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.com T h e F i l i p i n o –A m e r i c A n c o m m u n i T y n e w s pA p e r

Volume 24 - No. 27 • 2 Sections - 16 Pages

July 14-20, 2017 Also published in LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, NEw YORk/NEw JERSEY

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Majority of Filipinos back martial law in Mindanao

by DJ

President Rodrigo Duterte tries the scope of a Chinese made sniper rifle during the turnover ceremony on China’s urgent military assistance to PH inside Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga last June 28.

Malacañang photo

DATELINE

USA

Yap, philip C. Tubeza Inquirer.net

A mAJorItY of filipinos backed President rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in mindanao but a bigger number opposed its expansion to Luzon and the Visayas, a social Weather stations (sWs) survey showed. malacañang welcomed the survey results, saying these showed public agreement with the administration’s position that there was legal and factual basis for the declaration.

But a party-list lawmaker said that the survey also proved that support for martial law was “not solid and unanimous” given the widespread opposition to the expansion of its scope to the rest of the country. the sWs second Quarter 2017 survey showed that 57 percent of the 1,200 respondents agreed with the statement that mr.

Duterte made the “right decision” in declaring ON THEIR TOES. Members of the Special Reaction Unit of the Manila Police District hold assault training exercises at the police headquarters martial law in mindanao.

PAGE A2

US-PH trade to blossom under Trump-Duterte rule

by RiChmonD

meRCuRio Philstar.com

from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

mANILA - Philippine and U.s. trade relations continue to warm up under their respective administrations despite President rodrigo Duterte’s anti-U.s. pronouncements early in his term and President Donald trump’s protectionist stance. the International revenue service (Irs) the office of the United states fully supports United states President Dontrade representative (Ustr) said ald trump’s tax reform efforts, Commissioner representatives from both countries John Koskinen said on Wednesday, July 12. met on tuesday, July 11 under their Describing the present U.s. tax code as a trade and Investment framework “mess,” Koskinen admitted that even he finds it difficult to fill out his federal returns.

“Nobody’s more supportive of tax simplification than the Irs,” Koskinen told fox News in a conference in Washington D.C. “the tax code is a mess. It is difficult for the Irs commissioner to fill out his tax returns.” the tax reform was among trump’s major 2016 presidential campaign promise, wherein he vowed the simplification of the tax code.

While clarifying that the Irs is only involved with the tax administration and does not meddle with policies, Koskinen said that the agency has been communicating and offering

Koskinen: IRS very supportive of tax reform

PAGE A2

as the country prepares for President Rodrigo Duterte’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo

Agreement (tIfA) and agreed to work together “to foster free, fair, and balanced trade between them.”

Among those to be collaborated upon by both countries are the elimination of trade barriers and promoting increased trade. “this meeting was one of a series of bilateral meetings the United states has held with Asian trading partners in the past few months to advance the trump administration’s goal of expanding trade ties with countries across the Asia-Pacific region,” the Ustr said.

During the tIfA meeting, the Ustr said the U.s. and the Philippines had constructive discussions on outstanding bilateral trade issues, including those related to agriculture, intellectual property protection, customs and investment, among others. “recognizing their shared interest in expeditiously addressing these issues, they agreed on follow-up actions and to closely monitor progress,” the Ustr said. officials also discussed regional PAGE A2 Pres. Donald Trump

White House photo

Romualdez reappointed as special envoy to US, Palace expects improved ties

After a year, the Philippines now has a regular ambassador to the United states. the Palace was optimistic when it announced on monday, July 10, that President rodrigo Duterte reappointed Jose manuel romualdez as his special envoy to the U.s.

“We are confident that the reapPoll protest rolls Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. greets supporters after attending pointment of mr. romualdez will usher the preliminary conference at the Supreme Court on the poll protest he filed against Vice President in better Philippines-U.s. relations and Leni Robredo.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo Jr. promote stronger cooperation between the two countries,” Palace spokesman

ernesto Abella said. romualdez, a newspaper columnist and media executive declined the reappointment as the envoy to Washington last year due to an emergency eye operation.

At present, Philippine embassy is supervised by Chargé d’Affaires Patrick Chuasoto. the Philippines faced a rough relationship with the United states after then President Barack obama

Study: Tagalog is 2nd most commonly spoken Marcos confident to foreign language in Calif. overturn Robredo with just JDV pushes for diplomacy

tAgALog is now the second most commonly spoken foreign language in California.

Known as the gateway for Asian immigrants in the United states, California has 2.1 percent or 832,024 tagalog speakers, according to the latest study by 24/7 Wall st. the report used data from the United states Census Bureau’s 2015 American Consumer survey in identifying the most commonly spoken language in each state. the survey did not include spanish, which is the top most common language spoken language in almost all of the states in the U.s.

Aside from California, tagalog is also the most commonly spoken foreign language after spanish in Nevada and Washington. other widely spoken languages include Chinese, Vietnamese, german and french. the cultural mix is different in each state due to several factors. Listed below are the most spoken languages in the 10 largest PAGE A2

3 recounts in 3 provinces

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

former senator ferdinand “Bongbong” marcos Jr. is confident that he will overturn Philippine Vice President Leni robredo’s victory in the may 2016 national elections with just recounts in three provinces. these provinces, according to marcos, include Camarines sur, Iloilo, and Negros oriental.

“I have identified already the three provinces where we were cheated enough to overcome her lead,” marcos told the manila times on sunday, July 9.

Denying the allegations that he was merely “fishing for evidence”

for his electoral protest, marcos pointed out that his camp had “voluminous files of pieces of evidence.”

“In fact, for the last three months volunteers from provinces where cheating occurred never stopped coming to us, to give their affidavits and pinpoint to us where these documents are. We have voluminous files of pieces of evidence,” marcos said.

In June of last year, marcos filed an electoral protest against robredo before the supreme Court (sC), sitting as the Presidential electoral tribunal (Pet), after she won the seat only by a slim margin. robredo won the position with around 263,000 votes more than

PAGE A2

amidst geo-political conflict Former PH house speaker points out need for multicultural understanding

seoUL, Korea – on monday, July 10, former Philippine speaker Jose de Venecia identified various geo-political conflict areas in Asia that he said are capable of “difficult, dangerous but not impossible solutions” and of which “some have already been solved.” speaking at the first-ever meeting of various political parties from Asia and europe here, de Venecia suggested that a “history of conflict avoidance and joint development involving rival nations abounds, perhaps as a result of intelligent, creative, humble and pragmatic diplomacy.”

PAGE A3 Former Philippine Speaker Jose de Venecia PAGE A2

A

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From the Front Page

Marcos confident to overturn Robredo...

PAGE A1 Marcos.

Marcos accused her of committing massive electoral fraud. He also questioned the poll results in 39,221 clustered precincts.

On Tuesday, July 11, Marcos paid his remaining P30 million electoral protest fee, which also covers the recount expenses, ahead of the July 14 deadline

set by the PET. Last April, he paid a P36 million as an initial installment.

“One year had passed, it is too long since May 9 last year. People approached us because they want the public to know what really happened,” Marcos added.

Robredo, on the other hand, has to settle her remaining P15.4 million for her counter-protest on

or before July 14. She paid an initial P8 million deposit earlier in May. Last week, Robredo’s camp accused Marcos of “merely fishing for evidence and not sure of his election protest” when he named the three pilot provinces that could prove the sufficiency of his protest.

“Marcos named the provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental; and yet he made a reservation to change any of these provinces,” Robredo’s election lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said on July 5.

Macalintal went on to say, “He (Marcos) could not establish which three provinces out of the 30 provinces and highly urbanized cities he protested could demonstrate his much talked about electoral frauds and irregularities.”

DONATION TO PNP. Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario (middle) receives from Ms. Teresita AngSee, vice chairperson of Philippine National Police Foundation Incorporated (PNPFI); and Mr. Domingo Yap, president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), the donated equipment worth more than P1.3 million during the flag raising ceremony at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday, July 10. Photo courtesy of PNP

Koskinen: IRS very supportive...

Filipinos back martial law...

PAGE A1 its help to the new administration few weeks after Trump was elected as president.

Koskinen said he has been gathering suggestions from the agency’s employees on ways how to simplify the tax code, pointing out that the reform is one of the agency’s “highest priorities.”

“One of the questions was, ‘If major tax reform simplification was on the table, would there be anybody in the IRS opposed to that?’ I was quick to respond, after having talked to employees, that nobody is more supportive of tax simplification than the IRS,” Koskinen said.

He went on to say, “Most people want to be compliant, but when you make it very difficult for them…to work through the various nooks and crannies, it doesn’t seem, to me, to be in the best interest of the taxpayer or government.”

Koskinen also remarked that the agency is eager to implement changes and make it more effective and easier to understand.

“If you have an idea, oftentimes you can implement it in a way that is very complicated,” he added. “There can be more straightforward or simpler ways to do it.” (Dana Sioson/AJPress)

The survey, however, found that 67 percent disagreed with the statement that Mr. Duterte should declare martial law in Luzon, and 63 percent disagreed with the statement that the President should also declare the same in the Visayas.

The SWS poll had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.

The survey was conducted from June 23 to 26, or around one month after Mr. Duterte signed Proclamation No. 216 on May 23 which placed Mindanao under martial rule for 60 days after terrorists rampaged through Marawi City.

The Supreme Court justices last week affirmed Mr. Duterte’s declaration of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.

“The positive public response indicates that they believe the factual and legal basis of the proclamation of martial law for Mindanao, which includes the Maute Group’s attempt to remove allegiance from the government and to deprive the Chief Executive of

PAGE A1

his powers to enforce the laws and maintain public order and safety,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“Hence, the need for the call of martial law, in case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, as provided by the Constitution,” he added.

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio said the poll also showed that many Filipinos believed martial law should be “more limited in scope.”

“The survey also revealed that support for the President’s declaration is mixed, with 40 percent believing that martial law should have been more limited in scope and not covered the entire island,” he said in a statement.

The lawmaker was referring to the 29 percent of respondents who said that it should have been declared only in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur province, and 11 percent who said it should have been limited to Lanao del Sur and nearby provinces.

Tinio said it was clear that Filipinos were not amenable

to expanding martial law to Luzon and the Visayas.

“The survey also shows that the same story line will not work for Luzon and Visayas, with an overwhelming majority opposed to the declaration of martial law in those areas,” he said.

Commenting on this, Abella said martial rule would be declared in Luzon and the Visayas only if the police and the military determine if there was such a need.

“As to the same survey showing that majority, except in Mindanao, opposes expanding martial law in Luzon and in the Visayas, it is noteworthy to mention that all these would depend on the situation on the ground as assessed and recommended by military and police authorities,” Abella said.

He added that the results validated the public’s “very good” satisfaction rating of Mr. Duterte in the same survey.

Support for martial law in Mindanao is highest among its residents (64 percent) and among Class ABC (70 percent).

US-PH trade to blossom under Trump...

PAGE A1

and global trade developments, including the Philippines’ progress in implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement Expansion and WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

In addition, the USTR said the Philippines and the U.S. agreed to work closely together to advance the U.S. -ASEAN trade and investment agenda as well as efforts to make the Philippines’ year as ASEAN chair a success.

The TIFA meeting was chaired

by Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Barbara Weisel and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, and also included officials from a wide range of agencies of both countries.

The U.S. government late last

month approved the Philippines’ application to expand its current General System of Preferences coverage to include travel goods, a move seen expanding the country’s economy by 0.5 percent age point and creating 70,000 new jobs.

Aside from the duty-free status for travel goods it received, the Philippines has also escaped a potential imposition of trade sanctions by the U.S. , while other major Asian economies have been put at risk.

Asian countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam have earlier been identified as among the U.S. foreign trading partners with which it had a significant trade deficit in goods in 2016

and are currently being assessed for possible trade sanctions.

The U.S. had a $1.8-billion trade deficit with the Philippines in 2016, while bilateral trade in goods between the countries totaled $18.2 billion, according to the USTR. The Philippines was the 31st largest export market of the U.S. for goods last year. The U.S. , meanwhile, was the Philippines third major trading partner, the second biggest export market, and third top import supplier.

President Duterte last year made several pronouncements which were deemed as anti-U.S., mainly as a response to then U.S. president Barack Obama’s expression of concern over the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

Study: Tagalog is 2nd most commonly spoken...

