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T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r

Volume 26 - No. 19 • 4 Sections – 32 Pages

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PH Senate to probe $100 million casino laundering case

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

by LeiLa

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III inquirer.Net file photo / Nino Jesus Orbeta

B. SaLaverria and nancy c. carvajaL Inquirer.net

the senate will investigate the alleged laundering of $100 million in illicit funds through casinos in the country, with sen. sergio osmeña III saying the exclusion of casinos from the coverage of the antimoney laundering law is one of its biggest loopholes. even before the senate could start its probe, the National Bureau of Investigation is already investigating a Chinese-filipino who allegedly played a key role in the laundering operation.

“We are now looking into these illegal activities and are starting coordination with proper government agencies, including the Anti-money Laundering Council (AmLC),” said NBI Director Virgilio mendez. sen. teofisto Guingona III, who heads the blue ribbon committee and the congressional oversight committee on the Antimoney Laundering Act (Amla), will lead the hearing on tuesday next week, osmeña said on thursday, march 3. the AmLC will be invited, along with the foreign exchange broker and the banks involved in the transaction. the Chinese-filipino, who is known to the gambling commu-

USA

DATELINE Las Vegas mom sentenced to life without parole for husband’s murder from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

A LAs VeGAs mother of four was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on thursday, march 3, for plotting to have her husband killed in order to collect his life insurance. michelle Antwanette Paet, 34, -- who is of filipino descent, a source told the Asian Journal -- pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon back in october, which took the death penalty option off the table. she had revealed that she and her thenboyfriend, michael rudolph rodriguez, planned to murder her husband Nathan Paet, who was a Us Air force service member and

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Duterte to roxas:

‘Where are billions of Yolanda funds?’ by catherine

S. vaLente ManilaTimes.net

DAVAo City mayor rodrigo Duterte wants Liberal Party (LP)standard-bearer manuel “mar” roxas II to explain how the billions of pesos given by foreign donors for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda were spent. roxas was the Interior secretary when the typhoon (international name: haiyan) devastated the Visayan region in November 2013.

Duterte, who campaigned in Pangasinan province on Wednesday, march 2 said the administration has been silent on how the billions of pesos the country received from foreign donors were used. “they are silent about it. Now, I will ask roxas, ‘Where did the Yolanda funds go?’” the tough-talking mayor said.

“Where are the billions of money? Where are the funds for Yolanda [victims]? If he could answer that,

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Most PH tycoons saw their fortunes trimmed by global stock market downturn – Forbes 11 Filipino billionaires among wealthiest in the world

forbes magazine – which has ranked the world’s richest for the 30th year – reported a decline in mANILA — the global stock the global headcount of billionmarket downturn has trimmed aires to 1,810 billionaires from the fortunes of most tycoons in a record-high 1,826 a year ago. the Philippines but 11 of them the publication estimated the remained on the list of wealthi- combined net worth of this rare est people on the planet, based breed at $6.48 trillion, $570 bilon forbes magazine’s 2016 lion less than last year. roster of billionaires. eleven of those billionaires by doriS

dumLao-aBadiLLa Inquirer.net

by edu

Punay Philstar.com

mANILA — the Department of Justice (DoJ) has failed to meet its self-imposed deadline to resolve the criminal charges against the muslim rebels tagged in the killing of 44 policemen in

After gay slur, Manny Gov. Brown approves Pacquiao suffers blow health care package in latest Pulse Asia poll m j c that secures federal funding for Medi-Cal

CALIforNIA Gov. Jerry Brown on tuesday, march 1, signed into law three bills designed to avoid a $1.1-billion cutoff in federal funding for medi-Cal, which provides health insurance coverage to nearly one-third of Californians. the state’s current tax, which would have expired on July 1, applies to only 26 plans that accept medi-Cal patients. revenue collected from these plans is used to fund the program. the new tax meets a federal government demand that the an extension of the levy must apply to all managed care organizations so that the state can receive matching

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arc

aySon ayaByaB Inquirer.net

sArANGANI representative and boxing champion manny Pacquiao saw his survey ratings dip following the backlash on his statement comparing gays to animals.

According to the latest Pulse Asia survey conducted february 15 to 20, Pacquiao’s ratings dipped to 34.8 percent, landing him at 11th to 14th place, shredding 12.1 percentage points from his 46.9 percent ratings in the previous January survey, when he landed at 8th to 10th place.

Pacquiao also lost the most points in the latest survey.

Despite the drop, Pacquiao was still considered among the probable winners in the senatorial elections, thus putting him in the “magic 12.”

were from the Philippines and this year’s list was pretty much the same as in 2015 – except that this year, most of these tycoons saw their wealth shrinking. there was likewise some slight realignment among midranked local tycoons.

As expected, the 2016 list was topped by sm group

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DoJ fails to meet deadline on saF 44 case

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by

Inquirer.net, Philstar.com file photos

Rep. Manny Pacquiao

Inquirer.net photo

But Pacquiao lost three places to land at precarious last magic 12 slot. the survey was conducted in the aftermath of Pacquiao’s highly criticized statement in a television interview with tV-5’s “Bilang Pilipino” election coverage, when Pacquiao was asked about his stance on same sex marriage.

Pacquiao said gays are worse than ani-

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mamasapano, maguindanao last year.

A total of 90 commanders and members of the moro Islamic Liberation front (mILf), Bangsamoro Islamic freedom fighters (BIff) and armed civilians were implicated in the death of the 44 special Action force (sAf) com-

mandos during an operation in mamasapano on Jan. 25.

Acting Justice secretary emmanuel Caparas earlier said the resolution on the complex crime of direct assault with murder complaint that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed

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A MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

From the Front Page

PH Senate to probe $100 million casino…

PAGE A1 t

nity and has business interests in Manila, is suspected to be the conduit of the laundering activities, a source privy to the investigation said.

The laundered money, said to be the single largest transaction of dirty money in the country, “had already been sent out,” said the source, who asked not to be named because he was not au-

thorized to talk about the probe.

High rollers “The money did not stay in local banks. It was brought out through high rollers by junket operators,” the source said.

The AMLC is reported to have implemented a freeze order on several bank accounts suspected of being linked to the money laundering transaction.

The Inquirer earlier reported

that some $100 million in illicit funds entered the local financial system through an inward remittance that was processed at a Makati branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC).

The money was converted into pesos with the help of a foreign exchange and remittance firm called Philrem, and later consolidated from five bank accounts into a single corporate account of a businessman running an operation that brings in high rollers from overseas to play in casinos in the country.

The money was used to buy chips or pay for losses in three casinos.

Regulators were alerted to the suspicious origin of the monINSPECTION. President Benigno S. Aquino III inspects the road at the construction site upon his arrival for the Time Capsule-Laying and ey when foreign governments Briefing at the new Panglao Airport construction site in Barangay Lourdes, Panglao, Bohol on Wednesday, March. alerted the Bangko Sentral ng Malacañang photo by Joseph Vidal Pilipinas that it might have been obtained through fraud committed by computer hackers in Bangladesh. A ranking RCBC official Holdings), banking (Banco de Lucio Tan. also said the bank had filed sus- PAGE A1 t The 91-year-old Sy – patriarch Oro and China Bank) and retailpicious transaction reports once founder Henry Sy Sr., JG Summit Holdings founder John Gokong- of the SM group which domi- ing (SM Retail) businesses, and it got wind of the transfer. u PAGE A4 wei and LT Group Inc. founder nates local property (SM Prime is also a philanthropist – remains the richest person in this part of the world with an estimated net worth of $12.9 billion. His net worth declined from last year’s $14.2 billion but he remains the only tycoon from this country to be among the world’s top 100, based on Forbes’ ranking. He was ranked as the 71st wealthiest person on the planet.

SM Investments Corp., the flagship conglomerate led by the Sy family, is now the most valuable company in the stock market with market capitalization of P704 billion as of Wednesday (March 2). Its banking arm BDO is the first among local banks to breach the P2-trillion mark in total resources.

JG Summit’s Gokongwei, who is turning 90 this year, remained number two on the list and likewise saw a decline in estimated net worth to $5 billion from $5.8 billion last year.

Gokongwei has been called the “industrialist challenger,” unafraid to venture into highly competitive new sectors like telecommunications, or dipping into untested waters, like petrochemicals, and nurturing them no matter how long it takes to achieve profitability. A long time ago, he also planted the seeds for overseas diversification and built

Most PH tycoons saw their fortunes trimmed…

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From the Front page

ALL ABOUT NUTS. A participant from Quezon province dons a costume which made use of coconut fiber during the 21st staging of the Baguio Flower Festival street dancing parade over the weekend.

Inquirer.net photo by EV Espiritu

‘Where are billions of Yolanda…

PAGE A1 t

may he become the next President but until now, there is no accounting [of the funds] yet,” Duterte added.

But Malacañang also on Thursday, March 3 said the money has been properly accounted for.

“All foreign aids received by the country for the benefit of the communities affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda are fully accounted for and have undergone the requisite audit by the Commission on Audit,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

He urged critics to check official records to see the rebuilding and rehabilitation that the government has done.

“According to the records of the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub, the Philippines received a total of $386.2 million in foreign aid, 86 percent of which or $330.8 million were received by non-government organizations, multilateral agencies and others,” Coloma noted.

“Out of the total amount, about $26.9 million in cash and $28.5 million in non-cash donations were received by the National Government,” he

said.

Typhoon Yolanda made six landfalls across six or seven regions on November 8, 2013.

Meanwhile, Duterte vowed a corrupt-free government if he will win in May. He said corruption, illegal drugs and criminality are the biggest problems facing the country.

The Davao City mayor vowed to stop all these in the first three to six months of his administration.

“I will guarantee you it will be a clean government. No corruption,” Duterte said. n

Most PH tycoons saw their fortunes trimmed…

PAGE A2 t

an expansive Asia-Pacific footprint for Universal Robina Corp.

(URC). In 2014, URC bought Auckland-based Griffin’s Foods Ltd., New Zealand’s leading biscuit and snack food manufacturer, for about NZ$700 million (P26.37 billion).

JG Summit is a conglomerate seen to have benefited and yet to benefit further from favorable demographics in the country and the region through its food and beverage (URC), airline (Cebu Air) and property (Robinsons Land Corp.) businesses. The group likewise has equity investments in the Manila Electric Co., Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Singaporean

property developer UIC Ltd. Tycoon Lucio Tan kept his number three ranking with an estimated net worth of $4 billion compared to $4.4 billion last year. Tan’s group is into tobacco (49.6 percent of Philippine Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp.), beverage (Tanduay Holdings and Asia Brewery), banking (Philippine National Bank), airline (Philippine Airlines and property development (Eton Properties).

GT Capital Holdings’ George Ty slid to fourth place on the local list with an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion, down from $4.4 billion last year. Last year, Ty was estimated to be just as rich as Lucio Tan (who has a

daughter married to Ty’s son).

Construction magnate David Consunji, property tycoon Andrew Tan and Jollibee Foods Corp. founder Tony Tan Caktiong were all valued at $3 billion, sharing the fifth place in the local list.

Andrew Tan – who is into property development (Megaworld Corp.), integrated gaming resort (Travellers International Hotel Group) and beverage (Emperador Inc.) businesses – saw his net value decline from $4.8 billion last year. Tan has been expanding his property businesses while Emperador has been gobbling up assets in Europe, the latest of which is the acquisition

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

A

A MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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After gay slur, Manny Pacquiao suffers blow…

PAGE A1 t

mals by pairing themselves with the same gender.

Pacquiao later gained the ire of leading lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) personalities, and even the sports brand Nike, which dropped him as its endorser. Vice Ganda and Boy Abunda urged their fans not to vote for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao later apologized for comparing gays to animals, but he maintained his staunch opposition to same-sex marriage and his stand against homosexual acts by citing Biblical passages.

The senatorial candidates who were considered to have chances in the Magic 12, from highest to lowest, are: Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (63.6 percent), Panfilo “Ping” Lacson (60.2percent), former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (54.1percent), Senator Ralph Recto (53.4percent). Senate President Franklin Drilon (52.4percent), former Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri (48.5percent), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (45.3percent), Senator Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III (43.7percent), former Senator Richard

“Dick” Gordon (42.6percent), Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin T. Gatchalian (41.2percent), former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Emmanuel “Joel” Villanueva (39.1percent), Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III (36.7percent), former Akbayan Party List Representative Risa Hontiveros (36.2percent), and Pacquiao.

According to the survey, however, at least 2.3 percent of respondents said they are not supporting any senatorial candidate. n

PH Senate to probe $100 million casino…

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CONFLICT-STRICKEN. ARMM health workers coordinate with soldiers their entry to conflict-stricken areas in Butig town to extend medical services to evacuees. Government agencies and peace advocacy groups will cooperate in returning thousands of evacuees from conflictstricken barangays in Lanao del Sur’s Butig town, officials said Friday, March 4.

Philstar.com photo by John Unson

DOJ fails to meet deadline on SAF 44 case

PAGE A1 t

against the suspects over the killing of 35 of the SAF operatives during the encounter would be released in February.

But this did not materialize as no resolution has been issued as of yesterday.

However, Caparas told reporters that the resolution would be released next week. No reason was given for the delay.

The preliminary investigation

on the case by a panel led by Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez was concluded last Jan. 14 with only four of 90 respondents able to answer the charges.

Of the 90 respondents, only four submitted counter-affidavits and denied the charges: supposed MILF field commander Pendatun Utek Makakua, who denied the charges and claimed to be a farmer; Mustapha Tatak,

a barangay chairman in Sapakan, Mamasapano; and civilians Lakiman Dawaling and Khalim Keda, who were accused of being MILF field commanders involved in the killing of 35 SAF men in Barangay Tukanalipao.

Facing the DOJ probe are 13 commanders of MILF and six commanders of BIFF. But the names of the respondents were not made public so as to pre-

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Osmeña, who chairs the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies, said the exclusion of casinos from Amla was “one of the biggest loopholes.”

“The casino is the easiest place to launder money in the entire country. It’s easy come, easy go there,” he said.

The money could be easily claimed as gambling winnings.

Aside from casinos, real estate brokers and art dealers should be covered by Amla as well, the senator said.

Osmeña, who is running for reelection, said he was willing to file a bill seeking new amendments to Amla to include casinos, real estate brokers and art dealers as among those required to report their financial activities.

The proposal could face opposition but the recent issue over the alleged use of casinos to clean dirty funds could shore up support for the amendments, he said. Passing the Amla in the first place had been very difficult, he recalled.

“The chances of passing it now are easier,” the senator said in a Senate forum.

Osmeña also said he was expecting the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force [FATF] to ask the Philippines to amend anew its law against money laundering given recent developments.

When Congress approved the amendments to strengthen Amla in 2013, casinos were excluded from coverage because of the strong lobby of gambling institutions, he said.

He said then Senate Presi-

dent Juan Ponce Enrile led the move to exclude casinos, on the ground that these comprised a new industry in the Philippines and the government should not make things hard for them.

The senators sided with Enrile, with Osmeña saying the lawmakers had to compromise. Otherwise, the bill to strengthen Amla would be held up.

At the time, Congress was about to go on recess for the 2013 election campaign, and the Amla amendments were needed to prevent the country from being placed on the FATF blacklist.

Because of the reported money laundering, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has expressed fears that the Philippines may be demoted to the “gray” list by FATF. n

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From the Front Page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

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Most PH tycoons saw their fortunes trimmed…

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FUN RUN. Senator Pia Cayetano leads Senate officials and employees in a three-kilometer fun run on Tuesday, March 1, as part of the Senate’s year-long centennial celebration (October 2015- October 2016). “A Run for 100 Days Maternity Leave in 100 Years of the Philippine Senate” kicks off a series of month-long activities celebrating Women’s Month this March.

Senate photo by Alexis Nuevaespaña

DOJ fails to meet deadline on SAF 44 case

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vent them from evading possible prosecution.

They were accused of acting “in conspiracy with one another to attack, employ force, seriously intimidate or resist the 35 SAF commandos, who were uniformed police officers and thus persons in authority.”

The fact-finding team of prosecutors and the NBI agents based the report on accounts of eyewitnesses – including alias Marathon – who identified the liable

MILF and BIFF commanders and have been placed under the witness protection program.

The viral videos of the encounter that circulated in social media sites also helped in the investigation and their sources have been traced.

Based on the results of the probe, the killings of the SAF commandos appeared to be “spontaneous and not an institutional act of the MILF.” The charges covered the cases of 35 slain SAF men who be-

A total of 90 commanders and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and armed civilians were implicated in the death of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos during an operation in Mamasapano on Jan. 25.

Philstar.com/File photo

this Week in revieW Us Fatal crash on 5 fwy the result of street racing OFFICIALS are saying a multivehicle crash that occurred on the 5 Freeway in Commerce was the result of street racing between two vehicles. The drivers were racing in the southbound lanes near Washington Boulevard after midnight on Feb. 27, when one of them lost control of his vehicle, veering into a UPS big rig, authorities reported. The truck slammed into the center divider, then flipped over into the northbound lanes on the other side of the highway, colliding with several oncoming vehicles before exploding. Three people, including the UPS driver and two young women in a Nissan that was hit, were pronounced dead at the scene. One of the suspected street racers, 35-yearold Dealio Lockhart of Whittier, was arrested at the scene and will face vehicular manslaughter charges, according to the California Highway Patrol. The other street race driver, of a Dodge Charger, remains at large.

US economy creates strong jobs for February THE US unemployment rate held steady last month at 4.9% while job growth rose overall, according to the Department of Labor. Combining the totals for December 2015 and January (a combined 30,000 net jobs), the rate has now averaged about 228,000 net new positions since December. The average is about the same for all of 2015. With the growth of the job force, the DOL reported, about 555,000 people jumped back into the labor force, pushing the participation rate of adults in the workforce up to 62.9%. It was the highest reported level since January 2015.

Amid drought, California falls short of water usage target AFTER CA Gov. Jerry Brown called for a mandatory statewide cut of 25% in urban water use, drought-stricken Californians swiftly acted, changing city and countywide laws and regulations.

At first, consumption was slashed tremendously; that changed when cooler weather came about and conservation slowed. Even with the help of steady rains in the last three months, statewide people reduced their water consumption by just 17.1%, compared with January 2013. Officials reported on March 3rd that the state’s cumulative water savings this past January fell to 24.8%, for the first time in eight months. “People in California have done something extraordinary,” said Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board. According to the board, only 58% of water providers met or were within one percentage point of their conservation standard. “The disappointment is just, God, we’re so close—we want to get there.”

longed to the 55th SAF Company that engaged MILF and BIFF fighters and armed civilians in the cornfields of Barangay Tukanalipao.

Last October, the fact-finding team released its second report involving the cases of the nine other slain commandos from the 84th SAF company in Barangay Pidsandawan as well as the five civilians and 18 MILF fighters who were also killed during the clash. No one was charged because probers failed to secure witnesses to identify the killers. n

of Spain’s iconic brandy-maker Fundador.

Consunji also saw a drop in fortune compared to last year’s net worth of $4.1 billion. DMCI Holdings is into construction, property development, water, coal/nickel mining and power generation (Semirara Mining and Power Corp.).

Jollibee founder and recently retired chief executive officer Tony Tan Caktiong is the only one among Philippine tycoons in the 2016 list who saw an increase in net worth to $3 billion from $2.7 billion last year. Apart from Jollibee – which a globalizing company and a favored consumer play in the stock market – Tan Caktiong co-founded fast-growing property developer Double Dragon Properties Corp. with younger magnate Edgar “Injap” Sia II. “From Saudi Arabia to the borough of Queens in New York City, Tony Tan Caktiong’s fast food restaurants dot the globe.

His publicly traded Jollibee Foods marked its entry into the mainstream burger market with a 40 percent acquisition of food chain Smashburger in October of 2015. Jollibee Foods is the fastest-growing Asian restaurant chain in the world. They sell Filipino, Chinese, American and European recipes adapted to a modern, quick serve, affordable format,” Forbes magazine said.

International port terminal and gaming operator Enrique Razon Jr. was sixth on the list with an estimated $2.4 billion in

net worth, which marked a big drop from last year’s estimated fortune of $5.2 billion. Razon is the controlling shareholder in International Container Terminal Services Inc. and integrated gaming resort Bloomberry Resorts Corp. The decline in wealth is due to the slump in the shares of gaming stocks in the region.

Retailing couple Lucio and Susan Co of Puregold Price Club Inc. ranked next on the list with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, at par with the fortunes of Robert Coyiuto, who derives most of his wealth from the family-held private insurance business and a 30 percent stake in the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines. The Cos’ estimated wealth declined from last year’s $2.3 billion while Coyiuto’s fortune also slipped from last year’s $1.8 billion.

Completing the list was former Senator Manuel Villar, a real estate magnate, who focused on growing Vista Land & Lifescapes after losing to President Aquino during the 2010 presidential elections. The businessman – who is making up for decades lost when he was busy with politics – has an estimated net worth of $1.3 billion, lower than $1.6 billion last year. He made it to the global list for the second year in a row.

Amid the global stock market volatility, oil price slump and strengthening of the US dollar, Forbes magazine reported a “dynamic reshuffling of wealth around the globe and a drop in ten-figure fortunes for the first

time since 2009.”

“It was also the first time since 2010 that the average net worth of a billionaire dropped – it is now $3.6 billion, $300 million less than last year,” the magazine said.

Forbes reported a reshuffling of billionaires starting at the top.

“Only two people in the top 20 managed to hold onto their ranks. Bill Gates remains the richest person in the world with a net worth of $75 billion, despite being $4.2 billion poorer than a year ago,” the magazine said. Gates has topped the list for three years in a row and topped the list 17 out of 22 years.

