072818 - LA Weekend Edition

July 28-31, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 61 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Duterte signs Bangsamoro Organic Law MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law, MalacaĂąang confirmed Thursday, July 26, after he and his officials issued conflicting statements about the matter. “This is to announce that the President has just signed the BOL into law,â€? presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a text message.

Duterte’s longtime aide Christopher

Go confirmed in a separate text message that the BOL has been signed.

The president first announced the signing of BOL during the 69th anniversary of Ipil, a town in Zamboanga Sibugay, at about 5:13 p.m. on Thursday. “The BBL has been signed but I will go home for some sort of a ceremony with (Moro Islamic Liberation Front leaders (Ghadzali) Jaafar

and (Al-Hajj) Murad (Ebrahim),� the president said.

But confusion arose after his announcement was contradicted by his officials.

Minutes after the announcement, Roque sent a text message stating that as of 5:43 p.m. the BOL has not yet been signed by the president. Go made a similar statement in a text message sent at 5:18 p.m.

Catholic bishops criticize Sister Fox’s deportation

Trade Commissioner of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center Celynne Layug leads a panel of business owners and headhunters. From L-R, Armando Bartolome of GMB Management Services Global, Inc.; Linda Stone, founder and CEO of APR Consulting, Inc.; Dr. Ed Arcinue, M.D., owner of Sual Global International, Inc.; and Ed Romualdo of Asset Laboratories.

AJPress photo by Klarize Medenilla

by NATHALIE

Philippine trade agency hosts seminar on job creation and entrepreneurship in LA

u PAGE A3

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, July 25, said his visit to the United States is just a matter of “scheduling.� This appears to be a softening of his previous hardline stance against visiting the Philippines’ traditional ally.

Duterte had said earlier that he would never go to the U.S. during his term as President after Washington became critical of his drug war and anti-criminality campaign. But this was during the administration of former President Barack Obama.

It appears that his stand is now changing as he hailed on Wednesday his friendship with U.S. President Donald Trump. “He (Trump) is my friend and of course I have been invited to the United States u PAGE A2

ROBLES

AJPress

LOS ANGELES — In an effort to uplift the jobs market in the Philippines, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center and the Philippine Consulate General of LA hosted a “Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan� seminar on Thursday, July 26 at the Consulate office in Koreatown.

Conceived from the AmBisyon Natin 2040 and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development missions, the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabu-

Duterte: My visit to ‘friend’ Trump in US just a matter of scheduling

During his visit to fire victims in Zamboanga City minutes past 7 p.m., his second public engagement Thursday, Duterte reiterated that he has signed the BOL. “Napirmahan ko na ang BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law),� Duterte said, referring to BOL by its old name. “I have no expectations. Not everyu PAGE A2

ARAW NG IPIL. President Rodrigo Duterte attends the celebration of the ‘69th Araw ng Ipil’ at the Ipil Municipal Plaza in Zamboanga Sibugay Province on Thursday, July 26. During his speech, Duterte said he wishes the locals well as he hopes to attain peace in the entire island of Mindanao.

MalacaĂąang photos by Karl Norman Alonzo

FILIPINO bishops expressed their dismay over the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) order to deport the 71-year-old Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox on the grounds of being an undesirable alien and an alleged violator of her missionary visa.

In a Facebook post, Caloocan bishop Pablo Virgilio David criticized BI’s resolve on identifying Fox as an undesirable alien.

He even included a photo of the smiling nun along with three children. “She’s not a drug smuggler or trader.

She’s not into child trafficking. She’s not part of a foreign cyber scamming group posing as a call center company,� he stated.

The bishop also emphasized how she neither works for a foreign company that’s into open pit mining nor is she involved in arms dealing and terrorism. “She just happens to care for the poor in this country. Does she deserve to be deported as an “undesirable alien?� David wrote.

In an article from the official news service of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the u PAGE A2

Pro-Arroyo bloc to leave PDP for party led by Sara Duterte

by NATHALIE

ROBLES

AJPress

PAMPANGA Rep. Gloria Arroyo’s election as speaker of the House of Representatives on Monday, July 23, not only surprised the entire nation, but also posed as a grave threat to the existence of the ruling party Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

In a Manila Times report, an unknown source revealed that members plan on bolting the party to transfer to Hugpong ng Pagbaba-

go HNP (Alliance for Change), a party led by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

PDP-Laban is a national party chaired by President Rodrigo Duterte with Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as the secretary general. It grew in numbers and has a total of 142 members.

HNP, however, is a regional political party launched in February by Duterte-Carpio and incumbent governors of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental and Compostela Valley - all

from Southern Mindanao. “PDP-Laban will be soon gone.

You see, at least 50 percent of the PDP-Laban members in the House chose Arroyo to be Speaker. What does it say about strength or lack of it by PDP-Laban - a party wherein Alvarez serves as the secretary general?,� the source told the Manila Times.

The source also named Representatives Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental and Karlo Nograles of Davao City as the prime members behind the move. Both elected Ar- Newly installed House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrives at the Plenary Hall of the House of Representatives on her ďŹ rst day as speaker u PAGE A3 on Tuesday, July 24.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

From business journalist to social entrepreneur CA junks Rappler plea to reverse SEC ruling MAD Travel co-founder Tom Graham shares journey towards social tourism platform

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

WHETHER it’s family, friends, pristine beaches, food, shopping, or business — people find themselves in the Philippines for a number of reasons.

For former business journalist Thomas Graham, his journey to the Philippines came by way of an assignment — to report on business and investment prospects in the country.

But what the British journalist instead took away were stories that would eventually lead him on a path of social entrepreneurship, co-founding social travel platform Make A Difference (MAD) Travels whose early travelers include the CEO of Microsoft.

On the seventh floor office of the Philippine Department of Tourism in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 27, Graham explained to tourism heads of different countries MAD Travel co-founder Thomas Graham AJPress photo by Rae Ann Varona

PAGE A4

MANILA — The Court of Appeals (CA) denied the petition of online news site Rappler to reverse the ruling of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revoke its business registration.

In January, the SEC revoked the license of Rappler for allegedly violating the constitutional and statutory Foreign Qeuity Restriction in Mass Media.

In its 72-page ruling issued Thursday, the apellate court noted that the issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR), a financial instrument allowing foreigners to invest in a Filipino company without owning any part of it, is not illegal.

The court acknowledged the earlier statement of Rappler that other Filipino corporations such

File photo shows employees of Rappler, an online news outďŹ t known for its critical reporting on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, work inside their ofďŹ ce in Manila.

Philstar.com photo

as ABS-CBN, GMA and Globe of the grounds for the rejection have issued PDRs in the past and was: “That the purpose of the were allowed by the SEC. corporation are patently unconThe court indicated that one u PAGE A3

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Duterte: My visit to ‘friend’ Trump...

From the Front Page

PAGE A1 t several times, but you know, it’s not because of anybody or any place there, it has something to do with the schedule,” Duterte said in a speech during the Asia Pacific Health Islands Conference in Davao City.

The president said long-haul flights from Manila to Washington would “kill” him.

“The long haul 13 to 14 hours U.S. President Donald Trump sits beside Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during the ASEAN gala dinner on November 12, 2017.

Malacañang photo

would kill me,” he said.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim had said earlier that Duterte’s visit to the U.S. is just a “question of scheduling.”

“President Trump has already invited President Duterte to visit Washington,” Kim said.

“But obviously, there are lots of important developments here in the Philippines and I think it’s a question of scheduling as to when President Duterte will be able visit the United States,” Kim said.

Kim added that the US is working on the second meeting between the two leaders, citing “strong interest” from both sides.

“I think there’s strong interest in both sides and facilitating a visit to Washington so we’ll continue to work on it,” he said.

The two presidents have already met in Manila during the country’s hosting of the 31 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in November last year.

“I think President Trump and President Duterte have a very strong relationship,” Kim said.

“It was very evident during President Trump’s visit last November that the two gentlemen share much in common including on the importance of rule of law even as the Philippines continues to pursue the serious challenge of illegal drugs in the Philippines,” he added.

During a meeting with Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also relayed hopes for a second meeting between President Duterte and Trump in Washington. (With a report from Anthony Esquerra/ Inquirer.net)

SPAT IN CONGRESS. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas (fourth from left) and Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya (third from right) argue House rules, surrounded by other congressmen at the plenary hall of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 25.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Duterte signs Bangsamoro...

PAGE A1 t

one may not like it. Let’s see if it can be modified. Those who are disappointed may wage a war,” he added.

Duterte was supposed to sign the BOL during his third State of the Nation Address last Monday. However, the House failed to ratify the measure because of the leadership squabble in the

chamber. The House ratified the measure last Tuesday.

The Presidential Legislative Liaison Office confirmed that the BOL was received by Malacañang at 7:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

Also Thursday, Duterte said he would like to talk to Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari

to discuss a peace deal so that it could be realized by the end of the year.

“I can create — so just like an autonomy for him. That is what he wants and pending the federal system implementation. All he has to do is trust me. I have about three years to hack it,” he said. (Alexis Romero/Philstar. com)

Catholic bishops criticize...

PAGE A1 t

Philippines (CBCP), Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said the BI’s decision confirmed how the government is “systematically harassing people who criticize their policies.”

He added that the administration considers the nun a threat because of her defense on the rights of the poor and the marginalized Filipinos.

“This is a very sad development, this is really bad. I am ashamed of the government,” Bastes stated.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo also stressed that it was Fox’s fact finding mission in Mindanao that brought her attention despite doing missionary work in the Philippines for 27 years.

“She has been serving our poor people for decades and this is how the government rewards

her just because it is so insecure in what it is doing,” Pabillo said.

Pabillo also questioned the government’s interest in the nun’s fact finding mission.

“Why is it afraid of fact finding missions if its policies are good as it claims? This is another instance of creeping authoritarianism,” Pabillo noted.

Fox, through her legal counsel from the National Union for People’s Lawyers (NUPL) filed a motion for reconsideration on Monday, July 23 to hold off the BI’s decision.

The motion stated that her activities were not illegal but rather a valid exercise of her right to free speech and peaceful assembly.

The BI issued the deportation order on July 19 and indicated her name be included in the bureau’s blacklist that would bar her from coming back to the

The Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) order to deport the 71-year old Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox on the grounds of being an undesirable alien and an alleged violator of her missionary visa.

Inquirer.net photo

Philippines.

Fox’ lawyers claimed that the BI had “no choice” but to abide

by President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks against her and that he had “already prejudged the case.” n

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 28-31, 2018

A3

Philippine trade agency hosts seminar on job...

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MISS WATER LILY 2018 WINNERS. Sen. Cynthia Villar poses with the winners of the Miss Water Lily Festival 2018 now on its 13th year. The winners are Arlyn Claire M. Sangab of Barangay Pamplona 1 who won the grand trophy and P20,000 cash; Rebecca Kirsten S. Lopez of Barangay.

Talon 4, 1st runner-up who got P15,000 cash and Rojielen Angela Autencio of Barangay. Pulanglupa 1, 2nd runner-up who got P10,000 cash.

Patricia Mariel R. V elasquez of Barangay Talon 3 bagged the People’s choice award. The water lily festival is an annual celebration in Las Pinas to showcase the useful products out of the acquatic bloom.

Senate photo

Pro-Arroyo bloc to leave PDP for ...

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royo before Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In line with this, Camarines Sur 1st District Representative and Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya said that a “handful” of members are eyeing to transfer to other political parties, although he did not say which party.

In a report from Rappler, he said the “tipping point” was Arroyo’s takeover of the speakership. But there has been a grow-

ing discontent among district representatives allied with the president’s party for a long time.

Sara Duterte and Pantaleon Alvarez’ rift started when Sara claimed Alvarez bragged he could unseat the president. She was also said to be responsible in garnering votes to oust the former speaker.

Despite the claims from the unknown source, Benitez assured that PDP-Laban would still exist for the time being. The law-

maker promised that they will “maintain and further strengthen the majority coalition.”

“The Duterte administration’s legislative agenda, particularly the early passage of the proposed national budget, will be our priority. Eighty of the 119 PDP-Laban lawmakers were present at the caucus [with Speaker Arroyo]. Those who were not able to make it also pledged support to the new House leadership.”

Benitez added. ■

CA junks Rappler plea to reverse...

PAGE A1 t stitutional, illegal, immoral, or contrary to government rules and regulations.”

The apellate court also found that the treasurer’s affidavit on the amlount of capital stock subscribed and paid was false.

“That the percentage of ownership of the capital stock to be owned by citizens of the Philippines has not been complied with as required by existing laws of the Constitution,” the ruling read.

The CA also ordered the SEC to evaluate the legal effect of the alleged donation of Omidyar Network of all its PDRs to Rappler staff.

“Accordingly, this case is hereby remanded to the Securities and Exchange Commission for this purpose,” the court said.

In its ruling, the apellate court noted that the reply of Rappler stating that Omidyar has donated all its PDR to the news site’s staff was a new development not presented to the SEC. Meanwhile, Rappler has not yet received a copy of the decision, according to its legal counsel Francis Lim. “We have not yet received a copy of the decision but we will surely not take the decision sitting down and will take all legal actions necessary to have the issue finally resolved by the Supreme Court,” Lim said, as reported by Rappler.

The order of the CA to the SEC to conduct further evaluation on the legal implications of the donation of PDRs to Rappler staff means that it would be “business as usual” for the on-

hayan (TNK) initiative hopes to expand the resources available to small business owners and entrepreneurs as well as encourage more people to start their own, independent businesses.

“The thrust of the government is really to bring development in our regions and that is what the TNK and our role as Filipino American communities,” said Celynne Layug, trade commissioner at the Philippine Trade and Investment Center - San Francisco.

“That’s what we want to build on and to have a contribution for.”

Under the Duterte administration, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) prioritized higher rates of employment and income opportunities to combat inequality in a struggling jobs market.

The TNK initiative was then created to fulfill that mission and give voice to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through workshops, government programs and easy access to mentorship, funding sources and marketing.

“MSMEs form the heart and soul of our nation’s economy, so they deserve representation,” Layug said. According to the DTI, 99.57 percent of enterprises in the Philippines are MSMEs, which comprise of 63.8 percent of the country’s workforce.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Philippines job market has been growing in the last few years and will continue to grow. The gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 6.7 percent in 2018 with a forecast of 1.5 percent increase by the end of the year.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the national

Guests of the TNK seminar included local business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders.

AJPress photos by Klarize Medenilla

unemployment rate declined to 5.5 percent in 2018, down 0.2 points from 2017.

TNK panelist Linda R. Stone, CEO of APR Consulting Inc., which provides recruitment and payroll services to corporations, founded APR three decades ago and has grown it into a leading name in the consulting and staffing industry.

All business owners know that jobs creation can’t exist without a pool of educated talent, which was why Stone moved her office from Clark City to Makati City to recruit college graduates into her company.

“There are limited talents and we needed a lot of people who had call center experience, but we couldn’t find the right talents in Clark,” Stone said. “As a business owner, you have to utilize all the resources available to find the right talents, but on the other side, as a prospective employee, you need to have the right credentials and training and experience to make yourself viable for companies.”

A major goal of the DTI is to also uplift MSMEs throughout all provinces, especially those in the rural areas of the country.

According to the DTI data from 2015 (the year with the latest available data), the regions with the fastest growth rates have occurred in Bicol (8.4 percent), West Visayas (8.3 percent), Davao (7.9 percent), Zamboanga Peninsula (7.2 percent) and Metro Manila (6.6 percent).

“It’s about synergy, it’s about sharing our experiences and ups and downs to make that kind of difference, and it shows with the dedication because, as the administration stresses, one of our biggest goals is development in the provinces.

A delegation of lawmakers and community leaders from Bacolod, Philippines — which was voted the top local government unit last year — including Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, were present at Thursday’s seminar to showcase the economic growth that the city, as well as the whole of Negros Occidental, has experienced in the last few years.

“We have the fastest-growing economy in the Philippines, so please come to Bacolod so we can lay down everything that you need as a business owner,” Familiaran said. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

line news site.

“What this means is that the SEC decision cannot be enforced or implemented until the issue is finally decided,” the Rappler counsel said.

United Nations human rights experts had raised alarm over the SEC’s move to revoke Rappler’s license.

UN special rapporteurs said that the move “comes at a time of rising rhetoric against independent voices” in the Philippines.

“We urge the government to return to its path of protection and promotion of independent media, especially those covering issues in the public interest,” UN special rapporteurs said in a joint statement in January. (Patricia Lourdes Vi- Philippine Consulate General of LA Adelio Angelito Cruz (center) poses with business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders. Some of the special guests included Philippine politicians, including Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran of Bacolod, Philippines (pictured to the right of Cruz). ray/Philstar.com)

A july 28-31, 2018 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN jOuRNAl

Dateline USa

How soon is soon enough to learn you have Alzheimer’s?

by Alex Smith Kaiser Health News

Jose Belardo of Lansing, Kan., spent most of his career in the U.s. Public Health service.

He worked on the front lines of disasters in such other countries as Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

At home with his three kids and wife, elaine, he’d always been unfailingly reliable, so when he forgot their wedding anniversary two years in a row, they both

started to worry.

“We recognized something wasn’t right and pretty much attributed it to being overworked and tired,” elaine said.

But the symptoms grew. Last year, when Jose was 50 years old, he got an evaluation at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that included a battery of cognitive tests and an amyloid PeT scan of his brain. The scan detects beta-amyloid plaques — sticky clumps of protein fragments that tend par-

ticularly to build up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (though some healthy older adults have these plaques, too).

Jose said his diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease came as an inconvenient shock. still, he and his wife said they believe it is better to have a diagnosis than not. Jose said he is determined not to let the shock of the diagnosis distract him from living a full life.

“I’ve got responsibilities, man.

I can’t go away,” Jose said. “I’ve got kids. I’ve got graduations coming up. I’ve got all this stuff coming up. I’m not going to let Alzheimer’s take that away from me. That’s for sure.”

The prospect of having Alzheimer’s can be so scary, and the current treatment options so few, that many people dismiss memory problems or other symptoms rather than investigate them, say Alzheimer’s specialists; it’s estimated that as many as half of all cases aren’t diagnosed.

But that may soon change.

Researchers are making progress in measuring beta-amyloid and other Alzheimer’s biomarkers in blood that might eventually be able to reliably, inexpensively and non-invasively identify the disease years before cognitive symptoms develop. for now, PeT scans for betaamyloid still aren’t widely available, and most other biomarker tests are still experimental. But Dr. John Morris, an Alzheimer’s researcher and professor of neurology at Washington University in st. Louis, predicted these physiological measurements will signal a new chapter in Alzheimer’s care.

The ultimate goal, Morris said, is to correctly diagnose and treat people “prior to the stage of dementia, prior to the stage where memory and thinking are affected, in an effort to delay the loss of memory and thinking ability or even prevent it.”

In the meantime, he said, one reason to see a doctor at the first development of mild cognitive symptoms is because the symptoms might stem from something else that is quite treatable. “for example, sometimes a low thyroid hormone level can produce a dementia-like state,” he said, “and that can be easily treated with thyroid replacement therapy.”

And even if the underlying

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How the US-Mexico border wall affects the environment Thousands from international science community warn of wall’s consequences

by RAe

Ann VARonA AJPress

effoRTs on the proposal to continue construction along the U.s. and Mexico border has without a doubt negatively impacted thousands of lives, most notably the thousands of migrant families still hoping to be reunited after being separated at the border.

But the international scientific community is adding that the wall also presents alarming consequences for the environment along the divide, which is home to thousands of vulnerable populations of plants and animals.

A report published Tuesday, July 24 in the journal Bioscience, determined that as many as 1,077 animal species and 429 plant species — 66 from both groups of which are critically endangered — would be affected by the construction of new borders. outlining the environmental harms seen over the past decade as a result of construction along the roughly 2,000-mile U.s.Mexico border, the report further warns of the Trump administration’s plan to complete a continuous border wall by describing it as a threat to “some of the continent’s most biologically diverse regions.” “fences and walls erected along international boundaries in the name of national security have unintended but significant consequences for biodiversity,” wrote the scientists.

Co-signing the report are over 2,700 scientists (and growing) from all over the world, including from the Philippines. over 700 additional signatures come from general supporters.

Among the report’s authors are prominent biologists Paul ehrlich

and e.o. Wilson.

Nature divided The authors stated that physical barriers fragment habitats and degrade landscape connectivity for animals, thus preventing them from getting access to food, water, and mates among other needs.

The endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep, for example, relies on trekking between California and Mexico for water and birthing sites. for the also endangered Mexican gray wolf and sonoran pronghorn, building a wall would make it nearly impossible for them to reestablish recently declining populations. “fragmented populations may suffer from reduced genetic diversity and face greater extinction risks,” wrote the authors.

The report also cited the Real ID Act which was passed

by U.s. Congress in 2005, ultimately allowing the Department of Homeland security (DHs) authority to waive any laws that get in the way of the wall’s construction. These include the endangered species Act (esA) and the National environmental Policy Act (NePA).

“With these laws sidelined, wall construction proceeds without the necessary depth of environmental monitoring, mitigation, public input, and pursuit of legal remedies,” reads the report.

The DHs has already issued eight waivers in all four border states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas since 2005. Three of the waivers were from the Trump administration in 2017 for construction in California and New Mexico.

The researchers also argued that the border wall and efforts

towards its completion devalue conservation investment and scientific research.

“The U.s. and Mexican governments, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, and private landowners have set aside many millions of acres of protected land and invested millions of dollars in conservation, often bi-nationally coordinated,” wrote the authors.

Around 4.5 million hectares of U.s. and Mexican protected areas within 80 kilometers of borderlines are overseen for biodiversity conservation. Another 2.6 million hectares are managed for sustainable multiuse. of the total borderland area, 18 percent are protected lands.

The authors added that U.s. and Mexican scientists have also shared “distressing stories of being intimidated, harassed, and delayed by border security officers.”

Rob Peters, the lead author of the study and a biologist at Defenders of Wildlife, told earther that the sheer number of support from the international science community shows how dire the consequences of border construction are.

