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ma r c h 3 1 - a p r i l 6 , 2 0 1 6

$34-M may be recovered from $81-M bank heist

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach director for Clinton campaign A fILIPINo-American was named the new Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) outreach director for the campaign for Democratic presidential candidate hillary Clinton. the announcement of Jason tengco’s appointment on thursday, march 24 comes nearly a week after Lisa Changadveja stepped down from the position. Changadveja, who was first appointed outreach director last August, is moving to Colorado to take a position with the Democratic Party.

Prior to joining Clinton’s campaign, tengco was deputy director of the White house Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WhIAAPI). his past roles also include the Initiative’s liaison in the White house office of Public engagement and as a senior advisor directing community engagement.

“Jason is passionate about engaging AAPIs in the political process, building a pipeline for youth empowerment, and ensuring PAGE A2

by Jefferson

AntipordA ManilaTimes.net

the Philippines may still recover 40 percent or about $34 million of the $81 million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh Bank, according to sen. ralph recto. the senator raised the possibility after learning during the senate hearing that not all of the $81 million was laundered successfully in Philippine casinos. recto said that there is a chance that $34 million can be retrieved if local authorities will zero in on the paper trail established during the senate

hearings.

Kim Wong admitted on tuesday, march 29 when he testified before the senate Blue ribbon Committee that only about $61 million found its way to Philippine casinos.

Wong said about $17 million is still with Philrem Corp., the remittance firm responsible for transferring the stolen money from the rizal Commercial Banking Corporation to different accounts and individuals. recto said Wong also told the senators that he is ready to surrender to Philippine authorities Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile questions businessman Kim Wong during the resumption of the Senate investigation on the Senate photos by Joe Arazas PAGE A2 $81-million money laundering incident, on Tuesday, March 29. Also in photo is Sen. Tito Sotto.

Pacquiao wins a round; Comelec won’t stop his fight by tinA

G. sAntos Inquirer.net

sCore this round for sarangani rep. manny Pacquiao. the Commission on elections (Comelec) on tuesday, march 29 said it was not in a position to stop the boxing match between Pacquiao and American timothy Bradley in the United states on April 9. “that is not really within our control,” Comelec Chair Andres Bautista said when asked if the poll agency would allow the fight to push through.

“We are not in a position right now to stop it,” he added, citing three reasons—there has been no formal complaint, the fight has not happened and there is no “justiciable controversy” in Pacquiao’s case.

Bautista said the poll body came out with a unanimous decision on letting Pacquiao, the current congressman from sarangani, fight.

Filipina in California not guilty of kidnapping own daughters

NAPA, California — A filipina mother charged with child abduction and kidnapping her own daughter in Napa County, California had her hope for a better life revived when a 12-person jury found her not guilty of all the charges. makati resident Anna Nepomuceno looked greatly relieved and teary-eyed as she turned to her lawyer, stacy Barrett, Manny Pacquiao runs with friends and fans in a grueling roadwork on Griffith Park Monday, March 28.

Philstar.com photo by Abac Cordero after the verdict was announced, then hugged her family and supporters and thanked them profusely. “the mood at the courtroom was very intense as we were also uneasy and nervous,” said faye Lacanilao of filipino Comby Jefferson AntipordA And JAime r. pilApil ManilaTimes.net munity Center worker’s rights program and migrante NorCal. “When the verdict the camps of senators ferdi- cudero, Poe’s running mate, said. was announced, all of us found ourselves Citing statements from reliable nand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. and crying. We joined hands and hugged each Grace Poe on monday, march 28 sources, the manila times reother. Before that we were all praying and denied reports that they have inked ported that Poe and marcos forged trying to console each other.” an alliance through Ilocos Norte a “tactical alliance.”

Barrett also looked relieved, over“I don’t think there is such a Gov. Imee marcos, eldest sister of whelmed with feelings and seemed to be thing. Besides, what shall we gain Bongbong. trying to hold back tears although she was the source claimed that the alwith that alliance?” said an official heard saying that the verdict had not refrom marcos’ campaign headquar- liance was sealed early in march, ally sunk in yet. ters in mandaluyong City (metro several weeks after Poe visited “the support shown by the filipino Batac, Ilocos Norte. manila). community helped her case and uplifted escudero said attempts to de“I don’t think this is true. they her and my spirit. I have been practicing are just trying to create a rift within stroy his good relations with Poe for ten years and I can say that this was Inquirer.net photo our camp,” sen francis “Chiz” es- will not succeed.

PAGE A2 Senators Grace Poe and Bongbong Marcos

PAGE A2

Marcos, Poe camps deny ‘tactical alliance’

Pentagon appeals for peace in South China Sea

by Jose

KAtiGbAK Philstar.com

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, in a speech at a World Affairs Council gala in Washington, said five evolving challenges now driving the Pentagon’s planning and budgeting were Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and international terrorism.

WAshINGtoN—the Pentagon on tuesday, march 29, reaffirmed its call to all countries with conflicting claims to parts of the south China sea to refrain from reclaiming or militarizing any islands in dispute.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said he could not confirm recent reports that China has deployed anti-cruise missiles on Paracel islands or increased its maritime survey activities around Panatag (scarborough) shoal but said all countries involved in maritime disputes should pursue diplomatic and legal solutions to these issues.

Defense secretary Ash Carter, in a speech at a World Affairs Council gala in Washington, said five evolving challenges now driving the

Pentagon’s planning and budgeting were russia, China, North Korea, Iran and international terrorism. two of the challenges – russia and China – reflected a recognition of a return to great power competition.

“China is rising which is fine, but behaving aggressively, which is not,” he said.

In a think-tank event also in Washington, a senior defense official said Japan is in talks with the Philippines about participating in joint drills with the Us on a regular basis.

Amy searight, deputy assistant secretary of defense for south and southeast Asia, was referring to the Balikatan joint exercises the Us and Philippine militaries conduct near the south China sea, where the latter is involved in territorial disputes with China.

PAGE A2

“Grace and I have known each other the longest and have been through the most together,” he noted.

Poe’s spokesman, Valenzuela City (metro manila) mayor rex Gatchalian also dismissed the report. “the relationship of sen. Poe and sen. Chiz remains strong and steadfast. they will finish [the may 2016 elections] shoulder-to-shoulder, side-by-side,” Gatchalian said. “those behind this intrigue are out to create a rift between the two senators, but they will not succeed,” he added.

Estrada, Binay to remain friends despite Grace Poe endorsement by mArc JAyson

cAyAbyAb

Binay as his runningmate in the 2010 presidential elections. former president Joseph Binay and estrada were also estrada’s endorsement of the the founding fathers of the United candidacy of sen. Grace Poe does Nationalist Alliance before Binay not signal the end of the friendship officially launched it as his politibetween him and Jejomar Binay. cal party for his 2016 presidential this was according to Binay’s bid. daughter makati rep. Abby Binay, “Di ba naman sa pulitika kalaban who is running as makati mayor in mo ngayon, kaibigan mo bukas. the coming elections.

Kaibigan mo ngayon, kalaban mo Abby said she respected the bukas. Ganun lang talaga so hopedecision of estrada to support the fully naman after ng election, di ba opponent of her father. isang araw lang ang election, pagshe said this does not mean the katapos nun lahat magkakaibigan Binays would cut off their friend- na ulit, magkakapamilya at magkaship with estrada, who chose PAGE A2 Inquirer.net

A

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march 31-april 6, 2016 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

From The FronT Page

$34-M may be recovered...

PAGE A1 the entire P450 million or about $10 million that his firm, Eastern Hawaii Leisure Co. Ltd., received from the loot.

Aside from the $17 million allegedly with Philrem and the $10 million with Wong, Recto noted that almost $7 million of the stolen money had been traced and may be recovered from the casinos.

Chinese businessmen identified as masterminds In his testimony at the Senate on Tuesday, Wong claimed that the two traders — Shuhua Gao and Zhize Ding — got help from Maia Santos-Deguito, the former bank manager of RCBC Jupiter Branch in Makati City (Metro Manila) and remittance firm PhilRem. At the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon hearing on the multimillion-dollar money laundering scandal, Wong denied any involvement in the opening of the four fictitious accounts where the stolen money was deposited as claimed by Deguito in her previous testimony.

Deguito, when she appeared before senators last week, claimed that it was Wong who instructed her to open dollar accounts for Michael Cruz, Jessie Lagrosas, Alfred Vergara, Enrico Vasquez and businessman William So Go. Wong admitted knowing Deguito but only because of her persistence in convincing him to open an account in her branch every time they bump into each other.

He said he remembered Deguito’s offer when Gao told him that he is interested in opening a dollar account in the Philippines.

Gao, according to Wong, is a junket operator from Beijing and

has been in and out of the country for more than eight years.

He said he had known Gao since 2007 and that the latter owed him P450 million.

Wong added that Gao also told him that he and his partner are planning to invest in a casino business in the Philippines because they are having a difficult time maintaining their business in Macau.

He introduced Gao to Deguito at his office inside Midas Hotel and Casino sometime in May 2015 to discuss the process of opening a dollar account.

According to Wong, he heard Deguito telling Gao that he needed five persons if he wants to open a company account.

She assured Gao that she will take care of everything and she will just need $2,500 as initial deposit for the five accounts.

On February 4, 2016, Wong said, Gao introduced him to his partner Ding. He was told that a huge amount of money will be transmitted to the Philippines through the bank accounts that Gao earlier opened.

The next day, Wong said he met Gao and Ding inside Solaire Resorts and Casino, where he was told that the funds will be arriving that day.

According to him, he called Deguito several times to inquire about the money.

It was around 1 p.m. on that same day when the bank manager informed him that $6 million has been transmitted to the branch.

The money continued to arrive until it reached $81 million.

He then asked Deguito if she could bring a portion of the deposits in cash to Solaire to which she

agreed.

Wong said he was informed by Solaire that Philrem transmitted some of the funds for the junket players at 6:30 p.m.

Then around 7 p.m., Michael Bautista of Philrem arrived at Solaire and handed him P80 million upon the instruction of Deguito.

Wong said it was already past 8 p.m. when Deguito arrived at Solaire to deliver another P20 million cash.

The junket operator even showed a photo of Deguito’s vehicle inside the parking lot of the casino on February 5.

Wong said that apart from the P100 million cash he got on February 5, he also collected P300 million and $5 million cash from Bautista from February 10 to 14.

RCBC cleared Wong cleared RCBC president Lorenzo Tan of any involvement in the controversy, dismissing Deguito’s allegations that the RCBC head knew of the transaction.

He said there was never an instance when Tan asked Deguito to take care of him.

Deguito had told senators that it was the RCBC president who instructed her during a birthday party of a common friend, to “take careâ€? of Wong. “Impossible ‌ that never happened,â€? Wong told the blue ribbon committee.

Francis Lim, Tan’s counsel, said Wong’s statement proves Deguito’s attempt to muddle the issue by implicating her boss.

He added that Deguito is trying to put the blame on Tan and “obscure her role as a principal player.�

PAGE A4

Pentagon appeals for peace...

PAGE A1 “Japan is talking to the Philippines about a Status of Forces Agreement, so that Japan can regularly participate in those kinds of exercises,� Searight said.

The envisioned agreement would govern the operations of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces in the Philippines. “Japan is participating (in the Balikatan drill) as an observer.

Japan very much wants to participate more,� she said.

Japan, under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has sought closer defense cooperation with the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries in an apparent bid to increase pressure on China, which claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea as well as the Japanese-administered Senkaku group of islets in the East China Sea. In February, Japan signed a deal with the Philippines to transfer defense equipment and technology as part of efforts to build closer security ties, following similar accords with countries such as Australia, Britain and India.

Ready for drill In Subic Bay Freeport in the

AND SO IT BEGINS. Students walk past a wall full of campaign posters near a school in Manila on Monday, March 28. As the campaign period for candidates seeking local posts started, communities were flooded with all kinds of campaign materials as the candidates began wooing voters.

ManilaTimes.net photo by DJ Diosina

Pacquiao wins a round...

PAGE A1 No formal complaint “The Comelec en banc today decided that, number one, there was really no formal complaint filed in accordance with Comelec rules and procedures‌ we will act if and when a complaint is filed,â€?

Bautista said.

Former Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello and former Sen. Rene Saguisag had both written the Comelec earlier, urging the poll agency to decide if the boxing match would violate election rules since it would be televised nationally and occur in the middle of the campaign period.

Bello, himself a senatorial can-

didate, said the fight would give Pacquiao an “undue advantage� over his rivals for a Senate seat.

Bautista said Bello’s and Saguisag’s letters were forwarded to the Comelec law department, which made the recommendations to the en banc. “No. 2, the fight has not actually occurred yet. And no. 3, the Comelec en banc believes that there is, as of this point, no justiciable controversy since the fight has not happened yet,� Bautista said.

In effect, the chair said the Comelec was technically not allowing Pacquiao’s fight but was only not acting on complaints against him.

Rights and obligations Pacquiao’s counsel, Romulo Macalintal, said in a statement following the Comelec decision: “It’s better that way. The Comelec should presume that all concerned parties know their rights and obligations. Like other candidates, Pacquiao is expected to know and follow the rules.�

Earlier, Pacquiao’s lawyers told the Comelec the boxing match would not give him an undue advantage over the other senatorial candidates since the bout would run for a maximum of 36 minutes. This is broken down into 12 rounds of three minutes each.

The Comelec allows national candidates 120 minutes of ad time on television and 180 minutes on radio.

Estrada, Binay to remain friends...

PAGE A1 kakilala na ulit,� Abby said. “So sa tingin naman namin, sa laki at tagal ng pinagsamahan namin ng pamilya ng mga Estrada, hindi ito magiging rason para hindi kami maging magkaibigan ulit,� she added.

Estrada officially announced his endorsement of Poe during his proclamation rally for Manila mayor on Monday, March 28, ending speculations whether he would opt to support the candidacy of the adopted daughter of his bosom buddy, the late action REINFORCEMENT. Three additional landing craft heavy ships acquired by the country from star Fernando Poe Jr., or that of his Australia arrived over the weekend, the Philippine Navy said on Monday, March 28. The three political ally Binay. ships were the same type donated by Australia last year and will give a big boost to the growing Reporters tried to interview the fleet of the Navy, said spokesperson Captain Lued Lincuna. The decommissioned ships of the Vice President but he opted not Vice President Jejomar Binay, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, Royal Australian Navy worth P270 million arrived last Saturday in Liloan, Cebu. These were to give his reaction on Estrada’s interim president of the United Nationalist Alliance, talk after lunch at Manila City Hall. transported by a cargo ship from NTG. Inquirer.net photo endorsement.

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc Philippines, US military equip- 22 this year,� Robert Chester, diment and vehicles have started to rector of Liberty Call Logix Corp., delegate for the Philippine Emtold The STAR. arrive for the Balikatan 2016. bassy’s Filipino American Youth Liberty is a Subic-based one- PAGE A1 An undetermined number of dors Program for young leaders, Leadership Program (FYLPro), vehicles and equipment could be stop-shop for land, sea and air that the AAPI community’s diverse the campaign noted. a weeklong immersion trip that seen at the former site of FedEx services coordinating the arrival issues are heard and addressed,�

Tengco, whose parents are from brings young Fil-Am professionals of the US military cargo. hub at the Subic airport. a campaign statement emailed to the Philippines, was born and to the Philippines.

