La weekend edition april 1 4, 2017

W W W M

Los AngeLes

W E E W K EE N EWD K EE ENKDE N D M I D W E E K

E D I T I OE ND I T I O NI T I O N ED

ED ITION April 1-4, 2017

w w w . a s iwa w nw j o. ua w rs niwaaw nl .j. ca o osu m irannajlo.

wwwww. .a aj ds w ujw n m w ii gawintwja.olae drd iw i iol.t.n ce o i tgaw i it ti ao ln aacj.l o d idgm

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. 27 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

www.ajdigitaledition.com

1210 S. Brand 1210 Blvd.,S. Glendale, CA Brand Blvd., Glendale, 1210 S. 91204 Brand Blvd

Tels: 818.502.0651Tels: • 213.250.9797 • Fax: 818.502.0858 • 213.481.0854 818.502.0651 • 818.502.0651 213.250.9797 Fax: 818.502.0858 Tels: •• 213.250.9797 • Fax:• 82 Also published in: • Orange County/Inland • Northern California •Empire Las Vegas • New York/ New•Jersey Also published in: published • OrangeEmpire County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas Jersey Also in: • Orange County/Inland • Northern California •New Las York/ VegasNew • New York/ New Jersey 1210 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204

Supplemental impeachment complaint filed DATELINE USA Filipina caregiver against Duterte over ‘inaction’ on sea row Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey

Tels: 818.502.0651 • 213.250.9797 • Fax: 818.502.0858 • 213.481.0854

FRoM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

arrested for alleged grand theft from patients

THE Palos Verdes Estates Police Department has arrested a Filipina caregiver suspected of stealing credit cards, cash and other personal belongings from elderly victims she cared for.

Ma “Rose” Licuanan, a 49-yearMa “Rose” Licuold caregiver was arrested on Tuesday, March 28 for allegedly anan, 49, was arstealing credit cards, cash rested on Tuesday, and other personal belongings March 28 after defrom elderly patients she cared tectives obtained a for in Palos Verdes Estates, warrant to search California. the Torrance womPhoto courtesy of the Palos Verdes an’s home and car Estates Police Department on March 21, according to a statement released by the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department. Detectives discovered stolen credit cards and other belongings from various victims.

Police allege that Licuanan “copied other credit card numbers so she could use them

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

A SUPPLEMENTARY impeachment complaint has been filed against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in an effort to oust him from office. on Thursday, March 30, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano filed the added complaint against Duterte before the Secretary General of the House of Representatives for the president’s alleged inaction over territorial issues concerning Benham Rise and the South China Sea (West

Philippine Sea).

Alejano accused Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution, and other high crimes when he failed to assert the Philippines’ sovereignty over Benham Rise and parts of the disputed waters.

In his complaint, the representative said Duterte “failed and/or refused to assert and reiterate the exclusive sovereign rights of the Philippines over Benham Rise in the face of incursions of Chinese survey vessels in the area” despite a Unit-

ed Nations (UN) ruling in 2012 acknowledging that Benham Rise is within the continental shelf of the Philippines.

He went on to allege that the president has been “allowing and permitting” Chinese vessels to enter Benham Rise when the area is not even part of the disputed territories.

Earlier in March, Duterte said Beijing sought his permission to let Chinese vessels survey Benham Rise for research purposes, after the Philippine Department In this photo, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano holds a copy of the impeachment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and complaint he filed against President Rodrigo Duterte at the House of

u PAGE A2

by AJPress

Federal judge extends block on Trump’s travel ban

u PAGE A3

SLANTED REPORTS. President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his speech during the mass oath taking of appointed government officials and the Philippine Councilors League on Thursday, March 30. Duterte accused two media agencies of being rude, corrupt, and unfair in their reports about him. He also warned the Church that it would soon become obsolete. Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

Alvarez admits having a girlfriend, denies rift with Floirendo over their lovers’ spat

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

PHILIPPINE House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday, March 30, admitted to having a girlfriend despite being a married man.

During a phone interview with reporters at the House of Representatives, Alvarez confirmed that he is in a relationship with Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, adding that he is no lon-

Philippine-US military exercises begin in April

by AJPress THIS year’s joint Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will be held this summer, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Eduardo Año.

According to reports from Rappler, U.S. troops are expected to arrive in April for outreach activities. The war games will begin in May.

Philstar.com file

‘ICC can’t arbitrarily interfere in affairs of sovereign PH’ – Palace

u PAGE A3

THE federal judge in Hawaii who halted President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban has extended his order blocking the executive order.

The judge, United States District Court Judge Derrick Watson, made the decision to implement a longer-lasting halt on the travel ban — which was a revision on a first executive order that was defeated by a federal appeals court — just hours after hearing arguments on Wednesday, March 29.

The revised travel ban was to temporarily restrict U.S. travel from six predominantlyMuslim countries and suspend the U.S. refugee program.

Two weeks ago, the state of Hawaii sued to end the travel ban on the grounds that it violated the Constitution. The extension of the block will be in effect until the lawsuit is resolved; until then, the state sees this as a win for Muslim citizens in the United States after “repeated stops and starts of the last two months,” the state of Hawaii said in a

Representatives.

ger talking to his second wife, Emelita Alvarez.

He, however, refused to reveal how long he had been in a relationship outside of marriage: “’Yan ang secret (That’s a secret).”

Alvarez made the confession following reports that the graft case he filed against Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr. stemmed from an altercation between their respective lovers.

Cathy Binag, Floirendo’s live-in partner,

u PAGE A2

u PAGE A3

Pacquiao camp: ‘We are not very worried about any deadline’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

They will be led by Lieutenant General oscar Lactao, who is also the chief of the Visayas Central Command (Centcom).

The Philippine News Agency (PNA) also stated in a report that the Balikatan will be held in ormoc City in the Visayas. ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez said this year’s Balikatan will include activities like a medical mission, book donation, and construction and repair of school buildings and health centers.

u PAGE A3

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has no right to interfere in the internal issues of the Philippines, Malacañang argued this week.

In a statement, Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella maintained that there is “no concrete evidence” showing that the government has committed crimes against humanity, citing President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs.

“The International Criminal Court (ICC) cannot arbitrarily interfere in the domestic affairs of a sovereign country like the Philippines,” Abella said Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on Wednesday, March 29.

Malacañang made the remarks after Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Chito Gascon said in a television interview that the ICC is closely monitoring drugrelated killings in the country.

“There is no concrete evidence pointing to crimes against humanity here: such crimes must be widespread and systematically directed against a specific group,” Abella said.

“This element is absent in the Philippine situation.”

He also took note that the Philippine Senate “already absolved the president and there exists no such crime.”

In october last year, the Philippine Senate Committee on Justice and Human rights absolved Duterte of any involvement in the killings and terminated its investigation into alleged summary executions of crime suspects related to the drug war.

Different local and international groups have condemned

Manny Pacquiao with adviser Mike Koncz (left) and trainer Freddie Roach. Philstar.com photo

ToP Rank chief executive Bob Arum may have given an ultimatum but the camp of Filipino boxing champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is apparently not in a hurry to decide whether or not to accept the match offer against Australian boxer Jeff Horn.

“When we believe the terms and conditions of an agreement are in Manny’s best interest then we will sign – simple as that,” Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, told Philippine Star.

Earlier this week, Arum gave

Pacquiao until Wednesday, March 29 to decide whether he wants to have a match against Horn in Brisbane this coming July 2.

Sought for comments, Koncz said: “We are not very worried about any deadline.”

According to Arum, if Pacquiao can’t get a match in July, his next match would likely be set in November. He said that the Australian government, who is backing up the match, won’t be able to keep the money on the table forever.

Arum has been endorsing

u PAGE A2

A APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

From the Front Page

‘ICC can’t arbitrarily interfere in affairs…

PAGE A1 t

the thousands of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations allegedly connected to the drug war since Duterte took office on June 30 last year.

However, Malacañang has repeatedly affirmed that the killings were not state-sponsored, adding that most were conducted by vigilante suspects trying to hide their crimes under the

guise of anti-illegal drug operations.

In October, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said they “will be closely following developments in the Philippines” and will “record any instance of incitement or resort to violence with a view to assessing whether a preliminary examination into the Philippines needs to be opened.”

According to her, the ICC could look into the extrajudicial killings if they are “committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population pursuant to a State policy to commit such an attack.”

She also warned that “any person in the Philippines who incites or engages in acts of mass violence, including by ordering,

Supplemental impeachment complaint…

PAGE A1 t

Department of National Defense (DND) raised alarm over the issue.

Both the DFA and DND, however, essentially admitted to having no prior knowledge of the supposed agreement.

According to the lawmaker, allowing China to survey Benham Rise clearly amounts to “betrayal u PAGE A3 of the interest of the Philippines

ELECT GRACE HU For Cerritos City Council!

Grace Hu with Fil-Am community leaders Felix B. Lopez, President of FilipinoAmerican Chamber of Commerce of Southeast Corridor and Lino F. Caringal, Jr., president of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA.

Go with the candidate who you can relate to.

Vote for GRACE HU on April 11, 2017 as member of the Cerritos City Council.

She will serve you and listen to your concerns.

She wants to represent you!

GRACE HU is a longtime friend of the Filipino-American community for the last 25 years.

She always supports Filipino-American events.

“Humbly, I ask for your vote.

I’m No. 1 on the ballot.”

YOU CAN CALL ME AT

562-623-9872

Paid for by Grace Hu for City Council P.O. Box 3901 Cerritos, CA 90703 ID No. 1393615

and its people.”

He also claimed that Duterte “utterly failed and/or refused to protest and raise issue over the plan of China to construct an environmental monitoring station at the Panatag shoal or Scarborough shoal.” By failing to call out China’s “aggressive actions,” the president allegedly has threatened “the security and territorial integrity” of the Philippines.”

“Duterte has permitted China to trample upon our country’s rights and interest, and those of our people, apparently because he is afraid to offend his Chinese friends and/or because he has already made secret deals with them, to the grave and utter prejudice of our nation,” the complaint read.

‘Unfounded, lacks form and substance’ Unfazed by the threat, Malacañang said the new supplementary impeachment complaint is “unfounded, lacking both in form and substance.”

Referring to one of Duterte’s fiercest critics, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella went on to say, “But more seriously it seems that this is part and parcel of his intention to run for the Senate to replace Senator [Antonio] Trillanes [IV].”

“The political tactic of filing an ‘incomplete’ impeachment complaint on the first day of recess of the HoR (House of Representatives) then to ‘supplement’ it on

a different day seems geared towards providing media mileage for the proponent,” he added.

Regarding the issues concerning Benham Rise, Scarborough Shoal, and the disputed features in the South China Sea, Malacañang assured that the Philippine government “continuously upholds and asserts our rights.”

“The president is the chief architect of the nation’s foreign policy and under his leadership, we strive to safeguard the national interest, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Abella remarked.

Earlier on March 16, Alejano filed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte before the House of Representatives, accusing the president of culpably violating the Constitution, engaging in bribery, betraying public trust, committing graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

In his 16-page complaint, Alejano cited Duterte’s alleged links to the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), the massive killings in his war against illegal drugs, and his alleged undeclared wealth worth nearly P2.2 million.

Article 11, Sec. 2 of the 1987 Constitution states that the president “may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.” n

Pacquiao camp: ‘We are not…

PAGE A1 t

Pacquiao’s match against undefeated Horn this coming April 23 at the Suncorp Stadium.

His proposal, however, was put on hold as the possibility of a match against Britain’s Amir Khan this coming May in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was explored.

After the proposed UAE fight against Khan dropped, Arum began to rework his original offer.

“If we can’t get a fight for him this July, we’ll look at November,” Manila Bulletin quoted Arum in its report. “Unless it’s a big fight, we are looking at Manny fighting outside the U.S.” Meanwhile, Horn previously told Courier Mail that he was “extremely frustrated’’ by the

drawn-out process of his possible match against Pacquiao.

“I’m training for it but not training super hard yet because Manny still hasn’t signed,” Horn said. “It’s a waiting game and it’s taking a lot longer than I thought.’’

Dubbed as “The Hornet,” Horn has a record of 16-0-1 and 11 KOs. Pacquiao, with a record of 596-2 win-loss-draw, won his last match via unanimous decision and defended his WBO welterweight title against Jessie Vargas last year.

Apart from Horn and Khan, Kell Brook and Terence Crawford were also cited in several reports as Pacquiao’s possible next opponent. n

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

From the Front page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

A

Alvarez admits having a girlfriend, denies…

PAGE A1 t

earlier hit Alvarez for “burning bridges of friendship over a girls’ spat.”

“It’s true that I had an altercation with Miss Vicencio during the opening of the [Masskara] Festival in Bacolod late last year.

From then on, things spiraled out of control and one thing led to another,” Binag said in a statement.

Binag went on to say, “I find it petty for some matured men to be burning bridges of friendship over a girls’ spat… It all boils down to greed. Greed for wealth, power and influence.”

But Alvarez, for his part, dismissed Binag’s accusations. “I find this funny because how did this become the issue? This does not benefit the country,” he said.

Last March 13, Alvarez filed the criminal complaint against Floirendo before the Ombudsman over an alleged unlawful business interest in 2003 when his banana firm Tagum Agricultural Development Inc. (TADECO) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) renewed its joint venture

agreement (JVA).

“I am asking about the TADECO contract. Where is Congressman Floirendo? As a congressman, he has the duty to explain why his family stole billions from the people through highly-irregular and disadvantageous government contracts,” Alvarez explained.

Commenting on possible disbarment case against him, Alvarez said: “Kung mayroon silang nakikitang ethical issue, i-disbar ako for having a girlfriend, edi go ahead (If they see any ethical issue and they want to disbar me for having a girlfriend, then go ahead).”

In jest, Alvarez added that there might be no more lawyers left if they would be disbarred for having affairs.

Alvarez also clarified that he did not criticize Senator Leila de Lima for having an affair with her driver, Ronnie Dayan.

“Hindi naman ‘yung relasyon niya ang binabatikos ko (It was not the relationship that I criticized). ‘Yung involvement niya sa illegal drugs ‘yung binatikos ko (It was her involvement in illegal

drugs that I criticized),” Alvarez maintained.

In November last year, Alvarez said questions about De Lima and Dayan’s relationship were necessary for the inquiry into the narcotics trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“Yung pagtatanong doon sa relationship, kinakailangan ‘yun.

Bakit? (Those questions on the relationship were needed). Here is a woman pretending to be clean, pretending to be a crime buster, a graft buster, a self-proclaimed righteous individual.

Kailangan nating ipakita sa taong bayan kung anong klaseng tao ito (We need to show the people what kind of person she is).” Alvarez previously said.

“Crass and juvenile” spin In a separate statement, Finance Assistant Secretary Paola Alvarez, who is the daughter of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, took offense at how Binag “exploited” their family’s relationship.

“It is incredible how personal relationships are exploited by Rep. Tonyboy Floirendo’s live-in

u PAGE A4

Philippine-US military exercises…

PAGE A1 t Balikatan, which literally means “shoulder to shoulder,” is considered the biggest joint activity bound by the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the U.S. It focuses on “partnership, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities, Philippine capability development and military modernization.”

While previous war games under the administration of former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III included exercises held in the South China Sea — home to contested territories between Asian countries — it has been reported that no exercises will be held there anymore.

Philippine President Rodrigo United States, the country’s de- ercises, including the Enhanced Duterte, who assumed office in cades-old ally.

Defense Cooperation Agreement last June, previously threatened He, however, later allowed the (EDCA). to scrap military games with the continuation of other military exEDCA is a treaty that allows U.S. forces to be deployed in Philippine territory temporarily for maritime security and hu“court of last resort” that aims to manitarian and disaster response PAGE A2 t requesting, encouraging or con- hold those responsible account- operations. tributing, in any other manner, to able for crimes concerning the Among the canceled bilateral the commission of crimes within international community such exercises, meanwhile, were the the jurisdiction of the ICC, is po- as genocide, war crimes, and Philippine Amphibious Landtentially liable to prosecution be- crimes against humanity. ing Exercise (PHIBLEX) exerThe Philippines has been cises, and the Cooperation Afloat fore the Court.”

Established in 1998 under among the state members of the Readiness and Training (CARAT) the Rome Statute, the ICC is a ICC since November 2011. n drills. n

‘ICC can’t arbitrarily interfere…

OUTSTANDING PINAY. Socorro Ramos, founder of National Bookstore (second from right), receives one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs Awards from President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang on Thursday, March 30. Also in photo are (from left) Tessie Sy-Coson, vice chair of SM Investments Corp., presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Xandra Ramos-Padilla, NBS managing director. Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales

Filipina caregiver arrested for alleged…

PAGE A1 t

online. Fraudulent transactions were made on those credit card accounts.”

Detectives spoke with five other victims who asserted that Licuanan was their caregiver and they had found “fraudulent transactions on their accounts and/or believe she stole cash from them, the statement read.

One victim, 78-year-old Lisa Alonzo, told CBS Los Angeles that she hired Licuanan to assist her in her mobility since in-

juring her leg in a car accident.

However, Licuanan only worked for Alonzo for two days because she suspected that the caregiver stole $100 from her.

“I just told her I just don’t want to work with you,” Alonzo told CBS. Soon after, Alonzo noticed nearly $900 worth of charges on her credit card that she didn’t make.

Licuanan has been charged with four felony counts and two misdemeanor counts in this investigation by the LA County

DA’s office.

The suspect used a number of aliases including Rose Licuanan, Maria Licuanan, Marosario Mendoza Licuanan and Rosario Licuanan.

Licuanan is currently held without bail.

The Palos Verdes Estates Police Department was unavailable for a comment on this story.

They encourage more victims to come forward by contacting Sgt. Luke Hellinga at (310) 378-4211.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Federal judge extends block on Trump’s…

PAGE A1 t

statement.

Watson’s reasoning to extend the block coincides with his decision to implement the block two weeks ago: a precedent from the Supreme Court that used Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims during the presidential campaign to justify the unconstitutionality of the travel ban.

“The court will not crawl into a corner, pull the shutters closed, and pretend it has not seen what it has,” Watson wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

In his initial ruling that blocked the revised travel ban, Watson said that that the state of Hawaii displayed “a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their

Establishment Clause claim, that irreparable injury is likely if the requested relief is not issued.”

The Establishment Clause falls under the First Amendment and it prohibits the government from passing laws that favor one religion over another. Watson argued that the executive order, by banning travel from Muslim-majority nations, deliberately disfavors Muslims.

In addition to allowing travel from the six Muslim countries (Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen), Watson’s order also stops the suspension of the refugee program, a program orchestrated by the State Department which protects refugees coming to the U.S. and assists in

adjustment to life in the U.S. In response to the ban, the Justice Department — on behalf of the Trump administration — asked the judge to narrow the ruling to involve only the part of the order that prohibits new visas for people in the banned countries.

“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the federal district court’s ruling. The President’s executive order fails squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our nation’s security, and the department will continue to defend this executive order in the courts,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department wrote in a statement.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

A APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

From the Front page

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

The next Obamacare battleground: Subsidies for out-of-pocket costs by ana

B. IBarra Califorina Healthline

WHEN Republicans pulled their Affordable Care Act replacement bill last Friday, Lauren Lake’s primary reaction was relief.

But like a lot of people who depend on state exchanges for coverage, the 51-year-old consultant also was wary. That’s because she knows the Trump adminis-

tration could still undo an important part of the law she depends on to afford health care.

Lake and her 55-year-old husband, Steven, who live in Truckee, Calif., rely on a subsidy program designed to lower her out-of-pocket health costs. This “cost-sharing� assistance — paid directly to her insurer, Blue Shield of California — keeps the couple’s copayments for doctor visits to about $15 a pop and low-

% 0 ( " , (

+" ' % +' + )+( ,,"(' % (+)(+ -"('

$&35*'*&% 41&$*"-*45 */ *..*(3"5*0/ "/% /"5*0/"-*5: -"8

8IJFE (==@:<

9C<IE<I!:8C@=FIE@8@DD@>I8K@FE LJ

ers their annual deductible from $10,600 to $4,700.

For many people like the Lakes, the demise of cost-sharing subsidies could mean the end of coverage â&#x20AC;&#x201D; whether or not the ACA is fully repealed. Not only would some enrollees be unable to afford treatment, insurers likely would hike premiums or bolt from Obamacare exchanges and even the broader individual market, experts say. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible for me to plan my income and my life when everything is up in the air,â&#x20AC;? Lake said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It worries me that insurers are going to say â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the heck with thisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and pull out.â&#x20AC;?

Lake and others like her have some reason to be nervous.

House Republicans during the Obama administration sued the federal government, alleging the payments to insurers are unlawful because the money has not been appropriated by Congress.

A lower-court judge agreed. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to the Trump administration to decide whether to pursue an appeal or end the payments.

On Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated that Republicans wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drop the lawsuit but that he expects the subsidies to continue until the case is resolved.

