061723 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

Community leaders call for justice, safety measures for elderly Filipino man attacked in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS — Prominent leaders of the local Filipino American community are calling for justice and proactive safety measures for an elderly man who was attacked last month amid the continued rise in Asian hate crimes.

The elderly Filipino American man, 75-year-old Amadeo Quindara, was attacked last May 30 at his Las Vegas home and continues to live in fear for his life and safety as his attacker was recently released from jail and reportedly remains a threat to him. The perpetrator, 44-year-old Christian Lentz, was charged with residential burglary.

On the day of the attack, Quinadara was talking to another neighbor in Tagalog when Lentz, who lives just two doors down, reportedly confronted them and told them to speak in English.

Lentz left, but home security footage captured him returning approximately a half

Most Asians support a rmative action, but not in college

A SURVEY of 7,000 Asian adults found a majority of Asian Americans think affirmative action is a good thing. Yet an overwhelming majority disagree that race should be a factor in deciding admission into a university.

The poll released Thursday, June 8 by the Pew Research Center says 53% of Asian Americans describe affirmative action as a “good thing.” 19% consider it a “bad thing” and 27% “don’t know.”

Support among the various Asian subgroups ranges from a high of 60% among Indian Americans and 57% Filipino Americans to a low of 45% among Chinese Americans and 48% Vietnamese Americans.

“We need a seat at the table… I mean, even as far as I know, Asian Americans, Filipino Americans have the lowest voter count, and so without having a seat at the table, like how are we going to be heard?

So yeah, I mean, I’m down with affirmative action,” said a Filipino man in his 40’s to

PH, US to ‘collaboratively confront’ regional, global challenges — Blinken

by BEATRICE PINLAC Inquirer.net

MANILA — United States Secretary of State

Antony Blinken expressed confidence that the U.S. and the Philippines will continue to “collaboratively

confront” the global and regional challenges hounding the two nations.

"I want to reaffirm the longstanding U.S. –Philippines alliance and celebrate our strong peopleto-people ties, acknowledging the shared sacrifices

Judge inhibits from De Lima’s last drug case

by GAEA KATREENA CABICO Philstar.com

MANILA — The judge handling the last illegal drugs charge against Leila De Lima has inhibited himself from the case after the former senator’s co-accused cited a conflict of interest.

In a seven-page order dated June 15, Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch

256 Judge Romeo Buenaventura granted the motions for inhibition filed by De Lima’s former aides Ronnie Dayan and Joenel Sanchez, and former Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu. De Lima’s co-accused had asked Buenaventura to stop handling the case after learning the judge is the brother

of lawyer Emmanuel Buenaventura, supposedly the former counsel of the late Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

Umali was the chairperson of the House of Representatives’ justice panel when it was conducting hearings into the alleged drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison that supposedly involved De Lima.

“Simply put, the suspicion of the accused-movants, while unfounded if not contrived, cannot be ignored since it already tarnished the integrity and impartiality of the Court as well as the needed trust and confidence in all subsequent proceedings in the instant case,” Buenaventura said.

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Mayon unrest may last for a few months – Phivolcs

by JOHN ERIC MENDOZA Inquirer.net

MANILA — State volcanologists on Tuesday, June 13 believed the unrest in Mayon Volcano could last for a few months based on historical data.

Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), drew parallels between the latest activities and that of Mayon in 2018 and 2014.

“Based on our experience, this activity may persist [for] a few months,” Bacolcol said in a Teleradyo interview.

"When the eruption is violent, this would probably take a few days to weeks, but when it is slow like this, it would probably take several months,” he added, partly in Filipino.

Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist of Phivolcs, told INQ Today that the activity would last for months when the volcano quietly effuses lava.

“Mayon is quietly effusing lava flow from its summit craters and the lava flows are being transported to the south and southeast

that form the foundation of our alliance,” the U.S. official said in his message to mark 125 years since the declaration of Philippine independence on Monday, June 12. The ties between the U.S. and its former colony,  PAGE A2

Romualdez: US to pay cost of Afghan refugees’ stay in PH

by JACOB LAZARO Inquirer.net

SHOULD the Philippines agree to house Afghan refugees, the U.S. government will shoulder the costs down to the last cent, according to the Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez.

“They will pay for everything, including the food, lodging,” Romualdez said in an interview with CNN Philippines on Thursday, June 15.

Romualdez’s assurance came after several senators expressed concern about the U.S. proposal to bring Afghans who had worked with the U.S. government in fighting the Taliban and their families into the country.

“The reason why the Philippines is a logical place is because number one, we are obviously an ally of the United States. Number two, the U.S. has a fairly big embassy in the Philippines. It will be a quick processing,” Romualdez explained.

50,000 eyed

Former President Rodrigo Duterte ManilaTimes.net file photo

Duterte on narco policemen: Kill them

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

Duterte wants all police officers involved in the illegal drug trade shot dead instead of being put behind bars.

In his weekly program aired at SMNI, Duterte acknowledged that the police helped him restore public order and safety in Davao City, but there are several "hoodlums" and corrupt members within their organization.

"I love the police because they help me restore public order and

safety in Davao City. Without the help of the police and the Army, the military, I could not have done it," Duterte said.

"But you know there are many hoodlums who have entered the police force, even the colonels now and those who became generals. There are many corrupt there," he added.

Duterte added that there are police officers who not only provide protection to drug dealers, but are into drug dealing themselves.

"The volume is one too many. How many police personnel are involved? There are many; it

FARMERS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos

(center left) shakes hands with

Ambassador Huang Xilian

FORMER President Rodrigo

PH, US to ‘collaboratively...

Blinken said, have grown across various fields. He particularly cited the countries’ commitment to uphold international peace and stability and invest in the transition to clean energy, among others.

“We have accomplished much together, and I am confident we will continue to collaboratively confront the most pressing regional and global challenges,” Blinken said.

After Spain’s rule over the

Philippines for more than three centuries, the country then became a colony of the U.S. from 1898 until 1946.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. celebrated the Philippine Independence Day on Monday with a call for Filipinos to “assert [their] liberty day by day” amid the challenges the nation faces.

“The heroes of our liberation would be proud to know that we have thrown off the ‘ominous yoke of domination’ — never again to be subservient to any

external force that directs or determines our destiny,” Marcos said in his first Independence Day speech as chief executive.

From the time Marcos was elected president last year, there has been a pivot in the Philippine foreign policy as it began restoring its ties with the U.S. This shift was made notable after the U.S. and the Philippines drifted apart in the past years during the term of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. 

Romualdez: US to pay cost of Afghan...

The ambassador said the United States intended to take in around 50,000 Afghan refugees.

Under the plan, the Americans will process the Afghans’ special immigration visa to enter the United States during their stay in the Philippines.

Romualdez said the processing will be done by the U.S. Embassy personnel or the U.S. Department of State.

“They’re the ones who’ve issued a visa or special immigration visa to Afghan citizens whose lives are in danger,” he said.

He added that the U.S. government made the request to admit the Afghans into the country in October last year.

During U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit in November, President Marcos confirmed that the Philippine government received the proposal.

Lack of transparency

Romualdez welcomed a Senate inquiry into the plan, which was first disclosed by Sen. Imee Marcos, who questioned the lack of transparency on the part of the administration in making the American request public.

She said the two sides were already finalizing a memorandum of agreement to bring in the refugees.

"I’m extremely pleased that Senator Imee has called for an inquiry precisely to bring out all the concerns that we have,” said Romualdez, who is a cousin of the Marcos siblings.

“We may be all related, but we’re doing our jobs. I’m here in Washington, D.C., sending the request. The president received the request, and now, Sen. Imee is doing her job to make sure that this will not affect our national security,” he said. 

Judge inhibits from De Lima’s last...

“The undersigned presiding judge will exercise his discretion and will recuse himself from further hearing this case not because the allegations are true, but because it is his avowed duty as a member of the Bench to promote confidence in the judicial system,” he added.

Due to Buenaventura’s inhibition, the records of the illegal drugs case will be transmitted to the executive judge for re-raffle to the other branches of the court for the continuation of the proceedings.

‘Impartial judge’

Buenaventura said the fact that lawyer Emmanuel was not sufficient to prove that he “acted with malice, bad faith, and partiality” in conducting proceedings and in denying the bail petition of De Lima and her

co-accused.

The judge denied last week the application for bail by De Lima, Sanchez, Bucayu, Dayan and the former senator’s alleged bagman, Jose Adrian Dera, as he ruled that the evidence of their guilt was strong.

According to the presiding judge, it was beyond his personal knowledge that his brother acted as a former counsel of Dayan who assisted him in the execution of his affidavit that he has now recanted.

He also said it was beyond his personal knowledge that his brother supposedly served as the legal adviser of Umali.

Buenaventura maintained that “he has conducted himself with the cold impartiality of an impartial judge, and no one had swayed his judgment and

Community leaders call for justice, safety measures...

hour later.

According to the report, Lentz allegedly punched and slammed Quindara to the ground before fleeing the scene. The video captured Lentz reportedly yelling racial slurs at Quindara, telling the Filipino man that he would “be on a ventilator” and “die.”

conduct in adjudicating the instant case.”

He, however, said he “recognizes the fact that his every action, no matter how judiciously made, is vulnerable to charges of bias and partiality.”

The former lawmaker won in her first case when she challenged the sufficiency of prosecution evidence against her.

She won her second case on the ground of reasonable doubt — this was after the star prosecution witness recanted his testimony against her and admitted that he was pressured to make false allegations.

But the Department of Justice has already asked the separate Muntinlupa court to reconsider its ruling that cleared De Lima. 

"He walked away and started talking. ‘You should speak English. You should speak English.

You Japanese,’” Quindara said, according to an interview with KTNV.

Quindara sustained bruises to his face, a black eye and deep cuts on his head.

“Physically, you could recover from that but if you keep thinking about what happened, that is the thing that hurt me most,” Quindara added.

The attack comes at a time when there is an alarming surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans nationally, and as Nevada’s Filipino American population is growing rapidly.

There was a disturbing 167% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes during the first year of the pandemic alone, according to the FBI.

Fil-Am leaders in Las Vegas are now calling on authorities and other government officials

to bring justice to Quindara’s case as well as to prevent other incidents against the community.

“When Filipino Americans heard about this brutal attack, we took it very personally, because the first thought we had was ‘That could have been my dad’,” said Jacque de Joya, president of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) – Nevada. “In the Filipino American community, we’re very family-oriented, and we revere our elders. So we felt like our own father had been attacked – it hit us right in our hearts.”

De Joya continued to call for justice for Quindara as he is “in imminent danger of being attacked again.”

"We also need officials to prioritize the safety of all Nevadans against hate crimes. All of us must come together across racial lines to increase understanding, education and compassion, and take real steps to end these terrible acts of violence. We are calling for action from our justice system and local government officials, as justice delayed is justice denied. NaFFAA Nevada is in solidarity with the rest of the Filipino American organizations

and other organizations in our state,” she said.

Gloria Caoile, co-founder of NaFFAA, said that, Filipino Americans "are essential to the life of our city and state, but right now the Filipino American community is being treated as if we don’t count and don’t matter. I was a union leader for decades, and in the labor movement we have a saying, ‘An injury to one is an injury to all.’ This issue is about making sure that every Nevadan has safety and respect, starting with Mr. Quindara.”

Grace Vergara-Mactal, executive director of Nevada’s largest health care and public service union, SEIU Local 1107,” said, “What politicians need to realize is that their rhetoric has real-world consequences and causes real pain — both physical and emotional.

"We will not accept being targeted or victimized, and as an anti-racist organization, we will not stand on the sidelines. Along with our community partners, we will redouble our fight for justice and safety for all,” Vergara-Mactal added. According to reports, Quindara is in the process of filing a restraining order against Lentz, who is scheduled to be back in court on July 3. (AJPress)

NPNA, APIAVote join forces to encourage Asian Americans to naturalize

WASHINGTON, D.C. –National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) issued the following statement announcing a joint partnership to encourage Asian Americans to naturalize.

“NPNA and APIAVote are excited to announce a joint partnership aimed at promoting naturalization among Asian immigrants, as part of NPNA’s 2023 Naturalize NOW Campaign, a nationwide effort to encourage naturalization and support New Americans on their journey towards full civic participation. The nation’s foundation is one woven from the contributions of immigrants. During Immigrant Heritage Month, as we recognize their immense value, it is also crucial for immigrants to be encouraged to naturalize so they can fully participate in and strengthen our democracy.

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing racial groups

in the country, driven by immigration. That’s why this partnership is so important: with all of today’s challenges, threats, and opportunities, their voices need to be included in our democracy more than ever. And that only happens with naturalization and registering to vote. If all those who are eligible to become citizens naturalize and become civically engaged, our community will come even closer to reaching the full potential of our collective power.