“Given that scientists by nature and training are often hesitant about weighing in on public issues, that so many signed is strong validation of how disastrous the wall would be,” Peters told earther.

In the report, authors urged the U.s. government to recognize and prioritize the conservation of the “ecological, economic, political, and cultural value of the U.sMexico borderlands.”

“National security can and must be pursued with an approach that preserves our natural heritage,” wrote the authors. n

From business journalist to social...

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and travel entrepreneurs, of his journey from business journalist to social entrepreneur and the lessons he picked up along the way.

“I didn’t really believe in what I was writing because it was very obvious to me the level of poverty and inequality I found in the Philippines,” said Graham, of his initial report findings in the country.

“I wanted to tell a different story — a story that would really give me hope,” he added before pointing to a photo of Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto whom he decided to interview.

Gawad Kalinga (meaning “to give care” in Tagalog) is a Philippine-based non-profit that focuses on poverty alleviation through efforts like community building. Who better to give a different perspective on Philippine potential than Meloto, Graham thought.

After a three-hour interview that went way beyond the planned time of 30 minutes, Graham said he was challenged by Meloto to “ditch the shirt and tie” he was wearing, and “go out and discover the genius of the filipino poor.”

Graham soon after decided to quit his job, exchange his 34th floor condo in one of the Philippines’ most upscale neighborhoods, and embark on a year journey living and experiencing the country through the perspective of local communities.

‘Genius of the poor’ on his journey through over 100 communities, Graham recalled meeting numerous inspiring individuals looking to make change in the Philippines. These people, he shared, introduced him to the filipino values of walang iwanan (meaning “no one gets left behind”), and bayanihan, which describes the spirit of active collaboration. Both values are what are behind the mission of Gawad Kalinga.

There was the young french foreigner who after graduating from one of france’s top business schools, turned to chicken farming in the Gawad Kalinga enchanted farms, which Graham described as the “silicon Valley of social entrepreneurship” in the country.

There was also the young filipino in the same farm, who now makes a living making iced tea from local ingredients despite having before lived under a bridge.

Being a writer, Graham somewhat instinctively decided to chronicle his experiences and all of the people he met and put them in a book titled, “The Genius of the Poor: An englishman’s Life Changing Journey in the Philippines.”

He described the book as the “first stage” in his personal transformative experience because as he later found out, he didn’t feel like the book had done enough.

Moving back to London, Graham found himself missing the Philippines and after a couple of beers one night, a friend attempted to console Graham by offering to double his donations to oxfam.

“It was a very sincere offer, but at that moment I realized I don’t just want my friends to double their subscriptions to a charity — to just give money. I wanted them to come and experience the Philippines and its communities and that spirit of bayanihan and walang iwanan for themselves,” said Graham.

Hence came the idea for Make A Difference (MAD) Travel.

Making a difference through travel Launched in 2015, MAD Travel is a social tourism platform that looks to provide travelers with meaningful experiences while supporting marginalized communities in the Philippines.

Thirty-percent of total tour profits go towards its partner communities like those of Gawad Kalinga and the Gawad Kalinga enchanted farms.

Touching on the growing appeal of experience-based travel found especially among millennials, Graham said MAD Travel hopes to take travel beyond being just sustainable. “everybody wants to be sustainable nowadays. But a lot of it seems to be around limiting the harm that we do,” said Graham.

He added that being responsible just isn’t enough, especially in the Philippines where many communities remain vulnerable to not only inequality, but challenges like climate change.

He gave the example of the need for reforestation, specifically in the Central Luzon province of Zambales which experienced devastation after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. It’s also one of the destinations of MAD Travels.

The Philippines overall, he said, was over 90 percent forest some hundred years ago. Today, it’s

less than ten percent.

“We need to somehow transform this environment. Use tourism as an accelerator to basically replant an entire 3,000 hectare rainforest,” said Graham, adding that reforestation would mean planting about three million trees.

In Yangil, san felipe, Zambales, MAD Travel with its partnerships and travelers was able to start a small nursery in 2016. By 2017, they started to see growth in planted trees. Today, the nursery works closely with NGos and other organizations, has a water pump, basic solar energy, and thriving tree yields.

Aside from tree planting, travelers to Yangil learn about the culture of the indigenous Aetas through dance, food, music, archery, and herbal medicine. They also get to know the community through its people like Chief erese, the tribal chieftain; Ate Vilma who is often the first to greet travelers; and Lolo Doyong who enjoys sitting outside the learning center with his native self-made bow and arrows. other MAD Travels destinations include the GK enchanted farm in Bulacan, Metro Manila, and Maribojoc in Bohol. But all travels are customizable to fit travelers’ personal schedules. since its launch, MAD Travel has served over 2,500 and counting travelers from both the Philippines and abroad.

Its impact has meant putting over 30,000 plants back into the ground since 2016, having two indigenous partner communities from two different provinces, and an investment of roughly PHP 900,000 in community training and infrastructure development, among others.

“All of this happened because tourism was the initial driver,” said Graham. “It got people in the community.” n

AJPress photos by Rae Ann Varona

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A

US, Australia reaffirm right to pass through South China Sea

by PaTriCia Lourdes Philstar.com

ANTI-DRUG OPERATION. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents gear up at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City before going to an actual anti-drug operation on Thursday, July 26.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

Top Trump health official takes swipes at ACA, single-payer in enemy territory

by Chad

Terhune Kaiser Health News

SAN FRANCISCO — Stepping into the land of the Trump resistance, Seema Verma flatly rejected California’s pursuit of singlepayer health care as unworkable and dismissed the Affordable Care Act as too flawed to ever succeed.

Speaking Wednesday at the Commonwealth Club here, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said she supports granting states flexibility on health care but indicated she would not give California the leeway it would need to spend federal money on a singlepayer system.

“I think a lot of the analysis has shown it’s unaffordable,” Verma said during a questionand-answer session following her speech. “It doesn’t make sense for us to waste time on something that’s not going to work.”

During her speech, Verma issued a broader warning to advocates pushing for a Medicarefor-all program nationally. She said that “socialized” approach to medicine would endanger the program and the health care it provides for millions of older Americans.

“We don’t want to divert the purpose and focus away from our seniors,” Verma said in the address before more than 200 people. “In essence, Medicare for all would become Medicare for none.”

Single-payer has emerged as a key issue in the California governor’s race this year. The current front-runner for governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and the current lieutenant governor, has vowed to pursue a state-run, single-payer system for all Californians if elected in November.

Many California lawmakers have endorsed that idea as the next step toward achieving universal coverage and to tackling rising costs.

California has enthusiastically embraced the Affordable Care Act, and state leaders have struggled with — and even bucked — the Trump administration on a variety of health-policy fronts. The state stands to lose more than any other if the Trump administration is successful in further dismantling the ACA. About 1.4 million Californians buy coverage through the state’s Obamacare exchange, Covered California, and nearly 4 million have joined Medicaid as a result of the program’s expansion under the law.

Verma wields enormous power as head of CMS, overseeing a $1 trillion budget. The agency sets policy for Medicare, Medicaid and the federal insurance exchanges under the ACA. The landmark health law, she said, was so flawed it could not work without further action from Congress.

“It wasn’t working when we came into office and it continues not to work,” Verma said, responding to a question from moderator Mark Zitter, founder of the

Zetema Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes debate on health care across partisan lines.

“The program is not designed to be successful.”

Zitter billed the event as a rare chance for Californians to hear directly from a top Trump administration official, although Verma’s remarks broke little new ground, he said.

Trump health care policies figure into many of California’s congressional races this fall in which incumbent Republicans are fending off Democratic challengers.

And in court, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is leading a coalition of attorneys general who are defending the constitutionality of the ACA in a Texas case with national implications.

The Trump administration has sided with the officials waging the lawsuit, choosing not to defend the health law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions. Separately, the administration has backed work requirements for many people on Medicaid.

California’s state Senate passed a law in May banning such requirements as a condition for eligibility in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The bill is pending in the state Assembly.

“Making health insurance coverage contingent on work requirements goes against all we’ve worked for here in California,” state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), author of SB 1108, said in May. State lawmakers also are considering bills that would limit the GOP-backed sale of short-term health policies and prevent people from joining association health plans that don’t have robust consumer protections.

In an interview after the speech, Verma criticized those legislative efforts in California because they would limit consumer choice.

“Any efforts to thwart choice and competition and letting Americans make decisions about their health care is bad health policy,” she said.

Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the state’s ACA marketplace, has criticized the Trump administration for promoting those cheaper, skimpier policies as an alternative to ACAcompliant plans. He said he fears consumers will be harmed by “bait-and-switch products” that don’t provide comprehensive benefits.

“There have been a series of policies from Washington that have the effect of raising costs, particularly for middle-class Americans, and pricing them out of coverage,” Lee said in an interview last week.

“This is not a failure of the ACA. This is entirely happening since the new administration.”

Most of Verma’s speech in San Francisco focused on Medicare.

She outlined a number of initiatives designed to strengthen the program and protect taxpayers from ballooning costs. After the speech, CMS announced proposed changes to Medicare payment policies for outpatient care

How soon is soon enough to...

PAGE A4 t problem is Alzheimer’s, a recent study by the Alzheimer’s Association suggests that accurately diagnosing the illness at the earlier stage of mild cognitive impairment — or possibly even before symptoms appear — could save $64,000 per patient in terms of health costs and longterm care costs over the course of their lifetime.

An earlier diagnosis also allows the patient to be more involved in planning for their own future and the family’s.

That can help reduce the emotional toll of the disease on everyone.

After Jose Belardo’s illness was diagnosed, the family rushed to get his affairs in order. They got in touch with the Alzheimer’s Association, which provided support groups and

other help.

And before long, as Elaine explained, the shock started to wear off.

“What I would say is, after you get a diagnosis of something that is incurable and progressive and perhaps even aggressive: Pause. And breathe. And think about where the person is right at that moment. Because at that moment, Jose was not dying. And at this moment, Jose is not dying.”

Researchers hope that by getting more Alzheimer’s patients diagnosed early on, more people with the disease will, like Jose, be able to make the best of the health they have.

This story is part of a partnership that includes KCUR, NPR and Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation. n

that could yield savings for the government and patients.

In her remarks, Verma reiterated the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce prescription drug prices, improve patients’ access to their own medical records and eliminate burdensome regulations on doctors and other medical providers.

Verma received a polite round of applause at the beginning and end of her appearance.

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

Viray

TOP American and Australian officials reaffirmed their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed South China Sea in response to China’s expanded militarization in the region.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne stressed that militarization of the contested waterway is contrary to the region’s goal of peaceful development.

“Both sides called for the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea to be consistent with existing international law, as reflected in UNCLOS, to support existing regional architecture, to reinforce the parties’ commitment to cease actions that complicate disputes and not to prejudice the interests of third parties or the rights of all states under international law,” the joint statement after the Australia-U.S. consultations read.

In a press briefing, Mattis said that both countries are aligned with what they want as an “end state” the region, particularly a free and open IndoPacific.

The U.S. Defense chief noted that South China Sea features that have never been milita-

rized before have been militarized by China.

In response to an American congressman who said that he would like to see Australia conduct a unilateral freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, Mattis said that would be a “sovereign decision by a sovereign state.”

“And we coordinate, collaborate across the realm in terms of our military exercises, our military operations. And right now, we’ll just leave that decision with the people of Australia, which is exactly where it belongs,” Mattis said.

Joe Courtney, co-chair of the Friends of Australia caucus in U.S. Congress, earlier said that Australia conducting its own freedom of navigation operation against China would shift the strategic momentum in the region.

Bishop, however, had rejected Courtney’s call for Australia to conduct a unilateral freedom of navigation operation against China as it would be the first that they would do anywhere in the world, according to a report from The Australian.

“We will continue to do what we’ve always done (and) we have certainly stepped up the tempo of our passage through the South China Sea in international waters,” Bishop said before the meeting with U.S. top officials.

Pompeo, meanwhile, added that Beijing’s actions in the re-

gion poses a threat to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“We spent a lot of time over the course of the last two days talking about how to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

That threat emanates from lots of places; certainly China poses concerns there,” Pompeo said in the press briefing.

Despite the threats, the United States would continue its commitment to the region, Pompeo added.

“And I think the South Pacific, like most places in the world, understand the enormity of having an American ally, the enormity of having a country that consistently, over decades, projects the democratic values, the human dignity that comes with having an American partner is different from having partners that aren’t quite that way,” the US Defense chief said.

The Philippines, which a claimant of the disputed features in the South China Sea, is also a long-time ally of the U.S. The two countries regularly conduct joint military exercises and they also have an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Despite the Washington and Canberra’s stonger statements against Beijing’s militarization of the disputed waters, Manila has shelved the July 2016 arbitral ruling in the South China Sea in exchange of stronger ties with China. n

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San Diego bridge renamed for slain Fil-Am cop Civil rights advocates urge public to comment on 2020 Census

SAN DIEGO, California – A bridge in Chula Vista has been named for a Filipino police officer who was killed on duty in 2016.

The Officer Jonathan “JD” M. de Guzman Memorial Bridge was dedicated Thursday, July 19 in de Guzman’s hometown.

The 16-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department was shot and killed in Southcrest in July of 2016. His partner Officer Wade Irwin was also shot and was seriously injured.

A sign bearing de Guzman’s name will be posted on the side of the bridge that brings Palomar Street commuters across Interstate 805, according to a report

by NBC San Diego.

De Guzman emigrated from the Philippines when he was 20 years old. During his 16 years on the force, he served on the SWAT and Gang Suppression units. He also received a purple heart when he was stabbed on duty in 2003.

Jesse Michael Gomez, 56, the San Diego man who is accused of shooting and killing de Guzman, and shooting Irwin, will face the death penalty, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said last December. (Inquirer.net)

by Mark Hedin Ethnic Media Services

CIVIL rights leaders joined census policy experts on Tuesday, July 17, in an urgent plea, particularly to communities of color, for a show of public activism and force to derail a fast-moving Trump administration effort to officially ignore them. The fight begins by taking full advantage of a narrow window of opportunity in which to speak out against it.

That window closes on Aug. 7, the deadline for public comment on the administration’s last-minute plan to, as part of the 2020 census, ask every single person in the United States if they’re legal citizens.

The plan is being sold as an effort to ensure voting accuracy, but is widely seen as obvious discrimination against communities of color and the poor by discouraging their participation in the census.

Census data drives the allocaInquirer.net photos tion of political representation, business’ investment and funding decisions for transportation and hundreds of other government and private programs.

By adding the citizenship OVER 17 YEARS question to the 2020 census, along with cutting its funding and changing how the counting will be done, the government is on course to ensure that millions of people in the United States will not be counted.

“The 2020 census is one of the most urgent civil rights issues facing the country,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference Education Fund. “And right now, every person in America has the opportunity to Darrick V. Tan, Esq. help ensure the count is fair and accurate for all communities.”

Licensed in California for Gupta, along with other repover 17 years resentatives of Asian AmeriLicensed in Nevada for can, Latino, African Ameriover 12 years* can communities and census UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Cum Laude honors veteran Terri Ann Lowenthal, Southwestern University Law emphasized the importance of School, Juris Doctor reaching out the Census BuAdmitted to U.S. District Court, reau either through the website Central District of California censuscounts.org or by writing, Member, American Immigration and to do so by 11:59 p.m. on Lawyers Association Aug. 7 at the very latest.

Member, Consumers Attorney “There will be no extenAssociation of Los Angeles sions for submitting pubFormer Member, Board of lic comments,” Lowenthal Governors, Philippine American Bar Association warned. “Historically, public *Inactive comments, comments from stakeholders, has been influential,” she said. Lowenthal is policy advisor to the Leadership Conference Education Fund and former staff director for the House Census and Population Subcommittee.

“We need the American

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people’s help more than ever,” said Arturo Vargas, of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. “Census Bureau and NALEO research shows that the citizenship question in the 2020 census will significantly depress response rates. This will lead to an inaccurate and unfair count.”

The Census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. It’s mandated in the U.S. Constitution. Typically, changes in its questionnaire and collection method are carefully planned and field-tested for years before they’re implemented.

Not so during the Trump administration and the GOPled Congress of recent years.

Gupta credited the idea of asking people about their citizenship to the hard line anti-immigrant positions of disgraced Trump advisor Steve Bannon and Kansas Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach.

Kobach has made a name for himself purging tens of thousands of mostly non-white voters from registration rolls with his Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck program — not to be confused with ICE’s Operation Cross Check arrest sweeps — which targets people whose names can be confused with those of other voters, such as people named Lee, Jackson or Garcia, for instance. In more than 99 percent of those cases, the alleged fraud by the disenfranchised voters was unfounded.

“We have never witnessed a more systematic and thorough taking-down of the census,” said Jeri Green, of the National Urban League, a decades-long partner with the U.S. Census.

“From severe underfunding to de-scaled and terminated critical research to the still-vacant two top leadership positions at the Census Bureau and now the political foisting of an untested, unjust and unconstitutional citizenship question on the backs of already vulnerable, historically undercounted populations ... the trickle down impact of an inaccurate 2020 census would be severe to the black population, whose inner city and rural communities risk losing the most in terms of federal funding, political representation and equal rights under the law.”

“Getting the census right is critical for Asian Americans,” said John C. Yang, president and executive direc-

tor of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “Inclusion of this untested question will lead to an inaccurate and unfair count of the American population and would be a derogation of the Constitution.

“We know the real motivation behind this decision,” said Yang, who also cited Kobach’s role. “We want to make clear that our community’s concerns will be heard, that our community will not be made invisible.”

“The American public must hold its government accountable,” Vargas said. “History is watching.”

There are currently seven federal lawsuits filed by an array of cities, counties, states, challenging plans for census 2020, particularly over the citizenship question, Yang noted.

But there will be other battles to come. Green also described “prison-based gerrymandering” whereby incarcerated people will be counted as residents of where they’re locked up, rather than of their communities, and the per-capita benefits will therefore accrue to the region of the jail or prison.

There are also plans to rely more than ever on online responses for data collection, and away from mailed questionnaires with follow-up by census staff for non-respondents, thus creating a “digital divide” whereby those for whom computer access is more difficult are more likely to be left out.

One strategy to help overcome that, Green said, is strengthening partnerships with libraries and librarians, “the most trusted institutions in grass-roots neighborhoods.”

But in the short term, the emphasis is on convincing the Census Bureau and its Commerce Department overseer of the importance of dropping plans to query people on their or their co-habitants’ citizenship status.

Censuscounts.org is sponsored by the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, NALEO and the Leadership Conference Education Fund. The census’ own web site claims to welcome comments, but the most recent news article posted there is from early March, before the citizenship question was proposed, and despite touting its presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and “other social media channels” there is no easily accessible channel for discussion of any census processes or decision. n

Mayweather’s pal backs Pacquiao rematch

by Joaquin

M. Henson

Philstar.com

GRAND RAPIDS – Four-time world kickboxing champion Dino Newville, who manages a gym supported by Floyd Mayweather Sr. in this Michigan city, said the other day a rematch between newly-crowned WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will erase doubts on the outcome of their first meeting, insisting it should happen “for the good of the sport” before they finally retire.

Newville, 57, said he scored 197 knockouts in 251 kickboxing bouts, winning four world titles along the way and performing before thousands of fans in Japan and Thailand. He tried his luck in traditional boxing but could only register a 4-10 record, with four KO, until retiring from the ring in 2001.

Newville is executive director of Blues Gym, a three-storey facility that is non-profit and faith-based. He’s straightened his life out after serving time in jail and overcoming a drug addiction. Newville suffers from Parkinson’s syndrome but it won’t stop him from bringing kids out of the streets to his gym where they learn boxing and do Bible study. “It’s all about God,” he said. “After I got evicted from my previous gym because I couldn’t pay the bills, God led me to this abandoned church which I’ve transformed into a haven for kids.”

Newville said he welcomes about 400 youngsters weekly to the gym, where he lives with his wife. “They’re our children,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing without God.” Newville’s supporters include Mayweather Sr., sports announcer and Marine veteran Johnny Ortiz, Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and Grand Rapids chief of police David Rahinsky. Mayweather Sr. donated $100,000 last December to furnish the gym with two rings, speedballs, heavy bags, doubleend balls, treadmills, barbells and weights.

“Grand Rapids has a rich tra-

Floyd Mayweather Sr. (right) and Dino Newville

dition in boxing, starting from former world middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel who fought from 1903 to 1910,” said Newville. “The Mayweathers come from Grand Rapids. Former heavyweights Tony Tucker and Buster Mathis were also from Grand Rapids.” The city is Michigan’s second largest, next only to Detroit. The late US President Gerald Ford was from Grand Rapids. Mayweather Sr. used to train Newville and they’ve kept in close touch even as the Mayweather family has moved to Las Vegas. “The Mayweathers never forget where they came from,” said Newville.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch would be another box-office hit, particularly as Pacquiao is coming off a sensational knockout win over Lucas Matthysse to win the WBA welterweight crown, said Newville.

“Pacquiao fought Floyd with a bad shoulder so he deserves another shot,” he said. “A rematch would be awesome. I don’t think Floyd can knock out Pacquiao so my prediction is Floyd wins another decision. The only way Pacquiao wins is by knockout and we know how hard it is to hit Floyd. Age won’t mean anything. They’re both matured fighters and I think fans will want to see them fight again.”

One of Newville’s boxing coaches Tiffany Gonzales said

Philstar photo

a rematch would be a 50-50 proposition. “They’ll put on a show because they’re both great fighters,” the 35-yearold mother of two said. “It’ll be a fight for the fans. I’d love for it to happen again.” Gonzales and her husband Edward help out Newville in the gym.

Their daughter Joscaleyn, 10, fights in the 10-12 age group that the Blues Gym and Ortiz arrange competitions for. The Gonzaleses, Thomas Smith, Alfredo Barajas and Preston Sain are among the gym’s coaches.

Some 20 pros train regularly at the facility which also has classes for kickboxing and karate.

