strictly implement regular schedules for picking up and unloading passengers at designated stops. The delivery and collection of shipments at the Port of Manila can use fine-tuning.

The Pasig River ferry service is underutilized.

Where there is no more space to build new roads, certain parts of gated subdivisions can be opened for free public use. Authorities can work on these measures while proposals such as cable car services are being pursued. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Congratulations, Class of 2018: Honoring community colleges

MY DAUGHTER Katrina just gradu- The Fil-Am ated with an Associate’s degree in politi- Perspective cal science from San Mateo Community College here in California, and will be transferring to Cali- GEL SANTOS-RELOS fornia State University in the fall to continue pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

This was a choice she made as she wanted to be personally invested in her education and in her career in life.

She was a working student as she pursued her Associate of Arts Degree, and was grateful for the free boarding and lodging and car she got from us, her parents, after graduating high school.

Her rationale for her decision was that she wanted to take advantage of the relatively lower cost of education in community colleges and state colleges without having to be burdened with paying for the astronomical cost of attendance in private colleges and universities, the tuition fee of which can go up to as much as six figures at least for four years in college. This choice would spare her from paying for her student loans for at least 10 years.

For Katrina, it was a choice from many options available to her with parents willing and able to help her

in pursuing higher education. Her experience in going to community college, though, had been a defining moment for her, being vice president of their student government and college ambassador.

Because of her direct interaction with students, she has shifted her career path from international relations to policies in education to help struggling and economically disadvantaged students to benefit from the equalizing power education brings to people.

For Katrina, going to a community college first was just one of her choices. For many, if not most Americans, it was the only choice. For some, going to one would forever be just a dream because minimum wages lag behind the escalating cost of living and education. These marginalized sectors of our society had no choice but to find one, two, if not three jobs to support themselves and their families — how could they find the time and resources to pay for college?

On May 25, 2018 — my husband and I were humbled by what we witnessed during the graduation ceremony. We saw so many families there -- three generations in attendance --- beaming with pride because, for many of them,

their student was the first ever to have an associate’s degree. Most of the other family members were already lucky just to finish high school.

Then there were those who looked like they were the parents or the grandparents, when in fact they were the graduating students. The wrinkles in their faces would tell a lot about how the decades of struggles and being “OP” (Out of Place--attending classes with young people) did not daunt them from pursuing their dream to get a higher education.

There were also those young mothers who went up the stage with their babies with them and you could see the pride and the joy in their faces for achieving the seemingly insurmountable challenge of raising small kids, working and going to college. Their smiles and tears of joy radiated the hope that they feel -- they could now offer their kids with opportunities better than what they had because they now have the competitive edge of an associate’s degree.

There were also people of different races coming from different countries of the world, donning their ”national outfit” or symbols with pride, excited to gratefully give back to their adoptive country that is the United States of America — the nation that immigrants built.

I hope President Donald Trump and

his Education Secretary Betsy Devos could attend these graduation ceremonies so they could understand the importance of community colleges in building a stronger, more prosperous better America. In this way, they could fully support these public education institutions instead of cutting funding and subsidies for them. This would help them truly get to know the true core of the heart of America — which is beating, pounding deep inside these people -- young and old — working so hard to fulfill the American dream.

As the government website states: “COMMUNITY COLLEGES offer two-year programs leading to the Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree. These colleges also have technical and vocational programs with close links to secondary/high schools, community groups, and employers in the local community. You can find large community colleges with multiple campuses in an urban/suburban setting or small campuses in a rural setting.

Undergraduate students studying at community colleges can earn academic credit towards a bachelor’s degree.

Earning academic credit at a community college, which is usually less expensive, can help lower the overall cost of a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges may also have a more

flexible admissions process.

Community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities often develop special agreements for the transfer of credits and degrees between the institutions. In this “2+2 process,” you can earn a bachelor’s degree with two years of community college, followed by two years of university study.

Community colleges often lead the United States in educating students in cutting-edge fields such as biomedical technology, biotechnology, robotics, laser optics, internet and computer technologies, and geographic information systems. The small size of classes at community colleges can be highly beneficial for international students as they adjust to the pace of U.S. academic life and practice their English-language skills.

Community colleges offer a variety of support services and cross-cultural programs, including tutoring, advising, career planning, study skills, and counseling—many designed specifically for international students.”

CONGRATULATIONS, Class of 2018.

The best is yet to come! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

What if Sereno or Robredo declared like Joan of Arc: ‘I have nothing more to say’ Opinion

YEN MAKABENTA I DIGRESS in this column with a note on the story and words of Joan of Arc, even though my ostensible subject are the cases of Maria Lourdes Sereno and Maria Leonor Robredo, the two highest-ranking female officials of our republic.

The two narratives naturally link together as a study in contrast. Joan’s story has the simplicity of finality and closure.

The stories of the two Marias simply go on and on, like broken records.

It has struck me while watching the Sereno and Robredo melodramas, that they may be handling their respective crisis strictly on the advice of their lawyers, instead of drawing on deeper reserves of character.

I discuss this alongside Joan’s story to underscore a point.

It is said that in moments of extreme urgency, character is sharply revealed. The human quality that is brought into view comes from more profound depths than those qualities in-

forming the personality that is visible by everyday light. They evoke the mystery of the human being that the great tragic dramatists evoke.

Joan of Arc’s last words In the case of Joan of Arc, the events of her trial did not just befall her, she shaped them.

It so happens that I have lately been reading the fascinating and gripping account of Joan’s trial and inquisition. What stands out in her story are her firmness of character and her triumph in the end in spite of her being burned at the stake.

Joan’s imprisonment, trial and inquisition transpired over a period of weeks and months.

She was examined and reexamined endlessly by her inquisitors. In prison, she was not allowed to hear mass and was denied the sacraments.

When you combine this with her success in leading French troops in battle, you get a sense of a full-bodied person, a figure of greatness.

In the face of heavy questioning, although she was only 19, she maintained a consistency of character throughout; she did not fall for the traps laid by her inquisitors; and she held firm to her visionary experiences.

On the final day of her or-

deal, Joan told her inquisitors: “If I were at the place of execution, and I saw the fire lighted, and the faggots catching and the executioner ready to build up the fire, and if I were in the fire, even so I would say nothing else, and I would maintain what I have said at this trial until death.

“I have nothing more to say.”

The simple but powerful words sealed her fate and closed the inquisition.

Joan was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, which means that tomorrow is her death anniversary.

Joan’s death was followed by the expulsion of the English from France and the unification of France, two events that were largely the result of the impetus Joan gave to French national feeling.

In 1450, Charles VII held a revision of Joan’s trial; and in 1555 there was another revision which formally pronounced her innocent of the charge for which she was condemned. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.

Can the ladies shut up?

Relating now Joan’s story to the two Marias, I wonder what kind of closure would ensue if Sereno and Robredo were

capable of Joan’s finality and pithiness in their statements.

Suppose VP Robredo were to say in reply or comment on the talk about an alleged affair with her LP party handler Rep. Bolet Banal, “I have nothing more to say.” What will the media, the gossipmongers and the detractors have left to run with? In all likelihood, nothing, unless there is substance to the affair.

Suppose ex-CJ Sereno were to say, “I have nothing more to say,” regarding the quo warranto case and her disputed qualifications for the position of chief justice. The media, the critics and the detractors will have nothing more to chew on, no one to laugh at.

These scenarios could transpire, but I strongly doubt whether the Sereno and Robredo camps, and their common financiers will allow them to shut up.

This is unlikely because their entire value to the opposition rests on keeping the idea of fighting the Duterte administration going? All funding will stop the moment they clam up?

Average needs representation too It is striking that both Sereno and Robredo assiduously avoid being interviewed by serious

journalists. Although they appear incessantly on TV, they stick to interviewers who throw softball questions at them.

Their images are constantly flitting on the screen, yet the public hears nothing substantive or meaningful coming out of their mouths.

Democracy, judicial independence, faith and other platitudes pour out freely from their statements and press releases, but I have yet to see one statement or speech from either Sereno or Robredo that is coherent.

It is perhaps unfair to set their careers alongside the formidable figure of Joan of Arc. Long after her death, Joan of Arc held inexhaustible fascination for writers and scholars, who produced such works as: George Bernard Shaw, Saint Joan; Jean Anouilh, The Lark; Mark Twain, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc; C.W. Lightbody, The Judgments of Joan; and P.B Barrett, The Retrial of Joan of Arc. What will happen to the two Marias after their present time of`fame and celebrity?

There may be no interest whatever in Sereno and Robredo once they leave public office. Their leaving appears to be more interesting than their

occupation of public office.

Paradoxically, it makes sense for Sereno and Robredo to cling tenaciously to their posts, because they have nothing else to look forward to, no careers to return to.

Sereno should seriously think about running for the Senate in the 2019 elections. Her gift for gab seems to be tailor-made for life as a politician. She will have enviable name recall when she runs for office, although her shortcomings will also be wellremembered.

In the case of VP Robredo, everything hangs on her prevailing in the VP election recount in competition with former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos. Although Robredo is nominally the chairman of the Liberal Party, she does not appear to have the tools or the wit to lead a political party, let alone one down in the dumps.

There are many gifted and brainy women in our country, but why are our two highestranking female officials not representative of our best and brightest women?

A wit has said that mediocrities also have a right to representation in a democracy.

Which is more representative, the Senate or the House in Congress? (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

New DOT chief gets CA nod

by Rosette

Adel

With no objections, Puyat’s appointment was affirmed by the CA for just six minutes.

MANILA — The Commission President Rodrigo Duterte apon Appointments on Tuesday, pointed Puyat as the tourism May 29, confirmed the appoint- chief on May 8. She was sworn ment of former agriculture un- into office last May 14. dersecretary Bernadette Romu“Last May 14, I took my oath lo-Puyat as the new head of the before President Rodrigo Roa Department of Tourism.

Duterte as Secretary-designate Philstar.com

CONFIRMED. The Commission on Appointments (CA) recommended to the plenary the confirmation of the position of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Fatima Romulo-Puyat (left). She was endorsed to the plenary by the CA Committee on Tourism and Economic Development, replacing Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo after she resigned due to a PhP 60-million advertisement deal with PTV-4. Also in the photo is her father, former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alberto Romulo (center) held at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, May 29.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

of the Department of Tourism.

It was humbling as it was heartwarming having been entrusted with a huge responsibility. It is a great role to lead a vibrant industry that promotes the image of the country and supports economic growth,” Puyat said during the hearing.

Prior to her appointment, Puyat was DA’s undersecretary for administration, agribusiness and marketing, and regional engagement.

Puyat also used to be DA’s undersecretary for special concerns during the Aquino administration.

The new DOT chief has served three presidents as she was also a consultant with the Presidential Management Staff during the Arroyo administration.

Puyat is also the daughter of former senator and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.

She replaced Wanda Tulfo-Teo, who resigned little more than a week after the Commission on Appointments questioned staterun People’s Television Network Inc.’s payment of P60 million to a media company owned by Teo’s brother Ben Tulfo for airing DOT ads. n

GleefeR f. JAleA

ManilaTimes.net

THE Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) on Monday, May 28, claimed that the number of people who died after being inoculated with the Dengvaxia antidengue vaccine has risen to 57.

“We already have 57 and many pending cases for autopsy scheduled for this week until next week,” PAO forensic expert Dr. Erwin Erfe told The Manila Times in a text message.

According to Erfe, at least four cases from Cebu and Albay were slated for forensic examination this week.

“We will provide further details about the victims after we have performed the examination,” he said.

PAO said that 54 of the 57 victims were children. In addition, Quezon City police officer Vi- physician Kendrick Gotoc have cente Arugay, Camp Crame util- died. ity worker John Rey Pintor and Thirteen-year-old Marlon Jay

Duterte election shows all signs of global populist wave, expert says

by AudRey

MoRAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte’s rise to power shows all the indicators of a global populist movement that bypasses traditional political parties and sees leaders speaking directly to people and tapping into their fears and hopes, a professor at the London School of Economics said.

In a paper presented at a Southeast Asia Forum at the London School of Economics, James Putzel said that although the president’s fate is unclear, Duterte’s rise to power as part of the worldwide populist wave will leave an “indelible imprint” on the country’s political future.

“The techniques of populist politics are probably here to stay,” Putzel said.

According to Putzel, all the indicators of this new way of doing politics can be witnessed in Duterte’s improbable victory during the 2016 presidential elections.

He said that just like in other countries, Duterte presented himself as an outsider who would root out the country’s traditional politicians and would bring a fresh approach to governance Lorenzo was the 54th child ex- from Mindanao.

The chief executive’s campaign amined by PAO, after he died of was also able to mobilize social u PAGE A8

Dengvaxia toll hits 57 – PAO

by MARy

NEW SENATE SECRETARY. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (4th from right) poses with lawyer Myra Villarica (5th from right) after she assumed the position of Senate Secretary Tuesday, May 29. Also in photo are, from left, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senator Richard Gordon, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Senator Joel Villanueva, and members of Villarica’s family.

Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

media as never before seen in the Philippines to propel him to victory, he said.

This intelligent campaign on social media allowed Duterte to reach critical voting groups such as urban voters and overseas Filipino workers who were the key to his election win, according to the LSE professor.

The revolution in technology, Putzel said, also enabled popu-

list leaders such as Duterte to directly reach the populace and ignore traditional political groups.

Duterte was also successful in undermining established political parties, traditional media and scientific knowledge, he opined.

Putzel said that Duterte was successful in manipulating information and using “alternative facts” to reinforce his actions.

u PAGE A8

A May 30-june 1, 2018 • SoCal aSIan jOuRnaL

Dateline PhiliPPines

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Robredo: Marcos lying about Comelec rule on shading threshold

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

BIKER’S RALLY. Members of various motorcycle groups hold a rally along EDSA to protest the decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to close the motorcycle ride-sharing app Angkas.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

‘PH prioritizing territorial defense’ by deMpsey

reyes

ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines is prioritizing the security of its territories, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday, amid China’s militarization of disputed reefs in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

In his speech during the commemoration of the National Flag Day in Malolos, Bulacan, Lorenzana said addressing the issue of China’s provocative actions would require unity among Filipinos.

“Territorial defense is still our main priority that will effectively secure the integrity and sovereignty of our country,” he

added.

Lorenzana said the country was facing several problems such as terrorism, climate change and destruction of the environment, poverty, corruption, transnational crimes and cybercrimes and encroachment of territories.

“We will also be on alert for those groups who are aiming to ruin our democracy and peace.

We will not let the idealism of anger to prosper, hence, we will put a stop on this to maintain peace and security,” he stressed.

Lorenzana’s remarks came after reports from the US-based think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) and several media outlets showed Chinese construction work in the

areas owned by the Philippines within the disputed territories, including Subi (Zamora) reef, Mischief (Panganiban) reef and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) reef.

The Defense chief, as well as the military, were tight-lipped over the issue or deferring the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Over the weekend, AMTI also released a double-feature study revealing that Manila had begun its reconstruction of the collapsed runway on Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.

Lorenzana did not make any comment nor confirmation regarding the developments in the island. (Kalayaan Island Group). n

6, 2016 which adopted the recommendation of Commissioner Luie Guia.

Marcos supporters on social media have pointed out that the resolution was issued months after the May 2016 polls.

Macalintal warned that adopting the 50-percent threshold would result in the disenfranchisement of both Robredo’s and Marcos’ supporters, a view also shared by the vice president.

“The two of us should be the ones complaining because we will both be affected. Some of the votes of our supporters will not be considered because of technicality.

It’s surprising that he did not want to know the real sentiments of the people,” Robredo said in Filipino.

She stressed that what was important was to know the choice of the Filipino voters, who should not be disenfranchised because of Marcos’ desire to return to power.

“You cannot twist legalities, you cannot twist facts just to get what you want,” Robredo said.

Marcos is alleging that votecounting machines used during the 2016 elections were rigged to favor Robredo, who was the official candidate of the then ruling Liberal Party.

The vice president, who is the current chairperson of the party, has denied all allegations of ir-

MANILA — Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is lying when he said that the Commission on Elections did not adopt the 25-percent threshold in the automated counting of ballots during the 2016 elections, Vice President Leni Robredo said.

Robredo said that Comelec records show that the threshold used for 2016 was 25 percent while the 50-percent threshold was used in the 2010 polls.

“He is lying... because records will show. In fact, the Comelec resolution on this was attached to our pleading,” she said when asked to react to Marcos’ comment that the 25-percent threshold was not backed by any resolution.

On Monday, May 28, Marcos, the son and namesake of the late dictator, filed an opposition before the Supreme Court, which sits as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, to Robredo’s pleading asking the body to reconsider its decision to adopt the 50-percent threshold.

Marcos stressed that there was “no categorical declaration in the Comelec Resolution No. 160600 that the 25 percent shading threshold was adopted by the Comelec En Banc in determining the valid votes during the judicial recount and revision of ballots in an election protest.”

