071818 - SoCal Midweek Edition

July 18-20, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 58 • 3 Sections - 24 Pages

‘PH will never be part of China. Not now, not ever’

by NESTOR

CORRALES Inquirer.net

Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua with Pres. Rodrigo Duterte Philstar.com photo

USA

DATELINE The wage gap between rich and poor increases among Asian Americans FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Asian Americans now have the highest income inequality among all racial and ethnic groups, new Pew report shows

INCOME inequality has been steadily rising for the last 50 years for all Americans and, as a result, has become a key political issue, igniting the call minimum wage increase and holding those responsible for the 2008 recession accountable via government regulations.

Those who are slighted by the wage gap — namely women, blacks and Hispanics — have always been on the forefront for calling for legislative change for income equity.

But there’s one group who is largely ignored in the wage disparity conversation: the Asian American community.

Since the 1970s, income inequality among

u PAGE A4

Trump ‘sides’ with Putin on the US investigation over Russian collusion in the 2016 election

THE Philippines will never be a province of China, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua said on Tuesday, July 17.

The ambassador made the remark after banners with the words “Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China” were hung around Metro Manila on July 12.

“It has never been any part of China. No, not now, not ever,” Zhao told reporters in an ambush interview in Manila.

u PAGE A2

Final draft federal constitution bans Duterte from running in 2022 MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will be prohibited from seeking reelection in 2022, according to the final official copy of the consultative committee’s draft federal constitution.

Section 2, Article XXII of the draft charter states that, “The incumbent president is prohibited from running as president in the 2022 elections under the [Federal] Constitution.”

The commission’s mandate is mere-

u PAGE A4

ly recommendatory and Congress will work on the actual amendments and revisions to the 1987 Constitution.

The initial draft submitted to Duterte a few weeks ago assigns him as chairman of the Federal Transition Commission, which will carry its mandate until June 30, 2022.

In the revised draft charter, Duterte will instead call for an election for the transition president and vice president within six months from ratifica-

tion of the new constitution.

The transition president, who will hold office until June 30, 2022, will preside over the transition to the federal system of government.

Under the revised draft, the transition president, vice president and members of the tramsition commission will also be ineligible to run for any public office in the May 2022 elections.

The transition commission will have

“the power to establish its office, appoint and hire its own officials and employees, as may be necessary.”

The provision allowing all government officials under the 1987 Constitution to continue to hold office remains under the revised transitory provisions.

Critics have raised concern over this provision as failure to hold elections by May 2022 would indefinitely

Pacquiao scores first KO win in 9 years

u PAGE A2

by EDDIE

ALINEA ManilaTimes.net

KUALA LUMPUR — The champ is back.

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao proved that he is still a force to reckon with after devastating Argentine Lucas Matthysse at the Axiata Arena on Sunday, July 15.

The gritty eight-division champion won through a technical knockout on the seventh round, his first victory via stoppage in nine years. The fighting senator dropped the hard-punching Argentine belt-owner thrice — on the third round with a vicious left-right combination, on the fifth and on the seventh round where he let loose a powerful left uppercut that sent Matthysse kneeling.

Referee Kenny Bayless motioned the fight was over without even counting as Pacquiao jumped around the ring in celebration of his crowning as the new World Boxing Association welterweight champion.

“I’m back!” Pacquiao exclaimed during the

u PAGE A4

Manny Pacquiao celebrates after defeating Lucas Matthysse of Argentina during their WBA World welterweight title bout in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, July 15.

Photo from Instagram/@mannypacquiaohighlights

Filipino-French footballer celebrates World Cup win

Summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki prompts universal outrage for appearing to undermine U.S. Intelligence

OF the many controversies and political disputes of the Trump era, no issue has cast a shadow over this administration more than the issue of Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election.

Russia — and its long-time president Vladimir Putin — remains a looming presence over the Trump presidency in a myriad of ways.

President Donald Trump’s perceived “obsession” with the former Soviet Union and its leader has generated scores of think pieces, memes and conspiracy theories as to how and why the president has been keeping a close tie with Putin and Russia, arguably the United States’s rival world power.

On Monday, July 16, Trump met with Putin

FRUITFUL VISIT. President Rodrigo Duterte is accorded with foyer honors as he is accompanied by Malaysian officials at the Bunga Raya Airport before boarding a plane back to the Philippines following his fruitful working visit in Malaysia on Monday, July 16.

Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

by OLMIN

LEYBA Philstar.com

Image from Alphonse Areola’s Instagram account shows the 25-year-old FilipinoFrench goalkeeper with the World Cup trophy after France defeated Croatia in the final.

Photo from Instagram/@areolaofficiel

MANILA — Filipinos joined the celebration of France’s triumph in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, taking pride in having a Filipino footballer, reserve goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, reap success with Les Bleus.

The 25-year-old Areola, born to Filipino parents who immigrated to France, is being hailed as the “first player with Filipino blood to win the World Cup.” Areola had long been eyed by the Philippine Azkals since his days with the French youth squad, with manager Dan Palami inviting him to join the Philippine 11 back in 2011.

But Areola’s stint with France flourished, and after starring in the Junior Les Bleus’ championship run in the U20 World Cup in 2013, his chances of being el-

u PAGE A4

PROPOSED CHARTER CHANGE. Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (right), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, presides over the public hearing on the “Proposal to Change/Amend the 1987 Constitution” at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, July 17. Also in photo (2nd from right) are former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, chairperson of the Consultative Committee (ConCom), which was created to review the 1987 Constitution; former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr., ConCom member; former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., reactor; Professor Edmund S. Tayao, ConCom member; and Professor Julio C. Teehankee, ConCom member.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Majority of Filipinos oppose Charter change, says survey

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

TWO in three Filipinos are not in favor of the current administration’s moves to change the 1987 Constitution, a Pulse Asia survey released Monday, July 16, revealed.

Pulse Asia’s June 2018 National Survey on Charter Change, taken from June 15 to June 21, showed that 67 percent of Filipinos were against Charter

change. Out of that percentage, 37 percent disapproved changing the Constitution now and in the future while 30 percent were not up for it at present but may be open for Charter change in the future.

Meanwhile, only 18 percent were in favor, and the remaining 14 percent were undecided on the matter.

The survey also showed that

u PAGE A2

A july 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN jOuRNAl

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

From the Front Page

‘PH will never be part of...

PAGE A1 The Chinese envoy is in Intramuros for the groundbreaking of the Binondo-Intramuros bridge, a project funded by China. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to lead the inauguration.

Zhao said the banners were a “vicious attack� on the relations

between the Philippines and China. “It’s a kind of vicious attack, not only on the relations between the two countries but also on the independent foreign policy of President Duterte and his administration,� he said.

Asked if banners were offensive

to the Chinese government, he said, “I don’t think it is offensive, but it is bad.�

On July 12, the banners calling the Philippines a province of China were seen hanging at some footbridges in the metro.

Malacanang has accused the “enemies of the government� as the ones behind these banners./ Duterte had earlier joked that China could make the Philippines its province. n

Final draft federal constitution...

PAGE A1 extend the terms of those who were elected before the transition period.

As stated in the revised transitory provisions of the draft charter, the first national, regional and local elections will be on the second Monday of May 2022.

Transition commission The draft charter also provides that the transition commission has power to “promulgate the necessary rules, regulations, ordersm proclamations, and other issuances, do all acts to implement the same, and resolve all issues and disputes that may arise before them.�

Under Section 7(b), Article XII of the draft constitution, the transition commission will also have the power to “exercise all powers necessary and proper to ensure a smooth, speedy, and successful transition.�

The transition plan includes plans for the different branches of government, fiscal management and administration plan, and establishment of mechanisms for people’s participation in the transition.

Meanwhile, majority of Filipinos oppose the moves to amend the 1987 Constitution, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

The survey conducted from June 15 to 21 showed that 67 percent of Filipinos are against charter change. The same survey revealed that 62 percent of Filipinos are not in favor of shifting from a unitary system of government to a federal one. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/ Philstar.com)

;/<9:+(@ 1<3@ ;/ c 74 74

s 350%26)3/23 -!.!'%23 s !)2#2!&4 #!"). #,%!.%23 s 0!33%.'%2 3%26)#% s 7(%%,#(!)2 !'%.43 s 3%#52)49 3#2%%.%23 s "!''!'% 25..%23 s#!2'/

. PZ HU ,X\HS 6WWVY[\UP[` ,TWSV`LY

TREE PLANTING. Realizing the importance of trees to the environment and lives of our people, Senator Cynthia A. Villar leads the planting of pili trees during the closing ceremony of Pili Festival 2018 at the City hall grounds, San Isidro, Bacon district, Sorsogon City. Aside from being a source of clean and healthy air, Villar says the fruits of the pili trees is a source of income to communities. The senator, chairperson of the Senate committees on agriculture and food and the environment, has been pushing for legislations for agri growth and maintaining a healthy environment.

Senate photo

Majority of Filipinos oppose Charter...

PAGE A1 62 percent or six in 10 Filipinos are against the proposed shift to a federal system of government.

Out of that percentage, 34 percent were opposing it now and in the future and 28 percent were being against it at present but may be open to it in the future.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the lack of information regarding federalism could explain why it is unpopular among Filipinos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For this reason, we cannot expect our people to support an initiative, which they know only little about. There is clearly much work to be done in terms of spreading awareness and knowledge on the aforementioned issue,â&#x20AC;? he said in a statement on Monday, July 16. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will therefore exert even more effort to inform and educate our citizens about federalism since the approval of the proposed changes in our current Charter ultimately lies in the hands of the Filipino people,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The survey was done two weeks before the Consultative

Committee (Concom) submitted its final draft proposal for a federal constitution to President Rodrigo Duterte. â&#x20AC;&#x153;During the period March to June 2018, the overall level of support for charter change now declines (-5 percentage points) while public opposition against it now and in the future becomes more notable (+5 percentage points),â&#x20AC;? Pulse Asia said.

The survey showed big pluralities in Metro Manila (40 percent), the rest of Luzon (40 percent), the Visayas (43 percent), and Class D (38 percent) are not in favor with charter change now and in the future. â&#x20AC;&#x153;About the same percentages of those in Class E either reject it now and in the future (32 percent) or oppose it now but may be supportive of its in the future (30 percent). In Mindanao and Class ABC, nearly the same percentages oppose charter change now but may be open to it in the future (34 percent and 30 percent, respectively), support it now (28 percent and 25 percent, respectively), or reject it now and in the future (26 percent and 38 percent, re-

spectively),â&#x20AC;? Pulse Asia said.

The survey also showed how the support for Charter change now declined among Metro Manilans (-17 percentage points) while opposition became more pronounced in the Visayas (+15 percentage points) and Class E (+12 percentage points). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost seven out of 10 Filipinos (69 percent) have at best a low level of knowledge about the federal system of government that is being proposed by charter change advocates,â&#x20AC;?

Pulse Asia said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From March to June 2018, the only significant change is the increase in the percentage of Metro Manilans with little/almost no/no knowledge at all about the proposed federal system (+15 percentage points) and the consequent decline in the percentage of Metro Manilans with at least enough knowledge about it (-15 percentage points).â&#x20AC;?

It also noted that a small majority of Filipinos (55 percent) report awareness of proposals to change the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charter.

This overall level of awareness is higher than the March 2018 figure (49 percent). n

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 18-20, 2018

A

A july 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN jOuRNAl

Dateline USa

Pacquiao scores first KO win in 9...

PAGE A1 post-fight news conference.

“I’m not done yet. I’m still here. I feel I’m only 27 years old,” he told the media.

The TKO victory was Pacquiao’s first since stopping Miguel Cotto in 2012.

Matthysse, meanwhile, endured his fifth defeat in a 14-year career.

The Argentine never landed any solid punch.

Pacquiao took control right at the opening bell by connecting with powerful unanswered combinations, which he continued in the next round.

On the third round, the Filipino legend caught Matthysse with a left cross and a right straight. Sensing he had the advantage, Pacquiao pressed on with his attacks, ending the fourth round with a solid right. Matthysse was warned for a head butt earlier in the round.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who was in Kuala Lumpur for a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, watched the fight from the ringside. He was accompanied by his son Sebastian, Mahathir and his special assistant, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. Duterte heaped praises on Pacquiao but also urged him to consider hanging up his gloves.

“I’d like to see my friend rest on his laurels at this time and enjoy life,” Duterte told journalists after the bout. “He has so much money already. He can enjoy life.”

“I would like to congratulate Senator Manny Pacquiao for giving us pride and bringing the Filipino nation together once more,” the president said in a statement.

“You have proven time and again that you are not just a public servant, but one of the greatest

boxers of all time.

This win will surely cement, yet again, your position and legacy in boxing’s Hall of Fame. May you continue to inspire Filipinos not only in boxing but also in the public service,” he added.

This is the first time an incumbent president watched Pacquiao fight.

The president’s special aide also sent his regards to Pacquiao, for “showing the whole world the heart, the courage and the skill of the Filipino.”

Cheers, tears Millions of boxing fans across the Philippines erupted in cheers and tears of joy when they saw Pacquiao beat Matthysse.

In the run-up to the fight, Pacquiao was trailed by whispers that he was past his prime and doubts he would be able to best the bigpunching Matthysse, who is four years his junior.

But when Pacquiao’s victory was sealed in the seventh round by knockout, fans around the nation of over 100 million jumped to their feet and roared with joy.

“I was confident he could do it. It’s not about his age,” Christopher Lasala, 39, said in Manila.

“I was so happy when he knocked out Matthysse, I kept clapping. I said I knew Pacquiao would win.”

Flora dela Paz, a life-long boxing fan, had tears streaming down her face as she watched Pacquiao raise his arms in victory.

“I am just so happy. I got goosebumps,” the 68-year-old retired shoemaker said. “He won, he won!”

Pacquiao is idolized by tens of millions of Filipinos after rising from the streets to the pinnacle of boxing.

Known to his countrymen as Pambansang Kamao (The National Fist), Pacquiao was crowned WBA welterweight champion at the age of 39.

To most of the 105 million Filipino population, the winner of an unparalleled eight world championships in different weight divisions is a beloved national symbol and living proof that success is possible with hard work even if you are dirt-poor.

Pacquiao declared a net worth of P2.946 billion pesos ($56.2 million) in 2017 and placed 20th in Forbes’ list last year of the highest-paid athletes of all time with total earnings of $510 million.

He has successfully parlayed his boxing fame into a political career, getting elected to the House of Representatives and then, in 2016, to the Senate.

He admits to having considered running for president someday and many Filipinos are urging him on.

Known for his generosity and common touch, he has given away huge amounts to friends, supporters and to the poor. He is known for accommodating his fans, letting them watch his training sessions.

The 1.66-meter southpaw began his professional ring career as a teenager, and in 23 years has compiled a 60-7-2 win-loss-draw record with 39 knockouts.

In the ring he is a volume power puncher who uses lightning footwork to create angles with which to deliver flurries, the likes of which have felled Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. (With reports from Ralph Villanueva and AFP)

FLOODED. Motorists move slowly as flood rises along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City due to heavy rains brought about by southwest monsoon or “habagat” on Tuesday, July 17.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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

Trump ‘sides’ with Putin on the US investigation...

PAGE A1 face-to-face in a two-hour meeting Helsinki, Finland where Trump contradicted his own country’s intelligence agencies and said there is no definitive reason that would explain Russia’s meddling in the election.

“President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Trump said when asked by reporters at the following news conference.

U.S. intelligence had confirmed that it found evidence that Russia had tampered with the 2016 election with against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton using state-sanctioned cyber warfare and planting fake news stories on social media.

Trump’s suggestion that he sides with Putin on this matter sparked massive backlash at home from lawmakers and experts of all political leanings. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan — who has been criticized for not being tough on Trump — said that the president “must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.”

“There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals,” Ryan said in a statement.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also chimed in, saying in a statement, “No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unabashedly called Trump out in a tweet storm on Monday, saying, “For the president of the United States to side with President Putin against American law enforcement, American defense officials and American intelligence agencies is thoughtless, dangerous and weak.