PAGE A1 states by population: • California — Tagalog • Texas — Vietnamese • Florida — French Creole • New York — Chinese • Illinois — Polish • Pennsylvania — Chinese • Ohio — German • Georgia — Korean • North Carolina — French • Michigan — Arabic Filipinos have one of the lon-

gest histories of immigration to the United States, dating back to as early as 1587 when Filipino slaves alighted Spanish galleon ships and landed in what is now known as Morro Bay, California.

This made the Filipinos the first Asians on U.S. soil, according to a publication by American Psychological Association, citing an excerpt from the book “Filipinos: Forgotten Asian Americans” by F. Cordova, published in 1983.

To date, 3.4 million Filipinos are estimated to be living in the U.S., making them the second largest Asian group in America.

Back in the Philippines, a quarter of the Filipino population speaks Tagalog as their first language. The country has eight major dialects which include Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, and Waray. (AJPress)

Romualdez reappointed as special envoy...

PAGE A1 denounced Duterte’s war on drugs.

In February, amidst the tension between the U.S. and Philippines, Duterte voiced out that he does “not feel like sending one [U.S. special envoy]. ” Following the statement of Duterte, former permanent representative to the United Nations Lauro Baja urged the president to do otherwise since not sending an ambassador is “not good diplomatic practice.”

Under the leadership of incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump, however, the two countries are seen on a much friendlier note.

In May, Trump commended Duterte’s drug crackdown saying the Philippine president did an “unbelievable job on the drug problem.” Duterte thanked the U.S. president in return, further stating that “this is the scourge of my nation now and I have to do something to preserve the

Stargate/PeopleAsia publisher and CEO and Philippine Star columnist Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez (in photo) was reappointed by President Duterte as special envoy to the United States. The reappointment was confirmed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Philstar.com photo

Filipino nation.”

Romualdez heads the Philippine offices of various multinational firms base in U.S. including FCB Manila and Weber

Shandwick Philippines. He is also the president of the Manila Overseas Press Club and vice president of Manila Rotary Club. (AJPress)

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A

Q&A: UC president bullish on California’s future, and the next generation

by AnnA

ChAllet New America Media

MANILA ZOO LOSES ITS OLDEST RESIDENT. Bertha, the lone hippopotamus and considered one of the first animals in the Manila Zoo, has died. Manila Parks and Recreation Bureau director James Albert Dichaves said zookeepers found the 65-year-old hippopotamus lifeless on Friday, July 7. Bertha had exceeded the average life span of hippos, which is 40-50 years old.

Philstar.com photo

JDV pushes for diplomacy amidst...

PAGE A1 The founding Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), Co-Chairman of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), and President Rodrigo Duterte’s Special Envoy for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Intercultural Dialogue, named the following contested areas: • The Spratlys, claimed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan in the South China Sea through which more than 50 percent of global shipping pass; and the Paracel isles, claimed by both China and Vietnam over which they have already fought a war,and now occupied by China.

He said “joint exploration and development and conversion of the areas into a Zones of Peace, Friendship and Development are the only viable solution instead of constant tension, conflict and possible explosive war;” • The controversial Japaneseheld tiny isles in the Senkaku Straits or Daiyou to the Chinese in the East China Sea; he said the “only common-sensical solution is a joint-administration and sharing of the potential hydrocarbons in the vicinity;” • The conflict over Kashmir where substantial forces between India and Pakistan still face each other and over which they have already fought three bloody wars over 60 years, with potential for nuclear exchange;

• The conflict, involving dangerous skirmishes in the long mountain borders between India and China, with large swathes of contested high ground; Sino-Indian wars were fought in 1962, 1965 and 1971; • The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh; • The protracted war in Afghanistan; • The unfinished Arab-Israeli conflict, which is still awaiting final settlement and the establishment of a Palestinian homeland under a two-state solution; • The continuing bloody wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and areas of West Africa, bedevilled

by ISIS, Al Qaeda, and tribal wars.

De Venecia, a five-time Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives, said the most violent threats are still those mounted by the ISIS-ISIL following the extremists’ early territorial victories and launching of a Caliphate in large areas of Iraq and Syria.

Although routed in battle in recent weeks in the conquered territories, ISIS has since deployed deadly terrorist groups in various capitals of Europe and the U.S., and smaller units have shifted their activities to Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia, and an attack on Marawi City in Muslim Mindanao where it plans to establish a province of the Caliphate.

Sucessful geo-political set-

tlements De Venecia also listed some of the successful geo-political settlements that ended violent wars and brought about peace and development and which were settled by patient, pragmatic diplomacy: • End of the dangerous dispute that led to a violent war between Russia and China; hundreds of thousands of troops faced each other in the Argun and Amur Rivers in the eastern region of the U.S.S.R., north of Vladivostok in 1969, until the 1992 a Border Agreement was signed between the two Communist states; • Signing of the land border agreement of 1999 between Vietnam and China, although their dispute over the Paracels in the China Sea remains, following bloody fighting which dislodged the Vietnamese garrison troops from the Paracel isles; • Oil in the Caspian Sea is shared by Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijian and others because, “among them there is demarcation and practical mutual understanding and goodwill;” • The Norwegian-owned Ecofisk oil field in the North Sea which he visited in the 1970s when he was President of the Petroleum Association of the Philippines, flows its oil to Norway, to Teeside, England, and the natural gas to Bremen, Germany; • Giant Australia, a continent, PAGE A4

WhaT inspires you most about UC students?

I continue to be impressed by the number of first-generation students who are getting their degrees – their families are there at commencement and it’s such a point of pride.

I always think, ‘Where did those brains come from? They’re a lot smarter than I am!’ In every field, from medicine to engineering to agriculture to the arts and humanities, they’re doing amazing research. I recently hosted a competition for graduate students called the Grad Slam. Each finalist gives a 3-minute elevator pitch on their research for a panel of judges. Our students are working on everything from a new material made of shrimp shells to a new way to make mental health care more accessible for students.

What is your top issue at the UC right now?

My top issue is always around funding. Do we have enough funding to do what we need to do? Will Sacramento support us? How do we keep tuition as low as possible?

How do we account for the cost of attendance?

We have a working group now in the UC Regents looking at the total cost of attendance, and one of the things they’re looking at is whether we calculate financial aid the right way. I know they’re particularly looking at middle-income students. With the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, students from families making less than $80,000 a year pay no tuition or fees. That’s been a terrific help to low-income students, but we have to look at our middle-income students too.

Almost half our students graduate with zero debt. We want to con-

University of California Pres. Janet Napolitano

tinue to fight to stay that way.

What’s happening with the UC’s immigrant students, given the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants?

We’re really trying to do all we can within the context of an unfriendly national environment to show that they’re part of the university community. Immediately after the election we reached out to our undocumented student community. We reiterated that they’re important members of the university community. We’ve let them know that university police will not be surrogates for ICE. We won’t be turning over records voluntarily. We have an undocumented student advisory council and we fund an undocumented student legal services center where we provide free legal services to undocumented students.

What is the UC doing to addresses global issues?

We set a goal of being carbon neutral by 2025. We purchased the largest solar farm of any university in the country. We’re doing research on alternative forms of energy and scalable solutions that we can export. We’re working now to form a coalition of higher education institutions to support the Paris Accords. Even though President Trump has withdrawn the United States, it doesn’t preclude states or universities from

adhering to the goals of the agreement.

The Global Food Initiative is another area where we’ve united the campuses. The goal is looking at how we can set the world on the pathway to a nutritious, sustainable food future. That involves funding for food insecurity among our own students, but expands all the way to what we can do internationally. how do you see education changing around major shifts in labor, like the increasing number of jobs that will become automated?

Education constantly changes.

Regarding the growth in robotics and in artificial intelligence, you have to ask the question: What are humans going to do? Historically, whenever there’s been a major shift in the means of production, like with the Industrial Revolution, human creativity has come into play and the economy grows in other places. There may not be the same kinds of hard manufacturing jobs, but there will be a continued emphasis on creativity. Things will happen that we can’t even conceive of right now.

When you talk to students and families, what are they most hopeful about?

In California, the economy overall makes people optimistic. It’s a state that’s growing economically, where our students when they graduate can get good jobs.

There’s a difference being in California. There’s a sense of the future. California continues to move forward. It’s not mired in the past.

The UC’s business is educating the next generation and pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge. It’s a strong and vital place and for me it’s a privilege to be here.

Immigrant minors entering US illegally entitled to bail hearings Appeals court rules in favor of 1997 lawsuit settlement

A FEDERAL appeals court unanimously ruled on Wednesday, July 6 that minors who enter the United States illegally without their parents must not be detained or released without a court hearing.

The three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that immigration authorities must act in accordance to a 1997 lawsuit settlement that established standards for their de-

tention, release and treatment.

The settlement — known as the Flores settlement — ruled that minors who enter the U.S. illegally without a legal guardian must be granted a bond hearing before an immigration judge.

Since then, Congress passed two laws in 2002 and 2008 that repealed those stipulations in the Flores settlement and removed the right to court hearings, but the appeals court thought other-

wise.

“Not a single word in either statute indicates that Congress intended to supersede, terminate, or take away any right enjoyed by unaccompanied minors at the time of the acts’ passage,” the judges wrote. “Thus, we hold that the statutes have not terminated the Flores settlement settlement’s bond-hearing requirement for unaccompanied PAGE A4

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Mayweather owes $22.2M in taxes for Pacquiao fight, says IRS

by Regina

gaRcia Philstar.com

cano

LAS VEGAS — The IRS says it’s still waiting for its cut from Floyd Mayweather Jr. from his nine-figure payday against Manny Pacquiao.

The undefeated boxer nicknamed “Money” owes $22.2 million in taxes from 2015, according to a notice of a federal tax lien filed by the IRS. The notice shows the balance unpaid as of March 6. The lien was filed with county officials in Las Vegas in April, and the boxing champ last week filed for a temporary reprieve with the U.S. Tax Court.

Still, the boxer who regularly flaunts his wealth defended himself on Facebook on Monday, saying his “empire is rock solid” and the IRS “just wants to be part of the ‘Money May’ show.”

“While everyone is counting my money and assuming the worst, these are the facts... Uncle Sam, received $26,000,000.00 from me in 2015! What else could they possibly want?” he wrote in a post with a picture of a handwritten ledger that showed three amounts totaling $26 million. “I’m sure I would have been notified much sooner if there were any real discrepancies right?”

Mayweather’s tax troubles come as prepares for a boxing match against Irish MMA star Conor McGregor in August in

Las Vegas. Mayweather, 49-0, will be ending his retirement to face McGregor at T-Mobile Arena.

Depending on pay-per-view sales, both fighters could earn huge purses, though probably not the $200 million or so Mayweather earned for the fight against Manny Pacquiao.

The men on Tuesday, July 11 appeared at a news conference in Los Angeles to promote the fight, the first of four this week.

There’s been plenty of trash talk around the fight, and McGregor didn’t miss the opportunity to attack Mayweather.

“The reason he has accepted this fight to come out of retirement is because he has to,” McGregor said. “He’s in a dire situation. That is not a good situation to be in.”

Mayweather told reporters he “already took care” of his taxes.

“I ain’t worried about that. I just showed you all a $100 million check I didn’t even cash onstage,” he said, referring to a check from his fight against Pacquiao. “So we ain’t tripping on that.”

His tax attorney did not immediately return a request seeking comment.

It’s unclear whether the IRS has tried to withhold on Mayweather’s purse from the fight against McGregor. The agency does not comment on individual cases. Nevada boxing regulators did not immediately return

a request for comment.

Generally, the IRS freezes any collection activity as soon as a taxpayer contests a lien. Mayweather petitioned the D.C.based U.S. Tax Court on July 5 to hear his case in Las Vegas.

The petition process comes after a taxpayer and an IRS officer fail to reach an agreement over how a tax debt can be satisfied, said attorney Leighton Koehler, who is with the Las Vegas office of the Dickinson Wright firm and is not associated with the boxer’s case.

The appeals process may be buying Mayweather time to collect his millions from the August fight and presumably use the money to pay the IRS. Koehler, who previously worked as an IRS senior revenue agent, said that tax judges only travel to Las Vegas once or twice a year, forcing taxpayers to wait six months to a year before their case is heard.

The lien for 2015 is just the latest in a series of tax liens filed by the IRS against Mayweather over the past decade.

McGregor does not appear to have any tax issues in Ireland or the United States. Ireland’s tax website did not include him among a list of delinquent taxpayers for 2015, 2016 and the first quarter of 2017. He did not have any cases in U.S. Tax Court or any liens filed against him in Nevada, Massachusetts or New York, the states where he has fought.

Immigrant minors entering US illegally entitled to bail hearings PAGE A3 minors.”

The court argued that the court hearing requirement for immigrant minors is necessary to set a standard for these children’s’ futures during the pending immigration process.

It wrote that the hearing provides minors with legal counsel to represent them. Hearings also give these minors “meaningful rights and practical benefits” to help them navigate the immigration system.

“Without such hearings, these children have no meaningful forum in which to challenge [the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the Department of Health and Human Services’] decisions re-

garding their detention or even to discover why those decisions have been made,” the judges argued.

“There are no procedures available to them that afford them the right to a hearing with counsel, an opportunity to examine adverse evidence, or a forum in which to refute the government’s claims regarding the need for their custody,” the judges continued. “In the absence of such hearings, these children are held in bureaucratic limbo, left to rely upon the agency’s alleged benevolence and opaque decision making.”

The ruling is a win for undocumented minors, many of whom cross the border without their

parents.

In recent years, tens of thousands of children have entered the U.S., fleeing from drug and gang violence from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Federal officials say that most of them attend school in the U.S. while being cared for by family members in the country.

In 2014, more than 68,000 were detained, many of them settling in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the number of illegal crossings has dwindled, but from February to May 2017, 5,445 minors were still being detained, according to federal records.

(Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

PROCESSION OF PRELATES. Members of the influential Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines gather for their 115th plenary assembly at Pope Pius 12th Center in Manila on Friday, July 7.

CBCP photo

JDV pushes for diplomacy amidst...

PAGE A3 and tiny East Timor share the hydrocarbons in the South Pacific, in the waters just below Darwin on the southeast side of Asia’s newest republic; • The 1989 Agreement between Malaysia and Thailand for a joint development of their disputed waters; • The Guinea-Bissau and Seneghal Agreement of 1993, which helped them develop their disputed areas.

“Might not the lessons of history again help us?” de Venecia told the party leaders gathered for the First Asia-Europe Political Forum.

3RD Silk Road Route De Venecia also said the ICAPP fully “supports China’s revival of the ancient overland Silk Road and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, which have the “potential to change this century, hopefully…a change for the better.”

He reiterated his proposal for a “Third Silk Route” that would “complement and extend” China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, passing through the Philippines.

The third route, he said, would extend from southern China’s Fujian province, cross to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Timor Leste and across the South Pacific to Australia, New Zealand and into Chile, Brazil, Argentina, the Carribean and

into Mexico and the US. He described this as a “new circumnavigation in this age of globalization,” following the legendary overland Silk Route by horse and camel caravans, and President Xi Jinping’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Route.

Russian initiative De Venecia also noted Russia’s new initiative to create the Eurasian Economic Union among Russia and the Central Asian states along the Silk Route.

He said another striking recent development was China’s launching of the long-distance railway freight train from China to Europe and back, the extension of the Silk Route across the Red Sea to Africa.

Recalling his speeches before the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C. and in the United Nations University in Barcelona, Spain, he told the Asia-Europe political leaders of the need for “bringing together the best elements of capitalism and socialism in a new applied art of governance, based on what works for a particular society over a specific historical period considering the persistent and incredibly huge gaps between the rich and poor in our time.”

He told leaders of the organizations of political parties in Asia and Europe: “There will be a great need for transnational, transcultural groupings like ours—since the

problems that face us more and more transcend national, regional and even hemispheric boundaries.

“We cannot turn away from the pursuit of peace because the alternative, conflict and war, would be immeasurably costly and make all of us losers.

“We must all then strive together to achieve the multicultural understanding, which is the only basis for the long-term security of our Asian region, Europe, and the global community.

“For understanding among the great civilizations is the only basis for global peace that will endure.

“The U. S. and Europe provided the world a historic, great and inspiring lesson on how to lift a destroyed continent from the ashes of war.

“In Asia, the U. S., Japan and 10-nation ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand, and the rise of China led an incredibly great period of economic recovery and modernization after World War II, the Korean War and the IndoChina wars.”

He concluded: “We commend these great lessons and great moments in history to say that never again should we allow geo-political conflict, nationalist passions and false ideologies, and inordinate great power ambitions to once again threaten Asia, Europe and the other countries of the world.”

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D ateline PhiliPPines PH military welcomes reported

A

death of ISIS chief Baghdadi

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday, July 12, welcomed the reported death of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“This is good news and pleasant sign in the future,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla told Inquirer.

Padilla said the reported death of the ISIS chief could pave way toward the total destruction of the Maute group, an Islamic State (IS)-inspired group that launched an attack in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur in Mindanao last May 23.

“Because the person giving direction to the groups in Marawi is gone, then the infrastructure coming from the Middle east will be interrupted and destroyed, and this can pave the way for the consequent breakdown of this

group,” Padilla explained. earlier this week, the Syrian Observatory for human Rights (SOhR) said it “confirmed information” that Baghdadi has been killed.

Pentagon, for its part, said it could not yet confirm the death of the ISIS chief. ISIS-affiliated websites and social media feeds also neither confirm nor deny the report.

Rumors about Baghdadi’s death emerged several times in the past, though such reports could not be independently verified.

Last month, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said it was Baghdadi himself who “specifically ordered the conduct of terroristic activities in the Philippines.”

Washington previously expressed alarm over the growing presence of jihadis in Southeast Asia amid the ongoing battle between the Philippine troopers and the Maute group in

Marawi City.

Asked about the possibility of an IS invasion in Southeast Asia, Padilla said the Philippine government already started to coordinate with its neighboring countries for enhanced security measures.

“We have begun joint efforts with all the countries in our region. We started with Malaysia, Indonesia, and reinforced security measures to screen entry of anyone coming from the Middle east,” Padilla said.

On June 23, in a trilateral security meeting hosted by Manila, HELPING REBUILD LIVES. Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada (in jacket) donates construction materials to the 255 families whose homes were the governments of the Philip- destroyed by fire in Paco on Thursday, July 13.

ManilaTimes.net photo by Bob Dungo pines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have agreed to boost their cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism that continues to threaten the region.

by Jennifer Soriano other Southeast Asian govern- avenues that are available to us The three countries have AJPress ments talking, diverting interna- in promoting the ruling and the agreed for intensified trilateral tional pressure, while it finishes rule of international law.” efforts to repel extremists and A YeAR after the Philippines its power projection capabilities In a televised media briefprevent them from making any gained victory over China in a without interference.” ing on Wednesday, presidential part of the region a base for their legal territorial battle, former Amidst the issue, Del Rosario spokesperson ernerto Abella operations.

Department of Foreign Affairs said that it would be best if the affirmed the developments be(DFA) secretary Albert Del Ro- Philippines would reclaim its tween the two countries. sario perceives that the country leadership over China following “Philippines and China have is at a disadvantage over what the victory gained a year before . reviewed experience on the West Malacañang claims as “positive “Today, on the anniversary of Philippine Sea issue, exchanged ities,” Abella added. neighborly relations” between the ruling, we should be proud views and current issues of conFurther, two Muslim groups in the two nations. of our country’s leadership on cern to either side and they have Tarlac — Paniqui United MusTo mark the first anniversary this issue. It was a leadership agreed that they will further lims Association (Puma) and the after the Permanent Court of Ar- that began from a lonely place discuss mutually acceptable apUnited Muslims Association of bitration issued a ruling on the but, because we stood for what is proaches,” Abella said in teleTarlac City (Umat), devised their Philippines’ case against China right, we also gained the respect vised press briefing. own ID system, defending that on the so-called nine-dash line of the responsible community of “It’s excellent that we are now it was their initiatives, and were claim in the West Philippine Sea nations,” Del Rosario said. in dialogue with the other counnot introduced nor imposed by (South China Sea), Malacañang “I believe that we should re- try,” he added. local officials or the police. tagged the country as a “regional assume our leadership,” he Last May, the representatives “It’s ongoing,”Misangcad Da- peacemaker” for having a “posi- stressed. from the Philippines and China tumaas of Puma said to Inquirer tive neighborly relations” with earlier, President Rodrigo conducted its inaugural meetwhen asked about the status of China.

Duterte claimed that Chinese ing of their bilateral consultation the ID system in Paniqui town.

“Despite its friendlier face, we President Xi Xinping would mechanism to resolve the mariJabbar Abdul, coordinator of do not see restraint in China’s wage war with the Philippines if time dispute.

Ubat gave the same answer when militarization and unlawful activ- it attempted to drill oil from the “The Duterte administration the Inquirer reached him by the ity in the West Philippine Sea, contested the resource-rich West reaffirms its unwavering comtelephone on Tuesday. said Del Rosario in forum orga- Philippine Sea. mitment to protect our country’s The Tarlac ID system is the nized by the Stratbase-Institute “We cannot allow others to territorial claims and maritime “best practice that can be repli- on Wednesday, July 12. play with the threat of war when entitlements, but believes that cated in [the region],” Inquirer Recently, Washington-based our submitted disputes have al- the ongoing territorial dispute in reported, citing an earlier state- CSIS Asia Maritime Transpar- ready been clarified in the rul- the West Philippine Sea should ment of Chief Supt. Aaron Aqui- ency Initiative released satellite ing,” Del Rosario said. further be resolved in a manno, Central Luzon police direc- imagery revealing China’s new “Despite an effort in this coun- ner consistent with the spirit of tor. missile shelters, radar and com- try to encourage sobriety and re- good neighborly relations,” the munication facilities on Fiery straint, I am concerned that we DFA said in a statement released Cross, Mischief and Subi Reef. will reap no more than a friendly Wednesday.

Gregory Poling, director of face,” he added.

Abella claimed that the two the AMTI over the issue, said The former foreign affairs countries have agreed to meet Pointing out that Duterte al- that “this suggests that Beijing chief suggested that the adminis- again in the second half of ready admitted to stealing gov- wants to keep Manila and the tration to “exhaust all diplomatic 2017. ernment funds in a speech last month, Trillanes said his plunder case against the president should be expedited.

“This admission confirms my corruption allegation against Duterte,” the senator stressed.

In May 2016, Trillanes, who is notably among Duterte’s fiercest critics, filed a plunder case against president before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Trillanes claimed that Duterte had billions-worth of undeclared wealth in his bank accounts.

“I have filed a case against him before the ombudsman, along with the necessary evidence to support the case. This admission should be a reason to expedite the investigation,” he added.

Ex-DFA chief skeptical over PH-China ‘friendly relations’

Muslim-only ID hinders political rights, says poll official

by Jennifer

Soriano

AJPress

POLITICAL rights may be compromised if the government will push through with the proposed Muslim ID system, says Commission on election (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.

“That ID required for Muslims will have consequences on their political rights. It will discourage them to run for office in the local governments, or discourage them from voting. It’s tagging,” she said.

The statement was made due to a circulating information th at there are proposal for an exclusive ID as a strategy to fight against terrorism and support national security measures.

Affirming Guanzon’s stand, fellow commissioner Luie Guia tweeted, “Seriously, religion is

not necessary to identify a person so it need not be in a voter’s ID,” Guia added.

Malacañang clarified on Tuesday, July 11 that the proposal did not come from the national authorities, and were from local authorities.

“The Palace’s position is really for a national ID. So I think we should leave it at that—for a national ID,” presidential spokesman ernesto Abella said in a press briefing.

“I think the—that particular ethnic-centered ID was really a local initiative…the palace’s position is that there should be a national ID,” the presidential spokesman said.

“Nobody’s pushing for that, OK? As the good director of PNP (Philippine National Police) has already said, this is not a mandate coming from higher author-

Palace: Duterte’s corruption ‘admission’ an ‘obvious jest’

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

PhILIPPINe President Rodrigo Duterte was only joking when he admitted to committing corruption, Malacañang clarified on Tuesday, July 11, as it criticized Senator Antonio Trillanes for taking the joke seriously.

Pointing out that Duterte’s statement was an “obvious jest,” Presidential Spokesperson ernesto Abella chided Trillanes for apparently lacking a sense of humor.

“I think the senator seems to lack a sense of humor regarding that,” Abella said. “It was said in jest, obviously.”

In a media conference earlier this week, Trillanes pushed for an investigation into Duterte, cit-

ing the president’s “admission” of corruption last month as grounds for the inquiry.

Speaking at the 140th founding anniversary of the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association Inc. on June 29, Duterte expressed anger over the ongoing corruption activities within the government.

