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DATELINE US slams China for ‘unacceptable’ ongoing militarization in South China Sea FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

THE United States has denounced China’s reported continuous militarization in the South China Sea, calling Beijing’s construction activities in the disputed waters “unacceptable.� “It is not an acceptable – it’s not acceptable to us that these islands continue to be developed, and certainly not for military purposes,� said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday, December 12.

Speaking before the 2017 Atlantic CouncilKorea Foundation Forum, Tillerson said U.S. government told Chinese officials that Washington is hoping to “find a way to freeze� the militarization in the region. “And we have differences, such as the South China Sea and China’s building of structures, militarization of these structures, and how that affects our allies in the region as well in terms of free and open trade,� Tillerson said.

He added, “As we’ve said to the Chinese, we hope we can find a way to freeze this particular activity. Whether we can reverse it remains to seen. But it is not an acceptable.�

Last week, a U.S. think tank released a report showing that China has installed highfrequency radar system and other facilities at the northern end of Fiery Cross Reef—locally known in the Philippines as the Kagitingan Reef—in the Spratlys.

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Goodbye net neutrality: What happens now?

DESPITE pressure by the American public and hundreds of businesses including Google, Apple, and Facebook, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted on Thursday, December 14 to repeal net neutrality rules, a move many are calling an end to a free and open internet.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said at the FCC’s open meeting on Thursday that the new rules were “not going to destroy the internet�, “end the internet as we know it�, or “end democracy�, but advocates for net neutrality are not having it.

While the net neutrality rules enacted under the Obama administration’s 2015 Open Internet Order prohibited internet service providers (ISPs) — Comcast, Verizon, AT&T, Cox, Charter, etc. — from blocking, throttling, or charging consumers for “fast lane� access to certain sites, the new regulations will allow such practices as long as ISPs are transparent about it.

Pai’s new Restoring Internet Freedom order requires ISPs to disclose anytime they block content, or prioritize any content that is their own, or of their partners. It also gets

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Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY

PH-US economic, security relations ‘robust,’ says envoy

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PH Ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez Inquirer.net photo

THIS year’s economic and security partnerships between the Philippines and the United States have been “robust,� according to Philippine Ambassador to U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez.

In his year-end report at the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, December 19, Romualdez highlighted the positive reforms and trends in the Philippine economy.

The diplomat noted that the country’s economy expanded by more than six percent in the past nine quarters, which he said can be attributed to a number of factors—including the “strong growth in exports, improvements in public spending, and boosted performance in traditionally well-performing areas such as the manufacturing subsector and services sector.�

For U.S.-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Council President and CEO Alex

Feldman, the Philippines’ “impressive� economic growth is seen to attract U.S. companies to invest in the country. “The impressive economic growth that the Philippines has experienced over the last year and the predictions that it will continue into 2018 are the types of economic fundamentals that have attracted over $3.3 billion in American foreign direct investment to the Philippines,� Feldman said.

He added that “major initiatives

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Duterte changes tune anew, says he supports samesex marriage

REVERSING his stance, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his support for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.

Speaking before the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Davao City on Sunday, December 17, Duterte suggested the possibility of legalizing the union between same sexes in the Philippines, as the current law provides that marriage is only between man and woman. “Ako gusto ko (I want) same-sex marriage. Ang problema we’ll have to change the law. But we can change the law. Eh ang batas kasi (Because our law states that) marriage is a union between a man and a woman,� Duterte said in his speech.

As stated by the Executive Order

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PH TAX REFORM. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is anked by lawmakers as he leads the Ceremonial Signing of the 2018 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) at the Malacaùang Palace on Tuesday, December 19.

MalacaĂąang photo by Albert Alcain

Deaths of two children blamed on Dengvaxia

by DANA

SIOSON

AJPress

WHILE the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) claimed that there have been no confirmed Dengvaxia-related deaths, families of two children who allegedly died due to the dengue vaccine appeared before the Justice Department on Tuesday, December 19.

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta assisted the parents of 10-year-olds Parents claiming their children died after receiving Dengvaxia are Christine Mae De Guzman and accompanied by Public Attorney’sOfďŹ ce chief Persida Rueda-Acosta at Anjelica Pestilos, who both died the Department of Justice on Tuesday, December 19.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

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Pres. Pacquiao in 2022?

Duterte supports it

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, Dec. 17, attended the 39th birthday celebration of Senator Manny Pacquiao in General Santos City. Joining them in the photo are Pacquiao’s wife Jinkee and their children.

Photo from Instagram/@jinkeepacquiao

IF there is someone Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wants to succeed him, it would be boxing icon and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

In his remarks during the senator’s 39th birthday celebration on Sunday, December 20, Duterte expressed support for Pacquiao as he remarked that the senator

is capable of becoming the country’s next chief executive. “Sabi ko sa kanya one time noong kami lang dalawa nagusap, gusto kita gawing president. Alam ko kaya mo (One time in a private talk, I told him I want him to be president and said he could do it),� the president said.

This, however, was not the first time Duterte expressed support

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El Cerrito swears in first Fil-Am, LGBT mayor

by RAE

ANN VARONA AJPress

El Cerrito’s first Fil-Am and LGBT councilmember became the city’s first Fil-Am and LGBT mayor on Tuesday, December 19 during the reorganization of the city council at El Cerrito City Hall.

In all of the city’s 100 year history, Gabriel Quinto is the third mayor of color. Those before him were El Cerrito’s first African American city council member and mayor Letitia Moore who served in 2004 and 2008, and Chinese-American Mayor

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El Cerrito City Mayor Gabriel Quinto

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DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

PH-US economic, security...

PAGE A1 t to improve the business environment” and “efforts to ease restrictions on foreign ownership in key sectors” also make the Philippines “an even more attractive destination for American corporations.”

Feldman mentioned, in particular, the Philippine government’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, which aims to construct P8 trillion-worth of road networks and other infrastructures to enhance the mobility in different parts of the country.

According to Romualdez, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has a goal to invest over U.S.$170 billion in six years. By 2022, he said the government is expected to spend nearly U.S.$38 billion, or 7.4 percent of GDP, on infrastructure alone.

“Our economic managers emphasize the multiplier and expan-

sionary effects that investment in infrastructure and construction,” the envoy said, adding that investments will be put toward “the modernization of urban areas in Manila, while incentivizing greater investment in the rural areas.”

In the same briefing, Romualdez also remarked that officials from both countries have begun preliminary consultations on the proposed bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Manila and Washington.

The U.S. served as the Philippines’ third largest trading partner and the second biggest market for Philippine exports in 2016. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) show that the U.S. accounts for the 11.6 percent or $16.427 billion total trade of the country last year.

Apart from economic matters, Romualdez further noted that the partnership between the Philip-

pines and the U.S. in terms of security has been strong this year.

“It is said that security and economic development are two sides of the same coin. Our partnership with the U.S. on political and security issues are just as robust as the economic relationship I just mentioned,” Romualdez said.

The envoy noted that there had been a lot of information sharing and other types of cooperation between the two countries in matters concerning the Philippines’ implementation of anti-illegal drugs campaign this year.

Romualdez also took note of Washington’s “close” and “timely assistance” to the Philippines in its past operations to liberate Marawi City from Islamic Stateaffiliated terrorists.

According to him, counterterrorism and counter-narcotics will be among the primary focuses of the countries’ bilateral coopera-

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REWARD FOR BRAVERY. President Rodrigo Duterte talks to an injured police officer during the awarding of the Order of Lapu-Lapu to personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology at the police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Malacañang photo

Duterte changes tune anew...

PAGE A1 t

(E.O.) 209, marriage is “a special contract of permanent union between a man and a woman entered into in accordance with law for the establishment of conjugal and family life.”

But the president expressed that he does not have “any problems making it marrying a man, marrying a woman or whatever is the predilection of the human being.”

He continued, “If that is the trend of the modern times, if that will add to your happiness, I am for it. Who am I?” The president also assured the LGBT community in the country that he will not tolerate discrimination against all sectors of society.

In the same speech, Duterte likewise said he is willing to appoint members of the LGBT community to his Cabinet, giving them until the second week of January to choose their nominee.

“Now find me the brightest dito sa Pilipinas (here in the Philippines). Bigyan ninyo ako ng bright na tao (Give me a bright person). He might be gay, he might be lesbian. I’d like to nominate or appoint somebody upon the nomination,” Duterte said.

He added, “You nominate the

representative from the LGBT sector kasi (because) I fired the entire [Presidential] Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), the head for traveling so much in so short a time, as if he was using the money of the people like his own.”

Earlier this month, the president had fired all the commissioners of the PCUP, headed by its former chairman Terry Ridon, because of their alleged unnecessary trips and supposed failure to hold meetings.

It is not clear, however, which government body Duterte was referring to when he made the remark about appointing a member of the LGBT community to his Cabinet.

“I’d like a gay there somewhere or a lesbian… You nominate somebody who is honest, hardworking. And I would like to show that any, any ma-bakla man o ma-tomboy (gay or lesbian) can—well, can always work just like an ordinary human being,” Duterte said.

During his taped TV appearance on “Gandang Gabi Vice” in 2015, Duterte told gay television host Vice Ganda that same-sex marriage is “good,” adding “everyone deserves to be guaranteed happy.”

But in his speech before the Filipino community in Myan-

mar earlier in March this year, Duterte insisted that marriage in the predominantly Catholic Philippines is between a man and a woman.

He clarified, however, that he respects the lifestyle of the people in the LGBT community, sharing that some members of his extended family are gay.

Following Duterte’s recent bid to legalize same sex marriage, some Catholic Church leaders in the country reiterated their stance against it.

In a statement, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes maintained that the Catholic Church will never approve the union between same sexes. He also called on the Filipinos to never allow its legalization.

“The trivialization of marriage is one of the fundamental reasons [for] the breakdown of individuals and human society,” Bastes said.

In a separate statement, the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) also voiced its objection as it noted that such union was against the central teachings of both Christianity and Islam.

“Union between the same sex, for instance, directly contradicts a central teaching of Islam and Christianity—that marriage is only between a man and a woman,” the PCEC said. (Dana Sioson/AJPress)

El Cerrito swears in first Fil-Am...

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Ann Cheng who served in 2011 as the first Asian American to hold the position as well as the youngest.

As Quinto takes on his new position, here are some facts about him.

NorCal local Born in Berkeley, California, Quinto went on to graduate from El Cerrito High School in 1979.

Quinto then briefly went down to Southern California to study at Long Beach State University where he graduated with his B.S. in Radio, TV, and Film in 1983.

Pangasinan roots Quinto’s late father Santiago, and his mother Isidra, are originally from the province of Pangasinan, Philippines.

Santiago Quinto, was in World War II where he served in the U.S. Army’s 2nd Filipino Battalion in the Battle of New Guinea.

Community involvement Before being elected into council in December of 2014, Quinto had already built experience in

public service through political and community empowerment volunteer work. His resume includes working with the Sierra Club Bay Chapter, the League of Women Voters of West Contra Costa County, and as an Obama delegate in 2012. He was also an Alternate of the Marin Clean Energy Board.

In El Cerrito specifically, Quinto has served as a member of Human Relations Commission and the Committee on Aging. He is also involved as Council Liaison to Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission, the League of CA Cities/Environmental Policy Committee, the Association of Bay Area Government as a delegate representing El Cerrito, and the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee.

Quinto also serves on the Executive Board of the East Bay Division - League of CA CIties; is an Executive Board Member of the API Caucus and LGBT Caucuses of the League of CA

Cities; is on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Bay Chapter in which he represents San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties; and is the Vice President of the West Contra Costa County League of Women Voters.

He is also the elected Delegate on the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County representing West Contra Costa County.

Diverse team backing him up Aside from being the first Fil-Am to become mayor of El Cerrito, Quinto was sworn in by fellow Fil-Am, Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Benjamin T. Reyes II. Reyes was the first ever Fil-Am judge to ever serve on the Contra Costa County bench, and was the second FilAm judge to serve in the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties.

Assuming role of Mayor Pro Tem is Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto, El Cerrito’s first biracial councilmember.

Pardue-Okimoto is African-American and Caucasian. n

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From the Front Page

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

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US slams China for ‘unacceptable’...

PAGE A1 t In its report dated Thursday, December 14, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) also claimed that China continues to build defence “fortifications” on Mischief (Panganiban) and Subi (Zamora) reefs.

This, despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vow last year that Beijing did “not intend to pursue militarisation” in the region.

But the Philippine government, for its part, downplayed the AMTI’s report as it pointed out that

China has not occupied any new area in the disputed region and has only been “building in areas they already occupy.”

The Philippine government also noted that China is not the sole country conducting activities within the contested waters.

“In the old areas, we’ve monitored that a lot are still building in areas they already occupy. In Pag-asa [Island] we’re repairing.

Malaysia, Vietnam, China are repairing but everyone is saying it’s defensive,” Philippine For-

Goodbye net neutrality...

PAGE A1 t rid of the Internet Conduct Standard which gave the FCC the authority to monitor improper ISP practices.

The FCC’s main argument that led up to their final decision was that the net neutrality regulations were hurting broadband infrastructure by stifling ISPs, thus preventing them from growing. But many have noted that it wasn’t necessarily the case.

Back in May for example, pronet neutrality advocacy group Free Press released a report that cited ISPs saying that they had not been hurt by net neutrality — some even said that their investments actually increased.

“We found that not a single publicly traded U.S. ISP ever told its investors (or the SEC) that Title II negatively impacted its own investments specifically,” the report said.

ISPs cited in the report included AT&T whose CEO told investors that the company would actually “deploy more fiber” in 2016, and Charter whose CEO told investors, “Title II, it didn’t really hurt us; it hasn’t hurt us.”

Title II is the legal foundation on which net neutrality is based.

Yet as the efforts and call-toactions to maintain net neutrality were thwarted by a 3-2 party line vote, advocates of net neutrality

have quickly looked at what actions could be taken next.

Most prominent is the role of Congress, which under the Congressional Review Act, can overrule the FCC’s new regulation, and pass a joint resolution of disapproval. Congress used the same legal framework earlier this year to revoke internet-privacy rules the FCC adopted last year.

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) have already made a promise to introduce a resolution of disapproval and have been backed by other Democrats such as Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

But of course, a resolution to overrule the FCC’s regulation would require a simple majority pass, which if vetoed by Trump, would then require two-thirds of each house to quash his decision. In a GOP controlled House and Senate, it’s hard to see how successful this course could be.

On the afternoon preceding the voting day, 107 of the 239 House Republican lawmakers sent Pai a letter of support that read, “The record is exhaustive, every viewpoint is well represented, and the time has come for the Comission to act.”

A few GOP lawmakers have though, voiced their support for a free and open internet.

Deaths of two children blamed...

PAGE A1 t

months after being administered the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine under the government’s mass immunization program.

“Those claiming that Dengvaxia has not resulted in the death of the students who were injected with it are lying. It’s clear that somebody had already died,” Acosta said in a press briefing.

According to De Guzman’s father, Nelson, his daughter Christine had no history of a dengue infection. He said that Christine was administered Dengvaxia on April 16, 2016 through a school vaccination project at Sisiman Elementary School in Mariveles, Bataan.

“While we were being asked for information, we were told that we should be thankful to the government because the anti-dengue vaccine is free. If we would get it from private hospitals, it would cost around P4,500 to P5,000,” Nelson’s affidavit read.

But on Oct. 11, 2016, his daughter developed a severe headache and fever, and was later rushed to the Bataan General Hospital on October 14 where she was diagnosed with severe dengue.

De Guzman died the following day.

Pestilos’s parents Ramil and Liza, on the other hand, said their daughter Anjelica also received a shot of Dengvaxia last September but died this December 6. They claimed that their daughter also never had a previous dengue infection.

While the diagnosis on the clinical abstract of Anjelica showed she suffered severe systemic lupus erythematosus, PAO forensic expert Erwin Erfe said that she showed symptoms of severe hemorrhagic dengue, such as edema, rashes, bleeding and low platelet count.

“When we reviewed her clinical abstract, there is a manifestation that Anjelica died of severe hemorrhagic dengue,” Erfe explained.

Earlier this week, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II released an order giving the PAO the authority to “represent possible victims of Dengxavia-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.”

Aguirre also directed the PAO “to extend free legal assistance in civil, criminal and administrative cases to all possible victims of Dengvaxia-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.”

