082617 - La Weekend Edition

August 26-29, 2017 Volume 27 - No. 69 • 4 Sections – 34 Pages

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

What’s at risk for the upcoming 2020 Census THE United States is less than three years away from another decennial census, but advocates say the upcoming 2020 Census is at risk due to insufficient funds, lack of preparation, and the unexpected resignation of the U.S. Census Bureau’s director.

The Census and what it does Every 10 years, the U.S. Constitution requires a comprehensive population collection through a census. The first one in 1790 counted a population of 3,929,000. Put in perspective, Los Angeles today has an approximate population of over four million. The last 2010 Census recorded 308,758,105 people.

At a basic level, the census looks to find changes in population and information of who makes up the United States. More importantly, the data derived is critical in addressing the country’s needs, like determining the representation of each area in the U.S. House of Representatives.

More than $600 billion is allocated through federal programs based on census data, a fact dropped by Vanita Gupta, president and CEO at The Leadership Conference on Civil

10 Filipinos included in Forbes’ 2017 world billionaire list

by AJPRESS TEN Filipinos made it to American business magazine Forbes’ list of top billionaires around the globe for 2017.

Founder of SM Investments Corporation Henry Sy remains the richest in the Philippines for the 10th year in a row, ranking 94th on this year’s world roster.

The 92-year-old shopping mogul’s net worth grew from $13.7 billion to $18 billion, and is the biggest gainer in dollar terms on the list, according to Forbes.

Despite a net worth decline to $5.8 billion from $6.8 billion, JG Summit Holdings’ John Gokongwei Jr. ranked second in the Philippines and 250th worldwide. Also under Gokongwei’s group is Cebu Pacific — the Philippines’ largest airline based on

the number of passengers flown on domestic and international routes — as well as Robinsons Mall and Robinsons Land.

Gokongwei is followed by Lucio Tan, who ranked 501st worldwide with a net worth of $3.7 billion. His group also controls Asia Brewery, Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco, Philippine Airlines, and Philippine National Bank.

Ranked 4th in the Philippines and 544th globally is GT Capital Holdings and Metrobank’s George Ty, with a net worth of $3.5 billion. His family also owns Grand Hyatt and Marco Polo brands.

Coming next are Enrique Razon Jr. of International Container Terminal Services and Tony Tan Caktiong of Jollibee Foods Corporation, who both ranked 564th glob-

u PAGE A2

Ten Filipinos once again made it to the recently released Forbes magazine’s annual billionaires list.

Philstar.com photos

VACC to Duterte: Take over ‘corrupt’ govt agencies

u PAGE A5

Filipina pleads guilty to stealing $100,000 from US Navy base KANSAS CITY - A Filipino woman has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $100,000 (P5 million) from a United States Naval base in Japan, according to Federal prosecutors on Monday, August 22.

Cynthia Lopez Creseni on Friday, August 18, pleaded guilty to theft, of public money amounting to $99,068 from the Morale Welfare and Recreation Center (MWR) at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.

The Filipina, who had worked at the base since 2000, was the lead cashier of the game/ slot room when the incident occurred. She officially reported the missing funds after returning from her vacation in U.S. in February

u PAGE A2

by JEFFERSON

ANTIPORDA ManilaTimes.net

ANTI-corruption advocates on Friday, Aug. 25 said corruption in some agencies of government has been deeply entrenched and it would need someone with strong political will like President Rodrigo Duterte to stamp it out.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) called on the President to take over the helm of three government agencies – the Bureau of Customs (BoC), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Public Works

u PAGE A2

BACK IN MARAWI. President Rodrigo Duterte returned to Marawi on Thursday, Aug. 24, the same day soldiers were reported to have recaptured the Grand Mosque in the war-ravaged city. This was the third time that Mr. Duterte visited the city since fighting broke out between government forces and pro-Islamic State extremist groups in the area. The conflict had prompted him to put Mindanao under martial law.

Malacañang photo by Christopher Go

Palace: No Chinese flag off PH-controlled Kota island

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

Malacañang spokesperson Ernesto Abella

MALACAÑANG has denied the claim of an opposition lawmaker that China has planted its flag on a sand cay seven nautical miles off a Philippine-controlled island in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Citing a “very reliable source,” Palace

Spokesperson Ernesto Abella affirmed that no Chinese flag has been mounted near Kota Island, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group.

“According to the source that I referred to, there was none, there was no flag ring that time… I inquired about that and apparently, as of this stage, there is no flag,” Abella told reporters during a press briefing on Thursday, August 24.

But the Palace official confirmed that there is civilian presence in the waters, pointing out that the area was “subject to many passers-through.”

“In fact, there [is evidence] of people who do park there,” Abella added. “And many, but these are not military but mainly these are citizens who maybe, but this is not verified, mainly, these

VIACOM International Media Networks (VIMN) will no longer pursue the plan to construct the heavily-opposed Nickelodeon theme park in an island considered as the Philippines’ “last ecological frontier.”

In a statement released Tuesday, August 22, VIMN said it has reached an agreement with Coral World Park to discontinue the licensing agreement for the attraction in Coron island located in Palawan.

The planned attraction, which was first announced in January of this year, was met with

u PAGE A2

u PAGE A4

PNP chief: Police being feared by public a ‘wrong impression’

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa dismissed claims that the rise of death toll in connection with the government’s campaign against illegal drugs are causing fear among the public.

During a Senate hearing on the controversial killing of a 17-yearold student Kian Loyd Delos Santos, the country’s top cop remarked

that he continues to receive warm acceptance from the citizens.

“Hindi po ako nagjujustify pero gusto ko parating sa inyo na mali ‘yung impression niyo na lahat ng tao takot sa pulis (I’m not trying to justify but your impression that everyone is afraid of the police is wrong),” Dela Rosa said on Thursday, August 24.

The PNP chief made the remark in response to Senator Miguel Zubiri’s concern that the recent spate

u PAGE A3

Viacom pulls out Nickelodeon theme park project in Palawan

The Asian Journal comes full circle with new multimedia platforms by

Bobby Teo, Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo, former City of Carson Commissioner Tancredo Guray, Jr., and Chona Galvez at a recent reception for the Teos’ visit in LA. AJPress photo by Noel Ty

DEE MANDIGMA

26 years; six weekly community newspapers; 208 million copies; a travel magazine distributed across 60 countries and 101 cities worldwide to date—who would have thought that this once-weekly community newspaper in Los Angeles would grow into one of the biggest Filipino-American publishing firms

in America today?

Christina Oriel, Editor-in-Chief for online, LA and Las Vegas, vividly recalls the Asian Journal’s (AJ) humble beginnings.

“From a small staff back in 1991, at a time when the FilipinoAmerican population in America was just a little over a million, AJ

u PAGE A3

A august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

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

From the Front Page

PAGE A1 t

VACC to Duterte: Take over...

and Highways (DPWH) – perceived to be corrupt.

Dante Jimenez, founding chairman of the VACC, said lawyers of the organization were drafting a letter to Duterte asking him to take over the management of the three government agencies.

“We will recommend these

three agencies for the President to lead. I think it is time for the President to really take command responsibility in the war against corruption,” Jimenez said in an interview.

The BOC, BIR and DPWH have consistently obtained poor survey ratings in corruption perception surveys.

In 2016, the Social Weather

Stations (SWS) ranked the Customs bureau as the least sincere government agency in fighting corruption with a rating of -68, which was described by the survey firm as “very bad.”

BIR and the Public Works department got “poor” ratings on their respective campaigns against corruption, at -27 and 22 respectively.

Jimenez said the corruption problem in several government agencies was so serious that even if the President appointed honest men to lead these offices, they would end up either eaten up by the system or defeated by it.

He cited as example the case of resigned Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, who was replaced by the President following the controversy over the P6.4-billion illegal drug shipment from China that was released from the Bureau of Customs undetected.

Jimenez said he could vouch for the integrity and honesty of Faeldon, but the system and bu-

reaucracy in Customs prevented the ex-Marine captain from reforming the agency.

He said Faeldon formed his own team at the BOC to fight corruption, but was unable to check the enormous number of cargoes and transactions.

The same is true with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Martin Diño, he said.

“If erring officials of these agencies are not afraid of their heads who were appointed by the President, let’s see where they would end up once the President takes over management of their agencies,” Jimenez VACC Chairman Dante Jimenez and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio file a case against Sen. Leila de Lima and seven others for their alleged involvement in the narcotics trade inside New Bilibid said. n Prison.

Philstar.com photo by Edd Gumban

10 Filipinos included...

PAGE A1 t ally and have a net worth of $3.4 billion.

Completing the list of Filipino billionaires were David Consunji of DMCI Holdings ($3.1 billion);

Andrew Tan of Alliance Global ($2.5 billion); Robert Coyiuto Jr. of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines ($1.5 billion); and Manuel Villar ($1.5 billion).

Worldwide, Consunji ranked

630th; Tan 814th; and Coyiuto and Villar at 1,376th.

Microsoft’s Bill Gates is again the world’s richest man with a net worth of $86 billion.

He was followed by Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett ($75.6 billion); Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos ($72.8 billion); Zara’s Amancio Ortega ($71.3 billion); and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg ($56 billion). n

Filipina pleads guilty to stealing...

PAGE A1 t 2015 and initially denied taking the money.

She was then placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

Interviews of Creseni’s coworkers suggested that the Filipina is suffering from financial difficulties.

Creseni, after some time, vacated her home in Japan and moved to the Philippines. Efforts to locate had failed, until investigators learned that she flew to U.S. in July 2015.

She was located in Overland Park, Kansas and arrested by federal agents on January 24 earlier this year over immigration violations for overstaying her visa.

Sentencing is scheduled for the fourth of January next year.

The case is being prosecuted

by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Moore; and was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). (AJPress)

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

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

A3

Palace: No Chinese flag off PH-controlled...

PAGE A1 t

are citizens and not white or gray ships.”

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano previously claimed that a three-meter Chinese flag has been planted on a sand cay located seven nautical miles northeast off Kota Island in July.

“According to the information that I received, a Chinese flag mounted on a steel pipe was discovered planted on a sand cay located seven nautical miles northeast of Kota Island. It was discov-

DEFINING GENDER-BASED ELECTRONIC VIOLENCE. Alarmed by the rise of gender-based electronic violence, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, tells resource persons during a Senate hearing, Wednesday, August 23, that “there is an urgent need to institute protective measures and strategic policies to combat the prevalence of the rape culture in our society which leads to physical sexual assault and other forms of violence against our women and children.”

Hontiveros is the author of Senate Bill 1251 which penalizes online harassment including threats based on a person’s gender or sexual orientation.

Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

The Asian Journal comes full circle...

PAGE A1 t

is now home to top caliber writers, artists, and creative people serving the second largest AsianAmerican group in the U.S.,” she proudly reminisced.

“The Asian Journal founded by my father, Roger Lagmay Oriel, has since been true to its core value of empowering, informing Filipinos living in America, and connecting them back to their local communities, regional, and national news back in the Philippines,” Oriel was quoted as saying to a recent gathering of FilipinoAmerican community in Los Angeles, with no less than Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo in attendance.

According to her, the company has remained committed to excellence, maximizing every opportunity to improve their products and services to be responsive to the ever-evolving demands of the Fil-Am communities around the world.

But what largely shapes AJ to continue towards this path, Oriel said, is social responsibility—“to give back to the Philippines through social entrepreneurship.”

“We are motivated to do whatever we can to help ignite and drive economic development in the Philippines in terms of tourism, investment from individuals and the private sectors alike,” the editor said.

To mark AJ’s more than two decades as one of the leading voices of the Filipino-American community, Oriel disclosed they will soon be launching two international and

local multimedia platforms, the Balikbayan Program and the Love of Country website.

It is envisioned to build a sustainable, long-lasting foundation to awaken, strengthen, and solidify Filipino cultural identity; empower Filipino communities throughout the world; and connect present and future generations of Filipinos with the Philippines.

Named after AJ’s bi-monthly travel and lifestyle magazine Balikbayan, a comprehensive online and offline multimedia program, aims to ignite and fuel economic growth, tourism, investment, education, philanthropy, and retirement in the Philippines. Its target audience is Filipinos of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds worldwide.

LoveOfCountry.ph, on the other hand, would serve as the ultimate ‘where-to’ guide for international and local travelers “to seamlessly discover the gems of the Philippines.” The website will enable visitors to easily search, find, and experience a wide array of destinations, to restaurants, bars, hotels, resorts, museums, beauty salons, health clinics, stores, local Philippinemade products, to real estate, in an aim to fully showcase what the Philippines has to offer.

“What we try to accomplish is to encourage Filipinos to come home and rediscover their roots.

Through our research over these past few years, our work and everyone in this room’s work and goals have never been more important nor more urgent for the

Philippines than it is today. And we like to believe that the future of our nation depends on it,” Oriel proudly noted.

Curiously, Teo also made an impassioned call to the FilipinoAmerican community in LA to rally behind her in inviting their sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters alike, or the next generation millennials in the U.S., to trace their roots and come home to the Philippines.

Playing the country’s sales woman, she said the Philippine Department of Tourism is pulling out all the stops with balikbayan travel packages featuring special rates in airfares, accommodations, ground handling, and tours targeting Fil-Am millennials.

Along this line, Teo also disclosed plans to tap young professional, millennials, and social media influencers in the U.S. through “Bring Home a Friend”, an incentive travel program which was first launched by former Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor in 1994 also for the American travel market.

The AJ Media Group, Inc. hosted a dinner reception for the tourism chief, who arrived in Los Angeles from a four-day official business trip in San Francisco and San Jose in July. The executive team led by the Oriel couple, Roger and Cora, graced the event held at the Mayflower Seafood Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. ■ *** Dee Mandigma is the information officer for the Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy of the Philippine Department of Tourism.

PNP chief...

PAGE A1 t

of drug deaths has been causing alarm among the public.

The senator cited surveys showing that nine out of 10 Filipinos fear that they may become victims of police abuses and extrajudicial killings.

Dela Rosa, however, allayed the Zubiri’s concern, arguing that if the senator’s statement is true, the public shouldn’t even show the PNP chief gestures of warm welcome.

“Kita ko ang acceptance ng tao sa akin. Hindi ako nagmamayabang pero kung galit sila sa war on drugs, sisigawan ako, ‘Ikaw, Bato!

Ikaw pumapatay sa mga kasama namin dito!’ (I can feel people’s acceptance. I’m not trying to boast but if they were resentful towards the war on the drugs, they would yell at me, ‘You, Bato! You’ve been killing our companions!),” the PNP chief further remarked.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s socalled drug war has been repeatedly condemned by human rights groups and several international communities. While the total figure is hotly disputed, the narcotics crackdown has brought thousands of deaths to “drug personalities.”

Earlier this month, the campaign reached its highest singleday death toll after 32 alleged drug offenders were killed at the province-wide “one time, big time” simultaneous bloody raids in Bulacan on August 16.

Grade 11 student Delos Santos was also killed during an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City after allegedly pulling a gun on police officers.

But contrary to police claims, CCTV footage showed that the student being dragged by the police to the spot where he was killed.

Witnesses also gave statements supporting the footage, adding that the police gave Delos Santos a gun and told him to run. ■

ered around [the] third week of July 2017,” the lawmaker revealed in a statement.

Alejano went on to say, “A Chinese vessel allegedly erected the said three-meter high Chinese flag on a sand cay which is known to be within a Philippine-controlled area.”

In a recent statement, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano assured that the department will inform the public if there is a cause of concern or alarm over the situation in

the South China Sea. The top diplomat also maintained that the current administration remains firm and will not give up an inch of the country’s territory.

“So let me assure [that] despite the lack of details that we give you, we will tell you if there is an alarming situation, or if the public is in danger, or if we are going to take or step up certain actions that need the public’s support or knowledge,” Cayetano said. ■

A august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Dateline USa

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

Footage of Filipino son and mother receiving BatangueĂąo topnotcher racist remarks by lesbian couple goes viral at West Point visits Philippine Congress

VIDEO footage showing a young Filipino man and his mother being verbally harassed by a lesbian couple has gone viral since being posted on Twitter on August 13. “Go back to ‘Filipinoville’ and get out of our country,� said one woman to Angelo Cabuang, the video’s poster. “You don’t walk around acting like a pig,� the woman added. Her partner stood by smirking.

In the original tweet, Cabuang said the reaction was in response to a burp he let out at a Save Mart market. “I literally burped at Save Mart and a racist couple reacted by calling us pigs and telling us to go back to ‘Filipinoville,’� the tweet read, followed by a laughing emoji.

As the video went viral, Cabuang went to his followers and asked if they wanted to

% 0 ( " , (

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

see another one. The poll had 1,230 votes where 92 percent said yes.

In the second video, Cabuang’s mother is seen defending her son, saying that he is not acting like a pig. The original harasser’s partner responds in disbelief.

The couple is then seen reacting to being videoed and accusing Cabuang for not recording what he did. “That’s what I love about you internet freaks,� said the partner. “You love to videotape other people after the fact, and then you videotape our reaction.� “She don’t call people pigs unless they’re pigs,� said the initial harasser to Cabuang’s mother who told the woman that she didn’t see what happened. “I don’t need to, she’s my wife.

You have a problem with her, you go through me.�

Towards the end of the video, a third party comes and tries to settle the argument. One of the women is seen giving the middle finger gesture to the video. When Cabuang’s mother tells the couple that she will report them, one asked, “Who are you going to report it to?�

The original video has gar-

nered over 1,300 retweets and over 2,700 likes since being posted. Many Twitter users have expressed support for Cabuang, including Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton, CA. His tweet read, “Sorry about what happened to you and your family. Racism has no place in our great city. Have a great school year.�

Seeing as the harassers were lesbians, many from the LGBTQ community also showed their support for Cabuang, and their disapproval for the couple. “On behalf of me and many of the rest of the LGBTQ [community], they are not [a part] of our community with this bigotry. Shame on them,� read one tweet by Twitter user @kitcatbar.

The video took place in a Save Mart store on Quail Lakes Drive in Stockton, CA — a city with a strong Filipino community dating back to the peak of early Filipino immigration in the 1920s to 1930s.

Cabuang, who attends the University of San Francisco according to his Twitter, tweeted, “After living in a diverse place like SF for a while, we can sometimes forget that racism exists.�

(Rae Ann Varona/AJPress)

Viacom pulls out Nickelodeon...

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

8IJFE (==@:<

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

PAGE A1 t

fierce criticisms from environmental advocates and other groups, including the Tagbanua Tribes of Coron Island Association, Incorporated (TTCIA). â&#x20AC;&#x153;VIMN has mutually agreed with Coral World Park to discontinue the IP licensing agreement for the Nickelodeon-branded attraction and resort that was intended to be part of Coral World Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planned development in the western Philippine province of Palawan,â&#x20AC;? Corporate Communications Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Senior Director Adeline Ong said.

Slated to open in 2020, the project aims to build a 400hectare undersea attraction and resort in Coron that will feature Nickelodeonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic properties like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;SpongeBob SquarePants,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dora the Explorer.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Despite assurance from the developers that the environment will be preserved, the conservation community called on for the

cancellation of the project over possible damage to the marine ecosystem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore, VIMN and Nickelodeon will no longer be involved with this proposed development.

We wish Coral World Park well,â&#x20AC;?

Ong added.

Environmental advocates lauded VIMNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to scrap the project. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We commend Viacom International Media Networks, the media company that owns Nickelodeon, for heeding to the call of over 260,000 online petitioners and local communities to disengage with Coral World Park,â&#x20AC;? said Save Philippine Seas executive director Anna Oposa.

Oposa earlier lead an online campaign against project on Bataris.org.ph. â&#x20AC;&#x153;VIMNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to cut-off its ties with CWP shows that the real power lies in the hands of the people, especially our Tagbanua brothers and sisters, who fiercely opposed the project,â&#x20AC;? she added.

(Dana Sioson/AJPress)

Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu and Congressman Marvey MariĂąo welcome the BatangueĂąo topnotcher in West Point, Lt. Don Stanley Castillo Dalisay, during a courtesy visit to the Philippine Congress recently. The two BatangueĂąo lawmakers also presented Lt. Dalisay to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Deputy Speaker Abu principally authored House Resolution 1070, commending Lt. Dalisay who graduated among the top of his class and recipient of the Distinguished Cadet award given by the U.S. Military Academy, while Congressman MariĂąo co-authored it. Lt. Dalisay was accompanied by his parents and relatives during the said event. (TMA)

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

Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

A

2 Filipinos named ‘Asia 21 Young Leaders’ NASA astronaut: Filipinos can

Cherrie Atilano

AGREA CEO Cherrie Atilano and Mano Amiga Academy founder Eleanor Rosa Pinugu will represent the Philippines at Asia 21 Summit in Melbourne, Australia.

A social entrepreneur working to end poverty for farming and fishing families and the founder of a nonprofit school that provides high-quality education to low-income communities are among the 30 remarkable professionals recently named “Asia 21 Young Leaders” by Asia Society.

AGREA CEO Cherrie Atilano and Mano Amiga Academy founder Eleanor Rosa Pinugu were selected for the 2017 class of Asia 21, Asia-Pacific’s foremost network of young leaders. They will travel to Melbourne, Australia in December

ing and fishing communities on the island of Marinduque.

Previously, Atilano worked as a consultant with the Department of Agrarian Reform in the Philippines and helped to form a cooperative of 241 smallholder farmers in the country.

Pinugu founded Mano Amiga Academy, a sustainable nonprofit school designed to provide high-quality education and development services to low-inEleanor Rosa Pinugu come communities. She is also for the Asia 21’s annual sum- the co-founder of Bistro 3846, a mit, where they will meet mem- social enterprise that provides bers of the 2017 class from 20 healthy meals to schoolchilother countries as well as Asia dren, employs the parents of 21 alumni. The goal of the sum- the Mano Amiga students, and mit is to explore opportunities donates its profits to the Mano for collaboration to create posi- Amiga scholarship fund. Pinutive impact and change across gu’s vision is to make quality education accessible to all chilthe Asia-Pacific region.

Atilano is the founder and dren. She was named a Global CEO of AGREA Agricultural Shaper by the World Economic Systems International, Inc., Forum and was chosen to speak an agro-social enterprise that at the IdeasLab session at the aims to help eradicate poverty 2012 WEF annual meeting in for farming and fishing fami- Davos, where she received a lies in order to alleviate the grant of $10,000 from the Good effects of climate change and Planet Foundation.

Other member of this year’s establish food security in the Philippines. AGREA has been class include Melissa Jardine, mobilizing communities, busi- a former Australian police ofnesses, academia, local and ficer examining how law ennational governments, and in- forcement in Asia responds to ternational partners to bring an drug use, economic crimes, “Ecology of Dignity” to farm- and terrorism;Chenhui Liu, cofounder of a mobile health startup transforming China’s healthcare system;Sana Mir, a cricket star challenging attitudes about women’s participation in Pakigroups, say advocates. Enumer- stan’s male-dominated world of ators are now being instructed to sport; “Krating” Poonpol, a vencheck addresses and leave census materials behind for residents to return themselves, rather than enumerating on the spot.

“It is a missed opportunity to ensure a full count of Americans who live in remote and rural areas,” said Vargas.

The current political and racial climate is also an issue among immigrant households and communities of color. The increasing climate of fear incited by political rhetoric about immigrant enforcement can be discouraging when it comes to participating in programs that involve government contact.

Those in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community may be hesitant to respond, said Yang. “The census literally determines how many Asian Americans will be counted.”

Vargas said he has already been seeing immigrant families opting out of programs like health or school lunch programs.

New technology 2020 is supposed to be the United States’ first high-tech census. For the first time, residents will be able to do questionnaires online. Tablets will be used in door-to-door follow ups to those who did not respond.

While new technology is a positive innovation, the lack of funding again hinders its potential.

“On one level, the use of new technology is obviously good and should be welcomed,” said John C. Yang, President and Executive Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice. “There is a concern, however, that unless this technology is tested, we will end up with an inaccurate count,” he added.

Most concerns surrounding new technology for mass data collecting have to do with cyber security threats, real or perceived, as well as the digital divide that leaves many without internet access.

Yang fears that without sufficient funding for adequate testing, many gaps may not be discovered until it’s too late.

Lack of leader The resignation of Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson in June of this year makes these challenges even harder. An interim director has been put in charge, but many fear of the possibility that the spot may not be filled by 2020. Thompson was sworn in as director in 2013.

