New York & New Jersey -- April 1 - 7, 2016

We’ve got you covered from Hollywood to Broadway... and Online!

Volume 9 – Issue 27 • 16 Pages

APRIL 1-7, 2016 Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858 • 449 Hoboken Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306 • Tel. (212) 655-5426 • Fax: (818) 502-0858

Aquino slams media bias, sensationalism

by AureA

CAliCA Philstar.com

mANILA—It was President Benigno Aquino III’s turn to pose questions to the media yesterday to underscore the importance of truthful news reporting, especially with the coming elections and regional developments that help form public opinion. he also delved on the challenges faced by the print media in light of the popularity of social media.

Aquino said truth, integrity and responsibility must not be compromised in the face of the apparent need for faster dissemination of information. he criticized sensationalism and biased, speculative and inaccurate reporting as well as the seeming lack of appetite for good news by media enterprises.

USA

DATELINE Filipina in California not guilty of kidnapping own daughters

“media, and perhaps especially print media, (have) a special role to play before, during and after our elections – as it does at any critical time in even your own countries. We filipinos will need a just, comprehensive accounting of this historic time, and you are in the best position to do that,” Aquino said during the Publish Asia 2016 opening ceremonies organized by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IfrA) and attended by local and foreign journalists.

Aquino recalled that 16 years ago, his mother, former president Corazon Aquino spoke in one of the major universities’ center for journalism in the country when she was no longer chief executive and referred to a hostage-taking incident in mindanao. she related how journalists seeking close contact with the hostages

u PAGE A2

PUBLISH ASIA CONFERENCE. President Benigno S. Aquino lll answers questions from the participants of the Publish Asia 2016 Conference during the opening ceremony held at the Manila Hotel in One Rizal Park in Manila on Wednesday, March 30. This year’s theme is “Mapping Challenges and Opportunities in the New Asian Media Game.”

Malacañang photo by Benhur Arcayan

Binay: Estrada remains a dear friend by reinA

TolenTino ManilaTimes.net

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

NAPA, California—A filipina mother charged with child abduction and kidnapping her own daughter in Napa County, California had her hope for a better life revived when a 12-person jury found her not guilty of all the charges. makati resident Anna Nepomuceno looked greatly relieved and teary-eyed as she turned to her lawyer, stacy Barrett, after the verdict was announced, then hugged her family and supporters and thanked them profusely. “the mood at the courtroom was very intense as we were also uneasy and nervous,” said faye Lacanilao of filipino Community Center worker’s rights program and migrante NorCal. “When the verdict was announced, all of us found ourselves crying. We joined hands and hugged each other. Before that we were all praying and trying to console each other.”

Barrett also looked relieved, overwhelmed with feelings and seemed to be trying to hold back tears although she was heard saying that the verdict had not really

u PAGE A3

PH Azkals stun North Korea behind late goals by rAndolph

B. leongson Inquirer.net

the Philippines ended its 2018 fIfA World Cup Qualifiers campaign in style, shocking North Korea, 3-2, tuesday, march 29 at rizal memorial stadium. missing key fixtures in the match, the Azkals still were able to pull off the miracle against the fancied Korean side. misagh Bahadoran scored the opening goal on a header following a deflected attempt from Javier Patiño at the 43rd minute. however, so Kyung Jin immediately leveled the score just before the half.

u PAGE A4

CeBU CItY—Vice President Jejomar Binay on tuesday, march 29 said he remains friends with former president and now manila mayor Joseph “erap” estrada after the latter threw his support behind independent candidate sen. Grace Poe. Binay and Poe are running for President in the may 2016 elections. “respetuhin natin, kanya-kanya tayo ng decision [Let us respect it, we each have our own decision],” Binay, the standard-bearer of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), said when asked on the matter.

When asked if he was surprised with estrada’s decision, the Vice President replied, “I was busy, proclamation ng anak ko e [it was Vice President Jejomar Binay, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, my daughter’s proclamation].” he was referring to the proclamation rally interim president of the United Nationalist Alliance, talk after lunch at Manila City Hall.

u PAGE A2

Inquirer.net photo by Joan Bondoc

Pacquiao thanks Comelec for allowing fight to push through by pAolo

romero Philstar.com

mANILA—World boxing icon and sarangani rep. manny Pacquiao lauded on Wednesday, march 30 the stand of the Commission on elections (Comelec) to allow his April 9 fight against World Boxing organization welterweight champion timothy Bradley of the United states to push through.

Pacquiao, who is running for senator in the may 9 polls, said the Comelec would allow him to fully concentrate on his preparations for the much-awaited bout.

“I’m very happy right now because the Comelec came up with a favorable

decision. this further motivates me to work hard to ensure victory,” Pacquiao said in a text message relayed by his brother roel. “this is not for my personal glory.

I’m fighting for the honor of our country and to glorify God through sports,” he said. roel often represents Pacquiao during campaign sorties.

Pacquiao said he had been praying for the Comelec not to block the bout.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body has decided not to act on the complaints raised by former senator rene saguisag and senatorial candidate Walden Bello that the fight will give Pacquiao undue public-

u PAGE A4

World boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for senator in the May 9 polls, said the Comelec would allow him to fully concentrate on his preparations for the much-awaited bout. AP photo by Bullit Marquez

Jason Tengco, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, was named the new Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) outreach director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

Photo courtesy of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach director for Clinton campaign

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

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

u PAGE A2

Lawyer maintains Kim Wong ‘innocent’ even after turning over $4.63M to AMLC sa gobyerno natin para ituro ang mga mastermind. Whether Kim Wong will return the money or not, wala siyang the lawyer of casino junket opera- kasalanan. (Kim Wong has no fault tor Kim Wong on thursday, march 31 whatsoever. Even if he didn’t return said the businessman was innocent, the money, he’s innocent. He will help hence could be off the hook the case the government to pinpoint the masfiled against him by the Anti-money termind),” Atty. Inocencio ferrer said Laundering Council (AmLC). when asked by the Inquirer if returning “Walang kasalanan si Kim Wong. the money meant his client could get maski hindi niya sinauli ang pera, off the hook. wala siyang kasalanan. tutulong siya ferrer himself turned over $4.63

by Ben

o. de VerA Inquirer.net

million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh’s central bank to the AmLC for safekeeping at the Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas (BsP) premises. “early this morning, 48 hours after the adjournment of the senate hearing, Kim Wong asked me to visit AmLC and BsP in order to inform AmLC that we are officially turning over $4.63 million mentioned by Kim Wong at the hearing. We completed the turnover, including counting and verification of

bills,” ferrer told reporters. ferrer said it took them three hours to count the huge sum of money in denominations of $100 using “many” counting machines akin to those used in bank. ferrer said Kim Wong needed not return the money personally as AmLC and the BsP had been “trained” anyway to deal with such transactions.

AmLC’s office is located within the

u PAGE A2

A APRIL 1-7, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

From the Front Page

Aquino slams media bias…

PAGE A1 t

BARRICADED. Another group of farmers from drought-affected towns blocked a stretch of the Sultan Kudarat-Davao Highway in Makilala, North Cotabato on Thursday, March 31 to call on Malacañang to address hunger in the province. North Cotabato, officially called Cotabato province, has been affected by a dry spell since last November. Drought has withered vast swaths of rice and corn in North Cotabato, where majority of residents rely on farming as their main source of income. Some 5,000 farmers barricaded portions of the Cotabato-Davao Highway in North Cotabato’s provincial capital, Kidapawan City, on Wednesday, stranding thousands of motorists and commuters.

Photo courtesy of the North Cotabato Provincial Police Office

Binay: Estrada remains a dear…

PAGE A1 t

on Monday of UNA’s local candidates in Makati City (Metro Manila) including his daughter, Makati Second District Rep. Abigail Binay, who is running for city mayor.

The UNA presidential candidate said he has no hard feelings.

“On my part, we remain to be friends. After all, [he got me as his] Vice President, I cannot forget,” according to Binay.

Estrada ran for President in the 2010 elections and lost while Binay, his running mate, won the vice presidential race.

Further, Binay said his campaign is anchored on direct engagement with the public, when asked if Estrada’s decision has any effect on his.

“’Di ko naman sinasabing balewala. Basta kung may epekto man o wala, makikita natin pagdating ng halalan. Kasi ako I’m talking for and in behalf dun sa mga taong nakausap ko. ‘Di naman ako nakikipag-usap sa inyo tungkol dun sa desisyon ni Erap [I’m not saying it’s nothing. We will see if it has any effect or none when the elections come. Because I’m talking for and in behalf of the people I talked with. I do not talk to you about Erap’s decision],” he pointed out “Pagkatapos ng eleksyon e di parang walang nangyari. Pulitika lang ‘yan e. Walang personalan [After the elections, then it is as if nothing happened. That’s just politics. It’s nothing personal],” Binay said.

“Kaibigan ‘yun. Kaibigan ang tingin ko kay Presidente Erap [He is a friend. I see him as a friend],” he added.

In an interview on Monday night at the proclamation rally in Makati City, Rep. Abigail Binay told reporters that it was Estrada’s right to endorse Poe. “’Di ba sa politika, kalaban mo ngayon, kaibigan mo bukas.

Ganun lang talaga so…hopefully naman after the elections, ‘di ba lahat naman, isang araw lang naman ang eleksyon, pagkatapos ng lahat magkakaibigan na ulit.

Magkakapamilya, magkakakilala [In politics, your enemy today is your friend tomorrow, right?

That’s just the way it is so… hopefully after the elections, it is just one day].” n

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach director for…

PAGE A1 t

nity engagement.

“Jason is passionate about engaging AAPIs in the political process, building a pipeline for youth empowerment, and ensuring that the AAPI community’s diverse issues are heard and addressed,” a campaign statement emailed to the Asian Journal said.

Among his accomplishments are managing the first-ever White House Summit on AAPIs and launching the E3! Ambassadors Program for young leaders, the campaign noted.

Tengco, whose parents are from the Philippines, was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from UCLA with honors with a bache-

lor’s degree in political science.

In 2014, he was selected as a delegate for the Philippine Embassy’s Filipino American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro), a weeklong immersion trip that brings young Fil-Am professionals to the Philippines.

As election season unfolds, both Democrats and Republi-

u PAGE A3

and hostage-takers, or seeking a scoop, likewise became captives, with their watches, laptops and shoes taken from them.

“After narrating that incident, my mother posed a number of questions which, I believe, remain relevant not only in that particular context, or to Filipino reporters, but to each and every member of the industry today and in the years to come. Allow me to repeat some of those questions now: are the reporters telling what they see or what they think readers will pay to read?

Do they understand what they see? Are they talking to the right people, or are they just retailing propaganda?” Aquino noted.

The President said his mother was simply questioning the journalists’ dedication to the two most important values of the profession, namely integrity and truth.

“Your dedication to these two values is especially important in light of your expansion to new media technologies, which are the crux of your discussion today,” Aquino said.

“We all know that there has

been a great shift away from the primacy of print to a 24/7 news cycle, where it only takes a single Tweet to break news — where anyone can report on anything, at any time, and have it reach anywhere in the world.

These new forms of media challenge what print, at its best, is supposed to represent: depth and breadth, context and a clear delineation between opinion and news,” he said.

Aquino said the job of the media had become more complicated because of the need to expand to new media forms, which have their own limitations in terms of dissemination.

“At the same time, dissemination does not matter so much as the most basic responsibility, which is to deliver information — information that the people can trust, can lead to fruitful discussions on issues of national and global importance, that can even lead to positive transformation. This is the value and the service that you must provide,” Aquino said.

He said when the distinction between opinion and straight-

forward news gets blurred, the journalism profession is endangered.

“This is not only a matter of principle, it is also about practicality. Sensational headlines and articles composed of controversial rumors, for example, might increase your circulation… What happens, however, when the people notice your tendency towards such, when they realize that your articles are entertaining, perhaps, but cannot be verified and consequently trusted?”