The president is putting himself over our country.”

Schumer also theorized that “millions of Americans will continue to wonder if the only possible explanation for this dangerous behavior is the possibility that President Putin holds damaging information over President Trump.”

Trump responded to the pushback by tweeting that he has “great confidence in my intelligence people” and that he recognizes “that in order to build a brighter future, we cannot exclu-

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on Monday, July 16 in Helsinki, Finland.

Official White House photo by Shealah Craighea

sively focus on the past - as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, we must get along.”

However, Trump’s sidling toward Putin also adds another ripple on the Justice Department investigation — headed by special counsel Robert Mueller, former FBI director — over whether the Trump presidential campaign had anything to do with Russia’s reported tampering with the election.

In October 2016, a few weeks before the election, the U.S. government publicly confirmed that it was “confident” that Russia “directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.”

A snowball effect ensued after it was revealed that several members of the Trump campaign had met or with Russian officials during the campaign, including a meeting at Trump Tower in New York City between Donald Trump, Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort and Russian officials. (Manafort has been indicted by Mueller, and Trump, Jr. said that the meeting was meant to discuss the adoptions of Russian children

by Americans.)

As Mueller’s team adds more names to the list of indictments, Trump has not been shy in his denouncement of the investigation, frequently insisting that there is “no collusion” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government; he also has

not agreed to be questioned by the investigation.

Just last week, the Justice Department indicted 12 Russians for hacking American emails, data from the Democratic National Committee and voter databases reportedly in order to help the Trump campaign.

Trump reportedly has also suggested shutting the investigation down, prompting Washington lawmakers to try to pass legislation that would prevent him doing so. U.S. Reps Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) were among the first to introduce such a bill, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which is supported by all Democrats and two Republicans in the House.

“If recent days’ shameful spectacles – the ridiculous [Peter] Strzok hearing, and the president’s refusal to confront Putin as the scheming antagonist he is – don’t convince more Republicans to put country over party and sign onto this bill, I truly don’t know what will,” Swalwell said in an op-ed in The Hill. “Meanwhile, as indictments pile up and hearings continue, we’ve seen many targets of the president’s vitriol stand before Congress, raise their right hands, swear their oaths, and tell what they know. President Trump must do the same with Mueller without further delay or obstruction. That’s how to help bring this sordid chapter in our nation’s history to a swift and just close.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJPress)

Filipino-French footballer celebrates World...

PAGE A1

evated to the French senior team skyrocketed. By 2015, he was already called up for Les Bleus and eventually made it to their final roster in the Russia World Cup. “It wasn’t the Azkals he represented in the World Cup but being part of the champion France team in the biggest tournament of all is something to make us Filipinos proud,” said football fan Jona Tamayo in Filipino.

The 6-foot-5 Areola was the third choice keeper behind skipper Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda and didn’t earn his cap in the Russia WC but he’s expected to get his chance in future forays of Les Bleus.

Areola, currently a goalkeeper

for Paris Saint-Germain FC, is one of 18 players in the French team with immigrant background, along with the likes of Paul Pogba from Guinea, Kylian Mbappe from Algeria and Cameroon and Samuel Umtiti from Cameroon.

French Ambassador Nicolas Galey on Monday, July 16, emphasized that France’s victory in the FIFA World Cup, a day after Bastille Day, is a reminder of the power of sports in bringing peoples and cultures together.

“A day after the celebration of the French National Day last July 14, we applaud the victory of the French National Football Team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup after an excellent match against

Croatia, whose team played impressively as well,” Galey said in a statement.

“This triumph, which comes 20 years after winning the championship for the first time in 1998, symbolizes the spirit, unity and also diversity of the French nation, exemplified by athletes such as Alphonse Areola, a young French-Filipino football player,” he added.

“We thank our Filipino friends who fervently cheered alongside our compatriots throughout the competition, and look forward to more occasions to share our passion for sports in the Philippines,” Galey said. (With reports from Pia Lee-Brago/Philstar. com)

The wage gap between rich and poor increases...

PAGE A1 the Asian American community has steadily increased, making the wage gap between rich and poor within the community the largest disparity among other racial and ethnic groups.

A recently released report from Pew Research Center measured the wage gap of the community from 1970 to 2016 and found that Asians in the top 10 percent of income distribution make nearly 10.7 times as much as Asians in the bottom 10 percent. This puts the Asian American community’s disparity at the top before blacks (9.8), whites (7.8) and Hispanics (7.8).

The study’s researchers theorized that immigration patterns are a factor in the Asian American community’s growing wage disparity. Like Latin Americans, immigrants accounted for the spike in the Asian population in the U.S., roughly comprising 81 percent of the growth which experienced a dramatic uptick in the 1990s after the Immigration Act of 1990.

That act allowed migrants from many countries to come to the U.S. by seeking asylum or through family reunification programs, brought over a wide variety of Asian immigrants who varied in education levels, professional skills and incomes.

In terms of average income, the top 10 percent earn a median yearly income of $133,529 while the bottom 10 percent make $12,478 a year on average, according to Pew which used U.S. Census Bureau data to conduct the study.

The report found that, overall, Asians are the highest earning racial and ethnic group in the U.S., with a median annual income at $51,288. But high wag-

Infographic courtesy of Pew Research Center

es are certainly not the reality for many Asians.

As any Asian American knows, the community is generally seen

as a high-earning group, as posited by the broad “model minority myth” which sees all Asians PAGE A7

(818) 502-0651 â&#x20AC;˘ (213) 250-9797 â&#x20AC;˘ http://www.asianjournal.com

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ JULy 18-20, 2018

A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Govâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t may limit number of tourists in Boracay

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

The government is planning to control the number of tourists that can visit Boracay, although the inter-agency task force overseeing the ongoing rehabilitation of the island has not yet determined the number of people that would be allowed once it reopens in October.

This was revealed on Monday, July 16, when an official of the Department of environment and Natural Resources (DeNR) told senators that the research determining the carrying capacity of Boracay Island has yet to be completed during the joint hearing of the Senate Committees on tourism and local government.

The research, which is expected to be completed in August, will determine the capacity of the island, as stated by Bighani Manipula of the DeNRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecosystems Research and Development Bureau. however, according to a 2008 study, the carrying capacity of Boracay Island is only about 35,000, which creates conflict given that the population in the island reaches 60,000 and 110,000 especially during peak season.

Senate Tourism Committee chairperson Sen. Nancy Binay claimed that Boracay has ex-

Policemen and Philippine Navy personnel help government teams and private groups in cleaning up Bolabog Beach on Boracay Island.

Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon

ceeded its capacity, based on initial figures.

According to her, efforts to rehabilitate the island would be put to waste if the government allowed overpopulation in the island.

Interior Undersecretary epimaco Densing III, for his part, said the issue â&#x20AC;&#x153;would be discussed by the task force once the study on the carrying capacity of the island is available.â&#x20AC;?

But Binay is unmoved, saying that the government would be sending out false hopes by announcing Boracay would be open in October when in reality the island cannot accommodate

more visitors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You are saying by October 29 Boracay will be operational but apparently because of the carrying capacity it is possible that Boracay is not yet ready to accommodate tourists,â&#x20AC;? Binay told Densing.

Densing insisted that the task force will come up with a mechanism to manage the number of tourists allowed to visit the island to prevent overcrowding once data becomes available.

Another hearing is set to be conducted by the committee before the reopening of Boracay to check on the progress of its rehabilitation. n

CBCP calls for peace, sobriety amid conflict with Duterte by edu

Punay Philstar.com

MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The pastoral exhortation of the Catholic Bishopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that called for peace and sobriety among the faithful amid the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conflict with President Duterte was read during masses in churches in Metro Manila over the weekend.

The letter issued by CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles after their 117th plenary assembly last week was read in all parishes upon the request of Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of the Archdiocese of Manila.

The letter urged Filipino Catholics â&#x20AC;&#x153;to remain steadfast in our common vocation and mission to actively work for peace... in these times of darkness, when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

so much hatred and violence, when murder has become an almost daily occurrence, when people have gotten so used to exchanging insults and hurting words in the social media.â&#x20AC;?

It was also read in anticipated masses last Saturday, July 14, and in regular masses on Sunday, July 15.

The archdiocese, in a circular issued by its chancellor Fr. Reginald Malicdem on July 11, asked all parish priests, rectors and chaplains to read the CBCP letter during the masses.

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of CBCP public affairs committee, said the letter was also read in other churches nationwide upon discretion of bishops in their dioceses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bishops thought that Filipinos should know the stand

of the Church on issues besetting the country today,â&#x20AC;? he explained.

The CBCP issues a pastoral statement every year at the conclusion of its plenary assembly.

The statements of the bishops serve as guidance to priests as well as the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flock, but they were previously not read in masses.

In the two-page â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rejoice and Be Gladâ&#x20AC;? pastoral exhortation, CBCP called for peace and sobriety amid its conflict with President Duterte.

The bishops stressed that the Church and the faithful should not counter the attacks hurled against it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vengeance is never the way of Christ. It is not the way of Jesus to return evil for evil; no, we PAGE A7

LUNGSOD NG BREA 3$81$:$ 6$ (/(.6<21

ANG PAUNAWANG ITO AY IBINIBIGAY upang ipaalam na ang isang Pangkalahatang Halalang Munisipal ay gaganapin sa Lungsod ng Brea, CA sa Martes, Nobyembre 6, 2018, para sa mga sumusunod na Opisyal Â&#x2021; 7DWORQJ 0L\HPEUR QJ .RQVHKR QJ /XQJVRG SDUD VD LVDQJ EXRQJ WHUPLQR QJ DSDW QD WDRQ Ang panahon ng nominasyon para sa mga opisyal na ito ay magsisimula sa Hulyo 16, 2018, at magsasara sa Agosto 10, 2018, sa ika-5:00 ng hapon. .XQJ DQJ LVDQJ NDVDOXNX\DQJ QDQXQXQJNXODQ QD RSLV\DO QJ /XQJVRG D\ KLQGL PDJELJD\ QJ PJD SDSHO QJ QRPLQDV\RQ VD $JRVWR DQJ LND DUDZ EDJR DQJ KDODODQ PDJNDNDURRQ DQJ PJD ERWDQWH QJ KDQJJDQJ VD LND DUDZ EDJR DQJ KDODODQ VD $JRVWR VD LND QJ KDSRQ XSDQJ PDJPXQJNDKL QJ PJD NDQGLGDWR PDOLEDQ VD PJD kasalukuyang nanunungkulan para sa opisina ng elektibo ng kasalukuyang nanunungkulan. Ang extension na ito ay gagamitin lamang sa mga opisina kung saan ang kasalukuyang nanunungkulan ay karapat-dapat na ihalal. .XQJ ZDODQJ VLQXPDQ R LVD ODPDQJ DQJ KLQLUDQJ SDUD VD LVDQJ HOHNWLER QD WDQJJDSDQ DQJ SDJKLUDQJ VD HOHNWLER QD RSLVLQD D\ PDDDULQJ JDZLQ WXODG QJ LQLXWRV VD 6HNV\RQ QJ .RGLJR VD (OHNV\RQ QJ &DOLIRUQLD Bukas ang mga botohan sa pagitan ng ika-7:00 ng umaga at ika-8:00 ng hapon.

Petsa: July 5, 2018

LUNGSOD NG BREA Lillian Harris-Neal Clerk ng Lungsod

SUPPORTING STATEMENT. Relatives of alleged Dengvaxia victims subscribe to their affidavit before state prosecutors during the preliminary hearing of the complaint filed against former government officials in connection with the implementation of the anti-dengue vaccination program.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

NBI files malversation raps vs Aquino, 18 others over P3.5-B Dengvaxia mess The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has asked Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to file technical malversation and graft-related charges against former president Benigno Aquino 3rd and 18 other government officials over the nationwide implementation of the P3.5 billion dengue immunization project that was later deemed unsafe.

Aside from Aquino, former health secretaries Janette Garin and Paulyn Ubial, former Budget secretary Florencio â&#x20AC;&#x153;Butchâ&#x20AC;? Abad and 15 others were also included in the complaint that was filed on July 13 but released to reporters only on Monday.

The NBI said that Aquino approved the realignment and eventual release of P3.5 billion budget for Dengvaxia, the anti-dengue vaccine, on December 29, 2015 from the Miscellaneous and Personnel Benefits Fund based on Garin and Abadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendations.

The NBI said that realigning the MPBF fund was illegal since the immunization project was not provided under the 2015 national budget and the vaccine procured even if its manufacturer, French firm Sanofi Pasteur, had not secured a certificate of product registration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is technical malversa-

tion because government funds amounting to P3 billion intended for the 2015 Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund (MPBF) of the executive Department was utilized for the procurement of Dengvaxia under the health departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school-based immunization program. Although the

source of fund was declared as savings by the Chief executive, its intended purpose failed as there is no existing program, activity or project for dengue procurement and immunization,â&#x20AC;? the NBI said in its 55-page complaint.

Under the law, the crime of PAGE A7

A6 JULY 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

O PINION Full steam ahead

FEATURES

INSTEAD of talking about no elections in 2019, authorities must begin preparing in earnest for the midterm polls in May. With less than 10 months to go, preparations should be going full steam to ensure that the elections will be as peaceful, orderly and credible as possible.

Local races are particularly violent in this country. With law enforcers’ poor record of solving crimes, murder has become a favored method of permanently eliminating political rivals. The campaign against illegal drugs and other crimes could raise the level of violence in the upcoming elections.

Already, two mayors and two vice mayors have been assassinated in different parts of the country in less than a month. While police saw no link among the attacks, the cases do not bode well for peaceful elections in 2019. Security agencies must draw up measures to prevent violence from escalating in an election year.

The Commission on Elections, meanwhile, now has a complete bench following the appointment of former justice undersecretary Antonio Kho Jr. to fill the seat vacated by Sheriff Abas who has been promoted to Comelec chairman. Kho, a fraternity brother of President Duterte in San Beda Law’s Lex Talionis, will serve in the Comelec un-

til Feb. 2, 2022.

There are so many matters to attend to in ensuring honest, orderly and peaceful elections.

The Comelec can now proceed at full speed in working for this objective, without being sidetracked by the noise over Charter change and the proposed shift to a federal system of government.

It won’t be long before the Comelec becomes busy accepting the certificates of candidates for local government posts, the seats in the House of Representatives and the 12 slots up for grabs in the Senate. Voters’ lists must be cleaned up together with the automated voting process.

Campaign financing must be monitored, even within the Comelec’s limited capabilities, especially because of the administration’s concern about the rise of narco politics. There’s a lot of work ahead and those tasked to make the preparations must leave no room for distractions.

(Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Trump goes on damage control after choosing to side with Putin over the US intelligence community on Russia’s interference in 2016 election READING from a script, President DonThe Fil-Am ald Trump attempted to clean up the mess Perspective he created during the joint press conference with Russia President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland on Mon- GEL SANTOS-RELOS day, July 16. This follows intense criticism from Republicans, Democrats, and our allies in the international community when Trump said he believed Putin’s denial over the findings of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to damage Hillary Clinton and help Trump win.

Trump’s critics say he failed in his duty as president to protect the United States from Putin’s Russia, despite evidence proving this foreign adversary meddled in our elections through cyber warfare, hacked our power grid, hacked

the state election websites stealing personal information of more than 500,000 voters, etc.

The transcript of the press conference stated: “I have great confidence in my intelligence people. But, I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”

Trump said in a news conference that he “misspoke” and had to clarify what he said, claiming “In a key sentence in my remarks, I said ‘would’ instead of ‘wouldn’t.’ The sentence should have been, ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.’ You can put that in.”

He added, “I think that probably clari-

fies it.”

The president affirmed that he believes, supports and has faith in the U.S. intelligence agencies, but continued on to say the meddling could also have been done by “others” — an attempt to water down Russia’s culpability, and is an assertion that is not part of the 65-page detailed report about Russia’s meddling that resulted in the indictment of 12 top ranking Russian officials, in addition to others previously indicted in the probe that is still ongoing.

