011820 - Los Angeles Weekend Edition

JANUARY 18-21, 2020 Volume 30 - No. 4 • 4 Sections – 30 Pages

ing clouds of ash on Sunday, January 12. The ash — which has spread more than 62 miles FOLLOWING the Taal Volcano — has created a public health eruption in Batangas, Philippines hazard and prompted the evacuthis week, members of the Fili- ation of half a million people in pino American community and and around the affected zones, various American public figures as previously reported in the have raised funds for those af- Asian Journal.

The natural disaster caused by fected by the disaster.

The Taal Volcano began spew- one of the deadliest volcanos has

by KLARIZE

MEDENILLA AJPress

DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

LA public schools to recognize October as Filipino Heritage and History Month THE Los Angeles United School District (LAUSD) will now recognize October as Filipino Heritage and History Month, following a resolution passed by the district’s Board of Education this week.

Sponsored by Filipina American Frances Suavillo, who is the student member on the board, the resolution declares “Filipino Heritage and History Month starting October of the 2020-2021 school year and onward.”

The resolution, which was introduced in December 2019, was co-sponsored by all seven u

disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, and it kickstarted a global call for donations and aid.

The non-profit organization the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) issued a statement on Wednesday, January 15 announcing that it would raise funds for the u

Phivolcs observes fissures near Taal Volcano widening

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

GROUND fissures near the Taal Volcano are widening in four areas after the recent explosion, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Friday, January 17.

In its 8 a.m. update, Phivolcs said existing fissures or cracks in barangays located in the towns of Lemery, Agoncillo, Talisay, and San Nicolas have widened by a few centimeters.

Meanwhile, a new fissure has appeared on Daang Kastila, a trail of less than three kilometers from the main crater of the volcano that is regularly visited by tourists, according to Phivolcs.

The state seismic network previously explained that fissures indicate magma is rising at the volcano, causing ground deformation.

“Activity in the main crater in the past 24 hours has been characterized by steady steam emission and infrequent weak explosions that u

SWS: 4 in 10 Filipinos satisfied with Robredo’s ICAD stint Polio reaches Metro Manila

by RITCHEL

MENDIOLA AJPress

by RITCHEL

A NEW Social Weather Stations survey released this week showed that 44% of Filipino respondents were satisfied with Vice President Leni Robredo’s stint as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Based on 1,200 respondents, 14% percent said they were “very satisfied” with Robredo’s performance, while 30 percent said they were “somewhat satisfied.”

Twenty-six percent of respondents, on the other hand, were dissatisfied — with 15% somewhat dissatisfied, 11% very dissatisfied — and the remaining 30% were undecided, resulting in a net satisfaction rating of moderate +18. u

USAID is helping Philippine government ‘Duterte legacy:’ Gov’t to monitor Taal eruption THE U.S. Embassy in the Philippines on Wednesday, January 15, said the United States Agency for International Development or the Geological Survey is providing help to its longtime ally, Philippines, after the Taal eruption in Batangas.

In a tweet, the U.S. Embassy shared that the USAID and the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program is providing equipment and remote technical support to the Philippine government.

According to the USAID, it is providing an infrared camera and other technical support to help monitor the volcano’s activity. u

boasts achievements so far

by NEIL

ARWIN MERCADO Inquirer.net

MANILA — “The real change we have all yearned for, for so long is now happening.”

This was the pronouncement of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Friday during the Duterte Legacy Campaign at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City wherein members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s government

presented the achievements their offices had achieved so far.

Medialdea said that three years into Duterte’s term, Filipinos can see the positive change that the president’s dedication had brought to the country.

“We have made significant starts, pioneered initiatives, and accomplished impressive milestones as a nation during the first half of the Duterte Adminisu

MENDIOLA AJPress

THE Philippine Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday, January 16, said that polio has reached Metro Manila.

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, a 3-year-old boy from Quezon City has been confirmed to have the disease, making him the first case of polio in Metro Manila since the disease returned to the Philippines last year.

This raises the number of polio cases in the country to 16.

Mayor Joy Belmonte told media that Quezon City’s campaign against polio will ramp up, and ordered the city health department to strengthen its surveillance cam-

paign in the area where the patient resides to ensure it would remain an isolated case.

She added that the city government would closely coordinate with the DOH to ensure that the disease is eradicated before it can further spread.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that predominantly affects young children and can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis, according to the World Health Organization. Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs.

There is no cure for polio, but it can only be prevented by immunization.

Given the number of cases, the u

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

LA public schools to recognize October as... t board members and passed unanimously during the board meeting on Tuesday, January 14.

“As a proud Filipina, I wanted to share our beautiful culture, a culture so rich with history and heritage, with everyone else. I noticed that my country never got the recognition I believe it truly deserves,” Suavillo, a senior at

Carson Senior High School, told the Asian Journal in an email.

She added, “We’re only known for our boxing reign with Manny Pacquiao and the Miss Universe 2015 mishap but never for all that we offer. My hope is that with this resolution, the history and heritage of my people will be appreciated in the same way I appreciate it.”

Filipino American History Month has been celebrated nationally since 1992 as October marks the arrival of the first Filipinos who landed in Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587.

The resolution also directs the superintendent to explore a dual language instruction in Tagalog and other major Filipino dialects to address the language needs of Filipino-speaking students and provide opportunities for students to “explore the historical and cultural aspects of the Filipino American community and of the Philippines.”

Schools in the district currently offer dual language instruction in English and Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Arabic, Armenian or French, according to the LAUSD, which is considered the secondlargest public school district in the nation.

Filipino students comprise 2.1% of the school district’s nearly 700,000 student population based on 2019-2020 enrollment data.

The observance Filipino Heritage and History this October will be up to each school in the district to implement, such as offering books by Filipino and Filipino American authors or having cultural displays, Suavillo suggested.

“Some schools with a large population of Filipino students, like my own school, Carson High School, even choose to have performances from their Filipino club,” she said.

Suavillo was sworn in as the student board member last September 2019, becoming the fifth representative since student participation on the board was revived in 2014.

Born in Tondo, Manila, the Pinay student moved to Southern California at the age of 9 and learned English while attending elementary school in the district.

Because of this, helping the English Learner program is one of Suavillo’s priorities.

Under her role, Suavillo attends meetings and serves as the bridge between the board and the student population and can propose resolutions. She encouraged fellow Fil-Am students in the school district to engage with her leadership role.

“I love speaking to my fellow students about things that they feel passionate about,” Suavillo said. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

t thousands of affected Filipinos through a GoFundMe account, and they are encouraging more people to donate.

“The unrest and destruction resulting from such natural disasters can have devastating effects on survivors — physically, emotionally, and financially,” NaFFAA Chairman Brendan Flores said. “It is our genuine hope that the financial support we amass together can go miles towards helping families rebuild.”

The National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), a Bay Area-based non-profit Filipino advocacy group, also joined the state-side effort to provide aid to Taal victims through a fundraiser.

“This event displaced thousands of our fellow countrymen, disrupting their economic livelihood and will continue to affect them emotionally and economically in the foreseeable future,” NAFCON said in a statement posted to Instagram, noting that farm workers and fishermen, “the most vulnerable sector of our society” are among the most affected by the disaster.

NAFCON also mentioned an open call for doctors, nurses, members of the health care circuit and community volunteers to join them on a “medical mission” to help these regions affected by natural disasters.

Fil-Am Mayor Arvin Amatorio of Bergenfield, New Jersey recently called for donations to the relief effort, according to a Facebook post from his wife Ilya.

Partnering with fellow Fil-Am Marc Pascual, councilman of Bergenfield, Amatorio brought two balikbayan boxes of N95 masks to be distributed to Filipinos in the Batangas area.

The creative community has also begun organizing events focused on raising disaster relief aid. According to its Facebook page, FilAm ARTS is hosting a benefit in Glendale on Sunday, January 26 and is looking for performers and volunteers to help with the event. Actress and singer Joan Almedilla is slated to perform; to get in touch, email them at info@filmamarts.org.

Celebrities in the Philippines have already called for donations for the effort, but the news has also motivated American celebri-

ties to give back.

While performing his new stand-up set in Manila over the weekend, comedian Dave Chappelle also donated P1 million to Rayomar Outreach Foundation, a non-profit raising money to provide aid to Taal volcano victims.

Katrina Razon, daughter of Solaire Resort & Casino Chairman and CEO Enrique Razon, posted an Instagram photo with Chappelle expressing many thanks to the comedian, who performed at The Theatre at the casino on January 14 and 15.

“Dave not only sent audiences here into hysterics, [but] he also demonstrated how kindness and wisdom prevail the way,” Razon wrote. “Dave once said, ‘Constantly take inventory of what’s important [to] you.’ Thank you, Dave. For the laughter and nuggets of wisdom.”

Seismologists warn of imminent danger Authorities began issuing evacuations from a 9-mile danger zone surrounding the volcano, displacing about half a million residents, many of whom live in Batangas. Evacuees are

currently being cramped into 373 evacuation centers that are serving as temporary shelters.

As of Thursday, January 16, about 121,455 individuals (including more than 26,000 families) have been evacuated, according to the latest update from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) of Batangas.

Maria Antonia Bornas, chief science research specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivocs), told reporters that Phivocs is “analyzing what this seeming calm of the volcano means” and that the activity from the volcano had “generally waned to weal emission of steam-laden plumes” since the initial release of ash.

But the potential imminent threat of a massive eruption hangs in the balance as seismologists warn evacuees not to return to their homes; according to Phivocs, there have been 100 recorded tremors in the area since Wednesday, January 15 which means that magma was still rising. But that didn’t stop residents who took advantage of a lull in the ash emission. n

What the 2020s have in store for aging boomers

by JUDITH

GRAHAM Kaiser Health News

P260,000 each in aid to displaced Marawi folk released by US

by JIGGER

J. JERUSALEM Inquirer.net

RESIDENTS displaced by the 2017 war on terror in Marawi City received aid from the American government to build learning and training facilities, the United States Embassy in Manila said on Friday, January 17.

The embassy said the aid was given to displaced residents and their host families through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID gave out micro-grants of P260,000 ($5,000) each to six community organizations and will support community learning facilities, including training spaces and daycare centers.

The micro-grants are part of USAID’s three-year P1.35 billion ($25 million) Marawi Response Project, which supports initiatives for economic recovery and social cohesion of displaced residents and communi-

ties hosting them in the cities of Marawi and Iligan and the provinces of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte.

Launched in 2018, the project is a partnership between USAID and international nongovernmental organization Plan International, with support from local organizations Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits and Maranao People Development Center.

“The U.S. government, in partnership with the Philippine government, is committed to supporting Lanao communities in their journey to recovery,” said Jeffrey Lehrer, chief of USAID’s Office of Economic Development and Governance.

Lehrer, with Mindanao Development Authority chair Emmanuel Piñol, handed over the grants in Iligan City last Wednesday, January 15.

Philippine officials witnessed the ceremony.

Nikki Macaraub, a beneficiary

WBC resets deadline to fix Donaire bout

by JOAQUIN

HENSON Philstar.com

THE deadline to negotiate WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali’s title defense against mandatory No. 1 challenger Nonito Donaire Jr. has been reset from Jan. 3 to Jan. 17 and if both parties fail to reach an agreement, a purse bid will be held to settle the issue.

Donaire’s wife Rachel said yesterday the deadline was moved because of the holidays. The WBC earlier announced a 30-day period within which the contending parties could agree in “free negotiations” where and when to stage the fight and how much the protagonists would earn. If the promoters representing the fighters are unable to come to terms by, the WBC will summon both sides to a purse bid hearing at its headquarters in Mexico City.

Oubaali’s promoter is MTK Global while Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar represents Donaire.

Mexico’s Luis Nery would’ve been the mandatory challenger but was dislodged from the top spot in the WBC ratings after missing weight for a WBC-sanctioned fight scheduled last Nov. 23. It was Nery’s second infraction at the scales in two years and the Mexican has been advised to move up to the superbantamweight division.

Donaire and Oubaali fought separate opponents on the same card in Saitama, Japan, last November. Donaire battled Naoya Inoue in the World Boxing Super Series final, losing a decision in what was the consensus Fight of the Year and Oubaali defeated Inoue’s younger brother Takuma to retain his WBC crown on points.

Oubaali, 33, fought thrice last year, beating Rau’shee Warren to win the vacant WBC title in Las Vegas in January, retained the crown by retiring Filipino Arthur Villanueva after six rounds in Astana, Kazakhstan, in July and made a second defense against Inoue. He turned pro in 2014 at 27 and has compiled a 17-0

record, with 12 KOs. Oubaali, a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, has stopped two Filipinos, Villanueva and Mark Anthony Geraldo. He’s a two-time Olympian who took the bronze medal as a lightflyweight at the 2007 AIBA World Championships.

Oubaali has fought 13 of his 17 fights in France where his promoter will likely bid to host the defense against Donaire. Two warriors whom Oubaali knocked out were former WBO flyweight champion Julio Cesar Miranda of Mexico and Colombian Luis Melendez who was 38 and a veteran of 60 fights when he fought the Frenchman.

Donaire, 37, gets the chance to win another world title despite coming off a loss. Although he was outpointed by Inoue, Donaire gave the unbeaten Japanese his toughest test. Donaire has held the IBF/IBO flyweight, interim WBA superflyweight, super WBA/WBC/WBO bantamweight, super WBA/IBF/WBO superbantamweight and super WBA featherweight championships. Donaire has also won the WBC silver featherweight crown and been awarded the WBC diamond belt in the bantamweight and superbantamweight divisions. The WBC diamond belt was created in 2009 and given to Manny Pacquiao after he halted Miguel Cotto that year.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman personally awarded the diamond bantamweight belt to Donaire in a turnover ceremony at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles in 2018. If Donaire dethrones Oubaali, it will be his second WBC title after wresting the bantamweight crown from Fernando Montiel in 2011.

Donaire’s experience will be a factor in the fight against Oubaali. His record is 40-6, with 26 KOs. Donaire has logged 29 more fights than Oubaali and also enjoys a 3 1/2 inch height advantage and a 1 1/2 inch edge in reach. It’s unlikely that Oubaali has faced anyone as powerful as Donaire. n

of the Marawi Response Project, said that by having a facility for teaching sewing and dressmaking, more displaced women will be aided in starting businesses which, in turn, would support efforts to rebuild their lives.

To date, the United States, through USAID, has committed more than P3.4 billion ($63.6 million) for humanitarian and recovery work in and around Marawi, according to the U.S. Embassy. n

WITHIN 10 years, all of the nation’s 74 million baby boomers will be 65 or older. The most senior among them will be on the cusp of 85.

Even sooner, by 2025, the number of seniors (65 million) is expected to surpass that of children age 13 and under (58 million) for the first time, according to Census Bureau projections.

“In the history of the human species, there’s never been a time like [this],” said Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, referring to the changing balance between young people and old.

What lies ahead in the 2020s, as society copes with this unprecedented demographic shift?

I asked a dozen experts to identify important trends. Some responses were aspirational, reflecting what they’d like to see happen. Some were sobering, reflecting a harsh reality: Our nation isn’t prepared for this vast demographic shift and its far-reaching consequences.

Here’s what the experts said: A crisis of care. Never have so many people lived so long, entering the furthest reaches of old age and becoming at risk of illness, frailty, disability, cognitive decline and the need for personal assistance.

Even if scientific advances prove extraordinary, “we are going to have to deal with the costs, workforce and service delivery arrangements for large numbers of elders living for at least a year or two with serious disabilities,”

said Dr. Joanne Lynn, a legislative aide on health and aging policy for Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.).

Experts caution we’re not ready.

“The cost of long-term care [help in the home or care in assisted-living facilities or nursing homes] is unaffordable for most families,” said Jean Accius, senior vice president of thought leadership at AARP. He cited data from the Genworth Cost of Care Study: While the median household income for older adults was just $43,696 in 2019, the annual median cost for a private room in a nursing home was $102,204; $48,612 for assisted living; and $35,880 for 30 hours of home care a week.

Workforce issues are a pressing concern. The need for health aides at home and in medical settings is soaring, even as low wages and poor working conditions discourage workers from applying for or staying in these jobs. By 2026, 7.8 million work-

ers of this kind will be required and hundreds of thousands of jobs may go unfilled.

“Boomers have smaller families and are more likely to enter old age single, so families cannot be expected to pick up the slack,” said Karl Pillemer, a professor of human development at Cornell University. “We have only a few years to plan different ways of providing care for frail older people to avoid disastrous consequences.”

Living better, longer. Could extending “healthspan,” the time during which older adults are healthy and able to function independently, ease some of these pressures?

The World Health Organization calls this “healthy life expectancy” and publishes this information by country. Japan was the world’s leader, with a healthy life expectancy at birth of 74.8 years in 2016, the most recent year for which data is available. In the U.S., healthy life expectancy was

u

US think tank wary of China-funded Human Rights Watch sees no letup training for Filipino journalists in Duterte’s brutal war on drugs

by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com

by GAEA

VIRAY

CHINA has been providing some 75 countries, including the Philippines, media training that is not based on traditional democratic principles of press freedom, according to a report from rights advocacy group Freedom House.

In its January 2020 report titled “Beijing’s Global Megaphone: The Expansion of Chinese Communist Party Media Influence since 2017”, the U.S. government-funded Freedom House noted that Filipino media officials and prominent journalists visited China for two weeks in May 2018.

They visited China to learn about “new media development” and “socialist journalism with Chinese characteristics.”

Freedom House said the seminars “serve as an avenue for the Chinese government to promote an alternative approach to journalism and news management that is not based on traditional democratic principles regarding press freedom.”

The Chinese government has been inviting journalists to parts of China even prior to the warmer relations between Manila and Beijing under the Duterte administration.

Other countries like the US and Japan also sponsor reporting trips and trainings seminars for Filipino journalists.

Training seminars in Beijing According to a May 2018 report by state-run Philippine News Agency, the Philippines sent personnel of “the News and Information Bureau-Philippine News Agency, People’s Television, the Philippine Information Agency, Presidential Communications Operations Office and mainstream news outlets” to the training in Beijing.

The report also mentioned that the contingent was “the lastest

batch of participants” “I assure you, you will learn. I myself was impressed with what they have. Kung anong meron sila (Whatever they have), buy in as much as you can,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar is quoted as saying in the PNA article.

A PNA story on a similar workshop in Beijing in May 2019 quotes Liu Ying, vice president of China National Radio and Television Administration’s Research and Training Institute, as saying the seminar would “build an extensive communication platform for media professionals in China and the Philippines, actively promote the in-depth media convergence and promote the common development of the industry of the two countries.”

The 30-member Philippine delegation included personnel from the PCOO, PNA, Radio Television Malacañang, Philippine Information Agency, People’s Television Network, Inc. and the Bureau of Communication Services.

Journalists from Sun.Star in Cebu, iOrbitNews in Pampanga, Manila Times and Pulso ng Makabagong Caviteño were also in the contingent, PNA reported.

China’s aid to state-run media In April 2018, the Philippine government secured P140.8 mil-

lion worth of aid from the Chinese government to improve the country’s state media.

Andanar then announced that there would be a media exchange program with China.

In June 2018, the Chinese Embassy in Manila announced that state-run television network PTV-4 will air Chinese TV shows dubbed in Tagalog for Filipinos to “better understand China, its people, their long history, their rich culture, their daily lives, their endeavor and their dreams.”

“China’s aid and investment in the media sector has tended to favor state-owned outlets over independent, private competitors, nudging local information landscapes toward a Chinese model in which progovernment voices dominate and dissent is effectively suppressed,” the report read.

Freedom House also noted that Beijing’s training for journalists, editor and media official from various countries entice them to report positively China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“The Chinese government’s propaganda and censorship efforts appear to be relatively effective at improving or retaining a positive image for China—and for Xi Jinping personally—in the developing world,” Freedom House

u

USAID is helping Philippine government... t VDAP, established by the USAID’s Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance and the USGS in 1986, has been providing technical assistance worldwide.

It also helped the Philippines monitor Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, which had not erupted in 500

years then.

VDAP previously worked with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to install volcano monitoring equipment and analyze data to forecast eruptions.

Its collaboration with the Philippines helped evacuate around

75,000 people before Mt. Pinatubo exploded on June 15, 1951.

Taal erupted on Sunday after 43 years of being asleep. It is the second most frequently erupting volcano of the 24 active volcanoes in the country, according to a February 2018 study.

(Rosette Adel/Philstar.com)

KATREENA Philstar.com

CABICO

MANILA — The government’s anti-narcotics campaign is still as ferocious as when it started in 2016, signaling no let-up in a bloody crackdown that has claimed thousands of lives, a human rights watchdog said Wednesday.

In its World Report 2020, the New York-based Human Rights Watch tagged President Rodrigo Duterte’s internationally condemned initiative as the Philippines’ “gravest” human rights concern in 2019.

“President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign remains as brutal as when it started, with suspects being killed regularly across the country,” Phil Robertson, HRW deputy Asia director, said.

He added: “Four years into the ‘drug war,’ the need for international mechanisms to provide accountability is as great as ever.”

Philippine authorities said the death toll from Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs stood at 5,552 drug personalities killed in

police operations as of Nov. 30, 2019. Rights groups, however, estimate deaths as high as 27,000.

HRW said the impacts of the drug war include not only death but damage to the livelihoods, education and mental health of surviving family members.

A recent Social Weather Stations survey found that 76% of Filipinos believe there are “many” human rights abuses committed under the government’s campaign.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said it will finalize the preliminary examination into Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity in 2020.

Upsurge in attacks vs activists The human rights watchdog also noted the rise of attacks against political activists, community leaders and human rights defenders.

HRW cited the situation in Negros island, where 116 killings reportedly took place from July 2016 to August 2019.

“While some cases may be

drug-related, most victims were activist farmers and farmer group leaders, reflecting the violent land conflict that has wracked the island for decades,” HRW said.

It also noted that attacks against journalists and civil societies intensified in 2019.

HRW’s Robertson said “there are no signs that President Duterte is going to end ‘drug war’ killings or act to stop attacks on activists.”

