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

Volume 27 - No. 37 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

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PH considered region’s top economic performer Also published in: • Orange County/Inland Empire • Northern California • Las Vegas • New York/ New Jersey

by AJPress the Philippines is the top economic performer in the region, according to the AseAN+3 macroeconomic research office (Amro). on friday, may 5, Amro released its regional economic outlook and financial stability assessment for the ten members of Association of southeast Asian Countries (AseAN) and countries of China, Japan, and Korea. “the Philippines is the top performer (in the region),” Amro Chief economist Dr. hoe ee Khor said during the report’s briefing in Yokohama, Japan. “It is a very attractive destination for investments.”

Dr. Hoe Ee Khor, chief economist of AMRO

DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Trump signs ‘religious liberties’ order allowing churches to become more politically involved Religious conservatives “disappointed”

to coincide with National Day of Prayer on thursday, may 4, President Donald trump signed an executive order on “religious liberty” that would permit churches and other religious institutions to become more involved in the political process. the executive order would allow clergy members and religious institutions to endorse political candidates from the get-go, a promise trump made to his supporters during the presidential campaign. specifically, the executive order protects religious groups from a restriction imposed by the Irs that prohibits tax-exempt organizations, like churches and other religious institutions, from political speech and involvement. “faith is deeply embedded into the history of our country, the spirit of our founding and the soul of our nation,” trump said at the White house during National Day of

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Despite the shift in policies under the administration of Philippine President rodrigo Duterte, the country’s economic growth is not expected to stop. Despite the shift in policies under the administration of Philippine President rodrigo Duterte, the country’s economic growth is not expected to stop.

According to him, the country’s financial reserves are “relatively high.”

While saying that external factors, such as United states President Donald trump’s “America first policy” could be a cause of concern — since the country’s economy is primarily dependent on both the remittances coming from overseas filipino workers (ofWs) and business process outsourcing (BPo) — Khor

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Manila eyes VFA with China

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

the recent calls from the heads of the United states and China show the ‘statesmanship’ of Philippine President rodrigo Duterte being appreciated by leaders of the world, according to malacañang.

In a news briefing on thursday, may 4, Philippine Presidential spokesman ernesto Abella said that phone conversations from the leaders of two of the world’s most powerful countries show how the filipino president is recognized as a key player in southeast Asia.

“It indicates statesmanship, that he is actually a key player in maintaining peace in the region,” Abella remarked. “As the president of the Unites states said, the Philippines is key right now in the region.”

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RENEWED PARTNERSHIP. Beijing welcomed the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to a Chinese warship docked in Davao City earlier this week. Two Chinese warships and a support vessel docked at Sasa Wharf in Davao City on Sunday as part of a goodwill cruise to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. Duterte said that the docking of the three Chinese vessels in the country is part of confidence-building and goodwill. The president also said he is open to joint military exercises with China.

Malacañang photo

US senators introduce bill to UN rapporteur: restrict defense exports to PH ‘War on drugs

by ChriStina

M. oriel

AJPress

5 things to watch as health care overhaul heads to Senate

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“our growth remains one of the highest in the region and the government’s commitment to accelerate infrastructure investments in the next five years will surely improve our competitiveness and living standards and reduce poverty,” it added.

Region remains resilient Despite global economic uncertainty, Amro is projecting a regional 5.2 percent domestic growth this year.

“It is encouraging to see the AseAN+3 region has been resilient going into 2017,” Khor said.

According to Amro, China and Japan — which are considered the two largest economies in the region — will remain “stable and robust, and will anchor the

Palace: Trump, Xi calls show Duterte’s ‘statesmanship’

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After weeks of will-they-or-won’t-they tensions, the house of representatives managed to pass its GoP replacement for the Affordable Care Act on thursday, may 4 by a razor-thin margin. the vote was 217-213.

Democrats who lost the battle are still convinced they may win the political war. As the republicans reached a majority for the bill, Democrats on the house floor began chanting, “Na, na, na, na … hey, hey, hey … Goodbye.” they claim republicans could lose their seats for supporting a bill that could cause so much disruption in voters’ health care.

Now the bill — and the multitude of questions surrounding it — moves across the Capitol to the senate. And the job doesn’t get any easier. With only a two-vote republican majority and no likely Democratic support, it would take only three GoP “no” votes to sink the bill.

Democrats have made clear they will unanimously oppose the bill. “trumpcare” is just a breathtakingly irresponsible piece of legislation that would endanger the health of tens of

expressed confidence that “growth can be sustained at a high level.” there’s also the issue of inflation and current account deficit but Khor remarked that “this is a good current account deficit because it’s sustained by investments.”

In a statement on friday, the Philippine government welcomed the Amro research, saying that naming the Philippines as the top economic performer in the region “underscores that amid the political noise, trust and confidence of the market and business in the Duterte administration continue.”

“We have shown remarkable progress in less than a year in office,” malacañang said.

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (left) and Ben Cardin (right) introduced a bill on Thursday, May 4 that calls for withholding certain defense exports to the Philippines.

tWo U.s. senators filed a bill on thursday, may 4 aimed at restricting the export of certain arms into the Philippines and reaffirming support for human rights policies, amid reports of the rising death toll associated with the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. the Philippines human rights Accountability and Counternarcotics Act of 2017 filed by senators Ben Cardin (D-md.) and marco rubio (r-fla.) calls for withholding the exportation of “certain defense articles” to the

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Sotto criticized over ‘single parent’ remarks

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

PhILIPPINe senator Vicente “tito” sotto III met criticisms online after apparently belittling social Welfare secretary Judy taguiwalo for having children despite being unmarried.

During the Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing on taguiwalo’s ad interim appointment, sotto inquired about her status as a solo parent.

“Just on the lighter side, senator (franklin) Drilon and I were looking at

the personal information about you and you have two children, daughters or sons? But you’re single?” sotto asked taguiwalo on Wednesday, may 3.

Answering sotto, taguiwalo admitted that she had two daughters. she said she did not have a typical upbringing, adding that she spent her early life either with the underground movement or in prison from 1972 to 1986 during the martial law era. “my life has never been a normal one. I’ve never had a whole mother-

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Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III

does not work’

Palace disappointed by ‘unannounced’ visit

by AJPress

UNIteD Nations (UN) special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard has criticized anew the deadly war against illegal drugs during her surprise visit to the Philippines this week.

During a drug policy forum on friday, may 5, Callamard warned that this violent crackdown on the drug epidemic will just lead to fear and despair.

“Badly thought-out, ill-conceived drug policies can foster a regime of impunity infecting the whole justice sector...eroding public trust in public institutions; breeding fear and leading people to despair,” she said in her speech. she also noted how the 2016 UN’s General Assembly recognized that “explicitly… the ‘war on drugs’ – be it community-based, national or global – does not work.” the joint community has also recognized that “many harms associated with drugs are not caused by drugs, but by the negative impacts of badly thought-out drug policies,” she said.

“What governments did not commit to last year was ‘the war on drugs’ approach. Quite to the contrary. they called for what amounts to a balanced, multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary approach, and they placed great emphasis on health, rights, and justice,” Callamard said

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From the Front Page

PH considered region’s top…

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continuing growth in the region.”

Meanwhile, the emerging markets of Korea, Vietnam, and ASEAN-5, which is composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, “remain resilient even as volatility in global financial markets persists.”

The report also noted that the

developing economies of Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar “continue to grow and reap benefits from regional integration.”

“Under the current global environment, the region should prioritize financial stability while supporting growth with an appropriate policy mix, including targeted macroprudential policy

measures and sustained structural reform,” Khor added.

Among the regional risks AMRO cited in its report include the escalating trade protectionism, tightening global financial conditions, and rising inflation.

The report also claimed that this year’s policy room in monetary and fiscal policy has “generally narrowed,” compared in 2016.

While the “risks of capital outflows from the region are significant amid global policy uncertainty,” AMRO, however, noted that the “buffers in foreign exchange reserves remain high.”

“Together with their own strengthened domestic policy frameworks and buffers, enhanced regional financial cooperation among ASEAN+3 economies will improve their resilience against shocks and allow their economies to sustain relatively strong growth,” Khor said. n

BEAUTIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH. Senator Risa Hontiveros (2nd from right) is flanked by mental health advocates (from left) Jerika Ejercito, Antoinette Taus and Miss International 2016, Kylie Versoza, who attended a Senate session Tuesday afternoon in support of the passage on third reading of the Mental Health Bill. Hontiveros thanked her colleagues for passing the measure, saying that with its passage, people with mental health needs “will no longer endure an invisible illness and an invisible war.”

Senate photo by Albert Calvelo

US senators… Palace: Trump, Xi calls show Duterte’s…

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Philippine National Police (PNP), working with the Philippines to tackle the drug epidemic from a “public health approach,” and reporting on the sources of narcotics to the country.

The legislation comes less than a week after U.S. President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spoke over the phone.

Trump — who is scheduled to visit the Philippines in November for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit — reportedly invited Duterte to the White House and reiterated the two countries’ decades-long alliance.

The call on Saturday, April 29 was the second time the two heads of state communicated.

They previously spoke in December — following Trump’s win in the presidential election — wherein the American leader lauded Duterte’s handling of the drug problem as the “right way.”

Further details, including an exact date, about Duterte’s possible White House visit are yet to be announced. On Monday, May 1, he said he was unsure if he’d travel to the U.S. because he is

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The successive calls follow the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on April 29, which was chaired

by Duterte.

With Duterte’s role being valued by other leaders, Abella also called on fellow Filipinos to appreciate the Philippine president as well.

“It just goes to show the president is being recognized for his leadership in the area. The locals should also show a better appreciation of their president,” Abella added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly had a phone conversation with Duterte.

Since assuming the presidency last June, Duterte has been notably exerting efforts to form warmer ties with China, which had been apparently strained over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the two leaders exchanged views in addressing regional issues, citing, in particular, the rising tension between the U.S. and North Korea in Korean Peninsula.

The DFA said Duterte also “referred to China’s important

role in promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” encouraging Beijing to serve as the mediator between Washington and Pyongyang. “[Duterte] also mentioned that as the Chair of ASEAN, ASEAN discussed and agreed on measures to promote ASEAN unity, centrality and solidarity as well as ASEAN commitment to continue promoting peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” it added.

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as welcoming the “growing mutual political trust” and “flourishing cooperation” between Manila and Beijing amid territorial conflicts in his call with Duterte.

“Channels of dialogue and negotiation on the South China Sea issue have also been set up, which will benefit the fundamental interests of our two countries,” Xi added.

The Chinese president also urged all parties involved to exercise restraint over the deteriorating situation in the Korean Peninsula.

While the phone conversation between Duterte and Xi came days after U.S. President Donald Trump called the Philippine leader, Malacañang clarified that Xi’s call was not in response to

Trump’s earlier call.

“This is all part of the context of ASEAN,” Abella explained.

“This is not a direct response, a direct reaction to the call from another leader. It was a friendly assessment to the happenings in the region, especially after the ASEAN meetings.”

Surprising his own staff, Trump telephoned Duterte last week on Saturday, April 29, during which they reportedly tackled the ASEAN’s concern regarding regional security as well, including the rising tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

Trump also extended Duterte an invitation to the White House and reiterated his commitment to the PH-U.S. alliance.

VFA with China?

Manila is looking into the possibility of forging a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with Beijing, according to Philippine National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. In line with establishing closer bilateral ties, Duterte has previously expressed his openness to holding joint military exercises with China. The Sulu Sea is an area under consideration.

The Philippine Constitution, however, prohibits foreign troops in the country except under a

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From the Front page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 6-9, 2017

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Sotto criticized over ‘single parent’…

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father-children kind of thing except when I was growing up in Bacolod,” Taguiwalo replied.

“My story will be different from the stories of those who have gone through UP, corporation, et cetera.”

But Sotto continued commenting on Taguiwalo’s personal life.

“In the street language when you have children and you are single, ang tawag doon e (we call that) ‘na-ano lang,’” he said.

In retaliation, Taguiwalo responded, “Senator Sotto, I teach women’s studies in UP so we respect all kinds of families and that includes solo parents. Thank you.”

The exchange became a trending topic online, with Sotto drawing flak for his remarks.

“Tito Sotto’s forgetting that his daughter Ciara Sotto’s a single mom. How dare you look down at single mom’s and call them “na-ano lang,’” a netizen said

on his Twitter account, earning more than 2,000 likes and 700 retweets.

Another netizen commented, “One of the worst things about of Sen. Tito Sotto’s tirade is that it had nothing to do with whether or not Sec. Taguiwalo deserved the job.”

Demanding an apology from the senator, Gabriela Women’s Party also criticized Sotto for his comments, saying it “takes much offense, [on] behalf of solo parents — women raising their children amid difficult circumstances.”

The party-list group insisted that Sotto “clearly went out of bounds, insinuating malice at Taguiwalo who raised her two children as a solo parent, dubbing such as ‘na-ano.’”

‘It’s a joke’ Sotto, however, later clarified that his remarks were meant only as a “joke,” saying some people just did not understand it.

“Kung minasama nila (If they were offended), eh di I’m sorry, I apologize. They didn’t understand the joke,” the senator said.

In an interview, Sotto mentioned that two of his daughters are also single parents.

“I will be the last person in this country to disrespect a woman because my mother was one of the founders of the women’s rights movement and president emerita of the Kababaihang Rizalista,” Sotto told reporters.

He added, “I have two daughters who are separated, who are single and have children. So I don’t think there should be any big fuss about it.”

On Thursday, May 4, Taguiwalo said she accepted the senator’s apology despite him not fully capturing “the extent of the gravity of what his ‘joke’ implied.”

“I said my piece yesterday. I explained what my position is.

Malinaw naman iyon (It’s clear),

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treaty approved by the Senate.

Esperon said the matter will be raised during the Cabinet meeting next week to seek “more clarifications” from Duterte about the exercises’ parameters. Since it is the president’s “desire,” he said, “then we will do it.”

“So we look at that, how to implement it. And as we see it, we now have to look at the requirements for us to be able to do that.

In joint exercises, you must have a visiting forces agreement and probably, a treaty,” he added.

Currently, Philippines has VFAs with U.S. and Australia. n US President Donald Trump

too “tied up” with a busy schedule.

Since Duterte assumed the presidency last June, over 7,000 individuals have been killed both by legitimate police operations and vigilantes in the crackdown on narcotics. These numbers, coupled with his brash statements, have drawn criticism from other nations and international human rights organizations. The administration, however, has continually argued that the killings were not state sanctioned.

Rubio, the chairman of the U.S. Senate’s foreign relations subcommittee on human rights and civilian security, said that

the use of force was “not the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign.” “…[O]ur legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies,” he said in a statement.

The senators’ bill reiterates the U.S.’ commitment and support toward the Philippines, in particular with defense, counterterrorism, and maritime law enforcement. The transfer of defense articles used for these purposes

UN rapporteur: ‘War on drugs does…

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Chinese President Xi Jinping

US senators introduce bill to restrict…

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BOOK LAUNCH. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio (left) and former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario (right) watch as businessman Mel Velarde points to a spot on a Philippine map that is nearly 300 years old at the launch on Thursday, May 4 of Carpio’s book on the South China Sea dispute.

Inquirer.net photo by Arnold Almacen

will not be halted, however.

It also authorizes $50 million to the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for public health and human rights programs.

“Senator Rubio and I recognize the Philippines is one of America’s oldest friends and allies, and that is why we are committed to the health and well-being of this relationship, and the fundamental human rights of the Filipino people,” Cardin said.

Last fall, the State Department halted the sale of 26,000 firearms to the PNP after Cardin publicly announced he would oppose the transaction. n

Since Philippine Rodrigo Duterte took office last year, Callamard has been a vocal critic of his administration’s policies, as well as the alleged summary killings and human rights violations.

While the UN rapporteur has been seeking an investigation into killings related to the drug war, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) clarified that she is not in the country to conduct an official investigation.

CHR explained that Callamard visited the Philippines for “academic” purposes only.

“She is here not in her official function as special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings to conduct a visit,” CHR Chairperson Chito Gascon said on Thursday, May 4. “She’s here under a separate program of the United Nations for what is referred to as an academic visit.”

Gascon noted that among the ways for a UN official to visit a country “when a state is unable to or unwilling to send an official invitation” is through an “academic visit.”

Despite the UN’s continual criticism, Duterte had previously invited Callamard to come in the country and investigate.

The invitation, however, comes with conditions: including a pub-

lic debate with Duterte and that the UN special rapporteur should take an oath to “confirm her intention to be truthful.”

Callamard, however, said in a statement that these conditions set by the Philippines were “inconsistent with the Special Rapporteur Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference for country visits.”

She instead suggested that “the standard private debriefing with the government, at the end of the mission, could be followed by a joint press conference with President Duterte and myself.”

“This press briefing would be an opportunity for me to introduce briefly my preliminary findings and for the President to offer his own analysis, reply or rebuttal,” Callamard said.

Welcoming Callamard to the Philippines, Gascon said the CHR “will take advantage of her presence while she’s here to have a conversation even if it is informal.”

Palace disappointed In a statement on Friday, May 5, Malacañang expressed its disappointment over Callamard’s “unannounced” visit to the country and argued that she is not acting “professionally or objectively.”

“We are aware that Dr. Callamard is currently in the Philip-

pines and we are disappointed that, in not contacting our government in advance of this visit, she has sent a clear signal that she is not interested in getting an objective perspective on the issues that are the focus of her responsibility,” Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.

Malacañang also questioned the timing of her visit, citing the upcoming 3rd Cycle of the Universal Period Review (UPR) of the Philippines where the government is set to the country’s policies before the international community.

“Our position is very clear, if Dr. Callamard is committed to ensuring due process to our government and a truly objective assessment of our record on an issue of tremendous importance to our nation, she should be in Geneva meeting with our representatives,” Abella added.

Abella also noted that the government previously sent an invitation to Callamard, which “makes it clear that we respected her as a professional and we very much wanted her to see the situation on the ground first-hand and engage in an exchange of views with officials in our government to understand our position on the issue of human rights

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A MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline USa

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Trump signs ‘religious liberties’ order allowing‌ PAGE A1 t

Prayer event with religious leaders and White House staff. “We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced anymore. And we will never, ever stand for religious discrimination. Never, ever.�

Despite the president’s show of the bill, policy experts say that the order will have little to no noticeable effect on current policy. “President Trump’s executive order did not ease the current

restrictions on political activity by religious organizations,� said Lawrence Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center. “The executive order allows the IRS to restrict the activity it currently considers political, but prohibits the IRS from expanding the restrictions to cover activity not covered before the executive order.�

But the executive order disappointed many religious conservatives who, per an early draft of the order, expected the bill to

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allow employers to discriminate against LGBTQ+ employees on religious grounds.

The executive order makes no mention of any such provision, much to the dismay of conservative religious leaders, who believe the president has ignored the wishes of his most fervent supporters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In failing to deliver for people of faith, President Trump risks alienating the single constituency most responsible for his election,â&#x20AC;? Brian S. Brown, president of the anti-same-sex marriage organization National Organization for Marriage, told the New York Times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quite strangely, he is rewarding LGBT extremists who strongly opposed his election.â&#x20AC;?

American evangelical leader and president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Russell Moore told CNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Erin Burnett that the order is a start, but, hopefully, not the end to bringing more political freedom to religious institutions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The very fact that religious freedom is part of the conversation and religious freedom is being affirmed I think is a step in the right direction,â&#x20AC;? Moore said on Burnettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now obviously if this is the end of the story, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really disappointed, but I think we ought to hold out the hope that this is just the beginning and that there are more steps to be made.â&#x20AC;?

However, many religious groups did praise the president for the move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The open season on Christians and other people of faith is coming to a close in America and we look forward to assisting the Trump administration in fully restoring Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Freedom,â&#x20AC;? Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a statement.

The executive order also addresses religious objections noted in former President Barack Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Affordable Healthcare Act, which required employers to cover contraceptives in insurance packages.

In that provision, Trump instructs the Treasury and the labor and health and human services departments to â&#x20AC;&#x153;consider issuing amended regulations,â&#x20AC;? to which Secretary of Human and Health Services Tom Price said that the department will be â&#x20AC;&#x153;taking action in short order to follow the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instruction.â&#x20AC;? (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

HARD LABOR. Workers create a steel pillar for the Skyway Stage 3 project along Araneta Ave. in Quezon City. The project that will connect the North and South Luzon expressways is expected to be finished in 2019.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan

5 things to watch as health care overhaul headsâ&#x20AC;Ś PAGE A1 t

millions of Americans and break the bank for millions more,â&#x20AC;? said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

And Republicans in the Senate have their own internal disagreements, too.

Here are five of the biggest flashpoints that could make trouble for the bill in the upper chamber.

Medicaid House leaders correctly point out that their bill represents the biggest changes to the federalstate health program for the poor since its inception in 1965 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a point that appeared to be drowned out during the most recent House debate that focused on coverage for people with preexisting health conditions.

For the first time, federal funding for low-income people on Medicaid would be limited, resulting in what House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) described at an event sponsored by the conservative National Review as â&#x20AC;&#x153;sending it back to the states, capping its growth rates.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a longtime goal for many conservatives. Said Ryan, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been dreaming of this since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been around.â&#x20AC;?

But it is not a consensus position in the party. Some moderates support the current program, especially for children and people with disabilities. In addition, many GOP governors took the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offer in the ACA of near-complete federal funding to expand Medicaid to non-disabled, working-age adults, and they are worried about the impact on their residents and their budgets if

the expansion goes away and the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funding is restricted.

The House bill, wrote the Republican governors of Ohio, Michigan, Arkansas and Nevada in a letter to House and Senate leaders, â&#x20AC;&#x153;provides almost no new flexibility for states, does not ensure the resources necessary to make sure no one is left out, and shifts significant new costs to states.â&#x20AC;?

That pushback has also created doubts in the minds of some GOP senators. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Bill Cassidy (RLa.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) are among those who have expressed concerns about the House bill, as has Dean Heller (R-Nev.) Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not clear if any of the House changes have satisfied those senators.

Increase In Number Of Uninsured People The Congressional Budget Officeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial estimate that the bill could lead to 24 million more Americans without health insurance within a decade spooked many lawmakers in the upper chamber. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sugarcoat it,â&#x20AC;? Cassidy told Fox News when explaining that â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an awful score.â&#x20AC;? The final House bill passed without the score being updated, although most outside analysts said the changes were likely to increase the number who would lose insurance.

