071317 - New York & New Jersey

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Volume 10 – Issue 39 • 16 Pages

JULY 7-13, 2017

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Duterte vows to ‘eat’ Abu Sayyaf Five Woodside after beheading of Vietnamese residents arrested DATELINE

USA

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA

in NYPD raid

Meth, mushrooms, marijuana and pills seized

POLICE officers arrested three men and two women in Queens last week in an early morning raid Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at a Woodside, Queens home, where they allegedly recovered a vast amount of illegal drugs - including the highly-addictive oxycodone, as well as more than 10 pounds of marijuana and 138 bags of crystal meth.

“These arrests should serve as a warning to other drug dealers that the law enforcement community will continue to aggressively track down those who traffic in drugs and seek to put them in prison,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown The District Attorney identified the defendants as Jasper Davis, 26, of Elmhurst, Queens, Alnerfo Orfanei, 64, of Bogota, New

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to eat alive the Islamist militants behind the abduction and beheadings of two Vietnamese sailors in a furious reaction to the killings.

The remains of the two hostages, who were kidnapped along with four other crew members of a Vietnamese cargo

ship in November last year, were recovered off the southern region of Mindanao by Philippine troops on Wednesday, July 5.

The military blamed the killings on the notorious kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf group with a stronghold in the area, and which is known to behead its hostages

unless ransom payments are made.

“I will eat your liver if you want me to.

Give me salt and vinegar and I will eat it in front of you,” Duterte said in a speech before local officials late Wednesday.

“I eat everything. I am not picky. I eat even what cannot be swallowed.”

Holding up a mobile phone with a

Young Fil-Am leaders share experience of immersion trip to PH Encourage applicants to apply before July 21

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6.5 quake hits Central Visayas

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FILIPINO Americans between the ages of 25 to 40 years old are encouraged to apply for this year’s Fil-Am Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), a week-long immersion trip to the Philippines.

FYLPRO — which was started in 2012 by former Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia Jr. and his wife, Victoria — chooses 10 “outstanding young professionals” from Fil-Am communities across the country to visit the Philippines, where they will meet with key players in government, business, social entrepreneurship, and arts and culture.

In addition to meetings, one day is devoted to service, such as farming or rebuilding areas destroyed by disasters.

Applications for the sixth batch are due on July 21 and the week-long trip will be held from October 8 to 14. The all-expense paid program is made possible through partnerships with the Ayala Foundation and the Philippine foreign service posts throughout the U.S. At an information session in Los Angeles

photo of the slain Vietnamese sailors, Duterte angrily cursed the militants.

“Will we allow ourselves to be enslaved by these people? Son of a wh***.”

Duterte, 72, ordered a military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf and other militants in the southern Philippines

THE PUNISHER AND PACMAN. President Rodrigo Duterte is joined by Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao upon arriving at the 1002nd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Malungon, Sarangani Province on Wednesday, July 5.

Malacañang photo

A POWERFUL earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 hit the center of the Philippines on Thursday, July 6, at 4:03 p.m., leaving at least two people dead—one in Ormoc City and one in the town of Kananga—while dozens were injured, according to local officials.

The center of the quake was at eight kilometers southwest of Jaro town on Leyte Island with a shallow depth of two kilometers according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

In an interview by dzBB, Kananga Mayor Rowena Codilla said one body was retrieved from a fallen three-storey commercial building. The building accommodated a grocery store, hardware shop and a guest house.

Meanwhile, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez said the tremor caused a landslide causing the death of an 18-year-old mother in the mountain village of Cabaon-an. Her fivemonth-old child was rescued. Over a hundred others were hospitalized including those who were “traumatized” and “hysterical.”

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WBO: No reversal of controversial decision on Pacquiao-Horn match

by DANA

SIOSON AJPress

not be reversed, except in a case of fraud or violation of laws which is not the case in Pac vs Horn,” the organization posted in its offiDESPITE calls seeking a review on the re- cial Twitter account on Tuesday, July 4. cent world welterweight title bout between Pacquiao lost his WBO Welterweight title Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn, the World to Horn in a stunning unanimous decision on Boxing Organization (WBO) said it cannot re- Sunday, July 2, creating one of the greatest verse the controversial result of the match. upsets in the recent world boxing history.

In a social media post, WBO explained that The judges gave the final scores of 117a reversal of match result is only possible if 111, 115-113, 115-113, all in favor of Horn violation of rules occurred.

— which received hostile responses from The organization, however, stated that various boxing fans around the globe. it has found nothing fraudulent during the In a letter, the Games and Amusements BATTLE OF BRISBANE. Aussie challenger Jeff Horn (left) and defending champion Manny match.

Board (GAB), the regulatory body for box- Pacquiao face off during the “Battle of Brisbane” WBO welterweight title bout in Brisbane, “The discretion of a referee or judge canAustralia, Sunday. Horn defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision. Photo courtesy of Top Rank

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PH Education Secretary: Mandatory drug testing for employees, teachers to be implemented this school year

by MOMAR

G. VISAYA

AJPress

NEW YORK – Philippine Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones met with the FiliParliamentarians from the Southeast Asian region link arms to symbolize their collective resolve to combat the drug menace. According to pino-American community in a Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman, the annual meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly town hall meeting last week at Fact-Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) to Combat the Drug Menace “is one opportunity for legislators to learn how the community has met the the Philippine Center, where she challenge of eradicating the illicit trade in drugs and their desire to upgrade the level of their cooperation.”

PNA photo discussed the achievements of the department in the pat year.

Sec. Briones debunked the idea that there are still classes drigo Duterte’s campaign against must “not succumb to the debilitat- held under mango trees in the

by JENNIFER SORIANO AJPress Philippines, saying that the deing effects of illegal drugs.” illegal drugs.

“We stand firmly with President partment has completed conSpeaking at the 13th Meeting PHILIPPINE House Speaker of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Rodrigo Roa Duterte in the war struction of more than 30,000 Pantaleon Alvarez called on his Assembly (AIPA) Fact Finding Com- against illegal drugs. He has called classrooms in the past year, fellow lawmakers in the Asso- mittee (AIFOCOM) to Combat the on the leaders of ASEAN Member bringing the total number of ciation of Southeast Asian Nations Drug Menace on Wednesday, July States during the 30th ASEAN classrooms across the country to (ASEAN) to support President Ro- 5, Alvarez stressed that the region u PAGE A2 604,207.

House Speaker encourages ASEAN lawmakers to support PH drug war

The secretary also said that the salary of public school teachers has been raised to a minimum of P19,000 a month (almost $400 at current exchange rate of P50 to $1).

In his opening remarks, Deputy Consul General Felipe Cariño said that with 27.7 million learners during the recent Philippine school opening, the Department of Education has been successfully implementing the country’s transition to the K to 12 program which aims to align our system with international standards, ensuring wider skills recognition for products of the Philippine education system Sec. Briones gave a brief pre- Philippine Education Secretary Leonor

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Magtolis Briones

Inquirer.net photo

A july 7-13, 2017 • NEW yORK AND NEW jERSEy ASIAN jOuRNAl

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

From the Front Page

Duterte vows to ‘eat’...

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last year.

Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network, has splintered into factions, with some continuing to engage in banditry and kidnappings.

One faction has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, and joined militants battling security forces since late May in Marawi, the largely Catholic nation’s most important Islamic city.

The militants continue to occupy

parts of the southern city despite a U.S.-backed military offensive there that has claimed more than 460 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people.

Duterte often uses extreme language, particularly when talking about Islamist militants.

Last year, the leader said he would eat Abu Sayyaf militants alive in a bloodthirsty vow of revenge following a bombing in Davao, his southern home city that claimed 15 lives.

Duterte said Vietnam had raised concern about a series of high-

seas kidnappings blamed on the Abu Sayyaf when he visited Hanoi last year.

On Wednesday, Vietnam’s foreign ministry condemned the killing of the two sailors as it called for heavy punishment.

One of the six crewmen was rescued last month and three remain in captivity according to the Philippine military.

It says Abu Sayyaf militants are holding a total of 22 hostages, including eight other Vietnamese.

(Inquirer.net with reports from AFP)

WBO: No reversal of controversial...

PAGE A1 t ing in the Philippines, has asked WBO President Francisco Valcarce for a “thorough review” for possible miscalls during the match.

“While we respect the decision, we are constrained to request for a thorough review by the WBO for possible miscalls of the referee where some deductions were not made and of the judges in their judging that have caused varying

opinions on their objectivity,” the letter read.

Pacquiao also backed the GAB’s move, saying that the “WBO should take appropriate action… so as not to erode the people’s interest in boxing.”

But the WBO instead recommended to have the two boxers settle the issue inside the ring.

“The contract for Pac vs Horn provides a rematch clause, which the WBO is in accordance if the promoters decide to move for-

ward,” the WBO added.

Horn, for his part, said he’s willing to have a rematch if Pacquiao wanted to have one.

“He (Pacquiao) said after the fight he was happy with the decision. He might be changing his mind. But I feel if he wants to do it again, let’s do it again. The rematch clause is there for a reason,” Horn told AAP. Pacquiao previously stated that he is open to having a rematch against Horn. n

House Speaker encourages ASEAN lawmakers...

PAGE A1 t Summit to join him in this campaign,” Alvarez said.

Duterte’s so-called drug war has been widely criticized by human rights groups over its supposed violation of human rights and spate of summary killings.

Some, meanwhile, lauded the policy for its success in putting drug dealers behind bars and the surrender of drug users.

“I take this opportunity to urge you to do the same. With political will and cooperation, we will dismantle the massive illegal drug trade apparatus,” Alvarez added.

Alvarez, who also sits as Association of Southeast Asian Nations Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) president, took note that drug trafficking remains a major security concern in the ASEAN community.

He pointed out that the Southeast Asian region has become a major transhipment hub of illegal drugs amid the increasing demand in the international market.

“We cannot ignore the impact of

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez

drug use on society—especially to the family and the youth. Financial difficulties are just some of the challenges a family may face. We simply cannot stand idly by as our region succumbs to the debilitating effects of illegal drugs,” he remarked.

Alvarez also said that the ASEAN community has already made the initial moves to address the drug problem, citing the last year’s adoption of the ASEAN Work Plan on Securing Communities against Illicit Drugs.

“As legislators, we support this

Inquirer.net photo

vision by introducing measures that could strengthen mechanisms to stop the production, trafficking, and abuse of illicit drugs in our countries,” he said.

Likewise, he called upon fellow AIPA member states to “enhance cooperation in the field of law enforcement and the criminal justice system, to raise awareness and educate all sectors of society especially the youth, and engage our local communities, schools and the media to commit their support to the realization of a drug-free ASEAN.”

CAR PASS TO MOVE IN AND OUT OF MARAWI. Residents jostle to secure their car pass applications to move in and out of Marawi or get their vehicles out of the combat zone at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol in Marawi City on Thursday, July 6.

PNA photo

6.5 quake hits Central...

PAGE A1 t “Naisip ko, baka katapusan ko na. Malakas talaga; siguro tumagal din ng mga 15 seconds (I thought to myself, this might be my end. It was really strong; perhaps it lasted 15 seconds),” said Gomez in an interview by Manila Bulletin.

Gomez said that cracks were seen in three major highways, however, all roads in and out of the city remain passable.

The Ormoc Airport was temporarily closed for an inspection for An ABS-CBN News photo contributed by Edgar Muralla Jr. shows parked cars damaged by a possible cracks on the runway. collapsed portion of a grocery in Kananga, Leyte following a 6.5-magnitude earthquake that The strong shaking caused struck the province on Thursday, July 6. cracks in some buildings and Intensity IV: Catbalogan City; say and Sibulan, Negros Oriental; roads in the city and power was Cabucgayan and Naval, Biliran; Sorsogon City automatically shut off, Gomez Tolosa and Bato, Leyte HinunanIntensity I: La Carlota City, Neadded. gan, Southern Leyte; Sagay City, gros Occidental; Catarman, NorthEarthquake-hit Leyte, as well as Negros Occidental; Burgos, Su- ern Samar the nearby Samar provinces and rigao del Norte;Biliran, Leyte The quake hit the same region Bohol, also suffered power blackIntensity III: Bogo City and that was devastated by Typhoon outs. In Cebu, power was restored Talisay, Cebu; Roxas City; Iloilo Haiyan in November 2013, which 30 minutes after it was shut off.

City; Bacolod City; Inopacan and caused big waves that left more Work and classes were also sus- Baybay, Leyte; Sogod, Southern than 7,300 people dead or misspended in several parts of Visayas Leyte; Calatrava, Negros Occi- ing, as well as toppling entire vilfollowing the tremor. Many re- dental; Tagbilaran City; Jagna, lages and displaced more than 5 fused to return to their homes due Bohol; Borongan, Eastern Samar; million residents. to aftershocks.

Guihulngan City and Tayasan, The Philippines sits on the PaThe earthquake was felt in the Negros Oriental; Cadiz City and cific “Ring of Fire,” where earthfollowing areas: Toboso, Escalante, Negros Occi- quakes and volcanoes are comIntensity VI: Jaro and Kananga dental mon. In 1990, a magnitude 7.7 and Capoocan, Leyte Intensity II: Libjo, San Jose, Cag- quake killed almost 2,000 people Intensity V: Tacloban City; Palo, dianao, Dinagat Islands; Sorsogon in the northern part of the country.

Leyte; Cebu City; Mandaue City; City; Lapu-lapu City; San Juan, (With reports from Jennifer SoriaOrmoc City Southern Leyte; Javier, Leyte; Tan- no/AJPress)

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From the Front Page

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Young Fil-Am leaders share experience...

