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LA WEEKEND ASIAN JOURNAL • NOvEmbER 28-DEcEmbER 1, 2015
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PH economy up 6% in Immigration Q3, still 1 of Asia’s fastest Corner by Amy
R. Remo, PAolo G. montecillo And Ben o. de VeRA Inquirer.net
THE Philippine economy grew at its fastest pace so far this year in the third quarter, as total economic output expanded 6 percent on the back of sustained robust consumer spending, and improved government expenditures on public goods and services. The expansion of the gross domestic product (GDP) in JulySeptember was exceeded only by China’s 6.9 percent and Vietnam’s 6.8 percent, making the Philippines “one of the fastest-growing major Asian economies,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said on Thursday, Nov. 26 The Liberal Party standardbearer, Mar Roxas, said the economic surge under the Aquino administration was no fluke as it invested in infrastructure and human resources.
But the growth was slower than expected, as risks from a leadership change next year and the El Niño dry spell loomed. GDP growth in the July to September period was faster than the 5.8 percent in the previous quarter but below the 6.3-percent median expectation of economists in a Bloomberg News poll, as a slowdown in manufacturing weighed on growth in services and public spending. The El Niño dry spell, projected to peak in December and January, has begun to hurt agriculture, which was down 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter, data showed. Balisacan said this was due to inadequate irrigation of farmlands but the government was addressing the problem. The services sector was the PAGE D2
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS. Artificial trees on the median of Lawton Avenue in Pasay City are aglow with different colors, as central business districts in Metro Manila come up with colorful Christmas sceneries to make them stand out and attract people, especially shoppers, at night. Inquirer.net photo by Kimberly De La Cruz
Marcos urges young ‘Tsinoy’ businessmen to help in nation-building SENATOR Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. encouraged and called on young Filipino-Chinese businessmen to help in nation-building by generating jobs and paying the right taxes. Marcos made the call during the conference of the Anvil Young Business Club, Incorporated-Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs headed by Reginald T. Yu as its President, Tuesday, Nov. 24, where he cited the Fil-Chinese businessmen as the “new breed of Filipino entrepreneurs” that are full of optimism. “I would like to urge you to continue generating local employment opportunities. May you always see the wisdom and the need for committing human capital in all of your business endeavors, more so in the face of the threat of computerization, automation, and machines that the digital information has brought and contribute your fair and accurate share in the revenue collection efforts of government,” Marcos said. Marcos said the business sector contributes to nation-building through mechanisms that it performs and operationalizes in the economy like tax payments, delivery of basic services to the people, jobs creation, among others.
Sen. Bongbong Marcos
He asked the young entrepreneurs to continue providing basic services that are safe, high quality and affordable that will ultimately improve the lives and conditions of the people. “Through my leadership and public service for our country, you will always be assured of my constant promotion and advocacy of business-friendly policies, a healthy investment climate with specific emphases on a stable and conducive peace and order situation, strong public infrastructure network, a just, equitable and sensible taxation system, and a government that is free from red tape and unnecessary bureaucratic layers,” Marcos, a 2016 Vice Presidential candidate concluded.
Income inequality makes the rich stingier, study says by AGnes
constAnte AJPress
IT might be the season of giving, but a new study shows that wealthy individuals residing in states with high income inequality are less likely to be generous toward others. Researchers from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and Stanford University’s Department of Sociology who conducted the study noted that recent research has found that higher-income individuals are less likely to give than those with lower incomes. However, they said this was “likely oversimplistic,” as it ignores the role of economic inequality. Additionally, those earlier findings were not the case in Europe and Japan. “That was a bit of a puzzle for us,” said study author Stéphane
Côté, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. “That’s why we reasoned maybe a factor that seems to affect the rich is whether they live in a place that is highly unequal in terms of economic inequality.” Study authors used results from a previous study called Measuring Mortality, a survey of 1,500 Americans that gauged generosity using an approach called the “dictator game,” which has been demonstrated to correlate with real-life giving. The survey involved telling participants they had 10 raffle tickets that they could give to other participants. In the end, researchers of the survey found that individuals who earned at least $125,000 annually in states with the greatest income disparity shared significantly less PAGE D2
Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ THANKSGIVING is when people take a step back and reflect on all of the wonderful things and events to be grateful for, and to give thanks to those people who played such a key role in helping us achieve them. At this Thanksgiving, I would like to once again give thanks to all of the people who have been so kind and supportive of me and my immigration law practice. Thank you to all of my clients. I realize that you are the reason I am able to remain in business. I also know how important your immigration matter is in your life and in the life of your family. I appreciate your trust and confidence in my office, in allowing us to handle such an important matter. Thank you to the entire Filipino community. I truly appreciate your warmth and support, and I thank you for all of your letters and emails telling me how you enjoy my articles and television show, Citizen Pinoy. I am happy to be of service to you, and I
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Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks
will continue to support Filipino events and causes. Thank you to ABS-CBN, TFC, and the entire crew of Citizen Pinoy, who share my vision of providing a public-service program to the Filipino community concerning immigration information. It makes me so proud and happy when people come up to me, saying that they watch Citizen Pinoy every single week, and have learned so much from the real life stories and questions and answers presented. I thank all the crew of Citizen Pinoy for their hard work, dedication, and passion for this worthy public service. Thank you to all of our friends in the media, who through their prestigious publications, enabled us to reach those who need our services and inform the Filipino community about newsworthy immigration information. You serve as an avenue to help “BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER” and help “MAKE THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE.” Thank you to my staff. Your tireless efforts and dedication to our clients are the main reasons we can continue to provide quality service to our many loyal
clients. Thank you to my wife, Millie. People say that behind every successful man, there is a Filipina wife. After many years of marriage, I know it’s true. Words cannot express my gratitude for your help, support and dedication to our business. You are the “wind beneath my wings.” And most of all, thank you to the Almighty. Without His blessings, benevolence, and guidance, none of this would be possible. May He allow me to continue to be able to assist people with their problems, and allow the prayers of all people to be answered and fulfilled. ***
active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader. WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES
Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an
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Business Quote of the Week “I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” - Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker