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Cayetano tells UN: Give drug war benefit of doubt

by Marlon

raMoS Inquirer.net

foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has called on the United nations to give President rorigo Duterte’s war on drugs the “benefit of the doubt,” assuring the international community that the Philippine government remains committed to defending human rights.

Addressing the 72nd Un general Assembly in new York on saturday, sept. 23, Cayetano said Duterte’s campaign against narcotics was intended to “save lives, preserve families, protect commuForeign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano appears on the monitors inside the United nities and stop the country’s slide Nations media center as he delivers the message of the Republic of the Philippines during into a narcostate.” the 72nd UN General Assembly in New York City on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez

USA

DATELINE Senate confirms Fil-Am Noel Francisco as Solicitor General

PAGE A2

DINNER WITH DUTERTE. President Rodrigo Duterte talks to persons with disabilities belonging to the Our Lady of Victory Training Center during a dinner he hosted at Malacañang on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The president handed out P3.2- million aid to the center.

Malacañang photo

Duterte seeks US help against drug trade

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

mAniLA - President rodrigo Duterte on tuesday, september 26 urged the United states to work closely with his government against drug smuggling, saying international syndicates are using the Philippines as transhipment point. in a speech, Duterte claimed that the so-called taiwan-based neW YorK - Bamboo triad and hong Kongthe United states based 14-K triad were using the senate voted 50-47 country as a hub for shipping on tuesday, sept.

19 to confirm noel John francisco, President Donald trump’s nominee as solicitor general. francisco, a filipino-American, is the first Asian-American Noel John Francisco confirmed by the Photo courtesy of Syracuse.com senate to serve as solicitor general. he has served as the principal deputy solicitor general since January of this from the AJPress NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

drugs to other countries, including the U.s. “the Philippines is a transshipment of shabu (crystal meth) to America and it behooves upon America to work closely with the republic of the Philippines, especially on this serious matter,” Duterte said at the 56th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Constitution Association.

“We are flooded with drugs and the locals here have been taken in but they participate in

the produce of the selling. And i think they are happy because they are protected,” the President added.

Duterte won the presidential elections last year with curbing narcotics as among his major campaign promises.

Washington has expressed its support to the Philippine government’s efforts in fighting The country, however, was classified as the second worst globally, behind illegal drugs but has denounced Venezuela, when it comes to the number of procedures to start a business.

Philstar.com photo the alleged killings and humans rights abuses in the so-called PAGE A4

Competitiveness: Palace welcomes Ombudsman probe, Philippines better, but... says Duterte ‘has nothing to hide’

PAGE A4

Trump releases third version of travel ban DHS to double down on countries lacking security protocols

on sunday, september 24, President Donald trump strengthened his original controversial travel ban by implementing new restrictions that would completely prohibit almost all travel to the United states from seven countries.

A major change that this order makes is adding new countries to its list that face restrictions and prohibitions from traveling to the U.s. starting october 18, nationals from iran, Libya, syria, Yemen, somalia, Chad and north Korea would not be allowed entrance in the U.s. Additionally, certain people from iraq and Venezuela would face harsh restrictions and heightened security. trump announced via twitter the latest edition of the travel ban which includes restrictions which varies by country and will be slowly phased in beginning october. the main vehicle for implementing these changes is collaborating with foreign governPAGE A3

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales

by richMonD

Mercurio Philstar.com

by Dana

SioSon

AJPress

As the office of the ombudsman begins its probe on the alleged hidden wealth of President rodrigo Duterte’s family, malacañang maintained that the chief executive has nothing to hide. in a statement on Wednesday, september 27, malacañang said that Duterte “respects the internal processes of the ombudsman as an independent body, and trusts its impartiality in the conduct of its fact-finding duty.” “the president has nothing to hide,” Presidential spokesperson ernesto Abella added.

Inquirer.net photo PAGE A2

mAniLA — the Philippines posted an improvement in its overall competitiveness as it climbed one notch in this year’s World economic forum (Wef) global Competitiveness index following a huge 10-notch drop in last year’s rankings. the country, however, was classified as the second worst globally, behind Venezuela, when it comes to the number of procedures to start a business. the Wef global Competitiveness report 2017-2018 showed that the Philippines ranks 56th out of 137 countries this year, up from its 57th position last year. “this is one place higher than 2016 although its overall competitiveness score falls slightly, suggesting other countries’ scores are falling faster,” the Wef said.

PAGE A4

US reiterates support for PH counterterrorism efforts

by Dana

SioSon AJPress

the United states on tuesday, september 26, expressed its continued support for the Philippines’ counterterrorism efforts, following the successful staging of a joint drill dubbed as “tempest Wind.” “the United states will continue to support Philippine counterterrorism efforts and work jointly to address shared threats to the peace and security in the region,” U.s. Ambassador to the Philippines sung Kim said. in a press briefing, the U.s. envoy reiterated the strong relationship between manila and Washington, citing the tempest Wind as the “latest and

very significant example” of the two countries’ “close ties.” over 1,200 Philippine and U.s. civilians and military officials participated in the bilateral, interagency exercise that ran from september 18 to 26 in Clark field, Pampanga.

According to Philippine Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the tempest Wind “focused on an aircraft hijacking and hostage-taking scenario.”

Kim said the exercise “simulated a scenario involving a real commercial airliner filled with over 150 actors who played hostages created a realistic environment to test bilateral, interagency decision-making and tactical response.”

PAGE A3

U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim shakes hands with Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana during a meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Lorenzana and Kim noted that one of the latest efforts to enhance both countries’ counter-terrorism programs was the successful staging of Tempest Wind, a joint counter-terror drill designed to test the ability of both governments to conduct anti-terrorism operations.

Photo from Twitter/@USAmbManila

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From the Front Page

Palace welcomes Ombudsman probe...

PAGE A1 Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang earlier confirmed that he has been authorized by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to look into the allegations of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that Duterte kept hidden wealth.

“It was Senator Trillanes who filed the complaint with us and

attached the documents. The office, when it evaluated the complaint, recommended the conduct of a fact-finding [investigation],” Carandang said on Tuesday, September 26.

Morales said she has inhibited herself from acting on any case filed against the Duterte family.

She took note that her nephew, lawyer Manases Carpio, is mar-

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte

Inquirer.net photo

ried to Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

In May 2016, Trillanes filed a plunder complaint against Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman. The senator accused the president of having P2.4 billion ($47 million)-worth of undeclared deposits in his bank accounts.

Trillanes also accused Duterte of hiring ghost employees when he was the mayor of Davao City.

Duterte had repeatedly denied all of Trillanes’ claims, saying his family did not amass ill-gotten wealth.

In a speech on Tuesday night, the president reiterated that his wealth came from the sale of a real property he inherited from his father, former Davao governor Vicente Duterte.

“You know, my father was governor when he died. At least alam niya maghanap-buhay (He knew how to make a living) because we had an ice plant and a lumber yard. Construction was booming at that time in Davao. It was a developing city. But when he died, we could not agree with each other, the brothers and sisters, so we decided to sell all,” Duterte said.

The president also noted that he already had P1 million when he was still a student because of the inheritance.

“I authorized everybody, everybody as in everybody to look — to dig into the IBAA, Insular Bank of Asia and America. That’s the Union Bank now. You’d find there that ‘yung fourth year pa kami (even when I was still in fourth year), I had a million already. ‘Yan ang totoo (That’s the truth),” he added.

Cayetano to UN: Give drug war...

PAGE A1 Cayetano spoke after an international study showed that the Philippines ranked first in the 2017 Global Impunity Index amid mounting concerns over spiraling drug killings and documented human rights violations since Duterte took office in June 2016.

More than 3,800 Filipinos have been killed by police in drug raids and thousands more have been killed by unknown assailants since Duterte launched the crackdown upon coming to office.

The killings have drawn expressions of concern over human rights violations in the Philippines from the United Nations, United States and European Union, all of whom Duterte has badmouthed in response, insisting that the Philippines is a sovereign country and that they should not interfere in its internal affairs.

Liable to prosecution The International Criminal Court (ICC), however, has warned that it is watching developments in the Philippines and that Philippine officials “ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any manner to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction” of the court are potentially liable to prosecution.

Malacañang has said Duterte is open to ICC investigation.

“The Philippines’ comprehensive campaign against illegal drugs is [a] necessary instrument to preserve and protect the human rights of all Filipinos and never an instrument to violate any individual’s or group’s human rights,” Cayetano told the UN gathering.

He reminded the UN memberstates that the Philippines was a free country whose freedom to map out policies in resolving matters affecting its people must be respected by other nations.

The Duterte administration, he stressed, has a “human rights agenda” in attaining economic development “for the purpose of protecting everyone, especially the most vulnerable, from lawlessness, violence and anarchy.”

“The Philippines is a sovereign country … It expects its sovereignty to be respected, and that its democratically elected government’s assessment of threats and how to go about addressing them shall be accorded preeminence among nations—or at least the benefit of their doubt,” Cayetano said.

“We should never tolerate human rights abuses, but neither

should we tolerate misinformation, fake news on and politicization of human rights, for these undermine our collective efforts as the United Nations to uphold the universality of human rights and dignity of human life,” he said.

Duterte, Cayetano said, is only keeping the promises he made during his presidential campaign to put an end to poverty, corruption and crime.

He had promised to kill tens of thousands of criminals and dump their bodies in Manila Bay to fatten the fish.

He also vowed to put an end to the Philippines’ drug problem in six months only to say later that he had underestimated the problem so that his war on drugs would go on to his last day in office.

‘Real change’ “As a responsible leader, the Philippine president launched a vigorous campaign against the illegal drug trade to save lives, preserve families, protect communities and stop the country’s slide into a narcostate,” Cayetano said.

“President Duterte and the Filipino people are committed to real change, to finally carrying out long-needed reforms, to addressPAGE A3

SOTTO REACTS TO FAKE NEWS. Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III speaks out against fake news on social media directed against certain members of the Senate during a speech at the Senate plenary session on Wednesday, September 27. Sotto said the Senate needs to address the proliferation of fake news in social media sites, after social media posts lambasted Sotto and some senators, for allegedly not signing a Senate resolution calling on the government to stop the killing of minors went viral. Sotto said the posts, aside from being false, is meant to obfuscate the issue as he and six other senators have not seen the resolution yet.

Senate photo by Joseph Vidal

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Asians projected to be largest immigrant group in US by 2055

by Rae

COURTESY CALL. President Rodrigo Duterte greets British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce as he joins United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines Richard Graham during a courtesy call on the President at the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, September 27. During the trade envoy’s courtesy call, the President stressed his desire to further enhance the Philippines’ relationship with UK, particularly on trade and investment.

Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo

Fil-Am WW II vets to receive Congressional Gold Medal on Oct. 25 WAsHingTOn, D.C. — speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan recently announced that Congress will bestow the Congressional gold Medal to Filipino American Veterans of World War ii, in a ceremony to take place on October 25.

Coinciding with the observance of Filipino American History Month, this ceremony serves as a symbolic capstone to the decades-long fight for recognition on behalf of the brave Filipino veterans who served with honor to defend the United states. The national Federation of Filipino American Associations (naFFAA) applauds Congressional leaders and the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) for their efforts in enshrining this recognition.

Approximately 260,000 Filipino and Filipino American soldiers answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call to defend the United states and the Philippines during World War ii. The bravery and sacrifice of these soldiers

were integral to American victory in the Pacific. FilVetREP, chaired by retired Major general Antonio “Tony” Taguba, spearheaded a massive campaign to push for the passage of senate bill 1555, and its companion House bill 2737, which sought to award a single Congressional gold Medal to honor the Filipinos who fought alongside the U..s. Military. “This is the culmination of our community’s efforts to secure for our brave soldiers the recognition they rightfully deserve,” say gen. Taguba.

“They made the supreme sacrifice to fight under the American flag, yet they had to wait for more than 70 years for the U.s. to acknowledge their service. At the awards ceremony honoring them, we will take this opportunity as a grateful nation to thank these heroes for their duty to country and to make sure we keep their memories and stories alive.” naFFAA is proud to have partnered with FilVetREP, along with the Filipino American national Historical soci-

ety (FAnHs) and other community organizations and leaders, in this endeavor. naFFAA national Chairman Brendan Flores states, “With fewer than 18,000 Filipino American World War ii veterans still alive today, this Congressional honor is long overdue. These brave veterans served with honor, and did so selflessly. i applaud sen. Mazie Hirono and Rep. Tulsi gabbard for spearheading Congressional efforts to properly honor and provide them with the recognition and benefits they so deserve.”