Legendary American investor Warren Buffett remained at No. 3. while Zara’s Amancio Ortega climbed to No. 2 for the first time, displacing Mexico’s Carlos Slim, who slipped to No. 4. The magazine estimated that Slim’s fortune had fallen by $27.1 billion to $50 billion in the past year, as shares of his telecom business América Móvil tumbled.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had “the best year of all billionaires,” the magazine said, with the 31-year-old social media tycoon adding $11.2 billion to his fortune and moving up to No. 6 from 16.

Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos both made it to the top 10 list for the first time.

Meanwhile, a billionaire from China’s mainland, Wang Jianlin – whose company owns AMC Theaters and soon will own Legendary Pictures – has climbed into the top 20, according to the magazine. n

A MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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Super Tuesday results show Clinton, Trump as 2016 frontrunners

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

TUESDAY, March 1 was a big day on the road to November’s presidential elections. Unofficially nicknamed “Super Tuesday,” it is when a dozen states (and one US territory) held nominating contests to narrow down party candidates during the primaries.

Also known as the “SEC Primary,” 661 Republican delegates and 865 Democratic delegates were allocated on Super Tuesday. It is the only day in which a single candidate has a bigger chance to declare certainty over his or her nomination, with that many delegates grouped at once, reported Politico.

Real estate billionaire Donald Trump was the clear winner for the Republican Party on Tuesday night, with 319 total delegate counts—the most of any candidate in the field. Trump won the votes in seven states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, and Vermont.

New Jersey governor (and former candidate) Chris Christie also stunned the nation by endorsing Trump, standing awkwardly behind him during Trump’s Tuesday night address in Palm Beach, Florida.

“I am a unifier, I know people are going to find that a little bit hard to believe, but believe me that I am a unifier,” Trump told

Donald Trump

his supporters. “Once we get all of this finished, I am going to go after one person—that’s Hillary Clinton, on the assumption that she’s allowed to run.”

“When we unify, there’s nobody—nobody—that’s going to beat us,” he concluded, according to CNBC. Trump’s main rival Hillary Clinton, however, also had a good night. The former Secretary of State won overwhelmingly in all of the big, delegate-awarding states (Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia), with 577 counts. According to the Washington Post, Clinton also had major support (more than 80 percent in Georgia and Virginia) of the black vote.

“Instead of building walls, we’re going to break down barriers, and build ladders of opportunity and empowerment, so that every American live up to his or her potential,” Clinton said in her remarks. “Then, and only then, can America live up to its full potential too.”

“America never stopped being great,” she added, speaking directly to Trump. “We have to make America whole.”

The question that now remains is whether both strong candidates can get the rest of the delegate votes needed to win the party nomination.

For the Republicans, despite Trump’s dominance in the field,

Hillary Clinton

Texas Senator Ted Cruz took three states—Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas—and won 226 delegates. Cruz is favored to be the alternative to Trump, given that a loss in his home state would have effectively ended his campaign.

“Our campaign is the only campaign that has beaten and can beat Donald Trump,” the senator told his supporters on Tuesday.

‘Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio struggled behind, winning the vote in just one state (Minnesota) and 110 delegates.

Trailing behind at the end of the night was Ohio Governor John Kasich (25 delegates) and Dr. Ben Carson (eight delegates).

The Republican candidates need a total 1,237 delegates to win the party nomination.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ultimately lost that night, with just four states (Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and his home state Vermont) and 386 delegates, out of the 2,383 needed to win for the Democrat nomination.

In his speech given at his home state, before the final results of Super Tuesday votes, Sanders said, “You know, we want to win in every part of the country, that goes without saying. But it does say something and means so much to me that the people who know me best, the people who knew me before I was elected, who knew me as mayor, knew me as congressman, and know me as senator, have voted so strongly to put us in the White House.”

“At the end of tonight, 15 states will have voted, 35 states remain.

And let me assure you that we are going to take our fight for economic justice, for social justice, for environmental sanity, for a world of peace to every one of those states,” Sanders vowed.

After Super Tuesday, the next crucial votes took place on Saturday, March 5, with the Louisiana primaries and Kansas caucuses.

Over the weekend, Republicans were expected to vote in Kentucky and Maine, while Democrats will vote in Nebraska and in Maine on March 6. n

GOODWILL VISIT. The Japanese Navy’s Minesweeper Division 51 docks at South Harbor in Manila. The vessel is on a goodwill visit to the Philippines.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Czeasar Dancel

Las Vegas mom sentenced to life without…

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Iraq War veteran.

Michelle and Nathan Paet were high school sweethearts and got married in 2006, a source told the Asian Journal.

“I made a huge mistake and a really bad choice and I’m truly sorry,” Michelle Paet tearfully said in court on Thursday, according to the Las Vegas ReviewJournal.

The murder occurred back in December 2010, prosecutors detailed, when Rodriguez waited outside the Paet residence and was signaled by a text message that Nathan Paet was getting ready to leave for work at Nellis Air Force Base.

Rodriguez and an accomplice, Corey Hawkins, confronted Nathan Paet and shot him five times

in the back. He reportedly collapsed in front of his wife and their four children, before he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Michelle Paet revealed that the murder plot was conspired to collect $650,000 in life insurance — $400,000 from the military and $250,000 from her husband’s insurance policy. She and Rodriguez met and entered a relationship while working at a telemarketing company in Las Vegas. The murder plot was planned over the course of six months, prosecutors said.

“She sits before you as she has before other men, crying and kind of the perfect picture of femininity and vulnerability, looking like a victim,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle

Fleck said. “What you see is not what you get.”

Rodriguez was separately found guilty last year for his part in the murder.

The Paets’ four children currently live in Guam with relatives and are reportedly afraid of their mother.

“They are afraid that if she can do this to their father, she may be capable of doing this to them,” Nathan Paet’s mother Carmelita said.

Michelle Paet, addressing the judge and her murdered husband’s relatives, sought forgiveness.

“I hope and pray that one day each and every one of them will find it in their hearts to truly forgive me,” she said. (Christina M. Oriel / AJPress)

Gov. Brown approves health care package…

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federal funds for the health care program.

“Democrats and Republicans came together today to do what’s best for California,” Brown said in a statement after the state legislature approved the bills. “This legislation will save money and help millions of people with health care

and disability services.”

The new plan includes tax offsets to minimize the impact on health plans that could potentially be absorbed by consumers.

It was supported by many health insurers, including Anthem and Blue Shield.

“The proposal provides a stable ongoing funding source for MediCal,” said Sen. Ed Hernandez (DWest Covina), who led the effort to pass the bill. “It allows California to maximize its share of existing federal dollars, and we’re always complaining that we don’t get our fair share. It will not negatively impact premiums.”

Bipartisan support was required for the new tax, including at least one Republican vote in the Senate and three GOP votes in the Assembly.

Though Republicans are typically tax-averse, the new tax received support from two GOP members in the Senate and 11 in the Assembly. Democrats unanimously voted in favor of the measure.

“Collectively, we came up with something that’s really good,” said Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (R-San Diego).

However, some Republicans who voted against the plan are concerned that the replacement tax will unavoidably be passed

4/5/16

on to consumers.

“Is there anything written in this bill that would codify the fact there would be no increases to any citizens of California? No,” said Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Riverside).

“The bottom line is the consumer will get hurt with this bill.”

Before the new tax goes into effect, it requires approval from the Obama administration, which state officials are optimistic about.

It took months of negotiations before the state senate and assembly came to the final deal.

To secure Republican support, the package included several components, such as allocating additional funding for Californians with developmental disabilities and forgiving a budget debt owed by skilled-nursing facilities.

Both chambers also unanimously approved on Monday a separate measure that allocates about $300 million to services for about 300,000 developmentally disabled Californians. It boosts wages for staff at regional centers and provides additional money for independent-living programs. This bill also The third bill approved provides about $240 million to prefund retiree health care for public workers and pay back a $173 million transportation loan. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

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Families of San Bernardino victims side with FBI

“Neither I, nor my wife, want to raise our children in a world where privacy is the trade-off for THE battle between Silicon security,” Kondoker said in a letValley-based tech industry giant ter to a federal judge, posted on Apple and federal law enforce- Apple’s website. ment over access to encrypted Dozens of groups have filed cell phone data has continued, papers in federal court, seeking with privacy concerns against an to have their arguments placed investigation over national secu- on record in the legal fight. rity as the hot topic.

Leading tech companies—inThe dispute has sparked a cluding Google, Facebook, Snapnationwide debate, and has gar- chat, Microsoft, and Twitter— nered the attention of the fami- have supported Apple’s position, lies of the victims of the San Ber- arguing that ordering the companardino, California — 14 of whom ny to write new software to help were killed last December when two radicalized shooters entered the Inland Regional Center and fired dozens of rounds, before being gunned down later near their Redlands home by FBI. The FBI has requested—by a court order, on the basis of the All Writs Act—that Apple should help agents by unlocking encrypted data on an iPhone 5c that belonged to one of the shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook.

Apple swiftly and publicly opposed the judge’s court order, arguing that it was fighting for “the privacy of millions of innocent people,” reported the Los Angeles Times.

Apple won a battle round when a New York judge presiding over a similar case ruled against federal prosecutors seeking Apple’s help unlocking a phone belonging to a drug dealer. US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein said that the All Writs Act does not grant the power the government seeks.

The families of the 14 victims are now speaking out, deeply hurt and affected by this dispute.

Mark Sandefur, the father of Larry Daniel Kaufman who was killed in the terror attack, wrote a letter released by an attorney that represents several relatives of the victims. “Recovery of information from the iPhone in question may not lead to anything new. But, what if there is evidence pointing to a third shooter? What if it leads to an unknown terrorist cell?” Sandefur wrote to Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook.

“What if others are attacked, and you and I did nothing to prevent it?”

Another family member of a San Bernardino victim also spoke out—Salihin Kondoker, whose wife was wounded. Kondoker said he supported the company’s position to protect consumers’ privacy, and also believed it was unlikely Farook’s phone contains valuable information.

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

give the FBI access to encrypted data on the locked iPhone would “ultimately endanger the privacy rights of customers worldwide.”

“We believe the issues raised by the Apple case are too important to rely on a narrow statute from a different technological era to fill the government’s perceived gap in current law,” wrote Microsoft President Brad Smith, targeting the centuries-old All Writs Act. “Instead, we should look to Congress to strike the balance needed for 21st Century

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A MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

IS at the door

DESPITE military denials about the terrorist Islamic State gaining a foothold in Mindanao, IS is seen to have at least inspired the assassination attempt on a Saudi Arabian cleric and a Saudi diplomat Tuesday night in Zamboanga City.

Preacher Aaidh Al-Qarni and Saudi embassy religious attaché Sheikh Turki Assaegh were in Zamboanga for a two-day symposium and Islamic lecture. They had just emerged from the symposium and boarded a vehicle when the gunman approached and opened fire. Police escorting the visitors fired back, killing the gunman. The accomplices were caught.

You have to be unusually daring to try to kill two visiting VIPs with their police escorts right behind them. Daring is a trademark of IS and its fans, so people believe police suspicions focusing on the group. This heightens concerns that IS, or at least its violent message that has gained adherents around the globe, will become a serious threat to the Philippines.

Instead of discounting that possibility, security forces must be prepared to neutralize the threat.

Intelligence gathering must be beefed up and resources strengthened for rapid response to an attack.

Mindanao is already plagued by several violent groups: the Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and, in several areas, the communist New People’s Army.

The leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front has promised to continue observing a truce with the government despite the failure of Congress to pass a law creating the Bangsamoro. But IS can inspire adherents among any of the Islamic groups, including the MILF. The military is already kept busy dealing with the Islamic extremists. IS inspiration could raise the level of violence. Government security forces cannot afford to take this threat for granted. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

LGBT comment backlash: Pacquiao ratings go down in his senatorial bid AFTER the Pambansang Kamao Manny Pacquiao’s controversial statement comparing people in gay and lesbian relationship to animals, the big question during this political cycle looms: would such remarks that have been criticized worldwide affect the fighting congressman’s chances of winning a seat in the Senate in the May election?

The results of the latest Pulse Asia survey may be good news for those who are not fans of the Pacman as a politician.

According to Pulse Asia, Pacquiao’s rating dropped 12 percentage points in February, putting him in the 11th to 14th range. He was in the 8th to 10th range in January before his controver-

no voters, Pacquiao’s followers sial remarks during a television display a level of loyalty sealed interview went viral.

The Fil-Am by his status as a boxing icon But those running against him who has brought so much pride in the senatorial race will have to Perspective to the Filipinos. work harder to defeat Pacquiao’s Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches celebrity status. story has also been an inspiraPulse Asia revealed that despite tion among many kababayans, the drop in his ratings, the Saranwho look up to him as their real gani congressman is still consid- Gel sAntos-relos life hero that they love to emuered among probable winners in late. the senatorial race.

And there are those kababayans who have His popularity goes beyond his celebrity status, which definitely helps in name recall. In a very been helped by the Pambansang Kamao’s genpersonality-oriented electorate that is the Filipi- erosity and sense of charity. They believe such

of their dignities, sense of peace, emotional security and freedom from harm, with their trauma lasting for decades?

Spotlight’s revelations During the 88th Academy Awards, “Spotlight” won the Oscar for Best Picture for 2016. It also got Best Original Screenplay, written by Tom McCarthy.

The film is about Marty Baron, a new editor of the Boston Globe, who assigned the Spotlight team of four investigative journalists (Michael Rezendes, Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer and Water “Robby” Robinson) to look into John Geoghan, a priest whose title has been removed, aka defrocked, after molesting more than 80 boys.

The reporters made it their collective mission to provide proof of the cover-up, uncovering the pattern, policy and practices, which systematically hid the wrong doings in the Boston archdiocese, headed by Cardinal Edward Law. One dialogue line in the film resonated well: “If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.”

Spotlight team went through a painstaking process of digging facts, interviewing victims, lawyers, fact checking, including a process of deduction, which led to a compiled list of 87 priests, from the church’s directory of priests, who were classified “on sick leave, unassigned or emergency status.”

Speaking of priests on sick leave, I interviewed a healing priest who led two churches in the Valley, years ago. After a three-hour interview, he gave me a “spooky feeling”, particularly upon observing how he gave chest-suffocating hugs to women, normally reserved for couples who have not seen each other for a long time. My heart told me to stay away, while my mind decided not to write his story.

Fast forward to today, he is no longer a pastor and is currently on sick leave. His blogs, which spoke to his healing abilities, have disappeared from the Internet.

Back to “Spotlight,” the film showed how a list of 87 priests came about, who were either on sick leave, unassigned, on emergency status or were transferred in less than three years. The list was verified by the Archdiocese’s defense counsel, and another reliable third-party source, a lawyer who settled cases on behalf of 45 accused priests. The film showed how verification was arrived at, using two independent sources.

Included in the process of investigation was filing a motion to unseal court documents from John Geoghan’s case (a priest who molested 80 boys, including seven boys in one family), while also interviewing victims and accused priests.

The start of transparency, perhaps?

In the film, we heard the voice of Richard Sipe,

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

The whole truth about EDSA 1 may never be told

Spotlight: Truth, justice, mercy and Catholic priests POPE Francis declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy, and from the Rhizomes Vatican’s website, “The Church is celebrating the Holy Year of Mercy, a time of grace, peace, conversion and joy. It is meant for everyone: people of every age, from far and near. There Prosy AbArquezare no walls or distances which DelAcruz, J.D. can prevent the Father’s mercy from reaching and embracing us. The Holy Door is now open in Rome and in all the diocese of the world.”

On Sundays and weekday masses, priests talk of mercy in their homilies. The gospel on March 2 was on forgiveness, and how many times a person must forgive -- not just seven times, but seven times 77, or 539 times.

March 3rd’s homily spoke of applying one’s knowledge, filtering what we know, and using what we know to spread God’s love and forgiveness. I cried listening to the last homily for I was struggling with how do you forgive and show mercy to predator priests, after watching “Spotlight.”

I once had a chance to meet one of these predator priests, as part of a dinner, raising awareness and funds to help urban poor communities in the Philippines, which includes a chapel, a child care center, a school, and a pharmacy.

When I invited him to join Simbang Gabi in an East Hollywood Church, he demurred and said he was “persona non grata.” It struck me as weird, as it was a self-detrimental conclusion, not borne out of practice.

While researching, his name was listed on Bishop-Accountability.org. His victim, now in her 60s, was paid $100,000 by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (perhaps the reason for “persona non grata”) as this Catholic Irish priest had sex with a 15-yearold debate team member at the school he served as principal. He wrote an apology letter and described it as “consensual sex” decades later.

If you were the victim, would you be able to forgive this priest, and show him God’s mercy?

After a full declaration of wrongdoing and witnessing the perpetrator’s remorse can you now be part of a healthier Catholic Church, forgiving more than 539 times?

Can you still forgive and ask for God’s mercy knowing that it was not just you, but you are part of a much bigger sector of thousands in 108 cities in the United States and 51 cities in 21 countries?

What if you discover this pattern of conduct has reached back to two centuries before?

Would you now use your persuasive powers to prevent the “acting out of these psychosocially and emotionally immature priests?”

Will we ever have accountability to these breached sacred trusts, committed by priests? Will we have accountability from bishops and cardinals who hid these harmful behaviors, robbing minors

criticism against Pacquiao is nothing compared to the help he has bestowed upon those in need.

They rationalize that if Pacquiao wins as senator, he will be in the position to help more Filipinos all over the nation.

Will this love for Manny Pacquiao last until the election and help catapult him to be senator? We will find out in May. ***

WHILE doing research at the Library of Congress in Washing- Street ton DC on the presence of natives of Las Islas Filipinas in Louisiana Talk in the 1700s, I chanced upon a compilation of “Manuscripts and materials relating to the Philippines,” prepared by Charles O. GreG B. MacaBenta Houston of the library’s manuscript division.

In the preface, Houston wrote: “The library’s collection is extremely rich in the period 1898 and contains as well materials on the preceding period which reflect the interests and biases of Americans who were concerned with Philippine affairs in the opening years of this century.

“Enough was discovered in only two of the collections to make necessary an almost complete revision of the history of the period 1898-1934, and which makes tendentious and misleading most works printed about the Philippines since 1900.“ I recalled Houston’s critical comment on reading the news about the speeches of President Noynoy Aquino at the observance of the 30th anniversary of the People Power Revolution or EDSA 1 and at the memorial service for the late Stephen Bosworth, former US ambassador to the Philippines.

In both speeches, Aquino heaped opprobrium on the late President Ferdinand Marcos and his family, and passed on the onus to vice-presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos II. Among other things, Aquino tried to dispel any notion that the Marcos era was a “golden age” for the Philippines, in the process making that claim for his own administration. He also belied the story about Marcos restraining his military from attacking the civilians massed at EDSA and around Camp Aguinaldo, where the breakaway forces of Gen. Fidel V. Ramos and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile were entrenched.

Not surprisingly, Aquino’s narratives were challenged by individuals who had intimate knowledge of the Marcos years and the incidents leading to the civil-military uprising that deposed him.

Among the detractors were Manila Times columnists Rigoberto Tiglao, former ambassador and key official under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Francisco “Kit” Tatad, former senator and former press secretary in the Marcos cabinet.

Note that each one had played a role in the events that led to the declaration of martial law that, subsequently, led to EDSA 1: Aquino, as the son of the man whose assassination was one of the sparks that set ablaze the embers of the revolt, and a mother who became president as a result of that uprising; Tatad, as a key official in the Marcos government, privy to the machinations in Malacañang; and Tiglao, as a young member of a Communist cadre openly working for the overthrow of the government – the reason Marcos gave for

declaring martial law.

Was Aquino lying or were his detractors the ones doing so?

Frankly, I think that they were all telling the truth – their versions of the truth.

History is written by the victors. Thus, like the records on Philippine-American relations that Houston described as “tendentious and misleading,” the stories about the Marcos regime and EDSA 1 have been told mainly from the perspective of those who deposed him.

Expectedly, while based on facts, these have been subjected to biases and varying degrees of embellishments.

It was in that context that Aquino recounted his version of the Marcos years and EDSA 1.

It takes a truly dedicated and objective historian or journalist to dig up accounts from various sources, attempt to separate the grain from the chaff, and come up with a truthful and balanced recounting of the Marcos years and EDSA 1. That may not be possible in our lifetime.

In his speech at the Bosworth memorial service, Aquino said that it was not true that Marcos was compassionate and refused to order government forces to attack the rebels and slaughter their civilian supporters.

I know of different versions of this. One version is that the US warned Marcos that he would be made severely answerable for any deaths at EDSA. On the other hand, I personally overheard the commander of the Philippine Marines at the time, Gen, Artemio Tadiar, admit that he could not, in all conscience, order his tanks to attack. This was confirmed by other senior officers. In other words, the Marcos military did not have the heart to massacre fellow Filipinos.

But Aquino’s version is understandable. Anyone under his circumstances would be burdened by a humongous prejudice. He is entitled to it, never mind that the main reason for his speech was to keep “Bongbong” Marcos II from winning the vice-presidency.

The best that readers and kibitzers can do is to go by the incontrovertible facts.

What is fact is that Marcos and his military did not spill blood at EDSA. In contrast, one need only Google the heading, “Mendiola massacre,” to read this entry: “The Mendiola massacre, also called Black Thursday by some Filipino journalists, was an incident that took place in Mendiola Street, San Miguel, Manila, Philippines on January 22, 1987, in which state security forces violently dispersed a farmers’ march to Malacañan Palace. Thirteen of the farmers were killed and many wounded when government anti-riot forces opened fire on them.