“That makes it all the more important for international institutions like the ICC and the UN Human Rights Council to do what they can to hold Duterte and other senior officials to account for their abuses,” Robertson said.

In 2019, the UNHRC adopted a resolution asking UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to prepare a “comprehensive” report on the human rights situation in the Philippines. The resolution, however, fell short of setting up a full-fledged investigation into the alleged abuses. n

SWS: 4 in 10 Filipinos satisfied... t On October 31, 2019, Robredo was appointeds ICAD co-chair to help PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino in curbing the illegal drug problem in the Philippines.

However, she was fired two weeks later by President Rodrigo Duterte due to alleged “missteps,” such as meeting with foreign personalities and groups that have prejudged the drug war and failing to present new measures to stop the drug proliferation in the country.

SWS also found that 49% agree that Robredo’s removal from the anti-drug body was an admission that the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs was a failure. Twenty one percent disagreed, and the remaining 30% were undecided.

Based on the responses, 44% believed President Rodrigo Duterte was sincere in appointing

Robredo as ICAD co-chair, while 27% thought he was insincere and 29% were undecided.

In matters of Robredo having access to the list of high-value drug targets, 60% agreed that she should’ve had the right to see the list; 15% disagreed, while 25% were undecided.

The survey, which was conducted from December 13 to 16, 2019 using face-to-face interviews, had sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Robredo, for her part, welcomed the rating she received, expressing her gratitude to those who were satisfied with her performance.

“We all know how vilified I was when I was ICAD chair. But despite all the fake news, 44 percent still believed (in me),” she

said.

She added, “There were a lot of things that I could have done… I would have had an influence on policy, establish partnerships with other government agencies. But for me, I never let difficulties get in the way of what I am doing.”

Malacañang, on the other hand, said the respondents who were satisfied believed the criticism against Duterte’s war on drugs.

“Perhaps four (in every 10 respondents) believed the incessant, unrelenting attacks against the drug war of the president.

But as I pointed out earlier, this is contradicted by the people’s satisfaction of how he’s handling the drug problem,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday, January 16. “You must remember his high trust and popularity ratings.” n

What the 2020s have in store for... t 68.5 years out of a total average life expectancy of 78.7 years.

Laura Carstensen, director of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, sees some cause for optimism. “Americans are beginning to exercise more” and eat more healthful diets, she said.

And scientific studies published in recent years have shown that behavior and living environments can alter the trajectory of aging.

“With this recognition, conversations about aging societies and longer lives are shifting to the potential to improve quality of life throughout,” Carstensen said.

Other trends are concerning.

Notably, more than one-third of older adults are obese, while 28% are physically inactive, putting them at higher risk of physical impairments and chronic medical conditions.

Rather than concentrate on treating disease, “our focus should shift to health promotion and prevention, beginning in early life,” said Dr. Sharon Inouye, a professor at Harvard Medical School and a member of the planning committee for the National Academy of Sciences’ Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge.

Altering social infrastructure.

Recognizing the role that social and physical environments play in healthy aging, experts are calling for significant investments in this area over the next decade.

Their wish list: make transportation more readily available, build more affordable housing, modify homes and apartments to help seniors age in place, and create programs to bring young and old people together.

Helping older adults remain connected to other people is a common theme. “There is a growing understanding of the need to design our environments and social infrastructure in a way that designs out loneliness” and social isolation, said Dr. Linda Fried, dean of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

On a positive note, a worldwide movement to create “age-friendly communities” is taking hold in America, with 430 communities and six states joining an effort to identify and better respond to the needs of older adults. A companion effort to create “age-friendly health systems” is likely to gain momentum.

Technology will be increasingly important as well, with aging-in-place likely made easier by virtual assistants like Alexa, video chat platforms like Skype or FaceTime, telemedicine, robotic caregivers and wearable devices that monitor indicators such as falls, according to Deborah Carr, chair of the sociology department at Boston University.

Changing attitudes. Altering negative attitudes about aging — such as a widespread view that this stage of life is all about decline, loss and irrelevance — needs to be a high priority as these efforts proceed, experts say.

“I believe ageism is perhaps the biggest threat to improving quality of life for [older] people in America today,” Harvard’s Inouye said. She called for a national conversation about “how to make the last act of life productive, meaningful and fulfilling.”

Although the “OK Boomer” barbs that gained steam last year testify to persistent intergenerational tension, there are signs of progress. The World Health Organization has launched a global campaign to combat ageism. Last year, San Francisco became one of the first U.S. cities to tackle this issue via a public awareness campaign. And a “reframing aging” toolkit developed by the FrameWorks Institute is in use in communities across the country.

“On the bright side, as the younger Baby Boom cohort finally enters old age during this decade, the sheer numbers of older adults may help to shift public attitudes,” said Robyn Stone, codirector of LeadingAge’s LTSS (long-term services and supports) Center @UMass Boston.

Advancing science. On the scientific front, Dr. Pinchas Cohen, dean of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, points to a growing recognition that “we can’t just apply one-size-fits-all guidance for healthy aging.”

During the next 10 years, “advances in genetic research and big data analytics will enable more personalized — and effective — prescriptions” for both prevention and medical treatments, he said.

“My prediction is that the biggest impact of this is going to be felt around predicting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as biomarker tests [that allow the early identification of people at heightened risk] become more available,” Cohen continued.

Although dementia has proved exceptionally difficult to address, “we are now able to identify many more potential targets for treatment than before,” said Hodes, of the National Institute on Aging, and this will result in a “dramatic translation of discovery into a new diversity of promising approaches.”

Another potential development: the search for therapies that might slow aging by targeting underlying molecular, cellular and biological processes — a field known as “geroscience.”

Human trials will occur over the next decade, Hodes said, while

noting “this is still far-reaching and very speculative.”

Addressing inequality. New therapies spawned by cuttingedge science may be extraordinarily expensive, raising ethical issues. “Will the miracles of bioscience be available to all in the next decade — or only to those with the resources and connections to access special treatment?” asked Paul Irving, chairman of the Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging.

Several experts voiced concern about growing inequality in later life. Its most dramatic manifestation: The rich are living longer, while the poor are dying sooner.

And the gap in their life expectancies is widening.

Carr noted that if the current poverty rate of 9% in the older population holds over the next decade, “more than 7 million older persons will live without sufficient income to pay for their food, medications and utilities.”

Most vulnerable will be black and Latina women, she noted.

“We now know that health and illness are affected by income, race, education and other social factors” and that inequalities in these areas affect access to care and health outcomes, Pillemer said. “Over the coming decade, we must aggressively address these inequities to ensure a healthier later life for everyone.”

Working longer. How will economically vulnerable seniors survive? Many will see no choice but to try to work “past age 65, not necessarily because they prefer to, but because they need to,” Stone said.

Dr. John Rowe, a professor of health policy and aging at Columbia University, observed that “low savings rates, increasing out-of-pocket health expenditures and continued increases in life expectancy” put 41% of Americans at risk of running out of money in retirement.

Will working longer be a realistic alternative for seniors? Trends point in the opposite direction.

On the one hand, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that by 2026 about 30% of adults ages 65 to 74 and 11% of those 75 and older will be working.

On the other hand, age discrimination makes it difficult for large numbers of older adults to keep or find jobs. According to a 2018 AARP survey, 61% of older workers reported witnessing or experiencing age discrimination.

“We must address ageism and ageist attitudes within the workplace,” said Accius, of AARP. “A new understanding of lifelong learning and training, as well as targeted public and private sector investments to help certain groups transition [from old jobs to new ones], will be essential.” n

Pacquiao-McGregor possible – Gibbons US think tank wary of China-funded training...

by JOSEF

RAMOS

ManilaTimes.net

THE fight between Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor is imminent if the mixed martial artist were to be believed.

But Pacquiao’s camp said they only have his interests at heart.

This was in response to the revelation of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star about an ongoing fight negotiation against the Filipino ring icon.

While the fighting senator’s camp did not deny nor confirm McGregor’s claim, international matchmaker and MP Promotion President Sean Gibbons said they were not closing any possibilities that may arise regarding the possible face off between Pacquiao and the former UFC champion this year.

“If someone wanted to [fight] the Senator, why not? Conor is

t

a good boxer. But right now, the Senator is still concentrating on the best 147-pounders in the world,” Gibbons told The Manila Times in an online interview on Wednesday, January 15.

“Just looking for the best business for the Senator,” he added.

Gibbons clarified though that this was the first time he heard of McGregor’s claim.

“I am not sure what this is all about. First, I had [never] heard of this,” he said.

McGregor, 31, who held the UFC featherweight and lightweight belts, revealed on Tuesday to reporter Ariel Helwani in his ESPN MMA show posted on YouTube that a fight with the eight-division world champion is bound to happen soon.

“We’re actually close to signing Manny. There was an offer

made on that, yeah, just not yet.

[It’s going to happen] very much so,” added McGregor, who confidently said that he would win a world boxing championship soon.

“I’m going to get a boxing title soon.”

McGregor’s lone professional boxing engagement was on Aug. 26, 2017, when he lost by 10th round technical knockout decision to a retired and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But the Irish said he would beat Mayweather in a rematch this time.

“The only reason I lost that bout is I prepared for a back-footed style of opponent, and he came forward and start pressing and I wasn’t sinking into my shots. I know I will beat Floyd when we rematch,” he explained. n

Phivolcs observes fissures near Taal... t generated dark gray ash plumes 100 to 800 meters tall and dispersed ash southwest to west of the main crater,” Phivolcs said.

“A steaming fissure has been newly observed on the northern slopes of Taal Volcano Island,” it added.

From 5 a.m. on Thursday, January 16, until 5 a.m. on Friday, a total of 65 volcanic earthquakes were recorded, two of which registered with magnitudes 1.3 to 3.1 and were both felt at Intensity I. “Such intense seismic activity likely signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity,” Phivolcs noted on Thursday The Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 4, which means hazardous explosive eruption is possible within hours to days.

Gov’t to ban people from returning to Taal Volcano Island The Philippine government has decided to permanently ban people from returning to Taal Volcano island.

“People could no longer be allowed to go back there because they will be at risk if there will be another explosion there,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in Filipino on Tuesday, January 14.

He added that President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation.

The province of Cavite on Wednesday declared a state of calamity due to the effects of the eruption.

According to Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla, no deaths have been reported in the province and there is “very little damage to property...outside of the ashfall,” but the funds are needed for evac-

uees from neighboring Batangas.

He said that P15 million has been allocated mainly to “support the evacuation centers” located in Alfonso and Tagaytay City. There will also be evacuation centers opening in Dasmariñas City on Thursday.

“We have put care packages consisting of rice, canned goods, infant formula, diapers, and medicines,” Remulla said.

“Our provincial hospital staff have been deployed to assist all the evacuees,” he added.

Cavite has taken in around 15,000 people from Batangas.

Under a state of calamity, the local government would be able to tap emergency funds for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, recovery and other works or services to mitigate the effects of the disaster and stabilize the situation in the disaster stricken areas. n

‘Duterte legacy:’ Gov’t boasts... t

tration,” Medialdea said.

Among the frontline projects presented during the event include the Alternative Learning System; the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education; Bulid, Build, Build Program; Universal Health Care; Freedom of Information; Presidential Task Force on Media Security; Bangsamoro Basic Law; and the government’s anti-drug cam-

paign.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar, meanwhile, said that “people have continuously supported and accepted the leadership and guidance” of Duterte.

“He presents his words with great resolve and confidence, sometimes with good humour, but all the time with the compassion of a father to our na-

tion,” Andanar said.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles likewise assured that the government will continue to work hard to lift more Filipinos out of poverty.

“His legacy will be defined in terms of how much better peoples’ lives have become and how much government services are supporting the people to ensure that they will never be poor again,” Nograles said. n

said, citing Pew Research Center results from 2018 and 2019 that indicate positive public views of China in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

“Xi was especially well regarded in Russia, the Philippines, Tunisia, Nigeria, and Kenya in 2018, and fewer respondents in those countries acknowledged the Chinese government’s poor human rights,” Freedom House said.

The training also promote an alternative approach to journalism and news management with socialist characteristics.

Citing a 2019 report by the Open Technology Fund, Freedom House noted that at least 75 countries had sent officials or reporters to China for trainings on journalism or information control over the past five years.

Polio reaches...

t DOH is extending its Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio (SPKP) campaign until February to stop the spread of polio in the country.

“I urge all parents and caregivers of children under five years old to take part in the coming SPKP campaign rounds scheduled in your respective areas. Have your children, including those with private physicians or pediatricians, vaccinated with oral polio vaccine by health workers and bakunators,” Duque said.

The DOH, as well as local government units (LGUs), are hoping to accomplish 95% polio coverage in all identified areas for every SPKP round, according to the Philippine Star.

The Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance will also be intensified, with the DOH now requiring all health facilities to report every case of AFP in any child under 15 years old and collect sufficient stool specimen samples.

“The outbreak must be put to a halt and we can only do this if all our health facilities are achieving the targets for all AFP surveillance indicators, and if every SPKP round, all of the target population are reached and vaccinated. The DOH, its partners and the LGUs will continue to work hand-inhand to ensure that no child is left behind in our fight against polio,” Duque said.

The disease came back to the country in September last year, 19 years after it was declared poliofree. n

The Freedom House special report also noted that Chinese social media application WeChat has been expanding in non-Chinese speakers such as the Philippines and India.

The report said the expansion of Chinese social media firms create new avenues for the CCP to “potentially influence news distribution outside China.”

There have also been reports that WeChat staff delete politically sensitive information posted by foreign users or shut down theur

accounts.

“There is evidence that WeChat is systemically monitoring conversations of users outside China and flagging politically sensitive content for some form of scrutiny, even when transmission of the messages is not hindered,” the report read.

China has been rated “not free” in Freedom House’s Fredom in the World 2019 report, which recorded global declines in political rights and civil liberties. n

DATELINE PHILIPPINES

New Philippine Air Force chief named

by DEMPSEY

REYES ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Maj. Gen. Allen Paredes as the new commanding general of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

Paredes was recommended

by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to succeed Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez, who is set to

hang his uniform on January 17.

The change of command ceremony, however, will be held on on Thursday, January 16.

Paredes is a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s Maringal Class of 1988.

Prior to his new assignment, Paredes notably served as chief of the Air Logistics Command, the Chief of Air Staff and Wing Commander of the 250th Presi-

dential Airlift Wing.

The Department of National Defense (DND) hailed the appointment of Paredes as the new Air Force chief.

“Maj. Gen. Paredes’ wide experience and sterling record will serve the PAF well as he leads it to new heights.

We wish him good luck,” DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said in a statement. n

DOJ charges Albayalde, 12 others over ‘ninja cops’ controversy

by KRISTINE JOY

Philstar.com

PATAG

MANILA — The Department of Justice found probable cause to indict retired top cop Oscar Albayalde and 12 “ninja cops” over the 2013 irregular Pampanga drug raid.

In a statement Thursday, January 16, the DOJ said the prosecution panel found probable cause to charge Albayalde with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act “for persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations in connection with the official duties of the latter, and for causing any undue injury to any party, including the government.”

Central to the case is the 2013 drug raid in Mexico, Pampanga where the operating police are accused of making off with the shabu they seized. Albayalde, then heading the Pampanga pro-

vincial police force, is accused of protecting his previous subordinates who were linked to the drug raid.

The panel said the charges against Albayalde were based on their finding on Albayalde’s “non-implementation” of the order to penalize the cops involved in the said operation.

Findings against the retired police general will be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman that has jurisdiction over graft cases.

‘Ninja cops’ also indicted The prosecution also indicted 12 other cops, led by Police Lt. Col. Rodney Baloyo IV, with misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated, seized and/or surrendered dangerous drugs; planting of evidence in a drug case; and delay and bungling of prosecution of drug cases.

Others who are facing the drug charges are: • Police Lt. Joven Bagnot De Guzman, Jr.

• Police Master Sergeant Lacap Maniago • Police Master Sergeant Donald Castro Roque • Police Master Sergeant Ronald Bayas Santos • Police Master Sergeant Rommel Muñoz Vital • Police Master Sergeant Alcindor Mangiduyos Tinio • Police Staff Sergeant Dindo Singian Dizon • Police Staff Sergeant Gilbert Angeles De Vera • Police Staff Sergeant Romeo Encarnacio Guerrero, Jr. • Police Master Sergeant Eligio Dayos Valeroso • Police Master Sergeant Dante Mercado Dizon They are also facing charges for qualified bribery and graft charges.

“The Panel found that Baloyo, et al., misappropriated drugs when they declared that only 36.60 kg of shabu was seized during their operations, while the subsequent police investigation indicated that about two hundred (200) kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride was actually recovered,” the DOJ said.

The Justice department added: “The group likewise declared the cash they obtained from the operation to be only Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00) while contrary evidence indicated that said amount reached Ten Million Pesos (P10,000,000.00).”

Complaints against Police Corporal Anthony Loleng, supposed 13th member of the raiding team, were dropped for “insufficiency of evidence,” Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete explained. n

Most OFWs from Iraq victims of trafficking

by BERNADETTE

TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

MOST of the 13 Filipinos repatriated recently from Iraq were victims of human trafficking, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday, January 16.

The first batch of repatriates — 11 adults and two children — from Iraq arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Wednesday, January 15.

The DFA said the government would continue to bring home Filipinos amid increasing tensions in the Middle East, stoked by the conflict between the United States and Iran, following the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq.

The DFA paid for the repatriates’ exit visa and airfare.

“Most of the repatriate are victims of human trafficking,” the DFA said in a statement.

The Filipinos came from Baghdad and Erbil in Iraq. The first batch included a group of seven adults and two children, whose trip from Baghdad to Doha in Qatar was delayed by immigration problems.

They rode two armored vehicles together with Philippine Embassy Charge d’Affaires Jomar Sadie to Baghdad airport.

“There were some visa issues that needed to be resolved and they were resolved through quiet diplomacy,” said DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez in a text message.

The other four adults, who

came from Erbil north of Baghdad, formed the second group, the DFA said.

Upon instructions of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., DFA Undersecretary Dado Dulay met with the Iraqi Chargè d’Affaires on January 14 to discuss the matter of the stranded Filipinos.

Sadie made similar representations with the Iraqi government.

The DFA thanked the Iraqi Embassy in Manila for its “invaluable assistance cooperation in expediting the repatriation of our kababayan (countrymen).”

“I’ve thanked the Iraqi CDA (Chargés d’Affaires Khalil Rashow) for his instant response,” Locsin said on Twitter on Wednesday.

Locsin added that the DFA “is getting those it can get out, out as fast as they can to lighten the load on these ships that are gonna fly the flag in waters it’s never flown.”

On Thursday, Malacañang said the deployment ban to Kuwait would stay unless the labor deal that sought to protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Gulf state was being fully implemented.

Speaking to reporters, Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the memorandum of agreement (MoA) between the Philippines and Kuwait on the protection of OFWs had not been fully implemented by the Gulf state.

“Until such time the terms of the MoA are incorporated in each labor contract be-

tween the employer and the employees, the ban remains.

Kasi hindi pa nasusunod ‘yun (That’s not being followed).

That’s why [Labor] Secretary [Silvestre] Bello [III] told me,” he added.

“That’s the condition. If you don’t keep your end of the bargain, the ban will continue,” the spokesman said.

The ban was in reaction to Kuwait’s lapses in handling the case of Filipino worker Jeanelyn Villavende, who was killed last month allegedly by her employers.

An autopsy by the National Bureau of Investigation on Villavende found that she was also sexually abused.

An earlier autopsy report prepared by Kuwait’s Health Ministry did not indicate that Villavende had been raped.

The Philippines entered into an agreement with the Kuwaiti government after the deaths of several Filipinos in Kuwait, including Joanna Demafelis, who was found dead in a freezer in 2018.

Among the stipulations in the agreement was that OFWs should have a day off and at least seven hours of sleep daily, and their passports must not be confiscated by their employers.

Kuwait hosts some 262,000 Filipinos, nearly 60 percent of whom are domestic workers.

Bellos said it was the Kuwait government’s attempt to whitewash the murder of Villavende that prompted the Philippine government to impose the total deployment ban. n

Palace: OFW deployment ban to Kuwait stays

by CHRISTINA

MENDEZ

Philstar.com

MANILA — The total deployment ban to Kuwait stays until the Gulf state implements the inclusion of greater labor protection provisions in the contracts of Filipino workers, Malacañang said.

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to stop sending workers to Kuwait, following the death of 26-year-old Filipina household service worker Jeanalyn Villavende.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo on Thursday, January 16, said the president made the decision after a re-autopsy of

Villavende’s body showed that she was not just physically injured but also sexually abused.

“The result of the re-autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) indicates that overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jeanelyn Villavende was sexually abused and sodomized, which means that the Kuwaiti government was attempting to hide the circumstance when it gave us a general autopsy report that the cause of death was trauma and bruises all over her body,” Panelo said.

“PRRD is for a total ban until the memorandum of agreement between the two countries is fully implemented and the terms contained therein are in-

corporated in every labor contract with our OFWs,” he added, referring to the President with his initials.

The two countries signed the agreement in 2018 after the Philippines imposed a similar ban, following the death of Joanna Demafelis whose body was found inside a freezer.

The newly imposed ban covers household service workers, semi skilled and skilled workers, as well as professionals, including Filipino seafarers.

In an interview, Panelo said there is no word yet whether or not the president will still proceed with a plan to visit Kuwait following the latest developments. n

Agriculture departments as vice chairmen.

Members of the task force include the secretaries of Agrarian Reform, Budget, Education, Environment, Health, Labor, Interior and Local Government, Trade, and Presidential Communications Office, as well as the heads of the National Economic and Development Authority and Commission on Higher Education.

The task force will formulate a national food policy and provide a roadmap for achieving zero hunger.

The group will also coordinate the efforts of concerned government agencies and instrumentalities to ensure a whole-of-government approach to attaining zero hunger.

It will also monitor and evaluate, through the identification of key performance indicators, the government’s progress in ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition

and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The task force will also create technical working groups form among its member-agencies to address particular concerns.

