La midweek edition march 15 17, 2017

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EDITION

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

Volume 27 - No. 22 • 3 Sections - 20 Pages

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DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

Filipinos advised to remain vigilant of imposter scams CONSUMERS in the United States lost a whopping $744 million to scams in 2016, according to the latest Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report.

That number could go up this year, especially considering what’s happening in the news with the executive orders on immigration and proposed legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“Fraud tends to follow the headlines. What’s in the headlines is something that is likely to be transformed into some kind of a fraud,” Monica Vaca, acting associate director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, told reporters during a recent press call.

Vaca is urging consumers to stay updated with the news “for a clue on where we might see fraudsters hitting next.”

From last year, out of the 1.3 million fraud reports the FTC received, debt collection topped the complaint list. It was followed by imposter scams and identity theft. 77 percent of the individuals who reported their fraud experiences said they were contacted by phone, while 8 percent were by email and 3 percent were by mail.

Red flags The scammers would usually con their victims into sending money via wire transfer, as

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Hitman’s lawyer to file case against Duterte in int’l court

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

THE lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato is set to file criminal cases before an international court against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for his alleged link to the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS).

Attorney Jude Sabio said he will fly to the Netherlands by the end of March or early April to submit cases of “crimes against humanity” against Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We have heard that the prosecutor of the ICC has spoken out saying that that case of the Philippine is already ripe for a formal investigation,” Sabio

told the Philippine Star in an interview.

According to the lawyer, the testimonies of DDS members Matobato and retired SPO3 Arturo Lascañas show a pattern of similarities between the DDS killings and the deaths linked to Duterte’s controversial war against illegal drugs.

He described Matobato and Las-

24 million more people to be without insurance in a decade THE Congressional Budget Office is out with its estimate of the effect that the Republican health bill, “The American Health Care Act,” would have on the nation’s health care system and how much it would cost the federal government. The GOP plan is designed to partially repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act passed during the Obama administration.

Here are some of the CBO highlights: —$337 billion reduction in the deficit.

That’s CBO’s estimate over the next decade.

That takes into account both decreased government spending in the form of less help to individuals to purchase insurance and lower payments to states for the Medicaid program.

It also includes decreased revenues from the repeal of the taxes imposed by the ACA to pay for the new benefits.

—24 million more people without insurance in a decade. The federal budget experts estimate that people will lose insurance and that

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by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE. Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday, March 13, sat down with President Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez during a joint press conference held at Malacañang.

Senate photo by Ariel Cagadas

EARLIER this week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo met for the second time in public since the latter retired from her Cabinet post in December of last year.

The country’s top officials, who seemingly have a strained relationship over differences in some political policies, shook hands and exchanged pleasantries during the graduating ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on Sunday, March 12 in Baguio City.

Duterte and Robredo, however, sat one seat apart from each other, with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana in between them.

In December, Robredo resigned as the

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‘Madam Secretary’ airs controversial Cayetano likely to not replace episode despite PH Embassy protest Yasay as foreign affairs chief

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

by AJPRESS DESPITE the protest by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, CBS Corporation still aired the latest episode of American television series “Madam Secretary” on Sunday, March 12.

The Philippine Embassy earlier called on CBS to take “necessary corrective actions,” following a “highly negative depiction” of a supposed Philippine president on the American TV series.

Based on its trailer, the season 3, episode 15 of “Madam Secretary” showed fictional Philippine President Datu Andrada (played

by Joel de la Fuente) clad in a barong and is seen to be making sexual advances toward the lead character, U.S. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (played by Téa Leoni), during a private meeting to discuss an Asia-Pacific territory treaty.

In response to the inappropriate move,

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano is reportedly not going to replace Perfecto Yasay Jr. as the new Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary.

President Rodrigo Duterte previously offered the DFA chief post to Cayetano, who was also his running mate in the national McCord reflexively punches Andrada in election last May. u PAGE A2 Senator Alan Peter Cayetano the face and bloodies his nose. She then tells her husband (played by Tim Daly), “I clobbered a world leader instead of saving a major regional agreement.”

Entitled “Break in Diplomacy,” the prompted backlash from Filipino officials and supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte. In a later scene in the episode, Andrada is seen wearing a plaid polo shirt,

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Senate urged to probe Cesar Montano

Cesar Montano

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One seat apart: Duterte, Robredo meet at PMA rites

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Deciphering the CBO estimates on the GOP health bill

cañas as “vital witnesses” who could prove that “the Davao death squad was used by Duterte as a template, or as a strategy or policy, for crime control through extrajudicial killings since he became president.”

“Their testimonies, which corroborate each other to prove that in Davao City when Duterte was still mayor, it

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Nancy Binay has called on the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to conduct an inquiry into the alleged irregularities and indiscretions committed by actor Cesar Montano in his capacity as chief operating officer of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

Senate Resolution 326 filed

by Binay on Tuesday, March 14, noted that Congress is accountable on reviewing laws on graft and corruption and should ensure that malfeasance, misfea-

sance and charges of graft and corruption in government are immediately addressed.

Binay cited the need to look into the allegations against Montano since it involves the alleged misuse of public funds by his office.

The Presidential Action Center received a letter from employees of the TPB regarding their concerns and complaints against Montano.

A total of 24 issues were raised against Montano, including his

competence and indiscretion in the use of the TPB’s funds.

TPB employees said Montano entered into multimillion-peso deals, including a concert held last Jan. 18 which cost the agency P11.2 million, where he performed as guest singer with his nieces.

TPB employees alleged that Montano hired his own staff, including a stuntman, gardener, personal assistant, family friend and relatives whose salaries

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A MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

Hitman’s lawyer to file case against Duterte…

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was his policy or strategy to kill suspected criminals in order to control crime,” Sabio said.

More than 8,000 people have reportedly beenkilled in the drug war since Duterte took office last July, according to latest estimates. The government has repeatedly insisted that the deaths were not state-sanctioned, noting that the majority of the killings were committed by unknown vigilante suspects.

However, New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it has “found no such distinction” between deaths during police operations and extrajudicial killings.

The group stated in its report released earlier this month that “President Duterte appears to have instigated unlawful acts by the police, incited citizens to commit serious violence, and made himself criminal liable under international law for the unlawful killings as a matter of command responsibility.”

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) has also accused the Duterte administration of paying police officers “to kill thousands of alleged drug offenders in a wave of extrajudicial executions.”

Amnesty claimed that the police are behaving like the “criminal underworld” by carrying out extrajudicial executions “disguised as unknown killers and ‘contracting out’ killings.”

The majority of these killings, according to AI, “may amount to crimes against humanity.”

“We are lucky to have reports coming from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documenting the cases of extrajudicial killings in the country particularly the Amnesty International stated that there is now an ongoing policy of paying policemen to kill suspected criminals,” Sabio said.

Unfazed by the threat of facing charges before the ICC, Duterte challenged his critics to find evidence against him.

“Human rights, United Na-

tions, that’s fine. If you have complaints, O.K. You want to file charges, fine. Look for evidence,” Duterte said.

Despite calls from various human rights groups to stop the government’s brutal crackdown on narcotics, the president reiterated his warning against drug users: “But still, I will kill you.”

Malacañang, on the other hand, also downplayed the possibility of Duterte being charged before international courts, reiterating that the killings in the country were not state-sanctioned.

In an interview with staterun Radyo ng Bayan, Philippine Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella remarked that the government is “not fighting against ethnic, racial or religious groups,” pointing that genocide is not happening in the country.

“And what we’re dealing with here are crimes like drugs and dealers and drug addiction and drug dealing. Actually, these are just police operations,” Abella added.

While Malacañang has denied

PACMAN MEETS MISS EARTH WINNERS. Senator Manny Pacquiao hands over signed boxing gloves as souvenirs to Miss Earth 2015 Angelia Ong (left) and Miss Earth 2016 Katherine Espin (middle) during their courtesy call at the Senate on Tuesday, March 14, 2017. Ong represented the Philippines in the same beauty pageant, while Espin represented Ecuador.

Senate photo by Romeo Bugante

genocide, the ICC, however, still has jurisdiction over any crimes against humanity which include any form of mass killing.

Matobato, who first appeared publicly during a Senate inquiry

last September over the alleged extrajudicial killings related to the present administration’s war on drugs, testified that the DDS killed people under the orders of Duterte when he was still the

mayor of the city.

The alleged hitman also revealed that Lascañas was the supposed “team leader” of the death squad, which the latter

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One seat apart: Duterte, Robredo meet…

PAGE A1 t

country’s housing secretary, citing “major differences in principles and values” from Duterte, who barred her from attending future Cabinet meetings.

The two top officials have been clashing over some government policies, with Robredo expressing dissent over Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, push to reimpose capital punishment, and the burial of late dictator and President Ferdinand Marcos at the Heroes’ cemetery.

During his speech, Duterte apologized for failing to mention Robredo’s name when he earlier acknowledged the event’s guests.

“I apologize, ma’am, it was not done,” Duterte said, making light of the gaffe by blaming his un-

named speech writer.

In jest, Duterte threatened to beat the person who wrote his speech: “Ang nagsulat ma’am dito hindi ka sinali. Bugbugin na lang natin. (The one who wrote this excluded you, ma’am. Let’s just beat him up).”

“I would like to apologize and acknowledge the presence of this beautiful lady, the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Sorry, ma’am ha,” he added.

In response, Robredo nodded at Duterte with a smile. They last met earlier in January during a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting held at Malacañang.

In his speech, Duterte also lauded the achievements of the PMA female graduates.

Of the 167 graduates of the

PMA class of 2017, 63 are female, including top notcher Cadet 1st Class Rovi Mariel Martinez.

“Today, we make history. This is the first time female cadets occupied eight of the top 10 spots in their graduating class,” Duterte said. “With the highest number of graduating women in PMA’s history, this breakthrough is a fitting tribute to our mothers, sisters and daughters as we celebrate Women’s Month.”

He also urged the graduating class to remain morally upright and true to their oath.

“To the Salaknib Class of 2017, may you always stay true to your class name and defend the motherland with all your honor and might,” he added. “Be vanguards of hope, be catalysts of change.” n

secretary post, the president said on Monday, March 13 that the issue has yet to be discussed.

“Nothing, we haven’t talked about it. But, you know, Senator Cayetano is a very brilliant man.

He would be needed by the Senate. Don’t discount him,” Duterte

told reporters in mixed Filipino.

While a final decision about the role has yet to be made, Duterte noted that the DFA can be headed by an acting secretary in the meantime. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella echoed

Cayetano likely to not replace Yasay as…

PAGE A1 t

He appointed Foreign Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo as the acting foreign secretary after the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) rejected Yasay’s nomination for the post.

When asked about the foreign

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From the Front Page

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 15-17, 2017

A

Senate urged…

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‘Madam Secretary’ airs controversial… Deciphering…

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drawing a strong connection to the piece of clothing commonly worn by Duterte.

While CBS has yet to issue any statements as of this writing, Leoni wrote on her Twitter account: “Funny, I had someone else in mind… #relaxduerte (sic).”

In her post, Leoni was quoting another tweet that links to a Mashable news article entitled, “People are furious that ‘Madam Secretary’ will feature a lecher-

ous Filipino president.”

Earlier on March 6, the Philippine Embassy said that the “highly negative portrayal” of the Filipino president not only casts doubt on the respectability of the Office of the Philippine President but also “denigrates the way our nation navigates foreign affairs.”

Though the show is a work of fiction, the embassy said it “tracks and mirrors current events.”

“It is, therefore, inevitable that its depiction of world leaders will have an impact on how its audience views the real personages and the countries they represent,” the statement added.

Asked if Duterte found the trailer insulting, Philippine Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said: “Well, they engage in something that they would like to — It’s their business. It’s their craft. You cannot deny them their craft. Their taste, perhaps.” n

Cayetano likely to not replace Yasay as…

PAGE A2 t

that, saying Manalo will continue to hold the position.

Sought for comments, Cayetano remarked on Tuesday, March 15 that he is willing to wait for Duterte’s final decision.

“The preference of the president during the campaign was for me to join the Cabinet. Now the need changes, we have bills that we want to be passed in the Senate, so I’m helping out,” Cayetano said.

Reiterating that the call is up to Duterte, the senator added: “So I told him, ‘Boss, don’t decide yet. Later on, sometime in April and May, whatever your needs will be at that time, I’ll fol-

low you.’ I’m dedicated to helping ensure the success of the administration.”

“It’s a few months away.

Duterte’s often asked me, but I toss the question back to him. I tell him, ‘Don’t give me a choice.

Be the one to tell me where I can help,’” Cayetano said.

On March 8, the CA foreign affairs committee unanimously voted to reject Yasay’s ad interim appointment for “not telling the truth” and for “not being forthright in the question and answer portion of the two hearings.”

During the first confirmation hearing on February 22, Yasay denied that he became a U.S. citizen when asked by Occi-

dental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato about his citizenship.

Under oath, Yasay also claimed that he “never held any American passport,” saying that the U.S. government had rendered him “not qualified to become a U.S. citizen” in January 1987.

But at the second hearing, Yasay admitted that he became a U.S. citizen in 1986. He explained that he said his U.S. citizenship was null and void because the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act “provides that anyone who has preconceived intent to abandon his residency at the time of application is disqualified to that grant.” n

Binigay nila ang lahat sa iyo.

Ngayon, ikaw naman Sa pamamagitan ng ‘paid family leave’ maaari mong makuha ang bahagi ng iyong kita para alagaan ang iyong pinakaminamahal. Kung hindi ikaw, sino?

CaliforniaPaidFamilyLeave.com

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drop will begin quickly. In 2018, they say 14 million more people would join the ranks of the uninsured. It would reach the 24 million by 2026, when “an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.”

—15 to 20 percent increase in 2018 premiums, but relief would follow. Monthly costs for insurance would go up at first, due to the elimination of the requirement for most people to have insurance or else pay a tax penalty.

After 2018, CBO estimates that average premiums would actually drop by 10 percent by 2026 compared to current law. That is because the lower prices for younger people would encourage more to sign up. By contrast, the law would “substantially [raise] premiums for older people.”

—$880 billion drop in federal Medicaid spending over the decade. That comes primarily by imposing, for the first time, a cap on federal contributions to the program for those with low incomes.

