101219 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

OCTOBER 12-15, 2019 Volume 29 - No. 78 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Fire season underway in California as flames ignite through San Fernando Valley, Bay Area One dead in Sylmar, multiple communities ordered to evacuate Wind-driven brush fires that began earlier this week throughout California have caused massive, power outages, freeway closures, mandatory evacuations, and at least one death so far, and it’s really only the beginning.

In the Southland, 23,000 homes were placed under mandatory evacuation orders on the morning of Friday, October 11. According to fire officials, the brush fire began just after 9 p.m. on Thursday night.

By 2 p.m. on Friday, the fire scorched through 7,542 acres.

One person identified as a civilian male died from cardiac arrest, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas confirmed in a news conference on Friday morning.

“The fact that community members heeded evacuation warnings early made a huge difference, allowing firefighters to enter those communities and protect properties,” LA County Fire u PAGE A4

PH chief justice denies manipulation in Marcos-Robredo VP poll protest

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PHILIPPINE Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday, October 10, gave the public reassurance that former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ poll protest against Vice President Leni Robredo is not being manipulated.

Amid the ongoing Supreme Court deliberations

on the case, the chief justice told reporters that a decision may come soon.

“This is something I can tell you: we are expected to have a result by next week. It may not be what you expect. We are still discussing many other things so that is all I can tell you. Don’t worry, ’di ko niluluto, ’di pwede lutuin yan (I’m not manipulating it, it can’t be manipulated),” Bersamin told report-

ers during the launching of the Judiciary Memorabilia Hall.

Bersamin divulged no further details, saying he was being purposefully vague as he was “bound by confidentiality.”

“I have to tell you I am doing it on purpose to be vague. I am bound by confidentiality. I cannot bring u PAGE A2

BIRTHDAY GUEST. President Rodrigo Duterte chats with Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go during the commissioner’s birthday celebration at the Highlands Steakhouse in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City on Thursday, October 10.

Malacañang photo by Simeon Celi

US to citizens in SEA: Survey: Duterte’s Get anti-polio shots satisfaction rating dips,

WITH the outbreak of polio in the Philippines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised all its citizens based in or traveling to Southeast Asian countries to be fully vaccinated against the disease.

The U.S. embassy in Manila issued the advice after health officials reported a polio outbreak in the Philippines.

“Before traveling to the Philippines, adults who completed their routine polio vaccine series as children should receive a single, lifetime adult booster dose of the vaccine,” the embassy said in its health alert.

The CDC said the outbreak in the Philippines is caused by the vaccine-derived polio virus (VDPV), which indicates that polio vaccine coverage in the country is low.

“Even if you were vaccinated as a child or have been sick with polio before, you may need a booster dose to make sure you are fully protected,” the CDC said. u PAGE A5

but remains ‘very good’

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE number of Filipinos satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance as chief executive saw a slight dip in the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released this week.

The survey released on Wednesday, October 9, conducted from Sept. 27 to 30, revealed that 78% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s performance.

Thirteen percent were dissatisfied while the remaining 9% were undecided.

Duterte garnered a net satisfaction rating of “very good” at +65, three points below his record-high “very good” +68 in June 2019.

SWS noted that the three-point dip in Duterte’s satisfaction rating was due to the decreases in Balance Luzon and Mindanao, combined with increases in the Visayas and Metro Manila. u PAGE A2

Jollibee named corporation of the year by LA Asian biz group

by AJPRESS FILIPINO fast food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) was honored as corporation of the year by the Los Angeles Asian Business Association on Thursday, October 10.

JFC, with its flagship brand Jollibee, was recognized for being “one of the largest and fastestgrowing Asian restaurant companies in the world” during the ABA’s 43rd annual awards banquet held at the Langham Huntington in Pasadena, California.

“This award is validation of the great work of many of our colleagues both past and present whom I represent here today,” Luis Velasco, international mar- Luis Velasco (center), international marketing head for Jollibee Foods Corporation USA, keting head who received the receives Los Angeles Asian Business Association’s Corporation of the Year award on behalf of JFC on Thursday, October 10. He is joined by Robert Park (left), community business award on behalf of JFC, said. u PAGE A4

manager for the LA Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and ABA board member Ben Pascual (right).

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo alights a jeepney on Friday, October 11. Panelo took almost four hours from Marikina to Manila as he commuted to Malacañang, following a challenge from progressive groups to take public transportation. After arriving to work on Friday morning, Panelo maintained his position that there is no mass transport crisis in Metro Manila.

Philstar.com photo by Christina Mendez

7,107 nurses to lose jobs next year

by JAVIER ISMAEL ManilaTimes.net

SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto warned on Thursday, October 10, that 7,107 nurses could lose their jobs next year because of the planned budget cuts for the Department of Health (DOH) for 2020.

The proposed allocation for the Health department next year is P88.2 billion, lower by P9.39 billion than this year’s budget of P97.6 billion.

Under the 2020 National Expenditure Program, the total budget of the DoH is P159.2 billion, including P67 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

Recto said one of the major programs to be severely affected by the budget cut is the Human 7,107 nurses could lose their jobs next year because of the planned budget cuts of thePhilippine government for the Department of Health ManilaTimes.net photo

u PAGE A3 (DOH) for 2020.

China ignores Duterte’s drug war as Philippines softens stand on South China Sea — report

by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com

VIRAY

CHINA ignored President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs while the Philippines has scaled down its opposition against Beijing’s activities in the disputed South China Sea, a London-based think tank reported.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, sister company of The Economist newspaper, noted that foreign countries opposing the Philippines’ drug war only have limited leverage over Duterte.

While former President Benigno Aquino III took a strong position against China’s expansive

claims in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, Duterte’s foreign policy has been “remarkable.”

“The Chinese government, which Mr. Duterte has embraced warmly, has been willing to ignore the war on drugs as the Philippines has scaled down its opposition to construction activity on contested islands in the South China Sea,” the EIU said.

The EIU noted that Duterte is bent on pursuing his social policies, such as the crackdown against illegal drugs, over the Philippines’ relations with Western powers, particularly the United States.

Several nations have already expressed concern over Duterte’s drug war due to the “staggering” number of deaths linked to the campaign.

A total of 18 nations — including the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, Italy and Mexico — voted in favor of a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution to investigate the Philippines’ drug war.

In response to the UNHRC resolution, Duterte directed the suspension of negotiations of all loan and grant agreements with the governments of the countries that backed the Iceland-led resou PAGE A4

A october 12-15, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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

From the Front Page

VIGILANT. Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo gather at the Supreme Court compound in Manila on Tuesday, October 8, to await the electoral tribunal’s ruling on the poll protest case. Sources in the high tribunal said the decision would be finalized during an en banc session on Oct. 15, three days before the retirement of Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and 11 days before the retirement of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

Inquirer.net photo

PH chief justice denies manipulation...

PAGE A1 t you into the [en] banc otherwise we would make our deliberations public,” he said.

He added, “We have certain rules to follow on non-disclosure and I am very careful not to infringe those rules because I am the leader of the Court,” he added.

The Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on Tuesday, October 8, deferred voting on the poll protest, more than a month after Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa submitted his report on

the recount of ballots from the three pilot provinces selected by Marcos.

The deliberation, which was initially set on October 1 and then October 8, was reset to October 15.

According to Rule 65 of PET rules, “if upon examination of such ballots and proof, and after making reasonable allowances, the Tribunal is convinced that, taking all circumstances into account, the protestant or counter-protestant will most probably fail to make out his case, the protest

may forthwith be dismissed, without further consideration of the other provinces mentioned in the protest.”

However, the PET would have to expand the coverage of the recount to 24 other provinces and cities — covering 30,000 poll precincts — if there is a big discrepancy between the official tally and figures from the revision.

In June 2016, Marcos filed his election protest against Robredo after she won by over 260,000 votes in the vice presidential race. n

Survey: Duterte’s satisfaction rating dips...

PAGE A1 t Duterte’s net satisfaction rating stayed “very good” among respondents in balance Luzon at +54 (71 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) in September, maintained “excellent” in Mindanao at +76 (85 percent satisfied, 9 percent dissatisfied), and rose from “very good” to “excellent” in the Visayas at +75 (84 percent satisfied, 9 percent dissatisfied).

According to the polling firm, the president’s net satisfaction rating in Visayas reached a new personal record-high, surpassing the previous record of +73 in June 2017.

In Metro Manila, Duterte’s net rating stayed “very good” at +66

(78 percent satisfied, 13 percent dissatisfied). However, his ratings fell among respondents from both urban and rural areas, from +67 to +66 and from +68 to +64, respectively.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo welcomed the survey results and dismissed the decrease in the president’s satisfaction rating as insignificant.

He said that it was “indisputable that the Filipino people remain enamored with President Duterte, as well as in his policies and actions of governance, to the consternation and envy of his incorrigible critics and detractors.”

“As payback to our people’s

outpouring of affection to PRRD (President Duterte), the Office of the President calls on everyone in the bureaucracy to remain tireless and hardworking in the service of the nation as we continue to build President Duterte’s legacy of building a nation where Filipinos are comfortable, safe and secure,” he added.

The third quarter survey was conducted by SWS using faceto-face interviews of 1,800 adults nationwide. It had sampling error margins of ±2.3 percent for national percentages, ±4 percent each for Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila and the Visayas. n

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 12-15, 2019

A

US prof uses jail experience to change PH justice system

by EunicE

BarBara Inquirer.net

novio

WHEN he was 20 years old, Raymund Narag from Cagayan Valley had his life mapped out: working in the best company; raising a family; further studies, or anything that would lead to a better life.

Anyway, he was a cum laude with a degree in public administration at the University of the Philippines in 1995. But things did not go as planned.

A few days before graduation, a “frat-war” erupted between two rival fraternities, which left one man dead. Narag, was a member of one of the fraternities. He was charged with murder, two counts of frustrated murder, and three counts of attempted murder. Instead of a toga, he wore an orange

Philippine Marines secure a beach while conducting an amphibious raid during KAMANDAG 2 on Philippine Marine Corps base Gregorio Lim, Philippines, Oct. 8, 2018.

Photo by U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Christian Ayers.

US, PH, Japan troops join Kamandag 3 exercises MORE than 2,000 troops from the Philippines, the United States and Japan will participate in the third annual Kamandag exercises that will start on Wednesday, October 9.

Cpt. Felix Serapio, Philippine Marine spokesman, on Tuesday.

October 8. said 1,400 servicemen from the U.S., 600 from the Philippines and 100 from Japan would join the exercises.

Serapio added that Tokyo’s Ground Self-Defense Force Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, a marine unit responsible for conducting amphibious operations, would represent Japan. “[The exercises] will be a

building of friendly alliances and developing our cooperation as stakeholders to regional peace and development in our region, especially in Southeast Asia, and we will also be joined by our allies from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, [which will be more focused on] capability enhancement and development with regards to humanitarian response and disaster relief operations,” he told reporters.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila earlier said this year’s Kamandag exercises would focus on urban operations, live-fire training, aviation operations, and counter-terrorism response operations. The embassy added that the Japanese forces would train alongside American and Filipino

PAGE A1 t Resource for Health Deployment Program or HRHDP. This year, HRHDP has a total budget of P12.37 billion — P8.5 billion from the DoH and P3.8 billion drawn from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF), which is controlled by the Department of Budget.

For 2020, a measly P2.4 billion was proposed for HRHDP under the DOH budget.

There is, however, a pledged augmentation of P7 billion from the MPBF. The P2.4-billion fund from the DoH will only cover the continued employment of 3,854 nurses out of the 17,293 deployed this year. With the fund coming from the MPBF, 10,186 nurses would be hired and rehired in 2020.

Under this best scenario, 7,107 nurses will still be given pink slips next year, the senator warned.

“Hindi lang (Not just) nurses.

Wipeout din ang ilang dentista (dentists will be wiped out), from the current 202 to zero next year,” Recto said.

“Gan’un din sa mga medi-

cal technologists, mula sa 597 na kasalukuyang naka-deploy to zero in 2020 (Medical technologists will also be affected, from 257 to zero in 2020),” he added.

“Lahat-lahat, tinataya ng DoH na 10,921 na health personnel who are currently employed by the program ang masisisante sa 2020 (The DOH estimates that 10,921 health personnel will lose their jobs in 2020). This is equivalent to 4 in 10 — a plague-like 40 percent casualty rate,” Recto said.

To avert a massive dismissal of health workers, the senator said the HRHDP budget should be raised to P16 billion.

“We have to do this because the health professional deployment and dispersal program is one of the lynchpins of the Universal Health Care (UHC) program. Thus, the UHC should be launched with a great leap forward in the number of doctors, nurses, dentists, midwives, medical technologists and other health workers to unserved and underserved, poor and far-flung areas,” the legislator explained. n

by DEmpsEy

rEyEs ManilaTimes.net

7,107 nurses to lose jobs...

counterparts in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

A new addition to this year’s Kamandag is the joint amphibious vehicle training by the U.S., Philippines and Japan, as well as low-altitude air defense training and threat reaction training by the Philippines and the U.S. The Philippine Marines will use its newly acquired amphibious assault vehicles from South Korea and its artillery assets during the exercises, Serapio said. n

Raymund Narag while doing a lecture in the Philippines.

T-shirt with a large ‘P’ at the back “I was wrongly accused and – a badge of shame. languished in jail for almost seven Is he an ex-convict? No. He was years. I was in jail in 1995. I was not convicted of any crimes. released in 2002. I was then 27.

I lost the best years of my life,” Narag said.

Narag is now nan assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He is also an author.

Narag’s unjust time in jail has now become his beacon for improving the Philippine penal and justice system.

Emigration In 2005 Narag was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. He finished his master’s and doctorate degrees in Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. His expertise: the dynamics of the criminal justice system, as well as communitybased approaches that mitigate the proliferation of crime and delinquency.

“I used my experiences in jail

Raymund Narag, his wife, Shella, and three daughters.

Contributed photos

u PAGE A4

A october 12-15, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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Jollibee named corporation of the year...

As vaping illnesses rise, so do pleas to quit-smoking help lines PAGE A1 t

by AnnA

AlmendrAlA Kaiser Health News

“I stopped for a few days and then I ended up buying new pods. the withdrawals got to me.”

“My friends are the ones who got me into vaping. And they think I shouldn’t stop, but I want to because I don’t want to hurt my family if I get sick.”

“I feel like I get winded easily and I just know it’s not good for me. I want to quit so bad but it’s really hard when all your friends are vaping around you.” these are just a few of the messages that teen vapers texted in september to the new “My Life, My Quit” program, which offers phone, text and chat lines to young people trying to quit smoking in 13 states. even though “quitlines” were designed to help people kick cigarette habits, calls and texts from people who use e-cigarettes are climbing as more people fall ill with a mysterious and devastating respiratory illness linked to vaping.

Health officials are investigat-

ing 1,299 cases in 49 states and the district of Columbia, including at least 26 deaths. In California, more than 120 residents have fallen ill, at least three of whom died, according to the California department of public Health. the department in september called on everyone to refrain from vaping, “no matter the substance or source,” while the investigations continue. the Centers for disease Control and prevention also advised people to “consider refraining” from using e-cigarette products, especially those that contain tHC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, which has been linked to most of the illnesses. the rise in calls to help lines means the message is penetrating, said stanton Glantz, director of the University of California-san Francisco Center for tobacco Control Research and education. “the more we learn about ecigarettes, the more dangerous they look,” Glantz said. “Callers are right to be worried, frankly.”

optum, which operates tobacco quitlines for 23 states and the district of Columbia and for more than 1,000 employers, logged a 50% increase in callers asking for help to quit vaping since the CdC released its first report on the illnesses in early september, said seth serxner, the company’s chief health officer. the majority of state quitlines are run by optum or National Jewish Health, a respiratory research hospital in denver, whose My Life, My Quit program is aimed at youths. National Jewish Health runs help lines for 16 states — not all of which offer My Life, My Quit — enrolling about 100,000 people each year into tobacco cessation programs. the quitlines are publicly funded, and the counseling is free.

Almost 20% of callers to optum’s help lines said they used vapes, up from 3% during the same period in 2015, serxner said. “people are going, ‘Whoa, I didn’t know this was that bad for

u PAGE A5

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Luis Velasco (center), international marketing head for Jollibee Foods Corporation USA, is joined by colleagues as he accepts the Los Angeles Asian Business Association’s Corporation of the Year award on behalf of Jollibee during the ABA’s 43rd annual awards banquet on Thursday, October 10.

like Chicken Joy across the United states with 150 new stores eyed by 2023.

It recently opened two new California locations at the beginning of the fall, one in Hayward and another in Artesia, bringing the total to 46 stores in North America within the past 21 years. the company has expressed its goals of being among the top five restaurant groups in the world. on thursday night, the ABA also honored Alex Zhou of Yamibuy as entrepreneur of the

Year; 7 Leaves Café with Visionary Company of the Year; tAWA Group (99 Ranch Market) with Community Impact of the Year; and edward A. simon II of California American Water as Advocate of the Year.

“We want to showcase the success of our honorees in bringing about a positive experience for many Asian Americans. these businesses are well-known throughout the Asian American community and are vital to many of our community members,” said ABA executive director and Ceo dennis J. Huang. n

Fire season underway in California as flames ignite...

IMMIGRATION

• Family and employment based green cards • Business and Investor Visas • Deportation defense • Motions to Reopen • Appeals • Humanitarian Reinstatement of revoked petition • Naturalization • H-1B and student visas

He added, “our story began in 1975 as a small ice cream house in the philippines. our founder and chairman, tony tan Caktiong, always had a vision of someday making it big around the world. He initially set the goal of being the biggest restaurant company in Asia, an audacious goal that nobody believed could ever be achieved.” today, JFC operates in 21 countries with over 4,600 stores globally — Jollibee comprises 1,300 stores alone.

In addition to Jollibee, JFC has 15 other brands and franchises under its wing both domestically in the philippines and abroad, such as smashburger, tortas Frontera, tim Ho Wan, Red Ribbon and Chowking.

In late september, the company completed its completed its $350-million acquisition of American beverage and food retailer Coffee Bean and tea Leaf, marking the company’s largest acquisition to date.

Coffee Bean and tea Leaf will be the company’s second largest business after Jollibee. It will add 14% to Jollibee’s global sales and 26% to its total store network. It will also boost the share of Jollibee’s international business to 36% of worldwide sales.

Jollibee — which will have its North American headquarters in West Covina, California — has articulated aggressive plans to bring more of its beloved items

Darrick V. Tan, Esq. Licensed in California for over 17 years Licensed in Nevada for over 12 years* UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Cum Laude honors Southwestern University Law School, Juris Doctor Admitted to U.S. District Court, Central District of California Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association Member, Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles Former Member, Board of Governors, Philippine American Bar Association *Inactive

PAGE A1 t Chief deputy david R. Richardson said.

As of press time, 13% of the fire has been contained. More than 1,000 firefighters are currently battling the fires.

Mandatory evacuations were set in place for at least 13,000 homes in all of porter Ranch from Reseda to de soto, oakridge estates (north of the 210 Freeway), West

of Balboa (north of sesnon to the Ventura County border). porter Ranch resident Caroline Mead told the Asian Journal that she and her family had to evacuate on Friday morning and described the scene in her hometown as “hellish.” the Filipina mother of two said in a phone interview on Friday that her family, like her entire neighborhood, had to retreat to

one of the evacuation centers in their community.