PAGE A1 t on Friday, June 30, past delegates shared their experiences of how the trip, despite its length, enabled them to connect with their Filipino roots.

“This trip gives you that perspective of the different societal norms, the economic issues, a firsthand look at what the government is doing, access to members of Congress, and understanding the innovation they’re doing as well, ” shared Alex De Ocampo, who was part of the inaugural batch in 2012.

He added, “You’re seeing the differences in the country and how Assistant Secretary Nepomuceno Malaluan, DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, Deputy Consul General Felipe F. Cariño, Undersecretary it’s changing. It was very impactVictoria Catibog, and Consul Arman Talbo (5th from left, 2nd row) join community members for a photo opportunity after the forum that ful in the sense that you’re seeing featured updates on the Philippines’ Department of Education by DepEd officials.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Eric Silao growth, you’re seeing some poverty — the extremes. But it’s really Filipino President of St. Johns opening up your mind to what’s University, Dr. Conrado “Bob- happening in the Philippines.”

Anna Marie Cruz, a business by” Gempesaw, members of the PAGE A1 t ravaged the province that result- FilAm Press Club of New York development officer at CDC Small sentation on the cornerstone of ed in the destruction of multi- and Silliman University Alumni Business Finance, went on to say President Duterte’s education million peso school laboratories Association. agenda; namely, addressing the and facilities.

A Q&A followed the presentaEven as the DepEd’s budget tion where Secretary Briones, drug menace in schools, enhancing gender awareness and has increased, a significant per- Undersecretary Catibog and Aspromoting reproductive health, centage of the budget is allotted sistant Secretary Malaluan adclimate change mitigation and to repair and renovation of build- dressed questions that included other related issues, and insti- ings and mitigating the effects of meeting targets for building tutionalization of the Alternative natural calamities. These disas- classrooms, the state of K to 12 Learning Systems (ALS), a flag- ters and calamities have become implementation, the low enrolship project of the administra- more frequent and devastating ment in Arts and Sports tracks in that it has put a strain on the de- schools, the increase in demand tion.

On the drug issue, Secretary partment’s resources, disrupting for teachers in the US in the comBriones said that the drug men- delivery of education services. ing years, and the state of Special The natural disasters from July Education in the Philippines. ace affects both educators and learners. She said that starting 2016 to June 2017 have brought Secretary Briones and her school year 2017-2018, a man- about major or total damage to delegation were in New York to datory drug testing for school of- almost 10,000 classrooms, apart attend meetings on High-Level ficials, employees and teachers from non-infrastructure damages. Action Event on Education at the Because of the ongoing war in United Nations. n is going to be implemented, as part of the department’s support Marawi City, the students from to President Rodrigo Duterte’s the city were allowed to enroll war on drugs. The department is in schools across the country. also mulling to include random A vast majority of the student high school students in the drug population in Marawi enrolled in various schools in the nearby testing.

Asked about the specifics of city of Iligan.

The secretary added that the testing, DepEd Assistant Secretary Nepomuceno Malaluan DepEd is keen on implementing said that teachers and employ- the ALS, which is focused on adees who will test positive will dressing the school dropout rate have another round of testing, by finding ways to keep learnand depending on the severity ers enrolled through alternative of drug use, they will be sent for learning solutions and creative rehabilitation, but if proven that teaching methods.

Joining Briones and Malaluan they are heavy users of illegal drugs, they will be removed from as panel members was Education Undersecretary Victoria service.

Briones likewise discussed Catibog.

Filipino community members the adverse effects of climate change and the war in Marawi composed of educators, school on the education system. She administrators, and members of shared that in Isabela, a typhoon the academe including the first

PH Education Secretary...

Five Woodside residents...

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Jersey, and Alex Herrera, 56, Josephine Paguio, 55, and Marilyn Castro, 45, all of Woodside, Queens. The five individuals have been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and other crimes.

District Attorney Brown said, “A morning wake-up call by the police armed with a court-authorized search warrant resulted in the arrest of five individuals - three men and two women in Queens. Police seized a large quantity of illicit drugs and other contraband.

Police also recovered ammunition for a firearm.

The defendants were arraigned Thursday evening, June 29, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Eugene Guarino on three separate complaints charging them with second- , third- and fifth- degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana. Herrera and Paguio are additionally charged with unlawful possession of pistol or revolver ammunition.

Bail was set at $300,000 for Herrera; $100,000 for both Davis and Castro; $50,000 for Paguio; and $10,000 for Orfanei. All defendants were ordered to return to court on July 7, 2017. If convicted, all five defendants face up to 10 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, at approximately 6 a.m. Wednes-

day, June 28, 2017, police executed a court-authorized search warrant at 41-06 69th Street in Woodside, Queens.

Inside the basement of the semi-detached home, police allegedly recovered 138 bags and seven jars of crystal methamphetamine on top of a dresser, 11 bags of marijuana stashed in a cabinet and two bags containing psychedelic mushrooms in a safe. In the back of a basement cabinet, police allegedly seized 79 oxycodone pills, 103 methylenedioxymethamphetamine pills (which is known as MDMA or by the street name Molly), 47 clonazepam pills, 142 alprazolan pills and 50 amphetamine pills.

According to the criminal complaints, added District Attorney Brown, defendant Paguio was allegedly located inside a rear third-floor bedroom where police recovered eight rounds of .25 caliber ammunition inside a box on top of the room’s dresser along with additional bags of marijuana.

The investigation was conducted by Sergeant Ross Nazierowski and Police Officer Daniel Jennings of the New York City Police Department’s 110th Precinct. The official Twitter account of the 110th Precinct (@ NYPD110pct) posted a photo of the illegal drugs they confiscated, including five pounds of meth, marijuana and hundreds of prescription pills. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

SOLIDARITY FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN GROWTH. Secretary Roy Cimatu (center), leads a symbolic solidarity pose during a four-day congress organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for research and development experts from the 10 member countries of the ASEAN region, China, South Korea, and Australia to discuss strategies in protecting the ecosystem and biodiversity in urban areas. Joining Cimatu are from left: Sunwoo Bae, Program Officer of the UN Institute for Training and Research – International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders of Jeju, South Korea; Architect Felino Palafox Jr., principal architect of Urban Planner; Director Henry Adornado of the DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB); Dr. Bharat Dahiya, an urbanist at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University; Atty. Roberto Oliva, Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversiy; and Dr. Simplicia Pasicolan of ERDB, Overall Coordinator of the congress.

Photo courtesy of DENR

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that the itinerary gives an opportunity to have a dialogue with various decision makers.

“It also leads to a lot of identity questions because a lot of these problems we have a rooted in our colonial history [and] the ‘crab mentality’ we experience here is rooted in [that], so whether it’s this epiphany of what you can do for the community as a whole or what you do for yourself in order to rise above that baggage you’ve been carrying but didn’t know about, it’s a pretty amazing program that it can do that for you,” Cruz said.

“It’s personal, but it’s also this collective.”

During the program, each delegate has the responsibility to develop his or her own “legacy project,” which is a social impact initiative focused on the Philippines and Filipino communities abroad that are social enterprise, philanthropic or civic engagement focused. Some past examples in-

clude empowering Filipina entrepreneurs and HIV research and prevention.

Other alumni of the program over the years include Tony and Grammy Award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino, restaurateur Nicole Ponseca, Ryan Letada of storytelling platform NextDayBetter, and Jason Tengco, executive director of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA).

The criteria is that applicants must be 25-40 years old, demonstrate leadership skills within school, community or workplace, and show involvement or interest in issues that align with the interest of the Fil-Am community or the Philippines.

Requirements include an intent to apply form, an application form, resume, two letters of recommendation, a profile photo and 200-word bio. To apply, visithttp:// www.fylpro.org/apply/. (AJPress)

Dateline USa

A july 7-13, 2017 • NEW yORK AND NEW jERSEy ASIAN jOuRNAl

Drop in sudden cardiac arrests linked to Obamacare

by Jenny

Gold Kaiser Health News

FilVetREP leaders and community supporters joined Sen. Mazie Hirono (center) in a celebration photo shortly after the Senate approved the Congressional Gold Medal legislation on Nov. 30, 2016.

Photo courtesy of Sen. Hirono’s office

Congressional Gold Medal presentation to WWII Filipino veterans planned for October

Plans are underway for a national celebration honoring Filipino World War II veterans, whose service and sacrifice have been finally recognized by the U.s. with the passage last year of the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal act of 2015, which is now enshrined as Public law 114-265.

The Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the United states for persons or groups who have performed an achievement that have an impact on american history and culture. american citizenship is not a requirement. In particular, this award is a public expression of the U.s. Congress’ gratitude on behalf of the nation for the distinguished contributions of 260,000 Filipino soldiers and guerrillas during World War II in the Philippines.

Traditionally, the CGM is formally presented to the awardees by the speaker of the House. This year, the national celebration coincides with the formal award presentation of the medal to Filipino World War II veterans by House speaker Paul Ryan. The presentation has not been scheduled, but could be held as early as October or november of this year. at the award ceremony, slated to be held on Capitol Hill, surviving Filipino and american veterans or their next-of-kin will receive bronze replicas of the CGM and a framed copy of Public law 114-265. Expected to attend are Congressional sponsors, Philippine Government officials, Presidential Cabinet members, high ranking general officers from the

Us army, Us Marine Corps, U.s. navy, U.s. air Force, U.s. Coast Guard, veterans advocates, community leaders and supporters and other dignitaries.

The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), the proponent of the CGM legislation and the official national point of contact for all CGM activities, is working closely with the U.s. Mint and offices of sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to accelerate completion of the CGM’s minting and production of at least 500 bronze replicas. FilVetREP is led by Maj. Gen. antonio Taguba (U.s.a. Ret.) and his executive team composed of Marie Blanco, Erick soriano, Jon Melegrito and Ben de Guzman.

National celebration plans “We secured the Congressional Gold Medal to honor our veterans and demonstrate our deepest gratitude for their supreme sacrifice,” said FilVetREP Chairman Maj. Gen. antonio Taguba (Ret).

“We will ensure that our national celebration of this historic achievement is one that treats our veterans with the utmost dignity and respect. We are, therefore, calling on all our supporters to make this important event happen. It’s for our veterans and they deserve to have a memorable event.”

Taguba also notes that not all recipients of the medal may not be able to come to Washington due to their age and physical condition. Regional award ceremonies are being considered in the West Coast, Midwest and the south to accommodate veterans who are not able to travel to Washington.

There are also plans for Filipino

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veterans residing in the Philippines to receive their bronze replicas in Manila. It is anticipated that this will be handled by the Philippine Veterans administration Office (PVaO) and Philippine Office of national Defense.

National registry Bronze replicas will be awarded only to surviving veterans or their next-of-kin whose eligibility for CGM has been vetted and whose names are included in FilVetREP’s national veterans registry.

“It is essential that veterans and their families register as soon as possible to make sure they are included in the award ceremony,” Taguba adds. applications and instructions for submission may be downloaded from FilVetREP’s website, www.filvetrep.org. Each of the FIlVETREP regional directors are responsible for contacting the veterans and families to help them register. Bronze replicas are not funded by the U.s. government, but rather by donations from the public. Donations to support FilVetREP’s CGM activities are accepted through the FilVetREP website.

CGM Design and approval Process. In the past several months, FilVetREP has been meeting with the U.s. Mint’s Office of Design Management in providing significant input and recommendations to the Citizens Coinage advisory Committee (CCaC) and the Commission on Fine arts (CFa).

The U.s. Mint is the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, commemorative coins and congressional gold medals, and is

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And for consideration in our print calendar, please send submissions at least three weeks before the date of the event.

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The Asian Journal would be delighted to list your event in our Calendar of Events.

IF 22 million americans lose their health care coverage by 2026 under the GOP senate’s plan to repeal and replace the affordable Care act, how many people could die? The question is at the heart of the debate raging in Washington, D.C., but has been difficult to answer. “show me the data on lives saved by Obamacare, please,” conservative political scientist Charles Murray requested in a recent tweet. a pilot study published Wednesday in the Journal of the american Heart association may provide an answer: Researchers found that the rate of sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital dropped by 17 percent among people ages 45-64 in Multnomah County, Oregon, after the affordable Care act expanded insurance coverage.

The study analyzed sudden cardiac arrest data from the emergency medical system in 2011-12 before the aCa, and compared the data from 201415, after insurance coverage expanded. During that time, the percentage of people in Multnomah County with Medicaid coverage nearly doubled, from 7 percent to 13.5 percent.

Early indicator Cardiac arrest can serve as an early indicator to show how an increase in health insurance coverage under the aCa might affect mortality.

Each year, about 350,000 people in the United states have a sudden cardiac arrest, in which the heart unexpectedly stops beating. It is one of the most deadly types of heart attacks — only 1 in 10 patients survive it. “It speaks to the importance of predicting and preventing [cardiac arrest], because once it happens, it’s much too late,” said Dr. sumeet Chugh, medical director of the Heart Rhythm Center of the Cedars-sinai Heart Institute in California and one of the authors of the study.

The good news is that nearly half of patients experience warning symptoms, offering an

opportunity for intervention, said Chugh. Cholesterol and blood pressure medication, diet and exercise, and surgical interventions can all help stave off sudden cardiac arrest. But patients without health insurance might ignore their symptoms and avoid seeing a doctor.

“Imagine that you’re someone with a warning symptom.

If you had insurance or access to health care that was relatively easy, you might be more inclined to see a provider. If you didn’t, you might let it go for a while,” said Chugh.