In addition to having the right qualifications and experience in large scale management and collection analysis, it is important the bureau finds someone that is completely non-partisan and objective. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, and everyone in the country, need to have confidence in the process, said Gupta.

The road ahead Despite the problems, the show must go on. “It is required by law and must remain so to provide the vital information needed from our community,” said Yang.

Adjusting the budget caps upward in advance, starting this fall for the next three years, is a step congress can take, according to Lowenthal. Doing so would at least give the bureau the stability needed to ensure final preparations.

Focusing on making sure all residences are reached is another priority. One way to do so is by making sure effective enumerators are sent out. That means have enumerators that come from, or are familiar with the community they are counting. (Rae Ann Varona / AJPress)

What’s at risk for the upcoming...

PAGE A1 t

and Human Rights, during a telephone press briefing by New America Media.

Programs regarding education, assistance for veterans, hospitals, and transportation, are among many that depend on the census.

Processes of enumeration have gone through many changes in order to keep up with growing populations. The mail-out/mailback method has been going on from 1970 to 2010.

The upcoming 2020 Census will be the first one taken online. With new technology comes new challenges, but those challenges are just one out of many.

Poor funding With less than three years to go, the Census Bureau has been seeing challenges that are threatening to a successful count. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently listed the 2020 Census as a “high risk” federal program in its 2017 High Risk Report.

The end-to-end test, commonly referred to as the “dress rehearsal”, is set to happen in 2018, making these issues time sensitive. For the first time, Congress set a $13 billion cap on census costs at the start of the 10 year cycle, said Terri Ann Lowenthal, former staff director of the House Census and Population Subcommittee.

“The bureau designed a census that meets that goal, but congress kept lowering the bar,” said Lowenthal.

Congress failed to allocate sufficient funds in 2017, and the Trump administration further requested far less than the bureau needed for 2018’s final tests and preparations — a needed estimate for the 2018 test is at least $1.8 billion.

“We fully understand that a cost effective census is a worthwhile goal and that policymakers must always strive to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said Lowenthal. “But cost considerations can never outweigh efforts to achieve an accurate census — a good census is a sound investment.”

Derailment of tests and preparations The lack of appropriations has already had real consequences, according to Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund.

End-to-end tests were supposed to take place in Providence, Rhode Island; Pierce County, Washington; and West Virginia’s Bluefield-Beckley-Oak Hill area. Now, Providence stands as the only site. While the 2010 Census had 12 regional centers, only six are planned for 2020, he added.

Around 250 local census offices are planned for 2020, compared to the 500 in 2010, said Lowenthal. As for the temporary census takers, only 300,000 are planned for 2020 — 2010 had 700,000 or more.

Assessment strategies for communications, outreach, and partnership programs were cancelled, including in Providence. “That means no PSAs, or opportunities to test messages and messengers to see what will successfully drive the public to actually complete their census forms online,” explained Vargas.

The bureau also had to cancel the measurement element of dress rehearsal which was the only way of evaluation.

Most likely to be hit hard are those from rural and remote areas, and other small population

ture fund manager ushering in a startup revolution in Thailand and across Southeast Asia; Shameer Rasooldeen, a news host giving voice to Sri Lanka’s marginalized and silenced voices; and Sim Chi Yin, a Singaporean photographer and filmmaker capturing how industrialization and urbanization are reshaping the landscape, and the people of Asia.

“Asia 21 really brings to life Asia Society’s mission to build bridges of understanding across the Asia-Pacific region, across different sectors and between Asia and the world,” said Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran. “Our goal is not just to recognize the amazing work these young leaders are doing, but to connect them to one another so that they can take on some of the biggest challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region today.”

Asia 21, now in it’s 12th year, has grown into a network of more than 800 young leaders from 40 nations, working together to shape a brighter future for the Asia-Pacific region. Asia 21 alumni are proven leaders representing a variety of professional backgrounds and serve as mentors and potential collaborators. Filipino alumni include former Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, Teach for the Philippines CEO Clarissa Delgado; IP Ventures CEO Jaime Enrique Y. Gonzalez; and Bantay. ph co-founder Henry Motte-Muñoz.

go to space, but with Russians by

Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

VETERAN National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Barry Wilmore believes that with the right desire, Filipinos can go to space.

He, however, admitted that it takes a government agreement for a Filipino to go to space.

“We go to couple of universities here and there’s some very intelligent people here obviously. Not you need a maximum intelligence to go to space but if they have the desire. Right now, the Philippines don’t have an agreement with the US to fly astronauts. The only other way to fly in space is with the Russians. They don’t have an agreement there. For that standpoint, there are things that need to take place with the governments for a Filipino to do that,” Wilmore told Philstar.com during the recent History Con 2017 at World Trade Center in Pasay City.

A veteran of two space flights, Wilmore believes that humans can go to Mars with the proper and robust system. “We can get to Mars but again, the system to sustain human life takes some time. To get there and get back, that’s hard.

So we want to make sure our system is robust and the ability to fix system if it fails. We’ve got to take these small steps to learn how to operate in deep space.”

In the same exclusive interview, Wilmore revealed why humans do not go to other planets. “The reason that we don’t go to other

Veteran National Aeronautics and Space Administration astronaut Barry Wilmore.

Philstar.com photo by Jan Milo Severo

planets is because the gravitational pull is based on its mass so here, we humans can handle the acceleration. If the planets get larger, the mass is larger so there’s more gravity. We can’t survive on these planets so we have to go to a planet that is earth-size or smaller.

Mars is the next destination and who knows where we might go after that.”

Wilmore is a test pilot school instructor in the Navy and the Air Force and has a couple of master’s degrees. Then, he applied to NASA 16 years ago and has been

u PAGE A6

A august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Dateline USa

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

Arum: No way Pacquiao-Horn rematch happens in PH

by AbAc

cordero Philstar.com

PROmOTER Bob Arum on Wednesday said the rematch between manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn being staged in the Philippines in December is not going to happen.

“It’s impossible,” Arum told The Star a day after Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo bared plans to bring the rematch between Pacquiao and Horn to the Philippines.

“It’s impossible because we have

a contract that if there’s a rematch it has to be in Australia,” said Arum of the deal signed by both camps, including Pacquiao and Horn and their respective promoters and the Queensland government.

If Pacquiao insists on doing a fight in the Philippines in December, then the 38-year-old fighting senator should start looking for an opponent because it’s not going to be the rematch with the 29-yearold Australian. “manny can say, ‘Okay, I’m not

doing the rematch.’ Then Horn will fight somebody else in Australia and tell manny, ‘See you next year.’ But if he (Pacquiao) wants to do the rematch and do it this year it has to be in Brisbane,” Arum stressed.

The first fight took place last July 2 at the Brisbane Stadium, before a live audience of over 51,000.

The rematch is expected to be bigger than the first one, and Brisbane Lord mayor Graham Quirk announced the other day that a deal is in place for a November 12 fight.

Arum said the only way for the rematch to be held outside of Australia, including the massive Philippine Arena just north of manila, is if Horn, now the WBO welterweight champion, agrees to it.

“Unless Horn agrees otherwise, and Horn is not going to agree.

Nobody has even talked to Horn about doing the fight in the Philippines,” said Arum, who was startled to read the news from the Philippines Tuesday that there are talks on bringing the rematch across.

“So, I mean, I don’t know who started this and what it’s about.

This is like ridiculous,” said Arum.

The Philippine tourism official said she’s been in talks with Party List Representative Eric Pineda, who is also the business manager of Pacquiao, regarding the hosting of the rematch in December.

Arum said he’s surprised why some people are even talking about staging the rematch when they have nothing to do with the fight itself.

“This is all nonsense. The contract with Horn and Duco (Events of Australia) is with Top Rank.

And it has specific language,” said Arum.

“It just can’t happen. Period. It can’t happen,” said the 85-yearold American promoter.

It’s very unlikely for Horn to even think of coming over to the Philippines to defend his title against Pacquiao, unless the Philippine government offers him the moon and the stars.

Arum said the last time he heard of plans to bring a Pacquiao fight in the Philippines, President Duterte was not too excited.

“All we know is that when the President was asked whether the government would support a fight or put up the money for the fight, he said, “No. We’d rather spend the money on feeding poor people.’ And he’s right,” Arum said. n

ICE HOCKEY CHAMPS. Members of the Philippine men’s ice hockey team celebrate after beating Thailand, 5-4, to win the gold medal in the 29th Southeast Asian Games on Thursday, Aug. 24 at the Empire City Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Filipinos swept all their assignments in the five-nation single-round tournament.

Photo courtesy of Philippine Sports Commission

‘Sartorial elegance,’ refined PR win confirmation for PH envoy to US

by JocelyN

r Uy

Inquirer.net

Philippine Ambassador to the UNITED States Jose manuel Romualdez Wednesday, Aug. 23 got the nod of the Commission on Appointments after being grilled for an hour on urgent issues, including extrajudicial killings, U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policy and the country’s relations with the United States.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chair of the commission’s committee on foreign affairs, endorsed Romualdez’s nomination to the plenary following a brief executive session.

The plenary immediately gave its consent to his appointment

since no member posed any objection.

As Philippine ambassador to the United States, Romualdez also serves in concurrent capacity as the country’s representative to Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and Grenadines and Saint Lucia.

“You and I would agree that his sartorial elegance and refined public relations make for an effective bilateral relations with the U.S. This serves the country in good stead,” said Lacson in moving for the plenary’s approval of Romualdez’s appointment.

PH Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez Inquirer.net photo

Romualdez, a newspaper columnist, will officially occupy a post that was vacant for more than a year after the retirement of former Central Bank Governor Jose Cuisia Jr. in June last year. n

Perlas brings in Fil-Am Euroleague vet in next SEAG

by NelsoN

beltrAN Philstar.com

ONCE again coming up short in their title bid here, Perlas Pilipinas patron Dioceldo Sy is now looking forward to end the women’s basketball SEA Games jinx in 2019 in manila with the possible addition of Philippineborn American player Kelly Hardeman.

Sy is hoping the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas works on her naturalization process right away so she can play with Perlas as early as in the Asian Games next year.

The Ever Bilena owner said he may give up support to the team if the national cage federation isn’t able to get Hardeman’s naturalization papers.

“That’s what I want to discuss with the SBP. If the SBP can naturalize her, we’ll be all out in our support. If not, it’s a waste of time,” said Sy. Hardeman, a six-foot EuroLeague veteran at 22, was behind the Perlas bench as the Filipinas mauled Vietnam, 118-44, to end on a winning note their campaign in the 29th SEA Games at the mABA Gymnasium here Friday.

They closed out with a 4-2 winloss card but could only hope to salvage the bronze medal at the

end of hostilities Saturday.

“We missed our target, but nobody’s to blame. It’s a lesson that we should work harder and prepared better,” said Sy. “The preparation here was not good enough, but the girls played hard the way we saw it.”

Sy felt they could’ve achieved the goal, but time was not on their side concerning their proposed naturalization of Hardeman.

“We’re waiting for the SBP. They’re still looking for their prospect for the men’s team, and I think the plan is to process their papers at the same time,” said Sy. “Kerry is very much willing to play for the country. She’s played in the EuroLeague and is set to play for Australia early next year.

During her break, she’s ready to come over and play for the country anytime,” Sy also said.

Hardeman was born of American missionary parents at St. Luke’s Hospital-Quezon City in 1994. And she studied elementary to high school at Faith Academy in Antipolo which she’s helping with their sports program now.

“I hope it works out,” said Hardeman of her chance to don the Perlas jersey.

“I already felt I was part of the team. I was so upset (during

Kelly Hardeman

the Philippine-malaysian game) something that wasn’t right happened. I was thinking what if I was there, how would I fit in and hopefully be able to make that a win next time,” said Hardeman.

“I think I’m hardworking. And just being able to move as a big man and play multi-position, inside and outside, that’s make me hard to guard,” she said on what she can bring to Team Philippines.

Hardeman averaged 14.4 points and 10.5 rebounds with the Amager-Denmark team in the EuroLeague.

“The FIBA honors jus soli (birthright citizenship). So if Kelly is accorded a Philippine passport, she can play as a local and we can get an extra naturalized player,” said Sy. n

NASA astronaut: Filipinos can go to...

PAGE A5 t selected to become an astronaut.

On his first flight in November 2009 to the International Space Station, Wilmore cannot put together the words to describe what it feels to be in space.

But I can tell you it’s way, way cool. Weightlessness, launching and leaving the planet, all the physical sensations when the rocket staging and separates, engines cutting off, another engine cutting on. It’s just thrilling.

The whole thing, being at space, looking back at the Earth, it’s just amazing.”

He considers his contribution to humanity as an astronaut is his hard work to explore new things. “We are exploring all the parts of the world, we’re exploring the depth of the ocean, we’re exploring in laboratories, the micro and the macro. We don’t know where the future holds, we don’t know where we might go, the capabilities we might, we have to come and understand and develop to do things further beyond our planet so we’re doing steps and that’s I am a part of, we’re exploring the heavens and I’m grateful for

the opportunities.”

Wilmore believes technology and hard work will bring us to different locations in the future.

“There’s a lot of capabilities as we get smarter and smarter that will help us explore the heaven and go and do things and benefit mankind in ways we can’t imagine right now.”

In 2013, it has been reported that a Filipino, Chino Roque, has been chosen by the Axe Apollo Space Academy Competition to be among the 23 recruits from all over the world that will fly into space. n

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

CIVIL AND PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION • Breach of Contract and Fraud • Auto and Other Injury accidents

IMMIGRATION

• Family and employment based green cards • Business and Investor Visas • Deportation defense • Motions to Reopen • Appeals • Humanitarian Reinstatement of revoked petition • Naturalization • H-1B and student visas

FAMILY LAW • Divorce/Separation/Nullity • Property Division • Spousal Support • Child Custody and Support • Restraining Orders

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

323-639-0277

Email: info@dtanlaw.com • 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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

Dateline PhiliPPines

CJ Sereno unfazed by impeachment threats

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

PHILIPPINE Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Thursday, August 24, shrugged off threats to remove her from the office, saying that the impeachment case build up against her does not affect her at all.

Breaking her silence on the issue, the chief justice expressed confidence that efforts to oust her will not prosper.

“Nothing can be proven against me that will show that the chief justice has betrayed her oath of office. I have served the country with all faith and diligence. I will never waver from that pledge,” Sereno said during a town hall meeting in Cebu City.

Maintaining a “clear conscience,” the chief justice remarked that she is not unfazed by the ouster threats because she has not done anything illegal while at the helm of the country’s judiciary.

“Ang masarap sa malinis na konsensya, it does not affect me at all (That’s what’s good about a clean conscience, it does not affect me at all),” she added.

Earlier this month, an anticrime group filed an impeachment complaint against Sereno before the House of Representatives. No House member, however, has endorsed the complaint since it was filed.

In the complaint filed on August 2, the Volunteers Against

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno

Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution accused the chief justice of culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, robbery, graft and corruption, high crimes and betrayal of public trust.

Among the grounds for impeachment petitioners cited in their complaint includes Sereno’s appointment to Solomon Lumba as her staff head while he was holding another government post; and when she sat on applications for posts at the court.

They also cited that Sereno appointed Brenda Jay Mendoza to head the Philippine Mediation Center; granted foreign travel allowances to her staff using the Supreme Court’s (SC); and ordered the creation and reopening of new judicial offices in Western Visayas — which were all supposedly done without the Court’s approval.

Inquirer.net photo

But the chief justice asserted that public documents would attest her innocence from the allegations hurled against her.

“I have been prudent in use of the court’s resources at the expenses for judicial reform.

My travels, my security requirements are all regular and above board. Public documents and records will speak for itself and I have not objected in the public release of the same,” Sereno said.

Asked if she thinks that Malacañang has a hand in the impeachment complaint, the chief justice refused to comment.

Describing her relationship with President Rodrigo Duterte as “professional,” Sereno went on to say, “The fact that he has mandate to lead, we must observe what the Constitution says.

I am very professional with my dealings with all officials of government.” n

Marawi City siege ‘most serious terror event’ in Southeast Asia in past 15 years by auDrey

Morallo Philstar.com

MANILA — The siege of Marawi City which began in May is the most significant terrorist event in Southeast Asia in the last 15 years, according to an expert on the region’s politics, highlighting the deficiency of the Philippine military and beginning what could be a long-term security threat to the Philippines and neighboring countries.

The clashes in Marawi, which prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to place Mindanao under military rule, has provided Islamist militants involved in the fighting stature among radical

communities for successfully mounting the most prominent display of jihadist force of the so-called Islamic State fighters in the region, according to Greg Fealy of the Australian National University.

“The battle for Marawi is the most significant terrorist event in Southeast Asia since the Bali bombings of 2002, which killed 202 people,” he said, referring to the terror attack on the popular tourist island in Indonesia.

The fighting has also highlighted the weakness of the Armed Forces especially in engaging in urban combat, according Fealy.

The Philippine military has been

supported by American advisers as well as US and Australian intelligence operations, highlighting the “assymetrical nature of the conflict,” the expert said.

The American military is also training a handful of Filipino soldiers in urban warfare, despite Duterte’s past attacks on the presence of US troops in the country. “[T]he Philippine armed forces have been exposed as poorly prepared for urban combat and quite unable to deliver on their promises of a quick and comprehensive routing of the insurgents,” he said, in stark contrast

u PAGE A9

A

A8 AUGUST 26-29, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

OPINION

‘Smuggling mafia’

FEATURES

EVERYONE is entitled to the benefit of the doubt and will get his day in court. In keeping with a long-running national tradition of believing the worst and jumping to conclusions, however, and because of the reputation of the agency involved, people tended to believe all or at least some portions of the speech delivered

by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, naming the Bureau of Customs officials allegedly engaged in corruption.

The speech, protected by parliamentary privilege, would have been shorter if Lacson had named the BOC officials who are not tainted by corruption. Lacson’s exposé bolstered President Duterte’s earlier lament that the BOC is “rotten to the core.” Crooks at Customs, Lacson said, collected “tara” or grease money at practically every step of shipment processing, with top officials allegedly receiving regular payoffs.

In detailing the “labyrinth and lexicon of the criminals” in the BOC, Lacson also claimed that Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon received P100 million as pasalubong or welcome gift upon assuming the top BOC post. Faeldon, whose resignation from the bureau has been accepted by President Duterte, denied the accusation.

If even half of Lacson’s revelations about the “smuggling mafia” proved accurate, the BOC may have to be nuked to be rid of corrupt officials and personnel. In previous years, there have been stories of even low-ranking BOC employees driving SUVs. Apart from trying to plug opportunities for corruption, the government should rethink the functions of the BOC. Tariff barriers are going down in a globalized economy and it’s possible to drastically minimize the exercise of personal discretion by BOC personnel in assessing shipped items. Customs personnel can ManilaTImes.net photo be subjected to random lifestyle checks, with revenue employees tapped for unearthing ill-gotten assets. can get away with their crime, especially if they have Double Barrel or a “One Time Big Time” sweep, is The culture of corruption in the BOC has per- influential protectors. The only way to stop impu- to ensure that BOC crooks get punished, and quicksisted because Customs crooks have seen that they nity, short of subjecting the most notorious to Oplan ly. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

Fil-Am leader defends Duterte’s bloody war on drugs

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS FOLLOWING outrage from people coming from different parts of the world over the death of 17year-old Kian De Los Santos and thousands more in the hands of the police, President Rodrigo Duterte finally admitted in a press conference on Monday, August 21, that there may have been abuses in his administration’s war on drugs.

The president said he would not interfere in the investigation and if there would be charges filed against the policemen.

For many of Duterte’s critics, Kian’s death is indefensible, and that Duterte’s own rhetoric and marching order may have emboldened the corrupt and evil-spirited to use this as a license to kill mercilessly without regard to the truth, due process, and human rights.

International publication Forbes Magazine wrote that Duterte is fighting the wrong war, contending that the Philippines’ big enemies are corruption and poverty, not drugs.

“They’re killing democracy and innocent people, and in the process unsettling financial markets.

And they’re not touching the corruption and poverty that pushes people into the drug trade,” the article stated on August 19, 2017.

The New York Times (NYT) published an article on August 23, 2017 that said Kian’s death “had an effect that no other police killing has: The Senate, though dominated by allies of the president, has opened an investigation.”

The NYT article further stated that “these developments have critics of Mr. Duterte’s drug war cautiously optimistic that the Philippine public, which has been broadly supportive of the crackdown, is starting to see it differently.”

While Filipinos in America generally condemn the killing, one Fil-Am community leader urges the public to look at the big picture in evaluating Duterte’s war on drugs.

Atty. Arnedo Valera, chair of the U.S. Pinoys for Real Change, shared with me the group’s defense of Duterte’s policy and program to solve the drug menace in the Philippines: “The War on Drugs is about saving the lives and the future of the next generation . It is a bold and decisive policy to eradicate this scourge of humanity that operates not only within the Philippine geographical boundaries but it is a global menace of geometric proportions affecting the human race.

Pres. Duterte has expressed moral outrage and anger you can imagine on Kian’s killing. And police accountability on such horrendous police brutality upon full

and objective investigation must be made. He will not condone police abuses. The main order for the police is to do what is right and legal in the strict enforcement of our criminal laws.

Beyond the President’s “street language” to instill fear to the enemies of the state is ti consistently and relentlessly pursue this to its end. What the police is emboldened to do is to carry and execute our criminal laws strictly to the fullest and not to engage in what has become a rhetorical echoing that our police force cannot be trusted and are presumably killers going to the streets in a killing spree.

Our call is for all sectors to unite in this drug war. If you have a solution and other alternatives in solving this drug pandemic, then we need to convey it. These non state actors that include drug lords, cartels, drug users/pushers, police scalawags, riding in tandem and all vigilantes are fully accountable of their actions and justice meted out. Blaming the President and the entire government of all the killings and calling for the stop of the drug war is simply reinforcing the narrative these drug groups and personalities wish to push. It is a weak posture of solving the drug problem.

As Cardinal Tagle recently recognized, we as Christians and as a people should be part of the solution. And this is what our government wanted to do.

Kian’s case in all indications is a police abuse. Pres. Duterte recognized that as he expressed his anger and cursing that such kind of abuse will not be tolerated. Kian does not deserve to die like that.

There must be full investigation, prosecution whenever appropriate and punishment meted out.

The rule of law is the cornerstone of criminal law enforcement. Right now, police internal affairs are being strenghtened to get rid of police abusers, scalawags and the corrupt who engage in drug dealing.

When the President curses and expresses in the strongest terms that he will strictly enforce our criminal laws, it does not destroy the presumption of innocence under our Constitution . The principles of checks and balances among the three branches of our government remain intact and fully functioning if there should be abuses by the executive branch in the strict enforcement of our criminal laws. The President has repeatedly stated that he has zero tolerance on this matter.

Similar to the U.S., the drug problem in the Philippines is an epidemic where strict law enforcement policy and rehab/ treatment policies must be combined to save our country from becoming a full blown narco state and ensure hope for the future of the young generation.

When we blame the President, our police and our military for

all the killings nationwide, we are not only unfairly presuming that our government and police are killers who are out there with orders to kill anyone involved in drugs. But as I have repeatedly stated, we are in fact destroying the basic notion of accountability of non state actors like drug lords, drug syndicates, dealers, the poor individuals serving as willing pawns of these powerful drug syndicates. Those in the lower chain of command who wanted to earn quick cash to feed their family and working religiously with these drug lords are sacrificial lambs whose lives become cheap and dispensable.

In our own backyard, it is important to underscore what U.S. Atty General Jeff Sessions said in his address to the assembly of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) last July 11, “Drug abuse has become an epidemic in our country claiming more than 62,000 lives lost in 2016 alone due to drug overdose. (1,200 lives lost per day). He noted that drug abuse as a problem is not only a concern about treatment but law enforcement. He also acknowledged that drug trafficking and drug problem in the U.S. is inherently a “violent business”, where there is a need of strict law enforcement polucy which the U.S. currently lacks.

The Philippines faces a very unique situation in terms of strict enforcement in its drug war. The

enemies are even more powerful than our police forces in terms of weapons and communication technology. It mirrors partly drug wars in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and El Salvador. In Mexico alone, last June, more than 2,000 were killed in legitimate police operations and raids (2000 plus in one month).

