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Duterte, De Lima included in TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2017

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

this year, Philippine President rodrigo Duterte and his fiercest critic, senator Leila De Lima, are both included on TiME magazine’s Pres. Rodrigo Duterte shakes hands with Sen. Leila de Lima before delivering annual list of 100 most influential his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year.

Philstar.com photo people in the world.

the list, which was released on thursday, April 20, consists of five categories: Pioneers, Artists, Leaders, titans, and icons. Duterte is listed under Leaders. De Lima, meanwhile, is listed under icons. former Colombian President César Gaviria wrote Duterte’s profile.

in his piece, Gaviria criticized anew Duterte’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs, which death toll alarmed global rights groups and made international headlines. “since Duterte’s inauguration last year, some 7,000 people have been

killed,” Gaviria wrote. “his ironfisted strategy alarms governments, human-rights organizations and faithbased groups while winning high approval ratings at home.” in an opinion piece published by the New York Times earlier in febPAGE A2

Pence: Trump will attend ASEAN summit in PH

USA

DATELINE Fil-Ams encouraged to join this year’s Ambassadors’ Tour to PH

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

the Philippine Consulate General and the Department of tourism (Dot) in Los Angeles recently announced the 11th Ambassadors’ tour slated for this July as an opportunity for filipino Americans and foreign tourists to explore the Philippines. formerly the Ambassador, Consuls General and tourism Directors tour (ACGtDt), the Ambassadors’ tour on July 11 to 16 will bring travelers from the U.s. to manila and Davao, where President rodrigo Duterte hails from. “the people who will be returning to the Philippines, rediscovering the country with their spouses and children, are themselves the ambassadors of goodwill,” Consul General Adelio Cruz said of the tour’s name change during his introductory remarks at the launch event on friday, April 7. he added that this year’s program will be an experiential, adventure-filled way to reconnect with the Philippines and its cultural offerings.

PAGE A3

California hospitals lose ground in quality of care, report card shows neArLY half of California hospitals received a grade of C or lower for patient safety on a national report card aimed at prodding medical centers to do more to prevent injuries and deaths. the Leapfrog Group, an employer-backed nonprofit group focused on health care quality, issued its latest scores last week. the report card is part of an effort to make consumers and employers aware of how their hospitals perform on key quality measures, so they can make betterinformed health care decisions. the scores are updated twice a year, in spring and fall.

After steady improvement in recent years, California hospitals lost ground in last week’s report card. two years ago, 37 percent of California hospitals received a C, D or f grade. that increased to 46 percent of the 271 California hospitals rated in the most recent report. many California hospitals still struggle to reduce preventable medical errors and infections in patients, despite industrywide efforts to remedy those problems. California accounted for 6 of the 10 hospitals nationwide that received an f grade.

California public health officials track a wide assortment of patient infections that can be acquired during a hospital stay. A recent state report noted progress in some areas, while other issues have been harder to address.

PAGE A4

GETTING READY. Students coming from Alicia, Isabela perform the “Balitok ti Alicia” (Gold of Alicia) dance during rehearsals for the annual Aliwan Festival that features a dance parade, float competitions and a beauty pageant.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Russell Palma

UniteD states President Donald trump will come to the Philippines to attend the Association of southeast Asian nations (AseAn) summit in november, according to Vice President mike Pence.

Pence made the confirmation on thursday, April 20, following a previous statement made by the director-general for operations of the AseAn 2017 national organizing Council that trump would attend the summit.

During his visit to Jakarta, indonesia, Pence said trump will attend three summits in Asia in november: the U.s.-AseAn summit and the east Asia summit in the Philippines, and the Asia-Pacific economic Cooperation (APeC) summit in Vietnam. he said the U.s. president’s attendance was “a sign, i hope to all, of our firm and unwavering commitment to build on the strong foundations that we already share.” earlier this week, marciano Paynor, directorPAGE A4

Pres. Duterte declines Marcos pays P36-M for protest against Robredo honorary degree from UP

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

former senator and defeated vice presidential candidate ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. paid P36 million as part of the first installment required for the proceedings of his election protest against Vice President Leni robredo. marcos paid the supreme Court (sC), sitting as the Presidential electoral tribunal (Pet), for the cost of retrieval of contested poll materials on monday, April 17 — the deadline for payment of the first tranche. “i hope this compliance we have done [with] the sC order will go a long way of getting the

PresiDent rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, April 19 said he will not accept the University of the Philippines’ (UP) offer to confer an honorary doctorate degree on him.

During a press briefing in Bohol, Duterte said that it has been part of his personal policy to not accept recognitions. “i simply decline,” he told reporters, adding, “With due respect to the University of the Philippines, i do not accept even when i was mayor. As a matter of personal and official policy, i do not accept awards.” the UP Board of regents (Bor), the university’s highest policy-making body, earlier said it plans to offer the president a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, as part of its tradition.

PAGE A2 Bongbong Marcos

process started,” marcos said. in a chance interview, marcos said he was able to raise the P36 million through the help of his supporters.

“Buti na lang may mga kaibigan ako na nagmagandang loob (it’s a good thing that i have friends who were generous),” marcos told reporters. he added, “sila ay naniniwala na tama at makatarunguan ang aking protesta kaya naman sila ay nagkaisa at inipon nila ang kanilang maibibigay (They believe that my protest is right and just which is why they united and saved what they could give).” in June of last year, marcos PAGE A2

Arroyo blames Aquino for South China Sea instability

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

the island-building spree along the disputed waters in south China sea happened during the term of former Philippine president Benigno “noynoy” Aquino iii, the camp of his predecessor, former president and now Pampanga representative Gloria macapagal-Arroyo, said on thursday, April 20. in a press conference at the house of representatives, Arroyo’s camp criticized the Aquino administration for supposedly provoking China to build artificial islands over the contested waters. in his remarks, former Justice secre-

tary and solicitor-General estelito mendoza claimed that it was the Aquino administration’s maritime case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration that triggered China’s construction of artificial islands. “i do not know the reason that claim was filed so i cannot say it is right or it is wrong. What i can only say is that as far as China is concerned, it says it provoked their island building factory,” mendoza said. he added, “We were fighting in the POWER GUESTS. Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada celebrates his 80th hague, maybe we were winning, but birthday with VIP guests including President Rodrigo Duterte, former President and now Pampanga China outflanked us. China made it a Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez PAGE A2

Marcos at The Manila Hotel on Wednesday, April 19.

Malacañang photo

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Arroyo blames Aquino for South China...

PAGE A1 point that while we are winning in the Hague, China was winning in the waters of the South China Sea.” In July 2016, the United Nations-backed Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague ruled that China’s historic nine-dash line which claimed almost all the South China Sea has no historic and

legal basis, in favor of the Philippines.

But by the time Philippines won its case, China managed to construct islands over the contested areas.

“That is now going to be the most difficult problem of President (Rodrigo) Duterte — these islands, which China has built during the Aquino administra-

tion,” Mendoza noted.

He also compared how this was far from the “peaceful” situation under Arroyo’s administration, adding “a cooperative effort” between disputed countries and the Philippines also existed during her term.

“There was, during that time, a joint seismic survey which was a joint effort of the Philippines, China, and Vietnam that meant the cost of the survey was borne by the three countries, with the understanding that the results or information that will be gathered will be shared [among] the three countries,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza also lauded Arroyo for passing Republic Act 9522, an act which defines the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines that helped the country implement the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

While saying that Beijing protested the Manila’ claim over the Kalayaan Group of Islands and the Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, Mendoza pointed out that China “did not contest” and “implicitly recognized” Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS. “Built during the previous administration,” Arroyo said, referring to China’s island-building spree in South China sea.

Asked what advice she could give to current President Rodrigo Duterte in handling maritime issues, Arroyo refused to give any. She explained that during her term, she was given advices by people who didn’t see the whole picture.

Arroyo remarked that as the current president, Duterte “knows what he’s doing.”

“You know, I can only share what happened in my administration. I don’t know all the facts that are available to the current administration, so I do not dare to make any recommendations.

And I keep that attitude because of my own experience as president,” Arroyo said.

She went on to say, “There were so many other people in the peanut gallery telling me what to do, and they did not have all the facts at their disposal. So as far as I’m concerned, President Duterte knows what he’s doing and I do not have any recommendations to make.”

Duterte, De Lima included in TIME’s...

PAGE A1 ruary, Gaviria urged Duterte to not commit the same mistakes his administration made by using the same heavy-handed measures in handling problems on narcotics.

Duterte, in response, called Gaviria an “idiot” for “lecturing” him about the Philippine government’s war on drugs.

Reiterating his warning, Gaviria said: “When I was president of Colombia, I was also seduced into taking a tough stance on drugs. But after spending billions, I discovered that the war was unwinnable and the human costs were devastating. The cure was infinitely worse than the disease.”

Gaviria, who was the president of Columbia from 1990 to 1994, was famous for battling drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. He is also a founding member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy.

He then advised Duterte to start treating drugs as a health, human rights and development issue. “He could prosecute the most violent criminals and provide treatment for users rather than condemn them to prison, or worse.”

He further added, “There will always be drugs in the Philippines, whether the President likes it or not. The tragedy is that many more people are likely going to die as he learns this lesson.”

On the other hand, it was former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power who wrote De Lima’s profile.

In her piece, Power made note how Duterte “has insulted Pope Francis, told U.S. Presi-

dent Barack Obama to ‘go to hell’ and expressed regret he did not go ‘first’ in a gang rape.

Power also mentioned the firebrand president’s anti-illegal drugs campaign which she described as “merciless,” citing the supposed high death toll.

“Most opposition politicians have kept their heads down, knowing Duterte is both terrifyingly brutal and massively popular,” Power said. “But Senator de Lima has become Duterte’s most vocal critic — a role her friends call suicidal.”

Power also emphasized how De Lima, who was detained in February over drug-related allegations, “continues to speak out” against Duterte even from prison.

“It is a disturbing testament to the current solidarity among strongmen and the global surge in impunity that de Lima’s cause has not been more embraced,” Power wrote. “And yet, even from prison, she continues to speak out against her President: ‘It’s not O.K. with me that we have a murderous psychopath occupying the highest post in the land.’”

Also included in the TIME’s list were United States President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese

President Xi Jinping, and Pope Francis, among others.

The official TIME 100 list was selected by the magazine’s editors.

Earlier, Duterte topped the magazine’s annual poll for its list of world’s most influential people. In the poll, readers were asked who should be included on this year’s TIME 100.

Duterte received five percent of the total “yes” votes, consistently leading the survey which started in March and closed on Sunday, April 16.

Following Duterte in the poll results were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. They all each got three percent of the total “yes” votes.

Marcos pays P36-M for protest...

PAGE A1 filed an electoral protest against Robredo before the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). He accused the vice president of committing massive poll fraud after she won the seat only by a slim margin.

“Mag-iisang taon na mula nung nakaraang halalan hanggang ngayon hindi pa alam ng taong bayan kung sino ba talaga ang nanalo bilang bise president noong nakaraang halalan (It has almost been a year since the last election and until now the public still does not know who won as vice president during the last elections),” he said.

The SC has ordered Marcos a cash payment of P81.46 million to proceed with his election protest against Robredo, which is payable in two tranches. Marcos has to settle another P30 million on or before July 14.

In the same order, Robredo was asked to pay P15.44 for her counter-protest — P8 million for the first tranche and P7.43 million for the second.

Robredo, however, failed to pay the partial payment of P8 million and instead, filed a mani-

festation earlier in April 12.

According to Romulo Macalintal, Robredo’s lawyer, the vice president’s camp will pay the counter-protest fee only after Marcos has been able to prove that there was indeed election fraud.

“Kailangan patunayan muna ni Mr. Marcos na talagang meron po siyang ma-rerecover na mga boto. Kailangan siya muna ang magpa-deposit, siya muna ang magpa-bukas ng mga balota at makita natin kung talagang may basehan ang kanyang protesta (Marcos needs to prove first that he could recover votes. He should deposit first and open the ballots first so we could see if his protest really has basis),” Macalintal said.

“E bakit kami magde-deposit ng P15-million pero pagkatapos naman pala ay wala naming mangyayari? So iyan ang hinihingi naming sa Korte Suprema (Why would we deposit P15 million if after this, nothing will happen? This is what we are asking to the Supreme Court).”

Following Robredo’s failure to deposit the first installment fee in time, Marcos’ camp said it

would seek the dismissal of her counter-protest.

“We complied with the ruling of the tribunal and they did not. So I think they missed their chance and we will move for the dismissal of their counter-protest,” Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesperson, told ANC. He added, “That way, the whole process will be able to run its natural course unimpeded with unnecessary delays being filed by the protestee.”

Rodriguez also accused that the manifestation of Robredo’s camp was just part of the latter’s tactics in delaying the electoral protest.

Under Section 33 (b) of the PET rules, protestants are required to make a cash deposit amounting P500 per contested precinct, “if they require the bringing of the contested ballot boxes and election documents to the Tribunal”.

Marcos questioned 39,221 clustered precincts which are composed of total 132,446 established precincts. Robredo, on the other hand, contested 8,042 clustered precincts equivalent to 31,278 established precincts.

Pres. Duterte declines honorary degree...

PAGE A1

But reports of the award sparked outrage among Duterte’s critics. Many expressed their frustrations through social media, using the viral hashtag #DuterteNotWorthy.

In a Facebook post, the UP Office of the Student Regent expressed its opposition to the planned award.

“The UP Office of the Student Regent condemns the plan of the UP Administration to confer an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte,” it said.

“We must not turn a blind eye to the deeds of the current regime by

giving it such recognition.”

Citing his controversial campaign against illegal drugs in particular, the UP Office of the Student Regent argued that Duterte does not deserve the honors and should instead be held accountable for the alleged summary killings.

“Honors are not deserved by a president whose regime killed thousands of citizens and leaders of progressive groups under Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Kapayapaan,” the group’s statement stressed.

“Honors must not be given to a president that declares all-out

war against his people to quell their struggle for just and lasting peace, and reimposes death penalty to legitimize the killing of the poor.”

This, however, was not the first time members of the UP community opposed the conferment of an honorary degree.

In 2011, then president Benigno Aquino III accepted the same offer but was met with protests.

The university also offered honorary degrees to former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but like Duterte, they declined to accept the recognitions.