While Trump’s ever-loyal fan base may believe this alibi, all his other statements prior to the summit when he already got the intelligence report days before it was made public, and during the summit with Putin, would negate such defense.

Trump continued to call the Mueller investigation a “witch hunt,” blamed the Russia probe as the reason for the strained U.S.-Russia relationship, and

accused past administrations, the Democratic National Committee, and the U.S. intelligence agency for and of the hacking. He pointed the finger at everyone else except Vladimir Putin and Russia.

During the news conference, Trump had all the opportunity to bring out that issue of Russia’s assault in our democracy and make Putin accountable, but he did NOT. He had the opportunity to ask Putin about his government’s culpability in Crimea and Ukraine, but he did NOT. Instead, he stood there with Putin, side by side, and hailed the Russian dictator — the adversary of the United States and the free world — for his strength and power.

How could Trump even be successful in working toward peace and healing as he professed were his goals in meeting with Putin without addressing these issues with transparency? And why did he have to attack our allies calling them our

“foes,” and our intelligence agencies while being meek as a lamb with Putin?

No wonder Russia was celebrating after the summit, because he just gave Putin all that he wanted without being made accountable for Russia’s transgressions against the United States and other parts of the world.

The bigger concern is this: what really transpired between the private meeting between Trump and Putin with only their interpreters with them? Why the secrecy? Many worry that Trump could have made concessions to Putin, otherwise why did the president of the United States choose NOT to be transparent?

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

In Pacquiao, the phoenix rises

Commentary

MA. LOURDES TIQUIA “I’M still here,” Pacquiao said.

“Sometimes you just need to rest and get it back, and that’s what I did.”

And just like the legendary bird, Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, rose from the ashes and soared and converted what some said would be a collective ridicule to a strong finish. Pacquiao took another crown and showed to the world that the legendary fighter will see greater days ahead. In convincing fashion, Pacquiao redefined himself sans a corner wanting in his last fight against Jeff Horn in the Battle of Brisbane. Without Freddie Roach in his corner, Pacquiao willed and trained by his lonesome with his all Filipino crew.

“Roach trained Pacquiao (39-4, 36 KOs) for 15 years, helping the Filipino become one of boxing’s most accomplished fighters and one of its biggest drawEdit Edit date and times.”

That Pacquiao was also producer and fighter of his recent fight against Lucas Matthysee didn’t sit well with the old guards of the boxing world. He was joined by a new promotions team along with trainers Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez and Raides “Nonoy” Neri. “Pacquiao, once viewed as one of the most ferocious punchers in the sport, had not knocked out an opponent since his tour de force against Miguel Cotto, whom he knocked out in the 12th round to win a welterweight world title for the first time in November 2009,

a fight many view as the peak of his career. It had been 13 consecutive fights since he had won by knockout, a stretch in which he went 9-4.”

Pacquiao united all Filipinos in victory and defeat. Pacquiao has also shown the world that a poor boy from GenSan in Mindanao can capture their hearts and minds, and excel in a sport of pure brute force. Pacquiao redefined boxing. He evolved, and the world watched by seeing the only senator in the ring to come back and staged a stunning win with a TKO after nine years. Pacquiao had lost four of his last 13 fights after the Cotto conquest.

His power was present, speed reduced but Pacquiao was more guarded and methodical.

That the game was done in Malaysia augurs well for Pacquiao and Asean. The man has brought boxing to Australia and now, Malaysia. Here’s hoping his next fight will be in the continent thereby bringing boxing and the Pacquiao brand to Asia more than the wheelers and dealers of Nevada.

The story of Pacquiao is the story of the Philippines. His is the story of those in the 22 percent poverty line. In a country controlled by only 40 families, Pacquiao was a disruptor. He became part of Manila’s socalled elite, who welcomed him grudgingly. Masking a sneer, Pacquiao, after a worldly bout, found solace with his god and has since chosen the path of service. Still the milking cow of many, Pacquiao maintained his own stubbornness on how to do things. His was a lone voice ridiculed by critics as not knowing a thing or two in being rich and classy or being a senator. He is just a boxer who was lucky, as

President Rodrigo Duterte strikes his signature pose with Sec. Bong Go of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Jinkee Pacquiao, Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao and Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad prior to the Senator’s World Boxing Association (WBA) Welterweight title fight at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, July 15. Pacquiao went on to win the WBA Welterweight title after knocking out Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

some would put it. But the poor Manny towers over them all today. He has the money, the public adulation and support, and he is an elected public official.

In all these steps, he did it by himself, his way. And Pacquiao in the Senate is like talking to power, a big punch for Juan dela Cruz against all that has put him down.

And this is where a lot of people can’t believe what Pacquiao has accomplished. Pacquiao’s story is a nation’s story. From the ashes, the Philippines is finding its path to rebirth. Not easy, quite divisive, but willed by collective hands that, despite the noise, will see better days

ahead.

Just like Duterte who continues to be ridiculed and laughed at two years in office, he plods on. Imagine a church hitting a duly elected president with a frame that he was just elected by 16 million and 34 million did not, and that he was not elected by their god. What kind of church promotes such divisiveness? And they want the separation to be crystal clear? Imagine various sectors consistently plotting for two years to remove a duly elected leader. Imagine a so-called opposition hitting the Duterte administration on purely personal matters, not offering any program or recommending

solutions to national problems?

And they blame the Train Law for inflation when clearly the law put money on taxpayers’ hands, increasing dispositive income?

Is the country so condemned to greedy individuals who, in the guise of protecting and defending democracy, erode its very core? We will be hitting the three years of the Duterte administration and more and more the greedy ones will try to unseat him with their one-two punch — mainstream media and destructive politics. It does not make things any better what with a rowdy Duterte crowd not being able to take the high ground. It seems gutter politics

is the vogue these days. But if Duterte hits its stride with the Build, Build, Build program and at a historical high of 80 percent approval and trust ratings, able to pursue its legislative and legacy agenda, it would be very hard to oust the man from Mindanao.

Critics saw a ghost when Pacquiao entered the ring but after the stunning rounds, the ghost became the phoenix rising. “In order to rise from its ashes, a phoenix first must burn.” And as we burn as a nation, “hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of shattered dreams.” We will prevail, and it will be a better Philippines. (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.

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Boulevard Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office: 2nd Floor Units D&E, Fort Palm Springs 30th St., Cor 1st Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858

Northern California: New Jersey office: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Jersey City, NJ 07311 Tel: (212)655-5426 • Fax: (818)502-0858 Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

DING CARREON Videographer

ANDY TECSON Photographer

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome.

Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please call the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 18-20, 2018

A

Heart disease, diabetes top PH killers

by Ed

VElasco ManilaTimes.net

NON-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart ailments and diabetes accounted for 68 percent of deaths in the Philippines since 2012 due to poor lifestyle, heavy smoking and alcohol consumption, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

Speaking at the opening day of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-sponsored Innovations and Actions against NCDs forum, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo described the dilemma as “disturbing” because many

NCD-related deaths are sudden, thus causing severe pain to family members.

The top killers are heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and aneurysm.

Domingo said 68 percent of deaths in the country from 2012 to 2017 are related to these diseases. He said that based on Noncommunicable Diseases Progress Monitor 2017, 29 percent of the country’s 105 million population will not reach the age of 70 because of unhealthy lifestyle.

“The rising cases is also attrib-

uted to too much consumption of salt, rice and sugar,” Domingo said.

Unhealthy lifestyle, which is characterized by lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption, is one of the triggers of these diseases, he added.

In the entire Southeast Asia, NCD-related deaths reached 7.9 million in 2015, Domingo said.

The official said the DoH is trying its best to help Filipinos combat NCDs through health financing, health service delivery, health regulation and good governance. n

‘Only Sinophobes will find China ship docking objectionable’ MALACAÑANG on Tuesday, July 17, said only those afflicted with Sinophobia would find the “routine” docking of a Chinese survey ship in Davao City questionable.

The dictionary defines “Sinophobia” as a fear or dislike of China, or the Chinese people and their language or culture.

In a statement, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said any country that is friendly with the Philippines may dock as it pleases.

“All ships from countries with whom the Philippines maintains friendly ties may dock at our ports. Chinese survey ships, just like U.S. warships, may dock at our ports,” Roque added.

“Only those afflicted with Sinophobia will find the routine incident objectionable,” he said.

The Philippine military on Tuesday confirmed that the Chinese vessel docked in Davao City, the

hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Commander Jonathan Zata, Navy spokesman, said the Chinese ship arrived in Davao City at 8:14 p.m. on Monday, July 16.

“They are here for a replenishment as granted by the diplomatic clearance issued by higher authorities. This is a routine ship visit similar to any foreign ship wishing to call on our ports,” Zata told reporters in a text message.

“It’s completely routine, nothing unusual about the visit,” he said.

Before this, two Chinese aircraft landed in Davao City to refuel.

Malacañang downplayed the landing, saying it sees no problem with it.

“No problem with that for as long as they [Chinese] procure all permits,” Roque said in a text message on June 24 after the second Chinese plane landed in the city.

PAGE A4 as extremely studious and financially successful.

While that may be a goal for some Asian Americans, that narrative erases the reality of many Asian Americans and their families, many of whom live below the myth’s expectations, according to the researchers of this study.

“Asians are often pictured as the highest achieving group in America, but Asians are actually the most economically divided or diverse group,” Pew researcher Rakesh Kochhar told the Huffington Post.

In terms of economic disparities within the Asian American community, the model minority myth erases the specific concerns of disadvantaged Asians in America and renders them invisible in the broader issue of income inequality, according to Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director for Asian American Federation.

In New York City, for example, Asian Americans have the highest poverty rate at about 26.6 percent but public resources specifically tailored for struggling Asians are scarce, according to NYC Center for Economic Opportunity.

“The model minority myth chooses to highlight the successful immigrant examples and brush aside the high rates of poverty,” Yoo told HuffPost in 2017. “The myth assumes that we somehow have the capacity

to work ourselves out of poverty without any help.”

Now organizations are working to dispel the model minority myth by showcasing the diversity of the Asian American community.

The Los Angeles-based legal and civil rights organization Asian Americans Advancing Justice this year has delivered comprehensive and intersectional dives into the Asian communities in Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley by aggregating data on income, English proficiency, education and a wide variety of issues.

As reported in the Asian Journal, Advancing Justice hopes that efforts like this to dispel the myth that the Asian American community is prosperous across the board and will generate public programs and legislation to help uplift this underrepresented sect of the Asian American community.

“Asian Americans are the most immigrant of any major racial group, be it in the San Gabriel Valley, be it the state of California, be it nationally,” Dan Ichinose, director of the Demographic Research Project at Advancing Justice-LA, said at a media event in February. “These data consistently show that immigration policy isn’t just something that affects Latinos; it is something that affects Asian American communities in a really significant way.”

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

The wage gap between rich...

CBCP calls for peace, sobriety amid...

PAGE A5 can conquer evil only with good (Romans 12:21). Up to the last moment of his breath, he had nothing but words of mercy towards his tormentors, ‘Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do (Lk 23:34)’,” read the CBCP letter.

But the bishops drew the line and would not compromise when it comes to the core teachings of the Church.

The CBCP president also gave assurance that they recognize the constitutional provision on the separation of church and state and explained that, “When we speak out on certain issues, it is always from the perspective of faith and morals, especially the principles of social justice, never within any political or ideological agenda in mind.”

“For the stupidity of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength,” Valles quoted the apostle Paul.

To those who were angered by the insulting statements made by people in authority, CBCP said vengeance is never the way of Jesus Christ.

The bishops also denied insinuations that they are involved

in destabilizing the government.

“Our concern is never the establishment of any earthly kingdoms.

Worldly kingdoms come and go.

We work only for God’s kingdom which is beyond this world – so that we can start learning to live life ‘on earth as it is in heaven’.”

The CBCP also clarified that they do not regard humans as their enemies, since their battleground is spiritual.

“Our enemies in this world are not fellow human beings…

We do not fight our battles with guns and bullets. We do not seek protection from those who might wish to harm us by wearing bullet-proof vests, because the battles that we fight are spiritual,” it said.

The bishops recalled that even the Savior Jesus Christ suffered and was called crazy or “prince of demons” because he did not compromise with evil. “His peace is never the peace of compromise or capitulation of evil; it is also not about the absence of conflict and turmoil.”

Meanwhile, the CBCP also asked Catholics to observe a three-day prayer, fasting and almsgiving from July 17 to 19 and ask for God’s mercy for those who blasphemed God’s name. n

NBI files malversation raps...

PAGE A5 technical malversation is committed when a public officer applies public funds under his administration not for his or another’s personal use, but to a public use other than that for which the fund was appropriated by law or ordinance.

“MPBF may only be obligated and disbursed before the end of the validity of appropriations on

December 31, 2015. Hence, its release in 2016 is unlawful,” the NBI said.

The NBI also accused Aquino, Garin and Abad of allegedly conspiring with government officials and Sanofi executives since the budget for Dengvaxia has been released before it was listed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Llanesca Panti/ManilaTimes.net)

“[The second landing is the] same as [the]first [landing]. Refueling stop. All licenses, permits and protocols issued and observed,” he added.

Duterte has taken a visibly softer stance in disputes against China compared to his predecessor Benigno Aquino 3rd, despite Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

The United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration threw out China’s “nine-dash claim” to the entire West Philippine Sea in a ruling in The Hague on July 12, 2016.

The ruling also declared that Filipino fishermen should enjoy fishing rights at the Panatag Shoal and that the Spratly Islands, as well as the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal and Recto Bank are all within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. (ManilaTimes.net)

ON THEIR TOES. Policemen question motorists in Quezon City as the Philippine National Police started implementing its Oplan Sita. The PNP increased police visibility more than a week before President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

SC reprimands Sereno for remarks vs justices The Supreme Court voted to reprimand ousted chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for her public pronouncements against her former colleagues while the quo warranto case was still pending in court.

“The court, acting on the show-cause order contained in its May 11, 2018 decision, reprimanded the respondent with a stern warning that a repetition of the same act will merit a heavier penalty,” SC spokesperson Theodore Te said in a media briefing Tuesday, July 17.

The high tribunal on May 11 issued a show-cause order against

Sereno over her alleged violations of the Code of Professional Responsibility and the Code of Judicial Conduct for transgressing the sub judice rule—a prohibition on public discussion of an ongoing case.

It was issued when the SC ordered the former chief magistrate’s removal from office and voided her appointment to the top judicial post.

In her compliance filed last June, Sereno asked the high court not to penalize her as she did not violate any rule.

She claimed the statements she made publicly were in response

to attacks against her, arguing that she “cannot reasonably be expected to keep her silence despite vigorous assaults on her integrity.”

Sereno added that she was denied her right to be heard by an objective and impartial tribunal when the six justices participated in the proceedings against her.

Sereno, in several of her public remarks, had accused Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires of showing bias against her. (Gaea Katreena Cabico/Philstar.com)

A july 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN jOuRNAl

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

BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

(818) 502-0651 â&#x20AC;˘ (213) 250-9797 â&#x20AC;˘ http://www.asianjournal.com

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ JULY 18-20, 2018

B

A closer look at the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;darlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Philippine economy by ian

nicolas cigaRal Philstar.com

IN an attempt to fire back at Vice President Leni Robredo, who advised President Rodrigo Duterte to pay attention to the economy instead of hurling tirades against her or God, presidential spokesman Harry Roque claimed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;all economies in the world will agree that we are a darling economy.â&#x20AC;?

The Philippine economy has, in fact, enjoyed uninterrupted growth for the past quarters, thanks to benign inflation in the previous years that had given the central bank enough room to keep interest rates low.

But some economists recently flagged some concerns that might dent the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bullish growth story.

To supercharge economic

To supercharge economic growth, the Duterte administration plans to spend more than P8 trillion for the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dilapidated infrastructure and aging ports.