The Congressional gold Medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. it is awarded to those “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture...” The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at the United states Capitol’s Emancipation Hall. it will begin at 11 a.m.

EsT, and can be viewed online through Livestream at speaker.gov/live.

US reiterates support for PH...

PAGE A1 During the simulation, eight islamic state (is) terrorists hijacked a passenger plane from sydney, Australia bound for Honolulu, Hawaii. The aircraft was forced to land in Clark, north of Manila. in the scenario, commandos neutralized all hijackers after failing to negotiate for about 72 hours.

“Tempest Wind was unique in important ways and went far beyond our normal array of joint exercises. it was a challenging interagency drill for both sides, intended to test and improve the ability of our nations to plan, coordinate, and conduct counterterrorism operations,” the U.s. envoy said.

He also noted that the drill “presented an unprecedented opportunity for comprehensive training for both senior leaders and action officers.”

Tempest Wind was held amid clashes between government troops and the pro-is Maute group in Marawi City, Mindanao. since the crisis broke out on May 23, the U.s. has been providing technical assistance to Filipino troopers battling extremists.

Apart from technical assistance, Washington also recently donated P730 million ($15 million) in humanitarian aid for the ongoing relief operations and rehabilitation of the besieged city.

Lorenzana, for his part, expressed confidence that the

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard Special Operations Group climb a Jacob’s Ladder aboard USNS Milinocket (T-EPF 3) while participating in a visit, board, search and seizure subject matter expert exchange during South East Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) 2017 in Subic Bay, Philippines. SEACAT includes participants from the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guards and Coastal Patrol Agencies from the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

U.S. photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Micah Blechner

terrorism in the region will soon be quelled.

“With the help of our friends and allies like the U.s., i am confident that we can nip this

problem in the bud before it grows and affects other parts of the country, the region, and the world,” the defense secretary said.

travel ban that has been scheduled on October 10.

The justices were to hear lawyers representing the Trump administration and immigrant rights groups to make their cases on the ban, which was previously deemed unconstitutional by district court and appeals court judges. in January just days after his inauguration, Trump signed Executive Order 13780, which ordered the DHs to establish a new minimum baseline for the amount of information sharing with other governments is required to determine if certain foreign travelers present security threats to the U.s.

This ban included barring nationals from six Muslim-majority nations and toughening up immigration security at airports and at the U.s./Mexico border.

The original order — and its updated version released in March — were met with backlash from Americans and lawmakers who dubbed the executive order a “Muslim ban.”

This current incarnation of the travel ban was also met with dis-

dain by immigrant rights groups that argue the ban is xenophobic and is a way to reject travelers based on their race and religion.

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) on Monday, september 25, publicly denounced the administration’s expansion of the travel ban, calling it a ploy to ostracize “immigrants, Muslims, refugees and people of color.”

“Let us not be fooled by the administration’s guise of ‘Making America safe.’ This order is yet another attempt of a Muslim Ban and does the exact opposite of making us safe,” APALA national President Monica Thammarath said in a statement. “We look forward to hearing the supreme Court’s oral argument this October 10 as our labor unions and community partners continue to join together to fight against the Muslim Ban. We have faith in our court system to once again challenge and block this ban as they have done before, and we continue to pressure our elected officials to rescind the ban and protect our immigrant and refugee community.” (Klarize Medenilla/AJPress)

Trump releases third version of...

PAGE A1 ments. According to a statement released by the White House, the U.s. — through the Department of Homeland security (DHs) — will strengthen its identitymanagement protocols and information-sharing practices to limit “risk-factors” when welcoming travelers from certain countries.

The statement said that these new protocols were shared with officials from countries that did not present “adequate information-sharing practices” and were allowed 50 days to improve their travel standards.

“We cannot afford to continue the failed policies of the past, which present an unacceptable danger to our country,” the president said in a statement. “My highest obligation is to ensure the safety and security of the American people, and in issuing this new travel order, i am fulfilling that sacred obligation.”

Despite the White House’s confidence that the new travel ban, the supreme Court made an unexpected announcement when it said that it won’t hear oral arguments on the previous version of

ann VaRona AJPress

AsiAns have become the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.s., according to a new study released this month on the diversity and population of Asian Americans.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the Asian population in the U.s. grew a whopping 72 percent between 2000 and 2015 — from 11.9 million to 20.4 million — making them the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the nation.

Hispanics, the second fastest growing group, increased 60 percent.

Reflecting the fast growth rate, the study projected Asians to become the largest immigrant group in the U.s. by 2055, surpassing Hispanics. Asians are predicted to comprise 38 percent of U.s. immigrants in the next 50 years, while Hispanics are expected to comprise 31 percent.

Around 20 million Asian Americans trace back to over 20 countries in East and southeast Asia and the indian subcontinent, making the U.s. Asian population very diverse. Together, 19 of the largest Asian origin groups comprise 94 percent of the total Asian population in the U.s.

While no single group dominates the U.s. Asian population, Filipinos were among the largest.

As of 2015, the largest groups were Chinese who made up 24 percent (4.9 million), indian at 20 percent (4.0 million),

and Filipino at 19 percent (3.9 million). Also meeting the one million mark were those with Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese roots.

Filipinos were also reported to be among the four Asian countries out of top 15 origin groups with large amounts of unauthorized immigrants. Out of the country’s 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants, 13 percent are Asian with most coming from india (500,000), followed

by China (325,000), Philippines (180,000), and Korea (160,000).

The study also analyzed the economic data of the U.s. Asian population and found that in general, Asians were more well off compared to the U.s. population as a whole, but economic well-being did vary among subgroups. Asian American headed households held a median annual household income of $73,060, compared to the median of $53,600. Filipinos were among the Asian subgroups with the highest median income at $80,000, right after indians who held a median of $100,000, and before Japanese and sri Lankan who each held medians of $74,000.

Asians were also less likely overall to live in poverty in comparison to the general U.s. population in 2015 (12 percent vs. 15 percent), but it again was varied among groups. Eight of the 19 groups experienced saw high poverty rates with the highest being among Hmong (28.3 percent), Bhutanese (33.3 percent), and Burmese (35 percent). Among the lowest

poverty rates were Filipinos and indians (each 7.5 percent), and Japanese (8.4 percent).

Around half (51 percent) of Asians ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, according to the study. indians were found to have the highest level of educational attainment with 72 percent having at least a bachelor’s degree. Also having high levels of education were sri Lankans (57 percent), Mongolians (59 percent), and Malaysians (60 percent). On the lower end were Cambodians (18 percent), Hmong (17 percent), Laotians (16 percent), and Bhutanese (nine percent). Filipinos were in the middle with 46 percent having a bachelor’s degree or more.

Unsurprisingly, Filipinos were among the groups containing a large majority of proficient English speakers. According to the study, seven out of 10 Asians in the U.s. ages five and older spoke proficient English in 2015. At the top were Japanese (84 percent), Filipinos (82 percent), and indians (80 percent). The study also reported 32 percent of overall Asian Americans as speaking only English in their homes, and the rest speaking another language.

The study used a three-year dataset gathered from the U.s.

Census Bureau’s 2013 to 2015 American Community survey’s public-use files, with additional data on population estimates from the Census Bureau’s 2012 report, “The Asian Population: 2010” (2000 and 2010) and tables from American FactFinder (2015).

Cayetano to UN: Give drug war...

PAGE A2 ing national threats long ignored, protecting the human rights of all Filipinos, while doing our part in attaining regional peace and stability,” he added.

Although he defended the president’s brutal war on drugs, Cayetano seemed to have contradicted some of Duterte’s major policies in curbing the illegal drug trade.

For one, he insisted that “drug addiction calls for cure and not chastisement,” an apparent re-

buttal to. Duterte’s penchant to shame drug suspects in public.

Beyond redemption Cayetano said drug users might still be rehabilitated, contrary to Duterte’s view that people hooked on drugs, particularly “shabu” (crystal meth), were beyond redemption.

According to Cayetano, some 1.3 million Filipino drug addicts had turned themselves in to the authorities under the Duterte administration, but he did not mention how many of those who surrendered underwent rehabili-

tation.

He lamented that the drug menace “penetrated” some 59 percent of the Philippines’ 42,036 villages and “even the law enforcement” agencies. in addition, Cayetano played down speculations that Duterte green-lighted abuses committed by some police officials, including those accused of summarily executing teenagers.

“The president has and will always have zero tolerance for abusive (policemen) as time will show,” he said.

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Competitiveness: Philippines better...

PAGE A1

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tion and action. We ranked lowest in ASEAN in terms of quality of overall infrastructure, in quality of roads and in quality of air transport infrastructure,” MBC executive director Peter Perfecto added.

The Philippines’ highest position since the WEF began using the current methodology in 2008 was achieved in 2015, when the country registered a ranking of 47th. Its lowest position was 87th in 2009.

Overall, Switzerland remained the world’s most competitive economy for the ninth consecutive year, followed by the United States, Singapore, Netherlands and Germany, in that order.

Completing the top 10 are Hong Kong, Sweden, United Kingdom, Japan and Finland.

RISING STAR. Filipino rising “Global competitiveness will prospect Romero Duno (15-1-0, be more and more defined by the 13KOs) won by unanimous deciinnovative capacity of a country. sion over veteran Juan Pablo SanTalents will become increasingly chez (30-14-0, 14KOs) of Huimanmore important than capital and guillo, Tabasco, Mexico in their therefore the world is moving 8-round lightweight bout at The from the age of capitalism into Forum in Inglewood, California the age of talentism. Countries preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and simultaneously strengthening their political, economic and social systems PAGE A1 will be the winners in the competitive race of the future,” WEF year.

“Noel Francisco is a great founder and executive chairman choice for this tough job, and I Klaus Schwab said. urge colleagues to join me in supporting him,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the chamber floor prior to his confirmation. “The Office of the Solicitor General is responsible for representing the United States in litigation before the Supreme Court. It’s a very important office, and Mr. Francisco is well qualified to lead it.”

“I applaud the Senate for finally confirming Noel Francisco to be the United States Solicitor General. Noel is a brilliant and principled lawyer with an excellent record of appellate work,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a statement. “His reputation for skillful analysis and clear, forceful advocacy is indisputable, and he has been a consistent advocate for the rule of law and a steadfast defender of the Constitution.

“I am confident that Noel will continue to be a tireless champion for justice and look forward to him being a central figure in our commitment to the classical understanding of law and jurisFREED. John Paul Solano, one of the suspects in the death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law student Horacio Castillo III, has been released from prudence.” detention on Wednesday, Sept. 27, as ordered by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Solano, the DOJ said, would undergo preliminary investigation on It is the duty of the United Oct 4 and 9.

Inquirer.net photo by Marianne Bermudez States solicitor general to conduct and supervise the government’s litigation at the Supreme Court.

The 48-year-old Francisco is not a newbie in the legal world.

In fact, even prior to his nomination, he was already known in the legal community.

“Mr. Francisco has successfully argued a number of complex cases before a number of courts including, notably, the case of National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning before the Supreme Court. In that matter, he represented the plaintiff Noel Canning in its successful challenge to President Obama’s

An annual assessment of the factors driving countries’ productivity and prosperity, the WEF report measures a country’s competitiveness based on 12 pillars: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication and innovation.

For this year’s report, the Philippines fared well in the macroeconomic environment pillar where it ranked 22nd worldwide, fueled by a manageable budget deficit and government debt.

The country also finished strong in the market size pillar at the 27th spot globally on the back of its robust gross domestic product.

The Philippines, however, ranked poorly in the pillars of goods market efficiency (106th), infrastructure (97th) and institutions (94th).

In the goods market efficiency pillar, which includes the number of procedures to start a business, the country ranked 136th – second to the worst globally – while in the burden of custom procedures, it placed 125th worldwide.

In an Executive Opinion Survey, which was part of the report, respondents cited inefficient government bureaucracy as the most problematic factor for doing business in the country. This was followed by inadequate supply of infrastructure, corruption, tax regulation and tax rates, respectively.

Among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-economies, the Philippines now stands as the eighth most competitive in the region from sixth in 2016, with Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam overtaking the country.

“It is good to see that we have maintained our overall competitiveness and even moved one notch higher. However, as we implement changes to improve, other countries are doing the same,” Makati Business Club (MBC) chairman Edgar Chua said.

“We therefore need to do much more at a much faster pace. We call on Congress to focus on passing priority bills identified by the business sector, especially the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program and not allow itself to be diverted by various political maneuvers like impeachment proceedings,” he added.

“The state of Philippine infrastructure is in dire need of atten-

Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) on the undercard of the Jorge Linares vs Luke Campbell WBA world lightweight championship promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

Judges scores: Rudy Barragan, 78-74; Pat Russell, 78-74; Fer-

nando Villarreal 78-74.

This is Duno’s second victory in the United States after his stunning second round knockout victory over previously unbeaten Christian Gonzalez last March 10 at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles.

Photos by Jhay Oh Otamias

Senate confirms Fil-Am Noel Francisco... unlawful, so-called recess appointments,” McConnell added.

“That case is especially important for this body because the Supreme Court’s unanimous 2014 decision in favor of Noel Canning reaffirmed that the Senate, not the president, possesses the clear constitutional authority to prescribe the rules of its own proceedings.”

Prior to this post, Francisco took on the role of principal deputy solicitor general in this year. He also worked at global law firm Jones Day from 2005 to 2017 in its government relations practice and served as an associate counsel to President George W. Bush from 2003 to 2005.

He received his B.A. with honors in 1991 from the University of Chicago, his law degree — also with high honors — from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996. He served as a law clerk first for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and then clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia of the U.S. Supreme Court.

“While at Jones Day, he appeared several times before the Supreme Court, including in McDonnell v. United States, which involved the meaning of ‘official act’ under federal bribery statutes; Zubik v. Burwell, which involved the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to regulations addressing insurance coverage for contraception; and NLRB v. Noel Canning, which involved the Constitution’s recess appointment power. He has also argued numerous cases in lower federal and state courts on a wide range of constitutional, civil, and criminal matters,” according to the White House statement released last March.

“From 2001 to 2003, Mr. Francisco served as associate counsel to the President, and from 2003 to 2005 he served as deputy as-

sistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel,” the statement added.

Proud son of Oswego Francisco was born in Syracuse, New York and was raised in Oswego, a town about 35 miles away. He graduated from Oswego High School in 1987.

His father, Nemesio Majaraiz Francisco immigrated from the Philippines and according to an article on Syracuse.com, spoke “little English and without much money, to pursue a medical career that took him to Oswego in 1971 and became one of the most beloved doctors in Oswego — taking calls at home and on weekends — before succumbing to cancer at age 53 in 1989”.

In his statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Francisco spoke fondly of his father and the adversity he had to go through before settling in the United States to pursue his studies in medicine.

“He grew up amongst the ravages of World War II. He once told me how, as a young boy, he was forced to live in the remnants of a bombed out tank. Whenever I’ve faced the joys or difficulties of life, I think of that little boy,” Francisco said. “He could not possibly have dreamed that his son would one day have the high honor of sitting before this august body. I am so grateful to you for helping to fulfill what that scared little boy dared not dream.”

Nemesio Francisco, born in the Philippines in 1935, found a home in a small city on the shores of Lake Ontario called Oswego, NY. “The good people of Oswego welcomed my father—a Filipino immigrant who barely spoke the language—with open arms. It is in Oswego that my father became, and died, an American,” Francisco said. (Momar G. Visaya/AJPress)

Duterte seeks US help against drug trade PAGE A1 drug war.

Duterte said about 40 percent of barangays in the Philippines are affected by the drug menace, which he called a “disease.”

He reiterated his warning against drug personalities, saying he would not hesitate to kill them if they destroy the future of the country. He clarified, however, that due process will be observed during operations.

“When it comes to this country, I could be the most brutal but I do not lose sight of the Constitution… I have been a prosecutor, I know what due process means,” Duterte said. “I do not want killing innocent Filipino people.”

Friendlier with US In a speech on Thursday, September 28, Duterte said he’s now on friendlier terms with the U.S. During the 116th commemoration of the Balangiga Encounter Day in Eastern Samar, Duterte said the U.S. government has “redeemed themselves a lot.”

Duterte has repeatedly slammed Washington for urging Manila to stop the supposed drug war deaths, accusing the U.S. of interfering with the domestic affairs of the Philippines.

“There are so many factors involved but I’d rather be friendly to them now because aside from these episodes of, I said, sad incidents, overall I think the Americans also redeemed themselves a lot,” the president remarked.

Known for his expletive-peppered speeches, Duterte added that he was also advised by the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to “temper [his] language.”

“I was under advice that the negotiations are going on, that the government of America is looking for ways how to get out of this problem of the Balangiga

bells because it remains to be not only the source of irritation but the source of a painful reaction, what really happened to our countrymen,” he said.

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July, Duterte asked the Washington to return the the bells of Balangiga church in Samar, which were seized by U.S. soldiers as spoils of war in 1900s.

“I hope the Congress of America will give [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump the authority to return the bell…we will be happy,” Duterte added.

China, Taiwan In a statement, China said it has no information about Chinese syndicates operating in the Philippines.

“We do not know much (about) the syndicates or the drug rings that are operating in the Philippines,” Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua told reporters at the sideline of of the reception celebrating the 68th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PROC) held in Makati City.

He then added, “Well, if you have any intelligence or information with regards to illegal activities of the drug traffickers, we certainly share with the Filipino side like what we did in the very beginning. We continue to do so.”

Nevertheless, the ambassador gave assurance that China will not protect its nationals who have committed crimes in the Philippines.

“They need to be punished in accordance to the Filipino law.

I think likewise, if any Filipino committed crimes in China, including illegal drug trafficking, they will also be punished in accordance with law,” he said.

He also expressed the Chinese government’s continuous sup-

port to President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and drug-related criminal acts.

“We have already begun the inter-agency cooperation: sharing intelligence, providing equipment, and we hope that this kind of cooperation and coordination will be enhanced,” the ambassador added.

Taiwan, meanwhile, denied claims that the country was among the sources of narcotics entering the Philippines.

Citing statistics from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco) noted that “most of the drugs is actually manufactured in the Philippines, not overseas.”

Teco also reiterated its support to the Philippines in its antidrug efforts.

Open to probe Earlier on Wednesday, September 27, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano met with his counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and told him that the Philippine government is open to probe into drug war but only if investigators will not “politicize” the process.

“We made it clear that we have nothing to hide and that we are ready to work with experts or observers as long as they are independent and fair,” Cayetano said, according to a statement released by the DFA. “We would welcome experts if they can assure us they would not politicize the investigations because we want to make sure the outcome would be credible,” the foreign secretary added.

During their meeting, Cayetano also clarified that “that contrary to media reports, the Philippines does not have a state policy allowing extrajudicial killings, especially of illegal drug suspects.” n

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D ateline PhiliPPines PH, China to hold meeting on joint

A

development in West Philippine Sea

by Dana

sIoson AJPress

Officials from the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) are slated to meet with their chinese counterparts on Thursday, september 27, to discuss the possible joint development in the West Philippine sea. according to DOE secretary alfonso cusi, both sides have yet to reach an agreement on the matter. He added that the possible lifting of moratorium on energy exploration in the West Philippine sea are also still being studied.

“We have five pending service contracts and we are still studying the ways we are going to lift the moratorium order. But i do not like to create any speculation.

We have not reached any agreement,” cusi said on Wednesday,

september 26. likewise, chinese ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jinhua said the two countries are currently at the initial stages of discussions on the potential joint development and lifting of moratorium.

Zhao expressed that china is not in favor of unilateral development in disputed areas, pointing out that it would require a “government-to-government understanding,” followed by joint commercial development.

“The chinese leader proposed the initiative for joint development in the south china sea for nearly 40 years. Both sides are still in a stage of discussing the possibilities of having joint development. i think we are in the initial stage, nothing is finalized yet,” the chinese ambassador said.

citing the service contract 57, the DOE said it is already at the office of President Rodrigo Duterte for signature. according to cusi, the sc 57 covers offshore Northwest Palawan or west of calamian islands and is within the Philippine territory.

“We have sc 57 that is already with the Office of the President so that we can pursue its exploration work,” the Energy secretary said.

The sc 57 has been pending since 2005. in 2006, china National Offshore Oil company international limited (cNOOc) farmed-in into sc 57 and acquired 51 percent participating interest.

“We have already finished the documentation, the contract and it’s presented already to the Office of the President for signing,” cusi added.

DOJ ANNIVERSARY. President Rodrigo Duterte witnesses the program proper during the 120th founding anniversary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Tuesday, September 26, 2017. Joining the President on stage are Justice Undersecretary Raymund Mecate, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary Adelino Sitoy.

Malacañang photo by Richard Madelo

Palace welcomes moves to confer honors on Santiago Aguirre: Atio’s parents to meet Duterte on October 4

by Ian

nIcolas cIgaral Philstar.com

MaNila – Malacañang on Thursday, sept. 28, said it favors the plan to confer the country’s highest civilian service award on the late sen. Miriam Defensorsantiago.

“The Office of the President welcomes moves to confer the late senator Miriam Defensorsantiago the Quezon service cross. The late senator’s contribution to the country is beyond question,” Presidential spokesperson Ernesto abella said in a press conference.

“The president highly respects the lady. We look forward to receiving the resolution of the senate,” abella added. senators sonny angara and Grace Poe recently filed separate senate resolutions seeking to posthumously bestow the Quezon service cross on santiago.

Both houses of congress must approve the nomination of the late legislator for the award, which has only been given to five people since its creation.

The past recipients of the awards are former interior secretary Jesse Robredo (November 2012), former sen. Benigno aquino Jr. (august 2004), former

The late former Sen. Miriam DefensorSantiago Philstar.com photo

President Ramon Magsaysay (July 1957), former President Emilio aguinaldo (June 1956) and former President carlos Romulo (april 1951). created in 1946, the Quezon service cross is awarded to a person “for exemplary service to the nation in memory of the late President Manuel l. Quezon.” in her 46 years of service in the government, santiago worked as presiding judge of the Quezon city Regional Trial court, immigration commissioner, agrarian Reform secretary and senator for

three terms. in 1988, she received the Ramon Magsaysay award, dubbed as asia’s version of the Nobel Prize, for her exemplary government service. she was the first filipino and first asian from a developing country to be elected judge of The Hague-based international criminal court. in 2016, she became a member of the international advisory council of the international Development law Organization.

During her term as chair of the senate foreign relations committee, santiago sponsored the Rome statute of the international criminal court, United Nations convention against corruption, international labor Organization convention on Migration for Employment, Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership agreement, Revised Kyoto convention, association of southeast asian Nations charter, asEaN agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and asEaN agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. santiago passed away on sept.

29, 2016. she was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer in 2014.

by KrIstIne Joy

Philstar.com

Patag

MaNila — Parents of hazing victim, Horacio “atio” castillo iii, will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday next week, October 4, Justice secretary Vitaliano aguirre ii said. in a text message, aguirre said that Horacio Jr. and carmina went to the Department of Justice on Thursday, sept. 28, a day after the agency issued a resolution ordering the release of John Paul solano, one of the primary suspects in the case. aguirre said the parents “wanted to thank the DOJ for the things we are doing to help solve Atio’s parents, Horacio Jr. and Carmina Castillo, met with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Thursday, September 28. They asked to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte.

DOJ photo the case.” atio, a 22-year-old law student his fraternity brothers who had a Trangia’s parents. aguirre added that atio’s parof the University of santo To- hand in the death of atio in his mas, was believed to be a victim affidavit that has yet to be sub- ents “want to get an audience with [Duterte], which was grantof hazing as part of the initiation mitted to the DOJ. The justice chief also issued an ed. They will see the president on rites of aegis Juris fraternity.