The gym is open Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Fill the gym, not the prisons,” said Newville.

Ortiz added, “If this gym door closes, there’s going to be a lot of kids that are going to be forgotten about and they’re going to turn to drugs.” The gym also has a Christian library of books. “Reading strengthens the mind,” said Newville.

Newville said he has reached out to Pacquiao. “I know he’s a fighter and a Christian and he preaches God’s Word,” he said.

“It’s also who I am.” Newville sent over a Blues Gym sweatshirt and a pair of Blues Gym training gloves to Pacquiao as a gesture of his admiration. n

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A

Mayor Estrada hopes peace and order in Philippines ranked Asia’s most dangerous Manila attracts more tourists, foreign investors country for environment defenders ManIla Mayor Joseph estrada reiterated that maintaining peace and order is essential to keep attracting more tourists and foreign investors alike. this was always his battlecry even when he first became mayor of the country’s capital city, as well as when he was President of the Philippines back in the late ‘90s. He had repeatedly said that a country or city would find it hard to achieve progress without peace and order.

“Manila is a business-friendly city. We do our best to help out investors who want to set up businesses here because we need them to keep creating jobs for our residents,” estrada said in an interview. as for making Manila a safer place not just for tourists but for its residents, estrada said he had instructed the city’s police force to guard and secure the area so travellers can fully enjoy the historic places there, such as Intramuros, Chinatown in Binondo, and the rizal Park.

While all foreign investors are welcome to set up shop in Manila, estrada mentioned how Chinese businessmen have been—and will continue to be—instrumental in helping advance the city’s economy. “let’s not forget that the first traders who came to the Philippines around 200 years ago were the Chinese,” said the 81-yearold mayor.

Many Filipinos also have Chi-

by Ritchel

AJPress

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada

nese blood in them, which perhaps makes it easier for Filipinos to patronize businesses by the Chinese. Historically, the Filipinos and Chinese have maintained a very friendly relationship, and estrada sees this good bilateral relations to continue. estrada thinks it’s a good move that President rodrigo Duterte is forging closer ties with China because the fellow asian country has always been a good neighbor.

But while the Manila mayor thinks the perceived “warmer” stance toward China being undertaken by the President will bring good things in the long run, estrada maintained that the Philippines should maintain an independent foreign diplomatic policy. estrada lauded Duterte’s position on international relations.

Inquirer.net photo

earlier this week, the President delivered his third State of the nation address (Sona) in which he mentioned that the Philippines shall “continue to assert and pursue an independent foreign policy” and that the country “shall continue to reach out to all nations regardless of their prevailing political persuasions or proximity to or distance” from Philippine shores. neighboring aSean countries could benefit from a similar independent foreign policy as it is important that each member of the region maintain its sovereignty, yet continue to work together for the good of all. as estrada plans to run for a third and final term as Manila mayor in 2019, he said he would continue to pursue his dream of regaining the “lost pride and glory” of Manila. (Inquirer.net)

PH falls third in air pollution deaths

by Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

tHe World Health organization (WHo) reported that the Philippines ranks third in mortality rate caused by air pollution.

In an article from rappler, a WHo study revealed that the Philippines had 45.3 deaths per 100,000 individuals due to outdoor air pollution. China ranked first at 81.5 deaths recorded while Mongolia was second at 48.8 deaths.

Experts urge government to improve air quality outgoing CaManaVa Gover-

MeNdiola

nor of the Philippine Medical association, Dr. roger Dazo said, “45.3 deaths per 100,000 Filipinos due to air pollution is 45.3 Filipinos too many.”

Health Care Without Harm executive Director ramon San Pascual said that aside from being an environmental problem, air pollution is a “health menace” as well. esperanza Cabral, former health department secretary, said efforts should be focused on addressing root causes of health problems in order to prevent deaths.

“It is time we embrace the ad-

age of putting a premium on prevention of disease over cure... We address air pollution, we address these diseases,” Cabral said.

Urban air quality on a decline reports from WHo stated that more than 80 percent of the people residing in urban areas are exposed to poor air quality. Data also showed that low income level cities are greatly affected. “air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden,” WHo DirectorGeneral Dr. tedros adhanom

u PAGE A11

InternatIonal non-government organization the Global Witness said 48 environmental campaigners were murdered in the Philippines last year — making the country the most dangerous for environmental defenders in asia.

It’s a 71 percent increase from the 28 killings in the country in 2016.

Based on Global Witness’ 2017 report, 207 land and environmental activists were killed across 22 countries, or about four deaths a week, making last year the worst year on record globally. Brazil recorded the highest with 57, followed by Philippines. the report said, “there is a huge rise in killings linked to consumer products. Brutal attacks on those defending their land from destructive agriculture – such as land grabs for palm oil, used in household goods like soap and coffee – are on the rise.” the Global Witness referred to the taMaSCo massacre in lake Sebu in South Cotabato last December as among the major killings after seven members of the t’boli-Manubu tribe were killed in a new People’s army encounter. a fact-finding mission by civil society organizations also revealed that the community was resisting the encroachment of a coffee plantation without the consent of the indigenous peoples. “local activists are being murdered as governments and businesses value quick profit over human life. Many of the products emerging from this bloodshed are on the shelves of our supermarkets,” Ben leather, Global Witness senior campaigner, said.

Some governments and businesses are complicit in the killings, the report also revealed.

“Governments, companies and investors have the duty and the power to support and protect defenders at risk, and to guarantee accountability wherever attacks occur. But more importantly, they can prevent these threats from emerging in the first place, by listening to local communities, respecting their rights and ensur-

ing that business is conducted responsibly,” leather said. the killings were also linked with mining, poaching and logging apart from agriculture. local nGo alyansa tigil Mina pointed out that President rodrigo Duterte not talking about

indigenous people issues will only exacerbate the situation of lumads who are displaced by militarization and increasing investors on plantations, mining, energy and other large-infrastructure

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A8 JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OPINION

Relentless and chilling

FEATURES

IT was his principal campaign promise, and no one expects any letup in the war on drugs under the watch of President Duterte. The president made this crystal clear in his third State of the Nation Address last Monday, July 23. “The war against illegal drugs is far from over,” he said, adding that “it will be as relentless and chilling, if you will, as on the day it began.”

In fact the war on drugs has been recalibrated following police excesses and gross human rights violations that claimed the lives even of teenagers and young children. Drug-related killings continue under new Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, but the numbers are markedly down. There has also been a notable absence of corpses turning up with their heads wrapped in plastic and packing tape and their hands bound behind their backs.

PNP officials have also touched base with human rights officials and the Catholic clergy to discuss the conduct of the anti-crime campaign, apart from the recent spate of killings targeting priests. Fighting crime need not be incompatible with respect for human rights, according to the new PNP leadership.

There’s big money in drugs, and traffickers don’t fight nice. They rarely hesitate to kill antinarcotics cops and civilians suspected to be stool

pigeons. All countries find it a stiff challenge to keep the anti-drug campaign from turning into a dirty war.

Still, it’s not impossible to take a more nuanced and humane approach to the drug problem, particularly in dealing with substance abuse. There are positive indications that the PNP is trying to steer its members in this direction.

More attention is also being given to the social causes of the drug menace. Greater emphasis is being given to rehabilitation and giving drug abusers a second chance. Thousands of drug personalities have surrendered.

President Duterte can talk tough, and there are people who will appreciate seeing his war having a chilling effect on drug traffickers. After two years of waging a brutal war, however, lessons have been learned, and should guide those fighting the drug menace against committing the same abuses and mistakes. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

How loyal are we to truth?

Rhizomes

PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. “Some journalists, sad to say, equate objectivity with neutrality.

They let both sides of the warring fence say their version of the ‘truth,’ no matter how misleading, and let the people decide. For the years I have spent as editor of different publications, I have fought against this kind of practice, one mistakenly called “journalism.”

To me, journalistic objectivity belongs in the manner by which evidence, statements and documentation are gathered. These proofs are then weighed for their integrity and credibility, and analyzed in light of their historical context. All this is done with the mind to arrive at the truth. That is the goal. Journalists are called to be objective, yes, but never neutral. Neutrality is synonymous to inaction. Objectivity, however, is action, made stronger by the knowledge of how and where to get the right information based on context. Background information and context woven into the fabric of gathered documents and statements will eventually reveal the truth. Common sense tells you that asking the right questions gives you a better chance of arriving at the right answers.

And what better time to ruffle some feathers than in our darkest hour.” - Joel Pablo Salud, July 25, 2018

WE are usually conditioned to be objective, not to jump to any conclusion. Yet, when there is a pattern of wrong-doing, do we make an attempt to discover the truth? Or do we simply ignore and on blind faith, assume there is no credence to the allegations?

When I heard a Catholic pastor in 2018 reveal that $1 billion has been paid out to settle sexual abuse cases done by priests and staffers, I wondered if that was a national figure? I was told $1 billion was paid out by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Shocking, right?

Over a decade or so, the real estate assets of the Archdiocese in LA were being liquidated: the sale of Daniel Murphy school in Hancock Park, the sale of a prime 12-story Wilshire Blvd building, and from anyone’s observations, the allegations of sexual abuse were getting traction. Still, it was just personal observations.

“On January 22, 2008, Tod Tamberg announced that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles had sold its 12-story Archdiocesan Catholic Center on Wilshire Boulevard to Jamison Properties of Los Angeles for $31 million to raise funds to pay for its $660 million 2007 settlement on sex abuse by clergy. The building had been donated in 1995 by Thrifty PayLess,” Wikipedia disclosed.

But, relying on Wikipedia was not enough. I checked other sources for verification.

“Cardinal Roger Mahony, the leader of Los Angeles’ Catholics, yesterday apologized to hundreds of victims of predatory priests after the archdiocese agreed to pay $660m to settle claims of sexual abuse. The settlement, agreed on Saturday, was the largest since the revelations about sexual abuse within the church surfaced in Boston in 2002, and comes amid allegations that church leaders had helped to shield predators for years. “There really is no way to go back and give them that innocence that was taken from them.

The one thing I wish I could give the victims ... I cannot,” Cardinal Mahony told reporters yesterday after presiding over morning mass. “I apologize to anyone who has been offended, who has been abused. It should not have happened, and it will not,” as The Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg wrote on July 16, 2007.

It involved more than 500 folks, who were sexually abused by more than 220 priests, teachers and other church employees over several decades, according to Ms. Goldenberg. How did these criminal behaviors remain unrecognized?

Recently, we came across an archbishop’s perspective of how it came about.

America, The Jesuit Review’s John A. McCoy highlighted on July 23, 2018, that “The Seattle Times reported that from 1987 to 2010, the Seattle archdiocese paid about $42 million to 300

Philstar.com photo

abuse victims. The Helena diocese, facing more than 360 abuse claims, filed for bankruptcy in January 2014 and offered a $15 million payout to victims.

The archbishop conceded that he had been naïve about sexual abuse. Early on, he had been too slow to respond and too hopeful about treatment. By 1985, he got it. He had county prosecutors and the state attorney general’s office review all suspicious priest personnel files. He created an outside, independent review panel of legal, psychological and sexual assault experts to evaluate abuse allegations against clergy. Proven pedophiles were removed from the priesthood. Jason Berry, the journalist credited with sounding the alarm on the church’s sexual abuse scandal, described Archbishop Hunthausen as the first church leader to deal with the problem publicly.”

In 2007, the Guardian’s Goldenberg reported “The [$1 billion] settlement is far greater than those reached by jurisdictions in Boston, where authorities paid out $84m in 2003, and Portland, Oregon, where the archdiocese agreed this year to pay $52 million. It raises the total the Catholic church has had to pay out to settle claims of abuse to more than $2 billion. The demands for retribution led five dioceses to apply for bankruptcy protection, and forced church authorities to close churches and schools, and sell off property across the US.” It took Archbishop Hunthausen to pioneer the right approach in 1985, yet, that approach eluded other archdioceses that 22 years

World-class Filipino service

Demand and Supply BOO CHANCO LAPU-LAPU CITY – Sometimes we wonder if we can provide the kind of product or service that can compete in an international environment. We see so many businesses run by Filipinos for the Pinoy market that thrive on the “pwede na” way of thinking.

But, of course, we can give world class service if we set our minds to do that. I saw three such examples over the weekend when I took my balikbayan daughter and her family to Cebu.

As I wrote last Monday, the Mactan Cebu International Airport that is now privately managed is a good example of how to treat its users as valuable customers. And because they want to have a significant number of tourist arrivals, they are doing everything to live up to their claim of being a resort airport.

Walking out of the passenger

loading bridge to the terminal, customer service staff dressed in colorful fiesta attire welcome you. The terminal building has a cheery atmosphere, a dramatic difference from the glum ambience of the NAIA terminals.

The Megawide people didn’t just invest money building the new terminal and then wait for passengers to use it, which is the attitude of government airport managers. They are actively seeking more airlines to fly direct to Cebu. The more flights, the more they earn in landing fees, passenger terminal fees, and from their share in earnings of airport concessionaires.

They have also made arrangements with the relevant government agencies so that OFWs going to the Middle East do not have to go to Manila to get final clearances to fly. That’s how they convinced Middle Eastern airlines to make direct international flights to and from Cebu.

Indeed, our tourism promotion efforts should encourage visitors to bypass Manila and its chaos and go directly to Cebu.

The nice beaches are in Cebu or an easy connecting flight from Cebu. The new terminal will save us a lot of embarrassment caused by NAIA that sullies our international image.

Feedback coming from foreign visitors already indicates Mactan Cebu International Airport is the only airport in this country managed according to world class standards. And they are now starting to fully rehabilitate Mactan’s Terminal 1.

I walked around the new Terminal 2 and I must say every Filipino who feels frustrated and embarrassed about NAIA should come and visit. It makes you feel proud that this terminal is simply amazing and proof that the Filipino can, if he wants to.

One innovation I noticed is the final security check on hand carried bags. They have a conveyor system that automatically feeds trays and when the x-ray image suggests a second look, it goes to a second conveyor belt so as not to break the flow of the rest.

An inspector at the second conveyor belt can recall the x-ray

image to make a final clearance determination. This process does not hold up the line.

Mactan Terminal 2 also showcases the best design talents not only of Cebuanos, but also of Filipinos as a whole. World famous and Cebu-based Dedon furniture makers, among others, contributed to the terminal’s outfitting.

The other locally owned establishment here that is managed according to world class standards is Plantation Bay. It is amazing to see a totally Filipino owned and managed resort exude such attention to the details of ensuring service excellence.

Indeed, because most of the guests are foreigners, it is easy to think you are not even in the Philippines while you are swimming in the man-made lagoon.

The Philippine flag flying over the reception area and the Filipino staff bring you to back to the reality that you are home.

Plantation Bay had been successful for 20 or so years because of the personal management style of its principal owner,

later, Cardinal Mahony had to announce close to $1bn settlement of over 500 sexual abuse cases and 33 years later, Chile is still confronting that issue.

The National Catholic Reporter’s Jack and Diane Ruhl reported on Nov. 2, 2015, “The U.S. Catholic church has incurred nearly $4 billion in costs related to the priest sex abuse crisis during the past 65 years, according to an extensive NCR investigation of media reports, databases and church documents.”

So, did the Catholic pastor tell the truth from you, our dear Asian Journal’s readers’ points of view?

In Jan. 15, 2018, Pope Francis went to Chile. There, he found the low credibility of the Catholic Church as Fernando Keradima, “the lord of hell” came to light as the most harmful sexual offender in Chile, alleged to be protected

by Bishop Juan Barros, and whose proofs of his wrong-doings have not surfaced yet, according to Pope Francis.

Truth is the anchor of an institution’s existence I am writing this piece to remind us all that human institutions are made up of fallible men and women who are subject to mistakes. Before we condemn, we must have proofs of wrongdoings. While mistakes and patterns of wrong-doings rise to become crimes against several persons, properties and institutions, it is important to remember that an institution’s existence is anchored on truth and truth must embody its daily practices, not just allegations.

Had there been training for the Catholic Church to recognize sexual abuse is a crime and that pedophiles are not legitimate stewards of the Church, and should be removed, I believe the institution would have responded by not giving these men of the cloth their institutional protection.

These priests would likely remember that truth is not a garnish, where one sprinkles a dash to season their homilies and daily encounters with parishioners.

But, recall how the USCCB – the US Conference of Catholic Bishops incorrectly popularized that birth control pills induce abortion and inappropriately encouraged their flock to denounce Obamacare aka Affordable Health Care Act? I was attending mass in New Mexico when a Bishop in New Mexico angrily delivered his homily incorporating that false statement, contemporaneously disseminated and propagated by the CBCP (Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines), using the same misinformation from a physician and reflected on their website for some time.

Why was there an aversion to truth? Why did these two associations of bishops propagate a lie that women who wanted reproductive freedom and control over their bodies are labeled baby killers opting abortion? Why has the institution not evolved to support and affirm women to gain their rightful place in society, able to earn their living? That to do so, women would have to either

Manny Gonzalez.

I know he doesn’t like being compared to his former boss Bobby Ongpin, and Bobby likely feels the same way. But their attention to detail, insistence on doing things right with no compromise, and the large amount of personal time they invest in the business is their secret to success.

In the course of last weekend, I kept on bumping into Manny on his Segway as he inspected the large resort, while I was doing my FitBit walk. I also saw him working with his staff on just the right recipe for a drink he calls Coca Colada... ice cream, Coke, and rum.

My wife and daughter, who tried the massage in the resort’s Mogambo Springs and Spa, told me it was better than the one they had at EDSA Shagrila’s Chi. Both the ambience and the service were superior.

Manny has been a world traveler for years, and so are his other partners. The experience they get from all their travels they bring back to Plantation Bay. No wonder acclaimed international travel magazines have given them very high marks. But

what I marvel at is the consistency of the service throughout the years.

Helping Manny keep up quality is Efren Belarmino, who was recalled from a very brief retirement, to oversee things specially when Manny is abroad. But Efren is also often abroad leading selling missions.

Then there is Philippine Airlines. It just got its 4-star rating and is determined to be 5-star soon. Jimmy Bautista, PAL’s president, told me the other week that they are focused not just on acquiring new aircrafts, but also to constantly improve the quality of service their staff provides.

I think in terms of cabin service, they are already five-star.

Even the ground crew, specially during check-in, give the kind of gracious and helpful service we often call Filipino hospitality.

Jimmy admits their call center needs a lot of improvement, but they are getting there too.

World class Pinoy service is what our tourism industry should aim for. Kaya natin yan!

u PAGE A9

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@ gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ boochanco.

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

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OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 28-31, 2018

PHILIPPINE-ISRAEL FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION. Senate President Vicente Sotto III (8th from right) presents to Israel Ambassador Ephraim Ben Matityau (center) Senate Resolution 757, which creates the Philippine-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association, at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, July 24. The event was witnessed by 17 senators.

PNA photo by Avito Dalan

PAGE A8 t

How loyal are we to truth?

postpone having children or to have children, they would need child support?

That to delay having children does not mean they are baby killers? That false notion stuck to the Democratic Party’s front runner in 2016, that Hillary Clinton favored killing babies, a lie propagated by the Catholics and the Evangelicals, and made even worse when multiplied a thousand times, by what we now know as Russian hackers and trolls who took thousands of ads in social media repeating that lie and influenced the elections to favor Donald Trump.

Lies have become a daily habit in the White House’s press conferences that reporters are questioning Sarah Huckabee Sanders of her periodic evasive answers and denials ad infinitum. It is doing damage to her credibility that at one point, a reporter stopped her and asked why she continues to lie to them? She responded

with a scripted answer that daily, she does her best to answer their questions. She keeps forgetting that truth is the anchor of decency, rule of law and reliable public demeanor in America - it is not happenstance, it is not a “walkback” to it three times, much like the Helsinki summit that the President had with Putin, where the President had to essentially change his story three times to reveal what is true as he kept saying one lie after another.

Truth is what we teach our children, grandchildren and it is what we expect in food labeling, in restaurant menus, in books, in news stories we read and in all that we encounter in America.

When we make truth an optional condiment, a garnish, a seasoning to pepper our words, we develop a collective mistrust for one another and where our words are now parsed and scrutinized – are they true or not?

We may be in our darkest hour as far as truth being evasive in

institutions, but here is our collective chance to make sure to ensure we convey only what is truthful in our daily encounters and that we are courageous enough to correct the falsehoods that we hear, as we all collectively pay for the diminished credibility of the institutions that we rely upon in our public lives. *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 10 years. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong.

She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Costa Rica, Mexico and over 22 national parks in the US, in her pursuit of love for nature and the arts.

Philippines ranked Asia’s most dangerous...

PAGE A7 t

projects.

“There are continuing threats posed by mining projects against the Palawan tribe in Brooke’s Point, the Mamanwas in Cantilan and Lake Mainit and the Bla’ans in Tampakan,” ATM national coordinator Jaybee Garganera said.

He added, “IPs of Mangyans in Oriental Mindoro and Tau-buhid Mangyan from Sibuyan Island, Romblon are also threatened by encroachment of agricultural activities because their ancestral domains have been claimed and titled under the government’s

agrarian reform program.”

As a result, environmental groups are urging the government to order an investigation on the increasing violation and abuse of human rights of affected communities.

They are also asking to enforce government policies and regulations that promote the rights to a safe and sound environment and protect the rights of marginalized communities, particularly women and IPs. Moreover, ATM is raising its opposition to the plan of Charter change and transition to a federal form of government as there is

not enough time for the affected communities to have a meaningful engagement in the process.

“Hastily embarking on these political changes will bring more challenges and issues that put pressure on our food, land and water resources, as well as the risks of climate change,” Garganera said.

