111418 - Southern California Midweek Edition

November 14-16, 2018 Volume 28 - No. 90 • 3 Sections - 22 Pages

USA

DATELINE US to hold ceremony to return Balangiga bells to Philippines FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE Balangiga bells taken by American soldiers as war booty more than a century ago would soon return home to the Philippines.

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez will meet U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis this week in Wyoming, where two of the church bells are located, according to a report from GMA News.

Romualdez said he would be in Wyoming with Mattis on November 15 and they would release an official statement after a military ceremony for the repatriation of the Balangiga bells.

The ceremony will be held at the Francis E. Waren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, according to Rolando Borrinaga of the Committee on Historical Research of National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Borrinaga told ABS-CBN News that the ceremony would mark the journey of the two Wyoming bells back to Balangiga, East-

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Customs eases rules on balikbayan boxes THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has eased the guidelines for qualified Filipinos availing themselves of the duty- and tax-free privilege of consolidated balikbayan boxes.

Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 18-2018, issued on Oct. 11, 2018, reduced the documentary requirements needed to obtain the duty- and tax-free privilege for balikbayan boxes. It supersedes CMO 042017.

Under the new directive, the submission of a copy of one’s Philippine passport as proof of Filipino citizenship will no longer be mandatory and other IDs will be accepted, including: permanent resident ID or equivalent document in other countries; Overseas Employment Certificate/OWWA Card; work permit; Unified Government ID issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), or any other equivalent document except the birth certificate.

Qualified Filipinos availing themselves of the duty- and tax-free privilege will no longer be required to submit the commercial invoices of the goods contained in the balikbayan box. Invoices are to be submitted

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‘Philippines not interested in war’

by EDITH

REGALADO Philstar.com

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has virtually put on notice the United States, China, Australia and other counttries not to use any territory in the Philippines in case war breaks out in the South China Sea. “The Philippines is not ready for a war. We cannot afford it and we cannot manage it,” Duterte told the crowd at the 1st Subaraw Biodiversity Festi-

val in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

The president particularly cited Palawan because of its strategic location in the South China Sea. “The island (of Palawan) is very critical and I think as a matter of foreign policy, I will not allow any country to stockpile any kind of weapon here,” he said.

Duterte said there is great risk that Palawan might get hit in a crossfire between feuding forces in the South China Sea.

“All of those (missiles and bullets) that may have misfired, they will hit Palawan. That’s the truth,” he stressed.

Duterte noted the Philippines won over China in the international arbitration court in 2016 over exclusive economic rights in some islands in the region.

China claims almost all of South China Sea including the islands and reefs in the maritime region. The UNbacked tribunal had ruled there was

no legal foundation for China’s ambitions to control South China Sea. “We have the arbitration. Whether we like to believe it or not, but some of the Cabinet members were present and I told Chinese President Xi Jinping who’s scheduled to visit the country,” Duterte said.

Duterte lamented criticisms over his lukewarm approach in implementing the arbitration ruling.

“I really bluntly said the statement

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Ambassador Kim cites unbreakable US-PH bond

by MATTHEW

REYSIO-CRUZ Inquirer.net

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim on Sunday, November 11, saluted the two nations’ enduring military alliance, “from the crags of Corregidor to the streets of Marawi,” as he led the twin commemorations of Veterans’ Day and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. “The Philippines is our oldest treaty ally in Asia and our strong bond remains unbreakU.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung able,” Kim said at MaKim Inquirer.net photo nila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City to an audience that included Filipino and American veterans, military officials BILATERAL MEETING. President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with Singapore Minister of State Sam Tan Chin Siong during a meeting following the and former president

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president’s arrival at the Changi International Airport in Singapore on Monday, November 12. Malacañang photo by

Toto Lozano

‘No more revising history,’ says historian on Imelda Marcos conviction

by KRIXIA

SUBINGSUBING Inquirer.net

EVEN if ex-first lady Imelda Marcos wasn’t jailed for graft, her conviction meant she or her family could no longer revise history, a historian said.

Maria Serena Diokno, former National Historical Commission of the Philippines chair, said she considered Imelda’s conviction as just a “tiny speck” in what the Marcos family had to pay for abuses committed during their more than 20-year reign in the

country.

Diokno, daughter of the late senator and human rights stalwart Jose Diokno, said she, too, didn’t believe Imelda would be sent to jail.

“Even if she doesn’t end up in jail, she will not be able to escape this fact — today, it has been cemented in history that Imelda is a thief,” Diokno said.

Myth “Try as they might, they will not be able to revise history anymore,” she said.

The 15th Division of the anti-

graft court Sandiganbayan on Friday ruled Imelda to be guilty of seven counts of graft for setting up Swiss-based foundations, through which she and the Marcoses funneled money.

She was sentenced to up to 11 years in jail for each count.

Diokno said while the decision was not likely to be enforced, it was “a symbol of justice and of joy.”

The conviction, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said, “destroys the myth that their fam-

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AFP on Agcaoili’s visit: We are ready for war, peace

by DEMPSEY

REYES ManilaTimes.net

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday, November 12, welcomed the anticipated meet-up between National Democratic Front (NDF) chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili and President Rodrigo Duterte this month, saying soldiers are also for peace.

“We are always thinking positively that peace initiatives will result in favorable conditions toward peace that will benefit the peace-loving Filipinos,” Detoyato said.

“While your AFP is always prepared for war, we are also prepared for peace,” he added.

This photo released by Makabayan group shows Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte meeting Fidel Detoyato said the arrest of the NDF Agcaoili, member of the peace panel of the Communist Party of the Philippines. leader would depend on whether AgManilaTimes.net photo

caoili and members of his team have existing arrest warrants.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana refused to comment on the meeting between Agcaoili and Duterte.

“My thoughts and opinion here are irrelevant. We defer to the decision of the president,” Lorenzana told reporters in a separate message.

He said Duterte does not need to consult anyone regarding his expected meeting with Agcaoili and two other NDF leaders–Luis Jalandoni and his wife, Consuelo Ledesma.

On Saturday night, Nove,ber 10, Duterte disclosed in his speech in Palawan that Agcaoili will be meeting with him.

Agcoili confirmed his trip to Manila,

Former first lady Imelda Marcos

Inquirer.net photo

‘No letter request, no interview policy’ imposed on media covering Customs

A “NO letter request, no interview policy” has been imposed on all reporters covering the Bureau of Customs (BoC), fueling unfounded fears of a creeping militarization in one of the most corrupt agencies of the government.

According to bureau’s Public Information and Assistance Division (PIAD), the directive is applicable when taking reactions from Customs officials on controversial and other important matters about the BoC, its officials and employees.

The letter request, it said, should be e addressed to Commissioner Leonardo Guerrero, and can be sent through email to piad@customs.gov.ph.

It said that the tentative date of the interview “should at least be five days following the date you emailed u PAGE A2 your letter.” (William Depasupil/ManilaTimes.net)

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From the Front Page

‘Philippines not interested in...

PAGE A1 to the President (Xi): ‘You know, I have also plans, among others, that I will try to dig oil in our territory’,” he said.

Duterte said he was assured by China that the matter would be resolved peacefully.

“Well you know, Mr. President, we just renewed our good rela-

tions which were interrupted,” Duterte said, quoting the Chinese leader in referring to former president Benigno Aquino III. “So you are here, we will just have to solve it the peaceful way.

We will talk about it from time to time,” Duterte said in quoting the Chinese leader.

Duterte said he was also being

honest when he told the Chinese officials that the Philippines cannot afford to go to war over the arbitration ruling.

Duterte added China has been overtaken by Israeli firm, Ratio Petroleum in forging a deal for the exploration of oil in the area covering the East Palawan Basin or Area 4 of the fifth Philippine Energy Contracting Round.

“So now China has been overtaken. But I’m trying – I’m inviting the United States. And Israel… they had partnered with us for an exploratory activity,” Duterte said.

Duterte said no one could question the oil exploration agreement the Philippines has with Israel.

He said he will continue with the exploration activities in the disputed maritime area even with other countries. n

PRIDE OF CEBU. Sen. Grace Poe accompanied by GMR Megawide Chief Executive Advisor Andrew Harrison tours the world-class structure and facilities of the Terminal 2 of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA). Poe says that the new terminal should serve as an example for future Public-Private Partnerships in the country.

Senate photo

Ambassador Kim US to hold ceremony to return Balangiga... cites unbreakable...

PAGE A1 Fidel V. Ramos.

Kim’s remarks were the latest in a tenure full of public expressions of confidence in the durability of U.S.-Philippine ties, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s sidling up to China and Russia and his brash rejection in August of a U.S. offer to sell “useless” F-16 jet fighters to the country.

Time to remember Speaking to reporters, Kim said the day’s celebration was a fitting time to remember not only those who fought in World War I, which unofficially ended in an armistice on Nov. 11, 1918, but also the “strength of the partnership between the United States and the Philippines.”

“We have shared sacrifices, and I’m convinced every day that our partnership grows stronger because of the dedication and commitment of generals like [US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Robert] Brown and [Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Carlito] Galvez,” he said.

Kim also hailed Ramos as one of his favorite examples of those who “placed their countries and loved ones above themselves.” n

PAGE A1 ern Samar church where they were taken.

“The latest successful campaign for the return of the Bells of Balangiga was largely a veterans-to-veterans effort. So many in the U.S. veterans community have let their voices be known and lent their support — including National Resolutions of support from both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion,” Borrinaga told ABSCBN News.

The third Balangiga bell at the U.S. Army museum in South Korea would also be repatriated, according to Borrinaga.

Mattis earlier notified the U.S. Congress of their intention to return the church bells that U.S. soldiers removed from the church of Balangiga way back in 1901.

The concurrence of U.S. legislators to return the bells to the Philippines is necessary as mandated by the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act for

2018.

The ringing of the bells used to signal the surprise attack by Filipino guerrillas against U.S. troops belonging to the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment, which killed 48 American soldiers, including their commander.

In response, the U.S. troops set the town on fire and killed Filipinos 10 years old and above, as ordered by Gen. Jacob Smith.

The attack left more than 2,500 Filipinos dead. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)

‘No more revising history,’ says...

PAGE A1 ily has been perpetuating for a long time” about how good the Marcoses had been for the country.

“Contrary to what they have been saying, their era was not

a period of beauty and development, but one that was marked by large-scale corruption,” Chel said.

House opposition member Rep. Edcel Lagman said the conviction was just judicial con-

firmation of corruption perpetrated by the Marcoses and their cronies during martial law.

The possible deferment of prison term, due to Imelda’s old age, he added, “does not diminish guilt.” n

AFP on Agcaoili’s visit: We are ready for...

PAGE A1 saying he and Jalandoni were also invited by Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Bjørn Jahnsen.

The meeting will be held despite the collapse of peace negotiations, which were supposed to be held in Oslo, Norway, last June.

Exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison however said there was “nothing definite yet.”

It was Duterte who ordered the postponement of the peace talks last June, saying the government would first have to review signed agreements during informal

talks in The Netherlands.

In November last year, the president signed a proclamation officially terminating the peace negotiations with the communist rebels and, days later, issued a separate proclamation declaring the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as terrorist organizations. n

Customs eases rules on balikbayan...

PAGE A1 only when these are available.

Aside from proof of citizenship, qualified Filipinos, through their freight forwarders or deconsolidators, are only required to submit three copies

of the information sheet that serve as the packing list of the balikbayan box.

The first copy of the information sheet, which can be downloaded from the BoC website, is to be placed on the topmost

portion of the box. The second copy will be kept by the sender, and the third copy will be given to the consolidator to be forwarded to the bureau together with other documentary requirements. n

Liza Macaranas, parcel section chief at the Manila Post Office, starts organizing stacks of boxes sent in by Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from all around the world.

ManilaTimes.net photo

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PH gets failing mark in ‘rule of law’

by BEN DE

VERA Inquirer.net

WHILE the Philippines is not applying for any financial grant from Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC), the U.S. aid agency has given the country a failing mark in “rule of law” on its latest scorecard.

MCC, however, gave the Philippines passing marks in “control of corruption,” “democratic rights” and more governance indicators.

On MCC’s fiscal year 2019 scorecard released on Nov. 5, the Philippines gained passing grades in 14 of the 20 indicators: fiscal policy, inflation, regulatory quality, trade policy, gender equality in the economy, and land rights and access under “economic freedom”; political rights, civil liberties, control of corruption, government effectiveness, and freedom of information under “ruling justly”; as well as natural resource protection, girls’ secondary education enrollment rate, and child health under the “investing in people” category.

Improvement over 2017 This year’s scorecard for the Philippines showed an improvement, as the country failed in control of corruption last year,

and got passing marks in only 12 indicators.

But the country again garnered a failing grade this year in rule of law in the “ruling justly” category, which MCC said it based on the World Bank and Brookings Institution’s 2018 update of the Worldwide Governance Indicators data set mostly reflecting performance in 2017.

In the “economic freedom” category, the Philippines also failed in access to credit and business startup.

It also failed in health expenditures, primary education expenditures as well as immunization rates in the “investing in people” category.

In August last year, MCC identified the Philippines as one of the countries in the running for eligibility for funding this year.

The Philippine government, however, declined the proposed fresh grant from MCC. In December last year, MCC announced that the Philippines had withdrawn from the planned second grant to build better roads along the coast of Eastern Luzon.

First compact achievements “The government of the Philippines has decided not to move forward with the development of a second MCC compact. MCC

is proud of the achievements of our first compact with the Philippines, and both MCC and the United States are proud of our long-standing positive relationship,” the corporation said.

In its Sept. 10 report, MCC included the Philippines among 65 low-income countries that were candidates for Millennium Challenge compact eligibility in 2019.

“A country will be a candidate country in the low-income category for fiscal year 2019 if it has a per capita income that is not greater than the World Bank’s lower middleincome country threshold for such fiscal year ($3,895 gross national income per capita for fiscal year 2019); is among the 75 countries identified by the World Bank as having the lowest per capita income; and is not ineligible to receive United States economic assistance under Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (the Foreign Assistance Act), by reason of the application of the Foreign Assistance Act or any other provision of law,” MCC said.

MCC also listed down five lower middle-income countries as possibly eligible for a compact next year. ■

Fish oil and vitamin D pills no guard against cancer or serious heart trouble

by LIZ SZABO Kaiser Health News

A WIDELY anticipated study has concluded that neither vitamin D nor fish oil supplements prevent cancer or serious heartrelated problems in healthy older people, according to research presented Saturday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Researchers defined serious heart problems as the combined rate of heart attacks, stroke and heart-related deaths.

