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NOVEMBER 15-21, 2018

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

Volume 29 - No. 43 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages

2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

Duterte on Balangiga bells: ‘It ain’t here until it’s here’

by AJPRESS

Two of the Balangiga bells are at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier informed the U.S. Congress of their intent to return the bells to the Philippines, which were taken by American soldiers as war booty in 1901.

Photo courtesy of the United States Air Force

REPORTS about the U.S. returning the Balangiga bells to the Philippines were welcomed by the Malacañang on Wednesday, November 13.

But officials have yet to comment until the actual arrival of the bells that were seized by American troops during the PhilippineAmerican war in 1901.

In a report by The Philippine Star, it was said that the bells — which were taken from local churches by American forces

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‘Imelda Marcos not exempt from arrest’

USA

DATELINE Customs eases rules on balikbayan boxes

by AJPRESS

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

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

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Ambassador Kim cites unbreakable US-PH bond

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 VeterU.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung ans’ Day and Kim Inquirer.net photo the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. “The Philippines is our oldest treaty ally in Asia and our strong bond remains unbreakable,” Kim said at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City to an audience that included Filipino and American veterans, military officials and former president Fidel V. Ramos.

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ASEAN SUMMIT. President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with the leaders from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries during the opening ceremony of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore on Tuesday, November 13.

Malacañang photo by Karl Norman Alonzo

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos

Inquirer.net photo

FORMER first lady Imelda Marcos, widow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is not exempt from being arrested and jailed despite her advanced age, various lawmakers said on Tuesday, November 13.

According to them, the police should enforce any order from the court to take her into custody after she was sentenced by the Sandiganbayan to up to 77 years in prison for graft last week.

Senator Francis Escudero, in a television interview, expressed his thoughts about the matter, saying he disliked the comments

made by Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde who appeared ready to provide special treatment to the 89-year-old former first lady because of her age.

“I dislike the comment of Albayalde,” Escudero said.

“He has no business actually commenting on those things because as a member of the police force, he’s just supposed to just either implement the law or to obey the order of the court,” he added.

Escudero also said that if the court orders the arrest of Marcos, Albayalde’s opinion on her “age

and other things are completely immaterial.”

“And I find it, to say the least, out of place to be commenting on such a thing when everything is in the hands of the court — whether she will be arrested or not and whether she will be allowed to be out on bail or not,” he concluded.

Marcos was found guilty by the Sandiganbayan on Friday, November 9, in seven graft cases filed against her from 1991 to 1995 in connection with Swiss foundations she and her husband established and used to stash

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Beijing: Finish sea code in 3 years

by AJPRESS CHINESE Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday, November 13, said a rulebook to settle disputes in the hotly contested South China Sea should be finished in three years. He also insisted that his nation does not seek “hegemony or expansion.”

Talks about the code of conduct have dragged on for years, with China accused of delaying progress as it prefers to deal with less powerful countries on a one-to-one basis. Li’s comments appeared to be the first clear timeframe for finishing the book.

Ownership of islands and waters in the South China Sea is disputed by the Philippines and several other nations.

The country’s “principled positions” on the dispute over the South China Sea will be “reiterated” by President Rodrigo Duterte during this week’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore, according to Malacañang on Tuesday.

In a statement, the Palace said, “The president will reiterate the Philippines’ principled positions on matters concerning the South China Sea and transnational and trans-boundary issues such as terrorism, violent extremism, trafficking in persons, illicit drugs and disaster risk reduction and management.”

“The Philippines looks forward to exchang- The Palawan Inter-Agency Task Force met on Wednesday, November 14 to discuss plans to

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rehabilitate El Nido.

Philstar.com photo by Chino Ramirez

El Nido cleanup set before 2019 DOJ insists on the validity of Trillanes’ amnesty revocation

by AJPRESS

by AJPRESS THE Department of Justice (DOJ) insisted on Tuesday, November 13, that President Rodrigo Duterte’s order regarding the amnesty revocation granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV by former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is legal.

DOJ’s acting prosecutor-general Richard Anthony Fadullon is adamant on stating that the president’s decision to revoke Trillanes’ amnesty is a “valid exercise” of executive powers.

“He (the president) made an executive determination that the conditions set forth in Proclamation No. 75, were not complied with by accused Trillanes. The President did so because the State cannot be estopped nor Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV

Philstar.com photo

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THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Tuesday, November 13, is set out to remove business establishments that violate environmental rules and guidelines in El Nido by the end of 2018.

DENR for Region IV-B Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) Regional Executive Director Henry Adornado said that such move is done to protect the area and to keep it from becoming Boracay.

“We are eyeing to clear errant establishments off Bacuit Bay, hopefully by the end of the year,” Adornado said as reported by Rappler.

In February, DENR Mimaropa formed Task Force El Nido and

issued 407 eviction notices to structures built on declared easement zones and forestlands.

“There were times demolition activities were put on hold due to high tide or because dump trucks and heavy equipment units used to knock down structures were used for more urgent reasons, like the cleanup of typhoon debris,” Adornado said.

The regional executive director also shared that 253 out of 289 establishments were found in violation of environmental laws in the said tourist spot.

Such violations involve the failure to secure discharge permit, permit to operate and hazardous waste generator’s identification, and to designate a pollution

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November 15-21, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

Beijing: Finish sea code in...

PAGE A1 ing views on ASEAN communitybuilding as well as discussions on regional and global developments that impact regional peace, security and stability,� it added.

Duterte in the past has talked about his preference to set aside the Philippines’ 2016 victory in an international arbitration court, which invalidated Beijing’s claims on the disputed waters, in

the meantime in favor of boosting economic ties.

Slow progress China has established military positions on disputed outcrops and intimidates fishermen and naval vessels from rival countries, as reported by The Manila Times.

Tensions are ever-present with fellow claimants such as Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan, as

From The FronT Page well as the United States.

Li, speaking in Singapore ahead of the opening of an Asean summit, said that it is China’s hope that the code of conduct consultation will be finished in three years’ time in order to contribute to enduring peace and stability in the South China Sea. “We are not and we will not seek hegemony or expansion.

That is something that we will never do,� he said. “What we hope is to have a harmonious relationship with our neighbors,� he added.

Warships and drills Small signs of progress can be seen in recent months.

In August, China and Southeast Asian nations announced that they had agreed on their initial bargaining positions as they work towards a code.

Both sides had hailed this as a vital step, however, critics pointed out that some of Beijing’s proposals in the agreement were clearly aimed at expanding its influence in the region at the expense of Washington.

First joint drills by navies from China and Southeast Asia were also staged last month in the South China Sea in an effort to ease tensions.

Many parts of Southeast Asia have weakened their opposition to to China’s aggressive behavior in the waters in recent years as they are keen to attract investment from Beijing. They are also worried about U.S. commitment to the region under President Donald Trump.

Washington and other western allies like Britain and Australia, for their part, have ramped up freedom of navigation exercises in recent months.

A stance that infuriates Beijing, however, is the sailing of warships through the strategic region. It is bid to enforce the idea that the sea is international waters and open to all.

According to National Security Advisor John Bolton, any code of conduct deal struck between China and Southeast Asian nations should not be allowed to restrict access to the sea. “It also has to be acceptable to all the countries that have legitimate maritime and naval military rights to transit and other associated rights that we don’t want to see infringed,� he said. n

STATE OF THE ART. Sen. Grace Poe checks the Immigration Electronic Gates (E-Gates) of the newly-built Terminal 2 during a recent visit to Cebu on Saturday, November 10. The E-Gates are equipped with modern security features, including facial recognition, biometric scanning, bar code reading, and smart card recognition which aim to cut the processing time to 8-15 seconds from the average time of 45 seconds.

Senate photo

Duterte on Balangiga bells...

PAGE A1

as war trophies following the massacre in Balangiga — would be formally turned over to the Philippines in a ceremony on November 15 at the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

According to historian Rolando Borrinaga of the committee on historical research of National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the event would mark the beginning of the journey of two bells to the Philippines.