—14 million fewer Medicaid enrollees by 2026. That’s 17 percent fewer than projected under current law. The projection includes people who are currently

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Ride for Less, All Over LA County Seniors, customers with disabilities and students are eligible for reduced fares. As a reduced-fare rider, you’re automatically signed up for free Balance Protection, so you won’t need to worry if your card is lost or stolen. It’s free to apply at taptogo.net/reduced-fares.

Go Metro to LA Marathon Sunday, March 19 Thousands will convene to run the “Stadium to the Sea” LA Marathon route from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica on Sunday, March 19. Spectators are urged to use Metro Rail, which will be running regular schedules. For a listing of Metro bus lines on detour, visit metro.net.

Purple Line Extension Construction Update Construction of the Purple Line Extension is in full swing and a=ects Wilshire Bl from La Brea Av to La Cienega Bl. Excavation at La Brea Av will continue through Fall 2017. Decking activities at Fairfax Av have begun and will take a total of 10 weekend closures to complete. At La Cienega Bl, piling activities have started as well. Thanks for your patience; keep up-to-date on the project by visiting metro.net/purplelineext.

Metro Seeks Input on 2018 Fiscal Year Budget Metro’s annual budget sets transportation priorities across LA County for the coming year. Metro will gather comments on the 2018 >scal year budget at the Regional Service Council Meetings in March and May, and a public hearing on May 17th, before formal adoption by the Board of Directors. For meeting information or to provide your comments, go to metro.net/budgetcomments.

metro.net @metrolosangeles losangelesmetro

17-1888ps_gen-v-17-008 ©2017 lacmta

PROBING ROAD ACCIDENTS. Senator Grace Poe (2nd from left), chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, listen to Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto (left) during an inquiry into the accident that claimed the lives of 15 students from Bestlink College of the Philippines last February 20, 2017. According to initial investigation, the students were en-route to a medical and survival training for their National Service Training Program in Tanay, Rizal, when the bus lost its brakes while traversing a curved highway before hitting an electrical post and a tree. Also in photo are, from right, Senators Migz Zubiri and JV Ejercito.

Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

range from P14,000 to P48,000 per month.

They also complained that Montano paid P16.5 million to a production company for a proDuterte rally at Rizal Park last Feb. 25.

According to the TPB employees, Montano demanded reimbursements of expenses for his vacations and other supposed official business trips.

“As a public interest, the transparency of the transactions should be disclosed to satisfy the public’s constitutional right to information,” Binay said in her resolution.

TPB employees also complained that during meetings with the TPB Management Committee and board meetings, Montano’s “level of retention and absorption is very low.”

“He has difficulty understanding presentations, flow charts and figures. Instead he wants visuals. He would leave the meetings even if not adjourned,” their letter read. (Philstar.com)

A MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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Two Fil-Am GOP leaders in California defend Trump

by Jun

nucum Inquirer.net

CLASS OF 2017. 167 graduates of the PMA ‘Salaknib’ Class of 2017 rejoice after four years of rigid military training on Sunday, March 12.

Ninety of the 167 PMA graduates will serve in the Philippine Army, while 33 of will serve in the Philippine Air Force. The remaining 44 will serve in the Philippine Navy.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Thom Picaña

Filipina elected co-chairman of UN panel

by Jaime

R. PilaPil ManilaTiames.net

A VETERAN Filipino climate negotiator was elected co-chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance of the United Nations framework on climate change.

The election of Bernarditas de Castro Muller, former diplomat and a veteran finance negotiator at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was among the agenda of the 15th Meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance in Bonn, Germany on March 7 to 9.

Muller was nominated to the post by the SCF’s Developing Country constituency, which controls 10 of 20 seats and has representatives from African, Asia-Pacific and the Latin America and Caribbean States.

The 10 other seats are held by developed countries that pro-

vide climate finance to developing countries.

Muller will help the committee provide relevant advice to UNFCCC State Parties in relation to the Financial Mechanism of the treaty.

These recommendations, when adopted, will guide the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund, the operating entities of the mechanism that provide climate finance in the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries.

Muller has a long experience in the climate negotiations, having participated in the first meeting in 1991 of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee that produced the UNFCCC. She has been deeply involved in negotiating UNFCCC decisions that established the Least Developed Country Fund, the

Special Climate Change Fund, the Adaptation Fund of the Kyoto Protocol and the Green Climate Fund.

During the Marrakesh climate talks in November 2016, Muller was the lead coordinator for finance of the G77 and China negotiating bloc where the Philippines is affiliated. She helped secure a decision that will allow developing countries as parties to the Paris Agreement to use the Adaptation Fund to finance their climate plans. This is seen as a big benefit to the Philippines as it becomes a Party to the Paris Agreement in the coming weeks.

Muller hails from Sta Cruz, Laguna. She graduated from the University of the Philippines, Sorbonne University in Paris, and the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. She served as a foreign service officer until her retirement in 2007. n

Deciphering the CBO estimates on the GOP…

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eligible and would lose coverage, as well as people who might have become eligible if more states, as expected, expanded coverage under the ACA. CBO projects that is unlikely to happen now.

—95 percent of people who are getting Medicaid through the health law’s expansion would lose that enhanced federal fund-

ing. The CBO estimates that only 5 percent of enrollees in the expansion program would remain eligible for the higher federal payments by 2024 since the bill would phase out those payments to states as patients cycle in and out of eligibility.

—15 percent of Planned Parenthood clinic patients would “lose access to care.” These

patients generally live in areas without other sources of medical care for low-income people. The Republican bill would cut out Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood for a year. (By Julie Rovner / California Healthline) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

SACRAMENTO — California is such a Democratic Party stronghold that it was not a surprise that Hillary Clinton won the state during the last presidential election.

More Fil-Ams are Democrats, and little is often heard of FilAm Republicans. Not anymore.

Among Asian Americans candidate Donald Trump got the most support from Filipinos, and now that he’s President Trump, his Fil-Am supporters are gaining more visibility.

Young Ninio Fetalvo has been appointed as an assistant press secretary, Joyce Meyer is the White House’s chief liaison to the House of Representatives and Noel J. Francisco is Trump’s nominee for solicitor general.

In the recent California Republican Party’s Organizing Convention in Sacramento, two key Filipino Republicans from the San Francisco Bay Area told INQUIRER.net their views of the new president’s first few weeks in office.

Convention delegate Cristina Osmeña from San Mateo California, daughter of former Philippine Senator Sergio Osmeña III (who escaped from a Marcos political prison in 1977) has been a registered Republican since she became a US citizen seven years ago and had been a Republican sympathizer even before then.

Osmeña admitted that the Trump’s first executive order, the travel ban on travelers from now six known Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen and now to exclude Iraq– has been extremely controversial for many immigrant communities.

Travel ban “I understand the spirit of the travel ban. I understand Donald Trump’s intention was to identify high-risk countries that are sources of terrorists and to vet people from those countries a little bit more deeply. (Nevertheless,) I think that the ban itself and the way it was executed could have been done a lot better. It left a lot of people stranded. It was not necessary it was perhaps insensitive fact that there are many U.S. residents that are foreigners,” Osmeña explained. “(But) it is perfectly okay to require that

San Mateo County Republican delegate Cristina Osmeña admitted there were things Trump had done that she agreed with and things she disagreed with.

Inquirer.net/Jun Nucum

people assure the government of the United States that they do not have any ill intentions when they enter the country.”

For longtime Fil-Am community leader Rudy Asercion, Trump is doing precisely what he was elected to do – secure the border and make sure that the Americans are safe.

Security’s sake “This ban is only for 90 days and is all part of the process of securing the border and making sure that everybody that comes in are vetted and also to make sure that no terrorist no one intending to harm will set foot on American soil. That is what the American people need right now,” Asercion argued.

“The seven countries that are being banned in Trump’s executive order are from the Obama administration’s list, and Trump did not identify those countries,” claimed Asercion. (Actually, according to PolitiFact, Obama’s actions dealt with people who had visited Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, not citizens of those countries, and it did not prohibit them from entering the United States but only from doing so without first obtaining a visa, as allowed for citizens of 38 countries.)

Asercion also stated that if Filipinos have legal status and are honest individuals, they are not going to have immigration problems whatsoever as only those with criminal records need to be worried.

‘Going overboard’ Asked on efforts to make not just many cities sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants but to make California a sanctuary state, Osmeña believed that this might be going overboard. (Sanctuary cities do not use municipal funds

or resources for the enforcement of immigration laws.)

“I can understand that people want to protect the undocumented immigrants that have come in here. In fact, I sympathize with the efforts of local governments to protect the people in our communities that are undocumented.

My strong opinion is that California‘s economy is somewhat dependent on the presence of the people here without documentation. I think it would be detrimental to the economy of California if all of them were deported,” Osmeña observed. “(But) I think that the Trump administration’s intention is to keep out the undocumented that are detrimental to our society. I do come down to the Trump administration side that they should be harder on illegal immigrants, undocumented immigrants with criminal records. “ In a Facebook post, Asercion wrote that Fil-Ams are conflicted about San Francisco being a sanctuary city because it has many Fil-Am “TNTs” (tago nang tago or undocumented).

Filipino undocumented “The City has 36,800 Filipino American residents, 4,000 of whom are facing deportation.

San Francisco Mayor is defying the enforcement of federal immigration law and President Trump said he would defund sanctuary cities, which will affect the quality of law enforcement, making it less safe for Filipinos. Filipino students will have to endure the negative consequence of funding cuts in education. Women, infants and children will be the most impacted. The city funds will go towards defending the 4,000 TNTs and not to the nonprofit organizations that are providing the safety nets for The City’s poor working Filipino families,” Asercion elaborated.

On the affordable care act (ACA), Osmeña considers the program “very, very controversial and complex” although a comprehensive, workable alternative has yet to gain a united Republican Party support. But she hoped Obamacare will be repealed and replaced because premiums are reportedly going up.

“The initial affordable care act was assembled and put together really quickly and rashly. There were a lot of compromises. It was

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 15-17, 2017

A

Dateline PhiliPPines

PH seeks proof that terror suspects in Malaysia are ‘Filipinos’

by DAnA

sioson AJPress

15 KILOS. Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, together with IndustriALL Women-Philippines chairperson Asuncion Binos (left), and Chief of Staff of Diwa Partylist Representative Em Aglipay-Villar (right), demonstrate the physical burden of pregnancy in her advocacy to expand paid maternity leave from the current 60 days to 120-150 days.

Senate photo by Joseph Vidal

Filipinos advised to remain vigilant…

PAGE A1 t evidenced by 58 percent of the cases. On average, consumers lost $450.

“If someone is telling you to wire money, it should be a big red flag,” Vaca said.

In Los Angeles County, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) is also warning communities to be wary of individuals who pretend to be “immigration consultants,” who often defraud consumers by charging fees for illegal or misleading services.

Some examples include that they claim to have inside connections with immigration agencies or encourage consumers to lie on their applications, according to the department.

Rigoberto Reyes, chief of investigations at the DCBA, told the Asian Journal that if immigrants — whether a legal permanent resident or undocumented — are seeking advice from an individual, they should verify if he or she is actually a licensed attorney.

If not an attorney, he or she must be registered and bonded with the California Secretary of State to offer any immigrationrelated services and must have visible signs in the office that show his or her name and bond number and a list of services and fees for each one. Failure to display these signs should be an indicator to customers not to do business with this individual.

“Even if they are registered and bonded, that only means they can provide only non-legal advice type of services. They can complete forms, translate documents and submit the package to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), but they may not tell the customer whether they qualify [for citizenship], how they will

qualify and what to do to qualify — that only an attorney or Board of Immigration Appeals-certified non-profit organization can do,” Reyes said.

He added that the immigration consultant must give customers a written contract in English/their native language (i.e. Tagalog) and a receipt that states how much was paid, the date and the consultant’s signature. The consultant shouldn’t keep original copies of documents like a birth certificate or a marriage license because if his or her office closes down, it would be difficult to get those back.

“Anytime someone guarantees you an outcome for your case, you know that they are either lying or they’re exaggerating,” he said. “It’s not just thousands of dollars you’re at risk of losing.

The big problem is that if someone opens a petition for a benefit they don’t qualify for, it’s going to be denied and it’s going to end up most likely with a deportation order. Once you’re in that process, you can’t back out of that.”

Reporting cases If individuals believe they may have been victims of a scam, the FTC and LA County DCBA are encouraging them to report to appropriate agencies as these testimonies will assist in building cases.

Reyes said that these reports would help the department compile a thorough list of “bad actors” that are targeting various groups, like Filipinos.

“We would welcome calls from the Filipino community and would like Filipinos to know we are available. The sooner they call, the better,” he said.

These resources can provide an educational benefit for others so that they know what to watch out for, as well as what to do if they suspect they are being duped.

“Chances are that we may al-

ready have an investigation on a certain business and victims are extremely helpful to make sure they don’t defraud more people,” Reyes explained, adding that the department is currently investigating a business that had a lot of Filipino clients.

Vaca also noted that penalties for these scammers can be severe, ranging from prison time to requirements to pay back the money lost.

“When the Federal Trade Commission enforces the law, we always seek first an order to get money back for the people who have been victimized and we always seek an injunction, which means a court order requiring the person or the company to stop engaging in deceptive practices,” she said. The protection agency also seeks court orders that impose a ban on a particular type of conducting business.

Despite the fear that is being perpetuated in various immigrant communities, Reyes said that undocumented immigrants especially should not be scared to reach out to the DCBA for assistance, whether where to look for a certified attorney or how to recoup their lost money.

“Immigration status is something we certainly do not take into account. We will never share that information with any immigration agency,” he said. “We want them to be calm and really research and investigate their situations and get the right help before they make a decision that could make matters worse. Be prepared but don’t overreact.”

The Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs can be reached at (800) 593-8222. The Federal Trade Commission can receive complaints at https://www. ftccomplaintassistant.gov. (By Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

Two Fil-Am GOP leaders in California…

PAGE A4 t a major piece of legislation that I don’t think was executed very well. Since 2010, we (the Republicans) have had six years to plan and construct a replacement affordable care act. And there have been many other Republican alternatives, with a lot of thought put into them,” Osmeña said.

Wait and see Asercion wanted to first hear what the legislature, dominated

by Republicans, is going to say about the Affordable Care Act, how they are going to renew it or what part of it they are going to delete or retain before making a comment.

“Hopefully they will make ACA better, make it affordable, accessible to everybody so that it can be worked out. It may take a while for it is going to be a long process. What we want is that everybody is going to be covered,” Asercion anticipated.