“Cha-cha and federalism, at this point, will expose human rights defenders to more risks and threats, when the decisions on the extraction and utilization of natural resources are given to compromised political leaders,” he added. n

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A10 july 28-31, 2018 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN jOuRNAl

Dateline PhiliPPines

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House twits Senate: ‘Mind your own business’ by llanesCa

Panti ManilaTimes.net

til party-list issued the statement in connection with comments made by Senators Panfilo LacALLIES of newly minted son, Antonio Trillanes 4th and House Speaker Gloria Arroyo Grace Poe that Arroyo’s stuncautioned senators against mak- ning election was a prequel to ing comments on the drastic her bid to become the country’s leadership change in the House prime minister under a federal of Representatives, saying sena- system of government. tors should accord respect to the “We here in the House have House as its co-equal body. never interfered with any of Representatives Doy Leachon the [leadership changes]in the of Oriental Mindoro, Dennis Senate in the past. Senators Laogan of Ang Kabuhayan par- [should]observe inter-parliaty-list and Cecille Chavez of Bu- mentary courtesy. This is about

respect. After all, the decision to install Congresswoman Arroyo as Speaker was made by an overwhelming majority of 184 House members who feel the common sentiment that she is the rightful woman for the job, considering her experience and knowledge in economics, governance and leadership,” Leachon said in a statement.

It was Leachon who tallied the votes during the unprecedented election of Arroyo as speaker on Monday, in what is now considered a rump session prior to the President’s Sate of the Nation Address (SONA).

The pro-Arroyo lawmakers convened the House anew after the SONA, to hold an official voting. A resolution on Arroyo’s election was approved in the chamber on Wednesday, July 25.

“Meddling in the internal affairs of the House must be stopped as it would pose only an unhealthy working environment considering that there are various vital measures lined up that the President categorically set out to be priorities in the recent SONA. Let us go to work. With all due respect [to the senators], they just have to mind their own business,” Leachon added.

Rep. Dennis Laogan of Ang Kabuhayan party-list, the youngest lawmaker at 27 years old, backed Leachon.

“We have elected a new speaker in a democratic way.

They should respect that,” Laogan said.

Rep. Cecille Chavez of Butil party-list said there was nothing questionable about what the House did because Arroyo was a competent leader who had the support of the majority of House members.

“We are still in a democracy and the majority should always prevail, and Speaker Arroyo is very qualified [for the job],” Chavez added.

Makabayan lawmakers earlier warned that the postponement of the 2019 elections en route to amending the 1987 Constitution to establish a federal government remained a strong possibility even in the aftermath of the ouster of Alvarez.

“The face [of the speaker] changed, but Congress remained the same. The President is still pushing for Charter Change, and this will be carried out by the new Speaker Arroyo

TREE PLANTING FOR NELSON MANDELA’S 100TH BIRTHDAY. To mark the 100th birth anniversary of the late Nelson Mandela, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar leads the planting at 100 trees at the Las Pinas- Paranaque Wetland Park. The senator, chair of the Senate environment committee, was joined by South African Ambassador to the Philippines Hon. Mr. Marthinus Nicholaas Slabber and actress Antoinette Taus, founder of planet CORA. Villar says that an activity like this reminds the public to take for their environment. Las Pinas- Paranaque Wetland Park is the 6th Ramsar site in the Philippines under the Ramsar Convention list of Wetlands of International Importance because of its vital role as a coastal urban wetland and bird sanctuary within Metro Manila.

Senate photo

DFA says it is ready to bring home Filipinos in Syria after terror attack by anthony

Q. esguerra

Inquirer.net

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday advised Filipinos living in Syria to take necessary precautions after Islamic militants massacred more than 200 people in a series of attacks in the southern part of the country.

While there are no Filipinos reported among the casualties, the Philippine Embassy in Damascus said it remains ready to assist and repatriate any of the estimated

1,000 Filipinos who are still in Syria.

The Philippines, through the DFA, also extended its condolences to Syria following the coordinated attacks by militants of the Islamic State in the province of Sweida.

“We grieve with the families of the more than 200 people who lost their lives in the latest acts of terror by the Islamic State,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

According to the DFA the Philippine Embassy in Damascus

has reported that at least 150 other people were wounded but no Filipinos were among the casualties.

Chargè d’Affaires Alex Lamadrid said the Embassy was in touch with two Filipino women in Sweida who are married to Syrian nationals. Both reported that they and their children were safe.

“We again call on our remaining kababayan in Syria to be vigilant and to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety and security,” Lamadrid said. n

Palace quashes ‘hospital’ rumors, says president ‘fine’

by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is “fine,” Malacañang assured the public on Thursday, July 26, dismissing rumors that the Chief Executive was rushed to the hospital.

“There is no truth to the rumors that the President was rushed to the hospital. The President is in Davao. There is no truth.

It is chismis (rumors). It is fake news,” Palace spokesman Harry u PAGE A11 Roque said during a press briefing in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

“The President is fine. Although he went to have a regular checkup the night before the SONA (State of the Nation Address). He has not been to any medical facilities since,” he added.

The Palace official said Duterte was expected to grace the 69th Araw ng Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay on Thursday afternoon.

“Please it is in fact a crime to spread this kind of news. There is no truth to these rumors. And he will in fact be here in Ipil to lead the celebration for Araw ng Ipil. So his appearance will belie all these false reports,” Roque said.

On Wednesday, July 25, Duterte also spoke before a climate change conference in Davao City.

Roque confirmed that Duterte took a “routine medical check up” but was declared in the pink of health by his doctors at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

This was not the first time Duterte’s health was brought into question.

In 2017, the President skipped his first Independence Day rites.

Then Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said that he was resting from exhaustion.

Duterte also previously admitted to suffering from daily mi-

graines and Buerger’s disease, which affects blood vessels, can cause extreme pain in severe cases. Left unchecked, it may also lead to skin damage, infection, and even gangrene.

The 73-year-old President also admitted to using an oxygen converter when sleeping.

Malacañang dismissed reports that Duterte suffered a mild stroke in June 2017.

Upon arriving from a recent trip in Seoul, Korea, Duterte shared he vomited on the plane and suffered a migraine attack that kept him from greeting Filipino passengers on that flight.

Malacañang, however, dismissed the ailments as nothing serious.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the public shall be informed of the state of the health of the President in case of serious illness. (Catherine Valente/ManilaTimes.net)

Reynato Puno: ‘Anti-dynasty provision crucial to federalism’ by robertzon

ramirez

Philstar.com

MANILA — Former chief justice and consultative committee chairman Reynato Puno will withdraw his support for federalism should Congress remove the anti-political dynasty provision in the constitution that the Concom has drafted.

Talking to “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News, Puno said he is unsure of the fate of their draft charter in Congress, but stressed the anti-political dynasty provision should be taken into consideration.

“I am not sure about that, but I am on record that if this antidynasty provision will be taken out, I will not support federalism,” Puno said when asked if he is confident that the anti-political dynasty provision would be retained.

Puno was previously reluctant to answer questions on whether he will still push for federalism if the provision is taken out.

Puno replied in the affirmative when asked if the anti-political dynasty provision is a deal breaker.

Should Congress pass and approve the draft charter without the anti-political dynasty provision, Puno said Filipinos could just reject the entire constitution.

“If con-ass (constituent assembly) will pass this kind of constitution without the provision on political dynasty, the public can always reject the constitution — that’s the sovereignty of the people,” he said.

Puno previously said the antipolitical dynasty provision “will be beyond compromise” as he called it a “fundamental predicate” of the draft charter.

He explained the anti-political dynasty provision is important in a federal state as powers will be given to various leaders in the federated regions. This means the provision will stop the same political clans from monopolizing power in the regions.

“We will be giving a lot of

Talking to “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News, former Chief Justice Puno said he is unsure of the fate of their draft charter in Congress, but stressed the anti-political dynasty provision should be taken into consideration.

Philstar.com photo by Geremy Pintolo

powers to different regions and so the implication is that you cannot give this sovereign powers to political dynasties. Otherwise, our government will be in the worst situation,” he said.

During the interview with “The Chiefs,” Puno emphasized the importance of a federal system of government, saying it is the answer to all unresolved problems for several decades that the 1987 Constitution has left unresolved.

He said federalism is the answer to the country’s development in terms of economic and political settings since there is an equal allocation of powers between the federal government and the federated regions.

The 22-man Concom approved last month a presidential form of federal system, which means the country will still be led by a president and vice president.

Puno said the Philippines is not yet ready for a parliamentary federal system, citing the current politicians the country has.

“Very frankly, I would like to think that episode (last Monday’s change of leadership in Congress) showcases the political system that we have. The political parties that are existing

in the Philippines and I’d like to believe that is ‘Exhibit A’ against a parliamentary form of government,” he said.

He said the country will only be ready for a parliamentary form of government if the Philippines has achieved or developed political parties that are ideologically driven.

Puno, who was present during President Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, said he is satisfied by the President’s pronouncements on the Concom’s proposal even if it was not officially endorsed to Congress.

He said the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and presidential spokesman Harry Roque have informed him that a massive information campaign will be held so that the people will better understand federalism.

Roque said an interagency task force was created to conduct an information drive on federalism.

He said the task force met two days ago to discuss strategies on how to educate the public about federalism.

“I can confirm that there is an inter-governmental task force created and we had met already,” Roque said at a press briefing yesterday in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Roque said the task force was created following a recent poll suggesting that a majority of Filipinos do not support moves to amend the Constitution.

“We will bring down our dissemination to the level of the barangay. We will focus on training the trainers and we will utilize mass media as well for this dissemination,” he added.

A big hurdle While expressing confidence that newly elected Speaker of the House of Representatives Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will support the federal charter, Puno said the “Senate really is the big hurdle” in the shift to federalism.

“The Senate is an impediment to the realization of federalism,”

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Reynato Puno: ‘Anti-dynasty provision crucial...

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Puno said.

He said there are senators who are not inclined to join the con-ass while some believe that it is not the right time to shift to federalism.

Some of the senators, however, are supporting the proposal to remove political dynasties.

Plenary deliberations on the measure started on Wednesday with the sponsorship of Senate Bill 1765 on the floor by principal authors Sens. Joseph Victor Ejercito and Francis Pangilinan.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III expect the bill’s quick passage in the chamber.

“We have to stress here that the question of whether or not dynasties are good for the country is immaterial because the Constitution mandates that Congress must define by law political dynasty that it should be, ought to be prohibited,” Pangilinan said.

“Let us be the Congress that will put an end to this exclusionary type of political leadership and open the electoral playing field to more of our citizens,” he said.

Ejercito, who comes from a political family, said he pushed

for the bill to give a chance to others who are qualified and want to serve but do not have the long-established connections or name recall.

Ejercito, who authored the anti-political dynasty provision in the Sanggguniang Kabataan Reform Law, said close ties are a distinct attribute of a Filipino family, which is the basic unit of society “and everything revolves around it.”

However, the extended family system has found its pernicious effects in the political arena where public office has become the exclusive domain of influential families and clans, the senator said.

“Close family ties become a liability when used to maintain power and influence, as in political dynasties at the expense of the public. When misused, it could lead to nepotism and corruption in public service and destablilize the social equilibrium,” Ejercito said.

The minority Some of the congressmen, particularly those in the minority bloc, will certainly be against federalism and no elections, according to Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza.

“We will fight federalism and

no-el (no elections) at every turn and every corner,” Atienza said in a television interview.

“A federal form of government is not the answer to our problems. It will just fragment our country. If they want to give more power to the regions and provinces, strengthening local autonomy, which the present Constitution mandates, is the answer,” he said.

Atienza said former speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s obstinate advocacy of no-el led to his ouster on Monday, July 23.

“The people, who are looking forward to the holding of elections as scheduled in May next year, were laughing at us. They thought we shared his no-el proposal,” he added.

In a separate radio interview, 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero said no-el is unpopular even among members of the new majority of newly installed Speaker Arroyo.

“We in the Party-list Coalition, for instance, are opposed to scrapping the 2019 elections.

We have conveyed that to our new Speaker, and she’s also against no-el,” Romero said.

Romero, however, said he and his colleagues in the majority would support federalism. n

PH falls third in air pollution...

PAGE A7 t

Ghebreyesus said.

Latest urban air quality database showed that 98 percent of the cities in low and middle income countries with a population of more than 100,000 do not meet the WHO guidelines.

“Many of the world’s megacities exceed WHO’s guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people’s health,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at WHO. As such, WHO director-general also revealed that globally, over three billion people - mostly women and children - inhale deadly smoke daily from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes.

“If we don’t take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development.” Ghebreyesus warned.

Air pollution diseases contributing to mortality rate

Around seven million people die annually from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, thus causing stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.

Air pollution is said to be a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated one-quarter (24 percent) of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25 percent from stroke, 43 percent from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29 percent from lung cancer.

Major sources of air pollution include the inefficient use of energy by households, industry, the agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution. Air quality can also be influenced by natural elements such as geo-

graphic, meteorological and seasonal factors.

Addressing air pollution problems “We are seeing an acceleration of political interest in this global public health challenge.

The increase in cities recording air pollution data reflects a commitment to air quality assessment and monitoring. Most of this increase has occurred in high-income countries, but we hope to see a similar scale-up of monitoring efforts worldwide.”

Neira stated.

Most sources of urban outdoor air pollution are well beyond the control of individuals and demand action by cities, as well as national and international policymakers to promote cleaner transport, more efficient energy production and waste management.

“Awareness is rising and more cities are monitoring their air quality. When air quality improves, global respiratory and cardiovascular-related illnesses decrease.” Neira added. n

BRAND OF CHANGE, EMPATHY AND UNITY. Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.,Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, DSWD Acting Secretary Virginia Orogo, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Manahan Año, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, and other government officials do the clenched fist during “Tatak ng Pagbabago: A Pre-SONA 2018 Forum” held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 11.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Robredo rating ‘good,’ Sotto ‘very good’ - SWS poll

by Ralph

VillanueVa ManilaTimes.net

THE satisfaction rating of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo stayed “good,” despite a two-point dip, survey results released on Thursday, July 26 showed.

The June 2018 survey of the Social Weather Stations, conducted from June 27 to 30, bared that 54 percent of 1,200 adults interviewed were satisfied with the performance of Robredo, while 22 percent were dissatisfied. Twenty-two percent of the respondents were undecided.

This was a two-point decline from Robredo’s May number.

The SWS said this was due to the 5 and 2 points decrease in Bal-

ance Luzon and Metro Manila respectively, while there was a three-point increase in Visayas.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd, in his first rating, netted a “very good” mark with a +54 net satisfaction rating. Sotto replaced Senator Aquilino Pimentel 3rd in May. Sixty-seven percent were satisfied with Sotto’s work, while only 12 percent were dissatisfied.

His satisfaction rating was highest in Metro Manila at very good +63, followed by Balance Luzon at very good +59, the Visayas at very good +53, and Mindanao at good +38.

Former House Speaker and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez received a “neutral”

mark for his +8 rating.

Thirty-one percent were satisfied with Alvarez, while 23 percent were dissatisfied. Thirtysevem percent were dissatisfied.

Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio scored a “moderate” +11.

Thirty-two percent were satisfied, 21 percent were dissatisfied while 38 percent were undecided on Carpio’s performance.

The survey was done using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

It had sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. n

House twits Senate: ‘Mind your own...

PAGE A10 t

because she also has an ambition. The ruling coalition won’t fall apart if this move [to install Arroyo as speaker]did not have the approval of Malacañang,” Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna party-list told reporters.

“The postponement of elections is always an ingredient for Charter change. Make no mistake. Speaker Arroyo and President Duterte are after perpetuating themselves in power.

Speaker Arroyo pushed for Charter change when she was President [in 2010]. What makes it different this time around?”

Zarate added.

Party-list Representatives Alfredo Garbin of Ako Bicol and Jose Atienza of Buhay said Arroyo was not after term extensions.

“Speaker Arroyo has taken different position [from Alvarez]and told us that she will work hand in hand with the Senate in going forward with Charter change. We welcome such environment and we subscribe to that position,” Garbin said in a news conference.

Atienza said: “Speaker Arroyo is not after undermining the electoral processes. We in the minority don’t agree with postponement of 2019 elec-

tions, and we will oppose any move for it.”

Alvarez has repeatedly called for the postponement of the 2019 polls to pave the way for Charter change. In his last speech as speaker on Monday, Alvarez even called for the abolition of term limits for elected officials.

Under the 1987 Constitution, members of the House and local officials are allowed only three consecutive three-year terms. Senators and the vice president are allowed two consecutive six-year terms, while the President is not eligible for reelection. n

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JOURNAL Matteo Guidicelli gives girlfriend Sarah Geronimo sweet birthday message

by JAN

MILO SEVERO Philstar.com

SINGER-actor Matteo Guidicelli had a brief yet sweet birthday message for girlfriend Sarah Geronimo.

On his Instagram account posted before the singer’s birthday is over on June 25, the “Bagani” actor posted a photo of him with the pop star.

“Happy birthday my love!

Thank you for understanding me and loving me with a pure heart, it means so much. Words just can’t explain... I wish you all the happiness in the whole world because you deserve it all,” he wrote in the caption.

Reports from Pilipino Star Ngayon columnist Salve Asis said Sarah is on vacation for the whole month of July, according to Viva boss Vic del Rosario.

Earlier this month, Sarah supported her boyfriend during the

The stars are all accounted for during the story conference for the advocacy film Children of The Lake which tells the truth about the Marawi siege, including director Sheron Dayoc (backrow, second from left), Angeli Bayani, Sid Lucero (star), Robin Padilla (hugging good friend Joyce Bernal, producer), Piolo Pascual (star and co-producer), Mylene Dizon, Ronnie Quizon, Jasmine Curtis Smith, and Mark Anthony Celebrado (a non-actor child from Davao).

Matteo wishes Sarah all the best in the world.

launch of his new denim collaboration with fashion designer Avel Bacudio, where Matteo went topless and gave his shirt to Sarah.

Recently, Matteo posted on his YouTube channel a video where they surprised his younger brother during a football practice.

Photo from Instagram/@mateoguidicelli

Together with Matteo’s parents, Sarah was also in the video, cheering her boyfriend’s brother.

After her vacation, Sarah is scheduled to promote her film “Miss Granny,” a local adaptation of the Korean film with the same title, to be shown in theaters on August 22.

Jericho admits cheating in a past relationship

by CLARIZEL

G. ABANILLA Inquirer.net

SEVERO

IN a no-holds-barred confession, Kapamilya ultimate heartthrob Jericho Rosales admitted that, just like most guys, he has also had his fair share of infidelity.

But he has also experienced being cheated on by a girlfriend.

At the recent press conference for his upcoming series “Halik,” showbiz columnist Ogie Diaz who hosted the show threw in the killing question to the cast. Without batting an eyeless, Rosales said,”Oo na-experience ko na lahat ‘yan (I’ve experienced all of that).”

“Ipokrito naman ako kung sabihin kong hindi ako nambabae at hindi ako naloko din di ba? Although hindi ko sasabihin kung sino kasi privacy nila ‘yun eh saka nagkapatawaran na kami eh ‘yung mga pagkakamali.

(I would be a hypocrite if I’d say I’ve never cheated or I was never cheated on, right? Of course, I won’t mention names because it’s private and we have forgiven each other for those mistakes),” he said.

Rosales had some of the most beautiful ladies in his romance list. Among his most popular girlfriends were Angelika dela Cruz, Kristine Hermosa, Cindy Kurleto, Jericho Rosales and Heart Evangelista.

Inquirer.net photo

Telling the truth about Marawi siege

by RICKY LO Philstar.com

LAHAT sila mamamatay.

Spoken tongue-in-cheek by Bb. Joyce Bernal of Spring Films, the creative producer of “Children of the Lake”, during the recent story conference for the advocacy movie which aims to tell the whole truth (and nothing but).

It wasn’t revealed what roles would be played by the dozen or so actors, a mix of established stars (Spring co-producer Piolo Pascual, Robin Padilla, Ronnie Quizon, Mylene Dizon, Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani and Jasmine Curtis Smith among them) and newcomers, occupying the presidential table in front of the media guys, including Mark Anthony Celebrado, (a non-actor child from Davao), Marc Felix, Jessi Mendoza and Miriam Zimadar.

Joyce was partly joking, of course, but then the sad and painful reality is that more than 1,000 reportedly died during the Marawi siege and with the tragedy now being relived bigger-than-life on screen, the audience would expect to see deaths and destruction of biblical proportions calculated to shock and awe.

“Maybe two will survive,” added Joyce, “pero marami ang mamamatay.”

Jasmine, Mylene, Piolo, Joyce, Mark Anthony and Robin

Asked what role she was playing, Mylene said, “Mamamatay,” adding that when she was offered the project, she accepted without any second thought. “I’m leaving away from the city, planting litsugas,” recalled Mylene, “and then they told me to be in Manila in three hours. Even if it was a Friday, usually ma-trafik, I made it on time.”

Philstar.com photos

“Mylene will play a hostage,” clarified Joyce, adding with a laugh, “Jasmine will play a hostage, too, pero depende na ‘yan kung gusto siyang patayin ng mga netizens.”

Seriously now, putting together a film of such magnitude is no joke. It’s the brainchild of Joyce, Piolo and Robin who have PAGE B2

B2 JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

ENTERTAINMENT

Telling the truth about Marawi...

PAGE B1 dreamed together after personally visiting Marawi (all of them contributed money for the rehabilitation of the city).

“I am medyo emotional about this project because of the sense of humanity that it has generated,” confessed Piolo. “We are doing this not for ourselves but for every Filipino. It is a reminder of what happened in Marawi at sana hindi na muli mangyari pa. We

are touched by and grateful for the support we are getting from various organizations.”

According to Joyce, they will get help from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the form of equipment, tanks, ammunition, etc.

Sheron Dayoc, a recruit from art house, is at the helm.

“The film is a combination of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and ‘There Will Be Blood,’” he explained.

“It will be told from a historical perspective. We did a thorough research. We also interviewed as many people as we could, including the military, the residents and even the ISIS. “Everybody has a different opinion. The film is not about who or what is right and who or what is wrong; it’s about the truth.

As story-tellers, our job is to tell the real story, to tell the truth, so that people will have a better understanding of what happened in Marawi,” adding, “it’s a challenge to direct established actors, new actors and non-actors.”

