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Former President Marcos ‘secretly’ laid to rest at Heroes’ Cemetery

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DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Filipina dies in fatal Times Square subway push MTA official says platform barriers have to be installed

CoNNIe Watton, a 49-year-old woman died after she was pushed in front of an oncoming 1 train at the 42nd street-times square station last week, according to eyewitness sources and authorities.

Police arrested melanie Liverpool-turner after she pushed Watton in front of an oncoming train. Witnesses told police that she was “calmly trying to walk out of the station”.

Watton, an Astoria, Queens resident and an immigrant from the Philippines, had spent decades working as a housekeeper, cook and caretaker for billionaire Blackstone Group Ceo stephen schwarzman’s family, according to the New York Post.

“It’s a very sad day for my family. one of the best people in the world, Connie Watton, was murdered yesterday,” teddy schwarzman, stephen’s son, wrote in a facebook

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

DesPIte public outcry and a threedecade-long effort, late President ferdinand marcos was buried “in secrecy” and with military honors on friday, November 18, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ cemetery) in taguig City.

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the funeral was a “simple, private, and solemn ceremony,” according to Imee marcos, daughter of the late president. though no formal announcement was made, the Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP) said that it was just following orders to carry out the ceremony. “sila po ang namatayan, hindi kami

(They are the ones who lost someone).

We just provide the services… so in keeping with their wishes which we all comply with even if it’s a request made by an ordinary soldier, we did our part,” AfP spokesperson Brigadier General restituto Padilla said, adding that they were also given short notice by the marcos family. he explained that the army was

After the election of President-elect Donald trump last week, Americans across the nation were shocked and feared for the country’s future under his administration. trump’s immigration plans were one of the real estate mogul’s most controversial plans with his promise for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and removal of many of President Barack obama’s policies.

California has the largest undocumented population in the country with more than 3 million as of 2013, according to migration Policy Institute. “for the first time since coming here, I was frightened, like, truly frightened. It felt like the world turned upside down, and I think it will very soon,” Gracie reyes, 21, told the Asian Journal. reyes is an undocumented student studying physics at Cal state Los Angeles. she

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Hits 7.1% in third quarter of 2016

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

LAID TO REST. Amid protests, former President Ferdinand Marcos is finally laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani as family members gather during the private burial rites on Friday, Nov. 18. In a private ceremony at the cemetery in Taguig City, Marcos was given military honors with a 21-gun salute more than 27 years after his death in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Photo from Ferdinand E. Marcos Presidential Center

by Dana

SioSon

AJPress

PhILIPPINe President rodrigo Duterte said that he trusts the judgment of United states President-elect Donald trump, particularly when dealing with undocumented immigrants in the country.

“I trust in his judgment that

city before flying to Peru for the upcoming Asia-Pacific economic Cooperation (APeC) summit.

PresIDeNt rodrigo Duterte the russian foreign ministry, warned on thursday, November tagging the ICC as “one-sided 17, that the Philippines might and inefficient,” said in a statealso leave the International Crim- ment that the international court inal Court (ICC), succeeding rus- “unfortunately failed to match sia’s exit early this week. the hopes one had and did not russian President Vladimir become a truly independent and Putin signed an order to with- respected body of international draw his country from the rome justice.” statute of the International the ICC — which has jurisCriminal Court on Wednesday, diction over 124 territories, inNovember 16. cluding the Philippines included “they (russians) may have — is a permanent international thought the International Crimi- court established to “investinal Court is (useless), so they gate, prosecute and try individuwithdrew their membership,” als accused of committing the Duterte said in a speech in Davao u PAGE A3

SioSon AJPress

the Philippines’ economy rose up to 7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2016, outperforming other Asian countries’ economic growth during the same period, according to the National economic and Development Authority (NeDA).

Contrary to the previous projections from different analysts that the Philippines’ economy would slow down under President rodrigo Duterte’s administration, the country’s economic growth is now ranked as the fastest in Asia.

“We are the fastest-growing among major Asian emerging economies that have already released data for the quarter,” NeDA Undersecretary rosemarie edillon said in a statement issued on thursday, November 17.

Duterte trusts Trump will be Robredo camp to fair to undocumented Filipinos Marcos: Accept the truth PH Dept. of Labor urges undocumented over case dismissal Pinoys in US to return to PH

Duterte warns: PH might follow Russia’s withdrawal from Int’l Criminal Court

by Dana

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The Philippines is fastest-growing economy in Asia

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Cal State University system to protect undocumented immigrants

only briefed about the internment at exactly 5 p.m. on thursday, November 17, a day before the funeral.

According to Padilla, the late president was given honors and a 21-gun salute. he said only the president’s family, police, and military were present at the funeral.

Padilla, however, noted that the AfP

he would be fair in the matter of the treatment of illegal immigrants,” Duterte said on tuesday, November 15. trump, who won the recent U.s. presidential election, said that his administration’s priorities include the deportation or imprisonment of about 3 million undocumented immigrants

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by Dana

SioSon AJPress

VICe President Leni robredo’s camp advised senator Bongbong marcos to ‘accept the facts,’ following the dismissal of his complaint case against the officials of Commission on elections (Comelec) and smartmatic-total Information management (tIm) In this March 2016 file photo, then vice presidential candidates Bongbong Marcos and Leni Robredo face off at Corporation. “there are times when we just need to ac- a nationally televised debate organized by Go Negosyo.

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Philstar.com photo by Joshua Emmanuel Tan

A NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page

Former President Marcos ‘secretly’ laid to rest…

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does not favor any side regarding the burial debate, especially since it is a “political” matter.

“Your Armed Forces is the Armed Forces of the people... we do not side with anyone,” he stressed.

Former President Marcos, who was ousted during the 1986 EDSA Revolution, died of kidney, heart and lung ailments in 1989

while he was in exile in Hawaii.

The late strongman’s remains have been frozen in a glass coffin in his hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte, since 1992.

In August of this year, President Rodrigo Duterte gave the go-signal to bury the late dictator at the Heroes’ Cemetery, living up to his campaign promise that he would let the event happen to “unite” and “heal” the nation.

After two months of hearings, the Supreme Court ruled that Marcos can be buried at the cemetery in November, dismissing all the petitions against the burial which were mostly filed by victims of torture during the martial law period.

According to the court, the burial does not violate the Philippine Constitution.

‘Like a thief in the night’ “Like a thief in the night, the Marcos family deliberately hid the information of burying former President Marcos today from the Filipino people,” Vice President Leni Robredo said in a statement.

Robredo — who belongs to an anti-Marcos political party and won the vice presidency against the late dictator’s son, former Senator Bongbong Marcos — said the family’s stealthy manner was nothing new.

“This is nothing new to the Marcoses — they who had hidden wealth, hidden human rights abuses, and now, a hidden burial — with complete disrespect for

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ABSOLUTE PARDON President Rodrigo Duterte has granted absolute pardon to actor Robin Padilla. Duterte confirmed this in a dinner with reporters in Malacanang on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The President granted the pardon upon the recommendation of the Board of Parole, which is under the Department of Justice. Padilla was convicted for illegal possession of firearms in 1994. In 1998, he was pardoned by President Ramos and released from jail.

The Philippines…

PAGE A1 t Following the Philippines, China’s economy grew by 6.7 percent, Vietnam by 6.4 percent, Indonesia by 5.0 percent, and Malaysia by 4.3 percent. The data for India, however, was not yet released.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippines’ 7.1 percent gross domestic product (GDP) increase is higher compared to last year’s 6.2 percent during the same quarter. It is also higher than the previous quarter’s 7 percent.

“This cements our chance of achieving our target of 6.0 to 7.0 percent for the whole of 2016.

This growth is above the median market expectation of 6.8 percent,” Edillon said.

According to Edillon, among the factors that contributed to the country’s growth include the sustainability of public and private sector investments. She added that private consumption and external demand also grew significantly this quarter.

The agriculture sector of the country, on the other hand, improved by 2.9 percent, recovering on the five consecutive

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From the Front page

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

A

Duterte trusts Trump will be fair to…

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living in the U.S. The latest record from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) shows that only about 271,000 Filipinos were irregulars or undocumented as of December 2013. (The U.S. is home to 3.4 million Filipino Americans, according to the 2010 Census.)

“I cannot talk for the illegals because, whether President Trump or anybody else for that matter, an illegal is always an illegal,” Duterte added.

But even if the Trump administration pushes for a stricter immigration policy, the Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the Filipino population should not worry.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III explained that it would only have “minimal effect” since

most Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the United States are legally employed.

“Most of our OFWs there are documented and are legal, especially our seafarers,” Bello noted.

Still, DOLE urged undocumented Filipinos to return to the Philippines before Trump assumes office in January of next year.

Bello said the Philippine government is ready to provide them with livelihood and employment assistance if the undocumented Filipinos decided to come home.

“The end program of our president (Rodrigo Duterte) is to bring back our OFWs so we already established a mechanism for businesses and employment opportunities,” Bello added.

The DFA also made a similar statement, saying that Trump’s

immigration pronouncements do not have a “calamitous impact” on the Filipino community in the United States.

“A vast majority of the three million Filipinos residing in the U.S. have legal residency or citizenship status, pay their taxes and generally obey American laws,” DFA Spokesman Charles Jose said.

Following Trump’s win on November 8, Duterte congratulated the real estate billionaire by saying “Mabuhay ka. Pareho tayo nagmumura (Long live. We both curse).”

The Office of the Communications Secretary added that the president is looking forward to working with President-elect Trump based on “mutual respect, mutual benefit, and shared commitment to democratic ideals and the rule of law.” n

has affected the results of the elections,” she said.

Marcos, with Rep. Jonathan A. dela Cruz acting as a complainant, has accused Comelec and Smartmatic of violating Sections 4(a)(1), (3), and (4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act (R.A. No. 10175).

According to Sardillo, Marcos’s camp is now looking to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to rule in his favor. However, she noted that “no amount of appeal” can change things if evidence is insufficient.

“The dismissal means that

they failed to establish their case. Mr. Marcos, however, does not want to move on,” the lawyer added.

Marcos, who lost the vice presidential at the recent May 2016 election, also previously filed an electoral protest against Robredo.

According to the final official tally of the National Board of Canvassers, Robredo won the vice presidential position with only a lead of 263,473 votes.

She garnered 14,418,817 votes while Marcos placed second with 14,155,344 votes. n

FULL COLOR. A peacock-shaped “belen” (Nativity scene) is among over 60 on display at theis year’s “Belenisimo sa Tarlac” in Tarlac City.

Inquirer.net photo by Willie Lomibao

Robredo camp to Marcos: Accept the truth… Cal State University system to protect…

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cept the facts and the truth no matter how painful it might be,” Robredo’s lawyer, Beng Sardillo said in a statement on Thursday, November 17.

According to Sardillo, the Manila city prosecutor dismissed Marcos’s complaint against the Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM Corp. due to lack of evidence.

“The burden is on the Marcos team to prove that probable cause exists for the crimes they’re alleging, i.e. intentional alteration of computer data without right and that this alleged criminal act

Former President Marcos ‘secretly’ laid to rest…

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the rule of law,” the vice president said.

Many Filipinos, mostly victims of martial law, as well as several politicians, expressed their shock and anger over the sudden burial. Protests sprang up in the different parts of the country, condemning this move.

“Like what Marcos did for 21 years, he caught us off-guard like a thief in the night… His burial is anything but noble. Even in death, he is a thief,” Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon said.

Malacañang not informed The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said it was also surprised to find out about the former president’s sudden funeral.

PAGE A1 t

immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines when she was 2 years old. Like many Americans, the election results shocked her, saying that she feels that attitudes toward undocumented immigrants will “worsen.”

“I’m scared for what might happen to all the undocumented students, but I think that creating a community of support is the most important thing right now,” she added, expressing appreciation for “outpouring of support” she’s gotten from fellow students.

On Thursday, November 17, CSU Chancellor Timothy White said that the 23-school system

was dedicated to creating and maintaining a “safe and welcoming” system for the thousands of undocumented students on its campuses.

He said that the CSU — which is the largest public university system in the United States — was committed to declining “agreements with state or local law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security or any other federal department for the enforcement of federal immigration law.”

California Democrats have also started rallying for the protection of undocumented immigrants fearing deportation.

California Lt. Gov. Gavin New-

som called upon the CSU, University of California (UC) and California Community Colleges (CCC) to protect its undocumented students from deportation, writing letters to White and UC President Janet Napolitano.

“We must take urgent stock of current policies and vulnerabilities pertaining to personal data held and processed by the California State University, to shield students from federal agencies under a Trump administration,” Newsom wrote in a letter to White on Thursday, November 17.

The gubernatorial candidate for 2018 suggested collaborating

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Duterte warns: PH might follow Russia’s…

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most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.”

Duterte remarked he might also follow Russia’s footsteps of leaving the court.

“I might follow. Why? Because these shameless bullies only picked on small countries LAST WILL. Image shows a portion of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos’ two-page like us,” the Philippine president last will and testament executed in 1982. The document was released by the Marcos camp pointed out. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 to counter ‘rumors’ that Marcos wanted to be buried beside his mother Duterte said he tried to explain Josefa Marcos in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Marcos supporters begin today a nine-day novena for the Philippine government’s war the late strongman.

ManilaTimes.net photo against illegal drugs but “nobody “So far, the PCO has no knowl- burial. The schedule and every- was listening.”

The crackdown on illegal edge of that instruction. We thing, we don’t have. Perhaps, u PAGE A4 drugs to prevent the Philippines don’t have any knowledge of the

from becoming a “narco-state” has been among Duterte’s main presidential campaign promise, earning him a landslide victory in the recent May 2016 elections.

Police records show that around 4,000 people have been killed in the Philippines since Duterte took office on June 30 in relation to the government’s war on narcotics — 1,800 of which were shot dead during legitimate police operations and about 2,600 by unknown suspects.

ICC’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda previously expressed her “deep concern” that the Philippine government officials seemed to “condone such kill-

ings and further seem to encourage state forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force.”

“Let me be clear: any person in the Philippines who incites or engages in acts of mass violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing, in any other manner, to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC is potentially liable to prosecution before the court,” Bensouda added.

Apart from Russia, South Africa, Burundi and Gambia also left the ICC this year.

“You know if China and Russia would decide to create a new order, I will be the first to join,” Duterte added. n

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Yasay: US arguably still most powerful nation on Earth

by DJ

Yap Inquirer.net

LIMA, Peru — A new world order led by China and Russia may be emerging in the Asia-Pacific region but the United States “still is arguably the most powerful nation on Earth,” Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Thursday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) ministerial meetings, the country’s top diplomat acknowledged the shift in power dynamics and geopolitics in the region following such developments as President Rodrigo Duterte’s pivot toward Asia and the election of billionaire Donald Trump as the next US president.

But he said such developments did not necessarily mean US influence in the region was waning nor that it would refrain from exercising its influence with Trump taking the helm.

“They have just shifted their priorities, and there have been some responses insofar as the shift of priorities is concerned…

The rebalancing has generated

some kind of concern but I think America even in spite of changes in the leadership as a result of the recent elections will continue to lead,” Yasay said “The United States arguably is still the most powerful country, nation, on earth, and it will continue to exercise its influence. I understand that in retaining that influence or the maintenance of the influence will be in pursuit also of its paramount national interest,” he said.

But Yasay said change had indeed come in Asia Pacific, partly as a result of China’s more assertive posture and growing economic might. “[While] others think that there is geopolitical shift insofar as the national interest of countries are concerned but one point we should not overlook is the fact that this change has always been happening continuously, maybe not perceptibly in some instances in the past but now it is more pronounced,” Yasay said.

Countries like the Philippines have become more conscious about “political realities,” he said.

“So yes, these are changing

times, very challenging times and to me, more important than a change in world order as you put it, would be our response in meeting the challenges that this new world order would change or would pose,” Yasay said.

He said such a changed world order did not mean the Philippines would be engaging China or Russia in new military alliances. “But old paradigms will have to change,” he said.

“The change will be along the lines of what Duterte has declared about pursuing an independent foreign policy where national interest is paramount,” Yasay said.

He said he believed Duterte, by making friendly overtures toward Russia and China, was expecting that the Philippines be treated as a “sovereign equal with mutual respect.”

“China and Russia indicated they will precisely just be doing this. They have given assurances that their old aggressive posture in the past is not… what they would like to pursue with us the strengthening of our friendship,” Yasay said. n

on Friday morning. the PNP [Philippine National PoNews of the burial began to lice], yes,” PCO Assistant Secre- spread when Imee Marcos posttary Marie Banaag told reporters ed a “same-day edit” video of

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Cal State University system to protect…

PAGE A3 t

campus police and administration on how best to protect these students and to establish these campuses as “Sanctuary Campuses.”

On Thursday, House Reps. from California Zoe Lofgren (DSan Jose) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Downey) penned a letter her father’s funeral. Journalists with Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez were barred from entering the to Obama asking him to prevent cemetery.

“We don’t really know. We honestly don’t know,” Banaag stressed.

On the other hand, Duterte PAGE A1 t expressed his hope that the post cited by the Post. public would find forgiveness, “Connie came to America leparticularly those who were gally from the Philippines when victimized during the Marcos she was 18 years old, became an administration.

US citizen, and has had one job “I would like to pray that ev- for her entire short life - working erybody will find a space in his in my family’s home as a househeart for forgiveness, and for keeper, friend and surrogate those who have been somehow mother for the past thirty years,” hurt or injured that they can take Teddy wrote. some other option to file a case,” Schwarzman’s daughter, ZibDuterte said in a statement upon by Schwarzman, said the victim, his arrival in Peru.

Watton, worked for SchwarzThe late strongman’s funeral oc- man and his family for 30 years. curred while Duterte was traveling Schwarzman was quoted by the to Peru for the 24th Asia-Pacific Post as saying the family was Economic Cooperation (APEC) “really sad and shocked” by WatEconomic Leaders’ meeting. ton’s unprovoked murder. “She “The decision to bury the late was part of every holiday. She President Ferdinand Marcos to- was just a part of every piece of day is a personal decision of the life since I was nine years old,” Marcos family. We respect their she said. decision,” Presidential spokes“It’s horrifying,” she was quotman Ernesto Abella, who accom- ed as saying. “I almost threw up panied Duterte, said in a press on the street. It’s murder. She briefing. n was murdered.”