“This month, we celebrate our immigrant roots, and call on eligible communities to naturalize now. At NPNA, we see naturalization as democracy building and key to ensuring a democracy that is reflective of all of us,” Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans said.

“Ahead of the consequential 2024 election cycle, it is imperative we raise awareness

of the importance of naturalizing for those eligible in our community,” Christine Chen, executive director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote said.

“In 2020, we had a 60% turnout amongst Asian Americans – our largest turnout rate in history. This was not just an electoral victory; this victory lead to substantive changes for Asian Americans: the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill, Asian American history mandated across several states, millions invested into local community organizations, the largest investment in combating climate change in history, and the first gun reform bill in nearly 30 years – just to name a few. If we are able to unleash our full potential power by encouraging members of our community to naturalize and participate in the democratic process, we will continue to see real progress for the Asian American community.” 

California schools start hatching heat plans as the planet warms

by CALLI MCMURRAY KFF Health News

AS hot days become more extreme and common, California education researchers are urging that school districts be required to develop heat plans to keep students safe, just as they have policies for severe storms and active shooters.

A policy brief published last month by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation offers a series of recommendations on how education and building codes can help schools become more heat-resilient in the face of global warming. State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat, introduced legislation this year requiring schools to have heat plans by 2027, and another bill would make it easier for schools to create more shaded spaces.

“Obviously, the California Education Board wasn’t set up to think about climate change. But now that climate change is a reality, virtually every sector is going to have to think about it,” said V. Kelly Turner, an urban planning associate professor and the director of the Luskin Center. The center’s recommendations include steps such as setting an indoor temperature limit, documenting the air-conditioning and shade infrastructure of each school, and investing in shade and greenery for play areas.

The brief also calls out areas needing more research, such as the safest indoor temperature range. The best way to keep kids cool is perhaps the most obvious: providing shade, which can reduce the heat

stress experienced throughout the day by 25% to 35%, according to the Luskin Center.

That requires reconfiguring playgrounds to make them cooler, said Perry Sheffield, a pediatrician and an environmental medicine researcher at Mount Sinai in New York City. In addition to shade, swapping heatabsorbing materials like asphalt and rubber for grass and wood chips helps cool things down.

“The more we can encourage play as well as physical activity, the healthier our kids are going to be, so figuring out a way to do that safely is really key,” said Sheffield.

On a playground in the San Fernando Valley, Turner said, she once measured 145-degree asphalt and 162-degree rubber — hot enough to cause a third-

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CLEAN AND GREEN. A Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) worker removes wild grass on the center island along Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City on Friday, June 16. Among the MMDA’s duties are safeguarding the health and sanitation of the region; enhancement of ecological balance; and prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

Duterte on narco policemen...

will go up to the generals," he said. "At one time, maybe I will announce all the names of those whom I believe are corrupt and involved in illegal drugs."

Duterte, a staunch anti-drug advocate, said the "best way to

deal" with these police officers is to kill them.

"Don't bring them to court. Shoot them dead. Observe due process? Why would I keep you alive?" he said.

If he were still president, Duterte said he would order the

whole police force to surrender all issued and illegal firearms within 24 hours and let the military take over.

"The Army would be happy to take over, and I supposed that is what should happen," he added. 

Mayon unrest may last for a few...

PAGE A1

sector of the volcano,” Bornas said.

“There have been past eruptions similar to this where the volcano is quietly effusing lava and this activity lasted for months,” she added. “We might get that activity.”

Bornas said that the lava flows have reached a distance of one kilometer away from the crater.

As of Tuesday, Phivolcs said the Mayon Volcano saw one volcanic earthquake, spewing 723 tonnes of sulfur dioxide.

Those living in the volcano’s permanent risk zone, according to Bacolcol, will have to remain in the shelters for at least the

next few months. More than 14,000 residents have been staying in evacuation centers, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

"Parang ganoon na nga ang mangyayari (That seems to be the case),” he said when asked if this meant that residents inside the volcano’s permanent danger zone would have their stay prolonged for a few months.

“Unless we lower the alert level, we have no choice but to have those who live inside the permanent danger zone stay in evacuation centers. There should be no people in the permanent danger zone in the first place,” he explained.

Phivolcs classified Mayon Volcano under Alert Level 3 last Thursday due to “potential explosive activity happening within days or weeks.”

If a volcano’s magma is at or near the surface, and its activity could lead to dangerous eruptions within weeks, an Alert Level 3 is announced.

State seismologists determined that increasing the danger zone beyond eight kilometers from the active crater would require a higher warning level.

Albay Governor Edcel Greco Lagman has already extended the “danger zone” of the volcano to seven-kilometer radius. 

Most Asians support a rmative action...

PAGE A1

the researchers.

“Well, I always feel a little mixed about it. I think there are people that cannot advocate for themselves that it probably has helped, but I think it also has hindered those individuals that have either accomplished a lot on their own because people make an assumption that they got helped or that you’re part of a quota,” said a Japanese women in her 60’s.

Support for affirmative action among U.S.-born Asian Americans is slightly higher than that of immigrants, 56% to 52%.

Pew conducted the survey in six languages between July 5, 2022 and January 27, 2023 with a margin of error of 2.1%.

The release of the poll conducted both online and by mail coincides with a decision expected from the U.S. Supreme Court early this summer in the cases of Students for Fair Admissions vs Harvard and Students for Fair Admission vs the University of North Carolina.

Conservative Ed Blum argues that affirmative action in college admission discriminates against Whites and Asian Americans.

An overwhelming majority of Asian Americans surveyed do not think race should be a factor when deciding student enrollment.

Only 21 percent think race should be a consideration in college admissions.

Most think high school grades, standardized tests and community service should be bigger factors.

Sally Chen of Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco was a student at Harvard when the case was going through the federal courts. She testifed in favor of Harvard’s admission policy.

“I think there’s confusion that students can get in solely on the basis of race,” she told AsAmNews during a phone interview. She described college admissions as a “confusing and anxiety-inducing process. There s confusion about what these institutions are doing wth this information.”

Phil Wong of the New York Chapter of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance agrees. “We’ve seen the data,” said Phil Wong, the president of the Chinese American Citizens

Six Fil-Ams named ‘Grand Agers’ for decades of public service

by CHERIE QUEROL MORENO Inquirer.net

longtime volunteers who model the Filipino value of “bayanihan” or communal cooperation.

Alliance. “Asian Americans are being turned away when they have the grades, they have the test scores. They are being turned away for other races,” he told Fox News.

Each chapter of CACA may have differing views on the issues. An effort to reach the national office was unsuccessful and a past president of CACA told AsAmNews he is not aware if the national office has a stance on affirmative action. Efforts to reach national president Melanie Chan were unsuccessful.

Interestingly, Black respondents to the poll also overwhelmingly rejected race as a consideration for college admissions. 71 percent of blacks polled said it should not be considered.

None of this surprises Chen of CAA.

“When you lead with the values and what the programs are for, you see support and that’s consistent when we want to help all communities to be able to succeed,” she said.

Neil Ruiz of Pew acted as lead researcher with assistance from Hannah Klein, Ziyao Tian and Mark Hugo Lopez. (Randall Yip/ Ethnic Media Services)

SIX Filipino Americans who embrace age with grace and active engagement will be honored as “Grand Agers” at an event to promote elder care and prevent elder abuse in South San Francisco.

For their decades-long community service in diverse fields, Californians Aurea Ocampo Cruz, Conrad Gamboa, Cynthia Arnaldo Bonta, Perla Gange Ibarrientos, Peter and Estrelle Chan will receive the commendation June 17 at the 14th annual “Our Family, Our Future” education program and resource fair organized by ALLICE Alliance for Community Empowerment.

“We celebrate longevity and the meaningful ways our six pioneers continue working for the greater good even after they conclude their professional careers,” announced Bettina Santos Yap, founding president of the all-volunteer nonprofit founded in 2003.

“We are all living longer, but unfortunately ageism is escalating,” she added. “Recognizing our Grand Agers is our way of rejecting age discrimination because, as our honorees prove, we get better with age.”

Better with age Retirement seems to have no place in the vocabulary of the six

After completing 12 years advising the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on issues facing older adults as a member of the County Commission on Aging, Aurea Ocampo Cruz, 91, continues to lead the Legion of Mary at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Colma, California. She oversees planning meetings, parishioner visits particularly to the sick, and responding to the spiritual needs of the congregation.

The Cavite native effectively provides service 24/7, being in charge of the wellness and health program of her housing complex. She’s the epitome of “charity begins at home” for she religiously visits her husband Ross Ocampo, 93, as he recovers at a rehab center for an accident that ended his own longtime volunteer work as a peer counselor.

Conrad Gamboa, 81, found his vocation at St. Augustine Catholic Church in South San Francisco, his parish since 1986. He had attained his doctor of dentistry degree from the University of the East in Manila when he brought his wife Linda and their daughter to this country in 1972. After briefly practicing his profession, he joined California Pacific Medical Center, where he worked for nearly three decades.

Through the years, the Gamboas have become pillars of the parish

Small Christian Community and FilAm Society. He serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and a commissioned member of the parish hospitality ministry. Recently La Union-born Conrad was lauded for his ongoing 35 years as a Knight of Columbus, including a year as Grand Knight. Activist, organizer and mobilizer Cynthia Arnaldo Bonta, 85, keeps on going since the 1960s, marching alongside icons of Filipino American empowerment in the California heartland. She founded the Philippine National Day Association kindling Filipinos’ quest for higher education with scholarships.

Ever mindful of her beginnings, she laid the proverbial foundation for the City Sistership between her adopted home city Alameda and Dumaguete City, where she was born, raised and began her ministry.

Two years ago she organized Filipino American Progressives to consolidate state then national efforts to support progressive Filipino and Asian American electoral candidates.

Recently she collaborated with Latinx leaders to build the Larry Itliong Resource Center as a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Valley Empowerment Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the legacy of Larry Itliong Jr., who

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT. A violinist serenades passersby near the Manila City Hall on Thursday, June

with pedestrians as it is near a mall and the wide-open Kartilya ng Katipunan

believed that working in solidarity with Cesar Chavez, Mexican and Yemeni farmworkers was the only way the strike for collective bargaining and an agricultural union could be possible. CVEA works with the Mexican, Filipino, and Yemeni communities to address food and water scarcity, housing, drug dependence and more to transform the valley one county at a time.

Above her accomplishments

Bonta is best known as the mother of achiever children: mental health/sports performance specialist Lisa B. Sumii, diversity, equity and inclusion blogger Marcelo Bonta, and California’s first FilAm elected to the State Legislature, now the first male Asian American Attorney General in California history, Rob Bonta.

Everyone’s “Ninang” or godmother Perla Gange Ibarrientos, 88, is a co-founder of the Filipino Democratic Club of San Mateo County, Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center and Filipino Mental Health Initiative – cornerstones of her home city’s empowerment efforts. She is PBRC board chair, Daly City Personnel Commissioner and founding member of the Daly City Task Force on Age Friendly Communities formed in 2019 to ensure the independence and wellbeing of older adults wherever they decide to reside.

The former pharmacist from Iloilo and her husband of 58 years Mig Ibarrientos are proudest of their children Glenn, recently retired US Air Force Major and

‘Grand Agers’ for...

Director of Public Health Nurses of San Mateo County; Joy Ann Daffern, Executive Vice President of John Wells Production Hollywood, and Gladys Smith, Assistant CEO of San Mateo County Employees Retirement Association.

Parishioners of Star of the Sea in San Francisco expect to see Peter and Estrelle Chan at every activity in the church where they have been ministering since the 1980s. The couple’s service began when their twin sons Palmer and Petrel attended the parish school. Estrelle, who will be 80 next year, has been presiding over the FAASTAR or Filipino American Association of Star of the Sea Church for 15 years. They raise funds and “motivate parishioners to participate in building a friendly and stewardship community” while “introducing Filipino culture,” says Peter, 88.

The Chans have honored their church commitment through their unimaginable grief in 1994 when Petrel was killed in a hit-and-run on 19th Avenue in San Francisco. The tragedy drew an outpouring of support from their parish and beyond, intensifying the couple’s devotion to serve.

Safety tips, resources

Set for the week commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the event will also address the unabated hate crimes against Asians as a result of being scapegoated for the spread of COVID 19. Dr. Jei Africa, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Director of San Mateo County Health System, will rec-

ommend safety tips for people who witness or experience hate attacks.