Romulo Macalintal, the vice president’s lead election lawyer, said that the counting of ballots PAGE A7 shaded at least 25 percent was already confirmed by the body in heart failure on May 15.

PAO chief Persida Acosta its en banc resolution dated Sept. said Lorenzo received his first Dengvaxia shot on April 26, 2016, and another on October 26, 2017.

Erfe said brain hemorrhage and enlarged organs were found in an autopsy sought by the boy’s parents last week.

The PAO forensic team led by Erfe and supervised by Acosta had said that children inoculated with the anti-dengue vaccine showed clinical symptoms of headache, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Forensic examination found brain edema and/or hemorrhage, internal organ hemorrhage, and edema or enlargement of internal organs, among others.

During the preliminary investigation on the Dengvaxia case on May 24, PAO submitted to prosecutors a document that it claimed was evidence of French pharmaceutical company Sanofi

Vice President Leni Robredo led her staff in renovating the classrooms of Wawa Elementary School in Navotas City for the annual Brigada Eskwela program of the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, May 29.

Photo from the Office of the Vice Preisdent

regularity.

Marcos needs to substantially recover votes in the three pilot provinces he chose for the manual recount for the PET to proceed to the rest of the areas where he alleged cheating happened. Without this substantial recovery, his protest will be junked.

When asked if she is confident of her victory, Robredo said, “Very confident, very confident because there was no cheating that happened.” n

Dengvaxia toll hits...

Pasteur’s admission to the dangers of the vaccine.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque and current and former health officials are facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, torture resulting in the death of any person and torture committed against children and violation of Republic Act 9745 of the Anti-Torture Act of 2009.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc. filed charges at the Department of Justice against former president Benigno Aquino 3rd, former health secretary Janette Garin and former budget secretary Florencio Abad for their alleged involvement in the purchase of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia and the implementation of a massive vaccination program under which more than 800,000 school children were inoculated with the antidengue vaccine. n

Duterte election shows...

PAGE A7 “Fifth, Duterte won the presidency by appealing to people’s fears of the rising drug trade and widespread addiction among the youth, especially in the cities,” Putzel said.

The former Davao City mayor also successfully appealed to deeply-rooted patriarchy in the country through his overt use of misogynous discourse.

The president has been criticized for his comments demeaning women, and recently he said

that some jobs were not appropriate for them as they could wilt under pressure.

Duterte also transcended traditional ideological left-right divides, as seen in his appointments to his cabinet of people from different ideological perspectives.

“Duterte’s populist politics is obliterating classic political divides as he appeals to the ‘lowest common denominator’ to win and maintain power,” Putzel said. n

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Price, quality of Grab worsened

Antitrust body says new players will hardly challenge firm’s market in influence by roy

stephen C. Canivel Inquirer.net

THE price and quality of Grab Philippines’ services have worsened after it acquired its only rival in the market, that not even the entry of new players could challenge the company’s influence, the competition watchdog said.

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) monitored the market before and after Uber ended its Philippine operations in April, following Grab’s regional acquisition of Uber in March.

This is according to PCC’s statement of concerns, which was published on Monday, May 28. The statement is part of PCC’s ongoing review of the deal, wherein the watchdog could approve, block or allow the transaction while imposing

Inquirer file photo

conditions to address anticompetitive concerns.

However, even in the absence of a verdict, the statement of concerns issued by PCC’s Mergers and Acquisitions Office (MAO) hinted that the market had already become problematic after the deal.

After Uber left the market last month, Grab imposed higher fares and more frequent surge-pricing “despite an increase in the supply of Grab drivers,� PCC said, noting Grab now has a 93-percent hold of

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PH debt affordability at risk as peso weakens

by Mayvelin

Drop in competitiveness ranking both wake-up call and false alarm The Philippines fell nine notches to the 50th spot out of 63 economies tracked in this year’s World Competitiveness Ranking published by Switzerland-based business school International Institute for Management Development.

Philstar file photo by ian

Philstar.com

WHILE the sharp drop in the Philippine economy’s global competitiveness was a “wake-up call� for policymakers, the country assessment was not backed by actual data, the Department of Finance claimed Tuesday, May 29.

The Philippines fell nine notches to 50th spot out of 63 economies tracked in this year’s World Competitiveness Ranking published by Switzerland-based business school International Institute for Management Development.

U. Caraballo

The IMD said the Philippines experienced the most significant decline in Asia, dragged down by “worsening� tourism, employment and public finances, as well as concerns about the country’s education system.

Commenting on the latest competitiveness ranking, Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the ratings methodology employed by IMD “mechanically ranks cold numbers without understanding the dynamics of the economy.�

Beltran, who is also the DOF’s chief economist, said the dip was still a wake-up call, “notwithstanding its being a false alarm in some respects.�

Citing government data, the Finance official said the unemployment rate dropped to 5.3 percent last January while international tourist arrivals to the Philippines rose by 16.1 percent to 1.4 million visitors during the first two months of the year.

He said IMD’s findings about the Philippines’ supposed worsening public finance were “simply laughable� and “reflect[ed] gross research incompetence.� “If the state of our public finance was really deteriorating, credit rating agencies would have taken notice and have downgraded us accordingly,� Beltran remarked. “But no,

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Gov’t opens ‘Jobs, Jobs, Jobs’ portal to bolster building boom

ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines’ debt affordability metrics are at risk amid currency pressures, Moody’s Investors Service said.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Moody’s said in a report released over the weekend, were over the past few months particularly susceptible to currency depreciation against the dollar.

The Philippines, India and Indonesia were among the most hit, the debt watcher noted. “In the Philippines, the peso has been on a depreciating streak since December 2017 on

niColas Cigaral

by ian

Maniltimes file photo

the back of a widening current account deficit due to infrastructure-related imports and weaker remittance inflows,�

Moody’s said.

The peso — which has been described as Asia’s worst-performing currency — closed

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niColas Cigaral Philstar.com

THE Duterte administration on Tuesday, May 29, launched an online job matching platform to help meet the growing demand for skilled workers for the government’s ambitious infrastructure program.

Dubbed “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs,� the portal aims to consolidate all employment opportunities from all concessionaires and construction companies involved in the government’s “Build, Build, Build� program.

More than 11,000 jobs are available on the platform. “The new portal will enhance our goal of reaching Filipinos here and abroad to

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,Allenby Bridge, Madaba, Mt Nebo Petra, Aqaba Jordan)

join the government’s infrastructure push,�

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

The Duterte government plans to spend more than P8 trillion to upgrade the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and to supercharge economic growth to 7-8 percent from this year until 2022.

But some observers had questioned the Duterte administration’s ability to take on these big-ticket projects and finish them on time, citing among others lack of technical expertise that has caused a labor crunch.

The Department of Finance earlier said the government would hold job fairs abroad to encourage Filipino expats to come home and take part in the construction boom.

Oct 19, 2018 (Fri) Day 2 – Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Tiberias Ćž "/ 4" )" / **&$/ 1&,+ +! 201,*0Çž 4" 4&)) *""1 ,2/ ), ) $2&!"Çž 4%, 4&)) " 4&1% 20 !2/&+$ ,2/ 01 6 &+ ,)6 +!Ç˝ "+',6 1%" - +,/ *& 3&"4 ,# 1%" "!&1"// +" +Ç˝ " 4&)) 0-"+! ,2/ Ćœ /01 +&$%1 in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Beach Holy Eucharist Oct 20, 2018 (Sat) Day 3 – Tiberias/ Meggido/ Nazareth/ Cana/ Mt Tabor We will have short stop in Meggido and the Plains of 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.

+ 1%" "4 "01 *"+1 ,,( ,# "3") 1&,+Çž &1 &0 /"#"//"! 0 1%" 0&1"0 ,# 1%" ČŠĆœ + ) 11)"Č‹Ç˝ /,* 1%"/"Çž 4" 4&)) ,+1&+2" ,2/ !/&3" &+1, Nazareth, where we will have Mass in the Church of the Annunciation ,the Cave of the Annunciation and and visit Joseph’s Work0%,- +! %"+ 4" 4&)) *,3" ,+ 1, + ,# )&)""Çž 4%"/" 2/ ,/!

-"/#,/*"! &0 Ćœ /01 *&/ )"Çż % +$&+$ 4 1"/ &+1, 4&+" 1 1%" 4"!Č’ ding feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows,Con1&+2" 1, ,2+1 ,/ Çž0&1" ,# "020 / +0Ćœ $2/ 1&,+Ç˝ Ćž "/4 /!Çž 4" will head to Tiberias. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).

Oct 21, 2018 (Sun) Day 4 – Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven�

Early AM departures to Mt. Beatitude Drive up to Mount Beatitudes, visit the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people., Eucharistic Celebration . "+',6 0 "+& , 1 /&!" /,00 1%" " ,# )&)"" 1, -"/+ 2*Çž %,*" ,# 2/ ,/! !2/&+$ %&0 *&+&01/6Ç˝ Ćž "/ 3&0&1&+$ 1%" 6+ $,$2" where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the ), 3"0 +! Ćœ 0%"0Ç˝ %"+ 1, 1%" %2/ % /&* 6 ,# 1 "1"/0Ç˝ Č› Çž Čœ Oct 22, 2018 (Mon) Day 5 – Magdala 2)) ! 6 /"1/" 1Çž , 20 4&)) + )2!" -/,$/ *0 0"! ,+ 1%" %&01,/&Č’ ) +! ")&$&,20 3 )2" ,# 1%" $! ) 0&1"0 More info coming up as we get closer to the dates

Çž 0/ ") Č” Ç—Ç•Ç•Çž &0 ,3"/&"0 #/,* +"4 / % ",),$& ) !&$ are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and it’s the %,*" ,# /6 $! )"+"ǽȋ %" )&3"! %"/" +! 0%" *"1 "020 %"/" and she continued with Him. Yes, it’s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the 1&*" ,# "020Ç˝ ,/!&+$ 1, / % ",),$&010Çž &1ȉ0 1%" Ćœ /01 ,+" !&0 ,3Č’ "/"! &+ 1%" )&)""Ç˝ Oct 23, 2018 (Tues) Day 6 – Jordan Valley/ Jericho/ Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church in Bethany Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" %" ! 1, "/& %,Çž 1%" ,)!"01 &+% &1"! &16 &+ 1%" 4,/)!Ç˝ &"4 1%" ,2+1 ,# "*-1 1&,+Çž 4%"/" "020 0-"+1 ǙǕ days fasting in the desert. We will visit the ancient ruins of the wall.

We will continue to Bethany and will have mass to celebrate Holy 2 % /&01 1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ 7 /20Ç˝ %"+ 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" -Č’ 1&0* ) 0&1" &+ &3"/ ,/! +Ç˝ -,+ //&3 ) &+ ,2+1 ,-20 *" +&+$ Mount of the Watchmen/Sentinels, is a mountain in northeast Je/20 )"*Ç˝ +',6 1%" Ćœ /01 3&"4 ,# "/20 )"*Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" ! 6ȉ0 1,2/Çž 4" will check in at our hotel in Jerusalem (B/D) Oct 24, 2018 (Wed) Day 7 – Jerusalem (Old City)/ Via Dolorosa/ Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place ,# 0(2))Çž 4%& % &0 ))"! &+ 1%" " /"4 ,)$,1% ǽȋ Č› ,%+ Ç–ÇžÇżÇ–ÇœČœ We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 3&0&1 ,)$,1% +! 1%" ,* ,# 2/ ,/!Ç˝ Ćž "/ * 00Çž 4" /"12/+ 1, the hotel for breakfast. Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) "+1"/ 1%" )! &16Çž 0&+$ %6*+ &+ 1%" Church of St. Anne and view the Pool of Bethesda. Then we will 3&0&1 1%" % -") ,# ) $")) 1&,+Çž &1%,01/ 1,0 Č›4%"/" 1%" 0,)!&"/0 -) 6"! 1%" *" ,# &+$0Čœ +! 1%" / % ,# 1%" ČŠ " ,*,Č‹Ç˝ Dinner/Overnight

Oct 25, 2018 (Thurs) Day 8 – Jerusalem Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu ČŠ %" ,/! " *" Ć? "0% +! !4")1 *,+$ 20ǽǽǽȋ Č› ,%+ Ç–ÇżÇ–Ç™Čœ " 4&)) 4 )( 1, 3&"4 1%" ,*" ,# 1%" , ( #/,* 1%" ,210&!"Çž +! visit the Western Wall,( Wailing Wall ) the only part of the Herodian Temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for "40Ç˝ %"+Çž 4" 4&)) !/&3" 1, 1Ç˝ &,+Çž 1, 3&0&1 1%" --"/ ,,*Çž /"Č’ 3"/"! 0 1%" 0&1" ,# 1%" 01 2--"/Çž 1%"+ 02/3"6 1%" ,/*&1&,+ "6Çž +! 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ "1"/ &+ ))& +12Çž %" 0&1" 4%"/" "1"/ !"+&"! "020 1%/"" 1&*"0Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" ! 6ȉ0 1,2/Çž we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Oct 26, 2018 (Fri) Day 9 – Mount of Olives/ Gethsemane/ Bethlehem/ Jerusalem (New City)/ Ein Karem Mass at the Church of Nativity ČŠ *,2+1 &+ ,# ,!Çž /" "&3" *"Çž *,1%"/Çž 4&1% *6 %&)!ǽȋ Č› /,1,Č’ "3 +$")&2* ,# *"0 Ç—Ç—ÇżÇ˜Čœ " 4&)) //&3" 1 1%" ,2+1 ,# )&3"0Çž 1, "+',6 +,1%"/ 3&"4 ,# "/2Č’ salem, visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the ,*&+20 )"3&1 țȊ ,! 4"-1Č‹Čœ 0 + 12 /6Ç˝ "51Çž 4"ȉ)) 4 )( 1%" )* 2+! 6 , ! 1, 1%" /!"+ ,# "1%0"* +"Çž +! 3&0&1 1%" , ( ,# $,+6 +! 1%" %2/ % ,# )) 1&,+0Ç˝ + 1%" Ćž "/+,,+Çž 4"ȉ)) !/&3" to Bethlehem, a city whose name is recognized around the world. Ćž "/ ")" / 1&+$ 00 1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1&3&16Çž 4" 4&)) 0"" 1%" +$"/Č€ 3&0&1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ 1%"/&+"Çž 1%" /,11, ,# 1Ç˝ "/,*" +! 1%" %"-%"/!0ȉ &")!0Ç˝ 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 "/20 )"*Ç˝ - +"51 &0 1/&- 1, &+ /"*Çž &/1%-) " ,# 1Ç˝ ,%+ the Baptist, to see the Visitation Church, where Mary proclaimed %"/ # *,20 ČŠ $+&Ćœ 1Č‹Ç˝ " 4&)) "+! ,2/ ! 6 6 /"12/+&+$ 1, ,2/ Hotel. (B/D) Oct 27, 2018 (Sat) Day 10 – Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ")" / 1" * 00 1 1%" %2/ % ,# )) 1&,+0 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 01/,+$%,)! $ &+01 1%" ,* +Ç˝ "12/+ 1, "/20 )"* #,/ !&++"/ and Overnight (B, D) Oct 28, 2018,(Sun) Day 11 – Jerusalem/ Allenby Bridge/ Madaba /Jordan/ Mt. Nebo/ Aqaba Mass at Mount Nebo On this day, we head to Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We 4&)) $, 1, 1%" -1&0* ) &1" 1 "1% +6Çž 4%& % ,-" ,%+ 2)

3&0&1"! &+ ǗǕǕǕǽ %"+Ǟ &1ȉ0 ,+ 1, ,2+1 " ,Ǟ 4%"/" ,0"0 3&"4"!

1%" /,*&0"! +!Ç˝ 2/ +"51 01,- 4&)) " 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ ",/$" &+ ! Çž 4%& % %,010 1%" # *,20 *,0 & * - ,# 1%" ,)6 +!Ç˝ Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Mov"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ "Ç˝ Oct 29, 2018 (Mon) Day 12 – Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ',2/+"6 1%/,2$% 1%" &.Çž 2+1&) 4" $"1 ,2/ Ćœ /01 $)&*-0" ,# 1%" % 7+"% Č› /" 02/6ČœÇ˝ %"+ 4&)) 4" 4 )( !,4+ 1, 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 !&++"/ Č› ČĄ ČœÇ˝ ,3"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ " Oct 30, 2018 (Tues) Day 13 – Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/ Overnight Oct 31, 2018 (Wed) Day 14 – Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" ! 0%"* 20"2*Çž&0 0/ ")ȉ0 ,Ć› & & ) *"*,/& ) 1, 1%" 3& 1&*0 ,# 1%" ,), 201Ç˝ 1 &0 !"!& 1"! to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought $ &+01 1%"&/ 7& ,--/"00,/0 +! "+1&)"0 4%, 0")Ć? "00)6 &!"!

