San Francisco Edition -- April 15 -- 21, 2016

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Volume 15 - No. 16 • 3 Sections – 20 Pages

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Palace: Janet Napoles to remain in detention

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

MANILA—Malacañang on Wednesday, April 13 said alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles will remain under detention despite the decision of Sandiganbayan to allow her to post bail for plunder.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. noted in a statement that Napoles was convicted in April 2015 for serious illegal detention.

“Accordingly, she cannot be released due to such conviction and the several other cases for Philstar.com photo plunder pending against her,”

Janet Lim Napoles

DATELINE

Coloma said.

The anti-graft court earlier allowed Napoles and dismissed Masbate Gov. Rizalina Lanete to post bail at P500,000 each while their plunder case is being heard.

Napoles and Lanete are both detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Lanete allegedly allotted her priority development assistance fund to non-government organizations linked to Napoles during her term as Masbate representative from 2007 to 2009.

In April 2015, Napoles was found guilty of illegally detaining whistleblower Benhur Luy and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

APRIL 15-21, 2016

Supervisor Jane Kim (on podium) authored a resolution calling for the establishment of SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino Cultural Heritage District in San Francisco. It was co-sponsored by seven other Supervisors, including John Avalos, David Campos, Malia Cohen, Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, Scott Wiener and Norman Yee. AJPress photo by Joseph Peralta

SF Board of Supervisors unanimously approve resolution forming Filipino Cultural Heritage District

USA

ly John Avalos, David Campos, Maila Cohen, Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, Scott Wiener and NorSAN FRANCISCO—The San man Yee. SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino CulFrancisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 12 unani- tural Heritage District, accordmously adopted a resolution ing to the resolution, will be the establishing a Filipino Cultural area bound by 2nd Street to the Heritage District in the city east, 11th Street to the west, called SoMa Pilipinas. The res- Market Street to the north and olution also recognizes the his- Brannan Street to the south, as toric contributions and leader- identified in the Western SoMa ship of the Filipino community Community Plan which was adopted by the Board of Superviin San Francisco.

Authored and introduced by sors in 2011. It is located within Supervisor Jane Kim, the reso- District 6 in San Francisco.

Per the resolution, SoMa Pililution was co-sponsored by seven other supervisors, name- pinas also includes the I-Hotel,

by JosePh

L. PeraLta

AJPress

FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM AcroSS AMEricA

USPS stamps drop 2 cents THE United States Postal Service (USPS) on Sunday, April 10, dropped the price of postage stamps by 2 cents for the first time in almost a century.

Stamps now cost 47 cents each, down from the 49 cents, a decline that’s expected to cost USPS $2 billion this year. The expected loss will make it more difficult for the government mail carrier to compete and provide services sought by customers.

“Given our precarious financial condition and ongoing business needs, the price reduction...exacerbates our losses,” Postmaster General Megan Brennan said in a statement Thursday, April 7, as it filed a petition seeking a new rate-setting process. “This unfortunate decision heightens the importance of the review of our ratemaking system.”

USPS is not funded by taxpayer dollars, and it depends on its own revenue sources – such as postage – to cover its operating costs.

Stamp prices have typically risen to cope with inflation, but customers have paid an

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San Francisco passes law mandating 6 weeks paid parental leave SAN Francisco has become the first municipality in the United States to mandate that businesses provide workers who are new parents with six weeks of fully-paid parental leave.

“Our country’s parental leave policies are woefully behind the rest of the world, and today San Francisco has taken the lead in pushing for better family leave policies for our workers,” Supervisor Scott Wiener, who supported the bill, said Tuesday, April 5, according to USA Today.

The city board of supervisors and city council on Tuesday, April 5, unanimously passed the measure requiring employers to offer new parents paid leave.

The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not require paid paren-

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FINAL FIGHT. After 12 grueling rounds, Manny Pacquiao emerged victorious via a unanimous decision against Timothy Bradley Jr. on Saturday, April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The judges scored 116-110, 116-110 and 116-110 in favor of Pacquiao.

AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

Pacquiao defeats Bradley in his final fight by agnes

constante AJPress

IF Manny Pacquiao’s last time in the ring was indeed on Saturday, April 9, then he has ended his career on a high note.

The Filipino fighter who rose to fame in a rags-toriches storyline concluded what he has said would be his 12 final rounds as a professional boxer in a victory against two-time former WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, Jr., an opponent he has faced in the ring on three occasions.

Pacquiao announced he would hang his gloves up after Saturday’s bout to focus on serving the Philippines, where he is seeking to win a senate seat on the May 9 election.

“As of now, I’m retired,” he said. “I am going to go home and think about [fighting again]. I want to go home with my family and serve the people.”

But before he secured his victory, 37-year-old Pacquiao (58-6-2 KOs) gave millions of viewers around the world a fight that included knocking down Bradley (332-1) twice, in the seventh and ninth rounds. His performance resulted in a unanimous decision in his favor from the judges, who scored it 116-110.

HBO commentators during the fight noticed what they said appeared to be some sort of problem with his right shoulder, which was injured and exacerbated during Pacquiao’s long-awaited match against the un-

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Gran Oriente, Rizal Apartments, the Iloilo Circle building, and surrounding areas, including Rizal Street and Lapu Lapu Street due to the historic and cultural significance associated with these buildings and areas.

Within SoMa Pilipinas’ boundary lies Filipino cultural landmarks, including the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center, the Bayanihan Cultural Center, businesses, institutions, residences, places of worship, buildings, activities and organizations like the Filipina Women’s Network, Kularts, Kearny

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‘No commitment from RCBC’ on return of stolen money

by Jefferson

antiPorda

and JoMar canLas ManilaTimes.net

UNLIKE junket operator Kam Sin “Kim” Wong who has voluntarily surrendered to the authorities a portion of the $81 million stolen by hackers from the Bangladesh Bank, the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) has not expressed any willingness to return the amount it earned from converting the dollars to Philippine pesos, Senator Teofisto Guingona III said.

Guingona, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, on Monday, April 11 said RCBC officials have not expressed an intention to return the money despite being aware that the foreign currency it converted to peso came into the country illegally.

The senator noted that the bank

Officials from the Bangladeshi embassy (left) attend a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the $81-million money laundering that started with the cyber-heist at the Bangladesh central bank’s account in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The money eventually found its way into several accounts opened at the Rizal Commerial Banking Corp. (RCBC). At far left is casino junket operator Kim Wong who has returned $4.6 million.

Inquirer.net photos by Lyn Rillon

RCBC officials have been atclaimed that it only made P2 million for converting $61 million of tending Senate hearings on the the $81 million that was trans- multimillion-dollar laundering ferred to the RCBC Jupiter Branch scandal. in Makati City (Metro Manila) on “There has been no commitFebruary 5. u PAGE A2

Pulse Asia: Still a four-way race for president

by JanVic

Mateo Philstar.com

MANILA—Despite the recent surge in survey ratings of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, an executive of pollster Pulse Asia still believes that the upcoming elections will be a tight race.

Pulse Asia research director Ana Maria Tabunda noted the fluidity in the survey re-

sults of the presidential bets since the start of election season.

She also noted that the other bets have trained their guns on Duterte in recent days and this may affect his numbers.

“We don’t know how his supporters will take it, especially the ones who have recently shifted support,” said Tabunda. “A lot of things can happen.”

Duterte solidified his lead in the latest

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APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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From the Front Page SF Board of Supervisors unanimously...

Pacquiao defeats Bradley in his last ...

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Street Workship, Veterans Equity Center, and West Bay Pilipino Center.

The resolution describes the South of Market (SoMa) area, which is home to the Bessie Carmichael School/Filipino Education Center (the nation’s first and only elementary school with a curriculum in the Filipino language), Victoria Manalo Draves Park (named after the Fil-Am Olympic champion diver) and Bindlestiff Studio, as an important venue for Filipino cultural activities like the FAAE/Pistahan Parade and Festival, the Parol Festival, Kulinarya and the New Filipino Cinema at Yerba Buena.

The legislation instructs the Planning Department to work with the SoMa Pilipinas working group to “develop a strategic and implementation plan to set policies that promote community development and stabilization, and increase the presence and visibility of the district.”

The resolution calls for the strategic plan for SoMa Pilipinas to be developed by the Planning Department and submitted to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors within six months of the adoption of the resolution.

Community organizers estimate that there are about 1,500 Filipino residents concentrated in the SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino Cultural Heritage District out of the 5,106 Filipinos who reside in District 6. Overall, according to the 2010 Census, there are a total of 36,347 Filipinos living in San Francisco.

Hours before the resolution was adopted, community organizers held a press conference at

defeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr. However, he dismissed concerns and said he was OK. “I was looking for a knockout in every round,” Pacquiao said. “He’s a very tough fighter and a very good counter-puncher. Bradley is a good boxer, a great fighter and a good man. It was not easy tonight, [but] my right shoulder was fine. It gave me no problems.”

Before the fight, Bradley said he planned on fighting at a level similar to the performance he gave during the ninth round of his fight against Brandon Rios in November, which he won with a knockout.

CompuBox reported that Pacquiao connected on 122 of 439 punches, while the Bradley landed 99 of 302.

“Manny is patient … I wasn’t professional enough to be patient myself and I walked into some shots,” he said following his loss.

“He’s very quick, very explosive and it’s hard to judge him with quick reflexes. He won the fight, much respect to Manny Pacquiao.”

In between the fighters’ postmatch interviews, Pacquiao, who is fond of Bradley, invited his opponent to Sunday prayer breakfast. Yet despite looking sharp after his win, Pacquiao affirmed he was retiring.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob

Community organizers and community leaders pose after a press conference urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to unanimously adopt a resolution calling for the establishment of SoMa Pilipinas-Filipino Cultural Heritage District.

AJPress photo by Joseph Peralta

the steps of the City Hall, urging for a unanimous vote from the Supervisors on the resolution that was tabled in the agenda on Tuesday.

Ligaya Avenida, president of the Filipino-American Development Foundation (FADF) Board, an organization which has, through the years, actively worked to sustain and nurture the Filipino community in SoMa, urged the Supervisors to adopt the resolution unanimously because “it’s not only right, but it is the right thing to do for the city that you represent.”

Avenida, who said that she has witnessed the many contributions given and challenges faced

by Filipino Americans in the area, recalled that this resolution was a dream of Dr. Mario Borja, who had envisioned a center that brought together services and programs that celebrate Filipino culture and history, while serving the needs of the community.

Dr. Borja, according to Avenida, donated the first floor space of the Delta Hotel which he owned that gave birth to the Bayanihan Center.

“Today is a historical event.

Today is the day we make history Arum, however, said he believes in San Francisco,” she said. “The the boxer’s retirement is more of votes of the Supervisors will ala trial separation. low Filipinos to continue to be a “He’s torn. His wife wants him major part of that beautiful tapto retire. He’s running for office, estry we call San Francisco. Toand if he wins, which he will, there day we will validate the presence will be tremendous responsibiliof the Filipinos who have lived ties that go with that,” Arum said, and worked in the corridors of according to ESPN. SoMa for decades, and who have Arum also said that Pacquiao helped to make SoMa what it is may need a big paycheck in the today.” near future. The Filipino fighter Supervisor Jane Kim (District reportedly was set to receive $20 6) said she was proud to author million for his third fight against this piece of legislation “where Bradley. For his fight in the ring we are finally recognizing the with Mayweather in May, he reFilipino American community in portedly earned $160 million. the South of Market.”

“He doesn’t have money prob“I am a beneficiary of the inlems now, but of course he’s gocredible work of this community. ing to have money problems if he’s I live across from the park, the going to be building hospitals out only multi-use park in the South of his own pocket instead of letting of Market that this community the [Philippine] government build fought for – Victoria Manalo the hospitals,” Arum said, accordDraves [Park],” Kim related.

“I live across from one of our public school… the only public school to teach Tagalog as part of its program. I’ve been a part of working with this community to make sure our neighborhood is safe for our seniors, for our children, and our pedestrians. And, of course, we are all a beneficiary of the work of this community in fighting to build more affordable housing.”

Supervisor Kim told the audience that this resolution is not only geared to just preserving history and culture. “It is also talking about how we can use land-use controls and economic development tools to make sure that our community continues to stay in the South of Market for decades to come,” she said. “We want to ensure that our community leaders, our diversity, get to stay in San Francisco, and that Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senator Bam Aquino asks resource persons we are looking to preserving our from Philrem Service Corp. how they converted the $17 million of stolen money into pesos art institutions… preserve hous- and delivered it to two casinos and a junket operator during the continuation of the Senate

AJPress photo by Robert Macabagdal

ing to ESPN. His trainer, Freddie Roach, has said leading up to the match that he would support whatever decision Pacquiao made.

“I loved the way Manny threw his combos. He may be a little rusty, but if he wants to continue fighting, I think he can still go,” Roach said.

After the fight, when a questioner pointed out to Pacquiao that it seemed like his family wanted him to retire more than he did, he laughed.

“In my heart I’m 50-50. But I love my family, and I won’t hurt my family, my kids. I don’t know, I might enjoy my retired life or I might want to come back. It’s hard to say because I’m not there yet. But right now, my decision is to retire,” he said, according to ESPN.

‘No commitment from RCBC’ on return of stolen...

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investigation on the $81-million money laundering controversy, Tuesday, April 12.

Senate photo by Alex Nuevaespaña

PAGE A1 t ment from the RCBC,” Guingona said when asked if the bank would also do its share in the efforts to recover the money in behalf of Bangladesh.

“We will see if they [RCBC officials] are giving the correct figures since the Central Bank [Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas] and the AMLC [Anti-Money Laundering Council] will be conducting an audit,” he added.

The senator said that even if the entire $81 million that entered the RCBC had been withdrawn, it does not mean that the bank did not get anything from it.

The blue ribbon committee resumed its inquiry into the $81 million laundering scandal on Tuesday, April 12.

Senators are expected to grill the owners of Philrem, the remittance firm that handled the distribution of the stolen fund to Solaire Resorts and casino junket operators.

Wong, who turned over $4.6 million and P38.38 million to the BSP, claimed that Philrem, owned

by Michael and Salud Bautista, still has in its possession $17 million but the firm denied it.

Guingona said they still want the Bautistas to explain how they remitted the money because the testimonies they gave recently to the committee were full of inconsistencies.

According to PhilRem, it transferred P600 million and $18 million in six tranches – the first delivered by their messengers to the Solaire casino.

The rest of the money was picked up from Bautista’s home.

But Salud Bautista said the entire amount was delivered to Chinese businessman Weikang Xu at Solaire.

Bautista also did not mention Wong’s name during the first hearing, despite the fact that Wong was among those prominently involved in the transaction.

Guingona said the committee is determined to find out who is telling the truth and he is willing to subject them to a lie detector test if they are willing.

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

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Legislation bolstering small business loans passes Senate Committee SB 936 allows state IBank to back more private lending to small businesses that need it, stimulating economic development

KITE FESTIVAL. A kite inspired by the Philippine flag competes in the second Isabela Kite Festival last Saturday, April 9.

Inquirer.net photo by Richard Reyes

USPS stamps drop...

