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Volume 26 - No. 105 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

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

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Robredo on Duterte ouster claims: I give up DATELINE USA

Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey

by HELEN

FLORES Philstar.com

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

115th Congress sworn in, agenda targets Obama initiatives

THE United States’ 115th Congress was sworn into office on Tuesday, January 3, ushering a GOP-controlled Legislative Branch.

Thirty-four senators and the entire House of Representatives was sworn in, including Speaker of the House Sen. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin).

Once President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20, the GOP will be in control of both the Executive and Legislative branches —the first time in a decade.

That being said, the future of several key initiatives from President Barack Obama look bleak, especially the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

The dismantling of Obamacare — which has been a fixture in the Republican agenda since Obama entered office in 2008 — is likely to happen after Republican lawmakers announced a bill that may repeal the law within the next month.

Democrats fear that repealing Obamacare

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo said said on Monday, January 2 she would no longer exert effort to explain herself to President Duterte even as she lamented that he believed in “false” reports about her, including those stating she was part of a plot to oust him.

Robredo was reacting to Duterte’s recent remark that the Vice President was excluded from Cabinet meetings because she attended protest rallies calling for his ouster.

“Even if I’m very vocal about my opposition, I made a conscious decision not to attend rallies in deference to the President because I’m a member of the Cabinet,” the Vice President said in an interview in Camarines Sur. Robredo was apparently referring to the rallies against the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani last Nov. 18 despite the lack of a final decision from the Supreme Court on the issue.

She attended the Annual Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes in the People’s Resistance to Dictatorship at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on Nov. 30 but not the protest actions, even as she assailed the surprise burial.

“It’s saddening that he believed the reports he re- “Even if I’m very vocal about my opposition, I made a conscious decision not to attend rallies in deference to the President because I’m a

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THE Philippines is shifting away from the United States in an attempt to ‘normalize’ its relationship with Beijing, the new Philippine envoy to China said on Monday, January 2.

“We were one-sidedly imbalanced in favor of the US,” the Philippines’ new ambassador to China, Jose “Chito” Sta. Romana, told Agence France-Presse.

For decades, the Philippines has been an ally of the U.S. but the relationship between the two countries has been put into question since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office last June.

Duterte has been constantly threatening to end the Philippines’ military and economic ties with the U.S. for the latter’s supposed ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘bullying’ of smaller nations, and also for its criticisms against the Philippine government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“The problem came after they began lecturing him. The president (Duterte) considers it an internal affair,” Sta. Romana said.

He then added, “The Chinese don’t comment on your internal affairs.”

Sta. Romana also described the Philippines’ shift to China as “a strategic shift in our foreign policy.”

He, however, clarified, that the Philippines is

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member of the Cabinet,” the Vice President said in an interview in Camarines Sur.

The Asian Journal’s 2016 roundup

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Duterte shifting away from US to ‘normalize’ relations with China—PH envoy

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A year of political surprises, uncertainty in US-PH relations and more.

By AJPress WITH 2016 now behind us, the Asian Journal editorial team takes a look back at the top news stories of the past year. From the elections of Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte as the presidents of the United States and the Philippines, respectively, to long-awaited recognition for Filipino World War II veterans, the Asian Journal has been there reporting as these stories unfolded, and how they have impacted Filipinos in the United States and around the globe.

Here is our roundup of top issues and events — broken down by month — that have dominated the front pages of our six editions:

HOMECOMING QUEEN. Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach waves to the crowd during her grand homecoming parade outside the Sofitel in Pasay City on Monday, Dec. 25.

Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

Philstar.com/File

PH gov’t will not ‘hide’ street dwellers during Miss Universe pageant

January PH Supreme Court rules EDCA constitutional The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday, Jan. 12, upheld the constitutionality of an executive agreement between the Philippines and the United States that permits increased rotational presence of US military troops in the country. In a 10-4-1 vote, the top court ruled in favor of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was signed by the Philippines and US in 2014 but was not implemented due to legal challenges. The agreement, which has a 10-year lifespan, also allows U.S. troops access to Philippine military bases. The decision comes amid the ongoing dispute between the Philippines and China regarding conflicting claims in the South China Sea. Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach returns to PH after win More than a month after she was crowned as Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach returned home to the Philippines. Wurtzbach arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on January 23 after triumphing at the international beauty pageant held in Las Vegas in 2015. It was later followed by a Grand Homecoming Parade on January 25, where she received warm welcome from her fans and thousands of fellow Filipinos. During the coronation night on December 20, the pageant’s host Steve Harvey, incorrectly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner instead of Wurtzbach.

February PH Pres. Benigno Aquino visits LA Fil-Am community, earns honorary degree from Loyola Marymount University More than 800 members of Filipino community groups from the southwestern United States gathered in Los Ange-

THE Philippine government will not ‘hide’ street dwellers during the upcoming Miss Universe 2016 beauty pageant later this month, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Tuesday, January 2.

“In fact, we would like to show them this is the Philippines,” Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo told CNN Philippines in an interview.

Teo noted that most candidates in the Miss Universe pageant are also not from rich countries.

“Sila naman din they have also the squatters (They also have squatters), they also have the homeless in their country. Hindi naman sila mayayaman din (They were also not rich), so we would let them see that the reality that we are not a rich country,” she said.

The DOT also noted that the Philippine government would not

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by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

I saw Duterte kill 8 times’ –Matobato Filipino American participants celebrate history, EDGAR Matobato, a confessed

by KRISTINE

ANGELI Inquirer.net

SABILLO

promote heart health awareness at 2017 Rose Parade

killer and member of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), said he witnessed President Duterte kill eight times, seven at the infamous Ma-a quarry in Davao City, when Mr. Duterte was mayor there.

“Sa Ma-a, siguro pitong beses (In Ma-a perhaps seven times),” Matobato told an Inquirer.net team on Monday, Jan. 2 in an interview in a safe house, referring to a district in Davao City.

He said the killings happened DIVINE GUIDANCE? Edgar Matobato holds between 1998 and 2000. But he an image of the Virgin Mary while being could neither give details of the interviewed at his safe house by an Inquirer. seven nighttime incidents in the

Cloudy skies could not hamper the high spirits of thousands of cheering spectators who lined the five-and-a-half mile route of the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade in the City of Pasadena, California on Monday, January 2.

A collection of 41 floats, 19 marching bands and 20 equestrian units from across the country captivated people of all ages and walks of life who came out to witness the iconic celebration of the New Year.

“The vibes from everybody, everyone’s energy, it’s really cool!” said Filipino-American snare

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net team about his killing missions.

Inquirer.net photo by Kristine Angeli Sabillo

by ERIC

ANTHONY LICAS AJPress

The Philippine Scouts Heritage Society made its Rose Parade debut on Monday, January 1.

AJPress photo by Eric Anthony Licas

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Robredo on Duterte...

PAGE A1 t ceived because many knew that (they were) not true. It’s very easy for him to verify (the reports), why did he believe what is not true?” Robredo said.

The Vice President’s comment was belated as she was in the US with her family for a vacation when the President made the remark. She arrived on Monday.

Robredo said she would no longer seek to personally explain

to the President, adding that “it’s hard not to be trusted.”

“The Cabinet post is a position of confidence. You should have the full trust of the President but if that is the case, when he no longer trusts me, what’s the point of staying?” she said.

Robredo, however, said she remained committed to supporting the administration’s good initiatives, such as helping the victims of calamities. n

I saw Duterte kill 8 times’...

PAGE A1 t gravel quarry on the outskirts of the city nor the identities of the victims. He suggested some of the victims were criminals.

He could only remember details of the killing of Mr. Duterte’s alleged eighth victim, a National Bureau of Investigation agent he identified only as “Amisola.”

(NBI agent Vicente Amisola was killed on Feb. 11, 1994.–Ed.) Matobato said the DDS was going after kidnappers when the group came upon Amisola’s vehicle blocking a narrow street.

He said one of Mr. Duterte’s men got into an altercation and then a gunfight with Amisola.

He said Amisola, who rolled under his pickup truck as he was being shot, was killed by Mr. Duterte, who emptied two Uzi magazines on the NBI agent.

The Inquirer could not independently confirm Matobato’s allegations.

Execution-style Matobato, 57, who has been shuttled to different safe houses in the past months because he fears for his life after publicly testifying against the President in a Senate hearing in September, sat on a green monobloc chair at the edge of a small shed where his wife cooked his meals.

Behind him is a piece of land that slopes downward, into a narrow stream—the only background the team was allowed to shoot on video.

Asked if he had firsthand knowledge of Mr. Duterte killing people, he said, “Marami na (There’s been a lot.)”

“Minsan gabi yun pumupunta basta pinakaimportante ang binabaril (Sometimes, he went to

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

From the Front Page The Asian Journal’s 2016 report PAGE A1 t les to hear Philippine President Benigno Aquino speak about the progress of the country. Some of the achievements under Aquino’s leadership include 91% health coverage of Filipinos, the country’s reputation as one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, and the addition of 180,000 classrooms around the nation.

Earlier in his trip, Aquino received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Loyola Marymount University for his administration’s work in improving the lives of Filipinos.

Manny Pacquiao under fire for homophobic statements Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao apologized on Tuesday, Feb. 16 after he said that those who are in same-sex relationships are “worse than animals.” In an interview with TV5 network, Pacquiao — who ran in the Senate under the United

the quarry at night if the person to be shot was someone important),” he said.

“Hindi namin alam ang pangalan (We did not know the names),” he said of the victims, who were all male.

“Pumupunta yan. Sya ang bumabaril. Nakaupo ang tao (He would go there. He would fire while the person was seated).”

During the Senate justice committee inquiry on extrajudicial killings, senators made fun of Matobato as he narrated how Mr. Duterte killed the man using an Uzi submachine gun.

Son ordered killings Last week, Matobato was interviewed by CNN for an exclusive report where he basically recounted his testimony in the Senate, implicating Mr. Duterte in the alleged activities of the DDS. Matobato said he never saw Paolo Duterte, the President’s eldest son and now Davao City vice U.S. President Barack Obama mayor, shoot a man. But he said Paolo asked the DDS to kill some of his enemies, including a man he argued with at a gas station.

Asked if Mr. Duterte’s other children were involved with the DDS, he said no.

Matobato said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President’s daughter, had criticized Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa when he was still Davao police chief because of a large number of unsolved killings in the city.

First kill at Lucky 13 Matobato said his first kill, shortly after the DDS was formed by then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, involved shooting a suspected robber at a billiard hall called Lucky 13.

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Rodrigo Duterte

Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party — was asked to share his views on same-sex marriage. Responding to the backlash, Pacquiao issued an apology on social media for his remarks, saying he was “just telling the truth of what the Bible says,” however, he said his stance on same-sex marriage remains unchanged. The boxer was criticized by local and international figures and was dropped

by Nike as an endorser.

March Obama visits Cuba, re-opens diplomatic ties President Barack Obama made history on Sunday, March 20 when he became the first sitting president to visit Cuba since 1928. Human rights and a potential end to a 54-year-old economic embargo were among the topics discussed by Obama and his Cuban counterpart, President Raul Castro. Obama also visited the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Havana and paid tribute to Cuban independence hero Jose Marti during his trip. At the outset of his journey, the American president said the island nation was ripe for change and later encouraged the Cuban people to play an active role in their country’s future.

Fil-Am director of “Inside Out” wins Oscar Filipino-American Ronnie del Carmen, co-director of the Pixar Film “Inside Out,” bagged this year’s Best Animated Feature Film at the 88th Academy

Leni Robredo

Manny Pacquiao AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

Gov. Jerry Brown

Awards. Del Carmen, who hails from Cavite, is the first Filipino to co-direct a Pixar film, and, at the same time, the first Filipino to win an Oscar award. “Inside Out” was also the seventh Pixar movie to win an Oscar.

April Gov. Jerry Brown signs bill making CA’s min. wage $15/ hour California, along with New York, became the first states to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022. The California legislation will raise the statewide minimum to $10.50 on Jan. 1 for businesses with 26 or more workers, the first of several incremental increases to $15, with future raises tied to inflation. Smaller businesses will have an additional year to phase in each increase. The law follows measures in Los Angeles and San Francisco, among other cities, to gradually raise their own minimum wages to $15. It is expected to affect millions of lowwage workers and businesses that employ them, especially in

the state’s agriculture, restaurant and retail industries. By 2022, a full-time minimum-wage worker would see annual earnings increase to $30,000 from $20,000 today.

Canadian hostage beheaded

by Abu Sayyaf Canadian John Ridsdel was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf after Canada’s refusal to pay the terrorists his ransom. Ridsdel and his companions — another Canadian Robert Hall, Kjartan Sekkingstad of Norway and Hall’s Filipino girlfriend, Marites Flor — were abducted at a resort in Samal Island, Davao in September 2015 and were taken to the island of Jolo. In November, the terrorists demanded $80 million for their release. In March, the group set a one-month deadline, then released a final 10-day warning in mid-April, setting April 25 as the last date to receive a ransom payment. Hall, the other Canadian, was beheaded in June.

May Duterte, Robredo elected president & vice president of the Philippines After a tumultuous campaign, former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo won as president and vice president of the Philippines, respectively.

Based on the final official tally, Duterte won the presidential race with 16,601,997 votes beating out other aspirants, including former Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, former Interior Sec. Mar Roxas, and the late Sen. Miriam Defensor- Santiago. The mayor’s victory was in spite of accusations of having ties to death

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From the Front Page

115th Congress sworn in, agenda targets...

PAGE A1 t will leave millions of Americans without health care. Although the future of Obamacare doesn’t look good, Democratic lawmakers are committed to fighting to sustain it.

“We have the responsibility and the power to lift the lives and the hopes of the American people. Yet every American should know: if there’s any attempt to destroy Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security or ACA, we will stand our ground,” Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Twitter.

But, as Republican lawmakers previously mentioned, conservative lawmakers are seeking to replace it through bills and proposals under the Committee on Ways and Means.

“We’re doing what we promised,” Rep. Doug Collins (RGeorgia) said. “What we have seen so much with Obamacare is that what has happened is that what sounded good turned out to be a disaster.”

Republicans also plan to do away with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The law — which was a direct response to the 2008 financial crisis — brought significant regulations and reform to the financial system and sought to prevent another Great Recession.

Collins proposed a bill called the Reins Act, which would essentially make it easier for Con-

gress to eliminate multiple regulations at once.

“We’re simply saying, you’re not going to be able to do these in the undercover agencies with people not having input and knowing what happens,” Collins said of his new bill.

Some of other Republicanbased ideals this Congress has planned include cutting funding toward Medicaid, repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, privatizing Veteran’s care and cutting taxes.

Although minority representation remains low, the 115th Congress features the widest array of ethnic and gender representation than any Congress in U.S. history.

Asian American and Latino representations is at an all-time high with 15 Asian Americans and 38 Latinos serving in both houses.