“It doesn’t look as bad as last year, but as we know it’s only the beginning of these fires,” Mead said in a phone interview on Friday. “All our doors and windows were closed, but you could still smell the smoke because it was just all around [our neighborhood.] We evacuated immediate-

PAGE A1 t lution. the eIU noted that the duterte administration’s response to the UNHRC resolution is “probably correct,” noting that the philippines previously rejected $290 million worth of funding from the european Union. “the total value of current overseas development aid at end-2018 stood at ($2.2 billion), with signatories to the Iceland resolution accounting for around ($490 million), which is equivalent to 0.2% of nominal Gdp,” the report read. the philippine government does not need to worry at the macro level but the country’s international reputation would

likely be felt through other channels, such as canceled business investments, the think tank said. despite criticism from the international community, duterte still enjoys “very good” net satisfaction ratings, based on a social Weather stations survey in June. “so far, his outspoken remarks and blunt rejection of overtures by states previously considered allies has not damaged his administration politically, nor has it had an obvious deleterious economic effect,” the eIU said. duterte’s key social policies are not expected to weaken for the rest of his term, the report noted.

“Foreign governments will

continue to decry his demeanour and his direction, but unless China were to shift its position, duterte’s path looks set,” it said.

China had also received criticism from Western countries for its actions in Xinjiang region, where over one million Uighurs and other Muslims have been reportedly held in internment camps. the philippines, along with 36 other countries, responded on behalf of China, commending its “remarkable achievement in the field of human rights.” the U.s., meanwhile, said it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials until Beijing ends its “repression” of Muslim populations. n

China ignores Duterte’s drug war...

u PAGE A5

US prof uses jail experience to change PH...

PAGE A3 t as a jumping board. I published a book about my jail experience upon release. the supreme Court published the book. so, in a way, I went to the U.s. to have a new life and also to become scholar so I can help philippines society, the source of my misery,” Narag explained.

Fitting in a new life Narag felt that American society was open to immigrants. people were accommodating, especially in the academe where diversity is celebrated. But it was learning about Americans’ love and passion for sports that made him feel more welcome. He said that the best way to start a conversation is to ask about people’s sports teams.

“Being on campus and around university students, I learned to cheer our university sports teams, the spartans, especially in basketball and football,” Narag shared.

He said that his expectations of the “concentrated disadvantage” or ghettos in America were far from the conditions lived by informal settlers in the philippines. “the ghettos are considered poor areas in America, but they are nothing like our squatters. that is unforgettable to me–how their poor areas could still be considered rich in our country,” he said.

Raising a family Narag and his wife, shella never hid his past to their daughters now ages 15, 13, and five.

“As much as we can, we try to bring them home so they can see where we grew up, where we lived. so they can see our how different our lifestyles were from theirs,” Narag shared.

He also brought the two older daughters to Bilibid prison to visit his fraternity brothers. “they saw the prisons with their own eyes. I think it made an impression on them. It was quite fun when they visited. We had a karaoke, and they sang. though, they also saw some of the crowding problems in the prison,” Narag said.

In their brief stay in the philippines, the Narag kids were enrolled at the Up Integrated school.

they were able to experience traffic and pollution, which are part of the everyday struggles of the Filipinos. But the kids learned to appreciate Filipino culture, which made them understand life in the philippines.

Advocacy despite residing and teaching in the states, Narag comes home often to conduct training and workshops. He also plans to offer online programs later to reach more audiences in the philippines.

He was a visiting professor at the University of the philippines where he taught about the philippine justice system and its challenges, like the lack of judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers that lead to clogged dockets. the philippines also lacks court facilities and buildings, which also affect organizational efficacy. Narag said that these cause hearing postponements as well as leniency and complacency.

Narag said that judicial changes are very difficult because the Filipino culture is based on patronage and feudal thinking.

“It is easy to seek a postponement in the hearings because the judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers are kompanyeros. there must be a sustained effort to professionalize the criminal justice system,” he said.

Narag’s books and scholarly articles written to improve the justice system in the philippines seem unheeded.

“Change is a process. It took decades for this state to evolve, it will equally take decades to undo the problems. structural changes are hard to do: you need to pour in resources to the criminal justice system. Congress should appropriate budgets to the jails, police, courts, etc. You need to attract our young people to devote their careers for the improvement of the criminal justice personnel,” Narag explained.

However, Narag also mentioned that there have been innovations introduced by the supreme Court, such as the Continuous trial, eCourts, and Justice Zones.

“I utilize the structural-organi-

zational-cultural frame of analysis. that is why so many detainees stay in jail for long periods of time and are still un-convicted. so, by using this frame of analysis, I encourage the students to join government service (structural), learn to be efficient (organizational) and be upright ethical actors (cultural),” Narag said.

Narag said that the Filipino society is more forgiving than other societies. the Filipinos have also different views of people who came from prisons. still, Narag lamented that the discourse now in the justice system is centered on punishment and not reform.

An immigrant worker In accepting a teaching job in the U.s., Narag was joining the millions of Filipinos abroad seeking a better life. Yet, his advocacy remains centered in a country that almost destroyed his future.

“We should always look back at our country. this is the struggle in the philippines. so, I educate people on the changes, of the little gains, and also the prospects for a better philippines. some migrants had left the philippines for good because they want a better life. Now that they’ve achieved it, I implore them to look back and see how they can help,” Narag advised.

For Filipinos he has this to say: “the problems are gargantuan, but there are solutions.

If only we could put all our act together, we could be a prosperous country. Walang tutulong sa Filipino kundi kapwa Filipino (No one will help Filipinos but fellow Filipinos).”

Narag’s latest book, Inmate Radicalization and Recruitment in prisons published in 2018 by Routledge discusses “an alternative view that suggests that the imprisonment of a terrorist may mark the beginning of physical disengagement and psychological de-radicalization.” the book is composed of original research in the philippines and case studies from Australia, the U.s., Canada, Indonesia, the UK, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. the book is also available at Amazon. com. n

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Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 12-15, 2019

A

Fire season underway in California as flames ignite... US to citizens in SEA: Get...

PAGE A4 t ly, and I pray that our home is still intact.”

On Friday afternoon, Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn issued a local emergency in response to the Saddleridge Fire which will allow the county to impose emergency operations like order more evacuations and provide “expedited” resources to affected residents and first responders.

“This local emergency proclamation will ensure that our firefighters and first responders have the support, authority and resources they need to protect life and property. I want to thank the firefighters on the front lines of this deadly fire and urge all residents to follow evacuation orders,” Hahn said in a statement.

The Saddleridge Fire prompted

officials to close the following freeways: Southbound 5 Freeway at Calgrove Boulevard, Northbound 5 Freeway at 11 Freeway, Southbound 14 Freeway at Newhall Avenue, Westbound 210 Freeway at 118 Freeway, Northbound 405 Freeway at 118 Freeway, 118 Freeway connector to the westbound 210 Freeway and the 118 Freeway connector to the northbound 405 Freeway.

But the Saddleridge Fire is only one of the several fires that are still threatening communities.

The Sandalwood Fire in Calimesa in Riverside County has so far scorched through 823 acres, and strong Santa Ana winds from the east continue to blow at 30 mph, Riverside County officials said.

That fire is 10% contained as of press time.

Smoke from the multiple fires

also caused officials in LA and Riverside counties to release a smoke advisory, warning residents in and around affected areas of unsafe air quality as the fires continue.

The fires ignited amid Southern California Edison’s decision to cut power of 20,000 homes in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Kern counties due to concern over the Santa Ana winds.

The electric company said it was concerned that power lines could catch fire or existing fires could quickly spread to other parts of the state.

In Northern California, the Eagle Fire in El Cerrito destroyed about 30 acres of land, causing Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to cut electricity for 2 million customers in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Sierra Foothills. (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

rettes, the nation’s most popular brand, could addict them to nicotine, even though it is listed as an ingredient on the package.

“Some people we found did not know that Juul was an e-cigarette, vape or nicotine device,” Hatfield said. “They felt that Juul did not have nicotine in it, and so it couldn’t be the same thing” as an e-cigarette.

The University of California-San Diego runs California’s tobacco quitline (which offers help in English and Spanish) and serves about 30,000 callers a year. It also runs a national help line for people who speak Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean.

Since 2017, the quitline has received a steady increase in calls from people who vape. Most said they were using e-cigarettes to quit or cut down on cigarettes because they thought of vapes as a “better alternative,” said Niki Hoang, a San Diego-based counselor and former smoker who has been with the help line for seven years.

Hoang and her colleagues noticed a change this summer: Callers who used vapes to quit cigarettes are now trying to quit vaping, she said.

And smokers who have never tried vaping are vowing to stay away, saying they don’t want to “be the guinea pig,” according to Hoang.

The summer’s influx of calls prompted the help line to train the California staff — about 60 counselors — on the history of

the devices and how to counsel people who want to quit.

The calls for help are a far cry from 2007, about the time vapes hit the U.S. market and were described as safer than cigarettes.

Millions have started using them since then, including teens and young adults. Recent federal data funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that 25% of this year’s high school seniors and 20% of 10th graders reported vaping nicotine in the past month. That’s more than double the use reported in 2017.

Little research exists on the best strategies to stop vaping, so quitline counselors generally employ techniques they’d use for cigarette addiction.

But there is at least one key difference between smoking and vaping that might make the latter more difficult to quit, said Ylioja of National Jewish Health.

Vapers have an easier time evading restrictions on smoking in indoor spaces or public places because the smell dissipates faster, he said.

That makes it difficult for vapers to make a plan to avoid situations or people sparking future cravings.

“They have a harder time identifying what triggers might be,” Ylioja said. “They were using these products in so many different social situations.”

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

As vaping illnesses rise, so do pleas to...

PAGE A4 t

me,’” he said.

In July, National Jewish Health enrolled 88 people into its cessation program who said they vaped exclusively. In August and September combined, the organization enrolled 457 people who vaped exclusively, more than five times the July figure, said Thomas Ylioja, clinical director for health initiatives at the organization.

Calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW routes callers to counselors in their state, where they can get counseling to help them set quit dates and identify triggers that could lead to a relapse. If clients give permission, counselors follow up with them in the days and weeks after their initial call, when quitting can be most difficult.

Depending on where callers live and what kind of insurance they have, they may qualify for free nicotine replacement therapy, like patches, gum, lozenges or prescription medication.

Vapes and e-cigarettes are not a federally approved treatment for smoking cessation, so help lines have not recommended them to clients to help them quit.

Not all state quitlines are seeing an uptick in calls. Calls from vapers were flat for West Virginia’s help line from July through September compared with the same period in 2018, said Lindsy Hatfield, program director for First Choice Services, which operates the state’s quitline.

But starting in August, Hatfield noticed that some callers didn’t realize that their Juul e-ciga-

PAGE A1 t

“If you will be in the Philippines for more than four weeks, the Philippine government may require you to show proof of polio vaccination before you leave the country,” it added.

To meet this requirement, the CDC advised travelers to get the vaccine between four weeks and 12 months before leaving the country or talk to the doctor about whether this requirement applies to them.

For travelers going to countries with circulating VDPV and who have completed their routine polio vaccine series but have not receive an adult booster dose, the CDC recommends administering a single lifetime inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) booster dose.

“Travelers who will be in the Philippines for more than four weeks may need an additional booster if they received their most recent dose of polio vaccine (completion of routine series or adult booster) more than 12 months before their date of departure from the country of origin,” the CDC said.

Meanwhile, the DOH advised foreigners and balikbayans planning to stay in the country for at least four weeks to get polio vaccine.

“Travelers including foreign nationals and returning Filipinos of all ages, who are planning to stay in the Philippines for four weeks or more and have not received any polio vaccination in the last 12 months, are encouraged to have themselves immunized with a single dose of IPV not later than four weeks before their scheduled travel to the Philippines,” the DOH said.

It advised departing overseas Filipino workers to check if their countries of destination are going to require vaccination certificates.

It clarified there is no travel restriction to the Philippines due to polio.

The International Health Regulations merely issued an advisory urging those traveling in and out of the country to have themselves immunized against polio, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said.

Travelers whose destinations require immunization can receive a dose of IPV before departure and secure an International Certificate of Vaccination from the Bureau of Quarantine.

Those with urgent travel schedule within four weeks are recom-

mended to receive a single dose of IPV at least before departure as this will still provide added protection, particularly for frequent travelers.

The DOH will conduct a synchronized polio vaccination nationwide to prevent the spread of the disease.

Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly disease that affects the nervous system. Proper hand washing can help prevent the spread of the virus.

Because the virus lives in the feces of an infected person, people infected with the disease can spread it to others when they do not wash their hands properly after defecating.

Most people with polio do not feel sick. Some have only minor symptoms such as fever, tiredness, nausea, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, stiffness in the neck and back and pain in the arms and legs.

(Pia Lee-Brago/Philstar.com)

A october 12-15, 2019 • LA WeeKeND ASIAN JoUrNAL

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After long commute, Panelo Manila ‘drug queen’ to face murder, drug charges insists no transport crisis by ritChel

Mendiola AJPress

by Christina

Mendez

Philstar.com

MANILA — He started his rush hour commute at 5:15 a.m., taking a roundabout route from Quezon City to Marikina and then on to Manila.

By the time Salvador Panelo arrived for work at Malacañang on Friday, October 11, on the motorcycle of a Good Samaritan who had given him a free ride, the presidential spokesman had been on the road for nearly four hours, which were spent waiting for rides, transferring jeepneys and dodging journalists who had staked him out.

Despite the arduous commute, Panelo stood pat on his assessment that there is no transport crisis in Metro Manila.

After taking on the challenge of critics for him to experience the daily grind of commuters, Panelo admitted there is a traffic problem in the metropolis but not a paralysis of public transportation.

“Walang duda na mayroong traffic crisis pero hindi transportation crisis kasi when you say transportation crisis wala ka nang sinasakyan, paralyzed ang buong traffic (There is no doubt

NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Friday, October 11, said alleged “drug queen” Guia Gomez-Castro will face murder and drug charges.

A murder case has been filed against Castro following a confession from an anonymous witness that Castro allegedly ordered the killing of a “ninja cop” or an officer who recycle confiscated drugs, Eleazar said.

“We have referred a case of murder before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against Guia Gomez Castro dahil nakakuha ng Holding the day’s issue of The Philippine Star, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo sits witness ng kanyang pagpapapaon the entry steps of a jeepney in Cubao, Quezon City as he took on the ‘commute challenge’ tay sa isang kasamahan na ninja on Friday, October 11.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas cops (because a witness came to that there is a traffic crisis but er members of the Cabinet are us and confessed about Castro’s not a transportation crisis, be- used to taking public transport, cause when you say transporta- contrary to how they are being tion crisis, it means you cannot painted by critics.

Having grown up in the streets, get a ride anymore and the whole traffic is paralyzed),” he told re- he said he is used to fighting for a seat when he rides the bus, porters.

Panelo denied that he and jeep, tricycle.

by Cathrine Gonzales He said Transportation Secother members of the Duterte Inquirer.net Cabinet do not sympathize with retary Arthur Tugade, who is a billionaire, rides public transporthe riding public.

SILANG, Cavite — The first He said he accepted the com- tation. counterterrorism training center Panelo acknowledged that mute challenge to prove that there is no paralysis in the mass commuters should not be experi- in Southeast Asia, which will be encing inconveniences when tak- funded by the United States, will transport system. soon rise at Camp General MariPanelo noted that he and oth- ing public transportation.

He praised Filipinos for their ano Castañeda in Silang town, “creativity” in handling the traf- Cavite province.

United States Ambassador to fic situation, maintaining that he is not being insensitive to the the Philippines Sung Kim and Philippine National Police Chief plight of commuters.

Oscar Albayalde led on Friday, 4-hour commute Panelo started his four-hour October 11, the groundbreaking travel to Malacañang before day- ceremony for the Regional Counbreak, taking four jeepneys and a ter Terrorism Training Center set motorcycle ride in a roundabout to be constructed this year in the route that took him to Marikina same site as that of the Philippine National Police Academy. and back to Manila.

The center will focus on He left his son’s residence in New Manila at around 5:15 strengthening U.S. and Philipa.m., walked 15 minutes to the pine commitment against terrormain road between Gilmore and ism.

Albayalde said the PNP is Balete Drive for his first jeepney ride. He arrived in Malacañang at grateful to the U.S. government 8:46 a.m. or 46 minutes after the for allotting a total of P520 million to establish and jointly operhour government work starts.

Panelo explained at a news ate the center, which is designed briefing that he planned to leave to boost counterterrorism cafrom his house in Marikina, but pabilities of police forces in the he slept at his son’s home in New Asia Pacific region.

Some P350 million of the U.S. Manila, so he started his comallocation is for the main facility, mute from there.

From New Manila, he headed while the balance would be for maintenance and operations. u PAGE A10 Albayalde said the U.S. government “is always ready” to

order to kill her),” said Eleazar after the distribution ceremony of ATM cards and Philhealth cards for police trainees at the NCRPO headquarters in Taguig City.

The NCRPO also gave confirmation that Castro was the alleged mastermind in the murder of police officer Roderick Valencia, who allegedly failed to remit alleged earnings from illegal drug transactions to Castro in 2011.

The police added that the witness was ordered to hire a gunman by Castro to kill Valencia.

Castro will also be facing a complaint for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; however, more evidence is being collected by the NCRPO, the police chief said.

Castro’s husband and brother will be facing drug cases as well.

“Kinukumpleto namin yung documentation (We are completing the documentation). We will be filing cases for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act against Guia, her husband and pati na rin kapatid (and her brother),” Eleazar said.

He added, “We are completing documentation and hopefully by next week we will refer this to City Prosecutor’s Office of Manila.”

Castro, the former captain of Barangay 484, Zone 48, is still in the United States along with her husband and brother. Castro left the country last September 21 on a flight to Bangkok, Thailand and then flew to Taiwan and then to the U.S. on September 25. n

Southeast Asia’s 1st counterterrorism center finds home in Philippines

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim (third from the left) and PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde (fourth from the left) lead groundbreaking ceremony for the first counterterrorism training center in Southeast Asia on Friday, October 11, at Camp Gen. Mariano Castañeda in Silang, Cavite.

Inquirer.net photo by Cathrine Gonzales

help the PNP in fighting terror.

Albayalde said the training program that would be the center’s feature would boost efforts to fight both domestic and transnational terrorism.

On August 15, the PNP and the U.S. Embassy signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the training center in the Philippines, which is set to be completed by the end of 2021.

Kim described the training facility as a “very special accomplishment” for the US government and the PNP.

The ambassador said being the only one in the Pacific region, the training center would show the Philippines’ “regional leadership” in the fight against terror.

The project, according to Kim, “reflects the enduring U.S. commitment to support the Philippines’ counterterrorism efforts.”

It also showed U.S. commitment to work with regional partners to “address threats to peace and security in the whole region,” Kim said. n

DOLE eyes repatriation of Filipinos in Hong Kong

by WilliaM

depasupil ManilaTimes.net

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has not ruled out the repatriation of more than 300,000 Filipino workers in Hong Kong in the face of escalating protests in the former British territory, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Wednesday, October 9.

Bello said the Labor department is closely coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in monitoring the situation in the region.

Should there be a military crackdown on protesters, the government will implement its “voluntary repatriation” policy,

the Labor chief said. But if the situation worsens, the government will have no option but to bring Filipinos home.

“We are not setting aside the possible mandatory or force repatriation if the peace and order situation worsens,” Bello said.

He advised Filipinos not to go to Hong Kong unless necessary until the situation there has normalized.

“We are again urging all our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) in Hong Kong to exercise caution by staying indoors and keeping away from the locations where protest activities are taking place,” the labor chief said.

He also called on Filipinos in

Hong Kong not to wear black or white shirts so as not to be mistaken as protesters.

The implementation of voluntary or force repatriation depends on the level of alert the DFA will set on a troubled area.

A total deployment ban is declared if the peace and order situation is unstable.

Alert level 4 requires mandatory repatriation and a total ban on the deployment of OFWs. Alert level 3 requires voluntary repatriation and also a total ban on OFW deployment.