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“exigent surcharge” in the last two years to help keep USPS alive during the Great Recession, a time when businesses cut back on mailing. The agency was granted permission to raise rates in 2014, at which time it tacked on 3 cents to bring the price of stamps up to 49 cents each.

However, the increase was only meant to be temporary and is required to rollback 2 cents this year.

USPS has been hit hard by the transition from written letters to electronic communication like emails and text messages. Although it delivers less mail today, it still needs to maintain the infrastructure needed to deliver mail to 155 million addresses in the United States.

Prices for postage stamps last fell in July 1919 when it went down from 3 cents to 2 cents per ounce. (Agnes Constante/AJPress)

San Francisco passes law...

PAGE A1 t tal leave, and California is one among only five states in the nation with a form of paid parental leave. It entitles employees to six weeks of partially paid leave – 55 percent of their salary – to care for newborns, as well as adopted and foster children. The time off is paid for by a state insurance program funded by workers.

“The vast majority of workers in this country have little or no access to paid parental leave, and that needs to change,” Wiener said at a news conference before the vote, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Under San Francisco’s new ordinance, businesses with 50 or more employees will be required to pay the remaining 45 percent of their salaries for a six-week leave beginning Jan. 1, 2017.

Employers with 35 to 49 workers have until July 2017 to comply.

For those with 20 or more workers, the law will apply starting Jan. 1, 2018.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees will be exempt from the law. The ordinance further makes it illegal to terminate an employee after taking parental leave, whereas California’s program doesn’t guarantee a worker’s old job when they return from leave.

“Paid parental leave increases the probability that employees will return to work, be more productive and earn higher wages. That is good for business and families,” said Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council, according to the AP. Last week, New York also signed a similar measure into law that requires employers to provide 12 weeks of paid time off, though the program will initially offer 50 percent of an employee’s salary and will be phased in until it fully begins in 2021.

While labor groups have touted the legislation in San Francisco and New York, others have noted that other developed countries offer expectant and new mothers

at least 12 weeks of paid leave; in Australia, they receive 18 weeks, 39 weeks in the UK and 480 days for parents in Sweden.

Also criticizing the requirement are small business owners who say the current list of city mandates unfairly targets them.

“They don’t necessarily have the resources, they can’t absorb the increases in cost, and they feel like it’s kind of relentless, it’s one thing after the next,” said Dee Dee Workman, vice president of public policy at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, according to the Associated Press.

Despite critics, Wiener said he’s confident other cities and states will take notice of what is happening in San Francisco. “[Every time] San Francisco adopts a local pro-worker ordinance, we’re told that it’s going to be the end of the world for businesses,” Wiener said, according to The Guardian. “What ends up happening is the state and sometimes the federal government follows our lead ...”

Another ordinance the city approved for workers was a $15 hourly minimum wage or workers, which passed in 2014.

On Monday, April 4, the governors of New York and California signed off on legislation raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Among supporters of paid parental leave include tech companies Google and Facebook.

Others like eBay and Spotify provide employees six months of fully-paid parental leave, while Netflix announced unlimited parental leave for the first year after a child is born.

Vicki Shabo, vice-president of the National Partnership for Women and Families, praised local San Francisco leaders for supporting the measure.

“There’s a growing consensus that the nation must do something to address this,” she said, according to The Guardian. (Agnes Constante / AJPress)

Despite the recent surge in survey ratings of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Pulse Asia research director Ana Maria Tabunda still believes that the upcoming elections will be a tight race.

Philstar.com photo by Krizjohn Rosales

Pulse Asia: Still a four-way race...

PAGE A1 t Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys released this week.

The tough-talking mayor obtained the lead with 27 percent in the March 30 to April 2 SWS survey released on Monday, April 11.

He was followed by Sen. Grace Poe with 23 percent, Vice President Jejomar Binay with 20 percent and Liberal Party candidate Manuel Roxas II with 18 percent.

In the March 29-April 3 Pulse

Asia survey commissioned by ABS-CBN and released on Tuesday, Duterte led with 30 percent, followed by Poe with 25 percent.

Binay and Roxas are statistically tied for third place with 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago trailed in both surveys, obtaining three percent in SWS and two percent in Pulse Asia.

In recent days, Duterte’s rivals,

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SACRAMENTO—Legislation

by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, allowing the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) to expand the private lending it guarantees for small businesses that cannot qualify for standard loans was passed recently by the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee.

SB 936 makes more private loans possible through the IBank’s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program by adopting the federal standard for leverag-

ing the financing, which means less money is required to back the private loans than under the current state standard. In essence, the change allows the state and federal funding used to guarantee the loans to go further.

“This legislation will help create economic development and jobs,” Hertzberg said. “It is smart public policy to get the most out of private lending for small businesses. SB 936 helps rebuild the middle class and stimulate economic activity in struggling communities across

California.”

The bill is sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

“The passage of SB 936 is vital to having funds available well into the future to support loans to small businesses, which are 99.2 percent of all employers in the state,” said Teveia Barnes, IBank Executive Director. “Small businesses with big dreams are our innovators and visionaries, pace-setters and disrupters. When small busi-

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USCIS reaches FY 2017 H-1B cap

WASHINGTON—US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reached the congressionally mandated H-1B cap for fiscal year 2017. USCIS has also received more than the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions filed under the U.S. advanced degree exemption.

USCIS will use a computergenerated process, also known as the lottery, to randomly select the petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 visas for the general category and 20,000 for the advanced degree exemption.

USCIS will first randomly select petitions for the advanced degree exemption. All unselected advanced degree petitions will become part of the random selection process for the 65,000 general cap. The agency will reject and return filing fees for all unselected cap-subject petitions that are not duplicate filings.

Before running the lottery, USCIS will complete initial intake for all filings received during the filing period, which ended April 7. Due to the high number of petitions, USCIS is

not yet able to announce the date it will conduct the random selection process.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed on behalf of current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, will also not be counted toward the congressionally mandated FY 2017 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to: • Extend the amount of time

a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States; • Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers; • Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and • Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in a second H-1B position.

US businesses use the H1B program to employ foreign workers in occupations that require highly specialized knowledge in fields such as science, engineering and computer programming.

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APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

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Number of autistic California students has risen since 2002

PALO ALTO - Between 2002 and 2015, the number of public school students in California enrolled in special education due to autism has risen sixfold, according to Kidsdata.org, which released the latest data to mark April as Autism Awareness Month.

The number of students enrolled in special education due to autism rose from 13,276 to 90,794 students in 13 years. In 2002, autism was the 6th most common disability among spe-

cial education students, but by 2015, it had risen to the third most common disability.

Nationwide, the identified prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has more than doubled from one in 150 school-aged children in 2000 to one in 68 in 2012, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Has the prevalence of autism actually risen or does the upward trend reflect broadened

Pulse Asia: Still a four-way race...

PAGE A3 t particularly Binay and Roxas, have pounded on his track record, particularly the allegations of extrajudicial killings thrown at him.

High turnout in overseas voting While fluidity is observed in pre-election surveys, there is a high turnout in the first three days of overseas absentee voting (OAV) for the May 2016 elections, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim said 32,364 Filipinos, mostly from Middle East and Asia Pacific, cast their votes as of press time.

Filipinos in the Middle East and Africa registered the highest number of those who cast their votes so far at 14,453, followed by voters from Asia Pacific with 13,081, Europe with 4,485 and the Americas and Canada with 345.

He also said many Filipino overseas voters are encouraged to participate because of the tight battle for the presidency as well as the Comelec’s dissemination

of information about OAV. “Because this is a close fight among presidential candidates, it is but natural for candidates and their supporters to give their utmost attention not only locally but also abroad, because the votes from the more than one million overseas voters can affect the results of the elections,” he explained.

Lim also admitted that there were minor hitches such as reports of vote counting machines (VCMs) bogging down, voters with deactivated records requesting to vote and reports of cheating.

Comelec recalled the malfunctioning VCMs and deployed 25 replacements for contingency.

The poll body also set up hotlines to assist voters.

Comelec Office for Overseas Voting director Jane Valesa said the poll body is checking reports that some registered overseas voters in Hong Kong were unable to vote.

She said some voters were not able to vote because their names could not be found in the official list of registered voters, while

diagnostic criteria and increased awareness of the disorder?

Some researchers point to “diagnostic substitution,” meaning that a child diagnosed with autism today may have been dubbed mentally retarded in years past. It wasn’t until 1992 when the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) included autism as a special education reporting category.

And while the causes of autism are largely a mystery, most researchers agree that both genetics and environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides during pregnancy, may play a role.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is stressing the importance of early identification through its “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program.

In 2012, only 43 percent of children identified with ASD received developmental evaluations by the age of three. Black and Latino children tend to receive diagnoses at even older ages. By prioritizing early identification, children with ASD can access special services and support during the crucial stages of early childhood development. others were listed but were not able to vote in past two elections so their registration was deactivated.

Regarding reports of cheating spreading online, Lim said it was not true but the Comelec would initiate an investigation.

“There is no truth to such report so we will ask the law department to investigate so that appropriate charges can be filed against those who are trying to spread false information and undermining the credibility of the elections,” he explained.

“Elections should be taken seriously and not be treated as a joking matter in social media,” Lim said, noting those behind such activities can be charged with election offense punishable by imprisonment.

The Comelec also put in place security features to ensure the credibility of the OAV. Lim said there are CCTV cameras in the polling precincts and each political party has its own watchers to prevent tampering of ballots.

Valesa said both the ballots and the envelopes being used in manual voting have serial numbers to ensure that these would not be tampered with. (With Mayen Jaymalin)

You may qualify for a cash back tax credit!

Did you know there’s a new tax credit for California’s working families?

SIZZLING WEATHER. Filipino kids cool off on Tuesday, April 12 the hottest day of the year in Metro Manila with a scorching 36.3 degrees Celsius. Nationwide, the highest temperature for 2016 was recorded in General Santos City at 38.6 degrees Celsius.

Inquirer.net photo

Filipinos 2nd most fast-tracked for Canadian permanent residency

by Jhong de la Inquirer.net

Cruz

RED DEER, Alberta – Skilled Filipinos don’t lag behind when it comes to gaining permanent status in Canada through the country’s express entry program, an annual report from Canada’s immigration department shows.

Filipinos ranked next to applicants from India in 2015 who received invitation to settle in Canada via the express entry program for economic immigrants.

The express entry program involves what is called comprehensive ranking system (CRS) where a score is assigned based on a prospective immigrant’s age, education, official language proficiency and work experience. A high score of up to 1000 points could earn candidates a chance to immigrate.

The program went into effect in January 2015 aimed at bolstering the Canadian workforce by recruiting skilled foreign workers from all over the globe, giving them a chance at permanent status.

Almost 80 percent of the invitations were issued to foreign nationals already living and maintaining a job in Canada.

Top source country Immigration, Refugees and Immigration Canada (IRIC) issued 31,000 invitations to skilled foreign workers in 2015. The immigration department reported that 10,000 of these individuals and their families have already come to Canada.

Some 3,574 invitations for permanent status were awarded to skilled Filipinos who were working in Canada in 2015, or 12.6 percent of the total number invited, next to the 6,348 invitations received by applicants of Indian descent (22.4 percent).

Inquirer.net photo

Immigration Canada also granted invitation for permanent status to some 283 skilled immigrants who were residing in the Philippines.

Other skilled immigrants offered to live in Canada in 2015 were from China, United Kingdom, Ireland, USA, Nigeria, South Korea, France and Australia.

IRIC noted that Canada is predominantly the country of residence for invited candidates initially because of the high number of foreign workers with federally supported job offers, accounting for almost 80 percent.

Skills needed IRIC estimated that for each of the 23 “invitation rounds” it carried out in 2015, an average 1,500 invitations for permanent status were issued.

The department noted that among the skilled categories, candidates working as food service supervisors (8 percent) or cooks (8 percent) were the largest groups to be invited, followed

by IT professionals (4 percent), university professors (3 percent) and business and finance professionals (2 percent).

The program met its target of expediting processing times for these economic immigrants,

pegged at 80 percent completed in six months time, it said.

Candidates who receive a job offer supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), receive an extra 600 points, as well as those who were nominated by their provinces. LMIA is a federally issued certificate allowing employers to hire a foreign worker.

IRIC observed that all candidates invited in the first four rounds had job offers supported

by LMIAs. “The vast majority of these candidates were working in Canada, were familiar with Canada’s immigration system and were able to submit a profile quickly.

With 600 points available for a job offer, they became topranked candidates,” it said.

Candidates who scored 450 and below have failed to receive invitations.

There were some 60,042 active profiles in the express entry system as of January 3, 2016.

IRIC has issued 31,063 invitations so far. During that time a total of 191,279 applications were received by the department from foreign nationals, of these 88,048 were found not eligible.

SF Board of Supervisors unanimously...

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The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) puts money back in pockets of working families.

ing and continue to build more.”

Supervisor Avalos, for his part, said that he learned more about the heritage and history of Filipinos in San Francisco when he read the resolution. “It makes so much sense that we are establishing this cultural district so that we can actually protect the vitality of the cultural institutions that are in the neighborhood, support the economic development of the neighborhood and maintain the existence of Filipinos in the SoMa district,” he stated. Avalos represents District 11, which also has a large number of Filipino residents.

SoMa resident and community worker Juvy Barbonio spoke on

To see if you qualify, visit CalEITC4Me.org

facebook.com/caleitc4me twitter.com/caleitc4me

celebrate festivals in SoMa, and visit friends and families in SoMa,” Barbonio continued, even as she recalled the displacement experienced by Filipinos in San Francisco, particularly in an area designated before as Manilatown (which was next to Chinatown), as well as in the Fillmore and Yerba Buena.

“I am a resident of the South of Market. And I am happy to celebrate today as the start of recognizing my neighborhood as SoMa Pilipinas,” Barbonio stated.

Aside from Supervisors Kim and Avalos, others who spoke at the midday press conference included Supervisors David Campos, Norman Yee, Eric Mar, and Atty. Lourdes Tancinco of the Veterans Equity Center.

Legislation bolstering small business loans...

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With the federal and CalEITC you could boost your tax return by hundreds – or even thousands of dollars.

the implications the legislation will have on the SoMa district.

“It’s fitting that today the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution to begin creating land use policies for SoMa Pilipinas. The community sees SoMa Pilipinas as going beyond just signs and murals.

We need land use policies to keep residents and workers like me in the neighborhood. We need policies that will preserve and encourage our nonprofits, cultural institutions and businesses,” she said.

“SoMa is still the cultural touchstone for Filipino culture in the Bay Area. We have institutions that exist nowhere else in the US. Filipinos from across the Bay Area attend church in SoMa,

nesses prosper, California prospers.”

The state-backed small business loans are especially beneficial in economically depressed areas where loans with favorable interest rates are hard to come by.

For the year ending June 30, 2015, the state-funded portion of the program made a total of 124 loans, with $21.1 million of loan guarantees supporting $37.4 million in small business loans, according to IBank’s Annual Report to the Governor and Legislature. This guarantee activity contributed to a total of $197.4 million of overall capital that was injected into the state’s small

business community, which, in turn, supported 2,813 jobs, the report said.

