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NOVEMBER 21-27, 2019

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

Volume 30 - No. 47• 16 Pages

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PH, US affirm review of Mutual Defense Treaty

by DEMPSEY

REYES ManilaTimes.net

DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and his United States counterpart, Mark Esper, on Wednesday, November 20 affirmed the need to review the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

At a joint news conference held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Lorenzana said it was he who sought the review of the decades-old treaty because the MDT was made “at the height of war and the situation then comDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper discuss pared to now is different.” diplomatic ties and mutual defense treaty at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Tuesday, November 19.

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Philstar.com photo by Felicer Santos

USA

DATELINE China still least trusted country among Filipinos FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

US keeps excellent rating CHINA remains to be the least trusted country among Filipinos, plunging lower with a net trust rating of -33, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results released on Wednesday, November 20.

According to the polling firm, China’s -33 rating obtained this September 2019, which translates to “bad,” is nine points lower than the -24 score last June. This is the second lowest score since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in June 2016.

This was despite warmer relations between the two countries under Duterte’s independent foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the United States remains to be

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Palace blasts Sanders on human rights issue MALACAÑANG on Sunday, November 17, lambasted U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for accusing the Duterte administration of committing “abhorrent” human rights abuses against workers.

In a tweet posted on Friday, November 15, Sanders, a self-described socialist who is seeking nomination as presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, criticized the Philippines’ alleged crackdown on workers, calling it “a shameful attempt to silence people’s rights and freedoms.”

Sanders shared a statement by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) condemning what it described as “a new wave of police repression of Philippine trade unionists” and called for global support on human rights.

The ITUC statement decried the Philippine authorities’ operations against suspected communists in Bacolod City on October 31.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Sanders is just “grandstanding on an issue he obviously does not know the details of.”

He also accused the senator of “meddling” in Philippine affairs.

“What we find abhorrent is that Senator Bernie Sanders and the ITUC refuse to close-

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LIMITING ROBREDO’S POWERS. President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, November 19, said Vice President Leni Robredo would remain as Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) co-chair but would have limited access to classified information in the fight against the proliferation of illegal narcotics. The information is state secrets, the president said, which include everything from sensitive matters with the Philippines’ relations with other countries like China and the United States.

Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano

Robredo says her work continues even without Cabinet rank

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

VICE President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, November 19, said her work continues as the administration’s anti-drug czar despite not being a Cabinet member.

Her statement came following President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement he was not allowing Robredo to join his Cabinet, expressing concern over Robredo possibly disclosing sensitive information discussed during Cabinet meetings to various

groups.

Robredo, for her part, said she would continue to do her job as drug czar despite not getting the president’s trust, stressing that her focus is on getting the job done and not on squabbling with administration officials who have questioned her inclusion in the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

“When I accepted the job, it did not matter to me whether it was of Cabinet rank or not.

It’s full steam ahead. I began working on the In this photo release, Vice President Leni Robredo met with members of the Naga City Dangerous

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Drugs Board (DDB) at City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) to ask for updates in their initiatives in their anti-narcotics campaign.

Photo from the Office of the Vice President

Cyberlibel trial vs Ressa to proceed Recto: No funds provided for national ID as court rejects dismissal plea

by KRISTINE JOY

Philstar.com

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

PATAG

MANILA — The cyber libel trial against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and its former researcher will proceed as the Manila court handling the case junked their motion challenging the sufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 in a ruling dated November 15, but made public on Wednesday, November 20,

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Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa

Philstar.com photo

SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Tuesday, November 19, noted that despite the Duterte administration pressing Congress to pass the National ID law and making it the highest priority, it did not provide funds for the bill’s implementation since its enactment in 2018.

“That was two years ago, when we passed the law certified as urgent by the Palace. During the

debates then, we were told that the plan was to cover 100 million people in four years,” he said.

“But it now appears that there’s a wide gap between intent and implementation. The proof has always been in the funding. And in the case of the national ID project, it is wanting,” he added.

According to Recto, there will be no 2020 General Appropriations Act entry, no ID, unless the situation is rectified.

Signed by President Duterte

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De Lima on 1,000th day in jail: I have never been defeated

by DARRYL JOHN

ESGUERRA

Inquirer.net

MANILA — Opposition Senator Leila De Lima remained defiant even as she has been “unjustly incarcerated” for 1,000 days now.

“I have been maligned, and I have been persecuted,” De Lima said in a statement on Wednesday, November 20, which marks the 1,000th day of her detention for her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade when she was still Justice secretary.

“Yet I have never been defeated and never been stripped of my dignity, though my oppressors File photo shows detained Senator Leila De Lima waving to her supporters surely gave it their best try,” she as she left a Metropolitan Trial Court branch in Quezon City last August 2. stressed.

Philstar.com photo Supporters and colleagues of

the senator gathered Wednesday morning to join the “indignation run” to protest her “unjust” detention. Among the notable personalities who joined the event were former lawmakers and opposition stalwarts Gary Alejano and Erin Tañada. Also in attendance was former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. De Lima, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, has been in detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center since Feb. 24, 2017, on charges that she was involved in the illegal drug trade.

She has denied the charges, saying they were fabricated in retaliation for her fierce criticism of Duterte’s brutal war on drugs and

monitoring of his human rights record since the time she headed the Commission on Human Rights in 2008.

De Lima said that despite being jailed, her heart, mind, and soul “have never been freer.”

“All because truth and true justice are on my side,” she declared.

The former Justice secretary believed that she serves as a “platform to tell the story of thousands of others; a part of the continuing saga of a people waging a battle far bigger than my own suffering.”

“For beyond the walls of my detention cell, for others, death is the price that they pay for standing up

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Cyberlibel trial vs Ressa to...

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

four months after the publication of the story. tion’s evidence is competent and State prosecutors pointed out PAGE 1 sufficient to sustain Ressa and that the story was updated on junked Ressa’s demurrer to evi- the news site’s former researcher Feb. 19, 2014, which puts it undence for lack of merit.

Reynaldo Santos’ indictment for der the “multiple publication A demurrer to evidence is a cyberlibel. rule.” legal challenge to the prosecuThe case emanated from a Ressa and Santos, however, tion’s sufficiency evidence that, complaint filed by businessman raised that there was no substanif granted, paves the way for the Wilfredo Keng assailing an arti- tial change made in the article dismissal of the case halfway cle, first published in May 2012. when it was updated in 2014, but through the trial, without the The Department of Justice in- the court said that their argument presentation of the defense’s evi- dicted Rappler, Ressa and Santos is “evidentiary in nature which dence. on cyber libel charges, despite the defense should prove during The court said the prosecu- the cybercrime law being signed trial.”

“It now behooves upon all the accused to adduce evidence to controvert those presented by the prosecution in a full-blown trial,” Manila RTC Branch 46 Presiding Judge Rainelda Estacio-Mendoza wrote.

The court set the presentation of the Rappler’s evidence on December 6.

Ressa and Rappler are also em- BELENISMO SA TARLAC. “Ark of Faith”, San Clemente, Tarlac’s entry to the Belenismo sa Tarlac, is inspired by the colorful “vinta” or the broiled in a string of legal suits. traditional boat of the island of Mindanao and highlights the use of indigenous materials such as bolo, kawayan, and abiang (local term They are facing charges of tax for “anahaw”). Posing for a photo in front of the giant display are members of the board of judges during the final judging on Saturday, PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan evasion, tax evasion charges, an- November 16 in Tarlac City. ti-dummy and violations of the Securities and Regulations code.

A Quezon City prosecutor had recently junked Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary John ing what issues should be looked the new national defense stratCastriciones’ libel complaint PAGE 1 into.

Esper welcomed the move. egy of Washington that required against Ressa and reporter RamThe MDT review will be tack- them “to look at the world differ“It’s always good to look at these bo Talabong for lack of probable things from time to time. Review, led during the Mutual Defense ently.” cause. ■ Engagement clarify and strengthen it based on Board-Security “I think for all those reasons, it changes in the environment and Board to be held sometime this could do so and for that, we are year, he said. world situation,” he said. such strong and capable allies “It will be a joint cooperative and we have such great friendLorenzana noted that delegations from the Philippines and endeavor,” Lorenzana added. ship between our militaries and Esper, meanwhile, highlighted our people,” he said. ■ the U.S. were already discussPAGE 1

PH, US affirm review of Mutual...

China still least trusted country...

the most trusted country, obtaining a +72 score or “excellent.”

The U.S. is followed by Australia (+37), Japan (+35), Singapore (+26), and Vietnam (0).

SWS said the survey was conducted from September 27 to 30, using face-to-face interviews with 1,800 adults, segregated into 600 for Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and 300 each for Metro Manila and Visayas.

Respondents were asked whether their trust towards a specific country was high, slightly high, not sure, low, or very low, or whether they have no information about the said countries.

The survey was conducted months after an incident in the West Philippine Sea where a local fishing boat sank after a collision with a Chinese vessel. The 22 male crew of the fishing boat were left at sea and were eventually rescued by a Vietnamese ship. (Gabriel Pabico Lalu/Inquirer.net)

De Lima on 1,000th day in jail: I have...

PAGE 1

for what is right and just, or for simply being poor,” she said.

Over 5,500 individuals have been killed in the government’s drug war, data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said.

But human rights groups have counted that as much as 27,000 lives have been claimed by the drug war death and by unknown hitmen.

“Three years of impunity, three more years of deceit and bloodlust,” De Lima said of Duterte’s presidency.

In her message, which was also read before the indignation run at the CHR grounds in Quezon City, De Lima thanked those who supported her since Day 1 of her detention.

“Life for all of us has been made even more difficult by this administration. Napakasikip na ng es-

pasyo para kumilos at magpahayag (Space is limited to move and express oneself). But you never faltered, you never allowed yourself to be cowered into silence and defeat. So how could I?” ‘Won’t get any easier’ “We all know what is in store for us in the next three years,” De Lima said. “It will not get any easier with Duterte desperately clinging to whatever is left of his power.”

But the veteran lawmaker vowed to continue the fight with the people who lost their loved ones in the guise of the drug war and others who have been deprived of their human rights.

“It is only through our collective determination that we can defeat a tyrant who keeps mocking our pain and making light of our victories,” she said.

“When I surrendered to the ar-

resting officers on February 24, 2017, I said that it is my honor to be jailed for my convictions. Today, 1,000 days since my arrest, I say it again: Karangalan ko po na makulong dahil sa mga ipinaglalaban ko [It is an honor for me to be jailed fighting for what I believe in].

“Karangalan ko din na maging bahagi ng malawak na kilusang lumalaban para sa Katarungan at Katotohanan. At dahil nagkakaisa tayo sa paghihirap, iisa rin tayo sa tagumpay. Palagian po nating tandaan: hindi laging maghahari ang dilim,” she concluded (It is also an honor for me to be part of a wide movement fighting for justice and truth. And because we are one and united n this struggle, we will also be one and united in our success. Let us always remember: darkness will never forever prevail). ■

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 21-27, 2019

PH remittances up 3.9% to $24.6-B in 9 months Robredo says her work continues even...

US highest remittance source

by Daxim Lucas Inquirer.net

DOLLARS sent home by expatriate Filipinos continued to rise in September as both landand sea-based workers remitted more cash to their local beneficiaries, according to the latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The central bank said that personal remittances from Filipinos either working or living abroad hit $2.6 billion in September 2019, up 6.3 percent from the $2.5 billion reported in the same period last year.

This brought personal remittances for the first nine months of 2019 to $24.6 billion, up 3.9 percent from $23.7 billion a year ago.

“The growth in personal remittances during the nine-month period was driven by steady remittance inflows from land-

based overseas Filipino workers with work contracts of one year or more, which grew to $18.8 billion from $18.2 billion in the same period last year,” the BSP said in a statement.

The data also showed that remittances from overseas workers—which are said to account for an estimated 10 percent of domestic economic activity, especially consumption—grew for every month of this year, except for a 2.7-percent decline in June.

