060118 - New York & New Jersey

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Volume 11 – Issue 32 • 16 Pages

JUNE 1-7, 2018

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

Sereno appeals to SC: Do what is right and just

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

ousted chief justice maria Lourdes sereno on Wednesday, may 30, filed her motion for reconsideration to the supreme Court (sC), urging her colleagues there to invalidate their decision of ousting her as the Chief Justice. the sC voted 8-6 in finding sereno “guilty of unlawfully holding and exercising the office of the Chief Justice” on may 11.

According to sereno, the decision was replete with “legal and factual errors.”

In her 205-page motion filed minutes before the deadline, sereno said the ruling — which granted the Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

u PAGE A2

Philstar.com photo

USA

DATELINE US to keep confronting Beijing in South China Sea from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

defeNse secretary Jim mattis said on tuesday, may 29, said that the united states will continue to confront China over its territorial claims in the south China sea, arguing that Beijing hasn’t abided by its promise to not establish military presence on contested islands.

“We are going out of our way to cooperate with Pacific nations, that’s the way we do business in the world,” mattis told reporters. “But we are also going to confront what we believe is out of step with international law, out of step with international tribunals that have spoken on the issue.” mattis’ statement came after Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction” when two u.s. warships sailed close to the Paracel Islands, which lie north of the spratlys, on sunday, may 27, – the latest freedom of navigation operation designed to challenge Beijing’s claims. the u.s. Navy periodically conducts

Filipina Iraq War veteran earns Democratic ticket in Texas runoff If elected, Gina Ortiz Jones could be the first openly lesbian and first Filipina to represent the state of Texas in the U.S. Congress

by KlaRize

Medenilla AJPress

oN tuesday, may 22, filipina American Gina ortiz Jones won the democratic nomination in the primary race for a texas seat in the united states house of representatives, advancing her to a November race against republican incumbent Will hurd. the 37-year-old — who is a lesbian,

single mother and former Air force intelligence officer during the Iraq War — defeated democrat rick treviño in the race for texas’s 23rd congressional district, garnering a whopping 67.9 percent of the vote over treviño’s 32.1 percent among the district’s democratic voters.

“Last [night’s] vote made it clear: demo-

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the department of foreign Affairs (dfA) on tuesday said the Philippine embassy in Washington has not received reports of filipinos affected by flash floods maryland. the embassy said it was monitoring the situation in southeast us, particularly in the city of ellicott in maryland, which was severely affected by the flash floods. n a statement, Ambassador Jose manuel romualdez said the embassy is monitoring the condition of the more than 3,000 members of the filipino Community in ellicott. he also reported that subtropical storm Alberto made landfall on monday evening just west of Panama City in florida. filipinos were advised to take extra caution and heed the warnings of local authorities.

An estimated 25,500 members of the filipino community are within the storm’s path. “our hearts go out to those who were affected by the floods in maryland,” foreign Affairs secretary Alan Peter s. Cayetano said.

“We also pray for the safety of everyone in the path of subtropical storm Alberto,” he added. (inquirer.net)

Gina Ortiz Jones

DOT chief: Tulfo’s ‘Bitag’ hasn’t given P60-M back PH to join world’s biggest war games

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

u PAGE A4

DFA: No report of Filipinos affected by flash floods in Maryland

PSG CHANGE OF COMMAND. President Rodrigo Duterte leads the inspection of the troops during the Presidential Security Group (PSG) Change of Command Ceremony at the PSG Compound in Malacañang Park, Manila on Wednesday, May 30.

Malacañang photo by Robinson Niñal

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

the P60 million paid by the department of tourism (dot) for advertisements on Ben tulfo’s — brother of resigned tourism secretary Wanda tulfo-teo — show on government channel PtV-4 has yet to be returned, current tourism secretary Bernadette romulo-Puyat said.

“It has not been returned,” Puyat said regarding the promise of Ben tulfo’s company, Bitag media unlimited Inc., to return the money.

When asked if she had followed up on the return of the funds, Puyat answered, “they said they would. But I will check again. they might have returned it today

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PH to build 5 lighthouses in Spratly Islands mANILA — the government is building five lighthouses in the south China sea features occupied by the Philippines to ensure the safety of transiting ships and to improve the living conditions of filipinos in the area, an official said on Wednesday, may 30.

National security Adviser hermogenes esperon Jr. said lighthouses are being constructed in Pag-asa, Parola, Likas, Patag and Kota, islets that are part of the spratly Islands.

“We are upgrading facilities for the comfort of our people,” esperon said during the Kapihan sa manila Bay forum in manila.

“Lighthouses are now being constructed features held by the Philippines to ensure safety of navigation, along our responsibility under the uNCLos (united Nations Convention on the Law of the sea) to provide navigational safety for all international ves-

sels transiting the West Philippine sea,” he added. esperon said the construction of lighthouses, which costs about P10 million, is part of the government’s effort to upgrade Philippine-claimed features in the West Philippine sea. the government is also upgrading port and airstrip facilities in Pagasa island, the largest of the nine features controlled by the Philippines in the spratly Islands. “this is necessary for trade, the preservation of the livelihood of the fisherfolk, and the timely delivery of basic necessities of the community in the municipality of Pag-asa,” the national security adviser said.

“It is but natural (to carry out upgrades) because we have a fishing community there,” he added.

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by deMpsey

Reyes ManilaTimes.net

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 flagofficer-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 participate. the naval exercises seek to enhance the interoperability among the armed forces

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

Inquirer.net photo

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June 1-7 2018 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

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

From the Front Page

Sereno appeals to SC: Do what is...

PAGE A1 quo warranto petition brought against her by Solicitor General Jose Calida — “illustrates vividly the dire and far-reaching consequences of a denial of due process.”

She asked the SC to reconsider its ruling that abruptly ended her unprecedented 18-year term.

“This is essentially a plea to the honorable court to do what is right and just,” Sereno said in the motion.

“Basic, fundamental and longstanding constitutional and legal rules and principles, and settled judicial precedents were ignored, set aside and reversed by the majority decision to achieve one end — the disqualification and ouster of the Chief Justice,” she argued.

The SC had no authority to remove her from office because under the Constitution, the chief justice can be ousted only through an impeachment process, Sereno insisted.

“The indisputable intent of the Constitution is that impeachable officers, save for the president and vice president, can be removed from office only by impeachment,” the motion read.

She reiterated that the on her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) cannot

be the basis for determining her supposed lack of integrity and honesty.

“This Honorable Court erred in ruling that the Respondent ‘chronically failed to file her SALNs...’ The filing per se of a SALN neither proves nor negates a person’s integrity,” she argued.

Sereno said her failure to submit her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) should be considered “not ‘inherently immoral.’”

“And since this honorable court has essentially held that the nonfiling of a SALN is not ‘inherently immoral,’ this purported offense should not have negated the Chief Justice’s ‘integrity,’” she said.

Sereno also insisted that the quo warranto petition should not have been granted as it had already went beyond the one-year prescription period from appointment.

Moreover, she said that the decision was made “null and void” after six associate justices — namely Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Samuel Martires and Francis Jardeleza, and Noel Tijam — refused to recuse themselves from the deliberations on

Calida’s petition despite their bias against her.

“The justices’ testimonies and actuations in the hearings before the House committee on justice (and in the oral argument, in the case of Justice Martires) are clear and convincing evidence of actual bias,” Sereno said.

“The justices’ statements, and the emotional implications that are attached to the same, are evidence of actual bias. Actual bias is anchored not simply on their participation in the proceedings, but rather, on the substance of their statements,” she added.

A difficult process deliberately chosen by the Constitution could not be substituted with an expedient procedure, Sereno said.

The quo warranto could proceed simultaneously with impeachment as the petition was a remedy for challenging an appointed official’s qualifications while impeachment was for acts made after appointment, according to the majority decision.

Sereno was accused of, among other charges, failing to declare her real wealth, buying a luxury car with government funds and making questionable decisions without consulting her fellow magistrates in the impeachment complaint. n

Calida says he is not backing down amid resignation calls

by Kristine Joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MANILA — Solicitor General Jose Calida said Thursday, May 31, he is ready to face head-on the calls for his resignation after it was found that he and his family owned a security agency that has business contracts with several government agencies.

Asked about the mounting calls for his resignation, Calida said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source” that he can “handle all attacks.” “ Can they handle the counter-attacks?” he added.

The government’s chief lawyer is currently in hot water for being the major stockholder of Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. that has contracts with at least seven government agencies.

But Calida reiterated that he has no plans of divesting from Vigilant, where he owns 60 per-

cent of the stocks, while the remaining 40 percent is distributed equally to his wife and three children.

“Under the law, I have choices to either resign or divest,” Calida stressed, adding: “I did not commit graft and corruption. My conscience is clear.”

In the same interview, Calida confirmed Vigilant’s existing multi-million contracts with the National Electrification Authority, National Anti-Poverty Commission, National Economic Development Authority (expired contract), National Parks Development Committee, Department of Justice, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and House of Representatives.

Asked if he thinks that remaining as a stockholder of Vigilant is moral, he replied: “As far as I am concerned, I have not done anything wrong.”

The solicitor general is the government’s top lawyer. According to the website, among the Office of the Solicitor General’s functions is to “investigate, initiate court action, or in any manner proceed against any person, corporation or firm for the enforcement of any contract, bond, guarantee, mortgage, pledge or other collateral executed in favor of the government.”

Administration critics have raised questions on whether the contracts create a conflict of interest.

But Calida dismissed criticisms and calls for his resignation as mere “rumor-mongering.”

Ombudsman complaint: ‘Big, fat lie’ Calida also slammed the graft and corruption complaint filed against him before the Office of

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

PH to join world’s biggest war...

PAGE A1 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 exercise,” 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) n

PH to build 5 lighthouses in...

PAGE A1

Esperon said the upgrade and repair of the runway on Pag-asa, which China calls Thitu island, would allow the government to send supplies to troops stationed in the area.

China claims historic rights over about 90 percent of the South China Sea including

Spratly Islands while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

While China has been aggressively building new structures, including military facilities, in disputed areas, planned improvements in Philippine-held features were delayed to avoid tensions.

Earlier this month, think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reported that the Philippines has started the repairs on Pag-asa island, which is inhabited by about 100 Filipinos.

Upgrades were also observed on Lawak Island, Panata Island and Rizal Reef. (Alexis Romero/Philstar.com)

DOT chief: Tulfo’s ‘Bitag’ hasn’t given...

PAGE A1

(Tuesday, May 29).”

However, Ramon Tulfo, the eldest of the Tulfo brothers, said that lawyer Ferdinand Topacio was not speaking on behalf of the Tulfos when Topacio promised that Ben would return the u PAGE A4 money.

“When Topacio said the Tulfo brothers, in a family meeting, had decided to return the P60 million, the guy was talking for himself,” Ramon Tulfo said.

Wanda Teo-Tulfo resigned as Tourism secretary after the Commission on Audit raised a red flag over the P60 million

payment made by the DOT for advertisements on “Kilos Pronto (Fast Action),” a public service show produced by Bitag Media and hosted by Ben and another Tulfo, Erwin.

Puyat was designated by President Rodrigo Duterte as Teo’s replacement on May 8. n

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Dateline USa

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNE 1-7 2018

A

Ancajas retains IBF title by outboxing Sultan

by Dong

Secuya Philboxing.com

WAGE HIKE PLEA. Militants protest against low wages, price hikes and contractualization in front of the Department of Trade and Industry’s office in Makati on Tuesday, May 29. They claim that the workers are the ones suffering from high prices of basic commodities while wages remain low and contractualization prevails.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Duterte doubts US readiness to defend PH vs extremists 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 po-

licemen,” 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.

Sen. Leila de Lima hailed as most distinguished Filipino rights defender by gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

cabico

RIGHTS watchdog Amnesty International Philippines named Sen. Leila de Lima as the most distinguished individual human rights defender.