The federally funded portion of the program issued 252 additional loans resulting in $92.8 million of loan guarantees and supporting $130.1 million in small business loans, and that injected $211.6 million of overall capital, which supported 11,781 jobs.

In total for the year ending June 30, 2015, the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program supported 376 loans for $113.9 million of loan guarantees supporting $167.5 million in small business loans and 14,594 jobs.

The program uses state and federal funding to create a loan

loss reserve. This loan loss reserve reduces the risk of lending to small businesses, thereby stimulating investment that helps create and retain jobs that are often in low- to moderate-income communities.

Current state law limits IBank’s leverage ratio to 5:1, meaning that 20 percent of the private loan must be backed by the loan loss reserve fund. Under SB 936, the leverage ratio will rise to the federal standard of 10:1, meaning that only 10 percent of the private loan must be backed by the loan loss reserve fund.

The bill passed on a bipartisan 5-0 vote and goes next to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

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NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

Dateline PhiliPPines

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Aquino: Basilan offensive major step in addressing terrorism

by Nikko

DizoN Inquirer..net

ZAMBOANGA CITY— President Aquino on Wednesday, April 13, said that the government is “at war” with the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, a longstanding security problem that he would like to end even with only a little over two months left in his administration.

At a dialogue with the families of the soldiers who were killed in an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf on April 9 in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, the Commander-in-Chief said “I want to end” the suffering caused by the Abu Sayyaf to so many people, and the country’s soldiers would have to be the ones to go to the battlefield to fight for peace and security.

“The Abu Sayyaf has been our problem for the longest time. They have brought suffering to so many lives. I want to end this,” President Aquino said in Filipino.

“We are facing a war and our soldiers are the ones who are fighting the enemies of the country. Our soldiers are those in the frontlines who are securing peace in our land,” the President added.

In more ways than one, this was how the President explained to the grieving families why their loved ones gave up their own lives last April 9, ironically the day when the country commemorated the Fall of Bataan and the heroism of the Filipino and American soldiers during World War II. President Aquino cited the bravery and the gallantry of the soldiers who died in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan over the weekend.

Eighteen soldiers were killed, the biggest single loss in an opera-

Pres. Benigno Aquino III

tion that the Armed Forces had suffered in recent history. More than 50 other soldiers were wounded.

President Aquino said that the military offensive in Tipo-Tipo were still going on as of Wednesday. He called the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf “a major step in addressing terrorism” and ending the ruthlessness of the bandit group.

A family member, however, also asked the President why there was a high death toll in the encounter.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hernando Iriberri answered the family member’s question for the President.

Iriberri said the military would look into it. But any investigation would have to wait for the military operations in Tipo Tipo to end. The soldiers who know what transpired on April 9 are still in the battlefield, according to Iriberri.

Four days after the debacle in

Basilan, the President arrived in Zamboanga City on Wednesday and spent the whole morning in this city to pay his respects to one of the slain soldiers and visited the other wounded personnel confined at the Camp General Navarro Hospital at the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

Mr. Aquino landed at the Edwin Andrews Air Base (EAAB) at around 10 a.m. and proceeded to the wake of Corporal Rodelio Bangcairin at the latter’s home in Barangay Ayala.

The President then spent nearly an hour at the Camp General Navarro Hospital where he spoke with the wounded soldiers.

He was overheard trying to comfort one of the soldiers. With another soldier, the President was seen putting his hands on his neck, gesturing as if describing how he was shot in the neck during the 1989 coup d’etat against his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.

Galvez relayed to the media the salient points in the President’s dialogue with the families, as it was a private meeting held at the Multipurpose Hall of the EAAB here.

All the President’s engagements here were off limits to journalists.

The President also did not issue a public statement.

According to Galvez, the President opened and ended his dialogue with the families with an expression of sympathy for their loss.

The President also told the families that government would be ready to help them, but asked them to be specific in their requests so that government could respond to their needs quickly.

MORAL SUPPORT. Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. enjoys a light moment with his family before the start of the Comelec VP debate at the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday, April 10.

Senate photo

China warned vs. making ‘very provocative’ step THE Philippine ambassador to Washington told a news conference that a senior US Navy official had reported spotting a suspected Chinese survey ship in Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing area about 230 kilometers west of Zambales province, a few weeks ago and expressed concern about its presence in the disputed offshore area.

Cuisia said the Philippine military checked out the report but found nothing to confirm it, possibly because the Chinese ship later left the shoal.

Cuisia said he was involved in a US state department-brokered deal for China and the Philippines to withdraw their ships simultaneously from Scarborough to avoid a potential clash during a tense standoff in 2012.

Sotto back on top in Senate race

Sen. Vicente Sotto III

“WINNING is enough,” Sen. Vicente Sotto III said dismissively of his top ranking in the latest Pulse Asia survey commissioned by the TV network ABS-CBN, after regaining the No. 1 slot briefly held by Senate President Franklin Drilon in another senatorial poll.

According to the nationwide survey results released on Tuesday, April 12, 49.4 percent of respondents would vote for Sotto if the elections were held anytime

between March 29 and April 3, the week when the poll was conducted.

Statistically, Drilon tied with Sotto, with 48.9 percent of respondents indicating their preference for the Senate official.

The survey, which used faceto-face interviews with 4,000 registered voters, had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.5 percentage points.

Of the 50 senatorial candidates

in the coming May 9 elections, 12 have a “statistical chance” of winning based on the survey results.

Aside from Sotto and Drilon, also on the probable winners’ circle were former Sen. Francis Pangilinan (45 percent), former Sen. Panfilo Lacson (43.9 percent), former Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (37.3 percent), former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (36.5 percent), Sen. Sergio Osmeña III (34.1 percent), Sen. Ralph Recto

China reneged on that deal by refusing to withdraw its ships after the Philippines did and now claims there was no such deal, he said.

China has said it has completed construction work to turn seven reefs into islands in the disputed Spratlys archipelago in the South China Sea, raising alarm in the region and sparking calls by Asian and Western governments for China to stop taking provocative actions that can lead to confrontations. Beijing says it owns the Spratlys, which it calls the Nansha Islands, and has a right to undertake construction there.

The US Navy sighting of the survey ship in Scarborough has reinforced suspicions that Beijing is eyeing the vast atoll as its next target in its island-making spree,

Cuisia said.

“That I think will be very provocative if they will build on Scarborough Shoal,” Cuisia said, adding such an action “will further escalate the tensions and the conflict.”

The Philippines is incapable of stopping China from constructing an island in the shoal, where Filipino fishermen have been barred

by Chinese coast guard ships, Cuisia said. “We hope that the US and other countries … would convince China not to proceed with that,” he said.

Washington does not take sides in the disputes involving China, the Philippines and four other governments but has declared that ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the busy waters is in its national interest. (Inquirer.net with reports from AP)

(34), and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao (33.6).

Trailing them but also inside the Magic 12 circle were former Sen. Richard Gordon (32.6), former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) chief Joel Villanueva (32.3 percent), and former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros (32.1 percent).

According to the survey, 34 percent of voters already have a complete senatorial slate.

Sotto said he was not aiming for the any particular ranking in the

actual elections despite his being first in most voter popularity surveys. The senator attributed his strong showing in surveys to his performance in the Senate for the past six years.

Drilon similarly expressed satisfaction at the survey results.

Gordon admitted to being “elated” at the survey results, and said that he “generally uses surveys as a (private) guide, not as propaganda material.” (Inquirer.net with a report from Christine O. Avendaño and Leila B. Salaverria)

A

APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

OpiniOn

Features

Plan B EVEN the temptation of a possible rematch—and vengeance— against Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not stop Manny Pacquiao from stepping into retirement, in boxing at least.

Ending his illustrious boxing career on a high note, Pacquiao emerged victorious in his last fight—winning via a unanimous decision against a formidable opponent in Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 9.

After scoring two knockdowns in rounds 7 and 9, it was no surprise that all three judges had it 116-110, 116-110 and 116-110 in favor of Pacquiao.

“I was looking for a knockout every round. His style is to counter punch. But I countered him.

He was different to the last two fights, and he improved. I can still fight - but I made the decision to retire tonight, work for my people and spend more time with my family,” Pacquiao told his cheering fans as he confirmed that his 66th fight would be his last.

“Thank you to all the fans in boxing, especially the Filipino people. I’ve really appreciated all your help and support,” Pacquiao added.

The 37-year-old Filipino champion vowed to focus on his political career. Pacquiao is a candidate for the senatorial race on the upcoming Philippine elections on May 9.

The whole world stood witness to Pacquiao’s rise to the top: from a struggling 14-year-old boy, who left his home in Mindanao, he became

the best fighter of his generation.

In his journey, Pacquiao managed to have millions of adoring fans.

His followers are so devoted to him that they still find cause to celebrate even in his defeat.

All his hard work has manifested into millions of earnings, a successful showbiz career and a legislative post as Congressman of the Saranggani province. His fame has catapulted him to become one of the most revered Filipino icons of all time.

And why not? After all, his achievements supersede Pacquiao himself—winning eight championships in different weight divisions by beating boxing champions from around the world.

His reign as king of the ring is over. Now, Pacquiao wants his (eligible to vote) Filipino fans to join him on his next endeavor.

Celebrities, who venture into politics, are not an uncommon sight in the Philippines—and Filipino boxing icon Pacquiao is one of them. However, his explosive punches and agility may not be able to guarantee him votes to win a senate seat.

With only a few weeks left until Filipinos cast their votes, Pacquiao must prove why he is worthy to occupy one of the country’s highest legislative posts. (AJPress)

Editorial

Philstar.com photo

How to vote in the May Philippine elections YOU care about the Philippines. You want the next president and vice-president to really lead the nation toward progress, peace, order. You want to see more employment opportunities in the Philippines so you can come home and settle down in the Motherland for good, or have a loved one come back and never have to leave again . You want your hard earned dollar that you send to the Philippines really go a long way for your loved ones and not for some thieves in the government bureaucracy.

Channel the frustration into hope, and hope into reality by exercising your right to VOTE. If you are a Filipino citizen or a dual citizen, then your vote will count in the May 9 Philippine election.

You vote may in fact be a swing vote that can decide who will win in the election.

How do you do this? The voting process has become so simple and fast, especially with the voting machines that can now electronically receive your

DEEPLY concerned about the developments in the Grace Poe Llamanzares case, highly reputable Malacañang sources have revealed that a private meeting between President B. S. Aquino 3rd and Mrs. Llamanzares a week before the Supreme Court met in Baguio City on April 5 had paved the way for the pro “Poe-quino” Justices to declare the former American citizen of no known biological parentage “qualified” to run for President of the Philippines.

This may have plunged the country into a constitutional crisis.

SC decision Last Saturday, April 9, the Supreme Court En Banc released from Baguio a minute resolution denying the Motions for Reconsideration filed by the Commission on Elections and private respondents Estrella Elamparo, Francisco S. Tatad, Antonio Contreras and Amado Valdez on the Court’s March 8 decision voiding the Comelec’s disqualification of Mrs. Llamanzares, for falsely misrepresenting herself as a natural-born citizen and a resident of the country for 10 years and 11 months immediately preceding the May 9 elections.

A one and one-half page Notice, signed by Clerk of Court Felipa B. Anama, said all the issues raised

counted either but if you put 11, that’s an under vote that will be counted.”

Fold the ballot and place it in the return envelope. Do not use any other envelope other than the provided official return envelope.

Seal the envelope and place the provided paper seal sticker on the top flap.

Fill out the blanks on the face of the envelope.

“You will put your signature and write your name, there’s a box where you sign,” added Tate. “There’s a box where you sign your name and then you buy your stamp for the ballot.”

Voters have the option to main in their ballot or deliver the ballot in person to their respective consulates.

On Mondays and Thursdays, voters also have the option to personally feed their ballots into the vote counting machines at their Philippine Consulates between 9am until 5pm.

In accordance with a recent Philippine Supreme Court ruling, a ballot

receipt will now be printed after each feeding.

Registered voters who have home address changes or who have not received their ballots may email the Philippine Consulate in New York at votersid2016@gmail.com or fax their change of address at (212) 764-6010.

“We encourage them to fill up the ballot and to mail it immediately,” said Consul General Mario de Leon.

Whether by mail or hand-delivered, completed ballots must be received at their consulates before 5am on May 9, otherwise late ballots or tampered ballots will not be counted.

SIGE NA! BOTO NA! Let your voice be heard and your vote be counted! *** Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook. com/Gel.Santos.Relos

‘Poe-quino’ secret pact sealed SC pro-Poe ruling

Commentary

FRanciSco S. tatad

voting packets from vote and transmit retheir respective Philsults to the Philippine The Fil-Am ippine consulates.

Commission on ElecThe packet contions. But for your vote Perspective tains a paper seal, a to be counted, you have return envelope, an to do what you need to instruction manual do as a responsible citiin Tagalog and the zen.

Gel SantoS-ReloS ballot itself.

The Filipino ChanIn a press connel’s daily newscast “Balitang America” has been airing ference, Consul Kerwin Tate said the information stories to guide you in the ballots are shorter than the ones in Philippines because local positions are new voting process.

If you live in a city that is near the Con- excluded.

Using only black ink pens, Tate sulate or Embassy, then enjoy the pride and experience of going there to cast showed how to completely shade their your vote as internationally renowned choices for president, vice president, 12 Pinay Broadway singer and actress Lea senators and a party list.

The machine may not be able to count Salonga did. If not, let this information from the report by Balitang America’s a vote if pencils or any other colors are New York Correspondent Don Tagala used and if shading is incomplete.

“If you mark two for the president, serve as your guide: Since April 9, Filipino overseas absen- that will not be counted. Not invalid but tee voters who registered for the 2016 it will not be counted,” said Tate. “If Philippine elections will start receiving you mark 13 senators that will not be

in the MRs “had already been passed” upon by the Court in its March 8 ruling, and that “no substantial arguments were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned Decision.” Thus, the Court denied the Motions by the same vote of 9-6, with which it had earlier declared Mrs. Llamanzares “qualified” to run for President.

As to why the Court issued a minute resolution rather than a full-blown decision, Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, in her concurring opinion, explained that under the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court, a minute resolution may be used to deny a motion for reconsideration “in the absence of a compelling or cogent reason to grant the motion, or the failure to raise any substantial argument to support such motion.”

Not compelling enough It appears that as far as Sereno is concerned, the respondents’ argument that the majority has turned the Constitution upside down when they decided that Mrs. Llamanzares is a natural-born citizen by statistical probability and disputable presumption, is not compelling enough to merit a reversal of the decision.

The MRs had forcefully argued that in declaring Mrs. Llamanzares “qualified” to run for President, the nine Justices had in fact sought to amend the 1935 and 1978 Constitutions without any authority to do so.

The Justices refused to engage the respondents on the difficult

issues they could not refute. But while saying that “the motions do not raise any new substantial arguments,” the Justices were prepared to consider foundlings as natural-born citizens just because a 1934 constitutional delegate had proposed their inclusion in the enumeration of citizens, even though the proposal was ultimately rejected. In any case, the Court’s statement is contradicted by the fact the MRs have pointed out all the errors in the ponencia written by Justice Jose Perez.