The third Balangiga bell, which was located at a U.S. Army museum in South Korea, has been crated and is ready to be shipped back to the country.

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said they welcome any movement towards the return of the Balan-

giga bells to the Philippines. “Given that possession of the bells has not yet been turned over to the Philippine government, we are withholding any further comment on the matter until the last bell has been properly delivered to the country. In the words of the president himself: ‘It ain’t here until it’s here,’� he said.

Duterte himself expressed his desire for the return of the bells during his second State of the Nation Address last year, Panelo noted. In his SONA, Duterte mentioned that the bells form part of Philippine patrimony and were taken at the cost of bloodshed of thousands of Filipinos.

A U.S. Air Force plane would bring the three bells to Villamor Air Base, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez told CNN Philippines.

However, no specific date has been set for the arrival of the bells.

It was believed that the tolling of one of the church bells in Balangiga, Eastern Samar signaled an attack by Filipino guerrillas on American troops from the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment. A total of 48 US servicemen died during the assault.

More than 25,000 Filipinos were later killed when the U.S. forces retaliated by launching an offensive that sought to turn Samar into a “howling wilderness.�

The three bells were then removed from the church and taken as war trophies by American troops.

The Philippines under thenPresident Fidel Ramos urged the U.S. to return the bells in 1994, but Washington did not act on it. n

Ambassador Kim cites unbreakable...

PAGE A1 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� F16 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.�

(Matthew Reysio Cruz/Inquirer. net)

SOUTHERN NEVADA REGIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY 340 N. 11TH Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101

PUBLIC NOTICE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 3, 2018 AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) provides subsidized housing for low-income persons who meet both the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) and SNRHA’s admission criteria.

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MARION BENNETT (Future PBV-RAD) 1 & 2 Bedrooms, Head, Spouse or Co-tenant must be disabled or 62 years or older at the time of application.

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(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

DATELINE USA

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 15-21, 2018

A3

Trump administration faces another legal setback on DACA termination

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

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

How did the AAPI community vote in the midterm elections?

Democrats capture 72 percent of AAPI vote; job growth, health care cost and immigration reform listed as top concerns for AAPI electorate

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA

AJPress

The midterm election wasn’t blue wave that Democrats hoped it would be, but it garnered historic civic engagement Though the exact number of votes isn’t official yet it will take the state a few weeks to tally up all the votes — the results available as of this press time are telling.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Civic Engagement Fund, along with other allied organizations, released a nonpartisan report of the initial votes that shed light on the voting behaviors and attitudes of the major ethnic minority groups.

As extensively reported by the Asian Journal, the AAPI electorate is the fastest-growing ethnic voting bloc, according to U.S. Census data.

Focusing on six crucial states — California, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Nevada and Arizona — the survey compiled poll results gathered from randomly selected voters and found that the AAPI voting bloc solidly leaned Democrat.

Based on the findings, 70 percent of AAPI voters cast their

ballots in favor of Democrats while 25 percent voted for Republican candidates. When surveyors posed the question of the quality of President Donald Trump’s job so far, 63 percent “disapproved.”

The survey also found that the top issues that AAPIs were most concerned for at the moment are the cost of healthcare, job growth and wages and immigration and the future of DACA, three of the most crucial and talked about issues of the Trump administration.

In a country that has historically (and, in certain pockets, presently) suppressed the votes of minorities and disenfranchised groups, projects like the American Election Eve Poll are designed to increase civic engagement among communities of color in order for elected officials, policy makers and the executive branch to address their concerns.

Geraldine Alcid, executive director of Filipino Advocates for Justice, said in a statement, “The growing influence of this electorate is being noticed by parties across the political spectrum. In 2018, Republicans and Democrats reached out to AAPI communities in higher numbers

than ever before.”

The survey recorded specific attitudes that AAPI voters have toward the Trump administration and asked whether Trump “has ever made you feel” “proud,” “hopeful,” or “disrespected.

Respectively, 71 percent, 66 percent and 32 percent of AAPIs answered no to these questions. Moreover, only 19 percent of AAPIs agreed with the statement that “Trump has a positive impact on Asian Americans.”

Regardless of partisanship, voter enthusiasm increased from the previous midterm elections in 2014. The same survey found that 73 percent of AAPI voters in districts with key races encouraged family and friends to register and/or vote.

“I think this is just such a critical election for everyone, no matter what side of the aisle you’re on,” Jason Tengco, executive director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), told the Asian Journal in an interview. “[Candidates] understand that Filipino-American and Asian American voices really matter.

I think candidates on both sides of the aisle are paying more attention to that and campaign to PAGE A4

A PANEL of federal judges in California on Thursday, Nov. 9 halted the Trump administration’s termination of an Obamaera program that granted benefits to certain eligible undocumented youth including protection from deportation.

The three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is to stay in effect; last year, the Trump administration announced its plans to terminate the program after claiming former President Barack Obama’s executive order putting DACA into effect violated the constitution.

“We conclude the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their claim that the rescission of DACA — at least as justified on this record — is arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not in accordance to law,” Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw

wrote in her opinion.

On Sept. 5, 2017 the Trump administration announced its plan to end the Obama-era program, opening up the possibility of the long-awaited passage of the DREAM Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship to DACA recipients.

Many recipients of DACA — and undocumented youth in general — were brought to the United States as children, and with DACA, were given certain benefits that would have never been available to them before, including protection from deportation, work authorization, wider education opportunities and driver’s licenses. (Specific benefits vary from state to state.)

The Center for American Progress released a study last year that found that, through DACA’s work authorization piece, undocumented youth contributed positively to the overall American economy.

DACA recipients reported positive results like greater access to

higher education and financial security, as well as social mobility.

The Trump administration’s decision to terminate DACA sparked intense outrage among immigrant rights’ advocates, lawmakers and the families of DACA recipients, and that outrage reached federal court rulings.

Like this week’s ruling, many federal judges across the country have halted the termination of DACA using the same exact language as this week’s ruling: “arbitrary” and “capricious.”

Though the appeals court ruling is a win for DACA advocates, the nationwide injunction is likely to face the Supreme Court, which now clearly leans Republican after the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh in October.

“The good news is, by rejecting DACA in the 9th Circuit — finally, we’ve been waiting for that — we get it to the Supreme Court,” Trump said at the White House on Friday. “We want to be in the Supreme Court on DACA.” ■

Fil-Am mail bombing suspect indicted on 30 counts, faces life in prison

by AJPRESS A FEDERAL grand jury in New York has indicted Cesar Sayoc on 30 charges on Friday, November 9, after he was suspected of mailing over a dozen pipe bombs to high-profile Democrats last month.

Cesar Sayoc, Jr., who is halfFilipino and half-Italian, faces life imprisonment following the charges, which include the use of a weapon of mass destruction, interstate transportation of explosives, illegal mailing of explosives, threatening interstate communications, use of explosives to commit a felony, and use of a destructive device during and furtherance of a crime of violence.

The 56-year-old, who was arrested on October 26 in Florida, allegedly mailed around 16 pipe bombs to known critics of President Donald Trump, including high profile Democrats like Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as news organizations like CNN and prominent Democrat donor

George Soros.

According to the indictment, the charges on Friday are only for the pipe bombs sent to Soros, Clinton, actor Robert De Niro, James Clapper and John Brennan.

“As alleged, Cesar Sayoc deliberately targeted 13 individuals with 16 improvised explosive devices, attempting to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation from California to the eastern seaboard,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said in a statement. “The FBI remains steadfast in our mission to protect the American public, and we will move with speed to bring justice to anyone seeking to harm our communities.”

As earlier reported by the Asian Journal, Sayoc was transported from Florida to New York on Monday and made a brief appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Lehrburger.

In addition to Obama, Clinton and Soros, Sayoc had allegedly mailed pipe bombs to former Vice President Joe Biden; former Attorney General Eric

Cesar Sayoc Jr., the suspect who mailed the bombs to various Democratic officials last week.

Photo courtesy of the Broward County Sheriff

Holder; Democratic Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California; and Rep. Maxine Waters of California.