Remittance inflows from seaand land-based workers with short-term contracts also contributed higher at $5.3 billion this year compared to $4.9 billion a year ago, the monetary regulator added.

Similarly, cash remittances coursed through banks by overseas Filipino workers with work contracts of less than a year rose to $2.4 billion in September

2019 from $2.2 billion last year.

This drove cash remittances —which exclude transfers in cash or in kind by Filipinos who have migrated abroad—higher in the first nine months of this year to $22.2 billion from $21.3 billion recorded in the same period last year.

By type of worker, cash remittances from land- and sea-based workers increased by 3.2 percent to $17.3 billion and 8 percent to $4.9 billion, respectively.

By country source, the U.S. registered the highest share of total remittances from January to September 2019 at 37.5 percent. It was followed by Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany and Kuwait.

PAGE 1 The combined remittances from these countries accounted ly look at the facts at hand, and for 78.3 percent of total cash re- instead choose to make blanket mittances during the period. n statements that the Philippine government supposedly violates human rights,” Andanar said in a statement.

“We urge all observers and critics to check their facts as some may fall victim to the lies peddled by communist terrorists — terrorists that have humanitarian organization fronts seeking funding from other legitimate international institutions, only to be used for violence,” he added.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Sanders’ remark was a baseless allegation.

“I think it’s a shameful attempt also on his (Sanders) part to provide information that he did not validate. He was just repeating the things that critics are saying and are being peddled by foreign news agencies,” Panelo said in a Philstar.com photo radio interview.

Andanar said no one was hurt seas Filipinos in 2022,” Recto during the operations against the suspected rebels in Bacolod. said.

“Authorities did not act rashly He explained that to meet the deadline, 4.3 million registrants in any way and actually gathered must be processed every month actionable intel before conductby the 5,000 registration kits ing the raids on the offices of the placed in mobile and fixed regis- organizations,” he said.

“While there were several citration centers. However, future registration quotas will not be vilians captured, they were immet if the critical purchases in mediately released days after the the early stages of implementa- operations. Hence, the supposed tion will not push through due to ‘government abuse’ that Sanders and the ITUC claim is already lack of budget.

“The 2020 scheduled procure- false,” he added.

Andanar said stringent meament lays the foundation of the project. Without this, the project sures were undertaken during is crippled, the rollout derailed, operations to prevent armed its future jeopardized,” Recto clashes with the communists.

(Alexis Romero/Philstar.com) said. n

Recto: No funds provided for national...

PAGE A1 on Aug. 6, 2018, Republic Act 11055 (Philippine Identification System Act) — which establishes a single national identification system referred to as PhilSys for all citizens and resident aliens of the country — promotes seamless delivery of service; improves the efficiency, transparency, and targeted delivery of public and social services; enhances administrative governance, reduces corruption and curtails bureaucratic red tape; averts fraudulent transactions and misrepresentations; strengthens financial inclusion; and promotes ease of doing business.

When Recto asked if there were funds for the national ID system during the deliberations on Monday, November 18 for the proposed 2020 budget of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the committee on finance and sponsor of the NEDA budget, replied “zero.”

But according to Angara, there is P2.4 billion allocated for the ID system in the “unprogrammed appropriation” section of the proposed P4.1-trillion General Appropriations Bill for next year.

Recto, meanwhile, said the appropriation was a tentative allo-

The proposed Philippine national ID.

cation dependent on new loans or if revenues can be raised. He also pointed out that the P2.4 billion would only cover about 42 percent of what is needed to fully meet the project’s objectives and deliverables next year.

Less than half, or 6.3 million Filipinos, will be registered in 2020 instead of 14 million Filipinos, he added.

“And this will trigger a domino effect that will lay in shambles the project’s timetable. The original plan is to enroll 14 million in 2020; 52 million in 2021, including five million overseas Filipinos; and 44 million local residents plus five million over-

PAGE 1 first day,” said the vice president in Filipino.

Some officials are also against sharing information with Robredo since she is the leader of the opposition. Among them include Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Ricojudge Echiverri who said Robredo might sell them out in the future, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director general Aaron Aquino who claimed it is beyond Robre-

Palace blasts Sanders on human rights...

do’s mandate as co-chair to get hold of the list of their high-value targets.

Robredo merely shrugged off their allegations.

“It’s their problem… whatever I can do now, I will do it,” she said.

She also countered Duterte’s claim about her sharing confidential information with foreign institutions that have “prejudged” the drug war, saying the Philippine government had worked with agencies like the

United Nations and the U.S. government before.

“If they do not trust me, why designate me in the first place?”

Robredo asked.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, meanwhile, backed up Robredo, pointing out that she has been “saying and doing the right things” as ICAD co-chair.

He also urged the ICAD members to give Robredo their support “for the sake of the overall objective” of fighting drug traffickers and addiction. n

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Pentagon chief urges claimants to take ‘public posture’ on South China Sea

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

WASHINGTON’S top defense official urged claimant states in the South China Sea, including the Philippines, to assert sovereign rights in the disputed waterway.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper recently met with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to discuss Philippines-U.S. ties.

In a press briefing Tuesday, November 19, Esper said “acting collectively� would be the best way to “get China on the right path.�

China has been claiming indisputable sovereignty over the

South China Sea, which is also being contested by Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. “I think it’s incumbent upon all of us to take a very public posture and to assert our sovereign rights and to emphasize the importance of law,� Esper said.

The Pentagon chief noted that concerns were raised over China’s excessive claims over the South China Sea during the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus in Thailand earlier this month.

According to Esper, most of the ASEAN defense ministers are concerned over Beijing’s lack of compliance with international laws, as well as its tac-

tics to advance its own interests in the region. “It is crucial that we stand together to preserve freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea,�

Esper said.

Esper also said the U.S. is open to revisit provisions of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines.

Lorenzana has been calling for a review of the decades-old treaty following China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Philippines that any armed attack on Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea will trigger the treaty. n

He said one worrisome trend was that the Philippines was even exporting its disinformation services to other countries.

Their findings showed that these operations have begun to set up shop in countries like Cambodia and Guam. “They are thinking of taking this global,� he said. “For example, some of them have established data analytics firms who do political insighting,� he added. “On the surface it’s just data analytics and insighting, but usually it becomes a one-stop-shop.�

CabaĂąes also said that politicians “could very wellâ€? be using taxpayer money to fund these disinformation campaigns on social media, but mentioned that it was something his team had yet to confirm.

He highlighted what the study labeled the “in-house model� which he said “local but also national politicians adopted [by] making the people in their own offices do ‘trolling’ and disinformation� as a strict requirement alongside their regular duties.

In another model which he called the “clickbait model,� he said “it wasn’t politicians approaching them (creators of false content) but rather them approaching the politicians.�

The top U.S. defense official, who is in the Philippines to meet his counterpart Defense U.S. SECRETARy of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, laid “Think of it as the digital ver- Mark Esper on Tuesday, Novem- flowers for the fallen service sion of propaganda,� he added. ber 19, paid tribute to American members at the Manila Ameriand Filipino soldiers who died can Cemetery in Taguig City.

Online nation While in the Philippines, EsWe are Social and HootSuite during World War II. data found that 76 million out of 107.3 million Filipinos, or 71% of the population, had access to the internet. 97% of them were on Facebook. was still behind its peers in the

by LoueLLa desiderio Philstar.com A separate study published region.

by New Mandala entitled All other Southeast Asian “Tracking Digital DisinformaTHE Philippines was among 63 countries included in the report tion in the 2019 Philippine countries that posted the biggest had better rankings than the Midterm Election� observed climb in the latest World Talent Philippines such as Singapore what they described as “the Ranking (WTR) report of the In- (10th), Malaysia (22nd), Indoneemergence of hyper-partisan ternational Institute for Manage- sia (41st), and Thailand (43rd). platforms that exploit citizens’ ment Development (IMD), as it In ranking countries, the WTR mistrust against the political rose six places to 49th place from looked at three factors such as establishment in exchange for 51st last year. investment and development, clicks.�

The country remained the lag- appeal and readiness, and took The study in its summary also gard however, among Southeast into account responses to IMD’s noted that digital disinforma- countries. executive opinion survey. tion was “[i]nfluential in shapReleased in partnership with In the investment and develing political conversations.â€? the Asian Institute of Manage- opment factor which measures In closing, CabaĂąes said: “I ment Rizalino S. Navarro Policy funds poured in, as well as think the more worrisome thing Center for Competitiveness in development of domestic huis that it has been outsourced the Philippines, the WTR looks man resources, the Philippines to the creative and digital in- at countries’ ability to attract, de- ranked 61st, up from the 62nd dustries [which are] really in- velop and retain an employable spot last year. novating and growing really talent pool. “This represents a one-place quickly.â€?

The other countries which improvement from 2018, but this The New Mandala study ar- posted the biggest improvements factor has consistently ranked in gued moving forward that the are Taiwan, which went up seven the 60s. Its low rank was mostly continued prevalence of digital places to 20th; Lithuania, which driven by pupil-teacher ratio in disinformation called for more rose eight notches to 28th; and primary and secondary educatransparent and inclusive deci- Colombia which advanced six tion and public expenditure on sion-making “around campaign places to 54th. education per student,� IMD finance regulation, platform While the Philippines’ ranking said. bans, and fact checks.� n improved in this year’s report, it As for the appeal factor, which

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper leads a wreath-laying ceremony at the Manila American Cemetery in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, on Tuesday, November 19. Joining him were other members of the Department of Defense and U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

Inquirer.net photo by Ryan Leagogo

Philippines ‘patient zero’ for disinformation, US defense chief visits American Cemetery in Taguig says communications professor

by Frances

Mangosing Inquirer.net

by Franco Luna Philstar.com

THE Philippines today is the “patient zero� of digital disinformation, a communications associate professor at De La Salle University warned on Tuesday, November 19.

A study conducted by DLSU associate professor Jason CabaĂąes and his team found that the growth of disinformation operations in the Philippines, particularly those on social media, has been on an upward trend in recent years. This was because of the breadth of the creative and digital industries in the country. “[Advertising] and PR execs who used to work in Ad and PR and are now doing disinformation work,â€? he said over ANC’s “Early Edition.â€? “We have really this burgeoning digital and creative industries, and so the people who lead in [these models] of disinformation are tapping into this and exploiting many of our precarious digital workers.â€?

According to CabaĂąes, a three-month campaign to get a hashtag to achieve “trendingâ€? status online was a P30 million operation where “most of the money goes to the people handling the planning.â€?

PH up 6 notches in world talent ranking

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looks at the ability to attract and retain high-quality talent from abroad, the Philippines rose to 31st place from 38th a year ago.

IMD said the highest ranked indicators for the Philippines under the appeal factor were cost of living and effective personal income tax rate, while the lower ranked ones were quality of life, justice, and brain drain.

When it comes to the readiness factor which assessed the quality and growth of the existing talent pool, the country placed 26th, 11 places higher than the previous year’s 37th. “The relatively higher rank of the readiness factor was mostly driven by indicators on skilled labor, language skills, and share of science graduates among college degree holders,� IMD said.

Switzerland continued to top the WTR, strengthening its position as a global talent hub.

This was followed by Denmark in second place, and Sweden on the third spot. Mongolia, on the other hand, was at the bottom of the list or 63rd place. n

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per also met with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. The U.S. official discussed counterterrorism, defense capacity building, and a reaffirmation of U.S. commitment to the Philippines. n

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OPINION

Clarify her role

FEATURES

PROBABLY because no one expected her to accept the offer, the powers and functions of the new anti-drug czar remain unclear. And because the powers and functions have not been clearly delineated, the co-chairs of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs are groping their way along, with tension appearing to develop between ICAD members and their new boss, Vice President Leni Robredo.

While the executive order released by Malacañang designated Robredo as co-chairperson of Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the country’s second highest official clearly outranks the PDEA chief and all the other ICAD members of Cabinet rank.