Said Robin, “Bakit nagkaroon ng Marawi? There are so many speculations and the film will clear all of them. Ang script namin ay dumaan sa maraming mata, talagang pinag-aralan. Years from now, the youth of today may be asking, ‘Ano ba talaga ang nangyari sa Marawi?’ Once they see the movie, in one hour and 45 minutes their question will be answered. What could be a more effective educational (tool) than a film?”

Targeted for a May 2019 (or coinciding with next year’s Independence Day celebration or the second anniversary of the Marawi siege), the film will be shot entirely in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao (Lanao del Sur, etc.). It will also feature the people of Marawi who are still living in the city, real soldiers and other personalities.

“The film is made up of three acts,” said Joyce. “The first will cover Day 46 of the siege, the second Day 78 and the third Day 100.”

Daniel Padilla was initially reported to be in the cast but, according to Joyce, “he’s so busy with other projects that if we wait for his availability, baka flattened na ang Ground Zero.”

Shrugging any attempt at branding the film as government propaganda, Robin true to form as a Rebolusyonaryo commented (verbatim strong Tagalog), “Ang katotohanan ay napasok na tayo ng dayuhan, napasok na tayo ng ISIS, nangyari ito hindi sa bundok kundi sa isang city. Kapag naulit pa ito, makakabangon pa kaya tayong Filipino? Buhayin natin ang pagmamahal sa bayan.

Nagtulungan tayo para sa kapayapaan.”

Incidentally, all proceeds from the film will go to the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

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Alden on ‘Aldub’, and growing as an artist

by ALLAN

POLICARPIO Inquirer.net

FOR not a few show biz observers, Alden Richards doing a soap without Maine Mendoza was enough a confirmation that the “AlDub” love team is—as niggling rumors suggest—no more.

But, at the recent press conference for his upcoming drama-fantasy series, “Victor Magtanggol,” the actor belied such talks and insisted that the tandem isn’t done. “It’s still there,” he stressed.

It’s just that, at the moment, he and Maine are trying to pursue their careers separately, hoping to grow as artists.

“It’s all work—nothing personPAGE B3

During a recent media gathering for his upcoming drama-fantasy series, “Victor Magtanggol,” Alden Richards belied rumours that his tandem with Maine Mendoza is over.

GMA photo

Nathalie Hart: ‘I’m pregnant and soon to be married’

by IZA IGLESIAS ManilaTimes.net

SEXY actress Nathalie Hart who rose to fame via GMA Network’s reality talent show “Starstruck” in 2009, revealed on Wednesday, July 25 she is four months pregnant. The father is Mayank Sharma, her Indian boyfriend who is in the real estate business. They are set to tie the knot in Australia come December.

In a select interview huddle that included The Manila Times, Hart said she cried when she first learned about the pregnancy, even taking the test 10 times over.

“I cried. It’s not funny talaga, it was like a joke kasi and I couldn’t believe it. I’m used to being like a mom whenever I help my relatives because I’ve done that many times, but this one is different,” she opened up.

“I cried because I haven’t been able to save much [money]yet.

In a way, manghihinayang ka kung ano meron ka ngayon and what you can still achieve in the future.

“But I can’t think like that, of course. If you think negatively, your pregnancy may result in the same way too so I have to be positive [in all this],” Hart, who previously went by the stage name Princess Snell, said.

“I didn’t expect it,” she continued. “Marami pa akong trabaho but I see having a baby as a blessing. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. I want to look at my pregnancy in a positive way,” she said, adding that both her family and her boyfriend’s completely support them.

She further revealed she is pregnant with a baby girl.

“That’s what I am very excited about, the gender. I really want my first child to be a girl,” she enthused.

Hart, who crossed over to ABSCBN early this year was first given the sexy movie “Sin Island” under Star Cinema, along with Xian Lim and Coleen Garcia. She was then cast in the top-rated series, “The Blood Sisters,” and again given a role by Star Cinema in “Kusina Kings,” currently showing in theaters nationwide.

Still with a full schedule ahead

Nathalie Hart

of her, Hart’s next projects will see her in the sexy comedy flick “Abay Babes,” Viva Film’s “The Bitch Wedding” with Cristine Reyes, and the remake of the horror classic “Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara.”

Amid her obviously thriving career, Hart said she never thought of terminating her pregnancy as other rising stars have been rumored to have done in the past.

“I never thought of that,” she averred. “I was just worried at first if I was ready [to be a mom].

I never thought of aborting the baby just to save my career. No way! It’s better for me to lose my career rather than regret [losing my child].”

Asked to talk more about the baby’s father, Hart replied, “He practices Hinduism, but we’ll have a Catholic wedding in Australia.

Kaya kami ikakasal doon kasi I’m a citizen there and I also plan to give birth there. And although may magkakasal sa amin na priest, it doesn’t mean he has to convert [to Catholicism], because here in the Philippines you have to.”

Hart further said they will have a wedding in India after she gives birth.

Photo from Instagram/@imnathaliehart

As they start a family, the next question was where they plan to settle.

“Of course [Mayank] asked me at first [to move to India], but I told him, ‘You know I have prior commitments and contracts to fulfill and I don’t want to be sued.’

He said, ‘OK, I understand the situation.’

“But I am not closing my doors to India later on. For now, I’m going to Sydney to rest because that’s where we’ll get married and give birth. India is too far away from me but maybe when our kid grows up we can do that.

Mayank is also doing business in the Philippines so there’s no problem.”

After the wedding and giving birth, Hart said she and her fiancé have agreed she will return to the Philippines.

“We talked already. I have prior commitments here—nine movies that I’ve signed under my LVD management, so I have to come back. After that, it will depend if they will give me projects again.

I don’t know. Maybe they’ll give me a mommy role, since I am a mother already!” she laughed in closing.

Bela Padilla clarifies issue on teasing Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson Xian. Ang galing mo!”

Other netizens commented: “Kng totoo kng friend kim sna KAPAMILYA actress Bela Pa- respect mo relationship nya dilla aired her side of the issue with xian..” and “Di nkakatuwa involving her friend Kim Chiu dur- joke mo kht kelan insensitive ing their recent guest appearance mo.respect nmm sa relationship in primetime TV show “Gandang Kim at xian” Other photos shown in the Gabi Vice.”

Bela drew flak on social media after she teased Kim with ex-boyfriend Gerald Anderson on GGV’s segment “Tanong Mo Mukha Mo.” Fans of the “Chinita Princess” went to Twitter to air their side and defend Kim on the issue.

Bela, however, posted on her Twitter account her take on the issue, saying: “You can’t take only one part seriously, guys.”

“The whole episode was just super fun. And you know these shows are edited to fit the program’s airing time too. Happy Monday!?,” she added.

In the segment, host Vice Ganda was showing photos on the big screen where the two guests will ask a question.

When Gerald’s photo was shown, Vice teased Kim as she sang her hit song, “Ikaw na ba si Mr. Right?”

Kim asked the photo of Gerald: “Kamusta ka?” then Bela sang, “Bakit labis kitang mahal…”

As reaction, a netizen commented to Bela on Twitter: “FYI: Si Kimmy lang naman ang na ba bash at nahuhusgahan ng mga tao dahil sa ginawa mo. Yung pagkanta mo ng Bakit labis kitang Mahal noong ipinakita pic ni Gerald parang sinabi mo na mahal pa rin ni Kim si Gerald. So, lumalabas na panakip butas lang ni Kim si Bela Padilla and Kim Chiu

by RICKY LO Philstar.com

segment included their friend Angelica Panganiban, Angelica’s former boyfriend John Lloyd Cruz, John Lloyd’s onscreen partner and Gerald’s rumored girlfriend Bea Alonzo, and Bela’s rumored former boyfriend and Bea’s ex-boyfriend Zanjoe Marudo.

Photo from Instagram/@bela

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Alden on ‘Aldub’, and growing as...

A HUSBAND’S 30-YEAR-OLD “SECRET” ALMOST DERAILED THE FAMILY’S GREEN CARDS ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Leading U.S. immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL was able to revive Alice’s petition by her U.S. citizen father, after it was terminated due to the petitioner’s death. The family was then eligible to get their visas years ahead of schedule by using the priority date of Alice’s Lebanese husband, Andre. But Andre refused to come to the U.S. because of a “secret” he had kept for 30 years, preventing him from going back to the U.S. Atty. Gurfinkel worked “miracles” to resolve the mystery behind this fascinating success story, on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC. (Advertising supplement)

Hashtags member Jon Lucas admits he’s now a dad

by MJ

MARFORI ManilaTimes.net

IN an industry where celebrities usually have to choose career over family, Hashtags member Jon Lucas chose the latter.

The Times got to talk to Jon at the grand launch of his movie “Dito Lang Ako” under Blade Entertainment, and he had no qualms about opening up on personal life.

Since Jon had taken a leave of absence from ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime” since the last quarter of 2017, the immediate speculation was that the “kilig ambassador” got a girl pregnant.

So when he was bombarded with the question, the 22-yearold admitted, “Siyempre gusto ko na magpakatotoo sa lahat. Ayaw ko na magpakapeke dahil alam ko naman kung anuman yung magma-matter sa huli – yung paninindigan ko at ang pagiging totoo. Yung, totoo, meron… Yun nga yung pumalit sa lungkot na naranasan ko sa nanay ko.”

Jon lost his mom to cancer two months before his baby boy

Brycen was born.

“Yung anak ko ang pinakamahalaga sa akin ngayon – na kahit nasuspinde ako sa Showtime, ay totoong saya ang nararamdaman ko dahil naaalagaan ko na yung baby ko. Na ngayon, habang lumalaki siya, gusto ko nabibigay ko yung responsibility ko bilang ama.”

The Hashtags member continued, “Kung sa iba, liability siya, para sa akin, sobrang blessing siya. Kasi totoo, kahit na hindi ako magkakaroon ng trabaho sa ngayon, yung paglabas pa lang niya, yun na yung pinakamalaking blessing na natanggap ko last year. Yun na yung pinakamahalagang nakuha ko.”

Jon shared he is also a married man too! His wife is 25 years old and non-showbiz.

“Ayoko na talaga magpakapeke. Alam ko na makikita ito ng mga fans ko, ng mga supporters ko. Alam ko lahat ito ay mapapanood at mababasa nila. Pero ang pinakagusto ko lang, ang alam ko naman hanggang sa huli, yung mga fans ko, mag-i-stay talaga At 22 years old, Jon Lucas is proud to be married and with a bouncing baby boy. yan.”

PAGE B1 al. I’m doing this for my personal growth. And I’m sure Maine is doing things for her own growth, too,” the GMA 7 star told reporters. “It’s more of an exploration … so that when it’s time for us to take on a project again as partners, we will be able to offer the audience something new.”

Alden disclosed that he and Maine are set to do a movie soon.

“I’m also quite hopeful about the possibility of Maine making a guest appearance in ‘Victor,’” he added.

Asked how Maine feels about their careers starting to branch off to different directions, Alden said that while they have yet to sit down and talk about it, he believes that Maine is happy for him.

“There’s no formal conversation, but I think she supports me as much as I support her,” he related.

“I hear nothing but good things coming from her,” Alden said of Maine who, on the other hand, will be part of Vic Sotto and Coco Martin’s comedy-action flick, “Popoy En Jack: The Puliscredibles”—an entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

The 26-year-old actor likewise belied speculations that “Eat Bulaga!” and GMA 7 are purposefully keeping the two apart. (Alden is managed by GMA Artist Center; Maine by Triple A, the talent management group of Tony Tuviera, who’s also the executive producer of the noontime show.)

“We still see each other almost every day in ‘Bulaga.’ I see to it that I appear in the show despite my schedule for ‘Victor,’” pointed out Alden.

“Victor” will air on July 30.

But already, some of Alden’s costars—Janine Gutierrez, in particular—have been getting a lot of hurtful comments from rabid netizens.

“I’d like to repeat that this is a job. If someone’s bashing Janine or other cast members, I hope they stop. They don’t deserve that. Bash me, instead. Anyway, it’s me they have an issue with,” Alden pleaded.

As for the vitriol directed to him, Alden said he has learned not to read and entertain them. “I have never felt the urge to answer back.”

“Victor Magtanggol”—which will have Alden portraying the titular character who morphs into the superhero Hammerman after

being deemed worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir—is based on Norse mythology. As expected, netizens were quick to point out and allege that it was a copy of Marvel’s Thor.

“Norse mythology is a public domain. Maybe if I’m seeing it for the first time, I, too, will have the misconception. But we want to make it clear that anyone can create stories out of, or be inspired,

by Norse mythology, because no one owns that. It’s not a copycat,”

he insisted.

Moreover, the story, he said, is undeniably Filipino. “It will revolve around family; my character Victor being an overseas Filipino worker; and being a hero in all aspects of life—as a son, brother or friend,” he said.

Preparing for the show involved extensive training in martial arts and parkour, daily trips to the gym and intermittent fasting. “The months of working out and dieting are worth it,” he said.

B4 JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS LAST year, my wife, Farida, and I were out to lunch with some friends, the youngest ones in their early 70s. During our conversation, a surgical colleague, UP Class ’57, who was in his mid-80s — sharp, brilliant, and witty as ever — said in a serious tone of total surrender as he clasped his cane, “Philip, we are now in the departure lounge, waiting for our number to be called.”

I told him much as I loved and respected him as a friend I truly admired, I begged to disagree with the implication and the “final destination” of his thoughts.

I said, “if we are in the departure lounge, we are there eagerly waiting for our next flight to tour more exciting places in this wonderful world and enjoy to the hilt whatever time we have left.”

I continued “I will not sit around, waiting for my number, and waste God’s precious blessing of time, just waiting to die…I still have a lot of plans and want to take full advantage of, and really cherish, His generosity.”

I love to “bulakbol,” since we did not have much time for it in medical school, in our residency training, and during our medical practice. Gallivanting now that I am retired is fantastic. Indeed, life is wonderful! I wish it would go on forever.

There are so many things to do, now that we have time to ourselves. I, for one, enjoy writing, surfing the world wide web of the internet (sans social media), gardening, performing magic illusion, traveling, cruising with family and friends, going on medical missions and doing other humanitarian endeavors just like many of you. Indeed, the bonus time we are blessed with is an added gift from heaven, bestowed, for us to continue to attain joy, a sense of fulfillment, inner satisfaction, and peace.

After all, as ancient philosophers had written, human beings are on this good earth to achieve and savor happiness.

These precious fleeting moments we still have in our life’s bank account of time ought not to be squandered by sitting around waiting to vanish into oblivion.

That will come soon enough. Let us just try our best to delay the inevitable as much as we can by a wiser, more efficient, and more productive management of our

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

The departure lounge Let ‘Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi’ change the remaining time. Also, I suggest that, even at a ripe old age, not taking any calculated risk at all is the greatest risk in itself and that success comes only to those who have wisdom and the courage to fail.

I have always been fascinated by the idea of influencing people for the better, so my fellowmen could live a healthier lifestyle, habits, and behavior. In our new world of information technology, I have decided early on to expand on my health writings which I started at the Arellano (Public) High School and launched my personal campaign for public health education when I arrived in the United States in 1963. This has led me to write a weekly medical column in two newspapers in the Philippines, five publications in the United States, and three websites on the internet, to the present. This obsession has also resulted in the publication of the book, “Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children,” a primer on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle starting from the cellular (DNATelomere) level to protect the integrity of the DNA to pre-empt diseases.

I often say that leaving this world after this life is not a tragedy. Dying without significance, without making a difference, without leaving behind a good and lasting legacy, is.

All of us, humbly including myself, are certainly bestowing upon the world a legacy of love, charity, compassion, talent, and service we each have given during our lifetime. We have also transmitted our good culture, tradition, and values to our children and their children, who could now build on them and endeavor for a better world for mankind.

Whenever asked if I am retired, I always reply “Yes, I am RE-tired…now equipped with a new set of tires to zoom around the racetrack of life another few laps,” this time with greater wisdom, clearer vision, and better oriented concerns for the future of our children, grandchildren, and humankind as a whole. After all, we are part and parcel of the universe, no matter how miniscule we are in the nanoscale of the galaxy.

You may not realize it, but the world is really better off because you happened to be here. Just think of the good children you have raised, the people you have helped, the patients you have cured, the strangers you have ministered to with compassion,

and the countless lives your children and grandchildren will make better in the generations to come.

Like in the 1946 American Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart and directed by Frank Capra, based on a poignant 1939 story, “The Greatest Gift,” by Philip Van Doren Stern, think for a moment what it would have meant to the hundreds, thousands, of lives you have touched if you had not been born. Move the hands of time back to that day, and undo all the things associated with you, erase all events and all your contributions to society like you never existed.

Just think about it. Only then would you realize that, indeed, you are significant, and that you have really made a difference and will continue to do so. That, in essence, is the legacy you are leaving behind with pride, a sacred legacy of a fulfilled life on this planet.

It is, indeed, a wonderful life. And I truly believe that the greater and more exciting wonders are still to come. Let us continue to take good care of ourselves and be as healthy as we can be, ready for the next chapter in our sojourn on earth.

Growing old is a great privilege denied by many. Let us relish every second we have left.

So, whenever we feel we are in the departure lounge of our being, let us give thanks to God for all our blessings, celebrate our life, and chart our next course and destination, even without our favorite GPS, to more marvelous journeys and adventures ahead of us, with our loved ones and friends, and savor our time together, on faraway vacations as often as still possible, or even on staycations at our cozy home, creating countless more fabulous memories to cherish and keep us warm in the winter of our life.

Visit philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com

way you look at love in the digital age

ENGAGING, original stories that move and touch lives always have a place in everyone’s hearts.

The stories become larger than life when they’re told on the big screen, in dark, cavernous cinema houses that are hallowed grounds for lovers of film.

The opportunity to tell relevant, enlightening and gripping stories is an art. Cignal Entertainment wants to explore the field with its first film co-produced with October Train Films and The IdeaFirst Company. Directed by Jun Robles Lana, “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi” is also an entry to the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which opens on August 15 in all cinemas nationwide in celebration of Buwan ng Wika.

Cignal Entertainment chose “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi” as its opening salvo for many reasons. The number one reason is the popularity of technology, around which the theme of the film revolves. The other reason is that it speaks to young people, who compose a majority of the country’s population.

Indeed, technology plays a key role in young people’s lives. They check their phone the minute they wake up, take their power bank with them “in case of emergency” (that is to say, a power outage or loss of network connection) and are forever connected to the internet.

Much of their interaction is confined to emojis, likes, shares and other shortcuts online.

“Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi” director, Jun Lana, was adjudged Best Director at the Kerala International Film Festival and the Pacific Meridian Film Festival for the feature film “Anino sa Likod ng Buwan,” and the mind behind “Die Beautiful,” winner of the Audience Award at the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival, where its lead performer, Paolo Ballesteros emerged Best Actor.

His latest film was a result of Direk Jun’s worries.

He and partner Perci Intalan have children of their own now, and they want them to be adept in face-to-face interactions rather than communicate in emojis on online tools. So when Direk Jun came across a 2009 news report about a British man allergic to wifi, he found in it a sign to “explore the underlying sadness and emptiness of modern relationships.”

Yes, he concedes, technology has made it easier for anyone to get in touch with their loved ones around the world. But it comes

“Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi” is a film about a teenager named Norma, who is diagnosed with Electromagentic Hyper-Sensitivity — a rare illness that makes her literally allergic to wi-fi, data signals and other online tools her she and her friends find indispensable.

Philstar.com photo

with a cost. Communication sorely lacks the depth of unmediated interactions and exchange of ideas.

He was inspired to come came up with “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wi-Fi,” a film about a teenager named Norma, who is diagnosed with Electromagentic HyperSensitivity — a rare illness that makes her literally allergic to wifi, data signals and other digital tools her she and her friends find indispensable.

Norma must go offline when her illness forces her to live with her grandmother in a remote province. Away from the comfort of her gadgets and data signals, Norma learns to live a much simpler life. She begins to view her relationship with Leo with fresh eyes. Her friendship with Leo’s brother, Aries, also takes a different turn.

In making a film about the impact of technology, Lana and Intalan are issuing their own statements as parents, and as committed agents of change.

“We want to tell young audiences that you can enjoy life offline,” Intalan says. “And contrary to their fears of being disconnected from others, you can find love the old-fashioned way — by writing letters, by the gift of your presence, by simply listening and talking or just being quiet siting side by side with each other.”

“It takes effort, yes.But relationships built the hard way are far more meaningful,” he says.

He and Direk Jun liked what

they saw when they watched former “Pinoy Big Brother” teen housemate Jameson Blake’s films (one of them the indie film “2 Cool 2 be 4gotten” which gave him a Best Supporting Actor award from the 12th Cinema One Originals Film Festival). They cast him in the lead role of Aries.

Direk Jun also found a brilliant actress in Sue when he and Intalan produced “The Debutantes,” her launching movie for Regal Films. The director cast the Kapamilya artist as Norma.

Jameson and Sue’s innate on screen chemistry proved that Direk Jun made the right choice.

The trailer,which also featurednewcomer Markus Paterson and young award-winning actress Angellie Saño, went viral.

It struck a chord among viewers, who saw themselves in the young leads whose cellphones areas important as life itself. But Direk Jun wants to go beyond the obvious. He wants a film that makes people re-examine their direction in life.

“Part love story, part character study, ABASW is a movie about loss and rebirth, and the discovery of one’s authentic self,” he says.

In producing the film, Cignal Entertainment, Octobertrain Films and The IdeaFirst Company, want viewers to see the world with fresh eyes, and value what meaningful relationships are all about all overagain.

It is their modest contribution to helping others lead happier, more contented lives. (Philstar. com)

Xian Lim: ‘Have a goal, stay positive & finish what you have to do’

by CODY

CEPEDA Inquirer.net

Nathalie Hart

Photo from Instagram/@imnathaliehart

MANY fans reached out to actor Xian Lim after he took to Twitter recently to share his experience of being rejected and disliked by some people in the entertainment industry. His anecdote shed light on the not so glossy realities in show business, such as being shut out entirely and being a victim of gossip mongering.