Some insurance industry representatives appeared reassured

by Ryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remarks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are starting to see signals from back East that the intent is to continue these cost-sharing subsidies, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re planning for 2018,â&#x20AC;? said Charles Bacchi, president and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans.

To his knowledge, he said, the 11 plans on Covered California are committed to providing coverage through the exchange.

Kristine Grow, a spokeswoman with Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Insurance Plans, told Talking Points Memo that it would be most helpful to the industry for the federal government to fund the cost-subsidy program through the 2018 benefit year.

The ongoing uncertainty is difficult for insurers and enrollees, because so much is at stake. If the program continues, about $130 billion in cost-sharing subsidies could be lost to insurers over the next 10 years.

In 2016 alone, the federal government paid about $7 billion to insurers to lower out-of-pocket expenses for qualified enrollees,

u PAGE A5

HUG OF PEACE. President Rodrigo Duterte hugs Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari in Davao City on Tuesday, March 28. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to bring â&#x20AC;&#x153;just and lastingâ&#x20AC;? peace in Mindanao.

MalacaĂąang photo

HRW researcher defends New York Times vs Palace accusations

by Ed

MargarEth Barahan Inquirer.net

HUMAN Rights Watch researcher Carlos Conde on Thursday defended New York Times (NYT) against MalacaĂąangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accusation that the publication is doing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;demolition jobâ&#x20AC;? on President Rodrigo Duterte. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to keep in mind, itong New York Times, 166 years na ito, mas matanda pa ito sa Republika ng Pilipinas, at hindi ito naging respetado na diyaryo sa buong mundo ng basta-basta, pinaghirapan ito, hindi lang basta-basta magpapagamit ito,â&#x20AC;?

Conde, who is a former correspondent of the publication said in an interview with GMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;News To Go.â&#x20AC;?

(The New York Times is older than the Republic of the Philippines, and this didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become a respectable newspaper just like that; they worked hard for it, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not just gonna let it be used by anyone.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hindi kapani-paniwala, taliwas iyang sinasabi nila na bayaran ang NYT pagdating sa mga nilalathala na reports nito,â&#x20AC;? he added.

(Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not believable, what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re saying about NYT that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being paid to write their reports is contradictory.)

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella earlier said that in just one week, the New York Times published a psychological profile of Duterte tracing his rise to power through violence, an editorial demanding accountability for the thousands of extrajudicial killings in Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war on drugs, and released a video documentary showing the bodies of the victims of the antinarcotics crackdown and their grief-stricken families.

Carlos Conde

Abella was referring to the article â&#x20AC;&#x153;Becoming Duterte: The Making of a Philippine Strongman,â&#x20AC;? published on Thursday; the editorial â&#x20AC;&#x153;Accountability for Duterte,â&#x20AC;? published on Saturday, and the video documentary â&#x20AC;&#x153;When a President Says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll Kill You,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? released Monday.

He also found it â&#x20AC;&#x153;curiousâ&#x20AC;? that suddenly there is a rush of attention on the Philippineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s war on drugs.

Conde maintained that the killings are real, the incidents are not invented by the publication, and there is nothing suspicious in reporting the killings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hindi kahina-hinala (na magreport ang NYT) kasi may patayang nangyayari, tayo lang ang bansa sa buong mundo ngayon na libo-libo ang namamatay bawat buwan. Wala naman tayo sa estado ng giyera, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;di tayo katulad ng Syria o Yemen, o nasa giyera na bansa para magkaroon

Photo from Carlos Condeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twitter account

ng patayan na ganyan karami,â&#x20AC;?

Conde said.

(Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not suspicious for the NYT to report on this because there are killings happening, we are the only country in the world now where thousands are killed each month. We arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even in a state of war like Syria or Yemen, and the country isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t at war to have that many killings.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mas kahina-hinala kung titigil ang diyaryo, ang NYT, Washington Post, at ang mga diyaryo sa Pilipinas,â&#x20AC;? he added.

(Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more suspicious is if the NYT, Washington Post, and the newspapers in the Philippines stop reporting.)

Abella linked the New York Times to alleged ouster plots against Duterte, saying that certain personalities and politicians have mounted a well-funded campaign utilizing hack writers and their ilk in their bid to oust the President. n

Alvarez admits having a girlfriend, deniesâ&#x20AC;Ś PAGE A3 t

partner, Ms. Cathy Binag, to twist an otherwise simple question of facts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely appalling!â&#x20AC;? she remarked.

Paola said she and her family are â&#x20AC;&#x153;shocked that the spin on the issues has become so crass and juvenile.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It deeply hurts my family that the longstanding and cherished friendship with Representative Floirendo is heading this way,â&#x20AC;? she added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope Ms. Binag will respect that and stop dragging us into her personal issues.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Brotherly misunderstandingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Floirendo, meanwhile, said that he and Alvarez â&#x20AC;&#x153;have no fight with each other,â&#x20AC;? but rather, â&#x20AC;&#x153;brotherly misunderstanding.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let me make it clear that

Speaker Bebot and I have no fight with each other. I still offer a hand of friendship to Speaker Alvarez,â&#x20AC;? Floirendo said in a statement provided by his lawyer, Nicolas Banga. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If ever there is a conflict, it could be likened to a brotherly misunderstanding which I am sure would be patched up in no time at all,â&#x20AC;? the statement added.

He then asked the public â&#x20AC;&#x153;not to be swayed by false allegations.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If our quarrel stems from a personal matter between Speaker Alvarez and myself, I appeal to the Speaker to meet with me personally so that we can settle this like gentlemen,â&#x20AC;? Floirendo said.

Regarding the issue on TADECO and BuCor, Floirendo commented: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because these al-

legations happened 14 years ago, I am curious as to his real intentions and the real issues.

Meanwhile, I can assure everyone that I was not in any way involved in the negotiation of the Joint Venture Agreement Tadeco and BuCor.â&#x20AC;?

No Palace interference In a press conference on Saturday, April 1, MalacaĂąang said it would not interfere in the controversy involving Alvarez and Floirendo, who are both notable supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interference, no. It is a matter that they should settle between themselves,â&#x20AC;? Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella remarked, adding that it is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;personal matter between two men.â&#x20AC;? n

LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN SERVING MY FELLOW KABABAYANS FOR OVER 17 YEARS

CIVIL AND PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION â&#x20AC;˘ Breach of Contract and Fraud â&#x20AC;˘ Auto and Other Injury accidents

IMMIGRATION

â&#x20AC;˘ Family and employment based green cards â&#x20AC;˘ Business and Investor Visas â&#x20AC;˘ Deportation defense â&#x20AC;˘ Motions to Reopen â&#x20AC;˘ Appeals â&#x20AC;˘ Humanitarian Reinstatement of revoked petition â&#x20AC;˘ Naturalization â&#x20AC;˘ H-1B and student visas

FAMILY LAW â&#x20AC;˘ Divorce/Separation/Nullity â&#x20AC;˘ Property Division â&#x20AC;˘ Spousal Support â&#x20AC;˘ Child Custody and Support â&#x20AC;˘ Restraining Orders

CALL TODAY FOR A CONSULTATION 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, California 90010

323-639-0277

Email: info@dtanlaw.com â&#x20AC;˘ Website: www.dtanlaw.com

Darrick V. Tan, Esq. Licensed in California for over 17 years Licensed in Nevada for over 12 years* UCLA, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science with Cum Laude honors Southwestern University Law School, Juris Doctor Admitted to U.S. District Court, Central District of California Member, American Immigration Lawyers Association Member, Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles Former Member, Board of Governors, Philippine American Bar Association *Inactive

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

Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

A

CA Senate Health Committee votes in favor of Dialysis Patient Safety Act

by AJPress SACRAMENTO — The California State Senate’s Health Committee stood with dialysis caregivers on Thursday, March 30 by their decisive vote in favor of the Dialysis Patient Safety Act. The Dialysis Patient Safety Act (SB 349), proposed by state Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), would set safe caregiver-to-patient ratios in chronic dialysis clinics statewide, mandate safer transition times between patients for infection control, and require annual inspections of the facilities.

Over 550 dialysis clinics across the state would be affected by the legislation, the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIUCOURTESY CALL. Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III receives in the Senate the Honorable Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign UHW) previously told the Asian Affairs and Trade of Hungary, on March 28, 2017. Minister Szijjártó assured the Senate President that Hungary is eager to work hand-inJournal. hand with the Philippines once again, with the opening of their new Embassy here after a twenty-two year absence. The Philippines and Ronnie Batino, a dialysis nurse Hungary share a common bond and are committed to further improve their relations and strengthen cooperation in the areas of trade, technology transfer particularly in water management, cultural preservation, and people-to-people exchanges. who works in a Fullerton clinic, Senate photo by Albert Calvelo testified in favor of the bill and shared how “unsafe incidents” could occur if there are not enough nurses to treat the growing number of patients.

“For our patients, dialysis is not just a treatment. It’s their life,” said Batino in a statement.

SAN FRANCISCO — Police On Monday, police arrested “Three times a week they spend have charged a Filipino man Deocreza. He has been charged 3-4 hours with us, and will for accused of sexually assaulting with one count of sexual assault the rest of their lives. Many are a woman while taking her passand is scheduled to make a court parents with young children at home, or spouses who depend port photos, a Toronto Police appearance on April 27. press release say Eugenio DeoAnyone with information is on them. They have such courcreza, 46, of Toronto was taking asked to contact police at 416- age. This bill is about helping a passport photo of a woman, 808-3200 or Crime Stoppers to save their lives by ensuring 28, in the Bathurst Street and anonymously at 416-222-8477. they get safe, good-quality care so they can have long, happy Wilson Avenue area on Satur(Inquirer.net) day, March 11.

During the photo session, Deocreza allegedly sexually assaultEugenio Deocreza ed the woman.

Filipino photographer charged with sexual assault in Toronto

The next Obamacare…

PAGE A4 t

according to the journal Health Affairs.

Cost-sharing subsidies are different from premium tax credits, which lower the cost of monthly premiums. Only people with incomes below 250 percent of the federal poverty level — about $61,000 for a family of four this year — qualify for help with copays and deductibles.

If federal reimbursements for these subsidies stop, insurers would likely respond by raising premiums to make up for the loss, explained Erin Trish, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. Those who could be hurt the most are enrollees on the exchanges who receive very little or no premium assistance and the 750,000 people in California who purchase private insurance off the exchange.

“They would see high [premium] increases and no help,” Trish said.

Dr. Mario Molina, CEO of the Long Beach, Calif.-based insurer Molina Healthcare, confirmed her assessment: Without the subsidies, the insurer would have to raise its premiums. Molina’s company covers nearly 1 million marketplace members in nine states, including California, and about 70 percent of its members receive cost-sharing subsidies.

Last year, Molina Healthcare received $221 million in reimbursements for these subsidies.

If the payments were to go away this year, the health plan would be forced to pull out of markets, Molina said. The answers insurers need can come only from the Trump administration and House Republicans, he said.

“The ball is in their court,”

Molina said. “They need to make some decisions, and the longer they wait, the more they are making the marketplace unstable.”

Wesley Yin, an associate professor in the Department of Public Policy and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA, said rate hikes caused by a loss of the cost-sharing subsidies would drive up federal costs elsewhere because the premium tax credits would rise. In an analysis for Covered California, Yin showed that in 2016 had insurers not been paid the subsidies, the federal government would have paid $976 million more in premium tax credits in California.

“Here the evidence is clear that changing the payment method for cost-sharing reductions would be a bad deal for the federal government and a bad deal for consumers who do not receive [premium] subsidies,” said Peter V. Lee, Covered California’s executive director, in a statement about Yin’s analysis.

Rebekah Turnbaugh, 36, of Modesto, Calif., needs medication and medical equipment and cannot go without health insurance.

She receives financial assistance to help with her deductible and out-of-pocket expenses. (Courtesy of Rebekah Turnbaugh) Even so, some patients who do receive premium assistance are worried.

Rebekah Turnbaugh, 36, of Modesto, Calif., is paralyzed from the chest down as a result of complications from a spine surgery in infancy. She needs medication and medical equipment such as catheters, which can cost hundreds of dollars a month.

Under her insurance plan, she pays $15 for an office visit that would regularly cost $105 with-

u PAGE A6

Lauren Lake, 51, and her husband, Steven, 55, of Truckee, Calif., receive “cost-sharing” assistance that helps bring down their yearly deductible from $10,600 to $4,700.

Courtesy of Lauren Lake

Representatives of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) testified in favor of the Dialysis Patient Safety Act (SB 349), which seeks to change staffing requirements at dialysis facilities throughout the state.

Photo courtesy of UNAC/UHCP

lives with their families.”

Lara introduced the bill in February and presented it on Thursday to the committee chaired by State Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez.

The bill calls for ratios in California’s chronic dialysis clinics of no more than one RN to eight patients, one tech to three patients

u PAGE A6

Dateline USa

A APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

US diplomat urges 2 major additions to PH cybercrime law

by Richmond

S. meRcuRio

Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should make two key additions to its Cybercrime Law in order to address the evolving and increasing number of online threats and cybercrime cases in the country, a top US diplomat said.

“There are two areas where we

can see an opportunity to even better this legislation (Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012): Registering of SIM cards and the preservation of contact data for internet service providers,” US Embassy legal attaché Lamont Siller said on Thursday, March 30 at ITBPM Cyber Security Summit.

“Both of these things would make life easier for law enforce-

ment to investigate cyber-related crimes,” Siller added.

Siller, also a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), lauded the country’s current cyber laws but said it has a “couple of loop holes.”

“As a law enforcement officer it’s very difficult to track down.

Maybe if there is a point of registration that must take place to register that SIM card with an identification card, this would give, law enforcement a starting point, especially in extortion cases where we see its very difficult to track down who is text messaging who and that is something Sen. Grace Poe is already pushing for,” he said.

“Another proposal is the fact that the internet service providers (ISPs) here are storing content data and when that data is requested from the law enforcement, a lot of times they don’t always have it. If the hack takes place, it takes more time for law enforcement in the Philippines to acquire that needed information to resolve such timely attack.

If there was a mandate to make these ISPs store that data longer, that will be more helpful,” Siller added.

The Philippines and the US in August last year initiated a joint cyber-security working group aimed at strengthening the capability of the Philippine government in addressing cyber intrusions and also in responding and assisting companies that fall victim to malicious cyber attacks. n

The next…

PAGE A5 t

out subsidies, she said.

“If I had to pay $105 just to go get established with a new doctor, I would do it because I need medication on a regular basis,” Turnbaugh said. But when she first signed up for coverage last August, she was unemployed and $15 was far less of a stretch.

Her yearly $650 deductible is manageable, too.

“I have peace of mind knowing that I won’t have to give everything I’ve worked for to stay alive or healthy.”

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

EARTHQUAKE DRILL. Pupils of the University of Baguio Elementary School go beneath their desks as they participate in the quarterly nationwide earthquake drill. Baguio City was devastated by the 1990 Luzon earthquake and had to rebuild for the second time, since it was destroyed when it was liberated from invading Japanese forces towards the end of World War II. Inquirer.net photo by EV Espiritu

Fil-Am health professionals sound off on Trumpcare

OAKLAND, California — Days after House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew his own Republican party’s health care bill that would have replaced Obamacare, Filipino American health professionals wished American leaders would think more deeply of what’s at stake when it comes to Americans’ health care.

President Donald Trump targeted Obamacare for immediate repeal and replacement just as the Republicans have been raring to do so for seven years. But the replacement bill disappointed moderate party members and alienated its most conservative members who just wanted a repeal. Trump blamed non-cooperative Democrats.

The obvious partisan nature of the debate elicited worries among health care practitioners.

Dr. Maria Magadia Ona, of Franklin, Virginia, a general pediatrician, believes that American health care and its benefits should not be subjected to partisan decision, especially every time there is a change in administrations.

“Health care is owned by the people and not by the government, so labeling it as Obamacare or Trumpcare is trivial since it is designed having the people in mind,” Ona stressed.

“The Hippocratic oath guides doctors not to look at their patient’s political preference or their ability to pay. Staying well and healing ailments is universal and not exclusive to any political or religious affiliation and much less their economic standing,” she added.

Ona, a community physician for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, in Norfolk, Virginia, considers herself as a conservative Republican. Nevertheless, she believes that both political parties want to increase insurance quality and affordability, lower the number of uninsured and increase coverage and reduce the cost of health care.

“In my opinion, Obamacare is not totally bad. It has good intentions of helping the marginalized. I like that it thought of individuals with preexisting condition, continuous parental health coverage for individuals till they turn 26 and the idea of tax-free Health Savings Account,” admitted Ona. “I do not agree, however, that one has to be penalized if they are not insured medically, especially if this is economically prohibitive.”

Ona agreed that the sevenpoint plan in the Republican health care bill is reasonable, but several points are already part of Obamacare so a complete repeal is not necessary and is expensive.

“I can understand why President Trump said that Obamacare is waiting to explode — premiums and deductibles are just increasing exponentially as the working middle class and the Medicaid recipients abuse their entitlement by frequenting the emergency rooms and having a lot of no-shows in medical appointments. Also, insurance and pharmaceutical companies usually call the shots and make healthcare costs high,” Ona argued.

Twenty-year Fremont, California dentist Dr. Estrella “Lita” Trinidad, who is also a Republican, also believes that health care benefits should not be changed every time there is a new president.

“I do believe that a lot of people benefited from Obamacare.

Dr. Rene Relos (shown with wife, TV broadcaster Gel Santos-Relos) of Kaiser Redwood City surgery department, said that one of Obamacare’s inspirations is the Kaiser Permanente model.

Dr. Maria Magadia Ona believes that American healthcare and its benefits should not be subjected to partisan decisions.

It is comforting to know that everyone rich or poor has access to health insurance. However, as a dental health provider, we have to keep up with a lot of red tape and other paper works that come in accepting Dentical. That is the reason why a lot of dental offices do not accept Dentical because of immense paperwork and payment is minimal.”

Trinidad added that Dentical itself does not cover many dental procedures and actually made it hard to approve certain procedures that otherwise should be covered.

“The patient still ends up paying out-of-pocket costs and other fees that they cannot afford,” Trinidad rued. “This is where improvement can be made. The next health care bill should have more expanded treatment coverage aside from facilitating easier billing and faster processing of claims.”

Sacramento, California hospitalist Napoleon Bernardo, MD branded “Trumpcare” as “Obamacare-lite.”

“Although the Trumpcare would still include some beneficial features such as being able to stay under your parents’ coverage until age 26, coverage for those with pre-existing condition, Medicaid coverage and tax subsidies, there are unfavorable provisions in Trumpcare in that Medicaid would have capped funding in each state. Another objectionable provision is that tax subsidies would no longer be based on an individual’s income, but based on age. This kind of tax cuts would only benefit the wealthy households and powerful corporations,” Bernardo pointed out.

The Republican bill would allow insurers to impose a 30-percent surcharge on the premiums of those who let their coverage lapse for at least 63 days, which Bernardo also frowns on.

“Instead of the GOP trying so hard to repeal and replace the Obamacare, why not find ways to

Dr. Napoleon Bernardo branded the Republican “Trumpcare” as actually “Obamacare-lite.”

Dentist Dr. Estrella “Lita” Trinidad, a Republican, believes that healthcare and its benefits should not be changed every time there is a new president. Contributed photos

improve our current health system and make it more affordable for all?”

Bernardo wondered. “As it is, Trumpcare would entail unaffordable health care coverage, resulting in more uninsured individuals and the already insured would subsequently lose their existing health care coverage due to higher cost.”

Without commenting directly on the issue, Dr. Rene Relos of Kaiser Redwood City surgery department, bared that one of Obamacare’s inspirations is the Kaiser Permanente model, to which he has belonged since 2005 both as an employee and co-owner with his colleagues.

“Kaiser’s system has three separate companies — Kaiser Foundation Hospitals (manages Kaiser Hospitals), Kaiser Health Insurance, Permanente Medical Group where doctors, like me, belong. Cost is minimized because there is no third party involved that gets in the way of giving the best health care to patients,” Dr. Relos relayed in a message through his wife, TFC broadcaster Gel Santos-Relos.

(Inquirer.net)

CA Senate Health Committee votes…

PAGE A5 t

and one social worker to 25 patients.

As the Asian Journal previously reported, there has been some opposition to the bill, with some groups alleging that it is “a solution in search of a problem.”

In a statement, the California Dialysis Council outlined four

reasons why the provisions of the bill would not improve the conditions for dialysis patients and workers: • Mandated ratios will harm dialysis patients, especially those reliant on Medi-Cal; • Mandated ratios will increase costs for the Medi-Cal program unnecessarily;

• Dialysis facility operations are already tightly regulated; and • Mandated ratios would reduce patient access and flexibility of each specific facility.

The bill will now move on to the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing expected next week. n

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

Dateline PhiliPPines

OFWs suffer harassment due to Leni UN message

Robredo camp: ‘Weak’ poll protest to blame for delay in case

by KRistian JavieR Philstar.com

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo’s lawyer on Thursday said Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should attribute supposed delays in his poll protest on the “weak” election case he filed against the vice president.

