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Pres. Obama to seek Supreme Court review on immigration overhaul Another roadblock for executive actions that can save up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation

by Christina

M. oriel

appeals court’s ruling that the plans must remain blocked.

In a 2-1 vote on monday, Nov. PresIDeNt Barack obama will seek the supreme Court’s re- 9, the 5th Us Circuit Court of Apview of his executive actions on peals upheld the ban imposed by immigration, following a federal a federal district court judge in AJPress

texas on two programs obama introduced: Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and an expanded version of the Deferred Action on Childhood PAGE A2 President Barack Obama talks with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry in the hallway outside the Oval Office prior to entering the Roosevelt Room on Friday, Nov. 6. Obama recently announced that he will seek the Supreme Court’s review of his executive actions on immigration, following a federal appeals court’s ruling that the plans must remain blocked.

White House photo by Pete Souza

USA

DATELINE Two Filipinos charged with child trafficking, pornography

Obama, Aquino may discuss EDCA, South China Sea dispute during PH visit

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

Over 100 photos seized in US the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) identified two filipinos responsible for providing more than 100 nude photos of children to a man arrested at san francisco International Airport in April.

During a press conference, NBI Cybercrime Division Chief ronald Aguto PAGE A2

Behind the ‘model minority’ myth: the Asian disadvantage WIth stereotypes like “the model minority” and the “most successful race,” Asian Americans are facing increasing pressure in society. studies show Asian Americans are the most educated race, with over half (51.5 percent) possessing a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to just 30 percent of the overall Us population, CNN money reported.

Asian Americans also earn much PAGE A4

by anthony Chinese Foreign Minster Wang Yi waves to the media as he arrives at the Department of Foreign Affairs for talks with Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario (left) on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Q. esguerra

Inquirer.net

DesPIte strong warning from China against raising the issue of territorial disputes, United states President Barack obama and President Benigno Aquino over the south China sea.

III may discuss the claims on the “the person who caused south China sea (West Philippine the problem should solve it. sea) and the enhanced Defense We hope that the Philippines Cooperation Agreement (eDCA) can make a more sensible during the Asia-Pacific economic PAGE A4 Cooperation (APeC) summit in

China: Up to PH to solve sea row by

PatriCia lourDes Viray Philstar.com

mANILA—Beijing on Wednesday, Nov. 11 insisted that it is up to the Philippines to settle the maritime dispute

manila next week. saying he did not want to preempt the White house, Us Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Wednesday said he believed the two controversial issues would be discussed by the two leaders at the sidelines of the summit.

“I would imagine they will, when the two presidents get together, those are issues of mutual concern,” Ambassador Goldberg told

reporters during the Veterans Day commemoration organized by the Us embassy in taguig City on Wednesday, Nov. 11. maintaining that APeC focused on economic issues, the American envoy said obama was poised to strengthen the bilateral relations between manila and Washington in his visit. “his primary reason for being here is the leaders and the PAGE A2

Mayweather: Pacquiao piggybacking off my name Filipino expats, OFWs angry, by

embarrassed over ‘laglag-bala’

Dino Maragay Philstar.com

mANILA—floyd mayweather Jr. recently belied reports about a possible rematch between him and manny Pacquiao, saying his former rival is just using his name for publicity. reacting to Pacquiao’s previous statement that he is negotiating with mayweather for a rematch, the retired boxer dismissed the claim as just a Floyd Mayweather Jr. publicity stunt. weather-Pacquiao 2,” may“I’m in different cities in weather told Ben thompson of different countries and I hear fighthype.com. people talking about maythe undefeated American

by Jun

nuCuM Inquirer.net

sAN frANCIsCo—expatriates expressed anger and embarrassment over the “laglag bala” scam plaguing passengers entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, even as President Benigno s.

Aquino III tried to assuage travelers’ fears of being victimized.

AJPress file photo by Robert Macabagdal the president ordered Departoutpointed Pacquiao last may ment of transportation and Comin boxing’s richest fight ever, munication secretary Jose emilio and he made sure to stress Abaya to lead the investigation of PAGE A2 the scam that has drawn the atten-

seafood footer ad

tion of even foreign news outlets, to the detriment of Philippine image abroad just as the 2015 Asia-Pacific economic Conference (APeC) is to formally open in manila soon. the scam involves airport security personnel allegedly planting bullets in the bags of unsuspecting international passengers to extort money in exchange for the dropping of charges. “the response that malacanang has issued (‘only a few travelers out of thousands have PAGE A3

A

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november 12-18, 2015 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

From The FronT Page

Pres. Obama to seek Supreme...

PAGE A1 Arrivals (DACA).

This latest ruling is another setback to Obama’s attempt to overhaul the immigration system before his term ends.

Texas and 25 other states filed a lawsuit back in February, stating that the creation of DAPA and expansion of DACA go against the president’s executive power and would have negative affects on each state’s economy. Texas asserted that the “lawful presence� of the immigrants would require the state to issue “statesubsidized driver’s licenses� and other aid programs.

Further, the lawsuit alleged that the government did not follow the proper procedures for enacting the new immigration rules. “Congress did not intend to make immune from judicial review an agency action that reclassifies millions of illegal aliens in a way that imposes substantial costs on state,� wrote Judge Jerry E. Smith in his majority opinion on Monday.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton welcomed the ruling, saying that “today, the Fifth Circuit asserted that the separation of powers remains the law of the land, and the president must follow the rule of law, just like everybody else. Texas, leading a charge of 26 states, has secured an important victory to put a halt to the president’s lawlessness.�

In response, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday, Nov. 10 that it disagreed with the ruling and is planning to appeal the case before the Supreme Court. “The Department of Justice remains committed to taking steps

that will resolve the immigration litigation as quickly as possible in order to allow DHS to bring greater accountability to our immigration system by prioritizing the removal of the worst offenders, not people who have long ties to the United States and who are raising American children,�

Justice Department spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement, adding that the department “disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s adverse ruling.�

Bypassing Congress, Obama announced a series of plans last November that would save up to 5 million undocumented immigrants — including parents, young adults and business owners — from deportation. Instead of separating families, the executive actions called for diverting resources toward deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Currently, there are nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

Of that number, approximately 1.3 million are Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), making up nearly 12 percent of the total undocumented population.

Some of the highest numbers come from heavily-populated countries like India, China, and the Philippines. Around 375,000 AAPIs are estimated to benefit from Obama’s executive actions, according to the White House.

In California, the affected population includes 966,900 California residents, according to estimates from the Center for Migration Studies.

Under DAPA, parents of US citizens or lawful permanent residents could be spared from deportation if they meet certain

criteria, including continuous residency in the US since Jan. 1, 2010 and a clean record free of any criminal offenses. “DAPA would dramatically increase the number of aliens eligible for work authorization, thereby undermining Congress’s stated goal of closely guarding access to work authorization and preserving jobs for those lawfully in the country,� Smith wrote in his opinion.

Meanwhile, the amended version of DACA was slated to include children brought to the United States before Jan. 1, 2010, notwithstanding their current age, and would have provided three years of relief.

The original version of DACA, which was introduced in 2012, remains intact and untouched by the lawsuit. The program is reserved for those who were born after 1981.

After the Justice Department appeals the case, Texas would have 30 days to respond. Then, the Supreme Court must decide

by January if it will hear the case before the term ends in June 2016. However, reports state that the legal proceedings narrow the chance that the executive actions could be implemented before Obama leaves office in 2017. “We obviously continue to believe strongly in the legal power of the arguments that we have been making for nearly a year, now, about the importance of giving our law-enforcement officials the discretion to implement our immigration laws in a way that focuses on those who pose a genuine threat to our national security or to our communities,� White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday. n

Mayweather: Pacquiao piggybacking off...

PAGE A1 that fact. “Once again, I dissected this fighter [Pacquiao], the so-called ‘best fighter of our generation’. I

dissected him; probably was 10 to 2, really 11 to 1, but it’s safe to say 10 to 2. ‘Mayweather is so boring, he’s this, he’s that!’ I’m boring enough to do the biggest

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and the best numbers in payper-view history,� Mayweather continued.

After defeating Pacquiao, the former pound-for-pound king fought once more in September – dominating Andre Berto – before announcing his retirement.

Pacquiao, for his part, is looking to fight one more time in April next year before similarly calling it quits to focus on his political career. Among the opponents being considered are Amir Khan, Terrence Crawford and most recently Timothy Bradley, who stopped Brandon Rios on Sunday to strengthen his case for a rubber match with Pacquiao.

But the fighting congressman himself previously made it clear he wants another shot at Mayweather, who in turn dismissed Pacquiao’s claim.

Mayweather insisted that Pacquiao is just using his name to sell his comeback fight. “It’s all [expletive]. What they’re doing is this, once again, piggybacking off my name to sell pay-per-view numbers when he do go out there and fight again,� he explained. n

Pres. Barack Obama exchanges pleasantries with President Benigno S. Aquino III at the MalacaĂąang Palace on April 28, 2014.

Obama, Aquino may discuss EDCA...

PAGE A1

summit of APEC but during that time there will also be a meeting with President Aquino and other events to mark our bilateral agreements,� he said. “So anytime a country hosts an APEC summit there’s also a bit of bilateral content as well.�

EDCA’s fate With an initial term of 10 years, the EDCA grants US greater access to Philippine military camps, including the construction of facilities and storage of defense supplies.

The Senate of the Philippines yesterday drew the line on EDCA, taking the position that any treaty entered by the president must be concurred by the chamber otherwise it would become “invalid and ineffective.�

The meeting between Obama and Aquino will occur in the same week the Supreme Court is expected to decide on the constitutionality of the EDCA. “We, of course, are waiting for a very important Supreme Court decision as is the government here.

We have a good EDCA agreement

and we’re looking forward to implementing it when the time is right, when all the decisions have been made on this side,�

Goldberg said.

Maritime disputes, climate change The territorial spats between neighboring Asian countries will likely be discussed by Manila and Washington as well.

The South China Sea dispute, being an issue that concerns the US and the Philippines, could be the subject of the bilateral talks.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan claim parts of the sea. “I don’t want to preempt the President, but obviously our security, relationships, issues that are of mutual interest, our shared interest next month to make sure that there’s a successful outcome in climate change talks in Paris, these are all kinds of things to discuss—the economies of both countries, the economic progress that’s being made here, so there’s a full play,�

Goldberg said. “APEC itself is obviously con-

centrated on economic issues, not on political issues, not on military and security issues. But bilateral discussions on something else, obviously they will encompass the full array of the US-Philippine ties.�

Sending a clear warning not to bring out the maritime disputes in international events such as the APEC, China has earlier confirmed the attendance of President Xi Jinping.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Manila to ensure that President Xi’s attendance to APEC “will be smooth, safe and successful.�

The Philippines and China have agreed not to talk about the sea row and President Xi can expect “warmth and hospitality� despite rising tensions.

Asked if Obama would hold talks with the Chinese leader, Goldberg said he would leave the schedule and appointments of the American president to the White House. “I leave it to the White House to announce his schedule while he’s here,� Goldberg said. n

Two Filipinos charged with child trafficking...

PAGE A1 said Lyan Tandeg and Shellina Atad, the sources of the photos, were arrested Nov. 4 after meeting with undercover NBI agents to pimp an 8-year-old girl, according to an Inquirer report on Monday, Nov. 9.

Both have been charged with qualified child trafficking and syndicated child pornography and are currently being detained in NBI jail. “Tandeg and Atad offered to the undercover agents the minor and showed them the nude photos of the other minors stored in their flashdrive,� Aguto said, according to Inquirer.

The NBI began its probe into the matter after the FBI provided information about child pornography operations in the Philippines. The FBI also gave the NBI a copy of the Yahoo Messenger chat conversation

between Tandeg and an American pilot who was arrested for possessing the naked photos on his tablet, Michael Carey Clemans. The chat reportedly contained evidence of child prostitution and child pornography. “Working on that lead, the cybercrime operatives conducted further investigation and surveillance operations on Tandeg and her accomplices to confirm the veracity of the report and to determine the propriety of a counteraction,� Aguto said.

After monitoring the suspects, the NBI found that Tandeg and Atad peddle children ages 8 to 12 years old for sex to foreign clients for P3,000 per night. Undercover agents who dealt with the two were offered a child for a nude photo shoot and sexual services, Aguto said.

The agents asked Tandeg and her accomplices to meet at

a coffee shop in Pampanga on Nov. 4. They also asked Tandeg to bring one girl to the meeting. After Tandeg and Atad provided the agents with a flash drive containing nude photos in exchange for P500, they were arrested.

The NBI rescued three girls after the operation and turned them over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the International Justice Mission, a non-government human rights group, Philstar reported.

Aguto said parents of the victims thought suspects were recruiting their children as models.

He added that the NBI is conducting a manhunt operation on a man named Jeffrey Ganuten, who is allegedly instructing Tandeg. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

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Dateline USa

Filipino expats, OFWs angry, embarrassed...

PAGE A1 been victimized’) in downplaying the issue is a clear indication of the government’s apathy to the issue. It shows how unconcerned, undismayed, unruffled, and unfazed they are,” blurted Ces Tiamzon-Infante, who is based in Anaheim, California.

“Yes, it may only be a small percentage but nevertheless, it instills fear to every Filipino residing outside the Philippines who are planning to come home.

What if I’m the next victim? Such response, plus the fact that NOBODY has been sacked yet reflects the government’s inability to stop crime and corruption, Infante added.

‘When I first came here I was always proud to say I am a Filipino. Now I am embarrassed to say I am a Filipino. I am often mistaken to being a Vietnamese and I am now about to say yes I am a Vietnamese and not a Filipino,” Infante fumed.

“Before I often tell my nonFilipino friends to visit the Philippines for I believe we have the best beaches in the world. But I stopped. This is the clear effect of the laglag-bala. Tourism will truly take a beating and suffer. My blood is boiling while I write this,” Tiamzon-Infante said.

Malolos-bred Carol Marcelino of Illinois is similarly enraged that the issue came up just as the Philippines is still struggling to create a good image for other countries to recognize and emulate as Filipinos from all over the world are trying their darndest best to succeed- because success is not only for themselves but for the country as well.

“But when you hear stories like this tanim-bala at the NAIA, it pushes you back, a thousand steps, from waving the Filipino flag with pride and dignity,” Marcelino stated. “The message being delivered to the hardworking balikbayan is that the OFWs and Balikbayans are not heroes but ‘palagatasan’ (milking cows). This is a punishment and a hate crime against hardworking Filipinos by pathetic, lowlife people who prey on their own kababayan.”

Marcelino further urged NAIA officials to be more proactive rather than reactive while vigilance among the Balikbayans is the only way to resolve the issue with their phone cameras handy, ready to take pictures or videos to document any wrongful activities.

“There is really no place like home, but it is so sad that OFWs

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

A

The US ranks among top happiest and richest countries in the world

by Allyson

EscobAr

AJPress

Ces Tiamzon-Infante

Arnold Pedrigall

or balikbayans have to go through these unnecessary inconveniences when going home to the Philippines. The smile that stretches from ear to ear when the plane lands on the Philippine soil is suddenly replaced by worried face lines that they might fall victim to this modus operandi,” Marcelino maintained.

