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Volume 17 - No. 26 • 3 Sections – 20 Pages

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FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Trump calls for stripping right to due process for undocumented immigrants AMID the crisis at the border after the Trump administration began separating (and then reuniting) families at the border, President Donald Trump publicly advocated the denial of due process to undocumented immigrants crossing the border, thickening the plot in one of the most polarizing and convoluted political battles of this administration.

Instead of bolstering the backlogged immigration courts who must process the immigration processes of unauthorized asylum seekers, Trump advocates for immediate deportation of these individuals and families without granting them due process of law.

In a series of tweets, the president openly mocked the United States judicial system at a

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MalacaĂąang: Aquino militarized West PH Sea

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., in a news briefing in Cagayan de Oro City, mentioned the decision of MALACAĂ‘ANG on Monday, June 25, President Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessaid it was former President Benigno sor to deploy the country’s biggest warAquino III’s administration that first ship to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal in militarized the West Philippine Sea 2012 to block Chinese vessels from the (South China Sea), which led to the rich fishing area. “Just to be realistic, if we will use heightened Chinese presence in the violence like what Aquino did, which is disputed waters.

the reason behind the Chinese presence in the Panatag [Shoal] — the deployment of the Navy ship — will result in a military standoff that we are dodging,�

Roque said. “Let us not forget that it was [former] President Aquino who first militarized [West Philippine Sea] when he brought the Philippine Navy [there]. That is

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III Inquirer.net photo

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Duterte to mend rift with Church

by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTiames.net

u PAGE A3

Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump’s travel ban Asian American community reacts to the decision to allow the so-called “Muslim ban�

THE Trump administration scored a major victory on Tuesday, June 26, when the Supreme Court decided to uphold President Donald Trump’s controversial travel ban, further intensifying the national debate over United States immigration and conduct over immigrants, people of color and Muslims.

The conservative-leaning court ruled 5 to 4 in the case Trump v. Hawai’i in which a federal judge from Hawaii halted the travel ban from taking effect. The court’s conservatives said that Trump’s long history of inflammatory comments about the perceived threat of Muslims in the United States do not undermine his power

NEW VILLAGE OFFICIALS. President Rodrigo Duterte administers the oath of ofďŹ ce of around 1,900 newly-elected barangay chairpersons in the Zamboanga Peninsula. The ceremony was held at the Municipal Gymnasium in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur on Tuesday, June 26. Duterte announced during the event that he asked the Department of Interior and Local Government to conduct audits on the anti-illegal drugs, anti-terrorism and peace and order operations of the barangays. He then added that he would ďŹ le charges against barangay ofďŹ cials who are deemed incompetent in keeping their barangays safe and free from illegal drugs.

MalacaĂąang photo by Simeon Celi

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PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has formed a three-man panel to hold a dialogue with the Catholic Church and other religious groups in the wake of his controversial remarks against God and teachings of Christianity, his spokesman said on Tuesday, June 26.

In a news conference in Davao City, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte designated him, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Pastor “Boy� Saycon to lead the dialogue with different religious groups in a bid to address the rift between the President and the Church.

Saycon, a member of the EDSA People Power Commission, is a self-proclaimed civic leader, while Abella, the former MalacaĂąang spokesman, is a pastor by profession. “Alam ko po, merong separation of Church and State, hindi po na kailangang makipagdayalogo pero minabuti na po ng presidente na sige, buksan natin ang proseso ng dayalogo (I know, there is a separation of Church and State, we don’t really need to hold a dialogue

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SolGen: Constitution does MalacaĂąang sides with DepEd, opposing not allow same-sex marriage mandatory drug tests for elementary students

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

GOVERNMENT lawyers remained steadfast in their opposition to the petition seeking to legalize same-sex marriage in the Philippines.

According to Solicitor General The SC ordered all the parties—the petitioners Jose Calida, the petition should and Calida, and intervenor-oppositors— to ďŹ le their memoranda within 30 days from June be dismissed due to lack of 26.

Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman merit.

“Same-sex couples can live happily together but they cannot demand that the state recognize same-sex marriages because the Constitution doesn’t allow such unions,� Calida said on Tuesday, June 26, during his opening statement at the oral arguments on same-sex marriage petition. “The resolution of the current issue hinges on how the

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CHR, PNP agree to meet on anti-tambay policy

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

OFFICIALS of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the

Philippine National Police (PNP) have agreed to set up a meeting so they can discuss the rules of the police’s campaign against loiterers who are violating city ordinances and other laws.

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by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

MALACAÑANG said on Monday, June 25, that it would not support the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) proposal to make drug tests mandatory for students as young as 10 years old, siding with the Department of Education’s (DepEd) stance that such testings are unconstitutional.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said that no mandatory drug tests would be conducted for elementary students. “We concur with Secretary [Leonor] Briones that the Dangerous Drug Act limits possible drug testing to high school and not to grade school students,�

said Roque during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro. Roque was referring to Leonor Briones, DepEd Secretary.

Roque further cited the United States in his statement, saying that the mandatory drug testing among high

school students in the states was also seen as unconstitutional. “In America, random drug testing for high school students was upheld as constitutional but mandatory drug testing in high school was struck down

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President Duterte wants minors and teenagers to be included in the crackdown on tambays or loiterers, ordering the Philippine National Police (PNP) to take into custody minors who are loitering in the streets to “protect� them against illegal drugs and other threats.

Philstar.com photo by Joven Cagande

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From the Front Page

Malacañang: Aquino militarized...

PAGE A1 t why the Chinese never left the Scarborough,” he added.

According to Roque, Duterte refuses to apologize for his softer approach against China and remains firm with his pronouncements that war would break out if the Philippines took a hard-line approach on the dispute.

“The [issue on the] disputed islands, we have to resolve this

through diplomacy and we cannot have diplomacy if you are fighting the side that you need to talk to in order to resolve the disputed islands,” Roque said.

Roque’s statement was in response to Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio criticizing Duterte’s constant warning that fighting for the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea would lead to war with China.

During the graduation ceremony of the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance on Friday, June 22, Carpio said Duterte’s statements were divisive. “[The president] is an author of the foreign policy. His consistent position is we will not give away any territories and we will not fight,” Roque responded. n

Malacañang sides with DepEd...

PAGE A1 t as being unconstitutional,” he added in Filipino.

The stance came as PDEA officials last week said that they were planning to make drug tests mandatory for teachers and children as young as 10 years old during the 2018 to 2019 school year. PDEA director general, Aaron Aquino, said that the proposal was in large part due to the agency having once arrested a 10-year-old suspected of drug use.

Following the PDEA proposal announcement, the DepEd said that it opposed testing plans that would have affected 14 million primary school students from grades four to 12, saying that it was against the law.

It said that it also already

had a drug prevention program that was supported by Duterte.

“The primary mandate of DepEd is still the integration of preventive drug education in curriculum and instruction,” said the DepEd in a statement.

“The president expressed his full support of the program. Secretary Leonor Briones also noted that for the younger set, the directive of the president is to enhance the curriculum on preventative drug education, to which DepEd is responding,” it added.

DepEd began random testing of teachers and students of public and private schools last September 2017.

The department also warned that the testings would require considerably large costs

amounting to nearly P3 billion.

“The population of students from Grade 4 (the grade level of 10-year old students) to Grade 12 total at least 14 million. At P200 per student for the testing alone, the budget will already amount to P2.8 billion,” said the education department.

The Human Rights Watch, which was been critical of president’s controversial war on drugs, criticized the PDEA proposal, calling it the “latest dangerous outgrowth of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign which has already claimed the lives to dozens of children.”

The proposal it added, would “place school children at grave risk.”

The PDEA said that the drug test results would be confidential. n

SolGen: Constitution does not allow...

PAGE A1 t Constitution defines marriage...

The petition is flawed. Careful examination of the petition shows it has no merit,” he added.

The petition was filed in May 2015 by lawyer Jesus Nicardo Falcis III, who described himself in the pleading as “an open and self-identified homosexual.”

Falcis sought the nullification of some parts of the Family Code of the Philippines, specifically Articles 1 and 2, which “define and limit marriage as between man and woman.”

He claimed that the State’s charter does not provide any gender restrictions when it comes to marriage.

Calida argued that although the Constitution does not limit

marriage between a man and a woman, the intent of its framers must be considered.

“Same-sex relationships was foremost on the minds of the framers [of the 1987 Constitution] when they deliberated on the meaning of family and marriage,” stressing that while there was empathy for this sector of society, “both natural law and religious values affirm that the normal family relationship is between man and woman,” he said.

“The framers intended marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It is clear that marriage has always been defined as a union between a man and a woman primarily to constitute a complete and perfect commu-

nity between two heterosexual individuals and, consequently, to preserve the human race,” he added.

Calida went on to say that the state is not violating anyone’s rights in imposing this limit on marital unions, pointing out that the “ultimate goal” of any marriage is procreation through natural “sexual cooperation.”

The Supreme Court ended the oral arguments on Tuesday, following around three hours of interpellations.

Both parties were instructed by acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio to submit their respective memoranda, which would wrap up their arguments on the case, and all requested documents within 30 days. n

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US ‘supercarrier’ in Philippine waters for routine patrol Supreme Court rules in favor...

by Patricia

Lourdes Philstar.com

PAGE A1 t

Viray

A NUCLEAr-POWErED “supercarrier” of the United States Navy arrived in Manila on Tuesday, June 26, as part of its routine patrol in the Pacific.

USS ronald reagan, the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, will be in Philippine waters for four days.

The carrier and the strike group have been training in the area of operations of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet while “supporting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

A photo released by the U.S. Navy showed a Phalanx close-in weapons system being used during a live-fire exercise aboard the aircraft carrier. ronald reagan has officially been on patrol since May 29, when it sailed out of the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.

Its deployment last month came days after China called out the U.S. after USS Antietam and USS Higgings sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry

An EA-18G Growler assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VFA) 141 lands on the flight deck of the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Abbate

called the act a “serious infringement on China’s sovereignty.” ronald reagan’s deployment in the region appears to be part of the U.S.’ show of force as China seeks maritime dominance in the South China Sea. “As we get underway for these operations we will continue to

represent the United States as the security partner of choice in the region, to ensure freedom of the seas, drive stability and security and to promote adherence to a rules-based international order,” U.S. Navy rear Adm. Marc Dalton, Task Force 70 commander, said. n

Trump calls for stripping right to due process...

PAGE A1 t time when Washington lawmakers are grappling with bipartisan consensus on immigration legislation. To add to the complications, federal immigration agencies continue struggle to reunite the more than 2,000 migrant children with their parents after Trump reversed his administration’s policy that separated children from their parents at the border, as previously reported by the Asian Journal.

“Hiring many thousands [sic] of judges, and going through a long and complicated legal process, is not the way to go — will always be disfunctional [sic},” Trump tweeted on Monday, June 25.

“People must simply be stopped at the Border and told they cannot come into the U.S. illegally. Children brought back to their country……….If this is done, illegal immigration will be stopped in it’s [sic] tracks - and at very little, by comparison, cost. This is the only real answer - and we must continue to BUILD THE WALL!” The day before, he tweeted: “We cannot allow all of these people to invade our Country. When somebody comes in, we must immediately, with no Judges or Court Cases, bring them back from where they came. Our system is a mockery to good immigration policy and Law and Order.”

Due process, according to the Supreme Court, is a right for people to exercise legal rights and court processes guaranteed by American law. It allows individuals to challenge action proposed by the government in front of a judge or any neutral decision maker.

Access to due process has been a mainstay in the modern American judicial system and a fundamental rampart against tyranny.

The concept was first introduced in the Constitution as a way to balance the power of law while protecting individuals from abuse of

that power.

The Fifth Amendment provides that “No person shall...be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The Fourteenth Amendment — which was adopted after the Civil War to grant citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for former slaves — also has a Due Process Clause that reinstates the Fifth Amendment text.

Trump’s possible denial of the right of due process for unauthorized immigrants at the border would violate the Constitution, which allows due process for all individuals within the U.S. regardless of citizenship.

In the 2001 landmark Supreme Court case, Zadvydas v. David, the judges determined that “once an [immigrant] enters the country, the legal circumstance changes, for the Due Process Clause applies to all ‘persons’ within the United States, whether their presence is lawful, unlawful, temporary, or permanent.”

Courts have always found that anyone on U.S. soil is protected by this constitutional right, even if they illegally entered the country seeking asylum. They have also upheld that if an order for deportation was given to illegal border crossers, they have the right to challenge those decisions through civil proceedings in immigration courts and judges under the Justice Department.

This process can take months or, in some cases, years due to the intense backlog of immigration cases.

Even immigrants who are ordered for expedited removal can avoid it by seeking asylum; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agents will then review the case to see if the applicant has a credible fear of persecution back home.