Jews in need; and researching the phenomenon of the Holocaust in particular and genocide in general, with the aim of avoiding 02 % "3"+10 &+ 1%" #212/"Ç˝ Ćž "/ 1%" "01"/+ ))Çž ! 0%"* &0 1%" 0" ,+!Č’*,01Č’3&0&1"!

0/ ")& 1,2/&01 0&1"Ç˝ "12/+ 1, 1%" %,1") #,/ )2+ % +! /") 5 1&,+ &+ -/"- / 1&,+ #,/ ,2/ /"12/+ Ć? &$%1 ( 1, 1%" Ćž "/ !&++"/ 4&)) " 1/ +0#"//"! 1, 1%" &/-,/1 #,/ ǖǿǕǕ * )&$%1 ,3 ǖǞǗǕǖÇ? Č› %2/0! 6Čœ

u PAGE B7

Pilgrimage to Some of ITALY’s Highlights and Miracles of the Eucharist Nov 12, 2018 to Nov 22,2018 Spiritual Director REV.JOEL BUGAS

OCTOBER 18 to Nov 1, 2018 SPIRITUAL CHAPLAIN: REV. ANTONIO FLORES Oct 18, 2018 (Thur) Day 1 – Lax to Tel Aviv, Israel / +0Č’ 1) +1& Ć? &$%1 #/,* 1, "+ 2/&,+ +1"/+ 1&,+ ) &/-,/1Çž ") 3&3Çž 0/ ")Ç˝ Č› " )0 0"/3"! &+Č’Ć? &$%1Čœ

The Duterte government plans to spend more than P8 trillion to upgrade the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and to supercharge economic growth to 7-8 percent from this year until 2022.

Photo from Facebook/DPWH

Day 1 – 12 Nov 2018 – (Mon) Day 2 – 13Nov 2018 – (Tues)

- USA - ROME - Rome -,+ ,2/ //&3 ) &+ ,*"Çž our Tour Escort will wel,*" 20 1, 1 )6Ç˝ ,*" &0 the heart, home and the spiritual capital of over one billion Catholics all ,3"/ 1%" 4,/)!Ç˝ Ćž "/ short panoramic orienta1&,+ ,# 1%&0 1"/+ ) &16 1, 20 ,* + 1%,)& 0Çž 4" 4&)) have our dinner and overnight rest at this great ancient City.

Č› Çž Čœ Day 3 – 14 Nov 2018 (Wed) – Rome / Papal Audience/ Rome

This morning before we continue with our tour, we will % 3" - ) 2!&"+ "Ç˝ %"+ Ćž "/Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" # Č’ *,20 ,)&0"2* +! 0"" 1%" ,/2*Çž 1%" /"3& ,2+1 &+ and the Pantheon, one of the best preserved ancient monuments in the world. Celebrate the Holy Eucharist at St Peter Basilica St Joseph Chapel .Short stop in Trevi ,2+1 &+Çž "#,/" %" !&+$ 1, ,2/ ,1")

Č› Çž Čœ Day 4 – 15 Nov 2018 (Thurs) – Rome / Basilicas We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, +! "3"+ + &"+1 /""( +! ,Č’ man artists. the largest church &+ ,* + 1%,)& &0*Çž 1Ç˝ "1"/ȉ0 Basilica. Holy Eucharist at ST Mary ',/Çž ,)),4"! 6 3&0&1 ,# 1%" Č’ silica. We continue to visit the rest ,# 1%" * ',/ 0&)& 0 4&1%&+ 1%" 4 ))0 ,# ,*"Çž +! 1Ç˝ ,%+ 1"/Č’ an, St Paul Outside the Wall.

We will also pray at the Scala Santa or the Holy Stairs. St. Helena transported the steps from Jerusalem; the same 01"-0 1% 1 %/&01 0 "+!"! 1, /" "&3" &) 1"ȉ0 2+'201 ,+Ȓ demnation.

Č› Çž Čœ Day 5 – 16 Nov 2018 (Fri)–Rome /San Giovanni Rotondo Ç—Ç•Ç–Ç? &0 1%" Ç–Ç•Ç•1% ++&3"/0 /6 ,# 1%" 01&$Č’ matization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year . + &,3 ++& ,1,+!,Çž 1%" %,*" ,# 1 Č’ !/" &, ,# &"1/") &+ #/,* Ç—Ç? 2)6Çž ǖǞǖǛ 2+Č’ 1&) %&0 !" 1% ,+ Ǘǘ "-1"* "/Çž ǖǞǛÇ?Ç˝ +',6 1%" !/&3" $,&+$ 1, + &,3 ++&Çž Ćž "/ 4" check in our Hotel.

We visit the Shrines of St Padre Pio of Pietralcina as well as the places associated 4&1% %&* Çž 02 % 0 1%" %/&+" ,# 2/ !6 ,# / " 1% 1 contains his tomb. Here, we spend some time meditat&+$Çž 0"" %&0 /,,*Çž %&0 ,+#"00&,+ ) ,5 +! 1%" /2 &Ćœ 5 that gave him his supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Cel" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 Č› ,1") / + / !&0, Čœ

+ &,3 ++& ,1,+!, (BB,D) Day 6 – 17 Nov 2018 (Sat) – SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO This Morning we visit the new and Modern Basilica of St Padre Pio, See his uncorrupt body .Celebrate Holy Eucharist Spend some time meditating in this awesomeBasilica.

Č› ,1") / + / !&0,Čœ Day 7–18 Nov2018 – (Sun) – San Giovanni Rotondo / Lanciano /Loreto Ç˝ " //&3" 1 + & +,Çž # *,20 #,/ 1%" &/ )" ,# the Eucharist. Near the Piazza Plebiscito, the Miracle is inside the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle. The mira)" 1,,( -) " !2/&+$ 1%" Ç?1% "+12/6 when a Basiline monk doubted the " ) /"0"+ " ,# ,2/ ,/! &+ 1%" 2 % /&01Ç˝ " #,2+! %&*Č’ 0")# %,)!&+$ 1%" %,01 1% 1 % ! % +$"! &+1, " ) )"0% +! 1%" &+" ,+ 1%" )1 / % ! % +$"! &+1, " ) ),,!Ç˝ We continue our pilgrimage to the great Marian shrine ,# ,/"1, 1, 0"" 1%" # *,20 0 /"! %,*" ,# 1%" *,01 ,)6 *&)6Çž "020Çž /6Çž +! ,0"-%Ç˝ &+ " ǖǗǞǙ 1%" %,)6 %,*" % 0 ""+ ), 1"! &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& ,# ,/"1,Ç˝ ")" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 &+ + & +, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN Assisi Day 8 –19 Nov 2018 – ( Mon) Loreto/ Assisi ,! 6 4" "5-),/" 1%" %&))1,- &/1%-) " ,# 1 / + &0 ,# 00&0&Ç˝ + 1%" /6-1 ,# 1 / + &0 0&)& )&"0 1%" 1,* ,# one of the most humble and beloved Saints of all times, 1Ç˝ / + &0 ,# 00&0&Çž ,)6 2 % /&01 1 1%" /6-1 ,# / + &0 "" 1%" 0&)& ,# 1 ) /"Çž 4&1% %"/ &+ ,//2-1 body, and the little Church of St. Damiano and its Cru&Ćœ 5 #/,* 4%& % "020 0-,(" 1, / + &0 ,21 %&0 *&0Č’ 0&,+ &+ ǖǗǕǛǿ ČŠ ,Çž / + &0Çž +! /" 2&)! *6 %,20"Çž 4%& % 0 6,2 0"" &0 # ))&+$ &+1, /2&+ǽȋ " 3&0&1 1%" 0&)& ,# 1Ç˝ Mary of the Angels, located in the lower plains of Assisi, and the place where the miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi 1,,( -) " &+ ǖǗǙǕǽ %" 0* )) %2/ % ,# 1%" ,/7&2+ ,Č’ ) &0 &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& &10")#Ç˝ ,-" ,+,/&20

$/ +1"!

a plenary indulgence for those entering this humble %2/ % ,+ 2$201 Ç–01 +! Ç—+! "3"/6 6" /Çž 4&1% ,+#"0Č’ sion, reception of the Eucharist and no attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) Day 9 – 20 Nov 2018 – (Tues) – Assisi / Siena / Florence We will spend half day in Siena. Begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built &+ 1%" ǖǘ1% "+12/6Çž &1 &0 1/" 02/" %"01 ,# 1%" "+ &0Č’ sance art and dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the city’s history while admiring it’s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great *"!&"3 ) 0.2 /"0Ç˝ ,+1&+2" 1, ),/"+ "Ç˝ Č› Çž Čœ " 01 /1 4&1% $2&!"! 4 )(&+$ 1,2/ ,# ),/"+ "Çž 1%&0 # 0Č’ cinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria !") &,/"Çž &,11,ȉ0 ")) ,4"/Çž 1%" -1&01"/6 ,# 1Ç˝ ,%+ the Baptist.

"01 ,# 1%" ! 6 #/"" Č› Çž Čœ Day 10 – 21 Nov 2018 (Wed) – Florence / Rome " 3" ),/"+ " /,2+! Ç— //&3"! ,*" )*,01 !&++"/ time (BB.D) Day 11 – 22 Nov 2018 (Thurs) – Rome / USA End of our wonderful 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

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B MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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Boracay shutdown to cost Cebu Air up to P1B Philippines to raise $2 B from foreign borrowings

by Doris

by mary

Grace Philstar.com

Dumlao-abaDilla Inquirer.net

THE shutdown of tourist hotspot Boracay Island is seen to translate to P500 million to P1 billion in foregone revenues for Gokongwei-led budget carrier Cebu Pacific.

“Caticlan and Kalibo constitute about 6-7 percent of our domestic passengers. So for the first six months, we anticipate there should be maybe P500 million to P1 billion reduction in revenues because it takes time to transfer the flights to other destinations,” Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive officer of Cebu Pacific operator Cebu Pacific said during the stockholders meeting of JG Summit Holdings Inc. on Monday, May 28.

“But overall, we think this

Inquirer file photo

should be a strong positive for the country as we expect that Boracay will return as an even more popular destination after the rehabilitation is complete,” Gokongwei said.

Boracay – which Pres. Duterte

had described as a “cesspool” due to a number of violators of environmental regulations – was shut down by the government for six months starting April 26 to pave the way for rehabilitation.n

Reinstating a deceased petitioner’s family-based petition IT is very common for beneficiaries of family based petition to wait many years before their petition’s priority date becomes current. This is usually the case with US Citizen parent petitions to adult son or daughter. This is also common among petition’s between Siblings. What happens when the Petitioner dies? Are all those years of waiting wasted?

Not quite. Normally, the Petition is automatically revoked once the Petitioner dies.

However, all is not lost by the death of the Petitioner.

The beneficiary has a couple of options depending on whether they are inside the US or outside the US. The beneficiary may either avail of the INA § 204(l) which was signed into law in 2009 if the beneficiary is inside the US at the time the petitioner’s death and continues to reside inside the US. Alternatively, if the beneficiary is outside the US, beneficiary may seek to reinstate the petition based on humanitarian grounds.

The DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) may exercise discretion “for humanitarian reasons” to reinstate the petition and to allow the Affidavit of Support requirements to be satisfied by the qualifying I-864 of a spouse, parent, mother-in-law, father-inlaw, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild or le-

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes gal guardian of the beneficiary, as long as the petition was “approved” prior to the Petitioner’s death.

If the beneficiary is inside the US either in legal status or grandfathered by INA §245(i) and the priority date on the petition is current, the beneficiary may apply for adjustment of status. The beneficiary may also apply for an employment authorization card.

DHS discretion does not mean “guaranteed” approval. The case will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Some of the factors that the DHS may consider are 1) disruption of an established family unit; 2) hardship to US citizens or lawful permanent residents; 3) beneficiary is elderly or in poor health; 4) beneficiary has had lengthy residence in the US; 4) beneficiary has no home to go to; 5)undue delay by USCIS or consular officer in processing petition and visa; 6) and Beneficiary has strong family ties in the United States.

The beneficiary must be pre-

pared to show proof of the original I-130 that was filed, proof of I-130 approval if approved, a copy of the Petitioner’s death certificate, proof of substitute sponsor’s relationship to the beneficiary, and meet all the I864 requirements. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

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THE Philippine government plans to raise about $2 billion more this year through the sale of offshore commercial bonds, including samurai and global bonds, according to the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr).

In an interview, Deputy Treasurer Sharon Almanza said the government has already issued $2.2 billion in offshore commercial securities out of the $4.2 billion set in the 2018 borrowing program.

These refer to the $2 billion global bonds issued last January at a coupon rate of three percent, and the $200 million panda bonds or renminbi-denominated securities sold at five percent interest rate last March.

The remaining $2 billion, Almanza said, has yet to be issued and would be split between samurai bonds or yen-denominated securities and U.S. dollar denominated global bonds.

“For the commercial (bonds,) (there is) a total of $4.2 billion.

We already raised $2.2 billion, so the remaining is $2 billion.

But then it’s split between the samurai and dollar bonds,” she said.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the government is eyeing a second sale tranche of global bonds by late third quarter or early fourth

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA SO here you are in the late afternoon of your life. Sundown is on the horizon. The end game is in sight. You know it isn’t a matter of if but when.

You’re still upright on two legs, although your knees are starting to buckle. You aren’t looking forward to walking on 3 legs with the help of a cane or a walker. At least, not just yet ……

In the quiet of the early morning hours of days before the coming winter season of your life, you wonder if there is yet one glorious summer time, a glimmer of hope in reprising one’s life unencumbered by the structures and strictures of past choices, right or wrong.

There is a part of you that longs for some kind of reprieve to break away and create a life that fills your soul with gladness, so light, so ethereal as the flutter of butterfly wings — that all the hurts, pains, heartaches, and sense of brokenness that have weighed you down and held you hostage for so long a time suddenly went up in smoke, went pouf and VOILA, disappear as though by magic.

A few of your contemporaries have passed and you wonder if you still have what it takes to stay the course you have chosen until the end game. You question if there is time enough to do all those things you wish you did when you could. There’s that long bucket list burning a hole in your back pocket.

Why call it a bucket list? Kicking the bucket means “to die” from where the phrase “bucket list” comes from. There are many explanations but the one that seems to make sense is that of a method of dying, either by execution or by suicide. A person stands on a bucket, with a noose around his neck to cause death by hanging from a beam

What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA THE only means an employer can offer employees between taxable and nontaxable benefits is through section 125 plan.

What are a section 125 plan, a cafeteria plan, and the IRS requirements for this plan?

1. Cafeteria Plan: Cafeteria plan is a written plan maintained by employer for employees that meets the requirements and regulations of section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. The participants may receive benefits on a pretax basis and must have the option to choose at least one taxable benefit or cash and a qualified nontaxable benefit. It should specifically describe all benefits and establish rules for eligibility and elections.

2. Qualified benefits under the cafeteria plan rules: The qualified benefits include accident and health benefits but not archer medical savings accounts or long-term care insurance, adoption assistance, dependent care assistance, group-term life insurance coverage, and health

In an interview, Deputy Treasurer Sharon Almanza said the government has already issued $2.2 billion in offshore commercial securities out of the $4.2 billion set in the 2018 borrowing program Philstar file photo

quarter this year.

Dominguez said the sale is in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s policy moves, such as further increases in US interest rates.

The finance chief said proceeds of the sale would be used to finance the government’s programs, particularly its infrastructure initiative and to manage the liabilities and maturing debt of the government.

National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon said the BTr is conducting the groundwork for a planned samurai bond issuance.

De Leon said the BTr would work with five Japanese banks for the fund raising activity.

These include Daiwa Securities Group, Nomura Holdings Inc, Mizuho Bank Ltd., Sumitomo

Mitsui Banking Corp., and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) had earlier raised the share of foreign loans in the country’s total borrowing mix.

From the previously approved level of 74:26 – in favor of domestic sources – the borrowing mix was adjusted to 65:35, allowing for more foreign debt.

This translates to P640 billion in domestic borrowings and P346 billion in external credit, Almanza said.

For foreign borrowings, Almanza said the government also plans to borrow $2.5 billion through official development assistance from the country’s development partners and multilateral institutions.n

The bucket list (First of a series)

“What goes on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoonand three in the evening?” asked the Sphinx.

“Man” Oedipus answered after some thought. –Riddle of the Sphinx by the final act of an executioner kicking the bucket or by kicking it himself. I am pretty sure that is NOT a scenario most people would choose. But we now refer to the bucket list as your TO DO LIST before the end.

You groan, perhaps not because of the thought of dying itself, but because there is just too many in your bucket list, so little time, low levels of personal energy and scant resources. SIGH… There’s also this thing called Legacy – a big word but it only means ‘What do you leave behind?’ Those anointed by grace to live large will have streets and schools named after them, marble statues on a town square or etched on the side of a mountain like Mount Rushmore. But for ordinary people, great memories frozen in still photos and videos and some intangible influence beyond death would be enough.