Alert level 2 is raised when violent disturbances occur in a limited area, while alert level 1 means Filipinos should take all precautions for their safety. n

DOH chief signs IRR of Universal Health Care

by Mayen JayMalin Philstar.com

MANILA — With a required funding of P1.5 trillion until 2024, the government is eyeing a progressive implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III signed on Friday, October 11 its implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

“The implementation of the law is going to be universal in scope, but progressive in rollout,” Duque said.

He said the issuance of the IRR would pave the way for the implementation of a holistic health According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, free hospitalization covers ward or basic accommodation in public or private hospital for any disease covered by PhilHealth. care system for every Filipino.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban Under Republic Act 11223 or the UHC law, all Filipinos are au- been signed,” Duque said, citing transition period until the people tomatically enrolled in the Phil- the challenges in its implemen- can fully avail of the no balance billing. ippine Health Insurance Corp. tation.

The health chief said P257 bilWhile the law is yet to be fully (PhilHealth) and will be eligible to “No Balance Billing” or free lion is needed in the first year of realized, Duque said patients the law’s implementation, with would have to shell out a little hospitalization.

According to Duque, free hos- incremental increases of about money from their own pocket pitalization covers ward or basic 10 to 15 percent per year for a when seeking medical services.

Duque said PhilHealth memaccommodation in public or pri- total of P1.5 trillion until 2024.

At this time, Duque said Phil- bers would have to pay 0.25 vate hospital for any disease covHealth could only afford to cover percent increase in premium to ered by PhilHealth.

Duque said the availability 75 to 85 percent of members’ be shared by the worker and the employer. of basic ward accommodation hospitalization expenses.

The government targets to PhilHealth president Ricardo would be ensured through prescribed basic-private bed ratios: cover 100 percent, but Health Morales assured the public that 90:10 for public health facilities, Undersecretary Mario Villaverde with the implementation of the 70:30 for public specialty health said it would take several years UHC next January, the agency will be providing health benefits facilities and a minimum of 10:90 to make it a reality.

“That’s why we are pilot-test- even to indirect or non-paying for private hospitals.

But he said the public could ing it first in 33 incubation sites members.

“We have P100,000 health not fully enjoy the benefits of the nationwide so we can study how to improve the implemen- package for breast cancer that UHC law all at once.

“The universal health care is tation of the UHC law,” he ex- will be available to all, even indigents who cannot pay preminot as if it’s going to happen like plained.

Villaverde said there will be a ums,” Morales said. n magic the moment the IRR has

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A

PH to be ‘international lawbreaker’ Mary Jane Veloso finally tells her story in court if death penalty revived — expert as SC allows taking of her written testimony

by Ratziel

San Juan Philstar.com

MANILA — An expert on international law on Thursday, October 10, said that if the Philippines would be in violation of an international treaty if it brings back capital punishment.

Professor William Schabas pointed out in a livestreamed speech at the National Congress Against the Death Penalty that the Philippines ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 1986 and the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR in 2007.

Schabas has taught international law and human rights in universities across more than five countries. His writings on capital punishment have been cited in judgments by national and international tribunals, including the supreme Courts of the Philippines, the United States, and Canada.

By signing the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, the Philippines voluntarily bound itself not to revive the death penalty. The protocol took effect on Feb. 20, 2008.

Reviving the death penalty would mean the Philippines would be unable to enter future international treaties because it would earn a reputation globally as a country unable to abide by its word, Schabas said.

In March 2018, the Philippines announced the withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute, which created the International Criminal Court, after the tribunal’s chief prosecutor launched a preliminary examination into alleged crimes against humanity linked to the government’s “war on drugs.”

Schabas said that in ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, “the Philippines knew that this was a permanent commitment and that it was impossible to return.”

“That was known to the government,” he stressed.

The House of Representatives on March 7, 2017 approved on third and final reading House Bill 4727, which, if passed into law, would revive the death penalty for drug-related crimes.

However, the proposed law — if enacted — can be amended to include other crimes in its scope.

A total of 19 bills in Congress seek to reinforce capital punish-

by KRiStine Joy

Philstar.com

Professor William Schabas on Oct. 10, 2019 said that if the Philippines reimposed capital punishment, the country would be in violation of an international treaty.

Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

ment in the Philippines. Seven bills were filed in the Senate, while 12 were filed in the House of Representatives.

Consequences The problem is most treaties don’t have claws against states that wish to withdraw from these, Schabas said.

“I don’t think that anyone should be dismissive or cavalier about this harm [left by a] state that deliberately and clearly defies its treaty obligations.”

If the Philippines goes ahead with its death penalty measure, it would be the first country after North Korea to openly challenge a global treaty and would be known worldwide as an international outlaw, the professor said.

Global treaties cover not only capital punishment but a whole range of other topics. Regardless of nature, the Philippines would have trouble entering any future treaties if it earns a reputation as an “international outlaw,” Schabas said.

“Now it may come as a disappointment to some people in the Philippines to realize that the government in 2007 made a commitment that could not be changed,” Schabas said. “[But] it was well informed of what the consequences were when it ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Death penalty in the Philippines The Philippines in 1987 became the first Asian country to abolish capital punishment.

Death penalty convictions were reduced to reclusion perpetua, or a sentence of from 20 to 40 years.

However, Republic Act 7659 in 1993 revived the death penalty as a punishment for 21 heinous crimes.

The Philippines set a new record in 2006 when it became the first country to abolish and revive capital punishment and then abolish it again through RA 9346.

Punishment for death penalty convictions then were reduced to reclusion perpetua.

The Philippines, during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR without reservations.

The protocol commits signatory states to never execute any person within their government’s jurisdiction and to take the necessary steps to abolish all death penalty measures.

It states: “No reservation is admissible to the present Protocol, except for a reservation made at the time of ratification or accession that provides for the application of the death penalty in time of war pursuant to a conviction for a most serious crime of a military nature committed during wartime.”

Despite the Philippines being a party to the treaty, President Rodrigo Duterte placed the reinstatement of death penalty among his administration’s legal agenda, urging lawmakers to draft the law.

u PAGE A9

Patag

MANILA — Mary Jane Veloso will finally tell her story in court.

The Supreme Court’s Third Division in a hearing last October 9 granted the petition for certiorari filed by Mary Jane’s parents, through the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.

The high court reversed and set aside the Court of Appeals ruling that blocked the appeal to allow a local judge to observe the deposition of Veloso’s testimony.

A deposition is a witness’ testimony taken outside court.

In a ruling in December 2017, the appellate court granted the petition filed by Veloso’s detained recruiters, Ma. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacalinao, seeking to block a Nueva Ecija court’s ruling to allow a local judge to take Veloso’s testimony through deposition.

But the SC said that “disallowing the written interrogatories will curtail Mary Jane’s right to due process.”

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando penned the ruling.

SC: No grave abuse of discretion on RTC’s ruling The SC reaffirmed with modification the ruling issued by a Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 88 resolution dated Aug. 16, 2016, that allowed Judge Anarica Castillo-Reyes to observe Veloso’s deposition in Indonesia.

It said that the RTC did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it handed down the resolution “in light of conditions of Mary Jane’s reprieve and her imprisonment in Indonesia.”

Mary Jane’s parents, Celia and Cesar Veloso, through the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, asked the SC on Monday to reverse and set aside the Court of Appeals ruling that blocked the appeal to allow a local judge to observe the deposition of Veloso’s testimony.

Philstar.com photo by Miguel De Guzman

It found that there is “reversible error” in the appellate when it reversed the trial court’s ruling citing Section 15, Rule 119 of the Rules of Court, that holds that prosecution witnesses “may forthwith be conditionally examined before the court where the case is pending.”

But the high court pointed out that Mary Jane “cannot even take a single step out of the prison facility of her own volition without

facing severe consequence.”

The high court also said that the CA, when it barred taking Mary Jane’s testimony through deposition, “strictly and rigidly applied and interpreted” the said provision of the Rules of Court “without taking into consideration the concomitant right of due process of Mary Jane and the State as well as the prejudice that will be caused to Mary

u PAGE A10

A8 OCTOBER 12-15, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

Weakened competitiveness

FEATURES

THE latest Global Competitiveness Report prepared by the World Economic Forum should give urgency to the need for reforms in several sectors. As reported by WEF local partner Makati Business Club, the Philippines saw an eight-point drop in its ranking, placing 64th out of 141 economies from last year’s 56th place in the Global Competitiveness Index.

The Philippines suffered the biggest drop in terms of information and communications technology adoption, falling from 67th to 88th place. Because of last year’s inflation, the country’s ranking in macroeconomic stability also fell from 43rd to 55th place.

The lowest competitiveness ranking, however, was registered in the pillar of health, with the country placing 102nd. This was attributed to a decrease in the life expectancy from 67.6 years in 2018 to 65.6 years.

Globally, Singapore topped the Competitiveness Index, followed by the United States, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark. Chad was ranked the least competitive state at 141st place.

The other pillars in the Global Competitiveness Index are institutions, infrastructure, skills, prod-

uct market, labor market, financial system, market size, business dynamism and innovation capability.

Among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the rankings tracked levels of economic development, with Singapore again at the top. Malaysia placed 27th, Thailand 40th, Indonesia 50th and Brunei 56th. The Philippines, placing sixth in ASEAN, was just ahead of Vietnam, which is fast catching up at 67th place; Cambodia, which placed 106th, and Lao PDR at 113th. Myanmar was not included.

The rankings are the latest validation of the country’s progressive slip from becoming an economic leader in Asia over half a century ago to middling status. Vietnam is close on the Philippines’ heels. Without much-needed reforms, the Philippines could slip further down the competitiveness ranks. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

‘Kept: Six Decades of Servitude’ puts a spotlight on the servitude many Filipinos endure in the US The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS IT HAS BEEN a part of the Filipino culture to think not only of one’s self, but what will be good for the family. This is also a very Asian value — that communal feeling and mindset that makes one’s personal dreams and desires take a back seat to the what is the consensus among the community.

This is the reason why young children in their early teens who are born in the provinces of the Philippines agree to work in Manila as “katulong” or “kasambahay,” leaving behind the farm life just to earn money to send back home to their families.

I am sure you have had this experience yourself or have known a lot of families whose domestic helpers have lived with them since they were little children and have kept them as their

own kasamabay or yaya for their own children.

This is the same spirit and aspiration behind Filipinos who go to other countries, leaving behind their own children to take care of the children of others just so they can give their families better opportunities than they ever had growing up in the Philippines.

Yes, there are great success stories and they become the superstar of their barrios when they go home with pasalubong of one big can of biscuits from Manila. They are able to send their siblings to schools and build better homes for their parents.

The same success stories of kababayans earning much much more as domestic helpers abroad become the envy of their neighbors because they can afford to send the latest gadgets to their children, send them to private schools, and build Italian-looking homes.

But not all stories have happy endings. In fact, a lot of them are kept hidden because of shame, because of commitments to their families they do

not want to disappoint, and so they endure the heartaches and abuses for years, even decades.

Some die without their families really knowing what they had to go through just to give them a better life.

On October 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday), The Filipino Channel will air “Kept: Six Decades of Servitude”, a documentary that tells the story of Nanay Fedelina.

At 16 years old, Fedelina went to work for a family in the Philippines, just like many kababayans did. Unfortunately, this family she worked for forced her into a life of servitude and abuse.

For more than 60 years and across the world in the United States, away from her family, Fedelina lived what we could probably call an American nightmare in the hands of her kapwa Filipino.

But now, after six decades, Fedelina is finally free.

Kudos to my colleagues behind this original documentary: Writer/Producer - Steve Angeles; Director of Photography - Jeremiah Ysip; Editor - Danny Manansala; Graphics/Anima-

Ambassador Romualdez shakes hands with Nanay Fedelina, an 83-year-old woman who was recently granted freedom after being trafficked and abused by a Filipino family for 65 years, during a meeting at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 15. She was joined by Consul General Adelio Cruz and Pilipino Workers Center operations manager Malou Villacisneros and Executive Director Aquilina Soriano Versoza.

Photos courtesy of Benjamin Garcia-Ascue/Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles

tion - Mike Carrion; Executive Producer - Troy Espera; Public Relations - Pia Lopezbanos Carrion; and Content Marketing Moselle Grace Lazatin-Cabral.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO

TELL?

***

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms,

including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community. You may contact her through email at gelrelos@icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos.

Duterte ushers in a new era: An independent foreign policy

Commentary

RIGOBERTO D. TIGLAO PRESIDENT Duterte’s official trip last week to Russia combined with his two visits to China — both adversaries to the U.S. in different degrees at different times and different spheres — marks the dawning of a new era for our nation: Independence from the U.S., which has subjugated the country in various forms since it aborted our freedom at the turn of the century.

Unless the Yellow Cult manages by some miracle to grab power and reverse Duterte’s assertion of our sovereignty, that is. After all, the Yellow Cult’s founders Ninoy and his widow, President Cory, as well as their son Noynoy, were so slavish to the U.S. Think about it. The President’s official visits abroad signal our stance in our relationship to the world, and especially to its superpowers. In the case of Corazon Aquino, the dust of the EDSA Revolution had hardly settled before she made her first official visit to the U.S., practically acknowledging her indebtedness to the Americans for putting her in power. Her son Benigno III’s first trip abroad as a president was to the U.S., a few months after he assumed power.

Has Duterte visited the U.S.?

No, and I don’t think he ever will, the first Philippine president who would not “report” as a vassal to

the superpower.

Duterte’s two visits to China made him an easy target of the Yellows’ black propaganda, that he was the Asian superpower’s puppet. However, his forging of close ties to Russia last week, given the existing strong economic and cultural ties with the US, put us equidistant, as it were, to the world’s three competing superpowers, a pose that announces to the world: “The Philippines cannot be a vassal of any state,” an assertion depicted in an inspired Manila Times editorial cartoon.

Separation Duterte in fact announced his “pivot” to independence early in his administration. In his first visit to China in October 2016, in of all places, Beijing, he said in a speech at a forum in the Great Hall of the People, attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli: “In this venue, your honors, I announce my separation from the United States…Both in military, not maybe social, but economics also. America has lost.”

Duterte even added, using his fondness for hyperbole: “I’ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to [President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world — China, Philippines and Russia.

It’s the only way.”

Obviously shocked after Duterte made those statements, State Department spokesman John Kirby said arrogantly: “We are going to be seeking an explanation of

exactly what the President meant when he talked about separation from the U.S.” This is the real reason why nearly all U.S. media, Rappler’s Maria Ressa (an American citizen) and other entities funded by U.S. propaganda machines have been unrelenting in claiming that Duterte and his government has been on a spree of extrajudicial killings, even spreading the outrages black-prop that he is a ruthless tyrant.

Other than the hope of creating public outrage enough to overthrow him, the U.S. and its operatives are saying we don’t really need Duterte as he is woven of the same cloth as the other bloody ruler, Russian President Putin.

Geopolitics Indeed, a Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist pretending to be an expert in geopolitics in an opinion piece in an Asian newspaper even astonishingly claimed that Duterte is simply Putin’s copycat: “The Philippine leader has drawn heavily from the playbook of a man he once described as his ‘favorite hero’.” Duterte with his style of strongman governance in Davao City in the 1980s was aping somebody who was at the time a covert KGB agent in Germany?

For us to “separate” from the U.S. is inconceivable to our elites.

That same Inquirer writer for instance demonstrated such intellectual incapacity to even imagine that it is possible for us to have a foreign policy not tied to the U.S., when he had his column

titled “Duterte’s foreign policy” contain solely blank space. Those who think so are of such small minds that it cannot comprehend the entire new world Duterte has opened up for us.

I don’t think most Filipinos know how much the U.S. has made us its vassal since the turn of the century, even after it “gave” us independence in 1946 — which was even the result of American farm lobby that wanted assurances that Philippine agricultural products would never again enter the U.S. duty free, which they did as a U.S. territory.

The leaked U.S. State Department files, CIA documents released because of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, and information disclosed in a 2017 PhD thesis (by Joseph Scalice at the University of California, Berkeley, titled “Crisis of Revolutionary Leadership: Martial Law and the Communist Parties of the Philippines,” 1957-1974) that accessed secret State Department data reveal that even many of our revered leaders, even the Yellow’s martyr Ninoy Aquino, even those with the reputation of being staunch nationalists, made sure to report their plans to U.S. Embassy officials.

EDSA 1 Thirty years after EDSA 1, we know for a fact that it was the American “Deep State” which plotted Marcos’ overthrow, in defiance of President Reagan’s earlier stance of being loyal to his “friend.” Marcos as strong-

man had become a risk not just in terms of fending off a communist revolution, but in losing the U.S. military bases, whose lease was to expire in 1991.

And as I have written based not on conjecture but on hard data, our conflict with China, starting with the Scarborough Shoal standoff up to the filing of an arbitration suit based on the UN Law of the Sea, was the result of Machiavellian maneuvering by the U.S. that used us as a proxy.

Why was this important to the U.S.? President Barack Obama announced and implemented the U.S. “Pivot to Asia” policy in 2011, a move to reassert US hegemony in Asia to contain the rise of the new superpower, China, and the latter’s influence, especially in Southeast Asia, all of which are littoral states of the South China Sea. The U.S. “Pivot to Asia” required the demonization of China as an expansionist power in the region, an international-law ruling of sorts to make the South China Sea mostly international waters which would make it “more legal” for U.S. warships to patrol that area to project its power, and a better system for deploying the U.S. military from our country, in case of a war with China.

Just a year after the “Pivot to Asia” announcement, we were confronting China at Scarborough Shoal in 2012, triggered by President Aquino’s deployment against Chinese fishermen of a refurbished warship the U.S. do-

nated to the Philippine Navy.

Intervention Fooled by a U.S. diplomat, we left the Shoal and thereby lost it. Aquino begged for U.S. military intervention. He was told to instead file a case in an international venue, recommending a Washington-based top-notch law firm (Foley Hoag). With the U.S. probably frightening him that the China might just invade the Philippines, Aquino in 2014 agreed to enter into what was euphemistically called the “Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” which would allow the Americans to pre-position their war materiel on our military camps, so their navy and marines would have ready supplies in case of a war or a skirmish against China in the South China Sea. In 2016, the arbitral tribunal made its ruling. Its most important ruling was that it in effect declared most of the South China Sea to be international waters.

Did it benefit us? Why, we even lost a huge tract of our exclusive economic zone and our Kalayaan Group of Islands, as I have explained in detail in previous columns. If not for Duterte’s pivot away from the U.S., we would have been at odds with the superpower in the region, losing the world’s biggest market, to the delight of our competitor-neighbors.

Such is the cost of subservience to the U.S., which Duterte is struggling to get out of. (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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OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OctObER 12-15, 2019

SENATE HEARING ON “NINJA COPS”. Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Alan Purisima (left), and former Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon) director Raul Delfin Petrasanta (right) take their oath during the hearing on the alleged involvement of “ninja cops” in the controversial 2013 anti-illegal drugs raid in Pampanga, held at the Senate on Wednesday, October 9. The Senate investigation was presided by Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Manila Water denies impending 780% rate hike MANILA — Water concessionaire Manila Water clarified that it would not impose a 780% increase in water rates.

Earlier this week, the Ayala-led water service provider warned of a 780% increase in water rates or as much as P26.70 per cubic meter if the Supreme Court would not reverse its decision.

The high court recently upheld its decision to fine Manila Water P921 million for failing to complete its sewerage projects by 2009 under the Clean Water Act. “We never stated that it will be an impending increase nor did we make any statement about passing on to consumers,” Manila Water said in a statement on Friday, October 11.