The farmers were demanding fulfillment of the

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Dateline USa

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

A

Trump receives backlash from other Republicans

by AgnEs

constAntE AJPress

RESUCE DEMONSTRATION. As the Presidential Security Group celebrates the 30th founding anniversary, the PSG “rescue a hostage” victim during a capability demonstration. The PSG is the lead agency tasked in providing security to the President of the Philippines and the First Family, as well as to visiting Heads of States and diplomats.

Malacañang photo by Benhur Arcayan

AFTER Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump claimed victory in seven of 11 states on Super Tuesday, several prominent public figures and news publications expressed that they do not believe Trump is fit for the presidency.

“The reality is that Trump has no experience whatsoever in government, interacting with the machinery of state only as a supplicant,” read an LA Times editorial published Wednesday, March 2. “He has shamefully little knowledge of the issues facing the country and the world, and a temperament utterly unsuited to do the job. He is a racist and a bully, a demagogue. He has proposed killing the families

Homeland Security launches employer pilot program

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

THE US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of a Known Employer pilot program on Thursday, March 3, assessing a new process for employers who seek to hire workers through employment-based visa categories.

Modifying the process US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) already uses to review an employer’s eligibility to sponsor individuals (under certain employment-based im-

migrant and non-immigrant classifications), the Known Employer pilot is expected to streamline paperwork, reduce costs and delays in the processing of these benefit requests.

According to a release from the DHS press office, USCIS will oversee the pilot program, in collaboration with the DHS Office of Policy, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the US Department of State (DOS).

“Last year, DHS announced it would explore a Known Employer pilot to modernize and streamline the process for U.S.

employers seeking to employ certain foreign workers,” said USCIS Director León Rodríguez.

“Today, we’re partnering with a select group of representative organizations across a variety of industries to determine how we can improve efficiency and cut costs.

If successful, we will continue to build on this trial program and promote robust trade, travel, and economic prosperity.”

DHS first announced in January 2015 that it would explore a Known Employer pilot program, under the United States-Canada Beyond the Border initiative.

Spotlight: Truth, justice, mercy…

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an 82-year-old psychiatrist who is now married after previously serving as a Benedictine monk and former Catholic priest. He shared his conclusion that only 50 percent of the priests are celibate, leading to a culture of secrecy and hiding pedophilia.

One would expect the Holy See perhaps to keep folks from seeing the film; instead, the Vatican Radio, official radio service of the Holy See, was quoted as saying, it will help the US Catholic Church “to accept fully the sin, to admit it publicly and to pay all the consequences.”

End-film credits showed 600 stories written by the Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team in 2002, about 249 accused priests and brothers and over 1,000 survivors.

As to Sipe, who headed the Department of Family Services at Seton Psychiatric Institute from 1967 to 1970, his research findings concluded: “1,300 priests and religious have been treated for psychosexual disorders in 25 years, at the cost of over $50 million.” The Seton Institute has been closed since 1972.

Will the Catholic Church be able to purge its internal demons, its sins of sexual abuse with minors?

Will it stop its pervasive practices of reassigning accused priests to different parishes, managing settlements in secrecy and sending them for psychiatric treatment, “they are our priests, so it is our problem to cure them?”

Can the Church perhaps lead “institutional confession” to their flock, regionally, and to all their parishioners around the world, recognizing their psychosocial problem happened in 51 cities in 21 countries and 108 cities of the United States (as “Spotlight” revealed)?

Certainly, the Vatican knows how Archdiocesan reserves have been affected: the sale of a MidWilshire high-rise building in Los Angeles, the sale of an all-boys high school in Hancock Park (now a Jewish School) and even the bankruptcy filing of Diocese of San Diego to pay for these settlements.

Will this institution, who “thinks in centuries,” consider a more comprehensive treatment of the problem?

Or will these ghastly secrets die with them, much like the late Archbishop Robert Sanchez, who had sex with teenage girls for decades, while in New Mexico, which was subsequently exposed on 60 Minutes in 1993?

The New York Times described how Archbishop Sanchez apologized to the Native Americans for “grievances reaching back to the days of colonization” and created an Office of Native American Ministry. The publication detailed that, “In a report to the World Synod of Bishops in Rome in 1980, Archbishop Sanchez called for renewed efforts to eliminate ‘all forms of racism’ in the church. ‘Although great numbers of a particular ethnic or lan-

guage group may be present in a parish,’ he wrote in the report, ‘often little or no effort is made by the local parish priest to welcome these newcomers into the parish family.’”

Mercy can be embodied “What is the name of God, “ a priest asked in his homily? To which worshippers answered, “Mercy.”

It is imploring God not to judge us but instead, to be forgiven for all our sins and to be cleansed from them.

As Holy Week begins, would it be reasonable to expect Vatican to do a more rigorous institutional review of its practices in disaffirming these lifeharming activities?

Instead of focusing the Church’s attention and offering prayers for the wombs of women (which are attached to women’s bodies to control, while exercising their endowed, God-given free will to guide them), would it not be merciful for victims who have been harmed by defrocked priests and others still active in their ministries to be monitored in their healing process?

In the light of mercy, must we not seek to remove errant priests, from the milieu of children, whom they can harm again? And seek improved emotional maturation and human formation for these priests?

“Spotlight” uncovered a systemic pattern and administrative policy of secrecy, necessitating that the Vatican demonstrates, as well, an effective and systematic pattern of dismantling criminal wrongdoings, done under the cloak of respectability and garbed in priestly vestments, aside from the VIRTUS training given to lay volunteers. The hierarchy must, in fact, train seminarians and priests that these behaviors are predatory crimes against man-made law, punishable by jail sentences.

In the form of spreading God’s good news, now I understand why a Caucasian priest said at a Lenten retreat, “Had it not been for the Filipino clergy and its laity, the Catholic Church in America would have perished.” These immigrant Filipino and Filipino-American priests became the guardians of faith and anchored the laity, deeply on values of pakikisama and seeing God in others, with a deeper intimacy with God through Mama Mary. *** Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.

The whole truth about EDSA 1…

PAGE A8 t

promises made regarding land reform during the Presidential campaign of Cory Aquino, and distribution of lands at no cost to beneficiaries.”

This carnage happened less than a year after President Cory Aquino’s assumption of the presidency by virtue of her revolutionary powers.

Who had compassion? Marcos or Cory Aquino?

And speaking of compassion, the day after Ninoy Aquino was allowed to leave for the US for medical treatment, it was revealed to us by then First Lady Imelda Marcos that Ninoy was so sick, they had to let him go. According to her, if Ninoy had died while incarcerated, nobody would have believed that Marcos did not have him killed. Talk about irony.

The reason I know this is because, I happened to be in Malacañang that day with my elder brother, Danding, my cousin, Yen, his uncle Ben Peñaranda, and Leyte poet, Paquing Javines, on the invitation of Mrs. Marcos, in connection with the Santo Niño Fiesta in Tacloban of which Bongbong Marcos was the hermano mayor.

Those are the facts.

Another fact is that Noynoy Aquino has not shown similar compassion for a former president who continues to languish in “hospital arrest” while suffering from a spinal ailment.

The books that have been written about EDSA 1 have been based mostly on the accounts of one side of the confrontation – that of the side that won.

In that regard, I happen to have in my possession, copies of three reports written by high-ranking of-

ficers in the Marcos military who were in the thick of that conflict. They may present what I refer to as “The other side of EDSA.” One of the reports was submitted by former Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command, Admiral Brillante Ochoco. He had requested newly-designated AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Fidel Ramos, permission to leave for the US. As a condition, Ramos asked Ochoco to submit a detailed – virtually hour by hour – account of his role in the three-day uprising. Ramos must have been satisfied with the report, because Ochoco was allowed to leave.

The reason I am familiar with the report is because Ochoco was a friend and he asked me, as a personal favor, to go over the draft of his manuscript. I retained a copy of it. I also managed to get a copy of two other hour-by-hour narratives submitted to Ramos by two Philippine Navy captains who were also on the government side.

If you were to juxtapose the EDSA 1 accounts of writers like Nick Joaquin with the reports of the senior officers of the Marcos military (which Ramos may have in his archives), we could have a better picture of what really happened in those three fateful days.

The same can be said about the Marcos years, if told from different eyewitness perspectives, such as those of Tatad and Tiglao, and not just from Noynoy Aquino’s point of view.

Until then, we will have to make do with incomplete, possibly tendentious, possibly misleading and possibly self-serving versions of an important part of our country’s history. (gregmacabenta@ hotmail.com)

The pilot also was highlighted as a recommendation in a report from federal agencies, “Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century,” that was submitted to the President in July 2015.

The Known Employer pilot aims to make the employment eligibility adjudication process more efficient, while reducing delays for businesses and employers who wish to employ foreign workers under certain immigrant and non-immigrant visa programs.

Goals of the program include: reducing the amount of paperwork filed by employers and retained by USCIS; promoting consistency in the adjudication of employment-based petitions and applications; streamlining the adjudicative process to achieve greater efficiency within USCIS; and providing greater support to CBP and DOS in support of greater efficiency and consistency at ports of entry and consular posts.

Under the Known Employer pilot, up to nine pre-selected employers can file applications requesting that USCIS predetermine that they meet the requirements relating to certain immigrant and non-immigrant visa classifications. When making this request, employers will create a profile in the Webbased Known Employer Document Library (KEDL), and can upload documents relating to the requirements.

u PAGE 11

Donald Trump

of terrorists, a violation of international law so blatant that a former CIA director predicted that U.S. troops would refuse to carry out such an order.”

Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday, March 3, said during a speech he delivered at the Institute of Politics at the University of Utah that he believes America is poised to lead the world for another century.

But not if Trump becomes the Republican nominee.

“I am far from the first to conclude that Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be a president. After all, this is an individual

who mocked a disabled reporter, who attributed a reporter’s questions to her menstrual cycle, who mocked a brilliant rival who happened to be a woman due to her appearance, who bragged about his marital affairs, and who laces his public speeches with vulgarity,” Romney said.

In Ohio, farmer Jerry Slankard spent four hours to arrange manure from 15 cows to create the message, “No Drumpf,” which was as wide as a football field, ABC affiliate WEWS-TV reported.

“I know there’s a lot of people maybe not agreeing with me, but that’s their American right; I just voice my opinion and not yours,” Slankard told the station.

Trump also received backlash during the 11th GOP debate on Thursday, March 3, particularly from candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who won one state and three states, respectively, on Super Tuesday.

“Two-thirds of people who cast a vote in a Republican primary or caucus have voted against you,” Rubio told Trump during the debate. “The reason why is because we are not going to turn over the conservative movement or the party of Lincoln or Reagan, for example, to someone whose positions are not conservative.”

At the end of Thursday’s debate, candidates said they would ultimately support whoever becomes the Republican nominee, which appears likely to be Trump. n

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Dateline PhiliPPines

Mommy D questions BIR tax assessment

by Janvic

MaTeo Philstar.com

MANILA – The mother of boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday, March 2 appeared before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) to testify on the civil case that she filed against the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Dionisia Pacquiao, popularly known as Mommy D, took the witness stand to testify on the veracity of the contents of her judicial affidavit.

The Pacquiao matriarch is questioning the tax assessment of BIR Revenue Region No. 18 amounting to P1.6 million, which she supposedly failed to pay in 2010.

Her lawyers said her judicial affidavit would prove that she was not accorded due process during the assessment conducted by the tax-collecting agency.

They claimed that she did not receive a notice on the preliminary tax assessment of the BIR. During cross-examination, lawyer Katrina Muli, who repre-

DIONISIA Pacquiao leaves the Court of Tax Appeals after testifying in a case she filed against the BIR. Philstar.com photo by Michael Varcas

sented the BIR, asked if Pacquiao had informed the agency that she changed her address.

Pacquiao’s lawyers also disputed a claim that she had a certification saying that she did not file her income tax return in 2010.

In an earlier interview, she questioned the assessment,

claiming she has no job and that she is merely relying on financial support from her son.

The Sarangani lawmaker and his wife Jinkee have also filed a case before the CTA asking for a review of the BIR assessment that they have a tax liability of around P2.2 billion from the boxer’s winnings and endorsements. n

Military: No IS presence in PH

by JaiMe Laude Philstar.com

MANILA — The military yesterday maintained there is no direct link between Islamic State (IS) militants and homegrown extremists in the country.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig.

Gen. Restituto Padilla said there are no verified reports that local terrorist groups are getting support from the IS. “Based on information at hand, there’s no presence of Daesh in the Philippines. It has not been established. There’s no direct relation between the group here and the bigger terror group Daesh out there (Middle East),” Padilla said, referring to the other name of the IS. Padilla made the statement following reports that gunmen fighting in the name of IS are escalating attacks in Mindanao.

Rodolfo Mendoza, a senior analyst of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said the various

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said there are no verified reports that local terrorist groups are getting support from the IS.

local groups that had pledged allegiance to IS were “planning big operations, like bombings, attacks or assassinations.”

The Maute group, a previously obscure group discounted by the military as a small-time extortion gang, launched an assault on a remote army outpost in Mindanao.

The attack triggered a week of fighting that the military said left six soldiers and at least 12

AP/Bullit Marquez

WOMEN’S CLAMOR. Leaders of various women’s groups gather at the University of the Philippines’ Balay Kalinaw on Thursday, March 3 to drum up support for their demands, which include food security, land reform, higher wages and better health services.

ManilaTImes.net photo by Ruy L. Martinez

Poe, Binay virtually tied in Pulse Asia poll

by LLanesca

T. PanTi ManilaTimes.net

SEN. Grace Poe topped her rivals for the presidency in the latest Pulse Asia survey with a 26 percent rating, with Vice President Jejomar Binay a close second with 25 percent.

Survey results were released on Friday ahead of the Supreme Court’s pending ruling on a disqualification case against Poe over her citizenship and residency.

The high tribunal is expected to decide on the case on March 8.

The senator’s rating dropped by four points from her previous 30 percent rating.

Poe gained the most support from Class E (28 percent) but she

also had significant pull among Class D (25 percent) and Class ABC (25 percent).

Binay got the biggest chunk of his ratings from Class E with 31 percent.

He earned 25 percent from Class D but only cornered 14 percent in Class ABC. Liberal Party (LP) standardbearer Manuel “Mar”Roxas 2nd and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte shared the third spot with 21 percent each.

Roxas obtained 25 percent from Class ABC, 21 percent from Class D and 19 percent from Class E. Duterte collected 25 percent from Class ABC, 21 percent from Class D and 18 percent from Class E.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who seldom joins campaign sorties, settled for a measly three percent.

In the vice presidential race, Sen. Francis Escudero had a slim lead of three percentage points over Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.–29 percent to 26 percent.

Roxas’ running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, remained at third with a 19 percent rating.

Sen. Alan Cayetano still failed to gain traction with 12 percent, while Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th and Sen. Gregorio Honasan had a paltry 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

The survey was conducted from February 15 to 20. n

Miriam vows to speed up prosecution of ‘pork’ cases

militants dead, and forced more than 30,000 people to flee their homes.

The gunmen flew IS flags during the fighting, and bandanas with the group’s insignia were found when soldiers overran their

by RainieR aLLan Ronda base, a two-story concrete buildPhilstar.com ing, according to the military.

At the same time about 100 MANILA — Presidential aspikilometers away, soldiers were rant Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiu PAGE A11 ago yesterday vowed to speed up the investigation and prosecution of cases against legislators involved in the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

Santiago said the Office of the Ombudsman has so far charged only three senators and 11 former lawmakers since the pork barrel scam was exposed in 2013.

The Department of Justice has recommended charges against 24 lawmakers for their involvement in the racket allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.

“Once elected, I will expedite the investigation and prosecution of cases against those involved in the PDAF scam. If these corrupt politicians remain at large, they will return to power and again steal public funds,” Santiago said in a speech before some 3,000 youth voters at the Our Lady of Fatima University in Valenzuela City.

Santiago made the statement as the ombudsman affirmed its decision to indict six former lawmakers for graft in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Those to be charged are former representatives Zenaida Ducut of Pampanga, Ruffy Biazon of Muntinlupa City, Rodolfo Valencia of Oriental Mindoro, Marc Cagas of Davao del Sur, Arrel Olaño of Davao del Norte and Arthur Pingoy Jr. of South Cotabato.

Santiago said the pork barrel system remains in the form of lump sums in the national budget.

Santiago will take her campaign to the Visayas and Mindanao next week.

She is scheduled to visit Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban City on March 7 and the University of Mindanao in Davao City on March 10.

Santiago has been leading in poll surveys in the universities.

‘Slow down’ Critics of vice presidential aspirant Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. were advised yesterday to go slow in criticizing the senator as attacks on him are apparently benefitting him politically.

Santiago made the statement as the ombudsman affirmed its decision to indict six former lawmakers for graft in connection with the pork barrel scam.

Philstar.com/file photo

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal made the observation as the only son of the late dictator Marcos again tied statistically with Sen. Francis Escudero in the newest survey.

“The more critics accuse him of acts he never committed, the more Senator Bongbong gets support practically from all sectors. It is as if he was able to convince them of his statement or campaign slogan – hindi ako ang aking nakaraan,” Macalintal said.

Macalintal said the senator’s message “is reminiscent of the famous slogan of President Marcos – this nation can be great again – which catapulted him to power.”

“Only God knows if we will have a repeat of that political history,” he said.

“Critics and detractors of the Marcos family cannot force or compel Senator Bongbong to admit or acknowledge the so-called crimes of the martial law regime.

A good son is not expected to say the worst against his parents in public,” he added.

“The Lord’s commandment – love and respect your parents – applies to both good and bad parents. In the eyes of some people, the late strongman might have committed acts that are worthy of condemnation. But for Senator Marcos, being a good son to his parents, he could not be expected to have the same view,” Macalintal stressed.

Meanwhile, a fellow lawyer supported Macalintal’s assertion that Sen. Grace Poe’s alleged noncompliance with the 10-year residency rule would be easier to resolve for the Supreme Court (SC) than the question on whether she is a natural-born citizen or not.

“The issue on Poe’s residency

takes only simple arithmetic to settle,” Larry Gadon, former lawyer of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said.

Gadon said the Constitution requires that a presidential aspirant should be a natural-born Filipino citizen and should have stayed here for at least 10 years before the election in which he or she is a candidate.

“The candidate should have resided in the country as a natural-born citizen, not as an American or a dual citizen, which is the case with Sen. Poe. The justices cannot include her stay here as a foreigner or a dual citizen in counting the required 10-year residency. In other words, she is short of the 10-year requirement,” he said.

He said this is apparently the focus of the supposed draft ruling the justice in charge of Poe’s disqualification, Mariano del Castillo, has reportedly circulated among his SC colleagues.

In disqualifying Poe, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) counted her stay here from the time she reacquired her Philippine citizenship, and not from the time she returned to the country as a naturalized American citizen.

The Comelec concluded she was short of the required 10-year residency by two months.

Gadon said rumors and speculations about how the SC would vote on the disqualification case against Poe are destroying the tribunal’s image.

“I think the justices themselves are to blame. They are dragging their feet on the issue of Poe’s qualification to seek the presidency, giving rise to all sorts of nasty rumors. This is not good for the Sereno court,” he said.

(With reports from Jess Diaz)

Families of San Bernardino victims side…

PAGE A7 t

technology.”

Law enforcement unions, as well as the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office, supported the FBI’s argument, contending that Apple is wrong to turn a fight over a search warrant into a larger legal battle over privacy rights.

“Law enforcement is not now

asking this Court to compel the ‘locksmith’ to give them a master key to unlock all locks built by this locksmith,” a filing on behalf of unions representing California’s sheriffs, police and officers read.

“This case is not about a single phone—it’s about the government’s authority to turn the tech companies against their users,”

said the American Civil Liberties Union in a statement.

The ACLU argued that the government does not have the power to compel Apple to help unlock the encryption on Farook’s phone, which FBI agents believe has a security feature that destroys access to the encrypted data after 10 failed attempts to enter the right code. n

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Dateline PHiliPPineS

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

A11

Military: No IS presence in…

PAGE A10 t

battling the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a bigger and much better known group that had previously declared allegiance to IS. But Padilla dismissed the Maute group, saying they are known to align themselves to whoever is popular.

He said the Maute was formerly identified with the now defeated regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah.

“Our analysis remains the same. They are just trying to keep their group known by identifying themselves with the Daesh,” Padilla said.

In any event, the military is on top of the country’s security situ-

ation, Padilla said.

He said the AFP has been continuously monitoring the changes in the country’s threat board.

Padilla said the government security sector has contingencies in place in order to address all these concerns in an event the threats are verified as true.

“Working on a worst-case scenario, we have the preparations attuned with this kind of security situation. That’s what we can assure the public,” Padilla said.

He cited the military action against the Maute group following the attack on a remote Army outpost.

The quick military and police action was done if only to show the will and determination of the

government to address any unfolding security threats around the country, he said.

“We are not ringing alarm bells here. We are telling people to go with your normal lives, to live normally, to continue with commerce, economic life but with the caveat that you must continue staying alert, staying vigilant, because this is a very important participation of the community that we have been pushing all along,” Padilla said.

Officials regularly said fears of growing IS influence on local terror groups are misplaced.

They said the militants like the Maute group are just criminals interested in money, and not radical Islamist jihadists. n

Homeland Security launches employer…

PAGE A9 t

USCIS officers will swiftly review and predetermine whether a prospective employer has met certain requirements relating to the visa classifications. If the predetermination request is approved, the employer may then file petitions or applications for

individual employees, without needing to resubmit company information with each petition or application.

According to the process, employers will not be charged any additional fees to participate in the Known Employer pilot, which is scheduled to last for up to one

year. The DHS reports that USCIS may terminate or extend the pilot at any time.