TV producer Arnold Pedrigal of Union City, California, also thinks that the current state of tourism in the Philippines will be negatively affected as the inability of any government to secure the safety of its own people will undermine the confidence of foreign visitors and expats.

“This latest issue simply brings the message of lack of concern and lack of apathy by the Philippine government for the OFWs and what they have done is far definitely is not good enough,” Pedrigal claimed.

“Solving this problem is critical to the ongoing efforts of the country to grow its economy. While the nation has seen positive increase in its GDP, security-related problems such as the NAIA bullet scam are detrimental as it will affect the overall image of the country to the potential investors,” Pedrigal added.

Sampaloc, Manila resident Leo Baltazar of Texas also felt that the authorities were doing a shabby job.

“Corruption is using the law to perpetuate it and this scheme is a 20-year-old racket that was

THE Legatum Institute based in London released its annual global prosperity index, a universal survey that ranks what it calls the “most prosperous countries” in the world, and the United States has made its list.

The 2015 Legatum Prosperity Carol Marelino Index ranks a nation’s prosperity based solely on macroeconomic indicators, such as a country’s income (represented either by gross domestic product or by average income per person), according to Business Insider.

Other variables in the index include traditional indicators, such as full-time employment, health, and education; as well as interesting figures such as the number of secure Internet servers a country has, and how well rested its people are on a day-to-day basis.

Leo Baltazar The Legatum variables are split perfected through the years.There into eight sub-indexes: economy, should be an investigation on all entrepreneurship and opportunithe bullets that were confiscated ty, governance, education, health, all these years to check if there is a safety/security, personal freedom, similar source,” Baltazar asserts and social capital.

“Most people would agree that William Boral and his family from Oxnard, California, are trav- prosperity is more than just the eling back to the Philippines. He accumulation of material wealth. raised a rhetorical question: “Why would someone meaning to do harm have only one bullet? Common sense tells me that it should PRESIDENT Barack Obama rebe confiscated and then just let jected the contentious Keystone the passenger through.”

“My family and I are travel- XL pipeline project on Friday, ing through NAIA this coming Nov. 6, saying it would not make December. It’s not fair for us a meaningful long-term contributravelers to have to worry about tion to America’s economy, lower something moronic in addition to gas prices, or enhance the nation’s the already existing challenges of energy security.

Obama’s decision denies Transtraveling.”

A Hong Kong OFW, who asked Canada Corp. a cross-border perthat his name be withheld, warned mit for the pipeline, which would that “everyone should also guard have spanned 1,179 miles across against possible hysteria over six states. Keystone XL would have ‘laglag-bala’ so as not be fooled by carried up to 830,000 barrels of oil those really doing it and claiming from Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Neb., where it would have it was just planted.”

“This could be prevented by connected with existing pipelines addressing the larger issue which to Gulf Coast refineries.

In an address at the White House needs to be addressed– security and improvement of airport fa- announcing his decision, Obama cilities including the installation cited the role of the United States of adequate functioning closed in combatting global warming.

“America’s now a global leader circuit television (CCTV) cameras to know who is telling the truth, when it comes to taking serious while discouraging people from action to flight climate change,” engaging in illegal activities. We Obama told reporters at the White should focus on the larger issues House. “And frankly, approving of security and improved facilities this project would have undercut plus professional and dedicated that global leadership. And that’s staff and officials,” the OFW ar- the biggest risk we face, not acting. gued.

It is also the joy of everyday life and the prospect of being able to build an even better life in the future,” the study, which can be found online, reads.

The index looked at 142 countries in the world with the most available data. The Czech Republic in Central Europe came in last (with a very high economy subindex), with Asian countries Taiwan, Hong Kong (both are strong in safety and security), Japan (7th healthiest country on earth), and Singapore (first in economy subindex) making the list.

Australia, in 7th, was ranked with the world’s best education

system. Canada (6th) also scored with the highest levels of personal freedom, while New Zealand (4th) touted best social capital and most prosperous non-European nation.

The United States—ranked 11th as the world’s “most powerful country”—scored higher than every nation in the Legatum’s health category, but citizens are among the least safe and secure on the list.

As in the past seven years, Norway topped the Prosperity Index once again, being the only country ranked in the top 10 of every sub-index.

Obama rejects construction of Keystone XL pipeline “[Ultimately], if we’re going to prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we’re going to have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them and release more dangerous pollution into the sky.”

In his speech, Obama detailed grounds for his rejection, including that Congress could take other routes to create more than 30 times as many jobs per year as the pipeline would, that gas prices have been on a steady decline while the debate on the pipeline was taking place, and that reducing the nation’s dependence on dirty fossil fuels from unstable parts of the world is what has boosted America’s energy security.

Secretary of State John Kerry, in a statement, said Friday’s announcement could not be made only on the number of jobs that would have been created, the fuel that would be delivered to the nation, or the carbon pollution that would be released.

“The United States cannot

ask other nations to make tough choices to address climate change if we are unwilling to make them ourselves,” Kerry said.

The president’s announcement, for the meantime, also ends seven years of debate over a project that Obama considered “an overinflated role in our political discourse.”

Supporters of the pipeline said it would generate jobs and secure a supply of oil from a reliable ally, while opponents claimed it would aggravate climate change through the release of copious amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and create pollution hazards along the pipeline’s route, The Washington Post reported.

“This pipeline would neither be a silver bullet for the economy, as was promised by some, nor the express lane to climate disaster proclaimed by others,” Obama said.

Advocates and opponents react Obama’s decision, which he vowed to make before leaving office, precedes the Paris Climate PAGE A4

A

november 12-18, 2015 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

China: Up to PH to solve sea...

Dateline USa

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

FDA approves new drug to treat HIV

PAGE A1 choice,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement.

The Philippines recently filed an arbitration case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations against China.

The UN tribunal sided with the Philippines, deciding that it has jurisdiction to hear the claims of the Philippines against China.

Wang considered the Philippines’s case against China as a “knot” that has impeded the President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes People’s Republic of China Foreign Minister Wang improvement and development Yi during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Malacañang photo by Joseph Vidal

of the relationship between the countries.

“We do not want this knot to become tighter and tighter, so that it even becomes a dead knot... As for how to loosen or open the knot, (we’ll) have to look at the Philippines,” Wang said.

The Chinese official is in the Philippines to meet with Filipino officials and compare notes on preparing for the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping next week for the 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The Chinese side also expressed its hopes of improving its relationship with the Philippines following the sea row.

However, both the Philippines and China agreed to avoid discussions on rising tensions in the South China Sea during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting next week.

“There is no plan to discuss the South China Sea issue,” Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said during a press briefing.

Li hinted that the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is not the proper venue for discussing the South China Sea dispute.

China’s APEC version In Beijing, Chinese senior officials said China will seek to push its own vision of an Asia-Pacific trade pact at the APEC summit next week.

Beijing sought to promote the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) at last year’s APEC summit, which it hosted.

At the meeting’s close, participants endorsed efforts to explore the idea, which was seen as a potential rival to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a Washingtonled trade coalition that includes the region’s largest economies, except for China.

China said it would report the findings of a study on FTAAP at next week’s APEC summit in the Philippines, to be attended by Xi.

“Today’s approval of a fixed dose combination containing a new form of tenofovir provides THE Food and Drug Adminis- another effective, once daily tration (FDA) on Thursday, Nov. complete regimen for patients 5, approved a new drug to treat with HIV-1 infection,” Edward HIV in patients 12 years of age Cox, director of the Office of Anand older. timicrobial Products in the FDA’s The drug, Genvoya, is a fixed- Center for Drug Evaluation and dose combination tablet that Research, said in a statement. treats HIV-1 in adults and pediThe new form of tenofovir in atric patients weighing at least Genvoya has not been previously 77 pounds, who have never pre- approved. It provides lower levviously taken HIV therapy and els of tenofovir on the bloodHIV-infected adults whose HIV- stream, but higher levels within 1 virus is currently suppressed. cells where HIV-1 replicates, acGenvoya contains elvitegravir, cording to an FDA release. cobicistat, emtricitabine and teThe safety of the drug was nofovir alafenamide. evaluated through four clinical by

Agnes ContstAnte AJPress

trials involving 3,171 participants. Individuals were randomly assigned to take either Genvoya or another FDA-approved HIV treatment. Results indicated that the new drug effectively decreased viral loads and was comparable to other treatment options.

An estimated 1.2 million people aged 13 and older have HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control, while an additional 150,000 people in the same age range are infected with the virus but are unaware of it.

Genvoya is not recommended for patients with severe kidney impairment.

Obama rejects construction of Keystone...

PAGE A1 Change Conference on Nov. 30, where world leaders are slated to finalize a global climate pact. It also comes as a victory for environmental groups and a substantial loss for the oil industry.

Bill McKibben, co-founder of environmental group 350.org, called Obama’s announcement “nothing short of historic” and one that “sets an important precedent that should send shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry.”

“Stopping the Keystone XL pipeline is a victory for the planet, for the health and well-being of the communities along the pipeline route,” said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, according to The Associated Press.

Opponents of the project in Congress gave credit to citizen activists in convincing Obama to reject Keystone.

“This is a testament to years of public action on a critical issue,” said Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the senior Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, according to USA Today. “After pushing together in the right direction and never losing hope, citizen activists prevented a major source of dirty fossil fuels from being rubber-stamped. Everyone who believes individuals can move mountains when they work together will remember today with pride.”

Leaders in the Republican party, which backed the pipeline, voiced

disappointment with Obama’s rejection. Earlier on, the GOP approved a bill that would have authorized Congress to decide on the pipeline, but Obama vetoed that legislation.

“Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton caved to extreme special interest groups and rejected good American jobs,” Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement.

“This move can only be described as a politically motivated embarrassment.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the president’s decision was “predictable,” but he wished it had been made sooner.

“Why did he lie to the American people for so long that he was considering it? Did anybody with any common sense believe that Barack Obama was ever really seriously considering the Keystone pipeline?” he said, according to CNN. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal commented via Twitter, specifically mentioning the impact on jobs.

“The Obama Admin’s politically motivated rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline is a self-inflicted attack on the US economy and jobs,” Bush tweeted.

“Obama’s rejection of #KeystoneXL will flush American jobs down the drain … all to appease the agenda of science denying radicals,” Jindal wrote on Twitter.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that with

the pipeline’s importance to North American energy independence, “the question still remains not if but when Keystone will be built.”

Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also among disappointed leaders, though he said he respected America’s right to make its decision.

“The Canada-US Relationship is much bigger than any one project and I look forward to a fresh start with President Obama to strengthen our remarkable ties in a spirit of friendship and cooperation,” Trudeau said.

Kerry said that he spoke with Foreign Minister Stephane Dion about the decision.

“While we understand the impact of this decision on Canada, I am confident that our close and long-standing relationship with Canada will continue to grow stronger in the years ahead,” he said.

TransCanada president and CEO Russ Girling said the company would consider available options to possibly file a new application for a pipeline to carry oil sands crude to the United States.

“Today, misplaced symbolism was chosen over merit and science – rhetoric won out over reason,” Girling said. “TransCanada is reviewing the decision and its rationale. We believe KXL is in the best interest of the United States and Canada.” (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

Behind the ‘model minority’ myth...

PAGE A1 more than the general populace: $74,105 in median income versus $53,657, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey.

However, numbers only tell half of the story.

“When you dig a little bit, it shows that we are not all doing well as society, the government and other institutions would lead you to believe,” said Christopher Kang, National Director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). “We do have a very diverse population and very diverse needs.”

Last month, columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote an op-ed in The New York Times entitled “The Asian Advantage,” where he talks about the general success of the Asian American community.

“It’s no secret that Asian Americans are disproportionately stars in American schools, and even in American society as a whole,” Kristof wrote. “Census data show that Americans of Asian heritage earn more than other groups, including whites. Asian Americans also have higher educational attainment than any other group.”

Kristof argued the “Asian advantage” as how their intellectual stardom is “harnessed,” citing a study by University of Michigan professor and psychologist Richard E. Nisbett. “I’m pretty sure that one factor is East Asia’s long Confucian emphasis on education,” he said.

He also cited familial ties as important to Asian Americans’ success, saying that strong, twoparent families contribute to economic and educational status. The interaction of social stereotypes and personal self-confidence also play a role in “Asian scholastic success.”

“Why should the success of the children of Asian doctors, nurtured by teachers, be reassuring to a black boy in Baltimore who is raised by a struggling single mom, whom society regards as a potential menace?” Kristof asked. “Disadvantage and marginalization are complex, often deeply rooted in social structures and unconscious biases, sometimes compounded by hopelessness and self-destructive behaviors, and because one group can access the American dream does not mean that all groups can.”

Speaking for the NCAPA, Kang penned a response on Medium. com, saying the “Asian Advantage is a myth, plain and simple.”

Asking why Asian Americans are so successful in America is not just an awkward question, it is “uninformed,” “perpetuates stereotypes,” and “divides Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) from the broader racial justice movement,” Kang wrote.

He also referenced low levels

of educational attainment among groups like the Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Hmong communities. US Census data shows that just 15.3 percent of Hmong Americans, 18 percent of Cambodian Americans, and 28.4 percent of Vietnamese Americans have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Groups with higher levels of education include Indian Americans (72.5 percent), over half of Chinese Americans, and Korean Americans. A little less than half of Filipinos (48.1 percent) were also counted for, according to a Census study from 2012.

Another often-ignored issue Kang points out is national poverty.

“AAPIs are one of the fastestgrowing populations in poverty since the Great Recession. According to [a July 2014 report from] the Center for American Progress, from 2007 to 2011, the number of Asian Americans in poverty increased by 37 percent and Pacific Islanders by 60 percent— compared to the national increase of only 27 percent. And while Asian Americans’ median household income may be higher than whites, the rate of senior poverty is 13.5 percent for Asian Americans and 12.1 percent for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, compared to only 7.8 percent for whites,” he continued.

Overall, the poverty rate for Asian Americans now is at 12.5 percent, well below the national rate of 15.5 percent.

Among the different ethnicities, the rates vary significantly.

Chinese Americans are at a 15.8 percent poverty level, while the Indians’ rate is 7.3 percent. The poverty rate for Filipino Americans is at roughly 5 percent, according to the Census Bureau, although that number is expectedly higher.

“There are still garment workers, and the people who give you your foot massage in Chinatown, there are still low-wage workers, said Sylvia Chong, director of the Asian Pacific American Studies minor program at the University of Virginia. “People don’t see that.

That’s an economic underclass.”

High household incomes among Asian Americans can also be explained by “the fact that some live in multi-generational homes with more than one person earning an income,” said Jennifer Lee, a sociology professor at the University of California at Irvine, and co-author of the book “The Asian-American Achievement Paradox.” “You have parents, grandparents, an aunt, some children.”

“Kristof’s focus on the ‘Confucian emphasis on education’ is concerning,” she continued. “The underlying tenet is that if groups adopt ‘the right’ cultural values and behaviors, they too can succeed.

This argument ignores a host of

legal and institutional factors that help some groups get ahead more easily than others.”