Manila Water clarified that the 780% increase included in their motion for reconsideration to the SC was the supposed cost of building wastewater facilities to comply with the Clean Water Act. Both Manila Water and Mayni-

Manila Water Co. Inc. has warned of a hefty 780% increase in water rates or as much as P26.70 per cubic meter and worse traffic in Metro Manila if the Supreme Court decision issued last August is not reversed.

Philstar.com photo by Boy Santos

lad, as well as the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, have been fined P2 billion for failing to comply with the law.

Sewerage projects were supposed to be completed by 2009 or five years after the Clean Water Act took effect. The water firms will also have a running daily fine of P322,102 until the projects are completed.

“If the concessionaires were to compress into five years as the SC ruling wants what was planned as a 40-year project, the hundreds of billions of pesos required would lead to an increase in the water bill of subscribers, leaving them less money for other necessities and triggering higher inflation,” Manila Water said on Wednesday, October 9. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)

PH to be ‘international lawbreaker’ if...

The bill was consolidated into and substituted by HB 4247, which was passed on third and final reading in March 2017.

Duterte did not include the revival of the death penalty in the priority bills mentioned in his 2019 State of the Nation Address. n

N

MAP NOT TO SCALE

Main St.

The Parkhouse Information Center

Pine Ave.

Archibald Ave.

p

Hellman Ave.

Kimball Ave. Rincon Meadows Ave.

The first bill filed in the 17th Congress after Duterte took office was HB 1 on Jun. 30, 2016.

It sought to repeal RA 9346 and restore death penalty for certain heinous crimes.

Among its authors is former House Speaker and Duterte ally Pantaleon Alvarez.

W. Preserve Loo

“‘Yung hanging, once the spine is ripped off inside, wala na. Just like putting off a light (Kill them by hanging. Once the spine is ripped off inside, they’re gone. Just like putting of a light),” Duterte said in May 2016 during his first press conference since election day.

Euclid Ave.

PAGE A7

Limonite Ave.

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Dateline PhiliPPines

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‘PH should be more competitive’

by Bernadette

tamayo ManilaTimes.net

SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon has urged the government to double up its efforts to make the country more competitive amid the recent decline in the Philippines’ global competitiveness ranking.

The senator noted that the country’s global competitiveness registered an 8-point drop from 56th in 2018 to 64th this year, just ahead of Vietnam (67th) and Cambodia (106th).

“This only shows that we have a lot of catching up to do in order to make the Philippine economy more competitive,” Drilon said.

According to the latest Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Philippine registered the biggest drop in both rank and score on the information and communication technology pillar, placing 88th from 67th last year. The country’s ranking also declined in the area of macro stability, from 43rd to 55th place.

“The government must double

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon ManilaTimes.net photo

up its efforts to make our country more competitive, and in implementing laws that promote fair competition and competitiveness,” Drilon said.

“It is not acceptable that our previous competitor, Thailand, is way ahead of us at 40th place.

We must improve our ranking,”

he said.

The other Southeast Asian countries were way ahead of the Philippines with Singapore being ranked the most competitive globally. Malaysia was at 27th place, Indonesia at 50th and Brunei Darussalam at 56th.

“We (Congress) should prioritize economic measures that will put the Philippines at par with other countries in terms of competitiveness, including the immediate passage of the amendments to the Public Service Act and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act,” Drilon said.

Drilon authored two measures seeking to attract foreign investment and open up the market to competition.

Senate Bill (SB) 13 proposes to limit the definition of public utility, while opening up other public services to the market.

SB 14 seeks to further relax foreign restrictions by removing investment categories and setting an across the board minimum paid up capital investment equivalent of $200,000 in Philippine peso. n

Metro Manila cities except Taguig scored medium to high compliance after 60-day road clearing by ratziel

San Juan Philstar.com

MANILA — All local government units in Metro Manila received either a medium or high compliance rating in the campaign to clear public roads, except for Taguig City.

Despite having received a low compliance rating, Taguig City did not fail to comply along with the 16 other cities in the capital region. with the Department of Interior and Local Government’s 60-day road clearing deadline.

The road clearing efforts were in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive pronounced in his fourth State of the Nation Address in July to eliminate road obstructions and reclaim spaces for the public.

The DILG then released Memorandum Circular 2019-121 ordering local government heads 60 days to clear public roads used for commercial reasons or blocked by illegal structures and construction.

Taguig City issued an executive order to intensify their road

Lalaine Yuson shows photos taken shortly after her husband, Batuan Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III, was shot and killed in Manila. The widow threatened to file charges against the police for alleged cover-up.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

Widow of slain vice mayor tags Sandra Cam

THE wife of Batuan, Masbate Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III, who was gunned down in Manila on Thursday, October 10, said she now fears for her life and declared that if something happened to her, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board member Sandra Cam should be blamed.

Lalaine Yuson said two of the four men who attacked her husband were Cam’s henchmen. “‘Pag may nangyari sa akin, si Sandra Cam lang may kagagawan (If something happened to me, it would be the handiwork of Sandra Cam),” Lalaine told reporters.

She said the two other gunmen were police operatives from Masbate.

Lalaine appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte for help, saying Cam is powerful and has ties with top officials.

Duterte appointed Cam as PCSO board member in 2017.

Yuson’s widow also threatened to file charges against police offi-

cers of the Manila Police District’s (MPD’s) station 5 for alleged coverup. She said it took time before authorities could respond to the killing in Sampaloc.

“Para po akong nagka-idea na merong cover-up and switching dahil sa delay (I smell a coverup because of the delay),” she added.

Lalaine expressed dismay with Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., MPD chief, who reportedly advised her to file charges of illegal possession of firearms against the suspects.

But Danao said more charges could be filed against the suspects later.

“Yung nakita mismo sa kanila are the firearms, yan po yung isa nating pwedeng maifile, para lang mahold natin sila (We found firearms and we can file the firearms charges so we can have reason to detain them),” he explained.

Danao said the suspects were positively identified by several witnessess on Friday, October 11.

They are Bradford Solis, Juanito de Luna, Junel Gomez and Rigor dela Cruz.

Unfair Cam, however, denied any involvement in the attack.

“I have nothing to do with the ambush,” she said.

She lamented that her family was being dragged into the crime because her son Marco ran against the victim’s son Charmax Jan Yuson, in the elections in May. Yuson defeated Cam. “It is so unfair that our family is being dragged into this, we’ve moved on from that election,” Cam said in a statement.

She added that while she was “sympathetic with the bereaved family,” Mrs. Yuson’s “imputations and allegations are highly libelous.”

“I commiserate with her loss but Mrs. Yuson doesn’t have the license to malign the reputation of our family. I will act accordingly with that malicious imputation of crime,” Cam said. (ManilaTimes.net)

Duterte defers action on ‘ninja cop’ controversy

by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

This photo taken by the Taguig PIO shows a clearing operations team dismantling a stall obstructing a road. Taguig City is the only city in Metro Manila who did not receive a medium or high compliance rating, according to the DILG’s assessment and validation ratings list dated Oct. 8, 2019.

Contributed photo

clearing efforts, Mayor Lino Cayetano said in a July release.

“As it is, Taguig is already a pedestrian-centered city, but we want to make it even more so. We want to make Taguig an even more walkable city,” Cay-

etano said.

Among the road obstructions were illegally parked vehicles, street vendors, business establishments occupying road portions and illegal public transport terminals. n

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will wait for the Senate to conclude its investigation of the socalled “ninja cops” controversy before taking action on allegations hurled against Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde, Malacañang said on Thursday, October 10.

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo issued the statement after another retired general implicated Albayalde in the 2013 drug operation in Pampanga when the latter was the police chief of the province.

Thirteen police officers under Albayalde were accused of pilfering some 160 kilos of shabu seized from the raid.

On Wednesday, retired police

official Rudy Lacadin told senators that Albayalde called him up to inquire about the case of the so-called “ninja cops,” police officers who recycle seized illegal drugs. Lacadin said Albayalde jokingly admitted that he only got a small portion of the loot.

Albayalde denied Lacadin’s allegations, saying he was being “crucified.”

The PNP chief, who is set to retire on November 8, reiterated that he would leave his fate to the President.

Panelo said Duterte would wait for the result of the Senate probe as well as the recommendations of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who would also conduct his own investigation.

Albayalde on Thursday said

he would sue Lacadin for his damaging statement.

“Lacadin has a lot of explaining to do and he will have his day in court,” the PNP chief said in a statement.

“All those police officials ganging up on me have ill motives against me and obviously all worked with the previous administration,” he added.

Albayalde questioned the timing of the “attack and smear campaign” against him.

He pointed out that no hard evidence was ever presented to prove his direct involvement in the recycling of illegal drugs.

“All statements made remain allegations, insinuations, and unsubstantiated,” he said.

The President earlier said Albayalde should be accorded due process. n

Mary Jane Veloso finally tells her story...

PAGE A7 Jane or the People with its pronouncement.”

SC directs promulgation of rules for transnational cases The high court has ordered Veloso’s deposition before the Philippine Consular Office and officials in Indonesia.

In the same ruling, the tribunal also referred the Office of the Solicitor General’s recommendation to set rules for transnational

cases to its Committee on Revision of Rules.

This is for future transnational cases “where a prosecution’s vital witness in a criminal proceeding is unavailable for reasons other than those listed in Section 15, Rule 119 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure vis-à-vis the enforcement of the accused’s constitutional right to confront witnesses face-to-face,” the SC noted.

Veloso, a mother of two,

claims that she was duped into carrying a suitcase lined with heroin into Indonesia. She was sentenced to death by the government of Indonesia for drug offenses.

Following an appeal from President Benigno Aquino III and the surrender of her alleged recruiters in the Philippines, she was granted a last-minute reprieve before her scheduled execution on April 29, 2015. n

After long commute, Panelo insists...

PAGE A6 to Cubao in a jeepney, then took another ride to Concepcion in Marikina — his original starting point — then back to Cubao from where he was supposed to ride the LRT-2, but he skipped the plan because of the media. He headed to Sta. Mesa instead.

Since he was followed by media, Panelo said he decided to push through with his jeepney ride going to Mendiola through Aurora Boulevard.

Panelo was seen holding a copy of The Star during his commute.

He said commuters should leave home early to arrive at their destination on time.

Panelo draws flak Militant lawmakers slammed Panelo for insisting that there is no traffic crisis in Metro Manila.

The Makabayan bloc led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said Panelo’s taking on the challenge to experience the daily grind of commuters would not solve the traffic crisis.

“Tragically, despite the notso-low profile rides, up till now Secretary Salvador Panelo sorely misses the point of the commute challenge,” Zarate said. “The purpose of the challenge is to show him and the government, and for him to at least experience the hardships that commuters endure for hours of waiting just to get public transport, plus the monstrous traffic to get to school and their workplaces every day.

This worsening problem demands that the government must

tation system.”

Zarate contested the claim of Panelo that there is no crisis in the absence of paralysis of mass transport.

The lawmaker said the Palace official should not twist the definition of crisis, which he said is “a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger” and “does not include paralysis.”

“He should not insist on his definition of crisis because that’s not what it means to our commuters,” Zarate said.

“It took him four hours and four jeepney transfers plus one motorcycle ride to traverse a 25kilometer distance that should only take one hour without the traffic. Isn’t that too much time wasted for ordinary commuters?

If there’s no transport crisis, he could have reached Baguio already with that period of travel,” he added.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said Panelo’s fourhour travel to Malacañang was a clear indication that there is a mass transport crisis that needs to be addressed by the government.

“Congratulations Secretary Panelo for arriving in one piece in Malacañang after nearly four hours of commute! Medyo late na kayo kung government time yan (You’re a bit late if we are going to follow the government work time),” Reyes said.

Netizens said Panelo’s commute challenge was a mere publicity stunt.

said it would take Superman to untangle Metro Manila’s worsening traffic congestion.

Go made the statement during his visit yesterday to fire victims in Sta. Ana, Manila where he also commented on Panelo’s travel to Malacañang.

“For me, the only one who can solve traffic mess is Superman,” he told reporters.

Go said even during his electoral campaign in 2016, President Duterte had declared that the worsening traffic could not be solved.

He said Duterte is no longer keen on seeking emergency powers to address traffic congestion as he only has three years left in his term.

When told of Panelo’s commute, Go said he would prefer to ride his motorbike.

Labor group Defend Job Philippines said Panelo should not deny that commuters have been suffering from transportation crisis.

The group’s spokesman Christian Lloud Magsoy said Panelo got “a dose of his own medicine” after taking on the commute challenge.

Magsoy challenged other government officials, including President Duterte, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Danny Lim and his spokesperson Celine Pialago to commute for one week during rush hour to “see for themselves first-hand the struggles of commuters.” (With reports from Edu Punay, Elizabeth Marcelo, Paolo

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal Fun and laughter keep Jak and Barbie together

By Lhar

Santiago ManilaTimes.net

EVEN if he had a crush on Barbie Forteza from the moment he joined showbiz, never in Jak Roberto’s wildest dreams did he think she’d become his girlfriend.

He was resigned to be just an admirer since she was already a TV star when he met Barbie and he was only starting to make a name in the industry.

Still, being in the same network gave Jak the chance to bump into Barbie every so

often. She’d smile and nod at him, which secretly made his day.

“She didn’t know how happy I was back then pag pinapansin niya ko,” Jak chuckled. “Natotorpe kasi ako because she’s a big star and I felt sino ba naman ako, di’ba?

“But one day we worked together in ‘Maynila’ and that somehow broke the ice. Nagkaka-usap at kwentuhan na kami but I was still too shy to tell her or to even make her feel that I had a crush on her.”

As fate would have it, Jak

was cast in the romantic-comedy series “Meant To Beh,” topbilled by Barbie. He was one of the four guys trying to capture her heart in the prime time show, along with Ken Chan, Ivan Dorschner and Ady Raj. According to Jak, it was being on the set with Barbie three times a week that started it all for them.

“That’s when we became friends and we became close.

We’d talk for hours and learn a lot of things about each other.

Eventually, when we were both comfortable with each other,

Matteo on giving Gerald military training, rumored movie with Sarah

by Jan

MiLo Severo Philstar.com

ACTOR Matteo Guidicelli revealed that he became Gerald Anderson’s instructor for a day during the latter’s military training.

In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Matteo said he was one of the instructors during Gerald’s training in preparation for his role in the upcoming ABS-CBN teleserye “A Soldier’s Heart.”

“Orientation course to get the feel on how it is to be in the military and one of those days, I was the instructor there. Yes, in their group. One day only,” Matteo said.

When asked what he taught Gerald’s group, Matteo said: “I just gave them different military exercises kumbaga.”

He, however, clarified that PAGE B2

Matteo Guidicelli

Photo from Instagram/@matteog

nasabi ko sa kanya na crush ko siya dati pa, and parang wala namang problema sa kanya.”

It was also all that Jak needed to go for it. But no, he didn’t court Barbie.

“Iba ang da moves natin.

Ang niligawan ko, ang parents niya,” Jak revealed with a laugh. “Lagi ko silang kinakausap, bibigyan ng kahit ano na pwedeng magustuhan and I also became close to her parents.

“When I felt that I somehow won them over, that’s when I started pursuing Barbie at eto na nga — kami na,” he added happily.

What the young couple is grateful for is how they’ve been given one project after PAGE B2

Barbie Forteza and Jak Roberto

Photo from Instagram/@jakroberto

B OCTOBER 12-15, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

EntErtainmEnt

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Cherry Pie: Address drugs, The wheatfields of Leny Strobel’s memoir education issues instead of Rhizomes restoring death penalty by

Katrina Hallare

Prosy AbArquezDelAcruz, J.D.

Inquirer.net

FOR actress Cherry Pie Picache, she thinks that addressing drug issues and the lack of education is the solution to ending crime rather than reviving the death penalty back in the country.

“What should really be addressed is the issues of drugs, [the] education of people to get them livelihood, those are the things that you can really address,” Picache said during the “National Congress Against Death Penalty” forum held in Ortigas, Pasig City on Thursday, October 10.

“I think basically, as a normal citizen, going back to the communities, I think what should be done now is the dissemination of information,” she added.

Basing from what she learned, Picache said that people may have want to revive capital punishment for “the safety of the community” due to the prevalence of illegal drugs.

“So what I’m basically saying is I think it’s really important to disseminate and correct the misconception of people that

Cherry Pie Picache reimposes her stance against the revival of capital punishment at the National Congress Against Death Penalty forum in Ortigas, Pasig City on Thursday, October 10.

ABS-CBN photo

it’s an effective deterrent against crime,” Picache pointed out.

Picache is known to be a staunch advocate against the reimposition of capital punishment. She even affirmed her stance as Michael Flores, the suspect who robbed and murdered her mother Zenaida Sison, was sentenced to reclusion perpetua in December 2015.

Despite the gruesome murder, Picache chose to forgive Flores.

“Based on my experience, I think that the killer of my mom thought whether there was go-

ing to be death penalty or not.

He was under the influence of drugs,” she looked back on what happened.

“He [Flores] just really wanted that immediate money to buy more drugs, kill my mother brutally without thinking if he was going to be punished or not,” she added.

“So basically, that’s the state of mind yung sa experience namin [on our experience]. So what I’m saying is that for people to realize that it is not really a very good deterrent against crimes.”

Carlo says he might have led on Angelica by

niña V. Guno Inquirer.net

IT seems the ice has yet to thaw between former lovers Carlo Aquino and Angelica Panganiban, even as Aquino admits he has had some wrongdoing.

He also finally admitted that his girlfriend is Trina Candaza.

Last January, Panganiban said she was avoiding her exboyfriend and “Exes Baggage” co-star after fans’ supposed criticism over her posts about self-love, which some took as a sign that Aquino had soured their relationship.

In March, she said she and Aquino were not on speaking terms after the actor claimed in a separate interview that they were “OK.” An interview on “Tonight Angelica Panganiban and Carlo Aquino have yet to reconcile.

PAGE B3 Photo from Instagram/@jose_liwanag

IF you have walked the Camino de Santiago, you will come across acres and acres of wheatfields. The wheatfields have no shade and you will see colors of yellow-brown as far as the eyes can see on the horizon. They are called mesetas or plateaus found in the high plains of central Spain. You will also find irrigation dams constructed, of course descending columns of water to irrigate these wheatfields.

The pages in Leny Mendoza Strobel’s memoir, “Glimpses: A Poetic Memoir (Through the MDR Generator),” struck me as this plateau of wheatfields.

Read the pages, and embedded are nuggets of her observations, experiences and ref lections.

The memoirs are easy to read, a page at night gets you to discover what she has gone through in her childhood, but not replete w it h detail, it leaves you to imagine what is embedded in those wheatfields, or when she describes a camping trip, she hints at the joy she gets in moving freely in a dance.

Perhaps the weblike designs of lace-liked motifs on the book cover hint at what you will find as a reader. At times, it reminds you a lot of Mother Nature and its offerings, the garden crops she nurtures, or simply what she likes to reflect on daily as she journals.

I met Dr. Leny Strobel during a writing workshop organized

by Mike Gonzalez and a second time in her house with her husband, Cal. I was so impressed that she was already a practicing vegetarian before the organic movement got popularized in the last decade. She prepared a fourcourse meal using produce from her garden, all certifiably organically grown in her gardens.

I could not forget that evening as I had too many vegetables, and enjoyed her cooking so much that the toilet and I became best friends temporarily. I admired her tenacity even then as it took her quite a while to prepare all the entrees by herself.

Should that be our lives — marked by self-reliance, but also connecting in conversation with her husband and a group of friends?

“If you are confused, you must be thinking clearly,” said Fr. Ed de la Torre many decades ago in a lecture in a conference in the U.S. This saying comes to mind as I read Strobel’s memoir, published in 2019, and at the same time, it appeared to be simulating an endless movement of a dance.

If your mind is attuned to how a book is formed, aggregating information and words around a theme for each chapter, there is no such thing in this book.