As previously reported by the Asian Journal, the Trump admin-

istration’s “zero tolerance policy” which immediately puts criminal charges on adult border crossers, even those seeking asylum — complicates this protocol. Asylum proceedings are a civil process, but now the government also separately pursues criminal prosecution in federal court. (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)

to implement national security practices.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a tremendous victory for the American People and the Constitution,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday. “In this era of worldwide terrorism and extremist movements bent on harming innocent civilians, we must properly vet those coming into our country.”

The travel ban, which is famously known as the “Muslim ban” for the selected nations it affects, was one of Trump’s first proposals.

Generally, the ban prohibits travel of nationals from six countries: Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea.

The administration chose these countries due to terrorist activity as well as lack of cooperation with U.S. officials to collaborate on vetting practices.

In January 2017, he signed an executive order to implement the ban, but it — along with two revised versions — have been shot down in several federal judges, as extensively reported by the Asian Journal.

While republicans lauded the Supreme Court for validating the party’s national security, outrage over the decision began immediately with protestors who gathered outside the Supreme Court, chanting: “No ban, no wall.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the nation’s largest legal organizations which has been challenging the Trump administration’s travel ban since it was first announced, decried the decision, with attorney Omar Jadwat saying the ruling “will go

down in history as one of the Supreme Court’s great failures.”

Justices Sonia Sotomayor and ruth Bader Ginsburg said in their searing dissent, “The United States of America is a Nation built upon the promise of religious liberty.

Our Founders honored that core promise by embedding the principle of religious neutrality in the First Amendment. The Court’s decision today fails to safeguard that fundamental principle. It leaves undisturbed a policy that first advertised openly and unequivocally as a ‘total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States’ because the policy now masquerades behind a facade of national-security concerns.”

Sotomayor also compared the decision to Korematsu v. United States, the 1944 decision that supported the detention of JapaneseAmericans to during World War II, a three-year internment that has become a stain in American history.

Following the ruling, several Asian American lawmakers and organizations condemned the Supreme Court, all dubbing the decision a reversal of American values of inclusivity and racial and religious freedom. rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) said in a statement, “Trump’s Muslim ban will never be right. The majority opinion ignored reality and turned a blind-eye on the intent and motivation behind Trump’s discriminatory Proclamation.”

Chu, who chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), pointed out a pattern in Trump’s proposed policies, saying, “This is an intentional strategy, along with his zero toler-

A

ance at the border and proposed changes to legal immigration to prevent non-whites from coming to this country.”

Asian American legal organizations also deplored the decision, arguing that, by honoring this practice, many minorities — not just Muslims — may be subjected to “discriminatory targeting.”

“We strongly condemn the Supreme Court’s decision and perpetual of state-sanctioned discrimination as inconsistent with our Constitutional values,” legal and civil rights alliance Asian Americans Advancing Justice said in a statement. “This decision greenlights religious and ethnic discrimination that runs counter to the inclusionary principles to which our country aspires.”

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), an alliance of Asian Pacific Islander legal professionals and students, that it is “deeply disappointed” in the ruling, saying, that the Supreme Court’s decision could exacerbate racist and xenophobic behavior toward people of color.

“NAPABA remains concerned that this decision permits and promotes continued discrimination against Muslims, particularly given our nation’s long and painful history of anti-Asian Pacific Islander immigration policies and violence against Asian Pacific American communities,” it added.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Executive Director Margaret Fung chimed in and said that the ruling “will be judged harshly for its unquestioning acceptance of a discriminatory policy motivated by religious bigotry.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

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Duterte to mend rift...

PAGE A1 t

Manny Pacquiao conquers the highest peak in Maasim, Sarangani province.

Inquirer.net photo by Winchell Campos

Pacquiao ‘85% ready’ as Matthysse fight draws near

by Mark

GionGco Inquirer.net

MANNy Pacquiao showed his head trainer Buboy Fernandez and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune a preview of what to expect in his ring return against Lucas Matthysse next month.

Pacquiao on Tuesday, June 26, flashed his deadly form when he rocked Gherich Chavez with a solid straight to the jaw during

sparring that delighted Fernandez and Fortune.

“I would say he is 85 already percent ready and we don’t want him to peak too soon,” said Fernandez.

“He is right there where we want him to be right now,” said Fortune.

Pacquiao’s power and speed may have diminished in time but he remains one of the best-conditioned boxers.

On Monday, June 25, Pac-

quiao conquered the steepest climb in Maasim, Sarangani province.

“It’s a sign that Manny is trying to ask himself questions whether he still has it or not.

That talks a lot about his warrior spirit,” said Fortune.

‘The Fight of Champions,’ the biggest boxing event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since the great Muhammad Ali beat Joe Bugner in 1975 is less than three weeks away. n

but still the president has decided to open the process of holding a dialogue),” Roque told reporters, saying Duterte made the decision on Monday, June 25.

“Siguro po, ang tema ng mga pag-uusap e paano mabawasan yung hidwaan sa pagitan ng gobyerno at ng simbahan (The theme will be how to lessen the rift between the government and Church),” he said.

Roque added that he has coordinated with Saycon, who was tasked to reach out to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

He said he himself will get in touch with the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.

Roque added that they look forward to the “fruitful dialogue” with the Catholic Church given the friendly ties between the president and CBCP President Archbishop Romulo Valles.

Duterte and Valles hail from Davao City.

“So, hayaan po natin na ang agenda ay ma-define ng simbahan at ng gobyerno (Let’s allow the Church and the government to define the agenda) as the dialogue proceeds,” Roque said.

Welcome Valles welcomed the president’s decision.

“To dialogue is to listen to one another, it is always good,” he said.

But Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the CBCP’s

Episcopal Commission on the Laity, expressed his doubts, saying it could just be a tactic of the president to distract the public after the outrage he stirred for calling God “stupid” and mocking the Christian faith’s creation story in the Book of Genesis.

“Palusot lang iyan para ma-diffuse ang criticism sa kanya (That is just an excuse to diffuse the criticism against him),” Pabillo said over Radio Veritas.

Duterte has been criticized by various quarters, including political allies, for saying he found fault in the creation story in the Bible and questioned God’s logic, saying He is “stupid.”

But in a speech on Monday, the president, who was born and raised as a Catholic, said he was not referring to his own god when he labeled God as stupid.

He added that he made the statements in relation to his criticism of Sister Patricia Fox, an Australian missionary nun, who has drawn the his ire for supposedly being anti-government.

A review of the transcript of the president’s speech, however, showed no mention of or any reference to Fox. Duterte said nobody has the right to “bind” him to a certain belief, and that it is up to him whether to believe in God. “If I choose not to believe in any god, what’s the “f*****g thing about it? It’s about freedom to choose one,” he added.

Duterte has long criticized the Roman Catholic Church leadership in the Philippines over its alleged hypocrisy.

Roque said Duterte must not be criticized for airing his views on religious matters as he has the right to do so.

Duterte’s attack on the Church, according to him, may be borne out of his experience with some members of the clergy.

“The incident must have been traumatic to the president. And I’m sure, tama yung sinasabi ng ating taong simbahan na perhaps (what the Church leaders said, perhaps, were right), there’s need for some kind of intervention,” Roque said.

The president had said he was abused by a priest when he studied in a Catholic school.

Roque said it was likely that Duterte’s controversial remarks against the Church will be taken up during the dialogue.

“I would be lying if I were to say it has absolutely no relation.

Meron sigurong relasyon din iyan at ninanais din naman ng presidente dahil parehong kabahagi ng lipunang Pilipino ang simbahan at ang gobyerno (There is a relation and the president wants this [dialogue]because the Church and the government are in the same society),” he added.

Roque sought to appease outrage over Duterte’s statements, saying the president is “only human.”

He advised Church leaders not to be “onion-skinned” because they too had “harsh” words for Duterte during the 2016 campaign. n

CHR, PNP agree to meet on...

PAGE A1 t

PANGASINAN PROVINCIAL-NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI, USA

Appearing as a guest on “The Chiefs,” a program over One News on Cignal TV, CHR Commissioner Roberto Cadiz and PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. discussed issues on intensified operations against idlers on the streets in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive.

Durana read reminders that Senator Francis Pangilinan posted to the public: remain calm when accosted by the police, ask for the name and unit of the person and the reason for accosting, explain one’s side but not quarrel with policemen and, if arrested, to be allowed to call a relative or a lawyer.

He said people should follow these and warned them against signing any document without understanding its contents and never try to escape when already under police custody. He also implored people to be aware of the laws and regulations and be alert for rogue police officers who might plant evidence on them, to seek witnesses and, if possible, take photographs

According to him, erring policemen are being investigated, and cases are not just being swept under the rug. and videos.

Aside from this, Cadiz and Du“Ignorance of the law is never rana also fought when the latter an excuse,” he said.

Cadiz and Durana got in a heat- stated that 11,251 people in Metro ed debate over the issue of loiter- Manila were accosted as of Tuesers being accosted by the police day, June 26.

Cadiz stressed that these people for violations of city and municipal ordinances as Cadiz initially said were not only reprimanded but there was confusion when the brought to police stations.

Durana, for his part, clarified police followed Duterte’s order to that while all the idlers were the letter.

“The people got confused as loi- brought to police stations, only tering is not a crime and yet there 96 people, or 0.85 percent, were actually charged while the rest were arrests,” Cadiz said.

Durana retaliated with “it’s were released to their respective very clear he (Cadiz) is trying to barangay officials or parents, in insinuate that we are interpret- cases of minors.

He also clarified the offenders ing the president’s statement word for word,” for implying were only accosted and not arthat they just obeyed President rested as opposed to what Cadiz Rodrigo Duterte’s order without implied.

The two officials then talked any regard to existing laws and about setting up a meeting to fineregulations.

Durana, though he admitted tune the campaign and for the CHR that some police officers have to understand the police guidelines committed irregularities in the and provide ideas during a break conduct of anti-criminality opera- in the program.

Although the meeting is not yet tions, insisted that there was never any confusion in the PNP when finalized, Cadiz welcomed the opit implemented Duterte’s order portunity to discuss and thresh out the issues. n within the bounds of the law.

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PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF. An Air Force officer passes by a military aircraft during the acceptance, turnover, and blessing of two NC2121 light lift fixed-wing aircraft held at the Haribon Hangar in Clark Airbase in Pampanga on Tuesday, June 26, as part of the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

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A5

‘Duterte won’t change South China Sea policy’

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson Harry Roque, on Monday, June 25, said there is no way President Rodrigo Duterte will change his policy on the West Philippine Sea or apologize for it. He also blamed the previous Aquino administration for triggering the militarization of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“When we had a confrontation with the Chinese, they drove us away from Panatag. Let’s not forget it was [former] President Aquino who militarized it. He sent the Navy so the Chinese never left,” Roque said at a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City, alluding to the standoff at Panatag Shoal in 2012.

Panatag Shoal is an integral part of Philippine territory. It is 124 nautical miles from the nearest basepoint in Zambales province and is within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf.

On April 8, 2012, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a Navy ship, spotted eight Chinese fishing boats poaching in Philippine waters and was about to apprehend them when Chinese surveillance vessels stopped them.

Ultimately, the standoff ended with China taking control of the shoal and preventing Filipinos from fishing in the area.

Roque’s statement was also in response to acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio rebuking Duterte for insisting that asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea would only

cause a rift.

Duterte’s stance regarding the issue in which he refuses to challenge China’s aggressive moves in the West Philippine Sea has long been criticized. The president has repeatedly expressed his aversion to antagonizing a powerful China in his speeches.

According to him, confronting China militarily would surely result in a massacre of Filipino soldiers.

Meanwhile, Carpio insisted that Filipinos asserting the country’s territorial rights have never called for a war with China.

In a speech before graduating students of the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance last Friday, June 22, Carpio cited the need to “resist any and all attempts to weaken the nation” in defending its national territory and maritime zones.

“The president would not apologize for that (policy). If we use violence just like what president Aquino did, which led to the occupation by the Chinese of the Panatag... a military conflict would ensue and that is what we are trying to avoid,” Roque said.

About 90 percent of the South China Sea is claimed by China while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

An international arbitral tribunal voided China’s claim in 2016 but the Chinese government has refused to recognize the ruling.

The decision was stemmed from a complaint filed by the Aquino administration contesting Chi-

na’s “excessive” and “exaggerated” claim.

According to Roque, Duterte’s policy has led to bilateral cooperation with China, which is now providing military and development aid to the Philippines.

He also insisted that that international law does not bar Chinese aircraft from landing in the Philippines.

“All aircraft, provided that they asked for a permit, are allowed to refuel. I do not know of any prohibitions in the International Law that bars Chinese planes from using airports if they are allowed by the host country,” he said.

A Chinese plane landed in Davao City last Saturday, June 23, to refuel, but officials claimed all local protocols were observed. The landing happened two weeks after a Chinese military aircraft landed in the city.

A party-list lawmaker said Duterte should tell the public if his administration has special arrangements with China regarding the refueling of its aircraft.

“Why do Chinese military aircraft refuel in President Duterte’s hometown in Davao City amid the West Philippine Sea dispute and lack of any military agreement with China?” Anakpawis partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao asked.

According to Casilao, “Davao City is becoming a logistical hub for China.”