Female representation is also at a record high with 21 women serving in the Senate. Moreover, there is a record four women of color serving in the Senate: Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Kamala Harris (D-California).

Cortez Masto is the first Latina to ever be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Trump criticizes House Republicans on ethics office In a shocking move that ruffled feathers, House Republicans voted behind closed doors on

the night of Monday, January 2 to put Congress’ ethics office — which independent from both houses — under the control of the House of Representatives’ ethics committee.

However, the vote was dropped after President-elect Donald Trump criticized House Republicans for the move, which he considered a reverse to his call to “drain the swamp” — his promise to end corruption in Washington.

“With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it is may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, health care and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS,” Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.

The move — which was only a part of the House’s rules set for approval on Tuesday by the new Congress — was intended to restrict the powers of the independent office.

However, the reversal may only be temporary as Republican leadership confirmed a bipartisan effort later in the year to negotiate with other Congress members on the issue.

The independent ethics office was established during the recession in 2008 after three Congress members were jailed for involvement in corrupt scandals. (Klarize Medenilla/AJ Press)

Duterte shifting away from US...

PAGE A1 t not abandoning its decades-long alliance with the U.S. “We are basically trying to normalize our relations with China,” the envoy explained.

China has been in a long-standing territorial dispute with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries for claiming most areas within the South China Sea as part of its territory. The arbitration tribunal at The Hague, however, ruled last year that China’s sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis, in favor of the Philippines.

“The Chinese viewed the Philippines as a geopolitical pawn or Trojan horse of the [United States]. Now they look at us as a friendly neighbor,” Sta. Romana added.

Apart from China, Duterte also previously expressed his interest

of forging an alliance with Russia.

On Tuesday, January 3, the Russian navy said it is considering the prospect of having a joint military exercises with its counterpart in Philippines.

“Our governments will maybe discuss in some period of time the possibilities of our maritime exercises,” Eduard Mikhailov, deputy commander of Flotilla of Pacific Fleet of Russia, said in a conference through an interpreter.

According to Mikhailov, Russia wanted to help the Philippines in countering piracy and terrorism.

“The Philippine Navy needs some help, we will help. The problem here is terrorism and piracy. You have the task to fight this problem and we will show you what we can do,” Mikhailov said.

Two Russian navy vessels arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a goodwill visit to Philippines. The vessels were expected to stay in the country until Saturday, January 6.

“Of course, everybody has a choice. You can choose … to cooperate with United States of America or to cooperate with Russia, but from our side we can help you in every way that you need,” Mikhailov added.

He also expressed his country’s hope to have joint exercises with China and Malaysia in the future.

“We really hope that in a few years, the military exercises for example in your region, in the South China Sea, will (involve) for example, not only RussiaPhilippines, but Russia, Philippines, China and maybe Malaysia together,” Mikhailov said. (Dana Sioson / AJPress)

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 4-6, 2017

A

The Asian Journal’s 2016 report PAGE A2 t squads in Davao, his hands-on style of leadership and off-color remarks. For vice president, the race was tight, as the numbers were a cliffhanger between Robredo and closest rival, Bongbong Marcos. In the months following the election, Marcos filed a protest with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal for election fraud against Robredo.

Filipino World War II veterans can reunite with family under new parole program A new policy introduced by the White House is now helping Filipino World War II veterans be reunited with their families in the U.S. The policy will allow certain family members of veterans who fought in the second world war to seek parole under a program set up by the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS). It is estimated that as many as 26,000 Filipino vets (of the over 260,000 who fought) are U.S. citizens, and their petitions for family members in the Philippines have to wait as long as more than 20 years due to statutory visa caps. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis for a temporary period of time based upon “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.”

June U.S. Supreme Court fails to decide on Obama’s immigration orders On Thursday, June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court arrived at a deadlocked decision on a landmark case concerning President Barack Obama’s immigration policies, leaving 5 million undocumented immigrants uncertain of their future. The 4-4 ruling delayed a definitive judgment on the president’s executive order that would have implemented the Deferred Action for Parents of US Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) and granted expansions to the championed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The tied ruling further ignited the ongoing national conversation concerning immigration reform in the contentious election year with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s strict immigration promises and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s commitment to creating a pathway to citizenship.

Orlando, Florida nightclub shooting claims 49 lives A terrorist attack in an Orlando gay nightclub on Sunday, June

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

12 claimed the lives of 49 people and injured 53 others. The attack occurred at around 2 a.m. and witnesses said the gunman fired shots into the crowd with an assault rifle before police arrived on the scene. A gunfight with police ensued which prompted the shooter to retreat to the club bathroom, holding hostages in a three-hour stand-off. That was followed by a second gun battle which killed the shooter. There was no evidence that suggested that the perpetrator, Omar Mateen of Fort Pierce, Florida, was tied to any major terrorist group, but the FBI had interviewed him twice regarding comments he made to co-workers about radical Islamic propaganda in 2013 and 2014.

July Philippines wins arbitration case against China On July 12, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the The Hague sided with the Philippines and ruled that China has no legal basis over its territorial claims in South China Sea. After several months of deliberations, the Tribunal declared China’s claim to ‘historic rights’ to resources within the sea areas that

fall within the ‘nine-dash line’ as invalid. According to the Court, China also violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone by interfering with Philippine fishing and petroleum exploration, constructing artificial islands, and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the zone.

The Philippines filed its case at the PCA in 2013 after engaging with China in a stand-off in 2012.

China, which refused to take part in the proceedings, has said it will not recognize the ruling and will continue to take measures to protect its sovereignty over the disputed sea.

Clinton, Trump win nominations for respective parties On the final night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Donald J. Trump defied the odds and clinched the Republican nomination for president, garnering a whopping 1,725 delegate votes.

Some Filipino-American Republicans shared their praise for the results, saying they believe Trump’s family, religious and business values will benefit the community. The following week

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A JANUARY 4-6, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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Fear of deportation, hate crimes reportedly threaten mental health of young Californians

by Jocelyn

Wiener Kaiser Health News

IN the months leading up to the presidential election, Guillermo and his friends at Oakland International High School had a running joke.

“If Donald Trump wins,” they’d tease each other, “go buy some suitcases.” Then they’d laugh.

They didn’t think the candidate who was threatening to deport millions of undocumented immigrants stood a chance.

Guillermo, an 18-year-old senior, fled gang violence and police corruption in El Salvador three years ago. California Healthline is not using his last name at his request because he fears jeopardizing his quest for legal status in this country.

The night of the election, Guillermo flipped on the television to check the news while celebrating his father’s birthday. “Look,” he told a friend, “Trump’s ahead.”

The next morning, he arrived at school to find teachers and other staff in tears.

“I felt a little strange,” he said.

The scenario that had seemed impossible a day earlier was suddenly very real. Some kids still joked about being kicked out of

the country, but the humor had a new edge to it.

Around the country, children and adolescents who are undocumented immigrants or who have undocumented family members, are experiencing a surge in stress, depression and anxiety, advocates, educators and mental health providers say. The same is true for young people belonging to other groups targeted by threats or hate crimes, including Muslim and transgender youth.

Reports of these mental health concerns remain mostly anecdotal so far.

Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, says it would be too soon to try to quantify the impact of the election on people’s mental health. But he believes this election has been “uniquely scarring.”

Specifically, he says, members of groups that have been targeted by hateful rhetoric are now uncertain whom they can trust. He lists, among others, Muslims, Jews, Latinos, African-Americans and women and victims of sexual assault.

During his campaign, Donald Trump announced plans to create a Muslim registry and to immediately deport as many as 3 million

PH gov’t will not ‘hide’...

PAGE A1 t shell out any money for the event.

“We are not spending any money. That was my promise to the president,” Teo added.

In 2015, the previous Aquino administration was heavily criticized for allegedly hiding poor families from Manila by sending them to a resort in Nasugbu, Batangas during Pope Francis’s visit to the country.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), however, clarified that it was a “family camping workshop” for the poor.

The DSWD said these families were under its Modified Con-

ditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) program which provides monthly cash grants for health and education assistance to “families with special needs.”

Homeless families were also reportedly rounded up in Manila during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit hosted by the Philippines in November 2015.

Last week, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte wants the street dwellers to be left alone.

“What I heard but this is anecdotal, not policy, is the fact that the President apparently has said ‘go leave them there so that the people see exactly where we are,’”

I saw Duterte kill 8 times’...

PAGE A2 t He said he simply walked up to the man and shot him at close range as bystanders ran in fear.

He said he did not wear a mask. He said in Davao City, he had nothing to fear because he was with the police.

Matobato said the people could

choose to believe him or not but he said the increasing number of people being killed nationwide was proof of the existence of groups like the DDS. Since Mr. Duterte became the President, more than 6,000 people have been killed in the war on drugs. A large number of the

people upon taking office. A tape recording of his remarks about grabbing women by their genitals was widely reported.

In November, the FBI reported that hate crimes had increased six percent in 2015 — during the run-up to the presidential election — compared to the previous year.

In recent weeks, civil rights groups and journalism organizations in California and around the country have reported threatening incidents apparently linked to campaign themes. Among the reports: a Redding, Calif., high school student who handed out fake “deportation” notices to fellow students, and teachers in Los Angeles and San Jose who told their students that they or their parents would be deported.

Imelda Padilla-Frausto, a mental health researcher at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, said studies show that discrimination leads to increased mental disorders. Young children often absorb stress and become depressed, she said; adolescents — especially boys — are more likely to act out or abuse drugs or alcohol.

“That we are standing up for them, that we are here for them, that we are going to do everything

we can to fight with them and for them … I think that’s a very powerful message that these kids and these families need to hear,” she said.

Heightened vigilance Alma Leyva, project manager of Health Initiatives at the Dream Resource Center of the UCLA Labor Center, did a study a few years ago on the experience of stress among undocumented young people. She said 83 percent of respondents reported living in a state of heightened vigilance, altering their behaviors to avoid detection.

The election has exacerbated this, said Leyva, who herself came to California from Mexico without papers when she was one year old: “You can see it and hear it how scared folks are, and how uncertain the future feels for them.”

At Oakland International High School, students say they feel especially vulnerable. All of the school’s 349 students are English learners and recent arrivals. Approximately 30 percent are undocumented; 28 percent are refugees or those who have been granted asylum. Even before the election, nearly half of 11th and 12th graders at the school reported frequent, sad and hopeless feelings, and nine percent had seriously considered suicide, according to Presidential Spokesperson Ernes- the 2014-2015 California Healthy to Abella said in a press briefing Kids Survey.

The day after the election, stuon December 27, 2016. dents were crying, shouting, curs“As far as I know anecdotally that he has said we’re not hiding ing and hugging, said Carmelita our true situation,” Abella added. Reyes, co-principal of the school.

“To be honest, I don’t think I’ve The beauty pageant’s coronaseen anything this raw from adults tion night will be held on January 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, with Steve Harvey as its host.

Maxine Medina will represent PAGE A3 t the Philippines in the pageant and attempt to succeed the crown from at the Democratic National Conreigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtz- vention in Philadelphia, former bach, who received the Miss Uni- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formally became the Democratic verse honor in December 2015.

Wurtzbach is the third Filipina presidential nominee, making to win the title, following Margie history as the first woman to be Moran in 1973 and Gloria Diaz in on the top ticket of a major U.S. political party. Many Democratic 1969. n Filipino Americans expressed faith in the seasoned politician deaths are attributed to vigilante and saw Clinton’s nomination as groups or unidentified gunmen. an open door for more represenMatobato pointed out that tation of women as well as ethnic “Oplan Tokhang”—the police minorities in the government. campaign against illegal drugs— August started in Davao City.

PH wins Silver Medal at 2016 He said the problem was that Summer Olympics in Brazil those killed were small-time The Philippines has earned its drug pushers. He said the DDS first Olympic medal in 20 years did not kill any drug lord in after Filipina weightlifter, Hidilyn Davao City. n Diaz, won the silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games held in Brazil. Diaz, who hails from Zamboanga city, scored 88 in snatch and 112 in clean and jerk, with a total of 200 points. Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Shu-Ching won the division with a score of 212, while South Korea’s Yoon Jin Hee, who placed third, finished with 199.

Filipinos angered by Trump’s immigration plan, suggesting PH is a ‘terrorist nation’ In his speech on August 4, Donald Trump, who was then a presidential nominee, proposed a ban on immigration from countries with high rates of terrorism.

Trump narrated names of what he described as terrorist nations, mentioning the Philippines in his list. Trump also suggested that immigrants should be heavily scrutinized, even those who obtained citizenship legally. Many Filipino immigrants condemned Trump’s pronouncements, asserting that his remarks disregarded the contributions Filipinos have made to the country. Some however, argued that Trump’s comments were taken out of context, citing that Trump previously professed his love for the Philippines during the launch of his 57-story luxury apartment in Makati.

September Duterte, Obama meeting at ASEAN Summit canceled U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled a much anticipated meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, that had been scheduled to take place at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Vientiane, Laos. The move came after Duterte appeared to use an expletive to refer to Obama while responding to a question about extrajudicial killings during a press conference on September 5. However, Filipino officials explained that Duterte was actually directing his comments at the news media.

The two world leaders did wind up speaking informally and shaking hands before a gala dinner at the summit on Wednesday, September 7. It was the first faceto-face meeting between the two presidents.

PH gearing up for Miss Universe next year; Duterte opposes Steve Harvey as host Philippine Department of Tourism officials said President Rodrigo Duterte was displeased to learn that Steve Harvey had been selected to host the upcoming 2017 Miss Universe Pageant set to take place in the Philippines next January. Although the president has downplayed certain comments as jokes in the past, D.O.T. Secretary Wanda

and kids since 9/11,” she said.

Reyes knows her students are luckier than some. They live in Alameda County, which provides them with mental health and legal services. They live in the “sanctuary city” of Oakland, where police and other officials do not ask about their immigration status.

The city’s mayor, Libby Schaaf, recently told the New York Times that she intends to defy “unjust immigration laws,” even if the Trump administration withholds federal funding to the city.

Many of the school’s neighbors have been outspoken in their support: When students marched the day after the election, people in the neighborhood cheered them on with tears in their eyes, students and staff at the school said.

Reyes said many of her students escaped violent countries and worry about federal raids.

Many are particularly anxious about a repeal of the executive action, signed by President Barack Obama, that protects from deportation some undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children. They are concerned not just for themselves, she said, but for their families and friends.

The election left some kids angry, she said, “but the vast majority were hurt and confused about why anyone would want them personally to be gone, or would fear them, or think that they were bad people.” She said one student asked a teacher: “How could they hate everything I am?”

‘Not allowed to be a teenager’ Ramzi Hasan, an 18-year-old senior who fled war in Yemen, is

The Asian Journal’s 2016 report Teo said the president was not laughing when he expressed his disapproval with Harvey. When the comedian hosted the pageant in 2015, he mistakenly announced that Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, had won before retracting his statement and proclaiming victory for Filipino contestant, Pia Wurtzbach. Teo said the DOT would recommend a local media personality to take Harvey’s place.