In collaboration the City of South San Francisco, Positively Filipino, Philippine News Today and San Mateo Behavioral Health & Recovery Services, ALLICE is presenting the free and open to the public event in person for the first time since the pandemic shelter in place mandate.

The event takes place 2-4 pm, Saturday, June 17, at the South San Francisco Municipal Services Building. San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa will give the keynote remarks. Former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, founder of Angat Buhay, a PH-based nonprofit volunteer movement to uplift Filipinos, will deliver a message encouraging the bayanihan system.

Tessie Madrinan, coordinator of Peninsula Family Service Filipino Peer Counseling program, will present the 9 Acts of Kindness to Empower Older Adults.

Twenty-five family resource providers will be present to consult on their programs and services. The A-List, ALLICE’s free resource directory underwritten by the Town of Colma, will be distributed. Refreshments will be served and free raffle will be drawn immediately at the end of the program compliments of donor allies led by Lucky Chances, Moonstar, Duggan’s Serra Mortuary, Classic Bowl, FilAm Cuisine 2 and Serramonte Center.

For more information visit www. ALLICE Kumares.com. 

California schools start hatching heat...

degree burn in seconds. California already has millions of dollars of grant funding available for greening schoolyards and increasing tree canopy, such as the Urban and Community Forestry grants through Cal Fire that set a goal to shade at least 30% of school campuses.

To help schools make the best use of funding for extra trees, Turner and her graduate student Morgan Rogers are modeling how increasing the tree canopy to 30% can affect heat stress. They will compare different tree configurations, like dispersed or clustered, and hope to issue recommendations this fall.

Legislators in Sacramento are also looking at amending state building codes to make it easier for schools to install shade structures. Currently, the rules require that an additional 20% of the budget be spent on any new construction or renovation to make an accessible path to the completed project. The bill would add an exception for free-standing shade structures. Schools would still be required to meet accessibility requirements, but installing a shade structure wouldn’t

trigger additional construction.

“That’s what we are asking, not to be exempted from those requirements, but to not put the burden on the shade structure,” said Mark Hovatter, chief facilities executive of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Menjivar said she was excited to see the new UCLA research. Her bill would require the state Department of Education to develop a template for schools to follow in creating their own heat plans, which would have to be completed by 2025 for implementation in 2027.

The bill recently passed the state Senate and is now being considered in the Assembly.

Schools outside California are also reckoning with the heat. Researchers at Arizona State University partnered with public health experts and school leaders last spring to develop guidelines for “HeatReady Schools.” The 30 recommendations span topics like school policy (e.g., access to a health professional), the environment (shade coverage on at least half the playground), and training (workshops on identifying heat illness).

The program is working with 35 schools and community

centers in Phoenix, with plans to expand to all of Maricopa County by 2026.

Preparing for the warming climate is front of mind for Principal Brad Rumble at Esperanza Elementary School in Los Angeles. The school’s heat-resilience efforts started with filling empty tree wells in front of the campus in 2014. Now, the school boasts a shaded courtyard and a native plant garden, and, courtesy of a grant from the district, more trees are on the way.

“We work together to make sure that our students’ needs are addressed on hot days,” Rumble said. “And, certainly, as more shade becomes available on this campus, we will be able to address those needs even better.”

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces indepth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

PAGE A2

WELLNESS DAY. Residents of Kamuning and Sacred Heart villages show their enthusiasm for fitness and fun during the “Zumba Fiesta” held at the Sacred Heart Parish Shrine grounds in Quezon City on Friday, June 16. The event is an opportunity to bring camaraderie among communities and promote an active lifestyle. PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler

GRAND AGERS. (Top photo, from left) Peter Chan, Estrelle Chan and Perla Barrientos. (Bottom photo, from left) Cynthia Bonta, Aurea Cruz and Conrad Gamboa. Contributed photos

Filipino nurses ‘best’ in the world but decent pay, work elusive in PH

by KURT DELA PEÑA Inquirer.net

MANILA — The Philippines has almost a million registered nurses and according to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, they are “the best in the world.”

But many of the “best” already left the Philippines to work overseas for reasons that everyone is already aware of— low pay and excessive work.

The Professional Regulation Commission said there are 951,105 registered nurses, but not all are practicing their profession, with only 509,297 considered as “active.”

Likewise, citing Department of Health (DOH) data, the group Filipino Nurses United (FNU) said 316,415 have already migrated.

As previously narrated by nurses who were interviewed by INQUIRER.net, other countries give what the Philippines cannot, pointing out that opportunities overseas “serve as a rainbow end with a golden pot.”

“We can earn a lot more there than working here,” one of them said.

Migrant Workers Secretary

Susan Ople said there is a “huge” demand for Filipino nurses overseas, especially in Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United States.

Why? It is because they are “the best in the world,” Herbosa said.

But what is in a Filipino nurse that makes him or her the best and in demand overseas?

‘One of a kind’

Jocelyn Andamo, FNU secretary general, told INQUIRER.net via Viber that Filipino nurses have characteristics “only us have,” pointing out that they are “well known as excellent.”

“Filipino nurses are competent and very caring at the same time,” she said. “We are proficient in English, too.”

According to the Educational Testing Service, a U.S.based private and non-profit educational testing and assessment organization, “the more proficient you are [in English], the better you can express yourself.”

It explained that as the official language in 53 countries and spoken as a first language by

Marcos to always work to boost PH-China ties

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday, June 16 said the Philippine government will always work to strengthen its relations with China, after Beijing displayed what he called a "solid gesture of friendship" and donated over 20,000 metric tons (MT) of fertilizer to the country.

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian turned over 20,000 MT or 400,000 bags of urea fertilizer during a ceremony at the National Food Authority warehouse in Valenzuela City on Friday.

In his speech, the president thanked China for the donation, which he said, is "a solid gesture of friendship and goodwill that is in keeping with our long and storied history of trade and cultural exchange."

"I assure the Chinese Government that the Philippines will always work for the strengthening of our ties and the advancement of our mutual interests, and there are many," Marcos said.

Remittances

400 million people, “English is the language of international communication.”

Based on data from the Education First’s 2022 English Proficiency Index, the Philippines is 22nd out of 111 countries with a score of 578.

Likewise, Andamo said Filipino nurses have a “very positive work attitude,” pointing out that they are hardworking and aspiring for professional development.

Most importantly, Filipino nurses have good personal relations which, she said, is “very basic and necessary” when working as a nurse.

Looking back, even British Ambassador Laure Beaufils had told GMA News that Filipino nurses are in high demand because of this mark that they have already carved in the United Kingdom—“malasakit (compassion).”

‘Neglected’ in PH

Based on DOH data, the Philippines is in need of 127,000 nurses to provide optimal health care to people.

However, with an average of 10,635 new registered nurses

 PAGE A7

"As we walk to the next halfcentury of our diplomatic ties, let this day be a celebration of many things for us: the diligence and hard work of our farmers; our realizable goal of food self-sufficiency; and the lasting, beneficial impact of the longstanding friendly ties between our two nations," he added.

Marcos said China's urea fertilizer donation is timely, particularly as the administration sets its sights on boosting agricultural productivity to attain food security.

The fertilizers will be distributed to around 160,000 rice and corn farmers in Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan), 3 (Central Luzon), 4A (Calabarzon), and in Bicol that will cover 200,000 hectares at two bags per hectare. Calabarzon is Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon.

The regions will get the fertilizers and will be distributed to the farmers through vouchers to be issued by the local government

climb

MANILA — Money sent home by overseas Filipinos to their families rose in April, despite recession concerns plaguing developed economies.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday, June 15 showed that remittances coursed through banks grew 3.7% year-on-year to $2.48 billion in April.

Remittances expanded 3.2% on-year to $10.49 billion in the first four months.

Money sent home by overseas Filipinos considered a cornerstone of the consumer-dependent domestic economy, posted its largest cash haul of $32.54 billion in 2022. This was despite being a year removed from the pandemic which crashed the global economy and forced overseas Filipinos to go home in droves because of layoffs and businesses going under.

The year opened with much of the same headwinds, such as a projected global recession, brutal inflation, and expensive borrowing costs that continued to cast a shroud over the global economy. Developed economies, including Germany and other countries in Europe, slid into an

units (LGUs).

The donation was part of the commitment when the president made the state visit to China and met President Xi Jinping in Beijing last January.

"As the donated goods find their way to the Filipino farmers, Marcos said it could result in production cost savings, benefiting them and their families. Indeed, it is through these kind deeds, especially those that can be felt by our people, that we reinforce the foundations of our bilateral ties— that of trust and of mutual benefit," Marcos said.

"Soon, these donated goods will find their way to our Filipino farmers. They will be able to spend the savings gained from production costs [for] other things that matter to them and their families. We will make sure that the message of goodwill from our highly cherished donors will cascade to them and to the rest of our citizenry," he added. (ManilaTimes.net)

in April despite headwinds

economic recession early this year as inflation swallowed up growth.

Data from Statista showed 9.3% of the total overseas Filipino workers deployed around the world in 2021 worked in Europe.

For 2023, the BSP forecast that cash remittances would expand by 3% on an annual basis.

Nicholas Antonio Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank in Manila, projects remittances to expand amid headwinds.

“Remittance growth to be sustained at roughly 3-4 percent for the rest of the year as OF deployment continues and global growth chugs along. This provides

a stable source of fx while also delivering a source of peso consumption,” he said in a Viber message. Data broken down showed 41.3% of cash remittances came from the United States, followed by inflows from Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Qatar, South Korea, and Taiwan. Remittances from land-based workers rose 4% on-year to $1.94 billion in April while money sent home by sea-based workers grew 2.7% on an annual basis to $550 million. (Ramon Royandoyan/ Philstar.com)

CRAWL. Traffic is at a standstill along the northbound lane of EDSA from Guadalupe, Makati City a little past noon on Thursday, June 15. Rather than being stuck on the country’s busiest thoroughfare, commuters take the Metro Rail Transit-3 while motorists utilize side streets. PNA photo by Avito Dalan

Philstar.com file photo

Running out of patience

OVER and over, Philippine authorities never seem to run out of reasons for ensuring that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport remains in the list of the world’s worst. Travelers have taken to issuing warnings about long weekends, when electricity at the NAIA tends to go haywire. Such an outage forced the shutdown not just of the country’s main gateway during the New Year’s Day 2023 holiday rush, but of the entire Philippine airspace.

This time, outbound travelers have complained of interminable waiting in line to clear immigration counters, at NAIA terminals with poor air conditioning. Officials of the Bureau of Immigration and its mother agency the Department of Justice have appealed for patience from the public, saying the long lines are the consequence of more thorough screening for potential victims of human trafficking.

Editorial

Travelers have been advised to arrive at the NAIA three hours prior to departure, to ensure that they don’t miss their flights. Social media has since been flooded with complaints from travelers, some of whom were offloaded as the government cracks down on human trafficking rings that are believed to enjoy the protection of certain Bureau of Immigration personnel.

Concerns about human trafficking are valid, with the victims mostly new entrants in the workforce who are educated enough to be recruited for jobs in the information and communications

Virtual Reality

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos

Jr. has a bold foreign policy. And an even bolder economic policy. He has managed to balance relations with the United States and China. Both strategic powers are friends of the Philippines but BBM manages to keep China at bay without losing the latter’s economic support, cultural ties and friendship.

Bigger military presence will give China second thoughts from further making intrusions in the West Philippine Sea, outside of the six reefs and a rock Beijing has seized from the Philippine claims.

The six reefs are now virtual Chinese military bases. BBM’s answer to that threat: Allow U.S. troops in nine, possibly 11, bases in the Philippines.

In return, if any of Philippine troops, vessels and aircraft, and even its cyberspace, are attacked violently by China in the WPS, it will trigger a response from the U.S. It’s an

technology as well as business process outsourcing sectors. As stories in the past months have shown, the victims were recruited through social media and promised jobs in IT or BPO companies, but instead ended up being forced to work in crypto currency scam operations mostly in Myanmar and Thailand. The victims were also reportedly forced to work long hours and beaten when they refused to cooperate. Protecting people from such traffickers is a noble undertaking, but there must be a way of pursuing this objective with efficiency and the least inconvenience for travelers. Authorities said they are moving to increase the number of immigration personnel at the NAIA counters. Some quarters have suggested that in the digital age, there can be pre-screening of anyone going overseas on a working visa, or who intends to stay out of the country for a period longer than the usual travel time of tourists, which is normally from a few days to two or three weeks.

BBM the Bold

ironclad guarantee. BBM has promised nirvana to Filipinos, short of delivering the moon itself. That nirvana could be triggered by the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) whose Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) can bankroll any and all kinds of projects, investments and strategies with the end goal of prosperity for millions of Filipinos.