“If Marcos only filed a strong and meritorious election protest with full compliance with the rules on the substance or evidence to be alleged in the complaint, we would not have any ground to question his apparent haphazardly prepared election protest,” lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in a statement.

Macalintal said that one requirement for filing an electoral protest is stating detailed allegations of electoral fraud.

Macalintal said that Marcos made detailed allegations in only 57 of the 662 municipalities he is protesting. The lawyer said that the protests in those municipalities should be the only ones given due course while the rest should be dismissed.

Earlier this month, the former senator, in his reply to Robredo’s opposition of his motion for the

lawyers would draft the impeachment complaint using economic sabotage as ground. Some of MANILA, Philippines — Some the lawyers created a unified 500 overseas Filipino workers email address so they could con(OFWs) want Vice President Leni solidate their evidence and other Robredo impeached because of needed data. the video message she delivered before the UN that allegedly led their employers to harass them in their workplaces.

Interior and Local Government assistant secretary Epimaco Densing III said OFWs in Italy, Canada and UK reported being ostracized “because of Robredo’s malicious video message.”

“Many OFWs complained the past 10 days because they are harassed by their employers... they could not work properly because they are being confronted on the killings here,” Densing said in a dzRJ forum in Makati City.

Most of the complaining OFWs, he added, are working at health care facilities.

In the video message, Robredo claimed Filipinos have become “hopeless and helpless” against the killings, among other opinions she raised on President Duterte’s war against illegal drugs.

Densing said bloggers and

by RobeRtzon

RamiRez

Philstar.com

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, lead counsel for Vice President Leni Robredo, said that former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos himself is the cause of the delay on resolving the electoral protest.

preliminary conference on the case, accused the vice president of delaying the electoral protest.

“If protestee Robredo has nothing to hide, why does she keep trying to delay the proceedings? What is there to fear about a simple Preliminary Conference?” Marcos said.

Robredo, in an interview with dzMM on Tuesday, denied the accusation, saying a recount would be in her favor since that will resolve doubts on her mandate.

“Because until the issue is resolved, it would only give Marcos’ supporters the right to claim that he’s the real vice president,” Robredo said.

Macalintal stressed that the Robredo camp wants a swift resolution of the poll protest.

“As a matter of fact, we also look forward to the early resolution of our motion to dismiss the protest on the said 662 municipalities, which is clearly insufficient in form and substance,” Macalintal said. n

A

>692,9 :

*647,5:(;065

6[OLY WYHJ[PJL HYLHZ!

r 7,9:65(3 051<9@ r -(403@ 3(> r *0=03 30;0.(;065 r 796)(;, >, *(5 9,=0,> @6<9 ,?0:;05. *(:,: (5+ .0=, @6< ( :,*65+ 6705065 >L ZWLHR ;HNHSVN HUK V[OLY -PSPWPUV KPHSLJ[Z

THE LAW OFFICES OF NORIEL L. FLORES 2 5 YEARS OF LAW P RACT ICE IN CALIFORNIA NORIEL L. FLORES, ESQ. MELISSA J. HERBITO, ESQ.

(213) 487-8500 • (909) 895-7004 NLFLAW@GMAIL.COM 21671 Gateway Center Drive, Suite 103 Diamond Bar, CA 91765

He added that the group, who called themselves the Impeach VP Leni Team, would review one of Duterte’s speeches that asked people to stop impeaching the Vice President as he might have

u PAGE A10

A APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OpiniOn

Features

Congestion

OPERATION Double Barrel has been reloaded, with fewer ammunition intended to kill. Drug-related killings continue daily nationwide, but more suspects are now being arrested instead of being shot dead or strangled with a plastic bag and packaging tape.

The arrests have compounded the congestion in local jails, where all suspects are detained while undergoing preliminary investigation or trial. Most of the new detainees are too poor to post bail, and many face charges for non-bailable drug offenses.

As of last month, local jails were congested by an average rate of 555 percent, according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which has jurisdiction over the facilities. The situation is no better in jails under provincial governments.

National prisons under the Bureau of Corrections have been congested for a long time. The glacial pace of court trials means a slower congestion rate for the facilities that house convicts, but the prisons are also operating way beyond their capacity.

The high priority given to the war on illegal drugs must be matched by the expansion of facilities to accommodate the surge of detainees. At the Biñan City Jail in Laguna, for example, a facility meant to hold only 22 detainees currently has a

staggering 602 inmates.

In many jails across the country, inmates have been forced to take turns sleeping because every available space all the way to the ceiling holds an inmate. Some people may scoff that this is welldeserved punishment for drug offenders, but all of the inmates are still being prosecuted and have not been convicted. A number of them could be innocent. But even guilty inmates have a right to humane treatment.

Several jail facilities now look like the trains used to transport Jews to the gas chambers during the Holocaust. The trains were so packed that there were people who died even before reaching the concentration camps.

If the government lacks the resources to confront this problem, it can turn to the private sector or the international community for help. The inhuman treatment of detainees can add to the growing list of accusations about gross human rights violations perpetrated in waging a vicious war on drugs. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

A majority of Americans feel the country is headed in the wrong direction under Trump PRESIDENT Donald Trump promised The Fil-Am to make America great again but 71 Perspective days into his young presidency, his approval rating has been on a free fall across the board this Gel sAntos-relos week.

In the latest Gallup Poll’s three-day rolling average poll, Trump’s approval slid to a historic 35 percent as of Tuesday, March 28, down from 36 percent on the previous day. His disapproval rating jumped to 59 percent from 56 percent in the same period.

But what could be troubling for Trump is that after gloating on his Electoral College win that catapulted him to the presidency (he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, by more than 3 million votes), more and more Americans are feeling that he is steering the country toward the wrong direction.

The recent NBC/Survey Monkey Poll revealed that most of the respondents, or 61 percent, feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. That’s up from 57 percent of respondents polled

a month ago.

The survey began gathering data on Friday, March 24 — just after Trumpcare was withdrawn from a scheduled House vote because the Republican Party could not get enough people among its own party to vote for the health bill that was intended to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare.

Opposition to Trumpcare came not only from Democrats but from Republicans coming from both ends of the spectrum. Those from the extreme right said it was Obamacare-lite, which to them was a continuation of the entitlement being provided to the people

by Obamacare at the expense of the na-

Acupuncture insights of R. Antonio Whiteley, et al.

“STAGNATIONS are like potential energy. They are just Rhizomes “stuck.” Stagnations can lead to disharmony. Acupuncture can break up stagnations, getting the Qi and Blood moving and promote homeostasis [a state of equilibrium or balance]. Acu- Prosy AbArquezpuncture can turn that ‘potential DelAcruz, J.D. energy’ into ‘kinetic energy’. If you are tired of feeling stuck, let acupuncture give you that push over the hill to start feeling great.”

– R. Antonio Whiteley, L.Ac., 2017.

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting sterile needles to specific points on the body through the skin. When applied properly by licensed acupuncturists — like R. Antonio Whiteley, L.Ac. — it provides relief for pain maladies.

Do you recall the purple circle marks on Michael Phelps’ back while he swam in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil? He got cupping treatments aka ventosa to give him relief from his aches and pains. Mark Perido, an educator with the International Cupping Therapy Association, said in Men’s Health magazine,“when an acupuncturist soaks a cotton ball in alcohol and lights it on fire inside a glass cup, he or she removes the flame, and quickly places the cup on a patient’s skin, creating a vacuum that draws up the skin tissue.”

“Blood flow is the body’s way of naturally healing,” says Houman Danesh, M.D., an assistant professor of anesthesiology and rehabilitation medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, who frequently combines cupping with mainstream pain therapy techniques. “Increased blood flow can be beneficial to jumpstart or restart a blunted healing response.”

It is not surprising to see acupuncture grow in popularity in the United States. In 1992, the Congress created the Office of Alternative Medicine.

In 1997, the National Institute of Health (NIH) declared support for acupuncture for some conditions. It then became “the most popular alternative medicine in the US,” NIH reported in 2009.

In California, acupuncture practitioners are required to take 3,000 hours of study in pertinent curriculum of acupuncture from an accredited school, including 50 hours of continuing education every two years, as well as additional hours in herbal medicine. All of these are part of a master’s program and passing an examination as a requirement for licensure.

What acupuncture has been used for American Specialty Health is a group of 30,000 musculoskeletal practitioners nationwide, in chiropractic and acupuncture specialties. They provide services to subscribers of health maintenance

tional budget.

The moderate Republicans, on the other hand, said they could not vote for the bill that would raise premiums of their constituents, cover fewer people for more cost, and deny the people all the benefits their constituents are already reaping from Obamacare.

The health care debacle is but one of the many contentions in the Trump presidency. The president continues to churn executive orders, sign bills into law that reverse the gains of the Obama presidency that protect the environment, the rights of the working middle class, the rights of consumers against greedy businessmen and corporations,

the access of the poor and older Americans to basic social services like education, food assistance, health care, etc.

Another roadblock for Trump would be the ongoing investigation to determine if the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election which allegedly helped Trump win the presidency.

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Is China using a condom on Duterte?

organizations (HMO). Formed in 1987, it has provided specialty health services to 27 million Americans.

Whiteley, a member of the American Specialty Health, has patients who seek acupuncture treatment from him, categorized into: “70 percent for back pain; 20 percent are to remove stagnations, stress, anxieties, and to get the blood moving, and the rest for other conditions.” Some of them include Filipino Americans.

In 2016, NIH reported that acupuncture is used for headaches, low-back pain and neck pain and osteoarthritis/knee pain. Older and younger friends seek acupuncture to fortify their immune system, once a month. They claim the monthly visits sustain their health and wellness.

But to others, acupuncture is the norm for minor ailments and maladies of pain. After a hike, a relative got ankle pain after running down the trails. He was limping. After acupuncture, he got relief. Another hurt his back, dislocated by incorrect posture.

I watched him move slowly with painful endurance.

But, even with painkillers, nothing gave relief. After two acupuncture treatments, his pain was gone.

“Complementary medicine, which includes acupuncture, is a multibillion-dollar industry with 38 million adults receiving treatments annually,” according to a 2009 NIH report, and “it has grown to become the norm for helping millions of Americans with untold number of ailments and maladies.”

Coming from a legacy of healers and givers Whiteley is one of the 42 grandchildren of Pablo P. Prietto, a dentist who went to the University of Southern California. Prietto, his grandfather, came from Peru in the “steerage hold of a cattle boat,” and “who worked his way through college as an auto mechanic and maintained a deep and abiding affection for his alma mater throughout his lifetime,” the USC Trojan Family Magazine wrote. Prietto has one of the oldest Latino legacies of giving at USC and he also supported the Mexican American Alumni Association, now on its 36th year of philanthropy.

Whiteley nurtured a dream, “I wanted to be a doctor. My grandpa is a dentist and my uncle, Pablo P. Prietto, MD is an orthopedic surgeon,” he said.

But instead of a biomedical specialty, Whiteley gained expertise in musculoskeletal therapies and various healing arts: massage, personal training, a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, a master’s degree in acupuncture, cupping, and ultimately, a license to practice in acupuncture. He credits his

u PAGE A9

MY late boss, Tony de Joya, chairman of Adverting & Market- Street ing Associates, had a classic deTalk scription of a condom: “It gives you a feeling of security while you are being screwed.”

I was reminded of this upon reading about the results of President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit GreG b. MAcAbentA to China, as reported by the Philippine Star: “The Philippines has garnered $24 billion worth of investment and financing agreements in one of the most controversial and lucrative state visits of a Filipino leader in recent history.

“Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said President Duterte’s three-day China trip, which was accompanied by a big business delegation, resulted in several investment and financing agreements that summed up to $24 billion, of which $15 billion are investment projects and $9 billion credit facilities.”

The bonanza is expected to generate at least two million jobs, the story added.

Another news item that reminded me of the condom analogy read: “China will build two bridges across the Pasig River as part of the $10-billion investment package agreed upon by President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping as a result of the renewed vigor in bilateral cooperation between the two countries.”

Duterte apparently could not contain his undying gratitude for China’s generosity: “China has promised us, for all their goodness…to build two bridges over the Pasig River. Free. Gratis. And I bow in gratitude.”

In spite of this good news and seeming to contradict the saying, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth”, three prominent individuals have offered Duterte what amounts to unsolicited advice: Reacting to Duterte’s comment that China could not be prevented from constructing an environment monitoring station on Scarborough Shoal because the Philippines cannot afford to go to war with the Asian behemoth, Senior Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio chided: “The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces which are expressly tasked by the Constitution to defend the national territory.”

Assuming that “the Philippines is no match to China militarily” Carpio suggested five things Duterte could do, first of which is to “file a strong protest” against China’s activities.

“This is the least that the President should do,” said Carpio..

But the most stinging advice that Carpio gave was: “Avoid any act, statement or declaration that expressly or impliedly waives Philippine sovereignty to any Philippine territory in the West Philippine

Sea. This will preserve for future generations of Filipinos their national patrimony in the West Philippine Sea. Any statement that the Philippines cannot stop China from building on Scarborough Shoal actually encourages China to build on Scarborough Shoal.”

On the other hand, business leader Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr., in an opinion piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, that began with an upbeat assessment of the Duterte government, pointed out three areas of concern, the second of which states: “A second major area of concern is the longterm cost of our subservience to China. By all means, it makes great sense to be friendlier and to develop strong economic partnerships, but treating our sovereignty lightly as if it were a tradable commodity is ill-advised and will greatly cost our country in the long run.

“On this issue, I think the administration would benefit from former president Fidel V. Ramos’ idea of convening the highest level of leaders to formulate the appropriate policies and strategies to govern Philippine relations with China. President Duterte may mean well, but he will surely benefit from the perspectives and experience of other leaders.”

And, finally, came this social media posting by former Parañaque Congressman Roilo Golez, about Benham Rise, an area claimed by the Philippines but which China appears to be eyeing covetously: “Benham Rise is so big that while it is in front of Aurora and Isabela, its southern edge is near Real-Infanta, Quezon and Bicol peninsula. We should all call on the government to protect and develop Benham Rise. In my opinion, Real is the most ideal place for a Naval and Coast Guard Station as a home base for navy and coast guard ships that will continuously patrol and protect Benham Rise. It is a port sheltered by Polillo and close to Metro Manila for logistics and ships there can easily go to the West Philippine Sea in case they need to redeploy.

“I believe China is interested in our Benham Rise and should be stopped at once. They deny their interest but we should not believe China. The Chinese fooled us in Mischief Reef, fooled us in Scarborough Shoal. We should not allow China to fool us in the case of Benham Rise. Ingat Pilipinas!”

Golez might as well have said, “The Philippines is being screwed!”

And what would be the equivalent of the condom? Well…two bridges across the Pasig (“Free.

Gratis,” to quote Duterte). And $24 billion worth of investment and financing agreements.

Duterte has not yet unleashed a torrent of pro-

u PAGE A9

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

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Boulevard Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 Fax: (818) 502-0858 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com

Manila Office: 2nd Floor Units D&E, Fort Palm Springs 30th St., Cor 1st Ave, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858

Northern California: New Jersey: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 449 Hoboken Avenue Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 Tel: (212) 655.5426 • Fax: (818) 502.0858 Las Vegas Sales Office: 3700 W. Desert Inn Road Las Vegas, NV 89102 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

BELLE M. SISON Executive Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

SHARON ANN SAN PEDRO Vice President - Sales Balikbayan Magazine

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor DANTE SAMBILAY Art Director

DING CARREON Videographer ANDY TECSON Photographer

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an agreement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome.

Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please call the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

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

OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

Acupuncture insights of…

PAGE A8 t

parents, Roger and Rosa Whiteley, for their unconditional love and support for his career’s pursuits and his current life’s direction.

He visualized how his practice will be: the way a doctor talks to and makes his patients feel, or taking the time to find out what ails her. He worked for various practitioners, learned customer service and scheduling, including how to run a practice.

He became part of a large health center on Wilshire Boulevard, where 6,000 patients were seen for sports rehabilitation and personal training.

He worked for various practitioners in both the East and West Coasts, learned customer service, scheduling, and how to run a practice.

Then, he went through his own personal challenge when he threw his lower back out that it became impossible for him to work. He conducted research on the structure of the spine. He gained knowledge on proper posture and how a flat back, lacking a curve in the lumbar spine, makes it unable to absorb the shock and pain. From what he went through, he learned the importance of quality treatment and services.

I inquired into his own code of ethics in caring for his patients: a. I give recommendation, I do not push for treatment or service. b. If there is a strained muscle, there will be more frequent treatments. c. If a patient feels good, hopefully they come back once a month for “tune-up.” d. All of my treatment come from good intentions – if they come seeking treatment, I consciously meditate before I start. e. I want my last patient at 6 p.m. to get the same treatment as my first patient. f. I consciously want to give my best to anyone and for each one to get the best treatment each time I see a patient.

R. Antonio Whiteley, an acupuncturist in Los Angeles.

Photo by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D.

g. Here, at Body and Soul, we tap into different spheres of ourselves, we tap into the physical but also the spiritual, e.g. in treating carpal tunnel, it is both tapping into the physical, but also the yin/ yang, the root/branch of the pain.

For Fil-Am friends, acupuncture has been used for the temporary relief of pain maladies, sciatica, stress, anxieties, and detoxification, “which is a process that clears and filters toxins and waste to allow our bodies to work on enhancing its basic functions,” Christine E.V. Gonzalez, Ph.D wrote.

“On a spiritual level, many people experience new clarity and enhancement of their purpose of life during cleansing processes.” An octogenarian

u PAGE A10

Is China using a condom on…

PAGE A8 t

fanities over the unsolicited advice given by Carpio, Del Rosario and Golez and it is unlikely that he will do so. He will likely let this advice go in one ear and out the other, the way he responded – or did not respond – to the comments of former President Fidel V. Ramos on Duterte’s style of governance.

But ignoring these well-meaning comments may be almost as bad as shooting off a barrage of cuss words. The fact is that, as Golez bluntly points out, “The Chinese fooled us in Mischief Reef, fooled us in Scarborough Shoal. We should not allow China to fool us in the case of Benham Rise.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana shares Golez’s concern. Lorenzana told media that “security officials are worried because a Chinese survey ship was spotted criss-crossing the underwater plateau (Benham Rise) for a period of up to three months last year.”

The Chinese have, expectedly, denied any illicit intentions towards Benham Rise, pointing out that they were simply “exercising innocent passage,” something allowed under the rules on freedom of navigation, by which “ships may sail inside the exclusive economic zone of a third country if it is beyond its 12-nautical mile territorial waters.”

But Lorenzana, a retired Philippine army major general, is not convinced. Said he to the press:

““Alam mo naman ‘yung innocent passage, Point A to Point B. Napakabagal eh. Tapos tumitigil sa isang lugar. Magtagal doon ng ilang araw. Lipat naman sa kabilang lugar. So that is not innocent passage,” he said.

(We know innocent passage, it’s Point A to Point B. But the Chinese ship was very slow. It was stopping in one area to stay there for a few days. And then it would transfer to another area. So that is not innocent passage.)

Despite his defense chief’s apprehensions, Duterte said that the Chinese government had, in fact, alerted him on their plan to sail through Benham Rise. I “We were advised way ahead but we have the right to ask ‘how are things going? What is your purpose?’” Duterte said in a press conference. He belittled the concerns, describing them as “exaggerated.”

“Pinalalaki lang yan” (They’re making a big thing out of it).

Duterte also enthused about the Philippine’s rosy relations with China: “Things are getting great our way. Why spoil it?”

I guess it’s below the dignity of a Supreme Court justice, a prominent businessman and a former congressman to remind the President of the Philippines about the Machiavellian use of a condom. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

“I choose Glendora Community Hospital because we treat you like family, and are here for you in sickness and in health.”

Oliver Solomon, DO, Chief Medical 2I¿ FHU

Glendora Community Hospital takes pride in delivering quality, personalized health care, always treating you and your loved ones with dignity and respect.

Our team of physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers look forward to providing you with compassionate care when you need us.

Emergency Services Shortest Wait Times in the area Senior Behavioral Health Services Surgical Services Imaging Services

150 W. Route 66, Glendora, CA 91740 626.852.5000 • glendorahospital.com

A

A10 APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline PHiliPPineS

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

Jinggoy seeks furlough for Erap’s 80th birthday of detention for 36 hours so that the former president’s mother could be joined by her son durINVOKING the same privilege ing the celebration of her 99th granted to his father 13 years birthday on April 28, 2004.

“This court can take judicial ago, detained ex-Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has requested the Sandi- notice that it is a rare occasion ganbayan for a two-day furlough for a person to be an 80-year-old to join family festivities on the person with all his family around 80th birthday of former President him to celebrate the occasion,” Estrada said in his petition to the Joseph Estrada on April 19.

Estrada reminded the antigraft Sandiganbayan Fifth Division.