The detained senator bested fellow Sen. Risa Hontiveros, LGBTIQ and rights advocate Ryan Silverio, PhilRights Executive Director Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan and DAKILA Executive Director Leni Velasco for the individual category.

De Lima considered the recognition as a vindication from what she called “politically-motivated trumped-up charges” filed by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“It is with great honor to receive this latest accolade as recognition for my unwavering stance on human rights despite my continued unjust detention and political persecution,” the former Commission on Human Rights chairperson said.

De Lima, accused of protecting and coddling drug traders inside the New Bilibid Prison during her stint as Justice secretary, is currently detained in Camp Crame.

A Muntinlupa court on Monday denied her plea to be allowed

to attend the graduation rites of her youngest son.

De Lima has been also recognized as one of the world’s greatest leaders by Fortune Magazine, one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time Magazine, one of the leading Global Thinkers in 2016 and 2017 by Foreign Policy Magazine and one of the Southeast Asia’s Women to Watch by the Diplomat Magazine.

In 2017, she was recognized by AI as one of the notable women human rights defenders.

Aside from De Lima, DAKILA was recognized as the most distinguished human rights defender for organization. Floyd Scott Tiogangco and Christia Angela Roque were the recipients of Outstanding Young Human Rights Defender and Art that Matters for Film, respectively.

AI Philippines on Monday announced the awardees of the first-ever Ignite Awards for Human Rights—which recognizes the awardees’ impact in changing peoples’ lives through policy advocacy, mobilization and activism.

The awardees were chosen for their impact for human rights work (40 percent), coverage of human rights work (40 percent) and credibility (20 percent). n

Sen. Leila de Lima considered the recognition as a vindication from what she called “politicallymotivated trumped-up charges” filed by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Philstar.com photo

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. (Marvin Sy/ Philstar.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,

Jerwin Ancajas beat Jonas Sultan in a historic all-Filipino world title fight to keep the IBF super flyweight crown in the main event on Saturday, May 26, at Save Smart Center in Fresno, California.

Photo by Jhay Otamias

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, Sultan 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

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June 1-7 2018 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

Duterte’s latest threat vs drug suspects calls for urgency of ICC’s initial review — HRW

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s fresh threat of summary execution against detained drug suspects should send a message to the International Criminal Court that there is a “dire need” for a preliminary examination into the government’s drug war, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

This should also prompt the United Nations to conduct a separate international inquiry into the killings, the rights group also stressed.

Last week, Duterte told drug suspects to find ways to get arrested and stay in jail if they want to live longer.

“You know if I were you guys in Cebu, stay in jail. You want to

live longer? Stay in jail... Do not go out of that facility. It would not be healthy for you,” the chief executive said.

Phelim Kine, HRW Asia Division deputy director, said the targets of the president’s threat have “good reason” to be afraid.

“The brutal lesson of the antidrug campaign that Duterte launched on June 30, 2016 is that people he threatens with summary execution often end up in suspicious police ‘buy-bust’ operations, or at the hands of unidentified gunmen,” Kine said.

Duterte’s comments, Kine added, “send a clear message to police officers and other security force members that certain kinds of crime not only can be committed with impunity, but might even draw praise from the president.”

Recent government data showed that there were 4,279 alleged drug dealers and users who had died since the start of the government’s ferocious antinarcotics campaign. But rights groups have higher estimates of 12,000 drug personalities killed, mostly urban slum dwellers.

The HRW executive, moreover, called Duterte’s suggestion that drug suspects who are behind bars are safe from summary execution “perilously wrong,” citing the case of late Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.

Espinosa, a suspected drug lord, was killed in an apparent rubout inside his detention cell on November 5, 2016.

The cops involved in the killing of Espinosa were reinstated. n

Dateline USa

REAL NUMBERS. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan; Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director Derrick Arnold Carreon; Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.; Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar; House Dangerous Drugs Committee Chairman Representative Robert Ace Barbers; Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Isidro Lapeña; Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Civil Military Operations J-7 MGen. Rene Glen Paje pose after the presentation of RealNumbers PH Year 2 in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Tuesday, May 29. RealNumbers PH is the government’s report on the anti-illegal drugs campaign launched in May 2017.

PNA photo by Joey Razon

Filipina Iraq War veteran earns Democratic...

PAGE A1

Calls for Calida to resign mounted after it was revealed that Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. owned by the solicitor general’s family signed contracts with at least seven government agencies.

Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman

Calida says he is not backing down...

PAGE A2 the Ombudsman.

The complaint alleges that Calida is guilty of malversation for having an illicit relationship with an intern at the Office of the Solicitor General and diverting public funds to her. The complainant, Jocelyn AcostaNisperos, however, only cited reports for this claim.

Although talk of the supposed relationship had spread online, it remains an unverified rumor.

Calida stressed that the complainant did not attach any evidence to support her claim.

“They are fabricating charges against me, they want to destroy my family,” he added.

“There will be a day of reckoning. I am a lawyer and I know

what to do.”

Calida said that he is mulling filing complaints against those “maligning, slandering [and] libeling” him.

Acosta-Nisperos earlier urged Calida to initiate a quo warranto case against Associate Justice Teresita De Castro, which the solicitor general denied due to lack of merit. n

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

crats are united to change Congress and send politicians like Will Hurd packing,” Ortiz Jones wrote on her campaign’s Facebook page on Wednesday, May 23. “I look forward to working with [Rick Treviño] and people across Texas to make sure Congress serves communities like ours by delivering on health care that working families can afford, instead of serving special interests that will never put Texas families first.”

If Ortiz Jones wins in the midterm election in November, she will make history as the first lesbian, the first Iraq War veteran and the first Filipina-American to become a Texan U.S. representative. However, she faces an uphill battle against longtime incumbent Hurd --- who has almost double the campaign funds as Jones --- and a right-leaning district that stretches from San Antonio to El Paso.

Ortiz Jones was raised in Texas by a single mother, Victorina Ortiz, who was from the Philippines. Her mother, despite earning graduate degrees from the Philippines, worked several menial jobs before becoming a teacher to support the family.

In high school, Ortiz Jones won a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and then went on to Boston University where she attended as an undergrad and as an graduate student; as an undergrad, she earned degrees in economics and East Asian studies and then earned a master’s degree in economics.

After college, in 2003, she joined the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer and was deployed to Iraq. She served for three years in active duty, she

returned home in 2006 to care for her mother who had colon cancer.

“You have many jobs during your life, but you only have one mom,” she said in an interview with the Harvard Political Review in 2017. Her mother fully recovered and, soon after, she returned as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Africa Command in Germany.

In 2008, she went on to work for the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency and eventually became a special adviser to the deputy director.

In 2016, she began working for the Executive Office of the President with the U.. Trade Representative, first under former President Barack Obama and then for President Donald Trump, whose presidency inspired her to run for office.

“When I worked for fiveand-a-half months under [the Trump] administration in the Executive Office of the President, I saw firsthand how his policies would affect my communities: as a woman, as a veteran, as an LGBT American and as a first generation American,” she said in 2017.

Running on a platform fuelled by identity politics in the #MeToo era and the national conversation on immigrants and xenophobia, Ortiz Jones describes herself as “openly gay, openly first generation, openly veteran, openly Asian-American, openly everything,” and has used her multi-hyphenate identity as a way to highlight her inclusive platform.

According to her campaign website, her views align with contemporary Democratic values, including immigration reform and strengthening the im-

migrant community, affordable higher education, responsible national security practices and protecting civil rights.

As an intelligence officer during the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (which prohibited LGBT military service members from disclosing their sexual orientation) which fuelled her eagerness to fight for women’s and minorities’ rights.

“In and out of uniform, I have served in countries where women and minorities have been targeted,” Ortiz Jones told MilitaryTimes. “I’ve also seen what happens in countries when good people don’t step up when institutions are under attack. Those experiences have obviously shaped my desire to run at this point in time.”

Inspired by her mother’s illness, she has also made affordable health care a central issue of her campaign, criticizing Hurd for wavering on the failed and widely panned Affordable Health Care Act of 2017 while promising to advocate for universal health care, especially for children.

“There is a national security aspect when not enough kids are healthy enough to grow up and serve our country,” Ortiz Jones said.

“Gina Ortiz Jones would be a consistent voice for equality in Congress and a trailblazing figure in Texas politics,” Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), said in a statement. “HRC is proud to endorse Ortiz Jones and fight alongside her as she endeavors to make Texas a more fair place for all, no matter who they are, what they look like, where they’re from or whom they love.” n

Sereno’s ouster contributes to deterioration of rule of law, says int’l group of jurists

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

tion that government bodies are unable or unwilling to protect the rule of law and will attack the institutions that protect it.

“Preserving the independence of the judiciary in the Philippines is crucial at a time when the government is credibly alleged to have been engaged in widespread and systematic human rights violations, amounting to crimes under international law,” Frederick Rawski, ICJ Asia Pacific Director, said.

The ICJ warned that the May 11 decision could open the flood-

gates to similar attacks, not only against members of the court but also to members of other bodies THE removal of Maria Lourdes such as the Commission on HuSereno as the country’s chief jusman Rights. tice at the hands of her colleagues It, moreover, called on the Suin the Supreme Court has a hand preme Court to consider Sereno’s in the “overall deterioration” of motion for reconsideration filed the rule of law in the Philippines, Wednesday “given the percepthe International Commission of tion of political interference and Jurists said. the potential impact of this case In a statement, the legal nonon the credibility of the judiciary governmental organization as a whole.” stressed that the granting of a In her 205-page appeal, landmark quo warranto petition Sereno listed down some of the against Sereno adds to the no“constitutional and legal rules and principles and settled judicial precedents” that the historic ruling ignored when it granted Solicitor General Jose Calida’s petition.

ICJ also reminded the Philippine government that under international standards, the judiciary must be able to conduct itself without “improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences, direct or indirect... for any reason.”

“It is a responsibility of both the judiciary and the political branches of government to ensure that this principle is respected,” it said.

The Supreme Court, voting Minutes after the ruling was made public on Friday, May 11, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno addressed her supporters, thanking them and asking the public to be more vigilant. 8-6, declared void Sereno’s apPhilstar.com photo by KJ Rosales pointment on May 11. n

US to keep confronting Beijing in South...

PAGE A1 “freedom of navigation” operations in the contested waterway.

These navigation missions, according to the U.S., are meant to underscore the rights of the U.S. and others to operate in international waters and airspace and to block efforts by any nation to unlawfully extend their boundaries or territorial rights.

“You’ll notice there’s only one country that seems to take active steps to rebuff (such operations) or state their resentment of them, but it’s international waters and a lot of nations want to see freedom of navigation, so we will continue that,” Mattis said.

Sunday’s operation was con-

ducted a week after Beijing flew nuclear-capable bombers to a disputed island.

Last week, Beijing was disinvited to join in a large, multinational naval exercise in the Pacific later this summer. China had participated in the exercise known as Rim of the Pacific in 2014 and 2016 but due its “continued militarization” of the South China Sea, the invitation for this year was withdrawn.

The Pentagon called on China to remove the systems it deployed to contested areas in the Spratly Islands, but China said it is “within their rights to build up defenses on islands in the South China Sea” as it believes they are its sovereign territory.

Other neighboring nations have expressed concern over the “weaponization” of the islands and reefs.

“Our diplomats are robustly engaged on this,” Mattis said.

“The concerns have come to me not just from American government circles but also from foreign nations that are concerned, very concerned about this continued militarization of features in the South China Sea,” he added.

Mattis stopped in Hawaii so that he can attend a changeof-command ceremony for the U.S. military’s Pacific Command before flying out to Singapore for a regional security conference. n

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A

Palace: No separate Bangsamoro police, military

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

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

San Miguel proposes 100-km TPLEX extension up to Ilocos SAn Miguel Corp. (SMC) has submitted an unsolicited proposal to extend the Tarlac-PangasinanLa Union expressway (TPLeX) by another 100 kilometers (km) to reach the ilocos province.