Consistent Chugh cautions that the study population was small and did not examine other factors that could have led to a decline in cardiac arrests. still, it is consistent with other studies that found a link between Medicaid expansion and a decline in mortality. Chugh and fellow author Eric stecker of the Oregon Health & science University plan follow-up studies to narrow in on the causes in Multnomah County.

Michael McWilliams of the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical school, who was not involved in the study, questioned the large reduction in cardiac arrests seen in the study, saying it “seems too good to be true.” still, he said assessing the effects of health insurance on clinical outcomes like cardiac arrest is notoriously difficult, and there is good evidence that health insurance improves access to care and diagnosis of important conditions.

“I think when we focus on the lack of consensus evidence on the effects of coverage on hard outcomes like mortality, and use that as an argument against covering the uninsured, I think we let perfect be the enemy of good,” McWilliams said.

Uninsured Take James Frank, 64, of lancaster, California, who was uninsured several years ago when he first started experiencing the symptoms of heart disease.

“I couldn’t catch my breath, I was wheezing,” Frank recalled.

James Frank signed on to Obamacare via Covered California when he started experiencing the symptoms of heart disease.

Contributed photo

“I felt like I had like a chest cold. My feet were tingling.

I was getting the sweats.” In 2013, Frank had a heart attack and was taken to the emergency room.

He signed up for coverage under Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, which opened in 2013 for coverage that began in January 2014. His doctor put him on a statin and blood pressure medication to prevent another heart attack, and he started watching his weight religiously.

Frank was quick to add that the coverage he gained under the aCa has not been perfect — his premium and deductibles are high, and he thinks that Congress should repair it. still, he believes the health law saved his life. “I had the same heart attack that killed my mother,” he said. “Had it not been for Obamacare, I probably would have had another one. *** This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. n

Fil-Am MMA fighter gets another shot at redemption FIlIPInO-american mixed martial artist aJ “The Mercenary” Matthews seeks to redeem his career in an upcoming fight against andre Fialho at Bellator 181 on July 14.

Matthews and Fialho will go head-to-head in the Bellator’s welterweight division to be held at the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

Bellator 181, is an event of the Bellator MMa, an american mixed martial promotion company, where tournaments for each weight class are held over a three-month period.

Coming off from his three consecutive losses, Matthews is going all-out in his training before facing Fialho, a Portuguese MMa star who is coming to the match with an almost perfect 7/8 record so far in his career.

The 28-year-old Fil-am fighter moved to the Philippines with his team, MMa alliance, to prepare for his upcoming fight. “aJ has been a working progress for us,” Eric Del Fier-

ro, co-owner of MMa alliance told sherdog.com In the Philippines, Matthews sparred against fellow Filipino fighters and several team members who are Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions.

“I see a bright future for aJ as a mixed martial artist” Dominic Cruz, former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion, told sherdog.com.

“He’s got some of the best cage defense I’ve ever seen on anybody,” Eric Uresk, Wrestling Coach on MMa alliance, added.

Matthews’ career thrived after his four consecutive wins at the onset of his career in 2007, where he mainly fought for California-based promotions such as King of Cage and Gladiator Challenge. after his triumph in 2015 against Emiliano sordi at the Bellator 141, his career started to go downhill and lost his next fights.

Matthews is moving forward and is now even more deter-

AJ “The Mercenary” Matthews

mined to win back the momentum of his career. (With reports from Larizza de Vera/AJPress, Inquirer.net and Sherdog.com)

Raid of online firm in PH yields sex-trade data an american real-estate company’s court-ordered raid of an online outsourcing company’s headquarters in the Philippines has yielded data linking the latter to an embattled classified advertising website accused of engaging in human trafficking and prostitution, an exclusive story by nBC news has reported.

Costar, a multibillion-dollar enterprise behind apartments. com, carried out the daring raid in the offices of avion in an undisclosed location, emerging with 262 hard drives containing 35 terabytes of data that indicated it was used by Backpage to drum up business in the sex trade overseas, the report authored by anna schecter and Kenzi abou-sabe said.

Backpage is a U.s.-based online site that has listings for a wide variety of products and services, including automotive, jobs and real estate. It has been under fire since 2011 for allegedly using its adult services subsection for prostitution that particularly involved minors.

The company is facing legal battles, including criminal

charges refiled last year by the state of California against its chief executive officer (CEO) and two founders and a civil lawsuit now headed for trial in Washington state after the courts declined to dismiss it, according to the report.

Backpage was also subjected to a 20-month U.s. senate investigation that found it complicit in trafficking.

For its part, avion has claimed it does nothing more than “host and moderate ads.”

The report said, however, that there were hackers at avion “believed to be stealing proprietary real-estate photos and information on behalf of an industry rival.”

Costar claimed that its raiding team’s yield contained proof that its intellectual property was being ripped off, but has been denied by its competitor.

Costar senior vice president told nBC news that they got 1.7 million photographs in the December 2016 raid.

“It was building picture, building picture, porn, porn, prostitute ad, building picture

and then—bang!—a picture that couldn’t be anything other than, you know, child pornography,” the report quoted Ricketts. “We just immediately shut the computer off, picked the phone up, called the attorneys.

They called the FBI.” Thousands of documents linking avion to Backpage were found with the photographs, the report said.

Based on the yield of Costar, avion “worked to promote adult ad business on behalf of Backpage” overseas, including the United Kingdom and australian markets. audio recordings of avion workers contacting people who posted sexually explicit ads on rival escort sites and offering them a free ad on Backpage were also discovered during the raid, according to the report.

Citing a non-disclosure agreement he signed with Backpage, avion CEO Von nagasangan did not give any comment to nBC. Backpage legal counsel liz McDougall also declined to say anything regarding the Philippine raid. (Philstar.com)

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D ateline PhiliPPines DOJ, PNP to hold separate probe vs

A

alleged ‘resurgence of drug trade in Bilibid THE Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will facilitate separate investigations against the alleged “resurgence� of illegal drug trade at the national penitentiary.

DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre signed an order on Tuesday, July 4, authorizing the NBI to conduct an investigation and case build-up over the matter.

On Monday, July 3, Aguirre admitted that he received reports regarding the resurgence of the trade. “I have received reports that there (was) some reactivation; we are doing something about this. We are going to end this resurgence, some sort of resurgence by some inmates. I talked to the Director General last Saturday, and we know what we are going to do,� Aguirre said. “We wanted to get to the bottom of the reported resurgence of the drug trade in the NBP. We acted after verifying raw information provided by concerned individuals. I have said it before

admitted that there is a “creeping resurgence� of drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

That time, Aguirre announced his plan to remove the Special Action Force (SAF) troops deployed to guard inmates, including high profile ones and replace them with soldiers.

Dela Rosa explained SAF troopers were first deployed at the NBP last year as part of an “internal cleansing,� following the confiscation of illegal drugs, cellphone signal boosters, and other paraphernalia. On December, a new set of SAF officers were deployed to prevent corBLOCKED. Members of militant groups try to force back a police barricade that prevented them from proceeding to the U.S. Embassy ruption. on Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Renato Reyes, secretary general of Bayan, said the rally was held on the day the U.S. marked its 241st Considered as the police elite Independence Day to criticize President Rodrigo Duterte for allowing U.S. troops to join the war against the Maute terrorists. unit, the SAF is a special antiManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo crime and anti-terrorism unit which could also be assigned other tasks.

Aguirre said that the rate of resurgence is 5-10 percent, a sharp decrease from the 75 PAGE A4 t mentary, “Duty to Country,� and page legislation (i.e., Public Law percent illegal drug trade during responsible for producing circulat- a discussion of all the artistic, po- 114-265) into a graphic design enthen Justice Secretary Leila De ing coinage for the nation to con- litical and historical themes and graved on a 3-inch medal minted Lima’s leadership. (With reports duct its trade and commerce. elements that would inform the in solid gold. The CGM legislation CCAC is an advisory committee design process. from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress) provides that the Smithsonian Inestablished in 2003 by Congress A kick-off meeting with the six stitution will be the repository for under Public Law 108-15 to advise U.S. Mint artists assigned to the the CGM where it will be availthe Secretary of the Treasury on project was held on March 22. A able for display and research. The the themes and designs of all U.S. month later, the artists completed CGM legislation also requires the coins and medals; CFA is an inde- 43 candidate designs based on Smithsonian Institution to make pendent federal agency charged the instructions provided by the the CGM available for display with giving expert advice on mat- CCAC. FilVetREP then reviewed elsewhere. Currently, the plan is ters of design and aesthetics, as each obverse (front) and reverse for the CGM to be permanently they affect the federal interest and (back) designs for historical/tech- housed at the Smithsonian’s Napreserve the dignity of the nation’s nical accuracy and appropriate- tional Museum of American Hiscapital. ness. After several rounds of tory or another national museum As Chairman of FilVetREP, Maj. feedback and suggested modifi- of similar repute.

Gen. Antonio Taguba (U.S. Army cations, the team narrowed down Digital Exhibition and EducaRet) was designated as the official its selection to seven of the front tion Program. The next phase liaison to the U.S. Mint by Sen. and three of the back. of the CGM project is to create a Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Tulsi On May 22, a meeting with the digital exhibition and education Gabbard, co-sponsors of the CGM U.S. Mint led to the selection of program that will be accessible to legislation. the top three designs, which were public schools and the public. It On January 17, FilVetREP held presented to the CFA on June 15. will include a complete history of its initial meeting with the U.S. The CFA agreed with FilVetREP’s the Filipino veterans’ role in World Mint’s Office of Design Manage- design preferences and modifica- War II, timelines, testimonies, perment. The team include FilVetREP tions. sonal stories, photographs, videos In this file photo, top officials of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) marked the first trading executive officers Maj. Gen. AntoOn June 21, the 11-member and other artifacts. day of 2017 with a special bell ringing ceremony at the Ayala and Tektite trading floors. nio Taguba, Marie Blanco, Ben de CCAC approved the recommen“This American story of Filipino Philstar.com photo Guzman, Jon Melegrito and Erick dations of FilVetREP for the CGM soldiers fighting under the U.S. Soriano, legal counsel. which the Philippine government the country’s peace and order. design. The U.S. Secretary of the flag in Bataan, Corregidor and At this meeting, the FilVetREP Treasury, who has the final ap- other places, and helping liberate “Basically that war on drugs starts to warm up with its non-traditional allies, such as Russia and is dealing with peace and order. team presented possible themes, proval, is expected to concur and a U.S. sovereign territory only to We all know that this drugs issue text, photos and graphics that give the U.S. Mint the official go be denied the benefits promised China.

Pointing out that drug issues brings a lot of these lawlessness would be useful to the assigned ahead to have the medal minted them, must be told widely and brings “lawlessness,� Barce- so in a way, that is good. Even artists and illustrators. this summer. preserved for posterity for generaOn February 15, FilVetREP met lon said Duterte’s so-called war though there are a lot of backThe minting process, which typ- tions to come,� Taguba said. against illegal drugs is “good� in a ground noises, the important with the CCAC. The presentation ically takes about three months, “It is a story we all should be sense that it helps in dealing with u PAGE A7 included screening of the docu- basically involves translating a 14- proud of.� (Jon Melegrito) and i will say it again, we shall be relentless in fighting and eradicating the drug menace.� Aguirre said in a statement.

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato� Dela Rosa stressed his trust to the SAF men, however, he reiterated the need for an objective stance in view of the allegations. “Sana mali ang allegations (I hope the allegations are wrong), gentlemen. But then again, in order to be fair doon sa (to the) accuser at in order to be fair to the accused, you must conduct an in-depth investigation,� dela Rosa told reporters. “Klaruhin natin ito kung talagang totoo yan. Mahirap yun, masira ang institusyon natin.

Bago man masira, kung talagang totoo, we have to weed out kung sino mang involved (Let’s clarify if that is true. That’s hard because it may defame our institution. Before it gets defamed, if really true, we have to weed out whoever is involved),� he added.

As early as June, the NBI chief

Congressional Gold Medal presentation...

PH business sector satisfied with Duterte’s performance

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

AS Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte marked his first year in office on Friday, June 30, both foreign and local business groups expressed general satisfaction in his administration’s performance.

While admitting that there were indeed lapses on the part of the government, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George Barcelon said that businessmen remains confident in Duterte’s leadership. “There are detractors, but you can never say everything is perfect. There are shortcomings but overall the confidence of businessmen is there. It’s a good start. It’s a good foundation for the economy,� Barcelon told the Philippine Star.

He lauded some of Duterte’s “game changer� policies, citing in particular his campaign against illegal drugs—which has been criticized by some over due to alleged summary executions—as well as his independent foreign policy, in

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FEATURES

OPINION

Champion in our hearts DESPITE his impressive display of explosive punches and dynamic movements, Manny Pacquiao still bowed down before a formidable opponent during the “Battle of Brisbane” on Sunday, July 2.

In his latest conquest, Pacquiao surrendered his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title to Jeff Horn in front of more than 51,052 people at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

After 12 grueling rounds, Horn won via a unanimous decision against Pacquiao with scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113. The Australian fighter now holds a perfect record of 17 wins with 11 KOs. While many contest the judges’ decision, Pacquiao graciously accepted his defeat.

“That’s the decision of the judges, I respect that,” Pacquiao said as he thanked his fans and countrymen.

There have been rumors that Sunday’s fight was a litmus test for Pacquiao’s possible retirement. The Filipino champion hasn’t knocked out an opponent since 2009. After dropping his fourth loss in his last nine outings, Pacquiao is now at 56-7-2 with 38 KOs. This early, Pacquiao is looking into another showdown—to regain his WBO welterweight title—against Horn in November.