October U.S. celebrates Fil-Am History Month People observing FilipinoAmerican History Month this past October had even more reasons to celebrate this year. 2016 marked the 70th anniversary of the Philippine’s independence from the U.S. and several other momentous events in Fil-Am history. 1946 was also the year of the Great Sugar Strike in Hawaii, during which roughly 6,000 foreign Filipino field workers joined picket lines and demonstrations instead of undercutting the wages of fellow laborers. In Los Angeles, the Fil-Am community held several events to celebrate the month, including the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC).

Duterte marks first 100 days in office with rise in death toll and China visit President Rodrigo Duterte marked his first 100 days as president with a “very good” satisfaction rating from the Filipino public, anchored by his strong stance on his anti-drugs, anti-crime and anti-corruption agenda. However, his intense campaign against illegal drugs has left more than 3,600 suspects dead, including more than 1,300 killed in gunbattles with authorities—an average of 36 killings a day since he took office on June 30. Despite drawing ire from the international community, Duterte has been adamant on his ways and managed to alienate himself from the U.S., European Union, the United Nations and other international organizations that have criticized his anti-drug campaign. Additionally, he made headlines for his state-visit to China that seemingly suggested reopening diplomatic ties with the country, despite the years-long territorial dispute in the South China Sea. November Fil-Am shortstop helps Cubs win World Series The Chicago Cubs made history when they won game 7 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians, for the first time in 108 years. The Cubs fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the series, winning four matches in a row to end one of sport’s longest running dry spells. That win was fuelled in no small part by the contributions of 20-year-old Filipino-American shortstop Addison Russell, who hit a grand slam in the third inning and sent home five other runners that evening to tie a Major League Baseball record with six runs batted in during a single world series game.

In doing so, he became the first Cubs player to ever hit a homerun with the bases loaded in the season’s final series.

Donald Trump elected as 45th president of the United States In a truly stunning victory, Republican nominee and real estate billionaire Donald Trump -- whose campaign slogan was

especially anxious for his mother.

Ramzi is a citizen, but his mother only has a green card. Their family is Muslim, and he wonders if the government will try to send her away.

After Trump won the election, Ramzi said his family asked him to text his teacher with a question: “Do we have to leave now?”

Stephanie Noriega, a clinician from La Familia Counseling Service who works with Oakland International students, said that many young people feel so unsafe since the election that they have lost all motivation to study.

“Right now, in this moment, you are safe,” she tells them.

“Right now, in this moment, he can’t come take you.”

The other day, Noriega sat in Reyes’ office, listening to the principal describe a recent interaction with students who’d been clowning around.

“I said, ‘you cannot do that on the streets,’” Reyes said. The boys protested. “Miss,” they told her, “we are just acting like any other teenagers.”

Reyes’ response: “‘And you’re a Yemeni male who’s Muslim and an immigrant and you cannot act like this right now.’”

Noriega sighed.

“You are not allowed to be a teenager,” she said. “Confining a person to a box really does mess with their overall healthy growth and development.”

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. n

“Make America Great Again” -was declared the 45th president of the United States, beating Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who had been leading in the polls leading up to Election Day. With ballots still being counted weeks after the election, Clinton leads the popular vote with over 2 million votes, while Trump has 306 electoral votes to her 232.

Trump, who will be inaugurated into the presidency on January 20, 2017, has drawn criticism for his administration picks so far, including Steve Bannon as chief strategist and senior counselor, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson for the Housing and Urban Development secretary.

Former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos buried at the Heroes’ Cemetery In a ceremony on November 18, former Philippine president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ‘secretly’ buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery) in Manila. Surrounded by his surviving family and military personnel, Marcos was given honors and a 21-gun salute. This ceremony came after the Philippine Supreme Court dismissed petitions that sought to stop the former president’s interment, which was supposed to be scheduled back in September. Though Malacañang was not informed about the surprised burial, President Rodrigo Duterte previously said Marcos was worthy of a hero’s burial because of his military and presidential service. Meanwhile, many activists and martial law victims have opposed the burial, saying it does not heal the country’s wounds.

The remains of Marcos -- who died of kidney, heart and lung ailments while in exile in 1989 -- were brought back to the Philippines in 1993 and have stayed in a glass coffin in Ilocos Norte before the burial.

December PH Vice President Leni Robredo resigns from Cabinet, vows to finish term Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo stepped down as chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council on Dec. 5 after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered her not to attend future Cabinet meetings. She said that being barred from meetings would prevent her from doing her job properly.

However, she will remain as Vice President, and said she will continue to voice her opposition to the administration’s actions she disagrees with.

Robredo, whom Duterte and his supporters have accused of being involved in a plot to unseat him, asserted that she is not eyeing the presidency.

Trump praises Duterte’s drug war In a call with President Rodrigo Duterte, United States Presidentelect Donald Trump reportedly praised the Philippine leader’s war against the illegal drug trade as the ‘right way’. The two leaders — whom many have drawn comparisons for their unfiltered way of speaking — spoke for the first time earlier this month during a seven-minute phone call.

Trump went on to invite Duterte to visit the White House next year. Duterte said hearing the real estate billionaire’s praise made him ‘feel like a saint.’ n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

New Year injuries drop by 60% due to ‘fear of Duterte’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

The average number of firecracker-related injuries for New Year’s eve dropped to the lowest in 10 years, the Philippine Department of health (DOh) reported on Sunday, January 1.

The DOh has recorded a total of 350 firecracker-related injuries as of 6 a.m. on January 1, 2017, which is 60 percent lower compared to the average 1000 cases from 2006 to 2016.

“People are now afraid to light firecrackers because of the President (Rodrigo Duterte),” health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said in a press conference on Sunday.

She added that Filipinos have “this impression” that they would be punished if they use firecrackers.

Last month, Duterte said he would issue an order to ban people from using firecrackers, just like what he as mayor of Davao City, where he limited community fireworks displays.

“The least that I can say or do is just to issue a warning that it’s very, very dangerous,” Duterte previously said, pending the order’s release.

Among the 350 cases, Ubial said 348 were caused by firecracker injuries. The remaining two, on the other hand, were caused by firecracker ingestion.

Ubial also noted that more than half of the victims were children below 15 years old, with two years old as the youngest and 71 years old as the oldest.

84 percent of the total injured were male.

The DOh recorded Piccolo as the most common cause of injuries with 132 cases, followed

by Boga with 18 cases. Both are considered illegal firecrackers in the country.

The National Capital Region (NCR) has been reported as the place with thehighest number of firecracker injuries nationwide, with 211 cases or 60 percent of total injuries. It was followed by Western Visayas (Region 6) with ten percent and Central Luzon with eight percent.

Ubial said the fireworks surveillance, which started on December 21, 2016 will continue until January 5 of this new year.

The DOh previously recorded a total of 932 firecracker-related injuries from December 21, 2015 to January 5, 2016. n

Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat, acting police director of Bulacan, said based on the records of the Provincial Investigation Detection Management Branch, 200 of the deaths were due to legitimate police operations while 241 were considered deaths under investigation.

Philstar.com/File

Filipino American participants celebrate history...

Society (PShS), a nationwide living history group, made its Rose drummer Kai Domingo, who Parade debut on Monday. The had marched in three prior Rose 26th Ceremonial Mounted Unit Parades with the Los Angeles (CMU) of the PShS’s Nininger Unified School District’s All City chapter in Los Angeles rode proudly down Colorado BouleBand.

“It’s a thrill,” he told the Asian vard fully adorned in World War Journal at the sidelines of Mon- II regalia.

“It’s a great honor,” PShS day’s spectacle.

Filipino Americans were also Membership Chair Gil Mislang among the riders and marchers told the Asian Journal during a phone interview on Saturday, at the annual event.

Recognizing Filipino World December 31. “We also worked very hard to get in there so that War II Veterans This year, a historical society the Filipino soldiers can be commemorating the legacy of a shown to the world.”

Members of the 26th CMU U.S. Army unit made up of Filipino soldiers was featured for paid thousands of dollars to covthe first time in the parade’s his- er their own equestrian maintenance and transportation costs tory.

The Philippine Scouts heritage in order to take part in Monday’s

PAGE A1 t

parade as well as other events held throughout the year, according to Mislang. he said the PShS’s efforts seek to do more than educate people about the sacrifices made by the Philippine Scouts.

They also celebrate the history of cooperation between the militaries of the Philippines and America, as well as the triumph of Filipinos who started families in the U.S. That mission reflects the theme of this year’s parade, “echoes of Success.”

In 2016, American lawmakers helped take the hidden history of the Philippine Scouts out of the shadows. On Thursday, December 15, President Barack Obama signed legislation that awards Filipino veterans of

WWII with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal.

Despite progress made last year, Mislang admitted that more still needs to be done in order to bring the contributions of those soldiers out of obscurity. he and other people working to bring recognition to the Philippine Scouts are pushing for the passage of California Assembly Bill 199, which would add the stories of Filipino soldiers into the history curriculum of the state’s public schools.

Promoting heart health every person’s education should also include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, according to the American heart Association (AhA).

AJPress Photos by Eric Anthony Licas

It invited Filipina-American Celine Showman, a cardiac arrest survivor, to ride on the organization’s parade float to help bring awareness to health issues affecting Filipinos and many other people in the U.S. In 2007, the resident of Oceanside, California had been momentarily declared deceased after her heart stopped beating

while she was out to dinner with her daughter, Megan.

“It didn’t feel real. It felt like I was watching a movie,” said Showman’s daughter, who began screaming for help after watching her mother unexpectedly collapse. During a phone interview with the Asian Journal on Thursday, December 22, she

u PAGE A7

A6 JANUARY 4-6, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OPINION

FEATURES

Collateral damage

In war, there is collateral damage. In the case of the vicious war on illegal drugs, President Duterte acknowledged last week that there have been “unintended killings” that have claimed the lives of innocents including children. In fact practically everyone killed in the drug war was legally innocent since guilt beyond reasonable doubt was never established in court, and most of the slain weren’t even indicted.

The bereaved need justice, which starts with competent investigation and the arrest of the killers.

The government must show that the rule of law still prevails in this country and that there is justice for rich and poor alike.

Every “unintended killing” must be investigated and the killer brought to justice. Law enforcers cannot just keep saying “oops!” each time they pull the trigger and hit the wrong target. They must be reminded that under most circumstances, they must first aim to disable rather than kill, and not the other way around.

In armed police operations, utmost care is required particularly when children are around. Callous disregard for human life can only erode public support for the police in its bloody campaign against the drug menace, especially when cases of “unintended killings” soar and more children become collateral damage. (Philstar.com)

For the unintended killings, the President said he’s sorry, although he made it clear that it would not stop his relentless war. Such a cavalier attitude toward human life is likely to rub off on the forces fighting the drug menace, making them careless about hitting innocents in the crossfire. It can encourage them to continue disregarding laws and rules on armed confrontations and the conduct of arrests and searches.

The forces of the Marcos dictatorship at least went through the motions of presenting arrest, search and seizure orders – the dreaded ASSO – that were used to crush political dissent. These days, police – and masked vigilantes who may also be lawmen – simply enter neighborhoods and private homes and start shooting, unmindful if toddlers are caught in the crossfire.

Sorry, even from the president of the republic, isn’t enough for those who have lost their children in the course of Oplan Tokhang.

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Do you feel optimistic and excited about US politics in 2017? licans control both the Executive and the Legislative The Fil-Am branches of government, which means that there may Perspective be more actual results and action, instead of gridlock and bickering that held the American people in the past GEL SANTOS-RELOS years.

Minority Leader Democrat Nancy Pelosi affirmed the Democrats’ commitment to work with Republicans for the good of the American people, but also vowed in her speech before introducing Speaker Ryan: “We will stand our ground wherever in good conscience we must. If there is an attempt to destroy the guarantee of Medicare, harm

CRYSTAL BALL — what do you reveal? After a divisive, toxic and confusing election season in 2016, will it be an enlightening, hopeful and promising year for U.S. politics in 2017?

On Tuesday, January 3, Re-elected Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and the newly-elected members of Congress were sworn into office.

In his speech, Ryan said that all the elected officials, regardless of party affiliations, are in office right now because they want to help the American people and get things done to serve the country, promising to work with Democrats on things they agree on while treating each other and the institution with respect on issues they do not agree on.

Ryan is excited about the fact that the Repub-

Medicare, Social Security or the Affordable Care Act, Democrats will stand our ground!

If there is an assault on clean air and clear water, on civil rights, women’s rights or LGBT rights, if Dreamers and their immigrant families face the nightmare of deportation.”

On January 10, President Obama is set to deliver his farewell speech to the nation in Chicago, just as the first President of the United States George Washington did before his term ended.

On January 20, Obama’s successor, President-Elect Donald Trump will take his oath, and will be America’s president, chief execu-

tive and commander-in-chief for the next four years.

However, as most political experts point out, Trump is not really an ideological President.

This makes them wonder if he will really champion Republican principles and platform.

DO YOU THINK Trump will stir the country in the right direction? Do believe he will be able to fulfill his campaign promise to “make America great again”? Do you feel optimistic and excited about U.S. politics in 2017? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.”

Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective. com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Oust-Duterte plot to fail at this time

Postscript

FEDERICO D. PASCUAL JR. AFTER the usual talk of hope and optimism for a few days, the rolling in of a new year will kick in the idea of “pagbabago” in pursuit of a better life for Filipinos – and inevitably the topic of Regime Change.

Basically, regime change in this discussion means the removal for whatever reason by whatever means of Rodrigo Roa Duterte as president of the Philippines under whichever Constitution.

The possibility and desirability of Duterte’s being kicked out became a hot topic, just as he was completing his first six months, fueled by a Manila Times report last Dec. 27 of an alleged ouster plot attributed to recently replaced US Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg.

The envoy assumed his post in 2013 in this former American colony preceded by a dubious reputation, deserved or not, as a harbinger of regime change where his superiors send him, including Bolivia which had expelled him before his transfer to Manila.

The expected reactions to the “plot” came quickly: the author Dante Ang stood by his story; the US government denied it; Malacañang scoffed at it; Duterte’s followers jeered and his detractors cheered it; we bystanders waited for hints of where events were heading.

Without meaning to say that the “Goldberg plot” exists, we note

that it is normal for ambassadors, including Filipino diplomats, to send recommendations to the home office… Duterte has been courting trouble by needlessly quarreling with such powerhouses as the United States, the United Nations and the European Union… But an oust-Duterte move at this time is likely to fail.

• Ouster plot not a walk in the park THE COUNTRY is not ripe or hankering for a Duterte ouster.

The President still enjoys wide support in the countryside and in the Congress. Those who want him out are a minority and are divided. The political opposition has no leader, no face, no single voice, and no alternative program.

We dare say that the alleged plot will fail “at this time,” because in our estimate, any extraconstitutional ouster plan – even one preceded by a destabilization job with covert US help – cannot be completed before mid-2018.