Acosta, meanwhile, said that the PAO has yet to finalize which charges could be filed against officials or personalities.

“We just started building up cases and gathering evidence.

We haven’t finalized yet what charges could be filed against whom. But we’re looking at possible criminal, civil and administrative cases,” she explained.

The PAO chief, however, expressed the belief that the vac-

cine’s manufacturer had the biggest liability.

“There are many betrayers who keep on passing the blame on others. In my own opinion, Sanofi is liable. They started the problem,” Acosta remarked.

She then hit Sanofi for failing to “put the warnings” of the health risks posed by Dengvaxia on the product’s packaging.

“You have the biggest responsibility. Without you, this mess could not have happened,” she added. “Sanofi, you better shut up.”

Last month, the DOH suspended its vaccination program after Dengvaxia manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur released an analysis which found out that “for those not previously infected by dengue virus… in the longer term, more cases of [the] severe disease could occur following vaccination upon a subsequent dengue infection.”

The government’s mass immunization program was first implemented in April last year under then-DOH Secretary Janette Garin during the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. It was continued by Aquino’s successor, President Rodrigo Duterte.

More than 730,000 school children were administered Dengvaxia since its launch last year, according to the DOH. But in a statement, current Health Secretary Francisco Duque III insisted that there were no confirmed deaths related to Dengvaxia so far.

“So far, I have not received any report that directly links Dengvaxia… There are 12 reports (of adverse events) but they are all alive. They have recovered,” Duque told the Philippine Star on Tuesday.

According to him, there are three “events that give rise to severe dengue infections.”

“Number one, you have prior infection of dengue and number two, you were vaccinated. Number three, you were bitten by an infected mosquito and developed dengue (after vaccination). These are the events that we look for in validating cases,” Duque said.

He assured, however, that the DOH will not ignore any possible deaths or severe dengue cases related to the controversial vaccine.

Concerning the cases of De Guzman and Pestilos, DOH Undersecretary Herminigildo Valle said the deaths of the two children caused by Dengvaxia were unfounded claims.

According to Valle, the children had underlying conditions—like a heart ailment—that led to their deaths.

“There were different diagnosis and the clinical abstracts are very difficult to link to Dengvaxia. We cannot really directly link the vaccine to these cases,” Valle told the Philippine Star. n

eign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

“We’ve never said that they have stopped [building] or that there is nothing happening. What we are saying is, they are not occupying areas that are not inhabited, meaning, they are not occupying new areas,” he added.

Defending its construction, China, meanwhile, insisted that it is completely normal to “conduct peaceful construction and build essential defense equipment on its own sovereign territory.”

(Dana Sioson/AJPress) On Tuesday, December 12, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO) sent Pai a letter urging the FCC to delay their vote.

“The internet has been and remains a transformative tool, and I am concerned that any action you may take to alter the rules under which it functions may well have significant unanticipated negative consequences,” wrote Coffman. “Therefore, I urge you to delay your upcoming vote and provide Congress with the opportunity to hold hearings on the net neutrality issue and to pass permanent open Internet legislation.”

Coffman added that the four previous FCC chairmen — two of whom were Republicans and two of whom were Democrats — “all took steps to uphold the basic principles that guaranteed a free and open internet” and that he believed “Congress can find the right balance of light-touch regulatory authority while celebrating the same open Internet protections that exist today.”

REWARD FOR BRAVERY. President Rodrigo Duterte talks to an injured police officer during the awarding of the Order of Lapu-Lapu to personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology at the police headquarters in Camp Crame.

Malacañang photo

In a statement last month, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) opposed Pai’s proposal and said “internet providers must not manage their system in an anti-competitive way that limits consumers’ choices.”

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) tweeted Monday that he asked Pai to preserve the net neutrality framework, adding, “The upcoming decision should not allow for corporate monopolistic domination, whether internet service provider delivery or content creators. #NetNeutrality.”

Other Republican representatives like Rep. Dave Reichert (R-

PH-US economic, security...

PAGE A2 t

tion for 2018. He also stressed that it is in the interest of both Manila and Washington to eradicate threats posed by terrorism and illegal drugs trade.

During the briefing, Romualdez likewise reaffirmed the Philippine government’s commitment to work with its allies in addressing threats and challenges in the region, including the South China Sea dispute and tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Romualdez said that the Philu PAGE A4

ippines remains “gravely concerned” over North Korea’s provocative actions “which only serve to raise tension in the region.”

“We support relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions imposed sanctions against North Korea,” he said.

Concerning the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, the envoy expressed optimism that the conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC) would help in attaining peace and stability in the area. n

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Dateline USa

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Young Fil-Am woman named mayor of Daly City by rose

GIANT BELEN. A child enjoys playing beside the giant “Belen” display at Rizal Park in Manila on Sunday, Dec. 17. The “Belen”, a creche or tableu representing the Nativity scene, is a traditional Filipino Christmas symbol that can be seen in homes, churches, and public places. It depicts the infant Jesus Christ in a manger surrounded by the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Magi, shepherds, their flock, some stable animals, and angels.

PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan

Catering hall owner, manager indicted for forced labor, visa fraud Defendants allegedly forced immigrants from the Philippines to work without proper pay

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expired shortly after their arrival in the United States. Once their H-2B visas expired, workers were allegedly told by Colamussi and Villanueva to apply for student visas and to fraudulently represent that they intended to attend school full-time and had sufficient resources to support themselves during school.

Colamussi and Villanueva, at times, deposited funds in the workers’ bank accounts to give the appearance of resources and then withdrew the funds once the student visas were approved. The workers continued to work for Colamussi and Villanueva during the term of their student visas, attending school one day a week.

When the workers objected to performing certain jobs or working consecutive shifts, Colamussi and Villanueva threatened to report them to immigration authorities.

Colamussi had many workers whose visas had expired living in the basement of his home in East Northport, New York, and working for him off the books.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, Colamussi and Villanueva face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years for forced labor and conspiracy to commit forced labor, 10 years for visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting, and five years for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and inducement of an alien to illegally enter and reside in the United States. Defendants also face forfeiture of all proceeds and the house in East Northport where the immigrants lived in the basement.

(Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

the owner and operator of the Jellyfish Restaurant, a popular bar located next door to the Thatched Cottage.

As alleged in the indictment, between approximately August 2008 and March 2013, Villanueva and Colamussi recruited prospective employees in the Philippines with false promises of jobs with overtime pay, as waiters, servers, cooks, chefs and food preparation.

The prospective employees were illegally made to pay the defendants money in advance in order to qualify for the visa interview in the United States and directed to conceal such payments from the United States Department of State during visa interviews.

“This case is an example of ruthless labor trafficking hiding in plain sight. These individuals allegedly committed visa fraud while forcing people to work in their catering hall under horrible conditions, in what seemed to be an inescapable situation,” stated HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez. “It is important for anyone who may believe they are a victim of trafficking to know that our investigations are victimcentered, focusing on keeping the victim safe while bringing their traffickers to justice.”

Workers were not only brought to the United States by means of fraudulent promises of specific employment, but upon arrival, were forced to work at lower than promised wages without overtime.

The workers were also forced to care for Colamussi’s relatives, including his father, and to perform construction work at the Jellyfish Restaurant.

Workers were brought to the United States on H-2B visas that

TWO men in Long Island, New York are facing charges of forced labor and visa fraud following an investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York.

Ralph Colamussi, 61, of East Northport, NY and Roberto Villanueva, 60, residing in the Philippines, allegedly lured Filipino immigrants to the United States with false promises of good jobs in the hospitality business only to force them to work for substandard wages at a catering hall now face charges of forced labor and visa fraud, the federal government said on Monday.

Each one is being charged with conspiring to engage in forced labor of immigrants and visa fraud, as well as related substantive counts, fraud in foreign labor contracting and fraudulent inducement of aliens to enter and remain in the United States in violation of law.

Both defendants were arrested Monday morning and will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields.

“As alleged, Colamussi and Villanueva lured immigrants from the Philippines to the United States with false promises regarding jobs and overtime pay in order to line their own pockets at the expense of the victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Bridget M. Rohde. “This Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will hold accountable those who engage in such illegal, exploitive behavior.”

At the time of the events alleged in the indictment, Colamussi was the owner and operator of Thatched Cottage, a popular catering and wedding venue in Centerport, New York, as well as

Pres. Pacquiao in 2022?...

to Pacquiao for a possible presidential run in the 2022 elections.

Last year, Duterte also tagged Pacquiao as “president-to-be.”

Duterte then lauded Pacquiao’s public service.

“As a senator, you have demonstrated the qualities of a true leader — someone who believes that in order to make the Philippines a better country, we have to keep our people on top of our priorities. I am glad that you are with me in this mission,” Duterte said.

He also praised the boxing icon for bringing glory to the Philippines in the world of sports.

“You have brought so much pride and joy to our country for being a world champion in the field of boxing. The determina-

tion you have shown and the humility you embodied in the midst of glorious triumphs are worthy of emulation by our countrymen,” Duterte added.

During the May 2016 election, Pacquiao won the senatorial race after getting more than 15 million votes. He has emerged as one of the staunch supporters of the current administration.

Prior to the senatorial post, Pacquiao has served as a congressman of Sarangani province.

McGregor wants ‘true fight’ There had been reports about mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor as Pacquiao’s potential opponent but the Irishman has indicated that he’s not interested in a boxing match.

In an interview with TMZ last week, McGregor said that he

wants to enter the octagon in his next match and not the squared ring.

“I think a true fight is what I want to do next,” McGregor said.

“MMA next.”

Earlier in August, McGregor suffered a technical knockout loss in his boxing match against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. In a social media post last November 23, Pacquiao teased a possible match next year against McGregor when he used the hashtags “2018” and “real boxing match.”

“Happy Thanksgiving! Stay fit my friend. #realboxingmatch #2018 @thenotoriousmma,” the Filipino boxer posted on in his Instagram account along with a photo of the UFC Lightweight Champion. n

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garcia-Paquette Inquirer.net

DALY CITY, California — A Filipino American woman city councilor made history Monday, December 11, when she was named by a three-member council board as the new mayor of this city, which has a huge Filipino population.

New mayor Juslyn Manalo was chosen unopposed and sworn in during a turnover ceremony at the city council’s chamber, replacing incumbent Mayor Glenn R. Sylvester, ending his one-year watch. She is the first Filipino American woman to be occupy the post.

Councilmember Raymond Buenaventura is the new the vicemayor. Councilmembers Judith Christensen and Michael Guingona were absent during the nomination and turnover rites.

“This moment is surreal and something special to me,” Mayor Manalo said immediately after being sworn into office by State Assembly Member Phil Ting, (19th Assembly Dist.). “I thank the community and every single person here who put me (in the position).“ Manalo told Inquirer.net that her priority is to focus on the economic development of Daly City, “particularly, hotels, business offices, housing and human services.”

“I am so thankful for this opportunity; it brings forth new ideas to boost the city’s economy and housing development opportunities, “ Manalo said.

A ‘people person’ The mayor’s family attended the ceremony at City Hall — her mother, Josefina, and father, Car-

Councilor Juslyn Manalo being sworn in as mayor by Assemblymember Phil Ting.

lito, were seated in front with the audience along with her sister, Carley Ann, and Manalo’s husband, El Palamo.

During an exclusive interview, Mommy Josie, as she is commonly called, recalled the mayor’s humble beginnings and community participation.

“My daughter was actively involved in community service during her school days, “according to ‘Mommy Josie’ Manalo. “She graduated with a degree in Asian American Studies and Public Administration from the San Francisco State University.

Born and schooled in San Francisco from pre-school to college, 37-year old Juslyn, is a real “people-person” even when she was a small child, said her mom. “She would share her meal with her classmates and showed a deep understanding of poverty.”

Mommy Josie added that Jus-

lyn was a former cheerleader and currently,the chairwoman of SamTrans Bus. City officials back Manalo San Mateo County Supervisor David J. Canepa told Inquirer.net that “We are witnessing a reorganization where I see that she has more potential.”

“I think she’s gonna make history tonight,” Canepa said, while describing Manalo as “levelheaded and very good.”

Outgoing Mayor Glenn Sylvester, meanwhile, said: “I have complete confidence in her; we have the same projects and ideas and I believe she will continue the plan toward more affordable housing, more retail (stores) to provide revenue and raise the city’s minimum wage to $12 an hour. “ Vice Mayor Buenventura, for his part, said that Manalo “is more than capable in doing this job. I am ready to support her.” n

Consul becomes first Filipino to head London consular corps

by Melissa legarda

Inquirer.net

alcantara

LONDON — Senen Mangalile, deputy chief of mission and consul general of the Embassy of the Philippines to the United Kingdom, was elected as the 2018 president of the Consular Corps of London (CCL) on December 13.

Mangalile, the first Filipino diplomat to be elected president of the CCL, ran unopposed during the election at the Annual General Meeting held in Marylebone.

During the meeting, the group elected six other members of the Executive Committee.

The CCL is a non-profit, nonpolitical organization of consuls, for consuls serving in London,

and support about the developments in the UK that impact their consular duties.

Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Antonio Lagdameo heartily acknowledged the election of Mangalile, who previously served in Japan and Turkey.

Lagdameo said: “It gives us much pride to know that our very own Consul General enjoys the confidence of his peers.”

Speaking in his new role as Senen Mangalile, deputy chief of mission president of the CCL, Mangalile and consul general of the Embassy of the said, “I am grateful for the opPhilippines to the United Kingdom. portunity to officially represent Inquirer.net photo via Twitter all consular officers assigned in and is the oldest professional London and I will work hard to body of this nature in the world. ensure that CCL enjoys a full proFounded in 1902, the CCL gram of activities that offer value equips consuls with knowledge to the members.” n

Goodbye net neutrality...

PAGE A3 t

WA) and Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) also made statements in support of preserving a free and open internet.

Congress has a window of 60 legislative days to disapprove any rule by simple majority vote, and the public is not slowing down their pressure.

It may be notable to add that three out of four Republican voters say they support net neutrality, according a highly cited poll from the University of Maryland. Another Morning Consult/Politico poll showed a majority bipartisan support for maintaining net neutrality as well.

Over 1.2 million calls pressuring them to act have been made so far on BattleForTheNet.com alone.

In the meantime, the deregulation from Thursday’s vote will still take a few months to go

into effect. Advocates against the roll back of net neutrality will most likely use their time looking for ways to hinder the process.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said on Thursday, shortly after the FCC decision, that he would lead a multi-state lawsuit to stop the rollback of net neutrality. This comes as Schneiderman’s investigation into two million comments “that stole real Americans’ identities” in the FCC public process continues.

“The FCC just gave Big Telecom an early Christmas present, by giving internet service providers yet another way to put corporate profits over consumers,” said Schneiderman. “Today’s rollback will give ISPs new ways to control what we see, what we do, and what we say online. That’s a threat to the free exchange of ideas that’s made the internet a valuable asset in our democratic

process.”

Representatives of the tech world have also been sending out statements voicing their opposition of the rollback.

“We remain committed to the net neutrality policies that enjoy overwhelming public support, have been approved by the courts, and are working well for every part of the internet economy, “ said a Google spokesperson. “We will work with other net neutrality supporters large and small to promote strong, enforceable protections.”

A Netflix spokesperson said in a statement that the company was “disappointed in the FCC’s decision to gut the net neutrality protections that ushered in an unprecedented era of innovation, creativity and civic engagement.

Today’s decision is the beginning of a longer legal battle. Netflix will stand with innovators, large and small, to oppose this misguided FCC order.” (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

A5

‘BBL unlikely to hurdle constitutional barriers’

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for the approval of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) but on Tuesday, December 19, the chief executive expressed doubt that the measure will be passed by Congress.

In a speech after signing the tax reform program and 2018 national budget into law, Duterte admitted that he doesn’t think the proposed BBL can “hurdle constitutional barriers.”

“I do not think that it will hurdle constitutional — binabasa ko paulit-ulit (I’m reading it again and again) — the constitutional barriers,” Duterte said, without specifying which provisions of the proposed BBL will violate the Constitution.

The BBL was crafted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), which include representatives from the Moro

Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The proposed measure aims to abolish the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and replace it with a Bangsamoro Region that will enjoy fiscal autonomy. It will also serve as the completion of the peace process with the Moro rebels.

Warning that the Moros will likely go to war if it failed to get the nod from Congress, Duterte then urged to lawmakers to think of ways on how to free the proposed BBL from unconstitutional provisions.