“These assumptions often fuel stereotypes of Asian Americans like the ‘model minority’ concept, which assumes that there must be something intrinsic about Chinese culture or Asian culture that are producing these outcomes. They don’t understand how status and educational attainment is reproduced from one generation to the next.”

Asian Americans who don’t fit the mold of the “model minority”, according to US standards--perfect, high-achieving, hard-working, and brilliant at the maths and sciences--can “face devastating consequences,” Lee added. “They feel like ethnic outliers and they feel like failures if they don’t live up to the standards.”

Many groups within the larger Asian community often go unnoticed or harshly ignored, such as undocumented immigrants living in US borders.

“I feel like there is a lot of stigma, especially in our own Filipino community, that we don’t seek out the help from others that we should.

There aren’t many [Asian Americans] that apply [for deferred action], many who are still living in fear,” said Madeleine Villanueva, 22, an openly undocumented Filipina student at the University of California, Berkeley. “Overall, the Asian experience of being undocumented is different; you don’t think ‘undocumented’ when you see an Asian American person. You think ‘model minority’.”

“Although there has been progress in the last couple of years, there is still a lot of moving forward that needs to be done,” Villaneuva continued.

As for representation, Kang reminded readers of the very real problems faced by the broader Asian American community, citing an infographic by the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP).

Although 18.5 million AAPIs live in the US (about 6 percent of the total population), AAPIs represent just 2.6 percent of corporate board leaders, 2 percent of executive officers in Fortune 500 companies, and zero percent of executive directorships and CEOs at the top 100 nonprofits and foundations. At least 77.2 percent of Fortune 500 companies have zero AAPI representation on their boards, according to LEAP. “By promoting the model minority myth and the positive stereotype that AAPIs have been ‘so successful’ and ‘disproportionately stars,’ [Kristof] creates burdens on our entire community,” Kang said, “masking the real needs within our community and brushing away the discrimination and bamboo ceiling that we continue to confront.” (Allyson Escobar/AJPress)

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

(702) 792-6678 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Abu Sayyaf releases Malaysian hostage Duterte continues to blow hot, cold on presidential run

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

A MALAYSIAN woman held captive for nearly six months

by Muslim militant group Abu Sayyaf was released by captors, authorities said Monday, Nov. 9.

Militants freed Thien Nyuk Fun, 50, late Sunday, Nov. 8, from the island of Jolo in Sulu province. However, her compatriot remains in the custody of Abu Sayyaf.

Two Filipino security officers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to speak with reporters, said Malaysian Bernard Then Ted Fen is still being held hostage by militants in Sulu, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Thien and Then were abducted in May from a restaurant in Sabah, Malaysia, where security was enhanced due to previous kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf militants in the area.

“I wish to thank all of them [authorities] for working hard to bring Thien home,” Sabah Chief

Minister Musa Aman said in a statement.

The Filipino officers said a large ransom was paid in exchange for Thien’s freedom, but Malaysian police officials denied the claim, according to AP. No further details were provided on the police statement, including who abducted the Malaysian nationals or the reasons for Thien’s release.

Thien is currently “healthy but weak and tired due to the long journey and also from the emotional aspect,” Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said, adding that efforts are being made to rescue Then, according to AP. In the last two years, Abu Sayyaf has crossed the sea border and carried out at least half a dozen kidnappings in Malaysia, AP reported. In an April 2000 incident, militants abducted 21 Europeans and Asians and took them to Sulu where they were held for ransom. They were freed in batches after a ransom was paid the subsequent year.

“I urge the relevant authorities to remain vigilant at all times and keep our borders secure from further intrusion,” the official Bernama news agency quoted Aman saying.

The news agency also quoted Aman saying that Thein, a seafood restaurant manager, was freed after months of negotiation.

In late September, militants kidnapped two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipina in the southern region of the Philippines. Their whereabouts remain unknown; however, militants who said they were affiliated with Abu Sayyaf in an online video demanded $21 million for each of the three foreigners.

The group is also believed to be holding an Italian pizza restaurant owner who was kidnapped in October hostage.

Earlier this month, an elderly South Korean man who was kidnapped by the group in January, was found dead on Jolo island after falling ill while he was held hostage.

Hotlines, counseling offered to OFW-victims of bullet-planting

by Dennis jAy

sAntos

Inquirer.net

THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Southern Mindanao said it has opened a service to extend comfort and counseling, aside from legal assistance, to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) falling prey to the extortionist scheme “tanim-bala (bullet-planting)” in airports.

“Aside from the legal service, we will visit them at police precincts if they are detained, as well as visit the homes of their respective families,” said Eduardo Bellido, OWWA director for Southern Mindanao.

“We lend assistance to them because of the trauma they may

experience,” Bellido told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone, on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Bellido said OWWA personnel have been deployed at the F. Bangoy International Airport here to see to it that OFWs would not be placed in unnecessary harm due to the scheme of planting bullets in their bags or luggage by unscrupulous airport personnel.

He said they have not been remiss in informing the workers of the “do’s and don’ts” when leaving the country for work.

“In our pre-departure orientation seminar, we tell them about what not to bring such as illegal drugs, firearms, bullets and things prohibited to carry onboard,” he said.

Bellido said the practice of some OFWs to bring bullets as their lucky charm or amulets has been unfortunate.

“They don’t know that it can spell trouble for them, so we keep on advising them against carrying bullets,” he said.

Bellido also advised OFWs to keep a close watch on their bags and luggage and, if necessary, “cover it with plastic and use padlocks.”

In case of trouble, Bellido said an OFW could call the following OWWA hotline numbers: OWWA 24/7 Operations Center – (+632) 551-6641) (+632) 8336992 (+632) 551-1560 (0917) 898-6992 OWWA Davao Hotline Numbers – (0917) 701-1135 (082) 221-8593 (082) 227-9536.

Grace Poe: Our evidence will stand by tinA

g. sAntos Inquirer.net

SEN. GRACE Poe on Tuesday , Nov. 10 attended the hearing for one of the petitions filed against her at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) questioning her qualification to run for President in next year’s polls.

“All the evidence we are presenting are true. We did not invent them. That is why we are confident they will stand,” Poe told reporters in Filipino after the closed-door hearing on the petition for disqualification filed by lawyer Estrella Elamparo.

Poe said she believed the truth would eventually come out since the case was politically motivated.

“What I have been fighting for is the opportunity to serve and help our fellow Filipinos. I believe all this is happening in an attempt to divert my attention from what I can do for our people,” she added, also in Filipino.

Despite being confident she would be able to hurdle the cases questioning her citizenship and residency, Poe admitted she was hurt by Elamparo’s assertion that she should be considered “stateless” and therefore not qualified to run for president.

“Of all the things she said, perhaps the most hurtful was when she said that I am stateless. It means that I don’t belong to any country. Even refugees have a place they came from,” she said.

Poe was referring to Elamparo’s statement during the hearing when she was asked by Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim if she believed that Poe was “stateless.”

“She is at best presumed to be a Filipino but definitely not naturalborn,” replied Elamparo. “Legally, yes (she is a stateless person).”

Elamparo said there was no existing or binding law that clearly identified Poe as a natural-born citizen since she was a foundling or a child that had been abandoned and found.

“There is a legal vacuum in our system that does not seem to address the status of foundlings,” Elamparo said.

Poe’s lawyer, George Garcia, responded by saying that considering a person as stateless was the “height of discrimination.”

He cited provisions in the 1930 Hague Convention on Certain Questions Relating to the Conflict of Nationality Laws and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness as grounds for considering Poe a natural-born Filipino citizen.

Garcia, however, admitted that Poe was a dual citizen from 2006 to 2010.

He said this was “for convenience in overseas travel” when Lim asked him why Poe used her US passport during those years.

Presidential aspirant Grace Poe is mob by her supporters as she leaves after the hearing for disqualification case filed against her at the COMELEC en banc in Palacio Del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila.

Inquirer.net photo by Edwin Bacasmas

“It was allowed, whether that law provides. It’s not illegal,” said is unfair or not, that is what the Garcia.

by nAnCy

C. CArvAjAl Inquirer.net

A MONTH after the deadline for filing of candidacies for next year’s polls, supporters of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continue to try and convince him to run for President—and they are receiving ample help from the man himself who denies he is running but would talk for half an hour about his platform and solutions to the country’s problems.

Duterte, the guest of honor at the post-birthday party of vice presidential candidate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday, Nov. 9 at the Cayetano home in Taguig City, added to speculations he would run when he opened his speech by saying the presidency was destiny and what God wants he will accept.

‘It’s destiny’ “I have enough accolades to last me a lifetime. But if God puts me there and you put me there, it’s destiny,” Duterte told Cayetano’s guests composed of top businessmen, former military officers and politicians of various stripes.

“Ten percent really will be my decision, but whatever it is, the 90 percent will belong to God,” he said.

Duterte, who said he was supporting the vice presidential bid of Cayetano, asserted that what he would want to change is the attitude of some Filipinos who had lost the fear of being sanctioned.

“No more fear to commit wrong.

Obedience to the law today is just really an option. If you don’t want to follow it, fine. Kung malakas ka naman, mayaman ka, milyonaryo ka (If you are influential, rich, a millionaire) you can do that. Whatever smuggling OK din iyan, alam mo lulusot ka (you know you’ll get away with it),” he said.

Duterte added to the speculations about his plans when he said, “Huwag kang magsalita ng tapos sa amin. Ibig sabihin the will of God (Don’t rule anything out. I mean the will of God).”

‘Take a chance’ The mayor, who is known to talk tough, said that if he decided to run for President and won, “I will not settle for nothing happening on my watch.”

“You know, what you are asking me to do really is gamble with

THE BIRTHDAY BOY, BOW! Vice presidential contender Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano bows to his guest, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, during the senator’s 45th birthday party on Tuesday in Taguig City. Cayetano met with Duterte in September to discuss their possible team-up but the mayor has repeatedly said he is not running.

Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

my freedom. I fear that I will fail and I don’t want to be humiliated for not being able to stop all the crimes and misery of the people,” he said.

‘Give us a choice for 2016’ Cayetano, in his response to Duterte’s speech, asked the mayor to take a chance.

“The point, mayor, is that we don’t have a choice. We keep telling people we want real change but they’re not given real choices,” Cayetano said. “Give us a choice for 2016.”

When asked what he discussed

with Duterte, Cayetano said he believed Duterte was really concerned about his family but he was also pondering solutions to the country’s problems.

“I think that I am smart enough to know that anything I might say he has already heard, any kind of political computation and support and scenario building. I am just there to continue to assure him that if he decides, we will have people who will think of programs, who will get his ideas and put it into a system,” Cayetano said.

A

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

november 12-18, 2015 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

OpiniOn

Laughingstock

Features

WITH the rising number of alleged victims of the notorious “tanim bala” (bullet planting) scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), it is no surprise that this peculiar security threat has reached international headlines.

Just this year, the Philippine National Police-Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSeG) recorded 105 alleged “tanim bala” incidents, while the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) reported five cases in the past two weeks.

Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren said that she was warned by her Filipino-American friend that international travelers are targeted by Filipino airport security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage.

“I know what you’re thinking: what is wrong with some people? My answer? I just don’t know,” Susteren said in her segment “Off the Record.”

Over the weekend, a video posted by Facebook user Shinjoy Martinez went viral. The video recorded a Japanese television program reenacting how bullets are planted into the luggage of unsuspecting passengers. The host of the show said that the “tanim bala” scam has been going on for years and that many Japanese nationals have become victims.

The extortion scheme, which involves airport security personnel who plant bullets in order to extort money from passengers caught with the bullet inside their luggage, has become so apparent and undaunted that tips on “how to avoid being a ‘tanim-bala’ victim” have circulated online.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has issued tips for air passengers to avoid falling prey to the “tanim bala” scam.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio told ABS-CBN News that passengers are advised to strictly monitor all their luggage and never allow strangers to handle them. He said all zippers, pouches, and pockets of their luggage must be closed, locked and sealed so that if the seal gets broken, a passenger will immediately notice that his bag was opened without his permission.

For the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), it warned its staff “to keep your luggage with you, lock your luggage, and consider wrapping your luggage in plastic as an extra security measure” when leaving through the international airport.

This brouhaha is so ludicrous that for Atty. Joseph Plazo, here are ways to avoid being victim of ‘tanim-bala’ scam: Use hard-case luggage, avoid bags that have external pockets. Wrap the entire bag in cling wrap. Let the officials go through your bag—but only in the presence of witnesses, a lawyers, and official’s supervisor. You have the right to remain silent. And know your legal rights.

Meanwhile, NAIA airport screeners turned to divine intervention. Wearing pink armbands, the airport personnel attended a Mass on Friday, Nov.

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

6 to appeal for understanding in the midst of public outrage and ridicule.

“We have been pilloried, demonized and shamed by these allegations, which is why we are seeking divine intervention to spare us. There is no truth to the allegations,” said Edgar Anas, national president of the Employees Association of Transport Security.

Malacañang acknowledged that the “tanim bala” controversy has been blown out of proportion and drew international ire. “Unfortunately, these are unintended consequences of the attention that this has generated,” spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“We are hoping that the effects will not be last-

ing, will not have a long-term effect on what our country is trying to do to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination,” she said. Amid all the unwanted attention, Valte assured that the national government has taken steps to address the problem.

The proliferation of the “tanim-bala” cases requires urgent attention. All eyes are on the national government to assess the lingering problem and come up with effective solutions to alleviate the growing concern on the country’s airport security challenges. For now, those who have marked the Philippines as their next destination are asked to remain vigilant. (AJPress)

What to do when you get victimized by the ‘laglag bala’ scam at NAIA MY husband and I are visiting the Philippines this December, as many kababayans plan to do as well, but the excitement of this year’s trip is dampened by the “laglag bala” scam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

This issue has become an international concern, having been reported by international media, and with the United Nations issuing a warning to its staff about how they may be victimized by some unscrupulous people at the NAIA, who would allegedly “plant” live bullet in passengers’ baggage.

The bullet would be found during security inspection, and then money would be extorted from passengers who rather pay a few dollars rather than miss their flights or they would be detained for days for a crime they did not do.

My own children, who get their news via mainstream media and online news sources, already warned us as well about it. This has also been a hot topic among email exchanges and On social media among those who are traveling to Manila for either business or pleasure. The big question resonates a plea for help, a longing for empowerment.

“What should we do if this happens to us?”

Such cry for help is a result of the Philippine

government’s initial dismissive and defensive response to the The Fil-Am problem. Some officials say in news reports that this problem Perspective is but a small percentage of the total sheer volume of passengers who have used the NAIA to travel, others blame it on the passengers who bring “bala” Gel SantoS-reloS for anting-anting (talisman) believed to give protection to the traveler.

While both may be true in some cases, the fact remains that there are those who have been victimized, and were asked to pay money “under the table” so this case would “go away”. A good family friend (a Filipina who is now a legal resident of the US) who was on a wheelchair when she traveled from Manila to LAX last September became a victim. Confused, scared and intimidated, but definitely NOT guilty of bringing the “bala” that was planted in her luggage, she decided to give the $12 (Php500) that was asked of her, and then exposed this scam when she arrived in LA via social media. She was the first one to bring this problem to the attention of mainstream and social media.