Besides, the Duterte forces are not asleep, busy as they are organizing everywhere down to the barangay level!

The suggested destabilization, if indeed it exists and is pursued, will create internal and external pressure on the government and the people, foment unrest and make life more difficult, maybe even spark civil strife.

But such Herculean efforts will not necessarily eliminate the populist President. He might even use the crisis to shore up his support. The only shortcut imaginable is assassination – but that is going too far just to serve for-

eign interests.

Assuming Duterte is eliminated, the opposition (rallying under Vice President Leni Robredo or former President Fidel V. Ramos?) will not be quick enough to fill the vacuum. The chaos will open a yawning space that may tempt the armed forces to stage a coup as the “protector of the people.” But Filipinos may not relish a military regime.

If Duterte survives and crosses the mid-hump of his six-year term, he and his left-leaning cohorts in the Palace and the countryside would be able to coast along to the 2022 finish line still in control, and wiser for the next bout.

No wonder the alleged Goldberg plan, presumably woven into the larger US strategic maneuvering in the Asia-Pacific area dominated by China, calls for its quick completion in just 1-1/2 years, meaning by 2018!

But Bathala works in mysterious ways. There could be in the next two years a confluence of events leading to either Duterte’s removal or his retention because of a “pagbabago” in his persona and politics.

• Details of ‘plot’ to remove Duterte FOR THOSE who came in just now, we recap below some details of the reported Goldberg destabilization action plan: • Isolate the Philippines in the region politically and economically by engaging the leaders of Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and by “highlighting the risk of doing business in the Philippines.”

• Enhance US military relationship with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations except the Philippines which is gravitating toward China and Russia despite its treaty alliance with the US. • Pressure neighboring countries so they would turn against Duterte by reducing trade with the Philippines in favor of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

• Deepen ties with Philippine opposition officials, the police/ military, and regional leaders who share American concerns over Duterte.

• Monitor cases of corruption (one of supposed main planks of Duterte’s reform platform) and highlight his failures.

• Focus on people’s needs at the grassroots and help opposition groups deliver on those failed promises through US AID – such as in poverty-alleviation, housing and education.

• Use the media to “expose the truth about Duterte, his false vision for the people and his dangerous international relationships with China and Russia.”

• Change the political landscape by dividing Duterte’s core

leadership by “sowing discontent among (his) partymates.”

Some of his allies are privately expressing concern over his shift in foreign policy and the twists in his economic and social agenda veering toward the Left.

• “Stoke the fire between the defenders of the rule of law and Duterte’s leftist group” by highlighting the demands of the Left to release all political prisoners even before a formal peace agreement is signed between the government and the CPP/NDF/ NPA, and an end to US military presence in the Philippines. ■

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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No irregularities in P2.8-B Asean hosting deal bidding–Diokno

by Nestor

Corrales Inquirer.net

BUDgET Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Tuesday said there were no irregularities in the bidding for the P2.8-billion Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) hosting contract this 2017.

Diokno was reacting to a Vera Files report that said the government violated the procurement law after it granted the management contract to sole bidder Stagecraft International, which offered P1 billion during the bidding on Dec. 1. “Only one submitted a bid, this is the same bidder who won the right to provide the service in the 2015 Apec,� the budget chief told reporters in a Palace briefing, referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit held in the Philippines.

In a statement, the Department of Budget and Manage-

ment said Stagecraft International and Events Organizer Network Inc. (EON) attended the pre-bid conference on Nov. 15 but only Stagecraft submitted a bid on Dec. 1.

This made EON “technically not a bidder for this contract,�

DBM said.

Diokno said the government had allotted P2.8 billion for the hosting contract but Stagecraft International offered only P1 billion. “If there is only one qualifying bid, that’s valid. That’s not a failure,� he said.

EON had filed a motion for reconsideration, which the procurement service had resolved. “Now, EON did not even submit a bid. So I’m surprised that (it’s) now complaining and (it) cannot really comply, because the kind of services that (it) is providing is very limited,� Diokno said.

He said the contract was a

combination of technical services and goods. “Actually, it’s a combination of goods plus technical. The point of EON, which is a smaller company, is to break down (the expenses) into five so it can qualify on the technical aspect, since it’s just like a party provider,� the secretary said. “But the one who didn’t like it was Ambassador Paynor because he doesn’t want to talk to five people,� he said, referring to Philippine Ambassador to the United States Marciano Paynor. “There should be only one. Because if you break up the contract into five small projects, EON may qualify on one of the five.�

The budget chief pointed out that the government was “running out of timeâ€? for the preparations. “We’re running out of time already. It’s now, it’s happening now ‌ there’s really a Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno provides updates on the 2017 budget of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration during a press briefing at MalacaĂąang on Jan. 3.

TOTO LOZANO/Presidential Photo sense of urgency,� he said. n

Filipino American participants celebrate history...

PAGE A5 t

Pacquiao’s next fight will be outside US – Arum

by Josef

t. ramos ManilaTimes.net

went on to say “I was freaking out because no one was doing anything.�

Showman could have died or suffered permanent brain damage that day, surrounded by helpless bystanders. Thankfully, an ambulance was nearby and a group of three Navy Corpsmen who happened to be having dinner at the same restaurant stepped in to administer lifesaving CPR. The experience was a wakeup call for Showman, who has since maintained a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. “I was on the go, working 50 to 60 hours a week, and not getting enough sleep,� Showman told the Asian Journal on Thursday.

After the incident, Showman took stock of her circumstances, refocused her priorities on her family and loved ones, and learned to let go of unnecessary stressors. She has also led and participated in efforts to raise awareness of heart health concerns in her community.

On Monday, Showman and

AJPress Photo by Eric Anthony Licas other survivors of cardiovascu- pressive, but I think, through the lar-related issues rode on the years, it’s gotten bigger,� FiliAHA’s float titled “Keep the Beat pino-American Manny Zamora, Alive� to promote CPR training a system’s analyst for the city of and healthy living. The AHA’s Los Angeles, told Asian Journal entry won the Judges’ Special while in attendance of the parade on Monday.

Trophy in this year’s event.

Later in the day, University Despite the gray weather and abundant competition for good of Southern California football viewing positions, most of those fans found an extra reason to who came out for Monday’s cel- cheer after the Trojans claimed victory in a hotly contested Rose ebration left with a smile. “The first time I saw [the Rose Bowl game over Penn State’s Parade live], it was pretty im- Nittany Lions. n

TOP Rank Promotion boss Bob Arum said that Manny Pacquiao’s next fight would be outside the United States either in April or May. The veteran promoter added that the fight between Pacman and the unbeaten unified junior welterweight champion Terrence Crawford would probably happen late this year in the US. “There’ll be no Pacquiao-Crawford fight in the first to six months of the year definitely,� Arum told The Manila Times via overseas call on Tuesday. “Only if the fight will be in the United States but we’re not planning the next fight in the United States so we’re also not planning on Crawford now.�

Arum explained that he’s eyeing a competitive fight outside the US because of Pacquiao’s status as a boxer. “I think Manny Pacquiao is more than just a boxer because he is representing the Philippines,� he said. “It’s good for him to fight in places around the world same way Muhamad Ali fought so many fights outside of the United States.�

The 38-year-old Pacquiao (596-2 win-loss-draw record with 38 knockouts) won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt last December 5 in Las Vegas after beating Jessie Vargas via unanimous decision. “Now that the New Year is over I’m going to finalize a location because we’re looking out an opponent depending on the locations like in Australia, England, Middle East or maybe even in Mexico. That’s what I want to do with the last period of Manny’s career, Arum said. “I want him to be known as a worldwide fighter.�

He named WBO No. 2 welterweight Jeff “The Hornet� Horn (16-0-1 record with 11 knockouts) of Australia as the likely first opponent of Pacquiao this year. “Jeff Horn is a good possibility.

I will be flying soon to the Philippines once I finalized every detail.�

Unified WBO and World Boxing Council (WBC) junior welterweight champion Crawford (30-0 record with 21 knock-outs) was also considered as Pacquiao’s next possible next foe after he scored a technical knockout victory over John Molina last December 10 in Nebraska.

“A possible Pacquiao fight against Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko could also happen late next year in the US if ever Lomachenko goes up to the welterweight class. He is presently weighing up at 135 pounds. He’ll be fighting in March,� Arum added.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s business manager and 1-Pacman Partylist Rep. Eric Pineda confirmed that Pacman and reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach were designated by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as Philippine Tourism Ambassadors. “Manny is widely known in the whole world and he’s so proud to serve the nation as Tourism Ambassador. We pushed for that appointment,� Pineda told The Times in a phone interview. “Manny and Pia also have many fol-lowers. They are also part of DOT’s program.�

Asked if Pacquiao could use his position to bring his second fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. to the Philippines, Pineda said, “That’s very impossible to happen. Mayweather will not be fighting outside the United States or out-side Las Vegas and I think he won’t agree with that.� n

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BUSINESS& COMMUNITY Journal

Key reforms to lure $10-B FDI this year American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes told The STAR that FDI flowing into the Philippines in 2017 could hit the $10-billion mark on the back of several key reforms.

Philstar.com/FIle

by Richmond

meRcuRio Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has the potential to lure more foreign direct investments (FDI) this year to a level at par with other Southeast Asian economies, a top executive of the US business chamber in the country said.

American Chamber of Com-

merce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes told The STAR that FDI flowing into the Philippines in 2017 could hit the $10-billion mark on the back of several key reforms.

“FDIs could approach $10 billion in 2017 with better infrastructure, more foreign manufacturers entering the country, and an end to the

moratorium on new mining, among others,” Forbes said.

“The mining sector is greatly underachieving its potential.

We hope that after the current Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) inspections are completed, responsible mining will be encouraged and the moratorium on new mines will

u PAGE B2

Filipina cited as ‘Global Visionary’ by doRis

dumlao-abadilla Inquirer.net

ShE was born into a poor family — her father was a family driver and her mother a househelp — but brains, perseverance and innate leadership skills propelled Analisa Leonor Balares into getting an Ivy League education that eased her way into becoming a rainmaker at Wall Street, a valuable manager who brings in business from wealthy clients.

But wanting to work toward a more inclusive and sustain-

able world by helping empower women and girls made her quit the corporate world in 2008 to put up Womensphere Foundation, a global organization that seeks to accelerate women’s advancement in leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship.

New York-based Balares was recently handpicked by Swiss global banking giant UBS as one of its inaugural batch of “Global Visionaries,” described as a select pool of 10 extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to projects, research, movements and technologies

that have the potential to profoundly impact our lives and the society we live in.

“Analisa understands the economic benefits of higher participation rates of women in the workforce and that a holistic approach needs to be applied to women’s education and development,” said Simon Smiles, chief investment officer at UBS Wealth Management.

Added Smiles in an Inquirer e-mail interview: “Analisa has drawn on her own experiences to design Womensphere’s dis-

u PAGE B2

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 4-6, 2017

B

B JANUARY 4-6, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

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PH business optimism slides

by Daxim

L. Lucas

Inquirer.net

Sources warned the Philippines could again be included in the blacklist of non-cooperative countries if the bill strips the BSP of the chairmanship of the AMLC. Philstar.com/File

Philippines risks FATF blacklist over AMLC changes Arroyo bill ‘irresponsible’ – UN envoy

by Lawrence

agcaoiLi Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is courting a possible blacklist from the intergovernmental body Financial Action Task Force (FATF) if the proposed bill insulating the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) from the activities of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is passed into law.

Sources warned the Philippines could again be included in the blacklist of non-cooperative countries if the bill strips the BSP of the chairmanship of the AMLC. The FATF – an international body promoting policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing – had upgraded the Philippines from the “dark grey list� to its “grey list� in June 2012 due to the initiatives of the government to enhance its transparency and accountability mechanisms in financial transactions.

The upgrade also emanated from the signing into law of “An Act to further strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Law� and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.�

The Philippines barely escaped the FATF blacklist after

the money laundering scandal wherein $81 million worth of funds from the Bangladesh Bank was laundered in Philippine casinos using listed Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

(RCBC) as conduit.

The BSP imposed a record P1 billion fine on RCBC for various violations while the AMLC filed several criminal cases against the personalities involved in the cyber theft.

Another source pointed out people in power could use AMLC indiscriminately� against political enemies.

Documents from the AMLC played a major role in the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2011 and in the filing of plunder raps against former vice president Jejomar Binay.

The AMLC has earned the ire of President Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre for allegedly being uncooperative in building up cases against personalities involved in the illegal drugs trade.

BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. who is being groomed for an unprecedented third term chairs the AMLC with the commissioner of the Insurance Commission and the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

as members.

The AMLC is assisted by a secretariat headed by an executive director and consisting of five (5) units – the Office of the Executive Director, Compliance and Investigation Group, Legal Services Group, Information Management and Analysis Group, and Administrative and Financial Services Division.

Meanwhile, United Nations envoy Teodoro “Teddyboy�

Locsin Jr. on Monday, January 2 described as “irresponsible� the proposal of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to ban the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor from supervising the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). “It’s the most irresponsible proposal I’ve heard,� Locsin, one of the principal authors of the law creating the AMLC, told the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Locsin said the BSP governor is the most qualified among the three members of the AMLC to supervise the council.

The two other council members are the insurance commissioner and the chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Locsin said as a principal

BUSINESS leaders across Asia Pacific are divided over the region’s economic prospects as 2017 dawns, indicating that emerging and developed nations are taking diverging tracks, according to the latest quarterly survey of audit and consulting firm Grant Thornton.

Research from the firm’s International Business Report shows that business optimism among developed Asia-Pacific economies fell 8 percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2016 to net -16 percent.

Japan fell 8 percentage points to -45 percent. Among emerging economies in the region, the picture is much brighter. Business optimism rose 11 percentage points to 53 percent. “Yet, the Philippines has been seeing a decline in optimism in 2016,� it said in a statement. “Starting with only 56 percent in the first quarter, the country saw an unprecedented rise in the second quarter to 94 percent. However, the Philippines experienced a sudden drop of 10 percentage points in the third quarter, which has continued to descend to 80 percent in the fourth quarter.�

Globally, business optimism at the end of the fourth quarter of 2016 stands at net 38 percent, up 5 percentage points from the previous quarter and the highest since the third quarter of 2015.

The global survey was conducted among 2,600 businesses in 37 economies, it said. “There is a striking split in the direction of travel between business leaders in emerging and developed Asia-Pacific countries,â€? said Marivic EspaĂąo who is chair and CEO of Grant Thornton’s local partner Punongbayan & Araullo. “Part of the reason for this could be the likely scrapping of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, out of which developed economies—like those of Australia and New Zealand—stood to gain the most.â€? “However, China is looking to implement its own regional economic partnership, which could fill some of that gap,â€? she said. “The high levels of optimism in emerging economies reflect what can happen when closer economic ties are in place, with the Asean Economic Community agreed in 2015.â€? “Globally, the increase in optimism reflects a view among the business community that uncertainty over the outcome of major events like the EU referendum

and the US presidential election is now behind them. Knowing the results will allow businesses to have a clearer steer on key issues such as taxes, jobs and trade policy.�

Findings from Grant Thornton’s survey reveal that across the Asia-Pacific region as a whole, the outlook on a number of key indicators is strong heading into 2017.