Aquino has said he had sought clarification from Malacañang about the functions of the co-chairs shortly after Robredo announced her acceptance of the challenge. As of the weekend, it looks like the clarification has not yet been made. Critics can’t seem to make up their mind on whether Robredo has done nothing so far, or that she has been moving too fast — and consequently endangering the war on drugs.

Despite the lack of clarity, Robredo has set out to establish the baselines for redirecting the anti-

drug campaign. She has consulted with offices of the United Nations and the United States involved in the global war on narcotics, discussing best practices and existing programs of cooperation with the Philippines. This week she is expected to seek cooperation from the Catholic Church.

Aquino and other ICAD members, meanwhile, have not minced words in expressing concern that information they share with Robredo, particularly on the law enforcement of the campaign, might compromise ongoing operations or even be used against some of them. Before the distrust intensifies, it would be best if Malacañang clarifies what exactly is expected of the co-chair of the ICAD. Unless this happens, it could reinforce fears that Robredo’s designation was nothing but a kneejerk reaction to her criticism of the anti-drug campaign,

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS “THANK you” may be the BEST prayer, the most powerful force that may change the way we look at the world, and consequently, our life. And yet for many, these two words may be among the hardest things to say after “I’m sorry,” and the most difficult credo to live by.

As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, allow me to share some of the quotes on gratitude that may help unlock the key to true and lasting happiness.

These 40 quotes were compiled

by Jeff Haden, contributing editor to Inc., and the author of “The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win.” “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” – G.K. Chesterton “’Enough’ is a feast.” – Buddhist proverb “If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.” – Rob-

Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA I HAVE been closely following the TV news coverage of the U.S. congressional hearings on the possible impeachment of President Donald Trump and I am reminded of Harry Belafonte’s song, Man Piaba, which goes this way: “When I was a lad of three-footthree, certain questions occurred to me; So I asked my father quite seriously to tell me the story ‘bout the bird and bee.

He stammered and he stuttered pathetically and this is what he said to me: “He said, ‘The woman piaba and the man piaba and the ton ton call back a lemon grass; The lily root, gully root, belly root uhmm — and the famous granny’s scratch scratch!’ ”It was clear as mud and it covered the ground and the confusion made me head go ‘round; So I went to ask an old friend of mine, known to the world as Albert Einstein..”

Einstein’s explanation was also “as clear as mud and it covered the ground,” and so was that of Sigmund Freud, whom the curious lad also asked. In frustration, he concludes: “All good men upon this earth have confused me since my birth.

I’ve been over land and been over sea trying to find the story ‘bout the bird and bee; Now that I am ninety-three I don’t give a damn, you see…”

Philstar.com photo

and that she is being set up for failure. There’s still time for the administration — and several of its political allies who seem to have been made insecure by the vice president’s newfound high profile — to

show that the presidential spokesman was sincere in his initial reaction to Robredo’s acceptance of the role: “Her success is our success.” (Philstar. com)

Gratitude: The key that unlocks the door to true happiness

ert Quillen “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

– Robert Brault “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

– John F. Kennedy “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

– Eckhart Tolle “If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” – Frank A. Clark “If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily.” – Gerald Good “Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie “The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene

lakes. It has enough lush forests, flowered fields, and sandy beaches. It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day. What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it.” – Michael Josephson “Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.”

– Fred De Witt Van Amburgh “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.”

– Charles Schwab “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” – Epictetus “At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” – William James “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if

we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” – Buddha “Silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone.” – Gertrude Stein “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.

Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.” – Henri Frederic Amiel “You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” – Naomi Williams “One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay ‘in kind’ somewhere else in life.” -Anne Morrow Lindbergh “Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.” – John Wooden “No one who achieves success does so without the help of others.

The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.”

– Alfred North Whitehead “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount

A spectacle of obfuscation

Isn’t it amusing that something as basic as the sexual relations between man and woman (the bird and the bee) should be obfuscated and muddled by “all the good men upon this earth.” It is a fact.

Try discussing sex with your curious 5-year-old.

But the citizens of the United States — and inevitably the whole world — have no choice but to give a damn about the results of the impeachment hearing on the president of the most powerful country on the planet. America’s economic, military and social influence is so pervasive that it is said that when the U.S. catches a cold, the world comes down with pneumonia.

In other words, the impeachment of a U.S. president will have a resounding impact on the world.

Of course, Trump’s enemies will welcome his ejection from office.

But Trump’s voter base won’t give a damn.

The “never-Trumpers (Trump’s description of those who would like to see him kicked out of office), are painfully aware that although he may be impeached in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, the Republican-dominated Senate, which is mandated to conduct the actual impeachment trial, is not likely to render a verdict that will force him out of the White House. It will take a two-thirds vote of the Senate rolls to impeach, an unlikely occurrence, according to political observers.

During the incumbency of President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, the figurative shoe was on the other foot. Clinton was impeached by

a Republican-controlled Lower House but was acquitted by the Democrats who were the majority in the Senate.

What is interesting is that when Republican President Richard Nixon faced the possibility of impeachment in an inquiry initiated

by House Democrats, it was a delegation of fellow Republicans that delivered the harsh message to Nixon. That persuaded Nixon to resign.

Even more remarkable was the fact that it was a bi-partisan Senate Committee that approved the initial investigation into the Watergate break-in that started the scandal.

That bi-partisanship is non-existent in the current impeachment hearings. President Manuel Quezon’s immortal quote, “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.” is meaningless to the partisans on Capitol Hill and the White House.

In fact, it was in anticipation of an acquittal of Trump by the Republican-controlled Senate that kept Speaker Nancy Pelosi and many Democrats from pushing sooner for a formal impeachment inquiry. They were also worried that impeaching Trump could result in a voter backlash that could hand Trump a second term in next year’s presidential election, the way Clinton won a second term after being impeached.

The political gamble seemed too risky. Public opinion polls indicate that Trump’s voter base has not been affected by the negative reports about his chaotic governance and only a slight majority of the American public are in fa-

vor of impeaching and removing Trump.

Trump’s boast that he could shoot a man in the middle of Manhattan and not lose a single vote among his mesmerized supporters still rings eerily in the ears of the Democrats and enlightened Americans.

It took the quid pro quo armtwisting that Trump allegedly tried to apply on the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, that forced Pelosi to finally accede to the mounting demand by her party caucus for impeachment proceedings to be initiated no matter what the political cost. Trump had made a Mafia-like “offer that couldn’t be refused” to Zelensky, pressuring the Ukranian government to dig up dirt on Trump’s potential rival for the presidency in the 2020 elections.

The impeachment process is being aggressively pursued by the Democrats, in spite of the political risk, because IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. The current impeachment hearings are a spectacle of partisanship and obfuscation. The Republicans have gradually altered their defensive posture from denying that there was ever a quid pro quo (in terms of withholding from Ukraine over $400 million in U.S. aid in exchange for dirt on former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden) to, “so what if there was a quid pro quo, what’s wrong with that?”, to “okay, assuming there was wrong-doing, it isn’t enough ground for impeaching a dulyelected president.”

The Democrats, on the other

of Gratitude.” – .A. Milne “Forget yesterday – it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow – you haven’t even met.

Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift – today.” – Steve Maraboli “We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” – Neal A. Maxwell “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer “The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.”

– John E. Southard “I truly believe we can either see the connections, celebrate them, and express gratitude for our blessings, or we can see life as a string of coincidences that have no meaning or connection.

For me, I’m going to believe in miracles, celebrate life, rejoice in the views of eternity, and hope my choices will create a positive ripple effect in the lives of others.

This is my choice.” – Mike Ericksen “Gratitude also opens your eyes to the limitless potential of the universe, while dissatisfaction closes your eyes to it.” – Stephen

Richards “Gratitude and attitude are not challenges; they are choices.”

– Robert Braathe “They both seemed to understand that describing it was beyond their powers, the gratitude that spreads through your body when a burden gets lifted, and the sense of homecoming that follows, when you suddenly remember what it feels like to be yourself.” – Tom Perrotta “Gratitude is more of a compliment to yourself than someone else.” – Raheel Farooq “Keep your eyes open and try to catch people in your company doing something right, then praise them for it.” – Tom Hopkins “In life, one has a choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day or to celebrate each special day.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.”

– Maya Angelou ***

hand, have been methodically demolishing the Republican rationalization by presenting witnesses who have attested to Trump’s pressure tactics on the Ukranians. They have also cited the constitutional basis for impeaching Trump, leaving the Republicans and Trump to resort to obfuscation or, in Belafonte’s words, “making the situation clear as mud” and the American public with a “confusion that makes their head go ‘round.”

What is interesting is that the battleground in this high stakes spectacle is in the minds of the American public. The objective of the Republicans is to confuse the U.S. electorate and leave enough doubts in their minds about the justification for impeaching the president. The Trump apologists are hoping that the doubts will translate into a tolerance for his misdemeanors enough to win him a second term.

Indeed, for the average Americans, impeachment is a step into the unknown. And Trump has been painting all kinds of doomsday scenarios should he be removed from office – even the possibility of a violent upheaval among his supporters.

On the other hand, the objective of the Democrats is to make a compelling case for impeachment based on blatant abuse of power and obstruction of justice, all adding up to high crimes and misdemeanors. They have toyed with the idea of throwing in treason among the articles of impeachment but are not sure that there will be enough grounds for this based on the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia and Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. media and political pundits refer to these tactical and strategic moves by both parties as a “messaging war.”

It is ironic that an icon of the rule of law like America finds itself caught in a situation where the fate of the president — and, perhaps, of the country itself — depends on the ability of contending parties to obfuscate, to muddle the public perception of events and circumstances, and to leave that perception “clear as mud,” thus making the public’s head “go ‘round.”

Frankly this has boiled down into a communications contest — almost a marketing contest of competing brands — demanding the manipulative skills of wordsmiths and legal shysters, the rule of law and the Constitution be damned.

Donald Trump himself is such a skilled manipulator for whom lying comes naturally. Like a cornered beast, he is expected to lie and cheat, unleash foul blows, and throw his most loyal associates under the bus to survive. Indeed, Trump could be a poster boy for Sun Tsu’s Art of War, where the master of warfare advises that an enemy should be allowed an avenue of escape because, if cornered, he will fight to death.

It is a sad testament that even his worst detractors grudgingly concede that, when the smoke of battle has cleared, Trump could still survive like the indestructible cockroach while they themselves will be smarting in defeat.

However, in spite of that dire possibility the impeachment process should still be pursued and consummated. BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. ***

Gel Santos Relos has been in news, talk, public service and educational broadcasting since 1989 with ABS-CBN and is now serving the Filipino audience using different platforms, including digital broadcasting, and print, and is working on a new public service program for the community.

You may contact her through email at gelrelos@ icloud.com, or send her a message via Facebook at Facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos.

(gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

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D ateline PhiliPPines Palace insists on mandate to discuss PH foreign policy

by Catherine

Valente ManilaTimes.net

SAYING that President Rodrigo Duterte is “the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy,” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo on Tuesday, November 19 insisted that he has the mandate to speak about the Chief Executive’s policy direction.

Panelo made the statement after Sen. Panfilo Lacson chided the President’s spokesman and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. for issuing conflicting statements about Philippine foreign policy.

“Contrary to what some senators claim, there has never been any inconsistency between the functions of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson (OPS) as regards matters on Philippine foreign policy,” Panelo said in a statement.

“We find it amusing that the DFA and our office are being pitted against each other when in truth

and in fact our offices have always acted in a complementary way.

Ultimately, it is the president who is the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy, and both the DFA and our office take cues from the orders, instructions and directives of the president,” he added.

Panelo noted that the DFA is the lead agency “that advises and assists the president in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and evaluating the total national effort in the field of foreign relations.”

“It handles the day-to-day operations of our country’s affairs with the international community, as well as its members,” he said.

On the other hand, Panelo said the OPS had the mandate “to inform the public of the statements of the president in order to forestall any misunderstanding or misinterpretation, be they malicious or otherwise.”

“This is of particular import when a matter, which may cover any issue, relates to and concerns the

president,” the Palace official said.