The order, which was signed by the President on January 10, takes effect immediately.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles noted that data showed 2.4 million families experienced moderate to extreme hunger in 2018, 13.7 million Filipino children were undernourished and that a fifth of Filipino children until the age of five were underweight.

“It is apparent that current efforts aren’t enough and that, at this point, an inter-agency task force that can focus and align the different work being done to address the different aspects of hunger is needed,” he said in an earlier statement.

The goal of the task force is to totally eradicate hunger by 2030, he added. n

Duterte creates task force on zero hunger

by CATHERINE

VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) creating a special body that will address and eradicate hunger in the country.

In EO 101, the President ordered the creation of “an interagency task force on zero hunger,” noting that “involuntary hunger, food security, undernutrition and child wasting, stunting and mortality continue to be serious concerns in the country.”

“There is a need to carefully coordinate, rationalize, monitor and assess the efforts of concerned government agencies and instrumentalities to ensure a whole-of-government approach to eradicating hunger and achieving food security,” the President in his order.

The task force shall be headed by the Cabinet secretary, with the secretaries of the Social Welfare and Development and

State lawyers ready to throw book at ABS-CBN

by JOMAR

CANLAS ManilaTimes.net

ISSUES over ownership, transfer of shares and violations of the terms of its franchise are among the legal questions that confront the giant ABS-CBN media network in the case that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is poised to file before the Supreme Court.

A source familiar with the case told The Manila Times two draft petitions were being prepared by the OSG seeking the revocation of ABS-CBN’s franchise.

The source said the petitions were supposed to be filed on Thursday, January 16, but the OSG decided to put it off.

The Times learned some members of the Duterte Cabinet expressed reservations against the filing of the petitions, since ABSCBN’s legislative franchise expires in March and they wanted Congress to deal with the issue.

The source said a particularly sticky issue is whether ABS-CBN Corp. sold Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs) to non-Filipinos.

Media entities like ABS-CBN must be 100-percent Filipino corporations.

“ABS CBN Corp. issued PDRs in violation of the mass media foreign ownership restriction.” the source said.

It harked back to the case of Rappler, an online news organization, which the government accused of violating the Foreign Equity Restrictions on Mass Media after it issued over seven million PDRs covering shares of Rappler Inc. sold to U.S.based Omidyar Network Fund LLC. The Times source said ABSCBN Corp. also “violated the terms of its franchise by offering pay per view channels via TV Plus”, which is supposed to be used for free by the public. TV Plus is a digital cable app that ABS-CBN sells for more than P1,000.

The OSG might also lean on the issue of ABS-CBN Convergence, whose transfer of shares was allegedly not approved by Congress, the source said.

The source added that ABS-

CBN Convergence had been operating without congressional approval and violated the Constitution after it was acquired from a mother company.

Another issue that could be included in the petition is the violation of Section 4 of ABS-CBN’s charter that covers “Honest Enterprise.”

This issue has nettled President Rodrigo Duterte, who claimed his political ads in 2016 were not aired by the network, despite being fully paid. Duterte said he was defrauded by ABSCBN. But Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo on Thursday said the President had nothing to do with the OSG petitions.

“You must remember that the job of the SolGen (Solicitor General) is to file the appropriate petitions when he sees or feels that there’s a transgression of franchises or any law for that matter,” he told reporters.

The President has repeatedly criticized ABS-CBN for not airing his campaign ad and replacing it with a TV spot that was critical of him and was paid by his critic, former senator Antonio Trillanes 4th.

In a speech last December, Duterte stressed the network should not expect its franchise to be renewed.

“ABS-CBN, you’re a mouthpiece of… Ang inyong franchise, mag-end next year (Your franchise will expire next year).

If you are expecting ma-renew ‘yan (that it will be renewed), I’m sorry. I will see to it that you’re out,” he said.

The network’s franchise expires in March. A bill is pending in Congress for its renewal.

Trillanes had alleged that Duterte logged about P1 billion worth of transactions using various bank accounts. The President denied the allegations.

On several occasions in the past, Duterte has raised the issue and said if he had his way, he would not renew ABS-CBN’s franchise.

Radio and television broadcasters are required to acquire a franchise from Congress.

House Committee on Public Accounts Chairman and

Anakalusagan party-list Rep. Michael Defensor claimed the move of the OSG to revoke the legislative franchise of ABS-CBN sent a “clear signal” that the Chief Executive opposes the network’s franchise extension.

“The legal action taken by the executive, the OSG representing the Republic, is a step beyond the utterances of Malacañang. In the hearings to be conducted by the Legislative Franchise Committee, you now have the officers of the ABS-CBN network squared off with the officials of the Office of the Solicitor General. However, assuming that Congress, Senate and House, still approves the renewal, the President may veto the bill which renders it futile,” he said.

With the move, Bayan Muna said the OSG had become a biased institution and has become Duterte’s “private law firm” being used for his “political vendetta.”

Bayan Muna Chairman and former lawmaker Neri Comenares said the OSG had devoted so much time to people Duterte considers as his enemies such as chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Rappler, Trillianes and Sen. Leila de Lima. He said the OSG, however, “refused to devote any effort against Duterte allies” like Gen. Oscar Albayalde or those involved in corruption or diverting public funds to “pork barrel.”

“When Duterte is being attacked, his men are restless. But if the people are being attacked, it’s okay,” Colmenares said.

He challenged the OSG to file quo warranto cases against public utilities found to have committed acts against the interest of the Filipino people.

“The OSG should first file quo warranto cases against public utilities like Meralco (Manila Electric Co.), Manila Water [Co. Inc.] and Maynilad [Water Services Inc.], which have a major impact on the people’s suffering not only from inefficient service, but also, expensive electricity and water rates,” Colmenares said.

Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite earlier said the Duterte administration should stop harassing the network. n

Robredo: Trading barbs with Mocha won’t help Taal victims

by GABRIEL

PABICO Inquirer.net

LALU

MANILA — Vice President Leni Robredo has refused to reply to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Margaux “Mocha” Uson’s latest tirades, saying answering her “fake” allegations would not do anything to help victims of Taal Volcano’s eruption.

Robredo, however, insisted during an interview with reporters in Camarines Sur on Friday that Uson should not propagate “fake news” especially that her salary comes from taxpayers’ money.

Uson previously shared an unverified article on her Facebook blog, which claimed that Robredo only distributed pan de sal or salted bread to Taal blast victims

in Batangas.

“Alam mo, ayaw ko na siyang patulan kasi wala naman siyang silbi sa pagtulong sa mga kababayan natin. Pero kinall out ko lang iyong attention niya kasi nagsisinungaling siya (You know there’s no use replying to her tirades because she’s useless in helping our people. But I called out her attention because she was lying),” Robredo said on the sidelines of her office’s anti-poverty program in Siruma town.

“Sa akin, kung magpapasuweldo ka ng pera ng taumbayan, obligasyon mong hindi ka magsisinungaling. Madali lang naman malaman. Pumunta siya doon sa mga pinuntahan namin; tanungin niya iyong mga binigyan (For me, if you would compensate someone using people’s money, it’s

your obligation not to lie. It’s easy to verify. She should go where we went; she should ask those who were given relief),” she added.

Taal Volcano erupted January 12, displacing thousands of families in towns surrounding Taal’s lake. On Tuesday, January 14, Robredo visited displaced residents staying in Batangas evacuation centers and distributed relief goods.

This is not the first time that Robredo and Uson were engaged in a spat. In March 2017, the Manila Broadcasting Company — which manages radio station DZRH — suspended Uson’s program after her invective-laden speech against Robredo, where she called the country’s secondhighest official stupid, among others. n

Talks on South China Sea COC ‘steadily moving forward’ – Chinese envoy

by CHRISTIA

MARIE Inquirer.net

RAMOS

MANILA — The negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, an accord which seeks to prevent the escalating of tensions in the disputed waterway, “has been steadily moving forward,” China’s top diplomat to the Philippines said.

Speaking before guests during a Chinese New Year reception in Makati on Wednesday, January 15, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian took note of what he called the “sustained betterment and growth” of relations between the two countries.

“Important bilateral mechanisms including the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) are working well,” he said.

“The consultation on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, with the Philippines as the country coordinator of ChinaAsean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) dialogue relations, has been steadily moving forward, contributing to the peace and stability of the region and beyond,” he added.

In a separate interview with reporters before the reception, Huang expressed optimism about the “early conclusion” of negotiations on the sea code.

“Both China and Asean countries are working very hard to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and we have

completed the first readings of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea,” he said.

“We have begun the process of the second reading already,” he added.

China and the Philippines, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan, have overlapping claims to the sea.

But despite an agreement to refrain from undertaking provocative action, China has continued to expand and militarize territories that it claims in the maritime region.

Historic visit China’s new top diplomat to Manila, who arrived in the Philippines in December last year, also viewed as a step towards reducing “risks of any confrontations or misunderstandings” the first goodwill visit of the Chinese Coast Guard to the country.

“The purpose of this visit is first is to implement the MOU (memorandum of understanding between the two coast guards which was signed a few years ago,” he said.

“Since the signing of that MOU, several meetings have been held already. This is a following up action and through this meeting both sides are exploring cooperation in some field as agreed upon by both sides, in fields such as maritime rescue, environmental protection and so on and so forth,” he added.

Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been practically occupying Scarborough Shoal, which

had been the scene of a standoff between Philippine and Chinese government vessels in 2012, to assert its claims.

The shoal is a common fishing ground located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

In 2016, China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS), was invalidated in a ruling by the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration.

China, however, refused to recognize the ruling.

Joint oil and gas exploration According to Huang, the two governments treat as a “very important consensus” its aim to develop cooperation on oil and gas exploration.

“The first meeting of the joint committee was held in China end of last year and we are looking forward to another, the second meeting in the Philippines sometime early this year,” he said.

During President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth visit to China in August last year, Manila and Beijing agreed to form groups that would finalize the possible agreements on the joint oil and gas exploration in specific areas in the West Philippine Sea. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian delivers his remarks during a Chinese New Year reception in Makati City Wednesday night, Jan. 15, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Manila. cebook n

De Lima behind ICC case vs Duterte — Sabio

by EDU

PUNAY Philstar.com

MANILA — After recanting his complaint for mass murder against President Rodrigo Duterte, lawyer Jude Sabio on Friday, January 17 implicated detained Sen. Leila de Lima in what he claimed were politically motivated cases against the Chief Executive.

Sabio surfaced days after announcing he would withdraw his complaint against Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and accused De Lima of having a hand in the case, along with former senator Antonio Trillanes IV. “When I went to the ICC, Senator De Lima was already under detention. So I had no opportunity to talk to her or coordinate with her anymore. But all this time, she was also involved in the ICC case,” Sabio said at a forum in Quezon City.

He said the communication he filed before the ICC in 2017 was “nothing else but a political propaganda” of De Lima, Trillanes and the opposition Liberal Party.

Sabio reiterated he was not paid by any party in withdrawing the ICC complaint and that he made the decision after realizing that the opposition only used him to attack Duterte.

“All of them, they cannot be trusted with the way they handled me. If you read my withdrawal from the ICC, you will find indications that these people only want to use and exploit me in their political agenda,” the lawyer said.

He said Trillanes had asked him

to file the ICC communication, which relied on the accounts of confessed hitmen Edgar Matobato and Arturo Lascañas, who both accused Duterte of leading the Davao death squad when he was still mayor of Davao City.

Sabio alleged that De Lima was behind Matobato’s filing of murder and kidnapping charges before the ombudsman against the President in 2016 over the alleged killings in Davao City.

“I personally submitted that complaint before the ombudsman on orders of Senator De Lima,” he claimed.

Sabio said the opposition had

also asked him to lawyer for Peter Advincula, who claimed to be “Bikoy” in the video linking Duterte to the drug trade, despite failing their vetting process.

Advincula had filed sedition charges against Vice President Leni Robredo, Trillanes and other opposition figures.

Experts stressed that Sabio’s withdrawal of the complaint would not have any effect on the preliminary examination being conducted by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. There are at least 52 communications filed against Duterte before the international tribunal. n

OPINION

‘Not in my time’

FEATURES

ENVIRONMENTAL advocates should be happy that President Rodrigo Duterte is putting his foot down on planned massive reclamation projects in Manila Bay. From Navotas City to the province of Cavite, there are 25 reclamation projects covering 10,000 hectares of the bay that are under consideration.

In December last year, the Philippine Reclamation Authority said four of the projects have been given notices to proceed, but would have to undergo value engineering approval before actual reclamation starts.

Before this happens, the president should make good on his pronouncement that “I am not ready to grant it… not in my time, as long as there is no guarantee that the environment will be protected and the health of the people will be safeguarded.”

Protecting the environment is unlikely in any project that entails reclaiming large portions of the country’s busiest bay. Many of the proposed reclamation projects are being pushed by local government units. The Duterte administration should remind these LGUs that they must give priority to the President’s instruction to clean up and rehabilitate Manila Bay. Instead of reclamation, a good model is the creation of a mangrove forest and eco-park in the coastal area of Las Piñas. The 175-hectare Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area has been declared a protected wetland of

international importance, covered by the Ramsar Convention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This is the only protected wetland in congested Metro Manila. The mangrove forest serves as a sanctuary and breeding ground for birds and aquatic creatures, and plays a significant role in flood control. Trees serve as the lungs in mega cities. The coastal communities around the bay need more of such mangrove forests instead of a further expansion of the concrete jungle, with all the pollution engendered by urban centers.

In recent years, the western part of Metro Manila has been hit by destructive storm surges.

Experts have warned that global warming will worsen the risks faced by coastal areas that have been sinking steadily even before climate change became a buzz phrase. Manila Bay is the only bay enjoyed by people in the heavily congested National Capital Region. It should be preserved and rehabilitated for the enjoyment of the majority instead of being awarded for commercial purposes to a handful of private interests. (Philstar.com)

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective GEL SANTOS-RELOS TAAL Volcano — a volcano within a lake within a volcano.

This spectacular dreamy view of Taal from Tagaytay is perhaps one of the most memorable sights of the Motherland that we Filipinos already living abroad always go back to.

Being only 31 miles away from the nation’s capital, this picturesque destination is part of a lot of our warm family memories for our quick day trip from Manila, a wedding, a honeymoon or a retreat and recollection venue. The image of Taal Volcano in Taal Lake from Tagaytay is at the forefront of these memories.

But on January 12, Taal Volcano had awakened. From that picture of serenity, Taal again unleashed its fiery wrath, being the second most active volcano in the Philippines.

Taal Volcano has 34 recorded

Commentary

OSCAR P. LAGMAN JR. A PROVISION in the United States’ Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations prohibiting the entry of Philippine government officials found to be involved in the “wrongful imprisonment” of Sen. Leila de Lima has drawn various comments from key Philippine officials.

Sen. Tito Sotto thundered: “An affront to the Philippine Supreme Court [that] should be despised by all Filipinos!” Sen. Bong Go perorated: “I condemn this act of a handful of U.S. senators for seeking to ban officials of the Philippine government involved in the detention of Sen. Leila de Lima. This is an affront to our sovereignty.”

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano surmised that “The U.S. government might have prejudged the resolution even as the Philippines’ Supreme Court already upheld De Lima’s continued detention,” while Sen. Richard Gordon called it “An intrusion on the internal affairs of our country!”

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo virtually gave a lecture: “I’ve repeatedly explained it cannot be a wrongful detention because the senator went through

Taal Volcano unleashes its wrath: A call for the Bayanihan spirit, obedience and faith among Filipinos historical eruptions. Along with the other volcanos in the Philippine archipelago, Taal is part of the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Volcanic turmoil had been chronicled since 1572, the year the Augustinian priests founded the town of Taal in the shore of the lake in what is now known as San Nicolas, Batangas. The first recorded most violent eruption happened in 1754 which lasted for 200 days — from May 15 to December 1, which caused the relocation of the towns of Tanauan, Taal, Lipa and Sala.

But one of the most destructive and devastating wrath of Taal happened in January of 1911, killing 1,335 lives and injuring 199, because of scalding by hot steam and/or hot mud. Seven barangays were wiped out, several villages were destroyed, includ-

ing nipa houses, farms and livestock.

There were more recorded volcanic activity from 1965 to 1977.

The 1965 eruption was generated by the interaction of the magma with the lake water that led to the violent explosion akin to an atomic bomb explosion. Such eruption generated surges that travelled across Taal Lake, devastating on the lake shore, killing about a hundred people.

Taal Volcano had a nine-month respite until another similar eruption occurred in 1967. Five months after, in 1968, the volcano produced the first historical lava springing out from Taal. The last major volcanic eruptions occurred in 1976 and 1977.

While there were minor eruptions thereafter, Taal Volcano woke up after 43 years. On January 12, 2020, the eruption started from the main crater on Volcano Island, escalating fast from Alert

Level 2 to Alert Level 4.

Taal Volcano spewed toxic ashes to areas covering Metro Manila, Calabar Zone (CaviteLaguna-Batangas), and even some parts of Central Luzon.

Ashfall, volcanic thunderstorms and lightning above its crater with ash clouds and lava fountain were reported and captured on video and reported by major news organizations and shared online. Mandatory evacuations were made, especially because of the dangers of possible tsunami. Fissures (ground cracking) have already been observed in the area.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) of the Department of Science and Technology has been issuing warnings to help save lives.

PHIVOLCS has identified a 14km “Permanent Danger Zone” which could be the most vulnera-

ble areas to a possible impending violent and devastating explosion. The list as reported by my former colleague Charie Villa: CAVITE 1. Tagaytay City 2. Silang (Ilang Bahagi) 3. Alfonso (Ilang Bahagi) 4. Mendez (Malaking Bahagi) 5. Indang (Ilang Bahagi) 6. Amadeo (Ilang Bahagi) BATANGAS 1. Talisay 2. Laurel 3. Agoncillo 4. Taal 5. Santa Teresita 6. Alitagtag 7. Cuenca 8. San Jose (Ilang bahagi) 9 Mataas na Kahoy 10. Balete 11. Malvar 12. City of Tanauan 13. Calaca (Ilang bahagi) 14. San Luis (Ilang Bahagi) 15. Lipa (Ilang Bahagi)

16. San Nicolas 17. Lemery LAGUNA 1. Ilang bahagi ng Calamba City 2. Ilang bahagi ng Cabuyao City If you or your family in the Philippines live in any of these areas, please urge them to heed government warnings and evacuation orders even when they think there is a moment of calm.

Let us pray for them, our volunteers and government officials.

God bless you all! ***

Philippine officials vs the US Senate two processes—one administrative, when the investigating prosecutor conducted proceedings to determine whether there exists a probable cause on the filing of an information and the prosecutor found the existence of one, and the other process is judicial.” Former congressman Rudy Fariñas echoed this line: “Her arrest was ordered by a judge and upheld by the Supreme Court.” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, said: “We will allow the legal staff of these senators to come and authorize them to go over the records and transcripts of the cases and observe the hearings so that they may enlighten their bosses.”

The comments imply that the US Senate resolution is an intrusion into the Philippine judicial system. It is not. It does not say that De Lima’s detention is unlawful. It does not dictate or suggest to any Philippine government instrumentality or official what to do with De Lima or how to conduct the trial.

The resolution simply says that those involved in the “wrongful imprisonment” of De Lima will be denied entry into the United States. It is the sovereign right of a state to deny entry to any alien for whatever reason. As Sen. Panfilo Lacson correctly observed, no reason need be given by any sovereign state for denying entry

to an alien. The same Philippine officials extremely perturbed by the U.S. Senate resolution just shrugged off Hong Kong’s arbitrary denial of entry to former ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and former foreign secretary Albert del Rosario.

It is apparent that the U.S. senators were extremely careful in wording the resolution. Had they used the word “unlawful,” they would have strayed into the realms of Philippine law and the Philippine judicial system.

Referring to De Lima’s imprisonment as “wrongful” gave the resolution the character of an opinion. U.S. officials are entitled to their own opinion, just as President Duterte is entitled to his own opinion that Iceland’s abortion law is shameless and that Myanmar’s policy toward the Rohingya is genocide.

The opinion of U.S. senators may not be as gratuitous and baseless as Philippine officials would like to think. The arrest and prosecution of De Lima was televised live by four TV networks, including CNN Philippines. Surely, the vast and hightech intelligence network of the U.S. State Department closely monitored the government’s actions against De Lima as they concern human rights, the United States being a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Besides, the integrity of the Supreme Court that Philippine officials zealously uphold has been assailed by civil society groups through the years. No less than former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo affirmed the subservience of the Supreme Court when she told President Duterte: “Most of all, I thank you

that when you became President, you provided the atmosphere in which the Court had the freedom to acquit me of the trumped-up charges.”

In 2016, Mr. Duterte told reporters that “De Lima will rot in jail for involvement in the illegal drug trade.” The Supreme Court’s denial of her petition to

overturn her detention is seen by many as another act of servility by the high tribunal. The U.S. senators may be seeing our justice system under the Duterte administration the same way.

(Inquirer.net)

Immigration blocks 7,000 unwanted aliens

by WILLIAM

B. DEPASUPIL ManilaTimes.net

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) stopped more than 7,000 unwanted aliens, including 160 sex offenders, from entering the country last year, the highest tally in the agency’s history.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said on Thursday, January 16, 7,724 foreigners were denied entry in 2019, which is 65 percent higher than the 4,679 aliens who were turned back in 2018.

Chinese topped the list of excluded aliens at 3,527, followed by 488 Vietnamese, 380 Indians, 329 Indonesians and 255 Malaysians.

Also among those excluded were 160 sex offenders, 128 of them Americans, 11 Britons, six

Australians, four Chinese, two New Zealanders, a Cameroonian, a Canadian, a German, a Guatemalan, an Irish, a Korean, a Malaysian, a Russian and a Taiwanese “They were turned back by Immigration officers who, after the conduct of primary and secondary inspection, found that they were improperly documented, or ineligible to enter and stay in the Philippines,” Morente said.

He added that Immigration officers are authorized to decide if an arriving alien could enter the country as a temporary visitor.