In fact, the MRs may have exceeded their zeal in exposing the folly of the theory of statistical probability and disputable presumption, which Solicitor General Florin Hilbay advanced to argue the alleged natural-born status of one foundling named Mary Grace.

Still no majority There was no showing in the March 8 decision – as Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has revealed in his dissent – that a majority of eight Justices had voted in support of Mrs. Llamanzares’s claim that she is a natural-born citizen and a resident of the country for at least 10 years immediately preceding the May 9 elections. On the citizenship issue, seven supported her claim, five opposed, and three did not vote; on the residency issue, seven supported her claim, six opposed and two did not vote.

There is still no showing that this lack of a majority vote was

cured during the En Banc session in Baguio. But the Court has warned the parties that “no further pleadings or motions will be entertained.”

What happens then to the rights of the respondents? Under Rule 15, Section 3 of the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court, the parties may file a second or even a third MR, as has happened in several cases, when the court ruling is patently unjust, and potentially capable of causing serious damage or injury to the parties – in this case, the entire Filipino people.

Expecting attack Are the parties simply going to be gagged, even if they do not accept the justness and fairness of the ruling? Sereno says she expects the dissenting minority to attack the decision. But worse than that, the people themselves may not accept it. This is what we mean by constitutional crisis.

Some legal luminaries had earlier suggested that the Court might have to reverse itself, as it has done in the cases involving Ang Bagong Bayani, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, Cebu Shipyard, and the League of Cities, in the face of error so patent and so gross. But this did not happen. Why? Sereno lends us her own special insight.

“Had the Decision dated 8 March 2016 been reversed,” she writes, “this Court would have authorized the Comelec to continue to play politics. The Decision and the concurring opinions were strong indictments of the grave

abuse of discretion that infested the Comelec’s actions ‘from roots to fruits.’ The ponente characterized the acts of Comelec as bordering on bigotry, and similarly strong language was used by the concurring opinions on the unfairness and prejudice displayed by the Comelec toward petitioner.

This Court thus rightly issued strong words of disapproval of the Comelec’s actions.”

Who’s playing politics?

This was completely unexpected. Having followed all the proceedings and read all the opinions from the Comelec, I have to ask what is the factual basis of this offensive paragraph? At the Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court en banc, one had the distinct impression that when CJ Sereno delivered her long harangue to the Court, she was in fact already openly ‘lawyering’ for Mrs. Llamanzares and, yes, “playing politics.”

In fact, a columnist for another paper speculated that Sereno’s motive was strictly personal: she reportedly feared that if any other candidate should win the presidency, she might be impeached and removed, just like then-Chief Justice Renato Corona was removed at Aquino’s behest.

Now she says the Comelec had to be stopped from playing politics by making Mrs. Llamanzares a bona fide candidate, despite her constitutional disabilities? It just doesn’t wash.

Undiscussed

During the interpellations of Commissioner Arthur Lim, who spoke for the Comelec, no question was ever asked about any alleged unfairness or prejudice displayed by the Comelec against Mrs. Llamanzares. Almost all of the questions from the Justices were on Mrs. Llamanzares’s citizenship and residency; Justice Francis Jardeleza was about the only one who suggested that the Comelec “might have crossed the line” when it disqualified her without first proving that she was born of foreign parents.

To which Lim replied that there was no need to prove anything because she was the one who had declared at the very beginning that she was born a foundling, of no known parentage, found inside the parish church of Jaro, Iloilo on Sept. 3, 1968. The rest of her personal circumstances were then stipulated.

In 1974, she was adopted by the movie actors couple Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces. In 1991, she traveled to Boston to study; got married to an American citizen of Filipino descent; in 2001 became an American citizen herself. She visited the Philippines after her adoptive father died in Dec. 2004, and later decided to repatriate herself and renounce her American citizenship. In 2010, she was named chairman of the Movies Television Review and Classification Board, while still an American citizen. In 2013, she ran PAGE A7

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

Sandiganbayan allows Bong Revilla to visit dentist

MANILA—Anti-graft court Sandiganbayan allowed Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. to visit his dentist for a dental CT scan on Monday, April 11.

Revilla was allowed to visit his dentist at the Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center at Greenbelt in Makati City.

The senator originally indicated March 22 as the schedule of his dental visit but asked to move the appointment to April 11.

Revilla is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center for the plunder charges filed against him in connection with the pork barrel scam.

The PNP Health Service does not have a CT scan apparatus to examine and evaluate Revilla’s affected molar area, according to a report. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com) Sen. Bong Revilla is currently detained for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

G7 ministers oppose ‘provocative actions’ in South China Sea

by Patricia Lourdes Philstar.com

Viray

FOREIGN ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries on Monday expressed concern over the rising tensions in the South China Sea and called on the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the disputed waters.

During a meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and High Representative of the European Union released a joint statement on maritime security.

“We express our strong opposition to any intimidating, coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions,” the statement read.

The G7 ministers further urged concerned states to refrain from conducting massive land reclamation activities, building of outposts and using them for military purposes.

The statement, however, did not specifically mention China who had been building artificial islands in the disputed sea.

The top diplomats stressed the importance of recognizing the principles of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. The foreign ministers also

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

A

Santiago to pull surprise on election day, says Bongbong

by Perseus

echeminada Philstar.com

BACOLOD CITY—Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is expected to pull a surprise to lift her ratings in the pre-election surveys, her runningmate Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

Santiago will join Marcos in his unity caravan in Iloilo City today.

He said Santiago has been topping surveys conducted in school campuses and enjoys the support of the youth, which comprises the biggest bloc of voters in the coming election.

“Sen. Miriam will pull a surprise, contrary to the preelection surveys. She has strong support in specific areas, particularly among the youth,” Marcos said, adding, “Don’t count her out yet. I will continue to campaign for her.”

Santiago has been unable to actively campaign as she under-

Senators Bongbong Marcos and Miriam Defensor-Santiago

goes treatment for lung cancer.

When asked about his next choice for president in the event Santiago continues to lag in surveys, Marcos replied, “I have no second choice. My only choice is Miriam.”

Marcos and Santiago will cam-

paign together for the second time since their proclamation rally in Batac, Ilocos Norte on Feb. 9.

Marcos said Miriam will introduce him to the Ilonggo voters, just as he introduced her to Ilocanos in Batac.

‘Poe-quino’ secret pact sealed...

PAGE A6

G7 foreign ministers (L-R) E.U. High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Canada’s Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, Britain’s Foreign Minister Philip Hammond, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault walk together after placing wreaths at the cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan, Monday, April 11.

AP photo by Jonathan Ernst

called on claimant states to pursue a peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the region and recognized arbitration as a legal dispute mechanism which is based upon the rule of law.

“The legal order for the seas and oceans facilitates international communication, promotes the peaceful uses of the seas and oceans and the sustainable use of marine resources, and supports economic order and security in the international community,” the top diplomats said in the state-

ment.

The Philippines earlier filed an arbitration case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague, Netherlands. However, China refused to participate in the proceedings and insisted that they have indisputable sovereignty over the disputed Sea. Manila was the first country to challenge Beijing’s ninedash line claim over the South China Sea. The international tribunal is expected to issue its ruling on the case by May.

for the Senate after having resided in the country for six years and six months immediately preceding the May 13, 2013 election.

Straightforward cases To any neutral observer, it seemed a completely straightforward case of applying the 1935 Constitution, which was in force when she was born, and the 1987 Constitution, which is now in force.

The first provides that one should have a Filipino father in order to be a Filipino from birth; the second provides that no person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen, which means a citizen from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect one’s citizenship.

Under either Constitution, she cannot run for President.

As far as her 10-year residency is concerned, it’s a simple case of computing backwards from May 9, 2016 to May 13, 2013, when she was elected to the Senate, and adding six years and six months, which according to her was her period of residency in the country when she ran for senator. This does not add up to 10 years, so she cannot run for President.

But the Sereno Court has ruled

that the Comelec committed a grave abuse of discretion when it disqualified her, and cancelled her Certificate of Candidacy, on the basis of the Constitution and the relevant facts. How did this happen? There were earlier suggestions of extraneous influences upon the Court. But the latest allegation speaks of Aquino intervening following his secret meeting with Mrs. Llamanzares.

‘Poe-quino’ at Pangarap According to sources, the meeting took place at the Bahay Pangarap. Mrs. Llamanzares was allegedly accompanied by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, and her Chief of Staff Nelson Victorino. Two solemn commitments were exchanged. She would protect him from all possible legal harm, should she become the President. And he would work now on the Justices to qualify her as a bona fide presidential candidate.

The immediate impact of this would be on the candidacy of LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas.

He is Aquino’s publicly anointed candidate. But he has not been rating well in the propaganda surveys, compared to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Mrs. Llamanzares.

Aquino has given Roxas until

April 25 to improve his ratings, the sources said. If nothing changes, Aquino’s support shifts to Mrs. Llamanzares.

The new Villaroyo?

However, should there be a groundswell in favor of Roxas, Mrs. Llamanzares is likely to be undressed as PNoy’s failed candidate. She could end up like the once extremely popular Manny Villar in the 2010 campaign, who ultimately ended on the ocean floor after he was exposed as “Villaroyo,” meaning President Arroyo’s candidate.

Aquino and his Justices would like to impose upon our politics a former American citizen whose claimed natural-born status our people need not recognize or respect. We cannot risk our national dignity and national security interests; they are paramount. Without a higher forum where we could appeal our case, we have nowhere and no one to turn to but ourselves. Sovereignty resides in us, the people; from us emanates the full authority of the State. We must now learn to do things by ourselves. As we prepare to get rid of Aquino, we must expose the wiles of Mrs. Llamanzares, and prepare to throw out all our unworthy Justices. (ManilaTimes.net)

A

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CJ

Journal

HONORING ROBERT L. REEVES

Passing the Torch

IMF sees strong PH growth in 2016 despite risks

by nancy e. Miller, May Zhang, FlOMy diZa, deVin cOnnOlly and eric Welsh

IT is with profound sorrow that we announce the untimely passing of our founder and Senior Partner Robert L. Reeves.

Attorney Reeves began practicing law thirty-five years ago.

For over three and ½ decades, he never stopped fighting for the rights of immigrants.

The firm that began as the Law Offices of Robert L. Reeves evolved to Reeves & Associates and then to its current incarnation of Reeves Miller Zhang & Diza (RMZD). Through the name changes, one thing never changed. The firm’s goal was and remains to provide the best legal services possible at an affordable price to the members of the immigrant community.

While his death was absolutely unexpected, Attorney Reeves did anticipate that he would retire in the not-distant future. He took steps to ensure that the firm would continue to pursue his goals by hiring talented, knowledgeable and experienced attorneys and support staff. Over the course of the last decade, the firm evolved into a partnership.

Attorneys/Partners Nancy E. Miller, May Zhang, Flomy Diza, Devin Connolly and Eric Welsh, all of whom are Certified by the State Bar of California as Specialists in Immigration & Nationality Law, were personally mentored by Attorney Reeves and shared his visions for the firm.

We worked together on the Filipino War-Veteran cases, the Child Status Protection Act cases and so many others. We stand ready to continue to pursue the vision of helping those in need of legal assistance in the immigrant community.

RMZD has lost an amazing

In its April 2016 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, the IMF kept its growth forecasts for the Philippines of 6 percent for 2016 and 6.2 percent for 2017, the same figures it released after a mission visited the country last February.

by Ben

O. de Vera Inquirer.net

attorney, and the world has lost an amazing human being.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Attorney Reeves have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. He leaves behind a company that his vision built and that he would want to continue. His spirit will forever be the foundation of RMZD. No words can adequately express our sadness at Attorney Reeves’ passing or our gratitude for the opportunity to know him and work with

him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

The business will carry on under the same name and at the same premises and on exactly the same lines as before.

We thank you for the trust that you have placed in us in allowing us to help you resolve your immigration issues in the past.

We look forward to continuing to help you and your families lawfully unite in the United States over the course of many years to come. n

THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Philippines to withstand risks to economic expansion and outpace neighboring countries’ growth this year.

In its April 2016 World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, the IMF kept its growth forecasts for the Philippines of 6 percent for 2016 and 6.2 percent for 2017, the same figures it released after a mission visited the country last February.

The IMF’s projection for this year was below the government’s 6.8-7.8 percent target, but nonetheless faster than last year’s 5.8percent expansion, which was the slowest annual growth rate in four years.

In the January 2016 WEO, the multilateral lender slightly downgraded to 6.2 percent from 6.3 percent last October its forecast

for the country “to reflect the more challenging external environment.”

In an e-mail to reporters on Tuesday, April 12, IMF resident representative Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said the Philippine economy this year would be driven by “continued strong domestic demand and a modest fiscal stimulus,” adding that prevailing monetary conditions supported further economic expansion.

According to Peiris, the outlook for the Philippines was “one of the strongest in the region,” although it remained “subject to increased downside risks, including lower growth in China and the region, higher global financial volatility and capital outflows and weather-related disruptions.”

“However, the Philippines’ capacity to respond if these risks materialize is substantial given its ample reserves and policy space, both monetary and fiscal,” Peiris said.

In light of a change in administration by midyear, Peiris said a continuation of prudent macroeconomic policies and good governance would be critical to sustain investor confidence and the growth momentum.

“To support growth, structural reforms will also be needed to raise the low rate of government revenue and infrastructure investment, opening up the economy to greater competition and foreign investment and benefiting from the demographic dividend by addressing skill mismatches and inequality of opportunity,” Peiris added.

In 2016, the IMF said it expected inflation to settle at 2 percent before jumping to 3.4 percent next year, both rates within the government’s 2-4 percent target range. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, is seen sliding to 6 percent this year and 5.9 percent in 2017 from 6.3 percent last year.

CJ

Community Journal

APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

Immigrant Living: 101 and Beyond Monette AdevA MAglAyA I squIrm inwardly when friends and acquaintances introduce me as a journalist. I am not. It is not a badge I am proud to wear.

I consider myself just a wordsmith at some journeyman level, still struggling to earn being called a writer one day.

I like things that last — thoughts and things that have a longer shelf life that anyone in any generation can come back to again and again to find inspiration or gain deeper understanding over the course of one’s lifetime. Christ’s parables and Aesop’s fables have eternal shelf life. Neither wrote their stories. But unknown wordsmiths heard them and thankfully for us, put stylus to papyrus.

Words are powerful. They have the potential to build or destroy.

They can shine a light or they can obscure truth by a turn of the phrase. Journalists are just human beings after all, whose personal experiences and motivations create the filters through which they

Calling a spade a spade “Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.”

— Slovenian Proverb

see things.

In politics, depending on their persuasion and more frequently these days, depending on which side their bread is buttered, they can spout off agenda-driven opinion pieces intended to influence others.