Trust and truth telling “In the long run, will they not seek alternative sources of information — sources that they know will tell them the truth?” the President said.

Aquino said this coming elections, candidates vying for the highest posts were trying to win the people’s trust in a variety of ways: from promises, to attempts to smear mud on the names of their rivals; from presentations of their records of service, to curses and strong language.

“All of this appears in your pages — some more sensational

u PAGE A3

Lawyer maintains Kim Wong ‘innocent’ even…

PAGE A1 t

BSP compound.

The “receipt of funds for safekeeping” was signed by AMLC Executive Director Julia BacayAbad, Bangladesh’s ambassador to the Philippines Major General John Gomes, and AMLC member Emmanuel F. Dooc.

Ferrer said Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III advised them how they could return the money to AMLC. The counsel declined to say where the money was stored before it was delivered to AMLC, only disclosing that they were provided a van with two security aides to accompany him and the huge amount on their way to the BSP. “The stature of the Philippines in the world community is restored today; even without the [intervention of] courts, part of the funds were returned,” Ferrer said.

According to the BSP, the money will be kept for safekeeping by AMLC at the BSP vault that also contains the Commission on Elections’ source code for the upcoming national elec-

TURNED OVER. Casino junket operator Kim Wong turned over $4.63 million stolen by hackers from Bangladesh’s central bank to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for safekeeping at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) premises. In photo are (L-R) Second Secretary and Head of Chancery of the Bangladesh Embassy Manila Probash Lamarong, AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Julia Bacay-Abad, AMLC Member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc, Atty Inocencio Ferrer, Jr. – Legal Counsel of Mr. Kim Wong and BSP Deputy Governor Vicente Aquino.

Photo from BSP

tions in May. Not off the hook Despite Wong turning over $4.63 million stolen from Bangladesh’s central bank, he is not off the hook as far as the case filed against him by the AMLC. “No, there’s no quid pro quo here,” AMLC member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc told the Inquirer in a text

message Thursday night when asked if AMLC could withdraw the case filed against the businessman.

“His legal counsel, however, stressed that their turning over of the substantial amount to the Bank of Bangladesh with our help should in no way be interpreted as an admission of guilt on his client’s side,” Dooc said. n

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

From the Front Page

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2016

A

Filipina in California not guilty of kidnapping…

PAGE A1 t

ILLEGAL POSTERS. A street in Intramuros, Manila, is made festive by the dozens of campaign materials strung or illegally pasted on walls.

The area is near the national headquarters of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

ManilaTimes.net photo by Rene Dilan

PNoy slams media bias…

PAGE A2 t

candidates featured more prominently than others, I have to point out. Everything you publish is indeed devoured by millions. In a very real way, you are luckier than these candidates,” he said.

“By far and large, you — the press — already have our people’s trust. This alone reflects the magnitude of your responsibility to wider society: to disseminate information, instead of speculation; to foster higher levels of discourse, instead of becoming a rumor mill; to empower citizenries and nations, instead of tearing them down. It is my deepest hope that you will never forget this — that, whether in the Philippines or elsewhere in the world, you live and work accordingly with the greater good of the public in mind,” Aquino said.

These past years, Aquino said he witnessed and had even been at the center of some attempts to balance traditional print and new media, citing as example a forum that was live-streamed on the Internet, documented through social media and with articles to chronicle the event the following day.

“On the other hand, I am also told that the majority of, if not all, outlets have demonstrated a tendency to sensationalize titles, or post only provocative portions of articles online purportedly to encourage people to go through the whole piece — a tactic which I understand the generation younger than mine calls ‘click bait.’ Never mind if the reader chooses only to view that particular snippet and assume that they have been presented with the complete story,” he said.

The President said the entire

situation was complicated further by the fact that these stories published also in print did not seem to adhere to any set standard and more often than not, the art of crafting headlines seemed to favor embellishment and innuendo, as opposed to the facts.

“Some articles seem to be written with blatant bias, while others fail to adequately represent the situation accurately. Over the years I’ve increasingly wondered about this trend in light of the fact that print’s greatest advantage is that it can tell the complete story, whether in one article or in a series, and have that read by a stillstrong readership,” Aquino said.

For instance, Aquino said those from the local media were increasingly read by citizens from around the world, perhaps due to the fact that more nations were turning to the region and viewing it as wellsprings of opportunity for collective growth.

“They seek information about us, which – and I believe you will be among the first to admit – you would likewise benefit from painting a complete picture,” the President said.

“Another example: Myanmar right now is undergoing a very significant transition. Print and indeed all forms of media can impair that transition by highlighting fears and unfounded speculation. The opposite path, what we are glad to be seeing, is that they have lent their support to this transition by highlighting the good news, by telling the truth about people’s sentiments, their dreams and their efforts to realize that through democratic means,” Aquino said.

For his part, Aquino said he promised Filipinos in 2010 that,

Fil-Am named AAPI outreach…

PAGE A2 t

cans have continued to reach out to AAPI voters, an electorate considered to double by 2040. A 2015 report from the UCLA Center for the Study of Inequality and Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies found that the electorate would rise to 12.2 million by then.

“Hillary Clinton’s campaign shakeup is a clear indication of

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

when he steps down from office, he would leave behind a country in a far better situation. But in the coming elections, he said he was cognizant that his vote would be just like anyone else’s.

“When I have voted, I will wait for the results with the rest of the country,” he said.

“We believe the successes and reforms of our administration are enough to help our countrymen make the right decision in the upcoming elections; even now, I continue to do my part,” he said.

“We face a fork in the road: Will we choose to continue treading the straight path of the past few years? Or will we choose the opposite?” n

sunk in yet.

“The support shown by the Filipino community helped her case and uplifted her and my spirit. I have been practicing for ten years and I can say that this was the first time I’ve had protesters supporting my client. So I am grateful for this support and I know Anna is as well,” Barrett stated.

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

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

Her suspicion was bolstered after she learned in 2013 that Faust had been giving then 16-yearold Nichole unwanted massages since September 2012 when Anna wasn’t home and especially when she was on business trips. In January 2013 Faust allegedly started putting his hand under Nicole’s shirt as the massages became intimate. Faust allegedly even asked Nichole not to tell Anna of the massages so Nichole “wouldn’t get into trouble.”

Anna also caught Faust looking at Nichole’s posterior.

Anna and Nichole reported the alleged molestation to the American Canyon Police Department, leading to Judge Rodney Stone to grant a move out order against Faust and an emergency protection order (EPO) prohibiting him from having any contact with Anna and Nichole, aside from younger daughter M. Divorce proceedings Anna then filed for divorce in March 2013 the succeeding summons of which accompanied an automatic restraining order (ARO) prohibiting either parent from leaving the state with M without the other parent’s permission. It was not clear whether Anna actually ever saw the ARO. In August 2013, the Napa Sherriff Office (NSO) recommended charges against Faust for violations

Nichole and mother Anna Nepomuceno in a tight embrace outside the courtroom after the verdict was read.

Migrante Norcal

of Penal Code on annoying or molesting a child under age 18 with respect to Nichole, and lascivious acts on a child under the age of 14 for M. But these were rejected by the Napa District Attorney’s Office (DA) in September 2013 for lack of sufficient evidence.

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

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

Anna and M failed to return to San Francisco on

u PAGE A4

A APRIL 1-7, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

NextDayBetter, Doctors Without Borders join forces to reduce price of pneumonia vaccine in PH

Dateline USa

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

threatens sustainability of the vaccination program,” said Dr. Greg Elder, Medical Coordinator for MSF’s Access Campaign.

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

To increase awareness about the pneumonia crisis in the Philippines, NextDayBetter will be launching a storytelling campaign that humanizes the people affected by this issue and highlights the WORLD CULTURE FESTIVAL. 155 countries joined in this year’s celebration of World Culture Festival (WCF) 2016, which was The Art of Living’s work of Filipinos who are dedicated to improving (AOL) 35 years of service to humanity, spirituality and human values. At the helm of this movement, commanding millions of followers the quality of public health in the Philippines. The worldwide, is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, its spiritual leader, who calls himself the ambassador of peace. An estimated 3.5 million people from campaign will be launching on NextDayBetter’s all over the world in attendance. Joining for the first time was the Philippines’ multi-awarded dance troupe, Buyogan Festival, from multimedia platforms with the intent of inspiring the town of Abuyog, Leyte, which wowed the audience with its energetic performance, a hymn to the Filipinos’ resilience against the and empowering the Philippine diaspora to take overwhelming disaster of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” The dance, mimicking the cooperative spirit of bees, illustrated the Filipino culture action in effecting change in their homeland. of coming together in times of despair, and also sent a message for one united world.

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

PITTSBURGH, PA—In a meetTo sign the petition and learn more about the “FAIR SHOT” campaign, visit http://nextdaybet- ing with Representative Mike ter.com/afairshot/ or email NextDayBetter at curi- Doyle (PA14-D) attended by Filipino community members in ous@nextdaybetter.com n Pittsburgh, Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr. sought the support for house bill HR 2737 seeking to award a US Congressional fighter, I’ll have a better chance Gold Medal to Filipino Veterans of World War II. to beat him,” Bradley said.

Numbering just a few thouLike Pacquiao, Bradley has been grinding it out at his gym in sands in the US today, the ranks Indio, California for weeks, now of Filipino WW II veterans conlooking sharp heading into their tinue to dwindle daily without showdown at the MGM Grand in the benefit of being recognized Las Vegas on April 9 (April 10 in for their service and valor. This is unfortunate considering that Manila).

He claims to have solved the other minority groups in the US Pacquiao puzzle, having studied – such as the Tuskegee Airmen, the latter’s past fights with Erik Women’s Corps, Puerto Ricans New York Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. meets with Representative Mike Doyle (PA14-D) Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and even the Japanese Nisei at his district office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along with Special Trade Representative in and most recently Floyd May- soldiers– were recognized and New York JP Iñigo and Consul Felipe Carino, director of the economic section, and Filipino community leaders to discuss priority matters of Philippine-US relations. weather Jr - all of whom had awarded their gold medal by the US Congress, Consul General De and avoid escalating maritime ship Caucus in Congress upon beaten the Filipino. disputes. The Philippines’ ex- the invitation of Consul General “I’m not spooked anymore. Leon said.

Consul General De Leon empha- pects a decision on the merit of De Leon.

And the guys who’ve been fundaAfterwards, community memmentally sound have given him sized that the Filipino-American the case around May this year, bers led by Fil-Am community problems [Juan Manuel] Mar- community, numbering 34,000 in he added.

In reply, Rep. Doyle said that of Pittsburgh immediate past quez, Floyd [Mayweather], [Erik] Pennsylvania and 3,500 of which live in Pittsburgh in Representa- after a review of the bill, he con- President Teodora Schipper and Morales,” Bradley added.

“This time around, I know ex- tive Doyle’s district is supportive veyed his support HR 2737 to be the FAAP Board conveyed their actly what I’m looking at. I know of the bill HR 2737, together with passed by the US Congress this concerns to Rep. Doyle including Timothy Bradley during a workout. its Senate version 1555. year and had instructed his office improving city services for senior Philstar.com photo what kind of animal he is.” n Consul General De Leon also to draft his endorsement. This citizens and affordable healthprovided Rep. Doyle with up- year being an election year in the care for everybody. dates on the Arbitration case filed US, the window to pass laws is Congressman Doyle serves by the Philippines at the Perma- limited and the Philippines and on the House Energy and Comnent Court of Arbitration (PCA) the Filipino-American commu- merce Committee which is one in The Hague, citing the Court nity should help Rep. Tulsi Gub- of only four exclusive commitresolution issued early this year bard (an original sponsor of the tees in the House and sits on the assuming jurisdiction over the bill) to lobby and circulate the subcommittees on Energy and case which seeks to adjudicate bill on the floor, if necessary, the Power, Communications and maritime entitlements of claim- kind congressman suggested.