“A foreigner may be excluded if he is improperly documented, or the immigration officer deems that his presence or stay here is inimical to the national interest and public welfare,” Morente

said.

Immigration Port Operations Division chief Grifton Medina attributed the sharp rise in the number of excluded aliens to the increased vigilance of the bureau’s personnel in the country’s ports of entry.

Medina said nearly two-thirds of the aliens were tagged as likely to become public charges or persons whose reasons for coming to the Philippines were doubtful, lacked the means to support their stay in the country and were unable to explain their purpose in traveling to the Philippines.

“The others who were turned back were improperly documented aliens, convicted sex offenders, rude passengers, blacklisted foreigners and those without entry visas,” he said. n

Heavier penalties against lying witnesses pushed

by BERNADETTE

TAMAYO ManilaTimes.net

Duterte blames water firms for Manila Bay ‘contamination’

by CATHERINE

VALENTE ManilaTimes.net

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has stepped up his attacks against Maynilad Water Services, Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc., this time blaming them for heavy contamination in Manila Bay. Speaking during the celebration of the 120-year presence of the Baptist Churches in the Philippines on Thursday night, Duterte said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, who leads the Manila Bay Task Force, could never totally clean up Manila Bay because the two firms failed to establish water treatment facilities.

“Manila Bay could never be improved by Cimatu. All he can do is to reduce the contamination. Why? Because there is no water treatment,” the president said in his speech.

“Until now, all the wastewater is blown, every day, to the Manila Bay. And that job was supposed to be done by the one who got the contract of water,

sewer, and sewerage which is the two companies,” he added.

In 2019, Duterte ordered the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay and even issued another order to expedite the process of cleaning it.

Duterte made the statement as he vowed to name those involved in the crafting of the “onerous” water distribution agreement between the government and two private companies.

“Even if we renew the contract or not, the people should know kung sino yung mga (who were the) Filipino and I will reveal all of them, I’m just trying to finish the… I will reveal who are they so that you can ask them, including the Ayala and Pangilinan, ‘Bakit mo ginawa sa amin ‘yan (Why did you do that to us)?’” Duterte said.

“I have nothing against you personally, but you have to explain to the Filipino people why you did it… Bakit mo ginawa sa amin ‘yan? Bigyan mo ako ng sagot kung hindi, p****g i*a, babarilin ko ‘yang b***g mo

(Why did you do it to us? Give me an answer because, you s– of a b—h, I will shoot you in the balls),” he added.

Duterte had ordered a review of the water concession contract between the government and the two distribution companies following the water crisis that hit Metro Manila and other areas over a year ago.

After claiming that the contract was onerous, the president ordered the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General to draft a new deal to present to the two companies.

In his Thursday’s speech, Duterte said that the two water concessionaires were free to accept or reject the new contract but said they would be facing his former spokesman Harry Roque Jr. if he decides to press charges against them.

This, as he reiterated that the government would not pay Maynilad and Manila Water over P10.8 billion as compensation for losses the water

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday, January 15, reiterated the need to pass a law that would impose heavier penalties on those found guilty of perjury or false testimony.

The senator made the call after lawyer Jude Josue Sabio expressed intention to withdraw the communication he filed before the International Criminal Court (ICC) containing the alleged human rights abuses committed by President Rodrigo Duterte in his war on drugs.

Sabio said he would withdraw the case he filed against the President before the ICC, reportedly because the case he initially filed was politically motivated.

“What do lawyer Jude Sabio, Peter Joemel ‘Bikoy’ Advincula, Rodney ‘Ninja Cop’ Baloyo, Edgar Matobato, Arturo Lascañas, Cezar Mancao 2nd, and Mary ‘Rosebud’ Ong have in common?” Lacson asked.

“They are all reasons for the need of a stronger law that would impose heavier penalties on lying witnesses — including public officials and employees who may be behind them,” Lacson said.

“Naging tig-singkong duling na lang ang pagsisinungaling under oath sa Pilipinas (Lying under oath in the Philippines has become an ordinary thing). That is why there is a compelling need for a stronger perjury law,” he said.

Lacson refiled in 2019 a bill seeking heavier penalties against lying witnesses.

Through Senate Bill (SB) 28, Lacson wants to give lying witnesses, including public officials and employees who may be behind them, “a dose of their own medicine.”

“Our present perjury law only carries a prison term of six months up to two years and two months. With a penalty that light, we can expect lying witnesses not only in Senate hearings but even before the courts,” he said.

This is “a matter of punishing not personalities but the act of giving false testimony,” he added.

Last year, Lacson scored Maj. Rodney Baloyo for giving false testimony before the Senate investigation on “ninja cops,” and moved that he be cited for contempt.

He also cited the case of Advincula, who attempted to link Duterte’s family to the drug trade, but recanted his claims and said he was used for political ends.

These are aside from the harassment Lacson personally experienced due to the claims of lying witnesses such as Ador Mawanay in the early 2000s.

Mawanay was one of the paid witnesses unleashed by the Arroyo administration obsessed with putting Lacson in jail.

“It is noteworthy that because of these untruthful and inconsistent statements, we have witnessed how some men were

robbed of their youth and freedom for a long period of time only to be freed later on account that the reason for their incarceration was based on a ‘polluted source,’” Lacson said.

Under SB 28, anyone who gives false testimony in any criminal case shall suffer “the same penalty for the felony the defendant is being accused of.”

A public official or employee who ordered such a false testimony shall face the penalty for the felony the defendant is being accused of, in its maximum period, along with a fine of up to P1 million and perpetual absolute disqualification from any appointive or elective position in the government. n

Chinese firm in Sangley airport project helped build South China Sea artificial islands

by PATRICIA LOURDES Philstar.com

Customs to ship back 5,000 tons of waste to South Korea

by WILLIAM

DEPASUPIL ManilaTimes.net

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) will ship back to South Korea starting next week more than 5,000 tons of hazardous waste that had been discharged at the Mindanao Container Port (MCT) in Togoloan, Misamis Oriental as these were misdeclared as recyclable plastic synthetic flakes.

Mindanao International Container Terminal (MICT) Customs Co llector John Simon disclosed on Wednesday, January 15, that the reexportation-exportation would be done in two batches with the first 60 containers scheduled on January 19 and the remaining on February 9.

The waste products had been kept since July 2018 at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

The return of the remaining waste to South Korea was delayed because of financial and logistical issues related its rebagging and transfer from the Phividec site to the MICT. Simon said that the reexportation of waste materials would be done in coordination with the South Korean government through its embassy in Manila.

“This is a clear signal to all

concerned that our beloved country is not a global dump and that waste traffickers will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

Records showed that Verde Soko, on two separate occasions, brought into the country one shipload containing 5,176.91 metric tons of various plastic and waste materials misdeclared as plastic synthetic flakes. Fifty-one 40-footer containers were also declared as plastic synthetic flakes.

The 51 containers were shipped back last year to the port of origin in Pyeongtaek City, South Korea.

Both shipments were issued the corresponding warrant of seizure and detention for violating Sections 117 and 1400 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Customs Memorandum Circular (CMC) 44-2015 prohibits the unloading of hazardous shipment without clearance.

CMC 44-2015 stipulates a “No Importation Clearance, No Unloading Policy” under Republic Act 6969, otherwise known as the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990,” and the Basel Convetion on the Transbound-

ary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesRegion 10 had examined the shipments and found them to contain household hazardous waste. The broker was identified as Mary Claire T. Booc.

Davao City-based Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability and Quezon City-based EcoWaste Coalition hailed the planned return of the waste materials.

At the same time, the EcoWaste Coalition pressed the national government to speed up its ratification of the Basel Ban Amendment, which entered into force on December 5 last year, and to adopt a full ban on foreign waste importation to protect the country from illegal waste traffic.

The Basel Ban Amendment prohibits the export of hazardous waste for all reasons, including recycling, from rich countries belonging to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, European Union and Liechtenstein to developing countries like the Philippines. n

VIRAY

MANILA — The Chinese state-owned firm that will handle the development of Sangley airport in Cavite is the same company that helped build Beijing’s artificial islands in the South China Sea. The tandem of Lucio Tan’s MacroAsia Corp. and China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC) was the sole bidder for the Sangley Point International Airport project.

The provincial government of Cavite earlier said it would award the project to the MacroAsia-CCCC tandem mid-January. The proposal also includes CCCC’s sister companies China Airport Construction Group Co. Ltd. and CCCC Dredging Group Co. Ltd. According to a Wall Street Journal report in November 2015, a ship owned by CCCC Dredging was seen in surveillance photos at one of China’s

artificial islands in the Spratly Islands. This report was based on defense-intelligence provider IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly.

The report also said a suction hopper dredger operated

by CCCC Tianjin Dredging Co. Ltd. was seen in the Spratly Islands area from Jan. 14 to Feb. 16, 2015.

CCCC Dredging wholly owns the firm that operated the dredging ships seen around the islands, including Mischief Reef, which is within Philippine exclusive economic zone.

The World Bank previously blacklisted CCCC due to alleged fraudulent practicies by one of its subsidiaries, China Road and Bridge Corp.

CCCC, however, has been allowed to participate in all World Bank Group-financed tenders since the debarment was lifted in January 2017.

In October 2016, CCCC Dredging was awarded a contract to carry out a 208-hect-

are land reclamation project at President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown Davao City.

The deal worth $13.5 billion would create land along the 8kilometer coast of Davao Bay that would be used for government offices, businesses, housing, port terminals and industry, according to an October 2016 report from South China Morning Post.

The Sangley airport project will be a public-private partnership joint venture by the provincial government of Cavite that will no longer require the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority for implementation.

The 1,500-hectare masterplanned international airport hub will feature four runways, airside and landside facilities, and can accommodate up to 130 million passengers annually. The airport is also eyed to be used by the Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force. n

Court junks Angkas plea for new TRO

by EMMANUEL

TUPAS

CATHERINE TALAVERA Philstar.com

MANILA — A Mandaluyong City court has denied the petition of ride-hailing firm Angkas for another temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of a government-imposed limit on the number of riders in the ongoing motorcycle taxi pilot run.

In a four-page decision date Jan. 10, Regional Trial Court Branch 212 Judge Rizalina Capco-Umali dismissed the petition lodged by Angkas against the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for lack of merit.

Umali said the TRO would have the same action be-

ing sought in the main case of the injunction, which is to enjoin the government from implementing its rules.

“Since the petitioner’s application for issuance of injunctive writ involves prayer to enjoin the enforcement of Section 10 of Revised General Guidelines for the Pilot Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis, which is also the same action being sought in the main case of injunction, the court is mindful that as much as possible avoid issuing writ which would effectively dispose of the main case without trial and/or due process,” the order read.

Under Section 10 of the Revised General Guidelines for the Pilot Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis, a total of 30,000 riders for Metro Manila and 9,000 riders for Metro

Cebu shall form part of the pilot implementation of motorcycle taxis.

The number of riders will be divided evenly among the qualified ride-hailing providers, namely Angkas, Joy Ride and Move-It. The court likewise ruled that the DOTr and LTFRB have the presumption of regularity in the performance of official duties.

On Jan. 6, Mandaluyong RTC Vice Executive Judge Ofelia Calo granted the issuance of a 72-hour TRO in favor of Angkas. After the writ of preliminary injunction lapsed, Angkas’ petition was re-raffled to Branch 212.

On Jan. 9, Angkas obtained a 20-day TRO on the government’s implementation of the limit on the government’s cap limit on riders. n

NBI files new raps vs Kerwin, police coddlers MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday, January 15, filed new charges against self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and nine police officers, including a general, who allegedly served as his protectors in the illegal drug trade in the Eastern Visayas from 2011 to 2016.

The NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs filed charges for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act against Espinosa and his cohorts before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In its transmittal letter dated Dec. 9, 2019, NBI Director Dante Gierran asked the National Prosecution Service to conduct a preliminary investigation of Espinosa and his alleged cohorts in the illegal drug trade in Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran provinces – Maj. Wilfredo Abordo, S/Sgt. Dennis Torrefiel, Marcelo Adorco, Maba Limbona, Brian Anthony Zaldivar, Galo Legaspi, Galo Bobares, Ferdinand Rondina, Jose Antipuesto, Jose Estrera, Nickjune Canin, Alfred Batistis, Josela Dumaguit, Baysay Custodio, Viberca Diano, Victor Espina Jr., Martin Espina and Marites Ang. Brig. Gen. Asher Dolina, who served as Eastern Visayas police director, is the highest ranking police officer sued by the NBI for allegedly serving as Espinosa’s “coddler.”

Abordo and Torrefiel allegedly served as Espinosa’s supplier and distributor, while Dolina allegedly benefited in the drug trade through his “bagman” Vic-

tor Espina Jr., according to a matrix prepared by the NBI. Adorco, Espinosa’s former driver, is a government state witness in Espinosa’s illegal drugs and firearms case before the Manila Regional Trial Court.

Victor Espina Jr. is the brother-in-law of retired Lt. Gen. Leonardo Espina, who served as officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police from 2014 to 2015.

Dolina was dismissed from service by the Ombudsman in 2015 for the allegedly anomalous procurement of rubber boats in 2009. He was reinstated by the Court of Appeals a year later.

The other alleged “coddlers” of Espinosa were Captains Eufracio Javines and Bernie Magamay, S/Sgt. Roberto Arafol, Cpl. Marvin Parac, Col. Eli-

zar Egloso and CMSgt. Eduardo or Edgardo Betuin.

According to the NBI, Espinosa moved his drug trade from Cebu to Eastern Visayas in 2011.

He was jailed in Ormoc until 2013 for illegal possession of firearms and frustrated murder.

But despite his detention for two years, “Kerwin(’s) drug trade flourished in Eastern Visayas through his cohorts, private armed men and coddlers,” the NBI said.

They were identified in an affidavit by Espinosa’s father, slain Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., as among those involved in his son’s drug trade.

The younger Espinosa faces multiple drug charges before the Department of Justice and the Manila and Makati regional trial courts. (Philstar.com)

Duterte blames water firms for Manila...

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concessionaires incurred due to denied rate increases.

“We pay for their losses. And so when the bill was submitted to me, I said, you know what is this s***? Tell them there’s no f****** payment coming their way. And so I began to scrutinize the contract. And Harry is here. He’ll be one of the lawyers who’d be — you’d be facing.

Maybe in court,” Duterte said.

“Because in the contract, they were the ones — the concessionaires, ‘yung distributors were allowed — were the very — the entity only allowed to authorize to increase the rates. Without the participation of any government entity, except the regulator, which was really — which is or was or the office inutile. Ganun talaga. It was inutility,” he added.

Roque, who was seated in the crowd, however, said that he had “no idea” what the president was saying. The former Palace spokesman was a human rights lawyer prior to becoming a lawmaker.

The president previously threatened to file economic sabotage and economic plunder charges against owners of the two water companies over the supposed onerous provisions in the current contracts.

On January 7, Duterte gave the two water concessionaires the choice of either accepting the new water contracts or facing the cancellation of their present deals.

However, he expressed willingness to make amends with water concessionaires if they would accept the “corrected” contracts.

“I suppose that up to now, they must already have the copies of the proposed contract, as corrected,” Duterte said in an exclusive interview with ABSCBN aired on Friday night.

“And I suppose if they are willing to accept the conditions that are being laid down there in the proposal, I think we can negotiate again,” he added.

The government is targeting the completion of the new water contracts within three to six months.

Duterte was irked by the two water firms after the Singapore-based Permanent Court of Arbitration issued separate rulings, ordering the Philippine government to pay P3.4 billion and P7.39 billion to Maynilad and Manila Water, respectively, for their supposed losses and damages.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System had revoked the extension of the water companies’ concession deals.

Reacting to Duterte’s tirades and threats, both the Pangilinan-led Maynilad and Ayalaowned Manila Water said they would no longer collect P10.8 billion in compensation that a Singapore-based arbitration court had ordered the Philippine government to pay the distributors.

The 25-year water concession agreements were signed in 1997 during the term of former president Fidel Ramos and extended in 2009 by the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo until 2037. n

SHOWBIZ&STYLE JOURNAL

Jo Koy: No joke incorporating Fil-Am designer Monique Lhuillier to judge on new Netflix Pinoy culture into comedy act fashion competition show

By NATHALIE

TOMADA Philstar.com

By RAE

FILIPINO American funnyman Jo Koy has made the Pinoy in him a staple of his stand-up comedy act. From his Filipino mom and other relatives, to Filipino culture and idiosyncrasies, hilarious stories about these subjects have not only resonated with Filipinos, but have also found him non-Filipino fans from all over the world, gained especially through his hit Netflix specials Jo Koy: Live From Seattle (2017) and Jo Koy: Comin’ In Hot (2019).

But did you know that it took years for Jo Koy — Joseph Glenn Herbert in real life — to create comedy out of his being Filipino?

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about it. I just didn’t know how to talk about it and make it funny. So, one important thing that I always want to do is make sure that it is funny.

How to, you know, involve my

ANN VARONA AJPress

WORLD-RENOWNED Filipina American fashion designer Monique Lhuillier is among the incredible lineup of guest judges in the new high-stakes Netflix fashion competition series, “Next In Fashion.”

The 10-episode debut season will be available on the streaming platform Wednesday, January 29, and will feature 18 designer contestants from around the world.

Hosting the show are “Queer Eye’s” Tan France, and model and designer Alexa Chung.

Unlike designers in other fashion competition shows, those on “Next in Fashion” have already worked for some of the fashion industry’s top designers like Stella McCartney and Alexander Wang.

To prove they’re worthy of being the next big name in fashion, competitors will need to complete design challenges and have their work evaluated by a rotating panel of judges including Lhuillier.

The prize is $250,000 from online luxury fashion retailer NET-A-PORTER, and the chance to retail their debut collection on the company’s website.

Joining the Cebu-born designer in the lineup of judges are fellow designers Tommy Hilfiger, Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, and Kerby Jean-Raymond; stylists Elizabeth Stewart, Jason Bolden; model Adriana Lima; and other fashion influencers and creators like Eva Chen and “Dao”- Yi Chow, among others.

Iconic wedding label Lhuillier’s jump into the fashion industry started when she moved from the Philippines to Los Angeles to study at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising with

a focus on evening and formal wear. But it wasn’t until she got engaged to her husband and current business partner did her interest in wedding gowns spark.

Noticing a lack of designs fit for the modern woman, Lhuillier decided that she’d give wedding dresses a go after her wedding.

In 1996, Lhuillier launched a line of wedding gowns under her own name at the young age of 21.

Since then, Lhuillier has gone global with her gowns being worn

by A-list celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift among many others.

Aside from her sought-after wedding gowns, her brand has expanded into shoes, handbags, eyewear, and other accessories.

She recently released her latest collaboration with Pottery Barn bar cart to name a few.

“Next In Fashion” premieres featuring scalloped plates, rose gold cutlery, and a white marble January 29 on Netflix.

mom and our relationship and talk about Filipino people in a funny way, without making fun of them, or how to tell their story and make it relatable. And that takes a while,” the 48-year-old comedian, who’s in the country for his Just Kidding World Tour, told The STAR in a phone inter-

view on Tuesday. “That alone is already hard, no matter what you’re up to. Just trying to take real life and inserting into the comedy, it’s already hard, you know, and trying to get the mass to relate to a specific ethnicity is even harder. It took me awhile to

Sarah’s ‘Tala’ enters Billboard’s world chart

By DENI ROSE M. AFINIDAD-BERNARDO Philstar.com

FROM a nationwide dance craze, Sarah Geronimo’s “Tala” sets another record as an international phenomenon as it enters this week’s Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.

“Tala” has been ranked as the 12th best-selling song online, the only Filipino song to debut at the Billboard chart this week.

As such, Sarah joins the ranks of K-pop stars BTS, BLACKPINK, and this week’s no. 1,

Julia set to make showbiz return this year by

RYAN ARCADIO Inquirer.net

JULIA Montes will be returning to show biz this year, after staying away from the limelight for the past several months.

Montes’ comeback was revealed by Erickson Raymundo of Cornerstone Entertainment Inc., her talent agency on Wednesday, Jan. 15, as seen on his Instagram page on the same day.

Raymundo stated that 2020 will be a “busy year” for Montes, adding that she already has projects lined up. However, he did not give any details regarding her future engagements.

“Exciting months ahead!”

Raymundo said.

Many fans expressed their joy over Montes’ return to show biz, while her fellow actress Bea Alonzo was also surprised at the announcement. “[Wow]!!!!! welcome back @ montesjulia08,” she said.

Montes then thanked Alonzo, whom she fondly called “ate (big sister),” for the warm welcome.

Meanwhile, Montes’ talent agency posted a photo of the actress back in their office, stating that 2020 is an “exciting year” for the Daytime Drama Queen.

Deo Edrinal, head of Dreamsc ap e E nter t a i n ment , a l so marked the Montes’ return to showbiz as he uploaded a photo of him with the actress on his Instagram page today, Jan. 16.

“Sometimes, some people are just worth the wait,” he said. “[W]elcome back!”

Montes flew to Germany last year to spend time with her

Pinoy boy band SB19 makes its presence felt on 2 Billboard charts

by ALLAN

Inquirer.net

biologica l fat her. Fol low ing her f light out of the country, rumors that she was pregnant with Coco Martin’s child began circulating. However, her management has since denied the speculations.

Mont hs after she left t he

Philippines, Montes was spotted by fans in Greenhills, San Juan City, last October.

The actress’ latest showbiz project was the 2018 TV drama series “Asintado,” which she star red in alongside Shaina Magdayao and Paulo Avelino.

Jo Koy: No joke incorporating... figure it out.”

How did he finally get to incorporate Pinoy culture into his routine? “The one that really took off, where I really understood what was happening, was when my mom played Nintendo Wii with my son on Christmas,” Jo Koy shared, referring to one of his most popular jokes, titled Mom and Wii, featuring his mom Josie from his 2009 Comedy Central special Don’t Make Him Angry.

He recalled just observing his mother and son playing, and finding out how competitive she could get. “Then I went onstage and impersonated her playing it. That joke just took off and it ended up being one of the biggest jokes of my first special, and that’s when I knew how to talk about my mom and what stories to talk about.”