Former President Marcos ‘secretly’ laid to rest…

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APPROVAL. Marcos supporters celebrate outside the Libingan ng mga Bayani during the burial of former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos on Friday, November 18.

Inquirer.net photo by Lyn Rillon

the deportation of the 750,000 undocumented immigrants who were granted deportation deferral under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

They detailed that by forgiving nearly these individuals’ civil immigration offenses by way of presidential pardon, it would ultimately keep them from Trump’s promised deportation.

That same day, the White House quickly shot down the proposal.

“We note that the clemency power could not give legal status to any undocumented individual,” a White House official said. “As we repeatedly said for years, only Congress can create legal status for undocumented individuals.” (Klarize Medenilla/ AJ Press)

Filipina dies in fatal Times Square… to her death, a man killed himself after he jumped in front of a train at the same Times Square station.

Because of these – and the recent incidents of people being pushed or fatally jumping from platforms to their deaths – some MTA officials are reportedly reconsidering barriers and technology to prevent further incidents from happening in the future.

“We’re all still resonating from the murder that was committed on the subway and the suicides that are, seem to be, becoming a regular part of the news,” said Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member David Jones. “It won’t eliminate all that, but clearly, as my daughter rides Connie Watton Facebook photo the train, I think many parents, According to the Daily News, young people of all ages, would there were 50 people who were be reassured with some proteckilled by trains in 2015. This year, tive devices, particularly at the Watton is the 44th fatality. Two overcrowded stations.” (Momar days after Watton was pushed G. Visaya / AJPress)

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A

Angelenos advised to prepare for inevitable major earthquake by eRic

Anthony licAs AJPress

RESEARCHERS fear that a major earthquake is due to hit somewhere in California, which would stretch response agencies past their limits and leave most of the inevitable natural catastrophe’s survivors in financial disarray.

That’s according to scientists as well as disaster response and liability experts brought together

by New America Media (NAM) and the nonprofit California Earthquake Authority (CEA) at the Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center in downtown on Thursday, November 17.

“It’s hard for us to tell you that this event is immediately impending but it will come and it will have a big impact on us,” said Dr. Thomas Heaton, the director of the Earthquake Engineering Research Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). “From my studies, we’re not close to ready.”

He noted that a portion of the San Andreas fault — stretching from the Northern tip of the San Bernardino Mountains Southeast to the Salton Sea in the Coachella Valley — has not broken since 1650. Some researchers worry that recent seismic activity recorded at Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea’s east coast may foreshadow a more destructive geological event, according to Heaton.

Although seismic detection research has come a long way over the past few decades, scientists are only able to provide a few seconds of forward notice in the event of an earthquake, according to Caltech’s staff seismologist, Dr. Jennifer Andrews.

About 40 city agencies are ready to coordinate emergency response efforts in Los Angeles, but survivors in some communities could expect to wait days before recovery teams manage to reach them, according to representatives of the American Red Cross (ARC) and the LA Emergency Management Department (EMD).

“LA city departments spend a lot of time preparing and practicing…[but] we’re gonna be overwhelmed in a disaster,” said EMD’s Acting Assistant General Manager, Rob Freeman. “It’s up to the citizens and communities to plan to survive after an earthquake.”

He encouraged residents to organize with each other to develop plans that will help keep them safe and in touch with each other following a major catastrophe and facilitate the work of response teams. Freeman referred those interested in putting together a disaster plan to the resources and information available on the EMD-run website, 5steps.la.

He also recommended that

PH-US defense ties to focus on terrorism, drugs

by Alexis

RomeRo Philstar.com

LIMA – The focus of defense ties between Manila and Washington would shift from preparing for invasion to enhancing capabilities against terrorism and illegal drugs, the Philippines’ top diplomat said on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said the change in focus of the two countries’ security partnership was discussed during his meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit here yesterday.

“We have agreed to move forward insofar as our mutual cooperation is concerned, not so much to focus on joint military exercises but more on these areas of joint cooperation, in the area of the war against illegal drugs, corruption, disaster mitigation and disaster response,” Yasay told reporters in a press conference.

“I explained to him (Kerry) the need for us, meaning the Philippines and the United States, to continue with our joint cooperation in the areas of illegal drug interdiction and we hope that they would be able to continue to assist us in our capacity building,” he added.

Differences over President Duterte’s brutal war on illegal drugs have strained the relationship between the US and its traditional ally the Philippines.

More than 3,000 drug suspects have been killed, about half of them in law enforcement operations, since Duterte assumed office last July.

The US, the United Nations and the European Union are worried that the drug campaign, which has been linked to the spate of summary killings of suspected drug offenders, would encourage human rights violations.

Duterte was angered by the

comments and accused his critics of meddling with his campaign.

He also denied that the government endorses extrajudicial killings and even claimed that some of the slain suspects were killed by drug gangs to prevent them from squealing on their companions.

In what appears to be a retaliatory move against the US, Duterte announced last month that he was separating from Washington in terms of security and the economy. He later clarified that he is not cutting ties with the US but was merely seeking a more independent foreign policy.

Yasay said he had assured Kerry that the Philippines would continue to honor the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and its supporting documents, including the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which provides American troops greater access to Philippine bases.

But Duterte hinted at dropping EDCA last month, noting that the deal did not contain the signature of a sitting president. His administration eventually decided to honor the agreement even as it discontinued at least two bilateral military drills with the US, namely the PHIBLEX amphibious exercises and the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training.

Yasay explained that when the MDT was signed in 1951, there were concerns that Asian countries would fall into the hands of communists.

“At that time, the world was engaged in the Korean War and the dominant theory then insofar as these events were concerned was that when Korea falls into the hands of communists, Vietnam will be next, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, including the Philippines,” Yasay said, noting that the MDT was deemed necessary because of the perception.

“But then as events turned out today, the domino theory had been proven to be false,” he added. n

The Philippines is fastest…

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quarters of decline brought by a prolonged drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon.

The services and public administration, however, relaxed to 6.9 percent and 3.7 percent respectively.

“All things considered, our economy’s strong growth in the third quarter is a very good sign of things to come. Together with a low inflation environment, a sustained strong growth bodes well for continued poverty reduction this year,” Edillon said. n

all Angelenos sign up for the department’s “Notify LA” SMS advisory system so they can stay updated on developments during an emergency.

More information and other digital tools that can aid earthquake survivors, like an app featuring essential first-aid techniques, are available through the ARC. Undocumented immigrants’ information kept confidential Norma Vega, the nonprofit organization’s chief strategy and external relations officer, also invited Angelenos to volunteer for their earthquake preparedness outreach efforts.

She went on to say that none of the information collected by the nonprofit organization would be reported to the federal government. Undocumented immigrants should not hesitate to seek out aid and shelter from the ARC for fear of deportation.

Similarly, city-sponsored relief facilities and programs will not report the immigration status of undocumented Angelenos to the federal government, according to Freeman.

“When we open shelter operations in our city recreation centers and schools there’s no need to present that type of identification other than to identify yourself if you loved ones are inquiring about you,” said Freeman.

He also reminded residents to take preventative steps to reduce hazards before a tremor strikes, like properly securing hot water heaters, televisions or any other heavy objects that might fall and hurt someone.

SUPERMOON IN SMMER CAPITAL. The supermoon, as seen behind the belfry of the Baguio Cathedral, sets in Baguio City, at 5:55 a.m. on tuesday, November 15.

Inquirer.net photo by Richard Balonglong

Earthquake-proofing buildings Heaton added that homeowners should have their property assessed and, if necessary, structurally modified for earthquake readiness.

“Earthquakes don’t kill people by shaking them to death,” he said. “If you knew your building would be fine, then earthquakes aren’t nearly as frightening.”

Buildings constructed before 1979 are especially at risk, according to Heaton. People who live in these homes ought to make sure that the structure has been retrofitted so that it is braced to the foundation. Retrofitting typically costs between $3,000 to $7,000.

Between January 25 and February 27 of next year, homeowners in California will be able to

register in a CEA incentive program that could cover most of that cost. The “Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program” will provide as much as $3,000 to a limited number of homeowners, selected by lottery, for improvements that may save their houses in the event of a severe tremblor.

The next big one is an inescapable concern for all Californians, but less than 16 percent of renters and property owners in the state have earthquake insurance, according to the CEA’s Chief Communications Officer, Chris Nance. He said that if a quake similar to the one that shook Northridge in 1994 were to happen today, independent models predict that it could cause as much as $76 billion dollars in residential damage, and only $48 billion of those costs would be

covered by insurance.

Residential insurance typically does not cover earthquake damage. Even if survivors were approved for federal disaster relief, those payments typically pay, at most, $3,500, while the cost to rebuild a home in the Los Angeles region ranges between $320,000-$650,000.

Nance said earthquake insurance rates have declined dramatically since the CEA began negotiating and selling policies in 1996 and encouraged both property owners and renters do everything in their power to protect themselves.

“It’s all about being self-sufficient,” said Margaret Vinci, the manager of Caltech’s Office of Earthquake Programs. “We have to take responsibility and use these resources.” n

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CBCP: Church to remain critical of gov’t wrongdoings THE Catholic Church will remain critical of any wrongdoing by government despite attempts to silence it, the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Monday.

CBCP President and LingayenDagupan Archbishop Socrates

01/03/17

Villegas stressed that attempts to silence the Church have been made for the past 2,000 years.

“One form of persecution is to tell the Church to keep quiet and not get involved in anything that is not, in a manner of speaking, religious. So the Church should

not engage in politics, in culture in business and in whatever form,” he said in a news briefing in connection with the launching of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Philippines.

But Villegas stressed that it is not in the nature of the Church to keep silent because doing so is a betrayal of the mission that the Lord has entrusted to it, to spread the gospel to all nations.

“The Church should be at the pulpit, the Church should be at the sacristy and if the Church teaches about ethics and morality, human behavior, it is interference of the Church. That is another form of persecution because the Church must really get involved,” the prelate said.

Villegas explained that there are unnecessary and necessary persecution but it is the former that the Church should stand up to.

“As Catholics, we believe that we share in the suffering of the Lord. But here is also an unnecessary suffering because it violates human rights, it violates the honor of God, the glory of God, [it is]the unnecessary suffering that we want to resist.”

The CBCP has been very critical of the Duterte government’s war on illegal drugs which has claimed more than 4,000 lives.

But Villegas was also quick to point out that it is not only the government that is persecuting the Church.

“There is no group in Philippine society that is solely responsible. Right inside our Church we can have that so it is not limited to government, it is not limited to the atheist, it not limited to nonCatholics,” he explained.

He pointed out that the separation of Church and State is just a mandate of the Philippine Constitution.

“Separation of Church and State is good for the State and it is good for the Church. But there should be no separation between God and human [beings]because when God is separated from man and man [is]separated from God, man becomes the loser. God still stays as God but we become less human when we separate ourselves from God,” Villegas said.

(William Depasuupil/ManilaTimes.net)

BURIAL PROTEST. Protesters at People Power monument chant “Marcos diktador, di bayani!” (“Marcos, dictator, not a hero!”) and sing “Marcos, Marcos magnanakaw!” (“Marcos, Marcos thief!”). Blindsided by the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani, militant groups, students and civil society organizations held protests in different parts of Metro Manila on Friday, Nov. 18.

Inquirer.net photo by Jaymee Gamil

UN rapporteur lists down conditions before visiting PH to probe killings

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

UNITED Nations (UN) special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard has set several conditions before visiting the Philippines to conduct an investigation on the alleged spate of summary killings in the country.

“In the invitation letter [sent by the Philippines], there were some conditions set. She has responded already with her own conditions,” Senator Bam Aquino disclosed on Wednesday, November 16, representing the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

According to Aquino, the UN rapporteur requested that the Philippines to also extend an invitation to the UN special rapporteur on health.

He added that Callamard also wanted a “freedom of movement” in the whole country, and “freedom of inquiry” along with “appropriate security arrangements.”

Also included in her conditions were contacts with central and local authorities; contacts with representatives of NGOs, pri-

Agnes Callamard

vate institutions, and the media; and confidential and unsupervised contact with witnesses and other private persons, including persons deprived of their liberty considered necessary to fulfill the mandate of their job.

Likewise, Callamard wanted assurance from the government that individuals who would be in contact with her “will not suffer threats or punishment or be sub-

jected to judicial proceedings.”

On the other hand, Aquino said that President Rodrigo Duterte “insisted on a public debate between himself and the UN special rapporteur” as one of the government’s conditions.

Callamard, however, did not make any statement regarding the president’s condition, according to Aquino.

Last September, Duterte extended an invitation to his international critics to come to the Philippines and investigate the killings related to his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Duterte’s invitation comes after several UN officials and rapporteurs publicly criticized the administration’s war on narcotics.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella previously confirmed that the Philippine government formally sent an invitation to Callamard who reportedly received it on October.

According to Aquino, a meeting will be conducted next week to discuss the conditions set by the Philippine government and the UN. n

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A

JDV: Trump’s triumph halts deterioration of Sandiganbayan clears ex-Mayor Elenita RP-US ties; reduces US-Russia confrontation Binay, 2 others in P13.2-M graft case SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Former Philippine Speaker Jose de Venecia said on Saturday, Nov. 12, that two significant pluses in U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory is the “removal of the possibility of inter U.S.-Russia nuclear threat” and a “halt in the deterioration of Philippine-American relations.”

De Venecia, five-time Speaker and Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), told Filipino newsmen of the Asian Journal, which publishes five newspapers in the U.S. West and East Coasts, “Hopefully, the simmering tension between the U.S., Russia, and European Union on the Ukraine will diminish and President Duterte and Trump will have much better chemistry.”

He said what remains uncertain is the future of the President Obama-initiated Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) while the Silkand-Road project launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping will move forward from East Asia to Central Asia across Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, and Western Europe to Venice, Italy.

He added he is hopeful American-Chinese relations will continue to improve as signalled by their mutual leadership and

support of the historic Climate change accord.

De Venecia expected continuing Philippines-Chinese relations improvement, increased investment and economic traffic and hoped for a Chinese-Japanese détente in the East Sea. The former Speaker said that at a recent speech he delivered with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, he proposed a Third China Silk Road project, from Hainan across the South China Sea to the Philippines, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Brazil to the Caribbean, Mexico, and the U.S. in the light of large Chinese investments in Latin America.

“This will make the project circumnavigated” and “a revival of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade which lasted 250 years, even without the Panama Canal,” he said, “and brought Filipino, Chinese, and Japanese products into the New World.”

De Venecia is proceeding with wife, former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia, to New York to promote the efforts of ICAPP Secretary General Chung Eui-yong and Pakistan Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed to obtain “Ob-

server Status” for ICAPP at the U.N. General Assembly.

De Venecia will then proceed to Washington D.C. to accept the Chairmanship of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), sponsored by U.S. congressional leaders and the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). Former U.S. congressional leader Dan Burton was chosen as IAPP’s Co-Chairman. n

MANILA – The Sandiganbayan on Thursday has acquitted former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay of graft over the purchase of allegedly overpriced furniture for city hall.

The anti-graft court’s Fourth Division likewise acquitted General Services Department chief Ernesto Aspillaga and city government official Vivian Edna Edurise.

The case stemmed from the

Court upholds dismissal of graft case vs GMA

by Reina

TolenTino ManilaTimes.net

THE Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division stood pat on its ruling dismissing the graft complaint filed against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, and former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. in connection with the botched $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal.

In a six-page resolution dated November 10, the court denied for lack of merit the prosecution’s plea to reconsider the earlier ruling.

The court said it has “exhaustively discussed” the elements of the offense charged and that the prosecution’s evidence “failed to meet and satisfy the required elements.”

Arroyo is now a member of the House of Representatives, representing the second district of Pampanga.

In 2011, the spouses Arroyo and Abalos were accused of violating Section 3(g) of the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act. “Even granting, without conceding, that the NBN Contract was grossly disadvantageous, it should be emphasized that said contract was nevertheless cancelled. Following the ruling in Duterte v. Sandiganbayan, which the Court relied upon in resolving the instant case, the contract subject of this case no longer exists long before the filing of the Information in Court,” the court said.

Associate Justice Jose Hernandez, who leads the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division, and Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Geraldine Faith Econg signed the resolution. n

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purchase of over P13.25 million in office furniture for the Makati City Hall from December 1999 to February 2000. The procurement was overpriced by P3.6 million.

The Sandiganbayan however said the prosecution failed to establish the elements of the graft case.

Binay was present during the promulgation of judgment.

She faces another case over

allegedly overpriced furniture bought for the Ospital ng Makati.

That case has been filed before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division.

On November 3, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division also dismissed a graft case against Binay in connection with allegedly irregular purchases of office furniture worth P232 million from 1999 to 2001. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

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OpiniOn

Features

Sustaining growth

THE nation welcomed on Friday, Nov. 18 news that the economy grew by 7.1 percent in the third quarter. Economists noted that it was the fastest GDP growth in Asia and the highest since 2013.

In fact the nation has enjoyed sustained growth for several years now, with gross domestic product growing by an average of six to seven percent since 2012. The Aquino administration can take part of the credit for the latest third quarter growth figures, which have also been helped along by the optimism and business confidence that typically accompany a peaceful transfer of power in this country.

Benigno Aquino III had said he wanted to make it easier for his successor by providing the foundations for sustained growth. President Duterte has acknowledged the strong macroeconomic fundamentals that he inherited. His challenge is to build on the gains and sustain the momentum. To achieve this, he may want to listen to the voices of those who support his administration but have started expressing concern about some of his policies and pronouncements.

Duterte is seen to provide “stronger leadership,” according to businessmen, but they say that GDP growth can be sustained better and even accelerated without the “noise” from the administration.

Unnecessary fights with the international community are also threatening to derail the momentum.

The administration still has challenging tasks ahead. It must create jobs, improve infrastructure, make doing business easier, boost agriculture and tourism as well as stimulate manufacturing. It must shepherd a difficult transition for Filipino workers from voice to knowledge BPOs as jobs in business process outsourcing are made redundant by technology. Growth must be made equitable.

President Duterte hit the ground running in the peace process with Islamic separatists and communists. He also continues to deliver on his campaign promise to be tough on crime. But the bloodshed, the lack of accountability, the weakening of the rule of law and concerns about an endless spiral of violence are giving his war on drugs mixed reviews.

Combined with the continuing kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf, the deadly violence is giving the country a lot of negative reviews overseas that like it or not are affecting business confidence, threatening the sustainability of economic gains.