He asked to be allowed to leave court that his father, who was then detained while under trial his cell in the Philippine National also for plunder, was allowed out Police Custodial Center in Camp

by Dona

Z. PaZZibugan Inquirer.net

Senator Jinggoy Estrada

Inquirer.net photo

Crame for 12 hours on April 18 to help in organizing the party, and from 5 p.m. on April 19 to 5 a.m. on April 20 to join the celebration, which he said would be held in Manila.

The former president was convicted of plunder on Sept. 19, 2007, and sentenced to 40-year imprisonment. He was granted pardon by his successor, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Estrada was elected last year to a second term as mayor of Manila.

Senator Estrada, a coaccused in that plunder case, was acquitted.

In 2014, Estrada was charged with plunder for the alleged misuse of P183 million in pork barrel funds.

He has been detained in Camp Crame, Quezon City, since July 2014 along with former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. who is also being tried for plunder for the alleged misuse of P224.5 million of his pork barrel. n

BAD COP. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the arrest of Supt. Lito Cabamongan, the chief of the Crime Laboratory’s Muntinlupa unit, proves that there are no sacred cows in the ongoing internal cleansing of the PNP. Cabamongan was caught sniffing “shabu” (metamphetamine hydrochloride) with his female companion Nedy Sabdao in a shanty community inside Everlasting Homes at Barangay (village) Talon IV around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 30.

PNP photo

PH to raise South China Sea construction during Beijing meet

by Pia Lee-brago Philstar.com

said China’s construction activities within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the images released by the Washington-based CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) on these developments are taken by the Philippines “very seriously” and “we will have to seek clarification from China on what these are all about.”

“What is important is that we are constantly monitoring this and we are certainly not sleeping on this. The DFA in coordination with other security agencies is keeping a tight watch on developments,” Manalo added. “We will have to verify with China. It will be one of the issues. What is

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will raise China’s construction of military facilities in the South China Sea during the bilateral consultation mechanism meeting in May, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said on Friday, March 31.

This position will be adopted despite China’s assurances that the reports on building permanent structures on Panatag (Scarborough) shoal “are not ofPAGE A7 t said “step it up” and not “stop ficial government plans” and that China has “no intention of doing it.”

The assistant secretary said that.”

In an interview on Isss, Manalo the Philippine economy was affected by what Robredo did.

“If it did not affect our economy and OFWs, maybe we would have just dismissed it… but her audience was the international PAGE A9 t community. This is too much,” clued me into her regular acupuncture treatments Densing said. as her secret to staying healthy, as well as good Robredo’s comments, he nutrition, sleep and exercise. added, led to the country’s loss There is a Chinese symbol that stands for both of $432 million in grants from crisis and opportunity. Acupuncture allows an indithe Millennium Challenge Corp. vidual to stay ahead of a health crisis, by proactively (MMC) and $1.8 billion in invest- taking the opportunity to have regular treatments to ments from three Spanish firms. keep the blood flowing and ultimately, to turn stagThis is reportedly aside from nations into kinetic energies, as Whiteley wisely obthe negative impact on tourism served in his practice and as NIH has reported. and the planned cancellations of Footnote: This is Part I of III series on health and trade privileges to the European wellness. Part II will be on common strategies toUnion. n wards good health. Part III will be on a Dumaguete

OFWs…

the intention of building this?”

The AMTI reported that China can now deploy military assets to the Spratly (Kalayaan) Islands in the South China Sea as it wraps up construction of infrastructure on the “Big Three” – Subi (Zamora), Mischief (Panganiban) and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reefs.

China’s naval, air, radar and defensive facilities in the islands, the report said, are near completion. These facilities would allow Beijing to deploy military assets including combat aircraft and mobile missile launchers to the Spratly Islands at any time.

The Philippines also sent a note verbale to China inquiring

u PAGE A11

Acupuncture insights of…

medical mission by California health professionals. *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.

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

Dateline PHiliPPineS

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

A11

Commission on Human Rights closely monitoring de Lima

by DemPsey

reyes ManilaTimes.net

THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is closely monitoring the case of Sen. Leila de Lima to ensure her safety behind bars, CHR Commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana said on Thursday.

De Lima is being detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame on drug charges.

“What the CHR is doing is monitoring the case closely to ensure the rights of Sen. Leila is protected,” Pimentel-Gana told The Manila Times. “What we do is following the justice system. It is more of monitoring the case of Sen. Leila de Lima

de Lima while she is inside her jail cell. We in the CHR just want to ensure that justice is served and that due process is observed for everyone,” she added.

De Lima investigated then Davao mayor Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the killings allegedly carried out by the Davao Death Squad when she was the CHR head.

Pimentel-Gana expressed confidence that the senator’s lawyers will also ensure that her human rights are protected.

De Lima’s colleagues, including Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros have earlier expressed their concern on the safety of their fellow lawmaker inside the jail cell. n

Implement RH law, EU urges PH

by Pia Lee-Brago Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The European Union (EU) is calling for the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RH) Act of 2012, which is only possible if the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the law is lifted.

While he welcomed President Duterte’s commitment to fully implement the law, EU Ambassador Franz Jessen pointed out that the TRO would lead to the government’s inability to procure and distribute 70 percent of modern contraceptives by 2019, thus leading to major stock-outs of contraceptives in most government and rural health clinics.

The Philippines failed to meet its RH-related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 targets.

The EU said that the rise in teenage pregnancy cases is specifically worrisome in the Philippines, the only Asia-Pacific country where the rate of teen pregnancies rose to 13.6 percent in 2013 from 6.3 percent in 2002. The country has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the Southeast Asian region.

Jessen said the EU remains fully committed to supporting the Philippine government and civil society organizations on reproductive health matters. Access to family planning, according to the official, is an important element in its fight for gender equality and women’s rights and empowerment.

The EU provides significant financial support for health and gender programs around the world.

“Ensuring women’s access to quality reproductive health and family planning services are critically important to prevent women’s vulnerability and to achieve sustainable development, poverty alleviation and human development,” Jessen said in his message for the “Annual Dialogue on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights” held recently at the Sulo Riviera Hotel in Quezon City.

LOOKING INTO BENHAM RISE. Senator Win Gatchalian (middle), chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, presides over the continuation of a Senate hearing looking into security and environmental concerns following reports of suspicious Chinese activities in the strategically important and mineral rich Benham Rise. “There is an urgent need to conduct extensive scientific research in Benham Rise to fully discover how its development will benefit the Filipino people. These plans must be put into place now so that future generations of Filipinos will be able to reap the benefits of the area’s ecological wealth and unexplored energy resources,” Gatchalian said. Senator Sonny Angara (right), author of a Senate bill creating a Benham Rise Development Authority (BRDA), also attended the hearing.

Senate photo by Alex Nuevaespaña

PH to raise South China Sea…

PAGE A10 t

The European Union (EU) is calling for the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RH) Act of 2012, which is only possible if the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order (TRO) on the law is lifted.

File photo

The event was among the major activities of National Women’s Month this March. It gathered stakeholders nationwide, including those from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), to call on duty-bearers and decisionmakers to remove barriers to the full implementation of the RH Law towards the respect, promotion and fulfillment of all Filipinos’ sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The EU’s support for this event, which amounts to 4.46 million euros (P243 million), is part of its “Improving the Availability of Reproductive Health Services in the ARMM (ARCHES)” project.

Aimed at improving the availability of and access to basic sexual and reproductive health services for underserved women and young people in the ARMM, ARCHES is implemented by Oxfam, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and four community-based civil society organizations, with Al-Mujadilah Development Foundation in Lanao del Sur, United Youth of the Philippines-Women in Maguindanao, Tarbilang Foundation in Tawi-Tawi and Pinay Kilos in Basilan and Sulu. n

on the reported plan to build the first permanent structure on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal – something that it denied through various levels. The Foreign Ministry, senior officials and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang clarified and assured the country that those are “not official government plans” and that it has “no intention of doing that.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it has invited officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to visit China in May to start discussions on a bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Philippines and China agreed during the 20th round of SinoPhilippine diplomatic consultation last January to establish a bilateral consultation mechanism on the issue, with the two foreign ministries acting as coordinators, to discuss issues of mutual concern and promote maritime cooperation and security.

Benham Rise survey Manalo also said China has been asking permission to survey Benham Rise but was denied for failure to fulfill a number of requirements, which include allowing a Filipino scientist on board.

At least three requests remain under consideration.

The Chinese Ministry of For-

eign Affairs said China fully respects the right of the Philippines to the continental shelf of Benham Rise and that Beijing never challenged relevant rights of Manila.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the statement after the Philippine Senate was told of the probability that China was doing survey works in Benham Rise.

China claimed the ship seen in the area was carrying out “innocent” passage.

“There is no such occasion as China challenging relevant rights of the Philippines,” Lu said.

Late last year, Lu confirmed that China’s scientific research vessel passed relevant waters northeast of Luzon but stressed that the ship enjoys freedom of navigation and right to innocent passage as entitled by international laws like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“The allegation that the Chinese vessel was carrying out survey work or other activities in waters of Benham Rise is completely groundless,” Lu said.

He noted that Philippines-China relations now enjoy a sound growth momentum, citing collective efforts of the two sides.

“Our practical cooperation is moving forward quickly with remarkable achievements,” Lu said. “Such progress is in line

with the common interests of the two countries and the two peoples, and is desired by regional countries and the majority peaceloving countries in the world.”

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Navy’s sole oceanographic and hydrographic survey ship is mapping the 13-million hectare Benham Rise, a seismically active undersea region and extinct volcanic ridge located in the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kilometers east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela.

Former national security adviser Roilo Golez said the Navy should have patrol ships stationed in front of the Pacific to best protect and secure the country’s sovereign rights over Benham.

He suggested the use of a port in Real town in Quezon province as a docking facility and staging point for patrols. The area, he added, would provide easy access and cost-effective way of securing the country’s maritime and sovereign interests over the region.

As a naval officer who graduated from the United States Naval Academy, Golez stressed that the Philippines must establish its presence at Benham Rise, as the underwater plateau, bigger than Luzon island, is within the country’s EEZ. (With Jaime Laude, Vic Alhambra Jr.)

A12 APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

It s all about you

YOUR DOCTOR. YOUR LANGUAGE. YOUR CARE.

SAMP

IF YOU HAVE THESE CARDS, WE NEED TO TALK.

$

0

LE

Primary Care and Specialist Office Visits Preferred Generic Drug Coverage Annual Membership in SilverSneakers® Fitness Program Transportation to Medical Providers PLUS

$500

$75

$1,500

Eyewear Allowance

Over-The-Counter (OTC) Allowance Per Quarter

Hearing Aid Allowance

Benito Miranda

310-251-7045 / TTY:711

8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week

Care1st Health Plan is an HMO and an HMO SNP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the California State Medicaid Program. Enrollment in Care1st Health Plan depends on contract renewal.

This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. *Calling this number will direct you to a license insurance agent. To request this information for free in other languages, call 1-800-544-0088 (TTY: 711) 8 a.m. to 8p.m., seven days a week. Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Part D premium may vary based on the level of Extra Help you receive. This information is available for free in other languages. Please contact Member Services: 1-800-544-0088 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Esta información está disponible gratuitamente en otros idiomas.

Comuníquese con Servicios para los Miembros: 1-800-544-0088 (TTY 711), de 8:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m., los 7 días de la semana. 忁枭⃵屣屯妲ẍ℞⬫婆妨㍸ὃˤㅯ婳倗䴉㚫⒉㚵⊁嗽烉⃵屣䅙 䶂 1-800-544-0088 ĩ倥晄⍲婆晄Ṣ⢓⮰䶂711) 㭷忙ᶫ⣑彎℔炻㖑ᶲ8:00ġ溆军㘂ᶲ8:00 溆ˤCare1st Health Plan complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Care1st Health Plan cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. Care1st Health Plan 思⬰怑䓐䘬倗恎㮹㪲㱽⼳夷⭂炻ᶵ⚈䧖㕷ˣ兂刚ˣ㮹㕷埨䴙ˣ⸜漉ˣ㭀晄ㆾ⿏⇍侴㬏夾ảỽṢˤ Care1st is an independent licensee of the Blue Shield Association.

H5928_17_393_MK Accepted

(818) 502-0651 â&#x20AC;˘ (213) 250-9797 â&#x20AC;˘ http://www.asianjournal.com

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ ApRIL 1-4, 2017

SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal

Pia Wurtzbach reacts to Marlon Stockingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rumored twins

by Deni

Rose A. BeRnARDo Philstar.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;HuH? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything about it,â&#x20AC;? an oblivious Pia Wurtzbach told reporters when asked to react about the rumored twins of her boyfriend, Marlon Stockinger with model Kit Barraquias. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same Marlon?â&#x20AC;? the Miss universe 2015 threw back at reporters during a group interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With these things, people have to be careful also because if these things do not turn out to be true, then their credibility is affected. So, I guess, we have to check pa,â&#x20AC;? she said about the issue.

On Thursday, March 30, reports of Barraquiasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; admission that Stockinger is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;biological dadâ&#x20AC;? of her seven-year-old twins surfaced.

The model is willing to have a DNA

test to prove Stockingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paternity.

She, however, clarified that she came out to protect her children and not to reconnect with Marlon or ask for financial support.

Barraquiasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; confession came a day after ABS-CBN released its teaser of Vice Gandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview with the couple, which will be shown on April 2. In the interview, Marlon asks Pia to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;officiallyâ&#x20AC;? his girlfriend.

Even before Kitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revelation, Pia is aware of the issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why some people still have something bad to say about us. Because I think, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just a reflection of every other couple out there, happy,â&#x20AC;? Pia said of her relationship with the race car driver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think, being a beauty queen and being a Miss universe, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;di

naman distraction â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yun kasi Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been dedicated to my jobs and I still am and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same. So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just pushing each other to be the best that we can be,â&#x20AC;? she shared during the interview with reporters at the Downy Parfum launch.

According to Pia, Marlon has always been sweet and caring. In fact, â&#x20AC;&#x153;mas malambing sya saâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;kin,â&#x20AC;? she said.

The couple, however, still has no plans to tie the knot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talked about that and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not thinking about that as well. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very career-driven. My The heat is on: As hot as summer is the issue involving Pia Wurtzbach, Marlon Stockinger and Kit Barraquias. (Left photo) Pia and Marlon in Hawaii focus right now is my work. Marami from Piaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram. (Right photo) Marlonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed ex-girlfriend Kit Barraquias in an unknown beach. Photo from Kitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page. pa akong gustong ma-achieve sa trabaho,â&#x20AC;? said the beauty queen, who has been eyeing to become the next actress to star in the revival movie of iconic Filipino superhero, Darna.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garciaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unexpected love team success

/64, 36(5 $IRECT ,ENDER

-/( *VU]LU[PVUHS 7\YJOHZL 9LMPUHUJL

by izA iglesiAs ManilaTimes.net

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia

EVEryONE knows that mounting an effective love team is not an easy task what with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s countless and beautiful young stars. But the Julia BarrettoJoshua Garcia tandemâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JoshLiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to their fansâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;seem to have clicked without much struggle.

This, despite the fact that that Barretto and Garcia are worlds apart in both background and career paths.

Barretto, of course, comes from a popular showbiz clan. She is the first born of actors Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto, while Garcia was a regular teenager from Batangas when he joined â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pinoy Big Brother: All Inâ&#x20AC;? in 2014.

Although they each had respective projects on TV in the last couple of years, they were deemed underrated because of the tight competition among existing love teams.

Thankfully, their career paths changedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and mergedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in December 2016 when they starred, along with ronnie Alonte, in the Metro Manila Film Festival topgrosser, Vince & Kath & James.

Since then, JoshLia has received overwhelming support from their equally young audience, opening PAGE B4

7YVNYHT Z\IQLJ[ [V JOHUNL ^P[OV\[ WYPVY UV[PJL

*HYVS 4HUHSHUN

:Y 3VHU *VUZ\S[HU[

*LSS!

543:

LTHPS! JHYVS T`^MP'NTHPS JVT

>HSS -PUHUJPHS 0UJ +)( >PU 7YPTL 3LUKPUN :V /HY]HYK )S 3VZ (UNLSLZ *(

(ALSO KNOWN AS PUSOY)

VIP GAMING ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS. PLEASE CONTACT OUR VIP HOST AT 562-806-4646 EXT. 7280 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

17-AJO-01

FREE GIFT PLEASE PRESENT THIS OFFER TO THE WELCOME CENTER AT TIME OF REDEMPTION. OFFER VALID FOR NEW PLAYER REWARD SIGNUPS ONLY. THE BICYCLE HOTEL & CASINO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR CANCEL THIS PROMOTION AT ANY TIME. OFFER VALID WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 9, 2017.

PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY. PROBLEMGAMBLING.CA.GOV. 1-800-GAMBLER. GEGA-003963.

710 FWY-FLORENCE EXIT

THEBIKE.COM

TO QUALIFY FOR ANY OF THE JACKPOTS, HANDS MUST BE PLAYED THE LOGICAL WAY. IF ANY OF THE HANDS INVOLVED IN THE JACKPOT ARE EXPOSED, DISCUSSED, OR RESET; THE POSTED AMOUNT WILL NOT BE HONORED. THE BICYCLE HOTEL & CASINO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS PROMOTION AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION. ALL PROMOTIONS AND JACKPOTS: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SPECIFIC RULES APPLY. SEE A CASINO SHIFT MANAGER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. MUST BE 21 YEARS OR OLDER TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY. 1-800-GAMBLER. PROBLEMGAMBLING.CA.GOV. GEGA-001233.

(818) 502-0651 â&#x20AC;˘ (213) 250-9797 â&#x20AC;˘ http://www.asianjournal.com

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ ApRIL 1-4, 2017

SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal

Pia Wurtzbach reacts to Marlon Stockingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rumored twins

by Deni

Rose A. BeRnARDo Philstar.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;HuH? I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything about it,â&#x20AC;? an oblivious Pia Wurtzbach told reporters when asked to react about the rumored twins of her boyfriend, Marlon Stockinger with model Kit Barraquias. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you sure that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same Marlon?â&#x20AC;? the Miss universe 2015 threw back at reporters during a group interview. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With these things, people have to be careful also because if these things do not turn out to be true, then their credibility is affected. So, I guess, we have to check pa,â&#x20AC;? she said about the issue.

On Thursday, March 30, reports of Barraquiasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; admission that Stockinger is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;biological dadâ&#x20AC;? of her seven-year-old twins surfaced.

The model is willing to have a DNA

test to prove Stockingerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paternity.

She, however, clarified that she came out to protect her children and not to reconnect with Marlon or ask for financial support.

Barraquiasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; confession came a day after ABS-CBN released its teaser of Vice Gandaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview with the couple, which will be shown on April 2. In the interview, Marlon asks Pia to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;officiallyâ&#x20AC;? his girlfriend.

Even before Kitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revelation, Pia is aware of the issue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why some people still have something bad to say about us. Because I think, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just a reflection of every other couple out there, happy,â&#x20AC;? Pia said of her relationship with the race car driver. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think, being a beauty queen and being a Miss universe, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;di

naman distraction â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yun kasi Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been dedicated to my jobs and I still am and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the same. So, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just pushing each other to be the best that we can be,â&#x20AC;? she shared during the interview with reporters at the Downy Parfum launch.

According to Pia, Marlon has always been sweet and caring. In fact, â&#x20AC;&#x153;mas malambing sya saâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;kin,â&#x20AC;? she said.

The couple, however, still has no plans to tie the knot. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talked about that and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not thinking about that as well. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very career-driven. My The heat is on: As hot as summer is the issue involving Pia Wurtzbach, Marlon Stockinger and Kit Barraquias. (Left photo) Pia and Marlon in Hawaii focus right now is my work. Marami from Piaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram. (Right photo) Marlonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed ex-girlfriend Kit Barraquias in an unknown beach. Photo from Kitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page. pa akong gustong ma-achieve sa trabaho,â&#x20AC;? said the beauty queen, who has been eyeing to become the next actress to star in the revival movie of iconic Filipino superhero, Darna.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garciaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unexpected love team success

/64, 36(5 $IRECT ,ENDER

-/( *VU]LU[PVUHS 7\YJOHZL 9LMPUHUJL

by izA iglesiAs ManilaTimes.net

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia

EVEryONE knows that mounting an effective love team is not an easy task what with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s countless and beautiful young stars. But the Julia BarrettoJoshua Garcia tandemâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;JoshLiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to their fansâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;seem to have clicked without much struggle.

This, despite the fact that that Barretto and Garcia are worlds apart in both background and career paths.

Barretto, of course, comes from a popular showbiz clan. She is the first born of actors Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto, while Garcia was a regular teenager from Batangas when he joined â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pinoy Big Brother: All Inâ&#x20AC;? in 2014.

Although they each had respective projects on TV in the last couple of years, they were deemed underrated because of the tight competition among existing love teams.

Thankfully, their career paths changedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and mergedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in December 2016 when they starred, along with ronnie Alonte, in the Metro Manila Film Festival topgrosser, Vince & Kath & James.