“A bunch of people in the industry may not like me, a couple may shut me out completely and not give me a chance, some love to judge and make up lies,” wrote Lim last July 22.

“I say it’s fine,” he said. “When all things have been said and done, be sure to do what it is that makes you happy.”

each new homeowner was with the unique community lifestyle.

This soon led him to believe that he could offer his family so much more in the Chino area at a lower price. “I began to fall in love with the product I was selling. We didn’t have to move far to have a more affordable home that offered the same great location and schools with amenities that add even more value.”

With an eagerness to share with his family this Woodside Homes product he had become so passionate about, it wasn’t long before Tom brought his wife and daughter to visit The Preserve. The picture-perfect image of his daughter exploring The Parkhouse was what sparked his gut feeling that this could be the perfect place to plant his family’s roots. And that feeling grew once they toured the model homes at Palisades, where the stunning design and flexible floor plan of Plan 3 stole their hearts. “I knew I wanted to buy a model home, and Plan 3 was everything we wanted. And it’s right next to The Parkhouse.”

After Tom’s family’s visit to The Preserve, his coworkers at Woodside Homes were graciously able to make it possible for them to buy the Plan 3 model at Palisades, a beautiful

two-story home. The home buying experience was everything Tom could have hoped for, and as far as the model home they chose, he had nothing but great things to say. “This is a single-family home on a true single-family lot, which is hard to find in Diamond Bar. We love the spacious great room and downstairs master bedroom.

We even have four bathrooms and a loft.” Excited to dive into the incredible lifestyle that he knew came along with his new home, Tom knew that this was the right choice for his family.

Since moving to The Preserve, Tom and his family have enjoyed every second they’ve been able to explore the community, amenities and parks together. They never miss their weekly walks through the neighborhoods and to the community’s Nature Retreat Park. Here, they were able to get the perfect view of the Planes of Fame Airshow in May at the Chino Airport right next door. Tom loves the natural element the parks and green space add to the community.

“It feels more suburban. I can see more sky; the air is fresher and there’s more open space.”

Along with their favorite amenity, The Parkhouse, they are also enjoying all that Chino offers – a location just an hour

Lim didn’t address anyone or anything in particular, and appeared to be speaking out of generality. But it seems that something may be wrong based on the tone of his tweet.

Lim, too, took to his Instagram last July 22 to share another post, one that echoed his earlier tweet.

“It’s a crazy world we live in.

Some people will always try to bring you down. Not give you a chance.

Judge you for what they think you are and not for what you could become,” Lim wrote.

“It’s amazing how hard you try to make things right and make other people understand and yet they don’t. People say keep your head up, I say keep it down and work hard to make yourself better every single day.”

Fans have since reached out to

Lim to give their words of comfort.

“No one can put a good man down. It’s only natural to sometimes feel down or feel rejected.

Those [people] are not worth your time and energy,” wrote one Peony (@peony_soltera) on Lim’s Instagram post.

“The reason why majority of [people] [love] you so much is [because] of your good & positive disposition in life,” added the netizen.

Despite his bout with his doubts, however, Lim was back to his positive disposition in no time as he shared on his Instagram that same day an uplifting story about him and his friend Justin Jaro.

Years ago, he and Justin wanted to make a project together. They, however, weren’t sure about what

they wanted to do. Even more, they had no other people to help them out.

“A couple of years ago, me and my buddy @screwjustin were talking about making a project together. We had no idea what to make. No crew to help us out and no clue as to what it is we wanted to do.”

Lim’s picture showed a clapperboard, with him as the director and Jaro as the cameraman.

“BUT we had a goal,” wrote Lim. “Cut to a year or two down the line, we finally decided to take the leap and go for it. We got it done. Not really sure if it is any good or not but we got it done!”

“To cut the long story short, have a goal. Stick to that goal and finish what it is you have to do,” Lim wrote. “Stay positive guys!”

Homebuyers find their perfect journey home at the Preserve at Chino

CHINO, Calif. – The Preserve at Chino by Lewis Community Developers is a Southern California destination where the ideal setting for family living welcomes you home. Where stories are sparked and life’s best moments are waiting to be unveiled, it’s a place that calls for planting family roots with the best spaces for living and growing. And for Tom Lin and his family, it was this place that sparked the story of their perfect home journey. With a promising lifestyle and great Chino location, The Preserve was the community they could afford without compromising value – where they knew they could experience home the way it’s meant to be.

Residents of Southern California for several years, Tom and his family called Diamond Bar home when he was hired

by Woodside Homes in 2006, where they needed a Mandarin-speaking salesman in The Preserve’s sales office. Excited about this change in his career, Tom became well read on the Chino area and soon recognized the quality of the location with award-winning schools and only an hour from LA. After helping so many enthusiastic customers find their way home to The Preserve, Tom saw firsthand how fulfilled

from LA and close to the best of Southern California’s shopping, dining and entertainment. Tom is also looking forward to beating the traffic and lines at LAX when taking advantage of the newly offered China Airlines flights at the Ontario Airport just minutes from his new home.

When asked his opinion on The Preserve, Tom confidently said, “You won’t find anything

similar with the same affordability and value.” And he and his wife love to share their story and experience with others.

“We appreciate every moment at The Preserve. My wife has even convinced her best friend to move in next door. They’ve fallen in love with it too.” He is still on his journey to helping others fall in love with the product he’s become so passionate about. Because the Palisades

homes were so popular at their first release, Woodside Homes has purchased 56 more lots to build more of these residences with the hopes of sparking more perfect love stories just like Tom’s.

The Preserve at Chino is located at 15871 Main Street, Chino, CA 91708. To learn more, visit ThePreserveAtChino.com or call (877) 440-7894.

(Advertising supplement)

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 28-31, 2018

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Joem Bascon sheds persona for role of a lifetime by ricky

caldEron ManilaTimes.net

WHen Joem Bascon was contacted by controversial line-producer Shandii Bacolod for “Double twisting Double Back,” he ignored his calls at first. He was then busy taping for “the Good Son” where he played a cop.

When he finally met with Shandii, it was explained to him that the film is about a young gymnast and the struggles he goes through. His character is that of best friend to newbie tony labrusca who’s the lead. the movie is an entry to this year’s Cinema One Originals in October directed by Joseph Abello.

He was given the script and after reading it, Joem called up

The Mount of Olives in the Bible

by Emil

PErito

Frequently mentioned in the new testament (Matthew 21:1, 26:30, and so on) is the Mount of Olives — the route from Jerusalem to Bethany as well as the place where Jesus stood while weeping over Jerusalem.

It is here that Jesus is said to have spent much of his time prophesying and teaching to his disciples (Matthew 24-25). there’s the Olivet discourse — returning there to rest each day (luke 21:37). He also returned there on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:39). At the foot of the mountain is the Garden of

Gethsemane. today, the Mount of Olives is administered by Israel as part of the country’s capital Jerusalem, and is part of east, Jerusalem. the Arab neighborhood of attur is located on the mountain’s summit, and the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew university of Jerusalem abuts the mount on the north. landmarks on the Mount of Olives include: yad Avshalom, the tomb of Zechariah, the Church of all nations, the Church of Maria Magdalene, Dominus Flevit Church, Gethsemane, Mary’s tomb, Church of the Pater noster, the Seven

Arches Hotel, and Orson Hyde Park.

At the base of the slope are the emek tzurim national Park and the temple Mount Antiquities Salvage Operation. the Mount of Olives is just one of the many Biblical places included in our itinerary in a pilgrimage to the Holy land. established in 1995, Air Plus travel specializes in religious travel. Join us in one of our organized trips to the Holy land in December 2018. For more information, contact Air Plus travel at (562) 863 - 0624, or visit us at www.airplustravel. net.

(Advertising Supplement)

Joem Bascon

ABS-CBN photo

Marian shares struggles as solo child

Marian Rivera

KAPuSO actress Marian rivera is looking forward for baby number two with husband Dingdong Dantes.

In a recent Prime Mom Club event held at Prime Hotel quezon City where she also demonstrated her cooking, Marian said since Zia is already three years old, they are trying to have a new baby.

“Blessed ka na e as a mom na magkaroon ka ng anak, so lord isa pa. We’re trying to have another one kasi sabi ko nga solong anak ako,” the Kapuso actress said.

Since she is turning 34 years old this August, Marian said her birthday wish is to have a second baby with Dingdong.

“Sabi ko sa asawa ko meron ka pa Photo from Instagram/@marianrivera

pang hindi nabibigay, katulad niyan sa August magbi-birthday na ko. ‘Ano gusto mong gift?’ Bigay mo na. Gusto ko pa. Kailangan madami tayo kasi nga solong anak lang ako, mahirap. Alam ko ‘yung mag-isa lang ako,” she said.

“Diba? Masarap ‘yung malaki, mas madami, mas masaya kayo. So sana ibigay ni lord ‘yun. Tsaka nang asawa ko.

Galingan niya,” she added.

Committed to being a dedicated mom, Marian shared her experiences and cooking to other mothers at the Prime Mom Club, a new and exclusive community by Mega Prime dedicated to helping moms, especially start-up moms, to level up their cooking knowledge and skills. (Jan Milo Severo/Philstar.com)

Shandii and told him, “Grabe naman ang role na ito. Ang daming love scenes. May frontal nudity pa but I told him that I am willing to do the role and what is required of it.”

Joem though had a hard time convincing his management, Star Magic, that he had to do all the five explicit love scenes. His handler told him he is a character actor, not a porn star.

“But I really like the role. As Shandii said, it’s a role of a life-

time, a career-defining one. But I have to shed my persona and fully embrace the role. I will have to give my heart and soul to it.

It’s an art film, not porn.” the movie deals with mental health issues and that’s where the element of sex and nudity come in with regards to the character that Joem is playing. And as he promised to Shandii, whatever the role requires he will do it, including the required frontal nudity.

B juLy 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN jOuRNAL

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 28-31, 2018

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Journal

USCIS officers given greater authority to deny immigration applications SHORTLY after issuing a policy memorandum that significantly expands its authority to issue Notices to Appear (NTAs) referring individuals to immigration court for deportation proceedings, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a new policy memorandum giving USCIS adjudicators greater discretion to deny applications for immigration benefits.

The policy memorandum issued on July 13, 2018 provides USCIS adjudicating officers with “full discretion to deny applications, petitions, and requests� without first issuing requests for additional information or providing the applicant with notice of an intended denial.

USCIS is the federal agency that is responsible for reviewing and adjudicating immigration applications and petitions such as applications for green cards, citizenship, asylum, as well as employmentbased petitions such as H1B and EB-5 investor petitions. Under its new policy, USCIS may issue denials of applications in certain situations without first issuing a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID). This new policy is in stark contrast to USCIS’ prior policy, which was to issue an RFE or a NOID unless there was “no possibility� that a deficiency could be cured by submission of additional evidence.

While the burden of proof remains on the applicant, petitioner, or requestor to establish eligibility for an immigration benefit, USCIS’ previous policy was more forgiving. In essence, under prior policy, the USCIS would only deny an application or petition without issuing a RFE or NOID if the application warranted a statutory denial, such as a denial based on a nonexistent immigration benefit. Now, however, USCIS can issue denials based on a lack of “sufficient

Your Immigration Solution Atty. BrittAny MilliAsseAu initial evidence� without giving applicants or petitioners the opportunity to correct their mistakes.

The policy memorandum gives USCIS officers the discretion to deny the benefit request if all required initial evidence is not submitted with the benefit request. An example of an appli-

as when the petitioner and/or co-sponsor fails to submit evidence that they earn a sufficient income.

This new USCIS policy goes into effect on September 11, 2018. And while the new policy eliminates the requirement to issue an RFE and give petitioners or applicants the opportunity to correct a mistake, it also expands USCIS’ authority to issue follow-up RFEs when submitted evidence “opens up new lines of inquiry.� It also provides USCIS officers with the discretion to validate assertions or corroborate evidence by consulting USCIS or other governmental files, systems, and databases or other publicly available information that is readily accessible.

It is essential that applications and petitions are as detailed and thorough as possible and contain all required evidence at the time of filing. Applicants should no longer automatically expect USCIS to inform them if required information or documentation is missing.

If any required evidence is omitted, even inadvertently, the application may be denied without the applicant being afforded an opportunity to correct the deficiency or provide further information. In addition to the loss of filing fees, a denial could have serious consequences on an immigration case and could lead to barriers for future immigration benefits.

If you are considering filing an application for an immigration benefit, it is more important than ever to make sure you have a highly competent immigration attorney who will completely and accurately prepare the application or petition. This is true even if you believe you have an “easy� or “routine� immigration case.

The stakes are higher than ever now in light of the recent guidance directing USCIS officers to

“While the burden of proof remains on the applicant, petitioner, or requestor to establish eligibility for an immigration benefit, USCIS’ previous policy was more forgiving.� cation that may be automatically denied is a request for a Waiver of Inadmissibility (I-601) that does not include supporting documentation of extreme hardship.

Previously, applicants would always be given the opportunity to supplement their applications at a later time. Another potential example of an automatic denial includes applicants for permanent resident status (green card) through adjustments of status (I485) who do not include a sufficient Affidavit of Support (I-864) from their petitioner and/or cosponsor. It is also possible that the USCIS may deny the application instead of issuing a RFE in situations as easily correctable

u PAGE CJ5

Pilgrimage to Some of ITALY’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 stop in Trevi Fountain, before heading to our Hotel. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D)

'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH %DVLOLFDV We will visit the Vatican Museum this morning and the Sistine Chapel to admire the awesome masterpieces of Michaelangelo, and even ancient Greek and Roman artists. the largest church in Roman Catholicism, St. Peter’s Basilica. Holy Eucharist at ST Mary Major, Followed by visit of the Basilica. We continue to visit the rest of the major Basilicas within the walls of Rome, and St. John Lateran, St Paul Outside the Wall. We will also pray at the Scala Santa or the Holy Stairs. St. Helena transported the steps from Jerusalem; the same steps that Christ ascended to receive Pilate’s unjust condemnation.

DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ROME (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY )UL

Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 6DQ *LRYDQQL 5RWRQGR 2018 is the 100th Anniversary of the stigmatization of St Pio. Church Will have Monthly Pastoral Program of Activities for the whole year. San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of St Padre Pio of Pietrelcina from 28 July, 1916 until his death on 23 September, 1968. Enjoy the drive going to San Giovanni, after we check in our Hotel. vWe visit the Shrines of St Padre Pio of Pietralcina as well as the places associated with him, such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace that contains his tomb. Here, we spend some time meditating, see his room, his confessional box and the cruciďŹ x that gave him his supernatural Crucifying stigmata, Celebrate Holy Eucharist (Hotel Gran Paradiso) DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN San Giovanni Rotondo (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6DW Ĺ&#x; 6$1 *,29$11, 52721'2 This Morning we visit the new and Modern Basilica of St Padre Pio, See his uncorrupt body. Celebrate Holy Eucharist Spend some time meditating in this awesome Basilica. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO (Hotel Gran Paradiso)

'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 6XQ Ĺ&#x; 6DQ *LRYDQQL 5RWRQGR /DQFLDQR /RUHWR 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 Today we explore the hilltop birthplace of St Francis of Assisi. In the Crypt of St Francis Basilica lies the tomb of one of the most humble and beloved Saints of all times, St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Eucharist at the Crypt of St. Francis See the Basilica of St Clare, with her incorrupt body, and the little Church of St. Damiano and its CruciďŹ x from which Jesus spoke to Francis about his mission in 1206: “Go, Francis, and rebuild my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.â€? We visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, located in the lower plains of Assisi, and the place where the miracle of the Eucharist of Assisi took place in 1240. The small Church of the Porziuncola is inside the Basilica itself. Pope Honorius III granted a plenary indulgence for those entering this humble Church on August 1st and 2nd every year, with Confession, reception of the Eucharist and no attachment to venial sins. (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7XHV Ĺ&#x; $VVLVL 6LHQD )ORUHQFH We will spend half day in Siena. Begin in the old town center with a visit to the Basilica of San Domenico. Built in the 13th century, it is a treasure chest of the Renaissance art and dedicated to St Catherine of Siena. You will learn about the city’s history while admiring it’s cathedrals, Museum, and libraries .Also you will admire the famous piazza del Campo, one of Europe’s great medieval squares. Continue to Florence. (BB,D) We start with a guided walking tour of Florence, this fascinating city with its Piazza, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist.

Rest of the day free (BB,D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY :HG Ĺ&#x; )ORUHQFH 5RPH Leave Florence around 2PM Arrived Rome almost dinner time (BB.D) 'D\ Ĺ&#x; 1RY 7KXUV Ĺ&#x; 5RPH 86$ 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

Community Journal

C JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

If you have debt problems, where did they come from?

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon I WAS counseling someone the other day in my office. He looked shocked and confused as we sorted through all the credit card statements on my desk and added up how much he owed. $65,000! That’s how much the statements said he owed!

How could this be? He said he remembered paying a lot of these debts off just a few years ago. When I asked him how it was possible for him to owe that much again, he replied: “Honestly, I don’t even remember”.

For the vast majority of people, their debt problems usually stem from a series of events or bad financial decisions. It can be that a lot of people simply don’t keep track of what they charge on their credit cards. So they use their credit cards for everyday purchases without realizing how much debt they are accumulating. Some use their credit cards for so-called “emergencies”.

The problem is that anything

Barrister’s Corner

could pretty much qualify as an “emergency”. The “emergency” could be new furniture that they don’t even need, a new car or an unplanned family vacation.

Months or years go by and before they realize it, their debts have skyrocketed beyond their ability to repay. And unless their income has increased over that period of time, it becomes a struggle to make the debt payments every month.

If you don’t have the extra cash lying around every month to make those increasing debt payments, it will only be a matter of time before you start defaulting.

And from there it just gets worse and worse until one day you have a big financial emergency in your hands.

Some people even resort to borrowing from some credit cards just to pay other credit cards but quickly realize that this strategy doesn’t work and that they are only digging themselves into a deeper financial hole with no way out.

The truth is that your debt problems didn’t just suddenly

Tax Tips VictoR sy, cPA, mBA

E-Filed Returns: • Electronic data are transmitted to a centralized Submission Processing Center.

• Tax preparation software assigns a unique 14-digit Declaration Control Number to each return.

• A unique Filing Location Code shown as the first two digits distinguishes returns as e-filed.

• An Electronic Management System provides format data verification, data translation, and delivery.

• Federal return is validated and accepted.

• State returns are then made *** available for retrieval by particiNone of the information herein is in- pating state revenue agencies. tended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call “BORDERS? I have never Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 seen one. But I have heard (866) 477-7772. they exist in the minds of some (Advertising Supplement) people,” Thor Heyerdahl, the famous Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer, once said.

Heyerdahl is known for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific in spousal management and con- a hand-built raft (balsa) from trol fiduciary obligations. It does South America to the Tuamotu not matter if the property is lo- Islands. He designed this expedicated in another state or another tion to demonstrate that ancient country. people could have made long For the same reason, the par- sea voyages, creating contacts ties to a divorce case is required between separate cultures. He to disclose all property, sepa- undertook subsequent journeys rate and community, including to show the potential of an enthose outside the state. During counter between widely sepathe marriage, the parties’ fidu- rated ancient people, notably the ciary duties require Ra II expedition in 1970 when full and accurate dis- he sailed from the west coast of closure of true and full Africa to Barbados in a papyrus information affecting reed boat. (Source: Wikipedia) community property In today’s times, we don’t have transactions. Family- to be a genius to plan great exCode. 721(b), 1100(e). peditions to encounter people In addition, disclosure in other parts of the world. All duties arise upon sep- we need is time, a few thouaration in anticipation sand dollars, a passport, a visa, of dissolution, nullity or legal the Internet, good health and separation. The post-separation a dose of courage to get our disclosure duties extend to all plane or cruise tickets to travel assets and liabilities in which ei- to any country in our bucket list. ther party has or may have an inHopefully, our travels would terest or obligation, regardless of not only grant us rest and leicommunity or separate property sure but more importantly, as characterization, and to current Heyerdahl envisioned, would earnings, accumulations and allow us to have meaningful enexpenses. These duties “arise counters with people of other u PAGE C3 cultures and to appreciate the

Disclosure and characterization of overseas assets in divorce

gift or inheritance, is presumptively community property. Family Code 760, 771(a), 772; Marriage of Bonds (2000) 24 C4th 1, IN a divorce proceeding, peo- 12, 99 CR2d 252, 258; Marriage ple sometimes have a miscon- of Lehman (1998) 18 C4th 169, ception that the only assets or 177, 74 CR2d 825, 828.

Pursuant to Family.Code. properties that have to disclose assets and properties situated 760, community personal or in California. Even worst, some- real property is consistently detimes parties even think that fined no matter where situated. since an asset or property is situated in a different country or state, that property is not community property and not subject to division in California family court.

One has to understand the general community property presumption in California. Property acquired Family Code 760 defines “Combefore marriage is the acquir- munity property” as “Except as ing spouse’s separate property, otherwise provided by statute, as is property obtained during all property, real or personal, marriage that can be traced to wherever situated, acquired by a premarital acquisition. Family. a married person during the Code. 770(a). Rents, issues and marriage while domiciled in this profits” of separate property are state is community property.” separate property. All property As such, out-of-state community acquired during marriage and property is community property before separation, other than by for all purposes, including intra-

Atty. Kenneth uRsuA Reyes

appear out of nowhere. Experience is often our best teacher. It would help to understand what past decisions led you to your present financial circumstances so that you can avoid making the same mistakes again.

This can be a good first step to solving your debt problems.

The late author and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said: “You may not be able to change your destination overnight but you can change your direction overnight.” It’s never too late to make the change and today is a good day to start.

If you need help, call my Valencia office at (866) 477-7772..

We have offices in Glendale, Valencia and Cerritos.

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

“For the same reason, the parties to a divorce case is required to disclose all property, separate and community, including those outside the state.”

How does IRS score your tax returns for audit?