Although hundreds of studies of these supplements have been published over the years, the new clinical trial — a federally funded project involving nearly 26,000 people — is the strongest and most definitive examination yet, said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute who was not involved in the research.

Doctors have been keenly in-

terested in learning the supplements’ true value, given their tremendous popularity with patients. A 2017 study found that 26 percent of Americans age 60 and older take vitamin D supplements, while 22 percent take pills containing omega-3 fatty acids, a key ingredient in fish oil.

The new study also suggests there’s no reason for people to undergo routine blood tests for vitamin D, said Rosen, who cowrote an accompanying editorial.

(Both were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.).

That’s because the study found that patients’ vitamin D levels made no difference in their risk of cancer or serious heart issues, Rosen said. Even people who began the study with clear vitamin D deficiency got no benefit from taking the supplements, which provided 2,000 international units a day. This amount is equal to one or two of the vitamin D

pills typically sold in stores.

A recent Kaiser Health News story reported that vitamin D testing has become a huge business for commercial labs — and an enormous expense for taxpayers. Doctors ordered more than 10 million vitamin D tests for Medicare patients in 2016 — an increase of 547 percent since 2007 — at a cost of $365 million.

“It’s time to stop it,” said Rosen of vitamin D testing. “There’s no justification.”

Dr. JoAnn Manson, the study’s lead author, agrees that her results don’t support screening healthy people for vitamin D deficiency.

But she doesn’t see her study as entirely negative.

Manson notes that her team found no serious side effects from taking either fish oil or vitamin D supplements.

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TAX TOBACCO TO THE MAX. Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, dances with health workers and cancer survivors advocating the Tax Tobacco to the Max at the Senate grounds in Pasay City on Tuesday, November 13. About 300 elderly, youth, urban poor groups and other advocates called for the passage of pending bills increasing tobacco tax as proposed by Senator JV Ejercito and Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

US, China not budging on SCS dispute

by JOSE

KATIGBAK Philstar.com

WASHINGTON – The U.S. and China stood firm on their positions in the South China Sea (SCS) row, but stressed the need to tamp down tension and said cooperation was the only option to peace.

Senior diplomatic and military leaders from both countries met here on Friday, November 9, to set the stage for a summit in Argentina between U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping later this month.

As has been the usual gambit in their discussions, China demanded the U.S. cease sending ships and planes close to disputed islands it claims in the SCS. The U.S. in turn asserted it would continue to “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”

China claims virtually all of the SCS but several countries — including key U.S. allies like the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam — have competing claims to parts of the area.

The U.S.-China diplomatic and security dialogue was attended by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis and Yang Jiechi, head of the foreign affairs com-

mittee of the Communist Party’s Politburo and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe.

“Cooperation is the only option for us,” Wei said at a news conference after the meeting.

Wei added that “confrontation and conflict between the two militaries will spell disaster for us all.”

“The (U.S.) is not pursuing a policy of Cold War containment with China,” Pompeo said.

“Rather we want to ensure that China acts responsibly and fairly in support of security and prosperity of each of our two countries.”

Mattis added that “competition does not mean hostility nor must it lead to conflict.”

Yang maintained, “To use the freedom of navigation and overflight as an excuse to pursue military actions is unjustifiable.”

The talks were due to be held in Beijing last month but were postponed after Washington announced new arms sales to Taiwan, and after a Chinese destroyer came close to the USS Decatur in late September in what the U.S. Navy called an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver.”

Although the rescheduling of the dialogue signaled an effort by the two sides to contain the

slide in the relationship, it did not address the core dispute on trade.

Trump has slapped tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese products, in a push to narrow the U.S. trade deficit and push back against what the U.S. views as predatory Chinese tactics on the high technology industry.

Beijing has retaliated with tariffs on $110 million worth of US goods.

Yun Sun, a China expert at the Stimson Center think tank, said Beijing is uncertain about what exactly Trump wants out of a trade deal, but hopes that with U.S. midterm elections out of the way, the American president may be more inclined to reach a compromise.

“Their top priority is to stabilize relations,” Yun said.

On human rights, Pompeo voiced concern over China’s treatment of religious minorities, including the mass detention of minority Uighur Muslims. But overall, the tone of the US officials’ public comments was milder than that of the Chinese.

Yang insisted that Chinese people have freedom of religion and that “foreign countries have no right to interfere.” (With reports from Associated Press)

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Covered California pops and locks into enrollment season by ana

b. ibarra Kaiser Health News

CAPTURED HIGH-POWERED FIREARMS. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, inspects the high powered guns and ammunition after the Philippine National Police (PNP) neutralized two gun-for-hire groups in separate operations in Luzon on Monday, November 12, during a press conference held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

US Navy plane crashes in Philippine Sea

by Michael

Punongbayan Philstar.com

A plAne of the U.S. navy on board aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the philippine Sea while conducting routine operations Monday, november 12.

The U.S. navy said mechanical

issues forced the pilots to eject from Carrier Air Wing 5 F/A-18.

The pilots were rescued and brought to the Ronald Reagan for medical evaluation.

The aircraft is part of the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-pacific region.

Cmdr. Jonathan Zata, naval

public affairs office chief of the philippine navy, said he has yet to receive official word on the crash. “normally they operate outside our territorial zone... they do not give their specific location,” he said.

Zata said they have not also received any request for assistance from the U.S. navy. n

Data of 102,209 Filipinos hit

by Cathay Pacific data breach

THe national privacy Commission has issued an order on Cathay pacific Airways in relation to a notification it submitted last October 25 about a data breach that affected 102,209 philippine data.

Cathay pacific said last month it had suffered a major data leak affecting up to 9.4 million passengers.

The airline admitted data including passport numbers, identity card numbers, email addresses and credit card details were accessed.

Roughly 35,700 passport numbers from the philippines were exposed due to the breach, while over 100 credit card numbers were compromised, the Hong Kong flag carrier told the npC.

The npC said there appears to be a failure on the part of Cathay to report to the privacy commission what it knew about the data breach at the time it confirmed unauthorized access, and what the affected data fields are.

In an order dated October 29 but was released to journalists on Saturday, november 10, the npC asked Cathay pacific to: • explain within ten days why Cathay should not be held liable for its apparent failure to timely notify the commission about the occurrence of a data breach.

• Submit within five days further information on the measures taken to address the breach.

The leak comes as the troubled airline battles to stem major loss-

es as it comes under pressure from lower-cost Chinese carriers and Middle east rivals.

It booked its first back-to-back annual loss in its seven-decade history in March, and has previously pledged to cut 600 staff including a quarter of its management as part of its biggest overhaul in years.

“We take personal breaches seriously. Under the Data privacy Act non-disclosure of a breach is a serious offense, that is why we remind data controllers of their obligation to properly notify the npC whenever breaches occur. We expect every one to abide by this provision,” privacy Commissioner Raymund liboro said. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral/ Philstar.com with reports from AFP)

SACRAMenTO — What do hiphop dancing and health insurance have in common?

For one, you sure do hope that the break dancer busting backflips is covered.

Beyond that, Covered California, the state’s Obamacare health insurance exchange, is betting that one will bring attention to the other.

So, on a stage designed to look like a hospital waiting room, seven dancers portraying ill and injured patients used body pops, flares and fancy footwork to show that “life can change in an instant” — the slogan for this year’s Covered California marketing campaign.

The three-minute hip-hop routine, performed on Thursday, november 8 by local dance crew RS Sacramento outside the Covered California headquarters, kicked off the agency’s fourth bus tour to promote open enrollment. By the end of this week, the bus will have made 23 stops in 16 cities, including Fresno, Bakersfield, Riverside and San Francisco. local dance troops will also perform in these communities.

“Why dance? Well, for millions, dance is how they stay healthy — Zumba, jazz, hip-hop — it’s universal,” said peter lee, Covered California’s executive director, to a crowd made up mostly of his own employees, health care advocates and a handful of reporters.

By targeting healthy people “that need to be harangued, nudged, prodded, more of them sign up and that lowers the cost for everybody,” lee said later, while sitting behind a table that will double as his desk inside the charter bus. On the side of the bus there are three bigger-than-life images of a man tumbling headlong over his bicycle and ending up in crutches.

It’s all part of the agency’s considerable investment in marketing — which far exceeds the federal government’s own budget for the same purpose in the 39 states that use healthcare.gov.

Covered California wouldn’t say how much it is spending on the bus tour and the dancers, despite multiple requests over more than a week. The agency is funded by fees, equal to 3.75 percent of premiums, that it levies on its health plans. last year, the agency spent about $100,000 for more than a

RS Sacramento dance crew performs a hip-hop routine, depicting patients with illnesses and injuries, outside Covered California offices Thursday. This year, the agency hired dancers to promote the open-enrollment period and the idea that “life can change in an instant.”

Photo by Ana B. Ibarra/Kaiser Health News

dozen murals in communities across the state.

Yet some market experts don’t think that this much “hoopla” is needed in what is now the Affordable Care Act’s sixth openenrollment period, when most Californians recognize the Covered California brand. ed Haislmaier, a senior research fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, chuckled when he heard about the hip-hop dancers. He said there are better ways to invest premium dollars.

“Rather than spending money on TV, floats, bus posters and what-not, maybe the way you do this is by paying the agents and giving them an incentive to beat the bushes and bring people in,” Haislmaier said.

In 2017, insurance agents brought in nearly half of the 1.2 million subsidy-eligible enrollees, a Covered California report shows.

For the open-enrollment period for 2019 plans, which started Oct. 15 and ends Jan. 15, Covered California is wielding a $107 million marketing and outreach budget. About $40 million of that is for paid advertising, such as TV commercials, radio spots and billboards.

The advertising dollars don’t include the dancers and bus tour, Covered California officials confirmed.

Covered California’s 2018-19 ad budget is four times more than the $10 million the federal government plans to spend on advertising for healthcare.gov, just like last year. lee defended the robust and sometimes unconventional marketing strategies, explaining that

the individual insurance market has huge turnover each year and that potential enrollees, who might not be aware of the financial aid available through the marketplace, become eligible for tax credits every day.

Some people, he added, may be considering dropping their insurance because of the elimination of the Obamacare tax penalty, which takes effect next year.

Covered California, which currently has about 1.4 million enrollees, expects to enroll 350,000 new enrollees this sign-up period, lee said.

For some, the advertising works.

Rob Schultz, the choreographer in charge of the opening number at Thursday’s event, said he was enrolled in a Covered California plan for about a year when his income temporarily dropped and he became eligible for federal tax credits that reduced the cost of his premiums.

A friend who had seen ads told him about Covered California, he said. As a dancer and someone with pancreatitis, he needs insurance because “I can end up in the hospital at any time,” he said.

His experience partly inspired his choreography, Schultz explained.

In Thursday’s performance, one young man cradled his broken arm, and another hobbled onto stage with crutches. A skateboarder stumbled and injured his neck, and a woman sneezed into her arm. There was also a lot of coughing.

Then they broke into a dance.

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

US Army Pacific chief highlights PH-US alliance in 4-day visit

by Frances

Mangosing Inquirer.net

U.S. Army pacific commander Gen. Robert Brown took the opportunity to emphasize the philippine-U.S. ties to the Indo-pacific during his four-day visit to Manila.

The visit focused on reaffirming the U.S. Army’s close ties with its philippine counterparts and the increasing interoperability of the two militaries in the coming year, the U.S. embassy said in a statement on Tuesday, november 13.

Brown, who leads the U.S. Army forces in the Indo-pacific region, was in Manila from november 10 to 13, where he attended the pHU.S. Veterans Day, the Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City, and a speaking engagement at the national Defense College of the philippines.

“It’s a privilege to visit the philippines for Veterans Day and to recognize both our countries’ militaries and their decades of service to the American and philippine people,” Brown was quoted as saying.

“Together, Americans and Filipinos have fought valiantly in defense of their nations, loved ones, and way of life. We honor

General Brown, Commander of USARPAC, shakes hands with General Carlito Galvez, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Manila

their sacrifices by continuing to support a free and open Indo-pacific alongside our friend, partner, and ally, the philippines,” he added.

He also met with Defense Usec. Cardozo luna, AFp chief Gen. Calito Galvez Jr. and Army chief lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto. n

Fish oil and vitamin D pills no guard...

PAGE A3

DUAL STRENGTH PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT. Senatorial aspirant Bong Go receives a show of support from both President Rodrigo Duterte and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III for the former Special Assistant to the President’s bid for a seat in the Senate in the 2019 elections. Go’s legislative agenda includes bills focused on malasakit sa kapwa (concern for others), with programs aimed at uplifting the lives of Filipinos everywhere. Malacañang photo

“If you’re already taking fish oil or vitamin D, our results would not provide a clear reason to stop,” Manson said.

Manson notes that a deeper look into the data suggested possible benefits.

When researchers singled out heart attacks — rather than the rate of all serious heart problems combined — they saw that fish oil appeared to reduce heart attacks by 28 percent, Manson said. As for vitamin D, it appeared to reduce cancer deaths — although not cancer diagnoses — by 25 percent.

But slicing the data into smaller segments — with fewer patients in each group — can produce unreliable results, said Dr. Barnett Kramer, director of the

cancer prevention division at the national Cancer Institute. The links between fish oil and heart attacks — and vitamin D and cancer death — could be due to chance, Kramer said. experts agree that vitamin D is important for bone health.

Researchers didn’t report on its effect on bones in these papers, however. Instead, they looked at areas where vitamin D’s benefits haven’t been definitely proven, such as cancer and heart disease. Although preliminary studies have suggested vitamin D can prevent heart disease and cancer, more rigorous studies have disputed those findings.

Manson and her colleagues plan to publish data on the supplements’ effects on other areas

of health in coming months, including diabetes, memory and mental functioning, autoimmune disease, respiratory infections and depression.

Consumers who want to reduce their risk of cancer and heart disease can follow other proven strategies. “people should continue to focus on known factors to reduce cancer and heart disease: eat right, exercise, don’t smoke, control high blood pressure, take a statin if you are high risk,” said Dr. Alex Krist, a professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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

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A

Dateline PhiliPPines

Taguig voter questions Cayetano couple’s bid for separate House seats

MANILA — A complaint has been filed before the Commission on Elections against the candidacies of former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and wife Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, who are both gunning for seats at the House of Representatives.

Alan Peter has filed a certificate of candidacy for representative of the first district of TaguigPateros. He was congressman of the lone district of Taguig-Pateros from 1998-2007.

Lani will run in the second district in the 2019 midterm elections. She was the district’s representative in Congress from 2007-2010.