Technology, Environment and ant countries in the South China On the arbitration case, Repre- the Economy. He is a member Sea. The US Senate passed a sentative Doyle also said that he of the House Democratic Caucus resolution no. 412 in 2014, and will support any resolution ema- and founder and co-chair of the then a letter addressed jointly to nating from the House of Repre- Congressional Autism Caucus. the US Defense Secretary and sentative supporting arbitration The day before, the Filipino the State Secretary in 2015 call- as a peaceful means of settle- community in Pittsburgh led ing for claimant countries in the ment among claimants in the by its current President ReSouth China Sea to abide by the South China Sea. He also agreed becca Quemado, past President Declaration of Code of Conduct to join the US-Philippine Friendu PAGE A5

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

The pneumonia vaccine is the world’s best-selling vaccine, and last year alone, Pfizer brought in more than US$6 billion dollars in sales just for this product. At the lowest global prices, which the Philippines cannot access, it is now 68 times more expensive to vaccinate a child than in 2001, according to a 2015 MSF report, The Right Shot: Bringing down Barriers to Affordable and Adapted Vaccines. The pneumonia vaccine accounts for about half the price of vaccinating a child in the poorest countries. After years of fruitless negotiations with Pfizer and GSK to lower the vaccine’s price for use in its projects, in 2015, MSF launched the ‘FAIR SHOT’ campaign to ask Pfizer and GSK to reduce the price of the pneumonia vaccine to $5 per child (for all three needed doses).

“Due to the high price charged by the companies, many countries where millions of children risk getting pneumonia simply can’t afford it, and for countries such as the Philippines the high price

Filipino veterans, West PH sea issues top agenda in meeting between Consul General and Rep. Mike Doyle

Bradley claims to have figured Pacquiao out

by Dino

Maragay Philstar.com

HOLLYWOOD—Timothy Bradley believes he is now better equipped to handily defeat Manny Pacquiao in their showdown next week.

Though he has squeaked past Pacquiao in their first meeting in 2012, Bradley is still seeking a decisive victory over the Filipino icon, who got back at him in their rematch a couple of years later.

In a recent report by Lance Pugmire of The Los Angeles Times, the 32-year-old American spoke about how he has matured, saying he likes his chances against Pacquiao this time around.

“Now, it’s four years later [since first fight], a couple of defeats under [Pacquiao’s] belt with me being a more disciplined

PH Azkals stun North Korea behind late…

PAGE A1 t

North Korea continued to pounce on the Azkals in the second half, with Ri Hyok Chol scrapping for the goal on a wild sequence to give his side the lead at the 48th minute.

But the Azkals kept on pushing, firing exquisite passes which led to a Manny Ott goal at the 84th minute and a stunning Iain Ramsey goal at the 90th.

The Azkals ended the second round at third place in Group H with 10 points after three wins and a draw in eight games, putting them in a prime position to advance to the AFC Cup third round.

North Korea, meanwhile, saw its bid for the group’s top spot derailed as it stayed in second place with 16 points on five wins Manny Ott celebrates late goal. and a draw. n

Inquirer.net photo by Tristan Tamayo

Filipina in California not guilty of kidnapping…

2015 flight from Manila; she was arrested at SFO airport. She was taken to San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City then transferred to Napa County Department of Corrections The Napa Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent Anna through then-Deputy Public Defender Stacy Barrett. Anna posted a $100,000 with the help of friends of her family and was released from the Napa County Department of Corrections (NCDC) on March 12, 2015.

Deputy District Attorney Holly Quate then moved on November PAGE A1 t ity and advantage in the senatorial 9, 2015 to amend the original charge of child custody deprielections.

Pacquiao earlier claimed that vation, which is punishable by the media coverage will be on the up to 3 years in county jail, to a violation of kidnapping with fight and not on his campaign.

The lawmaker had asked jour- enhancement for purpose of nalists covering his training not to permanently depriving a parent report on his Senate bid but on his of custody of the child, which is punishable by up to 13 years in third fight against Bradley. n

PAGE A3 t

August 25, 2014. She was able to obtain a permanent restraining order on February 10, 2015 protecting Anna and M from Faust at the Philippines Regional Trial Court. Judge Ortiz granted dissolution of of Anna’s marriage to Faust on December 12, 2014 in Anna’s absence.

Arrested at SFO Anna returned by herself to San Francisco on a February 27,

Pacquiao thanks…

state prison.

Quate’s motion to amend the charge was granted, and Anna was found not guilty of by the jury before Judge Francisca Tisher in a trial that started February 22, 2016.

“We were ready to accept a mistrial outcome as we felt the jurors were taking a long time deciding on a verdict. We were then surprised that there was a unanimous decision that even some of the jurors waited for Anna to come out and hug her,” Lacanilao added.

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

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

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

Dateline USa

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2016

Dateline PhiliPPines

A

Amnesty Int’l PH dismayed with Aquino’s human rights record

force but none of them had been penalized for their deeds.

Among those made target, she CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— said, were members of the inWith his six-year term about to digenous communities and rural end in three months, Amnesty folk.

Quoting a data from the human International Philippines (AIP) expressed dismay with the per- rights group Karapatan, AIP said formance of President Aquino in addressing and stopping human rights violations (HRVs).

Although the government has made strides in promoting human rights in the country through the passage of laws that promote human rights, government efforts have fallen short of making the country HRV-free, AIP chair Ritzlee Santos III said.

HERE COME THE GRADUATES. Happy and giddy, students of the Lupang Pangako Elementary School prepare to march during their graduation During Aquino’s presidency, ceremony in Quezon City on Thursday, March 31.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Mike De Juan laws such as the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012 was passed.

But Santos said even with such statutes, decade-old cases of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have remained unsolved with many PITTSBURGH—In a visit inmore occurring under the Aquidicating the Philippines’ strong no administration. interest in establishing closer “The (AIP) is disappointed (in economic ties with Pittsburgh the government) for not addressand the Allegheny region, Coning these cases,” he said, adding sul General Mario De Leon, Jr., that even the Freedom of Inforaccompanied by Consul Felipe mation (FOI) bill has not seen the Carino and Trade Representalight of day under the Aquino adtive John Paul Inigo, met with US ministration.

Steel officials led by GM William During the first 100 days of Hinckley, GM for Strategy and Aquino, AIP rated his perforBusiness Development Hayley mance as “pasang awa” (barely F. Scott-Davis, and GM for Govpassing) for human rights reernance Strategy Rob Garretson cords although the group recogat US Steel headquarters in Pittsnized the “small feat” his adminburgh. Subsequently, he met istration made, such as passing PPG officials led by Arthur Pang Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. (center) meets with US Steel corporate officials led relevant laws. of Government Affairs and Sean by GM William Hinckley (2nd from right), GM Rob Garretson (2nd from left), and GM Hayley In a report provided to jourPurdy, Global Platform Director Scott-Davis (3rd from left) at their Pittsburgh corporate headquarters. nalists here, AIP—citing various (Protective Coatings), and finally sources—said the “numbers of Innovative Electronics President EJE (extrajudicial executions) Mukesh Pattel, and Nirma Parare staggering and cases remain mar, Sales Manager. unresolved, perpetrators are not Consul General De Leon was brought to justice, families rewelcomed by US Steel officials main clueless and individuals-atand during an hour long meetrisk hanging by a thread.” ing, the two sides exchanged For instance, from July 2010, views on US and Philippine when Aquino assumed office, to economies and explored possible September 2015, there were at opportunities for US Steel in the least 438 recorded cases of EJE, Philippines given the resurgence and 31 cases of enforced disapof manufacturing in the country pearances, the human rights orbecause of continuous economic ganization said. growth.

AIP said in many of these casConsul General conveyed that es, the culprits were identified as the Philippines is enjoying phesecurity personnel of corporanomenal growth buoyed by the tions and members of the state emergence of the IT-BPM industry and overseas remittances.

The Philippines is part of ASEAN and the emergence of the ASEAN Consul General De Leon and Pittsburgh community leader Ms. Teodora Schipper (far right) Economic Community 2015 pro- are given a tour of the facilities at the Innovative Electronics corporate headquarters in moting market integration pres- Pittsburgh.

Trade Representative Inigo ent unique opportunities for US coatings and fireproof coatings companies doing or wishing to while maintaining a business de- said that the Department of Trade and Industry is prepared to assist do business in the 600-million velopment office in Singapore.

Consul General De Leon en- would-be locators and provide ASEAN market. There is significant growth in the real estate couraged PPG to expand their airport-to-airport arrangements and property development sec- operations in the Philippines and to facilitate meetings. He distor, fueled by IT-BPM activities laid out possible sectors that PPG closed that more than 200 comand overseas remittances where can tap such as ship-building, panies are coming back to the at least 30% is spent investing in food-grade paints, maintenance Philippines with the resurgence real property, and there are op- and operations of ships, PPP of manufacturing and leveling of portunities in major infrastruc- projects, and wind farms. The China’s growth. In manufacturture projects and ship building Philippines is the fourth biggest ing, there is industrial peace and and repair. The Philippines can shipyard outside Japan and PPG wage rates are legislated and serve as a logistics hub for out- can explore cooperation with stable, he said.

According to Mr. Pattel, his ward bound products and ser- property developers to supply vices throughout the region, he their paint/ coating products for company is exploring the mancommercial property projects, he ufacture of electronic medical added. devices like defibrillators and is Mr. Garretson welcomed the added.

In his meeting with Innova- looking at establishing a high meeting with Consul General De Leon which he saw as an op- tive Electronics, Consul General volume production plant that can portunity for US Steel to get to De Leon was given a tour in the employ about 100 workers. The know the Philippines as they are plant facility located in Trunbull, electronic components will come constantly on the look-out for Pittsburgh which employs a few from China and Japan, so they opportunities. Mr. Hinkley, on hundred workers and engineers need a location in Asia with an his part, was interested to know working mostly on electronic airport like Clark Freeport zone the growth potential of the Phil- contracts for major corporations which has a logistics hub.

Consul General De Leon welippines and ASEAN in light of and medical device companies. neighboring China which has a The company is said to be look- comed Mr. Pattel’s plans and ing at expanding its business promised to assist Innovative to in homegrown steel industry.

In the meeting with PPG In- by opening a facility in Asia and a possible visit to the Philippines.

The Consulate General is dustries, Consul General De they are considering a location in strengthening its economic diploLeon related the experience in the Philippines.

Consul General De Leon said macy activities in various states the Philippine property sector which is experiencing robust that the Philippines and the in cooperation with Filcom busigrowth due to the overseas re- US share unique cultures and ness executives and members by mittances amounting to US$25 the Philippines has an English- visiting Fortune 500/1000 comBillion and the IT-BPM indus- speaking population that locators panies and officials in light of try worth US$22 Billion in 2015 find convenient for manufactur- the resurgence of the Philippine which is spurring demand in the ing operations. Hundreds of US manufacturing sector and other commercial property sector and companies have a presence in opportunities for investment the Philippines with electronics such as IT-BPM. Last October, manufacturing sector.