Presidential photo by Toto Lozano

growth, the Duterte administration plans to spend more than P8 trillion to upgrade the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dilapidated infrastructure and aging ports.

In the first quarter of 2018, the Philippines remained one of the best performing economies in the region after it grew

u PAGE B3

Farm tourism taking root in PH by linda

B. Bolido Inquirer.net

THE Philippines hopes to boost farm tourism as it hosts the Global Farm Tourism Summit on July 17-19 at the Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City.

Dr. Mina T. Gabor, president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), said the event would be an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences among the countries, as well as local delegates, participating in the international conference.

Initatives She would particularly want to see more local government officials participate so they could learn from their colleagues, who had successfully pursued farm tourism, how the initiative was helping their communities and how it could be adopted in other places.

The former tourism secretary said more Filipino farmers were becoming interested

ISST president Dr. Mina T. Gabor File photo by Inquirer

in developing their farms into tourist destinations to supplement their income from crop production.

Demand for this kind of travel program was growing, she said.

The idea of organized farm visits was boosted significantly when they decided to call it farm tourism instead of the old agritourism, she said.

With incentives and other forms of support being extended under the Farm Tourism Development Act, more farmers were opening up their land to visitors.

u PAGE B4

World Bank keeps 6.7% growth forecast for Philippines In a statement issued Friday, July 13, the financing institution said it expects increased public investments due to higher public capital outlays and infrastructure spending.

Photo by Miguel de Guzman/Philstar by czeRiza

Valencia Philstar.com

THE World Bank is maintaining its growth projection of 6.7 percent for the Philippines this year and in 2019 as it sees the economy being driven by strong consumption.

In a statement issued Friday, July 13, the financing institution said it expects increased public investments due to higher public capital outlays and infrastructure spending.

It also expects private consumption to expand by 5.9 percent this year, further strengthening by 6.2 percent in 2019.

The World Bank said real GDP growth is expected to accelerate toward the end of 2018 into the first half of 2019 due to spending related to the 2019 senatorial elections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to carry out its investment spending agenda will determine if the Philippines can achieve its growth target of 6.5-7.5 percent over the medium term,â&#x20AC;? said Birgit Hansl, World Bank lead economist for the Philippines. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition, higher private investment levels will be critical to sustain the economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth momentum as capacity constraints become more binding,â&#x20AC;? she added.

In its June 2018 Global Economic Pros-

pects report, the bank also cautioned the country to be vigilant of the economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity to service rising demand to stave off inflationary pressures.

The bank also warned that Philippine exports are projected to moderate in the coming years as global growth is expected to decelerate because of a confluence of factors including higher commodity prices, strong but gradually moderating global demand, and tightening of global financing conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Uncertainty around global growth conditions has risen, with the possibility of trade and other policy shocks emerging from major economies,â&#x20AC;? said the bank. n

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Grabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth in PH slowest among neighborsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

by Reicelene Joy ignacio Manilatimes.net

GRABâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S growth in the Philippines is the slowest among the Southeast Asian countries it invested in, the transport network companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (TNC) chief said late last week.

In an interview, Grab Philippines Country Head Brian Cu blamed the slow growth on overregulation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can we grow? We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add cars,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Despite this, the Grab official said the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial backers still believe in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential and continue to invest, as shown by the recent launch of GrabFood

and GrabPay, its food-delivery and mobile wallet apps, respectively.

His remarks came after Grab reported a total comprehensive loss of P2.91 billion last year and P1.56 billion in 2016.

These also came after Cu said Grab drivers lost the urge to drive after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) ordered the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s P2per-minute charge on rides to be removed, causing their income to drop.

The board also imposed a P10-million fine on the company over that charge, which it said was not authorized.

According to Cu, the P2-per-minute charge was presented to the LTFRB in a

technical working group, and that Chairman Martin Delgra 3rdâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who later signed the order imposing the fineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;was present during its meetings and did not object to it.

Delgra had said the fact Grab informed the board of the formerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to impose that charge did not mean the agency had agreed to it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If they thought that the P2 is wrong in the first place, they should have come after us a week after they have found out,â&#x20AC;? Cu said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to file [a]motion for reconsideration on that decision,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The Grab Philippines chief also said his company was seeking to make another acquisition outside the TNC market, but did not disclose the name of the company or industry. n

Pilgrimage to Some of ITALYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Highlights and Miracles of the Eucharist 6SLULWXDO 'LUHFWRU 5(9 -2(/ %8*$6 ĹĄ 1RYHPEHU WR 1RYHPEHU 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 0RQ Ĺ&#x; 86$ 520( 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7XHV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH Upon our arrival in Rome, our Tour Escort will welcome us to Italy. Rome is the heart, home and the spiritual capital of over one billion Catholics all over the world. After a short panoramic orientation of this Eternal City to us Roman Catholics, we will have our dinner and overnight rest at this great ancient City.

DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY :HG Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 3DSDO $XGLHQFH 5RPH This morning before we continue with our tour, we will have a Papal Audience.

Then after, we will visit the famous Coliseum and see the Forum, the Trevi Fountain 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 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6XQ Ĺ&#x; 6DQ *LRYDQQL 5RWRQGR /DQFLDQR /RUHWR stop in Trevi Fountain, before heading to our Hotel. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D) MASS AND BREAKFAST. We arrive at Lanciano, famous for the Miracle of the Eucharist. Near the Piazza Plebiscito, the Miracle is inside the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle. The miracle took place during the 8th century when a Basiline monk doubted the Real Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist. He found himself holding the host that had changed into Real Flesh and the Wine on the altar had changed into Real Blood. We continue our pilgrimage to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to see the famous sacred home of the most Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Since 1294 the holy home has been located inside the Basilica of Loreto. Celebrate Holy Eucharist in Lanciano. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN Assisi.

'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 0RQ Ĺ&#x; /RUHWR $VVLVL 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH %DVLOLFDV Today we explore the hilltop birthplace of St Francis of Assisi. In the We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, Crypt of St Francis Basilica lies the tomb of one of the most humble and and even ancient Greek and Roman artists. the largest church in Roman Catholicism, St. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basilica. Holy Eucharist beloved Saints of all times, St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Eucharist at the at ST Mary Major, Followed by visit of the Basilica. We continue to visit the rest of the major Basilicas within the walls of Crypt of St. Francis See the Basilica of St Clare, with her incorrupt body, Rome, and St. John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Wall. We will also pray at the Scala Santa or the Holy Stairs. St. Helena and the little Church of St. Damiano and its CruciďŹ x from which Jesus spoke to Francis about his mission in 1206: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go, transported the steps from Jerusalem; the same steps that Christ ascended to receive Pilateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unjust condemnation.

Francis, and rebuild my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.â&#x20AC;? We visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME located in the lower plains of Assisi, and the place where the miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi took place in 1240. The (BB,D) small Church of the Porziuncola is inside the Basilica itself. Pope Honorius III granted a plenary indulgence for those 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY )UL

entering this humble Church on August 1st and 2nd every year, with Confession, reception of the Eucharist and no Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 6DQ *LRYDQQL attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) 5RWRQGR 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7XHV Ĺ&#x; $VVLVL 6LHQD 2018 is the 100th Anniversary of the )ORUHQFH stigmatization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year. San Giovanni We will spend half day in Siena. Begin in the old town center with Rotondo, the home of St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July, 1916 until his death on 23 a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, September, 1968. Enjoy the drive going to San Giovanni, after we check in our Hotel. vWe it is a treasure chest of the Renaissance art and dedicated to St visit the Shrines of St Padre Pio of Pietralcina as well as the places associated with Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history while him, such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace that contains his tomb. Here, we spend some admiring itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will time meditating, see his room, his confessional box and the cruciďŹ x that gave him his admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Celebrate Holy Eucharist (Hotel Gran Paradiso) DINNER medieval squares. Continue to Florence. (BB,D) We start with a guided walking tour of Florence, this fascinating city AND OVERNIGHT IN San Giovanni Rotondo (BB,D) with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giottoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist. Rest 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6DW Ĺ&#x; 6$1 *,29$11, 52721'2 of the day free (BB,D) This Morning we visit the new and Modern Basilica of St Padre Pio, See his uncorrupt 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY :HG Ĺ&#x; )ORUHQFH 5RPH body. Celebrate Holy Eucharist Leave Florence around 2PM Arrived Rome almost dinner time (BB.D) Spend some time meditating in this awesome Basilica. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN SAN 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 86$ GIOVANNI ROTONDO (Hotel Gran Paradiso) 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

B JULY 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

NBI help sought vs fake peso bills on social media

by DaxiM

l. lUCas

Inquirer.net

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to search for individuals or groups that have been maliciously posting photos of defaced Philippine currencies on social media.

In a statement, the central bank said the move was in connection with recent online and social media posts that contained fictitious Philippine currencies.

“The NBI has also been requested to look into the identities of those who have initiated the circulation of ‘fake news’ to deceive the public or generate entertainment from manipulated images of Philippine bank notes and coins on social media or any website on the internet,” it said.

The BSP, under the New Central Bank Act, has the sole power to issue currency within the Philippines.

Section 50 of the law states that: “No other person or entity, public or private, may put into circulation notes, coins or any other object or document which, in the opinion of the Monetary Board, might circulate as currency, nor reproduce or imitate the facsimiles of Bangko Sentral notes without prior authority from the Bangko Sentral.”

The central bank is likewise vested with police authority to investigate, make arrests, and conduct searches and seizures in accordance with the law, for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the currency.

The move comes after a Facebook page began circulating last month pictures of what was purportedly the new P10,000 bill supposedly released recently by the BSP, something authorities quickly denied.

A Facebook page called “Filipino Secret Files” has over 126,000 followers, of whom over 121,000 have acknowledged or approved of the site’s posts by

clicking “like” on them.

The BSP reacted to the misleading information after the item was shared on Facebook thousands of times in the hours following its publication.

In a statement, BSP advised the public that its New Generation Currency banknote series currently in circulation is made up of only six denominations only, namely the 1000-, 500, 200-, 100-, 50- and 20-Piso banknotes.

“The BSP has not produced and has not issued a 10,000Piso NGC banknote,” the central bank said a day after the fake news post went viral.

Information on Philippine banknotes and coins including official press releases and advisories may be accessed through the BSP website www.bsp.gov. ph or through the BSP’s official social media accounts on Facebook BangkoSentralngPilipinas, Instagram BangkoSentral, Twitter @BangkoSentral or YouTube Bangko Sentral. n

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

1. Form 8938 Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets: U.S. taxpayers holding financial assets outside the United States must report those assets to the IRS on Form 8938.

There is penalty for not reporting financial assets. This is in addition to FinCEN Form 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) (formerly TD F 90-22.1), in addition to Form 8938.

2. FATCA and foreign financial institutions: FATCA may require foreign financial institutions to report directly to the IRS information about financial accounts held by U.S. taxpayers or by foreign entities in which U.S. taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest. These institutions include banks, investment entities, brokers, and certain insurance companies and certain non-financial foreign entities may have to report of their U.S. owners.

3. Outside of U.S. new account

What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA set up: Foreign financial institution may ask you for information about your citizenship.

4. Service Account Holders: If you are mainly maintaining a service account, FATCA provides special reporting requirements of U.S. account holders of some financial institutions that do not solicit business outside their country of organization.

5. Threshold: The threshold varies depending on your filing status or if you live abroad.

6. Outside of U.S.: You are live abroad if you are a U.S. citizen whose tax home is in a foreign country and you have been present in a foreign country or countries for at least 330 days out of a consecutive 12-month period.

7. Single or married filing separate: You must submit a Form 8938 if you have more than $200,000 of specified foreign financial assets at the end of the year and you live abroad; or more than $50,000, if you live

in the United States.

8. Married filing joint income tax return or live abroad: You must submit a Form 8938 if you have more than $400,000 of specified foreign financial assets at the end of the year and you live abroad; or more than $100,000, if you live in the United States.

9. Exception: 1) If you are not required to file a U.S. income tax return for certain year then you do not have to file Form 8938. 2) If you report interests in foreign entities and certain foreign gifts, you may just list the submitted forms on Form 8938 without the details. *** Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid taxrelated penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provides accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

Cash remittances to stay positive – HSBC

by Mayvelin

U. Carballo Manilatimes.net

BANKING giant HSBC believes that cash transfers by Filipinos working abroad are gaining momentum as growth was likely sustained in May. “We expect remittances to rise 7.5 percent month-on-month and 9.2 percent year-on-year in May as overseas transfers begin to recover after a slow start to the year,” HSBC said in a report released over the weekend.

HSBC’s forecast is higher than the 5.5 percent recorded a year earlier but lower than the April’s 12.7-percent expansion in cash remittances, to $2.347 billion, that was a rebound from March’s

9.8-percent decline.

“Remittances growth has been robust across regions with the exception of the Middle East, where remittances have declined on a yearly basis since the beginning of the year due partly to restrictions on overseas Filipino workers’ deployment to Kuwait at the start of the year,” HSBC pointed out.

The primary contributors to growth in remittances was the United States with a 4.2 percentage points contribution to April’s 12.7 percent growth, followed

by Canada with 1.9 percentage points and Singapore with 1.0 percentage points.

HSBC said it expected cash remittances “to recover toward the

end of the year now that the [Kuwait deployment] ban has been lifted and for remittances growth to remain broadly in line with its historical trend of 5-6 percent.”

In February, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait following the killing of domestic helper Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer.

The ban was fully lifted in May after the two nations forged a deal to protect Filipino migrant workers in the Gulf state.

Cash remittances amounted to $31.3 billion in 2017, 5.3 percent higher compared to the prior year and also topping the Bangko Sentral’s 4.0-percent forecast.n

The bucket list

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

The art of “staycation” (8th of a series)

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.]

It’s summertime and the living should indeed be easy. And yet the default setting for modern life is to plan a vacation elsewhere, the farther away, the better.

Vacations are fine. They are meant to recharge our energy levels so we can come back swinging and getting into the groove of normal life. The problem with an elaborate, all too often expensive vacation, is we come home tired, jetlagged, light in the wallet, a few pounds heavier and needing a vacation from the vacation. Are we idiots or what?

So how about learning the art of “staycation?” This is when we decide that our home is the best place to stay put and spend our time away from work, away from stresses and just away from it all: ringing phones; deadlines and production quotas, intrigues, todo lists and every aggravation known to man.

Sure, the mountain of laundry is there, the kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms need cleaning, the garden needs weeding. But

for a “staycation” to recharge your spirit, you may need to turn a blind eye to the screaming demands of your immediate environment. Just say NO. This time is for you alone.

So okay, you are obsessive about a clean home. Just reserve a day or two of your vacation time to sprucing up just the essentials.

Don’t go to Home Depot and decide painting the house as your

ful job, you will appreciate a true “staycation” done right.

Swing in a hammock and look at the sky and dwell on the wonderful parts of your life as you remember lessons learned over the years mixed with countless moments of overwhelming joy.

Edit out the ugly and blot out its existence, for the time being. Or better yet, think of nothing and take a nap just because you’re sleepy as a gentle summer breeze rocks you.

There will be time enough for all the demands of your life in the next few days. But for the moment, all you want is to do absolutely nothing and JUST BE. There is an upside to a quiet “staycation.” When you clear your mechanism and tune out the noise that invades your being, you may come to a rare state of grace — that state when you are thoroughly convinced that God is in His heaven and all is right with the world.

Unplug and be receptive. It is in the stillness that we find who we truly are. It is when we are quiet that we can listen to our thoughts and perhaps, listen to that still small voice that speaks to us.

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

”When you clear your mechanism and tune out the noise that invades your being, you may come to a rare state of grace – that God is in His heaven and all is right with the world.” “staycation” project. It doesn’t work that way.

The art of doing a proper “staycation” is deciding you just want to give yourself time to JUST BE. You rip and shred your to-do list and find joy in the moment, forgetting the demands of your life, for the time being.