“Media reporters, especially members of the Malacañang Press Corps, recognize this as they regularly inquire with our office about the thoughts of the President on almost every critical issue, knowing that he acts not only as the chief executive but also as the Head of State who has control over all departments, bureaus and offices,” he added.

Panelo said the OPS “defers to the DFA secretary when issues touching foreign policy are raised by persistent reporters, especially when they can not access the latter.”

“It is only when the DFA Secretary has already made a pronouncement on a matter affecting the external affairs of the state that the OP (Palace spokesman) A father watches as a health worker administers polio vaccine on his child during a vaccination drive at an informal settlers area in Manila echoes the same or when prior last October 14.

Philstar.com photov consultation has been made by the PS with the DFA Secretary or when there is a direct instruction from the president to make a statement or to make a clarification on hit by measles and dengue outMANILA — The total number of old girl from North Cotabato. the same,” he said. n Two of the new cases did not breaks earlier this year stoked by individuals who contracted polio has risen to seven two months receive any dose of the polio vac- falling vaccination rates. after an outbreak was declared in cine, while one received incomPolio can cause paralysis and plete doses. the country. can be fatal in rare cases. The Of the seven confirmed cases disease has no cure and can only The Department of Health on questions and explain to the Wednesday, November 20, con- nationwide, six were from Min- be prevented with several doses of public why this government is firmed three new cases of polio in danao. One case was reported in oral and injectable vaccines. (Gaea spending this much and what kind Mindanao: a two-year-old girl from Laguna.

Katreena Cabico with a report of benefits will the people receive Maguindanao, a one-year-old boy The re-emergence of polio from Shiela Crisostomo/Philstar. beyond this year’s events,” he from Cotabato City and a four-year- comes after the Philippines was com) said.

During his questioning, Go asked for other sources of income BCDA has aside from the subsidy it is currently receiving from the General Appropriations Act. Sen. Sonny Angara, who was defending the BCDA budagreement.

by Bernadette tamayo get as chairman of the finance “He (Cayetano) does not want ManilaTimes.net committee, responded that the to honor it. That’s his problem,” government-owned and controlled TROUBLE looms at the House of the President said in a television corporation has other assets and Representatives as Speaker Alan interview. revenues from its operations.

“I was there when we agreed.

Peter Cayetano continues to send Angara added that the facilities signals that he no longer wants to [It was the] three of us, and I anare being packaged along with honor the agreement forged in July nounced it after,” he added. adjoining properties to enhance Cayetano, chairman of the Philipthat he would share the speakerreal estate development within ship with Marinduque Rep. Allan pine Southeast Asian (SEA) Games the area.

Organizing Committee, was at Velasco.

The BCDA budget for 2020 has On Tuesday, November 19, the Senate on Tuesday to explain been approved by the Senate after Cayetano again insisted that mem- some budget issues hounding the period of interpellations in the bers of the House should elect the the country’s hosting of the SEA plenary on the same day.

Games. He reiterated that the speaker.

Go also admitted during his President Rodrigo Duterte, who House speakership must be put manifestation that while he may brokered the deal between the two into a vote and it is up to the Presilack the experience as a legislalawmakers, admitted that there dent to choose who must lead the tor compared to his colleagues, would be a problem if Cayetano chamber. he has been in public service for Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano PAGE 8 Philstar.com photo turns his back on the term-sharing the past 21 years and he will work hard to serve the people further as a senator.

He said he is humble enough to admit that there are things he still needs to learn in terms of legislation and policymaking.

“I admit that as a legislator, I have a lot to learn from you, especially from veteran lawmakers.

I still a long way to go if we talk about ‘bill, bill, bill’,” he said. n

DOH confirms 3 more polio cases in Mindanao

Duterte wants ‘Use Use Use,’ not just ‘Build Build Build’

by Paolo

romero Philstar.com

MANILA — President Duterte has ordered concerned agencies to speed up completion of their infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program so the public can benefit from them, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said.

He mentioned Duterte’s directive during deliberations on the proposed P15.5-billion budget of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) at the Senate.

“The president wants that all documents for the ‘Build Build Build’ approved or not approved leave the desk of these agencies,” Go said. “We talked and he wants not only ‘Build, Build, Build’ but also ‘Use, Use, Use’ of these infrastructure project.”

Duterte’s order came after several agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOTr), were hit by state auditors and senators for failing to spend a significant part of their budgets this year, which meant many major projects were not implemented or finished.

Senators are moving to have the DOTr’s proposed P147-billion budget for 2020 slashed by at least P60 billion because of its poor disbursement record.

Senators earlier said they would probe the DOTr’s Metro Manila subway project, whose cost was reportedly bloated by over P100 billion, and its route and

specifications were suspiciously altered that it would be traversing twice a major earthquake fault and flood prone areas, and plow through thousands of private residences.

Go said he would be the first to investigate any whiff of corruption or irregularities in such projects.

He said that he fully supports the development of the BCDA’s New Clark City sports hub, calling it “a good investment” which will benefit Filipino athletes, the country’s sports program, as well as the economy.

“I fully support the development of New Clark City, especially the sports hub which would greatly benefit our athletes. It is a good investment, as this facility will be very useful for us well beyond the time that we will be using it during the 2019 SEA Games,” the senator said.

Go, however, said that the BCDA still needs to demonstrate how it will guarantee the return of investment for the sports facilities beyond their hosting of the SEA Games.

The senator also clarified his move to suggest the recall of the BCDA 2020 budget, which has already been approved last week.

“I understand that (as) one — if not the most — important legislative measure that goes through this chamber is the budget and it is important for us to make sure that not a single centavo is wasted,” Go said.

“But apart from these positive effects, let us still ask the hard

Trouble brews at House as Cayetano wants lawmakers to elect speaker

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‘PNP needs a permanent chief by January’ by ritChel

mendiola AJPress

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) needs a new permanent chief by January next year to sign documents required for procurement of equipments, its spokesperson said on Tuesday, November 19.

“Pagpasok ng bagong taon, para sa pagsimula ng ating procurement, ay kinakailangan na magkaroon na tayo ng bagong Chief PNP. Dahil kung may anumang bagong kontrata na kailangang pirmahan, kailangan isang permanent Chief PNP ang siyang lalagda dito (When the new year comes, we need a new chief of the PNP for the beginning of the procurement. It should be a permanent PNP chief who will sign new contracts),” said PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac in a briefing.

“Subalit kung hindi pa gagawin ng pangulo [na mag-announce ng next PNP chief], wala naman ding magiging problema. Mahaba na-

man ang taon na isasagawa ang procurement (However, if the president will not announce [the next PNP chief], there won’t be any problem. The year for procurement is long anyway),” he added.

On Monday, November 18, President Rodrigo Duterte led a command conference of top officials of the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Malacañang.

Banac said the conference focused on the accomplishments of the Executive Order No. 70 that created the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict. There were no mentions about the next PNP chief.

While waiting for Duterte’s newest appointment, all administrative and operational functions of the PNP continue to be under the watch of officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa.

Gamboa is among the three top PNP officials recommended by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to be the next chief. Aside from him,

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Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for operations; and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the directorial staff are being considered as well.

Año added that two younger police officials outside the list are also being considered by Duterte for the coveted post. n

IMPROVISED TRANSPORTATION. Boatmen paddle an improvised raft, the only means to transport a tricycle loaded with merchandise goods, across the river in Barangay Daraitan, Tanay, Rizal. Meanwhile, a dog seemingly enjoys a dip as it swims in the river.

PNA photo by Joey O. Razon

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November 21-27, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ LAS veGAS ASIAN JoUrNAL

Dateline PhiliPPines

http://www.asianjournal.com â&#x20AC;˘ (702) 792-6678

Go: Do criminals have more rights than victims? Aquino: Can you appoint someone you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little confusing

by Javier

J. ismael ManilaTimes.net

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bongâ&#x20AC;? Go, who scrutinized the budget of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), said the commission seemingly values the rights and lives of drug criminals over those of their innocent victims. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why does it seem that the CHR only focuses now on the due process and rights of drug lords and ruthless criminals? Paano naman ang mga inosenteng biktima ng mga kriminal na lulong sa iligal na droga (What about the victims of drug addicts)?â&#x20AC;? Go asked CHR Chairman Chito Gascon during the Senate plenary interpellations on the 2020 budget. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Isang tanong lang po, ano ang mas importante sa inyo? Buhay ng inosenteng Pilipino o buhay ng mga kriminal (One question only, which do you value more? The lives of innocent Filipinos or the lives of the criminals)?â&#x20AC;? he said.

Urging neutrality from the commission, the senator asked the CHR not to be selective when conducting its investigations of alleged human rights violations in the war on drugs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all for due process and investigating abuses. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m all for accountability. Pero sana, hindi (But I hope) itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not selective,â&#x20AC;? Go told members of the Senate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are two sides [of the] fence, tingnan natin parehas. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wag tayong mag-focus sa isang side lang kasi there are always multiple versions of the truth. We must be neutral (Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at both [sides], let us not focus on one side alone because there are multiple versions of the truth. We must be neutral),â&#x20AC;? the senator pointed out.

The CHR assured Go that it does not take sides and will be neutral in its investigations, saying the com-

mission â&#x20AC;&#x153;is an independent, nonpartisan oversight institution.â&#x20AC;?

As the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Go questioned how the CHR utilizes its budget, asking â&#x20AC;&#x153;How much of the budget of CHR is being used to defend criminals? Meron pa bang natitira to defend innocent victims?

(Is there budget left to defend the innocent victims)? â&#x20AC;?

Highlighting that part of the functions of the CHR is to investigate â&#x20AC;&#x153;all forms of human rights violations including civil and political rights, whether they are committed by public officers or by civilians or rebels,â&#x20AC;? the senator also asked why the commission seemingly focuses on human rights of drug criminals rather than their innocent victims. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Napapansin ko lang, mas hinahabol niyo â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yung law enforcers tuwing meron silang napapatay na mga kriminal. Even the president of the Philippines ay hinahabol ninyo, binabatikos ninyo tuwing may namamatay na kriminal (I have noticed that you always run after law enforcers every time they have killed criminals. You also run after the president of the Philippines, you criticize him every time a criminal is killed),â&#x20AC;? Go said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How much of the P863,138,000 will be used by the CHR for the investigation of all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights?â&#x20AC;? he further asked.

Meanwhile, Go pointed out that the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong stance and campaign against illegal drugs has been met positively, especially by families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who make up a significant portion of those affected by the drug menace. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These [OFW] families have been telling us that the fact this administration is taking a hardline stance to address the age-old drug problem is good for them, as they

know that, finally, the government is stepping in to stop this menace,â&#x20AC;? he explained, saying the drug war is one of the reasons why OFWs favor the president. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hindi mababayaran ang lungkot na nararamdaman nila na malayo sa kanilang pamilya pero pinipili nilang ipagpatuloy ang mga pagtatrabaho para sa kinabukasan. Ang sa akin lang, ayokong masira ng droga ang mga pamilyang ito. Even just one broken family due to drugs is one too many (No amount of money can pay the feeling of loneliness to be far from their families, still our OFWs have to continue working [overseas] for their future. My point is that, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want drugs to destroy [OFW] families),â&#x20AC;? Go said.

Go asked, too, how much of CHRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget would be used â&#x20AC;&#x153;to assist and help these private individuals attain justice and mend their shattered families to be whole again?â&#x20AC;?

The senator also questioned how much of the commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget will be allotted to provide legal aid and preventive measures â&#x20AC;&#x153;to underprivileged Filipinos residing in the Philippines and abroad whose human rights have been violated or need protection,â&#x20AC;? especially those involved in illegal drugs.

He further questioned the inaction of the CHR in resolving drugrelated human rights violations in the country in the past. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Did you do anything to help stop the drug problem before? Napakarami ng human rights abuses due to illegal drugs. Alam nating lahat iyan. Pero bakit parang lumalabas na nabuhay lang ang CHR these past few years? Nasaan sila dati (There are so many human rights abuses due to illegal drugs. We all know these. But it seems that CHR came only to life these past few years? Where [was it] before?),â&#x20AC;?

