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AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

T H E F I L I P I N O –A M E R I C A N C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R

Volume 30 - No. 35 • 16 Pages

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Duterte hints at ‘very radical change’ coming

by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com

VIRAY

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has once again hinted that there will be “very radical change” in the government as it faces security challenges, including communist rebels and the illegal drug trade.

The president had asked the military to put an end to security challenges as the government cannot “afford to pass it on to the next generation.”

“I’m serving notice to everybody that in the coming months,

DATELINE

it will be not really bloody, but there will be a at least, a little trouble for our country,” Duterte said at the 31st anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program at the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City.

Duterte noted that the government has been battling “so many fronts,” such as the communist insurgency, illegal drugs and the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The president added that such challenges have made the government a “magnet to criticism.”

“In the coming days, there will

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Trump says he’s ‘seriously’ looking to end US birthright citizenship PRESIDENT Donald Trump said he is “very seriously” considering putting an end to U.S. birthright citizenship, which grants legal citizenship to those born in the country regardless of where their parents were born.

“Where you have a baby on our land — you walk over the border, have a baby. Congratulations, the baby is now a U.S. citizen,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, August 21.

“We’re looking at that very seriously, birthright citizenship,” Trump added. “It’s — It’s, frankly, ridiculous.”

Trump last publicly criticized birthright citizenship in October 2018 in an interview with Axios, describing birthright citizenship as “a magnet for illegal immigration” and what he called “anchor babies.”

He suggested the idea of eliminating it via executive order and argued that the U.S. was “the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is es-

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be a very, very radical change in the behavior of government. You know, I am not challenging. You might win or you may lose, but that is something to be seen but I intend to call the attention of the military guys here,” the chief executive said.

‘Change is coming’ Duterte has long been hinting that he will make a “radical change” in the government.

His campaign slogan for the May 2016 presidential race was COMMITMENT TO LAND REFORM. President Rodrigo Duterte greets Senator Imee Marcos during the 31st anniversary celebration “change is coming” and even as of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and distribution of certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Gymnasium in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 27. During the event, Duterte noted that it is a candidate, he said that he

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only by empowering farmers that the country would achieve the sustained growth of its rural economies and eventually the nation’s inclusive progress.

Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

Philippines accepts apology of Chinese ship owner for hitting Filipino boat

by ALEXIS

ROMERO

Philstar.com

BEIJING — The Philippines has accepted the apology of the owner of the Chinese ship that hit a Filipino fishing vessel near Recto Bank last June, Malacañang said Wednesday, August 28.

“We accept the recent apology extended by the owner of the Chinese vessel to our fishermen affected by the incident. We likewise welcome the owner’s humility to take responsibility and acknowledgment that compensation must be provided to cover the actual loss,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

The apology was issued on the same day Duterte left for his fifth visit here. Officials Survivors from the sinking fishing boat board the Philipine Navy boat BRP Tausug last June 14. previously said maritime incidents in the Philstar.com photo by Walter Bollozos South China Sea may be discussed during

the bilateral meeting between Duterte and Xi on Thursday, August 29, the highlight of the presidential trip.

“President Duterte is also expected to raise during his bilateral talk with President Xi the ruling held by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague which disapproved the expansive claims of China over the disputed waters in relation to the exclusive economic zone of the country in the West Philippine Sea,” Panelo said.

Duterte would also discuss with Xi the ways and means on how to go about the conduct and framework of a possible joint exploration between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea, he added.

Also to be discussed is the need to fasttrack the crafting of a binding code of con-

House probe seeks to clarify provisions of good conduct law

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Investigation pushed after rumors of the release of convicted murderer Sanchez

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

AKO Bicol Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr. on Tuesday, August 27, called for a congressional investigation to clarify whether prisoners convicted of heinous crimes should benefit from the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

In House Resolution (HR) No. 260, which Garbin filed on Tuesday, he said: “Make no mistake about it: Republic Act 10592 is a good law. It seeks to promote a rehabilitation criminal justice – one that seeks to help,

rather than to punish. Moreover, it seeks to unclog the country’s overly populated jails.”

“However, there is a need to determine whether the criterion used in the implementing rules of the law is consistent with the very law it seeks to implement. More importantly, it should be determined whether someone should be made accountable for recommending the release of Sanchez pursuant to said Republic Act 10592,” he added.

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the ret-

Pentagon: China’s ‘bullying tactics’ won’t win trust, respect of WHO: PH ranks 3rd with the international community Duterte pushes for revival of family planning highest number of measles cases

THE United States Department of Defense or the Pentagon slammed China’s “bullying tactics” in the South China Sea. The Pentagon called out Beijing following its “coercive interference” in the oil and gas activities of Vietnam in the disputed South China Sea. “China will not win the trust of its neighbors nor the respect of the international community by maintaining its bullying tactics,” the Pentagon said in a statement released Monday.

Acts of coercion toward Association of Southeast Asian Nations claimants, including the Philippines, raise doubts over Beijing’s cerdibility, the statement read.

The Pentagon also noted that China has stationed offensive military systems on its outposts in the contested waterway, where it also enforces “unlawful” maritime claims.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, August 27, reiterated his support for family planning and pushed for the program’s revival in the next three years.

“Ang isang kulang na lang natin actually na how to get it started and you know get it rolling beginning at least in the next three years, ‘yang ibalik ninyo ‘yung family planning (One thing we lack is actually how to get it started and you know get it rolling beginning

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA

AJPress

In this file photo, dengue patients are seen at a hospital in Cavite.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

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by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippines ranked third worldwide with the highest incidence of measles over a 12month period up to June this year with 45,847 cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

It noted that, in just the first six months of 2019, the reported cases worldwide were the highest they have been in any year since 2006, with outbreaks straining health care systems, and leading to serious illness, disability, and deaths in many parts of the President Duterte has pushed for the revitalized implementation of the world. family planning program in the next three years.

Inquirer.net photo “Major outbreaks are ongo-

ing in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and Thailand,” WHO said.

It also noted that the largest outbreaks happen in countries with low measles vaccination coverage, currently or in the past, which has left large numbers of people vulnerable to the disease.

Lack of access to quality health care or vaccination services, misinformation about vaccines and the low awareness about the need to vaccinate are among the reasons for the low vaccination coverage.

Madagascar ranked first with more than 150,000 of report-

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August 29-september 4, 2019 • LAs VegAs AsIAN JOurNAL

Duterte pushes for revival of family ...

PAGE 1

at least in the next three years.

Let’s bring back family planning),” he said in a speech during the 31st anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

“I know of only two guys, presidents, who did it and it was [former President Fidel] Ramos who was a Protestant

and ako na talagang pinipilit ko sa aking siyudad (and me who pushed for it in my city),” he added.

During Ramos’ term, he emphasized reproductive health and human rights as a policy framework for the implementation of family planning programs.

Meanwhile, Duterte gave

From The FronT Page

away birth control pills and urged job-seeking mothers to undergo ligation when he was mayor of Davao City.

The president also urged everyone to not depend on religion when it comes to family planning methods.

“Do not place too much importance about religion. Tutok ka lang sa Diyos (Focus on God). When you are in a moral quandary, do not go to your religion. It cannot help you.

Maniwala kayo (Believe me),” Duterte said.

“At 74 years old, I’m telling you. You go direct to your God and pray and ask for guidance, especially in matters of — ‘yang kasalanan ‘yang mag-family planning (that family planning is a sin),” he added.

On the other hand, Duterte ruled out the possibility of abortion being legalized in the country, saying he will not allow it.

“Of course, abortion is out of the question. I will not allow it,” he said, before proceeding to slam Iceland for allowing abortion for up to six months of the pregnancy.

Duterte criticized the country for worrying more about the drug pushers who he said cause “social dysfunction” while allowing the “slaughter” of unborn babies, referring to Iceland’s push for a United Nations probe into the human rights situation in the Philippines.

“Iceland allows the slaughter of the fetus inside the womb of the mother up to six months.

They worry more of the drug lords at itong mga who are pushing drugs, killing our citizens, and creating a social dysfunction in almost all,” he said.

“Tapos tinuturuan ako kung ano ang gawin ko (And then they are dictating me what to do). I am sorry for you. That’s why you are condemned there in the ice forever. I hope you will freeze in time,” he added.

Recently, Iceland passed a law allowing the termination of a pregnancy up to 22 weeks for any reason.

“Just imagine. Six months.

You allow an innocent human being already thriving and living inside the mother’s body and… just pull it,” Duterte said. n

NIYOGYUGAN FESTIVAL. Local residents and tourists look into coconut-made and decorated booths, in celebration of Niyogyugan Festival, at the Quezon Provincial Capitol grounds, in Lucena City on Sunday, August 25. A total of 41 booths, representing each of the province’s 39 municipalities and two cities, are on display, featuring the coconut -- the province’s top product.

PNA photo by Ben Briones

Duterte again hints at...

PAGE 1 In June 2018, the president also declared that he will make radical change to address issues on public order and security.

Duterte made this pronouncement following the apprehensiveness of foreigners to visit the country due to fear of being kidnapped or killed.

Aside from his promise of radical change in the government, the president had also been warning that he will declare a revolutionary government if his opponents try to oust him.

In April, Duterte said he might declare a “revolutionary war” after Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked the administration to be exercise caution in reviewing and cancelling government deals.

Drilon said then that it is good to review government contracts but that they cannot simply be classified as onerous and cancelled as this would represent a clear breach of contract. Otherwise, he said, “no country or entity would enter into contracts with us because we cannot be trusted to honor our obligations.”

The president even warned that he would suspend the writ of habeas corpus “if pushed against the wall.”

“You will be at par with rebels, criminals and drug addicts. If you make it hard for me, I will declare a revolutionary war until the end of my term, then we have to bear this,” the president said.

Malacañang was quick to clarify Duterte’s threat to declare a revolutionary government was

just an expression of frustration.

According to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s remark against Drilon “was more of an exasperated expression and again to put on notice the transgressors that he will not just sit idly and watch them do illegal things.”

In 2017, Duterte also hinted at before ultimately disavowing the idea of declaring a revolutionary government to address a supposed conspiracy by communists, members of the Liberal Party and other factions to destabilize his administration.

This led to rallies in Manila, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao on November 30, Bonifacio Day, of that year where the president’s supporters urged him to declare a revolutionary government. n

WHO: PH ranks 3rd with the highest number...

PAGE 1 ed measles cases, followed by Ukraine with 84,300 cases.

DOH: Infants and toddlers most affected group Based on the records from the Department of Health (DOH), 80 percent of the deaths due to measles in the country in the first half of the year were children aged 1 to 4 and infants below 9 months.

As of July 13, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal

and Quezon provinces) had the highest incidence with 7,213 cases, or a 1,000-percent increase from just 632 cases in the same period last year. The region also recorded 123 fatalities — highest figure recorded with an increase of close to 2,000 percent from just six in 2018.

Other regions aside from Calabarzon that reported high incidence of measles were Metro Manila (6,969 cases and 114 deaths),

Central Luzon (6,350 cases and 115 deaths), Western Visayas (2,379 cases and eight deaths) and Northern Mindanao (2,118 cases and 16 deaths).

The DOH noted that the immunization rate in the country dropped to just 40 percent early this year following the public’s growing fear of vaccines due to the controversy surrounding the use of the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. n

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUSt 29-SEptEmbER 4, 2019

House probe seeks to clarify provisions of... Clark County School District hires more Filipino SPED teachers PAGE 1 roactive application of the GCTA law, which allows reduced prison time for inmates based on their good behavior, sparked public outrage after the Department of Justice said convicted murderer and rapist Antonio Sanchez might be one of the 11,000 prisoners who would benefit from the law and walk freely out of prison.

Sanchez, who was then-mayor of Calauan, Laguna, was convicted in 1995 for the rape and murder of University of the Philippines-Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta as well as the murder of her boyfriend, Allan Gomez.

He was sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua.

Garbin pointed out that if Sanchez would be released from prison, it “may be a precedent which would allow the early and arbitrary release” of other inmates convicted of heinous crimes.

Palace: Sanchez release no longer an issue Malacañang, for its part, said that Sanchez’ reported release should no longer be an issue after the former mayor was found to be unqualified to be released from prison.

“I think it is clear that he is not qualified under the law that reduces sentences because of good conduct. So that’s not an issue anymore,” said Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Sunday, August 25, during an interview with radio station dzBB. “The issue should be put to rest. It should not be discussed anymore because he is not qualified,” he added in Filipino.