And Democrats have been using those initial numbers to score rhetorical points, even if they lack the votes in either the House or Senate to stop the bill or change it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The CBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimate makes clear that Trumpcare will cause serious harm to millions of American families,â&#x20AC;?

said Schumer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tens of millions will lose their coverage, and millions more, particularly seniors, will have to pay more for health care.â&#x20AC;?

Tax Credits On one hand, even with the additional $85 billion added by House leaders to help older people pay for their insurance premiums, many moderates feel the age-based tax credits in the bill replacing those in the Affordable Care Act are too small, particularly for people in their 50s and early 60s. The CBO estimated that under the original version of the House bill, premiums for a 64 year-old with an income of $26,000 a year could rise from $1,700 currently to more than $14,000.

That brought a strong rebuke from the powerful AARP, which was an outspoken ACA supporter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although no one believes the current health care system is perfect, this harmful legislation would make health care less secure and less affordable,â&#x20AC;? said a statement from the group.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has said she could not support the House bill in its original form because of concerns about the effects on older constituents.

On the other hand, some conservatives in the Senate are ideologically opposed to offering any tax credits. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (RUtah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have all expressed concerns about the bill being too much like the ACA, with Paul referring to it as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Obamacare Lite.â&#x20AC;?

They worry that the tax credits amount to a new entitlement.

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UN rapporteur: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;War on drugs doesâ&#x20AC;Ś PAGE A3 t and the progress being made in the Philippines.â&#x20AC;?

He said her response to the invitation only â&#x20AC;&#x153;showed that she would not be approaching her review of allegations concerning our country objectively or comprehensively.â&#x20AC;?

UN to examine PH human rights record The UN UPR Working Group will examine the human rights record in the Philippines for the third time next week.

According to UNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the review will cover the first 10 months of the Duterte administration, as well as the last five years of the previous Aquino administration.

A team co-headed by Senator

Alan Peter Cayetano and Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra is set to defend the Philippine governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies on critical issues, particularly its controversial war against illegal drugs, on Monday, May 8 in Geneva, Switzerland. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a lot of facts that need to be clarified and put in proper context so our friends in the United Nations and the international community will understand the extent of problems of corruption, illegal drugs, and criminality in the Philippines,â&#x20AC;? Cayetano said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; periodic review as â&#x20AC;&#x153;critical,â&#x20AC;? noting the supposed â&#x20AC;&#x153;sheer magnitude of the human rights calamity since President Duterte took office last year.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;war on drugsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has been nothing less than a murderous war on the poor,â&#x20AC;? HRW Asia Deputy Director Phelim Kine said.

The Philippinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first and second UPR reviews took place in 2008 and 2012 respectively. n

Sottoâ&#x20AC;Ś

PAGE A3 t

and the Senator apologized publicly. I think that, for me, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough,â&#x20AC;? Taguiwalo said.

In a separate social media post, Taguiwalo, however, clarified that while she â&#x20AC;&#x153;accepted his apology,â&#x20AC;? it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean she â&#x20AC;&#x153;tolerate[s] misogyny or antiwomen comments or attacks [against] solo parents.â&#x20AC;? n

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A

City of LA declares ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ day on May 2

COOL WATERS. A woman and her pet enjoy paddling at Caliraya lake in Laguna. Despite recent occasional rains, Luzon and other areas in the country continue to endure sweltering heat.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

CA’s tourism industry sets records in 2016 TRAVELER spending in 2016 injected a record $126 billion into the Golden State’s economy, Visit California announced on Thursday, May 4 as the industry marked the first-ever California Tourism Month.

Tourism in California generated $10.3 billion in tax revenue and supported 1.1 million jobs last year, further solidifying tourism’s role as a key economic driver for the Golden State.

According to the annual economic impact report released by Visit California and Dean Runyan Associates, 2016 marks the seventh consecutive year of growth for the Golden State’s travel and tourism industry. California traveler spending grew 3.2 percent, out-indexing the nation by nearly a percentage point.

“This report shows that tourism is a powerhouse that generates community benefits and economic value for all Californians,” said Visit California President and CEO Caroline Beteta.

“California Tourism Month provides an opportunity to celebrate tourism as an important pillar of

our economy, and highlight an effective and dynamic industry that remains a vital asset in all regions of the state.”

The report — using data on the statewide and local economic impacts of tourism in California from 1992 to 2016 — shows that in the past 25 years, travelers in California have spent nearly $2.16 trillion, created more than 410,000 jobs, and generated more than $165.3 billion in local and state tax revenues.

Visit California is a statewide organization that works with local partners across the state to develop and implement innovative global marketing programs that instill a desire for travelers to experience the California dream.

Successful global marketing campaigns reach targeted domestic and international visitors in 14 markets including China, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom. These cutting-edge marketing efforts inspire travelers to visit California, where they stimulate California’s economy and sustain valuable jobs around the state.

5 things to watch as health care…

PAGE A4 t

“For me, it’s a big stumbling block still that there’s taxpayer money that’s being given to insurance companies,” Paul told reporters in late April. “And I’m just not in favor of taxpayer money going to insurance companies.”

Planned Parenthood As Republicans have been vowing for years, the Housepassed bill would defund Planned Parenthood, although only for a year. That’s likely because a permanent defunding would actually cost the federal government more money, according to the CBO, as some women who lose access to birth control would become pregnant, have babies and qualify for Medicaid. Birth control is vastly cheaper than health care for mothers and babies.

But while cutting funding for Planned Parenthood is overwhelmingly popular in the House, there are a handful of GOP senators, including Collins and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who have said they are likely to oppose a bill carrying this provision.

Procedural Problems The budget process Republicans are using to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, called reconciliation, has very strict rules that require every piece of the bill to be directly related to the federal budget. It will be up to the Senate parliamentarian, a Republican appointee, to make those determinations.

That’s why the bill does not wipe away all the ACA’s private insurance regulations, including the requirement that insurers not discriminate against customers who have preexisting health conditions.

Some analysts have suggested that the House amendment sought by conservatives to allow

states to waive some of the health law’s regulations might run afoul of Senate’s “Byrd Rule,” which limits what can be included in a budget reconciliation measure.

“It could be argued that any budgetary effects of the waiver are ‘merely incidental,’” said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in a blog post.

Even Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who negotiated that amendment that won the backing of conservatives, conceded that it could prove problematic in the upper chamber. “There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done before we can celebrate and all go home,” he said in an interview outside the House chamber.

Democrats say it is one of several provisions in the House bill that might not pass parliamentary muster in the Senate.

For example, analysts have suggested that the GOP replacement for the much-disliked “individual mandate” requiring most people to have insurance or pay a fine might not pass Byrd Rule scrutiny either. That’s because the 30 percent premium penalty that people with a lapse in insurance would have to pay under the bill would go to the insurance company, not the federal government, so it would have no budget impact.

A third potentially problematic element of the original House bill would allow insurers to charge older adults five times more in premiums than younger adults — up from a ratio of 3-to-1 under the Affordable Care Act. That provision could be viewed as not directly affecting federal spending, some analysts predict. (Julie Rovner / California Healthline) This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The release of this report is part of California Travel and Tourism Month, which occurs every May following a resolution enacted by the California State Legislature last year.

Next week, California celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week when destinations in the Golden State will join communities across the nation to host events that communicate and celebrate the importance of sustaining the travel industry. n

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Los Angeles City Council declared on Tuesday, May 2 as “Fresh Off the Boat Day,” launching Los Angeles’ Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM).

Joined by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Council President Herb Wesson, Jr., and Councilmember David Ryu, the cast and producers of ABC’s hit sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” from 20th Century Fox Television were recognized for their positive portrayal of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in mainstream media.

During the month of May, communities across the U.S. celebrate the vibrant history and many contributions APAs have made in shaping the social, cultural and economic future of the country. For the last three decades, the City of Los Angeles hosted a series of events throughout the month to highlight the significant contributions APAs have made to the City’s past, present and future.

“Los Angeles’ Asian Pacific American community has made extraordinary contributions to our rich history, and plays a central role in shaping our city’s unique identity,” said Garcetti.

“I’m proud to celebrate the contributions of Angelenos who have given so much to our city, and thank Councilmember David Ryu for making this day possible.

Inspired by chef Eddie Huang’s memoir, “Fresh Off the Boat,”

the sitcom portrays the culture shock a 12-year-old boy and his immigrant family experience after moving from DC’s Chinatown to suburban Orlando in pursuit of the American Dream. “Fresh Off the Boat” first made headlines after its February 2015 debut as the first network sitcom on primetime to star an Asian American cast in over 20 years. “‘Fresh Off the Boat’ has been such a hit among Asian American and non-Asian audiences alike,” said Councilmember David Ryu, the first Korean American LA City Councilmember. “A show that can bring together audiences in this way and tell the unique plight of an Asian American immigrant family is a show worth

celebrating.”

Executive producers Nahnatchka Khan and Melvin Mar, and cast members Randall Park, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, Ian Chen, Lucille Soong, and Chelsey Crisp were in attendance to accept the award and represent the cast and crew.

The City of Los Angeles hosted a luncheon sponsored by Panda Express celebrating the show’s accomplishments, following the City Council presentation.

“Panda Express, home of American Chinese food, congratulates the Fresh off the Boat family on their recognition by the City of Los Angeles during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month,” said

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Cast and crew of ABC sitcom, “Fresh Off the Boat” were recognized by City of Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 2 for their positive portrayal of Asian Americans in mainstream media.

A MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Amid watered down statement, ASEAN ministers share South China Sea concern with Tillerson

by Patricia Lourdes

Viray

ing with foreign ministers of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations MANILA, Philippines — Some (ASEAN) in Washington.

Southeast Asian nations remain The meeting comes a few days concerned over the militarization after the conclusion of the 30th and land reclamation activities of ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in MaBeijing in the South China Sea, nila. according to the US Department US Department of State spokesof State. person Heather Nauert said that US Secretary of State Rex Til- Tillerson and the ASEAN foreign lerson recently hosted a meet- ministers reaffirmed their adherPhilstar.com

06/06/17

ence to a rules-based order in the Asia Pacific and to the common principles stipulated in the 2016 joint statement of the US-ASEAN Special Leaders’ Summit.

“The Secretary noted shared concerns by many in the region regarding militarization and land reclamation in the South China Sea,” Nauert said in a statement released Friday (Manila time).

In the “Sunnylands Declaration” issued in February last year, former US President Barack Obama and ASEAN leaders expressed stronger commitment to keeping peace in the South China Sea. The leaders agreed to respect the sovereignty of every nation and abide by the rules provided for under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Tillerson and the ASEAN ministers shared the same commitment to adhering to peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes and in accordance with international law, according to Nauert.

“The Secretary and the Ministers stressed the need for ASEAN Member States and China to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in its entirety, and took note of efforts towards the early conclusion of a meaningful Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” Nauert said.

Under Philippine chairmanship this year, the 10-member regional bloc released a statement weakening its resistance against Chinese activities in the South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte’s chairman statement removed any mention of international concerns over China’s “militarization” of newly built islands in the disputed waters.

The ruling of an international tribunal over the Philippines’ complaint against China’s ninedash line claim over the South China Sea was also not mentioned in the final communique.

In July 2016, a United Nationsbacked tribunal issued an award in favor of the Philippines, invalidating China’s historic claims.

The Duterte administration, however, is keen on setting aside the arbitral ruling in talks with China. n

MAKING WORTHY PROJECTS FROM PLASTIC WASTES. Senator Cynthia Villar has been promoting responsible waste management, particularly plastic wastes, since the Philippines ranked third, next to China and Indonesia (among the 192 countries surveyed) in terms of volume of plastic wastes that can enter the seas and oceans. The senator, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment & Natural Resources, was the guest speaker at Unilever Philippines’ Misis Walastik Program Launch. The plastic wastes collected under the program will be processed and recycled into school chairs at the waste plastics factory of Villar SIPAG. Senate photo

Filipina murdered by angry in-law SAN FRANCISCO — A man found dead in an apparent suicide in Harrison, New York was responsible for the death of an elderly Filipina in Mahopac, according to police.

Perla Gatchalian, 75, was found by a neighbor in her Coventry Circle home on April 27 at 3:18 p.m. after the neighbor went to check on her. She died from an apparent gunshot wound.

The Carmel Police Department confirmed Wednesday, May 3, that 69-year-old Filippo Buffone, who killed himself Tuesday, murdered Gatchalian. Police believe Buffone was angry about a financial dispute. He was found dead with a gunshot wound in the head in a car in a social club parking lot.

Buffone’s son is married to Gatchalian’s daughter. Gatchalian lived with her daughter’s

The 75-year-old grandmother Perla Gatchalian was shot to death in a murder suicide at her daughter’s family home in this town in upstate New York.

family and looked after her three grandchildren.

Buffone was identified as the prime suspect within 24 hours

of Gatchalian’s death. Police recovered the suspected murder weapon off the Route 6 corridor in Yorktown on Tuesday. n

Dateline PhiliPPines

Cayetano pushes creation of single department for OFWs

by Kristian JaVier Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday filed Senate Bill 1435, calling for the creation of a single department for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The bill seeks for the establishment of the Department of Foreign Employment which will serve as a channel to address the issues of OFWs. In a statement released on Friday, Cayetano pointed out that most workers are forced to endure oppressive work conditions from abusive employers or illegal recruiters.

“Despite the existence of agencies to protect them, OFWs and their families continue to face numerous problems and challenges such as illegal recruitment; employer abuse; inadequate benefits; inefficient and ineffective delivery of services; and the lack of representation in the agencies that are supposed to protect and promote their rights,” Cayetano said.

“Hence, there is a pressing need to prioritize the creation of an agency that would manage, harmonize, and strengthen existing policies and programs to address the needs of foreign Filipino employment,” he added.

Cayetano filed the bill in re-

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano filed Senate Bill 1435, calling for the creation of a single department to cater the needs of OFWs. Senate PRIB/Released

sponse to the speech of President Rodrigo Duterte in Bahrain when he was in a week-long visit to the Middle East in April. The chief executive promised that a separate department focusing on the concerns of OFWs would be created.

However, the creation of the agency would require the action of Congress.

“In a few months, you will have a department on OFW only.

The OFW (department) will be separate from the Department of Labor. It’s coming, but it would be in Congress,” Duterte said.

A person with a rank of Cabi-

net Secretary will lead the proposed department which will be the primary policy. It will also be the programming, coordinating and administrative entity to provide assistance in the field of overseas labor and employment.

The bill also proposes to create a P1 billion OFW Distress and Assistance Fund to provide workers with financial support, including repatriation and provisions for life-saving funds.

The fund may also be used to provide training and livelihood loans to OFWs returning to the Philippines. n

Bato: No ‘secret cells’ in other police stations by their respective subordinate units,” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview at the multi-purAFTER ordering an audit of pose center in Camp Crame on detention facilities the Philippine Thursday, May 4.

Dela Rosa led the oath-taking National Police (PNP) manages, PNP chief Director General Ron- ceremony of six policemen who ald “Bato” dela Rosa said there were promoted as star-rank ofare no existing “secret cells” in ficers.

In an interview in Lipa City, police stations nationwide exBatangas, the police chief told cept the one in Manila.

“So far, all the regional direc- the media that he ordered all tors reported to me that there police regional directors to do are no existing secret deten- an inventory to ensure that there tion facilities being maintained are no secret cells.

by JuLLiane LoVe

de Jesus

Inquirer.net

City of LA declares ‘Fresh…

PAGE A5 t

Thien Ho, Director of Communications for Panda Restaurant Group. “We are proud to join the City of Los Angeles in celebrating APAHM and recognize the contributions of Americans who have enriched our history and contributed to the strength of our country through hard work, ingenuity and deep sacrifice. We believe these are universal traits that can bring together people from all cultural backgrounds.”

On Saturday, May 6, APAHM

celebrations will continue as Councilmember Ryu and the City of Los Angeles will host the highenergy music festival, IDENTITY LA at Grand Park. IDENTITY LA will be headlined by DEAN and will feature an evening of live performances by internationally renowned APA artists and entertainers. The family-friendly festival will also include a beer garden, food trucks and more. To learn more about the IDENTITY LA concert, please visit: http:// www.laapahm.org/

This came after the discovery of a secret cell inside Manila Police District’s Raxabago Station in Tondo, Manila during an inspection made by the Commission on Human Rights last April 28.

Authorities found inmates inside a dark, narrow space behind a bookshelf at the said police station. Some inmates claimed that they were being used by anti-drug cops as milking cows, asking money from them in exchange for their release.

“We will make sure that there will be no more secret cells in the Philippines because that is against the law,” Dela Rosa said.

The police chief recently came under fire for indirectly defending his men and making excuses for the abuses they committed, saying that the lack of space in the station’s cell prompted the cops to transfer them to the alleged “secret cell.”

Raxabago station commander, Supt. Robert Domingo, and the members of the station’s Drug Enforcement Unit have since been relieved. n

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A

House likely to drop Duterte impeachment case in two hearings

too,” Panelo said.

He said the impeachment is “only intended for propaganda THE Philippine House of Rep- by the one who will file it and resentatives will likely drop the those who are supporting it to impeachment complaint against smear the president.”

Panelo also remarked that President Rodrigo Duterte in just over a hearing or two, according both impeachment complaints to Justice Committee Chair and Oriental Mindoro Representative Reynaldo Umali.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, May 3, Umali said the impeachment complaint against the president lacks widespread support, making the bid impossible to fly.

“I try to dispose of pending matters before my committee at the earliest opportunity… It looks like that they will not support,” Umali said, referring to the Liberal Party (LP), in which most members are in opposition against some of the Duterte administration’s policies.

“If there will be no support for the president’s impeachment, then I guess it can really be disposed of in one or two hearings,” Umali added.

In March, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte over the president’s alleged links to the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), the massive killings in his war against illegal drugs, and his alleged undeclared wealth worth nearly P2.2 million.

A supplementary complaint against the president was also filed for his alleged inaction over territorial issues concerning Benham Rise and the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

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

Duterte’s chief legal advisor Salvador Panelo, meanwhile, downplayed the impeachment rap against the president.

“They can always try, but I don’t think it will succeed. There is an overwhelming majority number in the Congress that supports the president as well as the overwhelming majority of the Filipinos in support of him

by Dana

sioson AJPress

PAYMENT. Vice President Leni Robredo pays the first tranche of P8 million ordered by the Supreme Court for her counter-protest against defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Robredo filed the P8 million on Tuesday, May 2 , the first tranche required by the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), in the presence of her legal counsel Romulo Macalintal.

Photo from the office of the Vice President

Most Pinoys still back death penalty

by Helen

Flores Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Most Filipinos still support the death penalty although their number dropped significantly in the last eight months under the Duterte administration, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

The poll, fielded from March 15 to 20, also showed more than half of Filipinos want the minimum age of criminal liability to stay at 15 years old, contrary to the proposal of administration lawmakers to lower it to nine.

The Pulse Asia poll used faceto-face interviews of 1,200 representative adults and has an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.

Support for the reimposition of capital punishment fell by 14 points from 81 percent in July 2016 to 67 percent in March 2017.

Most of the respondents who favor the death penalty come from the National Capital Region and Mindanao, both at 74 percent.

It also received the backing of 66 percent of respondents from

the Visayas and 61 percent from balance Luzon.

Support for the death penalty was registered at 68 percent for both classes ABC and E, while it was at 66 percent among class D or masa.

One in four Filipinos (25 percent) opposed the death penalty, while the remaining eight percent were unable to say whether or not they support capital punishment.

Support for the death penalty dropped in the rest of Luzon (-21 percentage points) and in Class D (-16 percentage points), Pulse Asia said.

On the other hand, opposition to capital punishment rose by 14 percentage points nationwide, with the highest increase recorded in balance Luzon.

Among those who are procapital punishment, the most often cited crime which should be made punishable by death is rape (97 percent), followed by murder (88 percent) and drug pushing (71 percent).

Fewer Filipinos supportive of the death penalty think kidnapfor-ransom (46 percent) and plunder (33 percent) should be covered by such punishment.

However, most respondents from Metro Manila (55 percent), the Visayas (59 percent) and those in Class ABC (57 percent) support the imposition of capital punishment for kidnap-for-ransom and plunder while a bare majority of those in Class ABC (51 percent) are in favor of the death penalty in plunder cases.

Pulse Asia noted that more Visayans now support imposing the death penalty for murder cases than in July 2016 – 91 percent from 75 percent.

As regards kidnap-for-ransom cases, support for capital punishment declined in the rest of Luzon by 13 percentage points but went up in the Visayas by 20 percentage points.

With regard to plunder cases, more Visayans are in favor of having the death penalty compared to July 2016 (40 percent versus 27 percent).

The House of Representatives passed the Death Penalty Bill last March despite strong opposition from various sectors, including religious groups.

From an initial list of 21 crimes that included rape, treason and plunder, the House leadership

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against Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo will be “destructive for all.”

Echoing Duterte’s sentiments, Panelo said any impeachment filed against the country’s top two leaders should not be pur-

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A MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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OpiniOn

Features

Press freedom and inclusion DESPITE President Rodrigo Duterte’s uneasy relationship with mass media, the country saw an improvement in its rating in the latest World Press Freedom Index. While still ranking low at 127th place among 180 countries, it was a jump of 11 notches from the previous year, thanks largely to a plunge in the number of journalists killed in the Philippines, according to Reporters Sans Frontieres or RSF, which released its annual report on April 27.

This is positive news for the country on World Press Freedom Day, observed every May 3. Philippine journalists, however, remained classified under those living in “difficult situations” as the France-based RSF or Reporters Without Borders expressed concern about President Duterte’s tirades against media. The country also continues to rank high in the Impunity Index as most of the hundreds of deadly attacks on journalists since 1986 remain unsolved.

At least there were no media murders confirmed to be work-related in 2016, the RSF noted.

This year, the group has recorded only one case so far: Remate tabloid columnist Joaquin Briones was shot dead on March 13 in Masbate where he is based. Such impunity in killing journalists persists. Because the circumstances that breed impunity remain, the drop in journalist killings

last year could be a mere pause in what has become a habit of permanently silencing critical reporting and commentary.

The country also marked World Press Freedom Day with the Freedom of Information bill still in limbo. The President, impatient for Congress to pass the law, issued an order for freedom of information in the executive branch.