The DOJ, in its 7-page reso- immigration lookout bulletin or- Wednesday.” atio’s remains were buried on lution released on Wednes- der against 20 persons of interday, stressed that a further est in the case, including Ralph Tuesday afternoon at the Manila probe would be conducted into Trangia who is being eyed as Memorial Park in Parañaque solano and 15 other members among the primary suspects in city.

The DOJ will start the prelimiof aegis Juris fraternity who are the case.

Trangia, however, reportedly nary investigation on the murder, facing multiple criminal raps filed by the Manila Police District and fled to chicagowith his mother anti-hazing and robbery raps on september 19. separate crim- against solano and others on Ocatio’s parents. solano promised to identify inal raps have been filed against tober 4.

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OpiniOn

Fight for survival

Features

ACCORDING to the United Nations (UN), the rate of environmental damage on our planet is increasing at a faster pace than previously thought and seen in the last 10,000 years. This makes it imperative for governments to act now and reverse the damage being done to the planet. under the “Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6): Regional Assessments,” the uN reported that unprecedented economic growth, which has lifted millions out of poverty in Asia and the Pacific, is putting heavy pressure on ecosystems in the region.

“Increasing unsustainable consumption patterns have led to worsening air pollution, water scarcity and waste generation, threatening human and environmental health. Increased demand for fossil fuels and natural resources — extensive agriculture, palm oil and rubber plantations, aquaculture and the illegal trade in wildlife — are causing environmental degradation and biodiversity loss,” the report added.

In another report, the uN noted recorded floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other weather-related events to have caused 90 percent of the world’s major disasters in the last 20 years.

The “human cost of Weather Related Disasters” found that five countries hit by the highest number of disasters are the united States, china, India, Philippines, and Indonesia. It added that Asia accounts for the most share of disaster impacts, including 332,000 deaths and 3.7 billion

people affected.

Environmental degradation, urban development and population growth, combined with the impacts of natural calamities have increased the risks. Environmental problems caused by impacts of human activities on resources is a phenomenon commonly known as climate change.

As time goes by, the planet becomes more vulnerable. Its ability to ward off wastes and destructive effluent is growing thin.

About 75 percent of disasters are caused by or related to weather. The world has reached a critical stage in its efforts to exercise responsible environmental stewardship. Despite intentions and some admirable actions done by notable organizations, unsustainable use of the world’s natural resources has left the degradation of the global environment unabated.

People must be educated on how the world’s current practices is exhausting many of the planet’s limits — leading to risks of damaging the ecosystem that is beyond repair.

This calls for governments to initiate groundbreaking environmental policies to cushion the impacts of climate change, improve disaster miti- versity, and secure food supply. gation, preserve the remaining forests and biodiThe world must find a balance between eco-

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

nomic and social development with environmental protection—before it’s too late. (AJPress)

Drug addiction in Duterte’s bloody war on drugs: A crime or a disease?

Much of the criticism surrounding The Fil-Am Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s Perspective bloody war on drugs can be pointed to how he looks at drug addiction.

The administra- Gel SantoS-ReloS tion’s policies to solve the drug menace appear to be based on the president’s belief that drug addiction is a crime, and criminals need to be penalized, and in many times be killed, even without due process, to protect other people.

This policy rationalizes the killings of accused drug addicts, even as young as 9 years old, a policy that strips the accused and those guilty of drug addiction of their prospects of redemption, rehabilitation, and the help they need to start a new life.

What is drug addiction? here is important information as presented by drugabuse.gov: Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by drug seeking and use that is compulsive, or difficult to control, despite harmful consequences.

Brain changes that occur over time

Commentary

RicaRdo Saludo IT may grab headlines and sell newspapers, but don’t pay attention to all this talk about the people rising up against President Rodrigo Duterte, and backing detractors and destabilizers led by his predecessorBenigno Aquino III’s camp.

‘Get real’ is the message to the yellows and the communist reds from the 80-something percent of Filipinos backing Duterte in survey after survey by Pulse Asia, Social Weather Stations (SWS), EON Philippine Trust Index, and last week, the Pew Research center, a leading united States pollster.

It’s not hard to see why 86 percent of Filipinos back Duterte in the Pew survey, with 41 percent very favorable toward him, and huge majorities approving his handling of the economy (80 percent), illegal drugs (78 percent), crime (68 percent), corruption (66 percent), and terrorism (64 percent).

Quite simply, the numbers show that President Rodrigo Duterte is doing better than his predecessor on the big concerns of ordinary people: law and order, corruption, the economy,

with drug use challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs. This is why drug addiction is also a relapsing disease.

Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop. Relapse indicates the need for more or different treatment.

Most drugs affect the brain’s reward circuit by flooding it with the chemical messenger dopamine. This overstimulation of the reward circuit causes the intensely pleasurable “high” that leads people to take a drug again and again.

Over time, the brain adjusts to the excess dopamine, which reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance.

They might take more of the drug, trying to achieve the same dopamine high.

No single factor can predict whether a person will become addicted to drugs.

A combination of genetic, environmental, and developmental factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk

factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction.

Drug addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed.

More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Teachers, parents, and health care providers have crucial roles in educating young people and preventing drug use and addiction.

Drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting.

These changes in the brain can lead to the harmful behaviors seen in people who use drugs. Drug addiction is also a relapsing disease. Relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop.

The path to drug addiction begins with the voluntary act of taking drugs.

But over time, a person’s ability to choose not to do so becomes compromised. Seeking and taking the drug becomes compulsive. This is mostly due to the effects of long-term drug exposure on brain function. Addiction affects parts of the brain involved in reward and motivation, learning and memory, and control over behavior.

Addiction is a disease that affects both the brain and behavior.

Can drug addiction be treated?

Yes, but it’s not simple. Because addiction is a chronic disease, people can’t simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Most patients need long-term or repeated care to stop using completely and recover their lives.

Addiction treatment must help the person do the following: •stop using drugs •stay drug-free •be productive in the family, at work, and in society Principles of effective treatment Based on scientific research since the mid-1970s, the following key principles should form the basis of any effective treatment program: •Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior.

•No single treatment is right for everyone.

•People need to have quick access to treatment.

•Effective treatment addresses all of the patient’s needs, not just his or her drug use.

•Staying in treatment long enough is

critical.

•counseling and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of treatment.

•Medications are often an important part of treatment, especially when combined with behavioral therapies.

•Treatment plans must be reviewed often and modified to fit the patient’s changing needs.

•Treatment should address other possible mental disorders.

•Medically assisted detoxification is only the first stage of treatment.

•Treatment doesn’t need to be voluntary to be effective.

•Drug use during treatment must be monitored continuously.

•Treatment programs should test patients for hIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and c, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases as well as teach them about steps they can take to reduce their risk of these illnesses. *** 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

What Duterte is doing better than Aquino public services and facilities, and foreign affairs.

On the law and order issue that got Duterte elected, the Philippine National Police reports that crime is down by about one-third overall. The latest SWS crime survey done two months ago found that record-low levels of property crime (3.1 percent of families affected), physical violence (0.6 percent), and all kinds of crime (3.7 percent). compare that to the tripling of lawless incidents under Aquino, from 324,083 in 2010 to more than 1 million a year in 2013 and 2014, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Duterte’s war on drugs makes Aquino’s effort look like a noncampaign, with first-year achievements exceeding those for several years in the past government: 86,984 arrests, 152 drug dens closed, nine methamphetamine labs dismantled, 64,397 police operations conducted, on top of 1.3 million surrenderers and P82 billion worth of narcotics seizures reported.

For sure, many Filipinos, not to mention foreign governments and world organizations, are disturbed by more than 3,000 suspects killed in police operations, and thousands of other killings believed to be drug-related.

But after the recent youth killings in caloocan, the narco-car-

nage is over, with new suspect deaths sure to face massive state and media scrutiny and zero presidential backing. And with the body count dropping, nationwide killings of all kinds would fall well below the 11,000 to 16,000 a year recorded in past regimes.

The race to spend and build Turning to economic programs, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno is pushing hard to avoid Aquino-era underspending. After stepping down in June 2016, Aquino boasted that he left Duterte some P1 trillion in budget funds unspent.

Diokno takes no pride in failing to fully utilize state resources. From about 13 percent of annual budgets in 2014 and 2015, he slashed underspending to 3.6 percent last year, and just 0.4 percent in the first half of this year.

This drive to implement programs and projects is crucial to President Duterte’s Build, Build, Build public works plan, which aims to double infrastructure spending from the longtime average of 3 percent of gross domestic product, to 5 to 7 percent by 2022.

Finance Secretary carlos Dominguez said this week that the government should finish about half of the 75 flagship projects to be started under Presi-

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and former Pres. Benigno Aquino III

dent Duterte. Among them: the country’s new main international gateway in clark, its rail link to Manila, and the first segment of the Mindanao railway in the Davao region.

Plus: the long-overdue repair and upgrading of the Metro Rapid Transit 3 system, which fell into woeful disrepair due to mismanagement and anomalous contracts in the Aquino years. The Duterte administration is now considering an MRT3 takeover and investment

proposal from a consortium led

by PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan.

Bottom line: After years of underspending and slow infrastructure, Filipinos are now seeing their taxes not just collected, but spent. And even more will be harnessed for development under the five-tranche tax reform program to rationalize and boost revenue collection.

With more vigorous government and private sector spending, poverty and hunger are fall-

Philstar.com photo

ing. Self-rated poverty measured

by SWS has averaged 44 percent under Duterte so far, down from about 48 percent in Aquino’s last year.

Self-rated hunger in the second quarter of 2017 dropped below 10 percent for the first time since 2004, when SWS changed its survey process, leading to double-digit ratios. And the hunger fell particularly among the self-rated poor households and in all regions of the country. (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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Dateline PhiliPPines

OC/IE ASIAN JOURNAL • SEptEmbER 29-OCtObER 5, 2017

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PH business delegation attends 3rd Eastern Economic Forum 2017 Pimentel to stay as Senate president A business delegation from the Philippines including representatives from government agencies gathered recently in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far east for the 3rd eastern economic Forum (eeF), to push for the entry of agricultural products and services from Manila to the Russia, the world’s biggest country.

Roberto De Venecia, Chairman of the Philippines-Russia business Council (PRbC) and the PCCi-PRbC Team, said “the general intention was to develop new channels, meet dominant business groups in Russia and from Asia.” “it was a built-in opportunity to view the existing infrastructure that could lay the groundwork for the entry of agricultural products and services from the Philippines, and at the same time identify projects of importance that Philippine business can participate in.

“The eeF 2017 served as a platform for businessmen around the globe to discuss strategies to develop, political, economic and cultural links between Russia and countries in the Asia Pacific Region. According to De Venecia the Forum was visited by over 50 thousand people with over 4000 direct participants from 60 countries that converged in Russky island in the major port city of Vladivostok. Key discussions were led in four key areas: The economic Policy in Russia’s Far east; Doing business; Cooperation among neighboring countries; and creating a new quality of life by responding to challenges. During the plenary part of the program was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Korean President Moon Jae-in, newly elected Mongolia President Khaltmaagiin, and Japanese Prime Minister shinzo Abe. That session was moderated

by Chairman Ronnie Chichung Chan of the Hang Lung Properties, a Chinese-American. executives from top Russian companies and ranking officials including those from other countries were present in the forum”.

For the Philippines, the PCCiPRbC was ably assisted by executives of Roscongress - the forum organizer. included among those who represented the delegation was businessman Ricardo Penson, PRbC Vice Chairman for Far east Russia.

De Venecia believes that the Philippines being the closest AseAn country to Russia thru Vladivostok would pave the way for prospect and key investments of dominant companies from the Philippines, and will therefore establish presence for outbound business, create major and incremental opportunities and generate employment over the medium to long term.

He adheres in the principle of bilateral and multilateral business cooperation to achieve the ultimate objective of creating opportunities

for Philippine business.

“We have learned that the Russian Far east with Vladivostok as the center enjoys continued legislative support to advance economic development. it continues to create and establish Advance special economic Zones and Freeport with specialization of dominant industries allocating as much as 500,000 in one location. incentives abound including lowering of tariffs on energy consumption and tax preferences, and e-visa provisions in the its seaport and airport.”