“Pero kung di natin ibibigay ‘yan (But if we don’t give it), kindly help me think of ways on how to do it kasi (because) the other choice is — if we go to war, it opens the floodgates of Mindanao to everybody else,” the president said.

In a separate statement, Duterte urged the MILF and

MNLF to not raise arms if the proposed BBL does not pass legal scrutiny.

“To my brothers in MI, MN, let us continue talking because both of these entities are for peace. As to how wide the concession we will give is something which has to be discussed,” he remarked in a speech during the birthday celebration of Senator Manny Pacquiao on Sunday, December 17.

Duterte continued, “But if it does not hurdle Congress, do not draw your guns right away.

We still can talk and maybe explore other areas. But I assure you that during my term, it will be addressed.”

Passing the proposed BBL has been among Duterte’s campaign promises.

Last month, the House of Representatives also vowed to SIMBANG GABI. Devotees flock to attend the “Simbang Gabi” or dawn mass at the St Joseph Parish Church, Las Piñas City on Sunday, Dec. 17. The dawn pass the measure before Con- mass is a religious tradition held for nine consecutive mornings from Dec. 16 to Dec. 24 before Christmas Day. PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan gress adjourns in March next year. ■

Navy chief relieved over P16-B frigate contract

by FRANCES

G. MANGOSING & NIKKO DIZON Inquirer.net

NAVY Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) Vice Adm. Ronald Joseph Mercado was sacked on Tuesday, December 19, amid controversy involving a weapons system procurement plan.

Mercado’s relief was immediate and surreptitious, shocking many in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which was set to hold its founding anniversary on Wednesday, December 20.

He was replaced by Rear Adm. Robert Empedrad, the AFP deputy chief of staff for reserve and retirees affairs (J9).

Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the AFP chief of staff, swore in Empedrad at a change of command ceremony held at the Hall of Flags of the AFP General Headquarters.

Mercado, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, is set to retire in March next year. Empedrad is a member of PMA Class ’86.

Empedrad’s first public functions as Navy chief will be at the AFP Day at Camp Aguinaldo with President Duterte as guest of honor.

Mr. Duterte appointed Mercado as Navy chief on Nov. 12, last year.

Who ordered sacking?

It was not immediately known who ordered Mercado’s relief and who signed the appointment papers of Empedrad as the acting FOIC. The procurement of the weapons system for the Navy’s P16-billion frigate acquisition program has been causing a stir within the command and the Department of National Defense since last year.

A government official told the Inquirer that Mercado had confided to him that he (Mercado) was being pressured into agreeing to a frigate contract with a stipulation that Hyundai Heavy Industries, the frigate contractor, had the right to choose the weapons systems to be installed on the warship.

“Normally, the [buyer], which is the Navy, should have the sole right to choose what it wants for their ships. This was the reason that Mercado had been holding the line, insisting that the Navy must have the last say when it

comes to the weapons system,” the official, who declined to be named, said.

The official added that Hyundai’s weapons system capabilities have yet to be tested and proven.

But another source from the defense department told the Inquirer that it was unclear why Mercado would complain about Hyundai being a choice to provide the management control system program, which includes the weapons system.

Part of the contract The source said the management control system of the ship was included in the contract awarded to the company or supplier.

“The Navy’s own bid requirement said that there should be a specific control program or what the manufacturer will develop,” the source said, emphasizing the “or” in the contract.

The source wondered why it was only after the contract was signed in September last year that Mercado, already as FOIC,would say that the Navy wanted a specific command module system made by one company.

PAGE A7

‘Paolo did not pay for debut photo shoot, gowns’

by JANVIC

MATEO Philstar.com

MANILA — The photographer who shot the photos of President Duterte’s granddaughter Isabelle at Malacañang has broken his silence on the controversy.

In a Facebook post on Monday, December 18, Lito Sy said Isabelle’s father, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, did not pay for the lavish photo shoot and gowns worn by Isabelle, including one that may have cost as much as P600,000.

Sy made the clarification after the photo shoot received flak from netizens.

He denied claims that he charged P250,000 for the photo shoot, saying he did not ask for a fee from the Duterte family as he is a friend of Isabelle’s mother and Paolo’s first wife, Lovelie Sangkola Sumera.

Sy also denied that the gowns were bought, noting that these were given by sponsors to the Duterte family at no cost.

“The red gown used by Isabelle was sent through LBC from Dubai.

It was sponsored by a Dubaibased Davao designer who is a good friend of Isabelle’s mom,”

Sy said, referring to designer Garimon Roferos.

The other gowns were provided by stylist Jeff Galang, who borrowed them from famous designers in exchange for credits and mileage, the photographer added.

Sy noted that the expensive shoes worn by Isabelle were provided by Viva, which is expecting to launch the presidential granddaughter as one of its new artists.

According to Sy, the payment of P25,000 was made for Galang and an unspecified amount for make-up artist Winn Ramos.

“It was not Paolo Duterte who paid for the suppliers because Isabelle’s mother is a businesswoman,” he said.

Family wealth in spotlight Earlier, novelist and New York Times columnist Miguel Syjuco said the photo shoot could have cost the Duterte family as much as P1.1 million, citing the cost of the gowns and the other services.

Syjuco said Sy’s clarification provided answers to questions that have been raised about Isabelle’s photo shoot at Malacañang.

“Yet new questions remain. Are these free services considered gifts given to a relative of direct

consanguinity to the President?

Is it lawful or even ethical for this professional exchange between service providers and the politically powerful who each stand to benefit? And if her mother can afford Isabelle’s lavish lifestyle, are her assets clearly delineated or accounted for in the vice mayor’s SALN (statement of assets, liabilities and net worth)?” Syjuco said.

“Old questions still stand, too – who pays for the luxury goods Isabelle sports on Instagram, worth more than half-a-million pesos in bags and shoes, not to mention the travel and helicopter flights?” he added.

Syjuco had questioned the luxury items shown by the presidential granddaughter on her social media account, including a gray Celine mini ($3,100), Chanel quilted ballerina flats ($750), another Celine handbag ($2,700), a Chanel Boy bag ($4,100) and Gucci Ace embroidered sneakers ($620) – totaling $11,270 or P568,147.

“That’s a lot for clothes: more than twice the total median income for one year for an average Filipino, which is P264,000. So this year, the 17-year-old Isabelle Duterte has been sporting about PAGE A7

A6

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

OPINION

Gangsters

FEATURES

AT LEAST 90 “gangsters” involved in corruption in the Philippine National Police (PNP) would be fired, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the other day. A common reaction to the announcement was: why only 90? It must be just the first batch, with the 90 mostly members of the PNP officer corps. against them. Purging the PNP of such scalawags is overdue.

The President should not limit his anti-corruption purge to the PNP. It can be extended to other agencies notorious for corruption such as the Bureau of Customs. The Department of the Interior and Local Government also has disciplinary powers over barangay offices. In local governments, the President can prod his political allies to conduct similar purges. A thorough housecleaning is always welcome as the nation rings in a new year. (Philstar.com)

The President surely believes that there are more than 90 “gangsters” in the police service. He had once described the PNP as “rotten to the core.” Besides corruption, cops have been implicated in criminal activities including kidnapping, carjacking and drug trafficking. The President’s so-called narco list includes police officers including generals. In his bloody war against illegal drugs, vigilantes executing civilians are widely suspected to be the socalled “ninja cops” who are permanently silencing potential witnesses

Editorial

Peace-maker

No peace among nations, unless there is peace among the religions

FORMER SPEAKER JOSE C. DE VENECIA JR. WE were at the United Nations headquarters in New York last week where we watched with admiration our articulate Philippine Ambassador to the U.N. Teodoro Locsin, Jr. deliver a well-researched speech on Refugees and Human Rights at the U.N. General Assembly.

He spoke of the 10 million Filipinos “working in every corner of the world; many in perilous places; throughout our history we have opened our own doors to waves of refugees, when other countries have turned them away.”

He cited “white Russians fleeing Communism in Russia (at the time); Loyalists fleeing fascism in Spain; We took in Jews fleeing Europe, Vietnamese boat people, and Nationalist Chinese, offering them citizenship. We offered unconditional asylum to Rohingyas in Myanmar, not once but twice, most recently by President Duterte, who said he ‘would not

Philstar.com photo

Jose De Venecia Jr., Special Envoy for Inter-Cultural Dialogue

mind refugees, filling the country to the brim’.”

We told Ambassador Locsin we were reminded of our own address at the U.N. Security Council in 2004, when we proposed the establishment of an Inter-Faith Council at the U.N. to replace the U.N. Trusteeship Council, since we agreed almost all the Trust Territories in the world have already became independent. But this could not be done without

amending the Charter of the U.N., a most difficult exercise. We succeeded partially in any case. As a compromise, the U.N. created an Interfaith Unit in the Office of the U.N. Secretary General to take care of inter-religious initiatives and issues.

Since then, Interfaith discussions, previously taboo in the U.N. system, are today regularly held at the U.N. and in the associated interfaith conferences in

various parts of the world.

We noted that these initiatives should help to reconcile the politico-religious, ethnic and communal conflicts that have raged over the centuries and again exploded in our midst in the first years of the 21st Century in Lebanon, Palestine, Chechnya in Russia, Mindanao, Southern Thailand, Aceh in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kashmir, Northern Ireland, Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

We wrote about these problem areas extensively in 2007 in our presentation at the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Cebu City on January 13, 2007 when we were Speaker of the House and Chairman of the ASEAN InterParliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Of course since then progress had already been made in Aceh, Chechnya, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and in the Catholic-Protestant conflict in Northern Ireland.

In the Philippines, the local inter-faith counterpart was the Bishops Ulama Conferences in Mindanao, where Catholic and Protestant Bishops held occa-

sional consultations-meetings with the Muslim Ulama leaders, and who were quite helpful when we assisted negotiations for the successful MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) talks wich which led to a formal peace agreement in 1996 and in the many early rounds of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) peace negotiations which followed afterwards.

Truly, we believe more than ever these Bishops-Ulama meetings in Mindanao should be reactivated today and held from time to time to assist Government in dealing with the politico-religious conflict, insurgency, and violent extremism issues in Mindanao, which led to the bloody Marawi uprising, and which, thank God, President Duterte and the Armed Forces have finally subdued at great cost. Complex problems in other parts of Mindanao remain, thus the rationale for Congress’ extension of the declaration of Martial Law for Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2018.

As part of the world community’s efforts to support moder-

ate groups and isolate religious extremists, the U.N., individual governments and religious-civil societies began to promote interfaith dialogues, as mandated by a U.N. General Assembly resolution which we in the Philippines initiated in 2005.

We believe that multi-religious understanding could be the only basis for the long-term security of the global community, and the only basis for global peace that will endure.

For there is some truth in what we said then and we say it again: there can be “no peace among nations unless there is peace among the religions.”

In our next column, we will try to revive our old proposals in letters we sent then to the King of Saudi Arabia and Iran’s two highest officials, the Supreme Religious Leader and the President of Iran on the need to revive the centuries-old historic Sunni-Shiite talks, a most difficult undertaking, but the indispensable key to the solution of genuine peace in the Arab world, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and Africa. ■

On the Dengvaxia debacle, Bro. Luistro betrayed his flock Commentary

RIGOBERTO TIGLAO BRO. Armin Luistro, the previous regime’s education secretary, is as much to blame as President Aquino and his health secretary, Janette Garin, for risking the health and even lives of over 800,000 Grade 4 pupils inoculated with the faulty Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine. Its manufacturer Sanofi itself last month admitted that its product could worsen those who had never been ill with dengue before.

While embracing the faulty Dengvaxia, Luistro in 2015 blocked a vaccination program to counter a much deadlier disease in the country, cervical cancer, which kills much more Filipinos than dengue.

On March 28, 2016, Luistro issued Memorandum No. 50, ordering that Dengvaxia be administered to “all Grade 4 learners, nine years old and above, currently enrolled in public elementary schools in the National Capital Region, Region III, and IV-A (Calabarzon).”

“Regional directors, school division superintendents, and other school officials are enjoined to provide full support in the conduct” of the mass vaccination program, the memo read.

The Department of Health (DoH)

has no authority to order the education department to allow any kind of vaccination of the publicschool students it supervises. It is the education secretary’s sole prerogative.

If Luistro had not ordered his department to undertake the Dengvaxia vaccination program, Garin would have had to rely on community health centers to implement it, which in the past had been extremely slow in undertaking such mass vaccination. Some 800,000 schoolchildren would not have been vaccinated so swiftly, probably just 80,000 and she and Aquino would not be able to justify to the public why 1 million doses of Dengvaxia were ordered costing P3 billion.

A new administration – with a new health secretary – with no pecuniary interest in Dengvaxia that cost billions of pesos, would have suspended the program that was so rushed that it reeked, at best, of criminal negligence.

Using the religious images Luistro would be familiar with, he betrayed his flock, the students under his care as education secretary.

Astonishing support Two things make Luistro’s support of the Dengvaxia program quite astonishing.

First, before joining government, he had been president for four years of the De La Salle University, which has a College of Medicine. This college had been doing research on dengue for

many years, and was even awarded P20 million in 2014 by the science and technology department for such studies.

Did Luistro even bother to call his former colleagues to give him a memo on Dengvaxia’s safety and efficacy? No. He was apparently told by Aquino to implement the Dengvaxia program, and he said, “as soon as possible, sir.”

More importantly, Luistro before had demonstrated he could just ignore any of the health department’s vaccination program if he had questions on it.

In 2015, he blocked that department’s mass vaccination program, also for Grade4 schoolchildren in the country’s 20 poorest provinces to inoculate them against the human papilloma virus (HPV) which has been scientifically proven to cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancer in women and anal cancer and testicular warts in men. (Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths here and in the world. In the Philippines, more than 6,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed every year. HPV infection causes more than 99 percent of cervical cancer cases among women.)

The health department eventually abandoned its efforts to get Luistro to authorize its anti-HPV program. It had to rely on the health centers under the local government units, so that to this day less than 50,000 schoolchildren have been vaccinated against the virus.

Fortunately, Luistro was no longer education secretary when President Duterte’s first health secretary, Paulynn Ubial, launched in August a school-based mass antiHPV vaccination program targeting 700,000 nine-year-old girls in 47 provinces, with Education Secretary Leonor Briones’ enthusiastic support.

Anti-HPV Luistro didn’t even bother to explain why he blocked the antiHPV program. However, columnist Rina Jimenez-David reported in August 2015 that Luistro in a phone conversation had told her: “I did not rule out the HPV vaccine program. I merely asked for more time to study it.” But Luistro never completed his “study” so that the health department just gave up on trying to convince him, and shelved the entire program entirely.

If Aquino was determined to improve the health of Filipinos, as he justified his rush to implement his Dengvaxia plot, then why didn’t he order Luistro to support the program against cervical cancer, which has been far more deadly than dengue?

David also reported that Luistro told her: “I talked with Secretary Garin and asked her if we could have more time to discuss the logistics and the science behind the program.”

His comment is astonishing, if placed in the context of his total support for Dengvaxia, which he obviously didn’t bother to study

“the science” behind it.

In 2015, the anti-HPV vaccines (Gardasil and Cervarix) had been commercially available for nine years, produced by two competing big pharmaceutical firms, Merck and GlaxoSmithKline. They were approved and even recommended by the World Health Organization for routine mass vaccination. Over 100 countries use the anti-HPV vaccines.

This is in sharp contrast to Dengvaxia, which became commercially available only in 2015 and hadn’t been recommended by the WHO for mass vaccination programs. It was used by only one country in a mass vaccination program– Brazil – when Aquino ordered P3 billion worth of the vaccine.

In 2016, just a bit more than 1 million dosages of Dengvaxia had been injected into people, 300,000 in Brazil and 800,000 in the Philippines – in contrast to the 100 million doses of the anti-HPV administered all over the world.

Moralistic beliefs The anti-HPV vaccines had been approved in early 2015 by both our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Formulary Executive Council when Luistro claimed that he would still need to study whether it was safe.

In contrast, the FDA was rushed—and pressured—to approve Dengvaxia three weeks after Aquino met in December 2015 with its manufacturer’s executives. The FEC only gave it a one-

year approval, and required that it be used only in a phased manner.

This purported man of God, who’s back as president of De La Salle University, obviously was lying on the reason why he blocked the anti-HPV vaccination program.