“We will strive to remove the unfreedoms. We will aim to feed the hungry, free the bound and banish poverty,” said President Marcos Jr. last June 12 at the Luneta.

“The Maharlika Investment Fund is the super power tool of development, a weapon of massive development,” asserts Albay Rep. Joey Salceda.

In a joint statement, the economic managers of President Marcos Jr. called the MIF or the MIC “the vehicle for economic growth.”

Each day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition. Twenty-seven out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. A third of Filipino children are stunted, or short for their age.

Group. The PDEG is the lead unit in PNP operations against illegal drugs.

Stunting after two years of age can be permanent, irreversible and even fatal.

In the Philippines, 18.1 percent of the population lived below the national poverty line in 2021.

BBM aims to halve poverty incidence to 9 percent by the end of its term in June 2028. That means up to 12 million Filipinos will be rescued from poverty by the president. Instead of having 23.94 million Filipinos earning below $2 a day in 2021, we should have only 12 million Filipino poor – 9 percent of an expected population of 135.6 million by 2028.

Freedom from malnutrition, hunger and poverty is the ultimate emancipation. No president before Marcos Jr. had done it. Yet, he is promising it.

By freeing them from hunger, malnutrition and poverty, the president shall have given Filipinos the ultimate freedom – the freedom of choice. Free to choose their leaders, free to choose options to fight obstacles and adversities and free to live where they want to enjoy life’s blessings.

More than 12 million Filipinos live abroad, a remarkable

tasked to fight the scourge.

The NAIA suffers enough from comparisons with the gateways of neighboring countries; this part of Asia happens to have some of the world’s

diaspora of the unrich and the unfree, victims of unfreedoms.

A third of 24 million households in the Philippines have single parents. The other parent is gone, abroad, because he or she has no freedom of choice in the Philippines, to choose a decent, well-paying job, to choose the food they want to eat, to choose the education their children must have and to choose a lifestyle that is comfortable, safe and secure. “We have laid down the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for the next six years. We will implement such with vigor and with consistency,” BBM promised at Luneta.

With remarkable bravado, Marcos Jr. vowed: “I have said it before, I shall say it once more: I will be with you on that long and uphill road to achieve our dream of freedom – freedom from hunger, freedom from neglect, freedom from fear.”

PDP’s goals are:

• Maintain annual economic growth rate between 6.0 to 7.0 percent in 2023 and between 6.5 to 8.0 percent from 2024 to 2028.

• Create more, better and more resilient jobs. By 2028, the unemployment rate shall be within 4.0 to 5.0 percent.

top-rated international airports. Waiting for hours just to clear immigration is unconscionable. (Philstar.com)

• Keep food and overall prices low and stable. Food and overall inflation will be kept to within 2.5 to 4.5 percent in 2023 and within 2.0 to 4.0 percent from 2024 to 2028.

• Transform the production sectors through innovation. The Philippines aims to be in the top 33 percent of the Global Competitiveness Index by 2028.

Salceda says PDP’s main development goals are achievable or do-able. “The Maharlika Investment Fund is the super power tool of development, a weapon of massive development,” he asserts.

He reckons that with just P44 billion of start-up fund, the MIF can parlay up to P7 trillion of investment funds after the MIF goes public.

That money is enough to buy or build energy assets –generation plants, transmission systems, retail outlets to help reduce the electricity shortage; other assets that can remedy many of the shortages afflicting the country today and production assets that can make the Philippines again an export powerhouse.

Philippine electricity is the costliest in the world. Power is 20 percent of production cost. Labor adds another 15 percent.

Because of the severe energy shortage after then President Corazon Aquino mothballed the $2-billion 1,200-megwatt Bataan nuclear plant, the Philippines missed three major waves of foreign investments that flowed into Southeast Asia in the last 30 years. The Philippines has been left behind in development by its ASEAN neighbors. Til 1970, Philippine exports, at $300 million year, were ten times those of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. Philippine foreign reserves, at $230 million in 1970-1973, were more than that of China, $70 million; Korea $80 million; Thailand $80 million; Malaysia $180 million and Indonesia $170 million. Only Singapore was bigger, $360 million. Today. China has $3.4 trillion reserves, South Korea $423 billion, Singapore $289 billion, Thailand $225 billion, Indonesia $140 billion, Malaysia $114 billion and the Philippines, $101 billion. (Philstar.com)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

Email: biznewsasia@gmail.com

GIVE him an A for consistency: Rodrigo Duterte’s kill, kill, kill mantra is unchanged even in his retirement. His murderous thoughts this time are directed against law enforcers involved in drug trafficking. His advice? “Shoot them dead. Why allow them due process? What for?”

He sees no “redeeming factor” for such dirty cops, he said; they don’t deserve to undergo court proceedings to establish guilt or innocence.

Duterte made the remarks a day before the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that it had filed criminal charges for drug offenses, graft, obstruction of justice, perjury and malversation of public property against 50 members of the Philippine National Police in connection with the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu in Tondo, Manila.

The 50 are led by former PNP operations chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos and Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, former head of the PNP Drug Enforcement

Both generals have denied involvement in the alleged drug trafficking activities of Rodolfo Mayo Jr., in whose office warehouse in Tondo the 990 kilos of shabu were found during a PDEG raid in October last year.

Mayo, a police master sergeant at the time, was apprehended by the PDEG raiding team, but subsequently freed. Domingo explained that this was to allow Mayo to lead the PNP to the source of such a massive amount of shabu.

The DILG didn’t buy the story, especially after 42 kilos of the shabu were reportedly pilfered by the police. The shabu was returned after video footage surfaced, showing the pilferage.

* * *

Without the incriminating video, including one that showed Mayo being allowed to go free, those 42 kilos could have made their way to the streets. The pilferage would have earned a fortune for the so-called “ninja cops” who “recycle” confiscated drugs.

Drug money is big, big money.

The allure of drug dealing can be irresistible to those who are

With the massive profits to be made, you can see why a master sergeant can afford a warehouse office in Tondo. This Manila district is chock-full of informal settlers, but real estate prices are among the steepest in the country in highly commercial Tondo.

Even the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – by law the lead agency in the national campaign against illegal drugs – has its rotten eggs. Last December, the National Capital Region Police Office raided the South District Office of the PDEA in Upper Bicutan in Taguig. Those arrested were led by the PDEA district office chief himself, Enrique Lucero. Incidentally, that raid was staged about two months after the PDEA arrested Juanito Jose Remulla III, eldest son of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla in a controlled delivery of 900 grams of kush from the US, at his house in Las Piñas on Oct. 11. The younger Remulla was acquitted on grounds of reasonable doubt by the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court on Jan. 6, after a record 84 days from filing of the case.

Secretary Remulla has

come under fire from Duterte supporters on several issues, from the campaign against drugs to the murder cases filed by state prosecutors against corrections chief Gerald Bantag and Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. * * *

In Davao City on Monday, June 12, Duterte lamented in his radio program that the country now has a “fractured” police force, where members themselves have organized drug trafficking rings.

It wasn’t clear if Duterte thought this rot has been a bane in the PNP for a long time, or if it happened only in the past year, as his successor overturned his hardline approach to the drug menace.

But his former PNP chief, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, said police pilferage and recycling of illegal drugs have been going on for many years now.

Duterte said it is tough to catch and prosecute cops involved in drugs, so it is better to just kill them.

At the start of his presidency, Duterte had explained to The STAR the difficulty of pinning down notorious drug traffickers, who know enough not to have illegal drugs in their possession and, in case of capture, have enormous funds to pay off everyone at every step of the

criminal justice system.

Senator Bato, by most accounts the architect of Oplan Tokhang, chuckled at Duterte’s admonition to just kill rotten cops.

“Hindi yan puede,” Dela Rosa told “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News last Wednesday.

“You know the president, out of frustration, nasasabi niya yan.”

Dela Rosa said even dirty cops deserve due process.

* * *

Dela Rosa declined to make suggestions on how the Marcos 2.0 administration should wage the campaign against illegal drugs. But he noted that with Duterte no longer president, drug dealers, including dirty cops, have become emboldened: “They are coming back with a vengeance.” If such cops shouldn’t be killed outright, how can the PNP be cleansed of the drug dealers in its midst?

Dela Rosa suggests strangling them tightly – “sakalin mo nang husto” – not literally, but by imposing a one-strike policy, for example. He said a major drug bust by the PDEG or PDEA should lead to the relief of the police officer/s with jurisdiction over the crime scene. It must be made crystal clear to cops, Dela Rosa said, that their jobs are on the line in the anti-drug campaign.

The problem, as we have seen, is if PDEG or PDEA members themselves are the ones involved in drug deals.

This sorry state of affairs partly gave Duterte’s draconian approach a measure of public support during his presidency.

Even Dela Rosa, despite his platitudes about due process, surely sees Duterte’s point. In fighting the drug scourge, the PNP’s model, Dela Rosa told us, shouldn’t be slick James Bond but Rambo.

Hindi puede disente approach. Hindi puede ang pa-cute-cute,” Dela Rosa said. Marcos 2.0 officials will probably say they’re not going for cute, but simply prefer a different approach.

Suspects are still being shot dead in drug stings, ostensibly after fighting back. But in general, this is an administration that’s more likely to legalize marijuana than to impose the death penalty, whether by legislation or through extrajudicial means, on cannabis traffickers.

It has five more years to show that its approach is better. (Philstar.com)

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

Marcos to stay as Agriculture chief until ‘systems are all in place’

by CATHERINE S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will continue to head the Department of Agriculture (DA) until "systems are all in place" to ensure the country's food security.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremonial turnover of urea fertilizers from China on Friday, June 16, the president said he has been waiting for someone to volunteer for the position.

"Tinatanong ko sa kanilang lahat, inaantay ko magvolunteer sila mag-secretary. Ayaw akong paalisin (I was waiting for them to volunteer. They don't want me to leave)," he quipped.

‘Good things take time’: Sara Duterte voices support for SOGIE bill

MANILA — Vice President

Sara Duterte has openly voiced her support for the passage of the Sexual Orientation, Gender

Identity, Gender Expression, or Sex Characteristics

Equality bill.

(SOGIESC)

Speaking at the Office of the Vice President’s Pride Reception event on Thursday, June 15, Duterte said that she is among the many advocates in government backing the measure.

“While we wait patiently for the passage of the SOGIESC bill, what I would say on this is that good things take time. But we have advocates in the government, including me, in your dream for a law for protection,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino.

In May, the House women and gender equality committee approved the consolidated bill that combined multiple similar measures aimed at eliminating discrimination based on SOGIESC.

This came after several hearings, during which evangelical groups, who were against the bill, and organizations in favor of the legislation engaged in discussions about the importance of safeguarding Filipinos from gender-based discrimination.

The Commission on Human Rights has recently called on Congress to pass the “long overdue” measure, multiple versions of which have stalled in the upper and lower chambers for at least 23 years.

During her speech, Duterte also acknowledged the presence of Rep. Geraldine Roman, who chairs the House women and gender equality commitee and among the co-authors of the proposed SOGIESC measure.

OVP support for queer business owners

Duterte also called on the public to support initiatives promoting “gender equality and social empowerment… (through) entrepreneurial collaboration and advancement across diverse socio-economic industries.”

During the event, Duterte also acknowledged the limited livelihood opportunities that continue to hound the LGBTQIA+ sector.

“LGBTQIA+ people already face enough obstacles on their own, but to sustain their enterprises and expand their businesses, they are far more likely to encounter issues that are specific to underserved and marginalized groups,” Duterte said.

“Our LGBTQIA+ community has been subjected to systemic discrimination. They experience obstacles when attempting to access funds, licenses, produce sales, hire staff, or obtain insurance, in addition to not feeling safe going out or exploring business prospects consistent with their identity,” she added.

The vice president also highlighted the OVP's "Mag Negosyo 'Ta Day" initiative that

Swift passage of bill protecting rights of air passengers pushed

MANILA – Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-List

Rep. France Castro on Friday, June 16 urged his colleagues at the House of Representatives to expedite the approval of a measure seeking to protect the rights of airline passengers and ensure they are treated with dignity and respect.

Castro said House Bill (HB) 6738 or “the Magna Carta for Airline Passengers Act”, which she co-authored, should be passed soon after several complaints came out against a local airline.

He said complaints range from delayed and canceled flights to lost luggage, “and even instances of overbooking as well as denial of boarding.”

“We cannot turn a blind eye to these issues because they keep recurring and nobody is held to account. We call on the Congress leadership to investigate this matter and hold Cebu Pacific accountable for its actions,” he said.

“Airline passengers deserve better than what this airline is currently offering. We will not let this issue go unnoticed and we will continue to fight for the rights of our fellow citizens," he added.