The group has sent its project proposal to Public Works Secretary Mark Villar for evaluation, SMC president ramon Ang said in an interview Tuesday, May 29.

“We proposed for the extension of TPLeX going to ilocos,” he said. “it is now pending with the DPWH for them to evaluate.”

Ang said the proposed project would extend TPLeX ending in rosario, La Union all the way to ilocos province, adding another 100 km to the expressway.

As for the cost of the project, the SMC official said they are still crunching the numbers.

if approved by the DPWH, SMC would be given the original proponent status (oPS) and the proposal will go through a Swiss challenge. “if they like the project, we would be given an oPS and then subject to Swiss challenge,” Ang said.

Through the Swiss challenge, SMC would have the right to match the best offer to be given by another group for the project.

TPLeX is an 89.31-km expressway from Tarlac City, Tarlac to rosario, La Union, divided into three phases.

Segment 7, Section 3A-1 of TPLeX from Urdaneta City to Binalonan, officially opened in July last year.

TPLeX Segment 7, Section 3A2, from Binalonan to Pozorrubio in Pangasinan, was opened to

motorists in December last year.

The segment, which is approximately 10.10-km, is the second to the last portion of the TPLeX project that would be constructed by SMC unit Private infrastructure Development Corp. (PiDC).

The last segment or Section 3B covers Pozorrubio in Pangasinan to rosario, La Union and is expected to be completed by June 2019, based on the timetable posted on the DPWH website.

The completion of the TPLeX is expected to ease and improve traffic in the northern part of the country.

At present, almost 20,000 vehicles traverse the stretch of the existing TPLeX segments daily from La Paz, Tarlac to Urdaneta, Pangasinan. (Danessa Rivera/ Philstar.com)

DFA chief: We’re not blaming Aquino for losing control of areas in West PH Sea

by PAtriciA lourdes Philstar.com

VirAy

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday, May 30, insisted that they are not blaming the Aquino administration for losing control over some of the Philippine-claimed areas in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

At a Congressional briefing by the national Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (nTF-WPS) on the recent developments in the WPS, Magdalo rep. gary Alejano called out Cayetano for repeatedly “blaming” former President Benigno Aquino iii, citing the country lost control over the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the WPS. Cayetano also cited Aquino’s previous statement comparing Beijing’s actions in the WPS to nazi germany’s demands for Czech territory in the 1930s, which he said worsen the rift in the diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and China.

“Kasi parang binabalik natin lagi kay President Aquino. i also disagree with Aquino calling Chinese nazis but ang nangyayari sa atin palagi kino-compare natin,” Alejano said.

“What i’m asking is now, not the past admin, kasi kayo ang nakaupo eh,” he added.

Cayetano gave assurances they are not blaming anyone and that they are “just stating the facts.”

“We’re not blaming the past admin. Some critics are just making it appear na iba ang situation ngayon. We’re just saying that we inherited it from the past admin,” Cayetano said.

“For example the Scarborough, we controlled Scarborough until 2011 nung nagkaroon ng misfire ‘yung Aquino admin,” he added.

“We are just simply stating the fact na nawala ito during his (Aquino’s) time,” he continued. earlier in the briefing, Cayetano said when President rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016, they were “trying to improve a bad situation inherited from the past administration.”

“Did we mess up? no, we inherited a bad situation and we’re trying to make good of a bad situation here,” Cayetano said.

“When Duterte came in like in a company you have to stop the bleeding first. We talked to China, we drew lines. They asked us not to build in uninhabited land; not to extract resources unilaterally. We

told them do not build in Scarborough, don’t touch Ayungin, don’t stop resupply of troops, do not extract oil unilaterally,” he added.

Cayetano also said they have filed “maybe 50 to 100” diplomatic protests against China since 2016 but they opted not to be “loud about it.”

“We’ve been filing diplomatic protests. But the critics want us to announce it loudly and to confront China each and every time through the media. That is not conducive to the ongoing talks,” he said. “it’s critics who want na everyday nasa news at Facebook. We’re taking diplomatic actions… Kung gusto natin contest siraang plaka, lugi kami because we have a job to do,” he added.

For Cayetano, a diplomatic protest has “no specific form,” as long as “the content” is there.

“When the president tells a president that is mine… that’s a protest, when we file a note verbale, if we list down concerns, that’s a protest. When i go up to you and say, ‘Cong. pasensya ka na i disagree with you,’ that’s a protest… if i get the microphone and say China hindi tama ginagawa nyo that’s also a form of protest,” the official explained. n

PNP chief: Human rights important in drug war by ritchel

MendiolA AJPress

ACCorDing to Philippine national Police (PnP) Chief Director general oscar Albayalde, human rights are paramount in the police’s campaign against drugs.

He also insisted that the police force is not lacking in training on human rights awareness in their operations.

“The rules of engagement are paramount in every police operation, and respect for human rights is one of them,” he said.

This is why police operatives are instructed to conduct outright investigations into cases that are perceived as unjustly executed or were done without due process, Albayalde added.

The police chief also asserted that the safety of police operatives is equally important — specifically, situations that are too dangerous during police operations.

A featured guest in the premier episode of the talk show “The Chiefs” that airs at 8:30 p.m. on one news Cignal TV 8 and 250 (HD), Albayalde talked about police safety and protection.

“What happens on the ground if there is danger on the part of the operatives is something that we cannot control,” he told “The

Chiefs” hosts Amy Pamintuan, ed Lingao and roby Alampay.

Albayalde also talked about how PnP does not condone any misconduct.

“There have been 608 cases of violations of human rights involving policemen and this is a good indication that we are not tolerating any wrongdoing,” he said.

Lawmen who committed infractions are being filed with administrative and criminal charges, and the PnP is intensifying measures to prevent police officers from committing abuses when implementing the anti-drug campaign.

“Before we used the shotgun approach, anti-illegal drug operations now are limited to identified drug personalities,” he said.

The PnP would continue with what has been started in the war on drugs, Albayalde said, because “it has been a good one, especially in the improved tokhang and buy-bust procedures.”

Presidential Communications operations office chief Secretary Martin Andanar, meanwhile, presented the updated and consolidated figures in the campaign against drugs on Tuesday, May 29.

A total of 4,279 drug personalities were reportedly killed in the police’s intensified campaign against illegal

drugs, and at least P20 billion worth of illegal drugs was seized from July 1, 2016 to May 15, 2018. 192 clandestine shabu laboratories were also dismantled. #realnumberPH is the consolidated figure in the accomplishment against illegal drugs, according to Andanar.

“These are real numbers that we need to know, all else are either false, misinformation or fake,” Andanar said.

Through #realnumbersPH, the PnP is taking intervention to rehabilitate drug surrenderees, as stated by national Capital regional Police office chief Director Camilo Cascolan.

About 1.2 million drug personalities have surrendered as of last count.

PnP will continue the intensified campaign against illegal drugs, Deputy Director general ramon Apolinario, deputy chief for administration confirmed.

“We know there are more challenges to come, but we assure you that the PnP will never give up until peace and order is achieved.

As the president said, we won’t stop until the last drug trafficker, drug pusher, drug lord and user surrender or are put behind bars,” Apolinario said. n

of judicial scrutiny.”

“What i know was one of the contentious issues the president MAniLA — President rodrigo decided was there could not be a Duterte will not allow the cre- separate Bangsamoro police and ation of separate Bangsamoro a separate Bangsamoro armed police force and armed forces for forces,” roque said in Filipino.

The Palace spokesman said the the proposed Bangsamoro region, presidential spokesperson BTC had pushed for that but had Harry roque said on Thursday, been convinced by the president May 31.

The version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law drafted by a Palace-created Bangsamoro Transition Commission and later reviewed and endorsed to Congress by the office of the President does not propose these.

The draft BBL, which may have seen substantial changes during the legislative process, only tasks the central government to create a Bangsamoro Military Command, which will be part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and which “shall be organized, maintained, and utilized in accordance with national laws.”

The BBL also creates a Bangsamoro Police to maintain peace and order in the region.

The draft clearly states that “it shall be part of the Philippine national Police.”

The Bangsamoro Police, however, will be governed by a Bangsamoro Police Board, “which shall perform the functions of the national Police Commission in the Bangsamoro government.” That board will be part of the national Police Commission.

The office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process clarified in March that it is a misconception that the new region will have its own separate security forces and that while the military and police organizations will have different names, they will function like a regional police office or military command.

Speaking during a press briefing in the Palace, roque said that the president identified this issue, which was being pushed by the Bangsamoro Transitional Council, as his “bare minimum” that he could not countenance. roque said that the president had already spoken to different sectors and convinced them to reach a compromise if they would like the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to be passed and “withstand the test

“that it was not possible because that was his bare minimum.” The draft BBL submitted to the 16th Congress during the Aquino administration did not propose separate security forces either. on Wednesday, May 30, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez himself admitted that the PAGE A7

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June 1-7 2018 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

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

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 Gel SantoS-ReloS transferring to California 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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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ JUNE 1-7 2018

A

Palace backs dropping of Napoles as witness Boracay declared an agrarian reform area

by Catherine

S. Valente ManilaTimes.net

by ChriStina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MalacaĂąang supported the decision made by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on Friday, May 25, to terminate businesswoman Janet lim-napolesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 multibillionpeso scam that used lawmakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pork barrel funds. napoles has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;provisionally coveredâ&#x20AC;? 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 napolesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; application for full WPP coverage has been rendered moot and academic after all three divisions of the Sandiganbayan rejected her motions for

Janet Lim-Napoles

Philstar.com photo

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 lawmakersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; discretionary funds being funneled to nonexistent projects by bogus nongovernment organizations that napoles owned. napolesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 alleged crime committed. aguirre had granted napolesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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. napolesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversial admission to the WPP, through provisional, was reportedly among the reasons why aguirre was sacked by President Rodrigo Duterte. n

Palace: No separate Bangsamoro police...

PAGE A5 lawâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitutionality might be questioned before the High court since the measure would abolish the autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao established under the charter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;as a lawyer, I share that doubt as the aRMM is indeed specified in the constitution. let the Supreme court decide on this matter,â&#x20AC;? alvarez said. aside from the supposedly separate police force and armed forces, another contentious issue is the holding of plebiscite as the BTc would like to conduct five referendums over the next 25 years which would allow areas not originally part of the autonomous region to join it.

Some lawmakers meanwhile would like to hold only one plebiscite amid fears that such an opt-in provision could result in

a substantial expansion of the Bangsamoro region. Despite being long-time residents of Mindanao, Moros are a minority there due to waves of settlers from other regions.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives, voting 22711, approved on third and final reading the version of the BBl in the chamber. The Senate on the other hand approved its version in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

These approvals came just after Duterte certified the versions â&#x20AC;&#x153;urgentâ&#x20AC;? which would allow them to hasten their deliberations.

The two chambers will have to reconcile the differences in the versions during the bicameral conference committee, the last opportunity to ensure that the final version is legal and consti-

tutional, according to Roque. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re hoping that congressmen will exert all efforts to make sure that this BBl will withstand judicial scrutiny, having learned the lesson from the previous MOa-aD,â&#x20AC;? Roque said, referring to the previous agreement between the government and Moro Islamic liberation Front, the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest Muslim group, that was struck down by the Supreme court in 2008 due to questions over its legality.

Roque said that the president did not see any need for him to call a special session of congress as lawmakers could resolve the differences between their versions during the break.

If passed into law, the BBl will put Manila a step closer to attaining peace in parts of Mindanao that have been affected by decades-long conflict. n

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)

ManIla â&#x20AC;&#x201D; commercial establishments in Boracay will have to make do with whatever the government provides to do business on the island, President Duterte said yesterday in declaring the top tourist destination a land reform area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;let me announce that I am declaring land reform in the entire island of Boracayâ&#x20AC;Ś The entire island will be declared as a land reform area. I will give it fullâ&#x20AC;Ś give it to the people,â&#x20AC;? Duterte said in a speech at the Bureau of customs in Manila.