As columnist David and several others have disclosed, the real reason for his opposition—which should teach government never, never to appoint a cleric to a key position—is his moralistic belief that vaccinating women against HPV, which is transmitted mostly through sex, will make them promiscuous. It would also, in Luistro’s mind, encourage homosexuality as HPV is also transmitted through anal sex.

Luistro should be condemned not only for the Dengvaxia fiasco but for the many thousands of deaths in the next few years that could have been prevented if he had junked his moralistic ideas on sex and homosexuality, and allowed mass vaccination with the anti-HPV vaccines.

Deaths due to dengue are about 1,000 yearly; those due to cervical cancer are more than 2,000.

Worse, of course, is that dengue is a usually self-limiting illness, and most of the time can be overcome with proper medical care for replacement of the body’s fluids.

Cervical cancer on the other hand is mostly a death sentence.

This is the kind of Yellow cleric that Aquino had unleashed on the country. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

Sereno spokesperson: Gadon should be arrested for perjurious statements

by Audrey

MorAllo Philstar.com

MANILA — The lawyer who filed an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno should be the one arrested for committing “perjurious statements” and asking Congress to violate her rights, according to one of the spokespersons of the chief magistrate.

Josa Deinla, one of Sereno’s spokespersons, accused Gadon of “brush[ing] aside” fundamental laws and “turn[ing] a blind eye” on the Constitution in exchange for his “vain political ambitions.”

“Mr. Gadon cannot brush aside our fundamental laws. He is the one who deserves to be arrested or held in contempt for committing multiple perjurious statements and for putting pressure on Congress to violate the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Chief Justice,” she said in a statement.

Deinla’s comment was in response to the call of Gadon for the House justice committee hearing Sereno’s impeachment case to issue a subpoena to compel her to attend its proceedings aimed at finding probable cause in the complaint.

In a media conference, Gadon, a losing senatorial candidate of the Marcos-era Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, also urged Sereno to step down to avoid any inconvenience.

“If she doesn’t appear, I will also request that she be arrested,” Gadon said.

“I want you to be happy and have a Merry Christmas. This early, knowing that several justices would testify to confirm the allegations in my complaint, wala nang kawala yan (you can’t get off). So if you want peace of mind, just resign so your Christmas will be happy,” he added.

Deinla stressed that even House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas was opposed to the idea since Sereno, being the respondent in the case, cannot be compelled to testify before the House Committee on Justice.

“The Chief Justice is not a witness subject to a subpoena process,” she said.

She said that even Sens. Franklin Drilon and Francis Escudero, who will sit as judges should the House decide to submit the complaint to the upper chamber for a full trial, warned that forcing the chief justice to attend committee hearings could lead to a constitutional crisis.

Deinla added that Sereno did not have to personally appear before the justice panel because it was Gadon who should prove his allegations in the complaint and not the chief magistrate.

“The Chief Justice fully respects the impeachment process, precisely why she submitted her Answer and Rejoinder to the baseless and unfounded allegations hurled against her by Mr. Gadon,” she said, adding that Sereno’s pleadings filed before the committee have sufficiently addressed the is-

Atty. Lorenzo Gadon

Philstar.com photo

sues against her.

Deinla also reminded Gadon that Sereno had already expressed her intention to participate in the impeachment proceedings, through her counsels, but this was denied by the committee.

Sereno is accused of betraying public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution and corruption for acts she did as chief magistrate.

Several of her colleagues appeared before the committee to supposedly shed light on the issues hurled against her. Justices Teresita De Castro, Francis Jardeleza and Noel Tijam testified before the committee as well as retired Justice Arturo Brion, providing a rare glimpse into the workings of one of the most arcane offices in the government.

The Star reported that six more justices had been invited to appear in the hearings to answer questions about issues against Sereno.

P1.5 million worth of fashion goods on social media,” he said.

The Davao vice mayor was implicated by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in drug smuggling, which he vehemently denied.

During a Senate investigation into the shabu shipment that slipped through the Bureau of Customs, Paolo was seen sporting a luxury Audemars Piguet watch, which he later claimed was fake and a gift.

“He claims it is fake and a gift.

But that would still make him a public official receiving questionable gifts and wearing counterfeit goods that would have found him held and punished at any customs desk anywhere in the world,” wrote Syjuco.

“So where do the Dutertes, who’ve been on government salaries for more than two decades, get their money? And why won’t they be transparent about their finances? As citizens, we have every right to demand answers to these questions from our government officials and their families,” he added.

In addition to the questions on the legality of the photo shoot

Navy chief relieved over P16-B frigate...

PAGE A5 “It is a commonly used control management program, which will also control the weapons system and other systems on the ship,” the source said.

The source said that if Mercado and the Navy wanted this specific control management program, they should have said it before the contract was signed.

“The point is, the contract was already signed. FOIC (Mercado) wanted to cancel the entire contract. The people in the [defense department] had several meetings to discuss this, but after assessing everything, they decided that it would really be impossible to cancel the contract. They told

SANTA GUARDS. Santa Claus statues stand guard in front of a Christmas-decorated house on Mark St. at Filinvest in Cainta, Rizal, known as the “House of a Million Lights.” Thousands flock to the house owned by a businessman, whose rags-to-riches story has inspired him to put up a light-filled Christmas display.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy Martinez

Duterte warns courts from interfering in entry of third telecom player

by IAn

nIcolAs cIgArAl

that China Telecom would become the third player in the country’s telecom industry, backed MANILA — President Rodrigo by a consortium of Filipino busiDuterte has warned courts from nesses. interfering in the entry of a third The firebrand leader had previtelecom carrier in the country by ously said he was ready to defy issuing halt orders in a bid to fast the judiciary, a co-equal branch track the arrival of the company. of the executive, if it delays the Duterte last month invited Chi- implementation of government na to be his country’s third tele- projects. com operator in a bid to break a He had also warned that a conlongstanding duopoly that has an- stitutional crisis would ensue if gered consumers in a nation said he no longer recognizes the decito have the slowest internet speed sions of the courts. in the Asia Pacific.

In a press conference, Roque According to presidential said Duterte had directed the spokesperson Harry Roque, the Department of Information and president had instructed two ex- Communications Technology and ecutive agencies to ensure that a National Telecommunications new telecom provider will be up Commission to approve all appliand running by the first quarter cations and licenses within seven of 2018. days upon submission.

“I do not want Courts to inter“If it is not approved within sevfere and prolong this process. Do en days, it is deemed approved. not issue any TROs (temporary re- That’s how serious the president straining orders) or injunctions,” is on the entry of a third telecoms Duterte was quoted as saying by player,” Roque said.

Roque.

Duterte earlier threatened inInstagram images from her stylists show presidential granddaughter Isabelle Duterte posing “This is a matter of national in- cumbent providers PLDT Inc. with make-up artist Frankie Bacierto (left) and wearing a red gown during a pre-debut terest for the benefit of the pub- and Globe Telecom Inc. with new pictorial at Malacañang. lic,” he added. competition from China if they do The Palace earlier revealed not shape up.

“But then the official Davao city that showed the presidential seal contrary to an existing executive government website states she is order, netizens also cast doubt only turning 16 next year. Which on the real age of the President’s is an age that is not celebrated in the country as a rite of passage. granddaughter.

Journalist Raissa Robles noted And therefore does not seem to a page in the Davao City website, merit that kind of grand celebrawhich shows that Isabelle was tion with four designer gowns,” born on Jan. 26, 2002, which if she added.

But in a tweet, ABS-CBN jourtrue will make her only 16 next nalist Gigi Grande said Isabelle year.

“She had a photo shoot at the is indeed turning 18 next year presidential palace. She tweeted based on the 2014 SALN filed by her father. n she was 17,” wrote Robles.

‘Paolo did not pay for debut photo shoot...

PAGE A5

FOIC that we will just have to go with what the contract states,” the source said.

Unprecedented A former major service commander told the Inquirer that Mercado’s relief was “unprecedented in the manner, timing, and reason.”

He recalled that the last relief of a major service commander took place in 2003, when then Navy FOIC Rear Adm. Guillermo Wong incurred the ire of some Marine officers, prompting the then AFP chief of staff, Gen. Angelo Reyes, to move him to a different post.

Wong, just three months into his job as Navy chief, instead offered to retire early.

Reporters got wind of Merca-

A

do’s relief hours after Guerrero swore in Empedrad at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

Military change of command ceremonies are usually elaborate, following military tradition, and, most important, are public events.

At 1:59 p.m., the AFP spokesperson, Col. Edgard Arevalo, sent a text message to the Defense Press Corps, stating: “The AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero has implemented the instructions from higher authorities to: assign VADM Ronald Joseph Mercado to the office of the Chief of Staff, AFP on Special Duties, and install Rear Adm. Robert Empedrad as Acting Flag Officer in Command, Philippine Navy.” n

Philstar.com

Last year, PLDT and Globe together agreed to buy conglomerate San Miguel Corp. out of the sector for $1.5 billion, pledging to invest heavily to boost internet service. The acquisition was the country’s biggest corporate transaction in nearly three years.

The Court of Appeals, in a decision dated October 18, ordered the Philippine Competition Commission to permanently stop its review of the deal and recognize its validity.

Meanwhile, moves to open up the Philippines’ telecom industry might face some challenges. Under the Constitution, foreign investors are only allowed up to 40 percent on certain businesses and industries.

The Duterte administration has been working on easing foreign ownership limits by relaxing the Foreign Investment Negative List (FINL), particularly in the areas of retail trade, practice of professions, public utilities and infrastructure contractors.

Restrictions on foreign ownership, however, cannot be all lifted administratively as several prohibitions need legislative action.

A

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY OURNAL

Your Immigration Solution NANCY MILLER IN a continuation from last week, we review a few more cases that remind us why we do what we do. The ability to help others brings us untold joy.

In 2006, “Maria” filed an application for a green card as a derivative beneficiary of her husband’s employment-based visa petition. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services then revoked her husband’s petition, claiming that the employer had submitted fraudulent information. Even though Maria and her husband both strongly denied any knowledge of fraud, USCIS denied both of their green card applications. A few years later, Maria filed another application based on the petition from her U.S. citizen son. But USCIS denied the second application, saying that she was inadmissible for having provided false information in connection with her previous application related to her husband’s employment.

Although severely disheartened by two prior denials, Maria chose to press on and retained Reeves Miller Zhang and Diza (RMZD).

RMZD filed a third application on Maria’s behalf and successfully argued that Maria was not responsible for any alleged fraud on the part of her husband’s employer and that USCIS had failed to demonstrate that the elements for fraud/misrepresentation had been met. After two prior denials and nearly 11 years of fighting to obtain permanent residency, Maria’s feelings of doubt and uncertainty subsided when she opened her mail and found her green card.

In year 2017, we have experienced USCIS’s heightened scrutiny over petitions for nonimmigrant workers such as H-1Bs and L-1As. Boilerplate Request for Evidence notices are routinely issued even on thoroughly prepared petitions. Small companies are facing increasing difficulty sponsoring their foreign work-

Looking back in order to look ahead

(Part 2) try. We presented overwhelmers.

In April 2017, “ABC”, a small ing evidence that our client’s real estate management consult- U.S. citizen family was rallying ing firm hired RMZD to file an behind him, and convinced the H-1B petition for their Financial court that, for the sake of his Analyst. USCIS issued a RFE young children, he had turned subsequently, asking ABC to over a new leaf during his time establish the offered position to in detention. Now Michael can be a specialty occupation. Our make a fresh start without the attorneys conducted in-depth le- threat of his prior misdeeds costgal research, provided accurate ing him the right to remain in the guidance to the petitioner and United States.

We are also pleased that we the beneficiary, and compiled a strong response. The case was were able to obtain a conditional approved within 30 days after green card for a newlywed who had entered the U.S. 15 years ago USCIS received the response.

“John” was fighting deporta- with a false passport and who is tion because he had lied to get almost 30 years younger than his latest entry visa. We were his U.S citizen husband. Despite able to prove that John deserved the interviewing officer’s obvious forgiveness for his misrepresen- discomfort with the couple’s age tations to the U.S. consulate in difference, and suspicions about Hong Kong, based on the hard- them as a same-sex couple, we ship that his US citizen wife were able to show that theirs is a would suffer if he had to leave real marriage and that “George” and that his misrepresentation should be forgiven for his fraudwas an anomaly because he is ulent entry because of his own a good an honest person who good character and the hardship made a mistake for which he is that his elderly husband “Edvery sorry. He is now the proud ward” would suffer if George had to leave. holder of a green card.

Our stories are a reminder that A green card was recently issued by USCIS to “Alice” whose one should never give up on purconditional residence expired suing the American Dream. With more than a dozen years ago. hope and competent immigration She had hardly any joint docu- counsel, seemingly impossible ments from the marriage her situations can be overcome. Anyconditional residence was based one with an unresolved immigraon, as she and her husband sep- tion problem should consult an arated in 2005 and he died in experienced and knowledgeable 2013. Overcoming an official No- immigration lawyer in 2018 to tice of Intention to Terminate her finally resolve their immigration conditional status, we were able problems. *** to tease out maximum meaning from the few documents she Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the could provide, including sworn oldest, largest and most experienced statements about the wedding immigration firms in the United States from members of both families, with offices in Pasadena, San Francisco, and we proved that she did enter Las Vegas, Manila and China. into her marriage in good faith. Telephone: (800) 795-8009 The application for waiver of the E-mail: immigration@rreeves.com joint petition to remove condi- website: www.rreeves.com tions was approved. *** And in another court case, The analysis and suggestions offered RMZD was able to obtain “Mi- in this column do not create a chael’s” release from ICE deten- lawyer-client relationship and are tion, with his green card intact, not a substitute for the personalized despite a recent drug conviction representation that is essential to for which the judge ruled him de- every case.

(Advertising Supplement) portable back to his home coun-

Gov’t awards Clark airport deal Showcase of speed of hybrid PPP scheme, gov’t commitment to boost infrastructure

by MIGUEL

R. CAMUS

Megawide Construction Corp. and India’s GMR Infrastructure.

The new terminal would triple capacity at Clark Airport to 12 million passengers annually by 2020.

The BCDA, in a statement Tuesday, called it the “fastest” PPP to be auctioned by the national government. The project, which was given the go-ahead

by President Duterte last June, was slated to have its groundbreaking event on Wednesday, December 20.

The Clark Airport expansion project is the first under the administration’s hybrid PPP format.

Under this scheme, the govern-

ment will pay for the construction of the terminal while the private sector will later be invited to bid for the operations and maintenance (O&M) component.

Jake Bingcang, chair of the BCDA special bids and awards committee, said earlier that they had hoped to award the O&M contract by March 2018.

It should be noted that the new Clark Airport terminal EPC deal is relatively less complex than previous PPPs since it did not yet include any O&M. The O&M was typically bundled in with similar PPP deals during the Aquino administration.

minimum investment grade rating of BBB for the Philippines on a stable outlook.

“The Philippines’ economy is MANILA, Philippines — Tokyo-based debt watcher Rating expected to post solid growth, and Investment Information Inc. driven by aggressive infrastruc(R&I) affirmed the investment ture investment under the Rograde rating of the Philippines as drigo Duterte administration,” it the economy is expected to post said in a statement.

“The Philippines’ economy is solid growth on the back of the government’s aggressive infra- expected to post solid growth, driven by aggressive infrastrucstructure buildup.

The Japanese rating agency ture investment under the Roretained the one notch above the drigo Duterte administration,” it

said in a statement.

Government economic managers pegged the gross domestic product (GDP) growth target at seven to eight percent over the medium term as the Duterte administration launched the Build Build Build program where it intends to spend between $160 billion and $190 billion for much needed infrastructure projects.

On the other hand, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) set an

Inquirer.net

THE Duterte administration awarded on Tuesday, December 19 a contract to design and build a new passenger terminal for the Clark International Airport in Pampanga, a showcase of both its commitment to upgrade crucial transport infrastructure and the speed by which hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) deals could move.

The New Clark International Airport Terminal project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract was awarded to a venture between

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Japanese debt watcher affirms Philippine credit grade

by LAWRENCE

AGCAOILI Philstar.com

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Community Journal

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

New USCIS Policy: Adjustment interview for employment-based petitions IN the past few months, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, beginning October 1, 2017, it will expand in-person interviews for employment-based adjustment of status (“AOS” or “green card”) applicants. Historically, since the 1990s, USCIS adjudicated employment-based green card applications at service centers, without in-person interviews. The recent change in policy and practice is part of USCIS’s efforts to comply with Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.”