RENOVATED. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada inaugurates the newly built Quinta Market in Quiapo Manila on his 80th birthday on Wednesday, April 19. The two-story market which was renovated by Marketlife Management and Leasing Corp. at a cost of P150 million boasts wet and dry sections, an air-conditioned restroom, a food court and a parking lot that can accommodate 100 vehicles.

Inquirer.net photo by Grig Montegrande

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NO TO HFCS IMPORTATION. Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri joined protesting sugar workers and plantadores and vowed to protect the sugar industry by calling for strict regulation in the importation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). “The livelihood of 65,000 planters, 700,000 workers in farms and mills and their combined 5 million dependents nationwide are at great risk if HFCS importation continues unabated,” he said. The public hearing on P.S. Res. No 285 jointly filed by Sens. Zubiri and Richard Gordon established the negative effects of unabated HFCS importation as this directly cuts sugar farm household incomes by dampening prices and reducing the demand for workers in farms and mills. Zubiri, Chairman of the Committee on Trade Commerce and Entrepreneurship, said he will look into safeguard measures to strengthen the sugar industry in the face of ASEAN economic integration.

Senate photo

California lawmakers mull improvements to troubled dental program Most of the money would go toward boosting payments to dentists who provide preventive services to adults, such as regular teeth cleanings. A program known as the Dental Transformation Initiative, funded by both state and federal dollars, offers extra money to dentists for children’s preventive services.

Caballero said she believes California voters who approved the tobacco tax last year wanted the money to be used to improve underfunded programs like Denti-Cal. “We want to make sure that this intent is kept alive,” Caballero said.

Caballero represents a largely rural district that includes the Salinas Valley, San Benito County and Watsonville. She said there are not enough dentists overall in the region, let alone ones who can afford to see Denti-Cal patients.

Dr. John Blake runs the Children’s Dental Health Clinic in Long Beach, where 85 percent of the patients are on Denti-Cal. Blake said Caballero’s legislation is a good start, although it probably is not enough to draw more dentists into the program, he said.

The initiative would help fill gaps in preventive care, he said, but adults may have serious dental disease and dentists would find themselves in a difficult position if they detected it during basic cleaning and screening.

“The adult population is a different beast from a treatment standpoint,” Blake said. “We’ve

done all this cleaning, but now we need root canals and extractions…how do we cover this?”

Caballero’s bill would also require that some of the tobacco tax money be used to increase payments to dentists for the 20 most common dental procedures for children, such as X-rays and fillings. This would supplement and expand efforts by the Dental Transformation Initiative.

Another bill, AB 15, introduced by Republicans late last year, would require that DentiCal rates be doubled for the 15 most common prevention and treatment services.

Blake said most dentists ask only that Denti-Cal payments match the national median rate, and that’s not taking into account that California tends to have higher living and business costs.

Using tobacco tax money to improve Denti-Cal makes sense, Blake said. That was the intent of the proposition to better MediCal, including its dental program.

“We’d certainly like to see that honored,” Blake said.

AB 15 cleared the Assembly Health Committee last month and next will be heard by the Assembly’s Committee on Appropriations. A hearing date has not yet been set.

California Healthline is a service of the California Health Care Foundation produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Richmond Jimenez, the director of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) office in Los Angeles, shares details of the upcoming Ambassadors’ Tour.

Michelle Narvaez, area manager of Philippine Airlines.

PAGE A1 It is a joint effort by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board, the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the United States, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Rajah Tours.

Through PAL and Rajah Tours, participants are presented with competitive airfare, hotel and tour packages, ranging around $800 to $1,800.

The first full day of the trip will occur in the Philippines’ capital city, featuring a wreath laying ceremony in Rizal Park, a Filipino cuisine demonstration, and options to visit various museums or Intramuros.

The group will then proceed to Davao — the “King City of the South” — for five days, where the itinerary includes a city tour and visiting the Philippine Eagle Center Tour and Eden Nature Park.

“What better way to showcase Mindanao than to showcase Davao City,” Cruz said.

Added DOT Director Richmond Jimenez, “Davao has been a very good destination in the Philippines. A lot of people tend to go to Boracay or Pangasinan for the Hundred Islands, but Davao on its own has amazing things and activities for you to do.”

The consul general said that the Consulate and DOT are not making any promises that participants will get a chance to meet Duterte.

“We are hoping that the presi-

those in the U.S. to experience the country for themselves.

“We go to back to January wherein we hosted Miss Universe, a big event, and currently the Madrid Fusion Manila that is happening,” he told the Asian Journal. “There is a lot of news and yes, we respect the views of the media…but the Philippines remains a safe destination and this is why we hold trips just like the Ambassadors’ Tour to show people firsthand how is it like in the [country].”

To sign up for the Ambassadors’ Tour, the public may visit http://www.philippinetourismusa.com/2017-ambassadorstour/. (Christina M. Oriel/AJPress)

by AnA

B. IBArrA Califorina Healthline

CALIFORNIA lawmakers are considering several bills to improve and expand access to Denti-Cal, the state’s troubled dental program for low-income people — including ones that would draw from the state’s new tobacco tax to boost dentists’ pay.

Assembly Bill 753, introduced

by Assemblywoman Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), would direct money from the state’s new tobacco tax to broaden access to Denti-Cal, which for years has been faulted in state and federal reports. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Health on Tuesday.

A 2014 California state auditor’s report showed that fewer than half of the children eligible for Denti-Cal benefits actually saw a dentist in the previous year.

Critics say access to care suffers because Denti-Cal payments to dentists are so low that many can’t afford to participate in the program. The auditor’s report also found that Denti-Cal payments for the most common procedures averaged $21.60, about 35 percent of the national average.

In the next fiscal year, Caballero’s bill would earmark $300 million of the almost $1.2 billion expected in new Medi-Cal funding from the state’s tobacco tax revenues. In future years, the bill would require at least 15 percent of those revenues to be spent on Denti-Cal services.

Fil-Ams encouraged to join this year’s...

Consul General Adelio Cruz introduces the 11th annual Ambassadors’ Tour, an immersion trip to Manila and Davao this July, during a presentation at the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles on Friday, April 7.

AJPress photos by Ding Carreon

dent would be there and should he be there, we will exert all our efforts to request that we all be given an audience, even for a few minutes,” he said. “We are not going to use an audience with the president as a bait for those of you who would like to join the tour.”

After the six-day tour, trips to Boracay, Palawan, Cebu-Bohol, Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin, or Dumaguete-Siquijor can be booked as well.

Despite international news reports highlighting security concerns and the World Economic Forum (WEF) lowering the Philippines’ ranking in its recent Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Jimenez invited

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BPO sector safe, but manufacturing still in danger from US first policy

by Richmond

S. meRcuRio

Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is now expected to be safe from U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America-first” policy, but the country’s manufacturing industry remains in the danger zone.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Charito Plaza, who visited Colorado last month to meet with investors and stakeholders who are familiar with the policies of the US President, assured the country’s BPO industry that there is “nothing to worry about anymore” as far as Trump’s controversial policy is concerned.

“They said BPOs will not be affected because the America-first policy of the President is more on the manufacturing and not for service providers. No need for the BPOS to worry, even our Philippine embassy says that.

They were informed that service industry providers will not be affected with the America-first policy,” she said.

“They are more concerned for the manufacturing,” Plaza

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Charito Plaza, who visited Colorado last month to meet with investors and stakeholders who are familiar with the policies of the U.S. President, assured the country’s BPO industry that there is “nothing to worry about anymore” as far as Trump’s controversial policy is concerned.

File Photo

added.

In a meeting with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Plaza said the group disclosed that “the U.S. government will not press for the U.S. IT-BPO companies operating in the Philippines to cut down on their offshore operations to minimize job displacement of Americans.”

“However, the U.S. is seriously considering a regulatory intervention for some countries hosting American manufacturing companies where the U.S. has huge trade deficits with,”

she added.

At present, the value of products imported by the U.S. from the Philippines is higher than its exports in the country.

The trade deficit with the Philippines, however, is not as large as those with other U.S. trading partners such as China, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Germany.

Plaza last January said American BPO locators of PEZA who have earlier expressed interest to expand have decided to hold off investments as they await for clearer policies from Trump.

RUNWAY MANILA. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Andrew Tan of Alliance Global Group Inc. and Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade attend the launch of the P1.9-billion Runway Manila, the pedestrian bridge that links the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 with Newport City. The bridge’s walkalators allows a pedestrian to walk from the airport to Newport City in less than 10 minutes.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Roger Rañada

Filipina, 94, also a victim of United Airlines discrimination

by TeTch

ToRReS-TupaS Inquirer.net

THE family of 94-year old Paz Arquiza was heartbroken by what she had to endure after she was booted by United Airlines from her Business Class seat and moved to Economy on her flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia.

Arquiza had not had long trips for four years. She is suffering from severe arthritis and degenerative bone structure in her neck.

But after Arquiza got a clearance from her doctor, Marianne Santos Aguilar said the family pitched in to buy their grandmother a Business Class ticket to ensure her comfortable travel.

In their discrimination complaint against United Airlines Zealand, Russia, and South Ko- dated Feb. 8, 2017, Rose Benerea are also expected to attend. dicto, Arquiza’s mother said the “Multilateral meetings of this flight from Melbourne to LA was sort, we usually expect 100 per- comfortable. cent attendance. And many of “She was able to sleep and the leaders who do not attend do was very comfortable in Busiso because they have internal is- ness Class,” Benedicto said sues and – which prevents them adding that the flight attendants from coming,” Paynor said. made every effort to accommoHe further added, “So there date her request to assist her will be one or two who may not be mother as needed. able to come but this is because But their experience on Unitof, let’s say, internal issues with ed Airlines Flight 98 from Los their individual countries.”

Angeles to Melbourne on Feb. 2 was different.

Benedicto said when she assisted her mother to the restroom, one of the flight attendant named Shauna rolled her eyes at her.

When she asked Shauna if she could assist her mother with some tasks like reclining her seat and opening food containers she said the flight attendant told her that “people pay to be in Business Class,” referring to her.

Benedicto was seated at the Economy class.

A few minutes after making her request, Shauna and another flight attendant told her that they could grant her request.

Instead, they told her that they

Pence: Trump will attend ASEAN...

PAGE A1 general for operations of the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council, said Trump has reportedly indicated that he would attend this year’s ASEAN summit.

According to Paynor, who is also Malacañang’s chief protocol officer, Trump made the confirmation during his phone call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last year.

“As of now, President Trump, for instance, when President Duterte called him up to congratulate him had already indicated that he was coming in November,” Paynor said on Wednesday, April 19. “So at least verbally he said he was coming.”

During a telephone call in December 2016, Trump reportedly invited Duterte to visit the White House this year. In response to the White House invitation, the Philippine president also invited Trump to attend the 2017 ASEAN Summit, which will be hosted by the Philippines.

Pres. Donald Trump

The 31st ASEAN Summit will be held from November 10-14 in Clark Field, Pampanga.

According to Paynor, organizers expect complete attendance from ASEAN member states at the upcoming summit — which include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

He said other country leaders from dialogue partners like Australia, China, India, Japan, New

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could move Arquiza with her in Economy.

“With the hope that my mother could stay in Business Class, I asked Shauna if she can help my mother open her butter because aside from fruits, bread with butter is most likely the only food she will eat during this flight due to her age. Without a word, Shauna abruptly turned her back on me,” B e n e d i c t o Paz Arquiza, 94, reportedly also experienced how United Airlines treats said. some of its passengers.

Photo courtesy of Marianne Santos Aguilar She said Two months after the inciShauna and the other flight attendant gave her two options: 1. dent, United emailed them only have her mother sit in Economy to tell them that the airline was with her or 2. get off the flight already processing the refund of and reschedule the following day AUD$1,149.75 since Arquiza did so she could purchase a Business not stay in Business Class. Her Class ticket for herself to sit with family had paid AUD$4,827.00 her mother. The United Airlines for that accommodation.

In that same email, United employees told her she had five minutes to decide since the flight promised to get back to them after two weeks. was taking off.

Aguilar said her grandmother Benedicto said she talked to her mother and explained that no was ok now “but we are forever one would assist her if she stayed tainted by this incident.”

Last April 9, United Airlines in Business Class. Arquiza agreed dragged a passenger off a flight to be moved to Economy.

Upon their arrival to Mel- that the airline had reportedly bourne, Arquiza’s legs had swol- overbooked in Chicago.

Video of the incident and later len due to poor circulation from prolonged sitting. She also suf- photos of a bloodied passenger, fered a stiff neck and body aches. David Dao, drew widespread Her doctor had to prescribe a criticism for United Airlines.

Like Arquiza, Dao is of Asian stronger medication and Valium descent. Reports say Dao, who to help her sleep.

Aguilar said they filed a com- lives in Elizabethtown in Kenplaint but United had not even tucky, traces his roots in Vietnam. apologized.

California hospitals lose ground in quality...

PAGE A1 From 2014 to 2015, 56 California hospitals achieved “significant improvement” in preventing certain infections, including ones in the blood and those resulting from surgery, according to the California Department of Public Health. But diarrheal infections in California hospitals have increased 8 percent above a national benchmark since 2011.

The state has created an interactive map where the public can check infection rates by hospital.

Leapfrog, which has issued hospital scores in California and nationwide since 2012, analyzes information it collects as well as data reported to Medicare. Erica Mobley, a Leapfrog spokeswoman, said the group’s methodology compares all hospitals to each other on a national scale, so a mix of factors could be responsible for the lower scores statewide.

“This could represent California hospitals’ performance slipping in comparison to their peers across the country or could also mean that they may be staying constant in their performance while other hospitals are progressing,” Mobley said.

The percentage of hospitals in the Golden State that got the top rating also decreased in Leapfrog’s latest analysis. Twenty-five percent of California hospitals, 68 facilities, earned an A grade this year, compared to 43 percent, or 104, in 2015.

California ranked 28th nationally in the percentage of A-rated hospitals. More than half of the hospitals in states such as Oregon, North Carolina and Massachusetts achieved the highest score.

In Leapfrog’s report card, some performance measures are risk-adjusted for patient severity and income so hospitals aren’t penalized for admitting sicker, poorer patients.

Some hospital industry officials have criticized Leapfrog’s letter grades as too simplistic for a complex issue and as potentially misleading for patients.