Osmeña acknowledged that there is a level of animosity between Donald Trump and the news media.

“And I do believe that media probably has leaned more to the left and responded to Donald Trump as such. I think that coverage is coverage. You have the right to free speech. You can come up with whatever opinions

Fil-Am community leader and San Francisco Republican Rudy Asercion stands with a cardboard cutout of President Trump during the 2017 California Republican Party’s Organizing Convention in Sacramento.

Contributed photo

you should come up. You should be a free media. I do not agree with him that media is a public enemy,” expressed Osmeña.

News media not the enemy Asercion echoed Osmeña’s contention that the media is not America’s number one enemy, contrary to what Trump and his press people said.

“I have known people from the American press also, not only the Filipino press. By and large, I think there is bias in the mainstream regarding Mr. Trump

and rightfully so because of the way he comes on personally. He doesn’t have quite the finesse of Mr. Obama. He is a completely different person. Another thing is that Trump is not a politician.

One of the things that I think got him elected is that he is a very pro-growth administration. Everybody that he has appointed, including those in is cabinet have been very successful beings before. So that worked to his advantage,” expounded Asercion.

Positively for Trump Overall, Asercion rates Trump positively at 50 percent in his first two months in office.

“For the amount of time he has been in office, I think he is doing rather well. He has done some amazing things, but basically Mr. Trump is the exact opposite of Mr. Obama. And we know that he is going to go up to all the executive orders that Mr. Obama issued so he can reverse them.

That’s what he is actually doing,” said Asercion.

Osmeña was more cautious, saying there were things that Trump had done that she agreed with and things she disagreed with.

“And I can say that I do really, really enjoy watching Melania and her wonderful dresses and clothes,” kidded Osmeña. n

Hitman’s lawyer to file case against Duterte…

PAGE A2 t

then denied. Lascañas, however, recanted his testimony months after.

Lascañas admitted during a press briefing that he was one of the “founders” of the group during a hearing in February.

In his affidavit submitted to the Senate committee on public order, Lascañas claimed that the DDS was responsible for the deaths of Duterte’s critics, citing part-time radio commentator Davao City director Felicisimo Cunanan, Jr., broadcaster Jun Pala, and a certain Fred Sotto, among others.

The cop also claimed that

Duterte commanded the squad to bomb Davao mosques in 1993 to retaliate the bombing of San Pedro Cathedral, as well as the murder of a dance instructor to avenge Duterte’s sister.

Sought for comments on Lascañas’ claims, Duterte replied: “They are all lies. Why should I respond to lies?”

“I will not create a DDS, I have my own police department,” Duterte told reporters.

He, however, confirmed the existence of DDS but only during the martial law period.

On March 7, Duterte explained that the DDS was formed to fight the “sparrow units” of the

New People’s Army (NPA) in the 1980s.

“Now, if you really ask, I am not into excuses, no apologies, but they should learn more about DDS. It was organized to combat the Sparrow before in Davao,” said Duterte, who also served as Davao City mayor for more than two decades.

The Special Partisan Unit (SPARU), also referred to as “sparrow unit,” is the hit squad of the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

“You can ask the people, the old guys there. It was then known as the DDS martial law,” Duterte added. n

THE Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has requested the Royal Malaysian Police to provide “further information” regarding the identity of the five “Filipinos” arrested over their alleged link to a terror group.

PH Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya said that the Philippine Embassy has asked in particular for details regarding the nationalities of the five arrested individuals.

While various reports claim that they are Filipinos, Malaya said that the Royal Malaysia Police initially informed them that “none of the five had Philippine passports or identity documents in their possession, although three are confirmed to be permanent residents in Malaysia.”

“We trust that their names and other personal details will be shared with us shortly, particularly if they are indeed Filipinos,” Malaya told Inquirer.

The Malaysian police on Mon-

day, March 13 said that it arrested seven individuals for their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group; five of whom are supposedly Filipinos while the remaining two are Malaysians.

According to Malaysian Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, three of the nabbed Filipinos have permanent resident (PR) statuses in Malaysia.

Khalid revealed that a 27-yearold Filipino, with a PR status, was first arrested together with another 18-year-old Filipino on Wednesday, March 8 in Kota Kinabalu.

The first Filipino is believed to have secured funds for Malaysian fugitives, Dr. Mahmud Ahmad and Mohamad Joraimee Awang Raimee. The latter Filipino is supposed to be an IS militant who has sworn allegiance to Abu Sayyaf senior leader Isnilon Hapilon.

On the following Thursday, March 9, a 53-year-old Filipino ferry ticket seller and a laborer, who both have PR statuses, and

another 31-year-old Malaysian Immigration officer, were arrested in Sandakan.

According to Khalid, the two Filipino suspects with PR statuses supposedly “have assisted in the transit of three Indonesian IS militants to [the] southern Philippines through Sabah.”

The immigration officer, meanwhile, allegedly arranged the entries of people “without valid travel documents, including IS militants from Indonesia and Malaysia, into Sabah before they head to [the] southern Philippines.”

Also on Thursday, another 36year-old Filipino man with alleged plans to join the IS in Syria was arrested.

On Sunday, March 12, a deported 36-year-old Malaysian, who allegedly tried to enter Syria with the help of known Indonesian militant Abu Fateh last year, was arrested at Kuala Lampur International Airport.

Since 2013, the Malaysian police has reportedly arrested more than 250 individuals for their alleged links to militant activities. n

Beijing says Manila can’t claim Benham Rise as part of PH territory

by AJPress

DESPITE recognizing a 2012 ruling of the United Nations (UN), the Chinese government on Friday, March 10 said that Manila cannot claim Benham Rise as part of the Philippine territory.

The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2012 approved the submission of Manila in 2009, acknowledging that Benham Rise is within the continental shelf of the Philippines.

Also referred to as Benham Plateau, the region is not part of China’s nine-dash claim. No other nation has claimed it apart from the Philippines, which is also the only country within the 200nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of the plateau.

Located along the Pacific Ocean 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Isabela, Benham Rise is believed to be rich in mineral and gas deposits.

While the UN ruling allows the Philippines “to carry out exploration and development of natural resources” within the Benham Rise, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, however, stressed that “it does not mean that the Philippines can take it as its own territory.”

Last week, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it sent a note verbale to the Chinese Embassy, seeking clarification over the reported presence of a Chinese ship near the Benham Rise.

The note verbale comes after Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana raised alarm earlier this month over the survey ships that stay on the Ben-

ham Rise “as if doing nothing, but actually, they are surveying the seafloor, the seabed.”

In response, China confirmed that Chinese vessels did sail across the region but only “for marine research” and “without conducting any other activities or operations” as part of exercising the principles of “freedom of navigation” and “right to innocent passage.”

“The remarks by some individuals from the Philippines are not consistent with the facts,” Geng said.

The Chinese official also took note that based on the UNCLOS, a country’s rights over the continental shelf “do not affect the legal status of the superjacent waters or of the airspace above those waters, nor do they affect foreign ships’ navigation freedom in the coastal state’s EEZ

u PAGE A7

A MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

Trespassing

BILATERAL ties between the Philippines and China have begun to warm up as soon as President Rodrigo Duterte stepped into office.

Following his early anti-American outbursts, Duterte vowed to carry out an independent foreign policy, one that seeks to distance Manila from Washington, but makes overtures toward Beijing.

True enough, Chinese investors are lining up to explore business opportunities in the Philippines, with new projects worth at least $10 billion expected to be infused in the country’s aviation, oil downstream, renewable energy, iron and steel, and shipbuilding/ship repair industries.

While the bilateral relations are blossoming, a cloud on the horizon appears as a reported incursion of Chinese vessels in the Benham Rise, a 13-million hectare mineral-rich undersea region east of Luzon. Beijing maintained that it was only “exercising navigation freedoms and the right to innocent passage.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang also said that the Philippines cannot declare Benham Rise as part of its territory despite a 2012ruling declaring that the resources-rich waters as part of the Philippine territory.

Duterte then revealed that he knew that China would be sending survey ships to Benham Rise.

The president remains confident that China will not build facilities on Benham Rise the same way that they did with the features in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The recent incursion is a reminder that another international court exists, where the ruling favors the Philippines’ maritime case against China over its expansive claim in the disputed water of the South China Sea. The Philippines has pleaded its case to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), an intergovernmental organization created through the directive of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on Dec. 10, 1982.

The two countries have competing claims to some parts of the South China Sea. China claims the largest swathe of the strategic water, which is believed to have significant oil and gas deposits.

It has continuously rejected other nations’ claim (including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei) on the South China Sea. It has also been busy militarizing the strategic waters in the last few years through the creation of new outposts by piling sand atop reefs and atolls, and then adding buildings, ports and airstrips big enough to handle bombers and fighter jets.

Despite continuous calls from the international community to halt the construction, China remained adamant over its assertion to the South West Philippine (South China) Sea. It maintained that its mili-

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

tary activities are consistent with its position that the construction of artificial islands was designed to provide public service to the region by helping ships and fishermen and disaster relief efforts.

Admitting that the Philippines is militarily outmatched by China, Duterte is bent on discussing

and resolving the issues in the South China Sea through dialogue. Let’s hope that this renewed partnership with China will facilitate regional integration and create dynamic and stable domestic economies—benefitting the needs of both their people. (AJPress)

Congressional Budget Office: Millions of Americans will lose insurance under Trumpcare REPUBLICANS, including then candidate Donald Trump, ran on the campaign promise of repealing President Barack Obama’s signature legislative legacy — the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Republican party, a.k.a. the Grand Old Party (GOP), had been fixated on demonizing the ACA, also known as “Obamacare,” since Obama started pushing for its passing to provide health care to the most number of uninsured Americans.

When Trump won, he started repealing most of Obama’s legacy through executive orders, yet Obamacare remained untouched by Republicans, save for their barrage of criticisms of how much of a disaster it had been in the past eight years.

Why? Republicans had no concrete bill to replace Obamacare with after eight long years.

Members of Congress had the biggest surprise of their lives when the polls showed Obamacare had been at an all-time high in approval ratings among Americans, despite the fact that many of its provisions need modifications to address the rising cost of premiums in several states. Many congressmen faced angry constituents who had benefitted from Obamacare, who hammered them with the questions — “Where is your plan?” and “How do you guarantee we will continue to be covered if you repeal Obamacare?”

Finally, on Monday, March 6, the Republican

Trumpcare, however, came Party introduced their health care from the nonpartisan Congresbill — led by House Speaker Paul The Fil-Am sional Budget Office (CBO) Ryan — which was embraced and along with the Joint Committee endorsed by Pres. Trump. They call Perspective on Taxation. it “American Health Care Act.” While the bill would reduce The measure would throw away the federal deficit by $337 bilthe requirement for individuals lion over 10 years, millions of and employers to get insurance Americans will be left without coverage or face penalties as was Gel SantoS-ReloS health care coverage. mandated by Obamacare.

As the New York Times reported: What the GOP bill proposes is to give individuals “The budget office estimated that 52 million refundable tax credits to purchase health insurance. It also aims to maintain coverage for people people would be uninsured in 2026 under the with pre-existing conditions and allow children to House Republican bill, compared with 28 million projected under current law. stay on their parents’ plans until the age of 26.

“The report foresees huge changes in MedicTrumpcare (or is it Ryancare?) would keep Obamacare’s protections of those with pre-exist- aid. By 2026, it said, federal Medicaid spending ing conditions but allows insurers to charge higher would be 25 percent lower under the House bill than is projected under current law, and the numpremiums to those who let their coverage lapse.

The Republican health care bill would restruc- ber of Medicaid beneficiaries would be 17 perture the country’s Medicaid program so that states cent lower, with 14 million fewer people covered receive a set amount of money from the federal by Medicaid.”

CNN reported that “health insurance premiums government every year.

This bill was rejected not only by Democrats, by are expected to jump up to 20 percent in the inthe more conservative members of Congress as dividual market in 2018 and 2019, but after that, well. They call it “Obamacare lite”, saying it would they would decrease. By 2026, average premiums would be roughly 10 percent lower than under the be “dead on arrival” in the Senate.

The most damning report and case against current system.”

“The increase in premiums would be much steeper for some Americans in the individual market,” the CNN report added, “particularly older people with lower incomes.

By the numbers, CNN stated that: “A 64-year-old making $26,500 would pay $1,700 for coverage in 2026 under Obamacare, thanks to its subsidies. But under the Ryan plan, that person would get hit with an annual premium bill of $14,600.

“However, those who earn too much to receive Obamacare subsidies would be better off under the GOP plan no matter their age. For 2017, the thresholds to qualify are $47,500 for individuals and $97,200 for families of four.

“So a 21-year-old earning $68,200 in 2026 would pay $1,450 under the House bill, but $5,100 under Obamacare. A 64-year-old would face an annual premium of $14,600, compared to $15,300 under Obamacare.”

Do you support this plan? Will this repeal and replace Obamacare? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Duterte’s pet peeve: Injustice IF there is one thing President Duterte is Spybits passionate about, aside from the war against illegal drugs, it’s his determination to see that justice is served. In his first State of the Nation Address, the President BaBe Romualdez expressed dismay at people’s complaint that “justice had become illusory, that equity and fairness and speedy disposition of cases had deteriorated into hollow concepts fit only for masteral dissertations.”

Having been a former prosecutor, President Duterte knows just how slow cases can go, and now that he is President and “better positioned,” he is more determined than ever to “wage war against those who make a mockery of our laws including those who make life for all of us miserable.”

The story of George Jones is one such example of how a large multinational pharmaceutical company has made a mockery of justice and made life miserable for the grandson of P.H.B. Jones, a British vice consul who was assigned to Iloilo in 1911, fell in love with and married a local girl and eventually settled in the country.

After graduating from the University of the Philippines in 1971, George Jones joined a multinational company as a medical representative, working hard to meet quota after quota imposed by the pharma firm, getting himself promoted to district sales manager in two years.

Jones received many awards and accolades for his exemplary performance – but these also took a toll on his health.

In 1989, he applied for medical leave due to a heart condition caused by job-related stress, but instead of granting the medical leave, the company had him terminated.

Jones then filed a complaint for illegal dismissal, with the Supreme Court ruling in 1995 that Jones had been illegally dismissed, and ordered the multinational company to reinstate the dismissed employee to his former position without loss of seniority and other rights and benefits. But since the pharma had a phalanx of expensive lawyers (including a former labor secretary), Jones was not reinstated.