So go ahead. Wear your pajamas all day. Turn off or mute the phones. Turn off the TV and mute the music. Vegetate. Order pizza. Let the world turn without your input. If you have a stress-

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

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES There is never the perfect time to think about who you would like to inherit from your estate in case you pass away or at least who among your closest friends (BFFs) and family members are even deserving of inheriting from your estate. In doing so, you should also think about which vehicle you plan to use in implementing your estate plan. One of the best vehicle in implementing your estate plan is a revocable living trust. Five major benefits of establishing a revocable living trust are: Your estate can avoid the time, cost, and hassle of going through the probate court process.

If you pass away without a will (intestate) in California, one of your close family would have to file a petition in probate court to probate your estate. Your estate will be divided and distributed according to the California probate code rules of intestate succession. Even if you have a will when you pass away, your family would still need to file a petition in probate court if your estate is worth over $150,000 and go through the probate process. This can become a circus if certain beneficiaries contest the validity of the Will or the distribution of the estate. Your estate will pay for attorney’s fees, probate referee fees, appraisers and other experts, CPA fees, etc. If people contest the case, your estate would end up paying legal fees to defend the estate in litigation. The entire process can take anywhere from 9 months to years depending on the contentiousness of the probate case.

With a revocable living trust, your trustee or successor trustee if you were the initial trustee, would administer the trust and distribute the estate according to the trust document without having to open a probate court case.

If the trust is funded with all your

BUSINESS NEWS

Five benefits of establishing a revocable living trust assets, it is possible to administer and distribute the trust assets without any Court involvement at all. This process is a lot faster than going through probate.

Your estate is not public record.

When you file a probate case, the public has access to your probate case file. The public will know the assets of the estate including the values of those assets. If the Will is admitted into probate, the terms of the Will is open to public scrutiny.

Establishing a revocable living trust makes your estate affairs private. Strangers do not have access to the terms of your living trust. Only certain beneficiaries and possible heirs can request a copy of the revocable living trust after you pass away.

You can dictate who will inherit from your estate.

If you pass away without a Will, your estate will be divided and distributed in Probate Court following the rules of intestate succession in the California probate code. Certain relatives will be entitled to a share of your estate even if you feel they are not deserving. By establishing a revocable living trust, you can designate who you want to inherit from your estate. You can designate what and how much each one will received from your estate after you pass away. The assets distributed to each beneficiaries does not have to be equal.

The people you designate as beneficiaries of your living trust does not even have to be close family members. You can designate anyone as a beneficiary, with certain exceptions, of your estate.

You can structure your estate to minimize estate taxes.

If your estate is valued above the estate tax exemption, establishing a trust can allow you to divide up your estate into smaller sub trusts to minimize the overall estate tax effect on your estate. It allows you to set up a vehicle for certain charitable giving which carries tax advantage and asset protection.

You can choose who will administer your estate after your death.

When you establish a revocable trust, you can appoint someone else as trustee or you can appoint a successor trustee if you are the initial trustee. The trustee will be administering (managing) the trust after you pass away without a need to open a probate court case. This allows for continuity in operating the trust and the efficient and cost effective distribution of estate assets. If you are concerned about whether you can trust any family members as your trustee, you can appoint an institution as a professional trustee to carry out the terms of the declaration of trust. These type of trustee services are often offered by banks, financial institutions, wealth management firms, and business management firms for a reasonable fee. This minimizes conflicts within the family and prevents negligence and wrong doing by inexperienced family members. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Senior seeks Chapter 7 relief for $60K credit cards but what is the status of residence?

THE client is 57 and is recently divorced with two children, one in high school the other in college. She makes $40,000 yearly in middle management for a large corporation. She has $50,000 in credit card debt accumulated while she was still married.

The ex-husband had good income. So, when she was still married, her husband paid for her credit cards. The minimum monthly is $1,500 to keep them current. That’s almost $20,000 a year, which is half of her $40,000 annual gross income. Needless to say, there is no way that she can keep on paying for these cards.

Fortunately for her, she lives in a house that, shall we say, doesn’t belong to her but all she has to do is pay the mortgage of $800. The mortgage also is not in her name. It is not her debt.

Who is the owner of this house that she lives in?

Her parents are on the title to the house and the mortgage is also in the name of the parents.

In addition, parents have been paying the mortgage for the last 20 years. The mother died five years ago, while the father died two years ago.

The parents gave the house to her son seven years ago by grant deed. However, the son has no income right now because he is still in college. As a result, the client paid the mortgage for the last two years and claimed the mortgage interest as her deductions in her tax returns. Since this house is almost fully paid, the ownership of the house makes a big difference in the client’s bankruptcy. If the client owns this house, then she won’t be able to qualify for a chapter 7. She would have to file under Chapter 13. In Chapter 13, the client will be required to pay $1,000 a month for 60 months; a 100 percent payment of the credit cards without interest because the non-exempt equity is more than $60,000.

Let’s analyze this case more.

Although the client is now paying for the mortgage, she has

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG

only paid that for two years. In addition, she doesn’t own the house. Both the legal and equitable title to the house belongs to her son who is in college because her parents gave the house to her son, not to her. Under this analysis, the client would have a proportionate ownership share equivalent to two years, which is not much. That’s probably about 10 percent because two out of 20 years is 10 percent. Her homestead exemption is at least $100,000, which is more than enough to cover 10 percent.

But what if her mortgage payment for the last two years is considered rent, because her son owns the house. This analysis is also plausible and has legs to stand on. If those payments were considered rent, she would have zero ownership interest in the house. Either way, the client would qualify for Chapter 7 without worrying about losing a roof to live under.

Another senior seeks Chapter 13 relief for $50K in credit card debt The next client is 72. He looks slim and younger than his age.

He has no health problems but his wife is sick and he takes care of her. He owns a house with non-exempt equity of about $25,000. He owes $50,000 of credit cards. He actually wants a Chapter 7 discharge. However, I cannot recommend it. I can only recommend a Chapter 13 where he will pay $450 a month for five years. If he files Chapter 7, there is a chance that he may lose the house because of the non-exempt equity of $25K. Of course, in Chapter 7, the trustee has to give him his exemption of $175,000 when the house is sold. But he

still wants to live in the house.

So, there is no sense in assuming this kind of risk. He now pays $1,500 a month for $50K of credit cards. That eats up 40 percent of his household income, which consists of a combination of social security and pensions.

It would have been better for him to file for Chapter 7 in 2010 when he was 66. At that time, the fair market value of his house would have been at least $50,000 lower than today such that his homestead exemption would surely cover all of his homestead equity then. Had he filed a Chapter 7 then, he would have discharged all of the $50,000 without any problems with the house.

How much money would he have saved if he filed for Chapter 7 in 2010? Well, let’s do the math: $1,500 a month is $18,000 a year of minimum credit card payments. Six years of that is $108,000 saved! But he says that he’s been paying for the $50,000 credit cards for 15 years. Therefore, he would have saved, if he filed for Chapter 7 at the age of 66, the grand total amount of $162,000! He says he paid for 15 years at $1,500 a month, but right now, he still owes the very same $50,000! What can I tell you?

The client should have filed his Chapter 7 in 2010 because $162,000 is a lot of money. $162,000 saved up in your pocket and invested in a diversified fund giving you a 5 percent return or $687 a month of dividend income certainly gives you more security than $50,000 of credit cards eating up $1,500 of your social security at the age of 72. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

A closer look at the ‘darling’...

PAGE B1 t

6.8 percent, faster than the preceding three month’s 6.5 percent and the 6.4 percent pace in the comparable period last year.

However, the first quarter economic growth figure fell below the government’s 7-8 percent target range for 2018, which Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia attributed to “spoiler” inflation.

Inflation reaches five-year high Inflation jumped to a fresh five-year high of 5.2 percent in

June, beating both government and market expectations. Yearto-date, inflation averaged 4.3 percent, above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2-4 percent target band.

People have blamed soaring prices on the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion TRAIN) 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.

The government plans to release subsidies, in the form of fuel vouchers and cash transfers, to help cushion TRAIN’s impact on prices.

The BSP expects inflation to peak in the third quarter of 2018, or “earlier” than its previous projection. Meanwhile, analysts at Nomura said headline inflation will likely peak only around August or September, before grad-

u PAGE B4

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 18-20, 2018 B3

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS J U LY 6 -26

Solo exhibit of Fil-Am Artist Lynda A. N. Reyes in Burbank The Betsy Lueke Creative Arts Center, the municipal gallery of Burbank, is proud to present the Solo Exhibit of artist Lynda A. N. Reyes from July 6 to the 26,2018. The public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, July 6 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. The gallery is located at 1100 West Clarke Avenue, Burbank, California 91506. The exhibit will highlight her watercolor and oil paintings that have been featured in museum exhibits in California, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Montana and in national juried shows in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, Tarzana, Sta. Monica, Glendale, Brea in Orange County and in international shows in Kentucky, Canada, Maryland, Wisconsin, Colorado and New York. Paintings that have given her recognition, as well as new works will all in one big venue. For more information about the artist, visit www.lyndaanreyes.com or contact her at lyndaanreyes@gmail.com. For information about the gallery, call 818-238-5397 or visit www. burbankca.gov/cac. The gallery hours are Mondays through Thursdays 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and closed on Sundays.

J U LY 1 8

FACC Tri-County to hold presentation in Ontario, CA The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County (Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties) will host a ‘Land Banking Presentation,’ a free workshop on July 18, 6 p.m., at the Inland Valley Church of Christ Conference Room (1550 N. Palmetto Avenue, Ontario, CA 91762). “Southern California’s next major land boom is underway!” says speaker Tony Taverrite, Director of Sales & Marketing-Professional Land Corp. “Don’t you owe it to yourself to learn more?” added another speaker, Femie Cupit, Land Banking Sales Agent, a

J U LY 1 9

FACCGLA hosts import and export seminar in Sherman Oaks, CA Join the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA) on Thursday, July 19 for the e-commerce, logistics, and compliance seminar. Learn how to import and export to and from the Philippines! This will be a prelude to the Trade, Trade & Consumer Roadshow on Aug. 4-5 at the SouthBay Pavilion. It will be held from 6:30 to 8:20 p.m. at 5121 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. To join and register, please go to www.faccgla.org or call (888) 670-7717 or visit www.ecferrer.net / call (562) 422-6492.

J U LY 2 0 -2 2

Bboy~Bgirl Summit in Los Angeles The longest running community based Hip-Hop event in the U.S., located in Los Angeles is almost upon us on July 20-22! This is an annual free weekend event for teens, kids, families and Hip-Hop enthusiasts and practitioners to come partake in, learn, be inspired, and come away with knowledge of the arts of Hip-Hop dance, music, and art surrounded by artists, activists and community minded people. All events are free and all ages, no registration necessary. For the complete schedule and info, please visit www.bboysummit.com. The Bboy~Bgirl Summit is a for community benefit event produced by No Easy Props a 501(c)(3) cultural arts charity organization. Please consider donating to further the cause at www.noeasyprops.org.

J U LY 2 1

UPAAGLA Boodle Feast Fiesta in North Hills, CA University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) welcomes alumni of the University of the Philippines and their friends and family to meet, mix, mingle at this fun afternoon at 4 p.m. at 15255 Knapp St, North Hills, CA. Register on eventbrite.com or call President-Elect Ethel Rubio (818) 640-2946 or (800) 611-5705. Connect with UPAAGLA on Facebook or visit www.upaagla.org.

25th anniversary of the Filipino Ministry of the Diocese of San University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) welcomes alumni of the University of the Philippines and their friends and family to meet, mix, mingle at this fun afternoon at 4 p.m. at 15255 Knapp St, North Hills, CA. Register on eventbrite.com or call President-Elect Ethel Rubio (818) 640-2946 or (800) 611-5705. Connect with UPAAGLA on Facebook or visit www.upaagla.org.

J U LY 2 2

Valentine in July concert in Los Angeles This two-and-a-half hour concert on Sunday, July 22 will feature two of the music industry’s best Singer-Songwriters then and today, David Pomeranz and Rey Valera. Their timeless and classic love songs became the movie/tele-serye themesongs in the Philippines. The event will be held at the Aratani Theater (244 S San Pedro St, Los Angeles, CA 90012) at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are available via www.thesgprod.com or by calling (424)232-6781.

HanHan & Gingee at LA’s Grand Performances Canadian artist HanHan, who raps in Tagalog and Cebuano, joins Angeleno artist Gingee who plays the Kulintang (traditional Filipino gongs). Together they will take you through an exploration of the eclectic sounds of Pinay hip-hop as it relates to the Filipino community. The Pinay experience inspires these cross-cultural artists to incorporate traditional sounds and lyrics with English verses. For more information, please visit: http://www.grandperformances. org/hanhan-gingee.

J U LY 27

Social entrepreneurship workshop in Los Angeles Come for “A STORY OF HOPE,” a FREE workshop on social entrepreneurship and social tourism on Friday, July 27 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring Mr. Thomas Graham, British author of “The Genius of the Poor.” Hosted by the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC), the event encourages Fil-Ams to reconnect with their heritage through a new way of travel-driven experience, with the possibility of seeking new business in the Philippines. Space is limited, register online at www.cofacc.org. Venue is the New York Life General Office Building (6300 Wilshire Blvd Ste 2200, Los Angeles, CA 90048).

J U LY 28

LA Builder Lions Club to hold installation of new officers The Los Angeles Builder Lions Club will hold their 28th Installation on new officers on Saturday, July 28 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Oxford Palace Hotel (745 S. Oxford Ave, Los Angeles, CA). Music will be provided by Lion Willie Manacsa. Please RSVP to any of the following officers: Lion President Ken Marchand (818)749-1076; Lion Tita James (818)203-2325 or PZC Lion Yoli Ramo at (213)305-1332.

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

B4 JULY 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

A closer look at the ‘darling’...

PAGE B3 t

ually easing from there.

Independent think tank IBON, which is critical of TRAIN, has meanwhile said the government “should stop hyping TRAIN’s cash transfers because when they are ended by 2020, the higher prices of goods and services due to TRAIN will remain.”

To rein in inflation, the BSP has introduced back-to-back rate hikes this year. Higher interest rates discourage people from borrowing money and spend-

which has been hovering at 12year lows and has weakened by more than 7 percent against the U.S. dollar year-to-date, making it one of Asia’s worst performing currencies so far this year.

Concerns over rising domestic File photo by Philstar inflation, weaker peso, trade tening, causing a decline in demand sions and ongoing normalization which, in turn, tempers inflation of monetary policy in advanced and can even slow down the economies have battered the country’s economic growth. country’s financial markets.

The latest round of policy Meanwhile, the Philippines’ tightening is also expected to trade deficit—wherein the counlend some strength to the peso, try’s imports exceeds its exports—rose to a five-month high of $3.70 billion in May, as the government’s aggressive infrastructure drive continues to push up imports while exports slump despite relief from the peso’s depreciation. Some economists believe the persistent trade deficit could have a negative impact on the economy.

Jobs and wages In June, the government said that unemployment had eased slightly in April at 5.5 percent — around 2.36 million Filipinos — from 5.7 percent recorded in April 2017.

Underemployment—which the government defines as the proportion of those already working but still seeking more work or longer working hours— however jumped to 17.0 percent or 6.9 million in April from 16.1 percent or 6.4 million a year ago.

IBON, in a statement in June, said that “official unemployment figures do not reflect discouraged workers or those who have dropped out of the labor force after failing to find work after six months.”

It added that although employment grew, the agriculture sector saw a drastic drop in employment. It said employment in agriculture dropped by 723,000 to 9.8 million in April from 10.5 million in April 2017.

The think tank also pointed out that the “hunting and forestry subsector lost 558,000 jobs, while fisheries lost 134,000.”

It added the job statistics do not reflect “poor quality work or jobs that are insecure, lack benefits and have low wages.” It said the growth in underemployment indicate that, for many, “full-time work still does not give enough income for the employed to meet their basic needs.”