Pres. Duterte has adopted a bold, decisive and strict enforcement of its domestic criminal laws to combat and eradicate the drug problem nationwide under the rule of law.

Again, there are no state sanctioned killings in this drug war.

We have hundreds if not thousands of police and military who received training in the U.S. What we need is to help strenghten our law enforcement institutions, the police and our military. They are our ordinary heroes and heroines who save lives on a daily basis and secure peace and protect the integrity of our nation. We can still improve and strengthen our police by reorienting them once again on accountability and mechanics of the rule of law. It is an extremely difficult task, but hope always springs eternal.” *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Solar eclipse 2017: Visible display of God’s grandeur and unity of celestial bodies Rhizomes

PROSY ABARQUEZDELACRUZ, J.D. “GOD is always inviting us to climb higher, to go further, to draw closer. No matter how many possessions we may have, no possession in the world can equal the treasure of deep union with the God who created us, knows us through and through and loves us intensely. He calls us to let go of anything that brings only temporary happiness so that we can be free to receive his love and his gift of eternal joy!” - Pondering the Word - The Anawim Way Liturgical Meditations for August 21, 2017.

The solar eclipse was a glimpse of heaven for me. There was just no equivalence for it in my lifetime of experiences. It solidified for me the presence of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth and how these two celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, though united momentarily for us to see, nothing fell

down from the skies.

We cannot be oblivious as to how the moon got in front of the sun, yet the sun’s rays, the corona that forms after, were vividly on display, even if for a few moments.

Then, the mighty splendor of the diamond ring, as if promising us our treasured place in heaven.

Indeed, the heavens spoke to us when the solar eclipse happened on August 21, 2017 starting at 9:27 a.m. and its totality, its full splendor of the process, revealed to us at 10:21 a.m., briefly turning daylight into twilight, gracing the continental U.S. from Oregon to South Carolina. The next total solar eclipse won’t occur in Oregon until the next century.

It was so precise, just like clockwork, that the whole process of unfolding took 54 minutes.

But to get there, we traveled north to Redding from LA, then proceeded to Madras, Oregon, a journey of 861 miles, and if driven straight, a 13-hour drive.

Our trip took a scenic, coastal drive of seven days, including visiting a friend who had moved to Redding, California and taking in two majestic wonders.

The Intermountain News Visi-

The full solar eclipse.

tors Guide 2017 described McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park as the second oldest state park, which Theodore Roosevelt is believed to have once called it the eighth wonder of the world. It has the most spectacular waterfall, reaching 129 feet high and 22 feet deep, with more than 100 million gallons of water flow over the cliffs.

I tasted the sweetest water from their fountains and took the trail of 1.2 miles, which led me to a bench with this quote by William

The author with husband, Enrique at McArthur-Burney Falls.

Butler Yeats: “Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild…”

The second wonder we got to was Crater Lake, a destination we have visited six times now. But to us, this gave us a new glimpse of the Sinnott Overlook, which “you can peer down a sheer drop of nearly 900 feet to the shore!” It also has the best exhibits while a park ranger talk entices you more to drive around the rim of the lake, which took us two to three hours, around the 33 mile perimeter of

the lake, plus or minus, given the many stops to take different contours of the lake, including its many features: the castle, the wizard island and the pirate ship.

A few hours later, we got to Madras.

What happened in Madras, Oregon?

While thousands paid for a tent space and festival passes to see the eclipse at the fairgrounds and the city’s park, at $500 per person, we managed to have our prime spot at the Crooked River Grass-

land National Park, for free, along with 10 cars only over acreages of spaces. My husband Enrique did his research and knew exactly where to go to get us a campsite.

It was even more reassuring as the road to the campsite was in front of the Madras’ correctional facility and the correctional officers told us, “There, camping is free,” and pointed to the road.

By Sunday, a day before the eclipse, we had run out of water in our newly configured kitchen sink

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.

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES

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 office: 1799 Old Bayshore Hwy, Suite 136 2500 Plaza 5, Harborside Financial Center, Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel.: (650) 689-5160 • Fax: (650) 239-9253 Jersey City, NJ 07311 Tel: (212)655-5426 • Fax: (818)502-0858 Las Vegas Sales Office: 2770 S. Maryland Pkwy., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89109 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

CHRISTINA M. ORIEL Editor-in-Chief

MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor

IVY MANALANG Vice President - Marketing Los Angeles Asian Journal

MONETTE ADEVA MAGLAYA Senior Vice President Los Angeles Asian Journal

DING CARREON Videographer

ANDY TECSON Photographer

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

OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

A

SEA TRAINING. Members of the Royal Thai Navy â&#x20AC;&#x153;arrestâ&#x20AC;? drug dealers aboard the Philippine Navyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BRP Capones off Manila Bay during the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training Exercise, an annual undertaking led by the U.S. Coast Guard.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

Solar eclipse 2017: Visible display of...

PAGE A8 t inside the furnished van and got back to town to get more. Safeway was buzzing with crowds and vehicles. Starbucksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; barista said that the lines had been a block long since 6 a.m., and she appeared haggard already at 11 a.m.

When we got to camp, my husband joked that I was having an expensive shower of processed bottled water, but the experience was priceless.

I posted on Facebook that Sunday: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To shower in the desert is one of the best experiences, after being in the sun. To see the stars and its Milky Way with solitude, and with your hubby, was another one of my best experiences.

Preparing to experience the solar eclipse, one of the closest to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s divinity manifested, I am praying my shutter finger is quick enough as I keep myself protected with optical filters to take a historic shot, the last one happened in year 1257 in this part of Central Oregon.â&#x20AC;?

By Monday, we had already set up our tripods and positioned them towards the sky to capture the unfolding process. It started with a first bite of the sun, dubbed as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;moonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first bite,â&#x20AC;? forming a crescent shape. As pieces of the sun were bitten by the moon, it left a visible orange sliver.

Yellow wildflowers had sprouted in few places, but mostly very dry soil that when you walked, you

West Coast

kicked up dust.

It then progressed into winds, insects buzzing loudly, while birds were tweeting, then, a chill, an eerie chill as earlier, moments earlier, it was sunny and bone dry at 80 F. Then, the moon covers the sun completely, exposing a corona of sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays, then a beautiful diamond. It made me think that perhaps as we develop more of our human strengths and start seeing same strengths of others, we can all glow with coronas shining brightly and in unity with one another, giving the world a lasting treasure in our lives, embodied in shimmering diamonds.

The eclipse darkened the surroundings, almost like nightfall, and just like a quick crescendo, the moon was gone and the sun was back.

You could hear the roars of folks watching the awesome phenomena of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s divinity from the nearby fairgrounds and surrounding valleys.

To some, the eclipse was just a phenomenon, but to me it was heavenly. After everyone clapped and we could hear them from a mile down, as we camped near the ridges, closest to the sun. The last time it happened here in Madras, Oregon was 1257. #thankstoadventuroushubby who did my manual settings and mounted my camera on the tripod.

I am such a klutz when it comes to

(Buy 2 Get 1 Free)

Â&#x2DC; Las Vegas - West Canyon 3 Days Tour Wed, Sun (Stay 1 Night Inside West Canyon) $168 Â&#x2DC; Las Vegas - Grand Canyon or West Canyon 3 Days Tour Wed, Sun (Stay 2 Night in Las Vegas) $148 Â&#x2DC; 6DQ )UDQFLVFR <RVHPLWH 'D\V 7RXU Wed, Sun (Solvang, San Francisco, Yosemite) $168 Â&#x2DC; Laughlin - Grand Canyon - Antelope Canyon Horseshoe Bend - Las Vegas 4 Days Tour Sat (Bryce Canyon- Zion N.P. - Las Vegas) $319 Â&#x2DC; Lake Tahoe - Montery - Yosemite 4 Days Tour Sat (Monterey, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe) $319 Â&#x2DC; Oregon Crater Lake Deluxe 5 Days Tour Sat (Sequoia N.P., Steam Train, Napa Valley) $418

YellowStone

(Buy 2 Get 1 Free)

Promotional Rate: $100 - $150 special discount per room

Â&#x2DC; Yellowstone 4/5/6/7 Days Tour Wed, Thur, Sat, Sun $345 up Â&#x2DC; West Grand Canyon - Yellowstone 7 Days Tour (Stay 1 Night Inside West Canyon) Tue, Fri $485 up Â&#x2DC; Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore 5/6/7/8 Days Bus Tour Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun $400 up Â&#x2DC; West Canyon - Antelope Canyon - Yellowstone Las Vegas 7/8 Days Tour Mon, Thu $565 up Â&#x2DC; Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore 6 Days Air Tour Salt Lake City In/Out Wed, Sat $439 up

Los Angeles Theme Park Tours Fully escorted inside park, Includes admission fee.

Â&#x2DC; Universal Studios 1 Day Tour Daily $135 Â&#x2DC; Disneyland /California Adventure Theme Park 1 Day Tour Daily $135 Â&#x2DC; San Diego SeaWorld 1 Day Tour Tue, Fri, Sun $120 Â&#x2DC; San Diego 1 Day City Tour Tue, Fri, Sun $120 Â&#x2DC; Deluxe Los Angeles City 1 Day Tour Daily $75 Â&#x2DC; Pacific Surf Line Santa Barbara 1 Day Tour Daily $75 Â&#x2DC; 3DOP 6SULQJ $HULDO 7UDP 5LGH 'HVHUW +LOOV )DFWRU\ 1 Day Tour Daily $75

the camera, but his help enabled my success. Truly, my captured photos fell short of capturing the full splendor and vibrancy in this visible display of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s miracle.

Just what Yeats said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wildâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? but to me, we worshipped at the Cathedral of the Wild and God made us all feel His presence. Thank you, God, for this guided trip! *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rhizomes.â&#x20AC;?

She has been writing for the Asian Journal Press for nine years now. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law, public service for three decades and community volunteerism for four decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier Law School in California and a certificate in 21st Century Leadership from Harvardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kennedy School of Government. She was a finalist in the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism awards in print columnist category along with Jewish Journal, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter and online cultural critic category along with The New York Times, The Daily Beast and Truth Dig in 2016. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for four years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has traveled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 24 national parks in the U.S, in pursuit of her love for arts.

She can be reached at delacruz.prosy@gmail. com and she has a Facebook account under Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz and Twitter account @ProsyDelaCruz.

Hawaii Tours

(Daily)

Â&#x2DC; Honolulu 3/4/5/6/7 Days 1-3 Islands $205 up Â&#x2DC; Big Island (Maui, Oahu) 4/5/6/7 Days 3 Islands $395 up Â&#x2DC; Big Island (Hilo, Kona) Oahu 4/5/7 Days 2 Islands $484 up Hotels stay (Hilo, Double Tree, Ocean View). AKAKA Falls, Volcano National Park, Rainbow Falls, Puna Luu. Black Sand Beach, Kona, Pearl Harbour. Included Polynesian Cultural Center with dinner.

East Coast Â&#x2DC; (DVW &RDVW &DQDGD 'D\V Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat $475 up (Buy 2 Get 2 Free) New York, Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal Â&#x2DC; Orlando 4/5/6/7/8/9 Days Tour Daily $495 up Â&#x2DC; Miami Sunset Leisure 4-5 Days Tour Daily $488 up

Europe Tours

(Land Only)

Â&#x2021; *UDQG (XURSHDQ 'D\V $2399 up London, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Amsterdam Â&#x2021; %HVW RI %RKHPLDQ 'D\V $1999 up Germany, Frankfurt, Austria, Vienna, Hungary, Budapest Â&#x2DC; Spain and Portugal Deluxe 12 Days $1999 Lisbon, Seville, Granada Toledo, Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona Â&#x2021; ,WDO\ 'D\V $1599 up Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Vatican Â&#x2021; 5XVVLD DQG 1RUWKHUQ (XURSH 'D\V $3399 Denmark, Norway, Baltic Sea, Finland, Estonia, Russia Â&#x2021; ($67 $)5,&$ .(1<$ 0DVDL 0DUD 'XEDL 9 Days $1899 Nairobi, Amboseli National Park, Naivasha Lake, Masai Mara National Reserve, Mara River Great Rift Valley, Dubai Â&#x2021; 1HZ =HDODQG $XVWUDOLD 'D\V $2899 Auckland, Waitomo, Rotorua, Melbourne, Albury, Canberra, Sydney

Canadian Rockies

(Daily)

Â&#x2DC; Vancouver- Victoria 3/4 Days Daily $293/329 up Â&#x2DC; YRO Delightful Rockies 5-9 $456 up Â&#x2DC; YGO Ultimate Rockies 6-10 Days $713 up Â&#x2DC; CRO Splendid Rockies(Calgary in) 3-7 Days $439 up BANFF, ROCKY MOUNTAINS, VICTORIA, LAKE LOUISE, ICE FIELD, BUTCHART GARDENS, JASPER NATIONAL PARK, WHISTLER, CHEMAINUS, CALGARY.

China Tours

(Land Only)

Â&#x2DC; Beijing-Wuxi-Suzhou-Hangzhou-Shanghai 10 Days $599 up Â&#x2DC; Beijing-Xian-Wuxi-Suzhou-Hangzhou-Shanghai 12 Days $759 up Â&#x2DC; Guangzhou - Guilin - Kunming - Dali -Lijiang/ Shangrila 10/12 Days $1299 up Â&#x2DC; Beijing - Xian - Yangtze River - Shanghai 12 Days $1399 up Â&#x2DC; Ancient Silk Road tour 11 Days (Urumqi-Turpan-Dunhuang-Jiayuguan-Shanghai) $1799 up Â&#x2DC; Tibet Tour 11 Days $1399 up

Asia Tours

(Land Only)

Â&#x2DC; Taiwan Leisure 6 Days $629up Â&#x2DC; Taiwan Sun Moon Lake-Alishan 6 Days $729 up Â&#x2DC; Eastern Taiwan Railway Train ride 6 Day $629 up Â&#x2DC; Taiwan Round Island Excursion 8 Days $829 Â&#x2DC; Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macau 6 Days/Taipei 9 Days $729 up Â&#x2DC; Bangkok - Pattaya - Chiangmai 8 Days Tour $1099 Â&#x2DC; Amazing Northern Thailand 8 Days $1199 Â&#x2DC; Vietnam - Cambodia World Cultural Heritage 12 Days $1599 up

Daily Shuttle Bus Â&#x2DC; Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Los Angeles freedom of choice by the Las Vegas departure and return date. $28/One way.

A10 august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Dateline PhiliPPines

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

Marcos: Comelec should shoulder storage fees

by Jomar

Canlas ManilaTimes.net

ment of election results.

Based on data, the 39,221 THE camp of former Senator cluster precincts are composed Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked of 132,446 precincts. the Presidential Electoral TribuThe Supreme Court recently nal (PET) to order the Commisordered the preservation of the sion on Elections (Comelec) to “automated election equipment shoulder storage fees and other and records such as the Vote expenses it incurred in connecCounting Machines (VCM) , tion with the preservation and Consolidation and Canvass Syssafekeeping of various election tem (CCS) units, Secure Digital materials and paraphernalia (SD) cards (main and back-up) used in the May 9, 2016 polls. and the other data storage deIn his comment, Marcos vices in all of the ninety two through his legal counsel, thousand five hundred nine George Erwin Garcia, pointed (92,509) clustered precincts out that “the Comelec is manused in the May 2016 elecdated by the Constitution to act tions, effective immediately and as the primary guardian of the continuing until further orders sanctity of the ballots and other from the tribunal.” paraphernalia in the exercise of Marcos, who lost to Maria its fundamental duty to enforce Leonor Rodredo in the vice and administer all laws and regpresidential race by 263,473 ulations in the conduct of the votes, accused her of “maselections.” sive electoral fraud, anomalies BATA AIMS. Philippines’ billiard icon, Efren “Bata” Reyes, aims for his shot in the quarterfinals match of the Men’s English Billiards Doubles PNA photo by Primo Agatep Marcos’ appeal came in view and irregularities” such as pre- competition on August 22 in the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. of a letter sent by Maria Lea shading of ballots, pre-loaded Alarkon, Director III, Office for Secure Digital cards, misreadOverseas Voting (OFOV) of the ing of ballots, malfunctioning Comelec.

VCMs, and an “abnormally

by Christina mendez Alarkon sought payment from Duterte and that the image did pines’ poorest people,” said Mihigh” unaccounted votes/unPhilstar.com Marcos of their expenses for not weaken Canberra’s criticism chael Hayworth, a human rights dervotes for the position of Vice safekeeping, among others, the campaigner at Amnesty InternaPresident. n MANILA - A photograph show- of Duterte’s war on drugs.

“On both occasions that I’ve tional. ing Nicholas Peter Warner, direc“Australia must condemn in tor general of the Australian Se- met with President Duterte I’ve cret Intelligence Service, doing a raised the issue of human rights the strongest terms the killings clenched fist pose with President and the extrajudicial killings,” by Philippines police of people LUNGSOD NG CARSON without trial.”

Rodrigo Duterte drew flak from Bishop told reporters in Perth.

PAUNAWA SA HALALAN AT Australian Labor MP Anthony Since Duterte took office, some of Australia’s officials and Byrne, according to a report in more than 3,500 people have rights groups.

PAUNAWA SA PANUKALANG PAGBOBOTOHAN But presidential spokesman The Guardian, tweeted that the been killed in what the PhilipErnesto Abella shrugged off the image was a “completely inap- pine National Police (PNP) says criticisms, saying the fist-bump propriate photo for the head of were gunfights with drug susANG PAUNAWA AY IBINIBIGAY SA PAMAMAGITAN NITO na ang Espesyal na Halalang photo simply showed a “warm- one (of) our most important in- pects who had resisted arrests.

Munisipal ay gaganapin sa Lungsod ng Carson sa Martes, ika-7 ng Nobyembre, 2017 Abella said it could just be a ing of relations” between the two telligent services to be in.” para sa sumusunod na Panukala: The photo also caused a stir difference in perspectives. countries.

“But as far as the way the Warner on Tuesday, Aug. 22, in the human rights community paid Duterte a courtesy call at with Elaine Pearson, director of situation went, it was basically…

Upang panatilihin at pahusayin ang mga serbisyo ng Carson, tulad ng Malacañang where they dis- Human Rights Watch in Austra- warm. It was very relational,” pang-emerhensiyang 911, proteksiyon ng Syerip, mga programa sa cussed regional security issues lia, saying it was “sickening to Abella said. nakatatanda/kabataan/laban sa gang; ipaayos ang mga kalye; pahusayin OO see (the) head of Australia’s spy Warner regularly meets with and mutual support. ang kalidad ng hangin/kapaligiran, bawasan ang mapanganib na basura; “It was done in a lighthearted agency fist-pumping a man who regional leaders to discuss codapat bang pagtibayin ang isang ordinansang nagpapataw ng buwis na manner. It wasn’t meant to be in has instigated the killing of thou- operation, information sharing and counterterrorism, among any way political. It was simply sands.”

1/4 ng 1% ng kabuuang mga natanggap ng mga tagapagpatakbo ng mga Amnesty International said other topics. a show of… a warming of relapasilidad na nagsasanib, naghahalo, nagpoproseso, o nagdadalisay ng His visit came after Australian tionships,” said Abella, who was Australia must do more to try to petrolyo o mga produktong petrolyo at/o nag-iimbak ng mga produktong present during the courtesy call. curtail the firebrand Philippine Ambassador Amanda Gorely HINDI petrolyo, upang magkaloob ng humigit-kumulang na $24,000,000 taunalso patched up differences with Australian Foreign Minister leader.

“Australia is sending mixed Duterte brought about by a rape taon hanggang tapusin ng mga botante, na nag-aatas ng mga regular Julie Bishop also defended Warner, saying the latter was only messages amid an incredible joke he said in one of last year’s na pagsusuri ng pagsunod, na ang mga pondo ay ginagamit sa Carson? complying with a request from spike in killings of the Philip- presidential campaign sorties. n ballots cast overseas.According to the former senator, he received the tribunal’s resolution requiring him to pay the same.

But Marcos claimed that an election protest is a mere incident of the conduct of the elections.

Hence, he said, it is the function of the Comelec to safeguard the integrity of the ballots and election materials.

“This is precisely why the Precautionary Protection Order [PPO] issued by the honorable tribunal in this case was directed to the Comelec and its concerned officials and employees,” Marcos noted.

“Consequently, all the costs and expenses necessary and incidental to the safekeeping of the ballot boxes and their contents and other election paraphernalia should be assumed by the Comelec.”

In his protest, Marcos assailed the election results in 39,221 clustered precincts—36,465 of which he paid for the conduct of manual count and judicial revision, while in the remaining 2,756 he prays for the annul-

Ang mga lugar ng botohan ay magbubukas sa pagitan ng mga oras na ika-7 ng umaga at ika-8 ng gabi.

Donesia Gause Aldana, MMC Klerk ng Lungsod/Opisyal sa mga Halalan Lungsod ng Carson Pinetsahan:

Lacson denies son Pampi a smuggler

by Jefferson

Senator stands by exposé

antiporda

ManilaTimes.net

Ika-21 ng Agosto, 2017

Town mates and Friends:

Please join us in celebration of our

508/ '*&45" TU '06/%*/( "//*7&34"3: 0' #"4$ JO -"4 7&("4 /&7"%" When: Saturday, October 7, 2017 Where: Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, 400 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 Prepaid Dinner Buffet ticket only: $65 per person Please make check payable to: Aludiya Lagmay-Ganzon 8119 Mary E Ellen Avenue, North Hollywood, California 91605 - or Priscilla Castaneto-Ruedas 6851 Dale Street Apartment # 16, Buena Park, California 90621

Nazario Perlas: Precy Castaneto- Ruedas: Lito Tambo: Ludy Lagmay-Ganzon: Mila Tadina: Josie Dolor Etrata: Mary Ann Arichea–Caunan:

Clenched fist photo of Duterte, Aussie intel chief draws flak

nazario.perlas@yahoo.com pcruedas@yahoo.com lito.tambo@sbcglobal.net lganzon@gmail.com mrtadina@yahoo.com wilpenn@yahoo.com macaunan@ha.ucla.edu

*Discounted Room rates available at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino until September 3, 2017: Code: ABA2017

SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday, Aug. 24 stood by his accusation of wholesale corruption at the Bureau of Customs under resigned commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, as he defended his son’s cement business transactions.

Reacting to Faeldon’s allegation that his son, Panfilo “Pampi” Lacson Jr., was involved in bigtime cement smuggling, the senator said cement is not subject to customs tariff and duties but only subject to VAT (value-added tax),” Lacson said.

The senator added that the only time he helped his son’s business was when he needed a photocopying machine.

“For the record I have always reminded my son to be on the level in whatever business dealings he would have because if not, I’d be the first one to castigate him and even initiate the fil-

ing of charges against him,” he added.

Lacson also denied that he was eyeing another shot at the presidency at the expense of the reputations of Customs officials he had accused on Wednesday of taking bribes under the socalled “tara” system.

He admitted that he exchanged text messages with Faeldon after his speech on the Senate floor, but only to invite the resigned Customs chief to a meeting sometime next week.

Lacson also said he would not sue Faeldon, but would also not apologize for his exposé, in which he accused the latter of receiving P100 million as a “welcome gift” from importers upon taking over the Bureau of Customs last year.

On Faeldon’s claim that Lacson made the exposé in an attempt to hide his son’s smuggling operations, the senator said he would not expose corruption in

the bureau if it was true his son was cheating on taxes.

“The logical thing for me to do is not to make the exposé and just keep quiet,” Lacson said.

Lacson also dismissed as a “big lie” Faeldon’s claim that Panfilo Jr., delivered money to the office of the commissioner last year.

“He has not done so at anytime, he has not met Faeldon.

He has absolutely no reason to bribe Faeldon or the Customs bureau. That’s a big, big lie,” Lacson said.

‘Diversionary tactic’ Colleagues rushed to Lacson’s defense and questioned Faeldon’s motives.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon noted that Faeldon’s claims were made a day after Lacson delivered a privilege speech exposing cor-

u PAGE A11

Marawi City siege ‘most serious terror...

PAGE A7 t to the performance of the Islamist fighters who have been far more resourceful and well prepared for their urban operations than originally anticipated.

Fealy said of the militants: “They have proven to be expert at using IEDs, ambushing techniques and snipers to kill and unnerve Philippine soldiers.”