It is unlike a book, though presented as a paperback of 112 pages. It is a compilation of journal entries containing her feelings, her thoughts and her journey back to the past and her hopeful gaze to the future.

The book feels like going through a field of wildflowers, at times sensual, few times cere-

bral. More often, the pages contain her musings of philosophy, observations about the world, and healing from a past trauma of sexual assault. It is also a reconnection to what her childhood was — to what was “indigenous,” something organic within her, before her words of Tagalog and Kapampangan succumbed to the use of a language, English, once foreign to her and now, a medium of creative self-expression for this book. While she considers English as a medium for colonization, it is also through English that she liberates her colonial mind to create this book.

You sense a sustained critical tension embedded in Strobel’s pages, questioning and then sometimes having the answers and then to question again what she came around to discovering until perhaps her mind gets exhausted, or simply stops at a page for the night?

It i s a musi ng to see t he thoughts on each page, discussing for example on page 37, if in fact, the Luna brothers – Antonio and Juan – are siblings of her great grandfather, Joaquin? Why does she want this linkage, one might ask?

Antonio was a well-known historical figure who fought for Philippine Independence while his brother Juan was a talented artist who painted the ceiling to f loor sized painting called Spoliarium. “In a fit of jealousy Juan murdered his wife and mother-in-law but was acquitted on account of insanity. He was deported to Hongkong and lived in exile,” Strobel wrote.

Her great grandfather, “Joaquin was La Union’s Governor, worked for a tobacco monopoly, a violinist and who was sent to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair to represent the government.” She asks the question: “How did these brothers become infamous? How did their descendants squander their legacy of greatness?” That form of questioning is really passing judgment on the lives of

these descendants that a historian must dig some archives to respond to her conclusion. Did the Luna descendants squander their legacy?

Why is there a National Historical Museum of Juan and Antonio Luna in Badoc, Ilocos Norte with six galleries displaying paintings, artifacts including describing Antonio as a man of science, as he was a chemist?

It traces the history of being an artist on the part of Juan Luna, including his commissioned works and where Juan’s words were captured: “Genius has no countr y’ genius bursts forth everywhere: genius is, like light and air, patrimony of all.” The Museum is a middle-class bahay na tisa, that was completely damaged by fire in 1861 and the Luna house was ceded to the government in 1954, and the house was rebuilt by the National Historical Institute and opened its doors in 1977.

We visited that multimedia museum, replete with the uniform worn by Antonio, a video clip of their respective histories and of course, if one visits the National Museum of the Phi lippines, t he Spoliar ium painting is on display. One may argue t hat t he descendants actually preserved their ancestors’ legacy with the help of the government.

Strobel has fused prose and poetry and in 112 pages, there is a structure of keeping each page distinct from one another.

There is no binding theme that one might expect from a book, suspend that idea for a bit, and work with the author. Engage each page as she wrote and soon, you get to appreciate she had you in mind that perhaps each night, after work or school, you just have the stamina to be amused by reading just one page.

I read the book over a period of time, and dog-eared pages: 22 for her description on Filipinos’ musicality and then her PAGE B4

Fun and laughter keep...

PAGE B1 another since Meant to Beh. They worked together again in “Kara Mia” and now’s they’re playing the roles of Yummy and Eugene in the late morning rom-com series “Wait Lang, Is This Love” for “Wagas.”

“Eto na po yung hinihintay namin talaga, that we’re given the chance to star in our own rom-com series,” Jak declared.

Since the plot is light, he says they hardly feel like they’re working. All the same, the scenes are very relatable to them as Jak said, “Parang kaming dalawa lang din talaga.”

In fact, he identifies with Eugene because he was once in his shoes before.

“Eugene is the type of guy na may gusto na pero hindi pa masabi, may pagka-torpe.

Dinadaan sa pabiro-biro. I was like that to Barbie. I had no guts to court her. Hindi ako nanliligaw; friend-friend lang.

Hanggang abot-abot lang ako ng kape saka chocolates. So dinadaan lang namin sa pagiging magkaibigan hanggang niligawan na niya na ako,” Jak quipped.

“Ano, uy?” Barbie protested beside him, punching Jak lightly on the arm. “When we were younger, wala talagang ligawan. Ako naman, I just told him that I admired him for his being nice. Niligawan niya talaga ang parents ko. After that, ako naman ang sinuyo-suyo niya. May magagawa pa ba ko?

Eh sobrang pasado na siya kay Mama at kay Papa. Tapos ang niligawan ko lang sa side niya, ‘yung mga aso niya.”

Since getting together, the young couple says they’ve just taken everything a day at a time, deciding to just enjoy their relationship. They laugh a lot and joke with one another all time.

“I think that’s what makes our relationship stronger. We

watch movies together with my parents. We eat out and we do fun things together. Parati naman kaming magkasama sa taping tapos mahilig din kaming mag-kape sa labas. Hindi ko lang alam bakit kailangan sa labas pa mag-kape,” Barbie wondered aloud as she gave her boyfriend a stern look.

“Uy ako, I have coffee at home,” Jak answers defensively.

“Pero saan ka nag-e-edit?

Sige, answer me. Nanggigigil ako,” Barbie carried on. “Sa coffee shop, right?”

As Jak nodded, she victoriously declared, “See, nag-kakape sa bahay pero nage-edit sa coffee shop so nag-kakape din sa labas.”

This type of funny repartee is exactly what draws viewers to Is This Pag-ibig which airs before Eat Bulaga on GMA. “Kaming kami lang talaga si Yummy at si Eugene,” Jak ended.

Matteo on giving...

PAGE B1 he is not yet a part of Gerald’s upcoming TV series about soldiers.

As of now, Matteo said he is focused on training and there will be no music career for him right now, but he will be a part

a movie. As of now, not yet. Actually, I’m focused on training,” said the Swatch endorser, who recently launched the new colors of Big Bold, the Swiss timepiece label’s silicone watch with a signature oversized interface, which makes it perfect for his military

is still no movie plan for him with girlfriend Sarah Geronimo, although he said in previous interviews that he is open for one.

“Not yet,” he briefly told Philstar.com.

When asked if he is also willing to give Sarah a military train-

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FEATURES

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 12-15, 2019

TRADING AN OLD EMPLOYER FOR A NEW ONE STILL GOT THEM THE PRIORITY DATE FROM THE PREVIOUS EMPLOYER, THUS CUTTING WAIT TIME. Husband and wife, Jon (left) and Jen (center), were working for an employer who agreed to sponsor their employment petition.

However, the work became increasingly difficult that their quality of life suffered, making the couple quit their jobs. Faced without a sponsor, no jobs, and two deaths in the family that they could not go home for, was a tremendous burden for the family. When they asked the advice of leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, he told them to look for another employer who would be willing to sponsor them. Fortunately, Jon and Jen found a new employer that gave them new hope and a new lease on life. Atty.

Gurfinkel was also successful in transferring the priority date on the first employer’s case to the new employer’s petition, saving years of additional waiting time. Watch this success story on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising Supplement)

Carlo says he might have led on...

PAGE B2 with Boy Abunda” on Monday, Oct. 7, extracted more answers from Aquino about the breakdown of his relationship with Panganiban. He appeared on the talk show with Maine Mendoza, who stars opposite him in their upcoming movie “Isa pa with Feelings.”

Talk show host Boy Abunda asked if Panganiban’s statement about him “not existing” in her life was “fair.” Aquino seemed to respect her sentiments, explaining, “Kung nasaktan ko siya, karapatan niya ‘yon. Karapatan niyang pagdaanan, karapatan niyang ramdaman iyon.

“Hindi ko dapat pigilan ‘yon.

Kaya nung sinabi niya ‘yon, tapos nakarating sa akin, sabi ko, ‘OK lang naman. OK lang.’”

(If she was hurt, that is her right. It is her right to go

through it, to feel that way. I should not stop that. That is why when she said those things and it reached me, I said, “It is OK.”) When asked if he might have been “paasa” or led her on, he hesitated and said, “Siguro po.

Siguro (Maybe, maybe).”

He was then asked to explain “what went wrong” in their friendship. He said he loved her, but preferred that they stay as friends. “Natatakot lang talaga kasi ako masaktan siya ulit (I was afraid that she would get hurt again),” he explained.

Abunda wondered if Aquino’s relationship with Trina Candaza had a hand in the fallout with Panganiban. Aquino said yes and added, “Na-meet ko si Betrina bago mag-start yung movie. Tapos biglang hindi kami nagkita ng ilang buwan. Tapos after nung movie

kami nag-reconnect.”

(I met Betrina before the start of the movie. We suddenly did not see each other some months. After the movie we reconnected.)

He also said “oo” (yes) when Abunda asked if Candaza was his girlfriend. This comes months after speculations of their relationship in the start of the year.

As of July, Panganiban remained firm in refusing to reunite with Aquino. The two dated in their teens for six years and broke up in 2006. The CarGel tandem was brought back with “Exes Baggage,” which premiered in September 2018.

The actors also starred together in the TV series “Playhouse” from September 2018 to March 2019, even if their relationship was rocky in the latter part of the show.

MAG ENJOY SA INYONG PERPEKTONG KOMBINASYON

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FEATURES

The wheatfields of Leny Strobel’s...

PAGE B2 recollection of a Filipino choir in the south of France; and 26 for the audacity of cruelty and the violent American culture. She proceeds to offer root causes for this violent culture to perhaps disconnection and isolation, loneliness, fear, shame and anger. She then states that “by the time cruelty becomes audacious there’s already a culture that made that possible.”

The natural question on the

reader’s mind: Did this author experience cruelty? Has she healed from it or is she still suffering racial micro-aggressions?

On that page, she distances herself from the cruel person and then, from that distant vantage point, she asks a question, “if one acknowledges the problem of being cruel, will that perspective offer the possibility of change? Will they automatically change?”

Then, the zinger page describ-

ing her becoming a silent witness to the 25 women who claimed in that circle they have been molested, raped, abused and betrayed by men in the community, by men who are leaders, men who are protected by other women, and men who are damaged.

I sometimes cringe at the conclusions that I fi nd on each page, looking for evidence and proof and at times, wanting the memoirs to be coherent the way I am accustomed to reading a book. But, a light bulb switched on inside me and I decide to simply move along as if water was coming down the irrigation dams and appreciate what she has for us at every page.

M. Evelina Galang, the author of “Lolas’ House: Filipino Women Living with War,” wrote: “In her innovative memoir (through the MDR generator), Strobel “reveals connections that run deep in our collective memories in a collage of personal narratives….Strobel assembles a complex montage of a woman’s life, fully lived. This inventive form challenges conventional approaches to memoir writing as it is born of a collaborative act that is at once as courageous and vulnerable as it is inventive and beautiful.”

To me, Strobel succeeded in making me imagine some more, in making me do some more research, in wanting to mine data and facts to support her conclusions.

In that regard, her memoir — with lacelike stencils of four cover design layouts, though unusual — has literary value. Notice I critiqued Strobel’s formed conclusions on her journal entries, yet, here I am, passing the same judgment about her book of memoirs. Isn’t that what a writer would do in reviewing a book?

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by MYLAH DE

LEON

LIKE a compass through the storms of art and other noteworthy human endeavors, the awards culture, that human obsession for recognition and accolade; is here to stay — at its own price.

It is not just the celebrity allure. It’s the cut above all. It is the public acclaim, the attention, the limelight.

Every time you turn around, someone’s winning an award for something. There are many reasons why the nation seems caught in an obsessive pursuit of recognition. There seems to be no field of human endeavor without them, and no shortage of groups eager to give their version of a statuette with a funny name, or trophies to knock you out. Every year, these inanimate objects of recognition command audience and speak incalculable joy, jealousy and gaiety.

They pass awards essentially over the same things — the movie business, arts and entertainment, civic or professional excellence, or journalism. It could even be worse, because in addition to the Pulitzer Prize, there are scores of national awards meant to praise outstanding media coverage — from the presidency, to a plane crash, even coup de etatand bone surgery. It was always the more the merrier. Considered the grandest of awards is the National Artist Awards, proclaimed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. Here in California, the Philippine Heritage International is now on its 29th year.

Awards can be quite unusual and inventive, but tokens of recognition could be double-edged swords. It *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. is a writer, can swathe through, and there after having retired from a 27-year public are real risks of resentment and service at a state health agency. She served jealousy. If it is viewed as just the as LA Civil Service Commissioner, appointed latest gimmick in a process domiby Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, as part of a nated by the politics of a specific five-member board. She supports the slow field, people can be cynical. But food movement and buys organic produce the untold amount of good buzz at Los Angeles Farmers Market. Her essays that it produces outweighs the have been published in the Los Angeles Times, Philippine News, Taliba and Amerasia Journal. She wrote this in 2007 and has updated it in 2019. She has been writing for the Asian Journal for 11 years now and occasionally contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. She authored her first book, “Even the Rainbow Has a Body,” an anthology of 31 distinct artistic legacies of Filipino, FilipinoAmericans and Italian Americans.

Awards galore

MOONLIGHTING

Marc and Rosalie Caratao

Jun Chin

Matt Relax

sentiments of those who are supposed to mock the pretensions and importance of awards. When they have been seduced by the siren call of acclaim, no mantle piece should be bare.

In the Fil-Am community, the most popular, renowned and the biggest following in the Southland; derive part of their appeal from the format that closely resembles the classic variety shows, serving up music, dance, a prestigious beauty pageant in the same program. As the night rolled, there will be a few pleasant surprises that continue to draw a widely diverse audience.

The show, far beyond their astute awardees and all its glitter and ferocious supporters, only needs a host and awardees themselves. The best part is that some producers can draw and charm celebrities usually without pay. As productions become big self promotions among the awardees, the crème de

la crème of the community. This is in spite of who regards peer acknowledgement as the basic full force of fulfillment of the deepest human desire, that yearning for acceptance and recognition and that indescribable addiction for affirmation.

And if the audience is lucky, there were no feigned humility, mammoth egos or blinding jewelries that can feed a small nation. The real gems of the show might be but just a supply of rare glimpses into the very human and unscripted side of the awardees, as their family and friends scream their greetings.

But we will still worship the fantasy that its great panacea, when doors open and new friends ooze out of the woodwork, when it becomes the stepping stone, that one may collect its rose. *** E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol.com.

Amalia Fuentes and Jojit Paredes: Farewell to the pillars of Philippine entertainment

BY MONET

LU

IT’S the end of an era as giants of Philippine cinema and entertainment, Amalia Fuentes and Jojit Paredes, both passed away recently Dubbed as the local filmdom’s Elizabeth Taylor during her prime, Amalia Fuentes died on Saturday, October 5. She was 79 years old.

Former matinee idol and singer Jojit Paredes died of a brain aneurysm last September 24. He was 68 years old at the time. Both were quite known in the 50s and 60s.

Amalia Fuentes Considered among the country’s most beautiful actresses during their era, Amalia earned the title “Elizabeth Taylor of the Philippines” because of her resemblance to the Hollywood actress.

She was among the elite actresses under local movie production powerhouse Sampaguita Pictures who has enthralled movie fans of several generations. She first lit up the silver screen in 1956.

Born Amalia Margarita Amador Muhlach in Manila on August 27, 1940, she was the eldest of three children of Alvaro Muhlach, Sr., a movie booker of French-SpanishGerman ancestry and Concepcion Amador, a Bicolana of Chinese ancestry.

She was 15 when she was discovered for the movies in 1955 while attending an event entitled “Hollywood in Movieland” organized by the Big Three studios. She joined and won the Miss Number One Contest along with Mister Number One, Juancho Gutierrez, and was immediately signed up for an exclusive contract by Sampaguita Pictures, which became her home studio for several years.

From her introductory role in “Lydia” with Juancho Gutierrez, and her first starring role in “Movie Fan,” her movie career rose steadily alongside her rival, the demurelooking Susan Roces. Amalia and Susan did several movies together for Sampaguita, among them light comedies such as “Amy, Susie, & Tessie” and “Amaliang Mali-Mali vs. Susanang Daldal,” which fans watched in droves, making them big box office hits.

The Romeo Vasquez-Amalia Fuentes love team was one of the most popular in its heyday, a union that eventually led to a wedding in 1966.

Amalia later established her own film company, AM Productions, with the help of her brothers Alexander and Alvaro. AM produced

Amalia Feuntes

ABS-CBN photo

many memorable movie hits from the 1960s to the 1970s.

As a freelance actress, Amalia appeared mostly in prestige drama movies produced by Premiere Productions, Virgo, LEA, Juan de la Cruz, and later on, Regal and Viva Films. Among her most memorable movies were “Ibulong Mo Sa Hangin,” which won for her the FAMAS Best Actress Award in 1967; “Ang Uliran”; “Imelda”; “Pag-ibig, Magkano Ka?”; “Isang Gabi, Tatlong Babae, and Aguila,” where she famously refused to age onscreen while playing the role of Fernando Poe Jr.’s mother.

Jojit Paredes Jojit Paredes was a certified dreamboat who, along with his childhood pal Ronnie Henares, toured various campuses as the guitar-strumming duo Twofus.

Jojit had known Ronnie since age 5 because they were neighbors in Pasay City. As teeners, Jojit formed a band with Ronnie and his cousins—including Jim Paredes, who later joined Apo Hiking Society.

The other band members soon dropped out, but Jojit and Ronnie stuck it out, belting out tunes for family and friends. It was in one such gathering, while jamming in front of a campfire at Matabungkay Beach in Batangas, that they were “discovered,” leading to a recording contract with Villar Records.

They waxed singles, covers of popular American songs like “Snowqueen of Texas,” “Where You Lead” and “Wake Up Little Susie.”

After a show in St. Scholastica’s, Jojit’s sisters Carol and Gerty introduced him to Isang del Rosario, whose brother-in-law, Art Vergel de Dios, hosted a noontime show, “The Musical Extravaganza,” on ABS-CBN. The two scored their first TV appearance, which led to more opportunities, culminating in a regular gig on “D’Sensations,” which aired on ABS-CBN from 1970 to 1972.

Coincidentally, Jojit’s childhood crush Vilma Santos was in the cast of “D’Sensations.”

In a twist of fate, Jojit’s first movie was with Vilma’s screen rival, Nora Aunor, “Super Gee” in

Jojit Paredes

Manilatimes.net photo

1973. He eventually got to share the silver screen with Vilma in “Tok Tok Palatok” in 1974. (He also acted opposite Gina Alajar in “Cofradia” in 1973.)

Jojit, for his part, signed up as a recording artist with Vicor, where he was groomed as the next Victor Wood. His biggest hit was a cover of Daniel Boone’s ‘Beautiful Sunday.’

After graduating from La Salle (with a degree in History and Political Science), Jojit branched out into TV production. His first venture as a producer was a Sunday noontime variety show, “Germside,” hosted

by German Moreno, in 1978. He was then known as Nora’s sidekick and co-host on “Superstar.” I studied the ratings of radio shows and Germs’ program was a consistent top-rater. After rebranding the show, another producer, Gil Balaguer of Geebees, bought the show and renamed it “Germspesyal” after two years. The network decided to produce it, and it became “GMA Supershow” in 1984 and ran until 1997.

Germs’ show was the Sunday habit to beat for years and served as the training ground of such luminaries as Jackie Lou Blanco, Lani Mercado and Megastar Sharon Cuneta.

In 1985, Jojit, armed with a law degree, moved to the United States, where he worked as a paralegal until his retirement a year ago. He would still perform for the Filipino community every now and then.

He recently staged a reunion concert with his good friend Ronnie Henares.

Though we have said goodbye to Amalia Fuentes and Jojit Paredes, may we remember them through the work they left behind. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com.