He persuaded the people to “actively protest the transforming of the country as Chinese military base in the region” and press Duterte “to disclose his arrangements and concessions with the foreign superpower.” ■

ASPAC SCOUT MEET. Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) National President Wendel E. Avisado (left) announces, during a press conference held at the board room of the BSP national office in Ermita, Manila, that the BSP will host the 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Conference at the Philippine International Convention Center on Oct. 15-20. The regional conference offers scout leaders in the region the opportunity to meet and share expertise in various areas of common interest.

PNA photo by Gil Calinga

DOJ to pursue PDAF scam probe

by EDU

PUNAY Philstar.com

MANILA — Despite tough hurdles, the government will pursue its investigation of the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra vowed.

Guevarra said he has directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to continue the factfinding probe despite difficulties in gathering evidence and after dropping the accused master-

Rule of law prevails in PH amid drug war – Palace

by CATHERINE

S. VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

MALACAÑANG said that rule of law prevails in the Philippines amid the Duterte government’s brutal war against illegal drug trade.

Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. made the statement after 38 member-states of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) urged the Philippine government to “cooperate” in human rights assessments in the country.

In a statement, Roque said the

Philippines does not need calls from other countries to implement laws protecting human rights, as they are already in place.

In a joint statement delivered during the UNHRC’s 38th regular session in Geneva, Switzerland, the council’s 38 member-states were encouraged by the Philippines’ reported willingness to cooperate with the UN to allow an objective assessment of human rights situation in the country.

They, however, said the Philippines should cooperate “without preconditions or limitations.”

“While acknowledging that

drug use in the Philippines is a serious problem, actions to tackle drug abuse must be carried out in full respect of the rule of law and compliance with international human rights obligations,” the UNHRC’s memberstates said.

“We urge the government of the Philippines to take all necessary measures to bring killings associated with the campaign against illegal drugs to an end and cooperate with the international community to investigate all related deaths and hold perpetrators accountable,” they added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has brushed aside local and international criticisms of his anti-drug campaign, telling the police to intensify the fight against drug traffickers.

The Executive branch has a roster that contains the names of slain individuals suspected to be involved in illegal drugs trade, in a bid to check if they were killed during lawful police operations, Roque said.

“We have a list of those who have been reportedly killed in the war on illegal drugs to determine whether the right process is fol-

mind, detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, from the witness protection program (WPP).

“The NBI is having some difficulty because some original documents could not be found anymore for some reason, I was informed. But that should not really be an obstacle because these documents can be reconstructed and could still be retraced somehow,” Guevarra bared in an interview.

“So although it might be more difficult this time around compared to the first batches, that

is not really a problem because there is something that could be done about it,” he added.

As for Napoles, Guevarra said the detained businesswoman could still cooperate with the investigation even without WPP coverage. “Ms. Napoles can give more information with or without protection.”

The justice secretary explained the NBI could even reach out to Napoles in building the new PDAF cases.

“If part of the evidence gathPAGE A6

lowed or not,” he said.

The call came after the United States, a long-standing ally of the Philippines, announced on the same day its withdrawal from the UNHRC. The U.S. accused the body of bias against its ally Israel and a failure to hold human rights abusers accountable.

On Thursday, June 21, Roque said the Philippine government was not following suit.

“The president is very careful never to comment on sovereign decisions, in the same way that he does not want other states commenting on domestic sovereign decisions. So we leave it at that,” he said.

Duterte previously ordered police to snub the probe into the killings, and even slammed UN Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard and the UNHRC High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

As of March 2018, 91,704 antidrug operations have been carried out in the country since President Duterte rose to power in July 2016, data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) showed.

Out of the total 2,467 drug-related homicide incidents recorded, only 715 cases had been solved while 1,752 are still under investigation, according to PDEA. ■

A

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Batongbacal: Philippines being caught up in US-China competition

by Patricia

Lourdes Philstar.com

REWARD FOR INFORMANTS. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino hands over the P2 million cash reward to informant “Ador” in a ceremony at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 26. The move is in line with the program known as “Operation: Private Eye,” a reward and incentive scheme designed to encourage private citizens to report any suspected illegal PNA photo by Joey O. Razon drug activities in their community.

PET fines Marcos, Robredo P50K for public remarks on electoral case MANILA — The Presidential Electoral Tribunal has slapped Vice President Leni Robredo and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with fines of P50,000 each for making public comments on an ongoing electoral protest.

The Supreme Court Public Information Office said on its social media account that the tribunal has penalized both camps for violating the sub judice rule.

The sub judice rule prohibits parties from discussing a pending case.

The tribunal, in five-page resolution dated April 10, ordered the camps of Robredo and Marcos to explain why they should not be cited in contempt for violating its warnings on making public statements on the recount.

The PET reminded the two parties that they had earlier been ordered to “strictly observe” the sub judice rule in a resolution dated February 13. The directive was reiterated in another resolution on March 20.

Robredo, through her legal counsel Romulo Macalintal, filed their compliance on the show cause order on April. They maintained that her camp has not “given sensitive information” to the public on the ongoing vote recount.

The vice president’s camp also

Viray

MANILA — As China continues to challenge the United States for dominance in the region, the Philippines would be caught in between the two major powers, a maritime expert said.

The Philippine government had once mentioned that the South China Sea dispute is an issue between China and the U.S. Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime and Law of the Sea, warned that the Philippines would become collateral damage as China seeks maritime dominance in the region.

“When it comes to the U.S.China competition, the Philippines is also becoming a collateral damage because once that competition intensifies, the Philippines is right in the middle,” Batongbacal said in a roundtable discussion in Pasig City on Monday, June 25.

Amid being in the way of Washington and Beijing, Manila should instead focus on non-traditional security threats, the maritime law expert said.

“We need to carefully look at developments such as what’s happening in the South China

Sea in what I’ve mentioned as the joint development or exclusive club,” Batongbacal said.

He warned, however, that joint development between the Philippines and China would lead to regional exclusivity leaning towards Beijing.

He noted that China is already the leading trading partner of most countries in the region.

“China’s expansion in search for maritime dominance in the region is also manifesting to break through the so-called first island chain and it’s becoming quite successful at it,” Batongbacal said.

Coordinated policies Batongbacal, who was also part of the country’s legal team in the arbitration against China, suggested that the Philippines and China continue discussions on how to coordinate policies that would assure equal access to development and business opportunities in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. He warned that the Philippine economy is in danger of being dominated by China, which is emerging as the biggest economic power in the region.

“The potential area for cooperation would be in the maritime industries, the Philippines as an archipelagic country we

always need to develop its maritime industries and Australia have some pontentials in this regard,” he said.

Australia, a U.S. ally, is among the countries that have been challenging China’s dominance in the South China Sea. A few months ago, the Chinese Navy and the Royal Australian Navy had a confrontation in the disputed waterway.

China’s navy reportedly challenged Australian warships passing through the South China Sea. An Australian Defense official said that the exchanges between the Australian warships and the Chinese navy were polite but “robust.”

In the recently concluded Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, Australian Minister of Defense Marise Payne called on all countries to clarify and resolve their territorial claims in the contested waters.

“Changes to the rules-based order must evolve through open discussion and be agreed as broadly as possible, if those changes are to support the continuation of development and growth. Adopting a ‘mightis-right’ approach is contrary to the interests of all nations,” Payne said in a speech in the regional security and defense forum. n

DOJ to pursue PDAF scam...

PAGE A5 t Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice Pres. Leni Robredo Philstar.com photos

argued that they were merely “correcting” misinformation spread

by Marcos’ camp, citing the former senator’s statement that there were wet ballots and missing audit logs discovered on April 2, the first day of the recount.

Marcos: Observations, not prejudgments Marcos, for his part, said in his compliance that he was merely making “observations” and not “prejudgments” on the case.

The former senator insisted that his claims of wet ballots and “missing” audit logs reported by media on the first day of the recount were “limited to his personal observation of what transpired during the revision.”

“To be sure, the legal counsels

of the protestant repeatedly requested that the Adhoc Revision Committee of this Honorable Tribunal to issue media advisories in connection with the ongoing proceedings so that they will not be forced to grant any interview in order to clarify the developments in this election protest,” he added.

Marcos, son of the late dictator and his namesake, accused Robredo for committing electoral fraud to win the vice presidency in the 2016 national elections.

Recount on his poll protest started on April 2, and is currently ongoing at the Supreme Court compound in Manila. (Kristine Joy Patag with Edu Punay/Philstar.com)

ered would involve voluntary information from Miss Napoles, then so be it. I will leave it to the NBI to find out if it would be necessary to go out of their way to talk to Napoles. We do not want to leave any stone unturned. So for whatever it is worth, we’ll do so,” he added.

Asked if Napoles could be considered a state witness, Guevarra pointed out that only the ombudsman could address such question.

“Considering her as a state witness belongs to the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman because cases for violations of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act will eventually be filed with the Sandiganbayan, so the prosecutor there is not the Department of Justice (DOJ) but the Ombudsman, the special prosecutor,” he

explained.

Guevarra reiterated that he had to drop Napoles from WPP coverage because she does not need protection.

“We cannot do that. We cannot move her to a safe house even if she wanted to because the courts already have control over the case and over her person,” he added.

The DOJ, under former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, placed Napoles under WPP coverage. But she remained in detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig and was not transferred to the custody of the WPP. Under Republic Act 6981 or the Witness Protection Act, before a person is admitted into the WPP, he or she shall execute a sworn statement describing in detail the manner in which the offense was committed and his or her partici-

pation therein.

If after examination of the person, his or her sworn statement and other relevant facts, the DOJ is satisfied that the requirements of the law and its implementing rules are met, then the applicant can be admitted into the WPP for full coverage with several financial benefits.

Among the requirements of the law for a WPP applicant to qualify as state witness is that he or she must not be the most guilty of the alleged crime committed.

Napoles reportedly submitted an affidavit implicating several lawmakers and former executive officials, including former budget secretary Florencio Abad.

She supposedly tagged Abad as her “mentor” or the “instigator” of the scheme.

The DOJ, however, did not release her affidavit due to confidentiality under RA 6981. n

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Business news

DOF, columnist spar over Philippine economy’s health by ian

nicolas ciGaral

The Japanese government has expressed its intent to provide about ¥42.47 billion (P20.6 billion) worth of funding support for two of the Duterte administration’s infrastructure projects, the Department of Finance (DOF) said over the weekend.

In a statement, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said Tokyo has committed an indicative loan amount of ¥38.1 billion for the Manila Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 Rehabilitation Project and another supplemental loan amounting to ¥4.37 billion for the second phase of the New Bohol Airport Construction and Sustainable environmental Protection Project. he said Japan gave these commitments during the fifth meeting of the Philippines-Japan Joint Committee on Infrastructure Development and economic Cooperation held in Tokyo last week.

Aside from these two projects, Dominguez said the committee also confirmed the updated candidate list of projects to which Japan will provide assistance.

These include the Philippine National Railways (PNR) North 2 Project, which will run from Malolos in Bulacan to Clark in Pampanga, and the PNR South Commuter Line, which will extend from Tutuban in Manila to Calamba in Laguna.

“We are targeting to sign the exchange of Notes for both projects in November 2018. We will also exert efforts to achieve the challenging goal of making the North rail section partially operational by 2022,“ Dominguez said.

For these railway projects to be implemented, the finance chief said both sides agreed to continue the trilateral consultations regarding the co-financing arrangement between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

for the PNR North 2 project and the PNR South Commuter Line.

“Both sides will continue to have consultations at the technical working level to accelerate implementation and address challenges for the railway projects,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said Tokyo has also confirmed its support for the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project, which aims to mitigate flooding in Metro Manila, and the Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao.

After the meeting, the Japanese and Philippine governments signed a Letter of Intent for the Technical Cooperation on the Action Plan on electric Power, which aims to help resolve issues plaguing the Philippine power sector.

An Amended Joint Venture Agreement between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Surbana Jurong Group, which restates their commitment to develop the New Clark City in Pampanga, was also signed after the meeting.

According to Dominguez, officials of both countries likewise reaffirmed their commitment toward the partial operability of the first phase of the Metro Manila Subway Project by May 2022.

Dominguez said Manila has also asked for Tokyo’s support through

a concessional financing package for the Road Network Development Project in Conflict Areas in Mindanao, which include Marawi City.

The DOF chief said the two governments agreed to further explore possible urban development projects in the cities of Cebu and Davao, and discussed developments in regional development, information and communications technology, energy, agriculture, environment, public safety, and disaster prevention.

During the meeting, the Philippine side shared the progress it has made to help speed up the implementation of its projects.

Dominguez cited the establishment of the Project Facilitation, Monitoring and Innovation (PFMI) Task Force, the adoption of measures to address right-of-way and resettlement issues, and the provision of budget to cover the counterpart funding requirements of the projects.

The finance chief also expressed the Philippine government’s appreciation for the efforts of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to streamline its approval process, and hoped that the same approach would be applied to the processing of other projects in the pipeline.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, for his part, expressed hope the latest meeting would lead to more “fruitful and constructive discussions towards fast and secure implementation of the projects.”