Justice Secretary Menardo

Guevarra, meanwhile, announced that the processing of early release of prisoners under the GCTA law is briefly suspended.

“It will be a very temporary suspension of the processing of GCTAs to give a chance to the DOJ, BuCor, and BJMP to review existing guidelines for granting GCTAs, including internal procedures,” he said Monday, August 26.

However, Garbin said Sanchez not being qualified and the law being suspended are not enough.

“While the Department of Justice and several Bureau of Corrections officials made a U-turn by stating that Sanchez may not be qualified after all, the fact that his name was reported to be one of those who would benefit from the implementation of RA 10592 calls into question whether there are sufficient safeguards placed no the law itself and/or in its implementing rules sufficient to guard against abuse,” he said.

DOJ: BuCor may have committed fraud According to the DOJ, some officials of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) may have committed fraud for including Sanchez’ name in the list of inmates who would benefit from the GCTA law.

A task force has been created

by Guevarra to review the implementation of the GCTA policy by the BuCor. “That possibility [of fraud] may actually come out dito sa review na gagawin namin ng (in our review of) BuCor guidelines and procedures,” he told The Manila

Antonio Sanchez, former mayor of Calauan, Laguna province, who is serving nine 40-year terms at the New Bilibid Prison, changed from prison garb to civvies on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. Maybe he was expecting to be freed anytime soon.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

Times.

Guevarra pointed out that the Corrections officials should have determined from the beginning that Sanchez was not qualified for early release due to the gravity of his offense and the infractions he committed behind bars.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, a former Justice secretary, shared his sentiment.

“I support the DoJ’s decision.

I could not help but suspect that there are shenanigans happening inside the BuCor in favor of the rich and powerful inmates, including former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez,” he said in a statement “The temporary suspension may affect prisoners who are really entitled for an early release, based on good conduct time allowance. But with the people, including myself, worrying about the release of prisoners like Sanchez, the temporary suspension, pending review of the guidelines, is a welcome development,” he added.

Drilon also noted that the BuCor would not have announced that Sanchez has already served 49 years if his violations were properly listed.

“We must look into the records or what we called the prisoners’ karpeta, particularly that of Sanchez, and let’s find out if his violations were properly recorded,” he said.

“How much does it cost for Sanchez’s karpeta, or that of any powerful and rich inmates, to be cleared of violations?” Drilon added.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, said he would file on Tuesday a bill amending RA 10592 “by making it specific that convicts of heinous crimes especially those such as murder, drug trafficking, kidnap for ransom and other highly dangerous criminals cannot avail of the program.”

“Everyone now will be afraid to testify and go against criminals of heinous crimes. These individuals are too dangerous to be released back in the streets and imagine the families and individuals who testified against them will be in extreme danger,” Zubiri said.

“So, let’s clearly define that there will be no commutation of life sentences for certain crimes, no exemptions. That way there should be no more controversies such as this one of mayor Sanchez happening again,” he added. n

by Bev LLorente ABS-CBN North AmeriCA BureAu

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Clark County School District in southern Nevada recently hired 57 special education (SPEd) teachers from all over the Philippines.

This is not the first time that SPED teachers were hired by Nevada. Back in 2017, 84 SPEd teachers from the Philippines made southern Nevada their home, while in 2018, 105 more were recruited.

A shortage of teachers in the U.S. has forced the Clark County School District to look for candidates from other countries like the Philippines for 3 years now.

“We were accepted last January so we had six months to prepare so hinanda po namin lahat ng (we prepared all) paperworks ng licenses. It’s tedious sobra pero (very but), all the processes were worth it when we got here in Las Vegas,” said SPEd teacher Lucienne Marie Andres.

Sarah Mae Ruiz Panisan said she and her fellow teachers are excited to start the school year.

“Kasi ramdam namin ‘yung support of everyone (We feel everyone’s support),” she said.

The third batch of Filipino SPEd teachers between the ages of 23 and 30 said their training not only includes classroom management but also individual-

Some of the newly-hired SPED teachers by Clark County School District. Contributed photo

ized planning for students with special needs.

“We had an accent reduction program. I believe that the Filipinos are the best speakers of the English language but still they have different accent here that’s why some terms and some accents they cannot understand that’s why we undergo such training,” said Marie Aileen Nesperos.

Monique Luna, 25, will be teaching children with intermediate autism.

“I went to my school last week and I was able to meet my principal and assistant principal. It’s very

different compared to the Philippines like ‘yung mga (the) terms.

It’s really amazing,” she said.

The base salary for new teachers in Clark County is $40,900.

“There’s a huge difference in terms of the basic salary and in terms of the benefits as well.

I miss my family but for better future and greener pasture po,” said Jan Salazar.

The Clark County School District provides J1 visas to teachers from other countries who are willing to work in Las Vegas for three years, with an option to renew contracts and stay for another two years. n

8 PH firms make it to Forbes Asia’s ‘Best over a Billion’ EIGHT Filipino companies made the list of Forbes Asia’s Best over a Billion companies in an unranked list published on Wednesday, August 29.

Listed in alphabetical order, these companies included: Ayala Corporation (US$5.2 billion in sales), Cosco Capital ($3.2 billion), GT Capital Holdings ($3.8 billion), JG Summit Holdings ($5.3 billion), Jollibee Foods ($3.1 billion), Megaworld ($1 billion), San Miguel Food and

Beverage ($5.4 billion), and SM Investments ($8 billion).

Forbes Asia’s “Best over a Billion” is the first of its kind, according to its website. The list contains about 200 companies from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines making over $1 billion.

According to the magazine, the list complements its “Best

under a Billion”, which has the 200 best-performing companies that make less than $1 billion.

“These two lists now comprehensively cover all of AsiaPacific’s listed companies, selecting the best 400 from the smallest to the biggest, using $1 billion in sales as a dividing line,” Forbes wrote. “For continuity, the criteria developed for this list was similar to those used for the other one.” (Aric John Sy Cua/ManilaTimes.net)

Philippines accepts apology of Chinese ship...

PAGE 1 duct (COC) in the South China Sea. “The president believes that the absence of the COC that is to be observed by affected countries has caused numerous conflicts in the subject waters that could have been prevented by a document that will regulate their actions.

A good example of such conflict would be the maritime incident which transpired a few months ago in Recto Bank,” Panelo said.

Aside from Panelo, other members of the president’s official delegation are Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Domin-

guez III, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Pena, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero De Vera III, and Customs Commissioner Rey Guerrero. n

August 29-september 4, 2019 • LAs VegAs AsIAN JOurNAL

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Fil-Am caregiver faces charges for taunting 91-year-old dementia patient

by Rae

ann VaRona AJPress

A YOUNG Filipina American caregiver faces charges in a lawsuit filed by an Illinois family earlier this month for a Snapchat video that showed her and another caregiver taunting an elderly woman with dementia.

According to court filings, Filipina American certified nursing assistant (CNA) Jamie Montesa recorded a Snapchat video of fellow CNA Brayan Cortez repeatedly throwing a hospital gown at 91-year-old Margeret Collins who tried to wave it away.

Typed on the video along with two laughing emojis was a caption that read, “Margaret hates gowns!”

Family members of Collins were alerted of the incident after another worker at the Abington of Glenview Nursing and Rehab Center shared the video with them last December. Collins has since been moved to another facility, but family members said she suffered anxiety and nightmares from the incident.

Montesa and Cortez were arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct in January, but face a new civil lawsuit along with the nursing home facility for violating the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act, as well as state privacy laws for posting on social media.

The lawsuit was filed Wednes-

Fil-Am caregiver Jamie Montesa Photo courtesy of Glenview Police Department

day, August 21 for over $1 million and states that the nursing home administrators and managers allowed Montesa and Cortez to “mentally and emotionally” abuse Collins.

Instead of providing care to Collins, the lawsuit added that the two workers further used their “position of power and influence to harass, taunt, bully, degrade and take advantage of Margaret.”

Levin & Perconti, the law firm representing Collins, added that residents with dementia like Collins are often targets of elder abuse due to their diminished ability to speak up and communicate.

“This was a sick game the two CNAs decided to play for their own enjoyment,” attorney John Perconti told local Chicago news outlet WGN-TV. “By filing this lawsuit and pursuing this lawsuit, we will prevent this from happening to other individuals in this facility as well as other facilities.”

Collins’ daughter, Joan Biebel, told WGN-TV that staff at the Abington were aware that Collins disliked wearing gowns and preferred wearing her own clothes.

“If they were in her room, they should have been there for a reason — to help her, assist her — not to exploit her and threaten her and demean her and post it on social media,” Biebel told WGN-TV. The Washington Post reported police records showing that Cortez told police that he and Collins had an inside joke about her not wanting to wear hospital gowns, and that he was unaware of Montesa recording the video.

Montesa reportedly told police that she secretly filmed the incident because she thought Collins was uncomfortable.

In a statement, the nursing home said, “Privacy and dignity of our residents are of the utmost concern at The Abington.”

It added that Montesa and Cortez, after a six-day suspension, were fired for violating the nursing home’s standards and policies. n

LA-based Filipino artist unveils mural on Sacramento State campus depicting Fil-Am migration, identity

by ChRistina AJPress

FIBA WORLD CUP-BOUND. Gilas Pilipinas head coach Yeng Guiao (right) talks about the national team’s upcoming campaign in the FIBA World Cup in China, during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, August 27. Guiao said Gilas Pilipinas has to shoot well from the outside if it wants to win against the top basketball powers in the prestigious tournament slated from Aug. 31 to Sept. 15, 2019. Also in photo are Gilas team manager Gabby Cui (left) and team captain Gabe Norwood center). PNA photo byJess M. Escaros Jr.

Trump says he’s ‘seriously’ looking to end...

PAGE 1 sentially a citizen of the United States.”

Many were quick to correct Trump in pointing out that at least 30 other countries recognize birthright citizenship or “jus soli (law of the soil).”

Following Trump’s Wednesday comments, many again also emphasized that birthright citizenship was a right granted through the U.S. Constitution since 1868.

Section 1 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the state wherein they reside.”

Ending birthright citizenship through executive order has been said to be unconstitutional, including by James Ho, a conservative federal appeals court judge who was appointed by Trump to the 5th

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Prior to Ho’s appointment in 2006, he wrote a paper highlighting how revoking birthright citizenship despite the clear language of the amendment would raise constitutional questions.

“Opponents of illegal immigration cannot claim to champion the rule of law and then, in the same breath, propose policies that violate our Constitution,” wrote Ho. “The birthright is protected no less for children of undocumented persons than for descendants of Mayflower passengers,” he added.

On Twitter, several lawmakers criticized Trump for considering stepping over his Constitutional powers.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris responded to Trump on Wednesday in a tweet that read, “The President should ‘seriously’ consider reading the

Constitution.”

“Trump said he’s ‘seriously’ considering ending birthright citizenship — a right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment,” she said in another tweet on Friday. “This type of attack isn’t new, which is why I’ve been discussing this issue since 2010. We must fight back.”

Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, another Democratic presidential candidate, suggested on Twitter that Trump’s comments were being made to distract people from other issues resulting from the current administration.

“Trump is talking about Greenland and racist policies like ending birthright citizenship to take your eyes off the ball — off an economy that’s beginning to crater; off a trade war that’s wreaking havoc on farmers across America; off his cruel desire to take away your healthcare,” tweeted O’Rourke.

(Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

Pentagon: China’s ‘bullying tactics’ won’t win trust...

oRiel

A LOS Angeles-based Filipino artist recently completed a new mural in the California State University, Sacramento campus.

Eliseo Silva’s “Magkasama Tayo Aangat (Together We Rise),” unveiled on Sunday, August 18, is a tribute to Filipino migration, particularly by Filipina women, in the United States and the merging of the Filipino and American cultures.

“Like my own migration story, the mural depicts a multigenerational experience that many Filipinos can relate to,” Silva told the Asian Journal.

Located on the entrance of the college’s Brighton Hall, the 22” x 48” mural was completed over the course of 10 days beginning in early August.

Vince Sales, arts curator for the Philippine National Day Association’s (PNDA) LahiARTS program, said that he pushed for a Fil-Am mural — given that Filipino Americans are the largest Asian American group in the state — to be created during the Wide Open Walls (WOW) festival in Sacramento, considered the largest mural event of its kind in the country.