None of the explosives that were mailed detonated and did not injure anybody, according to officials.

Sayoc made a court appearance on Monday, November 12. ■

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Dateline USa

November 15-21, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

US ready to amp up Navy amid China’s aggression in disputed waters THE United States Navy is prepared to build up its capabilities aside from increasing its patrols in the South China Sea, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said.

Speaking to reporters in Singapore, Bolton noted that Washington has conducted freedom of navigation operations in the region, irking China which has installed military outposts on its artificial islands in the area.

“Countries of Southeast Asia don’t want to be dominated by any external actor and we support that,” Bolton was quoted saying in a report by American news channel CNBC on Tuesday, November 13.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s security advisor also warned Beijing that Washington would oppose any agreement among South China Sea claimants that would limit free passage to international shipping.

Prior to the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, Bolton warned Southeast Asian leaders, particularly the Philippines, who are in talks of possible joint exploration in the South China Sea, part of which is the West Philippine Sea. Bolton also expressed concern over China’s hosting of joint military exercises with the 10member regional bloc, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The said exercises might limit U.S. military engagement with Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, according to Bolton.

Bolton, however, welcomed the ASEAN and China’s negotiations on a legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. “The outcome has to be mutually acceptable, and also has to be acceptable to all countries that have legitimate maritime and naval rights to transit and

other associate rights that we don’t want to see infringed,” Bolton said.

Speaking ahead of the opening of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the South China Sea code should be finished in three years.

“It is China’s hope that the (code of conduct) consultation will be finished in three years’ time so that it will contribute to enduring peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Li said.

President Rodrigo Duterte, acting as coordinator for ASEANChina dialogue relations, said the concerned parties are committed to the “expeditious conclusion” of the COC. The ASEAN and China are CAPTURED HIGH-POWERED FIREARMS. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, inspects the high powered looking forward to complete the guns and ammunition after the Philippine National Police (PNP) neutralized two gun-for-hire groups in separate operations in Luzon on first reading of the single draft of Monday, November 12, during a press conference held at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon the COC negotiating text by 2019.

(Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar. com)

DOJ insists on the validity of Trillanes’...

PAGE A1

be held hostage by the misrepresentations of accused Trillanes,” the DOJ stated as reported by ABS-CBN News.

In the six-page statement, the justice department claimed that Trillanes manipulated the entire scheme to make it appear as if the senator was able to comply with all the requirements and was qualified to be granted amnesty.

“Now, as it was then, the grant of amnesty to accused Trillanes under Proclamation No. 75 was a heavily scripted process. Why? Recall again the hasty crafting of Proclamation No. 50 to forestall the first scheduled promulgation of judgment on October 12, 2010,” the DOJ filing said.

As such, the president was in the authority to practice his power and responsibility to rectify the erroneous inclusion of Trillanes among those granted amnesty because the senator failed to comply with the requirement.

“The erroneous application and enforcement of the law by public officers do not bar subsequent correct application by the State.

Proclamation 572 only aimed to correct the erroneous grant of amnesty to Trillanes” the DOJ stated.

“The records of this case is replete with numerous motions filed by accused Trillanes to admittedly stall the first scheduled promulgation of judgment. It should be stressed that Proclamation No. 75 was merely the second, a conve-

nient device to avert a probable conviction scheduled for December 16, 2010,” it added.

According to the DOJ, the senator’s alleged non-admission of guilt to his participation in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny could have been considered a withdrawal of his application for amnesty. For the justice department, Trillanes’ failure to find fault in his mutiny would render his application void.

The said paper was in reply to a motion for reconsideration earlier filed by Trillanes before the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148.

However, the trial court under presiding judge Oscar Pimentel decided to dismiss the coup d’etat charges filed against Trillanes in relation to the mutiny. n

How did the AAPI community vote in...

PAGE A3 the community,” Tengco added.

“I think people were concerned about the direction the country was heading in so they thought it was important to come out and vote and make sure their voices were heard, and hopefully that helps steer the country in a different direction.”

Before the midterms, a mas-

sive survey by APIAVote on midterm elections showed that voter enthusiasm within the AAPI community jumped from 28 percent in 2014 to 48 percent in 2018.

The ethnic breakdown of that October study found that Filipino Americans were the group with the highest intention to vote in this year’s midterm elections,

with 92 percent of the surveyed Fil-Ams affirming their participation in the midterms.

It’ll take a few weeks to see to confirm whether or not there was a significant uptick in the AAPI vote this year, but the clear increased civic engagement among AAPI’s this year, compared to that of elections past, can provide a strong tell. n

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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. n

DENR sets an El Nido cleanup...

PAGE A1

control officer.

“They are also strictly monitored if they have corrected their violations and met the conditions set provided by the laws,” Adornado added.

Adornado said that erring establishment owners were facilitated by the regional Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) through technical conferences facilitated to correct their disregard for DENR protocol.

“While improvements as a

result of clean-up drive can now be seen and felt in El Nido there is still much to be done in the town,” Adornado said.

“Yes, we are not near the finish line but what is important is that we keep an eye even on possible violators to ensure the protection of the environment and conservation of the rich biodiversity of El Nido,” he added.

DENR Mimaropa also created similar task forces in Coron and Puerto Galera in Oriental

Mindoro. They are now following what is done in El Nido to further improve the environmental integrity of the said tourist spot.

“The task forces are likewise helping the local government unit and concerned agencies in the preparation of an identified sanitary landfill area in Coron; and in the construction of a sewerage collection system and central wastewater treatment facility in Puerto Galera,” Adornado said. n

‘Imelda Marcos not exempt...

PAGE A1 more than $200 million abroad while serving as a government official.

‘No legal anchorage’ By the time former president Marcos was toppled in the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, their secret deposits had deposits had ballooned to $680 million.

In a news conference, Opposition Rep. Edcel Lagman said there was no law that exempted Marcos from serving her prison sentence.

According to Lagman, a human rights lawyer who fought the dictator, a convict aged 70 or older was “only entitled to a mitigating circumstance.”

Marcos’ advanced age was a “nonissue” in determining whether she should be arrested, he said, and added that not

imposing the jail sentence because she was old “has no legal anchorage.”

“After a conviction, no one is exempted from incarceration whether one has held a high position in the government before or is an incumbent official of the government,” Lagman said.

He reiterated the Supreme Court’s reminder to lower courts to observe “grave caution” in granting bail to convicted offenders, as well.

The Sandiganbayan said Marcos’ absence appeared to be “unjustified” when it handed down its verdict and ordered her arrest Under Rule 120 of the Rules of Court, a convict who fails to appear without justifiable cause would “lose the remedies available in these rules against the

judgment and the court shall order his arrest,” as reported by the Inquirer.

A motion for leave of court was filed by Marcos’ lawyer, Manuel Lazaro, on Monday, November 12, to avail the defense of postconviction remedies, which could include staving off her arrest and justifying her absence from the promulgation.

However, a pending motion would not prevent the release of the arrest warrant.

Victims of the dictatorship led

by Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) denounced the continued absence of an arrest warrant for Marcos.

The guilty verdict was welcomed by Selda chair Trinidad Herrera-Repuno, but demanded Marcos’ immediate arrest. n

Customs eases rules on balikbayan...

PAGE A1 (DoLE), or any other equivalent document except the birth certificate.

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

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

and the third copy will be given with other documentary requireto the consolidator to be for- ments. (William Depasupil/Maniwarded to the bureau together laTimes.net)

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DATELINE PHILIPPINES

A5

PNP against the release of narco list

by AJPRESS THE Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, November 13, expressed its disapproval of releasing the “narco list” of politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade. They echoed the sentiments of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) who chose not to publicly name accused officials.

PNP Spokesperson Bong Durana said that doing such “is not advisable” and the drug agency “was right in saying that we should refrain from issuing (the drug list).”

In an interview with the CNN Philippines’ “The Source,” Durana said that leaving the narco list only within the eyes of the proper authorities “is a very good law enforcement policy.” As such, Durana noted that the police force must not “telegraph their punches.”