“Madam Vice President, there is no problem with the economy,” Roque stressed in his comments to Robredo on Thursday, July 12.■

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

People and Events

City of Bell false alarm reduction program

IN an effort to reduce false alarms within the City of Bell, the City updated its alarm ordinance and partnered with PMAM Corporation to implement and administer the Alarm Program and provide educational training for our citizens. PMAM is a national company with expertise in this area and will be responsible for our alarm registration; false alarm billings feature and share in providing excellent customer service. A website has been established to assist City of Bell customers at www.famspermit.

com/Bell.

The goal of the ordinance is to reduce the number of false alarm activations requiring a response by the Bell Police Department, which will free up police resources and reduce the fines levied on alarm customers.

Initial Alarm Registration: The City of Bell Alarm Ordinance requires all residents and businesses to apply for alarm registration by completing an online application available at www. famspermit.com/Bell. Alternatively, the citizens can also com-

plete the application and send it to: City of Bell False Alarm Reduction Program P.O. Box 141836 Irving, TX 75014 The annual registration fee is: Residential location: $100.00 per year Commercial locations: $100.00 per year For any questions related to the City of Bell Alarm Program, please call PM AM at 1-888-4645363 Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST. ■

Brownley announces Congressional Hearing on VA long-term care services in Ventura County on July 30 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Brownley (DCA) announced Friday, July 13, that the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health will be holding a Congressional hearing in Ventura County on Monday, July 30, to discuss VA’s longterm care services. Brownley is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee.

“Ensuring our nation’s veterans have access to the high-quality care they have earned and deserve is a top priority for me in

Congress,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “As Ventura County’s veteran population continues to age, we must ensure that the VA’s long-term care services are meeting their specific needs.”

The hearing, titled “The State of VA’s Long-term Care Services: What’s Working, What’s Not, and How We Can Best Serve Our Aging Heroes,” will take place on Monday, July 30, at 10 a.m. at the Ventura County Office of Education, located at 5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo, CA 93012.

Brownley will be joined by Subcommittee Chairman Neal Dunn (R-FL) and expert witnesses to discuss VA services, including community living centers, the Caregiver program, and innovative VA programs like medical foster care and adult day care.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP at JuliaBrownley.House.gov/Events.

For more information or to RSVP, visit JuliaBrownley.House.gov/ Events or contact Brownley’s district office at (805) 379-1779. ■

Farm tourism taking root...

PAGE B1 t

New destinations Gabor said Philippine farm tourism destinations had opened up from north to south, with destinations ranging from a small 20-square meter mushroom production venture to vegetable farms like one devoted exclusively to eggplants to orchards and vineyards where people can pick fresh fruits for a fee.

Many farms were drawing both local and foreign tourists and had also become learning centers, Gabor said. Visits by students were organized so they could learn firsthand about farming and farmers.

The summit’s theme, “Managing Climate Risks through Sustainable Farm Tourism,” was very relevant, Gabor said, as farmers were among the most vulnerable to weather disturbances. But they could also contribute significantly to reducing its negative

impact through smart, more environment-friendly agricultural practices.

Gabor said farm tourism was not only helping increase farmers’ incomes but was also drawing back to the farms many young people who had turned their backs on their families’ means of livelihood.

She said the young people were usually taking care of the business side of farm tourism, like marketing, financial management and other administrative responsibilities. Traditional farmers, for instance, Gabor said, priced their produce without including the cost of their labor, one reason why their incomes were low.

With their children in charge of the financial aspect of the business, prices of produce had become more realistic as labor cost was now being factored in. Young people were employ-

ing new technologies and using social media to increase their farms’ appeal to tourists and to promote them as destinations.

Gabor also expected the growing appeal of farm tourism and the additional income it brings to farmers to reduce the conversion of farm lands for other purposes so they could continue to be used for food production.

Extra income She said farm tourism could be a way to make the most out of the country’s 7,000 islands. Each community could focus on one specific product and collaborate in raising the value of that product, she said.

Farm tourism, Gabor added, would not only increase the incomes of farmers but also boost the economies of communities that pursued and promoted it.

Gabor’s ISST conducts training programs for people interested to go into farm tourism.■

B JULY 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

Christmas in July: BCHS batch 77-78 & BANC

BCHS Batch 77-78 led by Angie Ramos-matawaran and Ethel Figuracion-Alonzo, partnered with Binangonan Association of Northern California headed by Bong Aralar and Ayleen TanAralar, for its annual community service project called “Christmas in July” last July 10, 2018. Fifty-

one (51) sacks of rice were distributed to families belonging to various sectors of the society : schools, churches, home for the aged, institutions for homeless and abandoned children, a learning center and a municipal jail.

Serving our community with gratitude and a smile. n

Buckle up: Passengers on public transit are now required to use seat belts

EL MONTE, CALIF. – As part of a new law effective July 1, passengers on public transit, like the El Monte buses and shuttles, are required to use seat belts or will be subject to a fine.

The new law applies to commuters over the age of 16 riding buses that are already equipped with seat belts. For commuters under the age of 16, guardians will be responsible for securing them in a seat belt; children may not use the public transit if seat belts are not available.

Passengers who violate the law may be subject to a $20 fine for the first offense and $50 for the next.

The law also requires public transit agencies to maintain seat belts in a good working condition and to notify passengers

of the new law. Passengers using the City of El Monte’s buses will see notices on all transit vehicles.

Governor Jerry Brown signed the legislation into law on October 8, 2017.

For questions regarding the new law, please contact the City of El Monte Transportation Services Division at (626) 580– 2217.

The City of El Monte, located in Southern California, is committed to improving the quality of life for its citizens and strives to provide its community personalized service, uncompromising commitment, and individualized accountability. For information on the City of El Monte, please call 626-580-2001 or visit www. elmonteca.gov. n

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

Four Paramount HS students honored for assisting students injured in car accident FOUR Paramount High School students are being honored by the community for assisting injured students during a car accident in March.

Fernando Melgar, Gabriel Orozco, Juan Garza and Anthony Farias leaped into action on March 19 when they saw four fellow students hit by a pickup truck just off campus. The seniors-to-be ran toward the scene and lifted a fence that had fallen on top of one of the injured.

“It was a pretty chaotic scene but we knew we had to help our fellow students,” Farias said.

“We stayed with them until an ambulance arrived. We know that other students at PHS would have done the same for us.”

The injured students were treated and released at a local hospital.

Since that day, the four heroes have received an outpouring of recognition from the Paramount community. Mayor Diane Martinez commended them with certificates of recognition during a City Council meeting in June.

The Paramount Unified Board of Education also recognized the students during a board meeting, while Paramount High School honored the four at a schoolwide assembly that celebrated their actions.

“I don’t really feel like we’re heroes, but it’s been nice to receive support from everyone,” Melgar said. “It was definitely a day that I will never forget, and

The City of Paramount honors PHS students (front row, left to right): Juan Garza, Gabriel Orozco, Fernando Melgar and Anthony Farias for their heroic acts in helping fellow students injured in a March car accident.

I’m happy that we were able to help the victims to safety.”

Melgar, Orozco, Garza and Farias have maintained a friendship since childhood, and said that a willingness to help someone in need is a part of Paramount’s tightknit culture. As the PHS slogan says: “Once a Pirate, always a Pirate.”

“I’m so proud of our students for coming to the aid of one another in a time of need,” Paramount Superintendent Ruth Pérez said. “An unfortunate accident became an example of selflessness that has inspired our entire community.”

Paramount Board of Education President Vivian Hansen

has spent more than 30 years at PUSD and said that what happened on March 19 was one of her proudest moments.

“The actions taken by these four students reflect the community spirit we have in Paramount,” Hansen said. “We will continue to lift each other up in times of need.” n

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 18-20, 2018

B

Idyllwild Arts Foundation presents summer concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall on August 5 LOS ANGELES – On Sunday, August 5, Idyllwild Arts Foundation presents the culmination performance of the High School Summer Chamber Festival Orchestra and Festival Choir & Ensemble of Idyllwild Arts. The program will feature over 150 young people. They are thrilled by the chance to perform on Walt Disney Concert Hall’s world-class stage, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and determined to honor this rare chance.

The featured repertoire will include Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite and The Journey of Harriet Tubman by Ron Kean, which students will perform under the masterful batons of Maestros Larry Livingston, Dr. Joseph Modica, and Assistant Conductor Sey Ahn. The nearly two-hour performance will take place at 3pm at Walt Disney Concert Hall with a pre-concert VIP reception beginning at 1:30pm in the Founders Room. Tickets can be purchased by the public for $20 or $40: https://www.idyllwildarts.org/disneyhall2018/.

“Today, on this grand stage, we will glimpse the future of classical music,” says Pamela Jor-

EMPLOYMENT

dan, President of Idyllwild Arts.

“But more importantly, this performance will fuel the dreams of these talented young musicians and give them the confidence to ignite their careers.”

For more than 70 years, the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program has provided a unique experience for young artists from around the world. Located on a spectacular 205-acre campus in the San Jacinto Mountains, the Idyllwild Arts High School Chamberfest and Festival Choir are intensive two-week programs led by world-renowned artists and teachers, designed to offer outstanding musicians the opportunity to refine the skills needed for excellence in performance,

from solo and small groups to large ensemble performances.

Through a thoughtful process, top students are selected by faculty members and coaches to perform on the grand stage.

As a true youth-only orchestra and choir, the performance will showcase some of the most talented high school students from around the world, ranging from 13 to 18 years old, playing legendary classical works.

Larry Livingston, world-renowned conductor, educator, and founding Music Director of the Illinois Chamber Orchestra, celebrates 30 years as Idyllwild Arts Music Director of Summer Festival Orchestras. Livingston collaborates with the incredibly

EMPLOYMENT

gifted Sey Ahn, Assistant Conductor at Idyllwild Arts Chamber Festival Orchestra and the Music for All Honor Orchestra of America, to put together a highly professional and technically-advanced repertoire, featuring orchestral music drawn from the last two centuries.

The orchestral program will open with Overture to Colas Breugnon, Russian composer Dmitry Kabalevsky’s most popular work—a brilliant romp in the conservative tradition and a rousing opening to the afternoon. This will be followed by the ebullient and outgoing Romanian Rhapsody No.1 by George Enescu. The repertoire will end with famed comic opera Rosenkavalier Suite

by Richard Strauss.

The Idyllwild Summer Festival Choir & Ensemble will then present The Journey of Harriet Tubman, an original work by Ron Kean that chronicles Tubman’s early life and her escape from slavery, set in a non-Western musical style evocative of the enslaved African’s frame of mind and West African musical heritage. The piece will be conducted by Dr. Joseph Modica, Associate Professor of Music at the University of Redlands, Director of Pastoral Music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, CA, and Conductor of the Idyllwild Summer Festival Choir & Ensemble, in collaboration with Assistant Conductor

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

HOME AGENCY

SERVICES

Lori Marie Rios and Heather Netz, Manager of Music Faculty & Students.

This performance would be impossible without the contributions of those students who have received scholarships. Idyllwild Arts therefore invites guests to support Idyllwild Arts Foundation’s annual commitment to providing $7 million in scholarships for students to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program.

The forested 205-acre Idyllwild Arts campus sits two hours inland from Los Angeles and an hour and one refreshing mile above Palm Springs. The campus hosts Idyllwild Arts Academy, where talented teenagers from around the world specialize in their chosen arts disciplines while studying challenging college-prep academics, and the Idyllwild Arts Summer Program, offering immersive workshops in every arts discipline to people of all ages and skill levels. Both the Academy and the Summer Program accomplish the Idyllwild Arts mission of changing lives through the transformative power of art. n

B JULY 18-20, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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

POWERED BY

SOUTHBAY PAVILION MALL 20700 South Avalon Boulevard Carson, California 90746

AUGUST 4-5, 2018 www.TRAVELTRADECONSUMER.com ATTENDEES & INDUSTRY EXHIBITORS 01 Business-to-Business

02 Business-to-Government

03 Business-to-Customer

Meet, connect, and collaborate with industry partners and streamline your business results.

Connect with leaders in the public and private sector from across the US region and Philippines.

Whether you're shopping for new and amazing products or a vendor looking to promote your product, this event is designed for you.

04 Filipino-Americans in Southern California

05 American Mainstream in Los Angeles County

06 American Mainstream in Orange County

TOURISM SECTOR

TRADE & INVESTMENT

SPONSOR INDUSTRIES

01 Travel Destinations 02 Medical Tourism 03 Gaming & Entertainment 04 Retirement 05 Education

01 Agricultural 02 Real Estate 03 Franchising 04 Small Business Opportunities 05 Financial Management

01 Government Ministries 02 American Businesses 03 Philippine Businesses

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY

IN COLLABORATION WITH

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

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 18-20, 2018

B

The Asian Journal

mdwk Wednesday, July 18, 2018

mAGAZINE

Â&#x2020;Ã&#x153;¯Â&#x2020;Ã&#x2026;ºÃ&#x160;Ã¥Ã&#x2122;Ã&#x2026;Â&#x2020;¿Ã&#x2013;Ã¥Â&#x2019;¿¯Â&#x201C;Â&#x2020;â¯Ã&#x160;Ã&#x2026;Ã&#x153;

Ç&#x2020;Â&#x2020;Ã&#x153;¯Â&#x2020;Ã&#x2026;ºÃ&#x160;Ã¥Ã&#x2122;Ã&#x2026;Â&#x2020;¿Â&#x201C;Ã&#x160;Ã&#x201E;

Ç&#x2020;Â&#x2020;Ã&#x153;¯Â&#x2020;Ã&#x2026;ºÃ&#x160;Ã¥Ã&#x2122;Ã&#x2026;Â&#x2020;¿

XXX BTJBOKPVSOBM DPN -PT "OHFMFT Ç&#x2021; -BT 7FHBT Ç&#x2021; 0SBOHF $PVOUZ *OMBOE &NQJSF Ç&#x2021; /PSUIFSO $BMJGPSOJB Ç&#x2021; /FX :PSL /FX +FSTFZ

2

cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

The cost and culture of being a caregiver Filipinos share their experiences in caring for others

by RAE

THE Philippines has for years provided the international community with caregivers who have watched over people of all ages in both hospitals and homes.

At the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital in Fountain Valley, California, two Filipinos shared their experiences working at the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

“You know how it is when you get a baby that is less than a pound delivered, and you get everything going, and then one day you see them go home with their parents?

You’ll see right there — it’s a miracle,” said Riza Sarosa.

“You can see how the skin is so translucent. You can see pretty much everything — the heart beating on the chest. They’re so little,” added Juliet Joson. “Life is a miracle for them to be able to survive.”

Aside from both wearing glasses and being similar in height, the two are often called “twins” by their coworkers due to their similar backgrounds.

Both were born and raised in the Philippines, both went to university in the Philippines, and both eventually joined the millions of Filipinos

ANN VARONA / AJPress

who found themselves leaving home to find better opportunities abroad, specifically in the field of caregiving.

In Canada, where Filipinos make up a big majority of the nation’s caregiver workforce, a 39-year-old caregiver also shared her experiences.

Like Joson and Sarosa, she too left the Philippines with hopes of finding better opportunities.

“What I love about being a caregiver here is that family will treat you as family too,” said the caregiver in Canada who chose to remain anonymous. “I love taking care of the elderly because I treat them as my real parents or grandparents too.”

Resiliency and hard work Entering the field of caregiving abroad naturally means making sacrifices.

For one, many have to deal with leaving behind their families and loved ones — sometimes not being able to be with them during tough times.

Joson shared of how

the last time she was in the Philippines was in 2012, when her father passed away.

It also often means putting personal plans on hold such as pursuing further education, which was the case for Sarosa and the caregiver from Canada.

And then there are the challenges that come from the jobs themselves.

Having first arrived in the country in 2016, the caregiver in Canada recounted that her first experience working in the country consisted of almost 24-hour workdays.