If someone pays them a living to thrust a predetermined idea or policy to gain traction for gaining money or power, then they may be rightly called political shills or hacks. They use their craft to entice others to their way of thinking by pretending to endorse an idea in which they have a hidden vested interest. “Presstitute” is a new term that the public has coined to describe this vile specie of journalists. many journalists, particularly in politics these dark days, have become quite skilled in the art of obfuscation. It is the deplorable practice of hiding the intended meaning of what they really mean

to say by deliberately crafting a confusing message. Like legalese and political correctness, obfuscation is a deliberately muddled and muddied way of writing that is essentially intended to cloak the truth and spew lies.

Thankfully, more and more people in society these days have become savvy at detecting which ones can be trusted and which ones they can ignore. many have become wise and are openly decrying the detrimental effects of the scourge of political correctness. Political correctness has been revealed as a leftist, liberal technique that distorts what is true by ascribing labels and public ridicule to shame people into a way of thinking and behaving.

Truth, like sunlight, is the best disinfectant against the rot that is caused by political correctness.

The time has come for truth to finally come out swinging with an

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Success lessons from China’s richest man

The Kite Runner Prof.

EnriquE M. SoriAno (Part 2 of 2) “Never start a business just to make money. start a business to make a difference”.

This quote extracted from an online magazine, successtory. com, best applies to the Chinese business tycoon Wang Jianlin.

Known as “The Wealthiest person in China,” he never started business with a motive of quick money during that point of time.

The real estate honcho was more interested in longevity.

It further stated that Wang Jianlin says that “Great companies are born, not developed, because each company has its own DNA” and that is absolutely true in his case.

Owner of “Dalian Wanda Group” which is one of the largest and best real estate developers, Jianlin purchased AmC entertainment for $2.6 billion in 2013. His secret is rather straight to the point – it is pretty easy to achieve results with simple tricks than with complicated ones.

Let me now continue what I wrote last week about Wang’s success formula: 3. Stay close to the Chinese leadership Wanda only cooperates with one Chinese state-owned enterprise for its construction operations, and Wang has sought to align his business priorities with what the ruling Communist Party has decreed. For example, he’s increasingly interested in investing overseas -- especially after the state Council in 2014 released specifications urging private Chinese companies to go global, he says. still, it’s a difficult road to navigate. “Government-business relations are very complicated in China,” Wang says. “It’s even more difficult than completing a Ph.D. course at Harvard.”

4. Minimum target: Be No. 1 “There’s nothing wrong with

Wang Jianlin

being No. 1 worldwide,” according to Wang. But part of the fabric of success means instilling company-wide ambitions and goals with all employees to build a distinctive company culture, he says.

To help with that, he has an internal website and monthly company magazine that he describes as “the core media for spreading Wanda’s corporate culture.”

A collection of touching success stories about employees are published annually to boost company morale. Wang also recommends one book each year for all employees to read.

Outstanding employees get a bonus paid vacation and an invite to a splashy annual conference to rub elbows with Wanda company executives.

5. Don’t read books on corporate philosophy “One of the most defining characteristics of my success is that I’ve never had full trust in books.

You cannot simply copy models that have been proved by successful entrepreneurs. What worked for Wanda may not work for another firm -- circumstances and industries change”, he warns.

At a Harvard lecture, Wang was asked about his next busi-

ness goal: “I’m still on my way to get where I want to be. I mean it.

The way I defined success for myself is to lead Wanda to become a world-renowned company or being in the top 10. That’s my dream.

“Now, Wanda might have gained some awareness globally, but it’s still far from being a real international brand. I hope that, in the future, when people are talking about Wanda, it could be like they are talking about microsoft, Apple, or Walmart nowadays.

To build a top brand as a leading Chinese enterprise, it’s my dream. speaking of when I could achieve it, maybe in four years at the fastest pace, or seven to eight years at a slower pace. I will retire by then.”(sorianoasia@ gmail.con) *** Prof. Soriano is an aSEaN family Business advisor and Chair of the Marketing Cluster of the atENEo Graduate School of Business. He is a National agora awardee and book author on family Governance and Succession. He will be facilitating one of his best selling 1 day workshop in the Philippines on September 19, 2014 friday, entitled the Challenges of Managing a family Business at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. for further inquiries please visit www.wongadvisory. com or contact allen at 09228603186 for details. Slots are limited.

New regulations extend OPT extension for STEM

The CTV Files Atty. LiLLi B. BAcuLi ON march 11, 2016, the us Department of Homeland security released its final rule enhancing the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program for F-1 international students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (sTem) fields. The new sTem-OPT extension is a 24-month period of temporary training that directly relates to the student’s program of study in an approved sTem field. Previously, sTem-OPT extensions were only allowed for 17 months. The 17month OPT extension will stay in effect until may 9, 2016. The new 24-month extension will take effect on may 10, 2016.

What is Optional Practical Training?

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporary employment that is directly related to an F-1 student’s major area of study. under prior rules, an F-1 student could be authorized to receive up to a total of 12 months of practical training either pre- or post-completion of his/her studies. sTem-OPT. F-1 students who receive science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (sTem) degrees included on the sTem designated degree program list, are employed by employers enrolled in e-verify, and who have received an initial grant of post-completion OPT related to such degree, may apply for extension. As per the new regulations to take effect on may 10, 2016, sTem-OPT extensions are now up to 24 months. sTem-eligible degrees. To be eligible for the extended OPT extension, a student must have received a degree included in the sTem designated degree program list. This list sets forth eligible courses of study according to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) codes developed by the u.s. Department of education’s National Center for education statistics. The list the following courses of study: computer science applications, biological and biomedical sciences, actuarial science, mathematics and statistics, engineering, military technologies, engineering technologies, physical sciences, science technologies, medical scientist.

To be eligible for an OPT extension, the student must cur-

rently be in an approved postcompletion OPT period based on a designated sTem degree.

Thus, for example, a student with an undergraduate degree in a designated sTem field, but currently in OPT based on a subsequent mBA degree, would not be eligible for an OPT extension.

It is important to be well-informed and to know your options, but the wrong advice or information can hurt you. Consult a licensed and experienced immigration attorney to help you navigate through the evolving immigration laws. *** atty. Lilli Berbano Baculi is an associate attorney with Chua tinsay & Vega, a Professional Legal Corporation (CtV) - a full service law firm with offices in San francisco, San Diego, Sacramento and Philippines. the information presented in this article is for general information only and is not, nor intended to be, formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship.

Call or e-mail CtV for an in-person or phone consultation to discuss your particular situation and/or how their services may be retained at (619) 955-6277; (415) 4958088; (916) 449-3923; lbaculi@ctvattys. com. for general information visit www. chuatinsayvega.com.

‘More competition to benefit consumers’ republic Act (rA) 10667 or the Philippine Competition Act. According to PCC Chairman As the Philippines gears up to Arsenio Balisacan, the new improve competition in its various competition agency seeks to markets, industries with only a few promote economic efficiency domestic players will be the most and benefit consumers by affected by the new policies to ensuring healthy and fair market be implemented, according to an competition across all industries. official of the National Competitive “Our main goal is to provide Council (NCC). benefits to consumers through In an interview with reporters more choices and lower prices, on monday, NCC Philippines Co- which healthy market competition Chairman for the private sector provides,” Balisacan said.

Guillermo Luz said industries that Luz noted that industries that only have a few players will be the only have a few or only o ne or two most affected by the new policies players holding dominant market that may be put in place as the shares are the industries likely to country tries to improve market be affected by initiatives for more competition in various industries. market competition, as those One initiative of the government sectors are most in need of it. to improve market competition An example that Luz cited is the was seen in the creation of airline industry, in which only a the Philippine Competition few players cater to the domestic Commission (PCC), which was market. established earlier this year.

Luz pointed out that industries The agency was formed through with very few players limit the

by Catherine

talavera ManilaTimes.net

service options that consumers have, and that industries with more competition generally benefit consumers as they are given more options.

“Generally, when you have more players or an increased number of players those help to bring more competition into the market, and those players are not just domestic players but also foreign players,” Luz said “so the general feeling is that any form of competition has been good and forces everyone to be more competitive. And generally—but not all the time—consumers benefit from that.”

Luz concluded, “It’s not just about bringing in more competition but also fixing up policies, smoothening out the regulatory framework, reducing the hassle of doing business. so if we can do that, we can make businesses more competitive and benefit consumers.”

Tourist arrivals hit 5-yr high in February by louise

Maureen Philstar.com

siMeon

mANILA—The tourism sector turned in a record feat in February as international arrivals registered the biggest growth rate and volume over the past five years.

Latest data from the Depart-

ment of Tourism (DOT) showed international tourists for February rose 20.4 percent to 549,725 from 456,524 in the same period last year, the highest in the past 62 months. receipts from tourism activities surged 42 percent to P27.49 bil-

lion in February from the P19.35 billion earnings generated a year ago.

“This unprecedented growth we are now experiencing did not happen overnight. In only a few years’ time, we have achieved an

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Immigration Corner Atty. MichAel Gurfinkel, eSQ EaCh month, the Visa Office of the State Department publishes, in the Visa Bulletin, the priority dates for that particular month, for the various family and employment based categories. a priority date is a person’s “place in line” for a visa, meaning immigrant visas (or green cards) would be available for persons whose priority date is earlier than the cut-off date listed below. If your priority date was “current,” but later retrogressed (or “moved backwards” and became unavailable) before your immigrant visa was issued (or before you adjusted status in the U.S.), you would have to wait until it becomes current again.

Beginning last October 2015, the format of the Visa Bulletin changed, in that a new column was added, called the “application Filing Date.” If a person’s priority date is earlier than the application Filing Date, they can already file for adjustment of status and work authorization (provided they are otherwise eligible and USCIS indicates on its website it will use the application Filing Date for that month). This could allow people to obtain work authorization much sooner than before, where they had to wait for the priority date to be current (in the Visa Issuance Date column) in order to both file for adjustment and be eligible for a green card. ***

Dr. Val’s Dental Views Dr. VAlerie

De leon

WE believe in preventive and yes, much of that depends on you!

Cleaning your teeth after you eat is important, but the effects of good habits also have a lot to do with what you eat.

Keep your smile healthy by packing great lunches Eating on-the-go can be problematic. In the morning, grabbing a donut is much easier than making an omelette! But taking the time to think through what you’re eating for lunch is really important for both your oral and overall health. Whether you’re planning your own lunch or you’re making lunch for your kids to take to school, keep these three smilefriendly lunch tips in mind: 1. Switch out the troublemakers. Chewy, sweet foods like gum-

NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 15-21, 2016

The May 2016 Priority Dates The Priority dates for the Philippines are as follows: FAMILY CATEGORY:

Application Filing Date

Visa Issuance Date

September 1, 2005

July 1, 2004

First Preference

Unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens (over 21 years of age)

Second Preference

(2A) Spouse and minor children (below June 15, 2015 21 years old) of green card holder

November 1, 2014

(2B) Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years old or older) of green card holder

May 1, 2005

May 1, 2005

Third Preference

Married sons and daughters of US Citizens.

August 1, 1995

January 22, 1994

Fourth Preference

Brothers and sisters of US Citizens.

January 1, 1993

October 1, 1992

Application Filing Date

LABOR CERTIFICATION: Third Preference

Professional/ Skilled Workers

Other Workers

Non-Skilled Workers

Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California.

Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and reenactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty,

Visa Issuance Date

January 1, 2010

August 8, 2008

January 1, 2010

August 8, 2008

guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorneyclient relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.

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

Tips for eating healthy lunches your teeth will like mies or dried fruits like Craisins can be really bad for your teeth because they stick! For a sweet treat, choose fresh fruit or even a little bit of chocolate.

Processed, starchy crackers or chips are troublemakers. They stick to teeth and turn into sugars very quickly. Opt for whole grains instead—or even better, some healthy nuts or seeds.

2. Reconsider what you drink.

Soda and sports drinks are bad news for your teeth. Some fruit juices are loaded with sugar and acid as well. Consider milk or water instead. Chocolate milk may be a good option too. It offers protein and almost half of your daily calcium.

If you just can’t kick the soda habit, drink water after you finish lunch to help clean and rebalance your mouth.

3. Use natural scrubbers. There

are certain foods that actually help your teeth. For example, yogurt and cheese can cut acidity making something like fruit juice less harmful. and then there are great fruits and vegetables that scrub your teeth when you eat them and get rid of built-up sugars and starches from your lunch. These include celery, apples, carrots, cucumbers, and pears.

Thanks for your trust in our practice. We appreciate wonderful patients like you. *** If you have questions, pls call Dr. Valerie de Leon at (650) 697–9000 or visit our website at www.millbraesmiles.com. She is with Millbrae Smile Center located at 15 El Camino Real, Millbrae 94030. She is a member of American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of Laser Dentistry, ADA, CDA and SMCDS. Please call for a free consultation.

PROVISIONAL WAIVER FOR CREWMEN dispels the fear in going back to Manila for visa processing – on a Special Episode of CITIZEN PINOY! Cindy was a crewman who jumped ship and had been a TNT for more than 10 years. After seeing a CITIZEN PINOY episode about another crewman who also jumped ship, Cindy and US citizen husband, Tom decided to consult with leading US immigration attorney Michael J. Gurfinkel about her chances of legalizing. Through Atty. Gurfinkel’s help, Cindy’s PROVISIONAL WAIVER was approved. She went back to the Philippines, was processed for her immigrant visa at the US Embassy in Manila, and returned to the US less than a month later as a legal permanent resident. Watch an encore episode on Provisional Waivers, which could benefit: (a) crewmen without 245(i): (b) those who entered the US without inspection(EWI) without 245(i); or (c) K-1 fiancees who did not marry their US petitioner, on CITIZEN PINOY – this Sunday, April 17 at 6:15 pm (PST) on TFC.

PLDT, Facebook strengthen partnership

by LoueLLa

DesiDerio Philstar.com

ThE country’s largest telco Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Facebook are looking for ways to strengthen their partnership to make Internet services available to more Filipinos.

In a statement on Tuesday, april 12, the telco said its chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan recently met with Facebook founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California to discuss ways to enhance the two firms’ partnership to introduce Internet to more Filipinos and help change their lives for the better.

PLDT through its wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. was the first telco in Southeast asia to roll out Free Basics via a partnership with Facebook in March last year.

Free Basics aims to make mobile Internet available to twothirds of the world who are not yet connected.

Through Free Basics, which

ing to pursue their careers in the field of Dentistry both here in the United States and in the Philippines. In addition, we send dental supplies, equipment, books, professional journals and periodicals on a regular basis to clinics in the Philippines.

2016-2017 Officers to be inducted are Dr. Maryjane Fuster (President), Dr. Maria Manoloto (President-elect), Dr. Suzette Villanueva (Vice President, North Bay), Dr. Maria Victoria Roces (Vice President, South Bay), Dr. annCatherine Bautista (Secretary), Dr. Maybelle Gomez (Treasurer),

Calling a spade...

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ax. It starts by calling a spade a spade. a friend emailed me the prayer below. I had to do some fact checking with some websites that do the digging about the veracity of email content that does the rounds in the internet. after all, the internet is rife with rumors and it is always good policy to verify and dig deeper.