Another hit everywhere he performs is the skit about his growing-up years when “my mom cured everything with Vicks Vapor Rub” that “I should have died nine times as a kid.”

“It was huge! So, I think any situation that my mom is in-

POLICARPIO

volved, they love it!” he said.

Apart from his mom whom he swears loves his every joke about her, a favorite subject of his comedy is his teen son Joseph Herbert Jr. “He’s here with me,” he said. “He loves it here, he thinks it’s the best.

He can’t get enough of it. He loves the places we’re staying at and the food we’re eating. It’s been fun. I bring him to specific shows but this one was really, really important because we’re shooting a special for Netflix and I want him to see that and I want him to be a part of it. More importantly, I want him to see what my childhood was, where dad was a kid.”

Jo Koy used to live in Cubao, Quezon City. “I got family all over the place,” he said, while recalling childhood years in the Philippines from when he was five until age 11 when his family moved to the States.

“Oh, I remember everything.

All the sari-sari stores. I remember running up and down with my cousins, and having a good time out here. It was always the best,” added Jo, who was spotted filming at Farmer’s Market

in Cubao last week as part of a new Netflix special.

Meanwhile, bringing his comedy to Netflix “changed the game” for him. But it wouldn’t have happened had he not poured his life savings into producing Jo Koy: Live From Seattle. “One hundred percent, all of (my life savings). Netflix said no, and we went ahead anyway and shot it, and let them say yes when they watched it. When they watched it, they bought it right away! But if I didn’t make it, if I didn’t produce that special, I wouldn’t have been on Netflix — ever!”

Comin’ In Hot, his follow-up to Live From Seattle, took his act all the way to the top and “made it what it is now.” It was paid for

by Netflix due to the success of Live From Seattle.

Told that his success has made many a Filipino proud, he responded that it’s a dream come true. And for Filipino audiences to patronize him through sold-out shows such as his Mall of Asia Arena gig yesterday (according to concert promoter MMI Live), “it means everything to me!” Jo Koy, who did five shows the previous time he was here in 2017, added, “It’s what I’ve always dreamt about, and to be able to do it in a giant venue in Manila, where my mom is from, it means so much to me to embrace the culture like this, and have people out here proud of me for the representation.

Also putting us out there, and (having people) laugh with us rather than making fun of us, we’re enjoying our culture the right way.”

It’s not lost on Jo Koy that he has arrived in the country at a “crazy time,” what with the Taal Volcano eruption and ashfall situation. In fact, his Just Kidding show in Cebu was affected by the airport shutdown and cancelled flights, and moved from Jan. 14 to tomorrow, Jan. 17.

Since he believes comedy can do something good especially during times of tragedy, so, “Of course, I’m always going to talk about situations that happen during my stay here. I’ve never experienced something like this before, the whole world finding out that the Taal volcano erupted and here I am... just a weird experience, you know. I can’t wait to share that onstage.”

And no, he no longer feels stage jitters. “Oh my god, no! I enjoy no matter what situation I’m in, it could be an open mic, an empty bar, it could be anything, or it could be a sold-out arena, whatever. It’s the same excitement that I get no matter what stage I walk into, I just enjoy stand-up, I love it!”

Jo Koy also has some advice for aspiring comedians: “To any upcoming Filipino out there, especially those living in the Philippines, just watch my specials and know that it’s possible and remember that people said no to me, too, and I still had to make it happen. Just do it, stay focus and keep that dream alive, it’s going to come true. Hard work pays off — always.”

IT has been just a little over a year since SB19 debuted on the local music scene, but already, the Filipino idol boy band—the first to be trained and managed by a South Korean entertainment company—is beginning to make its presence felt, especially on social media.

Aside from their well-performing singles, “Tilaluha” and “Go Up,” which have collectively notched 9 million streams on YouTube and Spotify, the group composed of singer-dancers Sejun, Josh, Stell, Ken and Justin, made it to two Billboard charts.Last November, they placed sixth on the Next Big Sound chart which, according to Billboard, features a given week’s “fastest accelerating artists, across all major social music sites, statistically predicted to achieve future success”; the following month, they landed in the 28th spot of the Social 50, which ranks “the most active artists on the world’s leading social networking sites.”

“We didn’t expect any of these. Being where we are now today was something we used to just dream about. And we hope we could go higher someday,” Justin told reporters at a recent press conference for SB19’s latest single “Alab,” a bouncy dance track about the “fiery intensity” one exudes in his or her quest for love.

“We’re also thankful to the people who have been helping us behind the scenes,” Sejun said. “They work hard, sometimes forgoing sleep, for our sake.”Before debuting in October 2018, the five members

underwent two years of rigorous training—comparable to how K-pop acts in Korea are groomed.

And now, seeing that all their hard work is starting to pay off, they have become even more inspired to double down on efforts to improve as all-around performers.

“We have always been hard workers. That’s our mentality.

And I believe we work even twice as hard these days,” Josh said, adding that commitment to the craft is perative. “Some of us used to be competitive singers or dancers… so we’re used to a strict regimen. We make sure that everything is polished before we take the stage.”

And that sense of discipline goes beyond their music: Dating is discouraged; no drinking and other vices; they need to keep their attitudes in check; and absolutely no “social or legal violations.” Otherwise they’re out, stressed Geong Seong-han, founder of ShowBT Corporation, which aims to bridge Korean and Philippine pop cultures.

It goes without saying that fan support has been one of the main driving forces of SB19’s success.

“We love it when the fans say that we inspire them,” Josh related. “Some of them would tell us that we and our music have helped them get through work and schooling, or helped them pass the board exams.

“Hearing them yell our group’s name, our respective names, gives us immeasurable joy. We can be tired and not even feel it,” Stell said. “It’s amazing. Seeing them makes us realize that our hard work does amount to something.”

“It goes both ways,” Justin added. “We get to inspire them while they cheer us up to do better onstage.”

But as with all artists today who utilize social media to connect with their fans and the public, SB19 isn’t immune to online bashing. “We can’t please everyone, so it’s just a matter of respect. Everyone has his or her own likes and dislikes. We don’t mind them anymore. We just focus on what we do,” Ken pointed out.

“We have become immune to bashing. When I watch our videos, I don’t seek those comments. But when I do come across one, I just laugh it off.

Or I just see it as something I have to work on. That’s our mind-set,” he said.

But because the group has a considerable following now, it’s important, Josh stressed, that they remain mindful of their words or actions online.

“When I see people bashing us, I just think that they’re just fooling around or maybe that’s the kind of humor they have,” he said. “I just focus on the positive comments and let those motivate me.”

Asked about their dream collaboration, the young men gave a unanimous response: It would be a dream come true, they all agreed, if they could share the stage with BTS—today’s biggest K-pop act, whose musical artistry helped it cross over into the Western music scene.

“If there’s one thing I want to emulate about them, it’s their passion for their dreams and their drive,” Stell said. “While they’re already at the top, I’m sure they want to achieve even more. That’s what I feel when I watch them perform.”

Ai-Ai: From ‘Tanging Ina’ to ‘D Ninang’

by IZA IGLESIAS ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE Comedy Queen AiAi de las Alas starts the new year back on the big screen with her trademark brand of tickling funny bones while touching hearts.

It can be recalled that de las Alas cemented her repute as the country’s top comedienne with the blockbuster movie “Tanging Ina” in 2003. Such a hit she was in the story of a thrice widowed mom who moves heaven and earth to support her brood that the late Wenn Deramas title became one of the most successful Filipino film franchises since the 2000s.

For 2020, however, everyone’s Tanging Ina is taking on a new role, which in Filipino culture is equally important — that of a godmother, ergo the title “D’ Ninang.”

According to director GB Sampedro,“D’ Ninang” — which will serve as Regal Entertainment’s opening salvo for the new decade — was specifically written with de las Alas in mind.

“Sa pag-ka-cast namin sa project na ito, we considered ‘yung mga past projects ni Ms. Ai, but we made sure na iba din ‘yung character at atake na gagawin niya. This movie kasi is tailor made for her so hindi na kami naghanap ng ibang artista for the main role.

From the beginning — the conceptualization, the scriptwriting — talagang si Ms. A na talaga ang gusto naming gumawa nito,” Sampedro elaborated at the movie’s grand media conference.

Female Robin Hood D’ Ninang is a heartwarming story about Filipino family values, human relationships and one woman’s struggle to keep the goodness in her heart despite the hardships of life. Its ultimate message is that a person can always

change for the better.

Believe it or not, all these themes come to life in the movie as the Comedy Queen portrays a pickpocket with a big heart.

As Ninang Ditas, she is a female Robin Hood and uses her thieving to help her community.

“That’s why they call me ‘ninang’ — godmother ako ng lahat,” de las Alas quipped.

As she goes about her “work” Ninang Ditas takes on a couple proteges (Angel Guardian and Kiray Celis) and gets them into her unconventional way of living. Everything changes, however, when she is suddenly reunited with her long-lost daughter Mikhai (Kisses Delavin), who decides to live with her. Unaware of her mom’s unlawful ways, Mikhai talks about plans to pursue a career on the other side of the fence.

“As Ninang, ako yung lider ng mga magnanakaw sa grupo namin. Tapos dumating sa buhay ko yung anak ko at doon iikot yung story — kung paano maging isa, paano maging isang magnanakaw, lahat nandoon. Pero pang pamilya ito, ibang klaseng istorya.

Nakakatuwa kasi hindi siya corny, maganda yung batuhan ng mga comedic lines namin,” detailed de las Alas.

According to 55-year-old actress, even while Ditas is a crook, she discovered unexpected similarities between them.

“Hindi naman sa pagmamayabang pero pareho kami ni Ditas

na mapagbigay. At lapitin ako sa community kapag kailangan ng tulong,” de las Alas, who is known for her charity works, especially for the church, shared.

“Sanay na ako maging ina or ninang sa iba. Kahit nga yung mga ibang tagahanga ko, kahit mas matanda sila, tinatawag ako na ‘Mama.’ Kaya minsan sabi ko, ‘Kuya, mas matanda ka pa sa akin ah.’ Sasabihin nila sa akin, ‘Hayaan mo na, basta Mama kita.’ Ako naman ‘Okay tayo diyan brad,’” she laughed.

“Siguro dahil sa lakas ng mother instincts ko, parang sa akin ang happy, happy ko pag nanay ako sa bawat isa,” de las Alas added.

Real life ‘Ninang’ Actually, D’ Ninang has already lived up to her latest moniker when she stood as godmother to no less than 12 babies at the Binyagang Bayan in Quiapo Church on January 12. The Mass baptism served as the launch of a church campaign dubbed “Holy Birth Day,” which seeks to raise awareness among new parents on the importance of baptism among Catholics.

“Nag-text ‘yung best friend ko na pari parang meron libreng pa binyag sa Quiapo. Ginawa akong ninang ng mga bibinyagan.

Sponsored siya ng Radio Veritas.

So kinuha nila akong ninang sa mga taong hindi ko kilala,” joked de las Alas.

Though entirely coincidental, the comedian said she thinks it should help drum up interest for “D’ Ninang.”

Promising everyone a good time at the movies, she said, “Hindi ko inexpect na ganoon pala siya nakakatawa. Simple lang siya, may puso at napapanahon din ‘yung story. Nakakatuwa pa, ‘yung mga bagets na kasama dito talagang binuhos nila yung galing nila sa pelikula.”

Sarah’s ‘Tala’ enters...

Younha featuring RM with the song “Winter Flower.”

“I’m grateful because OPM (Original Pilipino Music) ang naging dance craze because recently mga foreign ‘yung mga dance craze, like K-Pop. So, masaya po ang feeling na we penetrated the dance craze

(charts),” “Tala” composer/lyricist Nica del Rosario told The Star in an interview.

Early this month, Sarah G’s five-year-old song has become her first hit to have secured a spot on Spotify’s Global Viral 50, a playlist of the world’s most trending and most shared tracks.

Since the global success of “Tala” has coincided with the eruption of Taal Volcano (and since “Tala” is a play on the word “Taal”), Sarah G’s fans, the Popsters, have organized a benefit dance event called “Tala Para Sa Taal” to be held in Luneta or Rizal Park at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

One is a lonely number MOONLIGHTING

by MYLAH DE

LEON

LAS VEGAS — Come hell or high waters, people flock here to untie the knot. Here, divorce is simply about the villain and the victim. It is who got cheated, who got left behind and the agony of the dumped. It will always be a conundrum, how dramatically love can go into a turnaround.

In this city of quickie divorce, layers of emotional smog pollute the atmosphere in any of the divorce lawyer’s office.

The time a divorcing couple spends in a courtroom is brief. After the judge denies alimony, the main action on the mediation session is in crowded hallways, not exactly the most special place for dramatic partings…where offers and counteroffers are tendered. Some cry out and lament “extortion!” The corridor minuet is simply all about pay off or some equivalent symbol of revenge, like a demand that the mate burns in hell for eternity, if such a request were enforceable.

Divorce is a real life-altering event. Couples argue over custody, division of estates, whose

value depends on who is counting or hiding assets. Some try and fail miserably to keep as much mud off their public images, especially tabloid fodder celebrities, but there are only two emotions that people feel in a divorce case — anger and guilt — played by gladiators in a melodrama of greed, hurt, outrage, shock and disbelief. Believe me, gentle readers, I know what I’m rattling about.

It is said that the freedom to luxuriate in self-pity is one of the consolations of a marriage gone wrong. Whether one is ending a marriage of long-standing, in which one was mostly happy, or mostly miserable, or a shorter relationship, one needs time to grieve the ending as time and space to heal hurts.

People choose the wrong mate or cheat on them because they’re bored or begin to loathe the spouses they once adored. They lie, trick and obfuscate when all that is at stake is half their net worth and their emotional equilibrium.

The soon-to-be-former wife is surely saddling him with tremendous legal bills…the scorned woman will use whatever she can and subscribe to such strategy as well when it is expedient and some times bordering on what is considered ethical.

The catalog of fear and insecurity that bedevils these disgruntled and miserable uncoupling couples

are as deep as the Grand Canyon and just as hard to fill up.

“I’ll be financially ruined and no woman wants to date a pauper.”

“I’ll become a bag lady. I’ll lose contact with my children and they’ll never forgive me.”

“He will get off easy because he has hidden money in off shore kids accounts.”

“She will skip town and run away with my kids.”

“He will marry an obnoxious bimbo who’ll be an influence on my children…” These fears are enormous but the deadliest is: “I’ll be alone and die!”

On the other hand, no one can ever discount the possibility that people can be positively transformed by the crucible of divorce. That woman who has never had control of finances and can’t even balance a checkbook, much less, manage investments, will somehow learn to become her own person. Women start out scared but in the end, they become both psychologically and financially stable.

But for the Moonlighter and the late Mr. de Leon, during decades of an almost blissful marriage, on our countless spars, divorce was never considered — perhaps MURDER, oh many times — but to divorce was definitely out of the question! ***

The larger-than-life Filipino designer who goes by the name Michael Cinco

BY MONET

LU

THIS Filipino designer is the talent behind that resplendent jewel-toned gown that Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach wore when she passed the crown to Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, who also wore a scarlet red ombré couture gown in her final walk designed by the same amazing designer.

One of his dresses was featured in the movie “Jupiter Ascending” starring Mila Kunis, and is known for dressing Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai, Mariah Carey, and Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and country singer Carrie Underwood, to name just a few.

So when Austrian singer and Swarovski heiress Victoria Swarovski needed a custom-made gown with a 6-meter-long train encrusted with Swarovski crystals and laser-cut flowers, there’s no other name that they had in mind but the Dubai-based designer, Michael Cinco.

When he is not busy conquering the fashion world one gown at a time, he is inching his way to other ventures, such as his firstever perfume called, IMPALPABLE, which he launched in 2012; followed by his limited edition underwear collection for international brand BENCH in 2015.

While it seemed like he caught all the ‘lucky stars’, Cinco didn’t just luck out in the fashion industry. His fascination with glamorous women in classic Hollywood movies started when he was young. Cinco was born on August 27, 1971 in the province of Samar in the Philippines. It was noted on his website that “the impeccable elegance and sophistication of Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Joan Crawford and Audrey Hepburn created an indelible impression on his formative design imagination.”

“I pictured those fabulous heroines and imagined dressing them up in my creations. I chased after those visions,” Cinco recalls.

Cinco moved to Dubai where he got his first job and was instantly recognized for his fashion acumen. It was in 2002 when Cinco went to Paris and London to seek out more fashion inspiration. He studied at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design because of his fascination with London’s mix of old tradition and contemporary edginess. The following year, he returned to Dubai and established his own label, “MICHAEL CINCO.” Michael Cinco is best known for his fabulous couture gowns.

His innate creativity and masterful techniques have catapulted him to the front ranks of fashion. He has cultivated a dedicated following for the luxe and intricacy of his designs, with their fresh, elegant and detailed juxtapositions of fabric and Swarovski crystals.

Cinco’s celebrity clients include Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ellie Goulding, Nicole Scherzinger,

Fergie Ferguson, Dita Von Teese, Brandy, Ashanti, Chris Brown, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell.

Jennifer Lopez wore a crystallized Michael Cinco couture when she hosted American Music Awards in 2015. Sofia Vergara wore a stunning Michael Cinco gown at the Golden Globes 2013, who was voted Best Dressed by many TV shows and magazines in the U.S. British pop star Paloma Faith wore his couture dress at the MET Gala in New York.

He also appeared on the U.S. hit reality show “America’s Next Top Model” (Cycle 16) and AllStar Cycle 17 finale hosted by Tyra Banks. He was also chosen as a guest designer and guest judge on the new reality show “Asia’s Next Top Model” in Singapore and was highly endorsed by Tyra Banks. He was also featured as a designer and a judge in “China’s Next Top Model” in 2015.

In November 2011, Cinco won the Breakthrough Designer Award from the WGSN Global Fashion Awards held in Gotham Hall, New York, against top contenders. He won Best Designer award in Grazia’s Style Awards 2016; People’s Choice Award at Dubai Fashion Week 2010; and was chosen as one of the top mov-

ers in Dubai in the Ahlan Hot 100 in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016.

Cinco just recently debuted his Autumn-Winter Collection 2016 at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. He wowed audiences at Dubai Fashion Week, Miami Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, Singapore Fashion Week, Australia Fashion Week, Philippine Fashion Week and did shows in New York and London.

As a Filipino, I marvel every time I hear about fellow Filipinos getting recognized worldwide.

It brings us so much pride and honor. To Michael Cinco whose larger-than-life success keeps piling up, I wish you all the luck (not that you need it) and may you continue to inspire more and more people by your creative genius. ***

Alex reveals engagement ring on her birthday by

RATZIEL SAN JUAN Philstar.com

ACTRESS and YouTube vlogger Alex Gonzaga surprised everyone on her own birthday by unveiling an engagement ring in a picture together with long-time beau Mikee Morada.

“Thank you for all your birthday greetings! I feel LOVED. Thank you Jesus! Vlog tomorrow,” Alex’s birthday post on Instagram read.

The engagement certainly earned the approval of her friends, including Kim Chiu, Luis Manzano, and Julia Barretto, along with other big names.

Alex has been dating nonshowbiz boyfriend Mikee for three years and they have been engaged since late December as seen in a birthday vlog posted

by Alex.

In the engagement clip dated Dec. 27, 2019 but posted on is seen unable to contain her YouTube on Jan. 16, 2020, Alex excitement as she glowed along

with the set of engagement rings.

AWARD WINNING PRODUCER DAVID FOSTER TO EMBARK ON EXTENSIVE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN 2020 The Highly Successful AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH DAVID FOSTER - HITMAN TOUR will feature singer/actress Katharine Mcphee Grammy award winning producer David Foster embarks on an extensive North American tour, “An intimate evening with David Foster -Hitman Tour,” an extension of his highly successful and sold out 2019 tour.

Foster, who is one of the biggest musical forces of our time, created this jaw dropping musical extravaganza performing the greatest hits of his career. Thrilling, humorous and refreshingly honest, David Foster performs songs he wrote or produced from his four decades of hits and also includes fascinating storytelling about the songs, artists and moments of his life. Delivered by powerhouse performers, the hits include: Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me,” Whitney Houston’s

“The Bodyguard”, Earth Wind and Fire’s “After The Love Is Gone,” Chicago’s ”You’re The Inspiration”, Josh Groban’s “You Raised Me Up,” Michael Buble’s “Home,” Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable” and many, many more.

Joining the 16-time Grammy award winning writer/producer this time around will be singer/ actress Katharine McPhee.

Katharine joins David fresh off her Broadway and West End run hit Broadway musical Waitress.

Katharine will join David for a number of his well- known songs including The Prayer.

Apart from returning to the road, Foster is preparing for the release of his feature documentary on his life and career - David Foster: Off the Record. The pic premiered in Toronto on September 9th as

part of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

PBS recently aired nationwide – An Intimate Evening With David Foster –as part of Great Performances on PBS. David is also a celebrity Judge on Asia’s biggest talent competition show, Asia’s Got Talent and World Got Talent that airs in China to 150 million viewers a night.

David Foster is also gearing up to take on Broadway with several projects including writing the music for a new musical about the iconic animated character Betty Boop.

He is also writing the music for a musical based on the Amy Bloom novel and New York Times bestseller Lucky Us. David also has a new musical project that he will announce later this year.