“I took care of three children, ages three, two, and one, while the mother was pregnant on their fourth child,” shared the caregiver.

“I resigned after almost four months because I was forced to work almost 24 hours a day,” she added.

After a month since leaving the first family, she went on to work for an elderly couple in their late 80s, staying for them a little over a year and five months.

“You have to feel what they feel. You have to see their needs too,” she shared.

But ask any Filipino who chose to care for others on what keeps them going, they’ll most probably nonchalantly respond by saying it’s just part of who Filipinos are.

“One quality of Filipinos is that they are very resilient,” said Sarosa. “They work hard.

They have to help their family and they want to give back.

And they just keep on going. They don’t give up.”

Such hard work and resilience is what makes many around the world consider Filipinos to be such great caregivers, said the caregiver in Canada.

“They love Filipino caregivers here because we are hardworking and trustworthy,” she said. “We are great caregivers here because we value and love our job dearly.”

Nurses Riza Sarosa and Juliet Joson share their experiences as caregivers.

Joson and Sarosa in action, putting PIC lines on twin babies.

Support circle: Family caregivers share Taking care of family: The stories and tips to ease Alzheimer’s toll struggles of an unpaid caregiver

by BLAKE FARMER Nashvilla Public Radio

VICKI Bartholomew started a support group for wives who are caring for a husband with Alzheimer’s disease because she needed that sort of group herself.

They meet every month in a conference room at a new memory-care facility in Nashville called Abe’s Garden, where Bartholomew’s husband was one of the first residents — a Vietnam veteran and prominent attorney in Nashville.

“My husband’s still living, and now I’m in an even more difficult situation — I’m married, but I’m a widow,” she tells the group one day.

These women — who are roughly 50 to 75 years old — draw the shades and open up to each other in ways they can’t with their lifelong friends.

“They’re still wonderful friends, but they didn’t know how to handle this. It was hard for them, and as you all know, your friends don’t come around as much as they used to,” Bartholomew said. “I was in bad shape. I didn’t think I was — I did have health problems, and [now] I know I was depressed.”

As the number of Americans afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease continues to swell to an estimated 5.7 million, so do the legions of loved ones caring for friends and family members. The toll on Bartholomew’s own mental health is one of the reasons the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) focuses on the nation’s estimated 16 million unpaid caregivers.

With no cure on the horizon, the foundation has been highlighting the necessity of better support for those caregivers through a national tour. It stopped in Nashville earlier this spring, was in Milwaukee in June and heads to Fairfax, Va., in September.

At the live events, Alzheimer’s researchers and clinicians offer

guidance on a number of topics, including how to ensure safety for patients at home, care planning and even how to entertain someone with memory loss.

The organization promotes in-person and telephone support groups, since being a caregiver is often a barrier to getting out of the house alone. Virtual support systems showed effectiveness at reducing loneliness, stress and depression in a small 2014 study.

Vicki Bartholomewʼs husband, Sam, has been at Abeʼs Garden in West “We have to Nashville since it opened in 2015. do everything we Photo courtesy of Vicki Bartholomew can to educate a caregiver, to provide them with Alzheimer’s patients can the best practices on caring for tend to pace, or wake up their somebody,” said Charles Fuschillo partner every few minutes. They Jr., the AFA’s CEO. can become violent. Or, perhaps For example, the AFA worse, they can leave the house. recommends that family “And I’ve had some issues at members: night that I had to take care of • Feed Alzheimer’s patients alone,” Pam Hawkins, who cares one food at a time. “A busy plate for her husband with Alzheimer’s, can be confusing,” the group says. said during a support session.

• Mark rooms in the house “But I’m not ready to have anyone with signs to avoid unnecessary there at night.” confusion.

For now, she said, her • Remind a person with husband usually sleeps all night.

Alzheimer’s to use the toilet; don’t And if there’s a problem, her sonwait for them to ask. in-law is 15 minutes away.

• When traveling, stick with She’s had to hire caregivers familiar destinations. during the day. Knowing how to • Watch for a cough while find and hire the right person is eating; it can signal a swallowing a shared concern by Alzheimer’s disorder in people with dementia. family members that inspired • Schedule overnight stays a checklist for navigating the at a memory-care facility so the process. Tips include these: caregiver gets some respite.

Interview the aide in the home.

Just as important, Fuschillo Over-share information about said, “we want to do everything the patient. Ask what kind of we can to avoid caregiver quality control a supervisor would burnout.” provide.

The breaking point sneaks Hawkins is adamant about up on even the most committed keeping her husband at home, caregiver, say Alzheimer’s whatever the cost. advocates, especially as the nights “He’s not going anywhere,” grow more sleepless. she said. “He’s staying at our

By MALOU LIWANAG-BLEDSOE

/ AJPRESS

WE may always think that as Filipinos, our culture dictates that we are expected to take care of our parents when they are no longer able to take care of themselves. However, here in the United States, Americans face the same situation.

There is no denying that American society is aging, with the Baby Boomer generation reaching retirement age.

Although a 2017 Gallup poll found that 74 percent of U.S. adults plan to work in some capacity beyond age 65, many of them are not financially prepared for the possibility that they may not be able to support themselves if they become ill.

Attitudes have changed toward health care, with the elderly opting to age in their own homes. Rising health care costs make the elderly burdened and cash-strapped, extending on to their families.

In the end, many family members have no choice but become unpaid caregivers.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015 there were 40.4 million unpaid caregivers of adults ages 65 and older in the U.S. In that group, 9 in 10 are providing care for an aging relative.

Michelle (not her real name), a 50-something Filipino who lives in Daly City, has been taking care of both her parents since June of last year.

“I’ve been taking care of them for sometime now,” she said and then added, “Since my mom had her stent and my dad

had his triple bypass, 2011 and 2014 respectively. They were pretty capable [to take care of themselves] up until last year when my mom broke her arm in a nasty fall.”

Her parents are now in their eighties and Michelle shared that her dad is also in the early stages of dementia, making it more difficult for her to leave them at home. “ ...Early stages of dementia started to show more obviously than before, to the point where it would be scary to leave them alone. My mom was in constant pain and we could not get a home visit from a PT [physical therapist] and had to travel to get her the therapy she needed and no PT. They would accept us for Saturday appointments and they close at 5 p.m. on weekdays. We eventually found one that could take us at 4:30 p.m.,” she said.

Unfortunately, Michelle is almost alone in taking care of her parents, as other family members are back home in the Philippines. Her daughter, now in her twenties, is busy working multiple jobs in order to pay for college. The glimpse of silver lining, however, is that she is able to work from home.

“I am lucky that my job allowed me to work remotely, although there was a drastic cut in my income, but on the other hand, I do not need to commute and spend for meals outside the house,” she said.

With less income and whatever monetary benefits her

home until he moves to heaven.

We made that decision a long time ago.”

But many caregivers have no choice.

April Simpkins said tending to her husband became allconsuming, and she’s young enough that she still needs to

keep her job; she works at a local university.

“It was not possible for us to keep Joe at home,” she said.

Simpkins found she’d often have to call her husband’s siblings to settle him down over the phone. One night, she had to dial 911 when he kept yelling in the

parents get, Michelle said it’s a struggle to stay afloat. She has been trying to get some financial support from state and federal programs, but it hasn’t been easy.

“I have tried applying for IHSS (In-Home Support Services) from San Mateo County, but meeting their qualifications isn’t easy,” she explained. “I have just managed to get them both their MediCal eligibility, which is one of the major requirements [for a lot of programs]. There may be some support group somewhere, but I haven’t really looked.”

At present, Michelle isn’t thinking about the possibility that she may have to take care of her parents (or at least one) in the next five (or even 10) years.

She shares that she tries to get out as much as she could, even for short periods, but within running distance from their home. She also has started exercising to relieve stress, but still feels that she needs a long break. “...I am in it alone, and being from a Filipino family, I am expected to take care of my parents. They are too proud to ask for help, and each time they are asked if they are independent and capable of caring for themselves, they say they are — even if they clearly aren’t,” Michelle said. “I get burned out and I feel trapped in the situation only because my world now revolves around my parents and I feel I have lost myself and my bearings.

It is very limiting and quite exhausting.” hallways of their condo building.

And yet she felt some societal pressure that she wasn’t doing enough.

“There’s a lot of … glory given to the whole idea of someone being long-suffering and staying at home and giving up their life, Continued on Page 3

A hospital’s human touch: Why taking entertainment care in discharging a patient matters

3

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

by Judith

Graham California Healthline

THE kidney doctor sat next to Judy Garrett’s father, looking into his face, her hand on his arm.

There are things I can do for you, she told the 87-year-old man, but if I do them I’m not sure you will like me very much.

The word “death” wasn’t mentioned, but the doctor’s meaning was clear: There was no hope of recovery from kidney failure. Garrett’s father listened quietly. “I want to go home,” he said.

It was a turning point for the man and his family. “This doctor showed us the reality of my father’s condition,” Garrett said, gratefully recalling the physician’s compassion. A month later, her father passed away peacefully at home.

This kind of caring is what older adults want when they become seriously ill and move back and forth between the hospital and other settings, according to the largest study ever of patients’ and caregivers’ experiences with care transitions.

Two other priorities are also crucially important, according to recently published research: Patients and caregivers want to feel prepared to look after themselves or loved ones when they leave the hospital, and they want to know that their needs will be attended to until they stabilize or recover, however long that takes.

What’s striking is how often hospitals fail to fulfill these expectations, even though it’s been known for decades that care transitions are problematic and strategies to reduce preventable hospital readmissions have been widely adopted.

“Despite millions of dollars of investment and thousands of hours of effort, the health care system still feels very hazardous, unsafe and stressful from the perspective of patients and caregivers,” said Dr. Suzanne Mitchell, assistant professor of family medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the new report.

She’s part of a team of experts spearheading Project ACHIEVE, a five-year, $15 million study investigating the effectiveness of interventions designed to

improve care transitions. The focus is on what Medicare patients and caregivers need and want when a hospital stay ends and they return home.

One part of the project involves asking people who undergo these transitions — mostly older adults — about their experiences: what went well, what didn’t. In addition to the new report, a survey of more than 9,000 patients and 3,000 caregivers is close to completion. Results will be published this fall.

Another part involves looking at what hospitals are doing to try to improve transitions, such as teaching patients and caregivers how to care for wounds or arranging follow-up phone calls with a nurse, among other strategies. A preliminary research report published last year found common problems with transition programs, including haphazard, uncoordinated approaches and a lack of teamwork and leadership.

Several areas deserve special attention, according to people who participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews for Project ACHIEVE: Getting actionable information Too often, doctors speak to patients and caregivers in “medicalese” and fail to address what patients really want to know — such as “What do I need to do to feel better?” — said Dr. Mark Williams, Project ACHIEVE’s principal investigator and chief transformation and learning officer at the University of Kentucky HealthCare system.

“You really need someone to walk you through what you’re going to need, step by step,” Williams said.

Nothing of the sort occurred when Anita Brazill’s parents, ages 86 and 87, were hospitalized seven times in Scranton, Pa., between Dec. 25, 2016, and Feb. 13, 2017.

First, her mother needed emergency gastrointestinal surgery, then her father became ill with pneumonia. Both went to an understaffed rehabilitation facility after leaving the hospital, and both bounced right back to the hospital — five times altogether — because of complications.

Each time her parents left the hospital, Brazill felt unprepared.

“You’re out on the concrete of the discharge pavilion and they

send you off by ambulance or car without a guidebook, without any sense of what to expect or who to call,” she said.

Planning collaboratively Ideally, when preparing to release a patient, hospital staff should inquire about older patients’ living circumstances, social support and the help they think they’ll need, and discharge plans should be crafted collaboratively with caregivers.

In practice, this doesn’t happen very often.

In May, Art Greenfield, 81, was admitted at 3 a.m. to a hospital near his home in Santa Clarita, Calif., with severe food poisoning and dehydration. Less than six hours later, after a sleepless night, a hospitalist he had never met walked into his room and told him she was sending him home because his situation had stabilized. (Hospitalists are physicians who specialize in caring for people in the hospital.)

“She had no idea if he could pee without the catheter they’d put in or get out of bed on his own,” said Hedy Greenfield, 76, his wife. “I wasn’t there, and no one asked him if there was somebody who could take care of him at home when he got there.

Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to say I’m not ready, I need to stay another day.”

Expressing caring Over and over again, patients and caregivers told Project ACHIEVE researchers how important it was to feel that health professionals care about their well-being.

Simple gestures can make a difference. “It’s looking at you, rather than the computer,” said Carol Levine, director of the families and health care project at United Hospital Fund in New York. “It’s knowing your name and giving you a sense of ‘I’m here for you and on your side.’”

Without this sense of caring, patients and caregivers often feel abandoned and lose trust in health care professionals. With it, they feel better able to handle concerns and act on their doctors’ recommendations.

Kathy Rust of Glendale, Calif., remembers walking into a room at an outpatient clinic and seeing a doctor stroking her mother’s hair and calming her before reinserting a feeding tube that the 93-year-old

that I had done the right thing in calling them, very calming. It was such a positive experience that I woman had pulled out. “He was making sure she was comfortable,” wasn’t afraid to contact them with Rust said, recalling how moved she all kinds of questions that came up.” was by this doctor’s sensitivity.

Too often, however, Anticipating needs Few people know what they’ll discharges are hurried and need in the aftermath of a medical caregivers unaware of what they’ll face at home. Levine tells crisis: They want doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers or care of an older woman who was managers to help them figure that handed a pile of paperwork when her husband was being out and devise a practical plan. released from the hospital. “She Under the CARE Act — now couldn’t read it because she had enacted in 36 states, the District macular degeneration and no of Columbia and Puerto Rico one had thought to ask ‘Do you — hospital staff are required understand this and do you have to ask patients if they want to any questions?’” identify a caregiver (some choose Ensuring continuity of care not to do so) and to educate “Patients and families tell that caregiver about medical us that once they leave the responsibilities they’ll face at hospital, they don’t know who’s home. But implementation has responsible for their care,” said been inconsistent, Levine and Karen Hirschman, an associate other experts said. professor and NewCourtland Chair Rust panicked the first time in Health Transitions Research at her mother’s feeding tube came the University of Pennsylvania out, by accident. “I called the School of Nursing. transition service at my hospital’s The name of a person to call outpatient clinic, and they sent someone over in 30 minutes,” she with questions would be helpful as would round-the-clock access said. “They were very reassuring

to emergency assistance — for months, if needed.

“It’s not just ‘Now you’re home and we called you a few times to follow up,’” Hirschman said. “It can take much longer for some patients to recover, and they want to know that someone is accountable for their well-being all the way through.”

Judy Garrett found that having cellphone numbers for a home health care nurse and a doctor who made house calls was essential, until hospice took over shortly before her father’s death.

“My advice to families is be physically present as much as possible, although I know that’s not always easy,” she said.

“Appoint one person in the family to be the point person for medical professionals to reach out to.

Request cellphone numbers, but use them only when you have to.

And if you don’t understand what professionals are telling you, ask until you do.”

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

Support circle: Family caregivers...

From Page 2 basically, to care for their loved one,” Simpkins said. “It makes it harder for people who can’t do that.”

Everyone around the table nodded in agreement. Whatever stage of illness their loved one is experiencing, these caregivers understand the complicated existence that many have dubbed “the long goodbye.”

Along with sharing the sorrow, they find a way to share in the humor of it all — one woman said her husband wears a laundry-basket’s-worth of shirts and pants because he forgets he’s

already gotten dressed. Even tips on how to reduce the odor from incontinence are offered with a loving laugh.

The support group ends with hugs. Some women head for the parking lot. Others buzz through the locked doors to see their husbands.

Simpkins, 54, sits down for lunch with Joe, who is a former state employee and a youthfullooking 66 years old. She drapes an arm around his slumping shoulders and assists him as he spears a cold strawberry with his fork.

“You know, there are some

days,” she said, interrupted by a random reflection from Joe. “Yeah, some days are clearer than others.”