This prayer of repentance has gone viral and despite its longevity in the internet, refuses to die a natural death. My guess is that the prayer resonates with many in the country. The truth, as they said, will make us free. This prayer is probably worth amplifying and passing to others during a time when political correctness marginalizes the truth. american society has been conditioned by popular culture to play nice to the extent that we are afraid to confront what must be addressed. Calling a spade a spade is risky in a time when we have strayed as far away as we could from the core values that held this country for more than 2 centuries.

On January 23, 1996, in Topeka, Kansas, Pastor Joe Wright of the Central Christian Church in Wichita led a prayer in the Kansas house that stirred controversy and continues to stir a hornet’s nest to this day. It’s a prayer that made legislators, particularly those of the liberal persuasion, very un-

PLDT chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan meets with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, California.

Philstar.com photo

is now available in more than 30 countries, individuals can access online sources and services without data charges.

Free Basics allows users to access online information such as news, employment, health, education and other local information.

Millions of users on the Smart network have enjoyed Free Basics since its launch.

Following Free Basics, Smart and Facebook introduced Free Facebook Toggle and Free Instagram, which resulted in a surge in the number of online users. apart from meeting with Zuck-

erberg, Pangilinan also took part in a series of engagements with Silicon Valley leaders and partners as the telco is looking for ways to cater to its subscribers’ digital needs.

PLDT has set its capital expenditures at a record P43 billion this year, with investments to be focused on data services amid growing demand for such. as of end-2015, PLDT had a total wireless subscriber base of 68.9 million, consisting of over 3.9 million wireless broadband subscribers and about 65 million cellular subscribers. n

Tourist arrivals hit 5-yr high... ness of product offerings.

East asia contributed the biggest arrivals in February with 304,052 visitors or more than half (55.3 percent) of total visitor volume.

North america accounted for 15.8 percent of the market with 87,178 while the aSEaN region comprised 7.3 percent contributing 40,498 arrivals. australia and the Pacific and Northern Europe registered 4.1 percent each.

Korea remained the top contributor of international tourists with 284,763 arrivals or a 26 percent share in total inbound traffic.

The US supplied the second biggest inbound arrival with 155,796

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visitors while the Chinese market ranked third with a total 130,916 visitors. Meanwhile, Japan provided 92,531 arrivals and australia recorded 43,712 visitors.

Other top visitor countries include Canada with 36,773 arrivals, Taiwan (35,344), Singapore (28,376), United Kingdom (28,238), and Malaysia (23,990).

Tourism contributes eight percent to the country’s gross domestic product and is the third largest dollar earning industry next to the semiconductor and BPO (business process outsourcing) industries.

Its contribution is seen to reach 10 to 12 percent in the next three to five years.

enhanced orientation for the DOT as the country’s primary marketing and selling unit. We have restored confidence in the Phil(Advertising Supplement) ippines through a professional, well-planned, and well-supported tourism industry,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said.

The Philippines has recorded a total 1.1 million arrivals and conDr. Mariche Yu-Fernandez (audi- tinued double-digit growth since tor), January 2016.

Dr. Leandra Tolosa (Public ReDOT said this reflects the strong lations Officer). performance of the tourism indus2016-2017 Board of Direc- try with aggressive marketing actors to be inducted are Dr. F. Ray tivities, international events held in Moncada (Chairman), the country, and increasing awareDr. Ma. Luisa Franco-Diaz (Vice Chairman), Members: Dr. Rodolfo Villasin, alendar of Events Dr. Epitacio Sison, Dr. Ma. Diana Tolosa, Dr. Josephine Weber.

2016-2017 auxiliaries Chairman: Mrs. azucena Sison Please contact our President, ADVERTISE YOUR EVENTS! Dr. Maryjane Fuster at (408) PRE-EVENT AND POST-EVENT 934-0391 for information and GO DEEPER. GO WIDER. LET THE WORLD tickets.

Filipino Dental Practitioners of California Inc. 42nd anniversary ThE Filipino Dental Practitioners of California Inc. is celebrating its 42nd anniversary. We request the pleasure of your company at our Inaugural Dinner Ball and Silent auction Fundraiser scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2016 at the Westin San Francisco airport hotel in Millbrae, California.

The Inaugural Dinner Ball and Silent auction is our major fundraiser. as a non-profit organization, FDPC, Inc. reaches out to the community and provides dental services to the needy. We also extend relief funds to aid disaster victims and grant scholarships to deserving students who are aspir-

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and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building selfesteem.

We have abused power and called it political savvy.

We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of this state and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state of Kansas.

Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your Will.

I ask in the name of your Son, The Living Savior, Jesus Christ.

comfortable. Pastor Wright said a prayer written by Bob Russell, a Pastor of another Christian church in Kentucky. a member of the legislative body walked out and others were vocal in their criticism of the prayer. Later that year, a lawmaker in Colorado repeated the prayer and some of his colleagues became angry and walked out in protest. a radio personality, Paul harvey, picked it up and aired the story and the prayer with some frequency. The response to the prayer is so overwhelmingly in favor of it, his phone system could not handle it. are you curious as to why a simple prayer can rile some lawmakers and make them uncomfortable? are you curious as to why a simple prayer can be so controversial? here it is in its entirety. Judge for yourself.

A prayer for our nation Heavenly Father, We come before You today to ask Your Forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘’Woe to those who call evil good,’’ but that’s exactly what we have done.

We have lost our Spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.

We confess that; we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it plural••• ism.

Nota Bene: Monette Adeva Maglaya is SVP of We have worshipped other gods Asian Journal Publications, Inc. To send comments, and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion e-mail monette.maglaya@asianjournalinc.com

across

America

KNOW. CALL ASIAN JOURNAL: (818) 502-0651 DISPLAY AD SIZES AT SPECIAL RATES FOR NON-PROFIT GROUPS

A P R I L 23

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

Free Elder Law Living Trust Seminar Please join our FREE annual Elder Law seminar presented by the attorneys at Elder Law Services of California, a professional law corporation, and take advantage of our $1,000 off trust or trust update package SEMINAR DISCOUNT! This event will provide a wealth of information to both individuals and families who are planning to start their estate planning, have no clue whether they need an estate plan, or already have an estate plan in place. We will be going over topics such as how to save thousands in probate fees, whether your existing trust needs updating, how to avoid conservatorship, how to pay for long-term care, Medi-Cal House Protection Trusts, and most importantly, how to preserve your assets. We have two seminars on Saturday April 23: one at 10am to 11:30 am and one from 1 pm to 2:30 pm. They will be held at 110 Jackson Street San Jose, CA 95112. Call 1-800-411-0546 for reservations.

APRIL 30

COSC celebrates 27th Anniversary The Candonians of Southern California (COSC), under the leadership of their newly elected president, Mrs. Elizabeth Gacula Singh, will celebrate their 27th Anniversary on April 30 at the Doubletree Hotel-Monrovia (924 W. Huntington Dr., Monrovia). Music will be provided by The Midnight Motion Band. For questions and those interested, please email thecandoniansofsocal@gmail.com.

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

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APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

The Winners and Highly Commended of the 4th Philippines Property Awards 2016

Megaworld and SMDC win big at PH’s biggest real estate awards

Megaworld Corporation took home its first ever Best developer award as well as three more gongs and 13 Highly Commended honours at the fourth annual Philippines Property awards gala dinner.

The dr andrew l Tanled company started the evening with an unprecedented 16 nominations, with Uptown Bonifacio getting six nods. The high end urban township eventually won Best residential architectural design for the Uptown ritz condominium development. last year’s Best developer winner SM group was nominated for 10 awards through its various subsidiaries and eventually took home Best Commercial development (Philippines) for SM Seaside City Cebu, a retail project undertaken by its commercial investment arm, SM Prime Holdings Inc. The conglomerate, headed by Henry Sy Sr, the country’s richest man, also won the coveted Special recognition in CSr for providing Filipinos “five star” homes in prime locations around the country, as well as promoting a conducive learning experience for the youth by building and remodelling overpopulated public school classrooms across the islands.

Presented by Hansgrohe, the fourth edition of the Philippines Property awards 2016 welcomed a new category to reward the country’s outstanding boutique developers. In the category for Best Boutique developer, appleone Properties Inc pipped King Properties. Fellow Cebubased firms, Primary Homes Inc and Cebu landmasters Inc, collected several winners and Highly Commended accolades in other categories. with this year’s entries doubling to more than 200 compared to 2015, the time has come to wid-

EMPLOYMENT

en the scope of the programme, a move that was welcomed by the independent panel of judges and trusted awards supervisor Bdo. “whilst there’s still an emphasis on Metro Manila, there was an increase in the number of entries from Cebu and also davao,” said lindsay J orr, chief operating officer of Jones lang laSalle Philippines and chairman of the judges. “what we need to do now is to continue to bang the drums and build the awareness for the Philippines Property awards so that next year we make sure that we’ll have an even larger section of entries from other regions.” another highlight of the ceremony was the presentation to former Senate President Manuel B Villar Jr, founder of the Vista land group, of the real estate Personality of the Year award by the editors of Property report. It was the only award not selected by the independent judging panel.

Known for his master planned developments called “Communicities,” the selfmade billionaire saw his construction supplies business in the early 1970s grow into a quality housing developer.

“I am deeply grateful for, and profoundly humbled by, this recognition from the Philippines Property awards,” said Villar. “ For me, the real estate Personality of the Year award is a testament to how Vista land has been an instrument in improving the lives of Filipinos by providing them homes to live comfortably and communities where necessities are within their reach. “ Proving his company’s worth as a quality housing specialist, Vista land & lifescapes Inc took home the Best Housing development (Philippines) award for Northpoint, located in davao. This project beat all the residential category winners from across the nation and, along with the other ‘best of the best’ winners from the Philip-

pines, will move on to compete at the South east asia Property awards grand finale in Singapore this November. “as the asia Property awards programme continues to grow in its 11th year, we are proud to accomplish our goal to showcase the finest developers and projects from the established and emerging locations in the Philippines,” says Terry Blackburn, founder of the asia Property awards and managing director of awards organiser Propertyguru International. “we look forward to welcoming more entries from regional developers next year as we celebrate the achievements of Philippine real estate.”

The rise of the country’s emerging markets was featured prominently at the Property report Congress Philippines, a highlevel forum that discussed the past, present and future of the local real estate industry.

It was the first time that the Congress took place in the country after the successful debut in Singapore in 2015. The Philippine conference preceded the blacktie gala gala dinner at the Fairmont Makati and was joined by experts from all over the archipelago and further afield, including current and former winners and Judges from the Philippines Property awards.

Jll Philippines’ orr delivered the keynote address about the exciting prospects in the local market, whilst an indepth workshop on digital marketing for Filipino real estate professionals was given by John w. Mims, chief connector and managing director of The Hunting ridge group. other thoughtprovoking discussions covered the rise of branded residences, the crucial issue of infrastructure problems, the future of green building and the impact of technology in the Philippine property sector. (Inquirer.net)

A life of 98 yeArs CelebrATed. Juana Alfonso Cuenco, born in sta. rita, Pampanga, Philippines and a well-loved resident of Concord, CA for 40 years, passed away last March 22, 2016. she was the last member of the great Apung sabel family whose legacy was handed down to five generations for their hardwork, integrity, humility, compassion and deep faith in God. And to date, the famous “duman” in Pampanga is attributed to them including the maintenance of the sto. Nino image known in the town. Apung burang opted to work in the family farmland than finish Grade school but continued to grow in wisdom and love in the “University of life” shared to her 8 kids, relatives and friends in the community. enormous gatherings and family celebrations were treated with great food of exquisite Kampampangan taste and live entertainment from the clan in which referred to as the “Cuencord in Concord.”

Dory Cendana-Aoanan: Pangasinan’s first woman entrepreneur passes away at 90 loS aNgeleS—Teodora Cendaña-aoanan, affectionately known as dory, and popularly touted as the first highly visible woman entrepreneur in dagupan City if not the whole province of Pangasinan, passed away on april 2, the eve of the Feast of divine Mercy. She was 90.

She is survived by her husband of 72 years, lawyer Mariano “Naning aoanan, a former dagupan City councilor. after his stint as legal attache in Honolulu, Hawaii, the family moved to los angeles and settled in alhambra. The aoanan patriarch, now 95 resumed his post at the los angeles Consulate until his retirement. dory was born on Jan. 7, 1926, in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, Philippines. She spent her early years in in Baguio City, Philippines where she met her husband and got married on april 30, 1944.

They initially settled in San Manuel then moved to dagupan City for greener pastures where their five children — Victoria, ramon, Mariano, Jr. (deceased), Manuel “lito” and Virgilio — were born. dory is also survived by her grandchildren gerald obien, Jose Bernard obien, rebecca aoanan gonzales, Francis obien, rachel aoanan, Sarah aoanan, Isabel aoanan and Clarisse aoanan, her daughters-in-law and son-in law, esther ramos, Maria elena Mendoza-aoanan and Manuel obien, her grandsons-in- law Thomas

EMPLOYMENT

Charles gonzales and Shawn anderson, great-granddaughter emma gonzales and only surviving sister, lilia Cendana Santos. while in dagupan City she established the dory Cendaña Vocational School while at the same time operated a beauty salon business for more than 25 years.

Her business and mentorship provided a safe, educational environment for young women interested in the workplace at a time when women’s rights were practically non-existent.

Because of their senior status in the Filipino community, the husband and wife tandem were affectionately addressed as “kuya” and “atchie,” as in older brother and sister. when Kuya Naning was assigned as the Philippine legal attaché in Honolulu, Hawaii, atchie dory continued with her beauty salon business in Pearl City, Hawaii and again in los angeles, California when Kuya Naning was reassigned here.

The couple were very active in their church, St. Thomas More in alhambra, California. atchie dory was especially active with the parish’s legion of Mary. They were also active members in the greater dagupan association of los angeles area as well as the Pangasinan Brotherhood-USa. The 9th day of the Novena was held last Sunday, april 10 in alhambra. on Monday and Tuesday, april 11 and 12, viewing and

PSYCHIC

SERVICES

FOSTER HOMECARE

rosary was held at the rose Hills Memorial Park in whittier, Ca. The final funeral service and Mass is on wednesday, april 13, at the Sky rose Chapel, rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 workman Mill rd., whittier, Ca 90601 on Saturday, april 30, on Naning and dory’s 73rd wedding anniversary, a Mass for the eternal repose of dory’s soul will be held at St. Thomas More Parish Church, 2510 So. Fremont ave., alhambra, Ca 91803. The urn containing her ashes will be present during the Mass. Thereafter, it will be transported to the Cathedral of our lady of the angels on 555 west Temple Street, los angeles, Ca 90012-2707. a celebration of dory’s life will follow. all who want to say something about fond memories of her are invited to speak. Venue will be announced shortly. n

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APRIL 15-21, 2016 • NORCAL ASIAN JOURNAL

http://www.asianjournal.com • (650) 616-4150

Friday, April 15, 2016

SF2

cover story The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - April 15, 2016

Francisco H. Licuanan iii

chairman and cEO Of GEOEstatE dEvElOpmEnt cOrp.

Giving back by building better communities in the Philippines

by Christina

RetiRement is often viewed as a period to slow down and enjoy the fruits of one’s labor, but such is not the case for mr. Francisco H. Licuanan iii.