This was after several authorities followed the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to release the names of 211 barangay of-

ficials allegedly involved in illegal drugs just days shy from the May 2018 barangay elections.

“Law enforcement-wise, as a strategy, it’s not advisable to publicly announce or divulge the list,” Durana added.

It can be recalled that Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año expressed his desire to do the same for the midterm elections next year to which PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino objected.

According to Aquino, he would “want to work silently — to just file charges against these politicians, narco-politicians” instead of releasing the drug list. This was supported by Durana who noted that the acquisition of such intelligence information “will not hold water in court.”

“At the same time, you may be charged for libel if you’re not sure with your list,” Durana added.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who had ample experience in law enforcement, also disagreed with the move to release the narco

list. He even dubbed the act of publicizing the list as “dumb” because barangay officials could have a heads up and can easily destroy evidence before an investigation would take place. He also perceived the said list as cruel noting that it had not undergone any validation.

As per the Interior Secretary’s perspective, the drug list would serve only as a guide for Filipinos on who to vote for the upcoming midterm elections. However, Aquino said that the voters would know who among their local politicians are involved in drugs.

Durana also shared that the police force has neutralized syndicates and criminals who offer SWEDISH LABOR DELEGATES. A labor delegation from Sweden visited the Senate of the Philippines on Monday and met Akbayan Senator Risa their services to politicians.

Hontiveros where they discussed women, human rights and democracy issues. The delegation is led by the Olof Palme International Center “They’re not only acting as en- (OPIC), the umbrella organization of the broad Swedish labor movement that works for democracy, human rights and peace. Senate photo forcers of drug syndicates; they’re also presenting themselves as private armed groups of politicians,” Durana said.

“Definitely some drug money

by EDITH REGALADO pore for the 33rd Association of to Xi during the APEC meeting in would be involved. It’s a common Philstar.com Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) November 2016 in Lima, Peru. thing, a common strategy. It’s Leaders Summit with Dialogue Xi’s visit next week was fornothing new,” he added. ■ DAVAO CITY — President Xi Partners. He will proceed to Port mally announced during the Jinping of China is not coming Moresby in PNG for the Asia- Boao Forum in Hainan, China to the hometown of President Pacific Economic Cooperation last April.

Duterte during his two-day state (APEC) 2018 conference after the For his part, Foreign Affairs ASEAN Summit.

Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. President shall act as President visit on Nov. 19 and 20.

Duterte is set to return to the earlier described Xi’s visit as a Executive Secretary Salvador until a President shall have been Medialdea, government caretaker country on Nov. 18 from PNG. continuation of a long and great chosen and qualified.”

Meanwhile, Xi is skipping the friendship between China and the Section 8, Article 7 of the while Duterte travels to Singapore 1987 Constitution recognizes and Papua New Guinea (PNG), ASEAN meetings but is set to at- Philippines.

“We have had eight visits from the Vice President as the first in told The Star that Xi will not make tend the APEC meetings in PNG. He will visit Brunei Darussalam top-ranking Chinese leaders, line in the Philippine presiden- a side visit here.

Sources at the Chinese em- before proceeding to Manila on which only shows that this is tial succession, followed by the not new. The visit of President Senate President and the House bassy confirmed Medialdea’s Nov. 19.

Xi’s visit to the Philippines is Xi Jinping is the visit of one of Speaker. (Glee Jalea/ManilaT- statement.

In January last year, Japanese in response to the invitation of China’s greatest architects in her imes.net) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stayed Duterte during the President’s development and progress. This is overnight here and had breakfast first visit to China in October of course a milestone for us, but 2016. at Duterte’s house. at the same time, it is not a rare Duterte reiterated his invitation event,” Locsin said. ■ Meanwhile, Duterte is in Singa-

No Davao visit for Chinese leader Xi Jinping

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

(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

Arroyo brushes off rumors she’ll be appointed Finance chief MANILA — House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga) on Tuesday said speculations that she’s eyeing to take the helm of the Department of Finance are “so hypothetical.”

Arroyo, president from 2001 to 2010, made the remarks when asked by reporters about rumors she will replace Carlos Dominguez III as Finance chief during a chance interview after a congressional hearing on the DOF’s proposed tax reform.

A transcript of the interview was sent to journalists.

The DOF is responsible for the sound and efficient management

of the government’s financial resources of the government.

Arroyo, who has a doctorate in economics and is an old friend of President Rodrigo Duterte, has been playing an important role in the current administration’s fight against inflation, which stayed at a nine-year peak in October.

She was elected as the country’s first woman House speaker following the dramatic removal of Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte) from the post last July.

In 2016, the political heavyweight Arroyo was freed after being detained for five years for graft and election fraud. She said she has no

Grace Poe to MIAA: Compel Xiamen Air to pay up

by ROBERTZON

RAMIREZ

Philstar.com

MANILA — Almost three months after the Xiamen Air runway mishap, Sen. Grace Poe wants the Manila InternaHouse Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tional Airport Authority (MIAA) Philstar.com photo by AJ Bollando to pressure the airline to fully plan to seek any public office when pay its penalties to the governher third and last term as represen- ment. tative of Pampanga’s second district Poe, who was the guest speakends in June next year. (Ian Nicolas er at the First Philippine AviaCigaral/Philstar.com) tion Safety Day in Makati City

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yesterday, told reporters there is no need for another hearing on the issue.

“They have the capability to pay, they should pay in full immediately,” she said.

The MIAA can ban the airline from landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) until the P72-million fine is fully paid, said Poe, who chaired the congressional oversight committee on Civil

Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

NAIA operations were affected for several days after a Xiamen Air plane slid off a runway on Aug. 16.

Poe said the Xiamen Air incident prompted her to file a bill creating the National Transport Safety Board, which will serve as an independent investigating body that will probe transportation-related accidents. ■

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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

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

Philstar.com photo

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

referendum 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-year-old 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

if 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

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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November 15-21, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 15-21, 2018

VEGAS&STYLE Journal

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,

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 durUnsplash photo by Priscilla Du Preez PAGE B2

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.

Thanksgiving is all rolled up with this dish! can increase your resistance to infection. The red wine (I use a IF you don’t feel like roasting Pinot Noir) adds a bit of resveraa big turkey for Thanksgiving, trol to the selenium’s antioxidant or want to try a great dish for power. holiday entertaining, you might Stuffed Turkey Rolls want to try my Stuffed Turkey SERVES 6 Rolls. I pack these turkey cutlets ¼ cup soy sauce with my Savory Stuffing, roll them 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce up, and secure them with kitchen 1 Tbs. lemon juice (about ½ twine. The finished rolls are sliced lemon) and fanned out on a plate to make 2 Tbs. red wine a beautiful presentation, and you Sea salt and ground pepper can serve them with cranberry to taste chutney or cranberry sauce for a 6 turkey cutlets or butterflied nice added touch. turkey breasts Because I marinate the turkey 1 recipe Savory Stuffing before cooking, it’s juicy and 2 Tbs. butter flavorful. The selenium in turkey 2 Tbs. olive oil

By GrAce

o

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 PAGE B2

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Thanksgiving traditions that stay

By AJPress

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 PAGE B3

B November 15-21, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

EntErtainmEnt

Tony Labrusca rocks!

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

Tony Labrusca

Photo from Instagram/@tony.labrusca

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 lead my life as a normal person,” said the all-toosudden 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 expec-

tations the film will create such kind of a buzz when he accepted the role.

“It was really beyond my 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.

Jolo Revilla finishes leadership course at Harvard Kennedy School by kRissy

aguilaR Inquirer.net

Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla Photo from Instagram/@jolo_revilla

According to Harvard’s website, most executive programs CAVITE Vice Governor and ac- last for one week or less and grant tor Jolo Revilla has completed his executive certificates in public leadership course at the Harvard leadership, economic development, and nonprofit leadership.

Kennedy School.

“Spent a lovely evening with Revilla announced this milestone in an Instagram post on the creme-dela-creme of academiMonday, November 12, and said: cians, and felt very enlightened to “Finally received my certificate engage in discussions about world of completion for my stint in poverty and hunger, economics, politics and other important isHarvard.”