Sean Purdy acknowledged firms such as Texas Instruments, the first ever Investment RoadPhilippine growth and said that Canon, Brother and Phoenix show in Pittsburgh was held led PPG is currently employing 21 Semiconductors operating plants by Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Dr. people in their office in Manila, in special economic zones and Bernie Villegas and Consul Genwith plans to expand their main free ports set up for encouraging eral De Leon in cooperation with the Allegheny Conference. n business in protective marine overseas investments.

by Jigger Jerusalem Inquirer.net

PH Consulate General invigorates economic ties with Pittsburgh-based manufacturers

Filipino veterans, West PH sea issues top…

PAGE A4 t Teodora Schipper, and about 20 notable members tendered a dinner reception for Consul General Mario De Leon, Jr., accompanied by Consul Felipe Carino and Trade Representative JP Inigo at the Laughing Buddha Restaurant, PA. Consul General De Leon will be remembered by the community as the Consul General who began intense efforts to promote economic cooperation in the Allegheny Region with the first Philippine Investment Roadshow in Pittsburgh last October led by Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr. and Dr. Bernie Villegas with captains of indus- Consul General De Leon is feted to a welcome dinner by members of the Filipino-American Association of Pittsburgh (FAAP) at the Laughing Buddha Restaurant in Pittsburgh. try from the Philippines. n

since 2010, 53 cases of killings of indigenous people’s leaders had been recorded. None of these cases have been resolved and added to the 142 cases of human rights violations that Aquino inherited from the Arroyo government. n

A APRIL 1-7, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

OpiniOn

Features

Political dynasties galore

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

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

One may argue, as reelectionist congressman Arthur Defensor of Iloilo does, that the lack of any adversary in what ought to be an exercise in choosing from a healthy plurality of options is, of and by itself, a win for democracy.

“In a way, it is a validation from my constituents that what I have been doing for them is satisfactory,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

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

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

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

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

(Inquirer.net)

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

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

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

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

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago got 5 percent,

while VP Jejomar Binay got zero vote.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WILL POE CARRY THE MOMENTUM UNTIL May 9? Or will Duterte be able to overtake her lead? Can Roxas pull an upset and be voted President? *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel. Santos.Relos

Will the real Grace Poe-Llamanzares please stand up?

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

Rudy and his wife became Overseas Contract Workers or OCWs. That term is no longer in common usage, having been replaced with the term Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). According to Google, “The term OFWs was officially adopted under the President Fidel V. Ramos Administration to give recognition to millions of Filipinos who sacrifice by working in other countries.”

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

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

On one of my visits to Manila, Rudy suddenly appeared at our house, driving a nice-looking van. He was rightly proud of his possession, referring to it as “katas Saudi”—literally, the “juice” (or fruit) of working in Saudi Arabia.

“I just want you to know that my family and I are doing well,” said Rudy. “Our children have all finished college. One of them is an engineer, another one is a teacher.

We’re no longer squatters. We bought a little house in Paranaque. Lahat iyan, kuya, katas Saudi.”

I told Rudy that I felt really good, hearing that from him. But, at that point, the sheer hypocrisy of Sen. Grace PoeLlamanzares suddenly came into stark focus. You see, she has often described herself as “also an OFW.” Apparently, in an effort to ingratiate herself with the millions of Filipinos working abroad, in oil fields and factories, as seamen, teachers, caregivers, nurses or domestics, Poe-Llamanzares has tried to portray her life in America as being similar to that of the overseas Filipino workers.

Does she realize how spiteful she is when she compares her affluent life in America with that of the average OFWs? Being an overseas Filipino myself and having lived in the US for nearly 30 years, I would be embarrassed to compare my relatively comfortable circumstances with that of our countrymen trying to earn a living in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and in Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s like rubbing salt on a wound.

In case Poe-Llamanzares is still blissfully unaware of the harsh realities of eking out the equivalent of “katas Saudi,” here is an excerpt from an article by Shakira Sison of Rappler, published in May 2014:

“…there are a few things they don’t tell you about the OFW life; things that are often kept secret from those we leave behind…hard and menial work, long hours, or getting scolded by an employer. Nobody talks about the constant immigration struggle, or the fear involved in the life of an undocumented immigrant.

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

Needless to say, Poe-Llamanzares never experienced any of that. To claim that she has is not just hypocrisy but dishonesty. By trying to sell herself as something completely detached from reality, she is no different from a used car salesman glibly pushing a newlypainted heap to a naïve and unsuspecting first time buyer.

Sadly, the counterfeit OFW claim isn’t the only problem with this person who would like to become president of the country. In recent weeks, the unraveling of the many facets of the life of Poe-Llamanzares has begun to make one wonder who or what she really is.

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

tine character.

Records in the US exposed by Philippine Daily Tribune editor-publisher Ninez Cacho-Olivares indicate that a certain Llamanzares Grace P., with the same date of birth of the lady senator, used two sets of social security numbers, one of them belonging to a deceased person.

According to US law, that is a felony punishable by imprisonment and a fine.

Poe-Llamanzares has acknowledged both SSNs while claiming that the supposedly illicit one was really her school ID number at Boston College. In fact, a student enrolling in a US college is routinely asked for a social security number. Lacking one, the school may assign a number to the student. But, unless, there have been coincidences that only the supernatural can explain, the fact that her school ID number is exactly the same as the SSN of a deceased US national could mean that she claimed that number as hers, which was why it was assigned as her school ID number.

Another coincidence that perhaps the supernatural can explain is why and how that same combination of numbers – 005-03-1988 – has appeared in US records as having been used by a certain Llamanzares Grace P. in circumstances remote to Boston College.

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

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

Apparently, she has had the advantage of having media that have conve-

niently failed to print any follow stories on a matter more serious than the gossip they have routinely sensationalized.

Poe-Llamanzares, according to the findings of the Commission on Elections, willfully misrepresented her residency in the Philippines in order to qualify as a presidential candidate. She also applied for dual citizenship as a “natural born Filipino” by claiming that she was the biological child of Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces. She must have known that it was not the truth. Was it really an “honest” mistake?

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

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

In sum, this presidential candidate still has to tell us the truth about herself.

Will the real Grace Poe-Llamanzares please stand up? (gregmacabenta@hotmail.com)

The views expressed by our Op-Ed contributors are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the predilection of the editorial board and staff of Asian Journal.

ADVERTISING AND ADVERTORIAL POLICIES ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

Main Office: 1210 S. Brand Blvd Glendale, CA 91204 Tels: (818) 502-0651 • (213) 250-9797 Fax: (818) 502-0858 • (213) 481-0854 e-mail: info@asianjournalinc.com http://www.asianjournal.com Northern California: 1001 Bayhill Drive, Suite 200 San Bruno, CA 94066 Tel.: (650) 616-4150 • Fax: (650) 616-4152

Manila Office: 2nd Floor Units D&E, Fort Palm Springs 30th Street, Cor. 1st Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Tel.: (632) 856-4921 • Fax: (632) 856-1661 New York and New Jersey: 133-30 32nd Ave., Flushing, NY 11354 Tel.: (212) 655-5426 • Fax (818) 502-0858 449 Hoboken Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07306 Tel.: (212) 655-5426. • Fax (818) 502-0858

Las Vegas Sales Office: 3700 W. Desert Inn Road Las Vegas, NV 89102 Tel.: (702) 792-6678 • Fax: (702) 792-6879

CORA MACABAGDAL-ORIEL President

ELIZABETH HILARIO SISON Chief Financial Officer MOMAR G. VISAYA Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief New York/New Jersey Asian Journal

Asian Journal Publications, Inc. (“AJPI”) reserves the right to refuse to publish, in its sole and absolute discretion, any advertising and advertorial material submitted for publication by client. (“Client’s Material”) Submission of an advertisement or advertorial to an AJPI sales representative does not constitute a commitment by AJPI to publish a Client’s Material. AJPI has the option to correctly classify any Client’s Material and to delete objectionable words or phrases.

Client represents and warrants that a Client’s Material does not and will not contain any language or material which is libelous, slanderous or defamatory or invades any rights of privacy or publicity; does not and will not violate or infringe upon, or give rise to any adverse claim with respect to any common law or other right whatsoever (including, without limitation, any copyright, trademark, service mark or contract right) of any person or entity, or violate any other applicable law; and is not the subject of any litigation or claim that might give rise to any litigation.

Publication of a Client’s Material does not constitute an a greement to continue publication.

Client agrees and covenants to indemnify AJPI and its officers against any and all loss, liability, damage, expenses, cost, charges, claims, actions, causes of action, recoveries, judgments, penalties, including outside attorneys’ fees (individually and collectively “Claims”) which AJPI may suffer by reason of (1) Client’s breach of any of the representations, warranties and agreements herein or (2) any Claims by any third party relating in any way to Client’s Material.

AJPI will not be liable for failure to publish any Client’s Material as requested or for more than one incorrect insertion of a Client’s Material. In the event of an error, or omission in printing or publication of a Client’s Material, AJPI shall be limited to an adjustment for the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellation of the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correct advertisement.

Under no circumstances shall Asian Publications, Inc. be liable for consequential damages of any kind.

ASIAN JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS, INC. publishes the Los Angeles Asian Journal, published twice a week; the Orange County and Inland Empire Asian Journal, Northern California Asian Journal, Las Vegas Asian Journal and the New York / New Jersey Asian Journal which are published once a week and distributed to Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange Counties, Northern California, Las Vegas and New York and New Jersey respectively.

Articles published in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must contain complete name and return address. The materials, however, are subject to editing and revisions.

Contributions and advertising deadlines are every Mondays and Thursdays. For advertising rates and other informations, please call the L.A. office at (213) 250-9797 or the Las Vegas Sales Office at (702) 792-6678 or send us an email at info@asianjournalinc.com

Dateline PhiliPPines

(212) 655-5426 • http://www.asianjournal.com

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 1-7, 2016

A

‘Bongbong’ Marcos also has his own comics booklet FORMER Interior Secretary and presidential aspirant Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas is not the only candidate who has released a comics booklet on his life.

Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. previously released his own comics booklet illustrating his life, career, and passion for public service.

In a series of Facebook posts dated last October, Marcos released a 20-page online comics book entitled ‘Asikasong Bongbong: Tuloy-tuloy!’ (Attentive Bongbong: Continuous). Black-and-white pages of his life’s limelights were visualized – his menace and playful childhood, extravagant lifestyle with his family before their exile to Hawaii, until his current term as a senator.

The comics booklet was released during the same time as his filing of Certificate of Candidacy for the 2016 elections.

The comics booklet portrayed his return to the Philippines and how he witnessed the country being ‘submerged in poverty and inflation of basic commodities’. This urged him to run for public office, winning a seat in Congress in 1992. He lost a bid for a senatorial seat in 1995 but regained his momentum by serving Ilocos Norte as governor and congressman until he was finally elected as Senator in 2010.

Marcos’ stand and position on various issues hounding the country were enumerated in the comics booklet, such as his advocacies to seek justice for the 44 Special Action Force troopers slain in Mamasapano in 2015 and to monitor implemen-

Screengrab from Facebook/Bongbong Marcos

REINFORCEMENT. Three additional landing craft heavy ships acquired by the country from Australia arrived over the weekend, the Philippine Navy said on Monday, March 28. The three ships were the same type donated by Australia last year and will give a big boost to the growing fleet of the Navy, said spokesperson Captain Lued Lincuna. The decommissioned ships of the Royal Australian Navy worth P270 million arrived last Saturday in Liloan, Cebu. These were transported by a cargo ship from NTG. Inquirer.net photo

tation of public infrastructure projects. His skeptical discernment of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law was also mentioned. (Gianna Francesca Catolico/Inquirer.net)

Duterte assures media protection if elected

Binay vows no repeat of ‘Yolanda’ suffering ngayon, hindi pa tapos ang rehabilitation,” Binay said.

Inquirer.net “Naging Cabinet member ako, may pera po talaga. ’Yun BORONGAN, Eastern Samar— hong pinangakuan ng bahay, siVice President Jejomar Binay on nasabi ko nga, pasiyensya na po, Thursday, March 31 promchairman ako ng NHA ha, hindi ised victims of Supertyphoon ho natin magawa lahat ng dapat “Yolanda” that they would not go gawin dahil sa Yolanda, kasi through the same suffering unwalang nire-release na pera. der his administration.

Ano bang klaseng gobyerno He said this during his camito?” he added. paign rally at the provincial capYolanda, also known as “Haiitol gym in Borongan, one of the yan,” is the world’s strongest typhoon to hit land, killing over 6,000 people mostly in Tacloban.