CALIFORNIA TOUR DATES - 2020 DATE

CITY/STATE

VENUE

1/22/2020 1/23/2020 1/24/2020 1/25/2020 1/26/2020 1/27/2020

Modesto, CA Thousand Oaks, CA Palm Desert Palm Desert Cerritos, CA Escondido, CA

Gallo Center Bank of America PAC McCallum Theatre McCallum Theatre Cerritos Center CA Center for Arts

Watch in Person the Genius who composed the beloved classics of world-renowned Artists and Groups Barbra Streisand + Celine Dion + Madonna + Andrea Bocelli + Mariah Carey Whitney Houston + Bette Midler + Olivia Newton John + Kenny Loggins Lionel Richie + Peter Cetera + Dionne Warwick +Charice + Jennifer Holliday Jordan Hill + Destiny’s Child + Jon Anderson + Chaka Khan + James Ingram Samantha Cole + Chicago + Earth, Wind & Fire + Air Supply “After the Love Has Gone” “After Tonight” “At Last” “Bad Advice” “The Best of Me” “Follow Me” “Forever” “Freedom” “Georgetown” “Glory of Love” “Goodbye” “Got to Be Real” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” “Heart Strings (Love Will Show Us How)” “Hold Me ‘Til The Mornin’ Comes” “I Can Wait Forever” “I Have Nothing” “I Hear Your Voice” “I’ll Be There” “In This Song” “Let Your Feelings Show” “Living for the Moment”

“Love at Second Sight” “Love by Another Name’ “Love Lights the World” “Love Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire (For Just A Moment)” “Miss Independent” “My One True Friend” “My Sweet Delight” “The Prayer” “Remember Me This Way” “River of Love” “Stand Up for Love” “Tell Him” “This Time It Was Really Right” “Through the Fire” “To Love You More” “Wait” “Whatever We Imagine” “Who’s Gonna Love You Tonight” “Without You” “Will You Still Love Me?” “You’ll See” “You’re the Inspiration”

COMMUNITY JOURNAL

Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce’s fundraising gala a dazzling success Attendees enjoyed impressive performances, inspiring awardees, and valuable prizes

THE ballroom sparkled with enthusiastic members, VIP guests, friends and family of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACCGLA). The Chamber’s “Shining Shimmering Splendid Gala” served as the annual fundraiser of FACCGLA, held last January 12, 2020 at the Hilton Woodland Hills.

As guests registered, they were led to the glittering backdrop of Fizzion Photo Booth by in the foyer, where they could also peruse the Saladmaster and World Remit tables which had giveaways for the guests.

Cocktail tables were set around the foyer as well, so people may connect with Chamber members like Tony Chi-Su Gutierrez (OfficeZilla), Jocip Sarmiento (Regal Realty), President Emeritus Ellen Samson (Filipino-American Franchise Trade Mission), and Grace Means (Esthetique

by Grace M). Sponsors and donors were the first to receive the second edition of Fil-Am Entrepreneurship Magazine, which chronicles the Chamber’s monthly and affiliated events.

The venue soon filled with music as pianist Tateng Katindig who performed jazz standards live. Guests were game to try their hand at singing for a donation, gladly obliged by some, by the likes of Dante Honorico (President of Philippine Patrons of the Arts USA and retired Deputy Commander of the Ventura County Sherriff), Ed Nepomuceno (conductor of the Harana Men’s Chorus), Cris Hero and Board Member Henry Chen.

An amusing banter between Chen and newly-inducted President Annie Nepomuceno ensued as they were egging on the crowd to bid on either “Nessun Dorma” or “O Sole Mio.” Tenor

To be a light to the nations

words and the Spirit of Jesus around us, which are all about love, mercy, forgiveness, peace, justice, and care for the poor.

But doesn’t the Church do it? Don’t bishops, priests, pastors, and lay ministers preach REVEREND about Christ’s teachings day RODEL G. BALAGTAS after day? Yes, the Church pro“I WILL make you a light to claims his words, but it is even the nations, that my salvation more critical that she does it may reach to the ends of the with much vigor, passion, and conviction. The Church must earth” (Isaiah 49:5-6).

My fellow Christians, these never get tired of presenting words that God spoke to Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament are directed to us today. God is calling each one of us to bring light and hope to a world that has become dark.

It has become dull with threats of war between nations, an increase of nu- the truth of Christ to the whole clear arms, disregard and world and all its religions.

“Even when many of our destruction for human lives, homelessness and unafford- people and children have left able housing and healthcare the Church and abandoned even in rich countries, human their Christian faith?” we and sex trafficking, climate might ask. Yes, even in times change, natural disasters like of crisis, failures, regrets, disthe recent volcanic eruptions appointment, and helplessand earthquakes, and deep di- ness. We must never give up and grow weary of proclaimvisions in politics.

But how do we become a ing and living our faith in Jelight to the nations? The short sus.

It’s what John the Baptist answer is to keep sharing the

The Prophetic Voice

We must never give up and grow weary of proclaiming and living our faith in Jesus.

Sal Malaki, of the Los Angeles Opera, obliged to sing both as the crowd cheered as his soaring voice filled the room.

Philipine Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz installed the new board and officers as he had in the previous couple of years. Serving FACCGLA for 2020 and 2021 are President and Marketing Chair Annie Nepomuceno, Vice President for Events Lois P. Klavir, Vice President for Membership Connie Mapue, Secretary - Evangeline Tabberrah, Gerry Palon (President

Emeritus), Vivian Lim, Gemma Bergstrom, Henry Chen, Fatima Bustos-Choy, Dory Baghallian, and Celeste Monderin.

The new board and officers received congratulatory certificates from Congressman Brad Sherman (30th district), Congressman Tony Cardenas (29th district) and Assembly Member Adrin Nazarian (46th district).

After the sit-down dinner, Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and Service Awards were welcomed to the stage.

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showed us in this Sunday’s Gospel when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

John pointed to Jesus as the One who forgives, the One who pre-exists, the One who is Spirit-filled, and the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

For many of us who have experienced His love and forgiveness, Jesus is our life and hope. And as we deepen our relationship with him, we discover more the richness and mystery of our faith in him that cannot be exhausted in quick answers and statements.

Our daily actions and behaviors must genuinely manifest our belief in Christ and his teachings. Then we’ll draw more people to our faith and change the way they may have experienced a hypocritical and alienating Church.

May the light of Christ illumine the hearts and minds of all people, especially the leaders of our governments, so that peace and justice may reign in our world!

Is bankruptcy right for you?

SURE there are alternatives to bankruptcy. But bankruptcy is the only solution that provides viable debt relief for those who are unable to repay their debts. Some people sign up for debt settlement and find out after having paid into the pot that they have been sued by several creditors despite attempts by the debt settlement business to settle their debts over time.

If we compare debt to cancer because they do have similarities as the debt burden keeps growing and growing over time while cancer grows and spreads over time with the end game of both killing the financial or organic health of the victim resulting in the death of the victim, what is the more effective cure?

Certainly, all of us have family and friends who have fought with cancer. First, you try to kill all the cancer cells with chemotherapy and/or the latest cancer-fighting medical technology. Fortunately, there are state of the art treatments now that work where the body’s own immune system is coaxed to fight the cancer cells, or stem cells from a donor are used to replace the patients’ own unhealthy cells that become cancerous.

If the treatment works, you still have to go through the remission process. This is a fiveyear period where the patient is cancer-free but is being monitored to see if the cancer returns. If it returns, it comes back with a vengeance. If it doesn’t, you’re home free.

Right now, I have three clients who have fought cancer.

One just died after fighting it for four years and used all the new treatments. One was in remission for four and a half years trying to reach five years. But the cancer cells have just returned. He was still working but now can’t walk without assistance because the cancer cells have returned after disappearing for four and a half years and now have just spread to his leg. The third is cancer-free and entering the five-year monitoring period.

Now, if there was a miracle drug that once taken gets rid of all cancer cells and replaces them with new healthy cells that enable the patient to be cancer-free for the rest of his

Debt Relief

ATTY. LAWRENCE YANG life, isn’t this treatment the best and most effective way of dealing with cancer?

Bankruptcy is the best and most effective way of getting rid of accumulated debt bar none. It’s truly a miracle solution to debt problems. Bankruptcy is guaranteed by the United States Constitution to enable debtors to have a fresh start in life without the burden of accumulated debt so they can become productive again.

The United States Supreme Court calls Chapter 7 as the “fresh start” law, and Chapter 13 as the financial reorganization on a personal level. Bankruptcy, indeed, is the miracle cure for accumulated debt that debilitates every debtor who suffers from this malady.

How many times have I pointed out that Walt Disney filed for Chapter 7 twice before Disneyland became successful? If it’s the right choice for Walt Disney, it’s the right choice for anyone with accumulated debt who wants a fresh start in life, just like Mr. Disney. Mr. Hershey of Hershey chocolates, possibly the world’s largest and most successful chocolate business, also filed for Chapter 7 once to get rid of accumulated debt. Several big dioceses of the Catholic Church filed for Chapter 11 reorganization to handle the molestation lawsuits. Orange County filed for bankruptcy about 20 years ago for those of you who are too young to know. Why did they file for bankruptcy? That’s because bankruptcy is the right choice and the most effective way of dealing with debt and providing the debtor with total and complete relief from debt.

Are you facing foreclosure and want to save your home?

Chapter 13 will stop the foreclosure on its tracks and allow you five years to pay off the default while protecting your house from foreclosure. If you owe credit cards and other unsecured debts like medical bills, Chapter 13 may even

allow you to have a zero payment plan to unsecured creditors. This means you pay nothing to get rid of credit cards while you pay only the default on your house over five years!

For example, the client owes $20,000 of default on his house because he has not paid it for six months, and he owes $50,000 of credit cards and $100,000 of medical bills.

He can propose a Chapter 13 plan that pays only $350 a month for 60 months. This will pay the $20,000 default on his house over five years. He pays nothing to credit cards and medical bills. In other words, he doesn’t have to pay $150K of unsecured debt. Upon finishing his plan payments on the 60th month, he is back to his current status on the mortgage. He rescues his house from foreclosure. And the court wipes out all $50,000 of credit cards and $100,000 of medical bills without any payment on them at all.

Let’s assume the same client with the same unsecured debt but no problem with house payments. His home equity is less than $175,000 and he is at least 65. He files for Chapter 7 and gets rid of $150K of unsecured debt for a fresh start as he enters his retirement years.

Or, he is 45 with home equity that is not over $100,000. He still gets to wipe out $150,000 while keeping all his assets.

If you need debt relief, please set an appointment to see me. I will analyze your case personally.

Tax Tips VICTOR SY, CPA, MBA & ROGER L. ORIEL SOME of us feel anxiety over robots taking over our jobs. Yes, they can take over repetitive chores, but let’s view them as helpers to release us from boring repetitive tasks so we can devote more time to creative, administrative, and managerial tasks. Robots don’t do well in unruly environment (like yours, so you are safe). Whatever it is, robots are here to stay with us.

Let’s Meet Some of the Lovable Robots at the 2020 CES in Las Vegas: Robots fall into education, emotional support and service groups.

• Emy teaches English to children aged 3-9 years and speaks like a child.

• Tombot assists children with autism and people with PTSD. • Loro attaches to a patient bedside and wheelchair.

• Jennie comforts seniors with dementia.

• Bomy helps people with dementia by providing daily home care with alarms and brain exercise.

• Guardian loads cargo; so does Aitheon with a robotic arm for warehouse jobs.

• Cruzr teaches you how to dance; Reachy can play tic-tac-

Robots at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show toe.

The Food Industry: The food industry has chores that are physical and repetitive – a natural fit for robots. At the latest Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas, robot baristas made and served coffee. Another robot named “Flippy” can flip 2,000 burgers a day without overtime pay, pension, or labor union conflicts.

Healthcare Industry: Have you noticed your doctor busy keypunching and updating your computerized health records? This task takes away patient interaction with you, the patient. Robots can take over these tasks to allow your doctor practice medicine. Johns Hopkins Medicine uses robots to perform surgeries for kidney ailments and pancreatic cancer. Surgical robots can make smaller precise incisions and perform laser eye surgery with better accuracy than humans.

Financial Impact on Medicare: Smart robots can take notes, deliver patient information to cut down wasted spending in health care. We are all concerned about the survival of Medicare when we

retire. Well, robots can come to the rescue by eliminating waste, cutting spending and reducing budget deficits to help Medicare survive.

From Factory to Business and Social Environment: Robots are no longer limited to factory jobs in warehouses. They have grown out auto assembly plants into business and social settings. Robots are here now and will take a more prominent place in our society. It’s a scene to behold when we watched robots perform tasks, play ping-pong and even interact with us at the recent CES in Las Vegas.

Putative spouse status as a defense to a petition for nullity of marriage ALL property, real or personal, wherever situated, acquired by a married person during the marriage while domiciled in California is community property. Family Code 760.

However, there are situations in which the marriage may be held to be null and void. These situations include, but are not limited to entering into a bigamous marriage, fraud and misrepresentation in entering into a marriage, etc. The legal consequences of having your marriage annulled by your spouse is that it results to you not having any community property interest on property acquired by your spouse during the marriage. A nullity may also cut off your claim for spousal support.

What options do you have if your spouse files a nullity against you? You may still have a claim to community property and support as a putative spouse. A party to a void or voidable marriage has “putative spouse” status only if he or she believed in good faith the marriage was valid. Family.

Code. § 225; Marriage of Guo & Sun (2010) 186 CA4th 1491, 1493, 112 CR3d 906, 908; Marriage of Vryonis (1988) 202 CA3d 712, 721, 248 CR 807, 813. A party who has the requisite objectively reasonable “good faith” belief may be a putative spouse where any legal infirmity in formation of the marriage renders the marriage invalid. Domestic Partnership of Ellis & Arriaga (2008) 162 CA4th 1000, 1005, 76 CR3d 401, 404; Estate of DePasse (2002) 97 CA4th 92, 107, 118 CR2d 143, 155; see Marriage of Vryonis, supra, 202 CA3d at 718–719, 248 CR at 811–812.

A party’s “good faith” belief in the validity of the marriage is not tested by whether he or she believed a “marriage” lawfully occurred under some private, secular or spiritual set of standards.

A putative spouse must have had a good faith belief in the existence of a lawful California mar-

Barrister’s Corner ATTY. KENNETH URSUA REYES riage. Estate of DePasse (2002) 97 CA4th 92, 107–108, 118 CR2d 143, 156; Welch v. State of Calif. (2000) 83 CA4th 1374, 1378– 1379, 100 CR2d 430, 432–433; Marriage of Vryonis (1988) 202 CA3d 712, 723, 248 CR 807, 814–815.

“Good faith” belief is tested by an objective standard based on facts that would cause a reasonable person under the circumstances to harbor a good faith belief in the existence of a valid California marriage. Domestic Partnership of Ellis & Arriaga, supra, 162 CA4th at 1005, 76 CR3d at 404; Marriage of Guo & Sun (2010) 186 CA4th 1491, 1497, 112 CR3d 906, 911; Marriage of Ramirez & Llamas (2008) 165 CA4th 751, 756, 81 CR3d 180, 183. Whether a party had an objectively reasonable “good faith” belief is a question of fact to be determined in light of all the circumstances.

Successfully proving putative spouse status or putative marriage status in court gives rise to certain property, support and attorney fees/costs rights, as well as certain other rights that ordinarily attach only between lawfully married persons. Property that would have been community or quasi-community property had the marriage been valid is deemed “quasi-marital property” and, in a proceeding to terminate the invalid marriage, “shall” be divided between the parties as if it were community. Family.

Code. § 2251(a)(2); Marriage of Tejeda (2009) 179 CA4th 973, 983, 102 CR3d 361, 368; Quasimarital property divided pursuant to § 2251 is also liable for the

parties’ debts to the same extent as if it had been community or quasi-community property. Family.Code. § 2252.

In addition, “temporary” and “permanent” spousal support may also be awarded in a nullity proceeding in favor of a putative spouse “in the same manner as if the marriage had not been void or voidable” Family Code Section 2254. The court may also award attorney’s fees pursuant to family code section 2030 in favor of a party found to be “innocent of fraud or wrongdoing in inducing or entering into the marriage, and free from knowledge of the then existence of any prior marriage or other impediment to the contracting of the marriage for which a judgment of nullity is sought.” Family Code Section 2255. ***

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Studying in the US under F1 Visa Tapat Sa Batas ATTY. RHEA SAMSON ANG isang dayuhan na nagnanais mag-aral sa US bilang full-time student ay kailangang kumuha ng student visa mula sa US Embassy o US Consulate sa kanyang bansa.

Ang F1 academic student visa ay nagpapahintulot sa isang dayuhan na pumasok sa US bilang full-time student sa isang accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, o iba pang academic institution. Ang dayuhan ay dapat naka-enroll sa isang program o course of study na magbibigay sa kanya ng degree, diploma, o certificate.

Kailangang ang academic institution ay may awtorisasyon mula sa US government na tumanggap ng international students.

Kung ang dayuhan ay nasa US na at may valid non-im-

migrant status, halimbawa bilang B2 visitor, may mga pagkakataon na maaari siya mag-apply ng change of status mula B2 visitor para maging F1 academic student.

Ang isang dayuhang nakaB2 visitor status ay maaaring mag-apply ng change of nonimmigrant status mula para maging F1 academic student kung ang mga susunod na pamantayan ay kanyang maipapakita sa USCIS: (1) Ang B2 visitor status ng aplikante ay valid pa rin. Hindi di pa siya lumalampas sa petsang ng authorized period of stay na nakalagay sa kanyang Form I-94 ArrivalDeparture Record; (2) Ang aplikante ay walang paglabag sa kanyang B2 visitor status – siya ay nagbabakasyon lamang at bumibisita sa mga pamilya at kaibigan; (3) Ang aplikante ay walang nagawang krimen o mga aksyon na magdudulot sa kanyang pagiging ineligible para sa change of status; (4) Ang aplikante ay nag-apply at natanggap na sa isang Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school at nabigyan na ng Form I-20 “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status;

“ (5) Ang aplikante ay nagbayad na ng $350 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee.

Kung ang mga pamantayang nakasaad sa itaas ay kanyang natugunan, ang aplikante ay maaaring mag-file ng Form I-539 Application to Change Status mula B2 visitor para maging F1 academic student.

Hindi maaaring mag-aral ang student-applicant hanggat makatanggap siya ng approval mula sa USCIS. Kailangang mapanaliti pa rin ng aplikante ang kanyang B2 visitor status sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na pagbakasyon sa US hanggang sa maaprubahan na ng USCIS ang kanyang F1 Application.

An alien wishing to study as a full-time student in the US will need to get a student visa from the US Embassy or US Consulate abroad. The F-1 academic student visa allows the alien to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution. The alien must

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Should I tell my employer The United States is not the about my medical diagnosis? center of the universe, God is

Q: I was diagnosed with a spine compression fracture and severe depression. I want to request leave but want to keep my privacy at work. Do I need to tell my employer about my medical or psychological condition?

A: No. The employee is not required to disclose the nature of the employee’s medical condition or disability (i.e., their diagnosis). The employee is required only to provide reasonable medical documentation which describes the employee’s physical or mental limitations, which may prevent them from doing their work.

For example, the medical documentation may simply state that the employee is restricted from lifting more than 25 lbs.

The employer cannot inquire into the “nature or severity” of the employee’s disability. The employer cannot ask for the employee’s complete medical records as those records may be unrelated to the need for accommodation. The employer also cannot ask the employee about the underlying medical cause of the disability (unless such a medical examination is “job-related” and “consistent with business necessity”).

How much of an employee’s medical condition should be disclosed to the employer?

If an employee’s disability or medical condition is not obvious, the employer may request the employee to provide reasonable medical documentation confirming the existence of the disability and the need

Protecting Employee & Consumer Rights ATTY. C. JOE SAYAS, JR. for reasonable accommodation.

That medical documentation may contain the following: a. The name and credentials of the health care provider b. Certification from the medical provider that the employee has a physical or mental condition that limits a major life activity or a medical condition, and a description of why the employee needs a reasonable accommodation.

There is a need for ‘reasonable accommodation’ if the employee’s medical condition limits a major life activity, such as doing the necessary tasks that the work requires. To have a limitation in the performance of a major life activity is to have a disability. Reasonable accommodation may include granting or extending leave from work to allow medical treatments, offering part-time or modified work schedules, or making facilities accessible to disabled individuals.

Even if the medical condition does not limit any major life activities (i.e., there is no disability), the employee is still entitled to reasonable accommodation if he or she needs to be absent from work for medical treatments or doctor appointments.

For the employer to provide reasonable accommodation to the employee, the employer must know that the employee needs such accommodation.

The employer knows an employee has a disability when the employee tells the employer about the condition, or when the employer becomes aware of the condition, such as through a third party or by observation.

Thus, if the employee’s disability becomes known or obvious, the employer must engage the employee in a timely, good faith interactive process to determine if reasonable accommodation can be made for the employee. The employer must start the interactive process.

Lastly, California law prohibits discrimination based on disability or medical condition. An employer may not terminate or demote an employee based on the employee’s disability or medical condition.

AMERICAN DREAM ALLISON AQUINO-SILVA, ESQ requirements: (1) the position that the immigrant will fill is a “specialty occupation”, and (2) the immigrant meets the requirements for the specialty occupation. In other words, the company must prove that the position offered is a professional position that mandates an individual with at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a specific field, and that the individual sponsored has that particular type of bachelor’s degree or work experience equivalence.

certain required employees of the sponsoring company.

Once the FEIN has been verified, and the notice of filing the LCA has been conducted, the LCA must then be electronically filed with the DOL. The processing of the LCA typically takes about one week. The H-1B petition may be filed with the USCIS only after the DOL has issued the certified LCA. The H-1B visa allows the individual to work in the US for an initial period of up to 3 years.

The H-1B visa can thereafter be extended for another 3 years, and then at either 1 year or 3 year intervals provided certain requirements are met. While working in the US as an H-1B visa holder, the individual can then undertake the steps necessary to obtain lawful permanent residency. Moreover, the spouse and unmarried children under age 21 are eligible to obtain an H-4 dependent visa in order to live in the US with the H-1B visa holder. Also, certain H-4 spouses are eligible to obtain a work permit.

This opportunity happens during a very short period just once per year. So, those interested in obtaining an H-1B visa must ensure that they have competent legal counsel that can ensure the proper and timely fulfillment of all deadlines and requirements. ***

The USCIS will then conduct a random lottery of the registration forms to determine which registrants will be allowed to submit an H-1B visa petition.

The process to apply for an H-1B visa involves several steps before a petition can be submitted to the USCIS. An initial step in the process involves verification of the sponsor’s federal employer identification number (FEIN) with the Department of Labor (DOL), which can take a week or more.