“Rematch, that’s fine. Absolutely, I’d love that,” Pacquiao declared.

Athletes do more than just to represent the

flag where they come from. Their presence in any sporting event gives their countrymen hope, selfrespect, and to many—pride in who they are.

In his entire career, Pacquiao gave his kababayanss something to watch and be passionate about. The whole world stood witness to Pacquiao’s rise to the top: from being the struggling 14-year-old boy who left his home in Mindanao to being the best fighter of his generation. His commitment to the sport and dedication to winning have catapulted him to be one of the most famous personalities in sports. His career so far, embodies the stuff legends are made of.

And why not. After all, his achievements supersedes Pacquiao himself—winning eight championships in different weight divisions by beating boxing champions from around the world. All his hard work has manifested into millions of earnings, a successful showbiz career and a legislative post. His fame has catapulted him to become one of the most revered Filipino icons of all time.

Pacquiao, whose career has been put into showing. That is the kind of champion that he is. question after a series of losses, still managed When his back is against the wall and everyone to give his audience worldwide an impressive is raising questions, he leaves a lasting perfor-

Editorial

ManilaTimes.net photo

mance that puts the record straight. Pacquiao’s reign as the king of the ring is far from over.

(AJPress)

Poll: A vast majority of Americans say political civility has declined since Trump was elected president HAPPY FOURTH of July!

The Fil-Am As we celebrate Independence Day in Perspective America this week, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll study reveals that a majority GEL SANTOS-RELOS of Americans — 70 percent — say the level of civility in Washington has declined since Donald Trump was elected president.

Perhaps you felt the same exasperating toxicity in the political discourse not only in Washington, but among citizens engaging in debates on various social media platform from both parties.

As far as I recall, this started even during the primary elections, with Don-

ald Trump normalizing the use of personal attacks, insults, and lies to grab the attention of voters amid the noise of the campaigns.

Now that Trump has been elected president — he is not disappointing his ardent fans. The candidate Donald Trump never changed, and has in fact intensified the toxic rhetoric as president, using the bully pulpit of the most powerful position in the world.

Aside from name-calling and demonizing his political opponents, Trump has declared war against the news media — particularly those who are critical of him and his policies, and his loyal fan

base believes him when he brands even responsible media networks as “fake news.”

This is Trump’s way of controlling the message, attitude and behavior of his base who seem to have been living in an alternate universe, with so much different view of reality compared to what most Americans experience to be true.

Last weekend, Trump’s obsession was the use of Twitter to single out the hosts of Morning Joe, two of his most outspoken critics on the liberal cable news channel MSNBC. He not only labeled the news program as “fake news”, but also spewed personal attacks against the looks of Mika Brzezinski, as he did with other strong females he has insulted publicly.

Joe Scarborough and Brzezinski responded in an Op-Ed, alleging that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, asked them to apologize to Trump for their reporting so the president will call his friend, the owner of the tabloid National Enquirer, to spike the juicy story about their relationship. The Morning Joe couple did not apologize and continued criticizing Trump, and yes, the National Enquirer published their “story.”

In a statement, MSNBC said, “It’s a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job.”

Then on Sunday, July 2, Trump posted a short video on Twitter of an old video of him wrestling and punching a man,

but this new video had the logo of CNN replacing the man’s head.

Does Trump fantasize about violence against news media people/organization critical of him? This sent a chilling effect on people in the media, with some concerned that such a suggestion from Trump may put the lives of news media people in danger. Is this Trump’s way of silencing dissent?

Surely, political civility has declined in America since Trump became president.

Many people are following his example. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column 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

Time for Pacquiao to retire? After one year of Duterte, now the hard part Street Talk GREG B. MACABENTA THERE is no doubt in my mind that Manny Pacquiao won against Australian Jeff Horn. The CompuBox statistics showed Pacquiao landing 182 punches vs. Horn’s 92, with 123 power punches against the 73 of Horn, plus 59 jabs finding their mark vs. Horn’s 19. Horn was also on the verge of being KO’d in the 9th round and his face was a mess.

I think Horn’s victory was a hometown decision, which the judges figured they could rationalize based on the impression of more aggressiveness on the part of the Australian, and the flurries of blows he delivered, even if mostly on Pacquiao’s arms.

But even if Pacquiao had been declared the winner, I would still have the same opinion of him, which is that his glory days are over. It will be downhill from now on.

Pacquiao did not display the speed and the ferocity that he showed in pummeling Oscar de la Hoya, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. And he did not have the power and the timing that flattened Eric Morales and Ricky Hatton.

Most of all, Pacquiao did not manifest the hunger for victory that he had when he upset Marco Antonio Barrera on his way to becoming the toast of the boxing world.

That was in November 2003 – almost 13 and a half years ago.

Pacquiao was a young warrior in his mid-twenties. Last Sunday, he

was an ancient 38-year-old.

It was Horn who displayed the characteristics of a hungry fighter, willing to take risks in order to deliver a solid blow. In the 9th round, when Horn was obviously unsteady and hurt, Pacquiao did not even display the killer instinct that left Cotto, De la Hoya and Margarito looking like the victims of a back alley mugging. In Pacquiao’s prime, Horn would have been clobbered mercilessly. Not last Sunday. And so, Horn survived and won.

Maybe even trainer Freddie Roach had begun to take it easy too, perhaps underestimating the Australian. In Pacquiao’s bouts against Margarito and Cotto, Roach warned his ward about being caught against the ropes.

He instructed Pacquiao to move to the center of the ring the moment he felt his back touching the ropes. In his bout with Brandon Rios, Pacquiao used remarkable footwork to evade Rios’ heavy artillery as Rios tried to corner him on the ropes. The MexicanAmerican was left confused and frustrated.

Against Horn, Pacquiao kept leaning against the ropes, allowing Horn to throw a flurry of punches. Although most of those blows landed on Pacquiao’s arms, they must have been impressive enough for the judges to rationalize their inexplicable scores.

But so much for Pacquiao as a boxer. Whether or not he has a return bout with Horn, his place in boxing’s pantheon of pugilistic immortals is assured. It will take a long time, if at all, for another boxer to claim eight division championships.

While his fans have echoed the advice that Pacquiao should retire, my social media comment took a different slant. I said that,

Pacquiao the boxer, having once again suffered the pain of an unjust and unfair decision, will hopefully realize, as Pacquiao the senator, the pain experienced by the families of EJK victims who have been subjected to unjust and unfair decisions by him and his colleagues in the Senate.

And I added, for good measure: “I hope he tells Dick Gordon that.”

Why does a decent, humble, likeable, disciplined, principled, dedicated athlete like Pacquiao become a sycophantic and amoral politician? What is it about political power that makes a Mr. Hyde out of a Dr. Jekyll?

When Pacquiao decided to run for the House of Representatives and subsequently for the Senate, it was tempting to portray him as the epitome of the Peter Principle.

A person promoted to his level of incompetence.

But Pacquiao possessed an admirable trait that defied the Peter Principle – a hunger for learning and an obsession to rise above his lowly beginnings, not just in the ring but academically and intellectually.

Unable to finish high school because of poverty, he resolved not only to finish high school but to earn a college degree, as well.

In 2007, he passed a high school equivalency exam and promptly took a course in business management at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University.

In TV interviews after his victories over Barreira and Morales, Pacquiao’s responses in English became the butt of good-natured jokes. But he persevered. Today, he speaks passable English and has even managed to deliver privileged speeches in the Legislature..

u PAGE A7

Opinion

RICARDO SALUDO SOME of the commentary on President Rodrigo Duterte’s first year in office border on the absurd.

One opposition congressman was headlined saying nothing was accomplished since noontime on June 30, 2016.

So, the nearly four out of every five Filipinos expressing trust, approval and satisfaction with Duterte, according to Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations surveys, must be imagining things about the country.

Another opposition stalwart claims Filipinos are in denial about human rights violations. One wonders if it is she who can’t accept that the President’s bloody campaign against drugs and crime, while disturbing to her countrymen, has in fact safeguarded their lives, well-being and rights far better than the past regime, which saw crime triple to more than a million incidents a year in 2013.

And her Senate colleague warns of uncertainty ahead under Duterte. Well, that would be news to the World Bank, which expects economic growth to continue this year at an Asia-pacing 6.8 percent, and even more in 2018.

Also expecting more of the same are global credit rating agencies Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch, which maintained investment-grade marks for the Philippines, with stable outlook, meaning no ups and downs expected.

Nor are Filipinos wondering how the Commander in Chief and the security forces will deal with

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

threats against law and order, and peace and harmony. We’ve seen it in the anti-drug war. It’s not pretty, but it keeps the people safe, as the 30 percent drop in overall crime and the retaking of Marawi vividly demonstrate.

For sure, it’s not a sure thing that five trenches of tax reforms will actually pass Congress, or the P8 trillion in infrastructure can all or even mostly be built. Peace talks are also iffy, especially with the double-talking communists, and federalism faces years of dizzying gyrations in Charter amendments, plebiscite campaigning and voting, and inevitably disruptive implementation.

But then, that’s change, unsettling but eventually settling on something new and hopefully better.

In sum, while much still needs to be done by the Duterte administration across many fronts, from sweeping tax reform and massive infrastructure projects, to fighting lawlessness and terrorism and forging lasting peace with rebel groups, plus slashing graft and red tape, much has already been done in just 365 days, and there

Philstar.com photo

are five more years ahead to advance the change agenda.

From shock and awe …

So, will things keep going awesomely, as former President Gloria Arroyo described Duterte’s first year of mega-moves, from his independent foreign policy dancing with all big powers, and his war on drugs and crime recording many times what the past regime has done, and now, taking on global terrorism as no East Asian country has done?

Actually, Filipinos will now have to grapple with the hard part of President Duterte’s governance, security, and development agenda.

In the war on terror, for starters, the inch-by-inch campaign to retake Marawi from Islamic Statedriven jihadists, with their bombs, snipers, and arms stockpile, is shifting to the utterly unpredictable, undefinable, and uncontainable campaign of tracking down faceless, nameless bombers, killers, and kidnappers from among the mass of law-abiding citizens.

Just like the perpetrators of the New York, Paris, London, Man-

u PAGE A7

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Dateline PhiliPPines

PH business sector satisfied...

PAGE A5 t thing is people feel safer now,” Barcelon explained.

On the other hand, Barcelon said Duterte’s foreign policy “puts emphasis on elevating the local economy to new heights.”

He also took note Duterte’s foreign visits that brought in significant number of investment pledges in our country, which he said are beneficial for the growth of the country’s economy.

“In terms of his leadership, across the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries everybody looks up to him now. Although he had said something in the past which was not that good for the international scene, apparently the ASEAN countries still look up to him,” Barcelon further said.

Likewise, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philip-

pines senior advisor John Forbes commended the positive results brought by Duterte’s drug war and foreign policy.

“There has been change and continuity, change in foreign policy and drug enforcement and continuity in most of the reforms of predecessor administrations,” Forbes said.

He also lauded the Philippine government’s comprehensive tax reform and ambitious Build Build Build infrastructure program.

Forbes, however, noted that the heavy traffics in the National Capital Region, including the growing congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, are among the concerns that must be addressed.

For his part, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Guenter Taus said the Duterte administration has done a “commendable job” in

Time for Pacquiao...

PAGE A6 t

To prepare himself for his career as a Congressman, Pacquiao took the Certificate Course in Development, Legislation and Governance at the Development Academy of the Philippines, Graduate School of Public and Development Management.

It probably is not an exaggeration to assume that Pacquiao has better prepared himself for his official government functions than President Donald Trump.

Trump has been outdoing himself in intellectual shallowness to the embarrassment of right-thinking Americans.

It may be assumed that Pacquiao has no need for money, having been named the second highest paid athlete in the world in 2015. It may also be assumed

that even his bout against Horn in Brisbane, without pay-per-view revenues, will net him a tidy sum above the legitimate, un-stolen earnings of fellow politicians.

In sum, Pacquiao has it made.

He has demonstrated an impressive capacity for achievement, well beyond the ability of many learned individuals. And he has achieved the honor and respect reserved only for bona fide heroes.

Why then dissipate such a lofty stature by being a low-down, party-jumping, boot-licking, opportunistic politician?

This is not to say that Pacquiao the Senator has already become all of that. But he certainly sounds and acts the part. His unprincipled, transactional loyalty to his political cabal and to those who

After one year of Duterte...

PAGE A6 t chester and other Western terror attacks, the threats are hidden in plain sight until they detonate improvised explosive devices, machine-gun innocents at a school soccer match, drive a van into a crowd, or fly jetliners into skyscrapers.

Turning to drugs, after the shock and awe of drug suspects killed by the thousands, the narco-syndicates may be regrouping and getting back in business, possibly spurred by the still hugely lucrative drug trade, with hardly any

drug lords taken down despite the decimation of pushers and users.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has rolled off impressive numbers, especially when compared with the dismal anti-narcotics performance in recent years. The P82 billion in dope seized, 1.3 million surrendered users and pushers, nearly 87,000 arrests, and 152 drug dens closed are just some of the unprecedented statistics on the war on narcotics.

But if rehabilitation facilities and activities cannot wean the millions of users off the habit fast enough,

its first year.

“We acknowledge the notable achievements of the current administration thus far. With this, it is fair to say that they have done a commendable job. With increased public and private sector cooperation, we believe even more can be achieved during President Duterte’s term,” Taus said.

While admitting that there were indeed “shortcomings” on the part of the government, Taus maintained that the business sector remains bullish.