The Vice President lamented that the government was resorting to underspending, at the expense of its beneficiaries, to claim it had a lot of savings.

“Gusto lang mayaman para sabihing mayaman, gusto mayabang na maraming pera. Hindi po ’yan ang tamang pamamahala,” he said.

In a statement on Thursday, Binay also vowed to build 190,000 houses for the victims of Yolanda during his first year in office.

“Sisiguruin kong matapos lahat ng housing projects para sa Yolanda victims sa loob ng unIn this Nov. 9, 2013, photo, Supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors line up for water a day after ang taon ng aking administrasthe devastation in Leyte province.

Inquirer.net photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta yon,” he said. n

by Marc Jayson

cayabyab

areas in Eastern Samar severely hit by the supertyphoon in Nov. 8, 2013.

As chair of the National Housing Authority (NHA), Binay said he had to apologize to the victims whom he promised to give shelter because funds had not been released by the national government.

“Sa aking pamumuno, ’di mangyayari yung naranasan ninyo sa Region VIII. Hanggang

by rosette

adel

Philstar.com

MANILA—Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed that media practitioners will be protected under his presidency.

Duterte called for greater protection of journalists in the country whose works he described as “under dangerous and even deadly conditions.”

“The state must protect the media,” Duterte said.

“In a democracy, the role of media is very important. In the absence of a credible opposition party, you can rely on the media,” he added.

On Wednesday, the National Press Club challenged the presidential candidates to lay down their agenda for the media and their plans to address the media killings in the country.

Duterte said the media brings the wrongdoings and shortcomings of the government to the public’s attention and its role exposes them to danger.

Duterte’s spokesperson Peter Laviña said the presidential candidate will establish special courts and prosecution panels to handle cases of media killings as well as offer rewards and incentives for the immediate arrest, prosecution and conviction of the killers.

Laviña said Duterte will order

Presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte promised media protection under his presidency.

Philstar.com photo by AJ Bolando

police investigators and prosecutors to resolve the cases in a limited time to hasten the justice for slain journalists. “If not, they might as well look for another job,” he added.

Duterte’s spokesperson said the mayor has been a staunch protector of media rights, respecting the media’s role as the “Fourth Estate” and never questioning them when they write or say anything critical of his administration. He cited that the mayor never filed any libel case

against a journalist.

The mayor was also reported to have stood behind the media’s right to equal access during the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro when he threatened to skip the Visayas debate last February 21 if the organizers limited the local media coverage.

According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, there has been 170 journalists killed since 1986, 30 of which occurred under the current administration. n

A APRIL 1-7, 2016 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (212) 655-5426

april 1-7, 2016

people events arts culture entertainment

ܯ źÊåÙÅ ¿Öå ¿¯ â¯ÊÅÜ

dž ܯ źÊåÙÅ ¿ ÊÄ

dž ܯ źÊåÙÅ ¿

XXX BTJBOKPVSOBM DPN -PT "OHFMFT LJ -BT 7FHBT LJ 0SBOHF $PVOUZ *OMBOE &NQJSF LJ /PSUIFSO $BMJGPSOJB LJ /FX :PSL /FX +FSTFZ

2

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A P R I L 1 , 20 1 6

HOUSE RULES

Dark comedy focuses on Filipino family, death and mortality

by MoMar G. Visaya/AJPress ‘There are very few Filipino roles in theater’ is a statement that is oft-repeated in the community despite the fact that there have been a few plays and musicals like Pan-Asian repertory’s staging of ‘Imelda, A New Musical’ and the Public Theater’s ‘here Lies Love’ that focused on Filipino characters and stories. Ma-Yi Theater also staged Filipino-centric stories like Flipzoids back in 2010 and La Vida Imelda last fall.

This season, Ma-Yi is showcasing playwright A. rey Pamatmat’s house rules and giving its world premiere. Directed by Ma-Yi Theater Company’s Producing Artistic Director ralph B. Peña, hOUSe rULeS cast features Tina Chilip (Golden Child), Jojo Gonzalez (MAYI’s The romance of Magno rubio), Mia Katigbak (NAATCO’s Awake and Sing!), Jeffrey Omura (The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks), Conrad Schott (The Glory of the World, BAM), Tiffany Villarin (Peerless, Yale repertory)

and James Yaegashi (Breakfast at Tiffany’s).

“It’s a beautiful play. It’s funny and moving. The characters are wonderfully flawed and complex.

And audiences will be able to identify with the different life experiences these characters are going through,” cast member Tina Chilip said, describing house rules in a nutshell.

Veteran actor Mia Katigbak agrees with Chilip’s description.

“It is a very identifiable story and it’s a great story. It is relate-able, it’s about the relationship between parents and children and it’s a story of sibling rivalry. It covers a lot of ground,” Katigbak shared. She plays the role of Vera, the mother of two daughters Momo and Twee and and the neighbor of the two boys.

“They asked me to do a reading, we workshopped it for quite a bit.

There’s not a lot of Filipina actresses of a certain age,” she said smiling.

“Very few of us, very few roles too.”

James Yaegashi and Jojo Gonzalez

Tina Chilip, Jeffrey Omura, James Yaegashi and Tiffany Villarin

A. Rey Pamatmat

Photos courtesy of Ma-Yi Theater

with all these artists,” Schott related.

The cast shared pancit palabok, sinigang and adobo. And a halo-halo special.

The play has been a year in the making, since the announcement was made last April 2015. Casting was done starting around December last year.

“Around Christmas, ralph called me and they said they are doing rey’s play and asked if I wanted to do it. So I said yes,” James Yaegashi said. “rehearsals have been fun, remarkably well specially since everyone is a little busy with their side projects,”Yaegashi added in a recent interview. “Mia is doing a show and people have things going on. The time that we have together is concentrated and I feel it has been very productive and fruitful. It’s a great group of talented people in the room coming together.”

“People come ready to work.

I’ve been so impressed,” observed Schott, who wondered out loud if he was the only one who auditioned.

Pamatmat said yes, they auditioned a number of people for the role of henry.

“Yes, so I auditioned. I read the story for the first time when I auditioned. It’s a wonderful introduction to Ma-Yi and the people helping it,” Schott added.

World premiere Pamatmat, currently the codirector of the Ma-Yi Writers’ Lab of which he has been a member since 2004, is excited to see the world premiere of house rules.

The Ma-Yi Writers Lab is the largest resident company of Asian-American playwrights ever assembled. Currently led by Co-Directors Michael Lew and Pamatmat, the Lab is a professional peer-based workshop in permanent residence with the OBIe and Drama House Rules Production photos by Web Begole Desk Award-winning Ma-Yi Theater Chilip and Tiffany Villarin play the roles of Katigbak’s daughters.

The strong seven-member cast also features Jojo Gonzalez, Jeffrey Omura and James Yaegashi, who are part of the other family, and a character named henry played by Conrad Schott.

“I play henry. he is in a way a floating character in this play. he is not tied in a familial way to anybody and he is an outsider that way. he’s the only white character here. he is an ex-boyfriend, ex-fiancee of one of the characters,” Schott explained.

Asked if it was his first time working with a mostly AsianAmerican cast, he replied with a quick yes. how did it feel like then to be a minority?

“I really love it. It’s a unique experience for me. We went out and had Filipino food last night, which I enjoyed a lot. Learning more about the Filipino culture which I didn’t know much about, I feel honored honestly to be a part of this project

Mia Katigbak

Conrad Schott

Company, designed to nurture and showcase Asian-American playwrights in New York City.

Ma-Yi Theater, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director ralph B. Peña and executive Director Jorge Z. Ortoll, has distinguished itself as one of the country’s leading incubators of new work shaping the national discourse about what it means to be Asian American today. With Ma-Yi’s Writers’ Lab, there is now a stream of playwrights whose work - like house rules - can be produced.

“It’s exciting for me. Looking at all the moving pieces and paying attention to all the stories has been really entertaining. It’s good to see the seven characters – six of them Filipino or Filipino-Americans,” said Pamatmat, who graduated from Yale with his MFA in playwriting. he also shared a little bit about how the project was born.

“There are certain things, we had a health scare in my family that sort of spurred the initial kernel of this play. A lot of the play started out with a writing exercise that I did prompted by PJ Paparelli of the American Theatre in Chicago,” he said.

“There is a discussion among the brothers in the play but it is not tackled in-depth. It’s about family dynamics. I write very specifically as though I was an audience member, like what I want to see as a viewer.

When I knew that I was going to write a play about family dynamics, the only way that it would make sense to me was to write the family as Filipino,” Pamatmat shared. “The things that I write about are very quirky and kinda strange. There isn’t really a Filipino-American family play out there.”

Pamatmat just came back from Chicago because they’re doing one of his plays “after all the terrible things i do” at About Face Theatre for their 25th Anniversary season. recently, his work was celebrated in Boston where the huntington and Company One Theatres presented After All and edith Can Shoot Things and hit Them concurrently in the Calderwood Pavilion. The latter premiered at the humana Festival and received the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Citation, and was nominated for GLAAD Media and Lambda Literary Awards. “everyone’s really doing amazing work here so I hope the people come out to support us,” Pamatmat said in closing.

(House Rules will run from March 25 to April 16, 2016, from Tuesday to Saturday at 8:30 pm and SaturdaySunday at 4:00 pm at HERE on 145 Sixth Avenue (enter on Dominick Street, one block south of Spring Street. Tickets are $30-$35, students and seniors at $15. For tickets and information, visit here.org or call 212352-3101.)

AlDub to offer something Karla Estrada steps out of son Daniel Padilla’s shadow we’ve all been waiting for

by Boy aBunda Philstar.com

She is known by younger audiences as the charming mother of Teen King Daniel Padilla — but now Karla estrada is steadily proving herself to be an entertainment force on her own.

A natural comedian and a powerful singer (her talents were recently showcased in the first season of ABS-CBN’s “Your Face Sounds Familiar”), Karla is currently one of the resident hurados of “It’s Showtime’s” Tawag ng Tanghalan and has been an indemand guest in ABS-CBN’s game and talk shows.

This wasn’t always the case. In the beginning, Karla was perceived as content to just ride on the coattails of her son. Daniel was the “star” of the family, and Karla, the supportive mother, remained in the background. But then slowly, her own career started to gain

Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza is preparing for their anniversary project this July, dedicated to their fans. Philstar.com photo by Efigenio Toledo

ALDeN richards and Maine Mendoza announced that they’re preparing for an anniversary project this July.

“Mayro’n po kaming surprise sa buong AlDub Nation,” Alden announced when they were launched as Bench endorsers, Philippine entertainment Portal reported. he even hinted that the project is “something everyone has been waiting for.”

Maine added that “tiyak na matutuwa kayo. Maganda,

magandang anniversary gift iyon sa inyo.”

This project is a follow up to their first movie together “My Bebe Love: Kilig Pa More!” which was one of the entries in the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival.

It was in July when Alden and Maine’s love team started in “eat Bulaga’s” Juan For All, All for Juan segment. The discovery of their love team led to a new segment under the show’s segment which they called “Kalyeserye.” (Philstar. com)

ground until “Your Face Sounds Familiar” came along, and all of a sudden, she found herself with her own growing fan base, and her own title — The Queen Mother — to boot. eventually, ABS-CBN decided to capitalize on this by offering her a contract.

Karla laughingly recalls her reaction when the idea of working full-time for the network was brought up. “I just laughed. That was my first reaction. ‘Ayoko!’

Gano’n ang sabi ko kay Tita Cory (Vidanes). Tapos sabi niya, ‘Ano ka ba, sige na, maganda ‘yon.’ Sagot ko, ‘O sige Tita, pero ‘wag mo akong gawing kalabaw.’ Tawa siya ng tawa. Ibig kong sabihin, ‘Wag mo ako i-loaded ng work ha, kasi siyempre, nakita ko si Daniel, how he works, every day. I could not do that.”