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COMMUNITY Journal

Philippine Development Foundation hosts free summit at Google in Playa Vista, CA

BEARING its core values of education, innovation and entrepreneurship, the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) is back with a summit on Friday, October 18 with the theme “Shared Prosperity through Entrepreneurship.”

This year’s FREE summit will be held at the Google Spruce Goose, Playa Vista, Los Angeles from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be a day full of full of meaningful connections, learning opportunities and inspiring stories from thought leaders, allies, visionaries, entrepreneurs, educators and change makers in the Filipino American community.

Speakers include Paolo Malabuyo of Google; Priscilla Hunt of Hunt Enterprises; Michael Balaoing of Candlelion; Pulitzer Prizewinner, immigration advocate and author Jose Antonio Vargas; restaurateur and author Nicole Ponseca; PhilDev chairman Dado

Banatao; and Tony Alvarez of Alvarez & Marsal.

PhilDev envisions a prosperous Philippines. With its mission of eradicating poverty through the benefits of science and technology, it builds and strengthens links for knowledge, capacities, and opportunity exchange. PhilDev’s mission planning began in the United States, and established our main office in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, the organization responds to the vision by bringing together multi-sectoral partners to exchange ideas and share initiatives on the role of science and technology in national development; connect people and organizations in creating scalable and sustainable solutions to domestic needs; and advocate for innovative ideas and usher them to a global platform.

In the United States, PhilDev mobilizes the Filipino diaspora to give back and support tech-

nology-driven innovations and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. It develops links with private industry and universities to share resources, expertise and collaborate with counterparts in the Philippines, as well as granting scholarship opportunities.

PhilDev was founded by Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, one of Silicon Valley’s most significant men, and together with likeminded Filipinos, committed to make a difference and give back to the Philippines in the way that they knew how. Through their combined efforts and influence, they have been able to initiate programs in education, start-ups and mentorship.

Founded in 2011, PhilDev is a registered non-stock, nonprofit organization.

For more information and to register for the summit, please visit http://www.phildev.org/summit-2019. n

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Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon ARE you currently struggling with debt problems and don’t know what to do? To most people, finding themselves in that situation is pretty scary. They constantly worry about their finances and wonder whether they will ever be able to get out of the financial mess that is causing them a lot of stress. But what led to your present situation? The answers can be different in every situation.

I was counseling someone the other day in my office. He looked shocked and confused as we sorted through all the credit card statements on my desk and added up how much he owed. $65,000!

That’s how much the statements said he owed!

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

For the vast majority of people, their debt problems usually stem from a series of events or bad fi-

Community Journal

Debt problems: You can’t change the past, only the future nancal decisions. It can be that a lot of people simply don’t keep track of what they charge on their credit cards. So they use their credit cards for everyday purchases without realizing how much debt they are accumulating. Some use their credit cards for so-called “emergencies”.

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

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

If you don’t have the extra cash lying around every month to make those increasing debt payments, it will only be a matter of time before you start defaulting. And from there it just gets worse and worse until one day you have a big financial emergency in your hands.

Some people even resort to borrowing from some credit cards just to pay other credit cards but quickly realize that this strategy

doesn’t work and that they are only digging themselves into a deeper financial hole with no way out.

The truth is that your debt problems didn’t just suddenly appear out of nowhere. Experience is often our best teacher. It would help to understand what past decisions led you to your present financial circumstances so that you can avoid making the same mistakes again.

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

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

If you need help, call my Valencia office at (866) 477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Valencia and Cerritos. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

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Three types of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF)

EXCHANGE-Traded Funds (ETFs) are created from the concept of pooled fund investing.

ETFs buy a basket of securities for a pool of investors. These baskets offer benefits of a diversified portfolio. In other words, the pooled fund concept benefits from economies of scale, allowing managers to decrease transaction costs through large transactions with pooled investment capital. ETFs also allow you to buy stocks that you wouldn’t be able to afford on your own.

ETFs come in three flavors: traditional, niche and exotic 1. Traditional ETFs are what most investors have in mind when they think of ETFs. These are low-cost, tax-efficient funds (most with annual expenses of 0.35% or less) that provide access to a broad range of securities in an asset class such as large US stocks, small US stocks, international stocks, or investment-grade bonds. Traditional ETFs are useful tools for inexpensively diversifying your portfolio, and they are available in all major asset classes.

Tax & Stock Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

2. Niche ETFs are similar to traditional ETFs except that they focus on a narrow slice of a broader asset class. Niche ETFs invest in individual sectors like health care, single countries like France, or narrow parts of the bond market like high-yield bonds. They tend to have somewhat higher expenses than traditional ETFs. Niche ETFs can be useful for completing a well-diversified portfolio, providing access to a part of the market that you’re not getting from your individual security holdings. However, it can be tempting to use niche ETFs for speculating on narrow market segments, which can be risky.

3. Exotic ETFs provide access to unusual asset classes or

investment styles, typically at a premium price by ETF standards (annual expenses often over 0.75%). Exotic ETFs include commodities such as gold, concepts such as clean technology, or leveraged securities that move twice as much as the market or directly opposite the market. Although exotic ETFs might seem exciting, it is important to make sure that you fully understand the nature of the fund before investing, as exotic ETFs tend to be very different and often more volatile than traditional investments. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

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

The Prophetic Voice ReVeRend Rodel G. BAlAGtAS AS I write this article, I’m watching on television wildfires spreading around Southern California once again. We pray for the end of this disaster and the safety of all people. We pray for families who lost their homes and for firefighters who are trying their best to protect homes, buildings, and, most of all, lives.

It’s hard to stop wildfires in windy weather. We ask for God’s intervention and the intercession of all saints and angels, particularly St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.

Here’s a prayer for protection against fire from Catholic Online: Almighty and eternal God, we ask Your protection against de-

Tapat Sa Batas Atty. RheA SAmSon ANG aplikante para sa naturalization ay kailangang magpakita na sa loob ng statutory period na 5 taon bago ang filing (3 taon kung ang green card ay nakuha dahil sa kasal sa US citizen at ang aplikante ay kasal pa rin sa US citizen), siya ay taong may good moral character (GMC). Kasama sa statutory period ang panahon mula sa naturalization interview hanggang sa pag-oath of allegiance. Sa lahat ng kaso, ang aplikante ay kailangang magpakita na siya ay may GMC at nagpapatuloy siyang maging taong may GMC hanggang sa kanyang naturalization.

Kahit sinasabi ng batas na ang GMC ay naaangkop sa statutory period na 5 taon, hindi limitado ang pagsusuri ng USCIS ng pag-uugali at mga aksyon ng aplikante sa panahong ito na 5 taon. Ang mga aksyon at paguugali ng aplikante bago ang 5 taon ng naturalization application ay maaaring may epekto sa desisyon ng USCIS adjudicator kung may GMC ang aplikante.

Ang mga sumusunod ay maaari ring masasasabing may kaugnayan sa determinasyon ng GMC ng aplikante: (1) kanyang family ties at background; (2) kung

St. Florian, pray for us! stroying fire. Fire is so very necessary for our existence, and yet when it gets out of control, it can be more damaging than anything else. Keep our homes and building and woods and fields safe from this scourge. Help us always to be most careful in our use of it. Help us, especially in the wintertime, when we need and use it most. For then, if our homes are destroyed by fire, we suffer more than ever.

Give us, too, we humbly pray You, a saving fear of fires of passion, and help of Your grace to control them. Help us to fear the fires of hell, that we may always keep away from serious sin, and live lives of goodness and virtue, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

And here’s a prayer to St. Florian for firefighters published by The Catholic Company (www.getfed.com/prayer-st-florian): Oh, Almighty God, whose great power and eternal wisdom em-

braces the universe, watch over all Firefighters. Protect them from harm in the performance of their duty to fight fire, save lives, and preserve property.

We pray, help them to keep our homes and all buildings safe day and night. We recommend them to Your loving care because their duty is dangerous. Grant them Your unending strength and courage in their daily assignments.

Dear God, protect these brave persons, Grant them Your Almighty protection and unite them safely with their families after their duty has ended. Amen.

May all faith communities unite in prayer for the protection of our state and country against fire and all disasters. May we respond in generosity and compassion to those who lost their homes! *** Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California.

Statutory period for GMC mayroon siyang kasaysayan ng krimen; (3) edukasyon; (4) kasaysayan ng pagtatrabaho; (5) pagbayad ng buwis at iba pang obligasyong pinansyal; (6) pakikilahok sa pamayanan; at (7) tagal ng panahon na siya ay nakatira sa US. Ang aplikante ay maaaring hindi makapagpakita ng GMC kung siya ay umamin ng paggawa ng mga pagkakasala kahit siya ay hindi naaresto o hindi nahatulan na may pagkakasala o paglabag sa batas. Kasama dito ang mga pagkakasala na may kinalaman sa moral turpitude o sa controlled substance. Ayon din sa batas, maaaring magkaroon ng determinasyon na walang GMC ayon sa discretionary grounds.

Halimbawa, kung ang aplikante para sa naturalization ay nakagawa ng mga paglabag sa batas o nahatulan ng paglabag sa batas at ito ay may epekto sa kanyang good moral character, ang USCIS Examining Officer ay maaaring humingi sa aplikante na siya ay magpakita ng extenuating circumstances o mitigating factors para sa kanyang paglabag sa batas. Ang extenuating circumstance ay kailangang bago o kapanahon ng paglabag sa batas. Ang pag-uugali pagkatapos ng paglabag sa batas ay hindi maaaring isaalang-alang bilang extenuating circumstance. *** An applicant filing for naturalization must show that during

the statutory period of 5 years prior to filing (3 years if green card was based on marriage to a US citizen and applicant is still married to US citizen), he was a person of good moral character (GMC). This period includes the time between the examination and interview and the oath of allegiance. In all cases, the applicant must show that he continues to be a person of GMC until the time of his naturalization.

Although the law specifies that the GMC applies to the statutory period, USCIS is not limited to reviewing the applicant’s conduct during this 5-year period. Conduct prior to this period may impact the USCIS adjudicator’s decision on whether the applicant meets the GMC requirement.

The following factors may be considered relevant in assessing the applicant’s GMC: (1) family ties and background; (2) absence or presence of criminal history; (3) education; (4) employment history; (5) payment of taxes and other financial obligations; (6) community involvement; and (7) length of time in the US. An applicant may be unable to establish GMC if he admits committing certain offenses even if he has not been formally charged, indicted, arrested or convicted.

This applies to offenses involving moral turpitude or offenses relating to a controlled substance.

The regulations also provide for

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Community Journal

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • OCTOBER 12-15, 2019

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Does your fancy job title make you work Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries of an I-130 petition filed by deceased relative long hours without overtime pay?

DARREN Stemple worked as a “Business Development Representative” for RingCentral, Inc., a company which sells cloud-based telecommunications systems such as video and audio conferencing, and business app integration software. Its clients include healthcare, finance, real estate, retail stores, and enterprises all over the country and the world.

Stemple’s main duty was to cold-call potential buyers of RingCentral’s products to sell products and services. The company provided Stemple with names and contact information of potential buyers.

RingCentral has other employees who also sell its products to its clients from inside its offices. Although the employees are known by different titles such as Business Development Representatives, Sales Development Representatives, or Account Executives, they are really inside salespersons. The employer paid these employees a fixed salary and did not pay them overtime.

These inside salespersons were regularly required to work more than forty (40) hours in a workweek without receiving proper overtime compensation.

The employer also routinely provided lunch to them. As a result, these employees often worked through their lunch breaks. The employees were required to meet quotas for their sales work that necessitated overtime work, and having to

Barrister’s Corner Atty. kenneth UrSUA reyeS THINKING about one’s demise is not something people want to spend time thinking about. However reality is that we all have to face this one day. It is just a matter of whether you depart this world prepared or unprepared.

If you pass away with at least $150,000 in gross assets and you do not have a living trust (even if you have a will), your beneficiaries would have to open up a probate case before title to the assets can pass to them. When I say gross asset, I mean regardless of how much debt you owe on them. For example if you own a house valued at $350,000 at the time of your death, it does not matter that your mortgage balance is $300,000, a probate case has to be opened in order to pass title to that property. The same is true with other types of assets such as owning a business, a professional practice, bonds, equities, etc. This is a very low threshold to exceed specially in California where real estate prices, even after the economic crisis, remains in the upper end of the curve among the 50 states.

Commencing a probate case is expensive and a very slow process. Someone qualified will have to file a Petition with the probate court to have someone appointed as executor or administrator. The Petitioner’s attorney gets paid a statutory rate for attorney’s fees commencing with 4% of the gross estate. The probate referee will have to be paid for appraising the assets of the

Debt Relief

Atty. LAwrenCe yAng ACCUMULATING debt is the easiest thing you can do in America. Even your dog can get credit cards with a fake social security number.

If you are an immigrant and have just arrived, you will have no history of credit here. Chances are that in your country of origin, you probably had no credit card debt, or if you did, maybe you had an insignificant amount.

In other countries, most people are on a “cash” basis. In other words, you buy everything in cash, not credit. If you buy a house abroad, you either paid cash for it, or you put a substantial cash down payment and have a small mortgage on it. Outside of the U.S., the objective in life is to accumulate cash and assets but have no debt.

But here in America, MasterCard, Visa and other credit card companies, sell you the American lifestyle, which is to bury yourself in debt to get all the things you want. Want a brand new 80-inch flat and thin high definition TV, the one that curves on both ends of the screen to let you watch it clearly from almost any angle?

It’s only $3,000. Don’t have the $3,000? No problem. Just charge

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. work while eating their lunch.

Stemple, together with other co-workers, sued RingCentral for misclassification, claiming that they were owed back wages for the overtime work they performed and for the meal periods they missed. Their main task was calling potential clients to sell RingCentral’s products. They did not have the authority to determine what products were offered or what price to charge. The inside salespersons’ duties were substantially similar, regardless of their specific job title, office location, supervisor, or assigned sales territory.

Under federal law, an employee who qualifies as an outside salesperson is exempt from overtime. However, the following conditions must be met: The salesperson’ primary duty must be (a) making sales or (b) obtaining orders or contracts for services, which would be paid for by the clients and customers; and The salesperson is customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer’s place of business while performing their primary duty. This means that the salespersons makes sales at

the customer’s home or place of business.

If the employee does their sales work in the employer’s place of business, the employee is considered an inside salesperson. Unlike an outside salesperson, an inside salesperson is not exempt and should be paid overtime.

In distinguishing between inside and outside sales, the most important consideration is the location of where employees actually spend their time. Job titles are not determinative. For employees to be exempt, they must actually work more than half of the working time away from the employer’s place of business selling.

Before the case could go to trial, the parties agreed to settle. The employer agreed to pay the employees approximately $2.7 million in damages. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic.

All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit HYPERLINK “http://www.joesayaslaw.com” www. joesayaslaw.com. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers.

He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a Presidential Awardee for Outstanding Filipino Overseas in 2018.]

(Advertising Supplement)

How important is it to have a living trust?

estate. If it is necessary to post bond, the premium on the bond would have to be paid as well.

There is also the cost of administering the estate such as selling some of the assets to satisfy the estate’s obligations and to divide the estate according to the will or the intestate line of succession if there is no will. The entire process could take up years specially if certain beneficiaries and creditors file certain claims.

The probate court file would be public record.

On the other hand if you have a living trust, your estate can avoid the entire court system and court supervision. In certain situations, the process may also save you estate taxes which may be substantial if your assets exceed a certain threshold. Basically, you and/or your spouse can be named as the initial trustee of the trust while you are alive. The trustee is the person who manages the trust. This means you retain control of all your assets the same way as if you never had a trust. For revocable trusts, you can later on, at any time during your lifetime, revoke the entire trust if you change your mind.

The assets held in your living trust will be managed by the trustee and distributed according to your directions without court supervision and involvement when you pass away. This can save your heirs time and money.

Since the trust would not be under the direct management of the probate court, your assets and their value and your beneficiaries’ identities would not become a public record. Your heirs and beneficiaries would still have to

be notified about the living trust and advised, among other things, of their right to obtain a copy of the trust.

If you are contemplating setting up a trust or have an existing trust that needs to be updated because your family circumstances have changed over the years, you should set an appointment with an experienced attorney that understands and can competently advise you in the law. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice.

The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information.

This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is a graduate of Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles and California State University, San Bernardino School of Business Administration. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail “mailto:kenneth@kenreyeslaw. com” kenneth@kenreyeslaw.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com (Advertising Supplement)

Avoid the bondage of debt, especially seniors the $3,000 on your credit card.

Bring the TV home today for your whole family to enjoy! You don’t have to pay $3,000 upfront. Next month, just set aside $90 to make a minimum monthly payment on the $3,000. Instant gratification!

This is the American way.

Want to bring the family to Hawaii for Christmas? Let’s see. It’s $1,500 for a week’s stay at one of the five-star resorts in Waikiki, including the round-trip plane fare and hotel per head. Since you are a family of four, that would be a grand total of $6,000 for a one-week Christmas and New Year vacation in paradise.

LA gets cold in winter even if it doesn’t snow but the climate in Hawaii is a comfortable and breezy 80 degrees. “Mele Kalikimaka” — that’s how they say “Merry Christmas” in Hawaii as you probably know. And the food, the luaus are terrific. The scenery is spectacular. Plan on riding a helicopter to look at the Big Island Volcano, which only adds another $1,000 to your vacation budget for your family of four. So, the one-week Christmas vacation will cost about $8,000, all expenses accounted for, with first-class accommodations. There’s only one problem.

You didn’t have $3,000 for the big screen TV that looks so good in your family room, so where

will you get the $8,000 for your Christmas vacation?

No problem. In America, the credit cards keep on giving and giving. They are perennial Santa Clauses. The wife wants to go. The kids want to go. You want to go. So go. I mean, former President Obama spent a lot of his vacations in Oahu where he was born, so why can’t you bring your family to paradise this Christmas? By all means, go and give the family a great time this Christmas.

With the brand new TV at $3,000 and the Hawaii Christmas vacation at $8,000, you will owe $11,000 at the end of this year. So what? You got the TV and you’ll still have your Hawaii tan for a couple of weeks when you get back right after the New Year. Your co-workers will envy you when you say you just got back from paradise and you feel totally relaxed and ready to face the challenges of 2018 head-on.

Yes, that’s right, everything is still status quo but then, at the end of January 2018, you will have to take $330 out of your take-home pay and pay the minimum for the TV and Hawaii trip.

At the end of 2018, you will have paid your credit card masters $4,000, but you would still owe them the same $11,000.

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DEAR Attorney Tan, My US Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the US in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines.

Since my arrival, I have lived in the US and have been out of status.

Since I was petitioned as an unmarried adult daughter, I was advised that I had to wait several years to get a green card. Recently, my mother passed away. Can I still get a green card through my mother’s petition? -Apparently In Limbo Dear Apparently In Limbo, When your mother passed away, the I-130 that was approved on your behalf was revoked by operation of law pursuant to 8 CFR Section 205.1.

However, depending on the facts of a particular case, all is not lost. You may be eligible to get a green card pursuant to INA Section 204(L).

Under INA Section 204(L), relief from an automatic revocation of an I-130 petition is available to certain surviving relatives. Surviving relatives who are eligible to seek 204(L) relief include a 1) principal or derivative beneficiary of an I130 petition that was filed by a deceased permanent resident or U.S. Citizen, and 2) derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen where the principal beneficiary has died. Section 204(L) relief

Legal Advice Atty. DArriCk tAn is also available to derivative beneficiaries in I-140 employment-based petitions where the principal beneficiary has died.

Another requirement for Section 204(L) relief is that the person seeking relief must have “residence” in the US. What is meant by “residence?” It is your primary home or principal actual dwelling place. At least one beneficiary must have resided in the U.S. when the petitioning relative died, and must continue to reside in the U.S. when seeking Section 204(L) relief. It is worth noting that all beneficiaries of a petition can benefit from Section 204(L) relief as long as at least one of the beneficiaries meets the residence requirement. Further, although “residence” is required, Section 204(L) does not require actual physical presence in the U.S. when the relative died.