Apparently, the company lawyers were able to convince the labor arbiter to “overrule” the Supreme Court with an order that the reinstatement could not be implemented because of “strained relations” – in effect nullifying a final and executory decision of the Supreme Court.

Jones filed another appeal in 1995, which was not resolved until 2014 or after 19 years, with the SC issuing another order of reinstatement that was served by the sheriff twice – which the company willfully refused to follow.

Adding insult to injury was the claim that it had already reinstated Jones – misleading the Supreme Court with this preposterous claim as the company could not even say how much would be Jones’ salary, where his area of assignment will be and other terms of employment in accordance with his seniority rights and benefits.

Despite the long and tedious legal battle, Jones has not given up and filed another motion for an order of reinstatement with the labor arbiter in Bacolod City where he was last stationed. This motion is pending resolution. Meantime, the multinational earned over P150 billion from its operations in the country in the last 10 years alone – giving it the financial muscle to hire the most expensive lawyers to circumvent the SC’s order of reinstatement and thumb its nose down on our courts and laws that are supposed to protect those who have less in life.

We were informed the plight of Jones has reached Malacañang. Once the President learns how this man has suffered for 28 years – going through two heart attacks while the multinational company continues to make a mockery of our laws by refusing to follow the reinstatement order – we won’t be surprised if the President decides to blacklist the company or even order its closure. Knowing the President, he will not allow economic concerns to be put above justice.

NLEX can support government infra projects The government’s massive infrastructure program in the next five years can go a long way in moving the country forward and improving the lives of Filipinos as it can spur investments and generate employment, not to mention lower the price of commodities through the construction of roads, bridges and railways that can ease traffic congestion in the country.

For instance, the new North Luzon Expressway projects of the Manila

North Tollways Corp., which include 64 new lane-kilometers in Bulacan and Pampanga will help improve travel convenience and promote growth of local businesses in Central Luzon. When finished, the expressway road capacity from Sta. Rita, Bulacan to San Fernando, Pampanga will be expanded from the existing 2x2 lanes to 3x3 lanes in each direction – giving motorists a faster, more seamless travel.

The new projects also include the construction of new expressway lanes on both sides of the Candaba Viaduct – expanding the road capacity for the first time since its construction in the ‘70s. MNTC’s four-kilometer expressway in the Mabalacat City portion of NLEX (including two new bridges) will segregate northbound and southbound motorists along separate carriageways

and promote road safety.

The tollways firm said the opening of the new expressway lanes would provide easier access to the Clark International Airport and the Clark Green City, the 9,450- hectare development project located within the Clark Special Economic Zone in Tarlac. The new expressway lanes will be opened to the motoring public once government approvals through the Toll Regulatory Board are granted.

According to MNTC president Rod Franco, the new expressway projects support the government’s mission to boost socio-economic growth with infrastructures that facilitate more efficient and faster transport of good and services within Central Luzon. *** Email: spybits08@gmail.com

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LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 15-17, 2017

A

Killing of Albuera mayor premeditated

by Jefferson

AntipordA ManilaTimes.net

THE killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside his cell at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail was premeditated and members of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Region 8 should be held liable for it, a Senate report said.

The committees on public order and dangerous drugs and justice and human rights that investigated Espinosa’s slay concluded that operatives of the CIDG led

by Supt. Marvin Marcos abused their authority.

In a 34-page report, the joint committees said that there was a systematic “clean up” of individuals involved in the Espinosa drug trade.

Apart from the mayor who was killed in November 2016, other

drug suspects reportedly linked to the Espinosa drug operation such as Edgar Allan Alvarez and Fernando Balagbis also suffered the same fate.

Alvarez was killed inside the Abuyog Penal Colony in Leyte on August 11 after a group of police also led by Marcos raided his cell by virtue of a search warrant.

Balagbis was also killed in jail when he resisted and assaulted the police who raided his jail cell.

The report took notice of the death of Espinosa, Alvarez and Balagbis that were made under similar circumstances.

“The odds of being killed by the PNP while detained inside a government detention facility seemed to be very unlikely, until now. Further, it is unbelievable that such similar fate would befall on personalities involved in Kerwin Espinosa’s drug tcrade,” the report stated referring to the

son of the slain mayor.

The committee also said that President Rodrigo Duterte should refrain from micro-managing the affairs of the government and allow his appointees to do their work.

The report cited the incident when PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa ordered the relief of Marcos and his men including Supt.

Noel Matira and Chief Insp. Leo Laraga who were recalled by the President himself.

“In so far as the organizational and operational aspect of the PNP is concerned, the Chief should be given full authority and control on how he will manage the dayto-day affairs of the organization subject to limitations set by law,” the report stated.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate public order committee will present the committee report in plenary this week. n

DFA puts hold on renewal of Yasay’s PH passport by ellen

tordesillAs ManilaTimes.net

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has put on hold the application of former Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. for renewal of his Philippine passport pending resolution of questions surrounding his citizenship by “competent authorities.”

Yasay filed the application on March 9, a day after the 15-member Commission on Appointments rejected his appointment as head of the country’s foreign service for lying about his American citizenship.

“At this writing, we have received instructions from Acting Secretary (Enrique) Manalo to suspend or hold in abeyance the issuance of the passport to former Secretary Yasay pending resolution of the legal question by competent authorities,” Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Frank R. Cimafranca said.

Asked about the DFA’s move, Yasay said, “I don’t know about that. They did not inform me.”

He declined further comment.

Sources close to Yasay said the former secretary’s Philippine passport issued in 2013 is valid up to mid-2018. He applied for Express Processing (seven work-

Former Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. Photo by Bob Dungo Jr.

ing days) and paid P1,200.

The DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs said the only requirement for renewal of an e-passport is the current passport.

“The question or determination of Secretary Yasay’s citizenship properly belongs to a court of competent jurisdiction in the Philippines. In the absence of that legal determination, he has in his favor the presumption of regularity with respect to the issuance of his current passport,” Cimafranca said, He said the Office of Consular Affairs has sought the opinion of the DFA’s legal office on Yasay’s application.

President Rodrigo Duterte

named Yasay foreign secretary immediately after the May 2016 elections even as he also said he had offered the position to his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Cayetano, who lost in the vice presidential race, was at the time covered by the one-year election ban on candidates being appointed to executive positions.

Duterte and Yasay’s friendship dates back to their law school days when they were roommates at the YMCA dormitory in Manila. Duterte was then taking up law at San Beda College and Yasay at the University of the Philippines.

Yasay had denied speculations about his US citizenship. Media investigations, however revealed that he was granted citizenship by the United States government on Nov. 24, 1986. He officially renounced his US citizenship at the U.S. Embassy in Manila on June 26, 2016, two days before he assumed the position of Philippine foreign secretary.

On March 8, the Commission on Appointments unanimously rejected Yasay’s nomination, the first of Duterte’s appointees to suffer such a fate. Manalo, a career foreign service officer, was appointed acting foreign secretary. n

TONDO BLAZE. Firefighters douse a fire on Capulong Street in Tondo, Manila that reached the fourth alarm. The blaze razed 40 houses and left 80 families homeless. March is fire prevention month in the Philippines.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

Pacquiao: Lopez’s confirmation as DENR chief ‘50-50’ by tArrA

Quismundo Inquirer.net

SEN. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao on Tuesday, March 14 said designated Environment Sec. Gina Lopez has a 50 percent chance of being confirmed as her appointment faced strong opposition, largely due to her mining crackdown strongly protested by the mining industry and affected communities.

Pacquiao, chair of the Commission on Appointments’ (CA) committee on environment and natural resources, told reporters that such was the sense he gathered from his colleagues in the bicameral body.

He said Lopez, currently on a retreat abroad, would also be bypassed as her nomination would remain pending when Congress holds its final session Wednesday before going on a break.

Pacquiao said she would have to be reappointed. His committee would then set a hearing sometime May, when Lopez would again be invited to face the powerful appointments body.

“Right now, I spoke to some, I asked them—I don’t want to force them on anything because they have their own decision…

But I just asked them to get their pulse. May chance naman, pero 50-50 eh (There’s a chance, but it’s 50-50),” Pacquiao told reporters after his committee held a caucus Monday.

He noted how the hearings on

Lopez’s nomination seemed to have become “the longest confirmation hearing for a Secretary,” with 23 oppositors given the chance to speak out why they are against the official’s appointment.

“I really gave the chance for both sides—the oppositors’ side and the appointee’s side. I have them time to explain. We can’t be biased. There has to be due process,” Pacquiao said.

“I’m sure this will be finished [by May] because this has taken a long time… I’m sure the President, he will reappoint her,” he said.

He said his committee would

furnish Lopez a copy of its roughly two-hour caucus Monday, where the body heard from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, who co-chairs the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC).

Speaking before the body, Dominguez said Lopez violated due process when she ordered the shutdown of 23 mines and suspended operations of five others.

Operations of these mines, however, continue as Lopez’s order is under appeal, with the MICC undertaking a review on President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders.

Pacquiao said Lopez would be given a chance to respond when hearings continue in May. n

Beijing says Manila can’t…

PAGE A5 t

and on the high seas, or their innocent passage through the coastal state’s territorial sea as supported by international law.”

Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been exerting efforts to forge a closer relationship with China amid territorial conflicts, said he would rather talk than picking a fight with China over the Benham Rise issue.

“Let’s not fight about ownership and sovereignty at this time,” he said. “Things are going great for my country. When it becomes commercial to me, whether you like it or not we have to talk about the arbitral ruling.”

While expressing his belief that the reports about the presence of Chinese ships in Benham Rise were just “exaggerated,” Duterte remarked that the Philippines will maintain its ownership over the region.

“My order to my military, you go there and tell them straight that this is ours, but I say it in friendship,” Duterte said.

The chief executive said that he also believes China would not build structures in Benham Rise, unlike what the latter did in some parts of the conflicted maritime territories along the South China Sea. “They’ll not do it at this time.

Gugulo yan (It will cause complications),” Duterte added. n

A MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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BUSINESSJ& COMMUNITY ournal

B

Senate OKs Smart, GMA franchises

by Jefferson

AntipordA ManilaTimes.net

THE Senate on Monday, March 13 moved to extend for another 25 years the franchise of Smart Communications Inc. With 15 affirmative votes, two negative and no abstention, the Senate approved on third and final reading House Bill 4631 that seeks to grant

the telecommunications company a franchise to “establish, install, maintain, lease and operate integrated telecommunications/computer/ electronic services, and stations throughout the country for public, do-

mestic and international telecommunications.”

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Risa Hontiveros voted against the measure.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, compels Smart to install facilities and bring under its coverage areas not yet served, specifically those prone to calamity.

“We are requiring it to upgrade and program its entire infrastructure to be on standby to send out free mobile disaster alerts as mandated by Republic Act No. 10639,” Poe said.

The bill retained the requirement for congressional consent “on the sale, lease, transfer, usufruct or assignment of the franchise.

The Senate, via 17 affirmative votes, also approved on final reading HB 4631 which gives GMA Network

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PH needs 9-10% growth to be ‘uppermiddle income’

by MAyvelin

U. CArAbAllo ManilaTimes.net

GROSS domestic product should grow 9 percent to 10 percent annually for the Philippines to become an upper-middle income economy, which may be achieved if the proposed tax system reform is carried out, economist and lawmaker Joey Salceda said.

Describing the country’s current tax system as essentially “a subsidy to the rich,” the House Representative from Albay said implementation of the proposed Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) is the

only way to make the system more equitable, given that the Philippines is not a socialist state but a democratic country.

Salceda pointed out that the first package of the Department of Finance’s (DoF) tax reform plan, which aims to lower the personal income tax (PIT) while adjusting rates of consumption taxes to current inflation, is the “only systematic way to address this inequality” in the tax system under a democracy like the Philippines.

He said that such an ambitious tax reform plan is necessary to realize the current admin-

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PH, China to sign over $8-B project financing deals

by MAyvelin

U. CArAbAllo ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine government is firming up the list of projects to be financed by China ahead of signing an economic cooperation agreement between this week, according to documents from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Forty projects will form part of a six-year development program under the PhilippineChinese Economic Cooperation to be signed

by President Rodrigo Duterte and China Vice Premier Wang Yang, who will be in Manila on March 16 to 17.

Of the 40 projects, 15 projects are up for loan financing and 25 for feasibility study support.

Thirteen out of 15 projects have a total indicative cost of $6.95 billion or P102 billion. These are the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, New Centennial Water Source, North-South Railway Project, Rehabilitation and Improvement of the Zamboanga Fish Port Complex, Mindanao Railway Project, Nationwide Fish Ports Project, Ilocos Norte Irrigation Project, Regional Fish Port Project for Greater Capital Region, Gregorio del Pilar Impounding Project, Tamauini River Multipurpose Project, Panay River Basin

Integrated Development Project, Asbang Small Reservoir Irrigation Project and Bohol Northeast Basin Multipurpose Dam Project.

The estimated costs for Subic-Clark Railway Project and BGC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport segment of the Metro Manila Bus Rapid Transit-EDSA are yet to be determined by the government.

Of the 25 feasibility study projects, seven have a total indicative cost of $1.12 billion or P56.27 billion. These are the North Luzon Expressway East, Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges, Agus 6 Unit 4 Major Rehabilitation, Pulangi 4 Selective Dredg-

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Philippines accepts chairmanship of APEC disaster risk finance group

by MAyvelin

U. CArAbAllo ManilaTimes.net

MANILA, Philippines - The government has taken over the chairmanship of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) technical working group in charge of crafting strategies to help the region become financially resil-

ient against disasters, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.

In a statement, DOF assistant secretary and spokesperson Paola Alvarez said the Philippines has accepted the chairmanship of APEC’s TWG on Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (DRFI).

“After consultation with (DOF) Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez

(III), the Philippines accepted the chairmanship,” Alvarez said.

Peru, which chaired the group last year, first offered the chairmanship to Vietnam as it will host this year’s APEC meetings. However, Vietnam declined on the grounds that it was never part of the TWG and did not have the expertise in the field, Alvarez said.

She said Peru then extended the offering to the Philippines due to its experience, being last year’s TWG co-chair and having pushed the disaster risk finance agenda during its hosting of APEC meetings in 2015.