“I can feel the euphoria of sues that impact mankind,” he accomplishing something I’ve wrote in another Instagram post.

Revilla holds the record as the worked hard for,” he added.

In a previous Instagram post, youngest vice governor in the he shared that he will “partake country to be elected in office. in the Executive Education for He was only 25 when he first Emerging Leaders of Harvard took oath as Cavite vice governor in 2013.

Kennedy School.”

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What we eat: Favorite staples on your...

PAGE B1 ing 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 PAGE B3

Thanksgiving is all rolled up with...

PAGE B1 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 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 highheat. 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, to the turkey mixture and mix well.

Season to taste.

Shrimp and Moringa Curry Shrimp and coconut milk are a classic Asian combination. I’ve added moringa powder to this very mild dish 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: 1⁄4 cup peanut oil 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 inch peeled and thinly sliced gingerroot 1⁄2 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 sauté 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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JM and Rhian envision love

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 disease 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

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

Photo from Instagram/@whianwamos

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 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 overPAGE B4

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

Unsplash photo by Gabriel Garcia Marengo

Thanksgiving traditions that...

PAGE B1 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

Day Parade, an annual celebration since 1924 held in New York. The parade featuring massive 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

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 tech-

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Alice Dixson shares the joys of being a beauty vlogger ALICE Dixson might be turning 50, but that does not stop her from trying new things.

Among the new ventures she recently tried is being a beauty “vlogger” (video blogger).

As an actress and a former beauty queen, Alice said she has amassed a lot of beauty tricks and tips through the years, which she now happily shares via her YouTube channel.

In an interview with Philstar. com, the “Ang Probinsyano” star shared her preparations and lessons learned from being a beauty vlogger. She also gave some tips for those who want to do the same.

Alice was among the celebrity guests at the recent Beauty Addict event in Rustan’s Makati.

This Christmas, Rustan’s the Beauty Source aims to become a home to countless beauty brands and services, including cult-favorites such as Clarins, Neal’s Yard Remedies, L’Occitane, Diptyque, Areum, Phyto, Deborah Lippmann, Chanel, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Perricone, Acca Kappa, La Prairie, Sisley, Laura Mercier, MAC, Hermes, Nuxe, Max Factor, Estee Lauder, and Nars, among others.

Exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Rustan Marketing Corporation, Covergirl has recently received certification

Alice Dixson

Photo from Instagram/@alicedixson

that it has eliminated animal testing from every step of its production process, a move that is progressively gaining traction and demand from consumers.

The certification will take a close look at the brand’s products, ingredients and supply chain to ensure that none of the products or ingredients from the brand (and its suppliers) are tested on animals.

The Beauty Source began its Christmas celebrations last Oc-

tober by supporting ICanServe Foundation, a proponent of early breast cancer detection that help “educate and empower women to be more conscious of their breast care.”

Themed “Beauty Beyond Time,” Beauty Addict celebrates its sixth year with a focus on transcending beauty looks throughout the ages through highlighting the most impactful beauty trends of the decades. (Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo/Philstar.com)

Catriona Gray speaks up on sexual harassment, indecent proposals

by Deni

Rose BeRnaRDo Philstar.com

FOLLOwINg the controversy involving at least three Miss Earth 2018 contestants who alleged a pageant sponsor of sexual harassment and indecent proposals, the press asked Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona gray on her take on the matter.

During her send-off together with Miss Supranational Philippines Jehza Huelar on Monday, Catriona told Philstar.com her thoughts about the Miss Earth candidates’ experience.

“I think it’s great that women are coming forward and speaking their truth or what they feel is affecting them. Because if not for them speaking out, there won’t been opening up to creative takes be any awareness or light on the on traditional desserts throughout Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray issue,” Catriona said. the years.

Photo from Instagram/@catriona_gray “As far as I’ve read, the orgawhen it comes to pies, purple sweet potatoes or ube have become a popular alternative in traditional sweet potato pies, giving a unique deep purple hue and perhaps an ode to multicultural cuisine. “Brûlée-ing” 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.

What we eat: Favorite staples on your...

PAGE B2

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 15-21, 2018

nization concerned is taking it very seriously and looking into the legality of it. So, I think it’s great that they’ve spoken about it. we need to make women feel secure and safe enough to speak up when it’s wrong, so I think it’s great that they’ve come forward.”

Her advice to other candidates faced with the same dilemma or if she is the one who would get an indecent proposal, she said: “well, go straight to the organization.”

She assured that “Binibining Pilipinas and all of its staff are very strict with us Binibinis.

They always take extra effort and care to make sure that we’re in a comfortable position and I know that if I go straight to them, it would be handled agad. So I have utmost confidence that Binibini would handle it.”

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Gil Cuerva out to prove he can do better Regine Velasquez vows: I’ll be a Kapamilya ‘forever’

by Nika

Roque ManilaTimes.net

A HEADTURNER in both showbiz and the fashion scene, Gil Cuerva remains humble despite landing lead roles and already being recognized as a popular celebrity.

Known as a genuine and intelligent actor, he continues to prove his talent from his breakout teleserye “My Love From the Star,” and as the newest host of “Taste Buddies.”

Fame still has not gone to his head, however, and niether does he take offense at the negative comments thrown his way from being a newcomer, undeserving of a lead role, and ‘beneath’ the stature of his leading ladies.

Criticisms also met his assignment on “Taste Buddies” alongside Solenn Heussaff, but being wellspoken and a food and travel lover at that, he quickly proved his detractors wrong.

DLSU Comm Arts major What most people don’t know is that Cuerva’s career started when he was still a Communication Arts and Advertising student at De La Salle University. He started modeling for local brands before given the opportunity to model abroad.

Receiving an offer to audition for a GMA teleserye, Cuerva wanted to try it out thinking that he had nothing to lose.

Landing the lead role of Matteo in the Filipino adaptation of “My Love From the Star”, Cuerva let go of his original plan of transferring to the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) to study Digital Filmmaking and tried his hand at the in-front-of-the-camera lifestyle.

Despite his short time in the industry, he has been making waves as a heartthrob matched with wit.

Cuerva sat down with The Manila Times during the publication’s 120th Anniversary Celebration to talk about his adjustment to show business and what he has learned along the way.

From modeling to the artista life Cuerva does not shy away from the fact that his transition to acting has been nothing but difficult, mainly because he has no acting experience at all.

Whereas some artistas started at a young age and already had workshops and minor roles to add to their resume, Cuerva had none.

“I hear the stories on how veteran actors started. Then for me it

EMPLOYMENT

by JaN

Milo SeveRo Philstar.com

Gil Cuerva

was like, ‘Oh look at this guy, he’s a model. Why don’t we just put him in a TV show na siya yung lead and let’s see what happens?’” Cuerva told The Manila Times.

“If I knew the stuff I know now, back then I feel like my performance could have been a lot better in “My Love From the Star” and the transition much easier,” he continued. “That’s not to say that I’m dissatisfied with how I was, but I always feel like I can do better.”

If regret played a factor in him being a lead role along with the pressure of being Jennylyn Mercado’s leading man matched with the fast-paced industry, Cuerva treats every moment as a chance to learn. “I wouldn’t change a thing because it has molded me to the person I am today.”

Despite the criticism surrounding “My Love From The Star”, the then 21-year-old Cuerva firsthandedly experienced the hard work in showbiz that would usually go unseen. He shared that he is very thankful for the advice from an acting coach, his co-stars Gabby Eigenmann and Christian Bautista, and especially director Joyce Bernal who was so handson generous with her time in regards to helping him attack the character.

Moreover, the artista lifestyle is not just about acting but also made up of singing, dancing, and hosting. Asked how he has been dealing with it, Cuerva timidly said, “I don’t like to sing and dance.” He jokingly added, “You can put that on the paper.”

Photo from Instagram/@gilcuerva

“I feel very uncomfortable on that kind of stage but then again it’s not like you work for comfort.

These things are part of the job and I’ll do it but it’s not my forte. I prefer to be recognized as an actor and as a TV host,” citing his most recent and permanent hosting on Taste Buddies.