In your case, it appears that you are eligible to obtain a green card. You are a principal beneficiary of an I-130 petition filed by your US Citizen mother. Further, you appear to meet the residence requirement in that you have been in the US since your arrival in 1999—you resided in the US when your mother passed away, and currently reside in the

US. A check of the USCIS visa bulletin indicates the priority date for the I-130 petition filed by your mother on your behalf is current, so you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application, requesting reinstatement of the I-130 petition filed by your mother pursuant to Section 204(L).

As a sidenote, Section 204(L) relief is also available if one’s relative died while the I-130 was pending, not only after the I-130 petition was approved.

Section 204(L) relief therefore is broader than Humanitarian Reinstatement of a petition under 8 CFR Section 205.1, which can only be requested by the principal beneficiary when the petitioner him/herself has died, and after approval of an I-130.

Relief under Section 204(L) is discretionary, and can be denied if factors in support of relief are not presented properly.

It is accordingly recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced attorney. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada.

Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA). LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: 323-639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com (Advertising Supplement)

Statutory period for GMC PAGE C2 t a finding of lack of good moral character based on discretionary grounds. For example, if a naturalization applicant has committed unlawful acts that adversely reflect on his good moral character or was convicted for such unlawful acts, the USCIS Examining Officer may ask the applicant to establish extenuating circumstances, or mitigating factors for such actions. The USCIS Officer must not only consider the nature and magnitude of the unlawful act but also the circumstances surrounding the conduct.

An extenuating circumstance or the mitigating factor must precede or be contemporaneous to the commission of the unlawful act during the stator period of 5 years. Conduct subsequent to the commission of the unlawful act cannot be considered as an extenuating circumstance.

FIRM aims to provide excellent and efficient legal representation to clients, and support clients in achieving their goals and dreams.

As professors, Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson wish to educate the younger generation, as it is through education and continuous study that one can achieve success and serve others.

Please visit our office: LINDAIN & SAM*** SON LAW FIRM ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is a Partner at 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1710, Los LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM. Atty. Angeles, CA 90010 Lindain and Atty. Samson are both li- Call or text us: (213) 381.5710 censed to practice law in California and Email us: attorneys@lindainsamsonlaw. in the Philippines. Both Attorneys were com. also professors. LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW (Advertising Supplement)

C4 OCTOBER 12-15, 2019 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Calendar of Events across

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

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merica

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

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People and Events

Filipino music, dance and fashion to be celebrated in Glendale

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Savor Santa Ana food festival Orange County’s premier all-ages sidewalk food festival featuring more than forty tastes from downtown Santa Ana restaurants, Savor Santa Ana, returns Saturday, October 12 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. At Savor Santa Ana, sample tastes from unique, local and Michelin-rated restaurants and bars throughout downtown Santa Ana. Live musicians and local youth performance groups will perform in pop-up shows along the sidewalks, and a trolley will provide free rides around downtown. The theme will be “Fall Food Carnival,” featuring fire dancers, mystique, and fall food flavors. This marks the seventh Savor Santa Ana festival for downtown Santa Ana, serving thousands of visitors since 2014. Organizers expect to sell the 150,000th tasting ticket this October, a milestone reminiscent of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the City of Santa Ana this year. Savor Santa Ana tickets are just $10 for 5 tasting tickets. Tickets are available online for pre-purchase at savorsantaana.com, and are available cash-only onsite at Savor Santa Ana.

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FACCGLA hosts immigration discussion in North Hollywood, CA The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA) Panel Discussion and Mixer will be on Immigration and Business Law on Wednesday, October 16.

Featured location for this month is the beautiful stone gallery of Stoneville USA. Event starts at 6:00-6:30 p.m. to tour the Stone Gallery, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Networking, 7:15-9:00 p.m. Speakers and more networking. Tickets are online; NO CASH payments will be accepted at the door.

Visit www.faccgla.org for the EARLY BIRD Discount available until 10/11 11:00 p.m. Regular prices are $20 for Members and $30 Future Members. Stoneville USA is at 12906 Saticoy St, North Hollywood, CA 91605.

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PhilDev Summit in Playa Vista, CA The Philippine Development Foundation Summit “Shared Prosperity through Entrepreneurship” will take place on Friday, October 18 at Google in Playa Vista (16 S Campus Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90094) from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., followed by happy hour social from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.

Join thought leaders and change makers. Connect with partners who share our passion to grow Fil-Am representation in tech. Celebrate leadership through innovation. Seed our future through community. Learn another’s story. The Summit is FREE with registration here: http:// www.phildev.org/summit-2019

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PhilDev annual awards gala in Beverly Hills, CA Join the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) on Saturday, October 19 for a red carpet affair at the elegant Montage Beverly Hills hotel in the heart of Los Angeles. Let the glamour of Hollywood inspire your attire as we celebrate our 2019 PhilDev awardees and enjoy the evening.

The night begins with a cocktail reception where guests can meet, mingle and bid on our exclusive silent auction items. Guests will then be escorted into the Grand Ballroom where they will be treated to a delicious multi-course meal and entertainment. After dinner, PhilDev will present the 2019 awards to the outstanding Filipino-Americans who have made significant leadership and innovation contributions in their industries and who have furthered the positive impact of Filipinos worldwide: PRISCILLA HUNT - Philanthropist of the year; NICOLE PONSECA - Rising Star in Entrepreneurship; APL.DE.AP - Innovation in the Arts; RAISSA GERONA - Innovation in Branding; and JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS - Innovation in Education. For more information, visit http://www.phildev.org/gala-2019.

20th annual Asian Small Business Expo in Montebello, CA The Asian Small Business Expo on Saturday, October 19 is the only business-to-business Expo that engages the Asian business community and brings this growing economic force into the mainstream to connect and utilize your company and its services. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the day will feature networking, exhibitors, business services, start-up opportunities and workshops. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with small businesses, market your organization and tap into a network of entrepreneurs, service providers, financial organizations, franchises and governmental and legislative representatives. There will also be a Women Entrepreneurs Panel featuring Trisha Murakawa (Principal and Chief Problem Solver, Murakawa Communications), Patricia Perez (Co-founder, Pho Show and Co-founder & CEO, Genever Bar) and Lindy Huang Werges (Founder, Integritas Resources, Inc. and Co-founder, Zen Yoga Strap, Inc.) Registration is FREE at http://www.apisbp.org/expo. The event will be held at Quiet Cannon Conference & Event Center (901 Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640). For more information, please contact smallbiz@apisbp.org or (213) 473-1605.

West Ranch High School presents the Wildcat Classic in Valencia, CA West Ranch High School is proud to present the 11th annual Wildcat Classic, a daylong display of musical artistry on Saturday, October 19. More than 20 high school bands from the Santa Clarita Valley and around the region will gather for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra (SCSBOA) Marching Band Competition. The Wildcat Classic will take place at Valencia High School’s football stadium, located at 27801 Dickason Dr. in Valencia. Tickets are $12; parking is free. Each high school band will compete by division followed by an astounding showcase performance of the three-time state champion West Ranch Band and Colorguard.

The day-long event culminates in an awards ceremony with trophies presented in each division as decided by a panel of SCSBOA judges. The performance schedule will be announced prior to the event. Vendors will be on site with plenty of delectable food and drink options as well as gifts and apparel for the music enthusiast. For additional information, please contact West Ranch Music Director Jason Marshall at 661-222-1220 x 646 or jmarshall@hartdistrict.org or visit www.westranchmusic.com.

Sikad cycling ride in Las Vegas Hosted by the Nevada Bicycle Club, in collaboration with charity institution Gawad Kalinga to give care, Sikad 2019 will be held on Saturday, October 19 at the River Mountain Trail Loop.

The mission of the charity fun ride is to end homelessness through community building efforts in the Philippines. Gawad Kalinga is a nation building movement that hopes to end poverty for millions of Filipinos. Its template begins with restoration of dignity as a human being by bringing the poor out of their homelessness. But that is just the start.GK uses its resources to allow the poor access to basic services and opportunities that will turn them to productive citizens.

It’s values formation component is a key element that promotes the effectiveness of all of its other programs. SIKAD NG BAYAN is an annual bike ride that supports GK program to include building schools, homes and community centers. This is the third annual SIKAD NG BAYAN - Las Vegas hosted by Nevada Bicycle Club. It will begin at the Railroad Pass Casino & Hotel at 2800 S. Boulder Hwy, Henderson, NV with the trail at the River Mountain Loop Trail & Acaia Park — course 1 is 9 miles; course 2 is 35 miles; course 3 is 50 miles. Register now at www.nevadabicycleclub.com/sikad2019. Free jersey & buffet with registration. For more information, please email nevadabicycleclub@gmail.com.

49th anniversary of Federation of Rosary Groups rally in Burbank, CA On Saturday, October 19, devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary will come together to attend and celebrate the 49th year-anniversary of the Federation of Rosary Groups Annual Rosary Rally at St. Francis Xavier Church (3801 Scott Road, Burbank, CA). In partnership with Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade in Glendale, people will assemble beginning at 9 a.m. to attend a talk to be given by the Most Reverend Alex Aclan, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles. This year’s theme is Mary In the Upper Room. The event is filled with activities that will enrich one’s faith. The afternoon speaker is Reverend Francis Mendoza, pastor of St. Finbar Church in Burbank. Procession and praying of the rosary will start at 3:30 p.m.; followed by a liturgy at 5:00 p.m. which will be concelebrated by Reverend Rodel Balagtas, Pastor of Incarnation Church/ Glendale and Reverend Sebastian Vettickal, Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church/ Burbank. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at the event. For more information, please call: Rico Nosce (818) 331- 9111, Linda Gordon (818) 633-5600 or Rene Decena (818) 679- 7896.

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75th anniversary of Leyte landing in Carson, CA The 75th anniversary of the Leyte Landing will be observed on Sunday, October 20 at the International Sculpture Garden at the Carson Civic Center from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. the main program will start at 10 a.m. where the veterans present will be honored by the guest speakers and the community. There will be music and entertainment, food trucks, vendors and booths. This program is part of the annual Filipino-American History Month in October. For more information, please contact Dr. Jenny Batongmalaque, executive director of the Erasto R. Batongmalaque Foundation, at drjennyb.md@gmail.com or visit www.erbfoundation.com.

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

THE Filipino American Business Association of Glendale is sponsoring a Filipino History Month celebration on Saturday, October 26th, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., which will be held at Incarnation Community Center (214 W. Fairview Avenue Glendale, CA 91202).

The affair consists of a brief presentation of historical events and glimpses on Philippine way

of life; a musical performance by Manahan Musika led by Luningning Manahan; several dances to be performed by Malaya Filipino American Dance Arts under the direction of Anna Lisa GutierrezDe Guzman and a Filipiniana collection by Carmelo Designs led

by Carl Andrada.

The Philippines is rich in customs and traditions which will be shared in the diverse community

of the City of Glendale.

On October 15th, the City of Glendale will also issue a Proclamation on the importance of celebrating our cultural identity.

The event is open to all and admission is free. Merienda will be served to attendees. For more information, please call: Marlene Cagatao at (818) 450-0704 and/ or Nini Maldonado at (818) 9195916. ■

CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center

IN honor of Filipino-American History Month, CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center is offering free comprehensive health screenings for the entire family on Saturday, October 26 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the hospital’s auditorium in Doctors Tower on Alevel. Health screenings offered

include Height, Weight, BMI , Blood Pressure, Temperature, Blood (Cholesterol, Glucose), Serum Glucose, Mini Mental Health Score, Mammogram, Flu Shots, Eye Vision, and EKG. You can also watch a therapeutic mental health play by StanD Play Team from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. The health screen-

ing and play is free and open to the public. No RSVP required to attend the event. Please take benefit of this offering to improve your and your family’s health.

Hospital address: CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center 1300 N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 ■

PAGE C3 t

the next 12 months, you will pay $12,000 of minimum payments, but at the end of the 12 months, you will still owe $30,000. In 24 months, you will pay $24,000 of minimum payments, but you will still owe $30,000. Then, if you are objective enough to see you own financial situation, you will know that you are now in what is called “financial bondage.”

You are now a debt slave. What’s worse than being a debt slave?

Being a senior debt slave is the worse. Let’s say that you are now 62 and you owe $30,000 in credit cards. Social security and retirement are just around the corner.

You’re looking at $1,800 of social security, which is not too bad. But you’re also on the hook for $1,000 of minimum monthly credit card payments. This is more than half of your social security benefits.

Imagine the hardship caused by having to fork over more than half of your social security to pay $1,000 to your credit card masters every month for the rest of your life during your golden years. It sucks! But as you have now learned, after paying your credit card masters $120,000 in the last 10 years, you still owe your masters the same $30,000 of credit card debt!

Just like “Django Unchained,” it’s time to break free of credit card debt!

What you need now is the full legal power of a Chapter 7 petition to give you a fresh start without the $30,000 in credit card debt.

Break free from your credit card masters and live with freedom and joy and be productive again and start fresh again without accumulated debt. Turn you back on the $30,000 and nuke them with a bankruptcy discharge.

You won’t regret it. It’s the right thing to do. Even Pres. Trump has said that Puerto Rico’s $70billion debt must be discharged.

Well, he should know, the Trump companies filed for bankruptcy

four times, discharging hundreds of millions of debt. Even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before he became successful. Milton Hershey of Hershey chocolates, now a global multibillion dollar business, filed for Chapter 7 before he became successful. M.C. Hammer, Francis Ford Coppola, Kim Basinger and Mickey Rooney — these celebrities all filed for Chapter 7 to get a fresh start in life.

It’s easy to get into debt in America. But it’s really hard to get out of debt in America. That’s why you need the full legal power of Chapter 7 to get out of debt and get a fresh start. It’s a federal right given by law to the debtor who needs relief from accumulated debt. Why be embarrassed to exercise a right given by law?

Life after bankruptcy is great, you still keep everything you own as long as you qualify for applicable exemptions. You will be able to save money again every month. Anyway, the cards have enabled you to bring your family around the world already and you still have the big screen TV in your family room. Have your cake and eat it too and get a fresh start with no debt. Only in America! Get back on solid financial footing, get rid of your accumulated debt with Chapter 7, and face your retirement years with peace of mind!

If you need debt relief, set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in Bankruptcy, Business, Real Estate and Civil Litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 20274 Carrey Road, Walnut, CA 91789 or 1000 S. Fremont Ave., Mailstop 58, Building A-10 South-Lower Level Suite 10042, Alhambra, CA 91803.

Avoid the bondage of debt...

But the reality of life here in America is that you will buy a lot more good stuff on credit. Maybe two brand new computers for the kids? A brand new leather sofa set? Maybe you need a new fridge? Or, even a new roof because the roof leaks. There is a high probability that in 2018, you will add another $10,000 of credit cards because you don’t really feel the pain when you buy stuff on credit, isn’t this true?

It’s not like you have $10,000 of cash in the bank and you have to take $8,000 from it to pay for Hawaii, right? That would be painful. On the other hand, charging $8,000 on credit cards is practically painless. You just have to take the card out of your wallet and swipe it. It’s so easy to spend money that you don’t have here in America. One can easily get addicted to credit cards the same way that a person can get addicted to drugs. Just like cocaine and LSD, using credit cards gives the user a “high”. Just like drugs, it’s addicting.

In a couple of short years, starting from a $3,000 for your TV, and $8,000 for your Hawaii Christmas vacation in 2017, you will owe $30,000! You would have added a trip to Europe, a trip to China, Japan, Thailand and Bali for the family. These trips do not even include the family trip back to your country of origin which requires a lot more money because as everyone knows, family back home expect to get a lot of expensive gifts from their now “rich” American relatives, not to mention paying the tab for all the restaurant food that you and your family back home will be enjoying.

If all of these scenarios took place 10 years ago, mark my words: you would now owe maybe $30,000 in credit card debt.

These now cost you $1,000 a month of minimum payments. For

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The value of being legal and legal services World Bank forecast for PH economy SOME people who are in the U.S. with immigration problems/ issues, such as being out of status, in deportation/removal, or they are outside the U.S. hoping to immigrate one day, are reluctant to do anything about it because they don’t want to spend money and/or they think it may be “too expensive” to fix their problem. They are putting a monetary value on their immigration status.

But there are so many benefits to lawful immigration status, which these people need to consider. Therefore, they should consider other factors and realize the true value of being legal, which far outweigh the cost: • Legal status brings peace of mind. If a person is out of status, they are anxious and nervous.

Some lay awake at night, fearful of getting caught and deported/ removed. How many people are afraid of being pulled over while driving, a knock on the door late at night, and afraid they may be reported and turned over to ICE? • Legal status allows a person to safely travel to the Philippines to visit family. Many people who are out of status are alone in the U.S., while their family misses them in the Philippines. They may communicate with their spouse and children via Facetime, Facebook, Viber, etc., but nothing compares with hugging your child or aging parents being there for important events like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

• Legal status could possibly allow your family to join you in the U.S. If a person can legalize their status, it may also include their spouse and children, who may

Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ possibly qualify for immigrant visas to join the person in the U.S. • Legal status provides a better life and opportunities for your family, especially your children. Most people came to the U.S. primarily to make a better life for their children. But if they are all out of status, what future is there for their children? While some may temporarily get by on DACA, or the parents hope the child will marry a U.S. citizen, it could still be possible for the parent to do something about their own legal status which would also benefit their children.

• Legal status enables a person to work at a well-paying job equal to their education or experience. If a person is out of status, they may have to accept any kind of low-paying job just to survive and pay their bills. If they legalize their status, they could possibly work anywhere and/or at a well-paying job equal to their education or experience.

There are so many other benefits to being legal, that a person has to really put a value on those benefits. What is the value of having peace of mind? Isn’t it worth the expense, if it is possible to legalize your status? Think of all the other things that people spend money on, whether it is the latest Apple product, large-screen TV, vacations, etc. Was that money

well-spent compared to the value of spending money to get legal?

I am not stating that everyone is qualified or eligible to clear up their immigration problems and/ or legalize their status. But given the value of legal status, a person should at least explore their options and chances, rather than doing nothing because of the monetary cost. You should consult with an immigration attorney who can evaluate your situation and determine if there is hope and if you have chances, because legal status is priceless! *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bars of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different and results may depend on the facts of the particular case. The information and opinions contained herein (including testimonials, “Success Stories”, endorsements and re-enactments) are of a general nature, and are not intended to apply to any particular case, and do not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Follow us on Facebook.com/GurfinkelLaw and Twitter @GurfinkelLaw Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: 1-866-4873465 (866) – GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Business Quote of the Week “Don’t take too much advice. It’s just that most people who have a lot of advice to give—there are a few people who are exceptions, and they have a lot of data in front of them—most people generalize whatever they did and say that’s the strategy that made it work.”

— Ben Silbermann, co-founder and CEO of Pinterest

dims, falls to 5.8% GDP growth

Inquirer.net file photo

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

THE World Bank is tempering its growth forecast for the Philippines to 5.8 percent in 2019, below the government target and largely because of the combined effects of global trade worries, slow government spending caused by the delayed national budget and low absorptive capacity.

At a press briefing, World Bank senior economist for the Philippines Rong Qian said the WB’s 2019 gross domestic prod-

uct (GDP) growth forecast for the country was lower than the previous 6.4 percent because of “the impact of the recent global development” on the Philippine economy and “the sharp slowdown in investment growth in the first half” of 2019.

The WB estimated that the Philippines’ GDP growth would likely fall below government targets during the next three years—2019’s will be lower than the 6-7 percent goal; the projected 6.1 percent in 2020 below the 6.5-7.5 percent target; and the forecast for 2021 of 6.2 percent

also lower than the 7-8 percent target range.