Another pre-filing requirement is notification of the Labor Condition Application (LCA) that will be filed with the DOL. The notification must be provided to the union’s bargaining representative or, if none, by posting the notice of filing for 10 consecutive days or emailing it to

Studying in the US under F1... t

be enrolled in a program or course of study that culminates in a degree, diploma, or certificate. The academic institution must be authorized by the U.S. government to accept international students.

If the alien is already in the US under a valid non-immigrant status, for example a B2 visitor visa, the alien may, in some cases, be permitted to change status from B2 visa to F1 academic student.

An alien under a valid B2 status may apply to change nonimmigrant status to F1 academic student upon showing the following: (1) Applicant’s B2 status is still valid. The applicant must show that he has not overstayed or stayed beyond the period authorized as indicated in Form I-94 Arrival-Departure Record; (2) Applicant has not violated B2

status – applicant continues to have a vacation in the US and visit family and friends; (3) Applicant has not committed any crime or engaged in any action that would make applicant ineligible for change of status; (4) Applicant has applied and has been accepted by a Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified school; and has been given a Form I-20 “Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status”; (5) Applicant has paid $350 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee.

If the above criteria have been met, the applicant may file Form I-539 Application to Change Status from B2 to F1 with the USCIS. Until the applicant receives approval from the USCIS, applicant must continue to maintain B2 visitor status. The student-applicant

MY daily life for the past three weeks has been quite different, somewhat abnormal in so many ways since I was all alone (except with my thoughts, books and computer) in a big house while my wife was in Asia on an adventure and vacation.

I did not do anything that generated any “profits” to my bank account. However, I gained a lot as this unusual “physical vacation” allowed me to be free and spiritually motivated me to go to the epicenter of my treasure island, where my heart is at this stage of my life.

At the onset of the new year, I believe that I have gained a better perspective, a much clearer 2020 vision of what really matters for the rest of my earthly life.

For instance, our Monday morning Bible Study (for next Sunday’s readings in all Catholic churches) pivoted to very spirited discussions and sharing on what has become of America, which was founded on Judeo-Christian principles where God’s name was invoked many times, in both private and public events. Everybody knows that the Pilgrims gave thanks to their God for their good harvests and the Founding Fathers implored God for His guidance and provisions. Even the (original) Pledge of Allegiance included proudly “… one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!”

These kinds of discussions among over a dozen senior men in our Bible Study group in the last dozen years often bring us into a consensus that America is changing, probably for the worse, based on our shared values rooted in Christian teachings and traditions. I am the only nonCaucasian member, all of them have roots from the Old World as their parents or grandparents were also immigrants like me.

Many significant changes are happening in the socio-economic, political or religious, public or private segments of the country that are quite disturbing and contributing to its downhill spiral, away from the moral prin-

The Metamorphosis

ERNIE D. DELFIN ciples upon which this nation was built upon.

It has become common knowledge, for example, that the word “God” or any implication of the word Christ (like in Christmas) or even God’s Ten Commandments in open/public places is now deliberately deleted or removed in public schools textbooks or public monuments! These changes were diametrically opposed to the intentions and principles of America’s founding Fathers! If the trend continues, soon even the “oathtaking” of our public official over the Bible, will be openly opposed and probably even brought to court, under the so-called “separation of church and state”!

made it strong and the envy of the world.

During the last three years of the current administration, in my opinion, the White House has made many Americans’ prejudices and biases more open, blatant and even violent, against other peoples (who are also Americans!) based on the color of their skin, national origin, religion or creed and their economic status. The sad pictures of young innocent children who were forcibly separated from their parents who risked everything to have a chance to alter their oppressed lives in their home countries, for a better future is not only very sad but very dehumanizing. It is not what the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor signifies!

I shudder to think of the future of my own grandchildren who are also Americans, if they will be judged more by the color of their skin, physical stature (not AngloSaxon) and not by the content of their minds and the make-up of their character, to resonate what Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

In my almost 50 years in America, I feel as my fellow senior citizen Americans who are all whites, like this bigoted president in the White House, that America will never be the same as it was in the last few centuries, if we, the people, remain lackadaisical and aloft, and lack the vigilance to say, act something to fight the ugly heads of bigotry and prejudice that destroy the fiber of American values that made America what it is in the last three centuries.

Those intangible values attracted millions of Americans to come to America, dream, work, live and enjoy the fruits of freedom and hard work.

As it is now, America is no longer the center of the universe that is the envy of the world but often times ignored, disrespected and sometimes the laughing stock of other nations, even by our traditional allies. ***

If the trend continues, soon even the “oathtaking” of our public official over the Bible, will be openly opposed and probably even brought to court, under the so-called “separation of church and state”!

USCIS announces new H-1B visa procedures

ON January 9, 2020, the USCIS finalized the implementation of a significant change to the processing of H-1B visa petitions this year. Consequently, there will not be a short filing window at the beginning of April 2020, so there is no deadline in April 2020. Rather, the USCIS is implementing a registration requirement that will take place between March 1-20, 2020.

The procedure for H-1B petitions this year begins with the submission of a registration form for each individual that a company seeks to sponsor. The USCIS is assessing a fee of $10 for each individual’s registration.

As stated, the registration form must be submitted to the USCIS between March 1-20, 2020.

The USCIS will then conduct a random lottery of the registration forms to determine which registrants will be allowed to submit an H-1B visa petition.

A company may submit an H-1B visa petition for only those individuals whose registration form is chosen in the random lottery.

The USCIS states that it intends to notify registrants with selected registrations no later than March 31, 2020.

The sponsoring company will then have no less than ninety (90) days to submit a completed H-1B visa petition for the individual.

For those individuals whose registration forms are not selected, the USCIS will keep their registrations on reserve just in case visas become available. In all likelihood, however, these individuals will probably not have an opportunity to have an H-1B visa petition processed on their behalf until the next fiscal year in 2021.

To qualify for an H-1B visa, the petitioning company must be able to prove the following

(Part 1 of 2)

cannot commence studies in the US until his F1 status application has been approved.

From a personal perspective in living in America for almost 50 years, I feel that the country that used to be the greatest country of the world is losing her luster as the bastion of world’s ideals where that intangible American dream was profoundly admired and served as a strong magnet that attracted millions of oppressed and the poor around the world yearning to come to the shores of America and be free.

If this sad trend of prejudice and discrimination continues, however, where equality and justice and fair play are openly disregarded in many government policies, it will destroy the very fiber of America that

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS Santo Niño Cruzada USA is inviting all devotees of Santo Niño to come and join us in the 33rd year anniversary mass celebration of the Feast of Santo Nino, the Divine Infant Jesus, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, on Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. The principal celebrant is Bishop Alex D. Aclan. Please come early since the pre-liturgy will start around 3:00 p.m. Participants include the Knights of Columbus - Los Angeles District, Precious Blood and St. Kevin Church Choirs, Southern California Sinulog Dance Co and other dance groups and religious organizations. This mass will also be offered to honor the late Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who gave the Santo Niño statue that is used to celebrate the annual feast, to Los Angeles Archbishop Emeritus Roger Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik several years ago. For more information, please contact Romy & Tess Esturas at (213) 387-6982.

All are welcome to the Sto. Niño Feast Day on Sunday, January 19 at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Long Beach, CA. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. with the procession; 3 p.m. mass; and 4 p.m. reception at Msgr. Gualderon hall (just across the street). Please bring your Sto. Niño images for blessing at the mass. For more information, please contact Beth Silva at (562) 756-4201 or Tony Silva at (562) 822-5803. The church is located at 540 W. 6th Street, Long Beach, CA 90802.

Register for a free parenting workshop at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) every Thursday starting January 23 until March 26. It will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 3200 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA. Opening Doors is an evidence-based comprehensive training program created by and for Latino parents with children ages 0-5. Despite this, Opening Doors has been facilitated to not only Latino families, but to Black and Asian families with positive results. This program hopes that parents can raise their children to reach their highest potential. The first five years of a child’s life are integral for lifelong learning and social and brain development. This program’s approach strives to build parent leadership skills through an understanding that they are their child’s first teacher and their home their child’s first school. Building upon the tenets of understanding your child, ensuring children’s success at home, and continuing education at home, the mission of Opening Doors is to encourage parents as leaders of their families and as their child’s first teacher and advocate. This program works with parents wholly so that they can empower themselves to be mindful and positive forces in their children’s lives. For any questions, contact Eddy M. Gana at eddy@sipacares. org. and register at BIT.LY/OPENINGSIPADOORS. More information about SIPA can be found at sipacares.org.

Have you ever thought of starting your own business? The Asian American Professional Association, in partnership with ACEL & ACE NEXTGEN, has assembled a diverse group of entrepreneurs in various industries that are leading and paving the way for new rising success stories. Join in on some intimate conversations on Thursday, January 23 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with both young entrepreneurs who are changing the industries they’re a part of, as well as seasoned entrepreneurs who will share their inside stories to success. Learn their tricks of the trade, the reasons why they decided to become their own bosses, how they made it to the top, and how you can, too! Participate in small group Q&A sessions with Asian American and minority community entrepreneurs in various industries, such as e-commerce, food & beverage, entertainment, media, and traditional and non-conventional businesses, who will answer your questions and give you some insight and perspective on entrepreneurship. It will take place at City National Bank (555 S. Flower Street, South Hall, 13th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071). It is open to all. RSVP on Eventbrite by Tuesday, January 20. Questions? Please email info@aapamentoring.com.

The Infant Jesus of Prague Apostolic Group invites you, your family and friends to the 37th annual Novena of the Infant Jesus of Prague on Saturday, January 25, 2020. Starting at 6:45 a.m., it will be held at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church at 19855 Sherman Way, Winnetka, California. The 2020 Novena Theme is: …and He said, “Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 18:3). Several esteemed priests from Southern California have been invited keynote speakers.

There will be hourly topics about Walking with Christ in the Modern World, Discovering Our Gifts Through Journeying Together and Guiding the Youth in their Discernment as Members of the Body of Christ. Lunch is provided and the Holy Mass is celebrated after the Novena. A blessing of the Infant Jesus images and a blessing of children will also take place. Now on its 37th year, the novena is attended by devotees from all over the United States, the Philippines, Australia and other parts of the globe. For more information, please contact Leo Nevada at (818) 633-3926 or visit www.IJPAG.com.

Come and join a Celebration of the Feast of Señor Santo Niño at Saint Brendan Catholic Church on Saturday, January 25 at 5 p.m. The church is located at 310 South Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Following the mass liturgy will be a blessing of images/statues of Señor Santo Niño. Please bring your statue of Santo Nino.

Hosted by Officezilla-Los Angeles, the 2020 Office & School Supply Business Expo will be a showcase of new and innovative products on Thursday, January 30. The event kicks off at 4 to 5:30 p.m. with a complimentary networking mixer where you can meet likeminded business professionals. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hilton Los Angeles San Gabriel, the expo will feature hundreds of exhibitors featuring office products, cleaning products, furniture, promotional items, printing solutions safety products, school supplies, ink/toner and so much more.

They will also be raffling a variety of products. Guests must be registered and present to win.

To register, please visit http://www.officezillalabizexpo.com/.

The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies and LEAD Filipino are inviting all interested nonprofit, grassroots, and student organizations to the 2020 Filipino Policy Symposium on Saturday, February 1. It will be held at Cal State University East Bay in Hayward, CA. Breakfast and registration begin at 9 a.m. with the conference from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join as Filipino organizations from across California come together to discuss issues affecting the community and determine which legislative bills/public policies to push during the upcoming 2020 Fil Advocacy Day in Sacramento. Tickets ($25 for General Admission and $15 for Student) can be purchased on Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/FilSymposium2020.

An evening of live music at the Hard Rock Cafe - Boston with talented Filipino American bands and performers, including Arianne Aldecoa, Balut Proof, Highland Ave Band, Jireh Calo and John dela Cruise. Bring your special someone, your besties or your family on this Valentine’s Day weekend. For tickets/info, call Rowena (617) 407-0232 or Ning (508) 843-0346.

The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA to host Lunar New Year celebrating Year of Metal Rat

MARKING its 11th year, the highly anticipated annual Lunar New Year celebration returns to kick-off the Year of the Metal Rat, hosted by The Americana at Brand on Sunday, January 19, 2020 from 2 to 5 p.m. The festivities will feature an opening parade highlighting the classic Dragon Dance, as well as the Lion Dance, traditional Korean and Chinese dances and a dazzling

magic show. Additional activities include calligraphy, sugar painting, dough figurine making and more.

The festivities will showcase food and drink for purchase from Bacari GDL, along with Asian-inspired specialty vendors including Belly Bombz, Lee’Poof Cotton Candy, Seoul Street and Woo’s Crepe. Guests will also have the opportunity to receive lucky red envelopes

from the God of Wealth that contain prizes and special offers redeemable at Nordstrom, Ray-Ban, Kiehl’s, gorjana and other select retailers and restaurants at The Americana at Brand.

Visit https://AmericanaAtBrand.com for a full list of specials and a complete schedule of events. The Americana at Brand is located at 889 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210.

Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of Hollywood presents Laurel Night

2020 officers and board of directors to be installed FILIPINO American Chamber of Commerce of Hollywood (FACCHO) presents its Laurel Night 2020 on Thursday, January 23 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (with networking to follow) at the Studio Movie Grill in Glendale, California with esteemed guests.

Esteemed guests include Apl. de.Ap (Black Eyed Peas), Keynote Speaker Henry Ong (Senior Manager of Global Television Marketing for Marvel Entertainment), Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles Adelio Angelito S. Cruz and two-time Emmy Award winner, Jackie Fernandez as the host.

Standup comedienne Lila Hart and Upright Citizens Brigade’s Filipino AF Improv Team SiniGang featuring Allyn Pintal, Joy Regullano, Erich Tamola, Vince Yap and Rachel Marsh will be part of the entertainment portions of the evening. The event is open to the public. Get your tickets now here:http://www.facchollywood. org/inductiongala2020.html.

President’s Choice for Humanitarian Award Recipient: Apl. De. Apl, a Filipino American musician, rapper, record producer, entrepreneur & philanthropist best known as a co-founder/member of the Grammy Award-winning hip hop group, The Black Eyed Peas. Born in the province of Pampanga, BEP has sold an estimated 76 million records (35 million albums and 41 million singles), making them one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time. Their latest song, “Ritmo,” has reached 500 million views, and is the #1 Latin song in the world.

Outside of creating music, Apl is a regular judge on the hit show, “The Voice: Teen Philippines” and is also the founder of the Apl.de.Ap Foundation, which focuses on supporting youth to grant opportunities through the arts, technology and healthcare in the Philippines.

Last year, the Apl.de.Ap Foundation, as part of the Apl Of My Eye campaign, donated its second retinal camera. The camera is used to detect and correct retinal dystrophy in infants, and the Apl.de.Ap Foundation has donated the only two cameras outside of Metro Manila.

He is working with local businesses and government institutions in the Philippines to create opportunities for the Filipino creative industry to prosper.

Keynote Speaker: Henry Ong serves as senior manager of Global Television Marketing at Marvel Entertainment. He guided strategy and creative for shows such as “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Marvel’s Daredevil” and “Marvel’s Punisher.” Prior to working at

Marvel, he was at Disney Consumer Products building strategic marketing plans, driving synergy and helped launch multi-million dollar product lines behind critically-acclaimed films and beloved franchises from Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios.

Installation Official: As Philippine Consulate General of Los Angeles, Adelio Angelito S. Cruz is a career officer of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Consul General Cruz holds a B.A. in Political Science degree from the University of the Philippines and units in law from the Ateneo de Manila.

Host: A two-time Emmy Awardwinning television host and content creator, Jackie Fernandez has interviewed the biggest newsmakers including the Kardashians, Stephen King, and politicians such as former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. She’s covered pivotal moments in history, such as President Obama’s first DNC, President Trump’s RNC, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Finals win, Maya Angelou’s funeral, and anchoring 24-hours straight in a cement bunker during Hurricane Irma.

The goal of Laurel Night 2020 is to recognize and honor the building blocks of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Hollywood as well as to promote volunteerism and servitude for the Filipino American business and entertainment communities.

The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Hollywood (FACCHO) is a group of business owners, entrepreneurs, influencers, creative entertainment and

community artists. Our mission is to unite and empower creative Filipino American professionals and businesses in the entertainment industry towards mainstream influence and exposure. Equally, our vision is to bridge professional careers and businesses through facilitating networks and resources, opening opportunities, and promoting collaborations. All this through engagement, inclusion, integrity, professionalism and transparency.

FACCHO provides its membership networking opportunities, its newsletters providing discounts to film events with the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, ABS-CBN and etc., its monthly Arts/Business/Entertainment (ABE) digital magazine and various events throughout the year such as the annual Filipino Hollywood Actors Panel. FACCHO has worked with Search To Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), FilAm Arts, ABS-CBN Marketing and Music Events Arts while hosted networking events at Filipino American business vendors as well as non-profits such as Barkada Hollywood, Brewyard Beer LLC and Pilipino Workers Center. n

Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce’s... t

TV host and producer Jannelle So-Perkins, multiple-business owner Angelo Varsobia, were present to receive their awards, while skin care expert Olivia Quido-Co donated raffle prizes of two Official Miss Universe O Skin Care Kits, due to her absence caused by illness.

Prizes in packages valued from $250 to $1000+ were raffled off. Winner got to take home a gamut of Amazon Devices, Facials and Laser Treatments, Makeovers, Resort Stay

in Palawan (courtesy of founding member Rick Rolda), a valuable watch (courtesy of President Emeritus Ellen Samson), Avis SUV Rentals, among others.

Asian Journal is the media partner of FACCGLA. Silver Sponsor is World Remit, and Bronze Sponsors are The Filipino-American Franchise Trade Mission, American Geriatric, Patrick Sia of ServPro Property Restoration, Darryl Crutchfield of the Community Business Coalition, Gaia Flow Consult-

ing Services and Reeves Immigration Law Group. In-kind sponsors are OfficeZilla, Celeste Monderin of Saladmaster, Karate Families, Esthetique by Grace M, Adeline Beauty Salon, The Camp Transformation, Magazine Sponsors include Lay Bare Waxing Salon, Western and Southern Life, Surf City College, Lilian’s Pastries, Varsobia Enterprise, Homesmart Evergreen Realty, Escochecks, GMM Financial Services, Regal Realty and Music Arts Events Inc. n

MARKETPLACE SHOW ROOM

&

NVC will shred your case if you don’t respond

Immigration Corner ATTY. MICHAEL GURFINKEL, ESQ DEAR Atty. Gurfinkel: I petitioned my married son in 1998 while he was still in the Philippines. He later came to the U.S. on a visitor’s visa and overstayed.

We are now receiving notices from the National Visa Center (NVC) advising his priority date is current, his visa is available, and he needs to apply for his visa.

I think we should just ignore these notices and not reply, since he is already in the U.S. Also, I’m afraid the NVC will come after him and put him in deportation. What should I do? Should I just ignore the NVC notices?

Very truly yours, RD Dear RD: You should NOT ignore notices from NVC. If a person or his representative does not respond to NVC notices within one year of receipt, the NVC could terminate the case under section 203(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This results in the case or petition effectively being shred, and the priority date is lost. A new petition would need to be filed with a new priority date.

Visas are similar to having a reservation on a particular flight.

If you have your reservation and seat, then you board the flight to your destination. However, if the airline makes the boarding announcement and starts boarding

the flight, but you do not check in, then the airline would cancel your reservation and give your seat to a standby passenger. Even if you later show up at the airport after the flight has departed, you’re out of luck. You didn’t check in, so your reservation was canceled.

The NVC works the same way: they notify you that your visa is available (similar to a boarding announcement) and gives you one year to “check in.” If you don’t, your registration is canceled. This is true even if the applicant is in the U.S. and does not intend to have their case processed at the U.S. Embassy. The NVC still needs to be notified.

Recently, I encountered a case where a mother had petitioned her adult son who was in the U.S. and out of status. The priority date became current, and she received notices from the NVC, but purposely did not respond because she was afraid it would endanger her son. As a result, the petition and case were terminated. While there are provisions for having a case reinstated being afraid to respond is not a justification or beyond a person’s control.

If a person is receiving notices from the NVC, and they have questions about how to proceed, I suggest they seek the advice of an immigration attorney. In this mother’s case, she decided she knew the law by herself and did not respond. But she messed up her son’s case: the case was terminated and the priority date was lost.

On a separate but related issue, if your priority date is current, but you have not received notices from the NVC, you may also want to consult with an attorney, just in case NVC notices giving you one year to respond are being sent to a different or wrong address.

I’ve also encountered many cases where the case was terminated because the person did not respond within one year since obviously notices were sent to a different address.

Business Quote of the Week “The way I think about culture is that modern humans have radically changed the way that they work and the way that they live. Companies need to change the way they manage and lead to match the way that modern humans actually work and live. We’re trying to re-craft culture in a way that really matches that. I think that 99% of companies are kind of stuck in the ‘90s when it comes to their culture.”

— Brian Halligan, HubSpot of CEO

‘Philippines one of the worst countries to live for minimum wage earners’

by IAN

NICOLAS CIGARAL

pay received by minimum wage earners in the Philippines stood at P5,922, 10.2% higher than MANILA, Philippines — The P5,376 they got in the same Philippines is one of the worst month last year. countries to live for minimum That placed the Philippines wage earners, a new report by at the 17th spot out of 54 coune-commerce firm Picodi released tries tracked by Picodi in terms Tuesday, January 14 found. of rate of increase in minimum In January 2020, monthly net wage year-on-year. In compariPhilstar.com

son, minimum wage jumped 9.1% in Malaysia, 8.7% in Hong Kong and 1.6% in Thailand this month.

However, high food prices are eating up a significant portion of the compensation that minimum wage earners in the Philippines took home. According to Picodi,

Remittances rise in November 11-month total up 4.1%

by MARY

GRACE Philstar.com

PADIN

MANILA, Philippines — Remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) continued to grow in November 2019, although at their slowest pace in five months, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

According to the latest data from the BSP, personal remittances rose by only 2% to $2.64 billion in November last year

from $2.59 billion in the same period in 2018. The 2% growth rate was the slowest pace since June last year.