She was also concerned about no longer being able to spend

Karla Estrada holds her first major solo concert titled “The Queen Mother…Live in Concert” on April 30 at the Kia Theater.

time with her kids if she said yes to the offer. “hindi naman dahil na gusto ko talagang tumanggi or

something, but this is the first time I’ll get to take care of my Continued on Page 5

Ogie, Regine keep their faith alive with worship concert by dolly anne CarVajal Inquirer.net

NAMe it, Ogie Alcasid and regine Velasquez have achieved it all. But they don’t let the trappings of success turn into a trap. The Songwriter and the Songbird recognize the bigger “Star” in their lives—Jesus Christ.

They will pay homage to the Lord in “reborn: 1 Walker Worship Concert” on April 3. even if it’s no longer holy Week, we should keep our faith burning. Let Ogs and reg lead the way.

here’s my tête-à-tête with Ogie: What’s more fulfilling— performing in a Christian concert or in your usual shows?

Nothing compares to singing for the Lord. Doing a praise concert is different because you actually don’t sing for the audience. Our band leads the singing to worship our Creator.

What made you and Regine put up a Christian band? reg and I thought of putting up 1 Walker (our worship band) Continued on Page 5 Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EVERYONE is familiar with Starbucks coffee houses, which are located on virtually every street in every city. In some cases, there may be four Starbucks coffee shops on each of the four corners of an intersection. In other words, Starbucks has locations everywhere.

Some people have the impression that in choosing an attorney to handle their case, the attorney must be like Starbucks: the attorney’s office must be located near the person’s home in order for the attorney to handle their case. Many people have asked if I can open a branch office near them, in order that my office could handle their case. (In one situation, while I already have a branch office in San Francisco, the person lived in Daly City, which was only minutes away, yet they wanted me to open a branch office in Daly City).

But an attorney is not like a Starbucks coffeehouse. We do not need to be in the same city as you, for us to handle your case. In fact, immigration attorneys can handle immigration cases anywhere throughout the US. This is because immigration law is federal law, as

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I AM doubling down and taking my own piece of advice.

Unless absolutely necessary, I intend to be logged off for longer periods of time. How else can I SAVOR THE MOMENT except by living real life in real time with as fewer hours as possible spent on the internet?

Communication has become efficient, almost done by rote, and sometimes borders on the cold and impersonal. I still don’t enjoy being part of a global network to be used for someone’s purpose or agenda.

Law offices don’t need to be like Starbucks: offices on every corner opposed to state law. Therefore, even if an attorney’s office is in California, and the client is in Florida, the attorney can still represent that person.

During a taping of Citizen Pinoy in Minnesota, one of the attendees came up and introduced herself as a former client from years ago. (I had helped her bring her child in from the Philippines although the child’s birth record was registered showing him as the biological son of his Lola.) The Citizen Pinoy taping was the first time I ever met that client in person. Yet it did not affect or hinder my office’s ability to handle her case, even though she was in Minnesota, her child was in the Philippines, and my office was in California. Everything was handled by phone, mail, fax, and e-mail. There was no need for me to have opened a branch office in Minneapolis in order for my office to handle her case.

Even for removal hearing or adjustment interviews, everything can be done by phone, mail, email, etc., and we simply drive or fly in for the day of the hearing or

An Asian Journal Magazine

3

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 , 20 1 6

interview. We do that all the time.

My point is that if you want to hire a particular attorney for your immigration matter, but that attorney does not have a branch office next door to you, the attorney can still handle the case and represent you. Attorneys need not be like Starbucks, with offices everywhere. *** Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

WEBSITE: www.gurfinkel.com Call Toll free to schedule a consultation for anywhere in the US: (866)—GURFINKEL Four offices to serve you: LOS ANGELES · SAN FRANCISCO · NEW YORK · PHILIPPINES (Advertising Supplement)

Log off and enjoy your hot chocolate

A MOTHER’S AND HER ATTORNEY’S PERSISTENCE RESULT IN HER DAUGHTERS FINALLY BEING ISSUED CSPA VISAS BASED ON “EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES”-- ON A BRAND NEW EPISODE OF “CITIZEN PINOY!” Lolita (left) left her two daughters in the Philippines to seek a better life in the US, with the dream that she would eventually have them join her. However, her previous attorney missed the one year “sought to acquire” filing deadline for CSPA eligibility, resulting in the Embassy refusing to issue their immigrant visas. Leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel (right) was her beacon of hope, as he did not give up in trying to convince the Embassy that the daughters should be entitled to visas, despite missing the one-year deadline. Find out how Atty. Michael J. Gurfinkel was able to prove extraordinary circumstances, have the two “aged-out” daughters be issued visas, and reunite this family on an encore episode of “Citizen Pinoy” – on Sunday, April 3 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

the sole purpose of manipulating the mass behavior of citizens in a free society. It stinks to high heaven when the powers that be use information for social engineering and political purposes such as skewing election results.

With blatant, unlawful NSA snooping on anything electronic by any citizen these days, can the Gestapo thought police be far behind?

I doubt if my opinions on —Author Unknown a twitter account holds any gravitas to twitterverse users.

There are companies who I REFUSE TO BE A PRODUCT mine data from social networking Saying something by tweeting TRADED ON WALL STREET. Yes, on anything can and will be sites and the gigantic hoard I am kicking and screaming. held against you. A screen grab of public information mega There’s a stubborn part of of your comment makes it databases. These are then sold me that rebels and chafes at permanent. Why give anyone to interested parties as valuable becoming part of a statistic. I any ammo? The number of resent being used for the purpose psychographic information. users following you is supposed Companies package, repackage of advancing some corporate and sell personal information with to be an indication of your fan agenda.

“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything…

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

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

We’ve all become easy targets for privacy intruders.

Nothing seems sacred or private anymore. There’s more than enough out there in the public records to fill a dossier on anyone with an SSN or a pulse.

We are living in the throes of the Information Age and the currencies being traded are bits and bytes of information. It’s like living in glass houses these days. There’s too much naked transparency.

As an ordinary, private individual, I am downright resentful. Celebrity is now a curse rather than a blessing.

Witness the public meltdown of Hollywood celebrities whose lives more often than not, serve as cautionary tales. Because obscurity is becoming rare these days, it has become all the more precious.

No wonder our sense of mystery and awe at anything in this life is fast eroding. I regard social networking with a bit of trepidation and suspicion. And frankly, who’s got the time? I am probably one of a vanishing breed, always itching to get out of the virtual world and into the real world of doing things in private, without fanfare: creating, fixing, cooking, gardening, Continued on Page 5

4

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 , 20 1 6

On the PEP Front

People, Events, Places BoBBy T. yalong Our ever-changing world had been enormously manipulated and dominated by not only laudable men known for their commendable deeds that benefited mankind but also by their equally dominant female counterparts who have arguably defied the customary “menpower-rule” with their identifiably influential visions.

If only for this, the month of March was specifically earmarked to celebrate the paramount success of womanhood and their valuable contribution to society.

Adhering to its annual tradition of honoring worth-emulating female personalities greatly lauded in the eastern seaboard that have, aside from being successful in their chosen fields of endeavor, selflessly served the community, significantly influenced people, while simultaneously committed in the uninterrupted pursuit of honing their scholarly standing, the Pan American Concerned Citizens Action League, Inc. (PACCAL) makes it known publicly the four most distinguished and potent women to be conferred the coveted 2016 Most Influential Women title in connection with the celebration of International Women’s History Month.

Comprising the elite group of awardees are: • Myrna Monares Bais After teaching for 27 years in the Philippines, Myrna came to the uS in 1992 and found herself occupied in organizing a group of Household Employees who were without families and officially registered it in 1997 bearing the name Filipino Women’s Club of Connecticut. Now on its 19th year, the organization continues to carry on with its paramount advocacy…that of extending medical assistance to members and immediate family component

EMPLOYMENT

FOR SALE

SERVICES

Four illustrious Influential Women of the Tri-state Area to be tendered with a ceremonious award and dinner revelry

Dr. Constancia Somera Uy

Dr. Felicisima David Quines

Dr. Zorayda O. De Leon

Myrna M Bais

since majority don’t have health insurance. FWCC also support Bantay Bata, Adopt A Classroom Project of Con. Gen. Cecile rebong, Filipino-American Legal Defense Council, Medical Missions of Hearts and Hopes Society, Inc., and Friends Indeed. Innately compassionate with a pair of helping hands, Myrna’s influential ways remain exceptionally unmatched.

• Dr. Felicisima David Quines A graduate of Doctor of Medicine from uErM (university of the East ramon Magsaysay) in 1968, Dr. Fely Quines and her husband were former

presidents of PMAA that made both of them distinctly stalwart spirits and reputable figures in the Filipino-American medical arena. Dr. Fely Quines, in her instinctively benevolent nature and compassionate ways, could selflessly consider going out of her way if only to extend whatever relief or assistance to those in need. A born leader equipped with a defining knowledge, empowering status and dynamic foresight, Dr. Fely is dedicated with a powerful command and the ability to lead. Aside from being the President of the PMAA from 2004 to 2005, Dr. Fely Quines Continued on Page 6

SERVICES

5

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY M A R C H 25, 20 1 6

Ruffa Gutierrez on finding security with boyfriend, Jordan Mouyal

By Monet

Lu

I made plans of seeing my dear friend, Ruffa Gutierrez, when I went to the Philippines last February. She kept inviting me for dinner (part of the reason was for me to meet the person who is making my friend really happy), but because of my tight schedule, our supposed dinner didn’t happen. It would have been one hell of a catching up session and good opportunity to know the love of her life.

I’ve been friends with the Gutierrezes for a while now and I treat them as family. Ruffa is one of my trusted friends – the feeling is mutual. I was there when she was still married to her ex-husband, Yilmaz Bektas and even flew to Turkey to see her. Now that she has found “contentment and love” with her boyfriend of two years, Jordan mouyal, she can’t wait to share with me her love-conquers-all stories (alluding to the fact that her mom is against the relationship). despite Ruffa’s busy schedule juggling everything on her plate — her endorsements, her upcoming Teleserye with TV 5, and commitments with aVON Fashions as their Jewelry and Watches’ ambassador – her enthusiasm and optimism never changes. I guess I have Jordan to thank for that.

In an interview with Ruffa, she said that she is happy that Jordan is secure with who she is when it comes to their relationship.

Jordan, who is a few years

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

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

Hindi naman siya pangit, may trabaho naman ang tao, maganda naman ang kinikita niya.

(He’s not ugly, he has work, he’s earning well.) He has a double degree in engineering.”Hindi naman siya yung parang walang pinag-aralan na hampaslupa.

Hindi naman siya tambay sa kanto,” Ruffa said. (He’s not like some good for nothing person.

He’s not someone who just loiters around the streets), Ruffa said in a recent interview with Rappler.

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

Since I know their family for a while now, I understand – as much as Ruffa does – that annabelle just wants the best for her children. I’ve seen how she fought for them and while she admittedly expresses her opinions too blunt (to a fault), she loves them all so much.

Ruffa’s love-hate relationship with her mom may be one of world’s “fascinating myster-

Karla Estrada steps out...

From Page 2 children, ‘yung totally relaxed lang ako and I’m able to supervise them 24 hours a day.”

But Karla’s children knew that she had unfulfilled dreams, and after their mother had devoted her life to raising them, now it was time for her to step out and go after her own dreams and destiny.

They were (and are) 100 percent supportive.

“Alam nila na hindi pa ako tapos, na bitin pa ako sa first page ng buhay ko,” says Karla. “And my children are outgoing as well. Kumbaga, okey sa kanila na nakikita ako sa TV kasi sila mismo, tawang-tawa din sa akin.”