Philippine government agencies were part of the delegation to view and study how they can collaborate with government and private business and enhance bilateral trade. Led by DTi officials, seen keenly observing the Vladivostok developments and initiatives were PeZA Director General Charito Plaza, and secretary Raul Lambino, Administrator of the Cagayan economic Zone Authority, who were in the forefront to market and make known what the Philippines has to offer.

Against this backdrop, the VTb bank Group, the second largest bank and investment group in the Russian Federation, the Confederation of independent states, & eastern europe, has offered to finance the imports into Russia of Philippine bananas, pineapple, mangoes, and other interesting products from the Philippines. The offer included securing government approvals for select strategic and flagship projects and provide financing whenever necessary.

De Venecia, Chairman of the Philippines-Russia business Council (PRbC) and Riccardo Orcel, vice Chairman and deputy CeO of VTb bank Group signed the agreement recently in Moscow.

Trade between Russia and AsiaPacific countries including the Philippines is expected to grow even bigger, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin announced the comprehensive development of the region to bring business closer to its neighbors and Asia. During the forum he announced plans to improve a mechanism to protect investors and increase investment appeal, establish Advanced Freeport Zones and spur the development of LnG processing, oil refining, agriculture, Fishing and fish processing, logistics, Coal, timber processing, and tourism, among others. it also included granting of land plots in municipalities in the Far east Also announced by Russian authorities was the establishment of major industrial plants to be located in the Far east Russian within the Vladivostok area, such as Petrochemical plants for the production of euro 5 motor fuels, mineral fertilizer plants, 70% of which are targeted for exports. The 30% will remain in Russia to service it own

Scientists have found evidence to support marijuana use for medical purposes, such as relief from multiple sclerosis pain or combating nausea after chemotherapy.

House panel endorses medical marijuana bill

by Jess

diAz Philstar.com

MAniLA — The House of Representatives committee on health on Tuesday, sept. 26, endorsed a bill allowing the use of cannabis or marijuana for medicinal purposes.

However, the use of marijuana for recreational purposes would continue to be prohibited.

The committee on health chaired by Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan approved the bill authored by isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano iii. encouraged by the passage of his measure at the committee level, Albano said he is hoping the House and eventually the senate would approve it. “i have high hopes under the Duterte administration that this bill would be enacted into law. Finally, there is hope for our people, especially our children, who suffer from medical conditions like epilepsy, cancer and multiple sclerosis,” he said. “unlike many medical professionals, President Duterte has an open mind on medical cannabis,” he said.

Albano recalled that shortly after winning the presidency in May last year, Duterte said he was not opposed to the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes but he was against its use for recreation.

“Medical marijuana, yes, because it is really an ingredient of modern medicine now. There are medicine right now being developed or already in the market that (have) marijuana as a component… used for medical purposes,” the then president-elect said.

“if you just smoke it like a cigarette, i will not allow it, ever. it remains to be a prohibited item and there’s always a threat of being arrested. if you choose to fight the law enforcement agency, you die,” he said.

Marijuana is among prohibited substances under the Dangerous Drugs Act. Albano said cannabis “has been confirmed to have beneficial and therapeutic uses to treat chronic or debilitating diseases or medical conditions.”

These include cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe and chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy; and severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those associated with multiple sclerosis, he said. under his proposal, he said the use of medical marijuana would be allowed under strict regulations to be issued by the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration.

He challenged critics of medical marijuana to “shed your fear of the unknown and open your minds to its potential benefits to patients with debilitating ailments who need it.”

“Marijuana, even in its raw form, is not harmful, unlike tobacco and liquor,” he said.

Doctors supporting the Albano bill have told the House that at least 23 states in America allow marijuana for medicinal use.

They said there is no single death in the united states attributed directly to the use of marijuana, unlike smoking and drinking. n

by Rosette

Adel

Philstar.com

MAniLA — Amid ouster threats against senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel iii, sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday, sept. 28 said the former would retain his post.

“Koko will stay as sP. The majority bloc, all 16 of us are solidly supporting his senate leadership,” Lacson said.

“13 votes to oust is extremely improbable,” he added, referring to the senate minority members mostly composed of Liberal Party senators.

Lacson made the statement after opposition sen. Antonio The Philippine business delegation during the the Russia-ASEAN Dialogue of the 3rd Eastern Trillanes iV said he would work Economic Forum held at Russky Island, Vladivostok, Russia (L-R) Roberto De Venecia, hard to remove Pimentel as the a participant in the dialogue, chairman of the Philippines-Russia Business Council, and senate’s head if rival sen. Richard represented the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Tan Sri Dato Dr. Chen, CEO & “Dick” Gordon is not fired from Principal of the NagaCorp Group — a major & dominant Investor from the ASEAN in Vladivostok.

NagaCorp has large investments in Malaysia, Sabah, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Canada, and the United States and Secretary Raul Lambino, CEO & Administrator of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).

requirements. Major railway and logistics system will be develop to connect Asian countries whenever possible.

Russia created the eeF platform for international participants to discuss strategies to develop political, economic, and cultural links between Russia and countries in the Asia Pacific Region. it presented Vladivostok as a gateway in the east for reliable, safe and profitable place to do business. its ambitious target is to provide the best possible conditions for doing business in the Far east to launch new manufacturing capabilities and create employment. such Far eastern strategy are based on promoting the broadest

possible international cooperation with multilateral structures as the eurasian economic Community, the shanghai Cooperation Organization, the AseAn and the APeC. The Philippines’ significant participation was in the Russia-AseAn Dialogue. information of significance / Highlights.

Thus, Russian Far east is hailed as the last frontier for human economic development The Philippines was invited to directly participate in the Russia-AseAn Dialoque, interacting with participants from indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Russia, the Republic of Yakutia, and nagaCorp a major investor in Vladivostok that belongs to the AseAn block.

his blue ribbon chairmanship.

For his part, Pimentel was not threatened by the ouster threats.

“He can go ahead with his plans. This is a free country,” Pimentel said reacting to Trillanes’ statement.

Trillanes and Gordon earlier clashed over the blue ribbon committee’s inquiry into the P6.4 billion shabu shipment from China. The former wanted to summon the president’s son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases “Mans” Carpio while the latter said invitation of the two kin of President Rodrigo Duterte is not necessary.

Trillanes believed Paolo and Carpio are involved in the entry of the drug shipment to the country.

Palace welcomes petition urging SC to probe drug-related killings MAniLA — The executive branch is ready to answer the petition asking the supreme Court to compel state agencies to probe the killings tied to the Duterte administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs, Malacañang said Wednesday, sept. 27.

The petition, which was filed by a group of lawyers last september 22, urged the high court to order the heads of the Philippine national Police, Commission on Human Rights Chairman and the Department of Justice to look if the cases of alleged extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions whether or not related to the drug war.

The petitioners also want the agencies to release information detailing the number of summary executions and the measures undertaken to investigate the killings and prosecute the perpetrators.

Presidential spokesman ernesto Abella said concerned agencies like the Justice department and the police welcome the petition and are prepared to respond to it.

Abella said state agencies are disclosing information about the investigations but are withholding details that may compromise law enforcement operations. (Philstar. com)

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September 29-october 5, 2017 • oc/Ie ASIAN JoUrNAL

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SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 5, 2017

may 30-june 5, 2014 www.asianjournal.com

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september 29-october 5, 2017

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Fil-Am footwear pioneer Rich ‘One’ Cofinco:

Keeping the vision

by Rae

P

uRsuing the arts is risky business, but Filipino-American artist, designer, and all-around creative, Rich “One” Cofinco made it his business and has been holding it down for over ten years.

At the skyline Room at the Cerritos Library in Cerritos, California where Cofinco spent much of his younger years, fans came to listen to his story. The Asian Journal caught up with him sometime after.

From his beginnings as a respected street artist, to building a name in the footwear industry, Cofinco has proven to be an unstoppable, freewheeling

ann VaRona /AJPress

creative.

Already famous for his street art and being the founder of graffiti crew no Art Remains After (nAsA) — which to this day remains legendary among street art followers — Cofinco found himself landing commercial jobs in the action sports industry due to his dynamic art style. it was during his early days working at skate and street style company Vision street Wear that Cofinco was challenged to transfer his talents onto products like t-shirts and skateboards, and eventually onto snowboard boots and skate shoes.

Cofinco was immediately hooked and soon his new passion brought him to the iconic skate shoe company Vans, where he further developed a knack for shoe designing. This then lead to his first brand 4ce Footwear and his first taste of industry success.

The company blew up between 2000 and 2001, and the Vans’ COO at the time eventually joined the team full time. unfortunately, 4ce Footwear later found out that person had been embezzling money from Vans to invest in their brand.

Already feeling stuck and wanting to create different products, Cofinco took the opportunity to pursue something new, and left.

Creative Recreation With experience, a young entrepreneur spirit, and a clean slate, Cofinco decided again to disrupt the footwear industry. in 2002, he and longtime friend Robert nand, founded Creative Recreation, a company with plans of merging the gap between casual and formal footwear. “We wanted to create something you could wear to work, then to the bar, and then to your workout,” Cofinco shared with the audience in the skyline Room.

The company’s shoes quickly gained attention from celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Alec Baldwin, Robert Downey Jr., and Ryan seacrest, among many others, and were featured in magazines like GQ, Marie Claire, Men’s Health, and Men’s Vogue.

Musician, entrepreneur, and now clothing and shoe designer Kanye West, was among the first to be spotted in Creative Recreations. Among the many of West’s greatest sneaker moments was the brand’s staple shoe, the Cesario, which had all the makings of a basketball shoe. Dressed with a unique and simple toe strap over the forefoot, it became a statement piece easily adaptable to different environments.

Creative Recreation’s winged logo soon became established, with people heading to a wide range of stores like Barneys new York, nordstrom, and Journeys for pairs of their own.

The success of the company wasn’t something Cofinco really expected. He said, “Even to this

day, i look back and can’t believe something like that happened.”

Cofinco’s vision for Creative Recreation had been coming to fruition, and after the company’s five-year mark, he was finally starting to realize just how game changing it was becoming.

“That’s when i noticed what what we were doing was finally getting accepted as a legitimate category that nobody had done before,” Cofinco told the Asian Journal.

But as the company grew, Cofinco found it harder and harder to retain its original vision as the push for volume and money became precedence. in 2012, Cofinco decided to leave Creative Recreation to pursue other artistic endeavors. The company sold two years later for $11 million to Rocky Brands, a leading footwear company that started off specializing in Western, hiking, and working boots.

But in a quick turn of events, Creative Recreation asked Cofinco to come back and become the company’s creative director to help reignite its spark. Knowing the company’s original DnA, Cofinco accepted and focused on a Creative Re-Creation campaign with plans to push for newness and reinventing the brand from its historic roots.

With an emphasis on the “re,” it was all about recreating, re-innovating, re-styling, and re-doing everything while still staying true to the brand’s original vision. new technology like Vibram

Photos courtesy of Rich “One” Cofinco

outsoles were added, as were new styles like the scopo crosstrainer, the nittie court shoe, and brand’s first chukka boot, the Dragna. in a story by Footwear news, the company’s CEO David sharp at the time expressed growth as a result of the campaign, stating that there was “an energy there that wasn’t there before.”

But again, visions began to clash as the company found his ideas a bit too advanced. Cofinco decided it was best to leave for good.

As seen in the future As expected, Cofinco was in no way finished with the industry. in 2014, Cofinco and business partner nate “Res” Harvey created their current company, As seen in the Future, or AsiF. “Your blueprint is your sole — no pun intended — of your shoe,” said Cofinco to a laughing audience.

As a big part of Cofinco’s artistic “sole/soul” revolves around utility, it is of course evident in his new brand. The difference lies in when the products would be useful.

With AsiF, Cofinco still wanted to create utilitarian products, but ones that would still serve its wearers well way into the future.

“The irony is that we don’t know what the future has in store for us, but we can prepare ourselves for future survival,” said Cofinco.

“The future is an open book

for anyone to interpret. it can be futuristic or apocalyptic, good or bad, technologically advanced or back to basics. But if we’re prepared, it won’t matter what the future has in store for us.”