Since then, JoshLia has received overwhelming support from their equally young audience, opening PAGE B4

7YVNYHT Z\IQLJ[ [V JOHUNL ^P[OV\[ WYPVY UV[PJL

*HYVS 4HUHSHUN

:Y 3VHU *VUZ\S[HU[

*LSS!

543:

LTHPS! JHYVS T`^MP'NTHPS JVT

>HSS -PUHUJPHS 0UJ +)( >PU 7YPTL 3LUKPUN :V /HY]HYK )S 3VZ (UNLSLZ *(

(ALSO KNOWN AS PUSOY)

VIP GAMING ROOMS ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS. PLEASE CONTACT OUR VIP HOST AT 562-806-4646 EXT. 7280 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

17-AJO-01

FREE GIFT PLEASE PRESENT THIS OFFER TO THE WELCOME CENTER AT TIME OF REDEMPTION. OFFER VALID FOR NEW PLAYER REWARD SIGNUPS ONLY. THE BICYCLE HOTEL & CASINO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR CANCEL THIS PROMOTION AT ANY TIME. OFFER VALID WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 9, 2017.

PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY. PROBLEMGAMBLING.CA.GOV. 1-800-GAMBLER. GEGA-003963.

710 FWY-FLORENCE EXIT

THEBIKE.COM

TO QUALIFY FOR ANY OF THE JACKPOTS, HANDS MUST BE PLAYED THE LOGICAL WAY. IF ANY OF THE HANDS INVOLVED IN THE JACKPOT ARE EXPOSED, DISCUSSED, OR RESET; THE POSTED AMOUNT WILL NOT BE HONORED. THE BICYCLE HOTEL & CASINO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CANCEL THIS PROMOTION AT ITS SOLE DISCRETION. ALL PROMOTIONS AND JACKPOTS: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SPECIFIC RULES APPLY. SEE A CASINO SHIFT MANAGER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. MUST BE 21 YEARS OR OLDER TO PARTICIPATE. PLEASE GAMBLE RESPONSIBLY. 1-800-GAMBLER. PROBLEMGAMBLING.CA.GOV. GEGA-001233.

Features

B April 1-4, 2017 • lA WEEKEND ASiAN JOUrNAl

Moonlighting

by Mylah

leon

i WAs told i had cancer on a blue day in November. in novels, it was far too gorgeous a day for tragedy. My cabbage roses were still in full bloom, bees rumbled by the window panes, lazy with pollen, a cordial chirping of the squirrels over the magnolia tree. in a single moment, the world i knew dropped away from me, leaving me on a far and distant planet, where there was no oxygen, and nothing made sense anymore. there are chapters in your life that wallop you and tear you up and bring you stinging tears, one that invites you to step into the other side of the curtains, the one that divides those of us who must face decisions sooner rather than later.

Now, what i am looking for is just a day to make sense of the sorrow and not let cancer wound my family. But after almost a decade of battling the Big C in the only way i know, i live one day at a time and continue with life — based on faith alone.

My last checkup was supposed to be a quick scene, a satisfying interlude that HMo, a prepaid health plan (whose

Until tomorrow comes protocol legislated the length of time that a doctor would spend with the patient visit), ruled. there was a soft knock on the door and the oncologist entered. she greeted me and then spent a few minutes sitting quietly and reading the lab results and X-rays i had brought with me. then she leaned towards me and said, “tell me, why you’ve come.” i looked into her face and saw a genuine concern. i began telling her all the things i was experiencing from the most commonplace and finally to that strange feelings, that often awaken me from my sleep.

My voice shook as i started telling her that in my illness, i discovered a basic truth. there are only two kinds of people in this whole world, those who are alive and those who are afraid — and one of the attending doctors had ordered that i can’t be afraid for the next four weeks, as i undergo more comprehensive tests. i had to think of a second response after fear. Can Carl Jung, founder of psychoanalysis, give me an answer? Can you re think when you’re filled with resentment, self-pity and a sense of victimhood? there is that word i have never found. she continued to look at the list and i began to review my life. Looking at the many important relations, experiences as i could remember, thinking

AJ Ads 64 Lemongrass_Layout 1 2/8/16 10:59 PM Page 1

of the people i love one at a time, realizing that while i was certain that i may have disappointed and even hurt people in the course of my life, i could not remember deliberately causing pain or harm to anyone or hating anyone. i didn’t forget to mention that i had that special blessing of someone to love. Life’s elegance that far exceeds anything we might devise, and all the sickness, pain, love, loss and triumph only deepened my capacity for compassion and kindness. i have even learned to forgive those that had mercilessly hurt me, even if it lowered my standards. eventually i said, “But why doctor do i suffer unseen and alone?,” and then i just cried.

My eyes stung with tears! i felt profoundly diminished, different and even ashamed, my heart a storm of loss. it took me nine or ten minutes to tell my whole story. the doctor said nothing to interrupt and just listened closely. When i finished, she asked a few questions that showed me she had heard and fully understood. then she reached for my hand and told me that she realized how hard things were. she validated my concerns. she reminded me that my lab studies had ruled out any true lifethreatening possibilities. My affliction assured and declared more clearly when they did a surgical solution, radiation and chemotherapy. in the meantime, back to my Heart Companion, as i relayed the events, looked at me and smiled.

“We will wait together,” he assured me.

He had no diagnosis, unlike the others, what he offered me was his caring and companionship, his willingness to face the unknown with me. He assured me i had no expiration date. in those moments, he had lifted the loneliness that had separated me from others and my own strength, in some way that i did not understand then. this made all the difference. someone else knew. someone else cared. And because of these, i found i had the greater courage to deal with what ever was going to happen, even gratitude…until tomorrow comes.

age gracefully

Lemongrass: A Stalk to Remember Healing HoneyLemongrass Tea Yield: 2 drinks 1 stalk fresh lemongrass, chopped 1 cup hot water 2–4 Tbsp. honey

1. Soften lemongrass by simmering in 2 cups of water for about 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and pour into a French-press coffee pot.

Depress plunger.

3. Decant into teacups and add honey to taste.

BY GRACE O

I love to cook with lemongrass. It adds a wonderful perfume and zingy flavor to both savory and sweet dishes, and it has health benefits, too. It pairs particularly well with coconut milk, ginger, red chiles, chicken, and seafood. Use the white, more tender section of the stalk in recipes where it remains in the final dish. If you’re just steeping the stalk, as in my tea recipe, you can use all of it, including the tougher green part.

Lemongrass also contains vitamins A, B, and C, plus calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. According to studies, it is a great antioxidant with antifungal and antibacterial properties. Lemongrass has a long history in herbal medicine as a strong anti-inflammatory. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine to detoxify, calm stomachs, reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. You can find fresh lemongrass (a.k.a. lemon grass) at melissas.com and Indian and Asian markets.

In Thailand, lemongrass is added to seafood soups. It’s the star of Tom Yum Soup, a classic Thai dish made with chicken stock, garlic, Thai chili paste, fish sauce, shrimp, cilantro, palm sugar, and kaffir lime leaves. Lemongrass is also popular in Vietnamese cuisine. In one

classic recipe, thin beef slices are marinated (for 2 hours in the refrigerator) in a mixture of minced lemongrass, minced garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and vegetable oil and then cooked over tabletop charcoal grills.

I like to add a few tablespoons of minced lemongrass and a pinch of salt to the cooking water when I boil rice. For a fragrant, coconut-lemongrass rice, I substitute half of the water for light coconut milk. Is there any substitute for lemongrass? Lime zest and juice can impart a similar flavor in cooked foods, but you won’t get the same health benefits.

Lemongrass tea is another classic Southeast Asian staple. In my recipe, I pair lemongrass with natural, unprocessed honey because it, too, has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Honey’s fructose content gives it fewer calories than cane or beet sugar, and the body tolerates it better. Honey also contains antioxidants and has been shown to be a natural cough remedy. The combination of honey and lemongrass makes a very tasty drink that not only helps you relax, it also helps heal whatever ails you.

GRACE O – Combining her passion for food and a commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, GRACE O has created FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. Grace O is a fusion chef and cookbook author with a mission: to introduce delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry.

Visit FoodTrients.com to learn more. Email us at info@FoodTrients.com

© 2016 by FoodTrients.com

de

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

Sabrina Lupe Oxciano

Samantha Murray

Sean Collado

Sheila Tejada

Young Pangasinense artists to back up acclaimed piano virtuoso Rudolf P. Golez Cerritos – Four local singing talents—scions of Pangasinenses based in greater Los Angeles who have gained their own followings—will showcase their musical gifts before the main performance of rudolf Pelaez Golez, a world-renowned virtuoso pianist.

Dubbed ‘A Musical odyssey,’ this piano and musical concert will take place on saturday, April 15 at the world-class Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ sierra room on 12700 Center Court Drive south, Cerritos, California at 7:30 p.m. the doors open at 7 p.m. the four next generation singers include Viva recording artist sean erwin Aguilar Collado, aspiring actress and singer sheila Christine M. tejada, tawag Ng tanghalan sa showtime daily winner sabrina Lupe oxciano and UsA tawag Ng tanghalan Grand Champion samantha rose Murray.

Sean Erwin Aguilar Collado sean erwin is not only a singer, but an actor and a seasoned musical theatre performer. He can sing a variety of genres from pop to opera. At age 12, he portrayed the major role of Prince Chulalongkorn in the Broadway musical “the King and i.” He was a multi-medalist in the World Championships of Performing Arts, having won four gold, two silver and two bronze, besting outstanding talents from 30 other participating countries. sean is currently an artist under Viva records, Philippines.

His new CD, self-titled “seAN erWiN,” includes original songs by renowned Filipino composers, Vehnee saturno & tito Cayamanda. He was a finalist for “Best Performance by a New Male recording Artist” at the 2014 Awit Awards in the Philippines. sean has three CDs released in the U.s. independently. sean

has been in the Philippines promoting his new CD, appearing in various mall shows, tV, and radio guesting He was a finalist for “Best Performance by a New Male recording Artist” at the 2014 at the Philippine AWit AWArDs. Sheila Christine M. Tejada sheila tejada grew up in the City of Cerritos to first generation Filipino parents, Danilo tejada of Mangatarem, Pangasinan and Nora tejada of Bicol region. she attended the number one high school in California, Whitney High school, and graduated with honors. she then attended UC irvine and double majored in political science with emphasis on international diplomacy and drama. she graduated with honors and was awarded the Claire trevor Arts Award for high academic achievement in both the arts and non-arts major. she went on to get a third B.A. in communicative disorders with an emphasis on speech-language pathology and was accepted to Cal state Long Beach’s master’s program in that field.

Despite her various academic pursuits, sheila knew she wanted to be an actress at a young age. sheila started her professional acting career when she was 10 years old as Captain smollet in “treasure island” and continued to do community theatre throughout her childhood. in high school, she was cast as the leads in the high school musicals, won the Best Actress Award from the Drama Club, and was inducted into the international Honorary thespian society. she has nominations as Best supporting Actress by the Madrid international Film Festival for her role in Vena Amoris, Best Lead Actress by the Asians on Film Festival for her role in Anastasia’s Journey, and Best supporting by the sydney inde-

World-acclaimed piano virtuoso Rudolf P. Golez

pendent Film Festival for her role in “Driving While Back.”

Samantha Rose Murray samantha rose Murray is a 17-year-old student at Gahr High school. she also lives in the City of Cerritos. Like a typical teenager, she loves to shop and chat on the phone. she was the 2010 UsA tawag ng tanghalan Grand Champion. An aspiring singer and song writer, samantha had opened shows for Martin Nievera, Charice, Piolo Pascual, Aiza seguerra, stephen Bishop and some other Filipino entertainers.

Her father’s roots are from san Carlos City, Pangasinan.

Sabrina Lupe Oxciano Before winning the daily tawag ng tanghalan sa showtime, sabrina Lupe oxciano, 20, underwent a workshop with star Magic, an ABs-CBN affiliate that trains aspiring singers, dancers, actors and actresses. recently, she had a 30-minute exclusive interview with Giselle tongi on Kababayan today on channel LA18 where she sang several songs from her favorite international recording artists. she is PAGE B4

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

Features

BEAUTY QUEEN’S CASE DENIED BECAUSE OF FRAUD, ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Karen married U.S. citizen Paul in 2007. It was a match made in heaven, until their beautiful life was put under extreme hardship when Karen’s adjustment of status was denied, after she was found guilty of immigration fraud. They submitted a fraud waiver, and even that was denied. The couple was devastated and all plans for their family and businesses were shattered. Everything seemed hopeless until leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel took over Karen’s case and fought to convince USCIS Karen never committed any fraud. Watch how the “Beauty Queen” and her family regained their charmed life and Karen’s name was cleared, on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC.

Denial of a fraud waiver shatters this beauty queen’s American dreams – on Citizen Pinoy IT was a match made in heaven when beauty titlist Karen exchanged “I do’s” with US citizen Paul in 2007. They were shuttling between the US and the Philippines, managing their businesses and happily living their successful life. When they finally decided to settle in the US, they thought getting a green card through a spousal petition by Paul for Karen would be easy.

But tragedy struck! At her

interview, Karen was accused of fraud, and was required to submit a fraud waiver. The fraud waiver prepared by the lawyers they initially retained was denied.

They felt their life and dreams crumbled right in front of them.

Hope came when they saw an episode of Citizen Pinoy while they were at a Filipino restaurant.

They immediately consulted with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel on what to

do with their denied fraud waiver case.

Find out how the “third times a charm”, when Atty. Gurfinkel, as their third attorney, was able to turn Karen’s case completely around, by convincing USCIS Karen commited no fraud, and no fraud waiver was even required on an encore episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday 6:15 pm PST/ EST (9:15 pm EST thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

Toilet by the entrance hall

By Sean

Shono

THE entrance hall is similar to the mouth of a human. It is just like how eating hazardous food makes you sick.

Therefore, the house will be in bad condition when filled with filthy energy. Also, the toilet without window(s),even if it is away from the entrance, keeps filthy energy.

To purify, put an amethyst in the bathroom and place a mini Feng Shui Compass by the toilet door. *** Feng Shui master Sean Shono owns Dragon God, a Feng Shui store in Gardena, California. He is the U.S. Chief of the International Feng Shui Association. For more information, please call Sean Shono at (310) 787-1891. Dragon God is located at 1580 W. Artesia SQ. Suite A, Gardena, CA 90248.

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 1-4, 2017

B

B April 1-4, 2017 • lA WEEKEND ASiAN JOUrNAl

dio. Call us to get immigration advice from Attorney Allison G. TönGi Aquino- Silva and Attorney Richard Loew Monday, April 3 - Watch Wednesday, April 5 - The an exclusive performance by Asian Journal shares the latest musician-actor Chris Marcos, headlines relevant to the Fil-Am who stars in Cupcake Theater’s community.

“American Idiot” running until Professor Brandon Reilly the end of April. joins us for our “Know History Tuesday, April 4 - We are Know Self” segment. taking your calls from the stuAttorney Frances Prizzia

/ 08 0 1 & / 21822 Main St. Carson, CA (beside St. Phelomina)

#ATERING FOR !LL /CCASSIONS s 7EDDINGS s !NNIVERSARIES s "IRTHDAY 0ARTIES s "REAKFAST -EETINGS s "USINESS ,UNCHEONS s #HILDREN S 0ARTIES s 3CHOOL #ARNIVALS s 3CHOOL #A

s &UNDRAISERS s "ANQUETS s (OLIDAY 0ARTIES s /PEN (OUSE 2ECEPTIONS s 0ICNIC 3OCIAL %VENTS s &UNERALS

4QFDJBM 1BDLBHF

4QFDJBM 1VMVUBO

750

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

Pearls of motherly wisdom from ‘Mama Lina’ Navarro

Programming for Kababayan Today, April 3-7, 2017

The Global Kababayan

$

Features

+Tax

1 Lechon 4 full trays and 1 half tray na Ulam 4 na half trays na Matamis

also Available:

• Kilawing Kambing • Papaitang Kambing • Kalderetang Kambing • Adobong Kambing • Sinampalukang Kambing

21822 Main St. Carson, CA

10125 Rosecrans Ave., Bellflower, CA 90706

17206 Norwalk Blvd., Cerritos, CA 90703

Inside Island Pacific-Cerritos

(beside St. Phelomina)

(inside Eriel Cafe Cerritos)

(Weekend and Holiday)

Tumawag na para sa catering sa inyong mga handaan!

(562) 405-1946 (562) 866-5570

gives advice on the criminal justice system and Mia Mcleod of McLeod and Associates gives real estate advice.

Thursday, April 6 - Join the Earth Citizens Movement with Fatima Bustos Choy!

Friday, April 7 - Fil-Am Actor Kamran Lucas shares his newest TV show on Disney. *** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipinos living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.

Young Pangasinense artists to back up...

PAGE B2 based in Santa Clarita with her parents but travels back and forth to Manila for showbiz commitments. Sabrina is the daughter of Mel and Pat Oxciano of Mangatarem, Pangasinan.

Sponsors and ticket information Sponsors of this piano and musical concert are: LA Supervisor Janice Hahn, E.C. Ferrer CHB, Inc. America Pacific Container Line, Inc., Asian Journal, Summit Business Counselors, Organique ACAI, Inc., American Ranch & Seafood Market, Pinoy General Insurance Services, Hollywood Piano, Pillars Tax & Financial Services, Solar City, SM Development Corporation, State Farm, Richard Mendoza (Century Properties), Arte Café, Oil & Vinegar, Pinoy Rising Lifestyle & Apparel, Kim’s Piano, and PNB OPHL. Interested parties may contact project managers Dan E. Nino at Tel. Nos. 562-921-5116/ 562-508-8099 or denino1951@ gmail.com; Lino F. Caringal, Jr. at 714-808-2642 or linojr.caringal@ gmail.com; Bong Soriano at 909851-1493 or believe1156@gmail. com; Neil Estrada at 562-3019972 or bluezero2sixty@yahoo. com; or Felix Lopez at 562-5722301 or fblopezinsurance@msn. com; E. Mendoza at 818-5837717 or thedreamagegroup@ gmail.com.

By Monet

Lu

IF I had a penny for every time I would tell myself and others that ‘mothers know best,’ I’d probably be very rich now. Truth of the matter is: we have so much to learn and emulate from mothers in general. Whether from your biological mother or a woman playing a motherly role in your life, they have so much wisdom to impart on us.

I have had the privilege of diving into the deep mind of one tough-spirited woman— a mother and a grandmother—by the name of Lina Navarro. Today, I share with my readers some of the most precious pieces of advice they’ll ever hear in their lifetimes.

I asked Mama Lina is, “What, for her, is a Beautiful Life?” She answered with several meanings, but I also wanted to share parts of her story that best exemplify her definitions.

“A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ belongs to a person whose senses and intellect are keen and aware not only of the beauty and goodness in the world, but also of its inexhaustible store of knowledge waiting to be explored.”

As a teacher for over 4 decades, I tried to inspire, motivate, and guide my students. By precept and example, I tried to steer them towards their educational goals and to encourage them to contribute positively to society. I also do this with my fifteen grandchildren and other young people I meet.

I keep abreast of current events, and devote time to reading history and literature to be able to actively participate in discussion of social issues. I try to keep physically fit, and mentally alert. I even endeavor to memorize one poem a month.

Starting at a very early age, I have always loved studying and learning. I believe deeply that it is a person’s duty to discover and actualize one’s potential, along with a set of core values.

I often engage my grandchildren, and other young people in informal discussions along these thoughts. I try to communicate with them without sounding pompous and moralistic so that they will feel free to discourse with me and exchange ideas. If in the process, I touch a life, and make a positive difference, then the effort is all worth it. I find that I also learn a lot from the young and my

Lina Navarro

education continues as well.

“A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ does not happen to a person; a person makes life beautiful depending on how she uses her inborn and acquired abilities in response to life. She is the Artist who designs her life, as on a blank palette.”

An early and unplanned marriage at 17 years old and the birth of my seven children, deflected my original goal of making it big in academia. I dreamed of becoming a lawyer and diplomat on the international stage!

I decided to become a teacher instead, because it was the easier and shortest way to start earning a living for my growing brood of children. Surprisingly, I found that I loved the job. And if I may say so, I am effective in teaching and motivating young minds! I taught my children to develop good study and educational habits. I taught in my hometown of Tarlac, Philippines for over 13 years. I was an instructor of literature in a local college, and a high school teacher, before I transferred to the Development Bank of the Philippines, Tarlac Branch, as Administrative Assistant. This was before I migrated to the U.S.A. I did not plan to get married at 17. And I certainly did not plan to have seven children nor to adopt my two orphan nieces. I never had training for the most important job in the world of becoming a parent. But, I felt that it was the most natural thing to do—to be a mother. And I did my best under the circumstances of economic challenges which we faced in the Philippines.

“A ‘BEAUTIFUL LIFE’ is a fearless, courageous life, unafraid and undaunted by uncertainties and vicissitudes; it is a resourceful and decisive life that tirelessly works

for self and others.”