This brought the cumulative personal remittances to $30.25 billion in the first 11 months of 2019, which was 4.1% higher than the $29.06 billion recorded in 2018.

Personal remittances represent the sum of net compensation of employees, personal transfers, and capital transfers between households. It measures cash and

non-cash items that flow through both formal or via electronic wire and informal channels such as money or goods carried across borders.

The BSP attribute the steady growth in personal remittances during the January to November period to the remittance inflows from land-based overseas Filipino workers with contracts of one year or more, which climbed by 3.6% to $23.1 billion from the previous year’s level of $22.3 billion.

ADB raises $4.25 billion from US bond market

by CZERIZA

VALENCIA Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is raising $4.25 billion from the US bond market to bolster its ordinary capital resources (OCR).

The multilateral bank said on Thursday, January 16 it has returned to the dollar bond market on Jan. 15 with the pricing of a three-year global benchmark bond worth $2.25 billion and a 10-year global benchmark bond worth $2 billion, the proceeds of which will be part of the OCR. ADB’s OCR operations cover loans for projects related to agriculture and natural resources, education, energy, finance, health and social protection, industry and trade, public sector management, transport and information, communication technology, water supply as well as municipal infrastructure and services.

OCR loans are provided to developing member countries

(DMCs) that have attained a higher level of economic development.

Funding sources for OCR include paid-in capital, retained earnings (reserves), and proceeds from debt issuance.

To finance its OCR lending operations, ADB issues debt securities in the international and domestic capital markets.

The Philippines is among ADB developing member countries with access to OCR funding.

“The dollar market has seen a very active start to the new year,” said ADB treasurer Pierre Van Peteghem. “ADB is very pleased to make its first outing a strong one.”

The three-year bond, with a coupon rate of 1.625% per annum payable semi-annually matures on Jan. 24, 2023.

The 10-year bond, meanwhile, with a coupon rate of 1.875 per annum payable semi-annually matures on Jan. 24, 2030.

The transaction was lead-man-

aged by Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Nomura and RBC Capital Markets. A syndicate group was also formed consisting of ANZ, Commerzbank, ING, Credit Agricole and Natwest Markets.

ADB said both issues achieved wide primary market distribution with 37% of the three-year bonds placed in Asia, 37% in the Americas, and 26% in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

By investor type, 51% of the bonds went to central banks and official institutions, 35% to banks, and 14% to fund managers and other types of investors.

For the 10-year bonds, 55% were placed in Europe, Middle East, and Africa; 31% in Asia; and 14% in the Americas.

By investor type, 36% of the bonds went to central banks and official institutions, 44% to banks, 20% to fund managers, and other types of investors.

ADB plans to raise around $25 billion from the capital markets in 2020. n

Planned price controls on life-saving medicines seen hurting foreign drugmakers

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to sign an executive order that would lower the prices of more than a hundred life-saving medicines could threaten the operations of multinational drugmakers in the Philippines, analysts at Fitch Solutions said Thursday, January 16.

The Department of Health has been pushing for an EO that would cut the prices of 122 drugs by half, noting that Filipinos are spending more on medicines compared to their neighbors in the region.

Drugs that may be covered by the price regulation include those that treat cancer, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, neonatal diseases and chronic lung diseases.

In a research note, the Fitch unit said the introduction of maximum retail price scheme targeting expensive patented medicines sold by multinationals “will exacerbate a tough environment.”

It also echoed the warning of some healthcare groups that Duterte’s move could negatively impact small retailers and force manufacturers to reconsider plans to launch new medicine in the country.

Taal Volcano eruption’s damage to agriculture reaches P3.06-B MANILA — Agricultural damage from the phreatic or steamdriven eruption of Taal Volcano has reached P3.06 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

As of Friday morning, January 17, 15,790 hectares of land and 43,774 metric tons have been affected by the volcanic eruption.

The fisheries sector was the most damaged at 52.3%, amounting to P1.6 billion with 6,000 fishcages in the towns Agoncillo, Laurel, San Nicolas and Talisay in Batangas province affected.

Losses on animals, including chicken, carabao, cattle, horse, swine and goat have reached

P20.1 million or a total of 1,923 heads.

The DA also reported that the Bureau of Animal Industry had delivered 20 bags of animal feeds, drugs and medicines for rescued livestock.

The bureau also deployed a mobile clinic to treat affected livestock and to provide them with feeds.

The Philippine Carabao Center and the National Dairy Authority had also provided 2.5 tons of roughages that will be transported to Batangas.

The Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal will also donate 10 tons of assorted vegetables,

which are expected to arrive early Sunday in Lipa City.

Vegetable farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet will also send up to four tons of assorted vegetables which will be delivered to the evacuation centers in Batangas.

Alert Level 4 is still in effect over Taal Volcano, indicating that hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days.

The volcano’s activity for the past 24 hours was characterized by “weak emission of steam-laden plumes 800 meters high from the main crater that drifted to the southwest,” Phivolcs said Friday.

(Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar. com)

PH economy to grow 6.2-6.6% in 2020

by MAYVELIN

U. CARABALLO Manilatimes.net

“It could also lead to pharmaceutical companies withdrawing existing products, which would harm the public,” Fitch Solutions said.

The proposed list of medicines to be covered by the price caps was recommended by the Drug Price Advisory Council.

In the same report, Fitch Solutions said the price controls could be positive for the market over the longer term, with higher volume sales and greater competition.

It added that an increasing focus on cost-effective expenditure “will further promote the generic substitution rhetoric.”

“If patients and other payers are attracted to the new lowerpriced pharmaceuticals, greater demand should attract more suppliers to the Philippine market, which is often overlooked by firms seeking opportunities in Asia Pacific,” Fitch Solutions said. (Ian Nicolas Cigaral / Philstar.com)

STRONG domestic demand despite increasing global uncertainty is expected to help the Philippine economy rise to between 6.2 and 6.6% this year, First Metro Investment Corp.

(FMIC) said this week.

In a briefing in Taguig City on Tuesday, January 14, the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group explained this demand would be underpinned by increased consumer spending and the government’s plan to bring infrastructure spending to 5.7% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

FMIC’s latest forecast falls below the government’s growth target range of between 6.5 and 7.5% for this year. Latest data showed that GDP accelerated to 6.2% in the third quarter after the slower-than-expected 5.6-% and 5.5-% expansions in the first and the second, respectively.

“The Philippine economy will grow faster in 2020 compared to 2019, fueled by stronger consumer spending, easing monetary conditions and [a] growing

tourism sector,” FMIC President Rabboni Francis Arjonillo said during the briefing.

“Consumer spending, which accounts for 66% of the country’s GDP, will expand further, driven by robust government and infrastructure spending, [a] higher employment rate, manageable inflation and robust remittances from overseas Filipino workers,” he added.

FMIC projects infrastructure spending to hit 5.4 to 5.8% of GDP this year.

Also at the briefing, University of Asia and the Pacific economist Victor Abola highlighted the “historic” jobs data reported by the government last December.

That data — from the latest Labor Force Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority — showed that 43.146 million individuals had jobs, up 4.4% from last year’s 41.325 million.

Unemployment, meanwhile, fell to an estimated 4.5% from 5.1% last October and underemployment dropped to 13.0% from 13.3% a year ago.

FMIC projected inflation to stay low at an average of between 2.5 and 2.8% this year from 2.5% in

2019, and expected remittances to maintain its 2- to 4-% growth.

Personal remittances reached $27.61 billion in the January-toOctober 2019 period, up 4.3% from $26.47 billion a year earlier.

FMIC also expected the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 1 to 2% and reduce policy rates by 50 basis points from their current levels.

The investment bank said it expected tourism-arrival growth of 15% to 6.8 million in the first 10 months of 2019 to be sustained.

It also said the Philippine peso might weaken to P53 per dollar this year on the back of a wider trade deficit as the government ramps up infrastructure spending.

The projection falls within P51 to P54 peso-dollar assumption set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee for this year, but is weaker than the P50.63:$1 peso-dollar closing in 2019.

Last, FMIC said risks to Philippine economic growth include negative investor sentiment over regulatory reforms, geopolitical tensions and natural disasters. n

Remittances rise in...

t “Likewise, the combined remittances of sea-based and landbased workers with short-term contracts rose by 7.3% to $6.5 billion during the review period compared to $6 billion a year ago,” the central bank added.

Meanwhile, BSP data also showed that cash remittances coursed through banks, specifically by OFWs with work contracts of less than one year, grew by 2% to $2.37 billion in November 2019 from $2.3 billion in November 2018.

As a result, the total cash remittances from January to November increased by 4.4% to $27.23 billion from $26.09 billion in the same 11-month period in 2018.

By type of worker, cash remittances from land-based workers rose by 3.6% to $21.3 billion, while money sent by sea-based workers climbed by 7.3% to $6 billion.

By country source, remittances from the U.S. accounted for the largest share at 37.7%.

This was followed by Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, United Arab Emirates, the U.K., Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, and Qatar, all of which accounted for 78.4% of total cash remittances during

the period.

The BSP has retained the growth target for both personal and cash remittances at 3% for this year and next year.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the slower growth in remittances for the month of November may be attributed to the slower global economic growth, largely brought about by the lingering U.S.-China trade

war, as well as uncertainties related to Brexit.

Still, Nicholas Mapa, senior economist at ING Bank Manila, noted that while these uncertainties threatened remittance flows, the fact that OFWs are present everywhere helped mitigate the risks.

“Thus we can always expect OFs to find a way to send remittances given that these funds represent more than a mere transfer of foreign currency,” he said. n

‘Philippines one of the worst countries... t minimum wage earners in the country spend 75.1% of their monthly salary on basic food items alone.

But the surge in wages outran the increase in prices in the Philippines this year, Picodi said, with basic food products previously accounting for 81.3% of workers’ monthly pay.

The best ratio of food prices to the minimum wage was noted in Australia, followed by the United

Kingdom and Ireland. In these countries, workers spend 7% of their monthly pay on essential food products, Picodi reported.

“In some countries, like Nigeria or Uzbekistan, the minimum wage is so low that it does not cover the costs of even the most basic shopping basket,” Picodi said.

“Depending on the country, the minimum wage concerns from few to several dozens percent of the working population.

By definition, the minimum

wage should protect employees against unduly low earnings,” it added.

In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, which lowers personal income taxes while raising excise levies on fuel and “sin” products, among others.

The Department of Finance said the tax reform law allowed workers to receive an additional P111.7 billion in 2018. n

Jollibee to raise $600-M from capital markets Electronic exports seen to rebound after US-China deal

by LISBET

K. ESMAEL ManilaTimes.net

FASTFOOD giant Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) is set to raise $600 million from the issuance of U.S. dollar-denominated senior guaranteed perpetual capital securities — its first to tap the capital markets since going public in 1993.

In a disclosure on Friday, January 17, the company said it was finally pursuing a fund-raising activity in the capital market, stressing it has decided to upsize the offering from the initial target of $400 million amid strong demand witnessed from investors.

Final pricing was also set at 3.9 percent, non-call and payable semi-annually, from the original price guidance of 4.25 percent, it

added.

According to JFC, the securities are unrated and will be listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Ltd. The proceeds would help refinance its short-term debt from the purchase of International Coffee and Tea, LLC (The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) and general corporate matters.

It can be recalled that in September, JFC completed the $350million buyout of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, making it the first homegrown firm to make a bold move in the global coffee retailing market.

As it targets to snatch a spot in the top five restaurants in the world, JFC was expecting the

multi-million deal to boost its global system-wide sales, total store network, worldwide sales contribution by 14 percent, 26 percent and 36 percent, respectively.

“The objective of management for this issuance is to further strengthen the balance sheet of JFC to build a stronger foundation for accelerating its growth,” it said.

JFC’s net income in January to Septmber 2019 dipped by 25.5 percent to P4.53 billion from P6.09 billion in the same period in 2018 due to losses from Smashburger and Red Ribbon.

Shares of JFC surged by 6.27 percent or P12.60 to close at P213.60 on Friday. n

US-China trade truce continues to buoy PSEi

by JORDEENE

B. LAGARE ManilaTimes.net

PHILIPPINE shares on Friday, January 17, trailed the majority of their regional peers as it ended the shortened trading week in the green, still cashing in on the recently signed trade pact between the United States and China.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange (PSEi) surged by 0.91 percent or 69.40 points to close at 7,722.58, while the wider All Shares rose 0.45 percent or 20.19 points to finish at 4,551.19.

“Philippine shares rallied today, along with regional benchmarks indexes closing at new records, following the signing of a trade truce between the U.S. and China on Wednesday and [the] Senate approval of a new trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada on Thursday,” Re-

gina Capital Development Corp. head of sales Luis Limlingan said in a message.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He led the signing of the much-anticipated truce in their trade war, putting a closure to an almost two years of tensions between the two countries.

Under the accord signed on January 15, Beijing agreed to import an additional $200 billion in U.S. products in the next two years.

Local stocks also gained following a series of declines this week.

In a message, Philstocks Financial Inc. Client Engagement Officer and Research Associate Piper Chaucer Tan said the market’s rally “is caused by the technical rebound that the market respects the 7,700 support line.”

PSEi also rose after government agencies said the economy

would continue growing in 2020 and 2021, he added.

Wall Street was up. Nasdaq climbed by 1.06 percent while Dow Jones and S&P added 0.92 percent and 0.84 percent, respectively.

In Asia, Tokyo soared 0.39 percent, Hong Kong inched up 0.60 percent and Shanghai went up by 0.14 percent. Thailand and Vietnam gained 0.46 percent and 0.48 percent, respectively.

However, Jakarta slipped by 0.12 percent.

In Manila, all sectors ended in the positive territory as well, with industrial and financials gaining 1.51 percent and 1.41 percent, respectively.

About 1.2 billion shares were traded for P6.27 billion.

Winners surpassed losers, 99-77, while 53 issues were unchanged. n

PH economy likely grew 6.6% in Q4 – analyst

by ANNA LEAH

E. GONZALES ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippine economy likely rose faster in the fourth quarter of 2019 on the back of increased household consumption and government spending, as well as an expected rebound in capital formation, according to a Security Bank Corp. analyst.

In a report on Thursday, January 16, Security Bank chief economist Robert Dan Roces said the lender forecast gross domestic product (GDP) growth to have picked up to 6.6 percent in the period.

The figure is higher than the 6.2 percent recorded in the third

quarter, 5.5 percent in the second and 5.6 percent in the first.

It is the same as that forecast by ING Bank earlier and higher than the 6.4 percent projected by the Union Bank of the Philippines. “[The] capital formation meltdown was what really hurt us in the past quarter, plus delayed spending due to a delayed budget,” Roces said, referring to the four-and-a-half month delay in the approval of the 2019 budget.

“With inflation returning to the 2 to 4-percent [target range of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)] in December and the RR [reserve requirement] cuts

lending increased liquidity, capital formation looks better for the quarter,” he added.

The economist noted that household consumption “was higher, especially [during] the holiday season. Government spending was also better [in the] quarter, and we expect GDP to average 6.0 percent for 2019, or the lower end of the growth target [range] for the year.”

The government aims to achieve economic growth of between 6.0 and 6.5 percent for last year.

Official fourth quarter and full-

by LOUELLA

DESIDERIO Philstare.com

MANILA — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hopes to see an improvement in electronic exports which have been affected by trade tensions between U.S. and China.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez on Thursday, January 16 said the agency would want to see the country’s shipments of electronic products improve given the recent development between the U.S. and China.

He said electronics, which account for bulk of the country’s merchandise exports, have been affected by the trade tensions between the two countries.

This, as the country’s electronics industry forms part of

the global supply chain with shipments particularly of semiconductors going to different products including consumer goods.

While the country’s electronic exports are still growing, it is expanding at a much slower pace.

“It’s not negative but what used to be growing at six percent is now just about three percent.

That part will hopefully improve with at least a signing taking place, some kind of optimism in the air as we see this Phase one signing,” Lopez said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the country’s electronic product exports increased 2.8% to $37.57 billion in 2018 from $36.54 billion in 2017.

As of end-October, electronic

exports rose 2.7% to $33.20 billion from $32.34 billion in the same period in 2018.

Under the Phase one deal signed by the U.S. and China, the latter would be importing an additional $200 billion worth of U.S. products over two years.

In addition, the deal provides protection for intellectual property of U.S. technology.

While the first phase trade deal has been signed by the U.S. and China, it was reported that tariffs earlier imposed by the U.S. would remain and only be removed after Phase two.

Lopez said the Phase one deal is a welcome development as it addresses uncertainties in global trade.

“It’s good to ease the tension between the two,” he said. n

Assorted vegetables, bananas, coffee take hit from Taal eruption

by NEIL

ARWIN MERCADO Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines — Assorted vegetables, bananas, and coffee were among the commodities damaged by Taal Volcano’s steam-driven eruption, the Department of Agriculture (DA) revealed Wednesday, January 15.

During the weekly economic briefing at the Palace, Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said total damage in agriculture has reached P577.39 million, covering 2,772 hectares of land.

Over 56% of the P577.39 million agricultural damage came from assorted vegetables, followed by bananas (20.96%), coffee (10.91%), corn (7.18%), and other commodities such as rice and livestock (4.85%).

Help for farmers and fisherfolk In a move to help affected farmers, Cayanan said a total of P21.7 million of combined interventions for crops and livestock will be distributed to 16 local government units (LGUs) in Batangas.

Once aquaculture operations in the Taal Lake resumes, Cayanan also said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will prepare assistance to fishermen.

This includes seven million fingerlings for tilapia; 20,000 for Ulang; 50,000 for hito; 100,000

for bighead carp; and 5,000 fingerlings for Ayungin.

Cayanan added that the Bureau of Animal Industry also has available drugs and biologics to be provided for affected livestock.

Two trucks are likewise available to aid in animal rescue and evacuation in the affected areas, according to the DA official.

Around 1,200 farmers and fisherfolk in Batangas are also expected to benefit from the Survival and RecoveryLoan Assistance, he said.

Cayanan further assured that the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation has enough funds to

pay for the indemnity of the affected insured farmers and fisherfolk.

In terms of helping evacuees and other affected residents, Cayanan said the National Food Authority also has an initial stock of 168,758 bags of rice ready for distribution.

Taal Volcano is still placed under Alert Level 4, which is characterized by “intense unrest, continuing seismic swarms, including harmonic tremor and/or low-frequency earthquakes”. Alert Level 4 also means that a fiery explosion is imminent within hours or days. n

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EMPLOYMENT

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PAL warns public against online ads, phishing sites

by RICHMOND

MERCURIO Philstar.com

MANILA — Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has warned the public against a fake PAL advertisement circulating online that claims to give out plane tickets in exchange of answering several questions.

PAL in an advisory on Thursday, January 16 urged the netizens not to open the site, as doing so would compromise their personal data.

PAL said its information systems department has classified it as a phishing site designed to capture personal information.

“We warn individuals behind this scheme to desist from carrying out this illegal act. We are in coordination with authorities to address this matter,” PAL said.

According to the carrier, the fake advertisement is circulating online, luring people to reply to several questions in exchange for a chance to win plane tickets.

The fake advertisement, it

said, bears a PAL logo with the phrase “Home in the Sky.” “Please note that the official PAL logo carries the tagline ‘Heart of the Filipino’ and that all official advertisements of the airline are posted at www.philippineairlines.com and the PAL Facebook Page,” it said.

PAL is the country’s only fourstar global airline.

It is ranked as the 30th Best

Airline in the world, having been awarded the World’s Most Improved Airline honors for 2019

by Skytrax and the 4-Star Major Airline award from the U.S.based Airline Passenger Experience Association.

PAL has a network covering more than 30 domestic and 40 international destinations with a fleet of 98 advanced-technology aircraft. n

DOF eyes lower DST, abolition of travel tax FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said on Thursday, January 16 he was looking to reduce the documentary stamp tax (DST) and abolish the travel tax in the future.

At the joint meeting of the Rotary Club of Makati West and Rotary Club of Manila in Makati City, Dominguez said a higher DST was not part of the government’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP) and was only inserted during the bicameral conference committee on the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (Train).

According to the National Tax Research Center (NTRC), the DST is a tax upon documents, instruments, loan agreements and papers proving the acceptance, assignment, sale or transfer of an obligation, right or property incident thereto and in respect of

the transaction so had or accomplished.

Under Train, DST rates on these papers, like bank checks, doubled from P1.50 to P3.

Meanwhile, the DST rate on the issue price of all debt instruments increased by 50 percent, or from P1 to P1.50 on each P200.

“During the time when we [were having the] bicam, the [Department of Finance] was not allowed to speak, so that was inserted, and unfortunately we were unable to register our objection [to] that,” Dominguez explained.

“We definitely don’t agree with it and hope that, in some future legislation, the DST will be reduced,” he said.

On the travel tax, the Finance chief said his department “will look at its elimination” if the proceeds from it continued to be

unused.

“I had a meeting with the Tieza [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] people recently, and I noted that they have P14 billion in their account.

And I told them if they don’t spend it, I will take it away,” Dominguez said.

The NTRC defines this tax as one imposed by the national government on all its citizens, permanent resident aliens and non-immigrant aliens who have stayed in the Philippines for more than a year and are traveling to other countries.

It says the tax is used to generate much-needed funds for tourism-related programs and projects.

Tieza is the government agency mandated by law to collect the travel tax. (Mayvelin U. Caraballo/ ManilaTimes.net)

PH economy likely grew 6.6% in Q4 – analyst t year GDP growth data are scheduled to be released on January 23.

Roces also said “inflation this year likely settled within the government’s 2 to 4-percent target range.

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“For 2020, we expect inflation to remain within the target range, save some bump to the CPI [consumer price index] in the first months [of the year], due to [the] Taal Volcano’s eruption that affected industries in [southern] Luzon,” he said.

According to the economist, the BSP is expected to continue reducing interest rates, with a 25(-)basis-point (bp) cut in the first quarter, and further slash the RR in the next several quarters by at least 200 bps for 2020. n

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