Duterte said he does not want to see any developer lay the groundwork for subdivisions in Boracay.

He said any existing commercial and business establishments in the island are at risk.

The president tossed the responsibility to congress whether it will create a law that designates a portion of world famous island resort for commercial development.

Duterte ordered the holiday destination off-limits to tourists in april, saying the tiny island has to be rehabilitated after becoming a â&#x20AC;&#x153;cesspoolâ&#x20AC;? tainted by untreated sewage dumped directly into the sea.

Duterte warned developers not to build subdivisions or commercial buildings on the island.

He said the island of Boracay is still considered as a forestland and agricultural area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So if you are building a house there somewhere, I am sorry, we will just have to make some adjustments,â&#x20AC;? Duterte said.

He said declaring the island resort as a commercial land area would create more problems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have no commitmentsâ&#x20AC;Ś you go to congress if you want to declare commercial because once I declare (Boracay as) commercial area â&#x20AC;Śit will start a ruckus there,â&#x20AC;? Duterte said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not want to meddle. But congress, may I suggest to them, most respectfully, you can cut, but the rest of the island, I will be declaring it as land reform (area). So there will be no subdivisions there. none,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Duterte maintained he wants the indigenous peoples to reap and enjoy the benefits of living in the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will give it to the natives. after that, we can talk. In the meantime, that is my policy, I am trying to enunciate,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Oct 19, 2018 (Fri) Day 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Tiberias Ć&#x17E; "/ 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/ Ć&#x153; /01 +&$%1 in Tiberias. Dinner and overnight (D). Beach Holy Eucharist Oct 20, 2018 (Sat) Day 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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%" Č&#x160;Ć&#x153; + ) 11)"Č&#x2039;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 Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Work0%,- +! %"+ 4" 4&)) *,3" ,+ 1, + ,# )&)""Çž 4%"/" 2/ ,/!

-"/#,/*"! &0 Ć&#x153; /01 *&/ )"Çż % +$&+$ 4 1"/ &+1, 4&+" 1 1%" 4"!Č&#x2019; ding feast. We will invite couples to Bless their marriage vows,Con1&+2" 1, ,2+1 ,/ Çž0&1" ,# "020 / +0Ć&#x153; $2/ 1&,+Ç˝ Ć&#x17E; "/4 /!Çž 4" will head to Tiberias. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias. (B/D).

Oct 21, 2018 (Sun) Day 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tiberias/Mount Beatitude/ Multiplication / Primacy/ Capernum/Boat Ride â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heavenâ&#x20AC;?

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˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ 3&0&1&+$ 1%" 6+ $,$2" where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the ), 3"0 +! Ć&#x153; 0%"0Ç˝ %"+ 1, 1%" %2/ % /&* 6 ,# 1 "1"/0Ç˝ Č&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; Oct 22, 2018 (Mon) Day 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Magdala 2)) ! 6 /"1/" 1Çž , 20 4&)) + )2!" -/,$/ *0 0"! ,+ 1%" %&01,/&Č&#x2019; ) +! ")&$&,20 3 )2" ,# 1%" $! ) 0&1"0 More info coming up as we get closer to the dates

Çž 0/ ") Č&#x201D; Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x17E; &0 ,3"/&"0 #/,* +"4 / % ",),$& ) !&$ are creating excitement in the area where Jesus began his ministry. The village is called Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew), and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the %,*" ,# /6 $! )"+"Ç˝Č&#x2039; %" )&3"! %"/" +! 0%" *"1 "020 %"/" and she continued with Him. Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that place The most important discovery in Magdala has been a synagogue dating back to the 1&*" ,# "020Ç˝ ,/!&+$ 1, / % ",),$&010Çž &1Č&#x2030;0 1%" Ć&#x153; /01 ,+" !&0 ,3Č&#x2019; "/"! &+ 1%" )&)""Ç˝ Oct 23, 2018 (Tues) Day 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jordan Valley/ Jericho/ Bethany/ Jerusalem Mass at the Church in Bethany Ć&#x17E; "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" %" ! 1, "/& %,Çž 1%" ,)!"01 &+% &1"! &16 &+ 1%" 4,/)!Ç˝ &"4 1%" ,2+1 ,# "*-1 1&,+Çž 4%"/" "020 0-"+1 Ç&#x2122;Ç&#x2022; 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&#x2019; 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%" Ć&#x153; /01 3&"4 ,# "/20 )"*Ç˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ 1%" ! 6Č&#x2030;0 1,2/Çž 4" will check in at our hotel in Jerusalem (B/D) Oct 24, 2018 (Wed) Day 7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jerusalem (Old City)/ Via Dolorosa/ Mount Zion Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher â&#x20AC;&#x153;And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place ,# 0(2))Çž 4%& % &0 ))"! &+ 1%" " /"4 ,)$,1% Ç˝Č&#x2039; Č&#x203A; ,%+ Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x17E;ÇżÇ&#x2013;Ç&#x153;Č&#x153; We will enter the Old City of Jerusalem and will follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) and say the Station of the Cross to the holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, 3&0&1 ,)$,1% +! 1%" ,* ,# 2/ ,/!Ç˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ * 00Çž 4" /"12/+ 1, the hotel for breakfast. Ć&#x17E; "/ /" (# 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&#x203A;4%"/" 1%" 0,)!&"/0 -) 6"! 1%" *" ,# &+$0Č&#x153; +! 1%" / % ,# 1%" Č&#x160; " ,*,Č&#x2039;Ç˝ Dinner/Overnight

Oct 25, 2018 (Thurs) Day 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jerusalem Mass at the Holy Eucharist Church of St Peter in Gallicantu Č&#x160; %" ,/! " *" Ć? "0% +! !4")1 *,+$ 20ǽǽǽČ&#x2039; Č&#x203A; ,%+ Ç&#x2013;ÇżÇ&#x2013;Ç&#x2122;Č&#x153; " 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&#x2019; 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˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ 1%" ! 6Č&#x2030;0 1,2/Çž we will return to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Jerusalem (B, D) Oct 26, 2018 (Fri) Day 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mount of Olives/ Gethsemane/ Bethlehem/ Jerusalem (New City)/ Ein Karem Mass at the Church of Nativity Č&#x160; *,2+1 &+ ,# ,!Çž /" "&3" *"Çž *,1%"/Çž 4&1% *6 %&)!Ç˝Č&#x2039; Č&#x203A; /,1,Č&#x2019; "3 +$")&2* ,# *"0 Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2014;ÇżÇ&#x2DC;Č&#x153; " 4&)) //&3" 1 1%" ,2+1 ,# )&3"0Çž 1, "+',6 +,1%"/ 3&"4 ,# "/2Č&#x2019; salem, visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the ,*&+20 )"3&1 Č&#x203A;Č&#x160; ,! 4"-1Č&#x2039;Č&#x153; 0 + 12 /6Ç˝ "51Çž 4"Č&#x2030;)) 4 )( 1%" )* 2+! 6 , ! 1, 1%" /!"+ ,# "1%0"* +"Çž +! 3&0&1 1%" , ( ,# $,+6 +! 1%" %2/ % ,# )) 1&,+0Ç˝ + 1%" Ć&#x17E; "/+,,+Çž 4"Č&#x2030;)) !/&3" to Bethlehem, a city whose name is recognized around the world. Ć&#x17E; "/ ")" / 1&+$ 00 1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1&3&16Çž 4" 4&)) 0"" 1%" +$"/Č&#x20AC; 3&0&1 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ 1%"/&+"Çž 1%" /,11, ,# 1Ç˝ "/,*" +! 1%" %"-%"/!0Č&#x2030; &")!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 Č&#x160; $+&Ć&#x153; 1Č&#x2039;Ç˝ " 4&)) "+! ,2/ ! 6 6 /"12/+&+$ 1, ,2/ Hotel. (B/D) Oct 27, 2018 (Sat) Day 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jerusalem/ Dead Sea/ Qumran/ Masada Mass at the Church of all Nations Ć&#x17E; "/ /" (# 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 Herodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fortress and the Jewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last 01/,+$%,)! $ &+01 1%" ,* +Ç˝ "12/+ 1, "/20 )"* #,/ !&++"/ and Overnight (B, D) Oct 28, 2018,(Sun) Day 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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"! &+ Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2022;Ç˝ %"+Çž &1Č&#x2030;0 ,+ 1, ,2+1 " ,Çž 4%"/" ,0"0 3&"4"!

1%" /,*&0"! +!Ç˝ 2/ +"51 01,- 4&)) " 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ ",/$" &+ ! Çž 4%& % %,010 1%" # *,20 *,0 & * - ,# 1%" ,)6 +!Ç˝ Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Mov"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç&#x201D; "0&!"+ "Ç˝ Oct 29, 2018 (Mon) Day 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aqaba Ć&#x17E; "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ',2/+"6 1%/,2$% 1%" &.Çž 2+1&) 4" $"1 ,2/ Ć&#x153; /01 $)&*-0" ,# 1%" % 7+"% Č&#x203A; /" 02/6Č&#x153;Ç˝ %"+ 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&#x203A; ČĄ Č&#x153;Ç˝ ,3"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç&#x201D; "0&!"+ " Oct 30, 2018 (Tues) Day 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/ Overnight Oct 31, 2018 (Wed) Day 14 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX Ć&#x17E; "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" ! 0%"* 20"2*Çž&0 0/ ")Č&#x2030;0 ,Ć&#x203A; & & ) *"*,/& ) 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˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ 1%" "01"/+ ))Çž ! 0%"* &0 1%" 0" ,+!Č&#x2019;*,01Č&#x2019;3&0&1"!

0/ ")& 1,2/&01 0&1"Ç˝ "12/+ 1, 1%" %,1") #,/ )2+ % +! /") 5 1&,+ &+ -/"- / 1&,+ #,/ ,2/ /"12/+ Ć? &$%1 ( 1, 1%" Ć&#x17E; "/ !&++"/ 4&)) " 1/ +0#"//"! 1, 1%" &/-,/1 #,/ Ç&#x2013;ÇżÇ&#x2022;Ç&#x2022; * )&$%1 ,3 Ç&#x2013;ÇžÇ&#x2014;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2013;Ç? Č&#x203A; %2/0! 6Č&#x153;

When he mulled on closing Boracay early this year, Duterte invoked public safety, public interest and public health.

He also urged the courts â&#x20AC;&#x153;not to interfere by issuing a temporary restraining orderâ&#x20AC;? on the six-month closure.

Duterte had also created a special inter-agency task force to implement rehabilitation efforts in area.

Cost of rehab The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the rehabilitation of Boracay would cost an estimated P1.36 billion.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Task Force Boracay has proposed a total budget of P1.36 billion for the various rehabilitation efforts during the six-month closure of Boracay Island. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In an inter-agency meeting held last May 18, 2018 in Haven Suite, Boracay, aklan, Task Force Boracay presented a total estimate for the budgetary requirements of the various rehabilitation efforts being undertaken by its member agencies in the six-month closure period of the island,â&#x20AC;? Diokno said.

He said the amount is expected to cover the cost of providing social safety nets, ensuring health and sanitation, decongesting the island, enforcing rule of law, engaging stakeholders and crafting and implementing a mediumterm rehabilitation and recovery program.

Pending the consolidated budget request from Task Force Boracay, Diokno said the budgetary requirements of the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rehabilitation could be sourced from the respective budgets of

the different government agencies involved.

He said funds could also be sourced from the contingent Fund or the calamity Fund.

Should rehabilitation efforts spill over to next year, agencies may also propose additional budget in their 2019 Tier-2 budget proposals, Diokno added.