At one point in his speech, Duterte cited himself as a former corrupt official.

“I hate corruption. hindi ako nagmamakalinis, marami rin akong nanakaw pero naubos na, so wala na (I do not pretend to be clean. I also stole a lot, but they have been exhausted),” Duterte said, which was met by the audience’s laughter.

The president then continued, “Pero (But) corruption is really out during my term.”

Town mates and Friends:

Majority of Filipinos favor martial law, reject expansion

by Jennifer

Soriano

AJPress

MORe than half of Filipinos support President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao, but a majority also oppose expanding the military rule to the rest of the country, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released on Tuesday, July 11.

The survey found that of the 92 percent of Filipino adults who are aware of Duterte’s martial rule, 57 percent said it was the right decision, while 29 percent said it should have been declared only in Marawi City and Province of Lanao del Sur. Meanwhile, 11 percent said it should have been declared only for Marawi CIty, the province of Lanao del Sur, and nearby provinces.

The decision to declare martial law got the highest support from Mindanao at 64 percent, followed by respondents from Metro Manila at 58 percent, the Visayas at 57 percent, and Luzon at 53 percent.

The older respondents (ages 55 years old and above) topped the number in favor of Duterte’s decision at 68 percent. They were followed by 18 to 24 years old at 59 percent, 25 to 34 years old at 53 percent, 35 to 44 years old at 52 percent, and 45 to 54 years old at 51 percent.

Majority against expansion in Visayas and Luzon Citing Duterte’s earlier remarks on May 24 regarding the possibility of expanding martial law to the Visayas and Luzon if the insurgency continues, the majority

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Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

of the respondents in those said areas rejected the idea.

With the survey statement “Pres. Rodrigo Duterte should also declare Martial Law in the Visayas,” the proportion of those who disagreed was highest in the Visayas at 79 percent, followed

by Metro Manila at 71 percent, and Luzon at 68 percent. however, a whooping 43 percent in Mindanao agreed that “Pres. Rodrigo Duterte should also declare Martial Law in the Visayas.” Thirty-eight percent disagreed, while 19 percent were undecided.

Disagreement with the statement, “Pres. Rodrigo Duterte should also declare Martial Law in Luzon” was also dominant across the board, except for Mindanao.

The proportion of those who disagreed with the statement was highest in Metro Manila at

Philstar.com photo

79 percent, followed by Balance Luzon at 76 percent, and Visayas at 76 percent. however, Mindanao seemed divided on its opinion — 40 percent agreed and 38 percent disagreed. The remaining 22 percent were undecided.

The survey was conducted on June 23-26, 2017 using face-toface interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, which involved 300 respondents each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

SWS also conducted a survey on the same date, which revealed that the chief executive’s performance hit a record-high net satisfaction of 78 percent among Filipinos. The Palace said on Friday, July 7 that this manifests the “tacit public support” to Duterte’s martial law declaration.

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OpiniOn

Critical numbers

Features

BASED on projections by the Commission on Population (POPCOM) and data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Philippine population will continue to increase in 2017 and is projected to reach 105,758,850 by December 31, 2017.

As of Sunday, July 9, the current Philippine population is 103,842,929 or 1.38 percent of the world’s total population, based on the latest United Nations estimates.

The nation’s population has grown over two percent each year since 2000. A mere 50 years ago, the country’s population stood at 27.1 million.

Other population trends being tracked by POPCOM for 2017 are the numbers of schoolchildren, which is expected to rise to 31.5 million, the labor force of 66.7 million and the segment over 65 years old at 5.2 million.

While every life is a cause of celebration, the world recognizes the need to address the urgency and importance of population issues. This is why the world observes July 11 as the World Population Day to enhance awareness of population issues, including their relation to the environment and development.

Humankind didn’t hit the 1 billionth threshold until the 19th century. Today, human inhabitants have since been growing by exponential leaps.

The world’s population now stands at 7.5 billion.

Reaching this number is as much a milestone in human history as it is a worldwide cause for deep concern.

The world is expected to grow another 2.4 billion and reach almost 10 billion in 2050. That’s the same as adding nearly two more Chinas or eight times more U.S. residents to this already crowded planet.

In the Philippines, at least three babies are born every minute, making the country’s population growth a daunting challenge. Stabilizing these numbers, so that they don’t outstrip economic growth, is an even more challenging task.

Although it is anathema to the Church and prolife advocates, population control is a practical option right now. Controlling population growth may not be the ultimate solution to such survival, but it renders a chance for a better future.

A ballooning population interlinks a myriad of issues. But its control equates a matter of survival of the human race. Controlling the population may not be the ultimate solution to such survival, but it renders a chance for a better future.

Without urgent efforts to stabilize and reduce population growth, nature might finally provide alternative solutions to the problem with famine, disease and war.

The government needs to vigorously implement its population policies, which are respon-

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

sible parenthood and the advocacy for natural family planning. There are a number of other worthwhile methods people can and should em-

ploy to reduce fertility rates. Some have proven track records, while others, are eminently sensible. (AJPress)

Trump Jr. releases detailed emails that give more smoke to the Russian-Trump campaign collusion THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN has, in many The Fil-Am times, failed to disclose, mislead and lied Perspective about its alleged communications and ties with the United States’ adversary, Russia, and Gel SantoS-ReloS has even called any reports about it “fake news”, and the investigation as a “witch hunt”.

It contends that the Democrats and the fake news media had been making these accusations against Trump because they could not accept the fact that Clinton lost and Trump won.

THIS is NOT fake news, kababayans.

Ask President Donald J. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who has released emails and a statement regarding his meeting with a Kremlin-related Russian attorney who offered to give the Trump campaign some incriminating information about Hillary Clinton from the Rus-

Opinion

sian government to damage her campaign and help Trump win the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Trump released a brief statement saying, “my son is a highquality person and I applaud his transpar-

ency.”

Transparency? After denials and multiple stories to explain away the news broken by the New York Times last weekend, Trump Jr. finally released on Tuesday morning the emails, but only after being told that the Times was about to publish the content of emails setting up a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer.

As the Times reported, the emails were exchanged in June 2016 between Donald Trump Jr. and Rob Goldstone, a British-born former tabloid reporter and entertainment publicist. Mr. Gold-

stone told Trump Jr. that he was writing on behalf of a mutual friend, one of Russia’s biggest pop music stars, Emin Agalarov.

Quoting the New York Times: On Jun 3, 2016, at 10:36 AM, Rob Goldstone wrote: Good morning Emin just called and asked me to contact you with something very interesting.

The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father.

This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump - helped along by Aras and Emin.

What do you think is the best way to

handle this information and would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly?

I can also send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first.

Best Rob Goldstone According to the New York Times, Trump Jr. responded in minutes saying, “If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”

After more email exchanges setting up the meeting, Trump Jr. met with the Russian lawyer on June 9 at younger Trump’s office on the 25th floor of Trump Tower, which the Times reported to be “just one level below the office of the future president”.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and the Trump Campaign chairman Paul Manafort were in the meeting, and had received forwarded emails about the planned meeting by Trump Jr. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who

heads the independent investigation probing the alleged collusion of the Trump campaign with Russia to interfere in the presidential election, will look into these emails and meetings.

Mueller will weigh in on these in relation to the many other testimonies, meetings, ties, and other evidences to determine the culpability of the Trump campaign in the allegations of collusion with Russia to attack the democratic processes and institutions in the United States just so Trump would win as president.

He will also look into a possible tit for tat between Trump and Russia, considering how such ties have affected Trump’s policies when it comes to Russia.. *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

The Duterte-Alvarez show: Good cop, bad cop

IT’S got to be an act. That’s the only explanation for it: RicaRdo Saludo House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has this unfailing knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, so to speak, just when President Rodrigo Duterte scores with the public, the media, some key sector.

Take the past week. The signatures of Their Honors the Justices were not yet dry on the Supreme Court’s 11-3-1 decision upholding the constitutionality of Duterte’s May 25 martial law proclamation over Mindanao and nearby islands. Then Alvarez has the bright idea of calling for five more years of military rule, to wipe out rebels and terrorists from the region.

Last Saturday he made sure to make headlines by telling the leading anti-administration paper that “if I can convince my colleagues, I will push for an extension until 2022, because two months is too short.”

Never mind that the Commander in Chief has said over and over that he will listen to his generals and no one else on whether to let martial law last one day more than its expiry on July 22. Not to congressmen or senators. Not to businessmen or demonstrators.

Not to churchmen or commentators.

With Alvarez’s unsolicited suggestion to keep the troops in charge of Mindanao till Duterte finally leaves Malacañang Palace for his humble abode in Davao City five years from now, the Speaker has rekindled fears of Marcos-style martial law, after the military’s no-abuse record eased concerns.

Now, with the specter of repeated anniversaries of military rule, even the level-headed and the antileftist rightists might actually pay attention to the insurgent Communist Party of the Philippines in its wild claim yesterday that the “forked tongue” Duterte was laying the groundwork for nationwide martial law.

(Of all critics, the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, have no iota of moral standing to point fingers at imagined or real autocrats, not with their hands stained by the blood of hundreds

of their own cadres ruthlessly purged in the late 1980s, plus unarmed innocents in the thousands.

But that’s another story.)

Back to the Honorable Speaker of the House.

With his own fellow representatives still howling over his 2017-2022 martial-law trial balloon, Alvarez sends up another sure-fire party pooper.

Two days after Palace relations with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines looked set to get better after the election of Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles as CBCP president, vice LingayenDagupan prelate Socrates Villegas, who had nottoo-subtly called on Catholics not to shade Duterte’s name on the ballot, the Speaker decides to ruffle the revered men of the cloth.

He let it be known that legalizing same-sex marriage might be good to see on his legislative legacy.

That would surely remind the bishops of the President’s own campaign pledge to allow like genders to wed, even though he publicly backed away from that un-Catholic idea not too long ago in March.

Duterte’s lightning rod?

If in his untimely and unseemly pronouncements the Speaker wittingly or unwittingly aims to draw lightning bolts of criticism and animosity from the President, it may be working, at least some of the time.

Days after placing Mindanao under military rule before cutting short his state visit to Moscow, President Duterte told soldiers in Jolo, mixing English and Filipino: “While the police, not to mention the Armed Forces, have not said that the Philippines is safe, this martial law will continue. I will not listen to anyone else. The Supreme Court, congressmen, they’re not out here. … Why, are they the ones facing death? Are they the ones suffering here? They will suffer the wounds of war?”

That Palace throwdown of verbal gauntlets would tend to invite its co-equal branches to cross constitutional swords with the tough-talking Chief Executive. But as media got ready with headlines like “Defiant Duterte dangles dictatorship, dismisses decrees and decisions dismantling defense department dominance down south,” Alvarez let loose with his own missive against the judiciary.

When martial law opponents petitioned the Su-

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez

preme Court to make Congress hold a joint session to review and vote on martial law, the Speaker let it be known that if the magistrates acceded and issued the order, “I would rip it up. …They should review their law books. How can the Supreme Court dictate to Congress what to do? We’re a coequal body,” Which then opened the door for Duterte to wax deferential, presidential and constitutional, promising to abide by any decision from the high court the very day after Alvarez thumbed his nose at Their Honors.

“Of course, we are bound by rules,” the Commander in Chief told another military assembly in Sultan Kudarat. “That’s already the Supreme Court. … I’m sure that they will take into account the fighting and what’s behind it.”

Good cop, bad cop.

When showtime gets real If all the foregoing is an act, it’s vintage Duterte.

After all, he was the presidentiable who made everyone think he wasn’t sure about running, and even missed the deadline for filing certificates for

Inquirer.net photo

candidacy. Thus, rivals spared him from the attacks that sank frontrunners like then Vice-President Jejomar Binay.

Alvarez’s nastiness toward the judiciary allowed Duterte to pledge compliance to the Supreme Court, wiping away his earlier defiance of both legislative and judicial branches if they tried to void martial law. With such presidential deference to the bench, in stark contrast to the Speaker’s unbowed arrogance, Their Honors got one more reason to rule for Malacañang.

As for the five-year martial law balloon, now that even the Palace and the Armed Forces have shot it down, one or two years of military rule suddenly appears reasonable, if not positively democratic. It certainly looks much better than if the discussion was only about months or weeks of extension, not years.

And if it works with Congress and the courts, why not the Church? If the CBCP gets friendly with the President to rein in the Speaker, the latter’s samesex marriage idea would have served its purpose.

(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.

