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Volume 26 - No. 34 • 2 sections – 16 pages

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US, PH renew cooperation in maintaining regional stability Alexis RomeRo

regional stability. the need to enhance the Philippines’s mANILA—the United states on security capabilities was discussed durWednesday, Aug. 26 vowed to help the ing the meeting of Defense secretary Philippines strengthen its intelligence Voltaire Gazmin and Us Pacific Comgathering capabilities as the two coun- mand chief Adm. harry harris in Camp tries agreed to work together to maintain Aguinaldo. by

Philstar.com

DATELINE

USA

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS SS AMEric MEricA ricA

Study reveals subconscious racial biases in Americans

“It was agreed that developing the capability of the Armed forces of the Philippines (AfP) is of paramount importance, specifically in the areas of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and command and control,” Defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said in a

statement. “they agreed that they will be assessing how best they can assist us in those areas,” he added in a separate phone interview.

Galvez could not provide specifics as to how the Us plans to boost the defense

capabilities of the Philippines, its oldest ally in Asia. the two countries, nevertheless, agreed to cooperate in information-sharing and in helping maintain regional stability.

PAGE A2

Balikbayan boxes to undergo inspection by evelyn

mAcAiRAn Philstar.com

mANILA—Instead of a random physical inspection of balikbayan boxes, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) will use X-ray machines to thoroughly examine all shipping containers A reCeNt study from the Pew research filled with balikbayan boxes.

Center suggests that subconscious preferIt would not cause port conences for different racial groups persist, gestion or delay the release of even among multiracial adults. balikbayan boxes, Commisresearchers at Pew say that “most humans display a bias against out-groups—

sioner Alberto Lina assured the public on tuesday, Aug. 25. “the bureau will follow the President’s directive on balikbayan boxes effective immediately,” he said. “Instead of random physical inspections, we will do a mandatory X-ray examination of containers of consolidated shipments and PAGE A2

PAGE A4

Filipino priest flees US, wanted for hidden camera in restroom

sAN frANCI fr sCo — Police in sherwood, oregon, have issued an arrest warrant for a filipino priest who allegedly placed a hidden camera in a church bathroom, but he has fled to the Philippines.

After a boy discovered a camera hidden in PAGE A4

COURTESY CALL. President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges views with United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) chief Admiral Harry Harris and US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg during a courtesy call at the Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Also in photo is Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario (right).

Malacañang photo by Joseph Vidal

Travelers push their balikbayan boxes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay City. Instead of a random physical inspection of balikbayan boxes, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) will use X-ray machines to thoroughly examine all shipping containers filled with balikbayan boxes.

Philstar.com photo by Kriz John Rosales

Filipinos applaud House Foreign Affairs Committee on efforts to combat land grabbing in Southeast Asia by

Allyson escobAR AJPress

the house foreign oreign Af Affairs subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific gathered at the California state PolyRepresentative Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, talking with Joey Quinto, editor and publisher technic University, Pomona campus on friday, Aug. 21, of the California Journal for Filipino Americans.

AJPress photo by Allyson Escobar for a field hearing about

PH gov’t ‘respects’‘zero remittance day’ protest

by KRistine

Angeli Inquirer.net

sAbillo

mALACAñANG on Wednesday, Aug. 26, said it respected the decision of overseas filipino workers (ofWs) to participate in a “zero remittance day” protest, adding similar events in previous years did not affect the economy.

“In our previous experience with

property rights, development, and land ownership in southeast Asia. for years, the United states has sought to help promote security and economic growth in dependent countries like the Philippines and Cambodia. many PAGE A3 Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton

seafood footer ad

that, in 2013 during the peak of the PDAf (Priority Development Assistance fund) issue or the pork barrel, there had been no reported adverse effects,” Communications secretary herminio Coloma Jr. told Palace reporters. “If that will be our basis then we probably should not be alarmed.” on t tuesday, Aug. 25, migrant

group migrante party-list announced that it would hold a “zero remittance day” protest on Aug. 28 despite President Benigno Aquino III’s order to scrap the Bureau of Customs’ new policy on the physical inspection of balikbayan boxes.

Nevertheless, Coloma said PAGE A2

Pemberton admits to choking Jennifer Laude, denies killing her

by Agnes

constA onst nte AJPress

said her client, Lance Corporal Joseph scott Pemberton, told the Us marine charged with the court in olongapo City on the murder of Philippine trans- monday, Aug. 24 that Laude was gender Jennifer Laude admitted unconscious but still breathing in court to choking Laude in self- when he left her in the shower of a motel. the defendant and defense but denied killing her.

Defense lawyer rowena flores PAGE A3

A

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From The FronT Page

US, PH renew cooperation in...

PAGE A1

“The Secretary of National Defense and the Commander of the US Pacific Command shared the sense that the Philippines and the US will continue to work together to enhance regional security,�

Galvez said. “In addition to building the AFP’s capability, there was also an agreement to cooperate on information sharing through the crafting of a General Security of Military Information Agreement,� he added.

When asked if the informationsharing agreement will cover the South China Sea dispute, Galvez replied: “It will be all-encompassing. It will cover all security concerns including maritime issues, anti-terrorism efforts and other transnational security issues.�

Galvez said Harris had also acknowledged that enhanced information sharing would further enhance the interoperability between the AFP and the US Pacific Command.

Harris arrived in Manila for a three-day visit that aims to boost the security ties between the Philippines and the US. He called on AFP chief Gen. Hernando Iriberri and Gazmin in Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday morning before meeting with National Coast Watch Council Undersecretary Jose Alano in Manila in the afternoon. Harris capped his courtesy calls with a meeting with President Aquino in MalacaĂąang.

Harris is also scheduled to meet with AFP Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alexander Lopez in Palawan, the province nearest the disputed Spratlys chain.

AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said Harris had briefed Iriberri about Washington’s maritime security strategy in the Asia Pacific as contained in a report released recently by the US State Department. “What transpired during the dialogue was a frank and honest exchange of ideas regarding the

US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg (left) joins United States Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry Harris during the courtesy call at the MalacaĂąang Palace on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

MalacaĂąang photo by Joseph Vidal

evolving security challenges in the region as a result of natural disasters and issues involving the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea ensued during the dialogue,� Padilla said.

Padilla said the report recognized the importance of the AsiaPacific region and its maritime domain for the security of the United States. “It is focused on safeguarding freedom of the seas, deterring conflict and coercion, and promoting adherence to international law and standards in order to preserve the peace and security the AsiaPacific region has enjoyed for the past 70 years,� he added.

Padilla, however, admitted that the US did not make any concrete commitments during the meeting.

He noted that the US State Department report enumerated “lines of effort� to preserve security in the region.

These are strengthening US military capacity “to deter conflict and coercion and respond decisively when needed,� working with allies to build their capacity to address potential challenges; leveraging military diplomacy “to build greater transparency, reduce the risk of miscalculation� and promote shared maritime rules;� and working to strengthen regional security institutions. “This is very important to the

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Philippines. It is part of our interest to keep that freedom of the seas going because a lot of trade goes on in these areas,� Padilla said.

Harris’ visit came as the Philippines is embroiled in a territorial row with a militarily superior China over the Spratly Islands and the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, a fishing area located off Zambales.

The Philippines has been criticizing China for occupying disputed reefs in South China Sea despite signing a 2002 agreement that prohibits activities that will cause tensions.

China is claiming virtually the whole South China Sea while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

To assert its territorial claims, China implemented a massive land reclamation in seven reefs that are also being claimed by the Philippines.

The projects are located in Panganiban (Mischief), Zamora (Subi), Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Kennan (Chigua), Mabini (Johnson South), Burgos (Gaven) and Calderon (Cuarteron) Reefs.

Satellite photos showed that China is constructing artificial islands with airstrips, radar systems and military barracks, a move that experts believe would impact on freedom of navigation.

PH gov’t ‘respects’‘zero remittance day’...

PAGE A1 MalacaĂąang “respects the right of OFWs to express their sentiments.â€?

However, he said the decision whether or not to send remittance or money to their relatives in the Philippines depended on the OFW. “As they decide, they will take into account that whatever they feel about the policy, they will still need to send remittances,� he said. “It might be delayed for a day but I don’t think they will decide not to send it at all.�

Coloma said the government believed Filipinos working abroad would do what was beneficial for

their loved ones.

Migrante chair Connie BragasRegalado said that while they were “pleased� with Aquino’s decision, which they considered an “initial victory for OFWs,� they were still protesting the BOC’s imposed P600-million revenue target for balikbayan boxes.

The BOC earlier claimed that it was losing P50 million a month from smuggled goods placed inside the boxes.

Migrante hopes “zero remittance day� will force the government to retract the P600-million target revenue.

Coloma said while MalacaĂąang

recognized the contributions of OFWs to the economy, there was also a need to address smuggling, especially technical smuggling, which involved the use of balikbayan boxes.

He said smugglers were the ones who “destroy the symbol� and meaning of balikbayan boxes regularly sent to the Philippines

by OFWs. The BOC received flak online after it announced plans to physically inspect balikbayan boxes.

OFWs said they feared pilferage while Migrante decried the revenue target, saying migrants should not be seen as “milking cows� by the government.

Balikbayan boxes to undergo...

PAGE A1 balikbayan boxes at no cost to the sender or OFW, and ensure the necessary checks, balances and witnesses are present in the event that a physical inspection is made,� he said.

Some might perceive that a thorough examination of container vans with the use of only 11 X-ray machines might take longer than a spot check of two percent of balikbayan boxes, Lina said. “This would not lead to long queues of balikbayan boxes that would need to go through our Xray machines,� he said. “Apart from our plan to put additional X-ray machines, we could schedule the X-ray scan of the container vans to 40 containers a day per X-ray machine.�

Each 40-foot container van carries about 400 balikbayan boxes, and about 1,000 container vans of balikbayan boxes arrive every month.

When the Christmas season starts, the volume is expected to double or triple.

The change in procedure in handling balikbayan boxes would mean more work for the BOC, Lina said.

Despite the inspection of balikbayan boxes, the BOC would still be able to check agricultural, rice

and other types of arriving cargo, he added.

They are encouraging senders of balikbayan boxes to make a detailed list of their contents and send them to the BOC in advance via electronic mail so they could examine the documents and “preclear� the shipment, Lina said. “What will happen here is that they really have to do what they are supposed to do, the shippers and the freight forwarders, they have to do their job now,� he said. “This means they would have to itemize (the contents of the package) and put the invoice and the value of each item.�

The BOC is asking other government agencies like the Armed Forces and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to lend them drug and explosives-trained dogs to sniff out contraband from the shipment, Lina said.

Another option is to lease the services of canines, he added.

The BOC will also ask freight forwarders to install X-ray machines in their warehouses following the BOC specifications to speed up clearance of balikbayan boxes, Lina said.

They are also looking into acquiring more close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be installed at the ports, he added.

The public must be vigilant and report erring Customs employees to the BOC, Lina said. “We enjoin the public to report Customs employees who commit unauthorized physical inspections of balikbayan boxes to submit photos and videos of these acts to helpdesk@customs.gov.ph with the necessary details so we can act on them,� he said. “We also urge our colleagues in government to prioritize the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) pending in Congress so we can harmonize, modernize and simplify our Customs procedures, superseding policies and procedures that have not been updated as far back as 1957. Under the same Act, it is important to note that we have been pushing for the increase of the de minimis value, or the threshold value for taxable imported goods, from the current P10 in duties, taxes and charges for the benefit

of our OFW kababayans.�

Congressional review Sen. Ralph Recto wants to increase the tax-exempt value of the contents of a balikbayan box to $2,000 from the present $500.

He has filed Senate Bill 2913, the proposed Balikbayan Box Law for this purpose. “But what the OFWs want is not temporary relief but permanent protection against whimsical search and seizures of their padala,� he said.

By raising the tax-exempt ceiling, the “motive and the temptation� to open balikbayan boxes will be removed, Recto said. “The $2,000 cap per carton will be hard to breach,� he said. “The value of almost all balikbayan boxes does not reach that amount. The $2,000 limit is a vaccine against the opening (of balikbayan boxes).�

BOC Memorandum Circular No. 7990 fixing a maximum value of $500 per balikbayan box is 25 years old, Recto said.

It has been overtaken by foreign exchange upheavals and inflationary pressures, he added.

After the new tax-exempt limit has been adjusted to $2,000, the next mandatory revisit of that amount would take place every six years, Recto said. “We don’t have to wait for a quarter of century again to adjust the ceiling,� he said. “The intent of this bill is to recognize the Philippine tradition and culture of promoting and preserving strong family ties as represented by a balikbayan box carefully loaded with goodies by our hardworking OFWs,� he said.

The status of parcels mailed through the post office will also be reviewed, Recto said.

The maximum ceiling per box must also be applied on mailed parcels, he added.

House inquiry The House of Representatives will look into the BOC decision to subject balikbayan boxes to stringent examination, including opening some of them.

Resolution No. 2311 of Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo prompted the inquiry. (With Jess Diaz, Aurea Calica, Helen Flores, Chrisina Mendez, Mayen Jaymalin, Ding Cervantes)

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Filipinos applaud House Foreign Affairs... Positive relations with China a must -US admiral PAGE A1 families in the Southeast Asia region are denied basic protections under the law, including the right to secure property, raise capital, and participate freely in the economy.

On Friday, Rep. Ed Royce (RCalifornia), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee joined with Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Arizona), chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, as well as several US officials from various agencies and bureaus, in charge of promoting and protecting land development in foreign countries.

“We have been working very closely with [the Philippine] government to respond to the devastation of Tacloban and to reform the government. However, at some local government levels, the legacy of Marcos still remains,” Royce said in his opening statement. “But as we aim to deepen our engagement and transform our aid so that it supports sustainable, market-based economic growth, we must consider whether the underlying conditions exist to realize that growth.”

“In countries where citizens are denied basic protections under the law, including the right to secure property, those conditions simply do not exist. An outdated and inefficient land administration system has resulted in fraudulent, overlapping and duplicate or even triplicate land titles and widespread land grabbing in the Philippines. The perpetrators are local politicians, foreign investors and well-connected people,” he continued.

Royce also lauded President Benigno Aquino III for “his considerable efforts to reform and clean up politics,” but the damage brought by years of federal corruption has been done.

Over 12 million Filipinos reportedly do not own the rights to their own homes with respect to verifiable land title, calling the desperate need for proper titling to pave the way for wealth and opportunities for families.

“I was glad to see such a strong US humanitarian effort. In the aftermath of natural disasters like this, on top of losing their homes and belongings, victims can also find themselves without a shred of proof to their rights to their property,” Royce said.

Last February, Royce led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to the Philippines, where they observed the widespread destruction

done by Typhoon Yolanda.

“On a previous delegation [to the Philippines] I was personally prevented, at gunpoint, from accessing the property of a constituent by what appeared to be local security forces,” Royce shared to the crowd of hundreds. “In my meeting with President Aquino, I pressed him on the importance of protecting property rights.”

“Filipinos, as well as Cambodians, have great economic potential we should be working to unlock.

The question is, what can we do to change land grabbing and put an end to people being pushed off their land?”

Jonathan Stivers, an assistant administrator of the Bureau for Asia with the US Agency for International Development (USAID), talked about the Partnership for Growth program in collaboration with the Philippine government.

Stivers acknowledged the “substantial economic progress” in terms of higher growth rates, but also noted distressingly high rates of unemployment, national poverty levels, and severe income inequality that persists in the country.

Protecting land rights is key to promoting growth in many struggling rural and urban communities, he said.

“In rural areas, despite the most recent comprehensive land reform program that transferred ownership rights and titles to a majority of the smallholder farmers, productivity of basic food crops has remained low, and farmers’ incomes have not improved,” Stivers said. “The high cost of property registration and the fact that seemingly routine registry processes, like correcting clerical mistakes, issuing lost titles and weeding out fraudulent certificates require lengthy court processes, are among the constraints to secure property rights.”