He said the spillover is to be expected as projects will not stop even with the reopening of the tourist destination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confident that once Boracay reopens in a few months, that it will be a more attractive destination for our tourists. Of course, our work will not stop there. a long-term plan is needed to ensure the entirety of the island is not only beautiful, but structurally sound and environmentally sustainable,â&#x20AC;? Diokno said. aside from rehabilitation initiatives, Diokno bared a number of major infrastructure projects are also being undertaken in the area.

He said about P490 million has been released to the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast-track implementation of the Boracay circumferential Road augmentation project in aklan.

This is in addition to the P50million allocation for the project under the 2018 general appropriations act.

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone authority (TIEZa) is also planning to spend around P8 million to P10 million to rehabilitate the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waste water management system by constructing temporary outfalls, opening drainage systems and declogging critical areas, the DBM said. n

Pilgrimage to Some of ITALYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lax to Tel Aviv, Israel / +0Č&#x2019; 1) +1& Ć? &$%1 #/,* 1, "+ 2/&,+ +1"/+ 1&,+ ) &/-,/1Çž ") 3&3Çž 0/ ")Ç˝ Č&#x203A; " )0 0"/3"! &+Č&#x2019;Ć? &$%1Č&#x153;

A military helicopter patrols Boracay ahead of the closure of the top tourist destination last April 26. President Duterte has declared the entire island under land reform, saying commercial establishments and developers will have to adjust to government policies.

Philstar.com photo by Walter Bollozos

Day 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12 Nov 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Mon) Day 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 13Nov 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (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˝ Ć&#x17E; "/ 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&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; Day 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 Nov 2018 (Wed) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rome / Papal Audience/ Rome

This morning before we continue with our tour, we will % 3" - ) 2!&"+ "Ç˝ %"+ Ć&#x17E; "/Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" # Č&#x2019; *,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&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; Day 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15 Nov 2018 (Thurs) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rome / Basilicas We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, +! "3"+ + &"+1 /""( +! ,Č&#x2019; man artists. the largest church &+ ,* + 1%,)& &0*Çž 1Ç˝ "1"/Č&#x2030;0 Basilica. Holy Eucharist at ST Mary ',/Çž ,)),4"! 6 3&0&1 ,# 1%" Č&#x2019; silica. We continue to visit the rest ,# 1%" * ',/ 0&)& 0 4&1%&+ 1%" 4 ))0 ,# ,*"Çž +! 1Ç˝ ,%+ 1"/Č&#x2019; 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"Č&#x2030;0 2+'201 ,+Č&#x2019; demnation.

Č&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; Day 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16 Nov 2018 (Fri)â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Rome /San Giovanni Rotondo Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2013;Ç? &0 1%" Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x2022;1% ++&3"/0 /6 ,# 1%" 01&$Č&#x2019; matization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year . + &,3 ++& ,1,+!,Çž 1%" %,*" ,# 1 Č&#x2019; !/" &, ,# &"1/") &+ #/,* Ç&#x2014;Ç? 2)6Çž Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x17E;Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x203A; 2+Č&#x2019; 1&) %&0 !" 1% ,+ Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2DC; "-1"* "/Çž Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x17E;Ç&#x203A;Ç?Ç˝ +',6 1%" !/&3" $,&+$ 1, + &,3 ++&Çž Ć&#x17E; "/ 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 &Ć&#x153; 5 that gave him his supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Cel" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 Č&#x203A; ,1") / + / !&0, Č&#x153;

+ &,3 ++& ,1,+!, (BB,D) Day 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 17 Nov 2018 (Sat) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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&#x203A; ,1") / + / !&0,Č&#x153; Day 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18 Nov2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Sun) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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&#x2019; 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˝ &+ " Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x17E;Ç&#x2122; 1%" %,)6 %,*" % 0 ""+ ), 1"! &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& ,# ,/"1,Ç˝ ")" / 1" ,)6 2 % /&01 &+ + & +, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN Assisi Day 8 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;19 Nov 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ( 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&Ć&#x153; 5 #/,* 4%& % "020 0-,(" 1, / + &0 ,21 %&0 *&0Č&#x2019; 0&,+ &+ Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2022;Ç&#x203A;Çż Č&#x160; ,Çž / + &0Çž +! /" 2&)! *6 %,20"Çž 4%& % 0 6,2 0"" &0 # ))&+$ &+1, /2&+Ç˝Č&#x2039; " 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,,( -) " &+ Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2014;Ç&#x2122;Ç&#x2022;Ç˝ %" 0* )) %2/ % ,# 1%" ,/7&2+ ,Č&#x2019; ) &0 &+0&!" 1%" 0&)& &10")#Ç˝ ,-" ,+,/&20

$/ +1"!

a plenary indulgence for those entering this humble %2/ % ,+ 2$201 Ç&#x2013;01 +! Ç&#x2014;+! "3"/6 6" /Çž 4&1% ,+#"0Č&#x2019; sion, reception of the Eucharist and no attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) Day 9 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20 Nov 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (Tues) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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%" Ç&#x2013;Ç&#x2DC;1% "+12/6Çž &1 &0 1/" 02/" %"01 ,# 1%" "+ &0Č&#x2019; sance art and dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history while admiring itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great *"!&"3 ) 0.2 /"0Ç˝ ,+1&+2" 1, ),/"+ "Ç˝ Č&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; " 01 /1 4&1% $2&!"! 4 )(&+$ 1,2/ ,# ),/"+ "Çž 1%&0 # 0Č&#x2019; cinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria !") &,/"Çž &,11,Č&#x2030;0 ")) ,4"/Çž 1%" -1&01"/6 ,# 1Ç˝ ,%+ the Baptist.

"01 ,# 1%" ! 6 #/"" Č&#x203A; Çž Č&#x153; Day 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21 Nov 2018 (Wed) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Florence / Rome " 3" ),/"+ " /,2+! Ç&#x2014; //&3"! ,*" )*,01 !&++"/ time (BB.D) Day 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 22 Nov 2018 (Thurs) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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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June 1-7 2018 • neW YORK AnD neW JeRSeY ASIAn JOuRnAL

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

JUNE 1-7, 2018

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A Filipino GAstronomic tour oF Brooklyn

by MoMar

G. Visaya/AJPress

When Purple Yam opened in the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn back in 2009, it became a dining destination for many Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who live outside the borough.

Some prefer to drive while others take the leisurely route via the Q train going to Coney Island.

One by one, Filipino restaurants followed suit and less than decade later, we have a strong list of places in Brooklyn where foodies and admirers of Filipino cuisine could gather and share a steaming pot of chicken adobo while drinking their San Miguel Beer.

Some of them – like Tama in Bed-Stuy and Ibis eats in Crown heights – are targeting their respective neighborhoods in order to become the go-to spot among its residents. Tama opened a year ago along Lewis Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area, still a predominantly lowerincome neighborhood on the verge of imminent gentrification.

“We’ve been really fortunate that we’ve taken to the neighborhood and the neighborhood has taken to us.

That was our goal to begin with – to have a community-based Filipino restaurant,” one of the owners, Miguel de Leon told the Asian Journal. “We wanted to be the neighborhood Filipino spot.”

Just a little more than a mile away is Swell Dive, a nontraditional taqueria serving Filipino flavors. Owned by the husband and wife team Dennis Mendoza and Autumn Stanford (they also own Brooklyn Kolache Co.) Swell Dive opened in 2016 and they have been serving chicken adobo, spam and sisig tacos, among others since.

The idea of opening a Filipino Tex-Mex spot has been at the back of his mind since opening Brooklyn Kolache back in 2012 and they were just waiting for the right time. The couple got inspiration from their own backgrounds, Stanford traces hers to Texas while Mendoza’s roots

Vanz Consignado of Lumpia Shack

are from the Philippines.

Ibis eats on the other hand started off as a café which Bjorn dela Cruz opened with a Trinidadian partner five years before he and his siblings started Manila Social Club.

They’re offering some traditional, authentic-style Filipino food, and they’re going this direction because of the neighborhood.

“They don’t know about Filipino cuisine [here] so when I opened in Williamsburg for Manila Social Club, we had avantgarde, cutting edge Filipino food. here now in Crown heights, it is a great place because it’s a blank space where I can show them the real strengths of our tradition,” dela Cruz shared.

They are also exploring Filipino food as it pertains to the Galleon Trade, Spanish influence and incorporating Trinidadian and Caribbean influence.

“There are some dishes – when we were making the menu, like laing – and my partner would go, ‘This is like my grandma’s dish and it’s called callaloo!’” he added.

“For a staff meal once, I made some afritada and he asked me how I learned to make it because he never learned how to make it. I told him it’s as Filipino as it gets.”

Tama x Purple Yam For two evenings last week, I had an opportunity to dine at Purple Yam with chef Romy Dorotan in the kitchen and serving us great-tasting food.

The first night was a dinner with some colleagues and Tourism Attaché Susan del Mundo as part of the Filipino Restaurant Week. The plan was take eat our dinner first at Tama and drive to Purple Yam for dessert.

We ate our way through Tama’s menu and found amazing and bold flavors in their dishes.

My favorite remains to be the smoked mackerel over spicy chocolate rice (it’s like champorado but different). The sisig burger and sisig fried rice

were both delightfully delicious.

Since we eat with our eyes first, we couldn’t help but be appreciative of Tama’s decision to use ube bun – it was indeed Instagram-friendly. notable among what we tried were the Bicol express and Lengwa (beef tongue served with smoked mushrooms).

We tried not to be so full since we knew our desserts were waiting.

At Purple Yam, we had one dessert each, which we shared with the group so we could decide which one was the best.

When chef Romy arrived while we were dining, he went straight to the kitchen and next thing we knew, he was sending out some appetizers. how could we say no?

We had a light salad of apple and mango with mulberry vinegar from Bukidnon, followed

by kinagang, a Bicolano dish similar to tamales, made with cassava and coconut and served with squid. Then came the jackfruit dish with four kinds of toasted cheese.

Then, dessert happened.

Chef Romy makes his own ice cream and tonight, we had the best time eating some of his rather uncanny concoctions. ever heard of sineguelas ice cream? how about champoy ice cream?

We had both and we craved for more.

The sineguelas (ciruela in Spanish) ice cream brought me back to those childhood summers in the province where we would feast on sineguelas picked straight from the tree with a sarukang, a long pole of light bamboo. Romy said he bought the frozen ciruelas from a neighborhood store. he served it with suman diket (sticky rice).

Dennis Mendoza of Swell Dive

Then came a parade – a plate of mango ice cream served over a mango tart, gojiberry ice cream with longan, calamansi tart served with a scoop of guava sorbet a d my personal favorite, the ube tikoy served with champoy ice cream.

Chef Romy and Amy Besa should open a place that only serves desserts, or maybe an ice cream shop.

Ube Kitchen & Lumpia Shack @ Smorgasburg nYC foodies look forward to the month of April because this is when Smorgasburg, the largest weekly open-air food market in the country opens. now a Brooklyn institution, Smorgasburg gathers about a hundred of the city’s main food purveyors and local vendors and brings them to east River State Park in Williamsburg on Saturdays and Prospect Park on Sundays.

Between 20,000 to 30,000 people make the trip to Brooklyn every weekend to try the multiple options that the vendors have to offer.

Chef neil Syham and his Lumpia Shack, a non-traditional lumpia stand, have been fixtures at Smorgasburg since 2012. Two years later, they opened their brick and mortar store in the West Village, part of chef neil’s dream to create a fast casual, upscale Filipino eatery in nYC. early this year however, he announced that they are closing the restaurant down and he will be focusing on a partnership with fellow chef Carson Yiu for their venture called OKLah in Flushing.

Ube Kitchen, one of the more famous vendors at Smorgasburg serves healthy Filipino-inspired desserts using plant-based options.

They became viral social media sensations after foodie features from Food Insider, VICe, new York Times, OZY, Gothamist, and Refinery29 with each one bringing a different way to understand the purple dragon concept.