She is pressing charges/complaint to help put an

end to this fiasco.

But the scam did not stop. In fact, more people have been victimized — foreigners, overseas Filipino workers, the elderly. One foreigner who is a young American missionary chose NOT to pay the money that was asked of him (Php 30,000), and he was detained for more than four days. He has sought legal representation to file charges against those airport personnel for trying to extort money from him and for violating airport inspection protocol (recorded on video).

Thankfully, there are many well meaning lawyers who are now offering pro bono services for travelers who may get caught in this situation.

In case you or your loved ones become one of the unfortunate ones, here are the things to remember (from ABS-CBN News): It is OK to react but STAY CALM. FIRMLY DENY prior knowledge of the bullet.

SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL from the Public Attorneys’ Office (PAO) through hotlines 929-9436 or 02-929-9436. [Call your own attorney if you have one]

NEVER TOUCH THE BULLET to avoid leaving your fingerprint on it.

DO NOT OPEN YOUR BAG without your lawyer, witnesses, and the airport police or the supervisor of the security personnel.

INFORM RELATIVES AND FRIENDS of your situation.

Have your fingerprint samples taken ONLY IN FRONT OF YOUR LAWYER AND POLICE OFFICIALS. IF your fingerprint is NOT FOUND on the bullet, CHARGES MAY BE FILED against the airport personnel. You will also be entitled to financial compensation for the disturbance and lost time. Airport authorities will also be LIABLE TO REBOOK YOUR FLIGHT. SHARE THIS INFORMATION around. Good luck! Sana mabigyan na ng solusyon ng gobyerno ang problemang ito para maging totoo muli na “IT IS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!” *** 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

What’s the end game in the US-China face-off over the Spratleys?

REMEMBER our boyhood days when a bully Street would place a chip on his shoulder and dare Talk anyone to knock it off?

If someone did, the bully had to fight the challenger or else lose face.

By building artificial is- GreG B. MacaBenta lands on sunken reefs in the Spratleys and claiming sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, China placed a virtual chip on its shoulder, daring the other claimants to the area to knock it off. Vietnam tried and promptly got clobbered.

For its part, the Philippines has made a lot of noises, but knowing that we have a toothless military, our government has done the sensible thing: bring the case before the United Nations and put international pressure on China by warning the rest of the world that they are being bullied, as well.

While the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have claimed parts of the Spratleys for reasons of sovereignty and the area’s rich oil and natural gas resources, the industrialized countries, particularly America, have major economic, political and military reasons to ensure unhampered access to what has been characterized as the throat of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. From an economic perspective alone, $5.3 trillion of trade passes through the South China Sea each year, of which the US accounts for $1.2 trillion.

Last October 27, Uncle Sam finally knocked the chip off big bully China’s shoulder. It deliberately sailed the USS Lassen, a guided missile destroyer, within 12 nautical miles of China’s bo-

gus exclusive economic zone.

Like any bully who has met his match, the Chinese have not gone beyond protesting and hurling muted threats. In response, the US has raised the ante by announcing that it plans to continue the patrols indefinitely. The White House, in an official statement, also declared, “The United States is going to fly and sail anywhere international law allows.”

While the US has maintained that it takes “no position” on competing territorial claims on the Spratleys, last February 2014 it explicitly rejected, for the first time, China’s nine-dash line that ostensibly supports its “historic” ownership of the disputed sea lanes. That rejection was, in fact, a declaration of Washington DC’s position.

Coincidentally adding to China’s humiliation, the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration decided last October 29 that it has jurisdiction over the South China Sea issue and will proceed to hear the case filed by the Philippines under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. China’s refusal to participate in the proceedings, said the Court, has no effect on its jurisdiction.

With America’s in-your-face challenge to China, the hawks are predicting an escalation that could erupt into armed conflict. On the other hand, pacifists and pragmatists have warned that the controversy isn’t worth triggering World War III. Meanwhile, the Philippines has continued to equivocate. Although Presi-

dent Aquino and the Department of Foreign Affairs are unabashedly depending on the US to stop China’s incursions, there are those in the legislature who oppose the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) forged with the US in 2014, warning that it is a ploy to reestablish military bases on Philippine soil. American presence would, in fact, strengthen our country’s stance against China, but it could also make the Philippines a war theater once again, as in World War II. Further muddling the situation are suspected fifth columnists, like Sen. Antonio Trillanes, whose “back channel negotiations” with the Chinese resulted in the Philippines being preempted and locked out of Scarborough Shoal.

Indeed, the South China Sea conflict is not easy to untangle. Analysts have gone no farther than to point out its serious implications and to suggest options, all of which are iffy. However, they all agree that, in spite of the brinkmanship, neither the US nor China is particularly eager to go to war. In fact, there are continuous contacts between both countries at the highest level and among their military leaders to ensure that no one makes a “miscalculation” that could spark a major armed conflict.

The question then is: how will China respond to America’s challenge to its bogus territorial claims? For all of its bluster, the Chinese government may just decide to play the patience game, the way it waited 156 years to recover Hong Kong from the British.

It will continue to protest against further US flybys and sail-bys, but China will likely avoid taking serious armed action. It is also expected to ignore any adverse UN verdict and to continue

building up its military capabilities, as well as its salami slicing tactic in the Spratleys. And, like a condom, it will also keep reassuring its Asian neighbors of its peaceful intentions, while screwing them.

The US, on the other hand, will calibrate its moves, careful not to push China too far into a corner, even while it maintains its profitable partnership with the world’s second largest economy.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has signed an agreement with China to peacefully resolve maritime conflicts. Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have been careful not to upset China, a major economic partner. Their reaction to the incursion of the USS Lassen has been muted and vague.

In the face of this, analysts have predicted that a modus vivendi will eventually be agreed on between the US and China, a face-saving agreement that will allow the former, as well as other major trading nations, free access to the disputed area, by sea and by land, while China bides its time.

We might recall how the Korean War ended in a truce. The US and the United Nations, on one hand, and China and the Soviet Union, on the other hand, agreed on a compromise, partitioning the Korean peninsula between North Korea and South Korea at the 38th Parallel. The reason was because neither side was willing to risk an all-out war.

Where does that leave the Philippines and the other claimants? There is a Tagalog word for it. Bitin. Hanging.

The longer the stand-off lasts, the firmer will China’s foothold be in the Spratleys. The other claimants may, eventually, have to consider their own face-saving option in dealing with Chi-

na. If that happens, the Philippines will have to deal with intense pressure to go along.

A paper entitled, “Armed Clash in the South China Sea – Contingency Planning Memorandum No. 14,” written

by Bonnie S. Glaser, Senior Advisor for Asia, Center for Strategic and International Studies, cites a think tank’s proposal to “establish regional sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea among the six claimants, allowing them to collectively manage the islands, territorial seas, and airspace.”

Another option mentioned in Glaser’s paper “would emulate the resolution of the dispute over Svalbard, an island located between Norway and Greenland.

The Treaty of Spitsbergen, signed in 1920, awarded primary sovereignty over Svarlbard to Norway but assigned resource-related rights to all signatories.”

But the thesis adds: “Applying this model to the South China Sea would likely entail giving sovereignty to China while permitting other countries to benefit from the resources.” And it concludes: “In the near term, at least, such a solution is unlikely to be accepted by the other claimants.”

However, if a modus vivendi is reached between the US and China, even these options may no longer be viable. In other words, unless the Philippines and the other claimants proactively seek a compromise that will at least allow them to benefit from the resources of the South China Sea, the end game in the US-China face-off over the Spratleys could leave the smaller countries empty-handed and perpetually hanging – or bitin – and in a state of unending tensions like North and South Korea. (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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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

A

Filipina receives int’l award for fighting child-trafficking

by Aries Joseph

Inquirer.net

heginA

A FilipinA has been recognized as one of the 10 leaders worldwide who are pushing for an end to child-trafficking.

Cecilia Oebanda, the founder of Manila-based foundation Visayan Forum (VF), has been named one of the recipients of the the 2015 Child10 (C10) Awards in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Child10 Award, founded by Sophie Stenbeck Family Foundation and Reach for Change, hails 10 leaders worldwide who seek to curb childtrafficking.

Oebanda is the first Filipina who received the said award.

“There are many challenges when you’re fighting on the ground, and certainly these can DISABILITY IS NO BAR. A disabled examinee is wheeled inside the University of Santo Tomas in Manila for the first day of the Bar exams. The Supreme Court said 7,146 law graduates will be taking the tests to be held on four consecutive Sundays.

Inquirer.net photo by DJ Diosina

Arroyo’s health condition deteriorating, says daughter

by ChristinA Mendez Philstar.com

MAnilA—The health condition of former president and now pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo continues to deteriorate, her daughter luli Arroyo-Bernas said.

“Her condition is not improving, unfortunately,” Arroyo-Bernas told reporters during a gathering of the philippine Military Academy (pMA) Class of 1991 at the libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

Arroyo-Bernas is an honorary member of pMA Sambisig Class.

She expressed doubt whether president Aquino will allow her mother to be placed under house arrest out of compassion for the former president. “i doubt if he will ever listen,”

she said.

Arroyo-Bernas, however, said the family has not lost faith in the justice system.

She expressed belief that the court would allow her mother to post bail.

The United nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has ruled that Arroyo’s continuous detention violates international law.

The Un body asked the government to grant her bail.

Arroyo is under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on plunder charges for alleged misuse of philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

Meanwhile, Arroyo-Bernas and Sen. Grace poe met at the pMA event.

Members of pMA Class 1991

by pAtriCiA Lourdes VirAy Philstar.com

MAnilA—The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, nov. 11 partially granted that petition of suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. in connection to his preventive suspension over the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2.

SC Spokesperson Theodore Te said the Court of Appeals (CA)

was correct in applying the condonation doctrine in stopping the Ombudsman’s suspension order against Binay.

Te clarified that the high court has abandoned the doctrine, but it is prospective in effect, making Binay the last to benefit from the common defense by elected officials in evading liabilities for acts committed in their previous terms in office.

The SC ordered the CA to proceed with the resolution of Binay’s

SWS survey: Number of unemployed Filipinos hits 10M

THe number of unemployed Filipinos swelled to more than 10 million or over 20 percent, according to the third quarter survey of paid tribute to their fallen mis- the Social Weather Station (SWS) tahs. released on Monday, nov. 9.

The batch is adopting poe as a The survey, conducted among member of the class in time for 1,200 respondents on September its alumni homecoming in Baguio 2 to 5, found that 23.7 percent or City in February 2016. over 10 million adult Filipinos were The two were cordial to each jobless in September 2015. other during the event.

When asked to comment on the move to adopt poe, the former president’s daughter said: “i

by ALexis roMero have no issue with that. i mean, Philstar.com why would i feel awkward? it’s not my decision. it’s my class’ MAnilA—Climate activists have decision.” assailed the Aquino administration poe even recognized Arroyo- for what it described as “snailBernas in her speech. paced” rehabilitation of areas ravArroyo defeated poe’s adoptive aged by Super Typhoon Yolanda father, the late Fernando poe Jr., two years ago. in the 2004 presidential race. in a statement, the philippine The senator’s mother, actress Movement for Climate Justice Susan Roces, had accused Arroyo complained that no one has been of stealing the presidency from punished for the alleged anomalies her husband. surrounding the relief efforts. “it has been two years since Yolanda made landfall and it seems as if the administration has long moved on from the petition against the earlier suspen- wreckage caused by the storm,” sion order issued by the Office of philippine Movement for Climate the Ombudsman.

Justice legal counsel Aaron peThe high court also decided drosa said. that the petition of Binay before “While the Ombudsman has the CA should be dismissed on consistently dismissed and susground of mootness as it has no pended various officials, no one more purpose. has been held accountable for the last October 9, the Office of the anomalies surrounding the relief Ombudsman ordered the dismissal operations as per the findings of of Binay from service and ordered the Commission on Audit (CoA) his perpetual disqualification from and this whole failure of a rehabilipublic office due to the administra- tation,” he added. tive case filed against him.

The government’s relief and

SC partially grants Junjun’s petition vs suspension case

take their toll on us. But VF’s work for almost 25 years can speak for itself: no matter what struggles we faced, we chose to fight. We share this success with our partners in the government, civil society, private sector, faith-based groups, schools, and communities, without whom VF would not have been able to save countless lives. The world is noticing how we have intensified our work and our collective gains in the fight. This award is for us all,” Oebanda said.

The Visayan Forum, which was established in 1991, seeks Visayan Forum founder Cecilia Oebanda is one to end modern slavery and oper- of the recipients of the the 2015 Child10 (C10) ates safe houses for victims of Awards in Stockholm, Sweden. The awards recognize leaders who are pushing for an end human trafficking. past C10 awardees include to child-trafficking.

James Kofi Annan of Challeng- ezekwesili of #BringBackOuring Heights in Ghana, and Oby Girls Campaign.

Data from the SWS showed that unemployment continued to rise since the first quarter of 2015. in March, unemployment was at 19.1 percent then rose to 23.2 percent in June.

SWS said unemployment has always been above 20 percent since november 2010 except in March 2015 where 19.1 percentage was recorded.

Since 2010, the joblessness in the philippines has reached to as high as 34.4 percent in March 2012.

The SWS definition of joblessness covers respondents age 18 and over who are “without a job at present and looking for a job.”

This excludes those not looking for work like housewives, students, and retired or disabled persons. (Nestor Corrales/Inquirer.net)

Government hit for snail-paced Yolanda rehab rehabilitation efforts in affected communities have been plagued with allegations of mismanagement and corruption.

Among the issues raised by critics were the supposed failure to deliver aid on time, the alleged irregularities in the awarding of contracts, food packs that were reportedly lost to spoilage, unused cash donations, and alleged anomalies in the distribution of shelters.

The movement also scored the increased corporate participation in the rehabilitation efforts, which, it claimed, allowed the proliferation of resorts and similar businesses in the typhoon-hit areas.

“Handing over the reins of the rehabilitation process to corporations who have no accountability to the Filipino people was a sign that the Aquino government was, and continues to be, more than willing to unburden itself of its obligation to the Filipino people,” said pascualito ilagan, a professor at the eastern Visayas State University and philippine Movement for Climate Justice convenor for eastern Visayas.

“This seeming lack of foresight from our government caused the rehabilitation efforts to become another venue for corporations to find new ways of making profit and inevitably disregards the needs of a people who are already suffering and struggling to recover,” he added.

But the government has claimed gains in the rehabilitation of areas struck by the super typhoon.

Close to 12,000 houses for survivors have been completed while more than 77,000 others are undergoing construction, according to the national economic and Development Authority. A total of 115,309 housing units are still in various stages of procurement. neDA also said the government has provided emergency shelter assistance to more than 717,000 families.

The government also claimed to have distributed more than 47,000 boats, close to 76,000 sets of fishing gear and paraphernalia, more than 14,000 farm tools, 138 tractors and other machineries, and more than 92,000 bags of seeds.