“The organizer suggested that we have the mural at Sacramento State since there’s an important educational component to the mural. Sacramento State agreed, after my approach, and was receptive because of Eliseo’s body of work and the robust Fil-Am student presence on campus,” Sales shared with the Asian Journal.

One of Silva’s most famous works is the 1995 mural “Filipino Americans: A Glorious History, a Golden Legacy” at Unidad Park in Historic Filipinotown, which is one of the 10 monumental murals in Los Angeles.

After PNDA led the fundraising for the project, Silva came to Sacramento to conduct a “mural in minutes” workshop during the organization’s Filipino American Youth Leadership Conference.

He also listened in on other workshops, including one on spoken word, that helped inspire him as he created his latest work.

“The mural also answers these questions posed to the students who joined our workshops: Where I’m from? and Where I’m at?” Sales said. “The visual responses to these two questions are interesting and diverse and you’ll see variations in our jour-

PAGE 1 “The United States will continue to support efforts by our allies and partners to ensure freedom of navigation and economic opportunity throughout the entire Indo-Pacific,” the Pentagon said.

Washington has expressed concern over China’s violation of the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region.

China’s latest actions in Vietnamese waters contradict the previous pronouncement of Chinese Minister of Defense Wei

Los Angeles-based Filipino American artist Eliseo Silva poses in front of his newly unveiled mural “Magkasama Tayo Aangat (Together We Rise)” at Sacramento State.

Photos courtesy of Eliseo Silva

neys in the U.S.” Using vibrant colors and intricate details and patterns, “Magkasama Tayo Aangat (Together We Rise)” shows two hands — that of a mother on the left and a child on the right to symbolize the duality of the Fil-Am identity.

The mother’s hand is holding a fan that represents the rice terraces in the Philippines’ Cordillera region.

The child’s fan references the stripes and stars of the American flag and other prominent landmarks and figures, such as Little Manila in Stockton, San Francisco’s SOMA Pilipinas, and the late historian Dawn Mabalon.

“On one hand, a lot of Filipinas leave the Philippines as caregivers, nurses or nannies and leave their children behind so there’s a physical separation. But when they come here to America, there’s another kind of separation, which is the complete disregard for the Filipino traditions, that’s why the two hands are apart,” Silva described.

In between the two hands is a more realistic-looking woman, who stands for a Maranao prin-

cess from the folk tradition of the indigenous Muslim group in Mindanao. Also depicted in the mural are Philippine mythology symbols, the Sarimanok, a protective, lucky bird with a fish caught in its beak, and the Naga, a serpent-dragon creature.

“Even though a lot of us tend to blend in once in America, we should aspire to stand out instead and share our Filipino stories, retain the best traditions from both countries and create new things by embracing both to advance American culture,” Silva added.

Similar to his 1995 mural, it also honors the legacy of the Filipino farmworkers in central California and that their history and contributions should not be forgotten.

Silva was one of three artists who were chosen as part of the campus project during the WOW festival; the other two artists were Miami-based Hoxxoh and Jillian Evelyn, who is also from LA. “Through my work, I hope this will inspire more people to share Filipino stories and art. A mural is a first step towards that,” the muralist said. n

Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue in June that Beijing would “stick to the path of peaceful development.”

“China’s actions stand in contrast to the Unied States’ vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms,” the Pentagon said.

Just last week, the White House also accused China of “bullying”

tactics in the South China Sea that threaten peace and security in the region.

China has been deploying warships and arming artificial island outposts in the South China Sea, which is also being contested by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

“China’s recent escalation of efforts to intimidate others out of developing resources in the South China Sea is disturbing,” U.S. national security advisor John Bolton tweeted. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar)

6

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OPINION

Because they can

FEATURES

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has reportedly “fired off” another diplomatic protest to Beijing, this time over intrusions by Chinese warships into Philippine territorial waters in Tawi-Tawi.

Security officials say the intrusions were detected as early as February this year. The incidents are remarkable because they herald the start of the entry of Chinese military ships instead of maritime militia vessels ostensibly engaged in fishing, environmental or research activities. The waters in Tawi-Tawi are also part of Philippine territory as defined under international laws, and not just within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Equally worrisome for Philippine security officials was that all the warships switched off their Automatic Identification Systems, in violation of international protocols on innocent passage. This is normally done by military vessels only during wartime, Philippine officials stressed, to avoid detection by the enemy.

Philippine officials also noted that the warships, instead of sailing in a straight line as is normally

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS SCIENTISTS from the University of Minnesota have discovered “a powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life”.

The research “identifies a virulent strain of humans who are virtually immune to any form of verifiable knowledge, leaving scientists at a loss as to how to combat them.”

“These humans appear to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information.

And yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive. As facts have multiplied, their defenses against those facts have only grown more powerful,” lamented Davis Logsdon, one of the scientists who contributed to the study.

We do not have to talk in abstract terms because we see that in our own country, and unfortunately, the president of the United States is leading that “new strain

WITH the September UN climate summit in New York just a month away, the climate alarmists and proponents of climate apocalypse are stepping up their propaganda on climate change.

Having committed to monitor the climate debate both ways, I owe it to readers to report the developments on the alarmist side, even when I disagree with their conclusions. This way, I can freely discuss the reports of climate realists, which debunk the alarms.

The most eye-catching stories of the alarmists are these two reports: 1. Eat less meat — On August 8, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change came up with a new report in time for the UN climate summit on September 23.

The special report bears this startling message: “Eat less meat: UN climate-change report calls for change to human diet.”

2. Al Gore claims his predictions have come true. But he is challenged to prove that one of his predictions has been proven true.

Greenhouse-gas emissions and the impacts of global warming will fall significantly short without drastic changes in global land use, agriculture and human diets, leading researchers warn in a high-level report commissioned by the United Nations.

The special report on climate

rial claims.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he had called the attention of Chinese authorities when the incursions started, but more warships continued to enter in July and this month. So it may be reasonable to expect the incidents to continue despite the diplomatic protest.

The best deterrent to trespassers is to stop them from doing so. Lorenzana said the country currently has weak capability to prevent such incursions. But each intrusion must be documented, even as the country beefs up its capability to protect its own territorial waters. If intruders keep entering without any by-your-leave, it is because they can. (Philstar. com)

Philstar.com photo

Trump spreads ‘bug’ that makes people resistant to facts, compassion, and social responsibility on the world stage of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life.”

The United States used to play a role in the Western alliance, being looked up to by other world leaders for leadership and direction in global affairs, but that has changed since Donald Trump became president.

His previous attendance at the G7 Summit in France is yet another testament to how isolated the United States has been from our allies in terms of the focus and vision of the seven largest and advanced economies in the world — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This growing isolation of the United States stems from the fact that Trump himself does not subscribe to research and science-based facts if they do not fit his personal values, narrative and objectives, exactly how he governs the United States of America.

One of the agenda items of the summit was the climate crisis and how the world can help save the Amazon from the fire that has

Commentary

YEN MAKABENTA

done during innocent passage, were on a zigzag course, as if on patrol or exploration, between islands in Tawi-Tawi — an area that is not covered by conflicting territo-

been burning the rainforests so critical to the planet.

“The Amazon are the lungs of the planet, and the consequences are dire for the planet,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in announcing the aid fund earlier this week.

This assistance intended to help not only Brazil, but also the nearly dozen states that make up the Amazon region in South America, including French Guiana.

During the G7 Summit, Canada and Britain pledged an additional $11 million and $12 million in aid, respectively, during the G7 summit, in addition to the $20 million in aid money offered Monday by G7 nations to battle the massive fires that have threatened one of the world’s greatest sources of biodiversity.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro rejected the aid, and said he would only accept this offer if Macron, who openly criticized him, would apologize. ‘In our territories, on my Earth, on the soil of our ancestors, destruction is menacing us.’ — This, despite the plea for help from indigenous

communities and their chief to save their rainforests.

As Politico reported, “President Donald Trump gave Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro his full backing Tuesday as South America struggles to contain wildfires wreaking havoc in the Amazon rainforest and as Bolsonaro rejected a pot of international aid to fight the blazes.”

“Critics have accused Bolsonaro, a right-wing populist dubbed the ‘Trump of the tropics,’ of facilitating the fires and of taking a lax approach to preventing mass deforestation of the rainforest while also being too slow to respond to the fires. Macron last week threatened to upend a major trade deal between the European Union and the South American Mercosur trade bloc over the issue, claiming Bolsonaro was not living up to environmental commitments that had been made under the deal.”

Then Trump skipped a session devoted to climate change at the G7 summit, and instead had a press conference where he again attacked former President Barack Obama and boasted about the

United States’ wealth for which he said he is more responsible for than President Reagan and other predecessors.

But Trump asserted in response to the question on climate change,”I’m not going to lose that wealth. I’m not going lose it on dreams, on windmills — which, frankly, aren’t working too well.

I’m not going to lose it.”

Trump claimed, “I’m an environmentalist. A lot of people don’t understand that. I have done more environmental impact statements, probably, than anybody that’s — I guess I can say definitely, because I have done many, many, many of them.”

INSTEAD, Trump advocated for Russia to be invited back to the G7, formerly G8 with Russia, until Russia President Vladimir Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

Think about this: The president of the United States is fighting against our allies, abandoning the leadership of the United States in global affairs and our shared values and advocacies, cozying up with dictators, and is acting as an “attorney” for Russia’s interest

- the country which has been attacking our democratic processes and institutions and interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help Trump win.

WHEN will this madness end?

Does Trump speak for you? Does he represent your values? Is he stearing the nation in the direction you want it to go?

OR, have you been part of that human species that “appears to have all the faculties necessary to receive and process information. And yet, somehow, they have developed defenses that, for all intents and purposes, have rendered those faculties totally inactive. As facts have multiplied, their defenses against those facts have only grown more powerful?” Are you among those “powerful new strain of fact-resistant humans who are threatening the ability of Earth to sustain life”? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Eat less meat, says UN climate report

change and land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes plantbased diets as a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change and includes a policy recommendation to reduce meat consumption.

On August 8, the IPCC released a summary of the report, which is designed to inform upcoming climate negotiations amid the worsening global climate crisis.

More than 100 experts, around half of whom hail from developing countries, worked to compile the report in recent months.

“We don’t want to tell people what to eat,” says Hans-Otto Pörtner, an ecologist who cochairs the IPCC’s working group on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. “But it would indeed be beneficial, for both climate and human health, if people in many rich countries consumed less meat, and if politics would create appropriate incentives to that effect.”

Issues and Insights was dismissive of the report: “It will eat up more than 1,000 pages and be hailed as the finest document since the Magna Carta.

But the United Nations’ land-use report will free no man, save not one life, lift no one out of poverty, nor have any perceptible impact on the global climate.

“It’s not science, folks. it’s a consensus devoid of any scientific methods used to validate a theory. The [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] is a political body, not a research facility.

“The UN’s IPCC has been pro-

ducing junk for decades. Its ‘findings’ have consistently pressed the narrative that human activity, in particular the use of fossil fuels for energy, is warming the planet to dangerous temperatures through the greenhouse effect.

Yet we look around and observe that nothing is happening outside of the natural variations. The data tell us the same.”

Tim Ball and International Climate Science Coalition Executive Director Tom Harris published a Washington Times op-ed: “Why UN climate report cannot be trusted.”

“The IPCC was formed for the purpose of seeking solutions to man-made global warming and is therefore always in search of a problem. Its mission ‘was never to study the causes of climate change,’ according to the Heartland Institute, but to instead frighten the world into submitting to policies the ‘experts’ tell us will avoid the inevitable disaster. So it will always produce work that bolsters the global warming narrative. It’s really more of a propaganda shop for the UN and marketing firm for progressive policies than a scientific body seeking facts.”

When asked by ABC TV about his 2006 prediction that we would reach the point of no return in 10 years if we didn’t cut human greenhouse gas emissions, climate alarmist-in-chief Al Gore implied that his forecast was exactly right.

“Some changes unfortunately have already been locked in place,” he told ABC’s Jonathan

Karl.“Sea level increases are going to continue no matter what we do now. But, we can prevent much larger sea level increases.

Much more rapid increases in temperature. The heat wave was in Europe. Now it’s in the Arctic.

We’re seeing huge melting of the ice there. So, the warnings of the scientists 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, unfortunately were accurate.”

So what has Gore been predicting for the planet? In his horror movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” he claimed: Sea levels could rise as much as 20 feet. He didn’t provide a timeline, which was shrewd on his part. But even if he had said 20 inches, over 20 years, he’d still have been wrong. Sea level has been growing for about 10,000 years and, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, continues to rise about one-eighth of an inch per year.