“They have also stockpiled large quantities of food and ammunition, and have been able to get more fighters and supplies into their Marawi stronghold despite the government’s attempts to seal off the area.”

Another reason for this serious assessment of the Marawi conflict was the possibility that The siege of Marawi City is the most significant terror event to have struck Southeast Asia in Isnilon Hapilon, the appoint- the past 15 years, according to an Australian expert.

Philstar.com photo ed emir of the so-called IS in Southeast Asia, would be able said that IS central provided the cells, he added.

Since the fighting in Marawi to attract new recruits, many of militants’ Marawi operations whom young and well educated with periodic transfers of thou- began on May 23, hundreds of but largely disaffected with oth- sands of dollars, providing a link soldiers, civilians and Islamist er Muslim groups in Mindanao between the fighters and the militants have been killed. More seen as having sold out by enter- retreating radical group in the than 200,000 families were also displaced by the clashes. ing into peace negotiations with Middle East.

Fealy said that reports indiGround and air assaults by the government. “[T]he longer the Marawi ji- cated that a growing number of the AFP have failed to decisively hadists frustrate the Philippine radical group’s supporters were end the battle which has already forces and their US advisers, seeking to travel in Mindanao to entered its fourth month despite Duterte’s declaration of martial the greater will be their stature participate in the hostilities.

“As conditions worsen for IS law in the region and the pouramong jihadist communities across the region and beyond,” in Syria and Iraq, more IS parti- ing of thousands of soldiers and sans in Asia are likely to regard resources. he said.

The destruction of Marawi’s The Australian expert warned Mindanao as a legitimate altercentral district has already been that the so-called IS may declare native,” he said.

A longer-term risk for the re- likened to the destruction of the Mindanao as a province, the first area to be declared so in Southeast gion is that the fighting has not Iraqi city of Mosul after the soAsia, adding that the central com- only provided Islamist fight- called IS took it in 2014.

Duterte has promised P20 bilmand has aided its supporters in ers technical expertise but also Marawi with funding and praise prestige to a new generation of lion to rehabilitate the Islamic jihadists across the region, said City, but this process has been on its official media outlets.

In July, a report by the Institute Fealy. This knowledge can then hampered by the continuous for Policy of Analysis of Conflict be passed on to other terror fighting. n

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

Dateline PhiliPPines

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

A11

Human rights lawyers urge president to stop government’s war on drugs

by Ador

Vincent S. MAyol ManilaTimes.net

United Commissioner Christian Robert Lim reads the statement calling on Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista to step down. With him were Commissioners Luie Tito Guia, Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon, Al Parreño, Arthur Lim and Sheriff Abas.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy L. Martinez

Go on leave or resign, colleagues urge Bautista SIX of seven members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc on Thursday, Aug. 24 called on embattled Chairman Juan Andres Bautista to either go on leave or resign following the filing of an impeachment complaint against him for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

Bautista sits as head of the seven-member Comelec en banc. All six members – Commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Luie Tito Guia, Ma. Rowena Amelia Guanzon, Al Parreño, Sheriff Abas and Arthur Lim – signed a statement saying “the time for him (Bautista) to let go has come.”

“The undersigned Comelec Commissioners, having at heart the best interests of the service, and motivated by a deep sense of duty to our people, are constrained to come out in the open to strongly and urgently urge Chair, J. Andres D. Bautista, to go on LEAVE OF ABSENCE for such period as may be necessary or RESIGN for his own sake, for the sake of his career, and most importantly, for the sake of his family, particularly his four innocent children,” the statement said.

One of the commissioners, who asked not to be named, said the ultimate decision was still for the chairman to make.

“The Commission just needs to go on with its work and insulate

itself from the chair’s personal issues,” he told The Manila Times.

An impeachment complaint was filed against Bautista on Wednesday by former Negros Oriental representative Jacinto Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

It was endorsed by Deputy Speaker for Visayas Gwendolyn Garcia, Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque and Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino.

If impeached by the House of Representatives, the articles of impeachment will be forwarded to the Senate, which will become an impeachment court for Bautista’s trial.

Paras and Topacio’s complaint cited negligence on the part of Bautista that led to the hacking of voters’ personal data and the change in the script of the transparency server that broadcast the 2016 elections results.

They also accused Bautista of misdeclaring his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, citing documents submitted by Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia, to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), alleging, among others, that the Comelec chief had amassed nearly P1 billion in ill-gotten while serving in government.

Among the pieces of evidence were certified copies of Bautista’s 35 bank accounts with the Lu-

zon Development Bank, and an account with Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

Patricia also alleges that her husband received some P500,000 in referral fees from automated election technology provider Smartatic Corp. through the DivinaLaw Office.

Bautista denies all the allegations and said his estranged wife wanted to get a settlement of P620 million from him.

Bautista ready to face impeach rap The Comelec chief said on Thursday he was ready to face impeachment before the House of Representatives.

The allegations, he said, “will be explained at the right time and the right place.”

He answered, “Oo naman (Of course)” when asked if he was ready to face impeachment.

Bautista, who attended the budget hearing for Comelec at the House on Thursday, said he had yet to receive a copy of the impeachment complaint.

House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said he would refer the verified impeachment complaint to the House justice committee after the budget process.

“If there is urgency and the complaint if okay, then I can refer it already immediately so the committee can set a date.” (William Depasupil/ManilaTimes.net)

Lacson denies son Pampi a...

“We have to make sure that this is not pang lihis lang ng issue (an attempt to divert the isruption at Customs.

Pimentel insisted that Faeldon sue),” Pimentel said.

Drilon described Faeldon’s state everything he knew about suspicious activities in the bu- move as an act of desperation, reau and not concentrate on Lac- and vowed to oppose any invesson for exposing the so-called tigation regarding the matter.

“It will be a waste of time and “tara” system.

PAGE A10 t

will simply be used as a venue for character assassination,” he said.

Sen. Richard Gordon shared the same sentiment, noting that Faeldon had attended Senate hearings but did not even bother to mention the activities of Lacson’s son. n

CEBU CITY—A group of human rights lawyers in Central Visayas has joined calls for President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the government’s bloody war on drugs and to create an independent commission to look into the spate of drug-related killings in the country.

In a resolution, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) denounced the summary executions which the lawyers described as “barbaric, unconstitutional, and very un-Christian.”

“Our country today has become one huge national slaughterhouse where suspected drug users and pushers have been gunned down with impunity by vigilantes and police officers,” said FLAG-7 led by its chairman Democrito Barcenas.

Copies of the FLAG-7 resolution will be sent to the Office of the President and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III “for their information and guidance.”

FLAG-7 said the killings, a number of which are perpetrated by police officers, have continued since President Duterte launched an intensified campaign against illegal drugs in July 2016.

The human rights group said an independent commission composed of retired Supreme Court justices with proven integrity, probity, and independence must be created to conduct an impartial investigation on the “uncontrolled” series of killings.

“The planned Senate investigation is merely a damage control and cannot ferret out the truth because it is dominated

by President Duterte’s spineless apologists,” FLAG-7 said.

FLAG-7 is the first and largest group of human rights lawyers established in the nation. The group, which aims to protect and promote of human rights and civil liberties, was founded in 1974 by former Senators Jose Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada and Joker Arroyo during the Martial Law Era under President Ferdi-

nand Marcos.

Based on the records of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), 205 drug suspects were killed in alleged shootouts with policemen in the region while 213 others were killed from unidentified gunmen from July 1, 2016 to August 15.

Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, director of PRO-7, maintained that drug suspects who were killed in legitimate police operations placed the lives of the operatives in danger.

At least 11,122 drug suspects were arrested in Central Visayas from July 1, 2016 to August 15 while 109,301 drug users and pushers surrendered at the onset of Oplan TokHang or Toktok Hangyo, a police door-to-door anti-drug campaign where drug suspects were asked to surrender and sign documents renouncing their drug-induced life.

Since the war on drugs started last year, the PRO-7 has seized a total of 40,042 grams of shabu (methamphetamine) worth P472.5 million. n

A12 august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

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

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL â&#x20AC;˘ AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

SHOWBIZ&STYLE

B

Journal

Anne Curtis mum about wedding Is Ellen Adarna open for a relationship with John Lloyd Cruz?

A few days before ellen Adarna left to have a vacation in Bali (and party with Big Bangâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SeunfoR the record, thanks to this gri), she was seen in an Instagram cornerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VDPA (Very Deep Penstory with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home Sweetie Homeâ&#x20AC;? etration Agent) funfare knows co-star John Lloyd Cruz. when and where Anne Curtis for some time now, ellen has and boyfriend erwan Heussaffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been linked to John Lloyd, also wedding will be and the A-List fondly called JLC, because both designer creating her gown. But are good looking, are single, and since Anne requested for privacy not to mention, seem to have during last the recent launch of emerged from major breakups her Dream Machine platform, recently. funfare will keep (to borrow In a recent interview with Maurice Arcacheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite alibi) Philstar.com during her launch as â&#x20AC;&#x153;its lips sealedâ&#x20AC;? until Anne herself a front Row skincare product en(as she promised) tells all after the dorser, ellen said she only hangs ceremony. out with JLC â&#x20AC;&#x153;kasi magkasama Toeing Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream Machine kami sa â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Home Sweetie Home.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? thrust, just for kicks Your funfarer â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nagkikita lang kami sa sitasked her what kind of wedding com. Taping and after taping, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreaming to have, how she we drink, but with all the staff. dreamed of meeting a guy like Hindi lang kami ang nandun,â&#x20AC;? she erwan (the chef brother of Solenn explained.

Heussaff) and how many children If ever, would ellen become the she and erwan are dreaming to next â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bashaâ&#x20AC;? in Popoyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (JLCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) raise. life?

Understandably, Anne was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oo pero â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;di pa rin ready â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yun mum but very graciously shared si Kuya. Marami rin â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yung drama a piece of her mind. sa buhay. Parang ako din!â&#x20AC;? said â&#x20AC;&#x153;our dream wedding?,â&#x20AC;? she ellen, who has known the actor asked laughing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Secret pa â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yon! personally way from her high But I assure you that we will reveal school days, when she was still everything in due time,â&#x20AC;? adding, not in showbiz. â&#x20AC;&#x153;every girl dreams of meeting It can be recalled that the acher Prince Charming and I was tress posted a photo with JLC with very lucky to have met my Prince the caption, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ako na langâ&#x20AC;? and Charming in erwan. And how â&#x20AC;&#x153;You had me at my...â&#x20AC;? which are many kids do we plan to have? lines from JLCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movie with Bea Alonzo, â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Second Chance.â&#x20AC;?

How about presidential son Baste Duterte? Is ellen giving him a second chance? â&#x20AC;&#x153;2016 pa si Baste!â&#x20AC;? ellen declared. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know what, ang sarap ma-in-love, but for now, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine myself. Wala pa.â&#x20AC;? ellen takes coconut farming crash course in GenSan Last June, Vita Cocoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own program ambassadors, ellen Adarna and Bogart the explorer, headed to General Santos, Mindanao to experience the pillars of the Vita Coco Hope in a Coconut Program for themselves.

The fun-loving pair visited (Left photo photo) Anne Curtis with sister Jasmine Curtis Smith who hosted the launch of Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream Machine Platform. (Right photo) Anne with fiancĂŠ Erwin Heussaff.

Philstar.com photos schools where they witnessed just

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know yet. Bahala na. we will cross the bridge when we get there.â&#x20AC;?

Pressed on about the date of their wedding (you know, just â&#x20AC;&#x153;around what dateâ&#x20AC;?), Anne confessed that three lucky couples will be wed next year (she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say whether that will happen before or after hers and erwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s). Anne got the idea of helping the couples wed from Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Showtime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;from our interviews with the contestants, we learned that they joined the contest because they needed the money for their wedding,â&#x20AC;? said Anne, â&#x20AC;&#x153;so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really a financial thing. You know, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been so blessed to have found the man of my dreams whom Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m marrying in a dream wedding, so why not share the realization of that dream with three other couples?â&#x20AC;?

Helping people make their dreams come true is what inspired Anne to create the Dream Machine platform which is also against â&#x20AC;&#x153;dream shaming.â&#x20AC;? Anne herself has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;dream shamedâ&#x20AC;? when she aimed high but she refused to be cowed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hindi ako magaling kumanta and I did two sold-out concerts,â&#x20AC;? shared Anne, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and recorded two platinum albums. You shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let yourself be discouraged by people who tell you, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ang taas mo namang PAGE B3

how important the program was to the community: in a school where classes were once held under the shade of nearby trees, now stands 12 classrooms for the students to enjoy.

At least 10 more classrooms are in the works, too. ellen and Bogart also visited a coconut farm, where they got a personal tour from a farmer and a few farmer engagement officers, planted their own coconut trees, and had a crash course on Coconut farming 101. The two also made their way to Vita Cocoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coconut water packing facility where they witnessed how simple and natural it is to produce the coco water PAGE B2 Ellen Adarna and John Lloyd Cruz.

Photo from Ellen Adarnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Instagram account

/64, 36(5 $IRECT ,ENDER

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

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 *(

EntErtainmEnt

B august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

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

Jake Zyrus stars in his own ‘MMK’ life story JAKE Zyrus relives the struggles he went through before coming out as a trans man on Saturday, Aug 26 as he stars in his own life story on “MMK.” Jake wanted nothing but for people, especially his mother, to accept him for who he is. He was a young kid then when he first observed that he was more attracted to women than men. As he grew up, he also grew certain about his gender, yet he still chose to act and dress as a woman in public so as not to jeopardize his career.

How did Jake manage to hide his true identity all these years?

What pushed him to finally be true to himself and re-introduce himself as Jake Zyrus?

Joining this upcoming e p i s o d e a re S h a r l e n e S a n Pedro, Mutya Orquia, Paul Salas, Andrei Garcia, Erin Ocampo, Mike Lloren, Karla Pambid, and

Jake Zyrus relives the struggles he went through before coming out as a trans man this Saturday (Aug 26) as he stars in his own life story on “MMK.”

Troy Montero. The episode is directed by nuel naval and written

by Benson Logronio. “MMK” is

led by Star Creatives Chief Operating Officer Malou Santos.

(Philstar.com)

Is Ellen Adarna open for a relationship...

PAGE B1 brand - from picking, to cracking and packing.

Being a teacher and a farmer for the day helped them realize that coconut farmers and the farming communities need as much help as they can get. now, they and the farming communities they have visited have a fruitful story to tell.

Vita Coco teams up with Generation Hope, one of the country’s cause-oriented, non-profit foundations, for the Hope in a Coconut Program to help make coconut farmers’ lives a little better.

Although the Philippines is the second major grower and supplier of coconut products in the world, Philstar.com photos it actually has the lowest harvest Ellen learns more about the plight of farmers. among the top five producing tion, the Philippines will need to at least 50 percent over the next countries. To maintain its posi- boost its coconut production by 10 years.

Through the Hope in a Coconut Program, farmers are helped to reach their full potential and keep up with the crazy demand for coconuts, for this year, and the years to come. The program provides farmers with quality coconut seedlings and teaches them the best farming methods and practices. Farmers are taught how to generate more sources of income by simply planting other types of crops amongst their coconut trees as well. The program also promotes education by giving communities access to better learning environments by constructing more classrooms.

AJ Ads 99 August 2017_Layout 1 8/9/17 6:16 PM Page 1 (Deni Rose Afinidad M. Bernardo/ Ellen Adarna in Gen. Santos to interact with farmers.

Philstar.com)

age gracefully

Asparagus: The Fabulous, Finicky Vegetable We Love Citrusy Asparagus Serves 4–6 2 lbs. asparagus spears, ends snapped off 4 Tbs. orange juice 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice ½ tsp. sea salt or salt substitute 4 Tbs. olive oil 1 tsp. grated ginger 1 tsp. minced garlic

Peniston (“Finally”) had the audience dancing and singing along enthusiastically.

Lastly, for a surprise number to celebrate five years of excellence.

IEG brought back some Binibining Pilipinas USA and Teen USA alumni as they presented a dance number, “There’s nothing Holding Me Back.”

The evening marked the final time the pageant would run as “Binibining Pilipinas USA” as KC Concepcion announced that the pageant would continue next year under its new moniker, “Miss Filipina International.”

“We couldn’t have been more thrilled with these past five years,” said Mildred Deang, BP-USA founder and Executive Producer.”

At the same time, we’re excited for what the next five years will bring but, first, we need to catch up on some sleep!”

Special guests were Jacob Meir, founder of For the Stars Fashion House, actress Maria Conchita Alonzo, Olympic skater Michael Martinez, Consul General Los Angeles Adelio Angelito Criz and wife, Director of Tourism Los Angeles Richmond Jimenez, actress Hilda Koronel, President of Hunt Enterprises Priscilla Hunt, Miss Universe Guatemala Virginia Argueta, Cinemoi President Daphna Zimans, Emmy-award winning producer Lisa Lew-Brennan, designer Joey Galon and a quartet of mainstream entertainment and fashion industry publicists nerissa Silao, Eseel Borlasa, Josephine Dizon and Winston Emano were on hand to join the most awaited event of the year.

When all settled, the winners emerged: Winning the title Binibining Pilipinas USA 2017 is nikki Zulueta, Binibing Pilipinas USA Tourism - Kylie nishida, Binibining Pilipinas USA 1st RU - Kelly Ceniza, Binibining Pilipinas USA 2nd RU - nicole Viera, Binibining Pilipinas USA 3rd RU - nicole Colina.

The winners of Binibining Pilipinas Teen USA 2017 are: Pilipinas Teen USA Asia Aragon Binibining Pilipinas Teen USA

Leading by example, Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner-up Shamcey Supsup–Lee, sportswoman Ian Banzon, and TV journalist Marie Lozano shed light on challenging the society’s views on being a woman of today.

“One of the main stereotypes I’d

3. If serving warm: Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, and salt and toss with the asparagus. Saute the garlic and ginger in the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the spears and saute for 2-3 more minutes or until the asparagus is heated through. Season with salt and serve.

Chef’s Note: You can start this recipe a day or so ahead of time. After blanching the asparagus, wrap them in a paper towel to retain moisture and refrigerate until you are ready to complete the recipe.

© 2017 by FoodTrients.com

It’s also delicious, but must be very fresh and picked early in the season or it will have woody stalks. Don’t cut the dry ends of the stalks. Instead, bend the stalks until the dry ends break off. Otherwise you risk serving chewy, inedible asparagus parts that your guests won’t enjoy. This citrusy side dish can be served hot or cold and is good cut up and served in a salad.

REDOnDO Beach - Along with a spectacular evening of world class performances and star studded lineup, twenty (20) extraordinary young women, with an equally impressive group of nine teen candidates fought for gold at the 5th, the grandest, and final installment of Binibining Pilipinas USA. In a first, the evening was hosted by KC Concepcion and KC Montero -- remarkably, the firsttime ever that the two KCs have hosted a show together.

“It took Binibining Pilipinas USA to bring us together,” quipped KC Montero.

Co-hosted with Emmy-award winning producer of “The Talk,” Marc Anthony nicolas, the night kicked off with a spectacular opening number featuring laser and LED effects, twin 20 foot dancing robots and high-flying, acrobatic moves by Asia’s Got Talent and WCOPA Grand Champions, Junior new System. The audience joined them in waving their LED batons in the air.

“That atmosphere was absolutely electric,” said Olympic figure skater, Michael Martinez, a guest in the audience.

Hailing from seven states, the contestants competed in their national costumes, swimsuits, and evening gowns to a sellout venue.

The toughest job of narrowing the bunch fell to the pens of the distinguished panel of judges Chaired by Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres and including: Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism Kat De Castro; world-renowed fashion designer Elie Madi; “Voice builder to the world” Gary Catona; former Major League Baseball All-Star Royce Clayton; Ralph Moore; Hon. Cristina Perez (Justice for All with Judge Cristina); Michelle narvaez; and actor Reggie Lee (Grimm).

Special music performances by a pair of platinum recording artists, Dawn Robinson of En Vogue (“My Lovin’-You’re never Gonna Get It”) and dance diva Cece

In modern times, people still live with a notion that women can either be smart or beautiful.

Women got so used to only choosing one facet of their lives to focus on, career, motherhood, community, passion, or just a hobby.

2. If serving cold: Wrap the spears in a paper towel to retain moisture and chill in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.

Then whisk the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl and toss with the chilled spears.

Asparagus may be a finicky vegetable, but there are lots of reasons to eat it. It has lycopene, which lowers cancer risk, aids cognitive function, and promotes prostate health. Asparagus also contains Vitamin C, which helps the body resist infection, prevent cataracts, and regenerate tissue.

Lu

1st RU Czarina Kwong Binibining Pilipinas Teen USA 2nd RU Patricia Santos Binibining Pilipinas Teen USA 3rd RU Lorey Caminos Special Award winners are: Binibining Photogenic – Maristel Barrientos Binibining Popularity – Maristel Barrientos Binibining national Costume – Janet Hammond Binibining Miss Congeniality – Pamela Saguinsin Binibining Top Runway Model – Amber Oconer Binibining Best in Talent – Cheska Angeles Binibining Best in Swimsuit – Kylie nishida Binibining Best in Evening Gown – Kelly Ceniza Binibining Social Media – Rachelle Penaso Binibining People’s Choice Award – Kyra Decastro Binibining Philippine Airlines – Amber Oconer Bb. Teen Best in national Costume – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Miss Photogenic – Czarina Kwong Bb. Teen Miss Popularity – Angel Soliven Bb. Teen Miss Congeniality – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Top Runway Model – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Best in Talent – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Best in Swimsuit – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Best in Evening Gown – Asia Aragon Bb. Teen Teen Social Media – Patricia Santos Bb. Teen People’s Choice Award – Lorey Caminos *** 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 all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Beauty or brains? Celebrities empower women to be both smart, beautiful

1. Blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Drain and plunge into an ice bath. Pat dry with a paper towel.

BY GRACE O

By Monet

The 5th Annual Binibining Pilipinas USA Pageant winners crowned

GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks — The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won Gourmand’s ‘Best in the World’ Award for Innovation. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver 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

TV journalist Marie Lozano, Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner-up Shamcey Supsup– Lee, and sportswoman Ian Banzon shed light on challenging the society’s views on being a woman of today.

like to break is that women cannot do what men can do. So in my case, that’s sports and making that a part of your career,” Dr. Banzon said, defying the exclusivity of being a professional athlete to men.

“People get surprise when I say I’m a mom. That’s a stereotype that we’d like to break nowadays, because a lot of moms, the moms right now, they’re modern day women. They have careers. They juggle their work and motherhood, and can look good,” Lozano said, adding that mothers can be career and family-driven while feeling and looking good. As being beautiful is not just single ladies’ privilege.

Being an architect and a beauty queen title holder, Supsup-Lee did not hold back on changing the perception of pageant queens.

“When I was still in my profession as an architect, I always thought that I can’t be beautiful because I’m always under the sun. I always have dirt on my clothes and I don’t feel glamorous as a signed architect. I thought to myself, I can still be beautiful, even though I work in this kind of environment.”

She added: “Before, I thought beauty queens were just pretty faces and sexy. When I joined Binibing Pilipinas, I was able to learn that we all have different stories. We are not just somebody ‘basta maganda ka lang’ on stage. That’s why I also wanted to change how people see beauty queens by being who I am, being an architect, being a mom, and being well rounded.”

(Philstar.com)

Features

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

B

Parenthood: A sacred covenant Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS “…Anything less makes the man nothing but a selfish egocentric sperm donor and the woman only a cold and cruel human incubator.”

EVERY child is a blessing from God, and having children, natural or adopted, is one of the greatest privileges a couple or a person can have. But just like any privilege in life, parenthood comes with serious obligations and responsibilities for both the mother and the father, or the adopted parent(s).

It does not require a man to be a genius or a superman to impregnate a woman. Neither does it need more than consent for a healthy woman to get pregnant.

What makes a woman a mother is not the few minutes of romance or the short nine months of carrying the child, or even the actual delivery. they are the everlasting love, enduring sacrifices and endless patience that follow in caring for the child that define motherhood. Child bearing is easy. Child rearing is something else. Any woman can get pregnant and deliver a child, but not all can be a mother.

Similarly, it takes more than just virility and prowess in bed for a man to be a father. Fatherhood is the indomitable strength, invincible courage, and the joyful

eagerness in a man to commit, to love with selfless devotion and tenderness the new life he helps bring into this world.