“This joint committee has been (convening) for the important plan in developing multi-layer bilateral cooperation since we discussed cooperation in various areas such as traffic and transport infrastructure problems, the Metro Manila Subway project, peace and development in Mindanao, safety and counter terrorism measures and information and technology,” Suga said.

try, especially in its move towards industrialization.

“The long awaited basic industry will put a stop on our importation of steel and hasten our PEZA director general Charito Plaza said a proposed steel manufacturing project could generate country’s industrialization,” she 120,000 jobs should it push through.

Philstar.com photo said.

Panhua was incorporated in 300 hectares in Mindanao,” she Plaza said the project is a wel- 2004 with registered capital of said. come development for the coun- $127 million. The company has

a number of steel mills in China since 2006, has been exporting steel coils to more than 50 countries directly.

Aside from steel manufacturing, Panhua has subsidiaries in other business divisions such as real estate, shipping terminals, metal mines and commercial banks.

Plaza is currently visiting China and inspecting Panhua’s facilities there.

PeZA has been actively inviting foreign investors to put up a new integrated steel mill in the country while also brokering for the possible revival of the mothballed assets of National Steel Corp. in Mindanao.

Grace Philstar.com

People have blamed soaring prices on the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, which lowers personal income taxes while raising excise levies on fuel and “sin” products, among others. Supply-side factors like higher global oil prices—worsened by the continuing depreciation of the peso—are also pushing up commodity prices.

Philstar.com photo

DOF said.

“The Philippine tax reform is certainly not ‘populist’ and not ‘erratic’ but it is necessary to fund that ambitious infrastructure program which is necessary to enhance the competitiveness of the economy,” it added.

People have blamed soaring prices on the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, which lowers personal income taxes while raising excise levies on fuel and “sin” products, among others. Supplyside factors like higher global oil prices—worsened by the continuing depreciation of the peso—are also pushing up commodity prices.

Meanwhile, the government expects to bag rating upgrades soon due to the implementation of the TRAIN law, which debt watcher S&P dubbed as the “cornerstone”

of the Philippines’ fiscal strategy.

In a Facebook post, heydarian maintained that editors at Nikkei Asian Review “fact check every single point and data I present in my columns.” he also slammed a “senior technocrat” for “spreading his ‘rebuttal’ to my column... via propagandists and troll armies.”

“I have been in conversations with senior economists around the country, and it appears many share my concerns in the article.

I hope this kind of attitude will no longer be adopted by our technocrats and economic managers,” heydarian said.

“Let’s not make this a kitsch propaganda affair. I’m open to dialogue, as always, and any public discussion or panel talk on this issue. Let’s make the Philippines great together,” he added.

China steel firm investing $3 billion in Philippines by richMond

Mercurio Philstar.com

ChINeSe steel manufacturer Panhua Group Co. Ltd. plans to invest up to $3 billion to develop an integrated steel industry in the country, the Philippine economic Zone Authority (PeZA) said.

PeZA director general Charito Plaza said the proposed project could generate 120,000 jobs should it push through.

Panhua intends to put up the project in Mindanao, which will require some 300 hectares of land, she said.

“PeZA will soon register an application for an integrated steel manufacturing industry in Mindanao. We are still looking for the

A

Japan commits P20.6-B loan for PH infra

by Mary

Philstar.com

The Department of Finance on Tuesday, June 26, slammed academic and author Richard heydarian for his comments on the Philippine economy, which he said was suffering from a “fallout.”

In a June 21 opinion piece titled “More Duterte fallout on the Philippine economy” published on Nikkei Asian Review, heydarian said the Philippine economy is “beginning to display vulnerabilities” under President Rodrigo Duterte, citing above-target inflation, peso weakness and a wide current account deficit. heydarian also said Duterte’s economic managers “grapple with erratic and populist policies.”

In an economic bulletin, the DOF said heydarian went “overboard,” adding that his comments on the double-digit decline in new investment pledges in the first half of 2017, supposed delayed rate hike by the central bank and “historically weak peso” were “erroneous and not backed up by accurate statistics.”

The Finance department also defended the Duterte administration’s tax reform program, saying the law is not a “populist” policy.

“The ‘fallout’ that heydarian is imagining is debunked by the rapid growth of the economy—6.7 percent in 2017 and 6.8 percent in the first quarter of 2018. If heydarian is looking for ‘erratic and populist policies,’ his eyes are perhaps turned to the wrong country,” the

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • JUNe 29-JULy 5, 2018

Padin

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez Philstar.com photo

A8

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OPINION

FEATURES

Preventing abuse

FOR going shirtless outside his house in Novaliches, Quezon City, Genesis Argoncillo is dead. The 25-year-old was among the first persons to be rounded up on June 15 in the ongoing campaign targeting istambays – loiterers or idlers in the streets – and tossed into jails already overwhelmed by detainees in the war on drugs.

Worse than the overcrowding, however, was what Argoncillo’s relatives described as bullying by his fellow inmates who belonged to gangs. The relatives said Argoncillo was forced to fork out money so gangmen would stop bothering him.

Argoncillo was beaten to death on the night of June 18 and died the next day. The police initially claimed Argoncillo had died after suffering from shortness of breath.

As the Commission on Human Rights launched a probe, the Philippine National Police sacked the commander of Station 4 in Novaliches, Superintendent Carlito Grijaldo, police jailer Dennis Santos as well as three other cops who were on duty during the beating: Senior Police Officer 3 Ronald Nanola, SPO4 Valerio Perez and Inspector Oliver dela Cruz. At the same time, two members of the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik gang

have been charged for the killing.

Police have been rounding up vagrants for several decades, to keep children and beggars off the streets, apprehend sex workers and their pimps, and generally help prevent criminality. Vagrancy, however, has been decriminalized. And the mass enforcement of city ordinances related to loitering, implemented arbitrarily without clear guidelines on how to go about it, is highly prone to abuse.

While the filing of charges against the gang members and sacking of the police officers on duty are welcome developments, authorities must review the conduct of this anti-crime measure. Or else there could be more Genesis Argoncillos. And this campaign can erode public trust in the police and backfire in preventing crime. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Drug-test officials before school kids

Postscript

FEDERICO D. PASCUAL JR. BEFORE subjecting grade school children to drug tests, the government better conduct first mandatory drug screening of ranking officials in all branches – from Malacañang, the judiciary, the Congress, the military and the police, etc., down to the mayor.

Elective and appointive officials should lead by example instead of looking down and proposing that school children from Grade 4 and above pass the tests as proof that they are not into narcotics. If youngsters could be suspected of drug abuse, why not their elders?

It was a good thing Education Secretary Leonor Briones argued against the planned mandatory drug testing of students and suggested that any screening be random. She said tests should hew to existing laws,

Philstar.com photo

including the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The original plan of mandatory testing at P200 per student would have cost the government reportedly around P2.8 billion, an amount that could be put to better use under a wellthought-out priority plan.

Based on its own computation, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said the mandatory drug testing for about 20 million students and over 700,000 teachers nationwide would cost the government as much as P4 billion.

The DepEd already initiated last year discreet drug-testing of some 1,300 officials and personnel at its central office, 3,800 in the regions, 26,000 in the divisions, as well as 10,000 teachers and 21,000 high school students, to determine the effectiveness of prevention programs.

The drug-testing of all ranking officials now being suggested by some sectors before that of young students could

be conducted by a composite group led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency under the supervision of the Office of the President.

Drug-free officials should have no fear of a testing that is as transparent as a Red Cross blood donation. If some officials demur for legal, medical, religious or whatever reason, the public can make their own conclusion.

As a preliminary feeling out, private media could possibly help gauge the attitude of affected officials by asking them individually a Yes-or-No question if they are willing to undergo a drug test. Reporters can insert that one quick question in their interviews.

The responses can then be collated, tallied and published for the record – a la survey results – as they come in. The officials may choose to explain, but what counts is their Yes or No answer.

Those who should be asked if they are willing to take a drug

test must include the President, the vice president, Cabinet members, SC/CA justices, RTC judges, senators, congressmen, governors, mayors, AFP/PNP generals/colonels, officers and board members of governmentcontrolled firms, the Bilibid prisons director, jail wardens, and PDEA officers.

Priests should not arm themselves Priests who have applied for, or have obtained, licenses to possess and permits to carry firearms should reconsider.

Their superiors should order them to return quickly the licenses and properly dispose of the deadly weapons.

Those who fear for their lives in these violent times should be reminded that a gun, which is designed to maim or kill, does not befit a man of God. Pistolpacking priests are the antithesis of their fellows who would embrace martyrdom for their faith.

Christ himself, while being arrested in the garden of

Gethsemane, admonished Peter (when he drew his sword, swung and cut the ear of the servant of the high priest leading the posse) to put away the sword. The weapon was totally unnecessary.

Years of handling firearms and seeing them used in various situations have convinced me that a sidearm will not save a person – be he a priest or a president – from a determined assassin who has the means, the motive and the opportunity to kill.

Senior Supt. William Señoron, chief of the PNP Civil Security Group, reported last week that some priests have either applied for a gun permit or are renewing their licenses. At least 246 requests for licenses from prelates have reportedly been filed.

With everybody arming themselves against unknown or imagined assailants, we would end up with a sort of arms race that nobody wins except those who want precisely to sow fear

and take advantage of the ensuing confusion.

This reflex reaction recalls recent suggestions for the arming of teachers on some U.S. campuses scared by the spate of mass shootings in schools.

Pistol-packing teachers are not the proper response to that type of madness – in the same way that gun-toting padres will not deter paid assassins.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle has asked the faithful to pray for priests and others “whose lives have been taken by persons without conscience.” He also asked for prayers for government officials for them to look after the welfare and safety of the citizens.

The cardinal said: “We pray for all the people in our beloved country – that we may all be courageous in our faith, steadfast in our belief and resolute in the face of evil threats. Lock the lips and restrain the arms of those who shatter peace and foment hatred that lead to violence.” (Philstar.com)

Aquino, Del Rosario and media hid the loss of Panatag to China from the nation our three IT’S a cliché ships to leave for sure, but Commentary the area. The I can’t help Chinese never using it in left the shoal; disgust over that’s how we the episode: lost Panatag “Only in the – forever as it Philippines.”

RIGOBERTO TIGLAO were.

Indeed, where Del Rosario, else could a nation’s loss of its territory be a corporate executive-turnedhidden for so long by its Presi- foreign-affairs-secretary, obvident, with the help of a media ously didn’t do his homework that claims to be independent? on this most crucial foreign-afThe inept Aquino government fairs issue. In 1975, the Vieton June 3, 2012 gave up Pana- namese had fooled our troops tag Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc or who had been holding SouthScarborough Shoal) to the Chi- west Cay (also in the Spratlys) nese, yet managed to keep it since 1968, to leave for a party under wraps, so that the truth in a nearby island that Vietcame out only in trickles over nam occupied. They returned several years. So much so that the next morning to find that many Filipinos, even knowl- the Vietnamese had occupied edgeable ones, are unaware of their island, barring them from that enormous loss, and how it landing on it. The Vietnamese of course never left it and even happened, to this day.

This chapter is also an indict- built fortifications on it.

But in that case, it was lowment of how media, especially the most powerful newspaper ranking soldiers probably at that time, the Philippine Dai- bored out of their wits in a ly Inquirer, betrayed the nation so faraway island, who were by wittingly or unwittingly hid- fooled and lost our territory; ing that loss of Philippine ter- in this case it was our foreign ritory which was the result of secretary.

Left June 3 President Aquino III and his The spokesman of China’s foreign secretary Alberto del foreign ministry Li Weimin isRosario’s bungling.

Chinese and Philippine gov- sued a statement on Sunday, ernment vessels had been on June 4, 2012 : “The remaining a stand-off for seven weeks in Philippine vessel finally left the May and April 2012 in Panatag lagoon on June 3.” The spokesShoal, with each party’s ves- man even arrogantly warned sels refusing to move. On June the Philippines: “China does 3 though, del Rosario without not hope to see any more proAquino’s permission, ordered vocative behavior that hurts China’s interest,” referring to

what it called “Huangyan incident” when starting “April 10, Philippine warships* harassed Chinese fishermen.”

It was Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who disclosed that del Rosario had ordered the Philippine vessels to leave. Either del Rosario was so gullible that he believed then U.S. Ambassador Harry Thomas’ communication to him that the U.S. got China to agree to a simultaneous withdrawal of both countries’ ships. Or, as Trillanes alleged, del Rosario simply wanted the rift between China and the Philippines to worsen.

The senator explained that he was still working out with the Chinese details of the simultaneous withdrawal when he was told, to his shock, that the Filipino vessels had already left.

Del Rosario would later claim that the Chinese reneged on its agreement for a simultaneous withdrawal, although even the US has not confirmed that China had agreed to withdraw. He kept on referring to a stand-off over Panatag, never saying that the Chinese control it after our vessels were ordered out.