“After the Philippines took over the chairmanship of the DRFI

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B MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Business news

Getting started: A quick tax guide for everyone APRIL is coming, and those same difficult questions start cropping up – How should I do my taxes this year? Should I hire somebody to do them for me?

Or try to file them myself? Do I go online, or just mail them in?

What forms and information should I have on-hand before I start? The answers are different for every person, but a little basic knowledge can prepare you to make the best decisions, get your taxes filed, and get on with life.

How to file taxes: Choosing your filing method As the April deadline approaches, the first decision to make is, how will you file taxes? Taxes can get done using a number of different methods, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a breakdown of the principal methods of filing, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Tax advisors When reading printed articles or websites that offer you information about your personal taxes, you’ll often see the phrase “consult your tax advisor.” A tax advisor is a professional who charges you a certain fee to prepare your taxes for you. Although a professional license is generally not required to prepare tax returns, individuals with these designations have special training: Enrolled agents – These experts meet competency and educational requirements established by the IRS, and have authority to communicate directly with the IRS on your behalf.

Certified public accountants – A certified public accountant (CPA) generally has been educated and passed exams in financial accounting and auditing as well as taxation. Like enrolled agents, CPAs have unlimited ability to represent you before the IRS. Tax advisors will usually be a more expensive option over using online software or filing directly with the IRS. But you might save money by avoiding costly errors that professionals catch. Having someone else prepare your taxes for you also takes a lot of the stress out of tax season. And it arms you with a paid professional by your side to help you if you get confused or have a difficult tax issue.

Online tax preparation services. Several websites can help you prepare your federal and

state taxes. They tend to target certain types of taxpayers based on how complex your taxes are.

High-end services charge a bit more for their services, but give comprehensive solutions for people who own their own companies, have complex investments, or just need to do some serious number crunching at tax time. Less expensive or free services offer more simplified interfaces for those of us who don’t have as many unique details to report to the IRS. Some web-based services will give you forms one at a time to fill out. Others offer an interviewstyle interface that asks you questions one at a time about your income, deductions and such. Some services offer tiered levels of complexity with variable pricing.

The IRS website offers a program that waives the tax preparation fees of several popular preparation services. The program is called Free File and is offered only to certain individuals based on your income level, age and other factors. Keep in mind that some companies participating in Free File also offer free or inexpensive return preparation with fewer restrictions if you visit the company website directly instead of through the IRS. Online tax sites are often the fastest method for filing taxes.

They concentrate on ease-ofuse as a selling point. But remember, many of these services may not be perfectly tailored to your unique circumstances. If you get stuck or have questions, it can be difficult to get help from a website, as compared to an in-person tax professional.

Packaged tax software Even in today’s era of internetbased services, many companies still sell tax software you can install on your computer. Almost all boxed or downloadable software has an online, no-download equivalent these days, and you may find yourself paying more for the physical version. But having the software running right from your hard drive or CD-ROM can sometimes make it easier to leave and return to taxes in-progress, or retrieve previous-year tax information without log in names and passwords. Keep in mind, however, that almost all software will ask you to get online at some point. You may also need to retrieve software updates online.

Fillable forms If you don’t need software to guide you through the process of filling out your tax forms, you can always go straight to the IRS website and use the Fillable Forms service. This service will provide you with online versions of paper forms, and you’ll use these forms to e-file. There’s no charge for the service, but it’s not recommended for first-timers or anyone who doesn’t feel confident in preparing their own returns without help from an advisor.

If you decide to Free File with Fillable Forms, you can get started at any time on the IRS Fillable Forms website.

Taxes by-mail A tax preparation checklist: forms & other materials Once you’ve picked your method of filing, the next step is to gather the information and forms that will be relevant to your taxes. Below is a short-list of the most common materials you’ll need to have on-hand, and where to find them. If you start doing your taxes, and you need something that’s not covered on the list below, consult with a tax advisor or take a look at the IRS Forms and Publications page.

Forms W2 for all income sources – If you worked for a company, you need a W2 form from your employer. Employers will often send you a W2 automatically. Some employers may give you instructions to retrieve it online instead of mailing it. If you don’t get your W2, contact your company’s human resources department.

SSA-1099 for social security benefits – If you collected social security during the year, you should receive this form automatically. Copies are obtainable at https://secure.ssa. gov/apps6z/i1099/main.html.

1099-G for other government payments – You’ll receive this form from the government if you took in unemployment benefits or an income tax refund.

1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099B and/or 1099-R for all money invested – By late February, you should receive any of these various forms for interest, dividends, retirement plan distributions, etc. from banks, brokers, or fund companies where you had a bank account or money invested during the tax year.

1098 – From your lender if

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

PH, China to sign over $8-B project...

PAGE B1 t ing Phase 3, Balo-i Plains Flood Control, Pasacao-BalatanTourism Coastal Development Program and Camarines Sur Expressway.

Still to be determined are the costs for the project feasibility studies of Subic-Clark Railway, Davao City Expressway, BGC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport segment of the Metro Manila Bus Rapid Tran-

sit-EDSA, Ambal-Simuay SubBasin-Mindanao River Basin Flood Control and River Protection, Bohol-Leyte Link Bridge, Camarines Sur Catanduanes Friendship Bridge, Dinagat (Leyte)-Surigao Link Bridge, Luzon-Samar Link Bridge, Mindoro-Batangas Super Bridge, Negros-Cebu Link Bridge, Pasig River-Marikina River-Manggahan Floodway Bridges Construction, Aqueduct No. 7, Ipo Dam No. 3, Agus 3 Hydroelec-

tric Plant, Rehabilitation and uprating of all Agus-Pulani hydroelectric plant units, Sustainable Bicol River Development Program and Formulation of a Master Plan on Tunnel Projects in the Philippines.

These 40 small- and largescale projects were initially submitted by a high-level Philippine delegation during a meeting with officials of China’s Commerce Ministry in Beijing in January.

Senate OKs Smart, GMA...

PAGE B1 t

another 25 year franchise.

The bill requires the network to provide free public service time to government, relay important public announcements and warnings as needed or required by law.

It also compels the network to provide sound and balanced programming, promote public participation, assist in the functions of public information and

education as well as promote audience sensibility and empowerment through closed captioning.

Republic Act RA 10905 or the Closed Caption Law, is the method of “subtitling television programs by coding statements as vertical data signal that are decoded at the receiver and superimposed at the bottom of the television screen.”

“GMA Network is now

global as it is viewed by Filipinos all over the world through its international channels. In the digital space, GMA’s portal is one of the most visited Filipino websites,” Poe said.

GMA currently has 47 Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and 41 Very High Frequency (VHF) TV stations nationwide as well as AM and FM stations led by DZBB and DWLS.

Philippines accepts chairmanship...

PAGE B1 t

technical working group, Japan, Chile and Peru said they plan to participate in the TWG and that Japan is willing to co-chair it, given its extensive knowledge on this issue,” Alvarez said.

The spokesperson said Geneva-based Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation (SIF) has also approached the Philippines and offered its assistance in training stakeholders. It also extended its support for the development of the country’s sustainable infrastructure.

She said the government can tap SIF’s International Infrastructure Support Sys-

tem (IISS), a public management tool to enable government agencies to improve their project preparation activities.

According to the DOF, the TWG on the DRFI plays a “crucial” role in crafting measures to financially protect the APEC member-economies from disasters, or allow them to immediately bounce back after calamities.

It was formed under the 10-year Cebu Action Plan, which was launched during the APEC meetings in 2015.

The Action Plan was crafted by the finance ministers of the APEC member-economies with

four pillars, including the promotion of financial integration, advancement of fiscal reforms and transparency, enhancement of financial resilience and acceleration of infrastructure development and financing.

As of December 2016, the TWG’s members include the Philippines, Peru, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, United States, Indonesia, Mexico and Chile, along with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

you have a home mortgage.

Common materials Social Security numbers – You’ll need this for you, your spouse, your children, and any other dependents. Every taxpayer needs this. For a new or replacement social security card, visit http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber.

Prior year adjusted gross income (AGI) – This number is requested by the IRS as a key identifying piece of information. The AGI can be found on your prior year’s 1040 forms (1040, 1040A or 1040-EZ depending on how you filed). If

you don’t have your tax return from last year, you can substitute your electronic filing PIN. Electronic Filing PIN – If you filed electronically last year, you have one of these. If you don’t remember your PIN, you can use the IRS Pin Retrieval page.

Record of income and deductions – If you have income or deductions that don’t appear in the forms listed above, gather records such as bank deposits and receipts for charitable contributions.

Your bank routing number – If you want to direct deposit a refund, you’ll need this number.

If you’re depositing to a checking account, the first 9 numbers from the left at the bottom of your checks is your bank’s routing number. Learn more Your bank account number – Check your bank or other financial institution’s website to obtain your account number. If you’re a Wells Fargo customer, you can find your account number directly to the right of the routing number on your check.

Filing status This is the first tax-specific bit of information the IRS will

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Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

Community Journal

How to build a house of bricks

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 15-17, 2017

Calendar of Events across

First of 3 parts

value that’s meant to last. The same is true in living one’s life.

I am certain there are count(Note: I am reprising a series of how-to articles originally writ- less other pointers hundreds of ten more than a decade ago but thousands can add to the growtweaked for today’s readers. I ing pool of knowledge that hopebelieve these still hold true now fully, translates to wisdom in this as they did back then for many continuing saga of human life.

In the interest of brevity I’ll cull people, including myself.)

REMEMBER the story of the out only 15 bite-size pointers.

1. Get your ducks in a row. Set three little pigs?

Everyone does. But we rel- your priorities. Align your time, egate the story to children’s lit decisions, actions and resource and condescendingly forget that allocation according to your set these cute little porkers bring of personal priorities: health, home an important point about happiness, family, peace, wellthe choices we make when we being, wealth, time, fame, recembark on building something ognition, and applause. There’s worthwhile — like choosing the found a t i o n on which we live our lives.

The first pig built his house of straw and the second one built his house of sticks and a whole menu to choose from. went partying till the cows came You choose what’s important home. Enter the big bad wolf. and what’s not. Without an inHankering for crispy chich- ternal value system and a firm arrones, he came down huffing sense of direction, you’re more and puffing and blowing both than likely to be distracted by houses down in a snap, much the many pitfalls along the way. to the utter dismay of the two Consider technology and its hapless, lazy porkers. Running spawn, social media, as a doufor their lives with their curled, ble-edged sword. It can either tiny tails and the hair on their help or hinder, depending on chinny, chin chin a-quiver- how you use it. As a tool, it is ing, they dashed over to safety, awesome but become obsessed straight to the house of their with it and you’re a goner. FOother stolid, somewhat stodgy CUSED MINDFULNESS is the brother pig who had built his antidote to all distractions.

2. Ask for help. Fold that ego house methodically, meticulously, slowly, brick by solid brick. to the size of a postage stamp.

Enter the big bad wolf again, There is help out there. Use it. now crazed with the thought We need others to help us on the of wolfing down not one but first get-go during the first years three pigs. He does his blus- of scrambling, scraping and just tery huffing and puffing… getting our bearings straight. well… you know how the story Don’t be too proud to ask and ended (that is, unless Disney seek out only those who mean produces a blockbuster sequel well. Don’t forget to say thanks with their spin on the ending.) and show appreciation to those Any structural engineer will who have helped you every step agree with the third porker and of the way. There is a place in allude to the biblical reference Hades for the grossly ungrateful.

3. Open your mind. Be inabout a house built on a rock and the wind and rain could not formed. Observe the patterns prevail upon it. He will tell you of human behavior and the seathat solid foundation work tak- sonal patterns of life. We are living stress points into account ing in the throes of the Age of is basic in building anything of TMI (Too Much Information).

The challenge is in sorting out the essentials from the ton of crud out there particularly on the internet. But above all, fear not the predictions of doom and gloom. If TV or social media are your constant companions, you will become a fearful, paranoid nutcase. The cycles of boom and bust, recession and bumper crop years happen over and over again with the regularity of night and day. More often than not, life is a roller coaster ride, with its thrills and spills. Enjoy it. Learn to live and move with the seasons. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, “Everything passes.”

4. Slow d o w n .

P a c e yourself.

There is a learning curve that most of us will have to go through.

T h e r e are a select few who can hit the ground running but for mere mortals, like you and me, we have to take a step at a time, at least in the beginning stages. Small mistakes and errors in decisionmaking are rectifiable; the big ones on the things that truly matter, will set us back years.

5. In going for the brass ring, know the price you have to pay to get it. Even with America on a major slump these days, conditions will improve and make it possible for ordinary people with extraordinary dreams to realize them. But you have to be willing to pay the price. And no, you can’t cheat. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. There is no free lunch. You may be achieving your goal of a whopping six figure income that allows you the material status you seek, but see what the price of putting in 16 hour shifts or taking on double or triple jobs is doing to your own health, your family, your marriage and your sanity.

“Observe the patterns of human behavior and the seasonal patterns of life. We are living in the throes of the Age of TMI (Too Much Information)”

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

B

America

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M A R C H 9 -1 8

CAAMFEST35 in San Francisco & Oakland Come to the 35th anniversary of CAAMFest from March 9-19 and immerse yourself in expansive and diverse programs celebrating the best in Asian American film, music and food. The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. The annual CAAMFest is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films. It presents approximately 125 works in San Francisco and Oakland over the course of 11 days. Tickets can be purchased online or in person. For more information, please visit http://caamfest.com.

MARCH 18

Free vision screenings & walk for sight in San Fernando, CA On Saturday, March 18, the Lions Club event Lions Eyes Across America will be having free vision screenings and a “Walk For Sight” at San Fernando Recreation Park (208 Park Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340). Registration is at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. Donate your old eyeglasses and hearing aids. Gather family and friends to support low vision resources throughout Los Angeles. The $15 registration includes a 2017 Lion Eyes T-Shirt.

Contact Vangie Tabberrah at (818) 399-7965 or csvangie.tabb@gmail.com.

FASO’s “Swing the Night Away” in Glendale, CA Swing the night away with Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) on Saturday, March 18 at the Glendale Hilton! Bring your dancing shoes for an evening of swing, two-step, rumba, cha-cha, tango and waltz! Dance Instructors will be available on the floor.

You can feel free to sit back, relax and enjoy the music! No host cocktails at 6:00 p.m, with dinner at 7:00 p.m. Tickets (dinner included) are $125. You can also contact Arlene Ferrolino (213) 248-9850, Bob Shroder (818) 395-8936 or JL Garcia (310) 936-2988 for tickets and sponsorship opportunities information. FASO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Proceeds will be used to sustain the orchestra, and to fund its education and outreach programs. More information is available on the FASO website at http://www.fasofoundation. org.