Open for learning Originally wanting to be a director that graduated from DLS-CSB, Cuerva sees acting as another way of telling a story — something he is fascinated with.

“I did this all because I wanted to act and I want to be like a different character, not because I’ve had this need to be recognized or followed everywhere I go.”

However, he is not closing the idea of making films one day and be a different kind of storyteller.

Cuerva has openly talked about he is still new in show business, saying that he still has a lot of things to work on and that he has to prove himself.

With numerous showbiz personalities starting in their early teens, Cuerva is now taking workshops to further strengthen his craft. “Habang may oras pa, it’s the only thing I can really do para makahabol ako in terms of the experience.”

“Though I got a lead role as my first role, I still have to work my way up and start from the bottom. I would 100-percent say that I have to prove myself,” he explained. “It just looks glamorous but it’s actually a difficult industry PAGE B6

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RETURNING Kapamilya singer Regine Velasquez has a promise to ABS-CBN and her fans as she sang her hit song “Pangako” with different lyrics on “It’s Showtime” on Monday, November 12.

In a special number for the show, the “Asia’s Songbird” sang her hits together with TNT Divas, Jhong Hilario and Karylle.

“Pangako magmula ngayo’y Kapamilya na ako panghabang buhay,” Regine sang, replacing the original lyrics of her song “Pangako.”

The lyrics drew cheers and applause from the audience as well as from the noontime show hosts.

Her husband Ogie Alcasid proudly cheered his wife on the sidelines while the singer was welcomed in “It’s Showtime.”

The special number started with TNT Divas singing Regine’s “Dadalhin,” followed by a duet of Jhong and Karylle singing, “Hanggang Ngayon.”

Regine then appeared on stage singing, “Shine.” She addressed Regine Velasquez Photo from Instagram/@reginevalcasid her fans by changing the song’s She then made a cover of the Up before all performers came to the lyrics to “I’m shining on it’s all Dharma Down song “Tadhana,” stage to sing “Pangako.” because of you.”

JM and Rhian envision...

PAGE B3 whelming. “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 self-aware enough to know when you’re slipping into something a

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 Photo from Instagram/@whianwamos be in a real relationship.”

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

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Your Immigration Solution ATTY. DEVIN CONNOLLY THE 2018 midterm elections are now over, and we have a split Congress. Democrats are in the majority in the House of Representatives while Republicans still control the Senate. What does that mean for immigration laws and policies? Are we any closer to seeing comprehensive immigration reform?

There is a broad consensus that the country’s immigration system needs to be revamped.

It is commonplace to hear complaints that the laws are outdated, confusing, and full of loopholes.

Does a viable solution exist to this problem? And if so, will Republicans and Democrats be able to work together to find it? After all, President Trump is interested in border security, Democrats want a permanent solution for

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Immigration after the midterm elections the Dreamers, etc.

The reality is that we may not see any major immigration reform passed for at least the next two years. While a majority of Americans do not want to see more family separations, that may be just about the only thing on which we can agree. So, what should you do now if you are still hoping to be granted permanent resident status? Instead of continuing to wait, it is advisable to explore options that may be available to you right now. Here are just a few of the many ways to immediately obtain a green card.

One option available to undocumented immigrants is Cancellation of Removal for Non-Permanent Residents (“Cancellation”).

Cancellation allows qualified individuals to obtain a green card if they have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years, have good moral character, and can show that their U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident parent, spouse or child

“Violence Against Women Act,” (“VAWA”) applies to both men and women and it allows certain would suffer exceptional and waiver from outside the United spouses, children, and parents extremely unusual hardship if States. Provisional waivers al- of U.S. citizens and permanent the applicant were forced to leave low the applicant to submit the residents to file a petition for the United States. Applicants are request from inside the U.S. and themselves without any assiseligible to obtain employment wait for the decision here. Once tance from their relative. This authorization as soon as their approved, the applicant departs self-petition allows victims to application is filed. With work for their immigrant visa inter- immediately seek both safety and authorization, one may apply for view at a U.S. embassy abroad. independence from their abuser. a social security number, work This pre-approved waiver avoids And their abuser will not be notilegally and even obtain a state- lengthy separation of family fied about the self-petition. issued driver’s license. members.

Finally, for permanent resiAnother option for those paIt is also important to remem- dents, now is the time to consider tiently waiting for comprehensive ber that the provisional waiver applying for naturalized U.S. immigration reform to pass is does not only apply to family- citizenship. Having a green card filing a family-based immigrant based petitions. It has been ex- is a wonderful thing, but it does petition. In conjunction with an panded to also apply to petition- not carry with it the rights of U.S. approved immigrant visa petition ers from employers. Therefore, citizenship. In addition to things is the possibility of obtaining a if you have an approved I-140 like not being able to vote, perprovisional waiver if the foreign with a current priority dates, a manent residents can lose their citizen is not eligible for adjust- provisional waiver might be an lawful status and be deported. ment of status. option.

While it is true that permanent A provisional waiver helps There are also lesser-known residents are most commonly intending immigrants who are options that may also be a vi- deported for criminal offenses, unable to adjust their status but able way of obtaining a green that is not always the case. It is will invoke the 3-year or 10-year card. One such option applies also possible to lose your green unlawful presence bar upon leav- to people who have been physi- card for innocent mistakes, such ing the United States. Most waiv- cally or emotionally abused. The as spending too much time outers require that the immigrant submit the application for any

Cycling to the end game “Nothing is important than THIS DAY!” – Goethe 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.

HOW has 2018, which is about to come to a close, treated you thus far?

Has it been smooth sailing?

Or has there been an unfair volume of challenges, glitches and bumps that tend to overwhelm and capsize that little boat you are navigating in the sea of life?

For many of us, the challenges tended to test the limits of human endurance. 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 can break us. But if we’ve made it thus far, still standing albeit a little stooped and weary, this should be a testament and assurance that although the road ahead may pose even greater challenges to our exceedingly limited human abilities, we know that from a deep wellspring of faith and abiding trust in God’s mercy and love, we will continue to persevere and endure and in accordance with God’s will, live the full measure of our lives.

Perhaps, now is a good time to begin mulling about the end. It is a grim thought on cold and dreary November mornings, I admit, but it seems appropriate when taking stock of the year about to be filed away in some distant cosmic memory bank and we are given a new, clean slate in 2019.

Just as sure as the sun rises in the morning, the end will come.

No one knows the day or the hour. It is a sobering thought to contemplate the end. But somehow, it sets our moral compass and values straight knowing for certain the end does come. It makes sense to plan for the inevitable.

Long ago, while driving one day on the freeway headed west in late afternoon while the sum-

mer sun in all its crimson splendor slowly sank in the horizon, I commented to my young daughter who was seated beside me that the sun will die too someday, like everything else.

Alarm showing in her face, she asked when it was going to happen and I smiled, patted her on the knee and said that it isn’t going to happen anytime soon, at least not in our lifetimes or the lifetimes of many generations yet to come. Then, I added, to tamp down her visible concern, the sun will still be there, maybe, for another five to nine billion years or so, nearly twice the length of time it took to form the solar system and all its planets in its present form, if the educated guess of scientists are to be believed.

We are fortunate that the sun belongs to a class of stars that slowly and steadily burns its fuel and holds the promise of a full life.

And provided of course, that there is no large-sized meteor or cosmic debris careening off its track hurling itself helter-skelter onto earth as many believe happened some 65 million years ago, wiping off the dinosaurs and making the earth a new tabula rasa for a new thinking, feeling life form, called humans, to take shape.

We realize that our tomorrows have a finite number and each year-end, brings home that point that much more clearly. Alan Watts wrote perhaps to explain the results of man’s creative urges as a means to preserve itself, “It is because men know they will die that they have created the arts and sciences, the philosophies and religions.” What perhaps separates us from other life forms is that we become aware of our own mortality, our own inevitable 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.

Health@Heart

Lacto A: Friendly germs?

PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS WHAT is Lactobacillus acidophilus?