The brand’s futuristic and sleek aesthetics have already caught attention of “sneakerheads,” posting on blogs and other social media of their AsiF come ups — a favorite being the brand’s iO. While the shoes can only be purchased online, followers were able to check them out at a pop up at WCsP on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Another pop up at Do not Enter on the same street will happen in October.

As the event came to a close, many were eager to have Cofinco answer some questions.

One question that stood out was from a childhood friend who came all the way from Victoria, B.C., Canada. After reminiscing on days they bonded over hip hop and cars, he asked Cofinco the question many artists get — “Who was your biggest influence?”

Cofinco’s response was simple.

“Me.” “You have to believe in yourself at the end of the day,” explained Cofinco. “if anyone is a true believer of what you do and has your back, it’s yourself. Everyone else around here will do that for you as well, but you have to believe in yourself.”

John Lloyd & Ellen: Finally found someone Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga: Together again

by Ricky Lo Philstar.com

THE intensity 10 temblor generated by the “shocking” photos of John Lloyd Cruz and girlfriend Ellen Adarna these past three weeks has gradually dissipated, lowered from “Category 5” (“denial” stage) to “Category 2” (“acceptance” stage) with the netizens and other showbizwatchers polarized into “pros” and “cons”, with the former claiming that the sweethearts (they cannot deny their relationship after posting all those revealing photos, can they?) are just being human and having fun and the latter alarmed that John Lloyd seems to be unraveling with his new devilmay-care attitude that could lead to the destruction of his career. “some people are happy for John Lloyd and Ellen and some people are not,” said somebody close to the couple. “in fairness to the couple, they are not hurting anybody, are they?”

Of course, the “cons” will argue that, yes, everybody is entitled to have fun but they should be careful about posting pictures on social media especially if you are a celebrity and those pictures are much too revealing, such as when you appear to be drunk or, well, “floating on Cloud 9” or kneeling at a confessional in dark shades (risking a big frown from church authorities).

The title of John Lloyd’s last movie (with sarah geronimo)—”Finally Found someone”—perfectly describes the sweethearts’ present state of heart and mind.

“They really match,” commented another Funfare informer also close to the couple.

“While some of John Lloyd’s exes might have tried to kind of change him and take him away from the ‘bottle,’ Ellen takes him as he is, for

by chRistina

aLpad ManilaTimes.net

WHEn Piolo Pascual and Toni gonzaga starred in the 2014 romantic-comedy “starting Over Again,” neither they nor star Cinema expected their untested team-up to rake in more than P400 million at the box-office. given the very pleasant surprise, their home network, ABs-CBn, quickly planned a prime time drama for the pair—its working title, “Written in Our stars”— which never made it to the small screen. The reason, however, was a very happy one, because gonzaga, then newly married to director Paul soriano, was pregnant with their first child.

Three years since then, the “right time” for their reunion has finally come as they return to cinemas with “Last night.”

“We were both free to commit to what we both agree is a very The activities/adventures of sweethearts John Lloyd Cruz and Ellen Adarna are widely followed by good movie to offer the Filipino showbiz-watchers who are divided into ‘pros’ and ‘cons’.

Photos from Instagram/@ekomsi and @maria.elle.adarna audience,” said gonzaga.

With a screenplay from actress they sleeping together (actually what he is. Bagay sila. And all i can Bela Padilla and direction by Joyce there’s nothing wrong with say is, ‘Let’s drink to that!’”

Bernal, “Last night” is a twothat because they seem to be Accompanying a photo of him character movie about one final committed to each other)? and Ellen apparently in bed, John evening shared by strangers Mark “no,” clarified the first Funfare Lloyd posted this caption: Sobrang (Pascual) and Carmina (gonzaga) informer, “they are not living-in.” baduy neto pero this girl really did both on the verge of taking their Hmmm, only sleeping-over? something good to my soul. i’ll own lives. “i don’t know,” she laughed. “i always be grateful.”

Padilla shared her idea for am not privy to their bedtime.”

Countered Ellen: i’ll never clip the story was inspired by two Aside from the Kapamilya your wings baby. if you want to fly people she and ex-boyfriend neil sitcom “Home sweetie Home” then spread your wings and fly. i in which they co-star with Toni don’t love to take ownership. i love gonzaga, John Lloyd and Ellen are to connect! not busy with other projects. Ellen And blithely, they stroll at the has yet to start shooting her yet mall, take a leisurely walk along untitled star Cinema movie with the Roxas Boulevard promenade, Empoy Marquez and is currently do anything and everything that working out preparatory to the they deem to be fun and that Bench show in november. will make them happy, with their “so they are taking advantage every move duly recorded on of their free time by enjoying social media, including a latest themselves,” added the informer. photo obviously taken early Meanwhile, the world is morning showing John Lloyd having as much fun monitoring on the treadmill in Ellen’s Malate the sweethearts’“escapades” on apartment. not that anybody social media. minds, but people wonder, are

The ‘Ultimate Leading Man’ and ‘Ultimate Multimedia Star’ team up once again in ‘Last Night’

Arce—whose n2 Productions is co-producing the movie—saw on a bridge while driving one night. From there, she allowed her imagination to take flight.

Arce clarified however that “Last night” is not a movie about suicide. “it’s a love story that happens to begin when the characters find themselves contemplating suicide. That’s where their story jumps off but it’s not about taking one’s life.”

Besides the story, the cast and producers of the movie are also proud to show the historic city of Manila as a backdrop. “Last night” was shot entirely in the country’s capital with hopes that the

audience will fall in love with the city all over again.

As Padilla put it, “Manila is such a beautiful city. Bakit pa tayo lalayo eh ang daming magagandang lugar dito?”

Edgier, more mature The direction and theme of the movie settled, Pascual and gonzaga assured fans their new project is not a rendition of Marco and ginny’s love story in their first movie together.

“This movie is very different from our first one in the sense that Mark and Carmina love story is edgier and more dangerous,” Pascual shared noting that his alter ego in the big screen is at the lowest and darkest phase of his life.

“For me, i’d say that the characters in this new movie are coming from a much deeper background. For example, my character Carmina is at a point where she has lost all her hopes and she thought doon na siya magtatapos,” gonzaga shared. “it’s dark, the theme is very dark, and yet it’s still very hopeful and romantic,” the actress added.

As for the pressure to either match or surpass their surprise hit, Continued on Page 4

Lance Busa wins ‘Bolt Of Talent’ MinDanao native Lance Busa bolted into the limelight Wednesday when he won Grammy-award winning balladeer Michael Bolton’s asia-wide singing contest.

Held in Malaysia and aired over Star World, Busa sang Bolton’s “How am i Supposed To Live Without You,” wowing the judges and winning the “Bolt of Talent” competition over Thailand’s Mild Sittatikarnvech.

His prize includes a recording deal, as Subaru brand ambassador and the front act of Bolton’s asian Dream Tour concert, including the Manila leg on november 3 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom. a finalist in the GMa network boyband reality search, “To The Top,” the 22-year-old from Butuan City bannered the Philippines as compatriot Hans Dimayuga was eliminated among eight contenders. aside from the two Filipinos, Two Malaysians, two Taiwanese and two Thais made up the circle

Adel

Philstar.com

iT is official! award-winning film “Birdshot” is the Philippines’ entry to the prestigious academy awards. in its Facebook page, the production team of “Birdshot” announced that the film was named as the country’s official entry to the Foreign Film Category of the 2018 oscars.

The 25-year-old director and writer of “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, and Film academy of the Philippines’ director general Leo Martinez also confirmed the film’s official nomination. according to indieWire, a news website for film and television news, reviews, interviews and global festival coverage, “as many as 90 films could wind up vying for the initial shortlist of nine, and final five nominations” in the Foreign Film Category for the oscars.

“Birdshot” features newcomer Mary Joy apostol as Maya, a motherless farm girl who mistakenly kills a protected endangered Philippine Eagle.

3

Devon Seron’s Korean ‘connection’

by Bot

GloRioso Philstar.com

FRoM the moment she met her two leading men, Devon Seron was able to instantly connect with them. They are South Korean actors Jin Ju-Hyung and Hyun Woo who topbill alongside her in “You With Me,” produced by Gitana Film Productions and RR Films Entertainment in cooperation with Film Line Pictures Production Ltd. and Seoul Film Commission. it is directed by Rommel Ricafort.

“Both are gentleman,” said Devon after the grand presscon held at the Seda Hotel of Vertis Lance Busa won on Thursday, Sept. 28 Michael Bolton’s Asia-wide singing contest. north. “They always make it a point channel. again, thank you for all of contenders. to check on me if i am doing okay the support! Means everything Days before the finale, Busa during the movie shoot in Korea. to me! PaDaYon Ta UG LaBan posted a smiling photo on Ju-Hyung was always offering me PiLiPinaS! (ituloy natin ang instagram. “Can’t do what Kenvin coffee. laban Pilipinas). #BoltofTalent the stunt driver did to this Subaru “Same with Hyun Woo although #michaelbolton #teamphilippines malaki ang age gap namin, lagi n’ya Forester VX. Catch up on the latest #BoTph #BoTTeamLance episode of Bolt of Talent on Fox+ ko inaalalayan and he would always #bisayangdako.” (ManilaTimes.net) pull a chair for me. Maasikaso sila, and repalys on @starworld_asia parang ganun ’yung kinalakihan nila.”

Perhaps, die-hard Pinoy K-Drama fans must have known that Jin Ju-Hyung is one of Korea’s dramatic actors with Sirius as his debut acting project and followed by such TV series as “Scandal: a Shocking and Wrongful incident,” “Blade Man,”“Cinderella” and “Four Knights,”“Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth” and “Suspicious Partners.”

Hyun Woo, on the other hand, is an actor-singer whose projects included “Dream,”“Pasta,”“Music Bank,”“i Live in Cheongdam-dong,” “Yumi’s Room,”“My Dear Cat,” “Jackpot,”“Deep Rooted,”“Laurel Tree Tailors” and “Bravo My Life.” it cannot be denied how “Birdshot” features newcomer Mary Joy Apostol as Maya, a motherless farm girl who popular K-Pop and K-drama are mistakenly kills a protected endangered Philippine Eagle. to Pinoys these days. Thus, many consider Devon as the “luckiest the asian Market at the Busan it is described as a comingamong female Kapamilya talents” international Film Festival in of-age thriller, which features a for having bagged a leading lady 2015 and recently bagged the manhunt for the poacher of the role with two Korean stars.

Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino’s national bird.

However, the Star Magic talent The acclaimed film previously Critics’ Choice award. is not the type whose head easily “Birdshot” made rounds at won Best asian Future Film becomes too big for a hat. in fact, award at the Tokyo international almost 20 various festivals in Devon revealed that she joined in the world. it is scheduled to be Film Festival. Red’s Cinemalaya the auditions without expectations screened at the adelaide Film entry “Rekorder” also made it to knowing how equally talented the the category of the same festival. Fest in australia this october. other aspirants who also showed aside from apostol it stars it also received a production John arcilla, arnold Reyes and Ku up on the day she, in her own word, grant from the Doha Film aquino. The film is produced by “gatecrashed” the auditions. “i’m institute. The film garnered really happy for this. actually, it was Pamela Reyes. the CJ Entertainment award at

‘Birdshot’ named Philippines’ entry to 2018 Oscars

by Rosette

september 29-october 5, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Devon gets along well with her two Korean leading men Jin Ju-Hyung and Hyun Woo in “You With Me.”

through my make-up artist friend that i got to try out for the role.” asked to share her experiences shooting the movie in South Korea, Devon fondly recalled how kind and accommodating the Korean stars and production crew were. “Unlike here where actors are provided with separate tents, doon wala kaming tent. We would go to the set together, riding the same bus where we’d also stay pero minsan umaalis ’yung bus kasi

bawal i-park doon kaya nakaupo lang kami sa gilid.”

She continued, “We’d usually eat together (in another place) because there was no catering so we would walk kahit na gaano kalayo ang restaurant at wala silang arte...it was truly humbling (experience) working with them.”