Banner story The Philippine Daily Inquirer had a banner story on June 16, two weeks after China took control of the shoal after del Rosario ordered our vessels out: “PH ships leave Panatag.”

The banner story’s drophead read: “ ‘Butchoy’ forces end to stand-off with China,” refer-

ring to a typhoon with international code name “Guchol.”

The article quoted del Rosario: “Citing bad weather, President Aquino has ordered home two Philippine ships engaged in a standoff with China over Scarborough Shoal.”

That was a total fabrication.

Typhoon “Butchoy” never even entered the Philippine mainland, and moved on the opposite side of Luzon. And even if it had battered Panatag, its lagoon had been for centuries a refuge for even small fishing vessels to shield themselves from the roughest seas. It was a lie disseminated by almost all print and broadcast media on June 16: GMA News Online: ”Aquino orders pullout of PHL ships from Panatag Shoal due to bad weather”; Rappler.com: “PH pulls out ships from Scarborough due to bad weather”; Philstar: “President Aquino ordered two Philippine ships to pull out of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal due to bad weather Friday night.”

ABS-CBN News’ report though was a bigger fabrication: “China pulls out boats from Scarborough.” The lede paragraph read: “Following a similar move by the Philippines, China pulled out its fishing boats from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal last Sunday due to ‘inclement’ weather.”

Chinese vessels of course had remained in the shoal in the lagoon, and leaving only when

replacements arrive.

The much bigger smokescreen that Aquino and del Rosario employed to conceal their culpability for the loss of Panatag was the case it filed against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration for violating the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Even as the PCA’s “award” cannot be enforced – and didn’t rule on who owns Panatag as well as other disputed areas in the Spratlys – the case had portrayed Aquino and del Rosario as boldly fighting for Philippine territory, thus concealing that they lost Philippine territory because of their ineptness.

Trillanes disclosure To be honest, I myself for two years had been fooled that we hadn’t lost Panatag and that we were still struggling with China over it, although I had written a column during the stand-off explaining that it was Aquino who triggered the crisis when he sent our biggest warship in the area (“Scarborough fail: How Aquino blew it,” May 4, 2012), It is ironic that it was in an interview in November 2014 with Trillanes, in which he alleged del Rosario’s culpability for the loss which he claimed was deliberate, that I realized that our government stupidly lost Panatag to the Chinese.

To this day, it has been only specialized articles on the South China Sea by foreigners that we are told unequivocally

that the Aquino administration lost Panatag in 2012. A recent one was an article in a book (Examining the South China Sea Disputes: Papers from the Fifth Annual CSIS South China Sea Conference) which narrated: “In the Scarborough Shoal incident of 2012, China’s Fisheries Law Enforcement Command (FLEC) prevented the arrest of Chinese fishers by a Philippine coast guard cutter … The FLEC ships moved between the Philippine cutter and the fishing ships, beginning a standoff that ended when Manila withdrew its cutter and other vessels, and China occupied Scarborough Shoal.”

A report of the Center for Naval Analyses, a think-tank for the U.S. military, explained the implications of such occupation: “China resolved the sovereignty dispute with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal in 2012 when it established control over the shoal. Again, it is unlikely to relinquish it.

The government of the Philippines is in no position to even begin to contemplate the use of force to recover Scarborough, and the United States is not going to become involved in any attempt to expel the Chinese.”

On Wednesday: Aquino and del Rosario begged U.S. to intervene in the Panatag standoff, and were rudely rebuffed.

(ManilaTimes.net)

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

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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018

A story about family, oppression and discrimination EJ R. David’s “We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet: Letters to my Filipino-Athabascan Family” brings more light to racism in America

by Malou liwanag-Bledsoe / aJPress IT is a fact that racism has existed (and is still existing) for as long as we can all remember. Especially with the current administration and the crackdown on immigration, the discrimination of minorities in the United States continues to plague communities. As an immigrant to this country at the age of 37, I personally have experienced discrimination a couple of times because I am not white.

Dr. EJ R. David’s “We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet: Letters to my FilipinoAthabascan Family” touches on the subject of racism and discrimination in a very personal way. The book, which was released earlier this year, consists of David’s letters to his family. Born and raised in the Philippines, David moved to Barrow (Utkiagvik), Alaska when he was 14 years old. He wrote the book after his best friend, Pamiuq, who is Inupiaq and was only 36 years old that time, was shot and killed by the police in their hometown in 2016. Pamiuq left behind a wife and three young children, prompting David to reflect on his own death and how to prepare his family for it.

David, who is also currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Alaska, Anchorage and obtained his doctoral degree in Clinical Community Psychology from the University of Illinois. He lives in Anchorage with his Koyukon Athabascan wife and their three Filibascan children — sons Malakas and Kaluguran, and daughter

Kalayaan. He is sharing these letters to the world now so we can understand the impact of the continued discrimination of people of color, as well the subject of Filipino identity and colonial mentality.

Asian Journal had set up an e-mail interview with David (Editor’s note: Interview has been edited for length and clarity).

AJ: With the death of your best friend Pamiuq, and how you are treated and view because of race and skin color, do you feel that America — which supposedly presented itself to the world as the land of the free, has in fact, reneged on its promises to treat its people, especially its citizens, with equality?

David: I bought into that lie. But my own experiences in America – plus my growing understanding of how the U.S. has treated different kinds of Peoples throughout its history – allowed me to see through that lie.

I think America has only been the “Land of the Free” for some people – white, Christian people mostly. But for peoples of color, for indigenous peoples, for non-Christians, and for immigrants – America has never been truly the “Land of the Free.” For the indigenous peoples of these lands, for the black folks who were enslaved – this has never been the “Land of the Free.”

And as a Filipino person, I learned so much from the hard work of our Native American and black relatives and saw so many connections between

their experiences and the Filipino experience. And I think that’s one of the more important points I want to make in this book: Filipinos need to see our connections with native peoples, with black folks, and with other oppressed groups so that we can work in solidarity and in harmony with each other to break down the oppressive systems that have been keeping us down – even killing us – for generations.

AJ: What is/are the message/s you want to convey with this book?

David: There’s so much in this book. But here are three general messages: A. We as Filipinos need to see how our experiences and struggles are similar to other oppressed groups like Native Americans, African Americans, and Latina/o Americans.

Through this, then I think we will see how we are in the intersections of colonialism, immigration, and racism – issues that have been perpetually important globally. In turn, we can then be a part of the national and global conversations on these issues – better informing how to think through them and maybe help come up with better solutions for them. Filipinos have plenty to offer when it comes to colonialism, racism, and immigration, so we need to be part of the conversations.

B. We need to talk to each other – especially with our families including our children – about racism, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression. Anti-oppression work and social justice knowledge needs to become as important, normative, foundational, and valued in our families and communities as reading, writing, and math.

C. Third, whenever I talk

about the effects of historical (e.g., colonialism) and modern day oppression, people always say something like “you paint people as victims who have no control over their lives.”

So it needs to be clarified that I never have doubted peoples’ resilience and ability to control their lives; it is colonialism and oppression that does this! Colonialism and oppression inferiorizes people! Colonialism and oppression regards people as incapable! Nevertheless, historically oppressed peoples have continued to survive despite systematic oppression! People – our people – have proven our resiliency over and over again, for generations. So resiliency is not the issue; oppression is. We don’t need to keep proving how resilient we are; we need the world to stop oppressing us.

AJ: What is your message to the Fil-Am community?

David: In addition to the three general messages I mentioned earlier, for the Fil-Am community I want to highlight five things (which are the five overarching themes of the first 5 letters in the book): • Kamalayan – Let’s work toward developing a critical understanding of our history and modern day realities.

• Kapwa – Let’s see our connections with other Filipinos and other oppressed peoples, and know that we are not alone in our struggles.

• Lakas – Let’s strongly and bravely resist the various forms of oppression that we and our kapwa taoare subjected to.

• Kalayaan – Let’s free ourselves and not limit ourselves to the status quo, the standard operating procedures, the norms, the boundaries, and the stereotypes that this society imposes on us.

• Kaluguran – And as we strive toward all of these things,

Photos courtesy of Dr. EJ R. David

let’s always be driven by love.

It’s ok to feel angry, devastated, depressed, even vengeful sometimes – those are all normal, appropriate, legitimate, and valid emotions to feel. But we need to work through them and not have our lives be driven by them.

“We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet: Letters to my Filipino-Athabascan Family” is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers, as well in e-book format. Please ask your bookstores if they can order you a copy. * Dr. EJ R. David was the 2007 recipient of the American Psychological Association (APA) Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (Division 45) Distinguished Student Research Award “for his significant contribution in psychological research related to ethnic minority populations.”

In 2012, due to the impact of his work in only five years since obtaining his Ph.D., Dr. David was honored by the APA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) with the Early Career Award in Research for Distinguished Contributions to the Field of Racial and Ethnic Minority Psychology, citing his “outstanding scientific contributions and the application of this knowledge toward the improved mental and physical well-being of people of color.”

In 2013, he was also chosen to receive the Asian American Psychological Association Early Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research. In 2014, he was honored by the Alaska Psychological Association with the “Cultural Humanitarian Award for Exemplary Service and Dedication to Diversity, and in 2015 he was inducted as a Fellow by the Asian American Psychological Association for “Unusual and Outstanding Contributions to Asian American Psychology.”

Bruno Mars named best male How Pia & Marlon take care of their relationship R&B/pop artist of the year by nathalie

toMada Philstar.com

by deni

rose Bernardo Philstar.com

HOLLYWOOD — Despite being accused of “cultural appropriation” or “taking things from a culture” allegedly not of his own, American singer with Filipino roots Bruno Mars has been honored by African Americans’ annual BET Awards by naming him “Best male R&B/ pop artist” this year.

Mars has also been nominated for Best Collaboration and Video of the Year for “Finesse.”

Last year, Mars opened the awards performing “Perm” with his seven-piece Hooligans squad.

Established in 2001 by Black Entertainment Television, the annual BET Awards aims to celebrate African Americans and other American minorities in the fields of sports, music, acting, and entertainment.

Last March, following Mars’s grand-slam win at the 2018 Grammys, the American singersongwriter received criticism on social media for allegedly using traditionally and historically African-American genres like soul, funk, R&B, hip-hop and reggae, although he is not really an African-American.

Mars’s mother was Filipina immigrant Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, while his father is Jewish-Puerto Rican Peter Hernandez.

Bruno Mars

“Bruno Mars 100% is a cultural appropriator. He is not black, at all, and he plays up his racial ambiguity to cross genres,” said Seren Sensei, a writer and activist who tackles African-American issues in the web series “The Grapevine.”

“What Bruno Mars does, is he takes pre-existing work and he just completely, word-forword recreates it, extrapolates it… He does not create it, he does not improve upon it, he does not make it better. He’s a karaoke singer, he’s a wedding singer, he’s the person you hire to do Michael Jackson and Prince covers. Yet Bruno Mars has an Album of the Year

PIA Wurtzbach and Marlon Stockinger have achieved a “milestone” in their one-yearand-a-half relationship by doing their first brand endorsement as a couple.

Having projects together might be a tricky thing to do, especially in the time of social media, when eagle-eyed followers take note of every comment or emoticon, new or deleted photo, follow or unfollow to decode signs of bliss or trouble in paradise. You can’t blame other celebrities if they want their personal lives totally separate from their public or professional lives.

But for Pia, 28, and Marlon, 27, they’re happy to have hit a level wherein they can work Photo from INstagram/@brunomars together. The former Miss Universe and the international Grammy and Prince never won car racer were presented to the an Album of the Year Grammy,” media last week as the new endorsers of a spa salon, wherein Sensei has been quoted by they talked about how they CNN as saying further. keep themselves fit (they are African American artists, competitive with each other, nonetheless, came to Mars’s keeping tabs of who spends defense. more time and effort at the Mars, according to R&B gym) and de-stress. singer Charlie Wilson, helps “I think it’s just great that “bring back that classic New Pia and I have been able to Jack / R&B sound to the keep a consistent relationship masses when it was left for and keep it in a sense that we dead years ago and hard for can already work together, like artists to get that sound back we are doing this endorseon mainstream radar.” ment. This is really fun,” Marlon Wilson is among the singtold The Star. “It’s a nice thing ers Mars has been alleged of to be able to do your job and copying. be in a relationship. Mixing the “Keep making that funky Continued on Page 3 two together is really nice... I’m

Marlon Stockinger and Pia Wurtzbach

just happy that we’ve reached this point, that we can work together.”

“When they asked us to be endorsers, they asked both of us,” said Pia, who happens to share the same management with Marlon under Mercator.

“We’re really happy that they were interested in getting us a couple because they do have couple services here so tamang- tama.”

Marlon added, “We did projects before together (but not commercials or endorsements). It’s just that, you know, a part of (the relationship) you want to keep private then some parts public, and this synergy was just the perfect fit. And it’s really about our lifestyles, how we like to work hard but also take care of ourselves. With Pia’s busy schedule, with my busy schedule, it

Photo from Instagram/@marlonstockinger

was really fantastic to fit it all in.”