The positive economic news for the third quarter should prompt a reassessment of priorities in the new administration. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

Marcos buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani: Is this your country’s story?

“HISTORY is written by the victors,” an old adage says.

After decades of contentious debates spanning different presidencies, deposed dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos has schemingly been laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, thanks to newly elected president Rodrigo Duterte.

Like a thief in the night, Duterte was interestingly out of the country when the unannounced burial happened on Friday, November 18, 2016 at the Heroes’ Cemetery.

Immediately, kababayans all over the world took

to the streets to protest against the burial, contending that “Mar- The Fil-Am cos was not a hero” as the Marcos family and their supporters, Perspective Duterte and the Supreme Court have argued. Why bury Marcos while the request for reconsideration of the Court decision was still pending? Why the secrecy and the Gel SantoS-ReloS rush in the execution of the contested burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani? The dent.

NO, a person bottom line: Was Marcos worthy to be in the Na-

tional Heroes’ Cemetery?

NO. Being a past president, soldier, senator were not enough to make up for his transgressions made against the Filipino people. NO, these titles could never override all the human rights violations, murders, plunder and abuse of power he committed while he was presiwho caused husbands and wives

to be widows and widowers, children to be orphans and mothers and fathers to bury or even mysteriously lose their sons and daughters, does not deserve to buried along with true heroes who unselfishly offered their own lives for the Filipino people. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www. facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos

Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough’s aloha-full life Will a Heroes’ Cemetery make a hero of Marcos?

Rhizomes

Prosy aBarquezDelacruz, J.D. “OHANA generally percolates on aloha, the Hawaiian ideal of love and compassion. “I for one don’t think that I could describe it [aloha],” she says. I think it’s in the person. I think you are blessed with it or you aren’t. They like to say it’s caring and sharing, but I say, no, you folks missed Carol tenderly loving her pink plumerias the most important part—loving and caring and sharing. You have ing seeds, some will sprout, some will do well, to love in order to care and share. To me it’s all some will not. Some, no matter what you do, zero. three.” – Kapeka Chandler as told to MJ Harden, So, do the best you can, and you put your energies “Voices of Wisdom,” 1999. [teaching] those who need help. Same as plants, Eight silver gongs for playing kulintang perched with 10 seeds [planted], some will sprout, some on green-colored wood frames caught my eye, will lay dormant,” she philosophized. while a multi-striped woven fabric with green, lav New beginnings in America ender and brown, and purple dominant hues casuCarol is the eldest of Asuncion Diaz and Pedro ally draped it. Eight is a symbol of infinity. A crown Ojeda’s six children -- Maria Teresa, Pedro Jr., Mamade of white and yellow petals, with protruding ria Asuncion, a FASO musician, Rafael, and Beatriz green leaves conveyed a sense that folks dance in Rosa. She has children of her own (Andrei, Daniel this house. Wearing an orange blouse and a blue and Sarah) and her first granddaughter (Te Awhina denim shorts, Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough greeted me Toia) and married to her “fave Dave,” a moniker with her big warm smile and a tight hug. for David Kimbrough, her husband of 33 years.

On Facebook, Carol has been sharing photos of She grew up in Project 4, Quezon City, near Laher cactus, her plumerias, her compost with earth- bor Hospital, now known as Quirino Medical Cenworms, including how she and a group of garden- ter. She went to St. Bridget’s in elementary. She ers started repurposing a portion of the city’s side- transferred to Philippine College of Commerce walks in Historic Filipinotown, to become inviting Laboratory High School where she was trained rows of plants. to think imaginatively and to become an engaged She took me to her backyard teeming with citizen. She went to rallies. It was the First Quarter orange citrus fruits (oranges and calamansi), Storm and students were being made aware of soblending well with her orange blouse. Ripe red cial issues of poverty, corruption and inequalities. pomegranate fruits, on the verge of bursting, are Attendance got checked when they got to Malacaon her dining table. The backyard’s bay leaf tree ñang Palace, where the President of the Philiphas grown beyond the roof lines. Contrasting are pines lived. After high school graduation, she went struggling ampalaya plants, white squash vines, to UP Diliman to pursue pre-med. slow and dormant, following its earlier season of While at UP, she joined Kabataang Makabayan blooms.

(KM), an organization seeking to restore civil liberPlumerias are in bloom: white, yellow and pink ties and human rights, including a return to democflowers, reminiscent of Hawaii. Air plants and or- racy in the Philippines. After two years of college, chids are stapled onto charcoal tree bark, while she became a community organizer full-time. cactus of different heights: chubby short, medium She dialogued with folks from all backgrounds, robust and tall and lanky, are nesting in a clay pot. which included their challenges of “no food, no Earthworms moved on a pile of compost: raked water and no housing.” She learned “street deleaves, dried flowers, fruit peels, vegetable pieces. mocracy” from them and mostly spent time to help Could it be that Mother Nature is delighted, that them during the day, to fetch water, child care and seeds and sprouts are allowed to grow and bloom? at night, to connect them to the health care cenThat day was dreary, gray and overcast, perhaps ters, as there were “no barangay systems then in a prelude to what Carol was about to share, a life Quezon City, a lot did not know where to go for of grays in it, but also, a sunshine bright life in help,” she said.

America.

They became known as “barefoot doctors,” as “Gardening is like teaching, you think of plantu PAGE A9

THOSE who are outraged by the Supreme Court decision to alStreet low the burial of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan Talk ng mga Bayani may take heart in this old folk proverb: “Ang matsing kahit bihisan, matsing pa rin!”

(A monkey, even if dressed up, is GreG B. MacaBenta still a monkey).

Internment in a cemetery for heroes does not a hero make.

Emilio Aguinaldo is buried on the grounds of his historic mansion in Kawit, Cavite. Manuel Quezon’s remains lie in the Quezon Memorial in Quezon City. And Jose Rizal’s final resting place is beneath the Rizal monument at the Luneta.

These are all hallowed grounds. The heroes who are interred there make them so. Nobody is sure where the remains of Andres Bonifacio are. There are doubts that they are in the Bonifacio monument in Grace Park. But he is honored, nonetheless.

Was it Marcos’s dying wish that he be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani? Was it, perhaps, to ensure that his memory would be associated with heroism? Did he have doubts that this would be the case?

Marcos had a penchant for appearances. He made sure he would be hailed as the most bemedalled soldier in World War II, never mind that that some – or many – of the medals were reportedly fake. It should, therefore, be no surprise that the Marcos clan would also like to make sure that he would be recognized as a hero – at least, by association with the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

In contrast, Rizal had no such megalomaniacal illusions. A December 2013 article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer by Dr. Pablo S. Trillana III reveals that, before Rizal’s execution, he left a note (originally in Spanish) that stated: “Dear parents, brother, sisters: Give thanks to God who has kept me tranquil, before my death….

Bury me in the earth, put a stone on top, and a cross. My name, the date of my birth, and that of my death. Nothing more. If later you wish to surround my grave with a fence, you can do it. No anniversary celebrations! I prefer Paang Bundok.”

Paang Bundok would later come to be known as the Manila North Cemetery where, incidentally, Presidents Ramon Magsaysay, Sergio Osmeña and Manuel Roxas are buried. But Rizal’s wish would not be followed. After his execution, his captors buried him secretly, without a coffin, in an unmarked grave in an obscure cemetery in Paco, which is now Paco Park.

It took the determined efforts of Rizal’s sisters for the grave to be found. Fearing desecration by Rizal’s enemies, the sisters had a marker placed with Rizal’s name engraved in reverse: RPJ. It was not until after the battle of Manila Bay, where the US ostensibly vanquished the Spanish armada, that Rizal’s family managed to have his

remains exhumed, placed in an urn, and kept in a sister’s house in Binondo, there to stay for 14 years. In 1912, Rizal’s remains were finally placed at the Rizal Monument, where honor guards are posted 24 hours a day.

Who knows? President Rodrigo Duterte may want to do the same to Marcos’s tomb at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. I hope he realizes, though, that honor guards do not a hero make.

Having said that, however, those who consider Marcos the antithesis of a hero should face two harsh realities: Firstly, the Marcos family and thousands – maybe millions - of Ilocanos are firm in their belief that he was a hero. Secondly, the Marcoses have been more zealous in extolling that “heroism” than those who consider him a villain, a murderer and a thief.

The fact alone that Senator Bongbong Marcos nearly won the vice presidency in the last elections should tell us that the story of Marcos’s villainy has been lost among the post-martial law generation.

Who is to blame for that?

The Marcoses who have unflinchingly, unwaveringly and unceasingly honored his memory? Or the civil society stalwarts, the martial law victims and the media who have presumed that their occasional cries of “Never again!” would remain meaningful and relevant to each new generation of Filipinos?

The Nazis may have immortalized the maxim that “a lie repeated often enough will be taken for the truth.” But those who went through two decades of Marcos misrule, but have begun to take for granted the significance of EDSA One epitomize the opposite dictum, “The truth, if not told often enough, will be taken for a lie.”

This is one reason, among several, why many of those who marched in the People Power Revolt have since been defined by detractors as “belonging to the yellow horde” – a revision of the oncenoble symbolism of that color.

I have read the official statement of De la Salle Philippines calling the Supreme Court decision on the burial of Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani “an ominous development” that “reflects the weakness of our democracy to exact accountability from leaders who abused and are abusing power.”

The statement continues: “We, therefore, call on all our Lasallian teachers and partners to strengthen all their educational and community engagement efforts and programs towards a deepening of our people’s appreciation for democracy and human rights. Let us join with like-minded groups to create more robust advocacy on these issues,” Is this the first time that De la Salle has resolved to make this move or has it always been the case

u PAGE A9

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

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OpiniOn & Features

Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough’s aloha-full…

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she learned to administer acupuncture to relieve headaches. She slowly gained acceptance from those who trusted her and she referred them to seek services from the health centers.

She met Rolando Federis. He was handsome with beautiful eyes, and teased her a lot. They fell in love and lived together. Much like Christian missionaries who relied on people’s help, they became “progressive pilgrims,” allowed to live in people’s homes. But when she became pregnant, she had to make a choice, continue her life as an organizer or nurture her child. She gave birth to Andrei and when he was six months old, she immigrated to the U.S. “I did not expect to be in the U.S. from Feb. 1975 and to stay till today,” she told me. Andrei’s father, Lando, is now memorialized in Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a monument for activists whose lives were cut short during the period of martial law which was imposed by Ferdinand Marcos.

She carried survivor’s guilt, “what if I had stayed, maybe he would survive,” “what if I had stayed, would I have died with him, “ and trauma became a dark shadow in her.

In the U.S., “she joined the Union of Democratic Pilipinos, a national democratic organization working on issues of immigration and immigrants rights, affirmative action and international solidarity with the people of South Africa, Nicaragua and El Salvador,” GMA Network wrote.

Realizing her life’s purpose Her first job was at ARCO as a secretary. She kept many balls in the air: a wife, a full-time worker, a mom, and an activist advocating for the return of human rights and democracy in the Philippines.

On weekends, she wrote newsletters, chaired meetings for the Anti-Martial Law Coalition (AMLC) and cooked for hundreds. She learned

Her calamansi tree teeming with fruits, which becomes jam

how to write press releases and do media briefings and attended the Far West Conventions held in Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Still, she persisted and took night classes for 14 years. She completed her B.S. degree in business administration from the University of Redlands in 1987. In 1996, she earned her Master’s degree in urban planning at UCLA, where she also completed her academic coursework towards a Ph.D. At UCLA, she worked with the Chicano Studies Department’s Professor Abel Valenzuela and did research on day laborers, men who assembled on street corners, waiting and ready to be hired for the day. At truck stops, a group runs to the driver, seeking day jobs. Some met accidents, necessitating this study to be commissioned.

Carol met with day laborers at the crack of dawn. Their research findings helped in establishing the need for a Day Labor Center, and now, day hires can be facilitated, and with dignity to them.

For this collaboration, she got a service award from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), presented to her by the

u PAGE A10

Will a Heroes’ Cemetery make a hero of…

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in the aftermath of EDSA One? I mean no disrespect for De la Salle, where I once taught Advertising Management and of which my eldest son is an alumnus, but my impression is that our people and well-meaning institutions are reactive, protesting perceived acts of injustice only when they are about to be perpetrated and going back to business as usual when the threat subsides.

I am, frankly, puzzled why, it was only after the February 2016 commemoration of the People Power Revolution – the 30th year, no less – that the Philippine government - led by President Benigno S, Aquino III, no less – began to look for a “permanent venue” for a People Power museum, to ensure that the horrors of martial law would not be forgotten by the forthcoming generations.

The “experiential museum” installed at Camp Aguinaldo was described in one news report as a “pop-up” affair – in other words, temporary.

Shouldn’t Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos have thought about it, having been principal players in that historic event? Ramos did a much better job creating awareness of the first centennial of the declaration of Philippine independence in Kawit, Cavite, although even that ended up with only the Aguinaldo mansion as a permanent memorial to that historic event.

Shouldn’t the son of Cory and Ninoy Aquino, as

president of the Philippines, not have taken the “Imeldific” steps to memorialize that instance in Philippine history when the world regarded our country with awe and admiration?

I use the term “Imeldific” because former First Lady. Imelda Romualdez Marcos is the only one I can think of who had the creativity and the zeal to build imposing structures, like the Philippine International Convention Center, the Folk Arts Theater and the Cultural Center of the Philippines to project her vision of a culturally rich and resurgent Philippines – never mind that the substance was like the façade of a Hollywood set.

Now, here we are again, making loud noises over an injustice perpetrated by none other than the Supreme Court. But making loud noises is all that can be done for the next six years under Duterte, whose grand idea it was to have Marcos buried as a hero.

But six years are not a long time. Enough time to plan on perpetuating the memory of martial law and Marcos rule with a structure that will last for generations – much like the Holocaust memorials of Israel. Enough time to be proactive. Not reactive.

And this time, let it not be just Ferdinand Marcos depicted as the villain in that permanent memorial. The nine Supreme Court justices who handed down the decision deserve a place in that Hall of Shame. (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

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Dateline PHiliPPineS

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Carol Ojeda-Kimbrough’s aloha-full…

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day laborers she helped.

Just like a gardener, she weeds the soil out of injustice and prepares it to grow for the next growth season.

For the day laborers, her efforts led to greater dignity in looking for day jobs, and in the future, a job with living wages.

A strong believer in the community and academe connection Critics of higher education have criticized professors in the ivory tower, much removed and rendered irrelevant without community connections. Carol strongly believes in a life in academe linked to strong community ties.

She has served on boards of non-profits: Certificate of Appreciation from Dept. of Public Social Services - Carol convened multiple agencies to work with DPSS so Asian Americans are better informed about Search to Involve Pilipino-Americans, the county resources.

Photos by Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz Filipino American Library, and as a Huaffectionate, rhythmic movements, and multiple manities Advisor for FilAm Arts’ Saysay languages of Spanish, Tagalog and English.”

Project.

Carol’s aloha-full life is akin to the ‘beyond the She was recruited to serve on the Economic and Efficiency Commission of LA County by then roof line’ bay leaf tree, as she has literally planted Board of Supervisor Gloria Molina. While a com- good seeds in many places in Los Angeles, Histormissioner, the task force studied the jury system ic Filipinotown, San Gabriel Valley, Fullerton and and it led to current practices now of one trial or Irvine. Good seeds of love for her community, care one-day appearance with an increase in stipend for the environment and sustained sharing of her from $5 to $15/day. Previously, jurors would sit for insights and knowledge.

Her home percolates on warmth and compasdays and weeks, losing pay, waiting to be called for a trial. The commission also studied allegations sion, much like the warm tones of the fabric we of police brutality at the sheriff’s but their recom- saw wrapped with the silver plated gongs to play mendations did not lead to reform. She served on kulintang music with.

The resonance of her aloha is loud and clear! that commission for eight years. *** She also served as Commissioner of LA County’s Public Social Services for 16 years and in the Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian San Gabriel Planning Commission for six years. Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press Her volunteer job required refresher courses in for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her ethics and sexual harassment and she served with- training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree out compensation, pro bono.

She credits her husband for helping her figure from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier things out, “he is a good sounding board,” and it College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century enables her to use her voice, seek help from others, Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter and get over any bitterness to simply enjoy life.

Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Diversity in her family She met David, whom she described as “guapo, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in appealing eyes and kind,” at a rally. She soon real- pursuit of her love for arts. ized their common bond as peace advocates. Their love has taken them to road trips and camping with the kids, preferring to take the back roads, to see the countryside, family get-togethers, celebrations of summer birthdays, and lots of friends coming over to watch the Rose Parade every January 1.

When asked how they managed to make their union last, she said, “by making each other laugh, by enjoying each other’s company, instead of fighting. One time, Koga, our cat became the referee, she meowed until we stopped our loud voices.”

On her grandbaby, “I re-learn patience. When I had kids, I was patient. With my apo, she gets it right away and she makes me laugh. When she was having tantrums, I simply said, ‘You are not having a good day,’ and then she pointed to a cookie that she wants and later, an area to explore. She puts a whole calamansi her mouth and I let her.

When I have music on, she moves with rhythm. I have learned to go by her pace, a slower pace, and match it with music, dancing and laughing. We do not look at what future brings, but I look at T, that’s how the future looks.”

Her grandchild is a hybrid of Mexican, Filipino and Caucasian races. “In her, diverse nationalities have fused together in her blood and genes, and she exudes all these strengths: smarts, tenderness, Healthy white and yellow plumerias

MISSING LINK. Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa presents alleged big-time drug lord Kerwin Espinosa at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday, November 18. “Kerwin is like the missing link. He is like the missing piece of the puzzle. Gano’n kalahaga ‘yung kanyang papel. Marami siyang mai-ko-connect,” Dela Rosa said during the press conference.

Inquirer.net photo by Nino Jesus Orbeta

Kerwin Espinosa to cooperate in exposing illegal drug operations

by Dana

SioSon

AJPress

ALLEGED drug lord Kerwin Espinosa expressed his readiness to cooperate with the Philippine government by revealing the details about his supposed operations and cohorts in the illegal drug trade, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

“He has declared his willingness to cooperate with the government initially, unless he changes his mind,” Dela Rosa said on Wednesday, November 16.

Last October 17, Kerwin was arrested in Abu Dhabi by the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG). He was scheduled to return to the Philippines early Friday, November 18 and be taken into the custody of PNP AntiIllegal Drugs Group (AIDG).