Another consideration for

saying “yes” was that Karla felt she was being handed a golden opportunity to give back to the people who believe in her. “I always say that if someone gives you an offer, it means someone trusts you.

At kung may nagtiwala sa iyo, bakit hindi, di ba? ‘Yung iba, binebenta ang sarili para pagkatiwalaan, ako nilapitan nila. Kaya sobrang nakaka-proud. Sobrang nakakaflatter.”

So she did — and before long, projects started to come her way.

She’s especially thankful that she’s been given a chance to go back to her first love, which is singing.

Karla is about to headline her first major solo concert, titled “The Queen Mother…Live in Concert”

ies,” but one thing remains true for this mother-daughter tandem: They both care and love so much – they are willing to fight for it.

In one of annabelle’s tweets, she said that she just wants to surrender all her issues with Ruffa, [since] she already said everything. She also added that it’s no use repeating them if her daughter will resist them anyway. She tweeted, “Surrender na ako. Hindi lang mga kamay ang itataas ko, pati mga paa ko itataas ko na rin sa pagsuko ko... (I surrender. Not just my hands but my feet as well).”

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

“Jordan serves as an inspiration… (But) it’s more on the side that we complement each other and we make each other happy. Kung may mga arguments man kami, it’s more on the little things lang. Petty. and the fact that we both love to travel, we both are hard working and at the same time, hindi kami parehong seloso na wala sa lugar, ” Ruffa said in an article. as they say, ”True love conquers all.”

To my friend, Ruffa: I am happy for you and Jordan. I wish I’ve met him that night when we are supposed to have dinner. But there’s always a on April 30 (four days after Daniel’s birthday) at the Kia Theater. The show is produced by Cornerstone Concerts.

For sure, there are critics who will raise their eyebrows at the idea of a major concert, but those behind the show believe it’s high time, and that Karla is more than capable of delivering.

“We find it fitting to create a concert for her at this very opportune time as a treat to her increasing fan base. It is also Karla’s way of celebrating her career and love for music together with really close friends (like Vice Ganda) and her beautiful family,” says Jeff Vadillo of Cornerstone Concerts.

It’s a challenge for Karla, but she’s excited about this second chance to prove herself and what she’s capable of.

Ogie, Regine keep their faith...

From Page 2 because we wanted to sing for the Lord in church.

1 Walker is a place where our faith grew. However, I think God had other plans. The Light of Jesus (religious community)

of Bo Sanchez, through Randy Borromeo, invited our band to perform in the Kerygma conference last year and now they are producing our coming concert for Anawim Foundation.

What’s in store for OPM this 2016?

Log off and enjoy...

From Page 3 making memories and connecting personally and laughing until my sides are nearly split. By choice, I am generally offline and often unwired on the weekends these days. My personal motto: LOG OFF AND LIVE. There’s so much living yet to do: so many recipes to try, seeds to plant, topiaries to shape, weeds to pull, walls and blank canvasses to paint, places to see, photos to shoot, plays to watch, games to play, puzzles to solve and mysteries to unravel, books to read, people to meet, goals to achieve, skills to learn and courses to take, stuff to give away, stories to write, naps to take and a thousand and one more things to feel, see, touch, taste, hear and soak in before the end game. With all that’s in the past, life still feels like a tabula rasa —lots of living to do, so little time. Sigh.

I am picking and choosing from the constant flow of messages in my inbox, only this one below. Some of these forwarded messages are for laughs, others inform while some can make you think harder or even move you to take action.

Pet peeves are those that are pure drivel and chain emails with a punitive clause, like a curse of bad luck, if you fail to forward. For

malevolent messages and all the rest of the junk from scammers promising riches, simplify your cyberlife and hit DELETE. DO NOT ENGAGE. Better yet, mark them as SPAM. Sometimes a golden nugget comes through that deserves to be amplified. So simple, it hits you right between the eyes. I searched for the author’s name but like many other pieces flung by anonymous, creative beings in Cyberville, authorship is largely unknown and unclaimed. To the originator of this metaphor then, whoever you are and wherever you may be, please accept a profound THANK YOU, from the rest of us. Here it is.

The hot chocolate story A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups-porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite -- telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup

OPM has many projects lined up. I am finally releasing my new album, called “Ikaw ang Buhay Ko,” under Universal Records.

When do you and Reg plan to have another baby?

God probably has other plans for us in the baby department. of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: ‘Notice that all the nice looking; expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.

In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.

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

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

Live simply. Love generously.

Care deeply. Speak kindly.

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

next time. and from the looks of it, I’d still be seeing him with you in the years to come. Good luck to both of you! Love and cheers! *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning 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 allnatural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

Ruffa Gutierrez with Jordan Mouyal

Calendar of Events across

America

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

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

APRIL 5

Town Hall Meeting on how to cast your ballot The Philippine Consulate General New York invites the public to a Town Hall meeting on how to cast your ballot at the 2016 national elections for overseas voters at 6:30pm on Tuesday, april 5 at the Philippine Center (556 Fifth avenue, New York, NY). To RSVP, email events@newyorkpcg.org (Subject: OV Town Hall) or call (212) 764-1330 ext. 3866.

APRIL 9

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

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

A P R I L 23

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

APRIL 30

COSC celebrates 27th Anniversary The Candonians of Southern California (COSC), under the leadership of their newly elected president, mrs. elizabeth Gacula Singh, will celebrate their 27th anniversary on april 30 at the doubletree Hotel-monrovia (924 W. Huntington dr., monrovia). music will be provided by The midnight motion Band. For questions and those interested, please email thecandoniansofsocal@gmail.com.

APRIL — SEPTEMBER

Pilgrimages to Eastern Europe, Mexico and India amazing Pilgrimages for the Jubilee Year of mercy! all are welcome to join Fr. Joe Joseph of Holy Trinity Church for the spiritual and fun-filled experiences of eaSTeRN eUROPe (april 17- 30): Poland, Czech., austria, Hungary, medjugorje; COLONIaL meXICO/ OUR LadY OF GUadaLUPe (June 20 - 27): mexico City, Theotihuacan, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Ocotlan, Xochimilco, Guanajuato, San miguel de allende, Guadalajara, San Juan de Los Lagos, Cristo Rey, Zapopan, Tonala; and INdIa (September 15 - 29): delhi, agra, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kerala. For more pilgrimage information and detailed flyers, please contact Bernadette at bcorp1114@hotmail.com OR call 323-344-1548 & 323-547-6618.

M AY 27-29

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

For more information, please contact any of the following: Loi Herrera at 562-5448210 orloiherrera@yahoo.com; monette Santillan-Rivera at 818-970-8317 ormonette_santillan@yahoo.com; Rose mejia at 323-997-3838 or Rosemariemejia@kw.com; marissa Sugay-Palanca at 818-281-7460 or marispalanca@yahoo.com; Rose maghari at661-7948906 or rmaghari@gmail.com; Sally mendoza at 323-695-0235 or sally.mendoza616@ yahoo.com; Honeylette de Leon at 562-480-5743 orhoney@worldclassfreight.com; Virginia Herbito at virginiaherbito@gmail.com; Connie acosta at 323-854-5303 or connieacosta1@ att.net; Violeta d. Cristobal at 310-880-5808 orvee@cristobalcpa.com; Jun mapoy at 323627-5326 or jcmapoy@yahoo.com.

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

6

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 , 20 1 6

Philippine-New York Jaycees learn Real Estate 101 A GRouP of some twenty Philippine-new York members and friends learned Real Estate 101 from Halstead’s Associate Broker Edwin Josue on March 18, Friday night in its Park Avenue office, Manhattan.

Associate Broker Edwin Josue is a Filipino-American Real estate broker who has been doing real estate transactions in Manhattan for about 23 years.

The Real Estate lecture was part of the Financial Education series that the chapter is

implementing as one of its Management Development area projects, providing opportunities for its members, key information in finance, entrepreneurship and business-related skills.

The Real Estate 101 particularly was aimed at helping its members learn Real Estate Investment with the focus on how to invest in real estate as first-time buyer (primary home) and as an investor (succeeding properties).

Josue outlined the

Edwin Josue giving his talk

(L-R) EVP Romainne Luis, Edwin Josue, President Stevenson Van Derodar and Jerry Sibal

Members of the Jaycees and friends at Halstead Property Office on Park Avenue

basic understanding on the requirements, credit qualifying, financial commitments and provided comparisons on both rental and property purchases in a real estate transaction. He also briefed on the many types and forms of real estate properties that are available in the city.

The Jaycees learned a lot from the talk and have had take away lessons on real estate investments hedging on time. In fact, they can easily recall how Josue shared success stories from clients who bought in the 1990s who are sitting on gold mines now from repetitive purchases to upgrades from studio to 1 - bedroom and 2 - bedroom units with increasing property values and how profitable real estate investments have been throughout the years.

The lecture over-all painted a picture of Manhattan’s evercompetitive real estate marketplace, with gentrifications taking place, changes in zoning, availability of market opportunities, the transactional processes required from beginning to end and the real estate professionals involved in a transaction.

President stevenson Van Derodar and Executive Vice President Romainne de Guzman luis thanked Josue for the invaluable real estate expertise shared to the members of the Jaycees and to John n. Wolhberg, Executive Director of sales, Park Avenue for allowing to host the lecture at their office.

JCI Philippine-new York is a group of young men and women whose mission is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change in the local and global community and their own lives through training and networking opportunities.

JCI is a membership-based non-profit organization of nearly 200,000 young active citizens ages 18 to 40 with around 5,000 JCI local organizations in more than 100 countries who are engaged and committed to creating impact in their local communities.

WE ARE

HIRING Asian Journal Publications is now looking for:

Customer Sales and Service Representative Fax résumé to:

info@asianjournalinc.com

PH Consulate General in New York hosts dinner reception for insurance giant aetna Consul General Mario De leon, Jr. and Mrs. Eleanor De leon, hosted a dinner reception in honor of top AETnA officials led by Mr. William J. Casazza, Executive Vice President, and Mr. Charles Klippel, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, at the official Residence.

The event was also attended by EXl officials led by Mr. Rembert de Villa, Executive Vice President, and Mr. Michael s. sefransky, Vice President, and Consul Felipe Carino and Trade Representatives JP Inigo and newly-arrived Representative Ms. Kat Banzon.

The event celebrated the strong business ties and improved business relations between the Philippines and AETnA. In the Philippines, AETnA maintains a significant presence by employing a few thousand employees in the IT-BPM sector and is a major player in the insurance industry.

AETnA and EXl have maintained a robust partnership in the us and the Philippines with EXl providing AETnA with top notch, higher value BPo/KPo services through its branches in the Philippines.

Consul General De leon welcomed the officials from

New York Consul General Mario L. De Leon hosts a sit-down dinner for AETNA senior corporate officials at his residence last Tuesday, March 15, to discuss initiatives for closer partnership and collaboration with the Connecticut-based healthcare company which has an established and extensive presence in the Philippines. The Filipino menu items were catered by Nicole Ponseca, a New York-based Fil-Am restaurant entrepreneur.

AETnA and EXl and praised the strategic relationship between their companies that has contributed to the growth of higher value IT-BPM services in the Philippines, particularly in healthcare information management.

AETnA’s Mr. Casazza thanked the Consulate General and EXl’s Mr. de Villa for their cooperation, support and friendship which

has encouraged AETnA to not only maintain its business in the country, but to explore other growth areas in higher value knowledge process outsourcing utilizing the Philippines’ highlyskilled human resource.

AETnA has an extensive network of about 300 accredited hospitals and 2,000 healthcare professionals in cooperation with EXl Philippines.