After serving as property developer Ayala Land inc.’s founding president for 16 years, mr. Licuanan retired on schedule in 2004. During his tenure, he helped propel the company to its status as the largest real estate developer in the Philippines, overseeing residential and commercials developments, such as Greenbelt and Glorietta in makati and Bonifacio Global City, among many others. though he was supposed to be retired, he spent the next two years dabbling in government and consulting. However, he had his eye set on returning to the real estate business — this time as an entrepreneur.

From there, the Ateneo and Harvard educated investment banker-turned real estate icon founded Geoestate Development Corp. in 2006 as a smaller real estate company that would cater to the middle-income market. “i wanted to get back to business itself but at a different level because when you’re at the corporate level and in a fairly senior position, you wind up getting more and more separated from the actual product itself — from designing the product, making sure it fits the needs of the customers and actually talking to them,” he told the Asian Journal during a recent interview. “Once you’re at the corporate level and managing a large corporation, you’re sort of detached. You spend more of your time administering…and less and less time in the actual doing of a business.”

Working downward from the corporate level was refreshing, mr. Licuanan shared, because he could devote more attention to each aspect of the projects, from the designing process to the turnover to buyers.

He brought miriam Katigbak (who had also retired from Ayala Land) on board as president and chief operating officer, while he would be the company’s chair and chief executive officer.

“We made a deliberate decision that we would not become a large company…because that’s not what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives,” he said.

Attention to detail today, mr. Licuanan is 71 years old, and shows no signs of stopping. Rather, his second wind in the real estate business is just heating up.

Despite the years spent in the real estate industry, starting a new venture was not without

M. Oriel /AJPress

challenges. Among the top three obstacles mr. Licuanan identified were no track record and established reputation, financial constraints and limited operations.

However, he shared that Geoestate has overcome them by developing personal relationships with buyers, which in turn helps build that reputation and attracting financial support. in terms of operations, where unlike a corporation, experts are readily available, Geoestate tends to hire people at the start of their careers and do more training.

Keeping the company at its current size has perks, mr. Licuanan said, because it will never have more than three projects on the table simultaneously in Sonria’s 3 Bedroom Premium Model Unit order to preserve the attention Geoestate designed to have that caters to expats, overseas to detail and customers.

Filipinos and Filipinos who work them at the middle of the subdi“One of the things we at vision, “because the idea is that [Geoestate] pride ourselves in is in the area. makati was chosen you should be able to walk from for the company’s first project that we don’t leave the designanywhere in the subdivision to to capture ‘the best real estate ing to the architects. We work the park, the multipurpose hall, potential.’ with them. the buildings we the swimming pool and you are “Basically in the Philippine build and products we sell are never more than two or three market, we rent to two people: not simply expressions of archiblocks away,” he said. tects’ artistic desires, but are still expats or people who still have He added, “it’s convenient not reached the economic level functional in the point of view and people can walk and don’t of buying their own homes. in of the actual person who would the US, there is a lot of changing have to take their cars. Children live there,” he said. can walk to the park from their of residences and mobility, but Further, more time can be in the Philippines, not so much,” homes without worrying about spent on researching emerging crossing busy streets or traffic.” mr. Licuanan said. “You have to markets before larger compamanaging political and ecofocus your products close to the nies can do so. nomic transitions business districts because that’s “We look for products that With the Philippine national where the potential is — the are somewhat unique. i have elections less than a month stress ‘somewhat’ because there expats and workers are there. away, Filipinos abroad are closethat’s why our first product is is nothing that is totally unique ly awaiting the results, which in makati. it was not intended in real estate, but it is something may influence their investment solely for the foreign market but that has not been tried in that decisions in the coming year. it lends itself to that.” particular market or location,” However, mr. Licuanan asthe third tower of the mr. Licuanan said. “People may sures that there is no need to Beacon is slated to be finished perceive that the market is not in 2017, and in keeping with the worry about the transition to ready for it. Again, as a small another president. company’s philosophy, it caters company, we have to identify “i don’t see any of the canto the middle-class market, yet opportunities before the big has amenities that were once companies do, and get in and only afforded to the upper take advantage of the opporechelon. Some of the amenities tunities and offer them to the include a 50-meter, Olympic market.” length swimming pool, large enBuilding communities tertainment areas and a theater.

Geoestate currently has in Alabang, a southern subthree projects: the third and final urb of metro manila, Sonria is tower of the Beacon in makati; the first high-end condominium Sonria, a high-end residential for the area that is traditioncondominium in Alabang; and Soluna, a subdivision community ally known for single, detached homes. With 88 units, the intenin Bacoor, Cavite. “[W]hen we talk to potential tion is to build a community and Soluna’s Grand Entrance Gate buyers abroad, we look at them have residents get to know one as ‘users’ (meaning they will use another.

Lastly, mr. Licuanan enthusithe condo) or ‘investors.’ From astically detailed the progress of the United States, the buyers Soluna, a private community in tend to be both because they Bacoor, Cavite. Unlike the two may use the unit for the time other projects, Soluna has 200 being but plan to rent it out.

We have to sell them a product, homes and is rooted in fostering a safe, neighborhood ambiance, which generates a good rental where families can walk around yield even if they initially plan and enjoy amenities no more to live there first,” mr. Licuanan than three blocks from their explained. home.

On the corner of Arnaiz and Straying away from the trend Roces Streets in business district of putting common areas at makati sits the Beacon, a three the edges of a development, The Beacon Makati’s 450sq lap Pool tower residential development

didates changing the policies dramatically. What we’re talking about is who is better at implementation and will get things done quickly. Will there be more or less corruption?” he posed.

Adding, “of course who is president matters…But at the policy level, if you look at all the presidents after mr. marcos, what you’ll see is a convergence of policy. Actually, they aren’t that far apart…the bigger questions are going to be the macro conditions external to the country that the president will have to manage. the world is…a more unpredictable place now.”

As the Philippines continues to position itself as a global player, mr. Licuanan proposed that the government to figure out “how to take advantage of that period of time where the remittances are keeping the economy stable, while building up the local industries for consumption.”

“We have to build those products efficiently, so that [one day] those industries can stand on their own. that’s our biggest challenge.”

For the real estate industry in the country, mr. Licuanan doesn’t see it bubbling up anytime soon. “in a sense, we mirror the economy but in a saturated

AJPress photo by Joseph L. Peralta

way: when the economy is good, real estate is good; when the economy is bad, real estate is bad…So far the trends and prognosis are good,” he said. “But one thing for example is that the Central Bank [of the Philippines] has been aware of that problem, so it has been tightening and trying to make sure it does the tightening before it becomes too late… it has been about two years since both developers and the Central Bank have slowed down on expansion. they haven’t allowed the bubble to build up — they’ve started deflating it.”

As the company completes its projects and announces more in the coming months, for mr.

Licuanan and Geoestate, the current situation in the country is promising. “the key here is that because we are a private company, we don’t have to worry about stock price and investors. We only worry about ourselves and our customers. Of course, we have to make money and that shows how well we are doing, but that’s not the objective of the whole company. [miriam and i] were both retired and we could have spent our time traveling or enjoying ourselves, but we wanted to give back,” he said.

Liza Soberano on Enrique Gil: Guy best Dennis trillo: What you see is what you get B G friend doesn’t mean he’s friend-zoned by

Liza Soberano reacts to some of her followers who get mad at her for calling Enrique Gil her “best friend.”

LizA Soberano doesn’t believe in the negative connotation of calling a guy your best friend. in most of her posts, she has regarded enrique Gil as her “best friend,” which irked some of her followers since the Kapamilya actor has been very vocal about his feelings for her. “i can’t believe people still get mad for me saying he’s my best friend? is that a bad thing?” Liza asked in her twitter post on Saturday, April 9.

She further explained that “calling someone your best friend doesn’t necessarily mean you are friend-zoning them.” “things can develop, right?” she added. in a previous interview, enrique said that both of them have other priorities and that their relationship doesn’t need a label. He added that what matter most is they’re happy.

(Joyce Jimenez/Philstar.com)

Ot lOriOsO Philstar.com

“mARRiAGe is not a word. it’s a sentence…a life sentence!” that is Dennis trillo talking to his friends like a real Casanova. He is the kind of guy who charms and smooth-talks his way to the ladies. Oops, before anyone gets upset and starts bashing Dennis on social media, the actor is just portraying his character as the playboy Juan in the GmA 7’s newest primetime “sexy and naughty” comedy series “Juan Happy Love Story” that is set to air on may 16. topbilling with Dennis is Heart evangelista as Happy. the Kapuso network invited select members of the entertainment press for a preview of the show’s first few episodes. everyone burst into laughter in most of the scenes, especially those parts where Juan and Happy were seen engaged in what seemed to be a never-ending fight due to the former’s womanizing ways.

Dennis Trillo, who topbills the GMA 7’s newest primetime offering Juan “Happy Love Story” with Heart Evangelista, says his character Juan is his naughtiest role on TV yet.

Judging from his colorful lovelife, Dennis indubitably didn’t have a hard time plunging and losing himself into the role. He smiled and said, “i’m happy because this is my first

time to be given this kind of project on tV and yes, there’s no need to do research since Juan is just so naughty. i already did naughty roles in the past but this is my naughtiest and i think this is the first time for televiewers to see this kind of treatment and presentation on tV.” According to program manager Hazel Abonita, “Juan Happy Love Story” has a different kind of storytelling since it tackles the lead characters’ different points of view on love.

“When it comes to love, everything for Happy is romantic while Juan sees it as, no offense meant, everything is sexual. the presentation is also far from usual. May eksenang three times n’yong mapapanood — the he said, meaning from Juan’s point of view, the ‘she said’ from Happy and the scene where they both imagine the possible outcome of their respective thoughts; ’yun naman ’yung mga imaginary scenes.”

Continued on Page SF3

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kathryn Bernardo considers Daniel Padilla as her ‘protector’

The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE – April 15, 2016

My thoughts on three P’s: politics, presidentiables and platforms

by Joyce Jimenez Philstar.com

A “PRoTECToR” – this is how kathryn Bernardo sees onscreen partner and rumored boyfriend Daniel Padilla.

“Parang labas si DJ dun kasi parang lahat ‘yon nasa kanya,” she replied when asked if she can categorize Daniel in the classification of friends found in her book “Everyday kath,” in an interview on Sunday, April 10 after its launch.

“Kasi para siyang tatay na kaibigan mo na ewan. ‘Yong 10 na ‘yon siguro sa mga friends ko mag-a-apply na ibaiba ‘yong personalities namin pero na-drive kami together, ‘yon talaga ‘yong perfect combination. Then si DJ parang wala siya dun sa top 10 na ‘yon,” she explained. when asked about the kapamilya actor’s role in her life, the “Teen Queen” replied, “siya ‘yong parang best na pwede mong sabihan ng secrets and then mag-a-advice sa ’yo na di ka i-judge.”

“Siya ‘yong mag-protect sa ‘yo kung sino ‘yong umaway sa ‘yo or something,” she added. now that she bid the teenage years goodbye as she turned 20, she learned from

Kathryn Bernardo considers Daniel Padilla as her “protector” and one of the persons who taught her how to be strong in life.

Daniel to be strong in whatever challenge that life brings.

“Before kasi medyo fragile ako, e,” she admitted. “Pero because of all the experiences before I think I’ve learned a lot.

And kailangan talaga maging strong ka para mas ready ka to face everyone and para rin sa sarili mo.”

“I’m really thankful na andyan si DJ from day one hanggang ngayon,” she added, smiling. “Nandyan siya to support me… gano’n naman kami, sinusuportahan namin ang isa’t isa.” kathryn and Daniel will soon start working on a film that will be shot in Spain.

Dennis Trillo: what you see...

From Page SF2 Dennis admitted to having a wild streak in his younger years but that doesn’t mean he frowns on marriage.

He, too, is not the type who believes that there’s an ideal age or time to take on such an important life event. He believes anytime is the best time but it would have to depend on one’s willingness to do so “because once it hits you, there’s no need to think anymore; bigla na lang mararamdaman at tingin ko mas masaya pag ganun. I don’t think I would be happy if I stay single my whole life and for sure, all of us want to be with somebody we can grow old with.”

Besides, Dennis said he knows that getting married is

tional Standards Committee while her husband Bill Clinton was Governor. After serving as first lady, she became US SenaI know I have been writing tor for the state of new York mostly about famous personali- and was appointed as Secretary of State. ties and celebrities, as well as But beyond these indifashion and lifestyle. But this time, I want to give my two But vidual achievements, Hillary has this time, I want to give my two always been so zealous about cents on a national issue. Allow women’s rights.

Honestly, her support and me to share my thoughts on pro-stand on equal rights for politics, “presidentiables” and LGBT Americans is, for me, their platforms, or what I call, the “three P’s”—a much talked even secondary to all the amazing causes she is fighting for about subject—and not for a including her support to gun lack of reason.

The election is a few weeks control, American workers, and her being Pro-Choice. away and everybody is busy I also believe that her being campaigning for their presidenFirst Lady of the United States tial candidates. on the other for 8 years holds a significant other hand, the candidates factor in her leadership. Aside are feeling the tension as they from the fact that I voted for put their best foot – or feet – forward to get as many votes her husband, Bill Clinton during his time, Aside from the fact as possible.

I’m still a proud Democrat - that I voted for her husband, - and always will be. I believe in Bill Clinton during his time, I gun control and the Affordable sincerely think it’s about time we put a woman in that seat.

Care Act. I believe in having I believe that phenomenal an open mind on a number changes would start taking of social issues, and in devotplace once something radiing more resources to welfare programs. In short, I believe in cal like that happens. I am not saying it will solve all the a lot of things that align with problems our country is facing, the Democratic Party.

Having said that, you pretty but placing a lady as Head of State would dramatically alter much know who I am rooting the way women are viewed for to take the presidential around the world. And as seat this term. well, aside someone who has witnessed from her being a Democrat, I truly admire the woman. If you the resilience of women, I have no problem believing that such guessed, Hillary Clinton, then governance will revolutionyou are correct. ize a nation given the proper Mrs. Clinton is an exresources. tremely intelligent woman, Since I’ve been talking nona quality that’s validated by stop about how I would love her countless credentials. To Hillary Clinton to be president. name a few:; she was elected I think it’s just fair for me to Senior Class President of say who I am least in favor of. wellesley College, she graduwell, not that I hate the guy, ated with honors from Yale but Donald trump strikes me Law School before completas somewhat unpredictable, ing another year of graduate studies, and she worked on the inconsistent and unprincipled. presidential campaigns of Barry In his answers to questions and Goldwater, George McGovern his reactions to national issues, he seems “undercooked” (no and Jimmy Carter. She also pun intended) for such a huge chaired the Arkansas EducaBy Monet

one of the most important decisions a couple will make together. Does he see his rumored flame, Jennylyn Mercado, as the one he will be walking down the aisle with?

“Ayokong magsalita ng tapos. All I can say is we’re both happy whatever it is happening to us right now — in our work and personal life.”