Off-cam and away from the media glare, what’s their relationship like? Pia shared, “We laughed a lot, we have a lot of fun, palagi kami nagbibiruan. We don’t show everything on social media.

We just feel like, you know, it doesn’t have to be in front of the camera all the time. I really appreciate those moments, especially when it’s with family.”

“I think it’s knowing what to share with other people, and what to keep in private,” she added.

According to Pia, they started dating “right before I passed on the crown so he was there when I was Miss Universe passing the crown until now. I’m really grateful he’s so understanding, he’s so Continued on Page 6

entertainment SF3

Andi Eigenmann no longer out for lead roles

by MJ

Marfori

ManilaTimes.net

AFTeR more than a year away from the limelight, Andi eigenmann finally appeared at a media conference last week.

Back to work, she was promoting her comeback movie, “The Maid in London,” where she plays an undocumented overseas Filipino worker (OFW).

The beautiful offspring of the talented eigenmann clan of showbiz—with no less than brilliant actress Jaclyn Jose for a mom—Andi’s last project was “Camp Sawi” back in 2016.

It was then she realized she wanted to ditch all the glitz and glamour.

“But I didn’t quit,” she clarified. “Sobrang confusing lang kasi, I did an interview in a TV show [on CNN Philippines]and they asked me what I’d want to be able to do if I had another chance— like to ‘do me’—and I said, ‘I wanted to quit and get out of the showbiz life,’ but it didn’t necessarily mean I wanted to quit the life of an actor.”

What she wanted to be rid of was the intrusion into one’s personal life that comes with fame. She was really affected by it, explaining, “I was young when I entered showbiz and I actually felt lost. Kasi being in showbiz, yung buhay mo kailangan pa mapag-usapan, or maliit na galaw mo lang or ganyan… But laging may kasalanan ako or

Believe it or not, the actress is even building a house on the island herself, with the help of her neighbors.

And since moving there, Andi’s been living with four surfer kids she calls her “ampons” and who she plans to guide in life.

“I have four kids who are dear to me. They stay with me and I make them libre. They’re amazing young surfers. Gusto ko sila mag-aral muna and I want to be the one to take the initiative to guide them.”

When asked why she went for such a drastic lifestyle change, Andi replied, “[The way Andi Eigenmann ManilaTimes.net photo I lived before] was one of the reasons na nag-contribute sa something… and hindi ko pala pagiging toxic ng buhay ko.” kaya.”

Andi is teaching her daughShe told The Times that ter ellie the same thing and she had to give herself the thanks to her rekindled partneropportunity to feel happy over ship with baby’s daddy Jake ejerthe last summer. She started cito, everything’s been smooth by throwing away all the things that she became so attached to, sailing.

“We’ve been through so exclaiming, “I sold everything! much when we were young.

I sold all that I felt was an idea We’re definitely past that fightof luxury! I don’t own cars, I ing stage and now we have a don’t own designer clothes at great partnership when it comes lahat ng mga pang-artistang yan. Makeup, lahat yan wala na! to ellie. Our daughter is lucky Kahit mga kasama sa bahay yaya she’s experiencing the best of both worlds.” at driver wala na.”

With Andi’s new outlook, She also moved to Baler, Aushe hopes to attract similar roles rora and fulfilled her childhood minus the drama. dream to live as a free surfer.

“In short, ayoko na po mag“Dito ako nababagay; dito ko ing bida!” she laughed out loud. gusto. And I want my daughter to grow up in a place like Baler,” “Sa madaling salita! Game naman ako magtrabaho. Pero pag Andi stated. “I’ve also grown so bida ikaw na kasi lahat.” close to the people.”

Bruno Mars named best male...

From Page SF2 ish, @BrunoMars!!!! Do you always love,” tweeted Grammynominated rapper Rapsody.

Meanwhile, “Black Lives Matter” activist and writer Shaun King tweeted: “I just want to be practical here. Are people saying that Bruno Mars shouldn’t sing? Or that when he sings he needs to somehow whiten that s--- up and sound more like Rod Stewart… I’m dead serious. What type of music is this man ‘allowed’ to do?”

Mars, in a February 2017 interview with Latina magazine, said that his music is a tribute to the African Americans who

inspired him to become an artist.

“When you say ‘black music,’ understand that you are talking about rock, jazz, R&B, reggae, funk, doo-wop, hip-hop and Motown… Black people created it all,” he enthused.

“Being Puerto Rican, even salsa music stems back to the Motherland (Africa). So, in my world, black music means everything. It’s what gives America its swag.”

As a child raised in the ‘90s, he said he cannot help but be influenced by R&B artists like Boyz II Men, Dr. Dre, Diddy,

Aaliyah, Babyface, Whitney Houston, and TLC, to pop stars like Michael Jackson.

In 2015, to prevent ticket reselling that happened during the week of Mars’s Super Bowl halftime show, Hawaii passed the “Bruno Mars Act.” At the Grammys 2018, Mars became the second musician to win Song and Record of the Year awards with two varying songs from the same album, “24K Magic.”

As of 2018, ed Sheeran and Mars are reportedly the world’s only artists with two songs at the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 for at least half a year.

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – June 29, 2018

Your Immigration Solution AmAndA C. Kwong And nAnCy miller BeING placed into Immigration Court Removal Proceedings begins with the issuance and service of a Notice to Appear, also referred to as an NTA. The law requires that the NTA state the time and place of the first hearing in court.

In the interest of expediency, however, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued many NTAs stating that the date and place of that first hearing will be provided at a later time.

On June 21, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) issued a decision, Pereira v. Sessions, that held that NTAs without a notice of time and place do not comply with law and are not valid. This is important because when a properly written NTA is properly served on the non-citizen, the time that the person is considered to be in the United States stops.

This is known as the “stop-time rule”. This stop-time rule may prevent someone from being eligible for certain types of relief, including cancellation of removal for certain non-permanent residents (COR). But, if the NTA was not valid, the non-citizen can ask the court to terminate the case. If DHS issues a new NTA, the non-citizen will, obviously, have more physical presence at that time and may qualify for additional relief.

In reaching this decision, the SCOTUS looked to the language of the relevant statute and found that the text itself was unambiguous. Under the stop-time rule, any period of continuous physical presence is deemed to end when the noncitizen is served with the NTA under a section of law that details the information that the NTA should contain.

Supreme Court says some NTAs may be invalid

The SCOTUS determined that the information required in the NTA should at the very least specify the time and place of the removal hearing.

The Court also stated that the Notice to Appear consists of “three words…mean that, at a minimum, the Government has to provide noncitizens “notice” of the information, i.e., the ‘time’ and ‘place’ that would enable them ‘to appear’ at the removal hearing in the first place.” So, this decision means that many noncitizens who did not previously qualify for COR, may now be eligible for relief before an immigration judge based on this clarification of the requirements of a valid NTA and its impact on the stop-time rule. Countless others may be able to reopen their cases after having been ordered removed.

Other rules regarding continuous residence still apply. Where there is question as to whether a Respondent has met the 10-year requirement, there is a substantial evidence test based on the amount and type of evidence of residency provided. A parent’s residency cannot be applied to a child who does not meet the requirements. The noncitizen must also meet other requirements of good moral character (“GMC”) for the last ten years and has not been convicted of certain offenses. Because several years may have elapsed prior to this decision, the noncitizen may have accrued additional GMC that would be helpful to her case. Finally, the noncitizen must make a showing of “exceptional and extremely unusual hardship” to a US citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child. It can be any combination of medical, emotional, and financial factors, in addition to family and community ties, and country of chargeability condi-

tions. The hardship is viewed in totality of circumstances, and an experienced immigration attorney can explain to the judge why the factors, when taken cumulatively, warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.

The stop-time rule applies not only to COR for noncitizens who had no status (which were the facts of the case), but also to COR for those who had permanent residence when removal proceedings started.

In those cases, the requirements are slightly different, but the stop-time rule would still necessitate that the NTA provided the time and place.

The requirements for COR for permanent residents are that they have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence for five years, resided in the US continuously for seven years after being admitted in any status, have no aggravated felony convictions, and warrant favorable exercises of discretion.

This decision may dramatically affect the immigration situation for those currently in proceedings as well as some who have existing removal orders based on an invalid NTA. Anyone who received an NTA without a specific time and place of hearing should consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyer immediately. Act now and see how this new case can impact your life. ***

Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Pasadena, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com website: www.rreeves.com

*** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

(Advertising Supplement)

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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar

SuSan Roces, the original Queen of Philippine Movies, heads the list of July birthday celebrants. Inday Susan, as she fondly called by family and close friends, will celebrate her 77th birthday on Saturday, July 28. She is the widow of the late King of Philippine Movies, Fernando Poe Jr. Other July celebrants are: July 1 - Former Miss RPuSa Rea Oblea, former beauty queen Violet Recinto, and Filipina singer Vivian arcega; July 2 - Former First Lady and now Ilocos norte Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos, movie actress Vilma Valera, sexy actress Sunshine Cruz, and former Mutya ng Mindanao Vicky San Diego Rufino; July 3 - Duggan’s Serra Mortuary special assistant to the president Teresa Proano; July 4 - aBS-CBn 2 auditing Head Millet Santos Mortiz, and Filipina singer Pam Serrano;

Well-loved Filipina nurse Rachel Forneas Satorre will celebrate her birthday on Monday, July 16.

July 6 - Former Vice President and “TV Patrol” anchor noli de Castro, Asian Journal Office Manager Greg Michael nitro, and movie actress Liberty Ilagan; July 8 - San Jose religious leader Maria Cruz Back; July 11 - San Jose fashionable lady Susan Pacifico, former Miss universe 3rd runner up Venus Raj, and Dr. Jun Sison; July 13 - Ma Mon Luk noodle House owner Tonette Wong arce; July 14 - Regal Films president Roselle Monteverde Teo, and aBS-CBn 2 host Julius Babao; July 15 - Former Miss RPuSa Teresa Burch; July 16 - Well-loved Filipina nurse Rachel Forneas Satorre, and former Miss International and fashion model Melanie Marquez; July 18 - Asian Journal Publications Publisher and Chairman Roger Lagmay Oriel; July 19 - Oracle development manager Walter Back,

Duggan’s Serra Mortuary special assistant to the president Teresa Proano, will celebrate her birthday on Tuesday, July 3.

Legendary movie queen Susan Roces heads the list of July birthday celebrants

Former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos will celebrate her birthday on Monday, July 2.

Daly City Planning Commissioner Rey Benitez Satorre will celebrate his birthday on Monday, July 23.

Susan Roces, the legendary Queen of Philippine Movies, heads the list of July birthday celebrants.

and actor Diether Ocampo; actor Raymart Santiago and exJuly 20 - French-Filipina ac- wife actress Claudine Barretto; tress and model Solenn Heussaff, July 22 - actor Zanjoe Marudo, and Filipina ballerina nickie Munoz Roco; July 23 - Daly City Planning Commissioner Rey Benitez Satorre, actress/host Eugene Domingo, actor and “aSaP” dancer Rayver Cruz; July 25 - Pop Princes Sarah Geronimo; July 27 - Singer/actor Mark Bautista; July 28 - Senator Cynthia aguilar Villar, Dr. Celso Espiritu, and Miss Philippines Earth beauty pageant executive director Lorraine Schuck;

San Jose fashionable lady Susan Pacifico will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, July 11.

Pop Princess Sarah Geronimo will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, July 25.

July 29 - Asian Journal northern California Bureau Chief Joseph Peralta; July 30 - Handsome actor Troy Montero, former Philippine airlines sales manager Herminia R. Lavarias, and singer/actor

andrew E.; July 31 - aBS-CBn 2 TV reporter Mario Dumawal, and entertainment writer/talent manager Ethel Ramos.

To all July celebrants, a very happy birthday!

Spotted: Two Filipino food innovators who are making waves in the San Fernando Valley

By Monet

Lu

“a LOT of traditional Filipino food has sour and bitter notes, which are very unfamiliar to american palates of a few years ago. american palates have changed drastically. I think there’s a really bright future.” – anthony Bourdain Before his tragic demise a few weeks ago, world-renowned top chef anthony Bourdain has prophesied the future of Filipino cuisine saying, “Filipino food is the next big thing.” I couldn’t agree more. and if he is still alive today, he would definitely check out these two hole-in-the-wall food hubs that are tucked in the San Fernando Valley. I can already imagine him eating sisig and crispy pata with these chefs; nay, food innovators – who are making the San Fernando Valley the

Chef Jamby Roi “JR” Martin, co-owner/operator and head chef, Tatang Photo by Jennifer Oh

Chef Lamberto “Jun” Reyes, owner/head chef, Goto@Silog

next hot spot for “Pinoy Food.”

Meet Chef “JR” Martin (chef and owner of Tatang in North Hollywood) Jamby Roi “JR” Martin is coowner/operator and head chef at Tatang restaurant in north Hollywood. He leads a professional team dedicated to providing culinary excellence and a top-tier guest experience while overseeing all restaurant operations, culinary offerings, and media outreach.