Language barrier served as the biggest challenge for the Cebuana lass. “i play an English teacher here Continued on Page 6

september 29-october 5, 2017

4

FpAcc bi-national business Fil-Am Dean Devlin marks set to convene in Arizona directorial debut with ‘Geostorm’ conference LA plays host to trade mission following

www.asianjournal.com

After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world’s leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong—the system built to protect the earth is attacking it, and it’s a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything... and everyone along with it.

Dean Devlin (writer/producer, “Independence Day”) makes his feature film directorial debut with suspense thriller “Geostorm,” starring Gerard Butler (“Olympus Has fallen,”“300”), Jim Sturgess (“Cloud Atlas”), Abbie Cornish (“Limitless”), Alexandra Maria Lara (“rush”), Daniel Wu (“the Man with the Iron fists,”“Warcraft: the Beginning”), eugenio Derbez (“How to Be a Latin Lover”), with Oscar nominees ed Harris (“the Hours,”“Apollo 13”) and Andy Garcia (“the Godfather: Part III”).

Butler stars as Jake, a scientist who, along with his brother, Max,

played by Sturgess, is tasked with solving the satellite program’s malfunction. Cornish stars as Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson; Lara as Ute fassbinder, the ISS astronaut who runs the space station; Wu as Cheng, the Hong Kong-based supervisor for the Dutch Boy Program; Derbez as space station crew member Hernandez; with Garcia as U.S. President Andrew Palma; and Harris as Secretary of State Leonard Dekkom. the film also stars Zazie Beetz (upcoming “Deadpool 2,” tV’s “Atlanta”), Adepero Oduye (“the Big Short,”“12 Years a Slave”), Amr Waked (“Lucy,”“Syriana”), robert Sheehan (“the Mortal Instruments: City of Bones,”“Season of the Witch”) and eugenio Derbez (“Instructions Not Included”). the film, written by Dean Devlin & Paul Guyot, is being produced by Skydance’s David ellison, Devlin, and Skydance’s Dana Goldberg. Herbert W. Gains, electric entertainment’s Marc roskin and Skydance’s Don Granger are the executive producers. rachel Olschan of

Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonzaga...

From Page 2

Pascual easily dismissed it and said it’s not their main goal as of the moment.

“Hindi kami nagpapadala sa pressure na ‘yun,” Pascual said convincingly.

EMPLOYMENT

Back to basic finally, besides its likeness to the tandem’s first big screen outing, “Last Night” is also being compared to the onslaught of two-character movies such as “Kita Kita,”“100 tula Para Kay Stella” and

Arizona business conference

SCOttSDALe—the federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce, Inc. (fPACC) is set to convene the 2017 BiNational Business Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 10-12, 2017, with its theme “Surging Beyond economic Borders.” Delegates from established U.S.-based filipino-American Chambers of Commerce, their counterparts Dean Devlin from the Philippine Chambers of Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Commerce and Industry (PCCI) electric entertainment and Cliff and various trade and industry Lanning co-produce. stakeholders from both sides the behind-the-scenes of the Pacific will assemble creative team includes director of at the talking Stick resort in photography roberto Schaefer Scottsdale, Arizona to address (“finding Neverland,”“Quantum contemporary issues affecting of Solace”); production designer international trade and to Kirk M. Petruccelli (“White House develop key initiatives vital to Down”); editors ron rosen the economic lifeblood between (“Godzilla”), Oscar nominee the two countries. the biennial Chris Lebenzon (“Crimson tide,” business conference features “top Gun”) and Oscar nominee plenary sessions at the main hall, John refoua (“Avatar”); costume workshops, B2B track, networking designer Susan Matheson (“the opportunities and trade exhibits Big Short,”“Safehouse”); and VfX throughout the 3-day event. this supervisor Jeffrey A. Okun (“Clash yearís hosting organization is of the titans,”“the Day the earth the filipino American Business Stood Still”). the music is by Lorne Chamber of Commerce of Arizona Balfe (“the LeGO Batman Movie”). (fABCCA), the home chapter of Warner Bros. Pictures and fPACC National President, Arizona Skydance present, a Skydance industrialist and international production, an electric philanthropist Marie Cunning. entertainment production, a film the main thrust of the

by Dean Devlin, “Geostorm.” Set 2017 business conference is to hit theaters October 20, 2017, on breaking-through trade it will be distributed in 3D and 2D and investment barriers across in select theaters and IMAX, by economic borders to make good Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner on this yearís theme of Surging Bros. entertainment Company. beyond economic Borders. the “Geostorm” has been rated conference will also highlight PG-13 for destruction, action and the best channels for trade and violence. investment between the two www.geostorm.movie countries via its B2B track and “Love You to the Stars and Back” which all received much love from moviegoers lately.

Padilla admitted that more than bringing kilig to the movie, she would very much like for the audience to feel that like Gonzaga and Pascual’s characters, everyone has his or her own battle.

“At lahat ng problemang yun

EMPLOYMENT

ay seryoso in equal ways,” the scriptwriter noted.

Meanwhile, the director admitted, “As for me, I want the audience to go out of the cinema laughing or crying, not certain what to feel about the movie.”

Arguably, these are the same goals that aforementioned two-

unlocking a wealth of the most promising business opportunities through the trade exhibits. the Binational Conference culminates with a gala celebration of international proportions on Saturday night, complete with ceremonial signing of trade agreements, presentation of dazzling entertainment performances, culinary delights from the talking Stick resort, dancing and hobnobbing with Arizona civic leaders along with A-Listers of international business and industry.

Immediately following the Bi-National Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, delegates are urged to join the fPACC trade Mission in Los Angeles on November 14-15, 2017, to intensify the benefits gained from the Arizona conference by immediately connecting participants with businesses and industry stakeholders from both sides of the Pacific. the L.A. trade mission features a two-day event, beginning with a guided tour of the Port of Los Angeles on Day-1. the 2nd day shall be held at the Los Angeles Valley College in North Hollywood which features a Business expo, talks from industry experts and more opportunities for B2B connections throughout the day. this event is hosted through the collaboration of 3 L.A. area fPACC chamber chapters: the filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles (fACC-GLA), the filipino-American Chamber of Commerce of SouthBay Los Angeles Area (fACC-SLAA) and the filipino-American Chamber

of Commerce - tri-County (fACCtC).

International trade between the Philippines and the Americas can be traced back to the Manila Galleon trade from 1565 to 1816 at the height of Spainís colonization of the Philippines and Mexico. the Galleon trade connected the Philippinesí port city of Manila with the port city of Acapulco, Mexico on the eastern side of the Pacific. the Spanish Galleon trade represented a major trans-oceanic trade route for two-and-a-half centuries which connected Asia, the Americas and continental europe.

In the 20th Century, the United States has positioned itself as the Philippinesí strongest political ally and trade partner. As of today, the Unites States also has the largest diaspora of filipinos with a 2016 Census update of 3.5 million people and growing.

Arizona is proudly called home by more than 65,000 filipinos, while California leads the nation with over 1.5 Million filipinos. for more information about the upcoming fPACC 2017 Bi-National Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, please contact Charmel De La Cruz, Vice President of National Conference for fPACC. Charmel can be reached via e-mail at Charmel.

Dela.Cruz@fpacc.net. for more information on the L.A. trade Mission, please contact Gerry Palon, Vice President of Western region for fPACC. Gerry can be reached via e-mail at Gerry.Palon@fpacc.net. for online information about both events, please visit http:// www.fpacctradexpo.com.

character movie have achieved with flying colors.

But before naysayers could react that it’s the new fad in the film industry—much like the theme of infidelity—Bernal quickly came in defense.

“I’d like to think that this trend is a sign of the times—that it’s really not about the world but

the individual. I think it has a lot to do with the larger-than-life events that we see on television, on social media, that we are now going back to basic and listen to who we really are.

“Kumbaga, simplehan natin para hindi kasing-kumplikado ng lahat ng nangyayari sa mundo ngayon,” Bernal ended.

EMPLOYMENT

HOME AGENCY

september 29-october 5, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

5

C

alendar 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 SEPTEMBER 30

PeDRO celebrates its 13th anniversary with a fundraising dinner dance The Philippine Disaster Relief Organization, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation invites everyone to “A Dinner to Remember” with surprise guests on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Crystal Ballroom, Quiet Cannon, 909 N. Via San Clemente, Montebello, CA 90640. Free parking; $55 cost and formal attire. Maricar and the 4700 Band will provide musical entertainment with DJ George Cunanan. For more information, contact President Archerie Calunod (714) 655-4285 or PRO Bettie Francisco (323) 828-7648.

SF Assessor Carmen Chu’s free Family Wealth Forum Free one-on-one counseling with experts. Multi-lingual workshops. Exhibitors hall from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at City College (Ocean Campus), 50 Phelan Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94112. To register: http://sfassessor.org/familywealthforum or call (415) 554-7434.

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4th Filipino American International Book Festival in San Francisco Join a weekend of fun literary events, performances and activities for book lovers of all ages! The opening gala will be held on Friday, Oct. 6, while the festival will begin on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 8, it will be from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will take place at the San Francisco Main Library at 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco. Admission to the festival is FREE and open to the public. For more information, please visit http://www. filbookfestival.org/.

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A3M Starnight 2017 annual gala in Long Beach, CA In the past 25 years, A3M has given hope and a second chance of life to many patients.

Their journeys have inspired and motivated the organization to continue its mission of increasing and diversifying the Be the Match Registry. A3M is committed to supporting patients from the communities that are underrepresented in the Be the Match Registry. To continue its life-saving work, you are invited to support A3M at its Annual Gala Dinner held on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach (200 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802) from 5 to 9 p.m. To purchase tickets, please visit https://www.flipcause.com/secure/ event_step2/MTk3NjI=/13381.

City of Carson’s Filipino-American History Month Kick-Off The City of Carson will kick off this year’s Filipino-American History Month on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the CJMM Community Center at Carson (801 E. Carson St., Carson, CA 980745).

From 8 to 9 a.m., there will be refreshments at the Community Center East Parking Lot. It will be followed by a wreath laying at Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s monument from 9 to 9:15 a.m. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. there will be a program at the Carson Dominguez Room. For more information, please call (310) 952-1743.

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Adobo Festival in Los Angeles The 12th Annual Adobo Festival is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, October 7 & 8 at the Silver Lake Medical Center at 1711 W. Temple St. in Los Angeles. The festival starts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is FREE! For details regarding how to join the Adobo Cook-Off Contest, Kiddie Popstar and for booth vendors, call (650) 290-0542 or ( 650) 290-4457 or log on to www.adobofestivalusa.com.

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Glendale Tech Week Glendale Tech Week offers the best of tech from within Glendale and the Greater LA area.

Attendees will have access to talent, networking, and business opportunities. Passes, schedule of events, and list of speakers available at Glendaletechweek.com.

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26th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture in Echo Park Save the date! The 26th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) hosted by Advancement of Filipino American Arts and Culture (FilAm ARTS) is back at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, October 14. Expect a whole day filled with art exhibits, entertainment, and Fil-Am vendors. More details and special guests to be announced. For more information, please visit: http://www.filamarts.org/.

18th Annual Asian Small Business Expo in Alhambra, CA On Saturday, Oct. 14, the 18th annual Asian Small Business Expo will be held at the Almansor Court Conference Center (700 S. Almansor St., Alhambra, CA 91801), featuring free workshops, exhibitors, networking opportunities, and more! Jonny Hwang, founder of 626 Night Market, is the featured guest speaker with special guest, Jerome Horton, chairman of the California Board of Equalization. It is FREE to attend! The Asian Small Business Expo is the only business-to-business expo that engages the Asian business community and brings this growing economic force into the mainstream to connect and utilize your company and its services. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with small businesses, market your organization and tap into a network of entrepreneurs, service providers, financial organizations, franchises and governmental and legislative representatives. For more information, please visit http://www.apisbp.org/expo.html.

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City of Carson’s 8th Annual Larry Itliong Day Celebration Join the City of Carson for its 8th annual celebration of Larry Itliong Day on Saturday, Oct. 21 with a parade and program. Assembly time begins at 8 a.m., with the parade from 9 to 9:30 a.m. The program will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. It will be held at Veterans Park at 22400 Moneta Avenue, Carson, CA 90745. Admission is FREE. For more information, please call (310) 952-1743.