Media freedom watchdogs, however, have complained that the order is not accomplishing its avowed objective.

In observing World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations has stressed the role of free and quality journalism in promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies where the rule of law prevails. This is the UN’s Sustainable Development Even a pause in media killings is welcome news Goal 16: the achievement of “peace, justice and in one of the most dangerous countries for joureffective, accountable and inclusive institutions.” nalists. Press freedom in the Philippines, how-

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

ever, is beset by many challenges and requires nurturing and strengthening, if the UN goal is to be achieved. (Philstar.com)

Will you experience the real world in your late 70s?

“THE use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, Rhizomes and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.”

– Samuel Johnson “The world is a book, Prosy abarquezand those who do not delacruz, J.d. travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine Felicitas de Vera is almost 80 years old, yet her zest for life would make her pass for much younger. She lives in Oxnard, California.

Would you believe that she just joined a bandurria group at 78 years old, and with her visible joy, encouraged others to pick up an instrument?

Punctuated by a heart-shaped pigment on her right cheek, she greets you with warmth and simple elegance. Not the flamboyant type, but an innate elegance of the yesteryears wearing her royal blue kimona, a Filipina casual terno, and eating one of her favorites, halo-halo.

“I eat whatever I want to,“ she said, “at my age, I am free to do what I want,” and finished it.

Halo-halo is shaved ice adorned with purple yam halaya, leche flan, ube and black walnut ice cream with sweetened fruits and rice crispies.

7 continents and Asian Journal’s

travel ad Halo-halo travel is the metaphor we will use, as she has connected with diverse cultures, multiple ages, different personalities, and multiple languages, exposed to different foods, fruits, produce, in her travels to seven continents around the world.

Would you believe that even her grandsons spent a day with her in Disneyland, exploring rides? That she has actually gone to the Disneylands in Paris and Hong Kong?

Her latest trip took her for a month cruise to Antarctica with Crystal Serenity. She recalls seeing glaciers, mountains of ice, spanning for miles, and passing through Elephant Island, described as “an ice-covered mountainous island off the coast of Antarctica in the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, in the Southern Ocean. We were told that Vera and I were the only Filipino guests on the cruise (the majority of the crew is Filipino).”

In Egypt, she saw the Sphinx and rode a camel. At first, she was afraid, but then, overcame her fear, sat on the saddle and held onto the wood posts.

While the camel moved, she kept thinking she might fall, but instead, she

shouldered on.

In Australia, she saw the Sydney Opera House and loved their “malalaking hipon” (large shrimps).

In one of her travels, she was with a group, the youngest was 37 years old, who came up to her and said, “You inspire us as you do not complain even as we walked on cobblestones.”

Her secret: “I do not want to be a hindrance to the group.”

How did the travel bug bit you, I asked?

Felicitas with her family.

“It all started when Vera, her third child, joined an essay wood, clay and more. Every time the contest and won a trip to Japan. “I like young people [would] go out, I went to go. I told her. My first daughter, with them. I just like to meet people,” Susan, had just given birth, wanted she said.

One day, she read ads in the Asian to go . But I told her she’s still young Journal about travel to Europe. She took and has plenty of time to travel in the future so I should be the one to go the trip with Prima (her youngest) to because I’m already old and should eight countries: Italy, Germany, France, take advantage of going with Vera to Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, and Netherlands. She was quite impressed Japan.”

In Japan, she was thrilled to see that by their architecture, but “food not as their homes were more than the shoji much,” and she noted pizza and spaghetti taste paper walls depicted in the movies. much better in Los Angeles. She “Their houses were made of tiles,

A personal account of the 1992 Los Angeles riots

colleague who lived in an apartTHE Los Angeles riots of 1992 ment along Wilshire Blvd., a are among a few moments that are Commentary few blocks from home. She seared in my memory. normally took the bus to work It was mid afternoon on Wednesand was wondering if I could day April 29, when I got a call from give her a lift home since apmy children’s after school program parently, bus service was to come and pick them up, as they down. We agreed to meet at were closing early. As a parent, the entrance to my building in when your children’s day care calls enrique de la cruz a few minutes to begin the ride to have you pick up your children early, you really don’t ask questions, you just home. It was when I began to make my way out of comply. Oblivious to what was just beginning to the campus that I began to have an inkling of how take place—I did work at a proverbial ivory tower, serious the situation was. Every road to get off after all—I took a break, and drove down to the campus was clogged up with traffic by everyone school, collected my children, just stopping long trying to get off campus: right out of the parking enough to sign them out, making no effort to even lot, it was a crawl. A drive that normally took 20 inquire as to the reason for this early closure. The minutes, would take more than an hour.

Barbara G’s apartment was located just behind half-hour round trip drive to fetch Corina and Carlo a large electronics and appliance store, Adrays, on was relatively uneventful.

And I still had no inkling of what was afoot the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and Ridgeley. And just downtown. It was when I got back on campus that as I parked to let her off in front of her apartment, I began hearing rumors about civil disturbances in two small pick-up trucks with several guys riding the downtown area. I did not pay much heed and on the back drove onto the Adray’s parking lot. headed right back to my desk to finish my day’s One of them, with a crowbar or something, started to smash the large locks that secured the steel acwork.

It was only then that news about the rioting, cordion door of Adray’s. Barbara G. and I were etc., began to filter in—mostly through the radio, probably just standing on the sidewalk outside her as this was before social media or the widespread apartment trying to finish up a conversation when use of the internet. While there was probably cov- all of this started to unfold. The guys reeked of the erage on television, access to it on campus was smell of liquor, which I could smell, even though limited. Then we were informed that classes, and they were at least three to four car lengths away administrative support work for them, were being from us. And as one guy kept on trying to smash suspended for the rest of the day. As the full ex- the locks with the crowbar, another ran towards tent of the unrest had still to dawn on me, I dilly- the front of the store, and stood at the corner of dallied trying to finish up whatever task I had be- Wilshire, looking East and West along Wilshire, serving as a lookout. At some point, the lookout gun before heading home.

This was when I got a call from Barbara G., a u PAGE A9

loved the frescoes and the Sistine Chapel in Rome, but mostly, folks were kind.

Now a widow, she appreciates traveling with her children, “as they are seeing what I am seeing.” She singled out Vera (known to this writer from volunteer years with non-profits), as the one who checks on her daily, wherever her travels may take her.

For the last two decades, Felicitas visited all seven continents (Asia, Australia, Africa, Antartica, North America, South America and Europe), 4 territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Wake Island and Falkland Islands for the U.K.).

In North America, she has been to 30 states out of 50, and 30 countries around the world and multiple times to the Philippines.

Recently, she went to Cuba. “Cuba is nice, it is different from what I heard, communist and poor. It was so impressive with palaces, mansions, cultural buildings. Instead of the tour bus, one evening, the tour guide rented four clas-

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Who pays the most, the guest or host at White House meet?

JUST as the Queen of England was recently urged by some of Opinion her loyal subjects to recall an invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit Buckingham Palace, some Americans, including ranking members of the Senate and House foreign relations/affairs committees and the lead- Francisco TaTad ing US newspapers, are asking Trump to rescind an invitation to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to visit the White House. It appears Trump has failed to consider the possible public reaction to the invitation before announcing it, and has now to reap its consequences.

The assumption is that the invitation, having been issued and made public by the host himself, has simultaneously been accepted by the invited guest, even though no timetable has been set. However, sources close to Malacañang claim that DU30 is still studying the matter, and might eventually decide not to accept it. This is not unthinkable. DU30 has already said, he might be “too busy.” This means missing a meal prepared by the Filipino female chef, if she is still there.

Reasons to avoid the White House According to these sources, China, a recent and increasingly becoming a more powerful ally, would be looking closely at a DU30-Trump oneon-one meeting, given all the things DU30 had been saying about the US from the time he came into power, and especially since October when he visited Beijing. There he announced his economic and military “separation” from the US and aligning with China and Russia “against the world.”

DU30 will not want to make Beijing nervous by appearing to allow himself being “sweet-talked” by

Trump. Some rich and powerful governments tend to be very jealous allies.

Moreover, DU30 will not want to put himself at the mercy of the American media, which had obviously not forgotten that he had called former President Barack Obama “son of a whore,” and had reacted with such hostility to Trump’s invitation to him to visit the White House. While Trump would certainly roll out the ceremonial red carpet for his honored guest, the US media and some members of Congress could roll out a much larger mat of shattered glass and metal spikes, figuratively speaking. Why should DU30 want to risk anything like that?

Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, a ranking member of the House foreign affairs committee, was the first member of the US Congress to ask Trump to disinvite DU30 in light of his “flagrant disregard for human life and due process.” He said Trump could not turn a blind eye to the thousands of Filipinos being slaughtered in DU30’s murderous drug war. He pooh-poohed the explanation offered by Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus that Trump could use DU30 as a handy resource in handling the North Korean nuclear menace.

The North Korean angle Trump has announced his desire to meet personally with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, something no US President has done or attempted to do before. This could have some favorable results, according to some seasoned American diplomats, who favor the reported move. But Kim is such a rogue. Aside from having his finger on the

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OpiniOn & Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 6-9, 2017

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Who pays the most, the guest… Will you experience the real world…

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nuclear trigger, and threatening the world with nuclear war, Kim is depicted in the Western press as a brute, who ousted his powerful uncle Jang Songtaek from power in 2013 and had him executed.

He also reportedly ordered the recent assassination of a half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, where two assailants doused him with liquid containing the nerve agent VX. Apparently, if the Priebus scenario is to be believed, Trump not only wants to meet with Kim but also to conscript DU30 as a possible broker in reaching out to the North Korean leader. Kim and DU30 have never met, but some people seem to think they have a few things in common. This assumes that Kim has not noticed that TIME magazine had put DU30, rather than himself, on top of its “most influential” 100 individuals in the world.

Which means he and DU30 are competitors rather than potential allies. But obviously, the US congressman has fewer illusions. He might also have noticed that instead of helping feuding groups and individuals, like the two political womanizers in Congress from Davao, compose their differences, DU30 would rather watch them fight; he has managed to make enemies where he had none. Hardly a distinguishing quality for a peace broker.

More than using DU30’s good offices for a possible dialogue with Kim, there seems to be a greater need to talk to DU30 for an unimpeded implementation of the US security treaties with the Philippines in case current efforts to contain Kim’s

inclination to war fail. In case war breaks out on the Korean peninsula, the US will need adequate berthing and refueling facilities for the USS Carl Vinson strike group and other naval and air assets.

There can be no better place for these than the Philippines.

On Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called DU30 on the phone, presumably on the North Korean situation. No details of the conversation were announced. Davao-based sources however, speculate that whatever they talked about, the two also discussed Trump’s invitation, which seems to have put Trump on the meat grinder, as it were, as far as American public opinion is concerned.

More anger from Congress Democratic Senators Christopher Murphy of Connecticut and Chris Coons of Delaware, both members of the Senate foreign relations committee, have minced no words. “We are watching in real time as the American human rights bully pulpit disintegrates into ash,” said Murphy’s well-quoted tweet. “By welcoming DU30 to meet with him at the White House, Trump risks giving DU30’s action an American stamp of approval,” said Coons.

No less passionate was The New York Times in its latest editorial. It called DU30 a “despot”, who should not be welcome at the White House.

“American Presidents must work with foreign leaders of all kinds to advance the national interest. But Mr. Trump erodes America’s reputation

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A personal account of the 1992…

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shouted something, and everyone hastily jumped back onto their trucks and sped off. Adray’s was safe. Moments later, a police car came around the corner but the looters were gone by then. All this unfolded within the span of less than a minute.

Later that evening, I had a chance to take in television news. The coverage was full of footage of burning buildings, and looting. There was even a clip of some Koreans aiming their guns at something off screen. Only then did it dawn on me that the events that I witnessed earlier were more widespread, and intensely concentrated in South Central Neighborhoods, and in Koreatown. We live in the Midtown area of Los Angeles, and this was probably the furthest reach westward that the unrest had spread, at least in terms of property damage. All night long, one could hear helicopters overhead, police and fire sirens wailing in the distance.

The very next day, since school and work were out, I took my family to drive around town to survey the aftermath of the previous day’s events. From the midtown area where we lived, we could not get much beyond the downtown area. But the gravity of the unrest the day before was evident through the roadblocks, and major intersections manned

by National Guard troops in full combat regalia. A very intimidating sight, and enough to discourage lookie-loos like me from proceeding deeper into the disturbance area. We did manage to see evidence of the previous night’s rampage and destruction: burnt down buildings, property damage, such as smashed up shop windows, and trash and litter everywhere. Neighborhoods had literally been trashed. One thing that stood out from this survey was that in many places where businesses

were unscathed, especially convenience stores, big handwritten signs were often scrawled along windows and doors saying “Chinese owned.” So much for ethnic solidarity.

While media attention focused on stories of mayhem and destruction, there were actual stories, too, of compassion and altruism across ethnic lines. My neighborhood had the iconic mom and pop convenience-liquor store owned by a Korean couple at the corner of Hauser and San Vicente. At the height of the disturbances, my African American neighbors kept a vigil at this store to discourage looters from vandalizing it. The store went unscathed. And for many days afterward, the Korean couple kept thanking the neighbors for standing by them at a very dangerous time. While I was not there to stand vigil, I too, became a recipient of this couple’s gratitude.

The social unrest was sparked by the acquittal of LAPD police officers involved in the beating of Rodney King. Despite the fact that this beating was captured on videotape -- showing five officers ganging up on King and beating him repeatedly until he laid motionless -- the Jury acquitted the officers. African Americans have complained for years about police brutality, but often it came down to the word of the victim versus the police and juries were most likely to believe the skillfully reconstructed police versions of events. Now, here was incontrovertible videotape proof of police behavior. So everyone was hopeful that justice would finally be served on the matter of police brutality against Blacks. The Jury verdict was the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Earlier, another jury found a Korean store owner guilty of voluntary manslaughter, for shooting--in

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sic American cars and our group took turns riding in each car.”

She made new friends, listened to music in the nightclubs, accompanied by her three children, “who were happy to be with me, they saw what I saw, and we celebrated Prima’s birthday.”

When the waiter asked her how many cigars she would like to have as souvenirs, she said “three, one for each of my boyfriends,” eliciting a laugh from the group she was with.

She affirmed herself, “It is true I still have it,” to which she explains, “I believe I still have “it” ‘coz at my age, I noticed men still get attracted to me.”

Her reflections about life and worldwide travel: 1. “Enjoy as a pilgrim to Holy Land, not as a tourist. In every country, behave and be considerate of others, as part of a group.

In Russia, I realized how lucky I am to live in the US where there is “freedom of everything,” e.g., freedom of speech, and quality of life is better than any country I went to.”

2. “Follow the regulations at the airport, do not bring overweight luggage.”

3. “Enjoy all the amenities [on] the cruise ship, in the last cruise Crystal Serenity, I went to a show every night. I saved to do this cruise. I was with Vera and we were the only two Filipinos in this cruise and they treated us like a queen.”

4. “There’s so much to be learned: Spanish classes, U.S. Presidents, Antarctica history.”

5. Don’t worry -- whether you worry or not, it will still be the same.”

6. Don’t smoke.”

7. “Walk at the nearby park every morning. Three men showed interest and tried to befriend me but I told them, I only walk for health and medical reasons and not to find a boyfriend.”

8. “Once or twice a week, I sing karaoke with some friends.

I love life. Last year, I took bandurria lessons and soon became a member of the bandurria group in Oxnard. I also like to dance the cha-cha and tango.”

9. “I like to be happy. I have a hat that says, “Don’t marry, be happy.”

10. “As a grandma and a mom, I respect the privacy of my children. I don’t tell them what to do.”

Her name means happiness and her children attest as to how her identity is informed by her

The 78-year-old recently traveled to Havana, Cuba.

Felicitas poses with a glacier in Antarctica.

state of mind, i.e., embracing life’s goodness, and with that, choosing to be happy.

She counts her blessings as her children: Susan, a physical therapist; Don, a casino dealer; Vera, a retired foundation staffer with a law degree; and Prima, a massage therapist with a nursing degree, and her grandsons, Erik who is graduating from UC Irvine this June while Ryan is taking environmental engineering at UC San Diego.

She was married for 48 years to Vicente de Vera, who took good care of the family and especially her grandchildren, while she was still working as the department head’s Office Manager at Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station.

She later retired after 17 years of service. Prior to that civil service, she worked for 12 years at Becton and Dickinson (Falcon Plastics).

If Felicitas were a book, it would have numerous pages a bout seven continents, four territories, 30 states in the U.S.A, and 30 countries around the world.

Instead of relying on her imagination, she designed her retired life on experiencing the actual lives of folks, immersing in their realities.

Would you invest in knowing the real world, like Felicitas has done at her ripe age of 79 years old? Or would you be content to simply watch the news on CNN, ABS-CBN, MSNBC, and telenovelas? *** 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.

A10 MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Dateline PHiliPPineS

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CA rejects Gina Lopez appointment as DENR chief companies. She also ordered the cancellation of 75 mineral THE Commission on Appoint- production sharing agreements ments (CA) rejected the ad in- (MPSAs) in watersheds and the terim appointment of Environ- banning of “prospective” openment Secretary Gina Lopez on pit mines in the country.

Wednesday, May 3.

In a media briefing shortly Lopez’s rejection came af- after the announcement of her ter three confirmation hearings appointment’s rejection, Lopez questioning the legalities of her grieved at how business interests orders, particularly against min- supposedly affected the CA’s deing companies. cision.

Earlier in February, Lopez or“It’s very sad that in the Comdered the closure of 23 and the mission on Appointments, clearsuspension of five other mining ly, business interest have run the

by AJPress

day. And I think that needs to be reevaluated because how can a body, which is mandated to make decision-based on the common good, make decisions based on business interests?” Lopez said.

For her, such officials influenced by business interests have “lost the moral ascendancy to rule the government.”

“Who suffers if you kill the environment? It’s the poor. And whose duty is it to protect our people? It’s the government and when you make decisions based on business interests, you have shirked your responsibility,” Lopez stressed.

“You have lost the moral ascendancy to rule the government because to you, business and money [are] more important than the welfare of the people,” she further added.

In jest, Lopez even suggested that President Rodrigo Duterte himself should replace her as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief.

“My choice for DENR Secretary is President Duterte,” she said. “I can’t think of any other person. One, it needs guts, it needs tapang because you have to step on business interests…”

Lopez is Duterte’s second cabinet official who has been rejected by the CA. The bicameral body earlier rejected Perfecto Yasay Jr. as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary over citizenship issues.

She was also bypassed by the CA last month but Duterte reappointed her.

Senator Manny Pacquiao, who led the confirmation hearings, expressed admiration for Lopez’s “passion and love for the environment.”

“I believe in my heart that no matter how several big people may be against Gina, she will always stand by what she believes is morally and environmentally right and righteous,” he said.

Following Lopez’s rejection, Malacañang expressed ‘deep concern’ over the the bicameral body’s decision.

“She has contributed a lot of meaningful insights into the environment and Philippine environmental situation. It is of course — it is with deep concern that the CA has seen fit to reject her appointment,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Abella, however, clarified, that Malacañang respects the CA’s

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LIGHT MOMENT. Senators Nancy Binay and Loren Legarda share a light moment with Manila Auxillary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines - Episcopal Commission on the Laity on Wednesday, May 3.

Senate photo

Most Pinoys still back death…

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decided to limit the death penalty to drug-related crimes and offenses.

The same Pulse Asia survey found 55 percent of Filipino adults who think the minimum age of criminal liability in the Philippines should be retained at 15 years old.

This opinion was expressed by “big pluralities to sizeable majorities” across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (45 percent to 63 percent and 48 percent to 58 percent, respectively).

Filipinos in balance Luzon (63 percent) are more in favor of keeping the minimum age of criminal liability at 15 years old than those in Metro Manila (45 percent) and the Visayas (47 percent).

On the other hand, 20 percent of Filipinos favor lowering the minimum age of criminal liability to 12 years old while nine percent say it should be nine years old.

Thirteen percent of survey respondents say the minimum age of criminal liability should be between 16-25 years old, two percent say it should be 10-11 years old and one percent favor having it at 13-14 years old.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro filed House Bill No. 2 or the “Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Act,” which seeks to lower the minimum age for criminal liability from the current 15 to nine years.

The lawmakers said the measure was meant to deter minors from being used as accomplices, especially in drug-related cases.

March against death Meanwhile, pilgrims against the reimposition of the death penalty will march from Cagayan de Oro City to the Senate in Pasay City to drum up public awareness against capital punishment.

The Lakbay-Buhay Laban sa Death Penalty caravan march started their journey from Cagayan de Oro on May 4. They will travel to 13 cities and provinces before reaching Metro Manila.

From Cagayan de Oro, they will go to Cebu City, Tacloban City,

Most Filipinos still support the death penalty although their number dropped significantly in the last eight months under the Duterte administration, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

File photo

Borongan City, Catarman, Sorsogon, Legaspi City, Naga City, Gumaca and Lucena City, San Pablo City, Lipa City in Batangas, Imus in Cavite.

They will go to Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on May 19 and be in CAMANAVA the next day. On May 21, they will proceed to the University of Santo Tomas and stage a protest outside the Senate from May 22 to 24.

“Death penalty is inhuman as it runs contrary to the principle of restorative justice and corrupts the universal value of life; it is unlawful as it violates existing international treaties the Philippines is party to; it is ineffective as deterrent to crime and drug abuse; it is unjust as it is antipoor,” said Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the National Secretariat for Social Action of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

He said that even if Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon gave assurance that 13 senators are likely to vote against the passage of the death penalty bill, they are not discounting the possibility that there are some lawmakers who might change their mind or be persuaded to vote in favor of the bill.

“We are worried because with just one wave of the administration, they could railroad the passage of the law in Congress.

We all know that this bill is connected with the government’s war against illegal drugs. This is a pet bill of the government,” he added.

Gariguez said there are also rumors circulating that there is a directive that Congress should pass the death penalty bill before President Duterte’s second State of the Nation Address in July. (With Evelyn Macairan)

House likely to drop Duterte…

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sued because “it will only derail whatever legislative agenda the Congress has.”

The group ‘Impeach Leni Movement,’ led by law professor Bruce Rivera, is eyeing an impeachment complaint against Robredo for allegedly betraying public trust when she sent a video message criticizing the Philip-

pine government’s war on drugs before the United Nations.