Chef JR holds a degree from

Le Cordon Bleu, Pasadena. He has gained renowned exposure in high-profile venues and events throughout the united States associated with Wolfgang Puck, Patina; national Events: Kentucky Derby, Grammy awards, X-Games; Major Sports Leagues: nBa, PGa, nHL, MLS, uSTa, naSCaR; Corporate/Political/Religious Entities: Lexus, american Express, Ralph Lauren, La Coste, SPaCE-X, TESLa, President Clinton, Catholic archdiocese of Continued on Page SF8

community

SF5

T h e As ian Jou r n al S F MAGAZ IN E - Ju n e 2 9 , 2 0 1 8

July 2018 priority dates

Immigration Corner

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

FATHER AND DAUGHTER REUNITE AFTER 40 YEARS OF LIFE-CHANGING CHOICES AND “MISFORTUNES� ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!� Decades ago, Tatay Rolando left his wife and daughters in the Philippines to seek a better life in the U.S. After getting his green card, he petitioned his family, except for Anna Lyn (center) who had turned 21, and was left behind. The years that followed became a series of rough twists and turns for Anna Lyn, including being caught attempting to enter the U.S. on a fraudulent visa.

After a fraud waiver prepared by another attorney was denied, leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel put together a convincing fraud waiver package that was quickly approved, paving the way for the much-awaited, happy reunion of this family on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy� – Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Health@Heart

Left main: A killer

to the recipient heart muscle is compromised and that part of the heart muscle is deprived of enough blood (which carries PhiliP S. chuA, MD, fAcS, fPcS essential oxygen and nutrients, etc., to the heart muscle). This hEarT attack is a vicious is basically the course of events killer, responsible for one death that leads to a heart attack. every 34 seconds in the United The left main coronary arStates alone. among americans, tery branches into two, the left more than 2,500 succumb to anterior descending (LaD) coroheart disease every day, and one nary artery (supplying blood to person develops a heart attack the front segment of the left every twenty seconds. ventricle) and the circumflex While the fact that heart coronary artery (supplying the attack kills is a common knowlback of the heart). The other edge, most people do not know main branch is the right corothat the stenosis (blockage) of nary artery supplying the right one particular coronary artery ventricle, which is less dominant is the subtle and treacherous than the left main (the artery killer that usually victimize and that supplies the left ventricle, claim the lives of younger and the main pumping chamber of younger people today, many the heart). times suddenly, without warning.

When we hear of sudden This culprit is the left main coro- death from a heart attack, nary artery that supplies the left especially among the younger ventricular muscle of the heart. patients, this is usually caused Medically, this entity is known as by left main disease. and many the Widow Maker, since it has times, without the classical killed many a husband. symptoms of chest pains, or any Today, more and more indication at all that there is a women also suffer heart attacks. blockage in the coronary artery.

When this main artery is blocked here are some important more than 50 percent, the flow data observed about heart

disease: (1) Male pattern baldness, hair in the ear canals, and creased earlobes are apparently linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease among white men.

(2) Elevated level of an amino acid (homocysteine) is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

(3) african-american women have the highest death rate from heart disease. (4) People who are sedentary, who do not exercise regularly, have almost twice the risk of developing a heart attack than those who do.

(5) Males who are clinically depressed have a higher risk for heart disease and heart attack than those who are not depressed.

(6) Genetics are involved in the development of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the artery, which causes arterial blockages in the arteries all over the body). (7) red meat and egg eaters are more prone to develop high blood cholesterol and heart attacks.

(8) Those who eat beans at least 4 times a week have a

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

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

Each month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. a priority date is a person’s “place in line� for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,� but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards� and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “application Filing Date.� If a person’s priority date is earlier than the application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and UScIS indicates on its website it will use the application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,� endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not

reduced level of heart disease (19 percent lower) than those who eat beans less than once a week. (9) Those who abstain from red meat and eggs and eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and other high fiber foods are less prone to develop heart attack.

The positive side of all these is that medical science has proven that the development of hardening of the artery could be slowed down simply by eat-

ing the right food and regular physical exercise on a daily basis. We cannot do anything about our genetics (heredity), but environmental factors, of which lifestyle is most important, have been shown to have the ability to effectively “buffer� the negative traits in a person’s genetics. In simple terms, even if your parents have high blood pressure, heart disease, or even diabetes mellitus; it does not necessarily mean that, as their

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1%" /,*&0"! +!Ç˝ 2/ +"51 01,- 4&)) " 1%" %2/ % ,# 1Ç˝ ",/$" &+ ! Çž 4%& % %,010 1%" # *,20 *,0 & * - ,# 1%" ,)6 +!Ç˝ Then we will drive down to Aqaba. Overnight in Aqaba (B/D). Mov"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ "Ç˝ Oct 29, 2018 (Mon) Day 12 – Aqaba/Petra Mass at Stella Maris Church – Aqaba Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) ',2/+"6 1%/,2$% 1%" &.Çž 2+1&) 4" $"1 ,2/ Ćœ /01 $)&*-0" ,# 1%" % 7+"% Č› /" 02/6ČœÇ˝ %"+ 4&)) 4" 4 )( !,4+ 1, visit the Temple and view the many caves all around the Theater.

At the end of the tour, we will drive back to Aqaba for overnight and !&++"/ Č› ČĄ ČœÇ˝ ,3"+-& ( "0,/1 Ç” "0&!"+ " Oct 30, 2018 (Tues) Day 13 – Aqaba/ Jerusalem We Cross the Jordanian Border to return to Jerusalem. Dinner/ Overnight Oct 31, 2018 (Wed) Day 14 – Jerusalem /Yad Vashem Museum/ TLV/ LAX Ćž "/ /" (# 01Çž 4" 4&)) 3&0&1 1%" ! 0%"* 20"2*Çž&0 0/ ")ȉ0 ,Ć› & & ) *"*,/& ) 1, 1%" 3& 1&*0 ,# 1%" ,), 201Ç˝ 1 &0 !"!& 1"! to preserving the memory of the dead; honoring Jews who fought $ &+01 1%"&/ 7& ,--/"00,/0 +! "+1&)"0 4%, 0")Ć? "00)6 &!"!

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

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

Visa Issuance Date

February 15, 2008

June 1, 2006

(2A) Spouse and minor Second Preference children (below 21 years December 1, old) of green card holder 2017

June 22, 2016

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

December 15, 2007

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens

August 1, 1995 April 15, 1995

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens

December 1, 1995

March 22, 1995

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

February 1, 2007

Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Current

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

July 1, 2017

January 1, 2017

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

July 1, 2017

January 1, 2017

column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. ***

intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

child, you will have these medical problems also.

If their diet was high in cholesterol (red meats, eggs, dairy products) and carbohydrate (rice, cakes, sweets, pop beverages, etc.), and they smoke, are sedentary and not medically compliant with their health care, and, on the other hand, you are eating mostly fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, doing daily exercises, you don’t Continued on Page SF7

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

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

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

First Preference

Application Filing Date

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

$/ +1"!

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

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

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

SF6

community The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA [Select a handful of those things on your bucket list that have the highest chance of coming to fruition given your time frame. In tech speak, this means before your life’s energy goes into ‘low batt mode’ and life has run out of sockets to plug into.]

EVER wonder how the Peach Melba dessert got its name?

It was said that the celebrated French chef Auguste Escoffier named the confection after his friend, the soprano Nellie Melba of Melbourne, Australia. She would dine in the restaurant where he was chef and would give him tickets to the opera where she was the main draw.

Nellie Melba was the late 19th century equivalent of a celebrity these days that could pack opera houses for the elite in London, Paris and New York.

On a historical note, Escoffier partnered with Cesar Ritz (from whose name the term “ritzy” is derived, to mean elegant and first class, and pricey as well) to establish the

The bucket list Whip up your signature dish (Fifth of a series)

“Food is a way of making a connection with others and making memories.”

Ritz-Carlton Hotels chain.

From the book, “Memories of My Life” by Auguste Escoffier, here’s the original recipe good for 6 that he created for Peach Melba.

“Choose 6 tender and perfectly ripe peaches. The Montreuil peach, for example, is perfect for this dessert.

Blanch the peaches for 2 seconds in boiling water, remove them immediately with a slotted spoon, and place them in iced water for a few seconds.

Peel them and place them on a plate, sprinkle them with a little sugar, and refrigerate them. Prepare a liter of very creamy vanilla ice cream and a purée of 250 grams of very fresh ripe raspberries crushed through a fine sieve and mixed with 150 grams of powdered sugar. Refrigerate.

To serve: Fill a silver timbale with the vanilla ice cream.

Delicately place the peaches on top of the ice cream and cover with the raspberry

purée. Optionally, during the almond season, one can add a few slivers of fresh almonds on top, but never use dried almonds.”

Signature dishes are not just for the rich and famous.

They are for you and me, as well.

Choose just one dish. Just one from many possibilities…

Choose a scrumptiously delicious one. Work on it many times until you can do it from scratch without looking at your cheat sheet and it becomes a masterpiece.

Cook it for family gatherings or potluck events. Cook it until they clamor for you to bring it because your dish is memorable. You notice that people come for seconds until it’s all gone. Clean plate and happy faces —the mark of a culinary success…

Congratulations! You’ve created your signature dish.

You have placed your name on it. Best of all, you’ve cre-

ated gastronomic memories, quite hard to forget because, believe you me, the gut remembers.

I have met many who have done this and it is a source of joy specially when shared with many. My friend Angel cooked Spanish Paella with original ingredients from Spain and with great flourish wearing a chef’s hat and risqué apron of washboard abs, in a class reunion held in their mountain view home. It was delicious and memorable.

Two of my sisters, Olga and Evelyn, bake Sans Rival and indeed, nothing rivals their concoction. Fresh lumpiang sariwa, with many hours of chopping, slicing and dicing of the ingredients is my mother’s and eldest sister, Olga’s signature dish. There is Agnes Jovellana’s delightful original espasol which she prepares for her parties. My sister Mitch of San Antonio, Texas prepared Buttered Mochi and her baked dish was a hit. I do a simple potato soup with bacon that is popular in the winter time. The millenials in our family love it. My daughter-in-law Elia, prepares her special recipe for Turkey with bacon on Thanksgiving and draws rave reviews from the family. My son, Rene, preContinued on Page SF7

Marian Rivera triumphs in ‘Tadhana’ Series host acts in special 1st anniversary episode; hubby Dingdong Dantes directs

by Tessa

Mauricioa-arriola ManilaTimes.net

ise, Rivera will play the lead role in the anniversary special of “Tadhana” with no less than GMA Network’s prime her husband and GMA network time queen Marian Rivera can primetime king, Dingdong hardly believe she successfully Dantes, directing the episode. pulled off a year of hosting a The top actor admits that he public affairs drama anthology rather than starring in its weekly had reservations accepting the rare chance of directing his wife episodes. but eventually took the project.

It was this time last year “’Yung takot ko at ‘yung pagwhen the top actress took iwas ko na idirek siya ay naging on her studio’s challenge to opportunity,” shared Dantes in sharpen her public speaking an interview with GMA News skills and anchor true-to-life Online. “I saw a different kind dramatizations of the OFW’s (Overseas Filipino Workers) trials of actress, a different kind of Marian. Mas na-appreciate ko and triumphs. siya bilang artista, bilang tao, “Sabi ko kapag umabot ito bilang nanay, dahil ganu’n siya ng one year, promise ko, aarte kaseryoso sa kaniyang [trabaho].” ako sa isang episode,” she In the special episode, recalled laughing, admitting she Rivera brings to life the story thought the show would only of Jackie—an OFW who had run for a couple of seasons. to bear being away from her “So ito ako ngayon, children to give them a good masayang-masaya na naging life by working in Bahrain during successful ang ‘Tadhana’, hindi lang bilang isang programa, pero the ‘90s.

With her husband seriously para rin ma-realize ng mga taong may kamag-anak na nagtatrabaho ill, Jackie was left alone to raise their family. When the opporsa ibang bansa kung anong tunity to work as a domestic klaseng sakripisyo ang ginagawa helper abroad came knocking nila para sa pamilya kaya dapat on her door, Jackie did not hesii-appreciate natin sila,” Rivera tate and accepted the job. It did articulated. “Gaya ng sabi ko not matter if this meant being nakaka-relate talaga ako sa mga separated from her kids. What kuwento ng mga kababayan was important was to give them natin kasi ang ina ko rin dati naga decent future. trabaho sa ibang bansa.”

Little did she know that an She is especially grateful ordeal awaited her in for the warm reception of Bahrain. the OFWs themselves as Jackie’s employer viewers of the program, was cruel. On top of and for their generosity in the physical abuse she sharing their stories. got, she was neither “Nagpapasalamat allowed to go out nor kami na patuloy na call her family. Except sinusubaybayan ng for letters, she had televiewers ang amno way of commuing episodes tuwing nicating with her Sabado,” continued loved ones in the the now full-fledged Philippines. host. “Ako mismo naiShe endured this inspire tuwing mabafor two years. But upon basa ko ang script ng Jackie’s return to the bawat episode. Sa ating Philippines, she learned mga kababayang OFW, that her family never resaludo po kami sa inceived the money and yong pagsisikap para letters she sent them maitaguyod ang and that the same inyong mga mahal people she worked sa buhay.” hard for had turned And so to their backs on her. honor her prom-

How Pia & Marlon take care...