Go said. n

Nearly half of Filipinos expect better life in 2020 MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nearly half of adult Filipinos expect to have better lives in the next 12 months, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said in its recent survey.

The poll, taken from Sept. 27 to 30, also found 46 percent of adults who expect their personal quality of life to improve in the next 12 months (personal optimists), and five percent expecting it to get worse (personal pessimists), for a net personal optimists score of +41, classified as â&#x20AC;&#x153;excellent.â&#x20AC;?

This used to be +42 in June and +47 in March, all classified as excellent (+40 and above).

The net personal optimists score dropped from +42 (excellent) in June to +40 (excellent) in September in balance Luzon.

In the Visayas, it went down from +37 (excellent) to +32 (excellent).

In Metro Manila, it went up from +44 (excellent) in June to +48 (excellent) in September.

It remained at +46 (excellent) from June to September in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the survey showed 36 percent of adult Filipinos saying their lives improved, termed

by SWS as gainers, and 25 percent saying their lives worsened (losers)

in the last 12 months.

This gives a net gainers score of +11, from +13 in June and +17 in March, all classified as very high (+10 to +19).

The September 2019 survey also found 41 percent of Filipino adults who foresee an improved Philippine economy in the next 12 months (economic optimists) against 12 percent saying it will worsen (economic pessimists), for a net economic optimists score of +28.

This used to be +33 in June and +35 in March, all classified as excellent (+20 and above). n

by Franco luna

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us go back to the criteria of why you appoint someone,â&#x20AC;? he told reporters in Filipino on the MANILA â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Why appoint some- sidelines of an indignation run held to call for the release of detained one you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust?

This was former President Be- Sen. Leila de Lima. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why would you appoint somenigno Aquino IIIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comment on President Rodrigo Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admit- one to a post? We have been there. ted lack of trust in Vice President First of all, the person can do the Leni Robredo, who has been job. You trust them to do the job designated co-chair of the Inter- and you believe that they will do Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal the job correctly.â&#x20AC;?

Aquino said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Drugs but will only get confidential information on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;war on drugsâ&#x20AC;? all of that, then donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appoint them.â&#x20AC;? on a need-to-know basis.

Philstar.com

Former President Benigno Aquino III

Philstar.com photo

At an impromptu press briefing at MalacaĂąang on Tuesday, November 19, Dutetre said Vice President Leni Robredo will not get â&#x20AC;&#x153;drug warâ&#x20AC;? data she has been asking for because of a lack of trust. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My problem with Robredo is she talks too much. If that is the way her mouth behaves there can be no position for her,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem is I cannot trust her not only because she is with the opposition. I do not trust her because I do not know her.â&#x20AC;?

Duterte said Robredoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s access to information as ICAD co-chair, particularly for confidential matters, would be on a need-to-know basis.

Robredo again asked the president to clarify her role in the committee, which she co-chairs with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, I will do my mandate in the ICAD to synergize the task of the agencies, to harmonize their jobs. And my experience now shows that most of them are very supportive, very cooperative,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Aquino, on Monday, stressed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You made the designation. Can you appoint someone who you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little confusing.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Normally, if you appoint someone, you trust them.â&#x20AC;? n

Trouble brews at House as Cayetano wants...

PAGE 7

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Under the rules of the House kailangan magbotohan (A voting should be done [to select the speaker])â&#x20AC;? he told reporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So, I have no doubt, I was elected after endorsed by the president, that anyone to be chosen by the president will be elected [as speaker]. So, let us follow the instruction of the president and there will be no problem,â&#x20AC;? Cayetano said in Filipino.

Under the agreement forged in July, Cayetano would be speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, and Velasco would take over for the remaining months.

Velasco earlier said he was confident that Cayetano would honor their agreement.

But he has not issued any statement since the speaker started pushing for an election.

The president, however, said he

would step in if Cayetano would decide not to honor the term-sharing agreement because that would stir tension at the House. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is going to be a problem so we will solve the problem when we are there. Wala pa naman (But it has yet to happen),â&#x20AC;? Duterte said.

Based on his statements, it would seem that Cayetano favors Rep. Martin Romualdez, who also eyed the Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toppost, over Velasco.

He told reporters that he had â&#x20AC;&#x153;excellentâ&#x20AC;? teamwork with Romualdez. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying that maganda ang teamwork namin ni Cong[ressman] Romualdez kasi tatlo kaming pinagpilian ng pangulo (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying that I and Cong. Romualdez have a good teamwork because the president picked from the three of us [who to lead the House]),â&#x20AC;? he said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iyung isa ay nag-che-chair ng committee pero ang katrabaho ko araw-araw ay si Cong[ressman] Romualdez. (One [Velasco] chairs a committee, but the one I work with everyday is Cong. Romualdez).â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying I admire him (Romualdez). Grabe magtrabaho ([He] Works hard). And together weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re producing results,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Cayetano also said he would not give the President any problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nandito ako hindi para bigyan ng problema ang presidente, kundi i-solve ang problema. So, kung ano sabihin ng presidente, bilang member ng coalition, susunod ako (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here not to give problem to the president but to solve the problem. So, whatever the President says, as member of the coalition, I will follow),â&#x20AC;? he said. n

60 COUNTRIES. OVER 100 CITIES WORLDWIDE. THATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INTERNATIONAL.

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

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 21-27, 2019

10

november 21-27, 2019 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

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

VEGAS&STYLE

Journal Inigo performs at NBA game Was mom Divine ‘blindsided’ by Matteo & Sarah?

FILIPINO singer Inigo Pascual recently launched the music video for his hit single “Catching Feelings” in the United States, where he performed during the Los Angeles Clippers’ Filipino Heritage Night.

The pop star premiered the music video at the LA Clippers vs.

Oklahoma City Thunders game held at the legendary Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, where he sang the summery island pop track that has become of his fastest rising songs to date.

The new “Catching Feelings” music video was entirely shot in the Philippines and highlights the 21-year-old singer-songwriter’s interpretation of the uncertain journey of going to and fro between the frustrations of falling in love, before finally giving in to the feeling.

Jabbawockeez member and Bruno Mars’ choreographer and dancer Phil Tayag arranged and completed the dance routine for the song, complementing the already-established moves of Inigo that can be seen on the “Catching Feelings” dance challenge.

The track, which features music producer Moophs, has been heard in radio stations from Inigo Pascual performing at the Los Angeles Clippers’ Filipino Heritage Night.

Manila all the way to California Photos from Instagram/@inigopascual and has also accumulated almost 1.5 million streams on Spotify.

Meanwhile, the “Catching Feelings” dance challenge, which Inigo himself started, has now amassed a total combined entries of 35,000 on video-sharing app Tiktok and other social networking sites.

The hit single is produced under Tarsier Records, an underground music label which has been driving for the breakthrough of Filipino talents like Inigo to the international music stage, in line with ABS-CBN’s commitment to introduce the exceptional artistry of Filipinos to global audiences.

(Philstar.com)

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

COULD it be true that Divine Geronimo learned about the engagement of her daughter Sarah Geronimo only when it was a done deal? Did the sweethearts of five years have their engagement during a trip to Europe last year, for once without Divine as chaperon?

Was the over-protective Divine “blindsided” by Matteo and Sarah who seemed to have cleverly put one over her?

No problem there, legally that is, because they are of age Sarah is 31 and Matteo is 29.

The recent (sudden?) announcement of their engagement (the ring on Sarah’s left hand told the whole story) has spawned speculation that the sweethearts might get married “at once” due to an urgent reason that would neccesitate another “major announcement” soon?

Would there be, uhm, a “Divine” intervention?

“The mom is not in any legal position to do that even if she wants to,” said a lawyer.

Meanwhile, what grave mistakes did Matteo commit against

Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo

Photo from Instagram/@matteog

Sarah’s parents that pushed him in front of Divine and Sarah’s dad into asking for forgiveness in a Delfin? monologue on social media? Why The plot of this post-Barrettos didn’t Matteo have the guts (yes, teleserye is unraveling. the balls!) to do it…on his knees!...

Stay tune.

I’m not after Vice’s wealth, she’s my girlfriend – Ion by kRissy

aguiLaR Inquirer.net

ION Perez has recently opened up about his one-year relationship with movie and TV celebrity Vice Ganda, putting an end to allegations of him is merely after the the comedian’s money.

He likewise talked about sexuality and marriage.

Ion knew he wanted to be friends with Vice Ganda when he joined noontime variety show “It’s Showtime” and also did not expect to fall for the comedian.

“Hindi ko rin naman iniisip na darating kami sa ganito, basta sabi ko lang sa kanya, maging kaibigan ko lang si Vice, maging kaibigan lang talaga. Kung may problema siya, baka isa rin ako sa mga taong puwede niyang pagsabihan (I also did not think we would come to this. I wanted to become Vice’s friend. If he has a problem, maybe I could be one of the people he could open up to),” Perez said.

“Pero di ko din talaga in-expect na darating kami sa ganito, kasi hindi ko rin naman masisisi din ang sarili ko. Sobrang bait ni Vice.

Hindi mo rin ako masisisi ba’t ako na-in love sa kanya, kasi sobrang bait niya talaga (I also did not expect we would come to this. I also cannot blame myself. Vice is really kind. I can’t blame myself for why I fell in love with him because he is really kind),” he added.

Perez recently appeared in a vlog by entertainment columnist and Vice Ganda’s former talent Manager Ogie Diaz over his Youtube channel.

The showbiz newbie also addressed claims that he is after Vice Ganda’s money, saying he can never do that to the comedian and even dared critics to get to know him.

“Hindi ko po kayang gawin Photo from Instagram/@robinhoodpadilla yun sa kanya. Kasi kung ginawa ko po yun sa kanya, parang wala na rin akong pinagkaiba sa mga nakaraan na nanloko sa kanya (I cannot do that to him. If I do

by Ricky caLdeRon that, I am no different from other ManilaTimes.net people in his past who made a fool TRIPLE A Artists Management for- of him),” Perez said.

“Sa lahat ng nag-iisip na mally introduced Kapamilya artist Kisses piniperahan ko si Vice Ganda, maDelavin as their new contract star in a media conference for the 20-year-old sasabi ko lang sa inyo, pakisama“Pinoy Big Brother” teen edition dis- han niyo lang ako sa maghapon. covery.

Triple A president Rams David said they waited for Kisses to finish her contract with ABS-CBN before they talked to her and presented a career plan. He added they believe in the artist’s potential and see her as a multi-media performer and therefore packaging her as such — a movie and TV actress and a singer with plans for a major concert by next year.

Film director Mike Tuviera, on the other hand, has also lined up three movies for Kisses, including a rom-com and a family drama. Direk Mike said he cannot discuss the projects in detail yet especially since they’re still going over their choices on who to pair with Kisses.

Given the chance, Kisses would like to guest on the iconic noontime show “Eat Bulaga,” which of course airs over ABS-CBN’s rival network GMA. Asked what made her decide to sign up with Triple A, Kisses candidly replied it’s how they made a big star of Maine Mendoza from her Yaya Dub days in Eat Bulaga and more so because her idol Marian Rivera-Dantes is with the management group.

“I can see how happy and content Ate Marian is with the way Triple A is handling her career. I hope to experience same kind of love and attention that Triple Beauty Gonzales Photo from Instagram/@beauty_gonzales A is giving her,” Kisses enthused.

Mariel, Robin welcome second child

MARIEL Rodriguez gave birth to her second child with Robin Padilla on Saturday, November 16 in the United States.

“Today maria gabriela de padilla was born God is great!” Padilla declared in his Instagram post.

Rodriguez had fulfilled her dream of giving birth to baby Gabriela via natural birth. Padilla also noted that “everything was very smooth” since Rodriguez’s family in the U.S. watched over her.

Aside from baby Gabriela, the couple also has a 3-year-old daughter named Isabella. Rodriguez also gave birth to her in the U.S. after suffering two miscarriages.