The bid against the vice president, however, has yet to get an endorsement from any lawmaker.

“Instead of focusing on the national concerns, servicing the people, we’ll be engaged in politics. We have had enough of that for the last so many decades,” Panelo added. n

Who pays the most, the guest…

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when he uncritically embraces those who show the least regard for human rights, rule of law and democracy,” the Times said.

In a previous editorial, the Times described DU30 as a man “who should be stopped,” and suggested that the International Criminal Court at The Hague give due course to a “communication” filed

by Mindanao lawyer Jude Josue Sabio accusing DU30 of the “murder” of 9,400 drug and criminal suspects since 1988.

Last December, the Times ran several pages of photographs showing 57 victims of the drug war under the title, “They are slaughtering us like animals.” These photographs just won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography for free- lance photographer Daniel Berelhulak,. But to the Times belonged the credit of sharing these pictures with the rest of the world.

The Times appears to have taken much more than the usual adversarial role vis-a-vis a political adversary. This has prompted some of DU30’s editorial defenders to denounce the newspaper as a newspaper with an anti-DU30 agenda, instead of simply pointing out its errors and condemning them if necessary. It does not seem unlikely that the Times may have decided to wage an editorial crusade against DU30’s drug war.

As dogged as the Post It probably wants to replicate The Washington Post’s phenomenal success in exposing Watergate and driving President Richard Nixon out of the White House in 1974. The only problem here is that, no matter how influential the Times may think it is, it is not dealing with its own government, but rather with a foreign government, which doesn’t seem to care very much about the exalted opinion of mankind, being (in its view) answerable only to itself—not even to the population that voted it into office. Thus, it cannot be influenced much by foreign newspaper editorials.

But some observers believe that the series of pungent Times editorials on the US President “embracing a despot” could compel him to rethink not only his invitation to DU30 but even his planned visit to Manila for the November East Asian and US-Asean summit. For although he likes to spar with the US press and reject whatever they say, he cannot forever dismiss the strongest words that see print in the mainstream press. At the end of the day, he will want to read the press’—and history’s —favorable verdict of his presidency.

Should DU30 finally decide not to come to the White House, as insinuated, that should spare Trump the trouble of having to “disinvite” his

“friend.” It would simply postpone their meeting until November. But diplomatic observers believe that if “embracing” DU30 remains a major issue in the American media and the Congress, even that November meeting could yet be called off. Trump is not likely to keep DU30 in his embrace at the price of so much unnecessary antagonism from the US press and Congress. Eventually, if DU30 continues with the barbarous drug killings, and the ICC process moves forward, Trump may eventually have to say something about them, at the risk of being called “son of a whore” by his Filipino friend.

The search for a solid and stable ground Just as DU30 cannot afford to have calm and cordial relations with Beijing so long as he says nothing about last July’s arbitral ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in favor of the Philippines against China, does nothing on the island of Pagasa, and leaves to China all the island-building in the West Philippine/South China Sea, Trump cannot afford to have US relations with its oldest Asian ally in good standing only for so long as he doesn’t say anything about the stateordered extra-judicial drug killings.

So far, both have managed to behave according to script. But these artificial situations cannot last forever. One day DU30 will have to say something about his country’s rights to territories in the West Philippine/South China Sea, and one day Trump will have to say something about the drug killings attributed, fairly or unfairly, to DU30. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the Armed Forces chief of staff and other senior military commanders became major heroes in the eyes of the AFP officers corps and men when they flew that Philippine Air Force plane onto Pagasa island in the Spratlys after the President decided not to join them. Following China’s complaint, which most Filipinos found unreasonable and irritating, there is now a rising clamor for DU30 to take a stronger and clearer stand on the scope of the nation’s territory and territorial claims.

As for Trump, many observers believe that just one small sign that the ICC Chief Prosecutor is seriously looking into the possible merits of the “communication” against DU30 should prompt the US President to take a fresh look into, and adopt a new perspective on the human rights situation in the Philippines. Philippine-US relations should rest on more solid and stable ground than on the temperament and personal inclinations and prejudices of the President. For most Filipinos, trying to create this solid and stable ground is more important than trying to ward off real or imagined threats of a new Korean war. (fstatad@gmail.com)

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 6-9, 2017

A11

Pulse Asia: Filipinos trust US most China, Russia earn lowest scores

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

THE United States remains to be one of the most trusted countries by Filipinos, according to a recent survey by Pulse Asia.

Figures from the poll show that 79 percent of Filipinos said they trust the U.S. while 20 percent expressed distrust — a relatively better score compared to the 76 percent trust and 20 percent distrust rates in December last year.

Next to the U.S., Filipinos expressed trust towards Japan, Australia, and Great Britain (United Kingdom), earning trust rates of 75 percent, 69 percent, and 53 percent respectively.

China and Russia, meanwhile,

ranked lowest in the survey, with distrust rates of 63 percent and 56 percent respectively.

Only 37 percent of the respondents said they trust China. On the other hand, Russia got 42 percent trust rate, jumping from the previous score of 38 percent.

The poll, with an error margin of plus or minus three, was conducted from March 15 to 20 among a total of 1,200 respondents.

On Tuesday, May 2, Malacañang said China and Russia’s low trust rates are not surprising at all.

“That’s par for the course,” Philippine Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

According to Abella, people have been taught to think poorly of China and Russia for such a long time.

“After all these years, we’ve been programmed to think these are the enemies,” he said.

Abella, however, pointed out that the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is “breaking free” from such negative thinking against China and Russia.

In a stunning diplomatic turnaround, Duterte, who assumed the presidency in June last year, has been exerting efforts to pursue warmer ties with China and Beijing while blasting the U.S. for criticizing his campaign against illegal drugs. n

A personal account of the 1992…

PAGE A9 t

the back--and killing Latasha Harlins, a teenage Black girl. While the crime carries a maximum sentence of 16 years, the presiding judge sentenced the storeowner to only four years probation (no jail time), and a $500 fine. This rather light sentence outraged the Black community, and when the Rodney King verdict was handed down shortly, frustrations came to a boil. Korean businesses consisting largely of mom and pop liquor stores, which had proliferated in South Central neighborhoods were targeted, and particularly vulnerable.

The 1992 rebellion ultimately ended the careers of Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, the City’s first black mayor, and police chief Daryl Gates. Bradley was criticized pointedly for his lack of effective leadership during these events, and Gates, for the virtual disappearance of police forces to keep the peace in the afflicted areas during the height of the unrest; an absence that prevented fire department firefighters from entering areas that were on fire.

In the midst of the chaos and unrest, firemen were understandably hesitant to venture into neighborhoods without police escort. South Central Los Angeles, was abandoned to get looted and burned. It is interesting to note that in an archival photo published by the Los Angeles Times in its retrospective on the 1992 uprising, Mayor Tom Bradley, and then Governor Pete Wilson are shown at the podium with somber faces, while Police Chief Daryl Gates, off to one side, had this large grin on his face, suggesting unmistakable glee at the turn of events.

So where are we now? How far have we traveled in our struggle against racism and intolerance? Progress has been painfully slow. There is progress on several fronts, notably in gay rights and marriage equality; and in community policing: the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is now more involved with the communities that it patrols. The practice of having dashboard cameras on police cars, and body cams on police officers, is much more prevalent, too. Recently the LAPD revised its rules of engagement. Police officers are now expected, when confronting tense situations, to make every effort to first de-escalate the situation before resorting to the use of deadly force; this will

clearly require extensive police training and retraining, and it remains to be seen how effectively it can be implemented.

Nationwide, the role of race in police-involved shootings continues to be a disturbing and nagging problem, what with the recent spate of police-involved shootings of black men, giving rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. Intolerance of minority communities and communities of faith appears to have been re-energized by the recent presidential elections and its divisive rhetoric.

Likewise for anti-immigrant attitudes, now encouraged and emboldened by policies of the Trump administration, such as its failed ban on immigration and travel from Muslim-majority countries, and its promise to “build a wall” along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The 25th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots reminds us to hold a mirror to ourselves as a nation, and to ask if our current state of affairs, as a nation of diverse communities, immigrants, and religions, is what we would like to see ourselves be. It seems that we have become more fractured by our political, religious, economic, social, and ethnic tribalisms.

Public discourse has become more strident, leaving little room for conversation and reasoned disagreement. Social media, though enabling us to transcend geographic boundaries, appears to only exacerbate these fractures by enabling us to indulge in our more parochial and tribalistic tendencies through huge echo chambers created through Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other platforms of social engagement. Instead of echo chambers, we must re-engage those that we differ from or disagree with, revitalize the practice of reasoned disagreement to uncover and spotlight common interests that underscore our common humanity.

Above all, we must re-envision America as a nation transcending its tribalistic tendencies to create more inclusive, and compassionate communities. *** Enrique de la Cruz is Professor Emeritus of Asian American Studies, California State University Northridge. He may be contacted by email at enrique.dela.cruz@csun.edu

KIKO AS MINORITY CA’s NEW LEADER. Senate President and Commission on Appointments (CA) Chair Koko Pimentel III congratulates Senator Kiko Pangilinan after he was appointed as the CA’s new Minority Leader, Wednesday afternoon. Pangilinan replaced Senator Ralph Recto who joined the Majority in the Senate.

Senate photo by Cesar Tomambo

Filipinos may visit Taiwan visa-free starting June

by JheSSet

o. enano

Inquirer.net

MANILA — It’s official: Filipinos may visit Taiwan visa-free beginning June.

Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin, Taiwan representative to the Philippines, shared the good news on Wednesday, during his special lecture in the University of the Philippines Diliman campus on the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Taiwan.

The move is part of the Taiwanese government’s “New Southbound Policy,” which aims to forge strong economic ties and strengthen “people-to-people” exchanges between their country and South, as well as Southeast Asian nations.

“Based on this New Southbound Policy, my government and your government made ef-

forts to ease up the visa application,” Lin said. Beginning late 2016, Filipinos were allowed to apply for visas and travel authorization certificates online.

“Based on our recommendation, from June 1st this year, Taiwan will give visa-free treatment for all Filipinos,” he added.

Visa-exempted Filipinos may stay in Taiwan up to 30 days, and the visa exemption program would be in trial period for one year.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office said the relaxation of visa application would attract people to visit Taiwan either for tourism or business purposes. In 2016, at least 170,000 Filipinos visited Taiwan.

The New Southbound Policy was announced by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in August last year. It is expected to forge

closer ties with 18 nations, including the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

With the strengthening of bilateral relations with the Philippines, Lin said the new policy would enhance cooperation on agriculture, fisheries, information and communication technology, and climate change, among others.

Lin, who has been the envoy to the Philippines since 2014, also said that aviation agreements between the two countries were also successfully renegotiated, opening the door for more than 200 flights per month.

Flights from Taipei have been landing not only in Manila, but also in Boracay, Palawan, and Cebu provinces, said Lin. n

CA rejects Gina Lopez appointment as DENR…

PAGE A10 t

judgment.

“On the other hand, it is a democratic process and we respect their decision. At this stage, we will leave it at that,” he added.

Asked about a possible replacement for the DENR chief post, Abella said the Office of the President has yet to make an announcement.

‘Lobby money talks’ Expressing regret over losing a Cabinet official, Duterte did not dismiss the possibility that ‘lobby money’ could have affected the CA’s decision.

“Sayang si Gina (It’s too bad about Gina). I really like her passion...But you know how it is.

This is democracy, and lobby money talks,” Duterte said.

In a speech on Thursday, May 4, Duterte noted that while he prefers certain individuals to serve in his Cabinet, he can’t control everything.

“I share powers and that is the process of checks and balances,” he added.

The members of the CA, however, refuted claims that business interest affected the voting.

“No lobby money, no money talk. I respect what he said, he is the president of the republic,” Juliet Cortuna of A-Teachers Partylist said.

Isabela Rep. Rodito Albano also denied the allegations.

“Wala (None). Kung may lobby money, dapat noong una pa (If there’s a lobby money, Lopez should’ve been rejected during the first hearing),” Albano said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, however, said Duterte’s lobby money remark is a “sweeping assault not only on the integrity of the members of the CA who voted for rejection but the CA itself, being an independent constitutional body.”

“While I am sure the President’s ‘money lobby talks’ does not apply to me and I have already cited my reasons for rejecting Lopez, I think it is unfortunate, if not appropriate and uncalled for,” Lacson added. n

A12 MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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Journal â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pretty Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Romeo Vasquez takes a bow, passes away at 78

by BayanI

san DIego Inquirer.net

Jr.

PHILIPPINe moviesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pretty Boyâ&#x20AC;? took his final bow two years after the untimely passing of his daughter.

Actor romeo Vasquez died, after suffering a stroke, early Wednesday morning, May 3, in a hospital in Los Angeles, his son-in-law, actor Albert Martinez, told the Inquirer. Vasquez was 78.

Vasquez, or ricardo Sumilang in real life, was married to former screen partner Amalia fuentes in the 1960s. fuentes and Vasquez, regarded as one of local show businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; golden couples, had a daughter, Liezl Sumilang-Martinez, who passed away after a valiant battle with cancer on March 14, 2015.

Vasquez, who was based in the United States, traveled back to Manila when his daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

health took a turn for the worse two years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was distraught when Liezl died,â&#x20AC;? Martinez recalled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He arrived the same day she passed away. But Liezl was able to spend some time with her father in Los Angeles in 2014, a few months before her passing.â&#x20AC;?

Martinez described Vasquez as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;nice guy.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am in deep pain and sorrow. He was not just my father-in-law; he was a good friend,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My kids (Alyanna, Alfonso and Alissa) are devastated by the loss of their lolo (grandfather).â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a painful time for the Martinez siblings because their grandmother Amalia suffered a stroke in 2015, only eight months after their mom Liezlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death.

Producer Marichu Maceda, Sampaguita Pictures scion, re-

counted that she had last talked to Vasquez during a get-together held after his daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was disheartening to see him that night. He seemed broken.â&#x20AC;?

Vasquez was famous for romancing some of the most beautiful women in show business, on-screen and offscreen.

He was paired with fuentes in several movies produced

by Sampaguita Pictures in the 1950s and 1960s: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pretty Boyâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bobby.â&#x20AC;? He also costarred with fuentesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rival Susan roces in movies like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Debutanteâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maruja.â&#x20AC;?

In the 1970s, he was linked to actress-turned-politician Vilma Santos, who was his partner in films like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pinagbuklod ng PagIbigâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Swing It Baby.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sad news,â&#x20AC;? Santos told the Inquirer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am shocked because the last time I saw him

Kris Aquino mum on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Crazy Rich Asiansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; project

by Iza IglesIas ManilaTimes.net

After briefly making headlines a few weeks back when she lengthily posted the news of landing a Hollywood deal on Instagram, Kris Aquino now refuses to say anything about what she hashtagged as her â&#x20AC;&#x153;new blessing.â&#x20AC;? rumors circulated following her online disclosure that Aquino snagged a role in the Hollywood movie adaptation of Kevin Kwanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best selling novel â&#x20AC;&#x153;Crazy rich Asiansâ&#x20AC;? but no further details have come up since.

Curiously, just last week, Warner Bros. entertainment Inc. partially announced the names included in the all-Asian cast, including Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Sonoya Mizuno, Awkwafina, and Chris Pang. the name Kris Aquino was not on the list, even as the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director, Jon M. Chu already

started filming in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Singapore late April.

With such developments having nothing to do with Aquino at the slightest, several showbiz tabloids have already sentenced the once busy celebrityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big news as an exaggeration, with the assumption that if she did land a role in the movie, it is one that is insignificant.

Asked for details on her Hollywood project during an ambush interview at topical cream fuslinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event, Aquino, who hosted the program, simply maintained she still cannot talk about it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sorry, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not allowed to do any form of interview [on the matter]. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to violate a non-disclosure [agreement].

Please allow me this; let me obey them. thank you,â&#x20AC;? she hurriedly said, then meaningfully added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;they might misinterpret me and take it back. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kris Aquino PAGE B2

at the wake of Liezl, he looked OK. He will be missed and I will pray for the repose of his soul and strength for his family.â&#x20AC;? filmmaker elwood Perez directed Vasquez and fuentes in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Puwede Ako, Puwede Ka Pa Ba?â&#x20AC;? in 1976. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He kept an exercise and diet regimen that made him look a generation younger than his age,â&#x20AC;? Perez quipped. In 1958, Vasquez won best actor at the Asian film festival for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ako ang May Sala,â&#x20AC;? Perez said .

Maceda remarked: â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I think of him now, his laughter and his tears are the memories that remain in my mind. Our family loved him as if he were The late Romeo Vasquez with his late daughter Liezl Martinez and granddaughter Alissa. Inset photo our own brother.â&#x20AC;? shows a young Vasquez during his early days as an actor in the Philippines.

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B may 6-9, 2017 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOURNaL

Features

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Judy Ann Santos conquers fear about her career Raymond Gutierrez shows off

new bod in fashion show

by Maridol

ranoa-BisMark Inquirer.net

ALMOsT every big star fears losing his or her luster to younger, talented actors. Judy Ann santos is one of them.

Way back six years ago, when she got pregnant with Lucho, hers and husband Ryan Agoncilo’s son, the “drama queen” admits she feared for her career as a Kapamilya. “stars come and go. And today’s young stars are so good! I told my management team about my struggle. It’s normal. It’s a healthy feeling,” she said at the press con of “Bet On Your Baby,” the ABs-CBN show she is hosting again for its third season.

Judy Ann feared millennials will not recognize her anymore because she is not a social media person. Her online presence is limited.

“I post (messages) once, twice.

My next post will come three days after. Not that I don’t want to post anything. I just forget to do so.”

By now, showbiz insiders know Judy Ann’s fears are baseless.

ABs-CBN asked her back, and was even gracious enough to give her a choice about what project to take.

Judy Ann wanted to return to hosting the game show “Bet On Your Baby” for a couple of reasons.

The grand prize—a whopping P1 million and house and lot—can save a family from poverty. One family left their unofficial residence under the bridge and moved in to a home of their own after winning in the show. seeing them on stage at the recent press con for the show brought tears to Judy Ann’s eyes.

by deni

Philstar.com

As identical twins, it is inevitable for Richard and Raymond Gutierrez to be always compared. Richard was often referred to as the hunk and heartthrob, while for the longest time, Raymond was distinguished as “the bigger one.”

Raymond admitted in a Century Tuna launch last January that through the years, he struggled with his changing weight, and at that point, he Actors Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo and Ryan Agoncillo celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary got “sick of being fat.” in Italy.

Mendez legaspi Philstar.com

IN one of the most awesome answers in Miss Universe history, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach emphasized her AIDs advocacy when she was asked why she deserves to win the 2015 title: “To be a Miss Universe is both an honor and responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe, I will use my voice to influence the youth and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that is timely and relevant to my country which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thank you.”

Pia was launched as a UNAIDs Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific on Thursday, May 4.

Pia’s new mandate as AIDs (auto immune deficiency syndrome) advocate is a prelude to the commemoration of AIDs Candlelight Memorial Day on May 17.

Thus, Raymond accepted his friend Erwan Heussaff’s challenge to undergo a 90-day lifestyle change that targeted not only weight loss, but also a healthier lifestyle for Raymond.

After the 90-day challenge, Raymond proudly flaunted his new body in a fashion show titled, “Tresemme: Runway Ready” last Wednesday, May 3.

The all-black Jerome Lorico creation Raymond wore highlighted his robust new biceps and 65-

Ann is taking back her words. she also wants to become fitter and healthier, not for herself, but for her family. Judy Ann took a lowcarb, high-protein diet designed around her workout program. she takes lots of fruits, vegetables, water, and honey. she works out thrice or four times a week.

But in her book, she said that nothing beats running after her frisky one-year-old daughter, Luna in losing five pounds. The actress-host says Luna does not walk. she runs. While Lucho is relaxed and calm, Luna is all over the place.

“With Luna, it’s a test of everything. she’s a ball of energy!”

Juday laughed.

Judy Ann may find the test a Before and after: Left photo shows TV host and entrepreneur Raymond Guttierez with supermodel struggle. But she does not mind Coco Rocha in an ad campaign last year. Raymond, now 65 pounds lighter, in a May 3 Tresemme going through it many times over. fashion show with supermodel Joey Mead.

Neither does she mind having a fourth child—not in the near future, but years from now.

Life is good. And Judy Ann— PAGE B1 geles to sign a movie contract rightly—feels blessed. already a gift from God.” with a Hollywood agent: “I am It will be remembered that now being managed globally as early as April 6, Aquino by East West Artists headquarannounced on social media tered in Los Angeles… My that she had auditioned for an entertainment career will be “international project.” specu- under the direct supervision lation that it would be for the of one of their partners, @ movie adaptation of Kwan’s agentchrislee. #NewBlessing novel started on April 12 when #NewJourney.” she excitedly shared she got a In another Instagram post, follow-back on Instagram from the 46-year-old host-actress, the author. whose late mother Corazon

By April 15, she finally post- and brother Nonoy were fored she had an offer from “big mer Philippine presidents, said Hollywood studio movie.” she had decided to “work in A q u i n o ’s a n n o u n c e m e n t silence.” partly read: “I passed five levels “Obeying the request of @ of intense scrutiny and was of- agentchrislee, believing in fered a role… It is surreal to be the wisdom of @nix722, and reading the script from a major for the peaceful hearts of my Hollywood studio watermarked sisters. #challengeaccepted,” on every page with my name.” she added.

Pia was launched as a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the The following day, she deshortly before her supposed Pacific on Thursday, May 4, at the Ateneo De Manila University. clared she had flown to Los An- Hollywood career began, Aqui-

she takes the family’s windfall as a sign that hope springs eternal.

“I want to tell everyone that they shouldn’t lose hope of enjoying the good life,” she said.

Judy Ann’s other reason for choosing a game show as comeback project after more than a year of absence from the scene, is motherhood.

“Bet on Your Baby” requires her to report on the set for taping only once a week. Work packs up early, so sleepless nights is no longer part of her lifestyle the way it was when she was still into films and teleseryes.

This means more time for her husband, Ryan Agoncillo, and their children, Yohan, Lucho, and Luna.

All she needs do is see Ryan and their kids welcoming her home at the end of a long day, and feel the fatigue slowly melt away. she admitted she used to find moms who say they get their energy from their children cheesy.