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july 14-20, 2017

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july 14-20, 2017

UNBOXING FILIPINO CULTURE

2

Close family ties and most loved items in a balikbayan box

by Nathalie

IF there lies a single thing that would ultimately define Filipino identity, one would have to fly around the world and back, and still would not know what it would be. That is how diverse and colorful the Filipino culture is. Packed with various traits, characteristics, upbringing, talents and skills; no wonder you cannot confine the Filipino people in a single category.

More often than not, you will find traces of them wherever you go.

One of the factors which certainly sets Filipinos apart from the rest, are their close family ties. In a common household, it is not surprising to see extended families living under the same roof. The concept of family not only applies as to what the law perceives—the smallest unit of society. For Filipinos, it is one flesh, blood, and legacy established at birth. What is valued in a family often corresponds with the values that one possess.

These familial ties gave birth to the idea of the “pasalubong.”

It is a concept in the Philippines that whenever someone leaves home or travels, he has to bring back some sort of token from his destination upon his return.

Robles/AJPress

Thus, the word pasalubong can also be translated as ‘something meant for you when you welcome me back.’ It has a few sentimental connotations, as in rejoicing the safe homecoming of someone who was away for a time.

Despite the influx of overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs), this tradition remained in their hearts.

Regardless of them being away from their family members, they would still find time to send gifts to their families. It led to the idea of a balikbayan box, a care package that OFWs send their loved ones delivered via air or sea.

Whenever there is a balikbayan box delivered straight to one’s home, each member of the family would eagerly open it and would in turn, anticipate what the sender wishes for them to have. Goods and gifts, with labels as to who would receive such, is what should be expected once a balikbayan box arrives.

According to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Office (PSA), the number of OFWs who worked abroad was estimated at 2.4 million. Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) or those with existing work contracts comprised

Chocolates top the list of favorite balikbayan box contents, with four in every five people nonchalantly picking the said item as their personal favorite.

97.1 percent of the total OFWs. With that said, it can be observed that each family or household has at least one relative or family member working overseas.

As a way to express their love, miles apart, they would in turn send balikbayan boxes to their loved ones in the Philippines.

Things loved most in a balikbayan box Chocolates top the list of favorite balikbayan box contents, with four in every five people nonchalantly picking the said item as their personal favorite.

“It’s chocolate. Lots and lots of it,” said Cyril Bunuan.

In a similar survey conducted

by Inquirer, December of last year, chocolates along with candies topped the list at 67 percent.

Asked on why chocolates are considered a common preference, one replied, “Siguro dahil may mentality na dito sa Pilipinas na mas mahal ‘yung presyo ng chocolates (Maybe because there is a mentality that chocolates are more expensive here in the Philippines).”

Gadgets came second on the list due to the increase in demand as technology continuously progresses. Mobile phones, personal

Branded apparel in various sizes, colors and designs were also among the favorite items on the list.

Whenever there is a balikbayan box delivered straight to one’s home, each member of the family would eagerly open it and would in turn, anticipate what the sender wishes for them to have. Goods and gifts, with labels as to who would receive such, is what should be expected once a balikbayan box arrives.

computers, tablets, cameras etc. were the common preferences of Filipinos.

Clothes immediately followed on the list with 63 percent of respondents picking it among their top favorite goodies. Branded apparel in various sizes, colors and designs were also among the favorite items found inside the balikbayan boxes. Once the said box lands in the Philippine soil and into the arms of the recipients, rest assured there will be a gather-

ing of some sort where relatives haul whichever garments would fit them.

Shoes were also considered a common favorite. In the Philippines, whenever someone would leave home, even for a short while or even if it’s just a local destination, they would say the common expression, “Size nine ako ah, (My foot size is nine),” as a way of hinting that they want shoes for pasalubong.

Canned goods are the most

As technology continuously progresses, mobile phones, personal computers, tablets, and cameras are among the common preferences of Filipinos as their preferred pasalubong.

practical items in a balikbayan box. Since it would take long for the goods to expire, families are able to utilize them for emergency purposes.

Distance indeed cannot hinder one’s expression of love and concern. Even with something as simple as a balikbayan box, one must still be thankful and appreciative. After all, what matters in the end is not the value of the goods in the box but the amount of love it signifies.

Canned goods are the most practical items in a balikbayan box. Since it would take long for the goods to expire, families are able to utilize them for emergency purposes.

Inquirer.net photos

Traveling 101: Tips on getting more for your money By iRis

ViceNte AJPress

IN this digital era where alluring destinations and fascinating safaris keep flooding your social media accounts, the need and hunger for travel burns deep inside the hearts of those who wants a detour from this toxic utopia that is urban life.

Whether you’re a student who has tons of paperwork to do or one of those people with jobs as stressful as the heavy traffic during rush hour, traveling has now become more of a necessity than a luxury.

Although traveling can really cost you a dime, there’s a way to get more from your money while you’re out having the best experience on your adventures.

1. Book cheap flights Be resourceful in waiting and finding cheap deals to avoid throwing out cash when you’re supposed to save up. Look into travel websites that offer searching into other companies and comparing airfares to get the lowest rate.

2. Find valuable accommodations You don’t have to stay in hotels and be all fancy. You can always settle for amiable dorm-style places or hostels. Remember: you’re out for some adventures, not some glamorous sleepovers.

3. DIY your itinerary

OFW remittances transferred to their families or recipient/s became part of OFW households prioritize part of their remittances for education, household budgets that are spent on every family’s daily necessities such purchase of consumer durables, and purchase of house, investment, as increase in consumption of durable and nondurable goods, or can also and other miscellaneous expenses.

Inquirer.net photos be used as savings.

How and where do families spend the money being sent to them

Look into travel websites that offer searching into other companies and comparing airfares to get the lowest rate.

Inquirer.net photos

Yup. Do it yourself instead of availing for packaged tours which could cost more, why not plan your own day and the places you want to go. Be diligent about searching for places that are free and worth seeing.

4. Maximize buffet breakfast That’s right. Not to spoil and break your “healthy” diet, but this is because adventures are composed of long walks and long days which consumes energy. Start your day early and amplify those buffet accommodations to avoid getting hangry (hungry+angry) plus, it’s also a hack to decrease expenditures because snacks and water in some places are extremely expensive.

Start your day early and amplify those buffet accommodations to avoid getting hangry (hungry+angry) plus, it’s also a hack to decrease expenditures because snacks and water in some places are extremely expensive.

You don’t have to stay in hotels and be all fancy. You can always settle for amiable dormstyle places or hostels. Remember: you’re out for some adventures, not some glamorous sleepovers.

5. Keyword: READ This one goes out to everyone specially those who are first time travelers. It’s not going to make you sweat if you read and study prior to visiting the place or country. It’s important to know the details like transportation (public transportations of course cost less than cabs in many places) road maps (familiarize yourself beforehand of the ins and outs of town to avoid getting lost and time inconvenience) weather (Travel light. There are places that has different weather conditions, it’s important to know which essential things to bring to avoid excess baggage which is costly), and even the culture for a handy, frugal and satisfying adventure.

While it is pleasurable to spend some time unwinding, people can always relish the finer things in life while avoiding spending too much.

Tight purse strings+quality experience= great adventures.

By laRizza de AJPress

VeRa

ONE of the strong pillars of the Philippine economy are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Last year, remittances propped up the country’s economic growth and hit a new record high of $2.56 billion in December. Remittances serve as the direct outcome of labor migration and the most important source of foreign exchange to the economy.

Initially, the main goal of OFWs is to maximize the great opportunities abroad in hopes of providing a better life for their family. However, the promise of a better a life depends on how and where they spend their remittances. Establishing a budget that is not grounded in reality is not really useful at all.

One must live within their means and prioritize what is important and beneficial.

In turn, OFW remittances transferred to their families or recipient/s became part of household budgets that are spent on every family’s daily necessities such as increase in consumption of durable and nondurable goods, or can also be used as savings. It can also be beneficial for people who want to start a business. Thus, such overseas cashflows raise the standard of living of recipient families.

Based on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey of 2016, recipients greatly allocate their remittances on consumption goods. For instance, 97.3 percent are for food and other household needs.

However, as stated by Asia Development Bank (ADB), families sometimes compromise and lower

Last year, remittances propped up the country’s economic growth and hit a new record high of $2.56 billion in December.

their food expenditure. OFW households prioritize part of their remittances for education (70 percent), purchase of consumer durables (21.9 percent), and purchase of house (11 percent), investment (6.5 percent), and other miscellaneous expenses (4.5 percent).

The expenditure of the remittance-receiving families is closely monitored by the government because it reflects the general condition of the country. In this way, OFWs can expect a better return of investment because of the government efforts to further allow recipients to avail and spend more money on government programs.

At the same time, investments on education and nonfood expenditure can impart a long-term growth on the economy because of the higher probability of producing better human resources for the country.

In turn, the increase of investment in human and physical capital aggregate domestic demand and enhances the country’s capital accumulation.

Another expenditure of the family-receiving remittance is their allocation on savings. According to data by BSP, 43.2 percent of Filipinos who are considered mostly put their savings at home. These investments share 43.4 percent on the remittance allocation that can help create new social assets and services like schools, health centers, roads and other community projects that can be beneficial to their recipient who were left in the country.

Furthermore, a portion of OFW households allotted part of their remittances for debt payments (46.5 percent). Geographically speaking, a large portion of the OFW households in the NCR allocated their remittances on debt payments, for purchase of food and other household needs, and for investment.

But in spite of their different investments on human and physical capital, only 56.1 percent of OFW on 2016 utilized their remittance for medical expense as compared to last quarter’s data.

Aiza Seguerra wants the same freedom as Jake Zyrus, wife Liza says By iris

Vicente AJPress

AIZA Seguerra wants the same freedom as Jake Zyrus (formerly known as Charice Pempengco), her wife Liza Dino-Seguerra revealed in an interview with GMA Network’s morning show, “Unang Hirit� on Monday, July 10.

With the recent frenzy about Charice’s name change to Jake Zyrus, other celebrities who are in the same boat have shown great support and regard to him for his fiery revelation.

Aiza, being a former child star and a well-known personality, who also came out of the closet years ago, shares the same desire for liberation as Jake, says his wife. “I’m learning kasi when you are a man, and you know you are a man, there’s that constant goal to have that freedom. I know Aiza is giving it serious thought,� Liza said after sharing that she and Aiza have talked about the subject and that she supports her. “Ako siguro, when that time comes, na-a-appease ako sa nakikita ko kay Jake. Marami akong fears but I’m happy to see

AJPress

Liza DiĂąo-Seguerra and Aiza Seguerra

joy in [Jake’s] face (I feel appeased seeing Jake. I have a lot of fears but I’m happy to see joy in Jake’s face), the freedom, and I know that’s what Aiza wants,� she added.

Meanwhile, in an article on Pep.ph, Aiza revealed that she had been discussing it with Liza long before Jake Zyrus’ announcement.

As a matter of fact, she already have a name she fancies: Ize

By iris

Vicente AJPress

ZSA-ZSA Padilla honored late husband Dolphy’s fifth death anniversary at the Heritage Park Taguig on Monday, July 10.

In commemoration of the comedy king’s passing in 2012 due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the Divine Diva took to Instagram where she posted a picture of Dolphy’s tomb with flowers and asked her followers to offer prayers for him. “Today marks the 5th year of Dolphy’s passing. Although he lives in our hearts and minds, he is greatly missed. Please say a little prayer for him...� Padilla wrote.

Padilla, almost two years after being widowed is currently in a

AS soon as she began singing the first words of Andra Day’s song “Rise Up,� nine-year-old Angelica Hale stirred the venue’s atmosphere. It only took a few seconds for the charming little girl from Atlanta to win the judges’ approval and the world’s applause with her powerful voice. “I want to be the next Whitney Houston. I want to be a superstar,�

Angelica Hale told “America’s Got Talent� judges Simon Cowell, Mel B. Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum.

These were the words that resonated in her audition at “America’s Got Talentâ€? as she tried Seguerra. However, the transition to conquer the first segment and might not happen any time soon secure a spot in the competition. as her hands are full being the Full of passion and aspiration new chairman of National Youth for singing, Angelica joined Commission. “To really‌to launch myself as America’s biggest talent competition to inspire and let her Ize, siguro right now, hindi ko pa voice be heard around the world. siya naiisip because I’m very busy “I absolutely love singing and doing things. But ayun, my wife it is my passion. I thought that the and I have discussed it na.â€? Aiza big stage of ‘America’s Got Talent’ said. was a wonderful place to allow my singing to be heard around the world,â€? Angelica told the Asian Journal.