Storms are going to grow stronger. There’s no evidence they are stronger nor more frequent.

Mt. Kilimanjaro was losing its snow cap due to global warming.

By April 2018, the mountain glaciers were taking their greatest snowfall in years. Two months later, Kilimanjaro was “covered by snow” for “an unusually long stint. But it’s possible that all the snow and ice will be gone soon.

Kilimanjaro is a strato-volcano, with a dormant cone that could erupt. Point of no return. If we have truly gotten this far, why even care that “virtually all” of the Democratic candidates have

agreed that global warming is a top issue? If we had passed the point of no return, there’d be no reason to maintain hope. The fact that Gore is looking for a “savior” from among the candidates means that even he doesn’t believe things have gone too far. A year after the movie, Gore was found claiming that polar bears’ “habitat is melting” and “they are literally being forced off the planet.” It’s possible, however, that there are four times as many polar bears as there were in the 1960s.

Also in 2007, Gore started making “statements about the possibility of a complete lack of summer sea ice in the Arctic by as early as 2013.” Fact-checker Snopes concluded that “Gore definitely erred in his use of preliminary projections and misrepresentations of research.”

A British judge found that “An Inconvenient Truth” contained “nine key scientific errors” and “ruled that it can only be shown with guidance notes to prevent political indoctrination,” the Telegraph reported in 2007.

Gore has been making declarative statements about global warming for about as long as he’s been in the public eye. He has yet to prove a single claim, though.

My last item here is devastating for the alarmists. IPCC is quite certain Earth will be in trouble if the global temperature exceeds pre-industrial levels by 1.5 degrees Celsius or more. But how can anyone know? According to university research, “glob-

al temperature” is a meaningless concept.

“Discussions on global warming often refer to ‘global temperature.’ Yet the concept is thermodynamically as well as mathematically an impossibility,” says Science Daily, paraphrasing Bjarne Andresen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Niels Bohr Institute, one of three authors of a paper questioning the validity of a ‘global temperature.’”

A “temperature can be defined only for a homogeneous system,” says Andresen. The climate is not regulated by a single temperature. Instead, “differences of temperatures drive the processes and create the storms, sea currents, thunder, etc. which make up the climate”.

While it’s “possible to treat temperature statistically locally,” says Science Daily, “it is meaningless to talk about a global temperature for Earth. The globe consists of a huge number of components which one cannot just add up and average. That would correspond to calculating the average phone number in the phone book. That is meaningless.”

So if global temperature is unknowable, how can the IPCC and the entire industry of alarmists and activists be so sure there exists a threshold we cannot pass?

The global warming alarmists have a credibility problem.

Humans have been watching Doomsday prophets fail throughout history. They’re so common we hardly notice them. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

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Dateline PhiliPPines

PNP seeks bigger budget to hire 37,000 cops

by Ritchel

Mendiola AJPress

A budget of P184.9-billion for next year is being eyed by the Philippine National Police to help improve the peace and order situation in the country — which includes the hiring of 37,000 officers.

Included in President Rodrigo duterte’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2020, which was submitted to the Senate by the executive department last week, were the creation of another 10,000 police officer positions and the filling of 26,685 positions in the PNP. “the proposed national budget of P4.1 trillion for 2020 continues to support our inclusive growth

expansion strategies, primarily aimed at accelerating investments in public infrastructure, improving anti-poverty programs and intensifying employment generation,” the president’s message read.

“Progress without peace is futile. And to pursue progress without seeking peace — or without the willingness to pay the price for peace — is like wanting to make an omelet without breaking eggs,” it added. the message also urged the Philippines to put as much effort into the journey to peace as the journey to progress.

“And for this, we are giving our full budget support to the agencies in charge of protecting our safety and ensuring lasting peace.

Lasting peace can only be attained

by combating criminality and terrorism in all its forms,” it said. the authorization to create another 10,000 police officer positions in the PNP, costing the government P3 billion, has been given by the executive department under the proposed 2020 budget. duterte also said that he has granted the department of budget and Management (dbM) to approve the PNP’s P14.4-billion budget request for the filling of 26,685 positions. “this will bring our police-topopulation ratio to the ideal ratio of 1:500. to complement this, some P100 million will also enable the agency to construct 16 police stations nationwide,” his message 55TH INT’L COCONUT COMMUNITY SESSION & MINISTERIAL MEET. Agriculture Secretary William Dar (5th from left), Senator Cynthia Villar (5th from right), and foreign ministers pose during the opening ceremony of the 55th International Coconut Community Session and Ministerial Meeting further read. n held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday, August 26. The event commemorates the golden anniversary of the Coconut Community which evolved as Asian Coconut Community to Asian and Pacific Coconut Community and recently to International Coconut Community.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

21 PhilHealth officials, staff face raps over WellMed dialysis scam No EU funding for NGOs with communist links – envoy tHe National bureau of Investigation (NbI) has filed multiple charges against 21 officials and employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) before the department of Justice (doJ) for their alleged involvement in the dialysis scam. the NbI-Anti-graft division (Agd) filed three cases for violation of Republic Act (RA) 3019, 10606, and 6713, otherwise known as the “Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act”, “National Health Insurance Act of 2013”, and “Code of Conduct and ethical Standards for Public officials and employees” respectively.

NbI-Agd Chief Catherine Camposano-Remigio said the accreditation sub-committee (ASC) of the

Philhealth Regional office-National Capital Region (PRo-NCR) accredited the Wellmed dialysis Center “despite the knowledge of fraudlent claims.”

Making it worse was the fact that the ASC failed to withdraw the accreditaion that resulted in the payment of Wellmed claims for 2019.

Some of those charged were Rizza Majella Herrera, acting senior manager and head of the Accreditaion department of PhilHealth; bernadette Lico and Janice gem Perlas, officials of the accreditation team.

“Sila po ang nararapat at may duty na magmonitor at sila [din] ang nagbigay ng accreditaion sa Wellmed despite the fraudulent claims (They should be respon-

sible in monitoring accreditations, but they accredited Wellmed despite the fraudulent claims),” said Auralyn Pasucal, NbI deputy spokesman. the NbI said Wellmed collected about P1.8 million in false claims from PhilHealth in 2019 alone.

Vicente de guzman III, NbI deputy director for Investigative Service, clarified, however, that the cases filed involved only the Wellmed controversy.

“So far hanggang sa accreditaion committee pa lang, (It’s just the accreditation committee for now,) but with the investigaion, if ever we can uncover other officers higher than those in accreditaion, then we will recommend them to be charged,” he said. (Joshua Vera Cruz/ManilaTimes.net)

Gov’t to roll out national ID system in September by anna leah

Gonzales ManilaTimes.net

tHe Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or the national Id system will be implemented next month on a limited scale, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary ernesto Pernia said on tuesday, August 27.

“We are going to start doing the pilot test on September 2, and the pilot test will cover a not so big number of registrants,” Pernia said during the economic Journalists Association of the Philippines economic briefing in Manila. He said 5,000 to 10,000 individuals would be served during the initial roll-out of the Id system.

“Pilot test of the National Id registration process [will be] for recipients of CCt (conditional cash transfer), uCt (unconditional cash transfer), seniors and some government employees to check if the process works well before ramping it up exponentially to cover more registrants,” he said.

If all goes well, Pernia said the program could cover 50 million in 2020 and another 50 million in 2021.

“As long as the pilot test show that we are implementing the national Id the right way, then it can be ramped up starting next year so that we will be able to cover 50 million registrants and then the following year, another 50 million

A sample of the proposed National ID.

so that by the end of this administration, we could cover virtually all filipinos, including ofWs (oversear filipino workers) and resident aliens,” he said. the PhilSys Act was signed into law in August 2018. the system aims to unify all government Ids into one. “this will facilitate transactions between citizens and government, between citizens and the private sector, and between government and the private sector,” Pernia explained. despite the numerous Ids issued by the Philippine government, 14 percent of filipinos are denied government and financial services for lack of proper identification documents.

PIA photo

“Having one national Id will strengthen financial inclusion by reducing the cost of transactions through easier authentication procedures. this way, the marginalized will have easier, faster access to public programs,” Pernia said. bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (bSP) gov. benjamin diokno said his agency would print the national Id. “the bSP has volunteered to print the Id so as not to delay the printing because if you bid this out, the losing bidders will challenge the winning bidders, it will go all the way to court, it could take years so we volunteered, we will print it, it’s a government to government contract,” diokno said. n

Marawi rehab, return of displaced families delayed anew

by Roel

PaReño Philstar.com

ZAMboANgA CItY — the return of displaced families and rehabilitation of the main battle area in Marawi will be delayed again until it is free of unexploded ordnance and bombs, according to a military official.

“We are clearing the main battle area of... unexploded ordnance because we don’t want... unnecessary loss of lives... with the hasty rehabilitation without ensuring there is no more unexploded ordnance,” Lt. gen.

Cirilito Sobejana, Western Min-

danao Command chief, said on tuesday, August 27.

Sobejana said the Armed forces of the Philippines subcontracted a company to locate all the unexploded bombs fired at the height of the fighting with Maute militants in 2017. the rehabilitation of the main battle zone was supposed to start last July. However, task force bangon Marawi said the clearing of debris is only 50 percent at the time. task force chairman and Housing Secretary eduardo del Rosario said they expect to clear all unexploded ordnances and

debris by November.

Sobejana did not give a time frame on when the area could be declared safe.

“We have explained that to the public during our dialogue in Marawi a month ago... We want to save lives. If the reconstruction will be done hastily there might be some explosion,” he said. on Saturday, Sobejana said an M4 Carbine rifle was recovered in the main battle area. He said the gun was issued to one of the soldiers killed in the fighting.

Last month, authorities recovered a 260-pound unexploded bomb. n

Albayalde: More NPA leaders to fall after arrest of ‘powerful one’ MoRe leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA) will be arrested, said Philippine National Police Chief oscar Albayalde, a day after a “powerful” one was apprehended in Quezon City. esterlita Suaybaguio, 60, was an alleged recruiter of members for the NPA as head of the Metro Manila regional committee.

“Malaki ito (This is big). Remember she was the secretary of [the] Metro Manila Committee, mataas na party leader (she is a ranking party leader), malaking tao ito (she is someone big), especially dito (here) sa Metro Manila na (that is a) white area,” Albayalde said in a press conference on tuesday, August 27.

Albayalde said the PNP was monitoring other NPA leaders hiding in Metro Manila, especially the top ranking officials.

“Alam mo mga yan malilikot yung mga yan (You know, these leaders are hard to catch), “Albayalde said.

Albayalde said the president (Rodrigo duterte) wanted to finish insurgency.

In a joint police and military operation, Suaybaguio was arrested at the escalades Condominium on Monday by virtue of a search warrant released by the Quezon City Regional trial Court branch 89.

Seized from Suaybaguio were a 9-mm pistol, a grenade and some allegedly subversive documents

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde ManilaTimes.net photo

allegedly subversive. the alleged NPA leader was facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives. (Darwin Pesco/ManilaTimes.net)

by AJPress

No fuNdINg has been provided by the european union (eu) to non-governmental organizations (Ngos) supposedly serving as fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), eu Ambassador to the Philippines franz Jessen said tuesday, August 27.

He cited a series of audits on eu’s contracts with Ngos flagged by the Philippine government as “potentially questionable” showing that the funds were not given to groups with alleged communist links.

A standard review of expenses and a “specialized audit” aimed at detecting the financing of terrorist organizations were also included in the audits.

When asked about the results of the audit, Jessen responded: “In terms of spending we are fine... We asked them [specialized auditing company] to look into the expenditures and see if they could find anything that looked awkward and they couldn’t.” this comes following the Philippines’ claim back in february that donations of the eu have found their way into the hands of alleged fronts of the CPP-New People’s Army, which prompted a review on the eu’s end.

According to Jessen, the audit

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen

was conducted on the eu’s 10 contracts it financed yearly with Ngos like the united Nations development Programme and university of tawi-tawi.

He also said that there would be future funding for the contracts worth around 10 million euros yearly.

Jessen gave reassurance to the Philippine government that the eu would not support the CPP in “any way or form” as it had been included in its list of foreign terrorist organizations since 2005. “from the outset, it should be very clear to everybody that we would never do that because we would be going against our institution, our own legal framework,”

Philstar.com photo

he said.