Stivers also pointed out the large backlog of cases, causing major delays and high costs of litigation. For example, 90 percent of the cases (of which 17 percent were land disputes) handled by the Supreme Court in 2012 took more than 20 years to make their way through the system of hearings and high court appeals.

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary James Caruso talked about the US Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent foreign aid agency that helps to address problems of corruption, and is working on a partnership agreement “compact” with the Philippines.

“In the case of the Philippines, should land rights and tenure emerge as binding constraints to economic growth during development of the compact, MCC will give careful consideration to interventions to address this issue,” Caruso said.

Congresswoman Rep. Judy Chu (D-California) also spoke to the subcommittee, highlighting the importance of land ownership and the rights individuals have to their own homes.

“Too often in the world, weak property rights and land titles have pushed families--especially women and children, who are most susceptible--away from their homes. Land grabs are often done by force, affecting the poor and marginalized, and creating massive displacement sites and squatting communities,” Chu said.

According to US Foreign Aid, almost $2.7 million in aid has been provided to Cambodia and the Philippines, Chu pointed out.

“Where is this money going?” she asked members of the committee at the hearing. “This is driving our need to act on this urgent matter.”

Filipinos reach out to Ed Royce, House Foreign Affairs Committee Several witnesses and educators who know first-hand the direct impacts land grabbing has on the lives of Filipinos and Cambodians were also present at the hearing.

Faith Bautista, president and CEO of the National Asian American Coalition (NAAC), gave a testimony on behalf of one of the largest pan-Asian American advocacy groups in the US. She talked about the Belisario family, whose 44 properties were illegally seized and transferred to non-legitimate owners often without documentation. She also made a list of suggestions to improve the system to benefit displaced Filipinos, including providing proper forms, an independent auditor to examine claims, prompt reports with a specific resolution, and a comprehensive response from the Philippine government regarding the land issue.

Zosimo Laurel Contreras, a litigant in the property dispute, said his family’s property in Tagaytay had been forcibly seized, and implored the committee to work diligently with the Philippine government to help keep their rightfully inherited land.

“We cannot let the land grabPAGE A4

by Niña

P. Calleja Inquirer.net

THE commander of the US Pacific Fleet on Tuesday, Aug. 25 affirmed the US commitment to peace and security in the region, but stressed the importance of having a positive relationship with China despite rising tension in the disputed South China Sea. Adm. Scott Swift, who has been in office barely three months and is on a tour of Pacific countries, spoke to journalists in a telephone press conference from Kuala Lumpur.

After his visit to the Philippines last month, Swift went to South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.

“We seek a positive relationship with China… we have several mechanisms which have been in place,” Swift said, when asked about China’s reclamation activities in the disputed South China Sea, parts of which are being claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

Swift cited the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, the 2014 agreement reached by Asia-Pacific countries aimed at reducing incidents at sea between countries.

“That is working quite well. The US is interested in expanding this mechanism to the Chinese Coast

US Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift

Guard as well,” he said.

He, however, reiterated the position of other US officials that China’s reclamation activities were “troubling” because of their “scope and scale.”

“What more can be done? I stress the importance of engaging others in the region that have a similar concern,” Swift said.

“What is important is to come together in a multilateral way and approach and reconcile the differences of claims within the region in a positive way and not allow the use of coercion or force as a lever to the benefit of one party,” he added.

The US official said there was a need to pursue multilateral

military exercises in the Asia Pacific, instead of holding bilateral exercises.

“Multilateral exercises optimize the resources that we have,” he said, noting the US’s plan to position 60 percent of its naval resources in the Asia-Pacific as part of its “pivot to Asia” strategy.

“We want to increase the utility of those forces. The best way to do that is through multilateral exercises instead doing exercises with three different countries separately.

Last June, the US, Japan and the Philippines began joint naval drills, called the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat), in Palawan.

Pemberton admits to choking Jennifer...

PAGE A1 victim met there to have sex after they met in a bar in October last year.

Pemberton told the court that when found out a man, not a woman, was giving him oral sex, he pushed Laude away. He was then slapped in return and choked the victim as an act of self-defense, he told the court.

The marine panicked when he saw Laude unconscious and left, the Associated Press reported.

Pemberton’s lawyers told reporters Laude was still alive when the marine left the hotel, Reuters reported.

“Pemberton told the court he thought Laude just lost consciousness after he strangled her, which he considered an act of self-defense,” Harry Roque, a lawyer for the victim’s family, told reporters, according to Reuters.

Laude was found dead on Oct. 11, 2014 in the hotel located in

Olongapo City, near a former US naval base.

Flores said defense lawyers would present evidence raising the possibility that another individual killed Laude, according to the Associated Press.

She also said her client told the court he felt as though he had been raped, the news agency reported.

Philippine government prosecutors charged Pemberton with murder in December, saying there was “probable cause” he killed the transgender Filipina in an attack “was aggravated by treachery, abuse of superior strength and cruelty,” according to the news agency.

Pemberton’s confession on Monday was considered bittersweet by Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, among lawyers representing Laude.

“The confession itself is a sweet-bitter victory. But justice can only be truly served when

the Philippines finally stands on equal footing with the US, when we finally take back our sovereignty, and when Filipinos are treated humanely with dignity and respect especially right inside our very own territory,” she said in a statement.

“We have always been certain about this – that Pemberton murdered Jennifer. The overwhelming evidence proves this. Now things are crystal clear with Pemberton’s confession,” Suarez added.

She also said Pemberton’s testimony will be assessed by the court for its final judgment and could be considered an extenuating circumstance, Philstar reported.

If found guilty, Pemberton faces 20 years to life in prison. A verdict is expected next month.

The marine is being held at a US facility at the main army base in Manila. (With reports from Philstar, Reuters and The Associated Press)

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US aid agency lists 4 obstacles to PH growth THe Millenium Challenge Corp.

(MCC), a US government aid agency funding government projects in the Philippines, has identified four obstacles to the country’s attaining sustainable growth.

The MCC is undertaking a “cause analysis” on how to address these concerns to ensure a strong finish next year for the local projects it is funding under a $434-million “compact” with the government.

According to Fatema Z. Sumar, the MCC department of compact operations regional deputy vice

president for europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America, the MCC identified four challenges to Philippine growth based on an economic constraints analysis it conducted.

Multiyear agreement These are: government implementation capacity; the high cost of transport logistics; the high cost of electricity; and land and market failures.

The compact is a multiyear agreement between the MCC and an eligible country or an aid grantee for specific programs aimed at

reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth.

Sumar said that with the clock ticking on the implementation of the five-year Philippine agreement, the program remains on track. The compact closeout date is May 25, 2016.

‘Very good partner’ “We are in a very strong position here in the Philippines, under this compact, to finish on track and to finish on time,” Sumar said, adding that the Philippine government has been a “very good partner” of the MCC. “Overall, we are in a very strong shape here in terms of compact implementation. We have less than a year to go… we are seeing strong performance in each of the three project areas where we are operating throughout the country,” Sumar said on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The five-year MCC compact with the Philippines, signed in September 2010 and implemented in May 2011, involves a grant of some $434 million for three projects: the Revenue Administration Reform Project (RARP); the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS); and the secondary national road development project.

The $54.4-million RARP addresses the need to raise tax revenues, reduce tax evasion and improve revenue collection while the $120-million Kalahi-CIDSS aims to uplift poor communities through the provision of infrastructure and services. The $214.4-million secondary national roads development project is designed to reduce transportation costs through the rehabilitation of 222 kilometers of roads between the provinces of Samar and eastern Samar.

Limits and challenges According to Sumar, bureaucratic red tape limits the government’s ability to operate efficiently while geography and the environment have challenged seamless transportation and logistics. electricity cost in the Philippines, she said, is the highest among developing countries in the same status and bracket. She pointed out that markets for goods which are competitive are difficult to create when they are not accessible.

“Now that we have identified these areas, our teams are undertaking a cause analysis that will come away with a deeper understanding of what are the drivers within each of those areas that are impeding broader economic growth,” the MCC official said. (Philstar.com)

OBAMA IN LAS VEGAS. President Barack Obama waits backstage as Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduces him at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., on Monday, Aug. 24.

White House photo by Pete Souza

Filipinos applaud House Foreign Affairs...

PAGE A3 bers control us. We cannot continue to feel helpless,” Contreras said. “Where is the justice? Where is the Rule of Law in our Philippine government? Where is the respect for property owners, and who will protect our rights?”

Joey Quinto, publisher of the California Journal for Filipino Americans, also told his story about his family’s property in Antipolo being locked by a powerful Philippine general, who took full control of the access road and built a home for himself.

In objection of the act, Quinto has reached out to several lawmakers, including President Aquino, members of the Philippine government, the United Nations, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Judy Chu, and the

House Foreign Affairs Committee led by Congressman ed Royce.

“Congressman Royce has been the champion of these issues,” Quinto said. “When he discovered this endemic problem in our country, he reached out to our community in an effort to end corruption and land issues. Because members of Congress don’t want to see their billions of dollars in aid going to waste. When it comes to taxpayers’ money, everyone will pay attention…this affects everybody.”

He continued, “If corruption and land-grabbing continues, there is a major credit risk. The Philippines is maturing loans every month, obtaining a higher interest rate. What we need to do as a community, is to bring out our

stories, and get rid of the culture of fear. Filipino-Americans are also Americans, and we won’t be hurt. We cannot be afraid. We need to rise up and take back our land.”

“It is important for the Filipino community to organize and to be an advocacy group for these issues,” Chu told the Asian Journal.

“There are so many things that can be done--letters to be sent [to MCC] on the conditions placed for a second compact. We need to bring these types of things to members of Congress, and it’s more effective if Filipinos themselves, as well as victims, can bring these issues to Congress to educate them, and then have a plan of action. We need to use whatever leverage we have.”

Filipino priest flees US, wanted for hidden...

PAGE A1 an electrical socket in the bathroom of the St. Francis Church in Sherwood in April. Court documents say Father Ysrael Bien told his parents an elaborate story over the course of a month about a police investigation that never actually took place.

Bien was not charged with a crime at the time due to insufficient evidence, and the Archdiocese of Portland placed him on administrative leave on June 28.

However, a customer sent a query to Spyguy Security of Arlington, Texas, if it had sold any hidden cameras to anyone in Sherwood, Oregon.

A spokesman said they Googled for any news item about Sherwood and found Bien’s name, which matched with one of their receipts.

An arrest warrant was issued for Bien on Tuesday, August 18 on charges of personal invasion of privacy, tampering with physical evidence and initiating a false police report.

Officers with the Sherwood Police Department attempted to locate Bien at his last known residence, but according to another priest at the home, Bien may no longer be in the U.S. Bien, who was apparently visiting family in the Philippines, was reportedly asked by his archdiocese to return after his home leave, but he has not replied.

Parish spokespeople expressed

regret that one of their priests was involved in a grave misconduct and praised the diligence of Sherwood police.

Concerned parishioners, however, criticized the church for not withholding Bien’s passport when he was named a person of interest.

In an affidavit for search warrants filed in Washington County, Sherwood police said a 15-year-old boy found a hidden camera in the men’s restroom at the church and brought it to Bien on April 26.

The camera was reported to be 30 inches off the floor, or waisthigh, and disguised to look like an electrical outlet. Sherwood police released a photo of a similar device.

Two days after the camera was discovered, the teen’s father contacted Bien asking if police wanted to talk to his son or get his finger prints, according to court documents.

Those documents state Bien told the family an elaborate story over the next month about a police investigation that never occurred.

Bien reported the camera stolen to police on May 20.

Court documents state he told detectives he was advised by an attorney not to answer their questions, so he was informed they would be applying for a search warrant of the church and his home.

The search warrant was obtained for items including his computer, a

Study shows subconscious racial...

PAGE A1 people who are different from them.” They wanted to find out whether biracial adults were less likely to have implicit racial biases because of their multicultural backgrounds. The study’s findings suggest that biracial adults are “simply more divided in their racial preferences.”

Subconscious racial preferences can alter behavior, according to Pew. For instance, a 2007 study conducted by Harvard Medical School found that white doctors with high levels of implicit bias against blacks were less likely to treat black patients. A Swedish researcher found in 2010 that “implicit bias against Muslims correlated strongly with the way hiring managers decided to interview either Swedes or Arabs for a position.”

“Most of these implicit racial biases are consequence of subtle messages seen in the media, popular culture, that suggest one group is good, and another group is bad--associating one group with crime, another group with accomplishment,” said Rich Morin, senior editor at Pew, according to NBC News.

The study utilized Implicit Association Tests (IAT) to reveal “hidden bias” among whites, blacks, Asian Americans, and biracial black-white and biracial Asianwhite adults. The IAT measures how long it takes for a participant to associate positive or negative words with a given term or image.

For example, when someone is prompted with an image of Caucasian face, if he selects the word “good” significantly more quickly than when he is prompted with an Asian-American face, he may have an implicit bias in favor of whites.

Pew conducted two experi-

ments: one experiment took whites, blacks, and biracial blackwhite adults, and tested implicit bias among each group in favor of either whites or blacks. The other experiment took, whites, Asian Americans, and biracial Asianwhite adults, and tested bias in favor of either whites or Asians.

In the study, more biracial Asian-white adults than monoracial whites had some form of implicit racial bias. Only 22 percent of Asian-white biracials were free of racial preference, whereas 30 percent of whites had no racial preference between whites and Asians. Fewer Asian-white biracials displayed implicit bias when compared to Asians, while only 20 percent of Asian Americans did not exhibit any subconscious racial preference.

The study found a 4 percent margin of difference between the percentage of monoracial Asians who favored Asians, and the percentage of monoracial Asians who favored Whites: 38 percent of Asians favored whites over Asians, while 42 percent of Asians favored other Asians over whites.

The highest level of implicit racial preference revealed in the entire study was among whites being tested for bias against Asian Americans, with 50 percent of whites tested in the study revealing a subconscious preference for other whites over Asians. 30 percent of whites had no implicit bias, and 19 percent of whites had a subconscious preference for Asians.

The second highest level of implicit racial preference was among whites tested for bias against blacks: 48 percent of whites in the study have a subconscious preference for other whites over blacks.

27 percent of whites tested had no preference between whites and

Police in Sherwood, Oregon, have issued a warrant of arrest for Fr. Ysrael Bien, who is believed to have fled to the Philippines.

hard drive, a USB flash drive, his iPhone and iPods.

The archdiocese was notified of the case at that time, but did not place Bien on leave for more than a month due to an “abundance of caution not to interfere with an ongoing police investigation,” according to a statement from the archdiocese.

Anyone who knows Bien’s location is asked to call the Sherwood Police Department at 503-629-0111 or Detective Debbie Smith at 503925-7117.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of privacy invasion at St. Francis Church is also asked to contact detectives at 503925-7117. (Inquirer.net) blacks, and 25 percent of whites preferred blacks.

A higher percentage of biracial black-white adults and biracial Asian-white adults displayed implicit bias in favor of whites, when compared to bias in favor of their respective minority group.

Accounting for background, age, and political beliefs, the study suggests that the frequency and magnitude of racial bias does not significantly differ by age, education level, or political party.

Republicans and Democrats, for example, hold similar levels of implicit bias, the study suggests.

Also contrary to some beliefs that younger generations will no longer be racist, the age of survey respondents had no significant effect on levels of implicit bias.

Although some previous Pew studies have shown that millennials are more racially tolerant than older generation, the IAT tests imply otherwise.

“Measuring implicit racial bias rather than explicit bias reveals a much higher frequency of prejudice,” wrote Stanford professor Shanto Iyengar, a consultant to the Pew study. “The IAT is useful in detecting views that individuals may be reluctant to divulge to others or even to admit to themselves.”

When asked how to dismantle these implicit biases, Morin said, “Simply knowing that you hold these biases is an important first step [in dismantling implicit bias]. It makes you think twice when making the hiring decision.