Simpkins tries to stop by to see her husband every day. But it’s a wicked kind of blessing, she said, that when she misses a visit, Joe no longer notices.

This story is part of a partnership that includes Nashville Public Radio, NPR and Kaiser Health News.

KHN’s coverage of these topics is supported by John A. Hartford Foundation, The SCAN Foundation and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

April and Joe Simpkins at Abe’s Garden, the Nashville memory-care facility where Joe moved as his Alzheimer’s advanced.

Photo by Blake Farmer/WPLN

4

features

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

WCOPA Team Philippines 2018 won 219 individual medals composed of 55 gold, 83 silver, 81 bronze medals, and 34 division champion plaques.

Photos by Andy Tecson and Ding Carreon

Philippines shines at the 2018 World Championships of Performing Arts, bagging 219 medals Cebu-based guitar duo wins grand prize in instrumentals as Filipinos turn out at finals

by Rae ann VaRona AJPress

The 22nd Annual World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) 2018 commenced on Sunday, July 8 in Long Beach, California with Team Philippines bringing home numerous awards including a total of 219 medals, after over a week of performances and competitions.

At the final WCOPA competition on Friday, July 13, Filipinos turned out with their flags to support their seven Team Philippines artists in the event’s grand finale.

Winning the high title of Senior Grand Champion Instrumentalists of the World was the Cebu-based guitar duo, M Squared.

“It feels amazing to win the title, Senior Grand Instrumentalists of the World,” Miguel Ibaseta, one of the two guitarists, told the Asian Journal just moments after winning.

Maxwell Soller, the other half of the duo, described the win as “satisfying.”

Other grand finalists from Team Philippines were Richlie Anton Sumido in Junior Dance Solos and Junior Models; Roshan Jill Borbon in Junior Models; Cyd Ira Pangca in Junior Singers; Aljun Cayawan in Senior Models; the AQC Performing Arts Studio dancers in Senior Dance; and Sophia De Vera in Senior Vocals.

‘Giving the Philippines a good name’ Often referred to as the Olympics of performing arts, WCOPA every year brings together performers from over 60 countries vying for gold.

Having joined the competition back in 2005 with only two entries being famous Philippine balladeer Jed Madela and singer Rizza Navales, the team has since gone a long way in terms of representation.

This year, the Philippines followed a trend of large numbers by bringing 87 entries over to the United States. Of the 219 medals won among them, 55 were gold, 83 were silver, and 81 were bronze. Of the 87 entries, 33 made it to the semifinals.

The team also won first place in Best in National Costume, and its national director Gerry Mercado, was dubbed Best Superior National Team Director.

Thirty-four division winner plaques were also awarded to the team.

Just before the finale performances in which artists had only 60 seconds to show their talents, Filipino performers and supporters swarmed in the lobby of the state-of-the-art Long Beach Performing Arts Center for photo opportunities with Madela who currently serves as the team’s Regional Director for the Visayas.

“Every year, Team Philippines always surprises people,” said Madela who became the first Filipino to ever win the competition when he became the 2005 Senior Grand Champion Performer of the World.

Last year, Team Philippines won the competition’s highest awards in both Junior and Senior divisions. Kapamilya dance prodigy Nhikzy Calma was declared the WCOPA 2017 Junior Grand Champion of the World,

while the Philippine Opera Company’s Cristiani Rebada became the WCOPA 2017 Senior Grand Champion of the World.

In 2016, Philippine dance crew JR New System took the WCOPA 2016 Senior Grand Champion of the World award.

Both Rebada and JR New System opened up Friday night’s finale competition.

Madela, who was inducted in 2013 to the WCOPA Performing Arts Hall of Fame, said that he noticed a lot of younger talents in this year’s Team Philippine batch.

Aside from meeting new artists and discovering new talents, Madela said the best thing he looks forward to every WCOPA is simply seeing the Philippine flag waved up in the air.

“There’s a different kind of high whenever the Philippines gets recognized when it comes to performance arts,” Madela told the Asian Journal.

“And as always, we try our best to promote the Philippines,” he added.

Touching on the current light the Philippines has been in internationally as a result of the current administration, he said he was proud that Filipino performing artists were bringing a positive name to the country.

“I think it’s the Filipino artists who are giving the Philippines a good name,” said Madela.

‘More than just a competition’ Taking home the title of Best Superior National Team Director, Mercado has had the opportunity to see Team Philippines grow throughout the years. In 2013, he brought in 35 artists which at the time was the largest the country ever brought over.

“WCOPA is more than just a competition,” said Mercado, emphasizing its opportunities.

“It has workshops and bootcamps by the people behind the Hollywood celebrities, so it’s an opportunity for them to be further educated in their passion for the performing arts,” said Mercado.

“Second, it’s an opportunity for them to gain the right confidence and bring out their talents by joining an international competition,” he added. “Third, it’s an opportunity to be discovered.”

This year’s judges included Grammy winners and nominees; top model agents who have worked on campaigns for clients like Gucci and Chanel; and top

choreographers whose credits include the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards among others.

But part of Mercado’s main goal for the Filipino artists is for them to not only grow in talent, but in character.

For one thing, he said — it’s difficult for artists to come to the event in the first place, considering the costs. And not all sponsors the artists approach say yes, which Mercado says teaches the artists humility, perseverance, and determination.

“And as I always tell them, ‘After these people help you, thank them,’” added Mercado.

“So it also teaches them gratitude.”

Filipino representation all around While Team Philippines drew out cheers from audience members and judges, a couple of Filipino artists representing other countries were also greeted with raised Philippine flags.

Winning the top award for Senior Vocal Solo was James Calacsan, who represented the United States, but received a great amount of support from the Philippines.

Calacsan moved to the U.S. five years ago with his family after being petitioned by his

grandfather, a retired Philippine veteran. His past performances in the U.S. include singing the U.S. national anthem for National Basketball Association games in Minnesota where he and his family currently resides.

“What I was dreaming earlier, before performing, was that I wanted to see the Philippine flag together with the U.S. flag — to be waving in the air while singing,” said Calacsan, a mass communications graduate, now working in finance.

“That happened, so I am so happy right now,” he added.

“I think it inspired me as well to sing earlier during my performance.”

Also representing the United Kingdom in Senior Vocal Solo was Mervic Monocillo, a Filipina who wowed judges and audience members with her clean operatic voice.

“I really encourage people, especially our kababayans, to really support the Filipino artists because they bring so much pride and a good name to the country,” said Madela, encouraging Filipinos and supporters to come out and watch in the following years.

Soller, after winning said: “It is worth mentioning to the Philippines and to the Philippine supporters, we are bringing home the bacon.”

Team Philippines won the WCOPA Grand Champion Instrumentalist of the World. The winners are M Squared, Maxwell Soller, and Miguel Ibaseta.

Team Philippines, 33 semi-finalists, 7 grand finalists at the WCOPA 2018 Grand Finals at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center on Friday, July 13.

Team Philippines won first prize best in National Costume against 63 countries and Best National Director Gerry Mercado at the WCOPA opening ceremonies on Sunday, July 8.

Gerald Anderson: BeaRald still ‘on’

by JAN

MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

MONTHS after Kapamilya actress Bea Alonzo said she and Kapamilya actor Gerald Anderson are no longer a couple, Gerald said there is no reason to move on.

In a Skechers event last week where he is an endorser, Gerald said: “Okay naman kami. Wala namang move on na dapat gawin. Nagulat ako sa tanong mo ha,” Gerald told Philstar.com while laughing.

Reports say Gerald and Bea did not really break up, but this has not been officially confirmed by the actors.

Recently, photos of the couple reportedly spending time together at a zoo surfaced on social media. User @ bearald_rock posted pictures of the couple enjoying the zoo and interacting with animals.

The photos reportedly were a repost from Jen A., who is allegedly Gerald’s sister.

Gerald, who is doing a new teleserye under ABS-CBN and a basketball player of Marikina Shoemasters at the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), will be leading the in-

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

Isabelle Daza wants to remove stigma surrounding depression, anxiety

by CODY

CEPEDA Inquirer.net

Isabelle Daza couldn’t help but be emotional in her recent talk about mental health, particularly about the stigma surrounding mental illness and how social media, despite its breakthroughs and innovation, can lead one to depression and Recently, photos of the couple reportedly spending time together at a zoo surfaced on social media. anxiety.

Pictures of the couple enjoying the zoo and interacting with animals were posted on Instagram. The Daza shared her talk on photos reportedly were a repost from Jen A., who is allegedly Geraldʼs sister.

Instagram last July 13, despite Photo from Instagram/@bearald_rock being shy sharing it as she alongside them. augural Skechers Performance didn’t “look her best.”

He has yet to make a Run at SM By the Bay, MOA “So I’m kinda shy or scared debut on the hard court due Complex. to post this cause I don’t look to a hamstring injury, but he The race has three categomy best but thats not the point. ries: 5k, 10k, and 21k distances said he is doing fine now, so I’m sharing this very personal, to cater to both beginners and he hopes to play and help his emotional talk because I want to seasoned runners. Registration team soon. stand up against the stigma that The actor also looks foris ongoing online and in select mental illness is something we ward to meet Xian Lim in the stores across the metro. should be ashamed about.” court. Xian plays for the MPBL Gerald said his teammates In her moving talk, Daza team Mandaluyong El Tigre. as well as their coaches will shared that she wants to Xian logged six points and six run in the event for them to remove the stigma that menrebounds in 15 minutes of play tal illness is something to be have a bonding. He refused during his debut. to tell if Bea will be running ashamed of.

“My name is Isabelle Daza, I’m a social media influencer. I’m here today because I want to remove the stigma that mental mabango pala siya sa personal. illness, anxiety, depression is (Actually, I’m often alone, I really something that we need to be choose to be alone. The people ashamed about,” Daza said at I come across with, those I the start of her talk. bump into would whisper to “It’s amongst us, but God each other and say, ‘oh he forbid, anybody find out that smells good in person),” he said we’re not living this perfect while throwing in a little joke at life… With social media, I’m not the media conference Tuesday gonna say it’s the most awful for his newest film “Kusina thing on earth because social Kings” which he top-bills with media has helped us with a lot.”

Kapamilya hunk Zanjoe Marudo.

Isabelle Daza couldn’t Tagging along with his fame help but be emotional in her Photo from Instagram/@empoy is his now inexplicable appeal to recent talk about mental health, elementary I was already like women. As they say, the fastest particularly about the stigma this [a chick magnet] nothing has surrounding mental illness and way to a woman’s heart is a funny man’s spirit. True enough, changed).” how social media, despite its A fruit of right project at he has developed legions of breakthroughs and innovation, the right timing, Empoy is now female fans fancied over his can lead one to depression and one of the most sought-after funny antics. anxiety. comedians of this generation.

Asked how he is now with Daza shared her talk on Apart from shooting movie girls, the ever funny Empoy Instagram last July 13, despite after movie, he is also part of joked, “Elementary palang being shy sharing it as she ABS-CBN’s top-rating primetime didn’t “look her best.” ako ganto na’ko, walang series “Since I Found You.” pinagbago.(Since I was in “So I’m kinda shy or scared

Empoy redefines this generation’s ‘pogi’

by CLARIZEL ABANILLA Inquirer.net

EVER since his recordbreaking sleeper hit “Kita Kita,” comedian Empoy Marquez immediately rose to leading man status. Because of his newfound fame, he has amassed a huge following that has gone crazy over this generation’s “new pogi.” However, the deluge of love his fans have for him does not faze the simplicity Empoy has had through the years.

Unlike most celebrities with security personnel all over, the country’s funniest leading man still chooses to stroll out alone.

“Actually madalas ako magisa, mas gusto ko ‘yung nag-iisa, ‘yung mga tao nakakasalamuha ko, nakakabungguan ko, tapos magbubulungan sila, ‘uy

entertainment 5

Photo from Instagram/@isabelledaza

to post this cause I don’t look my best but thats not the point.

I’m sharing this very personal, emotional talk because I want to stand up against the stigma that mental illness is something we should be ashamed about.”

In her moving talk, Daza shared that she wants to remove the stigma that mental illness is something to be ashamed of.

“My name is Isabelle Daza, I’m a social media influencer.

I’m here today because I want to remove the stigma that mental illness, anxiety, depression is something that we need to be ashamed about,” Daza said at the start of her talk.

“It’s amongst us, but God forbid, anybody find out that we’re not living this perfect life… With social media, I’m not gonna say it’s the most awful thing on earth because social media has helped us with a lot.”

But despite the good things social media has opened up to its users, Daza shared that it can also be a a source of negativity.

“It generates this jealousy and it generates this ‘I’m not

good enough,’ ’I’m not as pretty,’ ‘I’m not as thin,’” Daza continued, seemingly crying.

“I’m not traveling as much.’

I felt like I need to be relevant, I need to be talked about, I need to post something today.”

In the video, Daza’s audience can be seen listening intently as she spoke articulately. “I can’t imagine being a teenage girl looking up at influencers and wanting that life and then going home and feeling like ‘I don’t have it.’ Maybe this can lead to mental illness and depression and anxiety.”

Daza also encouraged her audience to reach out to the people they love. “Whole point of being here today was to inspire someone, talk to the person you love, I don’t mean like send them a message on Instagram and troll somebody,” she said.

“Connect with them, and validate them and say ‘I hear you’ and it’s okay to not be okay sometimes, but we’re gonna get through this. People need to be heard and maybe we can save a life.”

6

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

America’s number one imported Italian wine Stella Rosa turns 15

Riboli Family Wines ‘Stellabrates’ momentous occasion with donation to Make-A-Wish Foundation After 15 years of success as America’s number one imported Italian wine, Riboli Family Wines of Los Angeles’ San Antonio Winery, is celebrating by giving back. The family behind L.A.’s 101-year-old winery has chosen to donate to the MakeA-Wish Foundation, which grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

They will be collaborating with the local Los Angeles chapter through the Adopt-A-Wish program, granting a local child’s one true wish.

“We are honored to be partnering with such a reputable organization, which does so much good for thousands of children across this country,” said Steve Riboli, vice president of Riboli Family Wines.

“Our family has always been dedicated to giving back to the community that supports us, so to be able to help put a smile on a child’s face, is very special for us.”

“We are so grateful to Riboli Family Wines for their generous gift,” said Marc Sawyer, Development Director, Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles. “Their commitment to our mission will help us fuel recovery for even more children with critical illnesses in LA County.”

Riboli Family Wines will also be giving back to its longtime dedicated customers by gifting a special birthday lip balm to the first 10,000 people who sign up on their website.

And those who have the same birthday as Stella Rosa, July 18, could win a special Taste the Magic birthday box. There will also be a special package of six specially selected Stella Rosa wines to purchase online July 11-July 18.

The Stella Rosa wines will be flowing at both the original

L.A. location and the Ontario location, where customers could enjoy four tastings of Stella Rosa for $5.

Stella Rosa was created by the Riboli family to meet a growing demand by its customers who visited their original location of San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles. After enjoying the family’s Il Conte Moscato D’Asti, the customers were seeking a similar sweeter wine with the health benefits of a red wine. Enter Stella Rosa Rosso, L’Originale, first in the Stella Rosa collection.

After 15 years, Stella Rosa has grown to become the leading imported wine Hot Brand by volume, reaching more than 1.7 million cases last year, according to Shanken News Daily, and has received the Shanken Impact Hot Brand

Award for five consecutive years now. Never resting on its laurels, Riboli Family Wines continues to expand the Stella Rosa collection to offer its customers new and exciting wines, with 14 wines in its Originale semi-sweet, semisparkling collection and seven in its fully sparkling Imperiale wine. “We never imagined the success Stella Rosa would have when we first bottled Rosso,” said Riboli. “We are eternally grateful to our dedicated customers for supporting our wines throughout all these years and continuously inspiring us to create new ones.”

(Advertising Supplement)

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018

7

8

The Asian Journal MDWK MAGAZINE - July 18, 2018