L. acidophilus is the most popularly used probiotic or “friendly bacteria.” They live in the intestines and vagina and prevent the entrance and proliferation of disease-causing organisms, thus protecting the individual.

Are there other friendly bacteria in the body?

Yes. Actually there are several trillion friendly bacteria (over 400 species) in the human gastrointestinal tract. Literally, we carry about four pounds (1.8 kilos) of microbacteria in our guts. A healthy predominance of the good bacteria over the bad bacteria spells well being for the person. If the bad or pathogenic bacteria “outnumber” the friendly ones, ill health occurs.

How does L. acidophilus do it?

There are a variety of mechanisms through which L. acidophilus accomplish its good job. Example: the breakdown of food by this probiotic results in the production of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and a few other by-products that create a hostile environment for the bad bacteria. Lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugar) into simple sugars for proper digestion and absorption, is produced by L. acidophilus too.

Those with lactose intolerance or lactase deficiency may be helped

by L. acidophilus.

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 15-21, 2018

While it is possible that some people could be born with lactase deficiency state, most of those with lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency) develop the condition secondary to lifestyle. People who, during childhood, do not drink milk or do not eat dairy products regularly, acquire lactase deficiency. Lack of this enzyme prevents milk and dairy products (cheese, ice cream, even beans) from being digested and absorbed and properly. This leads to what is known as lactose intolerance, where the milk sugar (lactose) is not effectively broken down to simple sugars, a process needed for proper digestion.

How prevalent is lactase deficiency?

To some degree or another lactase deficiency is found in 75 percent of adults worldwide. Among Chinese, it is 100 percent. Twenty five percent of the U.S. population has some degree of lactose intolerance. About 90 percent of Asian Americans, 80 percent of Afro-Americans, 53 percent of Mexican-Americans, about 80 percent of Native Americans, and 15 percent of Caucasians suffer from lactose intolerance of varying degrees. The incidence for southern Italians and Ashkenari Jews is 70 percent. A high prevalence is also reported among the majority of Meditarranean Arabs. Exception includes northwest Europeans, where the incidence is below said to be 20 percent. It has been postulated that those with lactose-intolerance also have a higher risk of stroke, colon cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis. Whether decreased calcium intake (as a result of lac-

diseases is still not known.

What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?

Diarrhea and abdominal discomfort/distention, nausea, bloating, passing a lot of flatus, intestinal cramps following ingestion of lactose-containing food items, like ice cream, cheese, even salad or beans. Children who have lactase deficiency will fail to gain weight.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance could be mild to severe, depending on the degree of lactase deficiency.

Are there pills for those with lactose intolerance?

Yes. One popular brand in the U.S. is Lactaid, an over-the-counter medication that has really been effective for those individuals with lactase deficiency. Taking this pill allows them to drink milk and eat dairy products in moderation. For children, pretreated milk (where commercially prepared lactase has been used to predigest the lactose) are available, labeled as lactose-free milk. For infants, strict glucose-galactose-free diet is a must, and where fructose becomes the main carbohydrate. For those people on lactose-free diet because they have lactose intolerance, calcium supplementation is highly recommended. Some of the non-diary sources of calcium include green leafy vegetables, fish (especially salmon, tuna and sardines, where the bones are soft and edible), brussels sprouts, tofu, and broccoli.

What are the claims about Lactobacillus?

The major claims include the assertions that L. acidophilus lowers cholesterol, boosts the immune

Calendar of Events across

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side of the U.S. Remember that more than one million individuals obtain permanent resident status each year.

The ways in which they do so varies, but they all have a willingness and desire to improve their immigration status in the U.S. Consult with a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney today to find out what options are available to you. *** REEVES IMMIGRATION LAW GROUP is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration fi rms in the United States with offi ces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila and China.

For more Information please call (800) 7958009 or visit www.rreeves.com.

Telephone: (800) 795-8009 E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com Website: www.rreeves.com. *** The analysis and suggestions offered in this column do not create a lawyer-client relationship and are not a substitute for the personalized representation that is essential to every case.

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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 - 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 largescale 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 - 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Features

B November 15-21, 2018 • LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

Rico J. Puno: Remembering the ‘legend’

Nevada’s first tissue processing facility makes hope and healing possible for more Nevadans LAS VEGAS, NV – On Friday, November 16, invited guests had an opportunity to take a glimpse inside Nevada’s first-of-its-kind tissue processing facility. This behind-the-scenes look allowed community leaders, surgeons, healthcare professionals, and government officials to tour the facility prior to entering into the arduous FDA regulatory compliance process, during which access will be closed to the public.

In 2014, Nevada Donor Network and Australian Biotechnologies began discussing how they

might partner to enhance the gift of life through tissue donation.

Together, they formed a vision to establish a state-of-the-art facility, where Nevada Donor Network would honor heroic tissue donors and Australian Biotechnologies would offer their tissue processing expertise to the United States.

A few short years later, Origin Biologics was born.

Origin Biologics is focused on providing the highest quality musculoskeletal implants, which accelerate and restore biological and mechanical functionality

of degenerative, diseased and trauma induced orthopedic and spinal defects. The establishment of a local tissue processing facility means increased access and expanded options available to Nevadans in need of healing and enhancing tissue transplants. It also offers a unique opportunity for heroic donors in Nevada to save and heal fellow Nevadans.

Guests were shown a glimpse into the future of tissue processing in the state of Nevada and the opportunities it offers our community.

WGU Nevada recognizes Veterans Day with $75,000 in scholarships

Nonprofit, online university to award up to 25 scholarships for Nevada veterans, military service members, and their families LAS VEGAS — To honor all those who have served our country, nonprofit, online Western Governors University (WGU) is offering $750,000 in scholarships for veterans, active-duty military, reservists, and military family members who want to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in high-demand fields including IT, business, K-12 education, and health professions, including nursing. Applications are now being accepted through Dec. 31, 2018, for the WGU Salute to Veterans Scholarship.

Each scholarship is valued at up to $3,000 — $750 per six-month term for up to four terms.

“I was pleased to find that the curriculum I was engaged in at WGU was directly relevant to my profession,” said active duty military serviceman Dion Brown, who is now on his second degree with WGU. “As I advanced in rank and my professional military education, the management techniques and theories I was studying at WGU helped me immensely.”

WGU has been recognized for 11 consecutive years by Military Advanced Education & Transition as a “Top School” and for seven consecutive years as a Military Friendly® School. WGU Nevada currently serves more than 300 students who are active-duty military personnel, veterans, or dependent family members of military personnel, who account for roughly 12% of WGU Nevada’s student body.

All WGU Nevada programs

are competency-based, providing the flexibility veterans and their families need. Designed to meet the needs of adult learners, competency-based education allows students to take advantage of their knowledge and real-world experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. WGU Nevada faculty members work one-on-one with students as mentors, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction. While the university’s degree programs are rigorous and challenging, competency-based learning makes it possible for students to accelerate their programs, saving both time and money.

The WGU Salute to Veterans Scholarship is open to new students who have been officially admitted to WGU and are a U.S. military veteran, active-duty or retired military, reservist, military spouse or child. While multiple scholarships will be awarded, this is a competitive program, and scholarships will be awarded based on a candidate’s academic record, readiness for online study, and current competency, as well as other considerations. Learn more at www.wgu.edu/veterans.

WGU Nevada is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Nevadans’ access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Nevada and nation-

ally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Nevada is open to all qualified Nevada residents.

The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K–12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). WGU’s Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and its nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)*.

In addition to WGU Nevada, there are five other WGU statebased, state-endorsed universities: WGU Indiana, established in June 2010; WGU Washington, established in April 2011; WGU Texas, established in August 2011; WGU Missouri, established in February 2013; and WGU Tennessee, established in July 2013. For more information, visit the WGU Nevada website, www.nevada.wgu.edu, or call 877-214-7005. *Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-8776791).

ğ įōíľ ÀðıÃæµįPçį ʼn æIJįıÀ ØÃĉÃæîÂ ß ğÃqPç qíß߼æÃıŎįĤÀíĽØ ÕæíŊįPdíĽIJĕ If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, email us the details (title, description, time & date, location, etc.) at info@asianjournalinc.com.