Now that she is in their shoes, Judy

Pia’s dream to become AIDS advocate comes true

by C.

rose M. afinidad-Bernardo

pounds lighter physique.

In an interview with Philstar. com following the show, Raymond said he cannot believe he just started a few months ago and yet he was able to liberate himself from his former weight, 260 pounds.

“It took a lot of hard work, dedication. I had to take out a lot of things that I used to enjoy. I cut up on my diet, my night partying. I have to be a morning person,” he narrated.

“There’s a lot of adjustments that were all worth it. I feel happier, I feel more confident, I feel healthier. I feel like a different person. What’s important now is that I feel healthy.”

Through running, an allwhite meat diet, and a support system that includes working out with friends Isabelle Daza and Anne Curtis, Raymond did not only achieve his dream body, but has even become a #fitspiration for others.

“If you want it bad enough, you’ll get it!” he ensured those also yearning to replicate his feat.

“Because for the longest time, I was a member in the gym, me and my friends work out. But if you don’t want the change bad enough, it won’t happen. It starts with you. so, you have to be motivated and consistent!”

Kris Aquino mum on ‘Crazy Rich Asians’... no–who has had no show on TV since leaving ABs-CBN as a contract star in 2016–had a one-shot special aired on GMA Network titled “Trip ni Kris,” which was also a block-timer.

Not too well-received by the public, she further got into a controversy with the show’s producer Rhodora Morales when the latter prevented her from airing Trip ni Kris on her Facebook page, after Aquino told a showbiz magazine they do not have the best of working relationships. she apologized to the producer on social media but Morales’ decision stayed.

Given her successive career setbacks [remember President Duterte’s no show at her oneon-one interview in Davao?], the question is, is Aquino’s #NewBlessing truly what she says it is?

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By Sean

Features

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Mirror in bedroom

Shono

IT is a Feng Shui belief that people are affected by energy while sleeping.

Because of this, extra caution should be taken if the mirror reflects you in bed.

Your good energy could be swallowed away, resulting in the stagnation of luck, sleeplessness, and poor health conditions.

The layout of the door and bed is very important.

Contact DRAGON GOD if you have similar problems. *All of our items have been purified by the authentic Feng Shui way. *** Feng Shui master Sean Shono owns Dragon God, a Feng Shui store in Gardena, California. He is the U.S. Chief of the International Feng Shui Association. For more information, please call Sean Shono at (310) 787-1891. Dragon God is located at 1580 W. Artesia SQ. Suite A, Gardena, CA 90248.

SHE TRIED TO COMPLY, BUT HER CASE WAS DENIED. A MOTHER’S DESPAIR AND AN ATTORNEY’S RESCUE ON AN ENCORE EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Rowena and Mike came to the U.S. in 2010 to build a better life. Rowena was sponsored as a teacher. As she was filing her third extension for her H1-B visa in 2016, the shocking news hit her. She was denied! Then her adjustment (green card) application was denied because, according to the USCIS, she worked a mere 14 days without the necessary DHS authorization. Three lawyers tried handling her case, to no avail, and her family was urging her to “give up” and return to the Philippines. She finally decided to consult with “the attorney of last hope,” Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel, in a last-ditch effort to be able to provide a better life for her children. Watch how Atty. Gurfinkel was able to solve the problem in a record 43 days, turning a disastrous denial into green cards for the entire family, on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. (PST) on TFC.

Ruffa Gutierrez empowers single moms

by Deni

RoSe M. afiniDaD-BeRnaRDo

leave the past behind and always remember that every single day is NOT all single parents are what com, Ruffa directed her pre-Moth- a new beginning and look forward as Sen. Tito Sotto described as er’s Day message to single moms to the future.”

Judging by the grin in her face, “na-ano lang,” and a case in point like her.

“For single moms like me who Ruffa is proof that though single, is actress and beauty queen Ruffa are working, never forget your she is never alone and unloved, as Gutierrez. long as her family and friends are Ruffa married Turkish business- dreams,” she advised.

“I know it’s difficult, but just by her side. man Yilmaz Bektas in 2003. Their marriage produced two children, Lorin and Venice, before the couple called it quits in 2011 due to Yilmaz’s alleged abuses.

Ruffa, then, vowed to work hard for her children and not depend on Yilmaz for financial backing.

At a Tresemme Runway Ready event, Ruffa lent support for his brother, Raymond Gutierrez, and sister-in-law Sarah Lahbati, who modeled in the fashion show.

In an interview with Philstar.

Philstar.com

Bike Ride for Hope – Sikad ng Bayan 2017 community centers, donated fishing boats in Estancia, Iloilo, helped support various GK projects in Daet, Camarines Norte and Forex Village in Bulacan, and donated funds to help typhoon victims in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

“It is an extraordinary story, to realize the amount that has been raised since its inception, how many Sibol schools built and children educated in them,” says Maricel.

GK Sibol (sibol, meaning “to grow”) is defined by GK as a subprogram of GK Child and Youth Development. It is a communitybased preschool program that serves children ages 3 to 6 years old and envisions each child to be imbued with positive Filipino values, and to be academically prepared for formal schooling.

Last year’s bike ride funds the construction of GK Sikad Village of Light, a 20-home village on donated land in Barangay

Concepcion in Sariaya, Quezon expected to be completed July 2017. This year’s funds will go to community building. A water system will be built to benefit this village and its neighboring comAJ Ads 89 April 2017_Layout 1 4/17/17 11:50 PM Page 1 munity, GK Philadelphia.

Marilyn Bello, a long-time Ruffa Gutierrez volunteer who has thrown in her support and personally contributed to this project says, “What a joy to be able to help and an absolute honor to serve alongside other volunteers.”

The sustainability aspect of GK programs is a statement on freedom; freedom for individuals who once felt trapped in hopelessness.

In a few months the Sikad homes in Sariaya will provide not only shelter but a new way of life for 20 families with each home as their base and point of reference from here on out.

More importantly in the typical GK process, the recipients will PAGE B4

age gracefully

Fish and Shellfish Are a Great Catch for Health

Garlic Crab Royale Serves 2–4 Ingredients

BY GRACE O Fish and shellfish are great immune-boosting foods, so be sure to include lots of them during flu season and throughout the year.

Oysters, lobsters, crabs, and clams contain significant amounts of the trace element, selenium, which is protective against cancer and helps white blood cells produce cytokines, proteins that help clear the body of flu viruses. Wild salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fats, which reduce inflammation, increasing airflow and protecting the lungs from respiratory infections.

Crab provides the selenium in this dish while garlic brings a host of impressive health benefits to the table through the compound allicin. Allicin has been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce plaque buildup in arteries, and keep blood platelets from sticking together too aggressively. I’ve served this dish to presidents and to royalty. It consistently wins raves.

2 large Dungeness crabs, cut in half, or 4 small whole crabs 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup mirin (seasoned rice wine) 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes) Pinch of ground pepper 1/4 cup olive oil Cloves of 1 head of garlic 3 scallions, cut into long strips

1. Steam the crabs in a stockpot for 20 minutes. Smaller crabs may be done sooner. Remove crabs and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, lime juice, and pepper. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic cloves until brown, about 3–4 minutes. Set aside half the sautéed garlic.

4. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok.

Add the crabs, cut side down. Cover wok and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Remove cover and boil crabs for 8–10 minutes.

6. Add the scallions and cook for 2 minutes.

7. Turn crabs in wok until evenly coated with sauce. Remove and serve with reserved garlic.

© 2017 by FoodTrients.com

EACh year in spring a bike ride takes place to raise funds and awareness for Gawad Kalinga benefiting the less fortunate among us. Nearly 250 cyclists geared up, rode their bicycles and battled wind gusts of up to 65 mph through the Santa Ana River Trail (SART) in Orange County on April 29th.

The riders took off at first light of day as the wicked Santa Anas blew through the Yorba Regional Park lending a silvery shimmer to the circular ponds nearby, and sprinkling confetti of dry leaves on the park grounds.

The temperature was chilly, the air bone-dry, and the ride smooth. The cyclists sped by but fought through intermittent strong winds at a manageable pace through four support and gear stations (SAGs), the hillsides of Loma Ridge, and the particularly challenging turns of Santiago Canyon. Shortly before noon the riders started to make their way back to Yorba.

At the park the winds continued to sweep through the open space rattling everyone’s nerves and scooping up everything in their path – place settings, banners, cups – as volunteers dove across to hold them in place. Constant wind direction and duration updates reminded everyone that nature has its own plan and timetable.

“We do what we can and make adjustments as necessary,” says Tess Castro, LA area coordinator and lead volunteer as she chased down an errant food tray across the table.

Sikad ng Bayan (Cycling for the Nation) is an annual noncompetitive bike ride that raises funds for less fortunate communities at Gawad Kalinga (GK) villages in the Philippines. Conceptualized by a group of GK volunteers – Robby Villanueva, the late Sonny Gaite, Gerry Tolentino, Manolet Rodriguez, Noli Calingo, Red Sioson, Frank Lesaca, Rey Diamse, and Benjo Villanueva – the group found a way to use their passion for cycling as a way to give back to their homeland.

The event offers three routes: 22, 44-, and 62-mile ride designed to accommodate riders of all skill levels and distances.

The challenges of holding an event like Sikad and managing so many moving parts can wear one out, yet the organizers and volunteers come back year after year to support it. “A concern for the poor is reason enough to give or give up something for a good cause,” says Maricel Villanueva, Executive Director GK1 World Foundation. “This is our 12th; I can’t believe this team manages to pull it off every year. We are grateful.”

Sikad ng Bayan has raised money to build learning centers under the GK Sibol program in Ormoc City and Maguindanao, funded the construction of two

GRACE O is the creator of FoodTrients®, a unique program for optimizing wellness and longevity. She is the author of two award-winning cookbooks – The Age Gracefully Cookbook and The Age Beautifully Cookbook, which recently won the National award for Innovation from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She is a fusion chef with a mission to deliver delicious recipes built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her 20 years in the healthcare industry.

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

Features

B may 6-9, 2017 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOURNaL

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The beautiful world of Camille Agbayani her ‘beautiful’ world as an aesthetics entrepreneur. Readers, it is my pleasure to introduce to you all to the woman wearing the crown, “Queen of the Philippines-World,”

By Monet Lu Ms. Camille Agbayani.

I met Camille in 2015 during HeR positive energy radiates my ‘Beautiful Life’ event where across the room. Her disarming she was Queen of the Philippines beauty makes it hard to believe – Universe. Since then, I’ve gotten that beyond her imperial persona to know her even more as she was is a beautiful person who makes a nominated to be this year’s the living by making others feel and Beautiful Life Queen of Queenslook their best. Today we talk about World. I was also invited to the

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birthday party she hosted for one of our good friends last year. It was a wonderful gathering, I wrote about it in my column because I just had to appreciate how meaningful and special that night was.

It was Camille who made that possible. What a wonderful friend!

I admire her drive and motivation. She is such a rare gem. She’s charismatic, amiable and enigmatic. Camille’s energy is contagious.

I wished I had the same drive as this amazing woman.

“My core of wellbeing is God.” Camille would often say when asked about her secret to her positivity. And to all of the blessings she has received, Camille never fails to give all the glory to God, and give thanks to all those who supported her all these years.

As the co-owner and co-founder of “L’Aura Wellness,” a one-stop shop for body and facial contouring in Artesia, Camille has an undying passion for making a lifelong difference in those around her.

L’Aura Wellness Clinic was co-founded in 2010 by Dr. John L. Pinches III D.O. and Camille.

Dr. Pinches specializes in dermal fillers, Botox injections and is a trained cosmetic physician

The Global Kababayan

for Smartlipo Triplex. They offer sculpting and contouring for the face and body with top of the line noninvasive techniques. Their staff is trained in the use of Radio Frequency to stimulate collagen and elastin to tighten the skin; results show immediately with just one session, lasting up to one month.

They also offer various skin care and weight/inch loss services.

On top of being a businesswoman, Camille is also the president of Kanejin Realty Development Corporation and the founder “Helping Hand Global Services”, a board and care service. She recently partnered with ‘Absolute Hospice & Pallative Care.’ and was the woman behind “Runway Dinner and Dance for L’Aura Wellness Glamourous Calendar Ladies” and Asia’s Crooner, Arthur Manuntag’s “event for a Cause Concert.”

Gawad America also named her 2016 Outstanding Businesswoman.

“My advocacy is to unleash a person’s inner beauty and let it shine. I like sharing my beauty secrets and regimen in the hopes that it will help other people gain self- confidence.”

As someone who has plenty of

Ms. Camille Agbayani, “Queen of the Philippines-World.”

self-confidence to last a lifetime, I totally support her advocacy.

It is important to believe in yourself and be the best that you can be. And with someone as beautiful—both inside and out—as Camille Agbayani in this world, the future is indeed looking good.

Good luck to you, Camille, and may you continue to spread your kindness and make this world even more beautiful.

*** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Programming for Kababayan Today, May 8-12, 2017

the reigning queens of Miss Philippines USA for 2016.

Wednesday, May 10 - The Asian Journal shares the latest headlines relevant to the Fil-Am G. TönGi community. enjoy the hump day with funMonday, May 8 - Stunt wom- ny parodies from Mary Grant. an, dancer and actress Marissa Mia McLeod of McLeod and Labog comes to our show to Associates gives real estate share her Hollywood success. advice.

Tuesday, May 9 - Get to meet Thursday, May 11 - Get

to know about International Martial Arts and Boxing (IMB) Academy, a martial arts school located in Torrance, California. We also pay tribute to the founder, Richard Bustillo.

Friday, May 12 - We continue getting to know about IMB Academy and its founder Richard Bustillo. *** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and

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

Billy Crawford hands-on with wedding preps

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

GIVeN his daily showbiz grind, Billy Crawford still finds time for the preparations of his and Coleen Garcia’s wedding. The lovers will walk down the aisle summer next year as stated in the reports.

“Both of us are pretty handson,” shared the It’s Showtime! host with media people present during his launch as the latest endorser of Burger King. “May oras pa naman kami at least. Day by day, we tackle certain things na kailangan naming pag-usapan, na kailangan

naming mag-decide (like) for the venue.“ When asked about the details of the wedding, Billy replied, “Well, I can’t really share much. Medyo we’re trying to keep it lang very intimate muna.”

But Billy was generous to answer media inquiries that somehow gave everyone an idea of how the wedding will look like. He said that special day would be “somewhat intimate, but (it) can’t really be too intimate baka kasi may magtatampo. With this wedding, we try to focus on us.

It’s all about Coleen and I. So we’re trying to do the best we can to invite the people, who really, you know, have been with us since the start of our relationship, yun yung pinakaimportante din.

The people who believed in us, the people who supported us, the people (who) guided us in every way.”

The R&B singer also said that they will have Christian rites and he wants “to be fit for the wedding.” Last week, photos of them in ethiopia surfaced on social media. Some suspected that this trip was part of the couple’s prenup shoot.

Meantime, Billy and Coleen’s hands are full with work commitments (hosting for him and acting in a soap titled Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin for her). What also keeps Billy busy these days is his latest endorsement with Burger King and its 4-Cheese Whopper.

The information furnished to the media states that Billy has been tapped for his “talents and fun loving character” that the public admires and can relate to. That makes Billy the perfect face of the brand. Viewers see Billy on the fast-food chain’s TV and online advertisements, which entice cheeseburger lovers to try its “juicy, flame-grilled, 100-percent beef patty, topped with four types of oozing, stretching and melting cheese.”

Back to Billy, he shared his thoughts, too, of having Coleen in his life.

“I get to know her on a daily basis,” Billy shared. “I get to talk to her every day. I get to see her, especially when we travel

Billy Crawford (with fiancée Coleen Garcia): We try our best to invite those who have been with us since the start of our relationship.

Photo by Ver Paulino

outside the country. Pag nasa labas kami, we see a more of an organized commitment. So both of us get to compromise.

We get to organize. I get to take care of responsibilities... Marami kang natututunan.” That’s why perhaps it wasn’t difficult for him to decide that she’s the one, committing to her for life. “It’s something you don’t expect. It’s something you just feel,” Billy said. “Hindi mo (naman) pwedeng pwersahan na sabihin mo she’s the one... Pwede kang mangarap. But at the end of the day, it’s what you feel in your heart.

You just have to go with your heart... Kilalang kilala ko talaga si Coleen. Kilalang kilala niya talaga ako. I’m sure there are moments that we will be surprised, that we will be discovering (things) about each other. As of now, we’re not stagnant. We always learn from each other. I actually learn from her. It’s quite sad because I’m 10 years older pero marami pa rin akong natututunan sa bata di ba.

I think it’s a good thing because I’m learning. It’s a learning experience.”

Billy also anticipates the inevi-

table adjustment he and Coleen will make as soon as they tie the knot and start their journey as husband and wife. “I think anybody who gets married, the adjustment will have to be drastic and will have to be a big change,” he said.

This entails thinking about “joining everything like finances, you think about properties and you think about businesses. It’s all one big thing.”

Along that line, they talk about saving for the future because they want to give their future family a comfortable life. Although it is too soon to entertain the idea of having their firstborn, Billy had this to say: “Probably, it won’t be in the first year. We’re gonna try to weigh it out muna because we want to enjoy each other’s company... Coleen is only 24, you know what I’m saying. She has many years ahead of her. I want her to experience all her dreams.

Gusto kong matupad niya (yun lahat) muna bago magkaroon kami ng pamilya.” Once they decide to have their own family, Billy and Coleen will surely give their full attention to it.

Bike Ride for Hope – Sikad ng Bayan...

PAGE B3 participate in values formation programs to learn values that include “walang iwanan” and “bayanihan” to name a few. They will be given an opportunity to learn to lift themselves up and out of poverty.

Since its inception in 2005 Sikad has grown in number and has come a long way. Inspired by its story the Grand Pondo and Nevada Bicycle Club in partnership with Gawad Kalinga will hold their own bike ride on October 14 and 28 in Santa Clarita, CA and Las Vegas, NV respectively.

Meanwhile back in Yorba Regional Park the winds have subsided; the riders start to trickle in and are welcomed back by cheering volunteers and family members. Larry Carter, 85, the oldest ride finisher strides

in amidst applause and basks in the triumph of completing a 19-mile ride with wife, Nancy.

“This is our fourth ride and we’re happy to be back,” says Carter as he pulls his wife close for a snapshot.

In true Filipino fashion the fun ride concludes with a sumptuous fiesta-style luncheon under the cool shade which gave everyone a chance to fellowship, catch up on the latest Sikad/GK news, and groove to familiar tunes courtesy of acoustic performers Victor Roma and Patrick Rizal.

Volunteers and riders and their family are the lifeblood of Sikad and Gawad Kalinga. Major sponsors – Human Nature, Seafood City and Best-Pak; and other sponsors - Laarni Diamse Cosmetic and General Dentistry, Realtor Reeza Gervacio, eZ Green Bikes, Tambuli, Luisa

and Son, Justin Naoe, Philippine American Society of Certified Public Accountants, titans USA, Remax Las Vegas Andrew Team – combined to make this year’s bike ride a success.

Dr. Lani Diamse, Sikad 2017 Chair: “Sikad was built on a common goal, to share a part of themselves through their love of cycling and doing it while trying to make a difference to those who are in need. The goal is meaningful, significant. It resonates in every individual who is part of this team. We see it in the excitement of the cyclists who ride with us every year. We see it in the faces of volunteers who give willingly of their time, and we see it in the hearts of the Sikad team members through their dedication and hard work. It was an honor to be chairperson for this year’s Sikad ride.”

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Features

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mAy 6-9, 2017

B

Gary V opens his 2017 international tour in North America FRESH from the commercial and critical success of his twonight benefit Valentine concert, Love In Motion at Shangri-La at The Fort, Gary Valenciano gears up for the very first leg of his 2017 international tour, which is set to happen in North America beginning this May. Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singer-songwriters in the Philippine music industry.

The North American tour of Gary kicks off on May 27 at M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada with online star and Philippine recording artist Katrina Velarde as his special guest. Gary will then perform at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula on June 3 with special guests singer-songwriter, Philippine fashion icon, and it-girl Kiana Valenciano and Katrina Velarde. The tour will culminate on June 10 at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County with guests Kiana Valenciano, Katrina Velarde, and popular singer-actor Sam Concepcion.

For the past 34 years, Gary has been a shining beacon of hope as he has released some of the most inspiring songs and videos and has been the National Ambassador of UNICEF for 18 years now. He has produced some of the best concerts and an impressive array of multi-platinum albums that gave the world hits that have become the soundtrack of an entire generation of music aficionados making him one of the most powerful and influential performers in the history of the Philippine entertainment industry. Gary has also consistently filled major venues not only in the Philippines but the world over as well. With an impressive 3.3 million followers on Twitter, 664,000 on Facebook and 234,000 on Instagram he is slowly penetrating the millennial generation through the content he continues to create. Gary never fails to receive well-deserved standing ovations for his concerts as he constantly stuns his fans with his amazing dancing skills and vocal gymnastics which have proven that he indeed is a living miracle despite 39 years of having Type 1 diabetes.

In the Philippines, Gary is

Kiana Valenciano

Sam Concepcion

Kiana Valenciano & Sam Concepcion join Gary V’s 2017 US Tour

seen regularly on ABS-CBN as one of the flagship artists of its longest running Sunday musical variety show” ASAP.” Gary has also concluded his stint as one of the jurors of the top-rating international franchise Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids. He was likewise a judge in the “X Factor Philippines” and a host of “Twist and Shout.”

His recent compilation albums “Gaya Ng Dati” which gathered his top Tagalog hits and Gold a collection of 50 of his English recordings both released by Universal Records are favorites of music buyers. GV @ Primetime released by Star Music is a sampling of the greatest theme songs that he recorded for some of ABS-CBN’s phenomenally successful primetime soap operas including his rendition of the theme song of smash hit soap opera, Ang Probinsiyano – “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak,” which

spawned video memes that went viral online. The songs are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and other online stores.

With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look forward to an amazing show that is jampacked with Gary’s greatest hits and special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver.

The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada.

Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12.

For more information check wee.garv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @GaryValenciano1 on Twitter and @garyvalenciano on Instagram.

(Advertising Supplement)

KIANA Valenciano and Sam Concepcion are set to appear as Gary Valenciano’s special guests in his upcoming 2017 US Tour beginning this May. Kiana is set to perform with Gary on June 3 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula with Katrina Velarde and once again in the culminating leg of Gary’s 2017 US Tour, this time with Sam Concepcion and Katrina Velarde at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County on June 10.