A

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Anna Maria: The Philippines is in her heart Pinay transgender Trixie Maristela is 2015 Miss Int’l Queen

by Boy

ABundA Philstar.com

She has been based abroad for a number of years, but Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (a singeractress known for her roles in “hannah Montana” and in the stage musical “Camp Rock,” Anna Maria is the granddaughter of Sylvia La Torre) says that no matter how far she travels or how many years she lives away from home, there will always be a soft spot in her heart for the Philippines.

Anna Maria is now here to attend her brother’s wedding (she will be in the country until January 2016) but at the same time is keeping her options open in case work opportunities present themselves. In the last 10 years, Anna Maria has been to the Philippines twice and ended up working both times: In 2012, when she opened for the Jonas Brothers concert and the following year for the inauguration of The Circuit Makati.

“Yes, I am open to possibilities,” says Anna Maria when asked if she’d be willing to consider settling in the country and building a career here. Although she has family and friends in the US, there are so many things she misses about the Philippines that would be reason enough

for her to consider living here again: The friendly people, the family-like culture, the traditions and festivities (especially at this time of the year, when Christmas is just around the corner), the tourist spots, the food and the shopping.

Given an opportunity though, ultimately, she would still want to be doing what she loves doing, whether it’s here or there, in the Philippines or in the US. “honestly, I see myself still doing what I love most, which is singing and acting, be it on Broadway, musicals on TV and film,” she says, adding that she’s willing to consider doing a stage musical in Manila like other international artists like Joanna Ampil, have done, especially if the project is, in her words, “really interesting.”

If she had the chance to work here, one of the things she would definitely want to try and do is record an album of old kundimans, especially her grandma’s novelty songs. “I’ve been listening to her music,” she says.

Aside from that, she also expresses interest in collaborating with other Filipino singers and songwriters of which she knows there are many talented ones here. One of them is singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid.

by JoJo gABinete And Celso de guzmAn CApArAs Philstar.com

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle

“I’m Ogie’s biggest fan,” she gushes. “I had the privilege of doing an impromptu performance with him in New York City without any rehearsal, and it turned out good!”

Another composer whose songs she adores is Jose Mari Chan. Says Anna Maria: “I would be honored to sing and perform with him. Most recently, I have been listening to another talented composer, Vehnee Saturno. I love the Filipino songwriters. They’re so gifted.”

Aside from the Philippines’ talented songwriters, there is PAGE B2

MANILA—Filipina transgender Trixie Maristela beat 26 other aspirants for the 2015 Miss International Queen Friday night at the Tiffany’s Theater in Pattaya, Thailand. She is the second Filipina to bag the crown after Kevin Balot in 2012.

Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the pageant started in 2004, open to transgender women aged 18 to 36 from around the world.

Proceeds from the pageant are donated to Thailand’s Royal AIDS Foundation. her prizes included 400,000 baht (roughly P526,400) cash and gifts from the sponsors. her runners-up were Valesca Dominic Ferraz of Brazil (first) and Supida Siriwattananukoon of Thailand (second). The other two Philippine bets, Francine Garcia and Michelle Binas, made it to the Top 10 semi-finalists.

A Pasig City resident, Trixie, 29, is a BA european Languages graduate from the UP Diliman, who aspires to be a human rights lawyer. A multi-awarded, she was 2015 Miss Gay Manila, 2014 Super Sireyna Worldwide first runner-up, 2014 Super Sireyna Philippines, 2014 Su-

Fellow contestants pose for a ‘family picture’ Friday night at the 2015 Miss International Queen pageant, with winners (from left) Velasca Dominic of Brazil (first runner-up), Trixie Maristela of the Philippines (2015 title-holder) and Supida Siriwattananukoon of Thailand (second runner-up).

per Sireyna Queen of the Sky, 2011 Manila’s Five Prettiest, 2011 Miss Gay Philippines-Universe and 2009 Amazing Philippine Beauties first runner-up.

Super Sireyna is a pageant for exceptional individuals on GMA

Pinoy-British singer eliminated from ‘X Factor’ UK

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

thaway, but received the fewest public votes and was sent off the show with another contestant, A 24-year-old Filipino-British Kiera Weathers. contestant on “The X Factor UK” “I genuinely can’t believe that was sent home Sunday, Nov. 8, they were in the bottom two,” following a double-elimination said his mentor Nick Grimshaw. round on the televised talent “I can’t believe Seann is going. I competition. can’t believe.”

“It’s been an incredible jourMoore was also surprised to ney,” contestant Seann Miley be leaving, he told X Factor hosts Moore said in an interview follow- Melvin Odoom and Rochelle ing his elimination. “But the show humes. must go on.”

“I know I have a lot to give and The Filipino-British sang “A yeah I’m excited. I will take this is Song For You” by Donny ha- a positive thing and the show must

go on,” he said.

“It’s a crazy machine, but it’s amazing professionals that will help you to become better. And that’s the thing, you want to grow and experience this world and have that amazing production and you live up there and you guys make the fantasy reality,” he added.

Moore also said he will continue pursuing his dream of performing at Madison Square Garden in New York. his elimination leaves girl group 4th Impact as the sole Fili-

pino act in the show. The group is now part of The X Factor UK’s Top 9 and has been confirmed to be on the third live show next week.

Moore was born and raised in Australia to a British father and Filipino mother. he revealed that he plans to remain in the UK after reconnecting with his British heritage, the Daily Mail reported.

“My dad is from hammersmith.

It’s so wonderful to reconnect with my British heritage. I am here to reconnect with my roots,” he said.

Seann Miley Moore

7’s eat, Bulaga!

She’s a Viva Artists Agency contract star.

Special awardees were Satsuki of Japan, Miss Photogenic; Nicole Fontanelli of Italy, Best PAGE B2

EntErtainmEnt

B november 12-18, 2015 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

Jimboy Martin, Miho Nishida win ‘Pinoy Big Brother 737’ mANILA—Jimboy martin and miho Nishida are the big winners of the ABS-CBN reality show “Pinoy Big Brother: 737.”

The winners of the 10th anniversary edition of the reality show were announced during the show’s finals night held at the Albay Astrodime, Legazpi City on Sunday.

17-year-old Jimboy was named teen big winner with 56.76 percent of the total votes.

“Para sa akin, okay pa rin naman yung pagiging simpleng buhay... Gusto ko pong ipaalam sa kanila na binuo po nila ang isa sa mga pangarap ko, ang maging teen big winner. Kung anumang oportunity ang dumating sa akin, sasaluhin ko po yun,” he said after being announced the winner. meanwhile, the 22-year-old miho was named adult big winner after getting a whopping 81.96 percent of the total votes.

“Ang saya-saya ko. maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat,” she said.

Jimboy and miho will receive a P1 million cash prize, a house and lot, and an Asian tour package, among others.

Ylona Garcia emerged as the

Mauricioa-arriola ManilaTimes.net

Jimboy Martin and Miho Nishida win ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Big Brother: 737.”

teen second big placer with 43.24 percent of the votes.

Tommy Esguerra was named adult second big placer with 18.04 percent of the votes. on Saturday, The third and fourth big placers of “Pinoy Big Brother 737” were announced.

Among the teen housemates, Bailey Thomas may and Franco rodriguez were named fourth and third big placers.

For the adult housemates, Dawn Chang and roger Lutero

were named the fourth and third big placers.

“Pinoy Big Brother: 737” is the 12th edition of the reality show. It aired on June 20, 2015 and lasted for 142 days. Unlike the other editions, the show featured two batches of housemates: the teen housemates and the regular adult housemates.

Daniel matsunaga won the previous edition of the ABS-CBN reality show, “Pinoy Big Brother All In.” (Philstar.com)

songs like “I Swear” and “I Can Love You Like That.”

Known for their classic love songs, All-4-one, has been serenading their fans with timeless hits like “I Swear,” “I Can Love You Like That,” and “So much In Love” for almost two decades.

The Grammy Award winning group is now celebrating their landmark twentieth anniversary

with a new album, Twenty+ (released July 24, 2015 through their label AFo). With this album fans will get to fall in love again with their favorite chart topping hits in addition to some brand new songs. Delious, Alfred, Jamie and Tony continue to tour the world.

For information on tour dates and everything All-4-one, head to: all4-one.com.

Pokwang says no to ‘Comedy Queen’ title by

Joyce JiMenez Philstar.com

mANILA—Pokwang refuses to claim the title “Comedy Queen” despite her success in the box office.

“Hindi naman po ako ‘yon, alam naman po natin kung sino si Comedy Queen,” she said in a recent interview.

The title was first given to Ai Ai delas Alas, who is now with GmA network.

Pokwang is back to doing the comedy show “Banana Split” as it takes on its new format “Banana Sundae,” which will start airing on November 15.

“Nag-guest po ako no’ng anniversary. Siguro na-miss nila ako and then kinausap ako if puwede ako bumalik,” she said about being back in the show.

“Siyempre sabi ko why not, tutal anak-anakan ko naman ang mga ‘to.”

“Nami-miss ko na rin magcomedy din,” she added. She has done several serious roles,

Pokwang doesn’t want to claim the “Comedy Queen” title, which was first given to Ai Ai delas Alas.

Pokwang also stars in the Viva film “Wang Fam” which will be in cinemas on November 11.

Support from friends help Mariel recover from pain of miscarriage Inquirer.net

AFTEr suffering miscarriages twice in a year, host and actress mariel rodriguez still remembers the pain of losing a baby whenever she sees children, her husband robin Padilla said.

“What happened to us will never be okay. Lalo na sa gabi, naalala niya ‘yung lungkot.

Kapag nakakakita siya ng bata, doon siya tinatamaan,” Padilla told INQUIrEr.net.

(Particularly at nights, she would remember the sorrow.

Whenever she sees children, that’s when the pain would hit her again.)

But the Padilla said he and his wife of five years will keep trying to conceive after they lost a triplet pregnancy.

Padilla said they are following “another method” but their doctor advised them to rest first.

“Ayaw pa ni Dra. manalo pero hindi kami mag-aartificial. may susundin kaming panibagong (method),” he said.

From the headline above, the question begs to be asked: Why would Sarah Geronimo—a multiawarded concert and recording artist, a blockbuster movie star, and A-list Filipino celebrity—want to start over again?

This was the curious revelation of the 27-year-old superstar who on Thursday announced sold-out ticket sales to her December 4 concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and consequently, the last minute addition of an extra performance date on December 5 due to insistent public demand.

To explain herself, Sarah said her statement has everything to do with the title of the show, From The Top. “Umpisahan ko po muna doon sa concept at bakit tinawag naming siyang From The Top,” she began. “Ang nakaisip po nung title ng show ay si Teacher Georcelle [choreographer of dance group G-Force].

“Sabi namin, ‘Anong gagawin natin this time around; paano natin maiiba ito sa previous shows na ginawa natin?’

“Sabi ko tuloy sarili ko, ano nga ba talaga ang gusto kong gawin?

Ano ba talaga yung gusto ko namang ipakita this time? Kasi sa previous shows ko, marami-rami na rin po yung nai-offer namin. So sabi ni Teacher Georcelle, ‘Alam mo, Sarah, sa tingin ko nasa transition stage ka, kasi hinahanap mo pa talaga yung sarili mo as an artist.”

The Viva and ABS-CBN talent—who has held nine successful major solo concerts since 2004, in venues such as the music museum, The Big Dome and mall of Asia Arena—went on to analyze how the local music industry has effectively packaged her since winning the 2002 Star for the Night singing contest with her “birit” voice at age 14.

“Kasi yung title na sinasabi nila na, yung ‘Popstar royalty,’ it’s just a title na binigay lang ng isang tao sa akin. So, ako, yon yung tanong sa sarili ko: ‘Gusto mo ba talaga na maging pop star? Ano ba talaga ang plano ko sa sarili ko ngayon, for my career? Yon yung [realization] ko sa sinabi sa akin niTeacher Georcelle,” Sarah continued.

It was that point, according to the “artist in transition” that her dance mentor suggested, “Why don’t we take it from the top?”

“Sabi ko, ‘Wow, ang gandang title niyan, ah! From The Top.’ mag-re-restart tayo, babalik tayo sa umpisa,” she rounded up,

The 27-year-old pop star is now going into writing and composing her own songs.

adding that she is still in search of her true sound, even with a combined total of 50 Platinum record Awards to her name.

“Connected siya [starting over] sa aim ko . . . at sa dream ko [from watching] foreign acts na talagang music nila ang ibinibigay. As in, gagawa lang sila ng isang cover, dalawang cover and that’s it.

Talagang music nila yung focus nila at ng concert,” the singer enthused.

“Dream ko na pag pumunta ako ng Amerika, pag tinour ko ko ang isang concert sa ibang bansa, gusto ko sariling musika ko ang ibinibigay ko, yung pini-perform ko sa stage. Hindi lang yung alam naming gustong makita at marinig audience. Yon po ang gagawin namin for the first time dito saFrom the Top.” Popular for being a female version of her declared music influence, the late King of Pop michael Jackson, Sarah’s concerts generally show her as a power belter with complicated moves all over the stage. most recently though, her songs have taken on a more laidback beat, such as her charttopping single “Kilometro,” which also won Australia’s 2015 Gold

Global Sound Award. Her ballads from her latest album Perfectly Imperfect, among them “This Fight” and “Until Forever” have delivered more mature lyrics and overall sound.

“Papunta na naman po ako doon,” the ever-humble Sarah told The manila Times when asked where she sees herself in her search for her artistry right now.

“Nakikita ko na po siya kahit hindi ko pa siya natutumbok talaga. Ang goal ko po ay yung hindi lang ma-please yung mga tao sa gusto nilang marinig at makita sa akin, pero mga kanta na may meaning at may lesson din.”

She went on to say that she is seriously going into writing and composing her own songs, having already produced one with Louie ocampo entitled “make me Yours.”

“Hopefully masundan,” she crossed her fingers.

Until then, it will be very interesting to witness how Sarah evolves as an artist and reinvents herself as a singer. Because, after all, she really has done quite impressively thus far in the music scene and beyond as the Philippines’ so called Popstar Princess.

Anna Maria: The Philippines is in...

PAGE B1 another iconic performer she would love to meet and work with: Celeste Legaspi. “I’ve heard so much about her from my grandma, and her music is really classic and one of a kind. I would also love to collaborate with my favorite singers like Piolo Pascual, Sam milby, Erik Santos, [ABS CBN] parang nagkaroon mark Bautista, Jason Dy (grand sila ng samahan para pasayahin champion of The Voice of the siya. Lahat ng kaibigan niya Philippines Season 2, which she apparently followed, even while dumamay,” he said.

(I am glad that her friends in in the US; she keeps close tabs on ABS CBN came together to cheer showbiz developments here via her up. All her friends were there DirectTV. Anna maria is a regular viewer of Pangako sa ‘Yo and on to console her.) recently, rodriguez appeared in shows “Deal or No Deal” and “Pinoy Big Brother” which she hosted for years before moving PAGE B1 to TV5.

Padilla on Friday went to Camp Evening Gown; Sofiya Iya of AusCrame to hand his high-powered tralia, Best National Costume; firearms, whose licenses would Dayana Valenzuela of Peru, miss be expiring next month, to the Friendly; Taliah of Australia, Firearms and Explosives office Best Talent and Supida Siriwattananukoon of Thailand, miss for safekeeping.