“We share the same objective: we don’t want to support a terrorist organization. We’d be violating our own government and we’d be going against what the Philippine government is looking for. So obviously this is not what we are doing and not what we want to do,” Jessen added.

Apart from the eu, the belgian foreign Ministry was also asked by the Philippines to cut funding for groups that the Philippine military alleged were CPP-NPA fronts such as the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Ibon foundation, Karapatan, and Alcadev (Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood development), among others. n

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August 29-september 4, 2019 • LAs VegAs AsIAN JOurNAL

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Metro Manila’s water woes over Supply almost back to normal, say Manila Water, Maynilad

by Jordeene Lagare ManilaTimes.net

THE water situation in Metro Manila has greatly improved, the two water concessionaires said on Tuesday, August 27, as the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) announced that it would increase allocation for the metropolis now that Angat Dam has reached its normal level.

Manila Water claimed that 99 percent of its 6 million customers now enjoy uninterrupted service at 7 pounds per square inch pressure, which means that water supply reaches only the ground floor.

On the other hand, Maynilad, which services nearly 8 million people, said water supply had been fully restored in 94 percent of its concession area in the west zone.

Those areas where water service remains interrupted may

Angat Dam

irrigation, which was suspended in May, would also be reinstated to 30 cms.

The NWRB reduced the water supply for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, which splits the allocation between Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. when Angat breached its critical low level on June 22, prompting water concessionaires to implement scheduled water interruptions.

Despite the looming allotment increase, Manila Water Corporate Strategic Affairs Group head Jeric Sevilla Jr. said the company would continue to manage supply.

“We need to prepare for summer of next year since the Angat year-end level of 212 to 214 meters is still far from the current level of 181.33 meters as of today,” Sevilla said in a text message to The Manila Times.

“We will be maximizing our Cardona Water Treatment Plant and rehabilitate and develop more deepwells,” he added.

The Cardona facility, which draws water from the central portion of Laguna Lake, has produced 70.89 million liters per day since August.

Maynilad Corporate Communications head Jennifer Rufo confirmed that the firm’s service had improved.

As of 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recorded Angat’s elevation at 180.75 meters, almost a meter higher than its normal opManilaTimes.net photo erations level of 180 meters. n

normalize next month when the allocation for the two water concessionaires is further increased.

Manila Water services the cities of Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig, Makati and parts of Quezon City and Manila. It also serves Antipolo City and the Rizal towns of Angono, Baras, Binagonan, Cainta, Cardona, Jala-Jala, Morong, Pililla, Rodriquez, Tanay, Taytay and San Mateo.

Meanwhile, Maynilad Water services the cities of Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Valenzuela and parts of Makati and Quezon City.

With Angat Dam’s rising level, NWRB Director Sevillo David, Jr. told The Manila Times that water allocation for Metro Manila would be increased to 40 cubic meters per second from 36 cms starting September 1. Water supply for

Students are seen in Manila on last August 13.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

DepEd chief backs ‘no homework policy’

by Jan

arciLLa ManilaTimes.net

EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday, August 27, said she supports the “no homework policy” because home assignments were a burden for students.

“Kasi ngayon, napakabigat, maraming nagko-complain mabigat daw ang curriculum kung minsan nine subjects, lalo na sa senior high school, tapos may school activities pa (Many students complained about the curriculum, sometimes there are nine subjects, especially with senior high school, then there are school activities),” Briones explained.

She said homework limited the bonding of parents and students because instead of being free from school work, students needed to do homework.

“Gusto natin lahat ng pormal na pag-aaral, assignments, projects, whatever, gagawin sa loob ng eskwelahan para pag-uwi nila, libre na sila, free time nila to be with their parents and friends (We want all the formal education, assignments, projects, whatever needs to be done in school, so that when students come home, they will have time with their families and friends),” Briones said.

She cited an existing policy of the Department of Education, Memorandum 392, Series of 2010, which states that no

homework shall be given to pupils during weekend.

“Ginawa na namin itong poli c y, p e r o m e r o n p a r i n g mga schools na nasanay talaga sa pagbibigay ng homework kaya siguro may panukalang batas (This is our policy, but still there are schools that are used to giving homework, that is why there is a bill),” Briones said.

Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero filed a bill on Monday that seeks to eliminate homework as a class requirement, as well as school activities.

Quezon City Fifth District Rep. Alfred Vargas filed a similar bill, but his proposal will only stop teachers from giving homework for the weekend. n

Duterte creates peace coordinating body by catherine

VaLente ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the immediate creation of a coordinating committee that will help advance peace efforts with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and push the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group, Malacañang said on Tuesday, August 27.

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte informed MNLF founder Nur Misuari of his desire to create the coordinating panel when the two met in Davao City on August 23.

“The President relayed to Mr. Misuari his desire to immediately form a Coordinating Committee between the government of the Philippines and the MNLF, and instructed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity to convene the same by the second week of September in Davao City for agenda-setting and for the start of discussions,” Panelo said.

The committee, he added, would serve as “a venue to seek for the cooperation of the MNLF to achieve immediate peace in Sulu by, among others, helping in combating the Abu Sayyaf Group and convincing MNLF relatives to return to the folds of the law.”

Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento

Misuari headed the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which was replaced by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The MNLF has questioned the supposed inequitable distribution of positions at the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, an interim governing body of the BARMM. The President had expressed hopes that an agreement would be reached with Misuari, who had warned of war should the government failed to pursue the shift to a federal system of government.

The Palace had said Duterte might consider creating a new regional government for the MNLF. Panelo noted that during his meeting with Duterte, Misuari raised the need to involve the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in consultations to determine the compliance of the national government to the 1996 peace agreement with the MNLF. “In resolving the Muslim rebellion in Mindanao, every undertaking that may lead to a lasting peace and prosperity to that region must be tried and tested until its fruition. President Duterte will walk the extra mile to bring harmony to the country and the nation,” the Palace official said. n

ManilaTimes.net photo

Bill bars grafters from holding public office by gLee JaLea ManilaTimes.net

A MEASURE that seeks to disqualify those who have been convicted of corruption from running for public office has been filed at the House of Representatives.

Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento authored House Bill (HB) 92 or an Act amending Sections 12 and 68 of the Omnibus Election Code in a bid to preserve “the sanctity of candidacy” for public office.

Sarmiento noted that many individuals have attempted to run for public office despite their conviction.

“When persons convicted of prior misconduct are allowed to run pending appeal of their convictions, it allows said persons to be rid of accountabilities for their past transgressions both in and out of public office,” Sarmiento said in his explanatory note.

Under the measure, persons who appealed their conviction would be disqualified from running for public office “until such time the appeal reverses the conviction and acquits such person.”

Aside from grafters and plunderers, Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code will also instantly disqualify a potential candidate if he has been declared guilty of bribery and acts of terrorism.

Sarmiento also filed HB 3231 which seeks to amend Section 54, Chapter 8 of the Revised Administrative Code of 1987 by preventing the appointment of those who were declared by authority as “insane or incompetent” and those who were sentenced by final judgment for graft, corruption, subversion, insurrection, rebellion, or for any offense for which they were sentenced to a penalty of more than 18 months or for any crime involving moral turpitude.

Last month, Sarmiento cited the case of Samar Gov. Milagrosa Tan, who remained scot-free despite the affirmation of her conviction by the Sandiganbayan for eight counts of graft in 2001 over her involvement in the anomalous purchase of P16.1-million emergency supplies for the victims of Typhoon Kidang. n

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VEGAS&STYLE Journal

Pinay-Canadian actress Cassie Steele to lead in Disney animation ‘inspired by Southeast Asia’

by Rae

Filipino film ‘Dagsin’ makes it to Oscars shortlist

by Deni

Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

FILIPINO film “Dagsin,” starring Janine Gutierrez and Benjamin Alves, has been shortlisted as a possible Philippine entry to the International Film Feature Category of the Oscars, Cinemalaya posted on its Facebook page.

“Supar congrats, #Dagsin!” the independent film festival said in the caption of its Facebook post, showing a screenshot of the letter from the Film Academy of the Philippines that announced the good news.

The letter was signed by the organization’s director general, veteran actor, comedian and director Leo Martinez.

Alves also shared the screenshot in his Instagram story, saying: “WHT? We made the shortlist for the Oscars!?”

The first film of director Atom Magadia, with screenplay by his wife Anne, “Dagsin” (which means “gravity” in Ilocano) tells the story of Justino (played by Tommy Abuel), World War II hero and Death March survivor who lost his legs, and as such, became an atheist.

When his wife, Corazon (portrayed by Marita Zobel) died, Justino yearned to believe in life after death to be with her. As such, he looked for ways to hold on to the memory of his wife, including

Scenes from the 2016 independent film ‘Dagsin’

reading her diaries, from which he unearths a Pandora’s Box of secrets.

“Ok, I know the ‘better- mannered and proper’ version of myself should be quiet about news like this. But, I am hearts-crossed, not doing this out of hubris. To tell you the truth, I originally thought it was a hoax. Until we received this letter this morning, I didn’t believe it to be real,” Anne said of their film’s Oscars achievement in a Facebook post.

Since the movie debuted in 2016 as a Cinemalaya Film Fest entry, “Dagsin” has won 18 awards, incuding four Best Actor nods for Abuel at the Cinemalaya, Los Angeles Philippine International Film Fest, European International Film Fest in Italy, and FIlm Development Council of the Philippines.

Likewise, the film gave Marita

Photos from Facebook/Dagsin

a Best Actress in a Cameo Role award from Urduja Film Fest.

Gutierrez, meanwhile, won as Best Supporting Actress at the 2017 4th Urduja Heritage Awards, and was nominated as Best Supporting Actress at the 40th Gawad Urian Awards.

In general, the film has won as Best Narrative Feature at the World’s Independent Film Fest in San Francisco, USA; Best Cinematography at the European Film Fest in Florence, Italy; and Best Costume at the Madrid Film Fest.

If picked as an official entry, “Dagsin” will compete at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which will honor the best films of 2019 and will take place at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on Feb. 9, 2020.

ann VaRona AJPress

DISNEY revealed last weekend at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California that its new animated movie “Raya and the Last Dragon” will feature Pinay-Canadian actress Cassandra “Cassie” Steele as the voice of its main character.

Steele will be the voice of Raya, a lone warrior in the fictional land of Kumandra, on a quest to save her land by finding the world’s last dragon. Voicing the last dragon, Sisu, is actress and rapper Awkwafina (Nora Lum).

Born in Canada to a British father and Filipina mother, Steele gained much success after first being seen on a commercial for the electronic board game, Fib Finder, in 2001.

That same year, the now 29year-old appeared in an episode of Canadian television series, “Relic Hunter,” before becoming a regular cast member on the hit Canadian show “Degrassi: The Next Generation” where she played the character of Manny Santos.

Other roles include the character of Abby Vargas in the Canadian television series “The L.A. Complex,” that was picked by the CW before being cancelled in 2012; Valerie Vont in the Lifetime film “Sorority Surrogate;” and characters Tammy Gueterman and Tricia in the American adult cartoon series “Rick and Morty” among others.

Also a singer, Steele has released a number of her own EPs and albums, some of which had songs featured in the Degrassi television films.

Following the announcement of “Raya and the Last Dragon,” Steele posted a screenshot of the press release on Instagram with the caption, “So excited to finally share this!!!”

She added that she was “so grateful to be working alongside the incredibly talented and hilarious” Crazy Rich Asians actress, Awkwafina.

‘Inspired by Southeast Asia’ “Raya and the Last Dragon” takes place in the lush fictional land of Kumandra — a “reimagined earth inhabited by an ancient civilization that venerated the mythical dragons for their power and their wisdom.”

Cassie Steele

In Kumandra, the Land of the Dragon is formed by five distinct clans, but dragons have disappeared due a dark sinister force.

In comes Raya to find the last dragon who she believes has the power to save Kumandra.

“Raya is ready to meet a magical water being who breathes fog through her nose, flies by riding the raindrops, and has a gem that channels this amazing huge power,” Steele said on the D23 Expo stage on Saturday, August 24.

The catch though is that, “When Raya first meets [Sisu], she’s in human form and needs Raya’s help to reclaim her power to become her true dragon self.”

In an industry that calls for more diversity and representation, the film has already been praised for bringing to the big screen characters and landscapes familiar to Southeast Asia.

One Twitter user @idkaila expressed crying during the Raya and the Last Dragon announcement and tweeted, “I was just so excited to have asian representa-

tion and turns out the voice actress cassie steele is filipino!!!”