And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event.

To be included in our online calendar/ e-newsletter, please allow at least two to three weeks' notice.

The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

By Monet

Lu

HE was known throughout the Philippines as the larger-than-life “total entertainer.” His charm, which seeps through his hit songs earned him the moniker, “Macho Gwapito.” He was loved by many, adored by his fans and respected by his constituents in Makati as their beloved councilor for nine years. He is Enrico De Jesus Puno – aka Rico J. – and he IS a Legend.

Rico J was credited as a pioneer-promoter of original Filipino music (OPM). A singer, composer, comedian, actor and television host who has been known to have started the trend of incorporating Tagalog lyrics in his rendition of foreign songs. He became known as a singer who regularly infused his on-stage performance with tongue-in-cheek comedy and adult humor.

Rico J became famous in the 1970s by covering American hits — including Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were” and Marvin Gaye’s “Baby I’m for Real” — in a mix of English and Tagalog.

Those recordings put him in the vanguard of the Manila Sound, Filipino popular music from roughly the mid-1970s through the end of the Ferdinand Marcos era, in 1986.

I’ve followed his musical career and I have always been a fan of his wit and his talent. He was actually here in the U.S. for a concert tour with fellow legends, Hajii Alejandro, Rey Valera and Marco Sison last April.

Rico’s hit songs included “Kapalaran,” “Buhat,” “Macho Gwapito,” “Lupa,” “Damdamin,” “May Bukas Pa,” “Ang Tao’y Marupok,” “Magkasuyo Buong Gabia duet with Elsa Chan - and his Filipino rendition of “You Don’t Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)” One of his recent albums was Aliw by Sony BMG Records. His carrier single was “Kay Hirap

Mong Limutin” by Lito Camo.

Rico starred in films: Instant Mommy (2013), Who’s That Girl?

(2011), Asboobs: Asal Bobo (2003) - Capt. Palma, Pakners (2003), A.B. Normal College (2003), Alas-Dose (2001) – Congressman, Juan & Ted: Wanted (2000), Matalino Man ang Matsing na-iisahan din! (2000), Alyas Boy Tigas: Ang Probinsyanong Wais (1998), Sailor’s Disaster (1994) – Bruno, Tom & Jerry: Hindi Kaming Hayop (1993), Dr. Potpot Travels to the Moon (1991) – Enzio, Isang Platitong mani (1986), Annabelle Huggins Story (1982).

As I have mentioned earlier, Rico J also represented Makati City, in the Manila area, as a city councilor from 1998 to 2007, and was re-elected in 2016 after losing a 2010 race for vice mayor.

According to a short biography posted on his website, Enrico Puno was born on Feb. 13, 1953.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he tried to find work as a bellboy.

But when he failed to get the job, he ended up singing folk songs in Manila nightclubs.

His biggest break was a deal with Vicor Records — was precipitated by an encounter in the 1970s with the Motown band the Temptations at the Palazzi, a club where Mr. Puno played regularly.

It was during this period that he recorded his signature version of “The Way We Were,” among other

popular American songs.

Rico J made American music his own by adding bawdy lyrics and banter in Tagalog. One of his best-known covers was “You Don’t Have to Be a Star,” by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. And he embellished it with this line: “Even if you’re ugly, I still need you.”

Over the years, Mr. Puno performed solo and with the Hitmakers, a group that included the Filipino musicians Rey Valera and Hajji Alejandro.

There is so much that can be said about Rico as a musician, an artist, a politician, and most of all, a friend. Yet one thing remains as the common denominator. He is and always will be an icon. He may have left this world too early but he left us with iconic memories and a legacy that can only come from a true legend.

To the legendary Rico J, rest well and rest assured that your legendary status continues on. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Toni Gonzaga hopes son Seve grows up with a complete family

by Krissy

AguilAr Inquirer.net

ACTRESS and television host Toni Gonzaga on Monday, November 12 shared about her hopes for her two-year-old son Seve: that he grows up having a complete family.

“Kapag nag-asawa ako hanggang sa lumaki ang mga anak ko, buo ‘yung pamilya ko. Na hindi maging broken ‘yung marriage, hindi maging broken ‘yung home.

Na lumaki si Seve na buo ‘yung pamilya niya,” she said during an interview at “Tonight with Boy Abunda.”

Gonzaga said she witnessed how her parents fought hard to be a complete family as she grew up.

“Because I grew up witnessing that. My parents fought hard to be together. So I feel like Seve deserves that,” the 34-year-old TV personality added.

Gonzaga likewise fervently believes that: “I deserve a complete

Toni Gonzaga with husband Paul Soriano and their son Seve.

Photo from Instagram/@celestinegonzaga

family.”

“Because I worked so hard all my life, I tried to be a good person. Feeling ko parang ‘yun naman ‘yung deserve ko in life,”

she noted.

Gonzaga got married to filmmaker Paul Soriano in 2015. They were blessed with a son named Severiano Elliot.

Gil Cuerva out to prove he can...

PAGE B4 to work in.”

“The key thing here is that I’m a beginner. I’m not Alden, I’m not Piolo, I’m not Jericho, I’m not Dingdong.”

Newfound fame Though he was already being noticed in the fashion scene as a print and runway model, the new attention gained from being on TV is also what Cuerva considers a learning process.

“I’ve made some mistakes when it comes to composure on how to handle myself with unpleasant comments when I was younger. I think also one of the great things about being in this industry is it helped me to grow up,” he recalled his time as a student right before showbiz, saying that he only

wanted to enjoy life and was not thinking about studying.

“Showbiz kind of forced me to be responsible with my actions and words, to be accountable to them, to be more sensitive, to know the consequences.”

He continued, “That doesn’t mean that you have forget your problems, it just means ‘huwag mong idamay yung iba. Just be polite and say hi to people. You don’t have to make sipsip.”

Though Cuerva has always made waves with his unique look and boy-next-door charm in the competitive showbiz industry, he makes it a point to remain humble and look back on what he learned.

“I understand why some people are scared, why they’re sipsip

and plastic, why they’re trying to maintain a perfect image but I’m not about that,” he stated.

“I open up about the mistakes I make but in a way that people can learn from them, in the same way that I’ve learned to admit that I’m wrong and acknowledge what I’ve done. I’m not this perfect guy.”

“I guess my purpose in this industry is I want people to relate to me when they watch me — someone completely human and has made mistakes, but more important is that I choose to acknowledge them. I choose to learn no matter how masakit or humiliating. I choose to become a better person even if people don’t see it because it’s not for them,” the upand-coming actor ended.

Lacto A: Friendly germs?

PAGE B5 system, maintains a healthy flora in the digestive tract, and that it prevents cancer. While there are some probably positive preliminary studies on the first three claims, the last one has yet to be proven.

Is it effective for bacterial vaginal infection, diarrhea?

L. acidophilus, when taken by mouth (like yogurt) or as a vaginal douche, tablet or suppository, has been proven effective in treating vaginal infections caused by bacteria. For chronic or recurrent diarrhea, this “friendly bacteria” may be of some help but further clinical studies are needed to determine the safe and effective dosage.

How about for other illnesses?

like acne, AIDS, cancer, canker sores, constipation, cardiovascular illnesses, Cohn’s disease, heartburn, hives, indigestion, infections, stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, urinary tract infection, thrush, asthma, and many others. The studies done on some of them were flawed and scientifically not significant and worthless. There is no medically validated study to date that proves L. acidophilus is effective in any of those conditions listed above, or any other illnesses, except for the bacterial vaginal infection and some form of diarrheas.

Is L. acidophilus safe?

As aptly reported by Natural Standard in cooperation with Harvard Medical School, “there is

L. acidophilus in humans”. Interactions with other drugs or herbs have not been adequately studied. Some people with weak immune system may be at risk of acquiring serious infections when taking L. acidophilus.

Before taking any lactobacillus preparation, consult with your physician. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 15-21, 2018

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