In the Senate, Senator Nancy Binay has filed a resolution urging the Senate Tourism and Public Services Committees to investigate the mounting passenger complaints against Cebu Pacific.

In response to Senate Resolution No. 575, the two panels set the investigation on June 21. (PNA)

Filipino nurses ‘best’ in the...

every year, it would take 12 years to fill the gap.

As pointed out by Herbosa, the Philippines is in need of the services that only “the best” could provide. He said he does not want Filipino nurses to leave.

But to stop them from leaving, Ople said there should be a serious discussion on how to make local employment attractive.

Based on House Bill No. 4599, the entry-level monthly salary for nurses in the government is P32,097 then P8,000 to P13,500 in private hospitals.

FNU, however, pointed out that in most cases, thousands of government nurses are contractual and get much less than what is provided by the law regarding salary standardization.

Compared to the entrylevel pay in the United States ($3,800), United Kingdom (£1,662) and Canada ($4,097), some Filipino nurses said their choice is obvious.

Last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. set the deployment cap of Filipino

aims to provide entrepreneurial programs for members of marginalized communities, including LGBTQIA+ persons.

Duterte said that the program aims to help entrepreneurs pursue “sustainable” businesses through training programs in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (Cristina Chi/Philstar.com)

Marcos said since he assumed the post in a concurrent capacity, he has put in place substantial changes to address the issues in the agriculture sector.

He said the problem was that during the beginning of the year, the president said it is his wish that when he finally lets go of the Agriculture post "we will have systems in place so that we can guarantee the food supply [is stable], the prices are affordable, and our farmers make a good living."

Marcos had said he wanted an agricultural expert to head the DA, and not a retired military or police official, given the complexity of the position.

"Agriculture is a very

complicated subject. Hindi lang kung sino-sino basta't magaling mag-manager (It should not be just someone who's good at being a manager). They have to understand the science. ... They also have to understand the system," he has said.

There were calls late last year for the president to give up the Agriculture post because the agency needs a full-time head who can focus on the sector.

In a related development, prices of several agricultural commodities were higher during the first phase of June this year than the level in the second phase of May, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

The average retail price of bangus rose by 50 centavos, to P25 per kilogram in seven trading centers on June 1 to 5, with Cagayan de Oro City posting the highest increase, the PSA said.

Bangus prices went down by 89 centavos in the National Capital Region (NCR), by P10 in San Fernando City, by P25 in Cebu City, and by P30 in Legazpi City.

Eleven regions reported a rise in the retail prices of galunggong, ranging between P1.92 and P59.17 with the highest growth observed in Central Visayas.

A kilo of well-milled rice increased in price from P0.07 to P1 kilogram in nine regions, while its price in Butuan City

dropped by 20 centavos and by 80 centavos in Cotabato City.

The price of native garlic went up in nine trading centers by as much as P30. Cabanatuan City posted the highest increase, while NCR recorded the largest decline in price at P10.44.

Six trading centers reported a decline in prices of red onion ranging from P2 to P35.

The per kilo price of vegetables per kilogram such as cabbage and carrots also went up by P13.50 in Cagayan Valley and P14.34 in Davao Region.

Brown sugar was selling between 25 centavos and P6.13 in six trading centers, with Cebu City having the biggest increase.

Cooking oil went down by 37 centavos to P27.50 in six trading centers with the biggest decline posted in Digos City.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort expected prices of agricultural commodities to rise further as some member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) experience warmer weather and other Asian countries reduce their output.

Ricafort said below-normal rainfall induced by El Niño toward the end of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024 "could reduce output of rice and other agricultural products." 

nurses overseas to 7,000 a year.

Deserving of the best

As pointed out by FNU, the only way to make nurses stay in the Philippines is to address the decades-long issues that lead to massive migration.

It said there should be a decent living wage for nurses of P50,000 (entry level) in government and private hospitals.

There should likewise be a safe nurse-patient ratio to address the problem of severe and chronic understaffing.

It said all contractual nurses should be regularized.

FNU stressed that while the ideal nurse-patient ratio in hospitals is 1:12, a nurse, especially when COVID-19 cases were high, is taking care of 20 to 50 patients every shift.

“The DOH, being the vanguard of health workers, as they claim to be, must set an example of ensuring that laws are being enforced and implemented for nurses’ welfare,” it said.

“This could very well support nurses and eventually could help retain many nurses who opted to work in the country.” 

RECYCLISTS. Junk collectors sort out wastes at a junk shop in Payatas, Quezon City on Thursday, June 15. Among the recent initiatives of the government to address pollution is the signing into law of the Extended Producer Responsibility law last year, requiring companies to have proper and effective recovery, treatment, recycling or disposal of their products. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc

Asian Journal WKND

the chance to take care of.

Consequently, he pled guilty for the offense charged and paid the P8 fine. He thought the case had been settled, until it surfaced some 40 years later, preventing him from joining his family in the U.S. Lost records and damaged files due to fire, flood, or termites did not help Tatay Florentino’s case either.

Edu sits down with son Luis, talks fatherhood, granddaughter Isabella Rose

By DAle cAlAnog Inquirer.net

THE father-and-son duo of Edu and Luis Manzano reminisced about their memorable moments together and opened up about their feelings on being a firsttime grandfather and father, respectively, to 5-month-old Isabella Rose.

For the Father’s Day episode of “Luis Listens”—a segment on Luis’ YouTube channel—instead of just Luis asking the questions, Edu got to ask his son about how he and his wife, actress Jessy Mendiola would raise their firstborn.

Luis admitted that he was scared to hold his daughter for the first time, explaining how she was “super fragile” so that

he didn’t want to hold her the wrong way or squeeze her too tight. But on a deeper level, he

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How Kylie landed ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Cannes experience

By AllAn PolicArPio Inquirer.net

FOR Kylie Verzosa, winning an international acting trophy last year was an affirmation that there’s more to her than being a beauty queen.

“It’s heartening because when you’re there, it’s not only yourself you’re carrying, but the Philippines, too,” she said of being named best actress at the 2022 Distinctive International Arab Festivals in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for her performance in the drama thriller “The Housemaid.”

“It makes you realize that people can see us in another light … that we can also be confident

and that we can shine,” she told select show biz reporters at the recent opening of the ShangriLa Plaza store of LVNA by Drake Dustin, a fine diamond jewelry brand she endorses.

“I’m so glad that I was able to represent the Philippines to the best of my abilities. You see how you measure up with other people, and you realize that we Filipinos can,” said the 2016 Miss International pageant winner.

But more than the accolade, her presence at the said event also paved the way for a “once-ina-lifetime opportunity”—walking the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France.

“They (festival organizers) saw me when I won

Luis Manzano with daughter Isabella Rose Manzano, and Edu Manzano

Photos from Instagram/@luckymanzano and @realedumanzan

Mark Leviste on Kris Aquino’s current medication: ‘Honestly, it’s challenging and difficult’

By anne Pasajol Inquirer.net

MARK Leviste underscored that although Kris Aquino’s current medication is “challenging and difficult,” he believes that she will be able to power through with the support of the people around her.

The Batangas vice governor gave an update on Aquino’s health condition during an interview for “Sakto,” as seen on Teleradyo’s Facebook page on Friday, June 16.

“Kris is currently resting. She’s on immunosuppressant medicines, which is chemotherapy medication but in a much smaller dose compared to cancer patients,” Leviste said.

“Honestly, it’s challenging and difficult but of course, [with] your thoughts, prayers, and love from those who follow her—alam kong napakaraming nagmamahal at sumusubaybay sa ating (I know there are a lot of people who love and who keep themselves updated

with our) Queen—I know she can heal and get well the soonest possible time,” he added.

Leviste is currently in Los Angeles, California, to take care of the Queen of All Media and keep her company while her youngest son Bimby is in the Philippines.

During the interview, the politician also opened up on the status of his heart and noted how a “happy vice governor makes a

Visa issued despite a criminal record...

Fortunately, Atty. Gurfinkel handled the case, gathering documents and requesting court records, and guiding the client every step of the way, until his visa was finally issued.

Watch this success story on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, June 18 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM ET) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. Citizen Pinoy is also available on iWantTFC. Viewers may download the free app. (Advertising Supplement)

happy province.”

“Hindi lang happy [ang puso ko kundi] full of love love love,” he declared. (My heart is not only happy but also full of love love love.)

Aquino, who now has five confirmed autoimmune diseases and manifestations of a possible sixth one, made public her relationship with Leviste through a gratitude post last May 18. g

How Kylie landed ‘once-in-a...

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best actress in Dubai. And I was invited through my publicist there. I was so lucky … I was like, ‘Is it really me you want to invite?’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Kylie had only a few weeks to prepare and put together possible red-carpet looks.

Mabilisan lang. My glam team couldn’t get visas on time, so I had to look for one there (in Cannes). But it’s nice to get to experience working with a new team,” she said.

With only a stylist in tow, the 31-year-old celebrity flew to Cannes with six suitcases filled with dresses, some of which were provided by designer Mark Bumgarner. The P50-million worth of jewelry from LVNA, meanwhile, she kept close to her. “Of course, I hand-carried it!” she said, laughing. “I was excited about showcasing works by Filipinos.”

Kylie was only supposed to attend the opening ceremony red carpet event, but the actress

Kylie Verzosa at the opening event at Cannes. Photo from Instagram/@kylieverzosa

ended up getting invited to two more events, the premieres of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Black Flies,” starring Sean Penn.

Best dressed

Trailblazing Filipino shoe designer is proud Miss Filipina International sponsor

JOJO Bragais, the young Filipino shoe designer and entrepreneur who made a fashion coup when his quality platform high-heel shoes were worn by the candidates in the 2023 Miss Universe pageant, is a proud sponsor of the 10th Miss Filipina International (MFI) pageant to be held on August 5, 2023 at the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was very happy. It was tiring, stressful, but super rewarding to have the opportunity to see the international scene. I felt like I learned a lot. And I got to see many celebrities like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio,” she said.

Particularly eye-catching was the dramatic black ball gown she wore on the opening day, which landed her in Vogue Scandinavia’s best dressed gallery. “I was so surprised. I was a Cannes first-timer, but I managed to get a number of ‘best dressed’ features,” she said. She was also introduced to different producers and directors. “I got to meet some of the members of the Philippine team,” related Kylie, who dreams of starring in an international project one day.

“I still have a movie contract (with Viva Films) and I’m working on a few, including one with Brillante Mendoza. But I would love to do an international film and go abroad,” she said. g

The talented and trailblazing impresario, who is proud that his well-made shoes are handmade by Filipinos in Binangonan, Rizal, Philippines, has earned the respect of leaders and influencers in the fashion and beauty industry. He has been the go-to person when it comes to designing comfortable shoes not only for the runway or the beauty pageant stage but also for regular people who simply want to stand tall and look queenly in their Bragais shoes.

Born Jojo Bragais, the news-making Pinoy grew up in Albay, Bicol. He is a licensed midwife and nurse by profession but fate brought him to shoemaking and shoe designing. He was instantly hooked. In such a short time, Jojo Bragais Shoes have made a mark in the fashion and beauty pageant world.

The more than 40 lovely candidates of MFI will be wearing a pair from Jojo Bragais Shoes when they compete during the black-tie gala event. They will vie for these titles: Miss Filipina International; Miss Tourism; First Runner-up; Second Runner-up; and Third Runner-up.

Miss Filipina International (MFI), now owned by Geoffrey Jimenez, chairman of the board of directors of Worldwide Media Entertainment Corporation, lauded the sponsorship of Jojo Bragais Shoes.

“Having Jojo Bragais Shoes as one of our major sponsors is another big step in our commitment to give the best incentives to our candidates,” said Jimenez, a Filipino American community leader, and arts and culture patron. Follow and connect with Jojo Bragais Shoes on their Facebook Page (BRAGAIS SHOES) and their Instagram and TikTok @jojobragaisofficial).

In addition to the previously announced top prize of either a BMW 3 Series car or a $10,000 cash prize, the winner will also receive a $10,000 gift certificate from iSkin Beverly Hills in the prestigious pageant that will be held on Saturday, August 5, at The Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, the venue of the

Golden Globe Awards, the Academy nominees luncheon, Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party and other prestigious events.

MFI also offers the exciting incentive that three winners will be eligible to compete next year in Miss Universe Philippines (MUP) while two winners will vie in The Miss Philippines pageant.

The Philippines is considered a beauty pageant powerhouse, having produced many winners and top finalists in Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International, among others. The MFI winners this August will be welcome additions to the Philippines’ roster of beauty queens. For sponsorship inquiries, email: missfilipinainternational@gmail.com. g

Pokwang asserts she doesn’t have feelings for ex Lee O’Brian anymore

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

POKWANG didn’t hesitate to disprove claims she still has lingering feelings for her estranged partner Lee O’Brian, saying she feels nothing but anger toward him.