The PNP chief said Kerwin has agreed to become a state witness after his father was killed in a supposed shoot-out early this month.

According to the initial police report, Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., Kerwin’s father, was fatally shot inside his cell at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City after allegedly resisting arrest and exchanging shots with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on November 5. Another inmate, Raul Yap, was also killed

during the supposed resistance while the CIDG was serving the warrant.

Last August, the elder Espinosa surrendered himself to the PNP after President Rodrigo Duterte issued a “shoot out” order if the former did not surrender. The mayor resumed his post and was later detained in Baybay after he was charged in court.

Before he was killed, the late mayor was supposed to provide authorities a list of drug protectors and government officials allegedly involved in narcotics.

During the Senate inquiry on his death, some senators believe that the elder Espinosa was murdered to prevent him from exposing drug personalities.

Among the individuals supposedly included in the elder Espinosa’s narcotics list was Senator Leila de Lima. The senator, however, strongly refuted the claims that she was involved in the drug trade.

According to Dela Rosa, Kerwin has agreed to reveal the key people involved in illegal drug operations who were supposed to be named by his father. Kerwin, however, has yet to file an affidavit with his confession.

Kerwin, Dayan to be under witness protection Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Kerwin will be placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP). He added

that the WPP will also be extended to Ronnie Dayan.

“We welcome all who want to cooperate so that we can pin down responsibility on the public officials involved in the drug trade. So, we were offering the protection of the WPP to Kerwin Espinosa, even to Ronnie Dayan, as long as they are cooperative and that they will be qualified to be accepted, to be admitted under our Witness Protection Program,” Aguirre said.

Ronnie Daya, De Lima’s former driver, was previously accused

by President Rodrigo Duterte of collecting drug money to help De Lima in her senatorial campaign for the election this past May. The president also tagged De Lima as an “immoral woman” after claiming that the senator had an illicit affair with her driver, who is also married.

Although the senator recently admitted that she had an affair with Dayan, she maintained her stance that she was not involved in the alleged drug trade within the National Bilibid Prison.

Early this week, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) announced that a P1 million reward will be offered for Dayan’s capture.

A warrant of arrest was issued against Dayan for failing to appear at the hearings on the NBP drug trade despite the summons from the House of Representatives. n

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Dateline PHiliPPineS

It’s official! The Philippines will play host to Miss Universe 2016. R-L: DOT Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre, Vice President for Business Development of the Miss Universe Organization Shawn McClain, Chairman of the Host Committee Arch. Richelle Singson-Michael and other members of the host committee from the private sector.

DOT vows Miss Universe 2016 will be among ‘most memorable, beautiful’

IN what the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) promises to be a most memorable and beautiful pageant to be held in the country, Miss Universe 2016 contestants will visit the island paradise of Cebu and Boracay, the iconic Vigan, romantic Baguio, and the vast greenery of Davao City.

Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo said the Miss Universe organizing committee is considering other localities as venues of the pre-pageant events leading to the coronation night on January 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“We are working closely with our private partners to ensure a total tourism experience for our special guests throughout their two-week stay. Let’s show the Philippines’ best-kept secrets,” Teo said.

Teo made the assertion, following the formal signing of memorandum of agreement between the DOT, the Miss Universe organization and the pageant’s private partners, led by the Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson Group (LCS Group) Wednesday night, November 16 at Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City.

Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson lauded the private partners and sponsors, as well as the DOT for their determination in hosting the Miss Universe pageant in the country, the first since 1994.

Referring to reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, Singson said, “We find no better tribute to finishing your reign and passing the crown to your successor than right here in your home country.”

In addition to the LCS Group, the pageant’s other private partners are Okada Manila, Solar Entertainment, Inc. and the SM

Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., while sponsors include the San Miguel Corporation, Jpark Island Resort and Waterworld of Cebu and the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio City.

More private sponsors at the regional level are being considered, Singson said.

“This partnership between the private and public sectors in a venture as big as Miss Universe is certainly a big step for the country’s tourism towards the global stage,” said Undersecretary Kat De Castro, of DOT’s Public Affairs and Communications.

“We are thankful that the Miss Universe will finally return to its second home, to the Philippines.

Now we can showcase the awesome beauty of the country in its entirety and our people, of course,” De Castro added.

De Castro expressed optimism that the country’s hosting of the pageant will pay off in terms of visitor arrivals.

“I’m sure we are getting off to a good start in 2017 in meeting our quota and our targets

next year with the staging of the spectacular, unforgettable Miss Universe event. Everybody is excited and everywhere I go people are asking if there is a package tour for this Miss Universe pageant. Some of the fanatics... they want to fly to the Philippines and attend all the events leading to the final show,” De Castro said.

She also noted the benefits of holding the pre-pageant’s ancillary events outside Metro Manila like Cebu which holds traditional festivals in January.

Assistant Secretary Ricky Alegre represented Sec. Wanda Teo at the press launch of the 65th Miss Universe pageant held at Makati Shangri-la.

In a statement read by Alegre, he thanked President Rodrigo R. Duterte for giving the DOT the green light to stage the pageant in the country and promised the Filipino and global audience of the beauty tilt “that the DOT will give its solid support in making this Miss Universe Pageant among the most beautiful and memorable.” n

L-R DOT Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre; VP for Corporate Marketing, SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. Ruby Ann Reyes; Solar Entertainment CEO and President Wilson Tieng; LCS Holdings President and Chairman former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis Chavit Singson; Tiger Resort Chairman Kazuo Okada; Vice President for Business Development of the Miss Universe Organization Shawn McClain; and event host Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner Up Shamcey Supsup during the ceremonial toast of the official announcement of the 65th annual Miss Universe competition held at Shangri-La Makati, November 16, 2016

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SHOWBIZ&STYLE

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Journal

LA Clippers honor Raymond Townsend at Filipino Heritage Night

by AJPress

Hundreds of Filipino Americans flocked to the staples Center on Wednesday, november 16 for Filipino Heritage night at the Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Memphis Grizzlies game. raymond Townsend was honored during the game as the first Fil-Am player for the nBA. Townsend, who is Filipino on his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side, played college basketball at uCLA and was drafted by the Golden state Warriors in 1978, where he played two seasons.

He retired in 1982 as a player of the Indiana Pacers.

Townsend also met and took

/64, 36(5 photos with Fil-Am fans during the warm-up session, and spoke about his work in developing sports and educational programs for children. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am humbled and grateful, to be honored as the first Fil-Am Player in the nBA. You never truly understand all the lives you impact as a pioneer of any kind of barrierRaymond Townsend, the first Fil-Am player breaking achievement,â&#x20AC;? Townsend in the NBA. told the Asian Journal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am proud

to be a kababayan and hope my message will inspire Filipinos around the world to believe that all things are possible.â&#x20AC;?

He said he hopes more Fil-Ams will be inspired to play basketball and join the nBA. Guests were also given a commemorative Filipino Heritage night hat to remember the celebration. The Clippers have been hosting an annual Filipino Heritage night since 2009.

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Features

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Iñigo Pascual on his own

by honey

orio-escullar Philstar.com

This bird will be the centerpiece on every family’s dining table come this Thanksgiving Day and eaten for a week after.

Moonlighting

by Mylah de

leon

ThIS great holiday of thanks and giving is not a date on a calendar, but a state of mind.

It is about our capacity to realize things that we can, sometimes, only imagine. No matter how difficult the election was for each of us, there are always others who are going through more severe hardships.

The most heavily traveled day of the year arrives with even more seasoned flyers— making new calculations, as they inhale news about airports and airlines that make them long for proof that safety has improved.

It is why, in whatever fashion, women knock themselves out each year, as the men watch their Thanksgiving Day games.

We cook our hearts out and make beds in spare rooms. As we brace ourselves for the in-laws and grandchildren, our ingenuity is re-doubled. We slave over a hot stove, always giving more than what we get. And of course, settle into tryptophan-induced nap.

As part of tradition, it is a time to witness big family fights! Then, everyone eats turkey for a week.

It is time to recognize and celebrate the unexpected blessings in our lives, and hope, how through goodness and wisdom, we may succeed in transmitting truths that bring tranquility to the

Thanksgiving: Gratitude and appreciate of life

human spirit. In our chosen calling, as little pencils of god, that each of us can bless life and thus repair the world, just by being more ourselves, that in our most precious possession.

I am grateful of my family for many reasons: for what I see them to be, for the loveliness they have been, for the good I know in them. I love their essence, their “could be,” in spite of knowing their faults well, the individual life in them that I saw as a bud and watched unfold—enchanted and anxious.

I have watched it win its prizes and I have learned the hard truth—that a mother learns slowly, that the quick intimacy she has known becomes hope for loved strangers; even her inability to let them be. For she is impelled to know that the seeds of value sown in her have been winnowed.

For no matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement. She never outgrows the burden of love and to the end, she carries the weight of hope for those she bore—half-expecting the newborn child will make the world better.

Thanksgiving Day is first and foremost about family and friends who have touched our lives.

We are truly grateful. We are truly grateful. As Santayana once wrote, friends “are part of the race where one can be human.” having shared their fragility and resiliency—never asking for proofs

or expressions of affection—they were always simply there for you. There is always something palpably different in the way you bond, in the way you spend your time together. Sometimes it is just about being together, sharing joys, tears and pain of loss and laughter. There was never an “I” but a “we,” whether we hang tough together or hang on to each other, or whether we keep the worst from each other or confess. There’s never a show off, just a subtly, restrained respect and sharing of the minds.

And to be taken into the folds of AJP, is a homage and a lifetime debt of gratitude and selfworth.

We find plenty of reasons to be thankful—including moms, grandchildren, teachers, music, second chances, American citizenship, and the thrill of a blissful newfound set of diligent helpmates in the photo world.

Today there is awareness that it is not simply the time for parades and fancy home cooked meals, but time to get together with our friends and families for that happily anticipated warm and happy times.

Thanksgiving is gratitude and appreciation of life as it is: an acceptance of much in life that we can not understand, learning how to celebrate life until you find the unkown blessing is in everything. have a blessed Thanksgiving, gentle readers.

IñIgo Pascual is becoming his own person with the release of his self-titled debut album.

“I would say that I can make (a name for myself) because I have the talent and not because I’m Piolo Pascual’s son,” says Iñigo who doesn’t feel any pressure being compared to his famous dad and living up to people’s expectations that he could equal, if not surpass, his dad’s accomplishments in showbiz.

“To be honest, being told that I’m only famous because I have my dad on my side doesn’t affect me.

But I use it instead as a motivation to challenge and prove myself. And I guess through this (album), I’m able to show what I can be. And that’s my plan through my music.

I guess this album makes me more confident na masasabi kong ako po talaga ito and I’m able to somewhat have my own identity in this business,” the Kapamilya star explains.

For Iñigo, being the son of Piolo is more than just having good looks and a famous last name but also having the talent, a sense of purpose and a big dream. given his inclination to music, it’s no wonder that Iñigo takes after his dad.

Iñigo on having a famous dad in Piolo Pascual: I use it to challenge and prove myself.

PAGE B5

Kylie Verzosa shares her Miss International experience by lhar

santiago ManilaTimes.net

The Miss International experience will be something unforgettable for newly crowned 2016 Miss International Kylie Versoza not only because she won the coveted title, but because of the hard work she mustered for the competition.

In a conversation with Showbuzz, Kylie, shared how she felt when she made to the Top 15.

“The feeling was very familiar. It was nerve-wracking because it was nervousness mixed with happiness and excitement. That was also how I felt when I got into the Top 15 of Bb. Pilipinas.

“Wala kasing Top 5 in Miss International unlike in Bb. In the Miss International—from the top 15, the runners-up and the winner are announced,” she continued.

“So when the runners-up were being announced one by one, I was praying, ‘Lord, huwag pa, huwag

pa.’ When It was time to announce the first runner-up, sabi ko, ‘Pwede na Lord, sige na.’ I heard Miss Australia called next so I figured it would either be Poland or Mexico who will get the title. I was already thinking of how to congratulate them like, ‘You’re so beautiful Magdalena;’ ‘You deserve it, geraldine,’ when suddenly, I heard the hosts proclaiming, ‘Miss International, Philippines!’ I was like, ‘Aaah! Talaga? Talaga? Are you sure’?”

Today, Kylie will have her victory parade at the Araneta Center together with the other Bb. Pilipinas title-holders, and hopes to see many well-wishers there. She will have another motorcade on November 26 in Baguio where she comes from, where her proud city is preparing a grand welcome for their very own Miss International.

“I can’t wait to go home. I am so eager to be with my loved ones and my kababayan in Baguio,” she enthused.

Very much in the news, Show-

Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa

buzz heard that a lot of guys are wondering if Miss International is still single. Kylie replied in the affirmative but added her priority is to fulfill the duties of her title. She believes that love will come at the right time. happily, Kylie will get to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the Philippines then off to Japan she goes where the Miss International organization is based. Afterward she will fly to other countries for her charity work as part of her duties as an international queen of beauty.

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A desperate mother is able to bring her special needs child to the USA via â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;humanitarian paroleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Citizen Pinoy!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; COnChIta noticed something different about her daughter nina early on. at 2 years old, nina still couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t walk on her own. at 4, she still couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak. at 6, she would be taught the aBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s every night, only to forget everything the following morning. Conchita was resigned to the fact that nina was a special needs child but she nevertheless considered her as her â&#x20AC;&#x153;treasure.â&#x20AC;? although she tried to raise nina like a â&#x20AC;&#x153;normalâ&#x20AC;? child, she could never leave her out of sight for even a minute.

Conchita eventually immi-

grated to the U.S. through a petition by her U.S. citizen daughter, with the dream that one day, she would be able to petition nina to come live in america with her. nina was left behind in the Philippines with another sister, Ruth. But when Ruth had to immigrate to australia in May 2016 with her family, Conchita was faced with the problem of who will now take care of nina in the Philippines?

Conchita consulted with atty.

Michael Gurfinkel on a way to bring nina to the U.S., even

though the priority date on her F-2B petition was years away from being current. amazingly, leading U.S. immigration attorney Michael Gurfinkel obtained humanitarian Parole for nina in record time, which paved the way for nina being able to enter the U.S. and be under the safe and loving care of her own mother. a special episode featuring the case of a special needs child on a brand new episode of Citizen Pinoy on Sunday nov. 20 at 6:15 pm PSt on tFC.

House by a power pylon

By Sean

Shono

It is said that a power pylon gives bad influence with electric radiation. It is a bad symbol for Feng Shui as well. the sharp peak pointing at the sky invites negative energy and gives bad influence, which in turn can weaken an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Luck. to counter this, place a Bagua Convex Mirror inside of the window facing the tower, showing its front. Or you may place a Feng Shui ruler under the window. *We at Dragon God offer every necessary Feng Shui item to correct your bad environment.

Please contact the Feng Shui master for further details at Drag*** ongod4@gmail.com.

Feng Shui master Sean Shono owns dragon *ALL Feng Shui items must be God, a Feng Shui store in Gardena, california. he purified by the TAOIST way. is the u.S. chief of the international Feng Shui

A SpeciAl epiSode About A â&#x20AC;&#x153;SpeciAl childâ&#x20AC;? on citizen pinoy! When Mommy conchita (center) immigrated to the uS in 2007, she had to make a difficult decision of leaving her special needs daughter, nina (left) behind in the philippines. it was a difficult time, because mother and daughter had never been separated before. nina was left behind with her older sister Ruth, who was later about to migrate to Australia in May 2016. With Mommy conchita and Ruth gone, who will take care of nina?

Find out how leading uS immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to bring nina to the uS through humanitarian parole, on a brand new episode of citizen pinoy on Sunday, nov. 20 at 6:15pm pSt on tFc.

Duterteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s granddaughter is Annabelle Ramaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new talent GRanDDaUGhteR of President Rodrigo Duterte is now joining the entertainment industry as she has recently signed up to become a new talent of annabelle Rama.

Sixteen-year-old Isabelle Duterte, daughter of presidenAssociation. For more information, please call tial son and Vice Mayor Paolo Sean Shono at (310) 787-1891. dragon God is Duterte, is co-managed by Viva located at 1580 W. Artesia SQ. Suite A, Gardena, artist agency according to enter-

a contract of manager Betchay Vidanez. the manager was personally chosen by Baste.

Vidanez also handles Jasmine Curtis and Robin Padilla. Baste is now seen endorsing a pain and itch-relieving ointment. (Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

cA 90248.

BB Gandanghari is now a legal woman BB Gandanghari on thursday, nov. 17 rejoiced after a court in the United States recognized her legally as a woman.

BB shared the news on her Instagram account on thursday. her identity has been changed from Rustom Padilla to Binibini Gandanghari. â&#x20AC;&#x153;this is it! and I thought this day would never come. and I thank my GOD and my LORD for making these things happen. everything makes sense now... and to this great country the United States of america for providing this #basicrhum anright... thank you!!!,â&#x20AC;? her caption wrote.

tainment reporter allan Diones.

Diones posted a photo of the presidential granddaughter and Rama at her 64th birthday held at a restaurant in a hotel in Pasay City.

Like Isabelle, her uncle Sebastian â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basteâ&#x20AC;? Duterte is also under

In 2013, BB revealed she signs documents as BB Gandanghari but sometimes with an a.k.a.

Rustom Padilla in her credit card, identification card, among others. however, after the Los angeles court approved changes in her name and gender to female, she can now legally do so without mentioning her previous male identity.

BB filed her identity change request last august 2016 before the Orange County Courthouse.

BB is a former action star but decided to come out in 2006 at the aBS-CBn reality tV show, Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity edition. (Philstar.com) binibini Gandanghari

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STORE OPEN: Thu-Mon (10:00-7:00), Tue (10:00-4:00), Wed (CLOSED)

Granddaughter of president Rodrigo duterte, isabelle duterte recently signed up to become a talent of Annabelle Rama. instagram.com/Allan_diones

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Features

Vina Lelim Nacionales: A beauty queen with a golden heart

By Monet

The Global Kababayan G. TönGi

Lu

EVERYBODY has a story. Each story bears a fascinating reason that explains why the characters are the way they are. I’ve always believed in how our past could mold our present. It doesn’t define our future, but it sure does help us become what we are now.

I love hearing stories with a rags-to-riches, Cinderella plot.

Whenever I think of them, one particular story sticks out – and it is my dear friend Vina’s life story.