Anything less in either parent makes the man nothing but an egocentric sperm donor and the woman only a cold and cruel human incubator.

While most couples are blessed with children of their own, some have to endeavor harder to receive these gifts. the admirable ones who have decided to adopt children are those with fortitude, self-confidence, a mind that is secure, and a heart full of love and compassion. And in today’s world where unfortunate orphans and unwanted, or neglected, children abound, these wonderful couples, who are eager to adopt them, love them, and care for them, are truly admirable saviors and heroes in the strict sense of the word. After all, procreation, conception, and delivery are only a miniscule part of true motherhood, and providing the sperm, only an iota of what fatherhood is all about.

Parenthood is really the natural instinct of giving oneself totally in the subconscious fulfillment of an unwritten, self-imposed, contract the parents made with their yet unborn child, entered into the very moment the man and the woman engaged themselves in an act that could bring forth a new life into this world. Conceivably, that same sacred bond, and all the instincts of parenthood, have been faithfully kept and handed down from the very first family of humans on earth to our generation today. the reciprocal obligation is, of course, for the children to take care of their parents when

the time comes. that this covenant is a part of the laws of nature is evident even among animals, especially among mammals. It is a tragedy and a shame, though to realize that it is more pervasive among humans to neglect, hurt and/or abandon their young than among almost all animals. Similarly, it is a sad commentary, on the other end of the spectrum, that ingratitude and cruelty are all too common among some people of today, who wantonly desert their old and helpless parents in the sunset years of their lives when they need their children’s love and care the greatest.

While parenthood is a grave responsibility filled with many a sleepless night, sweat and sacrifices, and sometimes disappointments and tears, it is nonetheless a joyous privilege and a magnificent gift from the Almighty.

And as long as we, supposedly the smartest and most superior creatures on the Planet Earth, continue to honor that divine covenant, the world will remain a wonderful place to live in.

Visit philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

*** 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

What is in your ‘bucket’?

by Emil

PErito

FROM the Biblical ruins to the historical landmarks and breathtaking sceneries, the Holy Land is a must-visit destination for both wanderlust travelers and those looking for a spiritual and religious experience.

Located on the northern slopes of the Mount of Olives is the Church of Pater Noster, built in 330 to commemorate the Ascension of Christ. there, you’ll find a cave widely believed to be a meeting place of Jesus and His disciples. Join others from all over in admiring the ceramic tiled walls showcasing the Lord’s Prayer in over 70 languages!

Overlooking the beautiful Sea of Galilee is one of the most tranquil places in the Holy Land, the Mount of Beatitudes. On it, you’ll find another church aptly named the Church of the Beatitudes. Its octagonal architecture built in the 1930s is a reminder to pilgrims of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Along the Mediterranean coastline and halfway between tel Aviv and Haifa are the ruins of ancient Caesarea. Built in 20 BCE by Herod the Great, the ancient city was once a world class port, as well as the official capital of what the Romans called “Provincia Judea” for 600 years.

Step into the Cenacle, also known as the “Upper Room” or the “Last Supper Room”, atop Mount Zion. It is here that Jesus is said to have eaten with His disciples the evening before his arrest.

At 1,300 feet below sea level is the famous Dead Sea, the low-

Reunited with his children by being petitioned as a caregiver - on a brand new episode of Citizen Pinoy!

It was a sign while walking the streets of Mabini in Manila, Philippines that made Isaac apply to become a seaman. In 2007, after his ship docked in Los Angeles, Isaac again asked for another sign, and decided to jump ship, to build a brighter future for his children.

Luckily, Isaac found an employer who was willing to petition him as a caregiver. Despite this fortunate turn of events, Isaac still felt the pain of separation from his family.

It would be a long and lonely journey alone in the U.S. while he waited for his petition to be cur-

rent. However, Isaac realized there were no shortcuts if he wanted to do it right. He sought the services of leading U.S. Immigration Attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel, who had successfully handled the case of Isaac’s father before him. the family was fully satisfied with the service and work the Law Offices of Michael J. Gurfinkel provided.

Isaac did not even consider going anywhere else.

Isaac wanted it done right and legally, especially since Gurfinkel always advises: “the best way to legalize your status is to do it legally.”

Anne Curtis mum about...

the process went smoothly.

Soon enough, Isaac got his green card in the U.S. and returned to the Philippines to be with his family, after eight long years of separation. And, as a bonus, his employer’s petition included his sons, allowing them to join him in the U.S. as green card holders, without Isaac having to file another family petition.

Watch this long-awaited family reunion on a brand-new episode of CItIZEN PINOY - on Sunday 6:15 pm PSt/ESt (9:15 pm ESt thru select Cable/Satellite providers).

Samar, where a similar school building needs renovation.

PAGE B1 Incidentally, Dream Machine ing in the renovation of school mangarap; hindi mo kaya ‘yon.’ It’s buildings, such as the General will raise funds by holding a Color okay to dream big. You just have Roxas Elementary School in Que- Run Philippines on Sept. 3 at the to be realistic and passionate in zon City. All it took was a tweet MOA with the assistance of Run pursuing your dreams. Nothing from a teacher named Rica and Rio, for the benefit of UNICEF is impossible.”

Anne readily helped. She has just Philippines’ program for children Part of Anne’s advocacy is help- come back from Bobon, Northern with disabilities.

est accessible point on earth! It contains five to seven times more minerals than other seas, making it popular among visitors looking for an extra health treatment. Float effortlessly on the sea’s surface with the help of its salt content which is about ten times more than the Mediterranean sea!

Visiting the Holy Land is sure to bring new experiences. Its

the history Maker awardees with the organizers of the cable network’s 2017 convention.

connections to the past make it a perfect place for rejuvenation and inspiration.

Air Plus travel specializes in religious travel. Join us in one of our organized trips to the Holy Land. For more information, contact Air Plus travel at (562) 863 - 0624, or visit us at www. airplustravel.net. (advertising supplement)

Manilatimes.net photo

Filipino history makers honored at History Con 2017 It wasn’t just Manila making history again with 68,800 people in attendance at the country’s biggest entertainment convention of the year. History Con 2017 also saw nine Filipinos honored for their significant contribution to national culture. the winners of the History Maker Awards was led by Pia Wurtzbach for bringing back the Miss Universe crown to the Philippines after 42 years, and as UNAids Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific region.

“Asia’s Sweetheart” Anne Curtis was also recognized for her influence and support for Unicef in protecting and promoting the rights of children. the rest of the honorees included award-winning director for independent films Brillante Mendoza; Olympic weightlifting

Caregiver petition allows isaaC to be reunited with his Children in the u.s. as green Card holders. driven by the desire to improve his life for his children’s sake, isaac (left) jumped ship when his ship docked at los angeles in 2007. Fortunately, he found an employer who was willing to petition him as a caregiver. the employer’s petition was approved, but isaac still had to wait several more years before his priority date was current and he was eligible for a green card. all that time, isaac could not return to the philippines due to his immigration status. but he still made that sacrifice, knowing it was the right way to do. For him, it was better to wait, if everything was done properly and legally. isaac knew he was in capable hands under the law offices of Michael J. gurfinkel, who helped obtain green cards for isaac and his two young sons. watch this happy family reunion on a brand-new episode of CitiZen pinoY – on sunday at 6:15 pm (pst) on tFC.

silver medallist Hidilyn Diaz; world-class composer and musical director Ryan Cayabyab; Himalayan Adventure team Pinas and Mt. Everest conqueror Romi Garduce; cosmic scientist Reinabelle Reyes; and social entrepreneur Illac Diaz.

“We are glad to bring History Con back in Manila for a second year, which received overwhelming response from visitors of all ages. It has been a great success in bringing Filipinos together for an enriching experience that celebrates the past, present and future,” enthused A+E Networks Asia Pacific Deputy Managing Director Prem Kamath said of the event, which formed part of History’s 10th anniversary activities in Asia. the star-studded extravaganza ran from August 10 to 13 at

the World trade Center in Pasay City and had visitors enjoying various unique zones that highlighted the largest automotive display of cars and motorbikes, massive vintage and antiques collections, the comic strip, special collectibles of superheroes, toys and comics and a range of outdoor activities.

History’s biggest names were also in attendance, namely Corey Harrison of “Pawn Stars,” Mike Henry of “Counting Cars,” Danielle Colby of “the Pickers,” Ryu Lim of “Forged In Fire,” Jaime Dempsey of “Ride N’ Seek,” Justin Mott of “Photo Face-off,” Phoemela Baranda of “Celebrity Car Wars,” John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin of “tiny House Nation” and Adam Liaw of “Destination Flavour.”

(ManilaTimes.net)

B august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Features

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

DOT UnDersecreTary KaT De casTrO On The Up anD cOming DesTinaTiOns TO visiT in The philippines Reiterates call for Fil-Ams to be tourism ambassadors

K

atherine “Kat” De Castro, the undersecretary of advocacy and public affairs for the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), was recently in Los Angeles to attend various community events and meetings to continue promoting the Philippines as a safe and fun destination.

She exclusively sat down with the Asian Journal to speak about the DOT’s plans to reach its 7 million tourist arrivals target by the end of the year, how it will engage millennials and up and coming places to visit during your next trip.

Asian Journal: What activities have you participated in during your current trip here in Los Angeles?

Kat De Castro: I arrived last Friday and the first thing I did was represent Secretary [Wanda Tulfo Teo] at the Philippine Madrigal Singers show on Saturday [August 19]. On the following day, I was one of the judges for Binibining Pilipinas USA. I’ve had back-to-back meetings, including one with NBC executives because we are looking for possible exposure for the Philippines in the Winter Olympics in 2018 and at the same time, come up with a documentary which they can film in the Philippines and show after the games. I’ve also had talks about bringing in legitimate social media influencers — those who have more than a million followers — so it’s going to be a media familiarization tour for them. We’re also looking at sports tourism, for example, with [boxer] Brian Viloria who wants to come up with a series of episodes of him flying back to the Philippines and tracing his roots while trying to inspire boxing among the youth.

AJ: How important is it as a representative of the DOT to come to overseas countries like the U.S. where there is a large Filipino population?

KDC: The Secretary has been busy with going to different countries all over the world.

Coming to LA, we all know has largest Filipino community in this side of the world, so it’s important for us to touch base in terms of even though, you all are Filipinos, you are considered tourists when you come to the Philippines. It’s our mission to ensure that you all go to the Philippines as often as you can to help us achieve our goals.

For 2017, our main goal is basically to achieve 7 million tourist arrivals. Last year it was 6 million. Next year, 8 million.

So it increases by a million every year.

AJ: Right now, how on track is the country with that target?

KDC: Currently, the Philippines is at 30 percent. We’re on track in terms of the fact that it’s half of the year and we’re reaching 3.5 million already. If ever we do fall short, it’ll be at least 2 percent at most. We’re doing everything we can to not just reach it but maybe more than 7 million for this year.

AJ: As undersecretary, your focus has been on bringing the second generation of Filipinos to the Philippines. What are your plans to achieve this?

KDC: Basically I handle all the non-traditional aspects of the DOT. Before there was no one taking care of social media and digital media. Nobody was there establishing connections with networks in the Philippines and abroad. Those are things I do under my division. If there’s a live event, like the Miss Universe or the World’s Strongest Man, it falls on my lap. If there’s a movie that wants to be shot in the Philippines, that also falls under me too.

It’s the new stuff that I do, which is really exciting.

The Secretary herself has made an appeal to all the FilipinoAmerican communities here in the states to trace back their roots.

We are appealing to their parents to let their kids come to the Philippines and find out about it. There was this case wherein the parents brought back their 13,14-year-old son and went to Boracay. The son said something like, “Why did you leave the Philippines?” These stories are basically the ones we touch on. We are going to come up with a [familiarization] tour for millennials, which would be like the Ambassadors Tour, but something really meant for that demographic.

We are also

coming up with travel packages that they can afford.

AJ: Internationally, there has been a lot of negative news about the Philippines. Despite that, however, how is the DOT maintaining that it is indeed still ‘more fun in the Philippines’?

KDC: We ask for a lot of budget in terms of promoting the Philippines. In fact, for 2018, we were granted P1 billion for branding alone, which shows that the government realizes the importance of marketing the Philippines to the rest of the world because of the not-so-good stuff coming out of the country.

But when you compare it to other Southeast Asian countries, the Philippines still has the lowest budget when it comes to promoting the country. For us at the department, we try to come up with ways and means to have a wider reach without spending a lot. It’s pretty hard, but what do we do? We tap the hearts of members of Fil-Am communities

to become ambassadors of the Philippines.

AJ: On that note, how can Filipinos who don’t live in the Philippines be that word of mouth marketing for you?

KDC: Fil-Ams are very important for us because [non-Filipinos] probably hear a lot of things about the Philippines from the press.

President Trump tends to get compared to President Duterte.

It’s really up to the Fil-Ams to tell them, ‘You know what? Our country is not that bad at all.’ Sure, we have this thing going on in Mindanao but then, it’s thousands of miles away from the other islands in the country. I’m expecting FilAms to also tell people that we are a country of 7,107 islands. If there’s something happening on one island, there are 6,000 others to choose from.

AJ: Yes, Marawi is only a portion of the country. But in popular areas like Metro Manila, Palawan and Boracay, what is being done to ensure that they are still safe?

KDC: At the top destinations, you can always expect a lot of security. Not only just that — when it comes to emergencies, you have all the medical teams on standby,

you have the police and army.

Palawan right now is very much well-guarded, especially now since we are expecting an influx of tourists to that region because it’s the No.1 island in the world.

We have to make sure that every time the tourists come there, they feel safe and in case there are emergencies, they wouldn’t have to worry because we have those resources on standby. I can guarantee it’s safe.

AJ: In addition to the beaches, what other activities and destinations is the DOT promoting?

KDC: Since there is so much interest in Filipino cuisine, we are promoting the gastronomic delights of the Philippines. We are also promoting the country as a wedding destination, so those are the two things on the Secretary’s agenda. At the same time, cruise tourism is very important since we are an archipelago, it’s something we are hoping will take off in the next few years.

AJ: Any specific destinations, not just Palawan or Boracay, that the department is highlighting?

KDC: One is Siargao, which is even though, it’s in Mindanao, people still go there because it’s the surfing mecca of the Philippines. The waves there are very much like those on the North Shore of Hawaii. Another one would be Balesin in Luzon, which is now considered a wedding destination as well. Also Vitalis in Santiago, Ilocos Sur. Then, Siquijor, the mystical island. For quite some time, they weren’t able to market Siquijor because of the stigma. If you go there, there are stories about the aswang and mangkukulam. But now, the province is embracing that by promoting that as the mystical island. If you want to let someone fall in love with you, come to Siquijor because there’s a love potion for you. We can make gayuma for you. Now a lot of foreigners are really going for not just the mysticism, but be-

cause there are many unspoiled beaches there.

Another would be Romblon, which has a place called the Carabao Island. It’s what Boracay used to look like before they started building those hotels.

AJ: What is being done to make tourists stay in Metro Manila, not just treat it like a landing pad before going to another destination in the country?

KDC: Our template for Metro Manila is actually Singapore. For Singapore, it has tended to be a connector to other places in Southeast Asia. We’re trying to build Metro Manila in such a way that once you land, you’d like to stay for two more nights because we have the best shopping areas, best food, and of course, the historical part of the city, Intramuros, we are reviving that now.

These are steps being done for Metro Manila and hopefully, we will solve the traffic soon.

AJ: Your favorite destination in the Philippines?

KDC: My favorite destination in the Philippines — I would take out the family ties because I could say Davao or Mindoro because I’m from there. But I would say Batanes, which is on the tip of the Philippines.

There are three islands up there: Sabtang, Itbayat and Batan. On a good day, you could actually see Taiwan already. It’s one of the most relaxing places in the Philippines wherein you can commune with God. You can just sit there and look at the stars and clouds. I think it’s one of those provinces that has zero crime rate. If you leave your iPhone on the street, you will still see it there the following day. It’s just unfortunate that it’s a destination you can’t go to all year round. Every time it’s typhoon season, it shuts down completely because that’s where the typhoon exits.

But I hope there will be measures done to make it a year round destination because it’s beautiful. n

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017

B

Philippine Madrigal Singers displays winning form in successful concert ‘Love of Country’, a project of PH Department of Tourism and Asian Journal Group launched with Undersecretary Kat de Castro as special guest by

ANNIE NEPOMUCENO

After a six-year absence in the Los Angeles concert scene, the award-winning Philippine Madrigal Singers, or the “Madz” for short, received thunderous applause from an enthusiastic audience at the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall at CSU-Northridge. It was a full house of adoring fans, and the hall filled with the phenomenal, refined and impressive voices by the choir, led by Mark Anthony Carpio.

The Madz gave three encores, with the crowd clamoring for more of the repertoire which included competition pieces in the first half, many of which are written by Madz in-house composers. The lighter side in the second half proved the versatility of the famed choir where John Legend’s “All of Me”, and Jimmy Borja’s “Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin” instantly became crowd favorites.

The Madz often spring surprises to its audience, and very well did so with the most applauded songs: Ryan Cayabyab’s “Da Coconut Nut” and the finale, Whitney Houston’s “Queen of the Night.”

As if their honed voices were not enough to impress, explosive stage presence and unexpected dance moves by the soloists surely wowed the audience.

Songs from various regions of the Philippines are a requisite part of the program, and the Madz has been the source of choral adaptations of such all over the world. Showing the diverse cultures were “Osi-Osi” and “Mamayug Akun” from Maguindanao, “Ili-Ili Tulog Anay” and the tagalog collection of playsongs “Tuksuhan”.

A sight to behold — the women in elegant gowns in multiple colors and the men dashing in their barongs — the group filed into its iconic seated semi-circle position.

This unique arrangement is borne of the group’s origin, when in 1963, founder Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion and other illustrious names in the U.P. College of

photos by

RICK GAVINO

Music, pulled Renaissance Madrigals from the 1500s from the library. Centuries ago, singing Madrigals was the main form of entertainment, when folks gathered around a table and sang music themselves.

In attendance were officials from the Department of Tourism, Undersecretary Katherine De Castro and Tourism Director Richmond Jimenez, who encouraged the audience to travel more and experience the riches of the Philippines, which aside from picturesque destinations, includes a wealth of cultural and artistic activity, as that provided by the Madz, a resident artist of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a UNESCO Artist For Peace.

Launched at the concert was the “Love Of Country” campaign, in partnership with the Asian Journal with CEO Roger Oriel and Editor Christina Oriel in attendance.

Balikbayan Magazine Editor-inChief Raphael John Oriel, head of the project, presented the new website Loveofcountry.ph, a platform for global Filipinos to explore travel, invest, and create jobs in the Philippines.

The Madz, being a standard bearer and cultural ambassador for the Philippines, has been bringing not only pride to the country because of its unfettered winning streaks, but also international choirs and personalities in the choral music world. The Madz have brought into the Philippines the famed The King’s Singers and The Swingle Singers in sold out joint concerts in Manila, and will soon launch the Asia Grand Prix for Choral Singing Competition.

Original works from three composer/arrangers from the ranks of the Madz were presented that evening of August 19: “My Life In You” and “Tenderly” by Fr. Arnold Zamora, former assistant to Ryan Cayabyab and now ordained priest in San Francisco, “Lux Aeterna” and “Magnifikat” by Ily Matthew

Maniano, currently a male alto in this travelling batch, and “Agnus Dei” and “Kaisa-Isa Niyan” by Nilo Alcala, whose works have been performed at the prestigious Disney Hall by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Alcala is one of the numerous Madz Alumni based in Los Angeles, who also count prominent classical singers Sal Malaki of the LA Opera, Kit Navarro of the Pacific Chorale (OC), Ed Nepomuceno of the Harana Men’s Chorus, Sheen Sanchez of LAYA Children’s choir, and Annie Nepomuceno, performer/producer who managed production and touring of the Madz Southern California stop.

The concert is produced by the Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA, who has been responsible for bringing and hosting the Madz since the late 1980s. Founders Dante and Ellen Honorico have long been supporting exemplary Filipino artists deserving of the stage, and the best cultural representatives.

The staff of the Valley Performing Arts Center was equally impressed, as most US organizations have not been fully acquainted with Filipino artists. They do recognize the need to serve our increasing demographic of FilipinoAmericans, and our support for excellent artists is what Balikbayan Magazine Editor-in-Chief Raphael John Oriel introduces they need to see. Instrumental the “Love of Country” project. to this is the media support of sponsors Asian Journal and TFC The Filipino Channel.

With the Madz unprecedented third qualification for the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing, and being the first in the world to win twice, the Filipino has further cemented its capacity for artistic excellence in Los Angeles.

The Madz continue on for the next five months touring the US before heading to Europe for the competition. For tour information, visit www. musicartsevents.com.

Philippine Department of Tourism Undersecretary Katherine De Castro gives welcome remarks after the intermission.

DOT-LA Director Richmond Jimenez, Ellen and Dante Honorico of Philippine Patron of the Arts-USA (PPA-USA) and Asian Journal CEO and publisher Roger Oriel

Madz receives standing ovation at the group’s concert on Saturday, August 19.

Madz with alumni, Harana Men’s Chorus, and Dante and Ellen Honorico of PPA-USA after the performance

Madz being acknowledged by host Annie Nepomuceno

B august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

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

FEATURES

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

B7

Hmart Torrance 1st anniversary Davich Optical grand re-opening! customer appreciation event Free gifts and Spin the Lucky Wheel events and more

A LEADING international supermarket chain, Hmart Torrance is to hold 1st anniversary customer appreciation event from September 1 - 3 (only 3 days).

To celebrate its anniversary, Hmart Torrance will have free tasting event that all ethnicities and ages can enjoy. Balloons and face painting events will be held for children from 2pm to 5pm (Saturday and Sunday only).

Also, Hmart Smart Card members, with purchase of $50 or more, will be able to receive mugs as free gifts and get a chance to participate in the ‘Spin the Lucky Wheel’ event from 11 am to 7 pm.

Other stores inside Hmart such as Amore cosmetics, Optical & eyewear store, and etc will present its own 1st anniversary event as well.

Hmart Torrance said, “Hmart would like to give special thanks to our valued customers for supporting and loving us. We have prepared a variety of events and promotions, so please come and enjoy!”

For further information, please contact Hmart Torrance. (Tel. 310-974-6880, Address: 4340 Pacific Coast Hwy, Torrance, CA 90505) (Advertising Supplement)

Kapamilya artists unite and sing for Marawi

by KANE

ERROL CHOA Philstar.com

ONE Music PH’s Awit Para sa Marawi special benefit concert brought together Kapamilya artists, bands and their fans at ABSCBN’s Studio 10 to deliver a clear message: We are stronger than any adversity if we unite and work together.

“Ngayong gabi natutuwa ako kasi iba-iba ang fans na nandito.

This is coming from my heart: I really appreciate it. Nakikita ko ang daming iba-ibang banners.

But tonight, iisa tayong lahat for Marawi,” Jake Zyrus told the crowd, before dedicating his cover of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven” to the people affected by the armed conflict in Marawi City.

It was the first time for One Music PH, ABS-CBN’s music portal, to bring together musicians in a concert, this time, for a good cause: to raise funds for the relief operations of Operation Sagip, the emergency humanitarian arm of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. (ALKFI), in the conflict-stricken area.

The concert was also streamed live for free for netizens here and abroad through the music portal’s website onemusic.ph.

The crowd cheered for their fa- officially released soon. vorites, but was united by the power of music to give hope, to heal and to inspire courage in people.

Some of the artists chose songs about remaining optimistic and resilient in the face of adversity — Volts Vallejo performed Pagsubok, Alexa Ilacad sang Keep Holding On, Ylona Garcia offered her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and BoybandPH closed the show with its cover of With a Smile.

Other artists who shared their time and talent were Xian Lim, Kiana Valenciano, Sam Concepcion, The Voice Kids champions Lyca Gairanod, Joshua Oliveros and Elha Nympha, Jason Dy, Sam Mangubat, JRoa, Kaye Cal, Quest, Young JV and bands Ang Bandang Shirley, Jensen and the Flips, Genesis, Iskala, Android 18, Over October, Agsunta and Brisom.

In between performances, they offered words of encouragement to the people of Marawi, thanked their fans for offering help by going to the event and encouraged more people to help in the rehabilitation efforts.