Perhaps a few tears will be shed. There will be sadness for some time. There will be cloudy days as though nature feels the pain of separation, yours and theirs. You pray those you left behind can move on and live purposeful lives pleasing to God. Life goes on.

Most women can be calm, cool and collected accepting the notion of goodbyes more readily than men. It seems nature has blessed women with the internal fortitude and strength to be able to plan for the final event with remarkable equanimity.

As for men, well, not so much…… The idea of mortality is not something that most men are comfortable with. Don’t

fret. It is in their DNA. There are exceptions of course. Men’s strength is expressed in other ways no less than women, like nature intended it.

The solution is always the same when one is overwhelmed and paralyzed. With too many items in one’s bucket list, pare it down to bite sizes. Make a molehill out of a mountain.

Size it down as David did when he slew Goliath. Cull out non-essentials ruthlessly, the fluff as we call them, and PRIORITIZE. Since life itself holds no guarantees on how long we are to live, SIMPLIFY and do a triage of sorts.

Do the most important things first, the one that is near and dear to your heart. Then when there is time left over, you can still choose to do the trivial stuff on your bucket list just for the heck of it. OR simply delete the rest of the list. With still a smidgen of time left, sit back and savor doing nothing. You’ve earned the right to this bit of luxury.

For now, select a handful of those things in your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, this means before your life’s energy goes into ‘low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.

Next week: An idea for The Bucket List … *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

What you need to know about pretax plans savings accounts including distributions to pay long-term care services.

3. Premium-only or premium conversion plans: The employees premium contributions to employer-sponsored health and welfare plans may be made on a pretax basis. The sec.125 choice is between taxable salary and nontaxable contributions to a group health insurance plan.

4. Flexible reimbursement accounts or flexible spending accounts (FSA): The employees contribute and are reimbursed on a pretax basis for unreimbursed medical, dependent care, or adoption expenses. The sec.125 choice is between taxable salary and nontaxable contributions to a flexible spending account.

5. Three types of FSAs allowed under sec. 125: The three types of FSAs under sec 125 are: 1) health FSA, reimburses employees for health care expenses, 2) dependent care FSA, reimburses employees for certain child care expenses under IRC sec. 129, and 3) an adoption assistance FSA under IRC sec. 137. These types of plans could either be included in the sec 125. plan docu-

ment or a separate written plan descriptions may be prepared.

6. Full flex or full cafeteria plans: Employees choose from a list of options of benefits selections. The sec.125 choice is between taxable salary and or taxable benefits and the employer’s nontaxable contributions to qualified benefits.

7. When is sec. 125 plan necessary? If an employer wants to give employees cash if they waive-out of the group health plan. If there is no sec.125 the group health plan would be taxed on the amount of the cash waiver even employees choose the group health plan.

8. Must be in writing: The plan document should be in writing and have to include the following: a specific description of each of the benefits available under the plan, including the periods during which the benefits are provided coverage period, the plan’s participation rules, the procedures governing participants’ elections under the plan, including the period during which elections may be made, the extent to which elections are irrevocable,

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Debt Relief

BUSINESS NEWS

Clients seek to discharge $100K and $30K in credit card debt

Both qualify for different chapters of the bankruptcy code ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG

MOST debtors prefer to have a Chapter 7 wipe-out of debt. This is called a fresh start without debt. Most debtors who qualify for Chapter 7 debt relief get to keep everything they own but are able to get rid of all of their debt, thus, they start life again without debt but keep all their assets. They are able to keep their assets by “exempting” their assets under CCP 704 or 703. Let’s compare the following two cases to appreciate the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code.

Client no. 1 is 58 years old and separated from her husband who lives out of the country. They owned and operated a business ten years ago. The business failed and husband decided to go back to his home country. Wife decided she wanted to stay here, so they are in fact separated and live apart. Wife makes about $30,000 a year and does not own a house. She doesn’t know what husband is doing in his home country. For purposes of bankruptcy, the client is de facto separated from her husband, so we don’t care what husband does in his home country. His income, if any, is not a factor in the calculation of client’s household income. In other words, even if the separated husband has become a millionaire in his home country, his income is irrelevant in the determination of client’s ability to qualify for Chapter 7 debt relief here in Southern California.

Client completely on her own here, has to make do with her income of $30,000 a year. It’s only her income that is relevant in the means test calculation.

The client has $100,000 of credit card debt, most of which were used to operate their business that failed ten years ago.

Believe it or not, for the last ten years, the client has been making minimum payments on the $100,000 at the required $3,000 a month. I guess she used to make more than $30,000 a year before because he now only makes $2,500 a month, which is less than $3,000 a month.

But in the last 10 years, she has paid $360,000 to keep $100,000 of credit cards current. Today, she still owes the very same $100,000! Yes, sad but true and

not at all fair but nevertheless that’s the reality of what happened. If she had filed for Chapter 7 10 years ago and wiped out the $100,000 in 2008, she would probably have $700,000 in her wealth portfolio now, growing at the rate of between 6 percent to 10 percent a year.

But she took her own sweet time, perhaps she was afraid to file for Chapter 7 10 years ago, or even five years ago, and now suffers the consequence of that wrong decision. Now, she still owes the very same $100,000 but had paid $360,000 to keep that $100,000 current in the last 10 years. Now, that’s not being smart, is it? No, that’s being pretty dumb. Because if the client did actually get Chapter 7 relief and wipe out the $100,000 10 years ago, the consequence of that smart decision, would be that she would have at least $700,000 now, and that’s a smart move.

Of course, it’s not too late to get Chapter 7 relief now. Better late than never with a Chapter 7 wipeout of the $100,000 now and to have a fresh start now at the age of 58, instead of having a fresh start at the age of 48. Further, if she did have the fresh start in 2008, her credit score would be perfect now over 800, and there would be no fact of filing Chapter 7 in her credit report. It’s like it never happened. No wonder Pres. Trump thinks bankruptcy law is heaven sent. His own businesses filed for bankruptcy, 4 Chapter 11s, in the 90s wiping out more than a billion dollars of unsecured debt.

The client now qualifies for and is eligible for Chapter 7 under the means test and all her assets are exempt so she gets to keep all her assets including her retirement account of $50,000and her fully paid MB 300 in 2013, while wiping out the entire $100,000.

So she goes for it 10 years late because as we said earlier, better late than never.

Client no. 2 is 52 and married.

I did his join Chapter 7 exactly 20 years ago. Then, he and wife were able to discharge $20,000 of credit cards and an uninsured car accident liability of $40,000.

They got the fresh start then, and now he has racked up another $30,000 of credit card debt, while the wife has her own credit cards too. The client recently lost his

job and his unemployment benefits are about to expire. Certainly, he wants a Chapter 7 discharge of his $30,000 of cards. However, he owns with his wife as joint tenants, their house worth $500,000 on which they owe a total of $300,000. So, they have equity of $200,000. But since he is only 52, their homestead exemption is only $100,000, leaving nonexempt equity of $100,000. This means that if he does a Chapter 7, the trustee will sell their house for $500,000, give him $100,000 for his exempt equity, and use the rest to pay off his $30,000 credit cards, and if there is any money left, the balance will also be given to him.

Chapter 7 is not advisable in this case, as the client will lose his house for $30,000 of credit cards. This makes no sense.

Why lose over your family’s head for the sake of credit card debt? Makes no sense whatsoever. The client needs to file Chapter 13 to protect his house from eventual judgment liens from the $30,000 credit cards. Judgment lien creditors can force the sale of the house in order to get paid.

Unbelievable but true! A judgment creditor for $5,000 with a lien on your house can force the sale of the house to satisfy the judgment as a last resort.

Chapter 13 will protect client’s house from judgments occurring in the future from the $30,000 of credit cards. The Chapter 13 plan will allow him to pay the $30,000 at the rate of $500 a month. On the 60th month, the court will give him an order of discharge.

At that time, he will owe credit cards zero. Using Chapter 13 to handle his $30,000 credit cards entails no risk of losing his house because the Chapter 13 trustees have no power to sell debtor houses, unlike Chapter 7 trustees who are hungry for houses with non-exempt equity.

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018

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What you need to know about...

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and the periods with respect to which elections are effective, the manner in which employer contributions may be made under the plan, such as by salary reduction agreement between the participant and the employer or by nonelective employer contributions (flex credits) to the plan, the maximum amount of employer contributions available to any participant under the plan, the plan year on which the plan operates, for a plan that offers paid time off, the required ordering rule for use of non-elective and elective paid time off, for a plan that includes FSAs, the plan’s provisions complying

with any additional requirements for those FSAs (for example: the uniform coverage rule and the use it-or-lose it rules), for a plan that includes a grace period, the plan’s provisions complying with the grace period requirements, and for a plan that includes distributions from a health FSA to employees’ HSAs, the plan’s provisions complying with related requirements.

9. Filing requirement of cafeteria plan. You may be required to file Form 5500 or Schedule F if you have a welfare benefit plan.

If you only have cafeteria plan there is generally no filing requirement.

Calendar of Events across

*** Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid taxrelated penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.

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America

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

Workshop on marketing to SoCal’s Fil-Am community in Long Beach Calling business owners, importers, and corporate product buyers! Come learn how to market to the fastest-growing community in Southern California on Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 4700 Airport Plaza Dr. Rickenbacker Hall, Long Beach, CA 90815. E.C Ferrer CHB, Inc. has scheduled a special presentation & orientation on international trade & marketing geared toward Fil-Am importers, exhibitors, small businesses and major corporation interested in marketing to the fastest growing Filipino-American market in Southern California.

This event is a prelude to the highly anticipated Trade, Tourism & Consumer Roadshow taking place at the Southbay Pavilion in Carson, California on August 4 & 5, 2018 produced by the Asian Journal, with the cooperation of the Philippine Department of Trade & Tourism. We will transparently discuss with potential exhibitors what needs to be done and what to expect in exhibiting their respective products and how the add on feature of product sourcing will come into play. E.C Ferrer CHB, Inc. is the senior organizer of the upcoming Trade event at the SouthBay Pavillion on August 4-5 2018. (Must be an importer, corporate product buyer and business owner to attend on Saturday). To register for free, please visit: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/effectively-market-to-the-fastest-growing-community-in-southern-california-tickets-45453666139?. Call Ferdinand at (909) 851-1493 or email at ferdinand@ecferrer. com for any further information.

Filipino Voter Empowerment Project seminar in Los Angeles The June 5th Primary Election is right around the corner — do you have questions before you go to the polls? Join the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project (fvep.org) on Saturday, June 2nd, 10am at the Pilipino Workers Center (153 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026) for a seminar on your rights as a voter and how you can make a difference in the electoral process!

In addition to voting rights, we’ll also have a brief presentation on financial literacy, courtesy of our friends at Banc of California..

Bayan Masaya in LA’s Historic Filipinotown All are invited to the 120th Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 2, 12-5 p.m. at SIPA, 3200 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. Dubbed as BAYAN MASAYA (short for Bayanihan sa Araw na Makasaysayan) the event will be a health, cultural and community resources fair in Historic Filipinotown (HiFi), the cultural heart of Filipinos throughout Los Angeles. Gift cards will be raffled off for those who will participate in the educational health workshops on HepatitisB, Mental Health, etc. Door prizes and give-aways will also be available to lucky winners.

Collaborating organizations include Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, Pilipino Workers Center, Filipino American Service Group, Manaois System Martial Arts, Tender Loving Care Family Caregiver Foundation, HiFi Tennis Association, and MOTHER Movement. Asian Journal serves as the media sponsor for Bayan Masaya 2018.

For further information, interested individuals including vendors, exhibitors, sponsors, cultural performers and others may send an email to rosanne0517@gmail.com or mother-pearl@hotmail.com.

J U N E 2- 9

Money Smart for Small Business course in El Monte, CA Join this introductory two-day business course designed for new business owners, selfemployed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs on Saturday, June 2 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be held at Cathay Bank 9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731. The fee is $20 (payable to API SBP). Course topics include startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, record keeping and more. Breakfast, lunch, and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank. Limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at smallbiz@apisbp.org or call (213) 4731605. Please provide following info: full name, business name (if applicable), phone number, and email address.

JUNE 3

2018 Philippine Independence Day Parade in NY On Sunday, June 3, the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. will host the annual Philippine Independence Parade with the theme, “Honoring Our Heroes, Inspiring Solidarity.”

The day will begin at 7:45 a.m. with a Flag Ceremony / Thanksgiving Mass at the Philippine Center (556 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10036). From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be a street fair along Madison Avenue between 25th and 26th Streets and 26th Street, from Madison Avenue to Park Avenue. Tents are pitched on both sides of the Avenue and Street divided into booths selling food and merchandise. Independence Day Parade Opening Ceremony/Ribbon Cutting will take place on Madison Avenue at 38th Street at 11:45 a.m. Before the 2018 Independence Day Parade gets on its way, parade Grand Marshal Dr. Restituto N. Estacio and Honorary Grand Marshal Ambassador Mario Lopez de Leon, Jr. will lead the parade spearhead of VIPs, guests, and marchers, marching bands, floats, open cars, others. From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Cultural Festival Open-air Stage will be at the corner of Madison Avenue and 26th Street where celebrities, performers and talents are showcased on a continuous all afternoon show. For more information, please visit http://www.philippineindependenceday.com.

JUNE 9

City of Carson’s 120th Philippine Independence Day Celebration The City of Carson’s Annual Philippine Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, June 9 is the biggest event in the City of Carson with thousands of people from all over Southern California in attendance. It begins with a flag raising ceremony, followed by an ecumenical service, and a holy mass. The parade/cultural street dance participated in by different Filipino-American, City-affiliated, and school-based organizations officially open the program.

This year’s featured indigenous group is the “Igorot”. Igorot dancers will thus be leading the parade. Non-stop entertainment follows with headliners from ABS-CBN-The Filipino Channel.

Interactive booths, exhibits, food and non-food vendors, and a children’s area make the event ideal for families and people of all ages. For parade participation/event information/ volunteer sign up, please call (310) 952-1743; booths (310) 569-7500; sponsorship (310) 819-5108. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park (22400 Moneta Avenue - Carson, CA).

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

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Cultivating Hearts, Sowing Hope Huixin Shi: Visiting the Pioneer and Leader of Chinese Youth Mental Health Education

by Weibo

Fang

At the Ninth US-China Summit awards ceremony held on April 29th, in recognition of the outstanding contributions made

by Ms. Huixin Shi from China to the education of the mental health of youth, the China-US Summit gave her the Outstanding Entrepreneur award.

Presently, mental health education has received increasing attention from people. The psychological problems of adolescents have become a serious global social problem. Huixin Shi was born in one of the poorest provinces in western China and got to know adolescents with psychological problems relating to school weariness, rebellion, school bullying, underage crimes, and student suicide. This prompted her commitment to youth mental health education so that young people can understand mental health as a lifelong struggle.

Huixin Shi is a pioneer in the education of mental health for adolescents in China. In 2003, when adolescent mental health education was still unaddressed in most schools in China, Huixin Shi realized the importance and necessity of systematic psychological health education for young people through schools. As a result, she oversaw the joint education and management departments of China and organized the backbone of the psychological teacher training in the provinces of Beijing, Gansu, Xinjiang, and Yunnan. She has trained tens of thousands of teachers in more than a decade, and she has had more than 10,000 pilot schools.

Not only is she a pioneer, but Huixin Shi is an expert in Chinese youth psychological health education. She has spent three years writing dozens of psychology articles from within and outside the United Nations, and she has written a systematic textbook, Psychological Health Education for Primary and Secondary School Students, for Chinese

Mayor of Murrieta, Jonathan Ingram, delivering a letter of congratulation to Ms. Huixin Shi

youth mental health education; the teachers’ edition and students’ edition are distributed and promoted nationwide by China Encyclopedia Press and Shanxi Education Press. As a textbook for psychological education in primary and secondary schools, the cumulative circulation is in the tens of millions.

Huixin Shi is also the maker of industry standards. In 2014, she was invited by the Department of Education of Shanxi Province to write the Equipment Standards first draft of the primary and middle school counseling room in Shanxi Province, based on her extensive experience in mental health education work. She wrote about consultation room function planning, the psychological specification room, the individual counseling room, the psychological evaluation room, the sand table room, the emotional discharge room, the music relaxation room, the group counseling activity room, construction specifications, and technical standards. After the study and discussion of the education department, the Standard for the Construction of Psychological Counseling Rooms for Primary and Secondary Schools in Shanxi Province was formally released. This standard has played an invaluable role in regulating the construction of schools’ psychological counseling rooms and improving the quality of their mental health ed-

ucation. After some time, other provinces issued similar documents, all of which referenced the Shanxi provincial standard.

Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Huixin Shi directly promoted the formulation and improvement of China’s industry standards.