Qian noted that the 5.5-percent GDP growth posted during the first semester was the slowest in eight years, pulled down by “a rapid deceleration in investment growth.”

The government underspent at least P1 billion on public goods and services every month from January to April this year because it was operating on a reenacted budget in the early part of 2019.

Squabbling in Congress over kickbacks in pork barrel funds PAGE D2

Slide in PH imports seen as sign of underspending

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

THE Philippines’ import volume slid for the fifth straight month last August, which economists said partly mirrored slower government spending on public investment and infrastructure no thanks to the late approval of the 2019 national budget.

Initial Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data released on Thursday, Oct. 10, showed that the country’s import bill declined

11.8 percent year-on-year to $8.7 billion last August, reversing the 12.6-percent jump posted a year ago.

The drop in imports that month was the biggest since sourcing of products from abroad fell below 2018 levels starting April.

In a statement, the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) blamed the slide to “declines in imports of raw materials, intermediate goods, and capital goods”—products that serve

as input for capital investments.

“Capital goods, raw materials, fuel and consumer imports all contracted as elevated borrowing costs and the budget delay knocked down capital formation,” said ING Bank Manila senior economist NIcholas Antonio T. Mapa in a note to clients.

“In particular, all types of capital imports contracted while raw materials related to construction fell as the impact of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) agPAGE D2

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Cavite local gov’t seeks partner for airport plan Megaworld to open P1.7-B hotel

Proposed international airport plan in Cavite province.

by Miguel

r. CaMus

Inquirer.net

A NEW international airport plan in Cavite province that aims to ease air congestion in Manila and potentially rival conglomerate San Miguel Corp.’s $15 billion Bulacan air gateway is getting ready to launch.

The provincial government of Cavite is set to publish a request for joint venture proposals—an early step in the selection of a partner for the development of the $10-billion Sangley Point International Airport.

The Inquirer has seen a copy of the request document, which indicated keen interest from Chinese investors.

“Project financing is being arranged and raised by the [provincial government of Cavite] through the development financial institutions and policy banks of the People’s Republic of China,” a portion of the document showed.

A Cavite government representative said that while Chinese groups were being lined up, they were also looking to lure investors from Japan, South Korea and the United States.

The document said the draft joint venture and development agreement would be available from Oct. 11 through Nov. 11 this year. The deadline for the submission of proposals is on Nov. 25.

It added that the project comes

Inquirer.net file photo

with “no national government guarantee, subsidy or equity.”

The project will be led by the Cavite government using its Public-Private Partnership Code, which will subject any proposal to a competitive challenge. This also means the project is not required to undergo the approval process of the National Economic and Development Authority.

The Department of Transportation had earlier said it would not object to the project. The DOTr will still have a say since its agencies will need to clear certain flying rights once the airport is operational.

The proposal, which will require significant land reclamaPAGE D3

Slide in PH imports seen as sign...

PAGE D1 t gressive 2018 rate hike and the budget delay continued to surface,” Mapa said.

“The latest decline in imports show that the national government’s expenditures did not go into buying capital goods necessary for the infrastructure spending program,” said Security Bank chief economist and AVP Robert Dan J. Roces in a separate research note, referring to the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program.

Import of steel and iron fell 44.2 percent, transport equipment by 29.1 percent and industrial machinery and equipment by 15.3 percent, said Roces in his note.

Export of Philippine goods, on the other hand, sustained its growth, inching up 0.6 percent year-on-year to $6.3 billion last August. Neda said it was due to

Inquirer.net file photo

“modest performance of agrobased products, fores and electronic products.”

“Outbound shipments kept the streak of growth alive amid the trade war,” Mapa said referring

to the U.S.-China trade tit-fortat.

Exports to the United States “were up again, growing despite the peso’s recent strength,” Mapa said. n

Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

by Tyrone Jasper

C. piad

Manilatimes.net

MEGAWORLD Corp. is set to open a P1.7-billion hotel inside its 30-hectare (ha) The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu in November.

In a statement, the listed township developer said the 18-story Savoy Hotel Mactan — with 547 guest rooms and suites — is the third Savoy brand in its portfolio.

Savoy Hotel Mactan targets business travelers and family vacationers, Megaworld said, noting that it is situated near the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

“Its location also allows one to experience the beach and the township at the same time, where restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, spa and other retail shops are just within easy reach,” Megaworld Hotels Managing Director Raymundo Melendres said.

“Savoy Hotel Mactan caters to smart travelers who appreciate the harmony between work and leisure, where they can discover and experience the hospitality of passionate Filipino hoteliers,” Savoy Hotel Mactan General Manager Grace Bartolome added.

Amenities include a swimming pool, sunbathing lounge, fitness center, business center, flower garden, cafes, pool bar, and a

Inquirer.net file photo

patio.

Apart from Savoy, Megaworld has opened four homegrown brands, including Richmonde Hotels, Belmont Hotel, Twin Lakes Hotel and Hotel Lucky Chinatown, and is eyeing to launch new brands in Parañaque, Bacolod, Iloilo, Boracay and Laguna in the next five years.

In September, Megaworld opened the P2.1-billion Belmont Hotel Boracay in Boracay Newcoast, which is a 150-ha township by the listed developer and its subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts Inc. Megaworld shares on Friday were up 13 centavos or 2.97 percent to finish at P4.50 apiece. n

World Bank forecast for PH economy...

PAGE D1 t had led to the delay.

The P3.7-trillion budget was signed by Duterte only in midApril. An election ban on infrastructure projects also hurt spending, Qian said.

“Investment dragged down growth in the second quarter of 2019,” said Qian.

“Private investment activities also slowed given weaker external demand” and the continuing trade tit-for-tat between the United States and China, Qian said.

Investors also preferred to wait for the final shape of ongoing tax reform efforts, he said.

Economies elsewhere were also suffering from a slowdown “with increasing risks of recession,” said Qian, citing the manufacturing slump in the US, Europe and China.

Qian said while the government is playing catch-up with spending, “there are still implementation challenges that might prevent a full catch-up.”

Qian told reporters that agencies and local government units (LGUs) were unable to immediately start procurement—a long process—right after budget approval due to a problem with absorptive capacity.

The two major infrastructure agencies—the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and of Transportation— were observed spending the same levels of their increasing budgets, which meant that while they were disbursing more in terms of project cost, it was taking them time to use their entire budgets, Qian added.

Also, the private sector has

been having difficulty catching up as the accumulation of projects could not be all served by the construction industry given limited capacity and human resources, she said.

For Qian, “resuming public investment is needed to regain growth momentum in the short run, while fast-tracking implementation of game-changing reforms would accelerate inclusive growth.”

Qian said it was important for the 2020 national budget to be approved on time to sustain the momentum of government investments.

She added that the sooner the Philippine Congress present the final shape of corporate and fiscal incentives reforms, the better.

These, she said, “would boost private investment.” n

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Dominguez: Duterte wants Infra, information key areas to improve ban on e-cigarette flavors tourism competitiveness — tourism exec

by Ben

by Catherine

talavera Philstar.com

o. De vera

Inquirer.net

PRESIDENT Duterte wants to curb consumption of electronic cigarettes through a ban on fruity flavors that attract smokers, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

“The President has already told me that when the regulation comes out, he wants to make sure that e-cigarettes taste only like tobacco and nothing else,” Dominguez told reporters on the sidelines of The Asset’s 14th Philippine Forum.

“I agree with him 100 percent.

That’s [e-cigarette flavors] a way of hooking people, and addiction is no good,” Dominguez added.

Dominguez said the prohibition on other flavors of heated tobacco products and vapes may form part of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the bill still pending in the Senate, which will further raise excise on non-traditional cigarettes and alcoholic drinks.

“I’m not sure if it can be included in the law, but I’m sure that it can be included by the regulatory bodies which are the Department of Health (DOH) and the De-

Inquirer.net file photo

partment of Trade and Industry (DTI),” according to Dominguez.

For Dominguez, “increasing the taxes from P10 to around P40 will curb the demand” for e-cigarettes.

Besides being a health measure, higher excise on e-cigarettes and alcohol—or package 2 plus of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program— will also generate additional revenues for the government of up to P47.9 billion during its first year of implementation.

The DOF had said that incre-

mental revenues from so-called “sin” taxes will augment funding for the Universal Health Care program to be implemented starting next year.

Last year, the Department of Finance (DOF) was pushing to prohibit the importation and sale of e-cigarettes in the country.

The DOF had also wanted to ban the sale of cigarettes per stick while at the same time including a provision on plain packaging, citing that it was “one of the best tobacco control practices in the world.” n

National ID system to benefit farmers, fisherfolk

by Delon

PorCalla Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — About 16.3 million Filipinos who don’t have any proof of identity according to the World Bank’s Identification for Development Initiative are expected to benefit from the first batch of registration for the implementation of the National ID System Law. “The Philippine Identification System Act (Republic Act 11055) is very good because our farmers and fishermen can now seek government help and avail of bank loans. They will no longer be victimized by loan sharks and five-six for their operations,” said Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones.

The lack of an official ID, according to the World Bank, hinders these farmers and fishermen from remote areas nationwide to avail of government aid and other services.

It was Aragones’ House committee on population and family relations that spearheaded

MANILA, Philippines — Infrastructure and access to information are among the key areas the tourism sector needs to work on in order to further boost its competitiveness, a tourism school executive said.

“Infrastructure and more than infrastructure, my second bet is information,” Fernando Roxas, executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism (AIM-DALT) told The Star.

In the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s recently released 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), the Philippines climbed four spots to 75th out of 140 countries with a score of 3.8 in the index, with seven being the highest score.

“The country showed impressive improvement on overall infrastructure (90th to 80th) and ICT readiness (86th to 82nd), but still faces challenges when it comes to safety and security (135th),” WEF said.

Roxas said the Philippines needs to be able to give tourists more information online on what they can see and do in the country.

“Many of the students from abroad that we have here, what they tell me is that it’s so hard to get an idea of what we can get in the Philippines on the web. Not only is the information lacking, the platforms to actually book, reserve and pay are not there,” Roxas said.

He emphasized that there are other countries that allow tourists to book transportation services online even before their scheduled trips, in line with providing tourists seamless travel.

“It’s so difficult for a tourist to

Fernando Roxas executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for tourism (AIM-DALT) Photo courtesy of Twitter.com

experience adequate infrastructure, give information and actually transact,” Roxas said.

“Those three are really difficult for the tourist. So I think those are the low-hanging fruits that we have to address,” he added.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. earlier said there is a need to improve the country’s air connectivity in order to boost competitiveness.

“As you know all the (airport) expansion plans in Metro Manila, the plan in Bulacan, but beyond Manila, we have to look at improving the other airports, gateways,” Bengzon said.

While Bengzon lauded the improvement in the WEF competitiveness ranking, he emphasized that there is still a need to improve other airports in the country.

“What is important is that we need to accelerate the improvement of the other airports that are now benefiting from the strong penetration rate of low cost carriers,” Bengzon said.

“Because of the low-cost carri-

ers, a lot of tourists are now going straight to the airports near resorts,” he added.

Bengzon earlier emphasized the opportunities brought by the high penetration of low-cost carriers in the ASEAN region.

He said the Philippines should strengthen its promotions in the ASEAN region given the potential to tap these markets brought by improving connectivity.

“We have to be more here in ASEAN,” Bengzon said noting the need to be more present in the short haul markets particularly in Southeast Asia.

“When you talk about the ability of the Philippines to compete or when you talk about the ability of the Philippines to get a share of the source market, when you look at Southeast Asia,we have a bigger chance,” Bengzon added.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said connectivity is the lifeblood of Philippine tourism.

“We are an archipelago and most of the tourists can reach us only by air,” Puyat said. n

Cavite local gov’t seeks partner for airport...

Laguna Representative Sol Aragones, a former broadcast journalist, expressed optimism that the rollout of the national ID system will curb corruption in the bureaucracy.

Philstar photo by Andy G. Zapata Jr.

the passage in August 2018 of the PhilSys Act during the 17th Congress that President Duterte signed into law.

Aragones said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in partnership with the Philippine Statis-

tics Authority, has set aside P3.4 billion for the production of 116 million blank cards, or a cost of P30 per card.

The IDs will be issued until 2022, and the total projected cost PAGE D5

PAGE D2 t tion, will transform the existing Sangley Airport into a new international air hub.

The first phase of the plan will cost around $3 billion and can be completed as early as 2022, the Cavite representative said. This component will have a single runway with a passenger capacity of 25 million a year.

Future phases will depend on the Duterte administration’s decision on the offer of Naia Con-

sortium to operate and upgrade Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport for a period of 15 years, the representative said.

SMC, the food, drinks and infrastructure giant, is also investing in a new gateway serving Manila and nearby provinces.

SMC president Ramon S. Ang said his Bulacan Airport, about 50 kilometers northwest of Manila, could open in five years with four runways and an annual capacity of 100 million passen-

gers.

The Cavite representative downplayed potential competition, noting that the new Sangley Airport, which is located at a “straight line” distance of about 11 kilometers from Naia, would serve the southern capital district and nearby provinces.

The DOTr is currently upgrading Sangley Airport, a former air force base, for general aviation and limited commercial operations within the year. n

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English-speaking Pinoys attract business

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Harvest Festival at Preserve at Chino on Saturday, October 19

Lewis Communities The Preserve at Chino This file photo shows Filipinos walking in Quezon City during the morning rush hour.

by AnnA LeAh

e. GonzALes ManilaTimes.net

FILIPINOS’ proficiency in English makes the Philippines an attractive destination for business services, a report released by the World Bank said.

The World Development Report 2020:Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains released on Wednesday, marks the World Bank Group’s first trade-focused development report since the late 1980s.

“English skills have helped India and the Philippines become attractive offshore destinations for business services, including not only call centers but also increasingly complex services such as information technology and finance serving the United Kingdom and the United States,”

the report said.

It noted that a country whose majority of its people can speak English is positively correlated with forward GVC (global value chain) participation.

The World Bank said the Philippines and other countries, such as India and Kenya, already have rapidly expanding information and communication technology (ICT) and business service sectors.

The report also cited the Philippines as one of the countries that used ICT to participate in GVCs. “The Philippines is an example of a peripheral country that has utilized ICT to participate in relatively high-value segments of services GVCs,” it said.

“Global value chains have played an important part in

Manilatimes photo by John Orven Verdote

growth, by enabling firms in developing countries to make significant gains in productivity, and by helping them transition from commodity exports to basic manufacturing. In the age of global value chains, all countries have much to benefit by speeding up reforms that increase commerce and boost growth,” said World Bank Group chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg.

“Countries need trade to develop, and an open, predictable environment benefits everyone. To ensure sustained social support for trade, policymakers need to ensure that the benefits of global value chains are widely shared among a broad range of groups — especially the poor and women — and that the environment is protected,” she added. n

National ID system to benefit farmers...

PAGE D3 t is P30 billion.

Aragones, a former broadcast journalist, expressed optimism that the rollout of the national ID system will curb corruption in the bureaucracy.

The PhilSys law simplifies the processes for services offered both by the government and private companies since only one ID would be required instead of the usual two. Millions of Filipinos do not have two IDs. “This development would weed out possible corruption and ensure that the IDs are rolled out sooner. This is great news so that

we can implement the PhilSys law as soon as possible,” she said.

Last March, PSA deputy national statistician Lourdines dela Cruz said they are initially targeting about six million individuals, and those eligible to register are Filipinos and resident aliens at least five years old.

Information to be gathered for the ID will include biometrics (thumbprint, iris and face scanning), full name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, blood type, address and if one is a Filipino or resident alien.

Information about marital status, mobile number and email ad-

dress are optional.?After the registration, which is free of charge, the registrant will be given his/her permanent PhilSys number. The corresponding card will be issued a few days later after information is authenticated.

The card will serve as the single identification system for all Filipino citizens and resident aliens and aims to eliminate the need to present other forms of identification when transacting with the government and private sector.?Dela Cruz said they are targeting that by 2022, they would have issued 100 million cards to Filipinos and resident aliens. n

CHINO, CA) — Get ready for some fall family fun! Saturday, October 19, you’re invited to the Harvest Festival at The Preserve at Chino, hosted by Lewis Community Developers and Preserve Community Services. Come out from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm to enjoy food trucks and booths, rock climbing, a petting zoo and so much more. Food and attraction tickets can be purchased at the event—plus you can tour the ten new neighborhoods, explore the first-class amenities and discover what this incredible masterplanned community is all about.

With a location that comes with award-winning schools and the remarkable shopping and dining that SoCal is known for, this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. So mark your calendar and make sure to attend—because there’s no other community out there like The Preserve at Chino.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or ready to retire, your ideal home is waiting for you at The Preserve at Chino. Renowned builders CalAtlantic Homes – A Lennar Company, Lennar, Richmond American Homes and TRI Pointe Homes craft their homes with exceptional quality, with options for every lifestyle. Ranging from approximately 1,229 to 2,640 square feet with up to six bedrooms and four-and-onehalf baths, these homes can accommodate even the largest of families. Priced starting in the $300,000s, these homes are an exceptional deal, making homeownership attainable for all.

In the center of the community, The Parkhouse at The Preserve

Contact: Rachel Mullins (562) 499-6707

at Chino brings neighbors together in an impressive resident-only clubhouse. Whether you’re trying to stay active in the fitness center or getting a little work done in a quieter spot at the business center, The Parkhouse supports all your goals and ambitions. Game rooms and an intimate movie theater will help you relax and unwind. A wonderful location for any event, the multipurpose room has a welcoming feel and features a connected on-site catering kitchen. Lighted tennis courts, a junior Olympic swimming pool, spa and playgrounds make the outdoors at The Parkhouse just as inviting. In addition, The Parkhouse library is a great place for students from the award-winning Cal Aero Preserve Academy across the street to finish homework and study before walking home.

Residents will also have access to the agrarian-themed Gardenhouse Recreation Center, where get-togethers happen organically.

Community gardens connect residents back to the land, while indoor-outdoor kitchen and dining spaces take farm-to-table entertaining to new heights. Whether you’d rather go for a swim in the junior Olympic pool or lounge on the deck, afternoons in the sun will leave you feeling refreshed and re-energized. The Gardenhouse Recreation Center is all about relaxation that’s in harmony with nature.

With a home at The Preserve at Chino, days always turn towards new adventures. Just moments away, explore The Shoppes at Chino Hills to find hidden treasures in the shops or a new favorite meal in one of the restaurants. Or

take a short drive for new experiences at Chino Spectrum Marketplace, Chino Spectrum Towne Center, Eastvale Gateway, Victoria Gardens, Ontario Mills or the famous Fairplex.

This exciting location makes it easy to head up to the local mountains, find your spot on the beaches of Los Angeles and Orange counties or tour all the world-famous Southern California entertainment hotspots.

From days spent at theme parks to afternoons at prestigious gardens and museums, you’ll find you’re at the center of it all.

Connect with nature and your neighbors in more than 33 scenic acres dedicated to parks, playgrounds, lawns and gardens at The Preserve at Chino. Larger parks are home to team sports, picnics, group events and more, while smaller parks spread throughout the neighborhoods for outdoor play closer to home.

All year round, these colorful outdoor spaces become an extension of the backyard and bring the community to life.

Please call (877) 417-9623 or visit ThePreserveAtChino.com for more information.

The Preserve at Chino is a development by Lewis Community Developers, a member of the Lewis Group of Companies. The Lewis Group of Companies has successfully developed more than 55,000 residences, 10,000 apartments and over 14 million square feet of retail, office and industrial space. Founded in 1955, the company is one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate organizations. n (Advertising Supplement)

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