M A R C H 1 8 -1 9

Consular outreach mission in Dallas, TX A team from the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will conduct a Consular Outreach Mission in Dallas, Texas on March 18 and 19. It will be held at Dallas Events Center (4343 Sigma Rd., Suite #600, Farmers Branch, TX 75244) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m. Please email outreach.dallas@gmail.com (attn: Dallas, TX Outreach) with submissions and applications; incomplete forms will not be processed. All applications must be received no later than March 10. No walk-in applicants will be accepted. The following consular services will be rendered: renewal and/or first-time applications for electronic passport ($60 processing fee + $24 mailing fee). New passports will be released to the applicant by mail twelve (12) weeks from March 22, 2017. No lost passport applications will be accepted; Applications for the retention and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship pursuant to the Dual Citizenship Law ($50 processing fee). Oath taking will be scheduled on the same day for qualified applicants. Applicants are advised to wear appropriate clothing for the occasion; Applications for report of marriage & birth ($25 processing fee + $7 mailing fee); and registration for overseas voting for the 2019 national elections for senators and party list representatives. Fees must be paid in person at the scheduled appointment.

Only cash, postal money order or cashier’s checks are accepted. Personal checks will not be accepted. For more information, please visit http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/. A final list of all applicants will confirmed appointment schedules will be posted on the website by March 15.

M A R C H 25

The Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups’ Lenten retreat in Pomona, CA Please join the The Federation of Filipino Rosary Groups for its Lenten retreat on Saturday, March 25 at St. Joseph Church Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a liturgy at 5 p.m. The theme is “Growing in Faith,” as it is a time to renew and energize one’s faith.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. St. Joseph Church is located at 1700 Holt Avenue, Pomona, CA. For more information, please contact Tess Domingo at (909) 8552208 or Carol Evangelista at (909) 969-3316.

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

Getting started: A quick tax guide...

PAGE B2 t

want to know. They use your filing status to determine the amount of your standard deduction and the tax you owe. It also helps determine which deductions and credits you qualify for.

There are five filing statuses to choose from: Single – Your filing status is single if, on the last day of your tax year, you are unmarried or legally separated from your spouse, and you don’t qualify as a head of household or a widow(er) with dependent child (see below). Federal tax law now recognizes samesex marriages that were conducted in jurisdictions where such marriages are legal.

Married filing jointly – You can choose Married Filing Jointly if you’re married and both you and your spouse agree to file a joint return. Both of you must include all of your income, exemptions, and deductions on your joint return.

Married filing separately – If you’re married, you can also choose Married Filing Sepa-

rately. Since this filing status has the highest tax rate, you and your spouse will generally pay more combined tax by filing separately than by filing jointly. If you live apart from your spouse, and meet certain other criteria, you may be able to lower your taxes by filing as Head of Household, even if you aren’t divorced or legally separated.

Head of household – To file with this status: You must be unmarried on the last day of the tax year, or qualify to be treated as unmarried by living apart from your spouse for the last six months of the year; You must have paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year; and You must have a qualifying person living with you in the home for more than half the year.

There are exceptions and special cases to this status; we highly recommend consulting a tax advisor before choosing it. If you qualify, your tax rate will be lower than rates for Single or Married Filing Separately.

Qualifying widow(er) with dependent child – Only applicable for two years after your spouse dies. Your tax rate will be the same as if you filed a joint return. To qualify: You must have been eligible to file a joint return with your spouse the year he/she died; You can’t have remarried before the end of the year; You must be able to claim a child as an exemption; and You must have paid more than half the cost of keeping up the main home for your child the entire year.

Once you’ve chosen your method of tax preparation, gathered all the appropriate forms together, and considered your filing status, consult the While Filing section of Wells Fargo’s Tax Center.

It has detailed information on how to report some key information as you file, such as your income, deductions, investments and homeownership. For more information, please visit: https://www. wellsfargo.com/tax-center/.

PH needs 9-10% growth to be upper...

PAGE B1 t

istration’s goal of transforming the country into an upper-middle income economy by 2022.

“I think it is valid and legitimate that we should be part of the upper-middle income countries. So to do that, you need to grow the economy by 9 to 10 percent,” Salceda said.

The CTRP, which he said would ensure the financial sustainability of the government’s massive infrastructure program, is the way to attain these high growth targets.

He said the government cannot tax the rich exclusively to protect the poor from any of the CTRP’s

effects because such a measure would be immediately struck down as class legislation, which is prohibited under the Constitution.

“The entire Philippines is now under a process where, because of globalization, capitalism, which we can’t withdraw from, there is a massive suctioning or concentration of wealth—all of it is going to the top,” Salceda said.

“So we need to deconcentrate the economy. The way to deconcentrate the economy is essentially to make the rich pay their correct taxes,” he added.

Package One is contained in House Bill (HB) 4774, the re-

fined version of the DoF’s plan that was filed in the chamber

by Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua of Quirino, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee.

HB 4774 aims to lower personal income tax rates for 99 percent of the country’s taxpayers, while expanding the value-added tax (VAT) base and adjusting rates for consumption taxes such as the excise tax on petroleum products and automobiles.

VAT exemptions for seniors and persons with disabilities will be retained under the bill.

B MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes COUPLES get divorced for various reasons. California is a no fault state. The reasons why a couple is getting divorced are often irrelevant to the issues of the family law case. Divorce is often a difficult and negative experience for most families. However, getting divorce may have some unintended benefits in the immigration law arena. Four situations in which filing for divorce can be beneficial to your immigration case are as follows: Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens If you were petitioned for legal permanent residence by your US Citizen parent as a married son or daughter 21 years old or over, you are classified in immigration law under family sponsored third preference (F3) which usually carries a long wait time. The wait time for Filipinos for example is currently 22 years. The priority date is normally the date the petition was initially filed by your US Citizen parents. If you get divorced, you revert back to single status and your category automatically becomes reclassified to first preference (F1) where the waiting time is substantially shorter. For example, for Filipinos the wait time under F1 category is 10 years shorter than F3 category. This means if your parents filed your immigration petition 12 years ago, then ou can adjust to a green card now instead of waiting another 10 years.

Married Sons and Daughters of Legal Permanent Residents If your parents are legal permanent residents, getting divorced will convert you back single status making you eligible to be petitioned by your legal permanent resident parents under the family based second preference (F2b) category if you are 21 years old or older or under the family based second preference A (F2a) if you are under 21 years of age.

For those who married after they were petitioned by their LPR parents (F2A and F2B), the petition is automatically revoked under operation of law the moment you get married and cannot be reclaimed by a divorce. In theory, it can be argued that filing a subsequent petition after your divorce under the same category inherits the previous petition’s priority date under 9 FAM 42.43

Community Journal

4 ways filing for divorce can benefit your immigration case N10 and 8 CFR 204.2(h), Part 205. However, success of such argument is not clear since the old petition was automatically revoked the moment you married. The best thing that can be done in this situation is to have your LPR parent repetition you as an F2A or F2b even if you are unable to reclaim the previous petition’s priority date.

Conditional Legal Permanent Residents in failed Marriages For those who obtained their legal permanent residence status through marriage based petition by their US Citizen spouse of less than 2 years marriage, the legal permanent residence status conferred is usually a “conditional legal permanent residence” valid only for 2 years. The couple would need to sign and file a joint petition to remove this condition prior to the expiration of the 2 years or the conditional legal permanent resident spouse would fall out of status.

The problem arises when the marriage is in trouble. Often it becomes difficult to obtain the cooperation of the US Citizen spouse specially when the couple has separated. US Citizen spouse often refuse to sign the I-751 for or appear at the I-751 interview if one is set by the USCIS. Filing for divorce would terminate the marriage and allow you to file a “waiver” of the joint petition to remove the conditional LPR status based on entering into the marriage in good faith. Terminating the marriage by filing a divorce is a requirement in order to file the “waiver.” It is important to time this correctly as soon as the marriage starts falling apart because by terminating the marriage early on, you might be able to file the waiver before the expiration of your 2 year conditional LPR thus allowing you to extend your LPR status in 1 year increments until a final decision is made in your case.

Married Aliens in Non-Immigrant Visas and those without Status For those who enter the US as a non-immigrant and are separated from their spouse but still married, filing a divorce would open up opportunities in case they meet a new significant other who is a US Citizen and who can petition them as an immediate relative. This is usually the fastest of process in obtaining legal permanent resi-

dence. In countries such as the Philippines where there is no divorce, many people come to the US to start a new life after they have been separated from their old spouse (often still married to them). Even if the alien over stays their status as a visitor, the alien can still adjust to that of a legal permanent residence if petitioned by a US Citizen spouse.

If the alien was never inspected, the alien can still adjust to legal permanent residence if they are grandfathered under INA 245(i) and there are no special restrictions on their status. To be grandfathered under INA 245(i), the alien must have been a beneficiary of a legal permanent residence petition filed no later than April 30, 2001.

Finally, a common concern of divorcing immigrants is “What happens if my spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers?” The truth is you do not need your spouse’s signature to obtain a divorce in California. You only need to provide your spouse notice that you filed a divorce by personally serving your spouse the divorce petition and summons. In countries that are members of the Hague Convention, special procedures need to be followed to effect service. So yes it is possible to divorce your spouse even if your spouse is in a country that does not recognize divorce among its citizens such as the Philippines. For some immigrants, filing for divorce opens up opportunities in this land of milk and honey. *** 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) 388-1611 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 (Advertising Supplement) is not a solicitation.

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

Eligible debtors should seek BK relief

Debt Relief Atty. lAwrenCe yAng SOMETIMES debtors cannot decide whether they should seek debt relief through Chapter 7 wipe out of all dischargeable debts or a consolidation and reorganization through a Chapter 13. They usually ask me what they should do in their financial situation. I know after handling thousands of bankruptcy cases in the last 30 years, debtors are often depressed about their lives because of the heavy burden of accumulated debt. The worse case scenario was my client many years ago who killed himself a week before we filed his case. It was unfortunate that he took his own life because he left behind a wife and two minor children and a successful professional career. He was enjoying gross income of $500K annual income from his profession but had borrowed money to set up a business that initially did well. Since the business was doing well, he borrowed more money to expand the business, including putting up his house for collateral for the business loans. When the econ-

omy slowed down, his business started losing money. He then resorted to borrowing more money to cover the business loss for 18 months. His business was losing $10K a month.

After financing losses for 18 months, he came to see me for bankruptcy relief. He looked pretty calm when I interviewed him. How many times must I say it, “YOU OWE YOUR CREDITORS MONEY, YOU DO NOT OWE THEM YOUR LIFE!” Don’t even dare think of killing yourself to get out of debt. Death does not extinguish debt. When a person dies, there is an estate of the deceased that is created in a probate case. Creditors of the deceased can file in their claims in the probate case. So, if you owe too much debt now, you should look at your financial problems objectively. You should choose the solution that best serves your needs. You should seek to protect your own interest and future. You should not succumb to the pressure of differing opinions from friends or relatives. For instance, I had one client who decided to withdraw her Chapter 7 petition because her sister did not ap-

prove of it. Client had a mountain of debt, which she absolutely had no way of paying unless she could work four jobs, and she was three months behind in her mortgage payments. Objectively speaking, the right solution for her was a Chapter 7 to wipe out $80K of credit card debt and use the money saved from not having to pay $80K of credit cards to update her house payments. Without credit card payments, she would save $2400 a month. She would have paid off her mortgage arrears in 3 months. She would have obtained a fresh start without the burden of accumulated debt. Instead, she wanted to make her sister happy and chose not to protect her own interest, her own future. She was not thinking clearly. After 6 months she returned to me saying that she wanted to go through with her Chapter 7 case because her house was already foreclosed and she still owed the 2nd trust deed holder was still calling her to collect $50K of the 2nd mortgage even though she no longer owned the house, and the $80K of credit cards are calling her

u PAGE B5

Divorce issues & tax tips

What’s New Arlene Al-os, CPA, MBA 1. Non-recognition rules of property settlement between spouses. There is no gain or loss recognized on a transfer of property incident to a divorce under IRC section 1041.

Sample 1 Toni receives payments from her ex-husband in return for her agreement to abandon her claim to ex-husband’s retirement benefits. The payments are for the transfer of property to release Toni’s share of the benefits incident to the couple’s divorce. Toni will not include payments in her income.

2. Exceptions to non-recognition rules of property settlement between spouses include: former spouse is a nonresident alien, some transfers in trust, and stock redemptions under a divorce that are taxable under applicable tax law.

3. Qualified Domestic Relations Order or QDRO. Benefits issued from a qualified retirement plans such as defined benefit plans, profit sharing 401k plans, etc under a QDRO are taxed to the non-participating spouse who received it. It is not subject to 10% early withdrawal penalty and no effect on the participant in the retirement plan. The funds must be distributed directly to the non-participating spouse.

The non-participant spouse can receive the distribution under the QDRO through direct rollover into an individual retirement account IRA. To avoid the 20% withholding rule, a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer may also be considered. Following distributions from an IRA could be subject to a 10% penalty failure to meet the requirements.

4. Individual Retirement Account or IRA. QDRO is not applicable to IRA. If the divorce final decree is issued before the end of the taxable year, allowed contribution deduction is only the portion you contributed for your own traditional IRA.

5. Alimony paid prior to the final divorce decree is non-deductible.

6. To contribute for an IRA you must receive compensation. Compensation includes alimony. Those who receive taxable alimony may treat the alimony as compensation even if it is the only income they have, it allows them to save for their retirement by making either Traditional or Roth IRA contributions under Code Sec. 219(f)(1)).

7. Costs associated with divorce. Court cost and legal fees for getting a divorce are non-deductible. The spouse required to pay legal fees of his spouse related to the divorce are nondeductible unless deductible alimony requirements are met.

8. Spousal buy-out debt. A spouse refinances to buy out the other spouse. The secured debt incurred to buy out other spouse’s interest in a home, is acquisition debt. May deduct 100% home mortgage interest up to the $1 million acquisition debt or grandfathered debt limit plus interest on eq-

u PAGE B5

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

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

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

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

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

LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 15-17, 2017

Eligible debtors should seek BK...

PAGE B4 t

night and day.