‘Married couple can only maintain one legal residence’ DUAL STRENGTH PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT. Senatorial aspirant Bong Go receives a show of support from both President Rodrigo Duterte Taguig voter Leonides Buac and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III for the former Special Assistant to the President’s bid for a seat in the Senate in the 2019 Jr. filed the petition to deny due elections. Go’s legislative agenda includes bills focused on malasakit sa kapwa (concern for others), with programs aimed at uplifting the lives of Filipinos everywhere.

Malacañang photo course or to cancel certificate of candidacy against the spouses,

DILG: ‘Palawan tourist sites may be closed’

by Paolo

RomeRo Philstar.com

MANILA — Other travel destinations — including those in Palawan — might go the way of Boracay and be shut down if major violations of environmental laws and local ordinances are found in these tourist areas, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday.

Año issued the statement after President Duterte warned local officials in Palawan that they could face sanctions for violation of environmental laws.

“If we find major violations of the law, we’ll really shut them down,” Año told reporters.

He also warned local officials to make sure tourism establishments in their respective jurisdictions follow local and national sanitation and environmental laws.

Local officials who allow such violations to happen would be prosecuted and recommended for preventive suspension, Año said.

He said he has yet to send inspectors to Palawan and other major tourist attractions but the president’s repeated warnings have already prompted many local officials to start removing illegal structures in resorts in their respective areas.

He said he is set to meet with Palawan officials to discuss the

matter. “We’ve been receiving reports of illegal sewerage systems and wastes dumped directly into the sea,” Año said.

In a related development, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the heads of the Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) are set to meet with the mayor of El Nido, Palawan.

“This Wednesday [November 14], the mayor of El Nido is coming here and hopefully, she starts to listen to us or else – my suggestion to the President is not to close El Nido, but to close only those that are not compliant,” Puyat told reporters on the sidelines of the Duty Free Luxe Christmas lighting. n

(RBH) 15 has been approved.

Article 17, Section 4 of the Transitory Provisions of RBH 15 previously named the Senate President as the successor.

The amended measure now reads as follows: “In case a vacancy arises by reason of removal, resignation, permanent incapacity or death of the incumbent President, the incumbent Vice

President shall act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.”

Section 8, Article 7 of the 1987 Constitution recognizes the Vice President as the first in line in the Philippine presidential succession, followed by the Senate President and the House Speaker. (Glee Jalea/ManilaTimes. net)

Robredo is successor under draft charter

THE House committee on constitutional amendments has reinstated Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo as the first successor during the transition period to the planned federal government.

Rep. Vicente Veloso, head of the panel, confirmed to The Manila Times that the amendment to the Resolution of Both Houses

according to a report from ABSCBN News.

In his COC, Alan Peter declared that he is a resident of Barangay Bagumbayan while Lani declared that she lives in Barangay Fort Bonifacio.

The petitioner pointed out that a married couple can only maintain one legal residence at any given time.

“The usual place of abode of the husband and wife, as jointly fixed by them, is their one legal residence for the purpose of running for public office,” the petition read.

Section 6, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution states that among the minimum requirements for members of the House Representatives are that they should be “a registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected, and a resident thereof PAGE A7

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano Inquirer.net photo

A6 NOVEMBER 14-16, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

But will she go to prison?

FEATURES

OVER three decades after her family was forced into exile by a popular revolt, Imelda Marcos has been convicted of crimes committed during her husband’s dictatorial regime.

The Sandiganbayan found Marcos guilty of seven counts of graft in connection with private organizations she set up in Switzerland when she was a government official from 1968 to 1986. Each count carries from six to 11 years in prison.

Victims of the Marcos regime, however, know the country’s judicial system well enough not to celebrate prematurely. The case is expected to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, and the former first lady and her family have a formidable stable of lawyers known to be influential with the courts.

At 89 – and much older if ever the conviction is affirmed with finality – Marcos might also be spared by sympathetic magistrates of incarceration. The conviction for simple graft allows her to post bail. She is also expected to pursue her bid for reelection as congresswoman representing the second district of her husband’s bailiwick, Ilocos Norte, even if the sentence permanently disqualifies her from holding public office.

Still, the conviction sets a precedent for other cases pending against the heirs of dictator Ferdi-

nand Marcos. The world, for example, has been confounded by the seizure of millions of dollars established to be ill-gotten and deposited in Swiss banks, and the Philippines’ failure to hold anyone accountable for the crime. Switzerland has turned over the deposits to the Philippine government, but no one has been brought to justice for the plunder.

The former first lady is still fighting efforts of the government to seize her collection of priceless paintings by the Masters. No president of this republic and his wife can ever earn on an honest wage in their entire lifetime the enormous sums needed to buy even one of those paintings. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also has in its safekeeping a king’s ransom in jewelry confiscated from the Marcoses as they fled the country.

And yet Ferdinand Marcos is buried at the heroes’ cemetery, and no Marcos has ever been convicted of corruption – until now. The question is whether Imelda Marcos will ever actually suffer the penalty for graft, or if her conviction will turn out to be nothing but a farce. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Americans elected Democrats to lead the House as a message to Trump: You are not above the law

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS OUR Founding Fathers had the foresight to protect the democracy of the new union they just built when they were drafting the Constitution of the United States.

They knew then that with the power vested upon elected and appointed officials, there could be some who would try to abuse this power for their personal gain and aggrandizement, and so they instituted the system of checks and balances.

The U.S. Constitution mandated that there be three co-equal branches of government: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. Each branch checks on

the others to make sure no institution or individual abuses such power, and has provisions of law to serve as guide for centuries to protect our democratic institutions and processes.

The election of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States, however, has challenged the checks and balances requirement of the Constitution. Trump’s popularity with the Republican base has casted a spell on the party of Lincoln and Reagan that has caused so many members of the Legislative branch of government to abandon their faithfulness to conservative values of adherence to the Constitution, the rule of law, and accountability for po-

litical expediency.

Many of the leaders of the Republican Party, who were up in arms in criticizing Trump’s character, temperament, and qualification during the primary election up until he was sworn in, have morphed from rabid wolves to meek lambs who have given Trump a pass in everything he has said and done that have gone against true Republican and conservative principles in his performance of his job as president and Commander-inChief. They failed to call out the president for his rhetoric, decisions and actions — for fear of losing support of the Republican base.

The confirmation of Trump’s

nominee Brett Kavanaugh as Justice of the Supreme Court, despite all allegations against him, tilted the balance of power in favor of the party of Trump, causing concerns among many Americans that Trump could indeed continue to assault our democracy with the failure of the Legislative and Judiciary branches of government to fulfill their obligations of checks and balances to the Executive.

Trump said during his closing arguments campaigning for Republicans running for office in the midterm elections that “a vote for a Republican is a vote for Trump”.

Indeed, the results of the midterm elections had been a ref-

erendum on Trump, revealing that a majority of Americans reject the culture of impunity deepening in Trump’s tenure, and voted out the Republicans who have been enabling and condoning the president’s abuse of power.

Democrats were able to regain the majority in the House of Representatives, which means the oversight function of Congress will now be functional again. The House will cease to serve the interest of the President and the GOP, and will now do its job to make the president accountable.

Moreover, the midterm elections also reveal the diminishing margin of the victory of the Re-

publicans in the Senate, and in races in the House that the GOP won, even in districts and states that Trump won by double digits in 2016, and where he campaigned so hard for in the midterm elections.

We have so much to look forward to, and to be following vigilantly, in order for us to do our part in protecting our democracy — government of the people, by the people, for the people. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https:// www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Imelda today, PNoy and DU30 tomorrow?

Opinion

FRANCISCO TATAD WILD partisan cheering greeted the Sandiganbayan’s recent ruling against the 89-year-old Imelda Marcos on several counts of graft when she was Metro Manila governor in the 1970s.

Although the sentence is not yet final and executory, and could still be reversed on appeal to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, there is already so much gloating on the part of Marcos’ political enemies. They seem determined to show not only that the Marcoses committed serious crimes during martial law, but that his most unforgivable crime was to try to turn back the communist rebellion in 1972 by declaring martial law.

We have not heard anything from the former first lady but sources close to her say she remains hopeful and confident she’ll overcome the challenge, given her record of winning her court cases. So far she has won most of them, including the hardest. In 1990, without having to call a single defense witness against 95 prosecution witnesses, she was acquitted in a New York grand jury trial together with Adnan Khashoggi, the Saudi Arabian financier, who was accused of providing legal cover for her allegedly extravagant purchases in the U.S.

The name Khashoggi has since resurfaced in the world press, following the murder of Adnan’s celebrated nephew, the 59-yearold journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul last October 2. This has triggered global speculation that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, could be dethroned because of his alleged involvement in the murder.

Exploiting the verdict Marcos’ political opponents will certainly exploit the Sandigan decision to try to bring down Imelda and her daughter Imee, who are both candidates in the May 14, 2019 elections.

But there’s no sign this campaign will gain much traction.

Imelda, who is on her third term as congresswoman of Ilocos Norte, is running for governor of the province, vice the incumbent Imee, who is running for the Senate. Both candidacies appear to be a shoo-in.

Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who ran for vice president in 2016, is not running for anything now, but is eagerly awaiting the results of his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Roberto before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). If the PET upholds his protest, he would become the vice president, and possibly a presidential candidate by 2022, when President Rodrigo Duterte steps down.

The Sandigan conviction is the first major setback for the Marcoses since Marcos fell in a ci-

vilian-backed military mutiny in 1986 and died in exile in Hawaii in 1989. If the Sandigan decision is appealed and upheld by the appellate court, the former first lady will most certainly not be able to outlive her cumulative sentence of up to 70 years.

But it would create a precedent of putting a former president or former first lady in jail long after leaving office.

In South Korea, former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were convicted of corruption and treason during the administration of President Kim Young-sam. But they were pardoned before Kim Young-sam left office, on the recommendation of President-elect Kim Dae-jung, the Nobel Prize laureate, who also amnestied all political prisoners and removed the criminal conviction of pro-democracy protesters.

Will PNoy and DU30 follow?

For us, the question that needs to be asked is this: If Imelda’s conviction is affirmed, will not DU30 pardon her? Even more important than this, if Imelda goes to jail today, will B. S. Aquino III and DU30 go to jail tomorrow?

Putting Smartmatic, the Venezuelan election provider, in charge of our otherwise sovereign elections is a continuing crime which has installed venal and corrupt de facto officials in our midst. In a normally functioning democratic order, Aquino should have been made to pay for all this.

Obviously not too many citizens fully appreciate the gravity of this crime, but do they also

Former first lady Imelda Marcos, former Pres. Benigno Aquino III and Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

Philstar.com file photos

the next government punished Aquino or DU30 for their unpunished crimes? That would certainly mean an improvement in our state of governance, but we need to be able to look forward to something more, and better.

We have a civic duty to make sure that no serious crimes go unpunished, but we have a much graver duty to prevent the commission of crimes which cannot be punished just because their perpetrators are in power.

These include the killing of drug suspects without due process; the presidential takeover of the three branches of government without any protests from members of the legislature and the judicial branch; the military takeover of a civilian agency of government without any effort on the part of the legal community to stop it and DU30’s lawless railroading of proposed constitutional amendments to “federalize” the unitary Republic of the Philippines in violation of the Constitution, which excludes the president from any such process, and in violation of common sense and economic realities.

Enter JPE At 94, former senator Juan

Ponce Enrile has decided to run again for the Senate, specifically to oppose DU30’s mad rush toward federalism, among other things. He considers federalism the most dangerous idea ever proposed by anyone, which could totally destroy the Republic. I had Enrile on my TV program “Una Sa Lahat” with broadcaster Ariel Ayala on Sunday evening, and he expounded on the perils of the proposal. He also spoke of how the poor are overtaxed, and how the raging inflation threatens to wipe out our economic system.

The day before, on Saturday afternoon, I listened to members of the Lay Society of St. Arnold Janssen, affiliate society of the Divine Word, following a lecture

by Charles Avila on the “Modern Rise of the Laity.” We are the Church, Charles pointed out, and we have the primary duty of leading the society in making the right choices. It became obvious that DU30’s “federalism” presents the most dangerous threat to the country at this time, and that the laity must work to save the country from DU30 and DU30 from himself. (ManilaTimes.net)

not appreciate the plunder of at least P200-billion “Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP)” funds, which Aquino and his budget secretary Butch Abad illegally siphoned off from the national treasury in order to, among other things, bribe the members of the Senate impeachment court, with at least P50 million each, to convict and remove the late Chief Justice Renato Corona at his impeachment trial?

This did not only involve the plunder of billions. It also involved the illegal use of those billions to corrupt and destroy a vital organ of our Constitution, the Congress, as well as the principle of checks and balances and the separation of powers. It created the unconstitutional and lawless precedent which DU30 would follow when he personally attacked Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as his “personal enemy” and made her SC colleagues remove her from office through an unconstitutional quo warranto proceeding, despite their lack of jurisdiction on any official who may be removed by Congress only in an impeachment trial.

Should it surprise the nation if

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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SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvembeR 14-16, 2018

A

Military to recommend another extension of Mindanao martial law by roel

Pareño Philstar.com

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff, will recommend that President Rodrigo Duterte again extend martial law in Mindanao.

Galvez, who was in Zamboanga City for a briefing, said most local government officials he had consulted want martial law, meant as a temporary emergency measure, to stay.

He said that based on the assessment of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, “the LGUs are recommending for the extension because they saw the impact has been very positive in terms of tourism, investments.”

He said areas in Eastern Mindanao have been relatively peaceful in terms of attacks by the communist New People’s Army. The declaration of martial law in May 2017 was premised on an attack on Marawi City by the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group but the president has since declared the Communist Party of the Philippines and NPA as terrorist groups.

Congress has readily agreed to two extensions of martial law in Mindanao. With supportive supermajorities in both chambers, another extension will likely be approved when the current declaration expires on December 31.

“We were shown the sentiments of the different provin-

cial governors and majority said they wanted martial law stay in the whole of Mindanao,” Galvez told media minutes before his security assessment meeting officers of the Western Mindanao Command.

“We will bring this up to the president,” Galvez, a former Westmincom chief, said.

Galvez said he is also expecting similar feedback from the LGUs in Western Mindanao.

The AFP chief said last week he would meet with the Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of National Defense on the sentiments local executives from Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao, who he said also support continued martial law.

“Yes, we will recommend it,” Galvez said, referring to the expected extension. The Philippine National Police has already said it will support another extension.

Human rights concerns Business groups and chambers of commerce were quick to welcome the declaration of martial law in 2017, saying the checkpoints and curfews would lead to a better environment for commerce and investment.

The experience of martial law has not been the same across Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island after Luzon, although measures like curfews and “No ID, No Entry” policies are common.

Parts of Mindanao where

rebel groups and terrorists operate had been militarized long before martial law was declared.