• This explains how state tax agencies learn of your IRS audit.

Expect a bill from them later.

Paper-Filed Returns: • Tax returns are sorted upon arrival at a Service Center.

• Payments included with the returns are removed and deposited.

• Returns and checks are assigned Document Locator Numbers for identification.

• Business returns are tied by Employer Identification Numbers.

• Each return is reviewed for completeness and mathematical accuracy.

• Service Center personnel look for gross or obvious errors and fill in incomplete items.

• A computerized version is forwarded to the computing center in Martinsburg, WV.

After receiving your tax return, the IRS enters your tax data into an IRS master file.

The master file is separated into Individual Master File, Business Master File, and Non-Master Files. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

On traveling and shattering “borders” The Prophetic Voice ReVeRend Rodel G. BAlAGtAs history and beauty of our planet.

It’s what makes traveling enriching in both mind and spirit.

One of the positive effects of social media like Facebook and Instagram is the urge or the desire of many of us to see other countries. As family members and friends post pictures of their travels, we too dream of seeing the places they went to someday. This dream is not too remote. As I said, all we need is time, money, and good health.

“Travel more while you’re still young,” many people advise us.

Although this is sound advice, I’ve seen many people in their senior or retirement years that still enjoy traveling and meeting people around the globe. Is it because of our adventurous human spirit, our way of overcoming boredom, or our appetite for more exhilarating and enriching experiences of life?

Perhaps it’s all these things, but in the end, I hope that our travels would make us better global citizens, appreciating and accepting people of all colors, languages, and cultures, and removing bias-

es and prejudices from our minds against people who may be different from us. Indeed, I hope that our travels would shatter the “borders” that exist in our minds.

Airports are excellent places to examine the borders in our thoughts. In airports, we encounter a sea of human beings of different species, mingling, walking, and running side by side. What do we think when we see people of another race or feature? How does our mind react when we look at them dress or speak distinctly? How are we judging when we look at someone married to a person of another race? What’s in our heart when we see a group of tourists behaving differently?

Ah, traveling! It’s the best way to learn as old platitude says, but more than this advantage, I hope it removes the “borders” that exist in our minds! *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

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

Community Journal

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 28-31, 2018

C

Are employees with work visas Checklist – If immigration officers (ICE) knock on your door protected from wage theft?

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. c. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q: I AM a Filipino worker petitioned by my U.S. employer to work as part of its IT staff in California. My employer pays me only half the agreed rate and there are a lot of “fees” that are deducted from my pay. I work 10 to 12 hours, 5 to 6 days per week, but I am not paid overtime because I’m a “salaried” employee. Even though I don’t have a green card, do I have any rights?

A: You have the same right as any employee working in the U.S., especially in California. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which was enacted to protect employees from labor violations, defined the term “employee” to include “any individual employed by an employer.” This broad general definition is followed by several specific exceptions.

None of the exceptions mention the employee’s immigration status. More importantly, in California, the term “employee” means “every person in the service of an employer … whether lawfully or unlawfully employed.”

Therefore, as an employee, you are entitled to the rights guaranteed to all employees, including the right to: 1. Be paid for every hour that you worked, and be paid at least the minimum wage 2. Earn overtime pay after working more than 8 hours per day and 40 hours in one week.

3. File claims with the court or state labor agencies if the employer has violated labor laws.

4. File workplace safety and health complaints with Cal/ OSHA. 5. Exercise labor rights with-

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrence yAng

SURE there are alternatives to bankruptcy. But bankruptcy is the only solution that provides viable debt relief for those who are unable to repay their debts.

Some people sign up for debt settlement and find out after having paid into the pot that they have been sued by several creditors despite attempts by the debt settlement business to settle their debts over time.

If we compare debt to cancer because they do have similarities as the debt burden keeps growing and growing over time while cancer grows and spreads over time with the end game of both killing the financial or organic health of the victim resulting in the death of the victim, what is the more effective cure?

Certainly, all of us have family and friends who have fought with cancer. First, you try to kill all the cancer cells with chemotherapy and/or the latest cancer-fighting medical technology.

Fortunately, there are state of the art treatments now that work where the body’s own immune system is coaxed to fight the cancer cells, or stem cells from a donor are used to replace the patients’ own unhealthy cells that become cancerous.

If the treatment works, you still have to go through the remission process. This is a five-year period where the patient is cancer-free but is being monitored to see if the cancer returns. If it returns, it comes back with a vengeance. If it doesn’t, you’re home free.

Right now, I have three clients who have fought cancer. One just died after fighting it for four years and used all the new treatments. One was in remission for four and a half years trying to reach five years. But the cancer cells have just returned. He was still working but now can’t walk without assistance because the cancer cells have returned after disappearing for four and a half years and now have just spread to his leg. The third is cancer free and entering the five-year monitoring period.

Now, if there was a miracle drug that once taken gets rid of all cancer cells and replaces them with new healthy cells that enable the patient to be cancer free for the rest of his life, isn’t this treatment the best and most effective way of dealing with cancer?

“AVisa workers come to work in the U.S. hoping to better their lives and their families’. They work hard, and are less likely to complain about substandard working conditions. There are employers who exploit this situation for profit.” out fear of retaliation from the employer.

Employees who work in the United States under the H-1B and L-1 visas may feel that if they try to assert their rights to lawful wages and other employment rights, the employer may withdraw their visa sponsorship and have them deported. Thus, visa workers are vulnerable to exploitation by employers who are focused primarily on cheap labor.

However, the laws that protect employees also protect visa workers.

One case that illustrates this is a class action lawsuit filed by 800 software engineers against their employer, Siebel Systems. Many of the software engineers were H-1B workers hired and brought to the U.S. from China, Vietnam and India. These workers were misclassified as “exempt” employees, made to work long hours at the company, and not paid overtime. The workers were initially afraid to complain, but eventually, some employees came forward to file a lawsuit.

The parties eventually agreed to settle the case and the employer had to pay $27.5 million to the employees.

In another case, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest conglomerate, was sued by approximately 13,000 visa workers who work for TCS in the U.S. as information technology employees.

The employees claimed that the employer illegally forced them to sign over their tax refunds back to the employer. The lawsuit also claimed unpaid wages, and unlawful deductions from employee

paychecks. The employer agreed to settle the case and pay nearly $29,750,000 to the employees.

It is not only computer professionals who are exploited.

Other skilled visa workers who work in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry, architecture, engineering, the physical sciences, education, and health care may also be victimized.

Visa workers come to work in the U.S. hoping to better their lives and their families’.

They work hard, and are less likely to complain about substandard working conditions.

There are employers who exploit this situation for profit.

Visa workers should know that regardless of their immigration status, they have rights, especially those involving wages, that are protected by law. If you are a visa worker who find yourself in such an unlawful situation, you should consult with a knowledgeable employment attorney to know your options. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic.

All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)

Is bankruptcy right for you?

“Are you facing foreclosure and want to save your home? Chapter 13 will stop the foreclosure on its tracks and allow you five years to pay off the default while protecting your house from foreclosure. If you owe credit cards and other unsecured debts like medical bills, Chapter 13 may even allow you to have a zero payment plan to unsecured creditors. This means you pay nothing to get rid of credit cards while you pay only the default on your house over five years!”

Bankruptcy is the best and most effective way of getting rid of accumulated debt bar none.

It’s truly a miracle solution to debt problems. Bankruptcy is guaranteed by the United States Constitution to enable debtors to have a fresh start in life without the burden of accumulated debt so they can become productive again. The United States Supreme Court calls Chapter 7 as the “fresh start” law, and Chapter 13 as the financial reorganization on a personal level. Bankruptcy, indeed, is the miracle cure for accumulated debt that debilitates every debtor who suffers from this malady.

How many times have I pointed out that Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Disneyland became successful?

If it’s the right choice for Walt Disney, it’s the right choice for anyone with accumulated debt who wants a fresh start in life, just like Mr. Disney. Mr. Hershey of Hershey chocolates, possibly the world’s largest and most successful chocolate business, also filed for Chapter 7 once to get rid of accumulated debt. Several big dioceses of the Catholic Church filed for Chapter 11 reorganization to handle the molestation lawsuits. Orange County filed for bankruptcy about 20 years ago for those of you who are too young to know. Why did they file for bankruptcy? That’s because bankruptcy is the right choice and the most effective way of dealing with debt and providing the debtor with total and complete relief from debt.

Are you facing foreclosure and want to save your home?

Chapter 13 will stop the foreclosure on its tracks and allow you five years to pay off the default while protecting your house from foreclosure. If you owe credit cards and other unsecured debts like medical bills, Chapter 13 may even allow you

to have a zero payment plan to unsecured creditors. This means you pay nothing to get rid of credit cards while you pay only the default on your house over five years!

For example, the client owes $20,000 of default on his house because he has not paid it for six months, and he owes $50,000 of credit cards and $100,000 of medical bills. He can propose a Chapter 13 plan that pays only $350 a month for 60 months.

This will pay the $20,000 default on his house over five years. He pays nothing to credit cards and medical bills. In other words, he doesn’t have to pay $150K of unsecured debt. Upon finishing his plan payments on the 60th month, he is back to his current status on the mortgage. He rescues his house from foreclosure. And the court wipes out all $50,000 of credit cards and $100,000 of medical bills without any payment on them at all.

Let’s assume the same client with the same unsecured debt but no problem with house payments. His home equity is less than $175,000 and he is at least 65. He files for Chapter 7 and gets rid of $150K of unsecured debt for a fresh start as he enters his retirement years. Or, he is 45 with home equity that is not over $100,000. He still gets to wipe out $150,000 while keeping all his assets.

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

(Advertising Supplement)

RECENTLY, our office has noticed growing concern in the community about the possibility of immigration (ICE) agents unexpectedly knocking on the door of your home. Our office has received a lot of inquiry as to what to do in such a situation.

It is important to realize that all people living in the United States, including undocumented immigrants, have certain U.S. Constitutional rights. If you are undocumented and immigration (ICE) agents knock on your door, know that you have the following rights: • You do not have to open the door.

You do not have to open the door or let the officers into your home unless they have a valid search warrant signed by a judge.

• An ICE deportation warrant is not the same as a search warrant. If this is the only document they have, they cannot legally come inside unless you verbally agree to let them in.

• If the officers say they have a search warrant signed by a judge, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can see it.

• If the warrant does not have your correct name and address on it and is not signed by a judge, you do not have to open the door or let them inside.

a lawyer. If you are detained or taken into custody, you have the right to immediately contact a lawyer.

• Even if you do not have a lawyer, you may tell the immigration officers that you want to speak to one.

Atty. DArrick tAn • If you have a lawyer, you have the right to talk to them. If • If at any point you decide to you have a signed Form G-28, speak with the officers, you do which shows you have a lawnot need to open the door to yer, give it to an officer.

• You can refuse to sign any/all paperwork until you have had the opportunity to speak to a lawyer.• If you choose to sign something without speaking to a lawyer, be sure you understand exactly what the document says and means before you sign it. do so. You can speak to them *** through the door or step outside Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to pracand close the door.

• You have the right to remain tice law in California and Nevada. Mr. silent. You do not need to speak Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southto the immigration officers or an- western University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney swer any questions.

• If you are asked where you Association of Los Angeles and is a forwere born or how you entered mer member of the Board of Governors the United States, you may re- of the Philipp ine American Bar Associafuse to answer or remain silent. tion.

• If you choose to remain silent, *** say so out loud.

• You may refuse to show iden- LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 tity documents that say what Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los country you are from.

Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639• Do not show any false docu- 0277. Email: info@dtanlaw.com. ments and do not lie.

(Advertising Supplement) • You have the right to speak to

Legal Advice

“ An ICE deportation warrant is not the same as a search warrant.

If this is the only document they have, they cannot legally come inside unless you verbally agree to let them in.”

Disclosure and characterization...

PAGE C2 t

without reference to any wrongdoing.” Family.Code. §§ 721(b), 2100(c), 2102(a)(1); Marriage of Feldman (2007) 153 CA4th 1470, 1475–1476, 64 CR3d 29, 33; Marriage of Brewer & Federici (2001) 93 CA4th 1334, 1342– 1344, 113 CR2d 849, 854–855.

Parties to a divorce case has a duty to provide full and accurate disclosure of all assets and debts including those in other states and other countries. Failure to disclose could result to certain legal consequences to the non-disclosing parties including sanctions and attorney’s fees. If you are contemplating a divorce

and you own assets and properties outside the state or country, its best to retain the representation of an experience family law attorney.

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 Please note that this article is not Association. He is a member of both legal advice and is not intended as the Family law section and Immigration legal advice. The article is intended law section of the Los Angeles County to provide only general, non-specific Bar Association. He has extensive CPA legal information. This article is not experience prior to law practice. LAW intended to cover all the issues re- OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is lated to the topic discussed. The spe- located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, cific facts that apply to your matter Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 may make the outcome different than or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit would be anticipated by you. This ar- our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. ticle does create any attorney client (Advertising Supplement) relationship between you and the Law

C4 JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Calendar of Events across

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merica

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 28

Masskara Festival in Long Beach, CA The Long Beach Bacolod Association (LBBA) invites the public to the Masskara Festival on Saturday, July 28 at the Recreation Park (Bandshell between Park Ave. & Federation Ave. 4900 E. 7th Street, Long Beach, CA) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival is organized by LBBA, in partnership with Sister Cities of Long Beach, Inc. and the City of Long Beach, as part of the cultural and tourism exchanges to further strengthen the newly revived Long Beach-Bacolod Sister City relationship. The Masskara Festival is a well-known regional event in Bacolod, Philippines, similar to the Mardi Gras event in New Orleans with colorful costumes and unusual masks. The festival will showcase Filipino culture and heritage through food, songs, dances and performances. The Consulate General strongly encourages members of the Filipino community to support and attend the first event of the Long Beach-Bacolod Sister city partnership after its rebirth in 2017. To get more information about the festival, please contact the following: Mr. Peter Ramirez, President of LBBA, email: peter.ramirez@unicomglobal.com; or Ms. Evelyn Andamo, email: evelyn.andamo@gmail.com.

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.

J U LY 3 1

Wealth strategies workshop in Sherman Oaks, CA Join this free “Proven Wealth Strategies Workshop” on Tuesday, July 31 at 6 to 8 p.m., where Wealth Financial Life Inc. will help you you learn the basics about money, uncover myths on how money really works, and tips to diversify considering taxes. Hosted by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA) at 5121 Van Nuys Blvd, BFG Room, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. To register, email info@wflife.com or call (858) 4581380.

AU G U ST 1

Screening of “Ignatius of Loyola” film in New York Produced by Jesuit Communications Philippines (JesCom), “Ignatius of Loyola” is a modern and very human take on the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, often called ‘The Saint of Second Chances.’ As a brash, hot-headed soldier in a time of political upheaval in Spain, the young Iñigo went from living a life of brutal violence and debauchery, to becoming one of the greatest saints in the history of the Church. This film chronicles Iñigo’s torturous struggle to turn from darkness to light—a struggle that nearly destroyed him, but also gave him the key to a spiritual weapon that continues to save lives to this very day.

Hosted by the Magis Theatre Company, Loida Nicolas Lewis, and Dr. Angie Cruz, come and watch Ignatius of Loyola on Wednesday, August 1 at 6:00 p.m. at the Wallace Hall, Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, 980 Park Avenue, New York City. For inquiries, call 212-756-8958. (Note: This movie is not suitable for young children).

AU G U ST 2-1 1

SIPA presents Filipino Summer Program (Session 2) in LA Join SIPA’s Filipino Summer Program that showcases LA youth the beauty of Filipino culture and history. Every single day students will learn and gain a better understanding of different aspects of the Filipino culture and community, such as Filipino food, Pilipinx cultural dances, Filipino Martial Arts, etc. The last day of the program will be a SIPA Summer Party where the families can come join SIPA as we celebrate the end of the program with food, music, and fun! Some of our special guests include dancer Megan Batoon, UCLA’s Samahang Pilipino Cultural Night, and Los Angeles Doce Pares Eskrima! Youth ages 6-15 are eligible for the program. Those over the age of 16 can volunteer. Participants do not need to be Filipino.

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are served for all students! Session 2 is from August 2-11 (excluding Sundays). Registration ends on Thursday, July 26 at 11:59 p.m. Drop-off of children begins at 8 a.m., and pick-up ends by 6 p.m. at SIPA Office (3200 W Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026). The application and more information can be found at bit.ly/sipasummer18.

AU G U ST 3 - 4

University of the Philippines International Nursing and Healthcare Forum in New Jersey Join the 2nd annual University of the Philippines International Nursing and Healthcare Forum on August 3 and 4 at the Double Tree by Hilton (2117 Route 4 Eastbound / Fort Lee, NJ 07024). Soiree and welcome reception will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday (registration fee is $50). On Saturday, there will be a breakfast educational program from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (registration fee is $50 with CH Credits and $30 without CH Credits). The day will end with a dinner & dance from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. (registration fee is $100). Mail your registration and payment to UPINHF c/o Iren Bobis Roldan at 26931 Fort Apache Circle, Lake Forest, CA 92630. Make checks payable to UPINHF INC. For more information, please visit www.upinhf. org.

University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association hosts 39th annual reunion in Las Vegas, NV Calling all 2018 jubilarians and class coordinators! Save the date for the University of the Philippines Nursing Alumni Association’s 39th annual reunion on August 3 and 4 at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas. This year’s theme is “Confronting the modern-day challenge of bioethical and other critical health care issues. For more info/registration, please visit UPNAAI.com.

AU G U ST 4 - 5

Travel, Trade and Consumer event in Carson, CA The Travel, Trade and Consumer Exhibition will encompass the bustling SouthBay Pavilion (20700 S Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90746), and is free to the public. Presented by the Department of Tourism & the Department of Trade and Industry, the public can participate in promotions and raffles offered by the exhibitors in booths that will line the main mall. Aside from chances to win plane tickets and other exciting prizes, the Mainstage will host a variety of entertainment and interviews by TV personalities. Outdoor food booths shall be serving Philippine delicacies. A B2B area is also available for business presentations. For exhibitor inquiries, please visit www.traveltradeconsumer.com and contact info@asianjournlainc.com.

AU G U ST 5

Idyllwild Arts Foundation presents summer concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles n 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/.

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

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Addressing common misconceptions about divorce in California FOUNDED in 1983 as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Through direct legal services, litigation, and advocacy, we help thousands of individuals who are some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

The goal of Advancing Justice - LA’s biweekly column is to help educate the Filipino community about legal issues that callers frequently raise when contacting our Tagalog helpline. As a Community Legal Advocate at Advancing Justice - LA, my goal is to empower Filipino community members with the right information and work with our attorneys to advocate for their rights and promote access to justice.

This week’s column will focus address some common myths and misunderstands about getting divorced in California. Keep in mind that the information below is not a substitute for legal advice. For advice about your individual situation, you should consult with an experienced, trustworthy family law attorney.

Who can get divorced in CA:

Commentary

LOU MARIE REYES You do not need to have wed in California to get divorced in this state. You can get a divorce in California even if you were legally married in another state or another country.

Residency requirements: Even if you did not get married in California, you need to make sure that you meet certain “residency requirements” to get divorced in California. The state has a residency requirement and so do different counties in California. For the California requirement, if you or your spouse has lived in California for at least six months, you can file for a divorce in California. Because some counties also have a residency requirement you need to make sure you also follow those requirements as well. For example, if you want to file a divorce in Los Angeles County, you or your spouse must have lived in Los Angeles County for three

months before you can file.

Mutual consent is NOT required. Your spouse does not need to agree to the divorce.

You can still get a divorce as long as you file the correct paperwork and follow the proper procedures.

You do not need a special reason for getting divorced. You can get a divorce for the simple reason you and your spouse do not get along. If this is the reason, there is an option on the divorce forms called, “irreconcilable differences” that means you and your spouse cannot work things out, and because of that the marriage cannot continue.

It will likely take longer than six months to finalize your divorce.

You may have heard that it takes only six months to get divorced, but this is not true for everyone.

The reason you have heard this is because the law says that the earliest date your divorce can be final is 6 months plus 1 day from the date of service. The date of service is the date your spouse legally received copies of the divorce papers you filed. For example: You file for divorce on January 1, 2007. Your husband legally receives copies of the

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International planner RNEP brings the beauty of celebrations to three cities with bridal and celebrations roadshow PREMIER international event planning firm, Rita Neri Event Planners (RNEP), brings back its highly anticipated wedding and events roadshow, the “RNEP Destination Bridal and Celebrations Roadshow: A Meet and Greet,” happening from August 11 to 13, 2018 in three cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas.

A leading proponent of Philippine tourism and the wedding events industry, RNEP partnered up with the Consul General of Los Angeles Adelio Cruz and Honorary Consul General of San Diego Audie De Castro in putting together a roadshow that aims to (1) encourage our kababayans living abroad to come back to the country to celebrate their wedding, birthdays,

and other milestones there, (2) promote the beauty of the Philippines as a top destination for events and highlight the talented Filipino wedding and events suppliers, (3) encourage people from all nationalities to experience the magic of destination events, wherever it maybe in the world.

The curated Bridal and Celebrations Roadshow and Meet and Greet features top Philippine events supplier such as Teddy Manuel, the historic Manila Hotel, top Metrophoto photographer Erron Ocampo, and iconic hotels Peninsula Manila Hotel, Sofitel Manila, Shangri-La at the Fort, resort hotel Shangri-La at Boracay, and more.

Celebrating 25 years in the

business this 2018, RNEP is setting its sights on continuing its advocacy of highlighting Filipino talent, the beauty of the Philippines, and the wonders of international events.

Headquartered in Makati City, Philippines, with an office in Irvine, California, Rita Neri Event Planners specializes in international weddings, social and corporate events. As the country’s premier event planning company, RNEP has been behind some of the most exclusive and high profile events in the Philippines, from company anniversaries, product launches, celebrity weddings, and charity events.