Padilla was unable to accompany his wife to the U.S. for Isabella’s birth at the time due to problems with obtaining a travel visa, because he was convicted for possession of illegal firearms in 1994. Padilla was also not present at the birth of his second child.

Padilla and Rodriguez tied the knot in India back in 2010. (Ryan Mariel Rodriguez and Robin Padilla Arcadio/Inquirer.net)

All about Kisses’ management transfer

Kisses Delavin

Photo from Instagram/@kissesdelavin

Ion Perez and Vice Ganda

Kung may masabi kayo sa paguugali ko, sige, magpapakilala ako (To everyone who thinks I am using Vice Ganda for money, get to know me for a whole day.

If you see something about my personality, I’ll let you know mw even more),” he continued.

On sexuality and marriage Ion also opened up about his sexuality, saying he is “straight” who happened to be in love with a gay person.

“Hindi po (No),” Perez said when asked if he was gay. “Sobrang straight po ako. Nagkataon lang na nagmahal ako sa isang bakla (I’m straight. It just so happened that I fell in love with a gay person).”

Vice Ganda has previously identified himself as a gay man during an episode of “It’s Showtime.”

‘Girlfriend’ When asked if he considers Vice Ganda as his girlfriend, Perez said “yes.”

Perez said he did not believe in

Photo from Instagram/@praybeytbenjamin

“forever,” but thinks he found that in the comedian.

“Dati, hindi ako naniniwala sa ‘forever,’ pero ngayon, nararamdaman ko na makakasama ko talaga siya nang matagal (I did not believe in “forever” before but now I feel like I will be with him for a long time),” Perez said.

Perez likewise admitted he and Vice Ganda have already spoken about marriage, but said they need not be in a hurry.

“May time naman po na pinaguusapan, pero sabi namin, hindi namin kailangan magmadali, basta nagkakaintindihan kami ngayon, nagmamahalan kami.

Darating din po siguro ‘yung time na ‘yon na magpapakasal (There are times when we talk about it but we said we should not be in a hurry. Just as long as we understand and love each other, the time where we get married will come),” Ion said.

Earlier this month, Vice Ganda confirmed being in a relationship with Ion for a year already.

Beauty has a purpose

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

DURING her stint at the 2008 “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Teen Edition Plus,” Beauty Gonzalez was tagged as “Rebellious Beauty.”

She’s the opposite in real life.

After PBB, she got her big break as Zanjoe Marudo’s leading lady in the ABS-CBN soap “Dream Dad” and then headlined her first major lead role in Pusong Ligaw. It was only last year did she sign a contract with ABS-CBN. She received rave reviews for her performance in “Kadenang Ginto” (that started airing in October last year) as the wife of Albert Martinez and the mother-in-law of Dimples Romana.

The two feisty ladies often engage in slapping and hair-pulling scenes that invariably go viral.

Born Christine Marie “Beauty” Gonzalez to a prominent family in Dumaguete City, where she attended Silliman University, she’s half-Filipino/half-Spanish, married to Norman Crisologo by whom she has a daughter (Olivia Ines, born in

Feb. 2016).

You were good as the girlfriend (of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa) in the Bato movie.

Don’t you think it needs a follow-up?

“Yes, why not? I’m very much open to it. Anything is possible.

But this time, maybe, I’d like to be the one doing all the shooting and punching! Similar to what I did in the Ligo Sriracha Episode! It was a great experience and I’d surely love to do it again.”

Tell us more about your role in the iWant movie “Abandoned.”

“I play a mother experiencing post-traumatic stress syndrome after a bloody shootout at work.

The movie revolves around her relationship with her son and how her mental health condition manifests itself. This gives the director a great chance to play around with jump scares and other fun things for the viewers to experience while getting an insight into a very serious and real problem.”

As a wife and mom, do you PAGE 11

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA (First of 2 parts) LONG ago, on a visit to my father’s grave site on Father’s day, my husband, daughter and I trudged along several tombstones of husbands and wives who lived in the 1850’s and died just before the mid-1900’s buried side by side on a quiet, lush, manicured patch of Forest Lawn Glendale.

My daughter noted the pattern in the headstones of a generation ago. I commented that it is getting harder to find such longevity of devotion these days among younger married couples of the current generation.

Call this the Age of Distraction. Perhaps it is because the young ones are engaged in far too many distractions and mired in too much self-absorption living in a popular culture that fosters self-love and to a point, extreme narcissism. It has become a struggle for many couples just to stay together.

One might argue that the generations before us didn’t have the same challenges that we are having. It may have been a far simpler time compared to the complexities we are all faced with. And yet they leave behind lessons of love that result in devotion and fidelity. Surely, we can learn a lot about nurturing human relations from those who have gone before us.

This I have learned from an older generation at an early age.

Of all the powerful words in the English language, the words “Thank you” are like magic wands in helping transform human relationships, marriage in particular, happier. Not perfect … just happier.

You don’t even have to say the words. You can acknowledge anything good done for you by your partner by a sweet gesture, a nod, a smile, a touch or anything else that works for you that says “thank you.”

In short, don’t take your partner for granted. Whether you’ve been together 50 days or 50 years, those words never get old.

If you want that most power-

Health@Heart PHILIP S. CHUA, MD, FACS, FPCS THERE is nothing on earth more amazing, more wonderful, than the human body. Even the most powerful computers and artificial intelligent robots we have today still pale in comparison. The most sophisticated artificial heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys (dialysis machines) are so large, bulky, much less efficient, cumbersome, inconvenient, fully dependent on limited power source, and fraught with complications when implanted, not to mention most expensive and still impractical.

All our organs are self-contained within our body, came free with our body when we were born, with its own auto-power-generator for energy (fuel), very efficient, functioning automatically, chemically and intricately in-sync with our entire system, and responding to our thinking, feelings, and activities. It also has a built-in chemical laboratory, which processes the food and drink we ingest into energy, maintaining a healthy level of glucose (blood sugar) and all hormones, enzymes, minerals, electrolytes, with the help of our GI system, liver, pancreas, and endocrine glands. Medications we take are converted to molecular substances that help heal our ailments. Our body maintains normal homeostasis, automatically keeping our entire internal environment on an even keel, and in maximal electrolyte and acid-base balance at all times. Its inherent immune system protects it from infections and diseases.

Hormones are produced by our body when our glucose level is low which tells our stomach to feel hungry, and another hormone tells us when we are full and to stop eating. When we ingest anything alkaline, the buffer system automatically adjusts to neutralize the alkali, to preserve our homeostatic balance. When we sense danger, or are angry or upset, our glands automatically produce adrenalin to prepare us in protecting our body. When we laugh, sing, eat chocolate, or are in a happy countenance, our system excretes happy hormones that soothe us and prevent depression. When exposed to hot or cold weather, our system has an autoadjust thermoregulator to keep us comfortable.

“Octane” in food And like a vehicle or any engine, what fuel we put into them (like what food or drink we put into our mouth) will greatly determine how well the engine (or our

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Two magical words “…And I think about those people who mean so much to me And for so many years have made me so very happy And I count the times I have forgotten to say “THANK YOU” And just how much I love them.”

— “Sometimes”, Richard & Karen Carpenter

balance and moderation.

In all cases of neglect, love is left to wither and die. Women who feel neglected, if driven to their limits, may throw all caution to the wind and look for love from the first opportunistic guy that comes along ready to engage in mild flirtation, an occasional dalliance or a full blown affair and gives them the attention and validation they crave.

Such women can make disastrous, life-changing decisions that cause not only personal damage but also leave behind in

PAGE 10 ful emotion called love to live on, treat your partner like a gardener takes care of a plant. Most plants cannot survive without water, light, soil and other optimum conditions kept at a consistent basis.

The human heart is like that. It grows strong and beautiful with constant, devoted care.

Saying “thank you” to your partner in life as often as you can, simply means you appreciate him or her. You are validating his worth as a person. Perhaps, being appreciated and shown respect is next on the list of the most basic needs of food, clothing and shelter.

The words may not come naturally to you and your partner may be stunned at first but go ahead.

Give it a try and say “thank you.”

Say it like you mean it.

Look for the small gestures such as being given a cup of coffee, opening your car door, doing housework, cleaning your car or filling up your gas tank. Just don’t take what he does for you as a given. Or how about taking the initiative yourself? If you do it long enough and often enough, he might mirror your behavior. What goes around comes around.

If he brings home the paycheck that pays for your family life, then treat him like a king. Often, the goodhearted partner will treat you like his queen. There are exceptions, of course. It is only the jerks and the jackasses who abuse their positions of strength. That holds true for both sexes.

If there is constant, sincere appreciation shifting back and forth between partners, you are, in effect, cementing a foundation for a relationship that would be

tough to crack even if a threat to your marriage, like a pretty, young vixen with mile-long legs comes along making a play for your partner. Likewise, a smooth talking, slick Pepe Le Pew character with washboard abs would smell more like Brad’s sweaty armpit and would have no chance with a woman who already has a man at home she can canoodle with.

What is good for the gander is good for the goose. There may be scores of women out there right now who feel neglected by their spouses. Maybe there’s another woman or man waiting in the wings. But more often than not during this Age of Distraction, the disaffection is rooted in selfabsorption. And there lies the problem. Women need, want and crave appreciation just as much as men, if not more.

Self-love takes many forms — whether it is playing video games or social networking on FB or some such platform on the internet for hours on end; binge drinking; gambling; watching or playing golf or any other sport; vain, self-obsession as a health nut or on becoming an Adonis body-building hunk or going to the deep end of things, deviant sex and pornography.

Excessive time spent on these obsessions is time stolen from nurturing the love relationship.

Watch out for these modern-day distractions and addictions that are just too many to list.

Okay, let’s call a spade a spade.

These are sins. Admit them if you have them and break the bonds with firm resolve. If you want true love and happiness, strive for

Our amazing body body) functions and lasts. Healthy lifestyle must start from the womb and dieting initiated in the crib to protect the DNA from damage, as advocated in the pro-active and pre-emptive book on disease prevention, Let’s Stop “Killing” Our Children, which is listed in the U.S. Library of Congress (featured in amazon.com) The common impression and conventional belief that major diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and even cancers, are the “natural” and expected illnesses of old age is scientifically inaccurate and flawed. These diseases could be prevented, avoided or minimized by protecting the DNA from damages from the time we are born. The human body, if properly cared for from day one by shielding the DNA from any destruction while in the womb and in the crib, could be “exempt” from developing the wrongly-termed “natural and normal diseases of middle to old age.”

Today, living a healthy lifestyle starts when we reach our teenage years, marking 13 or more years of unprotected or un-maximized DNA protection. A healthy lifestyle must start from the womb and dieting begun in the crib purposely to protect the DNA and stave off having those major illnesses which we now attribute to aging. Yes, future children do not have to acquire those diseases when they grow up to maturity or seniority. The human species can pro-actively preempt these common major illnesses that afflict almost all of us today!

Diet and exercise Exercise is great and most valuable, but diet appears to be of greater significance to many persons when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Of course, not taking in toxic substances such as tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs and other harmful substances, behavioral modification, and stress management, are vital to health.

For those with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, a variety of vegetables called nightshades cause exacerbation and pain.

They include tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, paprika, and peppers.

Evidence-based clinical data show that together with daily physical exercise, a low-carb diet, consuming a lot of multi-colored vegetables, with some nuts and fruits (calories adjusted for diabetics and weight-watchers), eating minimal or no red meat at all, and staying away from processed meats, is the healthy prescription for optimum health and maximal longevity.

It is obvious that a healthy lifestyle could outweigh genetics in

most cases, and that our health is not only within our reach, but is actually in our hands.

Medical self-care Talking about a healthy lifestyle reminds me of my mother, who passed away in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 8, 2019, at age 102, and was interned last November 15. The way she managed her own health was evidently a great factor in her longevity, a strategy worthy of medical mention.