However, Dennis is not confirming or denying if they are officially back in each other’s arms. They are among the celebrity couples who prefer to keep their relationships private. “what you see is what you get.

Gusto lang namin tahimik at di masyadong pinag-uusapan. we try to separate our private life from work.”

Lu

Who among these aspirants will be the next Philippine president? (L-R) Sec. Mar Roxas, Sen. Grace Poe, Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte

undertaking. on second thought, there’s one way Donald Trump’s ruthless image could work. And that is personified by Philippines’ presidential candidate, Rodrigo Duterte. As one article I read says, “Rodrigo Duterte and Donald Trump seem to capitalize on the deep frustrations of Filipinos and Americans with the failings of their respective countries’ democratic systems.”

Rody Duterte, who is currently leading the polls, is known for his fearless, unfiltered threats about killing criminals and drug dealers. The strongman-image that he and his team are projecting seem to hit the right spot as more and more people are drawn to the Davao mayor’s straightforward and candid remarks. while his candor is appreciated by many, still some are unhappy about Duterte’s admission to being a lady’s man. others also oppose to his ways of providing justice.

Running second in the survey for Filipino presidential candidate, is Sen. Grace Poe. She promised to eliminate classroom backlogs, free irrigation, increase the infrastructure budget, and hold the corrupt accountable, to name some of her platforms. Poe is highly admired among wellto-do respondents but aside from issues on her citizenship,

she lacks anti-poverty, socioeconomic and national security platforms.

And amid controversies, let’s not discount Vice President Binay who, according to one article, “is the only one with clearly-defined social, economic and national security platforms, where he showed his expertise and policies on anti-terrorism and cybercrime safeguards and eradication, which his office put into action in a series of seminars at the start of his term.”

Mar Roxas, while also facing flak from some parties, is getting support for his platform to continue President Pnoy’s agenda of “daang matuwid” (straight path).

And there you have it, my take on our presidential candidates both here and in the Philippines. I conclude this article with a wish that we may have clean and peaceful elections. *** Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, awardwinning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration. To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at monetsalon@aol.com

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celebrityworld The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - April 15, 2016

celebrity world

By Ferdie Villar Primetime Queen marian rivera has always remained mum about the past feud she had with actress Heart evangelista. it could be remembered that the friction happened sometime in 2011, while the two actresses were filming the movie “temptation island.” it was said that it came to a point that Heart’s mother, Cecile Ongpauco, even confronted marian when she arrived at the airport from ilocos Norte. it’s been more than five years since the controversy came out, but neither marian nor Heart has said anything about it.

So last thursday, April 7, marian was again asked by the media about it during a press con for a beauty product she was endorsing.

According to a report by

Pep.ph, the actress laughed when she heard the question.

“Hindi pa tapos? Hindi pa rin tapos?!” she said. She also added that it’s true that she doesn’t really make any comments about the issue.

“Pero ang pagkakaalam ko kasi...paano ko ba sasabihin?

“Kailan ba ‘yung Dolphy special? two years, three years ago?

“Lumapit na siya sa akin, e. the mere fact na lumapit na siya sa akin, pinatawad ko na siya. So, wala nang dahilan sa mga isyu na ‘yan.

“Kaya nagtataka ako bakit paulit-ulit na nabubuhay.” marian also said that her manager, rams David, was also a witness that she and Heart are okay. With all the great things that has been happening in her life now, she

Marian Rivera says everything’s forgiven on past rift with Heart Evangelista

said that she does not want to dwell on negative things.

“At saka, wala talaga kayong narinig sa amin, kahit isa sa inyo. Wala talaga kayong narinig sa akin.

“Kahit na... aaminin ko na may nakapagsabi sa akin at nasaktan ako sa sinabi niya na ‘very bad’ daw ang mga fans ko, dun, nasaktan talaga ako.

“Pero still, hindi pa rin ako nag-react dun.” marian also stressed the importance of being sincere.

“Siguro ganito na lang, siguro sana, yung mga sinasabi niyang salita, e, tumutugma sa mga ikinikilos niya.

“Ako naman, tao lang.

“Kapag sincere ang isang tao sa akin, bakit naman hindi?

Sino ba ang gustong may kaaway?

“Siyempre, lalo na ngayon

GMA Kapuso’s Primetime Queen Marian Rivera recently said that all’s well and forgiven between her and fellow actress Heart Evangelista.

Actress Heart Evangelista, now the wife of vice presidential candidate and Senator Chiz Escudero, has also kept mum about her past rift with fellow actress Marian Rivera.

Maria Letizia Gracia Dantes or Baby Zia, is probably one of the most popular celebrity baby in the Philippines today. Aside from having showbiz parents, she is making her own print as an endorser of several brands.

Ryn and Shylene Flores celebrated the baptism of their son, Shaiah Ryn Flores, officiated

by Fr. Carl at the Good Shepherd in Pittsburg last Sunday, April 10.

na may anak ako, gusto ko na bawat yugto ng buhay niya ay positive talaga ang anak San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener (3rd from left), who is also a ko, at nakikita niya sa aming candidate for State Senator, officiated the Induction of Officers of the Filipino-American Chamber of Commerce recently. Shown in photo with mga magulang na magandang him are (L-R_ Thez Santos, Yolly Cayabyab and Fil-Am Democratic Club ehemplo kami para sa kanya.”

Well said, marian. And of San Mateo County President Dorie Cachuela Paniza. speaking of her lovely daughter Zia, the most popular baby in the Philippines is poised to endorse not just one, but seven brands! maran revealed that although she initially does not want her daughter to be exposed early into showbiz, she and husband Dingdong Dantes discussed thing over.

Apart from good management, one of the reasons that they agreed for Zia to be an endorser is because she is actually using the brand.

So how did Baby Zia do on her first shoot?

Proud parents Dingdong Dantes and Maria Rivera are shown with their daughter Zia. The celebrity couple have agreed to let Baby Zia become an endorser of several choice brands.

“Akala ko siyempre, baby, madaling mapagod, pero hindi talaga, ang ligalig niya talaga,” marian said in an interview with Pep.ph. She also added that her daughter is a natural and was smiling all throughout the shoot.

At present, marian is going back to work on primtime tV as Ynang reyna in “encantadia.” She also feels so thankful and blessed for everything that has been going on in her life.

“Sabi ko nga, hindi ko alam

kung paano ko sasabihin ng magandang salita ang nangyayari sa akin ngayon.

“Pero masasabi kong sobrang literal talaga na bonus ang nangyayari sa akin na binigyan ako ng asawa at Zia sa buhay ko.

“Hindi ko sinasabing kuntento na ‘ko, pero nandito talaga ko sa stage na ang saya ng buhay ko, especially ngayong may anak na ko.

“Iba talaga kapag nanay ka, at saka proud talaga akong nanay ako. Ang sarap!”

GMA Kapuso artist Jaya (3rd from left), presented a solo concert held at the Good Shepherd in Pittsburg last Thursday, April 7. Shown in photo with her are Rev. Fr. Carl and the parishioners of the church.

John Lloyd on having a baby: I’m ready JOHN Lloyd Cruz admitted that he is ready to be a father if given the chance. “i think i’m ready kung anak lang ang pag-uusapan,” John Lloyd told members of the press on Saturday, April 9 during a set visit in his upcoming movie.

John Lloyd stars with Jennylyn mercado in Star Cinema’s “Just the 3 of Us.” in the movie, the character of John Lloyd impregnates the character of Jennylyn. the actor, however, clarified that he is not yet ready to have a family of his own.

“Okay na ako magkaanak, not necessarily magkaasawa, magkapamilya kung may lalapit at sasabihin sa akin ‘yon kahit na imposible sa paningin ko or sa pananaw ko... kaya ko na tanggapin,” John Lloyd said. this is the first time that John Lloyd will be working with Jennylyn, a home-grown GmA-7

John Lloyd Cruz stars in Star Cinema’s “Just the 3 of Us” which will be showing on April 27.

Philstar.com photo by Patricia Lourdes Viray

star. John Lloyd earlier admitted that he had been “dying” to work with the actress. the romantic-comedy film,

directed by Cathy Garcia-molina, will be in cinemas on April 27. (Patricia Lourdes Viray/Philstar.com)

features

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The Asian Jour nal SF MAGAZINE - April 15, 2016

The convenience of flying Philippine Airlines It will come as no surprise that many travellers place a high premium on nonstop direct flights. the advantages are obvious. Since a nonstop direct flight goes directly from the origin airport to the destination airport, without any connections in between, it is generally the shortest path. Further, without a connection, there is no waiting around for the intermediate flight to board, which means less travel time.

Add to this is the less chance of travel complications associated with missed connections, mid-trip delays, checked baggage getting lost and other unpleasant events that could happen mid-way through your trip. to put it simply: flying direct is always preferable. this becomes an even more important choice to many when flying internationally.

Although given that other airlines’ pricing strategies and itineraries that entail connecting flights are usually less expensive, a huge percentage of Filipino travelers –especially those from the West Coast -- still prefer PAL because it provides them the advantage and the convenience of that non-stop direct flights to either Manila or Cebu.

Missing a connecting flight adds more stress to an already long exhausting trip. And Philippine Airlines has conveniently addressed this with their non-stop direct flights.

With PAL’s direct flights to either Manila or Cebu the traveler enjoys the advantage of checking in only once and not worry about going through another check-in for a connecting flight.

Moreover, a direct flight also provides convenience to senior citizen travelers who no longer need to walk and navigate the long distances between arrival and departure gates to make their connecting flights.

And once you’re on board, you are guaranteed that the next stop is your final destination. In addition it gives you

an additional piece of mind knowing that your checked in luggage don’t have to make a connection and do not involve another series of handling; therefore, the possibility of losing your checked-in bags as very remote.

Further, Filipino travelers immediately feel at home as soon as they check-in and board the aircraft – for the simple reason that they can speak tagalog and not be afraid of being misunderstood by the airline cabin crew. Meanwhile, non-Filipino speaking passengers will have no communication problem because every member of the PAL staff speaks fluent English.

And of course, another advantage is that PAL international passengers use terminal 2, which is far more convenient than terminal 1. *** Philippine Airlines, which recently marked its 75th anniversary with the launch of its non-stop direct flights between Los Angeles and Cebu, is the first commercial airline and the oldest operating in Asia.

PAL has a good history, and although the company was severely affected the Asian financial crisis in 1997, it has nonetheless overcame the challenges. Jaime Bautista, PAL’s president and chief operating officer during the gala event that mark the company’s 75th year revealed that PAL is setting its sights into becoming a 5-star airline within the next five years.

Speaking during the gala event held at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills on March 18, the PAL chief executive said that the company’s goal is to make PAL the airline of choice in all markets.

Mr. Bautista acknowledged that this goal is not a simple task. However it is doable, which means PAL needs to further improve the quality of its service – from their front-line products to their staff service, both in the ground and in the air – to be at par with other 5-star airlines.

With the launch of its LAX-

Cebu service is aimed at boosting PAL’s presence in the United States that includes flights between San Francisco and Manila, New York and Manila, Honolulu and Manila, Guam and Manila, and Los Angeles and Manila. the thrice-weekly non-stop LAX-Cebu flights mark’s PAL’s first long haul destination from its secondary hub in Cebu. PAL currently has four international flights from Cebu, namely Nagoya, Osaka, Narita, and Seoul.

Cebu, is of course, becoming a very important hub outside of Manila, and an exciting gateway to the country’s dive sites, beaches and other nearby tourist destinations like Bohol, among others.

Aboard the inaugural flight from LAX to Cebu were mostly balikbayans with roots in Cebu and Mindanao. Also on board were members of the media who were part of the joint PALDOt Fam tour featuring various tourist sites and destinations in Cebu, Bohol and Manila, that include the historic Magellan’s Cross and nearby Basilica del Santo Nino which houses the oldest religious relic in the country; Fort San Pedro, the 17th century stone fort that served as the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.

In Bohol, Fam tour participant were treated to a countryside tour where they visited the tarsier sanctuary for a close encounter with the tarsier, the world’s smallest primate; enjoyed a cruise with lunch buffet down the Loboc River; plus the opportunity to visit Bohol’s geological wonders of limestone cone shaped hills known as the “Chocolate Hills”.

Of course a trip to Manila would not be complete without a quick trip to tagaytay, a perfect weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Locals have always been drawn to tagaytay because of its mild climate, the endless roadside stores offering the freshest fruits and vegetables, and native delicacies and of course the magnificent view of the world’s smallest volcano, taal Volcano, which sits on an

Jaime Bautista, PAL President and Chief Operating Officer led the ceremonial toast in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippine Airlines during the gala event held March 18 at SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. He was joined by officials from the Philippine Department of Tourism headed by Assistant Secretary for Tourism Development Planning Rolando Canizal; the Philippine Consulate General office headed by Consul General Leo Herrera Lim; and other executives of Philippine Airlines.

Photo courtesy of Julian Oriel

PAL VP-Passenger Sales Ryan Uy with Eliza Chung, Regional Director of GTT International, one of the largest airline consolidators in the United States.

Photo courtesy of Julian Oriel

island within a lake. *** With the advantages and the convenience of direct flights it offers to FilipinoAmerican travellers notwithstanding, Philippine Airlines nonetheless faces stiff competition from other Asian airlines. With their attractive tour packages, additional perks such as city tours during layovers, and competitive prices, other airlines are slowly but surely dipping into the sizeable Filipino-American trav-

Philippine Airlines Personnel gathered at the LAX during the send-off ceremony of the maiden launch of PAL’s direct flight between Los Angeles and Cebu on March 15, 2016. In photo, in front from left: Ricky Panis, account officer; Ed Rivera, cargo supervisor; Mitty Torres, account officer; and Junerick Marinas, LAX sales secretary. Standing, from left: Catherine Guino, Assistant Deputy Manager-LAX airport station; Terry Romilla, Activations Team-Manila; Anna Pisigan, Deputy Manager, LAX airport station; Marie Jemma Saranillo, outgoing Area Manager-Los Angeles; Maria Milagros Revilla, Country Manager, Americas; Ryan Uy, Vice President-Sales; Harry Inoferio, Senior Assistant Vice-President-Sales; Maricel Wall, Senior Account Officer; Rex Aldanese, LAX Station Manager; and Mark Andrews, ramp assistant.

Photo courtesy of Philippine Airlines

eling population between the United States and the Philippines. Aware of the competition posed by other airlines, PAL is expected to come up with competitive prices as a result of a recent meeting between PAL’s VP-Passenger Sales Ryan Uy and Eliza Chung, Regional Director of Gtt International, one of the biggest airline consolidators in the US. this latest move will, hopefully, place the national carrier in a more advantageous position in the highly demanding and

competitive travel industry. *** Manny V. Ilagan is a Tourism Specialist with over 23 years experience in the tourism and travel industry. He provides travel consultancy services to some of the biggest wholesalers and tour operators in the country as well as to some airline companies. He is the former Tourism Director-OIC of the Philippine Department of Tourism-Los Angeles, where he worked for over two decades. As a writer, he has written numerous articles about travel and tourism which have been published in various Filipino-American newspapers in Los Angeles and San Diego.