That way, it keeps these biases in check.”

“I do not know if it’s impossible to lose [biases], but it is certainly true from the literature that it’s possible to contain them…we aren’t race-neutral, but maybe we’re moving in that direction.”

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUSt 27-SEptEmbER 2, 2015

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

A

Dateline PEnrilehiliPPines comes to co-accused Gigi Reyes’ rescue ‘SC ruling will benefit my chief of staff, too’

by LeiLA

B. sALAVerriA Inquirer.net

ENRILE’S RETURN. Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, accompanied by his daughter Katrina, attends his first plenary session Monday, Aug. 24, after more than a year of absence from the Senate.

Senate photo by Joe Arazas

Mar Roxas, Aquino gov’t allies slammed for ‘early campaigning’

by Aries Joseph

Inquirer.net

heginA

A militAnt group on Wednesday, Aug. 26 slammed the ‘premature campaigning’ of interior Secretary manuel “mar” Roxas ii and presumed administration senatorial candidates like Justice Secretary leila de lima and metro manila Development Authority Chair Francis tolentino.

Bagong Alyansang makabayan (Bayan) said that Roxas and other officials of the Aquino Cabinet should resign first before going around the country to woo voters. “if mar Roxas won’t stop his early campaigning, he should submit his irrevocable resignation from his appointive position in the DilG,” Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes said in a statement. “the same goes for members of Aquino’s cabinet and other appointive officials who have plans for 2016 and who are now going around the country together with Roxas and Aquino,” Reyes added.

Bayan issued the statement

after de lima, tolentino and other Cabinet officials joined Roxas and President Benigno Aquino iii in a “Gathering of Friends” in Cebu City on monday. Aquino endorsed Roxas in the said event. malacañang justified on tuesday, Aug. 25, the presence of the government officials in the event, saying that they were the alter egos of the President and should support him in his official functions. “meron pong konsepto dyan.

Yung konsepto ng alter ego of the President. lahat kami ay naglilingkod para sa pangulo, at kung may official function ang pangulo, makatwiran na naroon din ang mga miyembro ng Gabinete,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

(There is this concept of being alter egos of the President. We are all serving the President, and if he has official functions, it is only necessary for members of the Cabinet to attend the event and throw their support.) this did not sit well with Bayan who said Coloma’s statement was

Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes

an insult to the intelligence of Filipinos. “malacanang thinks the public is too stupid to notice early campaigning using public funds,” Bayan said. it added, “Coloma should stop insulting our collective intelligence by saying these officials are alter egos of the President trying to touch base with the people. Being with the people could be done quietly, no fanfare, no media hype and no huge expenses.”

Bongbong Marcos open to running as Binay’s VP by pAtriciA Lourdes Philstar.com

VirAy

mAnilA—Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. on Wednesday, Aug. 26 admitted that he is open to running with Vice President Jejomar Binay as a team in the 2016 national elections. “i’m always open to anything. i always say this is Philippine politics and you cannot discount the possibility of things that you did not imagine would happen,” marcos said in an interview with AnC’c Headstart. the senator added that reelection to the Senate is not an option for him anymore. “the option still remains but all i can say is that the discussion that i’ve been having with different groups, with my own party, with other individuals have usually centered on higher office,” marcos said. marcos clarified that he re-

mains undecided if he will run for president or vice president in the 2016 polls.

However, the senator stressed that he is capable of running as vice president due to his “good understanding” of government, both in the national and local level.

On the other hand, marcos is aware that issues against his late father, former President Ferdinand marcos, would be brought up again if ever he seeks to run for a higher position next year.

“Will i say sorry for the thousands and thousands of kilometers that were built? Will i say sorry for the agricultural policy that brought us to self-sufficiency in rice? Will i say sorry for the power generation? Will i say sorry for the highest literacy rate in Asia? What am i to say sorry about?” marcos said when asked if he would apologize for his

father’s legacy. the senator stressed that there is nothing he could do that will change what his father did.

“We have constantly said if during the time of my father merong mga nasagasaan... or they were victimized in some way or another, of course we are sorry that happened. nobody wants that to have happened,” the senator said. marcos said the nacionalista Party would have to come to an agreement regarding their possible candidates for the 2016 polls since two of its other members - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Antonio trillanes iV - are also eyeing to run for a higher position. trillanes has earlier declared that he will run as an independent vice president while Cayetano remains undecided if he will run for vice president or president.

Arroyo hopeful, too, of getting out on bail

by MArc JAyson

cAyAByAB

Inquirer.net

tHe lawyer of former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo is also hopeful that she would be granted bail for her plunder case after the Supreme Court (SC) allowed Senator Juan Ponce enrile’s temporary freedom. in an interview on monday, Aug. 24, Atty. laurence Arroyo (no relation) said the former president should also be given provisional liberty because she and enrile share similar health conditions.

He said Arroyo’s petition for certiorari filed in April before the Supreme Court to reverse the Sandiganbayan’s denial of her bail is similar to that of enrile’s plea before the high court. “i think it will help the petition of former president Arroyo which is also pending before the Supreme Court because i think they are similarly situated,” Atty. Arroyo said.

Atty. Arroyo said his client had also raised Arroyo’s frail health at age 68 and her not being a flight risk in her petition before the Supreme Court.

“Based upon sa nabasa ko sa media that the Supreme Court allowed Senator enrile’s bail on humanitarian grounds, number one because of his age and number two because of his frail health based upon the medical certification of government doctors, and number three that he is not a flight risk. So all those three issues were raised in our own petition,” Atty. Arroyo said. “number one, (Arroyo) is already

68 years old, number two that she is not a flight risk, number three that government doctors have likewise certified as to her frail health, and number four, she’s undergone three major spinal surgeries,” he added.

Arroyo, who is under hospital detention at the Veterans memorial medical Center (VmmC) because of her cervical spondylosis, is facing plunder case over the alleged misuse of at least P366 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) intelligence funds for personal gain from 2008 to 2010. enrile posted bail last Friday after the SC in a vote of 8-4 granted enrile’s motion to reverse the Sandiganbayan third Division’s ruling which denied his bail plea. the high court noted enrile’s frail health and not being flight risk at 91 years old. the decision came exactly a week after the SC sided with enrile’s request for bill of particulars in his plunder case over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. the high court set the bail amount for plunder at P1 million.

On top of the P30,000 bail for each of his 15 graft charges, enrile paid a total amount of P1.45 million. in the ponencia of Associate Justice lucas Bersamin, the high court said enrile’s political stature and frail health ruled out the possibility of him being a flight risk as he stands trial for plunder.

“With his solid reputation in both his public and his private lives, his long years of public service, and

history’s judgment of him being at stake, he should be granted bail,” Bersamin’s ponencia said. “the currently fragile state of enrile’s health presents another compelling justification for his admission to bail, but which the Sandiganbayan did not recognize,” it added. “in our view, his social and political standing and his having immediately surrendered … indicated that the risk of his flight or escape from this jurisdiction is highly unlikely.” in his dissenting opinion, Associate Justice marvic leonen said the majority decision to allow enrile smacks of “selective accommodation” on a person because of his title and stature. “it is based on a ground—humanitarian—never before raised before the Sandiganbayan or in the pleadings filed before this court,” leonen said.

He said the ruling also sets a dangerous precedent because ordinarily bail is not granted based on humanitarian grounds. leonen said the decision “will usher in an era of truly selective justice not based on clear legal provisions, but one that is unpredictable, partial and solely grounded on the presence or absence of human compassion.”

He said while enrile is ordered released, elder detainees continue to languish in cramped jails. “For them, there are no special privileges. the application of the law to them is often brute, banal and canonical,” leonen said.

plunder case.

After the Supreme Court granted JeSSiCA lucila “Gigi” Reyes, the 91-year-old enrile’s plea for a once called the “25th senator,” may bill of particulars, it gave the nod to still be detained in a female jail cell, his petition for bail on humanitarian grounds—his frail health, his but she hasn’t been abandoned.

Sen. Juan Ponce enrile on tues- age and his voluntary surrender. day, Aug. 25 said he expected his enrile had been on hospital arrest former chief of staff to benefit from the Supreme Court ruling granting his motion for a bill of particulars in connection with his plunder case stemming from allegations he pocketed P172 million in kickbacks from his pork barrel allocations. enrile disputed the statements of levito Baligod, a private complainant in the alleged P10-billion racket, that the favorable decisions the former Senate President had won from the high tribunal would leave Reyes “holding the bag.” the senator pointed out that he and Reyes were coaccused under the same plunder complaint arising from the alleged diversion of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel, to ghost projects and fake foundations in schemes planned by businesswoman Janet lim-napoles. “the action of the Supreme Court regarding the bill of particulars must benefit Attorney Reyes as well,” he said in a statement.

Baligod earlier said enrile’s motion for a bill of particulars was intended to underscore the fact that Reyes would be made principally liable for the plunder case, as allegations showed that it was she who supposedly received the kickbacks.

A motion for a bill of particulars is filed to allow a defendant to get more details of the crime he was alleged to have committed. like enrile, Reyes had also declined to enter a plea on her plunder charge, on the ground that her right to due process was supposedly denied, the senator noted. “the grant of the motion for a bill of particulars shows that apart from the fact that she was denied due process, the charges against her and against us were defective and unsubstantiated,” enrile said.

‘Discredited lawyer’ enrile also derided Baligod, saying he was a “discredited lawyer who was dropped” by Benhur luy, a former finance officer of napoles who has turned state witness in the

before he was temporarily released on P1.4-million bail last week while his case is being tried in the Sandiganbayan.

Also accused in separate counts of plunder charges in connection with the PDAF scam are Senators PAGE A7

A

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OpiniOn

Devalued

Features

THEY are not called modern day heroes for nothing. According to a report by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), about 5,054 OFWs fly out every day in search of greener pastures.

These so-called heroes spend most of their time away from their families and homes to pursue better lives for the ones they love. Some are even compelled to work while enduring unfair and harsh working conditions, including long hours, low pay, and human rights abuses.

Through the remittances they send to their families back home, OFWs find some significance in the hardships they succumb to.

The diversification of OFWs and of the labor market keeps remittance growth at a robust pace every year. The sustained and higher remittances every year result to billions of pesos and help the country achieve Philippine economic development and stability.

The annual outflow of overseas Filipino workers is not only a solution to country’s unemployed workforce, it also helps the government maintain a manageable gross domestic and gross national product (GDP and GNP), a visible major source of gross international reserves and the country’s external debt.

For developing countries, like the Philippines, remittances sent by OFWs are one of the largest sources of external finance. The recent strong flow of remittances helps the country receive credit worthiness and lower its cost of borrowing money in international markets.

In June this year, cash transfers rose by 6.1 percent to $2.18 billion, the highest level since December of last year. This follows the usual trend of remittances inching up as the year progresses before peaking during the December holiday season. This result brought the year-to-date total to $12.08 bil-

lion, higher by 5.6 percent last year.

Aside from remittances, OFWs also send balikbayan boxes to preserve strong ties with their families despite the long distance. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) defines balikbayan boxes as “packages of personal effects and/or ‘pasalubongs’ sent by Filipinos residing or working abroad to their families or relatives in the Philippines to enhance Philippine tradition and culture for the promotion and preservation of strong family ties through love and caring expressed in gift-giving.”

Recently, the BOC has been under fire for implementing a random inspection of balikbayan boxes.

This didn’t sit well for Filipinos worldwide, who instantly criticized the BOC’s bold move and alleged corrupt practices.

In its defense, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said that the bureau is only implementing the drastic measure of random inspection of balikbayan boxes to address smuggling. Lina added that the government is losing P50 million a month in revenues due to smuggling carried out through balikbayan boxes.

Pres. Benigno Aquino immediately intervened and put a stop on the protocol and ordered BOC to find alternative ways to clamp down balikbayan boxes that are being used for smuggling.

“We have won the battle but the war is far from over.” This was the statement of Migrante Partylist, following Aquino’s directive to BOC to stop its random inspection of balikbayan boxes.

“We are pleased that the President has spoken on the issue of random inspection of our balikbayan boxes. This is an initial victory for OFWs worldwide.

Editorial

The Fil-Am Perspective Gel SantoS-reloS WHEN I shared through this column what undocumented Filipinos in America may expect from a Trump presidency -- and that Trump should recalibrate his message against undocumented immigrants so he will not be misconstrued as condoning violence against them -- I got different reactions from kababayans from different walks of life.

Here are some of them: Unfortunately, there are people that approved violations of the laws as long as it will be in their favor. Even our Almighty God has laws that we are required to follow. But many violated and ignored both laws. That includes Obama who hates our country.

We will always hear violators complain. The truth is — the pub-

CTalk

Cito Beltran ARE you angry enough about our state of affairs in the Republic of the Philippines?

The thought has begun to surface as millions of Filipinos come to terms with the fact that the SelfRighteous Brotherhood occupying Malacañang are a bunch of incompetent and insensitive dolts who punctuate their failures with off the cuff remarks that only serve to incense the public. Filipinos have been known to be tolerant even of stupidity and mediocrity but the PNoy Misadministration has obviously broken all records as far as achieving nothing is concerned.

The one thing they have managed to be consistent about is to accumulate those who they call “critics,” “haters,” and a vast number of angry Filipinos whose quality of life and productivity have deteriorated due to what many believe is PNoy’s indifference or insulated mindset to the day to day hardship of Filipinos.

His big picture notion of making the Philippines a serious regional or global player, his insistence on passing the twisted version of the

Philstar.com photo

But all the beautiful words cannot hide the fact that the administration has imposed on BOC a P600-million revenue target from balikbayan boxes,” said Connie Bragas-Regalado, Migrante Partylist chairperson.

Regalado also revealed that the P600-million target is “what emboldened the BOC to implement the brazen, sacrilegious inspections of balikbayan boxes.”

“The statement of the Department of Finance (DOF), which oversees the BOC, is totally silent on the P600-million target. If this stays, we have every reason to believe that the ‘seemingly reasonable’ steps are nothing but damage-control aimed at

dousing OFW and national protests,” she added.

Abroad, the quality of Filipino service is in demand. OFWs are treasured by other countries for being hard working, dedicated and loyal. Other notable traits admired by foreign employers are their hospitality and honesty.

However, the same could not be said back home.

Clearly, the protection and promotion of economic rights of OFWs should be given appropriate actions, to develop creative and practical ways to utilize both the OFWs’ financial and human resources. It is time to give back and for the local government to establish a win-win situation for the economy and OFWs. (AJPress)

Kababayans’ reaction to Trump’s immigration policy lic became tired and exhausted watching their country destroyed.

Get ready for judgment day. Yes, Filipinos should be concerned if Trump wins. They are the biggest violators and not afraid to try their chances of getting away.

- Marilyn Patacsil We Filipino-Americans should be concerned about [it]. It’s terrifying how some people can excuse the kind of racism that’s being put forth. Trump’s pronouncements surely have reached those who have hate in their hearts. It’s alarming that the same people who say they are pro-life and say they are Christian have no problem saying things against and even threatening their fellow human beings.

- Yong Chavez Am not a fan of Trump but I like the way he opens the debate on ILLEGAL immigrants...

Trump need not to be POLITICALLY correct like most people [in] the media like you… Illegal

immigrant ordered freed by feds now suspected of murder in Ohio...Killed in her sleep: Illegal immigrants suspected in Mass. grandma’s death faced deportation...Have you ever reported the “KILLING IN CALIFORNIA by an illegal immigrant”? NO...So let’s be fair…Did you ever mentioned that Obama never mentioned the killings by [an] illegal immigrant in the USA, NO —That’s Obama immigration policy…

Only the “politically correct” media or persons misconstrued all speeches of candidates they don’t agree with, let’s be fair. Ehbhong_Tubao The Migrant Heritage Commission, an immigrant rights advocacy group in Washington DC, released this statement: “Thank you, Mr. Trump, for bringing back Immigration once more into the national consciousness and headlines. You have reignited debate on immigration and reenergized both pro-

Are you angry enough?