Chester said some of the deliv- the Asian Journal said. “This military cargo will be raised in the San Francisco Bay As election season unfolds, both used in the coming Balikatan joint ered military equipment would Among Tengco’s accomplish- Area and graduated from UCLA Democrats and Republicans have military exercise between the be for humanitarian, disaster ments are managing the first-ever with honors with a bachelor’s de- continued to reach out to AAPI United States and the Philippines relief assistance and community White House Summit on AAPIs gree in political science. voters, an electorate considered scheduled from March 18 to April projects. and launching the E3! AmbassaIn 2014, he was selected as a PAGE A4

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach...

Filipina in California not guilty...

PAGE A1 the first time I’ve had protesters supporting my client. So I am grateful for this support and I know Anna is as well,� Barrett stated.

Anna’s eldest daughter from a previous relationship, Nichole Nepomuceno, kept consoling, hugging and keeping Anna company. Anna’s own mother, Haydee, was also there to lend much-needed moral support.

Child molestation incidents According to the timeline provided for the case, Anna’s plight began in March 2012 when her erstwhile husband, Jeremy Faust, started showing signs of having lewd intentions on her younger daughter, M, as after Anna reportedly saw Faust’s hand moving around M’s sensitive part.

Her suspicion was bolstered after she learned in 2013 that Faust had been giving then 16year-old Nichole unwanted massages since September 2012 when Anna wasn’t home and especially when she was on business trips. In January 2013 Faust allegedly started putting his hand under Nicole’s shirt as the massages became intimate.

Faust allegedly even asked Nichole not to tell Anna of the massages so Nichole “wouldn’t get into trouble.� Anna also caught Faust looking at Nichole’s posterior.

Anna and Nichole reported the alleged molestation to the American Canyon Police Department, leading to Judge Rodney Stone to grant a move out order against Faust and an emergency protection order (EPO) prohibit-

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ing him from having any contact with Anna and Nichole, aside from younger daughter M. Divorce proceedings Anna then filed for divorce in March 2013 the succeeding summons of which accompanied an automatic restraining order (ARO) prohibiting either parent from leaving the state with M without the other parent’s permission. It was not clear whether Anna actually ever saw the ARO. In August 2013, the Napa Sherriff Office (NSO) recommended charges against Faust for violations of Penal Code on annoying or molesting a child under age 18 with respect to Nichole, and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 for M. But these were rejected by the Napa District Attorney’s Office (DA) in September 2013 for lack of sufficient evidence.

While the divorce case was ongoing, on July 25, 2014, Anna flew to the Philippines with M from SFO to visit Anna’s ailing father. Both mother and daughter had round trip tickets with a return date of August 25, 2014.

Her family lawyer dropped her, citing irreconcilable differences, after Anna informed her she was in the Philippines. In Anna’s absence and without a lawyer to represent her, family court Judge Elia Ortiz granted full legal and physical custody of M to Faust and ordered Anna to return M to Napa County.

Anna and M failed to return to San Francisco on August 25, 2014. She was able to obtain a permanent restraining order on February 10, 2015 protecting Anna and M from Faust at the Philippines Regional Trial Court.

Judge Ortiz granted dissolution of of Anna’s marriage to Faust on December 12, 2014 in Anna’s absence.

Arrested at SFO

Anna returned by herself to San Francisco on a February 27, 2015 flight from Manila; she was arrested at SFO airport. She was taken to San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City then transferred to Napa County Department of Corrections The Napa Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Anna through then-Deputy Public Defender Stacy Barrett.

Anna posted a $100,000 with the help of friends of her family and was released from the Napa County Department of Corrections (NCDC) on March 12, 2015.

Deputy District Attorney Holly Quate then moved on November 9, 2015 to amend the original charge of child custody deprivation, which is punishable by up to 3 years in county jail, to a violation of kidnapping with enhancement for purpose of permanently depriving a parent of custody of the child, which is punishable by up to 13 years in state prison.

Quate’s motion to amend the charge was granted, and Anna was found not guilty of by the jury before Judge Francisca Tisher in a trial that started February 22, 2016. “We were ready to accept a mistrial outcome as we felt the jurors were taking a long time deciding on a verdict. We were then surprised that there was a unanimous decision that even some of the jurors waited for Anna to come out and hug her,�

Lacanilao added. “We are really happy that justice prevailed, that Anna would be reunited with M and we hope that this will no longer happen to any Filipino mother like her,�

Lacanilao declared.

Several members of Gabriela US came to show support for Nepomuceno. (Jun Nucum/Inquirer.net)

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Dateline USa

US: Int’l community should urge China to follow Hague ruling

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

THE international community is expected to urge China to abide by the ruling of the international tribunal on its arbitration case against the Philippines, a US Department of State official said on Tuesday.

US Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Colin Willett said that the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, Netherlands will push for a more constructive diplomatic process that will reduce tensions in the disputed South China Sea. “And so I think it is on us in the international community who have all benefited so much from a rulesbased order, where international law provides for all countries to meet each other on a level playing

field, to make clear to Beijing that it is in their interest to abide by a ruling and to uphold the international law that has been beneficial not just to the region but to China itself,” Willett said in a conference call with members of the press on Tuesday.

The US State Department official added that the US sees the case as an “important inflection point” as it would determine the kind of order that Asia Pacific nations aspire for the region.

Willett said that the US and ASEAN nations should use the arbitration case as an opportunity to resolve the disputes through diplomatic solutions.

“The case itself doesn’t actually involve questions of who has sovereignty over the land features

The Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations is set to issue a ruling on the arbitration case against the Philippines and China by May.

in the South China Sea, but it will make some important decisions about the maritime space, the rights of claimants with respect to the Sea and its resources,” Willett said.

The US official, however, lamented that the environmental damage caused by China’s massive reclamation activities in the region cannot be undone.

Willett noted that China will face further complication with its neighbors if it chooses to ignore the upcoming ruling of the international tribunal.

The US State Department stressed that the US is not a claimant in the South China Sea but will continue with its freedom of navigation operations in the area despite maritime disputes between several countries.

“We certainly intend to continue to fly, operate and sail through the region in accordance to international law. We will continue to coordinate closely with our friends and security partners in the region,” the US official said.

The US earlier stressed that China’s attempt to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea does not have a valid reason.

Earlier this year, it has been reported that Beijing had deployed surface-to-air missiles in one of the islands in the disputed waters. It has also been reported that China has been building radar facilities on its artificial islands on the Spratly Islands.

A

NextDayBetter, Doctors Without Borders join forces to reduce price of pneumonia vaccine in PH NEW YORK – Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death in the Philippines. There is a vaccine to prevent the disease, but at about US$45 per child, the price charged to the government by pharmaceutical company Pfizer, this price may become unsustainable to vaccinate all children in the future.NextDayBetter – a storytelling platform for creative diaspora communities – announced on Thursday, March 24 that it is joining Doctors Without Borders’s efforts to encourage pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – the sole manufacturers of the pneumonia vaccine – to reduce the price of the vaccine to $5 dollars per child in the Philippines and all other developing countries.

The pneumonia vaccine is the world’s best-selling vaccine, and last year alone, Pfizer brought in more than US$6 billion dollars in sales just for this product. At the lowest global prices, which the Philippines cannot access, it is now 68 times more expensive to vaccinate a child than in 2001, according to a 2015 MSF report, The Right Shot: Bringing down Barriers to Affordable and Adapted Vaccines. The pneumonia vaccine accounts for about half the price of vaccinating a child in the poorest countries. After years of fruitless negotiations with Pfizer and GSK to lower the vaccine’s price for use in its projects, in 2015, MSF launched the ‘FAIR SHOT’ campaign to ask Pfizer and GSK to reduce the price of the pneumo-

Thousands join ‘Bataan Death March’ trek in New Mexico LAS CRUCES, New Mexico— More than 6,600 people participated in an annual walk honoring those who died in the Bataan Death March.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that people came from as far away as the Philippines and Canada to participate in the 26.2-mile trek from White Sands Missile Range on Sunday, March 27.

The Bataan Memorial Death March honors the World War II soldiers who suffered during the April 1942 march after thousands of American and Filipino service members surrendered to Japa-

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 31-ApRIL 6, 2016

nese forces. Many died during the 80-mile march or became prisoners of war.

Eight survivors of the march were in attendance Sunday. One survivor, 98-year-old Ben Skardon, has traveled from South Carolina for the past nine years of the annual march. He hiked eight and a half miles at the memorial.

The tragedy of Bataan disproportionately affected New Mexico soldiers and their families back home; many of those seized were members of the 200th Coast Artillery, New Mexico National Over 6,300 participants ran in the 22nd Annual Bataan Memorial Death March on March 27 at Guard. (Inquirer.net) the White Sands Missile Range, co-sponsored by New Mexico State University’s Army ROTC.

nia vaccine to $5 per child (for all three needed doses).

“Due to the high price charged by the companies, many countries where millions of children risk getting pneumonia simply can’t afford it, and for countries such as the Philippines the high price threatens sustainability of the vaccination program,” said Dr. Greg Elder, Medical Coordinator for MSF’s Access Campaign.

NextDayBetter is hoping to amplify the “FAIR SHOT” campaign and make the pneumonia vaccine more accessible to millions of children in the Philippines. “The Philippine diaspora is very involved in the provision of healthcare on this continent, while being extremely well aware of the situation at home. Together, we think we can put pressure on Pfizer and GSK to reduce the price of the vaccine, and speak out against high vaccine prices in the Philippines,” said Elder.

To increase awareness about the pneumonia crisis in the Phil-

ippines, NextDayBetter will be launching a storytelling campaign that humanizes the people affected by this issue and highlights the work of Filipinos who are dedicated to improving the quality of public health in the Philippines.

The campaign will be launching on NextDayBetter’s multimedia platforms with the intent of inspiring and empowering the Philippine diaspora to take action in effecting change in their homeland.

“The Philippine diaspora is overflowing with incredibly talented nurses, doctors, and other leaders in public health who have pioneered breakthroughs in healthcare. We have saved so many people around the world – now we need to focus on our own community back home,” said CEO of NextDayBetter, Ryan Letada.

To sign the petition and learn more about the “FAIR SHOT” campaign, visit http://nextdaybetter.com/afairshot/ or email NextDayBetter at curious@nextdaybetter.com n

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach...

PAGE A2 to double by 2040. A 2015 report from the UCLA Center for the Study of Inequality and Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies found that the electorate would rise to 12.2 million by then.

“Hillary Clinton’s campaign shakeup is a clear indication of her failing effort to win the hearts

and minds of Asian American and Pacific Islander voters across the country,” Ninio Fetalvo, the Republican National Committee’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander press secretary, said in an email. “The only consistency with Clinton’s AAPI outreach campaign is that she has and always will take our communities for granted.”

(AJPress)

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Filipino nurses rally behind Bernie Sanders during LA visit by chRistina

M. oRieL and agnes constante AJPress

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was in Southern California earlier this week for rallies in San Diego and Los Angeles, drawing in thousands of supporters.

Speaking before a packed crowd at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 23, Sanders covered various issues,

including income inequality and free college tuition.

“What this campaign is about is asking the American people to think outside of the box and not think of the status quo today as the status quo we have to live in,” Sanders said to the crowd, which was met with loud applause.

Among those who came out in

support of Sanders was a group of nurses, including 10 Filipinos.

When the nurses arrived, people in line and at the rally cheered and said, “Thank you nurses!”

Zenei Cortez, a Filipina registered nurse who is vice president of National Nurses United (NNU) and co-president of the California Nurses Association (CNA), said that Sanders’s values -- “caring, compassion and community” -align with those of nurses.

“He is for health care for all - which means access to actual health care not just being covered by an insurance policy. [It is] very important to us Filipinos by culture [because] we have a lot of health issues,” Cortez told the Asian Journal.

NNU, the nation’s largest organization of nurses, endorsed Sanders for president last year.

The organization represents over 185,000 nurses across the country.

“Bernie is for the 99 percent -for us, the working class. He has been on point and continues to stand his ground since he was first elected many many years ago,” Cortez added. “He will speak and fight for us, the immigrants, the elderly, the children and the underserved.”

Cortez, along with fellow Filipina nurse Dahlia Tayag, joined Sanders on stage during the rally.

Sanders trails behind opponent Hillary Clinton who is ahead 1,182 to 893 in delegates for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Clinton did well in the South, but Sanders told the crowd, “We’re not in the South. We’re in the West now.”

On Tuesday, March 22, the presidential hopeful also rallied in San Diego with an estimated crowd of 10,000 supporters. According to reports, he plans to campaign Clinton was also in Los Angeles this week for two fundraisers, an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and a roundtable discussion with Mayor Eric Garcetti about counterterrorism.

Her time in Los Angeles marks her ninth trip to the area since she declared her candidacy in April 2015.

The Democratic candidates are gearing up for primaries in Washington, North Dakota and Wisconsin the June 7 California primary, where 475 delegates are at stake. n

WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL. 155 countries joined in this year’s celebration of World Culture Festival (WCF) 2016, which was The Art of Living’s (AOL) 35 years of service to humanity, spirituality and human values. At the helm of this movement, commanding millions of followers worldwide, is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, its spiritual leader, who calls himself the ambassador of peace. An estimated 3.5 million people from all over the world in attendance. Joining for the first time was the Philippines’ multi-awarded dance troupe, Buyogan Festival, from the town of Abuyog, Leyte, which wowed the audience with its energetic performance, a hymn to the Filipinos’ resilience against the overwhelming disaster of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” The dance, mimicking the cooperative spirit of bees, illustrated the Filipino culture of coming together in times of despair, and also sent a message for one united world.

Inquirer.net photo

Mayweather rematch may change Pacquiao’s plans

by Roy LuaRca Inquirer.net

HOLLYWOOD—Win or lose, Manny Pacquiao’s father and his brothers will support whatever the eight-division world champion decides to do with his life after his farewell fight.

“It will be up to him,” said Manny’s father Rosalio in Cebuano, as translated by another son, Roel.

“After the fight, he’ll make a decision and it will stand.”

Pacquiao has said he will hang up his gloves after his third fight with Timothy Bradley on April 9.

The 57-year-old Rosalio said his eldest son “knows his body better” and should be able to decide whether to fight again.

Roel said Manny’s plan to quit is largely influenced by his decision to pursue a seat in the Senate.

“He doesn’t want people to say that he’d been remiss on his duties as a legislator,” added Roel, a barangay captain who is eyeing the lone congressional seat in Sarangani province that Manny will soon vacate.

Roel said only a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. could possibly change his brother’s mind.

“Of course, he wants to seize the opportunity to get even,” said

Manny Pacquiao’s father Rosalio (left) and brother Rogelio arrive at LAX last Wednesday, March 23 to lend moral support to Pacquiao.