Some life experiences that shaped my character: One of them was back when I was 6 years old when WWII erupted. It uprooted us from our normal comfortable life and exposed us to isolation, uncertainty and dislocation. We evacuated to the hinterlands, fearing for our lives and suffering paucity for basic necessities. From this childhood trauma, I learned that people are basically good.

Many people offered their homes and gave us food and drink as we tried to settle down in a hostile environment. Without them, we would have died of hunger and have been left to the mercy of the elements. This experience made me cherish the freedoms I enjoy. I also try to help the less fortunate, inspire and motivate them with the limited resources that I have and by sharing with them some of my life experiences. I try to connect with people. Everyone is interesting; everyone has a story to tell.

Another experience is the shattering realization that my first born child Lillibeth, will never walk because of Polio. After the initial shock of learning that my daughter would never walk, at age 20, I braced myself and convinced myself that there is life even with such a severe disability. We availed ourselves of the physical therapy available to her.

And with the rest of our children, Lillibeth, despite her disability went to school and competed for excellence. I was and remain convinced that because she did not have a fully-functioning physical body, all the more there was a need for her to develop and train her mind. She worked for the Department of Social Welfare in the Philippines and founded Bahay Buhay Foundation for the disabled. The foundation continues to thrive to this day.

“Mama Lina” Navarro will be awarded Mother of the Year at The Beautiful Life Celebration

by Monet Lu to be held on April 23. For information call (213) 216-492. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or

The Tide members ate balut and tuyo

By Robbie

Pangilinan Philstar.com

POP rock band The Tide is making waves as they invade the Philippines in their world tour.

The four talented young men of The Tide, Austin Corini (lead singer and guitar), Levi Jones (bass and vocals), Drew Dirksen (guitar and vocals), and Nate Parker (drums) love the Philippines and the droves of millennials who trekked to the malls to catch the group.

“We enjoyed and love the Philippines. The people are very hospitable, the girls are all beautiful and the accommodations are awesome!” said Drew.

Nate and Austin tried eating balut (fermented duck egg), adobo and tuyo (anchovies) with kamatis (tomatoes). They are planning to come back and visit Cebu and Palawan.

“We feel the warm welcome and love,” commented Levi.

Before The Tide was formed in early 2015, Drew and Nate were together in a band in Ohio and were spotted by the band’s

Pop rock group The Tide composed of Austin Corini (lead singer and guitar), Nate Parker (drums), Drew Dirksen (guitar and vocals) and Levi Jones (bass and vocals).

eventual manager on YouTube.

The same manager also spotted Levi doing acoustic covers on the same website. Austin then was gaining recognition for his performance on “The X Factor USA.” The four became the first group signed on to “Steady,” the new label of the widely-acclaimed British pop rock group, The Vamps.

In just two years, the band has claimed international fame via its hit songs, “Young Love” and “Click My Fingers.” They are also known for their unique covers of hits by One Direction, The Weeknd, and The 1975 on their YouTube channel.

The Tide world tour is making the rounds in the UK, the US, and Asia.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia’s...

PAGE B1 numerous shows and endorsements for the pair. And while Barretto is currently paired with Alonte in the ongoing primetime drama “A Love To Last,” she and Garcia gained more compelling feedback following their acting stint in “Maalaala Mo Kaya” in February.

Social media went crazy over their episode.

When The Manila Times caught up with the young stars at the launch of their newest commercial as endorsers of Jollibee Yum Burger, Barretto and Garcia tried to figure out how their love team quickly became a success.

“There are things that are really out of our control but there are certain things that we can control.

Gaining the fans just happens but what Joshua and I can do is to keep on thanking people who support—for me be it with Ronnie or Joshua. We can only hope they don’t give up on us on this crazy journey, and this crazy adventure,” the 20-year-old showbiz princess enthused.

According to Garcia, neither of them expected such a reaction to their tandem.

“We didn’t expect this kind of love from the people. We can’t re-

The viral video of the two slow-dancing at the young actress’ birthday party.

ally tell what’s going to happen. We didn’t plan any of this, but we’re just lucky that the movie and our love team did really well,” Garcia said.

“We both waited for this time to come and we can’t believe that it’s here, and it’s nice to share this with him,” agreed Barretto.

The young actress also admitted they had to go through many adjustments to bring out the thrill or “kilig” that audiences look for in screen partners people are looking for.

“I’m so glad that despite all our differences, we find something in

common, and we get along and work so well together. There are times when it gets hard but as much as possible, whenever there’s a chance to shine with Joshua, we work very hard on that opportunity and do our best. It’s nice because it’s very balanced, very fair, and together with Ronnie, we’re all friends and that’s what’s important,” she added lengthily.

Barretto acknowledged that teaming up with Garcia has been one of her biggest breaks throughout her 10 years in show business.

“I’d be lying if I denied that. I think everything that’s happening in my life right now is a blessing,” she declared.

The same goes for Garcia, who calls Barretto his “golden girl.”

Even as he is predicted to be the next John Lloyd Cruz for his acting abilities, he believes he would not have shown what he can do without Barretto.

Nowadays, the pair’s chemistry is documented even off-screen via social media. From their sweet Twitter exchanges to their viral video slow-dancing at Barretto’s birthday party, they are indeed one of the most influential love teams in showbiz.

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

Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 1-4, 2017

B

Easter Brunch at The Bike Brewery The Bike Brewery is the visionary concept of Robert h. Carter, the President and General Partner of The Bicycle hotel & Casino. And although Bob was too modest to allow the restaurant to be named after him, it was his vision that made The Bike Brewery come to life.

With a modern industrial décor, comprehensive selection of craft beers on tap and an always-welcome vibe, The Bike Brewery can truly be your home away from home. enjoy your favorite sporting event from any of the 28 flat-screen TVs all around the restaurant or book the private room to host an event.

The menu is filled with distinctive flavors and each dish is always freshly made. There’s something for everyone from authentic street tacos to hearty salads and even a Tomahawk steak for two. Whatever the occasion, causal or planned, The Bike Brewery is the perfect

pagne Brunch on Sundays. You can find The Bike Brewery at 888 Bicycle Casino Drive Bell Gardens, (562) 806-4646.

CA 90201. For information on daily This easter Sunday, April 16, restaurant promotions and more, please join us from 9am-4pm for please visit TheBike.com or call our extraordinary Brunch Buffet featuring all of your favorite dishes.

Easter Brunch Menu Adults $24 Children (Ages 4-12) $14 she returns.

Carving Station The actress will only have a one-week break in Korea, with work waiting for her a soon as she gets back. She has to tape for her cooking show, and will also resume shooting a movie.

“I’m so excited about this movie I’m doing. This is something different for me. People have been used to seeing me in romanticcomedy films and drama. This time, it will be a thriller that I will offer them. I like my character here because it’s something that I Jennylyn Mercado haven’t done.” her upcoming series “my relationship with the people on the Love From The Star” is also on set has warmed up, according to Jen’s priority list. She is happy to Jen. announce that they have finished Blessings indeed keep on taping almost half of the series, coming to Jen. She has a movie, and they are so happy with the two TV shows. results.

“When it was offered to me, I “Ginalingan talaga ni Direk didn’t immediately said yes. I asked Joyce [Bernal],” exclaimed Jen. “I for the products and used them. Sa am so proud of what we’ve done. totoo lang, people are telling me na I can’t wait for it to be aired. I’m lalo akong pumuti after I used the sure, people will really enjoy soap. Tamang-tama nga because it. Ang daming nakatutuwang my peg now is the type of fair skin eksena, yung mga nakakaaliw at na parang Koreana because of my nakakakilig. Cute nung love story Love From The Star.” ni Stephanie, the character that I Jen is turning 30 in may and play, at ni mateo, the role of Gil people are asking her if she has any [Cuerva, Jen’s leading man].” plans to settle down. She knows If there’s one thing that makes she’s already of age but maintains Jen happy on the set of “my Love she is not in a hurry. “The right From The Star,” it’s Gil’s quick time will come. As for now, gusto adjustment to life as an actor. Jen ko munang maayos ang condition swears the newcomer is doing ni Jazz. Pag oK na, saka ko iisipin so well on the set. even Gil’s yan,” Jen declared. place to gather and socialize.

The Bike Brewery is open daily from 7am - 2am for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bring your friends and family for the Seafood Buffet on Wednesdays and Cham-

Jennylyn to bring home biological dad from Korea

By Lhar

Santiago ManilaTimes.net

Come holy Week, Jennylyn mercado will fly to Korea not for a vacation but to pick up her biological father who works over there as a musician, and finally bring him home to the Philippines.

The GmA Network actress has decided that it’s about time for her to live with her dad. “my communication with my Dad has always been open. he’s updated with what’s happening in my life. When mommy Lydia died, he asked me if I was alright, and if I need his company. I told him I need him to be with me. Iba pa rin kasi pag may kasama kang kaanak. It’s been hard for me to manage my household since mommy Lydia passed away. I now have to take care of everything.

Dati yung mga bills, pamalengke and other needs, si mommy ang nag-aayos. I really need someone who I can really trust and I believe that’s my Dad. I also want my son Jazz to grow up knowing him,” said Jen. Besides picking-up her dad, Jen is also planning to visit the set of “my Love From The Star.”

“I really am looking forward to see the set. Sobrang interested ako kasi siyempre, I’m doing the Filipino version, so I really want to have a first-hand feel of the set,” she said, promising she will share her pictures with Showbuzz when

Roast Prime Rib of Beef Roast Turkey Omelet Station Made to order omelets and eggs Entrée selections: Featuring an array of hot breakfast and lunch entrees with accompaniments Pasta Station

Create your own delicious pasts dish, made to order Seafood Station Featuring fresh ceviche, jumbo shrimp cocktail and smoked lox Dessert Station Fresh fruit and a delicious array of freshly baked danishes, pastries and decadent desserts (Advertising Supplement)

B April 1-4, 2017 • lA WEEKEND ASiAN JOUrNAl

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

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

COMMUNITY Journal

The importance of an immigration attorney

Your Immigration Solution Devin Connolly THERE are countless numbers of people who dream about lawfully living and working in the United States. Making this dream a reality is a possibility for many of them, but only if they are able to successfully navigate the United States’ confusing and complex immigration laws. Given the incredible importance placed on being granted permanent resident status (green card) or U.S. citizenship, it is surprising how many people attempt to achieve their immigration goals without the assistance of an experienced attorney that specializes in immigration law. It is true that some do succeed, but many others fail.

And this failure may lead to their ultimate nightmare – being deported.

A person that is presently living in the United States must file their request for immigration benefits with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). However, do not think that the process merely requires the completion of a simple form. First, the forms are not always easy to understand. Many of the forms contain complicated questions that require a person to understand terms and language which have a precise meaning unique to immigration law. This meaning may differ from what many people expect it to be. Thus, a person may deprive themselves of lawfully residing in the United States simply because they did not understand the question they were being asked.

More important than the forms though is that an applicant should carefully review their eligibility for the requested benefit before submitting any application to the USCIS. This assessment requires a review of many things, including dates of entries and exits from the U.S., type of visa (if any) held at entry to the

U.S., the immigration status and history of the applicant and their family members, etc. The failure to make this assessment before submitting the application may lead to something much worse than a denial – it may lead to being deported, perhaps within a matter of hours.

After eligibility is established, the applicant must submit a welldocumented request for an immigration benefit. The submission of sufficient documentary evidence, ranging from a birth or marriage certificate to complex medical records, is vital since it is the applicant who has the burden of proving that they are

“

tioned by an experienced USCIS officer who has conducted many of these types of interviews. In addition, the USCIS officer may aggressively question the applicant, they may pressure them to answer questions to which they do not know the answers, and they may also allow the applicant to make statements that are harmful to their case. Saying the wrong thing during an interview can make it significantly more difficult to ever lawfully reside in the U.S. And while the applicant may later realize they misspoke or that they did not actually understand the questions they were being asked, it may too late to fix the problems created. The application may already be denied and the Department of Homeland Security may have already begun the process of deporting them to their native country. As you can see, the personal interview is extremely important.

In conclusion, it is always advisable for immigrants to retain the services of an experienced and knowledgeable attorney who is dedicated solely to the practice of immigration law. Hiring the right attorney may be the difference between obtaining a green card and being deported. It is therefore one of the most significant decisions that a person will make in their lifetime. ***

Saying the wrong thing during an interview can make it significantly more difficult to ever lawfully reside in the U.S. eligible for the requested benefit. Since it is the applicant who must prove admissibility, they should do everything they can to maximize their chances of being granted the requested benefit by submitting evidence that is thorough and persuasive.

It is clear that an assessment of eligibility is important, as are properly completed forms and sufficient supporting documents, but perhaps the most important reason to retain an experienced immigration attorney is to be adequately represented at your personal interview before a USCIS officer. A decision on the application will frequently be made based off statements made by the applicant during their interview.

These interviews can be stressful, nerve-wracking experiences, but the aspiring immigrant needs to do everything possible to ensure their personal interview is successful. That is not always easy though. It may be the applicant’s first time attending a personal interview for an immigration benefit with the USCIS, and they are likely to be ques-

”

Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila.

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

C

C APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon WARNING: Excessive credit card debt can lead to financial disaster and can affect your financial well-being. The reason they call it “credit card debt trap” is because once you’re in, it may be difficult or impossible to get out.

It is actually the number one reason people end up filing bankruptcy when they have no other options available.

If you are used to buying things on credit, perhaps you don’t even realize how much your borrowing is really costing you. Unless you can pay the bill in full when you get it, in most cases you are paying a lot more than the cost of the item you purchased due to the interest that the credit card company is charging you. Of course, this should be obvious but most people don’t realize it.

And of course, if you fail to make your payments on time, you will be charged late penalty fees and your interest rate can often be raised. In some cases, it can be worse: You can be sued by the creditor and be forced to pay through a wage garnishment or a bank levy. If you own a home, a lien can be placed on your property. I am sure this is not what you want to see happen.

If you absolutely have no way of paying back what you’ve borrowed, what do you do?

As a way to get out of credit card debt, some people choose to file bankruptcy after they’ve

Immigration Corner Atty. BRiAn leRneR QUESTION: I have already received my visa at the Consulate. Now I have heard about this extreme vetting and do not know what it means. Will I no longer be able to come to the U.S.?

Answer: The U.S. Secretary of State has issued a memorandum to the Consulates in order to somewhat define how and what will fall under this ‘extreme vetting’. However, it does not and has not revoked non-immigrant

Community Journal

Are you stuck in credit card debt? realized that it is their only realistic option. Often, debts have accumulated over the years and in a lot of cases, they have been turned over to collection agencies. Some people try to ignore them for as long as they can until one day they get sued by a creditor and that’s when they panic. I see a lot of these cases every day.

It makes me wonder why people wait so long before taking any action because in a lot of cases, their problems could have been avoided had they acted sooner.

When contemplating bankruptcy as an option to get out of credit card debt, a good question to ask yourself is how long it will take you to pay off your debt on your own at the interest rate that the credit card company is charging you. Credit card companies are now required to give you this information on the monthly billing statement that you receive.

But an even more important question to ask is whether or not it is EVEN POSSIBLE to avoid bankruptcy considering that (a) your creditors are now demanding that you pay the full amount because your account is delinquent; and (b) whether creditors have taken legal action against you by filing a lawsuit. If you have been served a lawsuit, your time is limited and if you do nothing, you may regret the legal consequences that will follow.

If you are eligible for Chapter 7 relief, you may be able to wipe out your credit card debts completely and not have to pay anything

back. If you are in a position to pay some of what you owe, however, you may have no choice but to consolidate your bills through Chapter 13 bankruptcy and reduce the interest rate on your credit cards to 0 percent while forcing your creditors to accept only what you can afford. Consult with an experienced and knowledgeable bankruptcy attorney to determine which chapter of bankruptcy is appropriate for your situation.

Creditor harassment will stop immediately upon filing for bankruptcy relief. Creditors are prohibited from suing you, garnishing your wages or freezing your bank accounts. Perhaps you’ve done everything you can to pay your debts but you just can’t do it anymore. If that hasn’t worked for you, maybe you need a different strategy. For a free consultation, call my office at Toll-Free 1-866-477-7772 and we will help you step by step in finding a solution that’s right for you. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. For additional information, you can also visit our website at www.bulaonlaw.com or email us at info@rjb-lawoffices. com. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation.

Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt.

For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

(Advertising Supplement)

Extreme vetting and entering the US visa categories. Trump could not simply do that with an executive order. There would need to be congressional action whereby the House of Representatives would need to amend and pass new laws regarding non-immigrants and then it would have to be passed by the Senate and then signed by the president.

As we have just seen, the fact that it is a Republican president with a Republican House and a Republican Senate does not ensure passage. Even though the Republicans have a majority in both houses, the bill itself will

not simply be rubber-stamped because Trump wants it to be approved.

Thus, the fact that Trump would want his ‘ban’ and people from different countries to be excluded did not work and was enjoined from proceeding by the courts. Likewise, a large segment of our population consists of non-immigrant workers coming in from all around the world in a variety of different capacities.

Some are investors while others are technical workers with specialized knowledge. Others are

u PAGE C3

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

12 do’s in IRS audits

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

HERE are 10 tips to pull you through an audit: 1. Bring the right attitude with you. It could spell the difference between winning and losing.

2. Be on time. Some auditors get irritated with taxpayers who come in late for an appointment.

3. Bring in only what is asked for. You might be inclined to give documents that are not under question if the auditor goes fishing. You might just innocently bring the fish that she wants.

4. Respect the auditor. She’s is a human being. Treat her like one.

5. Address auditors as Mr. Smith or Ms. Jones (not as John or Ann).

6. Listen to the questions carefully. Respond carefully.

Innocent questions on how you earn or spend have meanings

behind them.

7. Identify embarrassingly outof-line deductions and ask the auditor to disallow them. You heard me: disallow (he’ll disallow them anyway). Use reverse psychology. Apologize. In the meantime, you recapture lost credibility.

8. Point out obvious mistakes early on, the ones that the auditor will surely find out.

9. Dress modestly. This is not the ideal time for you to wear expensive jewelry. Your tax returns could be showing losses for successive years. The auditor will probably wonder how poor you have been surviving all these lean years. Then you walk in with jewelry galore.

10. Get a tax professional to represent you. Sure, you can take care of simple questions about simple issues. But when the going gets rough, hire a CPA, Tax Lawyer or Enrolled Agent who can save whatever fees you pay her.

11. Ask your representative to go without you. You pay him not only to represent you but also to

give you peace of mind. Let him worry about it while you sleep.

Bear in mind that he can negotiate better without you in the room. Most auditors are rigid, formal, and righteous in your presence. Two professionals have a better chance of reaching a settlement without you in the room. I can work my magic when left alone with an agent.

12. Lastly, the most important element of an audit - CREDIBILITY. Bring it with you. *** Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV - Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation in Pasadena, California. *** He has 50 years of experience in defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He is publishing a book on his expertise - “HOW TO AVOID OR SURVIVE IRS AUDITS.” Our readers may inquire about the book or email tax questions at vicsy@live.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Planning for the custody and care of your children in case immigration detains you

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRSuA ReyeS PART of the new Trump administration’s agenda is a tougher and more aggressive stance on immigration enforcement.

This may be in the form of more detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. Many of the undocumented immigrants have established families in the United States including minor children. One has to plan in advance what would happen to your minor children if you were detained and/or deported by immigration under the current administration’s policy.

With no parents to take care of your minor US Citizen children, a friend or extended family member would have to Petition for Guardianship in Court in order to obtain the right to take care of your children and make decisions as to their health, education, and welfare in your absence. Filing a Petition for Guardianship will take time and resources which the

detained parents may not have.

In addition, the Court process of obtaining a temporary guardianship for the children would take time.

If you are at risk of being detained by immigration, you should seriously consider making plans for the care and custody of

“

expense of having to open up a Guardianship case in Court. Of course, you may revoke this designation at any time should the need no longer arise. *** 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. ***

If you are at risk of being detained by immigration, you should seriously consider making plans for the care and custody of your children as a contingency plan.

”

your children as a contingency plan. There are ways where you can plan in advance to name one or more persons to perform any and all acts necessary for the day-to-day care, custody, education, recreation, and property of your children including any and all medical and dental care decisions. You may also give your designated person the right to travel with your children should the need arise. Planning in advance can avoid the delay and

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

Community Journal

Protecting ‘managers’ from wage theft Should they be paid additional wages?

JAIMIE Quinby, Linda Gomes, and Eric Fontes worked Protecting as “General Managers” (GMs) for ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Employee Fragrance, Inc. (ULTA) in its & Consumer California locations. The GMs sued ULTA for unpaid overtime Rights wages and missed meal and Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. rest breaks.

Now, one may ask: Aren’t managers exempt from overtime and the meal and rest breaks requirements of California law?

The answer to this question is yes, indeed, true managers are not entitled to overtime pay or meal and rest breaks. But this is only IF they are true managers.

For employees to be truly exempt from overtime, they must be employed in an executive, administrative, or professional capacity. The law strictly applies the “executive,” “managerial,” and “professional” exemptions to the overtime provisions. True exempt status is determined primarily by the employee’s duties, not the job title.