BBL, his obsession with out-doing his predecessor, or solidifying his imaginary “Matuwid Na Daan” have cost millions of Filipinos a high price in terms of their quality of life and personal finances.

For many, the formerly moral aspiration for the “Tuwid Na Daan” has crumbled under his form of selective justice, his failure to make his minions account for their non-performance and questionable conduct, and for ignoring the people’s plea for action and service from government. Simply put his much-adored “Tuwid Na Daan” has become nothing more than the Tagalog translation of the proverbial phrase: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Judging from the chaos, congestion and immobility on Metro Manila roads, airport and pier, it would be safe to say that we have found our hell on earth.

And like lost souls in the abyss, all we want now is to be able to bring back the travel time to the traditional 1 to 1.5 hours, it used to take instead of the 3 to 4 hour kidney and bladder busting ride.

All we want is to be able to ride the MRT and LRT without having to get into fights with fellow Filipinos as a way of expressing or releasing our anger at a government and a President whose sole

obsession is to insure the continuity of their failed governance.

So now we begin to read posts on social media mildly suggesting or asking: How should we express our anger, our frustration and how can we make this government act?

There are now those suggesting a 3-day strike the same way citizens in Latin American countries have displayed their displeasure. Some suggest tax holidays or boycotts.

One or two suggests giving the PNoy administration a taste of its own medicine by staging EDSA 3 or 4 (depending on who’s counting).

These, Mr. President, are the initial snowflakes for “the winter of our discontent” that may come way before the May elections. Many of us do not have deep pockets to see us through and clearly people are losing their patience and waking up to the realization that something has to be done, something needs to be done, and history shows that the people ultimately does something about governments that betray and ignore their basic needs. Cory Aquino led one, Gloria Arroyo led the second, Urban poor almost had their very own EDSA3, so a fourth one is not all too impossible.

PAGE A7

immigrants and anti-immigrant groups. Indeed, Donald Trump has hit on a theme that soundly resonates with voters.

For immigrants and the silent majority who are citizens of this great nation, the issue of immigration brings back that deep paternal and maternal feelings from within of what it means to be an American. At the end of the day, when we examine our core value as an American, whether native or naturalized, we ensconced ourselves to the foundational principle that “America is a Nation of Immigrants.” It was before, still now, and will always be.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policy is so Un-American and racist in its philosophical foundation and orientation.

Even Mr. Trump’s ancestors including his great grandfather of German stock and grandmother of Scottish Origin would

Commentary

have been disqualified on Mr. Trump’s proposed immigration policies. Mr. Trump’s ancestors including his parents came to America in dire need. And because of harsh economic realities of life, just like millions of Hispanic, Asian and African immigrants, they look at America as a “dreamt of destination”. To look for a better life for their families in the new world.

Mr. Trump’s basic immigration principles to make America great again i.e building a wall at the Mexican and American borders, ending birthright citizenship and mass deportations of the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants and now the seizure of remittance monies of undocumented immigrants will cause irreparable damage not only to US-Mexico relations but as well as other Latin American countries , Asian and African countries that will be directly impacted by Mr. Trump’s nativ-

ist and inhumane immigration policies.

No matter how you look at it, under Mr. Trump’s proposed immigration policies: families will be destroyed, a complete waste of taxpayers money, impractical and unrealistic (building a wall) and the constitutional principle enunciated in the 14th Amendment referring to “birthright citizenship” which has been part of the US Constitution for the last 150 years will be put to naught.

America cannot go back to the decades of historical racism and oppression and resurrect the guiding legal principle in the infamous Dred Scott case decided by the US Supreme Court where black slaves and their descendants were disqualified by their own blood from enjoying the rights of citizenship. We have to remind Mr. Trump, that this is AMERICA, A Nation of Immigrants, and children born here PAGE A7

His powerful son has done nothing to solve his murder

RigobeRto tiglao ON Friday, Aug. 21 the 31st anniversary of the assassination of our national martyr, Ninoy Aquino was remembered, and again, photos of his son President Aquino with his sisters praying before the hero’s grave hogged newspapers’ front pages.

Ninoy’s murder on August 21, 1983 was an event that changed the course of Philippine history.

I am still astounded at how its masterminds and conspirators were so daring and precise in their execution of the deed as to kill him in broad daylight. If the killers’ timing was just a few seconds late – or if the journalists with Aquino had been a bit bolder as to insist on following Aquino down the tube – the opposition leader’s killing could have been witnessed and photographed by foreign media who would have told the world about it.

As mysterious, though, as to who were the brains behind the assassination is the fact that Aquino’s now powerful son, Benigno 3rd, has done nothing to uncover who were behind his killing, as

August 21, 1983: After 31 years, murders still unsolved.

well as that of Rolando Galman, allegedly the actual trigger man who put a .357 mm. bullet into his head.

This is despite his four years as the most powerful man in the country that he has been able to remove the Supreme Court Chief Justice, incarcerate the former president on flimsy grounds, and have the entire Congress under his thumb.

Aquino is known to be vengeful against those who have slighted him in the most minor manner.

This trait certainly doesn’t apply to his apparent nonchalance towards his father’s murderers.

Masterminds not idle

In contrast, the masterminds of the assassinations don’t seem to have been idle, and have been determined to forever erase all trails of the evil deed that could lead to them.

In the early morning of May 7 this year,discharged Master Sergeant Pablo Martinez was killed in what initially appeared to be an accident along Roxas Boulevard.

An eyewitness claimed that an SUV Montero driven by one Henry Roque ran over him after he fell from his bicycle which the vehicle bumped. The police initially concluded that it was purely an unfortunate accident. His son PAGE A7

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Enrile comes to coaccused Gigi Reyes’ rescue His powerful son has done nothing to...

PAGE A5

Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla who remain detained. Napoles, who is in jail for the alleged serious detention of Luy, is also a coaccused in the plunder cases.

Reyes, who surrendered to the Sandiganbayan on July 4 last year, is detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology female dormitory in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.

Days after her surrender, Reyes filed in the Supreme Court a petition for certiorari and prohibition, in which she claimed that the plunder and graft charges against her lacked probable cause.

Disappeared for 8 months

Citing grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of or in excess of jurisdiction, Reyes asked the high court to nullify and set aside the Sandiganbayan resolutions, which adopted the Ombudsman’s indictment of Reyes for plunder and 15 counts of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).

The 52-year-old Reyes had disappeared for eight months after the pork barrel scandal broke out.

She returned home on April 19 last year on a flight from San Francisco to face the plunder charges against her.

A lawyer, Reyes worked for

Enrile during his two terms as senator—from July 1995 to June 2001 and from 2004 to January 2013—when she resigned after publicly accusing in a radio interview that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was a “hypocrite” for criticizing Enrile’s alleged uneven distribution of the senators’ Christmas bonuses.

Before her resignation, Reyes was widely regarded as the “25th senator” for her purported influence in the Senate as a stern, no-nonsense aide to Enrile. Reyes has sought to downplay her role in Enrile’s office. She claimed to merely represent Enrile in meetings and conferences.

Kababayans’ reaction to Trump’s...

PAGE A6 regardless of ancestry are automatically citizens. Mr. Trump’s ancestors from Europe benefited from the immigration policies of this country and so should children of Asian, African and Hispanic ancestry born in the United States of America.

To all the Presidential Candidates: Words matter. Political correctness matter. For months that we have been inundated with “Trumpism”, that even “babies”, “kids” born in this country are

Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFilAmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

moving as fast as possible. Under the regime of the righteous brotherhood no one is held responsible, they blame each other and when that no longer works with angry people then they say: “Sorry po,” “we beg for your patience and understanding.” That Mr. President does not fix the problem or get the job done.

In terms of vehicle and road use or the lack of it, we the Filipino people are one very oppressed and abused lot. When we buy cars, we pay for everything involved in making the cars, buses etc. We pay the duties and taxes on those products, we pay the duties and taxes on the fuel and other accessories that go into the vehicle and in order to drive or ride said vehicles, we pay for registration, insurance, license, medical exams, air pollution tests and road users tax.

The government collects the duties, taxes and VAT on our vehicles, on the fuel, collect money on the insurance, the LTFRB franchise and then on the road users tax! The Philippine government is the biggest business interest, prof-

iteer and competitor but the worst in terms of investments, product development and customer service or relations. In other words, it is the biggest FREE LOADER that subscribes to UNLI TAX! The so-called PPP or Public Private Partnership projects on infrastructure is the biggest scam of them all where the government actually gets private partners to bid and pay the government a concession fee to build the projects and then pass the bigger bill to Filipino citizens. In effect, the PNoy Misadministration is taxing all of us even the dead and their estates but none of that money goes to major infrastructure that we badly need. After taking as much as 50% or more for income tax and VAT, travel, road users tax etc., the government enters into a conspiracy with developers to make us, the Filipino people, pay for every time we use highways, airports, power etc. So we are paying for everything and still getting nothing! That should make you angry enough! (Philstar.com)

Are you angry enough?

PAGE A6

*** The PNoy Misadministration would have us think that the reason for gridlock is progress as evidenced by the various construction projects, roadwork and infrastructures that are being put up. The PNoy administration is not the first administration or government to put massive infrastructure projects. Marcos, Ramos, and Arroyo had a lot but to their credit the gridlock did not turn EDSA into a parking lot almost everyday of the week even past the truck ban.

Ramos and Arroyo were concerned and sensitive to public displeasure resulting from being stuck in traffic. I know that Gloria Arroyo would call and nag then MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando every time she heard reports of traffic jam or whenever she herself was caught in a traffic jam. Government officials were held responsible and expected to do something, that led to the noarrest policy on main roads where the priority was to get vehicles

hensive Immigration Policies that embraced the principles of family unity, economic opportunity, equality and humanity. These are the American core values that even Mr. Trump’s great grandparents and parents fully embraced.” ***

being branded now as “anchor babies”, (Most recently, Mr . Jeff Bush unwittingly connected the term application to “Asians”), what we have seen so far is the lack of respect to human dignity and that all of us are bound by the common thread of humanity. We cannot allow these candidates to simply entertain us while at the same time they are fueling bigotry and racism.

We want to hear how our broken immigration system will be fixed. The adoption of Compre-

PAGE A6 Diomedes, also an Air Force sergeant, however, suspected he was murdered.

The latest report I’ve been able to dig up was a Philippine Star news item dated May 19: “Parañaque police investigators confirmed that Roque could no longer be contacted after three witnesses surfaced and claimed they saw his SUV deliberately run over Martinez after he hit the victim’s bike and fell down into the asphalt.”

Who is Martinez? He was convicted as one of the conspirators in Aquino’s assassination and had served nearly 30 years in jail for the crime. Since his release in 2007, and probably because he had become deeply religious, Martinez had been volunteering to disclose the brains of the murder.

(An excellent documentary titled “The Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.” produced by Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, daughter of Philippine Daily Inquirer editorin-chief Letty Magsanoc, shown on History Channel yesterday and every August 21 since it was produced in 2010, also focused on Martinez and his revelations.)

In 1995, he admitted his role in the plot, and testified that it was Galman who killed Ninoy with a single bullet to the head. He said it was he who escorted Galman to a motel to spend the night before the assassination.

Martinez alleged that former Philippine Constabulary Maj. Romeo Gatan, a businessman named Hermilo Gosuico, former Air Force Col. Romeo Ochoco, and Air Force Capt. Felipe Valerio were in that hotel to tell Galman what he would do the next day. The other 11 officers and soldiers made up the team that allowed Galman to get close to and shoot Aquino in the head, after which they gunned him down.

Martinez’ earth-shaking testimony, though, was first narrated in a February 2006 article in the U.S. Time magazine and in an oncamera interview in 2007 by ABSCBN’s Julius Babao with him right after his release from prison: “I didn’t hear any direct order from him, but I asked them [the conspirators in the hotel] who was giving them the orders, and they replied, ‘Danding.’“ He was referring to oligarch Eduardo Cojuangco who had controlled until the last few years the giant San Miguel Corp. Martinez’s claims were recorded in a formal deposition and submitted to the Supreme Court, which had been asked to reopen the case.

The Court, though, ruled that it didn’t qualify as “newly found evidence.”

Cojuangco’s denial Mr. Cojuangco has vehemently denied such accusations.

“Valerio is among those who might be able to shed light, but to me, it’s Ochoco whom the government should ask because he was the one who ordered me to bring Galman to the airport,” Martinez said in 2007.

Capt. Valerio was the head of the 10-man team of the Aviation Security Command who collected Aquino from the China Airlines plane to the airport’s tarmac, where the former senator and then Galman were shot dead. Valerio and his immediate superior Air Force Col. Ochoco disappeared right after Marcos’ fall in 1986.

Valerio was not included among the 16 convicted or the other 18 accused who were acquitted since he could not be arraigned, as he could not be found and arrested.

He was reported to be living in the US. Ochoco, for some reason was also not indicted, and has been reported to be living in Australia.

Aquino or his officials had done absolutely nothing to get in touch with Martinez or with the other 10 officers and soldiers convicted of the crime to convince them that they would be placed under his protection if they told everything they knew about the assassination.

Having given everything the Americans wanted, allowing them to have military forward operating sites here, couldn’t have Aquino asked them for a small favor of looking for Ochoco and Valerio, and extraditing them here to face justice?

One would have thought the martyr’s only son would use all the resources at his command as President not just to seek justice for his father, but also to shed light on what is one of the most ruthless but pivotal killings in our nation’s history.

Aquino hasn’t.

Aquino’s seeming lack of concern over his father’s murder convinces me that either there is something deeply wrong in this person’s psyche, or that there is something terribly embarrassing in the assassination that has been kept so secret that even the victim’s powerful family has refused to uncover its mastermind.

Aquino’s mother Cory also seemed disinterested when she was president in getting to the bottom of her husband’s murder.

However, this was mostly viewed

A

as an understandable, even laudable, above-the-fray stance of the Saint of Democracy.

More cynical observers felt, however, that she was afraid to discover that the mastermind could be Cojuangco, her cousin, or that she even already knew this.

For political stability’s sake An interpretation kind to her claimed that if she had pursued Cojuangco for the crime, the oligarch could have joined and funded the many coup attempts against her rule, and that she chose to sacrifice her personal wish—to avenge her husband—for the sake of the country ‘s political stability.

The son certainly can’t make such justification now for his disinterest in finding out who ordered his father’s murder.

A big lacuna in our nation’s history remains to be filled, as mysterious as why his widow and the son hadn’t lifted a finger to expose who ordered the head of their family killed.

In the case of the also mysterious assassination of another president, the US’s John F. Kennedy, the trail had gone totally cold after nightclub owner Jack Ruby, who killed the alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, died in prison four years later in 1967.

In Ninoy’s case, Martinez had provided enough leads to solve the mystery, and many of the soldiers convicted are still alive and can be persuaded to tell everything they know. They can even be convinced to disclose who reportedly has been generously taking care of their families financially in the 30 years they’ve been in prison.

The crimes’ planners—Col. Ochoco and Capt. Valerio, Martinez alleged—can still be tracked down. (Businessman Gosuico and Gen. Gatan reportedly had died several years ago by natural causes, although I have been unable to confirm this.)

How can Aquino keep wearing that yellow ribbon on his chest, when he has done nothing to solve the crime it signifies?

How can we be proud of a nation whose two presidents, one the widow and the other the son, had not bothered to bring justice to a hero who had declared that the Filipino is worth dying for?

Or maybe it would be more realistic to hope that Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.—who aspires to lead this nation—would provide evidence to prove that it wasn’t his father who ordered Aquino’s murder, as most Filipinos believe the Senior did. (ManilaTimes.net)

A

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VEGAS&STYLE

B

Journal J. Elaine Marcos: Pursuing comedy after Broadway

By Agnes

ConstAnte AJPress

It’s hardly ever the case that a torn ACL is considered a godsend, but it was for a Filipina-Canadian Broadway actress when it happened several years ago. “[It] forced me not to say yes to any more dance roles,” said J. Elaine Marcos, who recently starred in the Asian-American musical “Waterfall” at the Pasadena Playhouse in June.