To provide Chinese youth with multiple perspectives on mental health education and better results, Huixin Shi has also actively introduced foreign education projects. For example, in 2015, she introduced the US to the Olympic Maker Education STEM that encourages young people to think and create. In the past three years, under the assistance of the National Education Bureau, she has held several seminars for creating guest education, and she has gradually established thousands of classrooms for educating students across the country to cultivate a new generation of Chinese young people in science, technology, machinery, and mathematics.

As the pioneer and leader of Chinese youth mental health education, Huixin Shi has devoted her profound knowledge and energy to the education of youth mental health, making outstanding contributions to the promotion of physical and mental health for youth and adults as well. Her unremitting efforts and successful practices are being included in the history of Chinese education.

Standing at the Peak of Wireless Network Application Technology zhou

In the multiple brand companies of Silicon Valley, the owner of the company is also typically aleader in IT technology. This is no exception in China’s IT companies. Xiaohong Sun, founder and CEO of Ideal HardLink, is one such person.

A few days ago, a reporter at the Ninth China-US Business Summit interviewed Xiaohong Sun, after she won the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year award there in Los Angeles.

As early as 2001, network applications had just begun to gain popularity. Xiaohong Sun keenly captured the niche market opportunities in the network application server industry. She chose the network print server product as a breakthrough point, and she occupied the first-mover advantage, independent research, and development, promoting products with technology. In the midst of the promotion, it quickly became mainstream, and it may very well have led to the popularity of print servers in the Chinese market.

Known specifically to be a wireless network application technology expert, Xiaohong Sun led the company’s technical team with tremendous focus, obtaining more than 30 independent intellectual property rights, such as invention patents and utility model patents. After more than ten years of technical research and successful application in the field of print services, the line’s core products independently developed by the fixed network have possessed tireless technical barriers. However, the fixed network has gradually grown its own core competitiveness: wireless remote virtual USB technology. Comparing with wireless USB technology rivals such as Intel, the fixed network technology is stable and reliable; it has strong compatibility, obvious cost advantages, and high added value. It is currently the best carrier for multiple networks, including wireless printing, and application of data communication network protocol. With the advent of the cloud era, computing, and “the Internet of Things,” the core

The Highest Level of Ethics is Like Water by huiMin

CHiNA iT TECHNoLogY LEAdEr XiAoHoNg SuN

by Mingzhu

NA Yu, LEAdEr iN CHiNA’S AdVANCEd WATEr EduCATioN:

technology of the fixed network can transfer and share all data and the intelligent communication between people and things, and between things and things.

This is also the core of the fixed network, facing the future with ease and competitiveness.

The products of the fixed network also have advantages of the small size and high-cost performance. These products not only greatly reduce the various expenses of enterprise IT equipment, but they also save incredibly on social resources, fully complying with energy emission reduction, as well as low-carbon levels, and they have large economic and social benefits. The services have received a high degree of recognition from users from all walks of life. In the selection of the China Computer Users Association, Ideal Fixed Network products won two awards: the Product Innovation Award and the Customer Satisfaction Award; on the government procurement platform, the Ideal Fixed Network became the first print server product supplier; in the capital market, the company also successfully landed on China’s New Third Board, becoming the first in the wireless application field to be listed on the board.

It set up an example of overseas M&A of China’s New Third Board listed companies.

For seven consecutive years since 2006, according to China’s most authoritative technology website with print server brand rankings, Zhong-

guancun, Beijing Ideal Fixed Network served as China’s wireless network application server industry leader, facing HP, Canon, and other international big names; it had a market share of 65.8% and an overall score of 100 points, ranking first in overall advantages.

As Xiaohong Sun still leads China’s wireless network application technology, not only is she the backbone of the Ideal Fixed Network company, but she trailblazes the development of China’s IT industry. She is acclaimed as the chairman of the CEO Salon of the Zhongguancun Talent Association. Xiaohong Sun is also the Deputy director of the IT service professional committee of the Chinese Private Technology Industry Businessmen Association, vice president of the Sanchai Sanban Institute of the company, and dean of the Silicon Valley Branch.

On April 29, 2018, Xiaohong Sun stood at the podium of the China-US Business Summit. At this conference the committee invited her to become a member of the summit. She humbly said, “These honors are the motives that inspire me to move forward.” Looking back, she has gone from Zhongguancun to the Silicon Valley with innovative thought, running forward in the spirit of competition. In today’s era of technological innovations driving companies to progress, IT professionals with their multiple patents will surely be able to create even greater glories.

Bruce Thompson, Honorary Chairman of China-US Business Summit, presenting a certificate for Xiaohong Sun

zhu

The most important part of the opening ceremony for the Ninth China-US Business Summit on April 29th was the awarding of the 2017 Outstanding Entrepreneurs. The winners were selected from hundreds of outstanding entrepreneurs,and a total of six entrepreneurs in China were honored. Na Yu, the first expert in advanced education in China’s waters and also the founder of Lanqi Parent-Child Swimming Center, is one of them.

As an ordinary mother, Na Yu first encountered parent-child swimming. She was very optimistic about the industry and considered the various opportunities in the field still untouched in China. Therefore, she founded the Lanqi parent-child swimming education brand in 2014.

In teaching aid design, she led the team, designed, and produced numerous novel and practical underwater teaching aids, applied for more than six patents at the same time, and she received several independent intellectual property rights. In her curriculum, she designed various types of parent-child classes for babies aged 0-6. For the swimming pool environment, she used an advanced filtering system to ensure the safety of the parents of children.

Under her hard work, the Lanqi brand continues to win various honors; in the selection activity hosted by the China Internet News Center, Lanqi was named Children’s Education Brand Beloved by Parents. The selection activities held at Tencent.com China and Lanqi were awarded as Education

Bruce Thompson, Honorary Chairman of China-US Business Summit, delivering a letter of merit to Ms. Yu

Brands with Social Influence for Children. Lanqi was awarded Excellent Brand at the China International Women and Children Exposition. It was also awarded AnnualBrand at the Central People’s Broadcasting Station’s Central-Education Festival. In addition to the title of Leading Education Group of Comprehensive Strength, Lanqi was also selected as the Most Loved Parent-Child Brand by Chinese Mothers by the leading mother-to-child sale platform in China. Since its establishment in 2014, Lanqi family swimming’s brand has developed into a large chain of nearly 50 stores nationwide, with more than 200 coaches, and 50,000 families.

After more than three years of operation, she created a business miracle from scratch, from small to large.

One of the highest-level international swimming events in 2017 was the World Cup short swimming competition. As the only parent-child swimming brand sponsor, Lanqi made its debut in an international event.

This is also the first time that

awater education institution has appeared in an international competition. In October 2017, Lanqi hosted the International Waters Smart Education Summit at the Olympic landmark Water Cube and invited educational experts and swimmers from multiple countries to participate. The company then drew global attention to the advanced education of Chinese waters.

It was after this series of dazzling transcripts that Na Yu became the first person globally recognized for advanced education in China’s waters. As an outstanding expert in the field, she was invited to attend the Ninth China-US Business Summit. The event was recognized by US political figures, and she was awarded with a certificate of accomplishment. She also presented a keynote speech at the summit forum. Na Yu hopes to disseminate advanced water education concepts to more parents so that more children can enjoy the sport, bringing better experiences to more families.

ZiYi ZHANg, THE LEAdiNg figurE iN THE CHiNESE CuLTurAL ANd iNVESTMENT iNduSTrY

“Live in Contemporary China” - To Build A Business Empire

by Jiang

The name “Ziyi Zhang” may not be very familiar to us, but you must be aware of these Chinese cultural masters who are famous around the world, such as Yu Dan, Yi Zhongtian, Lang Xianping, etc; and you must have heard the singers who moved millions of Chinese fans, such as Liu Dehua, Zhang Xueyou, Cai Qin, Fei Yuqing, etc.

No matter the well-known cultural figures, or the Hong Kong and Taiwan singers, for their hundreds of performances per year in mainland China, the most successful host company behind the scenes is Jilin Province Culture Industry Investment Holding (Group) Co., Ltd. Without any special family background, Ziyi Zhang could monopolize the hosting rights of China’s top cultural activities, which was enough for us to see his leading position in the industry.

As the standing director of China’s top entrepreneur association - China Entrepreneur Association, apart from being popular in the cultural world, Ziyi Zhang is also unique in the field of art collection, and owns the largest private art museum in Jilin province by far. In addition, he also marched towards technology and environmental protection industry, and the environmental protection company that he founded has won over 100 million in the second year.

On the basis of diversifying operation and multifaceted success, Ziyi Zhang also created three private equity funds with tens of billions of RMB in investment: tourism fund, film and TV fund, and art fund.

In March, 2018, China-US Business Summit Jilin Branch was established, and Ziyi Zhang became the president of Jilin branch. Later on April 29, Ziyi Zhang won the honor of “Sum-

US Congresswoman Judy Chu presenting certificate to Mr. Ziyi Zhang

mit Entrepreneur of the Year” in the opening ceremony of China-US Business Summit, and was recognized by many American politicians.

As the so-called society is the best university, Ziyi Zhang has never been to college, but he can effectively integrate undergraduate graduates, master’s graduates and even PhD graduates into his own entrepreneurial team. This is his charming personality of knowing subordinates well and assigning them appropriately. It is this ability and charisma that makes him invincible in the operation of any field.

Ziyi Zhang is a person who has applied the concept of “Scattering money and gathering people” to the extreme. The industry no matter which he operates will be successful.

This has been deeply reflected in his book “Live in Contemporary China” published in September 2016. On February 26, 2018, when Ziyi Zhang signed his name on the legal documents of a U.S. registered company, which means that he took a first step on the road to the United States with his own funds and resources accumulat-

ed in China for many years.

In today’s global economic integration, the entire world has become an inseparable operating community. Therefore, internationalization has become an inevitable path for every entrepreneur in the modern era. Not to reconcile to fall behind in this aspect, Ziyi Zhang is expanding his business to the United States. The field he chose is a highly innovative Chinese-English internet funeral industry, and it may not be long before people can see this brand new industrial model.

After analyzing Ziyi Zhang’s road to success and interpreting his business philosophy, you will no longer be amazed at the commercial miracle that he created in just ten years at the age of forty-one. There is no doubt that Ziyi Zhang has proved to the world that he is ranking among the most outstanding young entrepreneurs in China. And the corporate empire he built is still surprisingly growing day after day. We can expect that in the near future he will write out the world’s remarkable commercial achievements in more fields and at a higher level.

B5 MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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Zhanxu Guo, LeadeR of senIoR taLents aLLoCatIon In ChIna

Jun Gao, LeadeR of ChIna ReaL estate IndustRy

Leading Industrial Reform, Building a Giant Corporation

by Stella

Zhang

Mr. Jun Gao started his career as a finance worker in areal estate agency in 1999. Relying on his valuable skills, Mr. Gao was promoted to General Manager only after three years. During that time, Mr. Gao put forward the Market Share Management Methodology to provide overall management for the company. Under his management, the performance of the company increased over 20% in the next three years, and the annual sales doubled.

In 2009, Mr. Gao joined Homelink Group, becoming vice president of the largest pre-owned house transaction company in China. The objective of the company is to provide the most effective ways of management while facing countless daily trading volumes that have always been a challenge in the industry in China.

After joining Homelink Group, Mr. Gao developed HERP, an enterprise management information system, and he also developed Homelink Digitalized Operation, an internal training book. Over the years, his HERP system and training book never ceased to improve; with his management system in Beijing, the market share of Homelink reached a surprising 50% in 2016, far more than the total of No. 2 to No. 10 in the industry. Since then, the performance of Homelink has soared. In 2016, the annual sales of Homelink reached RMB 230 billion Yuan, with a profit exceeding RMB 5 billion Yuan.

It is Mr. Gao’s management system that makes the gigantic corporation operate with such high efficiency.

In the past 2 decades, Mr. Gao has achieved brilliant suc-

US Congresswoman Judy Chu presenting Mr. Jun Gao certificate

cess in pre-owned house transaction in the industry. Furthermore, Mr. Gao also devoted himself into the education and training of rookies. Up to now, Homelink has reached 28 cities in China, and more than half of the general managers in the stores of the 28 cities were personally trained by Mr. Gao. Due to the effective construction of the middle-level team, the leading position of Homelink has been secured. Other than training young employees, Mr. Gao has been appointed as visiting professor in higher education institutes such as Liaoning University of International Business and Economics and the School of Continuing Education of Tsinghua University.

While possessing over 8,000 stores nationwide and 130,000 agents, Mr. Gao is most concerned with how to present more information on houses to Chinese customers, letting them have undifferentiated information sharing.

He also provided the service purpose of “no acquisition, no price differ-

ence, and no use of the customers’ payment,” which has left revolutionary impacts on house trading markets in China.

As the leader of Chinese real estate industry, Mr. Gao is recognized among the “World’s Top Ten Brokers,” and he has been honored as the annual leader of the Chinese real estate industry, as well as the annual best employer of China multiple times.

He was also invited by domestic and international industrial summits to deliver keynote speeches. In May 2018, Mr. Gao received the annual Outstanding Entrepreneur award at China-US Business Summit, and he gave a keynote speech themed “Digitally-Driven Homelink” at the China-US Real Estate Forum.

Mr. Gao’s Homelink management system has caused reform in the industry of preowned house transactions in China, and it also has created a whole new season for the industry. Mr. Gao’s great contributions have undoubtedly made him the leader in the reform of Chinese real estate industry.

Kick off June with second annual Bayan Masaya in Historic Filipinotown IN response to kababayans who have been calling to ask further details and are excitedly looking forward to the second Bayan Masaya (BM) on Saturday, June 2 at SIPA (3200 W. Temple St. in LA), below are the plans for the day.

Gates will open at 12:00 p.m. with welcome melon drinks and early birds’ ihawihaw catered by Dollar Hits, makers of the popular Filipino-style street food in LA. In lieu of the ribbon cutting ceremony to commence the event, a cake-cutting ceremony will be held. The independence day cakes will be donated by Red Ribbon. The one-hour program scheduled at 1:00pm follows.

SIPA boardmember Dr. Caroucel Chuateco will oversee the health services that is also participated by the St. Vincent Medical Center Transplant and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Institute (THPBI) who will be offering free Fibroscan Screenings.

The Fibroscan is a test which helps determine the state of liver fibrosis. The test also reveals fatty deposits within the liver. It is non-invasive and quick, it provides immediate results. The THPBI has specialists who treat consequences of fatty liver disease. The extra liver fat is generally benign, but it can also develop into a more serious condition. Physicians will be available to consult with and answer any questions you may have.

Perla Santos, APHCV’s Patient & Community Liaison, will provide a workshop on a very important topic affecting the Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders - “Understanding Hepatitis B.” Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world, about 2 out of 3 people in the U.S. with chronic HepB (CHB) are unaware they have it; one out of 12 Asian American & Pacific Islanders have CHB, which is the number 1 cause of liver cancer in Asian Americans. It is important to know one’s liver condition in order to get vaccinated or treated, as the case may be.

The Philippine American Bar

super adviser for top 500 enterprises

by Yu

Fu

It is widely recognized that the 21st century is a time of talents and competition. Talents are a productive force; one person could determine the fate of an enterprise, and one person could escalate the level of an industry.

Thousands of headhunting agencies have mushroomed due to the urgent demand of talents. Capabilities of the agencies vary significantly.

However, in the chaos of industry, ZDL Executive Search has risen like a shining star. Mr. Zhanxu Guo, the founder and CEO of ZDL Executive Search, is recognized as the top expert of the discovery and talents allocation in China.

In the past 18 years, Mr. Guo has successfully led ZDL Executive Search to the position of leading the entire industry, stably ranking in the top four in China. In 2017, ZDL Executive Search got into the top three nationwide.

Up to present, ZDL Executive Search has spread to 22cities in China, with twenty-seven branches and subsidiaries. All of these have made ZDL Execu-

tive Search a talents network of high efficiency across the country. In March 2017, a branch of ZDL Executive Search was established in North California, symbolizing its first step to go international.

Mr. Guo has led significant breakthroughs in the headhunting industry, changing the fact that headhunting agencies were once considered only agencies. Mr. Guo always systematically analyzes the operation situation of enterprises, finds out the specific demands for talents, and provides accurate talents allocation for target enterprises. In this way, the survival and development of enterprises are secured. Also, as the director of China Human Resources Association Senior Talents Search Committee, Mr. Guo has published articles by the titles of “Where is the Business of Headhunting Next” and “The Future of Headhunting.”

His articles are now directing the trend of the headhunting industry as the industrial benchmark.

One enterprise after another has been revived by Mr. Guo, turning into great successes with his effective talents allo-

cation. Mr. Guo has served SF Express for 14 years, during which he has sent 24 executive managers, making SF Express a small shipping company of RMB 400 million Yuan sales into a public company with over RMB 100 billion Yuan market value.