Jan Emerson-Shea, a spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association, noted there are many different scorecards and said consumers shouldn’t put too much stock in any one ranking.

“While these scorecards often serve as a good starting point for patients to ask questions of their health-care provider, they should not be viewed as being a definitive source for determining the quality of care provided by any hospital,” Emerson-Shea said.

The Leapfrog data show that some of the top performers in California include Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach and Inglewood’s Centinela Hospital Medical Center.

Health giant Kaiser Permanente consistently posts some of the highest scores and shows little variation across its 35 hospitals in the state. Thirty-three Kaiser hospitals received A or B grades; two got C grades.

The University of California health system fared well across seven hospital campuses, with five A ratings and two B grades.

Some large institutions lagged further behind. Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank received a D, as did the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hos-

pital and Trauma Center.

Leapfrog cited San Francisco General, a public safety net hospital, for being below average at preventing surgical site infections after colon surgery and for allowing dangerous objects to be left in a patient’s body, among other factors. Providence’s Burbank hospital had a higher-thanexpected rate of patients who developed serious breathing problems and caught antibioticresistant infections, according to Leapfrog.

A spokesman for San Francisco General didn’t comment directly on the hospital’s results, other than to say it didn’t participate in Leapfrog’s optional survey on safety procedures and training.

Providence said in a statement it takes patient safety seriously and respects efforts to help consumers make an informed choice.

However, “it is important to understand that health care data are extremely difficult to compare as each patient is unique,” the hospital said. “Often information is a few years old before it is analyzed and aggregated for the public.”

A full list of California hospitals and their scores is available here.

California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development also offers data on hospital quality and patient outcomes.

And Medicare posts star ratings for hospitals nationwide, which are another resource for patients and policymakers. (Chad Terhune / California Healthline) California Healthline is a service of the California Health Care Foundation produced by Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • ApRIL 21-27, 2017

D ateline PhiliPPines Revilla plunder trial postponed for fifth time

by ElizabEth

MarcElo Philstar.com

MANILA — Even the justices of the Sandiganbayan are getting upset with repeated postponements of the trial of the plunder case against former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam.

At the supposed first day of the trial proper of the case, the prosecution and defense informed the court that they were not yet done marking and comparing their documentary exhibits.

“I hope we can proceed with the trial already,” Associate Justice Efren Dela Cruz, division chairman, said, sounding exasperated.

But lead state prosecutor Joefferson Toribio said there are still several unmarked documentary exhibits such as Special Allotment Release Orders that have yet to be delivered to Manila from the Caraga region.

Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, however, said the court will no longer accept similar excuses in the next hearing and even dared Toribio to swear that the marking of exhibits will be finished “once and for all”.

“That is your undertaking, prosecutor. That’s your legal oath. So we will no longer hear you say that the documents are in Region XIII,” Econg said.

Thursday marked the fifth time that the start of the trial was deferred due to the unfinished marking of exhibits and several other excuses by both camps.

The trial was supposed to start on January 12 but was reset to February 9, February 23, March 30, and April 20.

The continued trial postponements has Econg worried that the court might already be accused of violating the law on speedy trial.

“Ang problema, this case has been [under] more than a year of pretrial. Baka kami na naman ang mapagalitan ng Court upstairs, bakit protracted ang pretrial (We might get scolded by the higher court, why the pretrial is too protracted),” Econg said.

Econg was referring to the Supreme Court, which earlier denied Revilla’s motion questioning the ombudsman’s filing of the cases and ordered the Sandiganbayan to proceed with the trial.

Econg cited Republic Act 8493 or the Speedy Trial Act of 1998, which mandates that the trial of the case must start within 180 days from the date of the arraignment of the accused.

Revilla motion denied Meanwhile, Dela Cruz denied in open court the earlier motion of Revilla’s camp seeking to exclude the prosecution’s witnesses and documentary exhibits

pertaining to the supposed ghost projects funded by the former senator’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel.

“We decided to deny the contention of accused Revilla that evidence should not be included because that is the prerogative of the prosecution,” Dela Cruz said.

To give the prosecution and the defense ample time to finish the marking and comparison of exhibits, the court set additional dates of preliminary conferences on April 21, 27, 28, May 8 and May 12.

The trial proper was reset to June 1.

Revilla has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City since the filing of the case in June 2014.

Revilla is accused of receiving P224.512-million worth of kickbacks from the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in exchange for endorsing the latter’s supposed bogus non-government organizations as the beneficiaries of his PDAF. The court denied Revilla and Napoles’ respective petitions to post bail in December 2014, saying that there is strong evidence that warrants their continued detention. The trial of the case, however, has been delayed several times since then.

Associate Justices Sarah Jane Fernandez and Bernelito Fernandez concurred with the ruling.

Binay Jr. is also named as coaccused in two counts of graft and one count of malversation of public funds filed by the ombudsman against his father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, in July 2016.

The Third Division, however, has yet to rule on whether there is probable cause to proceed with the trial of the cases against Binay Sr. and his co-accused.

Philippine, Australian and U.S. service members participate in a cooperative health engagement during exercise Balikatan in Cagayancillo, Philippines April 10, 2016. The annual Balikatan exercises between the Philippines and the United States will go ahead in May. This will be the first military exercises between the Duterte administration.

U.S. Marine Corps/Jason W. Fudge/Released

With war games dropped, US-PH Balikatan shifts focus

by Patricia lourdEs Philstar.com

viray

MANILA — The first US-Philippines Balikatan military exercises under the Duterte administration will focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

The Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement earlier announced that war games have been dropped from the annual exercises between Filipino and American troops.

“The focus of Balikatan has been shifted to, out of the guidance of the president following receipt of the memos that we got and the guidance of the secretary because it is always definite that we are going to experience so many disasters one after the other every year, we have focused the concept of Balikatan to address our capability together to address humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Tuesday, April 18.

The 10-day exercises, which will kick off in May, will also focus on counter-terrorism as the country battles Islamic militants in Mindanao.

Former Senator Bongbong Revilla Padilla noted that there have been a series of small exercises last year when Duterte took office but the Balikatan exercises this year would be the first one after his

by MayvElin caraballo cent to 7.5 percent official gross financial linkages with China, suggestion to cancel the drills.

Manilatimes.net There will be no more live-fire domestic product (GDP) growth Peiris said.

Nonetheless, the Philippines exercises this year as the joint THE International Monetary target this year, but lower than Fund (IMF) has retained its Phil- the revised 6.9 percent growth will be affected should growth in military exercises will focus on huippine growth forecast for 2017 recorded last year. Its 2018 fore- the region slow, while the impact at 6.8 percent, pointing to strong cast falls below the 7 percent to from a tightening of US monetary domestic demand, a recovery in 8 percent target of the govern- policy will depend on the extent to which it is driven by stronger exports, and higher public spend- ment.

Peiris also said higher com- US growth. ing as major growth drivers.

“Protectionist policies in ad“Growth is projected to remain modity prices would drive up inrobust at 6.8 percent in 2017 flation to 3.6 percent in 2017 and vanced economies would have and 6.9 percent in 2018, led by 3.3 percent in 2018, although an overall negative impact in strong domestic demand and a still within the BSP’s target range Asia including the Philippines recovery in exports,” Shanaka of 2 percent to 4 percent for both but the magnitude of impact and Jayanath Peiris, IMF resident years. Inflation averaged 1.8 per- channels would depend on the specific policies that are still unrepresentative to the Philippines, cent in 2016.

China spillover ‘manageable’ certain,” he said. told reporters by email on TuesPeiris urged the government He said the external position of day after the release of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) Up- the Philippines would continue to focus on policies promoting to be comfortable amid ample inclusive growth, such as closing date report. the gaps in infrastructure and “Public spending is expected international reserves.

Moreover, spillovers from human development particularly to rise as the fiscal deficit target has been increased to 3 percent slower growth in China or higher in poverty-stricken rural areas.

He noted that fiscal policy was of GDP in 2017 and provide a global financial volatility should stimulus to economic activity,” be manageable for the Philip- already oriented toward social pines because of its strong eco- and infrastructure expenditure, he added.

The IMF’s 2017 forecast falls nomic fundamentals, ample pol- financed by additional borrowing within the government’s 6.5 per- icy space, and limited trade and and higher revenue.

IMF keeps PH growth outlook

Pacquiao wants end to tax woes SENATOR Manny Pacquiao wants an end to the litigation of the complaint he filed against the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in connection with the P2.2 billion tax that the latter wants to collect from him.

Pacquiao on Wednesday, April 19 confirmed that he is open to the possibility of settling his tax problem with the BIR and negotiations are ongoing.

“I have always been open to the possibility of amicably settling the tax assessments of the BIR which in my view are without basis,” Pacquiao said in a statement relayed by his media relations officer Aquiles Zonio to The Manila Times.

“It is my desire to seek an end

to the pending litigation because, as a senator, I do not want to maintain a case against the government,” he added. “I was only forced to file a case in order to defend myself from the actions of the BIR which I believe were violative of my rights under the law.”

“I have the utmost trust and respect for Commissioner Caesar Dulay. My only request from the lawyers of both parties is that the discussions be based on the evidence on hand and not on mere perceptions,” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao’s business manager Enrico Pineda, who serves as a congressman representing 1Pacman partylist, said they expect a positive response from

the BIR. “I’m hoping this issue (tax evasion) will be settled the soonest because everybody knows that Pacquiao is not a tax evader,” Pineda, also the team manager of Mahindra in the Philippine Basketball Association, said.

“He was just singled out by the past administration. I’m hoping the issue will end,” he added.

The BIR filed a P 2.2 billion tax liability case against Pacquiao for not allegedly paying correct taxes in 2008 and 2009.

But Pacquiao questioned the tax assessment and in 2013 filed a complaint against the BIR at the Court of Tax Appeals. (Josef T. Ramos/ManilaTimes.net)

Palace: Remark on arming civilians vs terrorists just ‘a dramatization’ by alExis

roMEro Philstar.com

MANILA — Malacañang clarified Thursday, April 20 that President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement about arming civilians against terrorists and drug addicts is not yet an official policy.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the president’s was a “dramatization” of the need to beef up security in Bohol, where Abu Sayyaf members launched an attack that left five alleged bandits, three soldiers and a policeman dead.

“I think the statement was about Bohol ‘no, but in a sense it was a dramatization of mak-

ing sure that security is raised up in the area,” Abella said in a press briefing.

“It’s not a policy direction, okay. It’s not a policy… There’s no paper to support that. But what I’m saying is that this is his intention to raise security,” he added.

Duterte has issued several off-the-cuff remarks that his officials would later on clarify or interpret. They include his supposed declaration of separation from the US, a pronouncement that his officials said was an emphasis on the need for an independent foreign policy; and his readiness to send troops to

the Middle East, which was regarded as a mere reiteration of defense ties.

Abella previously advised journalists to use their “creative imagination” when covering the president and to take his words seriously but not literally.

Abella said Duterte’s remarks should not be interpreted as giving firearms to every household.

“I’m assuming that part of the civil defense will be, the ante would be pushed up,” he said.

“Let’s put it this way. The president, he has a way of underlining what he wants to do, okay?”

A

manitarian and civil assistance.

“There will be a few live-fire (exercises) focused only for small units inside camp. There won’t be live fire outside of any military camp... All of these exercises will be held inside military installations,” Padilla said.

During his visit to Vietnam on September last year, Duterte said that he wanted to the joint military exercises with US forces and called for the withdrawal of American troops.The president said that he wants to establish new trade and commercial alliances with China and Russia. He also said that the war games with the US

were something that Beijing does not want.

Earlier this year, the president threatened to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement if the US military will not stop unloading weapons in the country. US Ambassador Sung Kim was quick to clarify that thatWashington is not building any weapons depot in the Philippines.

Duterte has been hostile toward the US following criticism against his anti-drugs campaign. The president, however, has not made a move that would permanently sever US-Philippines ties despite his rude remarks.

A

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april 21-27, 2017 • OC/iE aSiaN JOUrNal

OpiniOn

Features

‘Golden age of infrastructure’ A subwAy in Metro Manila. Other projects to improve mass transportation as well as sanitation, solid waste management, flood control, telecommunications—you name it. All in all, the government aims to build approximately P3.6 trillion worth of projects under the so-called TRIP, or three-year rolling infrastructure program from 2018 to 2020.

TRIP was unveiled at a forum dubbed “Dutertenomics” the other day, coinciding with the opening of several infrastructure projects built by the private sector. The inadequacy of infrastructure in this country has been among the top complaints of investors. Administration officials have vowed that the Duterte presidency will be remembered as a “golden age of infrastructure.” As of last January, the government reported that 64 big-ticket infrastructure projects were either in the pipeline or being implemented. These included roads, railway projects and airport and seaport modernization.

Each administration has had its own infrastructure program. but numerous projects in the past were derailed by corruption scandals, voluminous red tape, the lack of feasibility studies and counterpart funds as well as sheer official ineptitude. The country cannot guarantee the sanctity of contracts,

while corrupt judges derail projects by selling indefinite restraining orders. Regulators are also weak and susceptible to bribes.

The sad consequence is that the country has been left behind by many of its Asian neighbors in terms of quality of infrastructure.

This in turn has affected development efforts, levels of foreign direct investment and job generation. while the country has registered sustained economic growth, which is considered the fastest in the region, the figures in real terms pale when compared to neighboring countries.

Among the founding members of the Association of southeast Asian Nations, Filipinos trail in terms of income levels and purchasing power as well as many quality of life indicators.

President Duterte has vowed to be harsh on the corrupt, and the nation is holding him to his promise. Most infrastructure projects get bogged down in red tape, with personnel at almost every stage from barangay offices to local governments and national agencies demanding grease money.

Contracts are scrapped or altered whimsically. If President Duterte can eliminate these problems, he might yet deliver on his promise of a golden age. (Philstar.com)

Guest Editorial

Philstar.com photo

If Duterte can’t be expected to change, perhaps media should PREsIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has accused media, specifically the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Abs-CbN, of being bastos and unfair and, in the process, he sounded just as foul as the objects of his ire.

Perhaps it is too much to expect Duterte to change. but, with due respect to my media colleagues, I believe they – we – can use some frank self-examination and an overhaul.

Duterte isn’t the first head of state to complain about the way some members of the press have used “alternative facts” in their reportage, to echo Donald Trump’s Kellyanne Conway.