Vina Lelim-Nacionales is the CEO of Nacionales & Associates, which was founded in 1998. But even before becoming a CEO, Vina’s entrepreneurial skills and survival instincts were already evident as a teenager. Being the second of seven siblings, Vina took it upon herself to help feed her family by selling bread and rice.

Her father was a farmer while her my mother was a street vendor.

In order for her to finish school, she worked in a sewing company as a secretary and bookkeeper.

Her hard work paid off when she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Iloilo in the Philippines.

Despite their hard life, Vina grew more ambitious and driven.

She came to America with just $10 in her wallet and took on odd jobs to get by.

Life took a different turn for Vina when she worked for Mrs. Sara Freeman, wife of the former mayor of Beverly Hills, as her private nurse. Soon after, she took Mrs. Freeman into her home (which she later converted into a board and care facility) and took care of her for 12 years.

Within a few years, she became a successful entrepreneur, a licensed state administrator for a residential care facility and a licensed certified nurse of the State of California. She’s also a realtor and a philanthropist. She received several recognitions as a community leader including, Word of Life Giving Ministries Awardee 2012, National Association of Senior Care Awardee 2011, and Excellence in Health Care Services Awardee 2014. She was also recognized by L.A. City Mayor Eric Garcetti, and City of Carson Mayor Jim Dear.

As most people know, Vina is

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MONDAY, November 21 - Life coach Regina Santos shares tips on how to handle and manage stress during the holidays. Representatives from the Asian & Pacific Island Obesity Prevention Alliance (APIOPA) share resources available to kababayans on how to live healthier. Ed Rame, a florist and decorator, prepares a Thanksgiving activity.

Tuesday, November 22 Producer Nicanor Evangelista

Health@Heart

a beauty queen. To name a few accolades, she won Mrs. Asia Classic International 2015, Mrs. Asia Classic International Charity Queen 2015, Mrs. Asia Classic International Popularity Queen 2015 and Mrs. Asia Classic International of Goodwill 2015 – all these titles she won when she represented the Philippines in a beauty pageant in Malaysia. Just last year, she was crowned “Queen of the Philippines – World” by The Beautiful Life Celebration held at the Omni Hotel.

I caught up with Vina some a few days ago and as always, she wears a welcoming smile on her face like the beauty queen that she is. I asked her if she has other plans in the future that she wishes to pursue since it sure looks like she is ready to take on the world.

“I think I’ve done everything already. Working since the age of 17 makes you want to just spend more time traveling and enjoying the years ahead. It’s the one thing I don’t have time for, but wish to do especially now that I just turned 70, “she answered.

It was Vina’s birthday a few weeks ago. A party was thrown in her honor and it’s so unfortunate that I didn’t make it that evening because I was feeling under the weather.

“I see myself retiring soon but I still want to do community service, “Vina added.

Aside from being awarded as an outstanding mother and business-

woman, she has also received the outstanding community leader award, and was given a plaque of appreciation and recognition by the FAPPCA (Filipino American Press Club of California) for her continuous support and service to the Filipino-American community.

With all these achievements, I asked my friend who her greatest influences in life are. “I think one of them is Trump,” she kidded.

“But seriously, I admire Oprah and how her life turned out. She inspires me.”

Vina has two children and five grandchildren. Her son Harry is a director of nursing in a large hospital, and is married to Violeta Dasal who is also a nurse. They have three daughters: Cailin, Samantha and Rylee Paige. Vina’s daughter Riza, is a nurse supervisor in a rehab health care and skilled nursing facility, is married to Michael Stanley Ruiz, an MDS Nurse in a skilled facility. They have two kids, Michael Justin ‘MJ’ and Alaiza. *** 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

why ORGANIC? Organic products meet stringent standards Healthier for you & kids Organic food tastes better Organic farming respects natural resources Avoids pesticides & are artificial-fertilizer-free Non-GMO, no synthetic pesticides, no growth-promoting antibiotics There are many, many more reasons to go Organic. But in short: You’ll leave the world a better place than when you found it

PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS What is calcium?

CALCIUM is a hard, silvery metallic element which has an atomic number of 20 and an atomic weight of 40.078. It is a mineral found in bones, teeth and other body tissues. Calcium is essential in human diet and people normally ingest between 600 to 1400 mg. per day. It is indispensable and critical for normal cell function, blood clotting, dental and skeletal health, muscle contraction, nerve signal transmission and proper heart function.

Where is calcium stored in the body?

About 99% of calcium is in the bones and one percent in extracellular fluid (50% in the free active ionized form, 40% is bound to protein, primarily albumin, and 10% is complexed with anions, as calcium citrate).

Calcium regulation is controlled by parathyroid hormone, vitamin D and calcitonin, and affected by magnesium and phosphorus level.

What are the symptoms of low calcium?

Signs and symptoms of hypocalcemia vary depending on the severity. They are: muscle cramps, leg and feet tingling and numbness, dry skin, coarse hair, brittle nail, poor dentition, osteoporosis and fractures, bleeding problem, seizures, angina, heart rhythm disorders, congestive heart failure, swallowing problem, abdominal pains, pancreatitis, kidney or liver failure, cardiovascular collapse, and death.

What is the Dietary Reference Intake?

The DRI for calcium in the various age groups per day are as follows: 0-6 months, 210 mg; 6-12 months, 270 mg; 1-3 years, 500 mg; 4-8 years, 800 mg; 9-18 years, 1,300 mg; 19-50 years, 1,000 mg or 1 Gram; and 51older, 1,200 mg. The US National Institute of Health reported that a great majority of people are not consuming the Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium.

Programming of Kababayan Today, November 21-25, 2016 shares his journey to the town of Caramoan, Philippines.

Wednesday, November 23 Our kababayan Nicole Cordoves recently bagged 1st runner-up in the Miss Grand International Pageant in Las Vegas. Get to know her better on Kababayan Today.

Thursday, November 24 - “This Filipino American Life” is a podcast that discusses the Fil-Am Experience. Get to know Elaine, Ryan and Joe on the show.

Friday, November 25 - Know more about “ Know more about

the “This Filipino American Life” podcast. Watch out for an extended segment on what to expect next week on the show. *** Giselle “G” Töngi is the host and producer of Kababayan Today, a daily talk show that features relevant topics for Filipino’s living in America. Her aim is to bridge not only the cultural gap between America & the Philippines but to help with the generational gap between our own people. She is married with two children and is based in Southern California and makes frequent trips in the Pacific Rim to Hawaii and Manila to feature fellow kababayans who are empowering the FilAm community.

Calcium is essential What are the sources of calcium?

The dietary sources of calcium are from milk and milk products, like cheese, yogurt, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, kale, breakfast wheat and bran cereals, beans, nuts, grains, canned salmon and sardines (in the bones). Those who do not eat dairy products daily would need calcium supplement.

When is calcium most essential for bone health?

Calcium is most essential from birth to age 18, where bones are forming and growing.

Breast milk and milk formula are rich in calcium, and it is important that the diet of a growing child is also rich in calcium.

Preschoolers and teenagers usually choose juice or soda with their meals and this leads to inadequate calcium intake. By age 35, our bones have reached their maximum strength, so how much calcium we provide our bones in early life will determine how strong they will be later in life. Bones continue to accumulate calcium after they have stopped growing, hence sufficient calcium in the diet, or supplementation, is essential, even up to the ripe old age.

How about calcium during pregnancy?

Pregnant women need more calcium for obvious reason. She is sharing her body calcium with the baby inside her. This puts the demand on the mother’s own supply, hence she needs calcium supplementation. Increasing calcium ingestion can even help maintain normal blood pressure among pregnant women and prevent the so-called pregnancyinduced hypertension, a grave complication that could increase the risk for both the mother and the baby.

Does calcium play role in the treatment for menopause?

Yes, very much so. When menopause sets in, the woman produces much less estrogen, and this makes her more prone to osteoporosis and frequent bone fractures. Calcium has been proven to minimize bone loss after menopause and at the same time making estrogen replacement therapy work 3 times more effectively, compared to

estrogen alone.

How about men?

While osteoporosis affects more women, men are also prone to develop osteoporosis when they do not get enough calcium. The same bone weakness and fragility can lead to frequent bone fractures, as in women.

Do multivitamins contain calcium?

Yes, most, if not all, multivitamins contain about 200 mg of calcium with 400 IU of Vitamin D3, which, for adult is only about 20% of the daily minimum calcium requirement. This is why some people take additional calcium supplement (600 mg with 200 IU vitamin D) daily. Up to 2000 mg of calcium daily may be taken for supplementation.

Why the vitamin D3?

Vitamin D, which is often included in the calcium tablet, makes the body absorb and metabolize calcium more effectively. Vitamin D could also come from exposure to direct sunlight (for about 15 minutes a day), cod liver oil and fatty fish, and from fortified dairy products. Vitamin D has been found to help lower the risk of some cancers.

What kind of calcium is best?

For supplement, calcium carbonate is great. There is no need to buy the expensive kind. Calcium carbonate (as in OS-cal or Tums) provides more elemental calcium than other forms such as calcium citrate and calcium lactate. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that Tums is an excellent source of calcium.

This you can buy in grocery stores. Talk to your physician before taking supplements. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. For more data, visit philipSchua.com; Email: scalpelpen@gmail. com

Matteo ‘inspired’ in foray to action genre

By Ricky Lo Philstar.com

IN an energy drink commercial, Matteo Guidicelli proves beyond doubt that he can be an action star.

In fact, didn’t he essay into that genre in an indie?

In his new project, “Across the Crescent Moon,” Matteo graduates to being a full-fledged action star.

Aside from the fact that it is his first big action role, Matteo is said to be “inspired” but sources are mum on “who” or “what” it is.

Anyway, why does direktora Baby describe the movie as the sum of “blood, sweat and tears” (which might as well be the subtitle)? Was it because she faced what appeared to be insurmountable challenges during the shoot, from casting to location hunting to selecting the staff to unpredictable weather?

But knowing Baby, she isn’t one to give up easily. Never say die is her battlecry, in a manner of speaking. Hard work and persistence, plus lots of prayers, helped her “surmount the challenges.”

But as they would say, all’s well that ends well and Baby is extremely happy with and proud of “Across the Crescent Moon,” especially with Matteo who proved to be an excellent action and drama actor. He plays a Muslim, a brave and dedicated SAF (Special Action Force) agent married to an enlightened woman played by theater actress Alex Godinez whom Matteo has known way back when.

“Matteo is a joy to work with,” said Baby who also spoke highly of Alex, Joem Bascon (as Matteo’s comrade in the military, fighting human trafficking and drug smuggling in the South). “I don’t have to tell you that I’m equally proud of the time-tested actors in the cast,” including Christopher de Leon and

Matteo Guidicelli and theater actress Alex Godinez play a Muslim husband and a Christian wife in “Across the Crescent Moon,” written/directed/produced by Baby Nebrida.

Sandy Andolong as the Muslim parents of Matteo, and Gabby Concepcion and Dina Bonnevie as the Catholic parents of Alex. “Having them in the cast adds prestige to the movie, not to say it made my work so much easier.”

Baby explained that the crescent moon symbolizes the Islam faith, while the cross personifies Christianity. The film does not pass judgment on the two religions, but rather shows unity in diversity — that Christians and Muslims can live in harmony and peace as exemplified by Matteo and Alex who fight for their love and marriage.

Bon Tan is the movie’s executive producer. Credits include Topel Lee (cinematography), Von de Guzman (musical) scoring), Ervin Sanchez (production design), John Anthony L. Wong (editor), Nelson Cammagay (casting director), Tim Waid (film conflict consultant), Snooky Cruz (tactical firearms consultant), Dorothy Dabao (production/location manager), Heart Eusebio (associate producer), Boy

Soquerata and Jeannie Uy (assistant directors), Boy Roque and Val Iglesias (stunt directors).

Baby added with pride that his two children helped a lot, Christie and Jodie Nebrida as supervising/line producer and creative producer, respectively.

“I thank the people, Christians and Muslims alike, soldiers and civilians, who were of great help in the making of Across the Crescent Moon which was shot in Luzon and Mindanao, including beautiful and exotic Tawi-Tawi and nearby undiscovered islands,” said Baby.

Other members of the big cast are Ivan Caraopiet (in a brief but vital role), Ku Aquino, Jerico Estregan, Jackie Aquino, Rez Cortez, Leo Martinez, Gerald Ejercito, Mariel de Leon, Garrie Concepcion, Jason Abalos, Sasha Tajaran and Jerene Tan. As a final statement, Baby assured that “Across the Crescent Moon” combines hard action and meaningful family drama. It does not only entertain but also inspires and enlightens.

EntErtainmEnt

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

The ‘Baes’ as modern day ‘Bagets’ Dingdong Dantes steps up on being a husband

MILLEnnIALS don’t have it easy. Probably the most polarizing generation ever, millennials are sometimes described as driven and ambitious.

But they are also described as lazy, impatient, selfish, the embodiment of narcissism. They are, at least according to the adults who define them, the most spoiled generation in history.

The six “Baes” of “Eat Bulaga” and young actress Taki Saito — stars of the GMA network late morning show Trops — are millennials. But they are anything but selfish, impatient, and lazy.

The “Baes,” composed of Kenneth Medrano, Miggy Tolentino, Joel Palencia, Tommy Peñaflor, John Timmons, and Kim Last were finalists on “Eat Bulaga’s” “That’s My Bae” talent search last year. Joining them on the show is 16-year-old Taki, the Japan-born, France-based newcomer who entered showbiz via the drama “Calle Siete.”

These seven young stars prove that millennials can live up to their other, more positive moniker as the next greatest generation.

“This has been a dream come true, but we’re not resting in our achievements just yet. Since a year ago, we’ve been wanting to do something different, we’ve been waiting to show our talents,” said Kim, the 19-year-old Filipino-British dancer who ended up giving up his studies in London to give showbiz in the Philippines a shot.

Kenneth, the 25-year-old Cebuano who came to Manila to try his luck in show business, said they were not impatient at all. Instead, they used that one year to prepare and become better artists.

“We didn’t expect this. We don’t feel we deserve this but we have a goal for ourselves and that is to be a good example for the youth,” he said.

Trops is the perfect project for these young stars. It’s a show that tells the story of six young men and the problems they face as millen-

by Tessa Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net

But the wait was worth it. During their first week of airing, Trops dominated in its timeslot by getting around 6.2 to 6.4 percent in the ratings. That’s not just because they are showbiz’s most current eye candies. It’s also because of hard work.

“The night before our first day, I couldn’t sleep. Our call time was six in the morning, dumating ako ng five. That was how excited I was,” said Taki. “The pressure is on all of us since a lot of people expect so much from us given this huge opportunity. So we really have to give it back to them and do our best.”

“But it’s a good kind of pressure.

Positive pressure,” said Kenneth.

“It’s more of a motivation,” said Tommy, the 23-year-old from Bataan.

And they don’t do this for themselves as well. Beyond popularity, what they want to do with Trops is provide a good role model to the often-misrepresented millennials.

It’s difficult to rewrite and change how adults see millennials.

But they’re up for the challenge.

(ManilaTImes.net)

A-LIST actor and celebrity Dingdong Dantes’ marriage to Marian Rivera has been a fairy tale from the very beginning.

Dubbed no less as the “Royal Wedding” given their status as “GMA network’s Prime-time King and Queen,” the December 30, 2014 nuptial is easily recalled as one of the most memorable showbiz unions in these shores.

Here was a dashing groom, his stunning bride, a throng of bishops and priests blessing their bond in a beautiful cathedral, and the most lavish banquet to celebrate their union.

Almost two years after what is still considered the wedding of the decade, Dantes’ life with his young wife remains picture perfect, especially with an almost year-old baby girl, Letizia, who officially made them a family.

And as Marian talks about being a hands-on mom, a dutiful wife, and an all around happy homemaker in her regular interviews, her husband humbly acknowledges he cannot be luckier.

“I especially feel that way given the theme of my current movie, which shows the more difficult realities that many couples actually encounter,” said Dantes during The Manila Times’ turn at a Q&A for the Star Cinema movie “The Unmarried Wife.”

“In a way, ito ‘yung katototohanan na maaaring mangyari,” Dantes continued. “I think yung kuwento ni Anne, Geoff and Bryan [Avelino] sa movie ay totoong kuwento na nangyayari talaga sa kapaligiran na-tin.

What better way to learn from it than by immersing sa mismong nangyari. And as a husband in real life, I hope to learn from

the first time Iñigo wrote a song, called Fallen, which is included in his album. He has also dabbled in music and the tonality of our in theater when he played Link voice. Pero palagi kong sinasabi Larkin in the musical “Hairspray” mas magaling na artista si Piolo in high school.

Pascual.”

Iñigo says it feels so surreal to As stated in the press release, finally have his own album. “I still Iñigo’s passion for music goes could not believe when it first came back to his childhood when he out on the radio. I was so emotional learned to play the piano at the dahil iba yung feeling na you wrote age of seven — all by himself. At some of the songs and especially 9/28/16 10:49 AM Page 1 to play the single Dahil Sa’yo. The feeling 12, he already knew how the guitar and ukulele. It was also that you’ve been able to hear on

the radio the song that you wrote was something really special,” he shares.

“To be honest, when I saw the actual copy of the album earlier for the first time, I was just staring at it. So, this is it. Ever since I was a kid, this is something that I’ve always wondered how it would be like, and now that it actually happens. It’s a dream that’s already happening, becoming a reality.

So, sobrang sarap po sa pakiramdam.”

The ‘Trops’ are doing fine: Kenneth Medrano, Miggy Tolentino, Joel Palencia, Jon Timmons, Tommy Peñaflor and Kim Michael Last.

nials — their friendships, their relationships, their dramas. In short, it’s the modern day Bagets, but with Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and everything that defines today’s youth culture. It airs daily before Eat Bulaga on GMA network.

Joel, a 22-year-old artist who left the daily grind of being a call center agent to pursue his real passion: performing. He feels luckier that in living his dream, he gets to better himself with a project like Trops.

Meanwhile, in working as a group, Filipino-American Jon, 21, conveyed, “The only competition is ourselves. So as long as we do better than yesterday, then that will bring us closer to the top. That’s all that matters.” Like most newcomers in show business, he wants to eventually support his mother, who has four jobs in the States.

“Seeing my mom smile is the best part,” he said.

“The Baes are very close—as close as brothers. Every morning, we share Bible verses to keep a positive outlook and to energize us in everything we do,” said Miggy, 20, who was helping out in his mother’s carinderia before entering showbiz.