The event also showed a video of the participating artists recording an original song dedicated to the people in Marawi, which will be

Jake Zyrus, Jason Dy, Ylona Garcia, Sam Mangubat

ABS-CBN photos

UNDER new ownership and management by the husband and wife team of Drs. Dickson Chen and Jungmi Kim, Koreatown’s Davich Optical would like to invite everyone to come visit their beautiful 4,000 square feet optical and to take advantage of new and exciting Grand Re-Opening sales and Summer promotions.

The Davich franchise was founded in Korea and has now expanded to over 200+ branches there and two international branches in the United States.

The main focus of Davich doctors and optical staff is to help patients find the “perfect match” for their eyes. The right set of glasses and/or contact lenses that provide clear, comfortable vision while reflecting the patient’s sense of style.

Davich Optical specializes in providing attractive frame styles to fit any budget. They have frames and lens packages starting at $50 to ensure that no patient leaves without their best possible vision. Davich also takes great pride in offering the top brand names in the industry such as Ray Ban, Gucci, Prada, Coach and Armani, while giving each patient ample amount of time and personal attention to help them select the perfect pair that suits their face and personality.

Jungmi Kim, PhD, is a former optometry professor in her native Korea, teaching both optometry and opticianry students at Gimcheon University before coming to America. She is certitified by both the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners. Her husband,

Dickson Chen, OD, FAAO, graduated from UCLA and the Southern California College of Optometry in 1992 and was recognized as the 2003 California Optometric Association’s Young Optometrist of the Year.

Come in today, there’s no appointment necessary! Eye exams and contact lens fittings are performed on-site seven days a week and as always, 100% patient satisfaction guaranteed!

(Advertising Supplement)

B august 26-29, 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

Your Immigration Solution Michael Bhotiwihok and nancy Miller THE U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ new policy indicates that a grant of Temporary Protected Status (“TPS”) is considered an admission for INA Section 245(a) purposes for adjustment of status applicants residing in the Sixth and Ninth Circuits. TPS recipients do not have to leave the United States and consular process through a United States Embassy or Consulate.

Instead, families are kept together and lives continue in the United States. The new USCIS position came from Flores v. USCIS in the Sixth Circuit and Ramirez v. Brown in the Ninth Circuit; both courts held that a TPS grantee is considered “inspected and admitted” under INA Section 245(a).

The USCIS’ willingness to recognize TPS as an admission is significant because residents in the Sixth and Ninth Circuits who were granted TPS now may apply for a green card in the United States. The Sixth and Ninth Circuit’s large geographic reach includes a large number TPS grantees.

The Ninth Circuit encompasses California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. The Sixth Circuit includes Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky.

In Ramirez v. Brown, the Ninth Circuit held that a TPS recipient is eligible to adjust to legal permanent resident status in the United Status. The Ninth Circuit reasoned that receiving TPS deems an individual to be in lawful status and satisfies the nonimmigrant requirements, such as inspection and admission, for adjustment of status purposes.

In Ramirez, a dispute arose over whether being a TPS designee provided a pathway to obtaining lawful permanent residence status under the adjustment statute. The United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (“USCIS”) found Ramirez ineligible to adjust to lawful permanent

New USCIS policy on TPS as a pathway to a green card

resident status on that ground that he last entered the country without inspection therefore he had not inspected, admitted or paroled as required by Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) Section 245(a). The Ninth Circuit held that TPS designation provides a pathway to a green card.

INA Section 245(a) requires that an applicant prove that he or she has been inspected and admitted (or paroled) before being eligible to adjust status to lawful permanent residency. Because of the Ramirez decision, TPS recipients who entered the United States without inspection are now considered admitted and qualify for adjustment of status under INA Section 245(a) provided they have an independent means of immigrating.

Prior to the Flores and Ramirez decisions, only those with proof of a legal entry, an exception under INA 245(i), advance parole, or parole based on a family member in the United States Armed Forces could complete their lawful permanent residency process without leaving the United States.

TPS may be granted by the USCIS to foreign nationals due to conditions in their country, such as a natural disaster or civil war, which prevent the foreign nationals who are living in the United States from returning safely to their country. The Department of Homeland Security has currently designated the following countries for TPS: El Salvador, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

TPS status allows foreign nationals to live and work in the United States without the fear of being removed/deported. TPS is a temporary benefit that does not directly lead to a green card.

However, registration for TPS does not prevent one from applying for nonimmigrant status, adjustment of status based on an immigrant petition, or any other immigration benefit or protection.

For TPS grantees outside of the Sixth and Ninth Circuits, at-

tention must be directed to monitoring current pending cases in their respective jurisdictions.

For example this year, in Bonilla v. Johnson, the United States District Court, District of Minnesota, held that a grant of TPS satisfies the threshold requirement of admission for purposes of becoming eligible for adjustment of status to a lawful permanent resident.

In addition, TPS grantees should consider alternative routes to obtaining a green card.

The Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver (“Provisional Waiver”) allows beneficiaries of immigrant visa petitions who were not inspected and admitted to the United States to apply for a waiver of the ten-year bar that will be triggered by departing the country to apply for an immigrant visa abroad. The Provisional Waiver allows applicants to know whether their waiver is approved or not before departing the United States. Thus, the uncertainty and risks of leaving the United States to consular process are alleviated. The Provisional Waiver decreases the time that families are separated and keeps families together during the consular processing of an immigrant visa.

Any TPS grantee should seek the advice of an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney to discuss his or her immigration options and eligibility to obtain a green card in the United States. n *** 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 • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

C

C AUGUST 26-29, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Community Journal

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

To working parents: Are you still broke every month in spite of having 2 incomes?

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon

ONE of my clients told me: “My wife and I both work very hard to raise our two children. On most days we work long hours and don’t even get home until late. It doesn’t seem fair. No matter how hard we work, we are flat broke every single month.

We don’t even see our paychecks anymore. After paying all our bills every month, our bank account is back to almost zero, sometimes even negative!

It’s very frustrating. What are we doing wrong?”

Does this sound familiar? Are you married and have children who depend on you for support? If you belong to a two-income household and are supporting dependent children, do you find yourself working harder and harder than ever before and yet still find yourself falling farther and farther behind in your financial obligations every month? You are not alone. And it’s not your fault.

Unlike the old days, most families nowadays can no longer survive on just one income. Two paychecks are usually needed in order to make ends meet. But it seems like even having two incomes doesn’t leave much at the end of the month for working parents who are supporting dependent children. Senator Elizabeth Warren said in her book, “The TwoIncome Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers Are Going Broke”: “The people who consistently rank in the WORST financial trouble are united by one surprising characteristic. They are working parents with children at home…”

See, if you are a parent who is still raising children, you are probably at a stage in your life where your living expenses are at their highest. And then as you grow older and your chil-

dren become self-supporting adults, your expenses begin to decrease. Hopefully, at the end of your working days, you would also have saved enough money for a comfortable retirement.

You would think that with both parents working in a household, all of the above should not be a struggle and that these households should be financially well. But why is it that parents with dependent children still rank as being in the worst financial trouble according to Senator Warren?

One of the likely answers to the above ques-

“

some cases, they borrow even more in order to pay other creditors, and thus perpetuating this vicious borrowing cycle with no end in sight.

If you belong to a two-income household but are still struggling to make ends meet each month, I suggest you review your finances and find out exactly where your money goes every month. If you are one of the few people who has made it to this point without getting buried in debt, more power to you. But if you are part of the majority who is still not making it in spite of the two incomes that you have, perhaps you need to keep your debt obligations in check before they get out of hand (unless they already are!).

If you are experiencing serious debt problems, how you handle your current situation may not only have a significant impact on your own financial future but it may also affect the future of the ones you love. These are the people who have no one else but you to depend on for their financial support. If you need help and don’t know what to do, I can help you figure out a solution to your debt problems. For immediate assistance, you can call Toll-Free at 1-866-477-7772 to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with me. n ***

No matter how hard these people work, there is never enough money to go around. In some cases, they barrow even more in order to pay other creditors and thus perpetuating this vicious barrowingcycle with no end in sight.

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

LET’S discuss 10 strategies as you meet face-to-face with the Appeals Officer: 1. Learn how the appeals process works. Learn how to gather, research, file, and prepare adequately. Get a coach to guide you through the survival process.

2. First address issues that are easiest to resolve and hope to establish a pattern that will carry over to the rest of the conference. Starting with the most complicated issue may get you stuck, unable to move on, and diminish your chances for a good resolution.

3. Present as many evidence in

FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS

( Mt Carmel, Mt Beatitude, Mt.Tabor, Cana, Capernum, Nazareth, Mt. of Olives, Old & New Jerusalem, Bethlehem Qumran, Masada, Jericho )

Dec 3 to 14, 2017

Spiritual Director: Rev. Fr. Alvin Cachola

tion is this: A lot of people have simply overextended themselves on debt. A big chunk of their income goes to paying personal debts each month such that very little is left to pay for living expenses and personal needs. And with the outrageous interest that the big banks and credit card companies are charging, most people will remain in debt for the rest of their lives.

The so-called “credit card debt trap” is a reality that a lot of people live with every single day. No matter how hard these people work, there is never enough money to go around. In

”

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)

10 strategies at IRS appeals your favor.

4. Be credible. It is the most important single element in settling your case. Be honest and forthright with him. Even the best arguments, citations, and documentation won’t be effective if you lose credibility during the conference.

5. Be reasonable. Heated arguments lead you nowhere. Threats or ultimatums backfire and merely lead you to more trouble. This is not the time to be bullheaded or combative.

6. Be prepared to compromise.

Remember that the purpose of the conference is to settle your case—not to bully for a win.

7. Try to control the tempo of the conference but be subtle.

Suggest, not demand, the manner in which the conference is conducted. It is not in your best

interest to be pushy.

8. Respect the Appeals Officer.

The appeals officer is not the enemy. The officer is here to help settle your case.

9. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the government’s position. This will guide you when to attack issues, when to step back, when to extend an olive branch.

10. Help the Appeals Officer build your case so he can help back you up in his written report to his superiors. In my experience, Appeals Officers feel for taxpayers but sometimes do not have tools to help deserving taxpayers. Submit persuasive documents such as cancelled checks and thank you letters to support donations, floor plans to support office at home, or recent tax court cases to support your side

of the issues.

When things get tough, emphasize the hazards of litigation.

You can lose all the issues if you proceed to court. So can the IRS. Good day! n *** 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)

Havan�, Cub� May 22 to 29, 2018

May 22, 2018 (Tuesday - Day 1) Los Angeles to Havana, Cuba Depart from LAX to Havana, Cuba. Upon arrival in Havana, meet our guide and transfer to the hotel for dinner.

May 23, 2018 (Wednesday - Day 2) Havana, Cuba Our day will begin with mass at the Cathedral of Havana located in the center of Old Havana. After mass, proceed for a city tour of Old Havana with an experienced local tour guide. The tour will take 4 DEC-Day 2 - (Mon) - Arrive at Ben Gurion airport Tel-Aviv/Tiberias place on foot and you will visit all the squares of Old Havana. Take in the astonishing beauty of the After you have finished Immigration, collect Luggage then Meet our guide and driver. Transfer to Tiberias , Dinner /overnight Gai Beach Hotel historical buildings, sculptures, and monuments. After lunch you will have free time to bargain at the 5 DEC-Day 3 - (Tues) Cesarea /Haifa San Jose Craft Market. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 3 DEC-Day 1 - (Sun) LAX/TLV On board meals are served

There was a certain man in Caesarea” Drive north to the sparkling port city of Haifa, viewing Caesarea en route, the city built by Herod. In Haifa, we will ascend Mt. Carmel; home of the two prophets Elijah and Elisha, Visit the Stella Maris Church celebrate Holy Mass in the main Altar, after enjoy the panoramic view of the Mediterranean, continue to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. Gai Beach Hotel (BB,D)

May 24, 2018 (Thursday – Day 3) Havana, Cuba This morning, we will visit the Convent and Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem. This religious complex is the most extensive of those surviving in Old Havana. Here you will attend mass. After mass, you will meet with the 6 DEC-Day 4 - (Wed) - Tiberias/ Cana/ Nazareth Holy Eucharist at the Church of annunciation “And Mary said, Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your nuns and assist with projects of the day. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. In the evening you will assist word” We head to Cana of Galilee, where Our Lord performed the first miracle – changing water into wine at the wedding feast. Here, we’ll a Cuban cultural demonstration. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) invite couples to renew their marriage vows. Continue to Nazareth, Celebrate Holy Eucharist at the Church of Annunciation, visit St Joseph workshop. We return to Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)

07 Dec-Day 5 - (Thurs) Mt Tabor/Mt Beatitude/Capernum/ Sea of Galilee/Tabgha

We drive to Mount Tabor, celebrate Holy Eucharist at the church of Transfiguration, Visit Mt. of Beatitudes the site of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus preached to the people. enjoy a scenic boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, home of Our Lord during his ministry. After visiting the Synagogue where he taught, proceed to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Gai Beach Hotel for our dinner and overnight. (BB/D)

May 25, 2018 (Friday – Day 4) Havana, Cuba You will have mass at the Convent and Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem. After mass, you will continue to assist the nuns. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. This evening in Havana, we will plan an exciting tour of the historical complex of Castillo del and La Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana. If the timing and weather conditions permitted, you will witness the special nightly cannon at the fortress. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

08 DEC-Day 6 - (FRI)-Jordan valley/Jericho/Bethany/Jerusalem

May 26, 2018 (Saturday – Day 5) Havana, Cuba Start the morning off with mass at a local church in Havana. After, you will visit the Abel Santamaria School for the blind, located on the grounds of an old military base. The school aims to integrate the children into mainstream schools as soon as the child is ready through an outreach program which continues to support children at their secondary schools. You will spend time meeting the students 09 DEC-Day 7 - (Sat) - Jerusalem (old City) - Via Dolorosa and teachers. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit Cintio Vitier Community Project Center, where arts Holy Sepulcher Church “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place of a skull, which was called in Hebrew Golgotha” Enter the old city of Jerusalem, Sing a hymn in the Church of St Anne and view the pool of Bethesda. Visit the Chapel of Flagellation, Programs of all types including painting, ceramic and dance hosted. You will learn about this community project and hear from Lithostrotos, where the soldiers played the Game of Kings, and Arch of the “Ecce Homo”. Follow the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the the director of the program, Pedro Pulido. End your day with a panoramic drive through Modern Havana riding in old classic cars holiest shrine in Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, visit Golgotha and the tomb of Our Lord. This afternoon drive to Mount Zion, from the 1950’s. Be sure to have your camera ready for this unique experience. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Drive the Jordan Valley to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. View the Mount of temptation, where Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert. Visit the ancient ruins of the wall. Drive through Wadi Welt to view St George’s Monastery. Continue to Bethany celebrate Holy Eucharist, and then visit the tomb of Lazarus. Arrive in Mount Scopus; enjoy the first view of Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at Notre DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)

to visit the upper room, revered as the site of the last supper. Then survey the Dormition Abbey’s, St. Peter in Gallicantu, where Peter denied Jesus three times. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME Vatican Hotel (BB.D)

10 DEC-Day 8 - (SUN) - Mount of Olives/Gethesemane/Bethlehem/New City

Holy Eucharist celebration at the Church of all nations Main altar Arrive at the Mount of Olives and enjoy the beautiful view of Jerusalem. Visit the Chapel of Ascension, Pater Noster Church and the Dominus Flevit Church”God wept “& walk the Palm Sunday road to the Garden of Gethesemane and the Church of all Nations. This Afternoon drive to Bethlehem, a city whose name the whole world recognizes ,visit the Church of Nativity, the manger, Church of St Catherine, The Grotto of St Jerome, and the shepherds fields. Dinner and overnight at NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB ,D).

May 27, 2018 (Sunday – Day 6) Havana – Las Terrazas – Vinales Valley Start the morning off with mass at a local church in Havana. Then you will be transferred to Las Terrazas for a tour of the community. Visit the neighborhoods, their schools, artists and community projects in the area. You will then continue to Vinales. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check in and rest. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

May 28, 2018 (Monday – Day 7) Vinales Valley Start the morning off with mass at a local church in Vinales. Then you will have a sightseeing Visit the Western Wall , the only part of the Herodian temple still standing and the most sacred place in the world for Jews. We drive to Dead tour. There is an opportunity to visit a Tobacco Farm and learn how to expertly roll a cigar. You will Sea, the lowest spot on earth. Visit Qumran; see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Continue to Masada, visit Herod’s also have the chance to visit an interesting site called the Prehistoric Wall and to take a Boat Ride fortress and the Jew’s last stronghold against the Roman. Return to Jerusalem Overnight Notre Dame Vatican Hotel (BB,D) through underground caves known as The Indian Caves. Then visit Finca Agroecolgica El Paraiso 12 DEC-Day10 - (TUE) Jerusalem New City where you will have lunch. After you will visit the gardens with the breath-taking views. Return to the hotel where you will have Return to the new City, Including the Temple Model to see a scale model of Jerusalem as it was during the time of Jesus. Here we will have a dinner. (Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) 11 DEC-Day 9 - ( MON) - Jerusalem/Dead Sea/Qumran/Masada

better understanding between old and New Jerusalem. Next to Ein Karem, birthplace of St John the Baptist, visit the Visitation church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat Overnight NOTRE DAME VATICAN HOTEL (BB,D)

13 Dec-Day 11 - (WED) Jerusalem/TLV/LAX

Breakfast rest of the morning Free time early PM dinner has to check out from the hotel, around 8:30 PM flight from TLV/ LAX in the 13 Dec flight depart TLV at 1:00 Am Dec 14,2017 ( end of Service )

May 29, 2018 (Tuesday – Day 8) Vinales – Havana – Los Angeles Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back home as your trip comes to an end. (Meal: Breakfast)

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

Community Journal

When insurance coverage is not enough MS. Annie Cabrera* was a retired nurse, living out her life on her life savings from years of frugality, in a Pasadena house that she paid off before her retirement. She spent her golden years volunteering in many charitable organizations. One night, she was driving home after a successful church fundraising activity. She passed through a street that was not too well-lighted. Her direction of traffic was light but she made sure to drive under the speed limit. The traffic on the opposing lane was heavy, and because it was evening, some of the headlights from the opposing traffic temporarily dazzled her eyes. She studiously kept her attention on the road.

She approached an intersection that did not have a traffic light or any stop sign and she kept going. Suddenly a man stepped onto the road directly in front of her vehicle. She hit her brakes, but it was too late. Her car struck the pedestrian. Paramedics arrived and provided first aid but the pedestrian died.

Ms. Cabrera was understandably distraught. She had car insurance with a policy limit of $100,000. Ms. Cabrera may still get sued because she had assets that the victim’s family might go after. She did not have any other insurance that could pay for this damage. Sure enough, she was sued in civil court by the dead man’s heirs who would potentially recover a million dollars or more. She stood to lose her home and her life savings.

Ms. Cabrera’s situation could have been avoided if she had

To Live With Faith reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS AS I reside with young men and teach them the ways to preach the Gospel and lead God’s people as future priests, I get insights on who they are and what their longings are. They come with varied backgrounds, educational attainment, experiences, and intellectual capacities. Each of them entered the seminary with particular gifts.

There is one thing that strikes me in many of them: They are

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. adequate insurance that insured for these types of contingencies.

People often think that paying for insurance is an unnecessary expense. However, if someone has assets, such as equity in a house or bank accounts, he or she should consider taking out additional insurance to protect those assets. Because no matter how careful we are, accidents may happen that may cause catastrophic damages to other persons, and our regular auto or homeowner’s insurance may not be enough to pay for these damages.

For persons who have assets, or who may be earning substantial money in the future, they may be better served by buying what’s called an umbrella or excess liability insurance. In the event of a lawsuit, an umbrella insurance will supplement a primary auto or homeowner’s insurance. In Ms. Cabrera’s case, if she is ordered by the court to pay $500,000, the $400,000 will have to come out of her pocket. She may have to liquidate her savings, sell her home, or have her future income garnished. Had she bought an umbrella insurance, the policy will instead pay what she owed.

Insurance carriers generally sell umbrella insurance only if one already has either auto or homeowners insurance, with a

maximum amount of liability insurance on those policies. For example, to obtain umbrella coverage, one’s car insurance may need to have $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage and $300,000 in homeowner liability coverage. How much umbrella coverage to buy may depend on such factors as one’s net worth or future earnings.

Back to Ms. Cabrera. Perhaps due to years of doing good works, God took pity on her. The dead man’s heirs agreed to a settlement in the low six figures, and further agreed that Ms. Cabrera will pay the settlement amounts in installments over several years.

In this way, Ms. Cabrera did not have to lose her home and all of her savings in a potential multimillion dollar court judgment.

Many others have not been so lucky, and indeed, have faced financial ruin due to inadequate insurance coverage. * Names and locations are changed to protect confidentiality. n *** 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) 2910088 or visit www.joesayaslaw.com or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.]

(Advertising Supplement)

Addressing the restless heart seekers of truth. I see it in their love for books, the questions they ask in class, the papers they write, and their enthusiasm for learning. Some love classic writings like those of St. Thomas of Aquinas and St. Augustine. Others like getting back to the beauty of ancient prayers and rituals, while some appreciate the popular expressions of faith. From time to time a few would question the more current Church teachings and express their preference for more conservative views.

In all of them, I see a common manifestation of a restlessness of the heart, as St. Augustine expressed in his immortal words: “My heart is restless until it rests on God.” It’s marvelous that this “restlessness” is happening in their lives. But I hope it’s not merely seeking the right doctrine or practice, but rather seeking the right relationship with God — the deeper understanding of communion with Him. This is true for all of us:

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

C

Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries on I-130 petition filed by a deceased relative DEAR Attorney Tan, My US Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved.

She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the US in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the US and have been out of status. Since I was petitioned as an unmarried adult daughter, I was advised that I had to wait several years to get a green card. Recently, my mother passed away. Can I still get a green card through my mother’s petition? -Apparently In Limbo Dear Apparently In Limbo, When your mother passed away, the I-130 that was approved on your behalf was revoked by operation of law pursuant to 8 CFR Section 205.1.

However, depending on the facts of a particular case, all is not lost. You may be eligible to get a green card pursuant to INA Section 204(L).

Under INA Section 204(L), relief from an automatic revocation of an I-130 petition is available to certain surviving relatives. Surviving relatives who are eligible to seek 204(L) relief include a 1) principal or derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a deceased permanent resident or U.S. Citizen, and 2) derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen where the principal beneficiary has died.

Section 204(L) relief is also available to derivative beneficiaries in I-140 employment-based petitions where the principal beneficiary has died.

Another requirement for Section 204(L) relief is that the person seeking relief must have “residence” in the US. What is meant by “residence?”

It is your primary home or principal actual dwelling place. At least one beneficiary must have resided in the U.S. when the petitioning relative died, and must continue to reside in the U.S. when seeking Section 204(L) relief. It is worth noting that all beneficiaries of a petition can benefit from Section 204(L) relief as long as at least one of the beneficiaries meets the residence requirement. Further, although “residence” is required, Section 204(L) does not require actual physical presence in the U.S. when the relative died.

In your case, it appears that you are eligible to obtain a green card. You are a principal benefiour lives on earth should be a constant longing for communion with God, which will ultimately come in the next life.

“But who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked his disciples in this Sunday’s Gospel. I think this question is more than responding with the correct answer. Rather, it’s Jesus’ way of looking at how

ciary of an I-130 petition filed by your US Citizen mother.

Further, you appear to meet the residence requirement in that you have been in the US since your arrival in 1999—you resided in the US when your mother passed away, and currently reside in the US. A check of the USCIS visa bulletin indicates the priority date for the I-130 petition filed by your mother on your behalf is current, so you can file an I-485 adjustment of status application, requesting reinstatement of the I-130 petition filed by your mother pursuant to Section 204(L).

As a sidenote, Section 204(L) relief is also available if one’s relative died while the I-130 was pending, not only after the I-130 petition was approved. Section 204(L) relief therefore is broader than Humanitarian Reinstatement of a petition under 8 CFR Section 205.1, which can only be requested by the principal beneficiary when the petitioner him/herself has died, and after approval of an I-130.

Relief under Section 204(L) is discretionary, and can be denied if factors in support of relief are not presented properly. It is accordingly recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced attorney. n *** 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)

we long for God, who came in the flesh through the person of Christ.