My mom had diabetes and high blood pressure, but no arthritis until the end. She was a health freak, doing her own finger-stick herself to monitor her blood sugar level three times a day to guide her on how she should adjust her caloric intake and medications. She did all this herself for more than 4 decades, following her physician’s instructions. She also took her blood pressure and adjusted her pills, with the help of my three sisters, one of them an RN. My mother was doing daily exercise, watching and following Leslie Sansone video exercises, a routine she did up to her mid-90s.

While she loved pork, she concentrated more on oatmeal for breakfast and mostly ate fish and vegetables for lunch and dinner. She was very compliant with her medications and vigilant in her food intake. She was able to ambulate with a walker and do all this, with her brilliant mind and a memory better than mine, till she developed pneumonia and renal failure about three weeks ago.

Pneumonia is usually deadly for seniors.

I alluded to my mom’s diligence in her own healthcare to highlight the importance of a disciplined self-restricting (no tobacco, alcohol or illicit drugs) behavior, diet, exercise, compliance in medications, and a positive attitude in life. She listened to her body seriously. Whatever imperfections her genes may have had, it seemed obvious that her system was able to neutralize and compensate for them through a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, living a healthy lifestyle could far outweigh genetics and maximize health and longevity. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 21-27, 2019 the wake of a messy split, massive psychological, irreversible damage to children and other people involved in the couple’s orbit.

Say “thank you” and mean it.

Don’t just do it out of habit. Cut off the cellphone “umbilical cord” and make eye contact. Open your eyes and see the good in your partner.

Wisdom, as they say, is knowing what to overlook. Rein in that critical sharp tongue. The tongue is a small yet powerful muscle that can lash out, slash and burn a relationship forever.

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The effect is amplified a million times when you write it down or use the web to vent your fury.

When you document your anger on paper and more frequently these days online, you have entered “scorched earth” territory.

There is little chance of ever going back.

(To be continued in next week’s issue …) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Beauty has a...

have limitations (do’s and don’ts) in accepting roles?

“As a general rule, I will not do anything that I can’t show or explain to my daughter. I will not put art ahead of reputation nor will I compromise my core values. Admittedly, I am quite conservative.

However, I see nothing wrong with kissing scenes and wearing bikinis as long as they are necessary in the development of the story.”

What are your aspirations as an actress?

“What every actress wants I guess is to make at least one great critically-acclaimed and awardworthy film, walk the red carpet in a prestigious international film festival like Cannes or Berlin in a show-stopping gown, and, of course, have at least one blockbuster movie.”

Showbiz puts a big premium on looks. How do you maintain yours?

“Eat less and exercise more has always been my mantra. But lately,

the opposite has been happening.

Working almost every day, puyat and pagod are taking its toll on me. So I try to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and seafood, cook them in a healthy way and drink lots and lots of water.”

Describe your diet, workout, beauty regimen (if any).

“I just stick to healthy choices.

Usually fish is my main protein source such as sardines. That’s why I was happy when Ligo got me as endorser. I get to enjoy sardines in many ways.

“As for workout, I try my best to squeeze in some gym time or a few exercises whenever I find time. Rest is important for me, too.

No matter how busy my schedule gets, I make sure I get sleep as much as I can.”

What recipes (such as sandwich spread, ingredient to pansit, etc.) can you do with Ligo sardines?

“There’s a lot of variants to choose from so the recipes are endless. There’s the classic red

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and green flavors and, of course, Ligo’s newest variants of Calamansi, Sriracha and Fried Sardines in Oyster Sauce. Personally, I love pairing the red and green variants with rice. They’re just the perfect combo. Even the Sriracha. But recently, I’ve learned all three taste as great when cooked with miswa, too!

“I’ve also used the Calamansi and Fried Sardines in Oyster Sauce for my pasta dishes and as toppings to our salad. My husband loves them so much, even my daughter.

They’re also a great option to try, especially for those looking for meat-free alternatives.”

Are you as “beauty-ful” as your name implies (what do you think is beautiful about you aside from the obvious)?

“I am beautiful because my husband and daughter think I am.

I always try to look at myself the way they do. He says I am kind, trusting, thoughtful and childlike.

If that’s true, then I think that’s beautiful.”

America

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World Education Summit on Sustainability and Transformation in Las Vegas AThe World Education Summit on Sustainability and Transformation is a call to action and transformation to finding solutions to the challenges of our times. Join on November 22-24 for three days of activities, learning, networking and events, such as panel discussions and presentations, industry leader keynote speeches, and a dinner and gala featuring an eco-fashion show. The summit aims to gather stakeholders from educational institutions; business and civic organizations; government agencies and international development organizations to galvanize collaborative and strategic partnership to achieve a common goal in environmental sustainability.

We are expecting delegates from different countries. The Summit will serve as a collaborative platform to achieve a unified mission. The venue is The Convention Center at The Orleans Hotel (4500 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103). For more information and to register, please visit http://worldsummit.info.

N OV E M B E R 24

#HashtagLunchbag/SIPA food drive in LA The Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) and #Hashtag Lunchbag are joining forces to create positive changes in Historic Filipinotown on Sunday, November 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

SIPA will be hosting a Food Drive with #HashtagLunchbag to create letters of encouragement, decorate lunch bags, and assemble sandwiches for those in need in Historic Filipinotown. When finished, they will be giving out lunch bags to homeless youth, women, and families. Registration contact and link: Maria Carmel Valendez at maria@sipacares.org or (213) 382-1819 ext. 107.

N OV E M B E R 25

UPAAGLA presents Fil-Am authors on artificial intelligence and sustainability in LA Two Filipino-American authors, Dr. Cris Liban and Elzar “Dodjie” Simon, on Monday, November 25 will discuss two current and relevant topics: artificial intelligence and sustainability.

Liban is the executive director for environment and sustainability for the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Simon is director of global infrastructure for New York University. The discussion, moderated by LA Deputy Mayor for Budget & Innovation Miguel Sangalang, will take a deeper dive on: What should you know? Why do they matter to you? How do understanding and embracing these fields help countries like the Philippines be an emerging market? The event, organized by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA), will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Public Library -Echo Park Branch (1410 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026). “A.I. Hacked” books will be available for purchase and signing. A portion of books sold will be donated to the UPAAGLA Endowment Fund.

D EC E M B E R 1

Kalayaan Incorporated’s Christmas Party and induction of officers in Monterey Park, CA Kalayaan Incorporated’s Induction of Officers 2019-2020 will be held during its Christmas Party on Sunday, Decemeber 1, from 12 to 4 p.m., at the Monterey Hill Event Center. The hilltop venue offers a spectacular view of the San Gabriel Valley, and is located at 3700 Ramona Blvd., Monterey Park, Calif. 91754. Kalayaan Incorporated, a non-profit public benefit corporation in the State of California, classified as a public charity organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, holds the annual celebration in Southern California of the anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence. Chairing the Induction and Christmas Party is Violet Mislang with Lady Hope Robillos, Co-chair, and Nonie Belarmino, Program Coordinator. Cost of lunch is $40.00. For more information, please contact Violet at (562) 644-4073, vmislang@gmail.com; Lady Hope at (310) 500-0917, lhopepr@yahoo. com; or Nonie (310) 357-0222, Idancenonie@outlook.com.

Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown anniversary & Christmas Party On Sunday, December 1, the Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown will celebrate its 13th anniversary and Christmas Party during a major FUNdraising event. Expect a night filled with food, drinks, entertainment and activities such as raffle prizes and silent auction prizes. The Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown was chartered in 2007 originally of Filipino descendants, who are leaders of the community, professionals and entrepreneurs. Today it has members from different cultural backgrounds. Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. at Capital Seafood Restaurant (50 N. La Cienega Blvd. Ste 130 Beverly Hills, CA 90211). Attire is business casual. Donation is $65.

D EC E M B E R 2

LA County Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Los Angeles kicks off the holiday season with the County’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday, December 2 from 5 to 6 p.m at the Music Center Plaza (135 N. Grand Ave). The joyous celebration will include civic speakers, including Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, and performances by Brass Pacifica and a local school choir. The event is free and open to the public, plus hot cocoa will be served to keep attendees warm!

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

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november 21-27, 2019 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

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Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation to Moira on new singers wanting to sound like her host inaugural Courage Ball by rito

P. aSilo Inquirer.net

Special gala expected to raise $300,000 in proceeds and to honor Nevada Governor and First Lady LAS VEGAS — The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is proud to announce the inaugural Courage Ball, taking place at 7 p.m. on January 17, 2020 at The Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas at 3960 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89119. The Courage Ball will be dedicated to the daughter of Ed Bernstein and Cari Marshall, Dana Marshall-Bernstein, who passed way in 2017 after a lifelong battle with Crohn’s disease.”

The roaring 20’s-themed ball will host over 500 business leaders, philanthropists and health professionals, and offer notable auction packages in support of the organization. During the evening, the Foundation will pay tribute to distinguished honorees for their dedicated efforts to cure these devastating diseases, including Governor and First Lady of Nevada, Steve and Kathy

Sisolak, Howard Baron, M.D., and hero honoree Jaclyn McDonald.

“We are extremely excited to present this first Courage Ball and bring the community together to support critical programs like research, education, advocacy and patient services,” said Clara Cruden, Gala Chair. “Through sponsorship support, we are providing hope and inspiring action as we work to seek a cure for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Bringing awareness to this cause is crucial.”

In Southern Nevada alone, 12,500 patients, between the ages of 17 and 35, are living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. For more information on the Courage Ball, please visit: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/courage-ball-0 The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation is committed to find cures for the more than 3 million people

living with IBD. The Foundation is a national organization founded in 1967 and is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (these diseases are collectively known as IBD or inflammatory bowel disease). The Foundation ranks third among health non-profits in the percentage of expense devoted to mission-critical programs, with more than 80 cents of every dollar supporting research, education and support. The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation funds studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the beginning of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research. Since inception, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has been the leader in IBD research Moira Dela Torre Photo from Instagram/@moirarachelle funding nearly $330 million in vital research including $28.6 million in 2017 alone.

GETTING to where she is was no walk in the park for Moira dela Torre, the country’s most streamed OPM artist.

So, it comes as no surprise to go on Spotify these days and hear upcoming female artists singing and sounding like the 26-year-old singer-songwriter.

In fact, even some of Moira’s fellow interpreters at this year’s Himig Handog songwriting tilt, whose winning song “Mabagal” she sang with Daniel Padilla, “sounded” like her.

It’s like how it was in the ‘90s, when every new “biritera” on the block performed her note-scaling runs the way Asia’s Songbird did hers.

But Moira is no flash in the pan. She cut her teeth giving her covers of Moonstar88’s “Torete” or Imago’s “Sundo” a more soulful spin, not to mention her “hugot”-channeling renditions of “Tagu-taguan” and “Malaya.”

While she finds the current “trend” flattering, Moira says she avoids comparing herself to new songstresses. “To be honest, hindi ko masyadong ina-acknowledge sa sarili ko that they sound like me — or that they’re ‘tunog-Moira’ — because I know how it feels to be compared to others.

“It’s flattering. But I see it as something they have to go through [to find their musical identity]. In my case, as I was growing up, ang dami ko ring katunog sa mga inidolo ko and, eventually, I found my own voice. So, I’m excited for the new singers. If that’s their voice, that’s great. If not, they’ll find it in due time.”

Jane answers controversies

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

In celebration of the Philippine American History Month, participants attended the Fil-Am Invitational on Saturday, October 19 at the Royal Links Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. In photo are (L-R): AJ Escalona (Gross Champion), Nats San Juan (Over All Net Champion), Richard Rebugio (Class A Champion), Dr. Emil Padre (Class A Runner Up) Fredd Francisco (Class B Champion) and Joe Sepulveda (Class B Runner Up).

Richard Rebugio was also the raffle prize winner. He was awarded a roundtrip ticket to Manila.

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ACTRESS Jane De Leon admitted that she felt tired once in showbiz after getting rejections from different roles.

In a recent interview with Boy Abunda in “Tonight With Boy Abunda,” Jane said she felt impatient waiting for a big break in showbiz before landing the Darna role.

“Yes po, Tito Boy. Na-feel ko po na ‘Kakayanin ko pa ba to?