Iñigo Pascual on...

PAGE B2

How does he react when he is told that he sings better than his dad?

“I wouldn’t say that kasi si Papa, we have a different genre.

Pag kinanta ko yung genre niya, hindi ko magagawa, pero pag AJ Ads 78ni September 2016_Layout kinanta Papa yung genre 1 ko… We have a different style

age gracefully

Age-Busting Tropical Yams Are Worth Celebrating

BY GRACE O

Sweet Potatoes and yams are a staple during the fall and winter months.

They are delicious just baked in the oven, but I also like to include them in dessert. I make a Sweet Potato and Jackfruit Delight for a delicious and nutritious alternative containing jackfruit, which is plentiful in Southeast Asia; coconut milk, which hydrates the skin and helps keep it elastic; and sweet potatoes.

In my new award-winning cookbook – The Age Beautifully Cookbook (available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble) – I created a heart-friendly yam dish that is a perfect side dish for holiday celebrations or any occassion. The yams are tarted up with lime juice and shredded coconut in this festive side dish. Serve it with lamb or my Ostrich Meatballs (also in the cookbook). It also goes well with turkey, pork, and meatloaf.

Tropical Yams Serves 4–6 Ingredients 2 cups cubed yams or sweet potatoes, peeled 1 Tbs. coconut oil ½ tsp. salt or salt substitute 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice (and/or thin slices of key lime) ¼ cup chopped pecans ¼ cup shredded coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the yams with the oil and salt, place in a single layer in a baking dish, and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and toss with the lime juice and/or lime slices.

4. Roast for another 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and toss with the pecans and coconut.

6. Bake for about 5 more minutes or until the coconut is toasted and the yams are soft.

© 2016 by FoodTrients.com

They owe their bright orange color to the carotenoid, beta-carotene, which help inhibit cancer and tumor growth. Beta carotene is an antioxidant that can also ward off free radicals that damage cells through oxidation, contributing to the aging process. Sweet potatoes and yams are also good sources of heart-healthy potassium as well as containing phytochemicals such as quercetin, a strong anti-inflammatory.

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

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

Geoff’s experience and be a better husband to my wife.”

The actor further noted that a movie, which boldly tackles family, marital issues, and separation—possibly even instigating a renewed debate on whether divorce should be legalized in the Philip-pines—is a useful tool for individuals to reflect on their lives, as well as their stance on Dingdong Dantes certain questions.

B

B NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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COMMUNITY Journal

Your Immigration Solution NaNcy Miller THE election returns are in. Donald Trump has been elected president of the United States. We know what he said his intentions were during the campaign but what he actually plans to do remains to be seen.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will watch and listen for indications of how he intends to govern. We will also focus on who he selects as members of his cabinet for further clues as to what goals his administration will have.

In the meantime, what can those who might be most affected by his administration do?

If you are eligible to natural-

To Live With Faith revereNd rodel G. BalaGtas “HE is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in Him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible…”

(Colossians 1:15-16) I tell my students in homiletics class that preaching is about proclaiming Jesus Christ, the King of our lives. I tell them to preach His Kingdom, which is all about goodness, mercy, forgiveness, justice, reconciliation, peace, and love. I tell them to testify to people on how these values of His Kingdom are manifested in their lives and in the people they serve —how their actions and thoughts reveal the treasures, the truth, the beauty and the mysteries of His Kingdom.

Hence, as preachers, they must show a strong conviction that Jesus Christ is the center of their lives—their meaning and purpose. And this should show not only in their ministry but also in their spirituality and prayer

Trump wins — now what?

ize, you should do it now. If you are eligible for lawful permanent residence, you should file for that now. If you are not sure or if you have issues in your past that might cause complications, it might be better to file now before any changes in the law make things more difficult.

Non-citizens should start by knowing their rights. They should also determine whether they can benefit under existing immigration laws.

Talking to others in your same situation is not the best way to accomplish your goals. The best thing to do is to consult knowledgeable and experienced immigration lawyers. Ideally, the lawyer you speak to should be certified by the State Bar as a specialist in immigration & nationality law.

Right now is a time of un-

knowns and unknowns are always scary. But knowledge is power and we at Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza stand ready to help you arm yourselves with knowledge – about your rights and possibilities and to help you meet them. Let’s talk. *** Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza is one of the oldest, largest and most experienced immigration firms in the United States with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Manila.

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

Proclaiming the kingship of Jesus Christ life. Even their intellectual pursuit is about coming to a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Kingship of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of His life, death, and resurrection.

As preachers of the Gospel, seminarians have to conform themselves to the image and likeness of Christ. Are they a bridge and not an obstacle for others in their encounter with Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race? Are they instruments of Christ’s grace? Are they men of communion as Jesus is with all human beings in all weaknesses

and strengths?

This is true, not only for seminarians, but also for all Christians. Our lives must be about professing the Kingship of Jesus through our beliefs and actions.

Drawing from the words of the tribes of Israel in this Sunday’s First Reading (2 Sam 5:1-13), Jesus Christ is our “bone and our flesh”. His truth, life, and ways must reign and live in all our relationships. They must also penetrate every fabric or aspect of a society and a government. As St. Paul tells us, “He is before all

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C NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Community Journal

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Minding Your Finances Atty. rAyMond BulAon IF you are doing your best to pay your debts but simply do not have enough income to pay what your creditors are demanding from you, it may just be a matter of time before you face harsh collection actions.

One legal option that most people don’t know about is debt consolidation through Chapter 13 of the bankruptcy code. It is not the same as Chapter 7 (wiping out debts) as I will explain in this article.

You may have heard the term “debt consolidation” many times. A lot of people seem to get confused about the meaning of this term and in this article, I would like to clarify what it means as it relates to solving debt problems.

First, there is the “debt consolidation” loan. This type of debt consolidation involves going to a bank or credit union and borrowing a sufficient amount to pay off all your existing debts

Tax Tips Victor Sy, cPA, MBA

GUARANTEED? Too good to be true? Read on.

The IRS cannot deny your application if you satisfy all of the following requirements: 1. The tax is not more than $10,000.

2. You timely filed and paid all income tax returns for the past five years.

3. You did not enter into any installment agreement.

4. The IRS determines that you cannot pay the taxes in full.

5. You provide any information needed to make that determination.

6. You agree to pay the full amount owed within three years and to comply with all tax laws while the agreement is in effect.

Now, let me give you 10 tips on how to successfully maintain your payment plan: 1. You will be charged interest at the current rate.

* 1 >693+ 9,56>5 :05.,9 :65.>90;,9 (*;69

File Chapter 13 to make monthly debt payments more affordable so that you only have one debt payment to make each month.

For some people, this may be a good idea if you are paying an interest rate on the loan that is lower than what you are paying on the debts you are consolidating. Apart from the convenience of writing just one check each month instead of ten when you are paying your bills, the obvious benefit here is the potential amount of money you are saving in interest charges over the long haul.

While a consolidation loan may sound like a great idea, the truth is, often it will not resolve your financial hardship. The reason is that it is usually difficult to obtain a low interest rate on your consolidation loan unless you have an excellent credit rating and have something to offer the lender as collateral such as equity in real estate or a car, for example. Lenders with less stringent credit requirements

usually charge high interest rates; 21% or higher is not uncommon. And even when credit is excellent, often the interest rate is higher or close to what you are already paying on your other debts.

Secondly, there is “debt consolidation” through a credit counseling agency. There are a handful of such agencies (usually non-profit) who help consumers consolidate bills by working out payment plans for a small fee each month. While this strategy might work in some cases where the monthly payment is affordable, it can only work if all of your creditors agree to your proposed payment plan. Another limitation is that there are certain debts that the agency cannot and will not handle such as IRS taxes, back mortgage payments, judgments or cases where the creditor has initiated a lawsuit or wage

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Guaranteed installment agreement with the IRS 2. The late payment penalty of .5 percent per month is reduced in half to .25 percent.

3. If you pay by manual checks, the IRS will send you a letter of the balance after each payment.

4. If you pay by automatic bank withdrawal, the bank statement becomes your record of payment.

The IRS provides a statement at the beginning of each year of all payments made during the prior year.

5. Any future refunds will be applied against your balance due.

6. The installment defaults if you miss one payment.

7. It also defaults if you fail to file a return or fail to pay taxes on such tax return.

8. File form 9465 with your income tax.

9. File form 9465 separately if you already filed your income tax.

10. Use form 3567 for California requests.

Observation 1: IRS charges a

higher fee for new installment agreements that are not paid through direct debits from a taxpayer’s account. Those unwilling or unable to use a direct debit arrangement will pay more than twice as much for a new installment agreement than those using a direct debit.

Observation 2: The new fees will also apply to installment agreements made using the Online Payment Agreement application. *** 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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Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights Atty. C. Joe SAyAS, Jr. Q: I HAVE a heart condition that has become worse recently.

I need to see my doctor periodically or when I feel dizzy or short of breath. This means I need to request a half day off every now and then to see my doctor. I am afraid to tell my boss because I may get fired. What do I do?

A: Inform your employer that you need reasonable accommodation in order to take intermittent leave for medical reasons.

FEHA prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. Therefore, an employer may not terminate an employee based on the employee’s disability or medical condition.

An employee who has a disability should notify the employer of his or her condition in order to obtain accommodation.

Reasonable accommodation includes assistance that the employer extends to the employee, in order to enable the latter to do his or her job despite the disability. Even if the medical condition does not limit any major life activities (i.e., there is no disability), the employee is still entitled to reasonable accommodation. This means allowing the employee to be absent from work for medical treatments or doctor appointments.

The employee is still required to comply with the employer’s attendance policies. Thus, the employer may require the employee to provide a doctor’s note covering time away from work for illness or injury. However, the employer cannot use the employee’s

Community Journal

things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 12:17) We proclaim Christ’s Kingship always in the context of heroic service and love for all men and women. He is the King, who dies for the other; who is ridiculed, scorned, and mocked. In Him, there is no envy, greed or lust for power. He is all about service and love for the poor, the sick, the sinners, and the people in the margins of our society. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.

Therefore, our proclamation of Christ’s Kingship is not restrictive,

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Protecting employees who World War II Veterans Parole need periodic leave for Program: Frequently asked questions their medical condition medically sanctioned absences against him or her by demoting or firing the employee.

A recent case went to trial regarding this particular issue: Angela Hernandez worked as a sales and service rep in one of AT&T California Inc.’s call centers in San Diego. Hernandez suffered from migraines and vertigo, which made her miss time from work and for which she took intermittent leave. Out of a maximum of 480 hours of leave per year allowed, Hernandez took anywhere from 366 hours to 480 hours of intermittent leave from 2006 to 2011. AT&T granted every one of Hernandez’s requests for leave.

In September 2011, Hernandez took an extended leave of absence because of a vertigo flareup, and she eventually exhausted her leave. Because of this, the employer placed her on a nonjobprotected leave. When Hernandez returned from her leave in January 2012, she was written up for performance and attendance related issues. She was finally fired for failure to follow “service rep standards.”

Hernandez sued the employer, alleging that she was the victim of a widespread practice by AT&T management of targeting employees who were on FMLA. Hernandez alleged that the employer illegally disciplined employees who had medical issues, or who took FMLA leave. During trial, Hernandez showed the jury an email from a manager, instructing her team to identify

the “problem children,” – those who used up their FMLA in a year, and to essentially terminate these employees.

Hernandez claimed that the discipline she received, the bad performance reviews she was given, and her termination were really because of the amount of FMLA time she took.

The employer denied Hernandez’s claim saying that she was fired for business reasons such as her bad performance and refusal to follow procedures. The employer also accused Hernandez of abusing the leave process.

After trial, the jury issued a verdict in favor of the employee on all claims, awarding her $527,884 in future economic damages, $500,000 in past emotional distress, $1 million in future emotional distress, $2,380,991 of statutory attorney fees and costs of $298,255, bringing the total judgment to $4,707,130. This case is currently on appeal. *** The Law Offices of C. Joe Sayas, Jr. welcomes inquiries about this topic. All inquiries are confidential and at no-cost. You can contact the office at (818) 291-0088 or visit www. joesayaslaw.com. *** C. Joe Sayas, Jr., Esq. is an experienced trial attorney who has successfully obtained significant recoveries for thousands of employees and consumers. He is named Top Labor & Employment Attorney in California by the Daily Journal, consistently Aselected as Super Lawyer by the Los Angeles Magazine, and is a member of the Million Dollar-Advocates Forum.

(Advertising Supplement)

Proclaiming the kingship of Jesus…

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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

exclusive, and close to dialogue with people. Absolutely, we must present the truth of His divinity and teachings, but we must also find ways on how we can appreciate the actions of Christ and the movements of His grace in people who embrace another religion and who do not live up to the ideals of our Christian faith.

Let the Spirit of Christ then envelope our lives and fill our hearts with love for God and our neighbors. Let him dwell in our homes, schools and marketplace.

Let His Spirit move us to trust and to hope, especially in times of suffering and grief. Let us fix

our minds not only on His Kingdom here on earth but also in heaven, our common home! ***

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.

AS you may be aware, the the beneficiary can apply for an USCIS has started implementaemployment authorization docution last June 2016 the Filipino ment (EAD).

World War II Veterans Parole • Will I be interviewed by an Program (“FWVP”). The proimmigration officer? gram allows certain family • Yes. If the beneficiary is outmembers of Filipino World War side of the US, he will be interII veterans (“FWV”) who are viewed by Department of State beneficiaries of an approved consular officer in a US Embassy I-130 Petition to apply for paor consulate abroad. If he is in role with the USCIS so they can the US, he will be interviewed by come to the US while waiting a USCIS officer. A medical examfor their immigrant visa to beination and a background check come available (or to become are likewise required for all apAtty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos current). Information and eliplicants. gibility regarding the program • I am a derivative beneficiary. were discussed in my earlier articles. Below are When should I apply under the FWVP? some of the frequently asked questions about the • The petitioner who will file for the parole appliprogram: cations must file for all family members associated • Can I obtain a green card through the FWVP? with the same underlying approved I-130 Petition • No. The parole program merely allows the at the same time. beneficiaries to remain in the US during the period If you are contemplating of filing any application granted. To obtain a green card, you have to apply based on this FWV parole program or any immiand meet the eligibility requirements of a lawful gration petition for that matter, it is advisable to permanent resident (LPR). The beneficiary can ap- seek the counsel of an immigration lawyer to guide ply for adjustment of status once his priority date you on the intricacies of filing for such a petition. becomes current. *** • How long can I stay in the US under the Atty. Gwendolyn Malaya-Santos is a member of the State Bar of FWVP? California and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. To schedule • The initial period of time allowed under the for a free initial in-person consultation, please call Tel. Nos. (213) parole program is three (3) years. However, the 284-5984 or (626) 329-8215. Atty. Santos’ office is located at 3450 beneficiary can apply for re-parole at least ninety Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1200-105, Los Angeles, CA 90010.

(90) days before the initial period expires. Since *** it may take years before the visas of the benefi- Information contained in this article does not, nor is it intended to, constitutes ciaries become current, they are responsible in legal advice for any specific situation and does not create a lawyer-client making sure they apply for re-parole when and relationship. It likewise does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or as needed. prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

• Can I work in the US while under the FWVP? We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under • Yes. Once the parole application is approved, the Bankruptcy Code.

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File Chapter 13 to make monthly debt…

PAGE C2 t garnishment.

Lastly, paying your debts through this type of debt consolidation will still be a negative on your credit report because it will be reported as “slow pay”.

The type of debt consolidation we help people obtain is one that eligible individuals may do under Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code. Done correctly, it is the best type of consolidation you will ever find. Chapter 13 allows you to pay back all kinds of debts including the debts I have mentioned above that the credit counseling agencies cannot help you with. On credit card and a majority of your debts, you also pay 0% interest, allowing you to pay off what you owe much faster than any type of debt consolidation.

The greatest benefit of con-

solidating through Chapter 13 is that you only pay based on what you can afford each month and it is possible to pay creditors only a very small portion of what you owe over a period of 3-5 years.

And if you are facing foreclosure of your home, repossession of your car or other property, you can stop the creditor immediately from taking your property once you file for Chapter 13.

Once your Chapter 13 payment plan is approved, creditors must accept it. The result: a reduced monthly debt payment which still allows you to live with the other expenses you have- rent or mortgage payments, food, clothing and transportation expenses, etc. If your debt problems have caused you a lot of financial stress, Chapter 13 is often the most effective tool in getting your finances back in

order in the shortest time possible because relief is immediate upon filing of the case.

I have helped a lot of individuals and business owners obtain debt relief through Chapter 13.

If you would like to find out if this is an option in your situation, I would be glad to talk to you and explore this possibility further. To schedule a free personal consultation, please call the appointment line TOLL FREE AT 1-866-477-7772.) 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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C NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

Debt Relief Atty. LAwrence yAng CLIENTS are young seniors at 62. Husband took an early retirement as he has a serious illness.

Two years ago, husband was diagnosed with stage 3 leukemia.

He has been undergoing treatment with a new cancer-fighting drug that is still experimental.

The cancer went into remission last year but resurfaced recently.

I sometimes wonder, with all our advanced technology that can send people to mars, we still cannot cure cancer. Sure, certain cancers can now be fought effectively if detected early enough and we know more about cancer now that we did a couple of decades ago. There is of course our City of Hope that boasts of being cutting edge on cancer treatment, but if you are unlucky enough to get cancer, I am sure that the thought of dying sooner than later will certainly be a constant thought in your mind. I’ve also heard of people who get cured of cancer by stem cell therapy administered by a group of German doctors in Mexico. The cost of treatment is about $30K per session using stem cells from a fetus, which they provide. In any event, the best thing that can happen for our loved ones & us, is that we never get sick until we die of natural causes.

I rely on Psalm 91, written by Moses a long time ago, for protection from cancer and other illness for my loved ones & myself.

In that Psalm, Moses says that “Whoever goes to the Lord for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty can say to Him, ‘you are my defender and protector, you are my

Barrister’s Corner

Community Journal

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Seniors with $40K credit Reinstatement for surviving beneficiaries of cards seek Chapter 7 relief an I-130 petition filed by a deceased relative Client needs Chapter 13 to handle $50K personal guaranty

God, in you I trust.’ He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. So, like Moses, I go to our Lord to keep my loved ones & I safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. Going back to clients, since husband fell ill, he stopped working; hence his income went down as he now receives social security at 62. He took early retirement. Normally, one would wait until 67 to get full social security benefits. But with client’s illness, he may not be around at 67 so he might as well start getting social security even if it’s a lesser amount now.