To drive home my point, I would like to re-run a piece that I wrote in January 2002, during the incumbency of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, entitled, “The Making of a Masturbated story”: Vicky Garchitorena, former head of the Presidential Management staff, in a recent meeting with the Filipino community in san Francisco, conjectured that “as much as 50 percent” of the stories put out in Manila media were distorted or even fabricated.

As a new palace insider with first-hand knowledge of what President Arroyo had said about an issue or how it had been discussed in official circles, she confessed to being often taken aback by the slant given by the media to that issue – stretched or twisted beyond recognition.

In the first of this two-part piece, I referred to that practice as “masturbating the news,” a

term to which I was introduced as a cub reporter back in the mid-50’s. Perhaps today’s journalists are already using another term but the practice remains.

The constant refrain of government officials and prominent personalities in business and civil society has been that Philippine media have a tendency to “sensationalize” the news, to dramatize or exaggerate situations and even to distort or fabricate stories.

The media have been quick to protest this “generalization,” pointing out, quite rightly, that it unfairly tarnishes those who operate by the strictest standards of the journalistic profession (and it should be assumed that they are still legion). but it cannot be denied that there are those in media who routinely stretch facts or present stories out of context for a number of reasons, the most benign of which is to grab the attention of readers, viewers and listeners.

It also cannot be denied that there are those in government and the private sector who are just as guilty of misinformation and even outright disinformation. Or of simply not knowing what to say but saying it anyway.

On my recent visit to Manila, I decided to track the making of a masturbated story.

On Friday, January 18, the Inquirer ran the headline: “us senator says RP next Afghanistan.”

The American official referred to, sen. sam brownback,

a member of the senate Street foreign relations commit- Talk tee, never said that. The exact quote, which appeared within the article, GreG B. MacaBenta read: ‘”It appears that the Philippines is going to be the second, the next target, after Afghanistan on the war on terrorism,’ brownback said during a stop in wichita. ‘That Abu sayyaf group is the target.’”

It doesn’t take rocket science to take that statement in proper context.

The united states and its allies, the Philippines included, have vowed to go after terrorists wherever they may be. The Abu sayyaf has been linked to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Ladin.

President Arroyo and President George w. bush have both agreed that the Abu sayyaf should be eliminated. There is some urgency in this for the us because two American citizens are being held hostage.

Thus, to quote brownback: “That Abu sayyaf group is the target.”

The trouble is that there has been a great deal of fudging and equivocating – too much masturbating – on the part of the Arroyo government concerning the role that the Americans will play in the campaign against the Abu sayyaf. That, coupled with the hypocrisy and piranha mentality of the opposition and the age-old “yankee go home”

rhetoric of the militants, has created an opportunity for sensationalizing, for creating suspense, conflict and confusion.

This was reflected in the treatment of the Inquirer’s Friday headline which expectedly, set off fireworks which, in turn, made for a perfect follow-up story on saturday. Its headline the next day blared: “us senator stirs furor for remark on RP.” The subhead read: “No way RP will be next Afghanistan.”

The lead rubbed it in even more: “The statement of a united states senator that the Philippines could be the next Afghanistan has triggered an uproar, with senators seeking a personal briefing from President Macapagal-Arroyo on the presence of us troops and activist groups demanding their immediate pullout.”

The usual quotable notables wasted no time in jumping into the fray, even if out of context. sen. blas Ople “dismissed brownback’s statement, saying the us senator was ‘speaking from a complete ignorance of Philippine reality.’”

Even a media veteran like Max soliven couldn’t help getting into the act. In his column in the sunday, January 20, issue of Philippine Star, the headline snapped: “Too much puffery over an American senator be-

ing a loudmouth, too.”

And then he wrote: “what’s brownback supposed to have said? That the Philippines would be the next Afghanistan? we know, and this should suffice, that we are as different from war-ravaged, Taliban-humiliated, feudal-minded (except in some warlord areas) Afghanistan as apples are from oranges.”

Max is right. The Philippines is not Afghanistan. but brownback never said it is.

Always feisty, Max (my former boss, incidentally) described brownback as someone who sounded “like a delegate from Dogpatch high on Kickapoo joy juice.”

Ouch!

In a tabloid that picked up the same story, Roilo Golez called brownback’s statement “grandstanding” and said that “the latter’s fear is baseless and untrue. ‘It’s only part of speculation.’” but wasn’t he also “grandstanding” by making an incorrect attribution to brownback?

The latter never expressed any “fear” about America helping in the campaign against the Abu sayyaf and, as national security adviser, he knows that the us involvement is not “baseless and untrue” or “only part of speculation.”

The ones who are speculating are the militants and the political opposition who insist that, far from just giving advice and training, us troops will actually go into combat against the Abu sayyaf.

And here is where Malacañang has been “massaging the message.” No. Definitely not.

The Americans will just train our soldiers. Although they’ll observe on the frontlines. And they’ll fire back when shot at. but no, they won’t go into combat.

The fuzz explains the comment of sen. Joker Arroyo, also in the Inquirer, that “the presence of u.s. troops in basilan and Zamboanga was an implied admission by the AFP that it could not defeat the Abu sayyaf.”

Malacañang’s retort? Of course we can defeat the Abu sayyaf ourselves without any us help. but we can use some help. but we really don’t need help. Although we are already being helped.

For those of us who live overseas, it’s disconcerting having to constantly strain to read between the lines when going over the news from Manila.

First, we’re never sure that the source of the news, especially when it is the government, is conveying it truthfully, with no equivocation, and without any material facts being withheld.

And then, we’re never sure that the version being communicated in the media is an objective, complete, unvarnished portrayal of the facts.

To put it bluntly, we’re never sure that the news is not being masturbated.

Is it any surprise that the image of our country is so screwed up? (gregmacabenta@hotmail. com)

Critical of Duterte’s Mideast Lenten visit but silent about Teddy’s ‘blasphemy’ LENI Robredo is practically politically dead, and the latest sws survey has shown this.

Her net satisfaction rating shed 11 points.

And you do not have to believe scientific surveys. All you need to do is to look at the angry faces antonio contreras that merrily float on the screen everytime her face shows up.

Teddy baguilat, her party-mate, in response to her steep decline in net satisfaction ratings, tweeted on Holy Tuesday, April 11, a biblical explanation. “Ika nga sa bible [as the bible said], the prophet (who bears truth) is sometimes not welcome in his hometown. Kaya [this is why]VP Leni’s ratings have gone down.” some devout Catholics have criticized the timing of President Duterte’s visit to Muslim-dominated countries, namely the Kingdom of saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of bahrain and the state of Qatar, at a time when Filipinos were commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. some painted the visit as a gross disrespect of our Catholic faith. yet, these people have not taken Teddy baguilat to task for what can be considered as blasphemy, where he likened Leni Robredo to a prophet being persecuted even by her own people. They did not question the timing of Teddy’s tweet, that of all days he has to deify his embattled Vice President three days before Catholics and other Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. what is problematic is the ease by which people can appropriate religion to provide justification for acts of preferred political personalities, even as religion has been used to diminish or silence

Commentary

the politics of others. And in the Philippines, what is even more discomfiting is the manner by which a secular state such as ours has allowed Roman Catholicism to influence the direction of our political discourse.

It has always been said that the Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia.

This lie has been repeatedly stated over and over again, effectively blindsiding the intent of the Constitution that installed a state that is separate from any religion. It is a constitution that bars the state from discriminating against people based on faith. yet, we have seen how our government has privileged Roman Catholicism as the dominant religion. To privilege one is to discriminate against the others, particularly the religious minorities. In fact, if at all, the state has a duty to protect their rights over the dictates of the Catholic majority.

However, the state fails to protect the rights of the minority when we have laws that are crafted not on the sheer logic of secular demands, but are constrained by religious considerations. There was a time in our history when the writings of Jose Rizal were banned from schools simply because he was seen as a heretic by the Catholic Church. when a law was proposed requiring the inclusion of a course on Rizal in the curriculum, the Catholic Church opposed it.

The Reproductive Health Law was strongly opposed by the Church on the grounds that it was an affront to the tenets of the faith.

Even the President seemed to have bought into this line of thinking when he declared that he could no longer support same-sex marriages, something which he promised during the campaign, on the ground that we are a Catholic country.

And the use of religion to discriminate does not favor only the

Catholics. bigamy is a crime, but not for men who are followers of Islam.

One needs to realize that the Philippines is not a theocracy. Its secular nature bars us from privileging any particular religion in the conduct of our civic affairs. The deployment of Roman Catholicism as a principal logic that inhabits our political discourse is a gross violation of the very nature of our state. what aggravates the use of religion is when it becomes a weapon that can be deployed selectively by partisans, such as when noise is generated to chastise the President’s visit to Islamic states during Lent, even as there is silence when Teddy baguilat deified Leni Robredo by likening her to a persecuted prophet.

One can condemn this column today as an ill-timed heretic discourse coming just after we have celebrated the resurrection of Christ.

However, belief in the resurrection does not mean closing democratic spaces or silencing the minority and the dissenters.

It is about having a faith that is unassailable even in a plurality of voices. A secular state that celebrates pluralism of beliefs, religious or otherwise, is not a threat to a faith that is cemented by belief in the resurrection of Christ as savior and Lord. A law that would allow divorce, or for same-sex couples to marry, could not assault the faith that is firmly held by believers deep in their hearts. After all, even persecution by Rome did not stop the early Christians from propagating their faith. but more importantly, this column serves as a litmus test for your politics vis-à-vis your faith. If you are uncomfortable with it, it can only mean that you really do not truly understand the freedoms we owe to the fact that the Philippines is a secular state, and not a theocracy. (ManilaTimes.net)

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

ROGER LAGMAY ORIEL Publisher & Chairman of the Board

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Paris Agreement takes effect PH will not raise arbitral in the Philippines on Earth Day award in direct talks with China by

Kristian JaVier Philstar.com

MANILA — The Paris Agreement on climate change will take effect in the Philippines on April 22, Earth Day, Sen. Loren Legarda said on Wednesday, April 19.

Earth Day is a worldwide celebration to show support for environmental protection.

“Earth Day will once again be historic for the Philippines as it will mark the commencement of the Paris Agreement’s legal force and effect in our country,” Legarda said.

On Earth Day last year, 175 countries signed the historic agreement to reduce carbon emissions.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Paris Agreement in February for ratification by the Senate. The president had previously rejected the deal and called it “stupid” and “unfair.”

Legarda, Senate committee chair on climate change, said that the entry into force of the agreement will start the Philippines’ journey “towards a resilient and sustainable future.”

“The Paris Agreement is a testament of solidarity and a call for global climate action. It shows that developing nations and developed countries could pursue climate action and uphold cli-

Sen. Loren Legarda, said that once the Paris Agreement on Climate Change has taken effect in the Philippines, the country may now participate in the next meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement.

mate justice together,” Legarda said.

She added that the Philippines must ensure that Filipinos are “climate-engaged” and communities are geared towards sustainability.

Legarda said that with the agreement in effect, the Philippines may now participate in the next meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement and advance its interests.

“We need to exercise governance, oversight, leadership and decision-making in the imple-

mentation of the agreement,” Legarda said.

Identify programs that need funding Legarda said that the Philippines should immediately identify programs that can be funded once the agreement is in effect, since it allows the country to access international climate finance mechanisms.

She added that the government can get support from developed countries to fund adaptation, mitigation, technology development and transfer, and capacity building.

“These could help finance the development and roll out of our early warning systems, comprehensive risk assessment and management tools, and other capacity-building projects and programs that would make our communities more resilient to climate change,” Legarda said.

The senator also said that the creation of local climate change action plans (LCCAP) that will serve as tools for all cities, municipalities, and provinces in the country to access grant-based funding from international climate funds should be fast.

“We must build capacities of local communities to adapt to climate change impacts and eventually contribute to mitigation,” Legarda said.

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA—The Philippines will not raise the ruling of a United Nations-backed tribunal on the South China Sea in its bilateral talks with China, acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday, April 19.

The Philippines’ top diplomat clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte is not setting aside the award issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in the Hague, Netherlands.

“China has disassociated itself from the arbitral ruling and the president has been quite clear that he will not be raising the arbitral ruling. He’s not setting it aside but he won’t be raising it until an appropriate time during his administration,” Manalo said in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.

This does not mean that the Philippines will not be discussing issues of concern in its upcoming dialogue with China, Manalo said.

On July 2016, the arbitral tri-

bunal ruled that Beijing’s historic nine-dash line claim over the disputed South China Sea does not have legal basis.

The arbitral tribunal also concluded that China violated its commitment under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea by building artificial islands within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Manalo, however, noted that the ruling of the arbitral tribunal is already part of international law.

“The issue now is how to address the problems which, for example, the arbitral ruling sought to address. But you see the arbitral ruling did not discuss, did not pronounce on the disputes and they did not pronounce on some other issues,” the secretary said.

The upcoming bilateral talks between the Philippines and China next month might even cover issues outside of the arbitral award.

“I would even say that the talks would be much broader than the coverage of the arbitral ruling,” Manalo said.

“We have many things to look forward to in this mechanism

and the most important thing is that it could hopefully develop more trust and confidence when we dialogue with China and that could create the atmosphere to try and achieve some possible breakthroughs,” the Foreign Affairs secretary added.

The exact details of the bilateral talks are yet to be finalized. Manalo confirmed that the first session of the dialogue will be held in May in China.

China earlier invited officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs to start discussions on a bilateral consultation mechanism on the South China Sea. Manalo said that this mechanism is an important step forward as it will focus on issues in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. “That’s not the only mechanism we have with China since President Duterte took over. We have also reestablished our ongoing political consultation mechanism which really looks at our entire relationship with China but naturally we have to discuss issues of concern there,” Manalo said.

‘Anomalous’ DILG firetruck deal raised vs Sueno still on after all by aLexis

romero Philstar.com

MANILA — The controversial fire trucks deal that cost Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno his job will push through after all.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the purchase of fire trucks from an Austrian firm would push through because there is no court order that stopped its implementation.

“The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) firetruck deal will proceed,” Abella said in a statement.

“It is a perfected contract and there is no temporary restraining order (TRO) that prevents its implementation,” he added.

Interestingly, Abella’s statement was similar to the one issued by Sueno when he was answering claims that he was involved in anomalies.