From Page SF2 patient. Sometimes, I think to myself, siguro kung iba yan, alam mo yun? It’s hard. It’s really tough! But he’s been able to go through all that with me, smoothly.”

Why the Fil-German beauty queen and the Fil-Swiss sportsman click so well may also have something to do with the nature of their respective careers.

Pia said, “I think it also helps that Marlon has some background or some experience in showbiz, and he knows how busy it can be. When he did the F1 racing here in Manila, like parang, during that time, di pa ako sumasali sa pageant. But I remember it, parang yun yung equivalent ng Miss U pero pang-lalaki, kasi meron din nag-fly in na half-Filipino from abroad na may dala — if in my case, crown ang dala ko — siya kotse ang dala niya. And they’re touring around, and the people are going crazy kasi bihira lang siya dito. He had such good achievements abroad. He made us all proud.

He won in Monaco, so alam niya yung feeling na nandoon sa spotlight. And then when it was my turn, he knew how to take care of our relationship even though there were a lot of cameras around. I think tamang-tama lang din that he knows what it’s like to be in my shoes.”

Other than that, Marlon also grew up in an entertainmentrelated environment because his mom used to be a model. “I grew up in the industry, that’s been a part of my life.”

The two have been together for a year and a half now. It may already be long enough for some, but for Marlon, everything still feels fresh and young.

And what he looks forward to in this relationship is “being able to know that I can end and start the day with her.”

When they have those little misunderstandings or tampuhan, Marlon admit-

ted to being always the first to reach out. “With food and flowers, just any way to reach a girl’s heart. You can be sweet even with the smallest gestures; it doesn’t have to be a bouquet. You come home, you give her a nice rose and chocolates, then it’s easier to say sorry (laughs),” advised Marlon on how to woo a sulking loved one.

After the endorsement, what other #CoupleGoals do they have? A TV show or a movie, maybe?

Marlon said he already appeared in the closing credits of “Gandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad”, Pia’s 2017 movie. “It was for fun. I only found out one day before... (It was) super organic. We were just being ourselves... It wasn’t very far off from how we are as a couple.”

Is he open to do more acting work with Pia? “I don’t know... There’s a chance, maybe. I’m not saying no. But I like our relationship dynamic at home (more),” Marlon said.

Pia also appeared not adverse to the idea of having Marlon star in a movie with her and not just make a cameo, saying: “If the project is there, the story is nice, if the roles are nice, why not? Although I have more fun with him in real life than onscreen. I think, I like our real-life chemistry better than what we would try to show on TV.” The two couldn’t also escape the marriage question.

“Well, not in the near future.

We’re not there yet. I still feel like we want to achieve a lot individually... Wala pa yun,” Pia said.

“I think any person would see Pia as wife material.

Honestly, our relationship, it’s working well, we’re working together. I think we’re going to focus on our careers, supporting each other. Somewhere down the road (laughs), it might come along,” Marlon said.

people & events SF7 Jehovah’s Witnesses welcome all to 2018 ‘Be Courageous!’ Annual Convention FAIRFIELD, CA—Jehovah’s Witnesses are set to launch their annual convention series on Friday, July 20 to 22, 2018.

The theme of this year’s series is “Be Courageous!” Prior to the event, Witnesses around the world will also participate in a global campaign to invite the general public to attend the program free of charge.

The conventions will be held at venues in 180 different lands.

The three-day program consists of 54 presentations that will include talks, audio dramas, interviews, and short videos. Additionally, a feature film entitled “The Story of Jonah—A Lesson in Courage and Mercy” will be shown on the final day of the convention

program. Each day, the morning and afternoon sessions will be introduced by music videos prepared specifically for the convention.

David A. Semonian, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, states: “When you look at the news today, you can clearly see that people of all ages are dealing with more

anxieties and fears than ever before. It takes courage to face these pressures. We welcome everyone to this year’s convention to benefit from the practical advice that’s contained in the Bible.”

Conventions in other languages and locations can be found on the Witnesses’ official website, jw.org.

UPAI Miss Pangasinan pageant

Miss Pangasinan candidates (L-R) Angeline Noguera from the town of Agno, Ericka Burwell from the town of Alcala and Aubrey Gaceta, representing the town of Tayug.

Left main: A killer From Page SF5 smoke, and are carefully monitoring your health; then your chances of NOT developing the hypertension, heart attack, stroke or diabetes you parents have, is fairly high compared to the sedentary meat eaters who smoke.

As we have stated in a previous column, the impact of diet is most significant. Here is one report from almost two decades ago: “1999 meta-analysis of five studies comparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian mortality rates in Western countries found that in comparison with regular meateaters, mortality from ischemic heart disease was 34 percent lower in pescetarians, 34 percent lower in ovo-lacto vegetarians, 26 percent lower in vegans.”

Individuals on pescatarian diet could achieve excellent health and minimize heart attacks, stroke, and other diseases as long as they live a healthy lifestyle. Fish, eggs and other dairies, legumes, and nuts, are enough as sources of protein for one to have good nutrition on pescatarian diet. The opposite is true among meat eaters as the data above and below show.

Abstinence from red meat, especially processed meats (and processed food items in general) is healthier.

So, when it comes to health, we are not what are parents are. We are more what lifestyle we have chosen for ourselves.

Most of these diseases we face today are mostly self-inflicted and literally preventable. Making the right choice and the sacrifices may not be easy, but maintaining good health and longevity to the fullest is worth all our effort. My mother, who still watches her diet carefully, who used to exercise daily up to the age of 88, and who, today, still remembers the birthdays of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, said to me on her 100th birthday last November, “Healthy lifestyle is the best antidote to diseases and premature death…Trust me on this one.” *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua. com; comments questions: scalpelpen@ gmail.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

The bucket list

From Page SF5 pares delightful chocolate ice cream, from scratch and there is never enough. A colleague, Malou Halili-Case who hails from Pampanga (famous for women who cook heavenly dishes) prepared Dinuguan, on slow cooker and it was special and memorable. Team it up with puto and, Voila, you have a wonderful meal.

If you don’t have any signature dish, get cracking and work on one, just one dish you can enjoy preparing and put your mark on. With time and practice, you will get better at it. Choose one that is popular with most taste buds. Don’t let your ego rule trying to reinvent the wheel and try an exotic dish, like alligator soup, for instance.

Nix the labels low calorie, low fat, gluten free, low carb.

It is a bit of a downer when you have to work within limiting parameters. It doesn’t have to be original but it must be pleasing to most taste buds within your orbit of friends and family. Oftentimes, it could be just a tweak on an existing, tested recipe with a secret ingredient or a different technique of doing.

Make it simple, easy and fun.

Food is a way of making a connection with others and making memories. Remember that Jesus Christ in his time ate bread, fish and drank

wine with his disciples on many occasions. Those were the staples of his time and salt was the flavoring. He multiplied the bread and fish as He fed thousands who followed him to hear his teachings. Jesus knew how important it was to make a connection. He still connects with us two thousand years later in the Holy Eucharist at Mass when bread and wine are consecrated and become His body and blood.

It is a daily reminder of how God loves us — so much He sent His only son to redeem us from sin and death so we may live forever.

We use food to feed our bodies and make a connection with others. Partaking of the Eucharist to feed our souls in order to make a connection with the divine is the other aspect worth pursuing as part of our bucket list.

Food is a blessing, a visual and visceral aid, that makes our life here on earth so wonderfully engaging.

Make your signature dish and the joys they have caused to yourself and others part of the wonderful memories etched in your soul forever.

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

THE San Francisco-based United Pangasinanes of America Incorporated is all set for its 2018-20 Miss Pangasinan Talent and Beauty Pageant, with the first phase scheduled on Sunday, July 1, for the Candidates Presentation &and Talent Competition Luncheon, at the Best Western Grosvenor Hotel in South San Francisco.

This was announced jointly

by Executive Committee Chairman Fred Almeron and Search Committee Chair Marita Padilla, during the recently concluded Meet & Greet Reception honoring the candidates held at the UPAI Center.

Vying for the title of Miss Pangasinan are Angeline Noguera from the town of

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – June 29, 2018

Agno, Ericka Burwell from the town of Alcala and Aubrey Gaceta, representing the town of Tayug.

Meanwhile, President Mario Cendana-Panoringan is calling on all Pangasinan Town Affiliates to participate in all the activities in conjunction with the organization’s week-long Pangasinan Day Celebration, which includes the August 11 Miss Pangasinan Talent & Beauty Pageant Coronation Banquet & Ball at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Foster City from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. a Thanksgiving Mass at 11 a.m. on August 19, followed immediately by the Annual Family Picnic at Gellert Park in Daly City.

GRADUATION. Marie Joselle “MJ” Oliveros recently graduated Magna Cum Laude, A.S. Nursing from College of San Mateo. Her parents, Jay and Myrna Oliveros, were very happy and proud of the achievements of MJ.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION. Ms. Josie Davis, Director of Memory Care Program of Alma Via SF recently celebrated her birthday and recognition by CA Assisted Living Association (CALA).

In photo, (standing L-R) JR Bautista, Elizabeth Sayo, Donna Bonifacio, Commissioner Ray Satorre, Jhordan Acosta, Lee Aquino; (front) Remy Holgado, Josie Davis and Nora Bennet.

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people & events The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY. Irenio A. Ciriales celebrated his 70th birthday last June 16 with a party hosted by his wife, Florentina T. Ciriales at their house in Milpitas, California. Irenio retired in 2007 from the U.S. Postal Service after 41 years of service. He is also a retired U.S. Army after 26 years of service.

The birthday party was attended by family, friends, relatives and co-workers.

Spotted: Two Filipino food innovators...

From Page SF4 Oakland & Los Angeles, just to name a few.

Prior to starting a professional culinary career and his own restaurant business, JR spent his teenage years learning how to plan for, cook and feed his large extended family. This includes his mother, her 15 siblings and the +50 progeny that comes with the lineage. He spent over 15 years passionately pursuing business knowledge within the industry alongside his culinary expertise.

Tatang, which translates in Tagalog as father, was aptly named in honor of the chef’s late grandfather. Tatang Restaurant is known for its Filipino fusion and their modern take on famous Filipino dishes such as lumpia (fried spring rolls), chicken adobo, chicken sisig, longganisa, pork liempo, pancit and mami, among others.

One of the restaurant patrons described the food as “good for health-conscious people” as most of its ingredients are organic and not too oily compared to other Filipino restaurants.

Chef JR aims to bring the North Hollywood and greater Los Angeles area a unique culinary experience that will bring the community together through that same love of good food and company. He plans to offer a wide range of programs and services, from gastronomic education to business development and com-

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

munity-enhancing workshops.

Meet Chef “Jun” Lamberto Reyes (chef and owner of Goto@Silog in Panorama City) His traditional and homecooked way of preparing Pinoy food will take you back to the good old days when your mom or lola used to fix you some “meryenda” after an afternoon’s worth of playing under the scorching sun. Such is Chef Reyes’ vision of Goto@ Silog: comfort Filipino food that soothes every Filipino’s soul.

Known to his frends as “Jun,” his passion for cooking started way back when he was still in the Philippines. Before coming to the U.S., he worked in Saudi Arabia, yet his love for cooking didn’t escape him. He would usually cook for his co-workers when he is off-duty.

After his job in Saudi ended, he moved to the U.S., where he got his first job at a Senior Care Facility as a cook.

He also worked in other Filipino restaurants and became one of Chowking’s first employees when they opened in Cerritos. He worked there for seven years.

Jun decided to shift careers and worked as a contractor.

He told himself that he’ll only go back to the food industry when he already has his own restaurant. This, of course, was easier said than done. A job opportunity opened up for him and guess what? Yep, you’ve probably guessed right – cooking

SERVICES

found its way back to him when he accepted a job at a Filipino restaurant in Cerritos.

When that restaurant closed, he pursued Culinary Arts to further his education. It took him six years until he was ready to manage a restaurant. Still not his own, yet as close as owning one, he rented out the restaurant’s name and took care of all the expenses.

After a few years, he decided to buy it out to open his own restaurant and named it,“Goto@ Silog.”

For the past four years, Goto@Silog has been serving Filipino comfort food specializing in meryenda such as goto, as well and breakfast rice toppers or “tapsilogs.” He has since added some Filipino favorites such as their famous crispy pata and bulalo ng Batangas, which is their bestseller – and I must say – to die for.

Chef Jun is planning an expansion very soon and is in the lookout for a good location to share his talent and love for Filipino cuisine. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018

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The Asian Journal SF MAGAZINE - June 29, 2018