For example, executives or managers must perform managerial, not merely ministerial, duties. These duties include managing the business, hiring, firing, and disciplining employees, deciding on employee salaries and wages, and creating work policies and procedures. These duties must take up more than 50 percent of their work time. If, for example, managers work 8-hour days, they must spend more than 4 hours per day on managerial work. (Additionally, the manager must be paid at least twice the state’s minimum wage for full-time employment.)

The GMs at ULTA alleged that the company allocates insufficient staff hours to each store but makes its salaried store “managers” work long hours. However, the “managers” spend most of their time doing nonexempt work. These include stocking and cleaning shelves, working cash registers, greeting and waiting on customers, and unloading merchandise from trucks.

In other words, the GMs spend more than 50

To Live With Faith reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS AD maiorem Dei gloriam, the Latin motto of the Jesuits which means “For the greater Glory of God,” is a phrase that we often use to express our motive when we serve other people. It’s a phrase that some celebrities even use to convey their gratitude to God for their achievements. It’s a saying that helps us become grounded on the fundamental reason for any humanitarian or charitable acts that we perform.

percent of their working time doing the tasks of cashiers and stock associates. GMs work as much as 12 hours per day and often skip their meal and rest breaks. They are not paid for overtime and for not being provided meal and rest breaks.

The case continued for about two years until the employer agreed to settle its employees’ claims by paying $3.65 million to approximately 230 misclassified store managers in California.

The settlement awards an additional $10,000 to each of three GMs who started the lawsuit.

Courts have recognized that California’s labor laws do not recognize “hybrid” activities—i.e., activities that have both “exempt” and “nonexempt” aspects. Rather, the regulations require that each discrete task be separately classified as either “exempt” or “nonexempt.”

Tasks may be “exempt” or “nonexempt” based on the purpose they serve within the organization.

A manager making sales to customers for supervisory, training or demonstration purposes is exempt. But in a large retail store where re-stocking the shelves is usually assigned to nonexempt employees, the manager re-stocking shelves is doing nonexempt work. As in the case of the GMs at ULTA, if non-exempt work takes up a large part of a manager’s time, this “manager” is likely “nonexempt” and is entitled to overtime pay. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com. *** C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully obtained significant recoveries for thousands of employees and consumers. He is named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently Aselected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum.

(Advertising Supplement)

What it means to love, to achieve, and to serve But are we genuinely expressing these words? Are we truly doing any works of mercy for the greater glory of God? Saying these words might be like saying the mundane greeting and response, “Good Morning! How are you?” I’m good, and you?”

They sound well, but they may not necessarily show true feelings.

We encounter this expression in today’s Gospel on the story of the Raising of Lazarus. When Martha and Mary sent a word to Jesus that his friend, Lazarus, was ill, Jesus’ response was, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God.” And when

he raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus asked Martha, “Did I tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” Indeed, whatever miracle that Jesus did, it was all for the glory of his Father. In the end, even his death was all for God’s glory.

We might want to convey this pure intention again in any responsibility, job, or volunteer work we fulfill. Even the responsibility of taking care of our children—sending them to school or accompanying them to sports, dances, field trips, and other extra-curricular activities—must be done with this motive of doing

Latest developments on H1-B visa under the Trump presidency 2017 (the earliest allowable start IT’S H-1B season again. On date of work for fiscal year 2018) 4/3/2017, the USCIS will start acsince the application may still be cepting H-1B applications for the pending by then. Likewise, cur2018 fiscal year. As you may be rent H1-B holders who want aware, the H-1B non-immigrant to transfer or renew may find visa is used by various U.S. busithemselves in a dilemma benesses to hire or employ foreign cause they can only work for an workers in specialty occupations additional 240 days while their that require theoretical or techniapplications are pending. cal expertise in specialized fields, The H-1B visas have been such as accountants, scientists, in the news lately for another librarians, psychologists and fireason – critics have pointed nancial analysts. out that the system has been What makes this season’s dif- Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos abuse to exploit and hire cheap ferent is the suspension of premium processing for H1-B applications this year. foreign labor to the detriment of local US workers Last 3/3/2017, the USCIS announced that it was and the initial goal of the program – to attract the temporarily suspending premium processing for most highly trained foreign workers – has ignored. all H1-B petitions starting 4/3/17. Under the cur- They say large outsourcing firms have been able to rent system, an employer can pay an additional disproportionally corner a large number of 85,000 $1,225 fee for premium processing to receive a H-1B visas allowed each year. President Trump has decision from the USCIS on an H1-B application also expressed his dissatisfaction of the program. in 15 days as opposed to months in normal ap- There is a pending legislation in the US Congress plications. The USCIS will reject any Form I-907, raising the H-1B holders’ minimum salaries from Request for Premium Processing Service filed for $60,000 to US $130,000 to curb alleged outsourcH1-B applications. The suspension may last for ing abuse.

Indeed, the H1B visas, as well as other immigraup to six months. Considering that the fiscal yearcap subject H-1B petitions cannot be filed before tion matters, are within the radar of the current April 3, 2017, premium processing is essentially administration.

If you are contemplating of filing any waiver apsuspended for both H-1B regular cap and master’s plication or any immigration petition for that matadvanced degree cap exemption.

The USCIS noted that the suspension will allow ter, it is advisable to seek the counsel of an imthem to “(p)rocess long-pending petitions, which migration lawyer to guide you on the intricacies of we have currently been unable to process due to filing for such a petition. the high volume of incoming petitions and the *** significant surge in premium processing requests Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos is a member of the State Bar of over the past few years” and “(p)rioritize adjudi- California and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. To schedule cation of H-1B extension of status cases that are for a free initial in-person consultation, please call Tel. Nos. (213) nearing the 240 day mark.

284-5984 or (626) 329-8215. Atty. Santos’ office is located at 3450 With the suspension of this service, the employer Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200-105, Los Angeles, CA 90010. will have to wait before it gets notified as to whether *** the petition has been chosen for the quota lottery Information contained in this article does not, nor is it intended to, constitutes or not. Currently, the USCIS usually takes six to legal advice for any specific situation and does not create a lawyer-client eight months to adjudicate some H-1B petitions. relationship. It likewise does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or That means that it is possible for a foreign employer prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under to find himself unable to start work by October 1, the Bankruptcy Code.

(Advertising Supplement)

Extreme vetting and entering the…

PAGE C2 t

actors and singers while others are visitors and students. It goes on and on as to the different and varied types of people who will come into the U.S. as a non-immigrant.

Question: Who exactly does this extreme vetting cover?

Answer: It is a bit hard to say at the moment, but it seems to heavily concentrate on the Middle Eastern countries. Of course, it might be later expanded.

Question: Does this mean my visa will be denied?

Answer: No. In actuality, it will still go forward. However, procedurally, and especially if you are from one of these middle eastern countries, you will have more questions and a more in-depth

interview. It will take longer.

However, by no means does it mean your visa is not valid and that you will be denied entry to the U.S. Question: What if a few months have passed from the interview and they still have not made a decision?

Answer: In that case, you always have the option to bring a Writ of Mandamus against the Department of State. In fact, they have a duty to make a decision and cannot sit on the decision month after month and just claim it is in ‘administrative review’. You have put an application in front of them and they have a duty to adjudicate the application in a reasonable time period.

Rest assured that while Trump keeps trying to bypass constitutional protections of non-immigrants, that there is an army of immigration attorneys and immigration advocacy groups fighting these rulings, orders and decrees in court. *** Atty. Brian D. Lerner has been an Immigration Attorney for nearly a quarter of a century.

He is married to a Filipina and has helped thousands of Filipino families all over the country. In addition to his offices in Southern California in Long Beach and Carson, he has an office in Quezon City. He is a certified specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Legal Board of Specialization, California State Bar. The initial consultation is free. Call (562) 495-0554 and/or send an e-mail to blerner@californiaimmigration.us.

(Advertising Supplement)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

C

Ac 21: changing the employer of your employment-based green card application DEAR Attorney Tan, I have an approved I-140 immigrant petition which was filed by Company A on my behalf. Company A would like to employ me as a bookkeeper. Based on that approved I-140 petition, I filed an application for green card (I-485 adjustment of status) in August 2014.

Since that time, my green card application has been pending, as USCIS has requested additional documents in support of my application. Recently, another company, Company B, has expressed interest in hiring me for a payroll clerk position. Company B is a more established company based in the Midwest and pays $10,000.00 less but offers much better benefits. Is there a way I can substitute Company B as the employer in my green card application? — P.T. Dear P.T. Under INA Section 204(j), commonly referred to as AC 21, an approved I-140 employment-based immigrant petition filed by one employer can be used by or “ported” to another employer providing certain requirements are met. First, a green card (I-485 adjustment of status) application must have been filed and must be pending for at least 180 days. Second, the “new” job offered by the second employer must be in the same or similar occupational classification as the job for which the first employer filed the I-140 petition.

In your situation, you meet the first requirement in that your application for green card (I-485) was filed in August 2014. Your application has been pending for over 1 year, which is more than the required 180 days under AC 21.

In depth analysis in your case is needed as to whether Company B’s job of “payroll clerk” is considered a “similar occupational classification” to Company A’s job of “bookkeeper,” for which Company A petitioned you. In determining whether one job is similar enough to another job for AC 21 purposes, the USCIS takes into account the totality of the circumstances, including the job duties of both positions, the Standard Occupational Code (SOC) from the approved I-140 and the SOC code for the job offered by the new prospective employer, as well as the offered wages for each position.

In your case, analysis would begin with the job duties of each position. The more similarity in job duties between bookkeeper and payroll clerk, the greater the likelihood that USCIS would consider them similar. Also, the SOC code for the 2 jobs would be taken into account. In addition, the wages offered by each employer would be considered. The existence of a big disparity in wages offered by each employer is not by itself a reason to conclude that the jobs are not similar. In your case, the fact that Company B is offering $10,000 less than Company A has to take into account the fact that the Midwest has a lower cost of living, as well as the fact that better benefits are being offered by Company B. If it is considered a “similar occupational classification,” Company B may be substituted in as the employer in your pending green card application, and Company B will not have to start the process from the beginning by filing a labor certification application and by obtaining an approved I-140 petition.

The analysis of whether you can use or “port” your approved I-140 requires additional analysis, and consulting with an experienced attorney is recommended. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association.

LAW OFFICES OF DARRICK V. TAN, 3580 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Tel: (323) 639-0277. Email: info@dtanlaw. com.

(Advertising Supplement)

everything for God’s glory.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam is rooted in profound gratitude to our Creator whose providence, mercy, and love exceed any human understanding. And so, anything that we try to do must flow out of our reciprocity to God’s mysterious love for us. Yes, we must center all motives and activities on God, and we must exercise any plan or realize any vision for His glory.

It’s what St. Paul means in Romans 8:8-11: “But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you…If the Spirit

of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit dwelling in you.” In other words, all our actions come from the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us; any egotistical forces are not from the Spirit of Christ.

As we conclude the Lenten season, let’s reflect and review our motives for doing services to others. Are they born out of our genuine love for God and the fulfillment of His will? Are we doing them in the Spirit of Christ that dwells in us? Are our minds

and hearts filled with gratitude to God, allowing us to give ourselves freely generously to others? *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of ImmAaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

C

People and Events Fifth Historic Filipinotown Kalayaan Fundraising event to benefit the first-ever Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum in Las Vegas Parade slated on Saturday, June 3 LOS ANGELES — The 5th Historic Filipintown Kalayaan Organizing Committee (5KOC) proudly announced that the 5th Kalayaan Parade for Historic Filipinotown will be held ‪on Saturday, June 03, 2017‪ to celebrate the 119th Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 1989 from Spain.

The 5KOC is comprised of member organizations led by the Justice For FiIlipino American Veterans (JFAV), Knights of RizalHFT; BANTAY PILIPINAS-USA; the legal Filipino American Com-

munity of Los Angeles (FACLA); Philippine Institute of Language, Arts and Culture (PILAC Inc), TALAKAYAN CLUB and AlliancePhilippines (AJLPP).

The 5KOC is now reaching out to Filipino-American and allied organizations who have joined the HFT Kalayaan Parade in the past.

The Kalayaan Parade started as a collaboration between the Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles and FACLA with JFAV in June 2013.

Since then, it has been held

since every first week of June.

More than 50 organizations Last year, more than 50 organizations from HFT and around Los Angeles joined the parade.

More than 50 motorcyclists from the Philippine Hurley Riders Club joined the parade.

The Parade has started at Temple. St and goes around the Beverly-Temple corridor for the last four years.

This year, the 5KOC is trying to call out marching bands in the Fil-Am community to make the parade livelier. n

PAGE C4 t

specialize in providing credit cards to debtors who have just come out of bankruptcy. These normally have a yearly fee and higher interest. Within a couple of months after obtaining discharge, these offers of new credit cards will start coming into your mailbox. I always suggest clients take these cards, use them, but pay them in full every month, just so they can start rebuilding their credit scores faster YES. Life after bankruptcy is great! No more monthly minimum credit card payments to suck up your disposable income.

You can start saving money again.

Keep your disposable income for your family and yourself. No more pressure for credit card payments.

Or, become wildly successful as Walt Disney and Milton Hershey!

If they can do it after bankruptcy, you can do it too!

3. Will bankruptcy affect debtor’s immigration status?

NO. Immigration status has nothing to do whatsoever with bankruptcy. It is debtor’s income that has something to do it immigration status. If you are in the process of getting a green card, what you need to do is show enough income, or if you are short on income, you have to get a relative who is either a permanent resident or citizen who has enough income to vouch for you with an affidavit of support. If you claim government benefits within a certain period of time after getting your permanent resident status, Uncle Sam will be able to claim these benefits back from your relative who executed the affidavit

of support. Of course, if you are asked during the interview if you have filed bankruptcy and you have, you just have to answer truthfully. Bankruptcy is not and has never been a legal ground to deny an immigrant permanent residency.

Deportation Defense Under the Trump era, getting deported by ICE is your problem if you do not yet have legal status. Have a contingency plan. Be ready to post bail. Have the money ready for bail. Get the money from your credit card. Make sure you discuss what needs to be done to defend you from deportation with your lawyer. You might qualify for deportation relief.

This article is part 1 of several parts.

Disclaimer: The foregoing is an expression of opinion and is not meant to be legal advise to any reader. There is no attorney client relationship established by this article with reader. If you want to discuss your situation, you have to set an appointment to consult with Attorney. First general consultation is free.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the foregiveness of sings, according to the riches of His grace.” — Ephesians 1:7

Common misconceptions about…

eat so much filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy before his chocolate business became successful.

And of course, Pres. Trump is no stranger to bankruptcy. His companies have filed for bankruptcy four times during the nineties.

His casinos failed and could not pay hundreds of millions of debt.

Even Orange County filed for bankruptcy reorganization not too long ago. And several Catholic diocese filed for bankruptcy reorganization to handle the child molestation lawsuits that hit the church with $600M of liabilities. It was Lucifer’s handiwork no doubt.

2. Will debtor be able to borrow money again after bankruptcy?

YES. Most car dealers will finance a car purchase right after debtor obtains his discharge. In fact, debtors do get offers to finance car loans even while the bankruptcy is going on. Clients usually bring me flyers mailed to them saying that their pending bankruptcy is no obstacle to buying a car in the dealership. They ask me if that is true or a scam.

I tell them it’s true. The interest rate will be higher than someone with good credit. Some clients ask if they can buy a house after bankruptcy. The normal wait is two years. Two years after discharge you can get a mortgage to buy a house. There are lenders who advertise that bankruptcy is no problem to buying a house. Of course, again, the interest rate will be higher than someone with good credit.

There are also companies that

*** 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)

THE Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum (FAHAM) will host “Heritage Celebration Filipinos Landing in California,” a fundraising event on Friday, April 21, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Dallas Ballroom of Texas Station Hotel and Casino. Festivities include a buffet dinner, arts exhibits, vendor booths, cultural entertainment a native fashion show, a Philippine history presentation, and dance performances.

The cultural entertainment will be provided by the FAHAM Cultural Dance Group, Heart of Polynesia, Gina Kim Korean Dance Group, Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas, Sophia Ramos, Sharon Tanyag, and DJ Mike. Emcees will be Amie and Leo Belmonte.

The donation is $50 / person.

Attire is formal. FAHAM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is currently America’s first Filipino American Museum, Archives, Legacy, Culture, In-

novation Research Center, and Library Garden founded in Delaware by Mrs. Ditta Camomot, M.Ed., M.A. Its holdings are artifacts, ethological materials, and ecclesiastical, historical, arts and ephemera collections, as well as environmental projects.

Texas Station is located at 2101 Texas Star Ln, North Las Vegas, NV 89032. For tickets and more information, please contact Salve Edelman at (702) 418-8968. n

C APRIL 1-4, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017

MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

&

Businessmen upbeat on PH economy Immigration Corner

by Richmond

meRcuRio Philstar.com

MANILA - Business executives in the country remain highly optimistic in their outlook on the Philippine economy despite anticipation of higher inflation and interest rates this year coupled with a critical outlook on trade, a survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC) showed.

MBC’s First Semester Executive Outlook Survey for 2017, released on Thursday, March 30, revealed that the bullish outlook on the economy is prompting most firms to continue pouring big investments into the country in the coming year.

A majority or 83 percent of the senior business executives polled said they expected a higher or the same level of gross domestic product growth for 2017 compared to the previous year’s 6.8 percent growth rate, while only 17 percent projected it to be lower.

On consumer prices, most of the executives or about 85 percent expect the country’s headline inflation this year to be higher than 2016’s average rate of 1.8 percent.

Meanwhile, 12 percent of the respondents expect inflation to stay at the same rate, while three percent project it to be lower than that of last year.

More than half of the businessmen or about 57 percent are also expecting a higher 91- day Treasury Bill rate this year than 2016’s 1.5 percent.

Some 39 percent still foresee constant interest rates and expect it to stay the same, while four percent expect it moving.

The survey showed that major-

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

Makati Business Club’s First Semester Executive Outlook Survey for 2017, released on Thursday, March 30, revealed that the bullish outlook on the economy is prompting most firms to continue pouring big investments into the country in the coming year.

ity or 47 percent of the respondents expected lower exports turnout for the year, For imports, 64 percent see it finishing lower this year, while only 12 percent expect it to end higher than last year.

More than half of the businessmen or about 57 percent are also expecting a higher 91- day Treasury Bill rate this year lower in 2017.

On trade, the MBC said the general outlook was slightly critical, as a significant number of its members had forecast a decrease in both imports and exports.

The survey showed that majority or 47 percent of the respondents expected lower exports turnout for the year, with 29 percent seeing it exceeding last year’s level and 24 percent believing it will stay at the same level.

For imports, 64 percent see it finishing lower this year, while only 12 percent expect it to end

Political noise fails to hurt PH growth FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the latest positive outlook on the Philippines by Fitch Ratings is proof enough that the “political noise” surrounding the Duterte administration’s reform agenda and tough antidrugs war has failed to damage the country’s growth story.

The investor relations unit of the central bank said it even sees signs of a possible upgrade in the future.

Dominguez welcomed Fitch’s move to affirm the Philippines’ “BBB-” minimum investment grade rating, as well as its positive outlook.

“Fitch Rating’s latest affirmation of its positive outlook on the Philippines only means that the political chatter emanating from certain quarters has failed to dent the country’s sustained-growth narrative resulting from its strong economic performance, continued political stability and aggressive infrastructure and human capital investments under the Duterte

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez Iii

presidency,” the finance secretary said in a reaction statement issued Thursday, March 30.

Referring to Fitch’s acknowledgment of broad policy continuity with the Duterte administration’s 10-point socioeconomic plan, Dominguez said: “To maintain broad policy continuity, the Duterte administration will continue to pursue its PAGE D2

ADB report: PH income inequality rising by mayvelin

u. caRaballo

ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines is one of the countries in Asia-Pacific where income inequality is increasing, along with China, India, Indonesia and the Russian Federation, despite economic gains in the region, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

The Manila-based bank acknowledged that the Philippines has been taking measures to address the problem.

In a report called “Eradicating Poverty and Promoting Prosperity in a Changing Asia-Pacific,” ADB said about 400 million people in the region still confront poverty as part of their daily lives due to widening income inequality, despite impressive gains in reducing income poverty in recent decades.

On top of the 400 million people—or one in 10—living in extreme poverty in the region, more than one in four people in Asia and the Pacific’s developing countries experience poverty in multiple dimensions, the report said.

This includes additional depri-

vations that impact their health, education and standard of living, it added.

The new report, launched on Wednesday, March 29 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the ADB and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said more than 60 percent of the region’s population lives in countries in which income inequality is rising.

“Income inequality, as measured by the Gini Index or the Palma Index, remains stubbornly high (above the world average) and has increased in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Russian Federation, among other countries,” it said.

A table in the publication showed that the share of Philippine population living on income less than the national poverty line stayed above 20 percent in the year 2010 to 2013, but slightly higher than in 2000 to 2004.