“While one of us is a plantbased fanatic and the other a Filipino-trained chef, we wanted a way to pay homage to the Filipino culture and create a vessel to celebrate the use of plant-based ingredients in a dessert with no dairy or animal products,” Vanz Consignado told the Asian Journal. “Inspired by halo-halo, our purple dragon is filled with colors and unexpected flavors such as dehyrated pineapple and dragon fruit to have fun with plant-based cuisine at a time plant-based foods is reaching critical mass. When someone sees a purple ball in the shell of a dragon fruit, how else can you not say, “what the hell is that?” and not try a taste.”

Vanz was born and raised in the Philippines and graduated culinary arts from De La Salle - College of Saint Benild. he later went on to work at the 5-star Gran hotel La Florida in Barcelona, Spain and at the Delano botique hotel in South Beach, Miami. his partner nick is from Rochester, nY, a business administration graduate with wide-range of experience at food banks, clinical research, and freelance web design that eventually led him into the digital publishing world for OZY. com before taking his marketing talents to Ube Kitchen.

They knew as early as the summer of 2016 that they would create a dessert together and invested to not just experimenting but conceptualizing the business model and taking the time to browse how an outdoor tent operates. They also felt there was enough of the rise of ube and Filipino flavors and plant-based options in new York to propose a Filipino-inspired dessert to an outdoor market that thrived on the latest and unique dishes.

They saw an opportunity and ran away with it. now, they are offering more than just the halohalo served on dragon fruit.

Ube Kitchen serves the “rainbow of colors in plants and unafraid to experiment in our Ube Lab testing with plant-based dishes for chia pudding, pizza, mac-n-cheese, cupcakes, musubi, homemade seitan, hot chocolate, matcha drinks, and everything you can imagine plant-based at a ‘kamayan’ feast”.

And after munching and snacking at Smorgasburg, one can make the little-over-a-mile walk to Mountain Province and enjoy their selection of ethicallysourced, fair trade coffee beans sourced exclusively from the Philippines through Kalsada Coffee, a roaster that works with small independent coffee farmers in the Philippines.

And speaking of ube, their ube latte is sublime and I can trek all the way to east Williamsburg just to have a cup or two. While at it, I’d be having their Filipino pastries – cassava cake and ube ensaymada - as well, thank you very much.

Owner Ray Luna opened Mountain Province in 2013 with his lola, the matriarch of his family, as the main inspiration. he told Gothamist then, “My grandmother was able to provide and send six kids to school by baking cakes for the neighborhood. Soon after, my mom and my aunt followed in her footsteps in one form or another.

So in a way, our tiny shop is a celebration of her legacy and the legacy of my family.”

Immigration Corner

DNA testing to establish family relationships

parent and child or even between siblings. There are several requirements in connection with DnA testing, such as: In the Philippines, The test should be performed establishing family relationships by a lab/testing facility approved can sometimes be extremely complex. A child may be born and by DHS or the Embassy.

USCIS and the Embassy then “given” to a relative, such as a cannot “require” a person to childless aunt. A simulated birth undergo DnA testing; they can certificate is bought on Recto Street and then recorded, making only “suggest” the person to do so. the aunt the biological mother.

The Embassy and/or USCIS In other cases, a child is born may consider what other out of wedlock, but the mother documentation may exist to does not want to disclose the identity of the father (who may be prove identity, or whether no such documentation exists. married to someone else), and so The DnA results need to lists the father as “unknown.” show at least a 90% or higher Years pass, and perhaps the probability of the claimed true biological family member relationship. wants to file a petition for the Several other requirements child, but the birth certificate must be met in connection with and family relationships are so DnA testing to show family messed up, that it could be hard relationships. However, if you to unravel, especially if the birth have a case where the claimed certificate lists someone else or relationship is in doubt because “unknown” as a parent. of lack of documentation, or One possible solution is DnA simulated birth certificates were testing, whether it is between a

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

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,

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u N E 1 , 20 1 8

filed, you should consult with an immigration attorney who can evaluate the situation, whether it is for petitioning a family member or perhaps a parent wanting to transmit U.S. citizenship to a child. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

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 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.

An Asian Journal Magazine

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 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.

SHE TRIED TO COMPLY, BUT HER CASE WAS DENIED… A MOTHER’S DESPAIR AND AN ATTORNEY’S RESCUE ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF CITIZEN PINOY! Rowena and Mike came to the U.S. in 2010 to build a better life. Rowena was sponsored as a teacher. As she was filing her third extension for her H1-B visa in 2016, the shocking news hit her. She was denied! Then her adjustment (green card) application was denied because, according to the USCIS, she worked a mere 14 days without the necessary DHS authorization.

Three lawyers tried handling her case, to no avail, and her family was urging her to “give up” and return to the Philippines. She finally decided to consult with “the attorney of last hope,” Atty. MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL, in a last-ditch effort to be able to provide a better life for her children.

Watch how Atty. Gurfinkel was able to solve the problem in a record 43 days, turning a disastrous denial into green cards for the entire family, on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

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

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Arato Brothers: music prodigies sans sibling enmity

On the PEP Front

People, Events, Places BoBBy T. yalong GEttinG into music together among siblings is one noteworthy bonding option any parent could unmistakably choose for their kids.

Aside from being a safer preference in lieu of sports or other out-ofschool activity, common interest in music draws brothers closer and knitted.

A band composed of siblings isn’t a new thing since even before there were already Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson of the famed Beach Boys; there were also Marlon, tito, Michael, Jermaine, Randy, and Jackie Jackson of the legendary Jackson 5; then Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibbs of the Bee Gees:; John and tom Fogerty of the celebrated Credence Clearwater Revival; Don and Phil Everly of the renowned Everly Brothers; Kevin, Joe, and nick Jonas of the famous Jonas Brothers; John and Jordan Knight of the eminent boy band new Kids On the Block; Alan, Wayne, Merill, and Jay Osmond of the notable Osmond Brothers; nick and Drew Lachey of the prominent 98 Degrees; and a lot more. the magnetic appeal of music’s universality is undeniably strong especially among brothers whose inclination to such inspires their peers and even young hopefuls.

But it cannot be denied that despite the closeness there could exist some kind of rivalry and insecurity due to their being competitive in many aspects: in vocal capability, instrumental adeptness, on stage appeal, and superb press relation.

And because of these aspects many sibling band members either went solo or chose to quit resulted to the

These photos were shared by Iza on her Instagram account.

Photos from Instagram/@missizacalzado

Iza Calzado visits Marawi, shares ‘images of a war-torn city’

Arato Brothers wows a mammoth crowd

fall of the group.

Hereabout was born a fastrising sibling band that slowly carved its name and effortlessly stamped its impressive mark in the annals of the local entertainment arena - composed of Jun Gabriel, Jay Rafael, and Sean nathaniel and are collectively known as the Arato Brothers. if other sibling bands invited an extended member like neal Manapat (drummer) of the Band of Brothers and Kiel Calonzo (bass/ vocals) of take the Stage, the Arato Brothers requested Kenan Salazar (bass) to join them to complete the instrumental set-up.

Small framed but innately loaded with powerful musical aptitude, these young boys may look innocent and greenhorn in terms of life’s byzantine situations but their immense inclination to music indubitably chronicles a primary journey from boyhood to teenage years and how they perceive the world from a youthful point of view through their distinct brand of music.

Born to Rosendo “JR” Arato and Estrelita Ayson-Arato, both from Magalang, Pampanga, the

Awardees all... Jay Rafael, Jun Gabriel, and Sean Nathaniel...collectively, The Arato Brothers

The brothers with ace singer-comedienne Fe De Los Reyes

The music prodigies... Kenan, Jun Gabriel, Sean Nathaniel, and Jay Rafael

Arato Brothers unambiguously acquired their fondness of music from their parents: the former plays the acoustic guitar like a virtuoso while the latter could readily render karaoke pieces like a pro.

At their private rehearsal studio

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Everything took off from studying classical piano while in Pennsylvania but the boys shifted to pop when they were enrolled at School of Rock after they moved to Cherry Hill (south of new Jersey).

During graduation, JR recorded the recital on video and posted it on social media. in September of 2014, a fundraising event in the area (to benefit damaged places and displaced victims brought about by the horrendous typhoon that hit the Visayas) serendipitously gave the brothers their first public exposure. needless to say their innate talent was instantaneously appreciated and that opened doors for exceptionally mounting offers and invitations.

Continued on Page 6

by Cody Cepeda

of them wearing hijabs as they smiled for the camera.

ExACtLy a year ago this month, “A week ago i saw the sweet pro-iSiS militants laid siege to and hopeful smile of this little girl the city of Marawi, Lanao del Sur, from Marawi and i couldn’t help reducing the capital to a battlebut be emotional as i sat inside the scarred shell of its former glory. airplane on the way back home, People have since come together thinking of what she has been in efforts to rebuild Marawi, through and where life will take even celebrities who flew to the her,” said Calzado. city themselves to witness the Calzado hoped that in her own aftermath of the war at ground zero. way, she would be able to make Award-winning actress iza a difference in the life of other Calzado was one of the people Maranao, saying that giving them who flew to Marawi city this empowerment and livelihood month, taking to her instagram are the best ways to change the page last week, May 23, to share to course of their lives. her fans and followers about her Calzado revealed that her trip down south. She posted some opportunity to visit Marawi pictures she took while she was in city was on account of Spark the area.

Philippines, a non-profit “i visited Marawi just last organization, and the Austrian Monday and was faced with the Embassy. Calzado was a part of the gruelling images of a war torn i am Marawi Women (iM Women) city,” wrote Calzado. “there are still Project, a post-rehabilitation bombs buried in ground zero and initiative by Spark which aims it will take time and a lot of money to help disadvantaged Marawi to rebuild the city.” women and girls. the team Calzado further wrote that conducted an environmental many people are still internally scanning in the city during their displaced, with some of them time there. living only in tents inside Calzado isn’t the only gymnasiums-turned-refuge. celebrity using her influence “to this day, people are still to help rebuild Marawi. Back in displaced with some still living January, action star Robin Padilla, in tents inside gymnasiums. the a Muslim himself, visited the journey to rebuilding is a long people of Marawi with actor one and i hope we find ways to Piolo Pascual and film director support the community to rise Joyce Bernal. Anne Curtis, again. #BangonMarawi.” too, conquered the London in another post made just two Marathon just last April for days ago, May 28, Calzado shared UniCEF, pledging a donation a picture of her with a young girl totaling P1 million for the children from Saguiaran, with the two of Marawi.

Inquirer.net

Sharon, Zsa Zsa share snippets of three-decade friendship by arlo

Custodio ManilaTimes.net

tRUE friendship, especially in the dog-eat-dog world of show business, is difficult to come by. Friends today, enemies tomorrow seems to be the dictum once interests are trodden or endangered—that even those related by blood use every available platform to issue their side or slight the opposite side creating ruckus in showbiz.

One genuine friendship known among industry insiders but not much known by fans and their followers is that of Zsa Zsa Padilla and Sharon Cuneta. their ages just two years apart, with Cuneta entering showbiz earlier at the age of 12, and Padilla at 17, motherhood definitely have played a major factor in the cultivation of their friendship. “the night before giving birth to KC [Concepcion, daughter by actor Gabby Concepcion] we were still together laughing and sharing stories. Karylle was still so little,” Cuneta, called the megastar in showbiz, shared this anecdote when she appeared as special guest in Padilla’s “the Best Day Of My Life” concert at the newport Performing Arts theater of Resorts World Manila earlier this month.

Among other revelations, the megastar said she struck friendship with Padilla, who brandishes the moniker Divine Diva, over a serving of dessert. She also said that there was a George Canseco song that was initially meant for Padilla but the latter gave way so the piece became one of her hits from the movie “Bituing Walang ningning.” the Megastar also took a swipe at the father of her firstborn – without naming him – that made the audience laugh with her.

“Yung loveteam, yung kay Robin [Padilla] na lang, huwag na yung isa, ayaw naman, e, di naman matutuloy,” she said.