The proportion of firms expecting profitability to increase over the next 12 months has gone up to 34 percent, the highest in almost two years. Profitability in the Philippines has increased from 58 percent in the third quarter to 72 percent in the fourth.

Employment expectations remain healthy at 29 percent, and research and development plans for 2017 (31 percent plan to increase investment) are higher than this time last year (23 percent)—but down from the 32 percent recorded in the third quarter. “There will be challenges in 2017, including the impact of further rate rises from the US Federal Reserve,â€? EspaĂąo said. “But these shouldn’t mean that growth plans across the Asia-Pacific should be abandoned.â€? n

Key reforms to lure $10-B FD...

PAGE B1 t be lifted under the leadership of DENR Secretary Lopez. For labor policy, we encourage the endo policy to be clarified soon and recognize the need for seasonal, temporary, and outsourced employment. A strict policy on endo will certainly keep some new foreign investors away and may cause

some here already to leave,� he added.

Despite the country’s growing FDI inflows, foreign business groups have lamented the Philippines continues to lag behind most of its Southeast Asian neighbors which are already receiving over $10 billion annually.

Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

showed FDI inflows expanded 25.3 percent to $5.87 billion in the nine months ending September 2016 from $4.69 billion in the same period the previous year.

The BSP said continued FDI inflows reflect investors’ confidence in the country’s economy on account of sustained growth prospects and strong macroeconomic fundamentals. n

Filipina cited as ‘Global...

u PAGE B3

Growing up poor didn’t stop Analisa Leonor Balares from getting an Ivy League education, working at Wall Street, and sharing similar opportunities with other women and girls through her Womensphere Foundation.

PAGE B1 t

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tinctive community and ecosystem approach (and) apply it for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) subjects across all socioeconomic classes and generations.â&#x20AC;?

Since its launch in early 2008 when the markets were crashing, Womensphere has reached more than 10,000 leaders, and inspired and trained more than 5,000 emerging women leaders on leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation and STEAM. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is just the very tip of the iceberg,â&#x20AC;? Balares said in an e-mail interview with Inquirer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As we scale through technology, our digital initiatives alone will enable us to reach, inspire, educate and empower many times that number within one year.â&#x20AC;?

Born in Leyte, Balares juggled living in the world of the ultrarich, urban poor and rural countryside when she was growing up. Both her parents worked for a benevolent American family who lived in Forbes Park, where she stayed while attending Guadalupe Elementary School in Makati. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despite growing up poor in the Philippines, I felt empowered to succeed because of the mentors and role models I had when I was really young,â&#x20AC;? she said in a video produced by UBS. Balares spent the first 16 years of her life in the Philippines before going abroad on educational scholarships. While she lived in North Forbes Park, she was well-exposed to Makatiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poor neighborhoods which she had to traverse on her way to school.

Since age 13, Balares had been organizing leadership training conferences and science camps for high school stu-

dents in Metro Manila as Manila and NCR chair of the Philippine Society of Youth Science Clubs.

At Manila Science High School, as part of the team that won national competitions, she found herself representing the country in science fairs in Singapore and Thailand.

By the time she was 16, Balaresâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; academic achievements and student leadership experience opened up a number of scholarship opportunities. She accepted an offer from the Canadian International Development Agency and Ayala Foundation for a two-year International Baccalaureate program at Lester Pearson United World College in Vancouver.

While in Canada, she received a full scholarship to study at Mount Holyoke College, the first college for women in the US, where she majored in Economics and Math.

In New York, Balares joined Goldman Sachs in High Technology Investment Banking, where she worked on $1.5-billion worth of high-tech corporate financing and merger and acquisition deals.

She also worked at asset management firm Milestone Capital.

In 2005, she obtained her MBA from Harvard Business School.

Prior to the UBS citation, Balares was honored as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Young Global Leaderâ&#x20AC;? by the World Economic Forum. She was also handpicked as one of â&#x20AC;&#x153;30 Outstanding Women Leadersâ&#x20AC;? by the National Council for Research on Women, and received the Madam C.J. Walker Leadership Award from the National Minority Business Council.

The New Leaders Council honored her as well as one of its â&#x20AC;&#x153;40 Under 40 New Leaders in America.â&#x20AC;?

Balares takes such leadership recognition in stride. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Within

Womensphere, we have a view that everyone can be a leader, an innovator, (or) an entrepreneur and that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go to an Ivy League institution to achieve this. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why it is important to democratize access to knowledge. We need to take the best practices coming from Ivy League institutions, companies, governments and communities, and disseminate this information,â&#x20AC;? Balares said.

Womensphere, she said, is building a global network of incubators designed to empower women and girls, with each incubator offering them five things: ecosystem, community, connections with inspiring role models, training and education, as well as recognition and awards.

It is also important to have a digital component to reach the over 1.5 billion internet users who are women and girls, Balares added. The internet allows Womensphere to deliver the same type of training and education it offers live in communities.

For women in rural communities without internet, Womensphere reaches out through local partnerships. An example is its partnership with Sen. Bam Aquino, which enabled the group to reach women in rural areas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For a program to succeed, it needs to be integratedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; through partnershipsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;into local communities and within institutions where women are learning and working,â&#x20AC;? Balares said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also have a range of programs that focus on womenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; from first-time entrepreneurs or those just starting college, to women who are in the middle of their careers and need help progressing to the next level of leadership.â&#x20AC;?n

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Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon BEING in debt can be one of the most stressful situations you will ever face in life. It happens to everyone although you may feel like you’re the only person on the planet going through what you’re going through. But let me assure you that you are not alone in your struggle.

The first step in dealing with the stress is to acknowledge that there is a debt problem.

Many times, people are in denial because they do not want to face reality. This will not help you and will only make things worse eventually. Usually, debt creeps up on you and builds slowly over a period of time so you may not even be aware of how serious the problem is until you look at the numbers. In my office, sometimes when I ask people how much they owe, I am surprised to hear that they don’t even know anymore. In trying to avoid the issue, they have lost track of the significant amount of debt that they have accumulated! So as long as they are able to juggle their monthly payments before they get sued by bill collectors, they think they are still “oK”.

Change is always difficult. In

Community Journal

How bankruptcy can get rid of financial stress a lot of cases that I see, people know that they need to make some big changes in their lives in order to get out of debt.

This may mean downsizing to a smaller home, moving their kids from a private school to a public school, selling a car that they can no longer afford, etc. This creates a lot of stress because most people feel comfortable where they are and the slightest suggestion to them that they need to make some changes in their lives is something that they are not prepared for- both mentally and emotionally. This can lead to feelings of frustration, anxiety, helplessness and sometimes even depression.

Instead of wallowing in despair, a better alternative is to seek immediate help to know your options. You may be afraid or embarrassed to do this. I understand. But doing nothing is worse because you may have important things at stake. Your home, job, bank accounts, assets, etc. may be exposed to creditors who take legal action against you. If a creditor obtains a judgment against you, your wages can be garnished and your bank accounts levied.

Your house can end up in foreclosure if you’re behind in pay-

ments and are not doing something about it.

Filing bankruptcy may be a solution for you to resolve your debt problems once and for all if there are no other options available. If you’re doing your best to pay but just can’t, you may have bill collectors calling you every day. Don’t let them make you feel like a criminal for being in debt. Being in debt doesn’t make you a bad person. Bad things happen even to good people. Life can be unpredictable at times and at one time or another, everyone faces financial challenges. It’s not the end of the world. You can rise above your debt problems and start over.

For a free consultation, call my office at Toll-Free 1-866477-7772. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. See us and we will help you explore all possible solutions to your debt problems. ***

out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 4777772.

(Advertising Supplement)

Atty. lAwRence yAng MR. Trump has made filing for bankruptcy relief as a sign that he’s smart. He’s smart he says because his companies filed for bankruptcy 4 times using applicable law. Bankruptcy allowed his businesses to get rid of debt, a lot of it, and bankruptcy allowed him to keep his ownership over these businesses, which emerged from bankruptcy leaner and more productive. So, since we are now in Trump Land, filing for bankruptcy to get debt relief is smart. American bankruptcy laws exist to help debtors become productive again, allowing debtors to keep exempt assets while getting rid of accumulated debt. Hence, if you think filing for bankruptcy when you need it, is dumb, you are wrong. Just ask Mr. Trump.

He got away with not disclosing his tax returns and not paying income tax for the last 20 years. And still becoming president elect for our great country. The man is a genius.

What are the signs that you will need to be smart next year by filing for bankruptcy? Let’s go over the common red flags that you have to watch out for: 1. Mortgage default or car default: If you are behind in your house or car payments, you have serious cash flow problems. This means that your income is not enough to pay for your most important asset that puts a roof over yourself and your family. Your first instinct might be to blame every one else and everything else. But seriously, you have to analyze your financial situation to determine what the cause is.

You might be paying $1K just to service $30K of credit card debt at the expense of paying for your house or car. Chapter

Best wishes to all readers for the new year!

7 or 13 will get rid of the $30K credit card debt, or allow you to reorganize your financial affairs to get rid of your credit card debt with nominal payment while giving you time to cure the default on your house or car.

2. Borrowing from A to pay B: If you borrow from Peter to pay Paul, you are living the illusion that your finances are ok but in truth, you are not paying down your debt. If you borrow $50K from Peter to pay Paul $50K, you owe the same $50K, except you now owe it to Peter instead of Paul. Maybe the $50K loan from Paul matured today so you got a new loan of $50K from Peter, which matures in 12 months. Yes, you bought yourself 12 months but admit to yourself that you have serious debt problems you are not able to pay down the $50K from your own money.

3. Raiding your retirement account to pay debt: Never ever use retirement money to pay debt. Retirement money is for retirement. Is that clear enough? That’s why its called a retirement account. Let’s say your IRA or 401K is $70K. You want to pay off your credit card debt of $30K. Don’t make the mistake of using the retirement account to pay off the credit card of $30K. First of all, there is a penalty for withdrawing early. Second, you can wipe out the $30K credit card debt while keeping all of your $70K retirement account intact with a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, so why sacrifice your financial security when you retire?

4. You sacrifice necessities to pay debt: Let’s say you owe $40K of credit cards that require $1,200 of monthly minimum payments. Your net income is $3,000. You only have $1,800 for necessities.

Necessities are food, shelter, transportation, insurance etc.

If you feel the constant tug between necessities and credit card payments, you may need bankruptcy relief to get rid of the $40K credit cards. It’s pretty hard to have your family eat less or not pay the rent.

5. Refinancing your house to pay down credit card debt: If you are really tempted to refinancing your house to cash out $50K to pay off $50K of credit card debt, think again. Adding $50K to your mortgage now means adding $200 to your mortgage. When you retire, $200 more for the mortgage is an amount that you cannot afford. When you retire, every dollar from social security and other sources is critical to survival. It can mean the ability to keep your house when you retire. You can actually keep your house and get rid of your $50K with Chapter 7 or 13 so why pursue refinance? Be smart, that’s the name of the game now in Trump Land.

6. Your savings account doesn’t exist: All of my clients, without exception, answer this when I ask them do you have $5K in your savings account?

They always answer: I wish I had $5K in it. I have practically nothing in my savings account. If you have extra money at the end of the month, your instinct will be to stash it away into a savings account. If you have no savings, this means all your income is being used up to pay all your monthly expenses. If you owe $20K of credit cards, you need $600 a month. Instead of saving $600 a month, or $7,200 a year, you use the $7,200 to keep your $20K of credit cards current.

That’s why you have no savings and that’s why you need

u PAGE B4

Philippines risks FATF blacklist over...

PAGE B2 t

author of the AMLC law, he made sure that all its officers are persons of integrity.

He said the financial and banking community trusts the law and those implementing it.

It is proposals like the one pushed by Arroyo that shake the financial and banking system, Locsin said.

He added there is no proof that, as Arroyo has insituated, AMLC members are loyal to former president Benigno Aquino lll and are sabotaging efforts by the Duterte administration to pry into the bank accounts of those it has linked to illegal drugs.

Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing Pampanga’s second district, is a staunch Duterte ally. She reportedly recommended many of the officials Duterte has appointed to the Cabinet and other juicy government posts.

In a statement on Monday, Arroyo said she has proposed a new provision in Bill 731 to ban the BSP governor from supervising the AMLC. The bill, authored by Representatives Karlo Norgrales of Davao City and his brother Jericho of party-list group

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta, seeks to amend the Central Bank Act. Arroyo said while BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco Jr. “has unquestionably served the BSP itself with distinction, his supervision over the AMLC has exposed some problems.”

She said the council “has been acting much on its own with regard to its investigations, without bothering to get specific clearances from the BSP governor.”

“The AMLC, whose officers were appointed by the previous administration, has demonstrated the potential of being used as a tool of selective justice. In the previous administration, grossly inaccurate information on the alleged bank accounts of then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte and other perceived opponents of the officers’ appointing authority were leaked out,” she said.

“In contrast, information is now being withheld from authorized investigators on the bank accounts of certain persons under investigation, who happen to be identified with the previous authority which appointed them, and to whom they seem to owe their alle-

giance,” she said.

“Therefore, to insulate the BSP officials from the actuations of AMLC, especially the political ones which may be influenced by the council officials’ loyalty to their appointing authority, the BSP should be liberated from the burden of supervising the very rigorous demands of criminal investigation such as those performed by AMLC,” she said.

She added the BSP governor could remain a member of the council. She did not say who would supervise the AMLC. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre ll has complained of the alleged lack of cooperation of AMLC officials in his desire to look into the bank accounts of Sen. Leila de Lima and several convicted drug lords.

But some congressmen said Aguirre should follow the law by first filing a case involving a predicate crime with a special division of the Court of Appeals and having such division order the opening of bank accounts.

The AMLC is now authorized to open any bank account on its own, they said.

“Aguirre should know this as a lawyer and justice secretary,” they said. – Jess Diaz n

B

Angels among us

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

“I think that someone is watching out for me, God, my guardian angel, I’m not sure who that is, but they really work hard.” — Mattie Stepanek

monette AdevA mAglAyA

(Part 1 of 4) Do you believe in angels? I do. Most people do.

The strong presence of angels in the various books of the Bible, specially during the birth of Jesus Christ attests to the role of angels in human history.

The Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bring forth a son. Zechariah received a message from an angel. It was an angel that told Joseph to take Mary for his wife. It was a multitude of angels that told the shepherds where to find the newborn child while angels hovered above the stable during that wondrous night.