Kiana Valenciano is currently soaring with 149,000 Instagram followers, and a string of brands she has been made an ambassador of such as Australian cosmetic brand BYS Philippines, Adidas, Fuji Films, SM Parisian Bags and Shoes. This popular digital influencer recently released two hit singles – “Circles” and “Does She Know.”

As soon as she opened her eyes, Kiana was destined to make ripples in the music industry – the same field that was instrumental in building the legacy of her parents.

With a clan of artists behind her there is no way Kiana could escape her destiny as a musical artist.

Both of her grandmothers are singers. Her mother used to sing in the band Music and Magic in the early 80s. Her brothers Paolo and Gab have also made their individual marks in the entertainment industry and it is just natural for Kiana to follow suit.

In fact, she started in the field of recording at the age of six and was rewarded for her effort with the Awit Award’s Best Christmas Recording and Best Child Recording Artist Awards for the song “Once Again It’s Christmas,” a composition of Gary V, who also performed the song with her. This was the beginning of the evolution of a talent that was preserved and now is ready to be unleashed.

As she entered her teens, she was able to further showcase her innate talent on TV shows like “The X Factor Philippines,” “Showtime,” and “ASAP.” She was also able to share the limelight with Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. She was chosen in 2014 as 89.9 Magic’s Most Promising Female Artist. She took a few months off in 2015 to take some special courses in Fashion Design at the prestigious art school, Central Saint Martins in London.

The blogosphere also became her platform as she was chosen as Candy Magazine’s Reader’s Choice as Favorite Blogger for 2015 with her www.kianavee. com platform.

Her journey in the field of music reached greater heights when she bagged the Most Promising New Female Singer of Magic 89.9 for the song “With You,” a duet with her dad which he wrote for her older brother Paolo’s wedding and which was the title of the best inspirational album for the Catholic Mass Media Awards last year. In 2015, she bagged the Awit Award’s Best New Female Recording Artist trophy for “Dear Heart,” a finalist in the 2014 Philpop Songwriting competition.

Sam on the other hand, is a popular singer, dancer, actor, VJ, and host. In the span of his spectacular 15-year career, he has come out with five successful studio albums, and he was featured in several soundtracks including the Asian soundtrack of the international blockbuster animated flick “Kung Fu Panda.” His duet with Tippy Dossantos “Dati” has generated a staggering 40 million views on YouTube.

Sam has also appeared on some of ABS-CBN toprating shows such as “ASAP,” “Maalala Mo Kaya,” “Your Face Sounds Familiar” season 2, and the hit drama series “You’re My Home.” In movies, he headlined such blockbuster hits such as “Cinco” and “Way Back Home” under Star Cinema as well as the cult classic “I Do Bidoo Bidoo: Heto nAPO Sila.”

Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singer-songwriters in the Philippine music industry. With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look forward to an amazing show that will be jam-packed with Gary’s greatest hits and a bunch of special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver.

The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada.

Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12.

For more information check his website www. garyv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @GaryValenciano1 on Twitter, and follow @garyvalenciano on Instgaram; follow @kianavee on Twitter and Instagram, and like Kiana Valenciano Official on Facebook; and follow @ sam_concepcion on Twitter and Instagram and like Sam Concepcion Official on Facebook.

(Advertising Supplement)

B may 6-9, 2017 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOURNaL

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COMMUNITY Journal

Your Immigration Solution NaNcy Miller BECOMING an American citizen is the culmination of the American dream. A citizen can shape American politics through voting. Citizens have greater ability to convey immigration benefits to family members. In fact, in some circumstances, children automatically gain citizenship when their parent naturalizes. Unforeseen circumstances which cause one to be out of the United States for extended periods of time can result in charges of abandonment of immigrant status — but not of citizenship.

It is also important to remember that non-citizens, even those who have lived here for decades, can be deported for violating American laws. U.S. citizens cannot be deported unless they lied to get earlier immigration benefits or they give up their citizenship.

To be eligible for naturalization, the immigrant must be a lawful permanent resident; be at least 18 years of age; have continuously resided in the United States as a green card holder for 5 years (3 years if married to and living in marital union with a U.S. citizen spouse or if green card was obtained because of battering or extreme cruelty); be physically present in the U.S. for at least one-half of the residency period; and be a person of good moral character. The immigrant must also demonstrate an ability to read, write and speak English and knowledge of American history and government (civics).

Absences from the U.S. as a result of military commitments or because of work for the U.S. government may not count against the residency or physical presence requirement. In addition, waivers are possible for some who are unable to learn English or civics.

Upon taking the oath of allegiance, the new citizen’s lawful permanent resident children under the age of 18 automatically become citizens as well. Citizens

Why become a US citizen? Some of the many good reasons can file petitions for a parent, spouse, or unmarried child under the age of 21 without dealing with visa backlogs. These immediate relative categories allow the beneficiary to complete their immigration processing in the United States, even if they are currently out of status as long as they entered with inspection. In addition, citizens can file petitions to immigrate their siblings and their married sons and daughters. These categories have long been targets of those who would like to narrow immigration benefits. One who has family members in these categories should file for them while they can.

Some immigrants delay filing for citizenship under the mistaken belief that their unmarried adult children will face a longer visa waiting period as an unmarried son or daughter of a U.S. citizen than if the parent had remained a lawful permanent resident. This belief is erroneous because the unmarried sons and daughters may elect to “optout” of the U.S. citizen category to take advantage of the shorter waiting period. This “opt-out” benefit is only available where the parent filed the original petition before naturalizing.

Delaying an application for citizenship can have adverse consequences. A green card is not a permanent benefit. It can be lost.

A green card holder who has spent more time out of the U.S. than in it can be denied admission for having abandoned their immigration status. They may have to fight in immigration court to keep their green card.

However, U.S. citizens cannot be accused of abandonment.

Not everyone who has had their green card for 5 years and has lived here for more than half that time should apply for citizenship.

Certain criminal convictions result in a loss of green card and deportation. An immigrant with

a criminal record may invite deportation by filing for naturalization. However, waivers may be available in some circumstances that would allow the immigrant to either remain a green card holder or even obtain citizenship. An immigrant who is convicted of an aggravated felony before November 29, 1990 and obtains a waiver may qualify for citizenship.

Someone who misrepresented a material fact to get a green card is not a lawful permanent resident for naturalization purposes.

Continuing the misrepresentation in the naturalization process can result in more serious complications. Here again, waivers of the misrepresentation are possible.

One granted such a waiver may be able to both keep their green card and become a citizen.

Many questions arise when deciding to file for citizenship. Is a conditional resident a resident for naturalization purposes? Does one who has spent much time out of the U.S. on business meet the residency and physical presence requirement? How do past actions affect the good moral character requirement? Will applying for citizenship lead to being placed in removal proceedings?

One should consult a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney to learn the answer to these questions, and more, before applying for citizenship. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila.

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

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

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Minding Your Finances Atty. RAymond BulAon WE’VE all been there. Those moments when almost anything that could go wrong DOES go wrong in our finances. As human beings, we all want to be safe and secure but life doesn’t provide any assurances. Perhaps you are going through financial and debt problems through no fault of your own. Whether selfcaused or caused by someone else or circumstances, beyond your control debt problems can be overwhelming.

Perhaps you’re thinking: “I can’t believe this is happening to me. Life’s not fair. I haven’t done anything bad or anything wrong.

Why do I feel like I’m being punished for something I didn’t do?”

These are words I sometimes hear from clients who come to me for bankruptcy advice.

Some people are quick to judge- until one day they find themselves in the same situation. Contrary to what others may think, most people who file for bankruptcy are honest, hardworking individuals who simply need to get a fresh financial start. Yes, they are your normal, everyday folks- just like you and me who have jobs and families.

They may go to the same church that you go to. They could be

Immigration Corner Atty. BRiAn leRneR QUESTION: I have heard that the provisional waivers have expanded. I have a prior deportation order and have been so afraid to have my spouse petition me because I thought I could not file a provisional waiver inside the U.S. I thought I would have to leave the U.S. and ‘hope’ that the waiver was approved. Is it true that this has changed?

Answer: Yes, the applicability of the provisional waiver has been expanded. Remember that the provisional waiver would apply only in the case where you normally would not have been inadmissible on any other grounds other than unlawful presence in

Community Journal

Bankruptcy can offer hope when life doesn’t seem fair

your next-door neighbor or your co-worker. No one- absolutely no one- is ever exempt from the uncertainties that life brings us.

At one time or another in your life, you may face debt problems that you don’t know what to do about. You may find yourself unemployed, sick, in the middle of a painful divorce or in a failed business venture. Recently, a couple came to me and told me how they invested their entire life savings of 20 years in a business that failed almost overnight.

They never made a penny from day one. They poured their heart and soul into this business- only to watch it go up in smoke. Their world has fallen apart right in front of their very eyes.

We are still living in tough economic times. How many people do you know at the moment that are living from hand to mouth, perhaps eking out a living by working 2 jobs with still “too much month at the end of the money?” My neighbor was recently laid off after working more than 12 years for his company who recently decided that they couldn’t afford to keep him anymore. You may know several people right now who are going through foreclosure and for the first time in their lives are facing

the prospect of being homeless.

It seems unthinkable, almost impossible for this to happen to you or someone close to you. Often, we can imagine these things happening to other people but we have never entertained the idea of them happening to us.

Then one day, life throws us a curve ball.

The “fresh start” concept of bankruptcy is based on the idea of forgiveness. The honest debtor who lacks the resources to pay back creditors is given a chance to start a new life free from the burden of debts. What a concept! Do you realize where most people would be today had they not been given, at some point in life, a second chance that they so badly needed in order to start life over? I think our very own U. S. Congress realized this more than 100 years ago and thus enacted bankruptcy laws that will help debtors who are in genuine need of debt relief. These laws were passed to help, not hurt you.

So if you are currently going through debt problems and don’t even feel like you deserve to be in this situation, there is no need to over-analyze everything and try to make sense out of what you are going through. The first step

Tax Tips VictoR Sy, cPA, mBA

A MAJOR thrust of the Trump Tax Plan is to bring back jobs to America. Large multi-nationals left and set up operations in foreign countries to avoid our corporate tax rates - the highest in the developed world. We need tax incentives to get them back.

Corporate Tax Rates: Trump wants to cut corporate income tax rates by more than half from the current top rate of 35% to 15%. This rate is available to all businesses, big and small, that want to retain the profits within the business.

Business Deductions: The Tax Code would be simplified by eliminating most business deductions and allowing up-front deductions instead of complicated depreciation over many years as discussed below.

Cost Recovery for Property Investments Trump has proposed that manufacturing companies could immediately deduct all new investments in the business. This means full expensing of capital investment. This annual Section 179 expensing cap would increase from $500,000 to $1 million.

Corporate Alternative Miniu PAGE C3 mum Tax (AMT): Trump also proposed to eliminate corporate AMT. This is a

Provisional waiver available even with deportation order the U.S. It allows you to file here in the U.S. while you are here in the U.S. If successful, then it would mean you would actually only have to leave under normal circumstances to the U.S. Consulate for only a few days and then you would return as a lawful permanent resident.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has adopted changes discussed in the proposed rule. The new modifications include: (1) Clarifying that all individuals seeking provisional waivers, including those in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), must file applications or provisional waivers with USCIS; (2) Allowing individuals to apply for provisional waivers even if USCIS has a reason to

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believe that they may be subject to other grounds of inadmissibility; (3) Eliminating the proposed temporal limitations that would have restricted eligibility for provisional waivers based on DOS visa interview scheduling; (4) Allowing individuals with final orders of removal, exclusion, or deportation to be eligible for provisional waivers provided that they have already applied for, and USCIS has approved, an Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal Form I–212; and (5) Clarifying that DHS must have actually reinstated a removal, deportation, or exclusion order in order for an individual who has returned to the United States un-

Barrister’s Corner Atty. Kenneth uRSuA ReyeS

THE decision to terminate one’s marriage typically brings to the forefront many issues all at once. Issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody need to be addressed in a divorce proceeding. In a long term marriage especially, these issues are often heavily litigated between the spouses, and can take a significant amount of time to resolve. Frequently, a spouse would like to “move on,” and reattain single status as soon as possible, but has a perception that to become divorced, issues u PAGE C4 concerning property, support,

Business tax changes under Trump tax plan burdensome parallel tax that should have been repealed by past presidents. Now is the time to terminate this dreaded tax.

Small Businesses (LLCs, S Corporations, and Sole Proprietorships): These entities would pay the same 15% rate as corporations.

Taxpayers currently taxed at 39% (or even 43%) on flowthrough business income could see their tax rate slashed to 15%.

This presents planning opportunity for a wage earner who is paying high income taxes to form an entity and conduct business as an independent contractor. If you pay 39% now, wouldn’t you also form a corporation to pay a low 15% rate? Caution: Watch out for aggressive IRS audits on companies who convert W-2 employees to 1099 independent contractors.

By the way, pass-through entities are businesses that pay their taxes through the individual income tax code. Under current law, such businesses distribute all of their earnings to their owners every year effectively taxing such earnings to the owners immediately – at higher ordinary individual income tax rates.

Traditional C Corporations: In contrast, traditional C corporations can retain earnings without distributing them immediately to shareholders. This allows shareholders to defer, but not permanently avoid, personal

income tax liability. A substantial drawback to C corporations, though, is that they have to pay two layers of tax: an entity level tax on retained profits, and personal income taxes for the shareholders who receive the profits when they are disbursed.

Repatriation of Overseas Profit Trump’s proposals would permit a one-time repatriation of corporate profit held offshore at low tax rates. Repatriation rate would be 10% for cash and 4% for earnings not represented by cash. He would allow these companies to pay untaxed deferred foreign income to shareholders as dividends at a lower tax rate.

These incentives will probably cause companies to repatriate money held overseas. If that doesn’t work, the low corporate rate of 15% should get them back. *** 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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Bifurcation and status only divorce and child custody first need to be resolved. Many erroneously believe that getting a divorce prior to resolution of property, support, and custody issues is like putting the “carriage before the horse”—an impossibility. Under the Family Code, a spouse can “bifurcate” the issue of marital status and terminate the marriage without having to wait until the issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody are resolved.

A judgment dissolving the marriage need not resolve all issues raised in the divorce petition. If there are issues set forth in the petition with regard to property, support, and custody, the Court

may nonetheless separate the issue of dissolution of marriage status and grant an early trial on that issue (a “status only” judgment). Obtaining a “status only” judgment is most beneficial to those persons who want his or her marriage terminated as soon as possible. Through a “status only” judgment, a person is restored to single status more quickly, enabling a person to remarry even if other issues concerning the marriage have yet to be resolved.

It is important to note, however, that a judgment terminating the marriage itself also brings with it the consequence

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Community Journal

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 6-9, 2017

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Protecting employee rights and Can I get a green card if I had a previous guarding against employer retaliation marriage petition denied based on fraud?

CYNTHIA Begazo, then 53 years old, was hired in March Protecting 2015, as the Human Resources Director at Passages Malibu, Employee an addiction treatment center & Consumer in Malibu, CA. Shortly after starting work, she learned that Rights some workers were not being Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. paid overtime and were not provided meal and rest breaks.

She reported this to the CEO, Pax Prentiss, who apparently replied “Don’t worry about it, you have bigger things to worry about.”

Begazo also reported to management about non-compliance issues involving licensure and physician contacts, but her reports were ignored.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO), who is also Begazo’s supervisor, allegedly fired employees because of their age. When Begazo told her this was against the law, the COO apparently said that Passages Malibu was an at-will employer and she could “do whatever she wanted to do.”

In the second month of Begazo’s work at Passages, a patient was found dead in his room with a bag and a trash can over his head and scratch marks on his face. There also was blood on the bed of his roommate, who posted pictures of the dead man on social media. After speaking to police about the death, Begazo told the COO that the incident should also be reported to the proper civil authorities and the facility’s insurance carrier. The COO told her not to report anything.

When Begazo refused to alter the employee files and falsify information about the patient’s death at the behest of the COO, the COO stopped talking to her and she was left out of meetings and projects. When Begazo came back from a one-week sick leave, she was told that she was being fired because she was “no longer a good fit” even though her “skills and experience are excellent.”

Begazo sued the employer for wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The CEO defended Begazo’s firing by saying that Begazo did not follow his orders and basically did not do her job.

The case went to trial and the jury found that Begazo was wrongfully terminated and retaliated against, and awarded her $91,693 in past economic loss, $187,467 in future economic loss, $1.5 million in past-noneconomic loss, and $50,000 in future non-economic loss. Her total award is $1,829,160.

To Live With Faith reverend rodel G. BAlAGtAS I TOLD a friend one day that I probably have one of the best jobs in the seminary. I get to teach and observe seminarians on parish internship engage in pastoral work. This week, for example, I did my final visit to two seminarians in the Diocese of Orange—one at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Santa Ana and another one at Santa Clara de Asis in Yorba Linda.

As I do this job, I can’t help but become amazed at the growth of seminarians in their zeal for the Gospel and their love for the people of God. I get to see God’s hand working in their lives, touching their hearts and minds to continue hearing the voice of Jesus—the Good Shepherd—in their journey towards priesthood.

I get to see them succeed and struggle at the same time as they deal with the hard realities of pastoral life. I witness their joy of serving God’s people of all ages and varied cultural communities. I learn about their gifts and strengths, their weaknesses and

AmericAn DreAm Allison Aquino-silvA, Esq REMOVING individuals unlawfully residing in the United States is clearly a top priority of President Trump’s administration.

While the President states that his focus is on individuals with a criminal background and previous deportation order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appears to also actively be pursuing removal proceedings even against individuals who are simply unlawfully present in the United States. It is therefore imperative for individuals to be aware of their potential defense to deportation through an application known as Cancellation of Removal.

Cancellation of Removal (COR) is an application that may only be submitted to an Immigration Judge after an individual has been placed in removal proceedings. If granted, an individual would be granted lawful permanent residency to the United States.

The first requirement to qualify for COR is that an individual must have 10 years of continuous physical presence in the United States. The running of the 10-year clock ends once an individual has been served a Notice to Appear, which is the document that initiates removal

An employee who asserts his or her rights under the law, or who challenges an employer’s illegal conduct, may face certain risks. Like Begazo, he or she may face demotion or termination. Employer retaliation, however, is illegal and may subject the employer to liability for damages. To establish that illegal retaliation exists, the employee must show that: 1) The employee engaged in a protected activity, such as claiming wages due, reporting discrimination, testifying as a witness, filing a grievance, contacting the media, refusing to perform illegal assignments, and other ways of standing up against violations of law.

2) The employer knew that the employee engaged in such protected activity.

3) The employee suffered an adverse employment action such as demotion, denial of promotions, or termination.

4) The employee’s protected activity caused the employer to take adverse action, which can be demonstrated by the employer’s negative reaction such as threats or warnings.

When engaging in a protected activity, such as requesting wage payments due or complaining about safety issues, employees should document their complaints or claims. Some employees may think that anonymity protects them. However, the opposite is true. Presenting complaints in writing, even by email, if expressed in a professional manner, will make it harder for the employer to ignore. More importantly, it creates a record of communications that at a future time will be reviewed to determine the true reasons why any action was taken against the employee.

It is true that employers generally have the power to terminate employees at will. However, employers must not be motivated by a discriminatory or retaliatory reason for doing so. In this instance, the termination becomes unlawful. *** 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 or our Facebook page Joe Sayas Law. [C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully recovered wages and other monetary damages for thousands of employees and consumers. He was named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently selected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is the recipient of PABA’s Community Champion Award for 2016.] (Advertising Supplement)

On leading future shepherds challenges as they reveal them in their writings and our conversations. I get to see the purity of their hearts and intentions, their enthusiasm and fears.

Indeed, this is the joy of a shepherd who leads “future shepherds.” And the joy also comes from knowing that they will make a difference in the lives of thousands of people as they proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and witness it to them through love, generosity, compassion, care, and kindness.

The task of teaching and forming seminarians is both a privilege and responsibility. In the light of this Sunday’s Gospel, it is to be a “gatekeeper” who opens the gate for Jesus to enter into the lives of seminarians so that they can hear and follow His voice, feel His love and care, and not be deceived by voices of those who are “strangers” to the truth of the Gospel.

The task entails a relationship of trust and genuine concern.

Seminarians should feel free to share with me their insights, experiences, fears and challenges in ministry to seek guidance and affirmation. On my part, I must let them know that I’m there to help them to discern God’s will and to facilitate their growth in pastoral wisdom and skills.

The job entails having a parent’s heart: showing genuine concern for their well-being, giving full attention to their progress, and praying hard for their protection, success, and happiness. In the end, it’s allowing them to become independent and accountable to their continuous growth when they finish their studies and formation in the seminary.

Many friends ask me what I like better: parish ministry or seminary formation? They are both beautiful and fulfilling work because, in the end, they are about revealing to people the heart and will of God in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Please pray for our seminarians. May God bless us all. Happy Mothers’ Day! *** From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of ImmAaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

The cancellation of removal application as a defense to deportation proceedings. The 10-year clock also stops once an individual has committed a criminal offense that renders him inadmissible from the United States.

The second requirement is that an individual must prove that he is a person of good moral character. The judge will consider factors such as the payment of income tax returns, any criminal record, fulfillment of child support obligations, receipt of government welfare, any fraud or misrepresentation committed, and any other factors that may tend to show if an individual deserves the opportunity to become a permanent resident of the United States.

With respect to an individual with a criminal conviction, the consequence of a criminal conviction will depend on the type of crime involved. If minor, the individual may still be eligible to apply for COR; however, it will impact the judge’s assessment of good moral character. Other crimes, such as crimes involving moral turpitude and certain drug-related crimes, will actually bar an individual from even applying for COR. The final requirement for COR is the most difficult one to handle. To be granted, an individual must convince the court that a

qualifying relative(s) would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship should the individual be deported from the United States. A qualifying relative is a parent, spouse, or child who is a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident. This includes step-parents and stepchildren, which under the immigration laws require that the marriage establishing the step relationship was entered into before the child’s eighteenth birthday.

The judge will consider any and all factors to determine whether a qualifying relative(s) would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. Since there is harm anytime an individual is deported from the United States, COR will be granted only when an individual can differentiate the normal harm experienced from exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.