Inquirer.net photo by Roy Luarca

Roel.

Bobby, a former boxer who also aspires to become a GenSan councilor, said it’s entirely up to Manny to decide whether to con-

tinue boxing.

“He’ll make the decision, not us, so we’ll just follow it,” said Bobby, who arrived here earlier to help in Manny’s preparations.

Filipina prof mobilizes Penn science students vs. bullying HAZLETON, Pennsylvania – A Filipino professor’s brainchild, a web-based Global Outreach Project, is driving the Global Anti-Bullying Campaign students at the Academy of Sciences here launched last March 24.

Myrene Magabo, a Filipina who currently teaches Effective Speech Communication for Penn State University’s dual enrollment program with the Academy of Sciences, conceptualized the project.

Magabo has done exploratory research on the impact of bullying among Filipino immigrants to the US. With the assistance of Glenn Blessington of Penn State, she will formalize and expand the study to include other ethnicities.

Academy of Sciences faculty member Patricia Tomsho and

Vice Principal Marie Ernst have fully endorsed the campaign to “inculcate a global consciousness among students.”

Frankie Seratch sparked the idea of this schoolwide, communitywide, and globalwide campaign against bullying, which is a global problem that discriminates against people of all ages, even working adults.

He has worked with ten other students at the Academy of Sciences to help understand the problem.

In addition to stopping the culture of bullying, the campaign will systematically gather more voices, and raise greater awareness and understanding of the dynamics of bullying.

The group also hopes to help the healing for those who have been victims of bullying. One of the campaign strategies is put-

Prof. Myrene Magabo

ting up a gallery of messages using Joe Pecora’s Photo + Positive concept. Pecora is an artist based in Hazleton.

The students plan to reach out to other schools in the area faceto-face and will reach out globally through online information and education campaigns.

“This anti-bullying campaign is just the very first of the many other projects we aim to pursue,” Magabo said. (Inquirer.net)

Man in Baltimore nabbed for buying child porn from PH SAN FRANCISCO — A Baltimore, Maryland man was charged with trafficking in child pornography after he was discovered allegedly paying women in the Philippines to send him images of girls engaged in sexual acts.

Federal authorities charged Louis Francis Bradley, 65, of Baltimore with distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Bradley could face five to 40 years in prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography, and up to 20 years for possession.

Federal prosecutors allege

young girls engaged in sexually explicit acts.

The criminal complaint alleges the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip that eight images had been uploaded to a Google+ Photos account linked to Bradley.

Armed with search warrants on Bradley’s social media and email accounts, investigators found Facebook conversations Louis Francis Bailey. MD sex offender with the women in the Philipregistry pines from whom he was buying that Bradley contacted women in the images. They also allege he the Philippines over the Internet sent child pornography to at least and paid them to send images of one woman there. n

$34-M may be recovered...

PAGE A2 “It vindicates our position that Ms. Deguito has maliciously dragged Mr. Tan into the fray in a shrewd design to muddle the issues before the Senate and confuse the public to obscure her role as a principal player in this money-laundering scheme,” Lim noted.

Of the $81 million that entered RCBC last month, $63 million was transferred to Midas and Solaire while the remaining $17 million,

according to Wong, is still with Philrem.

But Philrem officials disputed his claim.

Wong said the funds received by the casinos were converted into dead chips to be used by the junket players.

Dead chips cannot be exchanged for cash.

So far, only P40 million of the P550 million that entered Midas remains.

Deguito was not able to attend the hearing because of health problems.

Former senator Rene Saguisag, co-counsel for Deguito, asked the Senate panel for a weeklong respite. He assured the senators that the bank manager will continue cooperating with the lawmakers.

Saguisag himself asked that he be excused early because he was just released from the hospital.

The former senator was asked by Deguito’s camp over the weekend to act as co-counsel and consultant because Ferdinand Topacio was not able to attend the proceedings. n

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Dateline PBinayhiliPPines hits BIR for opposing scrapping of 32 percent income tax

Aquino warns: World stands to lose in war due to South China Sea dispute

by Aries Joseph

Inquirer.net

heginA

President Benigno Aquino iii has warned that the whole world stands to lose should a war ensue between the claimants of the disputed territories in the south China sea. in the Publish Asia conference in Manila on Wednesday, March 30 Aquino said all claimants had recognized the futility of turning the territorial dispute into a fullscale war. “i think all claimant countries in the south China sea recognize, and other countries that are adjacent to the sea that are not claimant countries, all realize that war is a futile exercise… nobody stands to gain and, in fact, the whole world stands to lose if it does amount to war,” Aquino said. the President said the Philippines had no illusions it could wage war with other countries. recognizing the fact that the country could not measure up with China in military might, Aquino said the Philippines had been asking the superpower to adhere to the United nations Convention on the Law of the sea (Unclos) to end instability in the region

Pres. Benigno Aquino III

through peaceful means.

“We say that we are both signatories to Unclos. Unclos gives us a certain set of entitlements and obligations. And that stability has to come about when there is clarity as to each one’s entitlements rather than what one wants to assert out of national interest,” he said. “the uncertainty breeds instability, instability does not promote prosperity. therefore, let us resolve with certainty the

issues that are before us: Who is entitled to what? And what is each one’s obligations relative to this entitlements?” the President added. the Philippines has brought its territorial dispute with China to an arbitration court at the Hague. the said court is expected to release a ruling before May. Apart from China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on the waters.

Roxas not likely to retain Aquino Cabinet members if he becomes the next president

by Alexis

roMero Philstar.com

MAniLA—Liberal Party (LP) presidential candidate Manuel roxas ii is not likely to retain any of the Cabinet members of the present administration even if he wants to continue the “tuwid na daan” or straight path policy of President Aquino. “i expect a clean slate. every president gets a clean slate. i expect a clean slate as we begin in 2016,” roxas told members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) on Wednesday when asked if he would retain a good number of

Cabinet secretaries of the present administration. roxas, however, declined to identify the persons he would appoint to the Cabinet if he wins.

“You know, i’ve been through this a number of times when i served in Cabinet in the past. i think it’s unfair to those people who will be named because then they will be scrutinized and they’ll be perhaps pilloried and demonized perhaps, and so on and so forth,” the LP standard bearer said. “i think first thing’s first, let’s win first and then let’s discuss the Cabinet,” he added. in a chance interview, roxas said Cabinet members are already

tired after serving for five to six years. “i think it would be good to have new energies, new dynamism, new perspectives and these are needed so there would be a renewal in what we are doing,” he said.

Presidential spokesman edwin Lacierda, who was present during the MBC-MAP presidential forum, said every president has the right to a clean slate.

When asked if he thinks roxas’ pronouncement reflects lack of trust in the current Cabinet roster, Lacierda said: “A new president has a right to choose his people in Cabinet. (there is) no expectation from anyone from any of his supporters that’s important.”

Abby Binay’s plea to Makati folks: Bring us back to city hall

by MArc JAyson

cAyAbyAb

Inquirer.net

MAKAti representative Abby Binay sang, danced and then broke down in tears as she pleaded to the crowd during her proclamation rally to bring her family back to the Makati city hall which the Binays have ruled for almost three decades.

Before a crowd that the Binay camp claimed reached 40,000, the daughter of the Vice President did all she could to convey her message of “Balik Makati,” countering the mayoral bid of romulo “Kid” Peña, the acting mayor who replaced Abby’s brother Junjun who was sacked by the Ombudsman for graft and corruption.

Abby Binay also scored the alleged failure of her nemesis Peña in giving quality social services in Makati which she said was first started by her father when the latter started his two-decade rule in 1986.

Abby cited the failure of the Ospital ng Makati to provide quality and efficient hospital services, the stinky roads in Makati due to uncollected garbage, and the scores of sick patients who she alleged were denied hospital services all because they were known to be avid Binay supporters.

Abby broke down in tears thrice during her speech as she reminisced the lessons her father taught her to always to keep in her heart the value of serving Makati.

“Ano man ang sabihin nila, ang Makati at Binay ay iisa. dahil siya ang sandigan ng serbisyong tunay,” Abby said, her voice breaking.

“Hindi isang bagong Makati ang ating nakikita, kundi isang bigong Makati, na biktima ng isang bulok na pulitika. ito ba ay bago, o bulok?” Abby added, chiding Peña’s campaign slogan.

Abby said she presented herself before the Makati crowd to express her pride at bearing the Binay family name, as she urged voters to elect her as mayor to signal the return of the Binays in the city hall.

“Ang kailangan natin hindi isang bagong Makati na bulok ang sistema. Kundi ang isang Balik Makati, kung saan pusong Binay ang namumuno,” Abby said. “ibalik natin ang Makati kung saan pantay pantay ang lahat at

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer Vice President Jejomar C. Binay raises the hands of his children, daughter Second District Makati Rep. Abegail “Abby” Binay (left), who is running for mayor of Makati, and Junjun Binay during the proclamation rally of Abby held at the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue, Chino Roces Avenue and Pablo Ocampo Extension.

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

tuloy tuloy ang serbisyo,” she added. in his speech after his arrival, Junjun lamented the political persecution he suffered after he was perpetually dismissed from public office by the Ombudsman after finding him guilty of dishonesty and misconduct over his role in the construction and design of the allegedly overpriced Makati carpark building.

Junjun also scored Abby’s rival Peña for his failure to provide quality hospital services.

“Ako po ang biktima ng mga kasinungalingan sa aking ama.

Lahat ng pag-aalipusta, ako ang tumanggap. sabi ko sa ama ko, lahat ng pahirap, paninira, tatanggapin ko. Pero alam ko sa laban na ito hindi siya nag-iisa, hindi ako nag-iisa,” Junjun said.

Junjun was indicted with his father by the Ombudsman for graft, malversation and falsification of public documents for allegedly rigging the construction and design of the allegedly overpriced P2.8 billion Makati car park building.

Junjun was formally charged before the Ombudsman with graft and falsification. the Ombudsman vowed to charge Vice President Binay when his immunity expires at the end of his term.

On the stage, Abby was accompanied by her husband Luis Campos, who is seeking the Makati congressional seat to be vacated by his wife.

Women cheered and laughed as Abby’s husband, teased by the host onstage as goodlook-

ing, twerked in a dance off with another Makati congressional bet former actor Monsour del rosario, who opted to show his karate moves.

Abby also danced with her running mate Monique Lagdameo. to conclude her proclamation rally, Abby sang the song “Paano kita mapasasalamatan” with her father, who hugged her after she delivered her speech. in his speech, Vice President Binay touted Abby his favorite child and raised her hands with her brother Junjun. the vice president bragged about the achievements he started in giving free social services in Makati, rousing loud cheers from the audience. “isa pong karangalan na ako’y ama ni Atty. Abby. Anak ko po ito! serbisyong tunay, ipagpapatuloy niya para guminhawa ang buhay ng mga taga Makati,” Vice President Binay said.

Before the proclamation rally ended, a video clip was projected on the background listing the achievements of Vice President Binay. the clip carried the message: “Panahon na para ibalik ang serbisyong tunay, ang serbisyong Binay.”

Various personalities also performed onstage, most prominent was Gloc 9 (real name Aristotle Pollisco), who opted to sing his non-political songs. netizens expressed dismay at Gloc 9’s performance for the Binay clan. He is known for PAGE A7

by MArc JAyson

cAyAbyAb

Inquirer.net

PALOMPOn, Leyte — Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday, March 30 said he is angry at the Bureau of internal revenue (Bir) for opposing his move to scrap the 32 percent income tax for middle and lower income tax earners of P30,000 and below. in his speech before barangay captains at the Palompon town hall, Binay reiterated his call to scrap the income tax for earners of P30,000 and below per month in a bid to increase their salaries.

He said taxpayers face a double whammy of taxation because not only do they pay a high income tax rate, they also pay the valueadded tax (VAt) on purchased goods.

He said by removing income tax, he would be able to increase the salaries of middle income earners

by P3,000. He said the additional income would also result in higher collection of taxes because of increased consumption.

He lamented that the Philippines has one of the highest income tax in Asia, pegged at 32 percent for P30,000 and below income earners. that’s why Binay said he is angry at Bir commissioner Kim Henares for opposing his proposal, adding that the administration is flip-flopping on its position in lowering income tax. the Aquino administration initially considered income tax reform, but decided to go against it upon the stiff opposition of finance officials like Henares and Finance secretary Cesar Purisima.

Binay made the statement about Henares after the tax chief in an interview with AnC said lowering income tax is not the only solution to poverty inequality.

Henares proposed amending the law that allows the wealthy to get away with paying 10 percent tax while the middle and lower income earners were left with no choice but to pay 32 percent tax. in a statement, Binay directly addressed Henares and called her “anti-poor” for opposing his proposal to scrap income tax for middle income earners. “to Ms. Henares, the solution is not more taxes. What the people need is tax relief, more jobs, more education, more healthcare, better government. there are 26 million

poor Filipinos today. this administration has overseen an increase in poverty,” Binay said.

“As usual, this administration has once again shown that it prefers to punish the poor rather than uplift their lives. When i am president, there will be a tax cut within my first year in office,” Vice President Jejomar Binay Inquirer.net photo by Eloisa Lopez Binay added.

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OpiniOn

Features

Political dynasties galore ACCORDING TO a latest count by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, at least 542 candidates in the May 9 elections are considered sure winners.

Not because of superior odds against their opponent—the result of a better program of governance, perhaps, or a more effective grassroots campaign—but simply by default: They are, in fact, running unopposed.

One may argue, as reelectionist congressman Arthur Defensor of Iloilo does, that the lack of any adversary in what ought to be an exercise in choosing from a healthy plurality of options is, of and by itself, a win for democracy. “In a way, it is a validation from my constituents that what I have been doing for them is satisfactory,” he said.

Is it? Is it really a popular validation, or the pernicious effect of the concentration of power and influence in the hands of an individual, and the family or clan behind him or her, working in earnest to exclude any others from the fiefdom they have created? Out of the 542 unopposed candidates in the May elections, 14 are running for governor, 14 for vice governor, 220 for mayor, 255 for vice mayor, and 39 for district representative. One or two running uncontested as such might be seen as the people acclaiming in advance an overwhelming favorite, but more than 500 across the country tells you something is plain rotten in the state of Philippine politics, with “democratic elections” actually leaving voters no choice but a smorgasbord of preordained—and recycled—faces.

Blame political dynasties for the mess. Scratch any of the unopposed candidates and, chances are you’d find members of a political family working full-time to ensure that not even a semblance of a contest threatens their standing as the ultimate gatekeeper and wielder of power in their bailiwicks.

A look at the candidates’ surnames reveals that many

are members of families that have held positions or are incumbents in government, and now apparently see it as their birthright to “inherit” such positions, passed on from one family member to the next as in a monarchy. Running unopposed in an election—a situation they are able to machinate by virtue of their grip on their constituency—then becomes, as in the realm of kings and queens, an exercise in virtual anointment.