Robin Padilla In an Instagram post, ro- ripley’s Popular Vote. other transgender beau(Dra. manalo has not ap- driguez lauded her husband’s proved of it yet, but we won’t go move, saying it takes a real ties who competed were from for artificial methods. We will be man to give up his gun col- mexico, Belgium, France, USA, Turkey, Laos, malaysia, myanfollowing a new method.) lections.

The action film star said he is Padilla said he treats his mar, Singapore and mauritius.

Besides her regal bearing, happy that rodriguez’s friends guns, some of which he used in are helping her cope with sad- his famous action films, like his Trixie impressed the judges with ness. “wives” who were “demoted to her intelligence.

To the question “How do “Natutuwa naman ako kasi girlfriends” when he got married you compare beauty inside and yung mga kaibigan niya sa with rodriguez. such as in the recently concluded primetime series “Nathaniel.”

Robin, Mariel remain hopeful after loss

by Julliane love de Jesus

Sarah Geronimo wants to start over

by Tessa

Grammy award-winners to perform in Vegas oN November 27 and 28 at the Suncoast Hotel & Casino, Grammy Award-winning group, All-4-one, will be celebrating their 20th anniversary singing their chart topping hits and some new songs off their milestone album, Twenty+.

As Jamie, Delious, Tony and Alfred head to Vegas fans are bound to fall in love all over again hearing their favorite classic love

http://www.asianjournal.com • (702) 792-6678

the Wings of Love) and Christian Bautista.”

But Anna maria’s interests are not limited to just performing. “I am also passionate about fashion, so I still see myself coming up with my own makeup and clothing line. And who knows?

I also dream of studying fashion design in London, Paris and New York.”

In the last few months, that’s exactly what Anna maria has been doing: A lot of traveling. She did a number of Filipino cultural shows, one of which was a special concert in New York City with her grandmother, who she calls

‘mamacita.’ She was also a guest performer in Google Talk promoting the Broadway show Allegiance, which is currently running in New York City featuring Lea Salonga and George Takei.

“I was also doing readings and presentations for new and upcoming musicals in New York. I appeared on ABC Family’s hit TV series Baby Daddy. I starred in Stephen Schwartz’s hit Broadway show Godspell in New York.”

At the end of the day, Anna maria knows that no matter where her fortunes take her — near or far — she’ll always have a second home in manila.

Pinay transgender Trixie Maristela is... beauty outside?,” Trixie answered, “Beauty from the inside starts from the heart but beauty from outside is just a physical appearance. In the end, what matters is…beauty in the inside will radiate outside because a true queen does not want just a beautiful face or golden crown but a true queen also possess a golden heart.“ In an interview with PEP, Trixie confessed, “I still can’t believe that I won. right now, I don’t know what I’m gonna do next but I’m very thankful to be given this chance to be miss International Queen, a very pres-

tigious pageant for transgender like me…This kind of pageant empowers transwomen like us because Thailand, especially the organizers of miss International Queen, made us feel that we’re very important people and because of that, we gained confidence and we’re empowered to do whatever it is…It feels overwhelming and I feel so blessed winning two crowns (miss Gay manila and miss International Queen) at the same time. I dedicate this to my family and most specially to my trans-family not just in the Philippines but in the world.”

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

LBC Express brings services to Las Vegas Vice Ganda gets emotional message from ex-boyfriend

by ChuCk

Smith Philstar.com

LBC Express in Las Vegas is now officially open.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, LBC Express in Las Vegas held its grand opening at 2797 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 14 Las Vegas, NV 89109. Mr. Michael Salomon (VP-Sales/Operation of LBC Express) and staff welcomed customers and guests for a ceremonial blessing of the new location.

LBC Express, Inc. is the Philippines’ market leader in payments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels and, cargo logistics. Through a global presence in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Europe, LBC Express’ network of 4,400 locations, partners, and agents is growing steadily, and commits to moving lives,

businesses, and communities in the Philippines and across the globe. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC Express pioneered timesensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most admired and trusted courier, cargo, and remittance service of millions of Filipinos, an iconic and global Filipino brand.

LBC can move it for you: call (702) 735-8992 (Las Vegas), (702) 476-3256 (Henderson) or (775) 786-5679 (Reno). You may aslo visit us at www. lbcexpress.com and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).

AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal

Sincerely, Jessy Mendiola by iriSh

ChriStianne Dizon Philstar.com

MANILA— Artistas and writers are natural enemies. The former don’t want nosy journalists up in their business, while it’s the latter’s business to ask stars the questions they don’t want to hear, for the sake of the curious, showbiz-obsessed public. The truly savvy ones know it isn’t wise to flat-out refuse to answer an interviewer’s question.

For this tricky job, a middleman must be employed. Enter the strict handler and/or road manager: high stewards and keepers of the gate.

Before interviews even begin, they usually demand to see the questions, so they can weed out the thorny ones before allowing you to go anywhere near their ward.

For Jessy Mendiola’s first Supreme cover shoot, I was preparing myself for the inevitable talk with her Star Magic companion. (Not all writers back down without putting up a fight.) I was ready to defend why all of the questions had to be asked—but from Danilyn (Jessy’s road manager), no off-limits warning came.

It’s strange, considering the 22year-old I’m interviewing today is one of local show business’ most controversial young stars. While other celebrities her age meticulously uphold a squeaky-clean image, Jessy is on the frontline, firing shots at the many nasty bashers lurking in the comments section of her Instagram page. While other pretty young things have a lot of restrictions regarding necklines and hemlines, this one is casually uploading a beach photo in which she’s wearing little else but a smokin’ red bikini. (Many people assumed it was a subtle hint at the possibility of her being Angel Locsin’s Darnasuccessor. But Jessy denies this, saying, “Hindi ba pwedeng red lang rin yung bikini ko nun? Lipad agad? Di ba pwedeng nag swimming lang?) Just recently, she was a hot topic because of that infamous airplane incident involving actor Enrique Gil, plus

In the latest chapter of her unpredictable showbiz life, Jessy Mendiola is finally learning to speak up and fight back—just in time for her primetime TV comeback.

her alleged breakup with JM de Guzman, after a sweet reconciliation many people supported. That said, why didn’t I get the standard warning?

I take a good look at Jessy, seated on the makeup chair, wearing a floor-length black cotton dress and a cropped army jacket. She’s slimmer than when I last worked with her some two years ago. The long, wavy locks gone, replaced by a no nonsense bob. Her cheekbones are sharper, her brown eyes harder.

The answer is right in front of me: Not all stars can be tamed.

Locked and loaded Her handler asks her if she’s ready to be grilled. “Gooo.” I begin asking her my intact questions beginning with easy (“What have you been up to since your last TV project?”) building up to hard (“Break na ba kayo ni JM? Yung totoo.”)

Because she’s been relatively

quiet since Maria Mercedes ended in early 2014, her haters — who fester in gossip blogs — enjoy calling her “frozen delight.” (Very original.) She’s aware that the general impression is she’s been “tengga” for a while, but Jessy is too self-aware to sweat it. “After I did the movie The Trial with John Lloyd Cruz, I started working on You’re My Home in October 2014 (starts airing on Monday, Nov. 8 on ABS CBN),” she explains. “Tapos, I worked on a special presentation film for the CinemaOne Film Festival (Runs from November 8 to 17 at Trinoma, Glorietta, Resorts World, and SM Megamall.) It’s called Salvage, directed by Sherad Anthony Sanchez.” She also worked on the StarFlix mobile movie series Must Date the Playboy alongside Kim Chiu and Xian Lim. In between there were endorsement shoots, magazine cover shoots, TV guestPAGE B7

MANILA — Vice Ganda got the surprise of his life when he received a message from an exboyfriend.

The recorded message was aired during the November 9 episode of the ABS-CBN late night talk show “Gandang Gabi Vice,” which the comedian hosts, In the episode, guests Yam Concepcion, Mutya Datul and Daiana Menezes quipped that they found a former beau of the comedian-host. Vice initially dismissed their statement, until he heard the voice from the recorded message.

“Hi Vice, gusto ko lang sanang mangamusta. Nakikilala mo ba boses ko,” the message began.

The unnamed ex-boyfriend revealed he was a waiter at a comedy bar when met Vice. He also thanked the comedian for being a friend even after their relationship ended.

“N’ung nagsisimula ka pa lang sa TV, ako yung driver at sweet lover. Pero bago ‘yun, s’yempre napansin mo ang kagwapuhan ko n’ung waiter pa lang ako sa comedy bar,” he said.

“Gusto ko lang magpasalamat kasi hanggang ngayon magkaibigan pa rin tayo. Kung ano man ‘yung pinagawayan natin at naging dahilan ng paghihiwalay natin noon, kinalimutan na natin.

“Gusto ko lang ding malaman ng mga tao kung sino ka sa totoong buhay. Kasi napapanood ka sa TV, akala nila mahirap kang abutin, mayabang ka. Pero ang totoo, masarap kang magmahal at mag-alaga.

“Basta salamat sa lahat, sa pagmamahal mo pati sa anak ko. Dahil sa’yo nakakapagaral pa rin siya, hindi mo pa rin siya pinababayaan.”

The message concluded: “Basta tandaan mo, kahit maraming nagbago sa’tin. May jowa na ako, ikaw alam natin may jowa ka na rin. Pero ako, hindi mawawala ang pagmamahal ko sa’yo.”

Vice, after hearing the recorded message, explained he is lucky with his past relationships.

“Maswerte kasi ako sa jowa.

Lahat ng naging jowa ko matitino, mababait kaya matatagal,” he said.

Asked by Yam, how many serious boyfriend he has had, Vice quipped: “Mas marami pa rin ang isla sa Pilipinas.”

The 39-year-old openly gay comedian has been open about having relationships, although he has continuously refused to identify the identity of his boyfriends.

Vice Ganda

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Stellar cast performances led by Sheriffs hold Asian Advisory Council meeting Richard, Dawn in ‘You’re My Home’ by

To improve interaction and collaboration between the Asian community and Metro Team, Sheriff Joe Lombardo and his team held a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the harbor Palace.

During the meeting, leaders of the Asian community presented their issues and con-

Rissa M. CaMongol Inquirer.net

The newest primetime drama of ABS-CBN scores high with stellar performances and a wellwritten pilot episode.

“You’re My home,” which premieres tonight, is a family drama that deals with love, loss, hope and redemption. It tells the story of the Fontanilla family, led

by Gabriel (Richard Gomez), the father, Marian (Dawn Zulueta), his wife, and their children Grace, Rahm and Vince (to be played by Jessy Mendiola, Sam Concepcion and Paul Salas).

ABS-CBN held a special advanced screening for the premiere of the show on Monday at its Dolphy Theater in Quezon City.

The series, which is one of the most anticipated projects of the love team of Gomez and Zulueta, also stars Tonton Gutierrez, Jobelle Salvador, Assunta de Rossi, Mimi Aguilar, Mika de la Cruz, Claire Ruiz, and child stars Raikko Mateo, Bugoy Cariño and Belle Mariano, among other actors.

Gabriel, a lawyer who has big ambitions, works hard to provide

The cast of “You’re My Home” pose for a photo during a special screening for the drama held on Monday at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater. Some of the cast members are (from left) Mimi Aguilar, Sam Concepcion, Jessy Mendiola, Dawn Zulueta, Jobelle Salvador, Paul Salas, Mika de la Cruz, Assunta de Rossi, Claire Ruiz and Raikko Mateo.

for his family, to a point where he takes on (and wins) prominent cases and earns the ire of the Vergara family, led by its senator patriarch, and his wayward son, Christian Vergara (JC de Vera), who is accused of frustrated murder.

With Gabriel’s rising popularity, the family soon reaps the fruits of his labor as they move to a big-

ger house. As they assume a more affluent lifestyle, Marian begins to feel the tension in her family, from Gabriel’s long hours at work to Grace’s budding rebellion.

The tension hits its climax after Vince, the youngest child, goes missing. As investigation suggests that he may have been kidnapped, family members begin blaming each other for the loss.

cerns. Sheriff Lombardo also gave an update with accomplishments since he took over 10 months back, and announced the new Metro sub-station opening soon close to Durango/ Sahara.

AJPress photos by Robert Macabagdal

Among the attendees from the Metro Team were (First row, L-R) Captain Rich Fletcher, Captain Jim Seebok, Captain Roseanne Mc Daris, Deputy Chief Pat Neville, Deputy Chief Jim Owens, Deputy Chief Charles Hank, Lieutenant Todd Raybuck, Lieutenant John Liberty. (Second row, L-R) Captain Chris Jones, Mike Vaswani (AAG), Minddie Lloyd, Cavin Fung (CAG) Deputy Chief Gary Schofield, and Lieutenant Pat Charroen.

John Lloyd Cruz gets a fresh, daring turn by

aRvin gaye Mendoza Inquirer.net

ACToR John Lloyd Cruz is unfazed that his latest crime-drama movie “honor Thy Father (Conman)” may not appeal to the taste of his fans.

The film, directed by erik Matti, opened the Cinema one originals Festival 2015 which officially commenced on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Trinoma, Quezon City.

“Whether they like it or not, for me that’s not the point at all. We just wanted to tell a story,” said John Lloyd in an interview.

Patronized by his supporters for his memorable romantic comedy and drama projects, John Lloyd is excited to know if his fans are ready to see him in a different genre.

“I want to know if they are ready. At the end of the day, it’s just cinema. And I happen to be an actor. Where else would I appear but on films?” he said.

“We have been hearing from people that they want something new, something fresh. This is the good answer. If that’s what you

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want, then you might want to consider watching this film,” he said. “honor Thy Father,” which will adopt the new title “Conman” for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, tells the story of a married couple edgar (John Lloyd) and Kaye (Meryll Soriano) who find themselves in a miserable situation after getting embroiled in a Ponzi scheme, a deceitful investment operation.

The film first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September.

John Lloyd, who is more identified to his blockbuster mainstream projects, downplayed the idea that his appearance on an independent film signals a career move. “I just wanted to make a film and be a part of the cinema and this art. So when I got invited to be a part of it, that’s really all I’m after,” he said.

It was the first time John Lloyd starred in an independent film. he admitted that he found it challenging to adjust during the filming process.

“The changes that I had to face were hard especially when we

John Lloyd Cruz

started filming. of course the beat is different and it was my first time with Direk erik. The adjustment period is tough,” he said.

In the film, John Lloyd did several emotional heavy scenes and even shaved his head in just one take. he was also seen digging through a tunnel in his robbery attempt as an acetylene gang member.

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Your Immigration Solution

Atty. RobeRt Reeves NANcy e. MilleR Reeves MilleR ZhANg & DiZA

President Obama has repeatedly called for Congress to address the need for Comprehensive immigration reform (Cir). As we head into the holiday season, Paul ryan, the newly-minted speaker of the House, responded with what is, essentially, coal in the stocking.

He said that no comprehensive immigration reform bill will be introduced or entertained in the House while President Obama is in the White House. so, Cir is not on the horizon.

However, there are still numerous ways to obtain a green card right now. At reeves Miller Zhang & diza we would encourage everyone to fully explore all of their options. the following examples are just a few ways to obtain a green card.