The film’s producer Osnat Shurer, who also made the Disney animation “Moana,” said that “Raya and the Last Dragon” was “inspired by Southeast Asia, both in its themes of community and hope, and in its design.”

Part of that process was getting Los Angeles-based, Malaysian-born writer, Adele Lim, as a screenwriter for the film. She was also the co-screenwriter for boxoffice hit, “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Working on the storyboard for “Raya and the Last Dragon” is Thai storyboard artist and story supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fawn Veerasunthorn. Her previous films include “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” and “Moana.”

The heart of the theme, Lim said, is about “the transformative power of community and having hope even in the face of overwhelming darkness.”

Raya and the Last Dragon will be released in theaters next November 26, 2020.

“Raya and the Last Dragon”

Iza is in for another challenging role

by Ricky

calDeRon ManilaTimes.net

AWARD-winning actressturned producer Iza Calzado is feeling upbeat with her latest movie, the historical film “Culion,” penned by Ricky Lee and directed by Gawad Urian winner Alvin Yapan.

“It puts some kind of pressure on us acting out our roles but most of the time, we just feel ecstatic acting our scenes,”said Iza during a dinner break while in location in Culion, Palawan.

The actress says the excitement comes not only because the script was written by Ricky Lee but she added that there is a good feeling that they are part of a meaningful and important project.

“It is a story that needs to be told. That ‘s how all of us felt here in Culion,” said Iza. “Every scene we do is like a page taken from history. When I did a scene where I was giving birth, one of the cast members told me she couldn’t help but cry because she felt the pain and the anguish. We are putting things in their proper perspective.”

Of course, part of the excitement in doing Culion is being paid, shooting on location, reading the marvelous script of Ricky Lee and seeing everything unfold as Direk Alvin Yapan sees it in his vision.

What adds up to the excitement, said Iza and her co-stars

In ‘Culion,’ award-winning actress Iza Calzado portrays Anna, one of the residents in the island who was afflicted with a disease.

Photo from Instagram/@missizacalzado

Meryl Soriano and Jasmine Curtis Smith, is the three of them working together for the first time in a monumental project.

“At the center of all this is that we are telling the story of the people of Culion. We need to tell their story,”said Iza. The three ladies there were kind of noisy when they first set foot in Culion. But after visiting the museum where they learned

about Culion’s history and struggle, they were silent. And they were driven to tears.

The three ladies spent more than two weeks in Culion and they easily became friends. They discovered they share a lot of things in common and got easily along well. All of them are looking forward to seeing the finished product as they proud of what they have done.

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (Part 2 of 2) (Continued from last week …)

WE are tempted to look at movie stars, fat cats and other luminaries who dare defy conventions basking in the public limelight pursued by TMZ cameras as people worthy of awe and respect.

And if you let it, a tiny tinge of envy gnaws at our souls when you see their images commanding megabucks. They appear as titans walking among ants.

Granted a select few of them deserve the attention we give them but most can be reduced to fodder for the gristmill of entertainment. The truth is, those who deserve our awe and respect are the ones who orbit our daily life.

Perhaps we need to look at another firmament to gain a genuine and lifelong perspective of celebrating what is ordinary, of celebrating you and I and everyone of us, mere mortals cut from the average cloth, who have to get up every single day to slay our dragons with our rusty sword and trusty steed, that is, after we’ve gulped down our java and said our prayers.

Look to the stars in the true celestial firmament, to gain a soul-searing appreciation and even love and respect for our tiny place in the universe. Nature is a great teacher. A layman’s appreciation of astronomy and cosmology teaches us that there is every reason to celebrate the ordinary.

Our own sun is an ordinary, average, ho-hum star shining steadily in the suburbs about two thirds from the center of the Milky Way. In the hierarchy of stars, our own sun is a lowly commoner and it is located a third of the way from the center where a black hole exists, according to educated guesses by scientists.

This black hole is sucking in, like the drain in your kitchen sink, all the brightest stars within its vicinity. The biggest, brightest stars in our galaxy are energy guzzlers and therefore, have short lives,

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS VAPING/e-cig can kill Vaping or electronic cigarettes were invented to be a safe substitute for smoking. As I have written in this column last year, e-cigarettes/vaping were unsafe and maybe worst than smoking regular tobacco. Recently, young people who did vaping suddenly develop severe shortness of breath, which needed the use of a ventilator, first suspected to be pneumonia, but later determined to be caused by vaping. This acute respiratory failure among these teenager users is potentially fatal. Studies have shown that exposure to e-cigarette vapor caused DNA and gene-level changes that could increase the risk for cancer of the lungs, oral cavity, and bladder. Smoking kills 480,000 deaths, 41,000 from second-hand smoke exposure.

Do not add yourself to these statistics.

Genital gangrene A rare “flesh-eating” disease, called Fournier gangrene of the genital or anal region which rapidly spreads is causing great concern, according to a new study among T2 diabetics taking the newer class of medications grouped as SGLT2 inhibitors, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Introduced six years ago (2013), they include canaglifloxin (Invokana) empaglifloxin (Jardiance), and dapaglifloxin (Farxiga). Between March 2013 to January 2019, 55 patients taking these medications developed Fournier gangrene. It is not clear at this time if it was caused by SGLT2 inhibitors. In 2017, 1.7 million prescriptions were dispensed.

Further investigation is ongoing.

Consult your physicians for any questions you might have.

Flavanoids for health and longevity While eating red meat is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular illnesses and cancer (pancreas, colon, etc.), ingestion of a lot of vegetables and some fruits and nuts could stave off diseases and provide natural maximal longevity. Scientists believe that flavanoids (polyphenols) are the beneficial substances that are potent anti-oxidants responsible for these health benefits. The six subclasses of these compounds are flavanols, flavan-3ols, anthrocyanins, isoflavones, flavonones, and flavones. The new study on this subject involved more than 50,000 over twenty years. And the final conclusion was eating

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Hail to the ordinary “ There are definitely some enemies in my life I definitely would wish celebrity on...”

— Gary Coleman Star of the sitcom, ‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ who suffered a reversal of fortune and died at 42 about half the life span of our solar system, and thus cannot support planets that need a longer span of time to support the existence and development of thinking, feeling beings such as our home planet.

Our sun, according to scientists, is approaching middle age and has enough fire in its belly to support life for another 4 to 5 billion years before it goes into its death throes and gets recycled back as dust and gas to repeat the process of giving birth to a new star, possibly with one special planet supporting intelligent life all over again. The universe is the ultimate recycling bin after all.

This is probably what it means by the phrase “world without end.”

Consider that the Milky Way is only one ordinary spiral galaxy out of billions of others in a universe that according to evidence gathered by Edwin Hubble in the 1920’s is still expanding with billions of galaxies moving away from each other at a furious pace.

To simplify the imagery, perhaps we may be given license to view the universe in its near incomprehensible vastness, as a single mega structure in infinite space. The entire cosmos could be one unit composed of galaxies as its building blocks like cells and molecules of a human body but with gravity and plasma collectively emitted by the energy of countless stars, functioning as its cosmic lifeblood holding everything together. Whew!

The cosmos, according to evidence so far gathered by probes and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), is so inconceivably vast with more stars than there are grains of sand on earth, it strains the limits of human imagination. It

is more than likely, there are other forms of intelligent life in places where there is water, complete with soul and spirit, following the laws of nature and teeming in wild abundance in the cosmos. We may never have any evidence of what sounds like science fiction, but some sage once pointed out quite rightly that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Yet for all this awesome grandeur, consider the glorious ordinariness of the earth in the celestial heavens. It’s like Goldilocks gravitating to the porridge in the middle. Neither too hot nor too cold, earth is the only place in the solar system with a slim ecosphere that allows life to not only survive, but to thrive with astonishing tenacity, as long as the sun shines steadily while it faithfully orbits the center of the Milky Way every quarter of a million years.

The earth’s size, its tilt, its distance from the sun, its companion moon, the presence of water in various states all conspire to make it and its inhabitants the crowning glory of creation as far as human life is concerned. Our blue marbled dot is a place so wonderfully made that of all the eight orbs of different sizes and makes, revolving around that ordinary star we call the sun, it is the only one uniquely qualified to sustain life, as we know it, in our tiny neck of the cosmic woods.

Value the ordinary. Value your life. The sun, the earth and the stars at night remind us daily. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Vaping and other facts flavanoid-rich and antioxidants foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts) could prevent illnesses and allow people to reach the top of their life expectancy. Those technical terms could be could be confusing, but just remember these lifesavers: lots of vegetables, some fruits, and a handful of nuts every day to keep the doctor away.

Nature is good for the brain There is something soothing and comforting when we commune with mother nature. Studies show that a simple walk in an area with grass, tress, on a beach, or near a lake or stream, basking under a subdued sun, breathing in fresh air, amidst calm, peace and quiet; are healthy, not only for the muscles but especially for the brain. It stimulates a happy countenance, uplifting the mood with happy hormones, reducing stress and depression, and making us feel more alive.

Clinical research proves the overwhelming positive impact of nature on our brain. A University of Rochester study found that “spending time outdoors not only makes you happier, it can also lead to a surge of energy.”

It also improves memory. This “wanderlust” is practice in Japan and is called shinrin-yoku, a good antidote for the hectic life in the city of noise and air pollution.

Tofu: good or bad?

Bean curd, from soy, has been around for millennia and treasured by Asians. It has been popular in the western world for about 6 decades. We see soy burgers, soy milk for kids with allergy to regular milk, soyabased meat substitute, tofu, tempeh, miso and soy sauce.

Soy products are rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, fibers, zinc and calcium. The concern the past ten years or so has been its high content of isoflavones, which have estrogenic properties, which could disrupt our hormones and increase the risk for breast cancer among women.

There are studies that show the opposite, as soya lowers cancer risk. Fang Fang Zhang, associate professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts, “carried out population research among 6,000 women with breast cancer living in the U.S. and found a 21 percent reduction in mortality among those who consumed more soya. High soya intake among women in Asian countries has been linked to their 30 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer compared to U.S. women, who eat much less soya. (The average person’s intake of isoflavones in Japan, for example, is between 30 and 50mg, compared to less than 3mg in Europe and the U.S.).

Its benefits were strongest in women with hormone-receptornegative breast cancer, a more aggressive type of breast cancer where tumours lack oestrogen and progesterone receptors, and therefore doesn’t respond well to hormone therapies. “Our findings suggest that, for women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer, soya food consumption may potentially have a beneficial effect to improve survival,” Zhang says. If soya does lower breast cancer risk, it may be because its isoflavones can enhance apoptosis: a genetically programmed mechanism that tells cells to self-destruct when they get DNA damage they’re not able to repair. Without this process, damaged cells can form into cancer. An extensive 2010 review of more than 100 studies “concluded that, overall, lab experiments have shown no significant increased risk of breast cancer.”

Vinegar pill and potion On the market today are pills and potion made from fermented apples, called ACV (Apple cider vinegar). This so-called food supplement is claims to have several health benefits. The side effects include erosion of tooth enamel, throat irritation, and gastric upset, especially among those with gastro-esophageal reflux. The dosage is not clear. ACV is not approved by the US-FDA. I would not recommend this or any food supplements for anyone who eats properly, especially vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Food supplement scam This is one of my favorite topics in my writings over the past 30 years. It is amazing to learn that the food supplement industry is worth $37 billion now and projected to be $194.63 billion by 2025. Can you imagine how many millions of people have been duped, scammed for decades, by the purveyors of deceit and fraud? Out of the thousand varieties of food supplements on the market, only about a dozen are beneficial.