Now, all employment based AOS applications will be scheduled for in-person interviews at local field offices.

The USCIS Ombudsman’s Office held a teleconference with USCIS on September 28, 2017 to discuss this new policy. Below are some FAQs: I am an Employment-Based green card applicant. Should I expect to be interviewed? Yes, if your adjustment application was filed after March 6, 2017. All

The CTV Files Atty. LiLLi B. BAcuLi employment-based AOS cases based on an approved Form I140 petition will be scheduled for an interview if the AOS was filed after March 6, 2017. However, it is possible that some AOS cases filed after March 6, 2017 may still be approved without interview until this new policy is fully enacted. Notably, USCIS specifically mentioned only Form I-140 based AOS applications in the EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 categories.

What will the interview be like? What kinds of questions will be asked? The purpose of the interview is to verify the supporting documentation and information presented in the approved I140 petition, not to re-adjudicate the petition. Nevertheless, applicants must accurately describe

their employment, explain their job duties, and how they meet the experience and education requirements that qualified them for the Form I-140 petition. Officers will seek to ensure that the approved Form I-140 petition was credible. Additionally, as with all other AOS interviews, applicants must demonstrate they are otherwise admissible and do not have any criminal issues, immigration violations, or other facts that would preclude becoming a permanent resident.

Will this affect processing times? Will it take longer for my case to be approved? USCIS estimates that these cases will represent a significant increase in the Field Office workload. Despite optimistic statements that USCIS will adjust staffing as needed, the increased number of interviews will necessarily lengthen processing times for all types of AOS applications. Premium processing service is only available for certain Form I-140 petitions but not for any Form

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAgLAyA HERE’S my prayer as we approach the end of 2017: May the next chapter of our individual life stories in the coming year include the grace of discernment to finally figure out our life’s purpose and the courage and strength to fulfill it.

A circle is perhaps the perfect geometric structure there is.

Although some would claim the triangle or a square to be better structures because of their stable nature, the circle and all its derivatives — the orb, the sphere, the globe and every structure on earth and in the universe with a core, circumference and radii emanating from the core — can teach and even help us to understand much about nature, about ourselves and human life and its cycles and seasons, from the most profound to the most mundane levels.

From the micro to the macro levels, every creative urge on every level, in the intellectual and the physical realms, begins as a thought and if tenaciously pursued and fleshed out by one’s strength of will, proceeds from concept to completion as a circle.

Even in the mundane reality of living an ordinary life from day to day, circles and cycles mark the patterns of our lives, from sunrise to sunset. Note nature’s seasons and cycles of birth and death, of sleep and wakefulness, of ebb and flow, of the waxing and waning of the moon and of the quarter million year rotation of the solar system around the core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way and in the grandest of levels, the movement of a nearly infinite number of galaxies in the universe, the edge of which only the Creator knows.

On the minutest level, the astounding movement of electrons around a nucleus and the wondrous flow of the human bloodstream to and from the heart are cyclical.

As science has found out, blockages, either man-made or natural to the flow or movement in the processes existing

Health@Heart PhiLiP S. chuA, Md, FAcS, FPcS

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

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

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

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

AROUND 71-72 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all water on this planet. The human body is between 50-75 percent water, about 57-60 percent in an average adult and about 75-78 percent in infants, dropping down to 65 percent by age one. Our brain and heart are 73 percent water and the brain, 83 percent, body fat, 10 percent, and muscles, 75 percent. Some organisms contain up to 90 percent water.

While we can survive a month without food, we won’t survive more than a week without water.

Indeed, water is essential to all living things, including animals, plants, and to farming, other industries, etc. Clean water is not only of major importance to our health but to our survival. This is especially true for our drinking and cooking water.

How much water on earth is potable?

Of the 71-72 percent water on earth, which is massive, only almost one (1) percent is available and usable as drinking water.

More than 97 percent of Earth’s water is salt water in seas and oceans, and about 2 percent is frozen in glaciers and icecaps, and some in the atmosphere, salt water lakes and rivers. So, less than one percent is what we have for our use. As the world’s population grows, potable water might, centuries from now, become a precious limited commodity, more valuable than oil, diamond, or gold, possibly a cause of future wars to ensure survival in our planet.

Why is EPA important?

The EPA is one of the most valuable governmental agencies. It regulates water standard and safety to protect and provide the public clean water. Here are some information from the US EPA: “Because your drinking water comes from natural sources, it is exposed to pollutants. Anything on the ground or in the air can end up in the water.

Some of these things can cause health problems when you drink the water including pollutants like bacteria, lead, and nitrates.

There are other pollutants that aren’t dangerous, but cause bad odors and tastes or stain your sinks, such as iron, manganese, and chloride. (Hormones, antibiotics, steroids, pesticides, other medications and cleaning chemicals are also contaminants

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Like riding a bicycle: Circles, cycles and movement

“ Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

–Albert Einstein in nature at all levels, can create anomalies, abnormalities and mutations, resulting in pain and illnesses in the human body and if uncorrected, result in diseases, debilitation and ultimately, death.

This presents a strong argument for regular exercise and consistent movement in our daily lives at any age. Movement pumps the blood flow in the neurons of our brain and in the capillaries in our extremities to and from the heart. The action in turn, strengthens the muscles of the heart and maintains blood pressure at healthy levels.

Nature moves in cycles. While the earth’s atmospheric cloak adheres to the surface because of the gravitational pull of the earth’s mass, the hydrologic cycle will continue to maintain our seas and give us rain to sustain all planetary life — that is, for the time being —unless something unforeseen and catastrophic, like a rogue asteroid with the earth’s name on it as its target, upsets and upends this delicate and rare homeostatic balance.

If and when that happens, as scientists theorized is the reason dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago, it would be a complete cycle. It would be ADIOS to human life as we know it. Fortunately, such occurrences happen in geologic time, in millions of years.

The prophets of doom heralding climate change, backed by some pseudo scientists) include themes of global cooling or global warming (take your pick).

For a number of years, they have been trying to scare the living daylights of present day earth inhabitants with stark doomsday scenarios.

Someone claimed with arrogant certainty a few years back that because of global warming the polar ice caps would be completely gone by now. The seas will rise and cities along the coast will be plunged in chaos.

Guess what? The ice caps are still there and the polar vortex of

the past year which brought one of the most severe and bitter winter seasons in memory belie such claims.

The fact remains there is no predicting the weather or for that matter, the end of the world with absolute certainty and infallibility. Climate is part of science that is still evolving. There is nothing settled about it. We can track its patterns and draw some educated guesses so we can prepare for catastrophic disturbances to mitigate destruction. The world is a sphere and there is still so much about our planet that needs to be discovered.

Who knows when the next Krakatoa or Vesuvius will erupt and spit out so much sulfur to envelop the world for years that temperatures drop significantly because sunlight is blocked. It has happened before with Mount Pinatubo and other volcanoes along the Ring of Fire through the centuries. The only thing certain is that volcanic eruptions will happen again. We just don’t know when.

Who knows when the Big One for California will happen? It is not a matter of if but when. That is a given. The last big one in San Francisco was over a hundred years ago and scientists say California is due for the next big one.

Who knows when the next Katrina will come and wreak havoc?

Who knows the direct path tornadoes will take? All we know is that there are things that humans can predict with some degree of accuracy but on the whole, there are things that are random and beyond the realms of prediction.

One thing that is becoming clear is that nature has become part of a global political agenda.

I consider such thought manipulations suspect. When nature is being used by groups to advance dubious political motives so that laws can be enacted that will essentially line the pockets of cer-

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Is your drinking water safe? in 80 percent of our streams.)

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has established Safe Drinking Water Standards, based on research and water testing. The Safe Drinking Water Standards state what amount of each of these pollutants is acceptable in your drinking water.” (Details are on its website.) …”When a public water supply fails to meet the Safe Drinking Water Standards for bacteria or a similar pollutant, they are required to notify you and advise you to boil your water before drinking it. Public drinking water suppliers are required by law to conduct regular tests of their drinking water. The water must meet the US EPA’s Drinking Water Standards.”

Are water filters available for homes?

There are various water filters available in the market, from table top, to under the sink, and to central water tank filters. There are 2- to 7-stage water filtration systems. The 7-stage basically includes Reverse Osmosis, with Alkaline Remineralization Filter and UV Sterilizers for microorganisms. All these are commercially available for homes.

Boiling faucet water is one way to further remove mineral contamination (crystal sediments) and microbes.

What is Zero Water filtration system?

Zero Water tabletop pitcher, canister, or portable tumbler filtration system is a 5-stage ion exchange filter that totally eliminates total dissolved solids, but not microorganisms. After water goes through the Zero Water filter, the TDS reading is zero. This, in essence, transforms the chlorinated (microbe-free) faucet water to distilled water. Untreated water from wells, filtered by Zero Water system, will not eliminate microorganisms. The 5-6-7 stage systems, with reverse osmosis, membrane filter, and UV lights will.

What is TDS? This refers to the Totally Dissolved Solids (inorganic salts like calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulfates, and traces of organic substances and heavy metals) in water, which give water a bitter or salty taste, and bad odor. TDS does not include microbes. The EPA standard for TDS is 500 mg/liter or parts per million (ppm). Using a small TDS meter I bought for less than $20 on amazon.com, I tested the TDS level of water in Las Vegas, Chicago, Quezon City and Cebu, and found them well below 500 mg/ L. Non-mineral bottled water has

TDS levels less than 200 mg/L. Distilled water, like Absolute, has zero TDS. Distilled water, devoid of all minerals, is not ideal for regular daily drinking. It is used in machines, like CPAP, in irons, cleaning baby utensils, etc., and in delicate scientific/laboratory instruments, etc., to prevent deposits, corrosion, and damage.

Is bottled water safe?

In general, bottled water produced by reputable companies is safe. The occasional incidents in third world countries where faucet water was used to fill up empty (used) bottles, recapped, sealed, and sold are reminders for us to be vigilant and careful.

When ordering bottled water, ask the waiter not to open the bottle; do it yourself to be sure the seal is not broken. When I am in doubt, I use my TDS meter to check. Below 100 is fine with me.

Is alkaline water necessary?

For daily regular drinking, alkaline water is not necessary.

Occasional use is fine. Unless a person has an illness that makes the blood more acidic where the physician might include alkaline water in his treatment regimen, drinking alkaline water under normal situation is a waste of money. Billions of people on earth have been healthy for centuries without alkaline water.

Eating a lot of vegetables, nuts, less red meats, and staying away from tobacco, alcohol, and soft drinks will balance our body pH to more healthy levels, between 7.35 to 7.45, a bit on the alkaline side. Level 7 is neutral. Seawater has a pH of 8, baking soda, 9, and Milk of Magnesia, 10. So, normally we do not need more alkaline blood than 7.45. Our body automatically adjusts and balances our electrolyte and pH non-stop, depending on what we eat or drink, unless we abuse ourselves or are ill. So, save your money and enjoy a happy and healthy lifestyle. Go on cruises, instead.

Here’s wishing you and your loved ones a joyous Christmas and a magic New Year of good health, love, peace, and prosperity!

*** 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. For more data, visit philipSchua. com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com (Advertising Supplement)

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

CJ3

January 2018 priority dates

Immigration Corner

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:

ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month).

This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel has been an attorney

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

October 1, 2007

January 1, 2005

First Preference

Unmarried sons and daughters of US Citizens (over 21 years of age)

Second Preference

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below November 1, 21 years old) of green 2016 card holder

February 1, 2016

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

September 1, 2007

July 1, 2006

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens

June 15, 1995

March 15, 1995

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens

March 1, 1995

September 1, 1994

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date Current

LABOR CERTIFICATION: Second Preference

Advanced Degree (Masters)

Current

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

August 1, 2016 January 15, 2016

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

August 1, 2016 January 15, 2016

for over 35 years and is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the

outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

HER “AMERICAN DREAM” SHATTERED WHEN HER CASE WAS DENIED AND HER TWO ATTORNEYS TOLD HER THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO JUST “HIDE.” Mariel (left) was devastated when her adjustment of status was denied after USCIS concluded she was out of status.

Distraught and lost, especially after her first two lawyers’ only advice was to “hide,” Mariel decided to consult with “Attorney-of-LastHope” MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL who sought reconsideration and was able to get Mariel her elusive green card in record time.

Watch Mariel’s dream come true on an encore episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC. (Advertising supplement)

Like riding a bicycle: Circles, cycles...

PAGE CJ2 t

tain economic interests and thus ensure political power, it is time to tune out of the madness and see it for what it is. We need to maintain equilibrium in the face of untruths.

When it comes to nature, what will be, will be. Its cycles are dictated by something much more powerful than any human mind can conjure. Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt which dictates earth’s seasons as it spins like a wobbly top along its orbit around the sun, which in turn orbits the center of the Milky Way readjusts and is tweaked actinued reforms. cording to some cosmic cycle.

“In addition to robust private In a way, the life of our living, consumption backed by stable breathing planet is reflective of remittance inflows from overseas human life from birth to death.

Filipinos, growth in investment The human story is cyclical. Evhas been increasing in recent years. With the rising share of investment in GDP, the aggressive public investment program initiated by the Duterte adminis- PAGE CJ1 t Nevertheless, the administratration would serve as a platform for economic growth in the fore- tion wanted the auction to display how fast it could launch and seeable future,” it said.■ award contracts via the hybrid PPP route since the procurement process is often cited as a cause of delay for infrastructure projects.

The BCDA kept a tight deadline, accepting bids for the construction of the new passenger terminal last Dec. 5. With the awarding on Tuesday, the entire process of evaluating, opening technical and financial offers was compressed to two weeks.

Japanese debt watcher affirms...

PAGE CJ1 t

inflation target of two to four percent between 2017 and 2020.

“R&I will keep an eye on whether solid economic growth will bring about a steady rise in income levels. Going forward, given likely inflation pressure from tax reforms, higher oil prices and the weaker currency, as well as from buoyant domestic demand, consumer price trends and the way the central bank

controls the situation would draw our attention,” the debt watcher said.

It explained inflation would not be a drag on the economy amid upward pressure arising primarily from oil prices trends and tax reforms.

R&I said it is essential to sustain the momentum of investment from inside and outside the country by improving the business environment through con-

Philippines, Thailand enter deal on banking supervision AGCAOILI Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Bank of Thailand have joined forces for the effective supervision of banking institutions operating in Manila and Bangkok.

BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. and Bank of Thailand Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob signed the memorandum of understanding on banking supervision over the weekend.

“The MOU serves as a solid foundation for effective supervision of banking institutions operating in both countries in accordance with the principles set out in the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision,” the BSP said.

The central bank added the agreement sets out in greater detail the two authorities’ commitment to fostering greater information exchange and cooperation in the areas of licensing, on-site examinations, supervisory colleges and crisis management.

The BSP said the agreement with the Bank of Thailand is the sixth home-host supervisory arrangement it signed with other banking supervisors.

The central bank inked similar agreements with the China

The Duterte administration wants to expand Clark Airport, which it sees as a viable alternative to congestion in Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is also moving forward with a Japanfunded railway system that will link Manila and Clark by 2022.

Megawide-GMR, which operates and is expanding the Mactan Cebu International Airport, earlier submitted the best offer to build a terminal with a capacity of eight million passengers a year at the least cost to government.

Calendar of Events across

BSP Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr. (left) and Bank of Thailand Gov. Veerathai Santiprabhob sign the MOU in Bangkok last December 12.

File photo by Philtar.

Banking Regulation Commission in 2005, the Bank of England, Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and the Bundesanstalt Für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht of Germany in 2007.

Aside from the above-mentioned bilateral MOUs, the BSP is party to the multilateral memorandum of understanding between members of the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Supervisory College.

Last April, the BSP firmed up agreements with Bank of Thailand and Bank Negara Malaysia to open up the banking industry aimed at greater financial integration and economic development among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Former BSP governor Amando Tetangco Jr. signed the Declaration of Conclusion of Negotiations (DCN) with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Letter of Intent with the Bank of Thailand in line with the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (ABIF).

Under the ABIF timeline, each ASEAN-5 member (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) should conclude at least one bilateral agreement with another ASEAN-5 country by 2018.