Other than SF Express, much larger companies have achieved great success with Mr. Guo’s talent allocation as well. Country Garden, Evergrande Group, Vanke, and YanGo have all become among the top 500 enterprises in the world.

Under the leadership of Mr. Guo, ZDL Executive Search has received awards for “Ten Best Headhunting Agencies of Chinese Human Resources,” “No. 1 Headhunting Agency for Real Estate Industry in China,” “Top Ten Most Influential Human Resources Brands,” and more.

Mr. Guo himself was honored as “No. 1 Supplier of Leading Human Resource Solutions in Asia Pacific,” “Industry Leader of Chinese Brand Enterprises,” “Annual Individual of the Chinese Human Resources Industry,” and the annual “Outstanding Entrepreneur of the China-US Business Summit.”

Mr. Zhanxu Guo (2nd on the left) receiving certificate from LA County Councilman David Ryu (3rd on the left)

People and Events International award recognizes success of CSUF’s Supplemental Instruction program

Award-winning student leader heading to Disney for summer internship

Photo courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

Association will be offering a free legal clinic and topics on timely immigration issues. Resources for kababayans will also be available, including citizenship, and other helpful topics.

Grandmaster Conrad Manaois, who is the Technical Director for the MOTHER Movement, and his assistants will be providing a 30-minute Filipino martial style Anis-Kali-Eskrima self-defense workshop. Kababayans are encouraged to participate and try the return-demo training which is empowering and fun.

The Sarao Philippine jeepney operated by PWC will also conduct a tour for guests desiring to get a glimpse of Historic Filipinotown, the only place in the whole U.S., with Filipino in its name. Be sure to register on site if you wish to ride the jeepney.

Several entertainment numbers - folkdances are being prepared by kababayans led by Cres Go. Those interested to join may please send and email to the address below or see us at our senior line dance-tai-chi & Karaoke activity at SIPA every Friday afternoon from 2-5 p.m.

Karaoke enthusiasts could excitedly look forward to a competition that will also serenade their kababayans with their rendition of Original Pilipino Music that are either Pilipino or English songs composed by Filipino artists. Tess Nones and Loloy Go are coordinating the sing-along contest.

After the program, there will be a merienda cena comprised of Filipino delicacies catered

by Fiesta Fastfood. We request

pot-luck donations from friends and benefectors to augment our food. The event is free for all so come and show your Filipino patriotism in your Pinoy-inspired T-shirts and other native-design outfit – barongs, patadiongs, salakots, kimonas, and more.

As added feature, free fruits, vegetables and other delicacies will also be distributed to all interested patrons on a first-comefirst served basis. There will be games to be conducted by Ely Cabungcal and raffle of door prizes that will culminate the event. Winners have to be present to claim their prizes.

The event is collaborated by SIPA, FASGI, PWC, Manaois Martial Arts System, the HiFi Tennis Association, Tender Loving Care Family Caregiver Foundation and received support from Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, LA District 13 Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, among others.

The other Committee members include Yey Coronel, Dorothy Gamoning, Malou Villacisneros, Andy Ramacho and Romy Borje.

The 2nd Bayan Masaya (which stands for Bayanihan sa Araw na Makasaysayan), is a Health, Cultural and Resources Fair to commemorate the Philippines’ 120th independence. This is a project of the MOTHER Movement that was conceptualized in 2011 by Perla Santos, together with special projects director Rosanne Munoz. For more information, please email Perla at mother-pearl@hotmail.com or rosanne0517@gmail.com. ■

A CAL State Fullerton Supplemental Instrucprogram that helps stution Program by the dents successfully comInternational Center plete historically difficult for Supplemental Incourses is being recogstruction at the Uninized for not only meeting versity of Missouriits core mission, but for Kansas City. increasing retention and “Our program is graduation rates. recognized for our CSUF’s Supplemental commitment to exInstruction Program, an cellence in providing academic assistance proa large-scale, qualgram that provides weekity SI program, and ly, peer-led group study Trista O’Connell, assistant director of CSUF’s Supplemental the impact we have sessions for students in Instruction Program, meets with Nick Minyon, who is receiving been able to make on key gateway or histori- an international award for helping other students succeed. student learning and cally difficult courses, is development,” says being honored today with the grown to include coursework in Trista O’Connell, assistant direc2018 Outstanding SI Program business, the humanities and ki- tor of the program. “It is an expeAward during the International nesiology. This academic year, rience that affects all it touches: Conference on Supplemental In- more than 330 course sections students, faculty, staff and adhave been supported by the ministrators.” struction.

In addition, Supplemental program, geared to serve about Data indicate the program Instruction Senior Leader Nick 20,000 students enrolled in SI- works. Students who participate Minyon, a member of the Class supported courses. in the program pass the gateway The program has received Na- courses at a rate of 83 percent, of 2008, is receiving this year’s Outstanding SI Mentor Award at tional Science Foundation and compared with 76 percent of the conference, which is being Department of Education fund- those who do not take part in the ing and been recognized by the program. In chemistry classes, held in Seattle.

Begun in 2007, the program California State University sys- the rate is even higher: an 85 initially focused on STEM cours- tem as a Center for Excellence. It percent completion rate vs. 76 es and majors. Since then, it has also has been named a Certified u PAGE B6

PH debt affordability at risk as peso...

PAGE B1 t

at another near 12-year low to P52.70 per dollar last Friday, weighed down by geopolitical tensions and worries over a likely United States interest rate hike next month.

It was currency’s lowest close since a P52.74:$1 finish on July 19, 2006.

The current account deficit, meanwhile, more than doubled last year as merchandise imports outstripped outbound shipments.

The 2017 shortfall ballooned to $2.5 billion from $1.2 billion a year earlier and was equivalent to 0.8 percent of gross domestic product.

Moody’s — which holds a ‘Baa2’ investment grade rating with a stable outlook for the Philippines — also pointed out that yields had edged higher in the country, but by less than 40 basis points since mid-May compared with an 80-bps increase in

Indonesia since the start of the month.

“For Indonesia and the Philippines which have relatively high foreign-currency debt levels (40 percent and 37 percent at the end of 2017, respectively), further currency depreciation and rising yields would diminish debt affordability, which we measure as the ratio of interest payments to revenue or GDP,” it said.

Owing to a low revenue base, debt affordability is already weaker than the 8.2 percent median for Baa-rated sovereigns for both economies, the debt watcher said.

Foreign exchange movements and the issuance of government securities saw the national government’s outstanding debt rise to P6.878 trillion in March, the Bureau of the Treasury reported earlier this month.

Domestic borrowings accounted for the bulk or P4.465 trillion,

0.8 percent higher from February, while external debt rose by 0.93 percent to P2.413 trillion.

Outstanding debt a year earlier was P6.189 trillion with domestic and foreign obligations at P3.967 trillion and P2.221 trillion, respectively.

The peso, it noted, weakened to P52.25 against the dollar as of end-March from February’s P52.07:$1. The exchange rate a year earlier was P50.21:$1.

The rise in foreign debt for the month “was due to the combined effect of peso depreciation and the upward adjustment in third currency-denominated debt amounting to P8.26 billion and P1.72 billion, respectively,” the bureau said.

Economic managers recently approved an increase in foreign debt, revising this year’s financing program to a 65:35 mix — still in favor of domestic borrowings — from the previous 74:26. ■

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Community Journal

International award recognizes success...

PAGE B5 t

percent for non-SI participants, says O’Connell.

What makes the program succeed is the collaboration among faculty, staff and administrators and the strong, positive working relationship between the divisions of academic and student affairs, O’Connell notes. “A unique component of the program is the position and role of the SI faculty liaison. These are faculty members who lead the groups of student leaders. They are responsible for coordinating and leading weekly meetings with the leaders, which aid in the further development of the leaders.”

The program’s more than 120 SI leaders — students who work with a specific course section and professor for the semester — also are credited with the program’s success. They attend most of the course lectures, serve as model students, facilitate weekly SI study sessions, conduct peer observations and attend weekly leader meetings.

“Throughout their service, these student leaders provide support and mentorship to their peers while gaining experience in leadership, organization and

EMPLOYMENT

teaching,” O’Connell says. “These students truly make the program a success by their diligent efforts with their peers,” she adds. “And there is plenty of growth as they move from the first tier, the SI internship program, to the Senior Leadership Program. Their experiences truly aid many leaders in their academic and professional futures.

“The SI Program at CSUF is a team effort across the campus,” she adds. “It is through collaboration and communication that all voices are heard, and the needs of students, departments and greater campus community are met.”

Learning by leading When newly minted graduate Minyon returns from Seattle after receiving the 2018 Outstanding SI Mentor Award, he will be joining Disney as a summer intern.

The business administrationeconomics and entertainment and tourism management degree-holder says there is much that he will be able to utilize in his future business career. He cites presenting material and training others, developing plans and setting goals for the team and for himself, as examples.

“I have been lucky to be an SI senior leader for two years.

To see my work recognized at an international conference is just beyond anything I could am imagined. I’m so grateful for this experience.”

Minyon was approached about becoming an SI leader by his history professor, following his completion of two world civilizations courses — both required for a B.A. in history.

“He knew I had a passion, even though it was not my major,” explains Minyon, who continued to serve as a leader for the course, as well as a senior leader for the History Department. In that role, he supervised the department’s other SI leaders, running presemester training programs and leading weekly meetings.

“I see people start to understand the subject, putting things together and am thrilled that I had a direct role in their success.

“SI is truly about students gaining an understanding of the material by working with other students and not just with a leader,” Minyon says of the program.

“I think that’s what makes it truly special.”n

EMPLOYMENT

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018 B

Underground utility investigative work commences in LAX terminal area Intermittent lane closures will be in effect on West Way and Center Way

INTERMITTENT lane closures will be in effect Monday through Friday from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. beginning Wednesday, May 30 through August 31, 2018 throughout West Way and Center Way to conduct underground utility investigative explora-

tion. Work will be conducted by LINXS, the Automated People Mover developer. One lane of traffic will be maintained at all times.

Work will be performed during off-peak hours to minimize impacts. Motorists are encouraged

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

SERVICES

to allow for additional travel time within the Terminal Loop. There will be no impacts to World Way. For additional information about the Automated People Mover project, visit www.flylax. com/connectinglax. n

B MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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Paramount Unified Schools named to California Honor Roll for commitment to equity in education

Gaines Elementary School students enjoy curriculum focused on vocabulary development and writing across genres. The school’s academic excellence earned Gaines a place on the 2017-18 California Honor Roll.

PARAMOUNT Unified’s Abraham Lincoln and Wesley Gaines Elementary schools were named to the 2017-18 California Honor Roll in recognition of their commitment to academic excellence and narrowing the achievement gap.

The honor is given by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) and sponsored by the Campaign for Businesses and Educational Excellence (CBEE), based on the results of state standardized tests in math and English language arts (ELA) taken in

spring 2017. Both schools were named Star Schools, a category for schools that have a third or more students from high-poverty homes.

“We are thrilled to be named to the California Honor Roll,” Lincoln Principal Topekia Jones said. “Every Lincoln student, from transitional kindergarten to grade five, has an expectation of going to college. To accommodate students with diverse learning needs, we personalize the learning experience.”

Jones credits Lincoln’s suc-

cess to a systematic approach to thinking and writing, parent involvement and a strong college-going culture. Students are taught to break down math and English concepts and to justify their work in class.

Gaines Elementary incorporates 1:1 Chromebook implementation at grade 3, while all students have access to three computer labs. Teachers stress vocabulary development and writing across genres in classrooms, while weekly collaborations allow teachers to discuss

Lincoln Elementary School students pose during a Black History Museum event. Lincoln was named to the 2017-18 California Honor Roll in recognition of its commitment to academic excellence.

best practices.

“Through ongoing professional development and parent involvement, Gaines ensures learning and success for every student, Gaines Principal Michael Naruko said. “Gaines supports its students by instilling a culture of high expectations.”

Composed of local and state business and education leaders,

the ERP/CBEE coalition seeks recognition for school and districts that are dedicated to narrowing the achievement gap and preparing their students for a 21st-century economy. The Honor Roll is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and highlight practices that improve outcomes for schools.

“Paramount Unified is fully committed to providing every student the tools to succeed in college and career,” Paramount Superintendent Dr. Ruth Pérez said. “The ERP recognizes the hard work and determination of our teachers and administrators to create a positive learning environment that is equitable and rigorous.” n

Price, quality of Grab...

PAGE B1 t the market after Uber drivers switched apps.

The antitrust body based the post-acquisition price increase on more than 27,000 booking requests and 1,100 rides surveyed before and after Uber’s exit on April 16. PCC said the surveys gathered information on the actual prices, service and booking conditions of Grab and its potential competitors.

The deal has “resulted and will likely continue to result in substantial lessening of competition in the relevant market,” PCC said.

Moreover, PCC found out that transport network companies (TNCs) such as Grab cater to a captive market, “an overwhelming majority” of whom would still choose to book a ride despite price increases.

Amid pressure to allow more players in the market, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has so far accredited five TNCs. PCC, however, said that historical data showed that it would require “a significant amount of time and cost” to grow their operations that would be enough to contest Grab.

“During such period, Grab will not be constrained by any com-

petitor, allowing it to exercise its market power in the relevant market. Therefore, the [MAO] finds that new entrants in the relevant market are not likely to exert sufficient competitive pressure on Grab,” PCC said.

The parties involved have 10 days to comment on the statement of concerns. A representative from PCC said that Grab and Uber received their copies last May 23.

In April, PCC tried to keep Grab from flexing its muscles in the market unchecked by imposing some interim measures. However, this became more difficult after the LTFRB stepped in.

Prior to the release of its statement of concerns, PCC imposed interim measures on Grab and Uber to keep the findings of the review accurate, which included the resumption of independent and separate operations for the time being.

Scheduled to end its services on April 8, Uber agreed to extend the availability of its app to April 15 given the ongoing PCC review.

However, following the release of PCC’s interim measures, LTFRB slapped Uber with a ceaseand-desist order, requiring the firm to stop its operations on April 15. n

Drop in competitiveness...

PAGE B1 t

we’re still investment grade!”

Across sub-factors, the country’s ranking crashed in terms of economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.

Arturo Bris, director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center, had reportedly said that compared to other Asian countries, the Philippines lacks appeal for foreign investors despite the nation’s booming economy.

Bris also said that tourism may have suffered from “exchange rate instability and… the political environment.”

“The Philippines’ investments seem to be driven by the public sector. The public sector is not very efficient,” the IMD executive was quoted as saying in a report by BusinessWorld. “So when we rely on public financing, the government becomes a weak spot, because corruption has an overall effect.”

‘Textbook economics’ But according to Beltran, the IMD, which has published the rankings every year since 1989, failed to distinguish between short-term adjustments and long-term prospects and has mistaken the former for “loss in competitiveness.”

Saying the Philippines’ 2017 current account surplus lifted the country to the 31st spot, Beltran stressed that the IMD’s “use” of the current account as a measure

of competitiveness was like “the misguided mercantilist thinking that the greater the surplus, the better it is for the economy.”

“In the first place, it really makes no sense to rank economies based on the size of their current account balances relative to GDP (gross domestic product) if the objective is to assess competitiveness,” Beltran said.

“The depreciation in the currency was also noted and was associated with more instability.

But textbook economics teaches that a country’s competitiveness improves as its currency depreciates!” he added.

A widening trade gap has brought the nation’s current account position from a surplus to a deficit, which is expected to further swell and weaken the peso.

For this year, the central bank expects a current account deficit of $700 million, accounting for 0.2 percent of GDP. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier expressed disbelief over IMD’s latest competitiveness rankings, explaining that the Philippines’ growth rates and reforms “have been faster.”

“Lower on economic growth?

Infrastructure growth? Business efficiencies? But we have one of the fastest growth in the world.

Faster than most peers. And infrastructure improvements done on some and continuing,” Lopez said in reaction to the report. n

Gov’t opens ‘Jobs, Jobs, ...

PAGE B1 t According to the DOF, local construction firms need to compete with companies overseas and provide better compensation packages to address the high demand for skilled workers now.

“The biggest, boldest, and most ambitious infrastructure plan of the Philippine govern-

ment is also helping us create more jobs for the Filipinos,” Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said.

“That is why we encourage everyone especially job seekers to utilize this new Jobs Jobs Jobs Portal and help us build vital infrastructure projects across the country,” Villar added. n

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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2018 B

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Photos courtesy of Center Theatre Group / Craig Schwartz on cover

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

Conrad Ricamora stars in ‘Soft Power,’ a political musical from an Asian perspective by

Christina M. Oriel / AJPress

“Do you mind if I’m on the elliptical during this?” actor Conrad Ricamora asks on a recent afternoon during a phone interview.

For the next 30 minutes, Ricamora talks about the latest stage role that has been filling his time before ABC’s legal drama series “How to Get Away with Murder” — in which he plays oliver Hampton — starts filming season five this summer.