Angelica decided to pursue her dream at a young age because she realized early that relationship with architect Conrad life is not to be taken for granted.

Moreover, she had already lived a Onglao whom she met through Megastar Sharon Cuneta. She has lifetime even before she finished two children with the late Comedy kindergarten. “I went through really difficult King, Zia and adopted daughter, times, but now I get to use my Nicole Quizon.

Meanwhile, in an interview on voice and share my inspirational story with people all over the “Tonight With Boy Abunda,� Eric world, and that makes me feel Quizon, the 12th son of Dolphy better than ever,� Angelica shared. said that there’s already a big At the age of four, she venture that’s in the works in honor of his father, with company contracted an aggressive strep bacterium in her lungs that Exceed Realty and Development. eventually led to kidney failure.

The project is going to be called Despite her situation, she still “Dolphy Ville�, a subdivision in pursued her singing career. She Calatagan Batangas which will joined her first competition when be open for sale as soon as they she was five and continued to finalize the paperworks. attend voice lessons with her Dolphy, Rodolfo Quizon in real life died at the Makati Medical vocal coach Tricia Grey in between therapies.

Center in 2012 after a five year “I want my fans to know that battle with COPD.

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9-year-old Fil-Am surprises audience at ‘America’s Got Talent’

by Larizza de Vera

Zsa Zsa Padilla pays tribute to Dolphy’s 5th death anniversary

Zsa Zsa Padilla

july 14-20, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

they should never give up and always believe that dreams can come true,� Angelica said.

The daughter of James Hale and Eva Bolando, Angelica continues to latch onto her dream in spite of her limit and new lease in life. “I knew that my life story couldn’t end here and that this was only the beginning. There was still so much I wanted to accomplish and experience in my life,� she shared.

The little angel was not wrong. She deflected all adversity on Friday the 13th of September, 2013 as she successfully went out of the operating room with a newly functioning kidney donated by her mother. “My family supports me so much and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. They believe in my dreams to be a singer and superstar and are always there to support me if I’m having trouble. Because of them, I can pursue and develop my passion for singing. They always encourage me to bring my singing to the next level but to

Angelica Hale

also have fun,� she added.

As of today, Angelica is one of the finalists and is still in the running in “America’s Got Talent.� “I’m preparing for my next ‘AGT’ performances by practicing and working hard every day. I am always trying to make the songs even better than they were before,� Angelica enthused. “I realized that you need to treat every day like it’s the last day of your life and to never take things for granted. No matter how bad things may seem, they could always be worse,� she said.

Angelica hopes to visit her fans from all around the world especially her mother’s hometown in Iligan City, Mindanao. “I think traveling to new places is very exciting and I hope that my singing will allow me to meet people all over the world,� she said.

The little Fil-Am singer may not have been to the Philippines but she sure does captured her kababayans’ hearts with her charming personality and positive outlook in life.

Photo courtesy of NBC

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4

Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes on benefits of ‘playcation’ CELEBRITY couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera just came home from a recent trip to the United States with their toddler, Zia. When not traveling, Dingdong said they do “playcation,” wherein they just stay at home to play with Zia, and not just play, but rough and tumble play.

Why is rough and tumble play important?

Researches on rough and tumble play show that it plays important role in child development.

“Many local and international studies highly encourage rough play because it plays a vital role in a child’s physical, social and cognitive development,” said Prof. Perlita De Leon, an expert in Developmental Psychology from University of the Philippines Diliman.

According to her, brain development peaks during the first 1,000 days or a child’s first three years, so to maximize the experience among children through active learning activities, this is best done through rough or tumble play.

De Leon said exposure to new environments and the opportunity for play not only aids in the formation of friendships, it also boosts self-confidence.

Games such as crawl racing and kiddie wrestling strengthen the muscles and aid in the development of fine and gross motor skills. Through the use of tools that encourage a bit of problem solving, cognitive functions are nurtured.

The United Nations’ Children’s Fund (Unicef) added that rough and tumble play develops a child’s gross motor control and large muscles responsible for muscle coordination, speed enhancement and psychological development, which are necessary for sports later in life.

Such kind of play, according to Unicef, also improves small motor control, which is important for developing grace and skills in writing, drawing, and arts and crafts.

Rough and tumble play also lead to emotional and social

EMPLOYMENT

Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera-Dantes and daughter Zia in a recent trip to America.

development as it establishes bonding between parent and child, and positive bonding moments between mom and baby, researches say, help in recovering from post-partum disorder.

Likewise, through such play, children learn to empathize and be adaptable to different situations and roles. They also learn to regulate behaviors, especially aggression, and discover how to take turns and strategize.

De Leon said rough and tumble play also enable kids to make quick decisions and make them persistent, critical thinkers who are experimental, less shy and more expressive or open to ideas.

How to engage kids in rough and tumble play Before one year old: According to child psychologists, start with crawling, then gentle wrestling or roll over.

If mom is suffering from post-partum syndrome, dad can intervene through water play during baths and playing peek-aboo while dressing up.

By one year old: You can ask your child to “fly like a butterfly” with you when walking. Likewise, you can engage in gentle pillow fights, as well as obstacle courses and chasing.

Since Zia is now over a year old, her energy is so high, said Dingdong. Zia is fearless, very sociable and active like Marian, he

told Philstar.com.

“Nandun s’ya sa stage na ‘di mo talaga pwedeng pigilan,” he enthused.

How Dingdong, Marian spend ‘playcation’ with Zia Zia loves books. “Actually, s’ya pa ‘yung nagha-hand ng books na gusto n’ya,” said Dingdong. Zia loves books about animals, letters and fruits.

Zia loves vegetables and rice.

DongYan’s little one is not a picky eater.

“Ako, mas importante ‘yung proper nutrition and I’m very grateful na si Marian prepares Zia’s food. One hundred percent s’ya talaga ‘yung gumagawa nun mula noon hanggang ngayon. ‘Pag may gusto ako, nagpapaluto din ako sa kanya. Even if may work ako sa labas, binabaon ko ’yung gawa n’ya,” Dingdong shared.

Animal sounds and body parts: Zia mimics animal sounds and points at body parts when asked to, said Marian.

“In fairness kay Zia, ‘pag tinuruan mo s’ya ng mga bagay, madali n’yang natutunan talaga,” Marian noted.

Dingdong and Marian give Zia their full support. Dingdong said they do not restrict Zia from doing anything, for as long as he and Marian make sure their daughter has proper support for her activities and they are always conscious of her every move. (Philstar.com)

EMPLOYMENT

HOME AGENCY

‘Most beautiful’ KathNiel fights cyberbullying SHORTLY after being named as the country’s “most beautiful” for this year by a showbiz magazine, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla lend their “most beautiful” faces to campaign against one of the world’s biggest problems today—cyberbullying.

Cybersmile, an international non-profit organization registered in the United States and in the United Kingdom, has just announced Kathryn and Daniel, also known as “KathNiel,” to be its Philippine ambassadors who will raise awareness on the impact of cyberbullying and digital abuse to huge numbers of Internet users around the world.

“No one has any right to disrespect others and be rude because you are not seen or can be anonymous on cyberspace.

I would like people to be aware of the ill effects of cyberbullying and as an official Cybersmile ambassador, I hope that I would be able to raise awareness on this in my country,” Daniel said in his statement as seen on Cybersmile’s website.

The 22-year-old Daniel has been among the most popular actors of his generation. As a recording artist, he has double platinum albums to his credit.

Nicknamed as the “Teen King,” he has been featured in primetime shows, films and is the face of major brands.

“My truth, my essence is what will define me, not anyone’s

definition of who I am. I live each day to become more and hopefully I affect others around me to become more too. I am pleased to become a Cybersmile ambassador and be able to do more against cyberbullying,” Kathryn said in a statement released by the foundation.

Bernardo, 21, is half of the most popular love team in the Philippines since entering showbiz at the age of seven. Together with Daniel, she has made many top-rating TV series and blockbuster movies.

Called the “Teen Queen,” her self-titled debut album Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo in 2014 is a certified platinum.

Cybersmile ambassadors. Being KathNiel recently received the voice of their generation, their own stars in the Philippines’ they are making a tremendous version of Hollywood Walk of difference in raising awareness Fame to be found in Quezon of the impact that cyberbullying City’s Eastwood Walk of Fame. and online abuse can have on Despite their busy schedule people’s lives, while helping for top-rating soap opera “La young people across Asia and Luna Sangre,” KathNiel found the rest of the world find the time to recently participate in support that is available to them,” Cybersmile’s “Stop Cyberbullying foundation co-founder Daniel Day” by sharing their thoughts on Raisbeck said. online abuse and cyberbullying.

KathNiel join other They encouraged their 12 million foundation ambassadors like Twitter followers to join in the girl group Fifth Harmony and fight to make the Internet a Richard Armitage of “The Hobbit” brighter and more inclusive in promoting messages of environment. inclusion, kindness and positivity “We are thrilled to welcome to eliminate personal threats, fear Daniel and Kathryn as official and abuse online. (Philstar.com)

Maine Mendoza on being at FHM’s top 10 ‘sexiest’: Kalokohan ‘to! “’KALOKOHAN ‘to! ‘Yan lang ang masasabi ko – isang malaking joke na mapabilang ako sa FHM top 10 sexiest,” dub smash queen and TV host Maine Mendoza told reporters on Tuesday, July 11.

“Pero thank you na rin po for considering me!” Maine quipped.

Maine entered the “100 sexiest list” of men’s magazine FHM after she posted sexy photos of her recent vacation in Maldives. It is Maine’s first time to be included in the list topped by Nadine Lustre as “sexiest woman” in the Philippines for 2017.

Will this mean that from now

on, Maine will be more daring in photos?

“Nakakagulat kasi ‘di ko ineexpect na mag-tretrending s’ya, na may makaka-appreciate ng buto’t balat ko!”

How did she achieve her Maldives beach body?

“I didn’t have much preparation time for Maldives,” she confessed.

“So, chicken breast, asparagus and cardio lang!”

To look sexy on photos, she emphasized the value of proper posing: “Pero anggulo lang talaga s’ya eh, kasi ang laki ng t’yan ko e!”

Maine Mendoza (Philstar.com)

SERVICES

Problem Solved Atty. Kelly O’Reilly EARLIER this year in January, President Trump signed executive orders designed to place greater focus on removal of certain immigrants that are in the country without permission. In February, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly, issued memos detailing on how the President’s executive orders would be enforced. The memos expand the categories of people classified as “priorities for removal.”

This expansion has led to increased arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

When a person is identified by ICE as an enforcement priority, they may be apprehended by ICE. Under most circumstances, the apprehended person then has the ability request an immigration bond hearing. An immigration bond is separate and distinct from a criminal bond, and must therefore be handled differently.

Often times, when a person is in state custody for a criminal offense, they are informed that they have an “ICE hold.” This means that ICE intends to detain the person once they no longer in state custody. Once in ICE custody, the person can request to have an immigration bond hearing before an immigration judge. ICE does have the ability to grant bonds directly, but this is most often

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond

Immigration bond hearings: What you need to know left to the immigration judge to decide.

It is imperative to retain the services of an experienced immigration lawyer to represent you in the bond hearing before the immigration judge. There, it will be the job of the detained person and their attorney to persuade the immigration judge that the detained person is neither a flight risk nor a danger to the public, and that they should therefore be granted bond and released from ICE custody. Much of the decision is a question of the immigration judge’s discretion.

This means that the immigration judge weighs evidence in front of him or her to determine if bond should be granted.

During the bond hearing, the immigration judge may ask the detained person, or their attorney, about family ties, employment, and past criminal history. Any criminal history is viewed as a negative factor that is weighed against other positive factors.

Positive and negative factors should be provided to the judge before the bond hearing in a thorough and organized brief.

If there is criminal history, a key factor for a detained person and their attorney is to demonstrate rehabilitation by means of certificates showing participation in and/or completion of rehabilitation programs, letters in support of good moral character,

POOR Echo! Her heart broke into a million little pieces. Beauty and light dissolved into darkness for her until nothing held any meaning.

Refusing food and drink, Echo grew pale and consumptive and faded away, leaving only her far-off voice in the distance. It is said that Echo haunts the mountains where she answers all who call but only with the last words.