DHS and DOS will solicit ongoing feedback on the program from its participants. More information and a list of participating employers can be found on the Known Employer pilot page. n

GETTING READY. Election ballots are unloaded from a truck by a warehouse personnel to a Comelec rented storage house in Marikina City. The ballots are part of the verified ballots to be used in the 2016 May elections.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Ruy L. Martinez

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 5-8, 2016

SHOWBIZ&STYLE Journal

by Marinel

r. Cruz

Inquirer.net

Julia Barretto, who plays the bratty teener Trixie Cervantes in the aBS-CBN afternoon teleserye, “and i love You So,” confessed to enjoying being the mean girl. “it isn’t every day that i get to be mean and roll my eyes at people. i’ve learned to embrace my character. i will definitely miss Trixie,” Julia told reporters on Monday. The drama series, directed by Onat Diaz and Jon Villarin, will air its finale today.

Julia learned a lot “about my-

self, my craft and capabilities” while playing Trixie. She added: “Trixie is so different from the character i portrayed in ‘Mira Bella’ (2014). i enjoyed being the bida-kontrabida. People may find it weird, but i feel good whenever i watch Trixie being so mean.”

Julia said she and her TV persona have a lot in common.

“Trixie puts on a facade. She’s afraid to allow people into her life. She is scared of what they could do to her,” the actress explained. “She wants attention and love from the people she cares for. i learned that, sometimes, it’s OK to put down that

facade for people to understand how you feel.”

The series also features Miles Ocampo as Trixie’s half-sister Joanna, angel aguino as her mother Katrina, Dimples Romana as Joanna’s mom Michelle, Tonton Gutierrez as their dad alfonso, iñigo Pascual as Justin and Kenzo Gutierrez as Carlo.

Julia said, “Miles and i have become very close like sisters.

We help motivate each other.”

What did you learn about love from this teleserye? i learned that there are many aspects of love. iñigo’s character never really loved Trixie back, and she has eventually

A kababayan’s review of ‘Criers for Hire’ The Global Kababayan G. TönGi For Global Kababayan this week, I’d like to share a review from one of our Fil-Am community leaders who went to see “Criers For Hire” at the David Henry Hwang Theater at East West Players last week.

Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier, is also one of the three editors of “Filipinotown - Voices from Los Angeles,” which can be purchased on Amazon. Please visit Carlene’s website, www.seekingthirst.com, for more information.

Careful! It’s “Criers for Hire”

by Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier i have to start at the end of “Criers for Hire.” actually, after the end, during the Q&a when actors, the playwright, and Jose antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize winner and activist, were seated on stage and ready to respond to questions from the audience. a woman stood up and took

Giselle “G” Töngi as Meding, Joan Almedilla as Baby, Nicole Barredo as Gaya, Samantha Cutaran as Henny, and Rudy Martinez as Narcisco Triste in East West Players’ world premiere comedy “Criers for Hire” written by Giovanni Ortega.

Photo by Michael Lamont / East West Players

the microphone. First she looked quickly around at the people in the theater, and then she focused––it felt, exclusively––on the individuals on stage. Her voice was deep and deliberate. “You... don’t...know,” she began. Then, as if wanting to make sure every word that she uttered was heard and listened to, she started again.

“You don’t know... how... powerful... you are.” She explained that she had been “behind bars” twice for violations of her Visa. The last time, she told immigration officials to go ahead and send her back to the Philippines; they had the

power and money to put her on a plane. “Remember, though, i have enough money to buy myself a ticket right back here to the united States.”

Yes, the woman in the audience is right: these are people who are powerful and it may be that they can’t know just how powerful they are, as they might lose the center that they hold, the power that allows them to shake their personal egos and enter the hearts, minds and souls of the people they write about, direct, or portray.

The writer of the play, Giovanni PAGE B4

learned to accept this. You shouldn’t force yourself on someone who isn’t interested in you. There are other people, like the character of Kenzo, who genuinely care for you. When it comes to family, i learned that forgiveness is key. if you love somebody, you have to learn to forgive and give that person another chance.

What did you learn from Angel and Dimples?

The first time i was told that i’d finally act in a scene with Ms angel, i got nervous. i’m so mean to Joanna, then here she comes, the original mean girl. i was scared [of her], but

she never made me feel like there was something to be afraid of. i told myself to learn from her, instead. i observed her mannerisms and habits, and how she motivated herself. it’s different with ate Dimps—it’s such a breeze to work with her. i like the fact that i still see the fire in them, even after all these years.

When i feel tired and i see them so passionate about what they do, i suddenly feel that i have no right to behave the way i do.

B

Features

B march 5-8, 2016 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL

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Maestro Dexter Grey: A blend of virtuosity and poetry

What makes ‘JaDine’ and #OTWOL a hit among Filipinos

Moonlighting

by Mylah de

leon

Hollywood: His was an era of the musician pianists, faithful to the music in their fashion. Touched by God, he is no longer beholden to the pianistic musicality of fantasies, the improvisations, and acrobatic exhibition of the 1830s nostalgia of Parisian Salons.

Through the years, as several major schools began to appear, the severe German style, the warm Russian ones, the elegant French, and the eclectic English, that was the artist—now an interpreter—

By Monet

The privilege of watching the Maestro before the interview.

played the real music. on a recent Sunday, the Maestro dexter Grey, and his beloved wife, dr. linda Grey, who was celebrating her birthday, gathered a few close friends at their Hollymont castle, and enthralled each

one to a magnificent concert. The Maestro bowed gently, his gestures grand, as he spread out his arms wide to subdue the rousing admiration from the audience.

That was even before Maestro dexter Grey played a note.

His repertoire was like stepping into another time, another world, as the Maestro transported us into bygone eras. A time when love meant “to go out and love and suffer, yet still celebrate love’s strength and not complain of its difference. He brings to the audience an entire cauldron of feelings, tenderness, romance and nostalgia, a path of deep spirituality and incomparable poignancy. At 83 years old, the Maestro is always in search for new, richer and deeper views of views of musical interpretations. one of these interpretations Bouquets for the Maestro and the beloved birthday lady, Dr. Linda Grey with Fernandico Q. was a quest for freedom. A musiGonong, patron of the arts. cal story of a people as they fall into mourning over the fate of their country. Regret, and resignation wept through his blessed fingers, then joy and redemption. His finPAGE B3

The Maestro on his way to his performance.

Lu

wHEn James Reid and nadine lustre—a.k.a Jadine—started making some buzz, I wasn’t paying much attention. I love their tandem but I didn’t think they would be the phenomenal loveteam that they are now. Things changed when I went home (Philippines) for a vacation and really saw it for myself—The Jadine craze is beyond imaginable!

ABS-CBn’s TV Series, “on the wings of love” (oTwol), which starred reel—and now real lovers—James and nadine ended just a week ago. After soaring the airwaves with over four million viewers every day, 1 million tweets and the hyperkilig-to-the-bones feeling that’s just so contagious that they could form a cult, they finally ended their seven-month run. I didn’t get the chance to watch the final episode but it’s like the end of an era when it happened. Everybody got so hooked to the story; now that it’s over, there’s just a void in their day-to-day routines between 9:30pm–10:15pm. you’ll know an amazing show when you can’t stop thinking about it. you just stop whatever it is you’re doing or make room in your schedule to watch it. And it doesn’t end there -- you have this intense desire to talk about it with your friends or play the scenes in your head and think about possible lines you would’ve said if you were leah (nadine’s character) or Clark (James’s character). It got me thinking what makes this series so unique and yet so familiar to Filipinos. well, for one; it is a story that is so relatable to the modern Pinay and her struggles as an oFw. The pilot episode showed leah’s mom, “Rona” (played by Isay Alvarez) leaving her children to work abroad. The scene where she is saying goodbye to her children is just one of the many scenarios happening over and over to thousands of our Kababayans who chose to do the same to give their families (back home) a better future. The situations involving TnT’s in the US and “arranged marriages” to get a green card, or wishing the “American dream,” are just among the issues that we (here in the US)

Nadine Lustre and James Reid

encounter so often. Coming from someone who’s lived here almost my whole life, I can relate when the show talks about problems that immigrants face. I believe this is one of the strongest points of the show. They truly knew how tug on the heartstrings and make the storyline relatable in a really poignant manner.

Speaking of emotional scenes, oTwol just makes you feel in love almost all the time. what’s even more amazing is that you feel for the characters; you laugh, fall in love, get heartbroken and be hopeful just like the characters!

There are no overly complicated plot lines, cliché displays of affection, ‘forced’ backstories or complex love affairs. only lighthearted, romantic story that puts you in a good mood every time you watch it.

But aside from the way the writers made this TV series so engaging, there is no denying the chemistry of James and nadine.

Even the whole cast spoke about it behind the scenes. Indeed, the one thing that the creators of this series did right from the start is to cast a loveteam that is not predictable and unassumingly innocent.

Jadine is the fresh, ‘goodvibes’ pair that’s so easy to love.

They don’t try too hard to look sweet or to come up with stories for publicity’s sake. They started out as best friends in real life, they didn’t make people expect that they are—or will be—a couple.

And when they actually became one, they owned up to it and admitted it in the most kilig way possible! Everything about them is so transparent and that, I believe, is their best asset as love team both on and off-cam.

It is nice to know that we, Filipinos, can still spot and appreciate an authentic relationship in reel or real-life. To some, Jadine may be seen as just another loveteam competing amongst equally lovable rivals. But for me, they do more than just solicit votes and followers – they prove that there is much to look forward to as far as TV entertainment is concerned.

To actually see how a teleserye like ‘on The wings of love’ became a household name even without the use of gimmicks or rated-PG scenes, tells us that there’s some maturity in us as Filipino viewers.

To Jadine, and the cast and crew of oTwol, congratulations!

Please do not make us miss you too much. a movie ‘version’ would be nice (hint!). *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

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Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 5-8, 2016

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A Cajun-style celebration at Crab Boil Ave.

CREWMAN WENT HOME TO MANILA ON PROVISIONAL WAIVER AND CAME BACK TO THE US WITH A GREEN CARD — ON A SPECIAL ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel obtained a Provisional Waiver for Jerome, a crewman who jumped ship. Jerome had filed for Adjustment of Status on his own, but it was denied, because he was not eligible. Gurfinkel got an approved Provisional Waiver of the 3\10 year bar, and Jerome returned to the Philippines for visa processing at the US Embassy in Manila.

His wife and children wondered and prayed if Jerome could make it back to the US. Every crewman and their US spouse should watch the outcome of this Provisional Waiver case on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday, March 6 at 6:15pm (PST) on TFC.

Ella Cruz stars in Dawin’s ‘Throwback’ music video

MANILA—After being popular for her cover of the hit song “Dessert,” ella Cruz now stars in an actual dance music video.

International singer Dawin, who is the behind the hit single “Dessert,” tapped ella Cruz to be part of the music video for his new song “throwback.” he did different versions of the music video, starring dancers from the countries he visited. the one from Australia was first released.

Also part of the music video is the dance group the Maneuvers, who was also part of ella’s “Dessert” cover.

On her Instagram account, ella thanked Dawin for the opportunity of working with him. he even described him as “such a really, really Ella Cruz is part of the music video of singer Dawin’s single nice and humble person.”

“Throwback.”

Instagram photo by Ella Cruz

Maestro Dexter Grey: A blend of virtuosity...

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gers flutter into the lyrical parts, like two butterflies. So light and delicate, you can not imagine they would be able to bring out the impossible fortissimo of an exultant victory at the end (the same performance created a splash at the Great Wall of China, many years ago).

Considered by world critics to be one of the greatest living interpreter of the music of Frederic Chopin, our conversation flourished over the Polish composer and virtuoso pianist.

MDL: Maestro, among the other pieces of Chopin—sherzos, rondos, variations, barcarolles and impromptus—which one would you single out?

Maestro Dexter Grey: It is the highly popular “Fantasy Impromptu” published posthoumously.

It is not a first class Chopin, the composer himself thought so little of it that he never permitted its publication.

MDL: What about his Polanaises and Marzurkas?

MDG: Neither one of these two pieces have equaled the popularity of this waltzes, noc-

Salon of the Grey’s Hollymont Castle

turnes or etude. But they were among Chopin’s most powerful and original works representing the more dynamic facets of his personality.

MDL: Maestro, how would you account for the amazingly high percentage of masterpieces of Chopin’s output?

MDG: his delicate embellishments, sometimes with powerful arpeggios, his slow movements that is poetic and sentimental as a romance (romanza).

MDL: Among the finest music produced by Chopin, if not by any romantic composer, is the “Sonata no. 4 in B minor”—not to be confused with the most famous Funeral March in all musical literature. Why so Maestro?

MDG: the “Sonata no. 3 in B minor,” is not a formal funeral march, but a poetic expression of restrained grief: music in the grand manner. It is dramatic, heroic and yet of quick silver motion.

MDL: The Chopin that most often comes to mind is the sensitive dreamer, the yearning romantic.

MDG: Of course, this is found in his many works notably the

nocturnes… but in the waltzes, he is the sophisticated child of the Parisian salon, in the Mazurkas and Polanaises, he is the fiery, passionate, nationalist given often to tempestuous even savage declarations, he is a dramatist and poet in a grand scaled in the ballades but an exquisite miniaturist in the preludes and etudes.

MDL: I’ve read that the waltzes of Chopin were inspired by the Viennese pieces of the first Johannes Strauss, the father of Strauss who composed the “Blue Danube.” Is this true Maestro?

MDG: Strauss music was written primarily for dancing. the waltzes of Chopin is for listening; dances for the soul, not for the body and there is another important difference, the waltzes of the first Johann Strauss had an abandon betraying their peasant ancestry those of Chopin are the off spring of the Parisian saloon and are refined elegant and suave. through the years, the Maestro’s output was as exquisite as the Polanaise. he gave us two hours of poetry, passion and inspiration – graceful salon pieces, in a melancholic numbers of variation – rondos, marches, nocturnes, and sonatas. his performance rolled up the keys in arpeggios, bringing the audience to a frenzy, with boldness of attack or light handed playing with charm and rhythmic volatility. Described by critics as similar to a pleasurable electric shock passed through the audience, he put them under a spell bound with his powerful hand — yet possessed a certain gentleness.

At the end, one would realize that although there are a lot of good pianists in the world, he is the ONLY one that can give the audience a musical feeling that cannot be equaled.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or are just looking for a hearty, affordable meal, Crab Boil Ave. in the heart of Glendale, California, offers a Cajun-style seafood experience that will leave you satisfied.

For over a year, Crab Boil Ave. has been treating customers throughout Southern California to a fresh selection of shrimp, mussels, clams, crawfish, crabs, lobsters and more. roll up your sleeves and put on your bib, as you choose the seafood of your liking by the pound, paired with a sauce (cajun garlic butter, cajun lemon pepper or a special cajun mix, among others) and spice (from mild to flaming fire). the seafood can also be grilled or fried if you don’t want to get your hands messy. All grilled items are served with a sauce of your choosing and two sides, while fried dishes come with cole slaw and fries. the “roundabout” section of the menu offers jambalaya, gumbo, pasta alfredo, CBA naked shrimp, and Surf and turf (rib eye steak with grilled shrimp and two sides).

If you’d like the best of both worlds, there is a separate Surf & turf menu that offers rib eye steak or t-bone steak coupled with seafood items from fried shrimp to a grilled lobster tail and various side dishes. Whether you are a seafood or meat lover, there is something for every taste and craving on the menu.

Crab Boil Ave. hosts a ‘Paint Nite’ event every tuesday, where diners can unleash their inner artists while noshing on the freshest seafood catch. On its website (www.crabboilave.com), guests can receive a 40 percent discount to the event. every Saturday and Sunday, the restaurant has a breakfast and brunch menu, featuring traditional American staples (i.e. pancakes and French toast) to Cajun-inspired dishes, like the crab benedict or seafood omelettes.

In addition to its regular offerings, Crab Boil Ave. also opens its

doors for special occasions. the upstairs portion of the restaurant has a banquet hall space ideal for birthdays, baptisms, receptions and more. Depending on the party size, the hall can be configured into two separate rooms or one big room, holding anywhere from 40 to 200 people at a time. Bookings are encouraged as early as possible, and at least, two weeks in advance. the restaurant also conveniently provides lots of free parking, so guests will always find a spot.

Crab Boil Ave. is located at 900 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203, and is open from 11:30 am to 10 pm on Monday-Thursday, 11:30 am to 11 pm on Friday, 8:30 am to 11 pm on Saturday and 11:30 am to 10 pm on Sunday. For reservations and booking information, please call (818) 2445898 and visit www.crabboilave. com for the full menu.

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Features

B march 5-8, 2016 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL

Mango Mix

by Martin

Jason L. ita-as

LIFe in the working world is never simple. No matter what kind of job you have, there will always be ups and downs. But how smoothly the work goes and how quickly you can complete it is totally up to you. Choosing to follow good work habits can often

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5 good work habits make one’s workflow easier.

Here are a few work habits we list down in order for you to work better, no matter what kind of work you may have: Establish communication Miscommunication is often the root of office problems and misunderstandings. When two employees both have different ideas of how a single project should go, they can both end up working towards two totally different goals and may end up fighting

over which method works better.

Always share your opinions and help out an officemate when s/he is in need of ideas. You not only help your team, but yourself as well since this makes your workflow a lot better.

Avoid office gossip Negative rumors and gossip are the seeds which grow gardens of doubt amongst co-workers. A bad rumor about somebody you have to work with can really sour the mood and work relationship between you two. If you hear a story about your office mate that puts them in a bad light, choose to ignore it and instead work it off. Rumors like that cannot be proven without any solid evidence and are often just stories people use to spice up their otherwise mundane work lives.

Keep your tasks in mind For some workers, there’s

often no end to the workload on their tables. Sometimes more work can even pile up while you’re busy doing two or even three projects at the same time!

The solution? Take a deep breath and assess your situation. Work on the most urgent tasks first and the less important last. If all of them are equally important

A kababayan’s review of...

PAGE B1

Ortega, told us during the Q&A that many of these characters were inspired by people he loves: his own mother, his auntie, and, he told us with a smile, his cousins, BongBong and Beng-Beng. Ortega deftly, and with a deep understanding of the strength of all the characters, also understands their frailties and creates situations that reveal the serious, sometimes tragic circumstances, that make the things these women do and say very, very funny. For example, Baby doesn’t know how to show love and is too proud (and ashamed) to express regrets or accept apologies from her daughter. The only way she knows to show concern for her teenage daughter (who was only a month old when she left her) is by continuously warning her of all the terrible things that can happen to a young woman. I don’t want to steal anybody’s thunder, so I won’t tell you what Baby says or when she says it. But just so you get the idea, I’ll tell you that my mother, when she believed I was tempting fate, would nonchalantly keep her attention on her crochet work and, in a near whisper, declare, “Be careful. Someone will knock your head.”

This particular group of criers once consisted of 20 people. Now they have fallen on hard times, and there are only the three women, four if you count the latecomer from the Philippines, Gaya. She is the youngest, the newcomer, who

seems to genuinely get the giggles every time she is supposed to be crying. It makes us laugh just to watch her trying to cry.

The brilliant performances of the entire cast we owe to the writer, Giovanni Ortega, to the director, Jon Lawrence Rivera, and of course, to the actors: The mother (Baby, played often with irresistible deadpan by Joan Almedilla) and daughter (Gaya, played with a mischievous fire by Nicole Barredo); the American-born boy-crazy Henny (played sweetly and with a certain L.A. toughness

by Samantha Cutaran) who takes Gaya under her wing, helping her to “fit in”; lastly, we have Meding, the woman who holds the highly unstable business of crying at funerals together through sheer determination, wedded with seemingly unintentional humor (“Business is bad,” she says, “because people aren’t dying fast enough”). Meding is played by Giselle Tongi, the irrepressible host of LA 18’s “Kababayan Today”, who brings that same fresh energy to “Criers.” And there is one male player, not a professional crier, but, as it turns out -- no, I won’t spoil it for you. Just know he is a young man who meets Gaya at Belmont High School and finds his way through to the hearts of the other criers.

Vargas had come to see the show. His plane had landed at LAX just 30 minutes before he arrived at the theater. He said

and equally urgent, start with the most difficult to the easiest one (or vice versa).

Organize your workspace An organized workspace can spell the difference between smooth and difficult work times.

Make sure everything you need is somewhere accessible. Always keep important documents, sta-

tionery tools, flash drives and other work items you use on a daily basis in places where you know they’ll always be there.

Make it a habit of arranging your desk and keeping the items firmly planted in the same areas over and over again so that you’ll know where to get what item and be aware if they’ve been taken or are missing.

Deliver your promises Losing the trust of your coworkers and customers can be a terrible blow to any career. Promising something without anything to show for it can really demoralize and instill a sense of distrust.

Never make promises you are sure you cannot keep. You will end up disappointing the other party and embarrassing yourself. Always think carefully and look at the possibility whether a job can or can’t be done before giving your final word. It won’t help trying to impress the higher-ups if you end PAGE B5

Programming of Kababayan Today, March 7-11, 2016 Monday, March 7 - Abby Asistio launches the celebration of Filipino American Women’s Month and shares her advocacy for alopecia and an unforgettable Facebook experience.

Tuesday, March 8 - Our panelists will discuss the contributions of Filipino-American women to society. Call us LIVe! Wednesday, March 9 - Midweek News Updates from the Asian Journal and Mia Mcleod of McLeod and Associates gives real estate advice.

Officers of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce from SouthBay Los Angeles area share details of their upcoming gala.

Join Professor Brandon Reilly for “Know History Know Self” as we celebrate Filipino American Women’s Month!

Thursday, March 10 - Red Capiz Women Christine Sumiller, Roselma Salama and Patricia Perez launch their kickstarter campaign. Let’s help fund this!