Eligible debtors should consider the following objective reason to seek bankruptcy relief: 1. Based on debtor’s net income and expense analysis, debtor has no ability to pay off his or her unsecured debts. In other words, even if debtor’s intention is to pay off debt, realistically speaking, debtor cannot pay of debts over a reasonable period of time.

This means that debtor will be locked in permanent indebtedness, a slave of debt! Therefore, correctly, debtor should find a legal way of getting out of debt as soon as possible. Here in America, bankruptcy is the legal way of getting out of debt and becoming productive again while you keep most if not all of your assets including your house, cars, retirement accounts etc. The right to bankruptcy is guaranteed by the constitution and even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Mickey Mouse and Disneyland became successful. If Mr. Disney did not obtain a fresh start twice before, we would have no Disneyland to enjoy today.

2. Too much debt destroys the household’s ability to save and in-

EMPLOYMENT

vest money to secure the family’s future. If debtor makes $5,000 a month but has to pay out all of the $5,000 for monthly overhead and to make minimum payments on credit card debt of say, $30K, debtor is living a hand to mouth existence. Debtor saves nothing and invests nothing year in and year out. With accumulated debt you condemn yourself to Sisyphean existence. I don’t mean you become a sissy. You become like SISYPHUS. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the king of Corinth who was punished for his deceitfulness by the Greek gods (who are of course false gods), to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it come back to hit him, repeating this action for eternity.

So your “Sisyphean existence” means a laborious and futile existence. By the time that debtor realizes that he has worked for 20 years without nothing saved and invested, it will be too late because by that time, debtor will be pushing sixty. Most people save and invest money whilst I their twenties to fifties. Debtors who have too much debt unfortunately are robbed of the ability to save and invest for decades. Thus, a smart person who

has too much debt but wants to save and invest must immediately correct the debt situation or else he or she will get old poor.

The last thing a senior wants to have at retirement is debt. If you service $30K of credit card debt for 20 years, you would have paid your credit card masters $240K and still owe the same $30K when you retire at 66. If you got rid of these cards with Chapter 7 at the age of 46, you would have invested $240K starting at $12K a year and growing at $12K a year. Properly invested, you could have $400K saved when you retire at 66 and zero debt. Even if you made the mistake of carrying these cards into retirement, you must get rid of them now because now you depend on social security, which is just enough to cover basic monthly necessities. Whether you are 40 or 60 or 70, you must get rid of credit cards now and become productive again!

3. Re-establishment of credit can start immediately. Debtors are able to begin reestablishing credit by paying their car and housing loans timely.

Debtors will be able to get new credit cards soon after they ob-

EMPLOYMENT

tain discharge. There are banks that give new credit cards to debtors who have completely their bankruptcy because these debtors are actually very good credit risks. They still have good income, have no more debt, and are now more careful in their financial affairs. BK filers qualify to buy houses again on the second or third year after BK filing if they have been paying their new loans on time. Buying a new car is no problem. On the day of the discharge, you can bring your discharge order to the car dealer. You can get a car loan at higher interest.

“Whoever goes to theh Lord for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to Him ‘you are my defender and protector. You are my God; in You I trust.’ — Psalm 91 *** Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.

Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S. Fremont Ave, Mailstop 58, Building A-1 Suite 1125, Alhambra, CA 91803.

(Advertising Supplement)

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Divorce issues & tax...

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uity debt up to the $100K limit.

The equity debt interest is not deductible for AMT purposes.

9. Your legal marital status is determined as of December 31 of each year. Even if you were married for the previous 364 days if you were divorced on the 365th day of the year, you are considered unmarried for the entire year.

10. Legal marital status is determined upon issuance of divorce final decree on or before end of that year. If you do not receive a decree by the end of the year, you cannot file as single taxpayer. A couple living under a legal separation agreement but without any court decree is not legally separated for tax purposes because such an agreement could be abrogated by the parties upon reconciliation and resump11. You may file as head of household to take advantage of lower tax rates if you paid more than half the costs of maintaining your home for your child (provided your spouse did not live with you from July 1 to December 31) and may claim the standard deduction even if the other spouse itemizes on a separate return.

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

12. If the divorce decree does not specify who is entitled to the dependency exemption, the parent with the custody for the greater part of the year gets it.

The non-custodial spouse must attach Form 8332 to the tax returns. Form 8332 is a written declaration of release of claim of the child as depended to the non-custodial parent. Non-custodial parent may ask the custodial spouse to sign Form 8332 for all future years or for only specified years.

Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication is neither intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. *** Al-os & Associates Accountancy Corporation provide accounting and tax services to individuals, corporations, LLCs and business entities. The Firm has a niche in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS and other governmental agencies. The former firm Sy Accountancy Corporation celebrated its 37th anniversary in 2014 and Al-os & Associates Accountancy celebrated its 2nd anniversary in 2016 as a transitioning firm.

(Advertising Supplement)

B MARCH 15-17, 2017 • LA MIDWEEK ASIAN JOURNAL

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

AJPress photo by Noel Ty

2

cover story The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 15, 2017

Top Chef’s Sheldon Simeon on finding his voice and cooking with his heart

by MoMar

G. Visaya/AJPress

W

e let the cat out of the bag early and asked FilipinoAmerican Chef Sheldon Simeon how he felt about the last season of “Top Chef,” the one that had its finale earlier this month in Mexico.

“It was disappointing to be eliminated. When I went back to the show, there was only one thing I wanted, to go till the end and be called ‘Top Chef,’” the Hawaii-born Pinoy chef expressed. “I showed my feelings during the whole season and in the end, I am a winner because I got to be myself and I was able to share a lot of my culture. It would have been nice to be called top chef…”

A consistent fan favorite even during his first season, Sheldon was able to endear himself to “Top Chef” viewers because of his demeanor, work ethic and how he kept on producing dishes that wowed the show’s judges – Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons.

When Sheldon received the call asking if he wanted to be a part of the show’s upcoming season, he had one thing in mind: redemption.

Little did he know, half of the chefs cast were also gunning for the same thing.

It was a few weeks later when he realized that the show was going to mix veterans and rookies because he heard that a few chefs who were also returning.

A quick refresher course: Sheldon was a fan favorite in the first season he joined. Unfortunately, he was the last chef eliminated before the finale, which saw the first all-female showdown between Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson.

Kristen, who was eliminated during the Restaurant Wars episode but won all her Last Chance Kitchen challenges to return to the main competition,

Chef Sheldon and his wife Janice inside their restaurant Tin Roof.

Contributed photo

“My grandparents were good cooks but I learned a lot of stuff from my dad. My dad was the chef of the family, when we had gatherings or parties, he was the one who cooked for everybody,” Chef Sheldon told the Asian Journal.

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

Sheldon with fellow Top Chef Season 14 top 3 finalists Shirley Chung and eventual winner Brooke Williamson.

was declared “Top Chef” that season.

This season: Sheldon is still the fan favorite and won $10,000 for it. In a similar threeway battle for the finale, he was unfortunately eliminated. The same spot where he was four years earlier.

Fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction over this decision that same evening that Sheldon got the boot.

“The fans have been nothing but supportive and I have gotten so many nice messages from the community. It wasn’t my best cooking. For every single challenge that I was on top, I felt good about it. This was one challenge that I didn’t really feel good about,” he shared. “Ultimately, it sucks as to how it ended but I was okay with whatever the outcome was, knowing that it was not one of my best showing.”

James Beard House Chef Sheldon was in New York City last week to fulfill one of the items in his bucket list: cooking at the revered James Beard House.

He earned the right to cook there when he won a Quickfire

Challenge in the show.

“It was an overwhelming feeling. It was almost surreal as I stepped inside the James Beard House. A kid from Hawaii, and a Filipino, and to be in a place of such prestige,” Sheldon said, still a little high from the euphoria that enveloped him.

For him, it was about finding his voice and staying true to his culture, one among many life lessons he learned from joining “Top Chef” earlier.

“Season 10 was not only a lesson of ‘Top Chef’ in general but in life, don’t be someone that you’re not. For me, Hawaii is so unique. Being Filipino in America is so unique. Let’s celebrate that. Let’s be proud about our culture. That was what I wanted to do in the show, just be myself,” he shared proudly.

Thus he cooked with his heart out and served Filipino dishes and Filipino ingredients whenever the opportunity presented itself.

He fed Tom, Padma, Gail and guest judges with Filipino flavors. For him, the cuisine in general can be shown through so many different styles and flavors.

“From kilawen, pinakbet, okra - a lot of my sauces all had patis and bagoong sometimes.

It just goes to show a lot of people still do not know what Filipino cuisine is. To have those kind words from Tom that he enjoyed the food is a win for all of us Filipinos,” Sheldon said.

When he won the right to cook at the Beard House, the judges heaped praises on the dish he served – home-made chow fun noodle made with Carolina gold rice topped with pork belly, pea shoot salad and annatto seed jus - and the components and techniques he used to come up with the dish.

“Being humble is great but at some point, you will take your place amongst some of America’s greatest

Bravo/Paul Cheney

chefs,” Tom Colicchio declared, anointing Sheldon as the next great American chef.

“I am still processing it,” Sheldon told us about the unexpected accolade.

“He messaged me a few nights ago, directly following my elimination. To be able to call chef Tom a mentor, and now a friend, is amazing. I have utmost respect for him.

It is a win for our culture. My grandparents worked so hard and took the sacrifice coming over from the Philippines with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” he added.

Sheldon is undoubtedly inspired by the perseverance and hard work of his grandparents who came from Ilocos Norte to Hawaii to become plantation workers, and the way they made something for themselves given this opportunity.

“I am cut from that same cloth and to celebrate that on national television is amazing and to have that recognized by chef Tom is great and beautiful,” he said.

And during his elimination, the judges didn’t hide their emotions either. Padma even defended Sheldon when they were deciding on who to eliminate.

“Padma is stunning, she is beautiful and sweet. She cooked delicious food for us.

Two seasons of ‘Top Chef,’ we go through a lot of stuff together and with all of the judges, we get to connect on that level,” Sheldon shared.

“To see Padma tearing up as I left is a little heart-wrenching.

It goes to show how powerful food is in making connections with people and I am happy that I got to share with them our cuisine.”

Life After Top Chef Sheldon and his wife Janice own Tin Roof, a small restaurant in Maui that they opened three days after Sheldon said yes to appearing in “Top Chef” again.

“It’s 500 square feet, six seats, that’s it. We just feed the community. By the end of this year, I will be opening Hala, Hawaii-style food with a lot of Filipino influences,” he shared.

Tin Roof is inspired by his upbringing in Hilo, “which is a rainy town,” he said.

“And like many Filipinos, we don’t cook in the house, we cook outside, like a dirty

Sheldon on working with fellow Fil-Ams in the food and hospitality industry: “Let’s continue to support each other and do this all together, let’s celebrate Filipino cuisine and our heritage altogether instead of judging each other.”

kitchen. That was our gathering spot. When it rains, the tin roof always reminds me of Hilo and the moments my family shared,” he added. “We wanted a spot to feed the community. I had a restaurant in a hotel in a resort area but the feeling of being able to feed my community in this small place is much more rewarding than I could ever imagine.”

Janice herself made it to “Top Chef,” in a Quickfire Challenge where the cheftestants had to work alongside another person without seeing them.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better partner there. She came out at the right moment,” he said. “It was a long season already, that was near the tailend and the energy of being around her was exactly what I needed to continue and I believe that that was one of the biggest reasons why I won the challenges (after) because I was able to hug her and hold her and get that energy back.”

Appearing in two seasons of the Bravo hit show has provided Sheldon with a few life lessons, whether it is about cooking on open fire using only traditional Mayan utensils or soldiering it on despite painful back pains that almost led to his early departure from the show. “‘Top Chef’ has taught me not to be too serious about everything,” he said. “Life is

about enjoying the moment and celebrating those moments that you share with each other even if it is just over a bowl of food, that is a blessing in itself.”

As for the back injury, he is thankful to the two Charleston doctors who helped heal him so he can go back 100 percent into the competition.

We concluded the interview with a question on what his personal vision is for Filipino cuisine in America.

“My dream is to have Filipino food represented and looked at like Japanese food everyone knows what sushi is, ramen, sashimi. Why not adobo, why not pancit and be comfortable with that,” Chef Sheldon said.

He admits that it is going to be a long journey but the more important thing is that we are on our way.

“We have mountains to climb but Filipinos in America are persistent so we’re going to continue to dream big and get it out there,” he said.

And his biggest learning – aside from being true to himself – is about cooking with his heart.

“I tried to show how we cook with our hearts. everyone gravitated to that and saw that Filipino food is soulful. You cannot beat any ingredient other than your heart that’s going to be more delicious,” he said.

Chef Sheldon Simeon cooked with his heart and shared a little bit of his home state and took inspiration from his Filipino heritage in coming up with dishes that wowed the Top Chef judges.

Photos by Paul Cheney/Bravo and Tommy Garcia/Bravo

entertainment 3

Luis and Jessy, Piolo and Shaina— when will they head down the aisle?

by MJ

Marfori ManilaTimes.net

ON the topic of relationships, while Luis Manzano would rather not reveal the exact date when he and Jessy Mendiola made it official, it hasn’t stopped him from taking the fast track with her. In fact, he takes Jessy with him for Sunday family dinners at his mom, Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos’s house already.

Luis may have had a lot of showbiz exes in the past that became close to Ate Vi, and fortunately, she is fond of Jessy too.

“Jessy is very thoughtful, in fact nagulat nga ako noong Valentine’s Jessy sent flowers on her own kay Mommy. Ako nga hindi ko nagawa at hindi ko nabigyan ng flowers si Mommy!

Nagulat na lang ako na Mom sent me a message saying,

Jessy Mendiola and Luis Manzano

‘Thank Jessy for me’.”

Luis is also enjoying the fact that for the first time in his life, despite his age gap with Jessy, their relationship actually works.

“Malaki ang age gap namin.

I’m 35 turning 36 this April, and she is 24. Close to 12 years yung different outlook namin sa buhay, but they match.”

He was quick to clarify that even though he is not getting any younger, he will not rush Jessy to walk down the aisle.

“Hindi pa naman kasi talaga kaka-24 pa lang niya… I understand her commitments and responsibilities.” *** Ever since timeless hunk Piolo Pascual dropped the news that he and Shaina Magdayao have been dating exclusively for five years, there have been netizens who chose to bash the actor instead of being happy for him and his lady love.