Sueno: Duterte may have been fed wrong info Duterte fired Sueno this HONORARY DEGREE. Vice President Leni Robredo receives the Doctor of Humanities Honoris Causa during the 70th Commencement Exercises at month over the deal, which was the University of Saint Anthony at San Miguel, Iriga City, Camarines Sur on Wednesday, April 19, 2017. Photo from the Office of the Vice President questioned before the Supreme

Court by former Abakada partylist Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz.

The president said he lost his temper when Sueno claimed that he was unaware of the legal opinion on the contract for the purchase of the trucks from Austrian company Rosenbauer.

“If you answer me… that you never read the opinion of your legal officer of your own office, it’s either you are taking me for stupid, an idiot or you are lying through your teeth,” the president said.

The interior department legal opinion recommended that Sueno defer his approval to seek payment for the trucks pending the case filed before the high court Sueno has said he respects the decision of the president to remove him from his post but maintained that he is not involved in corrupt practices.

He said Duterte may have been fed with the wrong information by “those who were salivating for his post from the start.”

Sueno said there was no way

that he could have prevented the purchase of the firetrucks “because it was a perfected contract entered into by the previous administration.”

“My role was to abide by the provision of the contract which says that I should ensure that the firetrucks to be delivered are in good condition so my team and I had to go to Austria to inspect them. If we did not do that, we cannot anymore complain if they delivered defective firetrucks to us,” Sueno said.

Sueno claimed that the firetrucks are actually much cheaper compared to locally-made firetrucks because these were under a soft loan agreement for 23 years with only minimal interest rates.

“The Austrian firetrucks are new ones compared to the locally-made ones which are cheaper but are reconditioned and which are good only for a few years. But then again, this is beside the point. The contract is perfected and I only had to implement it,” he said.

A

april 21-27, 2017 • OC/iE aSiaN JOUrNal

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april 21-27, 2017

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Kris Aquino signs contract ‘The unexpected leader’ and her with LA-based agency hope to inspire new beginnings by arlo

Custodio

ManilaTimes.net

INSTAgrAM is officially Kris Aquino’s medium. In a series of posts, she has kept her fans and followers updated of what’s going on with her Hollywood adventure.

On Monday, April 17, the flamboyant TV host—who is definitely one of Philippines’ biggest and most controversial personalities—posted, “I am now being managed by East West Artists headquartered in Los Angeles … My entertainment career will be under the direct supervision of one of their partners, @agentchrislee. #NewBlessing #NewJourney.”

She followed it up with a greeting, “good morning Philippines. #grateful #BeBlessed.”

With another text that said, “Work hard in silence. Let your success be the noise,” she furthered, “Obeying the request of @agentchrislee, believing in the wisdom of @nix722, and for

Kris Aquino with son Bimby, agent Chris Lee, and financial adviser Nicko Falcis.

the peaceful hearts of my sisters. #challengeaccepted.”

The Queen of All Media flew to Los Angeles on Sunday, April 16 to sign a contract for a Hollywood project, which she said she could not disclose the details yet as she signed a nondisclosure agreement, but shared

she was excited to read the script with her name watermarked on every page.

Meanwhile, showbiz website Pep.ph reported that Aquino has landed a role in the movie adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s hilarious bestselling novel “Crazy rich Asians.”

Anne Curtis included in ‘Top 30 World’s Most Beautiful Women of 2017’ by rosette

adel

made it to Buzznet.com’s list, joining 29 other iconic women from various industries of politics, ACTrESS and TV host Anne Hollywood, sports, and modeling, Curtis has made it to a Hollywoodamong others.

The sole Filipina beauty ranked 26th in the roster, where Beyonce is at the top of the list.

According to the social magazine Buzznet, more than seven million participated in the poll, which determined the Top 30 World’s Most Beautiful of 2017.

The list was released on March 10, 2017 but was only posted by Anne on Wednesday.

Other personalities who made it to the list are Naomi Campbell, ronda rousey, Ophrah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Blake Lively, gal gadot, Ashley graham, gigi Hadid, Emma Stone, Angelina Jolie, Margot robbie, Hillary Clinton, Dakota Johnson, and Emma Watson, among several others.

BuzzNet is also a photo, journal, and video-sharing social media network based in New York Actress and TV host Anne Curtis was named one of “Top 30 World’s Most Beautiful Women of and Los Angeles. It is owned by Hive Media.

2017” by a Hollywood-based social magazine.

Philstar.com

based social magazine’s “Top 30 World’s Most Beautiful Women of 2017.”

Anne is the only Filipina who

THE title “Queen of All Media” would have been a better, if not the perfect, fit for Charo SantosConcio, the first and only female president and chief executive officer to have led a Philippine media conglomerate via ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.

But while she is still considered “the most powerful woman in broadcast and entertainment” over a year into her retirement, those who have read a copy of her newly published biography will surmise that Concio has no qualms that the label was coined for the network’s former talent rather than herself.

In fact, in reading “My Journey: The Story of an Unexpected Leader,” one will even go as far as to conclude that Concio would be uncomfortable with such a title and other similar adulations for that matter. For while she has greatly influenced the Filipino’s viewing habits and preferences both on television and the movies, while successfully steering ABS-CBN into the advent of social media toward the end of her tenure, she delivered her best as a quiet worker behind the bright lights of show business.

“I’ve always been very shy,” Concio, who penned her memoir with editor An Mercado Alcantara, confessed to The Sunday Times Magazine. “Even in school I would just be in one corner, and I wouldn’t be raising my hand [to recite].”

Nevertheless, she graduated valedictorian both in grade school and high school at the Holy Infant Academy of Calapan, Mindoro where

Charo Santos-Concio

she was raised, and eventually marched cum laude as a student of Communication Arts at St. Paul’s College Manila.

“I was a conscientious student but I was never up there to rally the troops back in school. Neither was I ever president of the student council as you might expect … but I was the bell ringer,” she laughed.

“That’s why I call myself an ‘unexpected leader’—the title of my book—because throughout my life, the common theme is that I never intended nor planned for any of this to happen. My life just unfolded the way it did. I was a shy provinciana with all my insecurities, and looking back, it seems that someone up there was holding my hand, and showing me all the opportunities that came my way.”

Out of a deep sense of gratitude for reaching heights beyond her wildest dreams, Concio said she agreed to write a book about her life in

the hopes of inspiring a guileless country lass like herself to take on what she may deem impossible.

“If my story can touch just one person to believe in herself and begin living her dream, then my journey will be all the more worthwhile,” she intoned.

Mama’s girl Concio, who launched her book at the end of March with the full support of ABS-CBN Corporation Chairman Eugenio “gabby” Lopez III and ABS-CBN Publishing Inc. President and CEO Ernesto “Ernie” Lopez, admits her life is full of ironies. For as shy as she is her rise to the topmost position of one of the country’s biggest companies began by becoming an actress.

“I don’t know why I ended up in the world of entertainment,” she shook her head. “Masunuring anak lang talaga ako [I just was a dutiful daughter] because I allowed my mother to live her dreams in me.”

In her foreword, Concio affectionately introduced her mother, Nora Navarro, as a “statuesque beauty who could sing like Joni James.”

“She really wanted to become a singer but when my mother married my dad, naunsiyami [her plans fell apart],” Concio continued in this interview. “She eventually became a teacher but she always encouraged me to join school Continued on Page 3

continued, “I don’t think things have changed much. History does have the tendency to repeat itself.

A journalist once shared with that change is like billiard balls struck by a poor pool player. The vigor of the stroke seldom coincides with the direction intended.”

With roots from Silay City, Negros Occidental, Locsin holds a journalism degree from California State University-Northridge and hails from a family of writers.

Her uncle (her father’s brother), Teodoro Locsin Sr., was a highly respected journalist and publisher of The Philippines Free Press Magazine. His son, Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin, Jr. is also a well-known journalist and columnist.

As a first time book author and publisher, she admits that there were challenges that she had to hurdle through, one of which is editing. “I have to thank my editing team for their hard work,” she said. “As an author or for me at least, it was difficult to edit my own work. What’s on my mind at times, reflects differently on paper.”

She also has this advice to aspiring writers: “Write your heart out. Write the story you want to tell. Do not allow discouragement and negativity to stop your creativity. After you write your story, be confident and don’t let the money and sales rank be your guide for your success.

Everyone is entitled to their interpretation of your story so accept the criticism that can help you improve and let go of all the worthless negativity.” *”The Value of Equality” is available in hardbound, paperback and electronic copy.

It is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble in all formats including E-books for Kindle, Nook and Ibooks. For bulk and distribution, please contact Authorhouse (http://bookstore. authorhouse.com/Products/SKU001121174/The-Value-of-Equality. aspx). The novel was also released in the United Kingdom, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and South Africa, as well as Japan and China. It is not yet available in the Philippines.

A remembrance of her Filipino heritage Author Cristie Locsin writes about change and possibilities in “The Value of Equality” by

Malou liwanag-bledsoe / AJPress

WHEN writers make fiction, many would expect that they would go beyond what is expected of them purely because they have more room for imagination. For first time author Cristie Locsin, she had that in mind when she wrote “The Value of Equality” — that, with fiction, she would have freedom to create her own story.

However, she did not go very far as she decided to stay close to her Filipino roots.

“The Value of Equality” tells the story of the hacienderos of the Philippines in the late 1960s, when times were turbulent with rebel groups vying for political reformation and new leadership.

The first book of a proposed trilogy, it is inspired by the experiences of Locsin’s father and

grandfather.

In 1969, the powerful hacienderos in the province of Azusa were known for creating politicians. Daria Hernandez, a haciendero’s daughter, loved her father’s land and the workers. She paved the way for the ambitious and idealistic Mayor Vasquez to

The author with husband Michael, and kids James, Jenella and Jade.

might try to find similarities with the story’s characters and/or storyline. “The farmers and workers are part of the characters in the book. As for the past and current situation [in the Philippines], situation is different,” she said. “Agrarian reform has ended the patriarchal or matriarchal root of the landlord and former relations, which erased the sense of family, responsibility and care.”

In spite of the Filipino-inspired and background of the story, Locsin reiterated that her book’s message is universal, as it focuses on the political happenings not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well.

“Don’t let the cover of the book fool you. The theme for my book is universal,” she said and then added, “It is about love and sacrifice.

It also dabbles on historical settings with politics on the side.

The backdrop for the novel is a setting and culture that few can remember. It is also a sub-culture to the traditional Filipino culture that is presented in a lot of novels.”

She also talked about change, which seems to be part of the “The Value of Equality.” In the book, the readers may perceive that change happens all the time — whether good or bad. “...It’s [change] a word that seems to have lost its significance and meaning. It is overused in my Photo courtesy of Cristie Locsin opinion,” she explained and then

lead the country into a new form of government.

Locsin explained that she chose to write historical fiction because she’s a big fan of alternate history genre. “It’s my imagination’s interpretation of a what-if scenario,” she said.

She also clarified that readers

Sharon Cuneta’s advice to the next Darna

by Maridol

ranoa-BisMark Philstar.com

SoMe netizens say it is time to retire Darna, the super heroine who flew her way to Filipino moviegoers’ hearts for decades. Sharon cuneta disagrees. “the Voice teens” coach is all for reviving the iconic character and passing her legacy to the next generation.

Sharon cuneta has had her fill of playing Darna as a curvy 20-year-old who had a cameo as the super heroine back in 1986’s “captain Barbel” (Viva Films).

Now, it is time to look for the next young one who can play the taxing role and look smashing in the body-hugging costume with a revealing cleavage and a thick belt around her waist.

“Darna is such a strong, strong brand. It’s a wonderful franchise with a sentimental value to us Pinoys. If they (the Americans have Wonder Woman), we have our Darna,” she said.

Not everyone can play Darna, of course. Sharon thinks it is only for the physically fit, because the action scenes are taxing.

Back then when she played the role, there were no invisible wires to lift Darna in the air.

Sharon recalled how her director,

Villar Philstar.com

Sharon Cuneta then and now.

the late Leroy Salvador, asked her to lie down, head first, while a long piece of iron held her tight on both sides of her body. the pain she felt all over made Sharon ask her producer, the late Mina del rosario, “can I switch to drama? I can shed five buckets of tears if needed.”

Sharon thinks all the wouldbe Darnas on the list (Liza Soberano, Nadine Lustre, Jessy Mendiola and Pia Wurtzbach, among others) are fit for the role. And she will be happy for the next person chosen for the role.

Sharon takes her hat off to Angel Locsin, who played Darna on tV in 2005.

“She’s tough but feminine. She’s also curvaceous.”

But Angel cannot reprise the role anymore because of damage in her spine. It’s time the role is passed on to the new generation.

Sharon offers this piece of advice to whoever gets the prized role.

“Darna is a responsibility. take it seriously. Huwag kang umarte sa shooting (Don’t be a diva during shooting). Mahiya ka kay Darna (Be ashamed before Darna).”

Meanwhile, Sharon is excited to be back as the most senior coach, this time for ABS-cBN’s singing reality show, “the Voice teens” (with Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo).

“I’m relaxed. It’s nice to be back with people you’ve worked with,” Sharon said.

plays, and I guess that’s how I overcame my inherent shyness.

When I’m on the stage I just know I have to play a part so I do it, but when the curtains go down, I go back to my natural shy self.”

A statuesque beauty herself, concio’s mother convinced her to join beauty contests too. She was crowned Miss calapan and later Baron travel Girl, which was where the late great film director Lino Brocka finally discovered her for show business.

“Lino asked me if I would like to audition for a movie [fellow director] Mike de Leon was doing.

‘Yan na yung Itim. [that was for Itim].”

Itim was concio’s first ever foray into the silver screen in 1976, which won for her the Best Actress award at the 1978 Asian Film Festival in Sydney, Australia.

to this day, she enjoys reminiscing her experience in de Leon’s critically acclaimed film not only because of her international recognition, but because it was the first time her provincial upbringing worked to her advantage.

“When you’re a beauty queen, people automatically think you’re sophisticated, di ba?” concio gleefully recalled. “Yun pala [but it turned out that]Mike was really looking for a probinsyana [provincial lass] for the movie. He asked, ‘Probinsyana nga ba talaga yan?’ doubting me, so he gave me an audition piece where I had to be a city girl.