Health@Heart PhiliP s. chuA, MD, FAcs, FPcs tHe average annual consumption of fruit juices in the United states is about 30.3 liters per person. i suspect the ratio would be almost proportional to the amount of “fruit juices” we drink yearly in the Philippines.

However, we have to qualify what we mean by fruit juices. the processed fruit juices have added sugar (many with high fructose corn syrup) and preservatives, which are unhealthy. the so-called concentrated ones, the 100 percent juices (may or may not have sweetener, additives, or preservatives), are likewise loaded with sugar, natural fructose, which is nonetheless carbohydrate that is absorbed fast (high glycemic index) by the body, causing blood sugar spikes, harmful for ALL of us, especially for those with diabetes. it is true that the concentrate has higher levels of vitamins and minerals compared to processed fruit juices, but all these fruits juices, including the 100 percent juice concentrates are very low in fiber, unlike the actual fruits, but fruits themselves are packed with sugar, albeit it natural. Many

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LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

B

Do I have any hope to get legal status?

One option is a family-based immigrant petition. immediate relatives (spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21or parent if the Us citizen is over the age of 21) of Us citizens (UsCs) have special immigration priority and do not have to wait in line for a visa number to become available for them to immigrate. Family petitions for spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents (LPrs), for married sons and daughters of U.s.C.s and for brothers and sisters of U.s.C.s are also possible although there is a waiting time before they become available. How long varies depending on the category and the country of origin. immediate relatives (ir) who entered the Us with inspection are able to obtain their green card in the United states. this process is called adjustment of status. if the foreign citizen has to return home to complete their immigra-

tion process, they can now seek a provisional waiver of the 10 year unlawful presence bar that will be tripped when they leave to United states to consular process.

Provisional waivers allow the applicant to submit the request from inside the Us and wait for the decision here. Once approved, the applicant departs for their immigrant visa interview at a Us Consulate. this waiver avoids lengthy separation of family members. the provisional waiver applies to aliens who entered the United states without papers, who came in on a crewman visa, who entered the United states on a fiancé visa but did not marry their petitioner and who entered on a visa but overstayed or violated the visa and are not in the immediate relative category.

Other waivers are available for those with various other grounds of inadmissibility. those who entered the United states using false information or false documentation

and can show that their UsC or LPr parent or spouse would suffer extreme hardship may be able to get a waiver. non-citizens who have convictions for various criminal offenses may be able to obtain a waiver if they can show that their UsC or LPr parent, spouse or son or daughter would suffer extreme hardship. due to some recent court decisions, many non-citizens may be eligible for criminal conviction waivers even if they were not before.

Waivers also exist for those who obtained their green cards through false information and want to clear their record so they can naturalize.

Another option is cancellation of removal. Cancellation of removal allows qualified individuals to obtain a green card if they have lived in the U.s. for at least ten years, have good moral character and can show that their U.s. citizen, or Lawful Permanent resident

Are fruit juices unhealthy? Immigrant Living: 101

fruit juice stands mix water, flavoring, coloring, and a lot of sugar (like Kool Aids and other sachet “fruit” powders) and sell them as “fruit juices.” these are actually chemical powders and unhealthy, especially to children and diabetics. drinking it once in a while, at picnics or parties, is safe.

Fruit juices with added sugar is even more unhealthy because of the negative metabolic effects of fructose when consumed daily, leading to weight gain and elevation of our blood sugar and triglycerides, which increase the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Soft drinks are toxic Allow me to digress a bit here to point out that the toxic beverage we call soft drinks (cola or uncola, regular or diet, with or without caffeine) are worst culprits in the causation of metabolic syndrome (clusters of conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, etc), among the general population, especially among children. As far as sugars are concerned, an average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar (50 percent fructose), which exceeds the daily recommended allowance for fructose, which is 15 grams a day, for most of the 80 percent Americans (and

Filipinos) who are insulin-resistant. But sugar is not the only problemin soft drinks. indeed, soft drinks are “poison” to our body in the long run, more so to children, whose brain and other vital organs are still in their developmental stage. i have stressed this scary fact in my preventive health book, Let’s stop “Killing” Our Children (www. philipschua.com). Although recently, both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have agreed to remove from all their beverages brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a known flame retardant chemical, which are already banned in europe and Japan, because it builds up in the body and in breast milk to cause health problems, soft drinks in general are “poisonous” in the long run. there is no healthier beverage than filtered clean water, taken even a glass 8 times a day.

Sugar versus fiber the Us department of Agriculture recommends at least 1.5 to 2 cups of fresh fruits (preferably not juices) per day for women and 2 cups for men, and about 2-3 cups of vegetables daily for optimal health.

While 100 percent fruit concentrate may be more convenient, it is nevertheless loaded with sugar, practically with no PAGE B6

and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (Part 2 of 3)

tHere is an onslaught of overwhelming assaults that come in all forms from just everywhere, facilitated by the startling phenomenon of social media and the ease of anything going viral through the internet. this warped, perverse world we live in today seems to delight in mischief and mayhem.

Against this gloomy global backdrop, what is good and true appear to be defenseless against unseen forces that doom personal struggles: relationship problems, self-esteem issues, financial problems, addictions, physical and mental illnesses and other ills too many to mention. the result—there seems to be far too many lonely, alienated people these days. the suicidal stage is the most dreaded period of such a state of mind, when intense loneliness descends to a deep vortex of hopelessness and darkness. suicide signals the end of a futile human struggle. there is available help—a sliver of hope. Psychotherapy and the safe and judicious use of antidepressants can help keep deep

parent, spouse or child would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship if the applicant were forced to leave the United states. Applicants are eligible to obtain employment authorization as soon as their application is filed.

With work authorization, one may apply for a social security number, work legally and obtain a state-issued driver’s license. non-citizens who are studying in the United states may be able to turn that education into both a non-immigrant work visa and a green card depending on what they are studying.

While not technically lawful status, another option is deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“dACA”). dACA is available to a person who: (1) was under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012; (2) entered the Us before the age of 16; (3) has resided in the Us since June 15, 2007 up to the present date; (4) is currently out of status; (5) is

in school or has graduated from school in the Us (or is a veteran of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces); and, (7) has not been convicted of a felony or a significant misdemeanor.

More than one million individuals obtain legal permanent resident status each year. in order to find out if you could be one of them, consult with a knowledgeable and experienced immigration attorney. *** 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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Whatever happened to ‘Happily Ever After’?

“Suicide, contrary to the lyrics of a popular song, is never painless.” depression at bay. But that is all it does — keep it at bay. One cannot help but think that there has to be a better way when an alarming percentage of those who take antidepressants still throw in the towel and end it all. in simpler times, if you can call and label adversity by name, you can figure out simple ways of defeating it. Yet now because of the complexity of the world we live in, we don’t call people lonely. We call them depressed. they are diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a whole dizzying lexicon of mental diseases. two thousand years ago, our ancestors called the whole gamut of mental diseases and bizarre behavior, possession by the devil. One is no longer in charge of one’s soul but has been overpowered by a sinister, evil force. the soul is its habitat.

Pope Francis, fully aware and deeply concerned about what is

going on in the spiritual realm in today’s world, has ordained exorcism official Catholic practice. the greatest lie perpetrated by the devil during modern times is to make people believe that evil does not exist. it does. People lulled by a false sense of security in believing they are not in the sights of that sinister, unseen force, have become like the dodo, fat sitting ducks for evil, unwary and often caught off guard when tested. the dodo is gone because it did not recognize the predators that wanted to kill it. in the spiritual realm, it has always been the battle for the human soul — good versus evil. the battle is raging. sadly, many are none the wiser.

With beheadings, stonings and widespread Christian persecution in the Middle east and Africa by radical elements of islam, and in the home front of western civilization, the pervasive liberalism that mocks Christian moralPAGE B6

B november 12-18, 2015 • LAS veGAS ASIAn JoUrnAL

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Sugary drinks may raise risk of heart failure Growing up with a dog linked to reduced risk of asthma, study says

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

COnSUMing two or more glasses of sweetened drinks per day may increase the risk of heart failure, according to a new Swedish study.

Researchers of the report, which was published in the British Medical Journal, followed approximately 42,000 men between the ages of 45 to 79 throughout a period of nearly 12 years to establish a link between heart failure and sweetened beverages. The drinks accounted for in the study “only included soft drinks/soda and these can either be sweetened with sugar or artificial sweetener.” authors of the study documented more than 4,000 instances of heart failure among study participants. Men who drank more than two sweetened drinks per day had a 23 percent higher chance of developing heart failure compared to men who did not drink these beverages.

“The takeaway message is that people who regularly consume sweetened beverages should consider limiting their consumption to reduce their risk of heart failure,” Dr. Susanna Larsson, a researcher at the Stockholm Karolinska institutet,

told Cnn. although the research focused on men, women are also advised to be careful about sweetened drinks, Larsson said.

“Sweetened beverage consumption has been associated with blood pressure, insulin concentration, weight gain, obesity and type 2 diabetes also in women,” she said. across the globe, more than 23 million people have heart failure, which occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient amounts of blood and oxygen through the body. The number of individuals with the condition is on the rise, in part because of the consumption of sodas and other sweetened beverages, Larsson and her colleagues say in the journal Heart. in the United States, about 6 million people live with heart failure, Cnn reported.

“Patients with heart failure are severely limited in their ability to perform daily tasks, they get short of breath for even small efforts like walking one block, or sometimes even walking inside their house,” said Dr. Roberto Bolli, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, according to Cnn. Other findings included that

men who consumed the most sodas and sweetened drinks were less likely to be university educated, typically ate fewer servings and vegetables and are slightly more likely to consume a minimum of three cups of coffee daily.

While researchers specifically studied Swedish men, they said the results can likely be applied to men in the United States. Still, they said additional research would be required due to variances in american culture and diet. “it is safe to admit that sweetened beverages are usually components of a poor quality dietary pattern and that overall dietary patterns better represent the broader picture of food habits and are more important determinants of disease than any isolated food or beverage,” researchers from the University of navarra in Spain wrote in an editorial accompanying the study. “Meanwhile more research in this field is available, and taking into account the existing evidence, the advice to the general population should be that their most sensible option will be to reduce or eliminate their consumption of sweetened beverages replacing them with water to comply with the requirements for a good hydration.”

One limitation authors acknowledge about the study is its dependence on men to accurately remember and report their drinking habits. Furthermore, the study did not have data that differentiated sugar from artificial sweeteners.

Researchers from the University of navarra added that other factors unaccounted for in the report, including physical activity and dietary habits, may have had an effect on the development of heart failure in the men.

by Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

Having a dog in the home and contact with farm animals during a child’s earlier years can reduce their risk of asthma, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal JaMa Pediatrics, examined data on over 1 million children born in Sweden – where dog and farm animal ownership registration is required by law – from 2001 to 2010.

Researchers concluded that exposure to a dog in a child’s first year decreases the likelihood of asthma by 15 percent; living in close proximity to farm animals drops the risk by 52 percent.

Findings back the “hygiene hypothesis,” which suggests that living in very clean environments during early life can make people more prone to allergy conditions, including asthma. Without early exposure to microbes and parasites, according to the hypothesis, the immune system may be stunted.

“We know that children with established allergy to cats or dogs should avoid them, but our results also indicate that children who grow up with dogs have reduced risks of asthma later in life,” said Catarina almqvist, co-author of the study from Sweden’s Karolinska institute.

Lead scientist Dr. Tove Fall from

According to a recent study, exposure to a dog in a child’s first year decreases the likelihood of asthma by 15 percent; living in close proximity to farm animals drops the risk by 52 percent.

Inquirer.net photo

Uppsala University in Sweden pointed out that previous studies have indicated that growing up on a farm cuts a child’s chances of developing asthma by about half and that researchers wanted to see if the relationship was the same for children growing up with dogs in their homes.

“Our results confirmed the farming effect and we also saw that children who grew up with dogs had about 15 [percent] less asthma than children without dogs,” Fall said.

The study was made possible because of Sweden’s organized system of national databases, which are accessible to scientists. in addition to the documentation of farm animal ownership, each visit

to specialist physicians and every prescription issued is recorded.

“Because we had access to such a large and detailed data set, we could account for confounding factors such as asthma in parents, area of residence and socio-economic status,” Fall said.

Despite the study’s findings, Erika Kennington, head of research at asthma UK, an asthma charity in the United Kingdom, said additional research is needed. “asthma is a complex condition with many different types and causes ... more research … will help us better understand the effects so that it can be turned into practical advice for parents of young children,” Kennington said.

Whatever happened to ‘Happily Ever...

PAGE B5 ity and values by touting political correctness, the world is back to 1 aD all over again. This is history repeating itself — a throwback to two thousand years ago when the blood of martyrs flowed, and nero fiddled while Rome burned.

This is the present social and cultural canvass that engenders hopelessness and darkness in the souls of many individuals today.

There are far too many news of suicide these days and its horrible spawn, murder-suicide.

Consider the case of that deranged, suicidal germanwings pilot who planned and deliberately slammed a planeload of passengers against an alpine mountain, Approximately 42,000 men between the ages of 45 to 79 throughout a period of nearly 12 years to establish a link between heart failure causing the death of 149 people.

Who can forget about that deand sweetened beverages. The drinks accounted for in the study “only included soft drinks/soda and these can either be sweetened with spondent Malaysian airlines pilot sugar or artificial sweetener.”

who may have caused the death of others by murder-suicide? after 17 months of fruitless searches, debris of the ill-fated MH 370 have been recovered on Reunion island in the indian Ocean close to Mauritius and Madagascar, perhaps dragged by ocean currents from where it crashed on March 08, 2014 killing 239 people onboard. and then there are the twisted beliefs of suicide bombers seeking martyrdom. They think they will go to paradise and be rewarded with seventy-two virgins for their atrocity. There are religious leaders intolerant of other beliefs, who incite their followers to eradicate Christians and Christian nations. Who can explain evil incarnate?

There is news of suicide that hits you harder because you per-

sonally know the person who took his own life. By all accounts, he has led a good life but unknown to all, was going through overwhelming personal struggles, quietly wallowing in darkness and despair never wanting to cause a ripple and simply gave up. in many cases, those in their immediate family orbit say, they never saw it coming and will be left wondering WHY. Suicide, contrary to the lyrics of a popular song, is never painless. Those left behind who will have to pick up the pieces deal with the heavy pall of gloom and guilt that descends on them for a long time.

(Conclusion in next week’s issue) *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

SM I S AN SANTA MARIA ILOCOS SUR ASSOCIATION of NEVADA est. MMVII

The Ilocano-American Association of Nevada, Inc. and the Santa Maria Ilocos Sur Association of Nevada present

2nd Annual Joint

CHRISTMAS PARTY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2015 6PM to Midnight • $25 Donation $15 Children under 12

Christ the King Catholic Community Hall 4925 S. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89118 contact the following for more information IAAN SMISAN Abe Velasco Madie Mendoza Andy Andres

(702) 580-1207 (702) 336-5399 (408) 839-4190

Margie Antonio (702) 577-5593 Madelyn Banez (702) 370-3152 Marylou Quiacusan (702) 426-9343

Entertainment by Leo’lex Muzik X-press IAAN and SMISAN are 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organizations

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BINANGONAN TOWN FIESTA 2015

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • NOVEmbER 12-18, 2015

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16th San Diego Asian Film Festival

In celebration of the Feast of Sta. Ursula, the Binangonan Association of Southern California is inviting all their kababayan for its Annual Fiesta Celebration on Saturday, 24 October 2015 at The Holiday Inn, Buena Park, CA. For further inquiries, please contact Aleht Membrebe at (562) 659-1506 or Olan Celestial at (323) 356-3090.