This entire conversation is devoid of any indication that he’s out of breath.

“It’s good training,” he says with a laugh.

In two hours, he’ll then make his way to the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, where’s starring in “Soft Power,” a musical by Tony Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang (“M. Butterfly”) and composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”) that premiered on May 16.

The production, billed as a “play with a musical,” is produced by Center Theatre Group, directed by Leigh Silverman and choreographed by Sam Pinkleton.

Coming back to the stage feels like home for Ricamora, who spends most of his year working on the TV show.

“There is no replacement for that immediate sharing of energy with an audience in that theater that you can’t get from TV or film. Those two forms have great things too that theater doesn’t, but that shared experience that lives and dies every single night is something you can’t replicate or find anywhere else. Also, there is a sense of ensemble that happens in theater because everyone shows up at the same time every night to tell a story. There are times where I go a week or two without seeing some of the cast on the TV show because we don’t shoot the same scene,” he says.

In “Soft Power,” Ricamora plays Xue Xing, a Chinese film executive who visits the United States trying to do an American show set in Shanghai. There, he meets with a man named David Henry Hwang (Francis Jue) — who is loosely based on the real playwright — and encounters presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (Alyse Alan Louis).

“It is such a complex show about really sensitive top-

ics. People should just go see it…they are bound to have an experience like no other in the theater,” Ricamora says, trying to describe all the elements that go into the musical.

Another layer of the story jumps 50 years later and recounts the 2016 presidential election from a Chinese lens and with China as the main world leader. Essentially, this turns the tables on musicals like “The King and I.” What if American culture and historical events were told from an outside perspective?

“A part of what David and Jeanine are doing is sincerely turning the idea of ‘The King and I’ on its head. Rodgers and Hammerstein, who are white people, wrote ‘The King and I,’ probably with really good intentions but without any real knowledge of Thailand or anywhere in that area. What happened years down the road when China is now the world power, what America was like way back 100 years ago, and what they would write about it, they might get it wrong the way Rodgers and Hammerstein probably got a lot of things wrong when they wrote ‘The King and I,’” Ricamora says.

Hwang, the only Asian American playwright to win a Tony Award, has stated in interviews his complicated relationship with “The King and I” and how that largely influenced the writing of “Soft Power.” The story was originally part of a commission to mark the 50th anniversary of the Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum.

“I’ve always loved ‘The King and I,’ it’s been a show that has moved me since I was a kid.

But as I’ve gotten older, there’s this complicated feeling where I know it is kind of inauthentic and making a political point subtly— reinforcing the dominance of the West. But it’s done so beautifully that by the end of it I’m still in tears,” Hwang said previously in a conversation with CTG’s Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

For Ricamora, whose past work includes Lun Tha in “The King and I,” being able to take a critical look at the beloved musical and star in a production written by someone who is Asian American, alongside fellow Asian American actors, is unprecedented.

A recent study by the Asian

Actor Conrad Ricamora, best known for his role on ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder,” returns to the stage in David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori’s “Soft Power” at the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre, which runs until June 10.

Photo courtesy of Center Theatre Group

Fil-Am actor Conrad Ricamora stars as Xue Xing, a Chinese film executive in “Soft Power.”

Photo by Craig Schwartz

American Performers Action Coalition found that in 2015-16, the number of Asian Americans decreased to 4 percent, the steepest drop among all the groups.

“It’s been an interesting process because the production of ‘The King and I’ that I did at the Lincoln Center was done with a lot of integrity. But when you start with something that was written by people who never even went to the area where the show takes place, then there is bound to be inaccuracies,” he said. “What’s so great about ‘Soft Power’ is turning that convention on its head and to finally be able to play an Asian man who is three-dimensional and what if all of the white characters on the show are based on ideas that Chinese people had of America even if they were trying to do it with the best of intentions.”

Ricamora, who is of Filipino descent on his father’s side, says that acting has in some respects brought him closer to his heritage.

His father came to the United States from the Philippines at 10 years old and “tried to be very American.”

“Even when he was raising us, my brother and [me], he didn’t teach us Tagalog...I think maybe because he left when he was a little kid, he didn’t want us to have an accent or anything.

But we did go to Fil-Am events and I remember that sense of camaraderie,” he recalls, mentioning that he mainly grew up in

The cast of “Soft Power”

Ricamora as Xue Xing and Alyse Alan Louis as Hillary Clinton

Photos by Craig Schwartz

Ricamora and Kendyl Ito

the South. one of this notable roles was Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. in “Here Lies Love” — the musical about former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos — which was an “immediate immersion into Filipino history.”

“That meant the world to me to learn about the country that runs through my blood that I’ve never had the chance to talk or learn about. I got to do it on stage for a couple of years alongside other Filipinos,” he shares. “It felt very rewarding and it was a safe space for us to all be ourselves and tell our stories.”

For “Soft Power,” Ricamora was offered the role of Xue Xing the same day he got a call back. Leading up to rehearsals, he worked with a dialect coach to master the way his character speaks.

“It lends a lot to how [my character] moves through the world and gets what he wants and I don’t want to say aggression... but his determination to really get his country and culture seen,” he says. “It’s something that I feel all Asian people can tap into because we haven’t been able to see ourselves on screen. We talk about shows that are whitewashing Asian characters so that kind of desire to move forward our representation in media is something that was really easy for me to tap into.”

The cast of “Soft Power” is predominantly Asian American, including Filipino Americans Billy Bustamante (whose Broadway credits include “Miss Saigon”), Jaygee Macapugay (“School of Rock”), Maria-Christina oliveras (“Amelie”), and Geena Quintos (“Miss Saigon”).

Ricamora has worked with most of the cast members before so “it feels like family” to reunite with them.

With the 24/7 information cycle and saturation of news, perhaps a political musical is the last thing viewers may want to see. There are no mentions of the current U.S. president’s name in it.

However, Ricamora believes “Soft Power” provides that space for the audience to take a step back from what’s happening outside the theater’s walls.

L-R: Maria-Christina Oliveras (obscured), Geena Quintos, Billy Bustamante, Ricamora, Jaygee Macapugay, Jon Hoche and Daniel May Photo by Craig Schwartz

L-R: Ricamora, Austin Ku, Francis Jue, Geena Quintos, Billy Bustamante and Raymond J. Lee Photo by Craig Schwartz

Reviews for it have mostly been written in praise for its boldness.

“It’s the ability to laugh at the things that have happened in the last two years since the 2016 presidential election,” he says of his main takeaway of the musical. “It has been such a dark and trying time filled with so much doubt, fear, and anger so it’s nice to go to the theater and just laugh about it and get new insight into it as well. It’s a release for all the things that have been happening and I think that has been a great joy. Also the conversations that people are immediately having during and after the show.”

That’s the beauty of an art form like theater. It doesn’t remain stagnant and each performance is never truly the same as the one that came before it.

Having to keep up with real-life updates and changes has kept Ricamora on his toes.

“Working with David and Jeanine has been the greatest challenge. Their ability to shift dialogue and the story and sharpen and specify things is really, really quick. Being able to keep up with that has been one of the most rewarding and challenging things I’ve ever done in my career,” he says. on the morning of this interview with Ricamora, news broke that the U.S. would pull out of an upcoming summit with North Korea. “I’ve never been part of a show where headlines can really change it,” he muses.

“It’s constantly evolving every day, isn’t it? The news today, it talks about how precarious [U.S.-Asia relations] are. I just read something in the New York Times about how backing out from the summit with North Korea could potentially benefit China, giving it a leg up in world politics. That’s what our show is about: imagining if China becomes a dominant leader, not just politically, but culturally as well. There are signs of that starting to happen because we’re not willing to work and have that dialogue with other nations.”

There are symbols within “Soft Power” that satirize the image of today’s American society, especially abroad, including McDonald’s and being gun-obsessed. The week before, yet another mass shooting at a school occurred in Santa Fe, Texas and that “completely changed the tone of our show,” Ricamora mentions.

“It’s a very much living and breathing work of art in a way that I’ve never been a part of

before,” he adds.

“Soft Power” runs until June 10 at the Ahmanson Theatre before making its way to the Curran Theater in San Francisco from June 20 to July 8.

After that, Ricamora heads back to the studio for the fifth season of “How to Get Away with Murder,” which will film until next February.

“I wish I knew. They don’t tell us anything,” he says, laughing, of what the audience can expect of oliver in the upcoming season. “They’re in the writers’ room right now cooking up all kinds of stories but they’re sending us any updates or anything.

You’ll know when I know.”

Ricamora was promoted as a series regular in season three for his portrayal of oliver, an IT specialist and HIV-positive gay man who is the love interest of Connor Walsh (Jack Falahee), one of Annalise Keating’s (Viola Davis) law students.

“The main thing that I identify with is how oliver really wants love in his life and wants a relationship. He struggles with that and I’ve struggled with that in less dramatic ways but I definitely identify with wanting to have that closeness with someone else but not knowing how to do that. Now that he’s a part of this group, he blossomed into feeling at home with these people,” he says.

To be an Asian American actor as a regular on primetime network show is “huge,” Ricamora says, because he didn’t see representation for himself growing up.

“It’s not something I usually think about until someone shows up at the stage door, like someone did a week ago, in tears because they finally feel like they have representation.

There are all these letters that come into the theater from people all over the country who are thanking me for just being on TV. It’s very strange to take credit for because I’m not a politician out there making new laws for representation. I’m just doing my job as an actor, but it’s an unexpected reward for doing the work that I want to do,” he says, adding, “I’m glad I can be that for other people.”

“Soft Power” is at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles until June 10 with performances Tuesday-Sunday (8 p.m. Tues-Fri; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday). It is approximately two hours and 20 minutes including intermission.

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

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features The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

Wil Dasovich on inspiring people online

by IzA IglesIAs ManilaTimes.net

FILIPINO-AMERICAN Wil Dasovich is prominently known as a housemate in the reality television show “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7” in 2016, but prior to that, he has endeared himself to Filipinos with his fluent Tagalog and quirky use of gay lingo in his video blogs, or commonly known as vlogs, shared in popular video-sharing website YouTube.

Despite big chances of making it to show business, he decided to continue on inspiring Filipinos around the world through his never-ending adventure from country to country as he experiences different cultures and lives. His videos are also well-known for his high energy, wild antics, fitness, food and motivational talks.

“After ‘PBB’, I’m back to my normal living. I’ve been

doing YouTube even before [I got to] the show, at that time I already have a few thousand subscribers. Entering the ‘PBB’ house was like a break from the YouTube world. I was in the house for three months and then after that, I went straight back to YouTube and pick up where I left off,” Dasovich said during the press conference of YouTube FanFest at the World Trade Center.

“A lot of people thought I wanted to be an artist but I never planned that. Before going inside, I said that the whole point for me was to show to television everything that goes on YouTube because at that time, vlogging was still not known for most of the people here in the Philippines. And so after “PBB”, I got a lot of my other housemates to do vlogging and they also became content creators. A year after that, vlogging become very mainstream and normal type of thing here. That was the point, para mapansin yung vlogging community,” he explained.

Today, the 26-year-old continues to make videos about his daily life on his vlog “Wil’s World” where he was able to share his recent battle in fighting colon cancer.

He refused to let his diagnosis last year slow him down, and chose to continue to daily record his treatment and recovery as a way to stay positive, encourage fellow cancer patients and keep his audience close.

Beside him throughout his entire cancer story and road to recovery is his buddy—now girlfriend—model and cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao whom he also met through YouTube and award shows.

Wil Dasovich

Inquirer.net photo

“It was weird because he was the healthiest person I know—he exercises, he eats well. He is also the person who always convinces me to eat healthier because I love sweets.

I don’t really exercise that much because I do a lot of things,” Gosiengfiao shared.

“Of course, things happen. I just give all my support because what’s also important was the amount of time I should spend with him. You work and come back lang naman eh. After everything, after overcoming the challenge, that’s when we can go back to normal,” she further noted.

Indeed, Dasovich’s perseverance and positivity touched the hearts of audiences around the world, and because of this, his subscribers skyrocketed to one million in a few months—a milestone that he thought was a few years away.

And just in April, Dasovich was named Vlogger of the Year by the 10th Shorty Awards, an award-giving body for social media which honors “the best of social media by recognizing the influencers, brands, and organizations on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Musically and more.”

“It’s surreal. Parang di ako makapaniwala hanggang ngayon pero masaya ako. I never thought I would win an international award in New York City along with the top creators. It was definitely crazy,” he enthused.

Finally, Dasovich added that he continues to seek medical advice amid his revelation of being cancer-free in February.

“It’s a continuous battle.

It’s something you have to deal with throughout the years which is a misconception that a lot of people kind of forget. All of us have challenges in life but what is more important is how you react to the challenges you face.

That will really define you, your character and how you go on and succeed,” he ended.

Asia Society names 2018 Best Employers for Asian Pacific Americans NEW YORK — Goldman Sachs was named “overall best employer” as part of Asia Society’s 2018 Best Asian Pacific American (APA) Employer Awards, followed by KPMG and Colgate-Palmolive. The global investment bank was also recognized as best employer for developing workforce skills.

“We believe we perform at our best when we foster an environment that maximizes the potential of all of our people and reflects the communities and cultures in which we operate,” said Suzzanne Yao, co-head of the Asian Professionals Network at Goldman Sachs.

Now in their ninth year, the awards honor employers at the forefront of promoting and developing Asian Pacific American (APA) talent. Awardees are selected based on the quality of their APA workforce initiatives and the results from Asia Society’s annual Asian Corporate Survey, which measures the experience of APAs at Fortune 500 and other large companies.

More than 2,800 APA employees participated in the 2018 survey.

The digital media company BuzzFeed, a newcomer to the survey, won best employer for “APA employee resource groups (ERG).” Edwin Wong, BuzzFeed’s senior vice president for research and insights, and the executive sponsor of APOP, the company’s Asian-affinity ERG, says a third of all U.S. BuzzFeed employees have attended at least one of its events, improving companywide understanding of the diversity of the Asian culture and experience.

“Adding to the success, the vast majority of our Asian workforce are also saying this ERG has increased their sense of belonging at BuzzFeed in our annual employee satisfaction survey,” Wong added.

Other best employer winners include: • Chevron for “marketing & support to the APA community;” • Discover for “promoting APAs into senior leadership

positions;” • KPMG for “sponsorship;” • Marriott for “LGBT Asian employees;” and • Medtronic for “promoting APA women.”

Asia Society will present the awards on June 20 in New York City, in conjunction with the 2018 Corporate Insights Summit.

Finalists and winners are chosen based on a combination of employee survey results (80 percent) and scores from a blind panel of expert judges (20 percent). Employees of Asia Society are not involved in the awards decisions. Below is the full list of 2018 award winners.

Best Employer Awards Overall Best Employer for APAs: Goldman Sachs Distinguished Performance: KPMG Noteworthy Performance: Colgate-Palmolive Best Employer for APAs to Develop Workforce Skills: Goldman Sachs Distinguished Performance: Chevron Noteworthy Performance: KPMG Best Employer for APA Employee Resource Groups: BuzzFeed Distinguished Performance: 3M Noteworthy Performance: AT&T Best Employer for LGBT Asian Employees: Marriott Distinguished Performance: BNY Mellon Noteworthy Performance: Medtronic Best Employer for Marketing & Support to APA Community: Chevron Distinguished Performance: Medtronic Noteworthy Performance: Marriott Best Employer for Promoting APAs into Senior Leadership Positions: Discover Distinguished Performance: Goldman Sachs Noteworthy Performance: 3M Best Employer for Promoting APA Women: Medtronic Distinguished Performance: Marriott

Noteworthy Performance: Goldman Sachs Best Employer for Sponsorship of APAs: KPMG Distinguished Performance: AT&T Noteworthy Performance: PG&E Best Practice Citations Asian Pacific American Employee Resource Groups: AT&T, BuzzFeed, Chevron, Credit Suisse, Nielsen Community Commitment: AT&T, Freddie Mac, KPMG, Marriott, Medtronic, Proctor & Gamble, Walmart Employee Growth & Advancement: Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Freddie Mac, Medtronic Market Opportunities: Chevron, Freddie Mac, Goldman Sachs, KPMG, Marriott, Medtronic LGBT Asian Employees: 3M, Goldman Sachs, Marriott, PG&E, Prudential Profit & Loss Leadership Development: Chevron, Credit Suisse, Medtronic, Nielsen Promoting Asian Pacific American Women: AT&T, Credit Suisse, JPMorgan Chase, Medtronic Recruitment and Selection: Goldman Sachs, IBM, KPMG, Medtronic, Nielsen, Prudential Retention: AT&T, Chevron, Goldman Sachs, KPMG, Prudential Sponsorship: AT&T, KPMG, Marriott, Proctor & Gamble, Prudential Asia Society Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to address a range of challenges facing Asia and the rest of the world. Asia Society has cultural centers and public buildings in New York, Hong Kong, and Houston, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, Tokyo, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington, D.C., and Zurich. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, Asia Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration between Asia and the world.