Friday, March 11 - Get to know Superintendent Cynthia Parulan-Colfer of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District as she shares her story on Kababayan Today.

that he hadn’t known that there was so much in the play about the problems of immigration, and really you had to listen to it because the problems that each character dramatically presents seem personal. Immigration, to these characters, means at least as much loss as it means gain, and we feel the strain, the anxiety, and the guilt even though the parting was, for many, an almost unbearable sacrifice in itself. All of these feelings thread their way through the conversations of the women, but the problems of the criers are personal and real. The characters are so well drawn and so well performed, that we find ourselves worried about them, even as they kill us with laughter or, finally, make

us cry with love, almost especially because of their flaws.

So, go see “Criers for Hire.” It will be in Los Angeles for only a few more days, closing on Sunday, March 13. Get your tickets now. Don’t wait. Something bad could happen. Someone might knock your head! *** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipino’s living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.

Tsibel Dental Team: They treat people, not teeth!

A VISIT to any of the three locations; South Pasadena, Pasadena, or Bellflower, will cause you to feel like you have a relative in dental care. The doctors and staff treat every patient like family, and the results and smiles speak for themselves. It’s no secret that people would rather be doing a million other things instead of being in a dental chair, but accomplishing necessary dental treatment should not be procrastinated. At the offices of Dr. Tsibel, a quality experience that is both convenient and comfortable translates to a lifelong commitment to a healthy mouth. How important is that you ask? Good oral health can help improve birth outcomes, keep children from developing painful cavities and prevent seniors and those with chronic health conditions from developing life-threatening complications.

Basically, good oral health is directly linked to general health and longevity.

An experienced team of dental professionals consisting of dentists and hygienists will thoroughly evaluate and clearly explain your oral condition.

Without any pressure or discomfort you will become informed about your dental needs, and will be able to make an appropriate decision about how you would like to proceed with attaining your goals. Best of all, you and your family will never have to go anywhere else regardless of what exams or treatment is required. Dr. Tsibel’s offices offer the latest technology including digital x-ray, Panorex, Ct-Scan, and Laser Dentistry, and a complete team of dental specialists trained in specific disciplines of dentistry. Whether you or your loved ones need root canal treatment, wisdom teeth extractions, braces, children’s dentistry for all ages, gum surgery, or implants, they offer an Endodontist, Periodontist, Pediatric Dentist, Orthodontist, and Oral Surgeon on site.

Do you have anxieties and phobias about seeing the dentist?

They treat that as well! Any specialized dental treatment

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described above or any general needs, whether cosmetic or routine fillings and crowns, can be performed under sedation.

Whether you choose Oral or IV sedation, their specifically licensed and trained doctors will have you resting and/or sleeping comfortably until the entire procedure is completed. You’ll wake up without recollection of the procedure, but will be well on your away to achieving the smile you always wanted.

The expert children’s dentists are sensitive and gentle. They have just the right touch necessary to provide necessary care without traumatizing your child and making future visits even more challenging. Your children will look forward to visiting the dentist because they will understand the life-long benefits of regular checkups and because “it’s no big deal”.

Dentists recommend bringing your child to the office around 6 months after the first tooth is visible, and teach proper brushing and flossing techniques.

The dental team genuinely wants you to enjoy every visit and try to make it comfortable for the entire family. At the larger Bellflower location, they provide snacks, complementary childcare, a 40-seat movie theater, 4 exotic aquariums, free massage, and even bake their own cookies!

T h e d e n t i s t s a re p ro u d members of the American Dental Association, the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, the Dental Board of California,

Care Credit, and the California Dental Association. They are committed to our community in the greater Los Angeles area, especially to helping patients love their smiles. They treat people, not teeth.

For new patients, they are offering an unbelievable $49 special for a teeth cleaning, exam, and X-ray! If any additional treatment is required, personnel trained to provide financial arrangement and assistance are always on hand to explain your insurance benefits, or to make the cost of necessary dental care manageable.

Please visit any of their state-ofthe-art websites for more patient reviews, videos, and interactive resources about everything that these offices represent. You can also read doctor biographies as an introduction to the people who will take care of your family.

Stay connected via social media (Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Google Plus, Pinterest, and YouTube) for great offers, blog posts, services, and rewards at each convenient location!

Appointment requests can easily be made online on any of the sites below or simply by calling either office directly. Convenient late evening and Saturday appointments are offered at the Bellflower location. Offices have several Filipino staff members including Doctors Walter Lim and Jamie Policarpio who are featured in this article, and proudly serve our kababayan community in the LA region.

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Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 5-8, 2016

B

Wi Spa: an urban sanctuary in the heart of La 5 good work habits

THINK of a spa and the immediate perception is an air of pretense and privilege that only a select few can indulge in, given the exorbitant prices.

However, if you live in Los Angeles, Korean spas have sprouted up, contributing to the idea that pampering oneself and affordability are not mutually exclusive.

Though the options are abundant, among the best is Wi Spa, known as the “Disneyland of Korean day spas.” While there are no shiny bells and whistles to it, the spa certainly lives up to its reputation as an urban sanctuary, and it’s family-friendly too.

Prior to venturing into a Korean spa, one must understand the significance it plays in Korean culture: a communal place for friends and families to gather, bathe and receive the therapeutic benefits rooted in ancient bathhouse traditions.

Conveniently located in between Koreatown and Downtown, Wi Spa itself is an expansive, multi-level facility (48,000 square feet, to be exact) that blends the bathhouse tradition with the modernity of marble and glass interiors. It is open 24/7, so you can go anytime, even on a whim.

Enter Wi and the process of unwinding begins. For starters, valet parking is complimentary to relieve you of the stress of having to find parking, especially when there are a lot of guests checked in.

With the $25 admission fee, you gain full access to amenities like a fitness room, pools, showers, saunas, a restaurant, and the rooftop deck. A wristwatch is given as your locker key and form of identification during your stay.

PAGE B4 up falling flat on your face.

Take note of these small habits you can use to improve your workflow. These little tips can really help make your job run smoother and help you finish tasks more efficiently so you can do more and rest easy on the deadlines.

*** Mango Tours is a provider of quality, affordable and convenient travel services that include low-priced airline tickets, customized

The rush of cramming in the day spa experience and trying out all the rooms is practically gone, as you are welcome to stay for hours on end. There are spaces to lounge in between services and even designated “sleeping rooms” for those who want to doze off in peace.

Wi is divided into gender-specific floors, where the spa and other facilities are located, as well as locker rooms and changing areas. For Korean spa newbies, it’s best to take a shower once you get settled in to wash away the day’s grime (dirt and the tubs do not make a great combination) and to ensure you get the maximum benefits of anything you decide to do, like sweating it out in the sauna.

Outside the bathing areas, you’ll find changing rooms, complete with vanities and toiletries.

And take this as a fair warning to expect nudity from guests of the same gender, but any judgments

and awkwardness should be left at the door.

If you want to treat yourself further, the spa offers a menu of body treatments at the fraction of the price tag you’d find at a spa elsewhere in the city. Better yet, if you purchase a treatment worth $110 or more, the entrance fee is waived. The usual spa treatments, like acupressure massages, facials, manicure/ pedicure, can be booked by reservation. But one must try the full-body scrub, perhaps Wi’s signature offering.

Based on the traditional Korean technique of buffing, the scrub entails a procedure of sloughing off dead skin cells with an exfoliating towel, as you lie down on a table and get doused with water every so often. It may take a few minutes to get accustomed to the intensity, but the person (of the same gender) administering the service repeatedly asks you if you’re doing fine. The service can last 35 minutes ($30) or can be reserved as a $90 package complete with the scrub, aroma oil massage, a face mask and hair shampoo, which all lasts for 90 minutes. Depending on one’s pain tolerance, the impression afterward may vary, but you’ll feel cleaner after the dead skin is washed off to make way for the lasting effects of radiating, supple skin.

On the co-ed floor (called the Jimjilbang, which translates to “bathhouse”), guests are required to wear the yellow T-shirt and khaki shorts received upon check-in. There you’ll find families and couples convening at one of the five specialty sauna rooms, noshing on Korean cuisine staples

at the full-service restaurant, or taking in fresh air on the rooftop deck. The floor also features a kid’s area, a library and computer room.

It’s worth noting that the five sauna rooms—Bulgama, Salt, Clay, Jade and Ice—boast unique characteristics that contribute to the detoxification and healing powers. The Bulgama is set at 231 degrees, inviting guests to lie down somewhere between 10 to 15 minutes to sweat out toxins from the body; Salt features minerals to purify and strengthen the body; layers of clay improved from Korea are placed in the Clay sauna to aid in lymphatic stimulation and heavy metal detoxification; the Jade room is hot to relieve any tension and stress; and the Ice sauna is recommended to end your visit to cool the body’s temperature, tighten the skin and improve circulation.

If you felt like you’ve detoxed enough from technology, free Wi-Fi is provided throughout the building to bring you back from your moment of zen, as are TVs in lounge areas.

Before you leave, don’t forget to take another shower and close out your tab. Whether you stay for an hour or the whole day, it’s nearly impossible to not feel rejuvenated and make you itch for another visit. Good thing, Wi won’t leave holes in your wallet. (AJPress) Wi Spa is located at 2700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 (on the corner of Rampart). Visit http://www.wispausa. com/ for more details on spa services and specials.

(Advertising Supplement)

Philippine and International Tour Packages, Cruises, Land Transfers, Passport and Visa Concerns. It is the #1 producer of reliable travel services particularly when it comes to Philippine travel arrangements to the FilipinoAmerican community in the US Mango Tours is able to provide its customers with a number of travel options at affordable rates because of its consolidator contracts with over 11 airlines. Book your travel bookings with Mango Tours by calling its 24/7 U.S. toll-free number at 1-866-2-MANILA (1-866-2-626452). Visit www.mangotours.com to know more about its latest promos and travel offers.

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

COMMUNITY Journal

Working in the US with an H-1B visa

Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves Devin M. Connolly AnD nAnCy e. MilleR THE US Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS) will being accepting H-1B petitions for Fiscal Year 2017 on April 1, 2016.

It is vitally important to file the petition exactly on April 1st. If not, as discussed below, you risk the H-1B cap being met before you even submit your petition. A well-prepared, approvable petition takes time to prepare. Therefore, now is the time to begin preparing your H-1B petition.

The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers to work in “specialty occupations.” A “specialty occupation” is an occupation that requires the theoretical or practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge. More commonly, a “specialty occupation” is an occupation that typically requires a Bachelor’s degree for entry into the field. Examples of “specialty occupations” include teachers, engineers, accountants, computer programmers and scientists. Occupations that qualify for an H-1B visa require a significant amount of education and training.

The H-1B petitioner is the employer. Though an employee will benefit greatly from an approved petition by being granted the opportunity work in the US, they are not permitted to formally make the request before CIS. As part of the petition, the employer must demonstrate not only that the position qualifies as a “specialty occupation” as discussed above, but that the foreign national is qualified to perform the occupation. This requires the employer to show that the prospective worker has the required education. The foreign national must have previously earned a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is acceptable for the Bachelor’s degree to have been acquired in a foreign country, as long as the employer can demonstrate that it is equivalent to a Bachelor’s

degree awarded by a college or university in the US. That determination must be made by a qualified evaluator.

In addition, the employer must show that the Bachelor’s degree is in a subject that is related to the H1-B occupation. For example, a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy would not qualify one for a job as a computer programmer.

While a computer programmer is likely a qualified “specialty occupation,” a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy does not provide the education and training needed to perform that job. Therefore, it does not meet the sufficientlyrelated requirement.

If the foreign national has not yet earned a Bachelor’s degree, it is possible for them to qualify through their long-term employment experience in the occupation. Three years of professional experience is considered equivalent to one year of college of university education.

Assuming we have a “specialty occupation” and a qualified foreign national, we must be concerned with the H-1B cap. The H-1B program is limited to 65,000 new H-1B visas per year. There are also an additional 20,000 visas available for foreign nationals who have earned a Master’s degree or higher from a university in the US These limits have been set

by Congress. Recent past history has shown that there are far more than 65,000 petitions be-

ing filed each year. In fact, in 2015 there were approximately 233,000 petitions filed for the 65,000 visas available for Fiscal Year 2016.

Due to this high demand of H-1B visas, it is crucial that the petition is filed on April 1, 2016.

Submitting it after that date may cause your petition to be rejected entirely simply because the cap may have already been met.

Unfortunately submitting your petition on April 1st does not guarantee that it will be accepted. If CIS receives more petitions than there are available H1-B visas (as is most probable), it will conduct what is referred to as the “H-1B lottery.” Under this system, CIS selects a sufficient number of petitions to be reviewed and rejects the others.

The rejected petitions are returned – unread – to the petitioner. If the cap is reached on the first day of filing (as has been the case for the past several years), all petitions received by CIS after that date are rejected and returned to the petitioner. Therefore, in order to have a chance at having CIS review and adjudicate the petition, it must be received

by CIS on April 1.

It is time to start preparing H1B petitions. The first (and maybe only) day to file will be here very soon. Failure to timely file can doom your chances of being granted the opportunity to lawfully work in the US. Do not let

u PAGE C3

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C MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon I WAS counseling someone the other day in my office. He looked shocked and confused as we sorted through all the credit card statements on my desk and added up how much he owed. $65,000! That’s how much the statements said he owed! How could this be? He said he remembered paying a lot of these debts off just a few years ago.

When I asked him how it was possible for him to owe that much again, he replied: “Honestly, I don’t even remember”.

For the vast majority of people, their debt problems usually stem from a series of events or bad financial decisions. It can be that a lot of people simply don’t keep track of what they charge on their credit cards.

So they use their credit cards for everyday purchases without realizing how much debt they are accumulating. Some use their credit cards for so-called “emergencies”. The problem is

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRSuA ReyeS FOR most people, being served with divorce papers by your spouse is probably one of the biggest surprises in your life.

The spouse in the receiving end of the divorce sometimes are not offered any explanation for the divorce petition by their spouse.

You may start getting upset about how this can happen to you and start doing things that are going to be seriously detrimental to your divorce case later on in the proceeding. Here are seven things you should not do.

Do not confront your spouse and commit domestic violence Many spouse feel very angry and upset upon receiving the divorce papers. You may start blaming your spouse and attacking your spouse. You may even yell, threaten, scream, or even physically assault your spouse.

This type of confrontation is called “domestic violence.” You may be arrested criminally if

Community Journal

Where did your debt problems come from? that anything could pretty much qualify as an “emergency”. The “emergency” could be new furniture that they don’t even need, a new car or an unplanned family vacation. Months or years go by and before they realize it, their debts have skyrocketed beyond their ability to repay. And unless their income has increased over that period of time, it becomes a struggle to make the debt payments every month.

If you don’t have the extra cash lying around every month to make those increasing debt payments, it will only be a matter of time before you start defaulting. And from there it just gets worse and worse until one day you have a big financial emergency in your hands. Some people even resort to borrowing from some credit cards just to pay other credit cards but quickly realize that this strategy doesn’t work and that they are only digging themselves into a deeper financial hole with no way out.

The truth is that your debt

problems didn’t just suddenly appear out of nowhere. Experience is often our best teacher. It would help to understand what past decisions led you to your present financial circumstances so that you can avoid making the same mistakes again. This can be a good first step to solving your debt problems. The late author and motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, said: “You may not be able to change your destination overnight but you can change your direction overnight.” It’s never too late to make the change and today is a good day to start.

If you need help, call (866) 477-7772.. We have offices in Los Angeles, Cerritos, Pasadena and Valencia. ***

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

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

IF you paid someone to care for your child, spouse, or dependent, you may be able to claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit on your federal income tax return. Here are 10 tips on claiming a credit for child and dependent care expenses.

• The expense for child and dependent care must be provided for your dependent child age 12 or younger when the care was provided. Expenses for your spouse and certain other individuals who are physically or mentally incapable of self-care may also qualify.

• The qualifying person must live with you for more than half of the year. There are exceptions None of the information herein is in- for the birth or death of a qualifytended to give legal advice for any specific ing person, or a child of divorced situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has success- or separated parents. fully helped thousands of clients in getting • The credit can be up to 35% out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation (was 30%) of your qualifying of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon expenses, depending upon your Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772. adjusted gross income.

(Advertising Supplement) • You may use up to $3,000 of

10 tips on child/dependent care expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals to figure the credit. These amounts were made permanent

by ATRA 2012.

• The care must be provided so you or your spouse can work (or look for work).

• You or your spouse must have earned income from wages, salaries, tips, other taxable employee compensation or net earnings from self-employment.

You may be considered as having earned income if they were a full-time student or were physically or mentally unable to care for themselves.

• Your filing status must be single, married filing jointly, head of household or qualifying widow(er) with a dependent child.

• The payments for care cannot be paid to your spouse, to the parent of your qualifying person, to someone you can claim as your dependent on your return, or to your child who will not be age 19 or older by the end of the year even if he or she is not your dependent. You must identify the care provider(s) on your tax re-

turn.

• The qualifying expenses must be reduced by the amount of any dependent care benefits provided by your employer that you deduct or exclude from your income.

• If you pay someone to come to your home and care for your dependent or spouse, you may be a household employer and may have to withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare tax and pay federal unemployment tax. For more information on the Child and Dependent Care Credit, see Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. *** 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.

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Seven things you should not do when served with divorce papers by your spouse your spouse calls law enforcement. Your spouse may also file a domestic violence restraining order against you. Either one would compromise your ability to seek custody of your children, child support, and spousal support. It would also affect your credibility as a witness for future proceedings. In addition if you do this in front of the children, this may be looked at as domestic violence and abuse against the children. The incident may be reported to Child Protective Services for investigation.

Do not run to the bank and empty out all your bank accounts or sell assets except for funds necessary retain legal representation in the divorce.

If you have assets, do not run and empty out your bank accounts with the goal of securing it from your spouse. The divorce petition and summons includes certain automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROS) which prohibits transferring and encumbering assets. You will be in violation of the ATROS if you do this. Your spouse may also make a claim for breach of fiduciary duty against you. Howev-

er there are certain exceptions to withdrawing funds such as funds necessary for your living expenses and funds you need to retain an attorney.

Do not cut off your spouse from any insurance policies One of the ATROS prohibits you from removing your spouse from health insurance coverage and other insurance policy. It would be a violation of ATROS to do so. You need to maintain your spouse on all existing insurance until the divorce is finalized or the status of marriage is dissolved in a bifurcated trial.

Do not take off with your child and move out of state or out of the country If the child has been living in this state, California Court has jurisdiction over your child even if you leave California after being served the divorce. Your spouse can get an order from the California court to return the child to California and get sole physical custody of your child.

This can be enforced through law enforcement in other states.

In addition, this would also be an ATROS violation. Such a

move would seriously undermine your claim for custody of the children.

Do not use your child as a messenger to communicate with your spouse Divorce process is a very difficult process for the children.

Children often blame themselves for the divorce of their parents.

Children sometimes manifest this through their academic performance during the divorce process. Do not involve the children in your divorce case.

Using the children to communicate messages to your spouse puts them in a difficult and very stressful situation. This will also affect your claim for custody of your children if you regularly involve your children in your attempt to communicate with your spouse. In addition, you should not say disparaging remarks about the other parent to your children.

Do not stalk your spouse in social medias such as facebook or tweeter.

Your spouse probably stopped informing you as to what is going on in his/her life at this point.

You may be curious if your

spouse hooked up with a third party or an old flamer. You may be curious what your spouse are telling your friends and family. Do not stalk your spouse in social media such as facebook.

Do not hack into your spouse’s e-mail. This is a crime. Your spouse can also file a domestic violence restraining order against you for stalking. Most of the evidence obtained illegally is not admissible in court anyways.

If you have been unfriended by your spouse, let it be.

Do not quit your job voluntarily If you think you can dodge child support and spousal support by quitting your job voluntarily, it is not going to happen. Your spouse’s lawyer will argue that there was no legitimate reason for you to leave your employment and may seek the court to impute income on you. Your spouse may seek vocational evaluation for purposes of determining your earning capacity. In addition, the amount of income you will lose by quitting is substantially more than the money you will owe in child or spousal support. Even if you

are successful in dodging the support orders by quitting your job, your spouse can modify them back up the moment you go back to the work force.

If you have been served with divorce papers and are unsure how to react, seek professional help before you dig yourself deeper in the hole. *** 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.

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Andrew Paranal joins Elder Law Services of California LOS ANGELES—Elder Law Services of California is proud to announce that attorney Andrew Paranal has joined its trust department.

Mr. Paranal began his career in estate planning since 2013 and has since expanded into asset protection and Medi-Cal planning. He became interested in Elder Law after helping care for a family member after a debilitating event. Mr. Paranal is excited to join an established law firm and hopes to educate his Filipino community about the tremendous benefits of proper estate planning.

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AmericAn DreAm Allison Aquino-silvA, Esq THE E nonimmigrant visa category allows nationals of countries who are a party to certain treaties with the United States to receive visa benefits in order to invest in a US business or conduct trade between the foreign treaty country and the US. The Philippines entered into such a treaty with the US as of September 5, 1955, thereby entitling Philippine nationals to receiving E nonimmigrant visas.

An individual is entitled to obtain an E-1 treaty trader visa if he is substantially conducting trade primarily between the US and the foreign country. An individual is entitled to an E-2 treaty investor visa if he is seeking to develop and direct the operations of an enterprise in which he has invested or is actively in the process of investing a substantial amount of capital. Certain employees of an E-1 treaty trader or E-2 investor may also obtain E visas.