Narcissus meanwhile continued to break one hapless heart after another in the most mean spirited away, until one day, one totally aggrieved nymph with her heart shattered, prayed to the powers that be, for vengeance, to inflict punishment on Narcissus to make him feel the pure pain of unrequited love, to make him feel how it is to give love and have it flung back in his face. Her prayer was heard and in a world of swift and even-handed justice with no lawyers, judges and jury to cloud the issue, appropriate punishment was served.

One day Narcissus chanced upon a pool with water so clear, it looked like a mirror. Bending over to drink, Narcissus saw his own reflection, thought it was a water nymph, and forthwith, was smitten

Health@Heart

***

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.

An old tale on self-absorption (Conclusion of 2 parts)

- From Ecclesiastes with the image on the pool. He fell in love with the image of himself, hook, line and sinker, not unlike celebrities who read their own press and believe them to be true.

But I digress.

Narcissus tried to embrace his own reflection in the water but his attempt to touch or kiss his beloved ended in frustration each time. The image in the water dissolved into ripples, disappeared and came back on. Narcissus had to be content just by looking at the mirror image of himself in the pool, day and night, without ever knowing the joy of touching or being loved in return. He now knew, up close and personal, the excruciating pain of multiple rejections from the same object of his affection. Still he persisted, becoming rooted to the spot by the pool. He now knew how it is to be on the receiving end of rejection. He slowly pined away, losing his youth and beauty and withering away on the same spot by the pool’s edge with Echo still hovering over him and repeating his poignant last word, “Alas!” as he lay dying.

As the woodland creatures prepared to bury his body, Narcissus’ body was nowhere to be found and in its place, stood a

flower, bending over the pool, as though admiring itself. Gardeners know this flower as narcissus.

Hence, we call those who exhibit the same folly these days as narcissistic. The irony of it is that others clearly see it for what it is but the afflicted individual is blind to this egocentric flaw in himself, thinking the world revolves around him. In today’s world, there’s opportunity to cash in on this human flaw and use vanity and self-image as hot buttons to sell their wares: beauty products and services, diet pills and machines and illusions of power and beauty, with remarkable success. Selfimprovement is great but only if it comes from the inside out.

Pray that both the “once young” and the young ones don’t fall prey to the trappings of extreme self-absorption that rule the global culture of the present age. Self love taken to extreme, is something that might account for much of the social problems affluent societies with only one or two self-absorbed children per family, experience and suffer from today. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette. maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

Fruit juices: Bad for babies

adults and children, increasing the risk for Metabolic Syndrome. The bad health effects are not obvious PhiliP S. ChuA, right away. They take years to Md, FACS, FPCS manifest in various organs. By THE American Academy of then, the damage is done, and Pediatric strictly recommends no different ailments start to appear. fruit juices for babies, absolutely Metabolic Syndrome is a no fruit juices at all, before age cluster of major risk factors that one, and very limited, if at all, for contribute to the development toddlers and older children. of cardiovascular diseases like This is a major shift from the high blood pressure, heart attack, recommendation of the AAP stroke, Alzheimer’s, and arthritis, 16 years ago, when it even fruit T2 diabetes, thyroid problems, juices for the first 6 months. The and even cancer. academy today even recommends The heartbreaking realities doing away with the beloved of poverty in our country and sippy cup for children, which is a worldwide are painful to realize contributing factor in childhood and accept, both as a human obesity and T2 diabetes. being and as a physician. The less There is no evidence of any privileged usually have limited or health benefit of fruit juices in no other option at all but to feed infancy and the high sugar load in their children and eat whatever them is actually harmful. One of is available or accessible to them, the authors of a recent study, Dr. healthy or not. To most of them, Steven Abrams, Chair of Pediatrics nutritional science is an abstract, at Dell Medical school at the irrelevant, and of no practical University of Texas, Austin, also value. said “offering babies juice could While I empathize with them keep them from getting enough and can not blame them for their breast milk or formula — and the eating habits, I strongly feel that needed protein, fat and other those who are better educated nutrients they contain….once and can afford are being unwise babies start eating solid foods, and are hurting themselves, they should have whole fruit that impairing their health, by is mashed or pureed, rather than unhealthy practices like drinking juice.” soft drinks, smoking, and alcohol Fruit juices, which are loaded abuse. We ought to know better. with sugar, and artificial fruit Once babies are started on drinks, are actually unhealthy. solids at four to six months old, The only worse beverage are soft they do not need additional drinks, which are toxic for both liquids besides breast milk or

Calendar of Events across

America

ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS J U LY 1 1 -1 6

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

J U LY 1 5

Money Smart for Small Business in El Monte, CA

“Vanity of vanities; ALL is vanity.”

MOnette AdevA MAglAyA (Continued from last week’s issue)

substance abuse counseling, and other similar evidence. In addition to rehabilitation evidence, any other evidence showing positive factors should be presented to the immigration judge.

After all of these factors are considered by the immigration judge, a decision is made on whether or not bond should be granted. If bond is granted, the immigration judge will determine what the bond amount will be.

The immigration bond hearing is often one of the most crucial steps taken at any point in a person’s immigration process.

There is no better time to have an experienced immigration attorney’s representation. At Wilner & O’Reilly, we specialize in all aspects of immigration law. If you or a loved one has an ICE hold, or is currently in ICE custody, reach out to one of our offices located in California, Idaho, and Utah.

JULY 14-20, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

formula. Water, maybe, from time to time, but certainly not fruits juices.

For older children, the Academy recommends restrictions on fruit juices, if given at all: four ounces daily for toddlers age one to three; six ounces or less for four- to six-yearolds; and less than eight ounces for older children and teens. Fruit juices may be omitted altogether, and instead, fresh fruits, or freshly squeezed juices, are better alternatives.

The bad thing about fruit juices from powder mixes or from concentrates, is not only because are they practically only sugar and water, and the fact that many children drink these as replacements for (and not consume) fruits and vegetables, and, therefore, miss the fiber, nutrients and vitamins in them.

The healthier drinks are clean filtered water and milk (with no sugar additive). Staying away from soft drinks and limited intake of fruit juices could also help reduce the risk for obesity.

It is best for children to develop the habit of eating fruits and vegetables, drinking water and milk at an early age instead of sugary fruit juice mixes.

Also, sippy cups (nonrestricted sipping of sugary drinks and high risk of tooth decay among users) are bad for children; drinking from a cup is what the Continued on Page 6

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

Echo Park, Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA Echo Park Tennis Club adult & senior men’s doubles tennis tournament In cooperation with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks, the Echo Park Tennis Club will be hosting an adult & senior men’s doubles tournament on Saturday, July 15. It will be held at the Echo Park Tennis Courts at 526 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 (corner of Temple St. and Glendale Blvd.) The trophy presentation will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 16 at the Lotus Festival at Echo Park. For more information, please contact Diana Diankoff at (323) 497-0879 or Perla Santos at (213) 368-3222.

J U LY 2 0

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

J U LY 2 1 -23

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

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

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

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

J U LY 22

Money Smart for Small Business in El Monte, CA Come to an introductory business course designed for newer business owners, selfemployed individuals, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Course topics include: startup planning, organizational types, risk management, credit reporting, business insurance, time & financial management, selling & succession planning, banking services for small businesses, recordkeeping, and tax & business planning. The curriculum is developed jointly by the FDIC and the SBA. It will be held on Saturday, July 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cathay Bank (9650 Flair Dr., El Monte, CA 91731). The fee is $20 payable to Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program (API SBP). Breakfast, lunch and course materials will be provided by Cathay Bank.

There will be limited seating so advance registration is required. To register, please contact Colleen Seto at (213) 373-1605 or cseto@ltsc.org. Participants will be eligible for free business counseling by API SBP.

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

5

JULY 14-20, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

6

Governor Espino lays out biz opportunities in Pangasinan at Asia CEO Forum

by IrIs

VIcente

AJ Press

GOVERNOR Amado Espino III laid out across-the-board investment opportunities in Pangasinan preceding business executives and investors at the Asia CEO Forum in Dusit Thani Makati on Wednesday, July 5.

As the leader of the Pangasinan delegation, Espino encouraged the foreign and local investors to explore the vast investment opportunities and fascinating wonders of his revered province.

“Make our home, your home” he said as he put out confident reasons why Pangasinan is an excellent place to settle and venture. Espino challenged investors to check out his zone’s five large-scale investment areas: Agriculture (especially on food and fish processing) Tourism (particularly on accommodation facilities like restaurants, pasalubong centers, terminals, recreation centers, theme parks, museums and farm tourist sites), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), renewable energy and ecozone advancement.

The provincial chief officer disclosed that competent businesses to settle shall revel in financial

allurement that is established in the Pangasinan Code of 2016 in which investors shall avail the following: one year to five years full exemption from payment of Governor’s permit on business activities, full exemption from payment of annual fixed tax for every delivery of truck or van, and full exemption from the share of the province based on the payment of Basic Real Property Tax acquired or built purposely for the project.

The Pangasinan Code of 2016 is the modified adaptation of the 2003 Investment Code which is one of the first passed provincial ordinances under Espino’s administration.

Espino furthermore advertised his province’s gains in agriculture, tourism, employment services and peace and order.

Along with the governor were city mayors: Arthur Celeste of Alaminos, San Carlos’ Mayor Joseres Resuello, Amadeo Gregorio IV of Urdaneta, and Belen Fernandez of Dagupan together with municipal mayors of Manaog, Kim Amador, Simplicio Rosario of Binmaley,Michael Cruz of Umingan and Eric Versoza of Dasol who come through for their corresponding city’s/municipality’s future businesses and transactions.

The Metamorphosis

ErniE D. DElfin

AMERICA recently celebrated the 4th of July national holiday, the country’s 241st Independence Day, and at the same day, I also celebrated another birthday. This summer holiday started with a thanksgiving mass, followed by our annual family get-together with close friends, centering on lots of food that could last for days after the party!

After 40 plus years in this country, there are more reasons to be grateful whenever this 4th of July holiday-birthday Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino III. arrives. Please allow to me to be President and CEO Rey Untal more personal, by sharing some of IT & Business Process Association innermost thoughts with you, dear of the Philippines, Deputy Directorreaders.

General for Operations Harriet Two charter members — Felix Abordo of Philippine Economic Zone Puno Lapuz, D.V.M. and Celly Authority and former Pangasinan Ferraren Adamo — of our GK Provincial Administrator Rafael eRotary Club that I founded have Howard F. Baraan were among the recently passed away. And today guests in the forum proper. as I write this column to remember A six-minute audiovisual and honor them, another presentation was played after wonderful member, Emma Espino’s speech highlighting Yambao Tiebens is now on hospice Pangasinan’s exquisite offerings and care for her serious battle against advancement. cancer, and at God’s appointed Dasol, Pangasinan’s ASNA time may also join her Creator. awardee, Richard Mills and wife, All these three dear friends Rebecca Bustamante made the whom I have personally sponsored province’s participation in the said into Rotary have made me very forum, possible. melancholic and quite nostalgic.

In my solitude, I found myself reflecting my own mortality which led me to scribble this unusual sustainable health and wellbeing. alphabet-column with 26 personal In addressing the issues along reasons why I am so grateful the path of sustainable health, having reached this stage of my Nomer is leading the way to use life. When you dear readers, are the knowledge, abilities, skills and fortunate enough to have reached experience of FASAE’s architects that “senior citizen” status, you and engineers in the rehabilitation, may also relate to any of my upgrading, and modernizing of reasons why I am indeed blessed. buildings and structures to the Read on: achievement of well-being of A - for ALMIGHTY God, the the 12 different systems of the ALPHA of all things, and my body - merging engineering laws adopted country, AMERICA that and medical practices, using an have given me many opportunities inclusive range of health and to achieve my dreams and live a healing modalities, to address the meaningful life. Doing my best many killer health conditions and over a half a century, the Lord debilitating ailments caused by has blessed me with everything, overweight, inactivity, improper especially my family, work and diet, bad posture habits, and ministry in helping others, as long undisciplined thinking, actions, as I am able to till the end of life. emotions, and indeterminate B - for BEAUTIFUL BABIES moral guidelines.

— granddaughters Sofie and Olivia, who are the BEST and most precious BLESSINGS to our family, who are making us very active and happy. They are making our “Apostolic” days go very fast whenever they are around.

C - for CHURCH that CHRIST established that has enabled me to carry my own CROSS every time I reflect upon His own sufferings and CRUCIFIXION with the hope to be also with Him one day.