The rest are ineffective, useless, and even outright dangerous. To avoid wasting money, seek your physician’s advice. *** 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. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

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San Diego Filipino Cinema presents Magic Hour Fest in San Diego San Diego Filipino Cinema will host its very first Magic Hour Fest: Film, Music, and Food Festival, taking place at the beautiful Building 177, located at the Arts District, Liberty Station (2875 Dewey Road, San Diego, CA 92106) on Friday, August 30 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. San Diego Filipino Cinema’s Magic Hour Fest, presented by The Filipino Channel, will showcase acclaimed short films by emerging Filipino American filmmakers, food and drinks by celebrated Filipino American chefs, and live musical performances by renowned Filipino American artists. This festival will help SDFC raise funds for its non-profit program initiatives in 2020, and it will also seed the very first San Diego Global Filipino Film Festival. The fest includes: Live musical entertainment by renowned Filipina American Bay Area rap artist Ruby Ibarra and San Diego’s very own Filipina American R&B singer Roann Ro Mesina; Film screenings of acclaimed short films by emerging Filipino American filmmakers Chrissie De Guzman, Stephen Lee, Charles Gray, and Drama del Rosario; Amazing Filipino food vendors and a beer garden; A VIP section where you can meet and greet with event sponsors, filmmakers, and performers. Enjoy VIP food and drink tastings by renowned Filipino American chefs Chef Phillip Esteban of WellFed, Chef DJ Tangalin of Gaya Gaya, Tess and Jesse Brown’s Banyan Kitchen Cafe & Catering, and Papo J’s Lambanog Vodka; and Open mic karaoke and fun photo booths!

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Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School reunion in Las Vegas The Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School (RMCHS) International will hold its fifth biennial reunion and we are calling all graduates or former students to come out and join up at the “2019 RMCHS International Reunion (Several Paths … One Reunion)” on Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at Gold Coast Hotel and Casino (4000 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103).

For reservations or information, please contact the following: Rommel B. Fajardo (Batch ’78) at (301) 655-4469 or e-mail: rommelbf@gmail.com or Lamberto Glory (Batch ’74) at (210) 542-7575 or e-mail: threeglories@msn.com. You may also visit the RMCHS 2019 International Reunion Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1302890069812234.

Fil-Am authors hold book talks in San Pedro, CA Three new new books will be launched by Philippine Expressions Bookshop on Saturday, August 31. 2019 from 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The bookshop is located at The Arcade, a vintage 1928 Art Deco building which is on 479 West Sixth St., Suite 105, Historic Arts District, San Pedro, CA 90731.

Talks by three Filipino American authors of diverse backgrounds but all rooted in their cultural heritage will be given by Wilmo Orejola, MD. who wrote “An Basaynon: A History of Basey Samar and its People”; Abraham Gabriel Pagtama who wrote “Based on True Events: Watsonville Riots” and Reno Ursal, author of “Enlightenment: The Bathala Series.” This is a free program and sales from the authors’ books support her literacy programs in the Philippines. If unable to attend but would like to order books, email: info@philippinebookshop.com or call (310) 514-9139 or (310) 548-8148.

SEPTEMBER 7

UPAAGLA Grand Gala in Los Angeles The University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) celebrates its 20th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. at the LA Grand Hotel (333 S. Figuera St, Los Angeles, CA). With the theme “Taking U.P. To The Future” the event will have Distinguished U.P. Alumni Guests including Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz and current University of the Philippines President Danilo L. Concepcion. All U.P. Alumni are invited and encouraged to attend. To RSVP and for Gala details, visit https://upaagla2019gala.eventbrite.com.

Early Bird pricing is $85 until July 15, Regular pricing is $100. Sponsor packages are still available to get better pricing plus perks, please inquire by contacting upaagla.sponsor@gmail.com.

Special Booking rate at the LA Grand Hotel for Sept 7 is available for $189/night at https://bit. ly/310GWWY. To inquire about UPAAGLA, please send email to upaagla.prez@gmail.com

AAPI Democratic Presidential Forum in Orange County, CA AAPI Progressive Action, in partnership with Asian Americans Rising Action Fund, will host the AAPI Community Action Summit at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Orange County, CA on Saturday, September 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. At the AAPI Community Action Summit, leaders and advocates from across the country will gather to showcase our emerging movement, which is based on the belief that we are stronger when we work together with common purpose to serve our communities. Each session will feature new ideas, new capacities and new leaders who are building a movement that celebrates our diversity and binds us all together as Americans. It will be held at The Westin South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa (686 Anton Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626). In the evening, there will be the AAPI Summer Soiree at the Center Club in Costa Mesa.

Come meet and mingle with top influencers and enjoy a night filled with good food, great company and fantastic entertainment. Registered attendees of the AAPI Community Action Summit may purchase a limited number of discounted tickets at $100 per person as a participating “Community Partner.”

SEPTEMBER 8

Philippines Cultural Day in Pasadena, CA The USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA is hosting a Philippines Cultural Day on Sunday, September 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy performances, artmaking activities, a chef conversation, and storytime for kids. Free admission all day! This event will present a collaboration of performing artists from Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts, Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, and Rocksteady Rondalla. Other partners include Bone Kettle Restaurant, Barnsdall Arts, and the Philippine Expressions Bookshop. The USC Pacific Asia Museum is located at 46 N Los Robles Ave, Pasadena, California 91101

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Virgen de los Remedios procession and mass in Los Angeles Filipinos, Latinos, Marian groups, civic organizations and devotees will join in an afternoon procession during the annual pilgrimage to Mary on Sunday, September 22, 2019 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. This year’s celebration includes special prayers for the Catholic Church in the Philippines that the clergy and faithful be always courageous instruments of God’s truth, love and peace. Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has asked Filipinos to pray in solidarity for four Catholic bishops, three priests and a religious brother among others who have been filed with charges of inciting sedition, libel and obstruction of justice by Philippine authorities. Newly appointed Filipino auxiliary bishop Alejandro Aclan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will preside in the solemn concelebrated Mass. Catholic columnist, Rev. Rodel Balagtas will deliver the homily, as he leads his kabalens from Minalin who are hosting this event. The highlight of the festivities is the reenactment of canonical coronation of Virgen de los Remedios bestowed by Pope Pius XII in 1956. The procession and mass begins at 2:30 p.m.

‘Friends…Unplugged,’ a benefit concert in Los Angeles The Philippine Disaster Relief Organization (PeDRO), in partnership with the ABS-CBN Foundation International, presents ‘Friends…Unplugged,’ a benefit concert in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. at the Aratani Theater (244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

Artists included Becca Godinez, Morris Albert, Odette Quesada, Ner De Leon and Kevin Click.

Additional artists to be announced. Tickets are $65 for lower orchestra, $45 for upper orchestra and $35 for Balcony.

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75th Anniversary of Leyte fundraiser gala in Carson, CA The Erasto R. Batongmalaque Foundation will be holding a fundraising gala on Saturday, September 28 at the Carson Community Center leading up to the 75th anniversary of the Leyte landing on Oct. 20. The foundation is dedicated to servicing the ongoing needs of surviving veterans of World War II as well as other veterans of recent conflicts. This will lead into two other events on Oct. 12 and Oct. 20. The ticket is at $75 payable to the E.R.B. Foundation. Call Julie at (310) 8358365 or (424) 257-2504 for more information.

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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2019 Las Vegas Book Festival invites high school students to participate in poetry competition Winners will receive cash awards

LAS VEGAS — The 2019 Las Vegas Book Festival will honor young poets through the Spark! Poetry Writing and Recitation Competition Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, at the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. The annual festival is free and open to all ages.

Clark County high school stu-

dents are invited to compete by completing a registration form by Tuesday, Oct. 1. Participating students will be asked to present three original poems to be judged by a panel of poets, authors, educators and other community members; the top three highest-scoring students will receive cash awards

of $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place.

For updates and more information, visit http://www.lasvegasbookfestival.com/spark-poetry/ or contact Maryjane Dorofachuk at (702) 486-3738 or mdorofachuk@ nevadaculture.org.

Ria’s unknown big heart by chRistina

aLpad ManilaTimes.net

Mariel Padilla

Sarah Lahbati

Philstar.com photos

Why Mariel is giving birth 2nd baby in US

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

LIKE when she gave birth to Isabella in the U.S. two years ago, Mariel Rodriguez will do the same for her and husband Robin Padilla’s second baby (another girl). But also like three years ago, Robin won’t be with Mariel because he hasn’t been issued a U.S. visa.

Asked why she has decided to give birth in the U.S. again, Mariel said, “I want to be able to give my baby the same attention I gave Isabella when I gave birth to her. I was 100 percent with Isabella, so I want to give the same peaceful atmosphere to our new baby. No one will bother us, no one will visit us. You know what I mean? So I want to be able to give her that.”

Funfare interviewed Mariel and Sarah Lahbati (mother of two with fiance Richard Gutierrez) during the three-day Cetaphil National Healthy Skin Mission event at SM Makati last week, that kicked off the education drive about having completely healthy skin. They are both #MomPegs.

As you will see, like all moms they struggle with weight gain after pregnancy, postpartum depression and other issues.

What’s the best way to get back in shape after giving birth?

Mariel: Honestly, I went to Marie France. I feel I was not fat during pregnancy but it was after, when I was breastfeeding. I wanted so badly to breastfeed my

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baby so I ate my way through it.

And I was able to breastfeed her for 14 months. Exclusively. I didn’t mix feed. But it made me fat…as in super, duper, duper, duper fat.

More than 170 lbs. fat. Isabella was already a year old and I was still fat. So I went to Marie France and it really helped.

Sarah: By not rushing it. When you’re not pressured to get back in shape, it’s easier because you can take your time and do the right steps. What helps are easy brisk walking and eating the right (healthy) food. You know, taking one step and one day at a time.

How do you spring back from PPD (Post Partum Depression)?

Mariel: I did have PPD. I don’t know how I did it. You just sort of bounce back. It just sort of happens. You feel like more of yourself. I had to do something for myself to get me back because I felt like I lost “me.” That was what was going through in my mind.

I was depressed because Robin wasn’t with us. Suddenly, I had this bigger responsibility and I didn’t know what to do. I felt guilty for questioning myself, ‘Why am I sad? Why do I cry?’ I couldn’t understand what was going on.

I felt relief when I looked at my baby.

Sarah: With a support system, by being aware that you have it.

Sometimes, we can feel that something is wrong. But I guess not everyone can admit that ‘I have PPD,’ so I guess it’s important to be aware and have a support system. Take one day at a time so you won’t get easily overwhelmed.

IT is no secret that Ria Atayde is a young actress who continuously proves her mettle with powerful portrayals, an effective endorser carrying brands of different nature, a supportive sister and a dutiful daughter to both award-winning actors Arjo Atayde and Sylvia Sanchez — an over-all role model to young Filipinos.

But what many people may not know is that behind the camera and beyond social media, the entertainment industry’s newest darling is just as admirable.

Not too long ago candid photos of Atayde serving food to children during an outreach surfaced online, but not on her social media

accounts.

Atayde, seemingly unaware that happy citizens were taking evidence of her goodwill, was described as joining the feeding program of Justice Muñoz Palma High School in Molave Street, Payatas B, Quezon City.

Details of the online posts were not complete so reporters had to reach out to confirm that she was indeed part of the program which turned out to be sponsored by Corazon Foundation and Willing Hearts.

“Ay hala! Don’t really want to make that a public thing!” Atayde answered in surprise.

The humility was expected as along with the photos of her helping out were accounts of other netizens who spotted the young

What help/support do you get from Robin/Richard?

Mariel: He was just always encouraging me and he never really made me feel that I was fat. That was a big, big support.

Sarah: Well, I get full support from him. Whether if it’s work advice or family or anything really, he’s always there.

Do you have any beauty regimen?

Mariel: I always moisturize.

When I was depressed, I couldn’t care less. But I really had to because my skin was already so dry.

Moisturizing is the key.

Sarah: Yes, it’s simple: Cleansing, moisturizing and using sunblock. Plus Cetaphil, of course. I get vitamin D from the sun, about 10 to 20 minutes every day.

H ow do you c ope w it h stress?

Mariel: I don’t let stress bother me because I’m focused on the real issues — Is my child developing properly? Is she talking? Does she know her ABCs? Those are real stuff. Everything else is not real, so why would I worry about things that are not real?

Sarah: I avoid stress. I stay positive. I organize my day-today schedule so that I don’t feel stressed out or overwhelmed.

How many more kids do you plan to have?

Mariel: I just want to have two.

Robin wanted just one pero okey na siya sa dalawa.

Sarah: I don’t know. I’m good with two kids. Who knows if I want Ria Atayde serves children during the feeding program sponsored by Corazon Foundation and one more. I am not really thinking Willing Hearts at the Justice Muñoz Palma High School in Payatas, Quezon City. about it right now.

Contributed photos

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Ria Atayde

Photo from Instagram/@ria

Atayde as early as 2009 extending her helping hand to victims of Typhoon Ondoy, proving that she is not the type to trumpet her good deeds.

Corazon Foundation, as it turned out, has been feeding 300 to 1,000 public school students in cooperation with local government units and the outreach program wherein Atayde was recently spotted was actually the launching partnership of the foundation with the Singapore-based Willing Hearts. Atayde was chosen as the face of the latter foundation.