(Advertising Supplement)

Angelica Panganiban on her journey so far: I’m happy

by Alfred

BAyle

ManilaTimes.net

ACTRESS Angelica Panganiban has been reminiscing about her past twenty-five years in the entertainment industry.

Panganiban shared her thoughts through an Instagram post dated May 26. The photo she posted was taken at the Lakawon Island Resorts & Spa, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, during a shoot. She wrote on the caption, “Dalawampu’t limang taon na ko sa industriya.

Akala mo, kapag ganun ka na katagal, madami ka ng natutunan. Napundar. Napatunayan.

Pero, eto ako. Alam ko, eto pa lang ako. Masaya ko. Kahit eto pa lang ako. Eto pinaniniwalaan ko. At sapat sakin to. Ayoko ng sobra. Dun ako sa sapat. Kaya masaya ako.(I’ve been in the industry for twenty-five years.

You’d think, working that long, you’ve already learned a lot.

Achieved a lot. Proved a lot.

But here I am. I know this is still

with friend John Pratts while they were at a resort in Bacolod City. Panganiban captioned the photo with, “My source of positivity.”

Panganiban’s post did not hint on what project she is currently working on, but her Instagram Stories showed Pratts and Ryan Bang may be involved.

Panganiban got her first regular show at the age of six when she joined the cast of the children’s variety show “Ang TV”. As she grew up, she took on more mature roles, such as her role in “Santa Santita” where she received Best Actress nominations in the Film Academy of the Philippines, FAMAS Awards and ENPRESS Golden Screen Awards. She also gained Angelica Panganiban Inquirer.net photo praise for her role in “A Love all I am. I’m happy. Even if I’ve Story”. only gone this far. I believe in As a comedienne, Panthis. And this is enough for me. ganiban has been famous for I don’t want too much. I’m for her funny catchphrases and what’s enough. That’s why I’m one-liners, earning her the happy.)” nickname “hugot queen.” Some She also shared a snapshot Continued on Page 6

Dingdong, Anne reunite in a not-a-love-story movie

by Christina

alpad

ManilaTimes.net

WHILE working together is nothing new for anne Curtis and Dingdong Dantes, being paired opposite each other is definitely a first for both box-office stars.

Curtis and Dantes first met in the teen-oriented TV show, “T.G.I.s”—she at 14 and he at 18—but they were given different partners at that time. Curtis was with Chubi del Rosario while Dantes was with antoinette Taus.

Hence, the latest Viva Films movie “sid and aya: Not a Love story” marks the Princess of all Media and the 49th Box Office Entertainment awards’ Film actor of the Year’s firstever screen pairing, much to the delight of their huge following.

“When we first worked together 20 years ago, sobrang bata pa ako nun and support roles lang ako palagi. Hindi ko ever naisip na magkakatambal kami. In that sense, this teamup is 20 years in the making,” Curtis recalled during the movie’s media conference. “anne was very familiar in the set. When she joined us in the show, she came from the big movie ‘Magic Kingdom’ and she also happens to be the youngest in the set, so she easily stood out. Yung familiarity in working with each other, I believe ay hindi nawala,” Dantes, meanwhile, shared.

The 33-year-old actress then added that while they have never played as couples before, their stint in “T.G.I.s” helped them have a right footing in sid and aya.

“I guess it helped na nagkakatrabaho na kami 20 years

After first working together in the ’90s TV show ‘T.G.I.S,’ box-office stars Dingdong Dantes Dantes and Anne Curtis star opposite each other in ‘Sid and Aya: Not A Love Story’. Photo courtesy of Viva Films

ago kasi sobrang kumportable, hindi na kami nagkakailangan sa set ngayon,” Curtis noted. as such, both actors agree that the story of sid and aya could not be more perfect as their first project together.

In the story, Dante plays sid, an insomniac, while Curtis portrays the role of aya, the mysterious woman sid meets and asks to spend time with him as he battles those long, sleepless and empty nights.

Based on the trailer released by Viva Films, Curtis and Dantes displayed such strong chemistry.

But as Dantes’ character sid tells the audience, “Hindi naman lahat ng may ‘I love you,’ ay love story na, eh.”

Hence, the film’s tagline about it not being a love story became an intriguing topic for the audience.

To this, director and writer Irene Villamor (“Camp sawi” and “Meet Me In st. Gallen”), who worked out the story for four years, noted, “Dapat panoorin kung bakit siya hindi love story kahit na tungkol ito

sa mga taong naghahanap ng pagmamahal. It’ll be a giveaway if I tell you why but I am sure you’ll be delighted to find out once you see the movie.”

Even the movie’s actors guaranteed that the story of sid and aya is a refreshing one for the audience to catch.

“Napakaganda po ng material na the moment I read it, I was challenged to find a way to tackle the character and I know, Dingdong felt the same. The characters kasi, hindi sila yung tulad ng mga nakasanayan natin na lumalabas sa pelikula,” Curtis noted, taking pride in their unique characters.

“Maraming interpretations with the great script that direct Irene was able to create. she has the interpretation, us actors have different interpretation and even in the process of editing, the editors could have had a different interpretation of the story. Sobrang naging collaborative effort siya kaya, depending on how you look at it, puwedeng iba-iba rin ang makuha ng audience sa pelikulang ito,” Dantes ended.

Angelica Panganiban on her journey so...

From Page 4 of her funniest lines appear in the book “Para Kay Ex” by Beau ang, for which she wrote the foreword. she’s currently one of the regulars of the gag show

“Banana split”.

Panganiban received Best actress honors from the 2014 Cinema One Originals Film Festival and the 13th Gawad Tanglaw awards, for her role in

“That Thing Called Tadhana”, which was also a major commercial and critical success. a sequel for the film has been hinted at by Panganiban and co-star JM de Guzman.

features 5

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

Exploring the US East Coast and Canada with Super Vacation THE EasT Coast is charming with its many historical attractions, bustling city life, stylish residents, numerous museums, and movie locations — all of which also make it a great summer destination.

In New York, there’s the towering Empire state Building where visitors can get an unobstructed view of the city’s impressive skyline. There’s also the famous statue of Liberty which though shorter, still gives those who conquer its 354 steps to the top, a full view of New York City along the Hudson River. and of course, there are the Metropolitan Museum, One World Trade Center, the United Nations building, Fifth avenue, and the Rockefeller Center among many, many others.

Finding nature amidst the buildings can be done through a stroll through beautiful Central Park, or a visit to the majestic Niagara Falls. a short travel across Upstate New York brings you to Boston, where many of the U.s.’ top universities can be found including the country’s oldest university, Harvard University. Don’t forget to get a photo with its founder’s statue. also don’t forget to taste the state’s famous delicacies like Boston Cream Pie and its Boston lobster. and no visit to the East Coast is truly complete without a visit to the nation’s capitol, Washington D.C where visitors can visit

the United states Capitol and the iconic White House. also make your way around the grassy National Mall, making stops at iconic monuments like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the smithsonian museums. Visit the Corning Museum of glass which has a collection of over 45,000 glass objects — some dating back 3,500 years. as always, super Vacation makes traveling easier through their carefully curated travel packages. If you’re short on

time, super Vacation makes it possible to explore famous east coast destinations in just five days — covering over eight mustvisit spots! If you’re looking for a more relaxed option, opt for their most popular East Coast 7 Days Deluxe Tour (EC7) package which lasts a whole week which means more museums, more fun, and more time to kick back. super Vacation also has an option that brings travelers to Canada in its East Coast & Canada 8 Days Deluxe Tour (ECa8) package. In addition to visiting the East Coast landmarks, you’ll further get to visit the paradiselike Thousand Islands that borders New York and Canada, and make your way through Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal!

Established in 1981, super Vacation specializes in travel packages throughout the U.s. and Canada. To book, or get more information on their tours and rates, call them at (626) 571 2988, or visit them online at www. americaasia.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

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entertainment

‘Atom Araullo is a closet movie star’

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

AlDub no. 1 choice to play ‘Meteor Garden’ Filipino remake

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

asianovela “Meteor Garden.”

The Kapuso actor got 53 perPhenoMenal love team cent of the votes from Twitter nealDub, composed of alden Rich- tizens to play the lead role of Dao ards and Maine Mendoza, topped Ming Si while Kapamilya actor the recent survey by Philstar.

Daniel Padilla followed with 25 com on who Filipinos want to play percent. Kapamilya actor James the lead roles if the Philippines Reid received 16 percent of the will have its own version of the hit votes while Kapuso actor Ruru

by iza igleSiaS ManilaTimes.net

JuST two days before “Citizen Jake”—the comeback movie of veteran director Mike de leon—hit theaters for its commercial release nationwide, he took on social media to publicly express his thoughts on his lead actor, broadcast journalist atom araullo.

In a lengthy Facebook post on May 21, which has now been deleted, de leon started off about how he ended up casting araullo, as he thought it was interesting to work with a real journalist and whom he thought shared his political convictions. “atom is not a professional actor and I only came Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza across his name when he read Philstar.com photo that he had resigned from his Madrid got six percent. job as a reporter in his former The other part of the alDub TV network. and since I never love team dominated the survey wanted a professional actor for with 92 percent of the netizens the lead role of Citizen Jake, I wanting her to play the role of thought it is interesting to work Shan Cai. Kapamilya singer Sarah with someone whose work was Geronimo and actress nadine journalism and who I thought I lustre only got four percent and shared my political conviction,” two percent respectively, while the post read.

Kapuso actress Barbie Forteza “I have known and worked only got two percent. with outstanding journalists For the role of hua Ze lei, before when I was politically acnew Star Magic talent Donny tive during the latter years of the Pangilinan got 38 percent of Marcos era,” he continued. the netizens’ votes, followed by however, de leon came to Joshua Garcia who 26 percent, realize that araullo’s type of jourGil Cuerva’s 23 percent and ednalism “was not exactly the kind ward Barber’s 13 percent. of journalism I had in mind.” netizens on Facebook and “It’s not the gritty kind but Twitter also tossed in some other more of the celebrity-centered possible actors for the role: Kim schlock that sometimes verges Chiu as Shan Chai; Joseph Marco on entertainment, even showbiz. or Xian lim for Dao Ming Si; and looking back, I can see why Tony labrusca and enrique Gil as he wanted to become a movie members of the F4. actor. Perhaps the journalist was “Meteor Garden” is a 2001 Taiwanese TV series starring Barbie Shu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. Since arriving to the Philippine shore, loS angeles, Ca — In the series hit Filipino viewers by celebration of asian american storm topping the TV ratings.

In november 2017, GMa has and Pacific Islander heritage Month, CaPe (Coalition of asian announced its casting call for the Pacifics In entertainment) and Philippine version of “Boys over u.S. Bank launch Season 4 of the Flowers,” the South Korean ver#Iam Campaign, a series of minision of “Meteor Garden.”

This year, China will release its documentaries showcasing the voices and achievements of asian remake of the well-loved series with Shun Yue as Shan Chai while americans & Pacific Islanders.

This is the first year that CaPe, the F4 will be played by Dylan a non-profit organization that Wang, Darren Chen, Connor champions diversity in entertainleong and Caesar Wu. ment and media, joins forces with u.S. Bank to produce their flagship #Iam digital awareness campaign.

Season 4 highlights the inspiring stories of the following five artists and leaders www.iamcampaign.com): • abhijay Prakash, Coo, DreamWorks animation • aJ Rafael, musician and

Atom Araullo with Mike de Leon at the set of ‘Citizen Jake’

really a closet movie star,” the “Sister Stella l” director said.

But despite the initial statement, the director still acknowledged araullo’s contribution to the screenplay and performance saying that it was “substantial,” and that he believes the first-timer did a “good job” as an actor.

“There were scenes where he acted unevenly but there were also scenes, many of them major, where he was terrific.

Perfect for the role of Jake, the self-absorbed millennial. “even if Citizen Jake is my most personal film, sometimes I feel it’s a film atom and myself made together, through thick and thin, through upheaval after upheaval and unfortunately there were many. But I hoped that in the end, we would still share the same convictions we started off with. alas, that was not to be,” de leon wrote.

While the director did not cite the convictions they no longer share, de leon said he now finds himself alone in speaking for the film and defending

PHilstar.com photo

it against “those who would exploit it for political mileage and those who would wish it harm, two types of people of basically the same mold.” he also said that he thinks both he and the actor are relieved to end their collaboration and “finally get out of each other’s lives.”

“I think atom and I are both relieved to close the book on this collaboration and finally get out of each other’s lives.

What is important in the unique world of cinema is that Citizen Jake has now acquired a life of its own, separate from us. as Francois Truffaut, the late great French director, said in ‘Day for night,’ his film about filmmaking: ‘The film is king.’ The only thing left is for people to watch it. (this is me, not Truffaut),” de leon ended.

With all the hullabaloo, araullo sent a short message to Cnn Philippines over the weekend saying, “It’s best not to comment at this time, it might distract from the film.”

CAPE #IAM campaign launches Season 4 YouTube pioneer • Mari Takahashi (@atomicmari), ballerina and gamer • Michelle Kwan, olympian • Sandra oh, actor (“Killing eve,” “Meditation Park,” “Grey’s anatomy”) “CaPe is thrilled to partner with u.S. Bank to highlight these trailblazing titans,” said Michelle K. Sugihara, CaPe’s executive director. “This year we celebrate the possibilities of what’s to come, as we build on what’s been done. I hope it inspires everyone to share their #IamStory.”

“The stories featured in the ‘I am’ campaign inspire people to embrace their own authenticity and difference,” said Reba Dominski, u.S. Bank chief social responsibility officer. “We’re excited to support this amazing campaign and help close the gap

between people and possibility.”

To learn more about #Iam and to join the conversation online, visit www.iam-campaign.com. Follow and share your own story on social media at #IamStory.

For more information, visit www.capeusa.org.

Since 1991, CaPe has championed diversity by educating, connecting, and empowering asian american & Pacific Islander artists and leaders through entertainment and media. We create systemic change by training the next generation of artists and leaders through our signature writing and executive fellowships in TV, Film, and Digital.

Please join the cause at capeusa. org/support.

Support future storytellers by donating to CaPe today!

Jessica Sanchez, Jake Zyrus express admiration for each other

by MJ

Marfori ManilaTimes.net

aFTeR three years, “american Idol” alum and Filipino pride Jessica Sanchez is back in Manila. She performed on Friday at the Skydome for Jake Zyrus’ “Music and Me” concert.

Jessica told The Times that it was so refreshing to meet Jake first time prior to the concert because the last time she was in town, Jake was still Charice.

“I love it! I am so proud of her! That is why when they told me about her show, I immediately said yes to it. as I can

kind words and revealed why he requested for Jessica to be his special guest.

“I have always admired her back in la. now my voice has changed it would be a good balance for us since she is now the power belter and I have to low pitch,” Jake returned the compliment.

For the Filipino fans who are wondering, Jessica could be heard more now in europe than the u.S. Jessica Sanchez with Jake Zyrus ManilaTimes.net photo “I released a new single see Jake is still the same sweet called ‘Caught up’ and it’s pretty big there like in amsterperson he was when he was dam, so yes, you’ll see me more Charice,” she exclaimed.

Jake thanked Jessica for the there if not here.”

Solenn misses ‘Instagram-able’ picture with Chris Hemsworth

by MJ

Marfori ManilaTimes.net

ThouGh she said that she is momentarily avoiding her friends who have children, Solenn heussaff is not completely ignoring the fact that she is not getting any younger. unlike before where she would say that she chooses her career above all else, now, she told The Times at the Watsons event in Mall of asia that she is taking baby steps to prepare for her future and have a family with husband nico Bolzico.

“We started family planning na and we talked about 2019.

That would be very ideal for us.

We both agreed,” she said.

Solenn is now building the house of her dreams by converting a vintage property into her work of art, “It’s going to be done by June hopefully. My art will be all over, yes.”

Besides their pet turtle, Solenn and nico also added more

they are doing with their lives. “nico one time jokes about wanting to have a kid already then, dumagdag lalo the people who kept pressuring us. I even told him I told you so. But it is all good. We know when it is time,” she shared. as for now, they are just enjoying the peak of their careers and working together in some endorsements and public appearances.

Just last weekend, Solenn and nico went to Singapore to attend the Boss event and fashion show where Chris hemsworth was the special guest. Staying true to their fit Solenn Heussaff with husband Nico Bolzico nature, Solenn shares through Photo form Instagram/@solenn her Instagram account that they pets they call their children, went to the hotel gym in the “We treat out pets like our chil- morning and did their routine dren and we are practicing na.” when suddenly Chris worked The 32-year-old further out beside her when she was hopes that people would stop running her 8-km! pressuring them to start a famToo bad nico did not capily soon as they sure know what ture any of it! awww!

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - May 30, 2018