Good thing is, Piolo was too busy to mind the bashers because of his busy schedule.

“Actually, hindi ko alam na may bashers… I was surprised nga eh but I don’t mind them naman as long as I am happy, and Shaina is happy, that’s what matters.”

Piolo even said that because of their very busy schedules, most of the time he only gets to bond with Shaina during events related to work.

“We make most out of the time we have, anywhere it is.”

Five years is indeed a long time, and both have grown comfortable with each another.

But Piolo doesn’t see settling down in the horizon just yet.

“Sinabi ko I planned to get married when I was 35. Hindi naman nangyari, 40 na ako ngayon so ayoko na pangunahan. If it will happen then I’d be happy, if not, well I have a son na.”

Shaina Magdayao and Piolo Pascual

Nadine Lustre on being a good influence for the youth

by Deni

rose BernarDo Philstar.com

FILIPINO kids have spoken: Nadine Lustre is their “Favorite Pinoy Star.”

Nadine won over fellow actors Janella Salvador, Janine Gutierrez and Liza Soberano in the category “Favorite Pinoy Star,” of Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (KCA) for this year. The category was available Continued on Page 4 Singer-actress Nadine Lustre has been named “Favorite Pinoy Star” by Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 15, 2017

Vina Morales celebrates her 30th year in the local entertainment scene with the release of her latest album titled Vina XXX under Star Music.

Vina Morales: 30 years and counting

by Bot

Glorioso Philstar.com

WITH reality talent searches mushrooming on TV these days, it is no longer surprising for the next big thing to pop up as fast as a blink of an eye. But count Vina Morales in the list of “lucky few” artists whose talent cannot easily be ignored.

Vina’s presence continues to be strongly felt on her 30th year in showbiz, what with the intrigues and controversies keeping the rumor mill running day in and day out. Add to that the new batch of artists eager to take her place. No wonder, Vina appreciates the undying support of the fans for her singing and acting career.

“It is true that artists come and go in a quick pace that there are some who only last for a few years,” said Vina. “Social media broaden our reach to artists, nag-broaden kung paano ka pag-uusapan, mapakinggan yung awitin at pwede ka na din mapanood online so I’m just lucky and I feel so blessed that until now — in my 30 years here (in showbiz) — people appreciate me.”

Perhaps, Vina added, her singing the theme songs of TV soaps serves as a reminder for

people that her talent cannot easily be relegated to the sidelines. “(In a way) millennial artists give me an opportunity to sing the theme songs of their soaps.

That’s why I feel blessed that I’m always given the chance to do a really quality job and I always make sure to do my best para mabigyan ulit ako ng project.”

As part of the celebration of her 30th year in showbiz, Vina is releasing an album titled Vina XXX under Star Music. She admitted it took her seven years to come up with a new album. “It took a while but what is important is it’s released in celebration of my 30 years. I’m so thankful to Star Music,” said Vina.

She continued, “To reach 30 years in the business is a milestone. I never would have made it this far if it weren’t for the people who helped me. And now I’m inspired more than ever to work some more and looking forward to giving back to my supporters through my album.”

For those not in the know, Vina was nine years old when she competed and won at the Cebu Pop Music Festival. Her winning piece Paglaom (Visayan word for hope) made everyone

sit up and notice her vocal talent that led to her discovery as a singer. She was then offered to go to Manila to start her singing career.

Apart from singing, Vina also ventured into acting and hosting. She has done a number of blockbuster movies with Sharon Cuneta under Viva Films and played leading lady to Robin Padilla in a number of hit flicks with Utol kong Hoodlum as the most memorable.

Asked what is her secret to staying long in showbiz?

“Like what I always say, attitude is No. 1 and then always be professional. Ako kasi I always make sure to control myself, hindi ako nagpapabaya physically na kung tumaba ako baka wala akong proyekto ngayon and I really prepared for my 30year celebration. If you watched my concert, you saw how I worked hard for it. I had to lose weight para magkaroon ako ng confidence every time I would perform. After the concert, tinuloy-tuloy ko na at sakto din since the theme of my new album is sexy and has a Latin flavor. I think you really have to take care of yourself to last long in this business.”

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entertainment

The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 15, 2017

Nadine Lustre on being a good...

From Page 3

only in the Philippines.

In a phone interview with Philstar.com following her announcement as winner, Nadine said: “I’m really, really happy about it because Nickelodeon is a big part of my childhood.

Being able to receive that award means so much to me. It’s like

a check out of my bucket list. I guess I really never expected it.”

Despite the controversies she went through, including her sexy beach photos and car love scene with real-life boyfriend James Reid in their recently concluded TV series, “Till I Met You,” Nadine still considers herself a good influence for the youth.

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“I am (still a good influence to the youth) because I’m just being myself. That’s what we teach ‘di ba, all the kids to be themselves and not pretend to be someone else because that’s how you live life happily eh – being yourself. Kasi trying to become someone else, I’ve been through that stage.

So what I’m doing now is not influencing, but I’m like showing everyone na ‘Don’t try to be someone else because you’re not going to be happy that way’.”

The only thing that does not make her “wholesome” is her going to the beach in a bikini.

“But I guess that’s just normal (wearing bikini in the beach),” she opined.

She dedicates her award to all her fans, the JaDines, and everyone who voted for her.

The awards, organized by TV cartoon network Nickelodeon, celebrates kids’ favorites from across the worlds of film, TV, music and pop culture. It is determined through a survey involving children 14 and below.

From February 3 to March 6, the kids voted through the channel’s website and social media sites, as well as via ballot boxes stationed in a popular toy store chain.

Last year, the category for the Philippines was “Favorite Pinoy Personality,” which went to Maine Mendoza. This year, the category was changed to “Favorite Pinoy Star,” where Nadine, Janella, Janine and Liza were the nominees.

Besides herself, who does Nadine want to win?

“When they announced the nominees, I was happy I was part of it. Because for me, whoever wins, we’re all winners…I know all of them so kahit sino, I’ll be happy for them. Because we’re from the same country, we’re all together in this.”

Nadine shared that she and James are leaving for a concert tour in the United States and they have a new movie on the works.

Top Model of the World Inc., Slimmers World International Philippines ink partnership TOP Model Of The World Inc. (TMWI) and Slimmers World International Philippines (SWI) recently signed the agreement formalizing the Launch of Top Model of the World Philippines 2017 (TMWP 2017).

The agreement signals for the cooperation between TMWI and SWI to the launch of the TMWP 2017 jointly with Miss Bikini Philippines 2017 in Metro Manila.

According to Miss Shyla Marquez, Marketing Manager of Slimmers World International Philippines, the search and screening has started in various key cities and regions of the Philippines. The TMWP organization announced that the Filipino Communities are expected to field participants among their accredited overseas-partner organizations. The events will begin on May 2 to start with the Press Presentation. The Finals is scheduled May 12.

Last year winner’s of the Top Model of the World Philippines 2016 was won by the delegate representing the Filipino Communities of Southern California.

She was sponsored by the Asian Journal Publications, Inc. and Pageantry Global, Inc. The 1st Runner-Up represented the Filipino Communities of

(L-R) Caroline C. De Venecia, President of TMWI, Shyla Marquez representing SWI Philippines, and Christina C. De Venecia, Treasurer of TMWI.

Canada and was sponsored

by International Professional Entertainment Network (IPEN) of Toronto Last year’s 2016 Finals of the Top Model of the World Philippines was held in Melbourne, Australia and managed

by Face Australia Promotions Management organization - the

partner organization of TMWP in Australia.

Already confirmed to join in this year’s event are delegates presenting West Australia, Melbourne, Canada, the East Coast and the West Coast of the USA. The locals are expected to put up a good fight and surprises are in-store.

‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ winner is proud of his roots

by Kane

errol Choa Philstar.com

WhEN rice farmer Noven Belleza first appeared in It’s Showtime!’s Tawag ng Tanghalan — the first televised singing contest he joined — in July 2016, he performed Air Supply’s Even the Nights are Better,hoping to get through the first round and get as far as he could in the competition to pay for home repairs. he would go on to nab a spot in the Quarter 3 semi-finals with another Air Supply song.

And last Saturday at Resorts World Manila, Noven’s journey came full circle as he was crowned the competition’s grand champion, walking away with P2M and an all-new house ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ champion Noven Belleza

Continued on Page 5

Moonlighting

by Mylah de

leon

I DON’T know of any woman who really wants to grow old.

After a certain birthday, she enters into a battle with time, sometimes with a plastic surgeon by her side to strip back the years, reclaim the eyes, the chin — even her breasts and bottom of her youth. She would examine her face and body constantly, exercise daily and always be on a continued diet. Age is a fact of life, but why look it? Aging is a choice.

We were the same age but they looked 15 years younger.

What lives they’ve lived have been erased from their faces along with the more obvious marks of age.

I’ve kept exploring my refusal to go along with being an older me, trying to negotiate with age.

No dice. It just keeps marching on, like a soldier. But I am used to fighting and winning after bloodsoaked rounds no matter what the adversary.

I’ve seen a psychiatrist, who on my seventh session, kept trying to cheer me up by dredging names of ancient doyennes, doddering writers, even fossil movie stars who were accepting aging better than I was. I kept

shrieking, “who wants to be like them?” (No cripple wants to associate with other cripples). I told her they were lying! Old is closer to death and nobody wants to die. What’s to like, when there are no future compensations?

She let me sob out Niagara Falls and even gave me some Kleenex.

“You want to be young?”

Of course, I wanted to be young, I replied to this dense person. She went on with a killer.

“Oh, but you can’t be, older is what we get.”

My psychiatrist was 72 at the time. If she had been 40, I think I would have hit her.

I don’t think there is a trick in being young — it happens to you. The process of “maturity” is an art to be learned. By the age of 70, you have made yourself what you are and if it’s good, it is better than your youth. If it is bad, it is not because you are older, but because you have not grown. Yet, this is observed, hourly, and daily by the selling of youth.

Oh look young, be young, stay young…and with this mandate, millions of goods are sold and millions of hours are spent in pursuit of a youth that cannot be recaptured. The result of this effort is obscene in women, but pathetic for men. The women of middle age think only in terms of appearance, while the middle-

aged men think only of youth in terms of virility. The cities are streets full of thin, massaged, made up, supported, dyed and overdressed women, with faces that are repellant hard and empty masks of frustrations. Although their ankles are slender and their feet perched on slingback high heeled shoes, they fool only themselves. And the obscenity of it all is that our advertising media has conned these women into using outward techniques of sexual allure to maintain their youth when they are no longer desired by men.

By the time a woman is 70, she is either wanted as a woman of 70 or not really wanted at all.

She does not have to fool her husband or her lover, and she knows that competition with women, younger than she is not only degrading but futile.

At club gatherings, hotels and parties, the older women look identical. Their beauty creams and lotions have done well. But I wonder if all selfdeception does not harm and if the price of one’s self is not lost. This wholesale perversity is the preservation of the flesh.

The fight is not for what is gone, but for what is coming, and for that battle, intellectual curiosity and fortification of the spirits are paramount. ***

E-mail Mylah at moonlightingmdl@aol.com

‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ winner is proud of...

From Page 3 and lot, after impressing both viewers and thehurados with a spectacular medley of the Australian rock duo’s hits.

“Hindi ako makapaniwala.

Nabago po talaga ang buhay ko dahil sa Tawag ng Tanghalan. Thank you so much sa Showtime family, pamilya ko, kay Lord. ‘Di po ako makapaniwala na sa libo-libong nagaudition,ako po ang nanguna.

Ang bait po talaga ng Diyos,” said Noven in an interview with the media after the announcement of his victory.

The 22-year-old Bukid Boy Wonder of Negros Occidental nabbed the title after receiving the highest average score

features

When I grow too old to dream

of 99.96 percent from the combined judges’ scores and madlang people’s votes, beating final three contenders Sam Mangubat (49.09 percent) and Froilan Canlas (45.78 percent).

As the first-ever grand champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan in It’s Showtime!, Noven also won a recording contract with Star Music, a musical instruments package from JB Music, a negosyo package and a family vacation package.

When asked what he would do with his prize money, he said, “Una po, sa pamilya ko po talaga, sa mga kapatid ko para po mabago ko rin ang buhay nila at maipagpatuloy ang pagaaral nila. At sa magulang ko

po kasi hindi ko na rin po gustong makita sila na nagtatrabaho pa sa tanda nila sa bukid.

Ang mga nabenta at nasanla po naming lupa, kukunin po namin ulit.”

A veteran of local singing contests in his hometown Victoria City, Noven has charmed viewers and the program’s hosts since day one with his easy smile and positive disposition.

The conclusion of the competition’s more-than-ayear-long search for its first grand champion pulled in viewers nationwide and prompted netizens to post their comments about the grand finals online.

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 15, 2017

Jolina Magdangal is a happy, practical mom FOrMer teen idol and now wife and mother, Jolina Magdangal looks every inch a happy and contented mother to two-year old son Pele Iñigo.

Her demeanor also shows her very good rapport with musician husband Mark escueta when it comes to taking care of their child.

The singer-actress has a resurgent career as mainstay of Sunday variety show “ASAP” and as daily host of talk show “Magandang Buhay” with fellow moms Karla estrada and Melai Cantiveros.

With 1.2 million followers on Twitter, she happily shares how she has peace of mind running her home. Besides imparting parenting tips and ways to bond with her toddler, she also provides practical advice for fellow-homemakers, such as having running an energy efficient home with the

right choice of home appliances.

In her latest post, she raved “Full-blast aircon bonding nights kasi made even better by the ‘orange tag’ –we’re assured of our cost per hour!”

In another post also on Twitter, the actress singer shared: “Tonight’s mission: Look for perfect bedtime snacks for Pele. No worries ‘cause according to the ‘orange tag,’ it’s around P18 per day to have the ref working.”

How does Magdangal know the electricity cost of using major home appliances? She told The Manila Times this is made possible by that round, bright orange label from electric company Meralco, found on some appliances on display in stores. The labels inform buyers how much it costs per hour to operate a certain type of electric appli-

Jolina Magdangal

ance.

“Next time you go shopping for big-ticket home appliances, make sure to look for the orange tag so you can choose the most electricity cost-efficient brand and model of appliance,” she advised her followers. (ManilaTimes.net)

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The Asian Jour nal MDWK MAGAZINE - March 15, 2017