A study by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center has noted that, from 2004 to 2013, the portions of the country lost to the rule of yet another political dynasty have grown at an alarming rate—47 percent in only 10 years. The story is similar whether set in the Ilocos or Samar or Lanao: A candidate gets elected, consolidates his or her hold on power by building advantage through influence and patronage, starts a dynasty by fielding a family member or members in various positions in the next elections, and eventually entrenches the clan by basically refusing to yield to others the reins of government. The lopsided power structure then leaves voters hostage to the warped situation of having to elect only the candidate imposed on them by their political overlords.

This is exactly the unhealthy circumstance foreseen in the 1987 Constitution: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.” Unfortunately, about two-thirds

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

of Congress, the body tasked to define the law, are themselves the products of political dynasties. The heirs of such patent privilege would be the last to draw a sword against their class by authoring a law that would force their families to give up their political advantage by submitting to a level playing field.

Like the ill-fated freedom of information bill, banning political dynasties was another campaign promise on which President Aquino failed to follow through. After a lengthy silence on the issue, the Palace gave belated support to an antidynasty bill.

But at this late stage, it has no hope of passing, let alone making the slightest bit of difference in the perverted circumstances of the May elections, where a vast number of candidates from dominant families are set to get their positions and sinecures in government with no sweat—and the voters with no genuine, discerning hand in their victories.

An antidynasty bill has been filed, and consistently rejected, in Congress since 1987. The next president needs to commit to honoring the Constitution, and the Filipino electorate, by getting one finally passed.

(Inquirer.net)

Balitang America poll: Duterte surges among Fil-Ams Roxas second, Poe third

AFTER the March 20 Philippine presidential debate in Cebu, The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” asked its viewers in an online poll: “If the Philippine Presidential Election was held today, who would you vote for?”. The results of the poll aired on March 23 was quite a surprise. The “Dirty Harry” of the presidential slate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte topped the list with a whopping 60 percent rating among the viewers who voted online.

Duterte has taken over former DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, who used to top Balitang America’s Isyu Ngayon online polls in the past. Roxas got 26 percent, despite being highly favored and endorsed by many Fil-Am community leaders in the United States.

Sen. Grace Poe, who got the biggest bump in the SWS survey in the Philippines after the said debate, placed fourth with only 9 percent.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago got 5 percent,

while VP Jejomar Binay got zero vote.

The Fil-Am SWS Survey in the Philippines The Social Weather Station Perspective (SWS) conducted surveys in the Philippines to measure how the ratings of the candidates would be affected by the second presidential Gel SantoS-ReloS debate. here are the results: The Bilang Pilipino SWS Mobile Survey of March 22, 2016 has the following new national scores in the Presidential race: Grace Poe 35 percent, Rody Duterte 26 percent, Jojo Binay 18 percent, Mar “Daang Matuwid” Roxas 17 percent, Miriam Defensor Santiago 2 percent, and undecided/others 1 percent.

Post-Presidential Debate effects Of the 35 percent who chose Poe in March 22, 25 percent also voted for her in March 18, while 2 per-

cent were former Binay voters, 2 percent were former Roxas voters, 2 percent were former Duterte voters, and 1 percent were former Santiago voters. One percent used to be undecided, while 3 percent did not respond to the March 18 mobile survey.

Of the 26 percent who chose Duterte, 19 percent were solid Duterte since March 18, 2 percent switched from Poe, 2 percent switched from Binay, 1 percent switched from Roxas, and 0.3 percent switched from Santiago. Less than 1 percent used to be undecided, while 3 percent did not respond to the March 18 mobile survey.

Of the 18 percent who chose Binay, 15 percent were solid Binay since March 18, 1 percent switched from Poe, 0.3 percent switched from Duterte, 0.2

percent switched from Santiago, and 0.1 percent switched from Roxas. None of them used to be undecided, while 2 percent did not respond to the March 18 mobile survey.

Of the 17 percent who chose Roxas, 14 percent were solid Roxas since March 18, 1 percent switched from Poe, 0.2 percent switched from Duterte, and 0.1 percent switched from Binay. A marginal 0.3 percent used to be undecided, while 2 percent did not respond to the March 18 mobile survey.

WILL POE CARRY THE MOMENTUM UNTIL May 9? Or will Duterte be able to overtake her lead? Can Roxas pull an upset and be voted President? *** 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

Will the real Grace Poe-Llamanzares please stand up?

Street Talk GReG B. MacaBenta RUDY Rosal lived in the squatters’ area across the creek from our house in Paranaque when I hired him as a driver. But he had lofty dreams for himself and his family that he felt he couldn’t achieve by ferrying me and my family in our jalopy. Thus, at the first opportunity, he and his wife signed up with a labor recruiter and went off to work in Saudi Arabia.

Rudy and his wife became Overseas Contract Workers or OCWs. That term is no longer in common usage, having been replaced with the term Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

According to Google, “The term OFWs was officially adopted under the President Fidel V. Ramos Administration to give recognition to millions of Filipinos who sacrifice by working in other countries.”

At any rate, there is a world of difference between OFWs and the other kinds of overseas Filipinos, namely, immigrants or naturalized citizens of their country of residence or foreign students, as in the case of Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares, based on her account of her initial stay in the United States.

Joe Molano, the former execu-

tive director of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, has taken pains to make this distinction, perhaps because of the unique status and the travails of the millions of Filipino contract workers laboring—often suffering—in foreign countries.

On one of my visits to Manila, Rudy suddenly appeared at our house, driving a nice-looking van.

He was rightly proud of his possession, referring to it as “katas Saudi”—literally, the “juice” (or fruit) of working in Saudi Arabia.

“I just want you to know that my family and I are doing well,” said Rudy. “Our children have all finished college. One of them is an engineer, another one is a teacher. We’re no longer squatters. We bought a little house in Paranaque. Lahat iyan, kuya, katas Saudi.”

I told Rudy that I felt really good, hearing that from him. But, at that point, the sheer hypocrisy of Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares suddenly came into stark focus.

You see, she has often described herself as “also an OFW.” Apparently, in an effort to ingratiate herself with the millions of Filipinos working abroad, in oil fields and factories, as seamen, teachers, caregivers, nurses or domestics, Poe-Llamanzares has tried to portray her life in America as being similar to that of the overseas Filipino workers.

Does she realize how spiteful she is when she compares her affluent life in America with that of the average OFWs? Being an overseas Filipino my-

self and having lived in the US for nearly 30 years, I would be embarrassed to compare my relatively comfortable circumstances with that of our countrymen trying to earn a living in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and in Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s like rubbing salt on a wound.

In case Poe-Llamanzares is still blissfully unaware of the harsh realities of eking out the equivalent of “katas Saudi,” here is an excerpt from an article by Shakira Sison of Rappler, published in May 2014: “…there are a few things they don’t tell you about the OFW life; things that are often kept secret from those we leave behind…hard and menial work, long hours, or getting scolded by an employer. Nobody talks about the constant immigration struggle, or the fear involved in the life of an undocumented immigrant.

“Cramped quarters and poor living conditions rarely make it to Facebook posts. We don’t talk about bad bosses, layoffs, or the complete physical or emotional exhaustion overseas jobs guarantee. Nobody puts in a status update that they came as a nurse or a scientist but actually work as nannies. Nobody brags about being a tenured professor in the Philippines who works as a factory worker abroad. We do what we can and we keep the drama away from home, even if our lives aren’t exactly what we imagined.

At least our families can imagine otherwise.”

Needless to say, Poe-Llaman-

zares never experienced any of that. To claim that she has is not just hypocrisy but dishonesty.

By trying to sell herself as something completely detached from reality, she is no different from a used car salesman glibly pushing a newly-painted heap to a naïve and unsuspecting first time buyer.

Sadly, the counterfeit OFW claim isn’t the only problem with this person who would like to become president of the country.

In recent weeks, the unraveling of the many facets of the life of Poe-Llamanzares has begun to make one wonder who or what she really is.

She has portrayed herself as the epitome of honesty and integrity but recent public records unearthed by investigative journalists indicate that she may have a dark side of her ostensibly pristine character.

Records in the US exposed by Philippine Daily Tribune editorpublisher Ninez Cacho-Olivares indicate that a certain Llamanzares Grace P., with the same date of birth of the lady senator, used two sets of social security numbers, one of them belonging to a deceased person. According to US law, that is a felony punishable by imprisonment and a fine.

Poe-Llamanzares has acknowledged both SSNs while claiming that the supposedly illicit one was really her school ID number at Boston College. In fact, a student enrolling in a US college is routinely asked for a social security number. Lacking one, the

school may assign a number to the student. But, unless, there have been coincidences that only the supernatural can explain, the fact that her school ID number is exactly the same as the SSN of a deceased US national could mean that she claimed that number as hers, which was why it was assigned as her school ID number.

Another coincidence that perhaps the supernatural can explain is why and how that same combination of numbers – 00503-1988 – has appeared in US records as having been used by a certain Llamanzares Grace P. in circumstances remote to Boston College.

Poe-Llamanzares has accused a rival presidential candidate of refusing to appear before a Senate sub-committee investigating allegations of corruption, criticizing him of resorting to denials.

And yet, when Cacho-Olivares took up the dare to come up with proof of the allegations of illegal use of a deceased person’s social security number in America, PoeLlamanzares resorted to exactly the same tactic: Denials.

Apparently, she has had the advantage of having media that have conveniently failed to print any follow stories on a matter more serious than the gossip they have routinely sensationalized.

Poe-Llamanzares, according to the findings of the Commission on Elections, willfully misrepresented her residency in the Philippines in order to qualify as a presidential candidate. She also

applied for dual citizenship as a “natural born Filipino” by claiming that she was the biological child of Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces. She must have known that it was not the truth. Was it really an “honest” mistake?

Her own presidential platform is founded on a fictional premise: She will ostensibly continue the good work of her father, the late Fernando Poe, Jr. As someone who used to work in the Filipino movie industry, I am aware of the many acts of kindness and beneficence that FPJ showed to people in the industry, but beyond that, he never really did any “good work” that would qualify as a meaningful presidential platform as, say, achievements in land reform or employment generation or social welfare or national defense or the fight against poverty or criminality or even achievements in local governance.

FPJ’s achievements were mainly those depicted in his many fictional roles as a defender of the oppressed. Thus, Poe-Llamanzares, by promoting herself on the basis of fictional achievements and credentials and claiming to be a person of unsullied integrity, is no better than a used car salesman passing off a heap to an unsuspecting buyer as a vehicle in tip-top condition.

In sum, this presidential candidate still has to tell us the truth about herself. Will the real Grace Poe-Llamanzares please stand up? (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

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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Dateline PhiliPPines

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • MARch 31-ApRIL 6, 2016

A

Pinoys want comfortable life, according to recent poll

by Mayvelin U. Caraballo ManilaTmes.net

Vice presidential candidate Sen. Bongbong Marcos throws t-shirts to the crowd during a campaign sortie in Tarlac province on Monday, March 28.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

Bongbong receives warm welcome in Aquino’s territory

by Jay

Dones Inquirer

INSTEAD of jeers, Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. received a warm welcome in Tarlac, the bailiwick and home province of the Aquino clan.

The senator drew cheers when he arrived at the Tarlac State University Gymnasium in Tarlac City, where he participated in the 2nd leg of the Radyo Inquirer Issues Forum on Monday, March 28.

During the forum, he was asked by panelist Aida Gonzales if he is ready and willing to assist the residents of Tarlac if he wins the vice presidency in the May 9 elections.

Gonzales explained that common practice of politicians who, after winning an election, tend to leave out support for provinces identified with his or her rivals.

But Marcos explained that if

he wins, support will be given to all residents in every part of the country.

“Dapat hindi na natin isipin na ito ay Aquino country, may Marcos country o me ganitong country, lahat po tayo ay Pilipino.

(We should stop thinking that this province is Aquino country or this province is Marcos country. We are all Filipinos here,)” Marcos reiterated.

“Dahil sa pamumulitika, tayo ay pinaghahati-hati, huwag po tayong pumayag. (Politics tend to divide us. We should not allow this to happen, Marcos explained.)”

Marcos further reiterated that once the elections are over and the people have chosen their new leaders, politics should quickly be set aside and attention must be focused on the task at hand of making positive changes for the benefit of the people.

Thousands of residents trooped to the Tarlac State University

Gymnasium where Marcos was welcomed by the people of Tarlac, Tarlac.

He was joined by former Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros, ACT-CIS Representative Samuel Pagdilao Jr., and former PDEA Director, retired General Dionisio Santiago.

The group faced tough questions from residents and the panelists on the issues regarding health, crime prevention and local government assistance to workers, among others.

The 2nd Radyo Inquirer Issues Forum is a joint project of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.net’s Next Video, Mega Mobile, Blank Pages Productions and Voice of the Youth Network.

The forum was created to provide voters more information on the different views of candidates on different issues and how they would address these issues.

MAJORITY of Filipinos are aspiring for a simple and comfortable life, according to a survey conducted by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The survey held from January to February this year among 10,000 respondents in urban and rural areas showed that 70 percent of those polled want “a medium-sized home, enough earnings to support everyday needs, at least one car/vehicle, the capacity to provide their children college education; and going on local trips for vacation.”

A small segment or 16.9 percent of the respondents aspire for an affluent life, while 3.9 percent said they want to be rich.

Meanwhile, three-fourths or 72.1 percent of the respondents believe that by 2040, a simple and comfortable life will be the standard of living for all Filipinos.

For most Filipinos, the most important economic goal is the eradication of poverty, hunger and unemployment, For most Filipinos, the most important economic goal is the eradication of poverty, hunger and unemployment, the survey said.

The next most important goals are housing, education and health.

A prevailing sentiment among those polled is that jobs should be found in the Philippines and

that Filipinos should have options for good quality employment that supports a comfortable life.

Eighty-eight percent agree that in 2040, it will be good for the country if citizens will stay in the Philippines instead of leaving to work abroad.

The survey showed that more than 69 percent of the respondents said that if given a choice, they will choose to work here instead of working in a different country.

The NEDA said Filipinos’ aspiration for a comfortable life is attainable.

“I guess at this point, the question that many of you may have in mind is whether this vision is realistic. For us in NEDA, the answer is a resounding yes, it is possible with the right policies,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra said during the launch of the agency’s long-term vision dubbed as “Ambisyon Natin 2040” on Wednesday in Quezon City.

Under Ambisyon Natin 2040, in the next 24 years, Filipinos will enjoy a stable and comfortable lifestyle and will have equal opportunities; citizens will not be burdened by poverty or hunger and have equal opportunities; and the Philippines will be a predominantly middle-class society.

“We recognize, however, that government has a critical role to play in supporting the realization of these aspirations,” Esguera said.

He added that the government needs to provide enabling conditions to help Filipinos build up their resources by fostering sustained economic growth, investing in people, and protecting them against shocks that destabilize them.

The government also needs to provide the appropriate “rules of the game” and ensure that these are enforced fairly and equally, Esguerra, also the NEDA director general, said.

He noted that sustained public investments to close the country’s infrastructure gap will be important in removing bottlenecks that have limited the potential of various sectors.

“We also need to provide an environment that fosters competition and rewards innovation, as they are critical for long-term growth,” the NEDA chief said.