It was also an angel that warned Joseph of a clear and present danger to the child Jesus. Herod, the unhinged, murderous king descended from a long line of power-mad monNone of the information herein is in- archs, wanted to make sure no tended to give legal advice for any specific one stood between him and his situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has success- throne.

In haste, Joseph left with fully helped thousands of clients in getting

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 4-6, 2017

Mary and the child during the night after the Magi had left for a long and arduous trek to a town in Egypt some scholars estimate to be 200 miles away where Herod had no authority to commit mass murder.

You can bet a host of angels guided them in seeking refuge.

Herod’s murderous rampage began when he realized that the Magi had tricked him and had taken a different route home ignoring his sly request to tell him of the child’s location.

It is believed 14,000 innocent male babies from the age of two and below were killed in Herod’s most cruel, preemptive strike against this perceived threat to his kingdom. The holy family stayed safely away for years until the king died and the danger had passed.

Did these holy innocents become cherubs, angels without wings? Do the millions of the unborn of our time the world

over cut down by murderous abortionists become cherubs?

Does God repurpose innocent souls upon their deaths to become angels themselves?

There is a belief that souls are indestructible. If so, do souls get recycled back to be born at another time and place? only God knows for certain.

Angels were strong proactive characters when the story of humanity unfolded during biblical times. And while today, cynics, atheists and those on the dark side might argue that angels are figments of the human imagination, there are countless people who will brave the scorn of scoffers, fight back vehemently and attest to the very real presence of angels in their lives.

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

Jollibee completes divestment from San Pin Wang

by Kristyn

niKa B. ManilaTimes.net

Lazo

JoLLIBEE Foods Corp., one of the biggest quick service food companies in the world, has completed its divestment of shareholdings in the Chinese restaurant chain San Pin Wang as a part of the strategy to reorganize its international ventures and focus on building its larger businesses.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, JFC said it completed via offshore investment unit Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) the divestment of its 55-percent shareholding in Guangxi San Pin Wang Food and Beverage Management Company Limited.

The 55-percent stake was sold back to Guangxi Zong Kai Food Beverage Investment Company Limited (GZK), which now owns 100 percent of San Pin Wang.

San Pin Wang is a Chinese restaurant chain with stores mostly in Nanning in Guangxi Province in the southern part of the People’s Republic of China. Its menu consists largely of low priced beef noodles.

When JFC acquired and equity stake in San Pin Wang from GZK in March 2012, the Chinese food chain had 34 stores and was already profitable. San Pin Wang further grew its outlets to 71 stores as of end-November 2016. It plans to continue expanding in 2017 and in the years ahead.

JFC said the divestment is part of its intention to “concentrate its resources on businesses with greater potential.”

This will let the group focus on Yonghe King venture, its largest business in China with 315 stores as of end-November last year. on November 23, JFC through JWPL, acquired 30 percent of its former partner

Calendar of Events across

in Happy Bee Foods Processing in an asset-for-equity swap to own 100 percent of the food processing plant, which will stop producing for third party clients and instead focus on making food products solely for the group’s needs.

The move was intended to fully support Yonghe King by further improving food quality, strengthening food safety and accelerating product innovations.

JFC has one of the biggest food service network in the world, with 3,236 stores to date —2,565 in the Philippines and 671 stores overseas.

The group’s brand network is composed of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal and Burger King in the Philippines and in other parts of the world, as well as Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, and Dunkin Donuts in China, and Jinja Bar in the US. n

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 JA N UA RY 1 5

Feast of Santo Niño in Los Angeles On Sunday, January 15, 2017, at 3:30 pm, a mass sponsored by Santo Niño Cruzada USA, will be held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to celebrate its 30th year anniversary of the solemn Feast of Santo Niño, the Divine Infant Jesus.

The Southern California Sinulog Dance Co. will perform traditional Sinulog dances after the mass.

Although the devotion to the Divine Infant has roots in Europe, Filipinos are known for their fervent devotion to the Infant Jesus, celebrating with religious and civic activities.

As a result, Filipino immigrants brought their Santo Niño to the United States to be their spiritual recourse, assistance, and protector.

We celebrated the first Feast of Santo Niño in 1986 at then Saint Vibiana’s Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. It was in the summer of 1988 that the original group of Santo Niño devotees formally organized under the name, Cruzada de Santo Niño. The organization’s name was eventually changed to its present name, Santo Niño Cruzada, USA. As in any organization, the organization’s path to success is measured by the dedication and commitment of the officers and members whose primary goals are to promote devotion to Santo Niño, provide individual sanctifications, give aids to needy families and be united with other Santo Niño groups.

For more information in this year’s celebration, please contact any of the following officers and members: Romy & Tess Esturas: (213) 387-6982 Rey & Tess Edpao: (818) 469-7292; Carmen Estrada: (213) 413-2881; Fe Montano: (323) 218-1587; Ester Paredes: (213) 864-1149; Lilia Figuracion: (626) 394-2661; Fe Reyes: (213) 413-5286; Cherry Guerrero: (213) 747-6508; Tessie Cruz: (213) 361-0937; Vicky Samia: (818) 851-2262; Laurie Dolorfino: (213) 407-0097; Maria Oclarino: (213) 427-0353.

JA N UA RY 28

Historic Filipinotown Scavenger Hunt Explore the cultural gems of HiFi (Historic Filipinotown) by joining the 2nd HiFi Scavenger Hunt Fundraiser on Saturday, January 28 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m! Meet Filipino-specific challenges (from a Balut eating contest to dancing Tinikling to a hip hop beat!). You may find yourself meeting a little-known community hero, tasting a Filipino food challenge or receiving your very own Filipino nickname! You will be having a blast while building your bayanihan spirit by asking your friends and family and even your Facebook fans to donate money to sponsor your Team to take this challenge. You and your team choose your own fundraising goal! Funds raised by this event will go to the programs and services of 2 HiFi community organizations, Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) and Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) to provide vital services to families, workers and seniors in our community. Services include free or low-cost citizenship application assistance, human trafficking survivor support, civic engagement, wage theft claims assistance, cultural programs and more! Have fun, Discover Historic Filipinotown win prizes and support your community while doing it! Go to www.pwcsc.org/HiddenHiFi to sign up now. PWC is located at 153 Glendale Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026.

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

B JANUARY 4-6, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes You own a successful business, as a sole proprietor, prior to marriage. You later meet the love of your life and decide to marry her. Years into the marriage, you decide to incorporate the business. A common question when the couple later divorces becomes 1) did your separate property business become community property by virtue of incorporating it during the marriage? 2) Was your separate property business “transmuted” to community property by incorporating it during the marriage?

No Community Property Presumption Family Code §760 defines “Community property” as “Except as otherwise provided by statute, all property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in this state is community property. However under Marriage of Koester, the Court held that the community does not “acquire” a separate property business simply because the business is incorporated during the marriage. The mere incorporation of a business operated by spouse is not a change in its character, for purposes of division of community estate following divorce.

In Koester, the Court stated that he incorporation simply effects a change in the legal form under which the business is conducted and property does not change its character merely because of a change in form or identity. Marriage of Koester (1999) 73 CA4th 1032, 1035, 1038, 87 CR2d 76, 79,

Community Journal

Will incorporating a separate property business during marriage make it community property?

81. The Court in Koester also stated that “In contrast with the way title is taken when a married couple own residential property, the incorporation of a sole proprietorship business is typically done for reasons extrinsic to the marital relationship. To say ... that an asset was ‘acquired’ by the community ... because some aspect of corporate formation took place during the marriage is to elevate semantics over substance” No Transmutation Incorporation of a sole proprietorship business during the marriage can trigger a family code § 2640 tracing right of reimbursement only when it is also accompanied by an unambiguous express written transmutation of the business to community property as required by Family Code § 852.

Marriage of Koester, supra, 73 CA4th at 1036–1037, 87 CR2d at 79–80 & fn. 5. under Family Code §852, a transmutation of real or personal property is not valid unless made in writing by an express declaration that is made, joined in, consented to, or accepted by the spouse whose interest in the property is adversely affected.

In Koester, the act of changing the legal form under which a business is conducted does not meet the requirements of family code § 852 for a valid transmutation. Marriage of Koester (1999) 73 CA4th 1032, 1037, 87 CR2d 76, 80 & fn. 5.

Incorporation of a sole proprietorship business is typically

done for reasons extrinsic to the marital relationship.

Although the mere act of incorporating a separate business during the marriage does not change the character of the business to community property, the community may still acquire an apportionment interest if the value of the business substantially appreciated during the marriage due to the labor and hard work of the managing spouse during the marriage. The apportionment calculation is done using the formula in the Pereira or Van Camp case where the contributions of effort and return on capital are separated from the value of the business. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association.

He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 3881611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

(Advertising Supplement)

AC Energy sells stakes in 3 hydro companies to Sta Clara

by KrIstyn

nIKa B. lazo

ManilaTimes.net

AC Energy Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala Corporation (AC), signed definitive agreements to sell its ownership stake in three hydropower companies to Sta. Clara Group Inc. The company said on Tuesday it signed definitive documents to sell its entire 70 per-

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

cent ownership stakes in each of the subsidiaries.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday, parent Ayala Corp. said it is selling its ownership stakes in QuadRiver Energy Corporation, Philnew Hydro Power Corporation, and PhilnewRiver Corporation to Sta. Clara. The transaction amount was not disclosed.

PSE starts first trading day of 2017: Top officials of the Philippine Stock Exchange marked the first trading day of 2017 with a special bell ringing ceremony at the Ayala and Tektite trading floors. In photo are (from left) Securities Clearing Corp. Philippines deputy COO Jenny Cueto and PSE treasurer Omelita Tiangco, COO Roel Refran, director Edgardo Lacson, chairman Jose Pardo, and directors Ma. Vivian Yuchengco, Ramon Monzon and Alejandro Yu.

PSEi starts 2017 on high note

by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – The first day of trading for 2017 managed to end in positive territory despite trading mostly in the red in the early part of the day.

The market opened on a negative note but the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) managed to close higher as foreign buyers gobbled up some stocks.

The main composite index closed higher by 20.67 points or 0.30 percent to finish at 6,861.31.

Similarly, the broader All Shares finished in positive territory, up 10.49 points or 0.25 percent to end at 4,166.56.

Most of the counters likewise closed in the green except for the services index, which declined 1.36 points or 0.10 percent.

The mining and oil index led the gains with an increase of 0.83 percent followed by the industrial sector.

However, total value turnover remained thin at P2.68 billion.

Nevertheless, advancing stocks outnumbered decliners, 89 to 79 while 42 stocks were

left unchanged.

Commenting on the market performance, Justino Calaycay of A&A Securities said the technical indicators aren’t exactly encouraging going into 2017 but the fundamentals are still embracing a rather optimistic narrative.

He said the new year offers a clean slate.

Calaycay said investors still committed funds to equities. At the same time, he said investors must be more circumspect and selective when putting their money in stocks. n

PH firms urged to avail of China-Asean Investment Fund

PHILIPPINE companies are encouraged to avail of an eqThe three companies are uity investment fund that prooperating hydropower service vides capital support to outcontracts with the Department standing firms in both China and the Asean region to grow of Energy.

Prior to the sale, AC Energy their businesses.

Patrick Ip, Principal of Chiheld 70 percent of the outstanding capital stock of each na-Asean Capital Advisory Co. of the Hydro Companies, with Ltd., said the China-Asean Sta. Clara owning 30 percent. Investment Fund prioritizes The transaction is part of the public infrastructure, banking, reorganization of the Ayala’s agriculture and other sectors, u PAGE B5 such as consumption, logistics, health care and even those that benefit from the urbanization and the growth of the middle class.

The target size of the fund’s phase one is $1 billion to $0 billion. It is one of the larg-

est equity funds with Chinese background focusing on the Asean region.

Ip said investment sizes range from $24 million to $150 million. ”I think the most important is to enjoy our equity support, and other support we can provide to you in terms of adding more value to (your) company, help your income to grow. We tend to improve operations, we spend time on financial management, we spend time on strategic business and financial improvement,” he said in a recent interview held here.

Ip noted that since the inception of the investment fund in 2001, his group has so far part-

nered with only one Philippine firm, Negros Navigation Co. Inc. ”China will assess as to how much and when and whether to invest in the company. The funding will come from China,” he said.

Ip cited the need for the Philippines to invest more, especially in infrastructure at par with other Asean members.

“If you want to expand further your consumption, you (need to) deliver more products to the end-customers, you need to ship, you need warehouse.

The infrastructure will increase the consumption in this country further,” he added. (ManilaTimes.net)

SMC invests P75-B in its food lines

by DaxIm

l. lucas

Inquirer.net

SAN Miguel Corp. will pour in as much as P75 billion into its traditional food business lines— which had taken the backseat in the conglomerate’s rapid expansion during the last decade—due mainly to resurgent demand from increasingly affluent consumers.

In an interview, the president of the country’s largest company said the new investments would include new processing plants for its Purefoods meat products and new bottling lines for its 127year-old beer business.

“The reason we did not expand our food business before is because, at that time, we were seeing a slowdown in the demand for these products,” Ramon Ang said. “But now, we see that our food and beverage lines and processed meat have very strong demand. That’s why we’re expanding.”

The expansion of the food business will cost San Miguel an estimated P60 billion in capital expenditures until 2018, the bulk of which will be spent on new production facilities for its hotdog, corned beef and luncheon meat products.

“We are going to produce Spam now to export to Asean countries,” he said referring to a partnership San Miguel entered into with uS-based Hormel Foods, which produces the processed meat firm popular with Filipinos.

Ang said that, despite the popularity of Spam in the local market, demand was never enough to justify local production. However, that has changed in in re-

cent years due to the rising purchasing power of the Filipino middle class.

“Now, the [Spam] shipment that arrives here is 40 containers per month,” he said, explaining San Miguel’s move. “It’s now justified for you to put up a plant to supply the domestic and export markets.”

“We are also putting up chicken nuggets plant in Cavite, Cagayan de oro and Cebu, simultaneously,” he added.

In addition, a further $300 million—about P15 billion at the prevailing exchange rate— will be spent to put up a new beer brewery and bottling line for the conglomerate’s flagship brand, San Miguel Breweries, in Mindanao.

“We are breaking ground to put up a 3-million hectoliter brewery in Cagayan de oro City,” Ang said. “We are expanding our brewery and bottling plant in Santa Rosa, Laguna, by 2 million hectoliters in capacity.”

San Miguel Brewery’s existing Santa Rosa plant has a bottling capacity of 1 million hectoliters

annually.

“We are spending about $300 million for the breweries in Cagayan de oro and Santa Rosa, as well as logistics systems to help us distribute our products more efficiently,” he said, adding that San Miguel’s packaging units will also build a new glass plant in Pagbilao, Quezon, which can produce 400 tons of glass products per day capacity “for export to Australia and America.”

Ang said the refocusing of resources into the food business would also include an expansion of the group’s flour mills with the addition of 1,200 tons per day of capacity, as well as an additional 10-million ton annual capacity to its feed mills business—all of which are slated for completion by 2018.