By 2020, ABIF targets the conclusion or near conclusion of at least one bilateral agreement for each of the 10 ASEAN members.

The ASEAN region has a great potential as savings rate reached 33 percent of gross domestic product against the lower rate of 25 percent in other regions.■

Benefits outweigh negative impact of tax reform

by BEN

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

FOR the head of the Duterte administration’s economic team, the signing into law of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (Train) will change Filipinos’ lives starting next year with the implementation of lower personal income tax rates.

Consumer prices, however, are expected to pick up in 2018 as the first tax reform package will slap higher taxes on consumption, with excise taxes on oil, vehicles, cigarettes and sugar-sweetened drinks to rise.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the signing into law of Train by President Duterte was “the government’s biggest Christmas and New Year’s gift to the Filipino people as it will usher in real positive change for the nation.”

“The congressional passage of the first package of the Train is a sign of maturity for the Philippine economy that is now ready to meet the challenges

ready. By God’s grace and miracle for millions who bent down their knees and prayed fervently and asked for divine intervention, a new beginning is sprouting.

The promise of resurgence to new life and an era of hope and worthwhile accomplishments is dawning.

MAY 2018 BRING US GOD’S BLESSINGS OF PEACE, HEALTH AND PROSPERITY! May these blessings fill our hearts with overwhelming gratitude to God and create kind, humble and loving hearts in each of us. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Gov’t awards Clark airport deal...

Business News

by LAWRENCE

ery civilization goes through periods of beginnings, progress, full flowering, decay, stagnation and ultimately, death. Planet earth will die too along with the sun, one day, the human race and all living carbon-based creatures will be gone by then.

As a historical footnote, there are clear indications the American story, as a result of its increasing divisiveness and seismic shifts in its values and national psyche, has has gone through a protracted period of decay and stagnation phase of its cycle.

For three decades, America may have lost its way as it drifted away from its core Christian values made manifest through its decadent culture.

This may have played out al-

It bested four other groups, including large state-owned companies from China. Megawide-GMR offered P9.36 billion, about 25 percent below the governments’ ceiling price of P12.55 billion. This was lower than the offers of Tokwing Construction Corp. and China Machinery Engineering Corp. (P12.45 billion), China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd. (P12.298 billion), China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. (P11.73 billion) and Sinohydro Corp. Ltd. (P10.68 billion).■

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS D EC E M B E R 27-29

Ateneo de Naga High School Class ’67 celebrates 50th anniversary in Naga City The Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) High School Class 1967 is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2017 from December 27 to 29 with various activities lined up for its 153 alumni members. (ADNU is a leading Jesuit university in the Bicol region located in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Philippines). The activities include the publication of its 50thAnniversary Yearbook, a coffee table book which features the individual life stories of the class members after high school, tributes to their mentors, and various articles about school life in the 1960s. Also scheduled for the middle of the year is a golf tournament which — aside from fostering camaraderie — will essentially be a fund-raising activity for planned alumni projects such as a medical mission to a remote provincial town, scholarships, and donations for other worthy causes. This year’s reunion will be at the ADNU main campus in Naga City with various fun and commemorative activities lined up for the occasion. All batch members, wherever they are domiciled, including those residing in foreign countries, especially those in the USA and Canada, are enjoined to contribute their life story articles for the anniversary book as soon as possible, to participate in the various identified activities and outreach projects, and attend the grand homecoming in December. For coordination and for details about the events and activities, please email or call up any of the following batch members: Jojo de Jesus (email: jvdejesus6@yahoo.com; cell: 09772114750); Nilo Ezequiel (email: nilo. ezequiel0977@gmail.com; cell: 09257200926; Antonio Sibulo, MD (email: assjrmd@gmail. com).

D EC E M B E R 28

Immigration forum in Anaheim, CA Global Law Centers will be hosting an immigration forum on Thursday, December 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. It will be held at Brookhurst Community Center (2271 Crescent Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801); admission is FREE. The forum is about employment-based immigration, information regarding fast-track work visas ( H-1B1, TN, E-3), green card by Marriage, familybased immigration, employment sponsorship for green card, and work visas after graduation. Candidates with H-1B, TN, F-1, OPT & other visas issues are encouraged to attend for FREE immigration consultation & immigration assistance. For more information, please contact Global Law Centers at (714) 657-7460 or www.globallawcenters.com.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III

of fixing the structural problems and inequities in taxation while generating more revenues to usher in real positive change for the Filipino people,”

u PAGE CJ4

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CJ

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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More Filipinos embrace mobile banking for convenience with bill payments, money transfer—survey

File photo by Inquirer

by NiÑa

GuNo Inquirer.net

IN 2016, over half of Filipinos with smartphones used mobile banking services at least once a week, with the top two reasons being convenience and availability.

Every year, the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes study surveys 500 Filipinos to obtain information on their online payment habits.

The study also found that almost three in four Filipinos with smartphones have a banking app.

The app saves a visit to the bank: 80 percent of those surveyed said they would rather check their account balances and pay bills on their phone than go to a physical branch.

Eighty-five percent of Filipinos use their banking apps to check account balances and 63 percent pay their bills on it. Fifty-nine percent transfer money through the app.

Mobile payments on the rise Among those surveyed, 65 percent made a purchase via their smartphone. Mobile payments are made at least once a week (41 percent).

A major factor in mobile payment adoption is

having a smartphone. This was cited as one of the top three reasons to make mobile payments, the other two being convenience and security of payments.

On-demand services such as transport network vehicle services (TNVS) like Uber and Grab have contributed greatly to the use of mobile payment.

Six in 10 Filipinos surveyed said they have used the mobile payment to book transportation and to avail themselves of beauty services.

The number is even higher for the emerging affluent at 70 percent.

Convenience, efficiency and shopping at their own homes were cited as the main reasons for paying via mobile phone.

By 2020, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hopes to fulfill its cash-lite program, which means most financial transactions will become digital.

In 2016, a Brookings report stated the Philippines had the largest improvement in digital and financial inclusion, up by eight points from 2015.

Smartphone penetration, adoption of mobile money accounts, and the launch of the Philippine National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) contributed to the increase in score.n

Benefits outweigh negative...

PAGE CJ3 t

Dominguez added.

“The Train, which provides for personal income tax exemptions for the first P250,000 of taxable income, along with other significant personal income tax cuts for other tax brackets, provides Filipino taxpayers with muchneeded relief after 20 years of no adjustment on the rates,” according to Dominguez.

EMPLOYMENT

Ultimately, the Train also raises significant revenues to fund the President’s priority and social infrastructure programs to reduce poverty from 21.6 percent to a targeted 14 percent by 2022, Dominguez said.

According to Dominguez, under the approved Train, the inflationary impact of the measure initially estimated at 0.9 percent will slightly go down to 0.7 per-

cent, which would have an even more minimal effect on food, electricity and transportation costs.

In a note to clients, Londonbased economic research firm Capital Economics said the first tax reform package was “likely to put some upward pressure on headline inflation but, as they will be phased in over several years, the effect is not likely to be large.” n

EMPLOYMENT

Investment pledges hit record P617 B this year

by RichmoNd

meRcuRio Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Investment approvals by the Board of Investments (BOI) soared to an all-time high this year, surpassing by nearly a quarter the full year target of P500 billion.

The BOI said on Monday, December 18 that investments approved this year hit P617 billion, the highest in the agency’s 50-year history and 39.5 percent more than the P442 billion recorded in 2016.

The BOI‘s previous record for approved investments was posted in 1997, at P570.1 billion, which came mainly from investments due to the privatization and deregulation of public utilities such as water supply and telecommunications.

This year’s investment pledges, meanwhile, came from a total of 426 projects mainly in infrastructure and power.

The agency said these projects would generate around 76,065 jobs upon full operations.

“This validates business confidence in President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic programs to ensure inclusive growth and shared prosperity for the country. The influx of investments is definitely steamrolling, as we are expecting sustained higher investments for the next five years,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

“The momentum of our 6.9 percent GDP (gross domestic product) growth in the third quarter and 6.7 percent overall growth for the first nine months have definitely carried over in the fourth quarter, investment-wise, and further boosted with the frenzied economic activity given the holiday season,” Lopez added.

The BOI has targeted an

Leaders of the American, European, Korean, and Canadian business chambers in the Philippines told The STAR that Duterte’s directive to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board to relax restrictions on eight investment areas is a step towards the right direction for the country.

File photo by Philstar

ambitious investment approval level of P500 billion for 2017 to mark the agency’s 50th founding anniversary.

“We were happy then to just reach our P500 billion target. But to blitz past the P600 billion mark is something we are definitely ecstatic as this only proves the continuing confidence of the investors in making their business grow in the Philippines,” Lopez said.

Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo attributed the surge in investments to the designation of focused strategic sectors under the 2017 Investments Priorities Plan (IPP), as well as influx of infrastructure and power projects and the strong growth of domestic demand.

Power and energy projects

accounted for the largest chunk of the approvals at P268.168 billion, followed by infrastructure and public-private partnership (PPP) projects at P127.66 billion.

The resurgence of the manufacturing industry likewise continued as investments in the sector almost doubled to P96 billion this year from P49.26 billion in 2016.

Real estate and mass housing projects reached P86 billion, while projects in the transportation and logistics sector were valued at P15.91 billion.

“The increase in infrastructure projects this year supports the BOI’s push for the growth in economic activities outside Metro Manila and the Build Build Build or the massive infrastructure program of the administration,” Rodolfo said.n

New USCIS policy: Adjustment interview...

PAGE CJ2 t

I-485 applications. Monitoring underlying visa validity, employment authorization documents, and advance parole documents will be increasingly important.

Will interviews happen across the board, or just the “big cities”? The areas of the country with large immigrant populations, particularly in the high-tech industries, will see a disproportionate increase in the number of employment-based adjustment interviews. Specifically, USCIS expects the San

Jose, San Francisco, Newark, New York City, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Los Angeles Field Offices will be the ten most affected offices.

No two cases are exactly alike, and we encourage people to seek the advice of a licensed and experienced immigration attorney for questions regarding this new USCIS policy.

full service law firm with offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. The information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Call or e-mail CTV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. *** com. For general information visit www.

Atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate chuatinsayvega.com. attorney with Chua Tinsay & Vega, A (Advertising Supplement) Professional Legal Corporation (CTV) - a

EMPLOYMENT

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Community Journal

25th Rizal Youth Awards recognizes outstanding young Fil-Am students of Metro DC

Recipients of the 2017 Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards with Minister Patrick A. Chuasoto, Philippine Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission (3rd from left, middle row), Ms. Aylene Mafnas, President of the Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc. (4th from left, middle row); and Mrs. Gloria Federigan, PAFC Board Member and Chair of the 2017 Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Committee (2nd from left, middle row).

RYA2017performances - (Left photo) Awardee Janelle Gonzaga plays a guitar solo; (Right photo) Awardee Adeline Baban and her brother Alexander Baban play tango music on violin at the Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards ceremony held on 15 December 2017 at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy, Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seventeen (17) young FilipinoAmerican students from various schools in Metro DC are this year’s honorees of the 25th Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards held at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 15 December 2017.

The students, who are in elementary, middle school, and high school, underwent a two-step process to be selected, including the submission of personal essays on topics related to the Philippine National hero’s life.

“The Embassy’s support for the Rizal Youth Awards stems from the national belief that the youth represents progress. The Philippines, home to more than 35 million individuals under the age of 15, has always been mindful of the youth’s potential and that the Government has the responsibility to cultivate their gifts and instill values in them,” said the Philippine Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Patrick A. Chuasoto, in his keynote address.

“Jose Rizal had a lot of faith in the youth. Through his timeless works, he perpetually encourages young Filipinos to do their part and to welcome adversity.

There was not a question in his mind that you – young, creative and bright Filipinos - will be able to surmount any challenge and make your nation proud”, Minister Chuasoto further emphasized.

Mr. Ramon Antonio Paterno, co-founder of Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards Day, also delivered an inspirational message addressed to the young awardees centered on Rizal’s passion for history, fight for liberal reforms, advocacy of education as the path towards prosperity and progress, and vision of an enlightened nationalism.

“In conclusion, Rizal’s message is a message of hope for he has addressed you, the youth, as the hope of the fatherland. Finally, discover your roots, learn your history, take pride in your cultural heritage and above all,

Mr. Ramon Antonio Paterno, co-founder of the Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards Day, was the inspirational speaker at the Dr. Jose Rizal Youth Awards ceremony held on 15 December 2017 at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy, Washington, D.C.

love your country,” Mr. Paterno told the awardees.

Minister Chuasoto, together with Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc. (PAFC) President Aylene Mafnas, awarded the certificates of recognition to the outstanding students in a simple ceremony graced by the awardees’ respective families, PAFC officers and members, and several guests.

The program was even made more exciting by the guitar and violin performances of selected students, and the traditional reading of the winning essays.

Ms. Maurese Owens, PAFC’s Public Relations Officer, formally ended the program with a reminder to the awardees to remember all those who have helped them be the people they are, echoing Rizal’s advice that who does not look back from where they came from will never reach their destination.

The Rizal Youth Awards is an annual recognition program spearheaded by the PAFC, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy.

APAICS accepting applicants to 2018 summer internship THE Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is currently accepting applications to its 2018 Summer Internship program.

The APAICS Summer Internship is an eight-week program that provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to work in U.S. congressional offices in Washington, D.C., and experience American politics and public policy.

The program develops leadership and professional skills, encourages political and civic engagement, and fosters a strong interest in public service careers.

The Summer Internship program for 2018 covers an 8-week period from June 2018 to August 2018.

Miro Osuga, an APAICS

Congressional intern in the Office of Senator Tammy Duckworth in 2017 shares, “In my short time in DC, I’ve been able to make valuable and deep connections. I’ve shaken senators’ hands and listened to individuals that I could only dreamed of being in the same space as.”

For her part, Denise Diokno, an APAICS Congressional intern in the Office of Congressman Bobby Scott also in 2017 said, “Through the APAICS internship, I was able to get a hands-on experience for politics and I was able to learn how change is really made on the Hill.”

To apply for the 2018 APAICS Summer Internship, visit HYPERLINK “http://www.apaics.org” www.apaics.org, click on Programs & Events, and click on Summer Internship.

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • DECEMBER 22-28, 2017

CJ

Amendment to assessor-county clerk-recorder schedule of fees for collection of B 2 – building homes and jobs act fee REDWOOD CITY – On September 29, 2017, Governor Brown signed into law Senate Bill 2, The Building Homes and Jobs Act, codified as amended Government Code Section 27388.1. The new law requires all County Recorders in the State of California to collect an additional fee of $75, for the recording of certain real estate instruments as specified by law.

Effective January 1, 2018, the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office will commence collecting the new $75 recording fee in accordance with the following provisions of the amended statute: Gov. Code Sec. 27388.1(a)(1): “In addition to any other recording fees specified in this code, a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75) shall be paid at the time of recording of every real estate instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, except those expressly exempted from payment of recording fees, per each single transaction (per title) per parcel of real property.

The fee imposed by this section shall not exceed two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225).

Gov. Code Sec. 27388.1(a)(2): The fee shall not be imposed on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded in connection with a transfer subject to the imposition of a documentary transfer tax as defined in Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded in connection with a transfer of real property that is a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier.

When an exemption is applicable, a valid declaration of exemption must be placed on the face of each document prior to submitting with the Recorder, otherwise the fee will be assessed and collected. Only a limited number of statutory exemptions exist regarding the collection of this fee.

Failure to include a specified statutory exemption will result in the imposition of the $75 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee. The County Recorder collects fees on behalf of the State only. Fees are deposited with the State to fund the State program.

The following is a link to the new law: “http:// leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billhttp://leginfo. legislature.ca.gov/faces/bill. Any questions regarding this new fee may be directed to the San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office at (650) 363-4500 or “mailto:recorder@smcare.org” recorder@smcare.org.

CJ

DECEMBER 22-28, 2017 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 689-5160

Friday, December 22, 2017

SF2

cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - December 22, 2017

How Fil-Ams carry on Filipino Christmas traditions

by Rae ann VaRona

AJPress CHRISTMAS Day is fast approaching and for many in the U.S., that means hustling to finalize Christmas gifts, finding the perfect tree, and sending out family Christmas cards. For the millions of Filipinos living in the U.S., it also means making sure balikbayan boxes are arriving on time to their loved ones back in the Philippines, placing lechon orders, and hanging up the parol.