Investments in health and education, will ensure the availability of a healthy, highly trainable and skilled labor force, allow the poor to benefit more from growth and foster the development of a more entrepreneurial society, he added.

The state, Esguerra said, also needs to adequately protect its citizens against social, environmental and economic instability.

“This includes the provision of protection against peace and security threats, as well as health and environmental risks,” he added.

Abby Binay’s plea to Makati folks: Bring...

PAGE A5 singing the hit “Upuan,” which denounced political dynasties.

Another performer during the rally was actor, dancer and host Jhong Hilario, who is running as a Makati district councilor under the Binay team.

Drawing cheers from the crowd, Hilario did a break dance while Gloc 9 rapped on stage.

Before the Binays started ar-

riving, a group of scantily-clad senior citizens danced a racy number onstage raising and spreading their legs which were covered in lace leggings.

The Binays have long dominated Makati since the vice president was appointed by former President Cory Aquino as officer-in-charge of Makati in 1986.

Vice President Binay served as

Makati mayor from 1986 to 1998 and 2001 to 2010 until he was elected vice president. His wife Elenita served from 1998 to 2001 although her term was haunted with graft raps over allegedly overpriced hospital equipment and city hall furnishings. His son Junjun was elected in 2010 until he was sacked by the Ombuds- A-OKAY. More than a million disabled Filipinos will finally enjoy tax exemptions at par with the perks granted to senior citizens, maximizing man over the graft-ridden Makati the benefits that they deserve under the law. President Aquino has signed into law a bill authored by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez granting persons with disabilities (PWDs) exemption from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on certain goods and services. Inquirer.net photo car park project.

A

March 31-april 6, 2016 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 31-ApRIL 6, 2016

VEGAS&STYLE

B

Journal

Fil-Austrian teenager wins ‘The Voice Kids Germany’ American band ‘Switchfoot’ holds free concert in Tondo A FILIPINO-Austrian teenager was declared the winner of “The Voice Kids Germany” on Friday, March 25.

During the show’s finale, 13year-old Lukas Janisch wowed the judges with his performance of Alicia Keys’ “If I Aint Got You” and Adele’s “When We Were Young” while he was playing the piano.

Janisch got a standing ovation from the three judges and the audience.

During his blind auditions, Janisch also got a standing ovation after performing Alicia Keys’ “Fallin” while also playing the piano.

Janisch chose Mark Forster to be his coach over Lena MeyerLandrut and Sasha Alexander.

Janisch, who confessed to growing up singing karaoke with his mother, beat out fellow finalists Shanice and Ridon.

Being the grand champion, Lukas Janisch with coach Mark Forster. Screengrab from Mark Forster’s Instagram Account Janisch will bring home 15,000 euros worth of training and recordJanisch’s family lives in Fürsten- hails from Palompon town in ing deal. feld, Austria but her mother Leyte. (Inquirer.net)

3 things that Alden Richards can’t live without

by Dolly

Anne CArvAjAl Inquirer.net

ThOSE people who insist that the popularity of Alden Richards is waning, better think again. The “Pambansang Bae” continues to soar. he has been tapped by Unilab to be the new endorser of Neozep.

But there remains no cure for the “AlDub” (Alden/Yaya Dub or Maine Mendoza) fever, which is still highly contagious. here’s my one-on-one with Alden: All love teams break up eventually. When AlDub ends, how will you reinvent yourself?

I will focus more on my craft as an actor, but of course I don’t want AlDub to end yet.

What has fame taught you?

To take advantage of the moment and use it for the common good.

What’s something you can’t live without?

My rosary, Bible and a daily word from God. What don’t people know about Alden Richards?

Nothing much. What you see is what you get.

If you could be a woman for a month, who would you want to be?

Mother Teresa.

What keeps you grounded?

Prayers and the support I’m getting from my loved ones and followers.

Alden Richards

American Alternative rock band Switchfoot had a free concert in Tondo on Monday, March 28.

Photo from Facebook/Church Simplified

Erich Gonzales in full bloom

by Dolly

Anne CArvAjAl Inquirer.net

EVERYThING’S coming up roses for Erich Gonzales. her career and lovelife are in full bloom—plus, a new endorsement to boot!

She’s the face of Choobi Choobi, the popular Cebu restaurant that has opened a branch on Panay Ave., QC. here’s my têteà-tête with Erich: In what ways have you turned your boyfriend, Daniel Matsunaga, into a Pinoy, and in what ways has he turned you into a Brazilian?

It all comes down to food! As a Brazilian he has introduced me to barbecues and steaks, and as a Pinoy, I have turned him into a seafood connoisseur.

What’s the craziest thing that you and Daniel have done?

Danced in public with a lot of people around while we were in Paris.

What’s the sweetest thing that he has done for you?

I feel very blessed that Daniel is a sweet person by nature. he is constantly doing sweet things without realizing it. If I were to choose out of the many sweet things he’s done, it would be when he flew to Davao with me to meet my family.

How do you handle misun-

There is no problem that coffee, ice, cream and sweetness can’t solve.

Reward yourself with a sweet, perk-me-up treat—McCafe® Iced Coffee.

Refreshingly cool and made with rich, 100% Arabica bean coffee, cream and your choice of indulgent flavors: caramel, hazelnut, French vanilla or sugar-free Fre French vanilla. sugar-fre anilla. e nch v

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2 s. McDon

rticipa on

ly a

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MANILA—The American alternative rock band Switchfoot literally rocked the streets of Tondo with a free concert on Monday, March 28.

The band who became popular for the song “Dare You to Move” from the movie “A Walk to Remember” had a show on Sunday in Bonifacio Global City on Sunday, March 27. The following day, they were invited by Church Simplified to have a free concert for the people in Tondo.

Even after the show, the group interacted with the crowd. (Philstar.com)

49 medium

derstandings?

Communication is the key. We always try to understand where each is coming from before we jump to conclusions or say anything we might regret. We talk it out and compromise.

Any culture clash between you and Daniel?

There is no such thing as a culture clash in our relationship.

Whatever differences we have in the culture we were born into is all bound by our faith. It’s all about being receptive and honest.

What’s your dream marriage proposal and wedding?

My dream wedding proposal doesn’t have to be fancy, as long as it is well-thought-out and genuine! I have always dreamed of a destination wedding in Europe.

I want something small and simple, but in a beautiful place surrounded by those closest to our hearts.

If your life story would be made into a movie, what would the title be?

“Quester.”

B march 31-april 6, 2016 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

EntErtainmEnt

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Don Ellis Aguillo: Fil-Am graphic artist & illustrator expresses himself in a way the world hasn’t seen

By Malou liwanag-Bledsoe AJPress

ONE would think that artists are “a dime a dozen,” creating the impression that when one draws, paints and/or create something, you can be labeled as an “artist.”

In reality, only a small number can be called that, and that honor does not come lightly.

One’s style and reason for doing such art comes to play. An artist can’t just paint a picture and not know the meaning behind it.

It’s like a comic book or a graphic novel — there has to be a story.

Graphic artist and illustrator Don Ellis Aguillo defines such style, describing it as “a marriage between graphic novel/comic book,” adding that it has “painterly sensibility.” His creations are not merely copies of his favorites from the comic book world, but rather an update to pull them into the current times.

Born in 1984 in Quezon City, Philippines, Aguillo’s father, Fred, (who is from Cagayan in Northern Luzon) migrated to the United States to work as an engineer.

His mother, Heidi first went to work in the United Arab Emirates before following his father. Later in 1989, Aguillo traveled to the US with his brother to Pennsylvania.

The art of Aguillo Art came natural for him at a young age. Explaining that he always had an affinity for it, he found ways to incorporate it into his schoolwork.

“The meticulous nature and attention to detail made for a great foray into sciences and so at a young age. Though I was artistic, I was convinced I would follow [footsteps] to pursue something

in the medical field,” he said. “It took freshman year at Penn State University to realize I need to let that go and pursue the dream that was in my heart — which was illustration and design.”

He also added that his early inspiration was his brother, who was always a step ahead of him artistically in their younger years copying cartoons from TV and comic books. “When he set down his pencil, I continued on, exploring color, line and composition in a recreational way on my own through elementary, high school and eventually graduating with honors in fine arts.”

Today, Aguillo’s influences come from both art worlds— Caravaggio, Leonardo Da Vinci, Edgar Degas and Jack Vettriano from the

classical; and Simone Bianchi, Joe Madureira and Chris Bachalo from the modern, comic book world.

“Though I pay attention to line, I think my work deals more with color and light, trying to make fantastical creations, situation, environments and characters that are grounded in the familiar physics of this one,” he said.

Keeping a connection to his culture and roots In spite of his non-Filipino art inspirations, Aguillo is firmly connected to his roots. Apart from being a graphic designer and illustrator by trade, he is also a 3rd degree black belt martial arts instructor, and a dancer with the Parangal Dance Company of San Francisco.

His work has also been part of the dance troupe’s marketing collaterals, and has been part of Kularts’ Kwentohan: Superheroes Edition series in SoMa. “Being Filipino-American definitely factored into my haven taken up part as a chosen field in many ways,” he shared. “There was a lot of pressure, especially being sensitive to my parents’ struggle to come to the US in the first place and observing their full commitment to their life’s work, to eventually take up law or medicine (or something equivalent) in order to achieve a level of prestige with my professional life. I realized that if I didn’t follow my heart, so to speak, with art, that part of me would die, and it wouldn’t honor or give integrity to their struggle, to pursue something half-heartedly.”

It does not mean, however, that there weren’t any challenges along the way. In fact, Aguillo believes that being taken seriously as an artist in this day and age is an ever-evolving challenge.

“Things from anticipating budgeting for freelance work, to evaluating my own work for its worth in a market has been tough for me as I pour my heart and soul into every creation, otherwise I won’t pursue the project. I think it’s also a wonderful challenge to be in such a saturated market because it forces you to continue learning your strengths, new developments and most im-

Photos courtesy of Don Ellis Aguillo

For more information about Don Ellis Aguillo and his work: Web: www.donaguillo.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/donaguilloillustrationdesign/ Instagram: @theinkwellrunsdry / @marvelworld Deviantart: http://daguillo84.deviantart.com portantly, where you are weakest in your skill and expression of your sensibilities and perception of the world. It’s a constant, but welcome, struggle, to offer something different, new, fresh, but also cultural important and relevant. You can’t always be successful at it, but continuing on and developing that ability to offer that perspective to the world is what is valuable to the art.”

At the moment, Aguillo and his friend, fellow artist, Rafael Salazar are continuing to develope the Kwentohan: Superheroes Edition series with Kularts, seeing it as a vehicle for giving the disenfranchised and dwindling Filipino population of the SoMa district a voice and a place in its own popular culture.

“We want to continue developing that visual world and its characters and narrative and see where that goes in the future,” he said.

Also, the two friends and other resident artists in San Francisco are pursuing a publication under the name, “In Hiatus,” which will spotlight snippets of larger graphic novel works that they’ve developed. These graphic novels all follow themes of journeys, near and far, their significance in their

lives. It will span several genres — political commentary, sci-fi, sword and sorcery, modern noir and classical superhero tales.

“We hope to publish by late summer in time for the San Francisco Comic Con this September at which we will be available to sell the printed publication and other work we’ve developed ourselves.” he said.

As for aspiring artists, Aguillo advises them to continue creating, in spite of the challenges that may come their way.

“San Francisco is such a rich hub that is open to developing not only its own melting pot, but also the preservation of existing and classical cultures and modes of creative expression,” he shared and then added, “Though the storm of rising cost of living, difficulty in maintaining residence due to gentrification and other difficult economic sources, it’s important to stay true to the spirit of this city and maintain a strong connection with your cultural and creative roots as they are what makes the day-to-day come alive. Keep creating, and if you don’t feel you are a creator, then try learning a discipline or craft through which you can express yourself in a way the world hasn’t seen yet.”

Nadine Lustre: Spread love not hate by

JoyCe JiMenez

On her Twitter account, Nadine said “Spread LOVE not HATE. MANILA—Nadine Lustre asked Stop bashing JaDines.” her fans to “stop bashing,” after Her boyfriend and onscreen the article “How to be Nadine partner James Reid gave a “betLustre” was published in Preen ter advice” on how to be like Online.

Nadine.

Many of her fans believed the “If you [want to] find love, be article was “badly written” and someone worth loving,” he said. was “demeaning,” despite the The website has already taken fact that the website is advocating down the article and apologized to women empowerment. the couple and their fans.

Philstar.com

Nadine Lustre

Coco Martin gets his creative juices flowing

by Marinel

r. Cruz

Inquirer.net

MANY are unaware that Coco Martin, aside from being the lead actor of the top-rated action drama series, “Ang Probinsiyano,” is also a part of the program’s creative team.

“As in my previous television projects, I’m very much involved here. I want to prove that actors are good, not just at working in front of the camera,” said Coco, who plays the heroic cop, Cardo, in the series.

This week, his mission is to rescue his nephew, Junior (Lei Andrei Navarro), from the hands of kidnappers who are also members

Coco Martin

of an organ-trading syndicate.

“I learned a lot from Direk Brillante Mendoza and Bing Lao,” said Coco of his director and writer, respectively, in a number of indie movies that he was part of in the early 2000s. “I observed and listened to them while at work.

When I started doing projects for TV, I made sure to participate in the brainstorming sessions.”

He works hard at maintaining a good working relationship with the people on the set. “They look at me as their leader. When I have ideas, especially on how to improve the program, I share it with the production team. I’m not in favor of making just one character shine in this series. I want

the program to be a showcase for a lot of talents.”

The show also features Maja Salvador, Bela Padilla, Arjo Atayde, Pepe Herrera, Agot Isidro, Albert Martinez and Susan Roces, who plays Cardo’s Lola Flora.

Relevance “We try to make episodes that are relevant to the times. We create characters that inspire and encourage the audience to do good,” Coco said in Filipino.

“These heroes aren’t hard to find.

They aren’t necessarily policemen like Cardo. We see them in ordinary men who are always ready to help others.”

He said he was able to relate easily to the character because “like me, Cardo came from a poor family. He worked hard to be able to fulfill his dreams, and he did this with his family in mind. I like that he is also concerned with the welfare of his community. I consider him a hero.”

The actor also finds strength in the lola characters in all of his TV series. “This is because, in real life, I was raised not by my parents but my grandmother. I always say, my leading lady is my lola.

I have one in most of the shows I was part of,” said Coco, such as “Juan dela Cruz,” where he worked with Gina Pareño as Lola Belen; “Walang Hanggan,” also with Roces as Manang Henya; and “Tayong Dalawa,” with Pareño as Lola Gets.

This week’s “Ang Probinsyano” also features Gelli de Belen, who plays a mother desperate to prolong the life of her dying son. Eric Quizon likewise appears on the show as a doctor who harvests kidneys from unwilling patients and sells them to his millionaire clients. Cardo teams up with fellow police officer Glen (Salvador) to hunt down the gang responsible for Junior’s disappearance.

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10 PH destinations that should be on your summer go-to checklist

by Krizia

Dela Inquirer.net

Cruz

The summer season has officially begun in the Philippines.