“We remain positive, and see the weaknesses as things that the private sector can work on with the government. We can spend a lifetime speaking on any government’s shortcomings but we prefer to focus on what has been done successfully and what we can do to support actionable initiatives,” Taus said. n have no respect for human rights and the value of human life is like rust eroding his reputation – he is fast being exposed as a hero with feet of clay.

Pacquiao’s admirers would like him to retire sooner, rather than later. That is entirely up to him. If he doesn’t want to suffer the fate of Muhammad Ali, he should quit while he still has full control of his faculties.

But where I hope Pacquiao will retire from is being a trapo – a traditional politician. He has no need to be so. And he has an opportunity to demonstrate true adherence to principles and even genuine nobility in his political career.

Pacquiao should learn a lesson from Mark Antony’s eulogy for Julius Caesar: “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.” (Email: gregmacabenta@hotmail.com) the continued narco-demand will keep fueling the estimated P120billion illicit trade, and that will lure the global syndicates, and grease the palms of police, prosecutors, judges, local politicians, and other enforcers to look away. … to slog and haul That brings us to corruption.

President Duterte has reversed his predecessor’s unfailing defense of close associates, allies, and appointees, firing even Cabinet members and top agency heads, including longtime allies, for even a whiff of impropriety.

That has done much to avoid the massive anomalies we saw in the Aquino-era commuter train, mo-

NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • JULY 7-13, 2017

A

Duterte, Robredo share brief encounter at PAF 70th anniversary

THE top two officials of the Philippine government met for the first time in over three months, albeit for a very short time.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo were seated together as guests during the 70th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF).

The president acknowledged Robredo before he delivered his speech.

“The Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, Ma’am, may I look at you for the third time?” the president told Robredo. The vice president just smiled in return.

According to the vice president’s close aide, the two did not have a conversation and just shook hands.

The two leaders had partisan clashes and opposing stance on issues which put their relationship on a sour note.

Last March, Duterte invited Robredo and her family to a dinner but the president has not yet followed up on the invitation.

The vice president has said she accepted the invitation for their dinner, saying she would like to take the opportunity to talk about her views on various issues affecting the country.

Robredo resigned from Duterte’s cabinet last December after she was ordered to desist from attending meetings. She further stated in her resignation letter that remaining in the cabinet had become “untenable.”

Air Force modernization Meanwhile, Duterte vowed to modernize the PAF, saying he will continue previous accomplishments to further improve the country’s aerial warfare service branch.

“I assure you that we will build on our past gains to further strengthen the Philippine Air Force,” Duterte said his speech.

The president emphasized the important role of the PAF in pro-

tecting the country and its efforts to stabilize the war-stricken Marawi City from the Islamic State-linked Maute Group.

“We have also tapped PAF to augment our internal security operations by providing air support to our ground forces and assisting our law enforcement agencies in the surveillance and intelligence gathering operations,” he added.

Aside from terror threats, the president also expressed his concerns on the the country’s maritime security, exerting the Philippines’ exclusive sovereign rights and territorial claims over Benham Rise and the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“The Philippine Air Force plays a crucial role in preserving our national integrity in the face of challenges from within and from outside our borders.”

“PAF’s intensified aerial reconnaissance missions and the maritime patrols [over] the West Philippine Sea and the Benham Rise are testament to our dedication to protect our waters from external threats, ” the president went on.

As a manifestation of the president’s vow to continue to modernize the Air Force, he further reiterated the need to procure advanced

military apparatus to enhance the operation of the existing assets.

“We will continue the ongoing modernization program by procuring additional attack and combat utility vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, to complement our already existing air assets,” he added.

The South Korea’s Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) also presented the certificate of complete delivery of the 12 FA-50PH ‘Fighting Eagle’ Fighter/Surface Attack/Lead-in Fighter Trainer (F/ SA/LIFT) aircraft.

PAF Commanding General Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina, said the acquisition manifests the symbolic return of the PAF to its supersonic age “which greatly bolstered PAF’s airstrike capability.”

The president looks forward to purchasing another 12 FA-50PH within his six-year term.

Also present at the event were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina, Armed Force chief chaplain Brig. Gen. Tirso Dolina, and South Korean Ambassador to the Philipines Kim Jae-shin. (With reports from Jennifer Soriano/AJPress)

tor licenses and plates contracts, plus the tripling of smuggling to over $25 billion a year. And if the head honchos are forced to keep clean, the underlings can’t wallow in mud.

Yet even the biggest Duterte fan knows that the fight against sleaze isn’t even one-tenth the way through. After all, the chief still gets nasty whiffs of alleged sleaze, as he did in Clark. That may yet prove to be a false alarm, but the truth remains that anoma-

lies, kickbacks, bribes, and the like are still going on big.

Red tape, too. The Philippine Economic Zone Authority warns of big investments going sour if dozens of ecozone applications keep gathering dust in Malacañang. And if that can happen under Duterte’s nose, imagine how much longer the crimson ribbons are elsewhere in the bureaucracy.

As for the much-anticipated “golden age” of infrastructure, the implementing agencies must

admit that they have never rolled out roads, rail, airports, and other projects at anywhere near the unprecedented pace envisioned now. The President is right to get Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco cracking the whip on mega-projects. But the agencies must still slog and haul to “Build, Build, Build”.

So, let’s have a big cheer for Duterte’s first year. The work is about to get much tougher. (ManilaTimes.net)

President Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo attend the 70th anniversary of the Philippine Air Force at Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Wednesday, July 5. The two exchanged handshakes.

Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales

A july 7-13, 2017 • NEW yORK AND NEW jERSEy ASIAN jOuRNAl

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

july 7-13, 2017

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An Asian Journal Magazine

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u lY 7, 20 1 7

Filipino products aim to take a slice oF the specialty Food market Saba banana chips, natural coconut products debut at the 63rd Summer Fancy Food Show

by MoMar

G. Visaya/AJPress

For the past 65 years, the Specialty Food Show – held twice a year – has become the marketplace for innovation and trends in the food industry. And this is why food buyers and vendors flock to the shows, held in San Francisco in the winter and in New York during the summer.

The specialty food and beverage industry reached a total of $127 billion last year, posting a double-digit growth for the past couple of years. Produced by the Specialty Food Association, the Summer Fancy Food Show, held June 25-27 in New York, features the latest innovation from more than 2,600 exhibitors.

From coffee and tea to infused water to spreads like jams and chutneys; from cookies, chips and coconut water to all kinds of oil, the food show is a veritable marketplace for global food.

This is why vendors choose to participate in the annual show, something that companies such as Sun Tropics and ProFood USA have been joining the show for years now.

“We’re here to expand our market, and introduce more Filipino products to the mainstream market,” said Sharon Lao of Sun Tropics. This year, Lao brought in a couple of new products, including gluten-free banana chips made from the saba banana in the Philippines and bottled calamansi juice.

Most banana chips sold in the market use plantains, and according to Lao, it is the first time that banana chips made from Saba bananas harvested entirely from local family farms are made available in the US. The Island Saba Banana Chips are handcrafted in small batches with only three ingredients: Philippine Saba bananas, a light sprinkle of island sugar, and a traditional tropical secret: pure coconut oil.

“We decided to share our favorite recipe for kettle cooked Saba banana chips because so many banana chips on the market now are saturated with unhealthy & unsustainable oils,” added Lao. “Banana chips are naturally delicious. They don’t need anything but simple island ingredients to be amazing!”

Coconut oil is traditionally used to attain both a superb crisp texture and rich flavor, but also for a hidden reason: it allows the natural health benefits of the oil to remain intact at higher temperatures while many others begin to break down during cooking. Numerous studies point to countless health benefits of coconut oil consumption, which pins it as the optimal choice for cooking healthy banana chips.

For the calamansi juice, Lao said that each small bottle contains the juice of 60 pieces of calamansi and that no chemicals or preservatives have been added.

Also making it on their lineup is the company’s dairy and gluten free coconut milk based pudding and Coco rolls in original, Salted Caramel, and Espresso flavors, in response to increasing demand for coconut products.

“According to recent studies, we see that healthy snacks, convenience foods, and all things coconut are currently on trend in the food market,” Lao added.

“In response, we decided to share one of our long-time family favorites from the islands — and it’s just as good in snack-sized cups!”

Aside from the chips and calamansi juice, Sun Tropics also brought their classic products—natural tropical fruit juice and snacks. The company was founded in 2002 “to bring the finest of the Filipino fruit flavors to the US market.”

The result of the recent Specialty Food Association’s annual State of the Industry report bodes well for Sun Tropics because among the 10 fastest growing categories, 7 are refrigerated or frozen. refrigerated juices and functional beverages grew 31%.

A few booths down, there’s Mansi, a calamansi drink started

by Filipino-American Charles Medenilla. Like Sun Tropics, Mansi has been a regular in the fancy food show and so far, reaction has been favorable.

“I want our calamansi juice to be as mainstream as coconut water,” Medenilla told the Asian Journal. right now, Mansi Premium Calamansi Juice Drink is available in groceries and supermarkets in the east coast.

Mansi as a product is versatile as it can be enjoyed chilled or with ice, warm like hot tea, in cocktails or in cooking.

Medenilla, who left a sevenyear Wall Street career to focus on the business, travels to the Philippines regularly to ensure that the business has a steady and sustainable supply of calamansi, which the company sources out from local farmers across the country.

“It feels good to know that we help a lot of farmers back in the Philippines,” he added.

Bronx Hot Sauce Chef King Phojanakong, chef-owner of Kuma Inn and Tito King’s Kitchen at Jimmy’s 43 is the man behind the newest locally sourced and produced hot sauce in the industry, aptly called The Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce. He partnered with the nonprofit group GrowNYC and Bronx landlords to release hot sauce. For more than 40 years, GrowNYC’s garden program has been building and sustaining community gardens, urban farms, school gardens, and rainwater harvesting systems across New York City.

The fiery condiment made its

debut at the just-concluded food show. King, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who worked with Daniel Boulud at “ Daniel” and David Bouley at “The Danube” created The Bronx Hot Sauce exclusively from serrano peppers, which apparently, is hotter than poblanos but milder than habaneros. The Serrano peppers originally come from the Mexican highlands, which combines the dry arid air of Mexico with cool mountain air.

The peppers are grown in Community Gardens throughout the Bronx by community gardeners. At the beginning of each season, pepper seedlings are donated to these gardens.

At harvest, the company that makes the hot sauce buys the fully mature peppers back from the gardeners at premium, fair trade prices.

The Bronx Hot Sauce is primarily a community development project dedicated to developing and maintaining community gardens and green spaces throughout the Bronx.

According to Chef King, the hot sauce has only six ingredients, “without additives or preservatives so it’s always natural and fresh”.

Best of the Philippines Brand San Miguel Corporation partnered with importer JFC International, which has been importing goods from the Philippines for more than three decades now, to bring to the show nine flavors of the Best of the

Deputy Consul General Felipe F. Cariño, Mr. Eliseo Sy, Trade Representative Nicasio Bautista, JFC consultant Christine Nera and officials of JFC International were among the attendees of the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

AJPress photo by Momar G. Visaya

Philippines under the San Miguel Gold Label ice cream brand. The corporation cannot use the brand Magnolia Ice Cream in the United States because a California corporation has trademarked the brand with the United States Patent and Trademark office.

JFC, one of the largest Asian foods distributor in the United States is working with multiple manufacturers in the Philippines to come up with a program that they can present to the American retailers. It is their goal to educate American businesses about the flavor profile of Filipino ingredients, condiments and products.

JFC consultant Maria Christina Nera is excited about the prospect of getting more Filipino brands to the United States.

“We decided to just bring the Best of the Philippines brand this time, including the best

sellers – ube, ube and queso and mango,” Nera said. “I can’t wait to see more Filipino products on American supermarket shelves.

It’s about time.”

In the previous years that JFC joined the food show, they brought various Filipino brands such as Century Tuna, 555 Sardines, Purefoods Hotdog, and Argentina Corned Beef, among others.

“Consumer preferences for specialty food products are growing at double digits, outpacing mainstream food staples,” said Phil Kafarakis, president of the Specialty Food Association. “The products our members create appeal to consumers looking for authentic tastes and foods with fewer and cleaner ingredients.”

Karafakis’ claim is backed up by a recent study by Label Insight which found out that consumers are willing to pay more for

products with understandable ingredients and that nearly twothirds of consumers would be willing to switch to another food product if they understood the ingredients of that product.

And this is why companies have adjusted to the times, coming up with just the basic ingredients. The Saba banana chips only has three – banana, a sprinkling of sugar and coconut oil, making it a healthy snacking option suited for the mainstream American market.

As such, the Specialty Food Association continues to thrive as a community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs.

Now on its 65th year, the not-forprofit trade association provides its 3,400 members in the U.S. and abroad with resources, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace.

Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ I waNT to warn Filipinos about fake news reports that Pres. Trump had signed an executive order allowing Filipinos to travel to the United States without visas for 30 days. This is false. There have been no changes in U.S. policy concerning eligibility for visitor visas. Filipinos must obtain a visitor’s visa to come to the U.S., and are not eligible for “visa-free” travel.

I had been receiving numerous inquiries about an article appearing on the Internet, that looks like legitimate news, claiming this bogus executive order was a change in visa policy for Filipinos traveling to U.S., and would permit them to stay in the U.S. for up to 30 days for tourism or business, to strengthen trade between the U.S. and Philippines. This is not true, and if anyone goes to NaIa to board a flight to the U.S. without a visa, they will be turned away.

The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has confirmed no such visa-free policy exists, and has posted a warning that the Embassy “is aware of the fraudulent article reporting changes to U.S. visa policy in the Philippines. Please note that U.S. visa policy in the Philippines has not changed.”