The Philippines is famously known for having the longest Yuletide season, with stores decked out in Christmas decor, and new and Original Pilipino Music (OPM) Christmas songs playing in homes, malls, offices, and public transportation as early as September.

In the U.S., where holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving take up the beginning “Ber” months — as many Filipinos refer to September onward as — Fil-Ams have their own ways of kickstarting an early season.

For one thing, there’s the famous balikbayan box, which FilAms start sending out in September to arrive in loved ones’ homes in the Philippines by December.

It’s no surprise that balikbayan shipments spike during Christmas time, according to the Port of Manila.

As any experienced boxer would say, packing a balikbayan box comes with a few techniques. Inside the boxes that often stand at two feet tall, are carefully curated and strategically

organized non-perishable items like shoes, Betty Crocker cake mixes, toothpaste, soap, American chocolates, Nutella, American chips, pasta, Spam, and other various canned goods. Shampoos, conditioners, perfume, and other liquid items are put in plastic grocery bags. Fragile items like fine china, dinnerware, and jewelry are carefully wrapped in t-shirts which act as cushioning. The remaining gaps are then filled with things like toilet paper and paper towels, stuffed toys, and more pieces of clothing.

And then there’s the Spanish influenced holiday tradition of Simbang Gabi (night/dawn Masses), a nine-day series of Masses leading up to Christmas Day. Every year from December 16 through 24, many Fil-Ams join in the Philippine tradition of attending the holiday services, with the most devoted attending all nine days.

“My grandma told me that when you complete Simbang Gabi, you’ll have good luck for the next year,” said Coleen Esguerra, a Fil-Am from San Diego, California. “I know of a great aunt of mine that completes it every year.”

In Southern California for example, hundreds of Filipinos, primarily Catholic, gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles to kick off the Mass tradition. The service ended with a parade of parols (Philippine star-shaped lanterns) which were then blessed.

While not everyone may com-

plete the full nine days, it is without a doubt that everyone shows up at Noche Buena (the Good Night). Noche Buena, essentially a Filipino Christmas Eve celebration, is the biggest reunion of the year for many Fil-Am families. It isn’t uncommon for families to have relatives visiting from as far as the Philippines — Esguerra’s two cousins and aunt from the Philippines come over every year.

And as the lively Tagalog holiday song “Kay Sigla ng Gabi” or Noche Buena suggests, food is a major part of the night with relatives proudly bringing their own specialties to the table.

Like at other Filipino gatherings held throughout the year, dishes like pancit, chicken adobo, pinakbet, kaldereta, and lumpia make up the table spread. But no ultimate Noche Buena is complete without items like hot Artwork by Jillian Peñalosa tsokolate (hot chocolate) made Fil-Am Christmas to a traditional with tablea (chocolate tablets) American Christmas,” said Nadia from native Philippine cocoa Gapur, a Sacramento-based beans, salabat (warm ginger tea) which is especially popular as the Fil-Am. There’s the Christmas music sun comes up, queso de bola of Holiday favorites like “Jingle (large Edam cheese ball),hamón Bells” or “White Christmas”, (ham), puto bumbong (a marbut also of classic Filipino songs garine and brown sugar topped like “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit purple-colored sticky rice cake), (Christmas Is Coming)” or “Pasko bibingka (coconut-rice cakes), Sa Nayon (Christmas in the and of course,lechon (whole roasted pig), which if not made at Village)”. There’s the Christmas home, is pre-ordered in advance. tree, holly, and garlands, but also the colorfully lit parol— an iconic Beyond the food, there are Filipino Christmas symbol. Then the typical Christmas activities there’s the gift giving in which most families enjoy, but with kids finally receive their presents, unique Filipino nuances. but only after showing respect “Seeing parols and the for their elders through the gesfood definitely differentiates a

ture of pagmamano.

“Also having karaoke is super Filipino,” Gapur added.

For many Fil-Ams, including Esguerra, incorporating Philippine holiday traditions are an ode to how they’re celebrated in the Philippines.

“The feeling is different, and the whole Christmas spirit is more pronounced in the Philippines,” said Esguerra. “When Filipinos say that Christmas decorating starts in September in the Philippines, they are telling the truth. Everyone in the Philippines takes Christmas on another level, and I love it.”

But like any Christmas cel-

ebration, Fil-Am or not, celebrating the holiday is about making new personal traditions with loved ones. This is the case for Filipina travel and lifestyle blogger Camie Juan who just recently moved from the Philippines to New York.

“It’s going to be our first Christmas together and without our families. We just plan to stay home and cook a nice dinner together, very laid back, maybe watch a Christmas movie,” said Juan.

“We’re looking at it as like starting our own traditions now that we’re married,” she added.

How to have a hassle-free, drama-free celebration

by KlaRize Medenilla AJPress

EvERYONE loves the holiday season, and for good reason.

Generosity, kinship and family are in the air. Christmas decorations always put a twinkle in your eye, no matter what your age.

Christmas Day gatherings are meant to be fun-filled celebrations for gift exchanges, elaborate lunch/dinner spreads and reconnecting with loved ones that you perhaps haven’t seen in a long time.

Although Christmas Day celebrations are meant for fellowship and happiness, it can be quite stressful and can go wrong very, very quickly. Here are some tips to ensure that your family’s Christmas Day gathering goes smoothly and with no hassles.

Stick with themed outfits Since copious photos on Facebook are pretty much expected in any Filipino family gathering, there’s always pressure on what to wear. Picking the right outfit can be stressful, but Christmas is the perfect occasion to set a fun dress-code and announce a theme for the party.

Ugly Christmas sweaters are always a classic. You can even raise the stakes and hold an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest to really get everyone’s creativity going. Other themes appropriate for Christmas are pajamas (up the ante with pajama onesies), Santa hats, flannel or, simply, red and green. Have fun with it!

Organize gift exchange games like Secret Santa or White Elephant Buying gifts for the whole family is stressful, especially for a Filipino family which includes an endless list of cousins, nieces and nephews, titas and titos and lolos and lolas.

So rather than burning your bank account, coordinating Secret Santa, White Elephant or other creative gift exchange gifts could be a more affordable alternative; and that way, everyone gets a gift.

Secret Santa, for example, entails putting all the names of the participating members in a hat and each person picking one at random. You only buy one gift for that person, and you all exchange gifts on Christmas Day. There are many different ways to do Secret Santa: you can set a minimum or maximum price limit, you can have each person post a wishlist of what they want on a Facebook group or you can just let each Secret Santa get whatever gift they want for that person. That’s the fun of Secret Santa! You can tailor it to your family’s unique preferences.

Avoid political talk I mentioned this in our

Belen (Nativity scene)

Inquirer.net photos

Christmas, more fun in the Philippines!

by JennifeR SoRiano AJPress

Artwork by Jillian Peñalosa

Thanksgiving feature, but it needs to be said again: avoid talking about politics! In general, talking politics isn’t appropriate for most social gatherings. But Christmas is all about kinship and it’s important to keep the lively, friendly vibe going. If you want to have a cordial, easygoing Christmas celebration — and I’m sure that’s everyone — avoid discussing very divisive topics that could alienate some of the guests. Christmas is all about friendly communion and getting along with all your loved ones, even those whose political ideologies may differ from yours.

So, keep it lighthearted and, for now, forget about your misgivings over the GOP tax bills and your hot takes on immigration policy and just remember the real reason for the season: togetherness.

Host a potluck Christmas is definitely most stressful for whoever is hosting the family celebration. There’s a lot of pressure on the food spread, so to help out the host family, organizing a potluck could bring some ease. As stated in the Thanksgiving feature, it might help — and be fun — to set up a Facebook event or Google Sheet page to organize who’s bringing what. This could bring out a wide variety of tasty treats — and it’s easier on the host family.

Tailor the celebration to who’s coming to the party For family parties, this isn’t usually a problem. It’s usually the same crowd that shows up and you all have kept some kind of

tradition for your typical family get-togethers. That being said, if your family is religious, saying a prayer before everyone digs into the food is a common tradition for Christian families. Even setting up a fun little play detailing the birth of Christ could remind guests of the real reason for the season.

However, if your party crowd is a little more variable with people of different religious backgrounds with varying degrees of piousness, it might help to keep the party secular. To some people, Christmas has become a pagan celebration surrounded by gift-giving, yuletide decor and an excuse to invite people over to a party. Toning down on the religious decor and playing up more non-Christian elements of the holiday is ideal for a more secular crowd.

Leave your dirty laundry at the door Just for one day, forget about your sister that owes you money or your cousin with whom you fought on Facebook over politics. ‘Tis not the season to be petty or argumentative so let it go for now because the holidays aren’t meant to hash out issues that could lead to potentially explosive encounters. The worst time to discuss ongoing family issues is over Christmas dinner. If there are any grievances you simply can’t get over, or if someone tries to provoke you, be the bigger person and don’t give in. Organize a time after the Christmas party for these matters that could ruin the party.

WHILE the days leading to Christmas Day are usually festive, there is no denying that this season makes one wistful and sentimental. I recently received a message from a relative who moved to the U.S. from the Philippines earlier this year.

She said she was feeling homesick and that the American Christmas season is not as merry as compared to how Filipinos celebrate it back home.

I’m sure many Filipinos who are abroad share the same feeling. But, wherever you are, you need to remember that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. While you may not be able to celebrate it in the Philippines this year, remember that there’s always a next year.

To help you plan your next Christmas vacation, here are some reasons why celebrating the holidays back home is worth your week-long or month-long vacation leave.

Kids singing your favorite Christmas carols I remember being ecstatic

“Filipinos have the propensity to be more generous, especially during Christmas.”

Parols (lanterns)

every time December hits the calendar. Because it is during this time you would hear kids sing well-loved Christmas songs such as “Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit”, “Pasko Na Naman”, “Christmas In Our Hearts”, “Jingle Bells” and many more.

Simbang Gabi (dawn Masses) Christmas season in the Philippines begins early as the month of September. These nine-day traditional dawn Masses start on December 16 and end on Christmas Day. Some say, that completing the Simbang Gabi—by attending all nine Masses—will grant wishes.

Puto bumbong and bibingka A perfect way to cap your early morning habit during the Simbang Gabi is to treat yourself to a warm soft and chewy treat by eating puto bumbong and bibingka! Bibingka is made from galapong (rice dough), baked in a special clay pot, lined with a piece of banana leaf, with live coals on top and underneath. Puto bumbong meanwhile is a made from purple-colored ground rice cooked in bamboo tubes that are placed on a custom-made steamer-cooker. These Filipino treats are best paired with hot chocolate.

Creative parols (lanterns) Filipino Christmas is lively and colorful. This is why during this season, bright and twinkling parols (lanterns) adorn almost every house in the country. The parol represents the star of Betlehem which guided the Three Wise Men to the manger of the newlyborn Jesus Christ.

Belen (nativity scene) Aside from the parols,

another popular decoration in the Philippines during Christmas season is the belen (nativity scene). The belen depicts the Holy Family during the birth of Jesus Christ, displayed mostly at churches, homes, schools, and various establishments.

Noche Buena Celebrations aren’t complete without a gathering of family and friends over a sumptuous meal. This is what Noche Buena (Christmas eve dinner) is all about—togetherness, love, and gratitude. Who can resist that sparkly lechon (roasted pig), the once a year hamon (ham), and the creamy queso de bola (ball cheese), the sweet Pinoystyle spaghetti and the muchloved barbeque, anyway?

Receive and give gifts As a kid who grew up in the Philippines, Christmas was (and still is, I think) my favorite time of the year. Back then, I always received more gifts during Christmas than I do on my birthday, which happens to be a couple of weeks before Christmas.

People are happier and are most generous during this time of the year. As a little kid, I kept on thinking that this is Jesus’ manifestation of love for me; that instead of Him receiving gifts for His birthday, He just let me have them all—regardless if I was naughty or nice that year.

As I grew older, I learned that gift-giving is deeply inculcated in the Filipino Christmas tradition, especially when you are a ninong/ ninang (godfather/ godmother).

Sociologist Niño Tobias told Inquirer that, “Filipinos have the propensity to be more generous, especially during Christmas.”

“Hospitality is a way of sharing yourself with other people.

We enjoy giving, that’s why Christmas in the Philippines is exaggerated. You see, even the poor will spend just so he can give,” said Tobias.

“We want to make other people happy. This trait, which is primarily reflected by our hospitality culture, trickles down to how we celebrate the holiday season,” he added.

features SF3 The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – December 22, 2017

Cocktail recipes to make spirits brighter Recipes prepared by Tim Walters / Instagram: @barmansmix With holiday celebrations underway, preparations on how to decorate and what dishes to serve at parties may be stressful. However, finding beverages to fit the season and ambiance doesn’t have to be. Get into the festive mood with simple, yet inventive twists of traditional winter drinks using Tanduay Rum, which is proudly produced in the Philippines.

The SalabaT - Toddy IngredIents: • 6 oz. Hot Sweetened Ginger Tea/“Salabat” • 2 oz. Tanduay Gold Rum

InstruCtIons: 1. Pour 2 oz. of Tanduay Gold Rum in a tempered glass or mug 2. Top Off with 6 oz. of piping hot “Salabat” 3. Garnish with lemon wheel

The hoT apple pie IngredIents: • 6 oz. Hot Spiced Apple Cider • 2 oz. of Tanduay Gold Rum

hoT CalamanSi with Tanduay Silver

InstruCtIons: 1. Pour 2 oz. of Tanduay Gold Rum in a tempered glass or mug 2. Add 6 oz. of piping hot, spiced Apple Cider 3. Top off with whipped cream and fresh, grated nutmeg

IngredIents: • 6 oz. Hot calamansi juice (use fresh calamansi & sweetened to taste or calamansi concentrate diluted with water) • 2 oz. of Tanduay Silver Rum

InstruCtIons: 1. Pour 2 oz. of Tanduay Silver Rum in a tempered glass or mug 2. Top Off with 6 oz. of piping hot, sweetened calamansi juice 3. Garnish with calamansi (if available)

Tanduay Rum is made from world-class, heirloom sugarcane from the tropical islands of the Philippines. With two expressions, Tanduay Gold Rum is aged in used bourbon barrels for up to 7 years and Tanduay Silver Rum, is aged in used bourbon barrels from 3-5 years. These two expressions are crafted exclusively for the USA market for export quality. Now available at your local Seafood City.

(Advertising Supplement)

SF4

celebrityworld

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - December 22, 2017

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar Willie Revillame (born Wilfredo Buendia Revillame on January 27, 1961 in Cabanatuan City, Philippines), a television host, singer, actor and comedian, turns 57 this coming January (2018), and heads the list of personalities celebrating their birthdays at the start of the Year of the Dog. Revillame started out as the host of GMA Network’s noontime variety program “lunch Date” in the early 1980s, together with Randy Santiago.

After this, he appeared in different movies playing as a sidekick to big-name stars. in 1998, he started co-hosting the ABS-CBN noontime show “’Sang linggo nAPO Sila.” After the show was canceled to make way for his big break in “Magandang Tanghali Bayan,” Willie also started appearing in “Richard loves

lucy.”

Other shows he hosted for the network were “Willingly Yours,” “Masayang Tanghali Bayan” and “Wowowee.”

Revillame has also hosted TV5 variety programs like “Willing Willie,” “Wil Time Bigtime” and “Wowowillie.” in March of 2015, Revillame marked his homecoming on GMA Network (his original home network) and a long-awaited return to Philippine showbiz and television via a new weekly variety show “Wowowin,” airing every Sunday afternoon. The program became a weekday variety program in February of 2016 due to its popularity.

Other celebrities who are celebrating their birthdays for the incoming month of the new year are: January 1 – Daly City youth

‘Mr. WoWoWin’ Willie Revillame heads list of birthday celebrants for the month of January

Willie Revillame, the country’s global television game show host, singer and recording artist, heads our January celebrants. He is shown in photo with Beauty Impresario Ferdie Villar during his last show in Northern California.

The Megastar Sharon Cuneta will celebrate her birthday on Sunday, January 7.

Jett Viray Navarro, the lady behind the success of Club Royale U.S.A., will celebrate her birthday on Wednesday, January 24.

Dancing Queen of The Bay Area Lilly Smith will celebrate her birthday on Monday, January 8.

“ASAP” host, recording artist and matinee idol Piolo Pascual will celebrate his birthday on Friday, January 12.