The country is one of the world’s top tourist destinations, after all.

There are pristine beaches, breathtaking sunsets, beautiful mountains and hills, stunning architecture, a rich cultural heritage and not to mention, lots of fun to be had with your travel buddies, tourist friends and returning balikbayans.

Check out the following Philippine destinations and start planning your trip to any of the ten, stat: 1. Bukal Falls, Laguna Take a dip in the icy cold waters of Bukal Falls, a hidden gem just three hours from the metro. A short trek leads you to this dazzling sight of crimson-colored rocks in perfect contrast with the crystal clear spring water. Makes you want to take a picture with

Bukal Falls, Laguna

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan

no hDR needed, and upload on Instagram right away.

2. Paoay Sand Dunes Want to take a truly off-thebeaten path? A trip to the north will give you the adventure that you’ve been looking for. You can try your hand at sand boarding, brave the 4×4 ride on the uneven terrain or just watch the majestic view of the sunset.

3. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan

Paoay Sand Dunes

The Philippines: The next gastronomy capital of Asia?

Moran Philstar.com

The second staging of Madrid Fusion in Manila this year is the best proof yet that the Philippines is strongly positioned to become the gastronomy capital of Asia, according to Department of Tourism undersecretary Bong Bengzon at the “Paella Gigante” event, where renowned chefs cooked a10-foot-diameter paella.

The event was held at Greenbelt 3 Park, Makati City.

“By staging the cooking of the giant paella, which is a prelude to Madrid Fusion Manila in April and the World Street Food Congress later in April, we are able to showcase the genius of our Filipino chefs with their foreign counterparts,” Bengzon said. “Cuisine has always been important in promoting tourism and the Philippines as a destination, and for us, this is a showcase for just that.”

At the helm of the event last Saturday were top chefs Mikel Arriet, J Gamboa, Fernando Aracama, Carlo Miguel, Gilbert Pangilinan, James Antolin, Jerome

Valencia, Sito Senn, and Juan Carlo de Terry.

The centerpiece, the giant paella Valenciana, was cooked complete with chorizo, chicken, and seafood in the traditional way over charcoal and firewood. It was good for 1,000 people and sold at P250 per plate, for the benefit of the Sociedad española de Beneficencia and its programs.

With 2016 being dubbed as the year of “Visit the Philippines Again,” the DOT will stage Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM) 2016 from April 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center. With the theme “The Manila Galleon: east Meets West,” MFM aims to give a deeper understanding of the cultural exchange and transfer of knowledge among countries in Asia, europe and the Americas, which took place through the galleon trade.

The much-anticipated MFM 2016 includes a star-studded lineup of chefs from Spain, Asia, europe and the Americas. Representing the West are Joan Roca, Dani Garcia, Jordi Butron, Angel Leon, Richard Camarena (Spain),

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Siargao, Surigao del Norte

Masungi Georeserve, Rizal

Inquirer.net photos

It’s no wonder that this prime diving spot is included on the list.

This UNeSCO World heritage Site boasts of 10,000 hectares of beautifully conserved coral reefs that houses hundreds of species of fish, sharks, dolphins, whales, birds and sea turtles.

4. Mt. Pulag, Benguet If you’re looking for a respite from all the noise of the city, why not take a walk in a sea of clouds?

The highest peak in Luzon is, of

El Nido, Palawan

by Kathy

Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

Michael Voltaggio (USA), enrique Olivera and Jorge Vallejo (Mexico), and Virgilio Martinez (Peru).

The east boasts celebrated chefs Yoshiro Narisawa (Japan), David Thompson (Thailand), Nurdin Topham (hong Kong), Kevin Cherkas (Indonesia), Jungsik Yim (Korea) and the Philippine contingent represented by Romy Dorotan and Amy Besa, Tatung Sarthou, Michael Aspiras, Leah Cohen and Paul Qui. Everything Yummy It is with utmost pleasure that we welcome these top hats, young and old, all with bragging rights and awards to their names,” said DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. “As we witness the explosion of culinary geniuses onstage, the priceless lessons can only inspire our local talents to create ripples and be conscious of Filipino core values of hospitality, ingenuity and industry as foundations in building uniquely Filipino food experiences. Once again, our local industry needs to seize this PAGE B4

Cooked for a cause: Chefs Juan Carlos de Terry, Mike Santos, James Antolin, Fernando Aracama, Mikel Arriet, Bruce Lim, Gilbert Pangilinan, Miguel Gianan and Rommel Hinlo were among the 80 chefs who helped cook the 10-foot-diameter paella. The paella was cooked at the “Paella Gigante” event at Greenbelt 3 Park, Makati City, recently.

course, a challenging climb. Fear not, for you will be instantly rewarded with this impressive view at the summit.

5. Vigan City, Ilocos Sur history buffs would love walking on the cobblestone streets of Vigan, another UNeSCO World heritage site and one of the New7wonders. Ride the kalesa and be transported back to the Spanish colonial period with the fusion of Asian and european architectural styles on Calle Crisologo. If you’re feeling artsy, you could visit a pagburnayan and learn the art of pottery. Don’t forget to munch on some good ‘ol empanada with sukang Iloco as you watch the lovely dancing fountain show at Plaza Salcedo.

6. Puerto Princesa Underground River Gaze at the majestic rock formations this paradise has to offer.

At 8.2 km, it is considered the longest accessible underground river in the world. Its beautifully preserved limestone karst landscape also makes it a sight to behold. Be prepared to say hi to some bats hanging around the cave.

7. Siargao, Surigao del Norte Dubbed as the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao is home to Cloud 9, one of the best surf spots in the world. Aside from its world-famous surf breaks, this tropical getaway is also known for its serene white sand beaches and islands worthy of a postcard.

8. Masungi Georeserve, Rizal explore the great outdoors in a conservation area like Masungi Georeserve. Feel like the world is your playground at the Discovery

Mt. Pulag, Benguet

Aliwagwag Falls, Davao Oriental

Trail, which is peppered with rope bridges and nets against 66 million year old limestone formations. Instagram-worthy spots include the Duyan, a giant hammock hanging high up on the forest and the Sapot, a suspended structure that resembles a spider web set against the view of the Sierra Madre mountains.

9. Aliwagwag Falls, Davao Oriental Marvel at the scenic view of these multi-tiered waterfalls.

Recognized as the highest water-

falls in the Philippines, it is best seen through the 55 meters high zipline for a bird’s eye view of the forest.

10. El Nido, Palawan expect nothing less from “the world’s best island.” Adventure enthusiasts may go on a hike at Taraw Peak or even try shark diving! Make the most out of your trip and go island hopping, which includes kayaking at the lagoons of Miniloc Island or just enjoying the peaceful view of the sunset at the beach.

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A new beginning for comedian Michael V. Crying scenes therapeutic for broken-hearted Jessy Mendiola Just before Holy Week, award-winning comedian and tV host Michael V. inked his renewed beginning with his home network GMA, to which he has remained loyal for 21 years now.

Asked why he never thought of exploring opportunities with other major networks, he replied, “GMA ang nagbigay talaga sa akin ng pinakamagandang break, kaya hindi mawawala ang loyalty.

More than work ang relationship, beyond friendship na.”

At present, the comedian headlines Philippine tV’s longest-running gag show Bubble Gang, the family-oriented sitcom Pepito Manaloto, and hosts of the comedy-musical competition Lip sync Battle Philippines.

Called Bitoy by his friends in showbiz, Michael V. said he is very proud to be part of GMA’s success in terms of creating innovative and pioneering comedy shows in the country.

“Dito sa GMA, tayo ang nagpasimula ng magagandang comedy series. I would say, ako tagasulong lang ng nasimulan ng GMA sa paggawa ng comedy. With Bubble Gang, 20 years na ganung katagal. Proud talaga ako. Hindi lang para sa sarili ko, kundi para rin sa mga kasama ko, yung mga writers, the people behind the camera. Nandiyan sila to support us at nandiyan palagi to lend an ear whenever may suggestion kami at request. Para sa akin, malaking bagay iyon. For a manage- At present, the comedian headlines Philippine TV’s longest-running gag show ment and talent, dapat may ganun laging ‘Bubble Gang,’ the family-oriented sitcom ‘Pepito Manaloto,’ and hosts comedymusical competition ‘Lip Sync Battle Philippines’ relationship.” (ManilaTimes.net)

by

marinel r. cruz Inquirer.net

JEssY Mendiola said crying her heart out on the set has helped speed up the healing of her broken heart.

As her character Grace Fontanilla in the recently concluded Kapamilya teleserye of “You’re My Home,” Jessy had a lot of crying scenes, which she considered “therapeutic.”

“I remember that there wasn’t a day at work that I didn’t have to cry or break down. Luckily, I had something to focus on while I was going through a difficult time in my personal life,” she told reporters.

Jessy denied there was something romantic brewing between her and JC de Vera, who plays her lover, Christian Vergara, in the series.

Not real “I’m glad people still like our tandem even though nothing is happening between us in real life,” she said.

Jessy insisted that she wasn’t ready for love. “It’s far from my mind right now. I’m discovering a lot of things about myself now that I’m not looking for love.

Who would have thought that I’d like scuba diving, kayaking and snorkeling? You’ll know more of yourself when you’ve reached what you thought was the lowest point in your life, and eventually survived it.”

In November last year, Jessy broke up for the second time with actor JM de Guzman, whose family reportedly decided to send him to a rehabilitation facility due to drug dependence. (they were together for two years before

The Philippines: The next gastronomy...

PAGE B3 opportunity to showcase the best products at the trade exhibit. But more than just a gastronomic event, our net gain from MFM should lead to world awareness of the Philippines not only as a food haven but also as a viable source of culinary talents and premium food brands.” the “2nd Flavors of the Philippines” is a month-long festival showcasing the best of the country’s gastronomic offerings through activities such as food tours, food tastings, concerts, agri fairs, weekend markets and bazaars.

Held simultaneously in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the festival is organized by DOt and tourism Promotions Board (tPB). this year’s cultural food fest celebrates unique local cuisines from different regions, aiming to put the Philippines at the forefront of Asian culinary excellence. “this is an opportunity for us to help kick off ‘Flavors of the

EMPLOYMENT

Philippines,’” said chef Fernando Aracama. “Our organization, LtB Philippine Chefs Association, is all about the promotion of the professionalization of Filipino chefs. If we want Philippine cuisine to gain a place outside the country, it has to start with us chefs to bring out the best food outside of the Philippines. And that is what we are trying to push. We are making everybody come together. We know that beyond our restaurant walls and kitchens there is still so much good we can do for the country and Philippine cuisine.”

Cooking a giant paella under the afternoon sun in Greenbelt 3 Park was no easy feat. It was a scorching afternoon; I know because I was there beside the giant paellera — and it was hot.

But nothing could dampen the mood, the wonderful smiles and the chiding going on between the over-80 chefs who were there that afternoon to do their share in cooking this giant paella for a cause.

“I am happy to be here and I

enjoy being out in the sun and cooking for a cause,” said chef J Gamboa. “this kickoff event is a wonderful start to Madrid Fusion Manila 2016. It is great that the DOt has partnered with Madrid Fusion and has been able to bring all the chefs here. this year we have superstar chefs like Juan Roca, Jose Andres, and Narizawa, among others. It is almost impossible to see them in their restaurants. to have them here to share their thoughts and their recipes is simply amazing.”

“How has MFM helped promote Philippine cuisine?” I ask.

“What I felt happened last year at MFM2015 is that it kind of supercharged the whole local culinary scene, and people started taking the profession more seriously and people started accepting it as a serious profession,” J added. “the local chefs were all inspired by the spanish chefs and used what they learned to re-examine their own cuisine. For that alone MFM 2015 has been a boon for our local cuisine.”

EMPLOYMENT

their first breakup. they got back together in April 2015.)

Traumatic “the experience was very traumatic,” the actress admitted. “You move on, one step at a time. I’m slowly getting there.

Of course, you have to believe in yourself in order to love again. I came to a point where I doubted if anyone would still love me.”

If she had her way, Jessy said she would not discuss the issue anymore. “I don’t want to be accused of using him (JM) to promote myself. He was once a part of my life. He is very dear to me,” she explained. she took a lot of flak from netizens for publicly talking about the breakup.

Jessy chose to ignore them “although, admittedly, there were days when I talked back.”

Defender “Even my mom gets fed up sometimes, so she defends me,” she shared with Inquirer. “I understand her. she’s my mom, and she would do everything to defend me.”

Asked whether she was still willing to fight for love despite her traumatic experience, Jessy answered in the affirmative, but added that “I don’t search for love anymore. I wait patiently. I’m in no hurry. It’s funny because while you’re waiting for the right guy, you also discover a lot of things about yourself that you should improve on.”

Angeline Quinto: Maybe I’m born for singing contests by

Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

ANGELINE Quinto said she almost didn’t join this year’s Himig Handog P-Pop Love song writing competition.

“Pangatlong beses ko ng makasali sa Himig Handog. ‘Yong unang beses ko po na sumali dito, hindi ako nanalo,” she said in a recent interview. “siyempre ang bigat sa amin na hindi nanalo ng song, iisipin namin dahil ba sa amin ‘yon. Hindi maiiwasan maisip ‘yon so nahihiya ako do’n sa composers.”

“Kaya sana sa taon na ito ayoko na sana, pero na-realize ko

na siguro pinanganak talaga ako para sa contest,” she added.

However, she realized that maybe there are “composers sa mundo, sigurado ako isa dyan nagdarasal na makanta ko ang kanta nila. so naisip ko na kung may tao mang gano’n sa akin, e, hindi ko ipagkakait ang boses ko para kantahin ang kanta niya.” she also noted that most of them interpreting the song for the competition doesn’t mind the prize they might win, it’s enough for them to have the composer’s “trust na tinatanggap namin and ‘yong love no’ng gumawa no’n.”

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

Angeline Quinto

Angeline is interpreting the song “Parang tayo Pero Hindi” with Michael Pangilinan, composed by Marlon Barnuevo.

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Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves GReGoRy J. boult NANcy e. MilleR Securing an immigrant visa to the united States can be a long and stressful process. After waiting months or even years, an applicant concludes the process with a brief and concise interview with a consular officer. in the best case scenario, the immigrant visa is approved at the time of the interview. However, not all immigrant visa interviews proceed without issue; and for some, the interview can result in the denial of their application. A denial is followed by confusion as the applicant and family members struggle to understand why the visa was denied and what action, if any, can be taken to remedy the situation.

An applicant who is denied an immigrant visa must be provided with written notice which specifically identifies the legal grounds

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA i AM doubling down and taking my own piece of advice. unless absolutely necessary, i intend to be logged off for longer periods of time. How else can i SAVOr THe MOMenT except by living real life in real time with as fewer hours as possible spent on the internet? communication has become efficient, almost done by rote, and sometimes borders on the cold and impersonal. i still don’t enjoy being part of a global network to be used for someone’s purpose or agenda. i reFuSe TO Be A PrODucT TrADeD On WALL STreeT. Yes, i am kicking and screaming.