FASAE to hold its 41st anniversary and induction on July 15 FOUNDED in 1976, the Filipino American Society of Architects and Engineers (FASAE) will celebrate its 41st Anniversary on July 15, 2017. This year marks the very first time in its history that FASAE’s president was re-elected to a second consecutive term. This well-deserved honor goes to Nomer Gutierrez, a CalTrans civil engineering manager of a Design Group in Stockton, CA. During his first year as president, Nomer launched a series of Leadership seminars to enable its members to successfully compete for new levels of assignments at their places of employment as part of FASAE’S Professional Development Program.

The training is also preparing its members to more actively

contribute to the growth and development of their respective families and communities.

More valuable to FASAE and its members is the practical, experiential application of the leadership training on its project entitled “Engineering Sustainable Health” that shall include the intention of magnifying the results of the medical mission projects in which Dr. Arlaine Gutierrez, the true life partner of Nomer, participates with heartfelt dedication. This project shall also forge a partnership between FASAE and medical groups to establish a mutually supporting relationship that shall nourish the efforts of its members at a personal level: that of successfully achieving a total, holistic program of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual

What matters most when we celebrate our birthdays D - for countless DREAMS that I have had, many of them have been realized through personal sweat and DETERMINATION. E - for EARTH and ENVIRONMENT where our daily food that we eat and the air we breathe come from.

F - for my FAITH in the goodness of life, without which life will be without meaning and purpose, coupled with ample FINANCES that enable us the FREEDOM to do what we want without borrowing money while we are alive and kicking.

G - for GARDEN and its GIFTS — flowers, fruits and joy — that are derived from it. Witnessing the daily metamorphosis happening around my garden are silent manifestations and subtle reminders that there is an indeed an awesome Power, greater than ourselves.

H - for HEALTH and a happy HOME, the most beautiful nest and strongest cradle of all families where love and peace reside.

I - for both INDEPENDENCE AND INTERDEPENDENCE that nurture our freedom that are vital to reach our greatest potential in the pursuit of happiness in our lives. The political noise, the childish arrogant tweets, the selfish and narrow-mindedness of so many politicians that threaten to destroy the America that we all know as envisioned and built by the founding Fathers. We must never allow our freedom to be trampled by our so-called leaders who have a different vision. We must fight for them as those gallant men and women who paid dearly with their own lives, so that our children and their children can also can enjoy the same freedom we have now.

J - for life’s JOURNEYS and JOYS and the concomitant excitement that we have experienced so far and with God’s blessings more journeys to come.

K - for KNOWLEDGE of right and wrong and the wisdom that is accumulated with every human endeavor that we do.

L - for LIFE itself, filled with LOVE. What else is needed?

M - for MIRACLES and MEANING that come with a fulfilled life.

N - for NATURE around us: mountains and parks, forest and open spaces, lakes and seas.

0 - for Pacific OCEAN, minutes away from home, and the rejuvenating cool breeze it creates that dissipates all anxieties of life.

P - for PEACE of mind and all the fruits that emanate comes from it.

Q - for our QUEEN MARY

(Blessed Virgin Mother), who is honored by million devotees chosen by God, to be Jesus’ mother. Another QUEEN Mary, a popular tourist attraction ship, docked in Long Beach, California, is also the weekly venue of the Long Beach Rotary Club meetings every Wednesday where I attend occasionally. (Who is interested to join me for lunch there? Incentive: With the Rotary lunch, there is no more need to buy the expensive QM admission and parking fees!)

R - for spiritual RETREATS that always inspire me to ponder, “What is life?” and meditate what truly matters most in my life? R is also for ROTARY, an organization that I love simply because it magnifies our “Service Above Self” work in helping and empowering others in the world, in conjunction with over 1.25 million fellow Rotarians.

S - for SALT of the earth.

Without it, life will be without taste and flavor.

T - for TIME, TALENTS and TREASURES that must be shared with others.

U - for UNDERSTANDING and accepting that all of us will one day die. Wherever we enter that UNIVERSITY of Hard Knocks, it behooves us to realize the fragility or futility of our lives, if not anchored on values that matter most.

V - for VACATION that almost always rejuvenates our tired bodies and recharges our weary spirits.

W - for WORK that is essential to live and become useful globalcitizens. We must also use our God given resources and talents to help us do and WRITE our humanitarian work everyday.

X - for that X-RAY instrument that others will utilize to examine the real person we really are, that can reveal the true contents of the little (-) hyphen that separates the year of our birth and the year of our death carved in our tombstone.

Y - for YESTERDAY. When yesterday is gone, it is gone forever. So we must live the best we can do today, as tomorrow may never come.

Z - for ground ZERO, where we will eventually be when we die. As it is written, “From dust we came from and unto dust we shall return” any day. Are we ready?

Did we reach our own Mt. ZION that we dreamt about? No one knows when but God! Just be ready! *** Email: ernie.delfin@gmail.com Website: www.gkerc.org www.gk1world.com

PHILSELA to celebrate 43rd anniversary The Philippine Society of Southeast Los Angeles (PHILSELA) will celebrate their 43rd Anniversary Ball on September 30th, 2017 at Sheraton Hotel in Cerritos - 12725 Center Ct. Dr S Cerritos. Music will be provided by Willie Manacsa and The Midnight Motion Band. For further questions, please call chairpersons Nimfa Castro and Linda Bautista at (562) 822-3633 and (562) 650-6984 respectively.

SASAA to hold reunion The St. Augustine School Alumni Association will hold their 3 day reunion in Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas - 4500 W Tropicana Las Vegas on August 4, 5, and 6. Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. The association is headed by Jim Paredes, President. For additional info, please call Manny Laranang at (562) 547-8895.

Fruit juices: Bad for babies From Page 5 Academy recommends. If sippy cup is used, it should only be filled with water and or measured milk at a fixed schedule of feeding.

The more red meat you eat A new clinical investigation published in the British Journal of Medicine (BMJ) reveals “the more red meat you eat, the greater your risk is of dying from one of eight diseases.”

The research involved 536,000 men and women, ages between 50 and 71, whose diet and health were tracked for 16 years. Their food intake, total meat, processed and unprocessed red meats (beef, pork, lamb), and white meats (poultry and fish).

“Compared with the one-fifth of people who ate the least red meat, the one-fifth who ate the most had a 26 percent increased risk of death from various causes.

High red meat consumption increased the rate of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, infections, kidney disease and liver disease,” according to BMJ. The study pointed out that white met, on the other hand, may be good for people because “those who ate the highest

proportion of white meat had a 25 percent reduced risk of dying from various causes, compared with those who ate the least white meat.”

And which fish is better?

As far as nutritionon and health are concerned, there seems to be no big argument that fish is healthier than red meat.

But the question is which fish is better, just the fatty fish?

No, new studies showed that any kind of fish consumed at least twice a week reduces various health risks.

The oily darker fleshed fish like herring and salmon are loaded with heart-healthy polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids. Mackerel, anchovies, shad, trout and sardines, and other fish also have these wonderful cardioprotective fatty acids.

The giant or large varieties of fish, like king mackerel, shark, swordfish, large albacore tuna, contain more methyl mercury and therefore not recommended for consumption.

But these good fats are not the only reason why fish is better for us, compared to red meat. US-FDA dietary guidelines encourage adults to partake at

least 8 ounces of a variety of fish and seafood every week, about 2-meal’s worth to benefit from the “total package of nutrients in fish.” This includes lean protein, vitamin Bs, A and D, and minerals like iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron.

Several independent studies have shown that individuals who eat fish regularly are less likely to die of a heart attack compared to those who do not eat fish. A Harvard clinical review “concluded that eating one to two servings of fish rich in omega-3s every week cut the risk of dying of a heart attack by onethird.” Those on Mediterranean style diet that includes seafood also have lower risk and rate of obesity. *** 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

JULY 14-20, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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Team PH wins 205 medals at World Championships of Performing Arts

Child dance prodigy Nhikzy Calma and singer Cristiani Rebada proclaimed Grand Champion Performers of the World

by Klarize

Medenilla AJPress

Performer of the World.

The charming, young “ASAP” star thanked his fans for supporting AFTER boasting the largest him and for Team Philippines for pool of grand finalists, Team trusting him to represent the team Philippines won the top prizes in such a big way. at the highly coveted 21st World “Gold Medalist, Junior Grand Championships of Performing Arts Winner of Dance Division and the (WCOPA).

JUNIOR GRAND CHAMPION OF Held at the Terrace Theatre THE WORLD OVERALL back to in Long Beach, California from back Grand CHAMPION of World July 1-9, the talented performers Championship of Performing Arts of Team Philippines won 205 #WCOPA #Philippines!!!!” Nhikzy medals, the most of all 60 countries wrote in a post on Instagram. represented at the “Olympics of “Inaalay ko po etong Tagumpay ko performing arts.” sa inyong lahat mga mahal kong Aspiring stars in entertainment PILIPINO. Salamat po sa inyong lahat compete for prestigious titles and sa tiwala at supporta na binigay nyo $400,000 worth of scholarships. sakin at sa lahat po ng tumulong WCOPA gives aspiring entertainers at sumuporta po skin para maabot around the world the unique ko po etong napakagandang opportunity to showcase their pangarap.” talents in front of talent scouts and Toward the tail-end of the industry leaders in a high-energy night, singer Cristiani Rebada week-long event. delivered a powerful vocal Team Philippines boasted performance, impressing the 11 finalists — the most of all audience and the judges with represented countries —coming his vocal range. Rebada secured into the final night of performances Team Philippines’ second Grand on Friday, June 7. Stakes were Champion Performer of the World high as the contestants were only honor for the second year in a row; allotted 60 seconds each to leave a last year, the all-male dance troupe lasting impression on the judges.

Junior New System took home the Eight-year-old dance prodigy most prestigious award.

Nhikzy Vheench Calma was a In addition to the major crowd favorite all week, and when awards won by Nhikzy and he delivered his final performance, Rebada, vocalist Hannah Korin he didn’t disappoint. He wowed Castillo nabbed the Junior Grand the audience, as well as his rivals Champion Vocalist of the World in his category, and impressed the award. On the final two days of the judges with his dance renditions of competition, Team Philippines also Michael Jackson songs, including garnered a whopping 205 medals: the iconic “moonwalk” from “Billie 58 gold, 99 silver and 48 bronze.

Jean.”

The team also won 22 division Nhikzy secured two major plaques and seven industry awards. wins, Junior Champion for Dance Delegates from Team Philippines Solo and Grand Champion were also rewarded with sought-

Nhikzy Calma was named WCOPA junior grand champion dancer performer Cristiani Rebada was awarded WCOPA senior grand champion vocalist of the world. performer of the world.

Photos by Ding Carreon and Andy Tecson after scholarships from Indasoul records, Shelly Sondheim, Millennium Dance and New York Film Academy.

The team was once again under the leadership of national director Jerry Mercado, who oversaw the scouting and audition process for Team Philippines.

For the second year in a row, he earned this year’s award for Outstanding National Director.

His daughter, Abby Mercado, acts as the executive assistant to the director and expressed pride at seeing how many Filipino artists get the opportunity to showcase their artistry on a world stage.

“It makes me so proud to see Filipino talent being exposed to the world and for all these performers to show the world how talented the Filipino people are and how beautiful they are,”

Abby Mercado told the Asian Journal, noting the variety of talent present in this year’s team.

“It makes me want to beam with pride that there are so many Filipinos who are given the chance to showcase their talent and to also prove to themselves that they are good at what they do.”

Performers from Team Philippines hail from all over the country, but Davao City boasted

the most medalists with 23 total acts winning medals.

WCOPA is held annually in Long Beach and seeks to find the next stars in entertainment of every age in acting, singing, dancing modeling, instrumentals and variety categories.

Competitors are given 60 seconds to showcase their talents in front of a panel of celebrity judges from all areas of entertainment.

Team Philippines National Director Gerry Mercado was awarded the gold and superior national director out of 50 countries at the opening ceremonies of WCOPA in Long Beach, California.

Members of Team Philippines are this year’s grand final winners and grand champion performers of the world at WCOPA 2017.

WCOPA grand finalists winners and grand champion performers of the world.

WCOPA junior and senior grand champion performers of the world with WCOPA Philippine National Director Gerry Mercado.

WCOPA Team Philippines 2017 individual gold, silver and bronze medalists and awardees brought home a total 205 medals, 58 gold, 99 silver and 48 bronze.

july 14-20, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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