The actress-comedienne made the clarification after Jegs Chinel, also known as Tita Jegs, asked if she still loves her ex-partner, as seen in the official YouTube channel of Ogie Diaz’s Showbiz Update last Tuesday, June 13. The ambush interview happened shortly after Pokwang issued a deportation complaint and visa cancellation against O’Brian.

“Ay, no. Iba ‘yung may feelings sa galit, no?” she said in response. “Sabi ko nga sa iyo, wala akong pakialam kung 10 ang girlfriend mo araw-araw. Gawin mo ang obligasyon mo bilang ama, nagawa mo ba? ‘Yun ang tanong.” (No. Having feelings is different from being angry. I told you, I don’t care if you have 10 girlfriends every day. Just do your obligation as a father. Did you do it? That’s the question.)

Pokwang also pointed out that she chose to file a complaint for O’Brian’s deportation because he “violated” the law, at the same time noting his alleged lack

of responsibility as the father to their daughter Malia.

“Kailangan na, it’s about time. Hindi naman [dahil sa] galit ako sa kanya. May na-violate siya sa batas. Kasi tayo ring mga Pilipino, kapag pumupunta tayo sa ibang bansa, dumadaan tayo sa butas ng karayom, diba?

Lahat ng pinagdadaanan nating hirap. Parang medyo unfair na ‘yung isang kagaya niya dito ay parang wala lang,” she said.

“Wala namang problema kung magpapaka-ama siya. Kaso hindi eh. Bukod sa hindi na nga niya nagagawa ‘yung [responsibilidad] niya bilang tatay, hindi pa niya nagagawang sundin kung anong batas meron tayo,” she continued.

(We have to do it, it’s about time. It’s not because I’m mad at him. He violated the law. Because us Filipinos have to go through tough rules when we go to other countries. We go through a lot of hardships. But it’s unfair that someone like him doesn’t go through the same thing. There would be no problem if only he is a responsible father. But he isn’t acting like one. Aside from not fulfilling his responsibilities as a dad, he can’t even follow our laws.)

With a firm tone, the “TiktoClock” host then stressed that her ongoing legal battle with

her estranged partner is a way to assert her rights as a Filipino woman and Malia’s mother.

“Ako ang nasa bansa ko. Bakit ako ang kailangang magadjust—which is wrong. At ginagawa ko naman ito para sa anak ko, sa anak namin, sa kapayapaan ng isip ko, para rin sa mga kababaihan. Sana maintindihan nila one day bakit sobrang ginagawa ko ito,” she said.

(I am in my own country. Why should I be the one to adjust— which is wrong. I’m doing this for my daughter, our daughter, my peace of mind and for women. I hope the public will one day understand why I’m determined to do this.)

Pokwang, along with public interest lawyer Ralph Calinisan, filed a deportation complaint and visa cancellation against her former partner at the Bureau of Immigration office last June 13.

In an interview with entertainment reporters, Pokwang claimed that O’Brian is using a tourist visa even though he’s been in the country for the past eight years.

The former “Banana Split” host has been separated from her ex since 2021, but it was only in July 2022 that their split was made public. Their daughter Malia was born in 2018. g

Pokwang and Lee O’Brian

Filipino shoe designer and entrepreneur Jojo Bragais with one of his shoe designs.

Photo courtesy of MFI

Mark Leviste and Kris Aquino

Photo from Instagram/@markleviste

Jo Koy joins producing team of

‘Here Lies Love’ on Broadway

STAND-UP comedian and actor Jo Koy (“Easter Sunday” and “The Monkey King”) has joined the Broadway producing team of “Here Lies Love,” ahead of the new musical’s Broadway beginning performance on Saturday, June 17.

Jo Koy said, “‘Here Lies Love’ is a celebration of Filipino culture and I’m so honored to be a part of this groundbreaking musical. For the first time, Broadway will get to see what we have always known, that Filipinos are some of the most talented entertainers.”

“On behalf of all of our producers,” said Diana DiMenna, “we welcome Jo Koy and his internationally renowned Pinoy Pride to our fully binational team.”

From the minds of Grammy®, Oscar®, and Tony Award® winner David Byrne (concept, music and lyrics) and Grammy Award® winner Fatboy Slim (music), “Here Lies Love” tells the story of Imelda Marcos’ rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution.

The show features the first all-Filipino cast to perform on Broadway: Arielle Jacobs (“In The Heights,” “Aladdin,” “Between The Line”s) as Imelda Marcos, Jose Llana (“The King and I,” “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee”) as Ferdinand Marcos, Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder,” “The King and I,” “Soft Power” – Grammy nominations) as Ninoy Aquino, Melody Butiu, Moses Villarama, Jasmine Forsberg, Reanne Acasio, Jaygee Macapugay, Julia Abueva, Renée Albulario, Aaron Alcaraz, Carol Angeli, Nathan Angelo, Kristina Doucette, Roy Flores, Timothy Matthew Flores, Sarah Kay, Jeigh Madjus, Aaron “AJ” Mercado, Geena Quintos, Shea Renne, and Angelo Soriano. Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga, a global Filipina legend, will also join the cast for a special guest engagement this summer, performing for five weeks from Tuesday, July 11 through Sunday, August 13.

Developed & directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, “Here Lies Love” will transform the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street) into a dance club where the audience is immersed in the story. The musical begins performances Saturday, June 17 ahead of an official opening night on Thursday, July 20.

Tickets are on sale now at Telecharge.com, by phone at 212-239-6200, or at the Broadway Theatre box office.

For information on groups of 10+, contact Broadway Inbound at broadwayinbound.com or call 866-302-0995.

“Here Lies Love” transforms the Broadway Theatre’s floor space into a dance club environment, where some audience members will stand and move with the actors, and others will enjoy from traditional theater seating. Multiple ticketing options will provide audience members with unique and immersive points of view. For more information, visit https:// herelieslovebroadway.com/#ticketingoptions.

From its world premiere at The Public Theater in 2013, “Here Lies Love” has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The show returned to The Public in 2014-2015, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and most recently opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017. The creative team for “Here Lies Love on Broadway” includes three-time Tony Award® nominee David Korins (scenic design), Tony Award® winner Clint Ramos (costume design), Tony Award® winner Justin Townsend (lighting design), M.L. Dogg & Cody Spencer (sound design), and three-time Tony Award® nominee Peter Nigrini (projection design), with casting by Tara Rubin CSA, Xavier Rubiano CSA, Gail Quintos and general management by Foresight Theatrical. Additional creative team members include ATW Jonathan Larson Grant recipient J. Oconer Navarro (music director), Billy Bustamante (assistant director), Renée Albulario (assistant choreographer), Bobby Garcia (casting consultant/Philippines), Gregory T. Livoti (production stage manager), and Ryan Gohsman and Sheryl Polancos (assistant stage managers). Giselle “G” Töngi is the show’s cultural and community liaison.

“Here Lies Love” is produced by Hal Luftig/ Kevin Connor, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna & Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.

They are joined by Lea Salonga, H.E.R., Jo Koy, Rob Laqui, Eva LaBadie, Marikit Ventures/ Georgina Pazcoguin, Bobby Garcia/Girlie Rodis, Miranda Gohh/Adam Hyndman, Don Michael H. Mendoza/Lora Nicholas Olaes, Celia Kaleialoha Kenney/ Giselle “G” Töngi, No Guarantees, Yasuhiro Kawana, Elise K. Haas, Shira Friedman, Len Blavatnik Warner Music Entertainment,

Kyline expresses kilig over

Mavy’s latest romantic gesture

By Jerry Donato Philstar.com

“I’M really the type of person who wants to explore, especially when it comes to my craft.”

That was Kyline Alcantara speaking about her stance as a young actress in a recent press conference for Luv Is: Love at First Read, starring herself and perennial onscreen partner Mavy Legaspi and airing weekdays before 24 Oras.

“The (TV) series or projects that I have done before are mostly dramatic. This is my second rom-com because (I had) I Left My Heart in Sorsogon… it feels so good,” added the Sparkle GMA Artist Center talent, whose tandem with Mavy was first seen in the Heart Evangelista and Richard Yap’s Telebabad primetime series and also showcased in the digital series Zero Kilometers Away.

kinilig .”

feel grateful for everything.

Part of it is acknowledging the confidence and support of their network, if one may add.

Wendy Federman/Suzanne Niedland, Cathy Dantchik, James L. Nederlander, Elizabeth Armstrong, John Gore Organization, The Shubert Organization, Hunter Arnold, LaChanze, The Public Theater, Eastern Standard Time, Triptyk Studios, Iris Smith, Michael Robin Productions/ Anastasia Muravyeva, Alexi Melvin/Beesham A. Seecharan, Andrew Diamond/Patrick Trettenero, Buzzy Geduld/Gilad Rogowsky, Laura Ivey/Janet Brenner, and David Brendel/ Charlotte Cohn.

As one of today’s premiere stand-up comedians, Jo Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing in a Las Vegas coffee house. Jo’s uniquely relatable comedy pulls inspiration from his colorful family that has reached all kinds of people and has translated into sold-out arenas around the world.

In 2022, Koy kicked off his “Funny Is Funny World Tour” by selling-out the Climate Pledge Arena (over 14,000 tickets) in his hometown of Seattle and ended the tour with a sold-out show at Tacoma Dome (over 19,000 tickets). Today, he continues breaking sales records at some of the most prestigious venues around the world including Mall of Asia Arena (Manila, PH), The Forum (Los Angeles), Coca-Cola Arena (Dubai), ICC Theatre (Sydney, AU), Radio City Music Hall (New York City), and FTX Arena (Miami) to name a few. This past November, Koy soldout Madison Square Garden for the first time marking another milestone for the comedian. In 2017, Koy broke a record for the most tickets sold by a single artist at 23,000 tickets and 11 sold-out shows at The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. In response, the mayor’s office in Honolulu proclaimed November 24th as “Jo Koy Day.”

Koy recently starred in the Universal Picture film “Easter Sunday,” set around a family gathering to celebrate Easter Sunday, the comedy is based on Jo Koy’s life experiences and stand-up comedy. “Easter Sunday” is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand. He’ll next be seen voicing the character Bendo in the upcoming Netflix animated film, “Monkey King” releasing worldwide on August 18. His highly anticipated 4th Netflix standup special, “Live From The Los Angeles Forum,” premiered globally on September 2022. The special is a follow up to his 2019 Netflix special, “Comin’ In Hot.” Koy has already had four highly rated and successful standup specials on Comedy Central and Netflix.

In June 2020, the comedian released his first variety special, “Jo Koy: In His Elements” on Netflix in which Koy brings the laughs and beats to Manila, spotlighting local culture in a one-of-a-kind show featuring Filipino-American comedians, DJs and B-boys.

In 2021, Koy released his first autobiography, “Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo” with Harper Collins Publishers to rave reviews. In this funny and moving memoir, Koy uncovers the stories behind his stand-up: the conflict, the drama and the laughter as he struggles to find his place in the entertainment industry, his home and around the world.

In 2019, Jo Koy reached #1 on the Billboard Charts for his stand-up comedy album, “Live From Seattle,” and in 2018, he was given the prestigious “Stand-Up Comedian Of The Year” award at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. Currently Jo is performing on his Jo Koy World Tour. For more info on his comedy, book and tour dates, please visit: Jokoy.com.

Koy is repped by Arsonhouse Entertainment, CAA and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof +Fishman. g

Dingdong makes prime time comeback via ‘Royal Blood’

By Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

KAPUSO Primetime King Dingdong Dantes makes his highly-anticipated comeback to the small screen as he headlines murder-mystery series “Royal Blood.”

42-year-old star’s last TV soap project was for the Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean drama “Descendants of the Sun” in 2020. Since then, he kept himself busy with hosting duties for game show “Family Feud” and infotainment program “Amazing Earth.”

This time for “Royal Blood,” he will play the role of Napoy, a loving single father working as a motorcycle rider to provide for his daughter’s needs. He is also

“I’m really grateful for the trust given by GMA and Sparkle (for us to do this),” she said. “Here, mas maraming emotions po, mas pinahaba yung pag-explain ng bawat emotion na nararamdaman ng characters (there were more emotions being explored by the cast, who took on the challenge to explain longer what the characters did go through) .”

This is the kind of opportunity that sits well with and is palatable to any working and learning thespians like Kyline. The latter’s character is named Angelica Dimacapili, who is bound to meet Mavy’s college basketball cager Kudos Pereseo. Angelica is described as someone who “has no interest in love,” questions the intention of the opposite sex because of a past experience and “chooses a clean slate.”