Rights groups claim to have documented cases of abuses and extrajudicial killings since the declaration in May 2017.

In September, lawmakers at the House of Representatives called for an inquiry into the deaths of seven young men in Patikul, Sulu whom the military said were Abu Sayyaf militants but a local activist group said were “husbands of Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in Patikul who were shot” while picking fruits that they had asked for permission to harvest.

‘Extension needed because of NPA, terrorists’ The AFP chief maintained that the reason of extending martial law is the persistent threat of terrorism and the NPA. He said martial law has also diminished the terrorist threat, citing the near collapse of the Anzar Khalifa Philippines, a local terror faction allied with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

He also said 11,333 NPA rebels have surrendered in Mindanao. He said 786 of those who have surrendered were regular armed members.

Galvez said the Eastmincom has also recovered more than 1,000 firearms from the rebels. He said that is progress continues “by the mid of 2019 our gains will be irreversible gains against the CPP-NPA.” n

Taguig voter questions Cayetano couple’s...

PAGE A5 for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the day of the election.

The petitioner also noted that the eldest of the Cayetano siblings, Rep. Pia Cayetano (Taguig), is running for senator while their younger brother Lino Cayetano is running for mayor to replace sister-in-law Lani.

“This may not surprise anyone, but this election, the Cayetanos have crossed the lines of decency, now plumbing the depths of shamelessness,” the petition read.

Cayetanos: We are simply continuing public service

In a statement, the Cayetano couple said they “have been serving for many years now the residents of Taguig and Pateros” and that their running in both legislative districts in the city “would simply continue our public service.”

They said: “We are running because our constituents trust us that their interests would continue to be promoted and protected. The disqualification cases, from the correct perspective, are irrelevant to our constituents’ desire.”

“That said, we would like to assure the electorate of Taguig and Pateros of our absolute pre-

paredness to answer point by point the issues raised in these disqualification cases,” they also said.

Alan Peter, who relinquished his post as secretary of Foreign Affairs to run for Congress, earlier insisted that their family is not a political dynasty.

“You have to understand the dynamics. Our opponents in the first district mayor and congressman are siblings. Our opponents in the second district are father and son,” Alan Peter said in an interview with ANC’s “Headstart” last month.

(Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)

GETTING READY. A woman arranges various sizes of Santa Claus inside the House of Santa located at Policarpio St. in Mandaluyong City. The house draws thousands of visitors during the Christmas season every year.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Hontiveros wants inquiry into Miss Earth sexual harassment allegations

by Gaea

Katreena Philstar.com

CabiCo

MANILA — Sen. Risa Hontiveros has called for an inquiry into the alleged incidents of sexual harassment during this year’s Miss Earth pageant that victimized at least three candidates.

Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution 932 after Miss Earth contestants Jaime VandenBerg of Canada, Abbey-Anne GylesBrown of England and Emma Sheedy of Guam detailed in separate posts that a male sponsor of the international beauty contest asked them for sexual favors in exchange for bringing home the crown or getting further in the competition.

Miss Guam identified the sponsor as Amado Cruz.

“This inquiry seeks to shed light on the true events of the case and to aid the future protection of women from sexual harassment. No woman should ever be a victim, whatever country they come from,” the senator said.

‘Zero tolerance for sexual harassment, violence’ Hontiveros—who chairs the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality—stressed that zero tolerance should be given to acts of sexual harassment and violence.

“Sexual harassment has no place anywhere, especially in a

Sen. Risa Hontiveros

Inquirer.net photo

pageant that claims to uphold the value and power of women.

At a time when women and girls are battered by rape jokes, sexual violence and sex-for-freedom cases, it is imperative that sexual harassment of any kind, shape or form be brought out into the open,” she said.

Hontiveros said both Cruz and

the pageant organizer should be held responsible for the incidents.

She also expressed disappointment that Cruz was able to attend the preliminary event and the coronation night even after Miss Earth Vice President Lorraine Shuck had assured the candidates that the sponsor would not be attending succeeding events.

“This shows disregard for their welfare and a flippant attitude toward the handling of this case.

This cannot be allowed to pass unaddressed,” Hontiveros said.

Shuck earlier said in a television report that the testimonies on the alleged sexual harassment incidents had been collected for review. But she denied the accusations and claimed the candidates were given security.

Miss Cuba Monica Aguilar also maintained there was no instance of sexual harassment during the course of the pageant. n

A November 14-16, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JoUrNAL

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B

Jollibee profit up 19.2% to P6.09B

STRONG sales boosted Jollibee Foods Corp.’s profit by nearly 20 percent in the first nine months of the year, the listed firm disclosed on Monday, November 12.

Net income attributable to shareholders of the parent firm rose to P6.09 billion during the January-September period, Jollibee said, 19.2 percent higher compared to the P5.1 billion registered a year earlier.

For the third quarter alone, profits were up 25.9 percent to P2.04 billion from P1.62 billion.

System-wide sales rose by 24.2 percent to P153.2 billion during the nine months, with P53.3 billion — up 25.9 percent — notched during the third

quarter.

This was driven by “strong” same store sales growth and the expansion of its store network, Jollibee said.

“Sales grew strongly in most regions in the world including the Philippines,” Jollibee Chief Finance Officer Ysmael Baysa said in a statement.

The Philippine business, which accounts for 70 percent of Jollibee’s worldwide sales, posted 15 percent growth in the third quarter.

North America posted the strongest growth during the three-month period at 218 percent, which Jollibee attributed to the consolidation of U.S. chain Smashburger.

u PAGE B2

PH housing sector risks still contained

by Mayvelin

u. caRaballo

Manilatimes.net

RISKS from the Philippines’ housing sector remain contained despite overheating concerns given a rapid rise in prices, banking giant HSBC said.

In its Asean Perspective report released during the weekend, HSBC said that residential property prices in the Philippines had continued to rise over the past few years, due in large part to low interest rates and rising incomes.

It pointed out that Bank for International Settlements data showed that local residential prices had risen the most since 2010 within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) latest Residential Real Estate Price Index (RREPI), the bank added, also showed that home prices rose by 4.8 percent year-on-year in the second quarter from 2.1 percent in

In its Asean Perspective report released during the weekend, HSBC said that residential property prices in the Philippines had continued to rise over the past few years, due in large part to low interest rates and rising incomes.

Manilatimes.net file photo

the previous period.

Rising housing prices are not just isolated in the Metro Manila area where the index rose to 5.1 percent during the quarter, HSBSC noted, pointing out that prices outside of the National Capital Region also rose 4.1 percent “as the Duterte administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program has also contributed to dispersing property developments outside of

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Philippines internet speed to become faster with 3rd telco Philstar.com file photo

by RichaRd

MeRcuRio

Philstar.com

INTERNET speed in the country may rise to third fastest in Southeast Asia from being among the slowest at present with the provisional third telco player’s commitment in its first year of operations, but telco giant PLDT has advised the public to temper their expectations for at least two years with the arrival of the new major player.

Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio told The STAR that Mislatel consortium’s promised minimum average internet speed of 27 megabits per second (Mbps) on its first year would be the third fastest among those of-

fered across ASEAN. “In just its first year, they (Mislatel) have committed 27 Mbps. That is double the speed of Globe and Smart, which have been operating for 20 years,” Rio said.

With its commitment to bring it up to at least 55 Mbps on its second year, Rio said this would bring it to the same level or second to speeds in Singapore.

However, PLDT is doubting that the provisional new major player, a consortium composed of Dennis Uy’s Udenna and Chelsea Logistics, China Telecommunications, and Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co., could deliver their commitments in its first two years.

“First question you have to ask is how

long will it take them to build that network?

From what I hear, people seem to be thinking that they will be operational a year from now. I don’t think so,” PLDT chief corporate services officer Ray Espinosa said.

“For them to achieve the minimum speed or the average speed that they have committed, and the 33 to 34 percent coverage that they also committed, it will take them several years before they can put that network in place and become operational. By our estimation, it would be optimistic if they can have that network in place in two years, maybe around three years because just like us, they will have to look for sites for their towers, for antennas, etc.,” Espinosa said.

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PH exceeds sales target in China’s first import expo

by MaRy

GRace Philstar.com

Padin

PHILIPPINE companies sold $124 million worth of sales in China’s first import expo, hitting twice the target earlier set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In a statement issued on Monday, November 12, DTI noted that it had exceeded its $50 million target sales at the first China International Import Expo (CIIE) held in Shanghai.

The expo only features foreign exhibitors, giving thousands of foreign companies a

chance to sell to Chinese buyers.

The total Philippine sales include $108 million of signed orders for various agricultural products such as bananas, avocados, and oranges. It also included $16 million of direct sales from exhibitors.

“This is a big win for Filipino companies — especially those in the agriculture industry — as we push for greater promotion of our fresh fruits category in China’s huge market,” said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.

“The figures exceeded our target sales for this participation, which was $50 million.

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The National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, venue of the first China International Import Expo (CIIE), which took place from Nov. 5 to 10, 2018.

Photo from the CIIE Facebook page

B NOVEMBER 14-16, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

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Govt to launch prototype app for Fitch unit, economists trim PH growth forecasts business registration next year

by LAwrence

AGcAoiLi Philstar.com

by AnnA LeAh

e. GonzALez Manilatimes.net

THE government is targeting to launch on February 2019, the prototype app for business registration.

The app will allow new business registrants to apply for business permits using a mobile phone.

“We are pleased to report that business registration at your fingertips will soon be a reality. A multidisciplinary team composed of private/public sector representatives from DTI, DICT, SEC, QC LGU, and PHILHEALTH, with help from our friends from New Zealand Creative HQ, has just finished a prototype that enables endto-end business registration on a mobile device. We are happy to note that the prototype is a viable concept. But more tests are being completed in order to further validate,” said Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, also the Chair of the Ease of Doing Business/Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council (EODB/ARTAC).

Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Undersecretary Denis Villorente said since the ease of doing business 2020 survey will start in February, the government must make sure to finish the app before the survey starts.

“Our 2020 [survey] will be starting in February so we should push this to be available before that,” said Villorente.

Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Undersecretary Denis Villorente Photo from www.igov.ph

The Design Sprints Team successfully created a streamlined process for business registration, providing an excellent opportunity for the Philippines to become one of the first countries to adopt a business registration process that can be completed

(end to end) on a smartphone.

The One Central Business Portal is being developed as an alternative registration channel that is easy to use.

DTI said it will significantly reduce the time, steps and costs

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PH housing sector risks still contained

PAGE B1 t

Manila.”

With this, HSBC warned that “the rapid rise in property prices thus raises some concerns over the health of the Philippine economy.”

“Banks’ exposure to the real estate sector continues to grow, both in terms of lending and investments, with a bulk of loans going to commercial real estate projects. Indeed, some analysts have flagged this as a possible sign that the economy in overheating,” it also said.

HSBC, however, believes that the housing sector’s risk to the economy remains contained for now as it notes that “non-performing loans in the sector have consistently declined over the past few years, while the share

of real estate loans to total loans have largely plateaued and even declined in recent quarters.”

Latest available data showed that banks’ real estate exposure increased by 11.2 percent to P2.139 trillion as of end-June, down from 18.6 percent growth a year ago.

HSBC also said that that while residential loans — which have a higher non-performing ratio compared to commercial real estate loans — had also been cited as concern, its research found that the rise in residential prices was mostly backed by sound fundamentals.

Supporting high residential prices, it said, were rising wages in light of declining unemployment, strong demand from overseas Filipino workers given the

peso’s recent depreciation, and robust foreign buying.

“Moreover, the BSP has proactively implemented macro-prudential measures to limit risks in the real estate sector,” it added, noting for example the setting of the maximum real estate exposure of banks to 20 percent of their total loan portfolios.

HSBC also mentioned that banks were also subject to a real estate stress test, which limits write-off rates on real estate to 25 percent to ensure sufficient capital buffers to withstand potential property price corrections.

Lastly, it noted that the BSP’s Circular 976 — issued in 2017 — demanded more transparency from banks by expanded reporting requirements on residential real estate loans. n

A UNIT of the Fitch Group now sees a weaker economic growth for the Philippines this year after a slower-than-expected expansion in the third quarter.

Fitch Solutions Macro Research said it has revised downwards its gross domestic product (GDP) forecasts to 6.2 percent this year and 6.1 percent for next year instead of 6.3 percent.

The country’s GDP growth eased further to 6.1 percent in the third quarter – the lowest in three years – from the revised 6.2 percent in the second quarter and 6.6 percent in the first quarter.

This brought the average expansion to 6.3 percent in the first nine months of the year, lower than the revised 6.5 to 6.9 percent GDP growth set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

“We believe that the Philippine economy will struggle to reverse its waning growth momentum over the coming quarters owing to tighter monetary conditions, deepening trade tensions, as well as a declining business environment,” Fitch Solutions said.

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

The research arm of the debt watcher said private consumption growth would continue to remain weak amid tightening monetary conditions, sustained elevated inflation, and declining consumer confidence.

Recent data showed private consumption growth eased significantly to 5.2 percent in the third quarter from 5.9 percent in the second quarter, while capital formation decelerated to 16.7 percent from 21.5 percent.

“The slowdown in private consumption and investment growth was in line with our view, and we continue to expect both GDP components to perform poorly over the coming quarters.

In our view, private consumption growth is likely to remain soft over the coming quarters owing to declining consumer confidence, tightening monetary conditions, and sustained high inflation,” it added.

Noelan Arbis, economist at British banking giant HSBC, said the bank has lowered its GDP growth forecasts for the Philippines to 6.5 percent for 2018 and 2019 from the previous 6.8 percent due to a marked slowdown in consumer spending brought about by high inflation and lower remittances growth.

“We expect private consumption to stabilize amidst easing inflationary pressures and a possible pick-up in remittances by year-end, but heightened import growth is likely to remain a drag on growth,” Arbis said.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said the Dutch financial giant slashed its GDP growth projection for the Philippines to 6.2 percent instead of the revised 6.3 percent for this year.

ING Bank was originally looking at a 6.8 percent GDP growth for the Philippines this year.

For the fourth quarter, ING Bank lowered its projected growth to six percent instead of 6.2 percent.

“Q4 growth is seen to moderate further with household final consumption seen to decelerate further while the drag from net trade will likely remain. Offsetting these two factors will be a possible pick-up in government spending ahead of the mid-term elections while business investment is seen to remain healthy,” Mapa said.

Mapa added GDP growth for 2019 would settle at 6.3 percent with strong growth seen in the first half on election related spending.n

Cycling to the end game

day on the freeway headed west in late afternoon while the summer sun in all its crimson splendor slowly sank in the horizon, I commented to my young daughMonette ter who was seated beside me AdevA MAglAyA that the sun will die too someday, HOW has 2018, which is about like everything else.