To celebrate its sweet 16th, the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) is proud to welcome and pay tribute to entertainment and film legends and pioneers during its 10-day film festival, from November 5 - 14, 2015. Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, the SDAFF is the largest showcase of Asian cinema on the West Coast, with more than 130 films and programs from 20 countries. This year, the SDAFF presents the West Coast premiere of documentary TYRUS, paying tribute and welcoming entertainment legend Tyrus Wong, a 105-year-old Chinese American artist who is best known for inspiring the artwork in Disney’s original classic Bambi. Other contemporary pioneers in entertainment such as Ken Jeong and Eugene Lee Yang will be present. The film festival will take place at the Ultrastar Mission Valley at Hazard Center (Main Theater & Box Office), 7510 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108. For all screenings at Ultrastar, tickets can be purchased at the Ultrastar Mission Valley box office (Member $9, General $12) starting October 30. Student/Military/Senior and Group discounts are available at the door. Opening, Centerpiece, and Closing Night tickets are $15 for General, $12 for Members. Limited All-Fest Passes are available for $250. For ticketing info, film program/gala awards night details, and a full schedule, please visit festival.sdaff.org or contact 619.400.5911 | info@pacarts.org.

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Saint Martin of Tours Fiesta Invitation to Taaleños to host the celebration of the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours, the Patron Saint of Taal, Batangas, on Nov. 14. Holy Mass will be offered at 10 am at 401 Spur Trail, Walnut, CA 91789, followed by a potluck luncheon to be hosted by expats from Taal.

A ‘Silent Auction’ is planned to raise funds for the repair and beautification of the Old Catholic Cemetery. Musical entertainment will be provided by Tony Mijares of San Jose, Calif. Please contact potluck coordinators Lorna and Eddie B. de Sagun (626) 780-8272, and the following to confirm your attendance: Baby Patolot (626) 202-3172, Jeannette C. Ilagan (626) 922-4330 or Lydia V. Solis lvsolis@aol.com.

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Free AARP TEK Mobile Technology Workshop US CITIZENSHIP FORUM. The Fil-Am in POWER Team with the participants of the recently concluded US Citizenship Forum held on Saturday, Nov. 7. (First row, L-R) Romy Jurani, Bernie Benito, Leo Belmonte, Alex Pena and Eric Cruz. (Second row, L-R) Atty. Caesar Almase, Atty.

Nadia Jurani, Amie Belmonte,president; Cynthia Deriquito, Atty. Leslie Marie Pena, Dr. Michael StaJuana,Speaker and Cani Benito.

Photo by Amanda Rodriquez

Sincerely, Jessy Mendiola PAGE B3 ings, and all the other artista things a girl like her has to do. “Frozen delight” is “maliit na bagay” compared to the other bizarre things said about her online.“Kaya daw kami nag break ni JM kasi nabuntis daw ako ni sir Gabby [Lopez, ABS CBN’s big boss],pinalaglag ko daw,” she says flatly. “Galing,” her voice dripping with sarcasm, as she slow claps for the person who came up with that teleserye-worthy rumor. The old Jessy believed in the merits of keeping quiet amidt ruthless online bashing, but that meek girl is dead.

“Damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” she says, clearly exasperated. “If you don’t answer, people will think you’re weak.

Or totoo yung issue kaya hindi ka nagsasalita. Kung pumatol ka naman, sasabihin patola ka. So might as well just say what you want to say.”

Fire away In September, Jessy’s haters were more active than usual, following that infamous airplane incident involving her and Enrique Gil. Jessy never told the press what exactly happened, but she says it was nothing short of “traumatic.”

So traumatic she’s now seeing a psychiatrist on the regular to help her cope. (This admission is also filed under not-your-typical-artista behavior. Other celebs would rather die than admit to seeing a shrink.) “I chose not to talk about

PAGE B5

it because I don’t want to ruin anyone’s name,” she says evenly.

“Kung magsasalita pa ako ng magsasalita, alam mo naman ang bashers, ang mga fantards. Kahit pa mali ang ginawa ng idol nila, titirahin at titirahin pa rin nila yung naargabyado ng idol nila.”

A self-confessed introvert, Jessy admits she has considered quitting showbiz many times, especially when things like this happen. But her bosses believe in her — everyone’s beloved tita Charo Santos Concio has talked sense into Jessy several times, reminding her how lucky she is to be in that spot. “That’s what’s really nice about them. Whenever you doubt yourself, they remind you that they believe in you.”

Reloaded Aside from her supportive management team, Jessy draws strength from her family and friends. You’ll hardly see anyone from showbiz in her core group.

“It’s hard to find true friends in showbiz,” she says, reiterating every artista’s sentiment. “Mas gusto kong people behind the cameras or nonshowbiz yungfriends ko. They pull me back to where I came from.

I think that’s important.”

The topic is strength and inspiration, but oddly, she hasn’t mentioned JM de Guzman at all.

“Break na ba kayo?” An enigmatic smile. “The are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice,” she says, going Fitzgerald on me. Her road manager is now

hovering, a sure sign that I am definitely pushing my luck.

The photo shoot starts. As she takes pose directions from the team, it’s easy to see why people assume she’s a “bitch.”(Jessy’s words, not ours) That icy beauty coupled with her defiant refusal to put on a ma-chika front makes her an anomaly in this industry.

“I’ve always been an introvert and I’m not afraid to say that kasi ibaiba naman tayong mga tao eh,” she ruminates. “I’m sure kapag nabasa nila ‘to, a lot of people would relate kasi hindi naman lahat ng tao loud. Hindi naman lahat ng tao friendly. Hindi naman lahat ng tao, lahat ng madaanan nila eh ngingitian.”

It’s dangerous what she’s doing: speaking her mind online and off, refusing to fit the mould, walking this path alone instead of teaming up with a hot male actor — basically all the don’ts in the how-tobe-a-supahstar handbook. “Diyos ko, ngayon pa lang hirap na ko, ano kaya kung sobrang sikat ko,” she says unironically. (FYI, someone called her “starlet” on an IG post.

Her reply? “Sinabi ko bang sikat ako?”) “I mean I have dream roles, I have dream projects, but I never really wanted to be that super, super superstar.”

Two layouts later, we’re done.

She gives a beso to the people she’s close to, a polite wave to those she just met. The goodbye is short, but sincere and professional.

Very Jessy.

Are fruit juices unhealthy?

fiber. Example: A cup of apple juice has 0.2 gram of fiber versus an apple which has 3.3 grams; a cup of orange juice has 0.5 gram of fiber, while a cup of fresh orange has 4.3 grams.

Having fruit juice before a meal actually makes people hungrier and eat more calories. For those with diabetes or for individuals concerned about calories, the amount of sugar from the fruits or fruit juice to be consumed should be figured in when calculating the total daily caloric intake.

Acidity problem Our blood is normally maintained at an alkaline pH of aboutn7.35. Contrary to popular belief, fruits have an alkalinizing (not acidic) effect on our body, but fruit juices with added sugars causes the opposite effect, acidity, which harms our immune system and allows proliferation of bacteria. Sweetened juices may also cause stomach ulcers and reflux esophagitis.

Clarifying terms The term “fruit juice,” strictly speaking, can only be used “to describe a beverage that is 100 percent fruit juice.” The rest, with added ingredients, sweeteners, preservatives, etc., are called juice drinks or cocktails, or nectars. When the label says “no sugar added,” it does not mean there is no sugar in it,

since natural fruits have fructose sugar. Foods and drinks with high fructose corn syrup are unhealthy because HFCS is rapidly absorbed in the body and cause hyperactive behaviors, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and other metabolic illnesses.

Unlike fruits juices, fresh fruits are healthy, but they must be eaten in moderation, as recommended. People with insulinresistance or actual diabetes should consult their physician or nutritionist for advice.

RP: diabetes hotspot Carbohydrates as a whole (like white rice, bread, white potatoes, cakes, ice cream and other sweets, desserts) are food items we must consume with extreme moderation, if at all.

The Philippines is actually “one of the world’s emerging diabetes hotspots.” It is ranked the top 15 in the world, home to more than 4 million diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and countless unknown or undiagnosed. One glaring reason is that Filipinos eat “too much” rice. Not to mention other carbs.

In this health-conscious and aesthetic-inspired generation, there is a growing practice among Filipinos and other Asians, at home and abroad, of severely reducing, if not totally eliminating rice and much other carbs (like bread and sweets) from their diet. And more are doing daily

exercises, even boxing (or tai bo) among women and men.

Studies have shown that by reducing those carbs, blood sugar and A1C levels (average blood sugar level the previous 3 months) have been normally maintained, even among diabetics, and obesity has been significantly reduced. High vegetable (multi-color ones and green leafy ones) and moderate protein (fish, lean beef and chicken meats, and legumes) diet is in.

This is a welcome trend, which is obviously facilitated by the various media, especially the social media and television.

There is no question that a healthy lifestyle that includes proper diet, daily exercise, abstinence from tobacco, moderation in alcohol intake, and stress management (personal de-stressing regimen, vacation, etc) is the key to maximal well-being and longevity. *** 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

What: A free technology workshop from AARP TEK Program AARP TEK and presented with AT&T’s generous support comes to Cerritos on Friday, November 20th and Saturday, November 21st. Featuring 50-plus technology learners from the Cerritos area, AARP TEK representatives, and local elected officials, the “hands on” AARP TEK workshop is designed to enable people to leverage personal technology to enrich their lives and to educate the community on how they can maximize their use of their tablets and smartphones.

When: November 20th: 11 am - 1 pm: Intro to Smart Phones – Beginner Workshop 3 pm – 5 pm: Beyond the Basics: Smart Phones – Intermediate Workshop November 21st: 10 am - 12 noon: Intro to Smart Phones – Beginner Workshop 2 pm – 4 pm: Beyond the Basics: Smart Phones – Intermediate Workshop Where: Sheraton Cerritos Hotel, Garden Terrace Ballroom. 12725 Center Court Drive, Cerritos, CA 90703 For more information on AARP TEK or for more details on scheduled workshops, visit the Events tab on aarptek.org.

N OV E m b E R 28

Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award for Excellence Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award For Excellence In Medicine, Education, Arts & Literature and The Youth When: Saturday, November 28, 2015, 1-6 pm Where: Astoria World Manor in Astoria, Queens, NY Hosted by: Knights of Rizal - New York For More Information, please contact: Atty. Ferdinand G. Suba, Esq., KCR Commander, Knights of Rizal - NY E-mail: SUBALAW@aol.com

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AAPA Awards Gala Asian American Professional Association (AAPA) will host The Achievement Awards & Graduation Gala, honoring prominent leaders who trailblaze and inspire others to become leaders, and celebrating the 2015 graduating class of AAPA Mentees. The theme is “Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunity.” The gala will take place on Thursday, Dec 3 from 5:30pm - 9:30pm, at the Hilton San Gabriel (225 West Valley Blvd. San Gabriel, CA 91776).

Expose your brand to the professional community who are your customers, clients, potential employees, entrepreneurs, corporate and community leaders. Your support will directly benefit the AAPA mentees in the program. To purchase a ticket or ad, the cost is $50 each (limited time only); full/half/quarter page ad sizes are available in full color. Please visit http://aapaawards.eventbrite.com/ for more details and to RSVP by Nov. 13. Please get involved by emailing lia.andika@aapamentoring.com.

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Santo Nino de Cebu Association Annual Dinner Dance The Santo Niño de Cebu Association of Southern California, Inc. will hold its ANNUAL CHRISTMAS DINNER DANCE on December 5, 6pm - 12:00 midnight, at Almansor Court (700 S. Almansor St., Alhambra, CA 91801). For more details and reservations, please contact Helah (626) 215-2684, Gemma (909) 997-1026, Nelia (818) 425-9926, Joy (909) 228-0437 or Willo (818) 458-0779.

Pasigueñans of Northern California 30th Annual Fiesta Celebration The Pasigueñans of Northern California invites all Pasigueñans, families, and friends to its 30th Annual Fiesta in honor of its patroness, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.

The annual fiesta will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 1:00pm to 8:00pm at Joseph A. Fernekes Building, in Orange Memorial Park (781 Tennis Drive, South San Francisco, CA 94080). Celebration of the Holy Mass will be at 3:00pm, which will be followed by a sumptuous dinner, dancing, entertainment, and raffle drawing. For more information, please contact Flery Santos-Panganiban (707-567-4779), Polly Santiago-Cortez (925-8767695), Edna Balido-Reyes (925-260-9764), Edith Balido (925-681-9770), Chit Santos-Dalangin (707-704-7887), Marico Enriquez (650-483-8306), Oscar Rosales (707-332-4991), Jerry Field (925-681-0974), Marivic Beltran-Tuazon (707-656-1081), or Pete Saguisag (650994-0701).

D EC E m b E R 29 -3 0

Pampanga High School Class of ’65 Golden Jubilee Celebration The Class of 1965 of the Pampanga High School will hold “TULA ampong SAYA,” its 50th Anniversary Reunion, this coming December 29-30, in San Fernando Pampanga, Philippines. All 1965 graduates of the Pampanga High School (PHS), formerly the Jose Abad Santos High School (JASHS), and their spouses are welcome to all scheduled events.

Admission is free. The celebration will begin with BISPERAS on December 29 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, enjoying fun games, old music, and togetherness at the DIASPORA FARM RESORT in Santa Barbara, Bacolor, Pampanga. On December 30, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, join us for KAPIYESTAN, a provincial fiesta luncheon featuring familiar Kapampangan dishes, at the Mulang Galang orchard in San Antonio, Mexico, Pampanga. The evening of Dec. 30 will conclude with TERAKAN, a gala dinner-dance from 6:30 pm to 12 midnight, at the Fortune Hongkong Seafood Restaurant in the San Fernando, Pampanga. Enjoy a fun evening of dancing to the retro music of Decadas and the mellow songs of folksinger Jerry. Class ‘65ers, please join us in celebrating our 50th Golden Anniversary! Full details on preparations, events and venues can be found on “TULA ampong SAYA,” on Facebook.

For donations, interest in the 50th Anniversary Reunion souvenir memory book, highlighting the successes of individual Class ‘65ers and the accomplishments of the PHS Class ’65 Foundation, Inc., please contact the jubilee reunion organizing committee in the Philippines: Joseph Deang (0927-228-8588); Erlie Aquino Estandarte (0929-219-0248); Corazon Cunanan (0939-118-2888; 0926-660-35540); Cecille Morales Bernas (0932-509-2646); and Marcial Morales (0918-915-9095); and Dan Galang 0929-427-9308; 045-966-0764). In the US and Canada, please contact Dan Galang at (510) 487-5551 or at (510) 648-1047.

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

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