However, the report recognized the Philippines’ efforts to reduce income inequality by improving information communications technology (ICT) access and conPAGE D2

Business Quote of the Week “So often people are working hard at the wrong thing. Working on the right thing is probably more important than working hard.”

- Caterina Fake, co-founder Flickr

higher than last year.

“On investments for 2017, the projection remains bright. A positive outlook remains in terms of corporate performance for 2017, with a large majority of the respondents projecting an increase in both gross revenues and net income in the coming year,” the MBC said.

About 74 percent of the firms said they would make additional investments in the coming year, with an average amount of P785 million.

AN open letter to the president: Dear Pres. Trump: BEFORE you were elected president, you were one of the world’s premier builders. Your buildings fill the New York City skyline, and skylines of so many other cities within the US and around the world. Before starting a building project, you naturally obtained cost estimates from contractors for the various supplies and labor, to bring those projects in “ahead of time and below budget.”

Have you given that same careful consideration in connection with building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico? It is supposed to be over 30 feet high, and run for thousands of miles. Many engineers and contractors estimate it will take tens of billions of dollars to construct that wall. This includes millions of cubic yards of concrete, steel rebar, labor costs of workers, excavation, maintenance roads, buying up rights to private prop-

D

Pres. Trump: Build bridges, not walls!

erty to build the wall, etc. The annual cost to maintain that wall would be in the billions of dollars as well.

And, will it really accomplish the purpose or goal of keeping people and drugs out of the U.S.? If you build a 30 foot wall, people will buy 31 foot ladders.

They will also build tunnels dozens of feet beneath the existing walls, and use catapults to launch drugs and other items over the existing walls.

Moreover, a large number of overstays did not necessarily come across the Mexican border.

Many arrived on valid U.S. visas, and remained in the U.S. Are we can now going to build walls at the seaports and airports?

Rather than spending all of those billions of dollars on a wall, you should spend that money on building bridges. On filling potholes. On building roads, hospitals, public transportation, and other worthy job – creating projects within the U.S. If given the choice between spending billions of dollars on that wall versus infrastructure, I believe the vast majority of

Americans would want to see our infrastructure built, upgraded, and repaired.

All I’m asking is that you, as a former builder with intimate knowledge of cost overruns, take another look at the wall, and what other worthy, productive uses that money can be put to for the betterment of America. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

D APRIl 1-4, 2017 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAl

Marketplace

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

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS

According to latest consumer survey report by Macquarie, McDonald’s has been closing in on Jollibee in terms of preference. Jollibee, however, is confident it will maintain its leading position in the years ahead through innovations and improvement in its products, services, store design and network expansion, and communications with customers even as it accelerates its profitable growth abroad.

Jollibee expects to retain leadership

by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

MANILA - Jollibee Foods Corp.

(JFC) expects to sustain its leadership in the local fastfood sector despite the threat of increased competition from its staunchest rival, McDonald’s.

“The Jollibee brand’s system wide sales in the Philippines are double that of the next largest competitor. Its sales are larger than those of the two biggest foreign competitors combined.

The Philippines is one of the very few countries in the world where the largest fast food chain is not a foreign brand but a local brand,” JFC said in statement.

According to latest consumer survey report by Macquarie, McDonald’s has been closing in on Jollibee in terms of preference.

JFC, however, is confident it will maintain its leading position in the years ahead through innovations and improvement in its products, services, store design and network expansion, and

communications with customers even as it accelerates its profitable growth abroad.

The fastfood giant said it has been experiencing the highest organic sales growth in at least a decade. Sales grew 14.4 percent even without acquiring a new business.

“In the Philippines, JFC opened the second most number of new stores in its history with 243 new outlets in 2016 after opening 249 outlets in 2015. Same store sales growth in the Philippines in 2016 was 8.3 percent, driven by higher customer traffic and higher amount of purchases per visit per customer compared with a year ago,” JFC said.

Its store network increased 6.7 percent compared to a historical organic network growth of about four percent.

“All JFC’s six brands in the Philippines: Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal and the Burger King franchise grew strongly, with each

one’s system wide sales increasing by double digit percentage over those of 2015,” JFC said.

JFC said each of its brands is a market leader in its particular food category segment.

“Total system wide sales in the Philippines grew 15.5 percent in 2016 compared with a growth of 10.8 percent in 2015. JFC’s growth in the Philippines has actually been acceleration,” JFC said.

The group implemented two price increases in 2017 but the price increases did not adversely affect consumer purchase volume regardless of income class.

“Over the past years, the pricing of Jollibee had been at parity with key competitors. As price leader, it has started increasing the prices of some products in 2017 in response to rising raw material prices. For the first quarter of 2017, it is expected that JFC’s brands in the Philippines will continue to have higher gross profit margins versus the same period last year.

EARLIER this March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that “nine deaths and hundreds of cases of a rare cancer have been linked with breast implants.”

The malignancy here is not breast cancer but an immune system cancer known as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL).

The cancer nurtures itself in the breast, notably in the scar tissue around the foreign body implant.

Fortunately, in most cases this is treatable.

The implant-cancer link was noted in 2011.

As of February 2017, the FDA has recorded 359 cases of ALCL linked to breast implants.

The New York Times reported that “the disease is most likely to occur with textured implants that have a pebbly surface rather than a smooth surface…and of the 359 reported cases, there was information about the implant surface in 231. Of those, 203 patients had textured implants and 28 had smooth implants….Whether the implants contained silicone gel or saline appeared much less important than surface texture in disease risk.” The number of this ALCL cases worldwide is not known.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were about 290,000 women in the United States in 2016 who had implants for breast enlargement and 109,000 received implants for

Breast implants and cancer reconstruction after breast cancer surgery.

Any pain, lumps, fluid accumulation or swelling of the breast after an implant, no matter when surgery was done need to be evaluated by the surgeon.

To prevent blindness A retrospective study published in the JAMA Ophthalmology found that many children and adolescents with diabetes are not being screened in a timely fashion for diabetic retinopathy, a common cause of blindness among diabetics.

Diabetic retinopathy is a dangerous complication of diabetes, which causes blood vessels in the eyes to leak, causing distortion of vision and can eventually lead to blindness. In early stages, this disease of the retina may not have symptoms.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology strongly recommends retinopathy screening be performed five years after a diagnosis of type 1 (Juvenile) diabetes is confirmed to reduce the risk of blindness. For those with type 2 diabetes, common among adults, screening is done at the time diagnosis is made, not later.

Diabetics and parents/guardians of diabetic children are advised to confer with their attending physician about this retinal screening.

Dangers of body art Body Art is a popular fad especially among adolescents and young adults, which includes tattooing or body part piercing. The tattoos are usually on the chest, arms, belly, butts, ankles, or on just about any area of the body.

They come in different shapes, design, color and various objects, like a girl, snake, flag, heart, words of protest or love messages. It is estimated that 10 percent to 25 percent of young adults (25 and under) have at least one tattoo.

A survey in one university in-

volving 454 students (236 females and 218 males), which was 14 percent of the total enrollment, revealed that 23 percent (106) of them had one to three tattoos. This could well mirror the prevalence in other schools and universities in the country, perhaps higher in big cities, compared to the conservative communities. The most popular sites were the back among women and the arms and hands among men. One hundred twenty-nine (51 percent) of those surveyed had a least one body piercing, 90 percent of men having had ears pierced, and 54 percent of the females had pierced navel, 49 percent on the ears and 27 percent on the tongue. Some of both the males and females had pierced nipples, eyebrows and genitalia.

Complications of body art include infection of the tattooed or pierced skin, transmission of hepatitis B and C, and HIV (AIDS). Allergic reactions, besides pain, swelling and bleeding, are potential complications of tattooing or body piercing. Keloid and scar formation is another.

Infection is common because the needle and instruments used for tattooing or body piercing are mostly not medically sterile. A significant number of patients with hepatitis subsequently develop hepatoma, cancer of the liver, which is deadly.

Botox Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria, whose toxin produces muscle paralysis among the victims of botulism food poisoning.

Advances in medical technology have made it possible for physicians, usually plastic surgeons, to use the botulinum toxin (botox) as a shot in the face to induce transient and localized paralysis in the facial muscles to smoothen out wrinkles between the eyebrows, for frown lines and furPAGE D3

Political noise fails to hurt...

PAGE D1 10-point socioeconomic agenda on high—and inclusive—growth, with a focus on closing the infrastructure gap, improving the ease of doing business to attract more investments, and attacking poverty by spending big on human capital formation.”

“Given the positive outlook of Fitch Ratings and other institutions,” he added, “the government has more reason to highlight on the country’s growth story by moving ahead on such policy reforms as its Comprehensive Tax Reform Program to ensure the financial sustainability of its ambitious program to eradicate poverty and transform the Philippines into a high-income economy in one generation.”

‘Years of discipline’ In a separate statement issued earlier, BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said Fitch’s latest assessment was driven mainly by the solid performance of the Philippine economy across various metrics—robust and broad-based economic growth amid a stable inflation environment, strong external payments position, and sound and stable banking system.

“These macroeconomic conditions did not happen by chance,” the governor said.

“The country’s economic gains have been built from deeply rooted structural and sound policy reforms implemented over the years. Economic gains are the results of years of disciplined macroeconomic policy making,”

Tetangco stressed.

Govt unit sees upgrade signs The central bank’s Investors Relations Office (IRO) said a positive rating outlook indicates an upward trend for a credit rating over a one-to two-year period.

Of the 114 sovereigns rated

by Fitch, only six have a positive outlook, 21 bear a negative outlook, while the rest have a stable outlook, it explained.

Fitch is the only one among the three major international credit rating agencies to maintain its minimum investment grade rating of “BBB-”.

Moody’s Investor Service and Standard & Poor’s both rate the Philippines a notch above the minimum investment grade, at ‘Baa2’ and ‘BBB’, respectively.

But IRO Executive Director Editha Martin said the Philippines has made significant strides since it clinched the investment grade rating from Fitch in March 2013.

“Its macroeconomic performance and public finances have significantly improved, and vital governance reforms have been entrenched. We have also seen how the country outperformed other emerging economies in 2016 with our robust GDP growth, among other metrics,” she said.

“We remain confident that the continued strong performance of the economy, relentless pursuit of its governance agenda and implementation of vital structural reforms will finally translate to a long overdue upgrade from Fitch,” she added. (ManilaTimes.net)

ADB report: PH income...

PAGE D1 nectivity, sanitation, national planning and women empowerment.

“Digital connectivity enables innovative solutions to a range of issues, from women’s safety in cities (such as Safetipin), participatory city planning and budgeting (such as the Kita Kota initiative) and solid waste management in cities (such as MakeMyIsland) to early warning systems for typhoons and floods (such as a GIZ Philippines initiative) and real-time information to help stop epidemics (for example, in India),” it said.

“Cities are making efforts to manage their solid waste problems… The Smokey Mountain dumpsite of the Philippines has been closed, and most of the residents relocated to other areas, although similar landfills still exist in surrounding areas,” it said.

The report also made the following observations: Several countries in Asia and the Pacific are beginning to use more comprehensive indicators than income to measure and target poverty; The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), as discussed, is one example that allows for countries to reflect their own context and realities into their poverty measurements; The Government of the Philippines incorporated the MPI into its 2011–2016 development plan

and used it to set poverty reduction targets; While women earn less than men in almost all Asian and Pacific countries, with the exception of the Philippines and Turkey; The female share of top management in South-East Asia was above the Asian average of 14.4 percent, led by the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore.

Recommendations The report underscored the importance of addressing poverty through pro-poor urbanization, effective management of ruralurban transitions and investment in sustainable infrastructure.

Although people in extreme income poverty are more likely to live in rural areas, they are increasingly found in cities, and therefore, the provision of high quality, low-carbon and resilient infrastructure is essential.

The report also recommended effective action on eradicating poverty, while tackling the systemic, sociocultural and geographic factors that underpin marginalization, exclusion, and lack of human rights protection.

The number of people likely to be in vulnerable employment in the region is now greater than the global average, for example, and women are particularly affected. Measures to ensure that all people can benefit from growth in the region on an equal footing are needed, it added.

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

Marketplace

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-4, 2017 D

PH among ‘winners’ in region in export growth McDonald’s unveils next big change: Fresh beef Quarter Pounders

by Ben

o. de Vera Inquirer.net

THE Philippines was cited as among the “winners” in the Asia-Pacific region whose export growth “strongly outperformed” global demand in the last seven years, UK-based Oxford Economics said.

In its March 27 report titled “Asia globalization winners and losers trade places,” Oxford Economics identified the Philippines, China, India and South Korea as the countries that posted “robust gains in productivity and/or moved up the value chain, gaining global market share in the process” from 2010 to 2017.

Oxford Economics data showed that from 2010 to 2016, the Philippines enjoyed a compounded yearly export growth rate of 7.8 percent, exceeding India’s 5.4 percent, South Korea’s 5.3 percent, China’s 4.6 percent, Indonesia’s 4.1 percent, Malaysia’s 3.7 percent, Australia’s 3.2 percent, Singapore, Thailand’s 2 percent and Taiwan’s 1.4 percent.

Exports of Japan and Hong Kong declined 2 percent and 8.5 percent, respectively, during the same seven-year period.

Oxford Economics said export growth in Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia “broadly tracked” world

Latest step in building a better McDonald’s will bring fresh beef, made-to-order Quarter Pounder burgers by mid-2018

In its March 27 report titled “Asia globalization winners and losers trade places,” Oxford Economics identified the Philippines as one of the countries that posted “robust gains in productivity and/or moved up the value chain, gaining global market share in the process” from 2010 to 2017.

demand, while those in Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong “lagged” global demand.

“Our winners—the Philippines, India, South Korea and China—are economies that since 2009 have enjoyed robust growth in manufacturing exports and seized global market share in the process. Our gold star performers are economies that mostly started from modest levels of development and wages and generated robust gains in productivity and/or moved up the value chain due to structural changes and reforms,” Oxford Economics said.

In the case of the Philippines and Malaysia, Oxford Economics said these economies “have picked up the slack, buoyed by

lower costs of production and increasing foreign investments.”

Oxford Economics noted that the Philippines was the lone Asean-6 country that saw the share of job-generating foreign direct investment to gross domestic product increase since 2010.

Also, it helped that the export performances of the Philippines and India came from a “relatively low base,” Oxford Economics added.

Moving forward, “India and the Philippines should continue to experience strong growth as their relatively immature, or in the case of India, fragmented manufacturing sectors continue to ‘catch up’ with more established rivals,” Oxford Economics said.

Breast implants and cancer

PAGE D2 rowed brows. The cosmetic effect has been impressive, but this is temporary. Besides this, botox shot has also been found to stave off migraine headaches among individuals who are resistant to conventional therapy. There are much more uses of this “good” toxin in clinical medicine today.

Colonoscopy saves lives Colonoscopy is a procedure where a flexible endoscope (malleable tube like a telescope), equipped with fiberoptic lighting and (video CCD) camera, is passed through the anus, to view and examine the inner walls of the colon (large bowels) and distal part of the small bowels for any abnormality, like bleeding, ulcers, or the presence of benign poly(s), or cancer. Thru the colonoscope, excision of polyps, or biopsies may also be performed for a definitive microscopic tissue diagnosis. A sigmoidoscope is another scope that examines the final two feet of the colon, while the colonoscope examines the rest of the entire colon which is about four to five

feet long. Many times it is done in conjunction with colonoscopy.

Colorectal cancer is the thirdmost common cancer in humans, topped only by cancer of the lungs and female breasts. More than 150,000 people in the United States each year discover they have cancer of the colon or rectum, and approximately 46,000 will die from it this year alone. The incidence starts to rise at the age 40 and the peak is between ages 60 to 75. Colon cancer is more common in women and cancer of the rectum among men. About 5 percent of the patients have both (synchronous cancer).

It appears that meat eaters have a higher risk for the development of colorectal cancer. This malignancy is found more prevalent in populations whose diet is low in fiber and high in animal proteins, fats, and refined carbohydrates.

The incidence of colorectal cancer is indeed high among those who eat red meat (pork, beef, etc) compared to those who eat high fiber diets (vegetables, fruits, wheat, bran, etc) and fish. The other pre-

disposing factors include chronic ulcerative colitis, granulomatous colitis, and familial polyposis. The older the person is, the higher the risk. Smoking and alcohol abuse increase the risk for cancer in general.

Everyone 50 years old and older should have an annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT), a rectal digital exam, and a prophylactic colonoscopy every three to five years. Those with a strong family history of cancer should have the examinations more frequently in accordance with the physician’s determination.

*** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

OAK BROOK, Ill. – McDonald’s USA recently announced that by mid-2018, it will serve fresh beef, prepared when ordered, in all Quarter Pounder burgers across the majority of its restaurants. The fresh beef burgers, cooked right when ordered, are the latest step the company has made to meet customers’ changing expectations.

All McDonald’s burgers use 100 percent pure beef with absolutely no fillers, additives or preservatives.

“Over the past two years, we’ve made a series of bold, tangible changes for our customers,” said McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook. “Serving All-Day Breakfast, moving to cage-free eggs and testing delivery are all proof of our commitment to build a better McDonald’s. And we are committed to transforming more aspects of our business, including offering a more modern and enjoyable dining experience, adding new levels of convenience and technology, and making more positive changes to the food we serve.”

Delivering fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, in Quarter Pounder burgers is one of the company’s latest customer-led initiatives that builds on several other recent milestones, including:

• In 2015, the company announced a number of changes to how it serves and sources its food by offering All-Day Breakfast, committing to only sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025, and committing to only serve chicken not treated with antibiotics important to human medicine* that was completed nearly a year ahead of schedule in 2016.

• Last year, the company removed artificial preservatives from several menu items, including Chicken McNuggets and eliminated high fructose corn syrup from the buns used on Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, Filet-O-Fish and McChicken sandwiches.

“Today’s announcement is part of a continuing food journey for McDonald’s,” said McDonald’s USA President Chris Kempczinski.

“Over the last two years, we have accelerated the pace of change around how we source and serve our food. Delivering fresh beef that’s prepared when our customers order their food is just another example of how we are raising the bar. We’re just getting started, and can’t wait to show you what’s next.”

“This represents a strong partnership between McDonald’s, Lopez Foods and their other beef

suppliers to support this initiative and deliver McDonald’s quality standards,” said Ed Sanchez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lopez Foods. “It was exciting to be part of the test and we look forward to bringing fresh beef to more McDonald’s customers in 2018.”

Quarter Pounder burgers using fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, were initially tested in 325 restaurants across the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area and 77 restaurants in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Quarter Pounder burgers include the Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers and employees and we’re proud to have been part of a test that is creating a watershed moment for McDonald’s,” said McDonald’s Dallas/Fort Worth Franchisee Joe Jasper. “This test was driven by the Franchisees, our region and insights from what our customers are asking for when they visit McDonald’s.” * Farmers still use ionophores, a class of antibiotics that are not prescribed to people, to keep chickens healthy.

(Advertising Supplement)

MPIC tops poll of best PH companies

by IrIs

Gonzales Philstar.com

MANILA - Infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., headed by business magnate Manuel V. Pangilinan, topped Finance Asia’s poll of best companies in the Philippines in various categories.

Among the best managed companies in the country, MPIC landed the top spot with a score of 38.

Other MVP-led companies on the top 10 are Meralco (fifth spot with a score of 18), Philex Mining (sixth place with a score of 17), affiliate GT Capital (eighth spot with a score of 11).

Other Philippine companies that made it to the top 10 list are Ayala Corp. (second place with a score of 27), Globe Telecom, (third place with a score of 23), Ayala Land (fourth place with a score of

20), Security Bank (seventh place with a score of 13) and Universal Robina Corp. (eighth place with a score of nine).

MPIC likewise topped the list of companies Most Committed to Corporate Governance. Other MVP companies in the list are Philex Mining, PLDT, and affiliate GT Capital.

Other companies in this category are Ayala Corp., Ayala Land, Globe Telecom, SM Investments Corp., and Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

Among the list of Companies Best at Investor Relations, MPIC also bagged the top spot followed

by PLDT. Philex Mining came in third while GT Capital ranked seventh.

Completing the list are Globe Telecom, Ayala Corp., BDO Unibank, Ayala Land, Robinsons

Retail, San Miguel Corp., and SM Prime.

For the list of companies Best at Corporate Social Responsibility, MPIC also ranked first while Philex Mining and PLDT placed third and fifth, respectively.

Other companies that made it to this list are Ayala Corp., Globe Telecom, Aboitiz Power, SM Investments, SM Prime, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, and Energy Development Corp.

For the Best CEO list, Ernest Cu of Globe Telecom ranked first followed by MPIC’s Jose Ma. Lim and Ayala Corp.’s Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

MPIC chief finance officer David Nicol, on the other hand, placed first in the Best CFO list followed by Philex Mining’s Danny Yu, and Ayala Land’s Jaime Ysmael.

D APRIl 1-4, 2017 • lA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAl

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