“Imagine, I had to light a cigarette when I didn’t even know how to light a match! I kept trying and trying to light it until Mike said in exasperation, ‘tama na nga yan, aksaya sa negatibo ko!’ [Enough of that, you’re wasting my film!], and

3

Derek Ramsey eyes frisbee gold in France tiff

by Joey

‘The unexpected leader’ and her hope...

From Page 2

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Actor Derek ramsey has shelved making movies for a while to chase a dream. And that dream is a nothing less than snaring a gold medal in the 2017 World championships of Beach Ultimate, or better known as frisbee, set from June 18 to 24 in royan, France. ramsey, a tV 5 talent, said the country has excelled in the event after finishing second in 2007 in Brazil and third in 2011 Italy and he hopes this forthcoming edition will be his swan song.

“I’m 40 years old and it’s hard chasing 18-year-old players,” said ramsey. “they asked me if I could give it one last chance and this time go for gold and I accepted it.

It’s the reason why I didn’t accept any movie offer this year.”

A total of 1,100 players from 71 teams representing 24 countries are joining the fifth edition of this quadrennial event sanctioned and organized the

World Flying Disc Federation, the world governing body of frisbee. ramsey said the Phl Dragons, who are composed of players mostly coming from Boracay, Visayas and Mindanao, have a legitimate shot of snatching the gold. “the Phl Dragons are really popular because teams like the US, Australia, Japan and Korea fly here in April to play in the Bora open. they want to compete and beat the Dragons but our team has won all 10 editions,” said ramsey. there are actually two events in frisbee—one is beach and the other grass.

Like in the beach, the Dragons are competitive in grass. “this will be my third beach and also third in grass. For Grass, we’re No. 7 in the world. the world championship for grass happened last year. that was my last and I’m the best goal scorer,” said ramsay. “this will definitely be my last,” he added.

Derek Ramsay

ramsay, a basketball and football player, said the sport has grown since he took it up more than a decade ago.

And if plans don’t miscarry, frisbee could eventually turn out to be an olympic sport come 2024.

“I’ve heard there is a strong chance it will make the olympic calendar in 2024 and I think it should be included,” he said.

Gerald Anderson: ‘Life is a marathon’ by deni rose Bernardo Philstar.com

“A LoVe to Last” star Bea Alonzo keeps the photos of her exes —and her boyfriend, actor that was how he was convinced I Gerald Anderson, does not mind. was really a probinsyana and not “Part ng buhay ng isang tao acting out the part.” ‘yan e, something na ‘di natin From there, armed with mabubura,” he told Philstar.com her mother’s unwavering in a recent interview following his encouragement and an innate successful finish at the Skechers LA talent for the camera, the shy beauty from calapan would make Marathon.

He does not feel jealous, even some 40 or so movies throughout now that Bea is seen in romantic her acting career, reaping more scenes with actor Ian Veneracion in awards along the way.

“A Love to Last.” coming full circle, when she “Ako naman ‘yung tipo ng tao retired as president and ceo na ine-enjoy ko ‘yung moment. of ABS-cBN, concio’s highly Kung anong nangyayari sa buhay anticipated return to the silver ko ngayon, ‘yun ang focus ko, hindi screen, Lav Diaz’“Ang Babaeng ‘yung past,” added Gerald, who is Humayo,” clinched the coveted also working with his ex-girlfriend, Golden Lion award at the 73rd Kim chiu, for another ABS-cBN Venice International Film Festival. soap opera. He and Kim are even Beyond the movie set in a sexy magazine cover shoot Naturally, show business lately. helped concio outgrow her He assured that he and Bea insecurities, but while she started to gain confidence for the camera, have a high level of trust. “Kasi Continued on Page 4 hindi ako nag-dwe-dwell sa past,”

Gerald Anderson

he said.

Last Holy Week, Bea and Gerald had a beach vacation in Davao together with their families.

When the actor celebrated his birthday last March 7, Bea’s gift for him was “support and time.”

He also got his wish of “wisdom, strength and motivation.”

Shortly after his birthday,

Gerald finished the 42k Los Angeles marathon. Bea was so happy when he crossed the finish line and called him right away to congratulate. Will he be running with Bea in the next marathon?

“She joins runs. Kaya n’ya (magmarathon). Kaya ng kahit sinong may gusto, basta paghihirapan,” he assured. “It’s one thing I want people to experience, kahit hindi ‘yung 42k, kahit ‘yung mga halfmarathon man lang. Kasi ‘yun ang gusto kong maranasan ng mga tao, ‘yung fulfillment.” crossing the finish line has its own joy and offers a different feeling altogether that Gerald cannot compare it to the happiness he felt during his birthday, christmas, or first kiss with Bea. “the fulfillment, the emotions, do not compare with anything…

Kasi alam mo na pinaghirapan mo s’ya, ‘yung emotions at fulfillment na binibigay sa’yo na isang marathon or isang race, iba s’ya.”

Continued on Page 7

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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Pechanga celebrates midway point of $285 Million resort expansion with topping out ceremony A mAjor milestone in the construction of the $285 million Pechanga resort & Casino expansion was reached today.

Dozens of construction members, elected officials, dignitaries, Pechanga Tribal members and Pechanga Team members gathered to watch the topping out of the Tribe’s massive addition that will make their resort/casino the largest on the West Coast. The mammoth expansion is now more than halfway complete.

This topping out included crews 14 stories up pouring the last 710 tons of concrete into the upper framing of the new hotel tower that will house 568 rooms and suites. A giant, concretefilled bucket the size of a midsize car was hoisted via crane to the top of the south hotel wing and its contents poured into the

structure. A small, sacred oak tree also hitched a ride onto the top of building with the bucket, and was placed atop the tower as a symbol of strength and perseverance. The ceremonial tree will be planted on the resort grounds at the expansion’s completion.

“Countless people, as well as more than 2,500 construction trades workers, have labored tirelessly to keep construction on schedule allowing us to celebrate today. This is the very spot new and existing visitors to Temecula and Pechanga will have their first impressions of our new resort come December. on this important day, we can look confidently toward our Tribe’s and the Temecula Valley’s future,” said Edith Atwood, President of the Pechanga Development Corporation.

Sacred oak tree lifting onto the top of building with the bucket, and was placed atop the tower as a symbol of strength and perseverance.

Topping Out Ceremony and Press Conference with over 60 Medias in the General/Chinese/ Vietnamese/Korean/Filipino and Japanese markets (100+ media guests), construction members, elected officials, dignitaries, Pechanga Tribal members and Pechanga Executives (total of 200 attendees).

EMPLOYMENT

Pechanga Tribal Councils & Members

The project put more than 2,500 regional construction tradesmen and women to work for the two-year build. materials used in construction have been largely sourced from Southern California. Builders have poured 81,000 tons of concrete to erect the Pechanga resort expansion’s new hotel wing. more than 2,174 tons of reinforcing steel went into the structure, The base of the intersecting hotel towers is 70-feet wide and 13-feet deep with a large tunnel system allowing the more than 4,500 Pechanga Team members to move easily through the property for the most efficient guest service. The hotel structure ascends 13 stories on the south and nine stories on the north.

When the entire expansion project is complete in December 2017, Pechanga resort & Casino will offer a full-scale destination experience to visitors coming from California and beyond.

Snapshot of Pechanga When Expansion is Complete: * Casino Square Footage: 200,000 * Event/meeting/Convention square footage: 100,000 (indoor) 174,500 (outdoor) * Number of Hotel rooms: 1,090 * Number of restaurants: 13 * Number of Pools & Spas: 13 * Number of Employees: 4,560 * other Amenities: 2-level luxury Spa, Fitness Center, Championship 18-hole Golf Course, Concert Theater, Nightlife, Green roof

EMPLOYMENT

‘The unexpected leader’...

From Page 2

she never traded fame for her love of learning. She pursued a related course in college, excelling as a student of Communication Arts, and found herself inspired by the likes of producer Armida Siguion-reyna and later regal Films’ Lily monteverde.

“I would watch Tita Armida, the producer running the show, and think to myself, ‘Kaya ko rin yun ah’,” Concio related when The Sunday Times magazine asked what compelled her to go beyond the movie set and unwittingly begin her rise as a media executive. “I wanted to be able to manage a project, especially since I had a degree in Communication Arts.”

As she wrote the book, Concio belatedly realized that while it was her mother who brought out the actress in her, it was her father who sparked her interest in the production side. Winifredo Santos, chief physician of Calapan’s provincial hospital, would take his brood of six [Concio was the second eldest] to the movies every weekend to watch double features.

“I grew up in a movie house and as a movie fan,” Concio proudly declared. “Every Saturday my father would bring us to the movies so bata pa lang ako, hinahangaan ko na sila [even as a young girl I was already a fan of] Gloria romero, rosa rosal, Nida Blanca, Amalia Fuentes, and Susan roces. I guess very early on, I was fascinated by how movies were made.”

Her creative side and management skills soon won over the performer in Charo Santos, and come the 1980s, she produced such The building was designed

by Delawie architects, the original critically acclaimed films as “oro, Plata, mata” and “Himala” under the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines, among many others. She also designers of Pechanga resort & gained further experience in the creative departments of Vanguard Films, Casino when it was built in 2002.

Lifescapes International is building Vision Films, and regal Films.

Through the glass ceiling the four-acre pool complex.

In 1987, while working for regal Films, she was invited to join the new Tutor Perini was selected as the expansion builder. CLEo Design is ABS-CBN, which re-opened following the 1986 People Power revolution.

She joined the Lopez-owned company as a television production the lead for interior aesthetics. consultant.

Pechanga Resort & Casino As the network strove to rebuild its reputation as a major media Pechanga resort & Casino conglomerate in the Philippines, Concio’s career simultaneously offers one of the largest and flourished, and with unflinching dedication and perseverance she steadily most expansive resort/casino rose up the ladder as production manager, program director, executive experiences anywhere in the vice president, until becoming ABS-CBN’s fifth president and CEo in United States. Voted the Number march 2008 as the first female to ever hold the position. one casino in America by readers It was Concio’s overwhelming success in conceptualizing and of USA ToDAY and rated a Four producing iconic Filipino television shows like “Esperanza,”“mula Sa Puso,” Diamond property by AAA since “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,”“Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay,”“Home Along Da riles,” and 2002, Pechanga resort & Casino provides an unparalleled getaway. of course the longest-running Philippine TV drama anthology program “maalaala mo Kaya,” which she hosted from the very beginning, that offering more than 3,400 of cemented the Lopez’ confidence in Concio and sealed her appointment. the hottest slots, table games, Her extensive experience with several movie companies further world-class entertainment, 517 played a vital role in the eventual creation of ABS-CBN’s movie-making hotel rooms, dining, spa and arm Star Cinema in 1991, where she produced critically acclaimed films all championship golf at journey over again like “Dekada ’70,”“Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?” and “Tanging at Pechanga, Pechanga resort & Casino features a destination that Yaman” among others. of her feat in shooting through the proverbial glass ceiling, Concio meets and exceeds the needs of insists everything was unplanned. its guests and the community.

“I never really thought that Gabby [Lopez] would consider me so Pechanga resort & Casino is that when he got someone from the outside when [former company owned and operated by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. president] Freddie Garcia retired, it did not affect me. It was a non-issue For more information, call toll free and hindi ko talaga inisip [and I never really gave it any thought],” she disclosed.

1-888-PECHANGA or visit www.

But in becoming the “unexpected leader” through the different stages Pechanga.com. Follow Pechanga of her career, proof that Concio was hardly driven by ambition but a resort & Casino on Facebook passion for her craft, is her principle in steering any group or department <http://www.facebook.com/ to which she was assigned. Be it a production unit or the entire network pechanga> and on Twitter @ itself.

PechangaCasino <http://twitter.

“Being a leader is not about you,” she explained. “It is about leading a com/pechangacasino>. Pechanga group or organization to be strong and dynamic, and leading the people resort & Casino is open 24-hours. to deliver based on the objectives of the organization.

Guests must be 21 and older to “A leader should always be ‘other person-oriented’ to be able to enter the casino.

(Advertising Supplement) Continued on Page 7

EMPLOYMENT

HOME AGENCY

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

5

Gary V opens his 2017 international tour in North America FRESH from the commercial and critical success of his twonight benefit Valentine concert, Love In Motion at Shangri-La at The Fort, Gary Valenciano gears up for the very first leg of his 2017 international tour, which is set to happen in North America beginning this May. Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singersongwriters in the Philippine music industry.

The North American tour of Gary kicks off on May 27 at M

Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada with online star and Philippine recording artist Katrina Velarde as his special guest. Gary will then perform at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula on June 3 with special guests singersongwriter, Philippine fashion icon, and it-girl Kiana Valenciano and Katrina Velarde. The tour will culminate on June 10 at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County with guests Kiana Valenciano, Katrina Velarde, and popular singer-actor Sam Concepcion.

For the past 34 years, Gary has been a shining beacon of hope as he has released some of the most inspiring songs and videos and has been the National Ambassador of UNICEF for 18 years now. He has produced some of the best concerts and an impressive array of multiplatinum albums that gave the world hits that have become the soundtrack of an entire generation of music aficionados making him one of the most powerful and influential performers in the history of the Philippine entertainment industry. Gary has also consistently filled major venues not only in the Philippines but the world over as well.

With an impressive 3.3 million followers on Twitter, 664,000 on Facebook and 234,000 on Instagram he is slowly penetrating the millennial generation through the content he continues to create. Gary

never fails to receive welldeserved standing ovations for his concerts as he constantly stuns his fans with his amazing dancing skills and vocal gymnastics which have proven that he indeed is a living miracle despite 39 years of having Type 1 diabetes.

In the Philippines, Gary is seen regularly on ABS-CBN as one of the flagship artists of its longest running Sunday musical variety show” ASAP.” Gary has also concluded his stint as one of the jurors of the top-rating international franchise Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids. He was likewise a judge in the “X Factor Philippines” and a host of “Twist and Shout.”

His recent compilation albums “Gaya Ng Dati” which gathered his top Tagalog hits and Gold a collection of 50 of his English recordings both released by Universal Records are favorites of music buyers. GV @ Primetime released by Star Music is a sampling of the greatest theme songs that he recorded for some of ABS-CBN’s phenomenally successful primetime soap operas including his rendition of the theme song of smash hit soap opera, Ang Probinsiyano – “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak,” which spawned video memes that went viral online. The songs are available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and other online stores.