There’s a stubborn part of me that rebels and chafes at becoming part of a statistic. i resent being used for the purpose of advancing some corporate agenda.

There are companies who mine data from social networking sites and the gigantic hoard of public information mega databases. These are then sold to interested parties as valuable psychographic information.

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 31-ApRIL 6, 2016

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Immigrant visa denied: What’s the next step? for the refusal. generally, such written notices only identify the section of the law upon which the denial is based. As a result, many applicants are left confused as to why they were denied. in addition, depending upon the specific law cited for the denial, some applicants are informed that they may apply for a waiver which, if approved, would render them eligible for a visa. Others are simply advised that no waiver is available and that the refusal is the final decision. Obviously, either of these outcomes can prove devastating. And the first step, which should be conducted by an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney, is a determination of whether the denial of the immigrant visa application was legally correct.

The immigration laws of the united States are complex. it cannot be emphasized too strongly that the denial of any immigrant visa application should be thoroughly reviewed to determine

whether the relevant law was correctly interpreted and applied to the facts of the case. if the review establishes that an error was made by the denying consular officer, a formal request for reconsideration of the denial can be made. Such a request must be in writing and submitted within one year of the denial, and must be supported by legal argument and supporting evidence which establishes that the denial was erroneous. if a request for reconsideration is unsuccessful, an applicant may then seek an advisory opinion with the Department of State. An advisory opinion is a formal position statement from the Office of Visa Services in Washington, D.c., which will issue a written position regarding any legal issue disputed from the denial of a visa. if such a formal written position is favorable to the applicant, the advisory opinion can be utilized to seek the issuance of a new decision on the denied application.

While the first step is to al-

Log off and enjoy your hot chocolate “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything…

They just make the best of everything that they have.”

—Author Unknown

companies package, repackage and sell personal information with the sole purpose of manipulating the mass behavior of citizens in a free society. it stinks to high heaven when the powers that be use information for social engineering and political purposes such as skewing election results.

With blatant, unlawful nSA snooping on anything electronic by any citizen these days, can the gestapo thought police be far behind? i doubt if my opinions on a twitter account holds any gravitas to twitterverse users. Saying something by tweeting on anything can and will be held against you.

A screen grab of your comment makes it permanent. Why give anyone any ammo? The number of users following you is sup-

posed to be an indication of your fan base. Few things on the net, particularly regarding the ego, are real however. i heard some enterprising company lets you claim thousands of fake twitter followers who purportedly follow your tweets. That goes for a fee, of course. The internet has become the de facto hothouse for growing gigantic egos.

We’ve all become easy targets for privacy intruders. nothing seems sacred or private anymore. There’s more than enough out there in the public records to fill a dossier on anyone with an SSn or a pulse. We are living in the throes of the information Age and the currencies being traded are bits and bytes of information. it’s like living in glass houses these days. There’s too PAGE B7

ways review, and challenge as appropriate, the denial of an immigrant visa application, there are instances when the refusal to issue an immigrant visa is legally correct. under such circumstances, the issue then turns to whether the applicant is eligible for a waiver. While consular officers are afforded broad discretion to approve or deny a visa, discretion rarely becomes a factor in denying an immigrant visa. instead, the denial of an immigrant visa is usually based upon a ground of inadmissibility – a set of laws which preclude certain individuals from immigrating to the united States. common grounds of inadmissibility include convictions for certain crimes, fraud in an attempt to obtain an immigration benefit, and physical presence in the united States without authorization for certain defined periods of time. Some grounds of inadmissibility do not provide for a waiver. Such grounds of

inadmissibility highlight the importance of carefully reviewing, and challenging as appropriate, the denial of a visa application.

However, for those who are not successful in challenging a visa denial, but who are eligible to apply for a waiver, the process of applying for such a waiver should begin in earnest.

For those eligible applicants, a waiver of inadmissibility must be submitted within one year of the denial of the immigrant visa.

An application for a waiver of inadmissibility is filed not with the denying embassy or consulate, but rather with citizenship and immigration Services. Such waivers are typically complicated given the required evidence to prove successful, and should be prepared by an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney. if granted, the waiver approval will be forwarded to the embassy or consult which issued the initial denial, and the applicant will be able to proceed

Health@Heart

Debunking diet myths

PhiliP s. chuA, MD, FAcs, FPcs Myth: It’s all in the genes. there’s no need to diet.

Fact: This is 2016 and we know better. While heredity plays a vital role in our body’s metabolism, environmental factors are equally, and in some cases, more important than our genetic makeup. So, it is not totally hopeless for those who are overweight or sickness-prone. if done properly under a well-established scientific regimen, dieting, living a healthy lifestyle, could do wonders with health and longevity.

Myth: I can eat all I want, since I am young.

Fact: Hardening of the artery— a major cause of hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attack and stroke—starts to develop in young children as early as 5 years of age, or even earlier. eating a lot of food high in fats and cholesterol (like eggs, dairy products, red meat (pork, beef, etc) will lead to hypercholesterolemia and/or hypertriglyceridemia that thicken blood and cause plaques (calcium deposits) on the inner walls of the arteries all over our

body. This will reduce the caliber (inner diameter) of the artery and eventually clogs up and deprive tissues and organs (heart, brain, kidneys, etc) of the much needed blood, oxygen and nutrition.

Myth: heart attack and stroke happen only to old people.

Fact: Statistics show that heart attack and stroke, and even sudden cardiac death could happen to men and women younger than 30. The youngest patient i did heart bypass on was a 28-yearold female, who had high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

Myth: high cholesterol/triglycerides are genetic.

Fact: Actually, only one and 500 people who have familial hypercholesterolemia—are familial or hereditary (inherited from their parents). While that particular individual has the “excuse” to have high levels of cholesterol, the 499 of us do not. And since many of us have hypercholesterolemia, it only means we are abusing our body and our health. This is from the high fat, high cholesterol food we shove down our food pipe.

Myth: Major diseases are part of our fate, our destiny.

Fact: This is untrue and a misguided way of thinking. This hopeless acceptance is unhealthy

with his or her immigrant visa application.

The denial of an immigrant visa is a very serious matter, and one which typically requires the professional services of an experienced and knowledgeable immigration attorney to explore and pursue all available options.

While the denial of an immigrant visa can be devastating, it may not be the last word. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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

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in itself, and contrary to the mountains of scientific data and proofs we have today, to show that heart attack and stroke, and even high blood pressure and diabetes, are preventable illnesses.

Myth: Not eating carbohydrate is healthy Fact: Totally eliminating carbohydrates (rice, bread, pop beverages, cakes, candies, ice cream, desserts, etc) will lead to weight loss. This is good if you are overweight, but it is not the healthiest way of controlling weight. Our body needs some carbohydrates, about 100 grams a day. it is when we eat this in excess that is bad, not only for our weight but for our heart, etc. The right way is to minimize or avoid refined carbohydrates that are nothing but sugar (like the list of food items listed above). instead, it is best to eat healthy carbs from whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. And brown (red) rice and oat meal are healthier to eat than white rice and flour bread.

These six healthy carbs can also minimize the risk of colon cancer, besides heart attack and stroke.

Myth: Diet food on the market are safe for weight control.

Fact: Most diet food being marketed are not really necessary PAGE B7

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Get the best price for your valuables at Nevada Coin Mart

Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Chef Mario Batali, Jessica Halling (center director, Acelero Learning Center) and Amanda Hirsh (executive director, Books for Kids)

Mario Batali Foundation opens new Las Vegas library for at-risk children

Mario Batali opened the new Books for Kids/Mario Batali Foundation library at the acelero Spring Valley learning Center on tuesday, March 29. “libraries are important because they help children become the best they will be. they can come to a library and free themselves in a place like this. this is what is means to do something for the world around you and give unconditionally,” says Batali. the event began with children joining Chef Batali to officially open the library—not with a traditional ribbon-cutting, but by the group opening books that read inside, “WE’rE oPEN!” afterward, he read “Green Eggs and Ham” to the children. at the conclusion of the ceremony, las Vegas chefs from the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group provided special breakfast treats for attendees that included breakfast burritos with green eggs and ham. this new library marks the third Southern Nevada library that has been funded by the Mario Batali Foundation and the 11th library it has funded nationwide. the 161square-foot library holds nearly 1,000 books, many of which are for bilingual readers, offering an excellent range of reading material for children from one month to 12-years-old. the acelero Spring Valley learning Center serves 325 children year-round, from the ages of one month to five-years-old, with 65.6 percent of the children at the Spring Valley site living below the poverty line.

Mario Batali reading to the children of Acelero Spring Valley Learning Center

Mario Batali and Mayor Goodman

Mario Batali and Congresswoman Titus Photos by Marty Frierson/Vox Solid Communications

the Mario Batali Foundation partnered with Books for Kids to build the library at Spring Valley. Books for Kids is a non-profit organization promoting literacy among all children with a special emphasis on low-income and at-risk preschool-aged children.

Books for Kids creates libraries, donates books and implements literacy programs to develop the

critical early foundation and skills which young children need to be successful in life. the Mario Batali Foundation strives to ensure all children are well read, well fed and well cared for. in Fall 2014, the Foundation opened their first las Vegas library, followed by the second las Vegas location in Summer 2015.

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WitH tons of places to choose from to bring your old jewelry, there’s only one place in las Vegas that will pay the best amount for these valuables. at Nevada Coin Mart, customers can rest assured that they will be properly compensated for the precious stones and metals they bring in.

Neil Sackmary, the owner of the store, is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological institute of america (Gia) with more than 20 years of experience in buying these items.

“When it comes to myself, this is my passion. this is what i went to school for,” Sackmary said.

Gia is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones and pearls. it was established in 1931 and strives to protect the jewelry and gem buying public by setting quality standards worldwide. as a certified Gia specialist, Sackmary points out that simply because a business that purchases these stones has been around for decades, that does not make it an expert source. this is a particularly important fact for members of the asian american community to note. “in the asian community, people don’t buy cheap stones. they always spend really good money and when they do, they want to sell them for good money and they want someone who’s an

Neil Sackmary

expert. You don’t want to take it to someone who says they’re in the business for 35 years. that does not make them an expert,” Sackmary said.

Nevada Coin Mart purchases a wide variety of items, including coins, bullion, diamonds, jewelry, gold, silver and watches, at premium prices. at the shop, Sackmary has the latest technology, including a $9,000 diamond microscope and $30,000 X-ray spectrometer, which allows him to thoroughly examine how much the metals and stones customers bring in are worth.

“Most people want to rip off customers because they don’t care. they look at them and say, ‘Well, if i can, i’ll take advan-

tage. i’m never going to see you again’,” Sackmary said. that’s not what happens at Nevada Coin Mart. in one instance, Sackmary paid a customer $1,510 for two rings that were quoted for $150 at a competitor store. it’s because of its transparency and fairness to those who walk into Nevada Coin Mart that about 70 percent of its clients are repeat customers who come back for the value they receive for their items. the business takes it a step further by providing security guards who are former police officers and 47 cameras to monitor the entire building. Visitors can also request to have a guard walk them in and out of the building free of charge.

Sackmary and his wife have been in the business of buying jewelry and other metals for many years and have been online selling costume jewelry for about 15 years. they are also present every day the shop is open, which is located on the corner of Jones Boulevard and Flamingo road. in addition to putting their customers’ interests first, the Sackmarys are active community members who have participated in charity event operation FireHEat and are founding sponsors for the anthem Women’s Club.

Nevada Coin Mart was established in 1971 and is licensed by Clark County to legally purchase jewelry from the general public.

Nevada Coin Mart 4065 S Jones Blvd. las Vegas, NV 89103 Phone: (702) 776-7061 Hours: Monday through Sunday, 9am to 5 pm Advertising Supplement

Ruffa Gutierrez on finding security with boyfriend, Jordan Mouyal

By Monet

Lu

i MadE plans of seeing my dear friend, ruffa Gutierrez, when i went to the Philippines last February. She kept inviting me for dinner (part of the reason was for me to meet the person who is making my friend really happy), but because of my tight schedule, our supposed dinner didn’t happen. it would have been one hell of a catching up session and good opportunity to know the love of her life. i’ve been friends with the Gutierrezes for a while now and i treat them as family. ruffa is one of my trusted friends – the feeling is mutual. i was there when she was still married to her ex-husband, Yilmaz Bektas and even flew to turkey to see her. Now that she has found “contentment and love” with her boyfriend of two years, Jordan Mouyal, she can’t wait to share with me her love-conquers-all stories (alluding to the fact that her mom is against the relationship). despite ruffa’s busy schedule juggling everything on her plate — her endorsements, her upcoming teleserye with tV 5, and commitments with aVoN Fashions as their Jewelry and Watches’ ambassador – her enthusiasm and optimism never changes. i guess i have Jordan to thank for that. in an interview with ruffa, she said that she is happy that Jordan is secure with who she is when it comes to their relationship.

Jordan, who is a few years younger than her, is also a doubleMasters degree holder, comes from a good family (in Paris), and is said to be a very secure man. in fact, ruffa stated in the press launch of the 3rd season of “it takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez,” that unlike other people who would opt to distance themselves if they are in Jordan’s situation (annabel’s disapproval of him), her boyfriend chose to stay.

“Yeah, i think it’s a two-way thing. also with Jordan, he has proven to me and to my friends that he’s here for the long run.

Hindi naman siya pangit, may

Ruffa Gutierrez with Jordan Mouyal

trabaho naman ang tao, maganda naman ang kinikita niya. (He’s not ugly, he has work, he’s earning well.) He has a double degree in engineering.”Hindi naman siya yung parang walang pinag-aralan na hampaslupa. Hindi naman siya tambay sa kanto,” ruffa said. (He’s not like some good for nothing person. He’s not someone who just loiters around the streets), ruffa said in a recent interview with rappler.

She also added that Jordan felt bad about what he has heard from annabelle but this did not cause the businessman to lose respect for ruffa’s mom.

Since i know their family for a while now, i understand – as much as ruffa does – that annabelle just wants the best for her children. i’ve seen how she fought for them and while she admittedly expresses her opinions too blunt (to a fault), she loves them all so much. ruffa’s love-hate relationship with her mom may be one of world’s “fascinating mysteries,” but one thing remains true for this mother-daughter tandem: they both care and love so much – they are willing to fight for it. in one of annabelle’s tweets, she said that she just wants to surrender all her issues with ruffa, [since] she already said everything.

She also added that it’s no use repeating them if her daughter will resist them anyway. She tweeted, “Surrender na ako. Hindi lang mga kamay ang itataas ko, pati mga paa ko itataas ko na rin sa pagsuko ko... (I surrender. Not just my hands but my feet as well).” ruffa, on the other hand ac-

knowledges that at the end of the day, she is still her mother. and since she is a mother too, she understands what a mother’s love can drive people to do. But right now, she just wants to savor the experience of being loved and feeling inspired.

“Jordan serves as an inspiration… (But) it’s more on the side that we complement each other and we make each other happy.