“I was so grateful that I [tore my ACL] because if not, nothing would’ve pushed me to really focus on what I knew I wanted to [focus on].”

A recent transplant to Los Angeles from New York, Marcos said goodbye to the Empire state after 15 years and eight Broadway roles to pursue film and television.

More specifically, her sights are set on becoming a series regular on a sitcom.

“I feel like being on a sitcom, being on a tV show, ideally taped in front of a live studio audience, would still give me the same feeling that I get [from] theater. so it’s not just specifically me there. It’s me playing with other people and I feel that’s my thing,” she said.

When she was younger, Marcos described herself as someone who demonstrated a knack for performing arts: she danced frequently, received awards and recognition for her roles in school plays, and participated in student council -- though not for the politics, but because doing so enabled her to give speeches in front of the school at assemblies.

Yet even with her artistic tendencies, Marcos’ entrance into theater was unforeseen. For one thing, nobody in her family is in the showbiz industry. “the idea of performing for a living didn’t make sense. there

was no part of me that knew it as a career,” she said.

Marcos already had her future profession in mind and a plan mapped out: she was going to study accounting in college and wear suits. “there was just something about being grown up at the time [and wearing suits]. You don’t go dancing in heels and a top hat—that was not what grown-up behavior is,” she said.

But when she started winning scholarships from dance competitions, she felt like she had to continue down that road.

As she applied to schools for accounting, she also went on to try out for art schools. Eventually, she wound up attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

Connecting to Filipino culture through Broadway Originally from Burlington,

Ontario, a city in Canada about 57 kilometers (equivalent to approximately 35.4 miles) southwest of toronto, Marcos was born to Filipino parents who relocated from the Philippines in the 1970s. the Filipino population in the area was sparse. Marcos remembers four Filipinos at her high school and admits she did not embrace the culture much until she got older. Additionally, while her parents spoke Filipino, there wasn’t much importance placed on learning the language. so she didn’t.

It was when she was cast as part of the ensemble in “Miss saigon” that Marcos credits connecting to her roots, particularly because a number of people she worked with were Filipino.

“Not only a lot of them were Filipino, but they were my age, working on Broadway doing

what we love to do. so there was that immediate connection of, ‘We’re adults right now and we’re in a show where we play Vietnamese immigrants, but then we’re also Filipino all working together.’ so it was just an appreciation that we’re very similar,” she said. the one characteristic of the culture that comes to mind for Marcos when she thinks of being Filipino, however, is a big gathering. she still sees the Filipino friends she made from “Miss saigon,” and they’ll often have a potluck whenever they meet. “that’s what we did [during] intermissions in our in between shows. We would always have big potlucks, and for people to bring in familiar foods that I loved, that I can’t cook but they cook it, and the green room in the theatre just smells of Filipino food, it was just kind of amazing... it always was

Photo from Jelainemarcos.com

a cool experience to be around Filipinos who are embracing who we are. And that was the first time I realized, ‘I’ve never really thought about it.’ But by doing ‘Miss saigon’ and being surrounded by other Filipinos, it made me appreciate it even more,” she shared.

PAGE B2

19 Filipino companies showcase artistry, craftmanship at NY Show

By MoMAr

g. VisAyA

AJPress

“It’s about time that we also promote our home and fashion accessories and we found NY Now as the best venue to be able to do that specially since the United states remains to be our biggest export market anyway,” said Rosvi Gaetos, executive director of the Center for International trade Expositions and Missions (CItEM) when we met her at the Jacob Javits Convention Center earlier this week.

CItEM is the export promotions arm of the Department of trade and Industry. they are behind the participation of Design Philippines in the annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair that is also staged at the Javits Convention Center.

“We’re here to do business and we want to say that the Philippines

is still one of the best sourcing destinations for anything artisanal, full of craftsmanship, quality and commitment to be able to deliver a good product,” Gaetos emphasized.

For the NY Now show, CItEM brought 19 manufacturers from all over the Philippines. “these are some of the most experienced exporters in the Philippines. they were curated by stanley Ruiz, who worked on the product development side so we can have something new to show in this market. He knows the American market quite well so he can guide these companies accordingly,” Gaetos said.

Ruiz also helped in putting together the physical space of the exhibition and the presentation of Lifestyle Philippines.

Under the Lifestyle Philippines brand, 19 manufacturers

and exporters represented the Philippines at the summer edition of NY Now, which ran from August 16-19 in New York City.

Lifestyle Philippines is a curated exhibition of creative enterprises reinterpreting the Philippines’ rich heritage and artisanal soul for modern living, according to a press material that Asian Journal obtained. For its debut at NY Now, the government branding aims to position the Philippines as a sourcing destination for lifestyle products. “to boost the country’s export sales, the country’s first participation in NY Now will not only strengthen the Philippine design identity but shall expand opportunities for our delegation,” Gaetos explained. “It is a collective image of what we want to project. It’s a lifestyle that is universal, one that PAGE B2

Members of the Philippine delegation representing Lifestyle Philippines pose with Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia and his wife Vicky at the pavilion showcasing the best in Filipino artistry and craftsmanship.

Alice Blue Candles & Home Fragrances

Ann Ong

Arden

Beatriz

Crystal Seas

B august 27-september 2, 2015 • Las Vegas asIaN JOurNaL

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J. Elaine Marcos: Pursuing comedy after...

PAGE B1 While her plan to become an accountant didn’t materialize, Marcos said her parents were “amazingly supportive” of her decision to go into the arts.

“I guess they knew and I knew, if I was going to do this, I was going to do this. There was no, ‘If you don’t make it, you can always go back to school.’ There was more of an,’ OK, you’re doing this. No question.’ We didn’t talk about the doubts. I just took it one step at a time and showed up to New York, went to the school, auditioned and just kept on moving forward,” she said.

From Broadway to comedy Marcos was never a stranger

(L-R) Emily Padgett and J. Elaine Marcos.

to musicals, seeing them often while she was growing up. But it was “Miss Saigon” that made her realize that people are able to perform for a living. “‘Maybe I shouldn’t be an accountant,’” she recalled thinking, “which I thought I was going to be.”

Landing a role in that musical became a specific goal, and it was one she attained.

She also secured roles in seven other Broadway shows, including “The Wedding Singer,” “A Chorus Line” and “Annie.”

During her 7th Broadway show, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” Marcos thought: “I’ve made it. And there’s the audience

Photo by Jim Cox

clapping, and I’m thinking, ‘Yeah, I wasn’t going to be an accountant. That’s not what I do. This is what I do.’”

Yet despite her success in the industry, Marcos’ Broadway career was not a smooth ride.

“There were times in between [shows] that I felt, ‘I’m never going to work again, what am I going to do?’ Those times might be only six months, but at that time it always felt scary,” she said.

The challenge then was how she could keep her creative juices flowing during those downtimes.

So she turned to comedy.

In her downtimes, Marcos would continue doing standup or studying improv at different schools as a means of creative fulfillment. Sometimes, after her Broadway shows, she would do stand-up in little black box theaters that had enough seats for only a handful of people.

“After a while, Broadway becomes a job and you’re doing kind of the same thing every day.

So even though I’m acting, singing and dancing in front of 1,500 people, I still need a creative outlet, which is kind of crazy. But I still need to create, so I would always realize that I need that to make myself feel alive. That’s just kind of who I am,” she said.

Marcos already has several film credits under her belt, including “Farm Girl in New York,” “Morning Glory” and a short called “Ana Smile.”

Though Marcos wanted to get into film and television, the season for Tony Awards (January to June) coincided with pilot season.

“I really had to think, ‘I actually have to not work in order to book a TV show because If I’m always doing new Broadway musicals I can’t get out of my show. So I have to make sure I’m available.’

So I thought, ‘Well why don’t I really make myself available and move to LA?’” In starting a new life in the City of Angels, Marcos said she has had to invest in developing relationships to create a reputation for herself.

While she is known in New York, the same is not the case in the City of Angels.

“Thankfully, I have a reputation in New York where they know my work already. Here, nobody knows me.

“I realized this is where I have to PAGE B7

Venus Henson of Art n Nature

Pete Delantar, CEO-President of Nature’s Legacy

19 Filipino companies showcase artistry...

PAGE B1 is artisanal.”

“It has been pretty good for all of them,” she said when asked about the experience so far.

Pete Delantar of Nature’s Legacy agreed.

“It has been excellent. We did not only get exposed, we also got new information on what the market here is looking for, from the retailers to the wholesalers,” he shared. “The more we stay here, the more we get acquainted with

Finali

Megabijoux

Rosvie Gaetos of CITEM and Stanley Ruiz

the market’s needs.”

Delantar’s company uses recycled materials in its products.

Among the materials they use are papers, stones, agro wastes such as twigs and fallen tree branches that are then made into decorative products such as fashion accessories and jewelry.

These indigenous materials such as local stone, dead shrubs, and fallen twigs and branches are then processed and combined with other mix media using fully

Klassy Collections

Mil Export Philippines

integrated manufacturing methods to produce original innovative designs which are executed with superior quality craftsmanship.

Their products have been very well received in the world market.

They have been exporting to the American market for two decades now and count West Elm, Pottery Barn and Neiman Marcus as some of their loyal buyers.

Nature’s Legacy currently exports home accessories and furnishings to 41 countries. It also exports fashion accessories also made of recycled non-timber agro-forest debris under the brand Floreia to 28 countries. It exports to countries including Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Portugal, United Arab Emirates and Japan.

Known for its green innovation, Nature’s Legacy is the brainchild of husband and wife tandem Pete and Catherine Delantar, whose successful collaboration since 1996 catapulted their company’s rise as a world-class Filipino brand specializing in eco-art products.

Nature’s Legacy was also one of the 15 companies that joined the ICFF in 2014 under the Design Philippines banner.

Delantar told the Asian Journal that they support communities in Cebu who help them find the recyclable materials they use for their products.

Also based in Cebu is Art n Nature, owned by businesswoman Venus Henson. No won its 35th year, her company has been producing decorative home furnishings made out of natural and indigenous materials such as coconut shells, husks and carabao bones.

“We are still not getting the right buyers to appreciate these materials. It’s our first time and I feel that we need to stay for two more shows,” Henson said. Her company has been supplying to PAGE B6

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Ariana Grande breaks free in Manila

by Micah Levin isLa Philstar.com

MANILA—There were no set transformations and gimmicks.

There were no fireworks, only vocal pyrotechnics. The Manila leg of Ariana Grande’s The Honeymoon Tour, which gathered thousands of Filipino Arianators at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, Aug. 24 gave what Pinoy concertgoers value the most—great live singing.

The show was short but definitely nothing short of unforgettable moments.

At exactly 8:40pm, the lights went off as the giant LED screens revealed the 22-year-old American pop star, sporting her signature ponytail, proclaiming her love for music. After a brief introductory clip, the Grammy-nominated belter appeared in a black two-piece ensemble and did “Bang Bang,” her hit 2014 collaboration with contemporaries Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. The venue, dominated by teenage girls in black knee-high socks and cat ears, erupted in screams. Proving that behind her petite frame is a vocal powerhouse, the playful songstress went on with “Hands On Me,” “Best Mistake” and “Break Your Heart Right Back,” catchy tracks from her second studio album “My Everything,” which debuted atop the Billboard 200 in 2014.

After a quick break, Ariana returned on stage wearing a black ribbon headdress—with those sultry-but-cute facial expressions she loves doing from time to time—for

There were no fireworks, only vocal pyrotechnics at the Manila leg of Ariana Grande’s The Honeymoon Tour concert at the MOA Arena.

Philstar.com photo

her first surprise, a mash-up of Madonna’s “Vogue” and Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman.”

Already high on energy, the former Nickelodeon star wasted no time and segued to “Be My Baby.”

Aside from the recurrent “I love you, Manila” and “Make some noise, Manila,” Ariana didn’t talk too much; she just let her powerful voice do the talking and clearly, her fans didn’t mind. And without much fanfare, Ariana took the arena back to her ‘90s R&B-inspired Yours Truly era with “Right There,” “The Way,” her first-ever hit, “Baby I,” and the power ballad “Tattooed Heart.” After another swift outfit change, she delivered two of her heartbreak tracks, “One Last Time” and “My Everything.”

Before hitting the big time, Ariana was known for doing YouTube covers, a small girl who boldly sings the biggest songs done by legendary divas before her. And

last Sunday night, Ariana, now in sparkly silver from head to toe, showed this raw side of her again when she took on Whitney Houston’s iconic ballad, “I Have Nothing.”

“I love this song and I know you love it, too,” the singer told the audience. And she was right; don’t we all love Whitney and her birit songs?

Showing no signs of strain from hitting all the high notes, Ariana entered the last part of the musical extravaganza produced by MMI Live with “Love Me Harder” and “Honeymoon Avenue,” and finally ended the concert on a much higher note with her biggest radio hits, “Break Free” and “Problem.”

As expected, Ariana concluded her show in Manila with a prolonged belt, reverberating and solid, as if reminding everyone that she’s just begun—and she’s in it for the long haul.

Susan Roces on ‘urban legends’ concerning Grace Poe

by WiLson Lee

FLores

Philstar.com

AT a recent “Tapatan with Ms. Susan Roces” luncheon at EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, where the movie queen signed a contract renewing her Champion detergent celebrity endorsement agreement for the ninth year, the media reported her emotional and angry defense of her daughter, Senator Grace Poe’s, Filipino citizenship and residency status.

Roces derided critics for “bullying” and spreading lies about her daughter.

Poe’s family believes a black propaganda campaign is now being orchestrated by her potential political foes in the 2016 election.

After the press conference and contract signing, I was invited onstage to have an exclusive interview with Susan Roces. Here are excerpts of our no-holdsbarred “tapatan.”

Philippine Star: One of the attacks by your daughter Senator Grace Poe’s political rivals suggests that she once abandoned her Filipino citizenship to become an American citizen, insinuating that she prefers to be a US citizen. What is the truth about her going to the United States? How did you feel about your only child going there?

Susan Roces: Grace went to the US initially when she pursued her political science degree at Boston College. Of course, as a parent, I at first experienced separation anxiety, but Ronnie and I, we understood that, in a way, Grace wanted her own independence, too. With both of us having our movie careers, we all live a very public life and our privacy is often intruded upon.

Grace wanted a normal life. She wanted her own personal and family life, not always living under the shadows of her showbiz parents, not a life always under the limelight.

There is another story which has been going around and even told to me by top national politicians claiming that your younger sister, actress Rosemarie Sonora, and the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos are the real parents of Grace Poe. Your reactions to this?

Oh now, we just take it as an urban legend.

When did you first hear this urban legend?

Nagpasalin-salin na ‘yan (It has been passed on and on).

How can you explain to people that there’s absolutely no truth to that story?

I heard that DILG Secretary announced his presidential candidacy just before the start of the Chinese folk belief of “Ghost Month.” Is it true that Senator Grace Poe will declare her presidential bid in September after “Ghost Month” as well?

(Laughs) Your guess is as good as mine... Whether in public service or in private life, whatever Grace wants to do to help the people, I will always be there to fully support her. When my daughter first ran for the Senate, I helped in some ways.

I believe in her character, her advocacies.

Senator Grace Poe gained much respect for her katapatan or honesty even over controversial issues like the Purisima/PNP case, Mamasapano, her advocacy of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, etc. even if her views were not the same as those of our government

Susan Roces, little Grace Poe and Fernando Poe, Jr.

Philstar.com photos

Asian Heritage Celebration SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Movie queen Susan Roces and daughter Senator Grace Poe now and in 1973 magazine cover.

leaders, how did you and your late husband Fernando Poe, Jr. teach her?