With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look forward to an amazing show that is jampacked with Gary’s greatest hits and special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver.

The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada.

Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12.

For more information check wee.garv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @GaryValenciano1 on Twitter and @garyvalenciano on Instagram.

Kiana Valenciano & Sam Concepcion join Gary V 2017 US Tour KIANA Valenciano and Sam Concepcion are set to appear as Gary Valenciano’s special guests in his upcoming 2017 US Tour beginning this May. Kiana is set to perform with Gary on June 3 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula with Katrina Velarde and once again in the culminating leg of Gary’s 2017 US Tour, this time with Sam Concepcion and Katrina Velarde at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, LA County on June 10.

Kiana Valenciano is currently soaring with 149,000 Instagram followers, and a string of brands she has been made an ambassador of such as Australian cosmetic brand BYS Philippines, Adidas, Fuji Films, SM Parisian Bags and Shoes. This popular digital influencer recently released two hit singles – “Circles” and “Does She Know.”

As soon as she opened her eyes, Kiana was destined to make ripples in the music industry – the same field that was instrumental in building the legacy of her parents.

With a clan of artists behind her there is no way Kiana could escape her destiny as a musical artist. Both of her grandmothers are singers.

Her mother used to sing in the band Music and Magic in the early 80s. Her brothers Paolo and Gab have also made their individual marks in the entertainment industry and it is just natural for Kiana to follow suit.

In fact, she started in the field of recording at the age of six and was rewarded for her effort with the Awit Award’s Best Christmas Recording and Best Child Recording Artist Awards for the song “Once Again It’s Christmas,” a composition of Gary V, who also performed the song with her. This was the beginning of the evolution of a talent that was preserved and now is ready to be unleashed.

As she entered her teens, she was able to further showcase her innate talent on TV shows like “The X Factor Philippines,” “Showtime,” and “ASAP.” She was also able to share the limelight with Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. She was chosen in 2014 as 89.9 Magic’s Most Promising Female Artist. She took a few months off in 2015 to take some special courses in Fashion Design at the prestigious art school, Central Saint Martins in London.

The blogosphere also became her platform as she was chosen as Candy Magazine’s Reader’s Choice as Favorite Blogger for 2015 with her www.kianavee.com platform.

Her journey in the field of music reached greater heights when she bagged the Most Promising New Female Singer of Magic 89.9 for the song “With You,” a duet with her dad which he wrote for her older brother Paolo’s wedding and which was the title of the best inspirational album for the Catholic Mass Media Awards last year. In 2015, she bagged the Awit Award’s Best New Female Recording Artist trophy for “Dear Heart,” a finalist in the 2014 Philpop Songwriting competition.

Sam on the other hand, is a popular singer, dancer, actor, VJ, and host. In the span of his spectacular 15-year career, he has come out with five successful studio albums, and he was featured in several soundtracks including the Asian soundtrack of the international blockbuster animated flick “Kung Fu Panda.” His duet with Tippy Dossantos “Dati” has generated a staggering 40 million views on YouTube.

Sam has also appeared on some of ABSCBN top-rating shows such as “ASAP,” “Maalala Mo Kaya,” “Your Face Sounds Familiar” season 2, and the hit drama series “You’re My Home.”

In movies, he headlined such blockbuster hits such as “Cinco” and “Way Back Home” under Star Cinema as well as the cult classic “I Do Bidoo Bidoo: Heto nAPO Sila.”

Gary’s 2017 international tour is in line with his 34th anniversary in the business as one of the most successful and prolific singersongwriters in the Philippine music industry.

With Mon Faustino as musical director, fans could look forward to an amazing show that will be jam-packed with Gary’s greatest hits and a bunch of special surprises that will surely ignite excitement that only Mr. Pure Energy could deliver.

The North American tour of Gary will be followed by a series of provincial shows in key cities in the Philippines, in Asia, and a second North American tour in the United States and Canada.

Gary will also have a special show in Viridian Event Center in Utah on June 12.

For more information check his website www.garyv.com and like Gary Valenciano Official on Facebook and follow @GaryValenciano1 on Twitter, and follow @garyvalenciano on Instgaram; follow @kianavee on Twitter and Instagram, and like Kiana Valenciano Official on Facebook; and follow @sam_concepcion on Twitter and Instagram and like Sam Concepcion Official on Facebook.

C

alendar of Events

across

America

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Fundraising event to benefit the first-ever Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum in Las Vegas The Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum (FAHAM) will host “Heritage Celebration - Filipinos Landing in California,” a fundraising event on Friday, April 21, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Dallas Ballroom of Texas Station Hotel and Casino. Festivities include a buffet dinner, arts exhibits, vendor booths, cultural entertainment a native fashion show, a Philippine history presentation, and dance performances. The cultural entertainment will be provided by the FAHAM Cultural Dance Group, Heart of Polynesia, Gina Kim Korean Dance Group, Filipiniana Dance Company of Las Vegas, Sophia Ramos, Sharon Tanyag, and DJ Mike. Emcees will be Amie and Leo Belmonte. The donation is $50 / person. Attire is formal. FAHAM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is currently America’s first Filipino American Museum, Archives, Legacy, Culture, Innovation Research Center, and Library Garden founded in Delaware by Mrs. Ditta Camomot, M.Ed., M.A. Its holdings are artifacts, ethological materials, and ecclesiastical, historical, arts and ephemera collections, as well as environmental projects. Texas Station is located at 2101 Texas Star Ln, North Las Vegas, NV 89032. For tickets and more information, please contact Salve Edelman at (702) 418-8968.

Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County’s ‘maiden’ induction in Alhambra The newly-formed Filipino American Chamber of Commerce Tri-County (Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) — with the motto “Empowered to Lead, Committed to Serve” — will have an induction of executive officers and board of directors on Friday, April 2, 6 p.m., at Almansor Court (700 South Almanzor St., Alhambra, CA 91801).

FACC Tri-County President Merwynn Montenegro has invited Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz to induct the officers and give the keynote speech. Councilmember and former West Covina Mayor James Toma will be the inspirational speaker. Boardmember Atty. Abraham Lim serves as Legal Counsel while Noel S.V. Omega and Mary Ann Omega are Chamber Advisers. Cost is $40 with free parking. Business attire is required. For more information, contact Secretary Ed Cansino (909) 263-7297; Asst. Sec. Grace O. Vaughn (951) 261-0601; or 1st VP Elen Yuhico (909) 636-6271, or lvsolis@aol.com.

A P R I L 23

Afternoon of bowling and networking with Fil-Am Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (FACC-GLA) proudly presents an “afternoon of bowling fun and networking” on Sunday, April 23 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Matador Bowling Lanes at 9118 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, CA 91325. Enjoy the Sunday afternoon with fun, laughter and meet new friends. Please RSVP to Connie Mapue, secretary of FACC-GLA at (323) 337-7714. Fee for bowlers, $25 / person (FACCGLA members); $30/person for non-members. $15 / person for non bowlers

A P R I L 29

12th annual Sikad ng Bayan bike ride in Anaheim Hills, CA The Sikad ng Bayan (Cycling for the Nation) is an annual bike ride that raises funds to build preschools for less fortunate communities at Gawad Kalinga (GK) villages in the Philippines. It is a non-competitive ride that will be held on Saturday, April 29, where cyclists traverse the Orange and Los Angeles counties. And in true Filipino fashion, this fun ride culminates in a Pinoy-style luncheon where cyclists can get together and know more about Sikad. It will be held at the Yorba Regional Park (7600 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807). For more information or to register please visit www.sikad.org or call Rey D. at (562) 964-1445 or Robbie V. at (949) 351-8344.

APRIL 30

Filipino Cultural School to host “Sari-Sari Talent Show 2017” in Cerritos, CA Filipino Cultural School (FCS) will host its 2nd annual Sari Sari: Talent Show Fundraiser on Sunday, April 30 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Josephine’s Cerritos (11305 183rd St, Cerritos, CA 90703). Filipino Cultural School, based in Cerritos, CA and other neighboring cities, is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization geared to the preservation and promotion of the Philippine heritage and culture. FCS has and continues to be open to all. Filipinos and non-Filipinos who are interested in Philippine culture are invited to attend. “Sari-Sari” is a Tagalog word for “variety,” and in this talent show, FCS aims to celebrate the diverse talents of our community members in forms of singing, dancing, spoken words, etc., along with some great Filipino food from the restaurant. Pre-sale tickets are $10 for ages 13 years old and above, and $5 for ages 12 years old and under. Door prices will be $15 for ages 13 years old and above, and still $5 for ages 12 years old and under (ticket prices do not include food). The raised funds for the event will go towards helping cover for the cost of venue, insurance, and materials for the FCS Summer Program. For information on how to purchase a ticket and also sign-up to perform in the show, please visit the website http://filipinoculturalschool.org. For any inquiries, feel free to contact FCS at filipinoculturalschool@ gmail.com.

M AY 4

Philippine Consulate Outreach Mission in Carson, CA The Philippine American Bar Association (PABA) will hold its 31st Annual Installation and Awards Gala on Thursday, May 4, 2017 in downtown Los Angeles. PABA is the largest local organization of Filipino-American attorneys in the United States. Formed three decades ago, PABA serves the needs of Fil-Am lawyers and law students in Southern California. The Gala is a celebration of the Fil-Am legal community, as well as PABA’s largest fundraiser of the year. The proceeds are used to carry out the group’s mission: strengthening the legal community through mentoring programs, networking events, scholarships for students, and continuing education. The keynote speaker for this year’s Gala is California State Treasurer John Chiang. Jose (Joe) Lauchengco, Jr., will be recognized as the 2017 Trailblazer, and The Honorable Bernie LaForteza, Los Angeles Superior Court, will be the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Jurist Award.

The Gala will be held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90071. Registration along with a A No-Host Cocktail Reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the Dinner & Program will commence at 7:00 p.m. Additional ticketing and sponsorship information are provided below. If you would like to purchase individual tickets, advertisements, tables or become an event sponsor, you can also pay online by clicking here: https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/paba/giftstore.jsp

M AY 4 -1 1

FilAm ARTS and Philippine Expressions Bookshop to host art exhibit in San Pedro, CA The Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) and Philippine Expressions Bookshop in partnership with the Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles proudly present BUKLOD: A Gathering of Filipino and Filipino-American Art and Artists from May 4 to 11. Over 50 works of art by Filipino and Filipino-American artists are featured in this exhibition, which aims to reassert the presence of Filipino-Americans in the Western canon. Although many Filipino-American artists have been recognized in the art world, their cultural heritage is rarely highlighted nor has there been a body of work categorized as Filipino-American masterpieces in the 600 years of the history of painting. The artists of BUKLOD strive to fill that void with works that instill culture, dignity, and imagination to a cultural landscape that seldom acknowledges and habitually denies them their shared humanity. This exhibition gathers contemporary LA-based artists who anchor their work with their heritage and have an active community involvement to further their respective passion projects as artists. The BUKLOD exhibit will be open to the public beginning on May 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., coinciding with the San Pedro’s First Thursdays Artwalk. The exhibit will run until Thursday, May 11 at the Croatian Cultural Center (510 W 7th St, San Pedro, CA 90731). The opening Reception will be held on Saturday, May 6 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and will include live performances as well as food and artisan booths.

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

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA Joshua hurried outside the inn to the courtyard. a stranger summoned him for help. he had a mule tethered to a post. a badly beaten, wounded man who looked half-dead was splayed helplessly face down across the girth of the pack animal.

“What happened?” Joshua asked.

The stranger replied, “I came across this man on a deserted part of the roadway to Jericho. he was stripped naked, unconscious and bloodied all over. he was still alive, but barely. I couldn’t just leave him.” he paused and pleaded with Joshua, the innkeeper, “Can you help us?”

Joshua sprang to action, “Let’s bring him inside quickly. I can have Luke look him over.”

They carried the man inside and laid him in a bed in one of the rooms. Joshua quickly fetched the man he called Luke. he was a physician who spent much of his time writing.

They hurried to the wounded man’s room. With his deft hands, Luke diagnosed the injured man’s condition and briskly gave instructions to Joshua to prepare warm water, oil, ointment and strips of clothing to bind the man’s wounds.

The man’s breathing was shallow. he opened his swollen eyes slightly seemingly regaining consciousness. The man moaned asking where he was. Then he drifted out once more. Luke felt his pulse. It was weak but steady. They ministered to him as best as they could. The man drifted in and out of consciousness but the bleeding had stopped. seeing that there was no more they can do for the man at the moment, the three men left the room.

“I am Micah from samaria,”

Health@Heart

6

Something to ponder:

The story of Micah, the good samaritan

“… He opened his swollen eyes slightly seemingly regaining consciousness. The man moaned asking where he was. Then he drifted out once more. …” the man said. “I am Joshua,” the innkeeper replied, “and this is Luke.” Luke gazing at the two men with kind knowing eyes, nodded, acknowledging them both as he went back to his writing.

Micah stayed with the injured man through the night, lying down on a cot on one side of the room for short naps in-between while Luke checked in on the man’s condition from time to time during the night. Joshua made sure there is food for Micah and enough oil for the lamp that burned faintly in one corner of the room. It looked like the man was going to make it. he said a prayer of thankfulness.

Micah was up early. he had pressing business to attend to. he looked in on the wounded man. he set aside two silver coins for the man’s care. Micah made a mental note to stop by the inn on his way back. he wanted to cover any other cost. sometime during the day, the wounded man opened his eyes and saw he was in a strange room. his body ached all over and his head was spinning. he was hungry and thirsty and was about to call out when Joshua entered the room. “how are you feeling?” Joshua asked him. he had a tray of warm food and a flask of wine with him.

The man groaned in reply.

Joshua placed the tray of food beside the man. he had great difficulty eating and swallowing but he must have been truly famished. he cleaned up what was on the tray.

Joshua asked as he sat down

on a chair, “ so tell me. What happened?”

The man answered, “a band of four robbers sprang up on me while I was traveling on a deserted road on my way to Jericho. They beat me up so badly and left me for dead. They took all I had, even my clothing.”

The man continued, “hours had passed when I saw someone, coming up the road. he was garbed like a priest. I shouted for help and he saw me. alas, he went on the other side of the road and hurried along. No one else came for hours. My heart was sinking. and then, in what seemed to be forever, a Levite came by and saw me but he too could not be bothered and went to the other side of the road and went on his way.” he paused for a while and said, “I was losing hope. I asked God for mercy to send someone, anyone to help me. The sun was going down and it will soon be cold and dark when I saw someone coming up the road. he was riding in a mule.