San Miguel’s food business makes P100 billion per year in sales revenue and P13 billion in free cash flow.

“We don’t flash it around to investors to drive our stock price, but it’s there and it’s big. Plus it generates thousands of jobs for Filipinos,” Ang said. n

Signs that you will you need bankruptcy...

PAGE B3 t bankruptcy relief.

7. You have maxed out your credit cards: If you have maxed out your credit cards, you are in bad shape financially. Need I say more? You need bankruptcy Chapter 7 or 13 to get rid of your credit cards and start fresh without accumulated debt. Be productive again. Be

smart!

Best wishes to all readers for the New Year!! If you filed for bankruptcy in 2016, you would have no more debt in 2017, but its not too late. Get bankruptcy relief in 2017 if you need it.

It’s the smart thing to do says Mr. Trump.

You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.” Psalm

65:11 *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

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Community Journal

Analysts: Dec inflation at 2.6%-2.8% Full year seen at 1.7%-1.8%

by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO,

ManilaTimes.net

HEADLINE inflation likely accelerated further in December, bringing the full-year average closer to the upper end of the central bank’s forecast range, analysts polled by The Manila Times, said.

Seven analysts said December inflation could have settled within the 2.6 percent to 2.8 percent range, which lies nearer the higher end of the 2.2 percent to 3 percent band estimated earlier by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Inflation accelerated to 2.5 percent in November from 2.3 percent in October.

But based on analysts’ estimates of the December rate, inflation for the full year could average 1.7 percent or 1.8 percent, which is in line with the central bank’s forecast average for 2016, although below the 2 percent to 4 percent cap range set for that year.

In December 2015, inflation settled at 1.5 percent, brining the

EMPLOYMENT

full-year rate to 1.4 percent. The official December and full-year 2016 numbers are scheduled to be released on Thursday by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Providing the highest estimate was Guian Angelo Dumalagan, market economist at Land Bank of the Philippines, who said December inflation may come in at 2.8 percent, driven primarily by the peso’s depreciation and the rise in oil prices.

“A weaker peso makes dollardenominated goods and services more expensive in peso terms.

In fact, this is the reason why the generation charge component of Meralco’s electricity rate surged this month,” he said.

“Regarding oil prices, they have increased by more than 20 percent year-on-year in December 2016 due to the output cut agreement among OPEC [Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries] and non-OPEC producers. This uptick represents a recovery from November’s slight

annual decline in global crude costs,” he explained.

Moreover, inflation might have picked up last month due to increased consumer demand during the Christmas season, he added.

With that, Dumalagan concluded that December inflation might bring the full-year average close to 1.8 percent, which is the BSP’s inflation forecast for 2016.

“From now until 2020, a 2 percent to 4 percent inflation target might be feasible, especially since the recovery in oil prices is expected to be gradual. There might be more inflationary pressures in the future due to the peso’s relative weakness against the dollar and the current administration’s plan to increase public spending,” he said.

Lastly, he added that the BSP might tighten its monetary policy settings in the near term to maintain economic stability amid rising consumer prices and higher capital outflows due

EMPLOYMENT

to likely stronger US growth.

Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist IHS Markit, said inflation could have picked up to 2.7 percent, pushed by the impact of rising oil prices, higher electricity prices, as well as the effect of the recent peso depreciation on import prices.

“Despite the recent upturn in CPI [consumer price index]inflation at the end of 2016, the full calendar year average CPI inflation rate for 2016 is expected to be 1.8 percent, still below the lower end of the BSP’s 2 percent to 4 percent CPI target range. This is expected to keep the BSP on hold in early 2017 as inflationary pressures still remain within their inflation target range,” he said.

However, Biswas said the outlook is for average CPI inflation to move higher in 2017, averaging 2.8 percent for the 2017 calendar year “due to the impact of higher average world oil prices following the recent OPEC decision to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day as well as

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • JANUARY 4-6, 2017 rising import costs due to recent PHP depreciation.”

He said the peso is expected to remain weak against the US dollar in 2017, with a risk of further depreciation against the greenback as the US Federal Reserve is expected to hike rates three more times in 2017.

Bank of the Philippine Islands Vice President and lead economist Emilio Neri Jr., and Ateneo de Manila University economist Alvin Ang held the same forecast, but did not elaborate on the factors behind it.

Diana del Rosario, Deutsche Bank economist, expects inflation to have also increased to 2.6 on the back of higher food prices during the holidays.

“Inflation likely averaged 1.8 percent in 2016. We see infla-

B

tion rising to 3.3 percent in 2017, but we do not think this would prompt rate moves by the BSP, given that inflation would just enter the 2 percent to 4 percent target range of the central bank,” she said.

This forecast were shared by Chidu Narayanan of Standard Chartered Bank and Harish Gupta of Barlays.

Central bank Governor Amando Tetangco Jr., in explaining the central bank’s 2.2 percent to 3 percent projection for December, had said: “Upside pressures from reported increases in the prices of petroleum products, rice, and power rates in Meralco-serviced areas, as well as the weaker peso, could be partly offset by lower LPG prices during the month.” n

AC Energy sells stakes in 3 hydro...

PAGE B3 t power interests after it won the bid for Chevron’s Indonesia and Philippine geothermal assets last month.

AC Energy will now focus on its thermal, wind and solar power generation assets.

Ayala and its subsidiaries

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

SERVICES

hold a 40-percent equity interest in the Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc., which operates the Tiwi and Mak-Ban geothermal field in Southern Luzon and supplies power plants with a combined boilerplate capacity of around 700 MW. n

B JANUARY 4-6, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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The Asian Journal

MDWK

Wednesday, january 4, 2017

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cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 4, 2017

FROM POLITICS TO ENTERTAINMENT: A look back at the personalities who made it to the cover of MDWK Magazine

by CHRISTINA M. ORIEL / AJPRESS

Another year is past us and following tradition, the Asian Journal editorial team lists the top MDWK Magazine covers from 2016. Each week, the MDWK Magazine is a platform to recognize and share the stories of Filipino Americans who continue to break barriers in their respective career fields.

From the 15 Filipino Americans working in President Barack Obama’s administration to the first Filipina-American ballet dancer in the American Ballet Theatre, the subjects we covered continually give us more reasons to be proud Fil-Ams. *To read these selected features & other stories in their entirety, please visit http://asianjournal.com/aj-magazines/mdwk-magazine/

Diversity matters: Filipino-Americans in the Obama Administration (Two parts) In a two-part series, the Asian Journal got exclusive interviews with the 15 Filipino Americans who have worked in President Barack Obama’s administration, which has been regarded as the most diverse in American history.

These individuals have filled different capacities throughout the federal government, from the Department of Commerce to the White House itself. They candidly

shared how they came to their positions, what challenges they’ve faced as a Fil-Am working in public service, and how their particular section of the government is working to help Filipinos and Fil-Ams across the United States.

“I think the broader challenge for me as a Filipino-American, who is half Filipina, is to make sure that my voice can be heard in an effective way. I think it helps

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. asks Fil-Am community to be more engaged, united

that I come from a diverse state of people with different ways of communicating and interacting. I also think that any challenge can also be an opportunity. So, being someone who is different from others in a table can be helpful, particularly if I am operating with both ears open and with curiosity,” Nani Coloretti, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said.

Jose L. Cuisia Jr. spoke with the Asian Journal before he vacated as Philippine ambassador to the United States, a post he occupied from July 2011 to June 2016.

Ambassador Cuisia, a wellrespected figure in Philippine business with over 32 years in financial services, most recently as the president & CEO of the largest and most profitable non-bank financial institution in the Philippines, brought with him to Washington his savviness in politics and business.

His accomplishments include strengthening the relationship

Why Mayor Eric Garcetti thinks LA is a Fil-Am friendly city Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sat down with the Asian Journal at the tail-end of Filipino-American History Month to talk about his “Filipino story” — from his grandfather fighting alongside Filipinos during World War II to spearheading the creation of the Historic Filipinotown neighborhood as councilmember.

With over 139,000 Fil-Ams who reside in Los Angeles, Garcetti noted how important it is for the population to make its voice heard and be represented in the city.

“That’s a question I always ask: not are we doing well, but who are we missing? That’s why it was important for me to

establish a Filipino voice in City Hall, a Filipino neighborhood in the city, and it links closely to me and to tell my Filipino story,” Garcetti said.

Currently, the Mayor’s Office has six Filipino Americans, working in departments from immigrant affairs and gang reduction and youth development. Last year, Garcetti also nominated former Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) Executive Director Joel Jacinto to the city’s Board of Public Works, making Jacinto the first paid Filipino American commissioner. On top of that, the Los Angeles Filipino Association City Employees (LAFACE) has over 500 members.

Rocky Gathercole: Born to be a fashion designer

AJPress Photo by Noel Ty

“This is one of the great Filipino cities of the world and Los Angeles should think itself that way,” Garcetti said.

Fil-Am actor Jose Llana leads diverse cast of national tour of ‘The King and I’ Until January 21, 2017, the national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I” will be at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles — and it’s a must-see, especially for the array of Filipino-American talent present in the cast.

Jose Llana (who first started his Broadway career in a 1996 production of the musical) plays the title role of the King of Siam and delivers a stellar, commanding performance.

Though Llana is not the first Asian American to assume the role of the King, representing the community and bringing that diversity shows how much theater has progressed.

“I think the biggest shift in the last 10 years has been that the Asian American community and the theater community, in general now, will not stand for someone putting on yellowface,” he told the Asian Journal.

“It’s a lot less tolerated now — that’s a huge deal for us, as Asian Americans, that there is a part of us and we can actually be cast in it.”

In addition to Llana and Joan Almedilla (as Lady Thiang), this national tour of “The King and I” boasts a cast of Fil-Ams in prominent roles: Brian Rivera as Karalahome; Lamae Caparas, Marie Gutierrez, Michael Lomeka and Rommel Pierre

AJPress Photo by Noel Ty

Behind many of the intricate, eccentric designs worn by Hollywood celebrities — from Katy Perry to Nicki Minaj — is Filipino avant-garde designer Rocky Gathercole.

Gathercole, who left his father’s house in Manila at age 14, worked odd jobs before migrating to Saudi Arabia for a fashion-related job. From there, he established himself in different countries in the Middle East, creating designs for royal and AJPress Photo by Ding Carreon wealthy clients. In recent years,

Academy of Dancing method with Joan and Monica Halliday at the Halliday Dance Centre in Sydney. She joined the ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in 1996 at the age of 17 after being an apprentice for a few months.

“To be honest, it’s mostly the feeling of responsibility, to help inspire the next generation of dancers not only Filipinos but all of them. It warms my heart to see these young Filipina dancers on social media saying that I inspire them. That’s very heartwarming, and it’s a responsibility that I am happy to take on,” she told the Asian Journal.

he made his way to the United States, debuting at New York and Los Angeles fashion weeks, as well as becoming a go-to designer for A-list clientele.

“I don’t believe designers are made; I believe they’re born. From [my experience], I didn’t study to be a designer.

Somehow, designer talaga ako (I really am a designer). The best advice I can give is to be yourself and find it in your heart, and the art will come out,” Gathercole said.

LASA, Fil-Am chefs experiment Filipino flavors at Unit 120 in Chinatown

Unit 120, a dining space in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, has become a popular spot to find Filipino cuisine. During the daytime, Fil-Am chef Alvin Cailan — who is the mastermind behind Eggslut — has Amboy, a takeout window that serves dishes like pork belly, grilled pampano, and vegan versions of kare kare and kaldereta.

On weekend evenings, the space is used for LASA, a California cuisine-inspired Filipino pop-up that has since received rave reviews from top publicaPhoto by Matthew Murphy tions and critics.

O’Choa in the ensemble; and “When any race eats our Almedilla’s son CJ Uy, Jaden and Kayla Amistad, and Adriana and Amaya Braganza as royal children.

Stella Abrera: Making history in the world of ballet Southern California native Stella Abrera made headlines when she became the first Fil-Am principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

In an interview with the Asian Journal’s Executive Editor Momar Visaya, Abrera recounted how she danced her way to this prestigious honor in the ballet company’s 76-year history.

Abrera began her studies with Philip and Charles Fuller and Cynthia Young at Le Studio in Pasadena and continued it at the West Coast Ballet Theatre in San Diego when her family moved there. She also spent three years studying the Royal

between the U.S. and the Philippines, as well as establishing the Filipino American Young Leaders Program, which selects 10 of the most outstanding Filipinos in the U.S. for an immersion trip.

“Interacting with the Filipino community here in the U.S. is very gratifying because I see what they have been able to contribute in terms of uplifting the image of the Philippines,” he said, adding “It is important for the Filipinos in the United States to be more united. We can have a tremendous influence on U.S. policy…”

food, we want them to say, ‘Hey, why…haven’t I been eating Filipino food before?’ Because we’re not reinventing the wheel or taking away anything from the first generation of FilipinoAmerican restaurants,” Cailan said, adding “What we’re doing here is so vital to have our community represented…We want people to come out to Chinatown and really enjoy what we’re trying to do. We’re working hard to make it an experience.” *This story won the Best Food Story award at the 2016 Alvin Cailan AJPress photo by Christina M. Oriel Plaridel Awards.

Filipina in charge: California Appointments Secretary Mona Pasquil

In California’s Appointments Office, there are more than 12,000 applications in the system from individuals seeking to serve on various state boards and commissions.

But before any of them either secure a high-ranking position or get turned down, they are screened by California Appointments Secretary Mona Pasquil, 53, a Filipino-American who has served in her current role since 2011.

Prior to her role, Pasquil’s experience has included chief of staff to California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, political director

for former California Gov. Gray Davis’ gubernatorial campaign, California political director for Al Gore’s presidential campaign, deputy political director for John Kerry’s presidential campaign and western political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs under former president Bill Clinton.

Most notably, she became the first Asian Pacific Islander and Filipino-American woman to serve as acting lieutenant governor when Garamendi was elected to Congress in 2009.

“That foundation of family and hard work and recognizing

their hard work is something, that is a part of who I am and I think about it every day. You have to have that drive and that appreciation for your history and your story,” she said, crediting her Filipino background.

A. O’Brien: A Courtroom Trailblazer Ryan Cayabyab’s life journey to music Illinois Judge Jessica Jessica A. O’Brien — who was born in Cebu City, Philippines

Filipino musician, composer and conductor Ryan Cayabyab — also known as “Mister C” or “Maestro Ryan” — discussed how he formed his identity and how he decided on his chosen path with the help of his mentors, and his current advocacies.

Cayabyab has been responsible for 23 movie scores, 15 great OPM songs and dozens of CDs. He has performed inside famed venues around the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln

Center in New York, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. His current project includes the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS), a group of seven young adult singers, that toured in various cities in the U.S. in 2016.