Well, we always teach the younger generation in our family that honesty is very important, that honesty is the best policy.

Hopefully we can have more emphasis on this in our schools. I believe katapatan is very important for our lives, for every individual.

We need to be tapat (honest) as a mother or father, we should be tapat to our spouse, to our children. Leaders should be honest to us, the citizenry whom they serve; people at work should be honest to their colleagues. People in mass media need to be honest to us readers of newspapers, viewers of TV news or listeners of radio shows, because we know if your tapat or not.

With the rise of the social media phenomenon, how do you think this has affected the moral values and the sense of katapatan of the so-called millenial generation?

I think the younger generation are tapat, I value their being honest, even if minsan masakit aminin (even if sometimes it hurts to admit the truth). It’s hard to lie now, because with just a click on the Internet, all the data will come out. I just turned 74 years old and I’m proud of it, I’ve experienced and observed various generations, I value the youth of today and their honesty.

So you believe that even with complaints about the supposed erosion of traditional moral values in today’s modern world, honesty as a virtue is still upheld by our youth?

Yes, I still believe that honesty as a moral value is upheld by our Filipino youth. Honesty is constant, but the challenge is how to gauge honesty especially in our modern world where many people now do not have the

luxury of time, because of the fast-paced lifestyle of this Internet generation... Maybe this was how honesty was also upheld during the time of Jesus, the same with how most of us cherish honesty now...

I really appreciate the present generation, they will express in social media if they believe (something is) pangit (ugly or awful), they will just say it: “Pangit.”

If they think nagparetoke (someone had cosmetic enhancement), they will say “Nagparetoke.”

Young people are honest.

By the way, do you have Instagram, Twitter or Facebook accounts like many of us do?

(Laughs) On those things, medyo laid-back (I’m a bit laidback). I have cell phones, but I depend mostly on my pamangkin (nephew) and some friends due to lack of time... I still keep in touch (on social media), like recently I did a Facebook chat through my friend Baby Jimenez. The good thing about modern technology is we can now be in many places at the same time, unlike before.

What are your success secrets? Why, after all these decades, are you still in demand as a celebrity endorser and as actress? What were your earliest endorsements?

(Laughs) Wilson, you do your own accounting na lang of my years in showbiz. Seriously, I’ve been an actress since June 1956 with Sampaguita Pictures. I was asked then to endorse products like Lux, Kodak, Blend 45 coffee, etc. I’m still at it now and I’m grateful for the opportunities and I only endorse products and companies which I believe in for their katapatan (honesty) to us, the consumers. On how I’ve continued all these years in my profession, well, to put it in one word, “passion.” I just love being in cinema.

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Beyond business, LBC makes it Why John Lapus became ‘Sweet’ easy for customers to give back by

Boy ABundA Philstar.com

Poverty, global development, and societal issues. While governments debate these matters and consider what they can do to manage it, there are others who are already taking the first step.

LBC express Inc., for instance, while a private business entity, is already making an effort to alleviate these issues with partnerships with relevant organizations and customers who want to do their part for initiatives.

“We have recently partnered with two important organizations based in Canada—the Philippine Cultural Community Center (PCCC), which is focused on providing support and services to the Filipino communities in Canada; and Answering the Cry of the Poor (ANCoP), which provides community development as well as humanitarian relief,” explains rafael Policarpio, LBC North America’s Area Head.

PCCC is focused on continuous education information, planning and direction, health care and social services, and social integration for migrant Filipinos in Canada, while ANCoP is a global Catholic community present in over 100 countries geared towards poverty alleviation through effective child education and various development programs and values formation.

For the partnership, members of each organization will be given LBC Community Partner Cards, where LBC will donate $2.50 to their specific organization’s cause

Rafael Policarpio, LBC North America’s Area Head, with Joseph Franco, PCCC’s Secretary, Treasurer, and Spokesperson

for every balikbayan box sent though LBC. the initiative, which will begin in August, runs through November this year and is available to all members of the said Canadabased organizations. the intent is simple, the process is uncomplicated, but the end result can move many lives.

“Ultimately, it’s a means by which LBC can give back to the community with the help of our

Policarpio with Ricky Cuenca, ANCOP’s President

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loyal customers, while at the same time providing them the kind of service that they deserve,” ends Hugo Bonilla, LBC North America’s President.

For more information on LBC, please visit http://www.lbcexpress.com; or call the hotline at (888) 652-2522.

LBC express, Inc. is the Philippines’ market leader in payments, remittance, courier products, mail, parcels and, cargo logistics. through a global presence in over 30 countries in Asia-Pacific, North America, the Middle east and europe, LBC express’ network of 4,400 locations, partners, and agents is growing steadily, and commits to moving lives, businesses, and communities in the Philippines and across the globe.

Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC express pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. today, it is the most admired and trusted courier, cargo, and remittance service of millions of Filipinos, an iconic and global Filipino brand.

LBC can move it for you: visit us at www.lbcexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), and follow LBCexpress (Facebook and twitter).

everyoNe knows him as the “Universal Sweet” or calls him by his nickname Sweet, but do you know the real reason why John Lapus is called that? yes, there’s a story behind it, says John. During a one-on-one interview after the press gathering for his latest show “Doble Kara” on the Kapamilya network, the actor-hostcomedian says there was a time, when he was still part of a showbiz talk show, that he was given a segment where he had the freedom to pick on anyone he wanted. the segment was called Prangka Ka John in Cristy Per Minute. Says John: “Five minutes ‘yon, Monday to Friday, nang-ookray lang ako ng artista. talagang ang ginagawa ko, tirahin ang dapat tirahin, wala akong pakialam. As in, binigyan ako ng freedom, tinatanong ako, ‘Sino ang gusto mong okrayin today?’” the segment became popular among viewers, but in the end, it made John uncomfortable. “the segment became so popular but I gained a lot of enemies,” he says. “When I became an actor, I then realized that you will really get hurt if someone picks on you or makes fun of you. From then on, it was conscious effort on my end to be sweet. Ayoko ng image na you’re famous for hurting other people, na you become the official taga-okray ng industry. I learned to consider the feelings of my fellow artists.”

Now, he has an online talk show, “Korek Ka John,” where he gets to express his opinions, but always within the bounds of what’s right and proper and making sure he never oversteps his

John “Sweet” Lapus

there’s a constant effort on my end na lahat ng roles ko have to look different. Meron talagang acting involved, kahit gay role pa ‘yan. Ang feeling ko, after 32 years in show business, alam na ng tao kung si John Lapus ay umaarte o hindi. If there is one thing that I don’t want to be bashed, that is my work. As an artist, laitin na ang dapat laitin sa akin, pero thank God hindi pa naman nangyari, kasi ayoko talaga. Na fla-flatter ako ‘pag sinasabihan ako na magaling ako, kasi ‘yon lang ang pinanghahawakan ko sa work ko. I’m not a big star, I’m not even bankable for that matter. So ‘pag sinasabihan ako ng magaling, sapat na. I’ll take that.”

John has learned to disengage himself from bashers. “Pag di totoo, di ko pinapatulan. they don’t bother me. yun ang mga advantages na hindi ako big star, I don’t get as much bashing. I can imagine the difficulty of big stars—yung kinakain nila, lakad nila, lugar na pinupuntahan nila, lahat may bashing. I enjoy going to church alone, with friends or family, I enjoy doing groceries by myself. I still get to enjoy my private life.”

JM de Guzman: Jessy Mendiola inspires me

by ChuCk

Smith Philstar.com

ALtHoUGH he admits facing occasional issues in their relationship, JM de Guzman said girlfriend Jessy Mendiola serves as his inspiration, especially now that he has been given a second chance in showbiz. “yung love ko sa kanya (Jessy), isa sa mga basehan ng love (dito),” JM said in an tv interview aired tuesday. “Iniinspire niya ako kahit po before noong nagsta-start pa lang ulit ako (sa showbiz).”

When asked if he and Jessy are (Advertising Supplement) facing hurdles in their relation-

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bounds. “May commentary ako, where I get to share my feelings on some issues. Pero ngayon, gusto ko, sweet na. Kapag may ginagawang bad ang isang artista, or may situation na pangit, I’ll still say my piece pero mas maganda maging as sweet as possible.”

Aside from his online talk show, John still acts on screen. His latest assignment is “Doble Kara” with Julia Montes where he plays a “tita” role. the show revolves around the lives of twins Kara and Sarah (both played by Julia). John is playing a gay role, but he pours into it the same kind of effort that he would put into a straight role.

Just because he’s gay doesn’t mean playing gay roles is automatically easier. the effort required is the same.

“Well, it’s technically easier compared to straight men playing gay roles,” he reflects on his role in “Doble Kara.” “Ako din, I played straight guy roles before, nahirapan din ako. (there’s the movie) ‘Masakit sa Dibdib’ with rufa Mae Quinto, ako ang kuya niya, all throughout the movie, I was straight with the viva Hot Babes as girlfriends. May kissing scene, may bed scene na the people were waiting for the punchline. Nag-iisip sila, joke ba ito na lalaki si John Lapus?” there was also the award-winning “Here Comes the Bride” where John’s character was possessed by an elderly straight guy, played by Jaime Fabregas. to be able to pull it off, John attended acting workshops, did his research and spent time with his straight guy friends. “Before shooting, nakikipag-bonding ako with them,” says John. “Nahirapan din ako.

ship, JM said: “Meron din naman po. She expects a lot from me. So minsan hindi ko nabibigay.”

But the actor said he’s not pressured by Jessy’s expectations.

“Mahal ko siya e,” JM enthused.

JM stars in the afternoon soap opera “All of Me,” which will premiere on August 31, Monday. this is his first time to lead a tv drama since 2013, when he took a hiatus from showbiz following his stay in a rehabilitation center for his drug use.

“Wala na ito dapat,” JM said, adding he is thankful for the op- JM De Guzman is thankful for to be back on portunities given to him after his TV with “All of Me,” his upcoming soap opera hiatus. on ABS-CBN.

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Your Immigration Solution Atty. RobeRt Reeves ben LovemAn Current immigration laws are not perfect but creative and strategic use of the provisions of the laws as they exist can offer pathways to residency or long-term employment authorization. the last two years have been difficult for immigration reform efforts. After flirting with a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system, the House of representatives failed to even vote on the reform package. the law, which could have brought hope to millions, languished and died in the halls of Congress shepherded to a slow end by Conservative representatives unwilling to even debate the law. President Obama’s efforts to offer temporary relief through work authorization through the

Health@Heart PhiLiP s. ChuA, mD, FACs, FPCs tHIS column regularly receives medical questions from our readers and from time to time we select some interesting ones for discussion here for general public health education.

Here are some of them: Do cell phone radiation shields work? no, the so-called “radiation shields” for cell phones do not work, and therefore are not effective in protecting the user from radiation, reports the FtC in the united States.

If anything at all, this shield “lulls” the user to complacency and thus the user is subjected to a more prolonged radiation exposure because of the false sense of security the unsuspecting consumers will have. While the association between cell phone use and some type of brain tumors is still unclear, it is best to avoid and minimize any type of radiation exposure from whatsoever source. to reduce radiation exposure from cell phones, we recommend the use one of the hands-free devices commercially available.

How does tobacco hurt the smoker?

Besides the tissue irritation

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA (PART 1 of 2) HAS the world gone mad?

Have we completely lost our moral compass?

You seriously wonder about the state of the soul of human beings these days. When more people seem to rise in outrage over the killing of a lion rather than on the wholesale murder and sale of baby parts, we probably need to get down on our knees, bow down our heads in shame and do some serious soul searching.

Cecil, a lion in Zimbabwe was killed by an obsessed American hunter for sport. thousands on twitter and other social networking tools rose up in collective indignation aghast over the death of a lion. even daft lawmakers are trying to get in on the action.

At about the same time, videos exposing the trade and trafficking of baby body parts from top executives of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics came out on tV and the internet. these videos didn’t seem to get as much attention and traction worldwide as they should.

Surprised? In a world where far too many people have become too self obsessed, far too distracted or just plain apathetic to be shaken to their roots, we may have indeed lost our way.

Can a direct hit by 7-mile asteroid hurtling through space with earth’s name on it, be far behind?

What will it take to shake us out of our individual and collective complacency? What will it take to be shaken to the core, feel revulsion down to the pit of our stomachs, recoil in horror, feel so agitated, enough to rise in indignation and take action against the systematic and mass murder of human babies AnD to top it all, the callous, barbaric sale of their body parts for profit under the pretext and guise of advancing medical research.

I pray I am wrong in my per-

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DAPA program have been, at least temporarily, scuttled due to lawsuits from groups opposed to reform. the inability of Congress or the President to pass meaningful reform has not changed the fact that scores of families have at least one member who is here without permission. these loved ones living in the shadows want nothing more than to be able to contribute and support their families here and abroad. While we are still fighting and hoping for a major overhaul to the system, for many simply waiting is not the best option. Laws in existence now offer the chance for employment authorization and a pathway forward towards residency and a better future.

Present law provides for persons who have uS citizen or lawful permanent resident spouses, children, or parents who have resided in the united States for ten-years or longer to apply for

permanent resident status before an immigration Judge. to be eligible the applicant must prove that s/he has: (1) resided in the united States continuously for ten years; (2) has been a person of good moral character; (3) has not been convicted of certain criminal offenses; and (4) has a uS citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, parent, or child who would suffer exceptional and extremely unusual hardship. the applicant must meets each of these requirements and be deserving of approval as a matter of discretion.

Applying for resident status before a Judge necessarily means being in removal proceedings which can be a scary prospect.

But the convergence of huge court backlogs and the government’s use of prosecutorial discretion mean that going to immigration court is not as scary as it used to be. With wait times to see a judge hitting record highs

Does diabetes cause blindness? on the breathing pipes and lungs caused by the fumes and the various toxic chemicals in the cigarette, tobacco also thickens the blood, which makes the smoker (active or passive) more prone to thrombosis (blood clot formation) in the arteries and veins, and aggravates arteriosclerosis (hardening of the artery). On top of this, smoking also speeds up the process of arteriosclerosis (especially the arteries of the heart and brain, abdomen and legs). Smoking can also cause cancer of the breathing pipes and/or the lungs and cancers in other organs in the body in either gender. Stained teeth and fingers, smoker’s bad breath and a household that smells like tobacco fumes are the most minor effects of smoking.

What causes palpitation?

Palpitation (pounding heart beat, harder and faster than normal) could be due to extrinsic causes like ingestion of a stimulant (coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolates, some medications, etc.) and/or cigarette smoking, or due to an intrinsic causes like coronary or heart valve diseases. the person feels the heart thumping in the chest that could lead to some degree of discomfort and anxiety. When this happens regularly, in spite of abstinence from the extrinsic causes listed above, prompt

medical consultation is recommended.

Can trauma to the breasts cause cancer? r e p e a t e d t ra u m a t o t h e breast has been implicated as one of the possible causes or a contributing factor in the formation of cancer of the breast among women. this could be in the form of biting, pinching, squeezing or rough manual manipulation. the breasts must be handled with care and tenderness.

Does diabetes cause blindness?

Most definitely, especially among persons whose diabetes is untreated, poorly treated or simply brittle and hard to treat. the blindness is due to what is termed diabetic retinopathy. A significant number of blindness in the world today is caused by diabetes. Once the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is confirmed, prompt and appropriate therapy should be instituted. the diabetic should be disciplined enough to religiously follow the prescribed medical regimen if the complications of the disease, like blindness, leg gangrene, etc. are to be prevented.

Can hydrogen peroxide be used for gurgling?

Yes, hydrogen peroxide with water could be used for gurgling, but ask your dentist first

The murder of babies and the killing of a lion “The most dangerous place for a baby these days is in the mother’s womb.”

—Monette Adeva Maglaya ception of reactions and responses to this horror during our times. If I am, I apologize.