I managed yet again to shout for help. This time, the man stopped, got off his animal and quickly hurried to where I lay bleeding. I must have passed out since that was the last time I remembered anything.”

Joshua told him, “The man who brought you here saved you just in time. God heard your prayer. a physician has been treating you.”

Joshua looked at him squarely and added, “The man who saved you is named Micah, a samaritan. he was up all night looking after you. ” Continued on Page 7

The new silent killer

Framingham Risk score of 16 to 18 percent, which puts them in a higher risk category similar to those PhiliP S. ChuA, who already had a previous heart Md, FACS, FPCS attack.

Various clinical studies have ThE silent killer of the 1970s, shown that even with a normal high blood pressure, is now Body Mass Index (BMI), individuals replaced by metabolic syndrome, with expanding waistlines from a cluster of three or more risk factors like abdominal obesity, high visceral fats could still have metabolic syndrome. Those who blood pressure, high triglycerides, consume soft drinks of any kind, abnormal lipids, and insulin cola, diet or regular, caffeinated resistance (pre-diabetes type 2). or not, have a higher risk for The expanding waistlines of the development of metabolic americans (and Filipinos as well) syndrome, especially children. in the past several decades have Indeed, soft drinks are toxic to our been alarming, not only from body and to our DNa. the cosmetic/physical point of as I have highlighted in the view but, more importantly, from book, “Let’s stop ‘Killing’ our their adverse impact on health, Children,” healthy lifestyle and morbidity and mortality. It is now disease prevention, in order to be obvious that “love handles” can be fully effective, must start in the deadly. womb, and dieting and discipline The researchers from Charles must begin in the crib to protect the E. schmidt College of Medicine children’s DNa. This preemptive and at Florida atlantic university, proactive strategy at the cellular/ in an article posted this year in molecular level will exempt them the Journal of Cardiovascular from having the so-called “expected Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and normal diseases of aging,” stated that “being overweight and like arthritis, high blood pressure, obesity contribute to metabolic diabetes T2, heart diseases, stroke, syndrome, which affects 1 in 3 alzheimer’s, and even cancer. adults and about 40 percent of adults aged 40 and older…that the Indeed, these are preventable.

The pandemic of obesity, which risk factors are more than just the begins in childhood, has been sum of their parts.” increasing in the past century, and obesity is indeed surpassing the current generation of children tobacco as the preeminent and adolescents (who eat more preventable cause of early morbidity and premature deaths in calories and unhealthy foods and who exercise less) will reach the united states and globally. middle age with higher morbidity The rule of thumb is that and mortality from metabolic, optimizing health requires and cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and includes a waistline of less than cancer, which may even be worse 40 in men and less than 35 in women, and a healthy lifestyle: diet, than their parents’ in spite of the great advances in medical science exercise, abstinence from tobacco, and technology. disciplined alcohol intake, and While colon cancer rates have stress management.

The authors of the study explain been going down among the elderly (55 and older) since the “that the visceral fat component of 1980s, they are increasing among abdominal obesity leads not only those in their 20s and 30s. This was to insulin resistance but also to the the recent alarming finding of a release of non-esterified free fatty u.s. cancer registry, which reviewed acids from adipose tissues or body nearly half a million color-rectal fat…the lipids then accumulate cancers diagnosed between 1974 in other sites such as the liver and and 2013, published in the Journal muscles, further predisposing individuals to insulin resistance and of the National Cancer Institute and in the March 1, 2017 issue of the dyslipidemia-abnormal amounts New England Journal of Medicine. of lipids…and adipose tissue may The research shows that for produce various adipokines that colon cancers, a rate increase of may separately impact insulin 2.4 percent annually was noted for resistance and cardiovascular those in their 20s and 1.0 percent disease risk factors.” among those in their 30s. For rectal Persons with metabolic cancers, the yearly increase was syndrome are generally without even higher, 3.2 percent. In general, symptoms and are severely the study also found that there was underdiagnosed and untreated, an increase in the rate among adults but have a 10-year risk of a first in their 40s and early 50s, but not heart attack, according to the

as bad.

This report revealed an alarming retrogression in our battle against colorectal cancers: “that young adults’ colorectal cancer risk is now similar to that of adults born around 1890.”

The investigators pointed out that high obesity rates during the past several decades “may play a role in this generation. obesity increases the risk for all types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.” our lifestyles, which includes what and how much food we eat, whether we exercise or not, and all our self-indulgences/abuses, contribute a lot to our state of health. Metabolic syndrome, especially obesity, and red meat and processed meat consumption, all increase the risk for cancer.

Neglecting regular medical/dental check-ups and recommended tests also increase our health risk.

The National Institutes of health reports “approximately 2/3 of adults between 20 and older are overweight or obese with BMI greater than 25, and nearly 1/3 have BMIs greater than 30…less than 1/3 of them are at a healthy weight with BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.”

The estimated cost of obesity in the united states is around $190.2 billion a year, almost 21 percent of medical spending, not including the personal expenses of the individuals and the toll on human misery and human life. shedding off at least five pounds of our excess weight through disciplined caloric counting and walking exercise for about 20 minutes a day will reduce our risk for metabolic syndrome and cancer by more than 33 percent. This is a practical and wise strategy we can painlessly do — for free!

Glaringly obvious are the evidence-based roles and impact of diet, exercise, tobacco, and alcohol on our individual health and longevity. They can’t be any clearer.

To a great extent, our health and our lives are in our hands and what to do with them is our choice. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com

Something to ponder...

From Page 6

Samuel’s swollen eyes grew wide. Joshua noted the man seemed stunned at knowing who had saved him.

“I’m the innkeeper. I’m Joshua.

What is yours?” he asked him.

“Sam … Samuel of Jerusalem,” the man stammered. Joshua nodded, stood up and took the tray away. “Well, rest and feel better,” he told him in a quiet voice, headed for the door and left the room.

Joshua thought to himself as he went about his day. In the many years he had been an innkeeper, he knew Jews and Samaritans took great pains to avoid one other.

They were like oil and water. They just did not mix. Jews considered Samaritans as half-breeds, inferior in every way, since they had married pagans and had included pagan rituals in their worship. In the Jewish tradition, they were outcasts, tolerated but not welcome.

Joshua guessed Samaritans probably felt just as resentful toward Jews. They probably regarded Jews as high-handed, arrogant stiffs, rigidly set and unbending in their ways and traditions. So deep was the resentment between them that

Samaritans and Jews did not even talk to each other. But now somehow Joshua knew it did not have to be so.

He knew and felt better about this bit of wisdom about who true neighbors are. He refused the two silver coins Micah was giving him.

Joshua felt good doing his bit for the wounded man.

Joshua went about his day with a lighter heart. He felt sure God made him an innkeeper to meet people on the crossroads.

Since that glorious night long ago when he witnessed something rare, precious and mysterious in a childbirth at the stable at the back of the inn that only a few men had ever seen, stories have been unfolding right before his eyes.

People and their stories have been opening up his heart and enriching his soul. Joshua often regaled his wife and children with these stories at the dinner table.

He thought that maybe one day when the time is ripe, he could share these stories with as many others who cared to listen. These stories are just too good to keep to one’s self. Maybe he can tell luke who can then write about these stories to pass them on to many

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

generations.

Samuel, the wounded man, was in deep thought too. He felt sure the priest and the levite who had both passed him by were going to help him in his hour of need. They were supposedly men of God. Samuel was a man of some means and had given generously to the temple’s coffers. He even sat with these men in places of honor. like them, he grew up bound by tradition and despised Samaritans. and yet, here he is, still alive by an unexpected grace. Here he still is because of a surprising deed of kindness from a man whose tribe people thought, including himself, were good for nothing. He closed his eyes and felt deep shame and remorse. Samuel knew he could never repay the kindness this Samaritan man Micah had given him. yet, Samuel now knows in his heart he can look at Samaritans and perhaps, even other groups who worshiped the same God, with fresh eyes and treat them like his own. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

‘The unexpected leader’...

From Page 4

encourage others and inspire them,” Concio continued. “That is why a deep sense of awareness is required of every good leader. you can’t be too big for your breeches and think you’re God’s answer to everything.”

Self-worth even as she spent her entire life turning heads in every room she entered, Concio, whose shyness is often mistaken to be an air that comes with the territory, was hesitant to publish her biography.

It was only when she realized she was faced with another valuable opportunity that she finally agreed to write it.

“This book isn’t about a desire for people to know me, but for people to know that a person who is just like them—with fears, insecurities, self-doubt, and a humble background and upbringing—can also become leaders,” she expressed.

according to her editor and co-author an Mercado alcantara, Concio was all for turning the book into a part-biography and part-self help title, because she could not think of publishing her success story just to feed her ego. She wanted it to have a purpose.

Concio, who now works part time as aBS-CBn’s chief content officer, further revealed during the launch that the book was a “retirement gift” from the lopezes, her bosses who have also become her life-long friends.

“Of course they still had me working on their gift,” she teased them as she expressed her gratitude for yet another opportunity. asked to give a nutshell of how “someone like her” found the courage to take on every break that came her way, no matter how challenging, the self-effacing 61-year-old recalled to The Sunday Times Magazine words of wisdom

from her husband, Cesar rafael Concio, Jr. “The day after we got married, I woke up to make him breakfast. When he saw me quickly getting up he asked, ‘Why are you awake?’ after I told him I was going to make him breakfast on my first day as his wife, he said, ‘Go back to sleep. Before you became my wife, you were already a person who is capable of doing so many things. Don’t forget that person’.”

To value one’s self with honesty, according to Charo Santos-Concio, is the first and most vital step in coming out of one’s shell, and realizing one’s potential.

“Be aware of your strengths, but also accepting of your weakness,” she added. “Get to know you are and don’t forget that person. Believe in that—in yourself—and you can do anything.” (ManilaTimes.net)

Problem Solved Atty. Kelly O’Reilly Generally, a sanctuary city is viewed as a place where individuals without lawful immigration status may reside without undue fear of targeted raids, harassment and mass deportation. So-called sanctuary cities do not provide immunity to those residing in the U.S. without status. anyone who resides in the United States without authorization is at some risk of deportation.

Designation as a sanctuary city means that state funded agencies within those cities, including police and Sheriff’s departments, will not always assist federal agencies with immigration law enforcement.

Some California sheriff and police departments have refused to hold undocumented individuals within their facilities while they await ICe detention and removal.

States are within their rights to refuse compliance with requests from federal agencies. California is under no legal obligation to detain illegal immigrants only because a federal agency has made such request. However, failure to cooperate with the federal government may have

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The Trump administration on sanctuary cities

repercussions. President Trump has warned that states that protect undocumented residents by refusing to assist I.C.e. or other federal agencies may forfeit federal funding.

During President Trump’s first week of office he signed an executive order to strengthen border security and immigration law enforcement and to punish “sanctuary cities” who do not cooperate with federal agencies.

California and many other states decided to push back against the Trump administration’s changes to immigration policy by further limiting cooperation with the federal government in immigration matters. U.S. attorney General Jeff Sessions has made concrete threats to eliminate funding for the Department of Justice in sanctuary cities. Withholding funding to California’s Justice Department can have devastating impact on our first responders, courts, counterterrorism, and our crime-fighting and community development services.

The city of Seattle, Washington (also labeled a sanctuary city) has sued President Trump and his administration, arguing that the treats to strip billions of dollars of federal

funding from “sanctuary cities” is illegal and unconstitutional.

Seattle argues that it is not illegal to refuse to hold undocumented immigrants in detention simply upon request from the federal government. Because it is not illegal, President Trump and attorney General Session’s threats to withhold over 4 billion dollars of federal funding from those states violates the Constitution’s Spending Clause.

The city of lansing, Michigan on the other hand, voted to rescind its sanctuary city designation and now refers to itself as a “welcoming city.”

While the outcome of this President Trump vs. Sanctuary City battle remains uncertain, one thing is for sure: it has never been legal to be illegal in america. ***

Kelly S. O’Reilly is a nationally known immigration expert and former immigration officer. He is a highly sought after speaker on immigration and employment compliance issues.

Mr. O’Reilly serves as the current chair of the Riverside County Bar Association Immigration section and is a partner in the full-service immigration firm of the Wilner & O’Reilly where he provides free consultations. Mr. O’Reilly can be contacted at (714) 919-8880 and he welcomes email inquiries at kelly@ wilneroreilly.com.

Gerald Anderson: ‘Life is a...

From Page 3

He was at the brink of giving up at 20 to 35 kilometers. But what kept him going were cheers from fellow Filipinos saying, “Malapit na!”

“It was very challenging, especially the last part,” he recalled.

“My entire body aches, especially the legs. I saw people fainting along the way…Kasi pinu-push mo sarili mo, pinu-push mo katawan mo to a point na ‘di pa nararating ng katawan mo. That’s why nung kinakabit na ‘yung medal, iba na ‘yung pakiramdam… The cheers really gave me a boost of energy. Inisip ko ‘yung mga taong naghintay sa’kin sa dulo. Inisip ko ‘yung pinaghirapan ko para sa

event na ‘to.” after the marathon, his Skechers shoes are still in good condition and can still be used for several marathons more. He did not use a new pair and even used an old pair, which he plans to auction for charity.

“Kung hindi dahil sa shoes na ginamit ko, for sure, mas mabagal ‘yung oras ko at for sure, mas masakit ‘yung katawan ko…Kung ‘di ‘yun ‘yung suot ko, baka hindi ako nakarating.”

He is still thinking if he would do a repeat of his 42k feat, depending on his showbiz schedule, because preparing for a marathon is time-consuming.

He, however, disclosed that he will be joining more races every weekend, which is why he trains non-stop.

He lost weight and got darker from the la Marathon, but more than anything, he built his endurance, distance, and mileage.

He learned about his limits and how to handle challenges.

“Ang dami kong natutunan.

Ang sabi ko nga, ‘yung marathon, parang buhay ‘yan e. Maraming challenges na darating sa buhay, but we have to get to the finish line kahit na anong mangyari…

Kapag gusto mo talaga, ‘pag may problema ka, kaya mong lagpasan ‘yan. Just stay positive!”

april 21-27, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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