When asked what is his music’s message, Ryan responded, “my pride in my heritage, pride in my Philippine music, growing up with kundimans (courtship songs) and balitaws (Visayan folk songs that are meant to be danced).”

— broke many barriers on her journey to becoming the first Filipina-American judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2012.

Before that, at John Marshall Law School, she was the first student to graduate with a J.D./L.L.M joint degree in Tax Law. Most recently, O’Brien became the first Asian American woman to become president of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), an organization that has been around for over 100 years.

To women of color and immigrants aspiring to make their mark on the world, O’Brien offered this advice: “You have to really want it, and you have to have a passion for it because you are going to need that to withstand a number of challenges along the way. It shouldn’t be that way but it’s going to be that way for a while. But if you want to contribute to the betterment of our group, you need to do your part,” she said.

A look back at the personalities...

From Page 2

Dante Basco: Creating stories & opportunities in entertainment for Asian Americans

Fil-Am actor Dante Basco’s acting career has spanned over 25 years. He’s no stranger to the big screen and television, with filmography including the iconic role of Rufio in the 1991 movie “Hook” and the voice of Zuko in the popular Nickelodeon animated television series “Avatar the Last Airbender,” for which he has become wellknown among the younger generation.

In 2000, the Fil-Am actor played the role of Ben Mercado in “The Debut,” a landmark film for the Filipino community where his character struggles between his family’s Filipino

traditions and his American dreams.

In recent years, he helped found an Asian American arts collective in Downtown Los Angeles called We Own the 8th. The collective meets on the eighth of every month and is meant to curate, educate and inspire the next generation of content creators, including singers, writers, actors and YouTube personalities.

“Once you’ve acquired some success, you’re able to drop a lot of ego and see the importance of helping others and the group. Whether the group is the production compa-

ny I’m a part of, the community at large, the world, or the Asian American community or the Filipino community, there’s a lot of room for us to help out and help grow things,” Basco said.

An inside look at the life of LA Superior Court Judge Teresa Magno

AJPress Photo by Ding Carreon

To date, there are 11 Filipino-American judges in the state of California; nine of them are in LA County, including Filipina Teresa Magno who won the seat in 2014. But Magno is the first Filipino-American judge to be elected, as the other judges had been appointed to the bench.

In an interview with the Asian Journal, Magno recounted how she decided upon a career in law and how she was motivated to run for an open judicial seat in

Dancing his way to fame: How John Philip ‘Balang’ Bughaw became an Internet sensation John Philip ‘Balang’ Bughaw, a 7-year-old boy from Bacoor, Cavite, became a worldwide internet sensation for his YouTube videos showing him dancing to the latest pop hits.

With no formal training, Balang started dancing at 4 years old, emulating motions picked up from videos or by simply just moving along to the background music heard on TV shows. The recognition even caught the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who invited him onto her talk-variety show three times in 2015.

“Natuto akong sumayaw sa pamamagitan ng panonood ng mga videos (I taught myself how to dance by watching videos),” Balang told the Asian Journal, adding that artists Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor, among others, have inspired him to dance.

LA County.

“This is it for me. I want to be a trial judge until I retire…I want to be at this level where on a daily basis you see life — I experience firsthand the drama called life. That’s where I want to be,” she said. “The reward and satisfaction that I feel [are] very much alive in my heart. I love what I do.” *This story won the Best Profile Writing award at the 2016 Plaridel Awards.

cover story

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T h e As ian Jou r n al MDWK MAGAZ IN E - Jan u ary 4 , 2 0 1 7

Director & filmmaker Jon Jon Augustavo on his artistic purpose and discovering his Filipino heritage Director and filmmaker Jon Jon Augustavo sat down with the Asian Journal about his recent journey of connecting to his Filipino heritage.

One of Augustavo’s most notable creations is the music video for Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop,” a hip-hop song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2013. That same year, Augustavo also went on to collaborate with the rapper and producer duo on videos for “Can’t Hold Us” and “Same Love.”

The three videos were nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards. “Can’t Hold Us” won Best Cinematography and Best Hip Hop Video, while “Same Love” won Best Video with a Social Message. “Can’t Hold Us” was also nominated for Best Music Video at the

2014 Grammy Awards.

In nearly four years, he has worked with chart-topping artists, such as Shawn Mendes for several videos, including breakout hit “Stitches,” and Mike Posner for “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” (SeeB Remix).

Despite his success with music videos, Augustavo’s next path is creating feature films that challenge his abilities as a director and creative.

“With a film, it’s the closest it can be to your own voice the director or artist. My goal has always been to make a film that speaks to who I am as a person, director, artist or whatever it is. My main goal, main dream is to do that. And to have someone allow me to make what I think is right with the story I want to tell,” he said.

25th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture brings Apl.de.ap closer to home The Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC), the annual production of FilAm ARTS, is the largest presenter of Philippine arts and culture in Southern California presenting over 1,200 artists in nine disciplines and attracting over 25,000 audience members from all over the country.

In 2016, FPAC marked its 25th year as an annual celebration, as well being a large commemoration for Filipino American History Month. The 25th-year celebration gathered a whole host of Fil-Am talent, including Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas and DJ and dancer STAHYL of the JABBAWOCKEEZ and My Digital Kids, and Fil-Am cast members of the CW show, “Crazy ExGirlfriend.”

“I just feel like I’m at home with the warmth and reception. I just feel like me. When I’m with the [Black Eyed Peas]

I represent the Filipinos, but this time it’s all of me just being proud to be Pinoy and

just being around my kababayans,” Apl.de.ap told the Asian Journal.

AJPress Photo by Ding Carreon

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features

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 4, 2017

MOONLIGHTING

by MYLAH DE

LEON

HIS country absorbed him as affectionately. His poems are easy to read — perhaps to sing

The poetry of Dr. Jose Rizal — to take to heart and put to meaning on its ability to bring what is dearest, as poetry to the human heart and taste.

Murmurs of pleasant memories, pains and wrongs, Rizal’s poetry sings of exceptional passions, of humanity’s escapades into freedom. Poetry

that soothes and heals, excites and haunts, embracing the nation’s soul as one, with a kind of chemical solvent to social corruption, to an “archipelagic nation wrought by centuries of abuse, injustice and repression.”

Poetry often appears at night, wrapped in a darker, sadder mood. Rizal’s most renowned “Mi Ultimo Adios,” whose exquisite music of a darker, sadder mood, speaks in authentic voices to and for the country, was written in a familiar style of rhymed cadences about an amorphous subject (himself) in a strange brew of confession, prophecy and language of the soul. He believed in using literature as an instrument for improving the conditions of society, to open the gates to social justice and benevolence.

Though he didn’t believe in didactic homilies at the end of his poems, he’d rather reach out by teaching in that charming gesture proving that literature itself can be an anodyne to profit, acquisition and utility. To push away a culture of moral blindness and rampant selfishness, he pointed out that the true greatness of a nation is the greatness of the mind, the true glory on its moral and intellectual predominance.

In these times of globalization, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, by all accounts was the first Filipino global citizen. In an age when travel for Filipinos was rare and arduous, Rizal was already leaving his imprint on several continents. He had been to Asia, only for a tour, but did a surgical job in Hong Kong. He had been to the United States and Europe where the gems of his visionary words were developed and nurtured.

He steeped himself in European language and literature, through translation and more subtly through a kind of alembic process. He inferred his visions of a new country outgrowing its touchy backwardness and Continued on Page 5

Pia Wurtzbach, Marlon Stockinger spend holiday in Hawaii

by ROSETTE

ADEL

Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – Rumored celebrity couple Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and car racer Marlon Stockinger were seen spending the holiday in Hawaii.

The two separately shared photos of them on their Instagram stories, with locations tagged in Waikiki beach, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Pia even played paparazzi in her video where Marlon was candidly captured.

Late November, Pia and Marlon were also seen dining

in Singapore, based on their Instagram posts.

The two have yet to confirm

their relationship. However, Marlon last October admitted to seeing Pia.

Jessy Mendiola: Reacting to bashers a waste of energy

by MARINEL

R. CRUZ

Inquirer.net

ACTRESS Jessy Mendiola, on how she feels about rumored boyfriend Luis Manzano defending her from bashers: “I also don’t know how to react to that. I always tell him to just let it slide, but I guess there were times when he couldn’t help it

because the comments were really below the belt. To be fair to him, this doesn’t happen often. I’m fortunate to have people around me who protect me from bashers. I no longer feel affected by the negative comments. To dwell on them is just a waste of energy. I’d rather focus on the things that make me happy.”

Chef Charleen wins Chopped The Global Kababayan G. TÖNGI SOME really exciting news for 2017 for our community!

Sharing the success of Charleen Caabay – a chef based in Oakland, California and the owner of the Kainbigan restaurant – who won the “New Year’s Bash” episode of the realitybased cooking television game show “Chopped” on the Food Network.

Chef Charleen is the first Filipino-American female chef to win the Food Network’s “Chopped.” She also happens to be my blood-related cousin as my grandmother and her grandmother are siblings.

As Michelle Caabay wrote: It was the first time that “Chopped” hosted a New Year’s party and the four chef competitors got to prepare a festive three-course meal with traditional and extravagant holiday ingredients. The show is divided into three rounds: each chef is given a basket of several unrelated ingredients and the prepared dish must contain all of them.

At the end of each round, the panel of rotating culinary judges decides which chef gets “chopped” based upon presentation, taste and creativity. The featured judges for this episode were: Alex Guarnaschelli, Aarón Sánchez and Scott Conant. The comforting flavors of Filipino cuisine and Chef Charleen’s heritage served as an inspiration throughout the competition.

Chef Charleen proclaimed, “We’re gonna celebrate, We’re gonna cook good food, and we’re gonna party!” She got

Chef Charleen Caabay

the celebration started with an appetizer dish of Crab Torta with Collard Green Laing and Champagne Butter Sauce.

Alex Guarnaschelli commented, “Your sensibility really comes through and I respect that.”

Chef Charleen added her own twist on laing, by making it with collard greens; it is typically stewed taro leaves in coconut milk. Scott Conant really loved the richness from the coconut milk. She also used the blini as a binder and mixed it with the king crab legs, and made it all into a into torta, a Spanish-inspired Filipino omelet dish that she loved to eat while growing up. Aarón Sánchez appreciated the big chunks of crab that were welcoming and brought a sense of comfort when he ate the torta.

Moving into the second round, Chef Charleen shined through with her special entrée dish of Martini Steamed Lobster Tail with Barbecue Strip Loin and Curried Black-Eyed Peas. She wanted to create a party on the plate for the New Year’s theme, and that she did!

Chef Charleen always finds a way to bring people together through the food that she makes. She said, “In my culture,

Photo by Shar g. photography

barbecue stick is popular, so my first instinct is to marinate it with all the yummy seasonings.”

Growing up in a Filipino household, she was always surrounded by amazing food shared with family and friends.

It’s no wonder she ended up opening her own Filipino comfort food restaurant, it’s like a family party every day!

Aarón Sánchez commented to the other judges, “Charleen’s going to show us a window into Filipino cuisine, she’s doing it her way, I really appreciate that!” Then Alex Guarnaschelli chimed in by complimenting Chef Charleen, “There’s some really great cooking here!” I love the meat, it’s deee-licious, when I pull the lobster out of the shell and I get the marinade on it, it’s delicious!” Then Scott Conant said it simply, “It’s good eating!”

Chef Charleen topped the party off with a Funnel Cake with Pomegranate Grape Compote. The dessert round can be a challenge at times, and kept us at the edge of our seat, but she made it!

Chef Charleen commented, “I looked at Matt’s plate and see this fluffy white stuff… Oh-Oh! Continued on Page 5

features 5

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 4, 2017

The poetry of Dr. Jose Rizal From Page 4 dependency in familiar bardic traditional singing of legends and poems that raised native themes and landscape into memorable verses and mastery of delicate versifications. He constantly repeated the essence of his faith in the Filipino, that made him “Ah, que es hermoso dormer la eternidad en su encantada tierra (How beautiful it is to sleep the eternities in you enchanted land).”

Last Friday, December 30, 2016, the Knights of Rizal Historic Filipinotown (KOR-HFT) marked the 120th Rizal Day at Kapistahan Grill with a simple luncheon and exaltation rites hosted by Dr. Charlie Agatep for new members and of 2nd and 3d degree knighthood for the elder members on its 4th anniversary.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal was executed in Manila on December 30, 1896 by a Spanish Court and died as a martyr, but, his death galvanized the Filipinos to give birth to a new nation on June 12, 1896.

KOR Knights Commander Arturo Garcia, assisted by Dep. Knight Commander Dr. Orly Cagampan, exalted new members, which was the highlight of the event. The new Knights of Rizal are: Atty. Roman Mosqueda, Dr. Carlos Manlapaz, Fernandico Gonong Jr., Ramon Inchong, Dr. Arturo Flores, Lino Caringal and photographer

Knights of Rizal in Los Angeles marked 120th year of Dr. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom with the installation of new members and turnover of new leadership to Sir. Dr. Orly Cagampan, KCR.

Joe Cobilla. Sir Macky Fortu, KOR Exchequer was exalted to 2nd-degree knight. Sir. Dr. Orly Cagampan, Deputy, Deputy Knight Commander of KOR-HFT and Paul Julian to 3rd degree knights by Western Region’s Knights Commander Sir Tony Berango, who incidentally launched his book, “Jose Rizal’s Life in Poetry.”

It was the perfect time to go back to Rizal in a celebration of independence and heroism, honoring his life as an educator, historian, sociologist; whose nationalistic ideas and writings from the late 1800s made him the Philippines’ national hero.

It was his views on political freedom, education and independence (which ignited the revolution), that would lead to his martyrdom.

Aside from his exemplary medical acumen, he was known for his linguistic skills having

mastered 22 languages and his proficiency in about 45 different disciplines. He was as well a hero to contemporary Malaysian political leader, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Just like in many of our expatriates today, he returned to his country, to share his rare skills and to serve his people. He chose an exile to Dapitan instead of freedom in Cuba.

And there, he revealed more dimensions of his genius – that of an educator, scientist and engineer. In addition to his medical practice, he ran a school for boys, discovered new species of plants and animals and built an irrigation aqueduct that to this day still helps irrigate the farms in Dapitan. ***

E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@ aol.com

Chef Charleen wins Chopped From Page 4 He used some kind of technique that I don’t even know…”

She transformed the featured ingredients into a playful twist on a festive holiday funnel cake with a last-minute sprinkle of toasted coconut, but it was a tad too sweet and needed more balance.

Scott Conant said, “Your instincts are great, but those are the nuances that you learn as

time goes on.” Chef Charleen’s own recipe of true passion for food, pride in her Filipino heritage, determination and creativity won the judges over!

Thanks Michelle for writing this article and a special thanks to shar g. photography for Chef Charleen’s photos. Congrats Pinsan! The community rejoices in your success and accomplishment. Watch out for Chef Charleen in 2017!

*** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipino’s living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - January 4, 2017