Alarm showing in her face, to come to a close, treated you she asked when it was going to thus far?

Has it been smooth sailing? happen and I smiled, patted her Or has there been an unfair vol- on the knee and said that it isn’t ume of challenges, glitches and going to happen anytime soon, bumps that tend to overwhelm at least not in our lifetimes or the and capsize that little boat you are lifetimes of many generations yet to come. Then, I added, to tamp navigating in the sea of life?

For many of us, the challenges down her visible concern, the sun tended to test the limits of human will still be there, maybe, for anendurance. They say trouble only makes us stronger. They say God would only give you a load He knows you can carry. But sometimes, we wonder if God overestimates our ability to deal with suffering.

At the extreme end, troubles other five to nine billion years or can break us. But if we’ve made so, nearly twice the length of time it thus far, still standing albeit a it took to form the solar system little stooped and weary, this and all its planets in its present should be a testament and assur- form, if the educated guess of sciance that although the road ahead entists are to be believed.

We are fortunate that the sun may pose even greater challenges to our exceedingly limited human belongs to a class of stars that abilities, we know that from a slowly and steadily burns its fuel deep wellspring of faith and abid- and holds the promise of a full ing trust in God’s mercy and love, life. And provided of course, that we will continue to persevere and there is no large-sized meteor or endure and in accordance with cosmic debris careening off its God’s will, live the full measure of track hurling itself helter-skelter onto earth as many believe hapour lives.

Perhaps, now is a good time to pened some 65 million years begin mulling about the end. It is ago, wiping off the dinosaurs and a grim thought on cold and dreary making the earth a new tabula November mornings, I admit, but rasa for a new thinking, feeling it seems appropriate when tak- life form, called humans, to take ing stock of the year about to be shape.

We realize that our tomorrows filed away in some distant cosmic memory bank and we are given a have a finite number and each year-end, brings home that point new, clean slate in 2019.

Just as sure as the sun rises in that much more clearly. Alan the morning, the end will come. Watts wrote perhaps to explain No one knows the day or the the results of man’s creative urges hour. It is a sobering thought to as a means to preserve itself, “It is contemplate the end. But some- because men know they will die how, it sets our moral compass that they have created the arts and values straight knowing for and sciences, the philosophies certain the end does come. It and religions.” What perhaps makes sense to plan for the inevi- separates us from other life forms is that we become aware of our table.

Long ago, while driving one own mortality, our own inevitable

“Nothing is important than THIS DAY!” – Goethe

ending and seeks, as a matter of self-preservation to extend it, not only by passing on genetic material to our own progeny but by the expression of thought.

Everything that exists — whether natural or man-made — has an end. Whether it is a car, a pacemaker embedded deep in one’s heart, a computer, a tree, an ant or anything else on earth, there is a definite end. Most men in developed, wealthy countries with better standards of living, better health-care programs and barring unforeseen circumstances like accidents or murder, have an average life expectancy of about 28,000 days.

In ideal conditions, the planned obsolescence for man is to reach the ripe old age of 115 years, at which time, death could only be caused by natural causes, all worn out body parts simply too old and emaciated to function any longer.

Should we at all care or worry about the end? Worry can only finish us off to an untimely end.

Live as though each day were your last. To live in the moment is not only both art and science, it is a determined 24-hour mindset you have to adopt out of your own free will. A few get it only after they have a clear brush with death. Sadly, many never get it at all.

Some wise anonymous soul once described how best to live one’s life very aptly in terms of money — something that is universally understood, “Yesterday is a cancelled check.

Tomorrow is a promissory note.

Today is ready cash — USE IT.” *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com. To read past articles, click on the link Online: http://issuu.com/ asianjournaldigitaledition” http://issuu. com/asianjournaldigitaledition or you can do searches in the least invasive search engine duckduckgo or bing or yahoo even before agenda-driven google.

PH exceeds sales target in China’s first...

PAGE B1 t

But Philippine products, known to be of quality to foreign buyers, received overwhelming approval at CIIE,” the trade chief added.

This is despite sending fewer exhibitors than earlier expected since the event was allegedly overbooked. The country pre-

viously planned to send over a hundred exhibitors.

Instead, only 36 Filipino exhibitors were able to participate, according to a previous DTI statement.

Apart from this, there was also a 136-square meter Philippine national pavilion, which featured 10 partner government agencies

and companies as well as 11 universities.

DTI is looking forward to bringing a bigger delegation to next year’s CIIE. According to Lopez, DTI is eyeing to set up 100 booths for next year and to double its sales, targeting to bring a wider variety of local fresh fruits. (Inquirer.net) n

Philippines internet speed to become faster...

PAGE B1 t

Rio, however, refuted PLDT’s comments, expressing confidence that whoever is the chosen third telco player would have to deliver on its commitments, otherwise it will have plenty to lose.

“PLDT did not do that, they did not have commitments and they didn’t gamble money if they were not able to do the commitments.

So what do they know about having a commitment with a big

stake which they could lose?

They don’t know that. This is the first time we are requiring a telco to have a commitment, and put their money where their mouth is. PLDT never experienced that so how can they say that to this incoming telco?” he said.

Rio was referring to the P14billion performance bond required of the third telco player, which would be taken by the government should it fail to de-

liver its commitments, along with the frequencies that will be awarded to it.

Last Wednesday, November 7, the Mislatel consortium was declared as the provisional new major player in the country’s telecommunications industry.

It has committed a network coverage of 84 percent of the population after five years with total investments of P257 billion.n

gain as sales costs had risen due to rising inflation in the Philippines and the consolidation of losses from Smashburger.

“We look forward to the recovery of profit margins in the Philippines in 2019 and the significant improvement in the profit performance of our new businesses in the next one to two years…,” Baysa said.

Jollibee, which operates brands such as its eponymous fast-food chain, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon and Burger King,

added 302 stores to its network in the January-September period, 177 in the Philippines and 125 overseas. In total, it operates 3,003 stores worldwide.

The firm said it planned to build more stores with Malaysia and Guam in the 2018-2019 pipeline.

Jollibee shares closed at P274 apiece on Monday, down 1.44 percent or P4, amid a 0.61-percent dip for the Philippine Stock Exchange Index. (Manilatimes. net) n

Jollibee profit up 19.2% to P6.09B

PAGE B1 t

The Europe, Middle East and Asia (excluding the Philippines) saw sales increase by 32.3 percent, while China accelerated by 5.2 percent.

Revenues were up 21.5 percent to P114.8 billion as of endSeptember, with the third quarter result of P39.7 billion also higher by 21.7 percent.

Operating income growth for the nine-month period rose by 11.1 percent, which Jollibee noted was lower than the revenue

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BUSINESS NEWS

SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 14-16, 2018

B3

Client needs bankruptcy to get rid of Govt to launch prototype app for business... accumulated debt from failed business PAGE B2 t

THE client is 53. He is married and owns a house. He used to have a business, which was a DBA sole proprietorship.

“DBA” means doing business as. Sole proprietorship means that an individual conducts a business in his personal capacity, without a corporation, or any other kind of business entity.

Other business entities used to conduct business include LLC, S corporation, C Corporation, registered partnership etc. In a sole proprietorship, all of the debts incurred for and by the business, are personal debts of the individual conducting the business.

For example, the client was in the import and wholesale distribution of electrical parts.

The business has a warehouse for the inventory.

Client signs the warehouse lease in his personal capacity even if the lease is in the name of the business. The client has a line of credit from a bank for $100,000.

Even if this line of credit is in the name of the business, the client is personally liable on this line of credit such that the line of credit is treated as a personal loan to the client for him to operate his business.

It appears that the Trump trade war has been creating pressures on the client’s business.

His overseas suppliers based in China are encountering shipping delays. Shipping delays have a negative impact on collections because the client cannot ship an order, bill and collect without merchandise. There is added pressure on the business when a factoring company is used. A factoring company finances the receivables of the business. Delayed shipments cause havoc on factoring arrangements because if the merchandise is not timely

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG delivered, the customers may not pay or may even cancel the order.

The client’s business was running smoothly for 10 years. But the recent hiccups in delivery caused major problems for the client. If the customer suspects client had delivery problems, the customer will just cancel large orders and give the business to

Soon enough, he has maxed out all of his credit cards. He tells me that he maxed out at $150,000 of credit cards. He now pays $4,500 a month of minimum monthly payments to keep the $150,000 current. He did that for six months but could not make the minimum payments anymore.

Well, that’s obvious. To be able to pay $4,500 monthly, client’s gross income should at least be five times that amount. To pay that with ease, his gross income should be at least $22,000.

But his gross income now from employment is only $4,000 a month.

It’s clear he has to get rid of the $150,000 credit card debt, right? There are only two effective ways of getting rid of his $150,000 of credit card debt. The first is Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The second is Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The other options are pie in the sky: getting a 2nd trust deed to pay off the $150,000 or, consolidating these with a settlement company. The first pie in the sky is sucking $150,000 of equity out of your house and using the proceeds to pay off the $150,000 in credit cards. Replacing credit card debt with a mortgage on your house is never a good idea. By doing this, you increase your mortgage payments. You put your house at risk. Need I say more? Instead of paying $1,700 for your house payment, you will now pay another $800. That increases your house payment to $2,500. That’s a bad idea.

The second pie in the sky involves signing a contract with a debt settlement company. The so-called settlement company will deal with all your credit card companies and beg them to give

“The second pie in the sky involves signing a contract with a debt settlement company. The so-called settlement company will deal with all your credit card companies and beg them to give you some kind of settlement deal.”

What’s New ARLENE AL-OS, CPA, MBA IN part 1: we defined 1) who are resident aliens, nonresident aliens or both, 2) who are exempt individuals, and 3) closer connection exception.

In part 2: we defined 1) how resident aliens and nonresident aliens are taxed, 2) when is income considered U.S. sourced, 3) withholding requirement and employee issues.

In part 3: we discussed the taxation and withholding rates of nonresident aliens.

In part 4: we discussed the taxation of dual-status alien if for the same year you are both a resident and nonresident alien.

If you are a U.S. citizen and is married to a nonresident alien spouse at the end of the year what are your options?

• You may choose to elect to treat nonresident alien spouse as

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES TO many people, the New Year signifies a chance to have a fresh beginning. People dispose of old personal items and clean out the closet in order to make room for the new. This is also the time of the year many people realize when a marriage is not working out and it may be time to start a new life as a single person whether or not you have children. You can decide to take action and file a divorce.

Before you take any action, you need to think about your situation carefully. First, you should decide whether you should you move out of the family residence or not? If you and your spouse are communicating and have some type of respect left with one another, it may be more economical to continue residing in the same household until you resolve the issues in the divorce case. However, if your relationship is heated and riddled with conflict, then someone should to move out. If your spouse has threatened you, hurt you, or committed domestic violence, you may file a domestic violence temporary restraining order and request the court to order your spouse to move out of the house. In the same application, you may also request for custody, support, and attorney’s fees. If on the other hand you decide to be the one to move out, you should move somewhere close to your spouse if you have children to make it easier for both of you to co-parent with the children.

Second, you should decide whether your spouse is the type who will disclose all the financial

others who do not have delivery problems. So, the client’s business has suffered greatly and no longer profitable. Worse, the client has to fend off suppliers and banks that want to get paid.

The client then uses his credit cards to refinance his business debts, one by one. Why do I mean by refinancing? For example, he has an American Express card with a credit line of $20,000.

He draws on that to pay off a portion of credit line from the other bank. In other words, he is borrowing from Peter to pay Paul.

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Resident, nonresident alien status tax wise

(Part 5) If the other spouse died, include US resident.

• If you qualify and choose not the complete name, address, and to elect treatment of nonresident identification of the person makalien spouse as U.S. resident, ing the election for the deceased you may be able to choose head spouse.

• Suspended election: If neiof household filing status.

• Election to file a joint return: ther of you is a U.S. citizen or You and your spouse are consid- resident alien during the later ered residents if you choose to tax year/s, the election to treat as elect a joint return for federal in- U.S. residents are suspended. come tax purposes for that year/s *** until the election are suspended. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business You will report worldwide in- or tax advice contained in this come for the year/s the election communication is neither intended as a is in effect. thorough, in-depth analysis of specific • To make the election: You issues, nor a substitute for a formal will need to attach a signed state- opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid taxment by both spouses to the joint related penalties. return for that year/s elected. *** The statement will include: 1) declaration that one spouse is Al-os & Associates Accountancy a nonresident alien and other Corporation provides accounting and spouse is a U.S. citizen or resi- tax services to individuals, corporations, dent alien at end of tax year and LLCs and business entities. The Firm has you choose to be treated as U.S. a niche in defending taxpayers audited residents for that tax year/s; 2) by the IRS and other governmental Complete name, address, and agencies. identification of each spouse; 3) (Advertising Supplement)

Starting the new year fresh with a divorce

assets or not after you file for divorce. Although the family code (family code 2100 et seq.) imposes a duty to disclose all material facts and information, spouses’ are not always forthcoming in disclosing completely all assets, debts, income and expenses specially after a divorce case is commenced. What sometimes happens is once a divorce case is commenced, assets are either not disclosed, disappears, or documents/ bank statements are not produced even with formal discovery. You should gather and make copies of all financial documents before filing the divorce.

Third, there is an automatic temporary restraining order (ATROS) in place once you file and serve your spouse with the divorce papers. The four standard mutual restraining orders are 1) removing their minor children from the state without the prior written consent of the other party or a court order. family code Section 2040(a)(1) 2) restraint from transferring, encumbering, hypothecating, concealing, or in any way disposing of any property, real or personal, whether community, quasi-community, or separate without the other party’s written consent or court order; fam code 2040(a)(2) 3) restraint from cashing, borrowing against, canceling, transferring, disposing of, or changing the beneficiaries of any insurance or other coverage, including life, health, automobile, and disability held for the benefit of the parties and their child for whom support may be orders. Fam C 2040(a)(3). 4) restraint from creating a nonprobate transfer or modifying a nonprobate transfer in a manner that affects the disposition of property

subject to the transfer without the other party’s written consent or court order. fam c 2040(a)(4).

There are exceptions to the above restrictions. One exception is for property transfers in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life. Examples would be property transfers as part of your usual business operations or to pay for usual household living expenses. Another exception is payment of reasonable attorney’s fees. fam c. 2040(a)(2). If you need to do any transactions that may violate the ATROS, it is best to do it prior to filing and serving the divorce petition provided you do not breach your fiduciary duty to your spouse. If you are thinking of filing a divorce, it is best to consult an experienced family law attorney before taking any action.

*** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

*** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association.

He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 3881611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

plus the inconvenience of business registration particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises.

The One Central Business Portal is expected to significantly make it easier for someone wanting to start a new business in the Philippines by consolidating government requirements in one application form.

By making the portal available online and through the mobile phone, its transforms the registration experience into a convenient facility that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Through the development of this portal, someone interested in putting a new corporation will no longer have to visit and transact with several government agencies separately. It also spares the applicant from having to contend with numerous face to face interactions, as well as queues to obtain a service.

“We do not just automate the process but transform the way government is doing business by offering a feasible, viable and desirable solution for the customer. The exercise we did this week reengineered the “starting a business” process using a whole of government approach”,

Calendar of Events across

Lopez said.

He said the DTI shall turn over the prototypes for the One Central Business Portal, including the framework of the Philippine Business Number (PHBN) and the end to end registration to the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) for possible integration with other government systems.

“Under the newly enacted Ease of Doing Business law, the DICT shall be primarily responsible in establishing, operating and maintaining a central business portal or other similar technology,” said Lopez.■

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS N OV E M B E R 1 4 - D EC E M B E R 1 2

JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles features Sou Fujimoto: Futures of the Future exhibition JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is pleased to announce the upcoming SOU FUJIMOTO: FUTURES OF THE FUTURE exhibition, taking place Oct. 27 - Dec. 12, 2018 at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, located at Hollywood & Highland. Named the Wall Street Journal’s Architecture Innovator of The Year in 2014, Fujimoto has designed public and private buildings around the world since establishing his atelier in 2000. This exhibition is a showcase of over 100 models and large-scale photographs of past and current projects by the celebrated Japanese architect. Fujimoto addresses many opposite concepts, including the recurring theme the “primitive future.” This apparent contradiction refers to the primordial, intuitive moments that reconnect us with our own humanity, and open us up to new possibilities. His designs often feature juxtapositions of outside and inside, nature and urbanity, objects and spaces, public and private. And, his work considers the macro and micro: when does an object become a space? Exhibition dates from Oct. 27 to Dec. 12 are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving Day 11/22). JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (inside Hollywood & Highland).

Admission is free. For more information, please call (800) 516-0565 or visit https://www.japanhouse.jp/losangeles/events/.

N OV E M B E R 1 4 - D EC E M B E R 1 5

Art exhibit inspired by Filipino food movement in Santa Ana, CA In “Super Sarap” — from November 3 to December 15 at Gallery 6/67 — three artists Mik Gaspay, Jeanne Jalandoni, and O.M. France Viana revisit commonplace objects and food within Filipino cooking. Through sculpture and photography, the artists elicit personal and collective memories and offer cultural connections that go beyond the Philippine diaspora.

The exhibition title, “Super Sarap,” fuses both English and Tagalog together, to hold multiple meanings. It can convey something that is extremely delicious, an expression of excitement and affirmation. Artists in “Super Sarap” play with these definitions and mutate symbols, making them both strange and familiar, challenging the expectations of cultural norms. It is guest curated by Patricia Cariño Valdez, an independent curator based in Oakland, CA. In addition to the exhibit, there will be two art and culinary events: an intimate four-course gourmet dinner prepared by acclaimed Orange County Chefs, Ross Pangilinan of Mix Mix Kitchen Bar on November 15 and Chef Ryan Garlitos of Irenia Restaurant on December 9 combined with an exhibition walk-through. The opening reception for Super Sarap will be on Saturday, November 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Gallery 6/67 is located at 404 West 4th St., Suite K (2nd floor), Santa Ana, CA 92701. Gallery visits are by appointment. For more information about the exhibit and related events, visit https://www.gallery667.com.

N OV E M B E R 1 7

Larry Itliong celebration in Los Angeles The Pilipino Workers Center and Larry Itliong Day Committee proudly present, “Siklab!”

Larry Itliong Day 2018 — a five-hour celebration on Saturday, November 17 of music, art, education and food highlighting the life and legacy of Filipino farm worker and labor rights movement leader, Larry Itliong. Set at the heart of Historic Filipinotown, this FREE event will take place at Unidad Park (1644 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. With this year’s theme, “Siklab,” the organizations aim to entertain Filipinos and Filipino-Americans about the Filipino culture, the history of the Filipino labor movement in the U.S. and its impact on workers today. There will be activities such as musical performances from local artists, art workshops, a scavenger hunts, food booths, a bazaar, and much more.

N OV E M B E R 3 0

Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in La Puente, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Friday, November 30 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Martha Catholic Church (444 N. Azusa Ave., La Puente, CA 91744). Contact Rainier Valenzuela at (626) 964-4313 for more information.

D EC E M B E R 3

Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Los Angeles Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Monday, December 3 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Bernard Church (2500 W. Ave 33, Los Angeles, CA 90065).

Contact Puri Narvaez at (818) 543-1831 for more information.

D EC E M B E R 4

Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Montebello, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Tuesday, December 4 at 7 p.m. It will be held at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (820 N. Garfield Ave., Montebello, CA 90640). Contact Frenz Rivera (626) 338-7898 for more information.

D EC E M B E R 5

Healing Mass with Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi in Reseda, CA Come experience the healing power led by Rev. Fr. Corsie Legaspi on Wednesday, December 5 at 7 p.m. It will be held at St. Catherine of Siena (18115 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335). Contact Divinia Encina at (310) 212-6083 or Rosalie Corpuz at (626) 825-5327 for more information

D EC E M B E R 29

UP Alumni Association Berkeley Chapter Celebrates 50th Anniversary The University of the Philippines (UP) Alumni Association (Berkeley Chapter) is celebrating its Golden Jubilee with a luncheon party from 11am to 4pm on December 29, 2018 at the Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton, California. All present and former members are invited, including alumni or graduates of the university’s high schools in Manila and Diliman, and the different institutes, colleges and campuses of the University. Interested parties are requested to get in touch with the following: Daisy Rodriguez (916) 768-9955, Henrietta Fajardo-Boyd (925) 433-3359, Diosy Rey (707) 315-2351 or Jay Castro (925) 899-8881.

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

B4 NOVEMBER 14-16, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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People and Events

Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group Glendale to open lottery application seeks sponsors for Thanksgiving dinners for 31 affordable housing units

Photo courtesy of www.glendaleca.gov

Photo courtesy of www.danapoint5thmarines.com

THANKSGIVING is quickly approaching and most anticipate a warm, wonderful holiday, surrounded by family and friends, but not everyone gets to celebrate Thanksgiving seated at a beautifully decorated table, laden down with homemade dishes.

With so many Marines and Sailors from the 5th Marine Regiment deployed to the Middle East, there are many families who won’t celebrate Thanksgiving together next year. Our

EMPLOYMENT

single Marines who remain at Camp Pendleton must maintain readiness as our Nation’s 1st Responders and cannot travel home to be with loved ones. There will be empty chairs at tables across the U.S. To ease the loneliness of this time, the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group (DP5MRSG) is seeking the public’s help. By sponsoring a Marine or Marines, or the family of one who is deployed for Thanks-

giving Dinner, donors are giving them a chance to be together with other Marines, Sailors, Wounded Warriors from Battalion West at Camp Pendleton and their families in a warm, supportive atmosphere with a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner.

“It is a way for our local folks to show that our country appreciates the sacrifices they are making. Most importantly, it is a way to say ‘Thank You’,” says

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EMPLOYMENT

ON Tuesday, October 23, the City of Glendale announced a multi-project affordable rental housing lottery for 31 affordable units in Glendale.

Five project sites are included in this lottery. Twelve very low income units are available at The Link at 3901 – 3915 San Fernando Rd. Five very low income units are available at 507 – 525 W Colorado St. Another eight very low income units are available 515 W Broadway. Five more very low income units are available at 1407 W Glenoaks Blvd. One low income unit is available at 518 Glenwood Rd.

Of those 31 units, 22 are one bedroom, seven are two bedroom, and two are three bedroom. A full list of income requirements are provided in the table below.

Physical copies of the lottery application are available during normal business hours at the following five locations: • Armenian Relief Society, 517 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA • Catholic Charities, 4322 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, CA • City of Glendale, 141 N. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA • Glendale Adult Recreation Center (ARC), 201 E. Colorado St., Glendale, CA

• Sparr Heights Community Center, 1612 Glencoe Way, Glendale, CA The application is also available for download at GlendaleCA. gov/affordablehousing. Those interested in submitting an online application may do so at the same link.

Applications will be accepted online and by mail from October 30 to November 27. Applicants may send their application to P.O. Box 10400, Glendale, CA 91205.

All mailed applications must be postmarked by November 27, 2018. All applications must be

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

INSURANCE/SERVICES

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B NOVEMBER 14-16, 2018 • SoCal ASIAN JOURNAL

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Elevated levels of flea-borne disease confirmed in Pasadena

Photo courtesy of ww5.cityofpasadena.net

THE Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) is reporting epidemic levels of typhus fever this year. Typhus fever is a disease spread to humans by infected fleas. In 2018, 20 Pasadena residents have been confirmed to have typhus fever, well above the expected one to five cases per year.

Flea-borne typhus, also known as murine or endemic typhus, is a disease carried by fleas infected with bacteria (Rickettsia typhi or Rickettsia felis). Flea-borne typhus is found regularly in Los Angeles County, especially Pasadena, with most cases occurring in the summer and fall months.

Locally, the primary animals known to carry infected fleas include feral cats and opossums.

People with significant exposure to these animals are at risk of acquiring flea-borne typhus. Pet dogs and cats that are allowed outside are more likely to come in contact with infected fleas and could spread the disease to humans. Although pets and animals

do not get sick from typhus, the disease can cause high fever, chills, headache and rash in people. Typhus can be treated with antibiotics.

“Typhus fever is a disease that can cause serious complications requiring lengthy hospitalization, and rarely, death,” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Pasadena Health Officer. “All residents should to take steps to prevent fleas in and around the home.”

There are simple precautions to prevent the spread of typhus fever disease: • Maintain the yard free of debris and trim overgrown vegetation to prevent harborage of wild animals like feral cats and opossums.

• Do not leave pet food outdoors.

• Do not provide food or water for wild animals.

• Keep garbage containers tightly covered.

• Seal all openings and crawl spaces under the home.

• Routinely treat pet dogs and

Dana Point 5th Marine...

PAGE B4 t

Terry Rifkin, president of the DP5MRSG. “It is our hope that these American heroes will feel the gratitude of our Community for their sacrifices and service.” Several corporate and civic sponsors have already stepped up with donations including the City of Dana Point, the Strand at Headlands, the Transportation Corridor Agencies, The Stanley W. Ekstrom Foundation, Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc. and the Armed Forces Retirees Association.

The dinner will be hosted at Waterman’s Harbor in Dana Point by Damian Collins and the

Collins Family. A single Marine, the family of a deployed Marine or a Marine and his family, will receive a full meal, open bar, dessert, entertainment and raffle prizes for a donation from a sponsor. “It is a simple way to show gratitude for the many sacrifices they and their families make and to turn what could otherwise be a lonely day into a ‘family affair’,” added Rifkin.

Individuals may donate online www.DanaPoint5thMarines. com via a secure PayPal site or by sending a check to: The Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group, Attention: Thanksgiving for Marines, P.O. Box 471, Dana Point, CA 92629-0471. n

Glendale to open lottery...

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signed and dated by the head of household.

There is a limit of one application per household. Any incomplete applications will be disqualified. Rejected applications are given a two-week appeal period after the City sends a notice of rejected application. Any interested party with questions should call the City of Glendale at (818) 551-6937.

The Glendale Housing Authority has supported the develop-

ment of numerous affordable housing projects using affordable housing funding, since its inception in 1975.

These housing projects have provided new affordable rental housing for seniors, families, and special needs populations, as well as home ownership opportunities for first time home buyers. To date, the Glendale Housing Authority has developed over 1,200 units of affordable housing for both low income renters and homeowners.n

Client needs bankruptcy...

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you some kind of settlement deal. The problem is this settlement company is somewhere in Timbuktu, it’s anyone’s guess which credit card will agree to whatever kind of settlement (this is why debtors who opt for this pie in the sky still get sued by creditors despite the “arrangement”), payments are sent to the settlement company, not the creditor.

In other words, what actually happens to the money you send to the settlement company again is anyone’s guess. And the settlement company may have its own cash flow problems putting your payments at risk.

If you are eligible for Chapter 7, that’s the simplest way to go. Chapter 7 will wipe out client’s $150,000 and all other debts and give him a fresh start in life without accumulated debt for a business that failed. Why should he spend the rest of his life paying back a business loss?

He should be given a fresh start without debt, just like Walt Disney who filed for Chapter 7 twice before his Disneyland business became wildly successful. Of course, you’ve been to his Disneyland theme parks a couple of times with your family, haven’t you? He filed for Chapter 7 twice. So don’t get into the “holier than thou” mentality. It is counter-productive and you’ll never get out of your ever-deepening debt hole.

If the client does not qualify for Chapter 7 because he has too much equity in his house that is beyond the homestead exemption, then he should file

for Chapter 13 reorganization instead. In Chapter 13, he may pay only a portion of the $150,000.

If the non-exempt equity of his house is $20,000, he need only pay $350 a month for 60 months, and after that is done, the court wipes out $130,000 and all of his other debts. There is no risk to his house. All of his payments are paid to the Chapter 13 trustee who is an officer of the court.

All payments are guaranteed

by Federal law and the Federal bankruptcy court to be paid to all creditors who timely file a proof of claim. Creditors who do not file a proof of claim need not get paid. Those debts just get wiped out. When the Chapter 13 is filed, a court order protects the client’s house from liens and judgments, and all creditors are prohibited from calling or suing debtor. Peace of mind and order out of chaos.

If you want to become productive again without accumulated debt, you absolutely need to wipe out accumulated debt with Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. If you want to straighten out your financial life once and for all, do Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. You will not regret it. It’s the best remedy to accumulated debt short of winning the lottery. *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

cats with flea control medication.

Local healthcare providers are required to report any Pasadena residents with a suspected or confirmed typhus diagnosis within one working day to PPHD at (626) 744-6089 Monday to Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or (626) 744-6043 after hours. Diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion since flea-borne typhus typically presents as a non-specific febrile illness and early diagnostic tests are unreliable.

For more information on preventing typhus, visit the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District at https://www. sgvmosquito.org/flea-borne-typhus. n

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What we eat: Favorite staples on your Thanksgiving dinner and how they’re changing BY

RAE ANN VARONA / AJPRESS

FOR years, no Thanksgiving dinner spread has been complete without the centerpiece turkey, sides of mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and cranberry sauce, and the assortment of pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies.