I cannot gauge the intensity of silent moral outrage. no matter the appearances, I do believe that good trumps evil every time. I do believe that there are millions or even billions who are of good heart and believe that such evil is indefensible —an abomination every which way you look at it.

In every Christian home and every church, there are quiet prayer warriors all over the world known only to God, enjoining the intercession of Our Holy Mother Mary in begging God for mercy and to intervene and reverse the course of the downward trajectory of human affairs in our time.

Humans, made in the image and likeness of God, are the crowning glory of God’s creation in this neck of the universe. those of us who believe in this core Christian doctrine recoil at this grievous offense.

Observe the maternal instincts of animals which would do everything in their power to protect their young. Yet, there are animals which eat their young.

It is the nature of the beast.

Sadly, there are those among us who behave no differently. the videos show the gruesome, horrifying, callous negotiations and sale of baby body parts. A later video shows PP involved even in the sale of whole baby cadavers, so that eye balls, kidneys, livers, hearts and everything that makes the human body of a baby can be sold intact for a better price and thus improve PP’s bottom line.

An executive is heard saying they even want to improve their abortion procedures to something that is less “crunchy” so that “specimens”, as they so casually call baby body parts, can be harvested in better con-

dition for a better price in the market.

It is mind blowing that these top executives of the abortion factory discuss prices over lunch while swirling their glass of wine matter-of-factly dickering over prices as though human beings were cattle.

Can anything be more ghoulish? One executive says during negotiation that she wants a Lamborghini.

So move over Herod, Sanger, Mengele, Gosnell et al. You have company. Lots of them … the depths of hell may be filled to overflowing. the Center for Medical Progress which produced the explosive videos is a pro-life group. It has worked undercover for years to expose the wickedness and evil practices of this industry.

Buyers in these videos are actually actors who are exposing the heinous practices of the abortion industry, particularly Planned Parenthood.

PP is a politically well-connected, deeply entrenched, well funded national organization receiving over half a billion dollars a year in taxpayer money.

It is sad that a legislative effort to defund the group of taxpayer money has failed just recently due in part to the lack of leadership and true grit among many members of our feckless, inept Congress and Senate who lack the moral and intestinal fortitude to win victories when they have the capacity to do so. there is simply no excuse. the matter will be up for revote and I sense a change in the direction of the wind.

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

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUSt 27-SEptEmbER 2, 2015

it can be over five years before a case is decided and in the meantime applicants will be entitled to work authorization and be able to support their families. Further, for long-time residents with familial ties to the uS and a clean criminal history the government might agree to indefinitely close a removal case meaning the applicant will remain indefinitely eligible for employment authorization.

Whether to pursue a cancellation of removal case as a means to obtain employment authorization and a chance at residency depends on the particular circumstances of each case. Assessing the benefits and risks requires inventorying personal, familial, and immigration history.

In some cases the inventory could reveal that seeking cancellation is largely risk-free. For instance, an undocumented father with uS citizen children in high school, no criminal record, and the need for better employment to support his children would be a likely candidate to pursue cancellation

of removal. Given the current backlogs, even if the government does not agree to suspend processing of his case, by the time he goes for final hearing before an immigration judge one of his children will likely be eligible to petition him for permanent resident status. In the meantime he will have gained the invaluable opportunity to work anywhere his talents allow.

Applying for cancellation of removal may also be attractive to persons with lawful permanent resident or uS citizen parents who have filed petitions on their behalf and who are waiting for a visa to be available to either apply for adjustment of status or to apply for an immigrant visa in conjunction with the provisional waiver. For more on the expanded provisional waiver process—another opportunity under current law—please see our recent article on the topic on our website). For these of persons applying for cancellation offers the chance to obtain employment authorization until

since he/she knows your dental condition better and can advise you accordingly. Hydrogen peroxide, together with sodium fluoride and other common ingredients (like triclosan) in tooth pastes, help prevent tooth decay, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), tartar and plaque formation, and halitosis (bad breath). Hydrogen peroxide is a substance that is incorporated in many toothpaste preparations in the market today. Baking soda is another. In children, the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis effectiveness of toothpastes is still not proven.

What is the best medication for athlete’s foot? each person who has tinea pedis (athlete’s foot) may respond to various foot powders, creams or solutions differently.

One of the newer preparations, named Lamisil, an over-thecounter drug, has been found to be generally very effective, when used as directed, together with proper foot care, hygiene, and use of footwear.

Can loud music lead to deafness?

Yes, and not only music. Prolonged or repeated exposure to any type of very loud noise or sound can cause damage to the auditory nerve damage, which could lead to varying degrees of hearing impairment, and even to permanent deafness.

Headset users should set the

volume of sound to a safe level.

A simple way to do this is to turn the volume down until you can barely hear it, then gradually increasing the loudness (and adjusting the treble and the base if possible) to a comfortable level.

Is bleach in condoms safe? no. Any chemical (chlorine in bleach, alcohol, etc) in condom is not safe and will cause chemical burns, besides compromising the integrity of the condom, which could leak and burn the partner. If the goal is to prevent catching sexually transmitted diseases, the prudent and obvious option is not to have sex with a partner who are possibly or known to be infected. HIV infection is practically a death sentence… from a few moments of pleasure.

Can skin ointment be used for the eyes? no, most definitely no. Skin lotions, creams, gel, ointments, and solutions, are for topical (external or skin) application only, and are not safe for the eyes. there are specific drops and ointments for the eyes. never use any other preparation, except those prescribed by healthcare professionals specifically for the eyes, which are always labeled “Ophthalmic” or “For ophthalmic use.”

Does surgery make cancer spread? no, this is a myth. Doing

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their visa is available.

Other cases will present closer calls and some cases will be unsuited to this strategy. the point is that the immigration system in place today can be utilized if the right questions are asked and a careful analysis is conducted.

If you or a loved one might be eligible for employment authorization and residency through cancellation of removal you should discuss your case with an experienced immigration attorney. *** Atty. Reeves has represented clients in numerous landmark immigration cases that have set new policies regarding INS action and immigrants’ rights. His offices are located in Pasadena, Irvine, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Makati City.

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

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surgery or “opening the patient up” does not cause metastasis (spread) of the cancer. In general, cancer proliferates rapidly to invade surrounding tissues and distant organs. the misconception resulted from the refusal of patients suspected or confirmed to have cancer to be operated on early when first advised, and had delayed the surgery so much that the malignant tumor had already spread beyond help before acceding to have the operation. So, when the surgeons operated on them that late, invariably the cancer had already spread all over. When the patients soon expired, people blamed the surgery as the cause of the spread. today, almost everybody knows that prompt detection and early operation in the treatment of cancer gives the best chance for a cure for majority of patients with malignancy. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@ gmail.com

B august 27-september 2, 2015 • Las Vegas asIaN JOurNaL

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6 beauty bloggers I highly recommend TV5 International expands reach in US via DIRECTV

By Monet

Lu

WORKING in the beauty department for years has earned me the right to call myself a beauty expert. People ask me for advice – and they are usually happy with it; some have learned much under my training and supervision. I love that I can help other people look nice – even stunning – when necessary. And, if have all the time and energy, I would love to pass on what I know to everyone who needs it.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of time to do that. And this is why I love that there are amazing beauty bloggers out there who are just as passionate as I am in imparting their wisdom.

I’ve been following some of them for some time now and here are 6 beauty bloggers that I highly suggest you follow.

1. La La Mer Who would use plain Greek yogurt as a face mask? I ask the same thing until I was introduced to it by this Los Angeles-based TV host turned lifestyle blogger, Marianna Hewitt. She looks like Kim Kardashian (which would perhaps get you more hooked to her blog). She offers personal makeup and lifestyle tips, and video tutorials on how fans can recreate their favorite celebrity looks. I find her blog interesting and up-to-date with the latest beauty trends. And again: plain Greek yogurt. That just says it all.

2. Michelle Phan From ways on how to use a liquid liner to grooming tips, this beauty you-tuber is definitely worth your subscription. I say that along with her 7 million-plus subscribers. Phan has been at the top of the beauty guru game since the naked-make-up look surfaced. She began posting tutorials in 2007 and gained followers because of her laidback style and colorful costumes and themes. She came out with her own make up line and a styleguide book. If you want to learn the basic stuff in makeup and some really unique looks, this woman is your best friend. Apparently, 7 million people agree

Michelle Phan

with me.

3. Kathlyn Lights How can I not love Kathlyn Lights? Her take on make up transformation is very refreshing. She is not as seasoned as the other bloggers in this list, but this beauty blogger is the new face to watch out for! Her reviews on makeup brands and products are credible and reliable. I should know, I purchased some products based on her recommendation.

I love that her reviews on both drugstore brands and high end ones are honest and fair. She also featured her morning and night skin care routine, which I think is very helpful.

4. Zoella She is known online as Zoella.

Her name is Zoe Sugg and she is a beauty blogger goddess. Her typical day includes gaining 7.5 million subscribers, making TV apperances, being a digital ambassador for mental health and breaking the record for highest first-week sales of a first-time novelist for her novel. If that is not enough to lure you into her cultic aura, your decision needs some reevaluation. I love Zoe’s bubbly personality and sense of humor. And her makeup techniques are just spot-on. Her quick hairstyle tutorials and makeup routine will definitely make you a fan.

5. The hip chick online Before you think that this list is just for the yuppies, let me introduce you to Kim. This 40something mom is the enchanting “Rapunzel” in real life. Her amazing hair can be the envy of every woman. She feautues tutorials on how to turn your hair into a magnificent “crown of glory.” One online article writes, “She thoroughly dem-

onstrates elementary (but often challenging) techniques like using a round brush, getting perfect beach waves, and maneuvering a curling wand. We were especially impressed by how naturally voluminous she made her mane look at the crown without any teasing.”

6. Pixiewoo They say having too much of everything is bad. I agree. But if you are getting beauty and makeup tips from-not just one-but two sisters--you wouldn’t mind getting too much, right? I cannot get enough of the “pixiwoo” sisters. The sisters/makeup artist behind the pixiwoo channel are just amazing! They have a knack for recreating celebrity makeup looks which I really love! Imagine looking like Angelina Jolie or Rihanna. These beauty experts know how to keep their followers empowered and entertained at the same time. Even their Basics videos are a must-watch for any beauty beginner (even veterans can learn a thing or two!).

Well, for the love of makeup and skin care, one would get as much help as she possible can. And these amazing beauty bloggers are social media’s gift to mankind. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

TV5 International marks a milestone by expanding its reach in the US via DIRECTV, now part of the AT&T family. KAPATID TV5, TV5 international’s entertainment channel, is set to deliver some of the most anticipated shows in the Philippines. As the home of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Kapatid TV5 has greatly revitalized Filipinos’ love for the Philippine’s premier basketball league and has been instrumental in bringing the action-packed PBA games to Filipino homes all over the world.

Kapatid TV5 also brings light, happy, and entertaining programs that make TV viewing appealing to the whole family. Its wide variety of shows include Young Hearts, a week-long mini-series featuring different love teams in the most requested TV adaptations of popular love stories shared on the story-sharing internet site Wattpad; #ParangNormalActivity, a youth-oriented horror-comedy show featuring a lovable teen barkada who solves mysteries with the help of a pretty and friendly ghost; Hi-5 Philippines, the popular local franchise of the hit kiddie edutainment program from Australia; No Harm No Foul, which is top-billed by funnyman/ songwriter Ogie Alcasid and a group of basketball superstars who have teamed up for a hilarious weekly sitcom.

Kapatid TV5’s programming also includes Misterless Misis, a show that brings girl power and female independence to the next level with the quirky and fun-filled characters portrayed by Ruffa Gutierrez, Lorna Tolentino, Gelli De Belen, Mitch Valdez, Ritz Azul, and Andie Gomez; Happy Truck ng Bayan, a lively and star-studded variety game show hosted by Derek Ramsay, Jasmine CurtisSmith, Tuesday Vargas, Marielle Rodriguez-Padilla, Gellie de Belen and Janno Gibbs; along with the breaking primetime news brought by award-winning news anchors Luchi Cruz-Valdes and Erwin Tulfo on Aksyon.

“It has always been TV5 International’s goal to reach out to Filipinos across the world. With our partnership with DIRECTV, we are happy that we will be able to bring Kapatid TV5’s quality programs to more Filipinos in the US,” said Ernesto Sta. Maria, Jr., Chief Operations Officer of TV5 International. “We look forward to strengthening our partnership with DIRECTV and giving Kapatid viewers in the US the best viewing experience that will make them feel as though they never left the Philippines.”

“We’re excited to bring TV5 to DIRECTV’s lineup and expand our content offerings to our Filipino customers,” said Emma Brackett, vice president of Content, DI-

RECTV, part of the AT&T Family.

With the addition of Kapatid TV5 we are proud to be the only TV provider in the US that carries the three biggest and most sought after Filipino networks in one place, further strengthening our leadership in the market.”

Kapatid TV5 is available in DIRECTV’s FilipinoDirect package. And now that Kapatid TV5 is seen by more Filipinos in the US through DIRECTV, TV5 International is even more inspired to bring the best of Philippine TV to more Kapatid viewers all across the world. And with TV5’s evolving programming grid, viewers can expect a wider variety of innovative shows in the coming months.

Kapatid TV5 is currently being viewed in the United States, Canada, Middle East and North Africa (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran,Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, West Bank, Gaza Strip and Palestine), Guam, Australia, Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong. To be updated with the latest happenings and events of Kapatid TV5, visit www.kapatidinternational. com or www.facebook.com/kapatidinternational. ��dvertising Supplement�

INDUCTED. Walter Hai Ho owner of HK Star Seafood Restaurant was recently inducted as President of Las Vegas China Town Lions Club held at his restaurant. The event was attended by the past president of Lions Club and their officers �top photo� and Ruben Kihuen �D-incumbent� Nevada State Senate �left photo�. HK Star Seafood Restaurant is located at 3400 S. Jones Blvd., and the phone no. is �702� 220-3388.

Filipino companies showcase artistry...

PAGE B2 various American wholesalers such as Two’s Company for the past 27 years and mail-order company Oriental Trading for the past 25 years.

Some retailers that have passed by the pavilion told her that they were amazed with the breadth of products that the delegation brought.

“They were asking me if all the items in the pavilion are all made in the Philippines and I said ‘yes, of course’. They looked so surprised and astonished. I’m happy that we are very much appreciated,” Henson added.

The Philippine pavilion is composed home, lifestyle and fashion sectors.

Participating companies in the Home sector are Alice Blue Candles & Home Fragrances, Arden, Art n Nature, CSM Philippines, Finali, Klassy Collections, Lightworks, Markalex Creative Craft Corp., Mil Export Philippines, Nature’s Legacy and Venzon Lighting.

Companies participating in the Fashion and Lifestyle sector are Ann Ong, Beatriz, Crystal Seas, Kit Silver Jewellery, Larone, Megabijoux, Risqué Designs and The Tannery Manila.

“Some of them were chosen and some applied,” Gaetos said when asked about how CITEM was able to come up with 19 companies to participate. “Those who feel that the U.S. is their target market and that they are ready with their supply when orders come in, and of course, they have to meet CITEM’s standards.”

Ruiz talked about the three main themes or stories they are presenting under the Lifestyle Philippines brand.

First is Industrial Craft, whichis about the crafts-based production using industrial materials and the industrial making process of molding and casting, welding, CNC

CSM

Kit Silver Jewellery

The Tannery Manila

Larone

machining, laser-cutting and 3-D printing, accenting the marriage of linear and geometrical structures with a more subdued color palette.

Terno Patterno on the other hand takes inspiration from the colorful Philippine textiles as it underlines traditional motifs imbued with patterns and bold colors for a modern revamp.

The last theme is called PriMo (Primitive Modern) which juxtaposes geometric and organic elements that are raw and primitive with postmodernist designs that are ornate and ablaze with colors.

Ruiz admitted that the most challenging part of the job was editing what the group would showcase in the show.