Therefore, don’t be fooled if anyone claims they can help you travel to the U.S. visa-free. You must apply for and be issued a tourist visa. But before applying, make

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

Fake news: There is no ‘visa-free’ travel to the US for Filipinos sure you are qualified or eligible.

Eligibility for a visitor visa is based on you proving you have strong ties to your home country (such as family, job, social, economic, etc.), such that you have strong incentives and reasons to return, and not overstay and become a TNT in the U.S. The burden is on the applicant to demonstrate to the consul they have such strong ties to their home country and they have a reason to return. a strong reason to return is the primary focus of eligibility, and not necessarily the purpose of your visit. That is why some people applying for a visitor’s visa to attend a parent’s funeral or to be at the bedside of an ailing family member are refused a visa, but someone wanting to go to Disneyland is issued a visa. That does not make sense to many people: how can the consul turn down a person wanting to attend a funeral or be at the deathbed of a parent, but let someone else visit Disneyland?

The answer might be that the person seeking a visitor’s visa to attend a funeral is unemployed, a jeepney driver, is under petition, is last family member left behind in the Philippines, or is working at a low-paying job, earning a few pesos a month. The applicant wanting to go to Disneyland, on the other hand, lives in Forbes Park with 15 or more yaya’s.

WE now live in an age of extreme self-absorption. Many already believe they have become legends in their own minds. They believe the world revolves around them and that their personal happiness is paramount.

Following the lead of celebrities in the sports and entertainment world, we are being led by the media to believe that life is all about I, Me and Myself at center stage. The

*** 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 re-enactments) 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 attorney-client 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)

“Vanity of vanities; ALL is vanity.”

- From Ecclesiastes songs and stories in popular media all amplify and sell the story of selflove as the highest form of love.

We have all the electronic tools for self-absorption at hand: camera phones, computers, tablets, Facebook, Twitter and other forms of social media and the unceasing, unrelenting advertising messages that prick our vanity. We have become the stars in our own firmament.

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u lY 7, 20 1 7

In the above examples, the person wanting to attend a funeral really does not appear to have strong ties to the Philippines, such that they would want to return. The person wanting to go to Disneyland obviously has a good life in the Philippines and most likely would want to return.

The bottom line is there are lots of scams going on and fake news concerning immigration and benefits available. Before you fall victim to the scams, check with a reputable immigration attorney, to make sure the benefit is true and you are eligible.

An old tale on self-absorption

Monette AdevA MAGlAyA

An Asian Journal Magazine

It’s not a new phenomenon though. Advanced, wealthy civilizations in history have fallen for the same trap. Maybe it’s time to dredge out those stories from mythology, told and retold from the distant past so we can better understand how to deal with this disconcerting trend and see how too much self-absorption eventually lead to despondency and unhappiness.

ABANDONED BY HER BIRTH PARENTS, WILL NIKKA BE LEFT BEHIND AGAIN WHEN USCIS CHALLENGED HER ADOPTIVE PARENT’S ELIGIBILITY TO PETITION HER? Lilia (right) and her husband Peter filed a petition to adopt Nikka (left) when the child was 12 years old. The adoption decree was issued six (6) days before Nikka turned 16 years old, and the certificate of finality came out two (2) months after Nikka’s 16th birthday.

When Lilia and Peter filed an Immediate Relative Petition for Nikka, the USCIS served a Request for Evidence (RFE), challenging them eligibility to adopt Nikka. Lilia and Peter were devastated, depressed, and in despair. Would this mean losing the chance to be reunited with their adopted child - whom they loved and considered their own? Watch how leading US immigration attorney MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL came to the rescue and secured approval of their petition in a mere two months, on a brand-new episode of CITIZEN PINOY – on Sunday at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

The antidote to self-absorption, like for many ills that plague our world today, is still the same as it was in the past — love and concern for others, interest in the well-being of someone or being involved in something bigger, higher, loftier than one’s self. The idea of sacrifice still remains the most concrete, visible form of love for another.

In the end, happiness finally comes with the humble awareness and quiet appreciation of what was, what is and what is yet to come — right now, right here where we live our days and nights.

Long ago when enchanted creatures peopled the earth, there was a nymph called Echo.

She probably rated a nine and a half on a 10 point-attractiveness scale, gorgeous, knowledgeable and perfect in every way except for one thing — she was a chatterbox nonpareil. She liked to hear herself talk far too much and perhaps, with a tinge of hubris, would insist on having the last word in every conversation.

Juno, the queen of the Gods, was so irked by Echo’s habit that she meted out a punishment just for her. Echo will no longer be able to talk, except for one tiny concession — she will be able to say only the last word.

In the same forest where the nymphs lived, there was a young

man named Narcissus who was so classically handsome and perfectly proportioned that all the nymphs oohed and ahhed and fell in love with him at first sight.

Picture Michelangelo’s marble sculpture of “David” in flesh and blood or a composite between diCaprio and Brad Pitt.

If he were real person today, he would have made the cover of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man of the Year.” His fans became legion that all that adulation got into his head. He became extremely vain. No nymph was good enough for him.

Continued on Page 6

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An Asian Journal Magazine

Rey Valera and Noven Belleza: Past and present on-stage

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u lY 7, 20 1 7

Claudia does not feel the pressure of being a Barretto

by Jan Milo Severo Philstar.com

ANoTHer Barretto is on the rise in show business: this time, in music.

Claudia Barretto is now the latest addition to Universal records’ outstanding roster of recording artists as she debuts her new single, “stay.” “stay” reached as high as number 4 on spotify Philippines’ Viral 50 Chart on the first week of its release, while its music video garnered an astonishing 100,000 views in just five days.

Daughter of Marjorie, niece of Gretchen and Claudine and younger sibling of Julia, the 17-year-old singer said she is not feeling the pressure of having a talented clan.

“No naman! even my siblings and mom they’re not like that towards me. Like i don’t want to be as great as them. As long as i’m doing my best, for me it’s enough,” said Claudia.

MeMories will merge with the here-and-now as musicianproducer rey Valera and awardwinning singer noven Belleza take to the stage at Fiesta in America on August 12 and 13 at New Jersey’s Meadowlands expo Center, secaucus New Jersey.

The two performers will lead the main acts to what could be Fiesta in America’s game-changing main concert starring America’s longest-running rhythm and blues, doo-wop and rock and roll acts, the legendary DriFTers. “ Tawag Ng Tanghalan,” a TV singing and talent contest in the Philippines that has roots in the early ‘60s, is the common thread that runs between rey Valera, a hit-making songwriter who gained fame in the late ‘70s, and Noven Belleza, a young roofClaudia Barretto is now the latest addition to Universal Records’ outstanding roster of raising performer who made his recording artists as she debuts her new single, “Stay.” Philstar.com photo by Jan Milo Severo name early this year. Valera is a “Tonight with Boy Abunda,” she chooses the song “stay” host and lead judge in “Tawag Ng Claudia revealed that she has a because upon hearing it, she just Tanghalan,” and Belleza is the latest boyfriend named Basti Lorenzo know it is the song she wanted grand champion of the top-rated and she has been posting photos competition. to record. “i just felt it is the right of them on instagram. one. The song is about when you A Meycauayan, Bulacan native Asked by the media what meet someone and you don’t and formerly a member of the makes her “stay” with a person, know if he stays around, just like electric Hair Band, Valera penned Claudia said, “When you know the song itself you ask him to some of the most popular hits the person will make you stay.” in the original Pilipino music better.” recently, in the talk show canon, including “Mr. DJ” and “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko,” which topped the oPM charts and launched the then12-year-old sharon Cuneta to superstardom. A noted singer in his own right, Valera is best known for writing gold-record songs for accomplished performers upon a string of murderous events such as rico Puno’s “sorry Na,” in the town of san Antonio during “Pwede Ba,” and “Daigdig Ng the Holy Week festivities.

Ala-ala;” Geraldine’s “Pangako;” Pol The movie, which will hit enriquez’s “Ayoko na sa ‘Yo;” and local and international theaters other mega-hits. in August, was directed by Diaz’s Negros occidental rice farmer father Antonio Diaz and Gorio Noven Belleza started singing Vicuna, former animator at Marvel seriously when he was barely studios and director of “When Nature Calls.”

“This was actually the first film that i feel will resonate with the in which i was directed by others, audience,” Diaz stated. however i did assist in the directing Ultimately after the audience of this film when needed,” the watch the film, Diaz wants them multi-faceted Diaz told the Asian to leave puzzled as they ask and Journal. debate, “What would they do Aside from bringing life to the if they were in those situations main character, Diaz also co-wrote themselves?” the screenplay and co-produced “This gave me a unique chance “our goal was to make the film. to develop interesting characters a timely film that will be

Anthony Diaz V on making films that people will remember By larizza de AJPress

vera

iN today’s era of superhero movies, Filipino-American director Anthony Diaz refuses to follow the trend and offers a compelling movie centered on religion.

Despite his failure to clinch an award at last year’s sundance Film Festival with his movie “Break,” Diaz sets aside his usual role as director to play the lead character for his upcoming movie, “Way of The Cross.”

“Way of The Cross” is a psychological thriller set in a small religious town in the Philippines. it follows the life of rogelio ‘rogue’ Marquez (TBoy), a Las Vegas-based Fil-Am FBi agent, who stumbled

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

Rey Valera

‘Tawag Ng Tanghalan’ champion Noven Belleza

eight, with his father as mentor.

Previously unable to land a spot in competitions such as “The Voice of the Philippines” and “Filipinos Got Talent,” Belleza made his breakthrough in 2017 at “Tawag Ng Tanghalan,” the talent contest segment of a popular noontime variety show. His heartfelt rendition of rico Puno’s signature song, “May Bukas Pa,” topped off with a series of Air supply hits, won the hearts of the judges and the thousands of TV viewers who texted their votes.

Valera and Belleza will be joined at Fiesta in America’s twoday cultural show by American idol! sensation Jessica sanchez, oPM pioneers spanky and roger rigor, the swinging trio of Music and Magic, and rising talents from the New York area.

This sensational roster of artists will raise the curtain for Fiesta in America’s concert headliners, none other than the Drifters. inducted twice in the rock and roll Hall of Fame and still touring the U.s. even in their fifth decade, the Drifters have sold more than 200 million records. Their 13 Billboard Hot 100 hits include global classics such as “save the Last Dance for Me,”“Under the

Boardwalk”, “There Goes My Baby,” “on Broadway,” and “sweets for My sweet.” since 1998, Fiesta in America has been known as the biggest consumer expo and cultural show of its kind on the east coast. The two-day event is a unique blend of trade exhibits from the Philippines and the U.s., free workshops, a Food Court of Filipino regional dishes, as well as artistic and fun activities for various age groups. Major supporters include AArP, Asian Journal, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services, Goya Foods, Hackensack Meridian Health, Horizon Blue Cross Blue shield of New Jersey, Hudson Kia, Hudson Toyota, LBC, T-Mobile, and Western Union.

To attend this “fiesta of nostalgia” starring the Drifters plus Filipino hit-makers, and to sponsor or exhibit, call 212-682-6610 or email info@fiestainamerica.com.

General Admission tickets are only $22 before the event, and $25 at the door. Limited ViP tickets $65.

Purchase at www.fiestainamerica. com, or call 212-682-6610 or from select Filipino stores. Like FiestainAmerica in Facebook.

remembered,” Diaz said.

The screenplay had been rewritten a couple of times in order to make the characters relatable to a wider scope of audience.

“We wanted the characters to be relatable to many different personality types with all the character flaws that we all share as

human beings,” he added.

Despite its central theme focused on religion, Diaz claimed that the movie is unique in many ways because the story crossed all borders and is not bound by a certain culture or country. “i hope the audience is speechless on the drive home.

SERVICES

(Advertising Supplement)

Continued on Page 5

Travelers say EVA’s business amenities best, cabins cleanest

An Asian Journal Magazine

SKYTRAX reveals World Airline Award winners at Paris Air Show TAIPEI, TAIWAN – EVA Air is continuing its winning ways by taking the top spot in two categories of SKYTRAX’s annual World Airline Awards, Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness and Best Business Class Comfort Amenities.

SKYTRAX also confirmed that EVA is upholding its commitment to quality service as one of only nine 5-Star Airlines worldwide and ranks among the World’s Top 10 Airlines of 2017. SKYTRAX revealed its World Airline Awards 2017 at the Paris Airshow on Tuesday, 20 June, 2017. The awards were determined through analyses of an extensive global passenger satisfaction survey that featured 320 airlines in the final results. Travelers can learn more about EVA’s exceptional services and book tickets at www. evaair.com.

“No airline can overlook the importance of inflight cabin cleanliness and the impact this has on the customer travel experience. It is great testimony of EVA Air’s inflight cleanliness and cabin maintenance checks that this is second time in 3-years that the airline has been voted by passengers as the World’s Cleanest Airline,” said Edward Plaisted, SKYTRAX CEO. EVA also ranks second for World’s Best Airport Services and third for World’s Best Cabin Staff.

SKYTRAX began rating EVA in 2008 and the airline has steadily updated, upgraded and improved service and products from check-in through the onboard experience and baggage claim. For example, EVA installed easy-to-read electronic maps in airport and introduced turn-down service for Royal Laurel Class passengers on

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The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u lY 7, 20 1 7

Keeping ‘the lines’ open to Paco Arespacochaga long-haul flights aboard Boeing 777-300ERs. EVA takes care of details and, thanks to extraordinary staff efforts, offers unsurpassed onboard hospitality. The review and ranking organization awarded EVA 5-Star Airline ranking for the first time in 2016.