Handsome actor Richard Gutierrez will celebrate his birthday on Sunday, January 21

tive Renato (Boyet) Bala; January 6 – Tire Pros owner Richard Tan; January 7 – Megastar Sharon Cuneta, who is now with Kapamilya Channel 2; January 8 – Dancing Queen of the Bay Area lilly Smith; January 9 – Kapamilya actress Melissa Ricks; January 10 – Movie producer Jessie ejercito, Kapamilya actor Jestoni Alarcon; January 12 – “ASAP” co-host/recording star/actor Piolo Pascual, actor-comedian Bentong, boxing champ Manny

Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee Pacquiao; January 14 – San Rafael’s singing diva Malou Hajian; January 15 – South San Francisco business executive J.R. Garvida; January 17 – Award-winning actress Hilda Koronel; January 20 – San Mateo County Harbor Commissioner Robert Bernardo; Kapamilya actress-singer Toni GonzagaSoriano; January 21 – Kapamilya actor Richard Gutierrez; January 24 – Club Royale

Grand Dame Jett Viray Navarro; January 25 – Asia’s Guru of Beauty Dr. Vicky Belo, the late former Philippine President Corazon Aquino; January 26 – former Jukebox Queen imelda Papin; January 29 – Hotel executive Flordelis Mayapis, South San Francisco community leader Ressie espiritu; January 31 – Kapamilya singer-actress Jessa Zaragoza.

Happy Birthday to all January celebrants and let us all welcome 2018, the Year of the Dog!

leader Joseph Cabrera, who will celebrate his lucky 19th birthday; January 2 – Former winner of Mrs. Philippines-USA Fely Casco; January 4 – Kapuso Channel actress Katrina Halili; January 5 – Costco execu-

Dr. Vicki Belo, internationally known as Asia’s Guru of Beauty, will celebrate her birthday on Thursday, January 25.

Piolo Pascual named among Asia’s hottest and most deserving talents JUST as he started the year with a bang when he hit a milestone birthday in January, showbiz A-lister Piolo Pascual is wrapping up 2017 with another major achievement in his career.

On December 14, the ABSCBN leading man was honored as part of the first ever “10 Asian Stars: Up Next” list at the 2nd international Film Festival and Awards Macau (iFFAM) held at the Macao Cultural Centre. The recognition was jointly given by iFFAM and Variety magazine. looking every bit a star in an impeccably tailored suit, the only Filipino who made it to this glamorous list did his country proud as he stood side by side with counterparts across the continent, namely “Arrow” actress Celina Jade and “Power Rangers Reboot” actor ludi lin, Bollywood celebrity Rajkummar Rao, “DetecThe only Filipino who made it to the glamorous list, tive Conan live Action’s” Shioli Kutsuna, “Bad Genius’” Chutimon Pascual looks every bit a star in Macau.

ManilaTimes.net photo Chuengcharoensukying, and shows including “Mara Clara,” “Okja” actress Ahn Seo-hyun. and “Gimik” on ABS-CBN. His According to festival officials team up with fellow network the new list aims to profile and talent Judy Ann Santos became recognize Asia’s hottest and phenomenal in early 2000s. Their most deserving talents who have four movies, “Kahit isang Saglit,” brought pride to their respective “Bakit Di Totohanin,” “Till There countries.

Was You, and “Don’t Give Up Pascual has been active in on Us,” earned more than P100 show business for the last 25 years as a multi-awarded actor, TV million at the box office. it was star, recording artist and as of late his movie with Claudine Barretto, “Milan,” which became his topa movie producer. grossing film of all time. in 1994, Pascual started in 2002, Pascual played the his career in GMA Network’s role of Jules in the award-winning “That’s entertainment,” and was film, Dekada ‘70 for which he thereafter spotted for such TV

received eight awards in the Best Supporting Actor category. He was promptly given special recognition for a rare grand slam award feat by the GMMSF Box-Office entertainment Awards. in 2003, Pascual ventured into music with his debut album “Piolo” which went platinum.

His second album “My Gift” hit Platinum status as well. His fifth solo album “Timeless” hit Triple Platinum status. in 2008, he starred in a fantasy TV series “lobo” together with Angel locsin. The show gained accolades from Banff World Media Festival and international emmy Awards. in 2009, Pascual became a producer for “Manila,” an independent twin bill film under Bicycle Pictures. After its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2009, Manila had its official Philippine premiere in cinemas in July 2009 as the opener of the 5th Cinemalaya Film Festival. in 2013, Pascual went to Cannes once again with the movie On The Job. in 2016, he proudly joined costar John lloyd Cruz and director lav Diaz for the world premiere of the eight-hour “Hele Sa Hiwagang Hapis” at the 66th Berlin Film Festival.

Together with some directors and writers, Pascual created his movie outfit, Spring Films, which is known for its popular “Kimmy Dora” movie series and the 2017 box office phenomenon “Kita Kita.” (ManilaTimes.net)

Solenn Heussaff: ‘I love Christmas!’

FOR celebrity multi-slashie Solenn Heussaff, the holiday season is such a welcome treat what with a full year of non-stop work for her flourishing career.

Besides getting to slow down for a few days, she also admitted to The Manila Times she is a true fan of Christmas. “i love Christmas!” she gushed like a little girl. “Christmas decorations, Christmas

songs, i love!”

She enthused, “every year para sa akin, pinaka-masaya talaga ang Christmas. Para sa akin, pinaka-important na nandoon kaming lahat as a family so i make sure na i spend time with them and that we eat, eat, eat together! No diets at Christmas!” the ever-svelte Franco-Filipino personality added laughing.

Continued on Page SF5

Solenn Heussaff

GMA photo

TURKEY EMBUTIDO

With cranberry sweet and sour sauce By

features The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - December 22, 2017

SF5

yana GiLBuEna

inGrEdiEnts: • 1 small shallot, finely chopped • ½ cup of celery, brunoised • ½ cup of carrots, brunoised • 2 tbsp freshly ground pepper • 2 lbs of ground turkey • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce • 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce • 3 tablespoons of sweet soy • 1 teaspoon of soy sauce • 2 slices of spam ¼” thick, in batons • 2 century eggs, deshelled (regular hard boiled eggs can be substituted) • 1 cup rice flour, sifted (cornstarch can be substituted) • 1 cup panko • 1 egg, beaten

Simbang Gabi: A revered Filipino Christmas tradition

• 2 cups canola oil (vegetable oil can be a substitute) • ½ cup of chopped garlic, fried • 1 can of whole cranberry sauce

• ½ cup of pinakurat or sinamak (spiced coconut vinegar) • 1 tablespoon of calamansi • 1 tablespoon of sugar • Microgreens or edible flowers for garnish

instruCtions: 1. Toss shallot, celery, carrot and ground turkey in a bowl to combine; add fish sauce, oyster sauce, sweet soy and soy sauce and pepper.

Massage well.

2. Preheat oven to 425F. 3. In a small pan, test your embutido mix by frying a small spoonful. Add salt if needed.

4. On a flat surface, layout a 12” X 12” piece of aluminum foil. Spread your turkey mixture flat and even on the center about ½” thick. Put the two century eggs and spam slices in the center and roll into a log, using your foil as a wrap.

Make sure they’re even and all the ends are closed.

5. In a baking pan, put your embutido log in the oven for 20 minutes. Check the internal temperature to be 165F before taking it out.

6. Meanwhile, heat 2 cups of canola oil in a wok or deep pan. In a separate sauce pot, add the cranberry, spiced coconut vinegar, calamansi and sugar. Put on low/simmer heat.

Stir occasionally.

7. Once the log is out of the oven, remove foil and let cool.

In two separate plates, put rice flour and panko accordingly.

Do not mix. Coat your log with rice flour first, then add the 1 beaten egg as another coat, then coat with panko. Fry in oil until brown on all sides.

8. Cut the log on a bias and drizzle the cranberry sauce on generously on top and garnish with microgreens or edible flowers and fried garlic. *** Yana Gilbuena, a Filipino-born, critically acclaimed global nomadic chef, started Salo

Series to share with the world the vibrant food culture of the Philippines. The Salo Series hosts Filipino Kamayan dinners, in which food is served on communal tables decked with banana leaves, and guests are asked to eat with their hands. In her American tour, Yana hosted pop-up dinners in 50 states in 50 weeks, as well as across Canada, Mexico, Colombia and her home country, Philippines. She is a 2017 Stone Barns Exchange Fellow and has also been featured in major publications such as The New York Times and National Geographic. She’s been published in The Cherry Bombe Cookbook, Feed the Resistance and is self-publishing her own: No Forks Given this February 2018. This global culinary nomad aims to further her mission and aims to host a Salo on every continent.

Luis Manzano: He’ll make you laugh and feed you

by ErnEst

Gala Philstar.com

“A wAnnABe comedian,” proclaims the Twitter profile of Luis Manzano (twitter.com/luckymanzano). He wasn’t joking. while cooking at the Gala Stars Culinary recently, the actor was true to that aspiration. At one point, while doing a demo, he picked one of two dishes we prepared, a festive crown roast and choco chip oatmeal cookies, he playfully picked up one of our students, the petite Kath.

“Sorry, akala ko rekado ka,” said the 36-year-old actor. “Huwag ka kasing masyadong madikit, muntik na kitang maisama dito.” By everyone’s laughter, it was pretty obvious Luis isn’t just a “wannabe” but a full-fledged comedian. Ask his 5.81 million Twitter followers. not everyone knows that Luis — and he did not mention this in his Twitter profile—cooks and makes people laugh at the same time. Just last month, Luis posted a shirtless photo of himself right next to a photo of a wagyu and captioned it: “Kung masarap ang karneng wAGYU, walang mas-sasarap pa sa katawan kong pang LuvYu.” Okay. So it’s a little bit corny and a little bit cheesy. But his post pokes fun at himself in the same kind of humor his dad edu is a master at.

Cooking with Chef Erns when Luis visited our stateof-the-art culinary school Gala Stars Culinary, he felt totally at home. In his own words, he said being here feels like a “homecoming.”

Luis graduated with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Institution Management. “So, I was always inside the kitchen…and it’s been a while since I got to hold pots, pans, utensils… It’s a one big homecoming for me.”

And so like every other year, Christmas will be spent with the growing Heussaff clan.

“Usually, every Christmas eve, si erwann (her brother) ang nagluluto. So, it will be him, me, Anne (Curtis, her new sister-inlaw), my other sister and her husband, and another sibling is coming home from Singapore!” she added excitedly.

Asked if her Argentinian husband nico Bolzico—whose

rolls) are also very popular.

Today, even in this digital age, the tradition of Simbang Gabi continues not only in the Philippines but also observed in many Filipino communities overseas.

Simbang Gabi is not just a tradition that is celebrated because we need to do so. It is a way for us to worship and praise God. It is the spiritual preparation for Christmas, in commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. For many, observing Simbang Gabi is a way of offering sacrifice and requesting blessings from the Lord, as they believe that if one completes nine dawn masses, their wishes will be granted. Furthermore, this religious tradition encourages community development and camaraderie among parishioners through a common effort of prayer, celebration, fellowship and charity. Finally, for Filipinos living overseas — especially in the United States — observing Simbang Gabi helps maintain a connection with their roots in the Philippines.

Over the years, Filipino communities in the United States have made changes in the way that Simbang Gabi is celebrated with some parishes observing the tradition around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m instead of during the early

morning in order to accommodate the needs of the members of the community.

But no matter the language, the place or the time this revered Filipino tradition is observed and celebrated, when you pray and attend the Simbang Gabi, you realize how truly universal, significant and important the Christmas spirit is for every Christian. Simbang Gabi in its very essence provides a very strong indication of the depth of faith among the Filipino people. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years professional experience in the overseas tourism and travel industry.

He is currently the Director for Business Development and Marketing of GTT International/Majestic Vacations, one of the biggest airlines consolidators in the United States, and wholesaler of package tours worldwide. He also provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism, which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas and New York, and other Manila-based newspapers as well. For comments or questions, you may reach him at milagan@majestic-vacations. com

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while Luis confesses to having a decidedly sweet tooth, his food favorites are wide ranging from Italian, to Mexican, to Thai while admitting to having what he calls a “Pinoy Palate.” which is exactly how we do a homestyle handaan during occasions like family reunions. everyone’s favorite has a place on the table — well-loved family recipes such as the heirloom kaldereta together with a gooey “carbonara” with cream and lots of bacon and the comforting familiarity of buko pandan and your favorite niece’s frozen mango graham pie, alongside pricey Ladurée macarons (one piece only per member of the family!). we all are Luis Manzano’s palate — and that’s a good thing because it proves how open we are to the deluge of new cuisines now teasing and challenging the flavor profiles we’re used to.

Korean spicy noodle challenge, hello. (And with that, learning that milk is the best thing to soothe a mouth on fire.)

Meal in one In fact, Luis’ go-to comfort food is something that mirrors our predilection for mixing up tastes and dishes. He simply calls it a Meal in One, and credits his mom for making imbento the dish or at least, serving it to him first.

Just last november, he posted photos of the Meal in One on Facebook with the cap-

Solenn Heussaff: ‘I love...

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“SimbanG Gabi”, which literally means “evening or night mass” is a Filipino Christmas tradition. As a devotional practice in the tradition of the novena, it is a series of nine evening Masses usually celebrated during Advents from December 16-24, in preparation for Christmas Day. Simbang Gabi originated from the Missa Aurea (golden mass or angel’s mass) practiced by the Roman Catholic Church.

The tradition was introduced by the Spanish friars at the start of the Catholic evangelization of the Philippines, specifically to allow farmers to hear mass before going to the fields in the morning.

Originally, Simbang Gabi Masses were held in the early hours of the morning — around 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. — when roosters crowed to announce the dawning of the new day, thus the name misa de Gallo. Today, it is still celebrated the same way in most places in the Philippines as the Roman Catholic churches across the nation open their doors shortly before the break of dawn and church bells would ring to summon welcome the faithfuls to the Simbang Gabi mass.

In celebration of of Simbang Gabi — which is a preparation for Christmas — most churches are decorated with colorful lights and beautiful parol lanterns to welcome the churchgoers.

In addition, a nativity scene is displayed in preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day. Shortly after the mass, traditional delicacies awaits the church goers, there are food stalls right outside the church, popular favorites are bibingka, puto (rice cakes), puto bumbong, suman sa Pasko, suman sa ibos, and usually served with tea or coffee. Hot pan de sal (breakfast

funny antics have made him more popular this year all on his own—will be with them, Heussaff said he will be flying out to see his family as he always does for the holidays.

“It’s the only time he gets to go home,” she explained.

“Dapat pupunta ako since it’s part of my duty din as a wife.

Pero nung makita ko ‘yung mga gagawin ko for next year, sabi ko kay nico na it’s not yet time. may one week off ako, pero papun-

Photo from Instagram/@luckymanzano

tion: “Sa sobrang sarap binenta ko yung isang pinsan ko pambili sangkap ulit.”

So we asked him to tell us more about this special dish.

“As a kid, one dish that my mom would always prepare even up to now, it’s still my main dish to go to — it’s called Meal in One,” said the actor also known as Lucky. “It’s basically a pasta dish that has corned beef, cream of mushroom, corn and lots of cheese on top.”

It’s a combo for the ages and Luis loves this Meal in One so much that he requests his mom to whip up the dish on Sundays, holidays, family visits, nights with the barkada, when he would ask for one of two llaneras of the dish.

“My friends love it,” he said.

“Wala pa akong nakikilala that did not like the Meal in One.” Salpicao: The family favorite when asked what he’d cook for his mom for Christmas, Luis said without hesitation: “Salpicao pasta. My mom loves salpicao — my whole family loves salpicao… my brother, my Tito Ralph. And it’s something very, very different. I remember an old restaurant a long time ago, they served really good salpicaopasta.”

“I tried doing that dish a few times, but there was a lot of hits and misses,” he confessed. “So, hopefully, through erns, I get to do it properly.” tang Argentina 30 hours na ‘yung trip. not worth it na nandun lang ako ng four days.”

The two have gotten used to being apart during the Christmas holidays but still cannot help missing each other. Fortunately, technology today makes it easier for them to communicate.

“OK lang naman sa amin kasi siyempre his family, nandun. And hindi naman ako selfish or possessive. buong year nandito na siya sa akin. It’s just one month — every December.” (ManilaTimes.net)

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