“Launching yun, nung nandun si Ria, August 9. Nagtayo ng kusina para lang sa project na yan. The plan is to feed at least 20,000 students all over Manila and also do medical assistance to sick children.

Ang mga Singaporean ang nag-tap kay Ria dahil nakita nila na mahilig siyang tumulong. Every birthday niya or Christmas may pinapakain siyang mga bata,” explained the foundation’s insider who refused to be named.

Willing Hearts further did research on Atayde before signing her up and saw more photos of her visiting child institutions on her own will.

With this new capacity, it can be expected that Atayde will further her role beyond the spotlight.

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Acclaimed Fil-Am chef Ross Pangilinan imprints ‘mix mix’ culinary identity on Orange County

By Christina M. Oriel AJPress

IN recent years, Los Angeles has witnessed a handful of contemporary Filipino restaurants open up, typically the ventures of second generation Filipino Americans who have cut their teeth cooking other cuisines and are circling back to the food they grew up eating.

Venture some 40 miles down to Orange County and while the selection of modern, interpreted Filipino cuisine is not as abundant (yet) as LA, the restaurants are leaving diners satisfied and racking up praise.

One such Fil-Am chef instrumental in the OC’s dining scene is Ross Pangilinan of Mix Mix Kitchen Bar in Santa Ana and Terrace by Mix Mix at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

In the past three years alone, the accolades have swirled in for Pangilinan, including being named Orange County Business Journal’s Chef of the Year and Rising Star Chef of the Year by the Orange County Restaurant Association’s Golden Foodies.

His restaurants have been listed among EaterLA’s Orange County’s 19 Hottest Restaurants 2019, Orange Coast Magazine’s Best New Restaurants, and Modern Luxury Orange County’s 10

Mix Mix Kitchen Bar’s eclectic and globally-inspired dishes, which are partly influenced by Pangilinan’s Filipino heritage and fine-dining career.

Most Exciting New Restaurants 2019.

“In LA and San Francisco, Filipino food has been very trendy and popular. There are so many talented Filipino chefs that have worked at good restaurants and are now going on their own and I’m happy to be a part of that and contribute. The awards just solidify that this is the new American cuisine,” Pangilinan shared with the Asian Journal at a recent event celebrating his many honors.

A more recent stride is Mix Mix Kitchen Bar earning a spot on the Michelin Guide’s California Bib Gourmand list, which is a selection of restaurants recommended for “good value.” (This past May marked the inaugural statewide Michelin Guide. Irenia by chef Ryan Garlitos in Santa Ana also made the list.)

“Chef/owner Ross Pangilinan delights everyone with his surprising, subtle and often ingenious spin on Filipino fare,” the

Pork cheek adobo

A sampling of the pork cheek adobo, shrimp lumpia, skewers with peaches, burrata and watermelon, and salmon roe rolls.

AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel

Goat cheese toast with balsamic vinaigrette, pistachios, seasonal fruit and herbs Photos courtesy of Mix Mix Kitchen Bar and Terrace by Mix Mix | South Coast Plaza

guide wrote. “That means that every dish seems contemporary and true to its southern California location, but the kitchen always returns to hints and touches of the chef’s background.”

Pangilinan, who was raised in La Mirada, recalls growing up surrounded by his paternal grandparents’ cooking.

“They were cooking Filipino food every day for us. That always sticks with me, knowing those are my roots and introducing those flavors to my food, even using French technique and local ingredients but adding a little bit of fish sauce or kalamansi,” he recounted.

After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, the Fil-Am chef moved to France to work at two-star Michelin restaurant, Les Trois Marches, in Versailles before returning to Southern California where he landed at Pinot Provence at the Westin South Coast Plaza, which was part of Joachim Splichal’s Patina Restaurant Group.

That led to a stint as sous chef at Patina at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA, during the time the restaurant earned a Michelin star.

“If you’re really passionate and go into this industry and can work harder than everyone next to you, then you’ll be okay. For me, that’s what I had to do, especially being a little Filipino kid working next to older people who have been in the industry, I just put my head down

Ross prepares dishes behind the scenes

and worked harder than everyone else. It’s paying off,” he mused.

After Patina, he was part of the opening team of Italian restaurant Sinatra inside Encore at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and then was executive chef at Leatherby’s Café Rouge, a steakhouse at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for seven years, which merited him a spot on Zagat’s 30 under 30 list.

With a fine-dining track record, Pangilinan took on the challenge of opening up his own restaurant in 2016 called Mix Mix Kitchen Bar in Santa Ana, a showcase of his Filipino heritage and his career as a chef working with Italian and French cuisine. Two years later, Terrace by Mix Mix at the upscale South Coast Plaza was opened last fall as an offshoot, offering similar menu items.

“It’s more of a fusion of French and Italian but a lot of Asian — particularly Filipino — influences. We use a lot of kalamansi and coconut milk, for example.

It’s all the food that I learned how to cook as a professional but also loved to eat growing up, all combined in what we do here today,” Pangilinan said.

At Mix Mix, you can find a Filipino ceviche (essentially a kinilaw dish) using yellowfin tuna, coconut lime, avocado, pork cracklings (chicharon) and Thai chili and

a shrimp lumpia appetizer with vegetables, grilled pineapple and a spicy aioli.

A stand-out dish is the pork cheek adobo, with a fattier cut of pork not used traditionally, seasoned with a chimichurri sauce and served with garlic fried rice and egg. These co-exist with dishes like bacon-wrapped dates, a soft egg raviolo, or a spaghetti alla chitarra dish with rabbit ragout.

“You can get a good adobo at a mom and pop Filipino restaurant so ours has to be different and unique, yet approachable to all kinds of diners,” Pangilinan said.

Arguably the most popular Filipino dessert, halo-halo (which means mix mix in English) is not in a tall glass with shaved ice and a slew of ingredients underneath.

His is presented as a “tropical verrine”: coconut panna cotta, mango sorbet, macadamia nuts, tropical fruit and passion fruit.

The flavor influences are easy to pinpoint in Pangilinan’s cooking, but the menus cannot be boxed into one particular cuisine — it’s not entirely Filipino, nor is it just Italian or French. Rather, he says he brings an internationallyfocused restaurant concept, using what is accessible ingredientPAGE 14

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Dr. Santos Yu welcomes Philippine delegates to the Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas

by Bev LLorente ABS-CBN North America Bureau

DR. Santos and Mrs. Judith Yu of the Neurology Center of Nevada served as hosts to the Philippine delegates of the Magic Trade Show during the three-day trade show which brought in men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear accessories and other fashion items from various parts of the world.

Mrs. Judith Yu says that this is a proud moment for Filipinos not only in Las Vegas but from around the world. “To the delegates of the Philippines, welcome, I hope you like Vegas, I’m a fan of fashion too so, I saw your stuff and I liked it and im proud that you did this we have a lot of resources in the philippines and its about time.”

The delegates brought products made of natural materials found in the Philippines combined with unconventional ones..to create one of a kind products.

FasionPhilippines

The Project Womens participation of FashionPhilippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, in partnership with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Los Angeles and San Francisco in California. Project Womens is one of the 12 trade shows included in the Men’s Apparel Guild in California (MAGIC) trade fair, considered to be the most comprehensive fashion marketplace in the United States. Project Womens features the best emerging and established brands that are noteworthy and cause-oriented.

“What is different with FashionPhilippines’ participation in Project Womens is that the brands joining the show carry so many stories and a lot of potential with them,” says CITEM Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan. “We have eight brands and they all use

Sea Princess necklace by Agsam Fern (left) and tote bag made from ‘banig’ by Lara Samar (right)

The author wearing an Agsam necklace.

a diverse range of materials in their pieces. They employ weavers, carvers and artisans and these people show exceptional craftsmanship in their products.”

Sourcing from nature Colorful patterns from Lalapatos (left) and cool mosaics from Virtucio (right) Two brands joining Project Womens this year make notable use of what nature gives their hometowns in abundance. Agsam Fern makes use of the wild fern plant agsam, which grows abundantly in its home base of Surigao del Sur, to create accessories that are intricate in design and detail.

Lara, an initiative of the provincial government of Samar, makes use of tikog grass that grows abundantly in the province to turn the humble banig into high-end fashion pieces that are sturdy and long-lasting.

Making something new out of discarded items Unusual shapes but exquisite details from Vesti (left) and Calli (right) Lalapatos by Maco Custodio

Rich details from Beatriz bags and Ken Samudio necklace

and Virtucio use foil packs and plastic—two items that would normally be thrown away after just one use—in their shoes and handbags, respectively. Lalapatos uses foil packs from preconsumed items that are turned into strips and woven together by hand before combining them with leather panels. Virtucio, on the other hand, collects single-use plastic bags that are cut, pressed and then melted to achieve a colorful, mosaic-like effect on its products.

Giving meaning to their hands’ work Many of the brands’ designers and owners work with communities of weavers, artisans and craftsmen to execute their designs and craft delightful pieces. Vesti works with indigenous tribes from Mindanao, taking inspiration from their weaving heritage and combines their weaves with modern silhouettes to make one-of-a-kind bags that can be used in any occasion. Calli’s bags feature textures and shapes that are carved masterfully by local carvers and artisans from wood, paired with other accents such as hand-woven rattan.

Attention to detail From simple to elaborate, the Philippine brands at Project Womens show precise attention to detail in its products. Beatriz and Ken Samudio make accessories that show their artisans’ capacity for executing intricate designs using a variety of materials such

as cotton threads, natural fibers and upcycled beads from glass and plastic.

PH seeks P2.53-M revenue in its first participation The Philippine participation is aiming to achieve P2.53 million in revenue and US$790,000 in export sales at Project Womens this year along with 240 buyer inquiries. “I hope the buyers and visitors going to MAGIC and Project Womens will visit our booth and see for themselves how exquisite our products are,” adds Suaco-Juan. With 51,000 buyers from 122 countries visiting the MAGIC trade show in August 2018, CITEM is optimistic that FashionPhilippines will capture a market on the strength of its products’ appeal and quality. CITEM is eager to meet buyers from all over the United States and countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Colombia.

To learn more about the brands participating in Project Womens, visit the Philippine exhibition at Booth No. 52135, North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center or visit http://citem.com.ph/project-womens/.

Acclaimed Fil-Am chef Ross...

PAGE 13 wise in Southern California.

Though the ‘Filipino’ dishes do not bear Tagalog names upfront, Pangilinan intends for them to be educational and a jumpingoff point for more traditional and expansive Filipino menus elsewhere.

“For me, I don’t give menu items a Filipino name. I give them approachable names so people get introduced to it and be more familiar, which can lead them to go on to a more [traditional] Filipino restaurant and have that recognition with what they had at Mix Mix,” he said.

Both restaurants offer prix fixe menus with wine pairings (in the $40-70 range). At Mix Mix, the “Oui Chef” is a five-course prix fixe chef’s table experience with Pangilinan’s ever-changing favorite creations. Terrace

by Mix Mix offers an eight to 10-course Omakase Style Tasting Menu that runs $125 per person with two seatings every night and a $20 three-course lunch menu.

Though these special menus may attract a particular dining crowd, the main offerings at both places are meant to be savored and shared small plates-style.

“Hopefully diners feel that we are very genuine. Our food is very genuine and so is our service,” Pangilinan said. “I hope they don’t think we’re some restaurant that thinks they’re so great and up

there because we do everything from the heart.”

Orange County is where Pangilinan continues to leave his mark, but he’s set to make his way up to LA County with ReMix Kitchen Bar at the Long Beach Exchange, a shopping and dining center in east Long Beach. It’ll likewise be a full-service restaurant with a bar and similar dishes like the two other locations.

“It’s still a bit away until that opens, but in the meantime, we’re going to keep on pushing and continuing to work on our restaurants in Costa Mesa and Santa Ana,” he added.

Being a chef and owner these past three years has afforded him the creative flexibility to experiment with food; the dual roles have also taught him lessons in looking at all the elements that go into running a restaurant.

“I have so much more appreciation for the entire team as a whole and for the front of house. Before when you’re just a chef, you only worry about back house and getting food out and not really worrying about front of the house,” Pangilinan reflected.

“But now, as a business owner, I truly care about making sure my staff is taking care of our guests in the front, making sure timing is correct...at the end of the day, making sure that the guests are leaving happy and that we’re able to make the business work.”

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