Reminiscing life with Dolphy the concert—an occasion for three important events, as Padilla’s 35th anniversary celebration in the biz, advance celebration of Mother’s Day and her 54th birthday on May 28—was jampacked and lasted almost three hours but the audience stayed

OPM icons, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Sharon Cuneta

until the Divine Diva said her final goodbye. the last part of the show was dedicated to Comedy King Dolphy, her partner for more than 20 years until his death in 2012, and her present partner, Conrad Onglao, who was introduced to her by the megastar. “you miss him too, don’t you?”

Padilla asked the audience before she sang “Smile” with a lump in her throat. it was in the set of the movie “Mga Anak ni Facifica Falayfay” that Padilla and Dolphy met.

“Di ko alam na dumidiga na pala siya. Ganun daw kasi siya, maasikaso sa crush niya at crush niya raw ako. Tawag ko pa nga sa kanya, ‘Mang Dolphy’ at naasiwa ako, kasi that time, bagets pa ako, at siya, 61 na,” Padilla laughed at the memories. the product of their union, Zia Quizon, now a noted singer in her own right, was also one of the guests—singing together as family with Zia’s boyfriend Robin nievera; and Karylle and husband yael yuzon of Sponge Cola. in her present relationship with architect Onglao, the Divine Diva sang a medley of Carpenters songs. Briefly she admitted of their six-month break-up, but stressed that it’s with him now that she wants to grow old with.

And there are no issues whenever she talks about her love for the

ManilaTimes.net photo

King of Comedy.

“Alam naman niya yun,” she shared.

Padilla also took the chance of inviting her friends who were in the audience—iza Calzado, Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid—among them to do a zumba fun segment to the tune of “Mambobola.” the show’s final guest was as surprising as the first one.

When she introduced Kuh Ledesma, the original Pop Diva, she said that she could not understand the comparison until she learned that they cater to the same type of audience. Rivals as they were, they’re actually friends and performed together in many shows both at home and abroad. their repertoire of classics like “the Windmills Of your Mind” was well applauded.

Padilla was already in the final phase of the show when Martin nievera appeared to give her a surprise. nievera was in the US as he took care of his father Bert until his death and burial in March. the finale—a vocal showdown of two of the country’s best singers—glued the audience to their seats wanting for more despite ending at almost midnight. Padilla’s 35th anniversary concert was indeed the best day of her life as well as that of her daughters, and her supporters.

Actor-model Juan Felipe Restrepo scores big, winning best in acting awards in Hollywood

BY MONET

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS WHILE cardiovascular mortality rates the past decades have gone down, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has remained the leading causer of death in the United States. Several clinical studies have shown that there is a strong association between dietary patterns and the incidence of CVD, and that people eating predominantly plant-based foods have lower rates of heart disease compared to those on animalbased foods. This does not even include the beneficial anti-cancer effect of plant-based foods and the higher risk for cancer of meateaters.

What is a plant-based diet?

The definition varies as there are different forms: 1. Vegetables, fruits, cereal, yogurt, beans, fish, and poultry; 2. Elimination of refined sugars, white flour, and animal oils; 3. Minimal animal products; 4. Seafood, with and without, dairy; 5. Eggs and dairy; 6. No animal products at all (vegan), just ‘plants.’ But the common among them is absence of red meat. The major concern and rationale here is that red meat consumption is linked to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Those diets, some with multivitamin supplements, have been proven safe and healthy, practiced for centuries in Asia and rural Europe.

Is eating minimal red meat safe?

While eating red meat only once a week is obviously not a plant-based diet, it could be safe among some people, depending on their genetic make-up, metabolism, and lifestyle, especially those who do regimented exercise daily. Since science still does not know who among us (based on our genes) could safely smoke, eat red meat ad libitum, drink alcohol daily, or not exercise at all, and still not get sick; the prudent health strategy is to minimize or eliminate red meat and high carbohydrate diets, and concentrate on proteins.

This might sound against what we learned in the kindergarten and beyond, but clinical evidence today shows the adverse effects of eating carbohydrates (rice, bread, sweets, etc.) and saturated fats (red meats), especially processed meats. All soft drinks are toxic to our body, especially to children.

Someday, science would be able to categorize us humans, based

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J U N E 1 , 20 1 8

KZ Tandingan reveals plans to release album in China

LU

HOLLYWOOD, CA - In living his American Dream, Hollywood actor-model Juan Felipe Restrepo is continuously setting goals for his international career.Back in his country of Colombia, he was involved in a popular theatre group named “La Maleta Roja.” This led him to performing in numerous plays inside and outside Colombia and Ecuador via the touring group, International Theater Festival.After moving to Los Angeles and graduating from the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), he was immediately signed by a manager and an agent.

In less than a year, Restrepo’s major achievements include receiving several awards in acting, and writing a screenplay.“The Prodigal (Hijo Prodigo),” a short film he wrote based on the true events he witnessed from one of his close friends.The film is about a closeted gay teenager who came out to a conservative Latino family, and shows what many Latino teenagers go through after they come out of the closet to their traditional parents.

The film gave him the 2018 Best Young Actor Award at Film Freeway’s 2018 Los Angeles Actors Award.It also won him two awards at Festigious International Film Festival: 2017 Best Actor at and the Best LGBT Festival Award.The film also won him 2018 LA Shorts both Silver Awards Best Actor and Best Drama, as well as the 2018 April Best Actor Award at Top Shorts Film Festival.

This past year he had booked 48 different projects from indie features, commer-

5

An Asian Journal Magazine

by DENI

ROSE M. AFINIDAD-BERNARDO Philstar.com

SINCE becoming a contender in the international Chinese singing contest “Singer 2018” where she performed alongside international pop stars Jessie J and Coco Lee, Filipino singer KZ Tandingan has become a celebrity in China, with fans asking for her autograph and taking selfies with her everywhere she went.

Believing that she should “strike the iron while it’s hot,” KZ revealed her plans to record an alloriginal album in China right after her June concert in the Philippines called “Supreme.”

She said during the recent press conference of her international singing search “Super K Star” that at the moment, she is just busy preparing for her concert, which she had to set aside when she joined “Singer 2018” early this year.

KZ’s manager, Cornerstone Entertainment, has recently partnered with short video platform Kwai to launch the “Super K Star” search, where KZ will become a mentor and judge alongside other Cornerstone artists like Jay R, Kyla and Claudia Barretto.

If successful with an album, KZ will be able to penetrate China’s multimillion-dollar music industry with an estimated audience of over 60 million.

Juan Felipe Restrepo starred and wrote the script of the award-winning film “Hijo Prodigo” (Prodigal Son), which continues to receive awards from different award-giving bodies.

cials, web series, shorts, music videos, working mainly as leads, with one where he was excited about most was the privilege of working with Mexican actor Danny Trejo.There is no stopping this young Hispanic actor/model living his dreams in Hollywood and his becoming popular in the Asian market as he had just been hand-picked by two popular Filipino couture designers to model in a fashion show slated on June 2.Get to know more about his other skills on his website: www.JuanFelipeRestrepo.com. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards

all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary

Plant-based diet

on our genetic composition as to who could eat, drink, or use what, and “are immune to their bad (unhealthy) effects, and who would develop major diseases (cardiovascular, metabolic, Alzheimer’s, or cancer) doing the same. That future would be most welcome.

What are the clinical evidences?

“Randomized controlled trials and epidemiological studies indicate that plant-based diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with significant improvement in CVD events, lowering risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension and decreasing symptomatic and scintigraphic myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease, as published recently in the Journal American College of Cardiology.

Any other studies supporting plant-based diet?

The data above are supported by many recent landmark reports, including Song et al.’s large prospective cohort study of U.S. Nurses and other health professionals, which shows “higher intake of animal protein (including processed red meat, unprocessed red meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs) was positively associated with mortality, whereas the inverse was true for high intake of plant protein. In another recent meta-analysis, Kwok et al. found similar results with vegetarians experiencing a 29 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality relative to nonvegetarians. These findings suggest the importance of protein source and support recommendations to increase plant protein intake, which in turn calls for education of physicians, patients, and the public about the largely unrecognized protein content of plants (e.g., peanuts and beef having the same protein content, 26 g per 100 g).”

What are some actual clinical proofs?

Here are some actual reports from the medical literature that are mind-opening and truly convincing: “The 16-week randomized controlled trial showed that participants who ate a diet of vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruits significantly improved their overall metabolic condition, say Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, and colleagues.

“Our study suggests the potential of a low-fat plant-based diet in diabetes prevention, addressing both core pathophysiologic mechanisms — insulin resistance

and diminished beta-cell function — at the same time.

The prevalence of diabetes is 46 percent to 74 percent lower in people who eat a plant-based diet compared with meat lovers in the general population.

“Diets rich in plant- vs animal-based monounsaturated fatty acids show significantly lower rates of total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, particularly when the plant-based fatty acids replace other notoriously unhealthy fats, including saturated or trans fats, as well as refined carbohydrates.

“In the study of more than 63,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and nearly 30,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up, an average of 22 years of follow-up showed that a higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids from plants was associated with a 16 percent lower risk for death from any cause. A higher intake of monounsaturated fatty acids from animals was meanwhile associated with a 21 percent higher risk for death from any cause.

“In overweight adults with no history of diabetes, a low-fat, plant-based vegan diet can reduce visceral fat and significantly improve both pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin resistance, potentially decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to researchers.”

What is the societal costbenefit from this diet?

The benefit to society in general of a healthier diet implemented by the people at large is a massive reduction of disease and healthcare-related expenditures, such as for medical consultation, medications, hospitalization, rehabilitation, especially for high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, chronic kidney diseases, stroke, heart failure, and heart attack, which is the case currently almost 60 percent of Medicare beneficiaries.

Example: if plant-based diet is adopted, the incidence of hypertension would be reduced to 25 percent of the present rate and save about 30 percent (billions of dollars) of the Medicare budget and reduced sick calls and man power deficit in the work force, besides avoidance of personal and family health problems.

So, what is the healthy strategy?

Turning off the faucet of unhealthy foods that are poison to our body to prevent diseases and maximize longevity makes more sense than mopping up the floor later of major illnesses and Continued on Page 6

Shout out to Jessie J A month after her epic performance with international pop stars Jessie J and Coco Lee for Chinese singing contest “Singer 2018,” Filipina chanteuse and “Singer 2018” contender KZ Tandingan still feels nostalgic of her opportunity to compete with Jessie J in the contest.

In a recent press conference launching her management Cornerstone Entertainment’s partnership with Kwai for international talent search “Super K Star,” KZ shared what she learned from Jessie J. “As Jessie J always told me nung nasa ‘Singer 2018’ ako, ‘yung mga rankings didn’t really define me as an artist. They only helped me become stronger and they only helped me grow as a person and as an artist,” KZ said.

She also shared what she learned from the contest.

“Nung nandun ako, I already felt like a winner. Kasi ang daming mga bagay na I did for the first time like learning Mandarin and ‘yung mga kanta na ginawa ko performing for people coming from different backgrounds, coming from different cultures.”

If given another chance, she would love to join the contest again, and other international contests, to represent the

KZ Tandingan Photo from Instagram/@kztandingan

Philippines.

“I think, lahat ng opportunity na dumating na pwede kong ikagrow as a person and as an artist ay tatanggapin ko.”

KZ gave pride to the country when she became the first Filipino contender in “Singer 2018.” During her initial performance, she defeated Jessie J and won the number one spot.

Sofia Andres speaks up on her struggles with anxiety, admits she’s seeking help

by KATRINA

HALLARE Inquirer.net

SHE may be famous, but a celebrity like Sofia Andres showed that she is also human — she revealed that she has been suffering from anxiety.

The 19-year-old Kapamilya actress said in a Twitter post yesterday, May 30, that she is battling the disorder. She described that struggling with it is “so bad.” “[Y]ou guys must do appreciate people around you no matter what,” she advised. “[Y]ou might not need them now but eventually you will.”