Family separation is an important factor; however, the courts view family separation as a choice. As such, an individual must be able to describe the hardship on the qualifying relative(s) should they remain in the United States without the individual, as well as the hardships the qualifying relative(s) would

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DEAR Attorney Tan, I recently married a US Citizen, who is my second husband.

He has filed an immigrant visa petition and green card application for me. My husband recently received from USCIS a Notice of Intent to Deny the petition that he filed on my behalf.

The Notice indicated that the immigrant visa petition could not be approved since the USCIS had determined that I previously entered into a fraudulent marriage to get a green card several years ago. My ex-husband previously filed an immigrant petition on my behalf several years ago, which was denied since USCIS determined that I only married him to get a green card.

My second husband and I truly love each other. What are my options? -- In Love but Out of Status Dear In Love but Out of Status, Under INA Section 204(c), a person who “attempted or conspired to enter into a marriage” in order to receive permanent resident status in the US is prohibited from obtaining USCIS approval of an immigrant visa petition. Simply stated, Section 204(c) prohibits approval of any immigrant visa petition if there has been a finding of “marriage fraud” in a prior marriagebased petition.

Based on the above law, your case seems at first glance like an “open-and-shut” case in favor of denial. However, you still have hope of getting a green card—a person can apply for and get his immigrant petition approved despite the prior finding of “marriage fraud” under certain circumstances.

You may ask, how is this possible? Isn’t Section 204(c) straightforward? Not quite. The answer lies in the fact that USCIS must independently examine the prior finding of “marriage fraud” in considering the subsequently filed immigrant visa petition. Before invoking the Sec. 204(c) bar to approval of a subsequent visa petition, USCIS must make an independent determination of fraud based upon the record, including but not limited to any evidence gathered during adjudication of the prior visa petition, but may not parrot or rely on the conclusions made by other adjudicators. USCIS must have “substantial and probative” evidence of “marriage fraud.” Matter of Tawfik, 20 I. & N. Dec. 166, 168.

The determination is to be made by the USCIS district director while adjudicating the subsequent visa petition. Matter of Samsen, 15 I. & N. Dec. 28, 1974 WL 29995 (B.I.A. 1974). The district director should not give conclusive effect to the determinations made in the prior proceedings, but should reach his own independent conclusion based on the evidence actually before him. Matter of F-, 9 I. & N. Dec. 684 (BIA 1962).

Therefore, in cases such as yours in which the USCIS has indicated it intends to deny the subsequent immigrant visa petition due to the prior finding of “marriage fraud,” new evidence can be submitted that demonstrates that the prior finding of “marriage fraud” was incorrect—i.e., evidence that shows that the prior marriage petition was based on a bona fide marriage, or that explains that the prior denial was based on an incomplete or inaccurate assessment of the facts. In cases in which the subsequent immigrant visa petition has already been denied, this new evidence should be submitted as part of a motion to reconsider. I recommend that you seek an experienced attorney to assist you in properly presenting the law and facts to the USCIS adjudicator to address the Section 204(c) bar. *** Darrick V. Tan, Esq. is admitted to practice law in California and Nevada. Mr. Tan is a graduate of UCLA and Southwestern University School of Law. He is a member of the Consumers Attorney Association of Los Angeles and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Philipp ine American Bar Association.

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

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Bankruptcy can offer hope when life…

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to financial recovery is a simple acknowledgement of where you are and taking responsibility for your problems- whether selfcaused or not, it doesn’t matter.

Stop whining, stop complaining, and stop blaming yourself, the economy or others. Even if you haven’t done anything wrong to deserve your current financial problems, remember that it can

happen to the best of us and that includes you. But there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow because whatever you are going through will soon pass. The past doesn’t have to be your futureunless you let it by dwelling on things that you cannot change.

You can do better than that.

If you need to find out what your legal options are, we are here to help. Pease call Toll-Free 1-866-

477-7772 to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Glendale, Cerritos and Valencia. *** None of the information herein is intended to give legal advice for any specific situation. Atty. Ray Bulaon has successfully helped thousands of clients in getting out of debt. For a free attorney evaluation of your situation, please call Ray Bulaon Law Offices at TOLL FREE 1 (866) 477-7772.

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Community Journal

C MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Store manager needs bankruptcy relief; Separated debtor needs Chapter 7 relief

Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENT no. 1 is 50 years old and the manager of a big retail store. He’s been working there for 30 years. Spouse got into an accident and is now on disability.

He owns a house with $200K of equity. He has believe it or not, 11 children from age 2 to 18. Just imagine his food expense every month! He owes $60K of credit card debt. Since his wife became disabled, he applied for a loan modification of his first mortgage. His first mortgage payment is $2800. His gross income is $80K. With wife’s disability pay, they gross $100K a year. But with 11 kids, and $60K of credit card debt, something has to give. He can’t pay the minimum credit card payments of $1800 anymore. So he wants a Chapter 7 to get rid of the $60K credit cards.

But does he qualify for a Chapter 7 discharge? Well, in terms of the means test, there certainly is no presumption of abuse because he has 11 kids. But in a Chapter 7, there is going to be a problem with the residence. The homestead exemption for client is $100K but his equity is $130K. So, there is $30K of nonexempt equity.

Theoretically, Chapter 7 could work for client because there is almost no viable nonexempt equity to speak of if you factor in the cost of sale of 6%. The house is current valued at $500K. 6% of $500K is $30K, which is the amount of nonexempt equity.

A Chapter 7 trustee would have nothing to administer and theoretically client should be able to keep his house in Chapter 7. The problem is that real estate prices in Los Angeles are still going up.

An aggressive Chapter 7 trustee can file an adversary proceeding to have the house sold because of the $30K nonexempt equity.

The adversary case may take 18 months to reach trial. By that time, the house value could have increased by another $50K. The increase in value is justification in favor of the trustee’s argument that there is viable equity for him to administer. Nobody wants this

“

kind of problem in bankruptcy but it happens.

I have this exact situation with another client whose case was filed two years ago. The trustee filed an adversary complaint to get his house because the nonexempt portion, according to the trustee was $100K. Our defense was that there was no viable equity for the trustee to administer because there was a judgment lien for $97K. This adversary was due for trial on April 26, 2017.

But a week before trial, trustee offered a settlement to enable client to keep his house. Trustee argued that the value of the house

net income. Client also likes to gamble. He seems to be good at it because he had $40K of gambling winnings last year.

Client wants a Chapter 7 discharge of his $50K of credit cards. Will he qualify for a Chapter 7 discharge given the fact that he is practically single with $90K of gross income a year? That’s a good question. After doing the means test analysis, it appears that there is no presumption of abuse with Chapter 7. On the other hand, if some deductions we claim are disputed by the trustee, there could be some disposable income that will indicate that client has the ability to pay off a portion of his $50K credit card debt.

But note that this case is significantly different from the first case because in this case, client does not own a house. So, even if it’s a borderline case, i.e. client can file Chapter 7 or 13, client can file for Chapter 7 relief as long as the IRS deductions are kosher. Kosher means in this case that he can justify the money that he sends to his nephews and nieces abroad. If he can justify that expense, it can be argued that the nephews and nieces are his dependents even though they do not live with him. Under the worse case, he can convert his case to Chapter 13. However, he has very good chances of getting a Chapter 7 discharge. This is a no brainer for a gambler like client, so he opts for Chapter 7.

If you need bankruptcy relief, please call my office for an appointment and I will analyze your case personally.

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all of you who hope in the Lord.”

— Psalm 31:24

The Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee, does not have the power to sell debtor’s house. So, in Chapter 13, there is no risk of losing debtor’s house. But in Chapter 13, client must pay at least $30K over 60 months, or $500 a month. had increased “substantially” in the last 18 months resulting in viable nonexempt equity. So this kind of problem does happen in Chapter 7 although not often.

To avoid this situation, it is the better part of caution to file for Chapter 13. Why? The Chapter 13 trustee, unlike the Chapter 7 trustee, does not have the power to sell debtor’s house. So, in Chapter 13, there is no risk of losing debtor’s house. But in Chapter 13, client must pay at least $30K over 60 months, or $500 a month. After 5 years, client would have paid the trustee $30K. Upon completion of the last payment, the court will discharge the other $30K. So, in 5 years, debtor will not owe any more credit cards as the entire $60K will be gone.

Client no. 2 is 64 years old.

He is married but separated.

He does not have his own children but he helps his nephews and nieces who live abroad with money for the monthly expenses, which include college tuition abroad. He makes a gross of $90K a year as a scientist. He does not own a house. He owes $50K of credit card debt, which is using up $1500 a month of his

”

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

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

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

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

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Bifurcation and status only…

PAGE C2 t

of terminating rights associated with marriage. To address the foregoing, the Court may impose conditions on a “status only” judgment, to preserve rights which normally would exist if an early dissolution of marriage status were not granted. These conditions are contained in Family Code Section 2337.

The Court may require a spouse seeking early dissolution of marriage status to do any of the following, all designed to protect the interests of the spouse who is not seeking early dissolution: 1) indemnify the other spouse for adverse tax consequences resulting from the early termination of marital status, 2) maintain the other spouse on existing health insurance, 3) indemnifying the other spouse from loss of rights to a probate homestead or probate family al-

“

lowance, 4) indemnify the other spouse for loss of benefits under employee benefit plans, 5) joinder of an employee benefit plan, and 6) any other condition that the court determines is just and equitable.

With a “status only” judg-

the marriage later, it is advised that you consult with an experienced attorney. *** 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. ***

Under the Family Code, a spouse can “bifurcate” the issue of marital status and terminate the marriage without having to wait until the issues pertaining to property, support, and child custody are resolved.

”

ment, the Court reserves jurisdiction to adjudicate any other issues concerning the marriage, including division of property, award of support, and custody issues. Accordingly, if you would like to obtain a “status only” judgment, and resolve any other issues pertaining to

Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed. The specific facts that apply to your matter may make the outcome different than would be anticipated by you. This article does create any attorney client relationship between you and the Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, P.C. This article is not a solicitation.

(Advertising Supplement)

The cancellation of removal application…

PAGE C3 t

encounter should they leave the United States with the individual.

Other factors considered include, but are not limited to, the extent of the individual’s family members in the home country, the age of the individual’s children, ability to speak the foreign language, educational consequences, health-related issues, financial impact, and emotional and mental anguish.

Finally, even if all of the fundamental requirements are shown, the immigration judge will also determine if COR should be granted in his discretion. The

judge will essentially weigh the positive and negative aspects of the case against one another to determine whether the individual deserves the opportunity to be given lawful permanent residency.

The prospect of being deported from the United States is unfortunately becoming more prevalent due to the rise of enforcement measures being undertaken by the DHS. Because removal proceedings are extremely stressful and could result in deportation from the United States, individuals who are able to proceed with a Cancellation of Removal ap-

plication must ensure that they have the best possible representation so that the extreme hardship that would be encountered can most effectively be conveyed to the court. ***

sure if I qualify and/or if I have a deportation order. What should I do?

Answer: It would be very important for you to obtain the advice from a qualified immigration attorney as to whether you have or do not have a deportation order and whether you should or should not file a Permission to Reenter and then at what point you would become eligible to file for the provisional waiver.

Question: How long will this take?

Answer: The permission to reenter will take about one year

and the provisional waiver will take another six months. ***

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, watch us on Kababayan Today every 1st Tuesday, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and read about us on Yelp. Aquino & Loew also handles family law and criminal matters. Providing Personalized Service Nationwide & Abroad Since 1996.

(Advertising Supplement)

Provisional waiver available even with…

PAGE C2 t

lawfully after removal to be ineligible for a provisional waiver on that basis.

So it is a very positive development. If you have a prior deportation order and have filed the permission to reenter AND it is approved, then you will be eligible to file the provisional waiver.

This development is surprising considering the increased efforts of ICE to deport as many people as it can and to restrict opportunities to people who are not here in the U.S. legally.

Question: I’m not 100 percent

Atty. B r i a n D. Le r n e r h a s b e e n a n Immigration Attorney for nearly a quarter of a century. He is married to a Filipina and has helped thousands of Filipino families all over the country. In addition to his offices in Southern California in Long Beach and Carson, he has an office in Quezon City.

He is a certified specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Legal Board of Specialization, California State Bar. The initial consultation is free. Call (562) 4950554 and/or send an e-mail to blerner@ californiaimmigration.us.

(Advertising Supplement)

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People and Events

FilAm ARTS and Philippine Expressions Bookshop to host BUKLOD Gathering of Filipino and Filipino-American art and artists until May 11

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) and Philippine Expressions Bookshop in partnership with the Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles proudly present BUKLOD: A Gathering of Filipino and Filipino-American Art and Artists.

Over 50 works of art by Filipino and Filipino-American artists are featured in this exhibition, which aims to reassert the presence of Filipino-Americans in the Western canon. Although many Filipino-American artists have been recognized in the art world, their cultural heritage is rarely highlighted nor has there been a body of work categorized as Filipino-American masterpieces in the 600 years of the history of painting. The artists of BUKLOD strive to fill that void with works that instill culture, dignity, and imagination to a cultural landscape that seldom acknowledges and habitually denies them their shared humanity.

This exhibition gathers contemporary LA-based artists who anchor their work with their heritage and have an active community involvement to further their respective passion projects as artists. Accompanying BUKLOD is a collection of color prints culled by curator Edwin Ramoran from the works of Filipino- American Masters, many of whom have successfully synthesized their practice to become part of museum collections in the United States. Entitled: OBRA PINTURA: PinoyArtWork (Filipino American Masterpieces from Alfonso Ossorio to Maia Cruz Palileo, 1953-2015), this accompanying exhibit was part of last year’s Larry Itliong Day celebrations in Historic Filipinotown through the Department of Cultural Affairs Arts Activation Fund, with support from Community Partners and sponsored by LIDC (Larry Itliong Day Committee).

Another accompanying exhibit is comprised of monumental sculptures of National Artist Napoleon Abueva and Filipino master Solomon Saprid from the collection of Linda Nietes-Little.

The BUKLOD exhibit opened to the public beginning on May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with the San Pedro’s First Thursdays Artwalk. The exhibit will run until Thursday, May 11 at the Croatian Cultural Center (510 W 7th St, San Pedro, CA 90731). The Opening Reception will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will include live performances as well as food and artisan booths.

Details will be announced within the forthcoming weeks.

Artists featured in this exhibition are: Hana Acabado, or Hana ACBD, a Filipino illustrator and designer based in Los Angeles. Hana is a Multimedia Arts graduate of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde - School of Design and Arts and has exhibited her work in Manila, Philippines; Richmond, Virginia; and Los Angeles, California. Hana has worked for local and international clients such as GMA Network, a four-book illustration deal in Australia and New World Cosmetics.

Diyan BukoBomba, a self taught multimedia artist, solar pyromaniac, musician and community organizer. Her artwork uses creation as a way of finding freedom from inner pains & colonial traumas. She recreates “folk art” and reimagines indigenous and ancestral art as part of her healing process, to indigenize, decolonize and reconnect with her ancestors and native roots.

Champoy (born Janeil Sumampong Lim), an LA-based artist born and raised in the Philippines. He primarily draws comics with patterns and humorous images lifted from his personal cosmology. He teaches workshops on woodworking, comics, murals and puppet-making. As

a teaching artist, he likes to instigate and encourage creative atmospheres allowing play and flow in everyday consciousness to occur, something which he believes is very essential to his own creative process.

Nicanor Evangelista Jr.`s creative energy is channeled through music, art & cinematography. A descendant of Tagalog/ Kapampangan and Macao/Visayan ancestry, his creative energies and intuition is influenced by sacred geometry and ancestral indigenous arts. His love for nature and the ancestors is what fuels his spirit to create and capture beauty.

Lyn Pacificar, a Filipina American artist and lineage healer born in Los Angeles, of Ilonggo and Waray descent. Pacificar is an oil and mixed media painter, who uses indirect painting methods by building depth through underpainting and glazing techniques.

Currently, Pacificar’s work is inspired by her trip to the homeland of the Philippines in 2015.

Her paintings are an expression of that change as a powerful experience of energetic transference from her father’s passing.

In the waters of Tinuy-an Falls and the Hinatuan Enchanted River, Pacificar was blessed by the spirits of the land and came into her full destiny as a healer.

Eliseo Art Silva was born in 1972, the same year PH President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. Silva was an undergraduate at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles (then located in Koreatown), when the 1992 LA Riots erupted. He was 22 yrs old and a junior at Otis when he created his signature work: the Gintong Kasaysayan Filipinotown mural. The Martial Law era in the Philippines, the 1986 Philippine Revolution and the 1992 LA Riots shaped Silva`s art; and, his work directly address the visual dehumanization of his culture by reconciling the history of his lineage with the history of painting. n

Fiesta ng Calamba Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School in Carson, CA international reunion in Las Vegas

THE Calamba Association of Southern California invites everyone to the Fiesta ng Calamba (St. John the Baptist Feast Day) on Sunday, June 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It will be held at the Veterans Sports Complex at 22400 Moneta Ave., Carson, CA 90745.

For more information, please contact Teresita Pinuela Hermosura at (626) 335-1008. n

COME and celebrate with RMCHS alumni and guests for the third biannual international homecoming.

Sing, dance, party, share precious memories and join the fun from Friday, September 1 to Monday, September 4 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino at 4500 W. Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89103.

Join the golf tournament in the

morning of Saturday, Sept. 2 and then wear your best (black and white) for a dinner dance later that evening.

Make this event an opportunity to reunite with your own batchmates, watch a show, visit tourist spots, and stroll along the Las Vegas Strip.

For more information, visit the RMCHS 2017 INTL REUNION Facebook page. n

26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture in Echo Park SAVE the date! The 26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) hosted by Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) is back at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, October 14.

Expect a whole day filled with art exhibits, entertainment, and Fil-Am vendors. More details and special guests to be announced.

For more information, please visit: http://www. filamarts.org/. n

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • MAY 6-9, 2017

Calendar of Events across

C

America

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FilAm ARTS and Philippine Expressions Bookshop to host art exhibit in San Pedro, CA The Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) and Philippine Expressions Bookshop in partnership with the Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles proudly present BUKLOD: A Gathering of Filipino and Filipino-American Art and Artists from May 4 to 11. Over 50 works of art by Filipino and Filipino-American artists are featured in this exhibition, which aims to reassert the presence of Filipino-Americans in the Western canon. Although many Filipino-American artists have been recognized in the art world, their cultural heritage is rarely highlighted nor has there been a body of work categorized as Filipino-American masterpieces in the 600 years of the history of painting. The artists of BUKLOD strive to fill that void with works that instill culture, dignity, and imagination to a cultural landscape that seldom acknowledges and habitually denies them their shared humanity. This exhibition gathers contemporary LA-based artists who anchor their work with their heritage and have an active community involvement to further their respective passion projects as artists. The BUKLOD exhibit will be open to the public beginning on May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with the San Pedro’s First Thursdays Artwalk. The exhibit will run until Thursday, May 11 at the Croatian Cultural Center (510 W 7th St, San Pedro, CA 90731). The opening Reception will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will include live performances as well as food and artisan booths.

M AY 6

Philippine Consulate Outreach Mission in Carson, CA The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles will have an outreach mission in Carson, California on Saturday, May 6 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be held at the Carson Community Center Rm. 107 ABC at 801 E. Carson St., Carson, CA 90746. Services include passport applications (new and renewal), dual citizenship applications, notarization of legal documents, reports of marriage and reports of birth, and overseas voting registration.

Please note that all services are by appointment only; walk-in applications will not be accepted. Please stay tuned for the official notice of online application and scheduling from April 6 to May 5 at www.philippineconsulatela.org. For more information, please contact Riezl Locsin-Pe Benito at (310) 952-1743 or rpebenito@carson.ca.us. This mission is done through the Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles in cooperation with Assemblymember Mike Gipson (64th assembly district), City of Carson Councilmember Elito M. Santarina, Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce—SouthBay Los Angeles Area, Farmers Insurance, Carson Adult Day Health Care Center, Dreams and Visionaries of South Bay, Inc., and the Philippine Independence Day Foundation, Inc.

25th Annual Filipino Fiesta in Waikiki, HI The Filipino Community Center, Inc. will be hosting its 25th Annual Filipino Fiesta on Saturday, May 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. This year’s theme marks the 25th year of the annual celebration with the theme, “And the Fun Continues...” The event is free and open to the public! Participation from the local Hawaii and Hawaii-Filipino community from the over 100 Filipino community organizations, U.S. and or Philippine based business owners and/or their representatives are expected. For more information about the Filipino Fiesta, please visit www.filcom.org or call (808) 680-0451.

M AY 1 3

Thomasian Engineers Club to hold Gala Ball in Long Beach, CA The Thomasian Engineers Club (The University of Sto. Tomas College of Engineering Alumni Association) will hold its gala ball on Saturday, May 13 at the Long Beach Marriott.

The association is headed by President Elsa Camacho. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa & The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions, please call Norma de los Reyes at (310) 508-1477. The Long Beach Marriott is located at 4700 Airport Plaza Dr., Long Beach, CA 90815.

13th Annual Archdiocesan Celebration of Santacruzan in Los Angeles The Filipino Ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles invites you to its 13th Annual Santacruzan on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at 2:45 p.m. at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012). There will be a free retreat for key participants, presentation of “Sagalas” – young girls and women comprising the Court of Honor for the Procession of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Celebration, Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Flower Offering, and a Procession accompanied by a “Banda Musiko.” The theme of the celebration is “Mary, Full of Grace, Virgin of Mercy!”

The celebration is capped with a Dinner-Dance (with ticket purchase) at Casa Italiana, 1051 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Please contact: Florie Pimentel at (818) 641-8690 or fpimentel08@gmail.com; Eric Cordeta at (310) 930-5443 or epcordeta@juno.com.

Davao Association USA of Southern California’s inaugural ball in Long Beach, CA The Davao Association USA (DAUSA) of Southern California will hold its inaugural ball and induction of officers 2016-2018 on Saturday, May 13 at 6 p.m. at the Long Beach Marriott Hotel (4700 Airport Plaza Drive, Long Beach, CA 90815). All Dabawenyos and friends are invited to celebrate DAUSA’s 24th year anniversary as well and dinner dance with the Babes n Friends band. Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles Adelio Cruz will induct the 12 officers and 15 board of directors of the association. For further information, please contact Jimmy (818) 667-7242 and Jane (323) 333-9048.