“When we received the 5Star Award last year, we made a commitment that EVA will not stop improving and innovating and will continue to uphold this honor. This year, SKYTRAX again awarded us 5-stars. This demonstrates the consistency of our top-notch service, “said EVA President Derek Chen. “I’m grateful to our EVA staff. Thank you for always doing your best to serve every customer. It is a great honor to receive support and recognition from passengers around the globe. EVA will never lose sight of our goal to be the very best. We hope every journey with EVA is one of pure relaxation and delight for every passenger.”

EVA’s emphasis on comfort and quality service doesn’t stop at the top cabin door. Passengers in every seat get benefits of the airline’s trademark warm, friendly service.

Clean cabins are part of that service. From take-off to landing, flight attendants keep shared spaces neat and tidy and lavatories restocked.

Reflecting its recognition for Best Business Class Comfort Amenities, EVA has especially high standards for Royal Laurel Class on the Boeing 777-300ERs it flies to and from North America and on other long-haul routes. Royal Laurel Class passengers travel in luxurious comfort with awardwinning wines, cozy pajamas, lie-flat seats, Rimowa amenity kits and more.

SKYTRAX conducted its survey in English, Spanish and Chinese among 19.87 million eligible respondents between August 2016 and May 2017. The global ratings organization describes the survey as “independent, impartial and global” and its awards program is not-for-profit.

EVA is frequently honored, awarded and recognized by organizations worldwide.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, honored EVA Air with two distinctions, “Top 10 Major Airline in Asia Pacific” and “Best Airline – Taiwan.” SKYTRAX, Travel + Leisure and AirlineRatings. com have ranked it among the world’s Top-10 Best International Airlines multiple times. SKYTRAX also scored EVA as the Best Airline Transpacific and, based on traveler feedback, as the world’s third Most Loved Airline.

AirlineRatings counted EVA Air’s Economy Class and Elite premium economy both among the top-10 best-of-the-best worldwide for 2017. EVA’s Elite Class, introduced in 1992 as one of the world’s very first premium economy cabins, was Best or Second-Best Premium Economy Class in SKYTRAX’s annual poll three years in a row. And Business Traveller Magazine awarded EVA two Gold Medals in its annual Cellars in the Sky competition, one for Best Business Class Cellar and the other for Best Business Class Sparkling Wine.

(Advertising Supplement)

By Monet

Lu

BEFORE the emergence of boy bands and K-pop stars, the groups that were born in the 80s or 90s scream for solo artists and pop-rock band performers. One of them bears the name “INTRoVOYS” and have won numerous Gold and Multi-Platinum awards, gained quadruple platinum status earning the band the label “the No. 1 Band in the Land!” and received the Guillermo Mendoza Award.

Paco Arespacochaga was one of the founding members of Introvoys along with 3rdG Cristobal and Jonathan Buencamino. In 1994, they released an album, “Line to Heaven,” in which Paco sang the title song which he had composed after losing both his parents.

Thankfully, Paco kept his line open to talk about what’s keeping him busy lately amongst other things.

Paco: First off, I’d like to thank your readers for spending the time to read our interview. And also to you, for featuring me on your column. Currently, the rest of INTRoVOYS and I are multi-tasking, spending the holidays with family. Buying gifts and attending Christmas parties have been the norm. Simultaneously, we’ve been in the studio, rehearsing for our shows in 2017, which includes a North America tour with Geneva Cruz, Jo Awayan and Rey Kilay.

M: Are you based here in the U.S. for good? If yes, what made you decide to relocate and settle here?

P: Yes, my family and I are based here in the U.S. We’ve been here since 2001. It wasn’t hard to decide to migrate my family here when the opportunity came my way. At the end of the day, a better opportunity for my kids was the main reason I decided to migrate to the U.S. M: What is a typical day like for a Paco Arespacochaga?

P: A typical day for me starts with waking up early, planning what I would do for the rest of the day. Currently, aside from the

Paco Arespacochaga

band and family, I am involved in marketing for American Professional Ambulance, which provides non-emergency gurney transports for patients from Skilled Nursing Facilities to the Hospitals.

That pretty much takes up the “95”. I do take the kids to school in the morning so that starts my day.

In the afternoon, I spend time with my family – whether it be going out, running errands, grocery shopping, etc.

Evenings vary from day to day because two days are spent with INTRoVOYS, three days are spent with the wifey at the gym and two days could be gig nights, family nights or date nights.

I always say, regardless of what I said, everything is subject to change!

M: Please tell us more about your journey to the music industry/show business?

P: My journey to the music industry was not an easy route.

It involved a lot of perseverance, passion, dedication, commitment, rejections and setbacks. It was a long journey but the payoff was well worth it!

I “applied” to be an actor for VIVA Films when I was 12 years old! Haha. What did I know, right?

Photo by Jerome Libradilla

But my mom, who was always very supportive of me, was always there to encourage me. Obviously, I didn’t get the gig.

Three years later, at 15 years old, together with Jonathan Buencamino and 3rd G Cristobal, we formed INTRoVOYS. German Moreno gave us a break to be part of the now defunct noon time show, “That’s Entertainment”. It was a good gig because it helped us build a fan base, one we still take pride of having by our side to this day — 30 years later!

To make a long story short, forming the band was difficult in itself and is filled with memorable stories among all of us. But collectively, our journey as a band was more difficult that forming it.

M: How are the INTRoVOYS doing now? Do you still perform as a band or you went solo?

P: INTRoVOYS did 14 major concerts in the United States and Canada this 2016. In 2017, we are scheduled to do 22 shows in North America, three of which has been confirmed and is now posted on www.INTRoVOYS.com/Shows.

I believe I am more effective as part of INTRoVOYS than being a Continued on Page 6

An Asian Journal Magazine

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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 J u LY 7

Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers in concert in Las Vegas

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION. Fr. Geoffrey Fontelera Baraan, parish priest and pastor at St. Joseph’s Church in Pinole, recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of his ordination. The celebration was attended by about 900 friends and family from all over the U.S., including from Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Bakersfield and Las Vegas. Reception and entertainment was held the school gym. Shown in photos with with Fr. Baraan is his mother, Imelda.

Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers (RCS) will hold a concert at the Flamingo Theatre of the Clark County Library at 7 p.m., with touring guest Annie Nepomuceno and special guest tenor Edward Granadosin. Front acts are Michael Perez and Esmeralda Padilla. Please call Dr. Mike Santa Juana at (516) 669-5834, Art Jerus (702) 738-8029 or Randolph Umali (702) 985-5724 for inquiries.

Vogue: Liza Soberano, a style star to watch

J u LY 8

ONE of the Philippines’ most sought-after actresses Liza Soberano gained yet another international recognition as she was featured in the American fashion and lifestyle magazine website, Vogue on Friday, June 30.

The Filipino-American actress, who will soon play the role of comic heroine Darna, was deemed as a “style star to watch” in the Vogue article by Janelle Okwodu due to the thousands of likes she gets on every Instagram post.

“Soberano sports a carefully curated wardrobe that is a mix of tomboy and cool girl,” Okwodu wrote.

Okwodu also mentioned that Soberano, along with celebrity stylist Perry Tabora, figured out the concept of switching gears with fashion choices in order to make a vital sense of personal style.

“She’ll move from ripped denim and ribbon chokers worn for a casual outing to princess-

United Batanguenos of Southern California Induction in Los Angeles The United Batanguenos of Southern California will hold its induction of officers on Saturday, July 8 at Casa Italiana in Los Angeles. Millie Moncada will be inducted as new governor. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For other related questions please call Millie at (818) 322-9429; Cely Anuran (805) 630-3377 or Willie Manacsa at (818) 400-7391. Casa Italiana is located at 1051 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

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11th Ambassadors’ Tour to Manila & Davao The 11th Ambassadors’ Tour will take place in the Philippines from July 11 to 16. Led by the Department of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Department of Tourism’s Tourism Promotions Board and Rajah Tours, the itinerary for the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour combines the best of Metropolitan Manila up North and the sprawling city of Davao in the South into one adventure-packed and enriching vacation experience. The four-day stay in Davao, the King City of the South and current seat of power in the Philippines, is a special highlight of this year’s event. Participants in this year’s tour will be presented with an opportunity to experience Davao up-close. It is a chance for the participants to revel in Davao’s picturesque landscapes through its nature parks, agricultural farms, and resorts, experience the diversity of its people through a series of courtesy calls with Philippine government officials, and feel the harmony of its culture through its heritage and cultural museums. Tailor-fit to tell the narrative of a new, safer, more beautiful Philippines, the tour will provide its participants with enough experience to engage their respective communities and leverage goodwill towards Filipinos and generate interest in the Philippines. Delegates who will be part of the program become “Filipino ambassadors” in their own right, carrying a fresh perspective and the message of a new and improved Philippines when they go back to the United States. As “Filipino Ambassadors,” this year’s delegates will be well-capable of showcasing the strides made in tourism, economic development, and public safety in the Philippines to the larger international community. For more information and to register, please visit http://www. acgtdt.com.

By Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

An old tale on self...

From Page 3

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Money Smart for Small Business in El Monte, CA Come to an introductory two-day business course designed for newer business owners, self-employed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Course topics include: startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, time & financial management, selling & succession planning, banking services for small businesses, recordkeeping, and tax & business planning. The curriculum is developed jointly by the FDIC and the SBA. It will be held on Saturday, July 15 and July 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cathay Bank (9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731). The fee is $20 payable to Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP). Breakfast, lunch and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank. There will be limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at (213) 373-1605 or cseto@ltsc.org. Participants will be eligible for free business counseling by API SBP.

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LEAP’s 35th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) is proud to celebrate 35 years of ”Growing Leaders” on Thursday, July 20 and the leadership of individuals that exemplify LEAP’s mission to achieve full participation and equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy. Proceeds from the event will be used to develop LEAP’s innovative leadership programs, cutting-edge public policy research, and nationwide community building. This year’s 35th Anniversary Celebration will be like no other gala that LEAP has had in the past. LEAP’s 35th Anniversary Celebration will be an eventful evening that will be both interactive and experiential. With an abundance of food and friends, LEAP will celebrate those who have shaped the organization, those who have been impacted by the organization, and those who continue to grow as Asian and Pacific Islander leaders and dream big. Honores for the individual leadership award include Fatima Bustos-Choy, Phd, founder of Gaia Flow Consulting and CEO And owner of Body & Brain Holistic Wellness Center; Kenneth Kasamatsu, advisor to the CEO, E-Central Credit Union / The Pacific Bridge Companies, and founder of Pacific Commerce Bank ; Geri Mannion, program director, U.S. Democracy and Special Opportunities Fund at Carnegie Corporation of New York; and Paul Ong, director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at UCLA. The David R. Barclay Alumni Leadership Award will be presented to Scott Chan, program director for the Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement and Patricia A. Neilson, director of Asian American Student Success at University of Massachusetts Boston. The VIP & general reception will begin at 5 p.m., while the program is from 7 to 10 p.m. It will be held at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (244 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012). Attire is business. To RSVP, visit www.leap.org/celebration_tickets. For more information about registration, contact Mayta Lor at (213) 485-1422 x 4105 or mlor@leap.org.

One day, Echo espied Narcissus while he was hunting with his peers and fell like a ton of bricks in love with him.

She longed to tell him of her feelings, but in her afflicted state, she became painfully shy and simply contented herself silently watching him from a distance, shadowing Narcissus’ every move.

Narcissus, however, became

Filipino Caucus Family Retreat in Lake Hughes, CA The Filipino Caucus of the California Pacific Annual Conference (CALPAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) is inviting its members to a family retreat to be held from July 21 to 23. The venue will be the scenic Oak Camps and Conference Center (18651 Pine Canyon Road, Lake Hughes, California). The Rev. Dr. Bener Agtarap, Associate General Secretary of the UMC Board of Discipleship Ministry will be the resource person and guest speaker during the three- day gathering to be marked with group discussions and fellowship. “Rekindling the Flame” will be the theme of this retreat. According to Rev. Nelson Castorillo, the Filipino Caucus president, the goal of the retreat is re-igniting and rekindling the symbolic flame representing the spirit and unity of this growing group of Filipino-American Methodists and hoping this type of gathering will reenergize and revitalize the Church.

The Rosewood UMC, headed by Ding Lapus, is coordinating the event. He is assisted

by Noribel Taguba, Vicky Ignacio, Dennis Mañacop, Auring Garcia, John Umaguing, Revs.

Manny Predas and Lisa Santiago. Food and lodging for three days is $148 and $103 for children 7-12 years old. Check is payable to the Filipino Caucus, PO Box 10435, Glendale, CA 91209. For more information please call Rev. Nelson (909) 538-7606 or email at nelsonpreacher@gmail.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

aware of her shadowy presence and talked her out of her hiding place. Echo could only repeat the last words of what Narcissus was saying in their conversation so she may have came out sounding like a mindless idiot, vexing Narcissus.

Besotted with love for the hunk however and believing Narcissus’ plea that she come out so they can be joined together, she finally overcame her crippling shyness and revealed

Liza Soberano

promotional tours and fan meets.

As of this posting, Soberano has a total of 5.9 million followers on Instagram alone.

Other celebrities featured by Vogue were “It’s Showtime” host and actress Anne Curtis and South Korean star Sandara Park.

herself. However, Narcissus felt she wasn’t good enough for him and scorned her for her bold presumptuousness and repudiated her total being. He sent her away devastating Echo in the most cutting words, slashing and burning her very existence, swearing he would rather die than be with Echo. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Anthony Diaz V on making films...