The Second Reading, Romans 11:33-36, tells us that, although we have a profound longing for God, we cannot completely fathom him. It says, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and

how unsearchable his ways!”

God, however, has shown us the way to His mind and heart through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Christ, we come nearer to Him by contemplating Jesus’ words, life, suffering, death, and resurrection.

Peter confessed faith in Jesus as the way to the Father by

u PAGE C5

C AUGUST 26-29, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Community Journal

Atty. LAwrence yAng

Clients with wage garnishment, huge sales tax, freak accident seek bankruptcy relief

FREAK accident liability I want to discuss the client with the freak accident first. The first client is 45. This is really a very unusual case. In fact, I have never encountered a case like this before in the last 30 years.

The client has a rental condo that needs plumbing repair because of a water leak coming out of the walls. He hires a plumber that he knows from work. The plumber determines that the leak is coming from a water pipe that is inside the wall, so he cuts a hole through the wall big enough for him to work on the leaking pipe.

He uses a blowtorch to seal the leak. The blowtorch accidentally sets the inside of the wall on fire.

They try to stop the fire from spreading. They fail to stop the fire from spreading. The condo burns down. The fire spreads to the other condos in the building. Eventually, the entire building is on fire and is destroyed.

The building has a master insurance that covers the repairs for building so the building is reconstructed and everybody gets their condos back in shape. So what is the problem for the client if the insurance has paid for everything and all the damage caused by the fire? The problem, of course, is that the insurance company will sue the client to recover whatever they can and the client does not have liability insurance for the fire. I don’t know what else to call this but a freak accident. This is potentially a multimillion liability for the client in the future.

If the client qualifies for Chapter 7 relief then he has no worries anymore because it will just wipe out all of his potential liability for the damage caused. If he does qualify, he can wipe this out and have a fresh start. What we can learn from this accident is that if you should have a plumbing problem and the plumber uses a torch, you better stand behind him with a big fire extinguisher! So, just in case the same thing happens, you can immediately use the fire extinguisher on the fire to kill it and prevent your house from being burned down by a plumbing problem.

Wage garnishment The second client is 63. She had car repossession some time ago.

As far as she knows, the repo deficiency was about $25K — must

have been an expensive car with that kind of deficiency. She has just received a wage garnishment order for $40K based on the repo deficiency judgment! She still works and earns a gross of $5K monthly. How does the wage garnishment work? It will take 25 percent of her gross wages, or $1,250 a month until the $40K is fully paid at a legal interest of 10 percent a year. She can’t live with such a big deduction from her wages. She won’t be able to pay her rent of $1,100 if the garnishment is done. She also owes about $30K of credit cards.

She needs Chapter 7 relief to stop the garnishment, wipe out the judgment of $40K and all of $30K of credit cards. She will get a fresh start without the burden of accumulated debt. She will be able to reestablish credit immediately. She still has a car payment. She will also be able to get new credit cards as soon as she is done with her bankruptcy because there are banks that specialize in giving new credit cards to debtors who have just come out of bankruptcy.

Huge sales taxes The third client is 66. He operated a business for several years but did not pay sales tax for his products as they got sold.

He owes $120K of sales tax. He closed his business last year.

However, before he closed his business, he was audited by the State and it was determined that he owed $120K in sales tax.

Well, that’s bad news. Nobody wants to owe $120K of sales tax at the age of 66; in fact, no one at any age would want to owe that much in sales tax. I mean, at 66, you get full benefits from social security but if you owe $120K of sales tax, then your social security will just go to pay the sales tax.

Now, what kind of retirement is that? That would be like living in the twilight zone, wouldn’t it?

Now the question is, are sales taxes dischargeable in Chapter 7? In California, sales taxes are dischargeable. The reason they are dischargeable is because they are transactional taxes. They are not taxes, which are held in trust by the debtor. If they were held in trust by the debtor then there would be a fiduciary relationship that was breached and that would make the tax not dischargeable.

So sales taxes are not excepted

Debt Relief

from discharge, therefore they are dischargeable. The caveat is that the legal prerequisites to discharge the sales tax must be met.

Credit cards If you owe credit card debt that eats up a significant portion of your net income, it’s time to get rid of them now with a Chapter 7 wipe out or a Chapter 13 reorganization. It’s time to get a fresh start and become productive again. If you owe $30K of credit cards, the minimum payment is $1K a month just for interest payment to keep them current.

In three years, you will pay $36K of interest but still owe $30K of principal. Get out of financial quicksand now with Chapter 7 or 13. Owe nothing but keep all your assets, your house, your cars, your retirement accounts and everything else you own and more of your net income for your future financial well being and the financial well being of your family. Even Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before he became successful. Hershey also filed for Chapter 7 before his Hershey chocolate business became successful. Orange County also filed for bankruptcy to protect itself a decade ago. Several Catholic dioceses filed for bankruptcy protection from child molestation lawsuits just several years ago. So, if there is too much debt, bankruptcy is a prerequisite for future success and productivity.

It’s the right step to take and the simplest and best solution to take.

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

“JESUS CAME AND SPOKE TO THE DISCIPLES, SAYING, ‘ALL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.’ MATTHEW 28:18 *** 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.

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

Disclosure of text messages, e-mails and Facebook info of a spouse or significant other may constitute domestic violence

DOMESTIC violence is abuse perpetrated against a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, former cohabitant, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, the mother or father of your child, your child. Family Code Section 6211. Abuse is not limited to the actual infliction of physical injury or assault. Family Code, § 6203(b). A court may issue an order enjoining specific acts of “abuse” (§ 6218, subd. (a)), which are defined as, among other things, behavior that could be enjoined under section 6320. (§ 6203, subd. (d).) Section 6320, in turn, permits a court to enjoin a party from engaging in various types of behavior, including “disturbing the peace of the other party.” (§ 6320, subd. (a).) “[T]he plain meaning of the phrase ‘disturbing the peace of the other party’ in section 6320 may be properly understood as conduct that destroys the mental or emotional calm of the other party.” (In re Marriage of Nadkarni (2009) 173 Cal.App.4th 1483, 1497, 93 Cal.Rptr.3d 723 (Nadkarni ).) The phrase includes “destroying the mental or emotional calm of [a former spouse] by accessing, reading and publicly disclosing her confidential e-mails.” (Id. at p. 1498, 93 Cal. Rptr.3d 723.) The expansion of the term “disturbing the peace” to cover accessing, reading, and publicly disclosing electronic communication has profound effect in every divorce and family law case.

In Nadkarni, a former wife alleged that her ex-husband had accessed her private e-mail account while she was away on a business trip, then attached copies of the e-mails to documents filed in proceedings regarding custody of their teenaged children. In re Marriage of Nadkarni (2009) 173 Cal.App.4th 1483, 1497, 93 Cal. Rptr.3d 723. She sought a permanent restraining order, but the trial court denied it without a hearing after finding that the DVPA did not cover situations in which there was no physical harm alleged. The appellate court reversed and remanded the matter to the trial court for a hearing. It held that the definition of abuse under the DVPA is not limited to the infliction of physical injury or assault. Id. at pp. 1498, 1501, 93 Cal.Rptr.3d 723.

In Marriage of Evilsizor and Sweeney, husband’s actions in releasing and threatening to release personal data downloaded

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth UrsUA reyes from wife’s cell phone constituted “disturbing the peace of the other party” and thus “abuse” which warranted restraining order. In re Marriage of Evilsizor and Sweeney (2015) 237 Cal.App.4th 1416 [189 Cal.Rptr.3d 1], reh’g denied (June 24, 2015), review denied (Sept. 9, 2015) Phrase “disturbing the peace of the other party” in injunction provision of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA) includes destroying the mental or emotional calm of a former spouse by accessing, reading and publicly disclosing her confidential emails. Cal. Fam. Code § 6320. In re Marriage of Evilsizor and Sweeney (2015) 237 Cal.App.4th 1416 [189 Cal.Rptr.3d 1], reh’g denied (June 24, 2015), review denied (Sept. 9, 2015) Husband’s actions in releasing and threatening to release personal data downloaded from wife’s cell phone constituted “disturbing the peace of the other party” and thus “abuse” which warranted restraining order under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA). Cal. Fam. Code §§ 6218(a), 6300, 6320(a). In re Marriage of Evilsizor and Sweeney (2015) 237 Cal.App.4th 1416 [189 Cal.Rptr.3d 1], reh’g denied (June 24, 2015), review denied (Sept. 9, 2015) In Evilsizor, Ms. Evilsizor testified that it had been “incredibly incredibly difficult to deal with” the dissemination of her personal information, stating, “I have sleepless nights. I’m sick to my stomach. My friends are mad at me, embarrassed as if I let him.

I didn’t know he was even doing any of this. My parents are upset, you know. Why did I marry him?

I didn’t know that things were going—I didn’t know. Yeah. It’s been incredibly challenging to live with.” She further testified that she had suffered shock and embarrassment and feared for her safety because of the disclosure. Evilsizor also was concerned about Sweeney’s threats to reveal information to the Internal Revenue Service about “things [she] didn’t do.” The court con-

cluded in the Evilsizor case that even if Sweeney legally obtained Evilsizor’s information, an issue left unresolved, it was authorized under the DVPA to enjoin the disclosure or threats of disclosure of the information to protect Evilsizor’s peace of mind. The court ordered Sweeney be “prohibited from using, delivering, copying, printing or disclosing the messages or content of [Evilsizor’s] text messages or e-mail messages or notes, or anything else downloaded from her phone or from what has been called the family computer except as otherwise authorized by the court.”

Sweeney also was prohibited from trying to access or otherwise interfere with Evilsizor’s internet-service provider accounts or social-media accounts. Text messages, E-mails, Social media, and other electronic communication has become a common and inseparable part of today’s lifestyle. Accessing, reading, and publicly disclosing electronic communication of an ex, spouse, or sgnificant other has profound effect in every divorce and family law case. A finding of domestic violence against a party can affect the rulings on custody and spousal support issues. If your divorce or family law matter involves your ex, spouse, or significant other downloading and disclosing confidential electronic communication, one has to consider taking appropriate action in the case to be protected from conduct which is regarded as abuse under the California domestic violence statute.n *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you.

This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

C5

People and Events

FEASTIBAL: The summer of sarap

FilAm Arts to hold culinary night in Hollywood on Aug. 29 LOS ANGELES – Summer is in full swing.

The glorious weather, diverse food scene, and eclectic enclaves of Los Angeles all call for great adventures to be had. And if you’re running out of ideas for your next night out, we got you covered.

FilAm Arts (FAA), the premiere Filipino-American culture and arts organization in Southern California, proudly presents its Summer 2017 offering – FEASTIBAL: The Summer of Sarap.

It will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29th, 6:30 p.m. at the modern Filipino eatery, Barkada Restaurant & Lounge. It is located on Vine Street, just a few blocks south of Sunset Boulevard. Tickets are $50 per person.

With the emergence of the Filipino food movement as the next big food revolution in America, FEASTIBAL will showcase what ‘sarap’ truly means. ‘Sarap’ is Tagalog for “delicious” or “great tasting.” In common vernacular, it can also refer to exhilarating and thrilling experiences.

“Ang sarap, sir!” is the only appropriate reaction to a big spoonful of chicken adobo or pork sisig.

Tambay with the Barkada According to the organizers, the idea was to bring together Fil-Am Angelenos to tambay – the Filipino word for “hangout” – at the aptly-named restaurant.

“We want you to bring your barkada to the actual Barkada Restaurant in Hollywood!” said FAA interim executive director Tina Salonga-Bulchand.

The word barkada loosely translates to “group of friends,” or what kids nowadays call “squad” or “cliqué.”

Barkada Restaurant & Lounge will host the event and offer a few off-menu Filipino tapas. (No,

(From L-R) Evelyn Masongsong, Priscilla Macaraig, Mayette Arceo, Tess Marino and Susan de la Cruz attend the luau for the fundraising of the Sto. Nino Fiesta of Batangas City held last August 16 at the Stargazer in Altadena, CA. not beef tapa. Tapas, as in food served on small plates. But also, beef tapa.)

Historic Filipinotown favorite’s smokehouse, The Park’s Finest, will serve up its famed barbecue and chicken dishes. And Chef Sally Camacho of Bravo TV’s “Top Chef: Just Dessert” will proffer her sweet twists to classic Filipino treats.

Coincidentally, the owners of Barkada Restaurant and The Park’s Finest are an in an actual barkada together.

They grew up in the LA Filipino enclaves of East Hollywood and Echo Park, frequenting SIPA, FPAC and other places where Pinoy youth gathered.

Yes, the irony is not lost on us.

But that makes it all the more fun.

The genuine camaraderie behind the restaurant’s concept makes them all the more relatable.

“We are very proud of the owners of The Park’s Finest and Barkada,” said FAA chairperson Kat Carrido-Bonds. “They are born and bred Los Angeles,” she added.

While the restaurateurs may not have imagined growing up to become business owners, they do manage to hold it down for Pinoy Los Angeles during this great big boom for the Filipino food movement.

The FPAC connection This collaboration between the entrepreneurs and the FAA was born out of the former’s strong ties to the Filipino community in Los Angeles. As longtime supporters of FilAm Arts and their flagship project, the Festival

of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC), they did not hesitate to get onboard for this event.

FAA board member Elaine Dolalas said that FPAC has always supported the culinary arts.

“FEASTIBAL continues FPAC’s tradition of highlighting Filipino American chefs and their updated and unique take on Filipino, American, and Asian food,” Dolalas said.

According to FAA officials, FEASTIBAL will serve as a fundraiser in support of this year’s FPAC, which will be held on Oct. 14th, Saturday, at the Echo Park Lake. Since 2006, FPAC has featured a culinary arts pavilion that eventually paved the way for today’s Filipino food movement.

For ticket information, visit FEASTIBAL’s Eventbrite page at http://bit.ly/SummerOfSarap.

For any questions and concerns, please contact FilAm Arts by email at info@filamarts.org, or by telephone at (213) 380-FPAC (3722). (By Mico Letargo) FEASTIBAL: Summer of Sarap is presented by FilAm Arts, and Barkada Restaurant and Lounge.

Barkada Restaurant Lounge is located at 1253 Vine St Unit 1, Los Angeles, CA. For venue information, call Barkada at (323) 825-9033. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information about FPAC and FilamArts, please visit www.filamarts.org or call (213) 380-3722. For sponsorship and vendor opportunities, please email info@filamarts.org.

This photo was taken during the 1st birthday party of Pete and Tess Marino’s grandson, Preston Marino Parlade, held last August 19 at the residence of his parents, Tim and Mary Parlade. It was a costume party with superheroes, attended by the characters shown above who entertained Preston’s friends.

Ben Basilio, former newspaper publisher, dies at 79 LOS ANGELES – Benjamin Bru Basilio, former publisher of Ang Peryodiko weekly newspaper, passed away last Tuesday, Aug. 22. He was 79.

Before he migrated to the United States, Basilio was assistant vice president for Asia of United Laboratories (Unilab).

At the time of his death, Basilio was an active distributor of VitaPlus.

Basilio was born on Oct. 19, 1937 in Tacloban, Leyte.

Viewing and a mass is scheduled on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Poverello of Assisi Retreat, 1519 Woodworth Street, San Fernando, CA 91340. Mass will be held at 5 p.m.

He is survived by wife Ofelia Tan Basilio, children Gary and Rachel Basilio, and Veronica and Paul Flinchbaugh; grandchildren Ian, Josh and Dylan Basilio; Kazlan and Daxton Flinchbaugh; siblings Pete, Vicente, Teresita, Cecile, Betsy, Bobby, Emilie and Marichu. Another brother, Vicente, is deceased.

Addressing the restless...

PAGE C3t

saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Because of this, Jesus told him, “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church.”

As we think of the ways of bringing people to God, the way to do it is not just by presenting some syllogism on how Jesus Christ is the truth, but by manifesting through our actions on how our relationship with him

has brought us joy, meaning, and life. Evangelization is simply proclaiming and testifying the difference and impact that Jesus Christ has made in our lives.

Indeed, may our search for truth rest on our faith in Christ.

May the restlessness of our hearts cease through our intimate union with Him, the God who became one with us! ■ *** 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 (19912001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate 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.

C AUGUST 26-29, 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 • AUGUST 26-29, 2017

MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

&

Myths and misconceptions DOF chief: Duterte gov’t to usher in about immigration law ‘irreversible’ economic achievements

Immigration Corner

by BEN

ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ THERE are many myths and misconceptions about immigration law, which are simply not true. People may receive “advice” from consultants, or well-meaning friends or relatives, which is wrong. Following these myths, misconceptions and advice could have devastating effects on a person’s immigration case or result in years of delays. Here are some of the more common misconceptions I’ve encountered among Filipinos: • Green card holders cannot petition family members; only U.S. citizens can. This is false.

Green card holders can petition their spouse and unmarried children, whether the children are under or over 21 years of age. There are cases where a green card holder could have petitioned a spouse or unmarried child years ago, but waited until they naturalized, under the false belief they had to be a citizen to petition those family members. In the meantime, years are wasted or the child may have “aged out” (turned 21 years of age), resulting in the child having to wait many more years to immigrate.

• It is faster to wait to become a U.S. citizen, and then petition a spouse or minor child. This is untrue. In most cases, it would be faster to petition a spouse or minor child while the person is still a green card holder. Think about the timing: right now, it takes about two years for a green card holder to petition a spouse or minor child in the F-2A category.

However, if the person waits to become a U.S. citizen, they have to first be a green card holder for five years, then it takes about another year to naturalize, and another year after that to process the family petition. That’s about seven years. Even if you are a year or so away from naturalization, you can still file the petitions, and then once you naturalize, you can “upgrade” the petitions. But at least you have the petitions on file and moving forward while you are a green card holder, and your family may be eligible for green

cards before your naturalization is completed.

• My U.S. citizen child can petition me when he’s 18 years old. This is false. A U.S. citizen child must be at least 21 years old to petition a parent.

• My U.S. citizen husband can petition my child (his step-child) if we get married and he files a petition before my child’s 21st birthday. This is partially true. In order for a U.S. citizen to petition a child (whether biological child or step-child), the petition must be filed before the child’s 21st birthday. However, in the case of petitioning a step-child, the marriage to the U.S. citizen stepparent must take place before the child’s 18th birthday. Therefore, in order for your husband to be able to petition your child, your marriage should have taken place before your child’s 18th birthday, and the petition should be filed before your child’s 21st birthday.

• I don’t have to work for my petitioning employer once I get my green card. This is false. If a person is being petition by an employer, USCIS expects the person to work for the employer for a reasonable period of time after they get their green card. Of course, if a person gets a green card through labor certification, they are not required to work for the employer “for life.” However, if a person never worked for the employer, stop working for the employer before being granting a green card, or quit the day after obtaining their green card, it could create issues or problems for them in the future, especially when filing for naturalization.

Whenever a person obtains a green card through employment, one of the first questions asked at a naturalization interview is how long the person worked for the sponsoring employer AFTER they obtained their green card, and they may be required to produce pay stubs and tax returns proving it. If you never worked for the employer or quit before getting a green card, etc., the immigration officer may be suspicious it was a “job of

PayPal broadens market reach via new app, program

by MA. LISBET

D1

K. ESMAEL

ManilaTimes.net

GLOBAL digital payments service provider PayPal launched a new business app and program as part of its goal to strengthen market reach and to help local freelancers and entrepreneurs adapt to the digital economy phase.

The firm said its new offerings will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) advance their businesses and services by increasing their access to the 3Ms: Money, Markets and Mentorship.

“We are doing our own part in empowering the community by providing new services and programs that could accelerate their opportunities in line with Asean’s Money, Markets and Mentorship framework,” Rahul Shinghal, general manager at PayPal Southeast Asia, said Thursday at the media launch in Makati City.

The PayPal Business App allows merchants to review transactions, check balances in all currencies, send customized

The PayPal Business App allows merchants to review transactions, check balances in all currencies, send customized invoices to clients, track unpaid accounts and streamline their communications with clients at any time and place.

invoices to clients, track unpaid accounts and streamline their communications with clients at any time and place: M e a n w h i l e , i t s p ro g ra m dubbed as PayPal Freelancer Community Program, would be an avenue to educate Filipino PAGE D2

UPS upbeat on Philippines

by RICHMOND

MERCURIO Philstar.com

MANILA - UPS, a global logistics giant, plans to further expand its reach through partnerships and innovation to capitalize on the Philippines’ growing economy.

“The future is really bright for the Philippines,” UPS Philippines newly appointed managing director Christopher Buono said in a briefing on Thursday, Aug. 24.

He said UPS is constantly looking for opportunities to grow with other customers and companies.

“We’re also looking for oppor-

tunities for growth with Air21 in other areas,” Buono said.

In 2015, UPS entered into a partnership with Air21 to expand its service to more than 1,600 postal codes across seven major areas in the Philippines — Camanava, Angeles, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Cavite.

The partnership combined the firm’s international reach with Air21’s local knowledge and expertise to deliver premium quality service to meet local business PAGE D2

Business Quote of the Week “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset.

It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”

- Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

convenience” (just like marriages of convenience), and could quite possibly conclude the job offer was bogus or fake. USCIS could deny your citizenship application, and quite possibly question the legitimacy of your green card.

The forgoing are just a few myths and misconceptions I’ve encountered. In future articles I will discuss more. *** 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 re-enactments) 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 attorney-client 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)

O. DE VERA Inquirer.net

The head of the economic team is confident that the economic reforms being introduced by the Duterte administration will bring about “irreversible achievements” that will benefit more Filipinos.

“I assure you: this is an exciting economic story, and it has just begun. Stay with us as we stay the course. We will deliver the change that matters,” Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said in a statement Wednesday, Aug. 23.

For Dominguez, the 6.5-percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth posted in the second quarter “demonstrates well we are on the way to building a dynamic, investments-led and inclusive economy.”

The Philippines’ economic expansion during the April to June period remained among the fastest in the region. For 2017, the government targets 6.5-7.5 percent GDP growth.

Ultimately, the strong growth rates must redound to an economy where “the incidence of poverty is significantly reduced,

The combined P110 billion in investment commitments in the country’s energy and tobacco sectors are a vote of trust and confidence by foreign investors in the Duterte administration, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said.

Philstar.com photo

incomes have improved and domestic consumption is strong,” Dominguez said.

The Duterte administration aims to slash the poverty rate to 14 percent by 2022 from 21.6 percent in 2015.

“We expect even more impressive numbers in the succeeding quarters as private investments begin moving and as the infrastructure program gathers steam,” Dominguez added, referring to the “Build, Build, Build” program.

Under “Build, Build, Build”,

the Duterte administation plans to usher in a “golden age of infrastructure” by spending a total of up to P9 billion on hard infrastructure until 2022.

Dominguez nonetheless assured that the ambitious infrastructure program “will not come at the sacrifice of fiscal discipline.”

“It will not be a reckless growth that incurs unsustainable debt and causes inflation to spike. We have set clear quantifiable targets against which our performance PAGE D2

D august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Marketplace

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

Foreign investors cite importance of peace, security

by Richmond

meRcuRio Philstar.com

MANILA - Foreign businessmen have cited the need for the Philippines to have a level of peace and security that is not always grabbing headlines, saying such development is essential for the country to continue attracting investments and tourists.

Members of the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) of the Philippines on Thursday, Aug. 24 said prospects for the Philippine business and investment climate remain positive, but some security issues have weakened the country’s image abroad.

“The recovery of peace and security level is very important for Japanese companies and also to others in the private sector. This is a very important one to make

decisions for investments,” Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines president Hiroshi Shiraishi said.

“All business looks to an environment that is peaceful, whether it is law and order or whether it’s the sense of security in personnel and property. So there’s no question, in any country, if there is a deteriorating peace and order situation, it has an adverse effect on investment.

Conversely, if it’s under control or improving, it has a positive aspect.

That is true in any country, that is true also in the Philippines,” Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Julian Payne said separately.

Payne said while some businesses are willing to get into a “more risky environment,” some are extremely conservative and

Peso touches 50:$1 level THE peso touched the slightly stronger 50:$1 level during the trade on Thursday, Aug. 24 and gained 22 centavos at the end of the trading day to close at 51:$1.

At the Philippine Dealing System, the peso reached an intraday high of 50.98:$1 and a low of 51.14:$1 after opening at 51.09:$1.

The total volume traded further increased to $1.137 billion from $949.1 billion last Wednesday, Aug. 23.