For more information, please visit www.ritanerieventplanners. com or call (949) 233-1932. ■

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Dept. of Food and Agriculture award People and Events Filipina selected for 2018-19 Clippers Spirit $69.9 M for dairy digester projects FOLLOWING two rounds of tryouts, Kyla Fajardo of the Philippines on Wednesday, July 25 was selected as a secondyear member of the 201819 Clippers Spirit, the dance team of the NBA’s LA Clippers. The Clippers Spirit is an elite dance team, led by Creative Director Petra Pope, made up of world-class professional dancers. ■

Kyla Fajardo (seventh from left) celebrate with members of the 2018-19 Clippers Spirit.

THE California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has awarded $69.9 million in grant funding to 40 dairy digester projects across the state. These projects, part of the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from manure on California dairy farms.

Dairy manure produces methane when it decomposes. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps more than 80 times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Dairy digesters help capture methane emissions, which can be used to produce electricity or natural gas.

“Dairy operations in California continue to step up to ensure the agriculture sector contributes to climate change mitigation and adaptation. These collaborative efforts between the State, dairy operations and developers are making California a national and international leader in supporting

on-farm methane reductions using climate-smart agriculture management approaches that also generate renewable energy,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.

Financial assistance for the installation of dairy digesters comes from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that uses Cap-and-Trade program funds to support the state’s climate goals.

CDFA and other state agencies are investing these proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide additional benefits to California communities.

Dairy digester grant recipients will provide an estimated $95.5 million in matching funds for the development of their projects.

Information about the 2018 Dairy Digester Research and Development Program projects is available at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/dd.

The Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide

program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www. caclimateinvestments.ca.gov. ■

USCIS officers given greater authority...

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refer individuals to immigration court following the denial of an application or petition. As such, all potential applicants should seek guidance and assistance from a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney before applying for an immigraClippers Spirit, the dance team of the NBA’s LA Clippers. Filipina Kyla Fajardo is front row center (fifth from left).

Photos by Jacob Gonzalez/LA Clippers tion benefit.

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

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

Los Angeles Dodgers Alumni visit LA County Library locations to encourage reading

File photos from dodgersreadingchampions.com

LOS ANGELES Dodgers Alumni will visit LA County Library locations this summer for storytime in a partnership to encourage youth to read and attend library programming to help build a lifelong love of reading. Parents and children are encouraged to track the time they spend reading every day online with a chance to win cool incentives such as attending Dodgers’ batting practice, tickets to the game, and even getting recognized on the field before the game.

In 2017, to help address the literacy crisis in Los Angeles and get children excited about reading, the Los Angeles Dodgers partnered with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation to launch

LA Reads, a literacy campaign that includes a literacy challenge, “Dodgers Reading Champions.”

In its first year Dodgers Reading Champions reached 2,400 students, representing 585 schools, who read more than 600,000 minutes. In 2018, the Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation challenge Los Angeles County students to read 1,000,000 minutes. Dodgers Reading Champions is open to 1st through 8th grade students in LA County through August 31.

For more information, visit dodgers.com/lareads.

Join the Dodgers’ storytime by visiting a participating LA County Library. ■

Addressing common...

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paperwork on January 2, 2007 (this is the “date of service”).

The soonest your divorce can be final is July 3, 2007 (six months plus one day after the “date of service”).

If your case is very simple and all of the paperwork is completed before six months and 1 day from the “date of service,” you have to wait until the six month and one day date for the final divorce judgment to be effective. For most people, a divorce case will take longer than six months because the parties do not agree on all of the issues, and they are not able to file all of the necessary paperwork to fin-

ish a divorce quickly.

If you have questions about your situation or need legal assistance, please contact Advancing Justice - L.A’s Tagalog helpline at 855-300-2552. *** Lou Marie Reyes is a community legal advocate at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles. She joined the organization in February 2018 and staffs the Tagalog helpline, which prioritizes in-language assistance to the local Filipino community.

Ms. Reyes works alongside Advancing Justice – LA’s attorneys that specialize in family law, domestic violence, citizenship and immigration, and employment law.

(Advertising Supplement)

)ROORZ XV RQ

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

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C JULY 28-31, 2018 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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You could face deportation/removal if your case or extension is denied

Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ IN a previous article, I wrote about USCIS issuing a Policy Memorandum (PM) about the various categories of cases where a person could face deportation/ removal if USCIS denied their petition, application, or other immigration benefit. Here are some possible real-life situations where people could face deportation/removal: • A person enters the U.S. as a visitor and is given six months on his I-94. Before the expiration of his status, he applies for an extension, but then moves. USCIS sends a request for evidence (RFE) to his address of record, which the person never receives because he moved. The application for extension is then denied due to “abandonment” because no response was received for the RFE. USCIS could then issue a notice to appear (NTA) and place the person in removal/deportation proceedings.

• Similar case, where the person applies for an extension, but USCIS denies the extension after the I-94 expires, concluding the person hasn’t justified or documented the reason or purpose for extending his stay. As a result of the denial, the person could be placed in deportation proceedings.

• A person is petitioned by an elderly parent or an unemployed spouse, who submits an affidavit of support. USCIS determines the petitioner is not earning enough money and denies the case on the grounds that the beneficiary is likely to become a “public charge.” As result of the denial, the beneficiary could face deportation/removal.

• A person enters the U.S. as a visitor, and then files for change of status to student. USCIS denies the change of status after the I94 expires. Because the person would now be out of status or “unlawfully present,” they could face removal/deportation.

• A person is in H-1B status, based on a previously approved petition, and applies for an extension. USCIS denies the extension, concluding that the position was not a “specialty occupation,” even though they had previously approved the original H-1B petition.

This denial results in the person being out of status. They could now face removal/deportation.

• A person obtained a green card either through employment or marriage to a U.S. citizen. It turns out they never worked for the employer or never lived with the U.S. citizen spouse. They now apply for naturalization, and USCIS discovers their fraud. Not only will their naturalization application be denied, but USCIS could likely seek to revoke their green card and place them in deportation/removal.

Once a person is placed in removal proceedings, they have to appear in court, or they will be ordered deported in their absence (in absentia), which could affect their future ability to obtain immigration benefits. Because of the USCIS’s new policy of considering almost everyone an “enforcement priority” and issuing NTA’s for almost every immigration violation, the courts will be packed and backlogged, and it might take years before the person will have his day in court. Depending on the reasons for the denial, a person could possibly be taken into custody and detained while waiting for a court date.

Therefore, if person was merely

filing for an extension of their visitor’s visa to go to Disneyland or spend more time with their family, but the extension was denied, they could be placed in removal proceedings, and they may now have to remain in the U.S. for months or years. But if they remained in the U.S. for over 180 days, they also triggered the 3/10-year bar. And if they leave, they “self-deport.”

It remains to be seen how this new PM will be put into effect, but as you can see, even the most minor immigration violation or infraction could result in removal/deportation. That is why if you have any immigration issues or benefits, you should seek the advice of an attorney, who can advise you of your eligibility and chances of success, especially in this new climate of enhanced immigration enforcement, where almost everyone who is not a citizen is considered an enforcement priority.stood *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

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

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

Business Quote of the Week “There’s an entrepreneur right now, scared to death, making excuses, saying, ‘It’s not the right time just yet.’

There’s no such thing as a good time.”

- Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 28-31, 2018

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PH growth to stay unchanged at 6.7% IMF keeps 2018 forecast, trims 2019 estimate by ed

VelascO Manilatimes.net

PHILIPPINE economic growth will likely hit 6.7 percent this year and the next — unchanged from 2017 — on the back of strong consumption and investments, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said following the conclusion of an annual validation of the country’s prospects.

“The Philippine economy continues to grow strongly,” the Washington-based multilateral lender said in a statement on Wednesday, July 25. “However, near-term risks have increased, stemming from rising inflation and a changing external environment that poses great uncertainty The 6.7-percent forecast for 2018 is unchanged from April when the IMF released its World Economic Outlook (WEO). The 2019 estimate, however, has been cut from the previous projection of 6.8 percent. The April WEO had also forecast 7.0 percent growth for 2023 and there was no word if this had been retained or revised.

“The medium term economic outlook remains favorable but

short term risks have risen. Real GDP growth is projected at just under seven percent over the medium term,” IMF mission chief Luis Breuer said in a briefing at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

In the statement, the IMF noted that rising crude prices, external pressures on the peso, one-off effects from higher excise taxes and domestic demand pressures had led to a surge in inflation, which hit a five-year high of 5.2 percent in June and a year-to-date average (4.3 percent) above the BSP’s 2.0-4.0 percent target.

The current account deficit, meanwhile, is expected to hit 1.5 percent of gross domestic product due to increased capital goods and raw materials imports, while foreign direct investments — which hit a record $10 billion last year — “is expected to moderate somewhat this year.”

The peso has also fallen by some 7 percent against the dollar, the IMF pointed out, but gross international reserves of $77.7 billion “remain more than adequate”.

Inflation was forecast to gradually fall back to the target level next year and “move toward 3 percent over time.”

The current account deficit is also expected to “remain manageable, financed largely by foreign direct investment”.

“Downside risks stem mainly from rising inflation, continued rapid credit growth, higher U.S. interest rates and U.S. dollar, volatile capital flows and trade tensions,” the IMF said, Discussions with Philippine officials, the multilateral lender said, focused on the need to prop up growth and macroeconomic stability via policy tweaks and maintaining a healthy external position.

This would require: • Keeping the deficit broadly unchanged at around 2.4 percent in 2018 and 2019 to support efforts to contain inflation.

• Further tightening monetary policy if warranted by domestic and external developments.

Two recent BSP rate hikes were welcomed along with an “announced readiness to take further action.”

• Maintaining exchange rate flexibility.

• Pursuing measures to safeguard financial stability as credit growth accelerates and corporate PAGE D5

Pernia: 100% foreign-owned telcos can soon enter PH

by Ben

O. de Vera Inquirer.net

FULLY foreign-owned telcos can soon operate in the Philippines once President Duterte signs the proposed shorter 11th Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL), the country’s chief economist said Thursday, July 25.

However, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia told a press conference that foreign telcos can participate locally by “up to 100 percent” only upon the amendment of the antiquated Public Service Act or Commonwealth Act No. 146.

Pernia, who heads the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), later explained to reporters that even if the President signs the proposed 11th FINL, the provision on telco cannot be implemented unless public service law is first amended.

House Bill No. 5828 passed by the Lower House in September last year would amend the Public Service Act, as it limited the coverage of “public utilities” to the distribution and transmission of electricity as well as water distribution and sewerage systems.

“Telcos will be out of this—it’s a public service and not a public utility,” Pernia said.

Its counterpart in the Senate is still pending, although Pernia noted the measure was a “priority bill” and would be “almost out” of Congress.

Pernia said the president’s signature in the 11th FINL could pressure Congress to amend the Public Service Act sooner.

The NEDA chief said the 11th FINL, contained in a draft executive order (EO) submitted to the Office of the President two months ago, “will be signed pretty soon.”

Besides telcos, Pernia said

sectors removed from the streamlined FINL included the following: private recruitment for local and overseas employment; practice of some professions; contracts for the construction and repair of locally funded public works projects; culture, production, milling, processing and trading (except retailing) of rice and corn and their by-products; teaching in the higher education levels; as well as retail trade.

Every two years, the government releases the FINL, which lists down sectors where foreign investors have only limited participation.

The 10th FINL was issued by former President Benigno Aquino in 2015 under EO No. 184, which had practically kept intact the list of activities and sectors restricted to foreign equity and participation as provided for in the ninth regular FINL. PAGE D5

Pernia: 100% telcos can

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UBS keeps PH forecast, lowers outlook for 2019

by MayvelIn

U. Caraballo Manilatimes.net

SWISS global financial services firm UBS is keeping its 6.8 percent 2018 growth forecast for the Philippines but warned that U.S.China trade war could weigh on the following year’s expansion.

In a report released on Wednesday, July 25, UBS noted that the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) growth would pick up from 6.7 percent last year and then dip to 6.4 percent in 2019, lower than its previous forecast of 6.6 percent.

The estimates are also lower than the government’s 7.0-8.0 percent target.

Assessing the impact of a trade war on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), UBS said it now believed “an escalation of United States-China trade tensions with a meaningful fallout on growth is more likely than not.”

Growth forecasts for China and the U.S. were revised downward in anticipation of Washington imposing additional tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods and likely retaliation by Beijing.

UBS said potential gains in market shares in either the U.S.

or China would be too small to make much difference for most Asean economies, especially when netted with the direct impact of globally levied U.S. tariff increases to date.

“We note the possibility but do not expect Asean economies to be individually targeted by U.S. trade policy,” it added.

It also highlighted that the more open economies of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia faced a bigger impact than the

relatively closed economies of Philippines and Indonesia.

Assuming that tariffs on the $200 billion of Chinese goods will be levied in September, the impact on the U.S. and Chinese economies likely be felt in the fourth quarter 2018, UBS said.

“As such the impact on Asean economies will likely be most visible in late 2018 and early 2019 — and this is reflected in the changes to our 2019 real GDP growth forecasts,” it noted. n

Filipino-owned Splash Corp. to expand in Africa

by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

SPLASH Corp., the Filipinoowned producer of personal care products, plans to expand in Africa as part of efforts to become a global player.

In a recent interview with The Star, Splash founding chairman and CEO Rolando Hortaleza revealed grand plans for the Filipino-owned company which include penetrating the mainstream personal care market in the country and putting up a manufacturing plant in Nigeria.

He said they already have a toll manufacturer in Africa but because of strong demand, the company is considering putting up a manufacturing plant there within the next few years.

“In Nigeria, we’re looking at the possibility of putting up a plant,” Hortaleza said.

This, he said, could be the platform to expand in the whole African region, touted by some Filipino businessmen as the new frontier for expansion compared to Europe and Asia which are already developed.

The company established a toll manufacturing agreement in Nigeria some seven years ago and demand is strong with a shipment of about four containers a month.

The popular brand in Africa is Splash’s Extract brands of skin care products. These products are specifically formulated to deliver intense moisturizing, natural and effective whitening while deeply nourishing skin to reveal smoother, softer, naturally radiant skin.

In Asia, Hortaleza said the company is looking at expanding in Malaysia and Indonesia.

“We’re looking at Indonesia, Myanmar and the rest of the ASEAN region,” he said.

He said there is a market for personal care products such as skin care and hair color.

“Competition is not that stiff in the ASEAN region,” Hortaleza said.

Splash wants to bring MaxiPeel, the Philippines’ leading skin care brand in the exfoliant category, to the region.

SkinWhite’s latest Lotion with Light Feel Technology has also

been quickly embraced by the market.

With demand for the company’s products growing, Hortaleza said the company is now ready to approach the next level which is to expand in the mainstream market such as soap and hair care products.

Contributing to the resurgence of Splash is the expanding reach and growing efficiency of Prime Global Distribution Corp., its wholly-owned subsidiary which currently handles sales, distribution, and merchandising services for Splash and outside principals.

Prime Global’s long term vision is to be a full-service company and supplement these services with marketing and brand development for its principals in the Philippines and internationally.

As of the second quarter of 2018, the reach of PGDC has grown by 26.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Prime Global works with 26 distributors that service retailers from sari-sari stores to the giant drugstores, department stores and supermarkets. n

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • JULy 28-31, 2018 D

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PH bananas find big competition in South Korea Globe, partners start Boracay conservation

by Karl

r. oCaMpo Inquirer.net

AN industry group fears cheap banana imports from Central America will soon gnaw into the Philippines’ share in the South Korean market.

In a statement, Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) president Alexander Valoria said while a small percentage of banana exports to South Korea were coming from Central American countries, “they could easily bump us off from this lucrative export market three years from now because our bananas would be more expensive…”

Currently, nearly 90 percent of South Korean’s banana imports come from the Philippines. Yet, the country’s agricultural exports face a heavy 30-percent tariff.

Meanwhile, Central American countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama have been enjoying zero tariffs.

“Unless we get the same zerotariff treatment as these countries do, cheap banana imports from Central America could totally push us out of the picture by 2022,” PBGEA executive director Stephen Antig said.

“What we can do is to come up with a separate bilateral agree-

by Conrad

M. Carino Manilatimes.net

File photo by Inquirer.net

ment with Korea removing the import tariff on Philippine bananas,” he added.

Philippine officials have already requested a preferential treatment for agriculture exports during President Duterte’s state visit in South Korea in May. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the proposal was to initially lower the rate to 10 percent.

Last year, South Korean exports to the Philippines amounted to $10.6 billion while Philippine

exports to Korea only reached $3.7 billion—which the group described as “heavily lopsided.”

The group is calling on the government to “correct this trade imbalance” by at least getting more favorable terms for the country’s agricultural exports to the East Asian country.

“The government must assess the benefits and disadvantages of existing free trade agreements to reverse trade imbalance with bilateral or multilateral partners,” the group said. n

SMIC looking for more acquisition opportunities by iris

Gonzales Philstar.com

SM Investments Corp., the conglomerate of taipan Henry Sy, is still on the lookout for acquisition opportunities related to its core businesses.

“We are interested…be it the right product at the right price, be it retail, be it bank or be it property,” SMIC chairman Jose Sio said on Friday, July 20, on the sidelines of SharePhil’s fifth summit.

Sio noted for instance that the conglomerate could still beef up its mall presence in Southern Luzon.

“We still don’t have a lot of malls in Southern Luzon such as in Marinduque and Mindoro,” Sio said.

But he stressed that SMIC would only look at opportunities with caution and with a longterm view.

Any acquisition, Sio said, would only be related to the company’s core businesses – retail, property

EMPLOYMENT

and banking.

“We will look with caution.

We will look at the long-term view, the management style and we will stick to our core businesses,” he said, adding that “the conglomerate does not like to delve into areas where it has no capabilities.”

Meanwhile, Sio said SM Prime has grand plans to develop and manage the seven-hectare Harrison Plaza complex into a larger mixed used development.

Sio said it’s a good area wherein the SM Group could expand its existing mall and build residential developments as well.

Harrison Plaza, an iconic fixture in Manila, is located across the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Pablo Ocampo Street in Malate, Manila. It is among the country’s first modern shopping centers, but through the years it has lagged behind other more modern retail complexes in the city.

SMIC posted a 10 percent growth in first quarter income to

GLOBE Telecom has partnered with Save Philippine Seas, Manila Water Foundation, and Boracay Island Water to help address the long term environmental issues besetting the country’s top tourist draw, Boracay Island.

The telecom company partnered with Save Philippines Seas to launch an environmental education and leadership workshop dubbed as Earthducation.

Held on July 11 to 12, 2018, the program benefitted a total of 30 participants composed of teachers, student leaders, and key government officials.

“The temporary closure of Boracay is an opportunity to look back on what went wrong, but more importantly, it is a chance to plan better and look ahead on what the different sectors can do individually and collectively to build a better Boracay,” said Anna Oposa, co-founder and executive director of Save Philippine Seas.

Earthducation program aims to increase conservation literacy, instill appreciation for nature and the immediate environment, and teach basic and transferable skills about conservation and protecting the island’s marine biodiversity. More than just the usual classroom training, the workshop engaged the participants in creative activities and action planning for the environmental sustainability of the island.

Globe also partnered with Manila Water Foundation and Boracay Island Water Company for the donation of a communal septic tank in Sitio Ilaya in

P8.5 billion.

This was on the back of an 11 percent growth in consolidated revenue to P95 billion from P85.4 billion in the same quarter in 2017.

The company continues to build on the strong 2017 performance with revenue rising faster in the first quarter.

“Looking ahead we remain PAGE D2 cautiously optimistic about un- debts rise. derlying consumption trends • Sustaining and deepening the despite inflationary pressures,” reform program, including changhe said. es to the BSP charter, streamlinSMIC’s businesses include ing tax incentives, opening new property, banking and retail. It sectors of the economy, improving is among the country’s biggest the business environment, and conglomerate and continues modernizing bank secrecy and the to expand even outside Metro Manila.

Sio said the country is seeing a major transformation in business and the conglomerate will make PAGE D2 sure it won’t be left behind.

As such, the 11th FINL should The Sy-owned conglomerate named Sio as its new chairman have been released last year, but last year, taking over the post has been delayed.

Early this year, Pernia said that long held by family patriarch mass media and almost every Henry Sy. n

File photo by Manilatimes.net

Balabag, Boracay Island. This is in line with its ongoing efforts to help address the untreated sewage that polluted the island’s waters.

“It is important to have a community-driven ecosystem management approach in Boracay today because everyone in the island is part of the solution. By getting all stakeholders involved, it will help ensure the long term protection of the island’s biodiversity,” said Yoly Crisanto, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president for Corporate Communications at Globe.

Globe and its partners also provided 8,000 packs of Vigormin to 4,000 households on the island.

Each household will get a supply that will last for two months.

Vigormin is a low-cost organic

solution to boost the removal rate of pollutants in septic tanks and improve the quality of used water.

The initiatives are part of Globe Telecom’s continuing long-term sustainability program to help improve Boracay’s environmental conditions in support of the government’s overall rehabilitation strategy for the island.

Since 2012, Globe has been contributing to various environmental initiatives and programs including marine life protection, offshore clean-up training, and raising environmental awareness among the youth and local residents. Last year, the telecom company spearheaded a volunteer beach clean-up, coral planting, and reef rehabilitation activities. n

PH growth to stay unchanged... anti-money laundering/terrorist financing frameworks.

“The Philippine has been one of the region’s strong economic performers over the past year, reaping the fruits of prudent policies and critical reforms,” the IMF said.

“The team welcomes the au-

thorities’ strategy of maintaining policy continuity while adapting to emerging challenges and taking advantage of the strong economy to implement reforms to improve inclusive growth and job creation,” it added.

“This strategy has served the Philippines well.” n

Pernia: 100% foreign-owned...

FOR RENT

sector except land will be further opened up to foreign equity through the planned amendment of the 1987 Constitution.

Once the government’s plan to liberalize nearly all industries

FOR RENT

PSYCHIC

by 2019 happens, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows could “easily double,” according to Pernia.

Job-creating FDI hit a record $10 billion in 2017. n

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