From Page 3 There are lots of twists and turns in the movie that gradually build to a crescendo that is quite memorable,” Diaz said.

Although Diaz confirmed that the portrayal of religion will be controversial, he assured that the film did not intend to demote other people’s faiths.

“The controversy of the film is in no way attacking the Catholic religion at all. It lies on how the characters react to strange situations that are occurring in their town that is very religious,” he added.

“Way Of The Cross” also stars Alvin Anson, Rafael Rosell, Daiana Menezes, Roxanne Barcelo, Giovanni Respall, Miguel Vasquez, Oz Rivera, Yussef Esteves, Danielle Chopin and Jordan Castillo.

Despite its central theme focused on religion, Diaz claimed that “Way Of The Cross” is unique in many ways because its story crossed all borders and is not bound by a certain culture or country.

Photos from the film’s official Facebook page

The audience can expect more from Diaz as he also has five scripts on queue for productions. His next

Keeping ‘the lines’ open...

From Page 5

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worthy couture for major red carpet events,” the article said.

As Soberano’s profile rose, Tabora was there to guide her fashion sensibility, and over the past four years they’ve developed a winning formula.

“Liza’s looks are always youthful, fresh, and with an understated elegance, to give [her outfits] that unique quality we always try to mix aesthetics.”

Tabora told Vogue.

Tabora also revealed some of the 19-year-old celebrity’s style favorites.

The fashion pair collaboratively combines Filipino labels and signature items from Gucci, Tom Ford, Chanel and Dior.

Despite the actress’ fascination with the brand Dior, supporting local designers particularly Martin Bautista and Michael Cinco remains her priority.

With the anticipation of “Darna,” directed by Erik Matti, to cross the television screens; fans could expect more from Soberano’s chic style in her

solo performer.

We recently released our 9th album, “Where We Left Off” and we’re pretty satisfied with its sales, considering that it was independently produced. Like what I said earlier, INTRoVOYS is scheduled to do 22 shows in 2017.

We’re also in production for a new album. And we’ve been doing music videos for our previous hits.

M: If you hadn’t been a musician, what would you be doing right now? Why? P: I would’ve been a movie/ television director or producer. It has always been my passion to be in the arts. So it’s safe to say that if wasn’t lucky enough to be in front of the camera, I would definitely be behind it.

M: (If you don’t mind us asking) Are with someone right now? Would you mind sharing

some details?

P: Yes, I am with someone right now. Her name is Janelle. We have a daughter named Cassidy Jane Louise, who’s turning 2 in January. Between the two of us, we have five children.

M: How is your relationship with your kids? How do you maintain your presence in their lives?

P: My relationship with my children is as good as any parent.

Compared to their moms, I’m less hands on. I’m more of their “mentor”. We hang out. We talk.

We play. I am always in their lives.

And when they hit 18 years of age, I kick them out into the real world!

I did that to my first born, Heaven, and have been proud of what he has become, which is a self-reliant, self-sufficient and independent human being with a good head on his shoulders.

I’m pretty sure, his little

film project is a one hour short film based on the story of a retired gangster in Japan.

brothers know I’m not kidding about them being out of the nest by the time they reach 18.

M: Any words of wisdom you care to share? Feel free to address your fans.

P: I just want our True Fans to know how grateful I am to be blessed the way I’ve been. I want my fans to know that they can rest assured that I will always remain humble and will continue to write music for them. Because of their support and generosity, I will always be humble. *** 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

Silent heart attack

Health@Heart PhiliP S. Chua, MD, FaCS, FPCS MAny patients with coronary heart disease have no chest pains or other symptoms indicative of ischemia (diminished blood flow and oxygen to the coronary arteries that supply the muscles of the heart).

As such, this silent (asymptomatic) type of ischemia is treacherous and increases the risk of sudden and unexpected death and other cardiac events.

Symptoms, in any illness, are the body’s defense alert system, a good warning sign that allows the affected individual time to do something pre-emptive to protect itself and prevent serious complications, like in seeking prompt medical help. Silent ischemia could strike an individual surreptitiously, causing heart attack or even cardiac arrest. These are the sudden deaths we all hear about every now and then, where the victims do not even know or realize the dangerous situation they are in.

The mechanism The muscles of the heart require oxygen and nutrition to function properly. These vital ingredients are in the blood which is supplied to these structures by the coronary arteries. If the blood supply is diminished because the coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked by arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries that reduces the luminal diameter of these arteries), the muscles are deprived of vital oxygen and nutrition. As a result, theoretically, angina pectoris (heart pains) ensues. But a significant number of heart patients, even with their coronary arteries narrowed, some of them blocked severely, somehow do not develop chest pains. These are the asymptomatic or silent ischemia patients who could be a walking time bomb.

Why “silent”?

When there is myocardial ischemia, it is logically expected that the individual will have chest pains, much like lack of blood to the leg will cause “Charlie Horse”-type pains, medically termed claudication (pain and spasm of leg muscles) and even gangrene. The explanation for silent ischemia of the heart muscles (asymptomatic patients) is not fully understood. Some of the theories include: the patient may have a high threshold for pains; the size of the affected muscles in the heart may be small; there may be some collateral circulation to the ischemic area; the

ischemia may be of short duration; some persons may have self-denial; the person may have a defective “warning system,” related to some past brain injury, past heart attack (known or unknown), diabetes, past heart bypass or transplantation.

Etiology The etiology or cause of narrowing of the arteries is multifactorial. While heredity plays a role in the pathogenesis of arteriosclerosis, lifestyle appears to be the major culprit. This includes a high-cholesterol, high-fat, highcarbohydrate, low-fiber diet of red meat, eggs, dairy products, bread, potato, rice, pasta, cakes, and sweets, instead of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains. The other important factors are smoking, the lack of daily regimented physical exercises, excess body mass index (weight), and poor stress management. Alcohol abuse, inadequate treatment of existing or undiagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes mellitus are aggravating conditions that hasten the build-up of cholesterol plaques in the inner walls of the arteries that lead to blockages and resultant ischemia.

The minimum test Obviously, the early detection of myocardial ischemia, especially among those asymptomatic (silent) cases, is essential. This can prevent sudden cardiac death.

Since many of these persons have no indication whatsoever about the state of their coronary arteries and they all may be feeling “100 percent healthy,” the only prudent strategy is to do prophylactic (preventive) investigation. Based on medical statistics, the minimum test recommended is a stress electrocardiogram (Stress EKG) for those with chest pains or other symptoms suspicious of coronary heart disease. Those with a strong family history of coronary heart disease or heart attack and/or hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, regardless of age, should also have Stress EKG every 2 to 5 years, depending on the severity of their hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes or hyperthyroidism. For those with none of these illnesses and with no familial history of coronary heart disease, Stress EKG is nonetheless advisable when they are 45 and older, especially for those who smoke, and a mandatory test for pilots and some giant corporate executives. There are other more sophisticated tests available.

The supreme court of heart tests To arrive at the final

confirmatory diagnosis, a cardiac cath is performed. This is the “court of last resort,” the “supreme court” of heart tests, that will tell us, once and for all, with 100% accuracy, if there are stenoses (blockages) in the coronary arteries or not, how powerful or weak the ventricular contraction is, the integrity of the heart muscles, in segments and as a whole, and if there are any other cardiac abnormalities present, like heart valve disease, etc. If there are coronary artery stenoses present, this angiogram, which is recorded in a video film (movie of the heart in action), will also show which arteries are blocked, how many percent obstruction there is (are) and the exact location of the blockage(s).

The findings will also help the cardiologist and the cardiac surgeon make a final decision if heart surgery is needed or not, and if it is, what procedure to do, which arteries to bypass, blocked arteries) will be, the percentage of risk of the surgery, and the prognosis.

Clinical highlights Various investigative studies have been done to address this particular issue on silent ischemia, its diagnosis and treatment. To of these trials are the ACIP (Asymptomatic Cardiac Ischemia Pilot) and the ASIST (Atenolol Silent Ischemia Study). The findings are as follows: (1) Silent cardiac ischemia could lead to sudden cardiac death; (2) In the ACIP trial, it has been shown that revascularization, using coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery provided more effective relief of the ischemia than medical (pill) therapy alone; (3) In the ASIST study, those treated with Atenolol showed great reduction of ischemia and the risk of future events compared to those who were given placebo (“sugar” pills, in the controlled group); (4) the prevalence and risk of cardiac events have been much less where ischemia has been treated with revascularization; (5) that risk factor modification (lifestyle and behavioral changes: cessation of smoking, abstinence from red meat and eggs, a diet of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, daily exercises), together with aggressive treatment as in numbers 2 and 3 above, reduces or eliminates myocardial ischemia, left ventricular dysfunction, and the incidence of sudden cardiac death.

It is obvious that a pre-emptive strike, a prophylactic strategy, on everyone’s part is the only way to beat sudden cardiac death. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010

The Asian Journal N E W YO R K / N E W J E R S EY J u lY 7, 20 1 7

Businessman asks Erich Gonzales on a ‘coffee date’ via billboard A rECEnT billboard in Morayta drew the attention of many and became this week’s ‘talk of the town’ when businessman Christian “Xian” Gaza, supposedly the CEO and president of a certain Guanxigian group, asked actress Erich Gonzales for a “coffee date.” last Monday, June 3.

“I can’t even espresso how much I like you a latte. Will you... drink coffee with me? Erika Chryselle ‘ErICH GOnZALES’ #CoffeeWithErich #PleaseSayyesErich,” the sign said.

Gaza posted a photo on Instagram with him looking at the said billboard wherein the caption said, “They say it’s first time in Philippine history. I say: That’s how special you are to me @erichgg, will you drink coffee with me?”

Since its appearance on Instagram, the post garnered more than 7,000 likes and has been shared multiple times on different social media platforms.

The actress, who is currently out of the country, told ABS-CBn writer and host Darla Sauler her response to Gaza’s proposal via text message.

“Hi Darls!!! How are you?

Hahaha!!! Ang cute ng effort ni Kuya.

It’s fine. Let’s see when I get back.

There’s nothing wrong naman if we talk over coffee, pero dapat kasama ka. Hahaha!!! See you soon Darls!”

Gaza draws flak online Although some saw Gaza’s effort as sweet, there also those who criticized him. Many of those criticisms came from people he allegedly scammed with his false promises, celebrity-user-friendly tendencies and pseudo-projects.

Dewanie Catapang, a social media personality from Davao exposed Gaza’s scheme through a series of tweets with relevance to her personal experience with the businessman.

“Marami pa nabubulag sa mga paandar mo ha, (A lot of people are blinded by your schemes) pero ako I know you and what you’re up to so please lang don’t me. Kakadiri ka!

(You disgust me)” Catapang said. ryan Salcedo Tanada, a Doha-

based realtor, also revealed his transactions with Gaza in a Facebook post showing screenshots of their conversations.

“It’s not wrong to dream big and to want the best things in life as long as you’ll work for it in an honest way and wala kang nilolokong tao (you are not fooling anyone). Man, just stop this shit once and for all as more victims of yours are coming out.”

Tanada said in his post.

In a report by PEP.ph, Jesica Cruz, mother of dance icon and actress Ella Cruz, stepped forward to share their experience when Gaza bought a Fortuner from her husband, who runs a buy-and-sell business for cars.

Gaza had reportedly given them postdated checks, but repeatedly asked to hold the checks because he’d be paying in cash instead.

“After new year, nag-ask ulit kami kung may fund na yung check.

Ginagawan daw niya ng paraan kasi he’s having financial problems, at andoon nga daw siya sa dad niya para umutang (After New Year, we asked if the check had funds. He said he was figuring it out because he was having financial problems and he was at his dad’s to borrow money),” Cruz said.

Gaza returned the Fortuner the next day.

Gaza addresses his critics In a report by rappler, Gaza defended himself on Catapang’s claim of a false project, he stood by his statement that the project was legitimate.

“It didn’t pushed through because the funding that was promised to me ay hindi po

dumating at napako (didn’t come),” Gaza explained.

He said that he funneled P300,000 from his own funds towards the project, losing the amount when the project didn’t materialize. The 2,000 t-shirts that were produced for the charity were not sold, and instead distributed to different charities.

“Wala akong kinita maski ni isang kusing (I did not earn a single cent) and even lost P300,000 on that project, plus the burden of paying P10,000 every month until now to the company I partnered with, to produced [sic] the 2000 Haiyan Shirts in Davao City,” he wrote. regarding Tanada’s allegation, Gaza said that he received a P200,000 down payment from the former in november 2016, an amount which was then diverted to the operating expense backlogs of Gazera Media.

“I was financially bleeding to Gazera Media/Filipino Vines for 8 months with no returns at all…

I stopped shelling funds to the company to stop my bleeding dahil wala na ‘kong nakikitang kalalabasan na maganda (because I no longer saw a good outcome) on the aspect of profit generation,” he said, adding that he declared bankruptcy to De Vera in December 2016.

On the other hand, Gaza confirmed the transaction with Cruz’s husband, saying that they agreed on a price of P650,000, to be paid in two installments. Gaza claimed that he pressured himself to take the deal to impress the Cruz family, despite not having an immediate need for the vehicle.

He said that he decided to back out of the deal when he learned that the unit was valued at a lower price than he agreed to pay.

Amid all the flak he received, he stood by his initial interest of getting that coffee date.

“Ang tanging hangad ko lang po ay kape with Erich with no hidden personal agenda at all (all I want is coffee with Erich)… I just wanna show her how much I like her and using this billboard effort to possibly create an initial friendship with her over coffee,” he said.

at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of

the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the

chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

By Nathalie

Robles

AJPress

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