On Monday, Aug. 21 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. said the peso is expected to regain stability in the near term on the back of solid macroeconomic fundamentals even as it dipped to nearly 11-year lows during the past two months. (Ben O. de Vera/Inquirer.net)

look for a very stable and peaceful environment.

He said the Philippines, however, is not the only country facing peace and security concerns, citing regional neighbors such as Thailand and Myanmar as examples.

“There’s no question that peace and order does have an impact on business, but it does not necessarily stop business. As long as it is being addressed, then I think you’ll find the business community to be favorably impressed. The real question is when it is not being addressed,” Payne said.

European Chamber of Com- EVA Chairman Steve Lin (center), President Derek Chen (fifth from the right), Taiwan’s CAA Director-General Lin Kuo-shian (fifth from the left), SHIATZY CHEN lead designer Ms. Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia (fourth from the left) and EVA’s spokesman Golden Kou (fourth from the right) joined merce of the Philippines president pilots and chief pursers for a picture in the debut of the airline’s new uniforms and praised the new service image of the airline.

Guenter Taus said now is even a more important time for the Philippines to ramp up efforts in cleaning up its image as far as peace and sePAGE D3

EVA Air bids farewell to 747, reveals new uniforms Last 747 flight was August 21, new look underway in November

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – EVA Airbid a fond farewell to the old and an enthusiastic welcome to the new in a celebration for the retirement of its Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft and debut of new uniforms in Hangar No. 3 of Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp. (EGAT) on Thursday, August 24, 2017. EVA Chairman Steve Lin hosted the event for more than 500 guests, including travel agents, aviation geeks and EVA employees with family members. Taiwan Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) DirectorGeneral Lin Kuo-shian and Boeing and GE officials were among the special guests who offered tributes to the beloved Queen of the Skies’ unfailing service whileMs. Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia, A money exchange shop employee counts US dollar notes in Manila. lead designer for EVA’s new ManilaTimes.net photo uniforms from SHIATZY CHEN

fashion house, introduced the airline’s new look.

“We have flown Boeing 747400s for almost a quarter of a century and used them to create a glorious chapter in EVA’s history.

On her day of formal retirement, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to the jumbo jet, her crew and the talented staff that served with her,” said EVA Air Chairman Steve Lin. “As we bid farewell to our ‘Queen of the Skies’ and her remarkable service, we welcome our new service image, our third generation of uniforms. Designed for style, comfort and function, these uniforms will further enhance the professional image of our service teamamong passengers and in the international marketplace.”

EVA positioned its retired jumbo jet in the hangar as a backdrop for the catwalk used to reveal the third-generation uniforms. Designed to evoke EVA’s continuous pursuit of innovation in quality services, cabin crew and airport staff wore their new uniforms on the catwalk. The new uniforms mark a milestone in the airline’s new service image. As the airlinecontinues to focus on passenger comfort and satisfaction, it is introducing a whole new look in its service image.

EVA will begin to introduce the new uniforms across its service

network in November 2017 EVA built a special photo gallery in the hangar to showcase glorious moments in its Boeing 747-400history. It covered the long gallery walls with nostalgic pictures of the jumbo jets and of cabin crew and airport staff wearing first- and second- generation uniforms, immersing guests in its history of flight service and warm memories.

Farewell to the glorious past!

EVA’s 747 passenger jets retired Boeing 747-400s formed the backbone of EVA’s long-haul fleet through the airline’s early growth and development. The airline took delivery of its first two 747s in November 1992 and used them to launch long-haul routes from Taipei to North America and Europe. Through close to 25 years of service, EVA flew the aircraft to 28 destinations in its flight network, laying the foundation for its ongoing expansion.

EVA also deployed its 747s for special flights, carrying highranking officials and priceless treasures around the world.

The airline used the aircraft on dedicated flights for Taiwan presidents’ overseas trips, to transport endangered species and protected animals such as giant pandas from China, koalas PAGE D4

DOF chief: Duterte gov’t...

PAGE D1 might be measured,” Dominguez said.

As domestic interest rates remain relatively low, the Duterte administration wanted to finance its programmed wider budget deficit equivalent to 3 percent of GDP in the next six years through a borrowing mix of 80-percent local and 20-percent external.

As for the government target of 7-8 percent GDP growth from 2018 to 2022, Dominguez said it will be achieved “on the basis of strong domestic demand and reliable remittance and investment inflows” while keeping inflation at 3 percent or below.

“The country invested much over the past three decades working down the national debt, improving revenue flows and containing the budget deficit to achieve today’s strong fiscal position, which came at the expense

of postponing capital investments and the expansion of social services,” Dominguez noted.

Given such “sacrifice,” the Finance chief said “now is the time to catch up and modernize our economic base.”

“Now is the time to deliver the benefits of increased social spending for our people. Now is the time for our economy to break out from slow growth and begin performing as the region’s dynamo,” Dominguez added.

“Observe the other indicators of economic performance: the reduction of involuntary hunger incidence, decreased unemployment and underemployment rates, strong agricultural output and exports, greater investment inflows. These are transparent numbers. We aim to show improvement in all of these year after year,” according to Dominguez.

UPS upbeat on...

PAGE D1 needs.

Buono said the company is also looking to expand shipping capabilities for other products such as electronics.

Last March, UPS expanded its capability to ship wine, beer and spirits to 10 destinations within Asia Pacific that can import all three alcohol categories.

These are China, Hong Kong,

Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Macau.

UPS can now serve 24 of the top 35 wine importing countries and nine of the top 25 spirits importing countries globally.

Thus, depending on the destination, orders can arrive at a retailer’s storefront or consumer’s home within three business days.

UPS, a global logistics giant, plans to further expand its reach through partnerships and innovation to capitalize on the Philippines’ growing economy.

PayPal broadens market...

PAGE D1 freelancers on selling and upgrading their skills in business.

Shinghal said the Philippines is an important part of the company’s Asia Pacific market as it has “a large proportion of freelancers in the world.”

Based on data from the Department of Information and Communications Technology which PayPal cited, the country now has some 1.5 million freelancers.

“The advantage of the Philippines is that its population has good English-speaking skills even if it’s a non-native English speaking country,” Shinghal said.

He stressed that the country is the fastest growing market in Southeast Asia and the second largest market in the region for

PayPal. Shinghal disclosed that a previous challenge for PayPal was that when its users were to receive money using a PayPal account, they would need to withdraw it from banks. “And a lot of freelancers don’t have bank accounts,” he said.

To address this problem, PayPal partnered with GCash and PayMaya in the Philippines late last year.

“The partnership with GCash and PayMaya allows our customers to receive their money outside the banks,” the company representative said, noting both firms’ network allowed PayPal to expand its base locally.

PayPal currently has 195 million consumers globally, of which 14 million are in the Asia Pacific.

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

Marketplace

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017 D

Longo Lexus 5000: Great Dealership with a heart for service at Longo Toyota deals for vehicle dreamers

WITH its goal to set a record of 5,000 vehicle sales until September 4, Longo Lexus, the largest Lexus dealership in Western United States, is having its largest sale.

To maximize its business facets, Longo Lexus has been up to the challenge to sell 5,000 vehicles for a limited time while continuously providing its customers with excellent service.

The sales include L/Certified Lexus, a collection of hand-selected, pre-owned vehicles with a six-year, unlimited mileage warranty, special financing, and lease deals.

The over 1,000 huge selection of new Lexus vehicles are lined up and displayed in a temperature-cooled underground showroom.

Longo Lexus started leading the industry with its excellence in sales, service, guest experience, and satisfaction in 1989.

Its performance has been recognized, making it a recipient of the award “Elite of Lexus,” the most prestigious honor given to Lexus dealers for their excellence, three years after it was launched.

The dealership claims to provide customers with a luxury

Francis Maragay

Victor Reyes

brand experience and fabulous quality cars.

The company also strategically designed a first-class environment to take care of its guests’ needs, making buying vehicles a very easy experience for them.

It claims to provide guests with sparkling facility and luxurious amenities and further equates waiting in the Longo Lexus as “waiting in a captain’s club” with its comfortable chairs.

Aiming to build a family of loyal guests, Longo showers its customers with hospitality and good customer services and pays attention to every detail of their demands.

One of the demands answered by the dealership is the various financial services and options for the buyers that provide them presales conveniences and noteworthy post-sales services.

In addition, Longo Lexus claims to offer “low, no haggle prices” despite its financial success, which makes it a Lexus Circle of Excellence Awardee.

Beyond its objective to provide good sales and services, the preeminent role of the company lies on its progressive leadership and triumph in highlighting the con-

cern of its team.

The company established Penske College, an in-house training and development center to learn meaningful skills for its team members’ career advancement.

Longo’s investment and benefits for its human capital are extended to their members’ health and well-being. An on-site Fitness Center, a full-time Wellness Coach and a comprehensive Wellness Program are made available for them.

The efforts of the company to promote the wellness of its employees were recognized by the American Heart Association. It then awarded Longo Lexus as a National, Platinum Status, FitFriendly company.

Aside from this, the dealership was named by Automotive News, the auto industry’s leading news and information source, and Best Companies Group as “Automotive News’ Best Dealerships To Work For in 2012” for providing quality workspaces for its employees.

Sharing its success to people in need, Longo Lexus has not forgotten its commitment to offer event for the local communities of El Monte and Los Angeles.

The company offers use of its dealership to local and nonprofit organizations to host events, sponsor charity runs, walks and triathlons.

Among the activities it hosted are the City of Hope Blood Drive, February- Wear Red Fridays for Healthy Heart Month, Earth Day Celebration, and Children’s Hospital L.A. (CHLA) Beanie Drive.

For more information, you may call (626) 539-2956 or visit them at 3530 North Peck Road, El Monte CA, 91731 US, or its website at www.longolexus.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

Cesar Macalino

Butch Gabutina

Raymond Perez

LONGO 5000 is back. Longo Toyota, the world’s largest dealership, is having the world’s largest sale for new and used cars until September 4.

Recognized for its drive to constantly set the bar high in every aspect of its business, Longo Toyota is set to sell 5,000 vehicles and continue to make history.

In addition to its primary work selling and servicing cars, a large part of Longo’s success is fueled by its commitment to community involvement and quality customer service.

For 50 years, Longo Toyota has been actively involved in local communities surrounding El Monte and Los Angeles areas, offering programs on education, human services and wellness.

“Ninety-nine percent of what we do flies under the radar, but we think it’s important to give back to the community as it gives to us,” Brendan Harrington, Longo’s president and general manager told Edmunds.com.

They host on and off-site events and sponsor charity runs, walks, triathlons, food, clothing and blood drives.

A blood drive was conducted last May to benefit City of Hope, a cancer treatment and research center in Southern

California. 50 blood donors were able to give hope to 162 families.

During the summer, Longo hosts movie series at the dealership on select Friday nights at sunset, and invites local schools and charities to sell concessions for fundraisers at the events.

Longo Toyota has also been creating opportunities for local high schools and civic groups that build better futures and bring progress to the community.

Established in March 2012, Longo Toyota Saturday Fundraiser helps high schools and the Fire Department Explorer programs raise funds to sustain their academic and athletic programs and community activities, while gaining hands-on work experience and earning money.

Aside from giving back, great customer service along with a pleasant buying experience are always present as Longo Toyota goes several steps beyond what customers expect.

Team Longo’s workforce consisting of various culture, races and languages provides comfort to its customers through sales process in their preferred language.

With its 700 plus employees, closing the language barrier through representatives

from 21 countries who speak 40 languages and dialects is the reason for their exceptional guest experience.

“It’s about creating an easy and memorable shopping experience that makes our guests want to come back to us again and again,” says Harrington.

Longo has earned the Toyota President’s award for outstanding performance every year since 1986. In 2016, they also won their 15th consecutive Toyota President’s Cabinet award, an honor that recognizes excellent operations, high volume sales, and most importantly, outstanding guest satisfaction performance.

And to make car-buying even more convenient, Longo offers a complimentary delivery service from Monday through Saturday within a 50mile radius of Longo Toyota without charge.

Consumers looking to buy or lease a new vehicle may just want to look to Longo Toyota, not only to become a part of history, but to find a car buying experience at values that are beyond compare.

The 50-acre Longo Toyota Campus is located at 3534 North Peck Road in El Monte.

For more information, call (626) 539-2584 or visit www. longotoyota.com.

(Advertising Supplement)

New 2017 Camry SE

D august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

Marketplace

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

S&P sees continued growth in PH banks

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

BANKS in the Philippines are expected to continue growing rapidly but profitability faces headwinds, S&P Global Ratings said in a new report.

Overall loan growth is estimated to be between 15 percent and 17 percent in 2017 and 2018 following a 16.5-percent expansion in 2016, S&P said in its “Philippine Banks To Continue To Ride Robust Economic Growth” report released on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

“We believe that the credit cycle in the Philippines has further to run. Most of the factors that drive credit cycles — corporate profits, low interest rates, and abundant liquidity — still look very much in place,” it said.

Conditions for sustained growth remain intact, the debt watcher added.

“Interest rates have stayed low by historical standards. Banks have abundant liquidity to lend. Credit penetration is moderately low, with private sector credit-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio of about 50 percent, and with room to rise,” it said.

S&P also said the consumer loans segment had considerable potential for growth and that proposed tax reforms could reinforce the positive credit cycle.

“Lower personal income tax rates could boost the spending power of wage earners while the reduced corporate income tax rate could encourage investments,” it

added.

However, high branching costs were cited as hindrance. Banks are also justifiably cautious, S&P said, given the lack of comprehensive consumer data and high reported consumer NPLs. Profitability The debt watcher pointed out that while growth was robust for banks in the Philippines, returns have been low with 2016 recording a 1.2 percent return on assets and 9.5 percent return on equity.

“This is uncharacteristic of a country with very favorable demographic dynamics, a strong structural growth story, and low credit penetration,” it said.

Weakness in profitability was attributed to high exposure to lowyielding corporate loans and poor cost efficiency. “[T]he portfolio mix of Philippines banks is heavily tilted toward low-yielding corporate loans, resulting in narrow interest margins. Although expanding into higher-yielding retail loans (such as mortgages and auto loans) has been a commonly discussed strategy for most Philippine banks in recent years, a significant shift in the loan mix is yet to be seen,” it said.

“The second commonly cited reason is the poor cost efficiency of Philippine banks. The banking system’s cost to income ratio of 63 percent in 2016 is notably higher than the 40 percent to 50 percent norm in Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) coun-

tries,” it added.

S&P expects profitability of Philippines banks to continue to face headwinds as the rebalancing of the loan portfolio will likely to be protracted.

“Meanwhile, these banks’ high costs remain a key hurdle in improving their profitability. However, the quality of profits is likely to remain good, with a significant share of recurring interest and fee income from long-standing corporate customers,” it nevertheless said.

Outlook S&P said the outlook for banks in the Philippines was stable over the next year, reflecting supportive economic conditions and sound financial fundamentals.

The banking system’s capital adequacy ratio of 15.3 percent as of March 2017 was comfortably above the regulatory minimum.

Philippine banks also maintain a sizable amount of liquid assets, most of which are in the form of cash and domestic government bonds, it said, adding that liquidity levels remained stable throughout the global financial crisis in 20082009, demonstrating the banking system’s considerable resilience to external shocks.

“In addition, banks’ healthy funding positions contribute to their loan-to-deposit ratio of 72 percent, one of the lowest in AsiaPacific. These strengths provide a solid foundation for the Philippine banking system to continue on the growth path,” it said.

Foreign investors cite importance of peace...

PAGE D1 curity is concerned given the highly competitive environment in the region brought about by the recent ASEAN economic integration.

“So we need to market ourselves really very wisely worldwide because once investment is gone, it’s very hard to bring it back to the Philippines. Peace and order situation is absolutely vital to the economy to grow and to have inclusive growth and have job creation,” Taus said.

“We’ve lived here long enough so it’s easy to look inside out and understand the Philippines and how it works. Though if we look from outside in, if I’m an investor in Europe or anywhere else in the world and I’m putting $400 million to $500 million, would I really want to be in the country where there are issues and all these situations? And I think the answer is I will do very

hesitatingly so because you don’t understand what’s coming your way,” he added.

Aside from investments, the JFC said tourism is also greatly affected by a worsening peace and security situation in any country.

“Obviously making an investment decision entails a lot of research. You won’t just look in the headlines, you’ll do your proper research. However, for a tourist making a vacation choice, they are not going to that that level of research. They are just going to look at the headlines,” said American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Bruce Winton said.

“Peace and order is always a headline in every country. The words martial law—although we understand the decision behind it—but it’s a headline abroad that concerns people and if you are choosing a place to go on vacation

or a place to invest, you always look for as much positive indicators as possible,” Winton added.

Despite the country’s tourism sector taking a hit, Korean tourists, however, continue to visit the country. Korean tourists form the biggest chunk of foreign visitors in the country annually.

Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Ho Ik Lee said the number of Korean tourists in the country are increasing despite the security issues and the martial law in Mindanao.

“We support peace and order.

Increasing number of tourists show how attractive the Philippines is for the tourist part. We’re not supporting the illegal killings but we support the removal of crimes, drugs and any other corruptions.

We hope the Philippines will be a better country in the future,” Lee said.

In the debut of EVA’s third generation of uniforms, ground staff presented their new professional image in a dancing performance on the catwalk for an enthusiastic display of their passion for service excellence.

EVA Air bids farewell to 747, reveals new...

PAGE D2 from Australia, red-crowned cranes from Japan, and to carry precious works of art from the Louvre, an irreplaceablestatue of the goddess Mazu from China and more.

EVA’s used its Boeing 747-400s to launch service innovations as well. In 1992, EVA rolled out the airline industry’s first premium economy class aboard its first 747s. EVA’s premium economy product was widely embraced by both business and leisure passengers and continues to be popular.

Other airlines are now following EVA’s lead and introducing premium economy cabins.

While EVA is decommissioning its 747 passenger jets, it is holding fast to its commitment to flight safety and service quality.

That commitment includes serving passengers with comfortable and advanced aircraft equipped with the best of the latest technologies, such as the Boeing 777300ERs that it now operates on allits long-haul routes and, starting next year, the newestgeneration of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

New Uniforms designed to meet EVA service team’sneeds EVA’s current uniforms are the second generationand were introduced in 2003, 14 years ago. At EVA, uniforms signify much more than appropriate work attire.

EVA’s philosophy is that the moment its service staff puts on their uniform, they mark the beginning of their career as a professional team member. The airline initiated the process of creating its third-generation uniforms in 2015 and chose SHIATZY CHEN of Taiwan to design its fresh service image. A trend-setting luxury fashion house, SHIATZY CHEN is known in many circles as the Chanel of Taiwan.

EVA choreographed its respective service team members in the debut of their new professional attire. Swing dancers joined ground staff on the catwalk for an enthusiastic representation of their passion for service excellence.

Cabin crew presented their new uniforms in a smooth display of the teamwork it takes for perfect flights, demonstrating the spirit woven throughout the fibers of EVA’s corporate culture.

EVA planned the catwalk presentation to be much more than a fashion show. Rather, it was an active demonstration of each uniform’s unique design, functionality and versatility. It also highlighted EVA’s corporate identity.

During the two years EVA worked on the newuniforms, it arranged for the design team to visit airports to observe staff at checkin counters and in VIP lounges.

It put designers on flights so that they could understand the demands of exceptional cabin service. And it invited the design team in for conversations with senior management and service staff to give them an understanding of EVA’s concept of service excellence.

Capturing the spirit of service, the idea of flying In addition to comfort and versatile functionality, EVA also incorporated style and fashion into the designs of its new uniforms.

Inspired by the American romantic movie “Roman Holiday,” the designer usedcolor blocks, geometric patterns and streamlined shapes to create professional attire with classical style. The designer chose verdelite for the base color of the uniforms.

Women’s uniforms feature standing collars thatconvey the idea of flying through the sky.

Collar colors distinguish team members’ ranks. For the cabin crew, red collars identify chief pursers, pink represents deputy pursers and light green signifies flight attendants. For the female ground staff, red collars designate supervisors and light green denotes traffic officers.

Scarves set the new uniforms apart from the current ones. The colorful pattern in the scarves was inspired by the steady growth of trees, symbolizing EVA’s own continuous development and corporate spirit.

Uniforms for male ground staff are built around the threepiece business suit concept.

Aircraft wings formed by green or orange dots stand out against the background of the uniforms’ black ties, capturing the idea of EVA’s global network. Vests feature pockets where service staff can keep pens and notebooks at their fingertips to jot down passenger information and specific requirements.

EVA further ensured the comfort, functionality and versatility of its new uniforms by commissioning a fabric supplier to develop a high-performance material that blends elastic and antistatic carbon fiber yarns.

EVA’s special fabric is quick drying and moistureabsorbent while it retains such characteristics as flexibility and high breathability so that service staff can move and work comfortably in addition to looking and feeling good while they attend to passengers.

As the airline continues to focus on passenger comfort and consideration, EVA is introducing a whole new look in its service image during the second half of this year.

(Advertising Supplement)

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

Marketplace

SOLAR POWER. President Rodrigo Duterte receives a special “Digong solar panel” from Leandro Leviste, Solar Philippines president and chief executive officer, during the inauguration of its factory at Barangay Sta. Anastacia in Sto. Tomas,Batangas on Wednesday, Aug. 23. Duterte o expressed gratitude for the efforts of Solar Philippines in advancing the country’s solar energy industry. In his speech during the inauguration of the Solar Philippines factory at the First Industrial Park here, President Duterte noted that the establishment of the state-of-the-art facility is timely and relevant as the country addresses the increasing demand for renewable energy.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

Dept. of Energy eyes program to convert diesel jeepneys to e-jeeps

by Danessa

RiveRa Philstar.com

MANILA - The Department of Energy (DOE) is planning to launch a program that will convert diesel-fed jeepneys into electric jeepneys (e-jeepney) once it irons out the hurdles in the delayed rollout of the 3,000 electric tricycles (e-trike) under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) grant, according to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

The e-jeepney program is one of the issues the DOE is keen on promoting with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), DOE assistant secretary Leonido Pulido said in an interview after the hearing.

“The DOE has been supportive

of the jeepney modernization program of DOTr. We understand the vehicle itself is under the jurisdiction of DOTr but the infrastructure, charging stations, facilities, policies, incentives, that’s the job of DOE,” he said.

Leonido said the DOE is studying whether the e-jeepney program could be done through loans, the agency’s budget or through public-private partnership (PPP).

But before moving on to ejeepneys, the agency must first deploy the 3,000 unutilized e-trikes.

During the hearing, DOE Undersecretary Raul Aguilos said they have already submitted to the ADB and the Department of Finance (DOF) the amendments

to the loan agreement.

ADB and DOF were the signatories in the 2013 loan agreement amounting to $504 million, or roughly P21.67-billion.

Pulido said the DOE, DOF and ADB could sign the amended loan agreement within a week or two.

“We’ve been doing backchannel talks with DOF and ADB, we’ve finally agreed on what revisions would be made to the loan agreement which should hopefully allow the DOE to actually deploy the e-trikes,” he said.

Apart from reducing the loan amount, the amendments will also allow the DOE to roll out etrikes to other beneficiaries. The previous agreement was limited to local government units.

Uber: P100-M released to affected drivers

by Ricelyn Joy ignacio

tory Board in hopes that the board would lift a month-long suspension SUSPENDED transport net- in exchange of a P10-million fine.

Officials said a total of 36,367 work company Uber Philippines said on Wednesday, Aug. 23 that drivers had already received it has already released about financial assistance, with P19.9P100-million financial assistance million being released daily to drivers’ bank accounts. to displaced drivers.

The suspension was ordered Uber officials made the disclosure during a hearing with the Land by the LTFRB on August 14 after Transportation Franchising Regula- Uber failed to comply with an orManilaTimes.net

der to stop signing new drivers.

“The convenience of the riding public, balanced with their respective safety is paramount to the board,” LTFRB Spokesperson Aileen Lizada said in a text message to the press.

“Crucial is seeing Uber’s commitment and sincerity to abide with government’s policies,” Lizada added.

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017 D

D6 august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

EMPLOYMENT

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

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

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

EMPLOYMENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • AUgUSt 26-29, 2017 D

FOR RENT / FOR SALE

PSYCHIC

D august 26-29, 2017 • La WEEKEND asIaN JOuRNaL

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