The requirements for the E-1 treaty trader visa are as follows: (1) The applicant must be a national of a treaty country; (2) The trading firm sponsoring the applicant must have the nationality of the treaty country; (3) The international trade must be “substantial” in the sense that there is a sizable and continuing volume of trade, regardless of the size of the company; (4) The trade must be principally between the US and the treaty country, which means that more than 50% of the international trade involved must be between the US and the country of the applicant’s nationality; (5) Trade means the international exchange of goods, services or technology,

Residing in the US indefinitely through an E-1/E-2 Visa which can include activities such as international banking, insurance, monies, transportation, tourism, communications, data processing, advertising, accounting, design and engineering, management consulting, technology and its transfer, and some news gathering activities; and (6) The applicant must be employed in a supervisory or executive capacity, or possess highly specialized skills essential to the efficient operation of the firm. Applicants for an E-1 visa who trade in goods should be able to submit documentation such as bills of lading, customs receipts, letters of credit, insurance papers documenting commodities imported, purchase orders, carrier inventories, trade brochures, sales contracts, and other traditional business documents. Applicants for an E-1 visa who trade in services should be able to submit documentation such as a summary or audit of international accounts and transactions, and, if necessary for verification, contracts demonstrating the nature of the trade/service activity, the value/ cost of such activity, the time of performance of these activities, as well as other conditions of the transaction.

To qualify for an E-2 treaty investor visa, the following requirements must be met: (1) The investor, whether a person or corporation, must be a national of a treaty country; (2) The investment must be substantial based on a “proportionality test” that compares the amount of funds invested against the fair market value of the established business; (3) The investment must be active and at risk, not merely speculative or idle; (4)

The investment may not be marginal, which means that it must generate significantly more income than just to provide a living to the investor and family, or it must have a significant economic impact in the US; and (5) The investor must be coming to the US solely to develop and direct the enterprise. If the applicant is not the principal investor, he must be employed in a supervisory, executive, or highly specialized skill capacity, and must also be the same nationality as the principal alien employer.

The spouse and unmarried minor children of E-1 and E-2 visa holders are also eligible to obtain E-1 and E-2 visas to reside with the principal visa holder in the US. Spouses are also eligible to obtain work authorizations that allow them to work for any employer.

Individuals granted an E-1 or E-2 visa are generally given authorization to remain in the US for periods of two years. An unlimited number of extensions are available at two-year increments so long as the trade or investment is still ongoing. Accordingly, individuals can receive the benefit of working and residing in the United States for a lengthy period of time based entirely on their hard work, dedication and effort. *** For further information, please schedule an appointment with an attorney at Aquino & Loew, Certified Immigration Law Specialists; (888) 797-1140 or (626) 799-3089; info@ aquinoloew.com. Please also visit Aquino & Loew at www.aquinoloew.com and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters. Providing Personalized Service Nationwide & Abroad Since 1996.

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

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q. MY employer brought me to America to work as live-in nanny for their youngest child. I would be paid $1,000 per month with weekends off. When we arrived in Los Angeles, my employer took my passport. At their home, I work 7 days a week, 14 to 16 hours per day. I take care of an infant and also cook, clean, and laundry for the entire family. I am not allowed to leave the house without my employer.

After working for a month, I was paid $300, not the $1,000 that was promised. My employer said I needed to pay them back for the plane ticket coming here.

I have worked for them for over a year now and I am still being paid $300. When I complained, my employer told me I was lucky that I have free room and food. I was then told that if I leave, I will be deported because my visa is expired. What should I do?

A: Call the police. Or have someone call the police for you. It is better to ask law enforcement for help because what is being done to you may not only be illegal but also criminal. You may be a victim of human trafficking, specifically, labor trafficking.

Human trafficking is obtaining labor by the use of force, fraud or coercion in order to subject a person to involuntary servitude or slavery. Human trafficking is a criminal. However, the laws also allow the victims to obtain civil remedies (i.e., money) against the traffickers.

Why should victims care about civil remedies? Because restitution in criminal proceedings is often not enough to compensate

Community Journal

PArAnAl, eSQ

IN our Filipino community, there seems to be a reluctance to engage in comprehensive estate planning through the execution of living trusts, wills, and powers of attorney. Instead, many families have traditionally relied on adding the children and other chosen heirs on the home’s title as joint tenants. This is not a smart solution. Joint tenancy is a way of holding title where each owner owns the same proportion of the property and has a “right of survivorship.” The right of survivorship means when one owner passes away, his or her share automatically gets divided up equally among the remaining owners on title. While this can result in the children inheriting as planned, there are several other pitfalls that one must consider before executing this type of deed.

The most glaring deficiency in executing only a joint tenancy deed is the inability to engage in any kind of advanced planning for the future. With a joint tenancy deed, each person on the deed will get an equal portion of the deceased’s share of the home and that’s it. However with

To Live With Faith reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS SACRED Heart Church in Covina, California held a “24 Hours for the Lord” celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

From 12 pm on Friday, March 4, to 12 pm on Saturday, March 5, priests from the parish and the surrounding parishes of the deanery were scheduled to hear confessions.

To prepare for this event, parishioners of Sacred Heart Church and the surrounding parishes were asked to go door to door in their neighborhoods to invite people to come to this “24 Hours for the Lord” Reconciliation Service.

In his parish website, Sacred Heart Church’s pastor, Fr. Bill Easterling, asked his parishioners “to reach out to their family, friends, neighbors and co-workers who have not been to Church in a while and who especially may benefit from the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) because it has been a long time.”

Similar 24 Hours for the Lord services are being held in churches around the world in response to the urgent call of Pope Francis in this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy to proclaim God’s mercy to all people and to invite them to enter into genuine conversion.

As if these 24 hours of Confessions in churches worldwide were not enough to proclaim God’s mercy, the Diocese of Salford in England has used a double-decker bus as the venue for priests to hear the confessions of

C

Forced labor, unpaid wages, Rescinding removal/deportation order threats of deportation: How to allow for adjustment of status to spot labor trafficking a victim for all their damages.

Victims of labor trafficking may be paid only the equivalent of wages owed to them. But what about the victim’s physical or emotional injuries while living under the control of the trafficker? For these types of injuries, only civil remedies are available.

For instance, California allows trafficking victims to sue their socalled “employers” for “forced labor,” which means labor or services obtained or maintained through force, fraud, or coercion.

Trafficking victims are entitled to: Actual damages (proper wages owed under California law, including overtime pay, interest, and penalties) – Damages for emotional distress – Treble damages (which means the victim’s actual damages multiplied by three) – Punitive damages – Attorneys fees Thus, while they continue to cooperate with law enforcement and other government agencies regarding their situation, it is also equally important for victims of trafficking or forced labor to consult with an experienced employment attorney to help them obtain all available civil remedies against their traffickers.

Victims of trafficking do not have to be foreign nationals, they could be American citizens or residents. They do not have to travel, be transported, or moved across state or national borders.

Even without transportation, persons who are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to provide labor or services are still victims of labor trafficking.

Trafficking victims do not have to be physically restrained (or locked up) by the “employer.” Trafficking victims may be able to go outside the home of the “employer” but the “employer” still maintains psychological control over the victim by threats of harm to the victim or the victim’s family, or threats of being arrested by police or of being deported.

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, there is no single profile for trafficking victims – they could be adults and minors in rural, with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, varied levels of education, and may be documented or undocumented. They are made to work against their will in business settings as well as underground markets. The following are industries where labor trafficking has been found: domestic work, care home work, restaurants, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and retail.

Next week, we will discuss some real-life cases of human trafficking. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. *** C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully obtained significant recoveries for thousands of employees and consumers. He is named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advo(Advertising Supplement) cates Forum.

Estate planning done right

by Andrew

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

the proper estate planning there can be different percentages of estates distributed to each beneficiary. What if your daughter has been helping take care of you for the past 5 years, taking you shopping, cooking meals, and helping you clean?

Unfortunately, you can’t leave her a little something extra with a deed, she will get the same share as everyone else named on the deed. Alternatively in a trust she can receive more than other beneficiaries at your discretion when creating the trust. What if you have a child that is not good at managing money? With proper estate planning you could set up a spendthrift trust that could help provide for an imprudent child for a long time.

In life tragedy happens, people die unexpectedly and things don’t go according to plan. With the proper estate planning such as an executed trust, safeguards can be built in to account for these tragedies that can and do happen. Executing a joint tenancy deed without a living trust can make an awful circumstance even worse. If your estate plan only consists of a joint tenancy deed and your children die before you do, your home could

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

Working in the US with an H-1B…

PAGE C1 t

that happen to you – contact an experienced and knowledgeable attorney who is dedicated solely to the practice of immigration law to prepare your H1-B petition and increase your opportunity for success.

Andrew Paranal, ESQ

end up in probate, costing your heirs thousands of dollars and years in the courts. What if you and your children all die in a car or plane crash? There would be no chance to add other family members to the deed, and you will have no say in who inherits your property. With a properly executed trust, there can be built in beneficiaries otherwise called “issues” that would only receive benefits if the beneficiary listed in the trust named them as their issue and they pass away before the assets are distributed.

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24 hours of confession and mercy buses during lent people who have stopped going to church. This “Mercy Bus” has been traveling throughout the Diocese of Salford during Lent to reach out to lapsed Catholics.

This, indeed, is an interesting and delightful phenomenon going on in Catholic Churches around the globe. It is another bold attempt of the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis to reach out to all people to let them have a deep knowledge, experience and encounter of God’s mercy.

It’s absolutely right to hold these special Confessions around the world.

As St. Paul tells us this Sunday at Mass in his Letter to the Corinthians (5:17-21), “And all this from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciling the world, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.”

God has entrusted to us the “ministry of reconciling the world”. This is precisely what Pope Francis is urging us to do.

In a world that is ridden with conflict, division, hatred, corruption, and greed, it is urgent that we inspire all people to come to a genuine conversion of hearts and mind and to experience the profound forgiveness and mercy of God. For us, Catholics, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the sacred door to this experience God’s mercy.

Dear Attorney Tan, I AM a Filipino who is presently in the US under an H1B visa, working as a bookkeeper/accountant. My employer would like to retain me as a permanent worker. My understanding is that if my employer were to petition me, there would be a wait time of approximately 6 years before I could file a green card application. I have a previously approved I-140 petition under the 3rd Preference (Skilled Worker) category that was filed by another company on my behalf, which has a priority date of January 2009. I did not get a green card based on that previously approved I-140 petition since the company closed.

If my current employer does petition me, will I have to wait 6 years before I can apply for a green card? S.S.K. Dear S.S.K. Under 8 CFR Sec. 204.5(e), the priority date for an approved I-140 employment-based petition in the 1st through 3rd Preference categories can generally be used for any subsequently filed I-140 petition in any of those categories. The only exception to this would be if the previously-approved I-140 petition was revoked due to fraud or misrepresentation. If the previously-approved I-140 petition was not revoked due to fraud or misrepresentation, the priority date can be used for your current employer’s I-140 petition.

Retention of the priority date under 204.5(e) can come into play for persons such as yourself. The retention of the priority date of a previously-approved petition benefits those: 1) who are now seeking a green card via an I-140 petition in the 3rd Preference (Skilled Worker) category, AND 2) who have a previously-approved I-140, but did not obtain a green card though that previous I-140 for one reason or another. Under Section 204.5(e), the priority date for the previously-approved I-140 petition can be used for any subsequent employment-based green card case, even if the new petition is with a different employer or a different job.

In your case, you have an approved I-140 through a previous company, but did not obtain a green card because the business closed. The priority date on that previously-approved I-140 is January 2009. If, in March 2016, your current H1B employer begins the I-140 petition process in the 3rd Preference (Skilled Worker) category, you would have a priority date of March 2016. If your I-140 is approved, you normally would have to wait until the priority date advances and becomes current to file your green card application, which would take approximately 6 years (as of March 2016, the current application filing date for petitions in the 3rd preference category is January 1, 2010, which means only persons who have a priority date of January 1, 2010 or earlier can file a green card application). However, under 204.5(e), you can retain the January 2009 priority date of the previous I-140 petition, and use it on the new I-140 petition filed by your current employer. Since the priority date of your previous I-140 petition (i.e. January 2009) is earlier than the current application filing date (i.e. January 1, 2010), you will not have to wait approximately 6 years (i.e. the time for the application filing date to advance from January 1, 2010 to March 2016) to file your green card application.

It is also worth noting that for those who have an employer willing to petition him/her for a green card, but do not have a previously-approved petition from which he/she can retain the priority date, the possibility of being petitioned under the 2nd Preference (Advanced Degree) category should be explored. For 2nd Preference employed-based petitions, there is currently no wait time. It is accordingly advised that you consult with an experienced attorney if you have an employer who is willing to petition you. *** 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.

There is callousness, pride, and self-righteousness in people’s hearts and minds in regards to sinfulness. Many people do not seem to seem to recognize their need to ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness. They go about their business unwilling to see the need to reconcile with God and their neighbors. It’s a sickness that is happening in our society today. It is no wonder that there is so much indifference, selfishness, arrogance, and violence in the world.

What the Catholic Church is witnessing in this Extraordinary Year of Mercy is the rediscovery of the value to enter into the life of God that is filled with mercy and love so that we, ourselves, can exercise the same mercy and love toward other people.

May we heed to the urgent call of Pope Francis to invite everyone to this life of mercy! May we all continue this Lenten season and enter Holy Week with full humility and willingness to be embraced like the Prodigal Son

by God whose love and mercy always await 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 (1999-2001). 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.

*** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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.

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C MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng Business owner files chapter 7 as losses mount CLIENTS are spouses who own and run a business together.

They own an S-corporation that has been in business for 20 years.

They have 10 employees. An Scorporation, as distinguished from a C-corporation, is one where the profits of the business “flows through” to the 1040 of the individuals, unlike a C-corporation that pays its own income tax based on corporate profits.

For instance, if the S-corporation business makes a net profit of $100K for 2015, that net profit is added to the gross income of the stockholders of the S-corporation. If you own 20% of that Scorporation, you will have to add $20K to your gross income for 2015 in addition to your income from all other sources. Whereas if that were a C-corporation, the corporation would pay income tax by itself on the $100K profit for 2015, and either keep the net profit after tax in the coffers of the corporation as retained earnings, or distribute the net profit to the stockholders, in which case, the profit distribution becomes a dividend to the stockholder which the stockholders declares as dividend income in his individual tax return. Other than this differentiation in the treatment of corporate profit, both S and C-corporations have all the same benefits that a corporation provides.

Both S and C corporations are legally separate entities from their stockholders. Liabilities of the S and C corporations and deemed liabilities of the corporations themselves and do not transfer to the individual stockholders. This is called the “corporate shield” given to stockholders. For all intents and purposes by law, the corporation is treated as a separate and distinct “legal person” from the individual stockholders.

For example, Volkswagen was recently found cheating on emissions. The company programmed the computers in their diesel cars to act in a way that it appeared that emission standards were being complied with. In fact, they were not. In other words, Volkswagen, the corporation told a bold face lie. When it was found out, there was a big scandal and its stock tanked. Massive penal-

Community Journal

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Business owner files When filing bankruptcy can help you chapter 7 as losses mount Young client seeks chapter 7 relief for $$70K credit card debt

ties for fraud soon followed levied by the Feds in the billions.

There were multiple lawsuits filed against Volkswagen. Buyers wanted to return what they bought. If you were a stockholder of Volkswagen, can you be sued for this corporate fraud with millions of victims worldwide? If you were a stockholder of Volkswagen, do you have to worry about being sued by the victims because you own shares in Volkswagen, certainly not. Because the fact that Volkswagen is a corporation means that the company is legally a separate and distinct entity from you as a shareholder.

Therefore, you cannot be sued as a stockholder of Volkswagen for the corporate wrongdoing of the company. This is called ‘corporate legal fiction’ which is actually quite a brilliant idea that allows free enterprise to prosper. Without this ‘corporate shield and legal fiction’ people will be afraid to invest in businesses for fear of having their individual assets exposed to liability for anything that goes wrong with the corporation that causes damage to anyone.

In clients’ case, their business was doing well for 17 years. But the last 3 years was bad. Clients had to refinance their house to put in another $80K in the corporation to finance the loss of the last 3 years. Refinancing their house was actually making a bad situation worse. Why suck out the equity in your house causing you to pay a higher mortgage to keep a business that is hemorrhaging to keep it afloat? You’re letting the business loss drag your house down too. The corporation is supposed to be separate from your personal assets, but by refinancing your house, you combine the two together.

In other words, if the business is sinking, why let your house sink with it too? You business can sink and die, that happens many, many times in the world of business. But to link your house to the business, that’s the same as getting a gun and shooting yourself in the leg.

Clients’ S-corporation owes $120K of bank loans and suppliers credit, which it can no longer pay. Clients decided to discontinue the business because of mounting losses. I ask

them if they want to continue the business with a Chapter 11 and perhaps get away without paying any of the $120K. They decide for a Chapter 7 because too much competition has made the future of the business very bleak.

Will the S-corporation Chapter 7 affect the stockholders as individuals, of course it will not. The stockholders keep their good credit and everything else. They are not affected by the bankruptcy of the S-corporation, because after all, even an S-corporation is a legally separate and distinct entity under the law, therefore, it can file a bankruptcy by itself without affecting the individual stockholders.

Young client seeks chapter 7 relief for $70K credit cards Client is 33, and recently married. He also dabbled into business, using his credit cards to fund the business. The business never turned a profit. He maxed out his credit cards at $70K. One credit card sued him to collect $14K of credit card debt. At that time, he was still optimistic that his business would turn around and become profitable. But that was not to be. He entered into a stipulated judgment agreeing to pay $200 a month until the $14K was fully paid off. He just got married and wants a fresh start without debt, and opts for Chapter 7 relief. This will wipe out the $70K of credit card debt including the $14K stipulated judgment. Without debilitating debt, client can look forward to a fresh, new and productive life, and can even start another business that has a better chance of being successful from all the mistakes he learned from his failed business. This is what happened to Mr. Walt Disney who also sought Chapter 7 relief twice before his Disneyland business became successful.

From two bankruptcies, Disney is now a global multi-billion dollar business with the new $6.0 billion theme park opening in Shanghai this June. Who knows, my young client may be another Disney in the making, learning from his previous mistakes.

Maybe 10 years from now, client may become a business tycoon.

Further, client’s decision to seek

u PAGE C5

DECIDING to file bankruptcy your house and the value of is a difficult decision for most. your residence is equal or less On one hand, people recognize than your first mortgage. Unthe immediate relief filing bankder Chapter 13, you can convert ruptcy could bring. Once filed, your second mortgage into an all collection efforts from crediunsecured debt if the value of tors stops – no more constant your residence is equal or less barrage of phone calls from than your first mortgage and collection agencies or flood of that second mortgage is seletters threatening legal action cured solely on your residence and statements of delinquent (“lien stripping”). By converting accounts. On the other end, it into unsecured debt, you may people feel the need to pay their not have to pay all or part of debts and to save their credit. your second mortgage and thus However, if you are already conlower your monthly mortgage templating filing bankruptcy, Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos payments. your credit had probably taken a beating – you are Fourthly, if crawdown is applicable to you. delayed in your credit cards, your house is about Crawndown allows debtors a chance to reduce to be foreclosed or you are earning less than your their car debt to the current replacement value of monthly expenses probably raiding your savings the vehicle plus interest if the card was bought at just to stay afloat monthly. Bankruptcy will give least 2 ½ years ago. For instance, if you still owe you a breather from all of these and allow you a $20,000.00 for your car but the present replacefresh financial start. ment value is $15,000.00, you pay only $15,000 When should you seriously consider bankrupt- under a Chapter 13 plan. cy? What are the important factors you should Also, debtors with debts that can’t be disconsider? Some of these instances are below. charged under Chapter 7 like taxes, child supFirstly, an obvious answer - when you are over- port or student loans can avail instead of Chapter whelmed by debt. A lot of individuals are better 13. These debts can be paid over time under the off filing bankruptcy – those who can barely pay Chapter 13 plan. the minimum on their credit card debts, only to If you are contemplating of filing bankruptcy see their interest rates rise dramatically when or other alternatives, it is advisable to seek the a payment is late, while at the same time, they counsel of a bankruptcy lawyer to guide you on can not afford health insurance, have little or no the intricacies of filing for such a petition. emergency savings fund, much less retirement *** savings.

Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos is a member of the State Bar of Second, when your house is under threat of California and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. To schedule foreclosure and you want to keep these proper- for a free initial in-person consultation, please call Tel. Nos. (213) ties. Debtors usually avail of this option if they 284-5984 or (626) 329-8215. Atty. Santos’ office is located at 3450 do not want to lose their house or other proper- Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200-105, Los Angeles, CA 90010. ties and they have mortgages or other loans they *** would like to bring current. As earlier state, an Information contained in this article does not, nor is it intended to, constitutes “automatic stay” is issued once your petition is legal advice for any specific situation and does not create a lawyer-client filed, i.e., most creditors (with a few exemptions) relationship. It likewise does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction cannot take any action against your property to regarding the outcome of your legal matter. collect the outstanding debt.

We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Thirdly, if you have a second or more liens on Bankruptcy Code.

(Advertising Supplement)

People and Events

FREE Citizenship Workshop in Los Angeles L.A. immigrant rights organizations provide free legal assistance

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — On Saturday, March 12, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles and Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) will help local green card holders take the first step towards becoming citizens through a free event as part of the New Americans Campaign.

This workshop will provide lawful permanent residents with free naturalization application assistance by professional and trained volunteers. Individuals

will also receive legal counsel by probono attorneys and legal experts. Services are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

The New Americans Campaign is an innovative nonpartisan partnership with organizations like the Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles and Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) that seeks to help aspiring Americans overcome barriers to becoming citizens and achieve citizenship. Work-

shops like these show the local community that there is assistance available and that the New Americans Campaign is there to lend a helping hand through its network of partners and service providers.