Getting every Pinoy and Pinay in the picture: Psa training renews focus on PH civil registration in the Us

WAsHInGTon, D.C. – Top officials of the Philippine statistics Authority (PsA) are in Washington, D.C. this week to conduct a training on civil registration and vital statistics (CVRs) for the personnel of the Philippine Embassy and Consulates General in the united states. The training is being held as part of the Philippine Government’s extended commemoration of February as Civil Registration Month.

With the theme “Makiisa…

Makisali sa Dekadang CRVs,” this year’s celebration is focused on encouraging Filipino citizens all over the world to report vital life events and be counted. The Embassies and Consulates General serve as the Civil Registrars overseas. national statistician and Civil Registrar General Dr. lisa Grace Bersales underscored the importance of the training to “standardizing procedures, and gaining clear understanding of definitions and the things that need to be done.”

“This training also aims to start a network so that we will be able to dialogue more easily and update each other on emerging issues,” Dr. Bersales added.

Created in 2013, the PsA serves as the central statistical authority on primary data collection in the Philippines.

Consul General Emilio Fernandez together with Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) officials and Filipino community leaders after the Talakayan on CRVS held at the Philippine Embassy on Monday, March 28.

Its overall mandate is an amalgamation of the functions of the national statistics office, the national statistical Coordination Board, the Bureau of Agricultural statistics, and the Bureau of labor and Employment statistics.

In a Talakayan on CVRs last 28 March, Philippine Ambassador to the united states described well-functioning CVRs systems as “critical tools to make every life count”.

“Although all people have the right, from birth, to basic freedoms and protections, we access these rights once our births are officially registered and we become citizens.

Dysfunctional civil registration and vital statistics systems mean that the lives of many of

our people, especially women, children and vulnerable groups, are not counted, not protected and remain essentially invisible to policymakers,” the Ambassador stressed.

“Good datasets are not just about numbers – they are about good policies and building a more inclusive society,” he further stated.

Joining Dr. Bersales are Deputy national statistician for Civil Registration and Central support office Estela De Guzman and Assistant national statistician Editha orcilla. Ms. De Guzman and Ms. orcilla focused their presentations on the civil registration procedure and updates on CRVs rules, respectively.

Four illustrious Influential Women...

From Page 4 was uERMMMC nEC President (2005-2006), PIDCI Grand Marshal (2014), ladies for Rizal (oKoR lI Chapter) President, former Director of Medicine and Chief Medical officer of nYs oMH, aside from being the former Editor-in-Chief of The Granary and The Aesculapian.

Currently, the affable doctor is an attending physician at the Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry sunY Downstate-Kings Hospital.

• Dr. Zoraida Olaya De Leon From her grandfather’s persuasion to become an agriculturist, Zorayda olaya ended up with an MD attached to her name. Armed with a Medical Degree from st. louis university in Baguio City, Dr. Zorayda o. De leon took her residency training at the Metropolitan Hospital Medical Center in new York and had her private practice in Jersey City with affiliation at Christ Hospital, Hoboken Hospital, and Jersey City Medical Center. A diplomate of American Board of Internal Medicine, a former president of the Hudson County Medical society and member of Medical society of Jersey City, Dr. De leon was last year’s PAFCoM Grand Marshal.

When free from the confines of her clinic and hospital duties the fashionable medical practitioner tirelessly involves herself “cutting the rag” on the dance floor (with her husband Pol) fittingly donned in eye-catching ballroom wardrobes she designed and executed herself.

• Dr. Constancia Somera Uy

A professor of Pediatrics at the Rutgers-new Jersey Medical school and Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Connie uy has been a recipient of 11 Golden Apple Awards for her excellence in teaching, has received the Excellence in Teaching Award from the university of Medicine and Dentistry of new Jersey Foundation, and the ultimate recognition of being a uMDnJ Master Educator in 2011 that catapulted her to be inducted into the stuart Cooke Master Educators Guild. she was the first Filipina to receive the new Jersey Woman of Achievement from the nJ Federation of Women’s Club and Douglass College. A dynamic administrator, brilliant medical educator, outstanding physician and a dedicated community leader, Dr. uy is currently the Chairperson of the PAFCoM Board of Directors and was a major innovator in changing its organizational structure thru constitutional amendments.

To celebrate their revered status and recognize their unparalleled contributions to the community, a dinner-dance bash cum awarding ceremony is slated on saturday, April 2, 2016 at 1:00 PM at the Crystal Ballroom of the Ramada Plaza Hotel along 160 Frontage Road, newark, new Jersey.

Gracing PACCAl’s spring event is the Honorable Con. Gen. Mario lopez De leon, Jr. and this year’s Honorary Chairpersons:

PIDCI woman on the totem pole Fe Martinez and pharmacistphilanthropist Joanne sy Bhatia. simultaneously highlighting the affair is the formal induction and oath-taking ceremony of PACCAl’s newly elected officers for the Fiscal Year 2016-17. To be inducted to office are: President – Ramona s. Gapasin Executive VP – Joey M. Mayo VP for operations – Rolly Javier VP for Development – Marieta lamar Recording secretary – Mae legaspi Corresponding secretary – Marilou songco Treasurer – Rebecca samanyaphon Asst. Treas. – Jujo Conol Auditor – Clara Hayes Board of Directors: Anthony Bautista luz Burke Armand David Hermie Garcia Helen santillan Ria serrano Advisers: linda M. Mayo Betty Buenviaje Rose P. Javier lumen G. Castañeda Community Adviser – Dennis Hayes senior Program Advisers – Bing Antonio, Jose G. Red, Jose santillan Cultural & Arts Consultants – Virgie Alvarez & Florentino Capili PACCAL Staff: linda M. Mayo – CEo / Founder Continued on Page 7

Gloc-9 defends self from bashers after performing at Binay rally

by Kristine

Angeli Inquirer.net

sAbillo

RAPPER Gloc-9 has responded to netizens criticizing him for performing at Vice President Jejomar Binay’s campaign rallies.

Gloc-9, who is known for composing songs touching on social issues, posted his statement on his Facebook page after people responded when he was seen performing songs at the proclamation rally of Binay’s dauther, Abby, who is running for Makati mayor.

He received flak for what he did, with some fans asking him why he chose Binay, who is accused of corruption. Others said he had failed them, especially since they idolized him because of his songs. Several mentioned his song “Upuan,” which tackles greed and the insensitivity of those in power.

Gloc-9 said his management asked him not to speak on the issue but he could no longer stay silent.

The rapper said that he respects the views of other people even if their words are hurtful.

“Paumanhin po kung hindi nasunod ang gusto ninyo at mawalang galang na din po sa mga nag sasabing hindi pwedeng TRABAHO LANG ITO dahil ITO LAMANG NAMAN PO ANG TRABAHO KO. (I apologize if I am not

Gloc 9

able to please you and to those who say that what I did can’t be just work, because this is what I do for a living),” he said, adding that he worked hard for two decades to earn a living in the music industry.

“Ako ay kumakanta sa entablado ng ibat ibang kandidato marahil ay hindi nyo lang gusto ang isang entabladong sinampahan ko,” Gloc-9 said. “Katulad ng lahat may kanya kanyang dungis na ibinabato sa bawat isa sa kanila gayon paman i wish all the candidates good luck sa darating na elections at naway ang mapipili ay tunay na mag sisilbi at tamang mamumuno sa bayan natin. (I have performed for different candidates and I guess you just don’t like one of the candidates I performed for. Candidates are like everyone else accused of various things but I wish

all of them good luck in the coming elections. I hope the one who wins will truly serve and lead the nation).”

Gloc-9 said that if his critics are proven right, he would like to apologize not to them but to his children.

“Dahil higit sa aking pagiging manunulat ng awitin, higit sa aking pagiging ehemplo at higit sa aking pagiging mamamayan ako po ay isang Ama. Hihingi ako ng tawad sa aking mga anak dahil naniniwala ako na sa kanila lamang ako may pananagutan. (Because more than being a composer of songs, more than being a role model and a citizen, I am a father. I would ask for forgiveness from my children because I believe that I am accountable only to them),” he said.

Four illustrious Influential Women...

From Page 6 Bobby T. Yalong – Executive Director Anita Tan – Fiscal Officer Eugene P. Respicio – Graphic Artist Visitacion Medinaceli – Outreach Coordinator / CHW Susan Liguori – CHW PACCAL is profoundly privileged to have equally prominent women Joanne Sy Bhatia and Fe Martinez as its Honorary Chairpersons.

Generosity and compassion plus a huge amount of affability are the sturdy foundations that cohesively hold the bricks of the world together…worth-emulating traits that Joanne Sy Bhatia

and Fe Martinez both possess.

Despite being in the flourishing Pharmacy Business for years, Joanne consistently remains low-key and simple but behind her uncomplicated lifestyle lies a munificent heart within…ready to help and extend aid to those in need.

Incidentally, the existence of hardworking women in society undoubtedly gives inspiration to the increasing number of the female populace holding prominent position in the community.

The moniker, Fe Martinez, has constantly been synonymous to being an achiever while simultaneously influential.

Her rise to prominence in the

Filipino-American society is, without any cloud of doubt, a significant symbol of woman empowerment and dedicated service.

“A successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her.” Such an inspirational quote that could motivate the so-called men’s “weaker counterparts” … although the term no longer applies to our current social set-up since these women are already enthusiastically empowered and greatly driven by their innately prolific instincts… making them as influential and powerful as men.

For comments and suggestions, please email to: gemini0646@yahoo.com.

7

An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY A p R i l 1 , 20 1 6

Princess Punzalan left showbiz for family ONE of the popular Filipina villains is back as she stars in the ABS-CBN primetime series “The Story of Us.” She’ll portray the role of Clodette, the mother of CJ (Bryan Santos), the third wheel in the relationship of Macoy and Tin. “No’ng pinadala sa akin ang character sketch, na-excite ako kasi unang-una, na-miss ko talaga makatrabaho ang ABS-CBN,” she said about accepting the project, in an interview on Tuesday, March 30.

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

Celina was the main villain

of Claudine Barretto-starring drama series “Mula sa Puso,” where Punzalan’s laugh became iconic.

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

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

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

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

Princess Punzalan

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

Janella Salvador celebrates 18th birthday

JANELLA Salvador was like a princess on her 18th birthday celebration.

Janella, who recently turned eighteen, just came back from Japan and celebrated her debut in advance. Her champagne-colored gown was designed by Pepsi Herrera, while the red gown was by Stephanie Tan. Some of her showbiz friends present there are Marlo Morte, Elmo Magalona, her best friend Claire Ruiz, Julia Montes, Jane Oineza and Robi Domingo.

However, the most touching moment that night was when her mom Janine Desiderio Janella Salvador imbibed her inner princess as she celebrated her 18th dedicated a song for her. (Philstar.com) birthday.

Photo from Facebook/ Nice Print Photography

John Lloyd Cruz sets it straight: ‘Yes, single na single!’

JOHN Lloyd Cruz has recently been at the forefront of showbiz intrigues as his colorful lovelife has once again spewed hot headlines.

However, at a press conference on Thursday, March 31, he is quick to admit the real status of his love life saying, “single na single”.

Yet the actor laughingly answered that his love life is actually “intriguing”, even attributing color to it saying, “It’s as intriguing as the color yellow. Love life ko, wala po eh.”

Reason for his separation to former girlfriend Angelica

John Lloyd Cruz

Panganiban is still a hot topic to the fans as none of them came to admit the real deal.

Since their break-up is highly connected to the separation of John Lloyd’s long-time on-screen partner Bea Alonzo to former boyfriend Zanjoe Marudo and that the public was quick to conclude that he and Bea may have indeed finally gotten together, John Lloyd quickly flashed a smile and denied all the issues.

When asked if he and Bea have actually discussed the controversies sorrounding them, John lloyd says, “We don’t feel the need to tak about it, alam namin yung totoo”. (Izel Abanilla/Inquirer.net)

An Asian Journal Magazine

8

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY ApRil 1, 2016