Clients are paying for a 2016 4 Runner. They pay $600 a month with 5 more years to go. They feel that it’s too much of a debt burden and have decided to return the 4 Runner. The dealer told them that even with a voluntary return of the car, they would still owe about $12K. This is called the voluntary car return deficiency. What happens is that the dealer sells the returned car at wholesale and uses the proceeds to pay a portion of the car loan. Since clients still have 5 years on the car loan, at $600 a month, they owe $36K. The dealer anticipates selling the car for $24K at wholesale. The sale proceeds of $24K will be used to pay down the $36K, leaving a balance of $12. By contract, clients have agreed to pay $36K for the car, so they are still contractually liable for the unpaid difference of $12K even if the car has been returned.

In addition, clients owe $40K

of credit cards. They need $1200 a month for minimum monthly payments. Since client only gets $1,100 from social security. It’s a no brainer that they need to wipe out the $40K of credit cards as well as the $12K voluntary car return deficiency. Clients have further decided to buy a cheaper car where they will only pay about $200 a month or less on a lease.

I told them to go ahead and get a smaller car, which is consistent with pre bankruptcy planning.

Second client is 52. He owns a California S corporation, and has a residence that has $300K equity.

His import distribution business was doing well since it started in 2002. But business turned south last year when gross sales went down by 30%. With a 30% sales reduction, the company is losing money. He obtained a $50K loan from bank, which required him to execute a personal guaranty for $50K. Company has not paid the loan for several months. Bank then sued the company and client on his personal guaranty last week. Since client has $300K of equity in his house, the non-exempt portion of the homestead equity is $200K. That’s a lot more than the $50K guaranty.

Client does not qualify for Chapter 7 relief. However, Chapter 13 will provide relief in that client will be given a repayment plan of 60 months to pay $50K without interest, that’s about $850 a month for 5 years. Since client now works for employer and has a gross salary of $3,500 a month, and his wife also has some in-

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DEAR Attorney Tan, My US Citizen mother filed an I-130 immigrant petition on my behalf, which has a priority date in February 2000 and which has been approved. She filed the I-130 petition after I came to the US in 1999 as a tourist from the Philippines. Since my arrival, I have lived in the US and have been out of status. Since I was petitioned as an unmarried adult daughter, I was advised that I had to wait several years to get a green card. Recently, my mother passed away. Can I still get a green card through my mother’s petition? — Apparently In Limbo Dear Apparently In Limbo, When your mother passed away, the I-130 that was approved on your behalf was revoked by operation of law pursuant to 8 CFR Section 205.1. However, depending on the facts of a particular case, all is not lost. You may be eligible to get a green card pursuant to INA Section 204(L).

Under INA Section 204(L), relief from an automatic revocation of an I-130 petition is available to certain surviving relatives. Surviving relatives who are eligible to seek 204(L) relief include a 1) principal or derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a deceased permanent resident or U.S. Citizen, and 2) derivative beneficiary of an I-130 petition that was filed by a permanent resident or U.S. Citizen where the principal beneficiary has died. Section 204(L) relief is also available to derivative beneficiaries in I-140 employment-based petitions where the principal beneficiary has died.

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

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

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

Relief under Section 204(L) is discretionary, and can be denied if factors in support of relief are not presented properly. It is accordingly recommended that you seek the assistance of an experienced attorney. *** 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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Can I get reimbursed for my separate property contribution from all subsequent community properties purchased during marriage?

purchased no longer has a lot of equity due to the cash out refi Atty. Kenneth but the subsequent houses we UrsUA reyes purchased has a lot of equity.

QUESTION: I contributed My spouse just filed for divorce. money which I saved before the Can I seek reimbursement for marriage into purchasing a prop- my separate money that I conerty during the marriage which I tributed from all the subsequent acquired with my spouse in joint houses we purchased during the name. During the marriage we marriage?

Answer: Family Code Section cashed out most of the equity in that house to purchase several 2640, subdivision (b), provides, properties. The first house we “In the division of the communi-

ty estate under this division, unless a party has made a written waiver of the right to reimbursement or has signed a writing that has the effect of a waiver, the party shall be reimbursed for the party’s contributions to the acquisition of the property to the extent the party traces the contributions to a separate property source. The amount reimbursed shall be without interest or adjustment for change in monetary

values and shall not exceed the net value of the property at the time of the division.” Section 2640, subdivision (a), provides, “ ‘Contributions to the acquisition of the property,’ as used in this section, include downpayments, payments for improvements, and payments that reduce the principal of a loan used to finance the purchase or improvement of the property but do not include payments of interest on the loan or

payments made for maintenance, insurance, or taxation of the property.” Under Family Code Section 2640, the separate property contribution is reimbursed prior to the division of community property. In re Marriage of Witt (1987) 197 Cal.App.3d 103, 105, 108–109, 242 Cal.Rptr. 646; In re Marriage of Tallman (1994) 22 Cal.App.4th 1697, 1698–1700, 28 Cal.Rptr.2d 323; Hogoboom & King, Cal. Practice Guide: Family

Law 2 (The Rutter Group 1997) ¶ 8:466, p. 8–118.1 In other words “A reimbursement award comes off the top of the community property item in question ***859 **1127 before the [community property] interest in that property is divided.” (Italics omitted.) ].) If there is insufficient equity at the time of dissolution in the property to which the contribution was made to fully reimburse

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1961 UP Diliman high school graduates celebrate their Emerald milestone in Las Vegas UP High School Diliman 1961 co-graduates from California, Ohio and New Jersey came together in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 29 to November 1, 2016.

The group joined friends living in Las Vegas to mark their Emerald anniversary. Headlining their 4-day reunion was a well-attended concert of “Songs, Music and Memories” by a co-graduate, soprano, Everlita Rivera-David at The Smith Center. This was followed by dinner and fun in Fremont Experience, get togethers in Henderson, riding a private pad on the Linq High Roller and buffet and bowling at the Red Rock Casino. n

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

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People and Events

Photo shows the UP High School Diliman 1961 graduates with their spouses during their milestone 55th Emerald Anniversary in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Standing L-R) Art and Rose Alvarez, Roly Catiis, Paul Cajiuat, Jack Jacala, Dony Joaquin, Manny Tabora, David David, Nelson and Merle Borrero, Doris Velasco, Jess Aquino, Art Jorge, Mario and Marie Maglalang. (Seated L-R) Nina Joaquin, Evelyn Crispino, Norie Catiis, Evelyn Andamo, Aura Cajiuat, Everlita David, Florence Tabora, Myrna Jorge, Bing Jacala and Cora Aquino. Reclining in front is Vicente Velasco

Can I get reimbursed for my separate…

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the contribution, the entire asset is awarded to the contributing spouse. In re Marriage of Witt, supra, 197 Cal.App.3d at pp. 105, 108–109, 242 Cal.Rptr. 646.

The right of reimbursement under family code section 2640 goes further than the initial property purchased during the marriage. In Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998), the California Supreme Court held that a spouse’s reimbursement right upon dissolution for a separate property contribution to a community property acquisition carries through to other community property subsequently acquired with proceeds from original acquisition. Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998). In other words, you can seek reimbursement for the separate money you contributed, not only from the initial property purchased jointly during the marriage but also from any subsequent properties you were able to purchase during the marriage by refinancing the initial

property provided you can trace the separate funds through the various purchase transactions.

However, your right to reimbursement is limited to the separate money you actually contributed. You do not get to share in any of the of appreciation of the community property houses. Any appreciation above your separate contribution gets credited to the community. Where spouse contributes separate property to an acquisition of community property, and proceeds from original acquisition are later used to acquire other community property, spouse’s recovery of proceeds from subsequently acquired property is limited in dissolution proceeding to the amount of spouse’s original contribution that can be traced to that subsequently acquired asset; community is entitled to any appreciation in that asset above the amount necessary to reimburse spouse for original separate property contribution.

Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998).

Seniors with $40K credit…

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come, Chapter 13 will protect his house from a judgment lien of $50K from the lawsuit. If he were to opt for Chapter 7, he would lose his house. Trustee will sell his house, give him his exempt equity of $100K, then use the $200K to pay the $50K and trustee administrative and legal fees which will be substantial.

So Chapter 7 is not the right way to go. Chapter 13, however, will provide adequate relief while protecting his residence from a judgment lien. Besides, Chapter

13 trustee have no power to sell debtor’s house.

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”

— Psalm 147:11

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

In Walrath, Husband contributed $146,000 of his separate property into a house purchased jointly in California during the marriage while Wife contributed $20,000 of her separate property into that house. During the marriage, the couple refinanced and took out $180,000 which was used to purchase a house in Utah and a house in Nevada. Due to the refi and due to a decrease in real estate prices, the California property only had $1,000 in equity which was clearly insufficient to reimburse husband and wife during their divorce of each one’s separate property contribution. However, the couple was able to get reimbursement from the subsequently purchased Utah and Nevada property by tracing their respective separate property contributions to the subsequently purchased property. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

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

St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church celebrates Closing of the Holy Doors ON Sunday, November 20, St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church in Walnut, California will celebrate the Closing of the Holy Door of Mercy and the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

The closing of the Holy Door will be celebrated by a mass at 12:30 p.m. presided by Bishop David G. O’Connell, Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region. This will be preceded by the procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe “La Peregrina” and San Juan Diego.

The journey of St. Lorenzo Ruiz parish began in 1987 when a written campaign was started and sent to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In July of 1989, the first mass was held at what was then known as St. Martha’s Mission. In September of 1991, the Walnut Catholic Mission was officially established as St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church (a warehouse off of Valley Boulevard and Lemon Avenue in Walnut) and in October of that same year, our first pastor, Fr. Dennis Vellucci was installed. In May of 1995, the construction of St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church began and the church opened her doors in 1996. In June of 2000, Fr. Michael Carroll was installed as Pastor, succeeding Fr. Vellucci. In August of 2005, Fr. Tony P. Astudillo was installed as pastor and with his vision and tireless effort the building of the new church of stone began. In September of 2009, the cornerstone of the future church was laid, and one year later, on September 26, 2010 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church celebrated with the dedication of their new church. Under Fr. Tony’s tutelage, the community embraced the idea of “at the end of the day, it’s all about relationships” and thus began the unmatched hospitality of the parish. This past September, St. Lorenzo Ruiz celebrated her 25th year anniversary. It is especially poignant since the parish was selected to be one of the pilgrim churches during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, as decreed by Pope Francis. SLRCC stands alone in the United States as the only church named af-

ter the first Filipino saint and martyr. It sits amidst the beautiful city of Walnut, with upwards of 2,500 registered families. We invite everyone to join us in our celebration of our Silver Jubilee here at St. Lorenzo Ruiz…where earth meets heaven. Welcome Home!

For more information on the parish and its activities, please contact the main office at (909) 5959545 or visit the parish website at www.saintlorenzo.org. St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church is located at 747 N. Meadowpass Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

FILIPINO PROGRAMMING

ONLYON LA18 begins Novemeber 22nd

All New “KANO LUVS PINAY”

Ang pinakasikat at kinagigiliwan nating Pelikula

“Ang Turkey man ay Pabo rin” ay nasa TV na !

Sundan ang kilig at kwelang kwento ng Fil-Am couple na sina Cookie at Matthew, as they try to make their love work across continents! Keri kaya ng kanilang pag-ibig ang pagsasanib ng magkaiba nilang mundo?

In short… “will true luv conquers all?”

KANO LUVS PINAYall new on LA18 at 3pm!

Keeping You Connected

NEW ON LA18 !

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1961 UP Diliman high school graduates celebrate their Emerald milestone in Las Vegas UP High School Diliman 1961 co-graduates from California, Ohio and New Jersey came together in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 29 to November 1, 2016.

The group joined friends living in Las Vegas to mark their Emerald anniversary. Headlining their 4-day reunion was a well-attended concert of “Songs, Music and Memories” by a co-graduate, soprano, Everlita Rivera-David at The Smith Center. This was followed by dinner and fun in Fremont Experience, get togethers in Henderson, riding a private pad on the Linq High Roller and buffet and bowling at the Red Rock Casino. n

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016

C

People and Events

Photo shows the UP High School Diliman 1961 graduates with their spouses during their milestone 55th Emerald Anniversary in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Standing L-R) Art and Rose Alvarez, Roly Catiis, Paul Cajiuat, Jack Jacala, Dony Joaquin, Manny Tabora, David David, Nelson and Merle Borrero, Doris Velasco, Jess Aquino, Art Jorge, Mario and Marie Maglalang. (Seated L-R) Nina Joaquin, Evelyn Crispino, Norie Catiis, Evelyn Andamo, Aura Cajiuat, Everlita David, Florence Tabora, Myrna Jorge, Bing Jacala and Cora Aquino. Reclining in front is Vicente Velasco

Can I get reimbursed for my separate…

PAGE C4 t

the contribution, the entire asset is awarded to the contributing spouse. In re Marriage of Witt, supra, 197 Cal.App.3d at pp. 105, 108–109, 242 Cal.Rptr. 646.

The right of reimbursement under family code section 2640 goes further than the initial property purchased during the marriage. In Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998), the California Supreme Court held that a spouse’s reimbursement right upon dissolution for a separate property contribution to a community property acquisition carries through to other community property subsequently acquired with proceeds from original acquisition. Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998). In other words, you can seek reimbursement for the separate money you contributed, not only from the initial property purchased jointly during the marriage but also from any subsequent properties you were able to purchase during the marriage by refinancing the initial

property provided you can trace the separate funds through the various purchase transactions.

However, your right to reimbursement is limited to the separate money you actually contributed. You do not get to share in any of the of appreciation of the community property houses. Any appreciation above your separate contribution gets credited to the community. Where spouse contributes separate property to an acquisition of community property, and proceeds from original acquisition are later used to acquire other community property, spouse’s recovery of proceeds from subsequently acquired property is limited in dissolution proceeding to the amount of spouse’s original contribution that can be traced to that subsequently acquired asset; community is entitled to any appreciation in that asset above the amount necessary to reimburse spouse for original separate property contribution.

Marriage of Walrath, 17 Cal. 4th 907, (1998).

Seniors with $40K credit…

PAGE C4 t

come, Chapter 13 will protect his house from a judgment lien of $50K from the lawsuit. If he were to opt for Chapter 7, he would lose his house. Trustee will sell his house, give him his exempt equity of $100K, then use the $200K to pay the $50K and trustee administrative and legal fees which will be substantial.

So Chapter 7 is not the right way to go. Chapter 13, however, will provide adequate relief while protecting his residence from a judgment lien. Besides, Chapter

13 trustee have no power to sell debtor’s house.

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.”

— Psalm 147:11

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

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

(Advertising Supplement)

In Walrath, Husband contributed $146,000 of his separate property into a house purchased jointly in California during the marriage while Wife contributed $20,000 of her separate property into that house. During the marriage, the couple refinanced and took out $180,000 which was used to purchase a house in Utah and a house in Nevada. Due to the refi and due to a decrease in real estate prices, the California property only had $1,000 in equity which was clearly insufficient to reimburse husband and wife during their divorce of each one’s separate property contribution. However, the couple was able to get reimbursement from the subsequently purchased Utah and Nevada property by tracing their respective separate property contributions to the subsequently purchased property. *** Attorney Kenneth Ursua Reyes is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He was President of the Philippine American Bar Association. He is a member of both the Family law section and Immigration law section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has extensive CPA experience prior to law practice. LAW OFFICES OF KENNETH REYES, P.C. is located at 3699 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA, 90010. Tel. (213) 388-1611 or e-mail kureyeslaw@gmail.com or visit our website at Kenreyeslaw.com. *** Please note that this article is not legal advice and is not intended as legal advice. The article is intended to provide only general, non-specific legal information. This article is not intended to cover all the issues related to the topic discussed.

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

St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church celebrates Closing of the Holy Doors Sunday, Nov. 20 in Walnut, CA

ON Sunday, November 20, St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church in Walnut, California will celebrate the Closing of the Holy Door of Mercy and the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

The closing of the Holy Door will be celebrated by a mass at 12:30 p.m. presided by Bishop David G. O’Connell, Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region. This will be preceded by the procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe “La Peregrina” and San Juan Diego.

The journey of St. Lorenzo Ruiz parish began in 1987 when a written campaign was started and sent to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In July of 1989, the first mass was held at what was then known as St. Martha’s Mission. In September of 1991, the Walnut Catholic Mission was officially established as St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church (a warehouse off of Valley Boulevard and Lemon Avenue in Walnut) and in October of that same year, our first pastor, Fr. Dennis Vellucci was installed. In May of 1995, the construction of St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church began and the church opened her doors in 1996. In June of 2000, Fr. Michael Carroll was installed as Pastor, succeeding Fr. Vellucci. In August of 2005, Fr. Tony P. Astudillo was installed as pastor and with his vision and tireless effort the building of the new church of stone began. In September of 2009, the cornerstone of the future church was laid, and one year later, on September 26, 2010 St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church celebrated with the dedication of their new church. Under Fr. Tony’s tutelage, the community embraced the idea of “at the end of the day, it’s all about relationships” and thus began the unmatched hospitality of the parish. This past September, St. Lorenzo Ruiz celebrated her 25th year anniversary. It is especially poignant since the parish was selected to be one of the pil-

grim churches during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, as decreed by Pope Francis. SLRCC stands alone in the United States as the only church named after the first Filipino saint and martyr. It sits amidst the beautiful city of Walnut, with upwards of 2,500 registered families. We invite everyone to join us in our celebration of our Silver Jubilee here at St. Lorenzo Ruiz…where earth meets heaven. Welcome Home!

For more information on the parish and its activities, please contact the main office at (909) 5959545 or visit the parish website at www.saintlorenzo.org. St. Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Church is located at 747 N. Meadowpass Road, Walnut, CA 91789.

FILIPINO PROGRAMMING

ONLYON LA18 begins Novemeber 22nd

All New “KANO LUVS PINAY”

Ang pinakasikat at kinagigiliwan nating Pelikula

“Ang Turkey man ay Pabo rin” ay nasa TV na !

Sundan ang kilig at kwelang kwento ng Fil-Am couple na sina Cookie at Matthew, as they try to make their love work across continents! Keri kaya ng kanilang pag-ibig ang pagsasanib ng magkaiba nilang mundo?