The Free Citizenship Workshop will be held on Saturday, March 12 at 9 am at Bassett Adult School, 943 Sunkist Ave., La Puente, CA 91746. Registration for this workshop is required. For more information and to register, call 213-385-7800 ext. 152. n

GK USA National Summit 2016

THERE is no better time for Gawad Kalinga (GK) to present the Philippines as the new land of opportunity, with a steadily rising economy--the fastest growing in the world next to China, according to Bloomberg--and alleviating poverty.

GK continues to evolve as a movement, starting with philanthropy expanding to sustainability, and creating hybrid, innovative systems to end poverty.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for Filipinos, GK volunteers, partners, and millennials to reconnect with their homeland, contribute to their country and social entrepreneurship, and help to build bridges for a thriving nation. Asian Americans will have a taste of the emerging market of world-class, affordable Philippine-made products, such as Bayani Brew, First Harvest Peanut Spreads, Human Nature

beauty products, and Theo Philo chocolates.

Support GK’s humanitarian efforts to provide home and livelihood to the poorest of the poor, and learn about GK, GK USA, and GK Enchanted Farm programs.

The Summit will take place from March 5-6, 2016, at the Radisson Midtown at USC, Los Angeles (3540 S Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90007). To register, please visit gk-usa.org. n

Love to Nippon 2016 “LOVE to Nippon 2016” is the fifth-anniversary memorial event and community-wide tribute to those lost and the survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

The free event will support the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the devastated regions, and helps prepare and train Southern Californians for future natural disasters through sharing information and education,

and designating “3.11” (March 11th) as the official statewide natural disaster preparedness training day.

The formal program includes peaceful interfaith prayers, incense-burning, musical tributes, panel discussions, and outdoor information booths hosted by the American Red Cross, Home Depot, LA County Fire Dept., US Coast Guard, and affected prefectures of Japan.

Love to Nippon 2016 takes place on Sunday, March 6, from 1 pm – 5:30 pm at LAPD Headquarters, Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium (100 West First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012). The event is free.

To register (limited auditorium seating available), please visit www.lovetonippon.com.

For more information, please call 484.1800 / lovetonippon2016@ gmail.com. n

Estate planning done…

PAGE C3 t

Joint tenancy deeds can also open the door to family infighting and lawsuits. Using a joint tenancy deed as a substitute for a proper estate plan can lead to vulnerability to fraud and estate planning scams. With a trust, you are protected by a no-contest clause which states that heirs that bring a lawsuit lose their inheritance and the ability to use a certificate of independent review (another attorney evaluates the trust and your capacity, making it more difficult to challenge).When you execute a deed on your own you have a higher probability of including mistakes, which can complicate later transfers or sales. Additionally, if you executed the deed later on in life, heirs that you intentionally left off the deed might claim that you lacked capacity and contest the transfer. All of these problems can be handled by an estate planning attorney who will guide you and your family to the best solution possible to avoid family feuds later in life.

Financial issues can also present themselves when you create a joint tenancy deed with your children. As the persons that you add on title now own a legal interest in the property, they have the right to force the sale of your home. When the home is put into a trust the heirs will

only have access to the home and have the ability to sell the home once you pass away. This ensures that your heirs will not try to sell the property out from underneath you leaving you homeless. What’s worse with a joint tenancy deed is, if any of your kids on the deed file bankruptcy or a judgment creditor forecloses a lien, the whole property may be sold to satisfy your child’s debt. This can be avoided by putting the home into a trust that is protected until you pass away instead of putting the child on the title of the home and risk financial problems in the future.

Additionally, if the home is sold after your passing, your children will adopt your cost basis in the value of the property. This means they will have to pay up to 20% capital gains tax on any appreciation of the home since its purchase. If you create a revocable living trust through which your kids inherit your home, they will receive a step-up in basis (it’s like they bought the home at market value at the time of your passing). This means that any capital gains tax that would have to be paid if the home were sold at the time of your death are effectively wiped out. Protecting the home in a trust allows your children to have less financial obligation to your property when

you pass.

Finally, executing a deed cannot be undone. With a living trust, you can change the provisions and beneficiaries of the trust at any time. This allows you to have more control over your assets through the ups and downs of life. Agreements on sales and transfers of the property must be unanimous with all persons stated on the title of the home unless you get the courts involved. With a trust there can be an executor who will determine what is to be done with the estate based on the trust upon your passing.

There is not an alternative to a proper estate plan, it is the only way to ensure proper distribution of your assets upon your passing.

Executing a joint tenancy deed is a quick and easy fix but it is not the best solution. *** Elder Law Services of California is proud to announce that attorney Andrew Paranal has joined its trust department. Mr. Paranal began his career in estate planning in 2013 and has since expanded into asset protection and Medi-Cal planning. He became interested in Elder Law after helping care for a family member who experienced a debilitating event. Mr. Paranal is excited to join an established law firm and hopes to educate his Filipino community about the tremendous benefits of proper estate planning.

For more information, please visit elderlawcalifornia.com or call 1-800-411-0546 (Advertising Supplement)

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Community Journal

How to report a work injury IS this you? I sustained a Worker’s Comp Made Easy for vocational retraining if an injured worker is unable to rework-related injury that return to work in the same capacquires more than first-aid and ity as before the injury. The need to see a doctor but my injured worker is provided a employer keeps on ignoring supplemental job displacement me, or I have been working for voucher of a specific value paya long period with pain and told able to an accredited school or my employer but been told that vocational retraining program it is not covered. based on the workers’ level of Now what? Unfortunately, disability. injured workers often go long • DEATH BENEFITS: are periods without any guidance available to surviving depenfrom their employers and worse dents where the work-injury yet, without the medical treatresults in death, but is subject ment that they are entitled to. to strict time limitation.

Often, the employer will look An injured worker is not rethe other way, with typical required to retain an attorney sponses like, “that’s too bad, and can deal directly with the you should have been more insurer, which often occurs at careful”…“you should go see the onset of the claim since the you own doctor” or ”the comemployee trusts to insurance pany is not responsible for your Atty. Kennen Kim company adjuster to help them. medical treatment”.

First, every employer is required to carry Work- However, as the claim progresses many people ers’ Compensation insurance or otherwise be find themselves at the mercy of the insurance permissibly self-insured. However, although an company and their doctors and realize that they employer has Workers’ Compensation insurance may not have their best interests in mind. At this coverage does not mean that they will voluntarily point, an injured worker realizes that the may be provide this information to an injured employee. claim quite complex and that there are differencThe ideal scenario that should occur when an es in opinion that are developing between the employee is injured and the employer has notice parties that may be difficult to resolve.

As such, an attorney can be of great assisis to provide the employee with a Claim Form (DWC-1, Claim Form), which is a very simple one tance in obtaining maximum benefits, and can page document divided into two parts. The top help the injured worker choose the right doctor half is for the employee to fill out and provide ba- for a start. The differences of opinion between sic information like name, address, location and the parties are actually legal disputes and issues description of injury and parts of body injured, that require the claim to be filed in court, since and the bottom half is for the employer to fill out the judge is the trier of fact if the parties cannot and give back to the employee with its Workers’ resolve their conflicts.

An attorney is knowledgeable about the law, Compensation insurance information. As such, the employee then has the name, address, and court procedures and experienced in dealing policy number of the insurer and can proceed to with insurers, their attorneys and the judge.

The attorney can provide direct answers to diffifile a claim if he/she so desires.

Once a claim is filed, the Workers’ Compensa- cult questions and provides a buffer between the tion law provides 5 major benefits to an injured insurer and the injured worker since the insurer worker or his or her dependents, which are as cannot directly communicate with an injured worker who is represented. Often, this provides follows: • MEDICAL CARE: provided to cure or relieve relief to an already stressful and difficult situation. the physical and emotional results of an injury.

Once the attorney has the final medical re• TEMPORARY DISABILITY: is a weekly monetary benefit that serves as “wage replacement” ports, he/she can evaluate and rate the reports. in the event that an injured worker is unable to If there are medical-legal issues that arise as a result of a doctor’s opinion the attorney can purwork as determined by a physician.

• PERMANENT DISABILITY: is monetary sue those issues on behalf of the client. Thereafcompensation based upon the nature and extent ter, the attorney can pursue settlement negotiaof a person’s injuries taking into account factors tions with the opposing attorney. An attorney such as Activities of Daily Living, limitation of cannot settle an injured worker’s case without movement, diagnostic testing results and pain his/her permission and any settlement must be and other similar factors as determined by a approved by the Workers’ Compensation judge, who can only award 15% of any settlement or physician.

• VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION: provides award as attorney’s fees.

(Advertising Supplement)

Business owner files chapter 7…

PAGE C4 t

chapter 7 relief is completely confidential. Nobody needs to know unless he discloses it himself. His new wife is totally not affected even if she has her own assets. Those are her sole and

separate assets.

“A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God (Adonai/Yahweh), who does not lie, promised before, the beginning of time.”— Titus 1:2 ***

Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California.

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

(Advertising Supplement)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MARCH 5-8, 2016

C

People and Events

Ethnic musical and ensemble conducted by Aris Banico; bottom photo: All male-band with soloist, Christina Lam

DCFS Covina office celebrates Year of the Monkey THIS year’s Lunar New Year was a greatly anticipated event in the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Covina Office and was celebrated on February 16, 2016.

The Asian Pacific Program (APP), Deaf Services and American Indian Units are all housed at the Covina DCFS office. APP staff are conversant in dialects from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Burma, Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Deaf Services have staff who can communicate in American Sign Language. Since the first week in January, the office staff has been busy planning this event, seeking to promote and understand those significant cultural events celebrated by the many diverse families they serve within the community.

Supervising Children’s Social Worker (SCSW) Richard Kwang explained that on the Chinese calendar, 2016 is the year of the Monkey and people born in 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, and 2004 fall under this sign. There are different kinds of Monkeys including Gold, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. People

born in 2016 and in 1956 are born under the sign of the Fire Monkey and are said to be ambitious and adventurous, popular, business-minded and form good relationships.

DCFS staff were encouraged to wear or display their distinctive ethnic clothing. Vivian Arline, representing Ghana, Diana Zhao sampling clothing from China, and Ma. Carmen Ramos in Japanese dress were the three winners of the most beautiful costume contest. The All Guy’s Band, composed of Vannarith Kiev, Mike Oh, Rasy Lieu, Tai Hong, Tom Lam and Julio Sainz, with soloist MSW intern Christina Lam and Ma. Carmen Ramos, kept all entertained and sang a love song in Tagalog and Japanese. The highlight of the party was a presentation of the different ethnic musical instruments— gong, bamboo xylophone, Indian flute, African drum, rain stick, and maracas, handled by Chie Ishige, Shireen Duong, Ah Chin Pee, Marilyn Degbor, Belinda Pandes and Diana Back, under the direction of Assistant Regional Supervisor, Aris Banico.

For the third year, SCSW Yoko

Parsons served as the event chairperson, ably assisted by Eileen Querubin, Angela Chau, Denise Poon and numerous volunteers, who decorated the conference rooms with the traditional lucky signs, ensuring an abundant and healthy year!

Everyone in attendance enjoyed a sumptuous sampling of Asian dishes, salads and desserts, many brought by staff, reflecting the Asian spirit of hospitality and generosity. The feast was topped off by deserts made of cassava, rice flour, sticky rice and coffee gelatin. Many gifts were given away to guests; a traditional way to promote prosperity for all.

The guests left this unique celebration with a greater understanding of the different traditions and elements of Asian culture, enhancing relationships between staff and the community and promoting office morale.

Identifying cultural similarities and respecting differences of the families we work with makes the work environment at the DCFS Covina office a place of peace, understanding and growth. (By Feli Gutierrez, DCFS Adoption Division) n

C MARCH 5-8, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 5-8, 2016

MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

& Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

The Business and Investment Forum also featured a discussion on agribusiness in the Philippines, led by Secretary of Agrarian Reform Virgilio de Los Reyes (right) and Jon Huenemann, VP for US & International Affairs of Philip Morris International and moderated

by Keith Rabin of KRW International (left).

AJPress photo Momar. G Visaya

PH officials court investors in NYC business confab

by MoMar

G. Visaya

AJPress

NEW York City played host this week to the Philippines Business and Investment Forum, an unprecedented event in Philippine history that gathered public and private leaders who have worked to help the country rise as one of East Asia’s star performers. International investors and analysts have also lauded the Philippines as one of the most promising countries for future growth and investment.

The Philippines has grown at a steady rate, at an average of 6.3% since President Benigno Aquino III took over in 2010, and it has been said that it is the highest five-year average in the last forty years.

Global organizations have also been saying good things about this growth – the International Monetary Fund says the growth may rise to 7% this year and the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Report has placed the Philippines at number 95, among 189 countries and up from being ranked 141 in 2009. In 2013, the three major international credit rating agencies – Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch - all raised the Philippines’ sovereign debt to an investment grade rating, the first time it has achieved this status.

All eyes are indeed focused on

the Philippines – the sick man of Asia no more – particularly at this crucial point in history since Filipinos will be electing their leaders this May. The continued growth and sustained momentum will be on the hands of the new administration and the new set of leaders who are tasked to continue the rise of the country as one of the major players in the region.

And the buck does not stop there.

That was one of the reasons why the Philippines Business & Investment Forum in New York was conceived. The gathering brought together influential leaders from the Philippine government and private sector, along with their U.S. and relevant international counterparts to look at the economic and political climate of the country, including the possible opportunities it can offer for investors, both in capital markets and in industry.

Philippine government officials led by the Secretary of Finance, Cesar V. Purisima, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, led the Philippine delegation and delivered keynote addresses at the forum, along with Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. Among the forum speakers and panelists were Enrique Razon, Chairman and president of ICTSI; PAGE D3

Tan’s Grupo Emperador seals purchase of Fundador by iris

Gonzales Philstar.com

paving the way for the birth of the world’s biggest brandy company MANILA—Andrew Tan’s Grupo and marking yet another global Emperador Spain S.A. has com- acquisition deal by a Philippine pleted the purchase of Bodegas company.

Fundador from Beam Suntory, PAGE D2

ANDREW TAN SEALS TAKEOVER OF SPAIN’S FUNDADOR. Emperador Inc. has finalized its takeover of Spain’s iconic brandy maker Bodegas Fundador, further solidifying its position as the world’s largest brandy company. New Fundador owner Emperador chairman Andrew Tan and Philippine Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas shake hands after the deal was signed in Jerez, Spain.

PH retirement industry roadmap nears completion MANILA—The Department of Trade and Industry said the country’s retirement industry roadmap is nearing completion, pushing its bid to put the Philippines firmly on the global list as a top retirement destination.

The Board of Investments (BOI) said the roadmap, crafted by stakeholders in the retirement industry and other government agencies, would be finalized within the first half of the year.

The roadmap outlines the course of action needed for the industry to be more globally competitive, the BOI said.

“With our compassionate and competent pool of healthcare professionals and world-class wellness facilities, the Philippines is fast becoming an attractive country for foreign and Filipino retirees from around the world,” BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said.

According to the BOI, the retirement industry has made considerable contributions to the economy as reflected in revenues from

visa deposits of Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV) holders.

The BOI said total visa deposits of SRRV holders as of end-2014 amounted to $452 million or about P19 billion.

“Although not yet comprehensively documented, significant economic contributions are known to also come from local retirees and pensioners from the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System (of about 1.3 million individuals combined), Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, and the Retirement and Separation Benefits System for the uniformed services,” the BOI said.

The Global Retirement Index 2016 of International Living Magazine ranked the Philippines 17th out of the 23 best countries to retire in.

The annual index bases its rating on a number of factors, namely, real estate costs, special benefits for retirees, cost of living, leisure amenities, healthcare services, infrastructure and climate.

(Philstar.com)

MANY people, desiring to save money, try to handle their immigration matters on their own, rather than hiring an attorney. They may have a relative in the Philippines being processed for an immigrant visa, and when they have any questions, they call or email the National Visa Center (NVC) for advice and guidance on what to do and how to do it.

While the NVC can be very helpful in processing immigrant visa cases, they are not your “attorney,” who can offer legal advice and/or represent you. Often, the public deals with the NVC’s “contractors” (similar to people at a call center who can answer routine questions, but it is really not their role or function to offer legal advice or represent you).

I know of many people who relied on the NVC for their immigration matter, but later on, their visa was refused at the Embassy.

In one case, the family e-mailed the NVC, pointing out that one of their children was “aging out,” and sought assistance or guid-

D

The NVC is not your ‘attorney’, for free legal advice

ance from the NVC in connection with the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). The NVC e-mailed back, acknowledging the inquiry, and advising the case was “currently under review for applicability of the Child Status Protection Act.” Thinking the NVC was acting on the case, the family sat back and waited for further word.

Unfortunately, the CSPA requires that if a child is eligible, the child must “seek to acquire” a visa within one year. That is accomplished by filing certain documents within one year of visa availability. But because the family was relying on, or waiting for, the NVC’s further action, they did nothing else, and that year went by. The child was ultimately refused a visa at the Embassy because the child did not “seek to acquire” the visa within one year. The State Department upheld the denial, stating that emailing the NVC for assistance was not enough to satisfy the requirement.

My point is that if you want legal advice, it is always best to consult an attorney. The vari-

ous governmental agencies are not there to provide legal advice and/or represent you. If you sit back and wait for a government agency’s advice, deadlines may be missed, and the government may not recognize your reliance on its advice as excusing you from compliance with the law.

For the people trying to “save money” by seeking “free” advice from the NVC, how do they now explain to their children who were left behind that they really got their money’s worth? If you have a legal problem, seek legal advice from an attorney. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California

and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

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

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

Business Quote of the Week “Avoid openly trying to reform people. Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn’t want someone else trying to correct his faults. If you want to improve a person, help him embrace a higher working goal--a standard, an ideal-and he will do his own ‘making over’ far more effectively than you can do it for him.”

— Dave Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard

Marketplace & ShowrooM

D march 5-8, 2016 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOUrNaL

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Asian Pacific Health Care Venture hosts Big boost for the OBps: A pnBrci & sss partnership countrywide nonpartisan APIAVote training With PNBRCi’s Overseas Bills Payments System (OBPS), no other entity in the US is more in a strategic position to partner with the Philippines’ Social Security System (SSS) to serve this unique need in the Filipino American community.

On January 26, 2016, Maritess Marin of SSS Philippines officially opened the organization’s office in San Francisco, conveniently located in the same building as the Philippine Consulate.

With this timely and strategic move, SSS is looking to engage more of our kababayans in the US, a big percentage of whom are ready, willing and able to invest their hard-earned money back into their pensions in the Philippines.

PNB has been a long-time banking partner of SSS. Personal contributions can be easily credited thru PNBRCi’s

On hand for the blessing and inauguration of the new SSS of office in the same building where the Philippine Consulate is located in San Francisco were, from left to right: Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles Leo Herrera-Lim; General Manager, PNB LA Joanne Rivera; Judy See, SSS SVP for International Operations and SSS President & CEO Emilio de Quiros.

Overseas Bills Payments System (OBPS). if the pensioner does not have an existing account, PNB LOS ANGELES branch can easily help set up an account and facilitate an SSS direct deposit account for the Philippine branch of their choice. this will also allow pensioners to make withdrawals against their pension account here in the US. the new Philippine Social Security System (SSS) office in the US is located in 447 Suter St. Suite 701 San Francisco, CA 94108 with telephone # (818) 219. 4925. Business hours are Monday to Friday, Members of the management and staff pose for a group photo to celebrate the blessing and from 9 AM to 5 PM. opening of the SSS office in San Francisco.

Advertising Supplement

LOS ANGELES—in an effort to ensure that health centers are trained and well-equipped to civically engage their communities in time for the 2016 elections, members of Association of Asian Pacific Community health Centers Organizations (AAPChO) Civic Engagement project have to undergo a training by the Asian & Pacific islander American Vote (APiAVote). the training sessions cover a wide variety of civic engagement topics, from tips on asking someone to register to vote to best practices for building robust civic engagement programs.

Community health centers are an integral part of how low-income Americans are involved in their communities and society, and are a natural place for helping them take the step to be more informed and civically engaged. the 2012 community health vote statistics indicated a low 57 percent overall turnout for APis. Asian Pacific health Care Venture (APhCV) hosted the APiAVote training conducted by APiAVote Consultant and Lead trainer Rebecca Concepcion Apostol on Friday, Feb. 26. it was attended by in-person participants comprised of APhCV’s Enrollment staff, representatives of community partners and volunteers from the various sectors in the neighborhood

– youth, seniors, women, and faithbased organizations, sports clubs, and the disability community.

Among the community partner representatives were: Orlando Cagampan, Rotary Club of historic Filipinotown; Justice Park, Communities Actively Living independent and Free; Connie Mored, Rampart Village Neighborhood Council; Aurea Ambrosio, SiPA; Noli Reyes, historic Filipinotown-Echo Park tennis Clubs; Alicia DeAragon, Elisa Bulatao, Remedios Pascual, Agelia Estrella and Gerardo Galvez, tender Loving Family Caregiver Foundation; Amelia Barnachea, Pilipino Workers Center; Federico Mored, UCGM United Church of God Ministries; as well as volunteer individuals. Participating through the web were some APhCV staff from other clinic sites and the AAPChO staff in their northern California office. the nearly two-hour training enabled the participants to learn various voter registration scenarios for California, among which were: what can a freshman college student in California, who is from another state, do to be able to vote in California? Can a youth turning 18 at the time of the election preregister to vote? how do you handle new citizens, ex-felons, infrequent voters, uninformed voters, disabled voters, among others.

in introducing herself to the participants, Apostol indicated she dedicates her work to her parents, Philippine immigrant activists who shared their commitment to social justice, equality, and empowerment, with their daughter by taking her to her first demonstrations while still in the womb and on her first of many precinct walks at the age of 9. Beyond the world of political campaigns and political data, Rebecca’s dedication to her community has led to work on a variety of issues over the years including youth leadership development, diversity and affordability of higher education, women’s and LGBtQ issues. Rebecca is a proud alumnus of UCLA and the New Leaders Council Fellowship.