Kung may mga arguments man kami, it’s more on the little things lang. Petty. and the fact that we both love to travel, we both are hard working and at the same time, hindi kami parehong seloso na wala sa lugar, ” ruffa said in an article. as they say, ”true love conquers all.” to my friend, ruffa: i am happy for you and Jordan. i wish i’ve met him that night when we are supposed to have dinner. But there’s always a next time. and from the looks of it, i’d still be seeing him with you in the years to come.

Good luck to both of you! love and cheers! ***

The author is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of 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 available at www.skinbymonet.com.

He supports many humanitarian efforts to include projects in his native Marikina, Bantay Bata Foundation, and many more. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com for more information.

Features

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Paul Soriano won’t ‘replicate’ Lav Diaz’s directing style by

Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

MANILA—Paul Soriano said he doesn’t plan to “replicate” Lav Diaz’s style of directing.

The two have worked together in the eight-hour film “Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis,” where Paul produced the film while Lav wrote and directed it.

It won the Alfred Bauer award in this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.

“I am definitely not going to replicate a Lav Diaz [style] or even try to do that,” he said in a recent interview.

He added that every filmmaker wants to have their own trade-

mark in the industry, no matter how inspired they could be with other directors’ works.

Paul also believes that “I don’t think I can tell a story the way Lav does it. I’ll just leave it to Lav with this kind of cinema. That’s his expertise and I won’t try to replicate it at all.”

During the months of working together on the film, Paul said he learned an important lesson from Lav, that is not to take life too seriously.

“Sometimes you just leave it, keep calm,” he said about his learning from Lav. “Just don’t take life too seriously and have fun. As a filmmaker I could be sometimes

Calendar of Events across

Paul Soriano said he won’t be able to direct a film the way Lav Diaz does.

Philstar.com photo by Joyce Jimenez

striving for perfection. But sometimes the best stories naturally unfolded there and parang let God tell the story.”

Princess Punzalan left showbiz for family MANILA—One of the popular Filipina villains is back as she stars in the ABS-CBN primetime series “The Story of Us.” She’ll portray the role of Clodette, the mother of CJ (Bryan Santos), the third wheel in the relationship of Macoy and Tin. “No’ng pinadala sa akin ang character sketch, na-excite ako kasi unang-una, na-miss ko talaga makatrabaho ang ABSCBN,” she said about accepting the project, in an interview on Tuesday, March 29.

“Since naging very iconic ang character na Celina, I wanted to do something else na drama, may paka-kontra bida, pero ibang take naman. So ‘yon ang challenge for me,” she added.

Celina was the main villain Princess Punzalan is back to acting after being of Claudine Barretto-starring gone for more than 15 years to focus on her drama series “Mula sa Puso,” family. Philstar.com photo by Joyce Jimenez

where Punzalan’s laugh became iconic.

Punzalan has been away for more than 15 years, but clarified that she didn’t leave the industry permanently.

However, her marriage made her decide that “it was a good step na iwan muna lahat ng ito at mag-concentrate sa buhay may asawa, na wala pa masyadong nakikialam sa buhay ko.”

“I really want to make my family work, my marriage work. So kailangan maging priority ‘yon para sa akin,” she noted.

She now has a two-year-old daughter who is with her in the Philippines while she’s shooting for the soap opera.

Asked if she’s willing to do another project after “The Story of Us,” Punzalan said it’ll depend on what she and her husband will decide on. (Philstar.com)

Log off and enjoy your hot...

PAGE B5 much naked transparency.

As an ordinary, private individual, I am downright resentful. Celebrity is now a curse rather than a blessing. Witness the public meltdown of Hollywood celebrities whose lives more often than not, serve as cautionary tales. Because obscurity is becoming rare these days, it has become all the more precious.

No wonder our sense of mystery and awe at anything in this life is fast eroding. I regard social networking with a bit of trepidation and suspicion. And frankly, who’s got the time? I am probably one of a vanishing breed, always itching to get out of the virtual world and into the real world of doing things in private, without fanfare: creating, fixing, cooking, gardening, making memories and connecting personally and laughing until my sides are nearly split. By choice, I am generally offline and often unwired on the weekends these days. My personal motto: LOG OFF AND LIVE. There’s so much living yet to do: so many recipes to try, seeds to plant, topiaries to shape, weeds to pull, walls and blank canvasses to paint, places to see, photos to shoot, plays to watch, games to play, puzzles to solve and mysteries to unravel, books to read, people to meet, goals to achieve, skills to learn and courses to take, stuff to give away, stories to write, naps to take and a thousand and one more things to feel, see, touch, taste, hear and soak in before the end game.

PAGE B5

With all that’s in the past, life still feels like a tabula rasa —lots of living to do, so little time. Sigh.

I am picking and choosing from the constant flow of messages in my inbox, only this one below. Some of these forwarded messages are for laughs, others inform while some can make you think harder or even move you to take action. Pet peeves are those that are pure drivel and chain emails with a punitive clause, like a curse of bad luck, if you fail to forward. For malevolent messages and all the rest of the junk from scammers promising riches, simplify your cyberlife and hit DELETE. DO NOT ENGAGE. Better yet, mark them as SPAM. Sometimes a golden nugget comes through that deserves to be amplified. So simple, it hits you right between the eyes. I searched for the author’s name but like many other pieces flung by anonymous, creative beings in Cyberville, authorship is largely unknown and unclaimed. To the originator of this metaphor then, whoever you are and wherever you may be, please accept a profound THANK YOU, from the rest of us. Here it is.

The hot chocolate story A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of

hot chocolate and an assortment of cups-porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: ‘Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate we have. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything… They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously.

Care deeply. Speak kindly.

But first, LOG OFF. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

Debunking diet myths

for weight control. Some of them may even be downright dangerous, with side effects, etc. Not to mention the fact that they are as much as 200 percent more costly than regular food items. Many of them have trans fat and sugar that are not healthy. The best, safest, and cheapest a way to control your weight is by controlling the amount of food (calories) and quality of food you eat. Weigh daily, and adjust the amount of food intake until your desired weight is achieved. Daily exercises will help a lot, not only for weight control, but for maintaining a health body and mind.

Myth: All fats are the same Fact: Like not all carbohydrates are the same as pointed out above, not all fats are the same. Healthy fats are monosaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, avocados) and polyunsaturated fats (in safflower-canola-oils, soybean, vegetables). They help ward off cardiovascular diseases, besides weight control, when used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle practices (proper diet, no smoking, daily exercises, minimizing alcohol, managing stress and relaxation). Saturated fats (red meats, eggs, etc) and Trans fat (as shown on the labels of many food products), on the other hand, are bad for us, and have been linked to cancer. Sim-

ply replacing as little as 30 calories of carbs a day with the same amount of trans fats practically doubled the risk of heart disease.

On the other hand, replacing the same ratio of carbohydrates with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats reduced the risk of heart disease by as much as 30 percent to 40 percent. While the link of red meat to cardiovascular illnesses has been questioned lately for lack of definite causative effect, the link of eating red meat to cancer is still very strong.

Myth: Diet drugs, herbals, weight-control juices are safe.

Fact: Besides being ineffective in the long run, diet pills, potion, herbals, shakes, special juices, patches, liniments sold all over the country are outright dangerous and some have resulted in damaged kidney and liver, heart failures, and deaths. To lose weight safely, one does not need any of those so-called aids listed above. Controlled-calorie frozen food packages are safer, like Lean Cuisine and others, but why go to that expense when you can cut your own calories, and eat healthy food at home. “Diet” teas or juices are a scam; they do not work if an obese persons continues to eat as much as before and do not exercise daily.

The healthy way to lose excess weight, to ward off diseases, and boost our immune system is by

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • mARch 31-ApRIL 6, 2016

eating healthy food burned. and controlling the amount of calories we consume in every meal, doing daily exercises, abstinence from tobacco, severe moderation in alcohol consumption, and doing R&R regularly.

To maintain a certain weight level, caloric intake must be equal to calories burned. To lose excess weight, eat less and exercise more. The principle involved is like preventing fluid overflow of an open tank with a faucet filled with water to the brim, the amount poured into it must be equal to the amount that goes out of the faucet. And the type of fluid you pour into the tank (toxic or not) will also determine the damaging corrosion and deterioration rate on the tank. Yes, the natural, common sense, old fashioned way is the healthiest and safest way. And a lot lesser expensive also. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States.

Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

B

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS ApRIL 1

Eagle Rock High School Monthly Open House Tours laureate Open House Tours, from 8-10am during the spring semester on Friday, April 1. Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School serves students in grades 7-12, and was the first school in the LAUSD to be authorized to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (grades 7-10) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (grades 11-12), a project-based program for concept and content-based learning to promote global mindedness and service to others. The IB Open House is open to all interested students, and will include an introductory presentation in the ERHS library, followed by campus tours, classroom visits, and a short question-and-answer period. To register for the Open Houses, please visit www.erhs.la, and click on the “IB Open House Registration” link. Please email Mylene Keipp mylene.keipp@lausd.net for more information. We look forward to your visit!

ApRIL 9

Prisoners of War Day at the Filipino Veterans Education Center All WWII veterans and families, please join us as we commemorate the historic 74thanniversary of Prisoners of War Day and the Fall of Bataan, the Day of Valor, on Saturday, April 9th. In the spirit of reconciliation, friendship and international cooperation, let us leave the past behind us as we move forward with joined hands to attain peace for all mankind. The formal Commemoration and remembrance ceremony will start at 2:00pm in the Filipino Veterans Education Center, at the War Memorial Performing Arts Veterans Building (401 Van Ness Ave. San Francisco, CA 94102). This event is open to the public.

Please RSVP RudyAsercion@gmail.com; naffaasf@gmail.com. Tel: 415 564 6262.

A p R I L 23

Chino Hills Multicultural Festival Inspired by last year’s successful celebration of the community’s diversity, the Rotary Club of Greater Chino Hills Foundation will host its second Multicultural Festival on Saturday, April 23, from 3 to 9 pm, at the Chino Hills Community Center (14250 Peyton Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709). Admission is free. There will be food booths, live entertainment, music, dance and performances by an array of participants. Sponsorship and advertisement packages are available for non-profit organizations to fundraise, and for businesses interested in market their products and services. For more information, contact rotary.chinohills@gmail.com or visit www.chinohillsrotaryclub.org. Contact: Ted Alvarez (909) 456-0359, tedalvarez@verizon.net; Tessie Lightholder (909) 576-4152,tessielightholder@gmail.com, or Ginny Mondonedo (951) 212-4624, vmondonedo55@gmail.com.

ApRIL 30

COSC celebrates 27th Anniversary The Candonians of Southern California (COSC), under the leadership of their newly elected president, Mrs. Elizabeth Gacula Singh, will celebrate their 27th Anniversary on April 30 at the Doubletree Hotel-Monrovia (924 W. Huntington Dr., Monrovia). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For questions and those interested, please email thecandoniansofsocal@gmail.com.

ApRIL — SEpTEmBER

Pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, Mexico and India Amazing Pilgrimages for the Jubilee Year of Mercy! All are welcome to join Fr. Joe Joseph of Holy Trinity Church for the spiritual and fun-filled experiences of EASTERN EUROPE (April 17- 30): Poland, Czech., Austria, Hungary, Medjugorje; COLONIAL MEXICO/ OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (June 20 - 27): Mexico City, Theotihuacan, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Ocotlan, Xochimilco, Guanajuato, San Miguel De Allende, Guadalajara, San Juan De Los Lagos, Cristo Rey, Zapopan, Tonala; and INDIA (September 15 - 29): Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kerala. For more pilgrimage information and detailed flyers, please contact Bernadette at bcorp1114@hotmail.com OR call 323-344-1548 & 323-547-6618.

m AY 27-29

PUP/PCC to hold 1st Global Reunion Attention all graduates of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine College of Commerce: join us in our FIRST GLOBAL REUNION being organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Alumni Association, USA Inc. scheduled on May 27-29, 2016 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. We promise a weekend of fun-filled activities, of friendship and camaraderie as we reminisce our best memories during our high school and college days. There will be lots of entertainment, singing and dancing and photo opportunities with your classmates and friends.

For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-5448210 orloiherrera@yahoo.com; Monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 orMonette_santillan@yahoo.com; Rose Mejia at 323-997-3838 or Rosemariemejia@kw.com; Marissa Sugay-Palanca at 818-281-7460 or marispalanca@yahoo.com; Rose Maghari at661-7948906 or rmaghari@gmail.com; Sally Mendoza at 323-695-0235 or sally.mendoza616@ yahoo.com; Honeylette De Leon at 562-480-5743 orhoney@worldclassfreight.com; Virginia Herbito at virginiaherbito@gmail.com; Connie Acosta at 323-854-5303 or connieacosta1@ att.net; Violeta D. Cristobal at 310-880-5808 orvee@cristobalcpa.com; Jun Mapoy at 323627-5326 or jcmapoy@yahoo.com.

JUNE 4

Missionary Society of St. Columban Dinner-Dance The Missionary Society of St. Columban will hold its annual dinner dance event on June 4th, 6PM, at the Friendship Auditorium (3201 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90941).

Organized by the Dancing for the World, an affiliate of the Columbans, will celebrate the “Year of Mercy” to echo and emphatically support the call of Pope Francis’s Jubilee Year.

This year is very important to be responsive to the call of the church and be faithful to the mission of God because God is by nature merciful. Thanks to the many dedicated missionaries, priests, sisters and lay missionaries who responded to the call of God and live among the poor to make a difference and allow God’s mercy to flow into the hearts of those they minister. For more information, please visit www.columban.org. The Dancing for the World event on June 4 is also an opportunity to meet supporters, donors and friends to thank them for their valuable contribution to the Columban mission. Event will include delicious food, ballroom dancing, and fabulous raffle prizes. (For this year, the first prize will be a cruise for two to Mexican Riviera. The second prize is a Flat screen TV. The third prize is a Tablet.) There are many amazing prizes available for all lucky winners. The dinner dance ticket is $40.Reserve your tickets now or before May 15. For information and tickets please contact Carmencita Enriquez (213) 880-5075 or Ariel Presbitero (323) 691-5262, or at: 2919 Moss Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Thank you in advance on behalf of the Missionary Society of St. Columban and the Dancing for the World committee members.

Please continue praying for all Columban Missionaries all over the world and the success of this event.

JUNE 11

Piyesta Pinoy Bolingbrook Please join us on Saturday, June 11 for the 3rd Philippine Fest Celebration (Piyesta Pinoy sa Bolingbrook) at the beautiful Bolingbrook Performing Arts Center (375 W. Briarcliff Rd. Bolingbrook, IL). This year’s event will include a variety of food vendors, business, merchandise, and non-profit organizations, as well as hours of dance, games, and musical entertainment, including special guest performances. The Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF) is proud to promote and share our rich Filipino cultural heritage and traditions in America. Your participation and support are always valuable and critical to the survival of PACF and its programs. For more information, or to volunteer, perform, exhibit, or donate, please visit www.piyestapinoy.net.

If you have an upcoming event and would like us to post it, please email us the details at info@asianjournalinc.com or calendar@asianjournalinc.com

B march 31-april 6, 2016 • laS VEGaS aSiaN JOUrNal

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