Portraying the characters Kudos and Angelica — and headlining the collaboration between Kapuso network and Wattpad Webtoon Studios — will further solidify Mavy and Kyline’s potential as among today’s fast-rising love teams or Sparkle Sweethearts.

On handling work and career pressure that comes with the territory, she said they have both agreed to just

As for dealing with criticism, Kyline shared, “How do we deal with that? Actually, hindi na lang namin pinapansin (we don’t pay attention to it) . Of course, every opinion matters.” That’s why she and Mavy would also reflect on if some criticism or comment has basis and eventually consider it for self-improvement.

“But with the negative (ones), like (those) out of context na po talaga yung sinasabi, hindi na lang po namin pinapansin and we know the truth. Our truth is the truth,” added she. “So, kung ano naman yung pinapakita namin, yun po yung totoo talaga sa amin (whatever we show is really the truth), halos lahat ng ginagawa namin , of course, except for our projects, ay hindi scripted.”

Asked when was the last time she felt kilig or romantically thrilled, Kyline’s answer was the time she watched the Fast Talk with Boy Abunda episode, with Mavy as among the guests.

“Siguro po nung sinabi niya na (Perhaps when he said that) I’m his world (to) Tito Boy, because, of course, sino naman po yung hindi kikiligin dun (who wouldn’t get kilig with that?) and it was my first time to have felt that kind of appreciation from another person. So, kaya po ako

As you and I know, Kyline and Mavy’s Luv Is: Love at First Read has taken the timeslot of Dingdong Dantes’ wellfollowed game show Family Feud. The two also can’t help but feel pressure for the kilig series to do well in the ratings’ game.

“Actually, we asked Kuya Dong, of course, the two shows are different, (his was like a) variety and (ours is a) teleserye , about what we could do,” recalled she. “He told us that ‘Maganda naman yung story nyo (the Love at First Read story is nice and interesting) and just keep on promoting.’ Sobra po talaga yung kaba namin, but like what I have mentioned in one of my interviews earlier, I’m manifesting that Love at First Read will be successful.”

From what one could gather from her thoughts, this is based on the engaging narrative the show presents, the dependable ensemble cast, as well as the collective creativity and contributions of the directors, production crew and writers.

“Sana maramdaman din po ng bawat Kapuso na nanonood sa amin yung good vibes and yung kilig na nararamdaman ng buong cast on- and offcam (I hope every Kapuso who watches it will feel the good vibes and the kilig the cast felt and experienced on- and off-camera or while doing it) ,” Kyline concluded. g

to

provide for his child with the help of his friends and neighbors.

However, chaos ensues when Napoy’s estranged father suddenly appears and wants to make amends with him. As Napoy enters the family of his wealthy father, he gets to know his half-siblings. Sooner or later, things become more complicated when their father is murdered and Napoy becomes the primary suspect.

During the show’s press conference, Dantes shared he immediately said yes to the project because of its exciting concept which he has not done before.

“I wake up every day, very excited to go on set. Even us, the actors, we don’t know who really killed the patriarch. So all of us, we’re also in a guessing game. That’s why we’re always very

Jo Koy

Photo by Mike Miller Photography

Mavy Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara

A tribute to my father on Father’s Day

when she gave birth to me, the Virgin Mary image of Manaoag passed by in our town that late afternoon.

ALTHOUGH Mother’s Day is more hyped in terms of celebration because of our mothers’ heroic role in raising their children, fathers’ roles should not be taken for granted for their pivotal role in our lives. They’re more often than not the breadwinner of the family. Parents should equally be honored. Remember, when two are united in holy matrimony they become one flesh. This pronouncements were substantiated in the bible’s old and new testaments. In this piece, I’d also like to honor my dad, Bonifacio Dizon Nino. My dad who was born on July 5, 1920. was a self-made man who rose from humble beginnings due to his persistence to improve himself. He became a lawyer, college instructor in Taxation. He saw the light of day in Alaminos, Pangasinan where his mother Eugenia Raborar Dizon comes from. My grandpa, Don Tomas Fran Nino, a scion of a landed gentry in his native town of Agno moved to Mabini in the same province where he became councilor. He then moved his residence to Alaminos. Then the family finally settled in Bani where my grandpa was also a councilor. In those days, once

you become an alderman, you are addressed as a “Don.” So too with my dad who also became a councilor in my mom’s native town of Mangatarem. It was a title for a nobleman or gentleman in those days.

Before my dad’s father went to Hawaii before the war to work at a water authority, he instructed his 10 children to pursue higher education and he will finance them while making a living abroad. However, it was only my dad, the fifth child and his youngest sister who became a teacher, graduated from college.

While practicing as a trial lawyer, my dad ran and won as councilor of his adopted town. After four years, he ran for vice mayor but lost. There were two

Liberal Party candidates and he ran as independent Liberal. The issue against him then was, he was not a true son of Mangatarem.

I remember him campaigning and he was requested to sing but his voice was de-sentonado or off key. During his Miting de Avance in our barangay, his voice was emotionally choking and I also cried with him. I believe, I got my natural singing gift from my mom who was a church choir member during her heydays. Lol…

He used to tell me that he named me Dan, a short name because according to him, in case I wanted to run someday for an elected office, the voters would easily remember my name. However, my mom affixed a second name, Virgil, because

I was prepping myself to run after my graduation from Centro Escolar University but martial law was declared in 1972. My plan was scuttled. There were no elections for many years. I went back to school and took post graduate studies in Comparative Literature and Political Science at Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

It was obvious that my dad was grooming me to be a politician someday. He tagged me along when to meet political giants from our town and province. He even brought me to attend the inauguration of then newlyelected President Diosdado Macapagal in Luneta and in Malacanang Palace in 1962 when I was 11 years old to greet and shake the hand of the new president and First Lady Eva Macaraeg Macapagal during their reception. My dad and First Lady briefly spoke in our Pangasinan dialect. As a former Boy Scout Master from his native Bani, my dad also encouraged me and my younger siblings in scouting. Our elementary Boy Scout troop, always won the town’s contest in producing “fire by friction.” I also joined provincial scouting jamborees. Because of scouting, I also joined Alpha Phi Omega International Fraternity which is based in scouting. On the side, my dad was also

shared his fear of whether he’d be capable of being the best father to his daughter.

“[R]eality sets in, nakakatakot (it’s scary) in the sense na there’s always that aspect na ‘Will I be able to provide the life that I want? Will I be able to be the best father I can be for my daughter?’,” said Luis, who shared that with a family and, now, a child, “you’re thinking lifetimes ahead.”

Edu also shared his reluctance in holding babies—not just his first grandchild—saying he can’t wait for her to “become bigger and stronger” so he’ll feel more at ease around her. The veteran actor-TV host likewise said that a first glance at Isabella Rose is enough to draw a smile from him even if she isn’t smiling.

“I can’t wait to see how much of you will be in her because I realized part of her is me,” shared Edu, who told Luis that he can’t be prouder of him as his father.

When asked about the qualities he hopes Isabella Rose will inherit from Luis, Edu wished his granddaughter would be God-fearing and “treat everybody with dignity and respect,” saying that he sees this in Luis.

The former “Myx” VJ said that he wants his parents to enjoy their granddaughter. He wants them to be able to “simply carry your apo (granddaughter),” which he thinks is one of the most priceless moments in life. He also wants them to be able to do with her the activities they did with him as a child.

When asked about re-creating a memory with young Luis with Isabella, Edu shared that one of his greatest moments as a father was being able to take Luis to his class.

“Before, every day, ibababa kami ng driver, hawak-hawak ko si Luis, (our driver would drop us off, with me holding Luis’ hand) and I would take you always to your class,” adding how that routine would always include a kiss.

The “Separada” actor would later share that when Luis reached the fourth grade, he started to feel shy giving his father a kiss in front of his classmates, which Luis called a “mini phase” that he thinks boys have to go through. But the father and son continue to be affectionate to this day.

On the prospect of being a strict parent, Luis shared a perspective that he got from a movie, of how children will have to experience the world, both the good and the bad. But he thinks that what parents can fall back on is how they raised their children.

“Kahit ‘yung anak mo maexpose sa pinaka-evil na meron sa mundo, if naka-ingrain ka ng goodness sa anak mo, do’n at do’n siya babalik,” explained the 42-year-old first-time dad.

(Even if your child gets exposed to the most evil thing there is, if you were able to ingrain goodness in them, your child will always go back to it.)

Luis admits that while it seems Mendiola is “mas praning” (more paranoid) than he, he thinks he really is more paranoid than she. He added that it’s one aspect of their parenting that’s similar.

“There’s a bit of paranoia, a bit of anxiety sa aming dalawa (in both of us), so I would like to think we’re quite similar when it comes to raising Peanut,” explained Luis, who also shared that there’s no good cop and bad cop between him and his wife. Peanut is their nickname for their daughter.

The couple also has a rule regarding the use of gadgets when Isabella Rose is around. “Ang rule namin is ‘pag nanonood ng TV, ‘pag pumasok [sa room] or dala si Peanut, automatic gadgets are [turned] off,” Luis shared.

(Our rule is that when we’re watching TV, then Peanut enters the room or is brought in, automatic gadgets are turned off.)

Edu shared how he would get upset whenever he sees families, both children and their parents, on their phones and not interacting.

“I am grateful that when you were growing up, we did not have the luxury of cellphones. So talagang kahit ayaw mo ‘kong kausapin, kailangan mo ‘ko kausapin,” expressed the former Makati vice mayor. (So you have to talk to me even if you really don’t want to.)

Luis and Mendiola also plan to enforce a rule that prohibits the bringing of phones in the table when their daughter is old enough to join them for meals.

When Luis asked Edu about the best advice he could give him as a father, Edu said that it’s one thing he won’t do. He explained how there’s no two people alike, adding that what worked for Luis might not work for Isabella Rose. “You have to find it out on your own.”

The “Puso ng Pasko” actor, however, told Luis that it’s important to be present in his kid’s life. “I just have learned that it’s important to always be there and to surround them [with] lots of love and affection and support,” said Edu, who would later on share how he realized that parenting “takes a lot more than just being able to provide.”

Luis is Edu’s son with the “Star for All Seasons” Vilma Santos. He also has two other children, Addie and Enzo, from his relationship with Rina Samson.

Mendiola gave birth to Isabella Rose in December last year. The couple announced Mendiola’s pregnancy via her YouTube channel in August. g

PAGE B6

The joy of being and building a community

Pastor’s Notes

ReveRend Rodel G. BalaGtas

GREETINGS! It’s our annual Carnival in our parish, a weekend of fun, community building, and getting to know our neighbors here in Glendale. We pray for its success!

It’s our time to delight in each other’s company,    eat and drink together, and allow our youth and children to enjoy the rides safely. Let’s remember that all the proceeds from this Carnival will go toward our youth’s evangelization and faith formation, a significant priority of our church even more nowadays.

The Carnival allows us to welcome our neighbors and hope to build relationships and partnerships with them as we strive to make the “north of Glendale” a safe and enjoyable place to live. As we fulfill this mission, let’s remember our parish vision to be a joyful,

welcoming, and faith-filled Body of Christ on our journey to eternal life with God. Let our faces and interaction with others express our parish slogan: “Bringing God to Glendale and Glendale to God!”   We strive to fulfill this vision throughout the year by having joyful and meaningful liturgies, effective evangelization, faith formation, and outreach to the poor and others in need.

We take pride in having a parish school that reaches out to Catholic families and nonCatholics, presenting to them the person of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and his Good News of love, mercy, compassion, healing, service, peace, and justice.

The Responsorial Psalm of this Sunday’s Mass fits into the spirit of our celebration:

We are his people: the sheep of his flock.

Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful song. Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends.

The Lord is good: his kindness endures forever, and his

faithfulness to all generations.

As a church, let’s remember that we’re not merely a congregation concerned about our needs but part of a larger community of faithful united in the shared vision of making this world peaceful, just, and safe for everyone. It’s what Jesus wants us to do: to have his heart filled with love and compassion for everyone and wanting us to be one and heal all divisions among us in this world.

And so, he sends us for this mission as we hear in the Gospel (Matthew 9:36-10-8) this Sunday (June 18):

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.

Happy Carnival and blessings of peace and joy!

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Jodi spends 41st birthday in Uzbekistan

By Anne PAsAjol Inquirer.net

JODI Sta. Maria treated fans to a glimpse of how she celebrated turning 41 years old in Bukhara, a city in Uzbekistan.

The actress showed moments from when she appears to be touring around the city, through her Instagram page on Friday, June 16.