But while Thanksgiving dishes have stayed the same at the core, it’s natural that they’ve picked up some changes and influences throughout the years. Think deep-fried or brined turkeys that became popular in the mid-1990s, truffled mashed potatoes and savory bread puddings during the transition to the 21st century, and the use of kale in almost all vegetable dishes in the more recent years.

Here are some ways Thanksgiving dinners have been changing in today’s times.

Healthier holiday mashups In regards to food, Thanksgiving is a holiday associated with unapologetic indulgence. Kraft Foods even came out with limited-edition elastic “Thanksgiving Dinner Pants” that sold out in about a day.

But while the holiday has in ways marked the beginning of “cheat days” that go on until the new year, more and more people have been making the commitment of making their Thanksgiving meals healthier or more specialized to certain diets.

Take mashed cauliflowers in place of mashed potatoes for instance, which have been seeing an obvious uptick in searches everytime Thanksgiving comes around. Even mainstream markets like Trader Joe’s, Sprout’s, and Vons among others have picked up on the trend, making heat-to-serve mashed cauliflower readily available in the freezer aisles.

Specialty diets in general have been making an appearance during Thanksgiving

dinners, with alternatives for those looking to avoid meat, dairy, or gluten becoming more accessible outside of specialty markets.

Recipes for vegan options that are still holiday worthy like vegan gravy and vegan scalloped potatoes can easily be found online, as can recipes for gluten-free versions of cornbread, bread stuffing, pies, cakes, and more.

And yes, such modifications have applied to Thanksgiving turkeys as well with companies like Tofurky, Gardein, Quorn, Harvest Celebration, Vegetarian Plus, and even Trader Joe’s (who makes a more reasonably priced alternative) making mock meats stuffed with things like wild rice, traditional bread stuffing, vegan sausages, and even a faux wishbone among other things.

While mock turkeys aren’t as new as some may think (Tofurky first came out with their holiday roast in 1995), data from Nielsen Product Insider and Label Insight found that vegan and vegetarian products sell faster during the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving that during the weekly average.

“Specialty diets don’t restrict consumers from creating delectable dishes and desserts to celebrate the holiday,” read the insight report.

Meal kit dinners Thanksgiving usually entails multiple trips to the market and hours of meal prep before getting down to the actual cooking, but with the growing trend of meal kits, Thanksgiving has become a prime time for pre-prepped and mail-delivered meals.

Nielsen reported that 32 percent of Americans said they preferred using meal kits in making their holiday meals. On Google, searches for Thanksgiving meal kits this year more than quadruple that of last year, and

are skyrocketing to the highest they’ve ever been.

The general idea behind the popular model is that instead of scouring for recipes before collecting and preparing ingredients yourself, literal meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and instructions to curated recipes are sent to your door for you to get straight to cooking. The upside is that it provides that same homemade feel without the extra time. The downside? The convenience does often come with a high price tag.

Meal kit company HelloFresh offered a Thanksgiving meal kit for eight to 10 people for $159 and came complete with the classic turkey, and everything needed for ciabatta stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, garlic mash potatoes, green beans with shallots, and apple ginger crisp. They also offered a Sides and Desserts Box, essentially everything without the turkey, for $99 or about $9 per person.

Longtime household brand Williams-Sonoma offered a complete Thanksgiving dinner for eight to nine people that also covered the essentials with an organic turkey from Willie Bird Ranch, and sides that upped the scale like green bean casserole with Gruyere cheese sauce and crispy shallots, mashed potatoes with rich butter and fresh chives, and pumpkin pie made with homemade pastry, all for $250.

For those looking for a more intimate meal with just two to three people, meal kit delivery company Blue Apron offers for its customers all the ingredients like a turkey leg and breast, green beans, cranberry, potato, and bread to make for a cozy at home dinner for $50.

Diversity on and around the table While Thanksgiving has been reserved for gathering around with family, “Friendsgiving” has in ways become

an additional holiday itself, giving people more chances to celebrate and take in more servings of food with close friends.

While Friendsgiving emerged around the early to mid 2000s with its first mentioning on Twitter in 2007, it’s become a phenomenon particularly among the millennial generation. Over 950,000 posts on Instagram have been dedicated to the holiday, most being photos of smiling groups of friends, and of course food.

It comes with no surprise that numerous companies have jumped on its popularity for marketing, with some like Baileys and Butterball even trying to make Friendsgiving their trademark.

And despite it being a relatively new “holiday,” it is tradition that Friendsgiving dinner be served in a pot-luck fashion. Not only has this given people opportunities to show off their favorite family recipes, it’s also opened opportunities for other to taste meals around the world.

Nielsen reported 39 percent of Friendsgiving celebrants in 2016 made plans of adding a side dish from another culture, to the table. Thirty-two percent planned to make the their cultural dish a main dish, 32 percent planned it to be a dessert, and 38 percent planned to make a traditional American dish with international flavors.

There is one big rule to Friendsgiving though which is that the host provides the turkey or faux turkey, and the gravy.

Unique spins on desserts Sticking with the simple dessert classics is arguably part of what makes the night’s meal so satisfying, but more room has been opening up to creative takes on traditional desserts throughout the years.

When it comes to pies, purple sweet potatoes or ube have become a popular alternative in traditional sweet potato pies,

Unsplash photo by Priscilla Du Preez

Unsplash photo by Gabriel Garcia Marengo

giving a unique deep purple hue and perhaps an ode to multicultural cuisine. “Brûléeing” pumpkin pies have also been popular during Thanksgiving, with numerous recipes and techniques posted online.

And because pies in general are a thing of Thanksgiving tradition, it’s become acceptable to add different filled pies to the table.

At the Filipino food stall Sari Sari Store in Downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Central Market, pastry chef Margarita Manzke has been making what some call the buko pie in Los Angeles. In place of sweetened condensed milk, their pie uses silky pastry cream with slices of fresh, young coconut, a layer of coconut jam, all under a streusel-like topping.

Despite transitions into cooler weather, ice cream has also proved to be popular during the holiday. McConnell’s

Fine Ice Creams for example, is just one of the many brands that have been offering holiday flavors. Taking a step further, the ice cream maker has continued its tradition of making their pumpkin ice cream pie available for pre-order during Thanksgiving.

At artisanal ice cream shop Salt & Straw that has locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Anaheim, and San Diego, customers have been indulging in scoops of their Salted Caramel Thanksgiving Turkey ice cream which consists of sweet and buttery turkey brittle folded into turkey fat caramel ice cream. Other Thanksgiving flavors are their Sweet Potato Casserole with Maple Pecans, Salted Goat Cheese and Pumpkin Pie, Roasted Peach and Sage Cornbread Stuffing, and their vegan Roasted Cranberry Sauce Sorbet.

Thanksgiving traditions that stay

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balloons, performances, and special guests is now broadcast to the homes of millions across the U.S. Later in the day, those who are football fans may take over the remote and flip to one of the games being played that day. For some families, watching either of these events in person may be their own traditions too!

Scouring Black Friday deals As the food coma subsides and hunger calls for leftovers, those who love deals and want to get started on Christmas shopping participate in the Black Friday phenomenon.

The truly devoted may start lining up as soon as possible, like right after the Thanksgiving meal or even do that all day, just to get a prime spot to run into the store once midnight hits or whenever it opens. Thanks to the internet, however, you can now search for deals on various websites that day or on Cyber Monday, which is a day for technology sales.

Thanksgiving is all rolled up with this dish!

By GRACE

W I N E RY TO U R S

N A PA VA L L E Y

FOR most Americans, Thanksgiving is associated with gathering around a table with family and devouring a hearty meal with the turkey at the center. Though families across the country who celebrate the holiday may have developed their own traditions — whether going on a yearly family vacation during Thanksgiving week or scrapping home cooking altogether and eating out instead — here are a few that continue to be observed: Expressing gratitude Like the holiday’s name itself, the day is about giving thanks. Before digging into the meal, those around the table go around and share what they are grateful for. It usually can be one thing or multiple things, but the amount of sharing depends on how many people are around the table or how quickly everyone wants to start eating.

Finding the wishbone Many families partake in

searching for the turkey’s wishbone, which is located within the breast meat. Once found and cleaned, two participants take on end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. The lucky one with the larger section of the bone is supposed to have their wish come true.

Pardoning the lucky turkey(s) One live turkey makes it to the White House, where the president “pardons” it, meaning it is spared from becoming a cooked dish. There are generally alternate turkeys along the main one who also get pardoned and get to roam on a farm, according to National Geographic.

Watching the Macy’s Parade/a football game While the meal is being prepared — and anticipation builds as the bird is in the oven — those at home gather around the TV to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, an annual celebration since 1924 held in New York.

The parade featuring massive

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IF you don’t feel like roasting a big turkey for Thanksgiving, or want to try a great dish for holiday entertaining, you might want to try my Stuffed Turkey Rolls. I pack these turkey cutlets with my Savory Stuffing, roll them up, and secure them with kitchen twine.

The finished rolls are sliced and fanned out on a plate to make a beautiful presentation, and you can serve them with cranberry chutney or cranberry sauce for a nice added touch.

Because I marinate the turkey before cooking, it’s juicy and flavorful. The selenium in turkey can increase your resistance to infection. The red wine (I use a Pinot Noir) adds a bit of resveratrol to the selenium’s antioxidant power.

Stuffed Turkey Rolls SERVES 6 ¼ cup soy sauce 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbs. lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

2 Tbs. red wine Sea salt and ground pepper to taste 6 turkey cutlets or butterflied turkey breasts 1 recipe Savory Stuffing 2 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. olive oil 1. To make the marinade, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, red wine, salt, and pepper in a large re-sealable plastic bag.

2. Add the turkey cutlets to the bag. Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove cutlets, reserving the marinade. Pat each cutlet dry with paper towels.

4. On a work surface, lay one cutlet so it slightly overlaps a second one. Pound the seam together with a mallet. You should have one fairly large, thin turkey round.

Repeat with the remaining cutlets until you have 3 rounds.

5. Spread about 1/2 cup

of Savory Stuffing evenly onto each turkey round, smoothing almost to the edge. Roll up the turkey, pinwheel style, and secure with kitchen twine.

6. Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey rolls and sear until a golden crust develops, about 1–2 minutes per side.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place turkey rolls in a glass or ceramic baking dish.

Spoon the reserved marinade and any remaining stuffing around the rolls. Cover with foil and bake until the turkey is cooked through, about 20–30 minutes.

8. Before serving, remove the twine and cut each turkey roll into 5 slices.

9. Serve with a cranberry sauce or cranberry chutney if desired.

Savory Stuffing Homemade croutons, fresh celery and onion give this Continued on Page 5

entertainment

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 2018

age gracefully

How To Have a Healthy and Happy Thanksgiving!

BY GRACE O

Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a carb-loaded, overeating frenzy. You can make satisfying, anti-aging food choices for this holiday that will leave you feeling thankful for indulging.

Take turkey, for example. I cook at least four turkeys each Thanksgiving because I usually have about 30 people over for dinner. Turkey contains tryptophan, which produces niacin, giving us energy. Turkey also contains selenium, a detoxifying antioxidant.

You don’t have to drown your turkey in fatty gravy. It can be deliciously sauced using healthier ingredients. I like to marinate my turkeys in a mixture of red wine, soy sauce, and lemon juice before roasting. By the time the turkey is done roasting, the marinade has become a rich sauce.

Resveratrol is present in another classic Thanksgiving ingredient: cranberries. Every year I make Cranberry Bread Pudding. I add walnuts to my bread pudding because they are high in antioxidants like Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E—both of which reduce the risk of heart disease. Instead of butter, I use a butter substitute, Smart Balance®, so that this dessert stays heart-healthy.

Wild rice is another holiday staple that is really good for us. It’s a whole grain that provides the FoodTrient fiber for great digestion and Omega-3s, which also is good for our skin. It can be cooked with plenty of herbs and tossed with lightly sautéed bell peppers for a colorful side dish.

You can also add some healthy holiday vegetables like red cabbage and leeks.

The trick is to load your table with delicious healthy options while

minimizing exposure to foods—such as mashed potatoes, white rolls, or creamy gravies. Mashed sweet potatoes are a better choice than mashed white potatoes because the orange tubers contain carotenoids, a FoodTrient that supports the immune system. Whole-grain rolls (as opposed to white ones) will provide fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids, and selenium.

Pumpkin is another healthy Thanksgiving tradition. Be sure to use evaporated milk in your pumpkin pies instead of cream and a sugar substitute like Xylotol. In the crust, you can substitute Smart Balance® for the shortening. That way, you will reap all the benefits of pumpkin’s carotenoids and fiber without taking in too much fat or sugar.

The same rules apply to apple pies. Just remember to leave the skins on the apples so that you will get some quercitin, an anti-inflammatory that can reduce allergy symptoms and keep arteries from becoming inflamed. I make a beautiful Pear and Apple Tart with plenty of cinnamon, an antioxidant-rich holiday spice that makes me feel good about eating dessert. All of these recipes and more are available on FoodTrients.com

GRACE O – Combining her passion for food and a commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, GRACE O has created FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 15 years in the healthcare industry. Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com © 2015 by FoodTrients.com

Tony Labrusca rocks!

entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 2018

Jolo Revilla finishes leadership course at Harvard Kennedy School

by Krissy

AguilAr Inquirer.net

CAVITE Vice Governor and actor Jolo Revilla has completed his leadership course at the

Harvard Kennedy School.

Revilla announced this milestone in an Instagram post on Monday, November 12, and said: “Finally received my certificate of completion for my

Jolo Revilla Photo from Instagram/@jolo_revilla

stint in Harvard.”

“I can feel the euphoria of accomplishing something I’ve worked hard for,” he added.

In a previous Instagram post, he shared that he will “partake in the Executive Education for Emerging Leaders of Harvard Kennedy School.”

According to Harvard’s website, most executive programs last for one week or less and grant executive certificates in public leadership, economic development, and nonprofit leadership.

“Spent a lovely evening with the creme-dela-creme of academicians, and felt very enlightened to engage in discussions about world poverty and hunger, economics, politics and other important issues that impact mankind,” he wrote in another Instagram post.

Revilla holds the record as the youngest vice governor in the country to be elected in office. He was only 25 when he first took oath as Cavite vice governor in 2013.

by ricKy

cAlderon ManilaTimes.net

EVERYONE is talking about Tony Labrusca and want to have a piece of him these days. The trailer of his digital movie with Angel Aquino in a May-December romance titled “Glorious” on iWant TV has become viral since it was uploaded on November 4. The film directed by Concepcion Macatuno is set for release this month in the ABS-CBN streaming service.

His compelling performance in the Cinema One Originals entry “Double Twisting Double Back” in October has made him one of local filmdom’s hottest properties.