M AY 1 9

National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day Stakeholder Breakfast and Conference in Pasadena, CA National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day Stakeholder Breakfast and Conference, co-sponsored by Hep B Free-Los Angeles and Hepatitis C Task Force for Los Angeles County on Friday, May 19. It will be held at Huntington Hospital (100 W. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105) from 9:30 a.m. to noon, featuring a hepatitis/liver expert panel and roundtable discussion groups. Continental breakfast will be available. Please RSVP by May 12 to Koy Parada at kparada@apu.edu or (818) 599-9132.

M AY 28

Global gathering of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School in Rosemead, CA Graduates of Bulacan High School and Marcelo H. del Pilar High School of Malolos, Bulacan will hold their first ever global gathering on Sunday, May 28, 2017 at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Rosemead, California. Please call up any of the following for more details: Rosario “Charito” Aldaba Gabriel (Class ‘66), Tel. No. (818)-982-1165; Lourdes Ople Smith (Class ’64) Tel. No. (310)-662-1948; Gerry “German” Torres, Jr. (Class ’66) Tel. No. (818)646-3286. You can also visit the website at www.mhpnhs-maa.com.

JUNE 17

FASO to hold gala benefit in Los Angeles The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO), the only Filipino symphony orchestra outside of the Philippines, will hold “A Night of Symphony,” its first ever gala benefit dinner on Saturday, June 17 at the majestic estate of Hollywood legend Mary Pickford in Hancock Park, Los Angeles. The special evening will honor FASO’s first Excellence in Music awardees and distinguished contributors to the pioneering orchestra’s mission and objectives. The names of the honorees will be announced soon. Filipino chefs who are part of the movement that’s making Pinoy cuisine a worldwide sensation will prepare the sumptuous dinner. The exciting gala, sponsored by Bank of Hope, Pacific Western Bank and Silver Saddle Ranch & Club, will feature two parts. There will be a meet and greet for a limited number of guests, starting at 4:00 p.m., with a guest of honor, the awardees and other distinguished guests. The second part will be the main event – awards program and dinner – which will begin at 5:30 p.m. For inquiries, contact FASO board members Rocio Nuyda, the gala’s chairperson at 818602-3214 or rocio@msn.com, or Jose Luis Garcia at 310-936-2988 or jl.garcia@aol.com. More details are also available at www.fasogala.org.

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

C MAY 6-9, 2017 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • mAy 6-9, 2017

MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

Economic managers laud positive Philippine ratings

by Lawrence

&

agcaoiLi

Philstar.com

MANILA - Economic managers are inspired by the positive assessment from international credit rating agencies as the government pursues major reforms under the Duterte administration.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in a statement the continued positive assessment of debt watchers on the Philippines is one more incentive for the government to “go ahead full throttle” on its “Dutertenomics” agenda to sustain the growth momentum and achieve economic inclusion in the medium term.

S&P Global Ratings announced over the weekend it has reaffirmed the country’s “BBB” rating with a “stable” outlook. The rating is a notch above the minimum investment grade, and the outlook indicates likelihood that the rating will stay the same at least over the next 12 to 18 months.

It is the second debt watcher to reaffirm the country’s credit rating after Fitch Ratings retained its ‘BBB-’ or minimum investment grade rating and positive outlook on the Philippines Dominguez expressed hope the S&P’s affirmation of its “BBB” rating and “stable” outlook on

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in a statement the continued positive assessment of debt watchers on the Philippines is one more incentive for the government to “go ahead full throttle” on its “Dutertenomics” agenda to sustain the growth momentum and achieve economic inclusion in the medium term. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

the Philippine economy would “inspire the Congress to act soon enough on the first package of the government’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP).

According to Dominguez, the passage of the tax reform program would help guarantee the financial sustainability of the government’s aggressive expenditure program on infrastructure and human capital development meant to sharpen the country’s PAGE D2

ABS-CBN, GMA both claim top ratings in April

by James

Konstantin ManilaTimes.net

gaLvez

THE country’s two biggest media networks ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network both claimed top ratings in April based on their respective audience measurement providers, Kantar Media and Nielsen.

Citing data from Kantar Media, ABS-CBN said it sustained its leadership in nationwide TV viewing across urban and rural homes in April (excluding Holy Week), recording an average audience share of 43 percent, or nine points higher than GMA’s 34 percent.

On the other hand, GMA said that from April 1 to 30, the Kapuso Network increased its lead in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM), garnering an average total day people audience share of 43.3 percent, besting ABS-CBN’s 35.1 percent by a remarkable 8.2 points.

ABS-CBN said it ruled the primetime block with an average

audience share of 49 percent, beating GMA’s 33 percent by 16 points, and that it kept its lead in Total Balance Luzon where it recorded an average audience share of 44 percent compared to GMA’s 36 percent, in Total Luzon with 39 percent versus GMA’s 36 percent, in Total Visayas with 51 percent versus GMA’s 28 percent; and in Total Mindanao with 52 percent versus GMA’s 29 percent.

In contrast, GMA announced that for Urban Luzon, which accounts for 77 percent of the total urban TV household population in the country, it posted an average total day people audience share of 50.4 percent, way ahead of ABSCBN’s 28.9 percent.

“Across all day parts, including the highly coveted evening prime time block, the Kapuso Network reigned victorious in both NUTAM and Urban Luzon,” GMA said, noting that the highly popular telefantasya Encantadia still leads the list of top programs.

Gov’t may remove Davao airport from PPP lineup

by LoueLLa

DesiDerio Philstar.com

MANILA - The government may remove the Davao Airport from the regional airports project under the public-private partnership (PPP) program and pursue its development instead.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters the government wants to study if the Davao Airport should no longer be included in the regional airports projects given the latest developments there.

He said the Davao Airport was included in the regional airports PPP project before the term of President Duterte.

After Duterte became president, Mindanao, particularly Davao, has become a more attractive location both for businesses as well as for tourists.

“Because of these new developments, we need to study if it (Davao Airport) should still be included. It might be better for government to undertake development first because of the changes,” he said.

The PPP project involves the development, operations and maintenance of the five regional airports such as Davao, Laguindingan, New Bohol (Panglao), Bacolod and Iloilo.

When the project was rolled out by the previous administration, it was offered in bundles. Bundle 1 was composed of the Iloilo Airport and Bacolod-Silay Airport, while

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters the government wants to study if the Davao Airport should no longer be included in the regional airports projects given the latest developments there.

Bundle 2 covered the Davao Airport, New Bohol (Panglao) Airport and the Laguindingan Airport.

The current administration has decided to unbundle the five airports, however, to expedite selection and award.

Last month, the Department of Transportation announced it has moved the date of submission of qualification documents for the regional airports to June 15, from May 11.

During the previous administration, the government had pre-qualified the following groups to bid for the project: Philippine Airports Consortium, Maya Consortium, GMR-Megawide PAGE D3

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I came to the U.S. under a different name on a visitor’s visa.

The passport and visa had my picture, but somebody else’s name. I still have that passport.

I recently married a U.S. citizen for love, and hope to get a green card. Is there hope for me, since I entered the U.S. under a different name?

Very truly yours, ES Dear ES: Yes, there could be hope for you, despite having entered the U.S. under a different name.

(Please note I said there is “hope”, but as an attorney, I cannot, and do not, “guarantee” success or approvals.)

In your case, you could be eligible to file for adjustment of status because you were “inspected,” meaning you presented yourself to an immigration officer who checked your visa or other papers, and admitted you to the U.S. (or allowed you to enter).

Even though you were inspected

D

I came to the US under a different name; is there hope for me?

under a different name, that still constitutes “inspection.” The fact that you saved that passport provides evidence of your inspection.

This is critical to a person’s ability to file for adjustment in the U.S.: proving you were “inspected.”

Many people who entered the U.S. under a different name eventually wind up either losing or misplacing the passport they used to enter the U.S., or they mailed it back to the agency in the Philippines. If they don’t have proof of inspection, it could be considered that they entered the U.S. without inspection (or are “EWI”), and would not be eligible to adjust status in the U.S., even through marriage to a citizen, unless they have the benefit of Section 245(i).

This was a law allowing people who entered without inspection to still get a green card in the U.S., provided they were petitioned on or before April 30, 2001.

However, in your case, you also committed fraud by entering the U.S. under a different name.

Therefore, you would be required to submit a fraud waiver, demonstrating “extreme hardship” to a “qualifying relative”, who would

either be a spouse or parent who is a U.S. citizen or immigrant (legal permanent resident).

What would need to happen in your case is your citizen spouse could petition you, and you could also file for adjustment of status and fraud waiver. Of course no guarantees can be made, but there could be hope in your case, despite having entered the U.S. under a different name.

If this situation applies to you, you should seek the advice of an attorney, who can evaluate your situation and determine your eligibility, guide you through the process, and help prepare the documentation and represent you at your interview. ***

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Business Quote of the Week “Don’t pick a job. Pick a Boss. Your first boss is the biggest factor in your career success.

A boss who doesn’t trust you won’t give you opportunities to grow.”

– William Raduchel, Independent director and angel investor

D may 6-9, 2017 • La WEEKEND aSIaN JOURNaL

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DENR: Mining compliance review to push ahead

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

THE review of the environmental compliance of mining companies will push through this year despite a change in leadership in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin said the Commission on Appointment’s rejection of Regina Paz “Gina” Lopez’s nomination as Environment secretary on Wednesday would not affect the upcoming review by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) of all mining operations in the country.

“Yes [it will push through], as we have said all along the MICC is tasked to conduct a review of the existing operations, and it was created two years ago and no review has been done,” he

told reporters in an interview on Thursday, May 4.

Agabin heads the Department of Finance (DoF) Legal Affairs unit, and represents Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III in the MICC. “The idea is you review the industry and then come up with policy recommendations. That’s what I think will happen, then we’ll see if there is probably room for improvement here, probably change that requirement there,” he added.

As the respective heads of the DoF and DENR, Dominguez and Lopez were co-chairmen of the MICC, formed in 2012 by then president Benigno Aquino 3rd under Executive Order (EO) 79.

It is the interagency body tasked to reform the Philippine mining sector and craft policies and guidelines to ensure environ-

mental protection and responsible mining.

As agreed upon in its February 20 meeting, the MICC will hire independent experts to reassess the operations not just of the 28 mines shuttered or suspended last year by the DENR after an audit, but of all 311 mining contracts in the country.

This was in keeping with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte himself for a comprehensive review during a Cabinet meeting last February.

The council held two meetings that resulted in the adoption of MICC Resolution 6 providing for a “multi-stakeholder” review of all mining operations.

It also sought a P50-million allocation from the Department of Budget and Management to fund this activity over a three-month period.

ABS-CBN sues 22 pirate sites in US Federal court MEDIA and entertainment network ABSCBN recently filed a lawsuit against 22 pirate sites before a US Federal court in Daly City, California for copyright and trademark infringement.

ABS-CBN filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order in U.S. Federal District Court against 22 pirate websites for damages of over $40 million. The network filed the complaint in pursuit of its continuing effort to protect its intellectual property from global piracy.

“As mentioned before, we are committed to implementing the

zero tolerance policy on piracy of ABS-CBN Global COO Raffy Lopez. We know that over ninety percent of these pirate sites contain malware which can harm people by stealing the banking and personal information from their computers or phones,” ABS-CBN AVP and Head of Global AntiPiracy Elisha Lawrence said.

“We will continue to shut down these pirate sites to protect the public from harm. There is only one genuine ABS-CBN internet sub-

scription service that is safe for our fans to use and that is TFC and TFC. tv,” she added.

Last May 1, the federal judge in the case granted a preliminary injunction order. This resulted in the blocking and shutting down of all the domains.

Last February, ABS-CBN also filed a lawsuit against drama site kissasian.com for infringement of trademarks and registered copyrights of the media and entertainment firm’s 27 television shows and movies, with damages amounting to over $8 million.

(Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

Economic managers laud positive...

PAGE D1 global competitiveness and grow its economy into upper middleincome status by 2022.

“S&P has confirmed what international and domestic financial institutions plus the business community and other sectors have been saying all along – that the policy environment on the Duterte watch remains conducive to sustained high economic growth,” Dominguez said.

He pointed out the affirmation is one more incentive for the government to go full throttle on its ‘Dutertenomics’ agenda to sustain the growth momentum and achieve economic inclusion

on the President’s watch.

Likewise, he explained the concerns of S&P over downward risks to growth such as uncertainties in export markets and inadequate infrastructure has been addressed by the government.

“These are already being addressed by President Duterte’s rebalancing of foreign policy with a focus on greater integration with our Southeast Asian neighbors and trading partners China, Japan, and South Korea, and our ambitious plan to invest P8 trillion between now and 2022 in closing the country’s yawning infrastructure gap,” he said.

For his part, BSP Governor

Amando Tetangco Jr. said monetary authorities would continue to pursue reforms as part of its mandate to maintain price and financial stability.

“The favorable credit rating actions bestowed on the country over the years by major international credit watchdogs, including the latest affirmation by S&P of the country’s BBB/stable rating, is recognition in part of sound and calibrated monetary policy and banking supervision that have helped steer the economy to its enviable position of strength even amid a challenging external environment,” Tetangco said.

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PH to access Green Climate Fund ADB: Brash Duterte no match for able PH economy

by Ben

Kritz Inquirer.net

SENATOR Loren Legarda is organizing efforts for the Philippines to tap the Green Climate Fund (GCF) by the end of this year or early next year, her office said after she returned from a high-level GCF dialogue in Bali last week.

The Green Climate Fund is a fund established by the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support climate resilience and mitigation efforts in developing countries. The GCF is intended to provide financing through loans, equity, guarantees, and grants, and requires that beneficiary countries and their proposed projects be accredited, which is the process the Philippines is now working through.

In a statement at the end of the High Level Segment of the Green Climate Fund Structured Dialogue in Asia in Bali, Indonesia last Friday, Legarda said she would convene a national dialogue for stakeholders on the GCF to ensure that the country prioritizes the right programs for funding, and to involve the private sector and non-profit organizations.

Officials of finance and environment ministries from Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, and Malaysia joined Legarda at the high-level conference.

Legarda is the chair of the Senate Committees on Climate Change and Finance.

“We must heighten the level of awareness among our national government agencies and the domestic private sector on the GCF. A national structured dialogue would gather all government agencies concerned and discuss what proposals to pursue. We also need to involve the private sector so that they can also be accredited entities that can access funding from the GCF,” Legarda said.

“We hope that the GCF would expedite the accreditation of our state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines as a national implementing entity (NIE),” she added.

The Senator said that even with-

Sen. Loren Legarda

out an accredited NIE, proposals could be prepared for GCF support for programs such as mangrove, bamboo, and coral reef rehabilitation and protection, and renewable energy projects, particularly in areas still lacking electricity.

Legarda said the government is preparing to submit a grant proposal to GCF by December 2017 titled, “Build the resilience of poor communities in the Philippines,” which would benefit at least 10 million farmers and 500 local government units in at least 19 provinces.

“We must ensure that our programs are transformational as indeed envisioned by the GCF, and that these projects would lead to the implementation of our environmental laws and directly benefit our people. The ongoing Asean Summit in Manila is a venue where these issues can be discussed because nations in Southeast Asia are facing similar problems. Most of us are vulnerable developing nations, but we must translate these challenges into opportunities to promote sustainable and equitable development,” Legarda explained.

Expanded role Legarda also suggested several areas in which the GCF could expand its policy to address social and economic issues.

“I hope that the GCF can adopt a policy that outlines the rights of indigenous peoples as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and for

YOKOHAMA, Japan—Despite a firebrand President Duterte setting off political explosives here and abroad, Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) sees the Philippine economy sustaining its growth on strong consumer spending and vigorous contributions from both public and private sectors.

“Some political turbulence were a little bit worrisome but despite this situation, our growth rate forecast for the Philippines will continue,” Yasuyuki Sawada, ADB chief economist, told a press briefing ahead of the multilateral the Fund to strengthen its country lender’s 50th annual meeting.

In its Asian Development Outownership guidelines to include women and indigenous peoples,” look 2017 report released last month, the ADB maintained its she said.

In addition, Legarda suggested 6.4-percent economic growth that the GCF can devote specific projection for the Philippines for readiness funding for outreach this year, “reflecting in part the and engagement with civil society organizations and other stakeholders that will help strengthen capacities, understanding, and

by Czeriza ValenCia safeguards on gender and indigPhilstar.com enous peoples; and to establish formal engagement and consultaMANILA - Metro Manila’s ecotion processes with stakeholders, nomic growth quickened to 7.5 including national coordination percent in 2016 from 6.7 percent mechanisms that allow participa- the previous year, powered by the tory monitoring in partnership with strong performance of the services National Designated Authorities sector, the Philippine Statistics Au(NDAs). thority (PSA) reported on Thursday, Legarda has also sought the May 4. support of the GCF Secretariat in In a briefing, PSA National crafting legislation for the creation Capital Region director Rosalinda of green banks in the Philippines. Bautista said even if the capital is no “I will lead the development longer the fastest-growing region of policy for the creation of green in the country, it still accounted banks for financing climate adap- for the largest contribution—36.6 tation and mitigation, as well as percent—to the country’s gross disaster risk reduction and man- domestic product (GDP) in 2016. agement programs, because we Metro Manila contributed 2.7 need to involve the private sector percentage points to the 6.9 percent in striking a balance between eco- GDP growth in 2016. nomic development and environThe services sector in the metro mental protection,” she said. comprised 81.4 percent of the Legarda has introduced a mea- region’s economy, growing eight sure in the Senate that would percent faster in 2016 from 6.6 establish environmental units percent in the previous year. Output in every banking institution to was driven by gains in real estate “assess and ensure that projects renting and business activities, subject of financing applications trade and repair of motor vehicles, as well as collateral offered as as well as trade of personal and security shall conform to environ- household goods, and financial mental laws.” intermediation.

The industry sector, which accounted for 18.5 percent of the region’s output, also sustained growth but at a slower 5.5 percent told reporters, the infrastructure pace compared to 6.5 percent in conglomerate is still looking for a 2015. The slowdown in growth new partner. was attributed to slower construc“If we find a partner, yes, we tion and manufacturing activities will be interested to participate, in the region. but it all depends on our ability to Bautista noted more manufacattract a partner given these are turers in Metro Manila have been the smaller airports,” he said. relocating outside the capital, some

Govt may remove Davao airport from...

PAGE D1

Consortium, San Miguel Holdings Corp.-Incheon International Airport Corp. Consortium, and Filinvest-JATCO-Sojitz Consortium.

Earlier, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), which is part of the Philippine Airports Con-

sortium, said its foreign partner Aeroports de Paris has decided to pull out as the unbundling of the airports would not allow them to get the returns they need.

Sought for comment yesterday, MPIC president and chief executive officer Jose Ma. Lim

high base effect from last year’s figure but also rising commodity prices that could affect domestic demand.”

The gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.9 percent in 2016, among the fastest in the region.

The ADB’s forecast for 2017 is below the government’ 6.5-7.5 percent growth target.

The ADB had noted that private consumption accounted for almost 70 percent of the country’s GDP. Moving forward, “domestic consumption and domestic investment are sound to support quite a robust growth rate in the Philippines,” Sawada said.

Sawada said the trend was the same across Asia—economies have become more reliant on domestic investment and consumption than on external demand as slow global economic growth has

been dampening exports performance alongside protectionist policies looming in the horizon.

Sawada said free trade was “good for all countries,” hence the ADB would be leaning toward a more open trade regime.

For 2018, the ADB projected a Philippine GDP expansion of 6.6 percent, also lower than the government target range of 7-8 percent.

In its 2017 report, the ADB attributed its higher 2018 forecast to “government plans to further ramp up public infrastructure investment.”

“Services—including business process outsourcing and tourism—will remain a growth driver, while inflation will likely edge up but remain within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas target of 2-4 percent,” it said. (Inquirer.net)

Metro Manila economic growth quickens to 7.5% in 2016 to special economic zones.

“But some manufacturers such as those making chemicals for industrial use are still in NCR,” she said. “Most of those that relocated were pharmaceutical companies.”

Meanwhile, agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, a minor economic activity in the metro, suffered a negative 1.4 percent growth in 2016, a reversal of the 4.1 percent growth registered in 2015. Bautista attributed this to the decline in fishing activities, specifically pertaining to catch brought to various fish landings in NCR. Breaking down each sector’s contribution to the economic growth in Metro Manila in 2016, the services sector contributed 6.4 percentage points, industry contributed one percentage point while agriculture and fisheries contributed 0.05 percentage point.

Metro Manila continues to enjoy a per capita gross regional domestic product (GRDP)—the total regional economic output divided by its population—that is significantly higher than the national average. In 2016, NCR saw its per capita GRDP rise to P232, 837 from P219, 114 in 2015 and P203, 231 in 2014. This is way above the national average of P78, 712 in 2016, P74, 770 in 2015 and P71, 790 in 2014.

“If every region is growing as much as Metro Manila. We will be well-off,” said Bautista.

Aside from NCR, only CALABARZON posted per capita GRDP higher than the national average at P94,826 in 2016.

Increased activities in services

and construction raised the employment rate in Metro Manila to 92.7 percent in 2016, up two percent from the previous year. This translates to 5.2 million persons employed.

The services sector employed 80 percent of the workers in Metro Manila while the industry sector employed 19.5 percent. The remainder were employed by the agriculture and fisheries sector.

NCR also registered an underemployment rate way below the national average in 2016. Only 8.7 percent of workers in the metro were looking for additional work hours to supplement their income compared to the national average of 18.3 percent.

PSA data showed NCR’s economy having a consistent but fluctuating growth in the past five years.

From a growth rate of seven percent in 2012, it quickened to 9.2 percent in 2013 and slowed down to 5.9 percent in 2014 before rising again to 6.7 in 2015 and last year.

In 2016, Metro Manila is the eight fastest growing region in the country next to Eastern Visayas (12.4 percent), Central Luzon (9.5 percent), Central Visayas (8.8 percent), Ilocos Region (8.4 percent), Northern Mindanao (7.6 percent), SOCCSKSARGEN (5.0 percent) and Davao Region (9.4 percent).

NCR is followed by MIMAROPA which grew 2.7 percent and ARMM which registered growth of 0.3 percent.

All 17 regions posted positive economic growth last year, PSA said.

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