Before Uzbekistan, Sta. Maria earlier visited other countries in Central Asia including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, together with her son Thirdy.

Sta. Maria received birthday wishes from fellow celebrities including her “Unbreak My Heart” co-stars Richard Yap and Gabbi Garcia.

“Happiest birthday to my beautiful (inside and out) onscreen partner, [Jodi]!” Yap greeted, via his Instagram page. “Happiest birthday, Ate Jodi. Grateful for you and all the life

Meanwhile, Sta. Maria

Protecting employment rights of immigrants require more than courtroom skills

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights

atty. C.

Joe sayas, JR

PABLO, a hardworking Filipino mechanic and naturalized U.S. citizen,, worked in Los Angeles  for 23 years and earned enough to retire. However, he was persuaded by an insurance agent to  transfer his retirement money to a complex insurance policy known as an equity-indexed annuity. He  was further induced to transfer the funds to a second insurance company.

Unbeknownst to Pablo, every transfer of money resulted in a surrender charge of 33%.

Hence, a transfer of $150,000 from insurance company A to insurance company B resulted in  $50,000 that Pablo lost in surrender penalties. The company kept the $50,000 and the agent earned  more commissions. Worse, Pablo discovered he could not immediately use his money without  additional losses.

Pablo just lost a chunk of his retirement savings and felt shame and disgust at himself. Feeling  powerless, he slowly spiraled into depression and had to undergo psychiatric care. We filed a lawsuit  on his behalf to recover his money plus damages for emotional distress. Pablo’s deposition was taken.

During questioning by the three big firm insurance lawyers, Pablo was asked how he understood  “surrender charges”.

Pablo, who grew up in the Philippines, replied with his arms raised: “I do not know surrender  charges. All I know about surrender is when the Japanese raised their hands and surrendered to the  Americans!”

The lawyers thought that Pablo was joking. But Pablo was serious. He truly did not know  what ‘surrender charges’ meant in the context of an insurance contract. While he had worked in the  U.S. for a long time, his speech patterns and cultural referents continued to reflect his upbringing in  the

Philippines.

For Pablo to win his case, he needed to be understood by an American court and jury. Pablo  needed, not only a lawyer’s courtroom skills, but also one who understood his culture. He had to be  able to speak to his attorney in his native language so that he could tell “the whole truth.” Since his   psychological state was at issue, he needed counsel who understood his emotional and cultural  background. As Pablo’s background was explained, his testimony, in light of other evidence, started  to make sense to the other parties. This understanding contributed to reaching a successful settlement  for Pablo and his family.

Pablo’s case is an example of the challenges involved in helping immigrants obtain justice.  Immigrants may need to go to court to seek relief for the following:

1. when injured by the negligence or business fraud of another;

2. when full wages are not paid to the immigrant;

3. when defrauded by a company that deceptively marketed its products;

4. when unreasonably denied benefits under an insurance policy.

A client’s lack of fluency in English can limit his or her full expression of the facts. An  immigrant’s willingness to explain may be hindered by cultural factors like a sense of shame. Is the  client keeping his true feelings to himself for fear of being perceived as dumb or crazy based on his  cultural standards? Or is the client unwilling or unable to explain because of injured feelings?

Even when dealing with immigrant professionals, who are fluent in the English language, an  attorney might still hit the cultural wall. My firm was hired by a major retirement home to defend the  company’s manager accused of sexual harassment. The other attorney in the case, who used the  usual straightforward style of asking questions, was unfamiliar with the manager’s cultural

EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT FOR RENT

sensitivities and was not able to obtain “the whole truth”.

The manager felt that simply being accused of having forced himself on an unwilling woman  was a badge of dishonor. Since he has been so dishonored, he would rather keep silent. What resulted  was a communication breakdown.

Our involvement as attorneys who knew the manager’s culture and language brought a  different dynamic into the case. Because the actual underpinnings of the manager’s behavior were  understood, the approach to asking questions was done in a way that allowed the manager to open up.  As more truth surfaced, a better evaluation of the issues led to a productive resolution of the case.

Communications that ensure complete understanding between clients and attorneys can help  achieve success for the immigrant client’s case. This is especially true where emotional pains are  suffered as is true in serious discrimination or personal injury cases.

The attorney’s knowledge of a client’s language and culture can go a long way in facilitating  effective communications. Armed with more complete information, the attorney can better articulate  the client’s damages to opposing counsel, to the court and the jury..

* * *

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * *

The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential  and at no cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw. com. [For more than  25 years, C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and  consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, selected  as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine for 11 years, and is a past Presidential Awardee for  Outstanding Filipino Overseas.]   (Advertising Supplement)

PSYCHIC

Jodi Sta. Maria

Photo from Instagram/@jodistamaria

lessons [plus] chika! You have such a beautiful soul!” Garcia wrote on her Instagram Stories. “Enjoy your trip! Pagbalik mo, taya na tayo ulit sa lotto

earlier attended the high school graduation of her son Thirdy. The actress was accompanied by her former husband Pampi Lacson and his partner Iwa Moto. g

What to do with conditional greencard status in troubled marriages

Barrister’s Corner

MARRIAGE for many persons is the culmination of one’s life. Getting married signifies the beginning of a new phase in life, both socially and economically. For those persons who lack permanent residency in the United States and have married a United States citizen, marriage also presents an opportunity to obtain permanent residency.

However, although the opportunity to obtain permanent residency arises in such situations, one must be aware of and comply with procedures in existence to obtain such status.

Due to concerns that persons were becoming married to United States citizens merely to obtain permanent residence status, a two-step procedure under the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 (IMFA) was set up to ensure such status was given to those only in marriages that are bona-fide and not entered into simply for immigration purposes.

Under step one of the procedure, if a person is petitioned by his/ her U.S. citizen spouse within 24 months after becoming married, that person is given only conditional permanent residence. Such conditional permanent residence status lasts for two years from the date on which it is granted.

Step two of the procedure involves the removal of the conditional label to permanent residence status. Removal of the conditional label is initiated by filing an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Condition to Permanent Residence (“Joint Petition”). The Joint Petition

provides an opportunity for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) to inquire as to the legitimacy of the marriage after conditional permanent residence is granted.

Accordingly, documentation evidencing that the marriage was entered into for bona-fide reasons should be submitted as part of the Joint Petition.

The Joint Petition must be filed with the USCIS service center in the 90 days immediately prior to the second anniversary of the granting of conditional permanent residence.

Typically, upon the filing of the Joint Petition, a one-year

Dingdong makes prime time...

for immigration purposes, INS may approve a Joint Petition without an interview.

The procedure described hereinabove applies in situations where the marriage has not been terminated. Often, the Joint Petition cannot be filed or approved because the marriage, although bona-fide when entered into, has been terminated by divorce. May aliens become threatened of falling out of status once their marriage is in trouble because the spouse often refuse to cooperate or has filed a divorce petition. In such cases there is still hope and the prospect of obtaining unconditional permanent residence status still remains. A waiver of the joint petition requirement may be sought in such cases.

* * * Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.  The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.  The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APLC.  This article is not a solicitation.

* * *

excited to work out this material,” Dantes said. He further shared that he can relate to his character Napoy because like him, he is a loving father in real life and also has a daughter, Zia, who is now seven years old.

“I also have a seven-year-old daughter in this show. Plus of course, just like any dad, they will do everything for their children. They also wanted to have a complete family so I guess that’s also the purpose of the character of Napoy,” he added. Apart from the show being a murder mystery, Dantes

mentioned that viewers can also anticipate themes about greed, love and ultimately, a story about family.

Meanwhile, Dantes is reunited with multi-awarded actor Tirso Cruz III in the show. They first worked together for the drama “Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga” in 2002 and then for another hit series “Endless Love” in 2010.

Dantes excitedly shared, “When I found out that I was going to be with him in Royal Blood, I was so happy!”

“He is very fatherly on set, very warm, you can learn a lot from him, and at the same very funny. That’s the most important

thing because you can’t always be serious because the work you do is difficult. At least we have time to laugh and take things lightly and that’s what he provides,” he added.

Apart from Dantes and Cruz, the upcoming masterpiece of GMA Network boasts of a stellar cast comprising Megan Young, Mikael Daez, Dion Ignacio, Lianne Valentin, Rabiya Mateo and Rhian Ramos. Also part of the series are Ces Quesada, Benjie Paras, Carmen Soriano, Arthur Solinap, James Graham, Aidan Veneracion, Princess Aliyah and Sienna Stevens. g

A tribute to my father on Father’s...

a gentleman farmer. He became the president of Pangasinan Farmers Club. He was granted study tours on rural reconstruction in Egypt, the Holy Land, Japan and Taiwan. He regaled his cohorts about his travel experiences which I listened with admiration. I think, I also inherited his love of traveling and it also transcended to my only son, Denver who travels twice a year. As I wrote this piece, my son was in Kalinga, Mountain Province to have a tattoo with Whang-od, a 106-year-old legendary woman.

In fact, when my dad won his first case as defense lawyer, he was paid a six-hectare land in Surip, Bani fronting the West Philippine Sea which he converted into a farm. Every summer we joined him to plant coconuts, mangoes, bananas and other fruit trees. Because we could not consume all the mangoes that we harvested, he asked me to sell them wholesale in Cubao, Quezon City. In 30 minutes the 15 kaings of mangoes were sold out. I believe that I inherited my dad’s love for farming and soil. In my Cerritos, California home, I raised myriad fruit tress and vegetables in my backyard. Not to be outdone, I inherited my mom’s love for flowering plants.

speaking and as motivational speaker. In fact, when my elementary school chose me to participate in a declamation contest, my dad penned my piece and practiced my speech in front of him. However, as a young kid, it was obvious that I was nervous not used to public speaking. I did not win any prize. I was disappointed, of course. From then on, I made it a point to hone my public speaking by being a member of the Ateneo Forensic Society in college and Toastmasters Club in Cerritos – to achieve that confidence.

While I was practicing how to drive our first family vehicle – out of nervousness – I hit our neighbor’s gate in GSIS Village, Quezon City when I saw an incoming DM Bus. The front bumper of our jeep was damaged. When I got home, I was trembling with fear. Out of the blue and knowing my dad’s wrath, I reported to him that I committed a grave mistake. I said, “here’s the bolo, you can kill me for my transgression.” For some reason, he didn’t lift a finger. Perhaps, my reverse psychology theatrics did wonders and saved me.

extension of the conditional permanent residence is granted. The extension affords the USCIS time to schedule an interview with the person seeking permanent residence, and to make a determination as to whether unconditional permanent residence will be granted for a ten-year period. In cases in which documentation submitted as part of the Joint Petition clearly show that the marriage is bona-fide and not merely

Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes was President of the Philippine American Bar Association for 2005. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Mr. Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, APLC is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com; visit at www.kenreyeslaw.com. (Advertising Supplement)

I also inherited my dad’s love affair with writing. A lawyer relative who was employed with the Solicitor General’s office commented, “I read the pleadings and briefs of your dad when it came to my desk, “I was impressed, He was thorough and his treatise was well-discerned.”

As a lawyer, he loved to defend the poor and the powerless not expecting to be renumerated by huge lawyer’s professional fees. There were times when he was paid in kind like produce.

When he was the chief of the Prosecution Division of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, one of his siblings challenged him: “If I were in your exalted position, I would have accumulated lots of money.” My dad replied, “Because of that mentality, that’s why you didn’t become a lawyer.”

When we were growing up, our dad had ingrained in our minds that we should not abuse or take advantage of other people or flaunt the status of our parents. He said, “If you commit unlawful crime, I’ll not defend you. I’ll let you rot in jail.”

I also inherited my dad’s natural gift for public

While we were alone reflecting on what the future holds for me as the eldest of seven siblings, he emphasized that I should be a role model and not take advantage of the younger ones. He shared me his wisdom: “Life is like the fate of the bird you are holding now. When you pressed so hard that bird’s body, it might choke and die. If you release it, the bird will fly and seek its freedom and fortune in many ways. He added, “the life and death of that bird depends on you my son. In like manner, your life and future depends on you.”

On his last visit to California while we were alone – with a remorseful voice, he said, “As an eldest, I was hard on you while you were growing up. “I’m sorry,” he lamented. After that emotional moment, we both burst into tears. A few months later, he passed away after a lingering illness of Parkinson’s Disease. Happy Father’s Day dad in heaven.

* * * The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

* * * denino1951@gmail.com

Typically, upon the filing of the Joint Petition, a one-year extension of the conditional permanent residence is granted. The extension affords the USCIS time to schedule an interview with the person seeking permanent residence, and to make a determination as to whether unconditional permanent residence will be granted for a ten-year period.