Now his fans can enjoy watching his debut film, “ML.” Written and directed by Benedict Mique, the Cinemalaya boxoffice hit in August opened in mainstream theaters last week.

At the movie’s presscon, Tony said the beautiful script of ML, which won for Eddie Garcia his nth Best Actor award, was one of the reasons why he accepted the project.

“We liked the story and secondly, who would ever pass on a chance to work with Mr. Eddie Garcia,” said the hottest male star of the hour.

Although considerably new in the biz, Tony is making such a great impression. He has just a few goals in mind—first and foremost is to provide for his family and secure for himself a bright future. But in terms of seeking attention, he doesn’t go for it.

“Of course, we all enjoy the attention that we get but I don’t like that to affect my values. I don’t want to focus on the showbiz side. I want to

Tony Labrusca

lead my life as a normal person,” said the all-too-sudden hot dude.

It was Direk Benedict who reached out to him and offered him the lead opposite Eddie Garcia in ML. “They told me about the story and I was really interested because I will be working with Tito Eddie. And it just seemed right and the film was to be an entry pa sa Cinemalaya,” he told Roving Eye. He said didn’t have any expectations the film will create such kind of a buzz when he accepted the role.

“It was really beyond my

Photo from Instagram/@tony.labrusca

expectations. I just wanted to work and show to people the art that we had been making.

I just hope that the audience will like it.”

He is super excited that ML is now showing in theaters.

“I am excited for direk.

Sana mabawi niya ang pera niya. And then, sana the millennials will watch and like the film. It is an important part of our country’s history that we should not forget.”

ML also stars Liane Valentin, Henz Villaraiz, Jojit Lorenzo, Rafa Suguion-Reyna, and Chanel Latorre.

JM and Rhian entangled in a different kind of love story by gAbbie

TATAd Philstar.com

EVERY now and again, it happens. You see a familiar face and run through your mental Rolodex trying to remember their name and place exactly where you met or how you know them. But what if you were physically incapable of establishing that imprint, and every face was entirely forgettable, regardless of your relationship to them? What if every time you saw that same person — your mother, your father, or even someone you’re initially attracted to — they looked entirely different, even if they sounded the same and had similar mannerisms?

In Joel Ruiz’s “Kung Paano Siya Nawala”, JM de Guzman’s character deals with an uncommon affliction called face blindness. It’s not a fantastical disease (even though it sounds like one), and its proper name is prosopagnosia. Those diagnosed with the neurological disorder have an inability to recognize faces, and in extreme cases even their own faces are foreign to them. And while this sounds like a disorder that is ripe for movie writers’ picking (I mean, haven’t we, at this point, heard of every possible heart ailment, terminal illness, and congenital disease in the book), “Kung Paano Siya Nawala” doesn’t just use it as a plot point or a means to propel the story forward. It gives prosopagnosia some room and explores how such a dis-

JM de Guzman and Rhian Ramos star in “Kung Paano Siya Nawala”.

Photo from Instagram/@whianwamos

ease affects a person in their everyday life, how insecure or small they might be prone to feeling, how introverted and private they might tend to be, and how it affects the creation of memories without having visuals as an anchor.

“Some of my character’s insecurities stemmed from that,” says Rhian Ramos who plays Shana. “Like she’ll never really know if the guy she’s with found her physically attractive or not, she’ll never know if her face is something he craves. And there’s a real fear of being forgotten.” She says it’s led to some reflection on the value of the physical aspect, one she’s never thought about before because she herself has never had a “type” when it comes to men.

“It’s important, but it’s not everything. Iba ’yung ramdam

mo ’yung tao. It’s how they make you feel, even about yourself, how they make you feel about yourself. When you find someone that you really connect with, it just changes the entire environment.”

De Guzman also says that face blindness can be a metaphor for any sort of imperfection or issue or trait we feel about ourselves that are undesirable, which in turn become obstacles when it comes to trying to achieve a certain level of intimacy with a partner. “Kaya mo ginagawang secret kasi,” he starts to say as Rhian interjects, “Alam mong hindi mo ikapopogi.”

De Guzman agrees and adds, “Oo, ‘yung ikababasag ng ego mo, confidence mo, pagkatao mo, baka tumigil ka o maparalisado ka. Ibibigay mo Continued on Page 6

Red Castle Korean BBQ House: Authentic quality taste and friendly service without breaking your wallet

THE Red Castle Korean BBQ House was built on idea of having a good vibe BBQing outdoors, and that vibe being felt throughout the restaurant.

After launching 4 successful AYCE location (LA, Cerritos Rowland Heights, and La Palma) the AYCE Castle is coming to Rialto. The restaurant can accommodate a big party to a budget friendly student, without breaking their wallets.

At every location there’s a line of people trying enter the restaurant, and it is believed people are willing to wait because of the price meat quality, and friendly service. The flavor they come up with are authentic Korean BBQ taste, and they make it so customers can eat more and more.

They also have the sauces on each table for customers to use without asking for refill on that. It is believed to get the best flavor you should dip the meat on the sauce, and wrap it with rice paper. The salad and the salad sauce is perfectly balanced and will enhance the flavor of the meat.

The vibe also when entering the restaurant, you can see the KPOP MV and the music bumping. Now when you are sitting down it feels like you’re at outdoor BBQ and is more like party time. We wanted to make sure after reading this article you will try our newest location at Rialto. Once you

step in and taste our food, see the price, and experience the great service we know you will always come back. Now we know this location will a be a mega hit. However we will always try to strive for higher and better.

entertainment Thanksgiving is all...

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 2018

From Page 2 stuffing its unique flavor and texture. It can also be served on its own as a side dish if you spread the stuffing in a greased baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

YIELDS 2-3 cups 4 Tbs. olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 lb. ground turkey 2 slices cubed whole-wheat bread Sea salt and ground pepper to taste 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning 1 cup turkey or chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped celery 1. Heat 3 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large pan over medium high-heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the ground turkey and cook until done. Set aside.

3. To make the croutons, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season the bread cubes with the salt and pepper, drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and the Italian seasoning, bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Add the broth, croutons, celery, and sausages, if using, Grand Opening specials will to the turkey mixture and mix be free soda (unlimited refill) & well. Season to taste.

10% off on total bill!

Shrimp and Moringa Curry 403 S. Riverside Ave, Rialto, Shrimp and coconut milk CA 92376 are a classic Asian combinaTel. (909) 874-7878 tion. I’ve added moringa Open 11:00am-11:30pm powder to this very mild dish (Advertising Supplement) in order to increase the health benefits. If you want to dial up the heat a notch or two, use Serrano or other hot peppers in place of the mild red Anaheim chilies. If desired, serve over brown or jasmine rice.

Ingredients: 1â „4 cup peanut oil 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 inch peeled and thinly sliced gingerroot 1â „2 cup sliced red onion 2 red Anaheim chilies, seeded and cut into strips 1 can (19 oz.) coconut milk 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 lb. peeled tiger shrimp (devein, if desired) Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

1 Tbs. moringa powder dissolved in 1 Tbs. warm water 1. Heat the peanut oil in a nonreactive saucepan, such as copper or enamel-coated cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion slices and sautĂŠ for 5 minutes.

2. Add the chilies and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add the bell pepper, shrimp, salt, pepper, and Moring a powder and simmer for 5 minutes.

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‘You are our inspiration’: Filipino celebs pay tribute to Stan Lee

by NiĂąa

V. GuNo

Inquirer.net

CELEBRITIES in the country were among those who mourned the passing of Marvel’s revolutionary comics creator Stan Lee at 95 years old.

Lee is credited for breathing life back into the comics industry in the 1960s by leveling up the plots and costumes of superheroes, creating grounded characters such as Spider-Man, Continued on Page 6

Photo screengrabbed from Marvel.com

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entertainment The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 2018

JM and Rhian entangled in...

From Page 4 doon sa kanya, tapos matatakot ka every second. Aalagaan mo ’yun, iisipin mo, ‘tanggap ba niya talaga ’yun,’ o kaya niya ba talaga ’yung mga parts na kahit ikaw mismo hindi mo matanggap sa sarili mo.”

On vulnerability It’s impossible to discuss both relationships and acting without discussing the idea of professional vulnerability versus personal vulnerability.

De Guzman is quick to quip, “Doon nga nagkakatalo eh,” to the laughter of the room. “’Yung level of trust din para maging kumportable tsaka maging vulnerable sa isa’t isa, matindi. ’Yung personal vulnerability, choice mo ’yun, napipili mo ’yun. Pero ’yung risk as actors is rurupok ka.

Kailangan marupok ka eh.”

For Ramos, however, the difference is distinct. “I find it easier to be professionally vulnerable, because whatever I put out there, it’s easier to get it back when I hear the word ‘cut.’ It’s so much harder to do it in real life, but that being said, it was particularly easy to do it in this film, because I trust JM completely. He makes it so easy for me to get there, and I just trust him with everything I throw at him.”

“Hindi kami papayag na mediocre, na pwede na o

maitawid lang. Gusto naming maramdaman ’yung isa’t isa,” De Guzman says. Ramos responds with, “Ako gusto ko ’yung feeling na nakakatakot na ’yung ginagawa ko.

Alam mo ’yung feeling na, ‘Makakabalik pa ba ako from this?’ Pero iri-risk mo siya.” De Guzman nods, with the most satisfied look on his face, as though savoring the most delicious meal.

But putting so much emotion and sanity on the line begs the question of how one copes with a job and a calling that requires the constant tapping into highly emotional experiences. They talk about everyday coping mechanisms such as stress eating or working out, but both discuss their need to see professionals in order to maintain a balance, especially when things get overwhelming. “I’m glad that people are much more open,” says Ramos. “It’s not like before where everyone just expects you to deal with it. You have to get the help that you need, and you have to be selfaware enough to know when you’re slipping into something a little dark.”

The producers The film has been in the making for several years. Ramos was involved from the beginning, and they were ready

to shoot early on, but scheduling issues led to a string of compromises that would have changed the nature of the film altogether. Ramos, already in love with the story, decided to speak against rushing the making of the film and in asserting herself, offered to be a co-executive producer. De Guzman has a producer credit as well, but openly declares that Ramos is much more involved and that this film is truly her baby.

“It’s not even the lines or the script that we were really involved with, but we as a group kept going back and forth the whole time we were shooting about what the final scene should be,” says Ramos. De Guzman laughs, “Ang ending, wala namang nangyari, nag improvise kami sa last day ng shoot.” The final outcome for these two is not just an ending they’re happy with, but a film they feel has universal themes for anyone who’s ever loved before. “You don’t need to have face blindness to know what it’s like to be scared, to be insecure, to be in over your head in love,” says Ramos. “Face blindness is his trigger, but the rest are things we’ve all gone through or that are necessary to go through before we’re ready to be in a real relationship.”

Erik Matti: ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is ‘old school’

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

OUTSPOKEN veteran director Erik Matti gave his insight on the recent Hollywood movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” which boasted of an all-Asian cast, including the Philippines’ “Queen of All Media” Kris Aquino.

On his Instagram account, the director of critically-acclaimed films such as “OTJ” and “Buy Bust” described the film adaptation of the hit book by Kevin Kwan with the same title as “a piece of old school 90’s style TV movie.”

“No matter how successful

this #CrazyRichAsian movie is, it’s still just a piece of old school 90’s style TV movie. Caricature acting, white man’s view on asians, cliche insights wrapped in flashy modern parties, tita sensibilities, bad direction,” Erik wrote.

“This is no Pretty Woman!

Far from it. But who can argue with success? That’s why everyone here I think wants to make a version of this here. #kumitakayamagandanayan,” he added.

“Heneral Luna” actor John Arcilla commented on the director’s post, saying that he has not watched it yet.

“I have not watch it yet Di-

rek. Americans daw are laughing with the idea. When i saw the trailer its just the typical plot naman of a Cinderella Story di ba? kaya parang feeling ko nga Cliche’... yun lang... my two cents heheheehe!” the actor wrote.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians” was shown in Philippine cinemas last August.

Recently, Erik made headlines for parting ways with ABSCBN as director of an upcoming “Darna” revival. “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral” director Jerrold Tarog replaced Erik as the film’s new director.

Maymay Entrata invited to become first Filipina to walk at Arab Fashion Week

by Jan

Milo Severo

Philstar.com

KAPAMILYA actress Maymay Entrata continues to capture the attention of people from the fashion industry as she has been invited to attend the casting call for Arab Fashion Week in Dubai this November.

Invited by Amato Couture, founded by Filipino Dubaibased designer Furne One, Maymay has the chance to become the first Filipina to walk for the prestigious fashion week.

Prior to this, Maymay also has an invitation from renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel to join his show on November 23. Nonetheless, reports said that Maymay and onscreen partner Edward Barber have a show in Dubai on that date.

Maymay said in previous press interviews that she really dreamt of becoming a model.

Despite not having a formal training in modeling, Maymay has been put on the wish list of reality TV modeling contest “Asia’s Next Top Model,” while TV host and former supermodel Tyra Banks had liked Maymay’s photo and catwalk videos.

Maymay Entrata

Photo from Instagram/@maymay

‘You are our inspiration’...

From Page 5 X-Men and Black Panther, the first black superhero in mainstream comics. He tackled issues such as bigotry and racism in his works and continued to speak up against such issues well into his old age.

Singer Leah Navarro and actor Khalil Ramos used “Excelsior!” in their tributes to Lee, a term that the writer used to end his comic book columns. He explained in a 2010 tweet that it meant “upward and onward to greater glory!”

“Excelsior! Thank you @ TheRealStanLee for filling our hearts with courage, hope, and the belief that there is a super hero inside each of us through your marvelous stories,” said Navarro.

“EXCELSIOR! Thank you, Stan Lee for bringing joy and creativity to my life,” wrote Ramos.

“Rest In Peace, Stan Lee, and thank you,” said Broadway actress Lea Salonga.

“Thank you, Stan Lee,” actress Sue Ramirez said.

Singer Ogie Alcasid and actor Enrique Gil each dedicated Instagram posts to the Marvel legend.

Ramon Bautista and Gretchen Ho both shared their favorite quotes of Lee in their tributes. “‘I don’t have inspiration. I only have ideas. Ideas and deadlines.’ – Stan Lee, idol ikaw ang inspiration namin (you are our inspiration),” wrote the comedian and host.

“Thank you for all the adventures on screen, #StanLee. And your courage to tell them,” said the “Umagang Kay Ganda” TV host.

The quote she shared came from one of Lee’s interviews with the Washington Post: “I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. Without it, they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain, you’re doing a good thing.”

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 2018

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - November 14, 201