NaFFAA to celebrate 20th anniversary in Washington, DC The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) turns 20 years old this year. This October, several events are being planned to celebrate this milestone, which coincides with the national observance of Filipino American History Month. They will culminate with NaFFAA’s 20th Anniversary Gala, to be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 21. With its theme “NaFFAA 2.0: One Voice, Four Million Strong,” NaFFAA will recognize the legacy and accomplishments of the organization over the past 20 years, and highlight its comprehensive vision to unite and amplify the voices of the four million Filipinos living in the United States. “NaFFAA 2.0” represents how NaFFAA is honoring its past while forging a new forward-thinking and balanced approach in uniting, engaging, and empowering diverse Filipino American individuals and community organizations through leadership development, civic engagement, and advocacy. To learn more about NaFFAA or to purchase tickets for the 20th Anniversary Gala, please visit www.naffaa.org.

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PHII presents Tribute 2017: Recognition ceremony and dinner dance The Philippine Heritage Institute International celebrates its 28th anniversary with its annual recognition ceremony and dinner dance on Saturday, October 28, 6:30 p.m. to midnight, at the Pasadena Hilton, 168 S. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 -- 19th Tribute to Outstanding Filipino American Nurses and 11th President’s Award: ‘Profiles in Services, Pillars of Community.’ Cost is $65; attire, formal. PHII’s annual tribute is in answer to the White House Millennium Council Initiative from then Pres. Bill Clinton, who came with his wife Hillary to Los Angeles in January 1998. They created the Council in August 1997, with the theme ‘Honor the Past, Imagine the Future’ and traveled across the United States to promote its objectives -- an agenda with 21 ‘Ways to Commemorate the Millennium.’ “Mrs. Clinton gave a speech, stirring and inspirational,” said the late Mrs. Armada. In 1999, PHII became a partner to the White House Millennium Council selecting the ‘Millennium Recognition Awards’ to pay tribute to outstanding individuals whose contributions have enhanced the quality of life in the community. PHII seeks to improve the quality of life affecting Filipino American communities through research, education and recognition with the youth as its main focus. The foundation sponsors a youth congress annually with featured speakers. For more information, contact President Josie E. De Jesus (714) 272-0300; or Executive Director Anna A. Chickey, M.D. (562) 900-0379 (payments can be mailed to Dr. Chickey, daughter of Mrs. Armada, at 2032 Redfield St., Fullerton, CA 92833); or Email Lydia V. Solis at lvsolis@aol.com.

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

september 29-october 5, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA

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Angels among us “All God’s angels come to us disguised.”

– James Russell Lowell that power to take effect.

If you acknowledge that you as a child of God was given a personal guardian angel from the time God conceived you in His thoughts, there should be no fear in our hearts to face even the unknown. An angelic relationship can be nurtured daily and can grow wonderfully through time until the end of human life.

Who knows? In the end, we might be able to see this yet unseen godly presence, link up face to face, do a high-five, even dance a jig and thank our personal guardian angel, whether you gave him a name or not, whether he revealed his name to you or not, when we transition out to a celestial realm ourselves — finally free of ALL heavy worldly concerns and ALL constraints of time, space and gravity.

Just perhaps, that light at the end of a long dark tunnel might give us a glimpse of the face of God himself. *** Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, e-mail monette.maglaya@ asianjournalinc.com

An angel is an invisible presence that must be acknowledged to become ever stronger. God sends angels to keep watch over human beings and help them in every human challenge.

There is, however, the element of free will in humans.

You can acknowledge the presence of angels or deny it. It is your choice ultimately. The more angels are acknowledged and become a conduit to heaven, they become a hovering, guiding reality in one’s life growing ever stronger in their influence to shape every thought, word and deed in one’s life.

On the other hand, if the dark side prevails repeatedly in one’s soul that is made progressively weak by severe addictions of any kind, whether chemical, sexual or the human inclination towards pride, disobedience and evil, then the angel’s influence becomes weak.

The human protectee is like a a cell phone that is not receiving signals and becomes dead on a skip zone.

Only a direct divine intervention wrought by the most powerful force

of intercessory, unceasing prayers by one or more prayer warriors can avert the cosmic disaster of a soul lost forever to darkness, death and nothingness.

There is a study of angels called angelology. In it, it is claimed that there is a hierarchy of celestial beings grouped into three spheres.

According to Wikipedia, there is a First Sphere, the highest ranking of all because they are closest to God. This includes Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The Second Sphere includes Dominions, Virtues and Powers. In the Third Sphere can be found Principalities, Archangels and Angels.

Our personal guardian angels fall in the last group. Each human being is believed to be assigned a personal guardian angel, Christian or not. The angels that keep watch over human beings belong to the lowest order of celestial beings and they are the ones concerned with the affairs of human beings. They are holy celestial beings who are agents of God intended as a help to mere mortals. They are powerful but we ourselves need to connect to

Health@Heart

Fibromyalgia: an enigma

(Last of 4 Installments)

physician. In some cases, making a definite diagnosis is a dilemma, since the cause is unclear. There are PhiliP S. ChuA, various conditions that have been Md, FACS, FPCS found to contribute to the causation of fibromyalgia, either alone or in What is fibromyalgia? combination, depending on the Fibromyalgia is a disorder that individual’s genetic make-up or causes muscle aches and pain, predisposition. Among them are: tenderness, spasm, and stiffness, stress and trauma (as in a vehicle along with areas of the tendons accident), rheumatoid arthritis, and ligaments, and chronic fatigue. or autoimmune diseases, central These tender points are common nervous system problems, and around the neck and shoulders, in genetics (MTHFR mutation). In some the front of the knees, elbow, hip cases, no risk factors are found, the joints, chest, low back, thighs and cause never confirmed, and only calf (lower leg) muscles. There is tentative diagnosis is made from an exaggerated nerve excitation clinical evidence, and the patient is and sensitivity all over the body. treated empirically.

All symptoms are magnified.

What are the symptoms?

There are 10 million people in the The onset of the muscle pain, United States, and 3 to 6 percent tender spots all over the body and of the global population, have stiffness is gradual and diffuse. fibromyalgia, 75 to 90 percent of The pain may be a deep ache or them females. burning, is worsened by straining When was this condition first and overuse, and may be constant diagnosed? but varies in severity in response to The signs and symptoms of what is today known as fibromyalgia weather changes, stress and activity.

The pain may move around was first described in the 1800s. It the body. There may be spasms or was thought then as mental illness. muscle tightening. Most sufferers The first report of the tender spots feel tired or out of energy, have all over the body was by a Scottish problem sleeping and a few may physician in 1820. It was called have diarrhea/constipation, difficulty fibrositis. The first recognition of swallowing, gas, heartburns and fibromyalgia as a disease entity abdominal cramps. There may be was in 1976, but it was only in 1981 when it was scientifically confirmed tingling sensation or numbness in various parts of the body. Many and the first diagnosis was made.

What is Primary Fibromyalgia patients have super sensitivity to odor, loud noise, bright lights, Syndrome (PFS)? or even to medicines. Headache PFS, the typical pattern of this and pains in the jaws may also be condition is generalized, idiopathic present. Sometimes, they have dry (of unknown cause) fibromyalgia, eyes or problem focusing on objects accompanied by anxiety, fatigue, impaired sleep and irritable bowels, that are near, imbalance or dizziness.

Others may have palpitation or with no evidence of underlying shortness of breath. Women with diseases contributing to the fibromyalgia may have urinary symptom complex in among 5 percent of the population in the U.S. complaints, pelvic pains, painful PFS afflict healthy young or middle- menstrual periods, or even painful sexual intercourse. aged women who are anxious, Does any permanent damage stressed, tense, and/or depressed. result?

Children and adolescents (usually no permanent damage to females) and older adults who have any organ in the body results PFS may also have osteoarthritis of the spine. Men usually have localized from fibromyalgia. The condition, while chronic and causing many fibromyalgia which is related to bothersome symptoms, is not life recreational or occupational strain. threatening either. Today, with better I clearly remember when I was understanding of the condition in pre-med, a teenager cousin of and the availability of the various mine had pains all over her body and other signs which, today, would therapies, including medications, patients are managed more be obvious as fibromyalgia. Yet in effectively. the mid 1950s, it was an unknown Does exercise aggravate entity, and therefore no medications fibromyalgia? for it except pain pills. Everyone no. As a matter of fact, exercise thought she was malingering or had is one of the best therapies for a psychosomatic ailment. fibromyalgia. Starting with gentle, What causes fibromyalgia? low-impact, stretching exercises, This is a challenging illness, like walking, bicycling, and aerobics, not only for the patient, but also this physical regimen should be for the diagnostic prowess of the

Devon Seron’s Korean...

From Page 3 and my Visayan accent and diction got in the way. Good thing, direk Rommel was always there to guide me.”

Devon was also impressed by the Korean actors’ dedication towards work. They would normally stay on the set even when their presence was not required in a scene. They, too, would hold an acting workshop every shooting day. “’Yung mga aktor pa ang nag seset ng meeting for a workshop and live reading so everyone is ready before coming to the set.”

Another trait of her Korean co-stars that Devon finds remarkable is their being “so affectionate. Showy sila na may (instance) na pag-bubuksan ka pa ng pinto. I think, that’s natural for them.”

That’s why Devon does not want to give any meaning to any of Hyun Woo and Jin Ju-Hyung’s sweet gestures. And although she admitted to having been attracted to both of them, Devon would rather not assume anything.

“Basta, I just tell myself that whoever ends up with either of

performed daily and gradually increased. At first, there will be muscle soreness, as could be expected, but the exercise becomes more comfortable as days go.

What is the treatment for fibromyalgia?

The comprehensive management of fibromyalgia includes ruling out or treating diseases causing the symptoms, reassurance from the attending physician that the condition is benign and not hopeless, stretching and aerobic exercises (brisk walking, yoga, swimming, tae boxing), local application of heat and gentle massage, improvement in sleep, low-dose tricyclic antidepressant drugs. If drowsiness is encountered with one drug, an alternative drug may be used.

The three drugs the U.S.-FDA has approved to help treat fibromyalgia are: Pregabalin (was first used to treat seizures and nerve pain linked to diabetes; Duloxetine hydrochloride ( Cymbalta) is an antidepressant that’s also been used to treat diabetic nerve pain; and, Milnacipran (Savella), the first drug designed specifically for fibromyalgia treatment. It affects brain chemicals linked to pain. Some of the drugs may also aggravate the insomnia. Aspirin and nSAIDS (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs), even opioids, have generally not been found to be of any help. For severe persistent tenderness, local injection with 1 percent lidocaine (alone or in combination with hydrocortisone) has been effective.

Depression, serious emotional problem, as a result of fibromyalgia may require behavioral modification, group support therapy and/or professional guidance.

What is the prognosis?

Functional prognosis is usually very good with aggressive and comprehensive treatment.

Fundamental in the success of therapy is patient-motivation, involvement and discipline. Armed with these three, the person with fibromyalgia is soon on her way to a more comfortable, happier, more productive and a fulfilling life. *** 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

these two men, will be one lucky wife or girlfriend. Me, I don’t want to assume anything because I’ve already experienced how hard it was to expect then nothing happened in the end.”

Is she willing to have a long distance relationship if and when her heart beats for a foreigner?

“Definitely, especially if you truly love the person and besides, there are now several means of communication. I can also fly in and out of the country for him, ’di ba nga where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

september 29-october 5, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

Pilgrimage Tour to Eastern Europe (Krakow, Prague, Budapest, Zagreb, Medjugorje) August 26, 2017 to September 9, 2017

In front of St. Faustina Chapel in Krakow - Lagiewniki

Have no Fear, Sanctuary dedicated to ST. JP II

Cathedral of Zagreb

One of the Chapel in Our Lady Czestochowa

Chapel of Black Madonna with Fr. Simon

Outside of the Church in Czestochowa with Fr. Simon

Our Lady of Victorius church Shrines of Infant Jesus in Prague (wedding of Gricelda & Ruben )

Outside the sanctuary Have no Fear

Taken in Zagreb

One of the Chapel in Our Lady of Czestochowa with Fr. Simon

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september 29-october 5, 2017 www.asianjournal.com

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