In short… “will true luv conquers all?”

KANO LUVS PINAYall new on LA18 at 3pm!

Keeping You Connected

NEW ON LA18 !

G Töngi

C NOVEMBER 19-22, 2016 • LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL

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

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

LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvEmbER 19-22, 2016

MARKETPLACE SHOWROOM

& Immigration Corner

Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte to invite APEC leaders, investors: ‘PH open for business’

by Nestor

Corrales

Inquirer.net

PrESIDEnT rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, nov. 17 said he would encourage more investors to do business in the Philippines in his attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru.

“My message to APEC will be clear: The Philippines is open for business. We will do everything to make sure that business, particularly our MSMEs [micro, small, medium enterprises], will thrive and flourish,” Duterte said during his pre-departure speech at the Davao International Airport.

“I will highlight government policy support as well as efforts to address corruption and criminality as building blocks of a strong and resilient The President said he would present during the economic leaders’ meeting his administration’s 10-point Socio-Economic Program.

“In the meetings, I will bring to the fore key components of my 10-point Socio-Economic

Program, particularly improvements in doing business through more efficient and responsive governance, massive investments in new infrastructure, a new focus on the rural development, and increased investments in human capital,” he said.

“We must harness the potential of this huge region to ensure that no one, especially our citizens, are left behind in the march for greater progress and prosperity.

Our people are at the core of our program on inclusive growth and sustainable development, we will spare no effort to realize this in the context of APEC,” he added.

The 71-year old chief executive assured Filipinos that the government would continue to work hard, comparing the Philippines’ progress to an airplane which remained on the runway for years.

“As I have said before, your government is working very hard to make sure that our economy will finally take flight,” he said.

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is scheduled on november 19 to 20 in Lima, Peru.

Regional and global demands for Filipino CPAs on the rise THE number of certified public accountants is seen to grow in the coming years as demand for Filipino accountants in the Asean region continues to grow, according to a top-ranking Australian CPA. Alex Malley, CPA Australia chief executive officer, told reporters on Tuesday, nov. 15 that the number of CPAs in the Philippines is seen rising as there are many job opportunities for accounting professionals not only in the country but globally as well.

“The thing about being a CPA is you don’t actually have to be in an accounting role,” Malley said.

“You [as a CPA]are recognized as a strategic leader, so what you find is that [CPAs] work in

many areas of management and leadership. And they have skills around governance, skills around business management, strategy development and people management, and all of these areas are in demand and having a CPA qualification gives you an opportunity,” he added.

When asked if there is a shortage of CPAs in the Philippines, Malley said there is but not necessarily in the accounting business.

“I think if it’s strictly within the profession, I think there are good numbers of CPAs, because CPAs work in all sectors,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Joel Tan Torres, PAGE D2

Moody’s: PH to suffer from US policy shift

by MayveliN

U. Caraballo

ManilaTimes.net

CrEDIT rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has warned the Philippines anew of the negative impact from a possible shift in United States’ economic policies.

The Philippines is one of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region that will suffer the consequences of a change in US trade policies, Moody’s said in a report released on Thursday, nov. 17.

“While the nature of policies under the next US administration

is uncertain, President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign proposals indicate that a shift involving lower U.S. imports and foreign direct investment (FDI), and curbs to immigration is possible,” it stated.

Since the global financial crisis, trade has remained notably muted, the debt watcher noted.

A global retrenchment by the world’s largest economy would exacerbate the situation, challenging output growth and potentially constraining policy space in trade-reliant, FDI-supported or PAGE D5

Business Quote of the Week “The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that.

A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now.

Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today.

The true entrepreneur is a doer not a

EACH month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. A priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “Application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the Application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authoriza-

D

The December 2016 priority dates

tion (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the Application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter.

No 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)

The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

May 1, 2006

September 15, 2005

First Preference

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

Second Preference

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below November 22, 21 years old) of green 2015 card holder

February 22, 2015

(2b) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

February 1, 2007

March 1, 2006

Third Preference

married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

January 1, 1995

August 15, 1994

Fourth Preference

brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

April 1, 1994

May 22, 1993

LABOR CERTIFICATION:

Application Filing Date

Second Preference

Advanced Degree (masters)

Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Visa Issuance Date

Current

Current

September 1, 2013

June 1, 2011

September 1, 2013

June 1, 2011

D november 19-22, 2016 • LA WeeKenD ASIAn JoUrnAL

Marketplace & ShowrooM

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

CONSUMER ALERT: UTILITIES CALL SCAM

Beware of callers posing as utility employees demanding immediate payment WaSHinGtOn – the Federal communications commission (Fcc) is alerting consumers to be on the lookout for callers pretending to be utility company employees demanding immediate payment, often by prepaid debit cards, credit cards, or gift cards. as american consumers prepare for winter months when many people would be endangered by an interruption to heating fuel, the Fcc’s consumer and Governmental affairs Bureau wanted to make consumers aware of this scam and prepared to protect themselves.

Key consumer tip: if consumers receive a call warning them of a balance they do not believe they owe their utility, they should hang up, independently look up their utility company’s phone number on a recent statement or legitimate website, and call that number to verify the legitimacy of the call. in this scam, the caller typically poses as a representative of the consumer’s actual local utility, stating that immediate payment will ensure that the consumer’s heating service will not be disconnected. the scammers are known to spoof utility company telephone numbers so the caller iD makes it appear to be a call from the utility company. these scammers often use automated interactive voice response calling systems that mimic legitimate providers’

calls. after consumers, many of whom are older adults, follow instructions via interactive prompts, they are connected to a live “customer service representative” who asks for the access code for a credit, debit, or gift card. this information allows the scammer to cash out the card or sell it to a third party. anyone who believes they have been targeted by this scam should immediately report the incident to their actual utility company, to local police, to the Federal trade commission’s complaint assistant, and to the Fcc’s consumer Help center. consumers should always be on alert for this scam and others. the following tips can help ward off unwanted calls and scams: Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail. if you are unclear if a caller is legitimate, hang up, look up the company’s phone number independently on your recent bill or their legitimate website, and contact them through an official number, web form or email address to see if they called you.

By initiating the communication yourself, you can verify that the request for payment is legitimate. if you answer and the caller (often a recording) asks you to hit a button to stop getting the

calls, just hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify – and then target – live respondents. if you receive a scam call, write down the number and file a complaint with the Fcc and other appropriate authorities so we can help identify and take appropriate action to help consumers targeted by illegal callers. ask your phone service provider if it offers a robocall blocking service that allows subscribers to block unwanted calls. if not, encourage your provider to start offering a blocking service.

You can also visit the Fcc’s website on “Web Resources for Blocking Robocalls” for information and resources on available robocall blocking tools to help you reduce unwanted calls.

Legitimate utility companies will not demand payment via gift cards. as the agency that implements and enforces the telephone consumer Protection act, the Fcc reviews all consumer complaints and will continue, when appropriate, to issue consumer alerts based on those complaints and other public information related to possible scams and frauds. this is part of a new, standing series of consumer alerts from the Fcc in hopes of informing, protecting, and empowering consumers.

(L-R) Cebuana Lhuillier General Manager Noel Fernando Cristal,; Cebuana Lhuillier Vice President Philippe Andre Lhuillier; Cebuana Lhuillier President & CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier; PNB President Reynaldo Maclang; PNB Executive Vice President Bernardo Tocmo; and PNB First Senior Vice President Benjamin Oliva

PNB inks partnership with Cebuana Lhuillier

Remittance is now made easier with Philippine national Bank (PnB) and cebuana Lhuillier! the money you remit at PnB overseas branches and offices can now be picked up in any of cebuana Lhuillier’s 1,800 branches nationwide. With cebuana Lhuillier as a partner, PnB maintains its position of strength to serve its clients by enhancing customer experience and convenience. as one of the leading banks in the Philippines, PnB has 72 overseas branches and offices which span asia, europe, the middle east, and north america.

Philippine National Bank the Philippine national Bank is the country’s fourth largest private commercial bank in terms of assets and deposits. it is a universal bank providing a full range of banking and other financial services to its highly diverse clientele comprised of individual depositors, small and medium enterprise, domestic and international corporations, government institu-

tions, and overseas Filipinos. For the past century, PnB has always been the bank that customers can lean on. Backed by 100 years of stability and excellence, PnB looks forward to yet another hundred years of serving You First.

PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies established in 1988, the PJ Lhuillier Group of companies (PJLGc) is a dynamic, multi-industry institution that owns and operates businesses dealing with microfinancial products and services such as pawning, remittance, microinsurance, and microloans. the company is also involved in other industries such as retail, hotel and restaurant management, it, sports management, and real estate. PJLGc is the proud parent company of cebuana Lhuillier, the Philippines’ largest microfinancial services provider with over 1,800 branches nationwide.

(Advertising Supplement)

Regional and global demands for Filipino...

PAGE D1 chairman of the Profesional Regulation commission- Board of accountancy, said there is a shortage

of accountants as cPas cater to a lot of different industries.

“Filipino accountants are servicing the requirements of not only Filipino businesses, or the needs of the country, but also the needs of our neighbors in the world,” torres added.

“We have so many Filipino accountants who work in the middle east, Singapore, the United States even. So definitely, there’s so much opportunities and demand for Filipino accountants,” he said. malley said cPas are able to work in any part of the world as

accounting uses the same international language. “i think we need to keep producing cPas because they work in all sectors and it’s an international language. i speak accounting, that’s the global language,” he added.

On tuesday, a total of 5,249 cPas who passed the recent board examinations took their oath at the Philippine international convention center in manila. tan-torres said that on average basis, the Philippines produces a total of 7,500 to 8,000 accountants a year. (ManilaTimes.net)

California treasurer launches first-innation college savings gift cards at Toys ‘R’ Us, Babies ‘R’ Us stores Consumer-friendly gift cards seek to be a game changer in how LOS anGeLeS – treasurer John chiang announced on Wednesday, nov. 16 that his office has become the first in the nation to offer gift cards—a popular stocking stuffer used by nearly 93 percent of american consumers—as a way of helping californians give the gift of college. the cards are arriving in 96 Babies “R” Us and toys “R” Us stores across california just in time for the holidays. treasurer chiang forged the partnership with the largest standalone toy store chain in the world to offer the pioneering new product. the cards will also be available at Babies “R” Us, an affiliate of toys “R” Us, which offers an assortment of products for newborns, infants, and toddlers. “there is no more time-tested solution to poverty, crime, or income inequality than to make college education an affordable possibility for every child who seeks one,” said chiang. “Faced with skyrocketing tuition, we must empower californians to save, invest, and plan for their children’s futures.”

By using a familiar product in an innovative way, never before has it been this easy for relatives, friends, or even a parent’s employer, to help kids save for college.

Saving for college is critical, state educators agree. “the University of california and the State are doing all they can to ensure that a college education is affordable through financial aid programs, but saving for your child’s education is a prudent financial decision,” said Uc President Janet napolitano.

“Saving for future education expenses through 529 college saving programs like ScholarShare is an essential part of preparing our future generation of students.”

“One of the best ways a parent, grandparent, friend, or relative can help children achieve their college dreams is to begin sav-

ing early for college expenses,” agreed State Superintendent of Public instruction tom torlakson.

“Opening or contributing to a 529 ScholarShare account for a child is a great way to do that because earnings from funds in the account are not taxed if the money is spent on college expenses.” the gift cards allow families and friends to contribute to college savings accounts with california’s highly-rated Scholarshare 529 plan in three easy steps: Parents or guardians register the child, linking an existing or new ScholarShare 529 plan.

Friends and family can then contribute by purchasing physical or digital gift cards at any california-based toys “R” Us or Babies “R” Us retail store or online at www.scholarshare.com the gift cards can then be redeemed at Giftofcollege. com.,where funds are then transferred directly to the recipients’ plan. a recent study by the Journal of children and Poverty, concluded that kids with savings accounts in their names are seven times more likely to attend college than children without such accounts. “thanks to our toys “R” Us partnership california families now have an easy and convenient way to build a college nest egg and a realistic path to helping their children earn a college degree without saddling them with crippling debt,” chiang said.

The ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan named for the section of the internal Revenue Service (iRS) code under which they were created, 529 plans offer valuable tax advantages. contributions are made with money that has already been taxed. Once funds are placed in the account, investment earnings, if any, are not federally or state taxed, if withdrawn to PAGE D5

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Showroom

Filipino customers guaranteed top service at Hooman Chrysler Hyundai Dodge Jeep Ram For many folks, buying a car is often stressful and laborious.

Figuring out finances, picking out the right make and model and deciding on the right dealership are just among the few things to worry about when making one of the most important purchases.

But at Hooman Chrysler Hyundai Dodge Jeep ram, consumers are guaranteed honest service from an unrivaled team of sales consultants and managers.

General Manager Manny Martinez – who describes himself as a “die hard Filipino” -- has been in the automobile industry for decades and understands the importance of customer satisfaction. At Hooman, he and his expert team make that a company priority.

Hooman is dedicated to providing quality service and reasonable prices, regardless of customers’ credit. Working with reliable banks, they are able to approve clients no matter the circumstances: first time buyers with little credit history, customers undergoing bankruptcy, families who have experience home foreclosures and customers with credit issues. Whatever the situation, Hooman is sure to deliver.

Where other dealerships merely claim to cater to those with credit issues, Hooman makes it a prime concern to make sure that credit doesn’t deter anyone from purchasing a car. Moreover, Hyundai and Chrysler, in particular, are able to grant generous rebates, which can help when putting a down payment on an automobile.

Since taking over as GM in September, Martinez has been putting together a special team of Filipino American managers and salespeople to help Filipino clients. Martinez sought to cater to the Filipino community in this way because he knows that trust and loyalty are huge elements in the business of automobiles.

“We love the Filipinos because they deserve to get a new car because they work hard and they are very, very good people.

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They are good citizens of this country and they deserve to be assisted even if they have really bad credit,” Martinez said.

Currently on his Tagalogspeaking team are Used Car and rental Fleet Director Patrick Toledo and Sales Consultant Arvin Aberilla who were handpicked for their experience, integrity and their dedication to deliver first-class service to clients.

Serving the Filipino-American community has always been a mission for Martinez, who was a part of the first car dealership to advertise to the Filipino

community in 1995.

“My priority is always the Filipino community since I got into the car business in 1989,” Martinez said. “We’ve always treated Filipinos with a lot of respect, and they’ve always been very loyal.”

Hooman Chrysler Hyundai Dodge Jeep ram is located on 333 Hindry Ave., Inglewood, CA 90301 and are opened Monday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. To call for more information, call (310) 846-1300.

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IMF and ADB to give PH higher growth forecast

by Mayvelin

U. Caraballo ManilaTimes.net

MUlTIlATErAl institutions Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are set to revise upward their growth outlooks on the Philippine economy to reflect the country’s strong third quarter gross domestic product (GDP).

The Philippine GDP exceeded expectations in July to September, accelerating by 7.1 percent from a revised 6.2 percent a year earlier, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reported on Thursday, citing data from the statistics office.

It said the country was the fastest growing Asian emerging economy among those that have released third-quarter data so far.

ADB economist Aekopol Chongvilaivan said the lender’s current 6.4 percent growth outlook for the country may no longer apply to the Philippine growth prospects.

“We are planning to revise upward our outlook to probably 6.7 percent to 6.8 percent for 2016,” he said during an economic forum organized by Center for Philippine Futuristics on Friday.

Meanwhile, the IMF noted the third quarter GDP was led by a recovery in agriculture and continued strength in private consumption and gross investment. ‘[It] was faster than anticipated than in our 6.4 percent growth forecast for 2016,” Shanaka Jayanath Peiris, IMF resident representative to the Philippines, told The Manila Times in response to an e-mailed query on Friday.

He pointed out the IMF will mostly likely be revising its Philippine growth forecast in its next round of revisions for the world economic outlook.

The government has set a GDP growth goal of 6 percent to 7 percent for the whole of 2016, from the actual 5.8 percent recorded in 2015.

The economy only needs to

grow by at least 3.4 percent in the fourth quarter to hit the low-end target of 6 percent, and by 6.9 percent to reach 7 percent, according to the NEDA. ADB’s Chongvilaivan said the Manila-based lender is set to upgrade its 2017 forecast to incorporate the impact of next year’s national budget on the economy.

The ADB plans to revise its outlook “somewhere between 6.5 percent and 6.7 percent for 2017,” he said. The Manila-based lender has forecasted a GDP growth of 6.2 percent for next year.

“The reason why we plan to revise 2017 upward is because we also expect the P3.35 trillion 2017 budget to be approved. We know that it is very challenging to spend this amount by agencies, but we expect the significant increase in infrastructure spending next year,” he said.

“Therefore, the growth next year will remain robust and the Philippine economy will continue to be strong,” he added.

California treasurer launches first-in-nation...

PAGE D2

pay for qualified higher education expenses.

California’s 529 plan is called ScholarShare. Accounts may be opened with as little as $25.

ScholarShare has no annual

account maintenance fee, no income limit and offers a high maximum account balance.

ScholarShare, which is governed by a board chaired by Treasurer John Chiang, is ranked as one of the top-rated 529 col-

lege savings plans in the country

by Morningstar, an independent investment research firm. ScholarShare currently holds over $6.9 billion in assets in more than 278,000 accounts as of 9/30/16.

Moody’s: PH to suffer from US...

PAGE D1 remittance-dependent countries, it said.

“In this report, we discuss which sovereigns in the Americas and Asia Pacific would be most vulnerable to more inwardly focused policies in the U.S., through the relevant transmission channels,” it added.

“India (Baa3 positive) and the Philippines (Baa2 stable) could also suffer in the event of policies that disincentivized foreign sourc-

ing of business services,” it said.

Earlier, Moody’s said a possible shift in the U.S. immigration policy under the Trump presidency spells credit negative for the Philippines because of its reliance on money transfers by overseas Filipinos.

“A policy shift that would disrupt immigration into the U.S. would be credit negative for countries more highly dependent on remittance flows, including El Salvador (B3 negative), the Philippines and Vietnam,” Moody’s

noted.

Moody’s has given the Philippines a credit rating of Baa2—a notch above the minimum investment grade. The rating carries a stable outlook, indicating it is unlikely to change in the near term.

An investment grade rating indicates a government’s ability to pay debts falling due, given generally healthy economic and political conditions of the country.

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