Organizer of the event was APhCV Civic Engagement (CE) Coordinator Perla Santos. the CE program also incorporates the health center’s role in the communities in providing the opportunity to be the catalyst for a dramatic increase in voter participation by putting in place legal, permissible, nonpartisan voter engagement activities – voter registration, voter education and get-out-the-vote.

(GOtV) and citizenship application.

For more information, call 323 644 3880 ext. 341 or email psantos@ aphcv.org. (By Romeo P. Borje)

Multinationals target Asia Pacific for expansion PH shines as BPO hub due to low-cost operations, available talent

by Catherine

talavera ManilaTimes.net

MORE multinational companies are inclined to expand operations in Asia-Pacific, especially in emerging countries like the Philippines, which shines as an attractive hub for business outsourcing due to affordable real estate and English-speaking workers, CBRE reported. the global property advisor conducted an online survey among executives across industries between September and December 2015 to understand multinationals’ corporate real estate (CRE) priorities and the factors shaping their decisions. the survey also sought to gain an insight into how multinationals are planning, allocating, and optimizing CRE resources. in its Asia Pacific Occupier Survey for 2015/16, CBRE found strong growth prospects in Asia,

with 42 percent of the respondents expressing plans to increase their headcount, setting their sights on Southeast Asia, and india. the CBRE report said Asia Pacific remains the key growth region this year, amid anticipated global economic headwinds.

“Emerging markets providing low cost solutions, such as india, the Philippines, and Vietnam will outperform the rest of the region in 2016, while China and mature markets, such as Japan and New Zealand, will see slower economic growth,” CBRE said. it also noted that the region’s growth is seen to outpace Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and the Americas.

“Growth in Asia Pacific will continue to outpace EMEA and the Americas and the long-term picture PAGE D3

In its Asia Pacific Occupier Survey for 2015/16, CBRE found strong growth prospects in Asia, with 42 percent of the respondents expressing plans to increase their headcount, setting their sights on Southeast Asia, and India.

Tan’s Grupo Emperador seals...

PAGE D1

Emperador’s Grupo Emperador Spain concluded the deal in a ceremony tuesday, March 1 in Jerez, Spain’s brandy capital with Fundador employees and Spain’s local officials welcoming the new owners.

Grupo Emperador Spain S.A. managing director Jorge Domeq said the turnover of one of Spain’s most iconic, largest and oldest brandy production facility to Emperador is a major milestone for the company.

“With the combined brandy production facilities of Emperador and Fundador, the world’s largest brandy company is born. We now have almost 1,500 hectares of vineyard land in Spain, around one million square meters of cellar and bottling facilities, and four distilleries here in Spain,” Domeq said.

During ceremonial turnover, tan, chairman of Emperador, said there would be opportunities for innovation and creativity in Spain’s brandy and sherry industry.

“A new era begins not just for Fundador, but the whole brandy and sherry industry in Spain. this is an era that will bring in more innovation and new ideas,” tan said.

With the acquisition, tan said, the goal is to create the world’s best brandy. “if the world’s best whiskies are aged in sherry casks in Jerez, then many of the brandy products now aged in sherry

casks in Jerez should become the best brandy in the world. in Bodegas Fundador, we have a sizable inventory of brandy that has been aged for more than 50 years. Once they are bottled, they should become one of the most valuable brandies in the world,” tan said. the deal also covers the acquisition of terry Centenario, Spain’s number one selling brandy; tres Cepas, Equatorial Guinea’s number one brandy; and harveys, United Kingdom’s number one selling sherry wine.

Emperador said these brands carry a unique heritage and market leadership position in their respective categories.

Fundador Brandy is the largest and oldest brandy in Spain and has been an icon of Spanish culture and heritage in the Philippines, Emperador’s acquisition of Bodegas Fundador also includes production facilities, ageing cellars, vineyeards and state-ofthe-art blending and bottling facilities.

Bodegas Fundador is Spain’s largest and oldest brandy cellars established in 1730.

Emperador is the liquor unit of tan’s Alliance Global Group inc.

Last year, Emperador acquired Whyte and Mackay Limited, the world’s fifth largest Scotch whiskey company.

Among its brands are the Dalmore and Jura Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, Whyte & Mackay and John Barr Blended Scotch Whiskies, and Vladivar Vodka.

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PH officials court investors in NYC...

PAGE D1 Gregory Domingo, former Secretary of Trade and Industry; Amb. John Negroponte, Co-Chair of the US Philippines Society; Roberto Garcia, Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Arthur Tan, CEO of IMI Global; Alexander B. Cabrera, Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC – Isla Lapina; and Alexander Feldman, President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council.

Secretary Purisima, in a statement prior to the forum said that he was looking forward to headlining the event. “The Philippines has a great economic story to tell.

Our turnaround from ‘the sick man of Asia’ to the region’s resilient, bright spot is something that the Filipino people can be proud of.

It is a product of painstaking discipline and good governance. We want to go out there and share the fact that despite strong external headwinds, the Philippines is here

to stay as a place for growth,” he said.

“Many have placed their faith in our future as investment partners; they have not been failed with the continued rollout of our good governance agenda. We’d like to invite more partners to come write our story of growth with us for the next 6 years and even beyond.”

Purisima added.

Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., commented, “The Philippines has transformed over the years to become one of the most resilient economies in the world, owing to strong fundamentals that include low and stable inflation, and sound financial system backed by prudent monetary policy and banking supervision.”

“Through the PBIF, we will be able to elaborate on how we did it.

We will also be able to give potential investors and other observers a picture of where the economy may

NYC BUSINESS FORUM. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima (second from left) joined the first panel at the business and investment forum in New York to discuss the current political and economic climate in the Philippines He was joined by (from left) Nouriel Roubini, chairman and chief economist of Roubini Global Economics; Ambassador Jose E. B. Antonio, chairman and CEO of Century Properties Group, Inc. and Arsenio M. Balisacan, chairman of the newlyestablished Philippine Competition Commission.

AJPress photos by Momar G. Visaya

Finance Sec. Cesar V. Purisima

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.

be headed, as well as the various opportunities that await them,” the BSP Governor added.

While the whole-day event happened on March 3, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, a couple of side events, receptions, side sessions and private round table meetings took place in the city to coincide with the historic forum.

Star-studded reception To get the ball rolling, the Philippine Department of Tourism, the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board and Invivalink, the group tasked to stage the business forum, hosted a welcome cocktail party to delegates and guests.

TPB COO Ramon Enerio welcomed the guests and delegates to the event.

Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was mobbed as she made her entrance to the event.

“Pagpasok ko pa lang, I saw the giant backdrop that said Philippines, I already felt at home,” she told us as she made her way to the stage. “I feel so happy to be here to promote Philippine tourism. Being Miss Universe, I already promote the country and by default, I am the ambassadress of the country.”

The Philippines welcomed 5.36 million tourists in 2015, up 10.9% from 4.83 million the year before, according to news reports.

Apl de Ap and American Idol alumna Jessica Sanchez led the entertainment part of the reception and performed a few duets, singing The Black Eyed Peas classics “Where is the Love,” “The APL Song” and “Bebot”. Sanchez also sang her latest single “This Love” and the Whitney Houston classic “I Will Always Love You,” one of the songs she performed when she competed in American Idol.

“You should come and visit the Philippines!” Apl de Ap exclaimed after he sang the theme song he wrote for the Tourism Promotions Board campaign “Visit the Philippines Again 2016”. “You should experience the culture, go to the beautiful beaches, they’re all amazing from Boracay to Palawan to Mt. Pinatubo!”

“I am encouraging everyone, the second generation Filipino Americans. I know some of you are worried, na nakakatakot. I assure you, it’s not nakakatakot. It’s the best place to visit,” he added.

Offering business opportunities Various Philippine government agencies and Investment Promotion Agencies such as the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) jumped on the chance to be able to engage possible investors here during the three-day business forum.

“The FAB has transformed over the years along with the positive and good developments in the Philippine business environment.

Buoyed also by the improving credit ratings and competitiveness ranking of the Philippines, the Freeport Area of Bataan generated strong interest among investors,” Chairman Deogracias G.P. Custodio said.

“We would like to take advantage of the PBIF to introduce to investors in the United States the strengths of the FAB, including its stable growth and attractive business opportunities in the manufacturing and BPM industries,” he added.

FAB has been tagged as the economic dragon of the Philippines after emerging as the fastest growing Freeport since 2012.

It also became famous as the high-end manufacturing hub of the Philippines, with locators like Michael Kors and Coach Bags manufacturing there.

Custodio and his colleagues were part of the Investment Opportunities Session held at the Eisner Amper offices in midtown.

Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Nora Terrado delivered a speech extolling the unprecedented economic growth of the Philippines and how it has sustained it through the years.

She cited a few reasons, including the continuous inflow of remittances from the overseas Filipinos, an increase in tourist arrivals for 2015, a renewed global demand for products made in the PhilipFormer Trade Secretary Greg Domingo talks pines, a steady export growth and the Philippines becoming a preabout the Philippine advantage ferred investment destination.

In October last year, Aquino, joined by leaders from Germany, France, Chile, Mexico, and Ethiopia as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund called on other nations to back pricing schemes “to steer the global economy toward a low-carbon, productive, competitive future without the dangerous levels of carbon pollution driving warming.”

PH not yet ready for carbon pricing

by Danessa

RiveRa Philstar.com

MANILA—Despite a global push to put a price on carbon, the Philippines is not ready for carbon pricing and taxes since the country has among the highest power rate in Asia and coal plants produce bulk of its power supply, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.

China, the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, has embraced carbon pricing way back in 2014, and this is seen as a “game changer” not only in Asia but to the rest of the world, Shell International chief climate change adviser David Hone said during Shell’s Energy Forum Powering Progress Together (PPT) Asia.

“China embraced a very ambitious program in carbon pricing which should encourage other economies to do the same,” he said.

In carbon pricing, as defined by the World Bank, governments capture what are known as the external costs of carbon emissions and tie them to their sources through a price on carbon.

This can be done through emissions trading systems, as what China did, and carbon taxes.

During the Carbon Pricing Panel in October 2015, world leaders – including President Aquino – have called on countries and companies around the world to implement carbon pricing.

However, the Philippines is besieged with high power rates and carbon pricing is not feasible yet as this may drive rates higher, DOE Secretary Zenaida Monsada said in the same event.

“There was a mention of carbon tax but our concern is we already have a very high power rate. We’re

not competitive with our neighbors because of this high rate so it would not be a good idea to impose carbon tax,” she said.

“The DOE’s job is to ensure energy supply and energy security by balancing access with optimal pricing,” she added.

Currently, the Philippines sources bulk of its power requirements from coal-fired power plants.

Meanwhile, DOE data showed 70 percent of nearly 5,000 megawatts (MW) of new power plants being built until 2020 are coal-based.

To meet the country’s recent commitment of 70-percent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030, the DOE chief said the government is setting stricter rules on emissions and fuel quality coal-fired power plants without curtailing energy supply.

So far, the DOE has started a series of dialogs with coal players through a technical working group, whose members consist of representatives from the agency, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Climate Change Commission and technical staff of coal plants.

To improve air quality in the country, Monsada said standards will be based on the requirements of the Clean Air Act. “In forming the standards, we will be consultative. One of our goals is to determine the emission levels of the existing coal-fired power plants. We will also look at how greenhouse gas (GHG) is being computed globally and if this is applicable here,” she said.

Once the standards are out, developers of coal-fired power plants are required to submit work programs to the DOE to validate if these projects comply with government rules, Monsada said.

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Attention Filipino seafarers! Pnbrci office Meralco lights Team UP’s path to SEM opening soon inside the Port of Miami in Florida Driver’s World championship in London WE MAKE IT EASY. Filipino seafarers who make a great living sailing the seven seas as valued members of cruise or freight lines in the freight or tourism industry make up a significant percentage of the total Philippine Overseas Foreign Worker (OFW) population.

With the significant volume of remittance they send, these seafaring men and women should be given the royal treatment. These are the talented, hard-working, deeply motivated staff members of cargo ocean-going vessels or more frequently, those behemoth luxury multi-story cruise lines plying the Caribbean catering to the big dollar volume tourism industry.

As such, the volume of remittance dollars headed to the Philippines generated by these workers is huge. However, due to the mobile nature of the work constantly moving from port to port, from one country to the next, and not domiciled in the US, Filipino seafarers are an underserved segment of the community for remittances services. But for the many seafaring Filipinos in this part of the world who often make the Port of Miami their port of call, this won’t be the case for very much longer.

With the upcoming opening of a new PNBRCI branch right inside the Port of Miami, one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, PNBRCI can finally serve seafaring Filipinos and help them remit their hardearned cash to loved ones in the Philippines within a few

by Manny

De Los Philstar.com

Reyes

MANILA—Team University of the Philippines (UP) and Meralco are determined to bring Liwanag to London, where the first-ever Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) Drivers’ World Championship will be held on July 3, 2016.

For three decades, SEM has been a testing ground for student engineers from Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Since entering SEM’s Asian leg in 2012, the Team UPMeralco tandem has consistently impressed with electric concept vehicles, featuring innovative uses of energy and technology. Concept vehicles are not intended for immediate mass production; rather, they are intended to showcase the PNBRCI Business Development Head and FVP Joanne Rivera (second from left) and Rie Ascalon, possibilities of design, electronic, PNBRCI Regional Sales Manager, East Coast (third from left) met with Jack Osterholt, Deputy or fuel technology.

The team’s hard work and Mayor of the Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office and Leland Solomon, Director of the Office creative engineering solutions of Economic Development. finally clinched a gold trophy in hours or even minutes upon last year’s competition, where they arrival in Miami. Often, their bested teams from Thailand and movements are restricted withSingapore. in the port facilities because of Meralco and Team UP are united job or time constraints or laws by a common mission: to establish governing movement of ship and promote an electric vehicle personnel within prescribed industry in the Philippines. The utilparameters. ity provider is tapping the younger Melchor “Mel” L. Reyes, generation’s best and brightest for AVP of of PNBRCI, will head revolutionary ideas that will take ethis branch as its Manager. The vehicles from concept to affordable, multifaceted Mel who is noted energy-efficient reality. for his dancing abilities outside

The team built this year’s entry, aptly named ‘Liwanag,’ from scratch. They evaluated what made Kislap II win first prize in the 2015 event and worked with completely new electric components, manufacturing processes, and digital technology integration.

Liwanag will be competing in SEM Asia 2016’s Urban Concept-Battery Electric category, where participating teams are

PAGE D2 remains upbeat, thanks to strong macro trends, such as urbanization, demographic transition, the rise of the middle class, and the Advertising Supplement growth of private consumption,” the report said.

The survey found that the key factors driving the multinational firms’ office leasing decisions are: cost of real estate, 69 percent; quality of infrastructure, 51 percent; and availability of talent, 41 percent.

CBRE noted that one factor driving multinational companies to expand in Asia Pacific is the cost saving advantage the region presents.

It said a lot of these companies are “downsizing” operations in high-cost locations, while they expand their back offices in Asia When you see those behemoth cruise lines filled with thousands of tourists streaming out of American ports of call heading for exotic Pacific. destinations, you can bet that many among the ship personnel staff are seafaring Filipinos who work long, hard hours far away from home “Markets benefiting from this for many months, even years, in order to send money and support their families and loved ones back in the home country. trend include popular business PNBRCI has recognized the need to serve our seafaring kababayans who need to remit money right at the Port of Miami. PNBRCI is currently process outsourcing (BPO) hubs,

such as India and the Philippines, where operating costs are low and the availability of well-educated, English-speaking staff is high,” CBRE said.

CBRE pointed out that Southeast Asia and India are seen to be target of the multinational companies’ expansionary appetite, as nearly 50 percent of the respondents said they expect their CRE portfolio to expand in Southeast Asia in the next three years.

“Much of this activity will take place in Singapore, which remains the preferred location for high value-added jobs and managerial positions serving the wider region,” CBRE said.

“BPO in the Philippines, manufacturing in Vietnam, and general business expansion in Indonesia will be the other key areas of growth.”

Real estate services firm Colliers International affirmed CBRE’s

of work, has extensive marketing and banking experience with 15 years in the remittance industry up his sleeve.

The PNBRCI facility is currently under construction and is expected to be fully operational by the end of March 2016.

TEAM LIWANAG. University of the Philippines (UP) president Alfredo E. Pascual (seated in car) gives a thumbs up for “Liwanag” – the electric concept vehicle by the UP College of Engineering made in partnership with the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). Liwanag will compete in the Urban Concept-Battery Electric category in this year’s Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) Asia 2016, the same category where Team UP was the sole winner with “Kislap II” in 2015.

challenged to design and build energy-efficient vehicles similar in appearance to the cars produced and used today. In this category, the main objective is not speed, but efficient use of battery-stored energy. The SEM Asia Urban Concept-Battery Electric winner will take home USD 2,000 and will automatically qualify to the Drivers’ World Championship in London.

Multinationals target Asia Pacific for...

Heading the Port of Miami PNBRCI Branch as Manager is the multifaceted Melchor “Mel” L. Reyes, who has an extensive marketing and banking experience with 15 years in the remittance industry. He is AVP of PNBRCI.

setting up an office within the port and expect to start operations towards the end of March this year.

findings, as it noted in a separate report that the offshoring/BPO sector would continue to be a major growth industry in the region this year.

Colliers said this would be observed mainly in countries, such as the Philippines and India.

“Those nations benefit from a low-cost base and a huge supply of educated, English-speaking employees,” said Colliers.

As for India, CBRE said multinationals are being lured by its solid economic growth, regulatory reforms, improved infrastructure and the young, English-speaking and educated worknig population.

CBRE’s Asia Pacific Occupier Survey asked 53 executive level respondents from 30 large multinational companies from various industries—banking and finance, 32 percent; technology and telecommunications, 19 percent; and, manufacturing, 17 percent.

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Showroom

WIN Hyundai and WIN Chevrolet: Three giant locations to serve you There’s no better place for kababayans to shop for hyundai vehicles than WIN hyundai in Carson, Calif. established in 2011, the young dealership started with the goal of becoming the premiere hyundai dealership. since then, it has lived up to its aim by consistently ranked among the top five dealers in the district.

In 2012, the dealership, which is also equus Certified, was also ranked No. 1 in district sales.

WIN is proud to carry hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power and Associates ranked the automaker No. 2 among nonpremium automakers in the 2015 Automotive Performance, execution and Layout (APeAL) study.

“Finishing among the top two non-premium brands in this year’s J.D. Power, the APeAL study shows hyundai takes design, technology, features, and performance seriously across the entire lineup. having the bestselling sonata ranking among the top two in its class is a remarkable accomplishment and we are committed to delivering the highest customer experience possible to our owners,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning at hyundai.

WIN hyundai offers a wide selection of quality hyundai vehicles and extends its offerings across the Los Angeles area with its two locations: one in Carson and another in el Monte. On both sites, customers can find new and certified pre-owned vehicles – including the santa Fe, sonata, elantra and Genesis Coupe – to meet a variety of budgets and preferences.

Because the Carson and el Monte locations serve just about anyone and everyone in southern California, its experienced sales representatives are prepared and eager to help customers find the cars that best fit their preferences and needs.

When it comes to purchasing a hyundai, WIN specializes in working with all types of credit, good or bad, and has the ability to refinance current loans.

Additionally, although it sells hyundai cars, the dealership services vehicles of all makes and models and currently has an oil change special of $19.95 For Chevrolet owners and

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shoppers in Los Angeles, you may check out WIN’s third location at WIN Chevrolet, which will make sure to handle everything from helping you purchase a new or used Chevy. schedule an appointment or just stop on by to take any of our 2015 Chevrolet models for a test drive including the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro, 2015 Chevrolet Impala, and 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Beyond the highly-praised brand WIN offers southern California residents, it has departments dedicated diverse groups found throughout the Los Angeles region, including Chinese, Korean, hispanic and Filipino communities. “ We w a n t t o m a k e t h e buying process as easy as possible, so we understand communicating in your native language can be important to completely understanding the purchasing and financing of your vehicle,” said Munir Younis, general sales manager of the dealership.

Younis, who is of Middle eastern descent, grew up in the Philippines and can speak Tagalog fluently, just as the Filipino sales representatives at the dealership.

“We have a dedicated team that serves the largest Filipino community in the U.s. We believe in giving back to the community and have participated in multiple sponsorship opportunities with multiple Filipino groups and organizations, including the Philippine Independence Day Foundation,” he said.

Among Filipino members of the WIN hyundai Carson team include long-time car industry veterans Jun Milan and Jay Trinidad.

“WIN is a great dealership and customer service is the best it can be,” Milan said.

Also on the Filipino team is Franklin Magarro, the dealership’s internet sales manager.

In addition to its on-location offerings, those shopping for hyundai cars can browse WIN’s inventory online with userfriendly filters. Whether you know specifically what make and model you’re looking for, are trying to shop based on a budget, or simply want to browse through what is available, the dealership website makes it easy to shop around from home. Live chat is also available and sales representatives are happy to assist customers via phone.

WIN Hyundai Carson 2205 e 223rd street Carson, CA 90810 (877) 354-4253 Monday through saturday: 9am to 9pm sunday: 10am to 8pm WIN Hyundai El Monte 3462 N Peck road el Monte, CA 91731 (877) 290-2164 Monday through sunday: 9am to 9pm www.winhyundai.com Win Chevrolet 2201 e. 223rd street Carson, CA 90810 (818) 639-1216 www.winchevrolet.com 8[m\ik`j`e^ Jlggc\d\ek

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