May opportunity pa bang mangyayari sa akin?’ Nainip din po ako, Tito Boy, pero siyempre hindi ako tumigil do’n. Lalo pa akong lumaban. Kung kaya nila, kaya ko rin. Lahat po gagawin ko para sa family ko,” she said.

She said she’s thankful to ABSCBN bosses for giving her the opportunity to play the Darna role.

“Hindi ko ini-expect itong proyektong ito. Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga nakakataas na may nakita silang potential at pinagkatiwalaan nila ako. Siyempre ayaw ko silang ma-disappoint,” Jane said.

Jane also addressed rumors that she’s a “maldita” and just a Photo from Instagram/@imjanedeleon pretty face without acting prow- Jane De Leon rumors are true that she is alleg- sa nagsabing puro ganda lang ako ess.

“Lumalaban lang po ako ‘pag edly “maldita” in real life. at hindi ako marunong umarte, tama,” Jane said when asked if “Ang masasabi ko lang po d’un ‘Watch out!’,” Jane added.

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Fil-Am chefs on dishes to bring to the Thanksgiving table

By AJPRESS

IT’S Thanksgiving next week and for many Filipino American families, it means preparing a table spread of both traditional holiday and Filipino dishes. It’s not uncommon to see a turkey coexisting alongside a lechon or mashed sweet potatoes with pancit. For this issue, we asked several Fil-Am chefs around the country what they’d bring to a Thanksgiving boodle fight — a “kamayan” dining experience that forgoes utensils and dishes in favor of our hands and banana leaves.

The ulam and rice are evenly placed on leaves on a long table so diners can grab and partake in a ritual rooted in camaraderie and unity, which aligns with what we think of in a Thanksgiving meal as well.

Jappy Diago Afzelius, Tsismis (New York) “I would contribute Inihaw ribs, Laing, beef tapa, pork tocino, Pritong Bangus, Kinilaw na tuna.

These are dishes that I hold close to my heart because I grew up eating them either at home with my family or out at restaurants with my friends.”

Ria Dolly Barbosa, Executive Chef of Paramount Coffee Project (Los Angeles) I would contribute my pan de sal! It came to be an unintentional labor of love. I was testing it for about a year when I got it to where I wanted it to be. My Lola was not well while I was testing and I’d give her each updated version to try. By the time I got it where I wanted it to be, she already left this plane, but I like to think that she’d be proud of it.

I used it as the base for my fried chicken sandwich during my year long pop-up WILD at Canelé back in 2014-2015. I haven’t made it

much these days but whenever I do, I always think of her.”

Carlo Lamagna, Magna (Portland, OR) “I would definitely do inihaw na pusit and liempo. With a boodle fight, it should be about the ease of eating as well as flavor. Anything saucy doesn’t make sense.

Plus the grilled flavor of the squid adds an outdoor, flame quality and the crispy liempo for texture.”

Romy Dorotan, Purple Yam (Brooklyn, NYC) “Sorry, I really don’t like kamayan/boodle fight. And sorry again, I really don’t like turkey.

I would recommend lechon pork belly (bone in, skin on) crispy skin (malutong) and very moist, Mang Tomas-style gravy, atsara, pancit, laing, rice... maybe apple cider salabat. Champorado for dessert.”

Cheryl Baun & Paulo Mendoza, Karenderya (Nyack, NY) “Definitely daing na bangus because we always eat it with hands anyway, and it’s one of our go-to comfort foods. Also we thought ribs and chicken wings would be fun, too, because they are the quintessential pulutan, adding to the communal feel of a kamayan feast.”

King Phojanakong, Kuma Inn (NYC) “Pinoy Thanksgiving - yesssss!!! Bourbon honey-glazed ham, turkey and/or chicken inasal, prime rib roast, whole grilled branzino, pancit bihon, garlic rice, sautéed baby bok choy, roasted Brussels sprouts with apple and bacon, chorizo wild mushroom stuffing and a couple of pumpkin buko pies. It’s our Thanksgiving Day menu here at home in NYC. If it was a little warmer out or we were back home in the Philippines I’d set up the long table and banana leaves. These dishes are all so special and celebratory. A true

melting pot of flavors from the Philippines to here. And everyone from bunso to lola are happy.”

Nicole Ponseca, author of “I Am a Filipino: And This Is How We Cook” and founder of Jeepney & Maharlika (NYC) “I think mini-bibingka or karekare. What better way to enjoy the oxtails!”

Queenie Peña Bañez, Asin (Caldwell, NJ) “Definitely crispy pata and Aristocrat-style barbecue chicken.

Those are two classic dishes that many Filipinos just love.”

Yana Gilbuena, Salo Series (Nationwide) “I’ve made a turkey embutido before with a cranberry sweet and sour sauce. I think it’s a very FILIPINIZED dish. As for Thanksgiving memories, I never celebrated Thanksgiving growing up but in my early twenties after I moved to the U.S., I started attending some and eventually hosting a lot.

My favorite dish was the actual roast turkey because I had one Thanksgiving where my friend donated one but didn’t tell me it was frozen and we had five hours before the dinner. We massaged the whole frozen turkey under a warm water bath until it thawed and I was about to cook it. That was definitely very memorable.”

Ralph Degala, MasterChef contestant Season 9 and YouTube personality (Los Angeles) “I would contribute some lechon manok/chicken Inasal to the noodle fight! Whenever we go back to the Philippines, one thing I must absolutely get there is the local Inasal or lechon manok from Sr. Andoks. The combination of the slow-cooked chicken, homemade Mang Tomas sauce and rice always brings back memories of me eating with family after a long day of basketball or playing in the province.”

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november 21-27, 2019 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

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Capturing the diverse realities of the Asian and PacificIslander community through authentic cinematic story-telling API cinema paves its own road at HBO’s APA Visionaries program

By Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

IN the autobiographical short film “Jiejie” (Chinese for “older sister”) by Taiwanese filmmaker Feng-I Fiona Roan, a 7-yearold girl named Fen (Eva Du) looks at a cover of an American magazine for teen girls, which features a girl wearing butterfly clips in her hair.

The year is 1997 when the United States is in the throes of one of the largest inf luxes of Asian immigration. Fen, her younger sister A nn (Harmonie He) and their mother Lily (Leann Lei) have just migrated to Los Angeles and are settling into their new lives in a country distant in geography and culture from their motherland.

Studying the magazine cover, Fen recreates the look with her own fashionable butterfly hair clips. Like many younger sisters, Ann copies everything Fen does, much to the elder sister’s chagrin. They fight over said butterfly clips in an argument that ends with Ann purposefully breaking one of the butterf ly clips.

The f ilm follows t he family, showcasing the minutiae of a typical Sunday afternoon, but through these seemingly mundane situations – going to church, shopping for shampoo

and sibling arguments and the parental scolding that follows – there is a deeper impetus.

Although the film is only 14 minutes long, it captures the nuances of an identity crisis familiar to many young immigrants: the internal conflict of Eastern customs vs. Western sensibilities, reconciling the feeling of cultural isolation and the desire to fit in, and how both those ideas fit in within the unique dynamic between sisters.

“I thought I was ashamed of my younger sister, but really, I was ashamed of being an immigrant,” Roan, 29, said of her personal motivations to create this film and share this story.

“Jiejie” was one of the finalists in the 2018 showcase of HBO Asian Pacific American (APA) Visionaries, a short film compet it ion hosted by HBO that gives filmmakers of Asian and Pacific Islander descent a unique opportunity to exhibit their work and, more importantly, share stories of the APA experience that have yet to be told on screen.

To celebrate the program’s four-year ann iversar y, HBO hosted a Short Film Showcase at the Rideback Ranch in Historic Filipinotown last Tuesday, November 5 where three awardwinning films were screened: the aforementioned film “Jiejie,”

“Monday” from VietnameseAmerican filmmaker Dinh Thai, and “Halwa” from Indian-Panamanian-American filmmaker Nirav Bhakta. (All three films are currently available on HBO and its streaming services.)

“Monday” – which won first place at t he 2017 HBO A PA Visiona r ies showcase – follows a young Asian American hustler who makes ends meet by delivering drugs and other miscellaneous paraphernalia to different communities within LA. “Halwa” is a short drama that won first place in the 2019 HBO APA Visionaries that explores the desires and dreams deferred by an Indian housewife and mother.

In the last few years, major Hollywood studies have heeded that call for diverse representation by giving the spotlight to films and filmmakers from an array of backgrounds, and what was once a niche talking point among minority communities is now a mainstream effort to vary the output of talent and the narratives told on screen.

In regard to the Asian and Pacific American community, many point to the 2018 film “Cra z y R ich A sians” as t he mainstream breakthrough for Asian A merican cinema. Directed by seasoned filmmaker Jon M. Chu and based on the

successful book series by Kevin Kwan, “Crazy Rich Asians” is on track to be the most financially successful romantic comedy of the decade.

Soon after, not only did the call for API representation in Hollywood amplify but so did the urge to showcase the diversit y wit hin t he A PI community. Though the three films showcased by HBO last week all fall under the umbrella of API cinema, each film represented tonally different lived experiences from three vastly different cultural upbringings.

The success of “Crazy Rich Asians” paved the way for the successes of API films that came out this year, like Lulu Wang’s “ T he Fa rewel l,” Na natch k a Kahn’s “Always Be My Maybe” and Diane Paragas’ “Yel low Rose,” signaling a seismic turn toward other API filmmakers.

The emergence of these films, t he per sona l a nd aut hent ic nature of each of them, also pointed to the unearthed trove of API stories yet to be unpacked.

Hol ly wood ’s sh i f t towa rd API filmmakers and API stories shows no signs of slowing down, but, as each of the filmmakers at the HBO showcase emphasized, that shift needs to be in the hands of the API community to avoid painting the community with a broad brush, as it his-

torically has been by non-API filmmakers.

“We can only do so much sitting in a corner at Starbucks to keep writing and writing and pushing out content, but we need collaboration,” Bhakta shared during a Q&A portion of last week’s showcase. “Even if we, specifically, aren’t your collaborators, [we need you to]

help lift up our voices. We’re often sidelined, especially South a nd Sout heast A sia ns r ight now. The diaspora voices are so often sidelined, even to the behemoth of Bollywood in Indian cinema.”

“I only speak when I have something to say, and I have so much more to say,” Bhakta added.

Dani reacts to Barretto family’s comparison to the Kardashians

by Jan

Milo Severo Philstar.com

Dani Barretto

BECAUSE of the controversy surrounding her family, Dani Barretto believed they are worse than the Kardashians.

According to a report by ABSCBN’s Push, Dani reacted on people’s comparison of the Barretto family with Hollywood’s controversial family behind the reality TV show “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”

“I think we’re worse than the Photo from Instagram/@danibarretto Kardashians to be honest. We’re

more dramatic than they are. But then I don’t really know if that’s a compliment (laughs). But at the end of the day, these are real-life issues to be honest,” Dani said.

The daughter of former actress Marjorie Barretto said that this past month has been really tough for them, so they have been trying to move forward.

“At the moment, we’re all just trying to move forward and get past it because it has been really such a difficult month. It’s been a really tough month for us and we’re still grieving the loss of our

grandfather. It’s actually his one month death anniversary today so talagang lahat pa rin kami still grieving. But we’re moving forward because I’m sure that’s what he wants us to do,” she said.

She refused to comment on the controversy because her husband Xavi and daughter Millie might get affected as well especially that they will be celebrating their first Christmas together.

“Parang as much as I had a lot to say about the whole issue given that we were all there and we were all part of the family as well, but

I chose to just not (say anything) anymore because naaapektuhan ‘yung asawa ko at saka ‘yung anak ko eh. Parang every single thing I do, every single thing I say, nadadamay sila,” Dani said.

“It’s supposed to be the best year but when that happened, I just chose not to say anything or comment on anything anymore. I’d rather just keep my family safe and away from all the bashing because it has been really, really crazy on social media when that happened.

I did shy away a bit, more private now,” she added.

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