To help her with her anxiety battle, Andres has taken measures. She stated that she’s started seeing a therapist and going to counseling. It’s a relief that she is taking such steps, since “[A]nxiety is anxiety, we

She also reached out to “all the survivors” going through the same fight as her. Andres assured them: “You are not your anxiety.” “[I]t just takes time and effort to take control of your brain,” she said. Andres also stressed that anxiety is “nothing to be ashamed of,” while admitting that she was scared to tell her friends, loved ones and her family about her anxiety attacks. “[I] over think things, useless things, that’s so unfair right?”

Andres said. “[T]hat’s a big part of why I’m trying to become a better person, to control my mind because i love the people in my life and this anxiety makes me Sofia Andres treat them like [I] don’t.”

Photo from Instagram/@iamsofiaandres To further assure that she is a partner in fighting anxiety, she don’t know when it’s going to reminded fans and followers to attack you,” she said. keep going: “[L]et’s be brave you “Yes, I am worried. Literally worried,” Andres said of her illness. guys.”

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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..

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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An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u N E 1 , 20 1 8

Philippines headlines Cultural show in Ellis Island New York

Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation performs an excerpt from the Meranao epic Derangen - proclaimed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005 – at the Great Hall in Ellis Island, New York on May 6.

NEW YORK – In celebration of Asian-American Heritage Month, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company presented the Ellis Island Asian American Heritage Festival last May 6 at the Great Hall of Immigration at Ellis Island.

Cultural Officer Olivia Osias-Magpile, Ranger Douglas Treem, Vice Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov, and Mr. Andy Chen of Nai-Na Dance Group discuss future possible partnerships after the cultural show.

PCGNY photos

Vice Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov and Cultural Officer Olivia Osias-Magpile coordinated with the National Park Service on the Philippines’ inclusion in the program, and represented the Philippine Consulate General of New York at the event.

Filipino cultural group Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation headlined the show, with a 15minute dance interpretation of an exceprt Five other groups from China, Vietnam, India and Hawaii performed their traditional and indigenous dances and music.

CCP President Visits New York with Plans to Expand Cultural Literacy Programs in Filipino Communities NEW YORK - Mr. Arsenio J. Lizaso, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) paid a visit to the Philippine Consulate General in New York (PCGNY) last 10 May 2018. During his meeting with Consulate officials, Mr. Lizaso discussed efforts of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in performing its mandate to promote and preserve Philippine culture. He also expressed interest in exploring possibilities for collaboration in bringing activities and programs of the CCP to New York.

Mr. Lizaso said that the CCP has ramped up its efforts to bring its cultural program to local communities and institutions.

According to him, the CCP’s outreach projects will continue to bring performances of the Center’s resident companies such as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), Philippine Ballet, Tanghalang Pilipino, Bayanihan,

CCP President Mr. Arsenio J. Lizaso (Center) met with Philippine Consulate General in New York officials Consul Arman Talbo (2nd from left), Vice Consul Khrystina Corpuz Popov (2nd from right), and Cultural Officer Olive Osias-Magpile (rightmost) at the Philippine Consulate General New York last 10 May. Edwin Josue (leftmost), Co-Founder of Friends of the Philippines Society USA. Inc. accompanied Mr Lizaso to the meeting.

PCGNYPhoto

and Cinemalaya, among others, to the Filipino people, including communities located in the furthest areas of the archipelago.

The Consulate apprised Mr. Lizaso of its Sinehan sa Summer film festival, that is held every August, and which features CCP’s Cinemalaya short films. It also

conveyed its plans to bring the Film screenings to other states in its jurisdiction.

Mr. Lizaso was in New York as one of the featured speaker during the Explore Islands Philippines Exhibit about Philippine Culture held at the Grand Central Station in New York City.

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com.

And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event.

To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice.

The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

PCG briefs the High School of Fashion Industries in New York on Philippine fabric, culture and trade NEW YORK – Thirty students from the High School of Fashion Industries in New York, accompanied by their Guidance Counsellor, Wilson Sia, visited the Philippine Consulate General New York on May 6 with the aim of exploring Philippine culture, values and trade, with emphasis on Philippine heritable designs and fabrics.

The High School of Fashion Industries provides technical and academic training for New York City students with a specially tailored program for students interested in a fashion-related field. Mr. Sia informed the Consulate that 25% of the school’s students are accepted by the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology every year.

During the information session, Vice Consul Khrys Corpuz presented a virtual journey to the regions of the Philippines, showcasing their distinct cultures and traditions, highlighting their festivals, fabrics and fashion, and introducing their peoples.

Mr. Nicanor Bautista, Senior Trade Representative, shared information regarding the new growth areas in trade and investment of the country. He said Philippine textiles are experiencing a resurgence. He noted that in 1980’s, during the age of quotas, the Philippines was one of the top exporters of apparel to the United States and emphasized that currently, the Philippines supplies many of the famous brand-name

Bonded by music... inspired by young dreams

Thirty students of High School of Fashion Industries based in New York City reached visit the Philippine Consulate General New York on May 7 for an Information Session on Philippine culture.

Anthony Legarda, a fashion designer and one of the founders of the Hinabi Project, presents Philippine textiles during the Explore Islands Philippines expo held at the Grand Central Station on May 11.

stores in the US like Ann Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and many others.

Mr. Anthony Legarda, a designer and one of the founders of the Hinabi Project, also briefed the students about Philippine indigenous weaving traditions and the handing down of heritage

designs and techniques. He highlighted a panel of Tinalak fabric, which will be part of the Philippine Consulate’s cultural exhibit in June.

Mr. Legarda also presented Philippine Textiles at the Grand Central Station during the Explore Island Philippines expo held in New York from May 9-12.

Arato Brothers with their dad, JR

Arato Brothers: music prodigies...

From Page 4

As if playing complicated instruments and singing diverse JR started to remodel their genre weren’t enough to prove basement into a mini recording their fast-rising supremacy in the and rehearsal studio to provide a field, these fledgling musicians has decent place for his sons’ passion. As extraordinarily composed quite a supporter and purveyor he tries a number of originals: “Aim High,” to impact the formative years of his “Long Gone,” Super Power Surprise,” three sons via a different parenting “Chance To Say Sorry,”“Beacon of style, a smartly dissimilar disciplinary Construction,”“When Lightning method all his own.

Strikes,”“High Noon,”“Farawayland,” “Notwithstanding my effort in “Exodus,”“Red Revolution,”“Majestic,” exerting a specifically masculine and “E.F. Song.” influence as the role model at home, And if you think those were all I provide them with utmost support to their passion, think again… for in every endeavor they are leaning to these boys even collaborated with and instill in them the importance of their teacher Mr. LeProsti in writing sibling comradeship, solidarity, and and composing the following respect,” JR said with distinct tone of original ditties: “Sky’s Not The Limit,” smugness.

“Red Leopard,”“Strobe,” and “Find It Aside from the fundamental Within.” virtues of tenacity, integrity, Talent and proficiency beget faithfulness, and perseverance that awards and recognition and the JR has inculcated in them, mom brothers deservingly got hem: Estrelita never fails to share her “Best Young Live Band in NY” from guiding thoughts to her boys, OZA Awards (2017) and 2018 Rock implicating a totally personal Churches Award for “Best Fil-Am disciplinary technique different from Band, NY.” what her husband instigates and If the barometer to gauge the implies. popularity of a band is through Nurturing a child’s passion relentless visibility on stage and for singing and playing various major event performances, easily instruments take a lot of patience then Arato Brothers has achieved and perseverance not to mention such level. Having performed, unconditional support. Merely guested, and featured in over fifty providing their kids with basic major Fil-Am community events musical needs isn’t sufficient. As (in just 4 years of performing concerned parents they keenly professionally) made them follow their children’s lead and the current toast of the local guide their passion with viable entertainment scene. Consider their drive to excel at it. And at times remarkable performances : “Rebuild” when enthusiasm dwindles and (a charity event for Typhoon Yolanda curiosity diminishes they give victims), “Unplugged” (School of their kids encouragement and Rock), Sinulog Festival (Brooklyn, NY reassurance to reestablish the / 2015), Philippine Independence weakening passion.

Day Parade & Festival (Candem, The mounting tension on NJ / 2015), FECGP Grand ball musical child genius becomes (Philadelphia, 2015). PDOC Parade enormous especially when & Festival (Passaic, NJ (2015, 2016, pressured but turns out interesting 2017), PAFCOM Parade & Festival when the child, himself, is (Jersey City, NJ 2016), FAFI Festival enthusiastic, focused, and driven.

(Overpeck Ridgefield, NJ 2015, 206, Definitely, it isn’t easy to raise 2017), Fiesta in America (Secaucus, music prodigies like the Arato NJ 2016, 2017), Philippine Day Brothers. These young guys had (Eagle Rock, Poconos, Pennsylvania displayed remarkable talents in 2016), Fe De Los Reyes’“Fentastic,” music deemed to make them CAM Santacruzan Street Fair (2017, competitive with skilled adult 2018), and many more. musicians and the significant output If there are three most they produced need hands-on applauded songs in their repertoire, supervision. the brothers were unanimous in Speaking of child prodigies, their choices: Chuck Berry’s “Johnny Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Be Good,”The Beatles’“A Hard Day’s classical composer from Salzburg, Night”, and Eddie Van Halen’s “Jump.”.

Austria, (christened Johannes A fact sheet of the members of Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Arato Brothers will give us a more Theophilus Mozart) could pick up vivid insight of who and what they tunes on the piano at the age of 3 really are. and begun composing at age 5. It Jun Gabriel Ayson Arato won’t be far for these talented Cherry Birthday: January 2, 2004 Hill-based young musicians to follow Birthplace: Magalang, suit and gradually shape their own Pampanga fame in the industry.

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Plant-based diet

From Page 5 premature deaths.

A rational and practical approach is to eat mostly plant foods and push ourselves away from the dining table less than full, as our mothers and grandmothers (with wisdom and foresight, before the informational age of the

internet and the world wide web) have been telling us for centuries. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based

Education: 8th Grade School: Rosa International Middle School (485 Browning Lane, Cherry Hill, NJ) Instrument: Keyboards / Vocals Other interest: Sports / Running Future Dream: To be a prominent composer of musical background for movies & videos Jay Rafael Ayson Arato Birthday: December 28, 2004 Birthplace: Magalang, Pampanga Zodiac Sign: Capricorn Education: 7th Grade School: Henry C. Beck Middle School (950 Cropwell Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ) Instrument: Guitar / vocals Other interest: Sketching Future dream: To be a performing artist Sean Nathaniel Ayson Arato Birthday: December 15, 2006 Birthplace: Fox Chase, Philadelphia Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius Education: 5th Grade School: Joseph D. Sharp Elementary School (300 Old Orchard Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ) Instrument: Drums / vocals Other interest: Biking / video games Future dream: To be a music teacher Kenan Salazar (extended member) Birthday: April 21, 2001 Birthplace: Binondo, Manila Zodiac Sign: Taurus Parents: Sherwin Salazar / Eunice Co Education: 11th Grade School: Girard Academic Music Program (2136 W. Ritner St., Philadelphia, PA) Instrument: Bass guitar Other interest: Martial arts / karate Future dream: To have a solo career in music Achievement: Composed, produced, and released a refreshingly sounding album (with 3 Cuts: Summer Kiss, Pearl, and Droplets) / leader of his own band, Earth 7.

There seems no stopping these kids in producing worth-listening music pieces…and just imagine they’re still very young with lots of opportunities in store for them.

With barely 4 years neatly stashed under their sleeves… and with the way their stars are leading them along the right track, it is safe to predict that Arato Brothers are unmistakably on their path to stardom.

For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@ yahoo.com in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)

An Asian Journal Magazine

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JUNE 1, 2018

An Asian Journal Magazine

8

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY JuNE 1, 2018