“It’s tough, we began in the product development stage where I selected a few items, tweaked some designs and developed new ideas for them to make. Then they have these existing clientele and markets that we need to consider so it’s a balancing act,” Ruiz shared. “I guess it will take a while

before we reach a point where everyone can let go of some of their old products and some of their old ways of presenting things.”

While he was still based in New York back in 2010, Ruiz has been collaborating and working with CITEM on various small projects such as installations for Manila FAME, a bi-annual design and lifestyle event in the Philippines.

You go around the show and in every corner you will hear the stories. Some protect the earth, others have natural products that are organic and fair trade.

“I guess what makes us different would be, beyond that, the narrative is something that comes from a deeper source,” Gaetos said. “Every product that they do is not only useful but it also tells a story about how it came into being. Beyond that, the Filipino is inherently an artisan designer.

The design aspect of it comes alive.

There might be that story to tell but if you’re not able to shape or mold it into something functional, and something that can be sold, then it will fail.”

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Features

LAS VEGAS ASIAN JOURNAL • AUGUSt 27-SEptEmbER 2, 2015

B

Marimar 2015: Same sensuality Calendar of Events across America in a more contemporary setting

by Tessa

Mauricio-arriola ManilaTimes.net

AS in the day’s crop of remakes for television, GMA Network’s highly awaited “Marimar” of 2015 seeks to preserve the show’s essence, while making the new version more appealing to the current audience.

So just like Thalia’s original Mexican barrio lass in 1994, and Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dante’s very first Filipino adaptation of the telenovela in 2007, this new outing of what can already be considered a television classic will be as sensual as ever.

This is the promise of Tom Rodriguez and Megan Young who will bring back to life the much loved characters of Sergio and “Marimar” every night beginning this week.

At the show’s grand press launch at GMA Network’s Studio 6, Tom talked in detail about the challenges of remaking something that is almost a giant in Philippine pop culture.

“Everyone who has seen the original Marimar and the Marian-Dingdong remake knows the characters by heart. But you have to remember that was back in the early ‘90s and then again some eight years ago. Both the country and the people have progressed so much since then, and the sentiments are very different now.

“Yet, we have to juxtapose the essence of Marimar with this huge gap of 2015. So we have to keep in mind that iba na ang mga Pilipino ngayon so kailangan naming ibigay sa kanila yung story na mas relevant and mas contemporary, with the same sensuality of the original.”

How Tom tackled this balancing act of sorts is to first go deep

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UPAAGLA Induction Dinner-Dance

Tom Rodriguez and Megan Young will bring back to life the much loved characters of Sergio and Marimar.

into the character of Sergio.

“You see him as a guy who’s full of himself, very confident and mayabang. But deep inside his love for his mom is there, which brings out an endearing side to him, and you discover that he’s actually very unassuming.”

With Sergio’s character down pat, Tom had to—and continues to—work hard at the all important sensuality component of the project.

“Thankfully Megan and I are getting there with a series of familiarity workshops before we started taping,” the dedicated actor continued. “I’m preparing myself for the really intimate scenes too.

He is also on a mission to be in his best form ever with a strict diet and exercise regimen.

“I can’t say how many pounds I’ve lost; I just base my goals aesthetically cause minsan hindi nakakatulong ang numbers,” A buff Tom added.

Suffice it to say, this Sergio is

up to the challenge of Marimar, especially since he knows full well that expectations are already on the rise even before the show’s premiere on Monday.

Meanwhile, Megan brings life anew to the iconic character that exemplifies the best traits of the Filipina barrio lass. She is definitely a fitting choice for the character as she represents a brave and beautiful woman with a sense of purpose.

Lending support to Tom and Megan is a cast of respected actors, led by Jaclyn Jose, Zoren Legaspi, Lauren Young, and Alice Dixson. Marimar further stars Nova Villa, Tommy Abuel, Carmi Martin, Ina Raymundo, Dion Ignacio, Ricardo Cepeda, Cris Villanueva, Candy Pangilinan, Frank Magalona, Ashley Cabrera, and the voice of comedian Boobay who will give life to the iconic dog, Fulgoso.

Marimar is directed by Dominic Zapata (The Rich Man’s Daughter, My Husband’s Lover).

Daniel Matsunaga is tough enough by

Mylene Mendoza-dayriT Philstar.com

WHEN he’s not on the set of a shoot, you can find actor and model Daniel Matsunaga in the gym or on the football field. The hunky Pinoy Big Brother big winner claims that what he loves doing the most are playing football and working out. No wonder he was chosen by the action channel KIX to host its show “R U Tough Enough? (RUTE).”

For a strong impactful kick-off, Daniel, together with strongman Moises Torcator, pulled a truck loaded with 18 KIX girls for a distance of 18 meters. After demonstrating their brut strength, they asked Filipinos nationwide, “Are you tough enough?”

“Regardless of the adversities that are thrown at them, Filipinos are able to overcome the adversity and continue to flourish. It is part of the Pinoy spirit and I am certain we’ll find many contestants to participate in this search for the toughest Pinoy,” said Daniel.

For the final showdown on Sept. 5, the finalists have to successfully traverse an obstacle course. The challenges will test each contestant both physically and mentally.

We sat down with Daniel to find out just how tough he is: Philstar.com: Have you always been a gym junkie?

Daniel Matsunaga: I arrived here in the Philippines five-six years ago, but I’ve always worked out a lot. I had to every day because of my modeling career. I like going to the gym because there are so many options and there’s so much to do using the equipment and facilities.

Was there ever a time you were chubby or skinny and how did you overcome it?

Until I was 12, I was a chubby kid. I was always into sports, but I loved to eat and food in Brazil is really good. I was bullied in

“For me, working out is really more like a lifestyle. It’s about improving yourself and your mentality — and then your body. It also reduces the risk of certain diseases in the future,” says actor Daniel Matsunaga.

school because of my weight.

It was always just little things.

Other kids would step on my shoes and once, I got into a fight.

So I decided to change myself. I wanted to become a more active person and improve my physique.

I started working out at home when I was 13. My father put an iron bar above my door and every time I would cross, I’d try to do a pull-up. If I couldn’t make it, I’d jump and try again. I wouldn’t give up. It was really persistence, you know? I really wanted to do it, and I really wanted to lose weight.

I also started playing football when I was young. With football, I was doing a lot of cardio and it really helped me lose fat. By the time I was losing fat, I was able to do the pull-ups. In the beginning, I could only do one, two or three, but by the time I was 14, I could do 27 straight.

Why did you decide to keep on working out even after you lost your excess fat?

Well, what kept me going was really an objective in my life to keep myself fit and to integrate exercise in my life. I’m a professional football player, playing in the first division. So I need to be fit for my work and also for myself.

I also have to watch what I eat, work out, and do cardio every day. It’s just good for me ’cause I like to be fit.

What’s one misconception that you would like to change about people’s views on fitness?

Normally, people say that they can’t work out because they don’t have time. But for me, working out is really more like a lifestyle.

Sometimes, you really have to work out for yourself and for your future. It’s about improving yourself and your mentality—and then your body. It also reduces the risk of certain diseases in the future. Working out isn’t just something you have to see as a task or chore, it’s a way of living.

How do you inspire other people to be fit and healthy?

As much as I can, I inspire them through my work, doing videos, and doing what I love the most, which is really exercise and professional football. A lot of people watch football here. It’s just starting, but it’s growing very fast. Also working out, you know? Working out every day, maintaining my fitness with food and exercise at the same time.

Do you believe strong is sexy? Why? Yes, I believe strong is sexy ’cause by working out, of course you become stronger and stronger every day. By doing that, your physique will change.

And then by changing, you feel more confident. You feel better about yourself, and that’s more sexy.

J. Elaine Marcos: Pursuing comedy after...

PAGE B2 be in order for me to create those relationships and create a reputation [for comedy],” she said.

Pushing through the challenges of being an Asian performer Among ways Marcos has gone on to do this is through her involvement with The Second City in Hollywood, an improv training center and comedy club. On July 15 and 22, she and two friends from Broadway (Kevin Yee and Richard Ogawa) performed a comedy-music-sketch they wrote based on their experiences in and perspective of the industry.

The trio’s sketch, “Super Gay Asian Cabaret,” comedically portrays the realities of being an Asian performer through original songs and musical parodies.

Among these include singing backup vocals in Broadway and repeatedly recognizing the lead actors and actresses at the end of performances for audience members through hand gestures.

“We write it so it’s twisted in a way and also where people can laugh about it but also question, ‘Hm. You’re right. That’s true that that’s what has happened.’ It’s therapy in a way because it feels good to actually acknowledge, ‘Is that what I’m doing right now?’”

Marcos realizes performing arts is not easy for Asians to break into, but she doesn’t allow the reality to weigh her down.

“Nothing I do I feel like I’m entitled to. I have to always prove it. As much as it’s hard, those moments when I actually am hired because of the talent, they feel like a huge victory,” she said.

One of these wins came for Marcos when she scored the role of Lily St. Regis in “Annie,” despite the fact the character is typically a blonde.

“I remember going in thinking chances were pretty low. But it was cool because I didn’t feel like she got it because I was Asian, but because I had the talent,”

she said.

Even when Asians make it in Broadway, Marcos noted that they may oftentimes play the role of a prostitute. While she has, at times, had to take on that role, she said the experience has never felt as satisfying as showing truly who she is.

“We’re a lot deeper than [the sexy prostitute],” she says of Asians, particularly Filipinos, in the industry.

With Asian Americans underrepresented in mainstream media and the arts, Marcos thinks it is up to the community to figure out how to transform those circumstances.

“That’s where I put it on myself. I’m not blaming anyone else because if I want anything to change, it’s about me writing it. It’s about me changing it and not complaining that other people aren’t doing it,” she said. “It’s more of what can I do to create more opportunities, or even starting the discussion.”

All U.P. Graduates, family and friends are invited to attend The Induction Dinner Dance of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) on August 29, 2015 at 6pm at the Glendale Embassy Suites (800 Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203). This event shall benefit the Scholarship Fund of UPAAGLA. Tickets are $75 inclusive of dinner. For ticket and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Arnel Joaquin (213) 880-3305 / arnelj@gmail.com, or Dick Cu (562) 547-0560, or visit www.upaagla.org.

SEptEmbER 4

National Council of Philippine American & Canadian Accountants 2015 Charity Golf Tournament Where: Penderbrook Golf Club, 3700 Golf Trail Lane, Fairfax, VA 22033 When: September 4, 2015; 8am-2pm Please contact: Jaena Hermosilla Valles 718-275-1422; jvalles@vallesvendiola.com or Bobby Tamayo 703-615-9451; rgtamayo@verizon.net Visit www.ncpacafoundation.com for more details.

Saulog Celebration: A Night of Serenade Cebuanos Engaging in Building Unity, Inc. (CEBU INC.) will be hosting a Saulog Celebration: “A Night of Serenade” on Friday, September 4th, at St. Rebastian Roman Catholic Church (5802 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside, NY 11377). The show will present the Cebu Clergy Performing Artists, and feature: the 2015 NYC Philippines Independence Day Parade Grand Prize Winner - C.E.B.U. INC. Sinulog Dancers. The show will start at 8:00pm on Friday. Please contact CEBU INC. for more details.

SEptEmbER 4-6

National Council of Philippine American & Canadian Accountants 2015 Convention Where: JW Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20004 When: September 4-6, 2015; from 8am-5pm Please contact: Jaena Hermosilla Valles 718-275-1422; jvalles@vallesvendiola.com or Bobby Tamayo 703-615-9451; rgtamayo@verizon.net Visit www.ncpacafoundation.com for more details.

S E p t E m b E R 4 -7

Ramon Magsaysay/Cubao High School 2015 Reunion in Las Vegas Calling all Cubao High School/Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School graduates and alumni! Come out and join the 2015 Get-Together of our Alma Mater from Friday, September 4 to Monday, September 7 at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (4000 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103). A special Dinner/Dance is scheduled on Saturday, September 5. To our Alumni now residing in Canada, the US, and other parts of the world, all are invited to share this special weekend event with their fellow graduates and classmates in Las Vegas, NV. For more information, please call Jay Medina at (310) 967-9517 or Boots Doria at (925) 330-8081.

SEptEmbER 5

Filipino Association of Leisure World Dinner-Dance The Filipino Association of Leisure World will hold their dinner-dance at the Leisure World Hall on Saturday, September 5th. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For further information, please call Ren Villanueva at (323) 854-6209.

SEptEmbER 5-6

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) for Accountants at the NCPACA Convention Where: JW Marriott 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20004 When: September 5-6, 2015; from 8am-5pm, at the National Council of Philippine American & Canadian Accountants (NCPACA) 2015 Convention Please contact: Jaena Hermosilla Valles 718-275-1422; jvalles@vallesvendiola.com or Bobby Tamayo 703-615-9451; rgtamayo@verizon.net Visit www.ncpacafoundation.com for more details.

SEptEmbER 19

Citizenship Day 2015 The Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association is having a FREE Citizenship Day event on September 19, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, to assist low-income, 18+ immigrants eligible for U.S. citizenship with the full naturalization process. Every case will be reviewed by a legal attorney. Please call us at 407-841-8310 ext. 3123 for an appointment and any questions you may have. Thank You!

PILIPINO INTER-CLUB OPEN Invitational Golf Tournament The 11th annual PILIPINO INTER-CLUB OPEN (PICO) is open to fellow master golfers from the tri-state area. The charity tournament will be held on Saturday, September 19, at Royce Brook Golf Club (201 Hamilton Rd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844). It will be a shotgun start @ 1:30 pm. Registration is $120 each player; includes golf cart and food after the game. Come early for registration, refreshments, and mini contests. Come and join the quest for individual and team honors by class. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Family Center Christian Church, and donations are 100% tax deductible. Sign-up now at http://www. spgolfclub.com/PICO. For more details, please contact Ed Badiola 908-531-7377, or Justil Cruz 973-926-1400.

S E p t E m b E R 2 0 -26

CELEBRATE LOCAL with San Diego Restaurant Week!

This September, San Diego Restaurant Week, presented by Lexus Dealerships of San Diego, will CELEBRATE LOCAL... keepin’ it fresh - really fresh. San Diego Restaurant week returns September 20th - September 26th for ONE WEEK ONLY to “Celebrate Local” at all 180+ participating restaurants. Choose from a three-course dinner or two-course lunch deal to satisfy your cravings. NEW THIS YEAR, San Diego Restaurant Week will be partnering with Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank to provide backpacks for children in need within the San Diego community during the ALL FOR KIDS campaign. Ditch the dirty dishes and join over 150,000 fellow diners as we celebrate San Diego’s thriving culinary scene and the homegrown, local businesses that provide us with the produce and products we love! Tickets are not necessary for this delectable week of discounted dining, but reservations are recommended! Visit SanDiegoRestaurantWeek.com for more information, including a list of participating restaurants, or to make your reservations in advance!

S E p t E m b E R 25 -26

2nd Grand Reunion GOT (RETIRED) from Cerveza San Miguel US Chapter Where: Gold Coast Casino & Hotel (4000 Flamingo Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89103) When: Sept. 25 and 26; Grand Reunion Sept. 26 at 7:00 pm For details and information, please contact Renato Umayam at 323-841-3516, Nida Matias at 818-394-9178, Greg Lacondola at 702-334-8068, or Arnold Navarro at 318-779-6254.

O c tO b E R 1 0

LA Builder Lions Club 25th Anniversary The Los Angeles Builder Lions Club will celebrate their 25th Anniversary and Annual Outstanding Parents Night on October 10, 2015 at the Almansor Court banquet hall (700 S Almansor St, Alhambra, CA 91801). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band.

For further questions, please call Lion Bill Menor (323) 465-0613, Lion Yoli Ramo (213) 3051332, chairpersons or Lion Tita James, co-chair at (818) 203-2325.

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

B august 27-september 2, 2015 • Las Vegas asIaN JOurNaL

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